NO PAELLA, POR FAVOR: (Part 1) Street performers at Puerta del Sol, Madrid

(Joined Intrepid Travel's 'Highlights of Southern Spain' tour during Sept.-Oct. 2013, and here are the highlights of the highlights. Hehe ;-D)

First day in Madrid. After unloading my bags in our hotel, Hotel Moderno (which wasn't modern at all!), i went out for an exploratory walk.

Literally ten paces away from the hotel entrance was Puerta del Sol ("Door of the Sun").  This bustling square is located in the center of Madrid, and is considered the symbolic heart of Spain, being kilometro cero (Km. 0) of the network of Spanish roads. As such, it is the scene of New Year's Eve countdown celebrations, AND anti-government rallies and protests. 

Ah, here's the de rigueur  statue of Charles III. 

 And here's the symbol of Madrid, which was ubiquitous - it seemed like very lamp post and trash can in the city had it! What is the bear chomping on? I would have guessed cauliflower, but a walking tour guide subsequently informed me it was, in fact,  a strawberry tree ("madrone").

Puerta del Sol bustles with people at all hours of the day and night, by virtue of the nearby subway station, and numerous restaurants and shops in the area. It is also the starting point of local walking tour groups. There are many street performers as well, ranging from a magician doing Houdini-like tricks; mimes standing still, waiting for the tourist to take a photo besides them for spare change; etc.

This pair, in particular, arrested my attention.  This exotically-turbaned duo sit still for hours, with the guy (shown below giving us the thumbs up sign) holding a wooden pole, with presumably a small seat, for the woman on top to sit on.

I wondered, how do they keep still for so long? There must be a trick somewhere. But after a few minutes of observation, it really looks like the simplest explanation is the right one - they simply can do it.  (His right arm must be like Popeye's, underneath his shirt. Haha!)

  

They do look like they're about to levitate at any moment, no? 

GUS GUIDE: SECOND-TIMER'S GUIDE TO BANGKOK (Part 3: Bangkok Tree House)

Every time i plan a trip to the City of Angels, i pledge to travel outside the city and check out the beaches and/or countryside. But these plans always go for naught. For this trip, it was pretty much the same story - there just wasn't enough time to squeeze in a short out-of-Bangkok break.

Then Jellybean came up with the idea of visiting the Bangkok Tree House. Technically, it was still part of the city, but located in the periphery. One had to take a boat ride crossing the Chao Phraya river to get to it; and it was said that most locals were actually unaware of the place.

My interest was piqued. It seemed a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city. Hence, plans were made to spend Sunday afternoon checking out the Tree House.

What exactly is the Bangkok Tree House (hereby shortened to "BTH")? 

A cursory check of the website  showed it was some sort of high-end tourist lodge with serious ecological cred -- we're talking organic food in their cafe, chlorine-free pool, solar- and wind-powered lights, etc. Overnight stays are possible in their "cozy nests". BTH cheerily admits to "not being for everyone", and goes further by saying "you will love the Bangkok Treehouse if you love trees, plants, exotic lizards, birds, fireflies, cicadas, butterflies and mother nature."

Hmmm, i love trees. .  . i definitely don't love lizards, exotic or otherwise. Mother nature? Yeah. But i love airconditioning too, hehe.

Getting There

Jellybean downloaded the step-by-step instructions, and we duly scanned it:

a) Bangkok Sky Train (BTS) to Bang Na Station, Exit 2       --- okay, check!
b) Taxi to Bang Na pier (around 1.5 KM / approx. BHT 55.00)

Unfortunately, this is where things went a bit potty. Our taxi driver did not quite understand Jellybean's Thai. She was saying the word "Tha Num" (meaning "pier"), but he misheard it as "Tha Non" (meaning "road"). So he just nodded and went on the expressway, and it wasn't until the taxi fare reached BHT 80.00 that we figured out we were on the wrong track!

Fortunately, we were able to call BTH; and they were able to set our poor cabbie straight. 

c) Finally, Bang Na pier. Here there were two ways to cross the river - via fast craft ("rocket boats") or ferry (cheap at BHT 4.00/person but slower).

Here (above) is a photo of the "rocket boat", with two locals quizzically eyeing us. They were probably wondering where these two foreigners were going. Jellybean inquired as to the rate, and we somewhat grudgingly agreed to the BHT 30.00/person rate. 

It turned out to be a very quick ride, barely 5 minutes. Our boatman signalled that our stop was already here, and motioned for us to get down his boat. We looked around, puzzled. 

