January-February 2016 Chiang Mai Thailand
For earlier blog posts, please check here for November and here for December 2015. Since AlteCocker is going to be gone in Malaysia January 12-24, 2016, January and February are being placed together here.
January 1-2, 2016: Sleeping in
In a long trip, there comes a time where you are not anxious to do any tourist stuff anymore. AlteCocker is there. On New Year's Day, Mary invites AlteCocker to go out to the Floral Garden adjacent to the Night Safari. She has seen all those things before. So she takes a pass and sleeps in. More reading and listening to podcasts ensues. January 2nd is pretty much the same thing. Books currently being read are "Sisters in Law" (almost finished) and "Lord Jim" by Joseph Conrad. The latter is chosen due to its location in the Malaysian Peninsula to prepare for AlteCocker's excursion to Malyasia that is up coming.
And so some time is whiled away relaxing and essentially doing nothing.
And so some time is whiled away relaxing and essentially doing nothing.
January 3-5, 2016: Relaxing and Serious purchases
but Chiang Mai was always planned as the relaxing part of the trip. AlteCocker has been here before, of course--last year. So, she is using the apartment as a location for vacationing--which does not mean running around seeing tourist sites every day. So there have been books read, TV watched, hanging out done and days where the biggest decision is where to have the next meal. Baan Bakery is back in business and there is another neighborhood place called Mario's which cooks passable Italian food.
Today it was time to get rid of the panda light thing that Mary bought me for Xmas. We took it back to the shop and paid them off to deal with it. The thing is just too fragile to be packed in the suitcase. OK, so no more terrible shipping problems, right? AlteCocker guesses that you know where this is going.
After dealing with the panda light--which will join its companion elephant light in AlteCocker's home--we went across the street to Sala Lanna. Despite the name--which would suggest northern Thai food--it's an upscale Italian restaurant; it is also in a luxury hotel right along the Ping River. AlteCocker treats Mary. After all, she has had her stitches out from her lumpectomy out and her biopsy was negative so it is time to celebrate. Mary has risotto and AlteCocker eats salmon. We split a tiramisu for dessert. AlteCocker has yet to have a really good tiramisu in Chiang Mai. After today's she's giving up. Best thing about the restaurant is that we are seated adjacent to the Ping River and have a great view--in the shade. Great place for lunch. After lunch we wander a bit shopping but AlteCocker doesn't buy anything.
Then it was time for a nap. After a good nap and catch up with the news on TV, AlteCocker takes a tuk tuk over to the Anusarn Market, a covered market adjacent to the night market, and she hits a home run. It is not busy and there are plenty of interesting stands and the stuff is not all junk. AlteCocker goes home with a very nice painting of elephants (mother and baby) and another metal worked picture of one of those Siamese male figures you see guarding the Grand Palace in Bangkok or now in traditional Siamese dance. The painting is brought from Lantern Arts & Design ([email protected]) and the metal piece from P.P. Lannahandmade ([email protected]). These places do not have websites but should. The prices were right, but it is another "how do we get that in the suitcase and schlep it problem"; the painting barely fits but AlteCocker will make it fit. Both are the sort of things AlteCocker loves. You pay the artist and help him and have something unique. It's better than just buying a bunch of junk. My art objects in the house give me lots of pleasure even if the price of the framing can be heart attack inducing.
Today it was time to get rid of the panda light thing that Mary bought me for Xmas. We took it back to the shop and paid them off to deal with it. The thing is just too fragile to be packed in the suitcase. OK, so no more terrible shipping problems, right? AlteCocker guesses that you know where this is going.
After dealing with the panda light--which will join its companion elephant light in AlteCocker's home--we went across the street to Sala Lanna. Despite the name--which would suggest northern Thai food--it's an upscale Italian restaurant; it is also in a luxury hotel right along the Ping River. AlteCocker treats Mary. After all, she has had her stitches out from her lumpectomy out and her biopsy was negative so it is time to celebrate. Mary has risotto and AlteCocker eats salmon. We split a tiramisu for dessert. AlteCocker has yet to have a really good tiramisu in Chiang Mai. After today's she's giving up. Best thing about the restaurant is that we are seated adjacent to the Ping River and have a great view--in the shade. Great place for lunch. After lunch we wander a bit shopping but AlteCocker doesn't buy anything.
Then it was time for a nap. After a good nap and catch up with the news on TV, AlteCocker takes a tuk tuk over to the Anusarn Market, a covered market adjacent to the night market, and she hits a home run. It is not busy and there are plenty of interesting stands and the stuff is not all junk. AlteCocker goes home with a very nice painting of elephants (mother and baby) and another metal worked picture of one of those Siamese male figures you see guarding the Grand Palace in Bangkok or now in traditional Siamese dance. The painting is brought from Lantern Arts & Design ([email protected]) and the metal piece from P.P. Lannahandmade ([email protected]). These places do not have websites but should. The prices were right, but it is another "how do we get that in the suitcase and schlep it problem"; the painting barely fits but AlteCocker will make it fit. Both are the sort of things AlteCocker loves. You pay the artist and help him and have something unique. It's better than just buying a bunch of junk. My art objects in the house give me lots of pleasure even if the price of the framing can be heart attack inducing.
January 6-8, 2016: More Reading, Chinese Feast, The Movies Again
There was more relaxing on January 6th with breakfast at the Baan Bakery and dinner across the street from it at Mario's, a restaurant with passable Italian food and pizza. On January 7th the expat ladies had their biweekly lunch at the China Kitchen Restaurant in the Shangri-La Hotel. AlteCocker found the lunch to be a bit disappointing. It was OK Chinese food but nothing spectacular. the best was mooshu duck with crisp duck skin. One dish had a lot of bones--as if it were knuckles or something. She didn't eat much of that dish. Some others passed on it as well. Not every meal everywhere is going to be a hit.
January 8th it was breakfast at Baan and then off to Maya to see two films and eat a lot of nosh food she should not have. Movies seen were "The Big Short" (about the meltdown of the banks in 2008) and "The Dressmaker" (Kate Winslet returns to her home town in the outback of Australia to settle some scores). Then after the films (and too much noshing), AlteCocker bought 9 pairs of socks at a market set up outside Maya for just a little over $1 a pair--a bargain. Then it was back "home" to the Smith Suites and a catch up with the news and blog.
January 8th it was breakfast at Baan and then off to Maya to see two films and eat a lot of nosh food she should not have. Movies seen were "The Big Short" (about the meltdown of the banks in 2008) and "The Dressmaker" (Kate Winslet returns to her home town in the outback of Australia to settle some scores). Then after the films (and too much noshing), AlteCocker bought 9 pairs of socks at a market set up outside Maya for just a little over $1 a pair--a bargain. Then it was back "home" to the Smith Suites and a catch up with the news and blog.
