Akha Hilltribe Village

Last week I went on my first trip for work (I know I haven't mentioned much about work on the blog...but basically I'm loving it!). My co-worker Tui and I set off for a Northern Hilltribe Village settled by Akha Tribes-people about 50 years ago when they immigrated from Southern China. The purpose of this visit was to survey the community and determine its viability as a community-based tourism destination (this is all part of a country-wide community-based tourism development project).

So basically, I had no idea what to expect. I knew we'd be staying in a homestay accommodation (literally, someone's home) but really didn't know what facilities we'd have. I was trying to remain optimistic ;)

Upon arrival in the village I was faced with a number of interesting facts:
- The Akha people speak the Akha language. Only a few people in the village speak Thai and absolutely nobody speaks any English. This made me, the only Westerner for miles, twice removed from any conversation or translation.
- The homes are made from bamboo and grass...'nuff said.
- The villagers' food roams freely around the community. I'm talking cows, chickens, pigs, etc. Just walking around the streets...
- There's no running water. At all. Talk about suddenly really missing those things you generally take for granted!

So anyway, I spent two solid days in a state of serious shock. But I did manage to enjoy myself as well! It was like being in a different world - watching the women in their traditional dress, seeing the kids running around completely carefree, eating food that had not only been gathered from the surrounding forest but then cooked over a fire in the bamboo home. Crazy!

I really don't think I've digested the whole experience yet - I'll need some more time to put it all in perspective. Thankfully I took hundreds of pictures to remind myself of things I probably missed while in my shocked state! Here are just a few:

This is the home we stayed in. Notice the pig under the patio...


The woman of the house wearing her traditional headdress and jewelery (they wear this every day! And most sleep in it as well)

Her husband, carrying their granddaughter.

Me and Tui with a group of performers that put off a traditional show for us! They're wearing the ceremonial dress used for special occasions. I should mention that these outfits are not something of the past - they're still worn throughout the year on auspicious days and for special ceremonies.


You can see many more pictures here. Enjoy! And wish me luck for my next trip - I leave on Monday!

The Cat Came Back

Like something out of a Disney movie - Gahnomee has returned! Kitty mommy Crystal just called to tell me the fantastic news! After running away back on December 1st, she is now in her usual hiding place...under Crystal's bed. I have to admit, I was beginning to give up hope - I mean it was 4 months!!! However, some nice elderly lady has been feeding Gahnomee regularly and wasn't aware that anyway was looking for her, until now. YAY!!!!!!!!!

Sports

Ok, I have no idea how the Thais do it (or anyone else who subjects themselves to playing sports in 35°C heat, for that matter)! For the last month or so, I have been playing outdoor futsal every Sunday afternoon. It's ridiculously hot and quickly saps the energy from you but the Thais don't seem to mind nearly as much. I might have to try playing with one of those hydration backpacks so I can constantly drink water as I'm playing.

I didn't think it could get any hotter...until I went looking for somewhere to play basketball Saturday morning. 9am I set off to Lumpini Park where I was sure I'd be able to find a court. Sure enough, it didn't take me long to track one down. There were already 15 or more people at the outdoor court playing pickup. They quickly asked me to sub in. Brutal! Even in the morning, it was about 30°C. By 10am, everyone was calling it quits. Turns out they start playing 7am on Sat and Sun because by 9am it's just too hot. Once again, the hydration pack doesn't seem like such a crazy idea.

March is the beginning of the "hot season" but temperatures are expected to rise even more in April. I might have to dust off my ping pong paddle and retreat indoors....

Free the Fish

This past weekend, Gwyn and his girlfriend Bea took Meg and I out to see more of Bangkok. Gwyn works for AIS, the largest telecommunications operator here in Thailand, and one of Consilient's clients, so we work together daily. We left at 9am for a fish market, located near the Chao Phraya river.  There were hundreds of live fish there and we ended up buying about 20 (Gwyn and Bea bought about 40).



