Hey team, thought I would say hi and send word on the distinct lack of activity currently underway here... which is just what the doctor ordered after the last few weeks... It's night three at Karma Jimbaran and most of the crew have headed for bed after a shared bad movie night around the big TV in the poolhouse/lounge, which is the first TV watching we have done in a while.
Our hosts are fairly tuckered out in the aftermath of their wedding and all the months of organising, arranging, sorting friends and family from around the world and entertaining us all for the last few days. Of all the wedding group that came to Bali it is now down to Evie, Lala and I who are spending the last couple of nights in the villa with Nick and Mags before they head home. Only four sleeps until we are heading home ourselves... scary thought...
Bali is not at all bad, although it's probably not surprising I would say that given the amazing cliff-top surroundings we are staying in... We have only really seen the southern end of the place though and sadly will not have a lot of time to look around before our holiday is over, but the less touristy parts to the north are supposed to be great value. We will just have to make do with villa, pool, beach and shops... and of course sunshine, lots of sunshine... As a tourist trap it certainly fits the bill but I think the true Bali will be well away from the beach lifestyles, surf shops, fast foods (and Australians) around these parts.
I have heard the weather at home is still less than awesome, if someone can do something about that before we get back that would be most appreciated... get the beers chilling though, not long to go.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Hard life in Bali
Hi folks... just checking in briefly, hard times in Bali... sun is shining, pool is huge... currently at Chalina Estate where yesterday we had the wedding, which went extremely well and was a lovely occasion. We are here tonight for a third evening then we move on to our next villa, on a cliff over the beach somewhere... feel free to Google Chalina, you will see why we are suffering so terribly...
After all the amazing hospitality from Nick and Mags comes to an end we have a couple or three days left over to have a poke around Bali and then we will be winging our way home... while travel is fun I am certainly looking forward to some steak and a rest after all this resting... Hope all is well don't forget to check in and let us know how it's going
After all the amazing hospitality from Nick and Mags comes to an end we have a couple or three days left over to have a poke around Bali and then we will be winging our way home... while travel is fun I am certainly looking forward to some steak and a rest after all this resting... Hope all is well don't forget to check in and let us know how it's going
Monday, September 17, 2012
All roads lead to the BKK
Indeed, back in Bangkok, I recall saying that more than a few times in starting a conversation... I forget where I left off last time but we ended up having a good night on the beers in Chiang Mai, in part with a random Irish (I hope you made it home Thomaes, wherever you went) a couple of nights back, leading to a bit of a sleep in yesterday morning... There was talk of going to see the tigers at the tiger park on the last day but a sleep-in followed by a misreading of train times meant we thought we were heading back to Bangkok at 1830, only to find later it was actually 1600... without time for tigers we did a bit more of a walk around Chiang Mai old town, ticked off a bit of shopping for the girls (the hill tribes specialise in making silver jewellery which is much to Eve's liking), and then after a spot of lunch it was time to load our kit into the back of a taxi ute, and off to the train station.
Once there we confirmed the tracks were in fact open all the way south, so no need for a bus to the next city first... the trains were again second class sleepers but this time with the bunks crossways instead of longways meaning we had a nice little four-sleeper "cabin" (less door) to ourselves. Loaded with drinks and a supply of McDonald's Double Cheeseburgers (the survival food of choice when available, not that Thai rail food is bad by Asian rail standards, but not to say it is good) we piled aboard and settled in for another amusing (hard not to be, with the company I keep) trip.
Given we left at 1600 we got a bit of scenery on the way south before dark set in, which was good as we covered all the rail line that had been closed on the way up and got some nice scenic paddy fields (ok, true, nothing new about that), leading into foothills and then a climb up into the jungle. I was keen to see what had prevented us completing our rail journey north a few days before and was initially a bit disappointed to see a couple of minor culvert repairs and a couple of small slips that had been cleared. The actual culprit only appeared when we got to the height of the rail line along a narrow ridge, high above jungle valleys, when we came across a work crew with diggers, dozers and trucks still working on the damage from the earlier rains... it wasn't so much that the side of the mountain had slipped, as that half the entire ridge had disappeared into the valley below, and they had obviously been filling with rock, dirt and concrete for several days to put it back... like I said, glad it was not our train that found it.
