Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Thailand. Part III
12:59 PM | 
Posted by
Lynn Dao Photography
I had REALLY wanted to go to a floating market this time around while in Thailand. Unfortunately, I found out when I got there that they mainly happen on the weekends, and we weren't going to be around Bangkok on the weekend. So we did the next best thing we could. Hired a taxi driver to take us out to a market on the river bank. It's not as photogenic as the floating markets, but Don Wai market had enough interesting food items to satisfy our food desires.
Fruits galore!!! We had every single one of these fruits, but my favorite are the longans on the top left. It was definitely the season for them, and they were so sweet & juicy. Yum! Jackfruit (top right) was not really in season, so they didn't taste as good as they should have.
Middle left: mini-mangoes were so-so.
Middle right: Dragonfruit. This fruit always looks so much better than it tastes to me. It's got a very light, mild fragrance to it with a slight sweetness. I'm sure it tastes very refreshing served cold on a hot day, but it doesn't make the cut onto my favorite fruit list.
Bottom left: Rose apple. It's also got a light fragrant taste to it. A bit juicier and sweeter than the dragonfruit. Definitely a nice, healthy snack.
Bottom right: Salacca. I guess this one is an acquired taste. I actually can't remember too much except that it was weird and neither of us liked it. Even so, if you're ever in Thailand, try it all!
After exploring the market, we took a little boat tour down the river.
Tons and tons of ginormous catfish in these waters! I'm sure they eventually end up on the dining table, but there's so many that there's no need to worry about a shortage. On the boat ride, they sold rolls of bread so we could feed the fish. Environmentalists would probably say it's not good for the ecosystem, but it was what all the Thai people were doing, so we did it. (I know, I know...if your friend jumps off a bridge...)
It was quite interesting to see these big fancy houses being constructed next to tiny little shacks on the river.
A delicious Thai lunch with our driver, Mr. Prasat, as he referred to himself when I asked him his name. He's actually much friendlier than this picture shows, and we found out a lot about the Thai culture and government from him, even though our Thai was non-existent and his English was limited.
I thought this was a cute way to display the table numbers in this restaurant.
Day 3: Koh Phi Phi
And off we go! Flying within Thailand on their local airlines was extremely cheap. On Day 3, we flew down to Phuket, and then took a boat over to Koh Phi Phi.
When I was in Phi Phi back in '98, there was some protest to Hollywood coming over to film the movie, The Beach, with Leonardo DiCaprio because they were going to bulldoze and re-landscape part of the beach. Needless to say, Hollywood won and the movie was filmed on Maya Bay, which has now become a big tourist attraction.
We didn't go to Maya Bay, but there was no need since the beach and water right off our hotel was beautiful enough. We even rented snorkel gear one day and snorkeled right off of our hotel's beach. The water was the perfect temperature and sooooo crystal clear!
We stayed on the north side of the island, far away from the main village area, so each time we wanted to go to town, we had to take a 45 minute long-tail boat ride over.
Flowers and/or cloth are tied to the front of the boat to appease the sea spirits.
The view from our hotel room. Happy, happy, joy, joy!
The restaurant next to our hotel had a muay thai boxing ring. We didn't see a fight here, but we did see one in the village where most of the tourists hang out. The Thai people are so smart that they don't even need to hire fighters. They have workers walk around with a sign that says "Free bucket of beer if you volunteer to fight" and it was a night of endless amateur muay thai fighting by a lot of drunk tourists.
Koh Phi Phi was where I got certified for scuba diving twelve years ago and to this day is still the best diving I've done so far. The coral reefs and marine life down there are absolutely amazing. I wish I had gills so that I could just hang out down there all day. Imagine Finding Nemo times ten!
The scuba company gave me a little point and shoot so the quality isn't that great (especially the color!), but I'm happy to be able to document most of what I saw. The best was the purple and black sea snake (bottom left). Actually, I love all the different anemones and clown fish as well, not to mention tons of other colorful fish swimming around.
Another sea snake!
I love how so many of the fish don't even care that you're there. They'll just swim right past your face with no fear.
If you ever have a few days to spend on an island in Thailand (preferably on the Andaman Coast side), get scuba certified! You get to see so much more than if you snorkel.
I'll leave this post with an image of our last sunrise on Koh Phi Phi.
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| From 5-blog |
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| From 5-blog |
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| From 5-blog |
Fruits galore!!! We had every single one of these fruits, but my favorite are the longans on the top left. It was definitely the season for them, and they were so sweet & juicy. Yum! Jackfruit (top right) was not really in season, so they didn't taste as good as they should have.
