Brilliant timing makes Bangkok a delightful place to Recover!

Instead of staying in India to go to the Pushkar Camel Fair, Kim and I cut our losses and left India. Good thing too as the situation there has gotten less than desirable over the last while. We departed on the 10th rather than waiting until the tour was over on the 13th or staying in India on our own longer. I booked Pat and Jessica a room at the Royal Orchid Sheraton in Bangkok and then did the same for Kim and I.

This is an absolutely delightful luxury hotel with all the trimmings and amazing customer service. It is located right on the Chao Praya River and every room has a gorgeous view. The plush beds and 2 pools were delicious as well as the food and ambiance. It was just the sort of pampering for a couple of nights that we all needed to get over the bad feelings from our trip through India.

Upon arrival the girls took a nap and Kim and I took the water bus over to the Vieng Tai Hotel in the Khao San Rd area to retrieve our left luggage. It was there and intact so we were pleased. This meant not only that I had some clean clothes again but also that Kim would have his old laptop to be able to work from.

When we got back we ended up swimming and falling asleep by the pool for a few hours to make up for the red-eye flight from Delhi that night. The four of us got together for dinner and I can't remember now but there were definitely some foot massages in there somewhere.

If I haven't talked about them let me just say that getting Thai foot reflexology is one of the best things about being here. For an hour session they wash your feet, apply mentholated rub, massage and use a stick or knuckle to work the acupressure points. It is so relaxing and most of the time for the last few minutes they have you sit up and they rub your shoulders and neck to finish.

Our second day in Bangkok with Jessica and Pat we spent going around the Khao San Rd area looking at jewelery for Pat and then while Jessica got pampered by getting massages and foot rubs the three of us went on a longboat ride through the narrow canal passages in Bangkok. It was a part of the city I had never seen before and it was both interesting and beautiful.
Later that evening before the four of us went to dinner we sat in the lobby and watched a parade of beauty contestants from all over Thailand and a small dance/music performance. It turns out that this night was the Loy Krathong Festival and there would be big celebrations, floating and flying lights and fireworks everywhere in Thailand. We took Jessica and Pat to one of our favorite restaurants(Kim and I try and go there every trip to Bangkok) it is called Tongue Thai and it was even better this time than I remembered. At the end of our meal they presented us with the flower/candle arrangements that are meant to be good luck offerings. On our way back to the Sheraton we stopped at the pier and lit and launched ours into the river.
We then sat in Pat and Jessica's room in front of the huge picture window and watched the amazing fireworks display over the river. I have to say I haven't always been impressed by fireworks displays but this was by far the longest, most elaborate and largest I have ever witnessed.

We had such a great time with the two of them, we were sorry to see them off the next day as they headed to Hong Kong for a brief layover on their way home to Sacramento.

Kim and I checked out of the Sheraton and into the Win Long Place just a few blocks in from the river and a fraction of the cost as well. Two nights there and some laundry and catching up on rest and we decided to head for Chiang Mai.
On the last night before we left, Kim and I put on our fancy clothes and walked over to the Shangri La Hotel. I had found out online that they had a live jazz band. Turned out we were the only ones in the whole bar. So, when they played a suitable song we got up and danced. The bartender gals enjoyed it and the band was delighted and asked us what we wanted to hear. So we got to dance to several more songs before heading back to our hotel. It was a great night and Kim and I plan on going back there when we go through Bangkok on our way home.(Given that the airports re-open and we go out that way.)

Next stop: Chiang Mai in the north-west of Thailand

Staying safe and enjoying Thailand

Let me just begin by assuring everyone that we are safe and staying out of harms way. I know some of you have seen the political protests on the news and I just want to let you all know, in case you were concerned. We are relaxing in a small and fairly touristy city, Chiang Mai, in the North of Thailand. Kim is staying on top of the news and making sure we are nowhere near any demonstrations/protests/marches or meetings for these political groups and activists. We are still doing just great and it is not very apparent that there is trouble afoot. Since our flight out is not for quite a while we are not very affected by the shut down of the airports at this time and I am certain that it will all have worked itself out by the time we are set to fly again. But regardless we are being careful.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!
Dana

India/Swindlia a Grand Failure!

I last blogged to say we were on our way to an overnight train to Varanasi and would give the trip a few more days before we passed judgement overall. I can now say that the India portion of this trip was a complete failure. We lasted until the 10th and left along with the three other travellers Pat, Jessica and Kim. (not counting our leader and her ex-boyfriend, who were going to travel further after we left anyhow) So we never made it to the Pushkar Camel Fair. I have to say even if we'd gone we wouldn't have had a good time because at that point we were "DONE" with India and our tour altogether.

Although we did get swindled a few times in minor ways from the $50 at the Kali Temple to any purchase we made at white people prices, the biggest swindle of all (hence my nickname India-Swindlia) was the tour itself. Our guide touted 1st class hotels, heritage sites and lovely pools in said resorts and then we were in what I would call 2 star hotels at best. They were dirty and no pools except one. So I would say overall our trip should have cost about $2500 at the most. We had paid $8k so the big swindle was unexpectedly from our trip leader from Sacramento who put on the trip.

Everyone else I know who has gone to India in the last few years has gone with a group trip and had an excellent time. They all said..."you have to go first class so that you have a refuge from the filth and overwhelming crowds you will experience there." I thought that is what we had signed up for. Instead it was more like a group of backpackers mooking along not quite sure what there was to see. Our leader's travel book was 3 years old and she hadn't been to India for 28 years, both things we didn't know before embarking on this adventure.

A few days into the trip, I had to have a sit down with our leader and tell her it was unacceptable for us not to have local/informed guides with us to show us the sights, look out for swindlers, and that meals needed to be included for the price we paid for the trip(as we found out when we arrived that they weren't going to be!)

The 2 overnight trains were a nightmare of cockaroaches and disgusting toilets that I would rather not go into detail about as I would rather block them out of my mind. I can say with certainty that none of the other members of our group were pleased with the train and accomodations either.

The final straw for me was after an overnight, miserable train to Delhi we checked into another dark dank cold showered dirty hotel room with sheets that were so filthy we had to use our hostel sleepsheets. Thank goodness we brought them! As Kim had his cold rinse I sat there ready to cry and thinking "This was supposed to be my "Orient Express" trip as it was just as expensive and was supposed to be posh. We had never spent so much on a trip in our lives, including the 65 day trip Kim and I did in Europe back in '95. I had packed a cocktail dress and my dance shoes in case there were any live musicians at the "heritage hotels". We never needed any nice clothes and the clothes we did wear got filthy within minutes.

Ok enough griping...it was a bust...so we left. The five of us got a car (at our own expense mind you) to drive us from Jaipur to Delhi. We hired him to take us into Delhi so we could have dinner and then to the airport. We had him take us to the Imperial Hotel which was of the caliber we had all hoped to experience throughout the trip. That was where I could have pulled out my heels and dress but since no one else dressed up I just wore my nice silk shirt and Kim wore his sports coat. After the best meal of the trip we went to the airport and made our escape to Bangkok. How do you make Bangkok feel as clean as Europe? Go to India on the cheap first!

I am sorry it has taken me so long to post but I had to wait until the sting of it had passed enough to write about it.

One positive thing I will say is that the Taj Mahal was as lovely and impressive a piece of art as it is touted to be. I expected to be dissapointed and I was not! It was the one bright gem in an otherwise depressing trip.

If you want even more gory details of the day to day along with the sights we did see check out Kim's blog. http://wwfam-kstj.blogspot.com/2008/11/my-india-review.html

Coming soon....Thailand makes it all better!