From the minute we arrived in Bangkok, I was overwhelmed by the kindness of the Thai people, the taxi driver and the people that met us at Scott and Jazz's condo. In the hotels we stayed at, the staff observed and quickly came to help with anything as small as struggling with the pull-up handle on my suit-case. I think Safeway should take lessons in superior service training from Thailand.

Everywhere, there are statues of Buddha. In the morning, shop owners and other people leave food for their god. I haven't seen him eat it yet! The King here is the longest running King in history and is very well-respected. Before we entered the Grand Palace Tour, we had to change into proper attire with our legs and top completely covered (that's why Bob is wearing funny pants). The Grand Palace itself is something else (see pictures)!

The Thai people work together and support each other in business dealings. When we took a Tuk-tuk (mode of transportation in Bangkok) to the pier, the driver didn't ask us which pier to go to, but rather took us straight to his friend for a river-boat tour at a more costly price. . (we may have been hosed). On the way back, we stopped at a Tailor's shop, where he hoped we would give another friend some business. You can't help but admire their loyalty to friends, but you have to be aware of being scammed. Despite their loyalty to each other, the Thai people have an incredible respect for tourists. We could leave belongings on the lounge chairs on the beach and not be afraid of theft.

Pattaya is a city located on the Gulf of Thailand. During WW1 and WW2, it was a famous harbour used by soldiers. The city became known as the "Sin City" of the world. We saw the dark side of Pattaya when we walked down Walking Street with Scott and Jasmine. Groups of beautiful young girls are staged about every 40 to 50 feet. The pimps tried to hand out price lists for men and / or women as you walked by. In some places, men offer young boys. You hear of all of these things, but don't really really believe it until you see it. I was sick to my stomach and just wanted to leave. I couldn't sleep the first few nights; the thoughts of innocent girls taken from rural areas with the promise of a better life haunted me. These thoughts totally sickened me. Scott and Jasmine hesitated to show us this area. I'm glad they did, because ignorance is not bliss. It is good to know what is happening in this dark world and be willing to do what we can to change it.

To a lighter side of things, we had a fantastic time on an island called Koh Chang (Thai translation: Elephant Island). We went for an elephant ride in the beautiful Thai jungle, and also did some snorkeling and fishing aboard an amazing Catamaran Sail-boat. I am once again thankful to God for keeping us safe.

Yesterday, we went to one of the most beautiful restaurants in Pattaya, a place called Benihana. Besides the most incredible buffet, they had live music. I asked the waiter if he could find out from the manager if it would be okay for Jasmine to play one song on the piano. They agreed; she played "Music Box Dancer.". The manager and staff stood around and watched her and were very pleased. They asked her to keep playing while the two musicians had their lunch. The people clapped and cheered when she was finished and the manager came up to me and said, "She stay, she stay.".

We will be staying in Pattaya for the rest of the week. Tomorrow, we will shop; Wednesday, we will take a tour through the Temple of Truth, which includes a Dolphin show. We are hoping to visit an Orphanage, but are still working on those plans. Friday, we are going back to Bangkok to board a plane early Saturday morning for home. I look forward to seeing all of my friends and family again, but am not looking forward to the snow and cold. This trip has been a worthwhile experience and is something we will never forget! We enjoyed every moment with Scott and Jasmine and will miss them a lot when we leave.