Kayaking the Nam Khan in Luang Prabang 

Departing Bangkok, we flew to Luang Prabang, Laos.  Luang Prabong is the former royal capital of Laos, situated between the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers. While there are no 'major' historical or cultural sites, the town is really charming. Time passes slowly; monks stroll the streets; and backpackers are plentiful. However, it is not a party town as most everything shuts down by 11 p.m. French colonial influences are seen in the architecture and presence of French food.

Wherever we go, we like to find kayak touring opportunities, and this was a very fine trip down part of the Nam Khan.

Our companions on the trip were a couple from Trinidad and Tobago, currently residing in Saudi Arabia, as the husband is an executive jet pilot for Aramco.  With them were their daughter and her fiance, a fellow from Denmark who had been running nightclubs in London, and was soon returning to his hometown, just across the sea from my Norwegian relatives, Skagen, Denmark, with his bride-to-be, to run a bicycle shop.

We had a great paddle, and met some net fishermen on the river, amidst some very rustic sights.

In this post, we let the pictures tell the story.

Our guide led us to a Hmong village alongside the river.

Words are not needed, as the following images capture the beauty of the children we met in the village.

All kinds of young ones were running around.

Alas, we did not stop at this floating bar in the middle of the river, perhaps for the best, as you can see the owner lying asleep in the front of the vessel.

Around a bend, these elephants with their handlers were crossing the river.

This gentleman was on his cell phone, as he crossed the river with this elephant. This may be the best photo of the entire trip.  Or the most stunning clash between old and new.

Bye bye, our cute river friend. 

Next post, Luang Prabang night market, monks, and why I usually like to eat my rice, not drink it.

Khlong Tour, Patpong, Bangkok is Gone

On the last day in Bangkok we ran into a familiar icon.

 


We hired a colorful long-tail boat to tour the khlongs or canals of Bangkok.


































The twists and turns of the canals revealed ornate temples and Buddha images.

Bangkok residences, from canalside tin metal and wood structures, to concrete block apartment houses, appeared as well.

 

Swooping to intercept our boat just as we rounded a bend, ladies in overladen boats brimming with all sorts of sweets, trinkets, food bundles, religious icons, and beverages appeared.

A cool one would taste good, of course, on the hot river, so we took the bait, and, as the lady gesticulated and suggested, bought our boat driver a sudsy refreshment as well.

Yeah, that is the game that is played.  Nice racket.

As our mobile market lady sped off, we needed to dine and then make our way to the Patpong section of Bangkok.

We started our night out well, enjoying a surprisingly very fine meal at Eat Me, a nicely named restaurant, owned by an Aussie, clearly a bloke with a refined sense of humor.

Clearly, Patpong knows how to keep the party going, with all-nite happy hours, and fine women.

Patpong has something for everyone, all within a two- to three-block radius. First there is the block for the Japanese tourists -- lined with Japanese restaurants and far-too-young girls from impoverished sections of northern Thailand, eager to improve their lot in life, via whatever means available. It is truly a disturbing site.

Then there is the block of all the peep shows with girls being advertised to do all sorts of 'acrobatic' things.  (Ping Pong ...)

And finally the much more fun gay block with boys and lady boys.  Indeed, there we enjoyed our beverages.

Prudence dictated that all that happened in Patpong should stay in Patpong.

Bye Bangkok. 

Silk, SkyBar and a Foodie Tour, aka Karen's Perfect Day in Bangkok

One of the must-see spots in Bangkok is the Jim Thompson House Museum, and namesake store of fine silken apparel and products for men and women.

Jim Thompson, an American, revitalized the Thai silk industry. Thompson mysteriously disappeared while on holiday in Malaysia in the late 1960's.  His remains were never found and his estate left his home and antique collection to a foundation supporting the preservation of Thailand's cultural heritage.

He created a compound of fine traditional Thai teak buildings to house his collection of art and artifacts gathered throughout southeast Asia. Of course, a visit to the boutique after the tour was a must as was the purchase of numerous silk items.

Lao silk weaver, with raw and final product

Numerous ponds throughout the grounds host varied fish species.

 

Post-visit, lunch was had at the unbelievably diverse international food court at the MBK Mall.

Yes, Karen had lunch at a food court.

Looked a little like South Philly with the pizzas on display at one of the 'Italian' food vendors.

 As seen in "The Hangover, Part II", the Sky Bar, the highest rooftop bar in Bangkok, 63 floors up, may be, to quote Karen, "the coolest bar in the world." The stairs pictured here lead to the actual bar which is a circular area that cantilevers off the side of the building and overlooks the Chao Phayra river and downtown Bangkok.



















The prices are, as you would guess, New York drink prices.
But the view is fantastic. (Pictures do not do it justice.)

A bar like this would be very cool in NYC.

Our last day in Bangkok began with a foodie tour sampling how the locals eat.

Traditional Roasted Duck served on Rice.  Yum yum.The recipe was passed down from the owner's mother.

A highlight dish was Yum Pla Dook Foo (Crispy Catfish and Green Mango Salad). This is Northern Thai style cuisine.
 

Next was Thai curry noodle, a Thai/Indian blend of Masaman curry with turmeric paste.

  

At a bakery, Thai Style Green Custard Bun, Thai BBQ Pork Bun, and Thai Iced Bubble Tea was good.

The tour concluded with Green Thai Curry served on Roti, and Coconut Ice Cream.

Street food vendors were omnipresent, and our tastings on the tour inspired us to sample a great many skewers of veggies and meats.

Bangkok

Just how do two overnight flights, within 14 hours, work?    

Well enough to get us via Emirates Air from JFK to Dubai, twelve-hour flight, three-hour layover in Dubai, and Dubai to Bangkok, Thailand, six-hour flight.  Numerous time zone changes made the 'time' fourteen hours. 

It is Viggo's first time to Bangkok and Karen's fourth, but the buzz of the city is equally exciting to both.  There is a new airport, a skytrain that links much of the city, many new gleaming skyscrapers, new luxury malls, and a bit more polish. But is still has all bustling energy,  as we viewed from our room in the Peninsula Hotel, overlooking the prime passage of commerce and people in Bangkok, the Chao Phraya River.
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Eager to go, despite perhaps needing a little more recovery time from the flights, we commenced exploring Bangkok, the City of Angels, the Big Mango, Sin City Asia.

We began by taking a ferry to Wat Pho, famed as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, the largest Buddha statue in Thailand, stunningly gorgeous, from head to toe.   

Pictures do not do its radiant presence justice.

Wat Pho is also home to the largest number of Buddha images in one wat, or temple, in Thailand.

Buddhas of peace, with palms upraised, lined the corridors surrounding the wat.

All sorts of creatures protect the wats from evil forces.

Across the river from Wat Pho, Wat Arun rises.  We climbed and climbed the irritatingly shallow and high steps to get halfway up Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn.  The goal was to sign our names on a banner (something to do with good fortune in the Chinese New Year, we believe), wrapped around the edifice.

Beautifully ornate images and artwork adorned all sides and levels of the structure.

A round Buddha's belly (although not Thai style, but Chinese) proved to be too tempting for Karen to pass up, rubbing it for good fortune. 

 A lunch break was well deserved, after the wat's climb, and markets were teeming with buckets and baskets of fish, fresh and dried.

 

Tomorrow the Jim Thompson House, and perhaps sightings of Ladyboys at Patpong!