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Thailand 2021-2022
  • Roch Pelletier
  • Brendaboo

Thailand 2021-2022

I’ve paid my dues
Time after time
I’ve done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I’ve made a few
I’ve had my share of sand
Kicked in my face
But I’ve come through” Leggi altro
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  • Inizio del viaggio
    3 dicembre 2021
    Thailand 2021-2022

    On Our Way Home

    3 dicembre 2021, Canada ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C

    You and I have memories
    Longer than the road that stretches out ahead

    Two of us wearing raincoats
    Standing solo
    In the sun
    You and me chasing paper
    Getting nowhere
    On our way back home
    We're on our way home
    We're on our way home
    We're going home

    It might sound odd to hear that we’re going home as we depart Vancouver for Chiang Mai, but there is nowhere else on earth that makes us feel so much at home as that northern Thai city.

    It’s been 639 days since Brenda and I have been on an international flight and four years since we last set foot on Thai soil. The pandemic has confined us first to our city, then to our province and lastly to Canada. Finally, we feel that we’ve completed our sentence and are once again free to travel the world. I should state that the fact we are both fully vaccinated has eased our trepidation of venturing afar despite the news of the Omicron mutation of the virus. That and the inconceivable thought of spending yet another winter in cool and rainy Vancouver .

    In fact, the number of hoops we had to jump through, the reams of paperwork we had to complete, the brief quarantine we must complete once we arrive in Thailand and the nervous anticipation of waiting for our Covid test results, all attest to just how eager we are to resume our globetrotting.

    As we make our way to YVR for our 1:30 PM departure, the temperature outside is a chilly 2 °C.
    See ya in March, Vancouver.

    Here comes the sun, do-do-do-do.    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    One Night In Bangkok

    5 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We arrived at our Bangkok accomodations, The Berkeley Hotel, at 1:30 AM this morning. Because of the pandemic, we were obliged to quarantine here for one day while we await the results of the Covid rapid test that was performed this morning.

    Our flights to Bangkok were both quite lengthy, but uneventful. The Vancouver to Tokyo leg was about 10.5 hours in the air, then we had a 1.5 hour layover in Tokyo before embarking on the 6.5 hour flight to Bangkok, arriving almost 45 minutes ahead of schedule. Considering that we had to leave home at 9:30 AM on Friday to be at the airport three hours before our flight, our total travel time was 25 hours! Fortunately, the food was good on both legs, there were plenty of movies on the entertainment system to keep us entertained (FYI: do NOT waste your time watching "The Green Knight") and the wine and beer was offered generously on the second leg of the trip! Hats off to ANA for their in flight service.

    Since we were officially under quarantine from the minute we stepped off the plane, we had to book a hotel package that included a private car ride from the airport, the covid test and three full meals. Needless to say, after all the travel, we were both very happy to arrive at the hotel, get out of our travel clothes, particularly the flight socks, lie down and drift very rapidly off into dreamland.

    The weather outside is partly overcast and 23°C and we hope to be able to get out into it later this afternoon, once our results are in. We'll stay here for one more night before flying off to one of the southern islands for a few days in the sand.

    Looking out our window, I can hardly wait to get out there and explore this great city once again.    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Off To Koh Lanta

    6 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Having completed our one day quarantine and successfully passing our second Covid test in less than a week, we decided to get outta Bangkok on Monday morning and head south to Koh Lanta for six days of beach and sun.

    Once we received our negtive test results on Sunday, we made arrangements to meet up with Ernie, one of Brenda's yoga buddies, who happened to be in Bangkok at the same time as us. Before meeting him, Brenda and I scouted out the neighborhood around our hotel in search of a pub or bar where we could have a beer with our friend. Because of the pandemic, there were no such establishments to be found. We did, however find a back street that was lined with several local eating spots serving Thai, Sri Lankan or Indian food.

