Near our hotel, there was a high-rise mall with chic shops, food courts, and department stores. The American Christmas shopping disease has struck Thailand, in spite of the fact that 95% of the population is Buddhist: the mall was decorated with Christmas trees and wreaths, and hordes of shoppers in a buying frenzy were about...

For those of us who thought they could escape rampant commercialism by spending the holiday in Thailand, it was somewhat of a downer.

Late in the afternoon, we caught the Sky Train, Bangkok's elevated rapid transit system...

...for our farewell dinner cruise on a barge on the Mae Nam Chao Phraya River.

Clockwise around the table from the left: John and Julia Langford, Laura and Elliott Dudnik, Priscilla Clute and Bob Smythe, George Moore, Reid Moore, Barbara, and Donna and Dick Gratton.

Jim and Barbara enjoyed the party atmosphere...

Barbara got caught up in the spirit of the dancing...