A few thoughts:
Traffic in Thailand and Cambodia (from what I've seen of each, at least) is crazy. There appear to be no rules of the road - lane lines are meaningless; people drive on the wrong side of the street if it appeals to them; people park wherever they like - in the second lane on the street, half street/half crosswalk, whatever; when crossing intersections without traffic signals you just go and hope everyone else will weave around you; crossing the street as a pedestrian is taking your life into your hands. One major difference - horns are rarely used in Thailand, but used constantly in Cambodia. Haven't figured that one out yet.
In both countries, tuk tuk drivers are relentless. I will be walking down a street, and there will be 5 tuk tuks in a row. The first four will all approach me with "tuk tuk, madam?", and I either say no, or just ignore them. Yet the fifth, seeing me reject/ignore all previous 4 will still stand in my path and say, "tuk tuk, madam?" As if I somehow, in the span of about 4 paces, changed my mind and decided, "Yes! I DO need a tuk tuk after all!" It's annoying, but mostly tolerable. Except for my last night in Siem Reap, where I guess I hit my limit and almost decked a driver who stood right in my way with that damn "tuk tuk, madam?" line. I'm better now.
There IS a difference between Thai and Cambodian food! I think I like Cambodian better. They use this fun spice - amok (as in running amok). Also, most dishes really aren't spicy - spice is used for flavor, not for heat. I like that. And dishes are sweeter. Coconut and/or coconut milk is in a lot of stuff. yum! Thai beer, on the other hand, beats Cambodian beer hands down. Maybe I need to sample some more before making a final conclusion on that...
Cambodian monks are apparently not as restricted as Thai monks. The guide book had all sorts of do's and don'ts for monks in Thailand. Don't take pictures of them or with them. Women can't talk to monks. Women can't touch monks. Women can't hand something or take something directly from a monk. But, in Cambodia, things seem a bit different. At Angkor Wat I had a young monk (we're talking maybe 18) follow me around like a lost puppy, chatting me up the whole time. As I noted in my last post, at the sunset temple I got a hoot out of watching a group of around 10 monks be your average joe-tourist. Taking pictures, posing on the edge of the temple, using digital cameras and camcorders. (Another traveler told me he was on the same bus as them, and they were drinking and smoking up a storm.) At one point I realized I was about to walk in the path of a monk getting his picture taken - I stepped back but he motioned me into the picture, put his arm around me, then asked another blonde girl to get on his other side and did the same. I bet he shows this to all his Thai monk friends and they get jealous.
Thai vs. Cambodian massage/spa treatments... I feel I should be qualified to judge this, as I had 3 massages, 2 manicures and 1 pedicure in Thailand, and 2 massages and 1 facial in Cambodia. But, so sorry to say, I'm afraid more research is needed before coming to a definite conclusion. I promise you all, I will endure all sorts of sacrifice to come to a determination on this very important subject. I suppose I should go work on that now...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Ruined! (Again)
Wow. Wow wow wow wow wow. I just can't say it enough. Wow.
I spent 11 hours today touring the ruins of Angkor Wat and surrounding temples. Wow. This place is just surreal. It looks like something out of a movie set. OK, that's probably because it has been used for movie sets. (Tomb Raider, anyone?)
Most people just refer to the entire area as Angkor Wat. But that really isn't accurate. Angkor Wat is just one temple in this area. There are dozens of others, most built 1,000 years ago and laid undiscovered by modern man until about 100 years ago. Some, like the one used in Tomb Raider, were overtaken by nature long ago. Trees started to grow in the ruins of Ta Prohm, and what were once little saplings are now 100+ foot trees fully intertwined with the ruins. Others are in various states of decay. Climbing about on them is a weird feeling - everything is just so... old. It doesn't seem right to be clamboring over these ruins. But I did. Luckily, this is the low season, so the number of tourists is small compared to high season. In many temples, there were times when there was no one else in sight.
Angkor Wat is an incredible sight. It is the largest of the temples, and the most fully preserved, as it was used in much later periods than the others. It is surrounded by a huge (huge!) moat. The causeway is almost 2 football fields long. I took a quick 2 hours to tour it, but plan to come back tomorrow. I thought about getting up at 4am to see the sun rise - supposedly a magnificent sight - but I just can't bring myself to do it. Maybe Monday.
I ended the day with a 15 minute walk uphill to the base of Phnom Bakheng, then climbing up dozens of incredibly steep sandstone steps (how do the tiniest people end up with the steepest, highest steps???) to position myself for a view of the on-coming sunset. This is supposedly the place to be. Again, in high season, 1,000 people will crowd in at the top of the temple. There were probably around 100, including a group of monks that were in full tourist mode - digital cameras, camcorders, etc. (One wanted to pose for a picture with me and another blonde girl. That was weird.) Unfortunately, mother nature was not cooperating and delivered only a cloudy sky, not a spectacular sunset as the guide book promised. It was still a nice view.
