July 17 13:00: About to leave Bangkok for Chiang Mai . Boy, do I get all the luck. Somehow, my reservations were cancelled and I couldn’t get the flight that I needed. And… I have a car waiting to pick me up in Chiang Mai and no way to contact them. What to do? Signed up for standby- #34 on waiting list. Somehow, not only do I get called, but I’ve now been bumped up to FIRST CLASS! Wow what luxury. So far, I’ve had nobody sitting next to me in economy and now I’m king (oops, can’t say that too loud here). News briefs: crocodiles, bombs, Muslims..

Anyway, virtually no sleep last night. I’ve had about 10 hours total since going to bed in Cville last Sunday. My body has no concept of what time it is- even having breakfast doesn’t help- since when is chicken boiled rice and spring rolls considered breakfast!!?? 98 degrees out.

Dinner at riverside restaurant arranged by travel agent. Eat with a group of people: 2 Thai, 2 Singaporean. I arrived late, food was already ordered. Small dishes came about every 15-20 minutes for the next three hours: tilapia fish, grilled with vegetables, spring rolls, some mushroom dishes, fish cakes, tom kai gai soup and on and on. Very relaxing, jets of water spraying into the river, nice lights. Ate outside- the restaurant has a multilevel series of teak decks: the temperature was about 82 degrees (still pretty humid. Thai band playing covers of old American R&R. Stuffed, barely room for the final fruit course, which had some bizarre looking things that I’ve never seen before, some very sweet fruit. Anyway, 1 of the Singaporean guys offered to pickup the tab. So: 5 people stuffed, with drinks, nice, nice restaurant, total bill: 650 BHT = less than $14!!! I paid my $3 share. Got a lift back to the hotel. Dead tired passed out at 11:30.