Great as always to get back to Bangkok. View is from our apartment balcony on 29th floor. Sit out till midnight and still in 80’s. New buildings rising up everywhere as always.

Celeste has a friend, Jean, who was operated on for a brain tumor in mid December. She and her husband raised their family in Danville and moved down to Los Osos near Morro Bay for retirement.  The  tumor was malignant. Celeste e-mailed Jean before our trip and said she would pray for her recovery at the Erawan shrine in Central Bangkok. This Buddhist shrine is the Thai’s favorite for good luck and special favors. Celeste received an E-mail from Jean’s husband that Jean had passed away unexpectedly early New Years morning. Celeste fulfilled her promise yesterday.

This shrine is where they had the terrorist bombing a few months ago. The shrine was up and running two days later. The threat of violence has become part of our daily lives but life goes on.

Two more days in Bangkok and then back home. Gotta go. It is lunch time and we are going to get one of those Micky D’s black bun burgers