ISB and a long cab ride in Bangkok - August 1

We started at the embassy... getting directions written in Thai on how to get to Thalia's school... we got a taxi and took off for ISB - the International School of Bangkok.  What a school!

Here in the halls, flags representing the countries (and states...I saw the TEXAS flag!) of the students are hanging.

This is the very front of the school.... can you guess what their mascot is?

The campus is beautiful!  It's actually a Pre-K through grade 12 school!  I knew it was expensive, but didn't realize HOW expensive it is.  Thankfully, the state department pays for Thalia's school.  It's over $200,000 a year!  Yes, that is correct!

These fish...

swim in these ponds...

This is the cafeteria...it's open to the outside.  If you look over on the left hand side of the photo, you'll see some windows...well, they run for quite a ways.  Over them, they tell you what kind of food is offered at that window... sandwiches, made to order sandwiches, breakfast, noodles, Thai, etc.

In the center of that photo, is the salad bar.  Erica said it's delicious...all fresh, organic ingredients.

There is also a coffee shop, the Grind...and right off the main part of the grounds is also a Starbucks!

ATM machines?  yep!  The two machines on either side of the 3 ATMs are machines that Erica or Joshua can put in their card...load money onto their card...which will automatically put money onto Thalia's card.  She can then use that to buy her lunch...or a coffee...or whatever...

This was heading over to the elementary side of the campus...

High school side...Industrial design... pretty incredible pieces they had on display...

Thalia will have a free period...and this is a place where the kids hang out sometimes...

 In this ISB Aquatics, is one of the two pools.  The other pool is a new olympic size pool...

 This is the pathways around the school...

 As we were roaming around, I figured we must be back in the elementary part of campus...

 The vegetation is beautiful...lush!  See that broom?  Erica had told me about them before I came.  They are for sweeping leaves.  I've seen people use them at Lumpini Park...and actually just around the markets.  I was surprised at how great they work.  Too bad I can't get one of the airplane to bring home.

 This runs alongside the school...

 One of the high school buildings...  See the tree trunks?  I guess they do that for stability????

 Now this is interesting.  These are lockers... but if you look at the top left locker, you see a little rectangle in the center.  When Thalia wants to get in her locker, she'll just hold her ID card over that square, and her locker will automatically open!

 This was hanging by the art department..I just saw the Statue of David again in Italy...and I don't remember him having light bulbs on his head or in one of his eyes!

 Here, you can see the aquatic center again...but you can also see some of the soccer fields... it's artificial turf...

 I've never heard of jasberry rice...so I took this photo.  Have you heard of it?

 After Thalia had her picture made for her ID card...and Erica had hers made...and we roamed around campus, we took off walking to a Mexican food restaurant that is rated #1 in Bangkok... Que Pasa!

We walked off the grounds of the school... so I turned around to get a shot of it.  Nichada is the name of the area where the school is located... don't have a clue what Thani means...

 This is the sidewalk we walked down to get to Que Pasa...

 As we were walking, I saw this spirit house...and someone left out doughnuts and some water!  Not sure who is suppose to eat it.

 I love this picture!  I had spotted Que Pasa and Thalia was leading the way!

 The front of these Tuk-Tuk's were decorations for the restaurant...

 This is the restroom... it's outside of the restaurant...

 Back inside, they had so much Texas stuff...

 We were sitting right next to this window.  This lady continually had the water house out.  Usually, she was squirting the macaw....I'm assuming to keep him/her cool.  There were quite a few different kinds of birds, but they all seemed to get along just great!

 I had a Corona with my fajita burrito...and the delicious chips and salsa...

 It IS made in Mexico...but part of the bottle is written in Thai.  Now, was this done in Mexico, knowing they were shipping this to Thailand???

 We got a late start heading back home...mistake...BIG mistake!  You may recall what I've said about the traffic here...it's enough to drive you crazy.  The people at Que Pasa called us a cab...and I can guarantee you, that taxi driver regrets that journey.  We hit TRAFFIC with a capital T.  It took us less than 30 minutes to get TO the school...and nearly 2 1/2 hours to get home.

So...I pulled out my camera...and took a few.  Look at this elementary school?  Looks like a hotel to me.

 This looks like they started building a freeway...and then stopped.  Nuts!

 Thalia told me this was a Thai blessing...it was written on the ceiling of the cab...

and here's our cab driver.  It was posted inside the cab...he was getting so mad when we got close, because he got lost...wasn't sure where to go.  He kept talking to Erica in Thai...it was obvious the understanding wasn't there...and if she tried to tell him something, it was obvious he didn't understand either.

2.5 hours later...we made it back....safe and sound!

Some of Joshua's marines are coming over tomorrow for dinner...so tonight, Erica, Lizbeth, and I started cooking... and we'll cook tomorrow....

An adventure...but another great day in Bangkok!