Jan 26th is the anniversary of the first arrivals at Jackson Cove (later to become Sydney) from England, and hence the declaration of British Sovereignty. Its celebrated as a public holiday and everyone celebrates being Australian with parties and big public firework displays. As this year Jan 26th fell on a Saturday, there was an additional days holiday on the Monday. Everyone had there own plans for how to spend this long weekend. it also marked the end of the long summer holiday break for schools, and the start of the new school year. Being the southern hemisphere, this was the height of summer. My family were going to celebrate by having a BBQ lunch at Jane's house on the Sunday. I was looking forward to seeing everyone together.
Jane has a beautiful single storey house set in a garden of palm trees in the Riverhills district of Brisbane, with pretty swimming pool and large covered BBQ area. It was about 15 yrs since we had seen each other, and we had plenty of catching up to do. The cry of the kookburras pierced the background sound from other birds, and the thunder of the heavy rain. It really felt like I was in the middle of a rain forest. The TV informed us that it would rain heavily all weekend. Jane and I set in for a weekend of chat.
As Saturday progressed, it became apparent that the cyclone had not lessened but in fact had picked up speed and was moving south. It was no longer expected to not affect us. The wind was bending the trees and the rain torrents were beginning to go sideways. Jane and I dug in further for more chatting and TV.
The weather didn't stop everyone getting through ion Sunday for the BBQ, which Nathan cooked in the covered area outside, and we ate inside. Good times.
TV informed us that most of the public celebrations for the weekend were cancelled, so there would be no fireworks. Furthermore the airport was closed and 5 tornadoes had struck up the coast, and there was no knowing if they would strike us. We didn't need the TV to tell us things were getting worse, it was self evident. Non the less Wes drove us back to town without incident as the rain continued sideways. The next morning (Monday) I was due to go into the bush to stay 2 nights with cousin Pam in Emmaville. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmaville,_New_South_Wales
Monday 28 January 2013
The Sunshine State
With regret I left Sydney for Brisbane. On arrival, it was raining and the temp was around 25 degrees. It wasn't unpleasant, but the rain was a bit heavier than I had expected. My 2nd cousin Nathan, who had stayed with me 3 yrs ago in Surrey was there to meet me and guide me back to his central apartment, that he shares with his lovely partner, Wes. We laughed that Nathan had managed to even lay on English weather for me to make me feel at home, and settled down to a cuppa and catch up. A few hours later when Wes got in from work the rain seemed to be set in. We realised from the TV that rain would be a feature of the next few days as we were picking up the tail end of tropical cyclone Oswald, but there was no reaason to suspect anything extreme was about to happen.
It was so good to sleep on a soft bed that night and I slept well. (Thailand seemed to be a land full of hard, but not uncomfortable, beds). The next day Nathan escorted me into town to sort out tickets to visit my cousin Pam, which lies in the country about 260 miles away, and to show off the impressive south bank area of town. My first impression was one of an extremely efficient public transport system. South bank was the arts focus of town and home to the Queensland Library complex, which houses so many different activity and interest centres. This is where Nathan used to work, and where Troy, who also stayed at my house in 2010, still works. We had lunch with Troy and a couple of other friends. It seemed like I had known Tania for ages, and that it was only yesterday that I last saw Troy. Happy days!
The rain continued, and later that day Nathan's bro in law, Jason, picked me up on his way home from work to take me to my cousin Jane's house about half an hour away.
The rain got worse and worse, was this really The Sunshine State???
It was so good to sleep on a soft bed that night and I slept well. (Thailand seemed to be a land full of hard, but not uncomfortable, beds). The next day Nathan escorted me into town to sort out tickets to visit my cousin Pam, which lies in the country about 260 miles away, and to show off the impressive south bank area of town. My first impression was one of an extremely efficient public transport system. South bank was the arts focus of town and home to the Queensland Library complex, which houses so many different activity and interest centres. This is where Nathan used to work, and where Troy, who also stayed at my house in 2010, still works. We had lunch with Troy and a couple of other friends. It seemed like I had known Tania for ages, and that it was only yesterday that I last saw Troy. Happy days!
The rain continued, and later that day Nathan's bro in law, Jason, picked me up on his way home from work to take me to my cousin Jane's house about half an hour away.
The rain got worse and worse, was this really The Sunshine State???
Thursday 24 January 2013
Sydney
After
an overnight flight from Bangkok via Kuala Lumpur, I arrived in
Sydney at 11 am on Jan 22nd 2013. First problem was
the taxi I booked didnt show up, so I used the airport taxi rank –
OMG how expensive was that. Its a comparable journey from my own hoe
to Heathrow but cost £60 as opposed to the UK £35. The route took
me over The Harbour Bridge. Initial impressions was that Isambard
Brunel Kingdom had been here, and that if you have ever driven over
The Tyne Bridge, you would have a feel for this bridge too. Luckily
the guest house booking was fine and my room at Glenferrie Lodge was
ready A shower followed by a few hours kip was just what I needed.
I
then set off to explore the locality of Kirribilli. How beautiful!
The area is a wealth of Art Deco architecture, and the guest house
has some fine original features. Its considered an very well off
neighbourhood, and is the location of This is a period of design I
just love. At the end of the road I turned towards a small cove and
get my first glimpse of Sydney Harbour. The Opera house looks smaller
than I had expected against the back drop of skyscrappers, but I
later discover this is an illusion. The temperature is mid 20's so
much cooler than Thailand, and I find it very comfortable to walk, so
I wander along the foreshore to Milsons point. The ups and
downs of the rocky coastline means this was possibly not the kindest
thing for my knees, but no lasting damage was done, and later I took
a ferry into Circular Quay to explore the vibrant area around the
Opera House, where I resolved to see La Boheme the next night.
For
my only full day in Sydney I went on the open double decker
sightseeing tour that took me everywhere, including Bondi
http://www.city-sightseeing.com/tours/australia/sydney.htm#tourlandingposition
Sydney is built on a numerous headlands, spits points and ismuths
(I once had a neighbour I used to refer to as ismuth, as she had a
long neck sticking out to see), that form inlets and coves that
would have made Slatty Bartfast proud. This gives to an interesting
geography where sea travel is essential to join up all the
communities. There is a great ferry system, which is efficient and
punctual where everything docks at Circular Quay.
Everywhere
was awesome and the cool breeze made it a very pleasant day. Bondi
reminded me of Mawgan Porth in Cornwall. The waves were not as big
as I had imagined. I am not sure why I found it so reminiscent, and
it is now more than 10 yrs since I went to Mawgan Porth, so my memory
is probably warped. Its also interesting to note, that although the
Aussies are big on sun protection, there were no parasols or shades
available on the beach as there are in many other tropical and sub
tropical resorts.
After
a quick refresh back at base, I then went to The Opera House to see
La Boheme, which was absolutely brilliant, and will live with me for
many years to come. The inside of The Opera House reminded me in
parts of The Barbican – large swathes of concrete caverns, and over
priced sarnies.
My
3rd
day was only a few hours in Sydney, and I decided that after the good
hot buffet breakfast provided by the guest house, I would just soak
up the sunshine in their garden while catching up on my blog and
onward itinery. The driver from the guest house ( £15 cheaper than
a taxi) drove me back along The Harbour Bridge. Its not surprising
that it felt like the Tyne Bridge, as it was designed and built by
the same team, who based both on New York's Hell's Gate Bridge. My
driver went on to tell me about the place I stayed in. It was built
as a rest and respite care lodging for bridge workers in the 1930's
when art deco was at its peak. The rest of the area grew up around
it once the bridge was open, and is now home to many famous people.
