Thailand

Thursday 24th October – Kathmandu to Bangkok

Well my stay in Nepal is over and once again I have thoroughly enjoyed the beauty of the country and the hospitality of the people. I would like to think that I have one more trek left in me and it maybe up to Jemma to help make it happen. James sister Michelle has been absolutely fabulous. She treated me like one of the family and from the first minute made me feel welcome. It was a treat not staying in Thamel and it added to the adventure when trying to give directions and negotiating fares with the taxi drivers. Speaking of taxis my driver from yesterday was keen to earn another 500 rupees and will deliver me to the international terminal at 10:30am.

My flight is not until 1:30 pm and as most people know I do not like hanging around. The exception to the rule is when I can take advantage of a business class lounge and have a free lunch with a glass or two of wine. The driver was waiting for me when I left the hacienda and the subsequent trip to the airport went smoothly. An additional advantage of arriving early was that the check-in and immigration was hassle free. The business class lounge is a quiet and salubrious experience compared to the chaos of the downstairs waiting area. The normal cost to enter this lounge is $US44 per person which means that the priority pass has saved me nearly $US20. It is back to the rigours of economy class once I board my Thai flight to Bangkok. I guess that I will delay the inevitable as long as possible.

The flight departed about 50 minutes late due to all the domestic flights that were landing. I was very lucky with the seat allocation as I had a spare seat next to me which allowed me to spread out. This time my in-flight entertainment was working so I whiled away the time by watching the movie “white House Down”. It wasn’t a bad action flick. I didn’t really need the meal they served but I could not resist the lamb cutlets which were sensational. On landing I sprinted the one kilometre to immigration, ducked under the rope and joined a queue with only eight people in it. I was feeling very pleased with myself but that all changed when the passenger in front of me had problems with his passport. All the other queues were moving steadily while I just stood and waited for twenty minutes until his problem was resolved. The best laid plans of mice and men!

My bags were one of the last ones on the carousel. I made my way to zone 4 and like Toby eventually found the girl who organised the free shuttle to The Silver Gold Garden Hotel. Alice the girls and I stayed here in 2008 and at $28 a night including breakfast and airport transfers it is a real bargain. At 8:00pm I arrived at the hotel and had to hustle Toby from his air conditioned room so I could unload my bags. Toby was looking relaxed and we went out for a Pad Thai meal at the hotel restaurant. The food was good but I had obviously eaten too much over the course of the day. Back in the room I regurgitated a fair quantity of partly digested food. I feel much better now!

Friday 25th October – Bangkok to Chang Mai

Toby is definitely not a morning person but I hope to change that over the next three weeks. We were up at 7:00am for an early breakfast and a couple of strong coffees. At 8:30am the shuttle bus took us to the airport for our 10:40am flight to Chang Mai. As there is plenty of time we took up a position in the food court and ordered a couple of coffees from, of all things, a Coffee Club franchise. I had my Coffee Club VIP card with me so I thought I would try and get a discount. Too my surprise the waitress gave me 10% discount and as I always say “Little Fish a Sweet”. Toby bought an ice cream from McDonalds which gave us access to one hour of Wi Fi.

Our flight departed on time and fifty minutes later it touched down in Chang Mai. For 120 baht a deluxe minivan delivered us to the Suriwongse Hotel which is located just 50 metres from the night bazaar. It is a four star hotel which Alice and I stayed at in 2005. Our room is huge, well appointed and has cost only $45 a night with a buffet breakfast. I think the price was cheap as the old section that Alice and I stayed in is being renovated.

Toby and I went out for a Thai lunch of spicy papaya salad and then went and booked some tours for the following days. Also booked some VIP bus tickets for the road trip to Chang Rai. The cost of the tickets was 288 baht ($10) per person. Not content with a tour we decided on a Thai massage each from one of the many parlours that line the main street. I had a foot, shoulder and head massage for 180 baht while Toby spent 300 baht on a full oil massage. At this price it is likely that I will have a couple more. Prior to dinner we made a couple of purchases at the night market. It was a fairly late night as we decided to have a few beers after our seafood dinner.

