Journal: Thailand, 16 Jan 2002 We spent 8 hours of today crammed into a tiny minivan that took us to Krabi in Thailand. A decent conversation with a couple from Essex in England helped pass the time. As we travel further north in Asia, we are meeting quiet a few people. During our first couple of weeks in Asia we met very few people, but now the social scene is picking up nicely. The couple that we met are following the same route as us to the full moon party on Ko Phangnan. It seems like most people that we are meeting have either been to the last party or are going to the next one. Hopefully the party will live up to our ever-increasing expectations. Krabi is a rather large town on the west coast of Southern Thailand. There are four beaches near Krabi. We are staying at the beach in Ao Nang. It is incredibly beautiful here, with a lovely long beach looking out onto crystal clear waters. The horizon is interrupted by spectacular limestone pillars that rise from the sea a couple of kilometers from the coast. Trees behind the beach shelter several huts that either sell food and drink or offer Thai massage (for US$4 an hour). It is a real picture-postcard scene. We are staying in a guesthouse by the beach. It is costing us a little more than US$3 each for a very good room with two beds. The beach at Ao Nang is fairly sparsely populated. And the nightlife is also a little quiet. There is one great area with 7 or 8 pubs in close quarters. However, the ladies and gentlemen of the night that frequent them are rather annoying in their efforts to lure you into purchasing their services. Thailand, 17 Jan 2002 We enjoyed a lazy day today... occupying ourselves with some reading, a stroll along the beach, a bit of frisbee, and watching the sun set. We have purchased a couple of phrase books in an attempt to learn some of the local language. There is no need to speak Thai here, as most people speak English. However, we hope that our efforts to learn the language will be rewarded with some interesting interactions with local people. When coming back from the beach this evening, a local handed me a flier for an Irish bar here in Ao Nang. After dinner we went for a few drinks in O'Malleys Irish Bar. It is an Irish bar only in name. The hut housing the bar has no Irish decor, no Irish music (aside from U2), and no Irish beer. However, it did have vast quantities of craic (the Irish word for fun). The proprietor of this establishment is a young Thai lady called Arin who professes a great love for the Celtic Football Club. She showed quiet a bit of patience while helping us with our Thai pronounciation. We earned her eternal gratitude for fetching some of our more Irish CDs from the guesthouse. As the evening wore on, we all swayed and sang along to the strains of the "Celtic Symphony" and the "Green and Red of Mayo". I have convinced Arin to make O'Malleys a Cork pub. Long into the night, we sang songs in tribute to the Rebels of County Cork and the living legend of Jimmy Barry Murphy. She wants me to arrange to send her a Cork jersey that she will hang up behind the bar. In return, she promises that any of my friends that visit her establishment will drink for free. Thailand, 18 Jan 2002 Another lazy day in paradise, although most of it was spent nursing an enormous hangover. I finally mobilized myself by late afternoon and we took a long boat to Raileh beach. Raileh beach is one of the most incredibly beautiful places that I have ever seen. If you are ever in this part of the world, definitely make the small effort required to see it. You can access Raileh only by boat. Davie and I hired the services of a local gentleman with a boat for about US$4. It was an exorbitant amount of money really; we should probably have haggled with him over the price, but we could not bring ourselves to do it over such a small sum. After a stroll around Raileh, our boat driver brought us back to Ao Nang in time to watch the sun set. This evening was again spent in the throws of merriment at O'Malleys Irish Bar. As we walked down the street towards the bar, we were greeted with the sounds of the Sawdoctors CD that we had given them the previous night. Arin, who owns the bar, is a 27-year old young lady from the North of Thailand. Saa, her gofer, is a 23-year old local with a flair for cooking. Both have excellent English, especially when you consider that Saa has only had 6 years of schooling. Tonight Arin asked me to stay in Ao Nang for a while longer. I relented to her considerable charms. Thailand, 19 Jan 2002 We had tickets to go to the island of Ko Phi Phi this morning. Ko Phi Phi is probably best known as the location of the movie The Beach. Davie left this morning, but I have decided to stay here in Ao Nang. I will probably catch up with him in a day or two. It feels like I am currently living a life directly from the pages of an Ernest Hemmingway novel. An exotic location, some interesting storylines, and a wildly colourful cast of characters have come together to form a compelling situation. The main cast include Chris, a garrulous artist from the North of England, and John, a scurrilous exploiter of African labour. The supporting cast consists of the various other visitors to O'Malley's Irish Bar. I have been enjoying Chris' company since setting foot in O'Malleys. He is a forty-something year old, gender-confused artist. He loves nothing more than to totally immerse himself in all of life's great vices. Well, the one thing that he might love more is then regaling people with the tales of his adventures. John, on the other hand, is a much more subdued individual. However, he is just as interesting with tremendous tales from 35 years spent in various African countries. After watching the English soccer at Bernie's Bar, we returned to find O'Malleys in the midst of mayhem. A bunch of Irish, a bunch of Dutch, some Swiss, and a few Germans turned O'Malleys into a raging disco. We enjoyed the craic and danced the night away until the early hours of the morning. Thailand, 20 Jan 2002 I have adopted a nocturnal lifestyle, sleeping by day and coming to life at night. Once more, the bar is full of interesting people. However, I fall out with the increasingly needy Arin and decide that it is time to move on. Thailand, 21 Jan 2002 This morning I took the boat to Ko Phi Phi. The journey was spent in the company of James, an Irish guy that I had been drinking with in Ao Nang, and three Dutch guys who had helped transform O'Malley's into a rave a couple of nights ago. Upon arriving on Ko Phi Phi, I wandered the laneways of the town looking for somewhere to stay and had the good fortune to happen upon the hostel at which Davie is staying. The hostel is called the Rock Backpackers. We are staying in a 