The trip through the hills was painfully slow... due to ongoing (but not as serious) rain I am guessing they were taking it very easy and there were a couple of pauses where I assume they were radioing (or sending someone) ahead to get sections ok'd before we went though. The rest of the trip was uneventful and thankfully much quieter and less bumpy than the train coming up. We arrived in Bangkok at around 0830, about three hours late after a 16-or-so hour journey, and took the first (non-dodgy) cab we saw to Khao San Road and my usual hotel of choice. After a quick feed the girls promptly crashed out for a nap (not sure why, I sleep on trains great!!).
Eve was still a bit shattered on wakeup so Lala and I headed (via a very interesting tuk tuk driver who gave us a few opinions on rice harvesting and (shhhh) the monarchy) to the (swanky) Central Mall for a look at a couple of bits and pieces Lala wanted and a general browse. Another tuk tuk back, and we met Eve for a look at the Khao San markets and then several Guinnesses at the (surprise) Irish pub where we conveniently found a replay of the ABs vs Saffas. After a spot of Thai and a walk in the rain (was sunny up north!!) we have now retreated to the hotel for a spot of recovery. The music is still booming from Khao San Road despite the fact it is a pretty desolate, rainy Sunday night... I am sure a few hardened young backpackers will be toiling the night away drinking in the pubs but it is still comparatively quiet here, being the rainy season until late Sept-October. Tomorrow I think shopping is in order and then we might find a slightly more classy part of BKK for a bit of dinner and a beverage just for a change... Counting down now, two more nights and then back on the big bird and off to join up with the wedding crew and impending nuptuals (not mine, obviously) in Bali.
Obscure Music thanks to Blockhead for drowning out train noise with some very soothing takes on various vintage tunes and some good tracks of his own. I was trying to think of an Obscure Music Reference involving Thailand and found myself back at The Mountain Goats (again, as so often happens)... "I remember the train heading south out of Bangkok and down, towards the water..."
Once there we confirmed the tracks were in fact open all the way south, so no need for a bus to the next city first... the trains were again second class sleepers but this time with the bunks crossways instead of longways meaning we had a nice little four-sleeper "cabin" (less door) to ourselves. Loaded with drinks and a supply of McDonald's Double Cheeseburgers (the survival food of choice when available, not that Thai rail food is bad by Asian rail standards, but not to say it is good) we piled aboard and settled in for another amusing (hard not to be, with the company I keep) trip.
Given we left at 1600 we got a bit of scenery on the way south before dark set in, which was good as we covered all the rail line that had been closed on the way up and got some nice scenic paddy fields (ok, true, nothing new about that), leading into foothills and then a climb up into the jungle. I was keen to see what had prevented us completing our rail journey north a few days before and was initially a bit disappointed to see a couple of minor culvert repairs and a couple of small slips that had been cleared. The actual culprit only appeared when we got to the height of the rail line along a narrow ridge, high above jungle valleys, when we came across a work crew with diggers, dozers and trucks still working on the damage from the earlier rains... it wasn't so much that the side of the mountain had slipped, as that half the entire ridge had disappeared into the valley below, and they had obviously been filling with rock, dirt and concrete for several days to put it back... like I said, glad it was not our train that found it.
The trip through the hills was painfully slow... due to ongoing (but not as serious) rain I am guessing they were taking it very easy and there were a couple of pauses where I assume they were radioing (or sending someone) ahead to get sections ok'd before we went though. The rest of the trip was uneventful and thankfully much quieter and less bumpy than the train coming up. We arrived in Bangkok at around 0830, about three hours late after a 16-or-so hour journey, and took the first (non-dodgy) cab we saw to Khao San Road and my usual hotel of choice. After a quick feed the girls promptly crashed out for a nap (not sure why, I sleep on trains great!!).
