god bless the military

JUSMAG

it isn't the gourmet delicacies and rare ethnic fare that make their residence in my brain's craving cortex, it's the common, the mundane, and the frequent conveniences i miss: the bagels, the sandwiches, the cereal. and because i refuse to spend $10 on a box of cereal, it's a forlorn memory of the familiar here.

i wouldn't have found the jusmag if a friend hadn't told me about it. why? because it's the joint u.s. military advisory group. the little hidden secret is the little diner-esque restaurant inside the complex. 60B usda hamburgers, deli sandwiches, 300B usda steak, bbq pork sandwiches that are nothing more than pork with kc masterpiece sauce...don't expect special, just expect dime-a-dozen american.the heavy, easily-missed steel door on the street requires your us govt-issued id to pass security. and once you're in the jusmag complex, the restaurant in the back is quiet, fluorescently lit, and pastel vinyl furnishings, the basic crowd is primarily jusmag personnel, vets, and other americans running errands at the jusmag, lending a small-town dive environment. even the wait staff, though thai, are quite un-thai in their indifferent, distracted airs. they might as well have blue hair, horn-rimmed glasses, and huge butts.

off to the side, there are american snacks available, meaning you can pick up pop tarts, mounds bars, cream soda, combos and dr. pepper as readily as you can in the states.

also, they have a us postal service office, barber shop, and athletic courts on campus, but no staff was available to tell me if it's available for all us citizens to use or military/govt personnel only. comment if you know.

jusmagthai
south sathorn rd., across from the suan lum night bazaar.
restaurant: mon-sat 6:30a-3p; bar opens 3p
webby: http://www.jusmagthai.com/jusmagthai.html

chiang mai, v. 2.0

chiang mai

i'm sure this will only be #2 of many chiang mai visits. such a manageable-sized city. so many natural attractions. so much culture.
biggest tip: rent a motorcycle for ~250B/24 hours and go wherever you like. on to the attractions!

going up doi suthep-pui... the doi suthep-pui national park is the closest national park to chiang mai city and sits just north-west of the city. easy to get to, you can take a red pick-up (song taew) from anywhere in the city. aside from the huay kaew and montathan waterfalls (in my last chiang mai post), head up a little further for this legend:
king na naone of the lanna kingdom in the 14th century got a hold of a buddhist relic (buddha's shoulder bone?) and stuck it on the back of a white elephant and released it into the jungle, proclaiming, "may this elephant stop suddenly when it reaches a suitable place to house this relic." it ran up the mountain and at some point stopped to rest and trumpeted three times. so the king built wat phalad on that site. it sits over a stream that runs down the mountain. quite peaceful and scenic with no tourists whatsoever. no anybody really. shrines overlooking the mountain stream. the elephant went further up the mountain, reached a point where it stopped, turned around 3 times, trumpeted another 3 times and then died. so the king built wat phratat doi suthep on that site, which is a major tourist attraction. i'm a horrible person to review wats since there are just sooooo many in thailand and they just are the same after a while. what's different about this wat doi suthep? it's big, it's well-kept, it overlooks the mountain, and has a heart-rate raising staircase up to the wat. besides that, it's kind of like every other wat in thailand.lots of vendors at the base of the wat. here's a vendor with her daughter adorned in traditional hill-tribe dress selling northern thai sausages. 100B entrance fee for non-thais.

further up doi suthep and unrelated to the white elephant legend, phuping palace is one of the royal vacation houses that the royal family still uses. while the buildings are closed to the public, the extensive landscaped grounds are available to stroll. if you like botanical gardens, you'll enjoy phuping palace. 50B entrance for non-thais, 20B thai.

as the fifth highest peak in thailand, doi pui is still further up the mountain and offers a 3km (roughly 1-2hr loop) hike up to the summit from the campsite. it is quite a hike, the second half being more difficult terrain than the first. don't expect a spectacular view at the top, it's mostly blocked by jungle. see? but, if you like hiking, it is a very good and unpopulated hike and it's free. here's part of the trail:
khantoke...
khantoke is a northern thai tradition of serving a meal on a raised tray (called "toke") to honored guests. in the 50s, a businessman invented modern khantoke to entertain special vips, introducing the now widely available popular dinner show. sit on the floor, enjoy unlimited northern thai food, and watch some great thai dancing and traditions. there are several venues ranging in price all over the city. i visited two, the original khantoke dinner called the old chiang mai cultural center and khum khantoke. overall, i'd say that khum khantoke is a better experience but i had a lot of fun at both and wholeheartedly recommend both.
just cause you want to know, here are pros/cons of each.
old chiang mai cultural center: well-established, better dancers (you can tell they pick their dancers by their skill over their attractiveness/size), separate hill tribe show performed by actual members of each of those tribes, 370B/person (including food, pick-up and drop-off at your hotel).
webby: http://www.oldchiangmai.com/index_en.php khum khantoke: it's more of a "show," meaning that it's more about the photo-taking and the production. better food, prettier venue, more photo ops (for tips), really fun. cons are that it's a bit pricier at XXX, further out of the way.
webby: http://www.khumkhantoke.net/