16-bed dormitory. It feels like a fraternity house, with lots of young people living life as if it is a big party. This evening, one of the girls returned to our dorm at 3.30am to discover that she was the first person to retire for the evening. Many people came here for a few days and have stayed a lot longer, with a couple of notable individuals having stayed here for more than a month. Ko Phi Phi consists of two islands: Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh. The island of Phi Phi Don houses a charming town between two beaches. The town is a tightly-packed, ramshackle collection of shops, bars, restaurants, and tour agencies. There are no roads, and in turn no cars, on the island. Laneways about as wide as a sidewalk criss-cross the town. The island of Phi Phi Leh, which was made famous by the film The Beach, is an uninhabited paradise. The highlight of this evening's celebrations was the viewing of Thai kickboxing. We got a ringside table and watched four bouts. It was a very interesting experience. The traditional Thai music that was played over the public address system during each bout lent a mystical air the the events. And after each bout, the boxers would make their way through the crowd to solicit tips. To make things more interesting, Davie and I would bet on the outcome of each bout and then donate the winnings to the victor as a tip. Thailand, 22 Jan 2002 Today, we made our way around the island to Long Beach. To get there, we made our way along the coastline, sometimes clambering over rock outcroppings. We have seen some incredible beaches recently and I am showing just how spoiled I have become by saying that Long Beach was unremarkable. The the evening was spent in the company of two English guys with amoeba-like brains. Paul, from London, and John, from Manchester, are both really nice guys. But they constantly interrupted each other, taking turns to say the simplest of things. Although, I must say that we did enjoy the best football discussion that I have had in a long time. Thailand, 23 Jan 2002 I enjoyed another visit to the viewpoint overlooking the two main beaches on Phi Phi Don. If you are ever in this part of the world, make sure to go to the viewpoint. As well as providing some really good exercise to climb up there, the vista is truly spectacular. Thailand, 24 Jan 2002 This morning I hired a local and his long-tail boat and went to Phi Phi Leh. It cost me about US$10 to hire the boat and driver for a half a day. When I arrived at "The Beach", there was only one other person there. I'm sure that any words that I would write could not do the scene justice. I am really glad that I got over there so early (by about 9.30am) because within an hour of my arrival, the beach was crowded with tourists. Then, in the afternoon, Davie and I joined the crowd from our hostel down on the beach. After kicking a ball around for a while, we cooled down by getting a few beers and drinking them while sitting in sea. It just doesn't get any better than this! Thailand, 25 Jan 2002 Today we joined the hoardes for the pilgrimage to Ko Pha-ngan. Most travellers that we have met in the past few weeks are either coming from the last full moon party or going to the next one. On the 28th of January, eight thousand people will converge on Ko Pha-ngan for an all-night party on the beach. I have heard about these legendary parties long before embarking on this trip, hoping one day to attend one. We are going there a few days early to make sure that we can get accommodation. We took a boat to Krabi, a bus to Suratthani, and a boat to Ko Pha-ngan. It seemed like most of the people from our hostel were also making this trip today. The full moon party is being held on a cape called Hat Rin. Some people stay at Hat Rin because that's where it is all happening. Other people prefer to stay elsewhere and then make their way to Hat Rin just for the party. We have decided to stay in a bungalow at Hat Rin (which is costing us about US$3 each a night). Tonight, we went for a stroll around Hat Rin. As I have said, Hat Rin consists of a cape. On one side of the cape is Sunrise Beach, on the other side is Sunset Beach. The nightlife here consists of a number of bars along Sunrise Beach. Each bar has mats or carpets on the sand around little tables. Even tonight we see jugglers, hawkers, and the other entertainers that usually show up at festivals. Thailand, 26 Jan 2002 My friend Gerry Corkery is probably the most sociable person that I know. Tonight I did my very best Gerry Corkery impression, striking up conversations with anyone that passed within an arm's length of me. The atmosphere here is building up nicely for the big party. Most of the people that I am meeting are Swedish, Israeli, or English. But, as with every other corner of this world, there are a smattering of Irish about. We are getting to know quiet a few people here, ensuring that we can go into most bars and already know someone in there. Thailand, 27 Jan 2002 More of the same: another wonderful day of rest and relaxation... more fabulous meals... a bit of socializing... some football on the beach... and the usual festivities at night. Our extended social group consists of Jamie and his friends, Antti and his friends, and the group from our hostel on Ko Phi Phi. Jamie is an English guy that I met on the way to Ko Pha-ngan. He is following a similar route as us through Asia and we might meet up again in China. Antti is from Finland. I had met Antti in Penang and kept in contact with him via email, with the expectation of meeting up with him for the full moon party. Thailand, 28 Jan 2002 The full moon party did not disappoint. As the day and night progressed, more and more people flooded into Hat Rin. Some arrived from other towns on the island others arrived by boat on the evening of the party. The evening took a while to get going, as most people prepared for the long haul through the night. By about 11pm, the revellries were in full swing. And then, before I knew it, things began to quieten down by about 5am. It was a great time, although I did not make it until the sunrise. I got a little dose of the runs at about 6am and made a bee-line for the toilet back at our bungalow. Quiet a few people managed to stay up through the night and a select few even managed to keep the party alive until the following evening. Thailand, 29 Jan 2002 Although I didn't make it to sunrise, I heard that once the sun comes up, the party moves to a bar called The Backyard. This is where the party continues through the day and to the following evening. While the survivors partied at The Backyard, the rest of Hat Rin became a ghost town as most people spent the day recovering from the previous night. We spent a very quiet