Eve was still a bit shattered on wakeup so Lala and I headed (via a very interesting tuk tuk driver who gave us a few opinions on rice harvesting and (shhhh) the monarchy) to the (swanky) Central Mall for a look at a couple of bits and pieces Lala wanted and a general browse. Another tuk tuk back, and we met Eve for a look at the Khao San markets and then several Guinnesses at the (surprise) Irish pub where we conveniently found a replay of the ABs vs Saffas. After a spot of Thai and a walk in the rain (was sunny up north!!) we have now retreated to the hotel for a spot of recovery. The music is still booming from Khao San Road despite the fact it is a pretty desolate, rainy Sunday night... I am sure a few hardened young backpackers will be toiling the night away drinking in the pubs but it is still comparatively quiet here, being the rainy season until late Sept-October. Tomorrow I think shopping is in order and then we might find a slightly more classy part of BKK for a bit of dinner and a beverage just for a change... Counting down now, two more nights and then back on the big bird and off to join up with the wedding crew and impending nuptuals (not mine, obviously) in Bali.
Obscure Music thanks to Blockhead for drowning out train noise with some very soothing takes on various vintage tunes and some good tracks of his own. I was trying to think of an Obscure Music Reference involving Thailand and found myself back at The Mountain Goats (again, as so often happens)... "I remember the train heading south out of Bangkok and down, towards the water..."
Friday, September 14, 2012
Bloke time
Well ok not really, but a blessed piece of sanity restoration for yours truly (shh don't tell)... but first I will touch on yesterday, as our attempt to make it to the night markets ended just across the moat at El Diablos Mexican Food... Chiang Mai is apparently the "alternative" town in Thailand with something of an affinity for western music, Mods n Rockers, TexMex styles and interesting fashion. El Diablo was something of an anomaly with the walls covered in photos and quotes giving a somewhat interesting Buddhist/Anarchist/Socialist vibe, promoting the rise of the workers and the freedom of Burma and the death of Lonely Planet Zombies (bless)... a bit odd but fun nonetheless and after a "half" pitcher of margaritas (and a big day of blissful ephalant communing for Evie) the girls decided that walking any further was probably out of the question and we settled in for some very good burritos and fajitas... another "half" pitcher down and we rolled home across the moat to watch bad movies on the tv ('2012'... how not great is that movie!!?) and then off to bed.
Eve's second day of pachadermyia yesterday was, by the way, apparently epic, and she returned glowing (partially from too much sun) and said it was one of the best things she has ever done. The elephant parks here vary quite a bit in their attitudes, while I have heard that treatment of the national treasure has improved greatly under govt regulation in recent years, you still get a variety of different "styles"... The first park we all went to was the "elephant show" kind where they do tricks for the assembled audience of hundreds, followed by a bit of a novelty ride and a chance to pat the babies... the elephants are (from my observation at least) treated well, given some freedom in the evenings and seem happy, but it is very much more circus-style overall. It depends on your outlook to some degree... while they are not caged and abused, some people would say they should all be set free to roam the jungle. The alternative view on this is that most if not all of them here have been domesticated all their lives and come from domestic families that used to work for a living, and they know no different. Some would even say elephants find human contact enriching like other domestic animals and they are as happy with human friends as their wild counterparts are without... I see truth in both arguments, in the end for me it is at times somewhat artificial and obviously a huge money-maker for the local economy, but then if the money also goes to help elephant conservation and promote wildlife awareness then it's not all bad.
In contrast Eve's second day was at a totally different facility where the elephants don't do tricks or shows or carry dozens of tourists a day on short walks... on this one the mahut's (sp?) or elephant handlers teach one or two tourists per elephant how to care for them, speak to them, control them, and then they learn to ride bareback as has been done for hundreds of years... a much more of personal and "elephant friendly" approach and definitely much more enriching if you are an "elephant lover" rather than just "elephant curious".
