July 13th, 2011
We arrived back in Singapore in the late afternoon via Ferry from Bintan, and I have to admit that it really set in that this trip would be over. You could tell everyone else was in a similar mindset, Linda in particular was more cranky. It was understandable these were the last couple of days that she would be spending with her daughter and son (Jen and Alex) and it would be back to the reality of life in Canada. In the end, we tried to make the best of the situation at hand.
We had big ideas- the Night Safari and I was hoping we might get to the bird sanctuary as well. When fatigue set in, we scaled our plans back. Alex and Kate were still in Bintan and would not be back for a few hours, so we decided to head to Holland Village for dinner. This area is sort of trendy, with bars, restaurants, and shops. The closest analogue I can think of in Toronto would be The Annex or High Park perhaps.
Doug and Anne decided to split off from us and go to a pub down the street while the rest of us headed into the hawker stalls (the open air food courts I've previously talked about). I was very reassured when I saw that each of the stalls were graded by the health authority. I chose one rated with an A but the worst grade I saw was a B. I picked up some beef ho fun for 4.50 Singapore dollars, that's maybe $3 Canadian in the usually more expensive Singapore. Everyone else got similarly good deals and we added some Tiger beer for good measure- we are really starting to sound like boozers aren't we? Two large beers between 4 people, and minimal public embarrassment- nothing to apologize for.
July 14th, 2011
The last day. It has come to this. The dread of returning to daily life ramps up but we remind ourselves we have a long travel day ahead of us the next day. We all headed out to the Botanical Gardens, a 20 minute walk from Jen's place. The highlight of a short but sweet visit was The Orchid Garden which contains a large number of orchid varieties including some that were developed in Singapore to celebrate the visits of world leaders including former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and one named after Canada's wisecracking former PM, Jean Chretien. Another bonus was the mossy forest/highlands- which simulated a climate much like Cameron Highlands, a nice place to cool off in another unforgiving summer day.
Andrea and I along with her parents went up Orchard Rd for some last minute shopping. This trek eventually took us into the massive Ion Orchard shopping centre, one of the many shopping spots along the strip. Andrea grabbed a shirt at Zara for our night on the town, and I was tempted to buy something but restrained myself. Pressed for time, we hopped on the subway to Sommerset- as I wanted to grab a souvenir for someone at the Charlie Brown Cafe.
After a quick dinner, we headed back for a quick swim in the pool. Another opportunity to get some relief from the heat. Then we all regrouped, freshened up, and headed pit to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Jen's partner Rennie met us there and we headed up to the top of the hotel for the chocolate buffet.
This was a crazy indulgent experience, chocolate of every imaginable variety- jams, mousse, fondue, breads, cookies, tarts, among other things. After one plate full, I could barely bring myself to eat more. It was $40, so I was not about to waste that money, so I went up for another round, this time mostly fruit. Still I probably gained pounds from this sitting alone.
Stuffed and feeling kind of gross, some of us got up to check out the view, on one side the harbor, on the other the infinity pool which looked to flow over the side of the building. Also, another great view of downtown Singapore, if only it didn't get dark so early, I would have been able to take less blurry pictures. Nonetheless, it was worth the money for the view.
July 15, 2011
After a restless sleep, the chocolate buffet hangover kicks in and then I look at our itinerary and the flight is leaving almost an hour earlier than we thought. We say hurried goodbyes to Jen and Rennie- emotional for some more than others. We still made it to the airport with enough time to check-in.
After saying our goodbyes to Alex and Kate who were going to another terminal for their flight to Winnipeg. We get inside the terminal building, and can't find our airplane counter. Turns out I read the itinerary wrong, and we are in terminal 1 instead of 2 where we should be. Hop on the tram to the right terminal, and we are on our way.
It all comes down to this, our vacation would be over after two marathon flights across the Pacific. What an incredible journey this was with all the ups and downs. I wouldn't go as far as saying it was a life changing experience or anything so obvious, but it was fun, crazy, and I would definitely return to that part of the world.
Next blog... "Cooperstown Bound"...
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
The First and Last Resort
July 12, 2011
If you are ready for a blog on the real scoop on Indonesia, you are going to be sorrily disappointed. Bintan is anything but the real Indonesia- it is pretty much a resort town. There is different restaurants and resorts in Bintan but they all seem to be part of the same whole- and there is nothing authentically Indonesian about the place. That being said, the beach is beautiful, white sands and clear water i.e. we are not in the Mekong anymore!
Finally, a day to just rest, rather than worrying about knowing where to go, what to do. Once we figured out the Singapore subway system, and got on the ferry, we were on our way. When we arrived to the resort, they gave us a welcome drink, and we went for lunch at the poolside restaurant. The food was average, a little overpriced, but that's pretty much what you can expect from a non-all inclusive resort. What we shouldn't have gotten was Carlsberg that tasted like water. I thankfully had ordered a ginger ale, but Andrea, Doug, and Alex were not so lucky. I am not sure if they ever did complain to management about it- they did to the server.
We sorted out our room situation after lunch, we ordered King beds in our rooms, and instead Andrea and I had two singles. That was not going to work for our last night in a hotel on the trip. After being moved to a room on the upper floor, we headed out to the beach. I walked as deep as I could into the South China sea without getting swept away- not trusting my swimming abilities in there. Alex, Kate and Doug snorkelled while Andrea goofed around with me.
