Thailand – take 3

My perch on our patio, the Sanctuary, Koh Phangan

One of the many beautiful birds at the Sanctuary

viewpoint from a hike to Haad Riin, the main beach on this island.

Our beach, Hat Thien, Koh Phangan

just a wee spider on our towel at the Sanctuary, Koh Phangan

Koh Phangan, near Hat Yuan beach

Private beach bbq, Hat Noppharat Thara, Krabi.

Surin beach, Phuket

Cooking Thai style

On our way to the Phuket aquarium

Tracey and her new pal, Tata

Dead soldiers.

View from Phromthep Cape, Phuket

Patong Beach, Phuket

Bao and An

Hello, everyone.

I am currently sitting in a hammock on my bungalow’s patio on Koh Phangan. We are located about 3-400 yards from the ocean – I can just hear the waves faintly in the background. More or less, we are in the jungle thicket that surrounds the ocean. Lots of noises in the jungle beside me but I rarely catch a glimpse of what is making the noise. There are birds or lizards here that make this Whoop Whoop Whoop noise that reminds me of Curly from The Three Stooges. Every night near sundown the cicadas begin their noisy serenade. Last night, a group of cicadas jumped the gun and started to chirp for a minute before realizing that no one else was joining them. They quieted down and, a couple minutes later, the actual beginning of the Cicada Concerto began. This left me wondering – are there conductors amongst the cicadas, keeping them all in line, silencing the false starts, coordinating the finale so they all stop at once in eerie silence.

I’m going to go backwards this time and start with where we are, working back on the details of the near past. We are back in Koh Phangan, having been here three years ago with our Dutch friends, Jeroen, Daphne, and their four-year-old daughter, Mila. We are all staying at beaches that can only be accessed by boat on this island. This used to be a good thing as it kept the island quiet. But recently, cell phone coverage engulfed these three beaches. All the bungalows managers have phone numbers and everything is booked solid by the drifting and aimless farang who like this island for its yoga and/or drug scene. Last time, I had a bungalow overlooking the ocean (from a hammock on a patio) for $20CAD per night. This time, I am staying with the hippies at the Sanctuary, far from the water, for $33 CAD per night. Nothing else is available.

We are very happy to see our friends again but not too overjoyed with our surroundings. We are next to the Prana Hall, the good time place to gather a crowd, stomp your feet, and sing along with “I want to break free,” by Queen or “You’re Beautiful” by Cristina Aguilera. One woman walked by our bungalow talking loudly about how wonderful it was that some people were crying and really letting go. Sometimes its a loud Enigma CD, drum circles, or chanting. Where the hell am I? What planet? They had an open mic night last night and I was asked to play. I’d already made a date to play poker on the other beach, Why Naam, accessible only by a dark trail. We walked by the open mike anyway and there was a girl in dreads playing guitar and singing as softly as Sarah McLaughlin. Tracey had shaved her legs and I’d had a shower so I decided to pass on performing for the hippies and other folk that pursue their sacred journey here. I really don’t want any of them to talk to me.

Yesterday, as Daphne and Tracey were sitting at a table by the ocean, a woman came and sat at the table and started to unload the trauma and sordid details of her misaligned life. I’m not sure, but I think Daphne vaguely knew the woman because Mila was playing with her kid. Tracey walked away and gave me my towel. I’d just come in from kayaking the waves with Jeroen and she warned me to stay away from the table. Who walks up to someone and, without asking, starts unloading on them for free therapy? Nutballs.

I’m afraid to bust out my guitar because I don’t want to encourage what would undoubtedly be the weirdest crowd I’ve ever attracted. Tracey and I seem to like being with Thai people more than tourists in Thailand. It’s where we have the most fun and we are always well looked after by new friends and old. Our butchered attempts at Thai always draws good people to us – they realize we are a step above the average farang and have more than a fleeting interest in their country. The big attraction on Koh Phangan is, of course, the Full Moon Party on Haad Riin beach. The average tourist is very young (or middle aged and twisted), seeking drugs or binge drinking, and going to behave very disrespectfully to the Thai staff. The result of this, we notice it every time we come here, is the Thais are far less friendly than in Krabi. We don’t blame them. I’d be bitter if I had to work every day of my life serving this type of farang.

Before coming here, we were again in Krabi. Five nights in a row, I was playing guitar and singing until the wee hours at my friends pub, the Joy Bar. Different musicians would come along, both farang and Thai, and there was almost always someone to take over my guitar while I took a break. We took it pretty easy in the daytime, obviously, but one day we did have a great barbeque with a group of friends on a secluded beach just 20 minutes from Krabi town. There was hardly another soul in sight except for our party. Tons of great food and drink and times.

The other event that has happened since my last blog entry is a trip to Phuket to see our 27-year-old friend, Bao. On our first trip to Krabi, 7 years ago, we met a band that played at the local pub. They’d finish playing at the pub around 130 am and we’d play acoustic at the pier until 4 am. Tracey and I lived their for 3 months so this happened often. We formed good friendships with all of them. The band members have since split into different projects but remain friends. Bao was the first on our list to see. He is a lead singer who plays rhythm guitar.

To see our friend, we took a “first-class,” “air-con” bus on a 3.5 hour trip to Phuket from Krabi. Tracey could see the driver falling asleep and he was driving recklessly when awake. She started glaring at him through his rear passenger window. From then on, he looked like he had the fear of god in him and he stayed awake. Hot and nasty trip.

We arrive at a luxury hotel in Phuket, where Bao has told the taxi to go. I wonder what the heck is going on. He said he was going to take care of us and that meant saving us money. As the bellboy is packing up our bags on the trolley, Bao struts up to us looking lean and cool as ever in his dark RayBan sunglasses and short black mohawk. The first trip here, a farang we met called him “sex on a stick.” He told us we weren’t staying here but staying at the same apartment building as him next door. I only had to pay 120 baht for a room, that’s $4 Canadian. It wasn’t luxury or anything but it had good screens on the windows and a fan. Brutally hot though, nearly 40 degrees every day, even the Thais were complaining.

Bao wants to be a rockstar. When I saw him 3 years ago he was putting together a CD. Since then he has made 2 CDs but the producer wasn’t selling them. He’s put together a new band with a 20-year-old drummer, Nat, (brilliant btw), 22-year-old bassist, Boom, and 24-year-old lead guitarist, Eh. All of these boys are from Krabi. They were all living in the apartment building, that was part of the contract with their latest gig, playing every night in a prostitute bar.

We went to see them playing for four nights in a row and they played a good combination of rock Thai and English songs. Really talented but fairly low energy and subdued because the owner wants the customers, mostly Thai, to be able to talk to the ladies. Did Tracey and I feel out of place here? For the first night, definitely, as we saw how it worked. The customer comes in and the girls line up at the table. The customer makes their choice and buy the girls an expensive drink before going elsewhere. The odd thing is, it is rarely a solo customer. It seems to be a more social thing that a couple or more guys do. “ Hey Frank, it’s hump day, let’s go get ourselves a hooker.”

The boys have 2 months left on their contract at the hooker bar. Their next gig will be at a new nightclub in Krabi town for 6 months and they are very excited to be able to play their own style, their own way, and bring the energy back. They didn’t have a name yet and Bao asked us to write some down for him. We wrote down several but what we all liked the most was “Southern Accent,” a name meant to refer to the way they speak and the way they rock!

It was a really sweet experience to live with Bao, his girlfriend, An, and the rest of the bandmates. Eh has a 2-year-old boy, Tata, that Tracey fell in love with. Although she was upset he wasn’t sleeping, as we were jamming in the apartment hallway at 2 am, she was very happy to spend time with Tata. The first day he played shy, but by the second day, he’d already given Tracey his favourite blanket and teddy bear. He was a really bright and well mannered kid. Tracey practiced counting to ten in Thai with him. I’ll post a pic of the little monkey after this. He was a really good dancer too, especially when I played “The Man Comes Around” by Johnny Cash. And if you gave him the shaker egg, he kept great timing. !

