Bangkok

Palaces, Temples and Food, Food, Food

Posted by Jefferson Northern Trip 2010 2 Responses »

Jan 022010

Bangkok (January 2, 2010)

The Grand Tower Inn is located at the corner of Sukhumvit, a major boulevard, and Soi Thonglor (AKA Sukhumvit Soi 55), a busy commercial street. (Crossing Sukhumvit is like a live action version of Frogger; it is safest to transit through the overhead BTS Skytrain station if possible.) Kasma usually schedules her trips to arrive on Friday, so the first breakfast can be bought in individual nibbles from the extensive “market” of street vendor stalls near this corner every Saturday morning. Covering the full range from raw fish to dumplings and desserts, the market is fun but the sidewalk gets crowded when a dozen Americans are peering and poking and taking pictures.

Welcome to Bangkok

Posted by Jefferson Northern Trip 2010 1 Response »

Jan 012010

En Route (January 1, 2010)

Coming into Taipei, my first thought was of dumplings. When I laid over here in 2006, there was a little place in the C gates serving jewel-like xiao long bao, Shanghai-style juicy pork dumplings. I would pay a high price — there is a 3% currency conversion charge on my credit cards — but it’s worth it. My second thought was what might await in the business class lounge. I upgraded my second segment by spending all of the miles from my 2006 trip. Would there be a shower? Wi-fi? Dumplings? Where to go first? Hmmm… Continue reading »

The Grand Finale

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Jan 142008

After a quick nibble at the Diamond RiverSide’s breakfast buffet, we made our way to the Chiang Mai airport in the most dilapidated van I have ever seen. The split upholstery revealed a broken-down foam cushion; I think my cheeks were clenched all the way to the terminal just holding the seat together. After a little tea tasting in one of the gift shops, and browsing the others, we eventually boarded. One trip member somehow managed to fit in a foot massage before boarding. The flight was uneventful, and we amused ourselves in our little row with some trip photos from the laptop.

Into the Heart of the Tourist Beast

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Dec 302007

We rolled into Wat Traimit, the temple of the 5.5 ton solid gold Buddha, located in Chinatown, just before 8:00AM. Already the hawkers were in position and visitors were arriving in droves. Some came to pray or to learn their fortune from the roulette-like fortune telling machines; others were here to gawk and take photos. When tourists crowded in front of the devoted — to pose for pictures in front with the shiny Buddha in the background — the breach of etiquette was painful to observe. But they did not linger, as guides pushed each new wave through the temple.

Life on the Canals

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Dec 292007

After an early session of email, I worked on some photos from Friday and prepared to meet the day. The group got together in the lobby at 7:15 to stroll the local market and gather treats for breakfast at the noodle shop. These included khanom krok, a pancake-like confection made with coconut milk and ground rice; chive dumplings reminiscent of dim sum, served with a sweet soy dipping sauce; roasted bananas doused at the last moment with a honey-like palm-sugar syrup; and ripe mangoes with sweet sticky rice. And of course we could choose plain or hot and sour noodles, with soup or dry style, as our main course. I feel full just thinking about it, but we were planning a late lunch, so the calories would have to stretch.

Last Moments of Freedom

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Dec 282007

Today I would be checking out and checking back in with the group. But first I thought I would head back to Aw Taw Kaw market. The coolest way to get to the market is to transfer from the BTS Skytrain system to the MRT subway system. The hotter way is to walk from the BTS Mo Chit station, and that’s how I found my way to the market. I was shocked to find the large empty end of the market full of vendors showcasing handicrafts and other merchandise. I later learned that this was a temporary exhibition; the market is not much larger than it was on my last visit in February 2006. It did not take me long to find my beloved freeze-dried jackfruit chips (so addictive, let’s call them crackfruit). The ones I find at this market are not oily like the ones I find in the U.S. I am very happy, and I celebrate with a roasted young coconut. The seller waves off my request for a spoon, so I sip the juice and stash the coconut meat for later consumption. I also purchased a kit with all the ingredients for a miang, which is a snack consisting of a leaf you form into a little cup and fill with strongly flavored little tastes such as dried shrimp, ginger, lime, shallot, hot chillies, toasted coconut, and a little sweet soy sauce. The Swiss Army Knife will come in handy.

A Day of Adjustment

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Dec 272007

Having departed the U.S. on Christmas Day, I touched down at Thailand’s new airport, Suvarnabhumi, late in the evening of the 26th. Featuring dramatic soaring ceilings, and lots of glass and metal, its baggage, immigration and money exchange counters are unfortunately no more efficient than the old Don Muang airport. Soon I was taxi-borne, flying down congested streets at insane speeds, weaving through traffic until we reached the hotel sometime after 1:00 AM.

The staff had my room ready, but it reeked of cigarette smoke. This is a problem I had forgotten, and I hadn’t brought any air fresheners to mask the odor. I do have disposable respirators (in the event I encounter people with bird flu, for example), but they are uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. I’ll have to find a solution in the morning; I’m beat.

Back to Bangkok

Posted by Jefferson Southern Thailand, Southern Trip 2006 Comments Off

Feb 192006

Krabi (Wednesday, February 15, 2006)

Suddenly, It’s All Over

The group’s last full day in Thailand began quietly at the Maritime’s breakfast buffet. We arrived at the airport and despite some inefficiency at the check-in counter, we had plenty of time to shop and chat before boarding our flight from Krabi to Bangkok. The plane was packed, and the snack wasn’t very interesting, but we had a big lunch and an even bigger dinner to look forward to. Continue reading »

Bangkok Revisited

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Jan 212006

Bangkok (Friday, January 20, 2006)

I kept waking up. Was it jet lag? The huge sticky rice and mango dessert I wolfed down the night before? Random worries left over from work? The rock-hard bed? Or just the nervous anticipation of hooking up with a new group, 12 people I have never met with whom I am about to spend 28 days in very close quarters. I distracted myself with the computer and occasional glances at the city lit by sunrise. The relatively clear sky above the smog layer promises another hot day (we don’t get forecasts in Fahrenheit here, but I suspect it will be in the 92-95 range). Continue reading »

The Getaway

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Jan 192006

San Francisco (Tuesday, January 17, 2006)

Breathe, breathe, I had to remind myself while rushing through last minute details at the office, running through Long’s for Pepto and bottled water, and packing too much stuff into too little space. The stress was intense, but the effort was repaid with a leisurely 2 hours at the airport before boarding our red-eye flight. (Note: I don’t recommend the chicken salad at the Andalé Mexican Restaurant and Bar.) Continue reading »

Bangkok Finale

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Feb 102005

Krabi (Wednesday February 9, 2005)

I had trouble sleeping after I realized that I had packed my passport in my other suitcase and forwarded it on ahead to Bangkok. Would I be able to fly? How long did the bus to Bangkok take? Fortunately, the photocopy stashed in my wallet was sufficient and after a brief stop at the breakfast buffet, and a few hours in transit, we arrived in Bangkok and met up with our drivers. Continue reading »

Three Nights in Bangkok

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Jan 162005

Friday, January 14, 2005 — Bangkok

I touched down at Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport, about 15 miles outside of the city, around 1:30 AM local time (15 hours ahead of California). Passage through immigration and customs was smooth once the baggage got sorted out. It’s not completely fair to say that I have no sense of adventure when it comes to airport transportation — I often have opted for inexpensive, doubtful, and even dangerous options — but in light of the hour, I took the advice of the travel books and chose a “metered” taxi to my hotel. By 2:30 AM, the traffic was very light. Continue reading »

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