Spring 2023 - Exploring Mu Ko Ang Thong

Like something out of a 007 movie,  this is just one of 
42 cool islands in the Ang Thong Marine Park

About an hour northwest of Koh Samui by speedboat, is a protected Marine National Park that was established in 1980. The park includes 42 islands inside a total area of about 102 square kilometres. You can only access the park with sanctioned tour operators that pay the entrance fee for you and provide access to the the limited facilities that they have on the islands. This keeps the number of people that visit the park to a manageable number and helps protect the fragile nature of the ecosystem. On March 26, 2023, Gym and his dear companion joined a group of seven Brits, two Aussies, two Americans and two Maltese on an excellent day-long tour of the park.

The tour was operated by Oceana Samui Charters and the boat and crew did a wonderful job. It cost 9,000 baht ($360 cdn) each, which sounds steep but it included a hot lunch, kayaks, snorkelling gear, unlimited soft drinks and water, park fees and great guides. 

It was a beautiful day and the sea was mostly flat but Mrs. Gym was turning green until they let her sit in the copilot's seat at the front. She then turned back to her normal colour for the rest of the trip. Gym was glad she got better because he got his phone a little wet at the first stop and her camera was needed to capture some of the cool stuff they saw. Thank you, Mrs. Gym!

The first stop of the day, was a snorkelling opportunity by Koh Wow island. The reef was in pretty good shape and there was some pretty good marine life to look at there. Gym struggled to take some underwater pictures and did not end up with any at all. His phone's underwater case must have been defective and the phone got a bit wet and ended up shutting down. Notwithstanding this unforeseen setback, he enjoyed the chance to get in the water and see a couple of levels of brightly-coloured tropical fish. And his phone did recover later that evening. 

The second stop involved climbing the height of about 15 stories up steep stairs from the beach on Ko Mae Ko island, to the rim of the limestone cliffs surrounding Thalae Nai Lake (also known as Emerald Lake). It is a saltwater lake that is not connected to the sea at the surface. It is however connected by a submarine tunnel and fish are able to transit that tunnel to the lake, from the sea. Up on the viewing platform, one has an intoxicating view not only Emerald Lake but also of the picturesque, nearby islands.

The third stop was lunch. Koh Paluay is the only inhabited island inside the boundaries of the park. The local population of about 500 are mainly fishermen but they also make a few baht by feeding tour groups and selling knick-knacks, liquor and cannabis. Apparently, there may also be a limited number of rooms to rent there. Gym thought the lunch was excellent. There was a tasty fish soup, followed by a rich fish curry on rice and dessert. After lunch the tour group was lucky enough to see a pair of Hornbills in a tree. These are big, odd-looking Toucan-like birds. They were posing near the bananas that were put out to attract them.

The last place we visited was Two Brothers Beach, for kayaking or beachcombing. Gym and his dear wife chose beachcombing because they never have gotten along when they have shared a kayak in the past. They can't find the zen that is required to coordinate paddling and end up using the paddles as weapons. Beachcombing is always a much more suitable choice for them. The beachcombers' most interesting find that day was some brain coral that had washed up on the sand.

The day slid by quickly and as the sun began to get low on the horizon, the speedboat headed back to the dock at Koh Samui. Our travelers slept well that night, bushed after a significant amount of excersize in the hot sun.

Koh Wow

You can see the snorkelling would be good here

Lion Island

Monkey Face Island

A picture from the stairs you climb to get up to Emerald Lake

One segment of many, up to the summit 

Emerald Lake

Next time don't wear flip-flops

After lunch entertainment provided by a 
pair of Hornbills

Brain coral washed up on Two Brothers' Beach

Two Brothers' Beach

Headed back to Koh Samui and leaving Two Brothers'

Spring 2023 - Koh Samui

Gym and his lovely sidekick left Bangkok on March 21, 2023. They cabbed it to Sukhumvit International Airport and entered the domestic departure wing. There is only one airline that flies to Koh Samui and it is Bangkok Airways, a small regional carrier. Gym was initially a bit unsure of how Bangkok Airways would turn out to be but the service was comprehensive and the employees were all very professional. The  Airbus A319 arrived at the small Koh Samui Airport about 50 minutes after leaving Bangkok. There were  no issues after landing at the quant little open-air terminal that is owned by Bangkok Airways.

