Thailand

Whereas Mainland China has one foot in Communism and one foot in Capitalism, Hong Kong is Capitalism gone awry and is over the top glitzy/nouveau riche, Viet Nam is a third world country growing well but whose people live in dire conditions, Thailand is a fourth world country...elegant with old world charm by day and seedy and western by night. It is a country of anachronism. That being said, I was drawn by this idiosyncrasy .

It does not appear seedy or unsafe at the surface. It appears beautiful, peaceful and elegant. Charming in the way one pictures the orient, but modern where it should be modern: its hotels, businesses, roads.

Our first stop in Thailand was Ko Samui. At first blush, Ko Samui looks like any lush island retreat. Dotted with elegant hotels and modern hotels and spas, it affords a perfect vacation retreat. A European retreat, it began as a backpackers’ layover spot in the 70’s and it wasn’t until 1998 that it really grew to an international resort. Recently, it has been plagued by issues with the most recent one being a Swiss couple who were reported to have fled Koh Samui after telling local Embassy officials that they thad been threatened with a beating and rape if they failed to pay $2000. It seems to me to be a place that really doesn't know whether it wants to be a classy resort or a honky tonk village. It doesn't seem comfortable with what it has become--the animal shows, the tourist trade. But, that is my opinion after a mere few hours.

The cruise line, however, offered us various tours to not really see the highlights, but experience elephant riding and elephant tricks, monkey tricks, beach visits, an island overview or variations.

Animals and animal shows seem to be a large part of Ko Samui life and the people here have used monkeys to do the hardest part of the work climbing to the trees to "pick ripe nuts" on their coconut plantations. Until the advent of tourism, coconuts represented the main industry here, so these industrious little animals were greatly prized. We were given a show at the monkey theatre which allows the monkeys to display their dexterity, and not just at picking coconuts. We were also allowed to have our photos taken with the monkeys. Elephant rides were offered as were elephant shows where the elephants played harmonicas, gave massages, and played football. We were also given a Thai cooking demonstration. Now, the day began with gray skies that turned to rain, but this didn’t dampen the fun. And soon, the sun came out and we headed to a rubber plantation and to a beach. The water was warm and delightful, but only a handful of folks, including me, decided to take a swim as the time given was only 30 minutes. We only had about 4-5 hours on this island and many of the folks really seemed to enjoy the mindless day after Viet Nam. There was absolutely nothing of merit to buy in the way of souvenirs, so everyone kept their money in their pockets and prepared to sail to Bangkok. We all had to pack for our Mainland overnights.

Bangkok

Some folks opted for day trips to Bangkok, a two to three hour journey from the port; others opted for a one night stay at the Shangri-La and others opted for two nights. We opted for our own package with 6 other folks for a two day overnight.

The first thing we noticed was that Thailand looked a lot like a Western country. Its signs were in Thai and English. Its roads were Western style. Its buildings were modern. This wasn’t a backward country. As we neared Bangkok, we took note of its impressive skyline and traffic. Asia has a TERRIBLE traffic situation. It is far worse than anything I have ever seen in the US. Our agenda for the day were the key highlights...the Grand Palace, a river cruise and the Reclining Buddha. I had my own agenda -- some night time shopping.

Our first stop was the Grand Palace. Walking through the gates, the palace was a knock out. With many of its walls either covered in colored glass or porcelain, its facades sparkled in the sunshine. I have never seen a more beautiful palace. If there is one must-see sight that no visit to Bangkok would be complete without, it's this dazzling, spectacular eighteenth century Grand Palace that was the home of the Thai kin and the Royal Court and administrative seat of the government for 150 years. Thai Kings stopped living in the palace around the turn of the twentieth century, but the palace complex is still used to mark all kinds of other ceremonial and auspicious happenings.

Within the palace complex are several impressive buildings including Temple of the Emerald Buddha, regarded as the most important Buddhist temple in Thailand, which contains the small, very famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. The robes on the Buddha, covered in white sapphires, emeralds and rubies, are changed with the seasons by HM The King of Thailand. The buddha itself is carved from a single block of jade. Nowadays it is used for important ceremonial occasions like coronations.

After our visit to the Grand Palace, we went to lunch and then followed this up with a delightful river cruise on the Chao Phraya River which cuts through the city. From this vantage point, we were able to see cafes, museums, shacks, five star hotels, fishermen’s huts, temples, fine homes and simple homes and warehouses, all which weave the tapestry of Bangkok’s everyday life.

