#folksytravel Archives • Page 31 of 52 • Folksy Travel by Bill Smale

January 15, 2023January 15, 2023

On Phi Phi island in the southern part of Thailand, I was surprised to see the island just as compact with shops, travel agents, and restaurants, as well as hotels, as it was before the tsunami which destroyed everything on the island except buildings erected on one of the two steep volcanic and limestone hills. Another thing that surprised me is the number of cats, all who are very friendly, taking care of whatever kind of vermin the shopkeepers may not like. Here are some of these cats stories. By the way, there are no dogs on the island and that could be due to the indigenous Muslim population.

Take up the most relaxing chair will ya?!

I am an exclusive cat. I only sleep on boxes.

Everybody knows this is the best kind of cat house

January 11, 2023November 22, 2024

Great Buddha

There are many giant Buddha statues and images throughout Thailand but this is one of the more interesting near pattaya.

These are actually gold tiles laid out in a design very carefully.

January 2, 2023November 22, 2024

New year-time for food

Lao ox skin with side veggies and Lao beer

Cockle buffet on kids chairs, easy and light to stack

Cockles buffet. Very nice. Spicy sauces for flavor

Everyone needs a mechanical gorilla to sell eggs at the gas station

Nice Quatro Formaggi at Babylon, Koh Chang

Stir fried veggies, TOM YAM seafood and sting ray

Chicken and kale, fried eggs on top are a popular thing

December 18, 2022November 22, 2024

Interesting things in Bangkok and on to Laos

A red and gold Chinese wish for good business along with many MANNEKI NEKO (Japanese welcoming cat)

to the top 35 years ago (not allowed now) and going back down was very scary.

do you think this is a nicely designed building?

finally a well organized bus line in Bangkok

Khao San Road has become a fairly expensive backpacker paradise? oxymoron. great place to buy a fake ID card if you feel you need one (don’t recommend using it)

a very active place even at night, maybe especially at night

You can ride all the way Laos if your train schedules match up

Duck/Beer restaurant in Vientiane. if you park on the street to the left you have no parking fee. if you park in the restaurant parking lot you have to pay a parking fee. seems to be reversed from logic.

December 12, 2022December 12, 2022

Food – a potpourri!

This Lao hotpot for boiling meat and veggies was nice but the second time we went there the meat was of much lower quality so never again!

Sticky rice is a great staple when eating some kinds of food especially those you eat with your hands such as NAMTOK MOO.

Coloring your clothes with a blue flower is a good option. However, it is important to know the color doesn’t last long and you should not eat your clothes after coloring them. The chopsticks are only for manipulating the cloth without getting your fingers colored.

avocado, cornflakes and dates with milk – a special breakfast

for a sushi buffet (all you can eat) this Vientiane OSHI restaurant is a good option though the quality is not up to Japanese standards

How do you want to pay in Laos at this coffee shop? They cover all options. These are scan to pay bank payment systems.

Ok, not food. but he has a CSK shirt on, my old company in Tokyo, but he is in Vientiane.

Stir fried pork/ginger with pork LAAB (salad) and spicy cucumber (Lao style)

you often have your selection of prepared food on rice. these are spicy options.

PAA DEK fermented fish. very stinky made with Mekong river fish

a grill buffet with fairly inferior food

Vietnamese deep fried spring roll with noodles, veggie and sauce.

Yes, I was there with wine and a nice Italian entre

December 7, 2022December 7, 2022

Vietnam Part 2

A person standing beside me said this is an image of Ho Chi Minh when he was a young revolutionary.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is often called “Saigon” and many companies located there use the city name “Saigon”

crossing the river with motorcycles on board

one of the ferries along the river in HCM (Ho Chi Minh city)

what is a prosperous city without a Rolls Royce dealership? the salespeople wear white gloves. We walked in with t-shirts and shorts, the “unpretentious rich”.

the city is named after him, of course, not me.

bands on the walking street at night until about 11

portable restaurants love these kid’s chairs for customers

these enforcers go around on these automatic rollers to make sure people are adhering to the rules

at the restaurant a little wrapped up snack sitting next to a wet tissue, all extra fees, of course.

the walking street in HCM is long and very organized

i was invited to the palace (provided I pay a small fee)

the president’s bed in the palace bunker

old communication equipment in the palace where the President of South Vietnam surrendered to the North’s army, the bunker being one of the main attractions of the palace.

during the war you can see how extensive the North Vietnamese presence was in Laos. The Ho Chi Minh trail was half the country.

motorcycle parking lot, they dominate the roads, good for Yamaha and Honda and for the electric bikes made by VinFast (vietnamese company)

reporters during the war used to come here for talking and drinks. the bar now is completely unimpressive and loud music makes it uncomfortable.

Vung Tau island near HCM by fast boat. Not really recommendable.

nice walkways along beaches in Vietnam but the beaches are not as nice as in Thailand.

December 5, 2022November 22, 2024

Food in Vietnam

Food in Vietnam is not as spicy and is often more oily than in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Food in Vietnam seems to be more expensive than in Thailand or Laos. Soups tend to be very delicious.

the typical wrap with either lettuce or rice paper to do the wrap.

natural colors added to rice and cooked to a thin layer around the metal pan to make a nice, crispy rice snack

I am rolling out rice paper which is later put through a slicer to make rice noodles. Again, natural colors are added.

the completed noodles with the natural coloring bases in the basket, vegetables and herbs

a nice beer, not as well promoted by the country as Beer Lao is promoted in Laos. Drinking seems to be done in much more modest portions than in Laos.

almost anywhere you can find this tin sifter set to put coffee grounds and poor coffee to get a nice single pour. However, the holes are a little small and the grind also very small so the coffee tends to coagulate in the holes and the drip slows to something you may not want to wait for. It isn’t a fool proof system like a french press.

well, international food is available in big cities and tourist areas.

it is called a Vietnam Pizza but very different ingredients you can select from street vendors.

a typical broth/meat/herb dish; one of the nicest varieties.

rice/chicken dish with a delicious soup and pickles.

the top of this building has speakers squaking out sparrow songs to attract sparrows to come and create nests in the building holes so they can harvest the nests, held together by bird spit and excrement, the makings of bird nest soup.

December 2, 2022November 22, 2024

Nakhon Rachasima, Thailand

the baby buddha as he stepped lotus flowers appeared, up to 7 levels

Nakhon Rachasima is also known as Korat and is a very interesting place to visit and spend 2 or 3 days. Below is a link for further information.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nakhon_Ratchasima

this is the daytime market, organized masses buying everything from dry goods to groceries and also cooked food.

going for a pre-wedding photo shoot in the countryside

November 17, 2022November 22, 2024

Pakse, Laos – And a highland paradise (coffee included)

Pakse is a beautiful small town in the southern part of Laos and right next to the entrance to the Paksong Highlands where they grow a lot of very delicious coffee and have some very beautiful waterfalls. It’s a really great place to visit and I recommend renting a motorcycle or car to go up into the Highlands and look around. There are also some beautiful temples to visit so just spend about four or five days there and enjoy.