Bangkok Redux

The Bug Man (feel free to click on any of these pictures to enlarge)
His tasty wares.
A nickel bag.

Serene boldly goes first.
I follow with a cute little cricket.
Khun Pote happily awaits the food
Curry Crab comes out first.
The Ladies dig in.

Fried fish in fish sauce. Sooooo good.
Really burn your tongue spicy squid and fired prawn cakes.
Pamela has a taste of the chilies.
Chinatown, Bangkok or make the Thainatown
Seat by the street.

The view.
Fish ball (no, not what you are thinking) soup, pig's blood soup, Pad Thai and more.
Serene eyes the pig soup.
Bird's Nest soup, a delicate bit of bird expectorant.
The dishwasher.

Some nice looking bbq prawns.
A spread of dishes at another stand.
Iron Chef - Thai Alley.
Porky eating his lunch.
The sign says "Pork Noodles - this way" (seriously, according to my Thai interpreter).

Back in Bangkok yet again. this time for a site visit for an upcoming conference.

I was with the fabulous ladies of The Event Company - Serene, Anires and Pamela . http://www.stagingconnections.com/default.asp?action=article&ID=21616

They set up a busy agenda of looking at the hotel, restaurants and places along the river to visit as part of a team building exercise. We were joined on out journey by our Khun Pote, TEC's main man in Bangkok. During the non-working hours we had a culinary treat visiting a few really local places, with cheap, great food.

First foodie tidbit of the day came from the bug man. At one of the river stops there was a man with a pushcart offering a wide array of fried insects. Roaches, little crickets, big grasshoppers, worms and even quail eggs. As gross as the bugs looked to a Westerner, the guy must do more then just "Fear Factor" type business. I was willing to give it a try only if one of my companions was bold enough to try with me. Serene, an avowed foodie, was game. We bought a little bag of small crickets and worms. The small crickets we less intimidating looking then the grasshoppers or the cockroaches. The worms seemed ok because they looked like the same kind I have swallowed with the last shot of mescal on a few occasions. The bugs come fried, seasoned and mixed with some chile's. Serene popped one in and didn't die or throw up so I followed suit. Had I not known what I was eating I could have eaten the whole bag. The bugs tasted like wasabi peas without the wasabi or like Cheetos without the cheese. Good and crispy with not gooey or slimy innards to worry about. Check that one off my list!

That night we dined at a very local seafood place called Chaeron Seafood. This hidden gem is located upstairs from a wet market, surrounded by hawker stands. It is air conditioned but very basic, with metal tables, cheap chairs and drinks carts on wheels. The place was bustling with students and other young people. Groups of 6 and 8 kids just eating, talking and laughing. Khun Pote (and At least on of the ladies) made the food selections - curry crab, spicy squid, raw prawns, prawn cakes, noodles, rice, whole fried fish - some cold Chang beer and more. An orgy of food. Total bill for the 5 of us - 2500 Baht (about $80 US).

After looking at hotel space and other boring things on Saturday we headed to out for a cheap, good, no happy ending Thai massage. The Let's Relax spa http://www.bloomingspa.com/ , oddly located on the 6th floor of a big Toyota showroom, was the perfect place. 2 hour traditional Thai massage, with an herbal scrub was 600 Baht ($20 US). The Auntie who handled me was a strong, pain inducing pro. It hurt as she kneaded, twisted, pulled and yanked on my arms, legs and neck, but the payoff after two hours was a totally loose, relaxed feeling.

After that we went to Chinatown. I'd never been there but did see it last trip from a Tuk Tuk. Serene knew exactly where to go and where to sit. we sat at a table on the sidewalk and she quickly went from stall to stall ordering the food. soon we had pig's blood soup, fish ball soup, pad thai, shark fin soup and another noodle dish. I was a little worried because this really was as close to street food as I've gotten in Bangkok. OK, it was street food. I was a litttle worried but threw caution to the wind. All the food was great. The pig soup tasted really good although I only had a tiny bite of the big clot of blood. Sharkfin, very sought after for it's various TCM attributes, was nice but not as tasty as the pig or fish soup. The pad thai was really really good. Afterwards we had bird's nest soup. Bird's nest is huge in Asia. It is said to be one of the most expensive animal products consumed by humans. It is said that regular consumption is good for making one's skin soft, clear and glowing. http://chinesefood.about.com/library/bltrivia33.htm

