Thai Food

Our budget for food and water was $12 per day in both Phuket and Bangkok. We found that most restaurants in Phuket (and there are lots!) served the same staple Thai food: fried riced, fried noodles, noodles in soup, and curry. Restaurants also offered many Western dishes to satisfy any cravings for cheese burgers, steaks, and even fish and chips. Although Thailand is well-known for their spicy dishes, most foods are served mild with the ability to add fiery hotness using chili peppers, oils, and sauces.

Just a few of the spicy add-ons to choose from

We got a little tired of the repetitive menus around and decided to splurge on our last night in Thailand. We dined very well at Sawasdee in downtown Bangkok. I had the green curry with beef that was served deliciously creamy and piping hot. It put all the other curries I had on the trip to shame.

Green curry with beef, potatoes, and vegetables

Below are some of our more memorable eats!

Pad thai wrapped in egg

Phuket style noodles with pork and vegetables

Homemade raspberry and vanilla ice cream with a chocolate chip and coconut cookie

Wandering around Bangkok

It has been very easy getting around with the SkyTrain in Bangkok. It is similar to Hong Kong's MTR system but with much fewer lines. The only difficulty in terms of traveling is getting to the older part of the city where taxis seem to be the sole option. It does not help when we see huge gridlock and repeatedly hear cautionary tales of taxi drivers ripping off tourists.

Average amount of traffic in downtown Bangkok

Nevil has been feeling on and off so we have been out of the sun and have stuck to air conditioned places, namely malls. Downtown Bangkok near the Siam station is a modernized hub of activity with skyscrapers, 7 story malls, brand names, and lots of traffic. Over the past 2 days, our tired feet have walked through MBK, Siam Paragon, Siam Centre, and Central World. Some were more shiny, others more crowded, but all were frigidly cold inside despite it being 30 degrees outside.

Skating rink inside Central World for 250 baht.
Nevil thought it would be funny to show off his mad Canadian skating skills but later decided the rink was too crowded. 

Mangroves

We took a canoe trip through a small fishing area of Phuket and into the mangroves. Fishermen sat on their floating rafts with very simple fishing rods while others set lobster and crab sets at the bottom of the water. The lush green trees with their long spidery roots were so thoroughly intertwined that large animals could roam on top. The water was serene and the quiet afternoon allowed us to spot several animals including blue kingfishers, crabs that lived in the mangroves and small schools of fish. 

Mangroves in bright sunlight

Crab on the trunk of a mangrove

Gibbon Rehabilitation Project

We hiked up to the largest waterfall in Phuket, the Bang Pae waterfall, which was full of families with children going for a swim. The base of the waterfall was no larger than 1.5 meters wide but plucky teenagers dived down from tremendous heights. There really was not much room for any dives fancier than a straight pencil dip.

Nearby is the tremendous Gibbon Project which is a rehabilitation initiative for gibbons that have been captured and sold as pets or dragged around for entertainment and money making purposes. Some people will go into the jungles for the sole purpose of capturing a baby gibbon which usually results in 4 or 5 killed gibbons for each captured baby. They are often drugged and dragged around to bars, beaches, and resorts in hopes that tourists will pay to take a photo with one. The volunteers at the Gibbon Project track down this illegal business and bring the gibbons back to this sanctuary in hopes of one day releasing them back into the wild. They try to match gibbons together so as to start families but gibbons mate for life and are understandably choosy. Successful gibbon families are released into the wild and monitored for 2 years where they are slowly weaned off depending on humans for food.

I think its an amazing initiative and for anyone who is interested, they are always looking for volunteers! The project is also run solely by donations and more info can be found at http://www.gibbonproject.org/

One of the coolest things...

So when Nevil was feeling better, we decided to celebrate... on top of an elephant! We did a mini jungle trek on the back of a Thai elephant. Although it is no doubt exhilarating to be riding a giant animal, it is also quite nerve wreaking when going downhill towards a muddy swamp holding nothing but string and wood tied to the elephant. A little bumpy, a little shaky, but a whole lot of fun. 

Fellow adventurers crossing a flooded area

Jungles of Phuket

We met a baby elephant a little later on who loved bananas. She was a very energetic two year old and gave me a kiss on the cheek!

Muah!

Baby elephant!

"What do you mean you think you're going to die?!?"