evening watching a couple of videos in our favourite restaurant. Then we said our farewells to Antti, who we will probably meet again in Bangkok. Thailand, 30 Jan 2002 Today we joined the throngs of people in the post-party exodus from Ko Pha-ngan. Confusion reigned at the port of Thong Sala, as far too many people were seeking information about the departing ferries drom non-existant sources. Luckily for us, we were there fairly early and had no problems finding information about our boat. We took a boat to the island of Ko Tao. People have told us that if you want to go scuba diving in this part of the world that Ko Tao is the place to go. Ko Toa is a relatively undeveloped island, only discovered a decade ago by some adventurous divers. At the moment, it contains little more than a number of dive shops and the infrastructure necessary to support those dive shops. A number of bungalow resorts, a few restaurants, and some internet shops hug the narrow beach. There is no main electricity supply on Ko Tao. Our bungalows have a generator that supplies electricity (for the fan and lights) between 6pm and 6am. The internet shop that I visited used a row of dry-cell batteries to power the computers. If you take a dive course on Ko Tao, you get free accomodation. It costs about US$150 for the PADI open water course. I am going to take an introductory dive. The introductory dive consists of a dive to demonstrate the equipment and perform a few routine safety drills and then two actual dives. This is costing me approximately US$30. On the way to Ko Tao, we met a guy from Limerick called Don. Don is in Thailand on a two-week holiday. Tonight, we went for a bite to eat with Don and ended up on an almighty session with him. We ended up at a bar called In Touch, which as far as we could tell is the best bar on the island. Although the island is being developed at such a fast pace that I reckon it will be a different place in a year or two. Thailand, 31 Jan 2002 I awoke today with an almight hangover to go along with the almighty session of the previous evening. Myself and Don headed off for our dives, as the saying goes, in body but not in spirit. For my first dive, I donned all the gear and jumped off the boat into stormy seas. The swells measured about a meter and a half. I swam about 200 meters and then went down for the first time. It was very murky, with limited visibility. I saw some fish, but not many. And the colours of the coral were muted. The rough seas and murky conditions reduced my comfort level with my first diving experience. This uneasy feeling, along with my hangover, conspired to make this a fairly unpleasant experience. I returned to the surface without spending too much time under the water and swam back to the boat. And that was the end of my first diving experience, as I decided to stay on the boat for the rest of the afternoon. I would like to try scuba diving again, but under better conditions. The main beach on Ko Tao is long, but not very deep. Along the beach, hammocks hang beteen the trees that shade the sand. It is a lovely place. Before the divers came to Ko Tao a decade ago, farming and fishing were the only activities here. The farming consisted mainly of coconut harvesting. Coconut trees dominate the low-lying areas of this island. From time-to-time, as you walk around, you can see the coconuts being harvested. Monkeys climb the trees and follow instructions shouted from their trainers below, detaching the coconuts and throwing them to the ground. It makes for fascinating viewing. Thailand, 01 Feb 2002 Today we set off on the long journey to Bangkok. We are taking a boat to Chumphon (costing about US$10) and then an overnight train to Bangkok (again costing about US$10). There are buses that cost a little less, but we have heard from other travellers that the train is the best way to go. We have tickets on a second class sleeper carriage. It is so nice to lie in bed, do some reading, listen to some music, have a nice sleep, and wake up the following morning in Bangkok. It is far nicer than being packed like sardines into a minibus for 8 hours. The boat trip to the mainland was notable for our 15-minute journey up the estuary at Chumphon. The estuary is littered with a myriad of colourful fishing boats, providing a very spectacular visual tapestry. However, our sense of smell was not stimulated in such a positive way, as the pungent smell from the fishing boats was almost overpowering. Thailand, 02 Feb 2002 We arrived in Bangkok at 6.30 in the morning and hired a tuk tuk for our short journey to the Khao San Road. A tuk tuk is a motorized rickshaw; it is basically a motorbike-powered carriage. We crammed our rucksacks and ourselves into the back of the tuk tuk and then held on for dear life as we sped towards our destination. Tuk tuk drivers are, by their very definition, insane. Our tuk tuk driver appears to be more insane than all the others are. If tuk tuk racing ever becomes a major sport, I would put my money on our driver to become world champion. He weaved in and out of the heavy traffic with reckless abandon, forcing oncoming vehicles to swerve out of the way on more than one occasion. It seemed like our nervous laughter only encouraged him to take even more chances. The Khao San Road is probably the best known road in Bangkok. It is the street that never sleeps. Many people have told us not to stay on the Khao San Road, warning us about the crowds of revelers, the vice, the noise, the horrible hostels, and the bed bugs. However, we have instantly fallen in love with the Khao San Road because of the crowds, the shops, the bars, the restaurants, and the atmosphere. The road stretches for little more than a kilometer, but is teeming with all sorts of interesting life. Each day throngs of locals and travellers party on the road from about midday until the early hours of the morning. We are staying at the Nith Charoen Hotel right in the center of the Khao San Road. We are paying about US$7 between us for a clean room with two beds and an en-suite bathroom. Antti (our friend from Finland who we met in Penang and Ko Pha-ngan) is also arriving in Bangkok today. Using email, I let him know where we are staying and he also gets a room there. We spend the day walking around the city. Our first impressions are of a dirty, noisy, polluted city. Constant traffic jams spew leaded exhaust fumes into the air, litter lines the streets, and the waterways contain murky water. As you walk around the city, tuk tuk drivers incessantly hound you. Some drivers are soliciting genuine fares. However, most are trying to entice you to hire their service for a tour of the city costing a mere 10 bhat (US$0.25). These tours end up visiting a succession of shops (that provide the driver with a commission) and you are constantly pressured into buying unwanted goods. However, having said that, we have met some genuinely nice locals while walking around. Today we discovered Farang magazine. If you are ever travelling in this part of the world, you should try to pick up this magazine. It contains up-to-date information for travellers about Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and other such countries. Most people in Asia use a Lonely Planet travel guide as their main source of information. However, the amount of time needed to publish a Lonely Planet book ensures that the information is out-of-date by the time you read it. The magazine, on the other hand, has up-to-date practical information as well as many interesting and topical articles. At nighttime, the Khao San Road really comes alive. People do not need to go to a bar or restaurant, as food and drinks are available from street vendors. You can get cocktails for about US$1 and small meals for about US$0.30. As the night wears on, a very good mix of Thai students and travellers ensure a carnival atmosphere on the streets. And if you are interested in sports, the local bars carry most soccer and rugby games live. One striking aspect of the Bangkok nightlife is the inordinately large number of beautiful women. However, upon closer examination, you realize that this is due to the infiltration of their numbers by lady-boys. The only obvious way to tell a lady from a lady-boy is to look for the Adam's apple. This results in the strange phenomenon of meeting a girl and immediately looking at her neck. When drinking, my toast of choice has become... "thank God for the Adam's apple". Thailand, 03 Feb 2002 Today we visited the National Museum, which has a tremendous collection of artifacts and art. However, for the most part, there is little explanation of the exhibits. This meant that we spent most of the day walking around the museum in almost complete ignorance. The early evening was spent in a bar enjoying live soccer and rugby matches from the other side of the world. The highlight of the evening was watching the Irish annihilate the hapless Welsh rugby team in record-breaking fashion. Could this be our year? While celebrating Ireland's victory, I bumped into Robert from Germany. I had been drinking with Robert in Ao Nang and then had bumped into him at the full moon party on Ko Pha-ngan. One of the things that we like best about the Khao San Road is the fact that each time you walk down the road there is a decent chance that you will bump into a traveller that you have met elsewhere. Thailand, 04 Feb 2002 After an insufficient amount of sleep, we arose at the ungodly hour of 6am to watch the Superbowl. Our efforts were rewarded with a very exciting game in which the New England Patriots upset the odds to beat the favoured St. Louis Rams. After the game, we returned to our beds to catch up on our sleep. This afternoon I packed a box and posted it to the States. In the box, I placed all of the photographs that I have taken so far on this trip and a few t-shirts. The box weighed 4 kilograms and cost a very reasonable US$20 to send via surface mail. Bangkok has a reputation as being one of the best places to get photographs developed and to buy film for a camera. It cost me about US$100 to get 12 rolls of APS film developed (most of those rolls had 40 exposures). And I purchased another six rolls of APS film for US$22. This evening we had arranged to meet with Antti and Robert for an excursion to Patpong. Patpong is one of the red light districts of Bangkok. Although we have moral reservations about the activities that go on in such an area, a visit to Bangkok would not be complete without taking in the sights and sounds of this very lively area. Before going, you could tell that each of us felt a little nervous about visiting this sordid scene. However, we drew a degree of comfort from the fact that we were in numbers. And it is a good thing that there was a group of us, as some people did try to lead us astray and intimidate us. But, in the end, we survived and enjoyed our visit to the lurid side of Bangkok. Across the course of the evening, I think I can safely say that we ended up seeing one or two things that you wouldn't see in West Cork. Thailand, 05 Feb 2002 We spent today wandering around the temples that are within walking distance of the Khao San Road. The highlight was a nearby Buddhist temple with a 42-feet high golden Buddha. We also discovered some lovely streets that are not far from the Khao San Road, giving us ideas for possible places to stay when we come back to Bangkok. This evening we took the overnight train to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. Once again, we have second class sleeper tickets. It cost us about US$14 for our 14-hour journey. It takes less time to travel by bus, but it is far less comfortable. Thailand, 06 Feb 2002 Chiang Mai is the tourist hub of northern Thailand. It is a very popular destination for people interested in trekking amongst the nearby hill tribes. It is also popular as a destination for people interested in learning Thai cooking. We hope to do both. A stroll around Chiang Mai reveals a lovely city center, surrounded by a moat. Along the moat, parts of the ancient city walls have survived. Within the walls of the city, the presence of many temples provides a very relaxing atmosphere. Chiang Mai has almost 300 temples, the same number as the infinitely larger Bangkok. Everywhere you look, young monks can be seen embracing the shade in their distinctive orange garb. As we have travelled further north in Thailand, we have found the cost of travelling to be less and less expensive. For example, in the south the internet cost about 120 bhat an hour. In Bangkok, it cost between 40 and 60 bhat an hour. And now in Chiang Mai, it costs 15 bhat an hour. As I entered this internet establishment, I was presented with a Kodak moment if ever there was one... the other computers were occupied by long line of young orange-clad Buddhist monks intently playing the latest in virtual reality computer games. Our efforts to learn the Thai language have proved to be rather dismal. The only phrase that we use regularly is khob khum krap which means thank you. In part, this is because the language is so difficult. But it is also because almost every Thai person speaks to us in English. This evening we attended an orientation for the three-day hill tribe trek that we are going on tomorrow. We booked the trek in Bangkok. For about US$40, we were picked up at the train and brought to a guesthouse, put up at the guesthouse for one night, and then brought on a fully guided three-day trek (with all meals included). Our