In the past, whenever I've heard the words Koh Samui it's always conjured up in my mind the vision of a tropical paradise with miles and miles of white sand, cool cabanas and a chilled beach vibe. Catching the ferry from mainland Thailand to Koh Samui, my first glimpse of the island was somewhat different to what I'd imagined. It looked quite ordinary. Sure, there were palm trees and beaches and beach resort hotels but I'd expected somewhere a bit more, well, glamorous. There were ordinary looking houses and businesses like we'd seen on the mainland and, as we reached our destination, the streets with their tourist bars, restaurants and souvenir shops looked suspiciously like Bangkok's Khao San Road.
We were staying in the capital Chaweng so, after checking in and going for a quick bite to eat, we headed off to find the beach. The best beaches we had come across on the trip to date were in Vietnam - Láng Có and Nha Trang. Really quite stunning. I was disappointed with the beaches on Koh Samui but a beach is a beach and the scenery was still very pleasant, if not as stunning as Vietnam. Despite a somewhat hazy day we spent the remainder of the afternoon strolling along the beach, drinking cocktails and eyeing the ominous looking dark clouds in the distance. There are worse ways to spend a Monday afternoon. We walked home through the town later that afternoon during a tropical thunderstorm and had dinner that night at a unremarkable restaurant serving Thai and Western food on the main street. It hadn't happened yet but I was still waiting for Koh Samui to excite me.
I spent the next day sunbathing at the beach, something I very rarely do as I'd rather be out and about visiting places and sunbathing usually bores me. For 150 baht or £3 we hired a sun-lounger on the beach for the day and spent our time lounging, snoozing, being served cool drinks and lunch and taking the occasional dip in the sea to cool off. It felt lazy and decadent to do nothing all day, something I haven't done in a very long time. I enjoyed it and vowed to do more of it in future!
That evening one of our group, our resident Welsh chap, was celebrating his birthday so after showers and a change of clothes, we headed to a nearby restaurant for dinner and drinks. We toasted the birthday boy with 2 for 1 cocktails and enjoyed a piece of birthday cake complete with a red Welsh dragon that our tour leader had organised. Dinner over we all headed to a bar on the beach where the previous night some of our group had been practising their juggling techniques with the resident jugglers. There was a cool, chilled vibe as we laid out on bean bags on the beach, drinking cocktails and watching the guys juggling with fire. One of our group later tried fire juggling herself and did herself proud at her first attempt. It felt like the perfect way to spend an evening. Koh Samui was beginning to grow on me.
Around 1am we left the beach bar in search of somewhere to go dancing and found ourselves at the Green Mango. As dance music pounded out of the speakers we pulled some shapes and demonstrated our dancing prowess to the largely unimpressed clientele. As the night drew to a close and bars started to shut, surprisingly early I thought considering it was supposed to be such a party town, we wandered past the ladyboy bars and pool halls back towards the hotel. It had been a really enjoyable night and more importantly, the birthday boy had thoroughly enjoyed himself.
Next day, having got a little sunburnt the day before and deciding not to push my luck by exposing my skin to a second day of the sun given my track record, I enjoyed a lazy morning having a lie-in before wandering down to the beach to meet the others who were catching a few rays. It had been a relaxing few days on Koh Samui and we'd all appreciated having some much needed rest. The next day was going to be an epic fourteen hour journey as we had another border crossing and another country to travel to.
I spent the last evening on Koh Samui enjoying an impromptu dinner with the birthday boy before heading back to pack the dreaded rucksack ready for an extremely early start the next morning. We were headed to Malaysia, to the island of Penang and the capital Georgetown. Malaysia was a place I knew very little about and wasn't somewhere I would have necessarily opted to visit had it not been for the fact it was one of the destinations on the tour. To my surprise, Malaysia would turn out to be a fascinating, charming place and one of the trip's highlights.
Showing posts with label thailand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thailand. Show all posts
Monday, 18 June 2012
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Bangkok, Thailand : Part II
The bus claimed to be a VIP luxury bus. It lied. If that was VIP I'd hate to see economy. After an excruciating overnight bus journey from Chiang Mai, which had been uncomfortable and sleepless for just about all of us, we were back in Bangkok. None of us had particularly enjoyed Bangkok the first time round and now we were back for three more days. What's more we were saying goodbye to some people who were leaving the tour, people we'd grown very fond of over the previous few weeks. It was a bittersweet feeling.
On the day we returned to Bangkok, grumpy and sleep-deprived, once we'd checked into the hotel and had a brief rest, there was an included excursion to the Grand Palace. We were led around by an over-enthusiastic tour guide who insisted on taking lots of group photos and going into very detailed history of each building. The Palace and the other temples in the grounds were stunning. Among some of the most beautiful buildings in Bangkok. Gold-plated temples, beautifully tiled pagodas, Chinese inspired architecture, there was even a replica of Angkor Wat. The whole site was spectacular and well worth a visit. But we weren't really in the mood. It was hot, we were exhausted, bad-tempered and biding our time till we could leave Bangkok. Tour over, we headed back to the hotel to relax or catch a few hours snooze time.
That night at dinner, we said goodbye to some familiar faces, people we had been travelling with, many for five weeks, others for only a couple. Regardless of the length of time we had spent together, we had all grown fond of each other. Everyone was a character, some louder than others, but as a group of mixed ages ranging from 22 to 66 and mixed nationalities ranging from Australian, Kiwi, American, Canadian, English and Welsh, we had all got on extremely well. As we said our goodbyes and looked back over everything we'd done together, the group dynamic shifted on its axis once again. Nine people from the original group remained. Tomorrow we would be joined by three more people before containing on the final two week leg of the tour.
Lack of sleep finally catching up with me, I headed to the bar across from the hotel for a nightcap then headed for an early night, leaving the others to party long into the night.
Next morning, Saturday, I had booked to take a vegetarian Thai cooking class with a couple of girls from the tour. The proprietor, May Kaidee, collected us and brought us to her cooking school a few streets away. A decade or so ago, May recognised the health benefits of switching to a vegetarian diet and has since become something of a guru promoting vegetarian and vegan Thai cooking.
