I hopped on the skytrain at Victory Monument in Bangkok sporting my "Tintin in Vietnam" shirt and a camera holstered around the neck and was quickly greeted with an old expat standing next to me who said out loud to no one in particular, "there are so many F*(&&ing tourists in town right now". This was the same expat who then pushed out a rather large chubby boy when a seat opened up as both were heading towards one of the empty seats. The young … [Read more...]
What is Food like in a Thai Village?
Our property is located next to a tiny village about 2.5 hours east of Bangkok. In recent years there have been plenty of changes here. We now have running water, Internet access and most of the wooden homes in the village have been taken down and many of the villagers have moved nearby into western style buildings (especially as the nearby industrial park continues to experience rapid growth and starts to further exert its influence over this … [Read more...]
A Busy Day Exploring Phang Nga & Vicinity #thailand
Panyi Village is sizable community along the edges of the Andaman Sea near the town of Phang Nga. A stop here is well worthwhile to see and experience to some extent the daily life of these villagers. Some of the village is built on wooden supports above the water - other homes are supported by reinforced concrete pillars. A walk here is an experience in senses - smells, tastes and exotic surroundings. Wooden walkways are surrounded by tiny homes … [Read more...]
Takua What? Takua Pa, #Thailand
Less than 10 minutes from where we are staying is the self titled "Amazon of Thailand" a waterway that winds through a rats nest maze of tangled roots dangling from giant trees. We hired a long tail boat driver who loudly drove us into this "wilderness". He was quicker than us to spot large snakes sleeping on branches overhanging the waterway. He explained they sleep on these overhanging branches to quickly feel any movement of predators crawling … [Read more...]
Island Hopping, Andaman Sea – Thailand
This week we have been exploring the warm clear waters of Southern Thailand. Our first stop was Ko Tah Chai - dubbed the "Maldives of Thailand" for its azure surrounding waters and the satin-like white sand beaches - which are so silky underfoot. Activities include: A Nature Hike - where you can spot a green pointy snail that lives and eats in certain trees and the pretty "chicken crab" which tends to hide during the heat of the day. The … [Read more...]
Bang Khla Floating Market and Giant Fruit Bats, Thailand
Today we headed to the Bang Khla Floating Market - which is located on the outskirts of Chachaongsao (about an hour and 10 minutes from Bangkok). Last year we made the mistake of driving all the way out here on the weekday - for a market that is only open on the weekends and holidays. This market comes alive around the lunch time hour - with hundreds of families sitting around enjoying the variety of foods that makes the Thai cuisine so … [Read more...]
Back to Rural Eastern Thailand
After a few days in Bangkok we took a van to our village and our niece immediately ran up to us and gave us big hugs around the legs (she is only 6 years old). She proudly showed us her Thai/English language book she has been studying in school. One chapter quickly caught my eye, chapter 8 - "Language for Nightclubs". I spotted phrases such as "you have a nice dall face" - presumably supposed to say "doll face" and "can I have a cigarette", … [Read more...]
Travel Meetup Bangkok, In Search of Sanuk
Sitting in an apartment in some random location in Bangkok surrounded by a diversity of travelers listening to a Congolese refugee tell his riveting story and sad struggles of how he came to be in Thailand, I realized how an event such as this one can help enrich one's time on the road. The diversity of experiences in a single room from those who cumulatively spend some significant time traveling was certainly inspiring. It also felt very good to … [Read more...]
A Speech on Travel in Almaty, Kazakhstan
An acquaintance I met on Couch Surfing a few nights ago is a member of a local Toastmaster's club here in Almaty. A day ago she informed me that she would like me to be the guest speaker at their upcoming bi monthly meeting which draws both students and expats. Toastmasters started in Santa Ana California as one small club in 1924 and now has local chapters in over 120 countries often with multiple meetups/groups in the same city. Their focus … [Read more...]
The Arasan Baths, Almaty – Kazakhstan
Always looking to find a local experience while on the road I hopped in the car with Isa, a likeable individual who has opened his home for me to stay during my time in Almaty. He is an ex military man who is now a boxing trainer. He definitely has the build and look of a boxer. During the ride over the theme song from the Titanic movie came on the radio and he started singing along. Almaty is a huge town - spread out for some distance. There … [Read more...]
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