Saturday 26th October – Elephant Riding and Bamboo Rafting

Up bright and early for a buffet breakfast before we are picked up for our all day tour which has cost 900 baht ($30). Our first stop was for a 45 minute elephant ride through the mountains which are about one hour from Chang Mai. Toby enjoyed himself as the mahout let him ride on the elephants neck for the last part of the ride. He had a bag full of bananas which he fed to the elephant by taping her on the head. On this signal it would curl up its trunk and take Toby’s fruit offering.

We had a short stop at a Karen Hill tribe village where we were able to observe some of their daily life. They really live in primitive conditions but they all appear to be happy. There were a couple of pig carcasses hanging from poles which seemed to be a favourite for the flies. Toby exchanged a couple of his valuable cigarettes with the locals and in turn they let us have a pretend puff on their opium pipe as well as a banana leaf rolly. After a long walk we reached the Maewang waterfall but because of recent heavy rain it was not suitable for swimming. Another kilometre of walking along a fairly muddy track brought us to the Long Neck Kayan village. There were no long necks to be seen however for 200 baht we would be allowed to go and photograph a couple. All of the people on the tour declined the offer and instead spent 10 baht each firing a crossbow at a cardboard target.

Our very gay lady boy guide whose name was Gae (very appropriate) kept us moving towards our lunch destination. I kept us entertained by singing Village People songs. Our lunch was a vegetarian stir fry served with rice and accompanied by soup and fruit. It must have been good as there was nothing left at our table. When lunch was finished it was off to the river for some bamboo rafting. Toby and I took the front raft and he started squealing when I splashed the cold river water over him. It wasn’t long before we had also soaked the Singaporean couple behind us as well as the German family on the other raft. The rafts are captained by locals who use long bamboo poles to move and guide the rafts. The river was running quite strongly and it was exhilarating as we sped over submerged rocks and ducked our heads under low hanging tree branches. Towards the end our young captain gave us both an opportunity to guide and propel our unwieldy craft. The rafting was a lot of fun and also the last activity of the day.

Back in Chang Mai Toby has decided to try his hand at bartering for more goods. Judging by the number of items that he has bought, I think he is starting to get the hang of it. It is another early start tomorrow so we are back at the hotel a lot earlier tonight.

Sunday 27th October – Smart Cook Thai Cookery School

This morning we were picked up and taken to a little food market for a tour. Our guide identified a number of the different vegetables that we would be using throughout the day. Before heading out to the cooking school’s country farm we had a 40 baht fruit smoothie which was delicious. We are pretty lucky as there are only three of us partaking in the class today. The last part of our journey to the farm was undertaken by bicycle down some country lanes. The farm is more of a country garden that provides the majority of the ingredients for the course. The other participant is a Welsh lady named Tanya and our teacher is a relatively young Thai girl who goes by the name of Tan. Her English was quite good which made her instructions easy to understand. The course was made easier as most of the ingredients were pre cut.

For lunch Toby cooked himself some Pad Thai (fried noodle Thai style) and a Chang Mai style hot and sour chicken soup. He did not muck around in devouring them so they must have tasted fine. I tried my hand at stir fried holy basil with chicken and a delicious hot and sour prawn soup. After we had eaten I jumped on the bicycle and went for a 30 minute ride around the local neighbourhood.

After lunch I pounded out a massaman curry paste with mortar and pestle while Toby made a red curry paste. With our pastes we made up some chicken curries which had a bit of a kick to them thanks to the magic of chillies. To finish off I made a spicy papaya salad and for desert a sweet sticky rice with mango. Toby tried his hand at vegetarian spring rolls and deep fried banana. There was plenty of food left over which we bagged up for dinner. The class was excellent and we both think that we may be able to recreate some of the dishes thanks to the accompanying recipe book.

