Have we died and gone to hell - oh no we're in Bangkok. What a hell hole . We wandered about China Town last night and this morning ; it was a slight improvement in day light but not much. However we are in a really great hotel called Bangkok Central Hotel which is on the edge of China Town with great views over the city.
We travelled away from the north of Thailand a few days ago. We spent a couple of nights at a great hotel in Khon Kaen which was typical of the enigma that is Thailand. On the surface and in parts of the city it was sophisticated but under the surface or around the corner was traditional Thailand and quite a lot of poverty that exists everywhere.
We then travelled down to Ayuttaha which was the first capital of a united Thailand and is full of ancient Wats and replicas of Buddhism. We once again had to rough it as there were no rooms at all in all the best hotels or indeed any of the hotels. One hotel finally had pity in us and we stayed in an annexe which was grotty and had the most uncomfortable bed imaginable- serious grot! However we enjoyed our wanderings around the ruins and eventually returned our car to the airport with no scratches on it and having only seen one crash in our entire journey around Thailand.
We are now in Siam Square in the more sophisticated part of Bangkok and indeed have been able to use this internet site free of charge next to Starbucks!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Mae khong River - part 2
We celebrated Linda's birthday by going on a 3 hour cruise on the river that separates Laos from Thailand. It was just the two of us again. We went several times within feet of the Laos side as the boatman navigated into deeper water. The contrast between the relative prosperity and enterprise of Thailand and the obvious poverty of Laos was immediately apparant. At the half-way point ,which is the confluence of the Mae Khong and another river sweeping in from Thailand, and the end of the river as the international boundary as the river goes upstream into Laos ,we climbed up , according to Linda 429 steps but I made it - but hey who's counting - a very steep hill upon which sits a 20 metre high Buddha. The views were quite breathtaking and yes it was worth the climb.
It has been mentioned in despatches that I have not said much about food which I agree is unusual for me and readers be not surprised to hear that we have feasted most nights.
The array of food in the day markets, the morning markets and the night markets is staggering. Nick would lose the plot if he came here! The markets are full of the most exotic spices and herbs; we are constantly coming across fruit we have not seen before. In addition virtually every street has numerous hawker stalls where one can buy the most delicious food which is freshly cooked for one and therefore safe.
Unlike Malays the Thais do not eat with their hands. They use a fork , spoon and chopsticks. I usually have soup for lunch. It comes in a tin container which has a burner at the bottom to keep the soup hot. Thais have their soup as a main course or rather with their main course and the soup tureen sits in the middle of the table and people help themselves.
In the evening we often eat in a street restaurant with the locals either because the food is better or because there is no alternative. The food is quite chilli hot and on each table there will be a condiment set with 4 different types of chilli in which to make one's meal even hotter! The range of food does depend on the area . At the moment we are in Khon Kaen which is well-known for its hot sausages. When we were in the mountainous region we could get Jungle curry which contains all manner of meats including porcupine- we did not have any.
Must go now food calls.
It has been mentioned in despatches that I have not said much about food which I agree is unusual for me and readers be not surprised to hear that we have feasted most nights.
The array of food in the day markets, the morning markets and the night markets is staggering. Nick would lose the plot if he came here! The markets are full of the most exotic spices and herbs; we are constantly coming across fruit we have not seen before. In addition virtually every street has numerous hawker stalls where one can buy the most delicious food which is freshly cooked for one and therefore safe.
Unlike Malays the Thais do not eat with their hands. They use a fork , spoon and chopsticks. I usually have soup for lunch. It comes in a tin container which has a burner at the bottom to keep the soup hot. Thais have their soup as a main course or rather with their main course and the soup tureen sits in the middle of the table and people help themselves.
In the evening we often eat in a street restaurant with the locals either because the food is better or because there is no alternative. The food is quite chilli hot and on each table there will be a condiment set with 4 different types of chilli in which to make one's meal even hotter! The range of food does depend on the area . At the moment we are in Khon Kaen which is well-known for its hot sausages. When we were in the mountainous region we could get Jungle curry which contains all manner of meats including porcupine- we did not have any.