48
hrs was not enough time to explore this lovely city, and all too soon
I was at the airport on my way to catch up with my Brisbane family
Reflections on Thailand
A land of contrasts – there's some
amazing modern architecture and impressive sky scrappers in several
places I visited, but also some abject squalor as was seen alongside
river banks whether on water taxis or luxury cruises, the views were
always comparable. Despite this everyone seemed to be happy and it
certainly was The land of a thousand smiles. Ambitions did not seem
particularly high – make 500 Baht a day and everyone is happy. 300
Baht for a 12 hr day is the legal minimum wage, but for many of the
street sellers they are self employed so on a bad day they will not
be protected by this law.
Street life is 100% ingrained in life
style, all kinds of wares are sold from static stalls, hand carts,
motorbikes with specially rigged side car structures, hand held
baskets and frames, or traditional panniers balanced over one shoulder
like a giant weighing scale. Popup bars and eateries materialise at
dark fashioned out of any of these means. The food always looks
good, and smells tasty and thousands of locals use them. However, I
had 2 bouts of food poisoning in 3 weeks, only using the fruit
sellers, so am dubious as to how clean some of these actually are. I
then heard that Thai girls who go to Europe with their rich sugar
daddies are often frightened of going to the loo as they have never
passed a solid motion in their lives, and think they will tear
themselves. Make your own mind up as to whether or not you would eat
street food!
Because of the high temperatures during
the day, dusk is when there is a flurry of activity on the streets.
Its cooler, and more conducive to market shopping, hence the plethora
of night street markets. There are thousands of them, and no one
any less interesting to the westerner than the next. Bartering is
not on the same level that one finds in Arab countries, but they do
try to get s much for their goods as possible from visitors, so its
worth trying to negotiate. For instance, I bought some pearls from
beach seller in Jomtien. I was offered just a necklace for 500 Baht
– actually a bargain for real pearls, but I didnt want to pay the
first price offered. After a little to and fro I got a necklace and
bracelet for 350 Baht. She had quickly dropped to 400 so I knew
there was room for manoeuvre downwards, and at the end of the day (it
was dusk) she would have been glad to take what mounted to a days
wage in one sale. £7 for a real pearl necklace and bracelet –
bargain! The next day Andy bartered for a hair clip for Ruby, his
ability in Thai helped no end. We soon saw the sellers in 7 Eleven,
and he said the reason we couldn’t get it any cheaper was obviously
because they were thirsty, and wanted enough to buy a couple of
drinks. Made me feel a bit guilty that I had bartered!
There's a pervasive smell of sewers
everywhere, but the loos are by and large acceptable, although some
public ones have signs telling you they are for urine only. I have
met this in Turkey, where its obvious the plumbing just cant cope
with bulk, but it was not so obvious in Thailand and I wonder whether
its just a matter of cant be bothered to clean.
You cant reflect on Thailand without
considering the sex industry. The mind set is different here.
Westerners see the girls as being exploited by men, often older.
However, a great many girls, especially from the country are brought
up to expect not to work, as its a man's job to keep her, and in
return she would pander to his every whim. She would learn to cook,
massage, and to go to the beauty salon on a regular basis, and always
wear smart new clothes that have been paid for by a man. Working in
restaurants and bars is seen as a way to meet well off men. The
population is 55% female and the birthrate seems to keep this a
fairly static percentage. When you take out the gay and ladyboy
percentage, this leaves a high deficit of local men, which is why
Thai girls look elsewhere. It makes it hard to criticise the girls
for allowing themselves to be exploited. Furthermore, they see it as
the men being exploited as they are daft enough to to pay for what
they see as very little effort. However, the hidden price is often
high in the form of disease. Furthermore, the cheap and free clinics
do not spell out exactly what the problem is when a girl presents
with HIV or some other STD. She will be told she has a faulty immune
system, or a virus or some similar bluff. As a consequence she will
not know that she really must use condoms, and so the infection is
spread.
At the same time, Thais are deeply
spiritual and superstitious, believing in ghosts and lucky charms.
They take fortune telling such as tarot very seriously, and believe
every word. They are by and large devout Buddhists, with a keen
sense of karma in both this and other lives. They honour spirits of
place, who are often ancestors, and make sure there is always
somewhere for them to reside in the form of spirit houses and or
garlands of flowers, such are seen on the front of boats or hanging
from rear view mirrors in vehicles.
There's a happy go lucky and can do
attitude throughout society. Our health and safety nannies would
have a field day here - who needs scaffolding when Don over there is
happy with a rope ladder to take bricks up 15 floors?. Complain
about pot holes in the road? You're having a laugh. Put up and shut
up, and learn to drive round them. Be bothered that yobs will
interfere with main elec supply when the cables are only at the level
of the 2nd floor of a house? Its an earthquake region so
where else do we put them? And yob will only touch them once and word
will soon get round that he fried himself. And if he decides that
its the lower phone lines he will tamper with, then a Thai Jail will
sort him out. A friend of Andy's recently found himself in jail –
150 to a cell with only a mat to sleep on, and a bowl of rice each
day to eat, unless friends brought you more. When he got back to UK
he went out for a drink to celebrate, his system didnt cope with
alcohol after 6 weeks detention in Thailand, and he got picked up for
being drunk and disorderly - thought he had died and gone to heaven
with the luxury of the cell in the local nick!
There is also little social consciousness about plastic use. The idea that you would reuse a carrier bag, or not need one it frowned on. You buy a bottle of water, and you need a small bag and straw so you can hang it over your arm and drink from a straw, same for a can of coke, so you still have a hand free for whatever. Rubbish was really noticeable on the island of Koh Lan - mountains dumped on a side road and occasionally burnt when the stench got high enough. The concern for public health is not part of national pride. However, plastic bottles are recyclable, and some of the street dwellers go through bins collecting empty bottles which bring in an income of 1 Baht for 4 bottles. At 50 Baht to the £1 this is hard work to earn a bag of groceries.
So is it with regret I leave Thailand?
Hmm not sure. Mixed feelings really. I do have a further 5 days
booked for March on the return leg of this odyssey. I will tell you
then, but the fact I cant tolerate the food is a major sway against the country. (10 kgs lost in 3 weeks).
Saturday 19 January 2013
Jomtien
By Jan 14th I was ready to move out of Bangkok and Andy had had some distressing news over the weekend concerning his apartment in Bangkok. It seemed the landlady had decided he was leaving without giving notice, despite the one year lease. She had changed the locks on the apartment and taken possession of all his belongings, and re let the apartment. She was demanding a sum of money of around £250 to release his belongings and he was technically homeless. He came back to Bangkok to try to sort things out. He called in a few favours for legal advice and realised that since the landlady had possession of his Spanish residency and ID documents she was actually committing a serious crime under Thai law punishable by 7yrs imprisonment. He had his UK passport with him and a quick trip to Tesco Lotus gave him a clean change of clothes. Armed with his negotiating skills he spent some time with his landlady, negotiating and explaining his position. To regain his other belongings might be a civil case, but he was giving her 24 hrs to think about her position before he called the police to arrest her over the Spanish docs.
I had originally planned to meet some friends in Phuket for a couple of days but had been unable to get in contact to confirm arrangements, so that evening Andy and I took a bus back to Jomtien, and quickly found a holiday apartment for the week. This was great, allowing us both to chill in a more homelike environment and do some serious mother/son bonding. This was the main objective for the week, rather than sightseeing.