I spent 11 hours today touring the ruins of Angkor Wat and surrounding temples. Wow. This place is just surreal. It looks like something out of a movie set. OK, that's probably because it has been used for movie sets. (Tomb Raider, anyone?)
Most people just refer to the entire area as Angkor Wat. But that really isn't accurate. Angkor Wat is just one temple in this area. There are dozens of others, most built 1,000 years ago and laid undiscovered by modern man until about 100 years ago. Some, like the one used in Tomb Raider, were overtaken by nature long ago. Trees started to grow in the ruins of Ta Prohm, and what were once little saplings are now 100+ foot trees fully intertwined with the ruins. Others are in various states of decay. Climbing about on them is a weird feeling - everything is just so... old. It doesn't seem right to be clamboring over these ruins. But I did. Luckily, this is the low season, so the number of tourists is small compared to high season. In many temples, there were times when there was no one else in sight.
Angkor Wat is an incredible sight. It is the largest of the temples, and the most fully preserved, as it was used in much later periods than the others. It is surrounded by a huge (huge!) moat. The causeway is almost 2 football fields long. I took a quick 2 hours to tour it, but plan to come back tomorrow. I thought about getting up at 4am to see the sun rise - supposedly a magnificent sight - but I just can't bring myself to do it. Maybe Monday.
I ended the day with a 15 minute walk uphill to the base of Phnom Bakheng, then climbing up dozens of incredibly steep sandstone steps (how do the tiniest people end up with the steepest, highest steps???) to position myself for a view of the on-coming sunset. This is supposedly the place to be. Again, in high season, 1,000 people will crowd in at the top of the temple. There were probably around 100, including a group of monks that were in full tourist mode - digital cameras, camcorders, etc. (One wanted to pose for a picture with me and another blonde girl. That was weird.) Unfortunately, mother nature was not cooperating and delivered only a cloudy sky, not a spectacular sunset as the guide book promised. It was still a nice view.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Ruined!
I spent 3 days earlier this week touring two of Thailand's most important historical sites - the ruins at Sukothai and Ayutthaya. On Sunday I left Chiang Mai and hopped on a bus for a 6 hour ride to Sukothai. (This is why I didn't fly back to Bangkok, as some have wondered.) Sukothai is about 1/2 way between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. It is known for its historical park of old temple ruins. Unfortunately, that's about all it has going for it. I was hoping this would be a cute little town where I could relax and chill for a few days. Nope. Sort of dusty and lacking in any sense of charm or personality. But, it had the historical park.
I liked my guesthouse - I had my own little bungalow (with a/c!), they had a nice communal lounge with a tv and about 100 pirated dvd's, and there were a good number of other travellers there. But, I had officially declared myself bored within 10 minutes. I was sitting in the lounge for just a few minutes, I suddenly heard "Jennifer?" It was a couple that I had met in Bangkok a week earlier. I was so happy, and let Helen & Pete know they just cured my boredom.
The three of us, and another couple we met on the local bus, rented bikes on Monday and toured a good bit of the historical park. We rode probably around 10k over the morning (partly because we overshot one of the temples by around 2k and had to turn back. oops). I could have stayed another few hours, but had to make a decision around 12:30 - leave the park and make the 2:00 bus to Ayutthaya, or stay a little longer and be stuck in Sukothai overnight. I decided to get out of town, so I left Helen & Pete to explore on their own a little longer.
Ayutthaya had a bit more going for it. A pretty big city, with everything centered around ruins of old temples and palaces. Lots and lots of buddhas - big ones, little ones, standing ones, sitting ones, and 3 reclining buddhas. Buddha looks very comfortable reclined. The Thai like to drape their buddhas in gold cloth. Sometimes just a sash, othertimes full draping. It looks stunning against the old ruins.
My guesthouse in Ayutthaya - Morodok Thai house - was run by Samsei, a tiny little Thai woman, probably in her mid-50's but looking much older because she only has 3 teeth. I think Samsei both understands english and speaks it too, but most of us couldn't tell. Whatever language she was speaking was incomprehensible (and horribly high pitched, too). She is a bit crazy, and likes to dance around like a college freshman on nickle beer night when she drinks. 2 guys who had been staying there for quite some time seemed to understand her, but the rest of us were baffled.
The ruins at Sukothai and Ayutthaya got me inspired for the next leg of my trip... Angkor Wat. (See next post...)
I liked my guesthouse - I had my own little bungalow (with a/c!), they had a nice communal lounge with a tv and about 100 pirated dvd's, and there were a good number of other travellers there. But, I had officially declared myself bored within 10 minutes. I was sitting in the lounge for just a few minutes, I suddenly heard "Jennifer?" It was a couple that I had met in Bangkok a week earlier. I was so happy, and let Helen & Pete know they just cured my boredom.