However, we didn't buy the fish to eat.  Instead, we bought them to set free in the river.  Buddhists in Thailand consider such an act of kindness as reflecting good on them for this life and their next (i.e. karma & reincarnation).   So, off we went with our fish to one of the piers along the river.   There were literally thousands of fish in this part of the river as people quite often feed them.  And we did exactly that - we bought some fish food and started the feeding.  I hope the fish we released managed to get some of our food!



Afterwards, Gwyn and Bea took us to a number of temples and shrines.  Some of them (not the one in the picture below though) were completely unknown to toursits so it was a treat to see places of worship without the throngs of people.



Finally, we ended off our tour day with lunch at a riverside restaurant where we sampled some delicious Thai food.  The spicy scallops with cashew nut were particularly delicious!


 

Beautiful Malaysia

Meg and I just got back from a trip to Peninsular Malaysia (as opposed to the part of Malaysia on the island of Borneo) and had an amazing time! Meg spent the last month planning a vacation to coincide with the deadline to renew her visa which required us to leave Thailand. So, last Thursday, we packed our bags and headed for the airport. We knew it was going to be an interesting trip when the Brit ahead of us in the check-in counter line was stinking drunk and bleeding all over the place from his foot. Luckily for him, security was good about his relentless barrage of profanities and escorted him to a chair where he could sleep it off.



2 hours later, we'd landed in Kuala Lumpur and spent the day exploring the Petronas Towers (the world's tallest twin towers) and Chinatown market. As cool as Kuala Lumpur was, we were eager to get out of the city and explore the countryside. The following day, we had a hectic morning at the Thai embassy submitting an application for Meg's visa. By noon though, we were on the road to the Cameron Highlands. The first 2 hours were fine highway driving but the last hour was comprised of sickening twists and turns overlooking seemingly bottomless gorges. The fact that our driver was speeding along at 70 kms/hr did little to prevent the onset of nausea. As cars whipped around blind corners in the wrong lane, their strategy was to beep their horn as a warning. I think I passed out at some point.



In the end, it was worth it though as our inn was situated next to a lake, high in the hills. We woke early the next morning and went to the BOH Tea Plantation where we wandered the fields of tea trees and had a tour of their factory. At over 5000 feet above sea level, a mist hung over the hills under mid-morning and made for the perfect setting as we enjoyed sampling our fresh tea.



We then had our cabbie drop us off at a hiking trail that went through the jungle. It started out poorly as there wasn't much of a trail, just a steep embankment just begging for us to plummet down. Slowly, but surely, we made our way in, although we had our doubts as to whether we were on the right trail or not. Eventually, it turned into a decent path and we were able to enjoy the scenery. The shade provided by the canopy 40 feet above us made for perfect hiking conditions. 90 minutes later, we were out of the jungle and quickly made our way to a nearby town for lunch. Mmmmmm...Indian food at its finest!



Later that afternoon, we gathered our gear and took another 2+ hour cab to the West coast where we caught a ferry to Pangkok Island Beach Resort. We arrived just in time to enjoy supper and an ocean sunset from the beach. It was like Christmas morning when we woke and quickly headed for the beach for some fun in the sun. We weren't disappointed. The beach was deserted and remained so for most of the day. The water was ridiculously hot. So much so that I had to go out until the water reached my neck before the temperature was cool enough for my liking. I tried snorkeling but the fine sand in the water made for poor visibility. Excitement at the beach peaked while we were enjoying ourselves on boogy boards (Andrew and Krista, we were thinking of you) and suddenly Meg was viciously attacked by a small jellyfish! I saved her though, David Hasselhoff style, and only her pinkie finger suffered. You'd be surprised how much a coconut drink can cheer a woman up.



We had an early rise the next day as we were going to Ipoh for a 9 hour trek. Our tour guide picked us up from our hotel in Ipoh at 1pm and we drove to a mangrove forest. It was so cool to walk through the mangroves. Our guide made the experience even better as he was very friendly and knowledgeable. Before long, rain was pouring down all around us but what's a walk though the rain forest without the rain!?



