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My Thailand Series: Phuket

Published on May 5, 2015 by money007pennyLeave a comment

For the final portion of our trip, we flew from Chiang Mai over to Phuket. We stayed at the beautiful Cape Panwa Resort, on the southernmost point of the island (http://www.capepanwa.com/). It was a great spot to get away from the hustle and bustle of the island. Our hotel had a shuttle to take us to the local town, where we had a great dinner on the beach.

The view from our room at the Cape Panwa.

From our hotel, we booked 2 day trips – first to Koh Phi Phi Don, to Maya Bay, also known as the famous beach from the Leonardo DiCaprio film “The Beach, and then on the 2nd day we went to James Bond Island on a kayaking tour. I had been really excited to go to James Bond Island from the minute I booked the trip to Thailand 🙂

On the first trip, we stopped at Viking Cave. This cave is full of thousands of birds called swifts. They make nests out of their saliva, which is harvested to make bird’s nest soup, a delicacy.

After the cave, we made a quick stop off in a lagoon for some snorkeling.

And then headed over to Maya Bay!

On the island, you could walk through the jungle, through a shallow lagoon, up and over some steps to a lookout point on the other side. Here is that photo!

On the second day, we went off on our kayaking James Bond Island trip. Unfortunately, it was the only grey and rainy day on our entire trip, but at least it wasn’t unbearably hot! We stopped at some caves and hopped into our inflatable kayaks. It was two people per kayak plus our guide, who did all the paddling 🙂

This was great fun because we were able to go close to the cliffs. We also went through a cave where we had to lie completely flat to fit through, and then went into a hidden lagoon. The cave was also full of bats and you could hear them chirping, plus it was super stinky.

After a buffet lunch on board, we headed to the main attraction, James Bond Island, where they filmed The Man With The Golden Gun!

Sadly, it is a bit of a tourist trap – but spectacular nonetheless. Glad I was able to make this the final stop on my amazing trip to Thailand!!

*All photos are the property of Charlotte Moore, unless stated otherwise, and may not be used without written consent.

My Thailand Series: Chiang Mai

Published on April 29, 2015 by money007pennyLeave a comment

The last place we visited on the mainland was Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is the largest and most culturally significant city in Northern Thailand. It was also my favourite city to visit on the trip.

On our first morning, we got up really early to present food and other offerings to the monks. Afterwards, we were giving a blessing.

Then we went around the old part of Chiang Mai via trishaw.

We stopped in a market and at a couple of different temples, including this beautiful one: Wat Ket.

In the evening, we visited a nightclub called Warm Up Cafe. We ended up going here a few times during our stay. This was an awesome local band that were playing the first night we went there.

And some local beer, Chang!

The next day, we visited the Mae Sa Elephant Camp, where we rode an elephant through the jungle, watched the elephants bathing in the river, and watched a show they put on (playing soccer etc.). Some of the elephants there are trained to do paintings, and those are available for purchase. While riding through the jungle, we were able to feed the elephants sugarcane and bananas.

After the elephant camp, we stopped at an orchid farm. I purchased a necklace made from a dried orchid.

And now onto one of the best parts of the trip: the cooking school! The school is called Baan Hongnual Cookery School which is just outside Chiang Mai. First, we stopped at a local market to learn about the different produce and spices, plus we picked up all the ingredients needed to make our 4 dishes: tom yum soup, papaya salad, chicken green curry and pad thai.

And the finished products!

The last Thailand post will be about Phuket!

*All photos are the property of Charlotte Moore, unless stated otherwise, and may not be used without written consent.

My Thailand Series: Chiang Rai & The Golden Triangle

Published on April 23, 2015April 29, 2015 by money007pennyLeave a comment

After leaving Sukhothai, we continued north – all the way to the Golden Triangle, the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar (Burma).