In the daytime, Bao would take us on tours around Phuket. Tracey and I would follow him and An on the motobikes. Motorbiking through Phuket is no small feat. We saw the very busy Patong beach, the serene Surin beach, the view from Phromthep Cape, swam in a waterfall, and lots more. We had such a great time with them.

Bao and An cooked us dinner two nights in a row, southern-style food such as steamed fish, mussels, gangsom (fish curry), and fresh veggies. All of it prepared and cooked while An squatted on the tile floor in their room. Other meals were prepared for us by Mr. Dang, a Thai cook with a kitchen across the street. The food there was sublime and we ate every other meal there. Mr. Dang lived in the US for 3 years so he speaks excellent English. Turns out he also hosts a singing/jam night three times a week. I was there for the Wednesday session and bust out into some of my usual routine that Thais love. The room was alive for “Country Roads Take Me Home,” by John Denver. I had a second guitarist, a keyboardist, and a box drum to accompany me and almost everyone singing. Great spontaneous moments that happen to us here. What a memory.

I think it is time I wrap up this writing. I still have to struggle with uploading pics. All the freaky people are starting to walk up to Prana Hall again so I assume it is time for some sing along, weep and stomp therapy. It might be a good time to go elsewhere. The sun is dropping. The mosquitoes are starting to circle – I’ll light some coils now. The cicadas will soon start their song – hopefully, the hippies have wrapped up their love in by then.

Cheers!
K

Written by gaoandmalee

February 13, 2010 at 6:11 am

Posted in Uncategorized

pics

with 4 comments

View from the top of the Tiger Temple

Finally reaching to top of the 1237 steps to the Tiger Temple

Andaman Beach Resort staff at Koh Jum

Mr. Eh's bar. He took his girlfriend home and left Tracey in charge.

Try not to notice the geek strip of tape on the sunglasses.

Andaman Resort, Koh Jum

Koh Jum, amazing sunsets

Written by gaoandmalee

February 7, 2010 at 3:38 am

Posted in Uncategorized

Sabai Sabai

with one comment

Hello again,

Jacqui and Joe are in the air right now, on the way to Japan and then Vancouver. We had a blast with them here in Krabi and the surrounding islands. After the amazing race from Pattaya to Krabi, everything finally settled down into extreme relaxation (sabai sabai).

We spent a couple of nights in Krabi town. Everyone in this town is so nice to farang, very different from Pattaya, and much more like the friendly Thai people we are used to. Lots to do in this town even though the Lonely Planet says there is nothing here but a pier to catch a boat to the main islands of Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, etc… It’s okay with us if Krabi’s charm remains a secret since most of the young farang who travel through Thailand are young, drunk, and obnoxious anyway.

We took it easy in the daytime as the heat approaches almost 40 degrees – shade and cold beer seem to be the only remedies for the heat. The local beaches, Ao Nang and Hat Noppharat Thara, are 20 minutes away by motorbike or truck taxi. We went to see the sunset at Ao Nang one night with our friends, Lesley and P. Maew, and it was gorgeous – our first chance to swim in the ocean as we avoided the beach area in Pattaya. Lesley is an Irish girl that we met on our first trip here in 2003. Since then she has married Maew and they have a four year old boy named Gurt. They invited us to their home and garden center and it is very beautiful, much different than the bare earth and stud frame we saw three years ago. Plants and trees certainly grow fast here.

At night, Joe would drum and I would sing and play guitar at Joy Bar, owned by our old friend P. Bao. It is really great to play with accompaniment, I’m so used to being solo. P. Bao rarely charged a bare minimum for drinks since our entertainment would draw other farang into the bar.

Tracey and I were very surprised to see P. Ting, the Thai man that we lived with for three months in Krabi in 2003, now working at Joy Bar. He is a brilliant painter and the bar is adorned with his work. Jacqui bought a painting before she left and we plan to get one also, something to remind us of Krabi. Ting doesn’t drink a drop of alcohol but he is always the life of the party. So far we have managed to see most of our Thai friends from previous trips, but I knew we’d see them all again. Buddha take care…

Needing some island time, we decided to go to Koh Jum. Koh Jum is a very quaint island half way to Koh Lanta. You have to get off of the big ferry in mid ocean, hop onto a longtail boat, and get dropped off at the beach. The island just got electricity this year, all the poles and wires are shiny and new. This will change everything, of course. It is too close to Koh Phi Phi, a zoo, so now Koh Jum is likely to explode in popularity. A shame really, but you can’t stop progress. We will enjoy it as a quiet island for as long as it lasts and move on to somewhere else once it gets too busy.