Afterwards, we went to a small fishing village for a snack consisting of cooked sea snails and fried baby squid. And, yes, Meg enjoyed both dishes - even if she had to close her eyes before popping them into her mouth.



With our bellies full, we drove to another fishing village and boarded a small 20 footer (quite similar to our dory, just a shade bigger). We made our way downstream on the river, enjoying the monkeys' crazy antics as we went. Much to my disappointment, we didn't see any crocs, although neither Meg nor our boat driver seemed eager to encounter one - especially considering that they can be as big as 16 ft, 2500+ lbs. We continued into the open ocean where fish farms were anchored. Touring the fish farm proved challenging as we had to walk along slippery planks. The dogs didn't seem to mind it though. Neither did the guy we saw rowing from one fish farm to another in half of a barrel - I kid you not.



Finally, it was back to the river where we watched hundreds of fireflies light up the night. This may have been the highlight of our trip. We enjoyed a quick supper in town and headed back to Ipoh for a well-deserved sleep. The next morning, we drove back to Kuala Lumpur in time to pick up Meg's visa, do some shopping, and catch our flight back to Bangkok. Whew!



You can find more pictures posted here.

Newfoundland Liberation Army invades BKK

This morning as I was waking through the grocery store in the kind of daze that shelf after shelf of Asian food I don't understand and packaging I can't read puts me in, I absent-mindedly turned a corner and came face-to-face with possibly the last thing I ever thought I'd see in a Thai grocery store: a Republic of Newfoundland t-shirt.

My first reaction to this miracle involved jumping up and down and saying "OH MY GOD" very loudly while smiling like a maniac and possibly hugging the girl. In the end I settled for a simple, "wow, are you from Newfoundland?" (I still don't think this hid my excitement...)

In the end I found out that the girl and her mother are actually from New Brunswick but her father lives in Paradise. She'd picked up the shirt during a visit. Wild! We discussed the difficulty of buying groceries in Asia, our respective travels and "why we're here" stories. Turns out they've traveled and lived all over! I laughed when she asked if this was my first Asian experience and then went on to tell me how this was "seriously Asian" whereas a place like Hong Kong is only "light Asia"...perhaps we should have started there!

We had a great chat and they gave me their contact details so I could get in touch anytime. We may get together for coffee (or something) soon :) Maybe she'll know of a secret grocery store where I can buy Tetley Tea...Hmmmmmm

Patravadi Theatre

On Saturday I randomly came across a write-up for a local theatre in the the paper called Patravadi. The article was about an international dance performance that was on that evening so I logged onto their website to check out the details. I was really excited when I saw that it was an entire arts complex with performing arts school, restaurant with evening performances, and a number of different performance spaces. The website was also in English. This is a good thing. It means the locals want us there ;)

I was so intrigued that I convinced Sean that we should head over there for dinner. I made a reservation for dinner during the evening show and we hopped in a cab to find the place.

We weren't that surprised when the cab driver turned down a very small Soi (side street) and made his way around several corners before we saw lights and people. By the time we found the restaurant and were seated at our table I knew this was the kind of place I'd like! The restaurant had really great modern, minimalist decor and a relaxed atmosphere. When we walked in there was a cellist playing in the center of the room, in the center of all the diners. We were seated at a table practically on top of the Chao Praya river (the window spaces on the back wall were all open-air and the building was built out over the river). The whole place had kind of an LSPU Hall vibe...very much a community theatre group.

The rest of the night was fantastic. We were entertained by Thai drummers, dancers, singers and even an acrobat! All were students of the school. The food was fantastic and half-way through we found out that the proceeds from the meals go towards student scholarships (that's when I ordered my second glass of wine...it was for a good cause!). We also discovered that they have a student who is currently in Canada training with Cirque Du Soleil! He or she will be back next month and will be performing a new show at the theatre. Clearly we'll be back again.

