Bangkok

Arriving in Bangkok and being met at the airport by Nok was like coming to meet an old friend. We stopped at the flower market on the way to the hotel and went for a walk taking in all the familiar but interesting stalls we visited on our last visit to Bangkok.  Open 24 hours a day flowers are sold on a wholesale basis as well as to individuals.  We also visited the vegetable market which was the wholesale market for vegetables and farmers bring their produce here for direct sale. All of the vegetables looked so fresh.  After checking into the Penninsula Hotel where we were welcomed in our room with a lovely chocolate display as returning guests we boarded one of their water taxis to head across the river in search of a Thai massage.  The parlours are plentiful and the masseuse s sit outside inviting customers in.  Finding one we liked the feel of we each had a one hour massage for the equivalent of 20 dollars. Heavenly. For dinner we went to Sala Rim Naam, a wonderful Thai restaurant with a tasting menu and a Thai dancing show to enjoy with dinner.  The manager of the restaurant seemed to take a special effort in insuring we had an enjoyable time and even sent us a complimentary special dessert at the end of a most enjoyable meal. It was a wonderful way to start our short visit to Thailand.

The next day  Nok and Meow,our driver picked us up early and we headed out of the city to visit Ayutthaya which was once Thailand’s capital. Founded in 1351 by King Rama I there was once a grand palace surrounded by many great temples in this area that covered several square kilometres. The area was captured by the Burmese in 1767 and looted and largely destroyed. The remains have now been maintained as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It was fascinating to walk around the ruins some remarkably well preserved, often with whole or pieces of Buddha’s still remaining.  What made this so special was that in some of the places we went there were so few people so you really got to explore and get the feel of the place.  After a visit to a temple to see one of the oldest large Buddha’s we went to visit Bang Pa which is the Royal Summer Palace.  Built in 1632 it fell into disrepair but was restored in the 1800’s by King Rama IV.  This palace is used by the royals and their consorts as a summer dwelling and as King Rama IV had 92 known consorts and 77 children I am sure he made good use of it.

After a full day we had yet another massage before enjoying a Thai meal at the hotel during quite a spectacular thunder and lightning storm.

Inside the 24 hour flower market. The floor is wet so one had to watch your step

This chap was delivering funeral flowers on his motorcycle 

The vegetable market is only open during the day and all the vegetables will be gone by the afternoon 

Someone’s  purchases waiting for pickup 

One of the multitude of food stalls. I really don’t know how they can all make a living

Beautiful Thai dancing

Love the costumes 

Dancers came around to meet the diners after the show

Making flowers from the lotus plant and happy to have her photo taken

Main temple at Ayutthaya 

The three spires are in very good condition 700 years later

Amazing to see what they built so long ago and even though the Burmese tried to destroy it much still stands

Some remains of the palace

It was such a serene and peaceful place to visit

Many whole and partial Buddha images still remain

The remains of the inside of one of the temples

This Buddha head has gotten tangled in the roots of the tree and many come to the site just to get a picture of this and then they leave

The mix of colours made the site so much more interesting 

Wat Chaiwattanarin is the best preserved of the ruins and we were able to climb to the top 

Amazing that they still let people go go this ancient structure 

View of the inside of the temple from above

Looking out a window 

One of the best preserved temples

This stupa and Buddha were in a field with nothing else around and we were the only ones there. Love that such a beautiful place is not over run




Likewise this Buddha sat in a well preserved chapel with only the roof missing

This giant reclining Buddha was once inside a temple but the temple has been destroyed yet the Buddha remains

Quite the truck load and lots of workers

These colourful bags are fish food that people buy to feed thei catfish

This giant Buddha image was one of the few ancient ones that was saved intact from the ancient site

As there is a lot of Chinese commerce along the river there are Chinese Temples where the people can stop along the way and worship

A very small tug pulling several barges. Reminded me of the little engine who knew he could

King Rama X was just ordained in May and the celebrations are still going on

Some of the buildings on the lake in the Summer Palace 

They need a trim but lots of animals adorned the grounds

These buildings in the Summer Palace reflect the Japanese influences 

Jiufen, Taiwan

On our last day in Taiwan we decided to venture out into the countryside to see more of the country.  Despite the torrential rains we we glad we had made this decision.  Even the small towns we passed through had huge high rises with high density housing.  As in Taipei houses were rarely seen.  The freeway system is quite impressive and much of it is raised road.  We travelled north and eventually reached the Pacific Ocean which was much like at home.  We made a stop along the way at some very impressive rock formations before continuing on to Jiufen.  Jiufen is an old mining hilltop mining town situated 400 meters above sea level accessed by a long winding switchback.  For hundreds of years it was a tiny little village and then in 1893 gold was discovered here by the Japanese and it grew overnight.  Once it was mined out it reinvented itself as a tourist destination.  The original winding cobblestone alleys are now lined with small shops and eateries and it reminded us of an upscale all day night market. After returning to Taipei and drying off we decided to go for a foot massage before dinner.  I would call it more of a foot and leg beating and have a bruise to show for it.  I am in search of a nice oil massage in Thailand.  We woke this morning to heavy rain for our drive to the airport.  We realized that in all our travels we have mostly been blessed with good weather and it does make a difference in what you can do yet having said that we have seen and learned a lot about Taiwan and are really glad we came here.