The beach goes on for kilometers and is littered with pieces of coral, shells, and skittering crabs. The crabs seem to have the most restless existence of any animal I know. All they do is run around their beach hole all day to avoid humans, dogs, birds, and other giants. I don’t know if they ever sleep. You really do feel like Goliath when you walk the beach as a tide of crabs runs to get away from your path. I can’t remember if the beach had this much coral scattered about on our previous visit or if this is a result of the tsunami.

We stayed at Andaman Beach Resort and it was clean, the staff were friendly, and the restaurant setting was right at the beach. Sunsets were amazing here as the sun drops quickly over the Phi Phi islands. As soon as the sun disappears, the cicadas start chirping and the sand fleas come out so you move off the beach and search out other activities. Tracey and I tried to read on our patio but the swooping bats made us a little uneasy. I know they have sonic guidance and are very agile, but after a bat bounces of your head it is time to put the book away and turn off the porch light.

Tracey and I walked along the beach one day and stopped at a beachside bar called Freedom Bar. From here we rented a kayak and paddled over to the nearest island, Lola, to try and snorkel at a reef there – the only one left in the area after the tsunami. As it turned out, the waves and wind reduced the visibility in the water so we gave up and paddled back. It was a triple person kayak but they only had one paddle – Thai style – so it was up to me. While sitting at the bar, we learned how the tsunami came in and it was very frightening to imagine. One of the men at Freedom bar saw it coming and climbed a coconut tree. He stayed in it for three days. Unbelievable…

We found a bar a couple of minutes off of the beach called Buddy Bar. The owner was named Mr. Eh – perfect for us Canadians to remember. Joe and I jammed there a couple of nights, combing the beaches in the daytime to drop hints and to try and draw a crowd to the bar. We had some really great nights there. We plan on returning for some more good times later on in our trip.

We spent four nights on Koh Jum and we were all sad to leave but it was time to get Joe and Jacqui back to Krabi for her birthday and their departure a couple of days later. At this time, we thought it was appropriate for Jacqui to get a Thai name. Tracey and I were both given Thai names by our Thai friends on our first visit here, Gao and Malee. Everyone who had met Jacqui, such as Lesley and even a massage lady, kept commenting on how good hearted she is. Of course, we knew this all along, she is our dearest friend. So we gave her the name “Jaidee” which means good heart in Thai. Works quite well as a Thai name actually.

For her birthday, we took her to our favourite restaurant in Krabi called Ruan Mai. There is amazing ambience at this outdoor restaurant with bamboo everywhere, brick pathways, lanterns, fish ponds, and much more. We had a great dinner of boiled fish with dried garlic and sweet/sour chili sauce, panang curry with chicken, green mango salad with chili, lime, shallot, and cashews, shrimp in sweet/sour tamarind sauce – mmm, I’ve salivating just writing it down. Tracey and I gave Jaidee a Buddha amulet to watch over her and take care. We have received such gifts from our Thai friends on both of our previous trips and we cherish them dearly. It just seemed appropriate to give her this – in a way, we are her Thai friends.

The next day we decided to brave the 1237 steps up the mountain to Wat Sua, the tiger temple. Having done this trip twice before, we tried to warn Jacqui and Joe of the difficulty of climbing the very steep, very small, monk steps on the steep incline in the suffocating heat. I think we were all drenched in sweat after 100 steps. It didn’t get any easier. With lots of breaks along the way, we finally reached the apex after about an hour. The view of Krabi and surrounding islands would take your breath away if you weren’t already breathless. The temple isn’t so bad either. All along the way, Joe and I were wondering how hard the Thais must have worked to create it with no modern machinery, just manpower, pulleys, and buckets. On the walk back down, your hamstrings are really quivering and you have to hang onto the railing for dear life. As we had almost reached the bottom, the steps were occupied by a family of monkeys and carefully made our way past the. I’m not a big fan of monkeys – little thiefs and marauders as far as I’m concerned. We had great plans to jam that night but we were all out of gas.