The delicacy is made from Swallow's nests which are made from swallow's spit. Mmmmmm Spit Soup at a very high price! For desert the mix it with water and sugar and heat it up. the ladies briefed me on it and of course I said I'd eat it. As I swallowed my first spoonful of swallow spit Anires yelled "Don't swallow it!". It was too late to spit it out. I was a little concerned that they had left out the most important part of the instructions and that I would soon be dead, or at least throwing up in an alley. Luckily, she only meant to tell me I should savor it by chewing on the gelatinous gobs in the soup. I was safe and indeed found the gobs of gob to be quite delectable. And if I might add, my skin is now silky smooth and aglow....

After dinner we hit the night market for an hour or so. Purchases were made and deals were cut on clothes, bags, jewelry and more.

Another great visit to Bangkok was in the books.

Auspicious Wishes

The Lion Dancers arrive

Unloading the drums Our wise calligrapher
Ready to put ink to paper
Prosperity (as far as I know)
Sophia holding tight to the prospect of prosperity...

Back to work after the long 4 day CNY holiday. While most everyone (except our airconditioner repair guy) is back at work, the holiday continues.

This past weekend wherever Sophia and I went we heard drums and symbols. This meant there was a Lion Dance taking place nearby.

During the regular year these teams appear at public events and at the openings of stores. During CNY they are everywhere. The lion dance is a tradition that brings good luck to the households or businesses they visit. The dramatic climax of the dance is the Cai Qing or ‘Picking the Green’, where the lion ‘eats’ and then ‘spits’ the leaves out, signifying an abundance of everything in the coming year.

Here in Singapore there must be dozens of Lion Dance teams. They travel through town in flat bed trucks flanked with large brightly colored flags. The kids on the teams are ususlly dresssed in very bright clothes. The troupe includes drummers, cymbol smashers, the lions (usually two person teams) and a bunch of handlers. Last week we saw a team at the Newton Hawker Centre where we were eating.http://www.the-inncrowd.com/newtoncircus.htm They cruised in, got on their gear and proceeded to dance around the stalls followed by the local Member of Parliament, who was handing out two oranges (a CNY symbol of respect) and a paper fish mobile (It symbolizes surplus or having additional savings so as to have more than enough to live throughout the remaining year).

http://www.weijin.org/

http://www.stamfordlion.com.sg/home.asp

http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/3517

We also saw a troup at the Singapore Art Museum on Friday. We arrived at the museum and were presented with a nice red tote bag containing two oranges. They had a couple of caligraphers who were writing CNY couplets or slogans. We commissiond a small one that should help us have a prosperous year.

Thoughout the weekend the drums and symbols could be heard wherever we ventured. The celebration continues for another week.

Camel-ot

My video clips will get better. Just not yet....
By the way, I shot the video, it gets posted on Youtube and you see it linked here. Any video beyond the link is from someone else on Youtube, as you may note from the more professional and less shaky camera.

Here is a camel encounter-

Happy Chinese New Year! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

It's the year of the Rat!  While most readers are in the US or other places outside of Asia, I am here enjoying my two days off for CNY.  It's nice and quiet in Singapore, a rare treat.  Many shops and restaurants are closed and construction work even stopped for a few hours.

Here is some good Rat info:

http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2008.htm

Every year there is a special CNY song.  It is recorded by many groups and played over and over again throughout the season.  The M-Girls are a popular Malaysian Chinese girl group.   http://www.mymgirls.com

I thought you might enjoy their rendition.  The first song is the official 2008 song, the rest is a colorful medley of M-Girl festive tunes.  This is sure to give you a C-Pop overdose.  (I did not film this)-

Delhi Sandwich

 

Roopank explains the sandwich.

VIDEO! INDIA!

My first video upload.  Ok I'm no Fellini, Spielberg or Bergman.  I prefer the rough cuts and tumbles of reality TV.  (OK, I have no clue how to edit this stuff).

