California Love: June 2007

More Pixs

More Temple Pixs

Phuket

Phuket is a quick hour flight from Bangkok and it has amazing beaches and resorts.

We stayed at the Kata Beach Resort which was both relaxing and close to stores and restaurants. We definitely indulged in massages and I think I had a hour long Thai Massage every day. It was $10 and outside on the hotel property but close to the beach where you would hear the waves crashing as you relaxed under the skilled hands of the masseuse.

It was nice after the hectic days in Bangkok to be able to lay out and enjoy the sun & water. We stayed one night before we headed off to the Jungle.

We had booked an overnight trip through Siam Safari which would take us to Khao Suk National Park. We would kayak, hike, and stay at the Earth Lodge. The earth lodge was very simple (& earthy), clean and did a good job keeping the bugs out. The lodge had a central area for people to dine and they had a very stocked bar. That was the main entertainment since there wasn't any televisions or anything else to keep you occupied. I can imagine during the busy season how much crazy the nights must get at the Earth Lodge.

It was my first time kayaking and good think Kathy had been before so she was able to help us navigate. We luckily did not tip over. I had gotten sick the day before so I had enough energy to participate in every activity but would sleep in between as much as I can. We also added on an Elephant Trek which we later regretted since not 5 minutes after we got on the elephants there was a crazy Typhoon style downpour that keep us soaked for 30 min. Not so cool when you are already sick. Plus we of course did not have umbrellas which would not have helped much anyway.

The lodge we stayed at made home cooked meals for us and since it was offseason their was only one other couple that stayed at the lodget with us. A very nice older couple from Belgium. The meals would always consist of mutiple dishes and fresh ingredients. On our second day of our Jungle trip we went on a hike and we would have a lunch prepared for us in the jungle. They had a designated rest area where we stopped and a cook assigned to us began to show us how he prepares the meal. They made a salty BBQ pork that was cooked on an open fire, a coconut chicken soup, and a omlette. They showed us the spices used for each dish and how to get the juice from a coconut. That was one of my best meals in Thailand.

After our Jungle trip ended we went back to the Kata Beach Resort and it was nice to be able to lay out on the beach and get more Thai massages. We had some dinners at some open air seafood restaurants that allowed you to pick your meat and the cooking style and they would make it however you like. I finally tried Tom Yum Soup (spicy seafood soup) which I absolutely love and recommend. Nightlife was a bit disppointing - the main area to go out is Patong which is basically a larger red light district. The bars are mostly go-go bars and to get to the clubs you have to walk through the go-go bars to get to the club. Most clubs played house music and difficult to find large crowds due to the off season. It was sad to see the girls who have to work at the go go bars to make a living and pretty icky to see the male patrons who are drawn to these places and to these girls. The other thai bars that are throughout the island are not regular bars you have in the US or most places but they are all like go-go bars (without the poles but with the working girls). The seediness of Thailand I can do without.

Bangkok - Emerald Buddha & Private Klong Ride

After the Grand Palace tour we went to see some other well known temples including Wat Pho which houses a gigantic reclining buddha (46 meters long) and Wat Arun (aka Temple of Dawn). It was super hot during our tour of temples and we decided to cool off by renting a Klong to take us on a private trip through its canals. After much haggling by Kathy we were able to board the boat. The boat gave us a glimpse of the small communities of people that live along the river and of course more temples. There was one temple that was known for the catfish that lives right at the dock of the temple. You would be able to purchase bread and feed the fish that bring good luck to the temple.

We had an exhausted day and went for a nice dinner at a well known restaraunt called Cabbage & Condom. It had really tasty Thai Food and it also raised money and awareness for protection among the Thai people. There were items throughout the restaurant that promoted Condoms and several pieces of "condom" artwork were displayed.

That night we went to a lounge and the place was pretty cool but the lack of patrons and hip-hop got us to end the night early. We had to get ready for our transfer to Phuket

Thailand Trip Report - Grand Palace Tour

On our second day we headed out with our tour guide to The Grand Palace. The last time I was in Bangkok I missed the major palace and temple tour so I was excited to finally see The Grand Palace.
The word "bedazzled" comes to mind - there is gold and shiny mosiacs everywhere. Lots of pictures taken at The Grand Palace...Enjoy!

Thailand Trip Report - Bangkok

I flew Singapore airlines for the first time and the airline is known for its wonderful service. Although we booked our trip at least 6 weeks in advance apparently everyone was heading to Thailand so there were very limited flights. Because of this I did a tour of Asian Airports - It took me 24 hours or so to get to Bangkok because of a 1 hour stop in Tokyo and a 9 hour layover in Singapore. I have to say Singapore has one of the nicest airports - free movie lounge, free internet, ourdoor gardens. But since I arrived Singapore at 1 am all I cared about was finding a place to sleep.

Kathy and I met at Singapore and I would have a picture of her coming off the plane but was told by secuity that I could not take a picture:)

We stayed at the Peninsula Hotel in Bangkok which according to World & Liesure is the #4 Top Hotel in the World. The Peninsula is off the other side of the Chao Phraya River (the main river that runs through Bangkok) and therefore you must use their shuttle to ride across the other side to access the main streets.

The last time I was in Bankok I stayed at the Oriental (#9 on the list). The Oriental which is over 100 years old had old world charm and amazing service. After staying at both I am suprised that The Peninsula is ranked higher than the Oriental. At the Oriental they refer you by name and they had a hotel employee stationed at every floor for quick service. The lobby was also one of the most beautiful and exotic hotel lobbies I have ever seen. I was expecting the service to be just as exceptional as the Oriental and found it instead to be similar to any hotel

The thing I love about hotels in Bangkok near the water is breakfast time since breakfast is usually at the hotel terrace restaurant and as you enjoy your breakfast you can watch all the boats go by as people are rushing to work or school.

Our first day we decided to hit Chatuchak the main weekend market of Bangkok. They sell everything from pets to clothing to sourvenirs and handicrafts. We stopped at the mall before the market to grab a bite to eat. The selection was huge and we could not read the menu and so we went with the place that had pictures of their menu - I know lame but we were hungry... After hours of shopping we hit the spa for a much needed massage. We went back to the hotel and took an early evening nap. We grabbed dinner at Khao San Road where most of the backpackers hang out since we had a late start and most restaurants were closed. We then went to Q Bar a night club that is still around from my last visit and danced to some Hip Hop & R&B. Clubs shut down at 1:30/2 similar to LA and Kathy and I had a second wave of energy but options were limited on a monday night. The DJ recommended a club in Patpong the red light district that had a club that stayed open later and we started to head over but when we got there it was getting sketchy so we decided to call it a night. Besides we had our Grand Palace tour at 9.

Thailand Trip Report - coming soon

I finally downloaded some pics but I'm waiting for Kathy pixs as well since she took alot of pixs of me, vice versa. I was missing Reggie so much on the trip but now seeing the pixs I do kinda wish I was back in Thailand. I miss the yummy food and just being on vacation. Above is a preview of the pixs to come. I will try and work on the trip report tonight (This is pretty much a note to myself :)