Just the Beginning in the Rose of The North

A colorful reminder that we are in Thailand :)

120 baht/hour for a foot massage on Taphae- thats 4$/hour!

Banana and coffee smoothie..Aroi!

Beautiful ruins and temples adorn the city

One of the many decorated doors to the wats

Riding in the back of a "Song taew", the Thai mini "bus"

Ayuthaya, The Ancient Capital of Thailand

Our first night in Ayutthaya, the locals told us about great food at Saithong, a Thai restaurant on the riverside (pronounced Sigh-tong). We took their word and went to try it out..we were not disappointed. The prices were reasonable, service was friendly, the food was delicious,
 and the location was close-by our guesthouse and had a beautiful, relaxing environment. It is especially nice when it gets dark and the lanterns light up all along the river. You can even eat your dinner on a boat while cruising the river.                                    I ordered Som Tum (green papaya salad) and some red curry crab. The red curry was so good I cannot tell you how good!! Just trust me!! It was amazing. I also ordered fresh pineapple juice which was yummy and beautifully adorned with orchids (something that could not be affordable for North American restaurants). The best part--my dinner cost me no more than $4 Canadian!

Gotta love Thailand!

Som Tum- SO GOOD!- has green papaya, sprouts, tomatoes, lime, and peanuts!

 

Chang and some snacks--cheap cheap!

 Now that we settled into Ayuthaya for a 3-day stay, we wanted to stock our mini fridge with some drinks and snacks for convenience. We went to 7-11 (Yes, there is a 7-11 on almost every corner in Thailand) and picked up some stuff, including some Chang beer, which is the best Thai beer in Thailand! It is delicious("aroi", delicious in Thai)-- which is rare, because the only beer I will even come close to at home is Bud Light Lime. I know thats "not really beer" , but its the only one that tastes good to me!
In Ayutthaya we were able to buy two 40's of Chang, 2 boxes of Soy Milk, A Collagen Fruit Drink(!), some sour candies, 2 packages of pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds all for 4 dollars Canadian!



Biking to the Ayuthaya Day Market on bicycles we rented from
 Mr.Moon!  It cost us 50 BHT each/day..thats only $1.60 a day!






Eating another delicious meal on the river- side, this time
 @ Baan Mai Rim Nam

 

 
   

Mmm...Tempura "gung" (shrimp) and pineapple
 rice with sweet and sour sauce @ Baan Mai Rim Nam



Often people under-estimate Thailand's development, think again!

Another fantastic meal, the name of this restaurant was only in Thai
writing so Im not sure, but it was across the street from Saithong and had
 an awesome staff! We had fun with them, and the food was good too!

Staying in Ayuthaya was exciting, cultural and definitely an eye-opener!. It showed us the simpler side of Thailand, as opposed to Bangkok. Although Ayuthaya has had its fair share of development too, still, many people in the old capital are leading simple family lives, with simple accomodations. It is pretty normal to see families sitting in the front yard doing their laundry, or to see the locals out in the streets selling flowers for merits and other traditional items. Ayuthaya was a great place to learn about the old Thai style, compared to Bangkok where traditions seem to be weakening because of rapid modernization.

**Click here** to see a video of our experiences in Ayuthaya! :)

 The old Ayuthaya architecture and temples were breath-taking, I can see why so many tourists go there every year. During our stay we went out quite a bit- we ate local food, toured the markets, biked around town and tried to see as much as possible- and surprisingly, we did not come in contact with many Westerners at all! In fact, during our stay we only bumped into a few other tourists, and this was only at the guesthouse and on the river boat ride to see the temples. While out on the streets, we did not see any tourists at all.
 We truly felt like outsiders in Thailand, for the first time-- not that this is a bad thing, but it was clear that we were not locals, and we got a lot of curious stares, and many comments about how "white and beautiful" we were. (How ironic- at home people pay to be tanned, but here the more white you are, the more beautiful you are thought to be. Everywhere you look, Thais have painted their faces white on a daily basis and its hard to find sunblock or lotion that doesnt have a whitener!)
 Very few people there spoke English, which was a challenge, but all the same, we were able to connect with the locals and find a means of communication through body language, hand gestures, and even drawings! Staying in Ayuthaya forced us to learn more of the Thai language to survive and for this I am grateful. All in all, it was fun!!

Here are a few special moments I captured on camera, taken in the streets of this Thai community on a typical day-its true what they say, some pictures say a thousand words:

It is home-time for some lucky Thai children who are able to attend primary school!
 School is out, and the rain is coming down! But its no big deal, it will dry in 2 minutes anyways!

