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Category Archives: Thailand
Koh Samui day 2
Weather is much the same as yesterday. High tides during the day (it’s full moon) and the strong waves means that the the length of Mae Nam beach is impassable. We hire a jeep and spend the day touring the island ostensibly to see if we can find a beach bungalow in a less commercialised spot that offers the possibility of some good snorkelling. Hot water would also be a plus! We’re also curious to see the rest the island. Samui isn’t a large island and it’s possible to drive round the ring road in just over an hour, but after a late start it takes us the remainder of the day to circumnavigate.
We follow the coast road which in the north-east and south-west diverges from the main ring road stopping off here and there along the way. Most of the coastal strip from Mae Nam, through Bo Phut and Big Buddha beaches and along the east coast through Chaweng and Lamai are heavily commercialised with bars, restaurants, shops (including the ubiquitous 7Eleven and even a couple of Tesco Lotus Locals) line either side of the main road and we don’t linger. Resorts and bungalow complexes crowd onto the beaches which are undeniably beautiful in spite of all the development. The south and south-west of the island is, in contrast, almost untouched, although even here signs of development is emerging.
We are singularly unsuccessful in finding anything remotely better than Moonhut. Either the beaches are too commercialised and built up or are almost deserted with nowhere to stay. There is also a dearth of budget beach-front accommodation that offers hot water. Even at Moonhut bungalows with hot water are two-and-an-half times more expensive than those without. We book another night while we contemplate our next move.
In the evening we go for a stroll along the main road through Mae Nam. The place is deserted with most of the bars and restaurants empty. Where is everyone? We conclude that they must all be in their beach resorts, but even a walk on the beach doesn’t deliver a happening scene as the wind buffets the empty beach bars.
Andy’s glasses have been falling apart ever since we left England; first he lost the screw from the arm and was walking around for months with them held together with electrical tape. Recently he lost one arm altogether and has been wearing them on the squiff ever since. Spotting an opticians we pop in to see if anything can be done to salvage them. They can’t be repaired but the three members of staff couldn’t be more helpful and set about hunting down a new pair of frames that will take Andy’s current lenses. Within twenty minutes we are walking out of the door with the old lenses cut to fit new frames all for 900 Baht (£18)! Now that just wouldn’t happen at home!
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Koh Samui day 1
The train is an hour late in arriving at Surat Thani station, but nevertheless our transfer to the waiting coach is smooth and painless and we are soon on our way to the ferry port at Don Sak. Surat Thani is on the east coast of southern Thailand and is the nearest train station to the ferry port for Koh Samui. It takes about an hour’s drive to get to Don Sak, but despite the train’s late arrival we are in plenty of time to get the 10 am crossing. The crossing is rather choppy and the old ferry creaks as the bows occasionally crash across the waves. We arrive in Koh Samui to a cool, grey and windy morning. Where are the hot, sunny days we have been following in the weather reports? After a bit of haggling with the metered taxi drivers (who apparently routinely refuse to turn on their meters) we agree a fare of 300 Baht for the 15-minute journey to Moonhut Bungalows on Mae Nam beach.
We found Moonhut Bungalows on the internet after some extensive trawling for reasonably-priced accommodation and have booked only a couple of nights initially in case we don’t like it. The bungalows turn out to be set well away from the busy ring road that runs around the island and right on the beach. There is a beach bar and restaurant and the bungalows are well-spaced around a central sandy area. Our bungalow is petite but can hardly be described as bijoux, it doesn’t have hot water or a sea view – but it is set in a tropical garden amongst shady palms on the edge of the beach with its own veranda – and it suits our modest budget! We would, of course, prefer to have hot water and the plan is to look for something a bit better appointed and slightly more off the beaten track. But for the time-being this will suit us fine.
The weather is rather disappointing. It is quite warm but overcast and very windy on the beach. The sea is grey and rough and waves are pounding right up the beach, breaking against the veranda of one of the sea view bungalows. Apparently this bay is supposed to be calm and tranquil with a uninterrupted 2km beach, but because it is full moon the tide is so high when we arrive that it isn’t possible to walk along it and any thoughts of swimming have to be shelved for the time-being. Hopefully this is just a blip in the weather and normal service will be resumed shortly!