So Nevil had been feverish and sore for the last few days and we concluded it was malaria. It's too bad we didn't take any anti-malaria medication before our trip. So at 9:45 pm when the left side of his body went numb, we spazzed, freaked out a bit and went on a journey to find a hospital.


Unlike North America where you can call a taxi company to send a ride to pick you up, the best bet in Phuket is to wave one down on the streets. But it was absolutely hopeless trying to get a taxi at night in the city's club district. Eventually, the manager of the guesthouse offered to give us a ride to the Phuket International Hospital about 40 minutes away. While I would say our situation was an urgent one, seeing as malaria can be fatal, I do not think it was necessary to drive 130 km/h on residential roads ontop of not staying between the lines. Good grief, I thought I was going to die too that night.

Anyways after two hours, the blood test came back negative for malaria, dengue fever, and a bunch of other serious illnesses. While the doctor did not know what kind of virus it was, it was not fatal which was very good news indeed. We went home as very happy campers in a taxi that drove at equally frightening speeds.

In sum: Nevil won't be dying anytime soon! Hurraaah!

Life Around Phuket

Kata beach at low tide

Nevil *finally* shaving after Cambodia and did no longer needed "natural mosquito protection"

Baby elephant pulled into the street begging business

How gasoline is normally sold in Phuket

Just a normal day in Phuket

Sex Work Industry

When we booked our guesthouse, we were not aware that it was in the heart of Kata's Night Club District. So just steps from the lobby were bars to our left and right. Around happy hour in the evening to the wee hours of the night, some form of beats or outdated Western music played in bars with questionable poles coming out from tables that made The Spot or Smijies look like a million dollars.

On our way to dinner one night, a sharply dressed young man came up to us and introduced himself. He shook Nevil's hand but would not let go. We did not quite understand why he was so chatty but we started to clue in when he asked if I was his sweetheart or girlfriend. These are very different terms here where the former refers to a paid escort. Later as I looked away, he asked Nevil if he was checking out the good looking girls in the bar across the street and urged him to go over. We promptly left and realized we had just encountered a pimp soliciting business. Well-dressed and always stopping foreigners in front of bars, we saw quite a few of these smooth talking gentlemen during our stay in Phuket.

We also saw a great number of scantily clad women wearing heels of incredible height beckon to men all night to come into bars. And they were just as friendly to a man walking with his family as a man by himself. I suppose it must work because night and day, we saw many Caucasian men in their 40s or older in the company of one, two, or even three very attractive local young women. Nevil does not understand why someone would hire a sex worker but I think it has a lot to do with having a companion who will dote on you. Everyone wants to feel wanted and hear compliments. Of course I am not naive enough to think none of these men are paying for other services as well. From what I can tell, the locals have accepted this as part of the culture. Receptionists at hotels do not blink an eye when a visitor comes back with a significantly younger local. Waitresses do not shy away from tables with a foreigner surrounded by three local women. It is an interesting part of the life here and vastly different to what we are accustomed to at home. Our experience with the pimp has taught us not to go around accepting people's handshakes and to always carry hand sanitizer for such occasions. 

Sawatdee Kaa Phuket!

Hat = Beach
We are staying in the Hat Kata region of Phuket, Thailand for its surfing areas. The beach has lush soft sand and tourists are few at this time of year. However, the first thing that I noticed were the monstrous waves and the fact that Nevil wanted me to go surfing in those waves. 


So here goes my first attempt at surfing. In the beginning = mostly a fail. I had an 11 foot board which was more than twice my height. It was also a burdensome beast to lug around the beach looking for good waves. Maybe I was just deluded about surfing but my biggest shock was that the most difficult part is not standing up on the board. Oh no, it is actually getting your board past the waves and white water so that you can ride the board back to shore. MUCH easier said than done when I am itty bitty and facing monstrous waves and riptides (did I mention that?). All this while strapped to a damn heavy floating device twice my size. To avoid being pushed around like a rag doll in a washing machine, I have learned the following after much pain and misery:

• When in the water, the tip of the board should ALWAYS point in front towards the ocean
• When you get over a wave (congratulations!), instantly plant your feet down again or else you will be pushed back a few meters. The meters you strained to achieve over 30 minutes time.
• When not trying to get over a wave, dig your toes into the sand to avoid drifting away
• Be fearless

I got the hang of getting myself and my board over the waves after a while but past the 3 foot waves close to shore were the 4-5 foot waves further out which were as scary as an angry baboon. When I saw walls of water rise above and break above me, I got a good perspective on how truly small and powerless I am to the forces of nature. Then I went limp and got thrown about before returning to the surface to cough up salt water. These wipe-outs were generally when I felt disheartened and rode the water back to shore. I suppose the best advice would be: Be fearless. Don't give up. 