No signage whatsoever that this was the BTH. All we saw was a series of rickety-looking wooden floorboards amidst murky waters. Not quite inspiring.

"This is it?!?" i ask Jellybean plaintively. So it seemed. We made like McGyver and stepped on the creaky wooden boards as fast and as lightly as we could, and i tried not to imagine what would happen if we tipped over to the brackish water. Surely there wasn't a crocodile or mutant sea monster awaiting to make us. . .into lunch?

We made it without mishap, and came upon the BTH's restaurant area (see pic below). Turned out our boat man (that sick sonofabitch) had dropped us off at the back entrance; and Jellybean figured out he had overcharged us! Our fare should probably have been around half only, i.e. BHT15.00/person!

Looking Around

So we decided to take a look around, and see what exactly was this place all about. Funnily enough, the staff paid us no mind, so we were free to roam around as we wished.

Here's one of the cozy nests. I really liked the simple, almost minimalist design of the walls, made from bamboo. This one is dubbed as the "Bee Hive".

Whoa, look at the lounge area on the roof top! Pretty cool. 

 

Here's a closer view of the roof top lounge of the biggest nest, "Family Nest". Looks pretty inviting, huh? Especially on a hot, muggy summer's day. One could sunbathe while drinking a bottle (make that bottles) of the famous local Singha beer.

 Nearby is the cozy nest known as "Tree Top Nest", with much more space. 

Ah, there are actual guests, look! :D 

I must mention, though, that a major drawback of these nests is that the toilets and bedrooms are on separate floors, and the stairs seem rather steep and might be difficult to navigate at night. Definitely not for people with vertigo.

Here's the one called "View with a Room"; and yes, this is the bedroom - you sleep under the stars.

 

The BTH website waxes poetically, saying "there is a magic to merging your soul with the heavenly bodies that words can only begin to describe." Really? I'm thinking of the mosquitoes and what happens if it rains.

There are touches of whimsy, which are actually endearing. Take this one, in one of the bedrooms:

 

 

BTH shows off its green cred in various ways. Here's some recycled wood accents on the wall of the Family Nest:

 

And plants grown on containers made of recycled soda bottles abound:

 

And i guess this is the grand daddy of 'em all, their solar panel which powers most of the lights and water heater.

Some of the signs around the property proved to be enlightening and/or amusing. Amongst them:

This mirror quote (below) brought chuckles to me and Jellybean. Could this be the reason why i'm grumpy everyday, instead of happy? (gasp) ;-D

 

Ah, here's me hiding behind the mirror. lest my innermost thoughts get revealed. Hehe.

And here's my lovely friend hiding behind this profound saying. I'm sure she thinks all men are wrong all the time! Hahahahahaha!

"Earth, without Art, is just eh". I'd have to agree!

 

You might wonder what else there is to do in the area of the Bangkok Tree House. Apparently, plenty of other things. One can rent a bike and explore the lush vegetation, or visit the nearby Bang Nam Peung Floating Market, or have a picnic at Si Nakhon Kheaun Khan Botanical Park.  They have a hand-drawn wall-sized map (below) showing where these places are:

 

Snack Time

For people like us who preferred more sedate pursuits, the mid afternoon called for a snack. So we retreated to BTH's in-house cafe.

Check out the "bamboo chandeliers" (bamboo poles affixed to the ceiling), which made for such a visually-arresting display that i was so enamored with it (and briefly thought of installing such in my bedroom). Both of us agreed it added a nice, native touch to the cafe.

Here's another look near their bar counter area. 

 

While Jellybean was away, whispering on her mobile to confirm our dinner reservations (see previous post on the 'Little Beast' resto), i ordered from the menu the Mango Tomato Tango, described as "mango, shrimp, tomatoes in fat-free mayonnaise, lime and mint sauce."

It turned out to be an attractive dish, and the flavors worked really well together. Perfect as a light snack. 

The Grandma's recipe iced tea was a visual feast for the eyes, but the taste was pretty average. Still refreshing on this humid afternoon, though.

And it turned out the bamboo poles were functional as well!

Back to Civilization

Eventually, it was time to leave and make our way back to central Bangkok. 

Despite getting directions from the friendly (and pretty) female staffer on how to get to the ferry dock, we managed to lose our way a little bit and got into a bizarre worthy-of-Bill-Gates discussion on what exactly was an "intersection".

Fortunately, Jellybean's training with the Navy Seals/Medicins sans Frontiers/UNICEF kicked in, and she figured out that we had to go towards the direction of the water. Which saved the day, as it was past 6 PM; and the pathway we were on was narrow, and a slip and fall into the murky water was gonna make us late for dinner. 