Today the girls went off to a day long Thai cooking school leaving me alone and estrogen-free for a few hours... the first no-woman time in a month!!... while there is not much guy stuff here to do (there is an "extreme sports" tour but it is all stuff I have done elsewhere), I did some of the things that I haven't done in this whole trip... as planned I slept late, watched bad tv (SE Asian tv ROCKS by the way, when you can get it... The Speed Channel which is all racing and car/bike modification... SyFy channel which is all the bad scifi movies we don't get at home... Star Sports which is motorsport half the day)... left the hotel at noon and found good iced coffee... sat and looked at the world go by at Thae Pae Gate for a little while... then set out and circumnavigated the Old City.
The walk, covering most of what we have not done as yet, took about three and a half (complaint free!!) hours, and gave me a chance to check out most of the nooks and crannies. Fair to say there are endless Wats (Buddhist temples) which I did not take the time to stop in at (after a few weeks in SE Asia you kind of get 'templed-out'... see a couple of the big ones and the small ones all look kinda the same...). Chiang Mai is certainly big on Wats with something over 30 of them within the walls of the Old City section alone... interesting if you are a Buddhist I am sure but I have never really understood any religion which devotes itself to covering huge structures in gold leaf and bright paint while its followers go hungry... likely this would get me much hatemail from the peaceful followers of said faith, but hey, call me an ignorant Farang. I also spotted a couple more good places to eat and drink and saw a bit more of the local landscape away from the tourist spots, which is always good. It all ended about 45 minutes ago at the Irish Pub (there is ALWAYS an Irish pub) nearby where I recharged on (not great) Guinness while Aussie league played on tv and I reflected on various ponderings on travel in general, which I must write down at some point.
Now back at the hotel, I returned to find the girls showered and refreshed after a great day of learning to make green curries and pad thai and all those good things that make the food over here so awesome... I have told them an Asian Buffet is in order when we get home and we will invite everyone. I think from here we will be pausing for beer somewhere handy, and then likely off to the Night Market (finally) and more street food...
Eve's second day of pachadermyia yesterday was, by the way, apparently epic, and she returned glowing (partially from too much sun) and said it was one of the best things she has ever done. The elephant parks here vary quite a bit in their attitudes, while I have heard that treatment of the national treasure has improved greatly under govt regulation in recent years, you still get a variety of different "styles"... The first park we all went to was the "elephant show" kind where they do tricks for the assembled audience of hundreds, followed by a bit of a novelty ride and a chance to pat the babies... the elephants are (from my observation at least) treated well, given some freedom in the evenings and seem happy, but it is very much more circus-style overall. It depends on your outlook to some degree... while they are not caged and abused, some people would say they should all be set free to roam the jungle. The alternative view on this is that most if not all of them here have been domesticated all their lives and come from domestic families that used to work for a living, and they know no different. Some would even say elephants find human contact enriching like other domestic animals and they are as happy with human friends as their wild counterparts are without... I see truth in both arguments, in the end for me it is at times somewhat artificial and obviously a huge money-maker for the local economy, but then if the money also goes to help elephant conservation and promote wildlife awareness then it's not all bad.
In contrast Eve's second day was at a totally different facility where the elephants don't do tricks or shows or carry dozens of tourists a day on short walks... on this one the mahut's (sp?) or elephant handlers teach one or two tourists per elephant how to care for them, speak to them, control them, and then they learn to ride bareback as has been done for hundreds of years... a much more of personal and "elephant friendly" approach and definitely much more enriching if you are an "elephant lover" rather than just "elephant curious".
Today the girls went off to a day long Thai cooking school leaving me alone and estrogen-free for a few hours... the first no-woman time in a month!!... while there is not much guy stuff here to do (there is an "extreme sports" tour but it is all stuff I have done elsewhere), I did some of the things that I haven't done in this whole trip... as planned I slept late, watched bad tv (SE Asian tv ROCKS by the way, when you can get it... The Speed Channel which is all racing and car/bike modification... SyFy channel which is all the bad scifi movies we don't get at home... Star Sports which is motorsport half the day)... left the hotel at noon and found good iced coffee... sat and looked at the world go by at Thae Pae Gate for a little while... then set out and circumnavigated the Old City.