Gym had arranged a hotel shuttle from the airport and as they drove across Koh Samui, it became obvious that they had arrived at a place that was quite different than Bangkok. The air on the island is clean, the landscape is lush, there are no tall buildings and one instantly relaxes into the laid-back, tropical vibe of the island. Smiles from every Thai you meet are guaranteed. You are always greeted with a 'wai', a gesture of great respect, with head bowed and palms clasped together. It is humbling when you come from a society that puts less effort into greetings and has adopted less respectful attitudes. Gym hopes the Thais never lose these customs.

Vana Belle Resort is located on the best beach on Koh Samui. It is separated from the main beach at Chaweng, by a rocky point and a small creek, that flows into the Gulf of Thailand. The accommodations all face the sea and are built on the side of a steep slope facing east, so that most rooms have an unobstructed view of the rising sun. The hillside is heavily forested ending on a wide strip of sand, beyond which is the gentle Gulf of Thailand. Sailing directly east you would eventually land in Vietnam, some 450 kilometres away. The gulf was dead calm on the day our travelers arrived. 

You might hear the occasional plane or a jet-ski on the water below but this is a very quiet place. At certain times of the day the gentle waves provide the only background noise but there are a few vocal myna birds and the cicadas are pretty noisy off and on. Notwithstanding, it seemed like paradise.

Over the next few days our travelers plan to explore the island and will be visiting some of the other islands nearby. Stay tuned!

  

View of sunrise from hotel room on the first morning

Standing at the checkin counter

Chaweng’s narrow streets

Hotel Pool

The beach at dusk

A fire dancer at dinner time

You just don’t get this kind of show at home

Spring 2023 - Bangkok's Temples

Wat Traimit, a Buddha made of solid gold

Walk a block just about anywhere in Bangkok and you will see a small Buddhist Temple. They are everywhere. Then on about the frequency of churches in Europe, there will be a similar distribution of large temples. Each large temple has some kind of likeness of the Buddha usually in gold, gold leaf, bronze or some other metal that is painted gold. At the entrance to the temple there is a place to make donations to various Buddhist causes of that temple. Then in the main temple building there is usually a carpeted area for prayer and meditation.

On our travelers' third day in Bangkok, they signed up for a tour of three very significant temples in the city. In each case Wat Traimit, Wat Pho and Wat Arun are very worthwhile to visit.  The Buddhas in each temple have different postures and the sizes and material used in the statues was also unique in each case. Wat Traimit was close to the hotel, whereas it was a 30-minute minivan ride to Wat Pho. After touring Wat Pho, a ferry transported Gym and Mrs. Gym across the river to Wat Arun. The whole tour lasted about 4 hours, with an hour at each temple and about an hour of travel time. The guide was very nice and our travelers would not have known where the highlights in each temple complex were without her guidance. Unfortunately, her english was a little sub-par. We booked online with Viator as we have many times in many cities around the world and we were satisfied with the temple tour despite the language barrier.

Gym and his dear bride had gotten close to Wat Traimit on one of their walkabouts, on the second day of the trip. It is located near the Chinatown Gate, not too far away from the Royal Orchid Hotel. The guide focused the visit on what was important to see at the site and pointed out some on the most interesting details. The thing that really makes this temple stand out is that this 'sitting buddha' is solid gold. And it is not a small chunk of gold either, it weighs 5.5 tons. It is so big, it can't be stolen. For over 200 years, the gold was hidden behind a layer of plaster and the buddha was thought to be of minor significance. Then in 1955, when they were moving it to its current site, they dropped it and some of the plaster broke away revealing the great value of this statue. It seems it had been covered up so invading Burmese armies would not loot it and the ploy worked but everyone forgot what had happened. Be prepared to climb a few stairs here. Gym thinks The Golden Buddha sits at about 3 stories off of the street level.

Wat Pho is a giant temple complex as opposed to just a simple temple and yard. Most large temples have schools associated with them, as well as barracks for monks and places where the faithful can bury the  ashes of their deceased family members. Wat Pho has much more. It is spread out over 20 acres and includes a large school for children as well as the Watpo Traditional Thai Massage School. There are dozens of likenesses of Buddha on the grounds but the most spectacular are the 46-meter long 'reclining bubbha' and the Phra Ubosot, a 'sitting buddha' situated in a hall that is the main hall used for rituals and the one containing ashes of RAMA I, first ruler of Thailand. There are plenty of stairs here too because the temples are all raised off the ground.

