Bangkok (for the 2nd time around)

When you buy a ticket on Bangkok Airways to Koh Chang the airline provides a shuttle van to pick you up at your guest house and delivers you the airport in Trat (which involves a 30 minute ferry ride). There are three flights a day out of Trat and Bangkok Airways built the airport specifically to get people to the surrounding islands.

The ferry was jam-packed and it was standing room only. I'd never ridden a ferry where so many people were standing. It kinda gave me a slight uneasy feeling and I was thinking about how similar this scenario was to ferries that sink in 3rd world countries due to overcrowding.

Arrived into Bangkok around 2:30 PM yesterday. Given my last foray on the Bangkok train system left me a bit flustered I decided I was going to spend the cash and hire a taxi. The process is to line up outside the airport, tell the clerk where you are going, the clerk tells you the price you'll pay, he writes the price on a chit which is handed to a taxi driver. This ride was going to cost me 450 BHT plus tolls, plus 50 BHT for the driver (all stipulated at the kiosk at the airport). It was around 3:00 PM by the time we departed the BKK airport. Man, what a totally different scene than my last trip into the BKK airport. Now we were in rush hour traffic. It was completely grid-locked, we're sitting in traffic and scooters are whizzing in and out between cars, switching from lane to lane. It was something to see.

I check into my guest house again and feel good that I know a bit of the lay of the land. I decide to go to the MBK Centre and check out the seven floors of mega shopping. Holy toledo! These floors totally reminded me of the night bazaar in Chiang Mai, the floors just kept going and going with aisles turning into other aisles. Each floor of MBK specializes in something. The 3rd floor is all electronics: cell phones, every kind of cell phone/IPad cover you can imagine, cameras, computers. The prices were no steal. The Samsung Galaxy 4 was about $400, not much cheaper than at home. I did buy a pair of Beats earbuds for $14... they're knock-offs (Grade A, she called them) but the sound is amazing. They came in a sealed box with the manual, spare ear pieces etc. This is the first time I've ever bought knock-off anything so we'll see how they hold up but for $14 I'm not holding my breath.

I find the food fare on the 5th floor. I'm no expert on Thai food but it certainly didn't look like "fast food" fare that we get at home. I settled on a Vietnamese salad roll. 70 BHT (just over $2 Cdn), and it was actually 3 rolls, cut into chunks. It was okay.

The popular items at MBK seem to be Thai silk scarves, luggage and knock-off purses. I believe I added another 10 scarves to the suitcase load I'm bringing home. Speaking of luggage, I had to buy another piece to get all of my purchases home. Just a small Samsonite carry-on and so many people were wheeling the same suitcase around the mall. Obviously most people are going home with much more than what they came to Thailand with.

I set the clock as I plan to go to the Grand Palace today and have no clue how to get there, how long it'll take and how long I'll need once there. I have to be back at my hotel by 3:30 as I am going on a dinner cruise and need to get to Taksin Pier for 5:30 PM.

My guest house offers a very nice complimentary breakfast. Eggs cooked to order. You make your own toast, cereal, homemade yogurt (delicious), fresh fruit and coffee. I left my hotel by 8:45 feeling a bit intimidated by the Bangkok train system. My first attempt two weeks ago kinda shook my confidence in commuting on the train. Anyways, I'm on the train before 9:00 with all the office workers. The train is freezing cold and I have to put on my long sleeved blouse that I brought along for when I go to the Grand Palace. I find my station no problem and also find my way to Taksin Pier no problem. Then I pay 40 BHT for a ticket to ride the ferry system. River travel is the #1 mode of transportation in Bangkok. I was thoroughly impressed with the "tourist boat". It was narrated and the young woman pointed out the various piers and what tourist attractions were at them. I had planned to get off the ferry at Pier N9 for the Grand Palace but at the Pier previous she mentioned that is where the Reclining Buddha was located. I had read about the Reclining Buddha and decided I'd better hop off and check it out.

Tourist boat.

Many famous Wats have entrance fees. I don't recall how much I paid to enter Wat Pho, perhaps 100 BHT. It was something to see. Photos don't do justice to what you see with your eyes in person. The Reclining Buddha was absolutely massive: 46 meters long and 15 meters high! Wat Pho has the largest collection of Buddhas in all of Thailand. It was so huge that it was impossible to get a decent photo of it because it fills up the entire temple it is housed inside. Aside from the Reclining Buddha there is a lot of very interesting architecture to look at in Wat Pho. I really enjoyed it.

