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Published: December 10th 2013
Sawat dee kah (hello!) At this point in our Asia travels, we have taken so many amazing pictures I can no longer decide which is my favorite, because they ALL are! Yeah, all 2,000 pictures! These are definitely the prettiest images we've ever taken on a trip. Thailand has really made us fall in love with Asia, it provided us with so much culture, so much color, and so much scrumptious food! Our taste buds and tummies have never been so happy!
So this is the Rainy Season.... We were so busy planning our Asia trip around the best time to visit China that we neglected to check when was the best time to visit Thailand. Apparently there's something called a "rainy season" in South East Asia and that's the time we were going to be there...
oh crap! I realized this months after we purchased our flights and reserved our hotels, so it was too late to turn back. My guide book advised not to go in September or October stating it was the rainiest time of the year, and that flooding is very likely to occur. I would grow anxious imagining the worst outcome, like
monsoons, lightening, flooding, high winds, and thunder. Even the forecast said 60% chance of thunderstorms everyday during our stay. Not just rain...
thunderstorms. You will not believe what the weather was actually like the whole week we were there.... Sunshine, sunshine, and more
SUNSHINE! I don't think this is normal for peak rainy season. Was this a miracle or just a coincidence? A few clouds would pass in the early morning, and then disappear by breakfast, leaving nice blue skies and sun in its place, hurray!
To catch a Connecting flight, YOU MUST RUN... Before we got to Thailand we had a connecting international-flight in Southern China. Because our first flight was really late taking off, we were left with less than 40 minutes to exit the terminal completely, check in to our next flight, go back through security, clear immigration, clear customs, and find our next gate all in this time frame! Oh crap!! This seemed impossible, and was confirmed impossible by the flight attendant who told us there was no way we'd make it because it usually takes 3 hours to get everything done. The thought of missing our flight to Thailand was unbearable. Exhausted and
running on fumes for energy, we decided to run our little hearts out to get on that plane. We had to at least try. We probably lost 20 pounds on that stressful run alone, and we were carrying our backpacks too, so it was like boot-camp at the airport! Everyone was looking at us as we ran, but there was no time to be self conscious, and no time to think about the huge cramp forming in my stomach! Panting and sweating, we found the gate and arrived just as the flight was starting to board. We made it and we couldn't believe it! Victor and I hugged each other and laughed! So happy we were fewer than two hours away from being in Thailand.
Arrival I loved the Bangkok airport, especially because there were plenty of English signs around and nice people to guide us in the right direction. This is a really busy airport with lots of foot traffic. Right away I understood why this country is nicknamed
"The Land of Smiles", people seemed genuinely happy here and were very kind to us. The taxi process was very quick and simple. We were going
to be staying at a budget B&B near
Democracy Monument, so we just asked to be dropped off there. The traffic was backed up pretty bad on the high way, but the drive was less than an hour.
After being greeted by some very friendly staff at the Siamese Views Lodge B&B, we took a shower (which felt A-mazing after such a crazy airport day) and set out in search for our very first Thai meal. We knew it would be good, but we didn't expect to fall in love with Thai food! This is the best food we've probably ever had, shocking our taste buds with its mouth watering flavors and perfect blend of sour, sweet, salt and bitterness.
After dinner, we took a walk to
Koh San Rd. Just as everyone has reported, It is kind of a crazy street. At night, it is overwhelmingly crowded with foreigners, and locals selling everything from food, to tailored suits, to "ping pong shows". On a street so crowded with people I was not expecting to see so many cars and motorcycles driving through. We were pushed around a little bit, and quickly felt disoriented in the chaos. It
didn't take too long for us to decide we wanted to get out of there, but there was one thing we really wanted to try first, a
Thai Massage!!! To be honest, I didn't know much about the typical Thai massage, aside from the "happy ending" jokes. But both of us had tensed muscles that desperately needed some kind of massage. We found a big place that had both an outdoor and indoor massage area. We asked to go inside for a 30 minute massage, and we were placed right next to each other which I thought was so romantic at first... but it wasn't romantic! It was hilarious! This is what it's really like: they poke you, pull you, twist you into a pretzel, and press on you with their whole weight. It was soooo painful, but in a weirdly good way! I cringed and shrieked and giggled... which made everyone else laugh too. Victor is very ticklish so he could hardly contain his laughter. The last thing my masseuse did was bend me back completely which cracked my entire body in a way I never thought was possible. We left the massage parlor feeling like Jell-O, and ready
to fall asleep!
