Andrew and I have been in Bangkok since Tuesday I guess. We did some more sight-seeing, saw some Thai boxing, did a day trip yesterday to Ayuthea, the former capital, where apparently my father was as well, but I didn't run into him.
Today we're just going to relax in BKK, maybe go see a temple on a hill, do some shopping. We have an early flight tomorrow then it's home by Satuday night.
It's been a nice trip. The tour to Ayuthea yesterday made me realize why I like Thailand. It was actually really boring, but I think I like Thailand not some much for the sights and big stuff, but just because it's warm and the food is good and it's relaxing. The scenery is nice too, but I much prefer to see in on my own. Mopeds around Angkor Wat going at our own pace: good. Tour with 30 minutes here and 45 minutes there: not good.
Peace out.
Thursday January 12, 2006 10:47 PM
Good trip. Tier 1 trip. Top 5 for sure.
Sunday January 8, 2006 5:13 AM
Funny story on a diving boat
Andrew and I are on Ko Chang, a Thai island in the Gulf of Thailand. We've been here for three days now. The first day we just sat on the beach, yesterday we went diving and today we rent motorbikes and drove around the island.
Funny story yesterday on the diving boat: The diving company we went diving with was a bit shabby. The boat was not that nice, the staff were friendly but a little too laid back. Generally they didn't project a professional air. Our dive master was an Austrian girl named Babs. Very friendly girl, lots of tattoos, several dozen piercings, but she seemed like a competent dive master. We had finished our dives and were heading for home, when after about five minutes we abruptly turned around. Andrew and I made a joke about leaving someone behind. Sure enough, we had forgotten two people who were snorkeling around the boat when others were finishing their dives. There was another dive boat there, so they were never in too much danger of drowning, but still, it didn't look too good. On the way back Babs came over to us to ask us to put in a good word with her boss. Apparently the previous dive master had been fired for forgetting some people.
Tomorrow I think we're heading to Pattaya, the Daytona Beach of Thailand, then on to Bangkok.
Funny story yesterday on the diving boat: The diving company we went diving with was a bit shabby. The boat was not that nice, the staff were friendly but a little too laid back. Generally they didn't project a professional air. Our dive master was an Austrian girl named Babs. Very friendly girl, lots of tattoos, several dozen piercings, but she seemed like a competent dive master. We had finished our dives and were heading for home, when after about five minutes we abruptly turned around. Andrew and I made a joke about leaving someone behind. Sure enough, we had forgotten two people who were snorkeling around the boat when others were finishing their dives. There was another dive boat there, so they were never in too much danger of drowning, but still, it didn't look too good. On the way back Babs came over to us to ask us to put in a good word with her boss. Apparently the previous dive master had been fired for forgetting some people.
Tomorrow I think we're heading to Pattaya, the Daytona Beach of Thailand, then on to Bangkok.
Tuesday January 3, 2006 6:45 AM
Boundless Consumerism
Andrew and I successfully navigated the ruins of Angkor Wat and the traffic of Siem Reap on a pair of mopeds. Really it was great day. Like any other tourist trap in the world the locals here sell useless trinkets. They're quite pursuasive.
Long story short: I'm now the owner of 6 new t-shirts, 4 of which have same thing printed on them. Between Andrew and I we are the owners of three marble ganesh statues.
And I bought a green marble Buddha statue. Is it wrong to haggle over a statue of Buddha? I say no.
Long story short: I'm now the owner of 6 new t-shirts, 4 of which have same thing printed on them. Between Andrew and I we are the owners of three marble ganesh statues.
And I bought a green marble Buddha statue. Is it wrong to haggle over a statue of Buddha? I say no.
Monday January 2, 2006 4:18 AM
Cambodia? Angkor What?
Andrew and I safely made it to Bangkok, where we spent one night and most of a day. We did a bit of site seeing, saw some sites, drank some beer, ate some Thai food. Then, last night, we flew to Siem Reap in Cambodia, which is close to the Angkor temple ruins.
Siem Reap is a weird place. Until about 10 years ago there was no tourism in Cambodia. Since then 82 hotels have sprung up in Siem Reap, with everything from rooms for $1 / night to $1900 / night. There's a weird mix of abject poverty and over the top wealth. At a gas station we stopped at last night they had about 40 different kinds or wine (good Australian, Chilean, French, etc). But most people here make $2 / day.
The temples of Angkor are pretty spectacular. They are being restored somewhat quickly, which seems like a shame. One of the temples we visited today had massive (2m diameter) trees growing out of the top of them, but apparently they are going to remove all the trees and rebuild the ruins. Seems weird, but that's the culture here. Most of the other temple sites (there are something like 20 big temples in this area) have already been restored in this way.
Tomorrow we're going to rent some mopeds and hit the ruins again. Wednesday we'll take a boat to another town in Cambodia along what is supposed to be the most scenic waterway in Cambodia, to see a 'real' Cambodian town. Siem Reap is a bit of a circus. Then it's overland back to Thailand and probably the beach.
Siem Reap is a weird place. Until about 10 years ago there was no tourism in Cambodia. Since then 82 hotels have sprung up in Siem Reap, with everything from rooms for $1 / night to $1900 / night. There's a weird mix of abject poverty and over the top wealth. At a gas station we stopped at last night they had about 40 different kinds or wine (good Australian, Chilean, French, etc). But most people here make $2 / day.
The temples of Angkor are pretty spectacular. They are being restored somewhat quickly, which seems like a shame. One of the temples we visited today had massive (2m diameter) trees growing out of the top of them, but apparently they are going to remove all the trees and rebuild the ruins. Seems weird, but that's the culture here. Most of the other temple sites (there are something like 20 big temples in this area) have already been restored in this way.
Tomorrow we're going to rent some mopeds and hit the ruins again. Wednesday we'll take a boat to another town in Cambodia along what is supposed to be the most scenic waterway in Cambodia, to see a 'real' Cambodian town. Siem Reap is a bit of a circus. Then it's overland back to Thailand and probably the beach.
