A Lazy Day (Nov. 3, 2014)

Hi,

Today I woke up early so I could FaceTime and call some of my family and friends. Since it is a thirteen hour time difference between here and Winnipeg, I found my brother and his family, just chilling in the early evening hours, so it was perfect. I chatted with Zakki (well he doesn’t speak yet, but loves eating the screen), Amanda, Jon and Liviah for quite a while. I was so happy to see them as I am very far away, and miss them a lot. 

Livs, you made me laugh when you heard that bird in the trees today. Every morning there is this bird that wakes us all up, and sounds like a jungle bird of some sort. Amanda thought that they had a caged bird at the hostel, but it was in fact a natural bird that lives in the trees outside. It is really cool to hear it, but it can be annoying when it doesn’t stop, at 6 in the morning. Liviah said, ‘What is that sound?’ I told her it was a bird, and she said, ‘I can hear that bird all the way from Bangkok!’ You sure made me smile, Livs. You’re the best.

So after chatting with Rachel and Mike, Shelley, and trying Julia (she did get a hold of me later) and mom, I decided I needed to get my act together about what I wanted to do regarding accommodations for a longer period. After looking on the internet and deciding that I think Bangkok is a good home base, I just needed to find a place for a month. Well, that’s easier said than done, when it is only a month (so far), and the month doesn’t start on the first or last day. I enquired at the front desk in case they could help me, and for what I was looking for, the hostel here said they could rent to me for one month, for a reduced rate. Great, I grabbed it, and am happy because I have cooking facilities, a fridge, clean showers, no bed bugs, and it is in convenient area that I can easily get around from. This solves my problems, and even if I leave for several days, it is great that I don’t have to take everything with me, it’s safe and I know where I’m returning to. Super happy that I got that option. They even said that they would offer me the next three weeks, making a month, at the monthly rate, and add in what I have already paid, so that was really nice of them. I feel a lot more relaxed having some sort of base and game plan.

Livs, that bird is calling right now. I think it is getting ready for bed, and it’s saying good night to you.

Anyway, back to the blog………..I also like the idea of staying here, because then I am not isolated and can get help with booking trips, getting information and having other travellers to talk to and go out with. Renting something would be quite lonely I think, and didn’t appeal to me as much as remaining here. Plus the price was right and I like the place. 

I took a shower after that, and found this really cool powder that they have for the guests to use. It is so hot and sweaty here, that I am a bit heat rashed, and decided to use this powder after my shower. I don’t know what is in it, but it smells a bit like Tiger Balm, is very powdery and keeps you dry, and leaves your skin tingly and refreshed. I love it, and my rash has settled right down. I might have to bring some home with me. It is the cooled (no pun intended) thing.

I went to the nearby market, on the advice of Ying, a young girl who owns the hostel, and just arrived back from somewhere, today. She is really nice and speaks very good English. She is Chinese and started this hostel on her own. I like her. She has a lot of courage and strength which I am sure were tested when she opened the place. We had a nice chat about her trials and tribulations, then she directed me where to go to buy food for cooking, fruit etc. There is a local area, that no one who stays here seemed to know about, that is a seven minute walk in the other direction, when exiting our little street. She told me where to go for groceries, massage, and to eat at a good price and not street food. So off I went. It is such a cool place and literally no tourists to speak of. Here are some shots of what I saw on my way there.

Street view on the way to market

Cute kitty on roof of a car for Rachel

I stopped at a glasses shop to see if they could tighten my sunglasses because they kept slipping off my nose. The man was so kind. He tightened the screws, then heated up the arms, and bent them in more so they fit tighter to my head. When he gave them back, and I asked how much I owed him, he refused to take any money and was so happy that I was pleased. He gave me a big smile and sent me on my way.

I found the market that Ying told me about, but decided to go for a foot massage first. I went to Le Spa, and got a decent foot massage, though not nearly as good as the one the lady yesterday, gave me. This was quite a bit less expensive, but you could tell that the guy doing my massage wasn’t as serious about it as the lady was.

Getting my foot massage.

