Trip To Thailand - 4/28

4/28, Thurs. – Monkey Mountain, Plearn Wan

In the morning we took a taxi to visit what the locals were referring to as “Monkey Mountain” (MAP). It isn't a mountain, rather a rocky hill right on the coast. But it does have lots of monkeys. This hill has two Buddhist monasteries on it. The Monks and the faithful visitors feed the monkeys. There are a lot there. The monkeys were mostly friendly, but one did come and steal the id badge off of our stroller. The baby monkeys were fun to see. While there we climbed the steep stairs to the Buddhist temple at the top. After giving alms and praying, we walked around the top and rang the bells. As the day was very hot, we quickly packed up and headed back to town for lunch.

If you look closely, you'll see the Monkeys sitting on the rock to the left of Grandma's glasses.

The stairs up to the temple were quite steep. It was a very hot day.

We went to the Market Village mall for lunch (MAP). While there Kaler played on some big toys and Lena took a short nap. As taxis and tuk-tuks were overpriced, we found that by taking songthaew pickup-taxi which operate on regular routes, we could get a better deal to get around town. We took the songtaew to Plearn Wan. On the way we had to detour because of a parade in progress in town.

On the way home we stopped at Plearn Wan (เพลินวาน) (MAP). The translation of the Thai plearn means 'enjoy' and wan means 'yesteryear'. This is a an attempt to re-create a vintage Thai commercial community. There are several web sites that capture the essence of what is going on. Web Site 1, Web Site 2. We walked around and looked at the shops and took pictures. As it was getting late and the kids needed naps, we left after a short visit.

Lena, Natty, and Grandma at Plearn Wan.

Trip To Thailand - 4/27

4/27, Wed. – Night Market in Hua Hin.

Guy, Kaler and Lena got up early and went to the swimming pool. There was good shade on the west side of the sunken bar. They played in the pool until it started getting too sunny/hot. Natty joined them in the pool later. All of them ended up with sunburns even though they put on sun screen. After lunch and naps everyone went to town via taxi for the night market in Hua Hin (MAP).

Un and Lena play with rocking horse in the hotel lobby.

At the market we watched a vendor making Kanom Krok, which is one of Guy's favorite Thai deserts, and which is very hard to find in USA.

Trip To Thailand - 4/26

4/26, Tue. – Courtyard Hua Hin at Cha am Beach

We took a taxi service to the Courtyard hotel at Cha'am beach near Hua Hin (MAP). First we played in the children's playroom. After we got our swimming suits on, we went out to the swimming pool. After a swim, Natty, Un, and Guy went out to get lunch. We ate at a nice restaurant on the beach. Guy bit into a thai chili and spent the rest of the lunch time trying to dilute the Capsaicin and dealing with the pain. After lunch, Guy walked back over to the hotel and met Seium Heng, Kaler and Lena. After lunch, Lena had a nap and we stayed around and watched TV until it cooled down. Later in the evening we went down to the pool and swam again. This time Kaler wanted to ride on the big water slide a lot.

Natty and Un at restaurant for lunch.


Lena and Kaler enjoying the swimming pool.


"Will you swim with me?"

Trip To Thailand - 4/23

4/23, Sat. – We went to Natty's cousin Jeab's house in the Don Muang district of Northern Bangkok (MAP). Jeab's husband is a Group Captain in the Thai Air Force. They expect expect his promotion to General (Air Vice Marshall) in the next 12 months (link to Thai military rank info). They live in officers quarters near the Air Force base.

Kaler and Lena played with with their 2^nd cousin Teddy (Jeab's 4.5 year old son). He had lots of toy cars, which made Kaler happy. He also shared some of his coco puffs and Cheetos with Lena, which made her happy. Teddy was very busy playing with legos himself when we arrived. We went out for lunch at a nice restaurant near their home and had very good Thai food. After lunch we went back to their house and the kids played some more and they also watched some Thai cartoons on TV. Kaler was glued to the TV set, hopefully he understood some of what the characters were saying. There was an impressive lightning and thunder storm while we were at their house, with a very heavy downpour that lasted for well over an hour, some of the streets were flooded by the storm. Guy stood on the porch and watched the show for a while. Lena came out to join him. She fell asleep with her head on Guy's shoulder in his arms the the thrumming of the rain and the rumble of the thunder. Later, she went down for a nap on the floor in Teddy's room. Kaler cried when it was time to leave. He was very sad to leave his new friend Teddy with the new TV programs and toys to play with. We went home via taxi later that afternoon.

