Japan and Thailand trip 2005
March 28 – I’M LEAVIN’ ON A JET PLANE…
My dad dropped my mom and I off at LAX at 10:30 AM. We had time to spare so we had some lunch at McDonald’s. My mom got some udon. We bumped into Konie’s parents who are also going on this trip. Konie is my brother’s girlfriend. The four of us are part of a 23-person tour group with President Tours. Yep, it’s that Thai touring company that my mom and I usually take for these vacations.
Our flight took off at 1:35 pm aboard Singapore Airlines. I love how most airlines nowadays have a monitor built into the seat in front of you. There were many movies, TV shows, music channels, and games to choose from. It really helped make this 13-hour flight feel much shorter. I watched Ray, After the Sunset, The Incredibles, and a part of Ladder 49. We also enjoyed having 3 seats for the two of us. I munched on some Ruffles to help shorten this flight.
March 29 – THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN
At 6:30 pm we arrived at Narita International Airport which is just outside of Tokyo. This is where we met our guide for this trip to Japan. Her name is Sobida (Da for short). She is a Thai woman who has lived in Japan for 29 years. It rained lightly with the temperature being 50 degrees F. We stayed at the International Garden Hotel Narita. Before hitting the sack, we had dinner at Wings Italian Restaurant which is a buffet inside the hotel. Food was so-so.
Toilets are something else here in Japan as I quickly found out. First of all, it was heated. Actually I found it to be quite hot. Outside I could hear a lot of fanfare. It sounded like some sort of pep rally or such. I then came to learn that it was just a bunch of people enjoying themselves in a private karaoke room.
Observations: they drive on the left side of the road here. Also there are both sitting and squatting toilets.
March 30 – THE TOKYO OVERGROUND
We had breakfast at 7 AM at Wings. There was traditional Western stuff like scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon. However it wasn’t made the same as I am used to. We’ll revisit this.
At 8 AM we made our way from Narita to the capital city of Tokyo, also the country’s largest. On this cool day the 50’s, there we went to Sensoji Temple located in a region of the city called Asakusa. There are large picturesque gates leading into the temple grounds. We entered through the Nitenmon Gate. Inside the main altar of Sensoji is a sacred statue of Guan Im, a Chinese Buddha. Da said that this is a very sacred good luck idol upon which many come to wish for whatever. We decided to do what everyone else was doing. We washed our hands and rinsed our mouths at the designated area. We then bought some incense, lit it, placed it in this big ash-filled urn, and brushed the fumes onto ourselves as we wished for various things hoping for some good fortune.
There was also a 5-story pagoda. The architecture is unmistakably Japanese. It is white with colorful roofs.
We walked through the Hozomon Gate to a shopping area where we bought some snacks. My mom and I then took pictures with some fake sakuras or cherry blossoms.
Next up we went to the Imperial Palace. Yup, this is the domicile of the Emperor of Japan. Commoners like most of you and I are not allowed inside so we only got to admire the outside. There were moats, a dark stone wall, and white structures within. There was one bridge to cross the moat but that was closed off. Nearby were some black pine trees that adorned the place.
It’s now lunchtime. We went to the ritzy street called Ginza. It’s Tokyo’s equivalent to Los Angeles’ Rodeo Drive. Lunch was a buffet at a place called Siam. Gee, I wonder what kind of food they had there.
Next up is the Meiji Shrine. This is a Shinto shrine erected in dedication for the late Emperor Meiji and his consort Empress Shoken. It was completed in 1920. The shrine is enclosed within a forest of 120,000 donated trees (365 varieties). There is a feel like Central Park in New York in that it’s a patch of green within the concrete jungle of the metropolis. It is nice, shady, and quiet here, a great escape from the big city.
I believe every Shinto shrine has a doorway leading to it called a torii. The one here at the Meiji Shrine is the largest in all of Japan. A torii is basically two round thick pillars topped by two horizontal woodworks, one on top of the other. Only now did I realize that baseball player Torii Hunter’s first name actually did have a meaning. I just thought it was a fancy way of spelling Tory.
The tour then took us to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. It is a single structure which on opposite ends rise up as twin towers. Each end at street level extends across a street and joins. Basically if you look at it from the sky, it looks like a “D”. We went up the north tower to the 45th floor and got to look upon Tokyo. In the distance we also saw Mt. Fuji.