Of all the great things we've seen in Bangkok this was really one of my favorites. It was the kind of local place where tourists are accepted but not harassed and where you get a glimpse of the fact that this gigantic, cosmopolitan, metropolis is actually just a community of regular ol' people! Truly fantastic evening! And just to make it a little bit better, as we were leaving later in the night Sean observed that this little, tiny Soi was perhaps the quietest place we've ever been in Bangkok! We relished those few minutes of near-silence before we emerged on the main road and were jerked back to reality.

Here's the website if you'd like to check it out: http://www.patravaditheatre.com/ Stay tuned for my report of the upcoming Cirque-trained acrobat! And now for a few pics since we haven't posted any in a while :)

Waterside Restaurant b-day celebration

Despite Sean being quite sick with the flu (again!) we peeled ourselves off the couch last night to attend his co-worker's birthday celebration at Waterside Restaurant. It was an eventful night from the start! I knew the evening wasn't going to go smoothly when we jumped in a cab and saw the clock: 5:45...dinner was at 6. In St. John's this is ample time to get to your chosen restaurant, but in Bangkok, at rush hour, on a Friday, it's not enough time to get to the end of the block let alone a restaurant that's "very, very far", according to the hotel staff.

35 minutes later we had finally completed the circle around the block that put us in the correct lane to get up onto the expressway. I'm not kidding. 35 minutes to turn around. With traffic like this you'd think the Thais would be quite an up-tight bunch. How they stay calm and patient (and avoid road rage), I'll never understand.

Once we hit the highway we were doing ok. Traffic was still heavy but at least we were moving. Regular cell phone updates with the group of co-workers put us at ease - they were stuck in traffic as well.

Fast forward 1 hour, 15 mins (making our total travel time 1 hour 50 mins and costing us a fat sum of $9 including a good tip) and here we are...or so we thought. The cab driver dropped us off at a restaurant that had absolutely no sign of Sean's co-workers or the name "Waterside". Great. Into another taxi, further down the road again, finally, Waterside! Off we go to find the group of people that are no doubt waiting on us, hungry and impatient. Wrong! The co-workers are STILL not here. Whew! 1 hour and 30 mins late, we're sure we've lost our table...but then again, they must have provisions for this (Sean has been told that wedding invites always state that dinner is an hour earlier than it's actually scheduled for since people are so often late).

A few minutes later the rest of the group showed up and we were quickly seated without a problem. Time to start the party! And this is my favorite part...the part where all the Thais eagerly flip through the menus and start ordering dish after dish after dish! The frantic speaking in that tonal, Asian drawl and all the hand-motions get me really pumped! And I love not having to decide what to eat (although they always offer to let us pick). No matter what shows up, it's always tasty.

So a few minutes later the delicious food starts to arrive along with a gigantic "tower" of beer (a compromise between a pitcher and a keg). I think we're all in need of refreshment after the looooooong drive. Chung Gao! (cheers!) They are all amazed at our advanced grasp of the Thai language ;)

The rest of our dinner is a mix of Sean and I learning some Thai and helping the group practice their English. I made a surprise discovery when one of the guys offered me a beer refill and I happily replied "sure!". The group kind of gasped and giggled while he looked a little taken aback. Apparently "sure" in Thai means something entirely different! (The most modest of the group described it as meaning "evil" but I'm pretty sure it was a little more harsh) LOL! I'll have to keep that in mind - I have no idea how many people I've offended in the last 4 months!

Sean's Thai practice came in the form of karaoke later in the evening. His co-worker S caught him trying to sing along with the Thai words (the Roman script was on screen along with the Thai script) and so quickly passed the mic over. He took it without fear and continued with his garbled Thai pronunciation! They loved it! Great entertainment :)

All in all the great food and company more than made up for the long trek to get there. Sean's co-worker Gwyn dropped us off in a central area so we could get home easily. Total travel time home: 20 minutes.