Walking distance from the Grand Palace, we made one final stop at a temple to see the reclining buddha. I wondered what all the fuss was about and I walked into the temple to find a 150 foot long by 50 foot high reclining buddha. It is designed to illustrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana, with the feet and the eyes are engraved with intricate and extensive mother-of-pearl decoration. This temple is the birthplace of Thai massage.

Most of the group was hot and tired at this point, and looked forward to sitting in the air conditioned lounge with hors d’hoevres and drinks at the hotel. At this point, we inched through traffic to a point and I hopped out of the van with the guide, off on my shopping pursuits. We got on a local bus and she took me to my first request, the Jim Thompson outlet. Jim Thompson silks are supposedly some of the finest in the world and Jim Thompson opened up silk design here in Thailand. His goods are known to be quite costly, so I wanted to go to the outlet where they would be 40-60 percent off retail. The bus system was excellent is very cheap and we managed to finally get there despite the traffic. I was disappointed to find no clothes; only bolts of very expensive fabric, despite the discount. I picked up some cushion covers and decided it would be back to the hotel.

The guide suggested I really should consider having custom made clothes made here and offered to take me to a reliable store. I was somewhat skeptical. I hadn’t done any research. Intrigued, and too tired to object, I said okay. She led me to the street and called a tut tut, a motorized three wheeled vehicle and negotiated with the driver to take us to an address. Up and down some back alleys and I found myself being led into a store faced with bolts of cloth. A gentleman said "what can I make you?" Thinking quickly, having given it no thought, I said, “I guess some shirts and some slacks.” He then brought me over to the bolts of material for the shirts and explained the material and asked me to select what I liked, explaining base costs. Once I selected, he then asked me what style of collar, cuffs, buttons, etc. We then repeated this same process for the slacks. Then, we negotiated a price. I am sure I didn’t get as good a deal as I should, but it sounded all together too reasonable.

Also, I only had one more full day there. No problem, he said. They would measure me now, refit me at 9:30 tonight and the clothes would be ready in the morning. They quickly measured me and drove me back to the hotel, which took an interminable 35 minutes to go 1/2 mile. I was only gone 90 minutes, but Doug was pacing, sure I was lost in Bangkok somewhere. At 9:30pm a seamstress and and tailor showed up with a finished shirt and trouser and did an adjustment or two. The clothes were better quality and fit than I have ever purchased off the rack in the US. I dreamed all night of matching jackets for the slacks and asked the guide to call for me to arrange a fitting for jackets the next day. I negotiated prices with them on the phone and set up a 7pm measurement at their store. They promised the jackets would be ready before I left the following morning. All went as promised. Like little fairies who work through the day and night, I left with a bundle of new clothes I have no idea how I will ever find the room in my suitcase to pack. When I returned to the ship the next day, it appeared that many of the women had also discovered their own fairies and we all wore our new creations to dinner and conducted fashion shows in our cabins for one another.

Does high quality and 'ready in 24 hours' sounds a bit unrealistic? Not when you're in Bangkok. In fact, some of my friends had full suits made in 5 hours. After seeing the high quality produced by a number of different tailors, this is a must do shopping trip that should be ranked high on any visitors' must-do lists. Tailor-made clothing is an excellent choice. Many of these tailors are from Pakistan and appear to be famed for their swift sewing and competent craftsmanship. Although choosing a good tailor can be a daunting task in a city where tailor shops are ubiquitous (there are more tailor shops in Bangkok than coffee shops in Seattle), it appears that most hotels and guides can direct you to a good tailor.

Our second day in Bangkok was focused on much more than shopping for clothes, though it did start early with a shopping expedition of sorts. We went to the famed Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, a good hour plus away from Bangkok, so we had a 7am start to beat the throngs of tourists who normally visit. It is a very attractive place to see the old style and traditional way of selling and buying fruits, vegetables, etc., from small boats. We boarded small boats and took a leisurely ride through canals to view flat boats and shacks next to the pier piled high with fresh produce, souvenirs or goods, each jockeying for position and paddled by ladies ready to stop and bargain at a moment’s notice. It's colorful, noisy, touristy but great fun.