There is a dress code for most temples and especially the super popular temples. Modest dress is key. No tight clothing, no capris, no shorts, no tank tops, no bare midriffs, no open-back or open-toe shoes (even though you remove your shoes to enter the Temple). For the tourists who don't dress appropriately, you can purchase the ever-so-popular Thai cotton pants for 200 BHT outside the Wat, or in the case of Wat Pho they had long lime green coloured housecoats that some people had to put on.

If you show up at a Wat dressed inappropriately these pants can be purchased outside the gates.

I exit Wat Pho and it's another scorcher of a day in Bangkok, +33 C. I stop and admire the amulets... I've had my eye on them since arriving in Bangkok but being I don't know the quality of what I'm looking at, some obviously antiques by the price being quoted, I hadn't bought one yet but I was determined to own one before leaving Thailand. I found one I really liked, Buddha on one side and a Monk on the opposite side, and I buy it for 150 BHT. I also buy a bag of watermelon slices too for 20 BHT.

I go to a different ferry that crosses the river for 3 BHT each way. It goes to Wat Arun. Waiting for the ferry, I ask a lady to take my photo. I return the favour for her. We introduce ourselves. She is Monica from Indonesia and is traveling alone too. She is going to Wat Arun so we hang out together and take photos of one another and together and we connect as Facebook friends. After yesterday's facebook rant about stuck up tourists it was so wonderful to finally meet someone to converse with. 

Monica from Indonesia.

Wat Arun was mind-blowing. It was totally wicked. Gorgeous! We climbed up these majorly steep high steps to the top of the Wat. OMG! We had a slight in-trepidation in doing so. Each step was at least 14" in height, narrow and extremely steep. The railings were wrapped tightly in rope so you could hang on going up and down. We climbed to the first level and took some photos from the lookouts. Then we climbed up another level and walked around the Wat and took photos, then we climbed up as high as we could go. Oh my word. The views from up there were worth the trip. Amazing. (Gosh, I almost have tears in my eyes trying to describe it). Just breath taking and amazing. Now we've gotta come down! One lady in front of us must've been terrified as she went down the stairs step-by-step on her bum.

 Each step is at least 14" in height.

                                           Holding on - even when going up the steps.     

 View from the first level of Wat Arun.

Monica has already been to the Grand Palace. She estimates I'll need at least two hours there. I don't have enough time to take it in leisurely, get the ferry and train back to my hotel, and then make it back to Taksin Pier. I decide the Grand Palace will wait til tomorrow. Monica and I take the 3 BHT ferry back to the other side of the Choa Phraya river where we part company. She is catching a 6:30 PM bus to Chiang Rai to the see the Golden Triangle (it's an 11-hour bus ride).

I make my way back down the river on a non-tourist boat. Oh my word. We were crammed in like sardines (or like the Vancouver skytrain). What a view though. I loved it. I was supposed to pay 40 BHT to return but didn't pay. On the way to the Wat, if you did not purchase your ticket beforehand (I did), they came around and collected and checked your ticket. I asked about paying for the return fare and was told to pay on the boat but no one collected from me and no one appeared to be collecting, not that you really could with it jam-packed like it was. I really enjoyed this ferry ride with the locals and the monks.

Non-tourist boat.

My back cracked this morning. I was already babying it because it felt like it wanted to go out... it didn't really go out, it just cracked. I thought I'd best get a massage to extend the life of my back before it does go out fully. I went to the massage studio across from my guest house. I told the lady that my back was sore as I was unsure which type of massage I should have. I decided a 90-minute Thai massage. Sa was my massage lady. Oh my word. She left me totally impressed. Thai massage is not a fluffy massage by any means. They give you cotton pants & shirt to put on and you lay on a mat on the floor. It's not that dissimilar to Shiatsu and Yoga mixed together. It's really a stretching of all your body parts. She put some ointment on my back and gave me the most amazing shoulder and neck massage. She put her knees on my sacrum and pulled back on my shoulders. Oh geez! I'll never forget it. It totally impressed me and I wished I had her techniques. I've booked a repeat for tomorrow night at 8:00 PM and hope to go back on Saturday for a head, neck and shoulder massage if my lower back is feeling pretty good by then. When I asked when she was working again I was told she works every day. Yes, 7 days a week! Her hours tomorrow are from 11:00 AM to midnight! I can't imagine massaging for 13 hours. Thais are definitely hard working people.

After the massage I head back exactly to where I came from a few hours earlier: Taksin Pier. I am having dinner on the Loy Nava rice barge which cruises the Chao Phraya river. It came highly recommended on Trip Advisor. The boat isn't even 1/2 full of patrons. But they do two sailings every evening and I chose the sunset dinner cruise. Perhaps the later cruise would be busier.

