3 Sites you must see in Bangkok, Thailand! I traveled to Thailand in March for a dive trip, and my daughter, Alexandra, joined me for a look at Bangkok, the City of Angels. We decided that there are 3 Sites you must see while you are in Bangkok!
[Read more…] about 3 Sites you must see in Bangkok, Thailand!
Bangkok is the City of Angels. Well, it is also known as Sin City, but hey, so is Los Angeles, right? Bangkok needs several blogs to do it justice, but here’s a fact: my daughter and I absolutely fell in love with it. It was not at all what I expected. What did I expect? A smog infested, no emission standards, hot, hellish place. (It was HOT. And humid.) What did I receive? Flowers upon our arrival at the hotel, Thai Wai’s (the Thai greeting), new cars and motorcycles and scooters, and emission standards so black smoke is NOT coming from the vehicles. One can breathe. Bangkok is a pleasant, large city.
Photos of the King, and Queen, are everywhere. Thailand loves their King, known as Rama IX. There are government protests going on right now, but they are aimed at the Prime Minister, not the King. “Lese Majesty”, or disrespect of the King, is still a punishable offense in Thailand. The protests in Bangkok are not easily explained, but have to do with the continued influence of a former Prime Minister. We did hear and even see the protestors once or twice. Since we were there, the Prime Minister of Thailnd has been removed, and a new caretaker Prime Minister has been installed. Here is a link to the news: http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/07/world/asia/thailand-yingluck-abuse-power-verdict/
Bangkok is foodie heaven…the street food is amazing! Mango with sticky rice, grilled banana, chicken satays, pad thai, fruit, fruit, and more fruit….so fresh and sweet, I could not believe it! I have never eaten so much fruit in my entire life. It tastes so good! Mango, watermelon, pineapple, bananas, dragon fruit…. from what I can research, crops are not GMO (genetically modified organisms). If that is the difference in taste, then the USA needs to go back to the “real thing”. Delicious!
There is a shrine, temple or spirit house on every corner. Someone told me there are 30,000 temples or shrines in Bangkok, and I completely believe it! Each one is beautiful. The majority of the Wats (temples) are Thai, but some are Chinese. One can tell the difference immediately as Thai Buddhism is gold, ornate, and intricate. Chinese buddhist temples are very colorful with dragons and Fu Dogs and other creatures.
Something else Bangkok has is plenty of “ladyboys”, or “katoeys”. Alexandra, my daughter, and I decided to go to a cabaret called Calypso, a ladyboy show similar to “The BirdCage” (movie). Ladyboys are men who are transitioning into females, or transsexuals, but also transvestites. In most cases, you would never know in a million years that they have, or had, male parts. Absolutely beautiful! The show was mostly old show tunes, including “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” and Ethel Merman’s “There’s no business like showbusiness”, but there were also Thai and Asian themes…the most beautiful was a dance with fans. Headed to Thailand? Be sure to take in a ladyboy show!
From the canals (complete with HUGE monitor lizards!) to the river to the floating market, the temples and shrines and shopping and dining, and the flower and fruit markets, Bangkok aims to please. And it certainly does. More to follow!
Phang Nga Bay and James Bond Island!
Visiting Phang Nga Bay, James Bond Island, and the Bat Cave! James Bond seems to like me….a Bond movie was made in Cozumel, I was just at Thunderball Grotto in the Bahamas, and now I have seen the needle like island in Phang Nga National Park where “Man with the Golden Gun” was filmed. I’ve never been a big Bond fan…maybe I should be? [Read more…] about Visiting Phang-Nga Bay, James Bond Island, and the Bat Cave!
If you are looking for a quiet beach vacation in Thailand, Patong Beach is NOT for you! Wow! Party, party, party. Patong is busy 24 hours a day. I did find a quiet spot: the Amari Beach Resort in Patong Beach is off of the main party beach, but close enough to walk. Not to mention beautiful and service oriented and clean! Perfect.
I jumped off the boat, said goodbye to my Deep Andaman Queen diving buddies, and rode the minibus (it took forever) to my hotel. Phuket is about the same size as Cozumel Island in Mexico, but here is the difference: Cozumel has about 80,000 people living there….Phuket has over a million! After checking in, showering and relaxing, my daughter, Alexandra, arrived from Dallas via Manila and Bangkok. She had some adventures, which I will feature as a guest blog! So begins daughter and mommy vacation time. We have a full itinerary planned!
We spent a relaxing day at the hotel, and the next morning we went off to Phang Nga National Park, where James Bond Island is located. I didn’t care much about James Bond, but the scenery, canoeing through lagoons and caves, and going to see the Cave of the Reclining Buddha (Monkey Cave) was a draw. We had an absolutely lovely day. We were the only Americans on the boat…it is so intriguing, listening to the different languages. I enjoy meeting people from other cultures. I will do a photo blog tomorrow or the next day on Phang Nga…it is spectacularly beautiful, and what one thinks of when one hears “Thailand”. Ally and I had a marvelous time!