Middle left: mini-mangoes were so-so.
Middle right: Dragonfruit. This fruit always looks so much better than it tastes to me. It's got a very light, mild fragrance to it with a slight sweetness. I'm sure it tastes very refreshing served cold on a hot day, but it doesn't make the cut onto my favorite fruit list.
Bottom left: Rose apple. It's also got a light fragrant taste to it. A bit juicier and sweeter than the dragonfruit. Definitely a nice, healthy snack.
Bottom right: Salacca. I guess this one is an acquired taste. I actually can't remember too much except that it was weird and neither of us liked it. Even so, if you're ever in Thailand, try it all!
After exploring the market, we took a little boat tour down the river.
 |
| From 5-blog |
Tons and tons of ginormous catfish in these waters! I'm sure they eventually end up on the dining table, but there's so many that there's no need to worry about a shortage. On the boat ride, they sold rolls of bread so we could feed the fish. Environmentalists would probably say it's not good for the ecosystem, but it was what all the Thai people were doing, so we did it. (I know, I know...if your friend jumps off a bridge...)
 |
| From 5-blog |
It was quite interesting to see these big fancy houses being constructed next to tiny little shacks on the river.
 |
| From 5-blog |
 |
| From 5-blog |
A delicious Thai lunch with our driver, Mr. Prasat, as he referred to himself when I asked him his name. He's actually much friendlier than this picture shows, and we found out a lot about the Thai culture and government from him, even though our Thai was non-existent and his English was limited.
 |
| From 5-blog |
I thought this was a cute way to display the table numbers in this restaurant.
 |
| From 5-blog |
Day 3: Koh Phi Phi
And off we go! Flying within Thailand on their local airlines was extremely cheap. On Day 3, we flew down to Phuket, and then took a boat over to Koh Phi Phi.
 |
| From 5-blog |
When I was in Phi Phi back in '98, there was some protest to Hollywood coming over to film the movie, The Beach, with Leonardo DiCaprio because they were going to bulldoze and re-landscape part of the beach. Needless to say, Hollywood won and the movie was filmed on Maya Bay, which has now become a big tourist attraction.
We didn't go to Maya Bay, but there was no need since the beach and water right off our hotel was beautiful enough. We even rented snorkel gear one day and snorkeled right off of our hotel's beach. The water was the perfect temperature and sooooo crystal clear!
 |
| From 5-blog |
 |
| From 5-blog |
 |
| From 5-blog |
 |
| From 5-blog |
We stayed on the north side of the island, far away from the main village area, so each time we wanted to go to town, we had to take a 45 minute long-tail boat ride over.
 |
| From 5-blog |
Flowers and/or cloth are tied to the front of the boat to appease the sea spirits.
 |
| From 5-blog |
 |
| From 5-blog |
 |
| From 5-blog |
The view from our hotel room. Happy, happy, joy, joy!
 |
| From 5-blog |
The restaurant next to our hotel had a muay thai boxing ring. We didn't see a fight here, but we did see one in the village where most of the tourists hang out. The Thai people are so smart that they don't even need to hire fighters. They have workers walk around with a sign that says "Free bucket of beer if you volunteer to fight" and it was a night of endless amateur muay thai fighting by a lot of drunk tourists.
 |
| From 5-blog |
 |
| From 5-blog |
 |
| From 5-blog |
Koh Phi Phi was where I got certified for scuba diving twelve years ago and to this day is still the best diving I've done so far. The coral reefs and marine life down there are absolutely amazing. I wish I had gills so that I could just hang out down there all day. Imagine Finding Nemo times ten!
 |
| From 5-blog |
The scuba company gave me a little point and shoot so the quality isn't that great (especially the color!), but I'm happy to be able to document most of what I saw. The best was the purple and black sea snake (bottom left). Actually, I love all the different anemones and clown fish as well, not to mention tons of other colorful fish swimming around.
Another sea snake!
 |
| From 5-blog |
I love how so many of the fish don't even care that you're there. They'll just swim right past your face with no fear.
 |
| From 5-blog |
If you ever have a few days to spend on an island in Thailand (preferably on the Andaman Coast side), get scuba certified! You get to see so much more than if you snorkel.
I'll leave this post with an image of our last sunrise on Koh Phi Phi.
 |
| From 5-blog |
Labels:
Monday, March 22, 2010
Thailand. Part II.
