Epic Food Journey

Funky

There's some funky stuff in Thailand. When I lived there, I might have tried beef or buffalo once or twice. However, I was told that Thais really don't eat beef, and I don't recall seeing cattle in pastures. There's so much good seafood there, then chicken and pork, I never missed beef really. One thing's for sure: Eating Thai food made my stomach and immune system stronger. At least I think so.  

Click here to learn about a beef noodle soup that's been simmering for decades.

Stacking

 

Stacking = Combining Countries

I tend to enjoy this kind of thing, especially if I have a minimum of 3-4 weeks to travel.

Some of my favorite ones

Spain + Portugal

Singapore + Malaysia + Thailand

Belgium + Luxembourg

Italy + France

Estonia + Latvia + Lithuania

Uzbekistan + Kazakhstan

Chile + Argentina

Czech Republic + Austria + Hungary

Trains

Countries where I have been on trains: South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, England, Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, USA, Belgium, Luxembourg 

Shangri-la Bangkok

Kade's sister worked at Shangri-la Bangkok for a bit.

Minuses

Bangkok

• the negative effects of the extreme weather

• Sidewalks are inadequate (uneven, too narrow, broken, sometimes non-existent)

• Cars > People (frustrating), dangerous roads and drivers (deadly)

• Only toll roads designed to Western standards

• lack of privacy and personal space

• time it takes to reach destinations by car

• the country's water supply and sewage system (cleanliness, plumbing, water flow) fall far below developed world

• the feeling that the judicial system will not protect your rights, and that you can be taken advantage of, scammed and railroaded even if you are in the right (ex, motorcyclist killed, foreigner might be presumed guilty without adequate investigation and be forced to pay reparations or fine to avoid it getting uglier)

• not enforcing laws (cars parked illegally, people littering, excessive speeding, no clean-up after pets)

• inadequate food safety regulations (half or more of all food stalls and mom-and-pop restaurants would fail to meet safety and cleanliness standards in USA)

• streets and buildings away from the city center are real eyesores (dangling wires, buildings that need to be condemned, etc)

• lack of a recycling program

• canals are filthy (seems like basic level of development)

• Hyper-consumerism and bombardment by ads

• Always on outside looking in

• Noise pollution

Bosque de Chapultepec

 Chapultepec Forest

aka Chapultepec Park

On the left is the National Museum of Anthropology. It's exceptional. Spend the money and pay for a private guide. It's the best way. On the right is Chapultepec Castle. I would give yourself about two hours (3 counting getting up there and back). I would also strongly consider a guide.

Jim Thompson House

 under construction

Jim Thompson, on the left

For more on this historic Bangkok house, click here.

And click here and scroll for more of the home under construction.

Traveling & Sampling

This guy is from Arkansas. He's traveling and sampling the foods from all over. The dessert he eats at the end is a custard on sticky rice make with rich coconut cream and duck eggs. It's as good as any egg custard we have. And that sticky rice with it...wow. Another surprise in Thailand was all the grilled meats: great bbq wings, grilled pork, and the sauces. Wonderful comfort foods. This video is more of the street food and mom-and-pop places.

Spain

source

I've been to Malaga, Granada, Seville, Ronda and Madrid.

What did you especially like about Spain?

Architecture, women, tapas bars, history, churches, walkability, metro. And i'm talking about several notches above your normal expectations, even for someone who's traveled a lot. 

Madrid was unreal. Seville had already impressed us. Nice to know that a city (Madrid) can make a surprising impression like that, at this stage. It's easy to think you've seen it all. Foolish to think like that, but......

- a friend asked me

Bangkok View

That's the Pathumwan Princess Hotel at one end of the MBK mall. Over to the left is a Chulalongkorn University building where brother-in-law did IT work for many years. I took these photos in June 2003.

Click here for more about the building.

Laundry

Chiang Mai

June 2023

In Thailand, when you need laundry done, whether at your hotel or down the road, it's a good idea to photograph what you're handing over. I've never had a problem, but it's best to play it safe. I will say that laundry service is one of the nicest perks. And it's so inexpensive.

Global Food Destinations

 

This was in 2024. I see so many lists online. Some of them I really question. Overall, I have no problem with this one. The only city I haven't been to is Barcelona.

I am going to make my own Top Ten, using only cities I've visited. Here are many that will end up on it: Seville, Bangkok, Tokyo, Prague, Colombo, Tashkent, Sydney, Singapore, Madrid, Florence, Buenos Aires, Seoul, Paris, Copenhagen, Mexico City, Kuala Lumpur, etc..