The three of us, and another couple we met on the local bus, rented bikes on Monday and toured a good bit of the historical park. We rode probably around 10k over the morning (partly because we overshot one of the temples by around 2k and had to turn back. oops). I could have stayed another few hours, but had to make a decision around 12:30 - leave the park and make the 2:00 bus to Ayutthaya, or stay a little longer and be stuck in Sukothai overnight. I decided to get out of town, so I left Helen & Pete to explore on their own a little longer.
Ayutthaya had a bit more going for it. A pretty big city, with everything centered around ruins of old temples and palaces. Lots and lots of buddhas - big ones, little ones, standing ones, sitting ones, and 3 reclining buddhas. Buddha looks very comfortable reclined. The Thai like to drape their buddhas in gold cloth. Sometimes just a sash, othertimes full draping. It looks stunning against the old ruins.
My guesthouse in Ayutthaya - Morodok Thai house - was run by Samsei, a tiny little Thai woman, probably in her mid-50's but looking much older because she only has 3 teeth. I think Samsei both understands english and speaks it too, but most of us couldn't tell. Whatever language she was speaking was incomprehensible (and horribly high pitched, too). She is a bit crazy, and likes to dance around like a college freshman on nickle beer night when she drinks. 2 guys who had been staying there for quite some time seemed to understand her, but the rest of us were baffled.
The ruins at Sukothai and Ayutthaya got me inspired for the next leg of my trip... Angkor Wat. (See next post...)
Making food & making friends
When I was in Chiang Mai, I took a full-day cooking class. Lots of options for these in Chiang Mai (also in Bangkok). I'm glad I decided to do it. There were just 4 of us in the class - me, Sun-hee (South Korean), Vincent (French Canadian) and David (Canadian). All of us were travelling solo. Our teacher and market guide, Tu, made the day informative and fun.
First, Tu took us to a local food market. She pointed out the different noodles (soy, rice, etc.), curries (we would make our own) and veggies. After picking up our supplies, it was back to the cooking school. We would prep in an outside covered area, learning how to chop and prepare all the ingredients. Did a lot of chopping, and some serious mashing with a mortar & pestle. We would then move to a small inside kitchen, where we each had our own stove. We prepared our own dish for each course, adding more or less spice as we liked. Tu kept an eye on us, making sure we had the right heat, were adding ingredients in the right order. She did her job well - every dish came out great.
After each dish, we'd head to the dining room to eat our creations, share off each other's plates, and chat between courses. By the end of the day, we made 9 dishes and had been eating for 5 hours. I also made 3 new friends.
I will be wanting to test out my new culinary skills when I get home, so keep an eye out for dinner invitations.
First, Tu took us to a local food market. She pointed out the different noodles (soy, rice, etc.), curries (we would make our own) and veggies. After picking up our supplies, it was back to the cooking school. We would prep in an outside covered area, learning how to chop and prepare all the ingredients. Did a lot of chopping, and some serious mashing with a mortar & pestle. We would then move to a small inside kitchen, where we each had our own stove. We prepared our own dish for each course, adding more or less spice as we liked. Tu kept an eye on us, making sure we had the right heat, were adding ingredients in the right order. She did her job well - every dish came out great.
After each dish, we'd head to the dining room to eat our creations, share off each other's plates, and chat between courses. By the end of the day, we made 9 dishes and had been eating for 5 hours. I also made 3 new friends.
I will be wanting to test out my new culinary skills when I get home, so keep an eye out for dinner invitations.
Answer - what I ate
For those of you who submitted guesses (via comments or email), thanks for playing. No, it wasn't cat, dog or any domesticated animal. I have my limits. I just met someone who actually tried rat, but I can't do that, either. It was a locust. Fried locust, with a little pepper for taste. I had my options - large scorpion, giant cockroach, ant larvae, various maggot looking things. But I chose the locust.
I just read about a restaurant in Cambodia (I'm leaving for there tomorrow) that serves fried spiders. I may have to check it out...
I just read about a restaurant in Cambodia (I'm leaving for there tomorrow) that serves fried spiders. I may have to check it out...
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Food, glorious food (or not)
It has been noted that my blogs are void of one Very Important subject... food. Well, there's a reason for that. I didn't want to write anything about it earlier, didn't want to create unnecessary concern. But, I have finally had to realize my own mortality. Call it King of Siam's revenge, Bangkok Belly, or whatever, but it hit me. Hit me hard.