Palace/Temples Day & Good advice: WEAR APROPRIATE Clothing TO TEMPLES! Breakfast was fried rice with veggies, toast, and orange juice. Today our plan was to free style and visit the major temples, so we both had to wear clothes that were appropriate & non-revealing. This is very hard to do when it's as hot as it is in Central Thailand; around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. So, instead of wearing long pants I wore a long breezy skirt, and I packed a loose cardigan with sleeves to pull over my tank top. Victor wore a pair of cargo pants that had detachable pant legs, so he could convert them into shorts later. If you choose to go to these places wearing only shorts and tank tops they will NOT let you go in! There are workers at the temple who's jobs are to scrutinize how you're dressed. But they will let you rent a sarong to cover the body parts you are revealing. Some people think these sarongs are embarrassing to dress in, so do yourself and your photo memories a favor and just
dress appropriately! As I wrote in my Beijing blog,
it is always a smart idea to take a
cheat-sheet money conversion with you that shows how many dollars and Thai Baht you are using. For example, 100 Baht is around $3 USD. We kept the conversion with us all the time and even checked online to see that it was still the current conversion. You can laminate it with tape and keep it in your pocket during your trip. It is normal for them to hike up the prices for foreigners, just make sure you are being charged a fair amount for everything, and haggle down the prices when you need to.
SCAM-ALERT: On our walk to the palace complex we were approached by at least a dozen tuk-tuk drivers and told that it was closed. This is a scam! The Grand Palace is always open, but they want you to believe it's closed so that you will ask for a ride somewhere else. That means more business for them, your not supposed to believe them and just keep walking. It was funny at first watching how persistent their lying was, but then it got really annoying and harsh.
No matter what happens, do not show any
"angry feelings" or yell at Thais, even if you know they did something wrong. Why? Because it is extremely important in Thai culture to
"save face". If you shout and show distaste with something they did, it will bring great shame to them. It is a big deal here to "save face", so if you are the kind of person that easily looses your temper, you are probably better off not coming here, because your attitude will not be tolerated.
@
The Grand Palace: If you can remember to bring water TAKE IT, because you are walking in direct sunlight and you will get parched easily. The Grand Palace is an excellent place for photo opportunities, don't forget your camera and sunglasses! For me it is a must-see. There is a temple in the complex called Wat Phra Kaew and it houses an ancient sacred Emerald Buddha, be aware that you are not supposed to take pictures of it, but everyone does anyway... in a sneaky way of course!
After visiting the Palace, your next stop should be Wat Pho (just a few minutes walking distance), which is another must see. It houses the world's biggest reclining Buddha,
which looks really amazing and beautiful! There are monks there making sure people are dressed appropriately, and if they aren't, then the monks would make them wear a huge bright orange shirt... dress appropriately! Coins are dropped into tin bowls inside as an offering. The feet of the reclining Buddha depict 108 auspicious signs of the Buddha. There are many statues of Buddha around the complex, and they are incredibly photogenic. After we finished our visit we walked across the street and picked a nice restaurant to eat. I ordered the most delicious green cury with rice, and then we both ordered refreshing coconut smoothies! Seriously love Thai food!! Next, we walked to the Chao Phraya River pier. There's a park there you can sit down and relax and get a nice view of
Wat Arun. This temple has been my favorite since the moment I first saw it in pictures. It is like the Eiffel Tower of Thailand.