The Cure

The cure for anxiety and depression in Thailand would be a good massage, I must say.  I think long walks that break a good sweat would be worthwhile there.  Some regular intellectual conversations with a trusted fellow expat could also stave off a loneliness spell.  

People who really go "off the wagon" are those who drink early and drink alone.  

I also am a strong proponent of talk therapy with a caring professional. Great friendships could perhaps negate the need for a therapist. I read once that "therapy is paying to talk to a friend."

I do appreciate your friendship, and just staying connected. Lots of what we discuss (overseas living and experiences) would not be understood by everyone.  

- e-mail to a friend in 2022

Folk Hats

 

Kamalaya - Koh Samui

Welcome To Kamalaya

Kamalaya’s new Cognitive Wellness Program

Palace Roofs

Samurai Cat

These are creative and funny. There are millions more out there. Just Google.

Staying Busy

A friend messaged me in Jan '24 and asked what else I was doing in Bangkok besides going to rooftop bars. My reply

Vintage Liquor Ads

 Thailand

I Get It

Below is a response I had to a relative who also enjoys traveling. He's been to a lot of countries but has some (in particular, Italy) he returns to frequently. This was in 2019. Since then, I've been to Spain, Portugal, Mexico and Denmark. Maybe he motivated me!

What's interesting is that you have been to a # of places where I've not been, yet really desire to: Denmark, Ireland, Croatia, Mexico (a little less so), Sweden and, of course, Portugal and Spain.

Missed Krakow - one of my biggest regrets - after stopping in Warsaw for a couple of nights en route to meeting Uncle Jim in Prague in '94. He and I did the Prague - Vienna- Salzburg - Budapest circuit for a couple of weeks. We were on trains mostly, yet had an enjoyable cruise down the Danube from one destination to another. 

And since we have talked about trains, besides the Moscow to St. Petersburg overnighter with Kade in 2007, back in '94, to get to Warsaw, I took a boat from Helsinki to Tallin (Estonia), then the rest trains: Tallin to Riga (Latvia), Riga to Vilnius (Lithuania), and Vilnius through the corner of Belarus, arriving in Warsaw. Stayed in each of the locales for a few days, and was lots of fun. And in Thailand, we have taken trains from the Bangkok city center to cities in the north, and even down to beach towns close to the Malaysian border. Like you said, if overnight, it's less than a hotel. Plus, it's a unique way to arrive somewhere.

Have been to around 40 countries, but the longer stints in places have been the most pleasant. Hard to beat Italy, for example. And Italy, like Thailand, Switzerland or Chile, you can return over and over and it still be magical. So I get why you do what you do.

Bangkok - Four Full Days

Sometimes people only have a few days in Bangkok because they are traveling to other Thailand destinations.  My neighbor was in this situation.  I helped her come up with the most reasonable plan for her visit to the Thai capital.

Arrival Day + 4 full days + Departure Day

Arrival Day

*Check into the hotel

*Relax

*Get to first rooftop bar by 5 pm

*Enjoy a drink and maybe an appetizer until sunset

*Leave rooftop by 6:30 to go have dinner elsewhere

*Try a mall food court for the best street food in a clean environment

*Get a Thai, oil or foot massage to end the night

*Rest at hotel for an early start in the morning

First Full Day (needs to be weekday, just not Monday)

*Leave hotel by 7 AM to go to Benjakitti Forest Park for a nice stroll. If you could leave by 6 AM, even better. You will reach it by BTS (skytrain) and MRT (metro). Easy.  

*Back to hotel. Another mall for lunch. Or if you see a nearby restaurant to try, go for it.

*Take it easy in the afternoon. Shopping, coffee shop, etc..

*Big night. Go to King Power Mahanakhon skyscraper for rooftop experience. Take BTS. Must leave hotel by 4 PM. Important to be up on rooftop by 5 PM. Take sunset and wear suncreen. Sunset is at 5:48. 

*Leave by 6:15. Go to Chinatown. BTS, then switch to MRT. Chinatown gets going at 7 PM. Walk the main road, Yarowat Rd. Snack, eat, enjoy. MRT/BTS back.

Second Full Day

*Sleep in.

*Massage

*Lunch - maybe another big mall

*Rest, shop, do your own thing

*Rooftop bar - arrive by 5 PM, depart by 6:00

*Jodd Fairs night market (one behind Rama 9 mall). Take MRT there. You will get there by 6:45. Eat, drink, explore. 