January 9, 2016: Warowot Market; Watch Problems
Well, Mary picks up AlteCocker and we are off to Worowat Market. It is a day market that closes at 6:00pm. Mary wanted to buy some material. AlteCocker just wanted to wander. AlteCocker quickly finda a watch store. She needs a watch to replace the one she gave to Vin's sister when we went to Surin. She finds one for $25 and that is within her budget although she saw a much more expensive that she liked better. They both keep time so the cheaper one is purchased and the band addressed. Perfect travel watch. Who cares if it gets lost when you have only spent $25? Then we end up in a store that sells thread for counted cross--not DMC but far cheaper. AlteCocker buys 50--2 black, 2 white and 1 of every color. Mary gets some denim material for her seamstress--who will make her a pair of jeans.
We go back to Chiang Mai gate, where Mary takes AlteCocker to Baan Phor Liang Meun's Terracotta Garden. This place is across from Chiang Mai gate to the left and down a side street before you get to the second Seven-Eleven. Sorry that is the best AlteCocker can describe the location. You might have to ask. Basically there is a garden cafe that was constructed in some ruins. To add to the atmosphere, the garden is filled with statuary--similar to what you would see in Siem Reap/Angkor Wat. The only difference is that the statuary is all fake and for sale (you cannot legally take antiquities out of Thailand). The shop is across the street from the cafe. We have a snack in the cafe and walk across the street to the shop. AlteCocker doesn't buy anything but it is a neat idea. The weight of terracotta means that purchasing is off the table. No, no, no. It will make the the suitcase a ton of bricks and very expensive. It would be great to have a piece like that in AlteCocker's patio garden but too much of a headache to transport. Nevertheless both the garden and shop are worth a visit.
As we walk back to Smith Suites, AlteCocker notices her watch has stopped. Ugh. We end up hailing a songthaew. Mary gets off at home and AlteCocker returns to the Worowat Market where, just before closing time the watch shop replaces the ancient battery in the watch at no charge.
Then it is back to the Smith Suites with a working watch. AlteCocker decides to work on the counted cross project she has brought with her--inspired by all the new thread. Guess what? She has the thread but the paper with the thread coordinated to the project (which color goes where) is, well, not here, so at home. That project is packed up for retransport home. Stupid. Back to the books.
We go back to Chiang Mai gate, where Mary takes AlteCocker to Baan Phor Liang Meun's Terracotta Garden. This place is across from Chiang Mai gate to the left and down a side street before you get to the second Seven-Eleven. Sorry that is the best AlteCocker can describe the location. You might have to ask. Basically there is a garden cafe that was constructed in some ruins. To add to the atmosphere, the garden is filled with statuary--similar to what you would see in Siem Reap/Angkor Wat. The only difference is that the statuary is all fake and for sale (you cannot legally take antiquities out of Thailand). The shop is across the street from the cafe. We have a snack in the cafe and walk across the street to the shop. AlteCocker doesn't buy anything but it is a neat idea. The weight of terracotta means that purchasing is off the table. No, no, no. It will make the the suitcase a ton of bricks and very expensive. It would be great to have a piece like that in AlteCocker's patio garden but too much of a headache to transport. Nevertheless both the garden and shop are worth a visit.
As we walk back to Smith Suites, AlteCocker notices her watch has stopped. Ugh. We end up hailing a songthaew. Mary gets off at home and AlteCocker returns to the Worowat Market where, just before closing time the watch shop replaces the ancient battery in the watch at no charge.
Then it is back to the Smith Suites with a working watch. AlteCocker decides to work on the counted cross project she has brought with her--inspired by all the new thread. Guess what? She has the thread but the paper with the thread coordinated to the project (which color goes where) is, well, not here, so at home. That project is packed up for retransport home. Stupid. Back to the books.
January 10, 2015: A Meal at Kate and Howard's
Mary probably is going to be leaving Chiang Mai before AlteCocker returns from Malaysia. There is family trouble back home and she is on high alert for an emergency trip to Minnesota to see her brother for the last time. He has been ill for awhile, so this is not a surprise and you do what you have to do. AlteCocker is sad because it means we are done on January 12, 2015, when AlteCocker heads for Borneo and Malaysia. AlteCocker will basically be on her own January 24-February 15. Again, you do what you have to do and AlteCocker understands.
For dinner Mary and Tom are invited chez Kate and Howard--the couple with whom we had Christmas dinner. AlteCocker is included in the festivities. Kate is an excellent cook and we eat curried chicken. AlteCocker brings along the second bottle of champagne that didn't get opened on New Year's Eve. You can't open a bottle of champagne unless you consume it all at once, so, with 4 of us, it gets consumed.
After dinner we resolve AlteCocker's suitcase problem. The painting of elephants she has bought at the Anusarn Market really does not fit in her 30 inch duffle bag style suitcase. It has to be put in on a diagonal and almost assures that it will get damaged. Mary has donated an old suitcase to the cause and the elephant painting fits perfectly. Problem solved but AlteCocker will likely have two large suitcases and an additional fee for the second one when she checks in to go home (the second suitcase is free going to Asia but not coming home because you check in with an airline other than United--a total ripoff). There is nothing she can do about it, however, except pay up.
When she gets back to Smith Suites and tries to email Mary to let her know the suitcase fits, however, she notices there is no internet. Tomorrow is another day.
For dinner Mary and Tom are invited chez Kate and Howard--the couple with whom we had Christmas dinner. AlteCocker is included in the festivities. Kate is an excellent cook and we eat curried chicken. AlteCocker brings along the second bottle of champagne that didn't get opened on New Year's Eve. You can't open a bottle of champagne unless you consume it all at once, so, with 4 of us, it gets consumed.
After dinner we resolve AlteCocker's suitcase problem. The painting of elephants she has bought at the Anusarn Market really does not fit in her 30 inch duffle bag style suitcase. It has to be put in on a diagonal and almost assures that it will get damaged. Mary has donated an old suitcase to the cause and the elephant painting fits perfectly. Problem solved but AlteCocker will likely have two large suitcases and an additional fee for the second one when she checks in to go home (the second suitcase is free going to Asia but not coming home because you check in with an airline other than United--a total ripoff). There is nothing she can do about it, however, except pay up.
When she gets back to Smith Suites and tries to email Mary to let her know the suitcase fits, however, she notices there is no internet. Tomorrow is another day.
January 11, 2016: The Last Day in Chiang Mai Before Malaysia
Laundry was dropped off yesterday, so it will come back in the afternoon. So AlteCocker is off to the Baan Bakery (which she finds out is planning to move--but after she is gone--even closer to Smith Suites). After breakfast, it is room cleaning day, so she waits awhile before going upstairs. Yes, the internet is still out. We are told that it will be back on in the afternoon. So she begins to listen to a podcast from the BBC and falls asleep for a short time. When she awakens, it is time to catch up the blog while listening to some other podcasts ("History of English [language]" and "History of Rome"). She wants to catch it up before going to Malaysia. For the Malaysia blogs, look at Borneo and Kuala Lumpur.