I went back to shore, and took out my camera for some candid shots, when suddenly I hear yelling behind me. At first, I think it is about jellyfish coming onto the beach, but instead a worker at the resort is yelling out "dolphin, dolphin". I turn around and see the dolphin leaping in the air in the distance and back into the water. I point this out to the rest of the group in the water but the dolphin disappears quickly after another couple of more jumps. The dolphin was too fast and far away for me to get a good shot, the best I got was a splash in the water, which could have been anything.
After a time on the beach, we moved to the pool, and Andrea tried to give me an impromptu swimming lesson. I tried but still have a lot of room to grow, as I am a stubborn learner sometimes. Anyway, after a little prompting, I encouraged Andrea to come with me to the bar that you could swim up to for a drink. Not having had the pleasure of this novelty as she had in Aruba, I told her I would buy her one of the overpriced drinks, so I could partake and not feel like a complete alcoholic. It was the afternoon, not the morning and it was literally one drink, give me a break.
When dinner rolled around, there was no consensus on where to eat, so Andrea and I hopped on a shuttle to the Indian restaurant on the island. The highlight of the meal for me was the vegetable pakora which seemed to have more variety of vegetables (very deep fried) than I had found in Toronto. The food was the best we had in Bintan but my stomach immediately regretted it, too much spice at the time.
In spite of the upset stomach, I still pushed myself for a nice moonlight walk along the beach with Andrea. I thought I was seeing things but crabs did cross our path on the beach, and then we encountered a large snail on the path back to the hotel (a few inches in length). One of its brothers weren't so lucky, it got crushed on the sidewalk in the dark. We ran into Alex and Kate in the lobby of the resort, and found out that Alex was the accidental assailant of the snail. I will not repeat the account of the sound that the snail made when he stepped back on it- for the sake of those with weak stomachs.
The night ended as many nights did, watching bad TV, and fell asleep. Before we knew it, we were back on the Ferry to Singapore the next day.
Next up, the final chapter of my Southeast Asia...."So Long, Farewell Singapore".
If you are ready for a blog on the real scoop on Indonesia, you are going to be sorrily disappointed. Bintan is anything but the real Indonesia- it is pretty much a resort town. There is different restaurants and resorts in Bintan but they all seem to be part of the same whole- and there is nothing authentically Indonesian about the place. That being said, the beach is beautiful, white sands and clear water i.e. we are not in the Mekong anymore!
Finally, a day to just rest, rather than worrying about knowing where to go, what to do. Once we figured out the Singapore subway system, and got on the ferry, we were on our way. When we arrived to the resort, they gave us a welcome drink, and we went for lunch at the poolside restaurant. The food was average, a little overpriced, but that's pretty much what you can expect from a non-all inclusive resort. What we shouldn't have gotten was Carlsberg that tasted like water. I thankfully had ordered a ginger ale, but Andrea, Doug, and Alex were not so lucky. I am not sure if they ever did complain to management about it- they did to the server.
We sorted out our room situation after lunch, we ordered King beds in our rooms, and instead Andrea and I had two singles. That was not going to work for our last night in a hotel on the trip. After being moved to a room on the upper floor, we headed out to the beach. I walked as deep as I could into the South China sea without getting swept away- not trusting my swimming abilities in there. Alex, Kate and Doug snorkelled while Andrea goofed around with me.
I went back to shore, and took out my camera for some candid shots, when suddenly I hear yelling behind me. At first, I think it is about jellyfish coming onto the beach, but instead a worker at the resort is yelling out "dolphin, dolphin". I turn around and see the dolphin leaping in the air in the distance and back into the water. I point this out to the rest of the group in the water but the dolphin disappears quickly after another couple of more jumps. The dolphin was too fast and far away for me to get a good shot, the best I got was a splash in the water, which could have been anything.
After a time on the beach, we moved to the pool, and Andrea tried to give me an impromptu swimming lesson. I tried but still have a lot of room to grow, as I am a stubborn learner sometimes. Anyway, after a little prompting, I encouraged Andrea to come with me to the bar that you could swim up to for a drink. Not having had the pleasure of this novelty as she had in Aruba, I told her I would buy her one of the overpriced drinks, so I could partake and not feel like a complete alcoholic. It was the afternoon, not the morning and it was literally one drink, give me a break.
When dinner rolled around, there was no consensus on where to eat, so Andrea and I hopped on a shuttle to the Indian restaurant on the island. The highlight of the meal for me was the vegetable pakora which seemed to have more variety of vegetables (very deep fried) than I had found in Toronto. The food was the best we had in Bintan but my stomach immediately regretted it, too much spice at the time.
In spite of the upset stomach, I still pushed myself for a nice moonlight walk along the beach with Andrea. I thought I was seeing things but crabs did cross our path on the beach, and then we encountered a large snail on the path back to the hotel (a few inches in length). One of its brothers weren't so lucky, it got crushed on the sidewalk in the dark. We ran into Alex and Kate in the lobby of the resort, and found out that Alex was the accidental assailant of the snail. I will not repeat the account of the sound that the snail made when he stepped back on it- for the sake of those with weak stomachs.
The night ended as many nights did, watching bad TV, and fell asleep. Before we knew it, we were back on the Ferry to Singapore the next day.
Next up, the final chapter of my Southeast Asia...."So Long, Farewell Singapore".
