Okay...just a brief blog without any pics to let everyone know that I have escaped the flooding in Phuket and the Southern Provinces and arrived back in Bangkok. The rain was so intense that the roads were flooding...hill sides were coming down on the road...and the ground so soaked with 40+ inches of rain over 5 days that trees were uprooting. In the hotel for example a huge tree (100+ feet) in the Atrium area gave way and fell across the Atrium and adjoining mini-lobby. There were approximately 25 to 30 Thai in a clean up mode...with machete and other crude tools...all while the rain continued.
I decided to move out...and cut my loss and get back to Bangkok before the airport closed (as did several in the Southern Province). When I arrived at the airport it was chaos....hundreds of people trying to get out to anywhere....I rebooked on line the night before thank goodness and only waited in line for 2 hours to check in. The ride to the airport (normally 30 to 45 minutes) was another 2 hours....what a grand and glorious mess!!
I am now safe and sound (yeah...like I could be of sound mind)...in Bangkok in the Lebua State Tower(same hotel I stayed in a week ago)....aaaah yes....without rain I might add...first time in 5 days!!
So this morning I organized a couple tours for the next couple days....tomorrow I go to the Bang Pa-In Summer Palace...and on Saturday to the Bridge on the River Kwee...so pictures will be forthcoming. In fact, I think this afternoon I will do a photo shoot on the streets....the market stalls and food carts are worth your seeing if you have never seen them. Thank goodness I have no sense of smell...for I fear the place reeks...well...let me get some pictures first...you can be the judge!
I also did get my hair cut....a real riot...$9 with tea...and fruit!! GET OUT!!
More later....in DRY....Bangkok!!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
"Oh Happy Day....Oh Happy Day..."
Bobby has moved his hotel location in Phuket!! I was at the Bamboo Club and have moved to the Holiday Inn Resort. The Resort is just across from the beach and covers about 4 city blocks in the Patong Beach area of Phuket. And, I want to say I am now one happy camper...especially since I am here for another 7 days. Why is that...okay let me explain...
At the Bamboo Club there are no lifts so my cabin was 4 floors down and then 4 floors up each time I went to the restaurant or left the property. The property is nestled in the hills over the Patong Beach area. So it is isolated and there are no other restaurants other than the hotel property. Leaving the property is only by motor bike (not me!!) or taxi or "tuk tuks"(these are little trucks where you sit on bench seats in the back). I was getting claustrophobic...and decided I needed to move to something else. I found the Holiday Inn Resort offered me space for the same price...I was there...NOW!!
I left this morning...and I was greeted over night by just one more reason why I needed to move....the power went out...yeah...like no air conditioning...and it is in the 80's and very humid from all the continual rain. I found out that a bamboo fell over the lines and blew the transformer....I suspected such because in the middle of the night there was a huge explosion. When I left the hotel at 11:30 this morning...still no power.
Here is a look at the pole outside the hotel....PEPCO would have a field day with this....
Unreal...yes?? Let me give you a closer look of this....
Cool digs huh? Plus I now have 5 restaurants...and 4 swimming pools...with 2 pools dedicated to the Busakorn Wing where I am located....here is the pool outside my balcony...
Aaaah yes....so tonight I dined on the fresh catch of the day....Grilled White Snapper...with baked potato and 2 glasses of wine...all for $21....oh how I love this Thai dollar compared to US dollar.
And the rain? Still here..still off and on all day...and the forcast is the same till maybe Friday...well I can deal with it much better now!
At the Bamboo Club there are no lifts so my cabin was 4 floors down and then 4 floors up each time I went to the restaurant or left the property. The property is nestled in the hills over the Patong Beach area. So it is isolated and there are no other restaurants other than the hotel property. Leaving the property is only by motor bike (not me!!) or taxi or "tuk tuks"(these are little trucks where you sit on bench seats in the back). I was getting claustrophobic...and decided I needed to move to something else. I found the Holiday Inn Resort offered me space for the same price...I was there...NOW!!
I left this morning...and I was greeted over night by just one more reason why I needed to move....the power went out...yeah...like no air conditioning...and it is in the 80's and very humid from all the continual rain. I found out that a bamboo fell over the lines and blew the transformer....I suspected such because in the middle of the night there was a huge explosion. When I left the hotel at 11:30 this morning...still no power.
Here is a look at the pole outside the hotel....PEPCO would have a field day with this....
Unreal...yes?? Let me give you a closer look of this....