7:35 AM |
Posted by
Lynn Dao Photography
Day 2 in Bangkok, we decided to go pay our respects at one of the many temples in this predominantly Buddhist country. We ended up at Wat Pho, one of Thailand's oldest and largest temples, also known as Temple of the Reclining Buddha.
Photo descriptions:
Top Right: Lighting incense before praying to Buddha (or my version of the universe/divine spirit) and to my ancestors (mainly my grandparents).
Below it: Shoes must be removed before entering any temple as a sign of respect. In most Asian households, people remove their shoes by the front door before walking through the rest of the house. I think that's just so you don't dirty the floors or carpet with whatever muck your shoes have picked up throughout the day.
Bottom Right: Lotus flowers. Purchased for a minimal amount along with the incense, candle, and gold leaf (Bottom Middle image) as an offering to Buddha or worldly spirit(s).
Bottom Left: After praying, you take the little gold leaf that came with your incense and candle and place it on one of these Buddhas.
Buddhas affixed with tons of gold leaves.
The Reclining Buddha (I think the largest in Thailand) measures 46m (150ft) long.
Me in the midst of offering a lotus flower after prayer. You have to dress appropriately when in the temple (arms, feet, and of course head showing is ok). I saw a girl being escorted out because she walked in wearing a tube top. Really girl, what were you thinking?
There's always something about the image of Buddha that's just so peaceful and serene to me.
I love how the light comes through and bathes the alms bowls here.
Though not related to Buddhism, I wanted to share this image of a spirit house, which was located on the corner of our hotel property in Bangkok. Most Thai properties (homes and businesses) have a spirit house placed outside to placate the animist spirits so that they won't bother the people living inside the house. The larger your house, the larger the spirit house must be.
After visiting the temple, I thought it was funny to see a group of Buddha's hitching a ride somewhere on the back of this truck!
 |
| From 5-blog |
Photo descriptions:
Top Right: Lighting incense before praying to Buddha (or my version of the universe/divine spirit) and to my ancestors (mainly my grandparents).
Below it: Shoes must be removed before entering any temple as a sign of respect. In most Asian households, people remove their shoes by the front door before walking through the rest of the house. I think that's just so you don't dirty the floors or carpet with whatever muck your shoes have picked up throughout the day.
Bottom Right: Lotus flowers. Purchased for a minimal amount along with the incense, candle, and gold leaf (Bottom Middle image) as an offering to Buddha or worldly spirit(s).
Bottom Left: After praying, you take the little gold leaf that came with your incense and candle and place it on one of these Buddhas.
Buddhas affixed with tons of gold leaves.
 |
| From 5-blog |
The Reclining Buddha (I think the largest in Thailand) measures 46m (150ft) long.
 |
| From 5-blog |
Me in the midst of offering a lotus flower after prayer. You have to dress appropriately when in the temple (arms, feet, and of course head showing is ok). I saw a girl being escorted out because she walked in wearing a tube top. Really girl, what were you thinking?
 |
| From 5-blog |
 |
| From 5-blog |
There's always something about the image of Buddha that's just so peaceful and serene to me.
 |
| From 5-blog |
I love how the light comes through and bathes the alms bowls here.
 |
| From 5-blog |
 |
| From 5-blog |
Though not related to Buddhism, I wanted to share this image of a spirit house, which was located on the corner of our hotel property in Bangkok. Most Thai properties (homes and businesses) have a spirit house placed outside to placate the animist spirits so that they won't bother the people living inside the house. The larger your house, the larger the spirit house must be.
 |
| From 5-blog |
After visiting the temple, I thought it was funny to see a group of Buddha's hitching a ride somewhere on the back of this truck!
 |
| From 5-blog |
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Thailand. Part I.
8:24 AM |
Posted by
Lynn Dao Photography
Twelve years ago, I set foot in this Southeast Asian country and vowed to be back. The food, the beaches, the rainforest, and the culture all drew me in. After this particular trip, Drew and I are vowing to return, hopefully in less than twelve years. We love, love, love this country!
Bangkok has changed so much since I last visited. It seems so much bigger now. Much more metropolitan. I was happy to see that they now have a great public transportation system. Under and above ground subways. It was so easy to get around this big city. Traffic was horrendous unless it was in the wee hours of the night, so we always took the subway in the daytime. Taxis across town cost less than $5 sometimes when there's no traffic. Incredible, huh? I stepped over the yellow line to take this picture and quickly got a whistle blown at me by the security guard. They don't mess around here.
Larger than life size billboards are everywhere in Bangkok.