We cooked three dishes, Tom Yam soup, pad Thai and Massaman curry as well as enjoying a complimentary dessert of coconut mango rice. The basis for each dish - spices, herbs and coconut milk - was quite similar but each dish had its own unique taste and was incredibly easy to cook, each taking less than five minutes. It was a revelation. The tastes were exquisite, the Massaman curry being a particular favourite. Cook books purchased and doggy bags filled we headed back to the hotel, triumphant at having mastered Thai cooking.
That evening we met the last three people who would be joining us, two English and one Irish girl. Next morning we said our final goodbyes to our friends who were leaving, then spent the remainder of the day getting ready to leave Bangkok for Koh Samui. After five weeks of a pretty relentless travelling schedule, we were all ready for a few days R&R at the beach. For the remainder of the afternoon I planned my Australian itinerary, my destination after Asia, and booked travel and hostels in readiness for the next part of my adventure.
After our experience on the overnight bus from Chiang Mai to Bangkok it was with some trepidation that we left for the bus station to catch the sleeper bus to Koh Samui. The bus on this occasion was the height of luxury. Comfortable seats with recline and massage functions, ample leg room, refreshments, pillows and blankets, it was a vast improvement on the previous bus. Curiously though, sleep was not forthcoming for many of us again. The Thai karaoke that was piped through the PA system at 4.30am as a wake-up call was also particularly unwelcome. However, we were on our way to Koh Samui and the promise of beaches, sunbathing and birthday parties.
On the day we returned to Bangkok, grumpy and sleep-deprived, once we'd checked into the hotel and had a brief rest, there was an included excursion to the Grand Palace. We were led around by an over-enthusiastic tour guide who insisted on taking lots of group photos and going into very detailed history of each building. The Palace and the other temples in the grounds were stunning. Among some of the most beautiful buildings in Bangkok. Gold-plated temples, beautifully tiled pagodas, Chinese inspired architecture, there was even a replica of Angkor Wat. The whole site was spectacular and well worth a visit. But we weren't really in the mood. It was hot, we were exhausted, bad-tempered and biding our time till we could leave Bangkok. Tour over, we headed back to the hotel to relax or catch a few hours snooze time.
That night at dinner, we said goodbye to some familiar faces, people we had been travelling with, many for five weeks, others for only a couple. Regardless of the length of time we had spent together, we had all grown fond of each other. Everyone was a character, some louder than others, but as a group of mixed ages ranging from 22 to 66 and mixed nationalities ranging from Australian, Kiwi, American, Canadian, English and Welsh, we had all got on extremely well. As we said our goodbyes and looked back over everything we'd done together, the group dynamic shifted on its axis once again. Nine people from the original group remained. Tomorrow we would be joined by three more people before containing on the final two week leg of the tour.
Lack of sleep finally catching up with me, I headed to the bar across from the hotel for a nightcap then headed for an early night, leaving the others to party long into the night.
Next morning, Saturday, I had booked to take a vegetarian Thai cooking class with a couple of girls from the tour. The proprietor, May Kaidee, collected us and brought us to her cooking school a few streets away. A decade or so ago, May recognised the health benefits of switching to a vegetarian diet and has since become something of a guru promoting vegetarian and vegan Thai cooking.
We cooked three dishes, Tom Yam soup, pad Thai and Massaman curry as well as enjoying a complimentary dessert of coconut mango rice. The basis for each dish - spices, herbs and coconut milk - was quite similar but each dish had its own unique taste and was incredibly easy to cook, each taking less than five minutes. It was a revelation. The tastes were exquisite, the Massaman curry being a particular favourite. Cook books purchased and doggy bags filled we headed back to the hotel, triumphant at having mastered Thai cooking.
That evening we met the last three people who would be joining us, two English and one Irish girl. Next morning we said our final goodbyes to our friends who were leaving, then spent the remainder of the day getting ready to leave Bangkok for Koh Samui. After five weeks of a pretty relentless travelling schedule, we were all ready for a few days R&R at the beach. For the remainder of the afternoon I planned my Australian itinerary, my destination after Asia, and booked travel and hostels in readiness for the next part of my adventure.
After our experience on the overnight bus from Chiang Mai to Bangkok it was with some trepidation that we left for the bus station to catch the sleeper bus to Koh Samui. The bus on this occasion was the height of luxury. Comfortable seats with recline and massage functions, ample leg room, refreshments, pillows and blankets, it was a vast improvement on the previous bus. Curiously though, sleep was not forthcoming for many of us again. The Thai karaoke that was piped through the PA system at 4.30am as a wake-up call was also particularly unwelcome. However, we were on our way to Koh Samui and the promise of beaches, sunbathing and birthday parties.
Friday, 15 June 2012
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Conveniently for us, our hotel was located slap bang on the Laos border crossing. After a quick breakfast, we donned rucksacks and walked down the short walkway to the Laos border. Passports stamped we loaded into speedboats, that's right, speedboats and crossed the river, a journey of only a few minutes, to the Thai border. As border crossings go it was one of the easiest. I would later be disappointed that no other border crossings involved speedboats.
Loading into minivans we were headed to Chiang Rai, for a quick visit to see the Golden Triangle - the point at which the Mekong borders on the three countries of Laos, Thailand and Burma and the site of the infamous opium routes of northern Thailand. We paid a visit to the Opium Museum where we learned that 'bong' is actually a Thai word and discovered the chemical formula for turning opium into high-grade heroin. Always useful to know. After looking at various opium pipes and 'bongs' and discovering the best way to smoke opium (lying down in the foetal position, if you're interested) we headed off to see a giant gold Buddha statue nearby. It was huge. Easily the biggest Buddha statue I saw on the whole trip.
Our final destination before lunch was The White Palace, the highly ornate Buddhist temple and vision of an artist who bought the plot of land and has made it his life's work to design and build these unique temples. They were impressive and quirky, bordering on the slightly insane. I also paid a visit to the best toilets in Thailand, housed in a golden temple.
