Favourite product spotted on vacation: Hello Kitty skin whitening cream.
Things that make you go "Huh?": The proliferation of teeth whitening salons in Bangkok catering to foreigners. Also, the advertisement on the front page of The Bangkok Times offering breast enhancement (about $1,000) and a sex change operation (about $1,600). Or you could probably get a deal if you do both.
Favourite Beach: It would have to be Koh Hong beach. On a deserted island, off the coast of Krabi. Deserted until the Indian film crew showed up to shoot a Bollywood dance number. I feel absolutely blessed to have been there!
Favourite new fruit: Dragon fruit. I don't know how I ever missed this, since I lived in Japan for two years, but dragon fruit really rocks my world. It's red and bumpy on the outside (like an artichoke gone bad) but inside the flesh is white, with edible seeds. It takes a litle like a kiwi. Delicious.
Favourite airline: Thai airlines. Thai and Singapore Airlines regularly battle it out for the world's best airline, and you can see why. During our two and a half hour flight from Krabi to Bangkok, we had more inflight service than our 16 hour Air Canada flight from Hong Kong to Toronto. Not to mention, the food on Thai was spectacular -- while Air Canada accidentally gave away my vegetarian meal and tried to slip me a turkey sandwich.
Best book read on vacation: The Elephanta Suite by Paul Theroux -- a stereotype-shattering novel about the experience of American travelers in India. I bought it in a book store in Bangkok after finishing the other three novels I'd brought with me, and what a page-turner!
Favourite purchase: A dress for this year's CMA Awards. For years I've admired the work of Japanese designer, Issey Miyake but balked at the price tag. His work easily commands thousands of dollars. Trust the good people of Bangkok to have knocked off the design...but at a greatly reduced price. It's now the most fashion forward number in my closet.
Most over-used Thai word: Ka. If they eliminated this word from spoken Thai, no one would say anything.
Favourite new royal family: the King and Queen of Thailand. Their picture is everywhere. If you haven't seen it, you haven't been to Thailand.
Where to next? Bhutan. Nepal. Tibet. All on the hot list.
4 comments:
Welcome back!!! Sounds like it was absolutely incredible. Lunch some time to catch up??
Welcome back and thanks for the recap.
Those places are all on my list, as well. But I'm sure you know that.
The only thing about Bhutan is the visa cost, I could only afford to go in for a day, or an hour.
But Nepal and Tibet.. hmmm. Do I really NEED to go to SE Asia this January?
Would you be willing to share your itinerary?
Vacation fights?
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