Floating Markets! Because there are so many water ways and canals in Bangkok, it is sometimes referred to as "the Venice of the East." Long ago, Thai's did everything on the water, from transportation to working. There
are still a few areas like this called floating markets. There are so many floating markets to choose from, and I wrestled with the choices before our trip. Should I chose a place in or outside of Bangkok? Should I chose one that is more authentic or more geared towards tourists? Should I choose one known for its photogenic properties or one that is very plain and simple? It's good to ask yourself these questions first. Some of the floating markets are: Amphawa, Bang Klu Wiang, Damnoen Saduak, Bang Nam Pheung, Khlong Lat Mayom, and Taling Chan. Which ever one you decide to visit, floating markets are really fun, traditional, and only found in South East Asia!
We chose to go to the Damnoen Saduak Floating market, which is outside of Bangkok in Ratchaburi. It is a market more geared towards tourists, but is arguably known as the most photogenic of them all. We wanted to capture how pretty a floating market could be with all it's bright colors and people. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized how relaxing and cool it was! We jumped on a boat with 4 other people while a lady geared it from
Lebua Sky Bar, Bangkok Night life
Drinking cocktails high in the sky!the back with a paddle (don't forget to tip her at the end!). I think the fun part was bumping into the other boats on our way through, it was like a water traffic jam! We bought some souvenirs and ate these heavenly things called Kanom Krok, which are mini grilled coconut pankcakes!!!! Sooooo goooood! I am determined to find the recipe and make these at home. And speaking of sweet delicious food, we fell in love with banana-chocolate pankcakes also, AMAZING!
We also took a boat trip through a neighborhood near the floating market. There are actually homes on the water, they are on stilts. A lot of people live here, and a couple of pet dogs too. The dogs lay on the porch all day watching people go by on the boats. As our boat sailed through the canals and passed the shady trees, a breeze formed and gave me the most calming and enjoyable feeling. This is a nice relaxing activity, even if you travel with kids, they would love it.
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Drinks at the Sky Bar Bangkok has a lot to offer for night life. Lots of dance clubs, live music bars,
The famous sacred Emerlad Buddha
Wat Phra Keaew, The Grand Palace and partying. It even has its own Red Light District called Soi Cowboy (Lady-boys anyone?) We have literally done all of these options before on previous trips, but there was one thing we really wanted to try, which is to go up to a "sky bar". A sky bar is a bar that is really high up on a sky scraper/building, and you get a beautiful panorama of the city lit up at night. We chose to go to Lebua, which was made famous by The Hangover II movie. What I really liked about it were the stunning city views and the elegant bar scene with soft cushioned sofa seating. These details, however, come at a price. To get the best view, you have to reserve a table a head of time and spend a hefty amount of money on dinner etc. Since we were on a budget, we only ordered drinks at the bar-lounge and enjoyed the views for as long as we could. We didn't bring our tripod to this place, the bar was just too fancy to take it, so our pictures of the sky line at night were a little bit blurry, but we did our
Victor playing with the tigers
As you can see, not "drugged!" best!
The Tiger Temple Spending a whole day with tigers was a very surreal experience, sometimes I can't believe we did it. When I first saw this option years ago, I thought, "how is that possible?" Then I thought, is this even safe for both the animals and the humans? I was pretty skeptical, as is everyone when they first see this too. I found a documentary on Youtube illustrating how the monks at this temple have been helping these tigers for years, taking them in to save them from poachers and give them a safe home. These animals are still illegally sold and killed in the wild, and sadly their numbers are dangerously decreasing. Although ideally you'd want these tigers to be out in the wild like mother nature intended, there is no way to ensure their safety now, so the temple offers them a place to eat, exercise, and live out their lives safely. The Monks started this because they felt it was their life's mission.
These tigers are so tame and docile and don't attack the monks or visitors. We fed them, played with them, bathed them and watched them jump in
a pool in the canyon with amazement. So why weren't they attacking us? They are fed the right amount of cooked chicken and are given the proper vitamins for a healthy life. Since the chicken is cooked, the tigers are never exposed to blood which would bring out wild instincts in them. With endless supplies of food, a tiger has no need to kill because he's hungry. And because the tigers are raised by the monks from the time they are cubs, they have adapted to human contact and lose the instinct to attack. This doesn't mean you should forget these are wild animals that could hurt you. There are strict instructions on how to behave and what not to do. The volunteers are very protective of the visitors and tigers and they are ready for any situations.
