A 6:15AM pickup at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, two hours in the Suvarnabhumi Airport first class lounge, first class flight from Bangkok to Dubai, then after two hours in the airline first class lounge, a second AirBus 380,   largest passenger liner in world , from Dubai to Munich, a total period of around 20 hours.  Basically, we had to wake up at 4:45AM in Bangkok, and did not get to the Munich Westin Grande Hotel until 3:15AM ( or 9:15PM Munich time--there is a 6 hour difference ). This was the ultimate in luxury, and a prime example of too much of a good thing. First, Emirates picks us up at our Bangkok hotel and drops us off at our Munich hotel.  Nice. The Emirates Bangkok first class airline lounge early in the morning has the full complement of food and drinks. First class on an Air Bus 380 features unlimited caviar and high end champagne/scotch, like Dom Perignon, Johnny Walker Blue and Dalmore. The TV screen is huge, video/audio selections immense and a door blocks you off

If you ever come to Bangkok, one experience you should not miss is rooftop dining.  It must have been more than two decades ago.  I was staying in the Banyan Tree Hotel, which was then a Westin.  In any case, at the top was  Vertigo , the first roof top dining restaurant in the city.  The building has 61 floors, and you are at the top. Since then I've dined at a few more.  As the second of its kind,  Sirocco  opened in 2003 on the 63rd floor.  Read about  my experience in 2015: ... the symbol of supreme dining extravagance in Thailand, remaining as the highest place to enjoy a meal with only the sky above you, on the 63rd floor of the State Tower.   I took the photos below awaiting my table and saw the sunset. Maybe your mind might recall this scene, for parts of  Hangover 2  were shot here. This posting  provides cuisine and wine details for every dish. So, the chef came by to chat with me, for maybe the third time, and we joked around enough that I don't think he was insulted

I've been on a long trip and have not said much about Ukraine, Israel, Donald Trump and global warming.  I don't feel particularly spiritual today, so will spend this Sunday on the latter. The media have trumpeted the seriousness of how hot Planet Earth's atmosphere is getting. A new report by the  Global Climate Project consortium  says that we will reach an all-time high this year in carbon emissions.  I thought renewables and conservation measures were beginning to work.  Guess not, especially in reducing coal usage.   Meanwhile, the USA has done well.  What are those emission numbers on the second graphic?  The graph was obscured, but the trends look good.   You can go to this article for details . The  World Meteorological  Organization and Europe's Copernicus Climate Change Service  reported that 2023 will certainly be the warmest year on record, with last month being the hottest November. With all that happening, the world is dawdling on what to do.  The  current