Motorcycle Taxis Everywhere!

OK, So I don't exactly have a picture of a motorcycle taxi but if I hadn't read  the novel Bangkok 8 I would not have know that the groups of men I was seeing in orange vests were motorcycle taxis.  These are some shots from walking the flower market the day we filled our room with flowers.  it was a slow time at the market because it was late afternoon;  I just want to show how crowded everything is and that it is hard to pick out, sort out exactly what you are looking at SOOoooo...

This is a copy buying flowers.  ANYWAY, staying at Tenface we would take the BTS sky train to a stop, call them and they would arrive with a tuk-tuk to take us back.  sometimes we had to wait too long and I figured out that while we were waiting we were watching people on motorcycle taxis and there was stop right where we were so I said to Debbie that my feet hurt too much, I don't want to wait, let's try the taxi and she was in.  We had been watching how people ride and the woman would all side saddle because they were wearing skirts and for whatever reason to not make the trip to intimate I suppose.  Men would hold on to the back bar.  Not for me. too scary so I straddled this guy who was a little shocked I am sure as much about my size as my willingness to just jump on.  I tried to just hold his shoulders while he drove but he was going over speed bumps and potholes and animals and holy shit, I just wrapped my arms around his waist, he made this funny sound and I had such a great time on that ride!  I look behind me and Miss. Deb is side saddling!!!  WHaaaaat?!  Well, we chose it as our favorite mode of transport and enjoyed every minute of our 10 baht rides.  I would pay double for the extra service provided, ehem.  Twenty baht is about .60.  We will find some better city shots to post!! Meanwhile, here are a couple more flower market photos....

Delivering roses.  we bought one of those bunches for $3.00 the day before Valentine's day!!

Tuk-tuk probably making a delivery to a funeral

Monks buy flowers too.

Hand made brooms and feather dusters out of duck feathers maybe?

No dog that has an owner goes undressed.  There are simply no naked dogs unless they are street dogs. In the heat it is so surprising and some of these outfits are ridiculous.  This is an amulet vendor who is selling stainless steel chains to wear with the amulet of your choice.

Did I tell you about the fish spas??

There are these fish spas all over the towns where you go and get your feet nibbled on.  These fish are called Garufa fish or something like that and the sign always states that they have "Genuine Garufa" fish.  They eat off all the dead skin and god knows what all.  They look like little catfish up close.  I just couldn't do it.  Dale wouldn't, Debbie just gave me a look.  

What happens to these fish when there done with his feet?  Do the same fish eat your feet?

I went into a fish spa that was empty of customers just to take pictures of the fish and these fish came running to the side of the tank as soon as I came near!  Our feet are their food.  Whoa.  No one was giggling that was doing it so it must not tickle.  I should have tried it so I could at least describe it but I just couldn't.

Monkeys, monkeys and more monkeys running amok in Lopburi

A mother nursing her alien baby

Hanging out, eating an apple, making a mess

Eating their fruits and vegetables.  Who knows where they got it from.

This monkey was getting upset at the lady behind me. 

They do get fierce!  A few tried to climb up my leg when I wasn't paying attention.

This is a town where the inmates run the asylum!  It is just freaky to see a city where the monkeys live in the streets, outnumber the humans and behave like mobsters terrorizing the people who live there and those who visit ...

This guy stole the beverage from a tourist!  The nerve!!

Playing with an empty bottle with all of his fingers and toes.

Making sure she is ready for her close up.

Look closely in front of the Buddha's hand there is a monkey leaning his head and hands against the stone in front of it-looks like she's praying. It looked so funny.  Maybe you had to be there?

These guys never wait for the walk signal when crossing I think it might be because they just can't relate to that flashing red human. 

Just a typical day in Lopburi

This gentle flower of a woman was hired by our guide to make sure that the monkeys did not climb up our bodies and steal our stuff or bite us.

Napping monkeys and yes, we really did get this close to these guys.. .  

