| Thailand Arrival from Australia We flew 9 hours to Bangkok; it took us 4.5 hours just to get out of Australia! We arrived in Bangkok fairly late, and I don't really know what my expectations were for the place, I think I was expecting dirt roads, and overwhelming smells and sounds, just as Jo had described India, but I was pleasantly surprised. It�s a pretty well developed place, the touts etc aren't too in your face and it�s pretty easy to get around so far. It�s a place of extremes, though. Skyscrapers and stunning temples sit next to run down shacks with corrugated iron roofs. Our first hotel was a little out from the centre (not something I�d recommend), so we venture in on the first day to sort out our visas, taking the skyrail (a bit like the underground, but up overtheground), and then a boat for 5 baht (a 67 baht to the pound, pretty cheap). We eat at Gulliver�s, which I think is appropriate; as English people starting out on our voyage in a place far away amongst the little people. Gullivers is on the corner of Koh san, it has a Tuk tuk on the roof. We initially spent just one day in Bangkok and went to a travel agency, we left our passports with them and they sorted out all our visas for us. We also booked a trip down to Ko Chang � a little island down near Cambodia. The trip cost us 3 pounds each way! Ko Chang Our first trip in Thailand is to the beautiful island of Ko Chang. We took a little air conditioned minibus 6 hours and then got a rickety old boat. over to the island � all included in the price. On the way over the boat was listing dangerously to the right so everyone had to move to the other side. Then when we got on the island we jumped on the back of a �sawngtheaw� (pickup truck with seats in the back). The driver managed to squeeze 12 of us in the back, and four standing on the back with all our rucksacks on top. While going up a steep hill my bag flew off and nearly hit a motorcyclist and we couldn�t get up the hill so we all had to get off and walk!! But it was all part of the fun. The first night there was nowhere left for us to stay so we had to sleep in a tent in all our clothes, which after a few bottles of Chang beer isn't so bad. We had met some nice people so we just stayed up late talking to them. Our destination is the backpacker's heaven: lonely beach The next day we get our own little beach hut and pretty much settle into our daily routine: breakfast (scrambled eggs or banana pancakes), lie on the beach & have a swim, retiring to the hammock in the shade when it gets hotter, and then watching the beautiful beach sunset before having a BBQ meal and ending off the day with a drink in the bar on the beach. We got woken up by the cockerels in the morning, and then waited for the sun to go down. The beach was amazing, white sand lined with coconut trees and crystal waters. And that's pretty much it for 5 days. Hippy warning: Jo and I both read 'The Art of Happiness' by HH Dali Lama & Howard C Cutler as we were chilling out on the hammock. Just how much of a lapse into hippyness I don't know. Will update you if there are if any further symptoms develop. There's still an aversion to braiding and dreadlocks which is a promising sign. We head back to Bangkok, organising what we're going to do next. Our second stay was a lot less stressful, as we'd got more used to the place, and realised that the taxi cabs are cheaper & less hectic than those crazy tuk-tuks (a bit like a motorised rickshaw). This time we were staying a lot closer to the centre, and it's far easier to get right into the thick of it. We do some of the more touristy things stating at Wat Phra Kaew & the Grand Palace www.palaces.thai.net , an impressive sprawling complex that includes the temple of the emerald Buddha, and royal palace buildings. Next up we check out Wat Po to see the famous temple of the reclining Buddha. The Buddha is lying down having a nap and is absolutely massive- pretty awe inspiring. In the evening we go to the MBK centre, which is basically a massive shopping centre, with some of the floors dedicated to specialist items like mobile phones. There is a cinema on the top floor there's a cinema, so we went to see "The Ring" (in English with Thai subtitles), and I really enjoyed it (although I found it quite scary). We went to the cinema again and saw "Catch Me if You Can", again in English with Thai subtitles. It's a true story, and as is the way with these films, it says in text at the end what happened to the main characters afterwards. However, all this text was in Thai, so I never got to find out what happened - very frustrating! Before we leave Bangkok, there's one last thing that I have to do, and that is to buy a copy of 'Lord of the Rings', so that I'll have something to do during those long cold nights without a telly. I've wanted to read it since seeing the film, and it would be something that I wouldn't have the time or patience to do back home. The bookshops here are mostly second hand, and charge prices that are pretty much the same as English ones, but eventually I was able to find a place and haggle with them (with Jo's help) to get them down