Tour de Thailand

fire show!
Thailand is known to be one of the best places in the world for beaches and islands. There are many islands that dot the vast coasts of the mainland, each with their own character and charm (from what I've read). We only had time to visit a couple of islands on this short trip, but I think we made the most of it. There's a long standing fire show culture here in the islands of Thailand, and the almost exclusively young men that perform have amazing talent.

Erawan Shrine

This shrine is interesting. First off, Thailand is known to be a mostly Buddhist country, but there are many influences of Hinduism, both subtle and overt. This shrine was built in honor of the Hindu creation god Brahma. It's called the Erawan Shrine because it was constructed in 1956 as part of the now-defunct Erawan hotel. According to Hindu real estate gurus, the site of the hotel was believed to have strong karmic power with the surrounding city. Somehow, the foundation of the hotel was laid on the wrong date. In order to appease Brahma, superstitious government officials mandated the shrine's construction on this bustling street corner. It's still the most visited religious place in the country, as even non-Hindu faithful see fit to pay continual respects. These respects come in the form of lovely flower wreaths that are laid at the base of the shrine. There are some licensed merchants at the entrance of the shrine that sell these wreaths, and by midday the stack is tremendous. They even have employees whose sole responsibility is to manage the stack of flowers so that the shrine isn't completely obscured.

relax, Buddha

The other most visited religious place in Thailand is Wat Pho (Temple of Pho). It's famous for its huge statue of a reclining Buddha, one of the very few depictions of Buddha in this position. Usually Buddha is sitting or standing, but how appropriate that the laid-back culture here produced Buddha on break.

lotus blossom at Wat Pho

Wat Pho is home to many other statues of Buddha as well as some impressive towers. It also has many nice lotus flowers which continually bloom from their mucky soiled pots. The lotus blossom represents the pure quest of enlightenment to rise unstained above the tainted waters of desire and attachment. It's a beautiful symbol used throughout Buddhist art, and it's pure serenity to see the real thing which thrives in the Thai climate.

temple cats

Above the fray of desire, perhaps without attachment, here's one of the temple's cute cats. They run about completely unchecked and unhinged from the worries of the material world. After all, I'm sure they're well fed by the variety of food sources about this tourist attraction and residence. I may have actually seen more cats than monks at this place.

watch out tourists

And of course, every tourist destination in Thailand wouldn't be complete without a little hustle. You've been warned!

Changover

Another warning: avoid the Chang in quantity. I thought it was Thailand's most famous beer for a reason, and apparently that reason is because it's a headache in a bottle. I was lucky enough to get this info from an expat early in the trip, or I would have been left wondering why I felt so sick throughout the rest of the trip.

the simple pleasures, hangover free

Ah the best things in life are cheap, and Leo beer is definitely that. Highly recommended for a sunny beach cafe.

big American sundae!

Of all the ice cream brands, you probably wouldn't have expected to find this one in the land of smiles. Good ol' Swensen's is still going strong here, and not without a host of crazy American sundaes. Thanks for adding significantly to my caloric intake, Swensen's. After all, it's one of the few places guaranteed to have a/c and ice cream.

mr. komodo dragon

It's fun to see a giant lizard in the park. He's only a little shy of people.

sweet hut

We had a little down time before going to the airport in Phuket, so we grabbed a few hours rest in this hut on the beach. At $10 per night, you get a nice bedroom with a fan (+ mosquito net), and a bathroom with cold water. Survivable, but I'm glad we opted for hotels (with a/c).

mighty king!

Here's one hotel we stayed in. Most of the major buildings here have large decorated pictures of the king. This isn't just propaganda, the king is actually quite popular. He's an avid jazz musician and composer, and has demonstrated himself as a man of the people.

VW bus bar

Another example of fun in Thailand - the creative little bars that open on the streets at night. They range from a simple cart to a full blown converted van like this. They tend to be a little cheaper than a bar with a permanent roof, but offer most of the same services and drinks. All that's missing is the toilet.

taxi scan

In case you want to find that cab you left your durian in last night - you can easily scan these cabs and... I don't know what you'd do with it. I suppose Thais take their fleet management seriously.

condom lamps

Cabbages and Condoms is a famous restaurant in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok. Everything in the place is made of condoms. Statues, lamps, wall decorations, you name it. Taking the theme of family planning too far is the mission of this place. It was actually started as a non-profit to raise awareness and funds for birth control. The name comes from a founder's belief that for birth control to be successful, it has to be as easily accessible as cabbage. I think the mission is actually accomplished here in Thailand - you don't get pre-stocked cabbage in your hotel room. And the food was decent, though I've had better Thai food in the states.

we salute you, BK

I have to admit that I broke down and ate at Burger King once. It was actually far more expensive than BK in the USA. Kudos to your luxurious international enterprise, BK.

