 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
January 7, 2007
Golden Xmas Holidays in Thailand
By the time December rolled around, I was ready for some time off and a change of scenery. Rémi and I left Chitwan on Sunday December 17 and headed for the big city, KTM. We were invited to stay at Julia's place for the couple of days prior to our departure to Thailand. We decorated their Xmas tree, hung out, had some wine and dined with friends. Monday and Tuesday, I went to the office while Rémi stayed behind to play with Julia's son Paco. Tuesday evening the gang from CECI got together at K-too to celebrate the Holidays and Brigitte's big 40. On the menu, none other than nice turkey with the usual stuffing, cranberries and potatoes, and rich chocolate torte for desert with plenty of drinks and chatter. Still, I didn't want to be too naughty because the next days Rémi and I would get up before the crack of dawn to make it to the airport. And I already had a bad cough and a cold that was starting to develop…
Sure enough, all went well and we managed to get the oversized bags all packed up, into a early bird taxi and off to catch our flight. Once at the airport, Rémi kept screaming something that sounded like "appel" but was supposed to be more like "airplane" which he had learned at daycare. So he got really excited, and when it was time to board he ran literally past everyone, like Chinese people do, and rushed first to the plane. Everyone thought it was cute. The flight went well and got us at the new Bangkok airport by noon. We ended up sharing a taxi to the tourist area with an American couple who was heading in the same direction. They were doing a worldwide travel which had started in Iceland of all places and then through parts of Europe, Nepal and now Thailand. I couldn't believe how much Bangkok had changed with its highways, high rises, expensive cars and general cleanliness of the streets and air. The city had developed into a cosmopolitan center over the past decade and looked a lot like any typical Western large city. Even the billboards were huge, much larger then the ones we have in Canada, it seemed. There were also billboards of the king ALL OVER the city to commemorate his 60 year anniversary as the longest serving monarch in the world. I also quickly labeled most Thais as “yellow people” since they were wearing shirts in the color of the monarchy with its emblem in celebration and support to their beloved king.
We arrived at Khao Sarn Road and again, I was awed by the changes. It seemed that it had gone from hippy and grungy to yuppy with a touch of class. Still as dynamic as before, I did not make it too far with my huge bag, Rémi in tow and traffic all around. I stopped at a guest house and put down our stuff, changed into lighter clothing and headed back out. We had lunch and then took a tuk-tuk, a three-wheeled taxi, to a big shopping center called Siam Paragon, where there is a large aquarium. Rémi just loved it, running from tank to tank and screaming “fish, fish”, another word he had learned at daycare. At the end of the tour there is a glass tunnel and fish that swim all around you, including big sharks, and that was pretty amazing. By then tho I was feeling pretty sick with a fever and a headache so we made it back to our dingy guest house and called it a day after a quick dinner. There was a techno music club next door and the bed was so lumpy that I hardly slept a wink. Still, we had to get up early again to catch our bus to Kho Samet.
In the early hours we got breakfast before boarding a minibus that would take us to Ban Phe on the coast, 3 hours away from Bangkok. The trip went well and once there, I did a little beach ware shopping – floaters, beach toys, truck, straw hat and sunglasses. The boat ride took only 45 minutes to the main port of Kho Samet. Again, the place had changed a lot with a small center, two 7-eleven convenience stores, ATM machines readily available and organized taxi service. I could not remember where I had stayed 10 years ago, but had planned to go to a remote beach called Ao Thian. The taxi wanted 150 Bhat (5$) for the trip. Once at the beach, I felt the weight of my backpack and checked a few places. Prices were very high, usually at 40$ per night for a simple one-room bungalow, much more than the 4$ I used to pay. I finally settled for a place called Keang Tale Guest House at $20 up many stairs but with a nice view of the sea. The beach was almost non-existent so I was a little disappointed and the waves were quite large. In the next days I learned that there had been a typhoon of the coast, and soon the beach area returned and the sea calmed down.
It took a while for Rémi to get used to the beach and the waves as it would come in and then withdraw. At first I had stand next to him but eventually he was able to stand on his own and enjoy being in the water. I played with him a little and took him in the deeper waters but I mainly wanted to relax and read a good book. We ate right off the beach at our guest house’s restaurant, Rémi often with a simple fried rice and I with a yummy seafood salad. The food was ok though nothing great, and it was expensive. A BBQ fish would cost 10$, and to this you would add other things like rice or veggies plus something to drink and soon the total would come to 15$ or more. My favorite Thai dishes of chicken cashew nuts and fried noodles (Pad Thai) were not good on Kho Samet, the first one being too sweet and the second flavorless. Still, we ate well enough and tried different restaurants around us that basically served pretty similar foods. Sometimes we would go to the next beach called Vong Duern for a change of scenery, much busier with Internet café and even an ATM machine.