to a price that was still massive in Thai terms, but not as bad as the price first quoted. Chiang Mai We then head North, on the way to Laos, and our main stop on the way is Chiang Mai, the former Capital of Thailand, and second main metropolis here. One of the main ways to get there is to take the overnight train from Bangkok, which is what we do. It's a fairly weird experience - I don't think I've slept on an overnight train since I was I Canada when I was about 8. Jo thought that the train was really cool, as we had bunk beds and around bedtime a little man came around and made up our beds with clean sheets and a blanket. Anyway, it wasn't so bad - we were ripped off over a disgusting breakfast, but that was about it. The highlight was seeing the countryside as we went pass, all manner of fields, farmers and water buffalos, and in the city, little shacks by the railway line, some without the full compliment of 4 walls, but most illuminated by the flicker of a television screen. 15 hrs later we arrived in Chiang Mai - the second largest city in Thailand. Chiang Mai was a lot smaller than Bangkok and way cheaper which was a relief because Bangkok was starting to get very noisy � and generally a bit �in ya face!�. We arrive in Chiang Mai, and the guesthouse that we stay at instantly tries the hard sell on their 2 day trekking tour of the hill tribes. We decide against it, as we're not huge walkers, but I also have reservations about turning the Hilltribes people into a "human zoo". We decide to go on a 1 day tour instead with Piss Poo tours (it�s really called PSS tours, and is run by a lady named Poo). We have a lovely guide called Noi (which is a girls name, but he was the last of many boys in his family, and his mum wanted a girl). We walk for a couple of hours into the hills in the countryside, over a rickety old bamboo bridge and eventually arrive at a Hmong tribe village. It is a village that is visited by several tour groups a day and was pretty commercialised - basically set up to cater for the tourists, with a little market, and a house turned into an exhibit, with everything labelled in English. As such it was a little depressing. Our next stop was at an elephant camp, and we stop to buy some bananas first. We arrive, and it�s an absolutely awesome sight, about a dozen elephants and their handlers milling about. I've always thought that elephants are very special, and to see them so close up was amazing. We feed them the bananas (they grip them with their trunk & then put them in their mouths - a bit like feeding a wet vacuum cleaner), and they get quite keen, advancing on us, which was pretty intimidating. We then have an hour long trek on the elephant, which was a unique experience for me, if a little uncomfortable (had a metal bar poking in my back). I was a little worried that the elephants wouldn't be treated very well, but all seemed to be ok. Our elephant handler just sat on its head, and was content to let the elephant mosey along the track, without needing to force it along. After lunch, we visited a Karen hilltribe village, which was better than the first, the people didn't pay much attention to us, and we could admire their village, with their huts on stilts & pigs kept underneath them in our own time After the Karen Village we went to an ice- cold waterfall and Jo was the only person to jump in apart from the tour leader who was busy having a shower and shampooing his hair!, Next we had a raft down the river - it was a massive raft made of bamboo sticks tied together, and guided by the "captain" at the front with a bamboo pole. It was very relaxing down the flat bits & fun down the rapids. When we get back to our hostel, we find that we can't stay there another night - they're not so friendly once they realise they've missed out on their chance to sell us a lucrative tour package. We're able to find another room without any bother though. Chiang Mai, like most places in SE Asia it seems, has many fine temples and we visit a few of them. Fist, the ruined Wat Chedi Luang, which must have been spectacular in its time, but has since been damaged by earthquakes. While we're there, some young novice monks invite us to join "monk chat". This reminded me of a late night tv ad for a dating chat phone line - "Want to chat and date with monks who have similar interests to you? Come on join Monk chat oh-eight nine eight - 50 -50 -50. Monks are waiting to hear from you!" It was quite a fun experience chatting with them, and end up helping them with their English homework, although they seemed a little more interested in staring at Jo's boobs. They were novices � all monks are novices until they are 20yrs old. Most men spend some time as a monk at some point in their lives. A bit like military service in other countries, Buddhist people have to do some religious service! They are homeless and have no belongings. So they go round doing their alms every morning where the local people give them food. We visit the Crystal Buddha at Wat Chiang Man and onto Wat Phra Singh, where a roomful of praying novice monks are once again distracted by Joanne. Later, we have