Dreaming of: Angkor Wat

I have lived in Thailand for over half my life but I haven't visited my neighboring country Cambodia yet. And now I live half way around the world and I'm dreaming of visiting Angkor Wat lately. My brother and my mom were there a couple years ago. They took advantage of the low airfare and went there on a whim. The trip was probably one of many spontaneous my wanderlust brothers have done over the year. The pictures are breathtaking. I can help but envy their experience.

I plan to visit Angkor Wat on our next Thailand trip. I don't know where to start yet but my brother can probably give me a good idea and contact to start. We will probably spend a few days there. Learning the history of this ancient city that has been reclaimed by the nature over hundred of years. Bracing the hot sun of South East Asia summer. Hopefully, it will be tolerable for my kids.

And the food.. Ah.. Food and Asian people goes together like chopsticks. We live to eat. We love to eat and we travel to eat.

Now if anyone has any great accommodation, please feel free to share.

This post is part of Monday are for Dreaming at The Mother of All Trips.

Photo Friday: Cable Ride on Ngong Ping 360

This is one of the reason why we travel near and far.. Miss J just met her cousin for the first and they instantly connected. They held hand together walking through the airport in Hong Kong. They hop on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car together. They were mesmerized by the view over the Tung Chung Bay. They were excited as we approached the Tian Tan Buddha Statue high atop the Ngong Ping Plateau. They walked hand-in-hand in the Ngong Ping village. They shared their excitement and many secrets for the first time.


This is why we travel near and far.

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Photo Friday: James Bond Island

On our trip back to Thailand several years ago.. way before we had Mr. Z, we went to Phuket and Phang-Nga for a short visit. It was before the tradegy of Tsunami hit Thailand. I haven't been back since but I have heard that everything is now back to normal. The trip was my first trip to visit Phuket myself.. I know.. Shame on me even though I lived in Thailand for over half my life but I have yet to fully experience what my birth country has to offer.

The trip started at Phuket resort and we hired a tour guide (since we also traveled with Mr. Rojo's parents) to take us to James Bond Island. It was named James Bond Island because one of the Bonds movie was shoot here.. I'm not the die-hard 007 fan so I couldn't really tell which one. I don't know if Miss J will remember any of the trip but it was one of the fun trip. We rode on the small engine boat. It was just a bit bigger than a canoe with seats for probably 10 people. We also made a quick stop at the Floating Fishing Village for lunch. I wish we could have stayed longer. I couldn't wait to bring Mr. Z back there one day.

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Photo Friday: Ruinas De Sao Paulo

This photo could have been taken in anywhere in Europe. But the truth is this ruin is in Macau - The Asia Sin City. It's amazing how history has different trace of how small our world is. This is part of the old ruin of St. Paul church in Macau. We visited here during our trip to Hong Kong and Macau in 2007. It was one of the fun and crazy trip for us. With 6 children and probably 15 adults, I felt like we just flew by this amazing city.

Macau has a lot of Portugal influence as we can see it throughout the city. The food, the architechture, the culture.. A small city but very big personality. It's called 'Las Vegas of Asia' for a good reason. They have several big casinos throughout the city. One big difference I would say is the smoking. This is not by any mean a family-friendly city. The casinos are full of smokers. The restaurants mostly have no separate rooms for non-smoking. You pretty much have to walk pass the smoke-filled room to the corner of the restaurant.

However, the other aspect of the city is amazing. It's a great city to walk around and learn about Macau history. So I will think a family with older kids would really appreciate learning how East culture meet West culture and co-exist nicely.

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Photo Friday: Just for tourists like us in Hong Kong

The sign at the ferry station in Hong Kong on our way back from Macau.

During our visit to Hong Kong and Macau, we took a ferry to and from Hong Kong to Macau. The trip wasn't bad. I took some seasick medicine and pretty much slept the whole way. At the ferry station after a long ferry ride (about an hour) the first thing we looked for was the rest room. Well, we didn't have any problem finding it. They make sure that tourists won't make any mess looking for restrooms. I mean if you can't find the restroom then I don't know how else they can help you. :)

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Wordless Wednesday: Koh Pan-Yi (Floating Muslim Village)

This is the floating muslim village in Krabi. This village is built entirely in the ocean. It's one of the tourist attraction (stop) for people visiting Phi Phi Island and Krabi area.

