Thailand! (Diving, architecture, and stolen beer)

Thailand was a means to an end for me: I wanted to be where I could dive and also see Ankor Wat. Thailand has always had a "cheap, anything goes" attitude, and I was intrigued by that too. Also, and perhaps most importantly, there were cheap flights from Hong Kong to Thailand :)

Jim Thompson is a famous American who basically popularized Thai silk on the world market. He loved the Thai way of life. He was extremely wealthy, but in comparison to his wealth, this house is surprisingly modest. It was created by taking 6 thai houses and joining them together. When he died, he left his home to his daughter, who then turned it over to a public trust. He filled his home with the Thai and Chinese art he collected (again, modest--just things he loved--not meant to impress particularly). On the wall is a Chinese wooden carved block which provided some of Jim's original patterns. The pot and two seats are Chinese, and the two seats are meant to be placed over embers, so in the winter, the seats stay nice and warm. (Jim Thompson's House, Bangkok, Thailand)

Photography is not permitted inside the house, so these photos are from the gardens below the house. Of note to me is one particular buddha statue inside the house which is absolutely mystical. I stood and stared at it for MINUTES. There was just SOMETHING about that statue. I wish I could have taken a photo! Some of Jim Thompson's imported artifacts. (Jim Thompson's house, Bangkok, Thailand)

The giant spiky fruit is called "Durian". Sadly, the Durian is most famous for smelling bad--REALLY BAD. I thought that it smelled closest to rotting chicken. There are signs on the subway in Bangkok that notify of prohibitions... Those signs say, "No weapons"... "No bicycles"... And "No Durians"... And so I was terrorized by durian-vendors that could be smelled before they could be seen. I finally decided I would try one out, and my hand is holding the fruit of the durian in my left hand. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised, BUT it was slightly sweet, and tasted pretty good. The texture was a bit fibrous and reminded me of a soft onion. I am certainly not a Durian lover, but it really wasn't bad--and far better than it smells! (Bangkok, Thailand)

On the way to Ko Tau (Turtle Island) were these probably hideously poisonous but photogenic tanks (Thailand)

Ko Tao is for diving and relaxation. This is the beach (Ko Tao, Thailand)

One night on the beach, I decided to have a VERY expensive dinner at this fish stand ($11usd). They just put chairs up and the barbequeues, and presto! A beach restaurant! The tide was coming in that night, and so the water swept sand by our feet as we had some of the most delicious fish I'd had in Thailand (Ko Tao, Thailand)

On my last night in Ko Kao (I hadn't planned for it to be my last night), I booked myself into a cute little cottage. It had a double bed, a rotating fan on the ceiling, and a great location close to the beach. It was $15US/night. When I got home that night, I was surprised because there was no porch light... I got inside to discover: NO POWER... Which is not normally a BIG DEAL, but in this case, even though the bungalow was close to the beach, there was NO sea breeze--just still warm humid air... And without a fan, that means sleeping in a pool of one's own sweat. In the morning, I awoke groggy, unrested, and said to myself, "I need to get the hell out of here!"... One small redeeming quality of the bungalow, however, was this little guy. The bathroom was poured concrete, and the rest of the hut was bamboo, and where they met was a 5cm gap. This GIANT gecko (maybe 20cm long) lived there--eating mosquitos and other bugs I didn't want around. (Ko Tao, Thailand)

I was itching to see some traditional Thai dance, and I just HAPPENED upon a free performance in a shopping mall! These dancers were great! (Bangkok, Thailand)

This falls under the category of "I didn't expect to see that until India!"... This is a golden Ganesh sitting in a shrine. Incense burns in the foreground (Bangkok, Thailand)

There was a music festival going on during my stay in Bangkok, and my friend and I decided to go! There was tons of great world music and world food. There were food booths from all around the world (Even from America--complete with BBQ ribs and apple pie!), and beer from everywhere. My friend David and I didn't really want to spend money on beer, but we saw an abandoned "Beer Tower" on a table, and moved in. I felt a little trashy drinking someone else's beer, but it was nice and cool and the feeling went away quickly! This is a belly dancer who was on stage dancing and TORE IT UP!!!! She was fantastic! (Bangkok, Thailand)

On the way up the Golden Mound, these bells blow in the breeze (Bangkok, Thailand)

On top of the Golden Mound is a spire, covered in reflective gold. The monks are preparing for a ceremony (I think) (Bangkok, Thailand)

The Thais have a real appreciation for beauty... Everywhere. This beautiful arrangement sits in a bowl on the counter of... The Men's room (Bangkok, Thailand)

One day I took a wander in Chinatown. I was off the beaten path, as people were looking me like I was a monster out of a horror movie. I had found the "Auto Parts" neighborhood of Chinatown. There were steering wheels, bumpers, tail lights, etc. One of the storefronts had this gentleman sitting inside. (Chinatown, Bangkok, Thailand)

There are SO MANY BUDDHAS in Thailand it's amazing. This one is the biggest STANDING Buddha (Bangkok, Thailand)

This detail shows the sort of fish-scale glazed tiles that are used on the roofs. They are beautiful and reflective in the light. Not to mention extremely durable! They could last hundreds of years! (Bangkok, Thailand)

Vespas are cute! (Bangkok, Thailand)

In the neighborhood Banglamphu is the very famous Khao San road. Many times I heard people saying, "It's not as big as I expected it to be!"... My hotel was just OFF Khao San road, and on the way home, there was a lantern seller. These great lamps cast such a beautiful glow that I had to take a picture (Banglamphu, Bangkok, Thailand)

The fine tile work present in so many statues is AMAZING. This is inside the Grand Palace. When and if you go, please be prepared for many people to approach you to tell you that a) Grand Palace is closed today b) you're clothed inappropriately and need to go buy some clothes c) they are taking a lunch break e) etc etc etc. They are all scams. In Thailand, there are SO MANY SCAMS. You have to be prepared to be skeptical when you walk the streets (Bangkok, Thailand).

The foilage in Thailand is so beautiful! In the Grand Palace, there are some particularly beautiful flowers. This one is a water lily. (Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand)

Original post date:5/21/2008