Bob Travel

I’m writing while looking after three children whose mother, I like to call Slacker Mum, is spending nine days swanning around Thailand and staying at a Phuket resort while I’m stuck in Bangkok. Actually, I’m not writing this while I’m looking after the children. I’m writing this while I recover from watching the children. My shattered health needs to be taken care of in a private sanatorium in the Alps. That’s where nothing like domestic duty is never mentioned and I’m brought some wonderful smelling chicken soup by a very attractive Swedish nurse.

But, I’m still here in Bangkok trying to make sense of the lessons I learned during the time I spent in charge of the children, who aren’t mine I might add. The first lesson was if I was going to be the Slack kind-of-Dad, then there will be a time when my wife goes off to Phuket without me and in those first few minutes after she’s gone is where the tricky moments take place. Some very disturbing displays of emotion that reflected ill on my children’s faith in my abilities to guide and nurture them.

But, weirdly enough, everything worked out. Slacker Dad did the school runs, which is probably not a surprise to other females, but for me were a frantic and unseemly last-minute wind storm of random shouting about inefficiency and punctuality. Yet, what I found the first morning were three children, present and accounted for, dressed, hair was brushed, teeth cleaned and me trying to figure out how to fill in the extra time this splendid array had afforded me. I made them ride bikes to school. Naturally, that didn’t last long, being how cold it was outside.

I did also manage to figure out that the kitchen does need to be dealt with everyday, but the laundry can wait for a few days. But the greatest problem was the mess, mine and the three children. We were a messy lot, sloppy. So, I set down some very strict communist rules, like the one about reading at the kitchen table, that one, I must admit, only applied to me. I did notice though, with only one command giver in the house instead of the bounce back and forth several times between Slacker Mum and Slacker Dad, that my commands were acted upon immediately. At first I thought I was hallucinating at how fast things got done with only one shout.

There’s a chill in the air and on the misty hill slopes in Northern Thailand the roses are encouraged to grow. Some blooms are larger than apples and come in colors from red and orange to crimson and white. They are harvested daily and brought to all the flower markets in Bangkok. I learned this on one of my many business trips. Staying at one of Thailand Luxury Hotels, I would arrange to meet these growers of flowers and see how they cultivated their flowers.

I learned from a manager of a floral project, which was initiated by the Royal family of Thailand, that right now, it’s peak production season for roses. They bloom best between February and July. The elevation and the environment are extremely conducive for the roses. But, the manager did tell me that there are signs that the business’s which grow the roses and the carnations in Fang located in Chiang Mai, not too far above sea level, might soon dwindle because of the competitor growers in China’s southern Yunnan province.

Right now, apparently, there is a surplus of flowers in the market due to the flowers coming from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan. Plus, the flowers coming from this region are less expensive and the quality seems to be better. More and more flower shops in Bangkok are carrying only flowers from China. I can’t blame them really, they are cheaper and look better. I asked one shop owner about why she choose China’s flowers over her own countries flowers and she said she’s been in the flower business for over 25 years and she says that the flowers from China are delivered within 2 days of order. Plus, they stay fresher, longer.  I can see that Thailand’s flower business will be hurt and may even collapse if they can’t produce and deliver the same as China.

We took a trip to Khao Sok National Park and spotted the best wildlife in southern Thailand. The trip was the easiest also, we aren’t in that good of shape, but my husband and I found the trip quiet enjoyable. We spent most of our time watching the monkeys play in the trees, we even spotted some tropical birds. A very comfortable adventure. We found the pace was slow and the main focus of our trip was truly the spotting of wildlife in some of Thailand’s highest mountains in the world called the Limestone Karst Mountains.

We were staying at a Beach Resort Thailand which was accessible to all the trips we wanted to take. Like south of Krabi, is Trang province. The journey is from one island to another. It’s relaxing and we noticed most of the tourist stayed in comfortable bungalows along the coast line. We found this to be another soft adventure and far from the crowds. Most of the islands are really not that visited by Westerners. It’s fairly underdeveloped, so it’s not much of a tourist attraction which suited us fine. The beauty of the islands, especially the limestone Karst cliffs and the headlands is well worth the trip even though it is underdeveloped for tourist.

But we were most please with the the bird sighting. Unbelievable and a very special treat. We spotted Hornbills, which are common here, but it’s the amazing amount of species of the Hornbill that we found astonishing. Like the Great Hornbill, the Bushy-breasted Hornbill, the Helmeted Hornbill and the Wreathed Hornbill. We didn’t have to be seasoned birder to enjoy the pleasure of birding in this tropical wonderland. But, not only did we spot birds, we heard and saw more monkeys, had numerous wild pig sightings, an elephant here and there, which we heard is uncommon to sight.

My first trip to Australia to visit a good friend of my was back in the 70’s. They treated me to a traditional backyard Aussie BBQ. The backyard area was big and roomy with plenty of outdoor kitchen cabinets and a built-in grill. These people were serious about their BBQ. They purposely built their home up instead of spread out just so they could have their lovely traditional Aussie backyard. A backyard built to entertain while they put one on the barbie.