Must go now food calls.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Mekong River
Something I forgot to add about our elephant day was the production of paper using their dung ;they had a little operation going which was interesting and we of course now have several sheets of the stuff; what we now do with it is anyones guess.
We have been to Sukhothai where there is an historical park. The old town was the site of the first unified Thai state. It was very tastefully preserved and we enjoyed our day there.
We are now at Chiang Khan on the banks of the mighty Mekong River - the third longest river in the world. It separates the countries of Thailand and Laos. We are staying in what the Rough Guide described as luxurious and which we would describe as grotty but the views of the river are fantastic so we are prepared to put up with the accommodation for one night.
Over the next few days we will gradually make our way south so that we can spend a couple of days in Bangkok.
We have been to Sukhothai where there is an historical park. The old town was the site of the first unified Thai state. It was very tastefully preserved and we enjoyed our day there.
We are now at Chiang Khan on the banks of the mighty Mekong River - the third longest river in the world. It separates the countries of Thailand and Laos. We are staying in what the Rough Guide described as luxurious and which we would describe as grotty but the views of the river are fantastic so we are prepared to put up with the accommodation for one night.
Over the next few days we will gradually make our way south so that we can spend a couple of days in Bangkok.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Journey back to Chiang Mai
Before we took the mountain road back to Chiang Mai we went on a trip on the River Pai. Most of the long boats take tourists to see the long-neck women at one of the villages down stream but we decided that we did not want to view these women like zoo animals so we just had a trip , just the two of us and the two crew. We swept down rapids beneath towering cliffs and saw the beauiful montain landscape from a different perspective.
Back in Chiang Mai after an exciting journey over high passes and numerous switchbacks wth stupendous views we decided to go to a different guest house as the previous one was noisy at night with music from next door until the early hours. We stayed at the Peoples Hotel which was next door to the night market but we were on the 4th floor and had a peaceful night. In the evening we got caught in a tropical downpour but it all cleared after a short while and normality resumed.
We took the road south out of Chiang Mai in the morning and shortly stopped at the Elephant Conservation Centre. They look after about 100 hundred elephants including some very elderly ones that are kept away from the public. We saw a demonstration of about 20 elephants doing tasks they were trained to do as working elephants such as pulling logs either on their own or in pairs if the log was too heavy for one; they pushed the logs and were able to stack them. Later we visited the hospital where there were a number of sick animals together with two elephants with their mothers. We then had a short ride on an elephant which was not particularly comfortable but fun but 10 minutes was enough!
We continued our journey to Lampang and are now in a guest house overlooking the river Wang. There is of course a night market here at which they sell deep-fried cockroachs and other similar delicacies. I have not yet decided as to whether eating some would be an experience too far.
Back in Chiang Mai after an exciting journey over high passes and numerous switchbacks wth stupendous views we decided to go to a different guest house as the previous one was noisy at night with music from next door until the early hours. We stayed at the Peoples Hotel which was next door to the night market but we were on the 4th floor and had a peaceful night. In the evening we got caught in a tropical downpour but it all cleared after a short while and normality resumed.
We took the road south out of Chiang Mai in the morning and shortly stopped at the Elephant Conservation Centre. They look after about 100 hundred elephants including some very elderly ones that are kept away from the public. We saw a demonstration of about 20 elephants doing tasks they were trained to do as working elephants such as pulling logs either on their own or in pairs if the log was too heavy for one; they pushed the logs and were able to stack them. Later we visited the hospital where there were a number of sick animals together with two elephants with their mothers. We then had a short ride on an elephant which was not particularly comfortable but fun but 10 minutes was enough!
