Taking a tour outside Bangkok and it’s time for lunch on the river, literally!
floating restaurant from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Then we zoomed upriver to the bamboo rafts awaiting us.
motor boating up the river from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
This looked like a fun party!
floating river party from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
And a peaceful ride back down to our floating restaurant/hotel.
bamboo rafting from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
A short clip of an elephant ride I took and some pictures to go with!
elephant-riding from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
The elephants coming in so we can hop on for a ride!
Aww, I was tempted to try to "shake hands."
This little boy may be young, but he's an expert elephant driver!
Here comes my ride, ready for a spin.
I joined a mother-daughter pair on our elephant.
We were so high up I got a close look at these butterflies!
They've got this crazy coarse skin that feels really cool. Also note how their ears are used as racks for the hook used to cut up wood.
Check out how cool it is. 🙂
Oh dear, he just decided it was time and went for it.
Those hooks were used to get pieces of these trees for the elephants to eat. Apparently they find it very tasty.
We had a nice field to roam around and at one point, it looked like the people were floating in the trees.
And after our little spin around, it was time to return to the loading dock and head off to the next adventure.
A beautiful sunset along the Thai coast as I hitched a ride from Patong Beach back to Phuket Town. You can read about that story here.
I am fascinated by sea creatures because sometimes I don’t think of them as alive until I see them in action (and even then, I’m incredulous). Clams are definitely one of the mystery animals out there, especially considering they’re so shy and hide all the time! So here I was, going paparazzi-crazy on the clams that covered the shore of Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand. Some were teeny, some were huge, some were quick movers and other slowly dug their way…
slow burrowing clam from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
happy burrowing clam from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
three burrowing clams from Mary Qin on Vimeo.
Does this not fascinate you too? Is it just me?
I got the 3D ones so they can stand on their own (the other ones are flat and only have two legs).
To continue my story about shopping (and sandals)…
Since my trip to Chatuchak, the big weekend market, didn’t yield anything to show for all my troubles, I decided to go to the Bangkok Night Bazaar for a second go at getting some Thai memorabilia. I instantly liked the place better – even though it had a smaller selection, it had more of the things I like. I managed to find some adorable little elephant keychains that would be perfect gift items. I came across a stall with the type of lamps that I’ve always wanted to get once I have my own place – it was a pity I couldn’t purchase them yet! I treated myself to a purple stone ring and a pair of earrings and I even got Panda a leather wallet (which I felt he needed as a symbol of professionalism).
I first saw a white one of these at Pinkberry's.
It tickles a lot at first. I had to take my feet out a few times and just giggle it out!
Was there a clump of yummy goodness there or something?
Just like grandpa's house, complete with white cloths to help the birds sleep!
I love that Chinese people use porcelain bowls to feed their birds!
Right next to that was the Flower Market, true to its name with a lot of flowers and plants in general. Actually, a lot of what they sold were just plants, but hey “Plant Market” hardly sounds as appealing, right? This place was a treasure trove, with brilliantly-colored flowers, plants shaped to look like little green creatures, bouquets bursting with all kinds of species, huge lily flowers, and even lotus flowers, complete with buds! My favorite were the vases that eat flies. I’ve always wanted a Venus flytrap, so any “carnivorous” plant will do! Oh, and I also liked the kitty who was sitting in one of the shops. 😛
A bit of a walk away was the Goldfish Market, which was more of an amazing animal market. It was mostly aquarium type animals, but I did find some adorable little kittens and even this crazy HUGE beetle that was about the size of a child’s fist. It was still true to its name though, with a huge variety of goldfish for sale, often put out in rows and rows of plastic bags, ready to be taken off the rack. Some were the normal goldfish you think of, but many were these cute globe-shaped ones, so plump they were practically spherical. I also came across some unassuming shells that turned out to be hermit crabs! I’d totally spend my weekends on this street if I lived in Hong Kong. I wish I could have gotten new pets, but alas, international travel with live animals is either a big no-no or is at least extremely troublesome.
