Thailand

We woke up early today and thought – what should we do? Well, eat breakfast was first on the list however next we went exploring at our hotel and checked out what was going on. There was to be another party at the front of the hotel tonight, so the restaurant area was off limits however the adult pool which is in front of the long pool and kids pool was not! So we decided to give hanging out a try. Andrew also went for a swim where I again, just played up to my knees in the water. The GOOD thing is that I did not slip getting out this time which was awesome! After a while though we found the sun just a bit too hot so we decided to move on and go to a market that I had read about – the Floating Market as it was the weekend and some markets are best to be visited on weekends for full shopping opportunities!

We took a taxi to the Floating Market and paid the admission fee and walked around. I did a bit of shopping as normal however it was not that busy, as it was later in the afternoon and most of the “traffic” aka tourists on busses had left. It was not what I had envisioned at all – I thought the whole market people would be on boats and we would have to take a boat to buy from them but it was not so – the majority of the market was accessible (except for the bridges with slats going across them which meant going up and over was hard) and i soon found a way around that was bridge free. If you did not want to eat, you did not have to go over a bridge! As it was still quite hot out, we decided that we had enough of the markets and people wanting you to visit their stalls so we decided to go back to the hotel. So we exited where we entered and low and behold, the taxi driver was still there sleeping in his car! That was strange – I thought the hotel said there are lots of taxis and we would not have a problem getting a new one to go to the next market! They must have arranged this? Never will know! So I said hi to the taxi driver and he took us back to the hotel – a little confused why we were not going to the next market but happy I think he did not have to follow us around.

I was up very early this morning and while working on this blog, caught the sunrise! A few hours later, Andrew and I went down for breakfast. We are being picked up by our friendly driver at 1pm to take us to Pattaya. So that means we need to pack! I am enjoying this vacation a bit more than the one in Italy where each morning I had to pack and put my luggage out the door by 7am!

The chef came out at breakfast and said that he had a surprise for me and please wait. So I helped myself to a small helping of breakfast and was patient and waited for what he had in store for me! After about 30 minutes and getting concerned that I was getting pretty hungry and my blood sugar alarm was going off the chef suddenly appeared and had cooked me “breakfast” Pad Thai! What a treat! It was yummy just like the 1st night when I had the same meal – Pad Thai and this one also had broccoli and cauliflower in it too which made it more nutritious! Nothing like getting your veggies when traveling right Liz???

Then the chef came and checked on me and I thanked him again and he asked if I wanted any of the GF bread. I really did not need it so I said not this time – it was very good but we are traveling today and do not want to feel too full. He then asked me when were were leaving and told me he would leave a surprise for me at the Front Desk! Okay, the suspense continues!

Now we are packed and in the lobby. The Thai people are SO helpful and want to take all your luggage for you! When we travel Andrew deals with the suitcases and I deal with the backpacks. I have a perfect way of balancing them on my walker and it works out very well. I do have to watch my walker I found out though as if I am not watching and they see luggage (which for them is a backpack) my walker will disappear! It has happened to me twice now – so I almost have to tether it to me when checking in or our so that the bellman does not take it by mistake!

We had a very pleasant drive to Pattaya – partly by highway and partly by local roads. We actually found out that we were quite a bit south of Pattaya city in a place called Jomtien. The Renaissance Hotel and resort is really beautiful too! Amazingly high lobby with flow through air creating a nice breeze! We were checked in very fast and upgraded to a high floor room – with a balcony and beautiful view! See the pictures below.

We then we tried to go for an early dinner at their 609 restaurant as the other restaurant at the front of the property was being used for a private event. In addition to that private event, there was a wedding going on in the garden! It was a very busy night for the hotel! However when we got to the 609 restaurant they seated us under some speakers and within a few minutes a lady with a very high pitched voice was starting to talk in Thai. I normally like listening to the Thai language being spoken as it is very hushed and melodic but this was neither and as we were both tired this was not going over well! It ended up that there was a fashion show going to happen in the restaurant! The waiter was very good when I explained that the noise was too much and he relocated us upstairs to the lobby bar where we then were served our dinner in some peace and quiet! Then back up to the room we went and we were just shutting down for the night and BOOM the fire works started! Now that was cool – being up so high and watching fireworks before bed!

