Nigel

Nigel Compilation: Life In Thailand...Contributed By Nok

2011-05-24T14:02:00.004-06:00

Bangkok HDR

2011-05-06T02:28:00.003-06:00

Homestay in Tha Uthen, Nahkorn Phanon

2011-02-09T22:06:00.003-06:00

I have been traveling around North East Thailand (E-san, Isaan...depends how you want to spell it) for about 3 days and came across a very lovely home-stay in a small town called Tha Uthen Nahkon Phanom (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Nakhon+Phanom,+Thailand&aq=&sll=11.868695,99.740753&sspn=0.821134,1.362305&ie=UTF8&geocode=FfitCQEdF4s7Bg&split=0&hq=&hnear=Nakhon+Phanom,+Thailand&ll=17.653039,104.464482&spn=0.02515,0.042572&t=h&z=15)

This is located at the intersection of the Songkram and the Mekong rivers. It is a nice break from Bangkok and a great way to see what Thailand is really like. I stopped to take some photos and get something to eat. A woman asked me where I was going to stay for the night, it was about 6pm, and I really didn't have any plan. I was thinking to drive on Highway 212 to Nong Khai and stay there but she mentioned they have a home-stay for 450 baht. After eating I took a look and it was perfect! A nice room with a/c, fan, hot shower and very clean. They just opened in October. There are 4 room and the other rooms were taken by the Live Tv crew doing a piece about homestays in Thailand (http://www.livetv.co.th/vod/?cat=10). Hey, maybe I will be in one of the videos!!

I woke up at 7am, had some rice soup and took a walk around the small town to take some photos. I like the houses with the weathered wood. It is so rustic and quaint.
Not sure what the plan is today. I might drive towards Nong Khai and eventually I want to spend some time in Loei (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=loei,+Thailand&aq=&sll=17.653183,104.464874&sspn=0.4024,0.681152&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Loei,+Thailand&ll=17.654491,101.550751&spn=0.39978,0.681152&t=h&z=11)
The highway 2195 looks promising. This is great to be away and not have to deal with so many people, traffic and noise.

January 6, 2011. Bangkok, Thailand

2011-01-06T03:32:00.002-06:00

It isn't too bad finding some high-rise building near Ratchada or Sala Daeng and looking out over the race track/golf course. The view is an anomaly amongst all the heated concrete and filthy traffic that permeates most of Bangkok. The air conditioned rooms provide a sterile, quiet lookout point to relax and perhaps wonder what you are doing here in the first place. Hurry up and make a couple million baht and buy one or two of these places and get away from the lower extremities of urban Bangkok.
And by the way, it looks like I will be getting a Honda Click instead of a vespa. The Vespas are too expensive and hard to find because no one wants to part with them.

SAPA!!!!....renewed interest in Vietnam

2009-07-13T23:51:00.002-06:00

This is AWESOME!!!
arrived this early morning to the usual Vietnam confusion. Too many people not enough buses. Confusion to where everyone should be going. Confusion about where everyone in the tour is going to stay but as soon as everyone got on the bus and we headed into the mountains things really started looking up...(pun intended)
After about an hour and a half drive up up up we arrived at Sapa Summit Hotel. The view is amazing!!! The clouds lifted, the sun started to shine through the fog and soon the fog completely burned off revealing greenery similar to Ireland but what Ireland lacks in mountains, this part of Vietnam surely supersedes it.
Everyone got organized more or less and then we received some meal coupons for the duration of the tour. Breakfast here usually consist of some type of cooked egg with bread and today was no exception. Good enough and the coffee with milk and sugar was delicious.
Finally some smiling faces, some gracious hosts, some thank yous, some genuine interest in your well being. One of the best sites so far is the local Hmong greeting the arriving buses to sell their products and chit chat with the tourists. I was able to speak some Hmong to them and they were amazed and confused on why I was able to speak a bit. They quite enjoyed that.
Our tour guide was Vee, a local Hmong girl about 24 years old with a young boy and girl. They did not accompany us on the trek but all along the way we were picking up new "friends". They kept us company for a long duration of the trek asking us in English were we were from, how big is our families, how old we were, etc. Eventually it came time for them to ask us to buy their wares and I hesitated buying anything until the trip back.
The trek lasted about 3 hours and was not that easy for someone that was not healthy. We walked and walked...through Hmong villages, through some of the greenest rice paddies you will ever see planted delicately on the steppes. The sites are just beautiful. Please look at the pictures on mobile me when I get a chance to post them.
It is really hard to explain how beautiful it was and how charming everyone was to provide a really exciting tour.
The walk up was not as easy as coming down but eventually we made it to our room. My room wasn't cleaned yes from the previous occupant and the view wasn't as good as it could have been so I went to the front counter and asked for a different room with a different view. I was pleasantly surprised that the staff was so willing to change my accommodations to suit me. The room is splendid, replete with a lovely balcony and a view to die for. Please see pics
Well time for a shower and then to sit down, relax and eat a well-deserved lunch.