main guide is "Sam the Jungle Man". Because he speaks English, Jungle Sam is the self-appointed chief of his hill tribe village. He is a hugely enjoyable character, constantly making terrible jokes. However, the hearty bursts of laughter that immediately follow his jokes are contagious and have us all laughing along. Our tour group consists of four Aussies (Stu, Sally, Kate, and Fiona), four Brits (Tom, Lisa, Sam the City Man, and Davie), an Italian (Isabella), an Irishman (me), and a Polish couple that kept to themselves. [I know it probably bores you to read a list of the people on my tour groups... but I like to note the names so I can check my journal if I bump into any of them later on the trip.] Thailand, 07 Feb 2002 This morning the 12 trekkers and three guides set off on our trek of the Doi Inthanon area. A truck brings us to an elephant farm, where we paired-up and mounted elephants. Davie and myself are lucky to get a relatively docile elephant, who was happy to amble along the path at a very relaxed pace. Some of the other people in our group were not so lucky, getting troublesome elephants. We enjoyed a lovely jaunt along the riverbanks, crossing the river a few times. Although, I must say that Davie did have a bit of a white-knuckle experience. Afterwards the palms of his hands were rust coloured after holding onto the metal bar on the seat as if his life depended on it. The afternoon was them spent hiking up to a Karen village (Karen is the name of the hill tribe). The hike was not too strenuous, however most of our group were complaining like children on a long car journey. The countryside is extremely beautiful, with undulating hills as far as the eye can see. Rivers and waterfalls provide the only distractions from the forested environs. We are staying at Jungle Sam's village. The village consists of a handful of wooden huts. The huts are on stilts and have roofs that are made of thatched bamboo leaves. A fire (on a recessed tin surface in the hut) keeps each hut warm and provides heat for cooking. A few years ago, an American missionary taught Sam how to speak English and helped Sam establish his guiding business. The guiding business in turn finances education and medical facilities for his village. They have built a little school for the village children and arrange to have a doctor visit the village once a month. The life in the village is very simple, with most of the villagers farming the nearby land. As with most places that do not have electricity, the setting and rising of the sun determines when the locals go to sleep and wake up. The village maintains a small herd of cattle and grows rice and other vegetables. The villagers also have hens and pigs. The Karen hill tribe practice crop rotation agriculture. This is very unusual for this part of the world. In most of Asia and Oceania, swidden agriculture is the norm. In swidden agriculture, the farmers slash and burn the field of crops every few years to return nutrients to the soil. Thailand is currently enjoying its cool season. We have been enjoying 90-degree days for most of our time here. And there has been little or no humidity. The evenings have been very pleasant, with the temperature dropping a few degrees. In the hills, we have enjoyed similar temperatures during the daytime. However, at night the temperatures in the hills plummet. A fleece is definitely needed. Our group has gelled together quickly. There is a very good atmosphere and the banter is fantastic. We enjoyed an evening of great fun together. Although I was later told by Tom that most of the banter came from those on a session (Stu, Sam, and I). Thailand, 08 Feb 2002 This morning Jungle Sam took us on a tour of his village, explaining several aspects of their way of life. Jungle Sam's hill tribe believe in animism. From what I can gather, animism is a form of religion that concerns itself with spirit worship. He explained that, to appease the spirits, each house must have a pig that is tied to the stilts. And then, at the new year, that pig is sacrificed to the spirits and a new pig put in its place. After the tour of the village, we hiked to a camp that Jungle Sam's villagers have constructed especially for trekkers. The camp looks like a scene from the Swiss Family Robinson. The camp lies in a small clearing by a waterfall. There is just enough room for a large bamboo hut, some bamboo benches around a camp fire, and long bamboo benches and tables for serving meals. Large bamboo chutes carry water from the top of the waterfall to create a constantly running shower. This evening, we enjoyed a fantastic party around the campfire. Some locally distilled rice whiskey warmed us up nicely for an evening of drinking games, singsongs, and dancing around the campfire. For being the last to retire, I enjoyed the privilege of sleeping outside with the guides. However, thanks to the campfire, we were far more comfortable than everyone else who slept in frigid conditions in the bamboo hut. Thailand, 09 Feb 2002 This morning was spent hiking to a Shan village (the Shan are another hill tribe). The hike to the village was fantastic, but the Shan village was a bit disappointing. The Shan village had proper houses, vehicles, and shops. The afternoon was spent going downstream on a bamboo raft. There were three passengers and one Thai driver on each bamboo raft. The driver and one passenger manned the front and rear of the raft, using poles to propel the raft and to push it away from menacing looking rocks. The other two passengers sat in the center of the raft. I thoroughly enjoyed manning the rear of the raft for half of the journey. A few sections of rapids ensured a very exciting time. The only person to fall into the water was our very-embarrassed driver. After a brief session of farewells with our tour-mates, Davie and I went for a western meal in the Irish Pub. Although we both love the Thai food, we have occasional cravings for western food. This evening I enjoyed a lasagna, while Davie devoured an Irish stew. After eating, we went to the night bazaar to meet Isabella and Fiona. After a bit of shopping, we decided to have an early night and head back to the guesthouse. I then spent the night projectile vomiting my lasagna and whatever else was in my stomach into our toilet bowl... my appetite for western food has now diminished considerably. Thailand, 10 Feb 2002 I felt weak today after my restless night of vomiting. But I still managed to get out and see some sights. Davie and I spent the afternoon on a tour of Hmong village and Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Our tour group was as big a group of freaks as you could ever hope to meet. There was a tree-hugging couple from Canada who laughed like hyenas