We did spend our last day exploring the city of Patong Beach, a massive tourist attraction in itself. Shopping, shopping and more shopping! Bar after bar after bar! Ladyboy shows! An elephant show we did NOT do, as it is a terrible thing to make elephants perform “tricks” and “play” football. I plan to do a blog specifically on elephants, and the need to do ethical tourism.
Want botox? 200 baht! 7 bucks! Want your lips puffed up? They have that too. There are many, many “massage” businesses, most of which will give you a “happy ending” if you so desire! I don’t know if they perform this “massage” on women, but it is infamous for men. There are so many of them…some of the masseuses are katoeys, or ladyboys. You know, transvestites or transsexuals. Did you know that Thailand is on the cutting edge of transgender surgery? Anyway, massage can be pretty exotic here. I had my massage at the hotel, where the happy ending is most definitely NOT an option. I decided I did not need to do any personal research into the practice!
We especially enjoyed traveling by tuk-tuk!
There are still some pieces of paradise…check out Koh Chang, a blog by Wife With Baggage.
The Similan Islands are in Thailand, in the Andaman Sea. Getting back into Thailand was not nearly as difficult as getting into Myanar was. I did get off the boat and wander around Kawthaung, Myanmar a bit, but they have NO emission standards, and it didn’t take long to get sick off of the fumes from the cars and motorbikes. Also, Myanmar is not filled with tourists, and the sight of my blonde hair (I think it was the hair) created a stir. Many stares, and a few people followed me around, which made me a little nervous. I was even asked for my passport! (I didn’t have it, it was still in the immigration office!) Not to mention that it was so hot and humid I couldn’t stand it. I was ready to get back on the boat in half an hour!
Our last two dives of the trip were on the Boonsung Wreck. What a beautiful site! The wreck is a mess…spread out all over the place, but the fish and creatures living there are amazing! I really enjoyed these dives. The “schools” or shoals of fish were so thick you had to wave them away to take photos! I confess that one of my very favorite things to do is to sneak into a shoal and become one of them. They quickly form themselves around you, and you instantly have new friends!
The wreck had so much life! Shrimps, fish, eels, nudibranches, crabs….the list goes on. It was truly beautiful. Enjoy these photos!
It is Sunday, March 2nd, and no, I have not yet left for my dive trip. I have a late check out and decided to use some of my time to have a massage. Oh EM GEE. Exclamation.
Of course, the Breezes Spa is just about the farthest building from the lobby. Getting there is all uphill, but coming back all downhill. After the climb, I was more than ready for a treatment. Since I have the tightest muscles on earth, I decided to go for Deep Tissue, called the “Invigorating Massage, to leave Chronic Tension behind”. I could do very well with leaving my chronic tension behind! And my masseuse, Longluk, did her best to oblige. She realized very quickly the challenges presented to her. ( If you are a guy, you can stop reading now. Really!)
I had a spinal fusion when I was 18, and it broke down completely after my second pregnancy. As it continued to worsen, I started gaining weight, and by the time I had my anterior and posterior spinal osteotomy at Johns Hopkins in 2000, I was barely able to walk. The surgery was a great success, but it took a good year of recovery, and a few years later I had an unfortunate run in with MRSA, the staph infection everyone fears (and for very good reason). I had an attempted abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) which turned into a nightmare when MRSA entered the picture. I won’t go into great detail…it was much worse than having back surgery, or any other illness I have ever had. It took 3 months to clear the infection and do a skin graft that took. I am left with a lower tummy that looks like a great white shark took a bite out of me, and a bulging upper tummy (especially on the left side) which should actually be my lower tummy. I know I need to get it fixed…it is painful, but the threat of another MRSA infection has stayed my hand.
My muscles are so tight, and Longluk was surprised. My legs are solid muscle, so are my arms, from Pilates, and I am quite flexible thanks to yoga. Looking at me, you wouldn’t think it, but it is true. The weight that clings to my upper body is distressing to me, I don’t like to even look at myself in the mirror. I have decided to ignore things like arthritis (which I’ve had for a very long time) and fibromyalgia (I decided I just don’t believe I have it), thyroid issues and my back. And of course, diabetes, which runs in my biological family like wildfire. I keep my numbers within range with diet and exercise. In short, I behave like an active, thinner person. Snorkeling and diving are my salvation, I am passionate about the ocean and all of its creatures, and underwater I feel strong and pain free (the support of the water, even in a pool, creates less gravity, and floating is wonderful.) Maybe I should live in space. Or have an operation to get gills so I could stay underwater. Anyway. Add stress and 3 days of carrying dive gear, luggage, camera equipment, etc, and I’m strung like a bow.
She was fantastic! Very strong. I feel like I’ve been in a prizefight with Rocky Balboa. She did miracles with my neck and shoulders which are always painful. The pain was blinding at times ( I didn’t know all of those tight muscles and things were even in my body), but now….ahhh. A swim, a shower, and in less than 3 hours, I get picked up for my dive trip.
Life is good.
