Monday 14 July 2014

Return To Thailand Typecast, June 2014

I began this post a week ago. I figured I'd do it as a typecast. I have already written in greater depth about our previous holiday to Thailand a few years ago;


This post will be considerably shorter. Things have been a little hectic since we got back and I've only just managed to complete it today, so here it is. Typecast on hotel stationery.
It was an interesting trip. I even managed to get some pictures of a couple of typewriters.



I managed to find a couple of typewriters.


And, like last time, they were part of a display in a ladieswear store.



I never got sick of riding in the tuk-tuks, regardless of how hair-raising they could be.




This cat had the right idea, asleep in the back of a tuk-tuk at Nopparat Thara pier in Ao Nang.



The pontoon pier at the resort. On choppy days, getting across this thing required a sure-footed approach.



A long-boat chugging along past the resort. I have to say I was slightly appalled at how fixated so many people were on their mobile phones. I thought the idea of a holiday was to get away from your mobile phone.


The macaque monkeys were up to their usual tricks, but this time, they had a new twist. They had resorted to ransacking the rubbish bins.


And of course, they got a little too close for comfort on more than one occasion. Generally, this is not a sight that you expect to see outside your front door.


And they had gotten a little more brazen since our last visit. This one was attempting to open the screen doors to our room.

But I was wise to his tricks. I locked the doors when I saw him coming. Sneaky bastard.





There was no way that I wanted to try the AK-47 or the pump-action shotgun. Still, it was an interesting experience for a budding writer.



I ate the breakfast of champions almost every day. Pancakes with maple syrup and whipped cream, topped off with shredded almonds. Like hell would I prepare this kind of breakfast back home. 
In fact, that slice of buttered toast was probably the most basic thing I ate.


Followed by fruit, that I would be too lazy to prepare for myself.


We found the hotel's best kept secret- a relaxation pool that no other guests used during the time that we were there. It was a little more secluded. And crystal clear. Too bad I was coughing so much. But the kids had fun in it. 


And I took with me the one watch that I could replace if it got lost or destroyed. The Sinn 103 St Sa chronograph. It performed like a trouper.


All in all, it was a good trip, despite the 'flu. It was a great way to relax and recharge the batteries before returning home to tackle what will be a busy second-half of 2014. My daughter was a big hit, too. One girl was handing out free samples of cranberry juice at a supermarket in Bangkok and she was quite taken with our little girl, asking to have a picture taken with her. 
In Ao Nang, a lady took a picture of our daughter because she liked her hairstyle. A few days later, we saw her in the street and she had gotten her hair cut and styled exactly the same way. We took a picture of them both. 
And most of the Thais that we encountered were extremely polite and friendly, as usual. 
Which was nice. 

Yes, despite the 'flu and other (literal) hiccups, it was a great trip. 
Gee, I said this post wouldn't be as long as the last one. Ah well.

Thanks for reading!

7 comments:

  1. Brilliant write-up! I loved this, and the photos.

    Just a few things to note: Dude - check out Bailey Nelson in Chapel street for your next glasses. you'll need your prescription, but it is worth it.

    Second, when I write while traveling, I allocate only an hour every three days - and write like hell. Hence why some of my on-the-road blog entries tend to read a bit messy. But it does let me do notes that I can write up later with.

    Third - The AK with its 7.62mm shells has a hell of a kick. I've fired one, but oddly enough I have yet to fire a pistol. I'll tell you one day about how I got a black eye from one of the Army's L1A1 SLRs.

    Hope you're recovering from your flu! Tough time of year to get it.
    Chat soon.

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  2. Hi Scott, I think I'm done with spectacle frames. My tally hovers somewhere around five or six pairs. And something tells me that Bailey Nelson won't be cheap, being that they're in Chapel Street. But thanks, I'll definitely keep them in mind if/when I need a new set of frames.

    I knew once we'd arrived in Bangkok that I wasn't going to keep a detailed account of this trip. We were all just too worn out, and whenever I reached for my notebook, I found that I was too inspired.

    I had no real desire to fire the AK-47, knowing that it would have a bit of a kick. However, I did have a go at the .22 calibre M4 carbine.

    This 'flu does linger. I've been back over a week and I'm still coughing here and there.

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    1. Sorry, I meant that I "wasn't" too inspired to write about the trip while I was there.

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  3. Quite the opposite. Bailey Nelson are the cheapest I have seen in Australia, with prices topping out at 130 including coated lenses.

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    1. Ooh, now that's interesting. Might have to swing by one day and help them pay their exorbitant rent. I'm thinking perhaps a pair of prescription sunglasses for driving. That's probably about the only type of specs I'm lacking these days. Thanks for the heads-up, SK!

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  4. I've never been to Thailand, but sounds like a place i'd love to visit one day, except for those little f'ing monkeys. I see one of those and i think back to Raiders of the Lost Ark.. i just think theyre all likely trained to rob you or lure you to get mugged. I wouldnt trust the damn things and would avoid anywhere theyre at. Plus who knows what disease they carry.
    As for the range, i still haven't been. The wife and I have been curious about it for about a decade now but still havent committed to doing it. My brother-in-law is an avid gun shooter and collector. I guess we can ask him one of these days to take us to a range and teach us how to shoot.
    Im curious about the jatujak market. i googled for pics and wow: looks crazy.
    i also read your 2011 blog post on your trip them: scary freaking snakes!!!!!!

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  5. Jatujak Market is huge! If it were just my wife and I, we probably would have covered more of it. Thailand is fantastic, but I have to say the humidity caught me off-guard this time around. It was the monsoon season and the humidity levels in the air were a little more than I could handle, especially once I came down with the 'flu. Felt like I was breathing through a straw. And I had the monkeys to contend with. Yes, they can apparently carry Hepatitis B, so it would be best to avoid getting too close to them. They are opportunistic and if you walk around with food (as one lady did with a croissant), they will snatch it from your hands. But if you give them a few feet of distance, they tend to leave you alone. Sure, they might sit outside your room expecting food, but once they realise that they're not gonna get any, they tend to move along.
    The gun range was interesting, but it could get expensive. Firing 20 bullets cost something like sixty bucks AUD. Another reason why I wanted to take it seriously.
    But, if you ever get the chance, go to Thailand. The people are very friendly, and we've always found that just being able to say 'hello' and 'thank-you' goes a long way. Perhaps the only negatives are that you can't drink water from a tap (faucet), but bottled water is very cheap over there.

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