We continued our journey to Lampang and are now in a guest house overlooking the river Wang. There is of course a night market here at which they sell deep-fried cockroachs and other similar delicacies. I have not yet decided as to whether eating some would be an experience too far.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Ping River and the road loop towards Burma
We started the day with a trip up the river Ping to a farm on the outskirts of Chiang Mai. A fellow passenger was a charming Japanese youth so we did not mention the railway and yes he was a structural engineer! It was a glorious trip in a long boat. The farm grew a number of herbs and rice. We had a demonstration of rice flailing.
We then visited the National Museum and as with so much in Thailand each area was beautifully illustrated in English.
Later in the day we visited a silk factory and emporium. Despite the greatest range of silk you can imagine Linda could not find the right silk for a dress she wants made!
Today we started on a loop which will take us into the mountains and on to the Burmese border. We firstly drove into the Doiinthanon National Park and walked to the Mae Ya waterfalls which are the highest in Thailand at nearly 900 feet. It was a fantastic spectacle and stunningly beautiful. There were no farangs about - just a few Thai families enjoying a sunday picnic by the river.
We then continued into what is the country's most remote area. The road was reasonable and the montain scenery breathtaking. Eventually we arrived at Mae Saraing and the guest house which is made entirely of wood and our room overlooks the River Yuam.The views are quite fantastic. At dusk we sat on our balcony- it was very still as we watched the river drifting by and to cap it all opposite is a perfect example of an ox-bow lake.
We then visited the National Museum and as with so much in Thailand each area was beautifully illustrated in English.
Later in the day we visited a silk factory and emporium. Despite the greatest range of silk you can imagine Linda could not find the right silk for a dress she wants made!
Today we started on a loop which will take us into the mountains and on to the Burmese border. We firstly drove into the Doiinthanon National Park and walked to the Mae Ya waterfalls which are the highest in Thailand at nearly 900 feet. It was a fantastic spectacle and stunningly beautiful. There were no farangs about - just a few Thai families enjoying a sunday picnic by the river.
We then continued into what is the country's most remote area. The road was reasonable and the montain scenery breathtaking. Eventually we arrived at Mae Saraing and the guest house which is made entirely of wood and our room overlooks the River Yuam.The views are quite fantastic. At dusk we sat on our balcony- it was very still as we watched the river drifting by and to cap it all opposite is a perfect example of an ox-bow lake.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
CHIANG MIA
We took a tuk-tuk which has a motorbike engine and carries two passengers to the Wat Phra Singh. The building both inside and out was awe inspiring although slightly more down to earth than the usual quiet meditative Wat as there was a monks' seminary next door and some of the novitiates were playing a very noisy game of football! As all male Thais are expected to become monks during their lifetime ,albeit for a short period ie 3 months ,the standard of monks does rather vary.
We also then visited another Wat but if ,like us ,you are rather Wat -ed out I will spare you a description.
We are enjoying Chiang Mai which is a city twice the size of Cambridge and although there are lots of tourists they do not seem to effect the character of the place.
In the evening we went to a Thai boxing match - Linda very much on sufferance. We saw 12 bouts each of 5 times 2 minute rounds. Any part of the body,except the head ,can be used as a weapon. The only no - go area is the groin. It was amazingly stylised as is so much in Thai culture. Each boxer before the fight starts does his own little dance. Needless to say it was very brutal and enjoyable . Linda only stirred when one of two boxers - a Scot - was beaten by a Thai - thus the only other Scot in the building to say ' we was robbed'!
We also then visited another Wat but if ,like us ,you are rather Wat -ed out I will spare you a description.
We are enjoying Chiang Mai which is a city twice the size of Cambridge and although there are lots of tourists they do not seem to effect the character of the place.
In the evening we went to a Thai boxing match - Linda very much on sufferance. We saw 12 bouts each of 5 times 2 minute rounds. Any part of the body,except the head ,can be used as a weapon. The only no - go area is the groin. It was amazingly stylised as is so much in Thai culture. Each boxer before the fight starts does his own little dance. Needless to say it was very brutal and enjoyable . Linda only stirred when one of two boxers - a Scot - was beaten by a Thai - thus the only other Scot in the building to say ' we was robbed'!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Into the mountains
Perception is so often different from reality. It was such a surprise to suddenly move from the plains to the mountains which were so different from what one had expected. They are covered in semi-deciduous forest and are quite beautiful. Thailand is attempting to redress the wrongs of the past by creating and maintaining 117 National Parks and we drove through and beside one of them on our way to Chiang Mai.