My second and final trip to Australia was in 2007. My friends have moved on and are now living in Thailand. My next stop by the way. But, being here now, in Australia, I’ve notice somethings changed. It seems that today’s home lack a backyard. The newer homes are on just has much land as what my friends had, but instead of building up the new homes spread out. Single stories. No room for a backyard, really. No room to entertain, to put on on the barbie. This is a dramatic change which started in the 90’s. It seems that people are spending their money on floor area instead of backyard area.

These new homes contradict the open-air lifestyle for which Australians are internationally renowned for. I guess I can understand that it’s cheaper to build a single-story house, but to lose a culture over it?  I don’t know. It saddens me really. I had such fond memories of the time I spent in my friends backyard and looking forward to telling all my friends in the States that I was treated to a traditional Aussie ‘putting one on the barbie’.  Which I did, I even wrote about it for my local newspaper. Australia’s changing, for the better? I really can’t say. As I’ve said, though, my second trip to Australia was my last.

Of the Thai Islands, the largest and one of the most incredible is Phuket.  This tropical paradise is to the south and has sandy white beaches and water of the most perfect temperatures.  This is one of the favorite locations of scuba divers, snorkelers, and wind surfers world wide.  There are many lovely resorts and five star hotels.  Phuket is known for some of the most delicious recipes, many of which include seafood.  Some consider this the best place to go for seafood in all of Thailand.   And many of the resorts, hotels and restaurants are designed with the purpose of creating small get-a-ways amidst the hustle of the busy city.

The definition of the Malaysian word, Bukit is hill.  This is the word the name Phuket is derived from.  As hills are abundant on the island’s interior.  There are vast rubber tree plantations and a few mining communities dotting the island.  As well as many activities for tourists to enjoy, such as hiking some of those hills or taking jungle safaris.  And of course there are the beaches, for just as the seafood is considered the best of the country, so are the beaches of Phuket.

For tourists and visitors there are many options to choose from, be it the islands the beaches and the bays, or the museums that stand testament to the history of this incredible island.  One interesting stop that should not be missed is the Museum of Sea Shells.   This is close to Rawai Beach and is easily accessible.  Contained in the museum are more than two thousand different kinds of shells.  There is the Noble Volute,  the only left handed one ever found, there are giant clams, and fossils more than 380 million years of age.  The museum also owns the rarest of golden pearls in all the world.  The museum is the culmination of forty years of research and searching by the Patamakanthin family.   They have searched worldwide to bring the most unique and the most beautiful shells to their museum, some from Thailand, but others from around the world.  This island is all about the sea, and this museum should be visited at least once, if not many times over, on any one’s journey to this island of Thailand.

There are many options for those seeking exciting night-time adventures in the city of Bangkok. And while there are many bars and trendy go-go clubs for those wishing to dance and party the night through, most visitors and tourists find that there is much more to experience than the parties. Many hotels in Thailand and restaurants in Bangkok have nightly shows, a range performances that illustrated the cultural wealth and traditions of this magical city.

One such, ’show’, is the traditional form of martial arts, Muay Thai. This combines boxing with the art of self defense and was originally required training for those in the military. Today the sport is widely popular, a respected yet entertaining event, as technique and honor are combined with athleticism. This is an art form and is not remotely similar to the course boxing has taken in the United States. While extreme boxing is brutal and forceful, Muay Thai is steeped in the honorable traditions and the choreography of self protection and defense. For those attending a match for the first time they will be thrilled and entertained not only by those in the ring, but in watching the other spectators as well, as this beloved sport often creates enormous excitement in the stands.

In other venues, one can experience the rich performances involving classical Thai musicians accompanying dance performances of the very stylized form of Thai classical dance. The costumes are elaborate and gorgeous , and the movements of the dancers are slow and graceful, creating an intricate language without words. These are not just simply dance shows, but are dramas set forth that illustrate and express some of the most important stories and history of the society. No other city in Thailand rivals the nightlife, the concerts or operas or theater, of Bangkok.

Business travel from India to Thailand got a boost last week when Cathay Pacific airlines began non-stop flights to New Delhi from Bangkok. This will be a boon for Indian business travelers as well as for hotels in Bangkok Thailand and other Thai businesses that cater to tourists.

The airline, based in Hong Kong, began flights on the new route on March 28, 2009. They are offering numerous promotional discounts to encourage travelers to take advantage of the new route. Currently three other airlines offer similiar flights, but they have a smaller load factor than the 85 percent that Cathay Pacific is showing on forward bookings.

New Delhi is the prime air hub in India and is one of the country’s most frequented destinations. Thailand has become a premiere destination for Indian business as well as for leisure travels. Thailand is also growing as a wedding destination for Indian brides and the airline hopes to capitalize on that market as well.