    Once Ernie joined us, we made our way to a little Mom and Pop Thai restaurant, filled with locals, where we were promptly offered beer and green papaya salad. Even though I had already had a dinner of Pad Thai at the hotel, I couldn't resist ordering a dish of the house specialty salad to go along with my Chang beer. And I was not disappointed. It was every bit as good as the ones we get in Chiang Mai and it whetted my appetite for much more of the same over the next three months. After spending a delightful evening with Ernie, we headed back to our hotel and hit the sack almost immediately in anticipation of an early wake-up for our 10:00 AM flight. Although we fell asleep quickly, our circadian rhythms had other plans and we both slept sporadically after 2:30 AM, eventually giving up trying at 5:00.

    Unfortunately, getting to paradise requires a little effort as there are no flights directly to Koh Lanta. We have to fly 90 minutes to Krabi then ride a shuttle bus for between two and a half and three hours to the island.

    Sigh....as if the 25 hours it took us to get to Bangkok wasn't enough travel for this week!    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Sun and Sand

    7 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Yesterday was a write off because of travel delays, credit card issues, room changes and a disappointing dinner.

    But today's a new day. We took a long walk to explore the local markets, bought some AMAZING tropical fruit, and finally made it to the beach. A dip in the bath-water-warm ocean with the sun beating down on our bodies is pretty sweet. However, sweeter still is knowing that we got out of Vancouver just before the first snowfall.

    We almost feel bad for the folks back home............ Almost.    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Lanta Old Town

    8 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Today I gathered up my courage and agreed with Brenda that renting a scooter to tour the island would be a good idea. It costs less than $8.00/day, including helmets, which is much less expensive than local taxis. The fact that I had not driven a scooter since the late 80's and have never driven on the left side of the road gave me pause, but I gritted my teeth and soldiered on.

    It turned out to be an excellent decision.

    After a detailed briefing on its operation, I took the bike out for a couple of laps outside our hotel. When I felt well enough at ease to invite my favorite biker chick, Brenda, to climb on behind me and we set off on our adventure. Slowly at first, but faster and faster as I gained confidence. Despite my bravado, I didn't let my "Hardly" Davidson run any faster than 60 km/h.

    We crossed the mountains to the other side of the island to explore Koh Lanta's Old Town, one of it's original fishing villages. Comprised entirely of clapboard houses with corrugated tin roofs and built on stilts, it is a fully functioning town that offers a glimpse into the islands past.

    We stopped for lunch at the Shine Talay Restaurant where we dined on Fried morning glory, spicy tofu, glass noodles and fried rice. Yum. All for the price of one dish back home.

    The two Easy Riders then left Old Town thinking we'd tour some of the beaches on the southwest coast. Unfortunately, at 2:00 PM the sun was so strong and the temperature so high, we had to abandon our exploration and leave it for another day.

    Who knew I had to travel to Koh Lanta to find out I was born to be wild?    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Wiiillllmaaaaa!!!

    10 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    BREAKING NEWS:

    Archeologists in Koh Lanta have confirmed the discovery of a dwelling dating back to prehistoric times on the western coast of Koh Lanta, Thailand.

    Found inside the stone-age dwelling were the remains of a man, a woman, a very young female child and what appears to be a small dinosaur. They are also examining what could be the first use of the wheel on a rudimentary vehicle also located on the site.Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    A Four Island Tour, A Four Island Tour

    10 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
    A tale of a fateful trip
    That started from this tropic port
    Aboard this tiny ship.

    The mate was a mighty sailin' man,
    The Skipper brave and sure.
    Twenty passengers set sail that day
    For a four island tour,
    A four island tour.

    We were picked up at our hotel at 8:20 and were carted across the island and back to the Old Town pier that we visited yesterday. We and twenty two other people set off in a large, wooden Thai long-tail boat for some snorkeling, touring and beach time on or around four of the islands on the eastern side of Koh Lanta.

    As soon as the boat got into open water, we knew we were in for a rough ride. The swells were three to four feet high, the boat was rocking and rolling and those seated in the front of the craft were all treated to complimentary sea-water showers. After about forty-five minutes of this, several of the passengers were a little green around the gills when we arrived at our first stop Koh Cheok, where snorkeling was a little underwhelming. Because of the choppiness of the water it was very cloudy on the reef and visibility was poor. We saw a few fish, but nothing to get excited about.