For her last dinner in Chiang Mai, AlteCocker went out to dinner with Mary and Tom and their friends Kate and Howard (the same couple who hosted AlteCocker the night before. We all went to The Galleria, a highly touted restaurant on the Mae Ping River. AlteCocker had eaten there with Mary last year and it was fine. It was not fine on January 11th. Everyone's food came out at different times. This is supposed to be a high class restaurant--one that advertises that Hillary Clinton had eaten there. The service was in the toilet the night AlteCocker went. Mary and Tom were eating dessert by the time AlteCocker's entree arrived. There is no excuse for the crappy service. Then, to add insult to injury, after Kate and Howard got their dessert after Mary's and Tom's-- AlteCocker had to wait until they were practically finished before getting hers. This is not a high class restaurant and AlteCocker will never go back. She can't remember when she had such a disorganized meal--and the other tables were having problems as well. If you want to be a high class restaurant, you serve everyone's course AT THE SAME TIME. AlteCocker does not usually ream restaurants on Trip Advisor but she will do so with this one.
For her last dinner in Chiang Mai, AlteCocker went out to dinner with Mary and Tom and their friends Kate and Howard (the same couple who hosted AlteCocker the night before. We all went to The Galleria, a highly touted restaurant on the Mae Ping River. AlteCocker had eaten there with Mary last year and it was fine. It was not fine on January 11th. Everyone's food came out at different times. This is supposed to be a high class restaurant--one that advertises that Hillary Clinton had eaten there. The service was in the toilet the night AlteCocker went. Mary and Tom were eating dessert by the time AlteCocker's entree arrived. There is no excuse for the crappy service. Then, to add insult to injury, after Kate and Howard got their dessert after Mary's and Tom's-- AlteCocker had to wait until they were practically finished before getting hers. This is not a high class restaurant and AlteCocker will never go back. She can't remember when she had such a disorganized meal--and the other tables were having problems as well. If you want to be a high class restaurant, you serve everyone's course AT THE SAME TIME. AlteCocker does not usually ream restaurants on Trip Advisor but she will do so with this one.
January 12, 2016: Off we go to Malaysia
This morning began with an early hustle out of the Smith Suites for a 9:10am Air Asia flight. The guy at the backpackers' across the street asked if AlteCocker were going to the airport. He offered to take her for 150 baht and she was off to the races.
The blog continues here.
The blog continues here.
January 24, 2016: Back "Home" in Chiang Mai
For the Malaysia leg of the blog, check here.
The flight "home" goes off as scheduled. No lost luggage. The purple suitcase arrives on schedule with the headhunter knife.
Then at the Chiang Mai airport, AlteCocker gets a taxi (150 baht at Exit 1) and is soon back at the Smith Suites. Mary calls and invites her to dinner, but there is a downpour and everything is put off until tomorrow. Fine with AlteCocker. She is tired and unpacking needs to happen. She counts her medications to make sure she has enough as the trip runs down to the wire. The purple suitcase is probably going to Mary's house--together with the suitcase Mary loaned her. She is going to have the elephant painting rolled to place in the large duffel size suitcase. Everything should go in one and there should be no need to pay extra for a second large suitcase.
Then AlteCocker decides to walk over to Mario's--the Italian place diagonally across from the Baan Bakery. Dinner is a spinach sort of cannolli with garlic bread and a glass of wine. Then she stops at a nearby place to take a piece of coconut cake home for dessert. Time to do the blog and just plain relax. No more side trips except to go to Bangkok to position for the flight home. Not too much time left.
The flight "home" goes off as scheduled. No lost luggage. The purple suitcase arrives on schedule with the headhunter knife.
Then at the Chiang Mai airport, AlteCocker gets a taxi (150 baht at Exit 1) and is soon back at the Smith Suites. Mary calls and invites her to dinner, but there is a downpour and everything is put off until tomorrow. Fine with AlteCocker. She is tired and unpacking needs to happen. She counts her medications to make sure she has enough as the trip runs down to the wire. The purple suitcase is probably going to Mary's house--together with the suitcase Mary loaned her. She is going to have the elephant painting rolled to place in the large duffel size suitcase. Everything should go in one and there should be no need to pay extra for a second large suitcase.
Then AlteCocker decides to walk over to Mario's--the Italian place diagonally across from the Baan Bakery. Dinner is a spinach sort of cannolli with garlic bread and a glass of wine. Then she stops at a nearby place to take a piece of coconut cake home for dessert. Time to do the blog and just plain relax. No more side trips except to go to Bangkok to position for the flight home. Not too much time left.
January 25-26, 2016: Some Really Shitty Weather
Thailand is always warm and sunny in the dry season. It's the dry season, but it is not dry; it is soaking wet. AlteCocker is in a hoodie and it is freezing. Weather front from the Himalayas--or at least that what it feels like.
Back "home" and AlteCocker is running around doing errands in the rain. Baan Bakery for breakfast. Then to the railway station for a train ticket to Bangkok on Feb. 11th. Home on Feb. 15th, so AlteCocker will do a little sightseeing there before it is time to wrap this one up and tie it with a bow. AlteCocker takes a tuk tuk and books her berth on the overnight train (bottom bunk as AlteCockers are not good at climbing on top). Given a choice of fan or a/c, she takes the a/c.
Then it is off to the Maya Shopping Center where she is due to meet Mary for the film, "Steve Jobs". Detour. In the tuk tuk, we pass the 3 Kings Monument. There's a stage and Thai dancing is going on. No idea what it is all about as who can read Thai? AlteCocker tells the tuk tuk driver to stop. She pays him the agreed upon price to Maya and deplanes to have a look at the local entertainment. Lots of people selling food and local low end handicrafts. AlteCocker buys a snack but that's about it. Then she watches the dancing. It is students from some local program that preserves traditional arts. AlteCocker loves the way they dance with their hands. You don't see that in the US. The "sexiness" is all in the hands in Thailand. After about 45 minutes, it's another tuk tuk and on the way to Maya. AlteCocker meets Mary at a photographic exhibit in the mall and we head upstairs for the film.
After the film, and the inevitable coffee at Starbucks, we wait for Mary's husband and have dinner at the mall at a Japanese place. AlteCocker gets one of those bento boxes. She has never tried one. She gets it out of her system. Then, after dinner, everyone heads home.