The Final Days in Thailand
July 9, 2011
Andrea and I waited by the gates of our hotel for a cooking school pickup, and to our surprise a couple of familiar faces would be in the van. Alex and Kate were already in the van, they had been picked up at the Eco Hotel- where they decided to stay in Chiang Mai. When we got to the school, we soon realized that they were not in our half day class but in a full day.
We met our instructor, whose English wasn't perfect but it was good enough to get the gist. The remainder of our group was a French family whose kids resembled those of Don Draper's kids on Mad Men. They had a bit of ADHD but were tolerable. Our other classmate was a young French woman as well. They would require translations once in a while, and I inadvertently would step in to give the answers at which point our instructor jokingly called me the "second teacher".
We started out with noodles, I opted to make my favorite Pad See Uw- apparently if mispronounced people will think you want to eat humans. Not being one for the occasional cannibalism, I chose to get the wording correctly. We followed this up by making curries the old fashioned way- with mortar and pestle, we were told to imagine the peppers were someone that really irritated us. That really seemed to get the juices flowing and soon the ingredients were pounded into a fine paste before being added to coconut milk for a sauce. We wrapped up with a stir fried basil chicken, and a coconut milk soup.
By the time, we got back to the hotel, we had a little bit of time to shower and relax before Andrea and I headed over to a spa for an afternoon Thai Massage. When you haven't had a massage for a year, you tend to develop a lot of knots in muscles, so there were points where it felt the masseuse was stabbing me in the neck with her elbows. Not exactly pleasant at the time, but it got the job done. Andrea giggled at points during the massage, especially when the masseuse hit her funny bone. After an hour of thai massage, we were separated and I went upstairs for an aromatherapy massage which was much more relaxing for me and Andrea went for some reflexology.
Rested and relaxed we headed over for some sushi at Gigantea. According to the research I did, this was a favorite of the Japanese community in Chiang Mai. I knew the address of the place and we had walked by the area the did before but Andrea and even myself started to doubt my sense of direction when we hit the street at a different point. This is one of those streets that curve and was packed, so it was easy to lose a sense of where you were. Hungry and tired, Andrea got frustrated, and I relented and went back to the street we knew better and find our way from there. We eventually found our way there and the sushi was as good as promised, it was just a little on the pricey size. I was still hungry afterwards because I couldn't afford to pay for more food there, so I ended up getting Whopper JR near the night bazaar.
July 10, 2011
With my stomach virus still giving me problems at breakfast and Andrea's mom not feeling all that well either, we decided not to go to the National Park for the day. The other half of the group- Alex, Kate, Linda, and Jen went on their own tour- which includes a visit to the 'long neck' village (you can google that to find out more details, but people basically use metal to extend their necks), white water rafting (I can't swim very well...nuff said), and another elephant village (Jen would later say she had to yell at one of the trainers for being rough with an elephant- he was beating it with a stick). Andrea and I sleep in more and watch some Asian Food Channel, which Andrea had become addicted to.
In the afternoon, we took a look in Chinese market, an then we went shopping along Thai Pae Rd, stopping for some mango sticky rice at Ratana's kitchen (a very economical restaurant that we had tried earlier in the trip- $2 for Pad Thai, c'mon). We stepped into an old colonial building that had been changed into a cafe/ceramics store. The building was beautiful and the garden cafe was idyllic. I ended up splurging on myself, by buying a bar of scented soap while Andrea bought some ceramics.
Later that night, we headed over to The Duke's, a western food restaurant, and had probably the best simulation of western food I had in the entire trip. I had a massive burger called the "Va Va Voom", which is a sloppy chili burger with Australian beef with side of fries and a hard cider. Andrea and I also shared some chili pepper poppers that dwarfed any Jalapeno poppers I've seen over here. We split the burger, and I had some of her steak sandwich- which was good but it was no burger.
July 11, 2011
In the morning before our flight, we headed out to do some last minute souvenir shopping along our street before the van came to pick us up and take us to the airport. I found a lot of my souvenirs that morning because at least I could be assured of the quality of the products versus some of the shady goods at the night market. We stopped for a tea at the most feminine tea shop- pink was literally everywhere- hot pink. I had a Chiang Mai Ice Tea which suspiciously tasted like Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade but was still tasty. I had some cucumber sandwiches which may have been plenty for a doll at children's tea party but it was clear afterwards that I would need to stock up on snacks before our cheapo flight on Air Asia.
On the plane, it was a bit of a flashback to our Bangkok minibus ride. The plane was up and down like a roller coaster for the first 5 minutes, and would have justified anyone's fear of flying. For the record, I was not scared, just a little nauseous- and getting over a stomach virus might I add. Thankfully, no need for the sick bag. The girl next to me just sort of giggled at the situation.
By the time we got to back to Singapore, there was just enough time to figure out our transport to Indonesia for the next day.
Next blog...."The First and Last Resort"...
Andrea and I waited by the gates of our hotel for a cooking school pickup, and to our surprise a couple of familiar faces would be in the van. Alex and Kate were already in the van, they had been picked up at the Eco Hotel- where they decided to stay in Chiang Mai. When we got to the school, we soon realized that they were not in our half day class but in a full day.
We met our instructor, whose English wasn't perfect but it was good enough to get the gist. The remainder of our group was a French family whose kids resembled those of Don Draper's kids on Mad Men. They had a bit of ADHD but were tolerable. Our other classmate was a young French woman as well. They would require translations once in a while, and I inadvertently would step in to give the answers at which point our instructor jokingly called me the "second teacher".