Things were great the first 2 days in Bangkok. My first meal was pad thai off a street vendor 5 minutes after throwing my bag in my hotel (around 11:30pm Thursday night). Big bowl of pad thai, spring roll cut up on top, all for 50 baht ($1.50 or so). Next morning and the morning after that, I hit another street vendor for a big bowl of yogurt, museli and fruit. Nibbled here and there for 2 days without concern, without problems. Then, Saturday night, I went to a restaurant right near my hotel. Lots of people there. Had a simple dish - rice, chicken, veggies, cashews. It came out piping hot - a good sign. But, no cashews. The waiter took the dish back, and returned it with cashews on top. But, they weren't cooked with the food. I didn't think about it at the time...
Boy, was I thinking about it later. Long (and rather disgusting) story made short - after 10 hours of being tethered to my bathroom I was able to make it to the pharmacy next door and got prescribed some major antibiotics. I've been on them since, and between the drugs and the stomach still being sensitive, I am on a very limited, bland diet. Rice, noodles, bread, crackers, water. No spice, no veggies, no fruit, no milk, no alcohol. Strangely, the worst of it has been the no fruit part. There are fruit carts and stands everywhere with the most delicious looking, odd looking, scary looking fruit. And I want to try it all.
Yesterday, I finally felt confident to start eating normally again. Went to a Thai restaurant (not Western/American oriented) for the first time in a week. Ordered everything "phet nin noi", just a little spice, and it was soooo good! Papaya salad, something that is the Thai version of chicken satay, some prawn chips... happiness! Went out later with some new friends, including some local Thai. Went to this great bar/restaurant. Since I can't drink, I treated myself to a beautiful dish of coconut ice cream. Heaven!
Tomorrow, I may even try fruit. Mangosteen, dragon fruit, lychee... they all are calling me...
Things were great the first 2 days in Bangkok. My first meal was pad thai off a street vendor 5 minutes after throwing my bag in my hotel (around 11:30pm Thursday night). Big bowl of pad thai, spring roll cut up on top, all for 50 baht ($1.50 or so). Next morning and the morning after that, I hit another street vendor for a big bowl of yogurt, museli and fruit. Nibbled here and there for 2 days without concern, without problems. Then, Saturday night, I went to a restaurant right near my hotel. Lots of people there. Had a simple dish - rice, chicken, veggies, cashews. It came out piping hot - a good sign. But, no cashews. The waiter took the dish back, and returned it with cashews on top. But, they weren't cooked with the food. I didn't think about it at the time...
Boy, was I thinking about it later. Long (and rather disgusting) story made short - after 10 hours of being tethered to my bathroom I was able to make it to the pharmacy next door and got prescribed some major antibiotics. I've been on them since, and between the drugs and the stomach still being sensitive, I am on a very limited, bland diet. Rice, noodles, bread, crackers, water. No spice, no veggies, no fruit, no milk, no alcohol. Strangely, the worst of it has been the no fruit part. There are fruit carts and stands everywhere with the most delicious looking, odd looking, scary looking fruit. And I want to try it all.
Yesterday, I finally felt confident to start eating normally again. Went to a Thai restaurant (not Western/American oriented) for the first time in a week. Ordered everything "phet nin noi", just a little spice, and it was soooo good! Papaya salad, something that is the Thai version of chicken satay, some prawn chips... happiness! Went out later with some new friends, including some local Thai. Went to this great bar/restaurant. Since I can't drink, I treated myself to a beautiful dish of coconut ice cream. Heaven!
Tomorrow, I may even try fruit. Mangosteen, dragon fruit, lychee... they all are calling me...
Same same but different
This is a common saying around here. Same same but different. (Not sure where the punctuation goes, or what it would be.) It's not original or unique to Thailand. A few fellow travellers were talking about it last night, and it seems to be a common phrase in Singapore, other parts of South East Asia, etc. We've been using it to describe the night markets in various cities.
Today, I took a 5 hour bus ride south to the town of Sukothai. I was reading my book for a good hour or so, and something distracted me. I looked up and out the window, and for a brief time (probably 2-3 seconds) I couldn't remember where I was. I had to really think about what country I was in. The view out the window was lush, green, lots of trees, small mountain in the distance. Could have been Ecuador, could have been northern Morocco. That's when it hit me... Same same but different.
Today, I took a 5 hour bus ride south to the town of Sukothai. I was reading my book for a good hour or so, and something distracted me. I looked up and out the window, and for a brief time (probably 2-3 seconds) I couldn't remember where I was. I had to really think about what country I was in. The view out the window was lush, green, lots of trees, small mountain in the distance. Could have been Ecuador, could have been northern Morocco. That's when it hit me... Same same but different.
Friday, June 19, 2009
I rode an elephant!
High up on my "to do" list for Thailand - ride an elephant. Yes, I know, it is touristy, and there are probably a million humanitarian reasons to not do so. But, elephant treks are a full fledge industry here in Chiang Mai, so I could rationalize that it was helping support the local economy and providing protection for the very animal that was about to haul me around a Thai forest for an hour.