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Bangkok day 4
Our last day in Bangkok – we leave on the sleeper to Surat Thani tonight on our way to Koh Samui. We are glad we came to Bangkok , but we won’t be hurrying back. There is definitely more we could have seen – at our slowing pace four days isn’t long enough, but paradoxically it has been more than enough. Bangkok is dirty and choked with car fumes. Streets seem to be either shuttered and deserted or encroached on by stalls which take up the pavement space and make it difficult to walk with any degree of comfort. And always there is a seedy undercurrent. There are so many western men here with Thai women and none look very happy with the situation. How many times we’ve seen these couples sitting in glum silence looking for all the world as if they would rather be anywhere else. On a more positive note, there is some superb Lanna architecture and plenty of it with wats at every turn. There are interesting pockets to explore amongst the dreary buildings and walking down the Soi can throw up some interesting sights like coming across a open-sided boxing gym where a group of westerners are being taken through warm up exercises by a Thai coach or people sitting in the street watching Thai boxing on the TV. We also discover that the network of Soi that run off Samesen Road towards the river have a very different and much more charming cafe atmosphere campared to Khao San Road only a stone’s throw away. The sleeper leaves at 7.30pm and we arrive with plenty of time to spare. We have discovered that in Thailand it’s possible to board the train up to an hour or more before it departs and arriving early makes stowing luggage and settling in much easier – unless of course others have the same idea, which they do today. As we sit on the platform waiting to board three men work their way down the train cleaning the windows and sides of the carriages; one to soap it, one to wipe it down and a third to hose it down. Oh, and a fourth who comes along afterwards with a squidgy to remove excess water from the platform. The sleeper rolling stock is by the far the oldest we have travelled in and although clean has an ingrained grimy look from many years of use. The seating and sleeping arrangements are similar to those on the Chiang Mai to Bangkok train only luggage is stowed on racks in the aisles rather than under the bottom berths. Someone has a child who is spends the hour before the train leaves repeated squealing at an ear-piercingly high pitch and the Thai lady above Andy is sharing her berth with a dog, which is considerably better behaved than the child! But as on our previous journey one the berths are made up passengers retreat behind their curtains to snatch what sleep they can. Continue reading
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Bangkok day 3
Suitably dressed we visit the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Andy’s concession is to wear his zip off shorts adding the leg extensions just before we enter the complex. There is a sign at the entrance that shows, in pictogram form, inappropriate modes of dress.
All of which are quite reasonable apart from the ban on three-quarter length shorts – why these are not allowed when knee-length skirts are acceptable is somewhat puzzling. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the surrounding buildings are breathtakingly beautiful and alone make the visit to Bangkok worthwhile. The most stunning is the temple itself (Wat Pra Kaew) which houses the revered Emerald Buddha, its exterior gilded and covered in glass mosaics which gleam and sparkle in the bright sunlight. The compact complex of buildings is enclosed by cloisters decorated with 178 mural panels depicting scenes from the Ramakien epic. Six pairs of magnificent demon giants, each of differing design, guard he entrance gates to the temple. Crammed into the confines of this area are several other buildings, stupae, prangs (a tiered cylindrical spire), pavillions and mythical creatures. These include Royal Pantheon, the stunning Pra Viharn Yod decorated with porcelain floral designs and the Pra Sri Ratana Chedi, a bell-shaped pagoda covered in gold mosaic. A real feast for the eyes and senses. Within the same grounds is the Grand Palace, the former royal residence, now used by King Rama IX for ceremonial occasions, his current residence being Chitlada Palace in the north of the city. There are several magnificent building that make up the Grand Palace complex but only the interiors of Throne Hall and Dusit Maha Prasat Hall are open to the public.
After lunch in typical open-air street cafe by the ferry pier we wander along the road that runs between the Grand Palace and the river. All along this stretch there are new and second-hand goods laid out on the pavement for sale. Eventually we happen upon another ferry pier. A number of ferry lines serve the Chao Phraya River providing an efficient water-based transport system on a north-south axis to the western side of the city. We stop for refreshment in a riverside cafe before taking the cross river ferry to visit Wat Arun on the opposite site of the river. The central prang towers above the surrounding area and climbing the almost perpendicular steps up to the third level provides a panoramic view of this mainly low rise city.
Back across the river we catch a ferry up river alighting within walking distance of our hostel. The ferry is packed with people but this is definitely a more pleasant way to get around this part of the city. There is plenty of river traffic and a surprising amount of water weed floating on the surface giving the river a rather rural feel.
In the evening we take a taxi to Pat Pong Road in the heart of Bangkok’s red light district. The area is hardly buzzing and empty pole dancing bars and venues offering sex shows seem to be struggling to attract the punters. Even Khao San Road holds more interest than this!
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Bangkok day 2
Our plan is to visit the Grand Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha today, two of the most important sights in the city. But on arrival we discover that Andy is not suitably dressed; sleeveless T-shirt and shorts not being acceptable. Instead we decide ride the Sky Train. There are two lines which run through the central part of the city north to south-east. We take a tut-tut to the nearest station at Victory Monument which is some way from where we are staying near the river. The Sky Train runs on an elevated track similar to the Docklands Light Railway in London, but is a considerably smoother ride We buy a ticket to the end of the line at On Nut to the south just for the experience – we aren’t going with any particular destination in mind. From the train we get quite a good view of the more modern side of the city, but we are not prepared for what awaits us at the end of the line – a massive Tesco Superstore much along the same lines as you find in the UK! Back at Victory Monument a taxi back to the hotel confirms our suspicions that the tut-tut we took earlier significantly over-charged. No more tut-tuts for us – the metered taxis are much better value, they are air conditioned and there are no choking exhaust fumes to contend with.
