Bangkok - The City That Eats

From early morning till late at night along every street, round every corner, down every alley way, in every glitzy shopping centre, people are EATING! It's a little overwhelming to contemplate the amount of eating that goes on in this city!

Below are the highlights (many of which involve food) of our week in Bangkok. Bangkok is the ultimate juxtaposition of step-back-in-time Asia and a vision of the future that is mind-blowing and dazzling. It has been a really great place to explore with kids, and allowing a week means we've had time to meander, stop for another snack or two, play and enjoy.

Our accomodation ( two bed apartment) at Ratchadamnoen Residence has been perfect. Down a quiet street near the Democracy Monument, and a stone's throw from Khao San Rd, we've been able to walk to many of the attractions below, including the Grand Palace. It's immaculately clean, modern and fresh, and yet only about $80 a night including a big varied breakfast. Can't argue with that!

Remy has enjoyed the little sausages that appear at breakfast everyday, not to mention the tropical fruit platters.

Bob and Remy at the Grand Palace with some school girls Remy charmed.




Pink and fancy Tuk-Tuk!

Xavier didn't approve of me photographing graffiti, but I really liked it!

Wat Ratchanaddaram - an amazingly beautiful temple, completely unique in architecture, and full of serenity.

The Golden Mount (Wat Saket)- another beautiful temple, lots of steps to get to the top.

The top platform has amazing views of the whole city.

Remy at Wat Saket

The journals came out and the little artists drew beautiful pictures of the temple.

Sky Train platform.

Bubble tea is perfect for a hot day in Bangkok!

These colourful steamed coconut cakes were delicious!

Xavier has got the hang of street eats now and inspects what's on offer. He's a sucker for a sweet treat and can pick the good ones!



Khao San Rd at night - has changed a lot since the last time I was here.

Remy requested sushi for dinner, so we found Taketei Japanese Restaurant. Avocado sushi kept the boys happy. Bob and I enjoyed a set meal with teriyaki fish, miso soup, rice, kimchi and chawanmushi for less than $5 each. Sitting at a low table on tatami mats was fun too.



Remy and I on board the taxi boat. Remy is making faces at more school girls!

 Silom Shopping Centre.

We've seen many orange robed monks, who Remy calls 'Chipmonks'.

Evidently Bangkok does not have a 'disability access code' (no lift). The stroller has been very handy, but also difficult on uneven and blocked footpaths, stairs etc.

Lumphini Park, central Bangkok.

A beautiful place to go paddleboating. We saw a monitor lizard, turtles and fish.
 

There was also a large playground at Lumphini Park.

The boys had a nice play with some other foreign kids (all the local kids must have been at school).

 

We stumbled upon the Queen's Gallery which was showing an exhibition of Marsi (a Thai Princess who has lived most of her life as an artist in Paris).

I really loved her paintings and am interested to find out more about her life.

Eggplant spicy salad at May Kaidee's Vegetarian  Restaurant, near Khao San Rd.

 Mango and banana sticky rice. Delicious!

Learning about how silk is produced at Jim Thompson's house.

Traditional dancing at Jim Thompson's house.

Sweet and salty steamed coconut cakes - sixty cents for a plate full.

 The most amazingly comprehensive food hall I've ever seen - foodie heaven - in Siam Discovery.

 Another bold food choice for Bob -  Pandan custard on toast and it was delicious!

Newly renovated Siam Center was an awesome way to spend most of a day!

 We found all the arty installations fascinating, just like being in an interactive modern art gallery.

What kid wouldn't love to climb all over giant sea creatures!

This one was super cool: the kids drew a picture on an ipad...

that was then projected up onto these huge floating spheres!

In a strange twist we came across a big group of Thai teenagers dressed up as cooky Japanese teenagers, all posing for photos!

 She knew how to work the camera!

The icing on the cake was Japanese ramen for dinner, I thought I'd teleported to Tokyo!

If you haven't already jumped online to buy your ticket to Thailand, do it now!!!!

 

A week on Koh Samui

Our week in Koh Samui was relaxed, unhurried and mostly we avoided any sightseeing in contrast to our week in Chiang Mai. We all needed to recharge our batteries, and we found the perfect place to do it.

For most of our week we lazed by the pool, alternating with splashing around in the waves, eating a lot of tasty food (us Thai, kids western) and little walks here and there.