Next day, Jacqui and Joe’s last in Krabi, we rented our own speedboat to take us on a snorkelling tour. A bit lavish, almost $100 CAD each, but worth every penny! As luck or fate would have it, our boat was name Victoria. We went to Bamboo island, Koh Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh, and finished off with beach time on Koh Poda. The snorkelling was great, very clear water. Problem is, the Thai boatmen toss pieces of white bread in the water and the little tiger fish attack it like piranas. Then you jump in and see thousands of eyes staring at you like you are the biggest pieces of white bread they’ve every seen. Here I abandoned my don’t attract sharks philosophy and splashed, kicked, and paddled to avoid getting nipped by the tiger fish. It was the best day I have ever had in Krabi and so much nicer than the much slower longtailed boats.

The next day, Jacqui and Joe left for Bangkok to do some sightseeing around there before flying home. Now it’s just Tracey and I in Krabi, chillin’ like villains. She’s at a two hour oil massage now and I’ve killed enough time writing this, time to pick her up.

Will write again as our journey continues.

Choke dee kraap! (Good luck)

: Koh Jum, amazing sunsets

Written by gaoandmalee

January 31, 2010 at 8:05 am

Posted in Uncategorized

Back in Thailand

leave a comment »

Hello! Sorry for the delay in writing the next chapter. At first, I didn’t want to write because it sucked where we were staying. And then I didn’t want to write because I was back where I love and was too busy having fun to think of writing. But let’s fill you in.

On Jan 13th, we flew from Tokyo to Bangkok. A good friend of ours, Jacqui, and her boyfriend, Joe, met us at a hotel there. Not much to say about Bangkok. Tracey and I have spent lots of time before but this time we stayed in a different area, near the airport. Most of our time there was getting acclimatized and recovering from jet lag. The highlights of our two days were shopping in the big megamalls, seeing Avatar in 3D at the IMAX (so cool), buying a wicked black guitar ($380 CAD) for the trip, and going for a great dinner at Cabbages and Condoms. C&C was started many years ago by a Thai entrepreneur who wished to do something to promote condom use in Thailand as the spread of STD’s is quite rampant here. But it is actually a great restaurant too and the food is very high quality. I will attach some pics of the condom art displayed at the lobby of the restaurant. Instead of after dinner mints, you get free condoms.

After Bangkok, we all took a bus to Pattaya. Joe and his business partner had recently purchased a condo so he had to go deal with business and furnish it. He warned us that we wouldn’t like Pattaya and he was bang on. Pattaya is the taint of Thailand. After the Vietnam war, prostitution became a huge source of income for poor females and their families. Years later, it is more widespread than ever. Pattaya is a city that caters to those looking for “cheap” prostitutes. Poor girls flock to Pattaya from the eastern provinces so they can make enough money to support themselves and their families. It’s always bothered me that Western greed and corruption takes such a toll on this country and its people. Nowhere is it more apparent than in Pattaya, where the lowest of the low, Thai and foreigner, come to find cheap thrills.

Joe was caught up in the details of his condo, leaving Jacqui, Tracey, and I to find some way to cope with a dirty, smoggy shithole. Luckily there were some diamonds in the rough. Our brand-new hotel was amazing, the Siwalai, and the staff were lovely. Tracey and I can speak enough Thai to let the people know we aren’t the average tourist. And this is usually enough to garner some special treatment from the locals. This was also very apparent at Cafe Blue, a wee coffee shop/restaurant that was near our hotel. Fah (sky), the owner, was very receptive to us and helped us learn more Thai. We ate there every day and she always had free fruit or other treats for us.