WW - Starbucks in Beijing

With the Beijing 2008 Olympic fever that we have in our house right now, I want to post the picture we took almost 10 years ago. Starbucks have been in Beijing way before the Olympic. I'm very in awe with the opening ceremony but I'm not surprised. I know that the Chinese can do it and they have the determination and committment to make it big.

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WW - Wat Phra Kaew

Wat Phra Kaew or The Temple of the Emerald Budha is Thai most sacred buddhist temple. It's located within the grounds of the Grand Palace and one of the most visited tourist attraction in Thailand. We went there on our recent trip to Thailand. It was HOT!!!

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WW - Night Life in Macau

The Sin City of Asia - Macau. This is the famous Casino Lisboa. I was told that half of the casinos here own by only one man!

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WW - Lunch by the Beach in Phuket

This was the view from the restaurant that we had lunch in Phuket. We went there a few years ago before the Tsunami hit. It was such a nice relaxing time. I can't wait to go back again with the whole family.

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Blast from the past - China

Today I saw an article on MSN about Planning a Trip to China. This article reminds me of our trip to China about 8 years ago. It was a trip sponsored by my company that I worked with back then. Yup, it was a business trip but my boss was very generous in helping arranging side trip during the weekend for us. It also helped that she was from China so I think in the sense she was proud to show us her country.

We were there for over a month but most weekend we had to work. After all, they flew us around the Globe to work not to take a vacation. We stayed in an industrial town called 'TianJin'.

One long weekend, we got a chance to take a train to visit Beijing. We had to take a train from TianJin to Beijing. Too bad I didn't take any digital pictures back then. So I didn't think of taking the pictures of the bathroom at the train station. However, my sense of smell still vividly remembers this strong smell. Let's just say I held my breath the whole time I walked in there and I couldn't even do my business. I just couldn't. The door was only half tall so when you squat down, you would be seeing the next door neighbor. Ok.. I know.. Too much information. Let's move on.

We took a bus to the Great Wall. I think this might be the only time I will get to visit China. But you never know. I still want to go back to see Shiang Hai and other parts of this interesting country. We took the cable car up to the Great Wall and walked along the wall. I'm glad we did this when I was 8 years younger. Not sure if I can climb it now.

Next day, we got a chance to see Tianmin Square and the Forbidden City. Growing with a lot of Chinese movies in my household, it was amazing to get to see the Forbidden City. I am still amazed now thinking about how people 1,000 years ago was able to accomplish such a large scale of contruction with details and beauty.

The fun memory I had is not only about places but people. It was fun shopping in China. Bargaining is a given. The price they gave you will be about 200% more than you will end up paying. But that's how it works. We also surprised at how Americanized the teens could be in Beijing and this was 8 years ago. I'm sure you can see even more Western influence there nowaday. We went to Hard Rock Cafe in Beijing and it was one of the fun night in my life. Being young and no worried.. Oh! how I long for those days again.

And just to prove the point that we can get Starbucks anywhere. We got this picture from that trip. China is not just another exotic country anymore. I will go back in a heart beat if my budget allows!

A day in Bangkok...

Well, not literally just a day in Bangkok. I couldn't just go back to Thailand and only spend a day in Bangkok. Most of you might ask why it took me so long to blog about Thailand. Truth be told, there are so many great places in Thailand that I'm at the lost and don't even know where to start.

Last year, we went back to Thailand to visit my family. This is something I try to do every two years. I would love to be able to do it every year. But tickets for 4 can run around $4000 so unless I win any lotto anytime soon this will have to be bi-annual trip. Each time when we go back I try to plan several small trips to visit many parts of Thailand.

Thailand is an amazing place to visit. We have different flavors to please various taste. There are beaches in the South, mountains in the North, city in Bangkok, old ruins in the Center. I can go on and on.. Plus you can't go to Thailand and not be overwhelmed by the varieties of food you can get. We are Thais and we love to eat. I'm not food expert I will leave that up to my friend on her blog (kelly-licious).

This trip is no different. I have a long list of things to do and buy, places to visit and food to eat. Of course, families to visit is on my list as well but that's a given. :)

As soon as we landed (right around midnight) and by the time we left the airport which was around 2AM, we headed to my family favorite chinese restaurant, Nguan Lee. It's one of this place that has no fancy deco just plain tables and chairs. Gotta put food on the first priority to have energy to do anything else. :)

I had planned a few places to go in Bangkok this trip. My husband has been there 3-4 times but it will take more than that to experience Thailand to the fullest.

