Train Ride to Mahachai

Today we’re going to take a break from Bangkok and get out of town. We’re going to take a train ride to Mahachai, a seaport town on the Gulf of Thailand. We’ve signed up for a tour with a guide. We’ll take a train to Mahachai, where we’ll tour the local market and have lunch.

After lunch we’ll hop on another train that goes to a town named Samut Songkhram. There’s a market there that sits right on the tracks. It called the “Folding Umbrella” Market. More on that later. C’mon… it’s time to go. Continue reading “Train Ride to Mahachai”

Bangkok Foodie Tour by Tuk Tuk

It’s our second night in Bangkok. Tonight we’re going to go on a “foodie tour” focused on Thai street food. We try to go on some sort of a food-oriented tour whenever we’re someplace that might have a good one to offer. The tour tonight ought to be good because 1). We’re in the land of wonderful Thai cuisine. 2). It’s at night, and 3). We’ll be going from place to place via tuk tuk. Continue reading “Bangkok Foodie Tour by Tuk Tuk”

Time for a Massage in Bangkok

We’re in Bangkok with a free afternoon on our hands. What to do? What to do? How about getting massages? Not just any old massages, though – massages by blind masseurs and masseuses. People who “see” with their hands. And “Thai” massages to boot. Sounds interesting, no? Continue reading “Time for a Massage in Bangkok”

Taken for a Ride in Bangkok – The Rest of the Story

This morning – our first morning in Bangkok – we were taken for a ride, literally and figuratively. In what must have been a set-up, (although it was so clever, sometimes I still wonder), our tuk tuk driver took us to IFC, (International Fashion Center), Bangkok. But scam or no scam, we had a great experience there. And guess what? Continue reading “Taken for a Ride in Bangkok – The Rest of the Story”

Taken for a Ride (to IFC) in Bangkok

We’re in Bangkok. – Just a couple of tourists out exploring on their first day in town. We’re in a tuk tuk, deep inside a labyrinth of alleyways. The driver has just pulled over to park in a little tuk tuk-sized niche. This looks like a pretty rough area to us. Have we been “taken for a ride”? We’ve heard stories… Continue reading “Taken for a Ride (to IFC) in Bangkok”

Mini-Adventure in Bangkok

We woke up, and what do you know – we’re in Bangkok! We both slept so well, I think we forgot where were until we opened the curtains and saw the Chao Phraya river snaking off into he distance. If the amount of activity on river was any indication, it looked like we must have slept in, because things were hoppin’ down there. Continue reading “Mini-Adventure in Bangkok”

Hello Bangkok!

We’ve been in the air for most of the last 18 hours. Finally, we’re over Thailand. It looks beautiful down there. Everything is green, green, green. As we get closer to Bangkok, we start to see more signs of life. Farms, of course, but also small towns, a golf course or two, and what appears to be a busy freeway. Final descent — started. Continue reading “Hello Bangkok!”

Time to Go Home — Waaaaaaaaaaaah!

It’s the last day of our trip. Waaaaaaaaaaaah! We’ve arrived at gigantic Charles de Gaulle airport via train from Lyon. Our hotel for the night is inside the airport complex, which makes everything convenient. We had quite a time figuring out which shuttle to take from the train station, through the airport, and to the hotel, but we made it without too much difficulty. Everything considered, it was a pretty easy travel day. Continue reading “Time to Go Home — Waaaaaaaaaaaah!”

Dejeuner (Lunch) in Annecy

“C’est l’heure du dejeuner! Mangeons!”

(“It’s lunch time! Let’s eat!”)

We’re in the beautiful little town of Annecy. We’ve had a look around, and we can attest to Annecy being as beautiful as the calendar photos would have one believe. It’s really a special place.

We worked up an appetite getting here and then walking around town. The lunch hour had arrived, so our top priority became selecting a place to have lunch. We ended up at a place that had a protected area where people were eating outside. They were busy – always a good sign — and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. We decided to join them. Continue reading “Dejeuner (Lunch) in Annecy”