Bae Lan Beach area, Koh Chang, Thailand

 In five hours time it will be 2014 here in Thailand.

I've moved to the south end of the Island (not the north end as I was thinking... still don't have the lay of the land).

Pretty sure the taxi driver ripped me off when he charged me 100 BHT to come here because there are some big resorts in the area and I'm sure all these patrons didn't pay 100 BHT a person to come this far. I've read that at night, it's like extortion as taxis don't want to come this far so they can charge a high fee, but I came to this end at 10:00 AM

My room wasn't going to be ready til 1:00 so I dropped my bags, got my water, a book and my hat and headed out to find a beach. I've had this book on my bookshelf since my first trip to the Caribbean in 2008 - finally getting around to reading it and how appropriate that it is titled: "Buddha or Bust".

My resort, Lazy Republique is not on the beach, but I only need cross the road and walk down a short distance and there it is. I have to walk through the grounds of the Bae Lan Resort to find the water but here in Thailand, resorts don't mark their territory on the beach. They seem to be open to anyone and everyone. Actually, there is no beach at Bae Lan beach. It's rock wall where the water appears to be a good 18"-24" in depth at the entry point. I spend a couple of hours there reading then decide to head out the main road and see what else is in the area. This area is definitely not built up like where I spent the last two days in the Kai Bae beach area. There are a few bigger newer resorts down on the water and a tiny handful of shops selling massage, the usual water etc., and a few restaurants. No roadside food stalls.

I walk about a mile down the road and follow a real mule trodden path that says "Iscla Beach". This is where you can go zip-trekking if so inclined, mind you, the people don't appear to be that high up in the tree tops.

Iscla beach is a nice and very surprising sight to see. I walk the stretch of beach past the toney "Mercure Resort" which is busy setting up tables, lights, and linens for tonight's NYE festivities. I decide I am going to have lunch at the Iscla beach restaurant. Such a lovely setting: your choice of table & chairs, hammock style chairs or cushions strewn on wooden platforms. I want to stick to something "normal" given yesterday's episode. I pay a fortune for a beef burger and fries: 300 BHT which is $9.00 Cdn. It is presented beautifully but there are a few odd things about it that make me very wary: it's gray in colour and it tastes odd. I know that all beef in the world doesn't taste the same, it depends on what the cattle feed on, but it doesn't smell bad at all. I eat it gingerly with each bite thinking "I really shouldn't eat any more of this just in case". I guess the true test will come in the next day or two.

Lunch at Iscla Beach.

Finally, around 3:00 I show up at my resort. There is no one here except for two little Thai sisters who appear around ages 7-10. They give me the ever present "Namaste" sign language, and the older girl runs to the desk for a key and a piece of paper with my name written on it. I nod "yes". She is all smiles as she prances to my bungalow and I am following quickly behind. She unlocks the door for me and my luggage is inside the room. I give her 20 BHT for her troubles. She is huge smiles and Namaste all over again.

Bungalow @ Lazy Republique

I sit out on my deck which has two lounger chairs, read for a while then decide it's time for my daily afternoon nap.

I love my room. Definitely the nicest place I've stayed in all of Thailand thus far. Mind you, it is the most expensive place as well but then again it is NYE and places seem to charge a surcharge for tonight and tomorrow. The owners of this place are French but they don't appear to be here.  They have left a caretaker and his family in charge. I see a "shack" at the back of the bungalows where it appears the caretaker and his family reside. On top of the main building/restaurant is a nicely furnished roof top deck.

There are only 4 bungalows in this resort. It's very modern, cement, painted lime green and dark purple. The bathroom is large and modern. So nice to have a shower that is separate from the toilet unlike the other places I've stayed where, when you have a shower, the entire bathroom gets wet, including the toilet. All toilet paper rolls are covered by a contraption that keeps the paper from getting wet while you are showering. I've always had to remove the waste basket out of the bathroom too so it doesn't get wet. In Thailand you do not flush toilet paper as their septic system is unreliable here. All hotels have signage instructing to not dispose of anything down the toilet, not even toilet paper. Kinda hard to remember 100% of the time but try my best to prevent any over-flowing toilet situation. What really sucks about the all in one toilet/shower situation is that you're walking on a wet floor for hours on end every time you need to go into the bathroom for anything. I really hate that and have no idea why they design them that way. In some cases I think it's because they are tight on space but even the place I just checked out of had a very long bathroom where it would've been easy to design a separate shower stall but they didn't. I'm going to enjoy this bathroom for the next two days.