On the way we stopped at Wat Rong Khun, or the White Temple. This temple is stunning, completely white and silver, and it is an ongoing project by artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. Unfortunately, we were unable to go inside the temple, as an earthquake had just hit the area and damaged the temple. You’ll see the broken steeple in the photos below. Luckily the damage was minor. Admission to the temple is free, or by donation – and there is also a museum/art gallery where the artist is frequently working. This was one of my favourite places to visit in Thailand.

We continued to the Doi Tung region (6500 ft above sea level). Here the local hill tribes grow tea, coffee and macadamia nuts. We toured the Doi Tung Royal Villa, which was built for the King’s Mother, also known as the Princess Mother. She helped transform the area from growing opium to the focusing on growing tea, coffee and macadamia nuts, as it is today. Near the villa are the Mae Fha Luang gardens, which are quite spectacular to visit as well. The temperature in this area is much cooler, especially compared to Bangkok!

Nearby is Wat Phra That Doi Tung, a sacred hilltop shrine, regarded as the holiest sanctuary in the Chiang Rai area. Here I was able to receive a blessing from a monk.

The town of Chiang Saen is right on the bank of the Mekong River, which is the border with Laos. We traveled to the city to take a river cruise and make a quick stop at Don Sao, a small island which is a part of Laos. Don Sao is a bit of a tourist trap, with lots of souvenirs for sale – plus icecream, drinks etc. If it interests you, there are bottles of alcohol for sale, complete with scorpions or snakes inside!

The last thing we did in this area was take a trip to Mae Sai, which is the border crossing with Myanmar (Burma). There isn’t too much to see there, aside from lots of traffic! However, there are quite a few markets and some Burmese jewelry and handicrafts to look at. It was interesting to see the Burmese monks, as they wear maroon robes vs. the bright orange that the Thai monks wear.

The next post will be about Chiang Mai, called “Rose of the North”.

*All photos are the property of Charlotte Moore, unless stated otherwise, and may not be used without written consent.

My Thailand Series: Lopburi and Sukhothai

Published on April 18, 2015April 23, 2015 by money007pennyLeave a comment

After leaving Ayutthaya, we headed further north to Sukhothai. On the way, we stopped in Lopburi, also known as monkey town!

Lopburi is relatively small city, well-known for its resident crab-eating macaques that live in the center. We first stopped at the Buddhist temple Wat Phra Sri Rattana Mahathat.

Then we went to the temple that is overun by the macaques, Phra Prang Sam Yot. The macaques are pretty bold, and will happily steal food from you – but the city feeds them twice a day. When we arrived, they were given their morning meal of mangoes.

wat phra sri rattana mahathat , lopburi

We continued north and headed to Sukhothai. Sukhothai was the first truly independent Thai kingdom, where the Thai culture, language and alphabet originated.

First, we went to the Sri Satchanalai Historical Park, where we visited the most well-known temple, which is called Wat Chang Lom. This is a Sri Lankan style temple that has 39 elephants, some of which are in quite good condition.

Next we visited a small village in the area where we stopped to visit some locals. We went around the area by local transport, called song taews. It is a motorcycle with 2 bench seats, which can hold 4 people.

song taew tour

We also stopped at a local school to visit the children and donate some school supplies. They sang “head, shoulders, knees and toes” for us!

The old city of Sukhothai is full of ruins, which make up the Sukhothai Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park contains over 200 ruins. Our song taew driver took us around the park, stopping at a few different areas for us to explore the ruins.

Finally, we stopped at Wat Sri Chum, which contains a massive Buddha peeking through an opening in the walls.

Wat Sri Chum

The next post will be about Chiang Rai!

*All photos are the property of Charlotte Moore, unless stated otherwise, and may not be used without written consent.

My Thailand Series: Ayutthaya

Published on April 12, 2015 by money007penny1 Comment

After leaving Bangkok, we headed north towards Ayutthaya, stopping at the Bang Pa-In Royal Palace on the way.

The Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, also known as the Summer Palace, is a huge palace complex with beautiful gardens. You can rent golf carts to get around, which you might want to do on a hot day as there isn’t much shade in the complex. There is only one building you can go inside, which is a Chinese style palace and throne room. You must take off your shoes to go inside and no photos are allowed inside either.

Phra Thinang Wehart Chamrun

Right next to the Bang Pa-In Palace is a gothic inspired temple called Wat Niwet Thammaprawat. This temple is on a small island, and the only way to get across is on a hand-operated open-air cable car, which is operated by the monks.

Just north of Bangkok is the city of Ayutthaya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ayutthaya was one of the world’s largest and most cosmopolitan urban areas, and it was the capital of Thailand from the 14^th to 18^th centuries. The city was attacked by the Burmese army in 1767 and was burned to the ground. As the city was never rebuilt, the city is now known for its extensive ruins and continuing archaeological excavations. The most well-known temple in Ayutthaya is Wat Chai Watanaram.

We also visited Wat Yai Chai Mongkhon. This temple is an active monastery and it was one of my favourite places to visit.

The next post will be about Lopburi (monkey town!) and Sukhothai.

*All photos are the property of Charlotte Moore, unless stated otherwise, and may not be used without written consent.

My Thailand Series: Markets of Bangkok

Published on April 10, 2015 by money007pennyLeave a comment

Before I get into the various markets that we visited, I wanted to mention a hidden gem in Bangkok. It’s a restaurant called Harmonique, which is hidden down an alley, not far from our hotel. As with most restaurants, it’s quite cheap. At nighttime, it has a great ambiance as its tucked under a beautiful banyan tree.

On our first day, even though we were super jet lagged, we decided to head off exploring the area. We came across an amazing flower market. The ladies were making flower arrangements for people to purchase as offerings at the temples.

We also visited a food market as well. Plenty of things to look at and plenty of cats too!

We also visited the Samut Songkram railway market. This country market was particularly fascinating as the market is built on the railway tracks. When the train comes, all of the merchants pick up their things and move them back to allow the train to pass. It appeared to be almost choreographed with the umbrellas lifting up, right as the train passed through.

This is the train station, where we watched the train come through the market.

Next up, we went to the famous Damnoen Saduak floating market. We cruised through the klongs (canals) on a longtail boat, James Bond style!

Yum, fried bananas!

The next post will cover the ancient city of Ayutthaya!

*All photos are the property of Charlotte Moore, unless stated otherwise, and may not be used without written consent.

Skagit Valley Tulips

Published on April 6, 2015 by money007pennyLeave a comment

I know I said that I was going to feature Thailand during the month of April, but last weekend, while on my way down to Seattle, I visited the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Since the festival only happens during the month of April, and starting earlier or later depending on the tulips, I figured I should write this one up quite quickly. For 2015, the festival started about a week early, and will go until April 30th.

Rogue red tulip!

Here the workers are cutting the flowers in the early morning hours before the rest of the tourists arrive!

Skagit Valley is exactly halfway between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC, and directly off I-5. It gets super busy on the weekends (the freeway exits back up), so it’s best to go early or on weekdays. The show gardens are open from 9am-5pm everyday. There are 2 main show gardens, RoozenGarde and Tulip Town, plus acres of fields to see. This is a driving tour, so you’ll need to pick up a map or download it from their website. Note, it changes every year so you’ll have to make sure you get a new one as the crop fields rotate. You’ll see tulips, daffodils, irises, and even corn.

I decided to leave Vancouver super early (4:45am), to arrive just at sunrise (6:41am on April 3rd). None of the show gardens are open then, but I was able to drive around the whole area and occasionally pull off the road for a few photos. This daffodil one below is probably my favourite.

As you can see, the daffodils are almost finished for the season. This photo was taken April 3rd.

Information:

Website: http://www.tulipfestival.org/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SkagitValleyTulipFestival

When: April each year. Bloom times vary so visit the map to find out exactly when: http://www.tulips.com/bloommap

Where: Skagit Valley, exits 221-231 off I-5.

