Blog entries from our 7 day trip to Thailand. 2 days in Bangkok.

Buddhalicious

29 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by Vicki Hamlin in Bangkok, Thailand, Out in the Big World/Travel

Some statues are dressed - and the dress changes for the 3 seasons.

“Are you god?” the man asked of Gautama, a man who became a Buddha in ancient India. His calm and sure answer was ‘no.’ “Then what are you?” the man pushed on. And the answer was, “I am awake.”

Buddha, I learned, is not a person, rather, a principle: clarity, luminosity, and openness three of its pillars. The ability to be completely present in each moment – that is Buddha.

When one is able to be Buddha in each and every moment, that is Enlightenment.

I did not know that.

When one is traveling in Thailand, it would be a mistake to think that the thousands of Buddhas everywhere are in honor of a person.

Although some are. It’s very confusing.

But this explains why there are hundreds of variations on the idol.

Did you know, for example, there is a different Buddha, with a different pose, for every day of the week? Buddhists celebrate the one that is for the day they were born.

Birth days are highly celebrated in the Buddhist religion. Every Buddhist (according to our guide) knows the day of the week on which they were born, the color that coincides with that day and the animal that complements the year they came into the world, similar to the Chinese zodiac.

Which explains why I heard Natalie, from across a pavillion, yelling “Hooray! I’m a blue chicken!”

So many Buddhas, so little time.

Talk to the Hand, tiny human.

Dashboard Buddha! Best seat in Thailand.

Enormous meditating Buddha- Down by the River.

Emerald Buddha, but not THE Emerald Buddha.

Tastes of Traditional Thai

21 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by Vicki Hamlin in Bangkok, Thailand, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Cuisine, Out in the Big World/Travel, Thai Food

≈ 6 Comments

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must

regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti

****________________________________________________________________________****

Well said, Mr. Pavarotti. And yes, yes it is.

I didn’t have to go to Thailand to fall in love with Thai food. It’s always been a favorite. Thank Buddha, in Thailand it was better than I’d even dreamed! Multiple flavors in every bite, all fresh ingredients, brightly colored concoctions – with proteins and grains taking a serious backseat to nuts and exotic fruits and vegetables. My kind of eating. Guy’s favorite Thai foods include curry, while mine include coconut or coconut milk, or both. While visiting Thailand, we never ate the same thing twice and often shared dishes. We ate a lot. And often. And did I mention a lot?

I find it funny that some doctor, at a clinic my mother went to before traveling to Asia, told her to avoid the street food in Thailand. She may have meant to avoid street food as a general rule, with which I can’t sweepingly disagree. But using your common sense, and eschewing filth and obvious signs of mold or rot, street food in Thailand is some of the absolute best cuisine. (And for the record, I never saw mold or rot anywhere. Urine soaked trash, yes. Mold? Rot? No.)

If you avoid the street food you'll miss out on the fried bananas. And that would be tragic.

Fresh coconut milk on a hot day? Yes, please.

Fried sidewalk chicken. I say go for it!

This particular fish, however? I opted out. The flies chased me away. Common sense, I tell you.

DIVINE fruits: sapodila, rambutan, mangosteen, papaya or mango, and dragonfruit.

Bugs are always a safe bet, too. Sometimes chalky, but safe!

Larvae is also safe. So I hear. The vendor wouldn't let us try these. And we didn't want a 1/2 pound bag full. So.

I’m a huge supporter of going right ahead and eating Thai street food. I’m jinxing myself, but I’ve never so much as had a wave of nausea eating or drinking in a foreign country. Yes, I know it happens. No, I don’t want to hear the horror stories.

Then again, the restaurants are equally incredible. I have never been happier to eat out every single day, for breakfast. Second breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. And snacks. And desserts. And coffee. Miraculously, I didn’t gain an ounce. Thai food is among the healthiest in the world (the fried bananas notwithstanding), and we took advantage of our time to swim at the hotels and walk a lot around the cities, too. If I had stayed another month, maybe I’d have gained weight and be looking more like the famous tenor quoted above. I promise you, I’d still be singing the praises of Thailand’s cuisine.