Cha Am

Cha Am, a small Thai Beach Resort.  It is where the Thai's go to escape the busy city of Bangkok.  It's only 2h away from Bangkok so a nice short beach visit is possible!  I was kicked out of my room (not actually kicked out but my month of rent was over) so had a one night before I could move into a friends room and decided I would spend it at Cha Am!

I spent my first day lying on the beach studying for my up-coming exam and reading my book.  It was a relaxing trip! I felt like a celebrity at the beach! I was one of the few Westerners and all the Thai's kept coming up to me to ask to shake my hand!  They also seemed to be a little behind in technology... check out the seadoo with the outboard motor!!

After dinner I decided to go for a moonlit stroll on the beach before bed.  As I was walking next thing you know I had these 3 Thai boys calling to me to join them for a beer!  They were sitting at a table in the sand, right beside the water, with candles lit around them (one shaped as a heart).  I sat with them for a little bit trying to help them speak English...

They really did look like boys...

The next morning I rented a bike and rode to the end of the fishing pier and back.  It was a nice day and a nice short bike before getting back on the bus to Bangkok...

the empty beach before all the Thai's arrived... (it was still a little early for them

fishermen getting from their boats to land.

My bike with the statue at the end of the pier.

Last couple weeks in Bangkok...

DEEP FRIED ICECREAM!!!!!

 My last few weeks in Thailand I stuck around Bangkok.  Finals were in mid-May and I figured I should do some proper studying and appreciate the city while I could.

The Bangkok Cultural Centre was just down the road from out hotel, across from MBK, and turned out to be  a really nice place to study.  Art displays on each level of the building and AMAZING deep fried ice cream!!!!!!!!!

There also happened to be traditional Thai dancers one day I was there...

Finally on one of our last days in Bangkok we got around to doing a group lunch and pool party!  It was a beautiful sunny day! We all had lunch and just chilled by the pool all afternoon!

The weekend before our finals we were invited to a dinner with Dartmouth Alums.  There is a Dartmouth club in Bangkok and the president of the club held a dinner for us at his house.  He had it catered by his company, he owns a grocery/restaurant chain called Foodland.

Sam, Amber, David '48, Me

Sadly only one other alum showed up, so we had food for 15 people for only 5 of us! I have never been so full before in my life!!!!!!!!

Lobster in the centre surrounded by smocked salmon in spoons with seaweed salad underneath, assorted cold cut meats around... very elaborate!

 It was a nice dinner, pictures will show they went over and above! Chocolate profiteroles, filled with chocolate, in chocolate cups!!!

 On our way to the Dartmouth Dinner we stopped off very briefly at one of the nicest Sky Bar's in Bangkok, Sirroco Sky Bar.  A bunch of our friends were going but we could only make a brief showing as we had to make it to the dinner.  It was beautiful but the prices I think made us happy we were only there for a brief showing!

Just another funny sign in a cab on our drive that night...