Malaysia Itinerary

Our trip to Malaysia is only 13 days away and we're getting more and more excited! I thought I'd post our itinerary here so you could check out some of the places we'll be visiting, if interested. When we come back we'll tell you all about the experience and of course post lots of pictures! But for now, here's some info:

Day 1: Fly into Kuala Lumpur (KL) and spend the afternoon/evening exploring.

Day 2: Get up early and hit the Thai embassy in hopes of renewing my visa so that I can get back into Thailand...fingers crossed ;) Then we'll head north to the Cameron Highlands, a place that all the local SE Asianers warn us is very boring and quiet, but ok if you're "into nature". Our response to that is "EXCELLENT!" Funny how you don't notice what you have until a foreigner comes in and tells you how fabulous it is. We'll stay at The Lakehouse - a major splurge that I'm incredibly excited about.

Day 3: Today we get to explore all those "boring" tea plantations and rolling hills. There are lots of hiking paths through the hills and waterfalls to visit, not to mention fresh tea and scones that are served at the plantations themselves! In the early evening we'll travel east to get to Lamut Jetty where we'll catch a ferry over to Pangkor Island and check in at the Pangkor Island Beach Resort

Day 4: Ahhhhhhhh....beach......

Day 5: Catch the ferry back to Lamut Jetty and then cab it to a small town called Ipoh. We'll just have time to check into our hotel and have lunch before we meet up with our tour guide for our Bagan Krian Mangrove and FireFly Night Safari!!!! Cannot explain my excitement about this! The tour group is an eco-tourism, community-based group so they will be taking us off-the-beaten track and away from the ever-present touristy crap (for lack of a better word!)

Day 6: Today we hit the road back to KL. We'll have time to pick up my visa and check out a couple of sights before our flight back to BKK.

So there it is! I can't wait to write again with stories and pictures of this adventure. Until then...

ThaiCraft Fair

On Saturday I volunteered at a ThaiCraft fair for the first time. The ThaiCraft Organization is a fair trade group that promotes, sells and exports crafts handmade by village artisans all across Thailand (you can check out their website for more info: www.thaicraft.org). The craft fairs they hold each month are wildly popular among the ex-patriot community in Thailand and are renowned for quality products and fascinating artisan demonstrations. It is a very unique setting as the foreign shoppers get to interact directly with the Thai producers, and in many cases learn about the history of the handicrafts being sold and the villages they come from.

I met some really interesting people at the fair and saw all kinds of amazing Thai products. I was working with a jewelry designer at her booth, which I obviously loved! There were about four of us working there including girls from the US, Japan and Thailand; truly a multi-cultural bunch!

Before the fair opened I heard stories of past fairs where people lined up outside the door to get in. I wasn't sure I believed them. But sure enough, at 10:00 when the doors opened we witnessed a rush of about 30 Japanese ladies literally running into the room! They went directly to a table near ours that was selling body lotions and soaps - obviously they'd been here before - and proceeded to fill their baskets with 5, 10, 15 bottles of the stuff! They were practically fighting each other for it! We stood in awe at the jewelry booth and wondered if the lotions contained some miracle anti-aging magic (later when I went to check out the phenomenon they were completely sold out...figures).

Once that particular craziness died down, the fair was non-stop busy for a couple of hours. I happily sold jewelry all morning and secretly picked out the pieces I wanted ;) When Sean showed up in the afternoon he helped me decide on a beautiful necklace and then we browsed through the rest of the fair. We picked up some great items and left the fair quite happy. Even Sean, who is definitely not a shopper, liked the experience of reading about the artisans and where exactly the products came from. It really is a nice change from the factory-made souvenirs that you can buy from pushy touts on every street corner. We know that when we buy these products for ourselves and the people back home (yes, we've been actively buying gifts ;) our money is supporting the Thai people who operate ethical businesses and local economies in remote villages.

I'm looking forward to next month's fair and the coming weeks when I'll be doing a little marketing consulting for the organization. Stay tuned...