On the Tuesday Andy went back to Bangkok to see the landlady. He arrived back at our temporary home late in the evening with everything apart from his guitar which the landlady wanted as surety against him paying the final electric bill. She had overvalued it by a factor of 10, so it was with mixed feelings Andy struck this deal. Apparently it is common place for Thai's to try this sort of exploitation of Europeans, and the Landlady was taken aback when Andy didnt roll over and pay up.
The next day we hired a motorbike and quickly sorted out a more permanent address for him from 21st, and went on to Tesco's to do the weekly shop. Unfortunately my guts were exploding again, but without the temperature, and other symptoms I had last week. I stuffed myself full of imodium and got more antibcterial stuff. As the day was fading around 6pm we jumped on the motorbike up to the Chinese Temple on the hill between Jomtien and Pattaya to see Kwan Yin. The atmosphere was so peaceful and lovely, a truly spiritual experience for me.
The next day, took a similar chilled out format. Homecooked food to let my guts settle, and reading by the pool. Again as dusk was falling we set off for the hill we had been to the previous evening, but this time to the big golden Buddha that looks over Pattaya City, and the Thai temple.
Andy stopped on the way back to put some more petrol in our bike. BP? Esso? Shell? No way! We pulled into a roadside where a couple of guys had a rack of old whiskey bottles filled with liquid. One bottle 30 Baht (50 to the £1). I had seen many of these stalls and not known what they were. Now I knew, this was how people filled up the ubiquitous motor bikes with motion lotion!
Friday was another chill by the pool day, although I did go for a wander around the market. Flies crawling all over the meat, it was no wonder I had had 2 food poisonings during my stay, although I had been careful with street food, the problem was probably because of my love for pineapple and buying that ready cut from 7 Eleven.
Now there's something to note. The most useless direction you can give anyone trying to meet up with you is, ' turn at the 7 Eleven, down that street'. 7 Elevens are on the corner of every other street. Even more ubiquitous that the Indian Corner shop in UK. They are not all much of muchness, and its sometimes better to walk a block past your nearest to get a better selection of food.
Its now my last day here, and tomorrow I will wend my way back to Bangkok to get a flight to Kuala Lumpur, which connects to my overnight flight to Sydney, Australia.
I had originally planned to meet some friends in Phuket for a couple of days but had been unable to get in contact to confirm arrangements, so that evening Andy and I took a bus back to Jomtien, and quickly found a holiday apartment for the week. This was great, allowing us both to chill in a more homelike environment and do some serious mother/son bonding. This was the main objective for the week, rather than sightseeing.
On the Tuesday Andy went back to Bangkok to see the landlady. He arrived back at our temporary home late in the evening with everything apart from his guitar which the landlady wanted as surety against him paying the final electric bill. She had overvalued it by a factor of 10, so it was with mixed feelings Andy struck this deal. Apparently it is common place for Thai's to try this sort of exploitation of Europeans, and the Landlady was taken aback when Andy didnt roll over and pay up.
The next day we hired a motorbike and quickly sorted out a more permanent address for him from 21st, and went on to Tesco's to do the weekly shop. Unfortunately my guts were exploding again, but without the temperature, and other symptoms I had last week. I stuffed myself full of imodium and got more antibcterial stuff. As the day was fading around 6pm we jumped on the motorbike up to the Chinese Temple on the hill between Jomtien and Pattaya to see Kwan Yin. The atmosphere was so peaceful and lovely, a truly spiritual experience for me.
The next day, took a similar chilled out format. Homecooked food to let my guts settle, and reading by the pool. Again as dusk was falling we set off for the hill we had been to the previous evening, but this time to the big golden Buddha that looks over Pattaya City, and the Thai temple.
Andy stopped on the way back to put some more petrol in our bike. BP? Esso? Shell? No way! We pulled into a roadside where a couple of guys had a rack of old whiskey bottles filled with liquid. One bottle 30 Baht (50 to the £1). I had seen many of these stalls and not known what they were. Now I knew, this was how people filled up the ubiquitous motor bikes with motion lotion!
Friday was another chill by the pool day, although I did go for a wander around the market. Flies crawling all over the meat, it was no wonder I had had 2 food poisonings during my stay, although I had been careful with street food, the problem was probably because of my love for pineapple and buying that ready cut from 7 Eleven.
Now there's something to note. The most useless direction you can give anyone trying to meet up with you is, ' turn at the 7 Eleven, down that street'. 7 Elevens are on the corner of every other street. Even more ubiquitous that the Indian Corner shop in UK. They are not all much of muchness, and its sometimes better to walk a block past your nearest to get a better selection of food.
Its now my last day here, and tomorrow I will wend my way back to Bangkok to get a flight to Kuala Lumpur, which connects to my overnight flight to Sydney, Australia.
Thursday 17 January 2013
Temples and Buddhas
With Oi and Andy still at loggerheads, Andy decided to head out of town to clear his head, so on Sat 12th, I had a leisurely brekky and browse of the papers and decided to find my way to the grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. There wast a skytrain near to it, and I wasnt certain I could use the songtaews without a local guide. I then remembered our day on the river when we were right royally ripped off. River taxi's went from that same point, and we had passed the Palace during that afternoon. The pier would be a good starting point, so I took the skytrain there, and of course my intuition was correct. I chatted to a gent from London on the river trip. He seemed to think there was way too much walking involved in visiting The Palace. I was a bit worried about that as I am not the world's best walker, and by this time the temp was 42 degrees. The admission to the Palace was 500Baht - £10 which is a lot of money in Thailand. Touts outside were offering their services as personal guides, for an additional 450 Baht. I wondered if I was doing myself a disservice by declining. Soon the answer became apparent - certainly not! There were free guided tours in English available from official guides. The guide new exactly what to point out and at what pace to take it for us heat shy farangs. However it was sometimes difficult finding her in a crowd as she was not much more than 4ft tall and even with the obligatory guides umbrella, she disappeared below the towering bodies from Aus, USA, and UK!
The Palace is spectacular. It has not been used as a royal residence for over 100 yrs, but it still has a firm place in ceremonial duties of state, and houses several staet departments. Everything glistens golden in the sunlight, and you cannot help but gawp in awe. I am sure all the gold only reflects more heat down on us poor mortals who find temperatures at this level rather difficult. Theres a dress code for visiting temples and other revered sites. With a mid calf dress, not low cut I thought I had it sorted. However, I had overlooked the necessity to make sure shoulders were covered. My top had 3 inch wide straps, which didnt meet requirements. I had to throw my shawl over my shoulders to get in. The numbers who dont realise this are such that there are booths that loan out acceptable clothing. One of the first pics many tourists take is of the fellas decked out in floral beach pants or sarongs to cover their knees, and ill fitting shirts to cover their shoulders.
Within the grounds of the Palace is The Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This is probably the most revered temple in Thailand, and its name refers to the tiny jade (not emerald) statue that sits atop an impressive and large altar in the temple's main hall. The Buddha image is clothed in seasonal robes, changed three times a year to correspond to the summer, winter, and rainy months. The changing of the robes is an important ritual, performed by the king, or these days because of the frailty of the king, by The Crown Prince. The magically empowered statue is thought to have been made in North Thailand in the 15th century, before being installed at a temple in Laos, only to be taken back by the Thais and brought to the capital around 1780 -- a sore subject between the nations. The statue is made of one solid piece of jade, and whilst it might be disappointing to find out that it isnt emerald, it is still an impressive lump of precious stone. The whole atmosphere of the temple was one of awesome reverence.