A short ferry ride across the river, is Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of the Dawn. RAMA II's ashes are interred at this site. It is a very popular place for young teenage Thai women to get dressed in traditional garb and get their facebook pictures taken. Gym and Mrs. Gym saw dozens of these girls there. The most outstanding feature of this temple is the 86-meter tall, porcelain-encrusted  prang or tower. It glows in the early morning sun and is lit up at night so party boat onlookers can check it out. Hot and tired after the temple tour, our travelers were happy to get back in the air-conditioned van and return to the hotel passing by the flower market in Chinatown

After 4 nights in Bangkok, it was time for our adventurers to move on. They were looking forward to the next phase of their trip on the tropical island of Koh Samui. A nice beach-side room awaited them at the Vana Belle Resort. 

Naga is the multi-headed cobra that 
protects the Buddha at Traimit

Buddha's temple at Traimit has an impressively 
high ceiling

In front of the buddha is a table where one
can donate monk's robes, golden in colour

A standing buddha

Incredible tapestry covers the walls of the Golden Buddha temple

Mother of Pearl toes of the Golden Buddha

The Golden Buddha is a reclining buddha - 46m long

Just a few of the multitudes of other Buddhas at Wat Pho

The faithful praying before a seated buddha in Wat Pho

Each likeness is unique

A particularly striking buddha at Wat Pho

It was a scorcher outside

Gym needs to learn this technique

Beautiful artwork everywhere at Wat Pho

Depictions of the early Kings of Thailand

Main Chedi at Wat Arun

A girl getting a facebook picture

Facebook girls and monks exiting Wat Arun

Main Chedi at Wat Arun covered in porcelain

Spring 2023 - Bangkok

With Buddha on the dashboard how could this guy not 
find a zen-like flow in the traffic

Bangkok is fascinating. It is chaotic and yet it is orderly. It is loud and yet it is peaceful. It has a gritty, smokiness about it and yet it is vibrant and colourful. Most of all though, it is big. Over 8 million people live here along the Chao Phraya river and the vast majority are patient, positive and welcoming to visitors.

Gym and his lovely sidekick definitely made the most of 4 days in the capital. They spent a whole day visiting Buddhist Temples, checked out ICONSIAN (10th largest mall in the world), strolled by hundreds of street vendors and had some good eats. If you are going to stay in Bangkok, Gym suggests a hotel right on the river, somewhere between Chinatown and the Asiatique Sky-ferris wheel. There are at least half a dozen good hotels there between the Four Seasons and the Sheraton Royal Orchid. 

The nice thing about being on the river is that except for in the early evening when the party boats are blasting out their raucous disco tunes, it is kind of peaceful along the shore. Hotels own the property right up to the river's edge, so you kind of have your own little refuge from the bustling city. The river traffic can be busy in the daytime but there is an absence of privately owned vessels - no private junks, motor boats, sail boats or kayaks are allowed. It is only open to large commercial barges, ferries, shuttles and water taxis.

Gym and his dear companion walked everywhere except when they crossed the river on a shuttle and on the one occasion when they organized a tour of Wat Traimit, Wat Pho and Wat Arun. Gym feels that hoofing it around is the best way to experience most cities. You get a good, ground-level feel for the urban vibe and the culture of the community. However, Gym has to admit that Bangkok is not the most walkable city. The sidewalks are narrow, uneven and you must stay alert because sometimes motorcycles can be coming at you as they are forced onto sidewalks to park. You also must watch the umbrellas of street vendors which sometimes are set at forehead height. Notwithstanding these nuisances, Gym and Mrs. Gym enjoyed their strolls and they can show you the great step counts they achieved on their Apple Activity Apps. 

Gym feels that Buddhism makes these large Southeast Asian cities safer. Unlike in New York or Chicago where drivers get points for hitting pedestrians, in Bangkok they try to avoid you. It is bad karma to harm other living beings if you're a Buddhist and 91% of the population luckily identify as such. It is important though to recognize that there is a flow to the traffic and you must get into that flow. If you make any sudden manic moves, they could be your last. Don't dash across a street. Look for a gap, measure the pace of the traffic and briskly walk to the other side. You have to always maintain a steady pace. This allows the zen of the traffic to flow around you. 

In this post the pics are of a variety of things Gym thought were kind of cool. In the next post the temple visits will be featured.

ICONSIAM from the free shuttle ferry

Inside there is 10-12 massive levels of stores

dizzy yet?

A Volvo dealer

and a Maserati one

The Sky Bar at the top of this high-rise was
featured in Hangover 2

Check out this oddly shaped building

The Royal Orchid frim ICONSIAM

Apple Store is in a prominent position

Asiatique Sky

Docked near the ferris wheel

Dancing servers in the Thai restaurant

Would you like some eels with your pasta

The third wheel at our lunch on the patio

Many street vendors have their pet bird near the cart

Curried Black Sea Bass