Then I went to the market to get some fruit. It was a nice market with lots of different things to buy, but since I don’t know much about anything here, I only bought fruit, to start. I asked the girl at the fruit stand about this odd looking fruit and she told me some name in Thai, that I didn’t recognize. She encouraged me to try one, so I peeled it, and tried it. I still don’t know what it is, but Liviah and Rachel, you two would love it because I know you both love trying new fruits. Well, actually, all of you reading this love to try new things, so it’s not limited to those two….lol. It is similar in texture to a lychee, but has segments inside, like a mandarin orange. In the larger ones, the seeds in each section are quite big and taste bitter, so you spit them out. The smaller ones are easy to eat so you just chew them up. It is the sweetest and stickiest fruit, I have ever tried. I will have to find out what they are called. I also bought a watermelon, (at least I think it is), and some oranges which are delicious. I will definitely buy more of the unknown fruits as they are like candy.

Fruit market stall

The fruits I bought

 

The unknown fruit.....so sweet and SO sticky.....Yum Yum

After that, I returned to the hostel to have a rest, chatted with the English girl who is one of my roommates then went back to that area for dinner. Alice, the English girl, came with me and we tried a suggested restaurant called Petra. It’s a rice house and really good. She had a green curry dish, and I had an omelette with glass noodles and squid. Both were excellent and the place very cute. I saw this guy enter the restaurant close to the end of our dinner. He was another guy from our hostel that both of us recognized, but neither of us had spoken to. While he was waiting for his take out order, I waved to him and he waved back. When he got his order, I commented that taking back to the hostel was a great idea. He looked at me strangely and said that he lived in the condo next door and has lived in Bangkok for the past two years. I apologized to him and told him the story. He said that he waved back, because he recognized me but couldn’t remember from where. We all laughed, as Alice thought he was the guy from our hostel as well.

Martin was his name and he was from England. He teaches soccer in Bangkok in schools, and came over to our table to chat with us. Of course I seized the opportunity to pick his brain about unknown destinations to visit in Thailand. He suggested a couple of really cool sounding spots, one in Bangkok that I will visit tomorrow night, and another that is a very relaxed undiscovered beach area a few hours from Bangkok. Perfect! He also gave me his number and took my email and said that if we had any questions or he thought of anything else, we could connect. I quickly volunteered that if he were doing anything cool and wanted company, he should email as well. Weird, but cool!

(These three pics are from the area where we ate. Bottom ones are from night market.)

The forbidden street food stands.....mmm.
Hard to resist, but if it's cooked its ok

Fried thin dough with banana and
condensed milk......Ouch

Pastry shop

Then Alice and I went for a walk to another area which has a night market. (Amanda....edit here) There are also about a million sex show clubs, that vendors try to lure you into by showing you menus of the shows, on your way through the market. It’s very different, but interesting. We didn’t go into any of the clubs, but it sure wasn’t due to lack of effort on the club workers parts!

Then we came back, and settled in for the evening. I am not sure what I will do tomorrow, but I might go to that wholesale clothing district that Mark, the Australian business guy told me about. We’ll see. Good night all, well, more likely good morning would be appropriate.

Night Market Pics

Trying on sunglasses at night

Street scene

Club entrance along market road

Name of night market

View of stalls in market

Tuk Tuk taxi for hire

One of the stalls selling its wares.
The 'cell phones' are actually tazers.
The kitty cats are brass knuckles.
Totally bizarre to see at a market.

Temples, Palaces and the Market (Nov. 2, 2014)

Ok, my first full day in Bangkok. Hmmm, first you'd better get a snack and go to the bathroom. It's going to be a long one.

I got up early and left the hostel around 8 am this morning. It was already quite hot and humid outside, around 28 degrees or so. I found my way by Sky Train and river boat bus to the area that houses two huge temples. Before I tell you about the temples, I have to tell you about the river ferry. It was the coolest way to see a whole whack of stuff going north along the river, the Mae Nam Chao Phraya river. You get on this boat, that no one would ever guess was a bus type vehicle. A guy who narrates in English and Thai is on a microphone describing what things you are seeing as you pass by them. The 'bus' stops are terminals along the way, with a name and number. Mom, you'll remember the boat bus in Venice? It was just like that, only in Thailand. Finally we arrived at my stop, where I got off to see the first temple, Wat Pho. See photos below of the river ferry and some sites along the way to Wat Pho.