It is assigned seating. Everyone is seated along the outer edges of the boat. It's a lovely ambiance. Red & gold table cloths. I chose 1/2 seafood and 1/2 Thai food. I paid for this many months ago... long before I could've guessed I would be sick of Thai food by now. In hindsight I wished I had gone with 100% seafood. Oh well... I did eat most of the green and red curry! So much food... it just kept coming but it was served in such a way, with non-English speaking waiters, that I didn't really understand how or in what order I should be eating. I proceeded to eat my rice, not knowing the curry was coming. Thankfully they served two small steamers full of rice so I still had some left in which to soak up the curry.

The cruise gave us a souvenir booklet pointing out all the areas of interest that we sailed past. We also got a small garland that I've admired all over Thailand. It smells like Jasmine flowers and then has two red flowers attached to it. It's common to see them hanging from rear view mirrors. I hope mine dries okay and that I can transport it home okay. If it makes it to Vancouver in one piece mine will be hanging from my rear view mirror too.

Garlands are hung from rear view mirrors, 

on Spirit Houses and all things you wish to have protected.

I saw the Bangkok protesters up on one of the bridges we sailed under. Man, what a massive noisy crowd... blowing whistles and waving flags. I'm grateful that seeing them from a distance is as near to them as I've come thus far. A bit saddened by all the tourists who cancelled their Thai vacations out of fear that the news stations were reporting. Bangkok is such a huge city it's been really easy to never cross the paths of the protesters.

The cruise is worth it for the views, or at least I thought so. I chatted up two Germans after the cruise. They weren't impressed but I was. They were comparing it to Singapore and said it just didn't measure up. I have nothing to compare it to so I enjoyed it and thought it was worth it. I think it was around $50 for two hours.

The alarm is set for 6:30 AM on Monica's suggestion that I be at the Grand Palace at 9:00 AM before it gets overly crowded and hot.

I only have two full days remaining in Bangkok. I made a list of each day and what I hope to do on those days. I sure wish I had more days in Bangkok. I don't understand those people who say "fly into Bangkok and then get out". I'm really enjoying this city and keep comparing it to New York - simply because of how large it is. I will have to read up and compare the two for size. I'm thinking Bangkok must be larger but I don't know for certain yet.

Last day on Koh Chang, Thailand ~ Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Tuesday, January 7 and I don't want this day to waste away so I go to the beach first thing and hang out there and enjoy my last dip in the Gulf of Thailand.

I walk into town for my 3:00 spa appointment. It ended up being quite comical due to the language barrier. I was to get a 30-minute steam, a 1 hour aloe vera gel body wrap, then a 1 hour aromatherapy massage, then a 1 hour facial. Well due to the communication barrier it didn't go as planned. At the end of the gel wrap I gather I was supposed to get into the shower but there was a lovely jacuzzi tub full of water and rose petals so that's where I went and it was ice cold. I'm trying to sink gingerly into it when the woman looks at me and points to the shower and I ask her if she wants me to go into the shower but she starts to add more water to the tub. Whatever, so I soak in the tub but the water is barely lukewarm and I'm not enjoying it. Then it's time for the massage. It's the same as the aloe vera wrap - not a great massage by any stretch - moreso like a vigorous body rub. Oh well, it is what it is. No clue if she's just not that good or if this is the way it's done so I just go with the flow. Then the facial.... well man, she's rubbing my face as vigorously as she was rubbing the rest of my body. What? That's unlike any facial I've ever had. Oh well... She's got my eyes covered with a cold compress but I hear a man's voice in the room. What? First of all, there has been zero privacy at all since we started this 3.5 hour session. I mean Thais don't care if they see all your body parts or not... the woman never left the room just because I had to get naked, or get in the tub, or the steam room... it just doesn't faze them and I didn't let it faze me either... just an interesting difference between North American and Thailand massage treatments. But why is there a guy's voice in the room? Well I think he came in to turn on the steam room. The steam room is an awesome contraption. It's the same room as the shower. The time comes after the facial where she wants me to go in the steam room as she said "for a few minutes" and I repeat "for a few minutes?" and she nods her head in the affirmative. So I go in just for a few minutes because once again I see a lovely bubble bath awaiting me. So I steam then go in the tub and she comes into the room and points to the steam room. By this point I have no clue where I should be or where I should've been so I get out of the tub and go back into the steam room...and I'm thinking "I'm supposed to be getting a 30 minute steam" but by now surely 30 minutes is coming up so I figure I'd best get back into the cold tub to finish off the hydrotherapy treatment but I look and there isn't a drop of water in the tub. Oh well, whatever. By this point I'm ready to call it a spa day and get dressed which is what I do by the time she comes back into the room. All of that for $101 Cdn dollars. Thinking I might have to treat myself again on my last day in Bangkok to get the city grime out of my pores because this was just an overall odd experience.