Now it is our last full day at the Marriott and after breakfast, we found out how to get to the lower pool. As it was during the week, not many families were there so I thought we would be safe at the lower pool despite the kids play/pool area being behind it. There was only 1 other couple when we arrived and soon another man and couple were there and that was it for the afternoon. Again, Andrew went swimming and I saw another high stair drop off so I elected to just stand in the water on the steps I could reach. Was there for about 15 minutes and decided to get out. My walker was right next to the pool entrance and just to the right of that was the single man on a double bed tanning himself. I stepped out of the pool and onto the tile and boom! Over I went as I had slipped on the very slippery tile and fallen down on my right side and hit my hip and shoulder. I think I really scared the man in the tanning bed. So that was a bit of a shock and I could have hurt myself more if I had been about 4 more inches to the right as the tanning beds have a metal frame. I was able to get up and slowly get back to our chairs and umbrella however so much for the massage the day before!

We then decided to go back to the room where I could rest in the coolness of the room before dinner. We had planned to go for dinner at the restaurant that overlooks the beach and is next to the pool where I had fallen. After a nap I did feel a little better so after sun set at 5:30pm, we moseyed down to the Fish Bar for dinner. And what a dinner it was! I had a seafood saffron risotto that was to die for! I have eaten a LOT of risotto in my life – the amount of saffron in this risotto plus the FRESH seafood was unreal! I actually wrote in Google Translate to the waitress how good it was and how I had just been to Italy last month and it was better than the risotto that I had eaten there. They were very pleased and the chef came out to thank me! We took some night time pictures on the way back to the hotel and stopped at the bar for a night cap as we realized we had not used the “free drink” tickets that we were given when we checked in! All in all a very nice, but not very busy hotel!

Tomorrow we are being picked up by the same driver who took us to the laundromat and driven to Pattaya where we are staying for the next 5 days.

So the next day, again we had an awesome breakfast indoors. This time I DID take pictures of the expansive buffet! Then we gathered up our laundry and off we went on our “laundry” journey, which was quite fun! First, the laundry was wheelchair accessible – big TICK mark! We did laundry in the open air with other Thai people – along with sitting and sweating away at the tables in the laundromat. Our driver was to pick us up at 2pm and we were done by 1:30 so as there was a 7-11 across the road (there are TONS of 7-11’s here – just like Starbucks in North America). As Marriott only sells Pepsi around the world (only issue I have with them), I was starting to crave some Coke Zero. Got to 7-11 and they had HUGE steps. So crossed the road and sure enough in this man’s store there was a fridge with mini Coke Zero’s! I bough all 6 of them – they were 11 bhat each – so a total of 66 bhat and then Andrew got a rather large can of cold beer for 60 bhat so a total of 126 bhat or about $4 Cdn. To pay basically just over 40 cents for a Coke Zero was a bargain that I had never seen before! I was a very happy camper going back to the Marriott with our clean clothes and my Coke Zero stash! Our driver even saw us in the store and came to the curb to pick us up – he was running early!

Back at the Marriott, after relaxing from our outing, I finally got up the courage to look at what happened to my knitting – the green sweater was cut in 1 place (it is now completely put back into a ball) and the purple one was cut in 3 places. I am going to have to make something smaller with that!

To resolve my knitting stress, I decided to have a massage. I THOUGH I signed up for a head, neck, upper back massage however once I got into the facility (it was not accessible I found out so they took my through a back route and into a private building instead used for couples massages) – it was at totally different massage I received. Holy smokes! It was a good thing I am taking pain medication as even at a “gentle” rating, those Thai fingers can be nasty! The massage starts with a feet cleanse which is traditional. Then you get onto the massage table. The massage table is a bit wider than the ones I am used to and that is because the lady gets up on the table and massages you from there – when it comes to your lower back and legs. Then she massages your upper back (I have no idea how she did that – she was on my side on the table) and then she goes to the front and massages your shoulders. As I did not really want to discuss my medical issues with her I did not tell her about my Botox on the right side of my neck and back. She could tell though! She told me my right side muscles are weak, which is a very true statement! So after an hour and a bit of that treatment I was ready for bed!