Well....all that behind me...let me show you where I am now....(Hotel Heaven)...
Aaaah yes....so tonight I dined on the fresh catch of the day....Grilled White Snapper...with baked potato and 2 glasses of wine...all for $21....oh how I love this Thai dollar compared to US dollar.
And the rain? Still here..still off and on all day...and the forcast is the same till maybe Friday...well I can deal with it much better now!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Phuket - A rain out for the first 3 days....
Phuket is in the midst of a rainy season I think. On the day I arrived it rained a little in the afternoon and then cleared off. The second day it rained most of the day....and today on day three...you guessed it rain all day!! YUCK!!
I have to confess...I have given up the resort I picked and decided to move down closer to the beach. I selected the Bamboo Resort because it was up in the hills above Patong Beach. But there is nothing else up here on the hill and you have to get a motor bike or taxi to go down the mountain. No motor bike for me of course. Now after 3 rainy days I have decided to move closer to the beach to avail myself of a lot more restaurants and shopping areas....and the Holiday Inn Hotel has many more amenities. So tomorrow I move...will give you an update with the next blog on the move. Here are a couple pics of my room at the Bamboo and stepping right out the door to the pool....
So on rainy day 2...I decided to take a tour to include the scenic view of Phuket, a temple, aquarium, and of all things....a cashew factory!!
This is the scenic view....yeah you can see how great this rainy view is to me....
The temple...
and on to the aquarium...where I found some great shots of the fish and crabs....take a look...
But, for me the highlight of the day was this cashew factory. I was amazed to find that cashews are but a small nut on the bottom of each plant. The plant is about the size of a medium pear...and the yellow portion in this picture is plant above the nut. It can be used to produce a juice that is quite tasty....amazing...
In this plant all the nuts are harvested by hand....in the same fashion as cracking pecans ...with a machine that cracks open the shell and exposes the nuts.
I have to confess...I have given up the resort I picked and decided to move down closer to the beach. I selected the Bamboo Resort because it was up in the hills above Patong Beach. But there is nothing else up here on the hill and you have to get a motor bike or taxi to go down the mountain. No motor bike for me of course. Now after 3 rainy days I have decided to move closer to the beach to avail myself of a lot more restaurants and shopping areas....and the Holiday Inn Hotel has many more amenities. So tomorrow I move...will give you an update with the next blog on the move. Here are a couple pics of my room at the Bamboo and stepping right out the door to the pool....
So on rainy day 2...I decided to take a tour to include the scenic view of Phuket, a temple, aquarium, and of all things....a cashew factory!!
This is the scenic view....yeah you can see how great this rainy view is to me....
The temple...
and on to the aquarium...where I found some great shots of the fish and crabs....take a look...
But, for me the highlight of the day was this cashew factory. I was amazed to find that cashews are but a small nut on the bottom of each plant. The plant is about the size of a medium pear...and the yellow portion in this picture is plant above the nut. It can be used to produce a juice that is quite tasty....amazing...
In this plant all the nuts are harvested by hand....in the same fashion as cracking pecans ...with a machine that cracks open the shell and exposes the nuts.
And of course you may be wondering...did I buy any? One small jar....may have to eat them in the next week since I do not believe I can get thru the airport with them...
Oh...when I went to the beach today...just before the rain began again....the Queen Mary 2 was out in the harbour...she must be following me...I was in Auckland when I last saw her. Okay...next news will be after my hotel move.....
The Taj Mahal and Agra Fort...m
I used a separate blog just for these two sites....each is beautiful and it is hard for me to believe they have withstood the centuries and still be in such pristine condition. First the famous mausoleum of Mughal Emperor Akbar knows as the Sikandra.
Then on to the Taj Mahal....one of the world's most admired architectural masterpieces...a wonder of the world? It was commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife to symbolize unending love. She died giving birth to their14th child. Take a look at several vantage points of this awesome structure...keeping in mind it took 22 years to build...and all with the tools of the time....16th century. I will have to say the security at the site was more intense then even the airport. Not only going thru the magnetometer but also looking inside all bags and a body "full" body pat down...both men and women by male security!!
And then the Taj....
The structure is so stark....so white....
This is not a holy shrine....temple...or sacred area....for the people of India it is like a trip to Disney World or the Zoo or the Smithsonian..a time for a family outing...to enjoy the site as well as recognize the history of their country.
Even Bob had to be photographed with the Taj in the background...
A look at the intricate work and beauty of the Taj Mahal...