On Ian's recommendation I have my last dinner on the island at Ka-Ti Culinary. I order a prawn and noodle salad with my very favourite Thai dish Tom Kha Gai (I thought it was called Tom Sum Gai but I was corrected tonight). The difference is that Kha is chicken. Sum is prawns (I think?).  The salad was okay. Too spicy for my liking.... too much lemon grass and something green that looked like green onions (but weren't). The prawns, however, were huge and delicious. The soup though... OMG... if I could pack some to go I would've. It was the tastiest Tom Kha Gai I've had thus far in Thailand. I also enjoyed a "lemon" shake (no ice), they call it "lemon" here but I swear it's lime. Looks like lime and tastes like lime. Homemade coconut ice cream for dessert. It was delicious. Wish I had dined at this place more than once. Another live and learn moment.

           My favourite dish in all of Thailand.

                              Thom Kha Gai

My shuttle comes at 9:45 AM to take me across the island to the ferry and then across the island of Trat. I have an early afternoon flight back to Bangkok where I'll be hanging out until very late Saturday night.

As I said before, after booking the details of this trip, I feared I would be bored with 10 days on this island. To the contrary it is actually quite diverse and now on day #10 I realize I could've done so much more than what I did. I loved Klong Prao beach and the warmth of the ocean water. This island was a good experience. I'm glad I came but wish I could have another day to hang out at White Sands. Oh well, you know the saying, hindsight is 20/20.

Over and out from Koh Chang. Next stop: Bangkok.

Chiang Mai, Thailand ~ December 24-28, 2013

It's a really strange feeling to find yourself in a strange city not know the lay of the land at all. Chiang Mai has proven very difficult to figure out because of all the "sois", which are similar to side streets or alleys. There is no rhyme or reason to them here. They are illogical, they don't run congruent to the main streets, they curve, and come to sudden stops, one soi turning into another soi. Very easy to get turned around here.

Upon checking in to the Top Garden Guest House (which came recommended on Trip Advisor), I went off in search of dinner. Victor, owner of this guesthouse, recommended a couple of nearby places. I dined at the first one I came across. $1.50 for rice with cauliflower and shrimp. Mind you, the dish only had two shrimp but it was tasty anyways.

I awoke Christmas morning with a full blown cold. The sore throat that had been with me every day since I arrived in Thailand was finally mounting to something more. I didn't have a plan for this day so decided I would go to one of the 4-5 large malls that are in Chiang Mai. I went to the Airport Plaza mall and took a red Songathew (pickup truck) for 20 BHT (60 cents). Songathew's are Chiang Mai's bus system. The rate is between 20 BHT and 40 BHT depending on distance. I have yet to pay 40 BHT, all rides seeming to charge 20 BHT.

I arrive at the mall at 10:30 AM and wait until 11:00 with all the other people who arrived too early. The mall hours are 11:00 - 7:00 PM Monday-Friday, Saturday and Sundays it opens at 10:00 AM.

First stop is in TOPS market. I wander the aisles looking at the offerings. I was hoping to find some oatmeal for my stay on Koh Chang but no such luck. I did buy a box of ginger tea, and because it was Christmas and I wanted a wee experience of Christmas Day I bought a box of Walker's Shortbread cookies. I stopped at the Pharmacy inside the grocery store and bought some Vitamin C. Each pill is the size of a nickle. The Vit. C. comes in a long metal tube, I would guess there may be a dozen or 15 pills in the bottle at most. The Pharmacist, who spoke some English, also gave me some other pill to swallow 3X/day. I took my items to the checkout and stood behind another "farang" (Caucasian) at the register. He was buying some food items as well as some kitchen gadgets (vegetable strainer, spoon etc). His bill came to 1500 BHT ($45.00) which I thought was a bit pricey for Thai standards but I guess that's the price you pay when you're unprepared and buying household items at a grocery store. No different than at home.

I was looking to buy a sweater because Chiang Mai is experiencing its severest cold snap in over 10 years. I had been wearing my winter coat every day since arriving, I had been wearing my polar fleece (and have had to sleep in it some nights too!), and today it was in the laundry. It goes without saying that I'm not exactly the size of the vast majority of Thai women. Finding a style that I liked and that would fit, well my options were slim. I went to Robinsons which is a huge department store. First, I'll backtrack a bit, the Airport Plaza is humongous. Four floors of shopping and the mall is gigantic. Probably the size of our biggest shopping mall back home. Anyways, Robinson's is very, very nice. I could've spent hours in there. I found a couple of sweaters I could've settled on but none were really my style. I find a clerk who is wearing a sweatshirt type hoodie and I ask her where could I find one. She doesn't understand English. I point to her hoodie and say "where?", and she points towards the denim department. Never found the hoodies but settled on a zip up jacket from Body Glove in bright pink. It was less than $30.

