In Search of Peacock Feathers in Little India

My friend Anthony is in Bangkok now. He is in need of a bunch of peacock feathers for a New Year's party on the island of Mustique (go figure). This is Bangkok, where, if you can't find it, it probably doesn't exist. So we were confident we could find some. A Thai friend directed us to Little India and told us how to say "peacock feathers" in Thai (not surprisingly, these are not the first words you find in your phrasebook). Deep in the bowels of a crowded market in Little India, we struck the motherlode. Now, after helping Ant find his peacock feathers, I feel like I deserve an invite to his party on Mustique, but I'm still waiting.

Ant finds his feathers:


Outre headgear alert: the same shop also stocked this unusual tiara which Anthony took a real liking to:


I suggested that Ant buy one of these shirts to complete his wardrobe:


This is just an aside: There are more tailors in Bangkok than anywhere else on earth. These guys will make you not just a suit, but an entire wardrobe, for about US$100. A good friend of mine needed a suit for job interviews in Japan. When he returned to our hotel and tried the suit on, I almost gasped with horror: it was traffic-stoppingly bad. Everything that could be wrong with it, was. The fabric was uniquely cheap and horrible. The cut was bizarre and anti-fashionable - like he had gone blindfolded into a Salvation Army store and groped his way to the suit rack and hauled it out of the store. It had weird waves and ripples and wouldn't sit right no matter how he adjusted it. Strangly, he was convinced it was a fantastic suit and I fear he still sports it on formal occasions. Now, one thing I've noticed about the tailors in Bangkok: the fierce competition has driven them to new heights of one-upmanship. First, every tailor in the city claimed to be "The Tailor of the Year." Then, some enterprising soul claimed the coveted "Tailor of the Decade" award. Then, the guy below topped them all by claiming to be not only "The Tailor of the Millenium" but also, "The Only Tailor in Bangkok to be UN Certified." I am still trying to get the number of the UN Department of Tailor Certification so I can complain about the suit my friend bought all those years ago. And, to be fair, it wasn't from the Ambassador Tailors.

Nectar of the Gods

The most delicious fruit on earth is the mangosteen. Nothing else even comes close: not a good mango, not a nectarine, not a papaya, not a durian, nothing.

Here's a mangosteen that I've just opened. You eat the white segments and discard the purple shell.


Unfortunately, mangosteens don't travel well. There is a legend that Queen Victoria, having heard about the mangosteen, offered a reward of several thousand pounds for anyone who could bring a fresh one back from the east. Even today, it's very difficult to get them overseas in good condition(although I once smuggled a few back to the States, much to the delight of my family). I've purchased canned mangosteens in Japan, but they were a disappointment. And let's not even discuss the mangosteen jam I bought once. Mangosteens also fare poorly in cooking: I tried a mangosteen and duck dish here in Bangkok that was a total failure. But, when I came across a smoothie stand at Bangkok's Weekend Market that was selling mangosteen smoothies, well, I had to give it a try. Here's a picture of Hiroe with the mangosteen smoothie:


I have to tell you, it was the best smoothie I've ever tried and I think Hiroe agreed. It was truly the nectar of the gods - worth a trip to Bangkok just to try. If you find yourself at the Weekend Market, here's the stall to look out for:

Takoh: A Tiny Dollop of Deliciousness

Every time I come to Thailand, I purchase a few trays of "takoh." These are little dollops of sweet tapioca and coconut milk in banana leaf "cups." Their name comes from the "ta" in tapioca and the "co" (koh) in coconut. They are incredibly good: sweet but not cloyingly so. The best place I know to get them is Aw Tor Kor Market.


Here's the section of the market where you can find takoh:



Here's part of the fruit section of Aw Tor Kor. Trust me: this is only a tiny fraction of the fruit section here. It's the best tropical fruit selection on earth.

Through the Klongs

Today, I went exploring the klongs (canals) of Bangkok to plan a route for one of the clients of my Bangkok private tour company. I hired a boat and driver to take me through Klong Mon and Klong Bangkok Yai. I've been through quite a few klongs in Bangkok, but these two are my new favorites. With the water so high from the rains up north, when you go through the klongs, it's like taking a boat through a flooded city.

This picture captures the feeling of motoring through the klongs:


I love this overgrown house. Looks like something you'd expect to see along a bayou in Louisiana.


As we were motoring through the klongs, my boatman starting yelling "Mahon! Mahon!" I realized he was talking about this gigantic monitor lizard that was sunning itself on the banks. I've seen some huge monitors in my time, but this one took the cake: it was pushing two meters. I don't know about you, but I'd find it hard to live in a house where there was a danger of a "mahon" like this slithering up the front steps.

Another Day on Khao San

Every time I come to Bangkok, I make the obligatory pilgrimage to Khao San Road. A big part of it is nostalgia: like almost every other backpacker who's ever done an Asia trip, I spent my fair share of time on Khao San back in the day. By visiting Khao San, I can almost taste the feeling I had when I was a lot younger and just starting out on my first big trip. That was back in 1994. Needless to say, the road has gone through some serious changes since then. I mean, when I was there, the only people who had heard of the internet probably worked for NASA. We used to cram into little telephone booths at the back of travel agents to call Mom and Dad and say, "Guess what: I'm in Bangkok!" Still, the vibe of Khao San is essentially the same.


Just when you thought Khao San couldn't get any more developed, well, it gets twice as developed. Here's a picture of the way it looks now. I can't understand how, but in two years or so, it will be twice as developed as this. Perhaps they'll figure out a way to combine Starbucks, an internet cafe, a travel agent, a pad Thai place, a tattoo parlor and a bar. Actually, I bet if you looked hard enough, that place probably already exists on Khao San:


There are several places on the road where, for a modest fee, they will put braids, extensions and beads into your hair. These folks never cease in their tireless task of making white women look ridiculous. Note to white women: the only white woman who ever looked good in corn rows was Bo Derek.


In my more cynical moments, I find myself thinking that there is nothing lamer than sitting on Khao San in the afternoon drinking beer with all the other punters. Then, I have to remind myself: I sat in that same restaurant and drank that same Singha beer and, you know what: I had a blast. I mean, let's face it: a bad day on Khao San is better than the best day at the office.

Back in Bangkok

I'm in Bangkok for a few days with my wife and son. It's wonderful to be back in the city I consider my second (or third?) home. I've been working on the routes for my private walking tours.

Here's a picture of me with Kay, my best guide in Bangkok. I'm carrying Kieran, my son, in a sling here.


Here's a shot of me, Hiroe and Kieran (hidden in the sling):

Hong Kong: Peak Views and Dim Sum

I spent a few days in Hong Kong recently with my family. I was working on routes with my main guide there, Jim. As usual, Jim amazed me with his knowledge of Hong Kong. We also took a trip over to Macau to work on our Macau route. My private walking tours of Hong Kong and Macau can be found here. We flew from Japan to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific and we were really impressed with their service. We would recommend Cathay to anyone traveling with children - they really went out of their way to help us with Kieran and to make us comfortable.

Here's the classic view from the Peak:


Here's a typical Hong Kong street scene:


My wife and I blundered into a classic local dim sum joint while exploring one day. Our son really enjoyed the mango dessert here:


Here's a picture of me and Jim, with my son Kieran: