Phuket, Beaches, Caves + Karsts

There are so many things about traveling that I love. Each country has it's own balance no matter how hectic or different it may seem.  The diversity of cultures living side by side is always mind boggling to me. I love being the one who stands out and yet I am constantly trying to fit in between the cultures surrounding me.

Usually I spend less time vacationing and more time working or "shopping" for The Loaded Trunk. This trip I have had time to explore. On a side trip to Phuket I spent time with family in the Andaman Sea kayaking through breathtaking caves, gliding by limestone karsts and sliding into caves that are only  able to be entered when the tide is at a certain level and often lying down in the kayak to squeeze through. 

If there is a single feature of south Thailand's landscape which commands ones attention right from the start it is these dramatic karsts which rise from the waters edge and valley floors to sheer vertical heights in excess of 900 meters. These butte-like crags were formed 260 million years ago when a shallow sea running the entire length of south Asia, slowly built up deep deposits of shells and corals which were later buried under sediments washing in from land. They are brilliant and the waters all around the karsts area are free of trash and an excess of tourist boats. It was a perfect day. The man who organized this expedition for us has made preserving this area his life's work.

Bat cave..so dark and had to get on our bellies to go through it. Yikes!

Hello

Michael and nephew Jonah who live in beautiful Phuket

Snacks

Entering one of the caves.

Sunset then more night cave kayaking with head lamps.
(photo's by Michael, Roni and Rachel)

What a day!

Ever Peaceful Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai, a city surrounded by a ring of mountains, has weathered seven hundred years of fascinating history. It has its own very distinctive culture, arts, festivals, and traditions as well as an exciting mix of local, ethnic and expat communities from all over the world. Everyone I have ever met who lives here has a love affair with this city. Luckily this has not ruined the city's old quaint feeling. For me dinner at House drinking some Monsoon wine from Thailand (not bad), street food at the sunday market and the opportunity for a massage every few feet, could easily hook me.

Thailand lies between the two great civilizations of India and China and it has been much influenced by both. It also snuggles up to the Cambodian, Malaysian, Laos and Myanmar (Burmese) borders, making it a shoppers paradise.  The people are lovely the weather has been cool and the shopping as always, exciting. There are night markets, Saturday markets and the very popular Sunday market, which happened to take place on the street our lovely hotel was on. 

When shopping for The Loaded Trunk in Chiang Mai I spend time with an eclectic group of people that I have met over the years who help me source. The other time is just me hitting the markets; picking, haggling and hauling. This trip my mother has joined me for part of it and is helping pick and  negotiate.

old burmese puppet heads

Tamarind Village Lanna style hotel, in the old walled city surrounded by a moat.

My mother in the outdoor lobby of Tamarind Village

Old Burmese Laquer

Pit stop..Yummy

Secluded driveway to Tamarind Village

Spirit houses are found outside of every business, home, hotel etc. The Spirit House provides an appealing shelter for the spirits, or celestial beings, who would otherwise reside in the heavens. According to folklore, the spirits themselves are either good or evil, but most are just finicky and mischievous, demanding respect from humans and capable of disastrous interferences if they don't get their way, The spirit of the land, for example. expects to be informed when a human intends to start a business or engage in improvements to an existing business. If the spirit is not informed, and if the human does not respectfully request permission, the spirit can indeed cause the venture to fail.) 

Gorgeous wall paintings at Wat Phra Singh which was built in the 14^th century to enshrine the ashes of King Kam Fu.

Day at the market, Mom finishing a foot massage 30 minutes for $2.00.

So far it has been an adventure well worth the effort.  Arrived in Phuket yesterday for a bit of R + R with the family heading on a day trip to Bat cave, Diamond cave and karst central...stay tuned.

Finally Thailand

After a three day string of misadventures on my way to Thailand with my 82 year Mother we settled into our hotel in Bangkok for two nights cutting our stay there short by 3 days. 

One missed and one canceled flight, two hotel stays at LAX, a taxi ride that ended with the hatch opening and all our luggage flying out at 30 miles per hour, lost luggage and might I say lots of irritable people: we finally landed in Bangkok at 1:30 am.  We did a fast forward in Bangkok and hit Chiang Mai, Thailand in the north yesterday and I must say have not caught up yet. Between lost time, jet lag the need to find fabulous things quickly I am going to spare you the words and share some of our shopping and food experiences in Bangkok. More about fantastic Chiang Mai to come.

My mother and brother who lives in Thailand

Amulet market Bangkok

Michael, strong arm bargaining

more Buddha's beads

serious business these amulets

OMG...three foot high Chinese puppets

yummmm

Happy and hardworking..

sticky rice bundles

Satay anyone?

 Getting serious at the amulet market

Hmmm..personal grooming!

Got in trouble for this photo..

Not England but just as serious about their royal family.

We are not talking gems stones (amulet dealer)

That is raw garlic..

Add caption

BKK here I come

My first time in Bangkok I spent less then 24 hours. I was meeting a good friend and our plans were to travel around Thailand and Vietnam together. 24 hours, however, was not in the plan.  We were to have spent 4 days there! Everything about it my 1st time was wrong: from the "green" hotel that I had chosen to stay in that had green things growing in the shower, to the T shirt vendor on the street who saw us and was thrilled to inform us that he had jumbo sizes for us to choose from, to my 1st Thai oil massage. It was done while I was naked, freezing and I was manipulated around as if I were a pretzel. Who knew! One of my more vulnerable moments. We left for the North the next morning.

Since that memorable 1st time I have returned to Bangkok several times. Like any big metropolis it often takes more then one visit to get your bearings. So on my way home from Vietnam I made myself go back to Bangkok. I never looked back, I fell in love with it.

The first thing I do now when I arrive in Bangkok is to have a Thai massage, many of them; never naked or with oil. The 2nd thing is to immediately hit a street food stall. The third is to hit JJ market. It is like going to Vin Expo in Bordeaux, Round Top In Texas or the world's largest stadium on earth chock full of antiques and "antiques", fascinating people watching, food, jewelry, furniture, art, to name only a handful of categories. It is only on the weekends and it is intense, invigorating and a pickers rush.

I love the broad Thai smile that instills in me that instant trust and remember how I must brush up on my hard nosed bargaining skills before I go each time! It is what makes these trips such incredible adventures, nothing is ever the same. With each visit I enter like a virgin and leave feeling a little more seasoned.

Cow greab pak mor

These white dumplings are prepared in front of you on top of a hot plate. Salted radish is fried with garlic and coriander root, sugar and soy sauce and folded into white rice flour sheets. OMG!

La Tiang

La Tiang is a fantastic looking ‘bird’s nest’ concoction. A filling made from minced pork or shrimp and onion, peanuts, coriander, fish sauce and sugar is presented in a striking yellow nest made with eggs with a subtle kick of chili at the end. be still my heart.

  Beginning of what was a long and fruitful day at "JJ" or Chatuchak market last year! 

I leave this week for S.E. Asia and hope you will shop along with me on my journey and share with me my somewhat irreverent musings and always lots of photo's.

SAWATDEE PI MAI" (สวัสดีปีใหม่), Happy New Year...

roni