Training it from Bangkok to Ayuthaya



Packing for Ayuthaya

There is so much to see and do in Bangkok, it is completely impossible to see everything in a week, a month, even years-So we have decided that even though the 3 days we spent in Bangkok were the hottest, most humid and insanely chaotic experiences we have ever had- we have got to come back for more!

Not only was it one of the most interesting cultural experiences I have ever had, but it was intriguing and left us more curious than when we first arrived. We are leaving the city to head north for awhile, to get a taste of other provinces of Thailand (and to escape the heat), but we will be back! And when we do come back, it will be easier to navigate ourselves around the city since we have somewhat become accustomed to the transportation there, the mapping of districts, and the language.

 We have picked up quite a bit of the Thai language, so communication with the locals is becoming more fun now, rather than daunting. Plus, the Thai give you a lot more respect if you attempt to understand their culture and language rather than expecting them to cater to your needs. After all, thats what we are here for- to experience Thailand, not to pretend we are still in Canada.

Leaving the hotel in Sukhumvit District

  
Next we head north to Ayuthaya, the ancient capital of Thailand, where there are many historical temples, ruins and monuments such as the very famous Golden Buddha!

We will be staying in a traditional Thai hut with a moat around it! Woooooooooooooooooo:)




On the train, just leaving Bangkok- passing The Grand Palace!

Click here
to see a video of the train ride




We are here! Now taking a Tuk-Tuk to our guesthouse :)

 

Pratanum & Sukhumvit, Bangkok

These power lines arent low, theyre vertically challenged :P

Click here to see one of our videos of Bangkok :)


One hilarious tuk-tuk driver






 

Another living wall,
spelling out LOVE <3



One of the walking bridges connecting to the
World Center Mall near the outdoor Pratanum Market

The Erawan Shrine

 

Going down a small winding alley
in search of food!

 In 1955 a respected astrologist, named (Admiral) Luang Suwichanphaet told the founders of the Erawan Hotel, that the original moment for laying the foundation of stone of the hotel was not favourable according the lunar period. He said it must be corrected by building a shrine of the Thao Maha Brahma and a Spirit House in the area of the hotel.
Following the admirals advice, an image was professionally sculpted in plaster and covered with a gold leaf and brought to the hotel area the following year on Nov. 9th. Each year a worship ceremony is held on this day. The shrine is also worshipped by Thais on a daily basis, where offerings of water, food, flowers and incense are given.

We passed by the Erawan Shrine on our way to the Pratanum Market and noticed it by the loud Thai music playing and the smell of incense burning. We also noticed Thais selling caged birds outside the gates of the shrine. This is for "merit-making." Most Thais believe in reincarnation, and they believe you can acheive a higher form of life through reincarnation. They try to acheive this by earning merit, through positive actions in life. Helping a fellow man, giving religious objects to a temple (like flowers and incense) and freeing a caged bird are all ways to earn merit. 

Bangkok traffic, good thing were walking!

The Outdoor Pratanum Market--
anything your heart desires. Except English.




Freshly squeezed Guava nectar!
 20 Baht!!

  

The rooftop pool @ our hotel
Lots of tropical plants!




So cool! This swing was made out of an old recycled Ox plow!



The pool and outdoor showers

Preparing to Travel Abroad: THAILAND

Travelling abroad is a huge undertaking, and can be very intense depending where you are going, how far away it is, how long you will be staying, and how different the language and culture are.                                                                                       
We are visiting The Kingdom of Thailand (a monarchy) which is on the complete opposite side of the world, with exactly a 12 hour time difference, and sooo many other differences! It can be both exciting and overwhelming, but mostly exciting!!
 There are lots of great resources out there to help you learn about experience and integration into other societies, especially webpages, travel books, and blogs!

 Here are some that I have found particularly useful while researching Thailand:  

• Virtual Tourist, Thailand-blogs, Bangkok.com
•  Foreign Affairs Canada,  Royal Thai Embassy , 
•  Buddhist Travel 
•  Lonely Planet's 'Thailand' by J. Cummings, S. Bao, S. Martin, C. Williams 
• Moon's 'Living Abroad in Thailand' by S. Nam 

 To enter Thailand you must have :

• A Valid Passport
• A Thai Visa
• A flight to Thailand
• A return flight/ongoing flight out of Thailand



Our Visa Applications, Passports, and Travellers hand books.



Its also a good idea to have:

• Travel Insurance
• Up-to-date vaccinations
• Copies of all documents-Paper and electronic
• A Hotel Reservation for when you arrive in Thailand
• Thai currency
• Credit cards or emergency money

  

My first Thai baht- Thanks Sandra!!
 Here is the back side of the 100 Thai Baht Bill



$3.25 CAD= 100 Thai Baht
(front side)