So Wat?

Hello Family and Friends,

I hope this finds you and yours doing well.  Things here are hopping, so I haven't had much time to catch you up about Cambodia!  Here goes:

On the way to Cambodia, I stayed for 3 nights at the Bangkok home of my friend, Angela, and her sister, Veronica.  Thanks Angela and Veronica for taking such good care of me!

Whilst in Bangkok, I met up with some former colleagues (Mike and Jim), and got my very first set of braids.  This is how it happened:
After meeting up with Mike (we worked together in London), I went to H&M where I saw a black woman with braids.  I asked her where she'd had them done, and she gave me the phone number of the stylist.  I called the stylist while I was still in the store, and got an appointment for the next day, which happened to be my last day in Bangkok before going to Siem Reap.  Patricia is Senegalese and lives in a high-rise near Lumpini Park.  My braiding session took 9 hours!  I honestly don't know how she was able to do it, but she says she does it all the time.  Amazing!  Here's a picture:

Braid-a-thon

Still not sure getting braids was a wise decision on my part.  I'll keep you posted!

Siem Reap was AMAZING!  My hotel (The Golden Banana - http://www.golden-banana.info/) was wonderful, and I fell in love with the Khmer people and their history.  We saw a lot of Wats:-)  'We' included me and my guide, Sopheara (photo below).  Before arriving, I had visions of being bored out of my gourd with so many wats, but to my surprise, it was all very interesting.  So glad I went.  Following is a photo gallery with captions.  Enjoy!

Sopheara - Best Guide Ever!  We laughed a lot:-)

Angkor Wat at sunrise

Me and my braids at Angkor Wat

Apsaras on the columns at Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

For more information about this amazing place, go to this link:
http://www.tourismcambodia.com/attractions/angkor/angkor-wat.htm

Angkor Thom was by far my favorite.  Link here: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/cambodia/angkor-thom

The faces at Bayon Temple had me mesmerized.  I really did not want to leave!

Entrance to Angkor Thom

While it was nice to have Sopheara take pictures - I did manage a few selfies.

Nothing but smiling faces!

A kiss is but a kiss~

My 2nd day in Siem Reap was spent bouncing around in the tuk-tuk on very bumpy roads as we drove to Tonle Sap Lake to see the floating village.  I was told that during the rainy season, the road can be impassable.  More information at this link: http://www.roughguides.com/destinations/asia/cambodia/siem-reap-temples-angkor/tonle-sap-lake/

Ox cart filled with hay on the bumpy road to Tonle Sap

Floating house

Floating store

Floating school (sign says "This school is sponsored by One Child Matter & Assemblies of God")

The sign on this school building says "Tourists please do not disturb the children..."

The boat driver - he looked like he was about 15 years old

A boat similar to ours

The third day was the last day with my guide.  We saw 4 wats...each had its own special charm.  Here's a link to the first temple, Banteay Srei: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/cambodia/angkor-banteay-srei

At the entrance to Banteay Srei

Link for YouTube video Preah Khan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oKXr_ENUoQ

Here's a wikipedia link for Preah Rup: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pre_Rup

Last but not least, we went to Ta Phrom (this is the temple that was highly publicized in the Tomb Raider & Indiana Jones movies.  Here's a link to information about this wonderful place:
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/cambodia/angkor-ta-prohm
A YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkZ09aN-wbQ

Me at Ta Phrom

In Siem Reap, I also went to:

•  Chanrey Tree restaurant.  It was delicious!  http://chanreytree.com/
•  The Cambodian Landmine Museum Relief Fund - http://www.cambodialandminemuseum.org/ 
•  Sala Bai Hotel School (Sopheara, our tuk-tuk driver and I had a delicious lunch here) http://www.salabai.com/html/
• Angkor National Museum (surprisingly well-done) - http://www.angkornationalmuseum.com/
• Phare Cambodian Circus - http://pharecircus.org/

Phare Circus - I laughed throughout the entire show!

• A dinner show at the Kulen II Restaurant that featured Cambodian Musicians and Dancers.  The food was buffet-style and just so-so.  Here are 2 YouTube video samples of the performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_hv7Hyn0BY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uCSMnLgd54

The tuk-tuk that ferried me around Siem Reap - what a delightful experience!

So long until next week!

Bike Sunday

Greetings!  I hope you and yours are well!

Sunday I went on this bike tour:

http://huahinbiketours.com/tours/day-tours/burma-to-the-beach-3-bays-tour/

It was wonderful!  Views were fantastic:-)  But...it took us a lot longer to complete because we had terrible headwinds.  I was good and tired when I finally got home.

