The passionflower, a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants, was named after the Passion of Christ because the flower structure is reminiscent of the crucifixion. Native to Central and South America, the leaves of this plant were used by the indigenous people as a natural sedative. Brought over to Europe and America, the plant was used as a source for herbal tea and as a remedy for a variety of conditions including nervousness, insomnia and sleep disorders. The fruit of this plant is very sweet and is used as an ingredient in Hawaiian punch and in some of Odwalla’s mixed fruit drinks. The crimson passionflower (Passiflora vitifolia), one of the most beautiful of the passionflower species, is the host plant of the Tiger longwing butterfly (Heliconius hecale) and the Blue and white longwing (Heliconius cydno). Other names for this plant are the perfumed passionflower, the vined passionflower and the grape-leaved passionflower.

This specimen was photographed in the gardens of Si Como No Hotel located in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica .

Although I had heard so much about Panthip Plaza, the so-called electronics mecca in Bangkok, I was totally disappointed after my first (and my last) visit there. First of all, Panthip is one of the ugliest shopping emporiums that I have ever been to. In this multilevel technozoo (I believe there are at least 8 floors), there are countless shops and makeshift stalls selling a wide variety of electronic goods - digital cameras, computer parts and components, software, memory cards and chips, cell phones, and it seemed that every store was selling virtually the same merchandise, all at prices seemingly 25% higher than the United States. I went to Panthip specifically to buy a 512MB Sandisk ultra secured digital card for my camera; after checking numerous stores, I found that only one place carried it albeit for about $90 USD, which was about $35 more than what I paid in the states. To add to my disenchantment, like the Emporium, there’s some loud disco and trashy pop music blaring inside the place. I left Panthip without buying anything and the schlocky ambiance of totally drained me. I ended up going back to the Emporium and purchased my digital film at an electronics store there for the same inflated price albeit with a lot better ambiance. I guess you could say, that my Panthip adventure was a good experience, in the sense that I could say that I was there.

Bottom line, I wasted almost an entire afternoon on this shopping ordeal between the Emporium and Panthip Plaza, when I could have been getting a full body massage and shampoo at Sazankas instead, and reading a sexy novel by the poolside afterwards. Oh well…

While I’m on vacation, I admit that shopping is not one of my favorite pastimes. I would rather spend my time working out in the gym, running some laps around the park or reading a sexy novel while sunning myself out on the pool deck. For me, shopping is sort of a job and I only do it out of necessity, although I admit to enjoy looking at the latest books and english language magazines in the local bookstore. I don’t want to sound like a chauvinist, but shopping is primarily a lady’s pastime. That being said, I will relate to you some of my experience with shopping and shopping malls in Bangkok, Thailand.

Shopping seems to be the most popular pastime in this large Asian metropolis; and on the weekends especially, it seems that everybody who has had a paycheck (and their mother) is out shopping. In Bangkok, there is more square footage of shopping malls per square mile than anywhere else I’ve ever been. Most of the shopping malls are large multistoried structures that seemingly occupy several city blocks as opposed to the low-rise two level affairs that I am accustomed to in Northern California. I admit to have visited a few, namely the jigsaw puzzle known as Siam Center, the humongous but rather homely MBK, the ultra-chic Emporium and the huge, tacky electronic bazaar of Panthip Plaza.

In addition to the traditional shopping malls, there is the Night Bazaar, sort of an indoor flea market that it is only open at night and Chatuchak Market, an immense, sprawling market (most of the concessions are indoors), where you’ll find everything under the sun for sale from flowers, handicrafts, wood carvings, tourist souvenirs and T-shirts to furniture, tea sets, ceramics, jewelry and beads, live dogs, cats and snakes. Open from Friday afternoon thru Sunday, Chatuchak is so huge that it is so very easy to get lost. You’ll definitely need a map of the whole complex, though even with a map, you may still lose your orientation. On the weekends, JJ , as Chatuchak is affectionately known by the locals, is like “a sea of humanity” as it seems that all of Bangkok is there. I know that’s physically impossible, but at least 50% of Bangkokians are there, while the other 50% are shopping at MBK (short for Mah Boon Krong) or some of the other shopping centers. MBK is probably the least glamorous of all the shopping malls in Bangkok but for the savvy shopper this is the place to go if looking for some real good bargains. An eight story marbled structure with over 2500 shops and concessions, MBK is like a self contained city. It’s a monstrousity! One time, I went to MBK Center on a Saturday to visit the Pathuwan Princess Hotel (which adjoins MBK). The place was so congested with shoppers, I had to weave in and out of ‘the human zoo” like a darting halfback (football running back) in order to make it to the hotel located at the far end of plaza. Touchdown!