gardens...
i'm getting tired of writing so these reviews will have to be in haiku form.
tweechol botanic garden:
sculpted shrubbery
nature manipulated
hey, it's a hotel!webby: http://www.tweecholbotanicgarden.com/map.php
ratchaphruek garden:
celebrate the king
international landscape
a fading world's fair
free admission, open 10a-6p except mondays, located next to the night safari.

mae sa valley...
home to various orchid farms, elephant farms, monkey centers, and hill tribe cultural centers, there's a lot to do the mae sa valley (25 km north of chiang mai).
mae sa waterfall - you like to semi-vigorously hike? 10 tiers of waterfalls and a heart-stimulating 1+km hike.
eats (honorable mentions)...
the salsa mexican restaurant - inventive tasty mexican food (and jamaican, too). even more than the food, i have to promote their mexican coffee. liqueur-y, creamy, subtly orangey, spiced, delicious mexican coffee. it warrants suffering through consuming caffeine late at night. located on huay kaew, just NE of the central mall.

libernard cafe - a plus coffee. homey bungalow ambience. hippie-foodie-friendly banana whole-wheat pancakes. being there, you just want to hug somebody. hidden off the main street at 41 moon muang.the amazing sandwich - you want to feel like you're in america? go get a no-frills, no-nonsense sandwich you'd make if you weren't too lazy to buy all the imported ingredients. webby: http://www.amazingsandwich.com/

until next time, chiang mai...

siem reap

siem reap, cambodia

now cambodia's top travel and tourist destination, surpassing phnom penh, siem reap means "the siamese were defeated." siem reap is smaller than expected with most of its recreation activities being angkor wat or one of the myriad ngo's.

angkor wat archaelogical park
enough angkor wat pictures, already! everybody does angkor wat at sunset, pb at sunset or maybe pre rup and how can you forget ta phrom with the giant trees growing out of the temple. depending on your adventurousness and temple-interest, you could spend up to 3 full days exploring. i got templed out and made small jaunts out to frolic in the ruins. it's grand and inspiring nonetheless. i particularly liked that so many of the facades were pleasantly smiling figures; it lends a playfulness to the wear of time.

artisans d'angkor
ngo dedicated to artistic conservation and education. head over to their lacquerware complex or their silk farm to take a tour of their facilities, watch art being made and taught and buy some pricey, high-quality souveneirs.
webby: www.artisansdangkor.com

fcc - the fcc complex hosts a few small galleries most interesting being the red gallery, featuring contemporary cambodian artists and the mcdermott gallery, showcasing john mcdermott's iconic and ethereal photography of angkor wat.located at pokambor ave. webby: www.fcccambodia.com/angkor

eats: butterflies garden restaurant boasts a meal amongst a tropical butterfly garden. i think i saw like 3 butterflies. decent cambodian and western menu.
webby: www.butterfliesofangkor.com

streetside "plai tuek-doh koh" or "milk fruit" tastes like a larger, softer, very sweet and refreshing persimmon. very nice.
fcc - also at this hotel complex, resides chic and cosmopolitan haute cuisine in the open air. happy hour ($1 draft beers, 50% off all other drinks). fresh, verdant salads. moroccan beef sandwich was superb topped with pickled carrots and goat cheese, sided by potato straws. webby: http://www.fcccambodia.com/angkor/angelina's - loose beef baguette burger. it doesn't say it's "loose beef," but i like that phrase and that's what it is. angelic, pillowy baguettes made by ecole hotel's culinary school; i bought a half-dozen loaves to bring back to thailand. located in the old market area.
the strong of heart and stomach can try the street cambodian baguettes - fatty braised pork belly, green papaya salad (more relish-like), au jus, chili sauce, cucumber. i prefer the vietnamese incarnation, but this one's a dollar full stomach.