After lunch, we drove for a couple of hours to Chiang Mai, our destination for the next few days. Arriving late in the afternoon we had very little time in Chiang Mai itself. We wandered past the street food sellers as dusk fell and I tried a kind of pancake/ravioli type food, filled with corn and onion. Slightly sweet, it was different and quite tasty. Unfortunately it was also the prime suspect in a later bout of dodgy tummy.
Wandering around the side streets close to the old city walls, we happened upon a Wat, where monks had just begun their evening prayers. We listened for a while to the hypnotic sound as around thirty monks, all kneeling, heads bowed, chanted in unison.
Heading back towards the hotel, the rest of the evening was taken up with drinks, laughter and good conversation at a local Western style pub. Next day we had an early start and were off for adventures with the hill tribes of northern Thailand.
Next morning after breakfast we were introduced to our guide, Sonny who, for the next two days would help us negotiate the tribes and open terrain around greater Chiang Mai. Splitting into two teams we packed ourselves into two open sided trucks. After a quick stop at the market to buy provisions for dinner, we drove into the northern Thai countryside.
Our first stop was Chiang Dao where we visited some local caves, home to a series of Buddha statues. Our next stop was to visit the Akha, Lisu and Karen hill tribes. We drove off road and into a village made up of a few simple wooden houses on stilts, where women sat splitting bamboo into strips that they would later sell for a few baht. Wild boars and water buffalo were tied up in holding areas while chickens and ducks roamed free. The tribespeople, largely dressed in Western dress, observed the tourists with feigned curiosity. They lived a relatively simple and traditional life reflected in the simplicity of their houses.
As we visited other tribes during the afternoon and saw traditional weaving and handicrafts being done by the women, it became apparent as they did the hard sell on us that it was yet another way for them to get us, the tourist, to part with our money. Interesting though the tour was, it left a taste of cynicism in some mouths.
As the afternoon drew on, with the heat and humidity showing no signs of abating, the brave and enthusiastic undertook a hill trek to that night's accommodation in a traditional homestay in the mountain village of Palong. Meanwhile, the more canny and astute of the group, myself included, opted to take the truck to the homestay, the pay-off being we would carry all the bags to the camp in return for first dibs on the beer, a good hour before everyone else got there. Some of us were on our third by the time the trekkers emerged sweaty and exhausted from between the trees.
After cold bucket showers in very rustic wash-huts, complete with squat toilets, the height of luxury in the middle of the jungle, we relaxed and enjoyed our surroundings. The homestead was a small group of huts around a central campfire, one hut housing a collection of handicrafts by the village that were available for purchase. We were all sleeping in one large woven bamboo hut consisting of simple roll mattresses and mosquito nets. When one person turned over, everyone felt the vibrations. You could see the earthen floor below through the gaps in bamboo weave.
In another hut across the path, tribeswomen from the village were cooking our dinner. Smoke emerged in big, bilious clouds from the chimney and doorway as they cooked over an open flame. Big pots of rice and vegetables were laid out over the floor of the hut waiting to be served up.
Sonny, our guide, led proceedings and dished up the simple but surprisingly tasty food. Among the topic of conversation that evening was everyone's bowel movements. A few people were suffering, myself included, with upset stomachs. One of our group had remained in Chiang Mai after a nasty bout of food poisoning. Though symptoms were less severe, it made for an interesting night as a few of us juggled squat toilets with upset digestive systems.
Entertainment that night was provided by children from the village, dressed in traditional dress who danced and sang around a campfire. As the wind rose, signalling the oncoming storm and blew smoke in every direction, we danced around the campfire with the children before being invited to tip them for their performance.
Performance over, there was little else to do in the jungle apart from talk and drink beer which is what we did, while watching the lightening in the sky and listening to the rain drumming on the roof of the hut, crossing our fingers that the hut was waterproof. It was. As evenings go, it was really quite peaceful, sitting in the middle of the jungle, listening to the rain in the dark.
After a restless night for most, we woke to a breakfast of eggs, toast and tea. The rain had largely dried overnight which was handy as me and a few others from the group were off elephant trekking. The majority had done trekking the day before and reports were mixed. Some reported elephants were being hit on the head or backs of legs. Others said their experience was fine and they hadn't observed any cruelty. With some trepidation I walked to the village to climb the specially built platform where you got on the elephant.
The seat was a metal frame with leather base and padding that mounted on the elephant's back and was secured by chains. Sharing the seat with Jackie, a fellow traveller, we clambered on and quickly got used to the slow, jerky movements as the elephant moved off. Ours was a relatively young elephant and was being 'driven' by a young guy in his late teens or early twenties, who sat on the elephant's neck and steered by means of rubbing his feet behind the elephant's ears. On a couple of occasions the elephant went off track in search of leaves or fruit and was given a smack with a stick on the top of its head but mostly the handler treated the elephant well.
As experiences go, riding an elephant isn't one I particularly want to repeat in a hurry. It was pretty uncomfortable, not to mention inelegant, particularly going downhill where your hips are pushed forward and you have to hold on for dear life. I'm still rather ambivalent about elephants being used for tourist rides. At the end of the ride, Sonny reassured us that the elephants would be rested for the remainder of the day, which made me happier that the elephant's welfare was being put first. (As an aside, about five minutes before the end of the trek the elephant raised its trunk and sent a shower of green elephant snot over me and Jackie. I was wearing a white t-shirt. To this day I've never been able to get the stains out.)
Elephant experience over, we were headed next to the Ping river to do some rafting on specially constructed bamboo rafts. In groups of three, we clambered onto the rafts and sat back to enjoy a leisurely raft down the river being steered by local drivers. Of course, boys being what they are, it wasn't long before the boys from our group who were on opposing rafts decided it would be fun to leap from raft to raft in an attempt to capsize them and pull people into the water. On a couple of occasions our raft almost capsized but, clinging on for dear life for the second time that day, I managed to avoid falling in. A favourite trick of the drivers was to smack the bamboo poles they used to steer off the surface of the water, which resulted in the person nearest getting a soaking. About ten minutes from the end of the rafting trip we successfully manoeuvred a series of small rapids, again without capsizing, although as we scraped the rocks our raft was feeler a bit flimsier than when it had set off. Earlier, the girls on our raft had told me they'd heard my name mentioned and that the boys were determined to get me in the water. I could see the end point in the distance. I began to think I was safe. Suddenly the Thai driver from the neighbouring raft leapt into the water next to us and began to completely dismantle our raft. Needless to say, I fell in. Somehow the other two girls managed to cling onto the bamboo poles, all that was left of our dismantled raft. I swam to the dock and clambered out, soaking wet. I'd loved every minute of the bamboo rafting and had had a great laugh, but I was pleased I had packed extra (dry) clothes in my backpack.