We headed to Royal Thai Palace and Wat Pra Kaew (Temple of Emerald Budha). Being Thai and living in Bangkok for over 20 years, the last time I was there I was 10 years old. So a lots have changed. This was our second attempt to go there. Last time, we didn't know that he had to wear long pants. You can't wear short, flip flop, or sandal. And I believe for female you should dress properly to show respect to the place.

It was a typical weather in Thailand.. HOT.. So I knew that we won't be spending too much time in there. We picked up a headset for self-guided. I'm not a history buff so I will take any help I can get. The visit was long enough to wear everyone out. One thing to keep in mind when going to Thailand. Whatever you plan to do, plan to accomplish maybe even less as heat will get to you sooner than you think.

The next stop on our list is 'Muang Boran - Ancient City'. It's located just outside Bangkok. You probably couldn't tell where Bangkok ends and where another province begins. It's all blended in together these days with all the people moves to our capital city. To get there, the best advice I could get is to hire a taxi or mini van. There is no easy public transportation.

Plus when you are in there the place is so huge, you can't really walk from one to another. You can rent a bike. It will be a nice exercise giving it isn't a hot day (which is highly unlikely for that to happen here). My sister arranged the van to pick us up and we headed there. It was nice to learn about different histories in different parts of my country. This is like an overview of what we have to offer in Thailand regarding our historical locations, architectures and many more. The owner does put a lot of thought into building this place.

They also created an environment that takes you back to the traditional Thai lifestyle. It's a quick way to learn more about Thai culture in one trip. We had lunch at the shop that sits by the canal. One of my favorite dish - Boat noodle (Kuay-Taew-Ruer).

There are several other places that we didn't have time to visit this trip. Plus I don't want to temple out my husband by visiting all the temples in one trip. I think to really enjoy and appreciate what we have to offer, we need to take our time and not just rush through the place just to get it done. That being said, it's easier said than done when you had 2 young children with you that kicking and screaming for the A/C. :)

Hong Kong - Here we come!!

We stayed in Hong Kong for 2 nights. The hotel is in a very convenient location by the subway. It's not on the Hong Kong Island but instead on the Kowloon side which made it more affordable. I think we stayed in the Mong Kok area but need to confirm that. Will update later on the hotel name and all. :)

We didn't waste anytime. After a full day in Macau, we arrived in Hong Kong for dinner then headed to the hotel to check in. After a quick fresh up, I left my hubby in the hotel as he was in no shape to walk anymore and went out to explore with my mom and my sister and her hubby in the Ladies Market. If you don't like crowd space, then don't bother coming to Hong Kong. Growing up in Bangkok, I'm used to crowd but I have to say I have never seen that many people in one location and it was almost 11PM at that time.

Street food vendors were everywhere. And the food was good. It was perfect to keep us going late into the night.

The next morning after the quick breakfast we headed to Lantau Island for 2 attractions on the itenerary.

First stop is the Ngong Ping 360. It's the cable car that runs from the bottom of the mountain over the bay to the top of the moutain (not sure how long that is). The ride by itself was just amazing. The day we went was a bit cloudy but we were still able to see the airport and enjoy the 360 view. At the top we got to walk around the Ngong Ping village. It was very quaint village. We enjoyed the show there along with Starbucks. Well, you know that your destination has made it when there is Starbucks there.

Next was our most challenging attraction. It's the Big Budha or what they called Po Lin Monastry. Well, having two kids we weren't sure if we want to do this. But again, how many times we will get to come here and see Big Budha. So off we went, my hubby got my son on his front with the Bjorn. Mind you that he was almost 3 by that time. So it wasn't easy. Again, don't ask me how many steps. I'm sure you can find out from Hong Kong Tourism website or Google.

Back to the Hong Kong Island, we made a quick stop (well, not so quick when you have 25 people in your group) at the Repulse Bay. This is one of the most beautiful beaches in Hong Kong. (hmm.. with Hong Kong as an island wonder how many beaches do they have) Too bad, we didn't get to dip into the ocean to taste the Hong Kong water. :) Oh! and I almost forgot our quickest stop ever to the Victoria Peak. It was one of those foggy days so we couldn't see out much to begin with and some of the kids were fast asleep. So we did the got out, took picture and got back on the road.