I booked a full day trek with my hotel upon arriving in Chiang Mai. The package included an hour elephant ride, hiking, visiting with local indigenous people (the Karen weavers), hiking some more, and getting taken down the river on bamboo rafts. There were 8 in our tour. We drove for about an hour, somewhere southeast of Chiang Mai. The elephant ride was first up. But first, we had to walk across a rather precarious looking rope & bamboo bridge hanging about 50 feet over a very muddy, fast moving river, to get to the elephants. I'm not crazy about that sort of thing, but hey, there are elephants on the other side. I'm crossing the damn bridge.
We rode 2 to an elephant, in a basket right above the elephant's shoulders. Each elephant had a guide, who pretty much sat on the elephant's head and steered with his feet. I rode with Molly, another American from Seattle. As soon as the elephant started moving, it felt like a wild roller coaster ride, but with nothing to strap you in. We both held to the sides of the basket, and braced our feet on the elephant's neck. It took a little getting used to, and our elephant started moving down a path, up a hill into the forest. We were first in line, and our elephant took advantage of the rest of the group lagging and would stop for snacks, pulling leaves off bamboo shoots, shoving it's head further off-path to get some more.
At a certain point, the guides let one person on each elephant slide down off the basket onto the elephant's neck. Molly took that option (I stayed in the basket). But then our guide hopped off, leaving Molly as the driver. Again, our elephant saw this as a snacking opportunity. We finally got back on trail, the guide eventually hopped back on, and our trek ended with crossing the same river we took the bridge over, but this time with the elephant as our transport. I think the elephants like this - a nice cool down at the end of the trek. Once we were off the elephants, we were given a chance to feed them bunches of bananas, a treat they really enjoy. Having an elephant trunk get within inches of my face as I was trying to break off a banana is an odd feeling. But they truely are gentle creatures. They know just how close to get, and wait for the next banana.
I booked a full day trek with my hotel upon arriving in Chiang Mai. The package included an hour elephant ride, hiking, visiting with local indigenous people (the Karen weavers), hiking some more, and getting taken down the river on bamboo rafts. There were 8 in our tour. We drove for about an hour, somewhere southeast of Chiang Mai. The elephant ride was first up. But first, we had to walk across a rather precarious looking rope & bamboo bridge hanging about 50 feet over a very muddy, fast moving river, to get to the elephants. I'm not crazy about that sort of thing, but hey, there are elephants on the other side. I'm crossing the damn bridge.
We rode 2 to an elephant, in a basket right above the elephant's shoulders. Each elephant had a guide, who pretty much sat on the elephant's head and steered with his feet. I rode with Molly, another American from Seattle. As soon as the elephant started moving, it felt like a wild roller coaster ride, but with nothing to strap you in. We both held to the sides of the basket, and braced our feet on the elephant's neck. It took a little getting used to, and our elephant started moving down a path, up a hill into the forest. We were first in line, and our elephant took advantage of the rest of the group lagging and would stop for snacks, pulling leaves off bamboo shoots, shoving it's head further off-path to get some more.
At a certain point, the guides let one person on each elephant slide down off the basket onto the elephant's neck. Molly took that option (I stayed in the basket). But then our guide hopped off, leaving Molly as the driver. Again, our elephant saw this as a snacking opportunity. We finally got back on trail, the guide eventually hopped back on, and our trek ended with crossing the same river we took the bridge over, but this time with the elephant as our transport. I think the elephants like this - a nice cool down at the end of the trek. Once we were off the elephants, we were given a chance to feed them bunches of bananas, a treat they really enjoy. Having an elephant trunk get within inches of my face as I was trying to break off a banana is an odd feeling. But they truely are gentle creatures. They know just how close to get, and wait for the next banana.
"No power"
I had a choice on how to travel to Chiang Mai... take a flight from Bangkok, about 1 1/2 hours, or take an overnight sleeper train, about 14 hours. Both cost about the same. Naturally, I chose the sleeper train. I love taking the train when I travel. For me, there's just some old-world romanticism to trains, the sound of the train moving, starting and stopping, seeing passengers getting on and off, watching the countryside roll by. But, in all my travels, I have never taken a sleeper train. So I figured it was about time.
Well, the ride didn't exactly live up to my expectations. I boarded the train expecting to see the shiny new sleeper cars promoted on the railway's website. Not quite. Mine must have been an older car, as it had seen it's day. It was clean enough, but just had this sad, grey feel to it. The sleeper bunks were not yet set up, so it was just one long seat. I knew I might have a bunk mate (they will only match passengers of the same sex, which is good), so I took the seat next to the window and claimed that as my own. My luggage took up about 1/3 of the floor space. A buddhist monk had the cabin next to me, and waved a quiet hello as he passed.