All four bungalows here appear to be reserved but I am the only person here sitting in the lovely yard at teak table and chairs with palm umbrella all lit up. It's dark as midnight here at 6:30 PM. The front yard of this place is absolutely lovely, grassy, electrically wired properly, cement pads underneath all the tables, and oil mosquito lanterns going. Now the caretaker has cranked up the Diana Krall, perhaps trying to entice in some walkers-by. So far, he doesn't have any dinner guests but by the sounds of all the chopping in the kitchen and the set-up taking place perhaps they actually have some reserved tables for later this evening.

The grounds @ Lazy Republique

I didn't get to do the elephant ride this morning. Didn't realize that they actually take reservations for it. Maybe I'll get to do it before I leave the island. I would really like to take a one day cooking class too so long as I can learn to make Tom Kha Gai soup. I'll probably look into that when I am staying at my next place for 6 days.

One thing we've all heard about is how farang men come to Thailand in search of Thai "love", or sex or what-have-you. The other night when I was at Da Riddem Shack, it was very interesting people watching. The Thai women were dressed like they were headed out to a nightclub in Vancouver. They hang out in the bars hitting on men who will buy drinks for them. The pairings of some of the couples I've seen would raise your eyebrows. Such odd matches...some 30-40 year age differences, just some really visually odd pairings.

I don't have any plans for this evening. Just another normal NYE for me because I haven't celebrated this night in decades. Don't think I'll venture from my resort tonight. I've heard the big resorts (there are two within walking distance from here) are doing big celebrations tonight but that doesn't interest me at all. Will order a meal here later on this evening and just enjoy the lovely ambiance of the place. Perhaps others will come along that I can have a conversation with. In any event, I'm spending this night surrounded by more people than I typically do so that's an improvement.

Happy 2014 everyone. Wishing you beautiful blessings and a healthy and memorable 2014.

Bangkok, Thailand

Flight from Chiang Mai arrives in Bangkok at 4:00 PM. It's 4:30 by the time I am headed to the basement of the airport for the train. I stop at the tourist booth and ask about the train and how much it costs. 150 BHT for the express train, I'm told. The express train only runs every 15 minutes but I'm told it's much better than the city line train which will stop at every station. I push "English" on the pay station and punch in the final station as that is where I need to change to another train line. It tells me that I owe 45 BHT. Hmmm... the tourist booth must've been mistaken. The machine dispenses a red plastic token that you touch to a sensor on the access gate. I go down a few levels and am thoroughly impressed with what looks like a state-of-the-art train system. There is a wall of glass separating people on the platform from the train, with openings in the glass where the train doors will align. A train comes but I have no clue if it's the express train. I ask someone and am told that the express line is on another platform on another floor. Where? I approach someone else who speaks Thai to a security officer to inquire for me, the security officer asks to see my token. I have bought the wrong token and need to go back to the information desk. To get to the desk I have to deposit my red token. Out 45 BHT. At the desk she sells me a 150 BHT token and tells me the express train runs only every one hour. After all that, some 1/2 hour later, I am finally on the city line.

The trains are much wider than the skytrain line at home and about twice as long. Although the train is very crowded it doesn't have that packed in like sardines feel to it. There are sufficient poles and straps for people to hang on to. It's air conditioned and the windows are tinted which gives the outside skies a gray look to them. I can't tell it it's the windows or if it's smoggy here in Bangkok.

