hwanch

2008.01.23

Impressions
I rode on an elephant’s back!!! It was an amazing experience. When I first saw these magnificent creatures, I was in awe at their sheer size and beauty. Seeing them up close and they are even more amazing.

Riding on the harness seats placed on the elephants back is amazing, but I got to actually ride on the elephant’s bare neck while the trainer took pictures for us from the ground. It was an exhilarating experience.

What We Did
Van to Elephant Camp
Van to Umbrella Making at Bo Sang Village
Van / Pickup Truck to Doi Pui – Meo Hmong Tribal Village
Pickup Truck to Wat Pharathat Doi Suthep Temple in Chang Mai
Pickup Truck / Van to Diamond River Side Hotel
Walk ChangMai Night Market- Dinner
Walk to local bars in area
Walk to Diamond River Side Hotel

Edit: 2008.03.09- Added a link to the photo album for this day.

2008.01.22

Impressions
Brrrr. It’s cold in ChangMai, at least compared to Bangkok.

Dinner time. Wow. We were expecting a nice local dinner so we were surprised to see the lovely Lanna style houses, bridges
and river. Where are the tables? No tables? Not for Lanna dinner. You sit down on mats on the floor and eat while watching the various Lanna dancing in the center of the wide open area.

ChangMai Night Market, just another touristy night market.

What We Did
Check out Marlin Hotel Resort
Van to PJ’s Auto Shop
Van to local resturaunt- lunch w/ PJ and Oil
Van to Lampang – Missed elephant riding
Van to ChangMai
Check in to Diamond Riverside Hotel
Van to Khum Khantoke – Lanna Dinner and Show
Van to Diamond River Side Hotel
Walk to ChangMai Night Market
Walk to Diamond River Side Hotel

Edit: 2008.03.09- Added a link to the photo album for this day.

2008.01.21

Impressions
Ruins were nice but nothing special.

PJ’s wedding banquet was nice. It felt more relaxed than the one in Bangkok. We had tons of fun eating and goofing around with each other. PJ and Oil looked more relaxed today than yesterday as well.

What We Did
Van to Sukhothai and Ruins
Van back to Kamphaengphet and Marlin Hotel Resort
Van to PJ’s Wedding Banquet
Van to local bar
Van to Marlin Hotel Resort

Edit: 2008.03.09- Added a link to the photo albums for this day.

2008.01.20

Impressions
Wow. It’s cool seeing weddings for different culture. In Thailand, you get blessed by monks and pay respect to guest and all that wonderful stuff. Very ceremonious. But it’s long. The Bride and groom spent the whole day in ceremonies and it lasted literally half the day.

After the wedding, it was off to PJ’s home town of Kamphaengphet but we stopped buy Ayutthaya on the way. The ruins were nice and so were the elephants walking around everywhere. However, seeing the elephants also made you sad because they did not seem happy, as they were forced to carry tourist all over the place.

Near Kamphaengphet, we stopped off at a local restaurant to grab some dinner. Nothing too special. Just your average Thai restaurant serving serving normal Thai dishes like using chicken, pork and water beetles. Yes, you read that right. As gross as that sounds, Pat, Ed and John had enough balls to try some fresh water beetles. Either that or they were too dumb to realize that that was not chocolate.

What We Did
Check out Asia Hotel
Van to PJ’s Wedding
Van to Ayutthaya and Ruins
Van to restaurant near Kamphaengphet
Van to Kamphaengphet and PJ’s family Autoshop
Van to and check into Marlin Hotel Resort

Edit: 2008.03.09- Added a link to the photo albums for this day.

2008.01.19

Impressions
Walking through the market, learning about which ingredients we will use and how to buy them straight from the markets. Then we’re off to learn to cook. If you don’t really know how to cook, this is quite an experience, as you try to mix various ingredients and cook a dish for yourself. Better hope that it comes out ok because you will be forced to eat your own dishes later.

Weekend Market. Another market to visit, right? Nope. This is THE market to visit. Tons of trinkets to buy and some stuff you won’t find elsewhere, well at least not easily.

What We Did
Sky Train to Blue Elephant- Cooking class
Sky Train to Asia Hotel
Sky Train to Chatuchack Weekend Market
Subway to Lad Phrao Central Mall – suits and glasses
Dinner w/ Byron’s Relatives
Subway / Sky Train back to Asia Hotel

Edit: 2008.03.09- Added a link to the photo album for this day.

2008.01.18-19

Impressions
Wow. The air breezing through your hair as we speed through the river. Quite invigorating. However, that’s nothing compared to when you actually get to your destination. You see boats as far as the eye can see. Heck, you may even get stuck in a “traffic jam” of boats. Boats go by your own boat, trying to sell you little souvenirs and other trinkets. Hungry for some food? Call one of the several food boats along the river and they’ll row over to you to offer you fresh fruit or even cook some dishes for you right on the river.

Off to wood carving and all I can say is Amazing. The level of details on the various furniture is amazing. Some items taking up to 8 months to carve fully, the price isn’t cheap, but the level of quality and detail cannot be beat.

Being totally exhuasted from the vacation so far, a nice traditional Thai Massage seemed like a good idea. It’s definitely not a regular massage. They massage you but also stretch your body out in various forms. As the guide book normally say, imagine yoga being done to you. Heck, they will even stand and step on you to help losen the muscles.

Want to check out the sex strip in Bangkok? Patpong is not really the place. Expecting raunchiness everywhere, I was disappointed with the area. The girls dancing on the catwalk seemed bored and they looked like they really didn’t want to be there.

