The Wild Orchid

Erik picked a sweet little guesthouse, The Wild Orchid, beautiful commons area with lot of Thai artifacts and statues. Side street and big open sitting, dining area to lounge in. There is a little pool with the requisite statues and greenery right by where we eat. The accomodations are $6/nite and rooms are new and clean and simple, small ,just a bed and fan but certainly adequate. Bath and shower down the hall and cold water in the shower welcome respite to the heat and humidity. This Soi Rambutri area is a traditional wayfarers area for the backpacker set. The food is great and inexpensive. Erik got up and did yoga in the adjacent park and went back to bed. He ate at his favorite street vendor Tompei who is pictured here. She loves Erik and is so pleased to see him every time he shows up. She calls me Mama and I told her she is Erik's Thai Mama because she feed him so many times last year. He had yogurt with fresh fruit and granola this morning, fresh squeezed tangerine juice for $1. I ate at our place in the quiet of the morning and paid $3 for an American breakfast with the standard egg and white bread fare with tea.

Later we went for Thai massages which were great. These ladies all come from different small villages out in Thailand. They are lucky in many ways because at this place they do not have to ply the sex trade as they all work in a large room together. They giggle and talk to each other but the general atmosphere is really pleasant and they work you over with their pulling and stretching and kneading out the sore muscles. Afterwards you have tea and it feels like you have really done yourself a favor .....all for $6/hour. They are really sweet ladies and of course love Erik. They remember him from his previous visits.

We are checking out what it will take to get to BURMA after we get visas tomorrow. Expect it should go well and we will fly to Rangoon on Tuesday and go to the beaches along the Andaman seaside and await Rob's joining us for travel north to Mandalay.