an hour long Thai massage, but I wasn't too impressed, we're both a little bruised & sore that night. We visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep on top of the hill, overlooking Chaing Mai a little way out of town, we have to walk up lots of steps to get there, and everywhere people are ringing bells. It's very impressive, but I am distracted by the disproportionate number of old western men here with young Thai girls (and boys). You see quite a lot of that here, and it is a little stomach churning at times. Indeed, we've seen quite a few transvestite ladyboys as well. They seem pretty accepted here, and indeed certain parts of the culture seem to celebrate them - they had a show on called 'Simons Dream' in Chiang Mai, and in the reviews of it, the reviewers openly admitted to fancying them. Every night, there is a night bazarre, selling lots of very cool cheap things. We have to restrain ourselves as we still have some ways to go yet & can't go lugging everything around on our backs. There's a monkey farm in Chang Mai, where the tourists can go visit "monkies" (their spelling) being trained "to work on the farm", though quite how the skill of throwing a basketball through a hoop would be applied on a farm, I don't know. The animal welfare part of me forced me to avoid the show, but we instead went to Chaing Mai zoo, which I had heard some quite good things about. It's a big rambling zoo, with enclosures seemingly randomly scattered about, without giving the visitors a map or decent signs to follow, and I found that quite charming, turning around a corner and not knowing what you'd find - so you�d be constantly saying things like "Stone me that's a bloody big hippo". Some of the enclosures weren't great, and I saw some evidence of repetitive behaviour disorders, but by enlarge the welfare of the animals seemed pretty good (even by western standards). I saw some Asiatic Black Bears, which featured in a campaign that we had been working on when we were in WSPA telling people about their cruel treatment when they are farmed for their bile in tiny cages in China. It was a pleasant change to see them in a healthy looking condition, although, better I suppose if they were still in the wild. Next stop Laos! Months Down the Line, returning back to Thailand from Cambodia... Thankfully our border crossing from Cambodia was mercifully brief and we were soon on a new aircon bus on the other side of the border, being served snacks, as we headed along a smooth motorway towards Bangkok. We stay near the Khaosan road (backpacker central), and Bangkok seems a much less intimidating place this time around, now that 3 months of SE Asia have hardened us a little. We have 18 days left in Thailand, and we discuss what we should do next. Our choices are made harder by the fact that Songkran festival is coming up on 13th April and lasts 3 days or longer in some places, and isn�t a good time to be travelling around. It is basically the New Years celebration with a water theme. Monks wash their Buddha images, and everyone else goes crazy, throwing water and flour at people. These days a lot of Thais use big supersoaker waterguns as part of the celebratory water fights. Unfortunately there are a lot of accidents, with drunk driving and lax road safety contributing to the many deaths. When children are throwing bags of water at drunken motorcyclists who don�t wear helmets will inevitably have tragic consequences. One of the places we think about going to, but don�t is Kanchanaburi, famous as the location of Death Bridge- bridge on the river Kwai. Nearby is The Tiger Temple, where tigers roam free under the watchful eye of the temple�s abbot, who keeps them calm while a pack of tourists tentatively stroke and photograph the fearsome creatures. The tigers were born in captivity, abandoned and rescued by the monks as cubs. A sign at the entrance informs visitors that the authorities bear no responsibility for injury or death. Could just be a matter of time. We do however, go on a day trip to Ayuthaya, a former Thai capital until it was practically destroyed by the Burmese in 1767, and famous for its hundreds of Temples. We start at Golden Mound Chedi, a giant white stupa and we already are feeling the oppressive Thai summer heat as we climb to the top. We explore Shrilankan; Burmese and Cambodian style temples, including Wat Phutthansawan with a large reclining Buddha. Next is Wat Phra Si Sanphet, a large ruined complex and Wihan Phra Mongkhon Bophit that houses a large golden seated Buddha. We have a breather at a place that gives elephant rides. A problem facing Asian countries is what to do with the elephants that were once used in industries such as logging. They can�t be returned to the wild � and there isn�t often much of a wild for them to return to. The solution is to use the elephants in tourism � giving rides, and also as rides for the people protecting elephants in the wild from poachers. Is it cruel? I�m not sure � their keepers seem to love and take care of them, they seem well fed and have access to shade, and I�m not sure what the alternative would be. There is a