Show Gardens: RoozenGarde and Tulip Town. $5 admission, includes free parking. At the show gardens, you can purchase bulbs and buy cut flowers. Open 9am-5pm.

Limited parking on the side of the roads – and sheriffs will ticket you!

*All photos are the property of Charlotte Moore, unless stated otherwise, and may not be used without written consent.

My Thailand series – Temples of Bangkok

Published on April 1, 2015April 1, 2015 by money007pennyLeave a comment

Welcome to the first blog in a series about Thailand! I’m starting off with Bangkok, but since there is so much to see and do, I’m going to split Bangkok into two posts. This first one will be about a few of the many many beautiful temples!

The Grand Palace of Bangkok and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha

The Grand Palace of Bangkok (Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang) is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world, with an estimated 8 million tourists visiting per year. The palace has been the official residence of the Kings of Siam since 1782. Although the current King, Bhumibol Adulyadej, doesn’t live there, the palace is still used for official events. The complex of buildings, halls, pavilions, lawns and gardens is huge. Give yourself 2-3 hours to walk around it all.

“Don’t Miss This” tip – As with most temples, in order to enter the Grand Palace, you must wear clothes that cover your knees. Women should also cover their shoulders.

Inside the Grand Palace is Wat Phra Kaeo, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. It is considered one of the most sacred sites, and the most revered Buddha image, in Thailand. The Emerald Buddha is cut from one piece of jade and the clothes are made from gold. They change his clothes 3 times a year in a royal ceremony. No cameras allowed in here!

Wat Po and the Reclining Buddha

Wat Po, Bangkok

Wat Po is a Buddhist temple, right near the Grand Palace, and the oldest temple in Bangkok. It is home to the massive Reclining Buddha, and impressive 160 feet long. The Reclining Buddha’s face depicts the attainment of nirvana, and the feet are inlaid with mother-of-pearl. This temple is known as the home of Thai massage. There is a school on site (http://www.watpomassage.com/) where you can get inexpensive massages.

“Don’t Miss This” tip: In the corridor of the Reclining Buddha is a row of 108 bronze bowls. For a small donation, you can pick up a bowl of 108 coins. You will then go along the corridor dropping 1 coin in each bronze bowl. This is believed to bring good fortune.

Wat Traimit / Golden Buddha

Near Chinatown, Wat Traimit is home to the world’s largest solid gold statue. It is the 700-year-old Golden Buddha. It was found by accident when it was dropped and the plaster came off. You can see the plaster on display at the temple. It weighs 5.5 tons, which is even more impressive as it’s on the 3rd floor of the temple.

“Don’t Miss This” tip – Anytime you go in a temple, you’ll likely be required to take off you shoes. This tip might seem a bit silly, but it happened to me. Don’t leave your shoes in the sun! It gets insanely hot there, and trust me, you don’t want to run across the hot concrete barefoot to go and pick up your, just as hot, shoes!

Wat Arun

Wat Arun, or the Temple of Dawn, is one of the most fun temples to visit, because you can climb it! It’s in a beautiful spot, just on the banks of the Chao Praya river. An easy way to get there is a quick water taxi across the river from Wat Po. We visited at sunset and it really was an amazing sight. The Wat is an architectural representation of Mount Meru, which is important as it is the center of the world in Buddhist cosmology. The main pagoda is 79 meters high, and built in the Khmer style.

There’s a storm coming! This is the view from Wat Arun looking over the Chao Praya River.

Wat Benchamabophit

Wat Benchamabophit, or the Marble Temple, was built of Italian marble in 1899. It’s know for having many European influences, such as stained glass windows. In the courtyard, there are 52 bronze statues all depicting different images of the Buddha. This one was my favourite!

The next Bangkok post will feature the markets, food and more!

*All photos are the property of Charlotte Moore, unless stated otherwise, and may not be used without written consent.