    After another twenty minutes of riding the waves, we arrived at Koh Mook where we had to swim 100 meters through a pitch black tunnel, guided only by a flashlight held by our guide. Emerging on the other end, we found a beautiful sandy beach and 360° liana-covered cliffs. We also found scores of other tourists who ruined any possibity of getting some nice photos. At least the one looking straight up at the sky turned out!

    Thirty more minutes in the boat brought us to Koh Cheuk where the thirty minutes of snorkeling was a little better than our first stop, but nothing to write home about. Oh, wait. I am writing home about it?!?

    Anyway, then we headed off to the last stop on our itinerary, Koh Kradan, where we had lunch and were told to enjoy ourselves as we pleased. Brenda and I decided to stroll along the beach, which was quite long, and enjoy the scenery. Before we set out, we wanted to ask our guide what time we'd be departing, but he was nowhere to be found. I asked another one of the crew, and he said, "Two hours here". SInce we arrived at 1:30, we figured we'd return for 3:00 and would have plenty of time to get back on the boat, which was anchored at about the middle of the beach. We sauntered down to one end of the beach, stopping to look at shells and chuckle at the antics of the hundreds of small crabs and hermit crabs we encountered. We then walked all the way down to the other end of the beach and just as we turned around, we saw our tour guide frantically waving at us. As it turns out, we were misinformed about the departure time which was actually scheduled for 2:30!!! The time was now 2:40 and we had a good twenty minute walk back to the boat. Our guide explained that he discovered our absence when he made a pre-departure head count and would have been fired had he left us marooned on the island.

    Thank heavens he came for us, since I'm not sure what we would have done without The Professor there to help us through the night!    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Innocence Lost

    11 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    As soon as we arrived in Koh Lanta we were struck by the surprising number of women wearing hijabs. And then, when we arrived at our hotel, the call to prayer resounded over loudspeakers nearby. Wait a minute, isn't this a Buddhist country?

    Well, since you asked, here's the situation:

    Islamic Malay migrants arrived on the island about 300 years ago. These settlers, many who came from  the opposite Thailand coast, referred to themselves as Orang Lonta. “Orang” is a Malay term meaning “people” and, on old Malay maps, the Koh Lanta is named Pulau Lonta.

    Today the island is predominately Muslim although, in the rest of the country only a little over 5% of the population follows Islam.

    Koh Lanta is also home to the Chao Lay people, seafaring gypsies who first settled here 500 years ago, and Thai-Chinese, many of whom follow Confucianism, Taoism or other traditional Chinese religions. Despite appearances of harmony between the different sects locally, there is a long history of discord and persecution of the minority Muslims, particularly in the deep south of the country that borders Malaysia.

    The following is an excerpt from an article published by TRT World, a Turkish news organization:

    "The deep south was formerly known as the independent Sultanate of Patani until it was conquered by the Kingdom of Siam in 1785. Siam directly controlled the appointment of Patani’s sultanate leadership which led to the rebellion and constant cycle of revolution and suppression until today.

    On October 25 2004, Thai security forces suppressed a large protest by Muslims in the town of Tak Bai by rounding up 1300 protesters, stacking them face down in military trucks and transporting them to Patani camps five hours away.

    At least 78 protesters died from suffocation in Thai military trucks, and several others were shot dead while protesting outside the police station for the release of detainees."

    When I started writing this post I intended to explore the reason for the predominance of Muslim culture here. Yet, as I researched the subject, I was saddened to learn that this peaceful, Zen and welcoming country is not without its prejudices.

    I have changed the original title of this post from "Harmony" to "Innocence Lost."

    My innocence.

    Imagine there's no countries
    It isn't hard to do
    Nothing to kill or die for
    And no religion too
    Imagine all the people living life in peace,    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Sunrise, Sunset

    11 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Sunrise, sunset
    Swiftly flow the days...

