Rants & Raves

This page summarizes some of the many plusses, & the few minuses, of our relaxing 2 weeks in Thailand.

PLACE, ITEM OR THING
 RAVE                    
RANT         
BTS (Bangkok Transit System)
 Gets you around the city quickly and above ground. Efficient and inexpensive. Better than BART!
 Too few escalators and elevators, little handicapped access, numerous steps.
Wat Phra  Kaew/Grand Palace & Wat Po
 Unbelievably beautiful sequence & combination of highly decorated structures. Fabled Emerald Buddha and Reclining Buddha. Fascinating murals. A moving experience. We ended it by enjoying a massage at the famous Wat Po Traditional Thai Massage School.
 None
Massages: Thai Traditional, Oil and Foot
 Inexpensive and work wonders! Cannot recommend
highly enough. Get at least 2-4 a week while here.
 None
Food
 Inexpensive. Food is everywhere, delicious, & our stomachs like it!
 None
Congee
 Where have I been that I never discovered this dish?
It's like menudo, the breakfast of champions. Delicious items like dried shrimp, sweet chili sauce & sliced green & shallots to sprinkle on top.
 None
Shopping
 This is a shopper's heaven. Countless markets and excellent stores. There is something for everyone and at every price range. Sunday Market in Chiang Mai is very good. Really nice staff & small business operators in many shops & stalls.
 Too many hustlers and aggressive vendors in some street markets. They can get crowded and it is hard to walk through the crowds. Signs & announcements warn of pickpockets, etc.
Traffic
 Everyone is courteous and patient. You hardly ever hear a horn honk. When you do, it's a brief advisory signal, not an angry or aggressive blast.
 Pollution is obscene with traffic in the form of buses, trucks, cars, 3-wheeled tuk-tuks (motorcycle taxis), motorcycles, motorbikes & motorscooters everywhere. Few traffic lights for pedestrians.
Thai people
 Respectful, peaceful, serene, kind, warm, helpful, never rude, efficient, hard working: AMAZING! We saw nothing to suggest any crime here.  English is the second language. Even people who speak little or no English do their best to communicate &/or be helpful. Sawasdee Ka!
 See "Shopping" above. Watch out for hustlers who may pose as passers-by or whatever to try to get you to shops & restaurants that subsidize them.
Wats
 There are so many and they are all beautiful. My favorites have been at the Wat Phra Kaew/Grand Palace complex in Bangkok and at Doi Suthep which overlooks Chiang Mai . Sometimes there are lots of people and it can get hot & sweaty.
Bathrooms
 In good restaurants, hotels, and nice places overall, the bathrooms are fine and look like those in the US. All bathrooms will be clean, have air freshner and will be in very good condition, But, be prepared to have to use your own tissue. There may be a hand dryer or one community towel. There is an overall level of cleanliness in the country that is better than in most other countries. Bathrooms in many places tend to be unisex, one restroom only. People take turns and use them.
 Some public restrooms use old style Turkish-style commodes that sit close to the floor and this may be difficult for some women to use. They do not flush. There is a water faucet and bucket to use to pour water down the toilet and on the floor to clean it after you use it. It is understood that each person cleans it after they use it.
Rivers
 Stay near the rivers and use them as a means of transportation. The rivers are cool and you can get around quickly and cheaply, like 15 cents from one end of town to the Grand Palace.
 Most of the boats move quickly and you need to jump in and out quickly.  Some piers are a big step above the boat.
Water
 Bottled water is cheap. Carry a bottle or two all the time, along with a package of tissue and a washcloth, because it is hot here. Sally told us the water is safe in Chiang Mai.
 We're advised that the water is bad except in Chiang Mai, and one can get quite sick drinking it.
Kensington USB laptop Fan This is the "coolest" thing I bought for the trip. I've used it to cool down when sitting at the laptop. Too bad it doesn't work with other things, like when I am walking down the street...
Tissues and Napkins
 Only fancy restaurants use cloth napkins. They will be fine cotton or linen. These establishments will also have toilet tissue, albeit not as good as we have in US.
 Most food places offer napkins that are very thin and do not absorb much. Tons are needed for a meal. Bring along a wash cloth or your own napkins to use. Also, the tissue (when available) in bathrooms is flimsy and there is never enough.
Dogs & Cats
 Dogs and cats are everywhere; especially around the wats. If they are not wandering freely, they are sprawled asleep in the heat. Saw lots of fancy small dogs too with owners.
 Most dogs and cats look homeless, thin and sad.
Cockroaches, rats etc.
 I think I saw two cockroaches during the entire trip; these were in sois (alley ways) at night. Saw no rats or mice. Thailand is quite clean.
 Saw all kinds of crunchy worms and insects are for sale in Chiang Mai. These are eaten like chips; didn't try any.

