Thailand

Thailand is a beautiful country full of warm people, delicious food, a crazy display of modern Western architecture mashed together with classic Asian design. Paul, Anna and I had a lovely time during our visit which included Bangkok, Pattaya, and Koh Samui. We are really happy that we were able to visit another Asian country during our stay in India to really experience the East. Below are some photos that will depict our trip in a little more detail.

Paul's friend Roy, who is working on the GM Thailand project, meets us in Bangkok to take us sight seeing our first day in Thailand. We take a water taxi from our hotel to see temples. Here is a view from the water taxi.
We pass an older water taxi along the route.

Here Roy and I are on our water taxi as he reluctantly smiles for the camera. Anna takes a nap on mommy while we cruise down the river.

We then have a short walk to the temples through this small bazaar.

Thais love dogs as much as Americans. Here is a little toy pooch guarding a table set up in the bazaar.

Finally, we make it to the temples and Paul and Anna pose in front of the exterior.

A smaller temple . . .

The detail work on the exterior of the temples is amazing. It really helped us to understand what many of the Indian temples and forts more than likely looked like at one point in time. Here is a more detailed shot of the columns.

Little men holding up the structure . . .

Entrance to the temple . . .

Later that afternoon, we headed over to the King's Palace, as you can see below.

Paul and Anna take 5 to read the tour book and figure out where to go.

Tiled roofs at the King's Palace compound.

Thai guards marching around the entire complex. . .

It was super hot, and of course I forgot my hat and umbrella. So much to Paul's dismay, I bought a paper umbrella on the street for a small fortune of $8 USD. However, it was worth every penny to keep me cool.

A photo of the longest reclining Buddha in Asia.

Though long and hot, we had a great first day. Night-night Bangkok! A view from our room of downtown.
The next morning we went to the famous JJ Market to walk around. I was amazed at how orderly the traffic appeared from the skywalk.

Anna and I look at the dresses for sale at JJ Market.

Pork! I swear I was meant to live in this country.

Coconut water for sale.

Inside the 'alleys' at JJ Market.
Baby Anna falls asleep again . . .
Time to leave the market and head back to the hotel to catch a ride with Kun Gai back to Roy's flat in Pattaya. Paul and I decide to take the sky train starting in Chatuchak Park.

Anna and I wait on the platform for the train.

Anna makes a friend on the train . . .

Time to disembark at the station.
As we walk from the train station back to the hotel, here is a view of the street we stayed on.

We drove about 2 hours south of Bangkok to arrive in Pattaya. Pattaya is where the GM Thailand folks are staying. The view from Roy's flat made us a bit jealous when compared to the view from Waterfront.

7-11 IS everywhere in Thailand. However, Paul was disappointed there were no slurpees.

Lacking entertainment for Baby Anna, Roy graciously allowed her to take all of his DVD's off the shelf. Here she is destroying his collection.

Street view of Pattaya.
We left Roy's and flew further south to Koh Samui for a little beach holiday to end our holiday. Paul surprised me with cooking lessons at the Samui Institute of Thai Culinary Arts in Chaweng Beach. Here is a photo of my cooking school.
Here I am shredding oyster mushrooms to make Tom Kha Gai (or Coconut Milk Soup with Chicken).
In the kitchen, I am wielding my wok over a hot gas burner.

I learned how to make four authentic Thai dishes from scratch including Thai green curry paste, and my absolute two favorite Thai dishes--Thai Green Curry and Pad Thai. Here are some photos of my finished work. I cannot wait to try out my new cooking skills on all of you!

Tom Kha Gai, or Coconut Milk Soup with Chicken

Yum Pla Tod, or Spicy Deep Fried Fish Salad

Gaeng Kaiw Waan Puk Rum, or Green Curry with Mixed Vegetables and Tofu

And the best for last . . . Phad Thai Koon Sod, or Fried Noodles with Prawns

A room with a view. Here is a view of the Indian Ocean from our room.

A view of the courtyard from our room.

Anna is our little water baby. She really loves the water. Here she is floating in her baby inter tube. Don't worry...Paul was an arm's reach away.

Anna has always loved to be outdoors since she was born. She really enjoyed sitting outside with us and listening to the ocean, smelling the fresh air, and catching some rays.

Her new favorite teething 'toy' ... The ItzBeen timer!

No morning is complete without coffee!
Daddy, Anna and Mommy enjoy reading/playing on the terrace in the morning listening to the waves crash outside.

Paul cannot complete any trip without trying the local junk food. The most disgusting thing he brought home and tried on this trip were Lay's Potato Chips flavored with squid, prawns and sweet chili. Even he found them vile as I did the stench that filled the room when he opened the bag. View of our hotel and pool from the ocean . . .

On Koh Samui, we stayed in Fisherman's Village. Within Fisherman's Village they had a little 'Walking Street' of shops and cafes that we walked everyday. Here are some photos from our excursions.

Sandals!
A view of Walking Street . . .

Wooden statues for sale.

A cat that Paul chased down to take its photo.

And so, we leave Thailand feeling full from yummy food (especially meat), clean from breathing fresh sea air, and a bit brown from the hot Thai sun.