A monkey giving another monkey a massage with a pine cone.  Massage is very big in Thailand if you don't know.

Yeesh. Are these guys really monkeys or are they aliens??

This guy was referred to as "The King".  He is the boss of the other mob monkeys and as sweet as he looks here I bet he is one mean king.  I wish you could have seen him walk because he has one huge swinging sack of a belly.

A day of monks, Buddhas and temples

Three boys at a monastery; their parents have pledged them to be monks to help pave their path to heaven.  That is how it works for most monks that they have been pledged as young boys.  These boys will grow up in the monastery

Debbie pretending to meditate (and not very well I might add) below a couple of Buddhas

Gary Shandling as a monk, preparing to bless us

Reclining along with the BIGGEST reclining Buddha in the world

Two red faced friends

Wat (Temple) Pho at Sunset

This is taken standing at the FOOT of the reclining Buddha.  This Buddha is 47  meters long and neither one of us have any idea what that means.

Another 48 hours, another hotel...

This is the living room of our very spacious space and the screaming hot sun blasting in.  Scroll down to the bottom to see  the explanation of this posting.  I can't figure out for the life of me how to move it to the top so just look at all the pictures and then read the thing at the bottom.....

I know it has been a few days since I last wrote but after moving into Tenface, the lastest location of my caper, there have been very long, very hot days.  First, let me show you some pictures of this place.  It is called a "serviced residence" and Debbie and I have a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment with a kitchen, washer/dryer, dining room, living room, daily cleaning service, just like a hotel only bigger but a little farther away from stuff as it turned out, however, they do provide a free tuk tuk ride to the BTS.  Here are some pictures I took before the suitcases exploded:

Debbie's perspective of things.....

Less than 24 hours ago she was in her icy yard in New Jersey....

And now she is in the lap of luxury with an Ipad in her lap at the Sukothai Hotel in BKK...

The nice doorman taking care of everything for us making sure we get to our intended destination...

The Super Pussy....

Making sure to fit in eating our vegetables...

And take a picture of me in my new tribal clothing 

AOOlready getting into trouble with Debbie as we walk the streets of Bangkok

Young men after school (in their school uniforms) have their priorities - to go to a bakery together, eat pastries, drink coffee and  text on their telephones

Debbie buying figs from a man who looks like her really, really cares about her need for 100 grams of figs.  The Thai are amazing.  They have a way of making you feel like they truly care about you and with all the foreigners in and out of their country from all over the world it is an amazing trait.

My favorite Roti Paratha woman in Chiang Mai who makes these crispy, buttery square pastries on that oh-so-perfect griddle filling them with bananas and then slathering it with nutella or drizzling with sweetened condensed milk.  of course, they want you to put a egg an it too but how many eggs can you eat in a day?  all of this pleasure for less than a dollar.

Trying to walk up to the Skytrain station I am not sure if it is wise to walk up these stairs.  Do you see this cluster of electrical wires????   

I watched this woman fall asleep while trying to sell her strung fresh flowers used to give to Buddha. When a Buddhist visits a temple they offer up a beautiful ring or string of fresh flowers to lay on the shrine but it looks like there are not so many takers today.

Yes, Patpong is a night market but it is much more of a meat market for the sex trade.  Walking down this "Soi" or alley it is packed with really crappy stuff that I have no idea who would buy and that goes for the "women" offering themselves up for sale.  Men are walking around with a menu showing you what you will witness if you only follow them to their very special bar.  Well, me and Debbie had to go and see how many of these fantastical things on that menu we would actually be able witness.  So we did.  We're done.  Our curiosity satisfied.

OK, Debbie and I already have a business idea: To import these swings for a new exercise phenomenon.  Why don't we have these things in our parks?  They are so much fun to use and they had such a quirky variety of these things in this park. We have some fun video of us learning how to use all of the different equipment we came across.

Yes, we came back tonight to see just what this collection might consist of.  Whatever.