On a whim I decide to get a manicure and pedicure. There are 3 ladies working in the shop which has 5 chairs. Pedicures are done the old fashioned way here. No vibrating massage chairs. After I'm seated I have a clear view as to how they do things here. They do have an autoclave to disinfect the utensils but they don't have any running water. I see dirty water being poured into a huge 45 gallon garbage bin and then clean water scooped out of another 45 gallon bucket. How they empty and fill those containers I have no clue. First red flag is I don't see disinfectant being used anywhere. No disinfectant to spray the foot soak tubs, none to clean the containers they put product in. Hmm..... anyone who knows me knows I am a hospital grade disinfectant gal who errs on the side of being cautious when it comes to communicable diseases. Well the lady does remove my utensils from the autoclave so that's a good sign, right? They use OPI products so that's another good sign. I don't want polish on my fingernails so opt for clear. No clue what the hell is going on but as of today, Dec. 28, my fingernails have started to turn black. I don't mean the actual nail, I mean the colour of the clear polish. It's the oddest thing. Never seen anything like it.  I'll have to find a place somewhere in my travels that can remove the polish. I tried to scrape some of it off and it is not my nails turning black, thank goodness!

Hmm do you think the OPI name on the bottle was a knock-off?

December 25, 2013

I'm sick and this few hours of being at the mall has exhausted me. Time to return to my guesthouse. I hop on a songathew, four Aussies join me. They're young guys wanting to know where to get an authentic Christmas dinner. I suggest the Four Seasons. They've already sussed that out and tell me it's about $80 for 6 courses. Too pricey for them. Oh well.... I imagine I'll be eating rice for my Christmas dinner. Gotta say I don't miss not celebrating Christmas. I could quite happily skip the retail frenzy, the stress of planning for a big meal, the shopping and decorating. Don't miss any of that stuff one iota.

December 26, Boxing Day, I hire a private driver that is arranged through my guesthouse. Kwan picks me up promptly at 8:30. I want to go up the mountain to Doi Suthep temple. I also want to see the Tiger Kingdom and hopefully the silk farm and umbrella factory. Kwan isn't all that eager when I tell him my itinerary. In his hard-to-comprehend English, he tells me that I want to go north, south and east. Yah, but I still want to go to all those places so I don't see the issue. He tries to push off the alligator farm, snake farm and monkey farm on me. I told him I have no interest in seeing any animals but the tigers. He takes me to Doi Suthep as our first stop.

Doi Suthep sits 950 meters up on the mountain. 309 steps to the top where the temple sits. There is an option of taking a cable car to the top but I'm up for the exercise. At the top it is jam-packed with tourists, Thai tourists. It's very true what I had heard, that Thai's like to travel for the New Year. It's another beautiful site and I was enthralled watching the Monks walk around the chedi chanting with non-monks following behind.

The Chedi at Doi Suthep.

When these clang together they sound like heaven.

We drive in the opposite direction to the tiger farm. The entrance fee is priced by which tigers you want to see. The more tigers, the different sizes, the more expensive. I meet Louisa from Brazil in the payment line and she is alone too so we agree to go together, swap cameras and take photos of one another. It worked out well. Talk about (dis)organized chaos though. Everywhere we went it was "wait 30 minutes", then you walk back and forth between the different sized tigers looking to see if your number has come up in the queue which gives you and idea of how long you'll be waiting. The tiger farm was okay. Would I do it again? No. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience though.

By now it's finally starting to get warm. The first warmth I've felt since I arrived in Thailand.

Final stop of the day is to the silk factory. It was very interesting to see how silk is derived from silk worms, watch the women weaving silk and then shopping in the showroom. The showroom was huge. With my birthday money I received from some generous friends I bought the most expensive silk/cashmere scarf I will ever own in my lifetime. It was $180 Cdn! The one I truly loved was $600 and the salesman was trying his hardest to sell it to me but I stood my ground. I know I probably won't even wear the less expensive one too often but I will cherish it knowing that I bought it in Thailand and it was a gift from friends.