The weather continues to suck--very frustrating on a holiday, but it is what it is. Nothing to do but see another movie. January 26 is "Spotlight", the film about the disclosure of the pedophile priests' scandal in Boston. AlteCocker really likes the film--and all the on location work in Boston, but she really doesn't want to spend every day at the movies. The sun is scheduled to come back on the 27th. AlteCocker hopes the weather prediction is correct.
So, for now it is back to base for a TV watching session and the blog. Tomorrow some more errands and hopefully a return to outside fun. At least AlteCocker is not shoveling snow back home where Washington DC was hit with a massive snowstorm. For once, AlteCocker is away at the right time. May it all melt before she gets back!
Back "home" and AlteCocker is running around doing errands in the rain. Baan Bakery for breakfast. Then to the railway station for a train ticket to Bangkok on Feb. 11th. Home on Feb. 15th, so AlteCocker will do a little sightseeing there before it is time to wrap this one up and tie it with a bow. AlteCocker takes a tuk tuk and books her berth on the overnight train (bottom bunk as AlteCockers are not good at climbing on top). Given a choice of fan or a/c, she takes the a/c.
Then it is off to the Maya Shopping Center where she is due to meet Mary for the film, "Steve Jobs". Detour. In the tuk tuk, we pass the 3 Kings Monument. There's a stage and Thai dancing is going on. No idea what it is all about as who can read Thai? AlteCocker tells the tuk tuk driver to stop. She pays him the agreed upon price to Maya and deplanes to have a look at the local entertainment. Lots of people selling food and local low end handicrafts. AlteCocker buys a snack but that's about it. Then she watches the dancing. It is students from some local program that preserves traditional arts. AlteCocker loves the way they dance with their hands. You don't see that in the US. The "sexiness" is all in the hands in Thailand. After about 45 minutes, it's another tuk tuk and on the way to Maya. AlteCocker meets Mary at a photographic exhibit in the mall and we head upstairs for the film.
After the film, and the inevitable coffee at Starbucks, we wait for Mary's husband and have dinner at the mall at a Japanese place. AlteCocker gets one of those bento boxes. She has never tried one. She gets it out of her system. Then, after dinner, everyone heads home.
The weather continues to suck--very frustrating on a holiday, but it is what it is. Nothing to do but see another movie. January 26 is "Spotlight", the film about the disclosure of the pedophile priests' scandal in Boston. AlteCocker really likes the film--and all the on location work in Boston, but she really doesn't want to spend every day at the movies. The sun is scheduled to come back on the 27th. AlteCocker hopes the weather prediction is correct.
So, for now it is back to base for a TV watching session and the blog. Tomorrow some more errands and hopefully a return to outside fun. At least AlteCocker is not shoveling snow back home where Washington DC was hit with a massive snowstorm. For once, AlteCocker is away at the right time. May it all melt before she gets back!
January 27-28, 2016: Freezing Cold Here
Well, AlteCocker has hit a spate of cold weather. Believe it or not, everyone is wearing long pants and hoodies. Thailand does not have heat in houses, as they really need it. We have had weather straight from the Himalayas. Even Bangkok has been cold. AlteCocker's idea of doing a tubing trip for the day has been put on hold. It would not be much fun. As with most everyone else, she has been in the movies and going to places that are comfortable in the cold.
She went to the Anusarn Market to have a small painting of elephants rolled and, yes, walked out of there with another larger painting of an elephant--more expensive and dramatic than the small one (which now probably will be a gift). With the painting of flowers she has from the Central Market in Kuala Lumpur, she now has two large paintings to frame and no idea where they will go in her house. The end result will be moving around of the pictures at home to fit everything in--never mind what she will have to pay the framer. Ah, framing costs--always more than the cost of the item itself. It is such that memories are made of and buying inexpensive street art is so much nicer than buying fridge magnets, key chains and even more t-shirts. AlteCocker jokes that when she kicks the bucket, she will have a line in her will that leaves her t-shirt collection to a specific individual (never mind all the little soaps and shampoos from hotels. Ha!
In the cold, there was also another trip to the movies. She saw "13 Hours"--the film about Benghazi--and "Burnt". "Burnt" was about a chef trying for his 3rd Michelin star in a restaurant in London. Both were good, but "13 Hours" is a "must see".
Books have also been finished. The most recent one knocked off was "The Village: 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians" by John Strausbough--a history of oddballs in Greenwich Village, New York City. She is currently reading "Sea of Poppies" by Amitav Gosh--a novel about India--and, of course, there is the seemingly endless saga of "The Cambridge Medieval History volumes 1-5". The later will not be finished before the trip is but she is making progress. Additional entertainment is provided by podcasts and the limi.ted TV available (mostly CNN and AlJazeera).
Hopefully the weather is going to get warmer so AlteCocker can do that tubing trip. She does have a reservation for a Mae Ping River cruise on February 4th. The only piece of logistics left to do is a hotel reservation for the last 3 days in Bangkok--no big problem there. In fact, she is already beginning to do the logistics for her summer trip to Iceland and Italy via home exchanges. There is also the matter about which suitcases she will be taking back to the US with her. The new painting is rolled and a tight fit in her largest bag. Every long trip with a lot of shopping ends in luggage angst
She went to the Anusarn Market to have a small painting of elephants rolled and, yes, walked out of there with another larger painting of an elephant--more expensive and dramatic than the small one (which now probably will be a gift). With the painting of flowers she has from the Central Market in Kuala Lumpur, she now has two large paintings to frame and no idea where they will go in her house. The end result will be moving around of the pictures at home to fit everything in--never mind what she will have to pay the framer. Ah, framing costs--always more than the cost of the item itself. It is such that memories are made of and buying inexpensive street art is so much nicer than buying fridge magnets, key chains and even more t-shirts. AlteCocker jokes that when she kicks the bucket, she will have a line in her will that leaves her t-shirt collection to a specific individual (never mind all the little soaps and shampoos from hotels. Ha!
In the cold, there was also another trip to the movies. She saw "13 Hours"--the film about Benghazi--and "Burnt". "Burnt" was about a chef trying for his 3rd Michelin star in a restaurant in London. Both were good, but "13 Hours" is a "must see".
Books have also been finished. The most recent one knocked off was "The Village: 400 Years of Beats and Bohemians" by John Strausbough--a history of oddballs in Greenwich Village, New York City. She is currently reading "Sea of Poppies" by Amitav Gosh--a novel about India--and, of course, there is the seemingly endless saga of "The Cambridge Medieval History volumes 1-5". The later will not be finished before the trip is but she is making progress. Additional entertainment is provided by podcasts and the limi.ted TV available (mostly CNN and AlJazeera).
