December 21, 2011February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Back to the past: Plearn Wan in Hua Hin

Asia, Travels
Hua Hin, Plearn Wan, retro, Thailand, Travels
1 Comment

** This is a part of a series of posts about my blog trip to Thailand. **

Love retro? Plearn Wan in Hua Hin, Thailand should not be missed.

Plearn Wan is a huge wooden complex designed based on the old wooden shops in the past, with shops and stalls selling food, souvenirs, etc.

Plearn Wan roughly translates to “Good Times from the Past”. It’s an old-fashioned village setup in retro style.

In fact the rustic wooden stalls and old timer shops that line the sides of the streets take you way back in time.

A coffee shop back in the olden days.

They even preserved all the old cans for that back to the past feel.

The cafeteria was empty at 4 pm but the shop keeper said Plearn Wan comes alive when night falls. I wish we could go back and see the place more vibrant.

I don’t know who buys these toys except for collectors but they surely are unique.

Old style pharmacy.

There are a lot of food sold at Plearn Wan but this freshly baked bread stopped me at my tracks! You have no idea how much I restrained myself from buying one of these!!

The breads were still hot, in their individual baking pans. Focus, focus!! Big, heavy dinner later so I had to pass up for bread.

We only live once, I know. I should have bought but I chose to get away from the store, as fast as I can! I went to a non-food stalls and took photos to distract my protesting will and appetite.

I was doing just ok until I came upon an intriguing steamed delicacy made out of thin, sticky paste with sweet filling.

If I was not too stuffed already (and there’s a festive dinner waiting in a couple of hours), I would have tried this. I didn’t (again).

Lastly, there are retro postcards you can buy to send to your friends and family back home.

Should be a joy to receive these special postcards in this world of electronic communication.

* Photos taken using Canon EOS 550D and Canon PowerShot SD960IS

August 18, 2011February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Visiting Mrigadayavan Palace, Hua Hin, Thailand

Asia, Travels
Hua Hin, Mrigadayavan Palace, Thailand, Travels
11 Comments

** This is a part of a series of posts about my blog trip to Thailand. **

The Mrigadayavan Palace is a charming beach side groups of wooden pavilions used as a summer palace by Thailand’s King Rama VI. The atmosphere is cool with a verdant greens and there is an ample supply of fresh water. I never realized how much I miss seeing lush greens after living in Dubai for almost five years until I saw the gardens in the palace.

Mrigadayavan was known as the ‘Palace of Love and Hope’ because this is where the King and his wife spent their days anticipating an heir.

This all teak summer palace raised by concrete pillars and linked together by a series of walkways was built in 1923 by HM King Rama VI. The King himself drafted the original style and design and Italian architect Ercole Manfredi drew the final plans.

When we were there, the sea breeze was so soothing you would want to make time stop and just soak in all the fresh air. Look at this: the feel of the wooden floor makes the palace ambiance feel so homey and just warm.

Wouldn’t you love to sit on these sofa with a good book?

The King and Queen would take in fresh the fresh sea breeze and relax in this nature-filled atmosphere of this beachside retreat – a great respite to the stuffy and formal environment of the Grand Palace in Bangkok.

~ Fresh sea breeze all year through ~

The open dining room where the king used to entertain his guests.

There are 16 buildings of golden teak, in Thai-Victorian style, all connected by elevated airy walkways designed to catch the breezes from all directions.

There’s a long corridor leading to the sea.

Continuing the story of the royal family in this palace: The queen became pregnant four times, but unfortunately, she was unable to carry her pregnancies to full term.

This summer palace’s walls are witness to the story of the King and the Queen – including their fallout and the King marrying another woman. A daughter was finally born, but only hours before the King died.

A more detailed Royal Love Story can be found here.

It is said that plays would also be staged regularly at this palace, with the King himself taking part. It was during one such performance that brought together the royal playwright and the actress Tew Abhaiwongse (the King’s would be second wife) together.

The palace had been neglected since King Rama VI passed away in 1925. It was not until 1965 that King Bhumibol, the present king, ordered the palace to be renovated.

The palace is open for viewing everyday except Wednesday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Admission is 30 bahts for adults and 15 baht for children under 15. Dress restrictions apply – so no shorts, short skirts or totally sleeveless T-shirts are allowed. Sarongs and T-shirts are available for those who turn up wearing any of the above just before you enter the building. Also no shoes are allowed to be worn, but you are given a bag to carry them around with you, so you can put them on again when exiting the building at the other end.

Next up: A visit to Plearn Wan – Hua Hin’s nostalgic village; something like a time machine, a step back into the Hua Hin of yore.

* Photos taken using Canon EOS 550D and Canon PowerShot SD960IS

August 17, 2011February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Elephant Sanctuary in Hua Hin

Asia, Travels
elephant sanctuary, Hua Hin, Thailand, Travels
6 Comments

** This is a part of a series of posts about my blog trip to Thailand. **

After our sumptuous lunch at the Hua Hin Vineyard, we went to an elephant sanctuary in the outskirts of the beach town of Hua Hin.

Historically elephants are revered in Thailand. But recently, in reality they are savagely broken, beaten, overworked, starved and killed in order to make tourist dollars for their mahouts (owners / trainers). They routinely get sick, get hit by cars, spend all day walking the streets exhausted and starve: the fruit which the tourists buy for them is not enough to feed them. There are several ‘elephant sanctuaries’ in Thailand to help these elephants.

They are very lovely creatures. Despite their size, they look meek and their eyes look sad (at least that’s how I see them).