We started out with noodles, I opted to make my favorite Pad See Uw- apparently if mispronounced people will think you want to eat humans. Not being one for the occasional cannibalism, I chose to get the wording correctly. We followed this up by making curries the old fashioned way- with mortar and pestle, we were told to imagine the peppers were someone that really irritated us. That really seemed to get the juices flowing and soon the ingredients were pounded into a fine paste before being added to coconut milk for a sauce. We wrapped up with a stir fried basil chicken, and a coconut milk soup.
By the time, we got back to the hotel, we had a little bit of time to shower and relax before Andrea and I headed over to a spa for an afternoon Thai Massage. When you haven't had a massage for a year, you tend to develop a lot of knots in muscles, so there were points where it felt the masseuse was stabbing me in the neck with her elbows. Not exactly pleasant at the time, but it got the job done. Andrea giggled at points during the massage, especially when the masseuse hit her funny bone. After an hour of thai massage, we were separated and I went upstairs for an aromatherapy massage which was much more relaxing for me and Andrea went for some reflexology.
Rested and relaxed we headed over for some sushi at Gigantea. According to the research I did, this was a favorite of the Japanese community in Chiang Mai. I knew the address of the place and we had walked by the area the did before but Andrea and even myself started to doubt my sense of direction when we hit the street at a different point. This is one of those streets that curve and was packed, so it was easy to lose a sense of where you were. Hungry and tired, Andrea got frustrated, and I relented and went back to the street we knew better and find our way from there. We eventually found our way there and the sushi was as good as promised, it was just a little on the pricey size. I was still hungry afterwards because I couldn't afford to pay for more food there, so I ended up getting Whopper JR near the night bazaar.
July 10, 2011
With my stomach virus still giving me problems at breakfast and Andrea's mom not feeling all that well either, we decided not to go to the National Park for the day. The other half of the group- Alex, Kate, Linda, and Jen went on their own tour- which includes a visit to the 'long neck' village (you can google that to find out more details, but people basically use metal to extend their necks), white water rafting (I can't swim very well...nuff said), and another elephant village (Jen would later say she had to yell at one of the trainers for being rough with an elephant- he was beating it with a stick). Andrea and I sleep in more and watch some Asian Food Channel, which Andrea had become addicted to.
In the afternoon, we took a look in Chinese market, an then we went shopping along Thai Pae Rd, stopping for some mango sticky rice at Ratana's kitchen (a very economical restaurant that we had tried earlier in the trip- $2 for Pad Thai, c'mon). We stepped into an old colonial building that had been changed into a cafe/ceramics store. The building was beautiful and the garden cafe was idyllic. I ended up splurging on myself, by buying a bar of scented soap while Andrea bought some ceramics.
Later that night, we headed over to The Duke's, a western food restaurant, and had probably the best simulation of western food I had in the entire trip. I had a massive burger called the "Va Va Voom", which is a sloppy chili burger with Australian beef with side of fries and a hard cider. Andrea and I also shared some chili pepper poppers that dwarfed any Jalapeno poppers I've seen over here. We split the burger, and I had some of her steak sandwich- which was good but it was no burger.
July 11, 2011
In the morning before our flight, we headed out to do some last minute souvenir shopping along our street before the van came to pick us up and take us to the airport. I found a lot of my souvenirs that morning because at least I could be assured of the quality of the products versus some of the shady goods at the night market. We stopped for a tea at the most feminine tea shop- pink was literally everywhere- hot pink. I had a Chiang Mai Ice Tea which suspiciously tasted like Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade but was still tasty. I had some cucumber sandwiches which may have been plenty for a doll at children's tea party but it was clear afterwards that I would need to stock up on snacks before our cheapo flight on Air Asia.
On the plane, it was a bit of a flashback to our Bangkok minibus ride. The plane was up and down like a roller coaster for the first 5 minutes, and would have justified anyone's fear of flying. For the record, I was not scared, just a little nauseous- and getting over a stomach virus might I add. Thankfully, no need for the sick bag. The girl next to me just sort of giggled at the situation.
By the time we got to back to Singapore, there was just enough time to figure out our transport to Indonesia for the next day.
Next blog...."The First and Last Resort"...
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Chilling in Chiang Mai
July 7, 2011
We take our seats at breakfast, and I couldn't help but notice how it didn't feel like we are in the middle of a city. The bed and breakfast is closed from the street, a hopping bar strip usually, and it's like your in the middle of a jungle hideaway. Tropical plants line the paths between suites- coconuts, bananas, and other fruit grow everywhere. It is helpful that we had a pool too.
We head towards the old town a little closer to lunch, and Andrea and I are already starving. Half the group go ahead while Andrea's parents join us for lunch at Mike's burgers. They made a good burger but still fairly average but combined with the tasty fries- much needed energy for the day ahead.
After lunch, we went through the old city wall and visited a few of the temples. I have to admit there is only so many Buddha statues one can see before they get kind of jaded about the whole thing, just like all the Virgin Marys in Mexico. That's when I saw a creepy fiberglass monk that looked realistic and seem to follow you with it's hollow stare.
As we exited this temple, we were again greeted by someone who conveniently had a Canadian friend and oh by the way, you should go to my buddy's tour agency to book your tour for the next day. We made it as if we would go there, and he immediately got on his phone as we left. As soon as he saw we were not headed in the direction of his buddy's, he crossed the street in attempt to get us back on track. We said we'd go tomorrow much to his chagrin. Obviously, he would have gotten a finder's fee for sending the business to his friend.