That night we ventured to a colorful part of Tokyo called Shinjuku. With its bright neon-lit signs of a full spectrum of colors and the massive amounts of pedestrians and cars, it has such a similar feel to Time Square in New York. It’s a happening place filled with eateries, shops, and night clubs. My mom and I went to a mall called Isetan. We got to the food court and picked up stuff to eat at the hotel. She got tempura. I got yakitori.
That evening we stayed at the Sunshine City Prince Hotel. The key word was small. The room was small to where two twin sized beds fit with barely any room in between them (a foot perhaps). There were a small 13” TV atop a small refrigerator and a small, round coffee table no bigger than 18” in diameter. Once again it was a toilet filled with doodads. There were temperature control, backside cleaner, and the bidet cleaner. The ceiling was so low when I changed my shirt, my hand hit it.
It hit me that day that perhaps Japanese don’t regard deep frying in high regard. No wonder their eggs, bacon, and sausage seemed funny. They were either boiled or steamed. Seeing their food, it’s pretty low in fat. I guess they like to eat healthy. Then again it’s what this tour led us to eat instead of tempura, teriyaki, and katsu.
March 31 – HAKONE MATATA
We had breakfast at the hotel. There was a pretty fountain in the middle of the dining hall. It was another round of steamed bacon, eggs, and sausage. At least I had me some miso soup.
We left Tokyo at around 8:23 AM and headed for Hakone. On the way we stopped at some rest area. In the distance behind some hills we saw Mt. Fuji.
We continued on until at around 11:20 AM we arrived at Lake Ashi or Ashinoko. There were pedal boats shaped like swans. Instead we boarded onto a ship that resembled a pirate ship and off we went. It was chilly, blustery, and sunny that day. The lake was a pretty turquoise. On the shore we saw a torii. After taking in some wind, most people retreated to the bottom level to get away from the chilly winds. I went down but came right back up. I ran to the bow and felt the wind gust through my hair. I pity the fools who dared to stand behind me for they would have tasted the full fury of my dandruff. Eat that, sucka!
We had lunch at the Hakone Lake Hotel Restaurant. It was traditional Japanese with everything set in a very pretty way. I should have photographed the food before we ate. There was rice, tempura, fish, chicken, bean sprouts, egg, shrimp, and some tasty roots and veggies. I finally got the Japanese cuisine I was looking for when I first got there.
At 1:30 PM, we got to a valley called Owakudani. There I saw steam rise up out of various pockets in the mountains. Located here are hot springs. This area is volcanic. I went to take a closer look at the hot springs. The entire place smelled like rotten eggs due to the presence of sulfur dioxide. As I scaled towards the springs, the stench got worse. Finally I got there. Present was also a little shack selling kuro tamago (black eggs). They commonly boil eggs in these hot springs. The shells turn out to be pitch black. I saw many people eating eggs here. There is a belief that consuming one of these eggs would extend your life by seven years. The foul odor got too overwhelming I nearly regurgitated. That’s when I knew it’s time to go.
I revisited my mother at the gift shop. She wisely did not make the trek up to the springs. They also sold kuro tamago there. We thought about eating one egg apiece. I mean seeing the others peel the eggs it looks like a normal boiled egg inside the black shell, we thought why not? However they only sell them in packs of six. After stuffing myself during lunch, I had no room for any more. Also we didn’t want to carry six boiled eggs with us. I guess I’ll still expire whenever the grim reaper decides to come for me on schedule.
At 3:45 PM our bus arrived at 2020 meters up the slope of world-renowned Mt. Fuji. This former volcano is Japan’s highest peak. Da told us that normally Mt. Fuji is a shy mountain in that most do not get to see it clearly. It is usually shrouded by clouds. On this day we were most fortunate to have a clear sunny day. Some people threw snowballs around. Others enjoyed the grilled corn and octopus being sold there.
At 5:00 pm we arrived at Tominoko Hotel. The rooms here had the most fabulous view. This hotel is situated along the shores of Lake Kawaguchiko, a volcanic lake. From our room we saw Lake Kawaguchiko from our shore to the opposite end. At the opposite end were other hotels. In the background was Mt. Fuji in all its glory. I’m not sure if there is a better view in all of Japan. I moved the couch and chair around so it faced the window. Then for the next hour or so I did nothing but just sat and enjoyed this grand view. My mom also found this view breathtaking.