Next up was the Ladies’ Market! At first I was afraid I’d miss it, but once I got to the street bordering one end of it, I discovered how silly that idea was. There was NO mistaking the dense market that suddenly appeared. I happy began my shopping spree, getting dresses and flip flops for myself, a tie for Panda, cuff links for the men at C&S, and compact mirrors for the ladies at C&S. I did a decent job bargaining (or at least I felt like I did) and I found some great stuff, so I was very happy by the end of it! Just for kicks, I dropped by the Jade Market and Night Market, but by then I was back to just window shopping. I did go by this one area that sold adult toys and such, which was completely random. I also managed to get a Lonpos set for only 10 HKD!!! After waiting a year and a half, it was completely worth it. The only other set I had found previously was around $100, so this was a fabulous deal.
All in all a great shopping experience! 🙂 My wallet even agrees, albeit reluctantly. ;-P
I don't remember what I was doing here, but probably lamenting the 9 Baht I lost out on (read on...).
In Bangkok, I spent some time at the Chatuchak Weekend Market as well as the Night Bazaar, searching for fun little trinkets that I could give as gifts to friends. I was also on the hunt for a bikini and a pair of flip flops for myself. I’d been told to check out the weekend market, if only for its pure massiveness, so I found a buddy at the hostel and we headed out for a day in the heat. At first, we weren’t sure which section we were in and wandered around the antiques area, crossed over to the food (where I had to stop to feed myself!), and finally ended up in the heart of it all, where the clothes and shoes and knickknacks are sold.
The only pickings from a day of walking, walking, and shopping.
On the ride back, I fell asleep and woke up to find us in front of the hostel again. I quickly got out after paying and we went inside to say hi to the lady running the place. Right as I was about to step over the threshold, I realized I was holding one flip flop. One. Alas, I watched as the taxi went out of view, carrying with it the other half of my now useless shoe. My shopping partner chortled at me, tickled by the absurdity of the loss. It was the only thing either of us bought in the ENTIRE market! -____- Those cursed sandals!
This is when I realized that I now had a useless shoe.
More on my shopping experiences at the Night Bazaar and the Hong Kong markets in a future entry…
I’ve realized that I write a lot of my thoughts and opinions, alluding only occasionally to experiences, so I’ll now attempt to do some more storytelling and share some of my adventures.
Very zen.
Well to start off with, I didn’t get the best of directions and probably should have copied the map better. The bus driver and my fellow passengers had no idea what I was looking for and couldn’t tell me where to get off. By a stroke of luck, I was looking out the right side of the bus and the building had a large sign, so I found it. I got off the bus and made my way to the entrance, where I was greeted by a nice little landscaping in the front area and huge wooden doors. As soon as I stepped in, I knew I had chosen wisely. This place was impeccably clean and very nicely decorated. It was quiet and peaceful and the ladies working there were all well-mannered and well-dressed.
Take your pick of aromas and treatments! Top left: herbal scents for the steam room. Bottom: facial treatment options.
Nice place to just chill.
Beautiful decorations and delectable tea.
Iced water tastes so much better coming out of the steam room.
Everything you need to enjoy a hot stone massage. That black thing was knit underwear.
I was then taken to another room for my hot stone massage. I was given a funny little black underwear thing to put on, as well as a shower cap and towel. A nice little lady came in with the hot rocks and began to work on my weary muscles. She used two stones to stimulate my muscles and would trace the bones in my ankles or other areas where it felt really good to have something hot and firm running along it. Sometimes it would just be one stone or her hands and some lotion. The heat of the stones was just enough to leave a burning trail wherever it went, but certainly not enough to burn or hurt. She knew just how long to leave the heat there before it would start to generate more pain than relaxation. I wondered how her hands could handle the stones – as far as I could tell, she did not use gloves or anything to protect herself from the heat. When she wrapped up a few stones for me to lie on to soothe my back, I began to see how the prolonged heat could cause discomfort. We made a quick adjustment to protect me from the heat a bit more and I comfortably lay there for awhile. At the end, she had me sit in positions I’d never tried before, then pushed or pulled just the right way to make my neck and back crack. I’d never been cracked like that before and I imagine that’s what they’d do at a chiropractor’s. I fully intend on finding out one day.
Delicious ginger tea that was just sweet enough, yet with a slight kick.
If I get the chance, I’d definitely want to do that again. It was a great service experience. Next time I’m opting for the four-hand herbal massage… two hours of synchronized movements from two masseuses at 1400 Baht! How many people have four hands massaging them at once? Until then, I’ll dream of going back, or getting the unique jade stone massage at Le Petite Retreat, right here in LA.
