Dinner with friends in Bangkok

Not really much happening in Bangkok, just a stopping place between Laos and Tokyo for a couple days for me. Met some Japanese friends for dinner that are studying Thai here in Bangkok. They took me to a famous restaurant named SomTam not far from the Siam BTS station.

Thanks for a wonderful evening of laughing! hahaha Hope to see you again in Thailand or Laos or Japan or America...

the VIP movies

The guys traveling with me to Bangkok had never been to a movie theater. Of course we wanted to catch a flick while we were here but the only tickets left for Journey to the Center of the Earth were VIP tickets. You only live once right...

So I've never been to a VIP movie theater either, first time experience for me too... The theater has about 12 tables, each seating area with two electronic reclining chairs! We ordered popcorn and drinks from our waiter. Have you ever had a waiter in a movie theater?? hahaha

This is a photo of Porjoua wearing his new shirt to movies.

National Science Museum in Bangkok

A whole museum full of interactive science. I was in heaven. We stayed and played with the science stations all day we were having so much fun. Actually they kicked us out before we had time to try everything. I got lots of ideas of new interactive science experiments to try. The staff favorite was having a conversation via parabolic dishes across the room.

The staff had a great time experimenting with all of the science stations and learned lots of science. They got to experience great service as users of the museum that they can hopefully in turn use as a model for providing great service back home.

We watched a science show on electricity that was fabulous. The guy doing the show was part comedian, part magician and part mad scientist - I think he's my hero.

www.nsm.or.th

Siam Ocean World

After last nights trip to the book tower we wanted to go somewhere different today. Off to Siam Ocean World, the biggest aquarium in South-East Asia... Some highlights from the aquarium: touching star fish and shark pods, penguin and sea turtle feeding, an underwater magic show, spitting archer fish, jellyfish... We followed the theme of strategies for adaptation and survival through the aquarium as we related it to three Laos guys adapting and surviving the culture shock of Bangkok...

And riding in a glass bottom boat in the shark tank!

For the second day in a row, the guys filled up their cameras with photos.

www.siamoceanworld.co.th

Book Buying in Bangkok

Left for Bangkok today with Carol and three staff members from the library. We plan to visit the National Science Museum, the aquarium in Siam and go to as many bookstores as time allows. Oh yeah, and we'll buy some Thai books and science equipment for the library.

Lots of first-time experiences for three Hmong guys who grew up in dirt-floor huts. A few from today: First time on an airplane. First time in a six-story book store. First time on the skytrain. First time on an escalator. First time going 130 kph in a taxi.

After a traditional Thai/Laos lunch of sticky rice and grilled fish we branched out a little and tried Mexican food for dinner. They were good sports about it...


Checking out the spoils from the first day.


The trip promises to be unlike any previous trips to Bangkok...

tastes like popcorn

Day two in Bureerum village the gang set out again. Doan drove the pickup with the six of us riding in the back sweating like it was a sauna. We stopped at a market on the outskirts of town, and now I understand why they wouldn't let me out of the truck to explore. They wanted to break me...

The road trip snack for the day was fried crickets. Tastes like popcorn. And that's how Thai people eat them, by the handful like popcorn!

I have to admit my stomach did the "are you sure you want to do this" flip-flop as I put the first squeaky jumper in my mouth. They actually do taste like popcorn... Well, I suppose anything fried in oil and doused with salt tastes like popcorn...

But by the time we had reached our destination I was eating the tasty little buggers by the handful too...

Bureerum

Bureerum, not a mixed drink, it's a small village in northern Thailand you probably won't find on a map.

An took me to meet some friends of hers in Bureerum, a great trip to a little town in the Isaan countryside. We hopped a few buses and met her friend Jak and her adorable three-year-old daughter Namfon. The four of us rode the over sized tuk-tuk into Bureerum and met the friends where I was given the standard tests. Can the farang speak Thai and can it eat spicy food... Well, I must have passed both tests because they decided to buy me beer and let me sleep in their home.

It was a rather cool afternoon of 39 degree Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit). We piled into the back of the pickup and went to the river for swimming - probably because I was just sitting there sweating. Floating around on inner tubes on a river was heaven for this farang. What a lovely afternoon eating food in the shade along the river and swimming.





Dinner was it's own adventure. Ant egg soup. But that's a different blog entry...

Boogers with a Brain

Went hiking in Khao Sok National Park. The leeches were horrendous. Other than a couple of self-imposed adventures playing with leeches from ditches as a child, I have never really interacted with them before. They are tenacious little snot balls.

We started down the path and were enjoying swinging from the lianas vines and watching for monkeys and chasing iridescent butterflies for a photo. But before long Sandie got a small hole in her leg that refused to quit bleeding. We shouldn't have spent so much time trying to understand what created it; the answer was looking for us - voraciously...

After it started raining, we really started getting bit. We were pulling at least one of the blood-suckers off our legs every fifteen minutes. In a fit of rage, I had the quote of the day, "It's like flicking boogers with a brain!"

We had hopes of seeing a rafflesia flower, the biggest flower in the world that smells like a rotting corpse, but were turned back by rain and impending darkness. Not quite ready to spend the night in the rain forest...