Later, we headed over to the Riverside bar, a favorite hangout of locals and tourists for some food and brews. It was packed by the time we left, and by then Alex and Kate were arriving but we didn't have the energy for a night on the town.
July 8, 2011
The next day, we went in a van up the mountain to Doi Ithanon temple, and big landmark in Chang Mai- a golden dome-like structure. This is the first temple that I had seen where they have a tram lift that ascends to it. The view of Chiang Mai was worth the price of admission and the temple itself was nice too (see jaded).
At this point, i could make a corny joke about Jade factories but that's where we went- it was across the street. We were shown a cheesy 5 minute video about Jade manufacturing that was straight out of the 80s. Subsequently, we took a tour where artisans were at work. A lot of this work was very detailed, and took weeks to finish. This of course came into play in the pricing, you could own a jade chess set for mere thousands of dollars (U.S.- not Thai Baht). Needless to say I did not purchase anything but some of the adults purchased less complex pieces.
At night, Andrea and I decided to have a cheap dinner at the night bazaar, and then take in a movie at the French Consulate. On paper, it sounded good, it was an old French romance film according to the ad. I forget how experimental Alain Resnais's films were, having never seen a full one myself. As soon as Andrea started to play with her hair, I knew I had lost her. Don't get me wrong there were times when I was looking at my watch, just seeing her bored made things worse. Then kids in the back started snoring. In the end, we watched the whole thing, and agreed it wasn't really our cup of tea but it had some good moments and artistic merit. And it was only 30 baht (about a dollar).
We ended the night how we started, at the night bazaar.
Next time... "The Final Days in Thailand"...
We take our seats at breakfast, and I couldn't help but notice how it didn't feel like we are in the middle of a city. The bed and breakfast is closed from the street, a hopping bar strip usually, and it's like your in the middle of a jungle hideaway. Tropical plants line the paths between suites- coconuts, bananas, and other fruit grow everywhere. It is helpful that we had a pool too.
We head towards the old town a little closer to lunch, and Andrea and I are already starving. Half the group go ahead while Andrea's parents join us for lunch at Mike's burgers. They made a good burger but still fairly average but combined with the tasty fries- much needed energy for the day ahead.
After lunch, we went through the old city wall and visited a few of the temples. I have to admit there is only so many Buddha statues one can see before they get kind of jaded about the whole thing, just like all the Virgin Marys in Mexico. That's when I saw a creepy fiberglass monk that looked realistic and seem to follow you with it's hollow stare.
As we exited this temple, we were again greeted by someone who conveniently had a Canadian friend and oh by the way, you should go to my buddy's tour agency to book your tour for the next day. We made it as if we would go there, and he immediately got on his phone as we left. As soon as he saw we were not headed in the direction of his buddy's, he crossed the street in attempt to get us back on track. We said we'd go tomorrow much to his chagrin. Obviously, he would have gotten a finder's fee for sending the business to his friend.
Later, we headed over to the Riverside bar, a favorite hangout of locals and tourists for some food and brews. It was packed by the time we left, and by then Alex and Kate were arriving but we didn't have the energy for a night on the town.
July 8, 2011
The next day, we went in a van up the mountain to Doi Ithanon temple, and big landmark in Chang Mai- a golden dome-like structure. This is the first temple that I had seen where they have a tram lift that ascends to it. The view of Chiang Mai was worth the price of admission and the temple itself was nice too (see jaded).
At this point, i could make a corny joke about Jade factories but that's where we went- it was across the street. We were shown a cheesy 5 minute video about Jade manufacturing that was straight out of the 80s. Subsequently, we took a tour where artisans were at work. A lot of this work was very detailed, and took weeks to finish. This of course came into play in the pricing, you could own a jade chess set for mere thousands of dollars (U.S.- not Thai Baht). Needless to say I did not purchase anything but some of the adults purchased less complex pieces.
At night, Andrea and I decided to have a cheap dinner at the night bazaar, and then take in a movie at the French Consulate. On paper, it sounded good, it was an old French romance film according to the ad. I forget how experimental Alain Resnais's films were, having never seen a full one myself. As soon as Andrea started to play with her hair, I knew I had lost her. Don't get me wrong there were times when I was looking at my watch, just seeing her bored made things worse. Then kids in the back started snoring. In the end, we watched the whole thing, and agreed it wasn't really our cup of tea but it had some good moments and artistic merit. And it was only 30 baht (about a dollar).
We ended the night how we started, at the night bazaar.
Next time... "The Final Days in Thailand"...
The Slow Ride Up the Mekong
July 5th, 2011
In the morning, our shuttle driver to the fairy is nowhere to be found, and the staff at the hotel doesn't seem to no what is going on. A staff member gets on the phone, and moments later our driver comes in on motorbike, still taking his helmet off as he turns the key on the ignition in the shuttle.
When we get to the Mekong, he does not seem to know where to drop us off, despite the hotel staff saying they know where it is. Jen gets frustrated with driver, and he finally figures out where to drop us off. When we get on the boat, we find out we are the only ones on the private boat along with a French family. Ahh, room to stretch out! A necessity when you were going to be on a boat for two days.