    In the short time we've been on Koh Lanta, we've quickly gotten into the habit of starting and ending our day on the beach. We're normally up before dawn, walking or jogging on the nearly-deserted 2.4 km of Long Beach at sunrise. At around 6:00 pm, we find ourselves once again on the beach enjoying an aperitivo as we take in the spectacular sunset on offer each evening. What a beautiful rhythm of life.Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Onward To Chiang Mai

    12 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    As much as we enjoyed the sun, sand and brief rain shower on Koh Lanta, the last couple of days we've been looking forward to heading north to Chiang Mai.

    Is it the Muang Mai market, the Sunday street market, the great and plentiful vegetarian restaurants or just our familiarity with the city? I don't know, but there's a certain "je ne sais quoi" that draws us to Thailand's original capital like moths to a flame.

    After a week on Thai soil, we still aren't completely over our jet lag and find ourselves stifling yawns at 8:30 PM. Our eyes magically pop open at 3:00 AM, encouraging us to read our Kindles or work on our Duolingo while we try to get back to sleep for another hour or two. By 5:30, at the crack of dawn, we abandon our efforts and get on with our day. I'm getting to the point where I'm looking forward to awakening at the crack of noon.

    Today, however, we were happy to jump out of the sack before the sun broke the horizon. Our ride to the airport picked us up at 6:30 for the two hour ride to the airport. Our plane leaves at 10:30 and we should be checking into our home for the next three months by 1:00.

    Chiang Mai, here we come!    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Muang Mai Market

    14 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Chiang Mai is home to one of the world's great outdoor markets, the Muang Mai Market. Every visit we make to Chiang Mai is filled with regular trips to this fruit lovers paradise, and today we made our first pilgrimage in nearly four years.

    We were pleasantly surprised to find that fruit prices here have decreased considerably since our last Thai trip and, compared to Vancouver, they are at bargain basement levels.

    We were once again awake at 5:00 AM, so we decided to head staight to Muang Mai to get our pick of the best produce of the day. Other than the prices and decidedly far fewer Westerners browsing the stalls, not much has changed since our last visit. Most of the same vendors are in the same locations and the selection and quality of the produce remains beyond compare.

    We had to stop our buying spree before we got to the watermelon section as we were already laden down with two large papayas, 3 kilos of mangoes, a kilo of avocados, two bunches of bananas, 3 kilos of oranges, a huge ginger root, ten limes, six persimmons, a pre-cut pineapple and a kilo of jackfruit. We figured this haul would have cost us well over $60.00 in Vancouver, but it set us back only 458฿, less than $18.00 CDN.

    That should hold us until our next trip to Muang Mai on Thursday morning!    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    J J Market

    18 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Every Saturday and Sunday there is an organic farmers market held a kilometer or so northeast of the old city. A visit to the Jing Jai Market, commonly known as the JJ market, has been a part of our weekly routine for as long as we've been coming to Chiang Mai. The market was closed and relocated for major renovations for most of 2021 and just reopened at its original location on December 4.

    In years past JJ Market was a weekly gathering place for many expats, snowbirds and other assorted farang. This year, however, we saw only two other people who were clearly not of Thai origin. Maybe there will be more there on Sunday. Also absent was one of our favorite stalls that sold doughy little buns stuffed with assorted savoury fillings.

    But our main goal today was to come away with enough greens for a couple of days of eating. The first stall we went to was selling different types of fresh young lettuce for only 100฿/kg, about $3.87 CDN. As we were filling our bag with our selection, the lady operating the stand assumed Brenda was Thai ad was rattling off all kinds of details or selling points to her. Once she weighed our selections, I tried to hand her a 100฿ bill, but she ignored me and preceeded to fill another bag with greens, which she handed to me and then took my money. A woman next to us explained in English that the vendor was informing Brenda that if we bought a kilo of greens for 100฿, we would get one kilo for free!

    I guess we'll be eating a lot of salad over the next couple of days.    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    King of Fruits

    20 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Ooh, that smell
    Can't you smell that smell?
    Ooh, that smell
    The smell of death surrounds you

    Okay, it doesn't smell quite as bad as the Lynyrd Skynyrd lyrics describe, but it's bad enough that we had to put it out on our balcony while we worked out at the gym.

