I befriended a young street dog while staying in Sorata, a small town located in the Andean highlands of Bolivia. On my first night in town, I dined at one of the small cafes located just off the plaza. There were a number of street dogs hanging around the corner - feeling sorry for them, I bought some salchichas con papas(sausages with potatoes) from a local vendor and fed them.

Walking across the plaza on my way back to the hostel, I was escorted by two of the dogs. We were soon joined by a 3rd dog. I was out of “dog food” so I had nothing to feed the newcomer. He had short hair, a moderate skin rash on his rear hindquarters and walked with a limp. When he was standing still, he dangled his leg. I surmise that at one point in his young life he had been hit by a car, a common occurrence among street dogs. Like most street dogs he had no name, so I nicknamed him Pedro. Bidding Pedro and the other two dogs farewell, I made my way back to my hotel.

The following morning, I made my way back to the plaza where I ran into Pedro again. When I called his name, he ran to me, wagging his tale. Like many street dogs, Pedro was fairly scrawny so I bought him two plates of salchichas con papas, and he gleefully gobbled it up. Afterwards, I sat down at one of the park benches, and Pedro lied down on the pavement besides me as I patted him on his head.

The life of a street dog is not very fun – abandoned by their human owners sometime early in their life and left to fend for themselves on the streets, most of these dogs become full time scavengers. In Sorata, the dogs hang around the plaza during the day, looking for scraps of food on the ground or soliciting handouts from patrons of the park. At night, the dogs target the garbage cans located just outside the small cafes and food stalls surrounding the plaza.

Over the next couple of days, I would hook up with Pedro whenever I went to the plaza, buying him some street food or some raw meat from the butcher shop located in the outdoor market. Pedro really relished the raw meat. At no time however did Pedro beg for food – but I fed him just the same. On two occasions, Pedro followed me back to my hostel – the first time, he tried to enter the hostel but the owner shooed him away.

After waking up one morning, I walked to the roadside fronting the Hostel – about 600 meters from the plaza – to be greeted by Pedro, who appeared from the bushes located at edge of the nearby soccer field. Apparently he slept there overnight.

On my last day in Sorata, I tried to find Pedro a home with one of the villagers. But alas, no one wanted to adopt Pedro. Too bad, Pedro was a very sweet dog and would have made a nice pet for someone. I will miss him….

On my last trip to Thailand, I met two uncommonly beautiful sisters while staying at Ban Sabai Sabai, a small guesthouse situated in the village of Nong Bua. Located just outside the popular tourist town of Kanchanaburi (of the Bridge over River Kwai fame, I found Nong Bua to be an absolutely delightful and peaceful place to stay – a great alternative to the backpacker zoo of Kanchanaburi.

Whenever I returned to the guesthouse, the two sisters – Blackie and Bear- would always greet me enthusiastically with a smile and a very soulful look in their eyes as I stroked them. Blackie and Bear are undoubtedly the sweetest pair of sisters that I have ever met in Thailand. The sisters were very good company – and I guess we really hit it off. Before I go on with my narrative, l must confess that these two sisters are not human beings but dogs, of the four-legged variety.

I must praise Stuart, their master and the proprietor of the guesthouse for doing such a wonderful job in raising them. Stuart is a quite a character in his own right. A jeweler by trade, Stuart has had quite a fascinating life. Born in Canada, he has traveled around the world and lived in so many different places – Jamaica, India, Colombia, Honduras, Brazil, Costa Rica, Europe and Thailand. A real maverick and dyed in the wool hippie, Stuart is one of a kind - sort of a cross between Johnny Depp and Keith Richards – and has so many incredibly outrageous tales to share.

As a guesthouse owner, he has done a superb job. A very congenial host, Stuart mingles with all his guests as if they were friends from the neighborhood. Beautiful tropical gardens surround the property – Stuart has put a lot of time and effort in landscaping and maintaining the gardens. The rooms are nothing fancy but they are very clean and have all the essentials - a large comfortable bed,a choice of AC or ceiling fan, TVs and an outdoor sitting area. There is also free WIFI.

See Kanchanaburi - Nong Bua photo gallery

P.S. If you happen to go to Ban Sabai Sabai, look for Blackie and Bear. They look like sisters - both have medium length black fur with white paws and chest, however Blackie is short and stout, while Bear is of average height.

Speaking of dogs, I had a real epiphany (light bulb moment), while vacationing in Koh Libong, a small tropical island in Southern Thailand. Most of the people who live on this island are Malay Muslim; outside of the three small Muslim fishing villages, the island is relatively unpopulated.

While visiting two of the villages closest to my hotel, I found it be somewhat peculiar that I did not encounter any dogs. Cats on the other hand were a dime a dozen - it seemed that almost every household in the village had at least one or two.

Later on, I discovered there were five relatively mangy dogs that were kept as “pets” at the neighboring Libong Beach resort. I stayed at Le Dugong Beach Resort. Outside of these five dogs, I believe there was not a single other dog on the island.