Following the instructions on the guesthouse website I get off at Siam Stn., and taking the advice of Victor the guesthouse owner in Chiang Mai, I phone the guesthouse to inquire as to which exit I should take out of the station. The station platforms are huge... some easily a block long in length. The guesthouse tells me I am at the wrong station and to go to National Stadium which is one more stop. I get back on the train but the next stop is not National Stadium. I look at a map and find out National Stadium is on a totally different line! Off the train I get. I ask a security officer and he tries his best English to explain to me I need to go back to Siam Station. What? I return to Siam Stn and ask how to get to National Stadium. A woman who speaks perfect English tells me I am in the right place, just wait for the train... Argh! Finally I arrive at National Stadium but when I go to exit a message pops up on the screen telling me to see the information desk. I owe 3 BHT to exit the station because I had only paid to Siam and am now at National. No cheating (unintentional or otherwise), this train system.

There are 3 teenage girls drinking something similar to Starbucks specialty coffees on the platform. An officer approaches them and tells them to dispose of their drinks. No eating or drinking on the platform or on the trains -- and I think twice before taking a sip of my water while on the train.

Finally, I get to the station where I need to exit and I am dropped off in the midst of a neon skyline. Where ever I am appears to be a hub of shopping activity. I have no clue where to exit and it looks like a freeway below so I don't want to make the wrong move. Lucky for me, I find another Good Samaritan who speaks perfect English. I show him the map on my IPhone indicating that my guesthouse is somewhere close by. Although unsure he points to the exit he thinks I should take. I follow his advice, walk 1/4 block and find the street I need. I walk down what, back home, we would consider a back alley but here in Thailand it's just a normal less busy street. 

It's now dark outside as it's taken me more than 2 hours to get this far since getting to the train platform in the BKK airport. I walk down the back lane really hoping my guesthouse is on his street. Food carts are cooking food, and men are playing cards at a few tables in the back lane. I walk past what look to be some high-end hotels. Eureka! My guesthouse.  I get a bit of a sinking feeling when I'm asked if I have a reservation.... Yes, I made it many months ago. Knowing that my email doesn't work, I can't dig up the confirmation email to prove it. Shortly, after a bit of looking on their part, they confirm I have a room.

My room is as small as a matchbox. I have to turn sideways to get into bed. The only place to sit is on the bed. No clue how two people would stay in this room. It's only $45/night so I can't complain, but it is one of the most expensive places I've booked in Thailand, it's rather run down in that it could use a paint job inside the room and new furniture but it is clean. Got this place off Trip Advisor too. I'm on the 2nd floor and there is no elevator. Thankful they have a porter who can carry my 55 lb. bag up the narrow metal stairs.

The Wendy House (Bangkok)

I want to find something to eat. The front desk lady speaks good English and she pulls out a map. I am right across the street from BMK Centre (I think it's called). A huge shopping mecca. She tells me the 6th floor is the food fare.

I stroll over to the mall and pass through a metal detector and a bag check to enter. I find a chain pizza restaurant and decide that's what I'll have for dinner. Don't feel like getting lost in this monstrosity by venturing off the first floor but am looking forward to the shopping in this place when I return in 11 days time.

I'm now back at the Bangkok airport. I've had enough of the train system so paid 350 BHT for a taxi. I plan on taking a taxi to and from this airport when I return too. The train is too much of a hassle when most stations don't have escalators or elevators and I have to carry my suitcase down (and up) a couple flights of stairs. It took 1/2 hour to get to the airport at 9:00 AM today with no traffic.

Thailand is so very quiet. There are no horns honking, drivers are very considerate and respectful and it's common to see 3 or 4 modes of transportation abreast.  In Chiang Mai there were no lines on the road. As much traffic that can fit side-by-side is totally fine and acceptable. I have never witnessed a single accident so far.

The only people I have seen smoking in public are tourists. I asked Sutthi about that and he said that Thai people usually smoke in private but rarely in public. They prefer to keep it hidden from view. I have noticed there are no cigarette butts littering the roads and sidewalks.

This morning, I noticed janitors wet mopping the plaza at the shopping mall. The cleanliness of this country has surprised me pleasantly.

I'm off to Trat by air. It's a one-hour flight. Then I shuttle across the island and catch a 30-minute ferry to the island of Koh Chang where I'll get some beach time in for the next 10 days.