Thursday morning
We are headed home this morning. In some ways it is sad and bittersweet. But, we hope to return next winter again. We think the summer will be much too hot and the rainy season much to wet and hot.

Bangkok was hot again throughout this leg of the trip, but we enjoyed it. We received a smaller river-view room at the Centre Point (this one was about 1,000 sq ft) and was frankly it more comfortable than the larger one. The highlight this time was the Royal Palace and Wat Po, unbelievably beautiful. I couldn't make it last time because of the knee. I am now climbing steps so the trip, massages and relaxation have helped.

Food continued to be excellent regardless of where we eat; I don't believe I need to keep a food page. It is all good. A final note: the people are all so nice, especially the small shop keepers who make the experience so memorable. We've met so many wonderful people.

Tuesday
We are now back in Bangkok on the last leg of our trip. I am sad to be leaving soon but still have many things to do. The Thai efficiency was perfect: the airplane flight from Chiang Mai was on time and an easy jaunt and the Centre Point staff met us at the airport to return us to the hotel. We tried last night to see the Oriental Hotel but Neal was not dressed appropriately. No shorts allowed. We wandered around Bangkok instead and had dinner at the Tongue Thai-- what a feast!

While in Chiang Mai we hired a car for a private tour. A five-hour tour in a Toyota sedan, to locations we chose, cost under $12. This included several crafts centers where we saw umbrellas, lacquerware and other items being made. We also saw several Wats and were driven  high into the mountains to see Doi Suthep which has to be the most beautiful wat I have seen to date. I had trouble with my camera so did not get many pictures there. See Wats for some pictures. Everything is golden and despite all the people, this is the most serene and quiet place imaginable. We also enjoyed the Sunday Market with Sally and her friends and ate our way through the market. Overall, Chiang Mai is the place we enjoyed most, and the place we would love to live for months at a time.

The cities are crowded with people. Vehicle traffic is horrendous. Thais drive on the left side of the road. Despite the traffic jams, no one honks the horn or seems to get annoyed or to be in a hurry. The sidewalks are generally miniscule & frequently filled with vendor stalls & many other obstructions. Here also, people remain calm & polite. The people are gracious and kind and they seem to like Americans. Smiles, nods & greetings abound. What joy!

Sunday
The best news: after 4-5 massages, including Thai foot messages, my knee is almost perfect. No limping and very little pain! I am also more relaxed than I can ever remember. The Thais know how to do it!

Our first day in Chiang Mai was Thursday, Chinese New Year. We ate at a Thai barbecue place that charged 59 baht for all you can eat. That's $1.48. The meal started with about 20 stacking trays with thin slices of 3-5 kinds of fish & squid, 3-5 kinds of pork, 3-5 kinds of beef including tendon and teriyaki beef and 3-5 kinds of chicken including sesame, etc. Also, a tub of vegetables and glass noodles. They brought hot charcoal to the table and put water in a circular tray that had a grill on top. We put the vegetables and noodles in the circular part with the water and grilled the meat ourselves on top. DELICIOUS.


The meal also included three kinds of sauces (green, red and a sweet one). All were hot and spicy. There was also a table ladened with more noodle dishes, 5-6 kinds of race, steamed mussels, fresh fruit and desserts.

They kept bringing more meat and fish trays and Neal ate until I though he would bust. I didn't think he could eat so much. He couldn't stop.

The food is so good. We have tried everything and eat freely off the street. We've eaten in fancy restaurants that cost less than $15 for two with all the trimmings (beer and juices) and on the street for pennies.  I want to definitely come back for 1-3 months next December or January and can see myself living here for a few months each year for the rest of my life. I really like it! The weather up north is much nicer and cooler. It is so cheap too. Neal concurs, says he is ready to come here each year for at least 3 months!