By this time I was hot enough and ready to make my way back to my hotel - about an hour away, but not without what has become a favourite afternoon tipple of iced latte.
On the Sunday, I decided to repeat the formula for Saturday, and this time visit Wat Pho, the temple of the reclining Buddha. I didnt really know what to expect, but knew it was on every list of things not to miss in Bangkok. This temple was almost next door to The Palace, so I knew how to get there. I wander through the street traders to get there, and decided to try some coconut water as I was thirsty. They just slice the top off a green coconut in front of you and stick a straw in it for you to drink. I managed half of it - not my favourite of drinks. Nothing ventured nothing gained. I'd stick to water in future.
The temple is a much smaller complex, and therefore only 100Baht for entrance. It is non the less spectacular, glistening golden flecks from the roof tiles and giving off a magical air. Many of the stupas are covered in ceramics, not just here but in other temples too, Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) from last week, being the most notable. The reason for this is that Thailand used to plunder Chinese trading ships, and frequently on the high seas the cargos of porcelain got broken, rather than waste the crockery it was cut up and recycled as temple decoration. Whether or not this anecdote is true, I dont know, but it certainly makes a good example of recycling 15th century style!
The temple is also the seat of traditional Thai medicine and massage. Around the grounds are shelters bearing the instructional texts and diagrams, dating back hundreds of years. Massage is part of Thai culture, and most Thais will have some understanding of it. Oi gave me a foot massage (reflexology) one day shortly after my arrival, and at the weekend, I had my hair done in Jomtien. The ladyboy who washed my hair gave me a full head massage as art of the service. Really nice, even if the stylist was a bit frightened of my fine wispy hair.
Nothing could have prepared me for the sight of the reclining Buddha. Yeah, I had read that it was 15 mtrs high and over 40 mtrs long, but when faced with such an imposing statue you cant help but be in awe. . . . . and then wonder 'Why?'. There was an element of money grabbing here that I would not play ball with. Down one side of the statue were a series of money bowls. You paid a couple of quid and were given a bowl of coins ( probably 60p worth) and for everyone of the bowls you put coins into, buddha would bless you.
Having seen all I wanted to, I began to make my way back. I got to the river/skytrain interchange and felt it was still too early to go back to the hotel, and I hadnt had my iced latte. I decided to divert to the adjacent Shangri-La Hotel and see how the other half lives. Afternoon tea was being served in the riverside lounge - how elegant - so I partook. It amazed me how so many petite oriental girls were just diving into mountains of cakes and pastries. How on earth do they keep their figures!
I then wandered round yet another street market before making my way back, again observing that this was a nation of shopaholics!
The Palace is spectacular. It has not been used as a royal residence for over 100 yrs, but it still has a firm place in ceremonial duties of state, and houses several staet departments. Everything glistens golden in the sunlight, and you cannot help but gawp in awe. I am sure all the gold only reflects more heat down on us poor mortals who find temperatures at this level rather difficult. Theres a dress code for visiting temples and other revered sites. With a mid calf dress, not low cut I thought I had it sorted. However, I had overlooked the necessity to make sure shoulders were covered. My top had 3 inch wide straps, which didnt meet requirements. I had to throw my shawl over my shoulders to get in. The numbers who dont realise this are such that there are booths that loan out acceptable clothing. One of the first pics many tourists take is of the fellas decked out in floral beach pants or sarongs to cover their knees, and ill fitting shirts to cover their shoulders.
Within the grounds of the Palace is The Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This is probably the most revered temple in Thailand, and its name refers to the tiny jade (not emerald) statue that sits atop an impressive and large altar in the temple's main hall. The Buddha image is clothed in seasonal robes, changed three times a year to correspond to the summer, winter, and rainy months. The changing of the robes is an important ritual, performed by the king, or these days because of the frailty of the king, by The Crown Prince. The magically empowered statue is thought to have been made in North Thailand in the 15th century, before being installed at a temple in Laos, only to be taken back by the Thais and brought to the capital around 1780 -- a sore subject between the nations. The statue is made of one solid piece of jade, and whilst it might be disappointing to find out that it isnt emerald, it is still an impressive lump of precious stone. The whole atmosphere of the temple was one of awesome reverence.
By this time I was hot enough and ready to make my way back to my hotel - about an hour away, but not without what has become a favourite afternoon tipple of iced latte.
On the Sunday, I decided to repeat the formula for Saturday, and this time visit Wat Pho, the temple of the reclining Buddha. I didnt really know what to expect, but knew it was on every list of things not to miss in Bangkok. This temple was almost next door to The Palace, so I knew how to get there. I wander through the street traders to get there, and decided to try some coconut water as I was thirsty. They just slice the top off a green coconut in front of you and stick a straw in it for you to drink. I managed half of it - not my favourite of drinks. Nothing ventured nothing gained. I'd stick to water in future.
The temple is a much smaller complex, and therefore only 100Baht for entrance. It is non the less spectacular, glistening golden flecks from the roof tiles and giving off a magical air. Many of the stupas are covered in ceramics, not just here but in other temples too, Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) from last week, being the most notable. The reason for this is that Thailand used to plunder Chinese trading ships, and frequently on the high seas the cargos of porcelain got broken, rather than waste the crockery it was cut up and recycled as temple decoration. Whether or not this anecdote is true, I dont know, but it certainly makes a good example of recycling 15th century style!
The temple is also the seat of traditional Thai medicine and massage. Around the grounds are shelters bearing the instructional texts and diagrams, dating back hundreds of years. Massage is part of Thai culture, and most Thais will have some understanding of it. Oi gave me a foot massage (reflexology) one day shortly after my arrival, and at the weekend, I had my hair done in Jomtien. The ladyboy who washed my hair gave me a full head massage as art of the service. Really nice, even if the stylist was a bit frightened of my fine wispy hair.
Nothing could have prepared me for the sight of the reclining Buddha. Yeah, I had read that it was 15 mtrs high and over 40 mtrs long, but when faced with such an imposing statue you cant help but be in awe. . . . . and then wonder 'Why?'. There was an element of money grabbing here that I would not play ball with. Down one side of the statue were a series of money bowls. You paid a couple of quid and were given a bowl of coins ( probably 60p worth) and for everyone of the bowls you put coins into, buddha would bless you.
Having seen all I wanted to, I began to make my way back. I got to the river/skytrain interchange and felt it was still too early to go back to the hotel, and I hadnt had my iced latte. I decided to divert to the adjacent Shangri-La Hotel and see how the other half lives. Afternoon tea was being served in the riverside lounge - how elegant - so I partook. It amazed me how so many petite oriental girls were just diving into mountains of cakes and pastries. How on earth do they keep their figures!
I then wandered round yet another street market before making my way back, again observing that this was a nation of shopaholics!
Sunday 13 January 2013
Ayutthaya
Friday came early. I had booked myself on a day trip that left downtown at 6.30 am. This meant I had to be on the first Skytrain of the morning. It was really weird going out at 5.45. Still dark but the temperature was already around 30 degrees and today felt more humid than previously. I was glad that I would spend a lot of the day in air conditioned coaches. Stallholders were already setting up along the road to the Skytrain, preparing breakfast for whoever. Breakfast hadnt featured on my horizon. I had grabbed a bottle of juice and a ham sarnie from the hotel, and had yoghurt and fruit of my own. My tum was not that receptive after the illness of earlier in the week. I had enough with me. I must've cut an odd sight to the locals who clearly were not used to seeing 'farang' up so early. I arrived at the meeting point down town on time, although for the first time I had felt threatened as I walked to the meeting point, by an afro carribean looking gent who was hell bent on talking to me and even grabbed my arm at one point. I marched on without speaking so he had no idea what my nationality was, only letting out a loud screech when he touched me, which attracted the attention of several young locals. He disappeared. I was OK.