Here are some photos:

Burmese border - Daan Sing Korn

At this border crossing, they only allow Thais and Burmese to cross.  So, in lieu of getting arrested attempting to cross into Burma/Myanmar, our guide, Gaye, took us through the market area while the driver/bike mechanic set up our bikes.  In the market, we saw:

Beautiful orchids - 3 for 100 baht (under $3)

Well-crafted very heavy outdoor furniture

On the bike we rode by:

Ao Minoaw (Lemon Cove)

Road between Ao Minaw & Ao Prachuap

Dusky Langur Monkeys near Ao Prachuap

Our guide, Gaye, in front of Wat Ao Noi, where we finished our ride

Ao Noi (Little Bay)

Comments:

• The Hua Hin Aquarium was our first stop but not as photo-worthy as the Georgia Aquarium.
• We passed TONS of fruit farms (mainly pineapple and coconut) and saw loads of sweet potato farms.  We also whizzed by many jackfruit and mango trees.
• This ride was made even sweeter by the 20% discount I received for just knowing David Puckett.  Thanks David!

I'm off to Bangkok and Cambodia for a week.  Blog posts will resume after I return.

Have the best week ever!

Adventure Week

Hi - I hope you're doing well.  It has been an adventurous week.  My new friend, Janet (from Chiang Mai), came to visit me for a few days.  We decided to have lots of adventures by exploring some of the wonderful things about Hua Hin.  What fun!

Janet - at the wonderfully adventurous Jungle Cafe near the Hua Hin Pier

We were both afraid we might fall into the gulf through the covered up holes in the floor!  Still...Jungle Cafe had lots of character, good food and reasonable prices.

View from Jungle Cafe

Beach day!  Wait...every day is beach day here:-)  One day we went to Suan Son Pradipat Beach (http://www.thaiso.com/hua-hin-beaches/suan-son-pradipat-beach.htm) and spent the whole day sitting in comfortable beach chairs, swimming and eating.  The shade trees near the entrance were an extra bonus!

Being silly at Suan Son Pradipat Beach

Another day we hung out at Hua Hin Beach:

Posing at Hua Hin Beach

When we heard there was a vineyard nearby, we booked a reservation.  A 45 minute van ride took us to Hua Hin Hills Vineyard, where we found out that they only export their wine to Japan.  After drinking some of the wine...we now know why they only import to Japan.

After lunch & wine at Hua Hin Hills Vineyard

Hua Hin Hills Vineyard

After much waffling, we finally decided to go to Khao Takiab (http://www.tourismhuahin.com/khao-takiab-huahin.php), where we had heard that monkeys eat out of your hand.  This place is really beautiful, so we were glad we went.  But...we did see a monkey climb up an unsuspecting lady's back and snatch her potato chips right out of her bag.  It was a bit traumatic!  Lesson=don't go to Khao Takiab carrying food of any kind!  We cautiously had a coffee, whilst keeping an eye on those monkeys and the beautiful views!

Monkey waiting on steps leading to Wat Khao Takiab - ready to pounce on anyone with food

View of Khao Takieb Beach from Khao Takieb Temple

Buddha image at the temple

There has been some controversy surrounding Ratchapakdi/Rajabhakti Park.  Janet and I just had to go and see what all the fuss was about.  The statues are massive (http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/649564/giant-king-statues-in-hua-hin-complete-with-photos)!

Me & 6 of the 7 Kings on a very hot day at Ratchapakdi Park

For more about the controversy, go here: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35069188

A huge thanks to Janet for taking pictures of me, so I didn't have to attempt to take any selfies.

 Wishing you Love, Peace and Adventure~

 

What's Up With That?

Hello There!  I hope you've had a wonderfully productive and enjoyable week...I certainly have!  My new digs are becoming more and more familiar to me, and I'm slowly adding my own touches to the condo, so things here feel really good:-)  Plus...the Australian Open is on - whoop!  I never realized what a difference it would make living in Thailand during the Australian Open, but it makes a huge difference.  Melbourne is only 4 hours ahead, so I just finished watching Andy Murray and Milos Raonic play.  Wow!  Amazing stuff!  Won't tell who won~

My first week of Thai reading and writing went well.  I'm the only female in our class of 7 students.  All of the guys want to stay here in Thailand, so they have to prove that they can speak, read and write Thai.  Something about a student visa?  I have no plans of living here permanently.  I'm just doing it because it's fun.   As a matter of fact, I booked my return ticket the other day.  If all goes well and the creek don't rise, I'll be home on August 23rd.  Double whoop!