Shopping is accessible everywhere in Bangkok! How do people ever save money in this city? There's something for everyone from high-end malls with high-end names to your local street purse vendor.
And my very favorite street item, food!
This looked like a Thai taco to us, so we had to try it. It ended up being a sweet cream filled with some sweet/salty orange stuff, which I'm guessing is shredded carrots, but I could be wrong.
They got everything from appetizers, to main course dishes, to dessert on the street.
And of course, let's not forget the Thai lottery. I heard they love playing that here. But I guess there's a good population in the States that love playing lotto as well, my mom included. I'll never forget the one time my mom asked me to bike to the convenience store to buy SuperLotto, with a little Buddha in my hand. We didn't win of course, because Buddha doesn't grant lottery wishes, but I guess it was worth a shot.
And sadly, as in all big cities, there are beggars. I'm not sure if they're homeless because I didn't notice them at night. There were quite a few disabled people with microphones attached to megaphones singing though. I wonder where they all go at the end of the day. Do they have family they go home to? Or do they all have a group home they live at? I wish I knew how to speak Thai so I could ask them.
In Bangkok, there were tons of megamalls. They were of varying status, from your flea market type shops to your malls with Prada and Gucci stores. Of course, the mall with the cheaper stores were more packed with people. I couldn't believe every escalator here was filled with people.
The most awesome discovery Drew and I made in Bangkok was Siam Paragon's food floor. We strolled around this mall for a bit, but spent most of our time frolicking on the food floor. Yes, a whole entire floor of a mall devoted to FOOD! Everything was spotless. There were restaurants with foods from all over the world (but we didn't come to Thailand to eat Italian), bakeries, gelato, an impressive supermarket, and an extremely popular food court where we dined at every day while in Bangkok. When we first set eyes upon this place it was like we had died and gone to heaven. Seriously.
a)Right before the food court opens (and of course we were there before they opened!), the servers all stand by their stations. Diners purchase cards with food credit on them. You then buy your food with the card and when you're full, you can go and get your unused money back. Most meals were somewhere between $1-$3. For a deliciously, satisfying meal.
b)There was a huge selection of Thai food here. Cuttlefish anyone?
c)Every food vendor had different types of chilis and sauces near their stations. I ate so much spicy food during our trip that I now have heartburn when I eat anything spicy now. So sad.
d)One of our favorite meals, hard-boiled eggs and soft pork, in a dark fish/soy sauce broth.
e)Asians waste no parts of the animals they eat. =) Some foods looked Chinese/Vietnamese to me. Though I'm sure since all these countries are so close (and there's a good number of Chinese in Thailand) that the foods cross borders.
f)A coffee shop with the name "Coffee Beans by Dao". Of course I had to take a picture!
g)I love these custard bun desserts. The best part is, they squeeze in the custard after you order so that it doesn't make the bun all soggy.
h)The bakery section of the food floor.
I'll end this mainly food post with one of my favorite fruits in the world. It is so heavenly divine that everyone's gotta try it at least once in their lives. (Though it's definitely not for everyone.) The durian.
It's a very scary looking fruit from the outside. Huge spikes sticking out of this weirdly shaped fruit. On the inside though, the yellow fruit is sweet and custardy, with sometimes a hint of garlic. Weird, I know. But oh so good, when you get a good one. Unfortunately, it really wasn't durian season, so the one I had wasn't that great, but I was still happy to try it, though I've had better ones from the Asian supermarket in my town.
This highly fragrant fruit (also seen as offensively pungent to some) is banned from all public transportation and hotels in Thailand because of its overpowering aroma/odor. It's not for everyone, but if you ever come across it, you should give it a try! The taste is not as strong as the smell. =)
Bangkok has changed so much since I last visited. It seems so much bigger now. Much more metropolitan. I was happy to see that they now have a great public transportation system. Under and above ground subways. It was so easy to get around this big city. Traffic was horrendous unless it was in the wee hours of the night, so we always took the subway in the daytime. Taxis across town cost less than $5 sometimes when there's no traffic. Incredible, huh? I stepped over the yellow line to take this picture and quickly got a whistle blown at me by the security guard. They don't mess around here.
 |
| From 5-blog |
Larger than life size billboards are everywhere in Bangkok.
 |
| From 5-blog |
Shopping is accessible everywhere in Bangkok! How do people ever save money in this city? There's something for everyone from high-end malls with high-end names to your local street purse vendor.
 |
| From 5-blog |
And my very favorite street item, food!