Before we left Phitsanulok we visited two Wats one of which, the Wat Mahathat, is famous throughout the country. As we drove towards it we came across a man walking an elephant - as you do ! The first wat we visited - the Wat Rajburana -was beside the famous one and was quiet and peaceful. We then went next door where the 14th century temple and Buddha are visited by pilgrims from far and wide because this particular Buddha is said to have special healing powers. It was a hive of activity with a class of junior school children being taught in one corner and a small service in another part of the building.It was a fascinating spectacle but really quite beyond ones understanding.
We then visited the Sgt Major Thawee Ethnological Museum which according to our Rough Guide is one of the best in Thailand and we were not disappointed. It provided a look into life in the country over the past two centuries. The sgt-major and his family have built up this collection and it is beautifully housed in a compound of wooden buildings. Almost next door was a factory that casts bronze Buddhas for sale in Thailand and around the world. We saw the various processes at work.
Finally we got on the road and kept going apart from a stop at a hawker stall where food ,possibly the best we have had in Thailand so far, was cooked for us - all for the princely sum of 50 baht which is about 80 pence.
We are now booked into a guest house with views over the river and looking forward to exploring Chiang Mai.
Before we left Phitsanulok we visited two Wats one of which, the Wat Mahathat, is famous throughout the country. As we drove towards it we came across a man walking an elephant - as you do ! The first wat we visited - the Wat Rajburana -was beside the famous one and was quiet and peaceful. We then went next door where the 14th century temple and Buddha are visited by pilgrims from far and wide because this particular Buddha is said to have special healing powers. It was a hive of activity with a class of junior school children being taught in one corner and a small service in another part of the building.It was a fascinating spectacle but really quite beyond ones understanding.
We then visited the Sgt Major Thawee Ethnological Museum which according to our Rough Guide is one of the best in Thailand and we were not disappointed. It provided a look into life in the country over the past two centuries. The sgt-major and his family have built up this collection and it is beautifully housed in a compound of wooden buildings. Almost next door was a factory that casts bronze Buddhas for sale in Thailand and around the world. We saw the various processes at work.
Finally we got on the road and kept going apart from a stop at a hawker stall where food ,possibly the best we have had in Thailand so far, was cooked for us - all for the princely sum of 50 baht which is about 80 pence.
We are now booked into a guest house with views over the river and looking forward to exploring Chiang Mai.
Traveling to the north of Thailand
We left Kauchanaburi and drove across the Central Plains to Phitsanulok. In terms of accomodation we went from the cor blimey to the sublime and booked ourselves into the poshest hotel in town. Mind you it took over an hour to find it in the steamy streets.
Our drive up took us through the Thai countryside which was beautiful with a slight misty haze over the crops which for you geographers included maize, sugar cane stands, papya tree groves, mile upon mile of rice paddy fields - Thailand being the rice basket for all of South East Asia.
Thailand is an enigma - it is very traditional with its reverence for the king and strict cultural norms, the Thais are very religious in their worship of Buddha, it is very modern in the tourist areas and spotlessly clean virtually everywhere and yet there are many very poor people, particularly the further north one travels and finally there is the frequent sight of old buggers with girls young enough to be their granddaughters.
Although we were warned not to drive here the driving we have seen so far seems to us to represent the Thai phrase 'jai yen' which roughly translated means ' cool heart'. They are not supposed to show irritation and try to avoid confrontation which makes for very pleasant driving except in the towns where the mopeds and motorbikes buzz about like swarms of bees. So far I have avoided colliding with anyone!
Finally with happy memories of Malaysia the hawker stalls still give the best quality food and value for money. Breakfast for me today was rice and chicken with hot chilli sauce - lovely
Tomorrow we are off to see a couple of Wats.
