And here they are…10 days in the Kingdom of Thailand Post Cards by Sean and Ju!
What a wonderful holiday in what is still one of the best places to take a break in Asia.
A late afternoon flight on Gulf Air (hum better not), to Bangkok, then bus number 2 to Khao San Road. It is the start of high season and the crowds have come early this year. A torential downpour greeted our arrival on the strip and we quickly made our way to the nearest hotel which turned out to be Top Guesthouse, a small noisy room with a barely adequate ac to dry out our things… B450 for the night. After changing into dry clothes, we headed downstairs for Juliana’s first taste of Thai, Pad Thai’! A couple of Singa Beers and some tasty shrimp chips in the guesthouse restaurant, watching the coming and goings of “the great unwashed masses”, who were looking deciededly cleaner than the last time I saw them. But then it is only the start of high season. Ha ha… After our tasty dinner which cost somewhere around US$10, we went for a walk down the … This place is something you just have to see if your ever in Bkk. One night in Bangkok…
Good Morning, up early for a quick breakfast of fresh fruit and yoghurt. Then a Tuk Tuk ride to the Grand Palace, phew where did all the tourists come from…
Emerald Buddah and tourists, got ta love it…
Then a train from Thon Buri northeast to Kanchanaburi.
Now this is what we are talking about. The Thai country side… in all its wet season finery, green, green, green… Arriving in Kanchanaburi some three and three quarters hours later. We chose the Bamboo House a little out of town closer to “the bidge” to avoid the floating kareeokee bardges on the river… A good choice. That night walking to dinner along the main road we encountered our first elephant. A young male about 13 years, whos mahutes relieved us of B100 for some bananas to feed the gentle giant. Tasty dinner number one at Apple Guesthouse and Noi the gracious host. After dinner we went for “damn good Thai massage number 1?, oh so heavenly we followed it with an hours foot massage… Falling asleep to the sounds of the river, frogs, crickets, unmuffeled V6s and disco boats…
A peaceful nights rest at the Bamboo House got us up early to rent a Suzuki Jeep to head out and see some TIGERS. For B850 + B900 for petrol $ B25/l.
Driving north, north west to Erwan National park and the Seven Level Waterfalls. The Suzuki had seen better days, but was one the vintage that you could take the front section of the roof off, which is exactly what we did. It was a lovely drive thru green country side, lush with greens and gold. The Erwan National Park has an ingeious system to stop visitors leaving trash inside the park. They search your bag and mark your water bottle, which is then registered and you have to leave a B10 deposit if you want to take it into the park. So, qusestion, is there a B500 fine if you lose your bottle?
Then to the “tiger temple”:: ??????????????? ??????????? ?.????????? - Tiger Temple, Thailand ::
Now this is an experience we debated about taking. Well, really as this holiday was all about seeing Elephants and Tigers, the decision was made. If you read all the debate about this place, one thing is without question, a chance to get this close to these great creatures is moving. I must say I feel for the Tigers as it would appear they were somewhat tranquil. Wacked Out Tiger, hum not in Thailand! Regard this as a sign of the times. However sad it may seem.
Just to keep the whole day interesting we then had a 60km drive back Kanchanaburi, roof off raining and in the dark. Ooo.
Tasty dinner number two at Apple. Pad Thai and Garlic Prawns, and the spring rolls are divine if brief. Damn good Thai Massage number two…
If there were disco boats and crickets, we didn’t hear them after that.
Day three, Tasty Breakfast number two at Apple Guesthouse and many thanks to Noi for the fine food and information.
Then a two and something hour mini bus ride to Bangkok. Back to the Khao San to our friendly travel agent
Charlie Connection Travel & Tour: Thailand, Asia, Airfares, Tickets, Air, Bus, Train, Hotels, Reservations
To pick up our first class overnight train tickets to Chaing Mai.
If your in Thailand and have to spend the night getting to someplace and want the best way to travel. The first class overnight service is great. Arriving in Chaing Mai about 7:30am your somewhat rested and ready to go. We bundeled out into early morning Chaing Mai, Thailand other capital… one that runs at a much more sedate pace that its big sister to the south. We allowed the taxi driver to take us to a new place, the Chaing Mai Thai House Hotel on Soi 2… It is a new place and the owners seem very much concerned with making money, but as this is the start of high season. The room was bright and airy and the pool was cool.
Chaing Mai is a bit of a mixed bag as far as restaurant choices, choice there is plenty.. but its a bit hit or miss. Pad Thai is the safest bet, everyone does one, the non asian alternative is pizzah, and here is where you take your chances. Pizzah in Thailand can be interesting or just plain bland.