SEA tour

It has been awhile since I've had a chance to write on our blog. For the last 2 weeks, I've been traveling around SEA (Southeast Asia) for work. It started with a trip to Singapore, then back to Bangkok for the weekend, followed by a trip to Jakarta (in Indonesia), back to Bangkok for the weekend, and then Singapore again. Jakarta was an interesting city. Initially, I was somewhat nervous on account of the terrorist bombings they had in Jakarta in 2003 and Bali in 2002 & 2005 but everything went smoothly. Once I got settled in, I was able to enjoy the city and its people. The food isn't quite as spicy as Thai - I loved the roasted lamb served at a roadside vendor. Delicious! The day I was to leave Jakarta, there was torrential rainfall which resulted in a lot of flooding - the highway was more of a river than a road. By the time I got to the airport, it was shutdown and my flight was delayed for 5 hours.

During the weekends when I returned to Bangkok, Meg and I tried to get out and experience more of Bangkok. We went to the Chatuchak Weekend Market for the first time. It's a ridiculously huge market full of vendors selling everything you could possibly imagine. After a couple of hours of looking around, we called it quits - the heat was just too much. We also ventured to Ko Kret ("Pottery island"), a refuge of the Mon tribes who still practice Mon Pottery - baked red clay with carvings. It was somewhat disappointing because we'd hoped to witness the process of making the pottery but instead the island was quite similar to the numerous markets throughout Bangkok. It seems we'll have to venture a little further to truly experience the Thai culture without the tourist trap element.

Weather

It's very windy here today. Makes me feel at home :)

That's the good weather news. The bad weather news is that the Jakarta airport is closed due to torrential rain, which means that Sean is stuck there. His flight was supposed to take off 2 hours ago but nothing is landing or taking off. Hopefully we'll get some news soon and he'll still get home tonight!

Next stop, Malaysia.

As some of you know, Sean and I have been trying to make some decisions regarding our next trip. I need to leave Thailand at the end of February and get a new visa so we figured we'd make a vacation out of it rather than just doing a visa-run (that's when travelers take a bus to the nearest border, cross it, and then turn around and come back. That sounds horrible, right?! Especially the bus part...) Side note: It's amazing that we've been here so long that I need to renew my visa!!! It feels like we just left.

So, today while I was checking into some flight information our decision was practically made for us in the form of a huge seat sale. Flights to Kuala Lumpur for the time we needed to go were on sale for $0! Love. It. I immediately called Sean (who's response was "I say do it"), and proceeded to book the flight (which, obviously did not cost $0 in the end...I'm pretty sure airlines are the only companies in the world that could get away with that kind of "sale"). We'll be traveling from Feb. 28 - Mar. 4. At this point we have no idea where we'll be going or what we'll be doing once we get there but I'm sure we'll find all kinds of fantastic things to see and do between now and then.

Here's the Malaysian Government tourism website in case you're interested: www.tourism.gov.my

BKK smoking ban?

Going to any club here is like going to the Sundance during the pre-smoking ban days. i.e. Gross. We have to come home and quarantine all our clothes so that the entire apartment doesn't stink of tobacco. Not to mention the resulting congestion and coughing that lasts a solid 24 hours. (How did we EVER enjoy going downtown?!). So, when Sean told me yesterday that as of mid-February smoking in public places would actually be banned here in Bangkok, I was super excited! Of course, we had to find proof before I believed it 100%. We tracked down this "breaking news" article, which confirms the rumor.

We'll have to wait and see if the law will actually be enforced. It's not unlikely that this rule, like so many others, will be bent and temporarily forgotten at times. Hopefully we'll be able to report less-yucky clubbing experiences as of next month :)

Mango with gelatinous rice!

We just got back from grocery shopping and I bought a yummy treat that I feel compelled to share with you all! It is my latest favorite Thai discovery, and yes, it involves food!

