BANGKOK
* Yummy street food our fav: chicken and pork satay, safe and North American friendly....We agree to challenge our comfort zone a little: include unique tidbits like grilled or deep fried beetles, ants, and grubs. Looking for snake steak too. The deal is we buy a diverse selection e.g. a few of each for each of us to fight over. Stay tuned. On a brave day. Soon.
* EVERYWHERE: there are fashionable, thin, teeny tiny people. Thousands of them, like graceful and lovely ants. The females have an average BMI of .2% body fat, I swear they DO NOT SWEAT. Perfect make-up, dark hair sleek and shining, and falling gracefully around shoulders. They stroll through the malls, metro and sidewalks teetering confidently on 7" Jimmy Choos worth my (current) annual income, lovingly clinging to a metrosexual boyfriend ever so casually attaired head to pointy toe in Gucci... they smile prettily at the boyfriend while daintly texting on the newest Apple IPOD 5, with a perfectly manicured left hand, baby finger only. I am amazed at the sight. It's like visiting another planet. I want to ask: 'how did THIS happen to you?' "How do you DO it?" "Is it, like a full time job?" Wow.... And if they happen to look my way I'm sure they would think the same thing about me!
Shopping: See my Jimmy Choo's hand bags? No? Well you will!
FYI Fashion coming to you soon: sheer tinted material loose fitting tunic tops over dresses, tights, etc, and see through skirts from nylon or lacy material over mini or shorter skirts. That's all I've noticed to date... more (maybe) to come!
* Gee we're glad to be travel savvy, experienced travellers - to date we've been pick-pocketed two times: My (sob) IPOD in Nepal and Jim's new REI day pack at Mo Chit, Bangkok's biggest weekend market. We ARE smart enough to NOT have our wallets,, passports, camera, and Jim's IPOD in the pack.
* Bangkok's Mercy Hospital: casually wandered in to have Jim's lipoma (benign tumor on his back) assessed by a surgeon, just a vague thought of POSSIBLY accessing medical services here. For us it is a preliminary exploration only. Unknown to us, it is serious business... as soon as we cross the threshold we are sucked into a vortex of Thai hospitality, tourism health care industry and health care professionals at our beck and call . Sooner than you can say 'Mastercard' Jim finds himself strapped into a wheelchair and in the OR - within 2 hours.
Post-op: I personally think he suits robin egg blue and should have been a Doctor!
There was no waiting, the beautifully dressed and made-up greeter pounced on us and had Jim's name, passport copy, hotel information and Jim's medical 'issue' fully documented before the sweat dried on our shirts. We were advised he could see the surgeon immediately. And he did. His savings for the proceedure: about 30% USD (estimate was $3000, Jim's total here $900)
Me: I had zero intentions of doing anything. But Busy Mouth Jim in Surgery just happened to mention an issue with a my back molar... and Four hours later I've consulted with a skin specialist re a varicous vein on my leg (treatment about 30% of Canada's) and assessed by a dentist, complete with Xray on my troublesome tooth.. total cost $17. Jim is out of surgery.... And we find our selves back out on the street slightly bewildered,farily impressed, and several dollars lighter.
So.. we explore a local market.... 3 blocks from the hospital look what we find!
Gee I think I want chicken satay thanks....
These I like these much more... sweet yummy pineapple!
WOMEN'S PRISON FOOT MASSAGE
The Thai Princess is instrumental in setting up the women's program including a restaurant (cooking and serving, and massage clinic. Inmates attend a 2 month Thai Massage course the last 4 months of their sentence they work in the massage clinic. They earn 50% of the fee which goes towards a fund for their release. It was a very fun - and majorly refreshing after a hot sweaty day on a heritage walk in the downtown city area. Have to admit to great reservations regarding full body or back or neck or ..... massage. In my book 2 months of superficial massage training does not qualify ANYONE to crack my bones, manipulate joints and prod nerves!
.Overnight Train: from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. we have no idea what happened in the middle of
the night but our arrival in Chiang Mai was over 2 hours late and 15 hours after departing Bangkok.