Hua Hin and Chiang Mai are very different for many reasons.  One of the most remarkable differences (other than the beach) is the number of older white men who are in a relationship with young Thai women.  What's up with that?  Here are two articles that discuss relationships between Thai women and "farangs" (foreigners).  (For those wondering...although it is rare, Thai women also marry black farangs - Tiger Woods is part Thai).
http://oddmyklebust.com/2013/07/11/young-thai-women-and-their-old-white-sexpats/
http://news.thaivisa.com/thailand/new-trend-of-young-educated-thai-women-with-farang-husbands-emerges-researcher/109615/

One thing I keep forgetting to talk about is Thai nicknames.  Thank goodness Thais use nicknames!   Most farangs would have a hard time remembering the real Thai names, let alone pronouncing those names correctly.   My friend Angela (that's her real name) is an exception.  Here's an article about what's up with Thai nicknames in case you're interested:
https://www.into-asia.com/thai_language/reference/nicknames.php

Scenes from the beach this week (wanted to add a few more but the internet is giving me problems tonight).  Next week more pictures - I promise!  PEACE~

Pineapple fried rice from my daily restaurant

Full moon on Hua Hin Beach

Images of Hua Hin

Sawasdee kha!

I hope this finds you and yours doing well.  Things here are still beachy:-)  I've acquired an electric piano, signed up for 4 weeks of Thai classes and played tennis with a tennis pro (the tennis pro won every.single.game*sigh*).  It's been a busy week!

For those of you who would like to know more about Hua Hin, here is a link to get you started:
http://www.tourismthailand.org/About-Thailand/Destination/Hua-Hin

Here are a few images of my 2nd week in Hua Hin:

Motorcycle taxi driver who was nice enough to let me take his picture

Vendor's roasted bananas and sweet potatoes (she did not want her picture taken)

Monk Luang Por Thuad's Statue at Wat Huay Mongkol (that's Aey in the pink hat on the left) - link: https://www.renown-travel.com/daytripshuahin/wathuaymongkol.html

Beach beds can be rented by the day

A man digging for small shellfish

The beach at sunset

Enjoying the sunset with a Mai Tai

Have a great week!

Life's a Beach!

Dear Wonderfully Supportive Family and Friends,

I hope this finds you all doing well.  Let me take a moment to say again that I could not do any of this without your support.  Thank you for continuing to encourage me through this bucket-list-adventure of mine.  I am an amazingly fortunate person to have you in my life!

While in Bangkok last week, I re-connected with some of my former co-workers.  We laughed a lot and reminisced about our days working for the Orderly Departure Program.  What fun!

The food we ate.

Orn, Me, Ai and Yee at Eat Thai in the Central Embassy mall food court

Ruby, Me, Taew and Noi - dessert time at Anna & Charlie's Cafe

Here are the links to the restaurants in case you'd like more information:
http://www.bangkok.com/magazine/eathai-food-court.htm#
www.annacharlie.net

I am currently at my final living destination - Hua Hin:-)  I arrived late Monday afternoon and was met by David Puckett, and his friend and neighbor, Alan.  In true DP style, he invited me to have a beer to celebrate my arrival.  I love this guy!  For those who may not know, Dave was Bob's boss when we lived in Thailand 25+ years ago.  He's married to a lovely Thai woman, Aey (pronounced "A").  Aey was on a trip to visit her family, so Dave and Alan got me settled into "the condo" where I'll be staying.

"The condo" is a double condo because the landlord (a friend of Aey's), and her late husband, bought two condos and combined them.  The landlord now lives and works in Bangkok and doesn't have much time to use this condo.  It has 6 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms, and is a short walk from the beach.   I'm so thankful to her for allowing me to stay here for a while; and also to Aey for securing it for me.  Fortune continues to shine down on me.  So...how does one person settle into something this big?  It'll be fun figuring that out!  Hopefully I'll have some visitors??!!??

Double condo - my bedroom is the balcony on the right

My bedroom

So far, the best things (besides the condo) about being here in Hua Hin are getting to spend time with Aey and David, and being able to go to the beach whenever I want.  I've never stayed at the beach for more than a week, so it will be interesting living here for 7+ months.  What I've learned so far is that mid-morning is not a good time to go to the beach unless you want to be baked.  Early morning is better, but I have this problem about getting up.  So...I've settled on going to the beach right before the sun sets.  This time seems to suit me best because you get beautiful views and wonderful breezes.

Morning beach view

Beach right before sunset (view of a man and his horse)

Life's a real beach these days! 