Rumeli's friend, Sally, lives here; we met her for dinner. She teaches at an elementary school and rents a furnished 2 bedroom house with air conditioning in the bedrooms in a Thai neighborhood. She has a yard, ground telephone, etc. and pays VERY little for it. Easy living. She also has a cell phone, as does everyone (but no 1 speaks loudly & annoyingly).


We ate at the Sunday market last night at one of the wats that served northern Thai food. Neal and I had huge bowls of rice noodles. Mine was covered with a chicken in peanut sauce and Neal's with fish in a peanut sauce; topped with spices, chilies and crispy noodles; both for 25 baht total. Like 65 cents. Fresh orange juice was 5 baht for a large glass and various kinds of sausages made from fish or pork were 10 baht each. Neal and I ate our way through the Sunday market tasting everything that looked good: corn and coconut waffles, fresh strawberries, meats on skewers, tapioca puddings etc. and probably spent a total of $2.00 between the two of us. The Sunday market is wonderful as many artists are selling their wares in additional to the tribes people. It is all spectacular. There is Thai music everywhere and musicians playing and people singing. It is a sensory overload of the best kind.

Last night Neal and I had more massages. We've had about 4-5 each so far. Neal says last night's was the best ever. We plan to have even more! The other RAVE: the shopping. Between the night markets, Sunday markets, shops, whatever, it is all beautiful and thrilling and inexpensive. Silk and cotton are the value here. And more lovely than I have ever seen.

Saturday morning
We arrived on Thursday in Chiang Mai on Chinese New Year. The River View Lodge was a major disappointment. We spent one night and moved the next day to the Diamond Riverside Hotel nearby. With the new year celebrations, it was difficult to find a hotel but our luck held out and we found a wonderful place. The River View was so noisy because of disco clubs on the river; there was no hot water and it lacked a lot of other amenities. I think it is riding on it's Nancy Chandler fame but has seen much better days. We've connected with Sally and had a fab dinner at the Whole Earth restaurant last night with her. No internet for days so I have been behind. Lots more later.

This is shopping heaven. The weather is nice and we are enjoying ourselves. This is a nice place for a long visit to relax.

Thursday morning
I think it's Thursday. We have lost all track of time after spending several days in the Phu Chaisai Resort and Spa in  Chiang Rai, also known as the Mountain of Clear Heart. Today is Chinese New Year's Day and it is a fitting time to move on to Chiang Mai. We have been in PARADISE; probably the most beautiful, serene, peaceful and exotic place I have ever been to. We've indulged ourselves here for R&R and healing after the hot and hectic days in Bangkok. We've been pampered and indulged in a truly magnificent place. This will be an unforgettable experience.

The weather has been delightful; it is very cool in the evenings, like the Bay Area. We've needed light jackets. During the day the weather is warm but not hot.

Upon arrival our first evening we had "A Fine Romance" special package spa treatment at the Bamboo Spa. Sorry, no pictures. We entered a lovely retreat for a three-hour session that started with a 30-minute candlelight floral bath filled with flowers (hibiscus and orchids) and essential oils which were a prelude to a relaxing one hour Asian blend massage. This is a blend of Swedish relaxation massage with the energy-giving benefits of traditional Thai massage. This one is ideal for those who like massage with stronger pressure. Also, deep tissue techniques were also used to release aches, pains and strains. We were simultaneously massaged on side-by-side massage benches in a private room by two small women who were unusually strong. (As the trip has progressed, all of our massages have been been by small, mostly strong masseuses.) The scent of incense and oils were in the air and comforting music played throughout the session. The next next hour was spent on a Thalgo Marine Algae Facial Mask and scalp massage. The sea algae helps wipe out aging cells smoothly as well as enhances the effectiveness of new cell production. I swear we both looked ten years younger when we were done. We then dressed and we moved to another retreat where we were given  hot tea to sip and relax for the final time. This is living!

We followed the romantic treatment with a candlelight dinner on the terrace. Each dish was better than the next: fried mushrooms, whole fish with Thai herbs, etc.

We had an American breakfast with the fresh fruit, homemade bread and homemade strawberry jam and orange marmalade. Neal and I are not fans of watermelon, or marmalade, but have come believers. They are so good here. The breads are home baked, light and delicious. The strawberry jam was almost as good as Helen's jam. The orange marmalade was the best I have ever tasted. It was light and smooth.