In addition to the shopping malls, the Night Bazaar and JJ, everywhere on the streets of Bangkok, there are a whole slew of vendors selling a diverse potpourri of goods including sunglasses, watches that don’t work, pirated CDS’s, cell phones, knockoff jeans, tourist knickknacks, T-shirts, belts, sandals, scarves, flowers, costume jewelry etc, etc

The Emporium, located on the Upper Sukhumvit in the heart of the Tourist Zone (and adjoining the BTS Skytrain at the Phrom Phong station) is perhaps the most gaudy and upscale shopping mall in Bangkok. Laid out like caracole (snail), navigating in this multistoried shopping plaza can sometimes be very confusing especially if you’re trying to find the exit out onto the street or to the Skytrain. There are many highbrow stores inside selling fancy western clothes and accessories at somewhat outrageous prices, overpriced coffee shops and art deco restaurants as well as specialty stores selling electronic goods, women’s cosmetics and perfume. Hint - If you’re looking for an affordable place to eat, try the Food Court at the Emporium. Prices aren’t too bad and they have a decent selection of Thai and Asian specialties as well as pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries and other western dishes. In the middle of the mall, there is even an Internet café. It seems that whenever I go there, there is always some loud, thumping disco or hip-hop music playing and it drives me crazy. The only redeeming quality about the Emporium, in my humble opinion, is that it is a great place to go watch the girls go by. There are some real stunners who shop there and some of the salesgirls are real eye candy. Coming up next, my shopping ordeal at Panthip Plaza.

The flag of Barbados is very simple but very elegant.

The left blue stripe represents the sky and the yellow/gold stripe symbolizes the sand. The right blue stripe represents the sea. The trident in the middle of the Barbados flag represents Barbados independence from the British, with each point of the trident representing the three principles of democracy which are government of, for and by the Barbados people. The trident is also the symbol of Neptune, god of the sea in greek mythology; as such it also denotes the very important relationship between Barbados and the Sea.

Source:http://www.worldflags101.com/b/barbados-flag.aspx and http://www.barbados.gov.bb/natflag.htm

I first came cross the desert rose(Adenium obesum) while strolling thru Rama IX Gardens in Bangkok, Thailand. A tropical evergreen succulent shrub, the desert rose belongs to the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) and is native to Eastern and Southern Africa. In Africa, this species is known as Sabi Star and Kudu and in Thailand it is known locally as Chuan-chom. Like my favorite plant Buddha’s Belly (Jatropha podagrica), the desert rose has a swollen caudex at the base of the plant. The flowers are mostly pink with a strong reddish fringe. Like other succulents, this attractive plant is very low maintenance and requires very little watering. In Thailand, the desert rose’s popularity has skyrocketed as growers have developed over 100 different cultivars and varieties.

Can you imagine a nice little rock garden with Cactus, Desert Rose, Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milli) , Buddha’s Belly (Jatropha Podagrica) and Sedum? That would be absolutely wild!

Source: http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/commorn/publications/desert-rose.PDF

Since I’ve instituted the “Plant of the Week Feature” eight weeks ago, it seems that there is considerably more interest in Euphorbia milli , otherwise known as Crown of Thorns (in Thailand, the plant is known as Poysean) than the rest of the featured plants of the week. Reviewing the last 200 visits to Calypso Island Chronicles, Euphorbia Milli has been used a search keyword 28 times, with the ginger lily finishing a distant 2nd with 6 searches. Other plants featured in this weekly installment have been the velvet stepladder plant, lollypop plant, hot lips plant, porterweed, torch ginger and seaside bean.

Of course, as all Euphorbia milli enthusiasts know, Thailand has been a leader in the development of new cultivars. Over the last 30 years or so, over 2000 known cultivars have been developed in Thailand with most of the activity taking place since 1991; these cultivars have been given names like Jungle Bells and Summer Song.

I may be crazy, but as the director of Calypso Island Tours, I really feel there may be enough interest in this extraordinary plant (and in some other succulents like Adenium obesum, common name Desert Rose) to offer a special horticultural tour of Thailand featuring visits to the leading growers and nurseries of E. Milli hybrids in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, meetings with Thai enthusiasts of E. mill and an exploration of the origins of this plant, it’s hybrids and earlier forms in Thailand. In addition, it might be fun to explore the origins (and establish a timeline) of the belief among Thai people in the special powers of this exotic succulent. Okay, who’s ready to sign up for this special tour?