As the hours stretch on, it is easy for the mountains, river, and water buffalo to look all the same. The scenery is majestic though, even if the water could be clearer. All the mud and sediment falling in doesn't exactly give the Mekong a blue glow.
The hours pass, and the rocking of the boat does not do wonders for my already unstable stomach. This is when I realize that the stomach virus that had been plaguing Andrea since Bangkok has definitely caught up with me by now. Anne would have similar issues that night. I tried to consume as much rice as I could to ease my stomach a little.
By nightfall, we we in Pakbeng, beautiful view- not such a great town apparently. We were in the "ritz" of Pakbeng and we were sharing rooms with uncomfortable single beds and no mosquito nets despite being in a place where I saw the most insects in the entire trip. Ants were attacking other bugs and biting humans, and the Gecko population far outnumbered the human population due to the insect buffet they had at their disposal. Add to that no air-conditioning, and a fan that sounded like a helicopter, did not add up to a goodnight sleep. Still better than the flea bag guesthouses that were our other options. So I counted my blessings.
July 6th, 2011
On thr next day's journey, it was just our group on the boat, as the backpackers crammed into the public boat gawked at our decadence as we moved away from a fueling station. Alex and Andrea joked about re-enacting a Grey Poupon ad for them.
By late afternoon the next day, we arrived in Huay Xai- the Laos border town with Thailand. They dropped us at a dock that wasn't directly at the border and had to resort to taking an overpriced tuk tuk to the border ferry crossing which was a few minutes away. We bargained him down, and he did not seem to realize that maybe you should get your vehicle up a steep hill first before overloading it with people and luggage. Alex and I ended up helping push it up the hill but I banged my head on the way in.
We crossed the border a little after 4pm, and of course we were charged a premium by the border officials for crossing after 4pm. When we got onto the Thailand side, we had a confusing conversation with a minibus operator but after stopping briefly convinced them to drive our group to Chiang Mai then and there rather than waiting
until the next day.
Linda called Baan Orapin, and arranged an extra night in Chiang Mai. After that, we were full speed ahead, in a sometimes queasy ride as we winded around the mountains.
We arrived in Chiang Mai after 10, and settled in for the next day.
Next time... "Chilling in Chiang Mai"
In the morning, our shuttle driver to the fairy is nowhere to be found, and the staff at the hotel doesn't seem to no what is going on. A staff member gets on the phone, and moments later our driver comes in on motorbike, still taking his helmet off as he turns the key on the ignition in the shuttle.
When we get to the Mekong, he does not seem to know where to drop us off, despite the hotel staff saying they know where it is. Jen gets frustrated with driver, and he finally figures out where to drop us off. When we get on the boat, we find out we are the only ones on the private boat along with a French family. Ahh, room to stretch out! A necessity when you were going to be on a boat for two days.
As the hours stretch on, it is easy for the mountains, river, and water buffalo to look all the same. The scenery is majestic though, even if the water could be clearer. All the mud and sediment falling in doesn't exactly give the Mekong a blue glow.
The hours pass, and the rocking of the boat does not do wonders for my already unstable stomach. This is when I realize that the stomach virus that had been plaguing Andrea since Bangkok has definitely caught up with me by now. Anne would have similar issues that night. I tried to consume as much rice as I could to ease my stomach a little.
By nightfall, we we in Pakbeng, beautiful view- not such a great town apparently. We were in the "ritz" of Pakbeng and we were sharing rooms with uncomfortable single beds and no mosquito nets despite being in a place where I saw the most insects in the entire trip. Ants were attacking other bugs and biting humans, and the Gecko population far outnumbered the human population due to the insect buffet they had at their disposal. Add to that no air-conditioning, and a fan that sounded like a helicopter, did not add up to a goodnight sleep. Still better than the flea bag guesthouses that were our other options. So I counted my blessings.
July 6th, 2011
On thr next day's journey, it was just our group on the boat, as the backpackers crammed into the public boat gawked at our decadence as we moved away from a fueling station. Alex and Andrea joked about re-enacting a Grey Poupon ad for them.
By late afternoon the next day, we arrived in Huay Xai- the Laos border town with Thailand. They dropped us at a dock that wasn't directly at the border and had to resort to taking an overpriced tuk tuk to the border ferry crossing which was a few minutes away. We bargained him down, and he did not seem to realize that maybe you should get your vehicle up a steep hill first before overloading it with people and luggage. Alex and I ended up helping push it up the hill but I banged my head on the way in.
We crossed the border a little after 4pm, and of course we were charged a premium by the border officials for crossing after 4pm. When we got onto the Thailand side, we had a confusing conversation with a minibus operator but after stopping briefly convinced them to drive our group to Chiang Mai then and there rather than waiting
until the next day.
Linda called Baan Orapin, and arranged an extra night in Chiang Mai. After that, we were full speed ahead, in a sometimes queasy ride as we winded around the mountains.
We arrived in Chiang Mai after 10, and settled in for the next day.
Next time... "Chilling in Chiang Mai"
The Elephant In The Room
July 3, 2011
On our 2nd full day in Luang Prabang, we tried to take it easy... by climbing up 200 steps in the heat to another temple! The view was fantastic even if the temple was not much to look at. Luang Prabang is a small city, so you could see the whole place from this vantage point-as well as the grassy mountains, and the Mekhong and Namkong Rivers.
