Bangkok to Cambodia

A lazy breakfast followed by a short trip to the airport. Quite impressed with the airport, immigration and departure very swift.
Bangkok air flight to Siem Reap very good, flight only half full if that. They managed to serve a Thai lunch to those that wanted it (Mr F said it was good) and a drink which had to be swallowed in one gulp lucky it was only tea and not a G and T.
Flying into Cambodia the place looks like one giant swamp. A pond on the side of the landing strip is full of herons, lots of them.
Immigration at bit stern but swift. Glad we had our visas already although much paperwork had to be completed.
Our guide is waiting for us with a sign that says. Welcome Mrs Ann and Mr Lan Floody. His name is Tea and the drivers name sounds like an extremely rude word. Eh say again, yep that’s what we thought you said. Anyway Tea is spouting off nineteen to the dozen, we nod and agree. No idea what is going on.
Arrive at the Sofitel hotel,  my but it is grand. When we booked this holiday way back when. It was to celebrate our 30th anniversary. Forgot we said that, anyway on arrival we are greeted with a bouquet of lotus flowers and a decoration of jasmine flowers for good luck and health.
Our room is very nice overlooks the pool. There is a wildlife pond full of fish and many birds flying about. It is French speaking here because it is a French owned hotel which even the staff find strange.
We have a cocktail to settle in and decide to go into town for dinner. Showered and dressed we get a Tuk tuk to Viroths. We have Fresh rolls to start. Lovely salad veg & herbs wrapped in rice roll with dipping sauce. Ian had amok fish which was fish in a coconut sauce and I had Laab which was minced beefs with chilli, lemon grass, onion, galangal and mint. It was truly delicious. Even managed a glass or 2 of French Rose. Tuk Tuk home. Back in room and a chocolate cake awaits us. That’s gone in the fridge for tomorrow.
Another busy day tomorrow. Night night.

Bangkok City Tour

Alarm wakes us from a deep sleep at 6.30 am. Just want to sleep, but so much to see today.
After a Thai style sumptuous breakfast which was taken outside in glorious warmth, we meet up with our guide for the morning.
Anapornon is her name she has very good ingrish but with her accent and our continued blocked heads we struggle to understand her.
We take the hotel tuk tuk to catch the sky train. It is rush hour so very busy. The train is mainly filled with very young people off to work in the new business area of the city. We are headed to the old quarter. There is no smog today but most people wear face masks because of the pollution. We switch trains and 6 stops later are getting on a boat on the ( can’t remember the name of the river) Chao Phraya River. It is wild, the tide is high and running inland. The pontoons rise and fall at an alarming rate. We are on the business "no foreigner" boat and must hurry to board and disembark. Anapornon has already clocked that I am not the steadiest of people. I am having visions of me falling into the turbulent river never to be seen again.
Water hyacinth floats in huge swathes, dredgers come everyday to scoop it up. We see several already fully loaded so early in the day.
Our first destination is the Grand Palace  no royalty live here now. It is used for funerals and ceremonies only. There are several buildings the most ornate and colourful we have ever seen. Studded with coloured glass, gilded with gold leaf and ornately carved. Ana tells us all the history and about the various kings who have ruled. It is very very hot, we have to wear long sleeves and full trousers so are feeling it a bit. After an hour or so we are flagging,  after some cold water and a tuk tuk ride to Pho Wat we are ready for stage 2. This is a magnificent place many ornate temples the school for meditation and massage (need one) loads of Buddhas here, sitting Buddha, standing Buddha, reclining Buddha, smiling Buddha, you get the picture. However the reclining Buddha is the biggest Buddha we have seen and we have seen a few.
Enough Buddhas. We go to the wholesale market ginger, galangal, chillies fill the air with the most amazing mix of aromas. Some ladies are chopping vast amounts of ginger. We eat mangos freshly peeled and chopped with sticky rice and coconut milk. It is very sweet but refreshing.we tour around the flower market. The colours and perfume are so vibrant, big bunches of orchids for 8 bhat 25p.
More water as starting to flag again.
We catch the tourist boat back and sit on the top deck, the breeze is blissful the hot sun on our face we are tired but happy bunnies. 2 more sky trains (wonderful aircon) and a short walk we are back home. We collapse on the bed, worn out. It is a much as we can do to prise ourselves out of the room and onto a sun bed. The beds are actually in the pool so we dangle our tired feet in the cool water and promptly fall asleep.
Things we have learned today.
Everyday of the week has a colour Saturday is mine Purple. Ian is pink tuesday. Sunday is red Weds is blue can’t remeber any others.
The old king of Thailand died 2 years ago. New king not popular as he does not like ThIland and lives in Munich so we are told.
Anapornon does not like the Chinese as they are uncouth loud and eat in the street. Look Look she says to me, they are eating mango in the street can you believe it. She is telling people off all the time for making too much noise, pointing their feet at Buddha and being disrespectful in general.
Massages are very cheap and ten a penny down all the streets.
After the pool snooze we get ready and go the the lounge for a gin or several if your name is Ian. We then walk down the street into the warm night air, have a beer and some food. Mr F is having a hot curry hmmmmm we have a flight to catch tomorrow.
We had a wry smile to ourselves as 2 people in the hotel were going through a presentation they were making tomorrow. Ah those were the days..... not.

Bangkok day 2

A superb day. Absolutely zonked out, off to bed 21.33 hope to update you tomorrow.
 En route to Cambodia. Night night.