Hanoi...rain...rain...rain....

2009-07-13T05:08:00.002-06:00

It seemed to rain all night last night but the sounds of the wind and the torrents of rain were soothing and quickly put me to sleep. But it didn't let up as the night became day. There were periods when the rain wasn't so heavy but it rained and rained all day. Finally around 3pm the rain let up and allowed a short tour of the city by foot. Picked up a couple items for Max and Cash and then set off to find a famed market. Famous for what I am not sure after I arrived there it still was not evident. One item I was looking for was a battery charger for my sony camera battery. I walked up to what seemed to be the electronics corner and a girl quickly pulled something out of the cabinet that she said would remedy my search. "How much" I asked, for what looked like a toy. She replied by typing the amount into a calculator...100,000d. about $5.50 usd....ok how about 20,000 I asked and with a typical sneer and disgusted look she came down to 90,000. In the end we settled on 36,000 but I wanted to look around before I purchased that POS. There was nothing else around that was of much interest so I found my way back to her stall and bought it. I could not control myself how profusely she thanked me for buying her product....read sarcasm here. Sure is a pleasure to buy things here.
In about an hour we make our way to the place where tickets to Sapa were purchased, get on a mini bus to the train station, overnight train it to Sapa and hopefully wake up to something interesting and NOT raining.

Sorry no pictures here again. I guess I have exceeded my limit of storage.

Mobile Me...Vietnam Pics

2009-07-12T09:24:00.000-06:00

Cut and copy the link to see recent pics of Vietnam....thanks

http://gallery.me.com/nigelnaughton#100130

Hanoi...Raining!

2009-07-12T07:43:00.002-06:00

Just arrived this morning to Hanoi, Vietnam on a early morning flight on Air Asia. The flight was only about 50.00 one way and it's really easy to book. So easy to fly domestic and international on this airline and so cheap! The other day flew to Phuket for about 40.00. Later I will tell the story about that one.
I don't update this blog as much as I should. I started to do it but then trying to upload the pics became a real chore. I decided to upload them to my www.me.com site. It isn't any easier but it is easy to access for later. I should have brought my laptop.
So now I am in Hanoi and it has been pretty much raining all day so it has not been easy to take pictures too much. I tried to upload a couple but it hasn't worked yet. The internet is free at this hotel. Lots of small hotels around this area which is the old quarter area of Hanoi. This room cost about 15.00 usd. It comes with its own bathroom and aircon and breakfast in the morning. That usually consists of an egg and baguette.
Booked a 90$ ticket to Sapa in NW Vietnam. The tour consists of an overnight aircon sleeper car then arrive early in the morning to Sapa. Stay around there all day and visit the local ethinic people...Black Hmong etc. and trekking around the area. Then stay in Sapa at a hotel and then the next night take another sleeper train back to Hanoi. On that day i will return to Bangkok to spend my remaining few days shopping and last minute visit with friends. I tried to change my ticket to stay longer but NWA said the only option was to buy another one-way ticket at about 1000.00...sad but can't do it. Maybe I will just come right back when i get home.

So that is the short term itinerary. I never really have a plan of things to do but always have an idea of the things that are available.

Not to always compare different places but so far Vietnam is a lot like Cambodia. Well Hanoi anyway. I don't really remember Saigon being like this. What I mean is that many of the vendors first option for you is to completely take advantage of you. I mean why would anyone pay $8.00 for a small bag of pineapple? I offered a reasonable amount (a typical price that I would pay in Thailand) but was greeted by an insult and a disgusting look. Well, for that she got absolutely NOTHING. I don't care about insults, bad looks or rude behavior. I am the one with the money. I want to compare my experiences of different countries. When Robert (my brother) came to Thailand he was greeted with genuine hospitality and really absorbed the culture as it was. Then we went to Cambodia. While the temples are amazing, dealing with greedy people got old really really fast. We both understand that they are trying to make money and don't fault them at all for that but why try to ask for 15.00 for a tourist pamphlet that you can get free at a hotel. Seems stupid to me but maybe I am missing their point. I remember talking to Robert and both saying, "had enough of this place...let's get back to Thailand." Too bad too because there is so much to see and experience all over. I guess it just comes with the territory. Not a big deal really.
No matter what, sitting outside drinking an iced coffee in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand or anywhere around here is awesome.

