Christmas and New Year 2004.
I had an amazing holiday in Thailand. Andy and I went to the coastal resort of
Hua Hin and stayed at the Hilton Hotel resort and spa. We were there for 6 and
a half days, and I swear that Andy ate crab everyday! I had many
delicious dishes, but the ones that stand out are: Shrimp in an orange
sauce, deer with a light chilli sauce, red snapper with a lemon sauce
and a Burger King lunch! (I hadn't had BK since I went to LA in 2003).
We were on the east coast and so felt no shake at all when the
earthquake and tsunami hit. We were so lucky that we had decided we wouldn't go to Phuket as too many tourists would be there. It's not like we wanted to
go for the nightlife or anything. We just wanted great restaurants, a
place by the beach where we could sit and read, chat, have a swim and
generally relax.
We went to Bangkok for a few days. Neither of us were very impressed.
It has some beautiful temples and we saw the Golden Buddha. We visited Chinatown and Little India - soooo hectic and noisy, crowded and
dirty! There was a huge market that stretched along a narrow street
for miles! It was full of stalls selling material, clothes, fruit,
food stalls, hair accessories, bags, tailor shops, Chinese or Thai
style dresses etc. You could barely walk as there were so many people
and it was a very hot day.
We had a chinese meal for lunch - deer in a chilli sauce, crab in a
spicy peppercorn sauce and a shrimp salad. Afterwards we took a
tuk-tuk to another part of the city and walked along the roads
absorbing the smells and atmosphere of a mad city that doesn't seen to
rest. There were tons and tons of stalls along the streets selling new
year wall hangings and cards, lanterns and trinkets and all in a
bright red color. People were selling things out of cars, vans, carts
and had outdoor stoves with all the women of the family cooking up
pots of seafood, soup, vegetables and other curious ingredients. I
felt very weary towards the end of the day, and so we went to an Irish
bar to grab Time Out! We had beer and fish and chips!! Lovely! I've
missed that!
At the resort, we'd had such a relaxing time, just wandering around
many craft shops and eating leisurely lunches and evening meals,
looking out over the sea and being a little lazy. Bangkok was so different, and it was good to see the contrast. Here was the hub and
it was vibrant. One of the taxi drivers we met when we first arrived in Bangkok was
quite a character! His name was Mr Jacq and he kept warning us again
and again about the dangers of well spoken Thai people at sightseeing spots. He told us to not go anywhere with them, or trust them when they suggested a place to go. Of course, Andy and I would never dream
of doing such a thing anyway, but it was very nice of him to try and
help us. He said that he hated the people who try and con tourists, as
then they say Thailand is a dangerous place and many people get nervous and don't want
to take taxis. We booked him to take us to the airport as he was
a really jolly and friendly guy with an enormous guffaw when he
laughed.
Luckily, his driving was pretty good, and we had a nice ride to the airport.
I have many fond memories of Thailand.
