La Fete closing show

La Fete's closing show was spectacular a real visual feast for the eyes!
A mix of projected film,animation and live dancers to the music of Rameau's ballet music interspersed with bursts of hip hop.

Phitsanulok

On the train to Sukothia via Phitsanulok I got a call from the newspaper The Nation telling me that I won two tickets to a jazz concert by a Danish jazz singer ,Benny Chawes,who I'd seen the other night.Lucky me! Quick change of plans;I decided to come back on the night train Bangkok!

Jim Thompson receives a Royal Visit

Sunday afternoon at Jim Thompson House museum:while I was purusing the view from the balcony a large group of suited men VIPs arrived for a tour.
I went to the terrace to have lunch and while relaxing and gazing at the fish jumping about in the waster I decided to start reading my book"Atonement "but I stopped after one page as the overwhelming gassy smell of the canal,running alongside the restaurant,put me off my reading.
I went over to the shop;the large group of suited men and their entourage were coming out;
it turned out that the VIPs were a group of people from Jordan which included the King of Jordan's brother.

The Bangkok Olympic Torch Relay 2008

Arrived in Chinatown to find the relay hadn't started quite typical things not running on time and things seemed chaotic when the first runner set off.
I didn't see the runner as there was the relay route wasn't very clear and the public was mixed in with the runners,the area wasn't cordoned off.

The Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque wasn't easy to get to;first I caught a local train then outside the train station I waited in vain for a local bus to get to the mosque.But then it seemed pointless waiting for the bus especially as the young couple next to me were completely clueless about the time of the next bus.
Luckily I got a lift from an Indian Malay man who had just dropped off his son.
Was the Blue Mosque worth the effort?Well the building was architectually interesting with its stained glass coloured windows and the spider-like canopy side entrance on the second floor of the mosque.At the end of my visit I again had to rely on getting a lift to get back to the train station.

Flying visit to Laos

Visited Ventianne and Vang Viang.I enjoyed Vang Viang most off especially the picturesque river with the Karst hills in the background.

Eye on Malaysia

Great view from the Eye of Malaysia ferris wheel which was originally constructed for the 50th anniversary celebrations of Malaysia's independence.
Later on the Eye of Malaysia will be moved to Malacca to boost it tourism.