We ended today with a trip to the fisherman village for the fresh and incredible dinner. This is not your typical restaurant. You had to walk through the real market to go to the restaurant. Food was just beyond word. Especially, for me coming from the US where seafood is more of the luxury item than the norm. So I just ate like there will be no tomorrow.

Some fish I don't even know that it exists. I think if I show those pictures I might get marked as adult site so let your imagination runs wild on this one. For now, just see the end result from those fish. Doesn't it make your mouth watering right now?

The night didn't actually end there. After the tour bus dropped some of us at the hotel, we asked them to take us to Nathan Road. Yet another shopping street. My hubby was in search of new cell phone and figured Hong Kong would be a good place to try. But we didn't buy any from there. I just didn't feel comfortable buying electronic that we couldn't get service easily.

Our last day was a free for all day. My sister went to IKEA to check out their home product. My cousins and her daughter went to Disney Land. Well, I have both of those in the US so no need to see it again. So we decided to explore the Hong Kong island. We took the MTR to the Ocean Terminal station and we actually got off a bit earlier so that we could walk by the Harbour and check out the Pennisula Hotel. Well, can't stay there so at least I figured we could take a picture. :P

Walking around Hong Kong made me appreciate the way we live here with all the space and less congestion. It was literally going by the flow thing. Ever seen the Visa debit card commercial that one person starts using cash and then the whole thing stops like a domino. I felt like that when walking on the sidewalk there.

Hong Kong is everything I expected and more. A cosmopolitan city with a taste of their old tradition. The city was so vibrant and the food was so yummy. Hong Kong is such a small country but packed with all the flavor you want. Shopping, Eating, Sighseeing, Gambling (in Macau just a short ferry ride)... It's great for a traveler who doesn't feel comfortable outside the comfort zone since Hong Kong people can pretty much speak English. So navigate through the city or shopping is a breeze.

I sure hope that we will get a chance to go back there again!!

Our Trip to Macua and Hong Kong

This year we will not be going back to Thailand since we just went there last year (Feb 2007). But it seems like a lifetime ago that I went back. With a family of 4, it's very difficult (financially mostly) to make a trip every year. I would love for my kids to be able to go back every year to see my mom, my sister, my brothers and their cousins (2 so far and 1 on the way). All my family members are in Thailand so that's why I make it my goal that we will be going back at least once every two years.

Last year trip was a blast. We made a plan to have a small trip within that trip to also visit Hong Kong and Macau. My sister and my brother took care of all the arrangement with the tour company from Thailand. It was probably the good idea for us since it was like a family reunion trip with all ages range from 60 something to about 6 months old. So having a tour guide that provides transportation, accomodation and food made the trip more manageable.

We spent our first night in Macau. With the jet lag and small kids, we didn't go explore too much. I think it's one of the place for more adults than kids. Also one thing that hinder my fun is smoker!! They are everywhere... In the restaurant, public place... So needless to say, I don't plan to go back to Macau again anytime soon.

Don't get me wrong. There are other stuffs to see around Macua as well. There are several nice architechtures from the old day during Portugal influence.

Ruinas de Sao Paulo is the old ruin of St. Paul church. It has some history behind it but when you traveled with 2 young kids with less than 5 hours sleep then the history went out the window. So just search online to get more info for any history bluffs who want to know more.

Then there was also Largo do Senado (in which we visited at night). It was at the square with a lot of historic building. We went there during Chinese New Year so we got the good advantage of the decoration. The Chinese New Year is probably one of the most celebrated for Chinese people.

And you can't talk about Macau without mentioning Casino. Macau is considered the Vegas of Asia. The casino here is as fancy and as big as in Vegas. But I think the people who come here are different. Vegas has both true gamblers and tourists. But in Macau it seems to be serious business here. We didn't get into the casino because I can't tolerate the smoke. But we did walk along the street to take in all the lights and unique structures. Everything in Macau is built based on the belief of Feng Shui. There are stories about how each building is designed in order to utilize the belief to bring in the most money.

By the way, traveling with tour guide has one downside. We tend to not paying attention on where you stay and where you eat or even where you go. After some digging, I just remember the name of the hotel that we stayed in Macau. It's the Golden Dragon Casino. It's right in front of the Fisherman Wharf. Very nice area...