The first day we spent in Chaing Mai, visiting Wats (temples) around the town. And we made arrangements to rent a car the next day from Pop Car Rental. POP CAR RENT 51 Kotchasarn Rd. ChiangMai 50100 tel 276014. We got a
and drove it all over the place.
That first day we headed out of Chaing Mai, north on the 107 toward Mai Rim Mesa Elephant Camp is a reason to get out of bed. Elephants, I dunno, in Africa we are terrified of Elephants, but here in Asia the elephants are different, when you talk to them they listen and when they touch you, it is as if they are saying, hello, I see you and I am not afraid of you - your just a dumb tourist - come to watch me do trick. Ok, Give me a banana and watch as I make it dissappear… No really being with Elepants is truely amazing. The strength and gentleness in their great big trunks, it is as if the trunk is a whole being on it own and you forget that it is attached to the rest of this giant. So at the Mesa Elephant Camp they have around 100 Elephants of various ages and by the looks of it the sole purpose of these elephants is to amuse the tourists. They put on quite a show too. Elephants playing football, elephanst pushing big logs around, elephants playing musical instruments (not so well), and Elephants painting (Very Well - wow). We stayed at the elephant park for quite a while, went to see the baby and ate a Pad Thai too. The baby elephant is just born in September 28 a few days after Ju’s birthday… He was a fiesty little fella and very cute.
Next it was off to see some very over priced Monkeys Show, which we deceided to give a miss as monkeys in cadges is just not so cool…
So we drove north up the 107 to the beautful Chiang Dao caves. Spiders, buddah, and darkness… situated in a scenic little temple village at the base of a massive carst… one of the longest cave complexes in the world…
So by this time is is already getting late a we deceided that a long drive to Pai in the dark is not going to be good so we head back to Chaing Mai for the night.
Next morning we were up early and headed out for the long long drive to Mae Hong Song… vis Doi Inthanon (Thailands highest peak). We made the peak after a 5+ hour drive. It was raining and cold at the top and the clouds obstructed the view, but it was worth it. From there we continued on toward Mae Hong Song, along some very very winding mountain roads. We stopped along the way to admire the view, the greenery, rice paddies, bamboo plantations and hillsides covered in corn and flowers. Very pretty indeed.
Mae Hong Song is a beautiful little town with a temple by a small lake, and another two on hills oposite each other view views of both sides of the lake and town. Somehow our travel temple luck was holding as the next evening was a famous national holiday Chulalongkorn Day where all Thai people light candles and send them off in little boats or float them up in the air on ballons. But the night of our arrival at 3am across the lake at the temple the guy on the loud speaker and the bad music and all blarring as loud as all get up. The walls of our guesthouse were vibrating from the racket. Chulalongkorn Day, well at least it wasn’t taxi horns… Chulalongkorn Day, please have a look at the pictures it was something else, especially the 4-5 competeing sound systems, opera, prayers, chinese opera, more prayers and such… It was a lovely dream of a happy day, floating dreams up into the sky…That night we slept like babies our stars shininy bright above us. Chulalongkorn Day.
The next day we got up early and drove back to Chaing Mai down the 108. It took a good six hours and by the time we got to Chaing Mai we were ready for a swim in the pool at Top North Guesthouse, Pad Thai and a shopping.
Ju had been waiting for this the whole trip and as was our luck, we walked out to go to the night market, only to find that it was SUNDAY and the SUNDAY market was open. On a street very close to our hotel running the whole length of the street, 2-3km, was one big huge market with thousands and thousands of people out enjoying the cool evening and a chance for a bargain. Well Juliana was in heaven, a good chance to get all those gifts for everyone back in Brasil. So we shopped for a couple of hours. Bargaining being half the fun. Once we were sufficently laden with purchases we headed back to the hotel and another massage. All the while more people sending hot air ballons toward the heavens, it would appear that Chulalongkorn Day, is actually Chulalongkorn WEEK!
Waking up early we headed out for a tasty breakfast of banana pancakes, fruit and more shopping for Ju.
I found a couple of used Paulo Coelho books for the journey home, this was it, day nine of our visit to the land of temples, tigers and elephants… Once again, thanks to the ever friendly Thai People, Kup Kun Cap!
Departing Chaing Mai on Train #51 5:45 pm, arriving Don Mun Airport 5:30am… a three hour wait for our flight to HKG and the end of 10 days in the Kingdom of Thailand.