River Boat Ferry 'Bus'

Me, on the 'bus'

A house passing the Chinatown district

Something else while on the boat

I told you last blog that Wat Pho is where the biggest buddha in the world is found. Well it is indeed huge. Photos can't really capture this crazy structure, in its reclining position. Anyway, all over the grounds were smaller temples housing other numbers of buddhas. It was a beautiful area with lots of gorgeous temples and pagodas to see. Inlaid mosaics and ceramic with marble seemed to be the majority of the materials used to build these things. I walked around for a while, then went to see about a massage. Wow, what a great idea. The massage school is on the grounds, and I got a one hour massage for 15 Canadian dollars. I was taken into this large room with double flat beds all over the place. Each client lay beside one other person (far enough away though) in a loose pairs of draw string pants and tank top, that they give you. I had to go to the bathroom first, so this nice woman, who I thought was the helper within the massage studio, took me really far away, waited for me, and brought me back to get the massage.

This woman was quite a lot older than me, very kind eyes, no English, and not many teeth. She kind of chewed on her gums, as people do without teeth. It turned out that she was my masseuse and was she ever good! I came out of there, relaxed, peaceful, happy, and smelling like Tiger Balm. I wanted to ask for a photo with her, but I felt she was shy, and it wouldn't have been appropriate, but she was the cutest lady around and so, so nice. My luck to get her, I think.

Layout of Wat Pho Grounds

Guardian at one of the temples

Kitten on guardian's foot, for Rachel

Head of the gilded gold reclining buddha

Feet of the same Buddha

View of feet from heel side

Well groomed animal guardian 

Another Buddha in a nearby temple

After going to Wat Pho, I looked for a restaurant, well street vendor, really, that the Lonely Planet recommended. It was right across the street from Wat Pho, but was unfortunately not open today. I think I might go back again, to try it one day, just for the river bus, and experience. It boasts boiled fish balls and heavy curry dishes. I'd like to try them, especially because I know they've been recommended as 'safe' street food.

View of 'Tuk Tuk' taxis on the way to find the restaurant

So, since I was there, and just across the river, was another temple and palace called Wat Arun, I decided to hop over and see it. This one has huge spires that are made of what looks like granite. When you get closer, these super tall constructs are actually made of pocelain tiles covering the 82 meter spire. You can walk up the VERY steep steps to the top, but it has no railings on the first and second floors and there are a lot of steps. As you go further up, there is a railing, but the stairs are still very steep. I went up to the first level, but thought Mr. Knee wasn't up to the 'coming down' part. Each step was probably the height of three regular steps, without a railing. I figured I had a lot more traveling to do, and perhaps I would just stay nearer to the ground. So that's what I did, after taking some really cool pics from the second level up. The site that houses these spires is quite beautiful and has monks dressed in bright orange togas, running a lot of the ticket houses, etc. If they are not doing that, they can be found within one of the many temples, reading, praying of leading prayers. It's really quite cool. There were two giant sculptures 'guarding' this temple at the front door. They each have a name, and were originally built with the temple, around 1300 BC. Yes, BC. I couldn't believe it. I have included the little write up about their fall some time ago. Incredible. Boy, we thought Italy was old.

Wat Arun Layout

Explanation of the two guards being dropped

The two giant guards of the palace, one's name is Rama.

Wall painting/fresco in one of the temples.
They were from floor to ceiling, like this. Incredible

Close up of the mosaic tiling on the spires.

View from 2nd floor of spire, looking up. See the steps?

Distant view of two spires.

On the way out of Wat Arun, to catch the boat bus back across the river, I bought a bag of freshly roasted cashews, very lightly salted. Yummy. Needless to say, they are gone. They were a fairly generous bag for 3 dollars. Great deal and delicious.

Next, yes, I told you it was a busy day, I got back onto the water buses and made my way back to the Sky Train. I was off to see the world's largest market, which only runs on Saturday and Sunday. Wow, this thing is absolutely huge. Oh, before I go into telling you about the market, I have to tell you about the friend I met, that came with me to the market. Well, he was going there too, so we went together.