About 3 stops later, my bunk mate arrived. Elizabeth, a yoga teacher, is originally from Wooster, Ohio. Small world. She is now living in Colorado, and travelling Thailand and teaching yoga here. At first, I was hoping I wouldn't have to share the cabin. But I was glad to have some company, if for no better reason, to get my mind off my other bunk-mates... some uninvited guests with many legs. eww. I didn't tell Elizabeth about them, but she soon spotted one on her own. We had dinner in the cabin, talked about our travels, and around 10:00, an attendant came in to turn our seats into beds. Surprisingly, the beds were rather comfortable, but I did not sleep well.
I woke up around 6am, and just laid in bed watching the scenery. Rice fields, rolling hills, some cow pastures (Thai cows are very skinny). A short while later, the train stopped - in the middle of nowhere. We stayed put for a short time, then started rolling again, but very slowly. As breakfast was being served, we asked what was happening. "No power." oops. That is not good. We were still at least 3 hours from Chiang Mai. The train varied from stop to slow to normal speed for the next 5 hours, arriving in Chiang Mai just before noon (about 2 hours late). I now know we had it good - other trains have been over 5 hours delayed.
I have decided to take the bus when I go back to Bangkok.
Well, the ride didn't exactly live up to my expectations. I boarded the train expecting to see the shiny new sleeper cars promoted on the railway's website. Not quite. Mine must have been an older car, as it had seen it's day. It was clean enough, but just had this sad, grey feel to it. The sleeper bunks were not yet set up, so it was just one long seat. I knew I might have a bunk mate (they will only match passengers of the same sex, which is good), so I took the seat next to the window and claimed that as my own. My luggage took up about 1/3 of the floor space. A buddhist monk had the cabin next to me, and waved a quiet hello as he passed.
About 3 stops later, my bunk mate arrived. Elizabeth, a yoga teacher, is originally from Wooster, Ohio. Small world. She is now living in Colorado, and travelling Thailand and teaching yoga here. At first, I was hoping I wouldn't have to share the cabin. But I was glad to have some company, if for no better reason, to get my mind off my other bunk-mates... some uninvited guests with many legs. eww. I didn't tell Elizabeth about them, but she soon spotted one on her own. We had dinner in the cabin, talked about our travels, and around 10:00, an attendant came in to turn our seats into beds. Surprisingly, the beds were rather comfortable, but I did not sleep well.
I woke up around 6am, and just laid in bed watching the scenery. Rice fields, rolling hills, some cow pastures (Thai cows are very skinny). A short while later, the train stopped - in the middle of nowhere. We stayed put for a short time, then started rolling again, but very slowly. As breakfast was being served, we asked what was happening. "No power." oops. That is not good. We were still at least 3 hours from Chiang Mai. The train varied from stop to slow to normal speed for the next 5 hours, arriving in Chiang Mai just before noon (about 2 hours late). I now know we had it good - other trains have been over 5 hours delayed.
I have decided to take the bus when I go back to Bangkok.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Thumbs of Steel
It takes 150 hours of training to become a masseuse in Thailand. I am convinced that 148 of those hours are spent refining the fine art of putting 500 lbs of pressure through the thumb (or elbow, or knee, or whatever) of a 92 lb Thai woman.
I had a full hour herbal massage last night, and even with the thumbs of steel prying into every muscle tissue, it was a very relaxing experience. For the herbal massage, a hot herbal compress is pressed onto the skin, warming up the muscles. While the masseuse did her massage work, she set the compress on my back or stomach, where it would strangely get hotter not cooler. Just about when I was at the point where I couldn't take the heat, she would move it a few inches. That seems to be a common trait of masseuses world-wide - knowing when you are just at the verge of pain, then backing off.
This was actually my second massage in Bangkok. My first night I tried out the much talked about foot massage. For those of you who are Amazing Race watchers, the Chinese version was featured this last season and had the racers writhing in pain. (But it is supposed to feel good later.) This was surprising mild, and again, very relaxing. It was a perfect ending to a day of walking around temples and exploring the city.
Oh, and the price of these little slices of bliss? 120 baht for the foot massage (1/2 hour), and 280 baht for the herbal massage. That works out to about $4 and $8. This could spoil a girl...
I had a full hour herbal massage last night, and even with the thumbs of steel prying into every muscle tissue, it was a very relaxing experience. For the herbal massage, a hot herbal compress is pressed onto the skin, warming up the muscles. While the masseuse did her massage work, she set the compress on my back or stomach, where it would strangely get hotter not cooler. Just about when I was at the point where I couldn't take the heat, she would move it a few inches. That seems to be a common trait of masseuses world-wide - knowing when you are just at the verge of pain, then backing off.