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Mom in the Singapore Airlines Lounge
Arrival at Siem Reap
The long road to the first temple
Good looking fella with horses in the background
Living history
Again with my nephew Elijah! He is everywhere!
Awesome sights
Hindu carvings
More
Lots of places to hide
Happy Buddhas
Happy travelers
Hey hey we're the monks.
Setting sail for the floating village
Commerce on the water

Boys using cooking pots for boats
For US$1 you can take a picture of snake girl and her little friend.
Wally Gator - my old client
Lunch ladies afloat
Little naked boy and his modest brother
The floating school.
Cooking up some water snake on the BBQ
Graceful dancers
Teng says hello
Up the stairs and onto the elephant
Big Booty

Hi kids!
We're being followed
Put your stuff in the trunk
Our little gentle giant
Hard to pet the big dude
Carvings at the famous elephant terrace
Stampy!
Stampy's great great grandfather, in stone
Dumbo's ancestors were there too
Not taken at the Buddha Bar
Mom shows Teng how to be a good Buddhist
The temple of Doom
Ok, not Doom, but lots of roots
Carvings everywhere
A tree grows in Angkor
And an even bigger one
I could have lived here in 1200
The serpent root
Trees have no respect for history
Buddha with a naga
Lovely bridesmaids on picture day
The went thataway-

The long road to Angkor Wat
Part of the famous bas relief
More relief
Looking out from in
The ancestors of the dancers we saw the previous night
Ancient cheerleaders doing a pyramid

Through the ballistrades
Great lunch - Fried snakefish and Khmer Curry in a coconut shell
Our hotel

The pool

I heard about Siem Reap and Ankor Wat soon after arriving in Singapore. I knew there were lots of old temples there. My knowledge of Cambodia was only as a place where there was fighting during the Viet Nam war. The Khmer Rouge and the Killing Fields sounded familier but I really can't say I knew many details of the area or it's history.

Having now been to Siem Reap and seeing and meeting Cambodians I have a new understanding and appreciation for their history and their culture.


We arrived at the little Siem Reap airport mid morning on Tuesday and were met by our guide Teng Sreang. Teng came recomended by several of friends and collegaues in my office. A very personable man who has worked very hard to become both proficient in English and knowledable about the history of the Siem Reap area. Here is Teng's website - http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-sreng.htm

We stopped to check in at our nice little hotel the Shinta Mani http://www.shintamani.com/ . There are so many hotels in Siem Reap from large to small, expensive to cheap. Most appear to be new or only a few years old. The Shinta Mani was just right - small, clean, nice people, a cute little pool and a small spa. It is about a 5 minute walk from the center of town. Ok, there were a few mosquitos in the room and a bunch of geckos on the walls in the hallways (like our house in Spore), but the rooms were big and the beds very comfortable.

After a brief rest we headed out. Teng said that most of the tourists were on package deals from Korea, China and Japan. Passed the large moat of Angkor Wat on our way to the Bayon Temple. the temples are all in the 900 year old range and are partly in ruins. a recent Wall Street Journal article sheds some light on the subject better then I can. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120123557265716325.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Suffice it to say that the temples are amazing. Hindu and Budhist with a very strong Indian influence. Beautiful statues and carvings and many nooks and cranies to explore. There were quite a few tourists in sight but it wasn't too crowded.

After the temple we headed off to visit the local floating village on Tonle Sap (lake)http://www.canbypublications.com/siemreap/srtonlesap.htm. The trip to the lake gave us a look at how people live. Pretty basic at best. The boat to the floating village was good size and we were lucky to be the only passengers. As we headed down river to the lake we saw river life in full swing. Several small boats zipped along the river. One pulled aside our boat and a small girl jumped on board. She was carrying a box with cold drinks, trinkets and bananas for sale. We passed and she quickly hopped back onto her own boat. Probably would have better luck on one of the tourist filled boats nearby. Another little kid jumped aboard later and I bought a couple of bananas for a buck. I could have gotten the whole bunch but I really didn't want the banana, just wanted to give the kid some coin. A common problem in Cambodia (just like in India). I just wanted to give money to all the kids.