Oh and as a lovely reminder of wipe-outs, the salt water got inside the sinuses so my nose continually ran for a while. How swell! After an hour or so, I got the hang of things and habituated to the size of the waves. I was able to paddle a bit on my board and ride some 3 foot waves on my belly. Next step will be standing up! 

Impressions of Siem Reap

While the city's name which translates to Siam Defeated (referring to the Thais) may paint the image of a hostile and aggressive population, I found everyone to be soft-spoken and polite. We were greeted with warm hellos and kindness throughout our stay. The only pestering came from hawking vendors selling merchandise or tuk tuk rides.

Sweeping is big part of daily routine as sand and dust is constantly blown around. Houses are immaculately swept and shoes are never worn indoors. On the streets, hired city workers sweep the roads and sidewalks while store keepers ensure their entrances are dirt free.

Most people get around by motorcycle although there does not seem to be any strict driving laws. It makes me so nervous when mothers ride holding newborns in their arms. There is not "right of way" mentality on the streets. In terms of turning, whoever is jutting out the most gets his/her way you can which is especially frightening on left turns with oncoming traffic. The town is not too big and get anywhere within a 15 minute tuk tuk ride.

Overall, Siem Reap was a really great cultural experience. Even with an increase in tourism, the city retains its cultural and historic roots. There are a few swanky hotels near the airport but local guesthouses are the best way to get a flavour of Cambodian hospitality. From the minute we got onto a tuk tuk and explored the city, we were thrown into a whole new  way of life. If anyone has a love of history or ancient ruins, Siem Reap is a definite must-see place!

Monkey Princess and Other Animals

Along our Cambodian adventures, we met some hairy and scaly friends.

My favourite was the wee darling at Angkor Wat. Sitting under an entrance way, this monkey posed this way and that to accomodate all the cameras pointed at it. We soon discovered that I was a long lost monkey princess because as soon as I sat down, the monkey came over and put his/her hand on my lap. We stayed like that for a while. I was mainly motionless for fear that the monkey would no longer find me as a comfy companion. As another vistor approached us, the monkey screeched and darted at the poor girl. The shrieks were enough for me so I bid a fond adieu to my dear Angkorian guardian.

Monkey friend holding my lap

While enjoying a lunch break at Angkor Thom, Nevil watched a troop of monkeys seal an eggplant from a market stall and scamper of to devour every last morsel of the purple vegetable. The alpha monkey was a fierce fellow with fangs 2 inches long hanging from both sides of his mouth. We watched the group fight over the eggplat, climb onto motorcycles and hang from trees. One of them tried to grab at my purse as I was stooped down taking photos. I stood up just in time but it admantly stalked me! The monkey followed me as I followed him/her until we ended up walking in circles for a while.

Lunch break at Angkor Thom

We met scaly friends in downtown Siem Reap where you can get a fish massage. Many stores have giant fish tanks or pools with hundreds of fish swimming about. They nip at your dead skin when you put your foot/hand into the tank. Mr. Germaphobe Nevil thought it was very unhygienic to put your feet into the same water as everyone else but I thought it was totally cool.


Fancy a fish massage?



This man guaranteed no piranhas



Cambodian Cuisine

I mentioned before that our budget for food was $10 per day and we enjoyed some terrific Cambodian cuisine. The most common were noodle soups with a variation of pork or beef and vegetables.

Nevil enjoyed a lovely steamed snake fish served on a hot plate with coals. Although quite succulent, it did require patience to spit out all the bones.

Steamed snake fish

My favourite meal was at the Angkor Palm with their wide range of traditional Khmer delicacies. We enjoyed fresh spring rolls with local vegetables, mango and fish salad, local pork spare ribs in a honey and spice sauce, fish amok with tonle sap, green curry with beef and eggplant, and cha turkuon (morning glory in oyster sauce). Served with a bowl of steamed rice, the food was divine. Our favourites were the fish amok and morning glory for their tender texture and unusual, yet mouth-watering, taste.