Well I will try to tell more about Sapa when I return in a couple days. Check back to my other site to see pics and maybe I can upload some to here too.

http://www.me.com/gallery/#100119

2009-06-25T22:31:00.002-06:00

Was able to get some pics to mobile me. takes forever but I can keep adding them to this site. Take a look and have a nice day

http://www.me.com/gallery/#100119

Bangkok...Hua Hin...Pranburi....Bangkok

2009-06-25T19:08:00.002-06:00

Well.......Thanks all of you who are enjoying these lovely pictures of beautiful Thailand. Lovely aren't they? Takes too F'n long to get anything done on these computers. Now I think it would have been a good idea to bring my Macbook Pro. I suppose i can just buy a Macbook Air here and then return it when I am done. They would totally allow that. I was able to at least go to MBK and get a flash drive to save all the pictures that were on the memory card in my camera.
Getting back to some things that have transpired here. Had a really really nice time in Hua Hin and then to Pranburi. Nok was so gracious to pick me up (but not on time...Thai time. LOL). At first I thought there was no way I am going to live through the drive...going about 170KPH!!!!. she is a fantastic driver.
I was suffering from a little jet lag I think. That day (tuesday) I woke up at 2:30am and that was it. No going back to sleep for me until letting myself relax in the car knowing that it might be better to die in a crash while sleeping. It didn't make for an interesting, rather quite boring, ride for Nok though.
Getting to Hua Hin was no problem and actually didn't do much of anything there. Just relaxing, taking pictures, walk around a little bit, swimming. Right outside the room of the first hotel there is a pool that you can just jump right into. Not good enough. I had to climb a bit further up to get a good jump. Cracked my head on a front side.
All in all everything was very lovely. I want to just upload some pictures so they can speak for themselves. Hopefully this can happen.

Arriving in Thailand...Some Helpful Hints.

2009-06-21T20:36:00.002-06:00

So I think I have been in Thailand for over 24 hours now. What to report? How about this for a report.....NOTHING!
No more World Inn for me at the moment. I tried another place near MBK. A bit cheaper and nice and not as many farang and definately not as many girls pissing in phone booths around this place. It's pretty nice but I found another place that is only 700THB so I think I will check into that place. Saving 300THB a night is pretty cool yo.
Got the Canon T1i running and will get some pics and vdo loaded up pretty soon. Maybe a link to my mobile me site. I think I am running out of space on this spot and because my camera shoots 15.1mp!!! the images are huge...speaking of huge!!!!!!
Well everyone and nobody....Yin dee

2009-06-18T05:54:00.000-06:00

ACL Tear!!!!

2009-02-09T18:35:00.003-06:00

Ok so a couple of weeks I was playing basketball as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary there but then something terrible happened! I was playing against 2 other guys in a game of 21 (I had 16 the next guy had 4) and was just about to finish off the competition when my knee gave out, heard a slight pop, dropped to the ground screaming profanities and started crying...ok so I wasn't crying but I knew just what had happened because it has happened to me 2 times already in my left leg. This time, to even things out, it was my right leg.
I took a couple days off from work (I am a junior high math teacher) and have been doing rehab on it ever since just so I can get a surgery on in March 3. Anyone want to come play nurse for me?! ANYONE!!??? Then comes the painful part of rehab on the knee. Two days after surgery I will already be going to the rehab specialist so they can work out me knee. All I know is that I will NOT be skimping on the pain killers.
Well here is a video of something similar that is going to happen to me on March 3.
Have fun with it and hope you never have to do it.....3 TIMES!!!!!

ACL Reconstruction Surgery in India: Cure from Pain and Trouble in the Knee Ligaments. - The best video clips are right here

max pax

2009-02-07T17:13:00.001-06:00

Ahhhh......Let's Go For a Ride

2009-01-11T10:38:00.001-06:00

313389
Originally uploaded by nigelsvw

Nok...Black and White

2009-01-11T10:33:00.002-06:00

Nok
Originally uploaded by nigelsvw

2009-01-06T09:19:00.002-06:00

From Thailand Pics

Some time in Pattaya

2008-12-25T21:01:00.002-06:00

I took a bus from Ekkamai station on the BTS...exited the station then went to Eastern bus terminal. Paid 113 baht to take an air con bus to Pattaya...it took about 2 hours and lucky i had my iphone to listen to music. this allowed me to ignore the gay Swiss man.
anyway i met Noi at the bus terminal in Pattaya. haven't seen her for about 8 years or something. She worked at a dive shop that Eric and I first went to Samui in 1999!
crazy
anyway here are some pictures. i took the bus back to BKK after a couple hours of spending time with Noi.

Thailand....Pattaya

This little chubby cheek is growing up!

2008-12-12T09:25:00.003-06:00

Cold and Colder

2008-12-08T12:19:00.003-06:00

It is really starting to get cold here in Minnesota. I don't like it one bit but we have about 13 days until the shortest day of the year and then we can start having longer days. That, however, does nothing to make the temperature any more bearable.

YOU LIKE KEANE!!!!

2008-11-09T12:11:00.000-06:00

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South Dakota & Wyoming

2008-10-20T08:12:00.005-06:00

Aroi mak mak

2008-10-09T08:09:00.001-06:00

Click to see more pictures!!!

Picture

Sanook mak mak

2008-10-06T08:19:00.010-06:00

Dear Max and some great friends

2008-10-01T07:58:00.004-06:00