It was dinner time at 6:15 PM. Each hotel has a kimono for the guests. All of us were in kimonos and sandals for dinner. There was a nice mix here including tuna sushi, radish in seaweed wrap, cold soba, veggie curry, miso soup, and more fish. We took a group photo with everyone in kimonos.
A small handful of the guests then enjoyed the public bath offered here. My mom and I deferred because we did not want to be in the buff with other people. My mom said that if she had a figure like Halle Berry then she would. My reason was that I was in no mood to expose myself to anyone and really didn’t want to see anyone else. I guess in Japan baths were public especially back then. For those who participated, you would go to the room in your kimono. You would then have to disrobe and there would be a large mineral bath pool. You will not be let in if you have on any article of clothing. I wouldn’t mind if I could have a pair of swimming trunks but since that’s forbidden, oh well.
One thing about Hakone for sure – Mt. Fuji is visible from anywhere, barring clouds. It is such a dominating presence in this area.
April 1 – ZOOM! ZOOM! ZOOM!
Breakfast is open at 7 AM. However all of us walked down to Lake Kawaguchiko before then. The sky was still clear and we all wanted to take pictures with Mt. Fuji. Breakfast once again consisted of miso soup, fish, and I had some rice soup.
We took off from Lake Kawaguchiko at 8 AM for a lengthy bus ride. At 10 AM we went to a rest area at Lake Hamana or Hamanako. We continued on for an hour. Along the path throughout there were fields of green tea everywhere especially in the area of Shizuoka.
At 11 AM we stopped by a most peculiar shrine. It’s a Shinto shrine called Tagata. What can I say? The word that best describes this shrine is…phallic. The buildings are in traditional Japanese architecture. Inside, there were various sculptures of that male anatomy some 6 feet long and about a foot and a half in diameter. There was one here and there and there. Next to one of them was a rock with a slit in it [wink wink]. My thinking was what was going through the minds of the ones who thought up this place. I guess the concept here technically is similar to the sivalinga in Hinduism. Watch Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom for examples of sivalingas (those lost Shankara stones). At least the sivalinga are smoothed out. The ones in Tagata had foreskin and whatever. Da says some folks come here when they want to have a baby boy or a girl and wish for it.
There was a terrible traffic delay once we got to Nagoya. We were terribly late for lunch. I fell asleep twice. Once I woke up I got real hungry as we were still stuck in traffic. I once again whipped out that bag of Ruffles (the same on from the flight to Japan). Man, that was a lifesaver. My mom had some, too. Anything to curb the hunger for the time being!
At long last, (3 PM) we arrived at the Nagoya TV Tower. It bears great resemblance to the Eiffel Tower. We ate there at a place called Nagoyan Tei. It was traditional Japanese like back in Lake Hakone. The specialty is their style of udon. Most udon is thick and round. As for this one the noodles were flat. There was also some sashimi – shrimp, tuna, and squid.
At 4:50 PM we got to Nagoya Train Station for one of the most anticipated part of this trip (for me at least). It’s a ride aboard the Shinkansen – the renowned bullet train. These travel from 230 km/hr (144 mph) to over 300km/hr (187.5 mph). We had a brief ride for a mere one stop from Nagoya to Gifu-Hashima. It took only ten minutes. Despite the speed, it was incredibly smooth. The bus that dropped us off in Nagoya took fifty minutes to get here (bus dropped us off at 4:30 PM). I wished I could have ridden a little longer but understand it’s very expensive.
At 5:20 PM we headed off for Kyoto. I learned that Kyoto was a former capital of Japan. Unlike Tokyo and Osaka, Kyoto remains more traditional in that there are no towering skyscrapers. As we headed along the highway, I pointed out the Shinkansen to our right to my mom. We saw it sped by and disappear.
At 7:30 PM was dinner at Bengara. This time it was shabu shabu. If you’re not familiar as to what this is, well it’s pretty simple. There is a boiler in the middle of the table. In it is a simmering broth. You basically throw in whatever meats, mushrooms, and vegetables you want. Then take it out once ready and eat away. The broth becomes quite tasty after having these meats and veggies simmering in it making it a flavorful soup.
At 9:00 PM we arrived at the Laforet Biwako Hotel. This is situated next to Lake Biwako, the largest in Japan. Once again some guests took advantage of the public bath.
I had come to the realization that all Japanese meals on this trip consist of fish and miso soup.