So we ordered room service for dinner! I ended the night with a far too big Creme Caramel which Andrew of course had to help me finish!

What a beautiful morning to wake up to! Let`s go for breakfast and then explore the property! So first mistake – sitting outside for breakfast – that sun crept over the building and got incredibly hot very fast! Note to selves – sit inside for the rest of the trip! The breakfast buffet here is unreal – I thought the buffet at the Sheraton Dubai Creek was big – this one is bigger and has tons of different types of food on it! More pictures on that later – I am shy about taking pictures on the first day 🙂 Here are some of what I ate though!

The Marriott property is fairly large and lush which we could see from the HOT patio that we were sitting on. After breakfast we walked around and checked out the big pool, the aquarium, the beach and what we thought lead down to the other pool but as there were stairs, were puzzled how to get there. See pictures below for the beautiful property!

We then went and sat by the pool under the umbrella for shade and did various thinks like nap, nap and more napping! Andrew also enjoyed the pool. I got my feet wet however decided not to swim as the pool was not safe for me to get into due to the large stair to go down. I was happy just hanging out getting my legs to cool down! So far no burns! On the way back from the pool we “researched” how to get laundry done as I had been looking on Google Maps and did not realize that we were farther out of Rayong than expected. Of course the front desk ladies and bellmen were right on it and arranged a ride to a local town about 7km away where the driver would take us, leave us for 2 hours and then the same driver would bring us back! All for the cheap price of $16 Cdn. Not bad. Doing laundry cost us about 5 Cdn so that was a total of $21 Cdn. Andrew figured we saved a BUNCH of money by not having the hotel do it and he did not have to have someone else clean is underwear… must be a man thing!

We then had dinner at the hotel – which due to the time zone change was a light dinner of chicken satays GF of course! The chef is VERY attentive and is wanting to make sure that I have as good a meal as everyone else which is the Thai way of service.

Now, on those night shots from our balcony – what are all those green lights doing on the ocean? Those are squid fishermen! They fish with a green light and a lure and the squid are attracted to the green light so they swim up near the boat and then eat what is on the lure and are caught! The squid we are talking about are large – between 6 inches and a foot! Quite pretty to look at the boats shining all night long!

So we touched down in Manila right at 8:30am on time (thank goodness!) and out the front door of the plane we were ushered (my walker had flown in the plane for this flight) and right to a sign with my name on it! For the 3 parties who had short connections to the flight to Bangkok, there were agents waiting to escort them to their next flight! Very cool! YVR should do this too! Okay, lets focus, into a wheelchair I was placed and whisked away with Andrew almost running behind with my walker and the knapsack (single now) on it. We had to go through security AGAIN! Oh dear. This is becoming a nightmare! So this time they did not like my toe clippers. Whatever lets get moving – leave them behind!

Then they power walked us back towards the gate we had just come from? Oh interesting, the flight to Bangkok was at the gate NEXT to where we arrived! However it was a secure gate (one that you have to go through a scanner to enter) and I guess those of us in wheelchairs had to use the “accessible” scanner station instead down the hall. So we lined up waiting to board the plane, they examined my walker about 10 times like they had not seen one before, I demonstrated how it closed etc and they said they would try and keep it on the plane. So we got onto the flight to Bangkok – this is a Airbus 330 – so a different and NEWER configuration! Very nice. We were in 1 D/F together which is in the middle. I had chosen those seats as the ones at the window are singles! Then they came up to me and informed me that my walker had to go into the hold of the plane – I was fine and prepared for that as I knew we were on a smaller plane with a configuration that I was not familiar with. Their “closets” only open half way – they are not full length closets so therefore my walker could not fit. Then we had the “gluten free meal” scenario happen – the previous crew had told me that they had ordered one for this flight (which I HIGHLY suspected would not make it) so I mentioned it to the flight attendant and sure enough no meal. However, I really should not have said anything as then they worried about it! Oh dear – I told them to not worry and I was fine. Eventually they cooled down and the flight eventually left after the back of the bus boarded.

