Thailand

Nepal didn’t treat us well on our departure.   We had a mix-up in our tickets with the same name on two ticket numbers and I had to wait at the ticket counter for 2 hours while they tried to resolve the issue with antiquated computer systems.  I was then sardined into a seat in front of the exit row (these and the rearmost seats don’t recline).  Still, I consider us lucky with this minor regression, in that despite all of the transitions and flights we’ve had, any delays and mishaps have been relatively minor.  We arrived in Bangkok at around 8 in the evening and the temperature was a cool 92 degrees, with a similar humidity level.  After departing the plane and arriving in the terminal of a fancy new modern airport, I felt like throwing myself on the ground and mimicking snow angels and crying and screaming “CLEAN! CLEAN! CLEAN!

Upon arrival at our hotel we were greeted by Traci’s older brother Travis, his wife Erin, and their kids Tripp and Rieley.  Our kids were in heaven and it was great to have that feeling of “home” that they brought with them.  They did an incredible job tackling jet lag despite long flights from Seattle to Tokyo and Bangkok that arrived at 3:00 a.m.  We enjoyed a half day tour of Bangkok the next morning.   Given the 100 degree-ish temperature and a similar humidity level, coupled with yet another Charlie Brown schoolteacheresque speaking guide, and the usual 3-4 hour attention span of our kids was easily halved.  The Grand Palace and some of the associated temples were magnificent, but it was just too hot to endure.  This was quickly resolved by some cold sugar drinks and long-boat ride on the Chao Praya River and its adjoining canals in a longboat.  These boats have open engines and about a 15’ drive shaft to a prop that is levered up and down out of the water.  We cruised the canals for about 90 minutes then it was back to the hotel pool, which is NEVER a bad option with kids.

Our second day in Bangkok featured a 90 minute drive to the Dumnoen Saduak floating market.  There are crowded markets all over Bangkok that feature every type of food, trinket, junk, clothing, and art made in the junk factories of Asia.  I think the “Everything is 99 cents” stores in the US share their same suppliers with these markets.  The only difference in the floating market it that you have to pay about $10/person to be paddled around on a small boat by a small, few-toothed cigarette smoking man, jostling with hundreds of other boats, to view the same luxury items.  If you want to walk away when on your feet, you do so.  In a boat you sit and sweat and say “no thank you I’m not interested” 10 or so times instead of the usual 2-3.  After 45 minutes or so you then attempt to extract your body from the 4” seats and step out of the boat without falling into brown, foul canal water.  OK some of that is in jest.  It was actually really interesting to see, and we did enjoy some great fresh fruit and ice cream, and the kids did get to hold a huge Python which was neat.  When we return our kids will never want to go to the zoo again “Held that!”  “Fed one of those with my lips!”  “Already rode one of those!”  Blah blah blah.  After the market we ventured to an elephant trekking outfit, where all the kids were able to do a pretty cool jungle ride.  We then broke down and stopped at a pizza place for lunch, and all of the kids devoured the longed for nourishment.  Afternoon pool time, enough said.

After two days in Bangkok we headed south to Koh Samui.  This is the second largest island in Thailand, and lies off the east coast about 300 miles south of Bangkok.  We rented a beautiful villa on a beach on the north end of the island called Bhoput.  Our days were mostly predictable and delightful.  Morning exercise, mid-morning studying, swimming in the infinity pool, walking the beach, enjoying an hour massage, searching for the best hotel pools on the beach, eating an incredible fresh dinner prepared by our villa’s chef. We also enjoyed a day-long boat trek to the Angthong Marine Park where we all did some great snorkeling around some really beautiful coral and rock formations.  Another highlight was both families spending an afternoon of ziplining above and through the forest canopy.  We enjoyed lot of little adventures, but mostly we enjoyed each other’s company and the pool in our lovely villa.  No description of our time would be adequate without discussing the two most memorable things:  food and massage.