The Tiger Experience The day of the Tiger Temple began with a 4:30 AM pick up by a tour guide from Tour With Tong, an amazing and highly recommended tour group in Bangkok. They took us to see the river Kwai and a World War II bridge. Then we drove the rest of the way to the temple. To begin,
we gave morning alms to the monks, which is a donated meal, and in most cases their only meal for the entire day. When you give them the alms you show respect by bowing your head. We all went inside the temple and prayed with the monks, then got a chance to play with the baby cubs. They were so adorable! We all took turns giving them bottled milk and posed to take pictures. Afterwards, we moved outside and gave the "teenage" tigers baths and fed them their morning chicken meal. I loved interacting with the tigers this way, I couldn't stop smiling! The volunteers would tell us to stop being so lazy and scrub harder, so we did! Next we moved to their play area. We were all given sticks with plastic bags attached to the end and instructed to shake them up fast and hard so that the tigers would jump up and try to grab, and the volunteers were there to guide us. Next we gave the even BIGGER tigers a walk on a leash. We walked them to a canyon, which was built as a separate play area so that the tigers had a large natural
Raaaaar!!
Tiger Temple tigers in the canyon environment to relax in. Once the tigers found a spot to lay, we all took turns getting a picture with them. This was probably the most nerve wrecking part of the whole experience. They make you sit next to the tiger, and then place his ENORMOUS head on your lap. Then we all go in a little gated area to watch the tigers play together in the pond and canyon.
****Updated Reflections of the Tiger Temple: I will be honest and say that in my memory the Tiger Temple tour was a positive one. However, reflecting on this experience a year later, I look back and I am still very conflicted. I am conflicted because perhaps my experience was a positive one only because I was in a foreign land, surrounded by exotic animals, and I let myself get swept away by this surreal situation without thinking of the potential harm I was causing the tigers by supporting this establishment. Since becoming vegetarian, my eyes have opened a little wider to the reality of animal abuse. I am very passionate about the humane treatment of all animal species. I came across an article that said horrible things
about the Tiger Temple, which contained valid facts about why you might not want to support this place. So, instead of preaching those horrible things to you, I will copy the link here and you can read it and decide for yourself: http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/tiger-temple-thailand-animal-abuse/
Several heads of corn, a bag of bananas, and one pineapple for Full Moon the Elephant! As with the tigers, we also couldn't wait for an amazing day with the elephants!!! In history, elephants were sacred and important in Thai daily life. But today, poachers and decreased need for elephant labor has rendered them helpless. Sometimes they are kept in camps where they can be mistreated and used solely for tourists to ride them and make a profit for themselves. PLEASE do not go somewhere and ride elephants if you think they are being mistreated there.
In the Kanchanaburi province, a few hours from Bangkok, there is a camp safe for elephants called Elephant Village. There are no shows here, no baby elephants trained to perform for tourists, just a safe sanctuary for adult elephants. Before coming here, we stopped at a market and bought several heads of corn, a bag of
bananas, and a pineapple... these are the favorite snacks for the elephant we were going to be paired with. Her name is Full Moon, and she is a retired performer who was rescued and taken to the Elephant Village to live out her life peacefully. We bribed her with the snacks upon meeting her. You see, elephants are incredibly smart, and they have a sixth sense, which is to sense whether or not you are a good person worthy of their friendship. The village is next to a river, and the elephants love to go in there and splash around. You can decide to either go in with them and play, or just feed them and watch. But we wanted to go in and play with her! Once she got into the river, we climbed on her back, and then she took a full trunk of water and splashed us! Then she'll tip over and make you fall off! If you don't fall off she will start laughing! Then you can splash her and have a water fight. She always won the water fight lol! The river is so gorgeous and scenic, and you truly are in the middle of
the jungle, I can't think of a better place for these elephants to live. Full Moon gave us a quick ride back to the village, and then we tipped her for the fun river bath! I would definitely recommend this activity to everyone. Elephants are some of the most incredible and intelligent animals in the world. They have a magnificent energy around them. We need to keep them protected, and safe from poachers. I LOVE LOVE LOVE ELEPHANTS.