Hopefully the weather is going to get warmer so AlteCocker can do that tubing trip. She does have a reservation for a Mae Ping River cruise on February 4th. The only piece of logistics left to do is a hotel reservation for the last 3 days in Bangkok--no big problem there. In fact, she is already beginning to do the logistics for her summer trip to Iceland and Italy via home exchanges. There is also the matter about which suitcases she will be taking back to the US with her. The new painting is rolled and a tight fit in her largest bag. Every long trip with a lot of shopping ends in luggage angst
January 29-30, 2016: Not a Whole Lot Going on
The trip has reached the point where AlteCocker is doing a lot of reading and relaxing. She finished a short book entitled "Boston 1775" by Francis Russell. "Sea of Poppies" is almost done. "The Cambridge Medieval History" will take a bit longer--perhaps into another trip.
Luggage continues to be worked on. Looks like Mary gets her suitcase back and the infamous purple suitcase. Instructions are to give that damn purple suitcase away to anyone who needs it and let it continue its journeys around the world.
So it is hang out time in Chiang Mai. AlteCocker had wanted to do this tubing day trip, but the weather has been too cold to make it fun so perhaps it will not get done. She is sick of seeing movies, but will go over to Maya if "The Revenant" finally opens here. So far, no. She does have reservations for a boat cruise on Feb. 4th.
January 30th included a look see at the Arboretum (near the Chiang Mai Zoo). AlteCocker passed on the Zoo--qhich is over 500 baht for foreigners (360 baht is currently $10). She can visit the same animals in the National Zoo in Washington, DC, for free so it didn't make much sense. The Arboretum turned out basically to be a park. Not many labels on the trees. There was an orchid house but no blooming orchids--just some starter ones in pots. Then she went back to Maya (which is on the way back to central Chiang Mai) and had a java chip frappacino at Starbucks. There were some special events going on for Chinese New Year. Some Thai students appeared to be participating in a Mandarin competition. There is understandably a lot of interest now in studying Chinese.
Then AllteCocker took a tuk tuk to Mary and Tom's. We went out to dinner at a restaurant called Fat Elvis with Kate and Howard. Sometimes they have an Elvis impersonator. The restaurant is named for the owner whose name is Elvis (not Elvis Presley). Yes, he is fat. He has a basically shaved head with a long pigtail hanging down from the back of his head. Don't ask AlteCocker why--a stupid hairdo. The restaurant is known for its burgers, but none of us ate them. AlteCocker had a delicious porkchop with baked potato and salad. Mary and Kate had the barbecued ribs. Tom had an enormous plate of tortilla chips and Howard had lasagna. Everyone enjoyed their food, but, as per usual, the food all came out at different times. It has to do with the lack of real full kitchens in Thai restaurants.
AlteCocker got dropped off by Chiang Mai gate and walked home. She hates to have anyone in a full size car take her to the Smith Suites as it is difficult to turn around. Streets can be very narrow. It is the old problem of cars superimposed on very old streets.
Luggage continues to be worked on. Looks like Mary gets her suitcase back and the infamous purple suitcase. Instructions are to give that damn purple suitcase away to anyone who needs it and let it continue its journeys around the world.
So it is hang out time in Chiang Mai. AlteCocker had wanted to do this tubing day trip, but the weather has been too cold to make it fun so perhaps it will not get done. She is sick of seeing movies, but will go over to Maya if "The Revenant" finally opens here. So far, no. She does have reservations for a boat cruise on Feb. 4th.
January 30th included a look see at the Arboretum (near the Chiang Mai Zoo). AlteCocker passed on the Zoo--qhich is over 500 baht for foreigners (360 baht is currently $10). She can visit the same animals in the National Zoo in Washington, DC, for free so it didn't make much sense. The Arboretum turned out basically to be a park. Not many labels on the trees. There was an orchid house but no blooming orchids--just some starter ones in pots. Then she went back to Maya (which is on the way back to central Chiang Mai) and had a java chip frappacino at Starbucks. There were some special events going on for Chinese New Year. Some Thai students appeared to be participating in a Mandarin competition. There is understandably a lot of interest now in studying Chinese.
Then AllteCocker took a tuk tuk to Mary and Tom's. We went out to dinner at a restaurant called Fat Elvis with Kate and Howard. Sometimes they have an Elvis impersonator. The restaurant is named for the owner whose name is Elvis (not Elvis Presley). Yes, he is fat. He has a basically shaved head with a long pigtail hanging down from the back of his head. Don't ask AlteCocker why--a stupid hairdo. The restaurant is known for its burgers, but none of us ate them. AlteCocker had a delicious porkchop with baked potato and salad. Mary and Kate had the barbecued ribs. Tom had an enormous plate of tortilla chips and Howard had lasagna. Everyone enjoyed their food, but, as per usual, the food all came out at different times. It has to do with the lack of real full kitchens in Thai restaurants.
AlteCocker got dropped off by Chiang Mai gate and walked home. She hates to have anyone in a full size car take her to the Smith Suites as it is difficult to turn around. Streets can be very narrow. It is the old problem of cars superimposed on very old streets.
January 31-February 3, 2016: OK AlteCocker is Tired
Apologies, folks, but AlteCocker is tired. She has also been suffering from allergy headaches. That led to a few lazy days. You can't read when you have a crushing headache. After taking everything in her pharmacutical larder, AlteCocker finally broke down and went to the local pharmacy. They gave her something, but it really doesn't work all that well. The next step will be buying some of those surgical masks Asians sport in their daily activities. The cure for this is to go home and get away from the outside dust that makes up all of SE Asia. Of course, back home in Washington, DC, there will be the dust mites of winter. Air pollution is really killing in Asia--which is why AlteCocker has never gone to China or India.
Sleeping is no cure for these kinds of headaches. You can't even sleep if the headaches are too bad. The pain wakes you up. Right now, the problem is still there, but it is suppressed. Now, if AlteCocker can simply keep it suppressed until the end of the trip.
After controlling the headaches with probably too much medication (desperation here), AlteCocker did do some reading and podcast listening. She also obsessively followed the Iowa caucuses. She was thrilled that Bernie Sanders split Iowa with Hillary Clinton. Did she mention that she is one of the millions of ordinary Americans schtupping Bernie with occasional donations. She reads about the core of Bernie's support being young people but she is one of his AlteCocker supporter. Hell, he's older than she is--one of the few people who are these days.
So another round of books was finished and a new round begun. Of course, "The Cambridge Medieval History" is in no danger of being finished.