The walk, covering most of what we have not done as yet, took about three and a half (complaint free!!) hours, and gave me a chance to check out most of the nooks and crannies. Fair to say there are endless Wats (Buddhist temples) which I did not take the time to stop in at (after a few weeks in SE Asia you kind of get 'templed-out'... see a couple of the big ones and the small ones all look kinda the same...). Chiang Mai is certainly big on Wats with something over 30 of them within the walls of the Old City section alone... interesting if you are a Buddhist I am sure but I have never really understood any religion which devotes itself to covering huge structures in gold leaf and bright paint while its followers go hungry... likely this would get me much hatemail from the peaceful followers of said faith, but hey, call me an ignorant Farang. I also spotted a couple more good places to eat and drink and saw a bit more of the local landscape away from the tourist spots, which is always good. It all ended about 45 minutes ago at the Irish Pub (there is ALWAYS an Irish pub) nearby where I recharged on (not great) Guinness while Aussie league played on tv and I reflected on various ponderings on travel in general, which I must write down at some point.
Now back at the hotel, I returned to find the girls showered and refreshed after a great day of learning to make green curries and pad thai and all those good things that make the food over here so awesome... I have told them an Asian Buffet is in order when we get home and we will invite everyone. I think from here we will be pausing for beer somewhere handy, and then likely off to the Night Market (finally) and more street food...
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Lazy day in Chiang Mai
The sun is out and blazing down now in the north of TH... young Eve is off communing with the pachyderms so Lala and I are left to wander the streets and sweat in the sun... we slept in (first time in a while and much needed I think, it's amazing how run down you get when constantly on the go, even if 'holidaying') and then treated ourselves to McDonalds for lunch just for a change... I love trying different versions of McD's etc in other countries... McD's Thailand has such added wonders as chicken with rice, cheese and Wasabe dips for fries, spicy chicken burgers, and crispy chicken pieces. I got a double fillet of fish and covered it in Wasabe dipping sauce... genius!!
After that we decided a massage might be in order as my crook back has been getting steadily worse with taxi rides, truck rides, tuk tuk rides, bus rides, sleeping in trains etc etc... we found a nice upmarket traditional Thai massage place and both got an hour of prodding and kneading The poor girl trying to sort my back out climbed all over me like a kid on a jungle gym and even went so far as walking on my thighs but I just don't think she had the weight to make any real difference, though her elbows and knees jammed into my sore muscles certainly didn't go unnoticed. Still, we came out feeling relaxed and refreshed so all good I suppose, and you can't really complain for $15. Once Eve gets back we will probably head for a wander around the sizeable night markets and find something a little more interesting for dinner.
Tomorrow the girls are off to an all-day cooking class (I have graciously declined, I don't want to embarrass the teachers by showing them up with my superb cooking talents) which should have them set to cook up a storm for everyone on our return home. I am not sure what I will do with the day, given I am apparently banned from hiring a big motorcycle and heading for the horizon... I did see there was a gun club somewhere local that shoots at the army range every morning but it doesn't look to be anything too exciting. The girl at the hotel suggested I go on a fishing charter and catch myself a 40kg catfish, but it's just not the same fishing on your own. I dunno... might just sleep in and watch some tv for first time in a month! Counting down the days until Bali and some quality relaxing poolside...
This instalment brought to you by the eternally legendary Tom Waits, as soon as we got on the Bkk-Chiang Mai Express the other night the only thing I could think of was his masterful "Train Song" and an endless string of other amazing, mournful, humourous, heartbreaking and riotous songs he has produced in the last thirty or more years. Mr Waits is a true one of a kind and has been numbered amongst the greatest musicians of the last century, so anything you find will be amazing... possibly go for something early like the amazing 'Rain Dogs' or something more recent like 'Blood Money', 'The Mule Variations' or the amazing set called 'Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards'.
After that we decided a massage might be in order as my crook back has been getting steadily worse with taxi rides, truck rides, tuk tuk rides, bus rides, sleeping in trains etc etc... we found a nice upmarket traditional Thai massage place and both got an hour of prodding and kneading The poor girl trying to sort my back out climbed all over me like a kid on a jungle gym and even went so far as walking on my thighs but I just don't think she had the weight to make any real difference, though her elbows and knees jammed into my sore muscles certainly didn't go unnoticed. Still, we came out feeling relaxed and refreshed so all good I suppose, and you can't really complain for $15. Once Eve gets back we will probably head for a wander around the sizeable night markets and find something a little more interesting for dinner.