Drink Your Way Through Bainbridge Island, WA

Published on March 26, 2015March 26, 2015 by money007pennyLeave a comment

Bainbridge Island is a beautiful island, only five miles wide and ten miles long. It’s just a short 35 minute ferry ride across Puget Sound from Seattle. This itinerary would make a great day trip from Seattle!

Bainbridge Island Ferry

While there are many things to do on Bainbridge Island, this post focuses on 3 great places to enjoy a drink.

First up, the Bainbridge Organic Distillers! Bainbridge Organic Distillers is Washington State’s first distillery producing USDA organic gin, vodka and whiskey. They are also the only distillery producing spirits from scratch and on site. They make small batches, and tend to sell out quite quickly. They have 4 products: Bainbridge Legacy Organic Vodka, Bainbridge Heritage Organic Doug Fir Gin, Bainbridge Battle Point Organic Wheat Whiskey (I’m drinking this right now!), and finally Bainbridge Organic Vanilla Whiskey. Check out their website to see the numerous awards that they’ve won, even after only being founded in 2009. You can find their facility at a business park called Coppertop Park.

“Don’t miss this” tip: Seasonally, the distillery produces maple syrup that has been aged in the barrels of their Battle Point Organic Wheat Whiskey! More details are below.

Next up, Bainbridge Island Brewing Company. Literally next door to the distillery you can find this great brewery. They have a flagship line of 5 beers: Kommuter Kolsh (ABV 5.0%, IBU 20), Eagle Harbor IPA (ABV 6.0%, IBU 60), Bainbridge Pale Ale (ABV 5.4%, IBU 40), Arrow Point Amber (ABV 5.2%, IBU 25), and Battle Point Stout (ABV 6.6%, IBU 45). In addition, there are plenty of seasonal options to try as well. There is no kitchen at the brewery, but they encourage you to bring a picnic or take out food. There is also free wifi and plenty of tv’s to watch local sports. Check out their event calendar for trivia, live music and more.

“Don’t miss this” tip: The brewery is dog friendly! Again, more details are below.

Finally, Rolling Bay Winery. A little off the beaten path, this small boutique winery shouldn’t be missed. You will likely be greeted by winemaker Alphonse de Klerk when you arrive. You won’t be disappointed by the friendly people and delicious wine. For a small winery, they produce a surprising variety of wines, including: chardonnary, pinot gris, manitou red (blend), cabernet sauvignon, and syrah.

“Don’t miss this” tip: Rolling Bay Winery is open every other weekend for tasting so you must check the website to confirm they are open before you visit. Further details are below.

Bainbridge Island Beach w/ a view of Mt. Rainer

___________________________________________________________________________

Bainbridge Organic Distillers

http://www.bainbridgedistillers.com

9727 Coppertop Loop NE, Suite 101

Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Phone: 206-842-3184

Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-5pm

Free tasting!

Bainbridge Island Brewing Company

http://www.bainbridgebeer.com

9415 Coppertop Loop NE, Suite 103

Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Phone: 206-451-4646

Hours: Mon-Fri 2pm-9pm, Sat 12pm-9pm, Sun 12pm-7pm

Rolling Bay Winery

http://www.rollingbaywinery.com

1034 Beachcrest Drive

Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

Phone: 206-419-3355

Tasting every other weekend, $5 tasting fee

*All photos are the property of Charlotte Moore, unless stated otherwise, and may not be used without written consent.

Day Trip from Vancouver: George C. Reifel Bird Sanctuary & Steveston

Published on March 24, 2015March 24, 2015 by money007pennyLeave a comment

For an excellent day trip from Vancouver, spend the day just 1 hour south of the city at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, and then visit the small fishing town of Steveston.

The George C. Reifel Bird Sanctuary

Northern Pintails

The Reifel Bird Sanctuary is the winter home of the Lesser Snow Goose and one of Canada’s top bird-watching sites in the heart of the Fraser River estuary, one hour’s drive from the City of Vancouver, British Columbia. The Sanctuary is one of 92 protected areas across Canada termed bird sanctuaries by the Government of Canada. The Sanctuary consists of nearly 300 hectares (850 acres) of managed wetlands, natural marshes and low dykes in the heart of the Fraser River Estuary.