The whole big family.


Lena, Guy, Kaler, and Teddy

Trip To Thailand - 4/22

4/22, Fri. – We took the #1 bus down Charoen Krung road and went swimming at Luck's “Supalai Casa Riva Condominium” swimming pool (MAP). After swimming we went downstairs and the kids played in the playroom for awhile. Later, we ate lunch at “My Place” restaurant right outside the entrance to the condo. After lunch we took the #1 bus back home. Guy, Kaler and Lena took a nap. Natty went via Sky-train (BTS) and Subway (MRT) to the train station to buy tickets for our trip to Cha Am beach at Hua Hin (MAP). However, the train schedule wasn't convenient and Natty found that a chartered van was cheaper. So she reserved a van for the round trip to Hua Hin. Kaler and Lena woke up from their naps and we watched some videos I recorded for the trip until Natty came home.

Trip To Thailand - 4/19

4/19, Tue. – Koh Kret

Took non-express River Ferry from Sathon terminal (MAP) upriver to Nonthaburi termial (MAP). Lena fell asleep in the stroller on the 1 hour boat ride. Kaler watched out the windows of the boat for the first half hour then he got tired and fell asleep on Guy for the second half of the ride. We hired a river taxi (longtail) boat to take us the rest of the way to the island of Koh Kret (MAP). We walked around the island for a while and looked at some Buddhist temples, pottery and other craftwork. We learned that the island is mostly visited on the weekends. Therefore there wasn't much open to visit while we were there. Kaler went poop in a toilet at the Buddhist Temple Rama V museum. We took the river taxi back to Nonthaburi. Natty and Guy commented later that the best part of the trip was the ride (sometimes scarey) on the fast taxi boat between Nonthaburi and Ko Kret. On the way back we took the express ferry, which was still slow, but at least it stopped at fewer stations along the river.

Kaler on the river ferry ride.


Lena plays near the ferry terminal.


Sitting in the shade near a Buddhist temple.


It's time for kisses.

Trip To Thailand - 4/15

4/15, Fri. – Songkran (Thai: สงกรานต์) Day 3 – Return from Farm, shop at Wood Carvers Market south of Chiang Mai in Nong Kaeo (MAP). Celebrate traditional Songkran ceremony with blessings from local elders at Joy’s House.

We ate breakfast, and Guy made a mess of the waffle batter. The waffle pan was overfilled and the batter dripped down the table and onto the floor. After Natty cleaned it up and Guy thought it was figured out, he made a mess again on the next batch of waffles. This time Guy had to clean up the mess.

We loaded the orphan kids into the back of the truck and headed back into town. Much dousing was enjoyed along the way. On bucket full of water hit the driver side mirror and twisted it back against the truck.

When we got to Joy’s house, the one group of kids jumped out and a new group jumped in and we headed down South to Nong Kaeo to the wood workers market. We shopped around for a couple hours looking at carvings for decorating the house. We saw a few things we liked but decided to wait for a day to buy anything.

When we got back to Joy’s house, it was very hot. We played in the swimming pool with the children and the squirt guns. There was a French speaking family with three children aged 3 – 9(?), the Swiss couple and a German couple in the pool and three orphans in the water and three other orphans running around with water. It was great fun splashing, and playing in the water.

At 4pm we got out of the pool and the traditional Songkran elder blessing ceremony started. It started with drums, cymbals, dancing, martial arts exhibitions, and lots of spraying water, this time with a hose. During this time elderly neighbors arrived and were seated in places of honor. This is the point that Kaler got scared from all of the loud noise and bustle and Natty had to leave to take him someplace quiet. Once every one was present, then there was traditional Thai dance, martial arts exhibition, traditional Thai music, and more Thai dance. Kaler and Natty returned at this point. Then gifts were given to the elders in exchange for blessings; well wishing for health, happiness, long life, wealth, family, etc. After this the there were more dancing, music, etc. Then there was a feast. After the feast, the children sang some songs, and did their chants. Later, we sat around and sang music to guitar and tambourine.

Parade leading up to the elder blessing ceremony.


Water Spraying before ceremony.


The elders are seated.


Traditional Thai music.


Kaler and Natty enjoying the festivities.


Guy, Kaler and Natty preparing to give gifts to the elders in exchange for blessings.


The elders gave blessings (well wishing for health, happiness, long life, wealth, family, luck, etc.) and tied a string around our wrist as a symbol of the blessings given.