Cottaging in Canada

Summer in Canada is often enjoyed in cottages. It has been a tradition with many Canadian families to go to their cottages in the summer. The cool mornings on the dock, the early morning fishing, the kayaking, the water skiing, the quiet read in the dock, the walks in the woods all complete the experience. The call of the loon and the visits of the families of ducks are charming memories of times spent in the cottage.

More special than all those is the bonding that takes place among families, often multi-generation, bringing with it memories treasured for years.

Here are some pictures of Summer Cottaging:

Medical Tourism in Bangkok

Have you ever tried to go to another country for your health check up or treatment? We recently went to Bangkok to have our annual check up as it is closer to go there from Hanoi than to go home to Canada. We were there last year for my husband's colonoscopy as we were not able to do this in Canada because of lack of time. We were then working in Phnom Penh so it was easy to take an hour flight to Bangkok.

We knew of Bumrungrad from SOS International and from friends who have been there. Our first experience was impressive. A limo picked us up from Marriott  (the hotel has this arrangement with Bumrungrad) and when we arrived, we filled up the form, paid for the service we wanted and immediately they started the check up. We were there at 8 a.m and by 3:00 p.m., we had a conference with the doctor who explained the results to us. It was very comprehensive. So this year, we went back again to have a a comprehensive check up for both of us.

We booked our appointment by telephone and in their website you can choose the services you want. The fees are listed as well as the requirements for the check-up.

The whole experience is not that of going into the usual hospital. This one is there to serve and to make you, the client, happy and satisfied. The facility is like a hotel complete with a bookstore, Starbucks, and restaurants.

More and more people from various countries go for medical tourism. For some, because such service is not available in their country. For others, it is the price. It is cheaper to have cosmetic surgery in Bangkok or Malaysia than in Singapore.

Our German friend and his wife have their dental work done in Bangkok. For the price of what they'll pay in Germany, they can have their dental work done in Bangkok at the same time enjoy a two week holiday on a beach in Thailand. Others go for medical treatment to another country for privacy reasons. They don't want anyone knowing they have their face fixed.

Countries are now vying for medical tourists. I see how much it has built the economy of Bangkok by just looking at all the development around this very popular hospital.

Airline Special Services

In our previous travels, this is one thing we have never worried about. But, in a recent flip to Bangkok, my husband's knee gave up as we were going down into the Robinson Supermarket on Sukhumvit and he just collapsed like a paper plate of Pad Thai.  Within seconds, the ladies in the Flower and the Foot Massage shops along the stairs flooded out to help.

We moved Grumpy to where he could sit,  cool off and moan a bit alone. The Flower Shop leader quickly found a pack of ice to address the swelling and also produced a tube of linament to help ease the pain. After a good rest and seeing that only pride and not bones were broken we decided to just go back to our hotel room and assess the ruins. Again, our flower lady surprised us with a wheelchair and together with her husband wheeled my husband to the back of the Mall where we could take a taxi. She also helped me find a Pharmacy that sold walkers and pain killers. Grumpy was in motion!

Once we reached our hotel,  one of the bell boys saw the problem and came sprinting with a wheelchair. Staying in a hotel with years of experience in the business is really a good choice. You never know what you'll come into in grumpy travels and age does NOT add to spriteliness!

In the room, I began to plot our course back to Hanoi with a crippled Grumpy. Luckily for us, we had business class seats. I called up Thai airlines and they immediately vowed that they would take care from the check-in at BKK to Taxi stand in Hanoi. Our hotel concierge in Bangkok...the IN Residence Hotel..... assured us that at the Suvarnabhumi airport,  attendants always have wheelchairs on the ready and they would bring us to the check-in.

When we arrived at the airport, the guard immediately initiated the process to help us to the check-in where a Thai Airways rep met us and arranged what was needed for Mr Badleg to get on that plane. Their attendant just whisked us through check-in and on to the Lounge. For boarding, they put the wheelchair on the food truck and lifted us on to the plane.

After landing in Hanoi, yet another attendant with a wheelchair whisked us through immigration and out to the Greeting Area where our serviced apartment here, the Somerset Grand, had sent a driver with a wheelchair.

It was really all professionally done. What I thought would be a nightmare had turned into a great experience based on the direct kindness of Thai shop owners, an absolutely first-class airline, two really professional hotels and a willingness on our part to pass our destiny more than usual to strangers.

Next time you travel, read about your airline special services. Make sure to stay in hotels which have
delivered service professionally for years. Have a strategy for emergencies beyond bellowing "Help" which was about all we had.

Not to worry. As you've read from our experience, there are always people around ready to help if you keep your wits about you and get your Grumpy to look pathetic!

Chatuchak Market in Bangkok

Crafts for sale in Chatuchak

Chatuchak. Nothing in your experience can compare to this weekend market in Bangkok. 25 years of travel to Asia and watching the development of this Bangkok market has never stopped my fascination each time I visit.

We were there a couple of days ago and I can assure you, it is even more crowded now as it was years ago when it first opened. In fact, it is like an international weekend market where people from all over the world come not just to buy but also to sell products.

The variety is with no comparison. You can buy anything from crafts, clothes, hardware, food, house wares and jewelry. The goods are not just from Thailand but from so many other countries who have found Chatuchak a much more lucrative market for their goods. What with all the tourists flocking to this market.

Bags for sale in Chatuchak

There are ATMs, post office and courier places as well as a good array of transport. The shopping infrastructure is really strong encouraging many to buy and you should see what people buy. I often wonder how they'd bring these things home.

When you plan your trip to Bangkok, make sure you have a weekend to spare in Chatuchak. Even if you don't buy, it is still a fascinating experience.

Spa Products for sale in Chatuchak

There are so many products for sale here especially spa ones. This young man deserved my support. He has tried to develop this business and young entrepreneurs need the encouragement.

Food stalls in Chatuchak

You can sit in any of these stalls and try out some of what they offer. These are delicious, freshly cooked right in front of you.

Food for sale in Chatuchak

Hats for sale in Chatuchak

60 baht is about $2. Prices vary though depending on who comes with all the overruns from factories. But there are bargains to be had in this place. Besides the fun alone is enough to make your visit.

Tour West Lake Hanoi in an Enviro-Buggy

New York's Central Park is a defining part of the city. Museums and wealth hug its edges and its cleaning power regenerates the air. Most Asian cities are missing this kind of grand central green lung and although they can boast ancient monuments and historic contexts, very few can combine the two. 

Hanoi has West Lake partly filled with floating greenery, partly surrounded by hotels and restaurants, its edges dotted with temples and pagodas. West Lake is a vast cooling air conditioner in the heart of the city that can cook your toes in May and June. It's not a pond. It will take a few hours to walk around it and even the battery-driven tourist cart is an hour and a half venture.