Third Full Day

*Grand Palace + Wat Arun + Wat Pho. Must start early. Leave hotel by 7:30 AM. BTS to Sathorn Pier. Get on the Hop On Hop Off boat. Go to Wat Arun, then boat back across to Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha). Walk to the Grand Palace after Wat Pho. Enjoy the undergound near the entrance to the Grand Palace.  You can rest there before going behind the palace walls. When done with the Grand Palace, walk back to the MRT to catch it back to your hotel.

*Rest all afternoon.

*Massage

*Rooftop Bar - 5 PM

*Dinner somewhere

Fourth Full Day

*Jim Thompson Home Museum (where I met Kade) - get there by 10 AM. Take BTS, then short walk.

*Lunch at Siam Paragon gourmet food hall. Go up to bookstore Kinokuniya on 3rd floor. Look out back window (behind shade) to see temple.

*After Siam Paragon, walk across to Siam Square to see stores and do some shopping.

*Rest back at hotel

*Rooftop bar

*After rooftop, go to Erawan Shrine, then walk the area to see the other five shrines.

*Have dinner at Central World food festival or at restaurant inside Central World.

Next Day

*Departure

Ice Cream

Bangkok has ice cream everywhere.  You will find coconut ice cream in most restaurants, in food courts and certainly at night markets.  I know in the food courts and night markets you can pick out a size and then some toppings.  The toppings are good, and a bit different from ours.  Some of the big ice cream chains might be worth stopping in to see if there are local flavors.  Sometimes there's durian or mangosteen ice cream, along with coconut.  You can do a look and taste-see, and just say you may come back later, even if you don't.  AC is nice.

Europa

* 2016 e-mail to a friend who was considering a trip to Prague

I wish I had my old Prague contacts. All I can say is Prague has always been on a list of places where I would like to return. I also loved Budapest and Salsburg, which are nearby.  In addition, if you have the time, I would highly recommend Krakow (plus concentration camp), a city in the Ukraine (just across the Poland border) named Lviv, and the Baltic nations. To me, Estonia was very beautiful and perhaps the most surprising of my stops. Let me know of your plans as they come together. I too have thought of Europe, since South America is having its problems. I want to go to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo! Who knows when and how? 

We did go to Amsterdam in 2018, and this year we enjoyed Copenhagen. There's a strong possibility we will go to Stockholm and Oslo in 2027.

Best Hotels

I've been to all but one of the Bangkok ones.

 

Top 100 Coffee Shops

#61 Fika and Co. Cafe

Bangkok

World's Top 100 Coffee Shops

Dreaming

This is just a snippet of what this person shared. He talked about feeling anxious and worried, plus he seemed to be dwelling on what others might think. I decided to give him my two cents.

 

Bangkok Explained

Most Beautiful Countries

These were my replies.

Bangkok Massage Parlors

I will post vintage photos.

 

Walkable Cities

 

Cruise Ship Rant

Buenos Aires

This is a message I sent to someone in early 2016. Kade and I were very impressed with the Argentinian capital.

Thoughts on Europe

January 2018 e-mail

Bought our tix today for Europe: May 25 - June 25. Italy 14 days, Paris 9 days, 1 day Luxemborg, 5 days in Amsterdam. Flying Asheville to Florence, Amsterdam to Asheville. Have agenda in Italy loosely planned out, but have to make final decisions in coming weeks - rooms, tours, train tix, etc..  

Eating well and varied is at the heart of this journey, as is people watching, exploring neighborhoods and finding great spots for photos. Will do some touristy things, of course, but in a relaxed manner.

Monet the person intrigues me.  I know the gardens would be beautiful, but who he was, how he lived and what inspired him appeals to me as much as anything - same for eccentrics like Tolstoy or my Uncle Watty!!!!

Happy Little Birthday

Jesus in Bangkok!

Deva Manor

Deva Manor – A Little Known Thai Historical Palace

European Girls Love Thailand

Young Westerners, in general, do.

Moscow - 1965

Medical Checkup

I chose this hospital in Bangkok. This is the video that motivated me to try MedPark.

Lablae Durian Market

Uttaradit Province

Three highly-prized durians at the Lablae Durian Market - source

Lablae Durian Market: Hunt for Famous Varieties

source

Welcome to Durian Country

Durian: King of Thai fruits