Bridge Over The River Kwai, November 8, 2012

We checked out of our Bangkok hotel just after 6am and caught a cab to take us to the train station where we planned to hop a train to Kanchanaburi.  The cab driver talked us into letting him drive us all the way so we missed out on a $3 train trip but made a detour to see the floating market included in the price of $42 the driver charged. The floating market is a village on a cannels that were built in the mid 1800’s.  Many streets of little shops right on the water and boats drift by and stop at shops of interest.  Rick bought some hand carved wooden things and a crocodile belt.  We negotiated down to 1/6 the original asking price and yet found everything later at a less touristy market for asking prices of half what we paid.  You can never go too low when bartering.  We eventually reached the Bridge over teh River Kwai and since we knew our hotel was near the bridge and the taxi driver had no idea where the hotel was, he dropped us off and we walked the 300 meters to our hotel.  We were greeted with cold scented wash clothes, a tiny but spectacular room in the U Inchantree Hotel, located right on the River Kwai.  We had a delicious lunch and went for a walk across the famous bridge.  The weather is extremely hot and humid, even for meso we spent the afternnon in and around the pool.  We ordered lattes this eveing as I write this we are sitting out on our tiny but very private balcony..  

NOVEMBER 5, 2012 BEIJING

We arrived in Beijing and had just enough time to enjoy some snacks and drinks at the business class lounge before catching our 5 hour flight to Bangkok.  

We grabbed a cab at the Bangkok airport as I didn’t know how late the trains ran or how difficult it would be to find our hotel from the train station at 1:00 am. Still over 30C in Bangkok.  We had the slowest cabbie on the road.  This was probably due to the fact that he was completely out of gas according to the gauge and the gas light, his engine light was on and his steering  was barely functioning.  He was all over the road so we were glad to arrive safely at the Novotal.  Got checked in and went right to bed as we had not had much sleep on the flights.

BANGKOK, NOVEMBER 7, 2012

Again we tried to walk around our neighbourhood but again tuk drivers and various others on the street, including a tourist police, kept telling us we should go to this market and that market and trying to put us in a tuk for a very cheap price.  We finallly caught on that if they take you to a gem shop or a tailor shop they get free gas and if you buy anything they get a kick back.  We didn't buy and our tuk driver had offered to take us anywhere for under $1 so he was frustrated and dropped us off at a tiny market when we had requested only to go to Boo Bea market.  We then had to pay a real price to get back to our hotel and had not had our walk, explored our neighbourhood or seen the market.  So we went for a foot massage.  Then we went for a Thai massage.  Then we packed as we have an early morning tomorrow. 

NOVEMBER 6, 2012 BANGKOK

We had an exceptionally great breakfast buffet in the hotel. Included in the room price.  Then we decided to just walk and explore our neighbourhood, the Siam Square area.  We were constantly accosted by cab drivers and others trying to take us places.  We finally got a tuk tuk to a travel company where we booked our overnight train to Ko Samui for Nov 11.  Then we took a private boat trip down the Chao Phraya River.  He took us through canals where many people live right along the river. At one point we went through a lock where we had to wait with 10 other boats crowded into a small lock area while the gates opened and closed. He was supposed to drop us off at the Grand Palace but he just left us at one of the many Wats and we had to find a cab to take us to the palace.  There is a Buddha holiday today and the king did a cruise accompanied by many boats full of monks singing.  Apparently this is a big event that rarely happens.  We had to pay 100 baht just to watch from a parking lot along the river.  There is no access to the river as so many people live right along the river.  

To go back to the hotel we hopped on a bus that a transit guy told us was free and would take us all the way back to Siam Square.  It was a very old, hot and crowded bus but it got us home.  We went for a foot massage, got a Starbucks frapp and went for  a neck and shoulder massage.  All in all an ok day.  Bangkok is not my favourite place.  

THAILAND 2012 - almost

We leave Sunday November 4, 2012 for Thailand.  Business class on Air China - thanks to aeroplan miles.  We have 3 hours in Beijing -just enough time to locate our next flight - not enough time to see anything.  That will have to be the next flight.  Hope to have enough wifi to maintain this blog.  

GRENADA, FEBRUARY 26, 2012 CHOCOLATE

 The guys were watching NASCAR so Wendy & I hired a cab to take us on an island tour.  We went to go to Belmont Estates, a plantation that has been operating since the 16th century.  They originally farmed sugar, then coffee and then nutmeg until 2004 when hurricane Ivan wiped out 95% of the nutmeg trees.  It takes 10 years for new nutmeg trees to produce so the plantation is now growing cocoa.  Cocoa sells for $1per pound and nutmeg sells for $4 per pound so they are anxious to get back to growing nutmeg.

The cocoa pods are cut from the tree using a long bamboo stick with a sharp knife attached.  They have to be careful not to damage the delicate tree bark.

Cocoa pods growing on the tree

holding long bamboo pole and the machete he uses to cut the cocoa from the tree

The cocoa pods are split open in the fields and the pods are left on the ground.  The white cocoa beans inside the pod are soft and strung together similar to pumpkin seeds.

cocoa falls to the ground when cut from the tree

White Cocoa Beans hanging out of the pod

A Cocoa Pod split open to see the cocoa beans inside

The white beans are fermented until the white coating dissolves.  Fermenting is done by covering the beans with banana leaves and burlap so they don't sweat and hold.

Fermented Cocoa beans in burlap sack waiting for drying tables

Once fermented, the beans are brown and are piled in bags until there is space for them on the drying tables.