Bangkok

Welcome to Bangkok. Oooh it’s hot here. Flight was ok, Blocked head and ears were fine. Not a lot of sleep though.
Bangkok traffic very busy, city quite smoggy this morning. Feeling rather dazed and fazed at present. However feeling much better than we have been doing. It’s 2.30 in the afternoon, just had a snooze and now need to get out and about a bit. Spent all last night trying to sleep and today trying to stay awake.
We have executive status here in this hotel, access to exec lounge etc etc. However our bedroom is a bit strange as the bathroom / shower has glass walls which means you can see people in the shower from your bed and visa  versa. As I say welcome to Bangkok.

Itinerary

First stop Thailand, Bangkok 2 nights

Fly to Siem Reap in Cambodia 3 nights

Drive to Kampong Thom to board river cruiser for 7 nights.

Ho Chi Min City 2 nights

Phu Quoc for 4 nights ( just chillin here)

And finally “1 night in Bangkok” dah dah.

Indochina 2019

Well it’s been a long time but I am hoping to revive Mrs F’s Diary for our upcoming trip. Having both been suffering from an evil cold for 2 weeks and Mr F getting a chest infection we are today hopeful that we are going to make it. (ooh that’s tempting fate) Just need to clear my head and get to grips with the itinerary and what the hell to pack.

Studland & Brownsea with the Scotts

11.00 am Saturday 13^th we are down by the chain ferry in sandbanks waiting for Mr & Mrs Scott to arrive. The sky is black and foreboding heavy with rain. We are thinking of forgoing the trip across to Studland and going to the pub instead. 10 minutes later the Scotts arrive and bring the sunshine with them. We get in the queue for the ferry, nearly last on and to my horror I am on the ramp and there is a car behind me! Driving the beloved BMW things are not looking good on the rolling back stakes. Mrs F is looking concerned, not that he would be any happier if he was in the driving seat.  Then the car parking man cometh and moves me forward all of 5 inches I guess he like just likes to see the panic on our faces.

The crossing is 5 minutes or so and soon we are off the other side through the toll & heading for the National Trust area at Studland.

Housemartins are swooping overhead silhouetted against the perfect blue sky, a Warbler perhaps Willow sings nearby and a soft warm breeze blows the cobwebs away. We watch a storm pass through Poole over on the far shore, very atmospheric, followed by a rainbow. Many photographs later we quench our thirst brought on by this amazing summer day (yes it is still October) in the local hostelry. Appetites are prime so we raid the cool bag of pasties and pork pies that were for our lunch tomorrow & munch them in the car park how V Common at least no deck chairs were involved.

Return ferry crossing, on the ramp again but no car behind – good job as I had the car in the wrong gear. Oops. Quick race through duty free ha ha and we are off & on our way to the cottage in Poole.

Quite a spacious and very nicely refurbished 106 Green Road, Poole will do us nicely for 2 nights. A brief discussion on bedroom allocation & all parties are content. We need to replenish the pasty stock, so head out quayside. Also we are on a reccy to find the restaurant for tonight’s dinner.

In the words of Mr. Griffin we walked for Flippin miles looking for the rising sun & only found after pasty purchase in Sainsbury’s having asked the self-checkout girl for directions.

Suitably relieved we need to rest our aching feet and there just happens to be a pub over the road. Our Cottage is literally a few steps away; we must have done some weird circuitous route!

Dinner – Mrs Scott’s starter was the only blight on the evening, bread crumbed whitebait, I don’t think so! Everything else was superb including the service. The waitress queried our tip as she said it was too much, but she was brilliant. Sarah had Sea Bass with risotto while the rest of us tucked into lovely fresh Dover Soles, straight off the fishing boat that morning. Some puddings later, I had to help Mr. F with his sticky toffee pudding Ice cream sundae. Well it would have been bad for him to eat it all himself.

We were not late to bed!

Sunday morning & the reason for our visit has arrived, we are going to Brownsea Island, birding & squirreling. Wrapped up, as the sun and blue sky has disappeared, we get on another boat. I know the excitement of it is all too much. However the cold wind soon calms us down. On dry land again we are sheltered and head off to the bird hides.

Avocets, Spoonbills, Blacktailed Godwits, Great white Egret, Little Egrets, Redshanks and a kingfisher are soon on the list. Avocet numbers were 300+ and spoonbills were 12 to 15 in total. Last week there had been 47, now that would have been something to see.

Most common sighting

Now we are in search of the elusive Red Squirrel.  We have several sightings and several blurry photos of disappearing tails or just blank screen or leaves.

However after walking 7 miles or so we find a happy chap munching on sweet chestnuts in the churchyard a few feet away from the ferry. Much whirring of camera motors, tutting and perhaps some swearing, Sarah & I leave the boys to it & head off to the the café for cake & tea.

Ferry crossing back to the mainland was very good despite the pouring rain; it would be nice to do it again in better weather.

We are in need of beer after so much walking stop off at the pub for a libation or two. Suitably watered we need food and decide fish & chips are called for. We rush home in the absolute pouring rain and get completely soaked. Fish & Chips are left on the side whilst we change & dry hair etc.

Having finally got the oven to work We (me that is) puts the F&C in the oven intact in cardboard boxes that they came in. we then start to look at the photos. Can anyone smell burning?? No it’s just the cardboard drying out. Are you sure it smells like burning to me. Then all hell broke loose, cardboard had caught fire and the kitchen / living room was full of smoke. Windows & doors were flung open and much wafting of smoke alarms. In my opinion open plan design has a lot to answer for!

Some of us did not sleep due to, smoke trauma, TV aerial banging on chimney and fear of traffic wardens.  The Scott’s however made up for lack of sleep the previous night.

Monday, day off work hurrah! Was marred again by rain so we decided to call it quits & all headed home to pour over blurry squirrel photos and nurse sore feet & legs.

Did we have a good time? Y

You bet we did – despite the fire!

Look out Aldeburgh here we come.