Seagull Resort

On a recent Sunday, Nuch and decided to visit the Bangpu Seaside Resort.  There are a few bungalows where you can stay, but most people come to take a walk on the pier and feed the seagulls. 

I know it doesn't sound like the most exciting way to spend a Sunday afternoon, but these seagulls kick a$$. 

In the picture below you can see Nuch's outstretched arm as she tosses up a juicy morsel for the seagull.  Simple enough, but if you take a closer look you can see the seagull catching it in it's mouth.  In fact, anything thrown up generally gets caught. 

These seagulls were amazing - the were Willie Mays shagging flies, rarely dropping anything.

In a flock, they would fly in a holding pattern, coming up the length of the pier, eventually veering off to the East, then back to shore, where they would turn around and make another run.

So, what is a seagulls preferred snack, you may ask?

Deep-fried pork nuggets.

They're a bit greasy, so after you've finished, the vendors have provided a water basin to wash your hands.

When the tide is out, the end of the pier, which is about a quarter mile long, is left high and dry.

This dog decided it was a good place to enjoy the cool, wet sand.

This fish, perhaps one of our ancestors, has feet and can walk around when the water is too shallow to swim in.

Some other pics from the afternoon.

   

Royal Dragon

Sometimes too much is a bad thing.

On a lazy Sunday Nuch and I tried Royal Garden's all you can eat dim sum buffet.  In 1992 Royal Garden was the world's biggest restaurant with 5,000 seats.

 

So big that the waiters took to roller skating to save the soles of their shoes.

We had the all you can eat dim sum buffet. 

but passed on the chicken's feet.

You may be wondering why this bridge does not run straight across the lily pond.  It's done this way to protect yourself from wayward spirits.  Apparently, ghosts can only move in straight lines.  I'm not making this up.

Here are some more pictures from Royal Garden. 

This waiter was walking and talking on the phone while carrying a tray of steamed buns.  Here she is putting them back in the tray after she had tripped and spilled them across the ground.  I'll just assume they ended up in the trash and not back at the buffet.

Seaside View

It's not the first time I've blogged on Rabiang Talay restaurant, but it was another beautiful day, so worth posting some pictures. 

Fortunately, you can't catch the scent of the leather tanneries just up the road.

My only complaint was that the ladle did not fit into the fire bowl-thing - so you can never get the last few ounces of soup.  It's the same everywhere in Thailand.  I swear it's a conspiracy between the soup and the soup bowl makers - like the hotdog and hotdog bun makers in the US.

Towards the bottom you can only get half a ladle.

The Hogarth

Okay, just got back from a trip to England.  Mostly work, but on the way back I met Nuch, who happened to be in London with Thai Air.   We didn't have a full day, as I arrived in London on Friday evening, and our flight to Bangkok left Saturday evening, but we made the best of it.  Saturday morning, we took a bus towards London to have some British pies and watch some football (soccer).

Our bus to London only made it to Teddington.  I've no idea where that is, but that's where we got off, and across the street was a pub with a British-sounding name, so that's where we ate.

Well, they didn't have any a Beef and Ale pie with a light pastry top, but they did have stone-baked pizza and nachos, and some good FA Cup football that ended in a shoot out. 

Here we are on the way home - looking up the street.

and down the street.

  

so, that was our half day in London.

Ins And Outs Of Thailand

Below are lines of passengers waiting to go through immigration at Suvarnabhumi Airport.  It took nearly an hour to get through, and I almost missed my flight.  In fact, I had to do my best OJ Simpson impersonation to get there just before the plane left the gate.

Apparently, there was an unexpected mass exodus from Thailand because only half of the immigration kiosks were operating.

Coming back was worse.  Unlike the Visa advertisement, this line was "go"-ing nowhere.  This picture was taken while still in the terminal.

Once again, the immigration kiosks were only half-full.  You have to wonder if the immigration officials ever thought of checking the flight schedules.