On Xmas day our friend Daniel arrived to spend some time with us. He’s a Canadian studying Buddhism in Nepal, and we have gotten to know each other over the past months. Rémi likes him a lot, so it was great to have him around. We went on a one-day boat cruise which went around the whole island which is actually quite large. While cruising we did some fishing tho I caught nothing. We also stopped twice for people to do snorkeling, while Rémi and I just hung out in the water with our life jackets. Lunch and then a visit to a fish farm before we returned to our beach. The routine of our days usually began with breakfast at our bungalow since I had brought powder milk and granola with me as well as coffee. Then we would head to the beach and hang out. Rémi was not shy to approach total strangers and interact, often pointing to the ocean and yelling “boat, boat”.
It became apparent that meeting couples with kids his age would be a blessing and that is just what happened. We met 4 different couples and got together on a regular basis. One guy was French married to a Taiwanese, living and teaching in Taipei, with a 3 year old son. Another guy was Canadian married to a Japanese, living and teaching in Kyoto, also with a 3 year old son. Then there was an American married to a Japanese, living and teaching in Bangladesh with a one-year old boy. And finally, 2 women with a 3 year old girl that we met the day before leaving. It was good for me to hang out with parents and see how they interact with their kids, and also see how other kids behave. It was great for Rémi to have pals to play with and this helped keep him busy and pass the time. We all got together on New Year’s Eve for dinner on the beach with an expensive buffet. And typical of parents, most of us called it a night before 10 pm, leaving it up to the singles to usher in the new year and do the final countdown.
We left Kho Samet on January 1st when the whole island was still asleep, with few people up and about, some early birds and others night owls who had not gone to bed yet. The boat left at 8 am and we boarded a minibus in Ban Phe at 10 am. I was glad to return to Bangkok, and was looking forward to checking out a few sights and capturing some with my camera. I was well aware that with Rémi, I could not overdo it but this was papa’s one day ½ of doing what HE wanted. We managed to visit 3 temples, first Wat Ratchanatda with its gothic style and staircase to the top with view of the city. Nice enough. Then we headed close by to Wat Saket, and again climbed to the top of the mountain to have a view of Bangkok. Finally, Wat Traimit where there is a golden statue. I took some nice shots and made it back to Khao Sarn for dinner. We had checked it to a different guest house and this time it was cleaner. But again, as night fell, music rose and reverberated on the walls making it difficult for Rémi and I to fall asleep.
The next day, January 2nd, I decided to pack our bags and move yet again. I went to check a guest house where I used to stay 10 years ago called Prakorb House. It is just off the street and hides a nice teak wood house. I recognized the owner right away and so did he and it was nice to see him again. Once settled, I headed out with Rémi to the Palace which I was really looking forward to seeing with its glorious sights of gold and colored mosaics. And I was not disappointed. I was just great, yet there were unbelievable crowds and huge double decker buses unloading Asian (Chinese?) tourists. I had to keep close tabs on Rémi who tended to wander off while I was taking pictures. But still, he was a good trooper as I am sure this was not his idea of a fun time. We then made it to Wat Pho to see the huge reclining Buddha and again take some lovely photos. By then Rémi got tired, so we headed back to Khao Sarn for lunch and then had a nice nap. In the afternoon, we headed back out again to Wat Arun which sits by the Chao Phraya river. Its towers are made of a mosaic of broken multi colored Chinese porcelain. As I clicked my last photos, I felt content to have had this time to capture a fraction of the Thai beauty which I love so much.
We hung out some more on Khao Sarn and did some shopping, mainly for the folks back in Nepal – his babysitter, my work colleagues and the landlady who had taken care of Roxy in our absence. I also found a nice Japanese restaurant called Taketei and we ate there the two nights that we were in Bangkok – it was delicious and I enjoyed having the delicacies such a tempura and sashimi which I love so much. And finally, one cannot go to Thailand without a little indulgence so I had a facial and then a massage at Pian’s off Khao Sarn Road. Up early the next day to pack the bags and head for the airport after a nice vacation. True to its reputation, Nepal Airlines delayed its flight by 3 hours, so we had plenty of time to hang out and get to know the new airport before boarding the plane. I was happy to return to Nepal after a such a nice holiday trip. I was also looking forward to having the babysitter take care of Rémi for me and give a much needed respite…