I saw this man, who in Thailand, at over six feet, green eyes and short hair, stuck out. He was on the boat back from Wat Arun at the same time I was. When we got off the boat, he was kind of walking in circles, a familiar thing for me when I'm lost. I thought he couldn't find the Sky Train, so I asked him if he needed help. He did, and so I said I was going that way, and we could go together. It turned out that he was also going to the market, his name was Victor (pronounced Bictor, because he's got a Spanish accent), and is from Barcelona. He was the nicest guy, and we had a ball for the afternoon, going through the market, eating, laughing and trying to communicate. His English is about as good, well a bit better, than my Spanish. We did ok, though, as we stammered in those two languages, as well as my limited Italian which is closer to Spanish than English. Mom, you should have been there to practice your Spanish. Now I really know what you meant when you said the major verbs are different and it makes the transition between the languages, super hard. Anyway, we made due, enjoyed the afternoon looking, eating and taking photos. He is leaving for Barcelona tomorrow, but gave me his email and said if I am ever there, I have my own private guide. As well, if he comes to Toronto, were his bargaining terms. That's ok, the people you meet traveling are great for exchanges and can really be a good way of seeing places via the locals.

The World's Largest Market

Dancers at the market

Victor and me eating Pad Thai at market

Tons of toys, Liviah........mmmm.

Cool fried potato treats at market

Victor couldn't resist....lol.

Look at all the pretty colours

Spanish booth at market......paella.

Buying paintings for the house

Owner of Spanish booth doing a street show, making Paella.
This one is for you Michael, you would have loved this!

So, we got to the market, which was larger than I can even express. It was three streets wide, and about four city blocks long for each of the three streets. It had booths upon booths of anything and everything you could ever think of. Soaps, watches, household items, food, clothing, pharmacy stuff, drinks, and tons more. Everything very cheap, and I think, an outing for the Thai people on Sunday.

-pics of some of the market


Well, I think that's about it, as by this time, it was gatting close to 5 pm, and my hooves were tired. As well, Victor had bought a whole bunch of wall hangings, in the photo above, that were quite heavy. What a cool day though. Oh, to all my Toronto friends reading this blog, you can never complain about the subway being busy again. See the pic of a Sunday late afternoon. This was after two trains had gone by, filled to capacity with people. I had to wait until the third train to get on.

Subway train on my way home

View from overpass walkway to my hostel

Well, that's it for now. Haven't decided what I'll do yet, tomorrow. Perhaps go to a wholesale shopping area that the friend, Mark, from yesterday, told me about. I think I need to buy a pair of lighter material short pants or shorts. It is so hot here! Have a good day everyone.

Bangkok.......Arrived (Nov. 1, 2014)

Hi,
Well, what a way to bring in November. Arriving in Bangkok from Rome, after saying goodbye to my dear Momma. It was about 6 am when we landed and the flight was excellent. I got to change seats so that I was only one person in a row of two seats, which meant my stuff could go beside me and my feet could go where ever I felt like having them. The service and food were great on Thai Airlines and I couldn't have asked for a better trip. Well, some sleep might have done well, but hey, I've never died from lack of sleep, to this point.

Well, upon arrival, I went into the wrong line for Immigration and wondered why I didn't see any of the people from my flight. It was a long line that an airport employee indicated I must be in, so I waited with a whole whack of people from India or Pakistan. Anyway, when the guy at the desk saw my passport, he sent me to another area, where I again waited in a long line, this time the right one.

When I went to get my suitcase, the belt had stopped, and all the other bags had been picked up. Mine was standing all by itself waiting for me. Nothing had been disturbed so that was good. I grabbed it, and made my way to the train into the city.

First sign I was on the right track...lol.

I was happy it was Saturday, as I was making my way across the city right at morning rush hour, with a huge suitcase. It was still pretty crowded, but nothing like I am sure it is, on a weekday. Anyway, I followed my transit map and got myself to the next station that I needed, in order to pick up another line. Then I arrived at my final station, got off the Skytrain, and headed down to street level to find the hostel. After a fair walk, and VERY confusing street signs, I did find it. By then, I was very sweaty as it was 31 degrees when I left the airport. The street signs not only show the major street you are on, but list the little side streets as numbers of the street you are on, along with its name. Wow, what a deal, but now I know where I live so that is good.