High point of the day:
Sitting in a whirling dervish of butterflies on the beach of the Sok river. Amazing.








Low point of the day:
Pulling a leech off my big toe and realizing that it was going to bleed for a long time. And then realizing that I was going to get sucked many, many more times before we made it back to the road...

Snorkeling in Krabi

Sandie and I went on a four-island tour to do some snorkeling. Saw more schools of red-skinned farang than schools of fish but did see a horde of fish feeding on a rock and dove down to pick up some pearlized shells. Sandie showed me a blue, zigzag shaped clam that snapped shut when you got too close.

In the end, it was a relaxing day bobbing on the waves. The views of the limestone cliffs rising from nowhere in the ocean from my wooden plank in the long-tail speed boat were amazing.

A beautiful sunset from the Ao Nang beach.

Rock-climbing in Railay

Its a world-famous climbing place, you gotta do it...

We went to the 1-2-3 wall which was easy enough for me to climb the and easy enough for Sandie to lead climb. Met an entertaining Aussie who convinced us to climb a 30 m pitch. I climbed the easier first half without much trouble but tired out before I got going on the second half. Sandie bounced (from joy) when she finished the route.

Since Sandie didn't feel it was necessary to take a single photo of me while I was climbing, I will reward her by posting a photo of her climbing. Actually, I shouldn't complain, I would rather she keep a firm grip on the rope than the camera...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my SISTER

สุขสันต์วันเกิด








Go nuts on your birthday. Miss you and love you.

Sandie Arrives

My friend Sandie arrived to travel in Southeast Asia for 3 months. It has been her dream for many years to climb the cliffs and relax on the beaches in southern Thailand; to trek the Annapurna circuit; to explore Tibet... She arrived a little groggy and without my luggage! Hopefully it arrives tomorrow... I forced her to explore Wat Arun and Wat Pho up the Chao Phraya River before I lost her to jet lag

I feel lucky I am invited to tag along on the coattails of her dream. I am excited to have someone with whom to travel and speak English.



Sandie just started a blog of her own: Sandie Says It will be interesting to see how our blogs compare as we travel together for the next few months...

Wat Nong Wang Muang

The view from the nine story Wat Nong Wang Muang located on the lakeside of Bueng Kaen Nakorn lake in Khon Kaen, Thailand. The ninth floor houses relics from the Buddha and affords a wonderful panoramic view of the lake and Khon Kaen city. The carved wooden doors and window covers are simply amazing.

An, my friend from the Roma Hotel took me by motorbike to see the temple and take me out for breakfast. Thanks for a wonderful morning!

khon kaen coffee friends

My friends Dtao and Pim who adopted me in Khon Kaen. Every morning I would meet them for a cup of coffee and practice speaking Thai with them. I would order something for breakfast from the lady at the next door shop. She can make the best kai yasai, egg omelet with vegetables, I have ever eaten.

But the best part was the treats that Dtao and Pim would bring from the market everyday for me to try. One day it was khao tom, pounded sweet rice and coconut wrapped in banana leaves. The day before was koy jap, a Vietnamese pork noodle soup. Next day was donut ball things.

What fun people. Thanks for sharing your culture with a farang with such enthusiasm.

Cock Fighting

Went to the weekend market, which was amazing in and of itself, but my friend and I happened upon a line of roosters in cages. Around the corner was a bunch of shouting, I realized they were cocks for fighting...

Pangs of animal rights and animal cruelty kept flashing through my head, but I had to remind myself to observe. This was real Thai culture in action that we had stumbled upon. Lasted a lot longer than I would have guessed, the single match lasted thirty minutes at least. Lots of shouting from guys watching. Feather flew. Money changed hands. In the end, I'm not even sure which cock won, they both looked exhausted.

I had heard that they attach razors or knifes to the cocks legs but this was not the case today. Perhaps it was just a training fight, which is why it lasted so long and ended without a clear winner. I really have no idea.

Loi Krathong festival

Was lucky enough that my week of layover in Bangkok between Japan and Laos landed on a major festival called Loi Krathong that is celebrated on the full moon night of the 12th lunar month (mid-November). Also known as the Festival of Lights, the banks of the Chao Phraya river shine with Krathong and boom with fireworks.

The word Loi means to float and Krathong is a cup created with banana leaves in the shape of lotus petals and adorned with flowers, incense, candles and coins. People dress in their finest clothes and make a wish before drifting their Krathong onto the river. The floating of the Krathong is intended to expel all sins and sufferings as well as ask for amnesties to the Goddess of the River in contaminating her bounty.

I thought it was interesting they floated a bunch of junk, albeit beautiful at night, to ask forgiveness for "contaminating her bounty". Heard a second explanation that the ritual is meant to worship the Buddha's footprint on the bank of the Narmada River...



And then there were fireworks. Although not as impressive as Japanese fireworks in terms of size, the proximity to the crowds certainly made up for it. My chest was reverberating with each shell they exploded...

Apparently the festivals vary quite a lot across Thailand. A friend staying in Chiang Mai described thousands of Khom Fai released into the air. Imagine mini hot air balloons floating in the sky instead of the river. Sounded interesting..

Loi Krathong

Art show