Clothes changed, and with wet ones tied to the top of the truck to get them dry as we drove along, we headed first for lunch then to a series of points of interest - first to see how elephant dung is turned into paper, then to an orchid and butterfly farm and finally to Tiger Kingdom where some of us opted to pay to see the tiger cubs. After washing hands and reading the safety instructions, we were allowed into a large open space where around five or six three-month old tiger cubs were laid with their handlers, some of them sleeping. Handlers invited us to stroke them or lay our heads on their stomachs. Some cubs would allow you to rub their tummies. It was a warm day and the cubs were sleepy and uninterested in wanting to 'play'. Again I wondered about the welfare of the animals. The cubs looked well looked after, as did the other adult tigers we saw outside, but they were still being held captive, some of them in cages, for the benefit of tourists to gawp at and have photographs taken with. Again, it didn't sit well with me.
Our final visit of the afternoon was to see the women of the Long Neck Karen tribe, famous for the brass rings they wear around their necks. The story goes, steeped in legend and local folklore, that centuries ago the women of the tribe were being attacked and killed by wild animals, probably tigers. They always attacked at the same spot on the body, the neck, so to protect their women the tribe started placing rings around their necks. Wild tigers no longer pose a threat but the tradition has stayed. From the age of five or six girls start to wear rings adding to them every couple of years until they reach maturity in their mid to late thirties by which time they can have twenty or more. The rings don't stretch the neck, a common misconception, but the weight of the heavy brass rings does cause the breastplate to be pushed down which creates the look of an elongated neck.
Visit to the tribe over we headed back to Chiang Mai for much needed showers and a brief rest-stop at the hotel before heading off to catch the overnight sleeper bus back to Bangkok. The journey and our return to Bangkok would be bittersweet.
Loading into minivans we were headed to Chiang Rai, for a quick visit to see the Golden Triangle - the point at which the Mekong borders on the three countries of Laos, Thailand and Burma and the site of the infamous opium routes of northern Thailand. We paid a visit to the Opium Museum where we learned that 'bong' is actually a Thai word and discovered the chemical formula for turning opium into high-grade heroin. Always useful to know. After looking at various opium pipes and 'bongs' and discovering the best way to smoke opium (lying down in the foetal position, if you're interested) we headed off to see a giant gold Buddha statue nearby. It was huge. Easily the biggest Buddha statue I saw on the whole trip.
Our final destination before lunch was The White Palace, the highly ornate Buddhist temple and vision of an artist who bought the plot of land and has made it his life's work to design and build these unique temples. They were impressive and quirky, bordering on the slightly insane. I also paid a visit to the best toilets in Thailand, housed in a golden temple.
After lunch, we drove for a couple of hours to Chiang Mai, our destination for the next few days. Arriving late in the afternoon we had very little time in Chiang Mai itself. We wandered past the street food sellers as dusk fell and I tried a kind of pancake/ravioli type food, filled with corn and onion. Slightly sweet, it was different and quite tasty. Unfortunately it was also the prime suspect in a later bout of dodgy tummy.
Wandering around the side streets close to the old city walls, we happened upon a Wat, where monks had just begun their evening prayers. We listened for a while to the hypnotic sound as around thirty monks, all kneeling, heads bowed, chanted in unison.
Heading back towards the hotel, the rest of the evening was taken up with drinks, laughter and good conversation at a local Western style pub. Next day we had an early start and were off for adventures with the hill tribes of northern Thailand.
Next morning after breakfast we were introduced to our guide, Sonny who, for the next two days would help us negotiate the tribes and open terrain around greater Chiang Mai. Splitting into two teams we packed ourselves into two open sided trucks. After a quick stop at the market to buy provisions for dinner, we drove into the northern Thai countryside.
Our first stop was Chiang Dao where we visited some local caves, home to a series of Buddha statues. Our next stop was to visit the Akha, Lisu and Karen hill tribes. We drove off road and into a village made up of a few simple wooden houses on stilts, where women sat splitting bamboo into strips that they would later sell for a few baht. Wild boars and water buffalo were tied up in holding areas while chickens and ducks roamed free. The tribespeople, largely dressed in Western dress, observed the tourists with feigned curiosity. They lived a relatively simple and traditional life reflected in the simplicity of their houses.
As we visited other tribes during the afternoon and saw traditional weaving and handicrafts being done by the women, it became apparent as they did the hard sell on us that it was yet another way for them to get us, the tourist, to part with our money. Interesting though the tour was, it left a taste of cynicism in some mouths.
As the afternoon drew on, with the heat and humidity showing no signs of abating, the brave and enthusiastic undertook a hill trek to that night's accommodation in a traditional homestay in the mountain village of Palong. Meanwhile, the more canny and astute of the group, myself included, opted to take the truck to the homestay, the pay-off being we would carry all the bags to the camp in return for first dibs on the beer, a good hour before everyone else got there. Some of us were on our third by the time the trekkers emerged sweaty and exhausted from between the trees.
After cold bucket showers in very rustic wash-huts, complete with squat toilets, the height of luxury in the middle of the jungle, we relaxed and enjoyed our surroundings. The homestead was a small group of huts around a central campfire, one hut housing a collection of handicrafts by the village that were available for purchase. We were all sleeping in one large woven bamboo hut consisting of simple roll mattresses and mosquito nets. When one person turned over, everyone felt the vibrations. You could see the earthen floor below through the gaps in bamboo weave.
In another hut across the path, tribeswomen from the village were cooking our dinner. Smoke emerged in big, bilious clouds from the chimney and doorway as they cooked over an open flame. Big pots of rice and vegetables were laid out over the floor of the hut waiting to be served up.
