TWO YEARS OF MARRIAGE AND TRAVEL

On August 12th we celebrated our two-year wedding anniversary by dressing up for an elegant night on the town. We were long overdue to take our fancy clothes out for a walk; mostly because Thailand is so relaxed one can easily pass the days in shorts and flips. We took a cab into the heart of Bangkok where we ate a dinner of roasted lamb and BBQ ribs (yes, ribs ARE unquestionably a sophisticated dinner item). The restaurant was stylishly situated on the river-side veranda of the legendary Oriental Hotel. Our table faced Thailand's largest and most famous river, the Chao Praya. We savored gourmet morsels and gazed at the river boats drifting by, decorated in white Christmas lights. The general ambiance was quite posh until a tropical storm appeared from nowhere and we had to grab our plates and dash inside for cover from the barrage. Other than the mad dashing part, we felt quite aristocratic.

Fortunately we were dry once again by the time we got to the Siam Paragon Cineplex, Bangkok's premiere VIP movie theatre. Make no mistake, this "VIP" theatre comes complete with a lounge and a bar, leather recliner chairs, down pillows, plush blankets, drinks and popcorn delivered to your seat, and a wall around you and your partner's recliners so the neighbors can't see you making out during the movie! Pixar's Wall-E was cute and well made. Go see it if you get a chance.

The highlight of the night was in the simple realization that our anniversary also marks the two years that we've been traveling the world together. In just two years we've been to India, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia and of course Thailand. And if it's up to us, we'll hit at least that many new countries in the years to come.