The target of today's expedition was the historic city of Ayutthaya, which had been the capital of Thailand in the mid 14th century for about 300yrs. Then it had a heavy Kyhmer influence as the 2 countries had been one. There is also some Indian connection due to its founder having been born in India. It is about 2 hrs drive due north of Bangkok along the Chao Phraya river. Our first stop was the palace at Bang Pa-in. Parts of it are used today as the residences of the Royal grandchildren, and other parts form part of the accommodation for international summits and entertainment of foreign dignatories. It is a most beautiful setting, and I could have done with more time than the 75 mins allocated on our tour. The architecture is fascinating - here a Chinese Pagoda, there an Italianate Villa, interspersed with a Thai temple or 2.
We moved on to the more historic sites and the ruined temples which were the main objective of the day out. This area is a UNESCO listed heritage site, and is absolutely vast. It is characterised by the tall stupas or reliquary towers. These towers are built to house the remains of just one person. They are a part of Bhuddist funeral tradition. In some cases there might be up to 4 sets of remains in one stupa. In other cases they maybe empty and are merely memorials. They have parallels with pyramids, but are memorials rather than vehicles in which to go into another life. Bhuddism teaches cremation at the end of this earthly life, and these days its often the case that the ashes are divided in 3 for disposal. A third to the family for sentiment, a third to a memorial for memory and a third to the land or water to return that energy to Bhuddha.
We visited several of the ruin sites including one with Elephant rides around it. They looked fun but were quite expensive, maybe something I can do when I am back in Thailand in March. Many of the temples had broken statues of Bhudda. In particular, one had his head embedded in the trunk of a tree, which to me has so much symbolism of nature entwining with spirituality. I will up load some photos here in due course. Most of my pics are going onto Facebook where I dont have to do much other than dump them into albums for later editing.
Having been up so early, I was ravenous by the time we got to the cruise boat to take us back to Bangkok. A wonderful, hot, eat all you like, buffet was waiting for us. The boat was top end luxury, and I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 hrs it took to get back to Bangkok. I made new friends with several of the others on the tour and with one in particular with whom I sat and chatted the whole time.
The target of today's expedition was the historic city of Ayutthaya, which had been the capital of Thailand in the mid 14th century for about 300yrs. Then it had a heavy Kyhmer influence as the 2 countries had been one. There is also some Indian connection due to its founder having been born in India. It is about 2 hrs drive due north of Bangkok along the Chao Phraya river. Our first stop was the palace at Bang Pa-in. Parts of it are used today as the residences of the Royal grandchildren, and other parts form part of the accommodation for international summits and entertainment of foreign dignatories. It is a most beautiful setting, and I could have done with more time than the 75 mins allocated on our tour. The architecture is fascinating - here a Chinese Pagoda, there an Italianate Villa, interspersed with a Thai temple or 2.
We moved on to the more historic sites and the ruined temples which were the main objective of the day out. This area is a UNESCO listed heritage site, and is absolutely vast. It is characterised by the tall stupas or reliquary towers. These towers are built to house the remains of just one person. They are a part of Bhuddist funeral tradition. In some cases there might be up to 4 sets of remains in one stupa. In other cases they maybe empty and are merely memorials. They have parallels with pyramids, but are memorials rather than vehicles in which to go into another life. Bhuddism teaches cremation at the end of this earthly life, and these days its often the case that the ashes are divided in 3 for disposal. A third to the family for sentiment, a third to a memorial for memory and a third to the land or water to return that energy to Bhuddha.
We visited several of the ruin sites including one with Elephant rides around it. They looked fun but were quite expensive, maybe something I can do when I am back in Thailand in March. Many of the temples had broken statues of Bhudda. In particular, one had his head embedded in the trunk of a tree, which to me has so much symbolism of nature entwining with spirituality. I will up load some photos here in due course. Most of my pics are going onto Facebook where I dont have to do much other than dump them into albums for later editing.
Having been up so early, I was ravenous by the time we got to the cruise boat to take us back to Bangkok. A wonderful, hot, eat all you like, buffet was waiting for us. The boat was top end luxury, and I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 hrs it took to get back to Bangkok. I made new friends with several of the others on the tour and with one in particular with whom I sat and chatted the whole time.
Friday 11 January 2013
Paradise mislaid
Coming back from the weekend at the beach, I knew I had a cold getting the better of me, but was round the corner really knocked me out. Monday, I decided to take things easy and just potter on my own, which was fine until early afternoon. Then my guts began to explode. Par for the course I guess in these parts of the world. I confined myself to quarters and decided to starve the bug out, The next day, I was worse, My temp was rising fast. Andy got some stuff from the pharmacy for me and I slept, thrashed around and ran to the loo for the next 18 hrs. Later on Wednedsay I began to feel better, and looked forward to a gentle day on Thursday, regaining my grip on things. I had spent 48 hrs being very ill indeed.
Unfortunately an easy day on Thursday was not to happen. Weds eve Andy came over for a chat. he had chanced into his apartment during a break from work, and discovered Oi had left an email thread open on the laptop. She was obviously having an affair. Thursday was not peaceful as I found myself in the middle of 2 warring young people, disputing ownership of this and that. Andy spirited himself out of the city, which was an anxious 6 hrs for me as, through the tears and shouting from the guilty party, was the threat of getting him arrested. I didnt know where he was, or what he was doing. He got in touch later, saying he was OK, and I was happy. This was not my battle to fight or get involved in, and I was not happy to have been made to feel underseige in my own hotel room by Oi.
Moving on will be easy for Andy, and tomorrow I have a day trip planned. onward and upward!
Thursday 10 January 2013
Beached
With the weekend upon us, and Oi working, Andy and I decided to clear off to the coast. We took a bus to Pattya (2hrs) on the Friday morning, and then headed for Jomtien. Andy had lived in both Pattya City and Jontien and was a great guide to have. We hadn't taken on board the fact that this was the peak weekend for Thai holidays and the place was packed. The place we were hoping to stay at only had one room which I took, and Andy was able to snaffle the last room at guest house right opposite. Actually he prob got the best of that deal in terms of facilities. My basic room was one of the cleanest I have ever seen even if the furniture was a bit tired. Lunch was long overdue and my knowledgeable guide marched me to a small cafe in an adjacent street. At first glance it was rather too English but then he pointed out the wording on the inside cover of the menu. This cafe did indeed cater for the Brits, but in doing so never added MSG to anything, I was sold. A toddle round the streets and a few of the bars re introduced Andy to some old friends. I then went for a dip in the clear turquoise sea and watched the sun begin to set over the warm horizon. Pinch me someone, I thought, this is Jan 4th!
Its worth reminding all that being so close to the equator the sun sets quite early as daylight tends to be around 12 hrs all the year round at such latitudes. It was certainly dusk by 7pm, and the streets were beginning to jump with the nightscene. It was quite obvious that this area attracted a lot of 50 & 60+ single white men who all seemed to have a native younger model in tow smiling happily at the income they were going to get from that encounter. Some of the ladyboys were obviously so, but many were not to my untrained eye. It amazed me when Andy pointed them out. I wonder how many others were in for a suprise that night too!
