Trip report Thailand

[jflattracker]

Sounds like you are having a great time! Can't wait for more pictures!

[Andiline]

Day 12 - 14
Nothing much to tell... was too tired to do much so I just relaxed on the beach or went with Monique to Patong to do some shopping. In Patong we sat in a bar and had a white whine while we watched the european (male) tourists with their thai girl friends walking around. It's not so nice seeing that but I guess the girls just take what they can get. I am not judging anyone but on the other hand I can't understand that the guys are really believing that the girls wait for them to come back (what lots of them do is look for another boyfriend while the other one is away though).... some might actually wait but the majority doesn't.

Flight to Bangkok uneventful (apart from the fact that the elephant baby was born during my fllight but that's another story... ).

Once I was in my hotel I had a first glimpse on the river which I can see from my room (that's why I booked this hotel with river view) Later on I went to look for a pharmacy as I somehow had gotten an ear infection and I desperately needed eardrops. So I went around in the streets surrounding my hotel but it's strange to look for something if you can't read what's written on the shops. And in the small streets it was amazing what you see. I didn't take much pictures there as I didn't want to impose on anybody. For example I saw one house which had an opening in the front (don't know if it can be closed at all) and inside there was a bed (like the ones you see in a hospital) and someone was lying in it. Maybe an old, sick grandmother who still needs to be entertained by watching people passing by. Don't know as I didn't want to stare...

Found a pharmacy in a supermarket and went back to the hotel. The streets are not really what I am used too so I first had to get accustomed to it... didn't do much for the rest of the day (at least not on the streets in Bangkok).

Day 15
Had to get up early and was surprised when I came down that I was asked for my room number when I stepped out of the elevator. Looks like they control that only people who checked in are actually staying here. Might be a side-product of the sex-tourism in Thailand. But not sure. It's the first time this happened to me.

Had booked a half day tour to the kings palace and the lying and the emerald buddas. The way there was already interesting as we were stuck in traffic... I learned that the guys with orange vests on motos are moto-taxis. And I was surprised how green Bangkok is. There are lots of blooming trees and other plants around. I didn't expect that.

Firsts we went to the golden Budda. It's just a small one but crowded all the same. There are street vendors who take yor pics when you go in and when you come out they try to sell you a badge with your pic on it. They want about 5 bucks for it, so it's not really a bargain. But they have to react quickly as always groups of people come out together and they have to look whom they have badges for....

Once we were at the Kings Palace it was just amazing. There are big colourful buidlings and sculputures everywhere. There is lots of gold involved too and as the sun was shining it was glittering everywhere. Here is one teaser pic again...



We stayed at the Kings Palace for more than one hour. It is amazing that whenever you think that there can't be something more beautiful you walk around the corner and you stop and your mouth falls open. I especially liked the sculptures. Those wearing shoes are demons, those without are monkeys. And then there are the Kinnares, half humand-half bird... went inside several of the buildings but it's not always allowed to take pics. In the hall of the Emeral Buddha we got instructions how to behave as for example it is not allowed to point your feet to the Buddha.

After these amazing hours at the King's Palace we went to the Lying Budda (he is not telling lies he is just lying... hope speeling is correct... ) and he is made out of pure gold. He is sooo HUGE. It's the biggest on ein Thailand and if you just see the pic you will not be able to get a realistic idea of how huge he was....

From there I came back to the hotel and it was lots of traffic again. But it was nice to be able to watch people on the sidewalks. You can buy food nearly everywhere on the sidewalks and I took lots of pics from the bus too....

Now I am tired and might retire to the pool (question is whether another thunderstorm is coming up which is what I suspect). But I might sleep a little bit as I have two full-day excursions booked for the next two days. Might be a good idea to relax a little bit as it is HOT outside.

[Andiline]

Just took another stroll outside and I believe that the area around my hotel is not among the best ones in Bangkok. Found some places where obviously very poor people live. They just have huts made of corrugated iron above a small canal and some don't even have the huts but sleep near the walls (their sleeping bags were hanging there).

What I forgot to mention so far too is that you see big portraits of King Bhumipol everywhere. Most of them have the thai flag and flowers around them and near many of these pictures is the sign 'long live the king'.

As I am a little bit hungry I looked out for something to eat but it's hard to get something to eat if you can't even read the menue....

[Andiline]

As we have thunderstorms again I was busy for you... Here are some pics from Phuket...

The beach at my hotel in BangTao


A gas station...


Pattong Beach


This is one of the altars people set up in places where someone has died.


Public transportation...


This 'altar' (or whatever it is called) shows a little bit how holy elephants are...


I liked this budda facing the ocean...


That was taken when I heard all those shots and then the smell came over... (should be a profume but I don't really like it).


Buddistic monks


Wat Chalong, the biggest temple in Phuket


Some of the statues inside Wat Chalong


This is a much smaller temple (which was much more colourful than Wat Chalong) in the neighbour village of Bangtao

[Jacko]

Fantastic pictures! How exciting all this seems! The colors are just wonderful....more, more!

[Tesla 573]

Beautiful pictures, very interesting part of the world, Thanks for sharing this with us.

[Ginger]

Andrea, thanks SO much for the report and wonderful photos! I am enjoying it all immensely.

[Rissask]

Great pictures Andrea and still enjoying your reporting very much!

[cpfstich]

Excellent report Andrea, thanks!

