03.11.06
Posted in Travels at 3:56 am by Leopoldo
3/11/06 4:51 PM, Chang Mai
We got up early this morning and booked a trek out of Chang Mai. To anyone thinking of booking a trek in Northern Thailand I will highly recommend it, and I will recommend the trekking agency at Top North hotel as well. We drove about an hour Northwest of the city, which afforded me a chance to see the countryside, to an elephant camp where we mounted elephants and went for a ride in the jungle. Elephant riding is a great deal of fun, the animals are a great off-road amphibious vehicle with great personality. Our mount kept stopping to scratch itself on trees and would occasionally start vibrating and either purring or growling, not sure which.
Elephant ride near Chang Mai
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03.10.06
Posted in Travels at 1:02 pm by Leopoldo
3/10/06 1:02 PM, Bangkok
Breakfast this morning consisted of tiny bean-paste filled pancakes bought from a street side vendor and then an unidentified very strong tasting vegetable dish bought from street side vendors near the Shanti Lodge. We then got cash to settle out at Shanti (they did not have capacity to accept a credit card) and went to the airport
Movie of live eels at the market.
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03.09.06
Posted in Travels at 11:45 pm by Leopoldo
3/9/06 11:00 PM, Bangkok
After a rest we tried to book train tickets to Chang Mai but found out that not only was our preferred time (the 10PM train with air conditioned sleeper bunks) not available but all trains were fully booked for the day. A quick review of our options made the decision easy. We could wait for another day to travel by train, pay $10 and spend 12 hours going up by bus or pay around $25 and spend an hour traveling by aircraft. Two discount tickets on NokAir were booked and we headed out for a last evening of adventure in Bangkok.
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Posted in Travels at 8:38 am by Leopoldo
3/9/06 3:08 PM, Bangkok
I started the morning with a tasty Fruit salad in coconut milk and Ice Tea at Shanti Lodge and got a WEP key from them (so I can now go online pretty easy). After booking a flight to Chang Mai (the trains were all full and while the flight costs about twice as much it only takes an hour as opposed to 12 for a train or bus) we walked through the local market and to the Water Taxi stop. I bought a raisin waffle on the way and we watched Japanese tourists feed the carp bread.
Movie of carp being fed near the water taxi dock
The Taxi took a long time to come and was very full when it did, which was nice for me because it gave me an excuse to stand in the nice and windy ‘loading and unloading’ area up back. We got out at the Tannon Phranok market which was full of some of the best street-side food we have seen yet. Nick ordered a Pork curry with tiny Thai Eggplants and two shrimp (I ate part of one), some bananas raosted in their skins and some flattened fried bananas in a sweet sauce. We ordered rice from another vendor and ended up getting rice with chicken on it and a side of excellent chicken broth. From there we took a taxi (cheap, relatively fast and AC) to Wat Arun, a simple but nicely quiet Wat on the other side of the river. We then took another Taxi back and walked through the market back to Shanti and to catch up with email.
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03.08.06
Posted in Travels at 8:27 am by Leopoldo
3/8/06, Bangkok
My days are so full that I already feel like I have been here for a full week. I also missed a single day of writing my travel log and am already well behind. Fortunately I have been keeping notes as I go.
After “borrowing” an Ethernet cable at the local internet café (and being called a jerk for it) we headed out and started the morning with some Fried Chicken. We walked up along Si Ayutthaya Thanon past throngs of graduating students and street merchants selling flowers and other congratulatory tchatchkies. There seem to be a number of colleges in the area because every day the Amporn Park area has been busy with graduates. We eventually came to a bus stop and took a local non-AC bus to Thanon Phahon Yothin to catch a Sky Train and then a Subway to Lumphini Park.
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03.07.06
Posted in Travels at 11:11 pm by Leopoldo
3/8/06 1:26 PM, Bangkok
After a long morning of old (ancient) world architecture it was time for a drastic change of pace and some brand new architecture at the Bangkok shopping malls. We took a city bus (which we were not certain was headed in the right direction) out to the sky train and then used it to get to the ultra-hip upscale shopping Siam Center. It is really too bad that there are only two sky train lines and they are both short because this is truly the most efficient and most comfortable way to get around the often congested city. From Siam Square we went to Siam Discovery Center and ended up having some food at the food court. The food court is well set up with a card you give to each vendor (so they don’t have to handle money) and then pay on the way out. I looked around the various stalls and opted for a braised pork shoulder over rice that was a bit overcooked but very tasty. It came with a bowl of simple soup and cost a mere 55 Baht (about a buck and a half). Together with a glass of Cane Juice for 25 Baht the total meal was under US $2. The next shopping area was the huge (and I mean huge) indoor, but looks like an outdoor market, MBK. I saw a lot of beautiful linen shirts and pants as well as places that advertised ‘XXL and 2XXL’ but found that aside from a few large polo shirts all the clothing comes in sizes up to but not including my huge frame. That sucketh.