A couple of weeks ago we had dinner with Angus and Oh and as always, we let them do the choosing and ordering. It's a fantastic way to get the best dishes and to try new things (somehow I don't think the term "pork with rice" has been properly translated...it's used for pretty much every dish that has pork and rice in the ingredient list. The Thai title must be much more descriptive and appetizing, right?). So anyway, on this occasion Angus ordered Mango with Gelatinous Rice for dessert. See what I mean about the lack of excitment that term incites? But despite our questioning about what exactly "gelatinous rice" is (I still don't really know) the dessert turned out to be FAB! Since then, everytime I see it (which is actually quite often...) I have to pick some up. YUM. It's basically some sort of fancy rice with coconut milk on top and you eat it with yummy mango. Here's a pic...it's all gone now ;)

Ban Baat (Monk's Bowl Village)

Yesterday Sean and I made our way to an area of town that I've had my eye on for weeks! Ban Baat or "Monk's Bowl Village", once a thriving community of alms bowl makers, now consists of one tiny alleyway where three families still make these beautiful bowls by hand. The alms bowl is one of the most important objects in the daily life of a monk. It is used primarily to collect food donations from Buddhist people supporting the monks. Traditionally these bowls were all handmade but now monks can purchase factory made alms for one tenth the price, meaning that most sales of the handmade bowls now come from tourists. You can read more about this tradition here

When we finally found the tiny road we were looking for, we couldn't help but be surprised. Unlike most other areas of Bangkok that cater to tourists, Ban Baat seemed completely unaffected and unspoiled. We found a battered sign indicating the way and were then led down a series of alleyways to the craftsman by an elderly Thai woman. All the way through this maze we were greeted by people just sitting around their homes, going about their daily lives; no evidence of the pushy street market hawkers that line the rest of Bangkok's tourist destinations! At one point Sean whispered from behind: "Hey Meg! This is awesome!"

When we finally arrived at the "shop" we found a battered display case sitting at the front of someone's living room (I use the term "living room" loosely - I won't get into the details now but this little village would certainly be considered poverty-stricken by any Western definition). The alms maker and his assistant greeted us and proceeded to give us a demonstration of how the bowls are created. Each bowl is put together using eight pieces of metal to represent Buddhism's eight-fold path. Some are lacquered and shiny while others are left natural so each of these eight pieces can be seen. We walked away 10 minutes later with two beautiful bowls and the feeling that we'd finally seen something that was truly and naturally "Thai".

Floating market

Meg and I enjoyed another eventful weekend in Thailand as we explored more of both the Bangkok nightlife and Thailand countryside. Friday, we had supper at a Mongolian restaurant called "Mongo's". The food was delicious and my burger was ridiculously huge...but yummy down to the last bite. Afterwards, we ventured to soi 11 off Th Sukhumvit to explore some of the bars there. We passed an outdoor bar called "Cheap Charlie's" which drew our attention immediately with the following sign that was posted on their bar (warning: some language may not be suitable for all readers!):



Then, we went to the Bed Supperclub for a few drinks. It was an oddly shaped and decorated club which was not as interesting as we'd heard but we still had fun. I was dropping tired so we ended up going home early - 10pm early. I know, I know, I'm getting old.

On Saturday, we went to meet Meg's yoga friend Sarah (from Ottawa) at EZZE, a techno club in RCA (a clubbing district), where her boyfriend was a DJ and celebrating his birthday. We'd met a couple of Sarah's friends before and had a good time chatting and meeting new people. But, once again, we went home early (midnight) because of a 6am rise to go to the floating market.

Actually, there are a couple of floating markets throughout Thailand but we were going on a tour with Angus and Oh to Damnoen Saduak, 104km west of Bangkok. Traditionally, floating markets were where people sold foods and other goods when canals and boats were the primary mode of transportation. Now, it is little more than a tourist attraction but still worth seeing how people lived 20-30 years ago.



After exploring the market's canals and goods, we went to a snake show. Shows involving snakes and crocs are common in Thailand so we thought it might be interesting to check out...especially after our snake experience on the streets of Bangkok in December. The snakes they had were amazing! From King Cobras to Pit Vipers, they had it all. Meg wasn't quite as impressed as I was. :) We watched a 30 minute show where trainers would dodge the venomous strikes of cobras and then catch them with their hands or mouths! Yes, mouths! We were turned off from the show when they put a cobra and mongoose into a container together until the mongoose attacked the cobra, maiming it. It seemed cruel and unnecessary. At least I got my picture taken with a python!