accomodations: pavillion d'orient
in addition to the many charms of pavillion d'orient they have all the comforts you need (read: want): saltwater pool, spa, unlimited wi-fi, above and beyond service, personal driver, nightly cambodian bedtime story (and movie guide). it's the small surprises that endear. i promise that you will adore this place.webby: http://www.pavillon-orient-hotel.com/

here are my top 10 handy dandy travel tips to siem reap:
1. bring plenty of $1USD bills. i found it easier to get around on US cash than changing to cambodian riel or using thai baht (the exch isn't as good for baht). things are so cheap that you could get by solely on $1s and $5s.
2. drink the surprisingly good and local angkor beer and abc stout (8%alc!)
3. be a generous tipper. most hotel workers (or other vocations at that level) earn about $50-60/mo even at luxury resorts, keeping them in working poverty. a couple extra dollars is trivial for you and makes a huge difference for those who are serving you.
4. enjoy the cambodians. don't overlook these resilient, kind and gentle people. try to hear some of their stories; i'm amazed over and again.
5. eat bread. being a former french protectorate, delicious baguettes and croissants abound. i gasped when i first tasted such a flaky, light, buttery croissant my first morning.
6. do your research - not all ngos are beneficial to cambodians. check into them before donating.
7. take it easy. unlike other tourist destinations, siem reap is pretty small and doesn't have much other than angkor wat and some smaller attractions. stop running around and enjoy your company.
8. buy a krama or scarf. they're cheap, they're versatile, they're currently hip in the west, and you can find them virtually anywhere.
9. keep your smile on. nobody likes a sourpuss. and don't be an ass to the kids and vendors selling souveneirs.
10. get your visa online at e-visa. so much easier and quicker than applying for a visa on arrival. http://www.mfaic.gov.kh/e-visa/vindex.aspx

feeling krabi

krabi

wasn't feeling the ever-popular trek to phuket, koh samui nor any of the lamer-but-closer beaches to bkk. so to krabi it was. mostly, it's cheaper to stay here, pretty cheap to get here, and lots of options for getting around to the hotspots, like phi phi islands or any of the other million islands.

DO STUFF.
honestly, krabi town isn't really all that exciting. you need to get out. there are a million and one tours available and everyone's trying to sell you one. pick a place you like and ask around - you can always get a bargain. scratch that; you should always get a bargain. if you bargain thai style, you'll get further: keep it fun and humorous and you'll always get a better deal if you can make a friend. (our phi phi island day tour costs 1800B/adult if you book online, but after bargaining with our hotel, we got 1000B/head. *self-congratulatory hand gesture*). and they always pick you up at your hotel, so no anxieties about additional transpo.

we ended up with koh phi phi tours. - they've got other boat and bus tours available in the area. we took the phi phi island tour. tell me this isn't beautiful.maya bay on phi phi le. beautiful cove.viking cave, where birds' nests are harvested. for what? for eating. ask a chinese person. we went snorkeling near here. i wish i had an underwater camera.bamboo island off phi phi. crystal clear waters, pure white sands.
webby: www.phiphitours.com
you can book online, but you'll be charged 1800B/adult. if you happen to acquire a great deal with koh phi phi tours, great - i give them a thumbs up; but again, ask around for tour deals for whatever company.

railay bay - though not an island, you can only get to railay beach via half-hour longtail boat ride (either from 150B krabi town pier or 90B aonang bay) because of the rocky, mountainous terrain. the pics don't do it justice - the water is glass-clear.known for its rock climbing, railay draws a younger crowd. there are 3 beaches on this peninsular land mass. east is ugly and dirty (and therefore used mainly for transportation), phra nang cave beach which has beautiful rock climbing and tall cliff faces guarding the beach, and west which hosts most of the accomodations. watch out for the mini undetectable jellyfish that can give you a nice smart. between east and phra nang beaches, you'll find a steep 200-300m climb (think 45+degrees) up to a view point and the lagoon. not for the faint of heart. we couldn't make it to the lagoon which required an additional steeper climb down and up a gorge. pity.

we also saw a tour to go to the tiger cave temple, hot springs, and waterfall. after finding out that we could rent a motorcycle for 250B/day through our hotel, we opted for the less-safe, free-scheduled, and 10-times-cheaper motorcycle rental. if you don't know how to ride a motorbike, yet - you can learn in 5 minutes.
here are our motorcycle escapades:
huay toh waterfall - 3 tiers with an option for a longer hiking trail into the khao phanom bencha national park (to the peak of the mountain).22km from krabi town, 100B entrance, 20B parking.

