Bangkok: The Home of Wats and Shops

February 20-23

Bangkok is a very big city with an equally big international airport. One can literally go anywhere in the world from this hub.

This is my third time stopping here and since I've seen all the Wats and palaces, we planned to come for a stay in a nice hotel, centrally located, just a block from the sky train. Our goal: the internationally known Chatuchak Market where everything from housewares, clothing, and snakes are sold. We are not interested in the snakes.

Paella being prepared at the market

The ride on the sky train is extremely easy. All the cars are air conditioned and very comfortable. There are video screens in each car running ads for just about everything.  Hot dogs and skin care products are featured with beautiful male and female models who are offering glitz and glam if you purchase their goods. Our ride ends at the Mo Chit stop. Which I find the stops' name fitting since this is where thousands of vendors ply their goods...in other words...you couldn't have "Mo Chit" if you tried!!

Cute hawker on way to train

Annalisa and I arrived at about 10:30 am encouraged by a nice breeze and very mild temperatures.  I was shocked that there was not much humidity.  Perhaps, because of the weather,  we stayed wandering the aisles and snooping in the stalls for about 5 hours. We had so much fun that we returned the next morning for 2 more hours to collect even "Mo Chit"! We found some very unique things to bring home as gifts. It will be fun to share this experience with others. We loved our stay at the Novotel Hotel. The beds, the breakfast and even the pool were just perfect! Another note to self...when planning a trip...Novotel!!

much fancier shopping is one block from the hotel called Siam Center

Our Taxi driver's app on way to airport 

Look closely at this sign

And this sign in airport lounge

Good bye Bangkok!!

We are now in Siem Reap. The home of  900 yr old Angkor Wat. An amazing combination of temples built approximately at the end of the 11th century.  But we are here for something far more contemporary, the children of Sambor school.

Lovely Luong Prabong

Thursday February 20, 2020
Please note date as I am behind in posting. 

This is our last night in Luong Prabong, Laos and it has been fun to return to this familiar colonial city.  No guide, no schedule, and no pressure to visit another temple or factory.  We've been staying on "Saffron Alley" at My Lao Home, a lovely hotel with very attentive staff.  Unfortunately,  for me the beds, once again, are way too hard. I like a firm bed but don't like sleeping on one that is a kin to sleeping on the floor. So far I've added 3 comforters double folded and still wake up several times with various aches and pains. I only mention this because I want to be reminded that both Asia and Europe seem to be consistent in having no padding on top of their beds. Perhaps I need to start traveling with a extra thick Pilates mat. Note to self!!

Control tower Luong Prabong

LP airport

Mekong River

Bamboo bridge cost 20 Kip to cross

Why did we return to LP? The night market was one reason. With approximately 2 miles of vendors it is a place one can find all sorts of locally made crafts and textiles.  I am in love with the Indigo fabric and all things made from that color. We also came because we like this easy to wander city sandwiched between the Mekong and the Nam Kham rivers.  LP is the home of many temples and world heritage sites. One could come to this lovely city, wander for a few days and then hop a boat and wander some more. Just come with a half empty suitcase.

This what a MILLION Kip looks like yet it doesn't spend quite as slowly as one might like! This equals $100 US

Wall hangings costing in the thousands...of Kip

Restaurants at night

Our driver told us that approximately 80k live in the city with about 400k living in the the entire province.  The Mekong is the major artery connecting Laos with Vietnam and Cambodia. Apparently,  China is building a high speed train to move people between countries faster. We visited a Hmong village yesterday where approximately 70 families make their home. It seemed more like a tourist trap set up by Epcot with adorable children who throw costumes over their regular clothing and beg visitors to buy their factory made purses and souvenirs.  As you wander through their villages it is a bit like running the gauntlet where children are the foe.

Extracting seeds from cotton balls

Little devils look sweet but pushy sales people!!

Photo op plant

Hmong Village 

Well trained Merchandizers

Yes, we stopped at an Elephant camp to feed them. Hated that they were chained!!

Sun Bear enjoying her pool

Baby Sun Bears

 We also stopped at a water buffalo farm run by a couple of Australians who hire locals and  people on work-study visas. They all assist them in their project.  Here they milk the buffalo and turn the milk into various cheeses and ice creams. They also attempt to teach the local farmers how to raise a healthier stock of animals but with wages so low and buffalo going for a thousand dollars a head for meat the farmers tend to sell instead.

Very sweet animals

Our bellies full of water buffalo ice cream, t we drove on to the beautiful Kuang Si falls. A definite tourist attraction but with a lovely walk through old growth forests and a visit with the sun bears who are being protected in a fenced off area saved from poachers.

Beautiful Kuang Si

Today we head for Bangkok by air. If weather predictions are correct we will be packing up our sweaters in exchange for much lighter clothing. It has been in the mid 70's here. Bangkok will be in the 90's!! 

Chilly At Thandy Beach

February 12-15
Just Sandy at Thandy!!

We've reached our halfway point in our Asia trip. I am glad we planned a bit of a break before heading on to several more countries unaided by any guides. When our trip was just in the planning stage I'd seen this ad for what was once voted one of the world's top ten beaches, so we chose Ngapali Beach as our place for R&R.

Control tower Ngapali 

Airport on the beach

lovely beach front room Thandy Beach Hotel

Nagpali is a lovely beach on the Bay of Bengal. The water is a delightful turquoise and the sand is a lovely soft beige. Unfortunately,  we did not have particularly warm weather. It was so chilly morning and evening that we needed a jacket to stay warm. By noon the sun was just warm enough to walk the beach in a bathing suit for a couple of hours. Sadly,  the ocean was never warm enough to lure me in very far to test the gentle waves. However,  it was still beautiful and staying here gave us three lovely days to unwind. We were glad to stay put where there were no shops, no schedule and no other distractions,  or so we thought!

We walked at least 10k steps a day on the beach and ate fantastic lunch and dinner for about $11 per person a day and never went hungry. The prawns were bbq'd and as big as a small lobster.  The vegetables were perfectly steamed to a crunchy perfection.

I had the best pedicure of my life for $13 from a woman who has certificates in massage, facials and manicures and pedicures.  She is the spa supervisor and at these prices I was amazed at the incredible treatment I got. Annalisa had a 90 minute massage on the beach for about $12.

We never ventured away from the beach and yet shopping found us with beach-side vendors stationed strategically, about 3-4 hundred yards apart. So if course we managed to buy just a few little gifts to bring to friends and relatives back home.

Next stop Yangon for a quick overnight before heading to one of our favorite places, Luong Prabong, Laos.