Reflecting on the absence of dogs on Koh Libong, I thought about my prior trips to Malaysia – a Muslim nation state in Southeast Asia - and to a number of islands in Southern Thailand which were predominantly Muslim. Strangely, I recall not seeing any dogs on these excursions as well.
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Ah hah, I said to myself, there must be some taboo about dogs in Muslim Culture. Sure enough - after doing some research online, I discovered that in Islam, dogs are considered unclean and unhygienic, and it is forbidden to keep them as pets. Cats - on the other hand - are welcomed as pets in Muslim Culture.

Admittedly, I am very fond of dogs - while I may not agree with this particular attitude towards dogs, as a traveler and an open minded person, I have learned to respect cultural differences.

By the way, the management and owner of Dugong Beach resort are Buddhists and are not part of the indigenous Malay population of Southern Thailand

Travel is very rewarding. Every day is an adventure (that’s for sure)
as you meet new people, have new experiences and visit foreign
and exotic new places. From my experience, there is never, ever a dull moment. That is precisely why I love to travel.

This short video entitled “Muy Picante” captures some of my most outlandish and humorous not to mention some of my x-rated moments on a recent trip to Brazil.

After watching this video, you might conclude that I have a fascination with dogs. Admittedly I have a special relationship with man’s best friend as well as other creatures. This traveler just likes to have fun!!!

I hope you are amused and entertained as you step into my world – the world of a traveler. Me abraca a me beija! ENJOY!

I met Mah Jong and his colleague, Kah Ching at Phu Lang Ka Resort in rural Northern Thailand. They are somewhat typical of dogs of the rural area – average height with short yellow hair and a somewhat stocky build. To be honest with you, the typical Thai dog is somewhat drab in appearance.

Traveling throughout Thailand, I have seen so many look-alikes among the dogs in the countryside – one wonders if they are all related as Thai people don’t believe in getting their dogs fixed and the females have such large litters. As pets, the stereotypical Thai mutt do not cost more than 1 baht – in other words they are free for the asking.

Mah Jong and Kah Ching are not pets of Kevan, the owner of Phu Lang Ka or any of this employees – these Thai pooches belong to some of Kevan’s neighbors. During the height of the tourist seasons which last from November – February, they can be seen hanging around Phu Lang Ka Lodge for most of the day, going from table to table looking for food, eating the many leftovers from the guest’s meals.

Unlike Jah Thep (Kevan’s dog) who is a very civilized, sweet and obedient dog, these mutts are professional freeloaders or moochers. Mah Jong and his cohort do not provide any valuable service to the owner such as extra security i.e.watch dogs nor do they really mingle with the guests like Jah Thep. You’d think that these dogs would at least bark when a stranger approaches – not these mutts!

And when the season is over and the food supply dries up, these pooches disappear and go elsewhere

To be honest with you, I have never seen a better-fed doggie than Mah Jong. On my first night at there, I saw him down the leftovers from a large grilled fish, Thai soup, rice and greens from one table, then he went to another table to devour some more leftovers.

Depending upon how you look at it, I guess Mah Jong and Kah Ching can be considered professional recyclers or seasonal busboys.

What is the most practical gift that one can buy their friends & family when they are on vacation? If you answered T-Shirts, you have answered this proverbial question the same way I have. In fact, on my most recent trip to Thailand and Malaysia, this is exactly what I planned to do. Needless to say, it took awhile to find the right T-shirts - I wanted to buy something that was both tasteful in design and of fairly high quality. See T-Shirt story

Then I got to thinking, while I am it, wouldn’t it be nice to buy Alfie, my sister’s precocious toy poodle, a T-Shirt too? After all, I’ve seen small dogs in the United States outfitted with T-shirts during the hot summer months and sweaters in the cold of the winter. What initially started as somewhat as a lark in my mind, the idea of buying Alfie - who I affectionately refer to as my dog nephew - a T-shirt, became a serious quest.

So here I was in Bangkok, Thailand on the final day of my 30-day odyssey trying to fulfill my mission - finding a T-shirt for my dog nephew, Alfie. While working out early morning in the hotel’s fitness center, I asked one of the trainers “Where is the nearest store that I can but a T-shirt for my sister’s toy poodle?” According to him, there was a dedicated pet boutique just around the corner from the hotel, President Park, on Sukhumvit Soi 24. Sounded ideal, as I didn’t relish the idea of running all over town trying to find Alfie’s gift.

After finishing all my other errands, towards the end of the day I stumbled into Boo Blossom, the dedicated pet boutique. Shaking my head in disbelief, I couldn’t believe how close it was to my hotel. After consulting with the young sales clerk, she suggested that I buy a little Thai style outfit for Alfie. I was quickly sold on the idea and let her choose the proper outfit – one with an appropriate Thai motif. Total damage 350 baht (10USD). Mission accomplished as I quickly handed her money, giving her a small tip to boot.

The rest in history – judging by the way Alfie was seen dancing with joy in his new Thai outfit, it was a worthwhile investment, not to mention how this gift made my sister very happy as well. See pictures.