Note the wheels on the trays to roll away to protect 

The beans are dried in the sun on large trays.  The trays are on wheels so if it rains they can be quickly rolled under cover.  To ensure the beans dry completely, they are 'walked' every 30 minutes.  A worker walks through the beans shovelling with their toes to turn the beans over and careful not to step on the beans and squish them.  I actually saw one worker with a rake so that may be a faster and more modern way of turning the beans.

Tourists 'walking the beans' on the drying trays (this tray is used only for tourists-not for selling)

 In the old days and now for special occasions the beans are polished by 'dancing' on the beans.  The dried beans are placed in a huge brass caldron and a couple workers dance on them, polishing the beans as they are rubbed against the pot.

Large caldron for 'dancing the beans'

Once the beans are dried they are shipped all over the world to companies like Lindt and Nestles where they are roasted and made into chocolate.

The beans that remain in Grenada are sold to the Grenada Chocolate Company and they roast, then a make organic dark chocolates and chocolate bars for sale.  All dark from 60% - 100%.

Many locals grow cocoa and make cocoa balls and sticks for tea and for selling.  Cocoa tea is just hot chocolate but you add your own milk and sugar taste

Cocoa Beans drying in the sun in someone's front yard for their own personal use

We learned a lot on our drive around the entire island of Grenada.  This is a cashew picked from a tree.  It grows with the nut down.  The fruit is like an apple but is not great to eat.

This is nutmeg.  Nutmeg is ready to pick from the tree when the fruit splits.  The outer fruit is used for making nutmeg jams and jellies.  The red coating on the nut is mace used for spice and for pepper spray.  The brown kernel is the nutmeg used for cooking but also used for topical treatments of muscle and joint pain.  

Nutmeg with mace coat

Nutmeg as seen on the tree when ready to harvest

FEBRUARY 16- 24, 2012 on the COOL CHANGE IN CARIBBEAN

Arrived back in Grenada on Friday Feb 24 afternoon.  We are staying on the Cool Change in Port Louis marina in St. George's.  
No internet access while we were on the water so no blog updates. Trip was awesome.  The Caribbean water is so clear and so many beautiful shades of blue.  Hard to believe the photos are real when I look back on them.  

Feb 16 headed out for a 6 hour trip to Sandy Beach opposite Paradise beach which is off Carriacou Island.  Last stop in Grenada. Very windy but beautiful white sand on a very narrow beach.  During the trip we put out the fishing lines and caught one small tuna.  Randy started reeling it in but was soon

Sandy Island where we spent our first night at sea.  

Feb 17-had to go into town (Hillsborough) to customs to exit Grenada.  Then we went to Union Island, about a two hour trip to customs there as we were entering the St. Vincent & the Grenadines.  Bought fruit and ice then headed out to Chatham Bay on the back of Union Island.  We anchored and snorkeled then went to the beach by dingy for bbq lobster, tuna, garlic potatoes baked on the bbq, chicken, rice, plantain, and banana fritters for dessert.  Fritters were delicious. Extremely clear skies so laid on tramp to watch stars.  Can't see the dippers but do see orion.

Feb 18 - Short trip, 1 hour, to Salt Whistle Bay on Mayreau Is.  We arrived by 10 am got a mooring buoy right near beach.  We swam to the white sand beach and then walked along.  Looks like paradise with palm trees all along the white sands and clear blue water.  Bought a shirt and water then swam back to the boat.  Rick & I went kayaking while Randy & Lori went snorkeling.  When we were all back on the boat we saw large puffer fish swimming around the boat. Later we all swam to the beach, walked along to the very north side of the bay and then snorkeled around.  We saw many beautiful conch shells lying on the sea bed.  We saw cuttle fish?  maybe they were squid? We saw lobster, a snake, black spiny pencil urchins. The best was the huge puffer fish swimming around the boat.  Dinner on the boat then we all looked at all the photos so far.  

Feb 19 - Salt Whistle Bay

Feb 20 - went to Tobago Cays.  Rough water and we had to tie to a mooring ball our in the open so a much rougher night.  Current was strong so snorkeling was difficult but several nice reefs.  We saw lots of turtles and stingrays.  Followed turtles closely.  We took dingy over to sandbar to swim with turtles then tied dingy to a mooring ball over a reef and saw hundreds of beautiful fish but the current was so strong, we stayed only a short time

Feb 21- Rick, Lori & Randy tried to tackle the current and go snorkeling but Rick got a cramp and had to call for help.  Luckily there was a dingy nearby that picked him up.  Rod was trying to get his dingy down but first it was tangled, then the plug was out.  Lori & Randy came back to boat and we decided to head to safer water.  Anchored in bay at Petit St. Vincent.  Rick & I swan to the beautiful white sand beach and walked along then swam back to boat.  Very nice clear water.  Coral reefs are destroyed so some fish but not lots.  Lots of conch shells everywhere  Played cards with Rod & Wendy and then the brothers played 21 all evening.  

Grenada Feb 15, 2012

We arrived in St George's, Grenada last night at 8:30 pm after 24 hours of travel from YVR to LAX to Miami where we had a 12 hour layover before the 3 hour flight to here. Rod, Wendy, Randy and Lori all picked us up and we came straight to the "Cool Change". Our cabin is cozy But has a private head although we usually use the public showers and washrooms at the marina because all waste water goes straight into the ocean. There are some huge yachts around so I hate to think of the amount of waste that is dumped in the Caribbean. Very sad. Apparently they throw all the trash overboard as well!!
Today was a slow day, went out to dinner, picked up Kim from SGU, had Birthday cake for Rod. Tomorrow we head out for a few days to a few different islands. Can't wait to get on and then in the water. Not too hot so far, quite breezy all day.

GRENADA 2012

Off to Grenada on Monday.  Big Birthday on Sunday.