    At Muang Mai this morning we bought a couple of pieces of durian to enjoy in celebration of 182 months together. Known as the king of fruits, it's odor is so pungent and unpleasant that most hotels in Asia will not allow you to bring it into your room. In fact, despite being cello-wrapped and sealed in two plastic bags, the aroma emanating from our little snack was too overpowering to be kept indoors.

    Strangely, as bad as it smells, it's creamy texture and vanilla-custard-like flavour make it irresistble to those brave enough to get past the stink.

    Tastes like heaven, stinks like hell!    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Have Guitar Will Travel

    20 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    The only thing I didn't like about our lengthy traveling was not having a guitar to play. I would spend nine months improving my skills and building my calluses only to have both deteriorate over the next three months while we were away.

    But then I discovered "The Traveler Guitar", a full scale electric guitar in a compact package small enough to carry on to aircraft. It's not perfect: there's no volume control and virtually nowhere to rest your arm or hand while playing. But the fact that it has 22 frets , six strings and is easy to carry around makes it perfect enough for my current needs.

    But what's an electric guitar without amplification? Well, a search on Amazon led me to the Rushhead Max headphone amplifier. It allows me to play without disturbing Brenda and offers effects like reverb, echo, chorus and flanger as well as an endless array of distortion. I can sound like Hendrix at Woodstock, Clapton with The Bluesbreakers or Mark Knopfler, all without having the neighbours complaining about the racket.

    Of course I'll be glad to pick up my Strat and ES-335 when I get home, but in the meantime I'll be maintaining my chops and keeping my fingertips as tough as nails.

    Rock on!!!    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    A Thai Christmas

    25 dicembre 2021, Tailandia ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    Vancouverites dreaming of a rare white Christmas were granted their wish this year. But these two residents of the home to Canada's most expensive real estate couldn't be happier missing out on the white stuff.

    Christmas is always a non-event in this Buddhist country, but it is even more so this year with so few tourists around.

    Typically, there are expat get-togethers, special dining events and poinsettias everywhere. There are none of these things in evidence this year. We tried to reserve spots at a special Xmas dinner only to find out had been cancelled due to a lack of response.

    And so we started our Ch4istmas Saturday with a card exchange followed by a stop at the JJ Market where we bought two almond croissants. They were a perfect breakfast accompaniment to the Bailey's spiked coffee, which is one of our Xmas traditions.

    Brenda then made a call to her friend Marie in Calgary, where it was 10:00pm on Christmas eve.

    We spent our afternoon lounging by the pool at Kad Suan Kaew and will go out for a nice meal at a restaurant to be chosen later.

    Calls to my daughter, Vanessa and my sister, Dena, will be made after dinner, which will be early morning in Ottawa.

    There is no snow on the ground, no chestnuts roasting on an open fire and no sleigh bells jingling, but we're having a holly jolly Christmas nonetheless.    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    New Year's Day Chiang Mai

    1 gennaio 2022, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    It was time for us to say "good riddance" to 2021 and we chose to celebrate its departure in a non-traditional and relaxed fashion.

    Karen, a Calgarian we met at a dinner get-together, invited us to join her on a day tour to see the floating pagodas and hot springs located a couple hours east of Chiang Mai. We embarked on our journey at 7:15 on Friday morning in our driver, Steven's private car.

    After about an hour we stopped at a hillside café where three of us had some java and Brenda had a fizzy passion fruit mocktail. All were delicious and the view overlooking the valley from the patio was breathtaking. We continued onward over narrow, twisty mountain roads until we reached our destination in Lampang: Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat Phrachomklao Rachanusorn. We'll just call it The Floating Pagodas.

    Built high on the mountaintop by Buddhist monks who carried construction materials on foot to the summit, the temple is barely visible from the staging area where we parked. From there a harrowing ride in the back of a songthaew up a very steep, twisty road, wide only enough for one vehicle, had all us passengers hanging on to avoid falling out of the truck! Once we were back on terra firma, we then had to scale eight hundred or so steps to reach the temple.