What We Did
Van and Long Boats to Floating Market at Damnoen Saduak
Van to Wood Carving
Van to Clay Pottery
Van to Asia Hotel
Subway to Siam Paragon Mall
Subway to Sukumvit- Massage
Subway to Suan Lum Night Market
Subway to Patpong
Cab back to Asia Hotel

Edit: 2008.03.09- Added a link to the photo album for this day.

2008.01.17

Impressions
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get to Ko Samet island, where you will experience one of the most relaxing times of your life lying in the beach and swimming in the warm ocean. But in order to get there, you must walk the plank!!! Yes you read that right, a plank, a thin piece of wood. We walked across that in order to get onto the ferry that will take us to the island of rest and relaxation.

After getting to the island, we got into the back of a pickup truck that sped it’s way to the beach. Imagine cramming 10 people into the back of a truck and driving along, where anyone can fall off if your not careful. safety, surely you jest, because here in Thailand, safety matters not.

You saw title correct earlier. We went to Pattaya to see the Tiffany show. It’s an entertaining musical, but the interesting part about the show is all of the actresses/actors are trannies. And believe it or not, you cannot tell that some of these girls are actually guys. It’s amazing. As my friend said, it doesn’t matter that they are trannies; some of them look HOT!!!

After watching the show, I begin to question whether I can tell if some of the girls I know are really dudes. ARRRGGG.. too much thinking. Hurting my brain.

What We Did
Van to Rayong
Boat to Ko Samet
Relax on beach
Boat to Rayong
Van to Pattaya
Shop at Marriot Hotel Mall
See TIffany Show
Eat Authentic Thai Food
Van Back to Hotel

Edit: 2008.03.09- Added a link to the photo album for this day.

2008.01.16

Impressions
What can I say. This city is great, and because of the economy of Thailand, most things are cheap, at least for a tourist like me. After we flew in, we grabbed some late night dinner at a local restaurant near Asia Hotel. It cost us less than $4 a person, including a couple of large bottles of beers.

We took ferry rides to various places. An amazing experience. Ferry comes to the pier. Looking for the nice safe connection between the ferry and the pier? you won’t find any here. You just have to close your eyes (not recommended) and jump in. Now that you made it in, your safe. The nice wall by the entrance / exit will make sure you don’t fall in the river while it speeds across the river. Wait, you don’t see it? it’s not there? oh well, better hope you don’t fall into the river.

Another experience needed in Thailand – tuk tuks. Imagine a large motorized tricycle with seats in the back. Now imagine getting into that, and having the driver speed his way through traffic and people to get you to your destination. All along the way, you hear the load engine cranking away. Makes you feel like your in a James Bond film, trying to avoid some baddies chasing you.

We also went to Chinatown, and wow. I guess this is the closest it’s like to China without being in China. Imagine the streets being so crowded that you cannot even move. That’s not so bad? well, what happened to the streets/ err sidewalks, err.. it’s all the same!!!. A motorcycle. That’s nice. going zip zip weaving through the people. Wait, its coming straight for me. What’s that sound? Another one is coming from behind. i gotta move out of the way, but I can’t! Well it’s only a motorcycle. At least it’s not a huge truck trying to go through me. wait there is a truck trying to go through me as well. Aghh. someone help me. Quite an experience.

On a different note, the Temples, or Wats, in Bangkok are amazing. Just being there is enough for you be pulled into the culture of Thailand. Many of the sculptures are admiring the details put into the sculptures are amazing.

What we Did
Day 0
Check into Asia Hotel
Eat at Local Resturaunt
Back to Asia Hotel
Day 1
Skytrain and Ferry to Wat Po and the leaning Buddha
Walk to Grand Palace
Walk to Wat Phra Kaew and the Emerald Buddha
Ferry to Wat Rakhang Khistaram
Tuk Tuk to Wat Arun
Ferry to Chinatown
Sky Train / Subway to Lad Phrao Central Mall
Order tailored suits and glasses
Dinner w/ Byron’s relatives
Subway / Sky Train to Asia Hotel

Edit: 2008.03.09- Added a link to the photo album for this day.

2008.01.14-15

Impressions
We saw pretty much everything there is to see in Singapore in less than 2 days. This includes walking through the different areas of the city as well as visiting Sentosa and the Merlion statue (made up half lion/fish mascot of Singapore).

The whole city reminds me of Hong Kong. As Byron kept saying, it’s a cleaner version of Hong Kong. My other friend, Mike, living in Singapore told us before we got there that there is nothing to do in Singapore except to eat and shop. One thing I don’t like about Singapore is that there is no distinct culture there. It’s mainly a man made society.

There is not much to do in the city so I’m glad we had only decided to spend less than 2 days here. As always, meeting up with friends like Mike was great, but I wish there was more to do here.

What we Did
Day 0
Land in Singapore
Cab and Check into YMCA
Day 1
Subway to Little India
Walk to Sri Veerama Kaliamman
Walk to Kampong Gelam and Arab St
Walk to Sulton Mosque
Walk to Historic Distric
Walk to Marina Square
Walk to Clarke Quay
Walk to Chinatown
Subway to YMCA
Day2
Subway and Cable Car to Sentosa and Merlion
Subway to Orchard St
Walk to YMCA through Orcahrd St
Cab to airport and fly out to Bangkok

Edit: 2008.03.09- Added a link to the photo album for Singapore.