Sonny, our guide, led proceedings and dished up the simple but surprisingly tasty food. Among the topic of conversation that evening was everyone's bowel movements. A few people were suffering, myself included, with upset stomachs. One of our group had remained in Chiang Mai after a nasty bout of food poisoning. Though symptoms were less severe, it made for an interesting night as a few of us juggled squat toilets with upset digestive systems.
Entertainment that night was provided by children from the village, dressed in traditional dress who danced and sang around a campfire. As the wind rose, signalling the oncoming storm and blew smoke in every direction, we danced around the campfire with the children before being invited to tip them for their performance.
Performance over, there was little else to do in the jungle apart from talk and drink beer which is what we did, while watching the lightening in the sky and listening to the rain drumming on the roof of the hut, crossing our fingers that the hut was waterproof. It was. As evenings go, it was really quite peaceful, sitting in the middle of the jungle, listening to the rain in the dark.
After a restless night for most, we woke to a breakfast of eggs, toast and tea. The rain had largely dried overnight which was handy as me and a few others from the group were off elephant trekking. The majority had done trekking the day before and reports were mixed. Some reported elephants were being hit on the head or backs of legs. Others said their experience was fine and they hadn't observed any cruelty. With some trepidation I walked to the village to climb the specially built platform where you got on the elephant.
The seat was a metal frame with leather base and padding that mounted on the elephant's back and was secured by chains. Sharing the seat with Jackie, a fellow traveller, we clambered on and quickly got used to the slow, jerky movements as the elephant moved off. Ours was a relatively young elephant and was being 'driven' by a young guy in his late teens or early twenties, who sat on the elephant's neck and steered by means of rubbing his feet behind the elephant's ears. On a couple of occasions the elephant went off track in search of leaves or fruit and was given a smack with a stick on the top of its head but mostly the handler treated the elephant well.
As experiences go, riding an elephant isn't one I particularly want to repeat in a hurry. It was pretty uncomfortable, not to mention inelegant, particularly going downhill where your hips are pushed forward and you have to hold on for dear life. I'm still rather ambivalent about elephants being used for tourist rides. At the end of the ride, Sonny reassured us that the elephants would be rested for the remainder of the day, which made me happier that the elephant's welfare was being put first. (As an aside, about five minutes before the end of the trek the elephant raised its trunk and sent a shower of green elephant snot over me and Jackie. I was wearing a white t-shirt. To this day I've never been able to get the stains out.)
Elephant experience over, we were headed next to the Ping river to do some rafting on specially constructed bamboo rafts. In groups of three, we clambered onto the rafts and sat back to enjoy a leisurely raft down the river being steered by local drivers. Of course, boys being what they are, it wasn't long before the boys from our group who were on opposing rafts decided it would be fun to leap from raft to raft in an attempt to capsize them and pull people into the water. On a couple of occasions our raft almost capsized but, clinging on for dear life for the second time that day, I managed to avoid falling in. A favourite trick of the drivers was to smack the bamboo poles they used to steer off the surface of the water, which resulted in the person nearest getting a soaking. About ten minutes from the end of the rafting trip we successfully manoeuvred a series of small rapids, again without capsizing, although as we scraped the rocks our raft was feeler a bit flimsier than when it had set off. Earlier, the girls on our raft had told me they'd heard my name mentioned and that the boys were determined to get me in the water. I could see the end point in the distance. I began to think I was safe. Suddenly the Thai driver from the neighbouring raft leapt into the water next to us and began to completely dismantle our raft. Needless to say, I fell in. Somehow the other two girls managed to cling onto the bamboo poles, all that was left of our dismantled raft. I swam to the dock and clambered out, soaking wet. I'd loved every minute of the bamboo rafting and had had a great laugh, but I was pleased I had packed extra (dry) clothes in my backpack.
Clothes changed, and with wet ones tied to the top of the truck to get them dry as we drove along, we headed first for lunch then to a series of points of interest - first to see how elephant dung is turned into paper, then to an orchid and butterfly farm and finally to Tiger Kingdom where some of us opted to pay to see the tiger cubs. After washing hands and reading the safety instructions, we were allowed into a large open space where around five or six three-month old tiger cubs were laid with their handlers, some of them sleeping. Handlers invited us to stroke them or lay our heads on their stomachs. Some cubs would allow you to rub their tummies. It was a warm day and the cubs were sleepy and uninterested in wanting to 'play'. Again I wondered about the welfare of the animals. The cubs looked well looked after, as did the other adult tigers we saw outside, but they were still being held captive, some of them in cages, for the benefit of tourists to gawp at and have photographs taken with. Again, it didn't sit well with me.
Our final visit of the afternoon was to see the women of the Long Neck Karen tribe, famous for the brass rings they wear around their necks. The story goes, steeped in legend and local folklore, that centuries ago the women of the tribe were being attacked and killed by wild animals, probably tigers. They always attacked at the same spot on the body, the neck, so to protect their women the tribe started placing rings around their necks. Wild tigers no longer pose a threat but the tradition has stayed. From the age of five or six girls start to wear rings adding to them every couple of years until they reach maturity in their mid to late thirties by which time they can have twenty or more. The rings don't stretch the neck, a common misconception, but the weight of the heavy brass rings does cause the breastplate to be pushed down which creates the look of an elongated neck.
Visit to the tribe over we headed back to Chiang Mai for much needed showers and a brief rest-stop at the hotel before heading off to catch the overnight sleeper bus back to Bangkok. The journey and our return to Bangkok would be bittersweet.
Thursday, 17 May 2012
Bangkok, Thailand
There's an expression we came across in Vietnam that you could use to describe my experience of Bangkok - 'Same same but different'. More of that in a moment.