On February 2--ta da!--AlteCocker finally got out of the house. Heather, a friend of Mary's, organized the charter of a songthaew, and we were off to see some Chinese cherry trees in bloom up in the mountains past where she has been before way past the National Park above Doi Suthep. Unfortunately, the peak bloom appeared to have been a few days before the excursion. The bloom turns the hills pink. What we saw was "pinkish" as some of the leaves had begun to replace the flowers--still very nice. Then we went to a Hmong Village where Mary and AlteCocker had Thai kaow soi for lunch. Then AlteCocker walked up a hill she did not need (oy, her back is not in good shape and she is out of prednisone) and saw an anemic waterfall because, duh, it's the dry season. There was also an assortment of flowers begging to be photographed. However, the most hysterical thing was a group of Korean teenagers renting Hmong costumes and making like, among other things "Kung Fu Panda". AlteCocker got some great photos. Walking back she bought a Hmong pillow cover for 200 baht (about $5.50) making one old lady very happy.
If you plan a similar excursion, we drove on some awful roads. There are some foreigner fools that attempt to drive themselves on motorbikes. It is not advisable. Moreover, it would have been better (and more expensive, of course) to charter a van due to the fact that sitting in the back of a songthaew assures that you will be both shaken and stirred. AlteCocker claimed the seat next to the driver because she could not have done this trip in the back. Still a lot of shaking and stirring.
Then it was time for a ride "home" in a tuk tuk with a driver who spoke perfect English (now, that is a first!) and a long nap. After catching up on her sleep, it was time to play blog catch up.
February 3-4, 2016: Mae Ping River Cruise; Another Film
The expat ladies lunch group booked a lunch cruise on the Mae Ping River and AlteCocker signed up. For 420 baht (about $11) there was a lunch and cruise. The experience lasted about 1 1/2 hours. You do not want to go swimming in the Mae Ping! As is true with many rivers in Asian large cities, it's polluted. Because AlteCocker did not know where exactly the boat was leaving from, she went over to Mary's and Mary's driver took us over to the start point for the cruise. She would have gone to the wrong place, so it was a good idea. There was no commentary on the cruise, but it really was not necessary. The boat basically went up and down the river from the start point and then took us back to the start point. The food was Thai--and there was plenty of it. Drinks--other than water--cost extra. AlteCocker has a Coke Zero. She doesn't recall what it cost. She should point out, however, that a separate charge for drinks is fairly typical in any drinks/dinner/show/cruise deal in Asia.
After the cruise, AlteCocker had a cold latte at a nearby coffee shop and then went on to have another look at the Warorot market. After attempting to bargain for a Seiko watch, she got a tuk tuk and went home. It was too hot and the watch seller wasn't bargaining. She was not in the mood to pay the asking price. So, that was that and a nap called.
The 4th began as a day with no plans (as you may have noticed there are lots of those) and ended after a late breakfast at Baan Bakery, at Maya. "The Revenent" with Leonardo DiCaprio had opened and AlteCocker knocked that one off. Another $3 film! She contemplated hanging around the mall for dinner and/or a coffee, but the mall was crowded. There was some sort of performance on the ground floor that was very loud; it probably had something to do with Chinese New Year. AlteCocker went home in a tuk tuk and that was it except for some reading. Current books include "The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language" by Melvyn Bragg and "Mao's Great Famine" by Frank Dikotter. The first is almost finished. She also recently read "Beasts of No Nation" by Uzadinma Iweala about child soldiers in Africa (very chilling).
After the cruise, AlteCocker had a cold latte at a nearby coffee shop and then went on to have another look at the Warorot market. After attempting to bargain for a Seiko watch, she got a tuk tuk and went home. It was too hot and the watch seller wasn't bargaining. She was not in the mood to pay the asking price. So, that was that and a nap called.
The 4th began as a day with no plans (as you may have noticed there are lots of those) and ended after a late breakfast at Baan Bakery, at Maya. "The Revenent" with Leonardo DiCaprio had opened and AlteCocker knocked that one off. Another $3 film! She contemplated hanging around the mall for dinner and/or a coffee, but the mall was crowded. There was some sort of performance on the ground floor that was very loud; it probably had something to do with Chinese New Year. AlteCocker went home in a tuk tuk and that was it except for some reading. Current books include "The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language" by Melvyn Bragg and "Mao's Great Famine" by Frank Dikotter. The first is almost finished. She also recently read "Beasts of No Nation" by Uzadinma Iweala about child soldiers in Africa (very chilling).
February 6, 2016: Flower Festival; Saturday Walking Street
February 6th was the day of the Flower Festival parade. There are floats covered in flowers. They are not the size of the Rose Bowl floats, so please do not expect that. Streets in Chiang Mai are much smaller than the ones in Pasadena! The floats are still quite spectacular but the parade is very disorganized. Two floats go by, then 20-45 minutes of traffic. Then maybe 2-3 more floats, etc. It is not a continuous parade.
The best way to see the floats is not to wait interminably on the street by the moat. The parade ends up at Buak Hat Public Park. The floats are parked just outside the park at the end of the "parade". There you can take some excellent photos--which is what AlteCocker did. The park is itself done up for the Flower Festival and AlteCocker got a lot of nice photos there as well. Know it well that you have to shoot fast as Asians are obsessed with taking selfies everywhere--usually with both hands splayed out in the "V" sign. Do not ask AlteCocker why. She has no clue. AlteCocker also spent some time in the coffee shop in the park enjoying a coffee and air conditioning. She ran into one of Mary's friends there.
There were a lot of vendors taking advantage of the Flower Festival to peddle their wares including a father and daughter from the Chiang Mai Dolls Making Center. Did you say dolls? A purchase of a small doll is made and arrangements are subsequently made to visit the museum on Monday. Another woman from Smith Suites is going with AlteCocker. These people will pick you up and take you to their museum! Of course they sell stuff, and AlteCocker is an easy mark when it comes to dolls. AlteCocker is bound to buy something. Don't know about the other woman.
The it is time for a rest. In the evening AlteCocker makes the mistake of frequenting Saturday Walking Street again. It is much better than the first time. The advice to go early is wrong. The crowds are much thinner later. The reason it was a mistake is that AlteCocker buys a metal plaque with some elephants. It cost only about $25 but it will have to be framed back home. Another "oy vey ist mir" moment. AlteCocker gets dinner at the Walking Street from one of the stands to the left as you enter. She has a delicious pancake with seafood in it. Really good but you have to consume it with chopsticks. This shopping has got to stop and there is the Doll Museum to go. Well, when the hell is AlteCocker coming back? Maybe never.
The best way to see the floats is not to wait interminably on the street by the moat. The parade ends up at Buak Hat Public Park. The floats are parked just outside the park at the end of the "parade". There you can take some excellent photos--which is what AlteCocker did. The park is itself done up for the Flower Festival and AlteCocker got a lot of nice photos there as well. Know it well that you have to shoot fast as Asians are obsessed with taking selfies everywhere--usually with both hands splayed out in the "V" sign. Do not ask AlteCocker why. She has no clue. AlteCocker also spent some time in the coffee shop in the park enjoying a coffee and air conditioning. She ran into one of Mary's friends there.