really cute baby elephant there that does tricks, posing for photos and standing on her head. When we stop for lunch, we discover that a Japanese guy from our tour is missing, and despite waiting for a long time and searching for him, he doesn�t turn up. Before we head back, we see a European style Buddhist temple, looking very much like a church, complete with stained glass window. Several hours later when we get back to Khaosan road, we see the nutter of a Japanese man that had disappeared earlier walking down the road, in a new set of clothes. Maybe he got hot and decided to go back on his own steam. Who knows? We decide to take a long trip to a beach on an island, and opt for Ko Pha-Ngan. You can get an overnight bus there from Khaosan, but we opt for a more adventurous route. We get the morning train (the overnight trains all sold out because of the holidays) from Bangkok south to Surat Tani. From there we get a songthow gown to the pier to catch a ferry. Unfortunately there are only 2 day ferries and they both leave in the morning. We have to wait for 5 hours to catch the night ferry that leaves at 11pm. The food vendors at Bat Dan pier seem to be more interested in selling themselves than in selling their food, and spend several hours putting on makeup, and they try to massively overcharge us for our meagre snack, which is a little upsetting. As we wait on the boat, I read �Neither Here Nor There� by Bill Bryson and it strikes me what a boring old git he is � blowing every minor incident out of proportion, always finding something to grumble about, and never venturing anywhere more adventurous than Europe or America. On the night ferry to Ko Pha-Ngan there�s a roomful of people sleeping on mattresses on the floor, and I don�t sleep well. There�s a big Thai guy in the middle of the deck who seems to be staring at me (one of the crew?), and he makes me feel very unsettled and not really in the mood for a deep sleep. Unlike Jo, who hits me when I wake her up at 5am when we arrive. We get a ride to the North of the Island to Hat Khom beach and stay in a place called Coral Bay. I work out that our journey has taken almost 22 hours, and take a well-deserved nap. That evening we take a walk over the rocks to get to the neighbouring beach to check out the town and to buy a hammock. Along the way we see the most perfect sunset that makes me think I have stepped into some saccharine painting. Unfortunately the sun setting also means that it is dark when we attempt to get back, which involves negotiating the same rocks that we scrambled over on the way there; Jo slips and gets a nasty cut on the back of her leg. Fortunately she has over a week of lying on the beach doing nothing in which to recover. Which is what we did. Our routine consisted of breakfast (normally a banana pancake), followed by lounging around on the beach or in the hammock, reading a book and then having something nice for tea. You can live very comfortably for �4 a day. Which means you could pack it all in, and live for 2 years on 3 thousand pounds in a cabin on a pristine island beach. So a few days on we repeat the exodus to Bangkok, stopping at Ko Samui and taking the night train back this time. An odd job is that of the guy that has to wake everyone up in the morning on the night train, and turn them out of bed so he can clean them up. An old northern guy on the train isn�t happy at all about being woken up early in the morning and gets into a bit of an altercation with the �wake up� fellow, who gets the railway policeman to have a word with him, handcuffs at the ready. Trouble is averted when a Thai guy brokers peace talks in which it is agreed that if the old fella says sorry then the matter will be dropped. When I was little, and didn�t want to get up in the morning, my dad would throw my duvet on the floor. In Thailand, it seems that they fetch the police instead. We have a few days to Spend in Bangkok before we leave for London, and much of it is spent shopping. We visit the busy Chatuchak weekend market. It is massive, selling anything and everything, with over 9,000 stalls and attracting about 300,000 people. I�d like to explore it properly, but the oppressive heat means that we evacuate to the air-conditioned charms of the MBK shopping centre where I stock up on monkey themed t-shirts. Our last day in Bangkok is spent killing time waiting for our flight. We bar hop around khaosan road, watching movies and drinking Cokes. By the time we get our flight at midnight I�m not looking forward to the in-flight movies quite so much, having watched 3 movies already that day. But end up watching 3 more films by the time we get to London anyway. Sars free, I might add. So that is where I am now � London, home of dangermouse etc, as I catch up with various things that I missed in the last year; congestion charges, television programmes such as �Your Face or Mine�, my brother looking like a grown up and other assorted oddness. I�m staying in London for the moment, job-hunting, though will be visiting Devon for a bit (going down this Thursday). That�s it then. Back to normal life End of captain�s log. Mark |