Source:http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/programs/commorn/publications/crown-of-thorns-homeowner.PDF

As discussed in a prior post, if you’re a botanical or horticultural enthusiast, you’ll definitely want to head over to Thailand for the Royal Flora Expo, November 1, 2006- Jan 31, 2007. Officially the event is known as the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek. This international horticultural exposition, which is being held in honor of the King of Thailand, promises to be to an event of massive proportions. If you’re an orchid enthusiast, you’ll have the opportunity to see over 50,000 orchid plants of a thousand varieties from around the world. The site for the expo will be near the Chiang Mai College on about 186 acres of land. One of the closest hotels to the site is the Amari Rincome, a lovely low-rise resort with an outstanding swimming pool area; a wonderful place to relax on the sunny afternoons when you’re not at the expo or touring the Chiang Mai Area. I recommend that you set aside 1-2 two days for sightseeing - Highly recommended is a ½ day tour, which features the magnificent Doi Suthep temple and the beautiful Bhubing Palace, the summer home and estate of the Royal family, in addition to a visit of a nearby Hmong Hilltribe Village.

I’m getting really excited about this event. In particular, I am looking forward to meeting with some growers of Euphorbia milli hybrids at the Expo, who will probably be featuring some new varieties and cultivars of this very extraordinary succulent, which in Thailand is known as Poysean.

If you’re interested in attending the Royal Flora Expo, Calypso Island Tours is offering five mini-group departures for a special 8-day/7-night package that feature four nights in Chiang Mai for the Expo. By all means, check it out!

While I don’t consider myself accident prone, I have been involved in a number of somewhat freakish accidents during many years of traveling. Although I’m not a hardcore adventure traveler, I am definitely not your “conventional couch potato recreational traveler” either. I like to run, swim and participate in nature hikes and sometimes I go off the beaten track. All told during my 30 years in traveling around the world, I have been involved in four mishaps that necessitated a visit to the doctor or to a local medical clinic.

In my last post, I told the story of my Crash course in riding a motorbike in Thailand. From what I gather, there are quite a few tourists in Thailand who have been involved in a motorbike accident, either as the driver or as the passenger. Fortunately most of these accident victims were able to escape serious injury but I have I have heard of instances where somebody was seriously hurt - breaking a leg or two, suffering internal injuries or a concussion. By all means, if you’re on a motorcycle, you definitely take your life into your own hands if you don’t wear a safety helmet. My educated guess is that the #1 tourist related accident in Thailand involves riding a motorcycle.

My first mishap took place in the late 1980s in Montego Bay, Jamaica. While swimming at the famous Dr. Cave’s Beach, I inadvertently rubbed up against some fire coral. Minutes later, It felt as if my whole left side and my abdomen were on fire. I was in excruciating pain; with nerves of steel I managed to swim back to the shore, whereupon a friend of mine took me to the local clinic. After waiting in the lobby for what seemed like an eternity, a doctor finally examined me and prescribed some painkillers. The pain and discomfort miraculously abated by early evening.

My next accident took place in Barva Volcano National Park in Costa Rica in 1990 - While hiking up a muddy trail to the mirador (lookout point), I lost my balance and upon falling, struck my head just above my left eye socket on a protruding branch. The fall opened up a large gash and blood starting pouring out; if I had not been wearing glasses, I could have lost my left eye as the glasses diverted the blow. Hiking back to the ranger station at the entrance, I washed the wound with soap and water and I was given some linen cloth to wrap around my head and the wound. With the bleeding more or less stopped, I proceeded to walk back to the highway and tried to flag a ride back to my hotel, a good 10 miles away, As it was dark already and there was very little traffic, I was not very successful in getting a ride, so I gutted it out and walked in the darkness. Finally about 2 miles away from the hotel, some local picked me up and drove me the rest of the way. The next day, after flying to the popular beach resort of Tamarindo on the Pacific Coast, I went to a local clinic and received medical attention - they washed out the wound thoroughly, gave me some oral antibiotics and a tetanus shot.

While at Playa Grande Beach in 1999 near the resort town of Tamarindo on Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast, I was running on the beach late in the afternoon towards sunset and soon thereafter it got quite dark. After I finished my exercise, I tried to navigate back to my hotel. As it was pitch dark and there was very little lighting, I admittedly lost my bearings and I had to guess where the entrance to the hotel was. Apparently my guess was wrong, as I stumbled into a barb wired fence and slashed open my left shin. Ouch. It seems that I missed the entrance of the hotel by a good 50 yards or so. After getting the wound cleaned up by a member of the hotel staff, later that night I hobbled around on a turtle watching expedition. Next day, I went to a medical clinic, where they cleaned out the wound for possible infection, gave me some oral antibiotics and a tetanus shot.