Our drive up took us through the Thai countryside which was beautiful with a slight misty haze over the crops which for you geographers included maize, sugar cane stands, papya tree groves, mile upon mile of rice paddy fields - Thailand being the rice basket for all of South East Asia.
Thailand is an enigma - it is very traditional with its reverence for the king and strict cultural norms, the Thais are very religious in their worship of Buddha, it is very modern in the tourist areas and spotlessly clean virtually everywhere and yet there are many very poor people, particularly the further north one travels and finally there is the frequent sight of old buggers with girls young enough to be their granddaughters.
Although we were warned not to drive here the driving we have seen so far seems to us to represent the Thai phrase 'jai yen' which roughly translated means ' cool heart'. They are not supposed to show irritation and try to avoid confrontation which makes for very pleasant driving except in the towns where the mopeds and motorbikes buzz about like swarms of bees. So far I have avoided colliding with anyone!
Finally with happy memories of Malaysia the hawker stalls still give the best quality food and value for money. Breakfast for me today was rice and chicken with hot chilli sauce - lovely
Tomorrow we are off to see a couple of Wats.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Railway
We spent the day travelling on the railway to Nam Tok which was the site of the hospital field station during the building of the railroad.We sped through the glorious countryside of Thailand and constantly marvelled at the difficult terrain that the prisoners experienced during their time on the railroad. The journey took 2 hours each way on very uncomfortable wooden seats. Nam Tok was very much a one-horse town or should I say one elephant or to be precise a 3 elephant town. Elephants are great favourites of the Thais but since logging was banned some years ago many elephants have become unemployed so they are put to other used such as entertaining tourists as they did for us although we do intend to go to a proper Elephant Conservation Centre if we get the chance. There werea number of Japanese tourists on the train snapping away - presumably they were marvelling at the marvellous engineering!
Tonight we went to the night market where we had numerous goodies all for about the equivalent of 4 pounds but sadly not any beer which is something we are going to rectify shortly. There were very few tourists about and it was good to seethe Thais enjoying themselves at the various food stalls .
Tomorrow first thing we are heading north .
Tonight we went to the night market where we had numerous goodies all for about the equivalent of 4 pounds but sadly not any beer which is something we are going to rectify shortly. There were very few tourists about and it was good to seethe Thais enjoying themselves at the various food stalls .
Tomorrow first thing we are heading north .
Monday, February 11, 2008
Driving in Thailand!
- Never ones to do it the easy way we decided to hire a car at Bangkok Airport and explore the country this way.Shortly before we left Cyprus I had a conversation with my brother. He asked me if we were thinking of any more property speculation in Cyprus. I told him now that I had retired I had given up risk taking. But he replied you've just told me your hiring a car in Bangkok! Prophetic words indeed. We got our car at the airport and the hire car lady gave us directions. We very quickly got lost and found ourselves driving in downtown Bangkok - still it was an adventure. By some miracle we found ourselves on the right road only to get lost again. Finally salvation arrived in the form of a taxi driver who despairing that we could not understand his directions offered that we follow his taxi which we did for about 20 minutes until we were on the right road again! We got to our first stop -Kanchanaburi the town from where the Japanese started the Thailand leg of the notorious Death Railway as it is now called. We booked into Sam' s House and this morning we firstly went to the bridge from which the film Bridge over the River Kwai is roughly based. The railway is still used and we intend tomorrow to go on it on a 2 hour ride which takes one along the tracks built by the POWs. Afterwards we went to the largest Military War cemetary in South East Asia where some 7000 servicemen are buried - including British, Dutch and Australian. Next to the cemetary is the Railway Museum dedicated to remembering the sacrifices made by the POWs and the Asian civilians who also worked on the railroad and perished as well. It was a very sad and moving experience- something we will never forget. Needless to say it is blisteringly hot but the people are friendly, the food is excellent and cheap and the beer is cold.
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