Traditional Khmer food

More Angkor Temples

Chau Say Tevoda

This was the temple were Nevil was harassed by an old lady with incense. Eventually he caved to the coercion and donated money (can it still be called coercion?).

Nevil 0: Elderly lady 1



Chau Say Tevoda Temple



At every temple, children ran to approaching visitors and tried to sell postcards, cold drinks, and colourful souvenirs. We must have said "No thank you" at least 5 times at each temple. Some kids continually asked "Why not?" while others pleaded that they needed the money to go to school. While the yound children tugged at heart strings, most guides point out that the money goes to the parents and the most beneficial way of helping children is giving them food.

In the end, it was inevitable that after 20 offers for cold drinks, our water supply ran out and made the locals very happy. We must have consume 5 L of water each day.

Angkor Thom

Our tuk tuk dropped us off at The Terrace of the Elephants where the walls into Angkor Thom were engraved with scenes of elephants in battle. Inside the 12 century city were even more impressive temples and a huge Angkor pyramid. Unfortunately, this was about the time heat stroke set in. After our ascent of Phimeanakas, we sought shelter in the shade and waited for our heads to stop pounding. As it is, Angkor Thom occupies a very large square hootage and is not clearly marked. We were lost, hot, out of water, andin no mood to enjoy much of anything. It was a miracle we found the way out and sheer luck that we found our tuk tuk driver.

Terrace of the Elephants outside Angkor Thom



Phimeanakas Temple aka heat stroke central



With our driver's promise of food and the breeze from the tuk tuk ride (so key for anyone thinking about visiting Siem Reap in the summer!), we felt tremendously better by the time we arrived at a local restaurant. I should mention that restaurants here are outside with a wooden roof and electrc fans nailed onto posts. For all I cared, we could have been in a 60 ft deep pit so long as it was cooler than 40 degrees and had food. 

Angkor Wat

With food in our bellies, we felt bold enough to tackle the temple of temples- Angkor Wat. It as a jaw dropping sight even after a full day of temple trekking. With a large moat around it, it is the largest religious structure in the world. The walkway to the entrance was impressive enough with well preserved pillars, columns, and engravings. Apparently there are about 3000 unique engravings in total. Past the entrance fate is a large courtyard with a main path down the entre leading to Angkor Wat. To the sides of the path are iressive stone libraries. After another substantial climb to the top of the temple (my knees were seriously fatigued), we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the area. It was astonishing to imagine how the Angkorian kings designed these buildings and how workers transported and built such intricate and colossal structures.  

Outside Angkor Wat

Inside the courtyard

View from the peak of Angkor Wat

Of the grand circuit tour, the most memorable was Neak Pean which consisted of a central pool nd 4 connected artificial resevoirs thought to assist the healing process. Below are some other temple favourites :)

 

Pre Rup Temple

View from the summit of Pre Rup

Central pool of Neak Pean

Preah Khan, second largest in size after Angkor Wat

Giving these boys a hand

Adventures in Angkor Archaeological Park

It would be impossible to describe every temple we visited in the past 2 days so I'll highlight my favourites.

We began our journey on the short-circuit loop with a 5 am tuk tuk ride to sunrise over Prasat Kravan. Sadly, it was too cloudy to get a good view but we certainly beat the other tourists and the heat. It was a beautiful and peaceful walk through the quiet and the shade. The area around the temples is mainly sand so the park hires people, mainly elderly ladies, to constantly sweep sand and dust off the temple grounds. Otherwise, I suspect that the temples would be in an foot of sand after a month. Unfortunately, this also means there is a constant cloud of dust as you walk up to a temple.


Attempted sunrise



Gate entrance to Prasat Kravan. The face of Vishnu is carved in the stone.