On the Road Again

Happy New Year!  Over the past couple of weeks, I have moved twice.  I moved out of my long-term residence into a hotel for 10 days.  And this week, I traveled from Chiang Mai to Bangkok, where I'm staying in another hotel.  

While I'm in Bangkok this time, I plan to meet up with some old friends and see a few sights.  There is so much to see and do here!

So far, I've acquainted/re-acquainted myself with the following sights – the Skytrain, Brown Sugar Jazz Pub, the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, Lumpini Park, several malls and areas.  It would take a lifetime or longer to hit every nook and cranny.  The city is crammed with people, buildings, cars and stuff!  I'm tempted to buy about 50 things a day, but I manage to talk myself out of it - thank goodness!

Sky-train – what a lovely addition to this city!  It has been my main means of transportation and works amazingly well – it’s efficient, safe and nicely air-conditioned. Here's the link to the website:

http://www.bts.co.th/index_CoverPage.html

Brown Sugar Jazz Pub – http://www.brownsugarbangkok.com/ – This is not the same bar (they moved) that I sang in 25+ years ago, but it still has some very good talent.  One of the singers that I like is Natt Buntita, who made it onto The Voice Thailand.  She was singing the night that I went, along with her guitar accompanist, Junior.  She has a beautiful voice and can scat like nobody’s business.  It was well worth the harrowing taxi ride that I took to get there!  If you click on the Brown Sugar link above, you will find some You Tube videos of Natt and other singers.  Here's a picture that I took:

Natt Buntita & Junior at Brown Sugar Jazz Pub

Grand Palace –  To get to the Grand Palace, I took the sky-train to the pier, then boarded a Chao Phrya River boat for 14 baht (about 50 cents).  There are several stops.  From the Grand Palace stop, I was able to walk just a few minutes to the Grand Palace complex.  It is a large complex that includes Wat Phra Kaew (Emerald Buddha Temple).  The Emerald Buddha is Thailand's most sacred Buddha. The only unfortunate thing about my visit was that the place was crawling with hordes of tourists (mainly Chinese).  Several busloads must have been dropped off just before I went in*sigh*.  This made it difficult to maneuver, and made me wonder if famous attractions should consider having a “tour bus free” day??!!??   More information about this amazing place can be found at this link:  http://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/The-Grand-Palace--52

Grand Palace from the entrance

One nice surprise was a free ticket to enter the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles.  They had a weaving demonstration and a few giveaways.  The upstairs of this elegant building houses dresses that were worn by the Queen during several state visits.  Also housed here is an exhibition in honor of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's 60th birthday.  It includes over 200 objects that she has collected from her travels around the world.  I found this museum very interesting.  The air conditioning added to my enjoyment!

 

Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) – it is located directly behind the Grand Palace, and seemed to have fewer tour groups.  This made it very nice to walk around and sit in the gardens.
I was awestruck by the huge reclining Buddha! 

For more information and pictures, click here: http://www.bangkok.com/attraction-temple/wat-po.htm#

Lumpini Park – I have wonderful memories of going for early morning runs in this park.  As a retiree, I find it hard to get up most mornings these days, but one day I forced myself out of bed and walked to this gem.  Near the entrance, an exercise class was in full swing.  There were multitudes of different Tai Chi groups, as well as other exercising groups.  They all seemed to require that participants wear the same color t-shirt.  I didn’t see any snake charmers like I did when I lived here, but I did see quite a few Monitor Lizards.  These guys are not small! 

Monitor Lizard heading for the water

I also found the gym, swimming pool and tennis court complex.  One can obtain membership to the complex for 40 baht (about $1.20) a YEAR!  Incredible. Here's a link if you want to know more about Lumpini park:  http://www.bangkok.com/sport-parks---activities/lumpini-park.htm 

One day this week, I watched an excellent 2014 movie on Netflix entitled “Boy Meets Girl” – about a transgender woman.  This got me thinking how I haven’t yet talked about Thailand’s Lady-boy population on my blog.  I would be totally remiss if I didn’t include some information about this.  I love how amazingly integrated Lady-boys (the Thai word is Katoey – not considered a nice word) are into Thai culture.  They use the feminine ending “kha” instead of the male ending “khrap” (some gay men also use "kha").  Thais do not appear to make fun of Lady-boys – they appear to embrace them.  What a novel concept!  Here is a link about lady-boys in Thailand.  Please watch the video at the end - it's in Thai, but you should be able to understand what's going on. 

http://www.thethailandlife.com/thailand-katoey-8-ways-spot-thai-ladyboy

Here's the wiki explanation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathoey 

I'll be on the road again on Monday, when I head for my final living destination - Hua Hin.  Talk to you sometime next week!