The local Thai food is nothing short of extraordinary:  incredibly fresh ingredients, local seafood, and fabulous spices.  Food prices in restaurants are about half of what you’d pay in the US, and even in the most simple restaurants the quality of the food rivals or exceeds that of what you’d find at the best restaurants in the U.S.  As with Africa, India and Nepal, labor here is incredibly cheap.  There are hours of prep work required for some dishes, but that’s not a big deal in a country where cooking is an ingrained part of the culture and the labor and time are readily available.   Our villa for two families came with a chef, a house manager, a handyman/gardener, and a housekeeper.  The chef, Pin (pronounced “peen”), was absolutely amazing.  Each day we would look through an exhaustive menu and select what we wanted for lunch and dinner.  She would then buy fresh ingredients, and would prepare and cook all day, and then present what were positively, undeniably and undoubtedly the best meals any of us had ever had.  Lobster, incredible soups, shrimp, spicy beef and chicken dishes, delectable chicken skewers, the crispiest vegetable wraps imaginable, pad thai.   While I’ve never shied from eating, I honestly don’t remember another time where I felt so good after eating.  Despite a complete meal, there was never a sense of having overeaten.  We thought we’d eat out many of the nights, but Pin’s talents were so amazing that we dined in all but two nights, and wouldn’t have dined out at all if it not for feeling guilty for having her work so hard and long for us. 

Perhaps the only thing that has exceeded the value of the food has been the massages.  On every street and every couple of feet on every beach there are massage parlors and tables.  For about $10, you can stare out at the ocean while a masseuse gives you an incredible massage for an hour.   So different from the U.S..  Personal injury lawyers would starve here.  Prior to a massage in the in the states you have to disclose every prior medical condition on a liability waiver.  Here, your best form of protection from personal injury is to grab a stiff drink from one of the nearby tiki bars prior to your “treatment”.  Traci and I opted for the deep tissue massages, which were a blend of intense pleasure and pain.  For example, I haven’t had my fingers pulled and cracked since doing so to myself in a masochistic growth period as a kid.  I was a bit surprised at the audacity of the masseuse to do this, but when she unexpectedly did this to my hypersensitive, overly ticklish toes, I just about flopped off the table.  I was quickly reprimanded with jokes of “No Thai Boxing Mister!”  I didn’t think it could get worse until she started walking on my back and hamstrings.  For some reason my genuine screams of pain brought forth fits of laughter from not only the masseuses but also from my wife and children.  Oh to be so loved!  The masseuses don’t think that 100+ pounds of their body weight focused on their heel in the middle of your back is painful.  The Turks have nothing on the Thais when it comes to torture.  In all seriousness, the pleasure far exceeded the peril and each of us enjoyed many massages.  Halle enjoyed getting her hair braided into dreadlocks, and she and Sydney both enjoyed $3 pedicures.   Hayden enjoyed a couple of massages, but he wasn’t overly enthusiastic about them. 

After 6 days in Koh Samui, the in-laws and cousins had to depart.  We were able to enjoy a secoond week here with a greater emphasis on studying.  Hayden and Sydney spent 2 full days doing written prep work for their scuba certification, a 3^rd day doing testing and video work, and a 4^th with two open water certification dives.  Halle has to wait until she turns 10 but she was a trooper.  Syd and Hayden spent a full, unparented day of ocean diving and achieved their recreational certificates!  Since Sydney is obsessed with diving, she somehow crammed another two days of studying and tests and achieved her open water diver certification.  She then dived to 18m vs. the 12m for recreational divers.   Traci and I each enjoyed a dive along with Sydney and Hayden at a beautiful dive site called Sail Rock.  We saw moray eel, puffer fish, barracuda and thousands of other colorful creatures in crystal clear waters.  We are super proud of Hayden and Sydney for their focus and efforts, while their certifications are sure to drain what little will be left of their inheritance after this year.

As much as he loved diving, Hayden would certainly say that his highlight of the week was fishing.  There is a 4 acre fresh-water lake on the island, stocked with over 3,000 huge fish.  Called Cat Tops, it was a blast.  We spent 6 very hot but fun hours, catching big Piranha, Siamese Carp, and Mekong Catfish.  Hayden landed a catfish that at 80 pounds weighed as much as he did.  This was a pretty cool little business, and it was nice to see them treat the fish well.  I’m not saying that it is pleasant for the fish to be hooked and exhausted into submission, but since that is what fishing is, at least these fellows get a second chance.  All is catch and release and after a fish is landed, it is given antiseptic for the hook wound, and then are put in a highly oxygenated fish pen for the evening to recover before being returned to the lake. 

 

Thailand was great for our family.  It was great to see Travis, Erin, Tripp and Rieley.  We have never experienced food nor service as fabulous as what we received in our villa.  Thank you Nat, Pin, Tui and Mai.  The people here are incredibly friendly, the weather was fabulous, the island is beautiful and “relatively” modern, and except for our over the top villa, everything was very affordable.  Next up we’re heading north for three weeks of adventures in Northern Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and China.  