This was actually my second massage in Bangkok. My first night I tried out the much talked about foot massage. For those of you who are Amazing Race watchers, the Chinese version was featured this last season and had the racers writhing in pain. (But it is supposed to feel good later.) This was surprising mild, and again, very relaxing. It was a perfect ending to a day of walking around temples and exploring the city.
Oh, and the price of these little slices of bliss? 120 baht for the foot massage (1/2 hour), and 280 baht for the herbal massage. That works out to about $4 and $8. This could spoil a girl...
Sunday, June 14, 2009
New game
I'm creating a new game called "Guess what Jennifer ate on vacation." 1st odd food occurence happened on Friday night. Any guesses? (I'll eliminate dog and cat right off the bat.)
Saturday, June 13, 2009
2 nights in Bangkok, and the world's your oyster
OK, I just had to use that quip at some time, didn't I???
First impression walking out of the Bangkok airport on Thursday night: damn, it's hot. I know, shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was almost 11:00pm, and it was like being in a steamroom. After travelling for over 24 hours, I was just happy to be off a plane and out of an airport, though. I had a surprising thing happen on the taxi ride into my hotel... The taxi fare was actually less than what was quoted by the hotel. I think in all my travels this is the first time an airport taxi driver has not tried to rip me off first thing upon arrival. I was hoping that was a good sign for the rest of the trip.
My hotel, the Rambuttri Village Inn, is on Soi Rambuttri. It is a lively street at all times of day. Pulling up at 11:30 at night, I was surprised to see things quite hopping. Open air restaurants and pubs, street vendors, food carts, beer carts, pretty much everything was going on. Luckily, my hotel is set back quite a ways, so there is no street noise. I had to decide between sleep and food, and food won out. A little pad thai cart right outside the hotel looked interesting, and had a good crowd around it. So for 50 baht (around 75 cents) I had myself a nice plate of pad thai and a spring roll. Ate with 2 women from Germany who were ordering at the same time and vouched for the food. Went to bed shortly later with a full and happy tummy.
Friday night, my first full day in Bangkok.... so, what did I do? I went to the mall. Yes, the mall. I needed to get my cell phone unlocked and a new sim card put in so I can call locally if needed. The mall is not just a mall, it is a HUGE mall. 6+ floors of anything and everything. There must have been at least 100+ counters/stalls just devoted to cell phones and accessories. But I was told this was the place to go, and they set me up just as I needed. I tried hard to avoid spending more time in that place, but it was hard to resist. I finally pulled myself away and headed outside. Oh, did I mention? It was hot. Strangely, it felt better than last night, but it was still hot. Probably over 90. (One of these days I have to figure out the whole celsius thing.) But one of the things the Thai do well is air conditioning. They really know their air conditioning.
Going back outside after being in AC was hard, but I had to do it. I walked a few blocks to see the Jim Thompson house. He was an American that post WWII brought back the Thai silk trade, so they love him for that. His old house has been converted into a museum, and it was a really great place to see what traditional Thai architecture and furnishing looks like. It also had a really nice garden, which was shaded and provided some relief from the heat.
Besides the heat, I found out the unexpected nature of Bangkok weather. Just as I was arriving at one of the local temples/monuments, the Golden Mount (part of a local temple, built on an artificial hill), a black cloud was looming above. I raced up the hundreds of itty bitty steps winding around the temple, getting inside the temple just in time before the sky opened up. The view was great, almost better with the ominous clouds covering the city. And the wind picked up and provided some nice relief from the heat. (Yep, it was hot. Who figured?) But, it was past 4:30, and the temple closed at 5:00. Around 5:30, there were about 10 of us left, hoping not to be thrown out into the rain. Finally, a buddhist monk in orange robes came out with a handful of umbrellas, offering one to each of us. I don't know if he was earning good karma, or if he just wanted us gone because it was his dinner time. Either way, it was appreciated. I finished off the day with a traditional Thai foot massage. ahhhh!
Today, I tried to repay a bit of the good karma, putting donations into just about every box I passed at both temples I visted. I went to 2 of the 3 big ones, Wat Arun and Wat Pho. Both were spectacular! Wat Pho's main attraction is a 150 foot long reclining buddha. There are several smaller temples on the grounds, and it really is a huge complex. Wat Arun is as tall as Wat Pho is wide, though. Wat Arun's main temple is almost 250 feet tall, and has very very steep stairs to get almost to the top of that. (Going down was scarier than going up.) Both Wats featured an abundance of amazing porcelain work, stone carvings (guardians, lions, various animals, etc.), and lots of orange clad monks. Both also featured a lot of sun. Shade is a scarce commodity around here. Got in both a tuk tuk ride and a ride on the river ferry.
I am realizing fast that there is a lot more to see & do in Bangkok than I originally figured on. I know I can't fit it all in, but trying to choose between sights and activities is proving harder than I thought. Also, trying to decide between the food is a tough choice. Everything I've had - whether from open air food carts to white table cloth restaurants - has been great.
