Showing newest 4 of 10 posts from January 2009. Show older posts
Showing newest 4 of 10 posts from January 2009. Show older posts

Monday, January 26, 2009

Tiger Temple, elephant sighting and dinner atop a 61 story building

David and I are winding down our magnificent trip to Thailand. We've got 3 more days left in the Bangkok city and then we head back to South Korea. I was thinking earlier today about how strange it seems to miss Korea because for so long I've simply been missing home (as in the USA). It will be nice to get back into the swing of things: the long waits for our apartment elevator, our weekly grocery trip to E-Mart and countless hours playing with cute and cuddly Goguma.

Still though, we're soaking in every last second of our time here. I uploaded about 200 or so photos onto my Fickr account (still haven't edited them..it will take ages!) so I'll narrate via visuals:

**Photos are not edited.

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Changing of the guard at the Grand Palace

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I love the look on this guys face - great smile! :)

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Feeding birds in the park! A woman was (practically) forcing passers-by to take the bags of corn she was selling. A rather photogenic moment, however.

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Flowers at a cute cafe down the street from our hostel. I am going to do a business feature on them for Miseducated.net and probably post something on my blog - stay tuned for some cute-orific photos!

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A statue outside of the Siam Paragon mall (which is grandiose, to say the least).

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An outdoor restaurant that David and I ate at the other day. We ordered stirfry with sticky noodles that was scrum-diddly-umptious (word?)

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Perhaps it was rather boorish of me to scratch my head and ask what this was...I really should have known better but I'm telling myself I was just verifying. :)
FYI: It's an offering for the Buddha Lord.

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World-famous bridge over River Kwai

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This thing was so statue-like it took several walks past it to even notice it was there!

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Me and a Tiger. The tiger pictures were taken in Kanchanaburi province near the border of Burma (Myanmar). It's a Buddhist temple that serves as a refuge center for tigers and houses 13 of them, I believe. The reason they appear so docile is not due to drugging but instead likely due to their nocturnal nature, the hot heat and perhaps a splash of buddha magic?

This woman was coming to tell me not to lie down. I laugh in the face of danger (or cuddle with cute-looking Tigers).


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David hanging out with one of his favorite animals ever (he had the biggest grin on his face the whole time...how I adore him!)

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Gorgeous, right?

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A baby tiger

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Christmas card material.

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This photo was taken at Chatachuck Weekend Market at Chatachuck Park. It's the biggest open-air market in Southeast Asia and home to thousands and thousands of vendors. You can find everything you'd ever dreamed of (and things you hadn't even begun to dream of), including flowers, vintage-wear, hand-painted shoes (I bought a pair), jewelry, pottery, textiles, fluffy puppies, fighting cocks, animal clothing, etc. Insane!

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Freshest olives I've ever tasted! (Chatachuck)

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I love this color pallette. (Chatachuck)

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The building furthest back is called The Banyan Tree Hotel, a ritzy, top-notch joint that boasts the best views of Bangkok. It's only fitting that there's an al fresco restaurant perched on top of its whopping 61 stories. It used to be a helicopter pad but is now a 5 star restaurant that is easily one of the most romantic locations in the world!

David and I paid a visit right before sunset and ate our delicious dinner as the sun faded away. It felt like we were on the set of a movie. The food was divine (I had Lobster Bisque soup and honey-lavender icecream for dessert) and the view was even better. Here are a few photos:

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Later that evening we were walking down the streets of Silom when we happened upon a large creature...an elephant!

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To end our romantic evening, we grabbed drinks at a nearby sit-down restaurant. I ordered a "Bangkok Dream" (what else?!).

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Like I said, I haven't had time to edit the photos, but hopefully these whet your appetite for more to come! :)

Until next time, Wendy City

Friday, January 23, 2009

Temples, Cabbages and Condoms, etc!

Hello again from the sunny banks of Thailand! (This blog has been combined with my last one and posted at www.nuvo.net, as well!)

Yesterday we visited the Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi Province of Thailand (it borders the coast of Myanmar/Burma) and saw some World War II monuments/museums/etc.

To keep this brief (therefore giving me more time to explore Thailand), here is a list of things that have struck me as odd/interesting/both:

- Thai people are very religious and take the Buddhist faith seriously. Everyone, from the cosmopolitan shoppers at Siam Paragon to beggars on the street, wears amulets that protect them and offer all kinds of food/drinks/etc. to the Buddha Lord. It's not uncommon to see treets with trays attached full of foods and whatnot.

- Thai people are very serious about their king. You can be imprisoned if you talk poorly about the king or queen (even if you're a visitor) and there are pictures of the royalty everywhere. The king has been in power for over 60 years and even in the movie theatres they play the national anthem/show pictures of him and you must stand (that was a cool experience)!

- Thailand has a large sex community and it's not uncommon to see naked statues of women or men dressed as women (lady boys). A lot of western men come here to find love. Patpong, a district in Silom, has a mind-boggling red-light district full of flashing lights that advertise clubs called "super pussy" and "king pussy," etc. Ping Pong shows are easy to come by here (look it up, please).