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Posted in Travels at 12:28 am by Leopoldo
3/7/06 2:52 PM, Bangkok
I got to the hotel around 1am and met Nick (who was of course asleep). The taxi ride over cost 400Baht and was worth it just for the rollercoaster / fear-for-your-life / taking turns at 120 KPH effect. We talked for a while before turning in (probably around 2:30 AM) and I was unable to sleep past the constant noise of motorcycles that starts before 6AM. I read between 6:15 and 7:30 (my guide book) and we went out shortly after that. Today we took a water taxi down to the Grand Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha where the Lonely Planet guide recommends a walking tour. We got some chicken with chili sauce from a street side vendor and gnawed on it waiting for the taxi. It was more bone than chicken but still pretty tasty. The Grand Palace was… well, grand and the Emerald Buddha very impressive though I think I enjoyed more the main Buddha at the Wat Pho down next to the giant (and I mean GIANT) reclining Buddha. The recommended walking tour did not thrill either of us and I think we were both a bit Buddhad out by the time we were done with Wat Pho (I would guess we have easily seen over a two hundred Buddha images this morning) so we took a water taxi back. The Taxi reversed course before getting up to Tewet (whether it is local or express or how far it goes seems to have little to do with the color of the flag which is supposed to tell you this information). So after a bit more walking we took a Taxi Cab back.
I was advised to pack light and buy toiletries here, which I did for the most part. Unfortunately I went from store to store this morning looking for sun block (I brought a small stick but did not take it on the walk figuring I would buy a big bottle first thing) and did not find it anywhere. As a result I am very slightly sunburned on my arms and cheeks. Most annoying.
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Posted in Travels at 12:19 am by Leopoldo
3/6/06 8:07 AM, 11:07 PM Local Time
Aboard Cathay Pacific #709
We are preparing for the descent to Bangkok and I must admit I am a bit nervous. So far the trip has been quite easy and I am used to travel, however my travels have thus far been to countries where English, Spanish or French are the local language, which meant I could find my way around, and generally communicate. In about half an hour I will be in a different culture where communication will require finding people that can accommodate me and where I will not know the custom, the food… actually it is rather exciting.
The Empower (aircraft power) adapter is working like a charm on this flight which means the socket must have been malfunctioning on the first flight. Since I have the same seat assignment for my return there is a chance I will be on the same aircraft and will have the same malfunction.
Before closing the travel on the trip here I wanted to say a few more things about flying Business: It is SO much better than economy! I had lots of leg room and attentive service. The CP flight staff remembered my name and preferences so that if my wine glass was ever empty it was quickly taken care of. I never really used my laptop (I usually watch movies on the laptop while flying) because the online entertainment had over 50 movies on demand, and a lot of movies I would never had paid to see but was curious about and were a good way to waste a few minutes. On the way over I saw Aeon Flux, Domino, Jarhead and Chicken Little. All good enough to entertain me. The food we were served was also pretty good, specially for the LAX to Hong Kong flight. Given the level of service and quality we received in business I really do wonder what First Class gets that would make people want to pay the extra cost.
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03.06.06
Posted in Travels at 4:30 am by Leopoldo
3/5/06 6:00 AM
Portland International Airport
I had a less than ideal start to what should be a long day of traveling. I checked in fine and hiked to the opposite end of the airport terminal so I could avoid Starbucks and get my breakfast at Coffee People. When I got there I for some reason managed to completely miss the CP stand in the middle of the terminal, thought they were a closed yogurt stand and bought my breakfast at Wendy’s. When I realized my mistake I almost decided to throw the ‘meat’ and ‘cheese’ sandwich away and pay again for what I really wanted: a muffin. Mental note, next time pay the extra $4 and don’t ingest that Wendy’s crap.
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02.24.06
Posted in Humor at 9:21 am by Leopoldo
Who said that small dogs aren’t cute?
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