Back to my guesthouse and I'm ready for a nap. This cold has zapped my energy. I had been wearing a surgical face mask all day because I've been coughing up a lung and being I was in a car with Kwan I didn't want him to catch my germs. Wearing a face mask here, people don't give you a second look. It's common, probably due to the exhaust fumes. After a nap I want to go to the Night Bazaar. I hop on a songathew and it's only about a 15-minute ride. I am dropped off into another world. Never ever seen anything like this in my life. It goes on for miles and not just in a long straight stretch, but it goes back deep too. I spent four hours there and am certain I skipped much of it. I ate my favourite Thai dish, Tom Sum Gai for dinner. I told the man I didn't want it spicy and he said he would make it very mild. Whew... I ate most of it but it was still too spicy for me.

Friday, December 27 I sleep in til 10:00. I've been up and out of bed by 6:00-6:30 AM every day since coming to Thailand. Can't believe I slept 1/2 the day away. I decided that I'll skip breakfast and have lunch at AUM Vegetarian by the Thai Pae gate which came recommended from my co-worker Susan. I can walk there from my guest house and then from AUM I'll walk to the famous Warowat Market. I eat green curry for lunch. A first for me! Those who know me know that curry is definitely not to my liking.

I stroll along Thae Pae Road browsing in and out of shops all the while perusing my map as it's become a common theme that I bypass the road or shop I am looking for because everything is so crammed together here. I stop in a shop that catches my eye and the lady is listening to American country music! I comment on the music and she says she really likes it. The radio station is from Chiang Mai. Luke Bryan is playing, then Zac Brown Band comes on singing "Sweet Annie". She asks me what they are singing about as she doesn't understand the words. I decipher the song for her. I buy a few items from her and we wish each other "Happy New Year".

I find my way to Warowat Market. More of the same except this one is for locals and not geared to tourists as was the Night Bazaar. Frankly, I'm about marketed out. I don't spend too much time here but am wandering. Quite by fluke I find myself back on Thae Pae Road and I easily find my way back to my guest house. I nap again as the afternoon heat has zapped the energy from me. In the evening I walk a different direction and come across "authentic Mexican" food. I give it a try with enchiladas. The tortillas are made by hand and rolled out by hand with a huge rolling pin. It was okay. I've had worse. 

After dinner, I stroll back to the local market that I visited on my first night in Chiang Mai. I decide to have my first Thai Massage. 170 BHT for an hour (less then $6.00). Later, after the massage, as I am drinking my complimentary tea (it is common in Thailand that after receiving a service you are offered tea), I chat up the woman who massaged me. Her English is pretty good. She is from Burma. She learned Thai Massage in two days and has been practicing it for 5-6 months. I was none the wiser. Being it was my first Thai Massage I had no clue what to expect anyways. We have a nice chat and I tell her about LomiLomi Massage. We watch a YouTube video of LomiLomi on her phone and she is completely enthralled and says she wants to learn it.

Now it's Saturday, December 28. I have a 2:00 PM flight to Bangkok where I'll overnight. Last night I looked up the route on how I'll take the trains from the airport to my guesthouse. Poor planning on my part, which I realized many months ago. I wish I had booked more time in Chiang Mai and less time on the island of Koh Chang. Oh well, live and learn.

My suitcase is packed. It's now weighing in at 55 lbs! It was 37 lbs when I came to Thailand. So far I have carried a ton of sunscreen and bug spray and haven't used any of it. I imagine Koh Chang will be hot and sunny though as I can feel the Thai heat already this morning and it's only 9:45 AM. I'm sitting at an outdoor cafe eating oatmeal with fresh fruit and coffee that tastes like espresso. Coffee is popular here but man do they ever make it strong and you only get about 6 oz in a cup here so one cup does me.

I am allowed 66 lbs of luggage on Bangkok Airways but Air Canada only allows me 50 lbs but I can take two, 50 lb bags no charge. I'll be buying another piece of luggage when I'm in Bangkok in 11 days from now, before I head off to Tokyo.

When I'm on Koh Chang I'll have to spend some time with Telus and get my email working. I've been completely out of the loop since December 18 except for Facebook.

Off to 7-11 for water, then I'll probably walk to the market for a fresh fruit shake then relax in the lobby of my guesthouse until my taxi arrives at noon. They offered to call me a Tuk Tuk but I am not keen on that smoggy exhaust-laden bumpy ride with a huge piece of luggage.

Next stop Bangkok.

First Day in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand -  finally, at 9:30 AM -- a full 33+ hours after I locked my door in Vancouver.

I paid 120 BHT (aprox. $4 Cdn) for a taxi to my guest house. First impressions on the car ride were that Chiang Mai is somewhat reminiscent of Mexico with Mom and Pop stores but that's pretty much where the similarities end. The traffic here is much more horrendous which makes it hard to imagine what Bangkok traffic will be like. Twists and turns down windy narrow Sois (side streets with no pattern to them at all), dodging motorbikes, pedestrians and cars.