Finally, we went to Nakhon Pathon to see Phra Pathom Chedi, the tallest Buddhist monument in the world. Unfortunately, we didn't have a lot of time to look around but we did enjoy going into one of the shrines.



Overall, it was a fantastic trip and we're looking forward to exploring more of Thailand. Next on the list is Ayuthaya, Thailand's old capital.

Suan Lum Night Bazaar

Every night a gigantic outdoor area of Bangkok is overtaken by thousands of vendors selling everything from expensive clothes and bags to cheap souvenirs and foot massages. We had no idea what to expect when Angus and Oh picked us up last night; we'd been meaning to go to this market since we arrived in Bangkok but had just never gotten around to it.

The first stop in the market was the beer garden. Obviously. ;) The boys needed some fuel before the long night of shopping started! We had amazing food and cold beer at an outdoor table - true Thai dining (although I was trying not to think about the fact that the vendors were really just selling "street food" in a slightly nicer setting). Angus and Oh continued their quest to improve our Thai. We learned how to politely say "no" to a waiter's offer of more beer: Mai Bpen Lai Cruhp Khun Kaa. It literally means "nevermind thank you very much" and is a generic term you can use for pretty much anything you don't want or don't care about (like someone bumping into you on the street). We'll be fluent before long!

Next it was off to tackle the rows and rows of vendors! Sean and I quickly agreed that this was the nicest place we've shopped. The vendors weren't loud and pushy like they are in some places and the shops actually had a lot of really nice stuff! Oh and I kept veering into the clothes and jewelry shops while Angus and Sean were amazed by the fake ninja weaponry ;)

Finally Oh convinced Angus and Sean to get a foot massage and leave us girls to browse (although that really didn't take much convincing). We then went on a search for clothes to fit me, the Westerner. Not likely! Asian people may be small in general but Thais are TINY! Everything is one size - you just hope the elastic will stretch enough. Oh was optimistic and kept pointing out great things (she noted that we have the same taste and so she always knew when I was going to point to something and like it!). Unfortunately the elastic just wouldn't stretch quite enough ;) I did end up with a great new necklace though!!! Gotta love jewelry and shoes.

The night ended with more beer on yet another outdoor patio. We all had a great night and can't wait to do it again. Our next adventure with Angus and Oh will take place this weekend - we're going to the floating market!

Mt. Fuji

We've already told you how amazing Mt. Fuji is...now here's some video to prove it!

SHARK!!!

Meg and I had an eventful first weekend back in Bangkok. Friday night, our friends Angus and Oh took us for our first authentic Thai clubbing experience. There are two major differences from what we're used to: 1) you can't buy beer or single mixed drinks. You buy 40s of whiskey instead! and 2) there are no dance floors, you just dance at the standing table you're drinking at. I have to hand it to the Thais, they know how to drink. They may even rival the Newfoundlanders!

The rest of our weekend was spent doing the tourist thing. We first went to Jim Thompson's house for a tour of the place. JT was an American OSS officer stationed in Bangkok after WWII. He resigned, settled in Bangkok, and was responsible for rejuvenating the Thai silk trade and marketing it internationally. In 1967, he went for a walk in Malaysia and mysteriously disappeared - to this day, no one knows what happened to him. Creepy!



Afterwards, we went to Siam Ocean World, a gigantic indoor aquarium. The tour was really fascinating and featured all kinds of aquatic life. My favorites were the rays and turtles but Meg seemed more interested in the sharks. :)



Actually, for anyone who doesn't know, Meg's greatest fear ever is sharks...which made the tour a lot of fun for me. There was a "glass bottom boat tour" that we took. When the first shark passed underneath the boat in perfect view, Meg almost cried. ;) Make sure your volume is turned up for this one....