Earlier that day, we took in the National Museum, which like most things on this trip, we were under a time crunch. It closes for lunch, and we got there a little under an hour before that. The museum used to be a palace, and some of the artifacts included gifts from other nations. The US collection included a commemoration of the moon landing with a model lunar lander, and moon rock. Apparently, they had taken the Laos flag up to the moon. Canada's only gift in the museum- a plate.
The rest of our day was a little more restful as we enjoyed a quiet dinner, and a short jaunt into the night market.
July 4, 2011
In the morning, we are picked up by elephant village tours and taken towards their camp. Halfway up the mountain, it becomes clear that the days of rain have gotten the better of the dirt road. The van gets stuck in the wet red clay. So we get out of the van, thinking we will have to walk up the mountain in this but eventually they are able to push it out of the muck and we are on our way.
When we get to the elephant village, we see one of the elephants, Mason being fed and she seems to be in good spirits. This camp says they are ethical and give back to the community, and this seems to be true. There was no harm incurred to the animals while we were around, and the elephants were very good natured. The same cannot be said about all the elephant camps in Southeast Asia.
Soon enough, we are all riding the elephants in pairs with a trained mahout. The ride is bumpy at points as you are on top of a very large animal that is trying to climb uneven ground. The elephants would at times get distracted and start eating leaves, knock over small trees, or even do "their business". You haven't seen anything till you see an elephant poop.
We rode the elephants for about an hour before stopping to feed them. The large portions of bananas they consumed from our hands was merely a small snack in the elephants' day. It was nice to give them a reward for their hard work but part of me still felt bad for riding them in the first place.
Next, we hopped on a long motorboat up the river, without the elephants of course, to a large waterfall nearby. The boat itself was not the stablest and seemed to sit maybe an inch or two above the rushing water. We arrived, a little wet, but alive.
At the waterfall, there was a large natural pool, as well as the opportunity for zip-lining. I was hesitant to jump into the pool, as that current was fairly strong and I am not a strong swimmer. I did end up joining the rest of the group though, and Andrea made sure to do her usual 'shark attack' as soon as I got in the water. The water was full of tourists from all over Asia and Europe but a lot from Australia and France. After we were done, we hopped back into a boat, a stabler one this time, and back to the camp. We stopped for a quick buffet lunch and a swim in their resort pool while Anne and Linda decided to go souvenir shopping. On the way out, we almost lost Doug as he was busy talking to Australian couple and lost track of time.
We went back into town later for dinner, and then into the night market one last time. We came back to the hotel, enjoyed some Beer Lao, and a shot of Lao Lao (a strong rice liquor) before falling asleep to bad Thai music videos.
Next blog... "The Slow Ride Up The Mekong"
On our 2nd full day in Luang Prabang, we tried to take it easy... by climbing up 200 steps in the heat to another temple! The view was fantastic even if the temple was not much to look at. Luang Prabang is a small city, so you could see the whole place from this vantage point-as well as the grassy mountains, and the Mekhong and Namkong Rivers.
Earlier that day, we took in the National Museum, which like most things on this trip, we were under a time crunch. It closes for lunch, and we got there a little under an hour before that. The museum used to be a palace, and some of the artifacts included gifts from other nations. The US collection included a commemoration of the moon landing with a model lunar lander, and moon rock. Apparently, they had taken the Laos flag up to the moon. Canada's only gift in the museum- a plate.
The rest of our day was a little more restful as we enjoyed a quiet dinner, and a short jaunt into the night market.
July 4, 2011
In the morning, we are picked up by elephant village tours and taken towards their camp. Halfway up the mountain, it becomes clear that the days of rain have gotten the better of the dirt road. The van gets stuck in the wet red clay. So we get out of the van, thinking we will have to walk up the mountain in this but eventually they are able to push it out of the muck and we are on our way.
When we get to the elephant village, we see one of the elephants, Mason being fed and she seems to be in good spirits. This camp says they are ethical and give back to the community, and this seems to be true. There was no harm incurred to the animals while we were around, and the elephants were very good natured. The same cannot be said about all the elephant camps in Southeast Asia.
Soon enough, we are all riding the elephants in pairs with a trained mahout. The ride is bumpy at points as you are on top of a very large animal that is trying to climb uneven ground. The elephants would at times get distracted and start eating leaves, knock over small trees, or even do "their business". You haven't seen anything till you see an elephant poop.
We rode the elephants for about an hour before stopping to feed them. The large portions of bananas they consumed from our hands was merely a small snack in the elephants' day. It was nice to give them a reward for their hard work but part of me still felt bad for riding them in the first place.
Next, we hopped on a long motorboat up the river, without the elephants of course, to a large waterfall nearby. The boat itself was not the stablest and seemed to sit maybe an inch or two above the rushing water. We arrived, a little wet, but alive.
At the waterfall, there was a large natural pool, as well as the opportunity for zip-lining. I was hesitant to jump into the pool, as that current was fairly strong and I am not a strong swimmer. I did end up joining the rest of the group though, and Andrea made sure to do her usual 'shark attack' as soon as I got in the water. The water was full of tourists from all over Asia and Europe but a lot from Australia and France. After we were done, we hopped back into a boat, a stabler one this time, and back to the camp. We stopped for a quick buffet lunch and a swim in their resort pool while Anne and Linda decided to go souvenir shopping. On the way out, we almost lost Doug as he was busy talking to Australian couple and lost track of time.
We went back into town later for dinner, and then into the night market one last time. We came back to the hotel, enjoyed some Beer Lao, and a shot of Lao Lao (a strong rice liquor) before falling asleep to bad Thai music videos.