Call me crazy, but reminiscing about these little mishaps of mine sometimes makes me want to laugh. Maybe it’s because I have been so lucky as to avoid serious injury.

In a small rural country like Thailand, a motorbike is a relatively efficient and cost effective way to get around. Especially in the countryside and in the resort areas, I see many Thai people -young mothers with their small children in tow, middle aged and elderly ladies and adolescent boys(and girls) - riding motorbikes to go to the market, run their errands, etc. Now, I am not talking about a big and powerful motorcycle like a Harley Davidson, but a smaller, relatively less powerful vehicle about the size of a bicycle. It’s kind of disturbing to see some of the local people riding without a helmet; as we all know that can be very dangerous. After all, look what happened to Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers’s starting quarterback. Many farangs in the tourist areas like Phuket, Koh Chang and Koh Samui also get around by motorbike.. Let’s face it - it is a lot faster than a bicycle and cheaper than hiring taxis over 3-4 day interval.

As someone who has never been behind the wheels of a motorbike, I admit to being very apprehensive of learning how to ride one. In Thailand, I have hired motorcycle taxis to take me around both in Bangkok and in the resort areas; even as a passenger it is somewhat precarious, given the frequency of accidents involving motorbikes especially in Bangkok. We all know however, there is a big difference between being a passenger and the driver

About 1 ½ years ago while I was in Thailand, I decided it was time for me get “wet behind the ears”, so to speak. I remember my anxiety about learning how to drive a car or how to swim; however I was much younger then. Of course, I mastered driving a car (albeit I do not drive a stick) and I consider myself a relatively proficient swimmer. However, the older you get, it seems that there is considerably more resistance in learning something new, hence my trepidation of learning to ride a motorbike. I remember telling myself - if all these middle-aged ladies and children could ride the motorbike so effortlessly, then why couldn’t I? To be honest with you, I was quite envious of these little old ladies….

While I was in Soppong, a small village cum resort in the mountains of Mae Hong Son Province, I decided to take action. I told the owner of the guesthouse where I was staying that I wanted to learn how to ride a motorbike. He volunteered to show me the ropes, telling me how easy it was to ride a motorcycle. The owner, a middle age transplanted Californian, proceeded to give ‘a crash course in riding a motorbike’ ( call it Motorbike 101) on the hotel driveway. He demonstrated to me how to handle the controls - the clutch, the brakes and the accelerator. As I got on one of the smaller bikes, I felt there was something was amiss - I wasn’t wearing any shoes. This troubling thought circulated in my mind, but I didn’t act upon it and neither did ‘my instructor” say anything to me, as he was barefoot as well. Oh well…

About 10 minutes into my training session, my bare feet slipped off the brakes and the small machine propelled forward against the barb wired fence. In addition to some minor bumps and bruises, some abrasions on the soles of my feet, I opened up a pretty nasty gash near my left elbow and blood was pouring out like a running faucet. I was a real bloody mess
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After the accident, the owner’s wife washed and cleaned up the wound and applied some antiseptic to it. Later in the afternoon, despite the fact that my feet were scraped up a bit, I jogged to the nearby Medical clinic about 1-½ miles away. Waiting for about 15 minutes or so, a nurse examined me and I was given a temporary tetanus shot, received some oral antibiotics and the wound was stitched up. Upon being discharged, I was on my merry way and ran back to my guesthouse. Call me a crazy guy, but I’m a runner….

After this little incident, I decided it to play it safe and stay with something I was more comfortable with - like riding a bicycle. A week later, after getting the stitches removed, there was a prominent little scar. Upon meeting other tourists and new Thai friends, I would show them my scar and joke about how I got a permanent souvenir from the Land of Smiles. Often, they would turn around and show me their motorbike scars and we would then trade accident stories.

Fast forward to the present, the scar is now barely visible.

Indigenous to Southeast Asia, this spectacular looking member of the ginger family is cultivated throughout the Tropics. I have seen torch ginger (Phaeomeria Magnifica or Etlingera Elatior) in a botanical garden setting in three of my favorite destinations - Costa Rica, Thailand and Barbados. The cherry red or pink flower heads grow on leafless stalks that sometimes reach a height of 15 feet or more and in appearance, look like they could have made out of candle wax or porcelain. A white variety of torch ginger is found in southern Thailand. Other names are Porcelain Rose or Wax Ginger.

The red torch ginger was photographed in the Flower Forest in Barbados and the white variety was photographed at Queen Sirikit Botanical gardens in Thailand.