Ta Prohm was memorable for the overgrown jungle taking over the stone walls. Huge trees towered over the stones as roots creeped their way in between crevaces. It is very much like a lost world inside and you can only imagine the state of the temple when the first explorers found it. Althought built in the early 1100s, the stones lie precariously on top of one another today and many are covered in lichen. Ta Prohm was built in honour of Jayavarman VII's mother who was thought to be the incarnation of wisdom. An inscription on the temple recorded 80, 000 people working at the temple either doing maintenance or attending to an official.  
Around 10 am, the tour group started arriving. We could have also hired a personal guide for a day. So far, we've heard English, French, German, and Chinese. Sometimes we sneakily tagged behind a tour for history tidbits but they always went through the temples so quickly that we were often left behind.

Inside Ta Prohm



Towering edifices of Ta Prohm

Columnade inside Ta Prohm

Ta Keo is a little further in and one of the highest temples. It is entirely made of sandstone but the temple was never fully constructed. We came upon this temple around 11 am so the sun was brutal on the climb up. Moreover, the steps are super steep and small so the climb up is purely on tip toe and the climb down is slow and cautious. The walls are not carved but the height of the temple is real marvel.

Ta Keo, 50 metre high and one heck of a climb






Siem Reap, Cambodia

Tuk tuk: a motorcycle pulled carriage that fits about 2-4 people comfortably. The record number of people we saw today on a tuk tuk? 9.

Alongside motorcycles, tuk tuks are the most popular and convenient forms of transportation on the dirt roads of Siem Reap. You can also rent bicycles for $1 per day to roam around the city but with a scorching 40 degree sun, we decided against it.

We went to visit the general market in downtown Siem Reap. It is right beside the river and merchants sell everything from jewellery, scarves and souvenirs to dried meats and raw chicken. Haggling is a must here and most merchants discunt their original price by half if they see you walking away or losing interest.

Quick note: There is absolutely no need to bring Cambodian riel. Merchants either prefer or only accept USD. All the stores, hotels, lodges, restaurants and markets deal primarily with USD.

Wat = temple



Wat Preah Prom Rath



We meandered around town and visited Wat Damnali and Wat Preah Prom Rath. Both are beside elementary schools and are home to many monks. Wat Preah Prom Rath boasts a 500 year history but you would never be able to guess from the pristine tiles and freshly painted walls. Inside was an impressive pagoda and along the walls told the story of Buddha gaining enlightenment. Around the Wats are many shrines and tombs, each more colourful and embellished than the next.





One of the monuments of Wat Damnali



 It feels like 40 degrees outside so we are incredibly happy we chose a room with air conditioning. It is our Shangri-la after returning from a long day of walking under the Cambodian sun. Our lodge is quaint and cozy and the staff are incredibly hospitable. We set a budget of $10 a day for food which seems more than reasonable with the lodge restaurant serving us delicious and fresh food all day. Apart from the tuk tuk drivers constantly pestering visitors for business, everyone has been extremely welcoming and polite.

We're journeying out to the Night Market later this evening but for now, we're staying out of the sun and enjoying some icy banana shakes.

Hong Kong in a day

The Peak

It was great to be here early in the morning to miss the traffic up the winding mountain road as well as the tour groups being herded this way and that. We took a leisurely 40 minute stroll around the peak on the main path. On clear days, you can get a gorgeous view of the city, the harbour and the skyscrapers.
We ate at the well known Tsui Wah featuring classic HK snacks such as milk tea and HK style French toast.



View from the Peak on a foggy morning

There was also a few stores with the niftiest of gadgets and games. For $300 CAD, you can buy a dinosaur with a computer-like device inside which allows the dinosaur to get hungry, walk around and poop. If you put two male dinosaurs together, they'll fight. Put a male and a female together and they'll begin a courtship. If you move the dinosaur to a different climate, say from Hong Kong to Australia, it will recognize the shift, get sick and begin to sneeze. The dinosaur comes with pretend food, water and medication. It understands all sorts of languages but will only respond to its owner's requests. The pet of the future?




The $300 pet of the future





Jumbo Restaurant

 

For lunch, we went to a 4-story boat restaurant embellished with dragons and phoenixes. Chinese cuisine is served on all floors except the roof top where a Western buffet can be enjoyed. A short 5 minute ferry rides takes you to and from the restaurant. Inside, we ordered dim sum while watching the ferries go by. The restuarant also looks out at the marina where huge yachts worth a few million dollars are stationed. If you ask the ferry drivers, they'll point out which boat belongs to which celebrity.

 

Ferry ride to the floating Jumbo Restaurant



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Dim sum lunch at the Jumbo