sweet home

On the other hand, I didn't get a taste of home at the steakhouse here in Phuket. It might have been fun to get some filet and mashed potatoes beachside, but you have to save some things for the imagination.

they actually have a website - http://thaitaco.com/

Yes, I did try the Thai fish taco. It was somewhere in the top 50% of tacos I've eaten. Check out the website for some awesome photos that might make you think this place is a tourist trap. It is, but the food was unexpectedly tolerable.

the floods begin

As you may have heard, Bangkok is suffering from tremendous flooding. This was just beginning as I was leaving town. It was already clear that there were some serious water problems. We didn't know at the time that waters would continue to rise, since it's supposed to be the end of the rainy season. Unfortunately, there have been record rainfalls in the areas that feed the river, so Bangkok isn't in good shape.

boats in rainy Phi Phi

Ok, I came to Thailand during the rainy season, so I expected at least a few rainy days. This was pretty much the only one - just as we arrived in Koh Phi Phi, the clouds began to clear for the evening. The island transformed from deserted to crowded almost immediately.

on the streets of Phi Phi

Phi Phi island is a fantastic place. The streets come alive during the day with markets, dive shops, restaurants, and of course bars. There are probably more bars per capita here than anywhere else, if only because the local population is so small. There are no motorized vehicles allowed on the island, so everything is carted around in large wheelbarrows. Some people scoot around on electric mopeds, but you'd really have a hard time gaining any momentum without stopping for pedestrians every 50 feet. The island is a good balance of having a fun night life and a serene set of beaches you can lounge on.

Phi Phi viewpoint

This is pretty much the whole island. The two beaches you can see here are quite nice, the northern one more so. There are a few other beaches scattered around the island - you have to take a boat or hike over the mountains.

Beachin'

At night, this northern beach of Lodalum Bay is filled with the lights and music of outdoor dance floors that line the shore. Staying in this vicinity is definitely not for the peace and quiet seeker. It's a great night spot.

kiss the fish, captain obvious

Among the most useless of signs, it's still worth noting. As I mentioned, there are plenty of places to over imbibe.

it's like my Lonely Planet book cover

It's hard not to take a beautiful photo here. The longtail boats are somewhat anachronistic and remarkably similar in their design. They're the main transportation around the island.

on the boat to Maya bay

We chartered one such boat to take us to the infamous island of Phi Phi Leh - on a boat like Leo.

well fed monkeys

One stop along the way to Phi Phi Leh - it's the monkey beach. I don't really understand how this beach full of monkeys got started, but it's certainly a great place to bring your extra snacks in exchange for a fat monkey's gratitude.

about to arrive at Koh Phi-Phi Leh

There are two ways into the island - this is the hard way. I had to jump off the anchored boat and swim to the staircase you can see in the photo. It was all the more challenging because the waves are quite strong against the rocks at the base of the stairs. Fortunately, there are a bunch of ropes to hang on to once you're in the neighborhood of these stairs.

Maya Bay

Beautiful Maya Bay is the other way into the island. It's somewhat spoiled by the boatloads of tourists that arrive every few minutes on a beached yacht. Longtail boats seem disallowed from entering the bay, just the big cruisers can unload here. Naturally, I was happy that I arrived on the superior side of the island, which actually requires some effort to enjoy this almost unpopulated island. Anyway, it's quite lovely between boat arrivals.

the cheery boatman

Our boat's captain was an awesome tour guide, despite the fact that he spoke little English. You don't really need language with beautiful scenery.

bye bye Phi Phi!

The ferry boat from Phi Phi to Phuket takes 1.5 hours. It leaves time for photos and views of all the little islands that dot the way back. It's sad to leave such an awesome place, but you've got to save some for next time. Until then, I'll stick to the K-land, which is still my favorite. Sorry Thailand, but I hope to see you again soon!

Sawatdeekraaaaaap, Bangkok!

Sawatdeekrap, Ron!

Bangkok is a great laid back city. Ronald greets you with a wai when you enter his establishment. He's got an even bigger smile here in Bangkok, and most of the locals share his outwardly friendly nature. And just like Ron, everyone seems to have a little hustle going on behind the smile. Not to say that they're not helpful or genuine, but I'll say instead that most of the business seems more grassroots than top down organized. Hence, there's a negotiation to every situation. It makes the place that much more interesting.

one stop shopping!

For those of you who don't know, there's quite a sex industry here. There's also apparently a street market for related drugs too - valium included. I saw this when I first arrived and thought that I had to take a funny photo. Then I realized that these little stands are on just about every block in the touristy areas. Oh well, just keep walking. At least the guys that sell this stuff aren't in your face about it.