From there, we went to the famed location of the Bridge on the River Kwai made famous by the movie of the same name. Actually, the bridge was not over the River River Kwai. The largely fictitious film plot was based on the building in 1943 of one of the railway bridges over the Mae Klong river. However, Pierre Boulle, the author mistakenly called it the river Kwai. When the movie became famous, the Mae Klong river, in the location of the bridge, was renamed Kwai in the 1960‘s. The Burma-Siam railway, built by Commonwealth, Dutch and American prisoners of war, was a Japanese project driven by the need for improved communications to support the large Japanese army in Burma. During its construction, approximately 13,000 prisoners of war died and were buried along the railway. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 civilians also died in the course of the project. Our guide noted that controversy sometimes ensues when Japanese tourists come to visit the site.

After some picture taking, we had a fantastic lunch by the shores of the river before heading off to Tiger Temple. The temple received its first cub in 1999 when the villagers found it when the mother had been killed off by poachers. After that it evolved into a place where others seemed to drop off their tigers. There are now over 25 cubs born at the temple, with a mixture of adults and cubs. They are fed cooked chicken, beef and dry cat food. The meat is boiled to avoid giving the tigers a taste for blood. According to the temple website the dry cat food replaces nutrients, that are lost when the meat is cooked.

Originally they would roam around freely in this area but now, with the increase in visitors and the amount of tigers who sit in the canyon, they are chained for safety reasons. The staff closely guide visitors as they greet, sit with, and pet the cats. We were allowed to get up close and personal and spend as much time with the juveniles and pat them and take their pictures. We were carefully led to the adults, where we were allowed to touch and have quick photo taking opportunities. It was quite an afternoon.

From there, it was a long ride home to freshen up and enjoy our hotel’s services. That night, we ventured out into the Patpong area of Bangkok. One of the world's most (in)famous red-light districts, Patpong is where it all started. Its two parallel side-streets, owned by one family and leased out, are found between Silom and Surawongse Roads. These house neon-lit strip bars offering risque sex shows, purchasable pole-dancers and post-op ladyboys (transsexuals). For the serious flesh-seekers, Patpong has long since been usurped as the 'king of the scene'. However, its reputation means it's still a huge attraction, mainly for sightseers more interested in ogling at - rather than indulging in - the carnal delights on offer. Our guide advised us that the most beautiful girls are probably boys. We had am enlightening time walking around.

The “girls” are very young and have cards with girls picture. There are so many prostitutes, all rather nice looking.

I was told that Patpong Night Market the area's seedy edge has been softened considerably. I was surprised that at night the area teems with tourists shopping for Asian copies. This is where you find the phoney Rolexes, Gucci bags, etc. They are nearly identical to the real thing. It was certainly worth a peek.

Our final day in Bangkok was spent visiting Jim Thompson’s home, constructed of 6 traditional Thai homes. It is a design feat as no nails were ever used. Thompson was an American designer who first came over to Thailand to reorganize the Oriental Hotel. Thompson had developed a certain fondness for the country and its people, and foreseeing a promising future for the country, wanted to be a part of this process. He decided that upon leaving the service, he would return and take up residence in Thailand permanently. With a flair for design and color, and driven to reviving the craft, Thompson gained worldwide recognition for his success in rebuilding the industry, for generating international demand for Thai silk and for contributing to the growth of the silk industry. However, in 1967, Thompson disappeared while on holiday with friends in Cameron Highlands, a northern Malaysian resort. An extensive and extended search failed to reveal any clues about his disappearance. He went out for a walk in the jungle, never to return. Some say he was affiliated with the CIA; others say he was eaten by a tiger. No signs of his remains were ever found.

We then left Bangkok, saying our time was too short and vowing to return. We arrived on board, sad to leave Bangkok. I missed the $15 massages and we were too busy to enjoy the included high tea at the hotel each day or the pool by the river. There was too much to see and take in.

Most of the woman met and did a show and tell of our purchases, both off the rack and custom designed clothes. We all felt there just wasn’t enough time in this shopper’s paradise. Loads of folks showed off their silks, artworks, or knock off designer clothes, pocketbooks, jewelry or watches. It was like a fashion show in the Observation Lounge last night! We all enjoyed our dinner, a little heavier around the waist and a lot lighter around the wallet.

Today was a quiet day at sea. The weather started out well this morning but, by mid afternoon, the rains began. Folks are busy figuring out how to pack (as we are). We arrive in Singapore tomorrow, have a tour tomorrow afternoon, and have to be off the ship the following morning.

We’ll spend one day at the Intercontinental on November 1 and will leave mid day November 2. It’s hard to believe I have only one more city and 2 more days left of this wonderful vacation.

I’ll have to start planning for Egypt soon