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Dinner with views of Wat Arun Wat Arun is one of Thailand's most beautiful temples, and probably the most recognized one. I couldn't wait to see it at night, because when it gets dark out it lights up and glows so beautifully. I wanted to have a nice romantic dinner somewhere where I could have this view of Wat Arun, but the restaurants with the view like this are very rare. Finally I settled on one called the Amorosa (also known as the Deck). I will be honest and say that although it was expensive by Thai standards, it didn't deliver on the service. We were there for two hours because the waiter would disappear and never come
back to us. The funny thing is that it actually didn't matter if the waiter was taking his time, I could have stayed there forever in such a beautiful and romantic ambience, especially with Wat Arun glowing there in front of us. The food was excellent of course (cause Thai food rocks!) I ordered a coconut cream mushroom soup, and Victor went with a meat dish. Then for desert we ordered mango sticky rice. On this trip we probably ate mango sticky rice four total times, each time it was decorated or served differently. And each time it melted in our mouth with an explosion of sweet textured yumminess.
Getting sick abroad.... oh no!! On our last day in Thailand, I caught a cold. I had it coming though. We went from a hot country (USA), to a somewhat cold country (China), and then back to an even hotter country (Thailand) in a span of two weeks, so of course I was going to catch a cold!! The cherry on top was of course the Elephant day, since we spent that day drenched in chilly river water. Then of course factor in a little jet lag,
and putting my body through so much walking and stress, all this equals getting sick. I felt horrrrrrrrrible, like a truck ran over my face. Throw in some nausea, sneezing, sniffles, non stop coughing, and you've got yourself a sad little traveler. This is the number one reason why taking a free style trip is better then having a set schedule; you can stay in bed if you aren't feeling good, without the pressure of a set schedule. My priority now was getting as much rest and fluids as possible, since we were leaving on a train to Cambodia the next day, more traveling. I was very glad that we accomplished mostly everything we set out to do in Thailand before I got sick. I don't have any regrets except that we didn't have time to see the beaches, but we always have time to visit tropical beaches later on. When you get sick in Thailand your best bet is to go to one of a hundred 7 Eleven stores and pick up some vitamin C juice or pain meds and cough drops, and then rest. At least I wasn't stomach sick, that's a totally different problem...
That's all folks! There you have it, our Thailand trip! Everything we did was amazing. Looking back, I wouldn't have changed anything about it. We set out to do and see things we've never done or seen, and it was so great! Victor and I had sooooo much fun, and I'm so glad I got to share this experience with him! I saw so many images of Buddha that I almost forgot what my actual religion was! lol! I love the Buddhist religion though, I've been using their teachings for years to try to cope with stress and live a better life.
GO.TO.THAILAND. Go to South East Asia. Go anywhere that is outside of your comfort zone, you will be surprised how much you actually love it. The thing I love about places like Thailand, is that they bring me into the present moment. Your mind isn't on work or heart break or what someone wrote on Facebook.... it's on the textures, and beautiful colors, and flavors of what's right in front of you! When I travel I live more in the "here and now", I feel more awake. I think this is what makes most travelers addicted
to traveling and wondering the world. Victor and I say this ALL the time... if we ever won the lottery, it would mostly go towards travel. Not a fancy car, not a 3D plasma screen.... Travel!!!
Kob Khun Krap! Thank you for reading!
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Home and Away
Bob Carlsen
Mangoes and Sticky Rice...
and Kanom Crok are my favorite desserts! for the latter you can find the recipe on line. However, cooking requires a skillet with a bunch of the semi-spheres in which you pour the ingredients. If you pass through Bangkok again, make sure you buy one...although this will add weight to your backpacks! Glad you had a fantastic time in Thailand.