BTS station

I don't want to make it seem like Bangkok is all seedy and hustle. To the contrary there are some quite nice train stations on the new BTS line, and there's also a brand new airport express train that puts the CTA to shame. Most of the tourist areas are actually quite well organized and have helpful staff (that speak English) to guide you along the right way.

who left this trash on the sidewalk

But seriously, the city is fairly clean. It suffers from a similar lack of public trash cans as Seoul, but the results aren't quite as good. Still, I don't think I run across foul smells as often as I do in Chicago... depending on where you go.

bombin' Bangkok

There are a variety of kids that skate or rock out to different music here. I think there's more of an "alternative" culture here than in Korea. I've heard a few cabbies driving by with their tunes pumped - some were pretty grimy.

no thanks!

Bangkok also suffers from the same English translation problems as Seoul, but with results that are sometimes even more humorous. Sometimes I wonder if it's actually done this way on purpose. This is funny in another way, because this hair shop is located on the train platform. I'm not sure who would get their hair done in front of all the other commuters, but maybe that's common here.

massage in the dumpster

Massage places are everywhere. Most of the hair salons also offer massages. There are foot massage beds lined up along market streets - which is somewhat strange to Americans. We assume massages are a very private affair, so our massage shops are setup like a doctor's office. Here they do away with that clinical atmosphere and make it more like a 7-eleven. You can see that the windows remain on this place, but I don't know if the business survived the wrecking ball.

lottery row

These guys are everywhere. I'm pretty sure they're selling lottery tickets - it's strange to imagine that your winning ticket came from a dirty guy on a bike. But even the lottery has to hustle here.

Jim Thompson's house

Like I said, not everything to do here is crass and filth. Jim Thompson was an American silk importer/exporter. He really liked it in Bangkok, so he decided to move here in the 60s. He built his house out of a few old traditional Thai houses, and moved them to his property along a canal. As I heard on the tour (mandatory yet worth the 30 minutes), traditional Thai houses are built without nails so they can be deconstructed and reconstructed in a new location. I'm not sure why traditional wealthy Thais had such a nomadic lifestyle. I do know that the construction without nails comes from Feng Shui - which dictates that metals block the flow of chi. All Korean temples are built almost entirely without metal.

part of Jim Thompson's expansive collection

Back to ol' Jim - he rebuilt these houses here and collected many different Asian artifacts on his travels. He seemed to like Thai architecture, but mostly relied on Chinese art and furniture. His house is setup like a museum inside, and no photos are allowed. I hate to admit it, but you could get the whole tour of the house with just 10 photos. I'd imagine the no-photo policy has something to do with that. However, the tour and the house are really worth seeing. To add to the legend - Jim mysteriously disappeared on his final tour to Malaysia. He went out hiking in the jungle with a few friends and was never heard from again.

ready to bike the streets

The traffic in Bangkok is awful. So why not risk our lives to bike around on a tour? Anything without a motor seems safe enough here, so we sucked it up and jumped on our bikes. It was a truly unique experience.

watch your step!

The first part of our bike adventure led us through the slums south of Sukhumvit Road to this little gem of an attraction. Not only is the bridge constructed out of rickety wood (and shabbily at that), but the river below is full of unmentionable stuff. Our tour guide told us in advance that we should cross the bridge "one after another," which I thought meant single file. I came to realize as we arrived that it really meant one person on the bridge at a time for obvious reasons. It could really ruin your day to fall into the cesspool.

all aboard!

I didn't read the description of the tour carefully, so I was surprised when we arrived at the dock and were waiting for a boat. I thought it was just something to see, but sure enough, we loaded the bikes and climbed aboard this longtail boat. Longtails are the general boats that run all over Thailand - they're named for the frightfully bare and probably converted motor stuck on a long shaft with a propeller at the end. This does the trick of moving the boat around. We cheerfully climbed aboard, and were unsure of what we'd encounter across the river.

hard rockin' in the jungle

Apparently our tour across the river led us to the Hard Rock Cafe of the Bangkok jungle. I rather doubt the affiliation is official. It was nice to get out of the dirty city and into this park for a ride across narrow planks over the swamp. It wasn't really for the faint of heart, but the paths were smooth and wide enough for minor corrections. Don't panic.

"On" the awesome bike tour guide

Our tour guide was cheeky "On". I put that in quotes because it's her nickname. None of us farang had a prayer of remembering (much less pronouncing) her 5+ syllable name. Like the stellar tour guide she was, "On" was well prepared at the start for that little hiccup. Her nickname is easy enough, so we unanimously approved the farang-friendly option. I'm told all Thais have nicknames like this which is quite helpful.

Pepsi in the jungle

Toward the end of the ride here, we were rewarded with one of the finest beverages you can enjoy in a country with unsafe drinking water. But seriously, the Pepsi was surprisingly lacking in sweetness. Not that it wasn't sweet, but it paled in comparison to the Fanta that Thais drink regularly.