Tomorrow the girls are off to an all-day cooking class (I have graciously declined, I don't want to embarrass the teachers by showing them up with my superb cooking talents) which should have them set to cook up a storm for everyone on our return home. I am not sure what I will do with the day, given I am apparently banned from hiring a big motorcycle and heading for the horizon... I did see there was a gun club somewhere local that shoots at the army range every morning but it doesn't look to be anything too exciting. The girl at the hotel suggested I go on a fishing charter and catch myself a 40kg catfish, but it's just not the same fishing on your own. I dunno... might just sleep in and watch some tv for first time in a month! Counting down the days until Bali and some quality relaxing poolside...
This instalment brought to you by the eternally legendary Tom Waits, as soon as we got on the Bkk-Chiang Mai Express the other night the only thing I could think of was his masterful "Train Song" and an endless string of other amazing, mournful, humourous, heartbreaking and riotous songs he has produced in the last thirty or more years. Mr Waits is a true one of a kind and has been numbered amongst the greatest musicians of the last century, so anything you find will be amazing... possibly go for something early like the amazing 'Rain Dogs' or something more recent like 'Blood Money', 'The Mule Variations' or the amazing set called 'Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards'.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Kidnapped by ephalants
Hi all, just a quick one, stinkin hot day in Chiang Mai which is nice, we did a package tour thingy today which included an elephant show at one of the parks plus a buffalo cart ride, elephant trek, visit to 'hill tribe village' and was supposed to include a river rafting trip but the rivers were "too high, too dangerous" (they told us this once we got there rather than when we booked... no refunds for weather, sorry)... but a fun day all in all and the elephants were pretty cool, a baby one took a liking to me and climbed up on the fence to give me a hug... or possibly try to drag me away... it was hard to tell. Eve is a long time elephant lover and she was happy as larry, so much so she has come back to book a full day elephant experience tomorrow which includes riding bareback and learning how to control and feed them etc. One day was enough for me, I did get my own elephant though so I rode through the countryside pretending it was back in the days of the Raj and I was a wealthy plantation owner... sadly I had no peasants handy to smite.
We are here tonight and two more nights now as the weather is looking ok and it is more pleasant here than in Bangkok, but we will be on the train south in time for a couple of days in the capital before moving on to next country!!
Thanks for all the hundreds of comments praising my immense writing skills and seeking help with questions from my vast wealth of knowledge on travel in this part of the world (ok, there was no praise, but anyway)... for all those I have talked to who are interested in travel tips I will do my best to write some points down and post them once I am home, and obviously will talk over beers. There are more and more people interested in coming this way, and since I have spent a bit of time here and there I am glad to help if I can, or at least help people avoid the same mistakes, haha... With that in mind if you know anyone else interested in travel or even just reading my drivel you can give them this blog address if they want a read. Hope all is well, missing home if only for the people... well, not ALL the people, I don't have that much love to give... but some of you... and my car... and a selection of premium beers...
We are here tonight and two more nights now as the weather is looking ok and it is more pleasant here than in Bangkok, but we will be on the train south in time for a couple of days in the capital before moving on to next country!!
Thanks for all the hundreds of comments praising my immense writing skills and seeking help with questions from my vast wealth of knowledge on travel in this part of the world (ok, there was no praise, but anyway)... for all those I have talked to who are interested in travel tips I will do my best to write some points down and post them once I am home, and obviously will talk over beers. There are more and more people interested in coming this way, and since I have spent a bit of time here and there I am glad to help if I can, or at least help people avoid the same mistakes, haha... With that in mind if you know anyone else interested in travel or even just reading my drivel you can give them this blog address if they want a read. Hope all is well, missing home if only for the people... well, not ALL the people, I don't have that much love to give... but some of you... and my car... and a selection of premium beers...