Also in Pattaya, there is an orphanage that we planned in advance to go volunteer some time and money to. It is a fantastic place. You’d expect an orphanage to be a somber place, something from Oliver Twist, but that image couldn’t be farther from the truth. The co-administrator took us around the complex and, even though she was in a suit, she would drop to the ground and roll around playing with the children at any opportunity. The kids were so happy here, we couldn’t believe it. Many of the local Thai families will forgo having a birthday party at home, instead hosting a party at the orphanage and donating items as gifts – very sweet to see.

There is also a school for the deaf on the grounds of the orphanage. The deaf kids aren’t orphans, but they come from poor families who can’t afford the extra education expenses. As we first walked by the deaf school, it must have been recess, all the kids came running out to us to “wai” us. A “wai” is the traditional Thai greeting with palms pressed together in front of you, best presented with a smile. All of the kids were tugging on our arms so we could see them wai us, it was very sweet. We’d brought some hacky sacks with Canada flags embroidered on them and they disappeared like buckshot – so quickly that we didn’t even get to show them how to play it. No problem though, the Thais have a game that is very similar called Takraw – played with a wicker ball about four times bigger but the same rules apply.

The highlight of the orphanage has to be the playroom with the toddlers. As soon as you walk in, somebody will want you to pick them up. For me, it was Cham, as sweet little boy who was crying when we first walked in but quickly settled once held. Tracey, always the nurse, took up the sickest looking little chap that no one else would hold. All the kids were getting sick from some cold or flu so there was a lot of coughing and snotty noses but they were still playful and adorable. It gave us a lot of food for thought for future adoption. This may be a road we consider and we would definitely return here to make it happen. Thailand does not adopt out babies, choosing to keep their orphans until they are toddlers. They use this time to make certain that the children are going to good homes. Anyone wishing for more information, or to make a donation, please visit www. thepattayaorphanage.org

Also in Pattaya, there is one of the world’s largest sculpted wood buildings called the Sanctuary of Truth. It took a lot of headache to find it as it is essentially a large temple. Oddly enough, the tourists in Pattaya don’t seem to want to see temples as much as naked ladies/boys/children so even the taxis didn’t know where it was located. Once you see the pictures, you won’t believe that no one knows where it is and that hardly anyone goes to see it. Construction began in 1981 and still continues to this day. I have no idea how long the wood will last as it is oceanside and very exposed to the elements. Regardless, the artistry here is spectacular and is nearly as amazing as the ruins of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. A big highpoint of the trip, even though we just raced through it on a break from the orphanage.

We had five days in Pattaya and all of us couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. If we go back to the orphanage, I think we will try to find a place near the Sanctuary, far from the farang (what the Thais call everyone who isn’t Thai) and their evil ways. We bused back to Bangkok and flew to Krabi. In a normal world, this would be the end of the story but, being Thailand, travel is never easy. We planned to fly Air Asia to Krabi and the website said to go to the old airport. Stretched for time we took a taxi straight to Don Muang, the domestic airport. Once inside, we couldn’t find Air Asia anywhere. A tout was happy to take us the his “taxi stand” and sell us Air Asia tickets but we quickly dismissed him as a turd (experience rules). Luckily I have a guitar that caught the eye of another, younger tout. He was actually quite friendly and more interested in talking guitar than trying to sell us anything. He informed me that we had the wrong airport and needed to get to Subvarnabhumi airport, almost an hour away. He also stated that the prices for Air Asia would not be as stated on the website and we were better off going with the more expensive airline, Thai airways – as they were having a promotional discount.

So the amazing race began. We quickly obtained two cabs and began the drive from the wrong airport to the correct one with less than two hours to spare before takeoff. Our driver drove like a maniac and our usual Bangkok taxi panic was about to take over. But I noticed the monk stationed on his dashboard – all taxis have some sort of religious adornment on their dashboards. The monk was the exact same one that was given to me by a Thai friend three years ago. He gave it to me saying it would watch over me. I’m a sucker for this kind of sentiment and have been carrying it almost daily since then. It was in my pocket in the taxi so I took it out to compare to the one on the dashboard and realized that it was the same. I knew we would be alright. We would survive the crazy cab driver, arrive on time, and get our flight.