Within 2 minutes of arriving at my guest house I realized that I left my day pack in the taxi. Damn it! The taxi was a brand new SUV, the floor mats weren't even dirty. I remember thinking that I didn't want to put my pack on the lovely clean seat so I put it on the floor and thought "I'd better remember to take it when I get out". There was a bit of difficulty in locating my guest house so the driver got out and told me to wait while he walked down the street to see if he could locate it. I guess that was the thing that threw me off because I was standing outside the car when he returned and opened the trunk. Dang it! I didn't panic as there was nothing of value in it, a sweater, water, and things for the airplane. Honestly, I thought that I would never see that bag again. Apparently taxi drivers are supposed to give you a "chit" of your fare. The guest house receptionist asked me for it so she could see who the driver was but my driver never gave me a chit. Thankfully it never entered my mind that my IPad was in that bag too. Argh! The receptionist of the guest house recalled that the driver had called her from the airport to ask directions. She immediately rang him up and he said he would pull over but I'd have to walk to his location. Twists, turns and back alleys to get to the guest house, how I was supposed to locate him when I hadn't spent 10 minutes on Chiang Mai soil I have no clue. Fortunately an old man sitting in his tuktuk witnessed all the commotion and he said "get in, I'll take you". Oh man, talk about a "sit down, hold on, and shut up" kinda ride. We quickly found the taxi and I regained my bag. Whew!  I asked the old man how much I owed him for the ride and he said “nothing”.  What a great first impression of this place.  

Here's my very first tuktuk ride in Thailand.  A memorable experience to say the least!  Argh!  I can't figure out how to post the video so it actually plays on here. ... bear with me.

** One day I'll figure out how to insert a video here!

I was told my room wouldn't be ready until after 11:00 AM so I should go for a walk. Nok, the receptionist, marked the location of the guest house on my map and gave me her business card should I get lost. I was very conscious of my surroundings, the Sois turn and appear and disappear on a dime and although I walked only a two block radius from my guest house I could've easily gotten discombobulated given the fact I have a very poor sense of direction.

I found the first of what I know will be many Temples. Beautiful! I know I'll be over-using that word "Beautiful" a lot in this country. Words can't describe the intricate detail that adorns the exterior and interior. There was no one in the temple other than barefoot tourists as there was signage at the bottom of the steps leading into the Temple instructing "Please take out shoes".  

I wanted to waste some time so found a place serving fresh fruit shakes. I ordered mango which cost me 30 BHT ($1 Cdn). As I watched the comings and goings in this little "cafe" I noticed that the food and drink was being delivered from elsewhere. First my mango shake came walking in the door, then someone's toast and a plate of food came in from across the street. I really have no idea how these Mom & Pop operations work.  

Still wandering the nearby vicinity of my guest house it quickly became evident that Thai massage is indeed everywhere! The prices vary slightly but basically you can expect to pay 180 BHT ($6.00 Cdn) for an hour of Thai massage. I happened upon a real "spa" (not just a Mom & Pop shop advertising massage). As I was perusing the menu propped on a stand on the sidewalk I was approached to come and try massage. The courtyard of this spa was gorgeous. I selected the 90 minutes Hot Thai Stem massage. I had tried Thai Stem in massage school so I had an idea of what it entailed. The "stems" are cotton fabric filled with what equates to a couple of cups of herbs. The "stems" are then steamed over hot water until the herb mixture is moist and very hot. The premise of the massage is to compress the hot "stems" against the body.  

Thai Hot Stem Massage.  A 10/10 experience.

First, sitting outdoors in the courtyard, a stone bowl with a drain plug (like a sink) was filled with water as my feet were quickly (very quickly) rinsed off with a drop of soap. Then my flip-flops were stored on a shelf and I was given a pair of slippers appropriate for indoors. The young lady massaging me spoke no English. We shared a few laughs, each of us trying to guess what she wanted me to do as she pointed to things on the massage table and left the room. She came back in and I was still standing there fully clothed not having a clue if I was to get underneath the sheet or lay on top the sheet. As the Lemongrass scented oil massage progressed I wondered if she understood that I had wanted the hot stem massage. They definitely don't worry about draping like we do in North America. No communication between us whatsoever about draping comfort levels but I just went with the flow and enjoyed the Thai experience. At one point she left the room. I lay there thinking" is it over, am I supposed to get up? Should I just lay here until she comes looking for me?"  Finally she returns with the hot Thai stems. Man those things were h-o-t. Such an amazing smell of lemongrass and keffir lime. At this point, my body is covered with a thin sheet and she proceeds to compress the stems on my body, sometimes leaving them in a spot for a few seconds until I would motion that it was too hot. A few times, she got on top of the table to leverage her weight on my back. Now these massage tables are not your flimsy North American type of massage table and they can easily withstand the weight of two people. The legs were built of solid wood measuring 3" to 4" square. The table is much wider too. 90 minutes later my inaugural Thai massage has come to an end. This beautiful experience cost a total of 600 BHT ($18 Cdn). I tipped her 200 BHT. No clue how to tip here but when you realize the tip was only $6 Cdn. but still 1/3 of the cost of the massage it makes a person feel good to know they can show their appreciation in that way. The spa was named "Lila Thai".  

