I’ve heard so much about Thai food over the years, I was understandably keen to get here and try it. Here are some of my favourites so far.

– Thai French fries: hot, crispy, not too salty. A classic, well executed.

– Thai chocolate ice cream cones: a perfect pairing to the tropical heat. Sometimes provided free after dinner by a charmed waitress.

– Thai pancakes: things get a little complicated here. Canada and Sweden both think they know what a “pancake” is. Now Thailand enters the debate with another version, closer to Swedish but still a distinct third option with various sweet and savoury accompaniments. Why can’t these countries coordinate? Why bother having a UN, WTO, and The Hague if we can’t get issues like this straightened out? Anyway, I like them all and our hotel breakfast buffet has plenty of mini-versions of the Canadian ones every single morning. Awesome.

Thai cheese pizza: good, despite not being available at every Thai restaurant.

Thai smoothies: great taste; fun straws.

All the other Thai food that mommy and daddy order and encourage me to try: whatever.

The author, enjoying a local tasting menu.

I said in a previous post that we’d share lowlights of the trip as well as the glamour shots. Here’s the first one.
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As I was walking back across the hotel grounds to our bungalow in Ao Nang last Sunday, Karin called out “I have some news. And it’s disturbing.” What was it? My mind quickly searched for the most likely possibilities but didn’t get to finish, as she continued, “There are bedbugs.”

If you’re like me, that’s a really gross thought. In many years of frequent travel, I’ve been lucky to never have picked them up and only once get what I think was a bite (while staying at a very respectable chain hotel in Vancouver).

Karin found two of their telltale little blood smears in the bedding. Ewwww. We were just about to check out and head to a ferry so didn’t have a lot of time. We stuffed all clothes that we’d worn or had out of our bags on the trip so far into plastic bags, tied them up, and took off. When we got to the next destination, we took the suspect bags plus what we were wearing straight to a laundry for a wash and (more importantly) a hot tumble dry. Any half-competent entomologist will tell you that those measures are by no means a guarantee, but we did what we could with what we had. And we did it without a major freak-out, for which I’m proud of us.

I also had some time while waiting for the ferry pick up to check the Google Machine for info.

Good news: bedbugs don’t vector diseases (unlike mosquitoes, which are prevalent here. Mosquito bites are lower on the “ick scale” but should really be what you worry about.)

Make me feel a little better news: bedbugs are now pretty much a fixture not just in cheap and sleazy hotels, but in every major chain and some of the top addresses anywhere, from Seattle to Stockholm. Go to the bedbug registry or similar websites before your next vacation if you want to ruin a good night’s sleep.

Thanks to my previous work, I know a little bit about the scientific and commercial challenges of dealing with bedbugs. This world-wide problem will probably get worse before it gets better. So far, researchers can create solutions that are either cheap or effective, but not both.

So back to us. We’re now 5 days in the clear, and counting. My optimistic hunch is that they didn’t join us for the ride over, as our bags weren’t sitting on the bed and we were pretty careful to quarantine any loose stuff quickly. But we’ll have to wait a while to wave the all-clear flag.

Sleep tight. 🙂

I’m not sure if they’re waging war on smokers or on Miley but either way, it makes breakfast more comfortable.

T-shirts for sale at a stall near our hotel.

Before they’re forgotten, here are a few high notes from our first days on the road.

1. Max has been in a very good mood for nearly all of the last 5 days, including a 26-hour flight itinerary! Of the 3 of us, I think he’s now in the lead for % of time as a model traveller. I guess that unlimited juice (it’s now a hydration issue rather than a ‘not in our house’ treat) and 3/day pool sessions agree with him.

2. We’ve lucked into good hotels. First, the Paragon Inn near the Bangkok Airport was a very nice and improbably-situated 12-hour refuge after a very long journey. A little courtyard oasis with a 2:00 am pick up, clean bed, decent outdoor breakfast, and friendly staff, before we shuttled back to the airport to fly onwards to Krabi.

Second, the Orange Tree House in Ao Nang seemed remote (desolate, actually) when we first arrived, but by day 2 we came to like the quiet bungalow set-up, with the ability to jump in a tuktuk and get to the ‘strip’ where most of the other hotels are located. The main drag is a very bustling beachfront full of shops, restaurants, backpackers, money changers, 3-suits-for-$150-custom-tailors, fish foot spas, and real fake Rolex stands. Nice place to visit, but I wouldn’t want to sleep there.

Finally, we arrived in Koh Lanta yesterday which will be base camp for about 3 months. We checked in to Southern Lanta Resort and will be here for our first 10 days, during which we’re looking for something more long-term. This is “resort-y” with lots of little bungalows, beach bar, kids pool, tennis, etc. It also houses the Swedish school where Max will start pre-school next week. Consequently, there are more Swedes here than in a typical Stockholm suburb. This has to be the highest concentration of blondes anywhere in Asia. And it’s a great, comfortable environment to land and get oriented.

3. Gotta mention the food. Thai. Fresh and delicious. Spicy and beautiful. Cheap and healthy.

Stir fried morning glory is our first “let’s order that one again” dish. And tofu with lots of shredded ginger was excellent (and $2.50) tonight at the outdoor restaurant across from the hotel. I’m excited to eat for the next 3 months.

Ok, off to sleep now. By the way, in case you think this blog will just be how unrealistically great everything is (like a longer version of Facebook) it won’t. Stay tuned for a list of the initial lowlights.

Also, I know I should have photos of all the things and places above, active links, etc. In time, maybe. Right now I’m just thrilled that I got a Thai SIM card and we now have internet! The hotel wifi sucks. There’s a hint for the next list.

We’re spending a few nights in a nice little cabin at a place called a Orange Tree House in Ao Nang. A clean room, bathroom, and an extra outdoor space that has a private shower and bath under the stars. But Max’s favourite feature is the swing in front of the cabin.

Tomorrow, on to Koh Lanta.

Taking the state of emergency in stride.