By far our most arduous border crossing was that between Cambodia and Thailand. We left at 6.30am by private bus to drive for a couple of hours to the Cambodia-Thai border. Heaving our increasingly heavy rucksacks off the bus, we walked with them to the border departure line and after being photographed and finger-printed once again, exited Cambodia. Still carrying our rucksacks, we trekked in increasingly hot temperatures through No Man's Land where we stood in line and waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually, after a couple of hours all of us were through and we trekked to find our two minivans that would drive us the six or so hours to Bangkok. Cramming nine people and nine rucksacks and day packs into each minivan we settled down for the long journey. It was uncomfortable and cramped, with the long-legged boys trying to come up with ingenious ways to fit legs into any available gaps. We made petrol stops every couple of hours and, under Thai law, all passengers had to get out of the vehicle and sit in a waiting area while the vehicle refuelled. It was both an inconvenience and a relief as we sat and waited to be summoned back to the minivan each time.
Thai drivers seem to be a lot more considerate than their Vietnamese or Cambodian counterparts. Not once did our driver beep his horn. He overtook after making sure there was enough space. He drove at the speed limit. He slowed down without driving so close to the other vehicle that they were practically touching. It's probably the safest I've felt on the road while on this trip. Plus Thai drivers drive on the left like the UK. Same same but different.
Arriving on the outskirts of Bangkok we hit rush hour traffic. After coming from Cambodia and Vietnam, Bangkok is like a whole other world. Four lane super highways, concrete expressways weaving their way around the city, huge towering skyscrapers, Bangkok is bigger and richer than any city we had visited on this trip so far. I disliked it immediately. On every street huge gold-framed pictures of the King and Royal Family can be seen. Huge statues and elaborate sculptures of Buddha or elephants or lotus flowers are everywhere. We drove to our hotel close to the Khao San Road. It was a cheap backpacker hotel typical of the area and my heart sank. It looked like a Thai knocking-shop only with its own travel agents and currency exchange. That night, foregoing any group activity, I went out for beer and pizza with one of the Aussies on the group and wondered how I was going to fill the next three days.
Next morning, having found some enthusiasm overnight I decided to spend the day in Chinatown and worshipping at one of Bangkok's most impressive retail temples, the Central Plaza Mall. Catching the public riverboat, we disembarked into the heady, dizzying labyrinth streets of Chinatown. Through market stalls selling cheap trinkets and toys, past cloth merchants and street sellers and food stalls selling just about everything, we tried to take it all in. Finally overwhelmed by it all we ducked into a restaurant to escape the heat and get a drink where I tried green chrysanthemum tea - a bit like green tea only sweeter - before deciding it's definitely an acquired taste.
We decided to get a taxi to the mall and after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to get a taxi a) because the driver claimed not to know where the mall was or b) because they wouldn't put the meter on which would have meant paying a ridiculously over-inflated price, we got a cab to the Central Plaza mall. Seven floors of retail hedonism, the mall really is a thing of wonder. The seventh floor is made up of some of the most amazing and opulent-looking eateries catering for the most discerning foodie. I spent the day wandering around all seven levels, eating at a delicious but ridiculously expensive all-you-can eat buffet and going to the pictures, which included standing for the Thai national anthem to pay your respects to the King before the film starts. The protected environment of the air-conditioned mall was the perfect antidote to the temperatures nudging the high thirties outside. We came home via sky train and taxi where we encountered similar problems with taxis to the ones we'd had earlier in the day.
That evening we enjoyed some of Bangkok's finest cultural entertainment. First up Calypso, one of the classier ladyboy shows. Well-choreographed dance and lip-synch routines with elaborate costumes covering the spectrum of traditional Thai, Japanese and Korean singing; melodramatic mini-dramas that told a story; excerpts from Broadway shows or movies like Chicago or Burlesque and individual and humorous set pieces with pole-dancing and even a Thai Shirley Bassey, it was all going on. There were both male and transsexual performers and it was refreshing to see how gender was played around with, so some of the routines featured the guys in diamanté studded underwear and stockings. From a distance the 'ladyboys' looked stunning, really beautiful. Up close there were a few tell-tale signs that they weren't the real thing.
From the sublime to the ridiculous and next up we ventured into the seedier underbelly of Bangkok to check out an infamous ping ping show. Catching the sky train we disembarked into the seething mass of a Bangkok Saturday night, through the night markets and past the strip clubs and girlie bars, where girls and ladyboys hung around doorways. We were in search of a club whose name we'd been given and which we were assured was one of the better establishments. Unable to find it and led by a couple of the locals, we found ourselves at the entrance to another bar where for 200 baht and a free drink we were told we'd see a show. And see a show we did. Was is sleazy? Yes it was. Was it entertaining? Yes it was. On a raised podium in the middle of the floor, three topless ladyboys danced around poles with disinterested expressions on their faces. In the middle a girl wearing only a bikini top performed a series of routines where she inserted various items into her vagina and expelled them. As we walked in she was bursting balloons by firing darts out of her nether regions, then it was bananas, inviting members of the audience to catch them which one of our group did. Then she proceeded to pick up plastic rings by means of a tube stuck up her vagina, then opened bottle tops the same way, firing the tops into the audience and finally pulling out a seemingly never-ending string of plastic flowers. Finally, she performed the thing that we'd all come to see. Inserting one ping-pong ball after another, she fired them into the crowd whilst we shrieked and dodged out of the way. All except one of our group who caught it, put it in his pocket and brought it home with him.
Deciding we'd seen enough, we got up to leave and were presented with a bill for around 4,000 baht. We had come as a group and had been told it would only be 200 baht each but this bill worked out to be nearer 500 baht each. The next few minutes turned a little uncomfortable as we were prevented from leaving and various hard-faced 'madam' type women screamed at us, no doubt in an attempt to intimidate us to pay 300 baht each plus extras because one of our party had had a brief interaction with one of the girls. Standing our ground we refused to pay more than 200 baht each and eventually, after a bit more shouting, the staff relented and let us pay that amount and leave. None of us were naive enough to think they wouldn't try to extort more money out of us and none of us were surprised that the experience had ended the way it did, but we were still mighty relieved to get out of there in one piece. After another disappointing wrangle with a couple of taxi drivers who wanted to charge us 250 baht to drive us home or claimed not to know where our hotel was, we finally agreed to pay 120 baht off-meter to one we flagged down in the street. It was midnight and the streets around the hotel were still busy with people having massages or smoking hookah pipes or watching football on a makeshift screen so we found an outdoor bar strewn with lanterns and fairy lights and, over a beer, reminisced on what had been a very eventful evening.