There were a lot of vendors taking advantage of the Flower Festival to peddle their wares including a father and daughter from the Chiang Mai Dolls Making Center. Did you say dolls? A purchase of a small doll is made and arrangements are subsequently made to visit the museum on Monday. Another woman from Smith Suites is going with AlteCocker. These people will pick you up and take you to their museum! Of course they sell stuff, and AlteCocker is an easy mark when it comes to dolls. AlteCocker is bound to buy something. Don't know about the other woman.
The it is time for a rest. In the evening AlteCocker makes the mistake of frequenting Saturday Walking Street again. It is much better than the first time. The advice to go early is wrong. The crowds are much thinner later. The reason it was a mistake is that AlteCocker buys a metal plaque with some elephants. It cost only about $25 but it will have to be framed back home. Another "oy vey ist mir" moment. AlteCocker gets dinner at the Walking Street from one of the stands to the left as you enter. She has a delicious pancake with seafood in it. Really good but you have to consume it with chopsticks. This shopping has got to stop and there is the Doll Museum to go. Well, when the hell is AlteCocker coming back? Maybe never.
February 7-8, 2016: More lazy days and Shopping
On February 7, after a late sleep in, AlteCocker reads and finally takes her laundry to the laundry lady and has a snack across the street. Then it is time to play blog catch up and book a tour to Aythtthaya Temples and River Cruise from Bangkok. Since AlteCocker missed this last time and Mary thinks it's a "must see", it gets scheduled and charged to her credit card. It's for February 13th.
In the reading department, "The Adventure of English" has been finished. "Mao's Famine" and the every trusty medieval history series of volumes is still being worked on. AlteCocker should polish off another book or two before heading for home in--gasp--9 days. Nine days? Why do trips always go so quickly? She is also working on "The Stranger and the Statesman: James Smithson, John Quincy Adams, and the Making of America's Greatest Museum" by Nina Burleigh. It's a short book and likely to be finished before "Mao".
February 8th was the trip to the Doll Museum and Factory south of Chiang Mai. Why this place does not make the guide books, AlteCocker has no idea. It's fantastic and, suffice it to say, AlteCocker's leftover baht has been disposed of and another trip to an ATM is in order. A total of 4 dolls were purchased (including a small one purchased at the Flower Festival booth). They are all being shipped as the last thing AlteCocker needed was more stuff in her luggage. The largest doll is one of an Apsara dancer (the famous dancing that Thais and Cambodians do with their hands). It is large and a doll cabinet will have to be purchased for it (available online). Nothing like the infamous Burmese marionette from last year that cost a fortune to display. The doll was 5,000 baht (roughly $135). It would cost at least 3 times that in the US--if you could find it in the first place. A purchase that makes AlteCocker totally happy. The other dolls were much cheaper purchases and also made AlteCocker smile. Going to the ATM again does not make her smile.
Even if you are not into dolls, the museum and the factory is worth a visit--and they will take you out there if you phone them. The owner's daughter picked AlteCocker up and took her back after the foray. The dolls in the museum's collection are fantastic. There were even some Burmese marionettes--but nothing as large as the Garuda one that AlteCocker purchased last year that cost a small fortune to display in a cabinet at home. The museum's were smaller. There were dolls dressed in costumes from all ethic groups and nationalities. Almost all these dolls were created at the factory. If the museum were closer to Chiang Mai, it would be a major tourist destination. A smaill Asian group came in as AlteCocker was finished doing damage to her baht stash. They do not take credit cards. If they did, AlteCocker might have done even more damage, so maybe "no credit cards" is a good thing.
The afternoon involved the usual rest time and then AlteCocker went over to the Smith Residence to pick up some Australians she had met earlier and we all went to dinner at Mario's. AlteCocker has really had enough of that place but the Australians had never been there. They are very interesting people and are involved in helping some poor people in the north through what amounts to their own personal charity. The man had also spent some months as a Buddhist monk at one point in his life. AlteCocker hopes we will keep in touch. She has, ha!, never been to Perth.
Then it was home and a brief look at TV. The New Hampshire primary is next Tuesday. In all truth, AlteCocker will be glad to get home and charge right into the presidential campaign. She is supporting Bernie Sanders. You can support whomever you want.
In the reading department, "The Adventure of English" has been finished. "Mao's Famine" and the every trusty medieval history series of volumes is still being worked on. AlteCocker should polish off another book or two before heading for home in--gasp--9 days. Nine days? Why do trips always go so quickly? She is also working on "The Stranger and the Statesman: James Smithson, John Quincy Adams, and the Making of America's Greatest Museum" by Nina Burleigh. It's a short book and likely to be finished before "Mao".
February 8th was the trip to the Doll Museum and Factory south of Chiang Mai. Why this place does not make the guide books, AlteCocker has no idea. It's fantastic and, suffice it to say, AlteCocker's leftover baht has been disposed of and another trip to an ATM is in order. A total of 4 dolls were purchased (including a small one purchased at the Flower Festival booth). They are all being shipped as the last thing AlteCocker needed was more stuff in her luggage. The largest doll is one of an Apsara dancer (the famous dancing that Thais and Cambodians do with their hands). It is large and a doll cabinet will have to be purchased for it (available online). Nothing like the infamous Burmese marionette from last year that cost a fortune to display. The doll was 5,000 baht (roughly $135). It would cost at least 3 times that in the US--if you could find it in the first place. A purchase that makes AlteCocker totally happy. The other dolls were much cheaper purchases and also made AlteCocker smile. Going to the ATM again does not make her smile.
Even if you are not into dolls, the museum and the factory is worth a visit--and they will take you out there if you phone them. The owner's daughter picked AlteCocker up and took her back after the foray. The dolls in the museum's collection are fantastic. There were even some Burmese marionettes--but nothing as large as the Garuda one that AlteCocker purchased last year that cost a small fortune to display in a cabinet at home. The museum's were smaller. There were dolls dressed in costumes from all ethic groups and nationalities. Almost all these dolls were created at the factory. If the museum were closer to Chiang Mai, it would be a major tourist destination. A smaill Asian group came in as AlteCocker was finished doing damage to her baht stash. They do not take credit cards. If they did, AlteCocker might have done even more damage, so maybe "no credit cards" is a good thing.
The afternoon involved the usual rest time and then AlteCocker went over to the Smith Residence to pick up some Australians she had met earlier and we all went to dinner at Mario's. AlteCocker has really had enough of that place but the Australians had never been there. They are very interesting people and are involved in helping some poor people in the north through what amounts to their own personal charity. The man had also spent some months as a Buddhist monk at one point in his life. AlteCocker hopes we will keep in touch. She has, ha!, never been to Perth.
Then it was home and a brief look at TV. The New Hampshire primary is next Tuesday. In all truth, AlteCocker will be glad to get home and charge right into the presidential campaign. She is supporting Bernie Sanders. You can support whomever you want.