Boo Blossom Pet Boutique - Sukhumvit Soi 24, Bangkok, Thailand
e-mail: blossom_boo@yahoo.com

This is a story about an extraordinary dog, whose profession happens to be a tour guide in Chiang Dao, Northern Thailand. Her name is Son, a small gold hair dog who resides at Malee’s Nature lodge.

After an early breakfast at Malee’s, I decided to go on a leisurely nature hike with the amiable middle-aged German couple that I had met at the lodge. As we left, we noticed that we had an unexpected companion for our hike - it was Son, the cute gold hair mutt whose status as alpha dog at Malee’s had been usurped by a young Lhasa Apso by the name of Jennie. Son assertively took the lead, and led us up the narrow paved road for about 400 meters before she exited onto the nature trail just off the side of the highway. Smart dog! Khun Malee briefed the German couple about the trail – it was about 5KM long and ended up at the Chiang Dao Cave, a popular tourist attraction in the area. Son stayed in the lead, always wagging her tail, from time to time stopping and looking over her shoulder to make sure that we were following her. It was quite obvious that Son was intimately familiar with this trail; we surmised that she had escorted many visitors at Malee’s on such excursions. The trail wasn’t well marked and there were several secondary trails that forked from the main trail. About an hour into the hike, Son took a detour that meandered up a steep wooded slope and we followed. After about 10 minutes of hiking up this secondary trail, the German couple and I determined that Son had inadvertently chosen the wrong path and we decided to return to the main trail. We speculated that Son had taken birdwatchers on this side route before. Upon reaching the main trail, Son assumed the lead again and expertly guided us to the caves.

The German couple, having taken an excursion of the caves the day before, decided to return to Malee’s. Bidding adieu to them and Son, I continued on the tour of the Caves. After completing the tour about an hour later, I was greeted by a friendly face and a familiar wagging tail - sitting patiently near the entrance of the caves was Son, who unbeknownst to me, had waited for me to return. What a wonderful dog! To reward my tour guide for an excellent job, I bought her a skewer of meatballs, which she graciously accepted and devoured. After finishing her snack, Son and I walked back along the paved road to Malee’s about 2KM away. This has to rank as one of my most memorable travel experiences.

In Thailand, it seems that all the guesthouses and households that I have visited in the countryside have at least 2 or more dogs who live on the premises. The dogs are more than just pets - they are also provide a certain measure of security as they deter unwanted intruders from entering. Among the dogs, there usually is a social hierarchy or pecking order – invariably one dog establishes himself as the alpha dog and all the other dogs fall behind in rank. Sometimes there is a shuffling of the pecking order, when a new dog is put into the mix.

I observed this ‘shuffling phenomenon’ or changing of the guard on my last visit (Nov 07) to Malee’s Nature Lodge in Chiang Dao. Son, the small gold hair dog who impressed me so much with her leadership abilities and personality in November 2006, had been pushed aside by Jennie, a relative newcomer on the scene. A 2-year-old Lhasa Apso, Jennie parades around Malee’s like she owns the place. Jennie no doubt is a very smart little dog but she acts too much like a primadonna. Because of her attitude, I have nicknamed Jennie, the little tyrant. Displaced by the more forceful personality of ‘the little tyrant’, poor Son now spends most of the day moping around upstairs on the sundeck. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, Son relishes leaving the compound and escorting some guests on a nature hike or birdwatching
expedition.

As Hanumann, the chief of all the monkeys, I admit to having a special kinship with dogs. In Thailand, I often find their company preferable to people - especially to some of the rude, inconsiderate chain-smoking Euros and loudmouthed Americans that I frequently encounter. At least, dogs give Ling Yai his proper due and recognize his greatness. That being said, here’s a brief profile of some of the dogs that I have known during my travels to Thailand.

Son

I met Son while staying at Malee’s Nature Resort in the small mountain resort of Chiang Dao in Northern Thailand. Son, somewhat aloof and regal in bearing, is the alpha male and lead security dog at Malee’s. The other four resident dogs at Malee’s keep their distance from him but also follow his lead. Often standing on top of one of the patio tables watching over his dominion, Son has a very commanding presence.

Peepee

Peepee, a 8-year-old French toy poodle, is the official greeter at Ram Derm Restaurant on Sukhumvit Soi 22 in Bangkok. She loves to greet each and every customer that walks through the door with a friendly wag of the tail. Not the shy type, Peepee loves to pose for pictures

Panda

Panda is one of Khun Lek’s fourteen dogs at her lovely garden estate in Chiang Dao. Nicknamed Panda, because her fur coloration is similar to a Panda Bear, what separates Panda from the rest of Lek’s dogs are her beautiful brown-gray eyes.

Batdog

Another one of Khun Lek’s minion, Batdog, while small in stature is quite big in heart. Named Batdog because his face resembles that of a bat, he has ‘a mug” only a mother could love. Often running around with his left foreleg in the air, Batdog oozes with personality and is a bundle of energy. I admit that Batdog is by far my favorite Thai dog; whenever I see him, I often start scatting and half singing the melody from the 60’s TV sitcom Batman….