Red-Winged Blackbirds

The fall migration period (October to early December) is the best time to view noticeable large flocks of waterfowl feeding and resting in the estuary and the ponds. The fall viewing is made most spectacular by the arrival of the “Fraser-Skagit” flock of Lesser Snow Geese. This particular sub-population of snow geese numbers between 50,000 and 100,000 depending upon nest success in arctic breeding grounds on Wrangel Island (Russia). These birds start to arrive in early October and spend the winter at the Sanctuary, in surrounding parts of the Fraser River Estuary (Delta and Richmond) and in the nearby Skagit River Estuary in Washington, USA. They depart for northern nesting grounds in April. There is an 10m high observation tower at the furthest point of the Sanctuary. There are also a couple of bird blinds across the trail (just make sure you close the windows and doors when you leave!).

Over 280 species of birds have been recorded at the Sanctuary so there certainly is plenty to see!

Sandhill Crane

Don’t forget to bring your binoculars, camera, and wear good walking shoes. Most of the trails are gravel or grass. If you are visiting on the weekend, I would recommend arriving early (before 11am) as it gets extremely busy.

“Don’t miss this” tip! Sunday mornings at 10am – the guided bird walk! If you’re new to bird watching, this is a great walk for you. If you’re a seasoned bird watcher, you’ll still enjoy this too! The guide will point out birds, explain species and behaviors. They may even know bird calls to teach you. Highly recommended! Just drop by, the walk is free with paid admission.

Saw-whet owl

There are washrooms and a picnic area by the parking lot. The gift shop sells bird seeds for you to feed the many varieties of ducks. Children will love it.

Plenty of other wildlife to find besides birds 🙂

More Info:

http://www.reifelbirdsanctuary.com/

Where: 5191 Robertson Road, Delta BC, V4K 3N2

*Map from the Reifel Bird Sanctuary Website

When: 9am-4pm everyday, including holidays! Adults $5, Children and Senior $3

Please note: no dogs allowed.

Steveston

Stevenston is a quaint fishing village (with over 600 fishing boats!) that sits at the mouth of the South Arm of the Fraser River in Richmond – still officially part of greater Vancouver. Since the 1870s, Steveston has been home to salmon canneries, attracting Japanese, Chinese and European immigrant workers there. Today, the town retains a heritage charm due to the preservation of many historic buildings but has also grown to accommodate an increasing population and tourism industry.

Since 1945, Steveston has hosted an annual Steveston Salmon Festival on Canada Day, July 1. The Gulf of Georgia Cannery, a National Historic Site, is also found in Steveston. Recently, Steveston has also become known as “The Gateway to the Orca,” referring to the very active whale watching industry here. Walking distance from the cannery is the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site.

“Don’t miss this” tip! Take a quick side trip to visit Mary’s British Home Store. This small shop, run by Mary Carter, which imports all kinds of tasty treats from England. They also have a full case of pasties, pies, sausages etc.

More Info:

http://www.steveston.bc.ca/

Gulf of Georgia Cannery

http://gulfofgeorgiacannery.org/

Where: 12138 Fourth Ave, Richmond BC V7E 3J1

When: 10am-5pm daily. Adults $7.80, Seniors $6.55, Youth $3.90, Family (Max of 7) $19.60

Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site

http://www.richmond.ca/culture/sites/britannia/about.htm

Mary’s British Home Store

Where: 3740 Chatham St, Ste 4, Richmond, BC V7E 3A6

When: 10am-6pm daily.

All of the photos posted in this blog are mine 🙂 More photos from my trips to the Bird Sanctuary can be found here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cmoore623/sets/72157650483554415/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cmoore623/sets/72157650830946232/

*All photos are the property of Charlotte Moore, unless stated otherwise, and may not be used without written consent.

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