April 2 – FRANKLY, MY DEER…
Before breakfast we took some snapshots of Lake Biwako. Unfortunately due to the mist there wasn’t a real clear view of what could have been pretty scenery.
After breakfast we took off at 8 AM for Nara. Since it’s a two and a half hour journey, Da killed time via a trivia game. All throughout the trip she had been describing various things and throwing out many factoids about Japan. Now we have a pop quiz. Each correct answer gets a pin or button from Universal Studios Osaka which she somehow acquired a whole slough. I got the lion’s share. After a couple of buttons, I gave other people a chance to answer. Once they didn’t, I then did. My mom was happy but I felt a little guilty. Da was surprised because half the time on the bus my eyes were shut. It was apparent then that I was listening after all.
At 10:40 AM we arrived at Todaiji Temple in Nara. There were deer everywhere. My mom bought some deer cakes from a vendor to feed them. Once she did, three deer took a bite simultaneously at the cakes in her hand. That really turned her off to the deer. There was a great gate that led to the main altar. The altar is the world’s largest wooden structure. It was a very pretty building representative of Japanese architecture.
Inside was quite dark. It houses the main attraction here which is the huge Buddha statue. It is world’s largest gilded bronze Buddha. It is a sitting Buddha image which is 49 feet tall. The Buddha was also black in color. We tried to take pictures but none came out. There is a wooden pillar to the rear that has a square hole drilled through it. This hole is the same size as the nostril of the Buddha statue. Da says the belief here is that those who pass through the hole will gain vitality and strength. Many on our tour group did it successfully. When I saw a man of comparable size to me fail, I didn’t even try since I was slightly larger. Oh well. Guess I’ll remain old and weak.
Just outside of the building is a statue of an arahanta (one bound for Nirvana) called Pindola. It is said that if you are aching somewhere in your body, let’s say your left knee, then just rub Pindola’s left knee and then rub your own left knee and the pain will dissipate. My mom required a lot of rubbing. I only did it for my right hand. It’s felt good ever since. Coincidence or not, I figured there wasn’t a downside for trying it out.
Near the entrance was a neighboring shrine of some sort. The attraction here was the sakuras (cherry blossoms) in full bloom. It was really pretty with the drooping branches fully adorned with the pink and white flowers. My mother wanted to see some so badly and now she got it.
At noon we had a traditional Japanese lunch at Mizaka where everyone sat on the floor. I liked it. My mom hated it. She has a hard time getting up. Below was a store full of Japanese stuff including samurai swords. Man, I wished I could have taken one back here but I’m not sure I could get it past customs. However someone on our tour decided to risk it and bought a couple.
At 2 PM we reached Osaka, the second largest city in Japan. There we visited the Osaka Castle. It was built in the 7th century by Hideyoshi Toyotomi during a period when Japan was not yet a united country but instead a land of warring shoguns. Eventually Toyotomi was sacked by the shogun Tokugawa which eventually defeated all and became a united Japan. Toyotomi’s wife and kid nixed themselves via hara kiri.
There was a moat outside. Then there are massive stone walls. Each stone block was very large. It must have taken hordes of men or some beasts to move them. There are 5 outer layers of walls. In the middle is a beautiful white 8-story building with touches of gold here and there. We went inside to around the top which is the observation deck. Here we got a good view of Osaka. My understanding of this building is that it was rebuilt due to the original one being burned down. Inside was basically a museum with armor, weaponry, documents, and house wares from that era. There was also a history of the castle and the Toyotomis.
From 3:30 PM to 6 PM Da allowed us to roam and shop at the busy section of Osaka called Shinsaibashi. We each had a gyoza inside a mall called Daimaru. I followed it up with a strawberry banana smoothie. After that little break, my mom wanted shoes because her feet were killing her. We walked around Daimaru looking for shoes. My mom saw one that she liked. She asked me to see how much it is.
Tidbit: about 100 yens equal a US dollar.
I told her 31,500 yens. I translated that to 315 dollars. We both said forget it. We then went outside Daimaru to a neighboring shoe store. It three stories with women’s shoes on the floor level, men’s on the lower level, and kids’ shoes upstairs. She finally found one for 5,000 yens. I told her it’s on me so now she can walk comfortably.