Great flight – it is so bizarre flying Airbus birds from Boeing ones when you are AWAKE. The “wire” flight controls make a different noise from the Boeing ones. Needless to say, I had no knitting to do so I decided that watching a movie would be a great thing instead – do I remember what movie I watched? Nope. I was horizontal by then and sound asleep!

Next thing I knew, Andrew had eaten breakfast or lunch, whatever it was and we were landing in Bangkok and I must become vertical! That was a QUICK flight! Very cool! I like 3 1/2 hour flights like this! As already arranged as I KNOW the Bangkok airport is HUGE, a wheelchair met us at the plane and off we went to immigration and with my fingers crossed to find out 3 pieces of checked luggage – I sure HOPED that backpack made it! Just like last time we arrived and a very, VERY early hour of the am on Air India, we got through immigration just like that and then had to wait about 5 minutes for our luggage. Both our suitcases showed up – where is that backpack! It was NOT checked at the same time so obviously it might have gone in a different container. Then poof! There it was! Wahoo! I was so excited and our escort thought I was really funny I was so happy to see a piece of luggage! So then he pushed us out of the 2nd stage of immigration and into the public area. Now, trying to get rid of him was a bit of a challenge!

We had booked a private transfer to Rayong, where we were going to stay for the next 4 nights, however as our plane landed an hour early, and I had built time into our schedule if our original flight was late, we had about 90 minutes to burn before our driver would be picking us up. Before leaving Dubai, we had heard from the transfer company as they noticed our flight was coming in an hour early, however I told them at that time, that we wanted to stay with our 2pm pick up time. You never know what can happen when arriving at an airport and I sure see LOTS of examples at YVR!

So I explained very politely that we wanted to get some lunch and that our escort had helped us enough and that I could walk the rest of the way. He did not want to leave us though and insisted on taking us up to the 2nd floor where the restaurants are. At that point I got OUT of the wheelchair and thanked him for helping us profusely and Andrew gave me my walker off the luggage cart and where did we go? McDonalds! Don’t cringe please – I just needed some fries and Coke Zero as I was getting fairly hungry! We sat next to a power charge bar and I charged my phone while I ate and I also downed a protein bar at the same time. It was going to be 2-3 hours until we arrived at the Marriott in Rayong.

Now we proceeded back downstairs – it was kind of a freaky experience – they have “escalators” that you get onto that a flat and then they go down – similar to a ramp, then even out and then go down again to get down one floor. That was great for me and Hugo, however for Andrew and the luggage cart (which are allowed on this escalator things, it started sliding downhill! Unlike the malls in the Vancouver area that have similar types of set-ups – the wheels of the buggies LOCK when they are on the escalator! So this time instead of Andrew having to make sure I was safe on some type of transport, it was ME blocking the suitcases from falling off the buggy! We must have looked quite funny going down the slope!

We then went to Door 3 to try and find out ride. Oh my – what a LOT of names of people getting rides! We tried looking for my name but to no avail, could not find it. Good thing AGAIN I had a data plan as I contacted the lady and eventually found where we were to be – we HAD walked past my name however it was listed under a different company that had confirmed with me. Moving on, she then called the car and we went outside and met up with our driver who was driving a beautiful black SUV. In we got and had a very comfortable ride to Rayong.

The Marriott Hotel in Rayong is beautiful! The meeting rooms are on the 1st floor and the large lobby is on the 2nd floor along with the Salt restaurant, Coffee cafe and Lobby lounge. We checked in and we were upgraded to a corner suite which was very nice! With both of us exhausted at this point, we put our luggage away and went downstairs for an early dinner and then a walk prior to retiring for the evening.