Our Bangkok Apartment

Because we're going to be in Thailand for six weeks, we decided a hotel room would become too cramped, so we decided to rent a small apartment for the duration of our stay.  Not only do we have more room, but it is less expensive and it feels like having a home.   Housekeeping comes in three times a week to clean, change the sheets and leave fresh towels.  It's like having the best of both worlds.

This is our building:

The view from our bedroom - this is down the street:

A luxury condo building is going up across the street:

The interior - it has everything we need:

I love having this small kitchen for making tea and a light breakfast in the mornings and for keeping bottled water, cold drinks and snacks in the fridge and ice cream in the freezer.  The water is especially important as drinking the tap water is not recommended.  With a microwave and a two burner stove, we could prepare a full meal if we wished! 

There are a couple very simple things done here that I really like and wish that hotels/apartments in the United States would adopt.

When in the apartment, we insert our key card into this slot in order for the lights and air conditioner to work.  The key card remains in the slot until we leave and take it with as because it also unlocks the front door.  This saves electricity as it prevents lights and/or the air conditioner being left on while no one is home.

Every time housekeeping comes to clean, they leave one of these green bags for recyclables.  The next time they come, they take the full bag and replace it with an empty.  This makes recycling so easy when away from home.  Every hotel should implement this practice.

Shortly after checking in management sent this fruit basket up which was a very nice and much appreciated touch of hospitality.

The place we chose isn't the fanciest, but it's fairly modern, very comfortable and spotlessly clean.  The staff has been nothing but helpful and friendly.  We would definitely stay here again.

First Impressions

We've spent the first couple of days becoming acclimated to our surroundings.   The 15 hours time difference left us feeling sleep deprived, but we've pretty much adjusted.  That was some serious jet lag!

This post is about first impressions and I'm going to list them in no particular order; they are just things that struck me while familiarizing ourselves to what is going to be our home and neighborhood for the next six weeks.

After worrying about the humidity that I'd heard so much about, it was a very pleasant surprise to find that the weather is about as close to perfect as a place can be.  The days are warm, but not excessively so.  There is nearly always a cooling breeze blowing and the famed humidity has not yet made an appearance.  Keep in mind, it is December here.  I imagine that it may very well be quite a different story in August.

Thailand is a place of contrasts.  The wonderful aroma of Thai street food mingles with the occasional whiff of sewage from under the sidewalks.  Run down apartments sit side by side with luxury condominiums and hotels.

Well dressed working people dodge beggars on the sidewalks.  Feral street dogs roam in search of food.  School children in crisp uniforms play on school playgrounds during recess.  Massive shopping malls with every kind of merchandise imaginable are filled with shoppers both Thai and foreign.

The roads, especially the freeways, are well maintained while walking down the sidewalk can seem like navigating an obstacle course.

Traffic is heavy 24 hours per day.  Drivers patiently wait out snarled traffic jams which occur on a daily basis.

This is a place of sensory perception from the carts full of colorful produce and flowers to the incredibly delicious food prepared by the street vendors.  A wonderful meal can be had for less than 100 baht / $3 US.

While we were out walking on our first day here, I couldn't help but notice this jumble of telephone wires.  To my eyes it looks like a chaotic maze of tangled cable, but it is a system that works and the people responsible for the installation can make perfect sense of it.

This is a place of noise from traffic, buildings under construction, music from the many bars and the sing song rhythm of people speaking in Thai.  Plants and flowers are lush and green.  Tucked down side alleys one might find a fortune teller, tailor, produce stand, a five seat bar and a fabulous place to eat.

It is a place that is full of surprises.  It is alive.  I think we are going to like it here.

The Journey Begins

December 5, 2014

The big day has finally arrived!

Our flight isn't until tomorrow, but it leaves at 5:30a.m. and it's a 1.5 hour drive to the airport, so we have decided to spend the night nearby.  We were pleasantly surprised by our hotel room especially the sitting area.

A storm was moving in to Northern California and it was drizzling in San Francisco.  A good time to escape!

Our plane - Asiana Airlines non-stop to Seoul, Korea.  So begins a 13 hour flight.

On a flight this long, first or business class is the only way to fly.  Each seat is surrounded by privacy panels and the seats are also staggered in the rows giving one the feeling of being the only passenger on the plane.  With seats that convert into a flat position with a pillow and blanket provided it's possible to get a few hours of real sleep.  The pods also have storage cubbies and individual tvs with plenty of movies, games and music to choose.

Our meals started with a menu:

The food was amazing - quite a step up from reheated frozen dinners!  The following pictures are one of three meals we were served on our flights.

Smoked salmon, vegetable sushi, pickles and braised marinated duck leg:

Crisp salad greens:

Kimchi is a national Korean dish consisting of fermented chili peppers and vegetables, usually based on cabbage.  It is spicy and so good!

In Seoul we connected with Thai Airlines for the five hour flight to Bangkok arriving at 1:00 in the morning.  To say we were tired is an understatement.

After going through immigration and customs, we stepped out into the sultry night air to catch a cab to our hotel and catch a few hours of badly needed sleep.  In the morning we will check into the residence apartment we have rented for the duration of our stay.

Having reached our destination safely, the adventure has begun! 

A Trip to Thailand

November 28, 2014

A week from today we will begin a journey to Thailand.  Partly to escape the cold and snow of a Northern California winter and partly to experience the magic of this amazing country.  I've heard so many wonderful things about it from the kindness of the Thai people to the magnificent temples to the fabulous street food to the vast array of shopping available. So much to see and soak in!

The weather there is a bit of a concern.  It's hot and humid in that part of the world and I don't do well in hot and humid.  The plan is to venture out in the mornings and at night and to hunker down inside during the heat of the afternoons.  Hopefully this will work out; we shall see.

It's always hard for me to pack because I can never decide what to bring and end up bringing too much.  I'm going to try my best to pack light; my goal is a few pairs of capris, light weight short sleeved tops, a couple of summer dresses, a bathing suit, two pairs of sandals that are sturdy and comfortable enough hold up to a lot of walking and a sweater as I hear the air conditioning is kept at breathtakingly cold temperatures.

From what I've read in preparation for this trip, the Thai people are conservative when it comes to dress.  As a westerner coming to visit their country, I don't want to offend.  When planning what type of clothing to bring it is best to keep in mind that bare shoulders, short shorts and going without a bra are frowned upon. These are simple and reasonable guidelines to follow; why not start off on the right foot?

Shopping is a major activity in Thailand.  There are modern air-conditioned malls and there are open air street markets.  I hope to experience both.  Shallow as it may sound, it's no secret that I love to shop.  A friend gave me a tip that I am going to try.  My packed suitcase is going to be placed inside a larger empty case for the trip over.  Once there, I can fill the large suitcase with my market finds for the trip home.  Besides a few things for myself (beads and jewelry making supplies, but most likely some clothing along with some shoes too - because, well, I love to shop), I will be bringing home gifts and keepsakes.  Can't wait!

The food is another thing I am looking forward to trying.  Thai food is colorful, creative and nutritious.  It usually contains many different types of vegetable and greens with small amounts of meat.  Fruit is abundant and readily available.  Some I am familiar with; others are exotic wonders which I have never seen.

If you've followed along this far, I hope you will stay tuned.   Next post will be from the airport as we make our way half way across the globe to begin this much anticipated adventure.