It was somewhat of a drive to dinner. Da ran out of stories so offered the microphone for anyone who wanted to entertain the bus with a song or so. Every single time this happens my mom wants to volunteer me so badly. I really wasn’t in the mood. She went around and found very few volunteers. After pitiful attempts by a couple of people, I snatched the mike and cut it with “Always and Forever” by Heatwave. I got a couple compliments.
Dinner was at Sakon for some Yakiniku. We once again sat on the floor. There is a grill in the middle of the table. We just walk around and grab whatever meats or veggies wanted to grill up. The meats are pretty thin compared to what I’m used to in the States. What spoiled the atmosphere for some people were the drunks at the adjacent table. Man, were they loud.
That night we stayed the Ramada Kansai.
April 3 – SAYONARA AND SAWATDEE
Warning: the adventurous travels are in Japan. Thailand is more of a meet-the-relatives and relaxation part of this trip.
On this drizzling morning, after a 6:30 AM breakfast, we headed for Kansai International Airport here in Osaka. There we took off from Japan at 9:30 AM. That ends our Japanese adventure. I had me such a terrific time. I look forward to coming back some day. We met some good, fun people on this tour. My impression on Japan is that everything they do is artistic. They always try to make things pleasing to the eyes from food presentation, moji wrappers, bonsai trees, to even the little bags used at shops and malls. As I was told before going there, honor is still very strong there which I like. Things are definitely expensive. It prevented my mom from her usual shopping frenzy by a great degree. Most of the street signs have English now but the majority of the populace does not speak English. This made it somewhat difficult. It’s a very clean place with litter being hard to find. One thing for sure – after what the tour fed us, I am starving for anything fried.
On board Singapore Airlines was once again the monitor in the seat in front. It was such a trip that they had MegaMan X. That was an old favorite. I played it throughout the 6 hour flight. I managed to beat Chill Penguin, Flame Mammoth, and Storm Eagle. However I still had Spark Mandrill, Sting Chameleon, Armored Armadillo, Torpedo Octopus, and Boomer Kuwanger to beat. Shucks! By playing this game, I’m probably the sole culprit of keeping people up ranging from fist pumps, celebratory “Yeah!”, and groans of disappointment.
At 2 PM we arrived in Bangkok, Thailand where my aunt Ting picked us up. From being in Japan where the weather was always between 50 and 60 degrees, this first day in Bangkok was 95. It’s always humid as heck here. I sure felt it.
We had lunch at an eatery not far from her place. They specialized in food from the northeastern region of the country called Isan. Then it began to rain. This was the most welcome thing people had seen in a while. I was told that it had been searing hot the past three days. The clouds blocked out the sun and the rain helped begin cooling down this steamy metropolis.
We stayed at Aunt Ting’s place which has a guest house. Not only is it air conditioned, it has a mosquito net! That evening I chewed the fat with Uncle Lek and his friend Dr. Yuthapong while watching the Thailand Open badminton tournament.
April 4 – WHEN THE SUN’S AWAY THE MICE WILL PLAY
It rained all night long. I saw the roads out front become shallow rivers. It continued until 12:30 PM. That’s when Aunt Ting took my mom and me for lunch at Chacherngsao, the hometown of my father and her. We ate at an eatery next to the Bangpakong River. We had seared shrimp, sautéed crab, fried fish, papaya salad, a spicy soup, and haw mok (spicy steamed fish in banana leaf).
The rain had made this day a nice cool one. The humidity will always be there. The cloud cover made it great so we went to Lake Bangsaen. There are patio chairs and umbrellas as far as the eye could see. We rented three and just chilled. In the lake were swimmers, pedal boats, and jet skis and motor boats pulling inflatable floating things which accommodates five riders one after another like riding a horse. People had lots of fun. I couldn’t resist anymore so I rented a pedal boat. Sadly I came to the immediate realization that it was made for little kids. There are two sets of pedals on opposite sides. I couldn’t fit my legs into any set of pedals so it’s one foot per pedal set. Out into the waters I went. My aunt said it’s normally windy here but not this day. I had me quite a workout but a relaxing one at that.
While I was braving the lake, my mom and aunt were just chilling, eating this and that. I came back and had some kao lahm. It’s rice and coconut milk torched inside bamboo. We also had fresh coconut juice from the coconut itself.
Later we visited my mom’s older sisters Taew and Tik. We talked for a little while.
Afterwards we went back to Aunt Ting’s for dinner over a DVD (Finding Neverland). Thom, a distant relative who went to Krabi with me two years ago, visited.