We took an all-day tour on Wednesday which took us to the:
 We followed the tour with a one hour Thai Herbal Body Compress while Neal had a one hour Head and Shoulder Massage. The compress starts with a full body traditional Thai massage followed by a herbal compress using ancient Thai herbs. The herbs are quite warm and release toxins in the body and relieve the stress from the muscles. Most of the time on me was spent to help my knee so I did not get another scalp massage. Neal's massage was to refresh his back and shoulders by emphasizing the back with oils. It started on his back and finished with a scalp massage.

We followed this treatment with another wonderful dinner: chicken and beef satay, Green curry with chicken, asparagus with mushrooms in oyster sauce, calamari in garlic sauce and rice. It was followed with a cake the spa made special for us in celebration  of our 25h anniversary. We also had cappuccino ice cream and taro ice cream. Light and tasty.

We had a Thai breakfast with congee (the best we've had on this entire trip) and of course the bread and jams. Neal also is now eating papaya and watermelon and I have pictures to prove it.


Tuesday morning
My only rant today is that we are leaving Bangkok and I haven't seen everything I wanted to see. The good news is that we are coming back later for a couple of days. Monday was a full day: several tuk-tuk and cab rides, the electronics mall, the night market, some jewelry stores, a second fitting for Neal with the tailor (the slacks and blazer are beautiful), and the Sanboon Seafood Restaurant. The electronics mall is a huge building with about six floors of shops, maybe 200-500 with everything imaginable in computers, digital cameras, music CDs, etc. I found a lot of the things to be much higher priced here than in the US so I didn't buy much. There were even Apple stores. I told Neal that Renae and I could stay in the mall for a couple of days! Music was blasting everywhere and it was impossible to hear yourself think or hear a cell phone if one went off.

The night market is another world. Along certain streets & alleys--already crowded with people, food vendors and narrow sidewalks to begin with--many more stalls go up in the early evening. It is almost impossible to walk and there is everything and it is all cheap. It's like a huge party.

We are catching an early flight to Chiang Rai so my review of Somboon will have to wait. Humberto urged us to go and have the curried crab, their specialty. It was really good but I enjoyed the platter of spicy shrimp more. Best shrimp I have ever had in my entire life. More details later.

We are now off for pampering at the resort, like aromatherapy, massages, facials and other delights!

Sunday evening
All raves! A lot has happened since I last wrote. We made it to Sukhumvit Road on Saturday afternoon where Neal met with Jesse and Victor (Humberto Rincon's tailors which is why we went, so we cut them slack, excuse the pun, for being the tailor for both Pres. Bushes) to have some clothes made. I also met with the Thai Silk Queen to have a few blouses made. We also had the best meal of the trip at the Nipa Restaurant in the Landmark Hotel, thanks to Jesse's recommendation and the generous use of a discount card he lent us. We had an exquisite meal for a fraction of the original cost. Subtle and beyond words.

Saturday night we saw an awesome fireworks display from the wrap-around balcony of our apartment. A new building across the river held a grand opening and did a fireworks display from their rooftop. Because we are on the 21st floor, we just looked straight ahead at it--no need to crane our necks. The sounds, music and visuals projected on the building were nice too.

Sunday we went to the Chatuchak Weekend Market: 35 acres of traditional Thai stuff and everything else, a giant flea market. It was hot and seemed to be the hottest day so far. The heat got to me and I was overwhelmed by it all, could not even think of shopping, just wanted to sit and sip beers or juices all day. There was everything in silk you can imagine from pillows to napkin and tissue holders, each item more beautiful than the next. There were more beads and amulets in one stall than I have ever seen in my entire life. On our way home we found a nice little restaurant near the Centre Point. We went there later that evening and had yet another excellent meal (the only rant was the CD of songs in English by the worst singer ever, who turned out to be the owner's brother). We've decided it is impossible to get bad food here. That is, unless you decide to have French or American fast food.

My favorite was the "Fried Catfish in Spicy." The catfish is fried and then ground or chopped with spices, garlic, lemon grass, chilies and thinly-sliced red onions. Another item was "Lemon Glass with Died Shrimps." This was whole fresh shrimps in a salad with lemon grass, chilies, a little lettuce and tomatoes in a traditional Thai dressing. We also had squid prepared similarly; the squid was perfect: tender and not chewy or overcooked. And, we enjoyed another traditional Thai noodle dish with shrimp. This one was like Pad Thai but had no egg; it was filled with peanuts and had a peanut sauce flavor. It also included large black mushrooms that were more tasty and delicious than I have ever eaten.