Next we stopped at Artisans D'Angkor, a really well run place for young people to learn the crafts of Cambodia - silk painting, wood and stone carving, laquoring and more. We bought some gifts and few few things for ourselves in the very nice shop. We also spent a few more in their shop next to the Angkor Wat temple. If that wasnt enough we browsed in their shops in the Siem Reap and Penom Penh airports and also discovered they have a new shop in Singapore Changi airport. Smart marketing! And if you still want to pick up a trinket you can order online! http://www.artisansdangkor.com/


The people of Cambodia are very good looking and seem very happy. While there are some nice homes in the Seim Reap area most people live in very basic, primative housing. Very open with no frills. Not very urban like Manila or Jakarta and not quite as dirty and dusty as most of India.

That night we went to a very touristy buffet place with a cultural show. The food was ok and the crows was pretty amusing but the show was actually very good. Nice music and dancing by a very well trained, beautifully costumed, group of young dancers.

The next morning we again headed out to the temples.


Before the real temple visits by foot we headed back to the Bayon temple try something Mom had been wanting to do since she heard it was available - ride an elephant. She was excited and a bit nervous as we approached the first stand of elephants. Sadly we were turned away as all the elephants there were booked to take a large group of Japanese tourists on a ride. Luckily, Teng knew of another place where the large mammals were available for hire. We pulled in and saw 4 or 5 of the pachyderms hanging around, wagging their tails, flapping their ears and swinging their trunks. for $10 a pop we got to ride around the temple. Mom and Teng went first climbing up the 2 story stairway to get onto the elephant. Each big dude had a driver, a nice barefooted Cambodian, behind the driver who straddled the big guy's head and steared with a rope between his toes, was a wooden saddle for two. A little shakey but solid. The driver wore a vest with a well placed pocket in the back for tips. The elephants may work for peanuts but these guys work for greenbacks. Mom and Teng were on Dumbo and Sophia and followed on Babar (ok I don't think those were the real names). The ride was nice, bumpy and a little smelly, but nice. I took some nice pix from aboard the saddle. After the ride Sophia was petting one of the elephants and he nuzzled her with his trunk. We wanted to bring one home for a pet but remembered the Simpson's exerpience with Stampy and thought better of it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_Gets_an_Elephant


We saw the jungle temple noted for being the site where parts of the very bad movie, Laura Croft Tomb Raider, was filmed. Teng and other guides touted this and rightly so for as lousy as the movie was it did bring some publicity to Cambodia and the temples. It is also where Angelina Jolie adopted one of her kids. The really cool thing about the jungle temple is that it is so old and abandoned so long that many trees have rooted right up, through and into the walls. The trees give the place a real enchanted look.


After the jungle we headed to the Grandaddy of them all, Angkok Wat. This giagantic complex is subject of many books and treatises. Before heading in we sat down and enjoyed some fresh coconut, 2 for about $1. The milk of the young nut is not as sweet as an older one but still very nice. The meat is very soft and rubbery and tastes so good when scooped out using a sharp spoon made from the cocnut shell. Mom had a sip and Sophia passed - both for hygienic reasons. I forged ahead as I have been a little less cautious with my 3rd world eating recently. So far so good but soon I will probably pay.

The temple and grounds were spectacular. Especially the 1000 Buddha room and the amazing bas relief which cover the walls surrounding the inside of the complex. I understand it is the longest bas relief in the world. http://justinsomnia.org/gallery/v/siemreap_2003_may/DCP_4924.jpg.html

Check out the linx for a taste.


Later we went to the very new Angkok National Museum. http://www.peaceofangkor.com/angkornationalmuseum.htm Although it would have been better to see this first it was still a sight to see. They have recreated the 1000 Buddha room and it is very powerful. Also nice new, modern displays, video and historical narrative. Definitly worth a visit.

After a rest and a great oil massage ($45 for 90 minutes) we headed to dinner at the restaurant of the very hip and trendy Hotel De La Paix. http://www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com/ Once inside this hipster heaven it was easy to think you were in a W or another boutiquey place. The restaurant was nice and the food was not bad.

After dinner and a dusty walk home to the Shinta Mani, we called it a night. The next day we headed back to Singapore, with a brief stop in Penom Penh, on Silk Air.