April 5 – FIVE YEARS LATER
The night before, I received a phone call from one Todd Nontavarnit. His mom and my mom are best friends. We hooked up this day and just hung out. He arrived in a taxi and we headed out for a large mall called Ma Boon Krong. There we had lunch.
Though it didn’t seem like it, the last time Todd and I had seen each other was five years ago. We caught up on some old times. Later on we walked around Ma Boon Krong and adjoining malls in search of the Thai movie Ong Bak on DVD. Incredibly, it was all sold out everywhere, even the bootlegs! Actually one place did have it on VCD but I deferred. I guess I’m spoiled by the DVD thing.
We then did the incredibly blasé thing – hung out at Starbucks. Most of our conversations can be broken down into two things. One is “How have you been all these years?” The other is the bashing of George W. Bush. Neither of us are big fans of Dubya. I guess he’s more into politics and the happenings of the world these days.
At 6:30 PM we watched Hotel Rwanda. We both thought it was a good movie. It was definitely an eye opener to the tragic state of affairs there. Since I’ve already seen The Aviator and Million Dollar Baby, it meant now I have seen four out of the five Oscar-nominated films for Best Picture. Only Sideways remained.
We had dinner at MK Restaurant. It’s basically what Thais call suki (not sukiyaki). It’s basically the same as shabu shabu (see reference above in Kyoto). That was good stuff. Todd couldn’t believe I hadn’t eaten here yet. I treated dinner. It’s great to hear that he’s enjoyed his time in Thailand.
I finally got home at 11 PM.
April 6 – EAT, SLEEP, BE MERRY
Aunt Taew picked my mom and me up and we went to Aunt Tim’s place. Aunt Tim is my mom’s younger sister. Aunt Tim took my mom to the doctor to diagnose her aching hand. Meanwhile I continued with Aunt Taew to her place. There I got to spend some time with her and Aunt Tik.
Aunt Tik took me to Took Lae Dee for breakfast. She’s been looking forward to this for some time. It was nice to just spend time with her since we don’t get to see each other that often.
I then just relaxed at their place. I even fell asleep, something that is very rare for me in the daytime.
That evening Aunt Tim and Uncle Singto picked up Aunt Taew, my mom, and I for dinner. We went to a place called Cosmo Thai where a friend of uncle Singto joined us. This is a seafood place where you see live fish, crab, lobster, shrimps, et al swimming around. You just tell them which one you want to eat and walla! We let Uncle Singto and Aunt Tim take care of that. The food was really good. We had crab, fish, shrimp, oysters, scallops, and bread with mussels.
In addition, Aunt Tim found a VCD of Ong Bak so my mom bought it.
April 7 – TIME TO TAKE IT EASY
My mother was diagnosed with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. She had surgery on her right hand that morning. Two of her old friends, named Im and Law, came to visit. My mom used to work with them at a phone company in Thailand. After surgery, they took my mom to lunch.
I instead with Aunt Ting to a restaurant called Rang Mahal. It’s located on the top floor of the Rembrandt Hotel. It’s a good place for Indian dining. I had dal, japati, chicken curry, and other dipping sauces. It has a great view of Bangkok.
All of us met up at Aunt Chai’s place. There we all just talked as I enjoyed some chrysanthemum tea along with munching on some rambutans, lychees, and other fruits. Aunt Ting’s eldest son, Kongpat, eventually joined us there after shooting some hoops with classmates.
That evening Aunt Ting took my mom and me to eat at the SC Park Hotel. It’s owned by Taksin Chinawatra, the current Prime Minister of Thailand. We ate at the lounge where this little duet of bass and piano were playing some old tunes. As we walked in, the tune was “And I Love Her” by The Beatles. After some other tunes, a woman joined in as a singer. She’s all right on Thai tunes but terrible on everything else. I requested “Besame Mucho” and got it.
April 8 – HERE COMES THE SUN
My mom and I had breakfast at Took Lae Dee with Aunt Taew and Aunt Tik. The heat that has scorched Thailand for three days before our arrival has returned. When I stepped out of the nice, air conditioned taxi, my glasses fogged up.
After a little while, we had lunch at a mall called Silom Complex with Aunt Tim and Aunt Taew. Aunt Taew also went to get new glasses.