We were really happy with our accomodation and the awesome views at Samui Beach Resort.

In true summer holiday style the boys enjoyed at least one icypole a day!

We had two adjoining rooms which gave us ample space.

Remy enjoyed building sandcastles.

What made our week really special was catching up with an old friend from university twenty years ago - Russell, who has lived here for ten years with this Thai wife Naa. They now have two sons, Jarin (6) and Kovie (2) which worked out perfectly as together our four boys had a ball.

Russell came and picked us up and drove us to his home, far away from the touristy parts of the island. Set among a lush green garden that Naa has nurtured over the past ten years, Russell's house is a typical Thai home, with an outdoor covered kitchen area which is perfectly suited to the climate.

Xavier and Remy were so excited to have some playmates and a house with toys and a tv to explore. We were really happy to have a chance to see another side of life on the island.

The boys drew a stack of pictures.

It was a good example that kids don't need to be able to speak the same language to communicate - lots of squeals and screams were all that was required (and a mutual love of Gangnam style!).

After catching up over a beer or two (Russell and I hadn't had a proper chat for about 16 years!), and sampling some of the tropical fruit that grows in their backyard, we all walked the short distance to the local beach.

Xavier and Kovie running to the beach.

It was quiet, peaceful and beautiful, with only a few local kids splashing in the shallows. Being a hot afternoon we sank into the water and carried on catching up on all the news while Bob entertained the kids. Russell explained to me how he is managing to avoid the 9-5 grind and still support his family in Thailand. He has time for 'going down the rabbit hole' (I love that expression!) of his passions - music, books and movies and having a daily late afternoon swim out towards the horizon and back. It sounds like a good life to me - not without compromise, but a relaxed pace of life that many of us aspire to.

 

 

Russell and Bob with the boys.

Naa went and bought us some more drinks and as it approached sunset we sat by the water's edge and talked more, our discussion turning to observations of tourists in Thailand, differences between western and Thai culture, and thai language which Russell seems very fluent in and speaks with his wife, kids and locals. 

As parents of young children, we also compared child-raising practises and schooling in Thailand and Australia, finding some things similar, but many things different including the way we sleep separate from our babies and toddlers. It was really nice that Russell and Naa could answer the questions that had been building up inside us to make sense of modern day Thailand.

Having a drink with the girls.

After we returned to the house, Naa served all the boys a crowd favourite, spaghetti bolognese - who would have thought this would be a favourite of Thai kids? Remy loved it so much that he asked for not one but two extra serves! He loves his food, but this was a record, so compliments to Naa on her excellent cooking.

Compliments to the chef!

We were fortunate to try some Thai dishes, a yellow chicken curry and an asparagus and prawn stirfry, all in all a very delicious meal and a lovely afternoon and evening filled with good conversation, music, food and drinks.

When travelling, it has always been a highlight to be invited into a local home and offered the hospitality of a local meal - and we feel really fortunate to have been able to get an insight into Thai life at Russell and Naa's place.

Later in the week we caught up with them all again for a swim at our hotel pool after Jarin had been at school for the day. While the boys entertained themselves, we enjoyed more drinks and talking - so nice to have some adult conversation as the kids have been quite demanding of our attention night and day since we've been away!

An afternoon beer with Russell and Naa in our hotel garden.

It would be lovely to pop by for another visit in a couple of years time to see the kids all growing up, and catch up. I wouldn't say no to another visit to Koh Samui!!!!

Enchanting Gardens

In the gardens of the hotels we've stayed at as well as restaurants and other tourist attractions we've visited in Thailand I have found myself drawn to beautiful little displays of water plants, eccentric statues and other collections of ephemera.


Some are religious, some are frivolous, but all seem to be made with love and care and a desire to entertain visitors to the space. The gardens I love have a rustic charm - they are a bit overgrown, with pots made from recycled tyres and weathered earthenware, and embrace the aesthetic that is known in Japan as wabi-sabi - imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. 

I have been inspired to think about creating my own little enchanting garden space when I return home (or possibly on our balcony in Bhutan?). A little area to sit and for visitors to discover and smile. Here are some photos I've taken - imagine yourself walking through a lush garden and coming across these.

 

 

 

 

Gardens also come alive and transform at night with sparkling lights and lanterns. It means lingering in gardens after dark still feels safe and inviting.

 

 

Which are your favourites?