 |
| From 5-blog |
This looked like a Thai taco to us, so we had to try it. It ended up being a sweet cream filled with some sweet/salty orange stuff, which I'm guessing is shredded carrots, but I could be wrong.
 |
| From 5-blog |
 |
| From 5-blog |
They got everything from appetizers, to main course dishes, to dessert on the street.
 |
| From 5-blog |
And of course, let's not forget the Thai lottery. I heard they love playing that here. But I guess there's a good population in the States that love playing lotto as well, my mom included. I'll never forget the one time my mom asked me to bike to the convenience store to buy SuperLotto, with a little Buddha in my hand. We didn't win of course, because Buddha doesn't grant lottery wishes, but I guess it was worth a shot.
 |
| From 5-blog |
And sadly, as in all big cities, there are beggars. I'm not sure if they're homeless because I didn't notice them at night. There were quite a few disabled people with microphones attached to megaphones singing though. I wonder where they all go at the end of the day. Do they have family they go home to? Or do they all have a group home they live at? I wish I knew how to speak Thai so I could ask them.
 |
| From 5-blog |
In Bangkok, there were tons of megamalls. They were of varying status, from your flea market type shops to your malls with Prada and Gucci stores. Of course, the mall with the cheaper stores were more packed with people. I couldn't believe every escalator here was filled with people.
 |
| From 5-blog |
The most awesome discovery Drew and I made in Bangkok was Siam Paragon's food floor. We strolled around this mall for a bit, but spent most of our time frolicking on the food floor. Yes, a whole entire floor of a mall devoted to FOOD! Everything was spotless. There were restaurants with foods from all over the world (but we didn't come to Thailand to eat Italian), bakeries, gelato, an impressive supermarket, and an extremely popular food court where we dined at every day while in Bangkok. When we first set eyes upon this place it was like we had died and gone to heaven. Seriously.
 |
| From 5-blog |
a)Right before the food court opens (and of course we were there before they opened!), the servers all stand by their stations. Diners purchase cards with food credit on them. You then buy your food with the card and when you're full, you can go and get your unused money back. Most meals were somewhere between $1-$3. For a deliciously, satisfying meal.
b)There was a huge selection of Thai food here. Cuttlefish anyone?
c)Every food vendor had different types of chilis and sauces near their stations. I ate so much spicy food during our trip that I now have heartburn when I eat anything spicy now. So sad.
d)One of our favorite meals, hard-boiled eggs and soft pork, in a dark fish/soy sauce broth.
e)Asians waste no parts of the animals they eat. =) Some foods looked Chinese/Vietnamese to me. Though I'm sure since all these countries are so close (and there's a good number of Chinese in Thailand) that the foods cross borders.
f)A coffee shop with the name "Coffee Beans by Dao". Of course I had to take a picture!
g)I love these custard bun desserts. The best part is, they squeeze in the custard after you order so that it doesn't make the bun all soggy.
h)The bakery section of the food floor.
I'll end this mainly food post with one of my favorite fruits in the world. It is so heavenly divine that everyone's gotta try it at least once in their lives. (Though it's definitely not for everyone.) The durian.
 |
| From 5-blog |
It's a very scary looking fruit from the outside. Huge spikes sticking out of this weirdly shaped fruit. On the inside though, the yellow fruit is sweet and custardy, with sometimes a hint of garlic. Weird, I know. But oh so good, when you get a good one. Unfortunately, it really wasn't durian season, so the one I had wasn't that great, but I was still happy to try it, though I've had better ones from the Asian supermarket in my town.
 |
| From 5-blog |
This highly fragrant fruit (also seen as offensively pungent to some) is banned from all public transportation and hotels in Thailand because of its overpowering aroma/odor. It's not for everyone, but if you ever come across it, you should give it a try! The taste is not as strong as the smell. =)
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Happy 3 months Sean!
6:41 AM |
Posted by
Lynn Dao Photography
Happy 3 month birthday to my baby nephew! I can't believe how different he looks already from his first month of being in this world. He's getting cuter and cuter by the minute!!!
Still so cute and tiny!
Argh!!! Don't call me tiny Auntie Lynn!
These last two expressions are my fav's!
Still so cute and tiny!
Argh!!! Don't call me tiny Auntie Lynn!
These last two expressions are my fav's!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Koh Phi Phi
7:29 AM |
Posted by
Lynn Dao Photography
I'm back from two weeks in Thailand and wishing that I was still there for two more weeks. This is the reason why. More to come in the next few days!
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