tiger cave temple (wat tam sua) - buddhist shrine built into a cave with many monks and nuns living in tiny shelters in the rock. for the fit and pious, there is an imprint of buddha's footprint located 1000+ steps up the mountain. also fyi, no tigers. there's just a rock formation that looks like a tiger paw.another sight they feature here: "big tree." i coudn't figure which one of the "big trees" was "the big tree." the coolest one was this one with the nun meditating in it. 16km from krabi town, free.

hot waterfall - think natural jacuzzi (unlike other hot springs which are boiling or sulfur-stinky). very, very nice. i could spend all day here. crystal clear water, strong jacuzzi-strength streams, natural rock formations that are various sized tubs, and a chilly river it flows into (so you can get the whole hot-cold alternations).~60 km from krabi town, 90B entrance, 5B parking.

emerald lagoon/pool - about 1km in from the entrance, you come upon a crystal clear, natural pool (almost exactly like a swimming pool) fed by mineral streams, which have tinted the rocks a slight blue-green hue. room temp, very refreshing. again, i could stay here all day. if you come late afternoon, there are much less people and the surrounding forest shades the pool. we ran out of time and couldn't make it to their less popular (superstition) blue pool.~60 km from krabi town (only several km from the hot waterfall), a hefty 200B entrance (yikes! if you can pass for thai, it's only 20B), 10B parking.

krabi town night markets - you want fruit, southern curries, the normal market fare? head over to the open market at thanon maharat soi 10.want street-side dinner off carts? head over to the night market at thanon khlongkha @ the longtail boat pier.
want to see where these places are? check out this google map.

getting there:
i like ease and domestic flights in thailand are relatively cheap. fly into the small krabi airport and you can take either a taxi (about 350+B) or a shuttle bus to your hotel (90B/person for krabi city, 150B/p for aonang)

lodging: baan andaman
i have to give a rec for baan andaman; thai-style, simple, free wi-fi, wide-screen tvs, and we found great tour/day activity deals from them. it's situated away from the center of the city, but definitely within walking distance to restaurants and markets (10 min to the pier). and it smells nice (fresh, like thai herbs). oh, and my favorite was that they left a little snack in our room every day.
(i went through agoda.com, and got a pretty good price. i've used agoda a couple of times and have been really satisfied with their service.)

tex mex patriate

i've yet to meet a mexican in bangkok, unfortunately. te extraño. so the only mexican food this former-LA resident will get will have to be of the tex-mex kind.

i've got three bangkok mexican restaurants for you all in one stuffed-burrito-post.
disclaimer: i've yet to go to patty's fiesta in silom (though, the logo of the thai "patty" in a sombrero isn't exactly something that screams authentic mexican) or senor pico in the rembrandt hotel. i'll add it to the ratings once i do.

coyote
this one's my preferred mexican joint so far. chic, vivacious, southwestern flair with a satisfyingly familiar menu with enough hip, creative twists on tex-mex. solid guacamole, tortilla soup, nachos, fajitas and the like. with a dynamic weekly menu, i deliberated between the mesquite pepper-grilled prime rib with jalapeno cornbread and the pan-fried snapper. it's hard to pass up beef in thailand and i devoured the tender, fatty, sizzling indulgence. no chance of leftovers. if you're a hot-sauce connosieur, over 50 sauces are on hand, including a couple coyote-made sauces. here are their artfully presented tacos.
spiritually, coyote has 75+ inventive margaritas made any way you like it. two tipsy thumbs up for the amaretto and the georgia margaritas.
aftersweets-wise, skip the peach & pecan chimichanga with raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream. its tantalizing description overshoots its follow-through.bonus: changing lunch specials at a fixed price. hey, same food for less - me gusta. normally, entrees average around 300-400B.
extra bonus: happy hour weekdays 3-7pm; sat 11-7. buy 1 get 1 free margaritas (any kind).
extra extra bonus: ladies' nights. ladies drink margaritas free on wed and sat @ silom and thurs free @ sukhumvit location. i thank god for making me a lady.

coyote
2 locations @ soi convent in silom and sukhumvit
webby: www.coyoteonconvent.com


charley brown's
this mexican place is for the good ol' boys. no-frills, no-pretense tex-mex food in a no-hassle ambience. you want tacos? you get tacos. you want fajitas? you get fajitas. you want old license plates tacked to the wall like americans like to tack up? you get license plates. it's exactly the same as in any tex-mex restaurant in the US with no surprises. fresh, hearty, confident tex-mex entrees and punchy drinks. and sometimes that's all i want. thoughtful, health-conscious options available, too. how considerate.
save room for dessert, though, their liquour-flavored ice creams beckon with their come-hither flavors.