at every semi-humorous utterance of our tour guide and an overly-pampered couple from Bahrain who had difficulty with such dexterous activities as descending stairs. We first went to a Maung village, which was notable for the great number of satellite dishes and four-wheel drive vehicles in the village. Our tour guide explained that, in the past, the village made a lot of money from the growing and sale of opium. Our guide was not very convincing in his attempts to convince us that they now make all of their money from tourism. He even claimed that opium plant growing outside one of the houses was only for the benefit of tourists that want to see what an opium plant looks like. We then went to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, which is more commonly referred to as the temple on the hill. It is a beautiful Buddhist temple, with the story of Buddha told in paintings around the perimeter of the temple. Davie, in true protestant fashion, showed complete disregard for the Buddhist request to not bare one's knees in their place of worship. Instead, he took his time in the temple and paraded his knees for at least half an hour. Although, in all fairness, the tour agent had led Davie astray when he told him that he could wear his shorts on the tour. Thailand, 11 Feb 2002 Today we attended a course at the Thai Kitchen Cookery Centre. They offer three one-day cooking courses. In each course, the participants cook and then eat five meals and one desert. The participants also enjoy a guided visit to the market, a seasonal fruit tasting, the making of green curry paste, and vegetable carving. The course costs approximately US$20 a day. We had a great group of people on our course today, with the extroverted Richie orchestrating most of the fun. Richie is a 41-year old retiree from Dublin who has recently fallen in love with the travelling life. Richie had us laughing for most of the day with his very quick and very dry wit. Highlights of the day were prawn and coconut milk soup, chicken massaman curry, and chicken fried rice dishes. It was so satisfying to eat wonderful food all day long! In the evening, Richie had arranged for most of our class to meet for a few drinks. He then dragged us to a show featuring the seemingly unusual, but very popular, combination of transvestite cabaret and Thai kickboxing. The transvestite cabaret was good for a laugh, but the Thai boxing was obviously staged (almost like professional wrestling). Thailand, 12 Feb 2002 We enjoyed the cookery class so much that we went back for another course today. Highlights of today's dishes were green curry chicken, pad Thai, and fried bananas in coconut toffee with ice cream. Today we received our visas for Laos. Organizing the visa could not have been easier. When we arrived at our guesthouse, they asked us if we needed visas for Laos. They then had us fill in the application, called a photographer who came to the guest house within 15 minutes and took passport photos of us (for about US$2), took our passports and a US$30 fee, and then told us when we would get our passports back. We have gotten a 30-day tourist visa. Thailand, 13 Feb 2002 Our 28-day visa to Thailand will expire tomorrow. This morning we get up early and go to the immigration office to extend our stay. It costs 500 bhat to extend our visa for 10 days. We can now stay in Thailand until the 24th of February. This afternoon I went to check out a reiki retreat that is in the countryside, about 30 kilometers from Chiang Mai. Getting to the retreat was a bit of an adventure. I took a songthaw, which is a little truck with benches in the back. Songthaws are probably the most popular form of public transportation in Thailand. Because I was the only westerner on this route, I drew a lot of friendly attention from the locals. Thankfully the driver understood the directions that were given to me and dropped me off at the correct place. A lovely couple runs the retreat. Oda is originally from Israel and Sebastian is from France. For the past few years, they have been running reiki and shiatsu classes in India. They have recently moved to Thailand. I had a long conversation with Oda about reiki and then she gave me a treatment. Afterwards, I expressed interest in learning more about reiki and signed up for a course. The course lasts for six days. There is no charge for the course, but they would appreciate a donation afterwards. After my visit to the reiki retreat, I rushed back into Chiang Mai to organize myself before going back there tomorrow. While on the course, I must keep my body free of toxins. That means that I cannot eat meat, drink alcohol, eat foods with white sugar, drinks with caffeine, etc. Tonight, in advance of this sacrifice, I enjoyed a toxin overload consisting mostly of chocolate. Thailand, 14 Feb 2002 This morning was spent organizing myself before going out to the retreat. I had to clean my laundry, package and mail some souvenirs back to the States, buy a few things, and bring my journal up-to-date. Inspired by Richie's bargaining technique, I had a great time in the market today. Richie has mastered the light-hearted bargaining approach. He does not dig his feet into the ground and engage in an aggressive negotiation. Instead, he uses levity to cajole the vendor into giving a decent price. I opened negotiations with one particular vendor with a plea of "me poor, me Irish, Irish very poor country". The vendor, an old lady, responded with smiles and the markdown that usually follows a first attempt to bargain. I then followed up with the coup de grace, "me have wife and 10 children in Ireland". This usually solicits a surprised reaction that requires follow-up "you Buddhist, me Catholic... my church make me have baby... my wife, she very tired". The lady I was negotiating with went on to say how she had four sons and four grandsons, and no girls. I went on to empathise "me have boy, boy, boy, boy, boy, boy, boy, girl, then boy, girl... me afraid me only have boy, but me so happy to have girl" At this point, the lady called over a nearby vendor to relay my plight. After the usual surprised looks, laughter, and empathy, I ended up having some fun and getting the item for the wholesale price that a local would pay. In a roundabout way, I have discovered that Thai people have very small feet! One item that I am having great difficulty in obtaining is a pair of sandals that will fit. I have visited several shoe shops and market stalls, but nowhere can I find suitably sized footwear. And the strange thing is that I do not consider my feet to be very big (they are between size 12 and 13). Most shop owners take one look at my feet, smile, and tell me that they do not have anything that will fit. However, some shop owners comically insist on grabbing my feet and trying to squeeze them into sandals that are one or two sizes too small. After two days of searching, I have given up on my quest for new sandals and decided to repair my existing pair. After cleaning the sandals and a few well-placed stitches, I can say with great satisfaction that the sandals are like new again. Thailand, 15-19 Feb 2002 For six days, I attended a Reiki Level One course. Our daily schedule was as follows:
It was a very relaxing experience. Classes were held in Three Lotus House on the grounds of the Chiang Hill Resort. We stayed about a mile away at the Sunflower Guest House. At the guesthouse, we paid a fixed price of US$6 a day for a room and all meals. Both settings are incredibly peaceful and beautiful, with nothing but the nature around us to distract our attention. Our class consisted of five students and two teachers. The five students were the only people staying at the guest house. The other students were Tony (from France), Mailyn (from Canada), Luciano (from Italy), and Francis (from France). The extremely insecure Tony is in a constant state of resignation. He grows impatient and gives up at the slightest hint of difficulty in his exercises. Tony definitely garnered the least amount of benefit from the course. If you are looking for the epitome of the term "space cadet", Mailyn is that person. She is constantly babbling on about "totally feeling the energy, man" and other such prattle. Luciano is an intelligent philosopher with anarchistic tendencies. Conversations involving Luciano were always a source of great amusement and interest. Although initially the most sceptical of our group, Luciano probably ended up being the most convinced by the end of the course. Francis was the joker of the group, constantly interspersing his thoughtful discourse with irreverent statements. While on the course, Oda and Sebastien asked us to abstain from eating meat and drinking alcohol. Noi, the owner of the guesthouse, provided all our vegetarian meals for us. The food was so good and so plentiful that I did not once miss eating meat. And, after drinking so much over the past few months, I was glad to take a break from alcohol. The classes were held in a very relaxing atmosphere. Elsewhere, this course is often taught in two days. By extending the length of the course to six days, Oda and Sebastien feel that they can provide a much firmer foundation in the philosophies behind reiki and provide a considerable amount of additional guided practical work for the students. The end of each day of class was spent practicing Qi Kong exercises by a waterfall, while the sun was setting. Reiki involves the channeling of energy to heal. It shares some of its foundations with acupuncture, acupressure, and zen shiatsu. The goal of the Reiki Level One course is to teach students to give themselves a treatment. However, we have also received instruction and practiced giving treatments to others. After taking the course, I am not convinced that receiving a reiki treatment does anything more than relax the receiver. However, I am going to continue practicing reiki for the next 21 days before passing final judgement. During this time I also hope to continue to abstain from drinking alcohol and eating meat. I am not convinced that I will do it, but will see how I get on! Oda and Sebastien do not charge a fee for their courses. However, they do appreciate a donation upon completion of the course. They do this for many reasons... to make the course available to all, to let each participant put a true value on the course for themselves, to eliminate any expectations that a paying customer might have, and so on. After the course, I gave them 2500 bhat (about US$60). Thailand, 20 Feb 2002 Today was the last day of our reiki course. We had class until lunchtime and then we all went to the guesthouse for a post-course lunch. After a long lunch together, we said our farewells and went our separate ways. Most of us were a bit sad that the course is now finished. Back in Chiang Mai, I called into the shop of John Gallery (his real name is Manoon Laimanel). John Gallery is a local artist, who has gained considerable fame for his hand-painted t-shirts. Before coming to Chiang Mai, I had read about John in Farang Magazine and decided to visit his shop. Last week I called by and purchased three t-shirts. This evening, while passing his shop, I called in again. I struck up a conversation with John, who went on to tell me his life story. He is a remarkably young-looking 58-year old. He was born in Laos into a family with French, Vietnamese, and Laotian heritage. His family fled persecution in Laos and settled in Chiang Mai when he was a child. He has lived here ever since, teaching himself to draw and paint while working in a sequence of menial jobs. In recent years, a number of features about him in guide books and magazines have resulted in a steady stream of business and financial security. Until now he has specialized in high volume work (hand-painted t-shirts and very small paintings) with occasional larger works for special occasions. However, considering his advancing age and financial security, he has resolved to paint only large works (or masterpieces as he humbly calls them) from now on. He took me to his studio to see the first of these masterpieces, which he completed earlier that day. It is a two-meter by one-meter painting of the countryside outside of Chiang Mai. I asked him how much the painting would cost... he said that he expects to receive in the region of US$2500 for the painting. After talking some more, he said that he believes in fate and that he would like me to be the person who buys the painting. He said that if I made a reasonable offer that would not adversely affect my budget, the painting would be mine. I offered US$300 and he said okay (I'm sure that it will cost me more to frame the picture). I left with the picture rolled up under my arm after a photographer came around to take a picture of the two of us in front of the painting. This evening I met up with the computer-illiterate Oda and Sebastien. I am helping them create a Web site for their school. Tonight we have put up a simple Web site and informed the major search engines of its presence. Over the next few months, we will put together a more professional site. Thailand, 21 Feb 2002 Today I took a very long tour into northern Thailand. I was very lucky to have a great guide (Tom), who provided explanations for many of the curiosities that I had accumulated in recent weeks. He explained how he avoided the military service in Thailand by attaining sufficient grades in school and attending weekend camps. He also explained how Thai people believe