Good Morning Bangkok!

Dear Bloggers:

Arrived in Bangkok to the beautiful Shangri La Hotel about 11:30PM on Sunday night. Did a brief tour of the hotel and crashed. The trip went off without a hitch...even though it was a long and grueling one. The hotel is right on the Chao Phraya River...the main river that runs through Bangkok and I am on the 20th floor. I can't help but think of the saying, "A River Runs Though It".

I sat by the window this morning and watched as Bangkok revealed itself to me as the sun came up. Clearly the river gives life to this city. I watched as the number of boats on the river increased by the hour as people travelled to work on the river as the city came alive. Imagine going to work by boat! Something peaceful about starting your day on the water.

If you are interested in viewing the hotel, go to their website at: http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/bangkok/shangrila

As I went to bed last night, on my pillow was the following quote from the book, "Lost Horizon"." He was discovering happiness in the present. When he sat reading in the library, or playing Mozart in the music-room, he often felt the invasion of a deep spiritual emotion, as if Shangri-La were indeed a living essence, distilled from the magic of the ages and miraculously preserved against time..."

For me, travel forces me to live in the present, make conscious choices, and marvel at how much I don't know. There are surprises around every corner...life is no longer predictable (if it ever was). From the high tech bathrooms in Toyko to the electrical converters that blasted the electrical system in my hotel room last night...you must be prepared to be surprised at every turn!

They say our mind and our thoughts drive our behaviors. I have been so aware of the stories I tell myself and the assumptions I make about the way things are in a foreign county. So many choices about what we choose to believe about our experiences. Amazed, once again how it feels to be in the minority...to walk in someone else's shoes. Humbling to say the least. You don't know what you don't know!

So, I am off to my photography class to learn just how much more I don't know...

Thanks for checking in...will post more tomorrow.

Linda