Again...this is a 16th Century work.
Then looking across from the Taj Mahal one sees the Agra Fort. Only 20% of the Fort is open to the public. The Army of India occupies the remaining portion of the structure. The Fort was the home of the Emperor as well as his his beloved wife who he built the Taj Mahal but his other 2 wives and his harem
The original floor of the bridge leading into the Fort over the moat which not only had water...but also White Tigers and elephants to protect the Fort.
.
This was my guide for the day....Prashant Kumaar Rajput.....thanks to him for imparting his knowledge and love of the history of his country while there for such a brief time....
and then one last look at the Taj Mahal....
Then on to the Taj Mahal....one of the world's most admired architectural masterpieces...a wonder of the world? It was commissioned by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife to symbolize unending love. She died giving birth to their14th child. Take a look at several vantage points of this awesome structure...keeping in mind it took 22 years to build...and all with the tools of the time....16th century. I will have to say the security at the site was more intense then even the airport. Not only going thru the magnetometer but also looking inside all bags and a body "full" body pat down...both men and women by male security!!
And then the Taj....
The structure is so stark....so white....
This is not a holy shrine....temple...or sacred area....for the people of India it is like a trip to Disney World or the Zoo or the Smithsonian..a time for a family outing...to enjoy the site as well as recognize the history of their country.
Even Bob had to be photographed with the Taj in the background...
A look at the intricate work and beauty of the Taj Mahal...
Again...this is a 16th Century work.
Then looking across from the Taj Mahal one sees the Agra Fort. Only 20% of the Fort is open to the public. The Army of India occupies the remaining portion of the structure. The Fort was the home of the Emperor as well as his his beloved wife who he built the Taj Mahal but his other 2 wives and his harem
The original floor of the bridge leading into the Fort over the moat which not only had water...but also White Tigers and elephants to protect the Fort.
.
Some of the intricate work of the sandstone and marble palaces of the Fort. Again this was used as the residence of the Emperor with large rooms for dining...entertaining...as well as lounge areas. There were unique areas that were used to collect water and use it for daily purposes...
and then one last look at the Taj Mahal....
India....Delhi first and on the road to Agra....
arrived in Delhi late at night and saw little except cars and motorbikes. And, maybe this is the time to say...they use their horns all the time in India...for good reason...to pass....to let you know they are about to hit you...or just to tell you to get moving. The ride itself was completed with my seat belt secure and holding on thinking I could survive a crash...oh yeah...really...I look at the speedometer...and the needle is on 140 km....that is like 87 mph...yeah...like I could hold on if this baby crashed!!
In the light...it is even worse...because in this car leaving Delhi...I have no seat belt....no problem...we are only at 120km today...75 mph. BUT..I see everything!!! Okay...you know by now..since I am posting this Blog...I survived...lets look at the sights of Delhi...and the road to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal)
I took an immense number of pictures while in India...and these are only a few...trying to show as much as possible. The people here have living areas that to me are similar to the townships of South Africa or the living areas of other Asian countries...China...Indonesia...
In the light...it is even worse...because in this car leaving Delhi...I have no seat belt....no problem...we are only at 120km today...75 mph. BUT..I see everything!!! Okay...you know by now..since I am posting this Blog...I survived...lets look at the sights of Delhi...and the road to Agra (home of the Taj Mahal)
I took an immense number of pictures while in India...and these are only a few...trying to show as much as possible. The people here have living areas that to me are similar to the townships of South Africa or the living areas of other Asian countries...China...Indonesia...
The transportation of people is by car...motor bike...and semi-bus vehicles that can accommodate as many as can jump on...
Then there is the guy...just waiting for his next passenger....
But also on the road are other forms of transportation...camel...donkey...Buffalo....
There was beauty to be seen along the way...statutes in route....temples....and native dancers....
Oh....not the Taj Mahal...yet....just another temple...
One other thing that I noticed on the road....trucks encouraging other drivers to "honk"...believe me they did not need to advertise....
then there were the sheep....just being herded down the road....
and then the guy who just pulls off the road and relives himself....now...this is not just men....women also...come on people...you know you have done this before yourself...I am just saying...well, maybe in the dark of night on a country road or an area away from the highway....but this is right on the road!!
Look at this market....wow....the fruits and vegetables were awesome....Eastern Market would be put to shame....
Finally...a look at some of the other entrepreneurs along the way....from the vendor..to the motor shops...
Okay...next up...look for the Taj Mahal....and Agra Fort.....
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