We arrived at the airport in record time, Bangkok expressways are amazing. The young tout was right, Air Asia charges completely different rates than they state on their website. It was supposed to be 2600 baht, just under $100 CAD, but they wanted 4700 baht. I didn’t book anything and went to the Thai airways desk, they had four seats for us on a plane leaving in under an hour for 2300 baht – way cheaper than Air Asia and with a far better airline. The long story now told, we finally made it to Krabi after a usual day of hellish travel and we saved over $80 CAD per ticket by going to the wrong airport and learning of the Thai airways promotion from the young tout. Buddha take care…

Once in Krabi, all the stress drained away. We went to our apartment building and secured two rooms, ate at our favourite corner restaurant (they remember us), and then walked a few steps to my favourite bar. P. Bao, my old friend here, was now the owner of the bar. I went and got my guitar, the bongos came out for Joe to play (he’s a drummer), and the jam began just as it was three years ago. Most of my song repertoire is actually composed of songs that Thai people enjoy, such as Tracy Chapman, Bob Marley, etc. Many of the other Thai people joined in with egg shakers, tambourines, or, if nothing else was handy, a couple of knives/spoons.

It was so nice to be back in Krabi. That night Tracey and I went out for noodles at 130 in the morning, walking the streets and feeling completely safe. The Thais you meet smile and are genuinely happy to see you and help out if you need it- so different from Pattaya. Aaaah, its our home away from home.

But that’s all for now. I will fill in the rest later. Jacqui and Joe head home today so it’s off to the bar for some farewell beers. I will miss having a drummer but Tracey can take over with the shaker egg. Gotta go, it’s beer o’clock.

: Joe and Jacqui at MBK supercenter, Bangkok

: Very informative poster at Cabbages & Condoms

: Condom art

: Condom super hero

: Condom art at Cabbages & Condoms restaurant, Bangkok.

: Pattaya orphanage

: I’m sick – please hold me…

: Sanctuary of Truth – Pattaya

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Sanctuary of Truth

: Co-administrator, seconds before she started rolling around on the ground with the kids.

: Giving out the wee teddies, donated by Tracey’s colleague Barb (Thanks!)

: Give the sick one to the nurse!

: Me and my buddy, Cham.

: Focus.

: Walking street in Pattaya

Written by gaoandmalee

January 29, 2010 at 5:33 am

Posted in Uncategorized

Hello friends and family!

with 5 comments

Alright! Let’s get started. Sorry it has taken so long for me to get started with the travel journal but I’ve been too busy recovering from jetlag and trying to have fun in between restless sleeps. I will do my best to portray our latest adventure with colourful wit. For those of you who have not read my previous travel blogs, please be aware that my tongue is firmly placed in my cheek while I write them as I simply try to find the humour in every situation, no matter how distressing it may be at the time.

I’m going to start the journal with New Year’s Eve, when we were still in B.C. We were very lucky to be able to join Kirk Caouette, one of the few childhood friends I have retained from my boyhood days in Sorrento, with his girlfriend, Suka. Kirk has a waterfront townhouse in Ucluelet (for sale if you are interested) and it is truly a breathtaking spot to watch the waves crash upon the black rock shoreline. We arrived with a cooler full of ingredients for Thai food and I cooked them some cashew chicken and red curry with tons of vegetables. I’ve been cooking a lot of Thai food lately, not just in preparation for the trip, because I just can’t get enough of the excellent combination of flavour and spice.

Because Kirk and Suka were fighting colds, we didn’t get too wild and crazy for New Year’s Eve but we had a good time catching up with stories and wine. For those who don’t know where Ucluelet is, it is just a 20 min drive from Tofino. Tofino has the sandy beaches whereas Ucluelet has the awesome black rock with waves pounding against them in fury and action. I mention this part of our journey in this travel blog because it will present a similar theme throughout our travels. Kirk and I hadn’t seen each other for a year. At many points in our past we didn’t see each other for several years. But every time we hook up, it is like we have never parted. I adore friendships like this. I have already been in contact with friends in Thailand that I haven’t seen or spoken to in over 3 years. But I rest assured that when we meet, it will be like we were never apart – except that we will have many new stories to share. So the moral of this blog is to cherish your friendships, even if you don’t get to see each other for long periods of time.