Palaces and more wats are on the list for tomorrow. And shopping - the big market here is only on the weekends. I've been here for almost 48 hours and haven't bought a thing! Also hoping to fit in some time to soak in the rooftop pool at the hotel, and of course, another massage.
Sawadee.
First impression walking out of the Bangkok airport on Thursday night: damn, it's hot. I know, shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was almost 11:00pm, and it was like being in a steamroom. After travelling for over 24 hours, I was just happy to be off a plane and out of an airport, though. I had a surprising thing happen on the taxi ride into my hotel... The taxi fare was actually less than what was quoted by the hotel. I think in all my travels this is the first time an airport taxi driver has not tried to rip me off first thing upon arrival. I was hoping that was a good sign for the rest of the trip.
My hotel, the Rambuttri Village Inn, is on Soi Rambuttri. It is a lively street at all times of day. Pulling up at 11:30 at night, I was surprised to see things quite hopping. Open air restaurants and pubs, street vendors, food carts, beer carts, pretty much everything was going on. Luckily, my hotel is set back quite a ways, so there is no street noise. I had to decide between sleep and food, and food won out. A little pad thai cart right outside the hotel looked interesting, and had a good crowd around it. So for 50 baht (around 75 cents) I had myself a nice plate of pad thai and a spring roll. Ate with 2 women from Germany who were ordering at the same time and vouched for the food. Went to bed shortly later with a full and happy tummy.
Friday night, my first full day in Bangkok.... so, what did I do? I went to the mall. Yes, the mall. I needed to get my cell phone unlocked and a new sim card put in so I can call locally if needed. The mall is not just a mall, it is a HUGE mall. 6+ floors of anything and everything. There must have been at least 100+ counters/stalls just devoted to cell phones and accessories. But I was told this was the place to go, and they set me up just as I needed. I tried hard to avoid spending more time in that place, but it was hard to resist. I finally pulled myself away and headed outside. Oh, did I mention? It was hot. Strangely, it felt better than last night, but it was still hot. Probably over 90. (One of these days I have to figure out the whole celsius thing.) But one of the things the Thai do well is air conditioning. They really know their air conditioning.
Going back outside after being in AC was hard, but I had to do it. I walked a few blocks to see the Jim Thompson house. He was an American that post WWII brought back the Thai silk trade, so they love him for that. His old house has been converted into a museum, and it was a really great place to see what traditional Thai architecture and furnishing looks like. It also had a really nice garden, which was shaded and provided some relief from the heat.
Besides the heat, I found out the unexpected nature of Bangkok weather. Just as I was arriving at one of the local temples/monuments, the Golden Mount (part of a local temple, built on an artificial hill), a black cloud was looming above. I raced up the hundreds of itty bitty steps winding around the temple, getting inside the temple just in time before the sky opened up. The view was great, almost better with the ominous clouds covering the city. And the wind picked up and provided some nice relief from the heat. (Yep, it was hot. Who figured?) But, it was past 4:30, and the temple closed at 5:00. Around 5:30, there were about 10 of us left, hoping not to be thrown out into the rain. Finally, a buddhist monk in orange robes came out with a handful of umbrellas, offering one to each of us. I don't know if he was earning good karma, or if he just wanted us gone because it was his dinner time. Either way, it was appreciated. I finished off the day with a traditional Thai foot massage. ahhhh!
Today, I tried to repay a bit of the good karma, putting donations into just about every box I passed at both temples I visted. I went to 2 of the 3 big ones, Wat Arun and Wat Pho. Both were spectacular! Wat Pho's main attraction is a 150 foot long reclining buddha. There are several smaller temples on the grounds, and it really is a huge complex. Wat Arun is as tall as Wat Pho is wide, though. Wat Arun's main temple is almost 250 feet tall, and has very very steep stairs to get almost to the top of that. (Going down was scarier than going up.) Both Wats featured an abundance of amazing porcelain work, stone carvings (guardians, lions, various animals, etc.), and lots of orange clad monks. Both also featured a lot of sun. Shade is a scarce commodity around here. Got in both a tuk tuk ride and a ride on the river ferry.
I am realizing fast that there is a lot more to see & do in Bangkok than I originally figured on. I know I can't fit it all in, but trying to choose between sights and activities is proving harder than I thought. Also, trying to decide between the food is a tough choice. Everything I've had - whether from open air food carts to white table cloth restaurants - has been great.
Palaces and more wats are on the list for tomorrow. And shopping - the big market here is only on the weekends. I've been here for almost 48 hours and haven't bought a thing! Also hoping to fit in some time to soak in the rooftop pool at the hotel, and of course, another massage.
Sawadee.
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