Due to our difficulty in finding a taxi willing to take us back to where Aunt Taew’s place is, she figured we had to take the elevated train to a station closer to the place. Our stop is Maw Chit. Aboard, my mom wanted to pick up the photos that we had developed from the Japan trip. So we got off at Sapan Kwai. Aunt Taew and I followed my mom wherever she thought the photo shop was. We walked and walked as I sweated and sweated. Throughout we asked if it was across the street and is she sure we got off at the correct stop. After 30 minutes, we called it quits. We then took a taxi back to Aunt Taew’s. As it turned out we got off one stop too late.
Many people in Bangkok were preparing to leave for the weekend or week for in not too long was Songkran which is the Thai New Year. It’s normally celebrated on April 13-15 but for many it’s a week-long thing.
My mom and I rode a vehicle called a Rot Krapong (very, very little pickup with a covered back and two benches to sit on) to Aunt Ting’s. Because they don’t have windows, we took the full brunt of the exhaust-filled streets of Bangkok. When picking my nose that night, what I dug up was black.
We conversed with Aunt Ting as she prepared that night for her trip to Morocco with friends. She would return to Thailand on the 20th of April.
All this time only this day did I notice that they had a basketball hoop. I decided to get in some exercise so I shot some hoops. I definitely worked up a heavy sweat due to the heat and humidity. However my shot was on that day. It felt good to see shots fall one after another. Later the maid’s 8-year old daughter, Wanjan, came to play. She wanted to play keep-away where basically she’s going to try to take the ball and I’m to keep it from her. It was fun and I got to work on my ball handling. Fortunately after shooting hoops I didn’t kill off too many of the plants and none of the turtles.
I went to the kids’ room to visit her sons Kongpat, 19, and Songfang, 17. It turns out Dr. Adisorn (boyfriend of Aunt Ting’s daughter Paega, 23. I’ll refer to him as Dr. Uan from this point on) was there, too. I got a chance to talk to everyone.
Later that night Aunt Ting’s friend, Ko, came by to pick her up for the airport. Two years ago Ko was also on my trip with Aunt Ting and Uncle Lek to Burma (I know it’s called Myanmar now but I’m used to calling it Burma). As Aunt Ting left, she told her kids and Dr. Uan to take me to karaoke believing I’m a good singer. The kids were like “Really?” I guess she set up a night that won’t be forgotten.
April 9 – THE OLD CAPITAL
Aunt Tim rented a van and driver for the weekend. She picked up my mom and me. We headed for Ayutthaya. Ayutthaya used to be the capital of Thailand. It was a great city with gilded palaces and temples. However Thailand and Burma had many battles. Most of the ancient city was burned by Burmese troops. However many temples with ruins still remain.
We went to a temple called Wat Yai Chai Mongkol. There is a reclining Buddha here along with a tall stupa (Buddhist shrine) surrounded by sitting Buddha statues with surrounding smaller stupas. One thing for sure…it was very, very hot today. Seeing something I haven’t seen before, I rode adrenaline up the stairs into the tall stupa. Inside was a small room with eight or nine (I don’t recall) sitting Buddha statues surrounding a pit in the middle walled off by a wooden lattice. I cannot see down the pit so there’s no telling how deep it is. I smelled something and heard some squeaking. I thought at first it was rats. Then I saw the ceiling. On it were lots of bats. The smell was the guano.
My mother and aunt declined climbing up the stupa. Instead they found a shady spot to avoid the sun. Once I came down we took some more pictures as we walked around the stupa. The thick napkin I had with me to wipe my sweat turned into a very soggy wad. We couldn’t wait to return to the nice, cool van. It was great to see this temple but my goodness it was hot.
We then went to the Ayutthaya Elephant Palace and Royal Kraal. There one can feed the baby elephant and/or ride an elephant. I rode on an elephant. It’s nice because there is an umbrella. Any excuse to avoid the sun is a good one on this day. As the elephant toddled along, I asked the elephant guide about this place and that place. The elephant walked to where there are old temples on either side of the road. The closest temple to the elephant path was Wat Phra Ram. I saw other temples in the distance.
We then took a guided bus tour of the old capital. It took us by pretty much all of the old temples. If the weather was more forgiving it would have been great to walk through each of them and get a close look.
We stopped at one more temple. It was Wat Chaiwatthanaram. Its architecture bears some resemblance to Bangkok’s Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). After a few snapshots, it was time to go find some grub.