Of the same vein, with regard to good friendships, we have started all 3 of our overseas journeys with a dinner at Chong Qing restaurant in Vancouver for some excellent Chinese food. We were very luck to have almost the same group that joined us on our previous bon voyage dinner. Chong Qing has superb food, excellent service, and large table with lazy susans in the middle. Great for dinner parties and its at 12th and Commerical if you want to try it out. Friends have been helping us out all the way to get here. Fiona is housesitting, Chris is catsitting, Debbie and Glen give us a place to stay in Vancouver and look after us so well, Holly sets us up with her friend in Tokyo, even the effort of joining us for our bon voyage dinners and parties is very much appreciated. A huge thank you to all our friends. We feel blessed to have you in our lives.

We left B.C. for Tokyo on January 9th. We had never been to Japan before so did not really know what to expect. We planned a 3 day layover simply because the flight to Thailand is so long – 10 hours to Narita and then 8 hours to Bangkok. Tracey was quite surprised with the size of the wee hotel room in Tokyo but I knew what to expect because I was researching in advance. It was late when we got in so we immediately set out to find some food. We ended up at an Italian restaurant for our first Japanese meal. Not exactly what we were looking for but it was good. The next day we braved the subway system, absolutely mind-boggling with so many trains and tracks, and found our way to one of the metropolitan sections of Tokyo. We went into a restaurant that was full of Japanese people, hoping to score some authentic Japanese food. And what do we get? Another Italian restaurant! Apparently the Japanese love pasta.

Toilets are always interesting when you travel but we feel the Japanese have created the perfect toilet. We are familiar with ass showers from our previous Thai trips but the spray hoses often have so much pressure you feel like the plastic clown getting sprayed up to the ceiling by the water guns at the city fair. The Japanese toilet has noise control, a flushing sound so people don’t have to hear you, a built-in deodorizer, and a warm water ass shower that can be adjusted to spray up front or back with the push of a button – a toilet with a control panel! The whole North American toilet paper technique seems like it was invented by neanderthals in comparison. When I grow up, I want a Japanese toilet in my house.

Holly, our friend in Vancouver, has an old friend working as an interpreter in Tokyo. Craig took us out on the town for our second night and we finally found the authentic Japanese food. We never would have been able to do this without his help. He took us to alley restaurants for fresh grilled veggies and mushrooms, amazing sushi, sake, potato wine, beer, and some war era drink called Hoppy – the latest craze in Japan. We only had one night to enjoy with Craig but it was the highlight of our time in Tokyo. Thank you so much, Craig! Can’t wait for the next time we see each other.

The next day, we again braved the subway to venture into the Harajuku section of Tokyo. The Harajuku girls are enjoying some worldwide notoriety for their style, partly do to an appearance in Gwen Stefani videos. First, we wandered through a huge Shinto shrine and Tracey watched and imitated the prayer that starts with throwing a coin, clapping your hands, and making your prayer. After this, we immersed ourselves in the mass crowds and wandered the streets of Harajuku and, yes, we did see many Harajuku girls and, yes, they do have incredible style and fashion such as sparkling jewels around their eyes, short skirts, leggings, and wild shoes.

It was sad for us to leave Japan after such a short stay but it made such an impression on us that we know we will return for a longer stay. I have never met friendlier people anywhere, even Canadians are put to shame by the politeness and civility of the Japanese. The streets are clean as a whistle but you never see anyone cleaning them. There are no beggars on the streets and no touts trying to get you to buy their wares. Even though there is a ton of traffic, the cars kindly stop for you to cross the road. As we left for the airport bright and early, the sunrise began and we watched the gorgeous red orb rise into the sky. It seemed like it was meant for us and was telling us to come back in Japan. We will, but we will come back for your spring or summer because we are real wimps when it comes to cold.

Off to Bangkok, but that’s for the next chapter. I’ve been at this for two hours now as I try to figure out wordpress and how to get the photos in as I want them, etc. Now it is time for sabai sabai – to relax!