Beds: the bottom bunk mattress was almost a full regular sized single bed! And the mattresses are at
least twice as thick as India trains Almost as good but no chai tea and no transvisties shaking down
the local men for a pay off to get rid of them We totally got the giggles when breakfast time comes
along and we start peparing our meal. The very polite and proper middle aged lady sitting across
from us was astounded by our performance and self contained equipment and food:
* first, my handy dandy electical water wand, (thanks Suzan, it's STILL working!) plugged into an outlet near the floor and within seconds
* water is bubbling happily in my MEC stainless steel coffee pot
* water effeciently mixed with instant coffee
* followed by two folded tupperwear bowls being popped open on the table, with a folding spoon
also clicked open
* pour in Muesli cereal, topped with instant milk,, dribble half cup of water and mix.
* Sliced bananas, peeled oranges, and a few mangostene
* a few yummy danish items - making sure we're not TOO healthy
Good thing we didn't need to take out the steripen to water filter!!!!
and onward we go, for hours and hours passing perfect little train stops, with flower pots, neat walkways and buildings. I often think of Isaiah - the train guy in the family! He would love the trip!
Here is Jim sitting by a lovely view - happy in Second Class Air Con, Berth - thanks much!
CHAING MAI
Portable bar - fully equipped with ice, all variety of liquer and mixes even with fresh limes and mint
leaves for a Mojeto.. little wooden stools to seat 10 -12 patrons gathered around the back of the pick up. Totally fun, nice vibe with music playing and patio lights draped oround the roof. Enjoyed visiting with 4 travellers from Switzerland, with their opening comment to the bartender: "we've been looing for the bar! you moved it 40 meters down the street'! before they settled on a stool and made themselves at home!
ELEPHANT TOUR
Oh, I have lots to say about this! Many thoughts about our visit with the elephants. Jim was thrilled with the whole experience and his thoughts are that the elephants are being well cared for, and learning tricks like playing soccer, sitting down like a teddy bear on their hind quarters, performing like Gumbo, and having tourists sit on their trunks, etc is good for them. Learning tricks and performing is much better for them than being idle. And they are SO smart!!! It is amazing to see what they can learn and do.
A two year old baby - how adorable can he be?
My thoughts - these incredible, powerful, very intelligent mammals have been abused for centuries, and their population is rapidly decreasing. I wouldn't want to guess how many are left in the wild. Unfortunately I believe the only way they will survive as a species IS in captivity or in protected national parks (even then poaching continues). It bothers me to see them chained, pacing on the spot back and forth repeatedly... performing tricks on command, and having tourists (including me ride them, maul them, treat them as a circus side show). Where and how do we draw the line? There are several Elephant Camps that say they are educating people about elephants and their needs, and do not have them perform tricks or any of the other aspects of exploting them. They charge a lot of money so it's difficult to support their efforts and I would still wonder if it REALLY is humane? However, elephants clearly need protection from us, and to live they require a ton of food each day, and food costs money, and money comes from people, and so elephants work for people to earn money to feed themselves. ugh I get it.
But I want them all to be free, in the jungle, safe from poachers but be able to see them in the wild, living in their community like they are meant to be. I would be happy to give up the ride, the paintings, sitting on their knees, seeing them play soccer please Santa can I have elephants freed this year for Christmas? Oh and tigers too. please.
ELEPHANT ARTIST - PAINTINGS ARE SOLD STARTING AT $30/EACH. IF only I could paint half as well! Proceeds go to the expense of elephant care.
Sailor Jim - steering the raft - briefly! Tally HO!
ORCHID FARM
So pretty! So many photos! Thinking of Brenda and John Davis, both of whom love orchids.... my favourite photo:
KAYAN LONG NECKED TRIBE
Burmase refugees - The women wear heavy brass coils starting about age 7 as a beauty statement. The coils depress the collar bone and rib cage, which makes their necks look unnaturally long. The women take them off at will and their seems to be no health issues associated with wearing them. The Kayan villages rely on tourism to survive.
I gave feedback to the tour guide about the village and way the shops are set up and the goods they are trying to sell. She promised to pass the information on to the village and to hopefully help. There are about 25 little shops, which are open on 3 sides with a bamboo roof covering them. Each shop sells exactly the same scarves and other souveniers, with no variety in design, color, or fabric.
Good thing we're only here for a few days! It would be an amazing project to work with the women and figure out what some options might be. They are lovely, quiet and gentle people who desparately need help. The families depend on the women selling to tourists and the men working as labourers for the Thais.