bonus: ladies' night tuesday night with half-off margaritas and sangria.
beware, this place is often disappointingly closed on mondays. why do you discriminate against mondays, charley?

charley brown's
1/23 sukhumvit 11
webby: www.charleybrowns.asia/home.html


sunrise tacos
sometimes you think, "today, i want mexican fast food." sunrise tacos is the closest (read: only) fast-ish mexican food you'll find in bangkok. imagine a brighter lit, thai-ish, milder version of chipotle. decent mexican tacos and burritos that don't aspire to be anything other than somebody trying to make mexican food out of thai ingredients. you could make it yourself, but hey, isn't that the purpose of fast food - getting someone else to make cheap food for you more conveniently?
also the cheapest of the three establishments, an entree is around 200B.

sunrise tacos
3 locations at sukhumvit, btw soi 12 and 14; emporium; and siam paragon.
webby: www.sunrisetacos.com

great grand daddy

grand palace & temple of the emerald buddha

here comes the requisite grand palace post. since the grand palace is on almost everyone's tourist check-off list, here are my 2 cents (or 2 salung).

grand palace. we have nothing of this scale in the west. for some reason, it's more grand from a distance than up close, but it's beautiful and stunning nonetheless. if you want to know more of the history of the grand palace, here's a little history article.there are several buildings that make up the campus, the most notable being the temple of the emerald buddha (wat pra kaew) and the grand palace hall (chakri maha prasat). it demonstrates so much of thai culture and mentality in the layout and architecture. for one, this former political center has a temple as one of its main features, pointing to thais' nationalist buddhism. also interesting is the grand palace hall, built in european style, illustrating thailand's history of initiating diplomacy with the west and subsequently avoiding western imperialism. i suggest getting either a guidebook or hiring a guide there (perhaps a couple hundred baht, you can bargain) - it makes it so much more interesting. unlike historic sites in the west, the grand palace doesn't have too much in the way of informational and educational signs. the walls of some of the buildings are beautifully decorated murals of thailand's history and buddha's life(s). be prepared for intricate detail and lots of gooooold.

if you're a foreigner, the entrance fee costs you 300B, but also gets you into the vimanmek royal teakwood mansion (formerly dusit palace) the same day. free if you're thai.
appropriate dress: if you're skanky (or wearing something sleeveless or above the knee), you'll have to borrow (with cash deposit) some of their clothing to wear over your daisy dukes.
hours: 8:30-3:30
*watch out for scammers telling you it's closed and trying to take you to some other sites.

hummus is yummus

beirut restaurant

a lover of mediterranean food of all incarnations, i particularly love the lebanese palette. beirut has become my favorite middle eastern restaurant in bangkok. it's fresh, it's crisp, it's subtle in its flavors, it's filling.

the great thing about beirut is that it has sets as well as their a la carte menu, allowing 3, 4, 6, or 8 dishes with pita for a reasonable price. a set of 4 runs for about 480B. pull together your set-of-choice with almost anything on the menu.
high recommendations on almost everything: hummus, tabouleh, beef kibbeh, shawarma all excellent. special props to their chicken zaatar, fried eggplant appetizer and falafel. even with a liberal use of olive oil, nothing felt heavy.

always a fan of complimentary munchies: pickles, fresh raw vegetables and a trinity of sauces are served as mezza to prep your salivary glands. the garlic sauce is powerful but delicious - exercise responsibility. along with the light, citrusy herb sauce and yogurt sauce, i slapped these three condiments on everything.

they've got a great beverage selection, offering punchy spicy turkish coffee (60B) , fresh fruit juices and shakes around 120B, teas and yogurt drinks.
as for service, they exercise pretty stringent gender roles, having female servers serve women and only men take orders from male customers.**a side anecdote: when i first walked by beirut, i saw what i thought was a mannequin in full burqa with only eyes showing placed by the entrance. i nearly soiled myself when the mannequin started talking on her cell phone. don't ask me why i assumed there was a mannequin in burqa in front of a restaurant.

beirut restaurant.
basement of the ploenchit center (sukhumvit 2). between nana and ploenchit bts stations.
location at silom: bottom level of j-city (silom 64)