After lunch at Mae Choi Nang Rum (an eatery on the banks of the Chao Phraya River) we returned to Bangkok to pick up Aunt Taew. We got dressed at Aunt Tim’s and went to a funeral for someone in my mom’s side of the family. Ironically my mom intended on visiting her on this trip. Because the deceased’s niece married a soldier, there were many soldiers in attendance.
We then ate dinner at S&P and that was it. Nothing felt better than to return to the air conditioned guesthouse at Aunt Ting’s.
April 10 – LIVE FROM BANGKOK!
The rented van picked Aunt Taew, Aunt Tim, my mom, and I this morning. We went to Wat Sotawn. It felt even hotter today than yesterday. When we arrived, I found that the altar was really pretty. It was large and the roofs were covered with light blue shingles.
Inside the altar I was not allowed to take photos. There was a large round flat marble lotus. In the middle of it were several Buddha statues. It was quiet and cool inside.
We then left the altar and faced the scorching heat again. We walked over to the nearby Bangpakong River. I personally had enough of this heat. However my mom kept asking for me to stand here and there for more pictures. Shortly afterwards I wasn’t feeling too good. I headed straight for the van. My mom endured the heat to peruse the shops. She bought a basket.
We went to eat at Wang Mook. Thank goodness they had an air conditioned room. There we had some good old-fashioned seafood.
We then headed back to Bangkok. I began organizing the luggage and its contents with my mom supervising. Later on Aunt Ting’s maid [Top], her 8-year old daughter, [Wanjan], and the other maid [Pom] helped my mom pack. I changed clothing and then that night went with Kongpat and Songfang to meet up with Paega and Dr. Uan. Originally Paega wanted to treat me to dinner at a place called Som Tum Noir. Som Tum is Thai papaya salad. However there was a line of about twenty people outside. Kongpat called Paega debating that no matter how good one makes som tum, it’s only so good. Seeing how many people were in line to eat it, Kongpat wondered “What do they put in this som tum? Marijuana?” Besides, we didn’t want to wait that long to eat. I was still working up a serious sweat though it was nighttime. Finally we headed for Chok Dee Dim Sum. There were still a lot of people but at least we got to go in, order and sit down. Food was pretty good and chrysanthemum tea is really great on hot days to cool a hot body down.
We then headed for SF Music Factory. Here we rented a private room for karaoke. Basically the kids sang Thai pop tunes. It didn’t take long to realize that Dr. Uan is a terrific singer. It’s great to see the enthusiasm and joy in everyone. I stuck to English language oldies. I began with The Beatles’ Hey Jude. The kids thought I had a great voice. Other diddies I busted out were:
Song Artist
Revolution Beatles
Let It Be Beatles
I Just Called to Say I Love You Stevie Wonder
Stand By Me Ben E. King
Circle of Life Elton John
Can You Feel the Love Tonight Elton John
Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing Aerosmith
Hotel California Eagles
Pretty Woman Roy Orbison
I Need to Know Marc Anthony
When a Man Loves a Woman Percy Sledge
A Whole New World Peabo Bryson & Regina Belle
The kids helped me sing all the songs except Revolution. Perhaps they didn’t know it. I didn’t choose to sing the newer songs but why not help out since it was all for fun. Kongpat wanted me to try out the Aerosmith song because he said none of his friends had the upper register to hit it. I guess it wasn’t too bad for me. I wished I knew the song better.
I had such a fabulous time. Next time I come to Thailand I definitely want to do this again.
April 11 – ALL GOOD THINGS…
That morning I took off from Bangkok. My mom and Aunt Taew bode me farewell. My mom will be back on April 22.
The flight went to Singapore’s Changi Airport first. Then it went to Taipei’s Chiang Kai-Shek Airport. Then it was the long flight home. Thanks to the monitor in the seat in front of me I killed time with National Treasure, Lemony Snickets’ A Series of Unfortunate Events, and Ocean’s Twelve. I also played some Metroid.
The flight arrived early. Due to a bomb threat at LAX, I didn’t see my dad until almost 10 PM. I was so happy to be in Los Angeles and its nice 61 degree evening weather. The Thailand sun really had me beat.
Despite the heat, I wished I could have stayed in Thailand for another week. I wanted to spend some more time with the relatives and see more stuff. Also I wanted to see what Songkran in Thailand was like. I guess that’ll be for another time.
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