Eventually we saw the dock and sprinted a little bit in order not to be left behind (and wait 20 minutes for the next ferry). The ferry was rather full, with a whole bunch of motorcycle-riding passengers.

Again, we were conscious of some stares from fellow passengers. I'm pretty sure they have never heard of the Bangkok Tree House!

Final Thoughts

After saying goodbye (or is it good riddance?) to the BTH,  i contemplated a little bit about this place. It surely had good intentions regarding being eco-friendly, and there was probably a sizeable enough tourist market for its offerings. 

This seemed the type of off-the-beaten-path destination that can be a staple of architectural/design magazines, and even glossy high-end travel magazines (possible "retreat in utter calm from the bustle of Bangkok" tagline comes to mind). But for me, once you're there, it can be quite underwhelming. 

So, would i stay overnight here? Hmmm, i'd have to say NO.

BANGKOK TREE HOUSE 60 Moo 1, Petch Cha Hueng Road, Bang Namphueng, Phra Padaeng, Samut Prakarn, Greater Bangkok 10130
Phone : +66 82 995-1150 (Hotel & Restaurant Bookings) +66 82 996-6520 (Media Enquieries)
E-mail :

Facebook  :    www.facebook.com/bangkoktreehouse

GUS GUIDE: SECOND-TIMER'S GUIDE TO BANGKOK (Part 2: The Little Beast)

The City of Angels presents innumerable choices for the tourist. For second-timers, check out the Thonglor and Ekamai parts of Sukhumvit Road, where the newest and hippiest shops, restos and bars converge, tucked away in small discreet sois.

I had given Jellybean carte blanche in choosing where to have dinner (my only request was no more Thai food, as we already ate at the famous Bo.Lan resto), and she decided to keep her chosen resto a surprise. Thus, she could be heard mumbling on her mobile, confirming our dinner reservation. 

As expected, we got a bit lost finding the place; and our taxi driver motioned for us to walk down the soi, rather than him dropping us off right at the entrance. 

We were supposed to look for a French bulldog statue (as this was the landmark of the resto). Suffice to say, we didn't see it!

Fortunately, after a short walk, we found the signage of Little Beast resto, our destination for the evening.

 

According to Jellybean, Little Beast seeks to evoke a New York vibe with its food (emphasis on small plates) and decor. The interiors were suitably dark, with comfortable seats; and there was a well-lit bar area as well. The place was rather small, surprisingly enough.

Onwards to the food!

First up was the Warm Creamy Crab Dip with House-Made Crackers and Baby Romaines (250 Baht. Seriously good. We were both blown away! Creamy and tangy dip, yet not cloying. I could have eaten a whole mayonnaise jar's worth of this dip.

Next was the Snap Peas & Chicken Skin salad (200 Baht). I must admit to have had initial reservations about this dish (as greens aren't really my thing). But the peas proved to be sweet-ish and crunchy, and the chicken skin was superb. 

Here's a closer look at the chicken skin. It looks more like a deep-fried cracker. My only wish was that there should have been more pieces of it in the dish!

My personal choice for our 'main' course, the 15-Hour Lamb Shoulder (350 Baht). It proved to be extremely tasty, and tender and juicy; and i could have eaten this whole portion below.

Jellybean chose the Black Truffle & Pork Cheek Penne  (350 Baht). Considered as a 'small plate', the portion was quite generous; and we both liked it very much. Pasta was perfectly cooked, pork cheek was tender, and the cream sauce was not overwhelming.

For desserts, we chose the Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches (150 Baht), which came in 3 flavors: Peanut Butter cookies + vanilla ice cream, Chocolate Chip cookies + milk ice cream, and Snickerdoodle cookies + salted caramel ice cream.

Nice presentation. I'm a huge fan of ice cream (well, desserts in general), but these were just okay. Nothing really great, so a bit of a letdown. If i recall correctly, Jellybean and i agreed the Snickerdoodle with salted caramel was the best one.

Ah, we finally found their mascot, the French bulldog. He's standing guard on a small bench in front of the resto entrance.

Overall, a very good dining experience. I'd love to be back here during the next trip to this part of the world. Props to Jellybean for making such a great resto choice (and for treating me as well, hehehe :D)!

44/9-10 Thonglor Soi 13; +66 (0)2 185 2670
Facebook.com/littlebeastbar

For more info on nightspots in the area, check out http://www.thonglor-ekamai.com.