- Tuk Tuk's are everywhere and are a major mode of transportation. You have to be careful on them because a lot of Tuk Tuk drivers will take you somewhere you don't want to go (say, a jewelry shop) in order to get a gas voucher!

- There is food everywhere and it is cheap, cheap, cheap. It's easy to eat for under $1 and be very full here! Wonderful! :)

Here are a few of my favorite pictures so far (at least from what I've uploaded). Note that none are edited in any way so they may not be spectacular!

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A Thailand-infused Starbucks! How could I resist?!

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This woman was selling some of the most odd-tasting things ever. They were dried, like banana chips but much thinner, and sweet with basil and other herbs. Yum!

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The Condom Tree at the restaurant "Cabbages and Condoms" which has great food, by the way!

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Some more delicious food - that's tofu in a hot/sweet/sour gooey sauce! :)

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Coconut!

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At the Grand Palace in Bangkok

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Grand Palace/Wat Phra Kaew

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Grand Palace again

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Wat Phra Kaew

Expect 1-2 more updates from Thailand! I've got some CRAZY pictures of some tigers among other things!



Tuesday, January 20, 2009

sawatdee! Tuk Tuk for you, madame!

David and I are on Day 4 of our Thailand adventure and it has been just that: an adventure! We arrived on Saturday night around 6pm and made our way to Lub. D (which means "Sleep well," actually). We hopped aboard a Tuk Tuk - picture below - and ate dinner at an outdoor restaurant that had the best Thai food in the world (though Thai food in general is quite delish).

Sunday and Monday we explored all over the city and did lots of walking. Then today we visited the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew - Temple of the Emerald Buddha - which was extremely impressive. It makes the list of the "Top 50 things to see in the world" so it was nice to walk around the 68 acre area for a few hours!

I don't want to spend a lot of time writing right now because I'd rather be out exploring, but I do want to share some pictures. Perhaps I can narrarate through the visuals, eh? :)

(*please note that none of these photos are edited in any way, shape or form so they may not be spectacular!)


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Tuk-Tuk - a tri-wheel vehicle that is a staple of Thailand and inexpensive (20-100baht, roughly $.50-$1.00).

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Dinner our first night here. I had Tom Yum Koong, a sweet and sour soup seasoned to perfection with lemon grass, tamarind, lime and others. The prawns were so large that it took 3-5 bites just to finished 1/2 of one and they were cooked exquisetly. We also ordered crab-stuffed spring rolls with 2 sauces accompanying. One was salty, but not too much so, and the other a sweet and gooey alternative with a hint of tang.

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Thailand is known for its wonderful foods and its foods are pleasantly inexpensive. This street vendor was making stir fry for 30 baht a person (less than $1 each). Our tuk-tuk driver took us to this hidden gem and we quickly noticed that it was a locals spot. We filled our bellies with a tasty shrimp stir fry that had lots of delicious veggies and a fried egg on the side. Perfection!

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On Tuesday evening we perched along the famous Chao Phraya River, Thailands only and largest river where barges and other boats pass by often often, some gaudy and drenched with flashing lights, others quaint teakwood boats with the right amount of flair. After a delicious dinner, we enjoyed cocktails and a warm breeze and talked over live Thai music. I ordered a Mai-Tai, David ordered a Singapore sling. We ended up switching. :) The total at this fancy restaurant was only $15 USD.

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Striking fresh, crimson roses by the roadside wrapped in a beautifully-contrasting newspaper and sprinkled with morning dew. I love this photo. :)

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Decorative building trims are easy to come by in Thailand. It goes without saying that Thai people appreciate the female form.

More updates to come...!

Friday, January 16, 2009

you're dangerous and i'm loving it

Our bags are packed, our apartment is sparkling clean, goguma is down the road at the animal hospital and our plane tickets are verified. Thailand, here we come! Hopefully everything goes smoothly - there are so many intricate details to work out when you plan your own trip - ay ay ay! From re-entry visas to passports to getting to the airport, to getting to your lodging once you land, to booking tours, confirming tours, learning custom protocol...

But all that hairy business should be set aside at this point - I've done my homework and I've been mega thorough!

Anyhow, as I mentioned yesterday, I wanted to get all caught up on my pictures and whatnot for this blog. Today was the last day of English Camp and I have a few cute pictures to share. Do enjoy them! ^^* <- Korean smiley face.


Oh, and their English names are ones I gave them at the beginning of English Camp. I thought it would be fun for them and they seemed to enjoy it!

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This is "Leo" working on an assignment.

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"Joe" working and avoiding the camera!

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In the classroom!

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This is Jack (green shirt) and Matt

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Class 1

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Class 2

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Class 3 - rowdy boys with Jenny! They have names like "Michael" and "Jackson," "Elvis," and "Harry (Potter)."

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Painfully shy class#4. All those girls and one boy!

Have a lovely day!