Ayutthaya, Thailand

What better way to end the long day I spent in Ayutthaya than being crooned by Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman with "Time To Say Goodbye". Well, at least in my Ipod. The music lifted me up as I sat still, looking back across the river as we sail away, mystified by the experience of seeing the ancient ruins of Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Bangkok, Thailand

Samran, my Thai guide this morning, almost mistook me for another Thai. He was obviously looking for someone in the hotel lobby, his eyes scanning across the room that was almost empty. He was looking for "Mr. Dennis" and he couldn't seem to find a Caucasian meeting his gaze. I stood up from my seat, he gave me a hesitant look, told him my name then he checked the list he had on hand. Yes it's me, the "Mr. Dennis" he was expecting. He was not obviously expecting an Asian. As it turns out, I'm the only tourist he is guiding the whole morning, making the whole experience for me akin to a private tour. I had the van all to myself complete with a driver and Samran!

Bangkok, Thailand

Our Philippine Airlines flight PR 730 landed 25 minutes ahead of scheduled arrival time at Don Muang International Airport. That was quite a feat for PAL considering it used to be infamously known as "Plane Always Late". We also left Manila on time and I suspect that gentler headwinds on this westward journey pushed us to an earlier arrival in Bangkok - usually a 3 hour flight between the two Asian capitals.