Back in town we arranged for a one hour foot massage as it is pretty tough work cooking up a five course dinner. On our way back to the hotel we could not resist the ranting of a mad Turkish man with his Thai assistants selling chicken kebabs for 50 baht each. Toby is a fan of Thai Boxing so we have arranged to go to a stadium tonight to watch a few bouts. We were given seats in the second row which cost 400 baht ($13.50). Our hostess soon had a cold beer in our hands and considering the occasion the price was reasonable. There were six fights on the program plus one novelty fight. The action was fast and furious and none of the fights went the distance. I managed to pick 3 winners out of the 6 fights that were contested. The novelty fight was a hoot. There were three fighters in the ring but the catch was that they were blindfolded. They went at it hammer and tongs and the only knock downs were when the referee was snotted. This happened on more than one occasion. All in all it was a reasonable night of entertainment.

Monday 28th October – Chang Mai to Chang Rai

Today we travelled on the Greenline VIP bus to Chang Rai. The 288 baht was well spent as the seat configuration gave us ample room to stretch out. The journey is just under 200km and takes about three hours. The road wound its way through lush countryside, farmland and mountain ranges. I don’t know why it is but bus, airline and train companies insist on making your journey a painful experience by slowly freezing you to death. The other problem with the cold is that one needs to make frequent trips to the loo. Luckily our bus is fitted out with a very clean water closet. The process of actually going to the toilet was another experience. Try and imagine the balancing act required as the bus lurched from side to side as it negotiated the windy mountain roads. After banging my head and shoulders on the walls and roof of the tiny cubicle I managed to get myself into a safe sitting position and then braced myself with a hand on each wall. Ah instant relief!

We arrived at the bus station around 1:00pm and were soon on a motorised tuk-tuk to the Laluna Hotel and Resort (1400 baht/night). This is a four star hotel and our bungalow is set in a beautiful garden surrounded by hibiscus and palm trees. The room is large and the bathroom is big enough to hold a party in. I think Toby is getting spoiled as he can’t wait to get stuck into the buffet breakfast. After settling in we hired a couple of bicycles and headed off to the town centre. I arranged a tour for tomorrow and made enquiries about the cost of transportation for our run to the Laos border.

Back at our hotel Toby went for a swim while I purchased a couple of beers. It was relaxing sitting on our patio in the twilight sipping on some ice cold Chang export lager. For dinner tonight we found a restaurant along the same road as our hotel. Both of us decided on a hot and not too spicy seafood soup. I’m glad that I ordered not so spicy as after the first few mouthfuls my mouth was on fire. I tried in vain to quench the fire with cold beer but in the end all I could do is wait for the heat to subside. Should be interesting in the morning!

Tuesday 29th October – On Tour in Chang Rai

I woke up this morning with more than just a rumble in my tummy. It is fortunate that our tour pickup is not until 9:00am as both of us have made mercy dashes to the toilet. Three trips and I can still feel spasmodic stomach cramps.

Our tour has only cost 700 baht ($24) per person and includes a 50 baht allowance for lunch. We were pleasantly surprised when our guide picked us up in a near new Isuzu. Another young couple will be accompanying us on the tour. The young girl from France and her boyfriend from Italy have been on the road in South East Asia since July. It is a small world as prior to that they had spent the last year living at Milton, Brisbane in the View apartments on Coronation Drive.

Our first stop today was at the White Temple. Construction started in the 1980’s and is still a work in progress. The artisans are painstakingly gluing small mirrors to the entire facade. The completed works that are surrounded by ponds and beautifully kept gardens give the whole place a feeling of serenity. One interesting aspect was the mural that is still being completed in the main temple. It is very surreal and reminds me of Dali’s works. There are superheroes, scenes of destruction like the twin towers, death and angels. I have no clue as to what the artist is trying to convey. Next stop on the opposite side of town was the black house. In terms of design it is also at the opposite end of the spectrum when compared to the white temple. The Thai designer/artist commenced building here over 35 years ago. It seems to be a fusion of Thai, Balinese and African. In the main hall there were wooden tables that could seat over 200 people. What I thought was a long table runner turned out to be several giant Python skins. The main motif all around the property were the skulls of long deceased buffaloes. Toby was excited when he found a cage sporting two large Burmese Pythons.