Bangkok is a dirty city – there are cockroaches in the streets and a glimpse of some restaurant kitchens is enough to make you wonder how people survive eating out. Our hostel, though is clean and well presented. The kitchen, interestingly, is in the reception area and is re-assuringly clean and tidy. Breakfast is a self-service affair and it’s a scramble to get a table as there are not enough for the number of guests. And unusually, guests are expected to wash up their own crockery and cutlery when they finish! A novel arrangement – presumably it keeps prices down.
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Bangkok day 1
We arrive in Bangkok at 7.15am. The station isn’t busy at this time in the morning and we are quickly out onto the forecourt and in a metered taxi. We have booked a hostel just of Samesen Road in Soi 6 one of the narrow maze of streets that run between the main thoroughfares. First impressions of Bangkok are of an ugly, unappealing city cut by huge concrete flyovers and apart from its myriad wats, little to recommend it architecturally. We arrive too early to check-in so leave our luggage in the hotel and feeling a little jaded (and with a cold taking hold thanks to our Belgian friend) we set off to explore the surrounding area. It turns out that we are within walking distance of the famous Khao San Road which along with the surrounding area is well-known for it’s bars, street food and stalls selling ethnic clothes, T-shirts, jewellery and the like, all designed to attract the backpacker crowd. At this time in the morning the stallholders are in the process of setting up all the way along the pavement on one side of Samesen Road and along Khao San Road We head for the Grand Palace, but a friendly Thai explains that it is closed this morning for a Thai celebration and isn’t open to 2pm. But do we know that for 20 Baht we can get a yellow tut-tut to take us on a two-hour tour of the temples courtesy of a special promotion? Is this some sort of scam, we belatedly ask ourselves after we’re comfortably ensconced in the tut-tut?
First stop is the big Buddha, a huge gilt standing statue which towers over the surrounding wat. Our driver assures us the the 20 Baht fare (40p) is correct. At the next wat a very helpful Thai tells us that the government is running a week-long promotion to boost tourist income in the wake of the recent closure of Bangkok airport. Flights into the capital are down from 800 a day to 300 and in an attempt to encourage tourists to spend more the government is givng petrol vouchers to tut-tut drivers when they take their passengers to duty-free shops around the city. So as part of our tour we visit two jewellers, two tailors and a duty-free handicraft centre, where we try to feign a modicum of interest but leave as soon as we can! We see a surprising amount of the city during our tour, skirting around the Dusit Zoo, the Chitralada Palace and the Royal Turf Club and passing in front of the Anantasamakhom Palace which is vaguely reminicent of the White House, as well as a number of wats. The wide boulevards around the Democracy Monument are quite pleasant and the wats are beautiful examples of Lanna architecture, but in the main this is not the most attractive of cities.
Back in Khao San Road in the evening things have really livened up; bars are pumping out loud thumping bass and drums (I hesitate to call it music – that’s my age showing) and everywhere is buzzing. Several Hmong in their very distinctive box hats decorated with shells and silver studs and chains are mingle with other hawkers as they attempt to bracelets, wooden frogs (which make a noise uncannily like croaking when stroked with a small stick) and other items to the assorted crowd who sit in the bars or promenade the streets. We take a seat, order some cocktails and get talking to a couple from Bristol who are coming to the end of a two-week holiday in Thailand.
Thailand day 11 – Chiang Mai
We are catching the overnight sleeper to Bangkok this evening so our last day is taken up with with packing up our belongings, checking out and a few other chores. We re-visit the immigration office to extend our visa before … Continue reading
Thailand day 10 – Trekking
The second day of our trek starts with an early breakfast of toast, eggs and fruit eaten outside at a long bench table. Someone has re-lit the remnants of last night’s fire and we huddle around it in an attempt … Continue reading
Posted in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Tagged Andy's fall, bamboo rafting, Shan village, Thailand, Trekking
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Thailand day 9 – Trekking
We are picked up at about 9.15am by a covered pick-up truck for the start of our two-day trek into the hills north-west of Chiang Mai. There are seven of us on the trip – three young Americans from Kentucky … Continue reading
Posted in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Tagged Elephant ride, Karen Hill Tribe village, Thailand, Trekking
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Thailand day 8 – Chiang Mai
A slight hitch has occurred in the booking of the boys tickets to Thailand. I picked up an email this morning to say that the credit card transaction had been declined! So after a couple of frantic telephone calls to … Continue reading