Outside Bangkok's Grand Palace

Hot kids

Inappropriately cooling down with the blessing water

Feeding the catfish on a canal off the Chao Praya River

Our tour guide has the attention of one adult, while the travel savvy adult resorts to the English language pamphlet

Heading to dinner in Bangkok in a Tuk Tuk.  I drew the short straw and had to chaperone Hayden and Tripp.  Word.

Halle gets kissed by her first python. 

This would cost one big $ at the local zoo benefit auction.  Here it was only $5.

Tripp feeds bread to a frenzy of catfish. 

At the rooftop pool in Bangkok, Halle and Rieley don't worry about that "caution no jumping" sign.

Chaos at the floating market

Thailand's MIT (Monks in training)

Monks and the reknowned longboats

As in Africa, Hayden has a thing for flowers in his hair

Sydney with "Unc"

Traci shocked that the driver is eating and not using his hands to drive

Every hotel needs one of these in the lobby

Sydney and Erin feed a bunch of bananas to their elephant.  Who's driving?

Hayden and Tripp take their elephant for a swim

"Princesses, please mind your parasols!"

Angthong Marine Park.  Picture with the Yeti only 20 Baht!

Travis and Erin, Angthong Marine Park

Thai head lice check

Thumbs up he's clean

One of my most memorable moments was swinging the crew on this pole.  I'm sure that is not what it was to be used for but everyone thought it was fun

Brother and sister at the zipline headquarters.  Never worry about safety of zipline equipment when you see broken steps, lots of garbage, and extensive use of blue tarps

Getting prepared for the jungle canopy zipline tour

I think I tore the crotch of my shorts on that last branch

Hayden dropping into the abyss

Traci (surprise surprise) was cackling on every turn

Travis and Traci helping in the kitchen

Sunrise

Tough living

Typical dinner spread.  I should have kidnapped the cook.

Bohput Beach.  Our place was at the end of the bay in the distance

Sydney.  "Dad I think this is gonna hurt!"

Hayden prepares for impact

Tripp with a fingertip catch

I'm sure Halle caught this

Everyone enjoying an introductory scuba class

A victim of too much Coca Cola at Chaweng Beach.  No one performed CPR

Traci and Rieley at Chaweng Beach

Getting dreadlocks on the beach

A girl must have a pedicure

Bad, blurry photo but I loved it as Erin and Traci both enjoy full-belly laughs!

Rieley, Tripp, Halle and Sydney get the royal treatment

Halle and the 2 ladies in the background are laughing!

Halle and Rieley sell and deliver a fine massage 

Traci, Clair, Hayden and Sydney get ready

Geared up

Brian, Sydney, Hayden and our divemaster Clair begin their descent

Sydney takes the giant step on her first ocean dive

Sydney and Hayden.  Thank goodness sharks aren't offended by neon orange.



"Good Boy.  Stay...Stay....Good Boy"

Sydney, Hayden and Traci

Can't sit Indian Style (is that a politically incorrect term?) on terra firma and obviously am unable to do so underwater.  Pretty sure I'll be able to do this when I return to Seattle and to my daily yoga routine..

This is the handyman Tui who gave us a ride to fishing.  Imagine our surprise when we opened the doors and discovered his stereo system.  Very cool.  Very shy man with a passion for loud music and we were fortunately able to see this.  Unfortunately he set a high bar for Hayden as he's bound to be disappointed with his first truck and stereo system.

7kg Piranha.  Kept looking at me wistfully, and when he wiggled free I gave him a little toss which got me a slap on the wrist from the guide.  They need to be gently released.  Apparently these are the local version and not the blood seeking Amazonian type. 

Hayden and our guide with his first catch, a 40 lb. Siamese Carp.  Very cool fish.

Lovely chap from South Africa who teaches English at a school near Bangkok, holding the strangely named "red tail catfish"

Kids, this is how you attempt to make a 40 pound catfish look like an 80 pounder

Or kids, if you're smart, you have the guide help you lift the 80 pounder.  Photos never lie.

Just to the right of the bushes in the water in the left distance is a green blob.  That is the guide's head.  Hayden's fish went in the weeds and the guide had to go clear it.  You couldn't have paid me to do that.  Nice work boy!

Love the effort

"Look Dad 3 hands!"  Hayden is so much stronger than he appears