Coss Posted January 3, 2009 Report Share Posted January 3, 2009 And it begins, in which we take the wife and daughter to the family village and see in the new year. That wonderful Thai Airlines we all know and love, respectfully changed my flights to a day later, and despite my protestations that we would now have to get some 80 or so family members to change their travel and work commitments to meet a new family reunion date, they were unrepentant and unresponsive to any suggestion of an upgrade or similar gesture of good will to soothe our ruffled feathers. My commitment now is to fly Singapore - even if it does mean a stop over in Changi. Thai's customer service leaves a lot to be desired, this was a NZ representative I was dealing with, truculent, disinterest of the kind that infects so much of the western post-feminist world, this was the attitude I was up against. Rant over. Arrived in Bangkok, late at night, staying at the Baiyoke Suites, in Pratunam. Nice at the price but seen better days, great views over the city from the 43rd floor at breakfast. I had errands to run and one of those was to head down to Nana Hotel travel desk and pick up my tickets to Laos, even at 10 am the Soi was full of activity, punters and BGs looking very seedy in the daylight. The quoted 12,000 bht price of the tickets had fallen to 10,000, whilst I know that this is cheaper than what I would have paid in NZ, I was doubly impressed that they passed on the price reduction to me, great little travel desk that one, recommended over the years, though I won't stay at Nana any more. It was then I saw Red Man, an older dude dressed to impress in that totally oblivious way some people seem to cultivate. A bright red Hawaiian shirt and bright red corduroy trousers and white sneakers, but with bright red laces! What a sight in the sunlight, hurt my eyes, really did. Then to the train station and to book tickets to Surin the next week, but alas they were full for days either side of the 30th. Ah well... summon brother in law, he dutifully will end up driving us, good boy. At Panthip to buy thai stickers for keyboard, an older lady with a younger daughter passed by, the daughter gave me a real sparkle, haven't had one of those for a long time, since I was last here in fact. Out to dinner with Bangkok relatives, an open air place on the outskirts surrounded by ponds, next to a similar joint with the name of Ad Makers, is this the Ad Makers that has been posted of in the past? Much whiskey and good food, some pretty wives I hadn't met before and plenty of photos. I fell asleep in the car on the way home. Thence to Chiang Mai, Air Asia, indifferent airline. Empress hotel, lovely and restful place, I recommend this hotel. We spent time at the night markets, Xmas is everywhere, a choir in short short skirts singing on the steps of the Lacoste shop no less, but the best day was spent with the sister of a friend back home and her family, in the best Thai style we all piled into a battered ute and headed for the hills. We went to a temple on the mountain, saw some really impressive statuary and beautiful dancing children. Later that day we went to the hot springs and boiled quail eggs, ate ice cream and lay in the shade. In the afternoon we toured the world gardens, plenty of beautiful orchids. I wanted to take the family to dinner at a seafood place I liked but they had other ideas and we ended up at a 109 bht all you can eat cook at your table place, brilliant, a wide variety of food but the pickled squid and the small whole fried crabs stood out. Lovely. Back to Bkk for the long drive to Surin, we stopped half way at a lake and had grilled salted fish and fruit. The size of some of the road side advertising hoardings I saw is getting out of hand, some are so big I am sure they can be seen from outer space. Checked in at the Thong Tarin, an oldie but a goody. The next day we headed out to the village, I put a way point in my GPS as I'd like to surprise them one day and arrive unheralded on a motor bike trip maybe. Much excitement and happiness at our arrival, gifts were given, whisky from duty free consumed, whisky Sam Som consumed, beer Leo and ice consumed, all manner of animal bits grilled and consumed, this interspersed with old men dropping by for their glass of whisky on the way to their next glass of whisky. With that we saw in the new year. But the next night was a real good 'un. It started, naturally enough at seven in the morning with one of the young boys testing the boom boom system in his fathers truck, which naturally was parked next to the room in which I was sleeping. So up I get, hung over, bathe in a bucket and coerce younger sister to cook fried eggs. Nieces, 16 and 20 arrive, smiling shyly and demurely through the morning, gave the older one a laptop from home, at which she is nearly overwhelmed with gratitude. And then we went fishing, two utes, four motorcycles, three bicycles and a little chap on his bike with training wheels make the 400 metre trip to the fishing pond. The pond is about the size of an olympic swimming pool and it's hot, so whisky and beers are sent for, a fire started and then fishing begins. What happens is every one gets a bamboo pole and a string with a hook, husband of youngest sister does all the baiting. They have a worm farm in the shade of a tree. Actually a very well organised set up, they buy small fish occasionally, biff them in and feed them when passing. As a result there are quite a few fish in there for the taking. Procedure is to wait until fish takes hook, squeal excitedly and then husband of youngest sister does all the taking of fish off hook and re-baiting. We ended up with about 20 Tilapia like fish "Pla Nim" about 25cm, about 20 Catfish "Pla Dook" about 30 cm and about 10 snakeheads about 20cm. A great haul. Back to village and when we arrived nearly at dusk, there was a P.A. being set up, tonight is Karaoke night! I wandered next door and saw them preparing buffalo hide for the eating, first soak your hide, then grill it and plunge into water, then scrape all the hair off. Slice and boil with herbs, actually very nice, the bovine equivalent of pork belly perhaps. They'd killed a buffalo for the festivities so we feasted on grilled fish, buffalo and various bits of liver, pork &c. I asked if there was any snake, they said not for years but they did have rat, and then after some cooking wizardry, so did I, delicious! Mi Wi Mee, happens to be one of the girls that could sing, and therefore her singing was keenly anticipated, they stopped the Karaoke for a while and one old man got his pan-like flutes out, father got out his single flute and the Isaan music began. I was really impressed, Mi Wi Mee singing, her two sisters helping, traditional flutes, hand clapping and all the old women, for miles around, dancing in that graceful and elegant Isaan style, truly impressive. My only regret is that nieces 16 and 20 did not dance, they're beautiful, and their dancing would have been good to see. The next day we went furniture shopping and good farang me, bought a table and chairs and a tv cabinet for mum. After which they dropped me at the hotel and took wife and daughter back to village, so I could spend the evening with friends in Surin. to be continued.