After a good few drinks, one of Andy's friends guided us to a great place for dinner where you could watch all the buzz of the non beach end of Jomtien, including the ubiquitous night market.
After a decent breakfast, the next day, we made tracks back to Pattaya and the quayside to take a boat to the island of Koh Larn. We were greeted by bike taxis who were keen to find us accomodation at the place where they got the most commission. It seemed like a good idea. They quoted 1000Baht a night and the brochure said it was a Resort Hotel. Sounded promising, since we had paid 700 the night before, but I didnt really expect a full on Resort. I wasnt disappointed. We arrived at the ramshackle collection of buildings and the owner guided us to the room she had saying there wasnt any hot water. This didnt completely scare me as tepid water is quite common in Thailand. However the abject squalor of it all did. Beds and pillows, no obvious quilts available in a dark room seemingly void of windows. The ensuite resembled a cowshed. The shower was a hosepipe on the wall. There was a hand basin in one corner, and in the middle, void of seat and all plumbing, a toilet pedestal. Given that Andy and I wanted separate rooms, this was one big No! We went back to the motorbikes and asked them to take us somewhere else. They conferred with a 3rd who said the rooms at the other resort were 2500 Baht. We agreed with each other that for one night we could share a room provided there were separate beds, and so we went to Xanadu. Perfect. http://www.xanadubeachresortpattaya.com/
Andy hired a motorbike, I jumped on the back and off we went to explore every byway on this small island. The day tired us out and we were glad to have an early night, especially as the entertainment was a dire karaoke show - Orientals singing 'I did it my way' etc badly.
Sunday morning was for the beach, and we decided that rather than make our way back to the quayside on motorbike taxis for the fast boat back to Pattaya, we would use the day trippers boat straight from our beach which would be a slower journey but would also take us round more of the island.
We then went back to Jomtien for late lunch and the rest of the afternoon, to say au revoir to friends. Night was falling when we took our leave, promising to return. By 10.30pm we were tucked up in our beds in Bangkok refreshed and ready to face to next week.
Its worth reminding all that being so close to the equator the sun sets quite early as daylight tends to be around 12 hrs all the year round at such latitudes. It was certainly dusk by 7pm, and the streets were beginning to jump with the nightscene. It was quite obvious that this area attracted a lot of 50 & 60+ single white men who all seemed to have a native younger model in tow smiling happily at the income they were going to get from that encounter. Some of the ladyboys were obviously so, but many were not to my untrained eye. It amazed me when Andy pointed them out. I wonder how many others were in for a suprise that night too!
After a good few drinks, one of Andy's friends guided us to a great place for dinner where you could watch all the buzz of the non beach end of Jomtien, including the ubiquitous night market.
After a decent breakfast, the next day, we made tracks back to Pattaya and the quayside to take a boat to the island of Koh Larn. We were greeted by bike taxis who were keen to find us accomodation at the place where they got the most commission. It seemed like a good idea. They quoted 1000Baht a night and the brochure said it was a Resort Hotel. Sounded promising, since we had paid 700 the night before, but I didnt really expect a full on Resort. I wasnt disappointed. We arrived at the ramshackle collection of buildings and the owner guided us to the room she had saying there wasnt any hot water. This didnt completely scare me as tepid water is quite common in Thailand. However the abject squalor of it all did. Beds and pillows, no obvious quilts available in a dark room seemingly void of windows. The ensuite resembled a cowshed. The shower was a hosepipe on the wall. There was a hand basin in one corner, and in the middle, void of seat and all plumbing, a toilet pedestal. Given that Andy and I wanted separate rooms, this was one big No! We went back to the motorbikes and asked them to take us somewhere else. They conferred with a 3rd who said the rooms at the other resort were 2500 Baht. We agreed with each other that for one night we could share a room provided there were separate beds, and so we went to Xanadu. Perfect. http://www.xanadubeachresortpattaya.com/
Andy hired a motorbike, I jumped on the back and off we went to explore every byway on this small island. The day tired us out and we were glad to have an early night, especially as the entertainment was a dire karaoke show - Orientals singing 'I did it my way' etc badly.
Sunday morning was for the beach, and we decided that rather than make our way back to the quayside on motorbike taxis for the fast boat back to Pattaya, we would use the day trippers boat straight from our beach which would be a slower journey but would also take us round more of the island.
We then went back to Jomtien for late lunch and the rest of the afternoon, to say au revoir to friends. Night was falling when we took our leave, promising to return. By 10.30pm we were tucked up in our beds in Bangkok refreshed and ready to face to next week.
Monday 7 January 2013
1-2-3
The first and second of Jan are public holidays in Thailand. 25th & 26th Dec are just any other day to them and they work. Despite the weather being around 35 degrees c during the day, the Thais still put up Xmas decorations in an attempt to woo tourists and make them feel at home. We spent the first 2 full days of my stay chilling and staying fairly local. Jan 1st could almost have been a day at home since the highlight was a trip to.... wait for it.......... Tesco's!!!! Lunch in the food hall was however, nothing like Brooklands, Weybridge or Addlestone. We proffered my clubcard on my smart phone app to see what would happen. The poor girls didnt know what to do and was going to find the manager to get it sorted, but Andy quickly saw when the joke had gone far enough, and proffered his local one. Dinner was at Best Beef, a BBQ kind of system, where you can eat all you want within a 2 hr frame liit. Oi, as is common with all Thai's loves this system of dining. I have put a review of it up on Trip Advisor, for those who want to know more.
I used the pool at Andy and Oi's condo as my hotel doesnt have one, I decided on Jan 2nd I wanted to go on one of the water taxi's that we saw plying the river alongside the pool, so late afternoon, this is what we did. For something like 50p each we had a long ride.It was maybe for an hour that the small boat plied its way through waterways that interconnect with the Chao Phraya river forming what is technically the Chao Phraya watershed. We wound our way down the backs of properties ranging from the lush and rich riverside mansions to the downright squalid shanties. Herons, dragonflies, lizards and rats were to be seen. I mused on the fact that one of my ex's got referred to as 'The Rat' amongst certain quarters, and wondered if in fact this does rats a disservice as they go about their business not intending to harm unless confronted or endangered themselves. We arrived at the end of the line and wandered down the road, which as it was dusk was beginning to come alive with one of the many night markets to be found in Bangkok. When we had seen enough, we jumped on a songthaew that took us right back to my hotel (http://www.thebedroomsbangkok.com/) where we had a meal together.
Jan 3rd, arrived and I wanted to do tourist things. Oi was meeting her sister, so Andy and I got the Skytrain to Saphan Taksin via the large shopping mall at Siam. By the river at Spahn Taksin, the great tourist rip off began. It sounded so good to go to a floating market by dragon boat, and even if £10 each was expensive, we were promised so much in a trip that would last between 90 mins and 2 hrs. we were ushered into a boat with 2 Hungarians. 4 up seemed to be the norm, but this was no dragon boat it was a slow and noisy river taxi type of boat. We spent 2 hrs doing much the same as we had done for 50p the previous day, but on a different river stretch. One big difference was that the temples are 2 a penny here. The floating market turned out to be one woman with a junk full of overpriced junk. I did however give in to a folding sun hat at 3 times the going rate for a couple of reasons. Firstly that I felt ineed of it then and there, and secondly it was such a good colour match to the outfit I was wearing, and indeed several others in my cases. We opted to get off the boat before the complete circuit at Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn), an amazing structure covered in ceramic pieces that glisten in the sun. The whole complex is vast; dozens if not hundreds of prayer halls with their own buddhas inside for public use . Many had ceramics on the outside, and encircle the main 'pyramid' which dominates the skyline in this area of Bangkok. We found shires to Ganesh, demonstrating the Bhuddist acceptance of all religions, and felt if we looked long enough we would find one of my beloved Kwan Yin, but the heat was getting the better of me and I preferred to sit with an iced coffee and reflect on the beauty of the shrine as a whole. Andy went off to explore for a while and came back declaring he had found the perfect place to eat. Just outside a side entrance to the Temple were some Thai cafes. Theres no way you would've eaten there without some local knowledge. Without a word of English exchanged I had a delicious plate of glass noodles with prawns and veg with a welcome bottle of water, easy on the chilli and with no MSG for £1.50. Andy speaks Thai but isnt up to explaining the MSG thing. Luckily, as we were ordering a Thai friend of his called him and he asked him to translate for us!