The following day was a chill-out day. It involved a lie-in, a late breakfast, some reading and some lounging around. It was Sunday after all. That night at dinner we met some more new faces who would be joining us for the journey into Laos, two more Aussies, a Brit and an American. As with everyone we had met so far on the trip they seemed lovely and would make a welcome addition to our group.
The final football matches of the season were being played at home to decide the winners of the Premiership League. Normally I couldn't care less about football but on this occasion I made an exception. The atmosphere in the bar was electrifying as all three matches were being screened on separate screens. Roars would suddenly erupt in the bar and you'd have to swing your head around to one of three screens to see whether Manchester United, Manchester City or Arsenal had scored. When Man City scored the winning goal to be crowned Premiership Champions, the bar went crazy and celebrations began in earnest. Our night was rounded off by the in-house band All Around The World. An eclectic mix of crazy female Russian lead singer, laid-back to the point of coma Japanese backing singer and Thai backing band. They sang rock songs in English while the female singer in silver sequins pouted and writhed and jumped around a lot and the guitarist channelled Jimmy Page and pulled the appropriate face during the guitar solos. After an enjoyable evening where I'd danced, showed just how bad I am at pool and sunk a few beers, I headed home.
My final day in Bangkok was spent at yet another mall, the MBK, watching or rather snoozing through The Avengers. We also found out that one of our group had been arrested coming back from the bar the previous night after he'd given chase and apprehended a girl who'd stolen his wallet. After three hours at the police station during which time it came to light that the girl had stolen several wallets belonging to tourists, he made a statement and was allowed to leave.
My experience of Bangkok thus far had been very disappointing and the incident the previous night had merely served to complete my disillusionment. With the exception of one taxi driver who had been very nice, I hadn't encountered any of the renowned Thai courtesy or hospitality. People weren't especially friendly. Some were downright rude. Trying to get anywhere felt like a battle of wits and it felt like people were constantly trying to rip you off. Where we were staying, in the heart of the backpacker district, was full of Western faces with bars and cafes that offered Western food and played Western music. There were Westerners slouched in doorways sleeping off the effects of too much alcohol and the Khao San Road with its Irish bars, KFCs, McDonalds and mass crowds of tourists could have been any road in any Spanish resort. Same same but different. I hadn't come travelling to experience this. The whole point of coming to SE Asia was to experience new cultures and see things I had never seen before.
For this reason Bangkok disappointed me and I spent my whole time there just wishing we could leave. The fact that we would be returning to Bangkok later on in the trip didn't fill me with joy.
Next up was Laos, one of the places I had heard so many incredible things about. I couldn't wait to get there. It would involve another sleeper train, a conductor who made rooster noises and a four-hour delay.
By far our most arduous border crossing was that between Cambodia and Thailand. We left at 6.30am by private bus to drive for a couple of hours to the Cambodia-Thai border. Heaving our increasingly heavy rucksacks off the bus, we walked with them to the border departure line and after being photographed and finger-printed once again, exited Cambodia. Still carrying our rucksacks, we trekked in increasingly hot temperatures through No Man's Land where we stood in line and waited. And waited. And waited. Eventually, after a couple of hours all of us were through and we trekked to find our two minivans that would drive us the six or so hours to Bangkok. Cramming nine people and nine rucksacks and day packs into each minivan we settled down for the long journey. It was uncomfortable and cramped, with the long-legged boys trying to come up with ingenious ways to fit legs into any available gaps. We made petrol stops every couple of hours and, under Thai law, all passengers had to get out of the vehicle and sit in a waiting area while the vehicle refuelled. It was both an inconvenience and a relief as we sat and waited to be summoned back to the minivan each time.
Thai drivers seem to be a lot more considerate than their Vietnamese or Cambodian counterparts. Not once did our driver beep his horn. He overtook after making sure there was enough space. He drove at the speed limit. He slowed down without driving so close to the other vehicle that they were practically touching. It's probably the safest I've felt on the road while on this trip. Plus Thai drivers drive on the left like the UK. Same same but different.
Arriving on the outskirts of Bangkok we hit rush hour traffic. After coming from Cambodia and Vietnam, Bangkok is like a whole other world. Four lane super highways, concrete expressways weaving their way around the city, huge towering skyscrapers, Bangkok is bigger and richer than any city we had visited on this trip so far. I disliked it immediately. On every street huge gold-framed pictures of the King and Royal Family can be seen. Huge statues and elaborate sculptures of Buddha or elephants or lotus flowers are everywhere. We drove to our hotel close to the Khao San Road. It was a cheap backpacker hotel typical of the area and my heart sank. It looked like a Thai knocking-shop only with its own travel agents and currency exchange. That night, foregoing any group activity, I went out for beer and pizza with one of the Aussies on the group and wondered how I was going to fill the next three days.
Next morning, having found some enthusiasm overnight I decided to spend the day in Chinatown and worshipping at one of Bangkok's most impressive retail temples, the Central Plaza Mall. Catching the public riverboat, we disembarked into the heady, dizzying labyrinth streets of Chinatown. Through market stalls selling cheap trinkets and toys, past cloth merchants and street sellers and food stalls selling just about everything, we tried to take it all in. Finally overwhelmed by it all we ducked into a restaurant to escape the heat and get a drink where I tried green chrysanthemum tea - a bit like green tea only sweeter - before deciding it's definitely an acquired taste.
We decided to get a taxi to the mall and after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to get a taxi a) because the driver claimed not to know where the mall was or b) because they wouldn't put the meter on which would have meant paying a ridiculously over-inflated price, we got a cab to the Central Plaza mall. Seven floors of retail hedonism, the mall really is a thing of wonder. The seventh floor is made up of some of the most amazing and opulent-looking eateries catering for the most discerning foodie. I spent the day wandering around all seven levels, eating at a delicious but ridiculously expensive all-you-can eat buffet and going to the pictures, which included standing for the Thai national anthem to pay your respects to the King before the film starts. The protected environment of the air-conditioned mall was the perfect antidote to the temperatures nudging the high thirties outside. We came home via sky train and taxi where we encountered similar problems with taxis to the ones we'd had earlier in the day.