Next blog... "The Slow Ride Up The Mekong"
Thursday, July 14, 2011
The Rain Comes In Luang Prabang
July 1st, 2011
After being lucky in the so called rainy season in Southeast Asia, we touch down in Luang Prabang and it's raining- for two days straight. The airport looks like about the size of a gift shop, and as soon as we cross customs we decide to change our money over as ATMs are few and far between in Laos. In fact, I saw maybe one bank our whole time there. No Western chains- not even KFC which seemed to follow us everywhere else.
We checked into the hotel, and get into our room, and Andrea screams out. There was a dead mouse in the toilet. She was too freaked out to try and flush it, so I had to get the hotel staff to dispose of it. Disaster averted.
We walked into town around the river, setup a cooking class for the next day, and we split up for dinner.
July 2nd, 2011
Most of us (with the exception of Andrea's parents) headed to the Tamarind restaurant for a Lao cooking class. They took us to the market to see what would a typical Lao person might pick up. First up, was a snack known as "cat poop" which was essentially a stringy version of caramel corn. We were also shown the vegetables and spices they use, and finally the meat. This portion of the tour was smelly and disgusting for the most part- tripe, pig's feet, pig brains, and everyone's favorite- congealed blood! They use it in soup apparently.
It was back on the tuk tuks on a bumpy dirt and gravel road to our cooking classroom. Tamarind has their own farm out there. They even harvest their own monkfish which they breed. We started by making an eggplant and tomato chili dip, then moved onto a lemon dill monk fish wrapped into a banana leaf and steamed. Folding those leaves is harder than it looks! Both of these dishes were very flavorful, and we had ample time to use a mortar and pestle, which is good for getting out excess aggression.
Things took a more exotic turn when we made a stew with water buffalo, and river plants. We had the option of pork which was a no go, although I'm not sure how kosher water buffalo is! It was kind of gamey tasting, and was not the best dish of the day.
The last main dish was stuffed lemongrass- yes you can stuff a thin stalk root. Basically, you cut notches around the stalk until you can form the strings into a basket. I had a little bit of trouble forming it but the instructor helped me stuff the chicken moisture in. Roll it in egg and then throw it on the fire. By the time it was cooked, we sat down and enjoyed the fruits of our labour.
After the meal, we learned how to make coconut sticky rice and combined with some fresh fruit for dessert. By this time, everyone else was stuffed but I was hungry about ten minutes later. I guess at 30, I'm still growing ...well maybe outwards.
As the sun set, we descended into the night market. I learned a new negotiating technique- not negotiating at all and just asking what the price is, saying nothing, and starting to leave. I got a good deal on a souvenir this way. Andrea and I milled around in the market for awhile before calling it a night.
Next episode... "The Elephant In The Room".
After being lucky in the so called rainy season in Southeast Asia, we touch down in Luang Prabang and it's raining- for two days straight. The airport looks like about the size of a gift shop, and as soon as we cross customs we decide to change our money over as ATMs are few and far between in Laos. In fact, I saw maybe one bank our whole time there. No Western chains- not even KFC which seemed to follow us everywhere else.
We checked into the hotel, and get into our room, and Andrea screams out. There was a dead mouse in the toilet. She was too freaked out to try and flush it, so I had to get the hotel staff to dispose of it. Disaster averted.
We walked into town around the river, setup a cooking class for the next day, and we split up for dinner.
July 2nd, 2011
Most of us (with the exception of Andrea's parents) headed to the Tamarind restaurant for a Lao cooking class. They took us to the market to see what would a typical Lao person might pick up. First up, was a snack known as "cat poop" which was essentially a stringy version of caramel corn. We were also shown the vegetables and spices they use, and finally the meat. This portion of the tour was smelly and disgusting for the most part- tripe, pig's feet, pig brains, and everyone's favorite- congealed blood! They use it in soup apparently.
It was back on the tuk tuks on a bumpy dirt and gravel road to our cooking classroom. Tamarind has their own farm out there. They even harvest their own monkfish which they breed. We started by making an eggplant and tomato chili dip, then moved onto a lemon dill monk fish wrapped into a banana leaf and steamed. Folding those leaves is harder than it looks! Both of these dishes were very flavorful, and we had ample time to use a mortar and pestle, which is good for getting out excess aggression.
Things took a more exotic turn when we made a stew with water buffalo, and river plants. We had the option of pork which was a no go, although I'm not sure how kosher water buffalo is! It was kind of gamey tasting, and was not the best dish of the day.
The last main dish was stuffed lemongrass- yes you can stuff a thin stalk root. Basically, you cut notches around the stalk until you can form the strings into a basket. I had a little bit of trouble forming it but the instructor helped me stuff the chicken moisture in. Roll it in egg and then throw it on the fire. By the time it was cooked, we sat down and enjoyed the fruits of our labour.
After the meal, we learned how to make coconut sticky rice and combined with some fresh fruit for dessert. By this time, everyone else was stuffed but I was hungry about ten minutes later. I guess at 30, I'm still growing ...well maybe outwards.
As the sun set, we descended into the night market. I learned a new negotiating technique- not negotiating at all and just asking what the price is, saying nothing, and starting to leave. I got a good deal on a souvenir this way. Andrea and I milled around in the market for awhile before calling it a night.
Next episode... "The Elephant In The Room".
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