We took a taxi back to Andy's, a slow long trip, that with reflection should have been better if we took the taxi to the Skytrain and then slummed it back across town. We cooked a chicken dinner English style back at his flat and so manged a full day without MSG. Oi was working so we left her a portion of sprouts, 'white carrots (parsnips) and stuffing (All brought with me from UK) to try. Nice enough was the verdict but why no chilli??
So now it was time for Andy to see me home to my hotel. Its not really far - under a mile perhaps, but in this heat its not easy to walk far. Motorbike taxis hang around outside many condo blocks. You dont have to be a passenger even, you can send them to pick up a pizza for you or get some shopping at a about 40p a mile. Andy asked me if I wanted a taxi car to get home (£1) or if I wanted to climb on the back of a bike it would be quicker and cheaper. Something told me to go for it, and I jumped on the back (well not quite as agile as that) and off we went down the busy Sukhumvit Road - no crash helmet or protective clothing, wind tussling my hair. It was an amazing few mins for me and I again experienced a freedom I have not had since I was about 17, and found myself watching dawn break over Skipsea Sands, with Bob Dylan's Mr Tambourine Man playing in the background, perfectly summing up the situation and emotion of the moment.
<<<<<<
Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship
My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels
To be wanderin'
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it.
>>>>>>>
I used the pool at Andy and Oi's condo as my hotel doesnt have one, I decided on Jan 2nd I wanted to go on one of the water taxi's that we saw plying the river alongside the pool, so late afternoon, this is what we did. For something like 50p each we had a long ride.It was maybe for an hour that the small boat plied its way through waterways that interconnect with the Chao Phraya river forming what is technically the Chao Phraya watershed. We wound our way down the backs of properties ranging from the lush and rich riverside mansions to the downright squalid shanties. Herons, dragonflies, lizards and rats were to be seen. I mused on the fact that one of my ex's got referred to as 'The Rat' amongst certain quarters, and wondered if in fact this does rats a disservice as they go about their business not intending to harm unless confronted or endangered themselves. We arrived at the end of the line and wandered down the road, which as it was dusk was beginning to come alive with one of the many night markets to be found in Bangkok. When we had seen enough, we jumped on a songthaew that took us right back to my hotel (http://www.thebedroomsbangkok.com/) where we had a meal together.
Jan 3rd, arrived and I wanted to do tourist things. Oi was meeting her sister, so Andy and I got the Skytrain to Saphan Taksin via the large shopping mall at Siam. By the river at Spahn Taksin, the great tourist rip off began. It sounded so good to go to a floating market by dragon boat, and even if £10 each was expensive, we were promised so much in a trip that would last between 90 mins and 2 hrs. we were ushered into a boat with 2 Hungarians. 4 up seemed to be the norm, but this was no dragon boat it was a slow and noisy river taxi type of boat. We spent 2 hrs doing much the same as we had done for 50p the previous day, but on a different river stretch. One big difference was that the temples are 2 a penny here. The floating market turned out to be one woman with a junk full of overpriced junk. I did however give in to a folding sun hat at 3 times the going rate for a couple of reasons. Firstly that I felt ineed of it then and there, and secondly it was such a good colour match to the outfit I was wearing, and indeed several others in my cases. We opted to get off the boat before the complete circuit at Wat Arun (The Temple of Dawn), an amazing structure covered in ceramic pieces that glisten in the sun. The whole complex is vast; dozens if not hundreds of prayer halls with their own buddhas inside for public use . Many had ceramics on the outside, and encircle the main 'pyramid' which dominates the skyline in this area of Bangkok. We found shires to Ganesh, demonstrating the Bhuddist acceptance of all religions, and felt if we looked long enough we would find one of my beloved Kwan Yin, but the heat was getting the better of me and I preferred to sit with an iced coffee and reflect on the beauty of the shrine as a whole. Andy went off to explore for a while and came back declaring he had found the perfect place to eat. Just outside a side entrance to the Temple were some Thai cafes. Theres no way you would've eaten there without some local knowledge. Without a word of English exchanged I had a delicious plate of glass noodles with prawns and veg with a welcome bottle of water, easy on the chilli and with no MSG for £1.50. Andy speaks Thai but isnt up to explaining the MSG thing. Luckily, as we were ordering a Thai friend of his called him and he asked him to translate for us!
We took a taxi back to Andy's, a slow long trip, that with reflection should have been better if we took the taxi to the Skytrain and then slummed it back across town. We cooked a chicken dinner English style back at his flat and so manged a full day without MSG. Oi was working so we left her a portion of sprouts, 'white carrots (parsnips) and stuffing (All brought with me from UK) to try. Nice enough was the verdict but why no chilli??
So now it was time for Andy to see me home to my hotel. Its not really far - under a mile perhaps, but in this heat its not easy to walk far. Motorbike taxis hang around outside many condo blocks. You dont have to be a passenger even, you can send them to pick up a pizza for you or get some shopping at a about 40p a mile. Andy asked me if I wanted a taxi car to get home (£1) or if I wanted to climb on the back of a bike it would be quicker and cheaper. Something told me to go for it, and I jumped on the back (well not quite as agile as that) and off we went down the busy Sukhumvit Road - no crash helmet or protective clothing, wind tussling my hair. It was an amazing few mins for me and I again experienced a freedom I have not had since I was about 17, and found myself watching dawn break over Skipsea Sands, with Bob Dylan's Mr Tambourine Man playing in the background, perfectly summing up the situation and emotion of the moment.
<<<<<<
Take me on a trip upon your magic swirlin' ship
My senses have been stripped, my hands can't feel to grip
My toes too numb to step, wait only for my boot heels
To be wanderin'
I'm ready to go anywhere, I'm ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it.
>>>>>>>
Wednesday 2 January 2013
Food Problems
Having serious probs with Thai food. We always knew that my aversion to green Thai Curry and things high in chilli didnt forebode well for my stay, but I am suffering with 2 other ingredients. Sugar - they add it to everything!!! Last night I sent salad back several times before they got the message not to smother it with sugar sauce. Its added to fried rice, all savoury sauces, fruit juices and soup. So far I have only had one really high blood sugar reading but you have to be on your guard the whole time. Its really worrying me that I wont get through the rest of my 3 weeks here without a serious problem. Right now I am wide awake again after just 2 hrs sleep. This happened last night, and I put it down to jet lag and my body clock thinking it was not bed time. I have been tired all day, had an early meal and half a bottle of wine. Again after 2 hrs sleep, I am wide awake. Tonight I realise that I am also sweating like a pig despite the air con keeping the room at 22 c. I now can see that this my allergic reaction to monosodium glutamate kicking in. I specifically asked that they kept it out of my meal tonight. To be honest it has to be a really high level for me to react like this, as I cope with small amounts of it OK.