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted January 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 One thing I'll never be able to do is get stuck into the whiskey at 7 a.m. like the old fella, each day when I arose he was with an assembled coterie of other old fellas having their morning 3 or 4 whiskeys, no wonder they look so old and have no teeth... There are some entertainment venues down the soi, one along from the Thong Tarin Hotel, I went and had a beer at the first place a German restaurant, I was the only customer apart from the owner and one friend sitting at the back, I asked the waitress if there was any Kloster beer, no? OK Singha please. But she obviously being helpful, asked the owner about Kloster, for the next minute, all who had hearing, were subject to a tirade on the worthlessness of Kloster Beer, way to win friends and influence people. So I moved on. Several Karaoke places, and a really good restaurant, Cent took me there 3 years ago and I can say it's still good if not better, packed with local well-off Thais and the food is a great mix of Thai and Euro, with some excellent touches, also some good patisserie. Recommended. At the back of the Soi, two Coyote places, one upstairs and one down, I had a beer at both. The girls were very good looking, but had no wish to be there, the song rotation in both places was that a girl got off the stage and one got on every song, but as happens, the girl getting on was always a little later than the girl getting off so the net result was after 4 or 5 songs the stage was empty, so I left. There was seemingly no interest in a Farang with a bulging wallet. But on the way back out of the Soi I got snared at one of the Karaoke places and was entertained by three pretties and drank and laughed and sang and ate and spent a pretty penny, but willingly. On the way back to the hotel I looked into the Soapy behind the hotel and tried my luck, drunk as I was I pointed at what turned out to be a reflection but the girl sitting behinfd the reflection had good english and worked me well, satisfied I was, I think I even tipped her, can't remember how much but the house charge was 1,000, + 170 for a beer. Other girls were 1,500 and a little more for the top models. The next night I was looking forward to further adventures, but as luck would have it the girls arrived back from the village early, seemingly relieved to see me in the Hotel on my laptop. Ah well... I mention the next little restaurant for two reasons, one it deserves a recommendation and two, it may not be on the radar of many Surin fans. Opposite the Thong Tarin Hotel is a seven eleven, to the left of that there is a small sub-soi, 20 metres down that, during the day is an open air restaurant, seemingly run by a lady, her sister (maybe), her son (maybe), her daughter by a dalliance with a farang (definitely). This place is brilliant! It serves great Thai food, no english menu, but I can point at the assembled fare which is displayed on the tables around the cooking area. I had, two skewers of pork liver, one chinese sausage, one other kind of sausage, a salted egg, some som tam, some rice and a bottle of water. 70 bht. I couldn't believe it. We've been eating there every lunch, they don't seem to be open later in the evening, but do look to be open in the early evening. And did I mention? It's great food. Daughter wants to ride an elephant, so despite every one's assurance that all the elephants have gone for the new year, I had a GPS way point that had elephant on it so off we go, walking in the sun. Got to the Elephant Stadium, empty of elephants of course, at the military base behind the stadium Staff Sergeant Viriporn, kindly escorted us through the base, past the helicopters, through the barracks, to a sick elephant we could photograph, but not approach as it was a dangerous one, and then back to the gate of the base again. I am still impressed that Staff Sergeant Viriporn, took the time to do this for a couple of tourists, a kind hearted man, mind you , it probably broke up his day, but never the less, lovely fella, salt of the earth and what Thailand can be all about. That night we went to the night markets and saw a huge bull elephant, fed him sugar cane, but he wasn't friendly said the owner so no ride. I was about to take photos of some insect fare but the girl behind the stall got very defensive and wouldn't let me, she lost a sale as I was going to get some locusts for later consumption, silly bitch. I am happy to report that the other food stall people were helpful and friendly, they now have some of my money. We're off to Bangkok in the next day or so and family return to Middle Earth whilst I go on to Laos and Cambodia. Post more later... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beano Posted January 5, 2009 Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 Thank you coss, I'll look forward to further reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted January 5, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 5, 2009 most kind... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh_Hoy Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Always wondered what guys with a Thai wife/family did on a trip "home". Sounds very...very...uh..."interesting"? Thanks for the report. HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waerth Posted January 6, 2009 Report Share Posted January 6, 2009 Have a nice further trip Coss ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dddave Posted January 10, 2009 Report Share Posted January 10, 2009 It was great seeing you again at the Friday meeting. I hope you document your current wanderings in Laos and Cambodia as entertainingly as you have in these past two posts. I hope to see you again when you return. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coss Posted January 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2009 dddave, yes good to see you, and yes I'll be posting, and yes in Bkk 23rd for a few days. Cheers Coss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faustian Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Nice reports coss...thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Encore Posted January 12, 2009 Report Share Posted January 12, 2009 Hi Coss, Nice TR. I liked Surin, and The TT hotel. never did get around to try the MP behind it, still on my ToDo list. Will you be coming down to Pattaya this time/ Would be nice to meet up again. Have fun in Laos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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