Thursday, October 21, 2010

Mid-Term Break holiday in Thailand, October 2010

Yay! it's mid-term break, and we had a quick 5-day getaway to Thailand.
Off we go to explore the communities close to the complex where we are staying - between Cha'Am and Hua Hin, on the northeastern coast of Thailand. We hired a 'taxi' - loose term for a small pickup truck with an covered box with bench seating. Actually, a cool way to get around, and see the sights around us.


All along the highway there are huge pictures of the Thai royal family - the King and Queen, and massive, ornate gates at every turn. Gorgeous, gilded and full of pictures. Shrines on every corner.
Second day in - we went to the Western Market - groceries and shopping. Overcast but not too hot.
Spot the local!


A shrine to the King and Queen in the lobby of our flat complex. Of the 500 or so flats in the building, only about 5 were occupied - off season, definitely!
Our friend's flat was full of stunning furniture and artwork from his travels around Asia.


It is against the law to take any image of Buddha out of the country - even a picture of Buddha's hand or eye would be considered illegal. No jailtime, but they would confiscate the art.


Kitchen area with everything you'd ever need.
View from kitchen past dining and living area. The flat had two bedrooms, 2 bathrooms - perfect for our family

View from our 4th floor balcony to the beach right out front, and the Gulf of Thailand. The beach was a darker brown grainy sand, and the water was warm. Lots of fishing boats passing by.


The beach out front, and skyline
A view of our complex - Bob went exploring and we found lots of other beachfront hotels and 'condotels', like ours

Bob found a beachfront bar and a Singha beer.

We walked along the beach on night to find a restaurant - some very fancy hotels, and other, local smaller beachfront huts.


A view from the 25th floor pool towards Hua Hin
One of the two pools in the complex, 25th floor
Looking the other direction, northwards towards Cha'Am

And off we went - to the former Summer Palace in Hua Hin, now open to the public. Best mode of transport around the grounds - bicycles - the girls couldn't resist the bicycle built for two!

It was so fun to get out and bike around the beautiful grounds of the palace
In front of a memorial to King Rama VI, who built the palace - he reigned in the early 1900s



We had to wear sarongs and cover arms to go into the actual palace area. Lots of great displays of the Royal Family, and artifacts

The entire palace is built on stilts - the main living areas are above, on the 2nd floor - with hallways connecting all of the 'rooms' - no walls, all open, and beautifully kept
Up to the second floor - barefoot
A typical living room area - beautiful furnishings, and all open to the elements, looking out towards the sea

Gorgeous dining area, with a huge teak table that would sit at least 20
One of the areas that had a wall - inside, a tiny white clawfoot bathtub!


Main stairwell entrance up to the living areas
Couldn't resist - a custard apple tree!


Shrubs were all shaped like animals, and the gardens were impeccable. A true tropical paradise!


While we visited the Thai silk factory, Bob found a really cool local restaurant, and enjoyed a beer. The family that runs the restaurant also lives there - a baby was fast asleep on the other side of the counter - this place was FULL of knickknacks, and pictures of the King and Queen, of course.


AND a fun game of bowling! Meg was the clear winner for this one - very fun.
Lost in translation moment - Sarom and MeagMan!

A visit then to the Hua Hin night market - very cool. Lots of noise and smells of amazing seafood, fabric and artwork stalls!
Bob couldn't resist taking this picture - this bunny was wearing a sweater, and was about 5 inches long. Sarah wanted to take one home!

Always gorgeous flowers for sale. Even when our taxi stopped at a light, we were 'visited' by the flower sellers
Wouldn't be a trip to Thailand without the cheeseburger and fries!
Our last night in Thailand, what a great trip!

1 comment:

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