[Andiline]

Day 16
Last day. Will have to pack my stuff this evening as I will leave for the airport after tomorrows day trip.

Had to get up early again as we were heading out of Bangkok to the floating markets in Damnoen Saduak. First stop was at an 'Orchid garden'. They actually had some orchids and you could watch how coconut oil is made but for the rest it was all souvenir shops. Then we continued and when arrived at Damnoen Saduk we were loaded in Longtail boats and made a tour through the canals. I liked that part as there are lots of houses at those canals, people wash in the canals and as the houses were built somehow with nothing below there were hammocks below the houses... looked really cozy. Then we arrived at the floating market and I had read somewhere that it's mostly tourist scam nowadays. Have to say that this is true. We were pestered by guys who wanted to sell us tiger balm or other stuff. I don't like it when they touch me to get my attention (I am not buying anything anyways). This time when pics of us were made, they made little plates out of them. I am waiting for the guys who make towels with my pic (maybe tomorrow ). As we had been loaded off the boat very immediately after having arrived at the floating market I was not really surprised that our bus was just outside....

From there we headed to Phra Pathom Pagoda which is the biggest Chedi (special form - you will see it on the pics later on) in Thailand and THAT was impressing. Thailand doesn't cease to amaze me. There are so many different and amazing buildings. The Pagoda today was golden again and there were several altars around (one in each direction - west, north, south and east). On the main one you could see people putting leeve-gold on budda statues. There were buddistic monks again. Two were arriving when I was up there and I moved away as the buddistic monks are not allowed to touch women (not even their mothers) or take something from women (has to be put on the ground first before the monk can take it). On a tour around the Chedi we saw little boys in clothes like the monks wear but they were not orange but white. They had their heads shaved and coloured in yellow or green. When we asked our tour guide he told us that those boys are 'trial monks'. They have 3 months to decide whether they really would be monk. Hard decision for 7 year old boys. But often the parents are poor so for them it's easier as the boy gets food and a good education from the monks. Don't know whether being a monk is so easy as they can't wear shoes, have to follow 267 rules and are supposed to eat only in the morning (they go and get their food from the inhabitants of the villages where they live). But on the other hand they can cease being a monk and get married or something like that.

There were lots of different budda statues around the Chedi as well. As nobody really knows how budda looked like all the statues have different faces. It was really impressing.

Next stop was at a wood-handycraft factory. They do lots of great stuff. I finally bought a small elephant which is fishing... (you can put it on a shelve and it just sits there and fishes...). Had seen something like this at the beach in Bangtao when one of the vendors passed by but hadn't bought it.

From there we went to a Rose Garden where we had a lunch buffet. Was supposed to be thai food but first thing I read was 'Sauerkraut' (which by the way was not even Sauerkraut but red coleslaw). Food was good though just not thai. They had a nice garden around and I saw some very strange flowers which I hadn't seen before. There was a show then with traditional thai dances, Thai Boxing, a wedding ceremony and stuff like that. What I found very rude was that even before the show was at an end, people jumped up and ran out. But not only a few but nearly everybody. This was ridiculous as the busses don't go without people being there... Haven't seen anything like this before. The crowd on the stage (and there were lots of children) didn't even get a final applause.

When we came out of the theatre it was raining again but no problem as we just had to head back to Bangkok.

Ginger, when you go to Thailand, make sure to bring PLENTY of memory space as I know you will take lots and lots of pics. While being on the streets today I realized again how colourful this country is. Every village has it's own temple and even the trucks and busses are in bright colours. It's an amazing country.... you find foto opportunity everywhere. I don't know how many pics of these little 'ghost houses' in front of the buildings I have...

And Ginger and Rissa, what I found here is that I needed way more cash than I usually need on my trips. I am used to paying everything with credit card but in Thailand this is often not possible. So take traveller cheques or your ATM card with you. I had both but used the traveller cheques only when I didn't have an ATM around.

When I just went to the Supermarket to buy a can of beer the guy at the cash register took the can away and then showed my a notice on paper that due to election day tomorrow they stopped selling alcohol at 6 pm today. If you want to buy alcohol this sometimes is possible only at certain hours anyway (saw some signs on Phuket indicating as much).

[Doggiemom]

Andrea, I'm lovin your trip report and pics!!!!!

[Andiline]

Just working on some of the dive pics... will post them in a little bit but in another thread as I guess some divers who do not follow this post might be interested.

[cuffedlinks]

Andrea,

Just wanted to say Thank You SO much for this wonderful report...
and all the reports from your travels.
Even the ones right outside your window...

[Thor Henning]

Great pictures and report Andrea. Thanks very much for posting! Some day I will go to Thailand too.

[Andiline]

Just got back from another awesome day-trip. It's funny that I have to work tomorrow... Will write the trip report either later on when I have my stuff ready and might be bored or once I am home.

Just one remark: it was another awesome day. There is hardly any temple left in Thailand which I don't have on a pic... We came back to Bangkok from Ayutthaya by boat and there were lots and lots of temples on the riverside... was a great way to finish my vacation...

And I even u nderstand now why Thailand is so colourful. They have a colour for every day of the week. The colour for today (sunday) is red. I had seen that all the pics of the King which you see verywhere are decorated in yellow. I thought that this was a kind of gold representing the crown. Today I learned that the yellow decoration is because the king is born on a tuesday and yellow is the colour of tuesday... Very unusual for us.

Andrea