that if their children become Buddhist monks, they have a better chance of attaining nirvana. For that reason, many Thai males spend one month of their teenage years as a monk. The first stop on our tour was the caves at Chiang Dao. These enormous caves house several Buddhist relics. A very large carp pond and traditional Thai gates adorn the entrance to the caves. The passageways were large enough for me to walk without stooping, a novelty for me. We then made our way to the town of Tha Thon on the border with Myanmar (Burma). We visited a very large Budda on a hill overlooking the town. A strong mist added a touch of mysticism to the views from the hill. Tom (our tour guide) explained that the mist was seasonal. He said that during the dry and wet seasons, the views are crystal clear. We then visited a longneck hill tribe village. They are called the longneck hill tribe because the women of the village wear a coil around their necks that makes them appear to have very long necks. However, this is an optical illusion. They also have coils around legs. I held one of the coils... it weighed a hefty five kilograms. We were told that the coils serve two purposes; firstly they provide protection against insects and secondly they are decorative. At the village, I struck up a conversation with a young lady selling souvenirs. She told me that her tribe, and all of the long-neck tribes, have come from Burma. She said that the Thai government, in an effort to boost tourism, use financial inducements to encourage them to migrate to Thailand. She said that the Thai government also promise education and healthcare for the young of the village. She is 22 years old and grew up speaking Burmese. Since she moved to Thailand a couple of years ago and has since learnt to speak Thai and English. After sitting and talking to her for a while, I felt that I should purchase an souvenir from her, even though I didn't really want any of the souvenirs on offer (well, that's one gift for a family member taken care of!). Then we visited a Maung village on the way back to Chiang Mai. The Maung villagers are descended from Chinese people who fled to Thailand to avoid persecution. These are the wealthiest minority in Thailand, driving new sports utility vehicles and having satellite dishes on their homes. While the guide on our previous visit to a Maung village tried to convince us that their drug harvesting and production was a thing of the past, our present guide made no such pretense. He told us about the opium fields that are constantly being discovered by authorities, the opium distribution networks, and the metamphetamine factories. Our guide explained the frequent road blocks that we encountered during the day as attempts by the authorities to discover drug shipments. Thailand, 22 Feb 2002 Today I took the bus to Chiang Rai. When I got to the bus station, I was given the choice of waiting thirty minutes for a fan-cooled bus or waiting one and a half hours for an air-conditioned coach. I decided to be adventurous and join the throngs of people on the fan-cooled bus. The heat was not a problem, with relatively pleasant temperatures throughout. But other aspects of the journey were not so pleasant. My seat was so narrow that I could not fit my entire caboose on the cushion, so I sat in discomfort for the entire journey. And the bus shook so much that I could not read the words in my book. Given the choice again, I will take the air-conditioned coach. I was supposed to meet Davie in Chiang Rai today. However, Davie discovered that he cannot take a bus from Pai to Chiang Rai. Instead, he must go back to Chiang Mai and then onto Chiang Rai. I will now catch up with him in a couple of days at the border with Laos (in Chiang Kong). To me, Chiang Rai is unremarkable. Maybe this is because I am now accustomed to Thai towns and cities. The intricacies of Thai life no longer provide novelty for me. I think I am going to leave tomorrow and go to Chiang Kong where I will meet Davie in a day or two. Thailand, 23 Feb 2002 I got up early and took the bus to Chiang Kong. I did not have a choice of buses, with only the local bus making the 3-hour journey. Surprisingly, I was the only westerner on the bus. Sitting next to me on the bus was an elderly gentlemen with a rooster on his lap. The journey was uneventful, aside from the occasional cock-a-doodle-doo from the rooster. Chiang Kong is a sleepy town that has grown up around the border crossing between Northern Thailand and Laos (or the Gate to Indochina as the sign at the border says). Most people in this town are either going to Laos or coming from Laos. Because the border has been closed for a few days, the population of this small town has reached capacity and rooms are difficult to find. I was lucky to get hut at the much-recommended Bamboo Lodge Guest House for about US$2 a night. When I arrived in Chiang Kong, I met Tony from the reiki course. We spent the afternoon hanging out and playing pool. We have discovered that the border with Laos is closed while they conduct an election in Laos. Laos is a "democratic" state with one legal political party - the communist party. I wonder who is going to win the election. We must wait a couple of days before the border opens and we can cross the Mekong River into Laos. Thailand, 24 Feb 2002 Today was a lazy day, awaiting Davie's arrival and the reopening of the border with Laos. Most of the day was spent on the peaceful banks of the Mekong river, looking across at Laos. I enjoyed a bit of reading, a little chess, and a few more games of pool with Tony. We have become barflies at the 999 bar. It is the only western-style bar in Chiang Kong. Guy (from Finland) and his Thai wife are the proprietors of this pleasant little establishment. Guy has an unfortunate name for someone living in this part of the world - guy is the Thai word for chicken. Guy is renting the property housing his bar and restaurant for a mere US$100 a month. He has paid his rent in advance for the next three years and has secured an option for extending the lease for a following three years at the same terms. The business and liquor licenses are a mere formality in this part of the world. Other bar flies in our jovial group include the aforementioned Tony, John (originally from Boston, but now lives in Bangkok), and Noel (from County Clare in Ireland). Davie and Julia (from Tennessee) join our ranks when they arrive in the late afternoon. Julia is a young lady that Davie met on the bus to Chiang Kong. Tonight I fell off the wagon, enjoying a green curry with chicken and a bottle of beer. I will attempt to resume my cleansing diet tomorrow. Spending: US$1525 for 40 nights, including:
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