I checked in, was shown to my room which is simple, but has an air conditioner, along with three very clean bunk beds, and a locker, reading light (I know you're happy for me, mom...lol), and an outlet, right at bedside. Very respectable and totally reasonable. I can cook here, use the fridge, and it's on a really quiet, pretty, yet convenient street. It's called iDeer Hostel and comes with great reviews and Trip Advisor status. There aren't too many people staying here right now, as it's the low season. I promptly took off all my sweaty clothes, put on my pyjamas, and passed out for a couple of hours. The time change is pretty severe, so I might feel a bit tired for the first few days, until my body adjusts.

Street my hostel's on

Street view of the hostel 

Lounge area with air con and great Wifi

After my nap, I felt a lot better, and decided to take a little walk around the area to familiarize myself with the neighbourhood, subway and train stations, and stores I might need. First, I went up the street to a huge park, called Lumpini Park. It has bike trails, a little lake in the middle for paddle boats, a playground for kids, as well as an exercise area complete with machines that are outside for people to use anytime. I sat for a while, took some pics, and enjoyed the greenery. It was very peaceful and just what I felt like doing with the little energy I did have left.

Lumpini Park

Bird that came to see me in the park.....Morty?

View just inside park gates

When I left the park, I decided to locate the Skytrain Station that was closer to my hostel, as the one I got off at, wasn't as close. So, because things are labeled so poorly to the tourist eye, I thought I would walk to the station I might use tomorrow so that I wouldn't have to figure it out and make mistakes in the morning. I did do that, and with a few wrong turns and asking some directions, I found my way to the station. Once there, I saw this guy sitting on a chair at the corner, eating something that looked delicious. He was a white guy, about my age, bald with a long grey bikerish beard. Great, just my type, so I asked him what he was eating and if it would be ok for me to try it as well. His name was Mark, an Austrailian guy who has a business in Bangkok as well as other SE Asian countries. He's in the clothing business, and has lived here for parts of the year, for a long time. He assured me that I wouldn't get sick, but should not eat the street vendor food, as there is lots that he wouldn't touch, but this cart and girl, were clean.

Walking by a hotel in the yard

Street view, walking to the park

Thai touch with tiny plant/flower pots cellophaned to a tree!

I didn't take a photo, but will do tomorrow or next time I eat there. What I ate was deep fried squid, chopped into very large, but tender chunks, with a light breading. Then there was a sweet chili sauce poured onto it, given in a plastic bag, with long skewers to get the pieces out with. WOW, how yummy. Mark and I chatted on the corner, ate squid and he marked some places on my map for me to go and check out that weren't touristy. He would have been fun to hang out with, but it seemed like he was going back to Austrailia soon, and/or doing some more buying in Indonesia. Anyway, he didn't offer, and I hinted around, but didn't ask outright. He was very nice and a real find on my first day. I will eat that several more time before I go. Oh, yeah, the best part is that it cost less that 2 Canadian dollars for the bag of squid. Bonus!

Then I walked back to my hostel, sore hooves, but happy heart and new energy to discover and fight to find the way......music please. I forgot how challenging it is entering a new country where the language is nothing you can even guess at when it comes to signs, and though many speak some English, the communication is still tough. I walked in a lot of wrong directions because I didn't make myself understood, or they didn't. Anyway, it's fun, and I'm excited to get up and go tomorrow.

I decided to stay in tonight, go to bed very early, get up early, and take the transit, which includes a boat bus, to an area of town that has the oldest and largest temple in Thailand, and boasts the largest collection of Buddhas. The big attraction being the biggest Buddha, 46 X 15 Meters high, reclining in his final pose, entering nirvana. It is called Wat Pho Temple and also is the national headquarters of preserving traditional Thai medicine including massage. There is apparently a school at the temple that you can get a Thai massage from when you visit there, from one of the pavillions. I hope to visit the temple and try the massage. The hooves would be so happy. We'll see.

Well that's all for now. Know that I'm safe and sound in Bangkok and it feels very safe and the people, super friendly. More tomorrow.