The India Diaries: Delhi Part 1

Having a visitor from back home makes it difficult to live in Bangkok. I love the time that they're here but it makes me miss them that much more when they leave. Luckily after my dad's 2 week visit in December I was hopping on a 5 hour flight to New Delhi! I was nervous and excited and it got my mind off of being homesick.

My introduction to India was uncomfortable and happened before even leaving Thai soil. In the row next to my friend and I was a group of Indian men who spent the next 5 hours staring at us - oh yeah and did I mention they had their iPhones out watching a porn. Immediately after the seatbelt sign was turned off, they started a childish fight with our flight attendants over a bottle of water. So far I was not impressed with the actions of these men. I felt them staring even more and knew they contemplating starting an unwanted conversation with me.

"Can I have some of your water?", the airplane perv asked. "No sorry but I think you can buy some." I said quickly turning my head to avoid eye contact. "Would you like a beer? We have an extra." (wait I thought beer wasn't sold on Air Asia...hmm...) "No thanks.", once again I avoided eye contact but this time I was smart and decided to put my headphones in. They got the hint and I started drifting off to sleep until I heard another commotion coming from these men. They were arguing with the poor flight attendants once again, this time about the banned booze. She told them if they opened their beer she would be phoning the police. This finally got them to shut up and the rest of the trip was filled with stares but they were no longer brave enough to attempt a conversation.

Indian tuk tuk in Delhi.

3 hours later we were in India! We had a 35 minute drive before arriving at the Oodles Hotel in New Delhi. My first impressions of India were as follows:

1. They were no women in sight but LOTS of men were wandering the streets.
2. The tuk tuks are a lot different than our Bangkok tuk tuks. These are closed in the back and have double benches for more passengers.
3. Traffic is insane. There are no lines in the road and even if there were I don't think people would drive in them. Everyone is honking all around us (cars and trucks even say "honk please" on the back).

So far so good. I wasn't experiencing a visual culture shock which helped to ease my mind. Our hotel was quite nice and we were greeted by pleasant staff. We began (and ended) our night in Delhi with a trip to the hotel restaurant where I had my first taste of India. I ordered a delicious vegetarian daal and butter naan. At the end of the meal also came a delicious palette cleanser of paan and sugar - which also freshens your breath. I can live like this for two weeks.

-Blonde in Bangkok

Travel Tip #2

Sunday while I was taking a form of Bangkok transportation, I overheard a group of three men say "let's just pick a side - we will figure it out".

2. Never just "pick a side"! Most public transportation goes one way or another and if you choose this route, you'll end up lost in a foreign city. Read the train maps and know your destination it'll get you far.

-Blonde in Bangkok

Travel Tip #1

Ready for my top travel tips??

This is a random yet very useful list of things to know based on my own experiences.

1. Don't look like a tourist. Whipping out your map on a crowded Bangkok street is a GREAT way to get scammed by a tuk tuk driver for the infamous jewel scam! Ready your map in the hotel room before hitting the streets to avoid this traveler faux pas.

-Blonde in Bangkok

Thangksgiving Thai Style

   I spent my second Thanksgiving in Bangkok last week (the first was in 2009 when I visited Bangkok for the first time) and it seems everything but normal for a girl from the States.

Waiting for the train at Hua Lamphong in Bangkok...for 2 hours!

   In 2009, on Thanksgiving day I spent two hours on a rickety train (which by the way was also two hours late since they were apparently running on "Thai time") without air conditioning in weather that had to be around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It was miserable but in the end, like most things that happen here, it was worth it!

Buddhas in a ruined temple in Ayutthaya

Arriving in Ayutthaya was incredible! It's a Thai city filled with gorgeous ruins from a war with Burma. Although it's in ruins, you can see the amazing architecture that existed before the war.

Dim Sum Thanksgiving

We rented a tuk tuk for the day and traveled to several different temples before having Thanksgiving lunch which also was anything but ordinary. We had some kind of dim sum (which I hated and have now, 2 years later, grown to love) and a Pepsi. Although this year my dad and I were together in Ayutthaya, it did not feel like the Holidays. It's HOT outside, there's never any turkey, and we don't set up a tree but I wouldn't give up that Thai Thanksgiving for anything in the world! :)

Next holiday?

Christmas in India...stay tuned!