I know that Thais find it difficult to understand European food preferences. For instance tonight beautiful bottle of red wine (Chilean Cab Sauv) turned up in an ice bucket and the 3 wine glasses were full of ice. Hell did I shout! Luckily the wine was not poured and it soon recovered. Maybe they didnt realise the requests for leaving out flavour enhancers were for serious health issues. The only solution I can think of right now is self catering, which was not what I wanted. Blood sugar is 8.5 which is just marginally above limits.
I know that Thais find it difficult to understand European food preferences. For instance tonight beautiful bottle of red wine (Chilean Cab Sauv) turned up in an ice bucket and the 3 wine glasses were full of ice. Hell did I shout! Luckily the wine was not poured and it soon recovered. Maybe they didnt realise the requests for leaving out flavour enhancers were for serious health issues. The only solution I can think of right now is self catering, which was not what I wanted. Blood sugar is 8.5 which is just marginally above limits.
Tuesday 1 January 2013
New Year's Eve
When midnight came I was drinking, and laughing with smiling young Thai's who were the colleagues and friends of Oi. Happy New Year everyone!
Getting There
I had wanted to visit Andy in Thailand ever since he went there to work just over 2 yrs ago. Finally it was beginning to look like I could afford it for a couple of weeks. I had tentatively earmarked a fortnight in Nov, when my luck began to change rapidly. The first thing was work, took off madly. It meant that taking time off in Nov or Dec would not be possible, so I began to look at Jan. With the work, it would mean I could definitely afford it. Then an amazing stoke of luck involving auctioning something a friend was throwing out brought in enough income to double my holiday fund. I decided to spend longer in Thailand, and to go even further to Australia and New Zealand where I had friends and relatives.
Finally Dec 30th arrived, departure date. Work and Christmas meant I hadnt had time to work myself up into a panic attack of excitement. Half an hour before the taxi came to take me to Heathrow James and I were still doing a repack of my case to shed weight that would put me over allowance. Somehow we lost another 5 kgs and everything was fine. I had gone to town buying gifts, which was a mistake but we didnt have to sacrifice them.
My Air India flight via New Dehli was delayed by over an hour, but it didnt seem to matter to me, excitement was setting in and I was on my way. Unfortunately the plane was packed, and I had a screaming child in front of me clearly distressed about the ear discomfort she had. I had to feel sorry for her. The one thing that was really worrying me was that the last time I flew was 2 1/2 yrs earlier on a trip back from Spain. (This trip had been extended by 10 days due to a volcano with an unpronounceable name in Iceland closing EU airspace with fallout ash. Totally irrelevant to this story!) On that trip both my eardrums ruptured and permanently damaged my already compromised ears. I had been banned from flying by the hospital until late summer of 2012 as a result.
I was sat next to a distinguished looking Sikh gent who didnt have a word of English to his name, so didnt have a conversation companion. He did however, feel free to help himself to my wet wipes anytime he wanted to freshen up!! Another distinguished person on the flight (in first class tho') looked a lot like Noel Feilding, with 2 female companions one of which might have passed for Courtney Love. I thoroughly enjoyed my inflight meal of Chicken tikka massala, but I had to wonder if 80% of the flight found it a little disappointing as they were all sub continental ethnicity. The tea they served was truly wonderful - Brit style, well brewed with milk. Theres nothing like a cuppa English tea, unless of course its Indian.
After about 8 hrs I found that New Dehli transit arrangements were a shambles. We had made up the lost time and arrived on time. This meant we had 2 hrs 5 mins to get the connection. It wasnt enough, and they had to delay the departure 40 mins to get us all on. We got off the inbound flight and instead of being directed to the transit area, had to wait until the plane was empty and we were then escorted to the transit area where we had to queue to go through security again. Everyone went through the inductive loop gateway, was patted down and scanned with a had held device. Ladies had to go into a tent for this, men were done in the open, such is the delicacy of such things in India. Personally I would not have minded being patted down in full view of everyone to have speeded up the procedure. So several hundred passengers arrived at security at the same time for this. had we been allowed to make our own way the 500 yards along the walkways from arrival point to security rather than going in one mass, we could have saved at least 15 mins, probably longer.
Visibility was poor across the tarmac due to fog, so I cant comment on anything I saw of India.
Once on board the flight went well. I again enjoyed my meal - vegetarian rice with dahl this time, and settled down to snooze. We made up lost time and 3 1/2 hrs later touched down bang on time. I had arrived in Bangkok on New Years Even 2012 at 7.33pm.
Finally Dec 30th arrived, departure date. Work and Christmas meant I hadnt had time to work myself up into a panic attack of excitement. Half an hour before the taxi came to take me to Heathrow James and I were still doing a repack of my case to shed weight that would put me over allowance. Somehow we lost another 5 kgs and everything was fine. I had gone to town buying gifts, which was a mistake but we didnt have to sacrifice them.
My Air India flight via New Dehli was delayed by over an hour, but it didnt seem to matter to me, excitement was setting in and I was on my way. Unfortunately the plane was packed, and I had a screaming child in front of me clearly distressed about the ear discomfort she had. I had to feel sorry for her. The one thing that was really worrying me was that the last time I flew was 2 1/2 yrs earlier on a trip back from Spain. (This trip had been extended by 10 days due to a volcano with an unpronounceable name in Iceland closing EU airspace with fallout ash. Totally irrelevant to this story!) On that trip both my eardrums ruptured and permanently damaged my already compromised ears. I had been banned from flying by the hospital until late summer of 2012 as a result.
I was sat next to a distinguished looking Sikh gent who didnt have a word of English to his name, so didnt have a conversation companion. He did however, feel free to help himself to my wet wipes anytime he wanted to freshen up!! Another distinguished person on the flight (in first class tho') looked a lot like Noel Feilding, with 2 female companions one of which might have passed for Courtney Love. I thoroughly enjoyed my inflight meal of Chicken tikka massala, but I had to wonder if 80% of the flight found it a little disappointing as they were all sub continental ethnicity. The tea they served was truly wonderful - Brit style, well brewed with milk. Theres nothing like a cuppa English tea, unless of course its Indian.
After about 8 hrs I found that New Dehli transit arrangements were a shambles. We had made up the lost time and arrived on time. This meant we had 2 hrs 5 mins to get the connection. It wasnt enough, and they had to delay the departure 40 mins to get us all on. We got off the inbound flight and instead of being directed to the transit area, had to wait until the plane was empty and we were then escorted to the transit area where we had to queue to go through security again. Everyone went through the inductive loop gateway, was patted down and scanned with a had held device. Ladies had to go into a tent for this, men were done in the open, such is the delicacy of such things in India. Personally I would not have minded being patted down in full view of everyone to have speeded up the procedure. So several hundred passengers arrived at security at the same time for this. had we been allowed to make our own way the 500 yards along the walkways from arrival point to security rather than going in one mass, we could have saved at least 15 mins, probably longer.
Visibility was poor across the tarmac due to fog, so I cant comment on anything I saw of India.
Once on board the flight went well. I again enjoyed my meal - vegetarian rice with dahl this time, and settled down to snooze. We made up lost time and 3 1/2 hrs later touched down bang on time. I had arrived in Bangkok on New Years Even 2012 at 7.33pm.
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