    The monument is known as "The Floating Pagodas" because they are built atop jagged limestone outcroppings that, from below, give them the appearance of floating in mid-air. The view from the summit of the valley below was drop-dead gorgeous and photos cannot do it justice.

    After a tour of the mountaintop buildings, we went back down the way we came and waited for another songthaew to return us to the parking lot. At the base we stopped for a quick plate of Pad Sie Ew before continuing our journey.

    Steven then drove us on to Chae Son National Park where the locals boil baskets of eggs in the pools of 75.1°C water that is fed by hot springs. I'm not sure if the smell of sulfur in the air emanates more from the springs or from the locals chowing down on their eggs, but the aroma is most definitely pungent!

    From the springs we walked up to the six-tier waterfall whose pools are home to hordes of fish swimming happily in the fast moving spring. Steven thoughtfully brought along bags of fish food for us to throw at the marine life, who would literally climb over each other, splashing relentlessly, to get a morsel.

    By now it was approaching 4:30 PM and we were all starting to feel the day's travel and exercise. The drive back to Chiang Mai alnog the highway was less scenic, but much more pleasant than the mountainous route we took in the morning. We arrived back in Chiang Mai at about 6:30 and had Steven drop us off at Good Souls restaurant where we each had a very delicious New Year's pizza.

    A stop at Tesco on the way home to buy a couple of bottles of beer to ring in 2022 after which we planted ourselves in front of the TV and watched a very bad Thai boy band sing off key as the clock ticked down.

    We rang in 2022 standing on our balcony and watching the fireworks in the sky above the Tha Pae gate.

    If years were US presidents, I'd say 2020 was Donald Trump and 2021 was George Dubya. Let's hope 2022 is an Obama year.

    สวัสดีปีใหม่ (That's "Happy New Year" in Thai)    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Happy 66th Birthday, Roch

    2 gennaio 2022, Tailandia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We just got back from getting awesome foot massages done at Pranom's and we're having a slice of chocolate cake from Vegan Soulmate's, specially ordered for Roch's special day. My, that goes well with the left over Bailey's we've put into our coffee.Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Giving

    7 gennaio 2022, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    "He who gives away shall have real gain."
    -Buddha

    It is a very common sight in the morning, all over Thailand, to see Buddhist monks, clad in their saffron-colored robes. They roam the streets collecting alms, in exchange for which, they offer their blessing.

    On two mornings this week, as we strolled along the moat toward the Muang Mai market, our attention was drawn to a trio of dogs behind a gate, barking loudly and excitedly at a passing monk. They did not look at all agressive as their tails were wagging ecstatically. The monk approached the gate, reached into his basket, gave each of the dogs an early morning snack and then continued on his way.

    Judging from the dogs warm reception, we have to believe that this ritual has been ongoing for some time and just watching it transpire put a big smile on my face.

    Just one more reason to love this country.    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Thou Shall Not Steal

    7 gennaio 2022, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Having been mugged in Salvador, Brazil in 2015 was probably the worst experience I ever had in my travels. Although I wasn't injured, the audacity of the mugger, who went after my phone in broad daylight on a Sunday afternoon, caused me to be on edge and to look over my shoulder for the rest of the trip.

    Most major cities in Europe are rife with pickpockets or snatch-and-grab thieves who, although non-violent, do force you to be vigilant when in crowds.

    Bangkok has its share of scammers who will try to lure you to an exclusive "one-day-only" sale of emeralds, or tuk-tuk drivers who will take-take you on a very expensive roundabout route to your destination.

    And then there's Chiang Mai. This is a city where merchants close their shop for lunch by hanging a length of cord across the entrance. Where the throngs of scooter riders leave their helmets unguarded and unlocked on their bikes. Where I can wear my Garmin sports watch and walk down a dark alley at night without fear of someone trying to take it from me.

    I don't know if it's the influence of the Buddhist religion, the belief in karma or the fear of prosecution or imprisonment, but for some reason, it feels safer to be in Chiang Mai than in Vancouver, Toronto or Monteal, not to mention most major US cities.