That evening we enjoyed some of Bangkok's finest cultural entertainment. First up Calypso, one of the classier ladyboy shows. Well-choreographed dance and lip-synch routines with elaborate costumes covering the spectrum of traditional Thai, Japanese and Korean singing; melodramatic mini-dramas that told a story; excerpts from Broadway shows or movies like Chicago or Burlesque and individual and humorous set pieces with pole-dancing and even a Thai Shirley Bassey, it was all going on. There were both male and transsexual performers and it was refreshing to see how gender was played around with, so some of the routines featured the guys in diamanté studded underwear and stockings. From a distance the 'ladyboys' looked stunning, really beautiful. Up close there were a few tell-tale signs that they weren't the real thing.
From the sublime to the ridiculous and next up we ventured into the seedier underbelly of Bangkok to check out an infamous ping ping show. Catching the sky train we disembarked into the seething mass of a Bangkok Saturday night, through the night markets and past the strip clubs and girlie bars, where girls and ladyboys hung around doorways. We were in search of a club whose name we'd been given and which we were assured was one of the better establishments. Unable to find it and led by a couple of the locals, we found ourselves at the entrance to another bar where for 200 baht and a free drink we were told we'd see a show. And see a show we did. Was is sleazy? Yes it was. Was it entertaining? Yes it was. On a raised podium in the middle of the floor, three topless ladyboys danced around poles with disinterested expressions on their faces. In the middle a girl wearing only a bikini top performed a series of routines where she inserted various items into her vagina and expelled them. As we walked in she was bursting balloons by firing darts out of her nether regions, then it was bananas, inviting members of the audience to catch them which one of our group did. Then she proceeded to pick up plastic rings by means of a tube stuck up her vagina, then opened bottle tops the same way, firing the tops into the audience and finally pulling out a seemingly never-ending string of plastic flowers. Finally, she performed the thing that we'd all come to see. Inserting one ping-pong ball after another, she fired them into the crowd whilst we shrieked and dodged out of the way. All except one of our group who caught it, put it in his pocket and brought it home with him.
Deciding we'd seen enough, we got up to leave and were presented with a bill for around 4,000 baht. We had come as a group and had been told it would only be 200 baht each but this bill worked out to be nearer 500 baht each. The next few minutes turned a little uncomfortable as we were prevented from leaving and various hard-faced 'madam' type women screamed at us, no doubt in an attempt to intimidate us to pay 300 baht each plus extras because one of our party had had a brief interaction with one of the girls. Standing our ground we refused to pay more than 200 baht each and eventually, after a bit more shouting, the staff relented and let us pay that amount and leave. None of us were naive enough to think they wouldn't try to extort more money out of us and none of us were surprised that the experience had ended the way it did, but we were still mighty relieved to get out of there in one piece. After another disappointing wrangle with a couple of taxi drivers who wanted to charge us 250 baht to drive us home or claimed not to know where our hotel was, we finally agreed to pay 120 baht off-meter to one we flagged down in the street. It was midnight and the streets around the hotel were still busy with people having massages or smoking hookah pipes or watching football on a makeshift screen so we found an outdoor bar strewn with lanterns and fairy lights and, over a beer, reminisced on what had been a very eventful evening.
The following day was a chill-out day. It involved a lie-in, a late breakfast, some reading and some lounging around. It was Sunday after all. That night at dinner we met some more new faces who would be joining us for the journey into Laos, two more Aussies, a Brit and an American. As with everyone we had met so far on the trip they seemed lovely and would make a welcome addition to our group.
The final football matches of the season were being played at home to decide the winners of the Premiership League. Normally I couldn't care less about football but on this occasion I made an exception. The atmosphere in the bar was electrifying as all three matches were being screened on separate screens. Roars would suddenly erupt in the bar and you'd have to swing your head around to one of three screens to see whether Manchester United, Manchester City or Arsenal had scored. When Man City scored the winning goal to be crowned Premiership Champions, the bar went crazy and celebrations began in earnest. Our night was rounded off by the in-house band All Around The World. An eclectic mix of crazy female Russian lead singer, laid-back to the point of coma Japanese backing singer and Thai backing band. They sang rock songs in English while the female singer in silver sequins pouted and writhed and jumped around a lot and the guitarist channelled Jimmy Page and pulled the appropriate face during the guitar solos. After an enjoyable evening where I'd danced, showed just how bad I am at pool and sunk a few beers, I headed home.
My final day in Bangkok was spent at yet another mall, the MBK, watching or rather snoozing through The Avengers. We also found out that one of our group had been arrested coming back from the bar the previous night after he'd given chase and apprehended a girl who'd stolen his wallet. After three hours at the police station during which time it came to light that the girl had stolen several wallets belonging to tourists, he made a statement and was allowed to leave.
My experience of Bangkok thus far had been very disappointing and the incident the previous night had merely served to complete my disillusionment. With the exception of one taxi driver who had been very nice, I hadn't encountered any of the renowned Thai courtesy or hospitality. People weren't especially friendly. Some were downright rude. Trying to get anywhere felt like a battle of wits and it felt like people were constantly trying to rip you off. Where we were staying, in the heart of the backpacker district, was full of Western faces with bars and cafes that offered Western food and played Western music. There were Westerners slouched in doorways sleeping off the effects of too much alcohol and the Khao San Road with its Irish bars, KFCs, McDonalds and mass crowds of tourists could have been any road in any Spanish resort. Same same but different. I hadn't come travelling to experience this. The whole point of coming to SE Asia was to experience new cultures and see things I had never seen before.
For this reason Bangkok disappointed me and I spent my whole time there just wishing we could leave. The fact that we would be returning to Bangkok later on in the trip didn't fill me with joy.
Next up was Laos, one of the places I had heard so many incredible things about. I couldn't wait to get there. It would involve another sleeper train, a conductor who made rooster noises and a four-hour delay.
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