Going to India and Thailand - need some advice....

how are you reacting to malaria pills, ceili? i was fine the first time, but from second time on, it was always hell. i don't take them anymore. be careful with those.
i can't wait for the pictures and updates, you're gonna have a blast. good luck! pop in here when you can.

Have a nice trip, Ceili.

you too, gus. just don't overdo it like last time. there's no gertrude to get you into the hospital this time, remember that.

Am I going somewhere?

aren't we all going somewhere?

Yeah the malaria pills are quite awful but I'm told a neccesary evil. I swear I've got more drugs in my carry on than I generally keep in the medicine cabinet but at least I'm prepared for what ever India throws at me (I hope).

It got really cold here in the last few days so I'm really looking forward to some heat. I bought a pair of blue crocs yesterday, they look funny but they are so light and comfy - at least my feet should be ok.

Gosh, Ceili, you have tiny feet.

Have a great trip and bring back lots of pictures for us.

I'm really a leprechaun but I have a big heart.

Don't tell Slappy, he has a thing for midgets.

Ceili,

I went to Thailand with my wife about 3 years ago to visit her native Country. We spent most of our 2 weeks in Bangkok, which is a HUGE metropolis (I believe about 12 million people) filled with every assortment of motorized transport you can imagine. Among the more unorthodox forms of public transport are millions of young men on little motorcycles carrying one passenger on the back, zipping in and out of traffic like no one's business. Another are "Tuk-Tuks", which are like Cushman scooters with a canopy on the back for 2 passengers that tend to spew a lot of smoke. Bangkok has the whole economic spectrum from Mercedes-driving millionaires to jillions of people who operate their little businesses out of their garages. The "cultural" opportunities are everything from the beautiful pagodas located in the middle of Bangkok with the Grand Palace to the notorious "redlight" district where the shows will peel the skin off the back of a sailor.

We also spent several days on the island of Samui (which is on the other side of the Thai pennisula from Phuket). It was a nice, fairly laid-back, not so touristy, but somewhat rife with street vendors trying to sell you every consumer good imaginable tropical locale. It was interesting driving around the Island since Thailand (and the Islands) still follow the left-side of the road driving protocol.

Sounds as if you're in for a great trip!

The weather there in winter would be like spring in North America. So keep a jacket handy and also a blanket. Where there are no price tags always respond with half of what they quote and don't hesitate to walk away.

Well Spring up here is cold by most world standards, 40-60F. I doubt if I'm going to find the southeast anything but hot, hot, hot, but I am taking a coat to keep me dry in case we hit a deluge.

It could hit 40 degrees F worst case in India. In areas with water nearby get a mosquito net. I don't know if drinking water will help in case you inadvertently ingest nuts or traces of it in foods. Water should help dilute the nuts. Check with doctor on this.

Looking at the Atlas Thailand would be warmer as it is very close to the equator.

In India people eat with their hands especially the poor. By tradition the left hand was reserved for toilet purposes so be careful with greeting people with the left hand. Most educated peoples peak English and there are a lot of Christian Anglo-Indians sired by the British with Indian mothers in thebig cities. The fairer skinned Anglo-Indians like Cliff Richard of 'Bkue Moon' fame, Engelbert Humperdinck (?) of 'please Release Me' fame made it to Britain after the British left India. Julie Christie was born in Assam, India.

Goanese are Catholics as Goa was Portugese colony. There are a lot of Goanese in big cities.

There are a lot of Anglo Indians in Canada who could help you as they may have connections in India.

Here is a site:Anglo Indians

Thats not true. Even rich people eat by hands. I am no poor but traditionally indian food is meant to be eaten by hands esp. right hand. Before eating you MUST clean you hands with soap. But yes! you have an option of eating it by spoon unless you are eating Roti\Chapati where you have to use hands.



Better do Namaste. That way you would greet your own hands.

Hey, hey...don't want to start a row now.
Traditions and customs are interesting and I definately don't want to offend. My fiance and I have many (*east )indian friends. We are attending a friends wedding in Jalandhar, Punjab.

* Where I live, most people of Indian heritage are refered to as being East Indian because our aboriginal population is also refered to as Indian ala columbus.
I also have known a few Goans... so I guess I do know a fair bit about the Indian culture. However this excursion is a completely new twist and I'm so looking forward to everything.

Maybe the toilet usage may be wrong as that is actually Middle Eastern in a desert environment not Indian as there is a lot of water and leaves.

Vivien Leigh of 'Gone With The Wind' fame was born in India and contracted tuberculosis there.