Saturday morning
Knee is improved. We walked around Friday evening after dinner and today I am ready to start exploring. Food has been very good. We have not had any poultry or meat as Neal is not eating these. I will have some soon as we eat out way through the country.

Here's a list of some interesting dishes we've had so far:

River Prawns with garlic and white pepper: The best dish so far. Succulent, the largest prawns we've ever seen in a wonderful sauce. We've had them two days in a row and will go for more...

Scallops with asparagus: Wonderful!

Catfish with green beans and salted eggs: The Thais, like the Chinese, eat salted eggs with everything. It is an acquired taste but I am liking it. This catfish was sliced razor thin and fried. Tasted like pieces of bacon.  Carel, you will love it...

Green Curry Vegetables:  The Thais use sliced small corns a lot, also mushrooms. The green curry was divine.

Morning Glories with black bean sauce:  This dish is delicious! It is actually water spinach and is really nice. Rumeli, you would love this one. They add a lot of scallions too, and garlic.

Thai sandwiches: Wonderful breads or bread rolls filled with shredded chicken, pork or  tuna with onions, chilies and cilantro.

Eggplant Salad: Grilled and smoked eggplant. Sometimes it is served as a salad with lettuce and a spicy salad dressing or just served in a bowl with other vegetables topped with a sauce. It can be quite spicy, like extreme. We've had it twice already and want more.

Fish Cakes: These are everywhere, yummy fish cakes with scallions and the clear red sauce. I can live on these. They cost 20 baht for ten (about 50 cents) in Tops Supermarket. They come cooked with the sauce pack. They are wrapped in plastic like fresh sushi in the US. Tops is high end so these are probably much cheaper everywhere else.

Noodles: All kinds. Cheap and really good! Can you believe 38 cents for a container with four servings of vegetarian pad thai or vegetarian chow mein? Again, this is the Tops price, so they are cheaper elsewhere.

Sushi: All kinds. More expensive than the noodles, but cheap by US standards and very good.

Congee: All kinds. Cheap and the perfect breakfast dish especially with all those chilies and red sweet onions!

Beer: Singha, just like in the Thai restaurants at home.

Coconut Ice Cream: Very light and DELICIOUS. Cools the palate after the spicy foods. Light on the cream but this is OK with me, fewer calories.

We ate dinner at a highly recommended Thai restaurant on Friday night, the Ban Chiang. It is in an old private home so we got a flavor of what homes look like. With drinks (beer, Thai ice tea, orange juice and bottled water) and four dishes and rice, the total tab was under $18.

Friday morning
My only rant is the condition of my knee. It started feeling worse on Thursday evening Thailand time and today, Friday, continues to hurt a lot. I hope it is the result of the many hours of traveling (sleeping on the airplane in upright position), not using ice enough, etc. and that I will be better soon. Here's hoping...

No other complaints.

We feel very comfortable here. English is spoken everywhere and most signs are in English too. The people are very warm and friendly. Everyone is helpful.

I decided to stay in today and sit in the lap of luxury to help my knee recover. I am relaxing, icing my knee and working on this web page. Neal went out to explore. We now have Thai GSM sim chips for our cell phones so we can communicate easily. This makes it convenient for us to wander apart. The chips were cheap. I think for under $24 we both have Thai telephone numbers and have 100 minutes of local calls. Refills are 100 baht, which is $2.50.

We have nothing but raves for EVA AIR and the Centre Point. The attention to detail on the airplane was beyond anything I have ever seen and everything from take off to landing and transfers was smooth and uneventful. When we arrived at the Bangkok airport, the driver was there with a sign with our names, and we had a very smooth transition to the apartment complex in a very nice car. There was a sign greeting us in the lobby with our names too! A very nice touch.


Some pictures:

Centre Point Apartment

More Apartment

Views from  the Apartment

Food has been real good too!  There are food vendors everywhere on the streets. The sidewalks are narrow and made even more narrow with all the vendors selling hot and cold food, fresh orchids, marigolds, silk and countless other items. And, I can smell shrimp everywhere on the streets. It lingers everywhere. Yummy. The shops are filled with silk and silk clothing. I am eager to see more!


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