February 9-10, 2016: Packing; Good-Bye Dinner with Mary and Tom
So the time has come to figure out the luggage. AlteCocker packs the large suitcase, but worries about it being over weight. She has a luggage scale, but you have to lift the blasted suitcase to weigh it. Oy! Thank goodness purple suitcase is still; she needs it; the 22 inch one will go home as hand luggage. The winter clothes have to be strategically positioned so she can pull them out and change in Narita Airport in Japan when she changes planes. Same drill as last year.
Dinner was with Mary and Tom at Casa Diverso, an Italian place. AlteCocker had shrimp in garlic sauce (appetizer) and pork chops in blueberry sauce (main course). Those were both excellent but the "chocolate mousse" for dessert was, quite frankly, mediocre chocolate pudding. Tom had a brownie with vanilla ice cream that he said was good. AlteCocker did not try it but she'd skip dessert if she went to the restaurant again.
February 10th was more packing. It looks as if the purple suitcase is going home with AlteCocker. The problem is the weight of the 30' suitcase. It might be over 50 pounds. AlteCocker has a suitcase scale but no way to lift the behemoth to put it on the scale handle and then hold it. The closet is too small, so an attempt will be made again in Bangkok to see what it weighs and make a decision about all the suitcases. What is certain: No more purchases of any size. The luggage is full. Thank goodness AlteCocker decided to take the train. No luggage limits to worry about. If she has to pay for a second suitcase going home, she will have to pay for a second suitcase going home. Funny thing: In packing she finally found a nightgown she thought she had left behind in Taipei as well as a hairbrush. They were in a pocket in the behemoth that AlteCocker never emptied. Dumb da dumb dumb dumb!
February 10th was also a time for great celebration, as Bernie (aka FeelTheBern) Sanders won the New Hampshire primary big. AlteCocker has sent him money twice and was excited about him from the very beginning. AlteCocker is very happy insofar as politics is concerned today.
There was a last lunch at Baan Bakery and a drop off of laundry to her favorite laundry lady for the last cleaning of clothes before she gets home. Laundry lady has been tipped, as have the people at the hotel.
Dinner was with Mary and Tom at Casa Diverso, an Italian place. AlteCocker had shrimp in garlic sauce (appetizer) and pork chops in blueberry sauce (main course). Those were both excellent but the "chocolate mousse" for dessert was, quite frankly, mediocre chocolate pudding. Tom had a brownie with vanilla ice cream that he said was good. AlteCocker did not try it but she'd skip dessert if she went to the restaurant again.
February 10th was more packing. It looks as if the purple suitcase is going home with AlteCocker. The problem is the weight of the 30' suitcase. It might be over 50 pounds. AlteCocker has a suitcase scale but no way to lift the behemoth to put it on the scale handle and then hold it. The closet is too small, so an attempt will be made again in Bangkok to see what it weighs and make a decision about all the suitcases. What is certain: No more purchases of any size. The luggage is full. Thank goodness AlteCocker decided to take the train. No luggage limits to worry about. If she has to pay for a second suitcase going home, she will have to pay for a second suitcase going home. Funny thing: In packing she finally found a nightgown she thought she had left behind in Taipei as well as a hairbrush. They were in a pocket in the behemoth that AlteCocker never emptied. Dumb da dumb dumb dumb!
February 10th was also a time for great celebration, as Bernie (aka FeelTheBern) Sanders won the New Hampshire primary big. AlteCocker has sent him money twice and was excited about him from the very beginning. AlteCocker is very happy insofar as politics is concerned today.
There was a last lunch at Baan Bakery and a drop off of laundry to her favorite laundry lady for the last cleaning of clothes before she gets home. Laundry lady has been tipped, as have the people at the hotel.
February 11, 2016: Taking the Train to Bangkok
AlteCocker finally gives up on the packing mess and ends up with 3 suitcases. The large one is way overweight meaning the luggage will have to be dealt with at the hotel in Bangkok again. Not fun. This is the penalty for too much shopping.
AlteCocker finally gives up on the packing mess and ends up with 3 suitcases. The large one is way overweight meaning the luggage will have to be dealt with at the hotel in Bangkok again. Not fun. This is the penalty for too much shopping. The item causing the most trouble is the metal hammered piece with the figure of a fierce mythological being—the sort of figures you see at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. AlteCocker should not have bought it so there we are.
The way to deal with luggage like this is to put the heaviest stuff in the smallest suitcase that will be hand luggage. So it means unpacking and packing again—a total pain in the ass.
Getting on the train is another problem with three suitcases. While the smallest can be turned into a backpack, AlteCocker's back would not take it. So, luckily, the train station has trollies and AlteCocker's driver from the Absolute backpackers' across from the Smith Suites snags one for me. It is a long walk to train car number 3, the all women's car. Then AlteCocker has to maneuver all three suitcases onto the train in a very small space. The behemoth ends up in the aisle for the duration of the journey.
The train does not have private cabins. There are just upper and lower berths. There are drapes on each one, so you have privacy in dressing and undressing—if you bother with that. Basically AlteCocker sleeps in her clothes. Can you imagine going through all that luggage looking for whatever it is that you think you need? Not a good idea with a full train car.
Taking a sleeping pill, AlteCocker gets her best night's sleep on a train that she has ever had on a train.
The blog will continue here for Bangkok.
AlteCocker finally gives up on the packing mess and ends up with 3 suitcases. The large one is way overweight meaning the luggage will have to be dealt with at the hotel in Bangkok again. Not fun. This is the penalty for too much shopping. The item causing the most trouble is the metal hammered piece with the figure of a fierce mythological being—the sort of figures you see at the Grand Palace in Bangkok. AlteCocker should not have bought it so there we are.
The way to deal with luggage like this is to put the heaviest stuff in the smallest suitcase that will be hand luggage. So it means unpacking and packing again—a total pain in the ass.
Getting on the train is another problem with three suitcases. While the smallest can be turned into a backpack, AlteCocker's back would not take it. So, luckily, the train station has trollies and AlteCocker's driver from the Absolute backpackers' across from the Smith Suites snags one for me. It is a long walk to train car number 3, the all women's car. Then AlteCocker has to maneuver all three suitcases onto the train in a very small space. The behemoth ends up in the aisle for the duration of the journey.
The train does not have private cabins. There are just upper and lower berths. There are drapes on each one, so you have privacy in dressing and undressing—if you bother with that. Basically AlteCocker sleeps in her clothes. Can you imagine going through all that luggage looking for whatever it is that you think you need? Not a good idea with a full train car.
Taking a sleeping pill, AlteCocker gets her best night's sleep on a train that she has ever had on a train.
The blog will continue here for Bangkok.