Sawasdeeka from the very, very hot Thailand.
36C today

I've seen cats and rats and elephants but I haven't seen any unicorns just multi-headed buddhas.
It dawned as we sat in a guest house eatery one evening that in my life I've seen more elephants than rats. It's odd coming from a rat free place and I'm assuming my earlier truth may be altered after this trip. There are all sorts of animals roaming the streets of Bangkok and most have the war wounds to prove it. Street battles amounst the dogs especially must be legendary cause they are all missing an eye or have huge scars. Mind you most buses display the same mistreatments but amazingly most cars are scratch free even though its pure madness on the streets.
We are staying in a hole in the wall ironically called - The Best Bankok House, which picturesquely overlooks the main train line through the city, fully bordered by a shanty town. Precarious tin huts are leaned up everywhere even under the railway bridges. And yes, they are very loud - ratteling and shaking as they pass by several times a night. The conductors seem to purposely blow their whistle everytime they pass our hotel.
Thailand is cheap, but boy did the people here see us coming. I don't think one person hasn't ripped us off. Thankfully the amounts have been fairly miniscule. Food, drinks and transportation is cheap except for touristy things. Tuk-Tuk (took-took) drivers have a scam or a confidence scheme going with every jewelery or tailor shop in town. For 5 to 20 baht they will drive you just about anywhere. But..."if you go into this shop - the government give free gas" Only to find out it's all about a commision.
Yesterday after visiting the umteenth tailor shop and dealing with a very rude woman " Hah! YOU WASTE MY TIME" she hollered at me. I swore I won't ever go into another shop or at least hers. Then after obliging the driver in the heat and air polution (Being the nice canadians we are...) he drops us off in the middle of nowhere.
Enough Already!

We have seen so many Wats, a snake farm - really the saddest zoo I've ever seen, a kazillion street vendors, and taken an overpriced water tour. I'm ready to leave Bangkok. It's too hot and dirty. The people really don't want anything to do with you but they like your money. Although I think the ladies like my romeo. ;-}

We will be leaving here on Tuesday. Until then we will continue to explore this City. If we can shoo the Tuk drivers away. We've heard of some good markets we will visit upon our return. But until then we are on the perenial search for Western food for the boy. He's not the most adventurous diner. However he promised me Thai food tonight and then we found McD's. So I'm thinkin' he'll probably chicken out again.
The food here is something else. Snack bags filled with dried squid and peanuts. I've seen menus proudly advertizing offal, liver, tendons, and any sort of other weird body parts imaginable.- animal of course. Food vendors are everywhere, selling all manner of stuff and pouring it into plastic bags for take-home. Apparently most Thai don't have kitchens. They eat out all the time and at certain times of the year such as national holidays or new year they scramble to fill their gullets because the vendors all go home to the provinces.

Sawasdeeka from the very, very hot Thailand.
36C today

I've seen cats and rats and elephants but I haven't seen any unicorns just multi-headed buddhas.
It dawned as we sat in a guest house eatery one evening that in my life I've seen more elephants than rats. It's odd coming from a rat free place and I'm assuming my earlier truth may be altered after this trip. There are all sorts of animals roaming the streets of Bangkok and most have the war wounds to prove it. Street battles amounst the dogs especially must be legendary cause they are all missing an eye or have huge scars. Mind you most buses display the same mistreatments but amazingly most cars are scratch free even though its pure madness on the streets.
We are staying in a hole in the wall ironically called - The Best Bankok House, which picturesquely overlooks the main train line through the city, fully bordered by a shanty town. Precarious tin huts are leaned up everywhere even under the railway bridges. And yes, they are very loud - ratteling and shaking as they pass by several times a night. The conductors seem to purposely blow their whistle everytime they pass our hotel.
Thailand is cheap, but boy did the people here see us coming. I don't think one person hasn't ripped us off. Thankfully the amounts have been fairly miniscule. Food, drinks and transportation is cheap except for touristy things. Tuk-Tuk (took-took) drivers have a scam or a confidence scheme going with every jewelery or tailor shop in town. For 5 to 20 baht they will drive you just about anywhere. But..."if you go into this shop - the government give free gas" Only to find out it's all about a commision.
Yesterday after visiting the umteenth tailor shop and dealing with a very rude woman " Hah! YOU WASTE MY TIME" she hollered at me. I swore I won't ever go into another shop or at least hers. Then after obliging the driver in the heat and air polution (Being the nice canadians we are...) he drops us off in the middle of nowhere.
Enough Already!

We have seen so many Wats, a snake farm - really the saddest zoo I've ever seen, a kazillion street vendors, and taken an overpriced water tour. I'm ready to leave Bangkok. It's too hot and dirty. The people really don't want anything to do with you but they like your money. Although I think the ladies like my romeo. ;-}

We will be leaving here on Tuesday. Until then we will continue to explore this City. If we can shoo the Tuk drivers away. We've heard of some good markets we will visit upon our return. But until then we are on the perenial search for Western food for the boy. He's not the most adventurous diner. However he promised me Thai food tonight and then we found McD's. So I'm thinkin' he'll probably chicken out again.
The food here is something else. Snack bags filled with dried squid and peanuts. I've seen menus proudly advertizing offal, liver, tendons, and any sort of other weird body parts imaginable.- animal of course. Food vendors are everywhere, selling all manner of stuff and pouring it into plastic bags for take-home. Apparently most Thai don't have kitchens. They eat out all the time and at certain times of the year such as national holidays or new year they scramble to fill their gullets because the vendors all go home to the provinces.