The lines in the left hand side of the picture are heavy rainfall. Despite umbrellas we were soaked by the time we returned to the van.

The rock formations were very unusual and worth getting wet for

Unusual colours which would have been spectacular in the sunlight 

Braving the rain yet once again

Picturesque waterfall on the road up to Jiufen

Old miners homes now repurposed as shops and small eateries

The town sits high on a steep hill and the views are spectacular on a clear day.  Lantern festivals are held here regularly

The narrow cobblestone roads curve amongst the buildings and are the originals.

Very popular with the tourists even on a wet day

Do not know what coal chocolate is but liked the display

Glimpses of the old brick buildings through the awnings

Certainly no space between buildings with the living space above the shops. About 3000 people live here today

This stall was selling a variety of squid and it was light and delicious and really cheap. We enjoyed the one on the left which due to size was more like octopus which is right up my alley

These chickens were also for sale but not as appetizing as most of the other foods so we took a pass

This is a different take on peanut ice cream and one I am glad we can not get at home because I could easily become addicted.  The gentleman is shaving peanuts from the big block

The scoops of ice cream are placed on the shaved peanuts and it is wrapped in a paper thin wrapper to be enjoyed

Absolutely delicious and only $1.50.

Taipei

We arrived in Taipei late Wednesday afternoon to start our next adventure.  Taipei is the capital city of Taiwan and has a population of 2.6 million people.  The city is a mixture of old and new architecture with an abundance of high density housing with very few individual houses anywhere to be seen.  There are several night markets for which the city is well known where one can wander about a myriad of stalls selling delicious smelling foods.  The number of massage parlours is simply amazing.  We did try out our first Taiwanese massage on our second day and it was a first in a couple of ways.  First of all you are given a pair of shorty pj like clothes and the entire massage is done with these on often under the blanket as well which was probably just as well as I do believe my masseuse had the strongest hands and elbows I have ever encountered. Not exactly relaxing.  Secondly Eric had his first male masseuse so that was an experience for him.  I could not help but laugh silently when he walked into the room.  Must say I wish we could get massages for the same prices at home.  We spent the first day doing the hop on bus so we could get a general ovr view of the city.  During our stay here the weather has been lass than stellar so was good to have some cover.  Asking for recommendations we lunches at a local restaurant and had some delicious dumplings, spicy fried chicken and prawn noodles.  In the evening we took a tour to the Huaxi Night Market and Snake Alley.  Apparently Snake Alley used to be much more actively displaying live snakes and animals but this has fallen off greatly in recent years as it it no longer acceptable to most people.  We also visited Longshan Temple which is the oldest temple in the city and then went to Taipei 101 which is the second tallest building in the world at 101 floors of course.  Had dinner in a popular restaurant in the building with our tour companions who were from Japan.  As Caucasians we definitely stand out here as most tourists are from other parts of Asia.  For example we have only seen one other Caucasian in our large hotel.  Having said that everyone is very polite and welcoming. On Friday we went on a full day private tour with our guide Henry. He has an MBA from the states and this is his second job.  He was full of information and we learned so much about the way of life.  That alone made the tour worthwhile. We were a little restricted as to where we went as the rain was wicked but we visited the National Palace Museum, the Presidential Office Building and the National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall and the Grand Hotel.  We went to a small local restaurant for the most delicious beef noodles, marinated tofu and shrimp dumplings.  We also went to a traditional bubble tea stand as Taipei is where bubble tea originated.  Despite the weather it was a great day. 

Off of every Main Street in Taipei there are a multitude of narrow alleyways that are lined with small businesses.  This is where you find most of the massage parlours and may of the small restaurants.

The stoplights and walk signals all tell you how much time you have.  Great idea. On main streets one usually has at least 60 seconds to cross.

The number of scooters is mind boggling and even the police ride them for ease of getting around.

Fresh food for sale displayed at the night market 

One could do all their shopping at the night market if they were so inclined

Tempting delicacies for those passing by

Seafood sticks ready to go on the grill

Longshan Temple at night

Inside the temple

Taipei 101 against the night sky

Presidential Office Building built by the Japanese during their rule of Taiwan in 1919

Gates to the National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial site which is also the site of the National theatre and the National concert hall.

Building on Liberty Square on the Memorial site

The actual Memorial Hall with 89 steps leading in which was his age at death

Our bubble tea awaits

A ceramic pillow from the museum collection.  Centuries old.  Reported to be comfortable but I cannot imagine how that could be 

This is a century’s old wine decanter and I think it would be a welcome addition to any wine lovers home as well as a great conversation piece

The Grand Hotel sits high over the river and has wonderful views of the city 

Cloudy view of the city from the Grand Hotel with Taipei 101 rising above the rest

Our appetizer at dinner last night. Beautifully presented and absolutely delicious