The SE Asia tour

May 14 2000: Bangkok

Issue 2 of the Ben and Samantha travel diary. A bit shorter this time too.

As of writing we're still in Thailand, though are leaving for Cambodia and Angkor tomorrow morning. We're really looking forward to this part of our journey. Since last I wrote, we've been up to Northern Thailand, where we spent just under a week. Most of it was in the rather nice provincial city of Chiang Mai. Here we managed to do a one day Thai cookery course (set outdoors, and with gas: hurrah!). The best two dishes we made were a chicken in coconut-milk soup and steamed banana cake. Both superb.

The evening saw us watching a local band do covers - including a very accomplished version of Steely Dan's "Rikki Don't Lose That number". The band were later joined onstage by the local Hendrix impersonator who was good, but a bit of a show-off.

The next day we hired a small motorcycle and, contrary to local custom, we wore crash helmets. Destination was Soi Duthep: a temple (or Wat) set high up in the hills over the city. Motorcycling was good fun. The way down was a but hairy as the clouds suddenly came in and we couldn’t see more than 5 metres. We decided to go for it as it clearly wasn’t going to lift. Got very wet, though we had dried out completely by the time we got back to the city.

The Night Bazaar proved to be reasonably diverting. Plenty of silk and hill-tribe stuff, much of which is quite good. We've generally tried to refrain for buying stuff as we then have to lump it around - and we don't have much money. Bought some cheap judo trousers which have proved handy in stopping some of the mosquitoes from getting through. I'm getting bitten a lot. Aaargh!

We stopped overnight in Sukothai on the way back to Bangkok. This is a site of many ruined and some restored temples that are a World Heritage Site. Sukothai was the capital of the Thai empire from 250 to 1350. It was rather tranquil and beautiful, though this was somewhat marred by the cars that are allowed in and around the site and their blaring radios. We saw some of the site on much more civilised sit-up-and-beg bikes. Our guesthouse for the night was beautiful and really friendly. One of the members of staff was not even a Manchester United fan, but a Spurs fan and even had a Ginola shirt, though he may have to erase that next season...

Back in Bangkok, we picked up my oldest friend, Steve, from the airport. We spent another couple of days wandering around (including a 'show' in the notorious Patpong). But that's another story. Not a pretty one either. Bangkok is full of stray dogs too. Everywhere. They're a pretty docile lot and spend most of their time asleep on pavements - and, I guess, reproducing. Also back to the hassles of 'friendly strangers' who try and persuade you to go to certain shops to buy overpriced goods on which they get commissions and the taxi drivers who offer you ludicrously cheap city tours and do the same. All part of the rich tapestry of life!

The three of us then stared out on our mammoth journey to the southern Thai island of Ko Pha Ngan. It took 20 hours, though the worst bit was overnight on a noisy bus with a growling diff. The boat ride was really nice, just gently gliding over the turquoise (and very warm) sea of the Gulf of Thailand. I felt like jumping off a few times, just to luxuriate in it all.

We eventually got to Hat Rin beach. It's a beautiful beach though a little spoiled by noise. There's a world famous all-night rave there every full moon. We avoided this but it wasn’t what we wanted. A minor robbery from our hut (while we were asleep in it) encouraged us to look elsewhere. This was our second loss so far, with some cash being stolen from being deeply packed in a bag in our hotel room in Kuala Lumpur.

We found our sanctuary at The Sanctuary - fortunately not an all-women establishment (as it is in London - though no relation). Accessible only by a 10 minute boat ride from Hat Rin beach it was very quiet and secluded. We spent the next six nights there, just relaxing and talking to other travellers and eating the excellent vegetarian food. They did yoga and rebirth and whole load of other gumph like that but I was content to read, talk, play chess, sit on the beach and swim - and vegetate.

One afternoon was spent fishing with a very interesting Londoner called Mooney who had lived in Thailand for the last 12 years. He's done more weird and wacky jobs that anyone I've met, including Lewis Rabkin (for those who know him)! One feature of the night time there is all the fishing boats with huge lights. Enquiries revealed they were squid boats. At night the squid are attracted to the lights. A boat can catch up to 300 kilos of squid in one night! The spiders and geckoes of the island were impressively large too. We managed to avoid seeing any snakes and other nasties. There's a awful lot of a stuff in there waiting to get you.

We'll be incommunicado for a few days - probably until we get to Ho Chi Minh City. Apparently the internet hasn't really hit Phnom Penh.

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