-Blonde in Bangkok

Thai Flood Diary: Episode 2

Finally, my internet has cooperated long enough for me to upload my second video blog! I visited a local Sukhumvit market to see how they were being affected by these terrible floods...

-Blonde in Bangkok

Loy Krathong in Flooded Bangkok. Ironic?

Loy Krathong is a holiday celebrated in November annually here in Thailand. It's a time to give thanks and apologize to the Water Gods. You float a Krathong in the river (or khlong) and make a wish as you do. This year, I've heard something new about Krathongs. I made paper ones with my students today and a Thai teacher told us to place 1 baht on our Krathong as well as a piece of our hair so the Water Gods know that the Krathong is yours. These weren't proper Thai Krathongs but since the area is flooded it seemed that only a toned down celebration was in order.

I had terrible luck last year for Loy Krathong. My Krathong tipped over immediately after I placed it in the water! That could not have been good luck!!! This year, my paper Krathong floated nicely into the kids' swimming pool and I made quite the wish....let's hope it comes true!

Happy Loy Krathong. Think about Thailand today and wish this country and it's beautiful people good luck in this difficult time.

(I also found this photo well suited for this holiday and situation here in Thailand.)

Until next time...
-Blonde in Bangkok

The Erawan Shrine: Tiring??

Just found this photo I took on one of my many trips to the Erawan Shrine. It's a beautiful, very famous, Hindu shrine in Bangkok near the Chit Lom BTS stop. This guy must have found the shrine too overwhelming on this day. Did he fall asleep after taking only one shoe off?? Just another day in Bangkok, I guess...

-Blonde in Bangkok

One way to escape the floods? IKEA!

As the floods began to enter Thailand's capital city, the country's very first IKEA also opened it's doors in a dry suburb of Bangkok. The large 2-story do-it-yourself furniture shop is located around Bang Na outside of the main city. If you're looking for a way to get your mind off the country's worst floods in nearly 50 years, maybe a trip to IKEA is just what you need.

IKEA shuttle bus stop at Exit 5 on Udom Suk's BTS.

It's cheap and easy to get to IKEA, if you don't mind waiting. I recommend taking the BTS' extended line past On Nut to Udom Suk and then taking exit 5. An IKEA shuttle bus runs free of charge to this stop every 30 minutes and will take  you right to IKEA. Just keep your eyes open for a big, yellow bus (pictured on the left).

I was surprised with how nice the bus was but I can't say the same for our bus driver. We took shuttle bus 2 and let me warm you --- TAKE NUMBER 1! Our bus driver was half asleep driving practically 20 km/hr. It took nearly an hour to get there (on the way back we took a taxi even further and it took 20 minutes!). Although it took forever and I risked my life for the sleeping driver, it was a nice, cool way to escape the humidity!

When the bus drops you off, you'll more than likely enter through the wrong door, like we did. I can only assume this is the wrong door because you enter through the do-it-yourself furniture section which looks like a warehouse, and smells like one too. Trying to figure out exactly which way to go can sure work up an appetite! Luckily, they sell hot dogs for 15 Thai Baht (that's .50 cents in USD!!)! How can you pass that up??

Although it may not look like it from the outside or by the mass amounts of people in this store, IKEA has also been affected by the flood...

After eating our bun-less hot dogs, we walked past the children's playland (I wanted to play it looked like so much fun) and another food stand to the escalator that would finally lead us to the "Showroom Entrance". 

One excited patron heading to the Showroom!

Finally, when we arrived at the main level of the Showroom, we took about 30 minutes to walk through, gazing at the beautiful, bright colors and then we were once again in a food court. This one was much bigger than the others, filled with cozy chairs to lounge while eating your overly priced meal. After having one more small snack, we thought to ourselves "Really? This is it." Of course not...we had one more level to go! This one was the important stuff: bath decor, kitchen supplies, and odds and ends you never thought you needed until now.

Then we were once again in that smelly, warehouse area that finally led us to the checkout. Another piece of advice, if you do choose to get your mind off the flood for a day by visiting IKEA - bring a book! The lines to check out are absurdly long and you may very well get bored.

Long lines at the check-out despite the floods!

See you again next time for more up-to-date information on the flooding in Bangkok! If my internet cooperates, there will be the newest video blog I promised!

-Blonde in Bangkok