Rock solid massage table

Definitely was overdue for a nap as I still had a 3-hour dinner tour of the food carts later in the evening. Nok shows me to my room, hands me a half roll of toilet paper and one towel. The room is beyond bare bones basic but I can't complain for 300 BHT ($9 Cdn). No chair, no towel bar, no soap! Hoping my next guest house is a bit above this one. Oh yah, and only a single sheet on the bed and a dirty comforter with the hair of previous patrons! Partially explains why I fully dressed before I covered up last night. You do get what you pay for - I'm not complaining just observing as I knew what I was getting myself into and wanted the cheap Thai experience for at least a few nights.  

This is what $9 Cdn. gets you for a night.

Sat in the lobby of my guest house chatting to Nok the receptionist. Lobbies are open-air (similar to Mexico). No average sized door to walk through but rather think a room without an entire wall closing it in. A Scotsman comes in and inquires about the time for the last bus to Pai. He's missed it by an hour. (Ends up he was out rock climbing with a Vancouverite he had met the night previous. Also ends up rock climbing is a popular sport in Chiang Mai). The Scotsman wants to know how much is a taxi to Pai - $2,500 BHT ($81 Cdn). He tells Nok "can you call a taxi for me?" and Nok laughs in his face as if to say "you can't be serious, you're not going to pay 2500 BHT to go to Pai". The Scotsman assures her he is dead serious. He has buddies in Pai and they're expecting to see him tonight as they only have 3 days together. Nok goes into the back room and speaks Thai. It turns out Nok's boss is going to take the Scotsman to Pai. The Scotsman is told to "wait here". The boss man is gone for what seems like forever but he returns with his shiny new SUV in about 15 minutes time. The Scotsman throws his backpack into the SUV, Nok runs across the road to buy refreshments for her boss and hire and then the two men are off to Pai. Pai is a 4-hour trip by car on a switchback mountainous road. The boss man won't return til 2:00 AM.

Around 7:00 PM I am greeted by Chai from Chiang Mai Street Food Tours. He walks me to his shiny new SUV (notice a theme here - shiny new SUVs?). I meet Camille from NYC who is going on the tour too. At the meet-up spot we meet up with two others, Flora from Hong Kong and her friend John who lives in Chiang Mai by way of ... I have no clue. We pay Chai our 700 BHT ($21 Cdn) and our tour begins at the North Gate.

We all get an opportunity to order in Thai. Tom Saap (spicy soup), a broth made from pork and fish, combined with galangal, lemongrass and kaffir lime, onions, mushroom and chili peppers. The soup was accompanied by Nam Tok Pla (grilled fish). The fish is chopped in a bowl mixed with onions and chilies, fish sauce and lime juice. So delicious. We eat the Nam Tok Pla by taking a clump of sticky rice with our fingers and scooping it into the fish dish.  

So much food gone to waste at the end of the night

Cooked to order

Chai is the ultimate host. I told him I could not eat spicy foods (Gin pet mai dai) and he was on the ball and ensured I was served a dish separate from the others who all shared from a single plate, portioning out their food on to smaller plates. We ate meals at about six different stalls: pork, chicken, fish, and lots of sticky rice. The deep fried frog was not bad but my mind could not get over the crunch of the bones. We did waste quite a bit of food because every order was full-sized shared between the four of us. Once we visited and admired all the stalls at the north gate, we returned to Chai's SUV and drove to the south gate for dessert. 



My favourites were coconut custard cooked in a hot skillet, coconut cake and a coconut cream with little pea-sized dumplings.  
My 

Chai the food tour guide serving up Sticky Rice cooked in bamboo

The food stalls operate at the north and south gated every evening from 6:00-10:00. Sadly at 9:30 PM some stalls had massive amounts of food left over. Chai said they feed it to the stray dogs or throw it in the river for the fish.

Finally it was time for bed. Thank goodness I brought earplugs and managed 4 hours of sleep before I awoke and typed this blog for 2 hours in the wee hours of the morning.

Tomorrow, I'm off on a 4-day tour today with Sutthi of Chiang Mai Tours.