    Another of the many reasons why Brenda and I keep returning here winter after winter.    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    When Nature Calls

    10 gennaio 2022, Tailandia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    When traveling, it's always interesting to experience another country's "toilet culture". In Thailand, there are essentially two types of toilets: western style and the squatter. Western style toilets are becoming more common especially in larger cities like Chiang Mai, and due to the influence of Japanese culture in Thailand, we even see fancy bidet-style toilets now. In fact, we have one in our Airbnb. It cleans, dries, massages, deodorizes... we just haven't figured out how to use it yet!

    Most washrooms, especially in older buildings and rural settings will have squatters. If you go to a public washroom and you're not at ease using a squatter, try checking the last stall in the washroom because if there's going to be a western style toilet, it's usually in the last one or two stalls. Otherwise, for those who do yoga, be grateful for all those "malasana" (deep squat) poses you've been practicing. Of course, those of us equipped with "frontal elimination devices" no longer fear the indignity of losing our balance in a squatter.

    Thai people do not use toilet paper in the way you might think. They use water either from a "bum gun" (toilet hose) or a water bucket to clean themselves. They then dry off with toilet paper which is thrown into a wastebasket, NOT into the toilet. If you are using toilet paper in the traditional, "western" way, do not throw the toilet paper into a Thai toilet as it can clog their plumbing system.

    But what happens if you clean yourself with water and there's no toilet paper to dry off with? Well, "Shake your booty, shake your booty"...

    Many public washrooms will charge a small fee for using the toilet. We've paid anywhere from 3 bahts to 10 bahts (about $0.10 to $0.40 CAD) for the pleasure of relieving ourselves. We've also discovered that temples usually have clean toilets that are sometimes free of charge, and those with small bladders will be happy to know that here in Chiang Mai, there are 117 temples!

    Bear in mind that for locals and tourists who are only familiar with squatters, western toilets can be as befuddling as the Japanese bidet-style toilets are for us. Please see the picto instructions of how to use a western toilet which was taken from a public washroom in Chiang Mai. The first five images are pretty straight forward if not a little bizarre. However, can anyone explain the last image? Brownie points to the person with the most creative answer!    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Cherimoya!!!

    11 gennaio 2022, Tailandia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    While browsing through a market in Elche, Spain in 2013, I spotted a vendor eating, and from the look on her face, thoroughly enjoying something very strange looking. It had a green outer layer that looked like a hand grenade and a milky-white interior that was dotted with peanut-sized black seeds. Using sign language, I asked her what she was eating. She responded, "Cherimoya" and kindly tore off a couple of chunks from her fruit and handed them to us. (Ah yes, life before Covid).

    You know that classic drug dealer line about your first taste being free? Well, it certainly held true for us with cherimoya. We were instantly hooked and, ever since that day, always seek it out when we travel. Yeah, you can get it back home, but it's usually not very good and always REALLY expensive.

    Saturday morning we made our weekly trip to the JJ market with the intent of only buying some greens. As we were perusing the other vendors' offerings, Brenda cried out, "CHERIMOYA!". We've found it here in the past, but on very few occasions. Examining the fruit, we found it to be rock hard and far from ripe enough to eat. But our common cherimoya jones wouldn't let us pass up this fruity fix. We convinced ourselves that it would ripen eventually: we only have to be patient and give it time. We bought four of them and made our way home.

    Every once in a while on Saturday, I'd give them a little squeeze, but there was no change. Sunday was the same so I moved them closer to the bananas to help them ripen. All day Monday they remained impenetrable, but that night, I detected a little softness in the largest of the four. Tuesday morning found them all beginning to yield and by 10:00 Brenda could wait no longer and cracked open the big one. Heaven!

    Mark Twain was quoted as saying it is the most delicious fruit known to man. It's taste is hard to describe, but this is what Google has to say: "the flavor is a heady mix of banana and pineapple with perhaps a little strawberry and kiwi thrown in. Its fruity taste is light and refreshing, but the creamy, custardy texture is also comforting to eat. Like a homemade pudding made virtuous.

    I couldn't have said it better myself.

