The Wheel and Axle

Of course, one cannot go to another city in Thailand without gorging on their food. Because Thai food is love, and when in Thailand: Eat. Pray. Love.

Thus, aside from relaxing by the beach, food was another target when we went to Hua Hin last Sunday and Monday.

I had to have lunch at McDonald’s because it’s my personal mission to eat at a McDonald’s and visit a Starbucks in any new country I go to, assuming they have these stores. McDonald’s, in particular, makes sure to customize its menu to cater to local tastes.

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Hua Hin is known as the Royal Beach Resort because it has been the favored holiday destination of Thailand’s royal family. In fact, the royal family apparently have their own special “receiving dock” in the train station; it’s as opulent and gorgeous as pretty much anything associated with Thai monarchs.

Well, I may not be a member of any royal family, but I certainly enjoyed my stay there – from the very lush and luxurious Putahracsa Hotel and Resort to the food-coma-inducing Night Market where one can enjoy lots of excellent meals and cheap goodies. We almost had not gone to Hua Hin due to possible time constraints and, to be honest, just a tad bit of laziness, but I’m glad we got rid of that funk and made our way to this town.

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Looking for Platform 9 3/4 in Hua Lamphong.

Last Sunday morning, we decided to travel to Hua Hin, a beach resort town about three and a half hours south of Bangkok by express train.

We were supposed to go by bus early in the morning but decided to try the train – which was a good choice. After our pleasant river mini-cruise to Khao San the previous night, seeing that a classic train – old but efficient – would bring us to another part of the country was just exciting.

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My only experience with a Bangkok tuk tuk in the past was in 2005, and it was not a good one. Suffice it to say, the guy tried to rip us off. We decided to jump ship (almost literally) and take a cab.

Fast-forward to 2016, and I wanted to ride a tuk tuk again. You know, just to get that awful experience over-ridden, somehow. My bestie, who has been to Thailand way more than me, did say tuk tuks remain somewhat shady, but as long as you know how to handle them (and perhaps act like a local), it should be fine. The funny thing is, they’re more expensive than cabs and Uber, so most of the time we took Uber.

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I’ve always loved Thai cuisine, but I’ve never really tasted authentic samples as all I’ve eaten had been in the Philippines. The last time I was in Bangkok, which was a mere one-night transit stay in 2005, I ate at the mall food court lunch, then at a McDonald’s for dinner, then in the hotel for breakfast the next day.

Thus, I owed it to myself to eat lots of Thai food this time. Well, you bet I did!

After having delicious street Pad Thai on Friday night, I had a feeling Saturday would be a treat, and it certainly was.

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Continued From:

Kingdoms and Temples, Part 1

So my first day in Bangkok continued immediately after my tour of the Grand Palace. Next stop: the famous Wat Pho.

As it turns out, much like the Grand Palace, Wat Pho is not just one temple; it’s a complex of temples and structures, several of which houses various Buddhas. Exploring the place also required some major footwork.

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The last time I was in Bangkok was in 2005. I’d stayed only one night, in transit from Mumbai where I’d been on a business trip for three weeks. That single night in Thailand didn’t afford me a lot of time to explore the city, and I only got to really go to Chatuchak as well as the Si Lom Night Market. However, Bangkok felt so magical that I vowed to return.

Well, vows can take some time, so here I am, eleven years later, finally making good on my promise to myself. I honestly don’t know why it took me so much time to get back here – I’ve been to several other international destinations in the last decade – but be that as it may, I now have made it back, and it feels great.

Seriously, I could live in Bangkok forever (well… here, Bogota, or Sofia).

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But of course, it’s not really dirty. Freshly cooked by a street food stall vendor, this authentic Pad Thai is the yummiest I’ve tasted, like, ever. Then again, it is in Bangkok, and as in many cases of cuisine around the world, the streets are the place to be when it comes to absolute gustatory delight.

You can find this one in Surawong near Si Lom. Watch the lady cook!

The world sees a global power shift. We are now basically run by a circle of bullies and demagogues: just reflect on who the leaders of the UN Security Council are soon to be: Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Donald Trump.

Of course, there are still François Hollande and Theresa May, both of whom may still bring in some form of temperance (for one thing, both have supported same-sex marriage in their countries and have more liberal leanings). However, Hollande’s approval ratings in his own country are down. Theresa enjoys more popularity in hers, she recently had some criticism for her “cliched verbiage” in congratulating Trump, a too-safe approach compared to Angela Merkel’s more on-point message to the Orange Man.

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