I really love to touch them, like how one of my companions in this trip did in this photo. I can’t even get near the elephant and used the zoom in my camera!

I made my attempt(s) though. And ~~tried hard not to look like shit~~ pretended I wasn’t having a semi-nervous breakdown! This is the part where I wish I had elastic hands that I could extend to touch the giant elephant without getting closer to it!

I was more comfortable with the baby elephant. This one’s very cute!

You can’t really blame me – even I am afraid of dogs. Even chihuahua’s. I mean, mostly chihuahuas and other nasty small, overactive dogs!

We left the sanctuary thinking about those lovely elephants, wishing hope and recovery for most of them and a great fulfilled life ahead!

Next up: Visiting the Mrigadayavan Palace (one of the king’s summer home) in Hua Hin

* Photos taken using Canon EOS 550D and Canon PowerShot SD960IS

June 23, 2011February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

The Grape Escape – Hua Hin Hills Vineyard

Asia, Travels
Hua Hin, new latitude wine, Thailand, wine
5 Comments

** This is a part of a series of posts about my blog trip to Thailand. **

You didn’t think there’d be a vineyard in South East Asia, did you? I imagined vineyards in France, California and other ‘cooler weather’ places but tropical Asia? Thailand?

During the last couple of years Thailand has become a grape and wine producing country. The wines produced outside the traditional geographical heartlands of the wine country, like wines in warmer, tropical countries like Thailand are called “new latitude wines”.

“For years we have drawn two bands around the globe, roughly between latitudes 30 and 50, to denote those parts of it deemed suitable for viticulture,” Jancis Robinson, the well-known British wine expert, wrote of the new phenomenon on her Web site.

“But all this is changing fast. Advances in refrigeration and irrigation techniques, not to mention much greater control over how and when vines grow, have opened up to the grapevine vast tracts of the world previously thought unsuitable for viticulture.”

The vineyard was located in a valley. It was beautiful. I couldn’t wait to see it closer.

Wouldn’t it be nice to go around the vineyard on top of an elephant?

Then lunch happened. And to everyone’s pleasure (oh not everyone, two members of our group do not drink alcohol at all), wine tasting.

A plate of great food and a couple of wine glasses later, we did not have time (and energy) to go down the vineyards and see it up close. ~~And besides, maybe a little bit tipsy~~. It was really hot at mid day and after a heavy lunch with alcohol, an average person would just want to take a nap.

I am so that average person.

So no vineyard tour, but there were fresh grapes in the restaurant.

Anyway, I’ve developed a really bad habit of diving into my the food on my plate first forgetting to take pictures and this bad habit followed me to Thailand! I only remember taking photos of my food when the spoon is already in my mouth, the food on my plate not appealing anymore due to its incomplete form! So frustrating – it happened during our lunch at the vineyard too. I had something really good so it’s a pity I have no proof to show it!

I’ll blame it on the wine.

The wines available at the vineyard – I am not sure which ones I/we had.

By ‘we’, I mean our group:

(one of us didn’t want pictures of herself online so the sticker…)

Now that wine is such a popular interest in so many parts of the world, vineyards are springing up at equally low latitudes in such unlikely places as Vietnam, Southern India, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Bolivia, Peru, among others.

* Photos taken using Canon EOS 550D and Canon PowerShot SD960IS

June 20, 2011February 3, 2022 by findingbackroads

Visiting the huge statue of Luang Pu Thuad

** This is a part of a series of posts about my blog trip to Thailand. **

Day two and we are still in Hua Hin, Thailand. After our visit to the Hua Hin Train Station and Flintstone Hill, we went to Wat Huay Mongkol. In our itinerary it says, “home of the sacred Luang Pu Thuad statue revered by the locals” – of course we don’t have any idea what it means till we got to the place.

Wat Huay Mongkol houses the largest statue of Luang Phor Thuat in Thailand in a park-like setting. From far, the size of the statue is already obvious, much so when we got near.

And nearer:

There were lots of visitors there, including foreigners like us and local Thai people.We all went up the stairs to get nearer. I was curious what the people were doing there.

The Luang Pu Thuad statue sits on a pedestal with four other smaller images in niches where the faithful pastes gold-leaf in honour of the monk. Here are the people with thin pieces of gold leaves pasting it on one of the the smaller statues.

An excerpt from Luang Pu Thuad’s life story and as told by our tour guide:

Luang Pu Thuad became famous during the 16th century when he saved the people from draught. There was the time where there was not enough drinking water, and the weather deteriorate day after day. According to an account related by villagers, a monk was sighted in a small boat which moving along the river. He was in deep meditation and prayer. After he’d finished chanting, he lowered one of his legs into the river, and within short while, the river is filled with clear and clean drinking water. A miracle had happened. This bit of good news spread throughout the province and to other parts of Thailand. The monk was no other than Luong Pu Thuad himself. The people highly respected and graciously revered him from then on.

Also, it is said that amulets in the likeness of the monk (with varieties impossible to count) bring great protection and good luck. If you are amulet collector, dont forget to buy the amulet there. I didn’t buy any because I was not listening to the guide regarding the protection and good luck part. I could have bought one to keep. Maybe next time!

Going down again, there’s this three headed elephant at the foot of the statue where people walk under. Locals say walking under the three headed elephant will make some of your wishes come true. I do remember, walking underneath it wishing for a baby soon.

Little did I know I was already with child here! Anyway, Thailand really loves elephants, even the water fountain has got elephants on it. How cute are these?