    Now we're both counting the days until Saturday when we can hopefully replenish our stock.    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022
    Aum Vegetarian
    Vegan HeavenBodhi TreeV Lodge29 Coffties

    Khao Soi

    22 gennaio 2022, Tailandia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    One of northern Thailand's best known and most popular dishes is Khao Soi, a spicy curry noodle soup, usually served with chicken. Similar to a Malaysian Laksa, it also includes the addition of fish sauce, various aromatic spices and is always made with egg noodles.

    The curry paste base features dried chilis, turmeric, cumin, coriander root, ginger, shallot, and cardamom. Coconut milk is added to the paste once it has been fried, creating a slightly oily, thick and creamy soup. Fish sauce and a spray of soy sauce is thrown in for saltiness and palm sugar provides the sweet element.

    On Saturday, the local vegan eat and meet group organized a Khao Soi crawl with a goal to ferreting out the best vegan khao soi in Chiang Mai. We started at 11:00 AM at Aum restaurant and visited four other establishments over the course of the afternoon: Vegan Heaven, Bodhi Tree, V Lodge and 29 Coffties. We were provided with scorecards to rate the soups on five categories: authenticity, value for price, curry flavour, noodle quality and toppings. Each restaurant served us 1/3 sized bowls of their regular portions with prices ranging from 20฿ ($0.76 CAD) to 40฿ ($1.52 CAD).

    Traditional Khao Soi is always topped with crispy deep-fried egg noodles and contains cooked egg noodles, fish sauce, chicken, beef or pork. Not exactly vegan. The challenge for the restaurants was to come as close to the original as possible, using only plant-based ingredients.

    Some of the restaurants completely omitted the crispy noodle topping, others tried using deep-fried rice vermicelli and one nailed it with a fried wheat noodle that remained crispy. Some had wonderful broth, but mushy noodles. Some contained not-so-good fake meats, others had tofu or were loaded with vegetables.

    Strangely, all were good in their own way, but the overwhelming winner at the end of the day was 29 Coffties whose Khao Soi contained a delicious, perfectly spiced broth, crispy noodles on top and excellent wheat noodles in the soup. It was also the largest and most beautifully presented version of the tour.

    We ended the afternoon with the winner being announced as the group chowed down on vegan Cinnamon rolls or Peanut butter banana rools at Moods Café.

    With full bellies, Brenda and I sauntered home and felt no desire whatsoever to eat any dinner.

    As an eating day, I rate Saturday, January 22, 2022 a ten.    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Eastern Western

    23 gennaio 2022, Tailandia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    This Thai country and western duo have been a fixture at the weekend JJ Market since we've been coming to Chiang Mai. Their repertoire contains a wide variety of songs from "I Walk The Line" to "Country Roads" and from "Que Sera, Sera" to "You Are My Sunshine" all sung with a distinctive Thai twang. The video below is a little snippet from their version of "El Condor Paso".

    Thanks to them, I left the market this morning with a persistent earbug: Take me home, country road, to a place I beloooooong.....    Leggi altro

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  • Thailand 2021-2022

    Butterfly Pea Flowers

    27 gennaio 2022, Tailandia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    No, not butterfly pee flowers, PEA flowers.

    You can find these vines dotted with a multitude of indigo-colored flowers growing wild all over Chiang Mai. Despite their abundance, I don't believe I've ever seen, let alone eaten, a single butterfly pea.

    The beautiful flowers, however, are used extensively in the Thai kitchen. Fresh, you can find them adorning plates as an edible garnish. Dried, they are steeped in water to create a deep-blue caffeine free herbal tea, which is very popular here.

    Yesterday afternoon we stumbled across Asa Vegan Kitchen and, after browsing the menu, decided to have dinner there. The most interesting item on the menu was the Butterfly Pea Curry, which consisted of pumpkin and young coconut meat cooked in a traditional green curry infused with butterfly pea flowers.

    The resulting dish was as delicious to behold as it was to eat. The flowers tinted the curry and coconut milk to a pale sky-blue color, but had no real impact on the flavour of the dish.

    I'm not usually one to eat or drink blue concoctions (unless blueberries are involved) but this dish was so good we vowed to return for seconds one day soon.    Leggi altro

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