The highlight of the tour was our visit to a local hill tribe village. The entry fee was 300 baht which goes to the local community. There are five different ethnic tribes residing in this small area. The tribes share the farming land but congregate in separate groups. I suspect that this is done more for the tourists rather than cultural differences. The tribes represented here are the Akha, Lahu – Muser, Palong (big earring), Yao – Lu Mien and the Karen Long Necks. The long necks get the most attention as the brass rings that circle their necks can weigh up to 4 kilograms. Legend claims that the brass rings protect the women from tiger bites however the practice of wearing them helps maintain individual and tribal identity. Our walk through the various compounds was interesting especially when we came across the pen holding the wild boars. There is nothing like the sight of a randy old boar (David) chasing a female (Alice) around and around the pen.

The fifty baht lunch was a real treat. The main meal served with rice and a clear soup was only 30 baht ($1) and tasted great. We made up the difference by washing down the meal with a couple of large cokes. Next stop on our large agenda was the Monkey Cave and yes there were plenty of these annoying hairy beats to photograph. The walk up a steep flight of over 200 steps brought us to the cave. There was no one there so the lights were out in the cave. There was enough light to show the reclining Buddha that makes the location sacred to the Thais. The town of Mae Sai on the Burmese border beckoned us. Our driver took us through the centre of the local market and then to the summit of a large hill. The view of Burma was quite good but it really looked like it was conjoined with Mae Sai. There was a thirty minute opportunity for browsing through the local market. The prices were pretty good so Toby could not resist the urge to buy a few more goods.

It was now after 4:00pm and our next stop was the Golden Triangle. Our view point was on a small hill that overlooked the Mekong River and a smaller river that flowed into it. At this confluence of the two rivers are the borders of Thailand, Burma and Laos. The Meekong flowing brown and wide is around 4900km and the tenth longest river in the world. In this area we also visited the small opium museum and a large golden Buddha which stood on the banks of the river. There are a few nice hotels and restaurants lining the river and it appears that it would be a good area to spend a night prior to heading into Laos. Our last stop on what has been a big day was a 700 year old temple in the town of Chiang Sen. It was dark when we arrived but the temple had lights on as there were monks praying and chanting at the base of the Buddha.

It was after 7:00pm when we arrived back in Chiang Rai and the driver was kind enough to drop us at the night market. I would certainly recommend Thailand Tour (Mr Lotte) for day trips in Chang Rai. After a quick walk through the market we ended up in the huge open air food market. After availing ourselves or a bright yellow metal chair and table we selected an establishment which would fulfil our culinary needs. There was plenty of seafood on offer and I settled on half a dozen tempura prawns for 40 baht and seven vegetarian spring rolls for 20 baht. The food was reasonable and at that price a real bargain.

Wednesday 30th October – Poolside Laluna Resort

After the big day yesterday Toby and I have decided to take it easy. A nice sleep in was followed by a small grazing session at the buffet breakfast. There was even time for a few lengths of the pool prior to heading into town for some lunch. Toby is still on the hunt for bargains and because he shops like a woman I have left him to his own devices. He eventually returned to the hotel with a new pair of jeans.

I have booked a wakeup call for 5:15am as our private transport to the Laos border will pick us up at 6:15am. We are using the same tour company as yesterday and the cost will be 1800 baht ($60) which was the cheapest I could find. Our afternoon swim was cut short by a torrential downpour which was accompanied by thunder. The only thing to do now is pack our bags for tomorrow and have a quiet beer with dinner.