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Chang to Chiang
Lest We Forget on 9/11
Thought I should probably check in again since we are now half way across the country. Internet is a bit slow so this may be painful... it's just after noon here and the girls are dead to the world upstairs in our new home, a nice peaceful and well appointed guesthouse down a sleepy lane in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.... fair to say they are a bit shattered from the trip... I on the other hand just a had a walk around town and it is the total opposite of what we just left behind.
It's now Tuesday (I think), we left Koh Chang Island with some regret having got a little bit of the sun that was apparently so desperately needed, seems we stayed the three wettest days of their whole season. Eve and I had a good session at the Irish pub over the course of the rugby (Ab's vs Argies and Aus vs Saffas) which cost us more in Guinness (thanks to the Irishman charging western prices) than the last few days of the trip put together. The rickety old ferry got us back across to the mainland where we had nearly two hours to wait until the bus, during which time the girls ate some dodgy breakfast in the 'cafe' (shed) complete with pigs walking past the tables... the bus was another adventure in itself, a typical Asian affair, once a double decker party tour bus of some sort complete with garish interior, squeaky seats and tired shocks. A bumpy and long ride to Bangkok ensued and we were glad to get off, thankfully the one upside was it was one of the few buses that stops anywhere near the infamous Khao San Road backpacker district so we had a short walk to the hotel.
Khao San is much maligned these days as a place for bums and tour group backpackers who don't know better, but on the other hand it has reasonable hotels, night markets, food of your choosing and most things you need... it is packed with all manner of traveller and tout and street vendor and con artist, but then so are many places in Asia these days, and it suited our needs well. After a good sleep and a day trip to MBK Mall (shopping insanity, total overload to the non-shoppers amongst us) we grabbed our gear and headed for the station for a Monday night train north... this prospect was made more interesting as after we booked our tickets via the internet in Koh Chang, we learned via a newspaper that there had been massive rain and flooding in the north, and sure enough the rail lines a couple of hours south of our destination were "unserviceable". Funny how in a journey of hundreds of km of rail travel, a few metres of missing track can mess up your whole day... especially when said missing rail was on a hillside, which is also missing... I am glad our train was not the one that found it though.
So we set off on the train since the tickets were already paid for, happy that the floods had gone down and the torrents had eased, but not entirely knowing how we were going to make it the last 100km... Thai trains are of high quality by Asian standards, at least in terms of comfortable seat/beds and service.... what I had not encountered previously in Thailand was a track so rough or a train so loud. Along with all the normal creaks, rattles and rumbles I quickly noticed a loud, then LOUD banging noise under the train, which proceeded to get worse and louder as we went, until each jolt rattled the carriage and jarred our bones like someone with a large sledgehammer was pounding on the floor from below. At first I pondered that some large and important metal part of the train had come adrift and was bouncing off the tracks and up into the floor, but I soon realised it was the coupling or buffers between the cars and it was not going to go away. The net effect after a couple of hours was like trying to sleep in a wooden box while someone beat on it constantly with a length of 4x2... fun. I got a reasonable sleep (considering) but the girls suffered from the noise, jolts, and (apparently) some random drunk backpackers who insisted on making noise half the night (which is a pretty standard potential hazard on any bus or train).
We got to the next city south of here (Lampang?) around 0800 this morning after a slow trip through the hilly jungle with a train driver no doubt wary of possible missing tracks, and were thankfully greeted by a fleet of large buses to carry us the last 100km to Chiang Mai. First impressions are of a pretty, quiet little city with much for tourists to do... this is the outdoorsy/nature "place to be" in Thailand with plenty of elephant parks, tiger parks, monkey parks, zip lining (ha! South Park... it's Double Dew!!) and various other stuff... the weather is cooler being further north but so far the rain looks to have cleared, so there is already talk of extending our stay beyond three nights if the sun stays with us. Having gone for a wander in my overnight train clothes (who cares, it's Asia, I am only going to sweat in them again!!) I am now long overdue for a shower, so I will go see how the sleeping princesses are getting on... will check in again soon...
Many thanks to the not-so-obscure music of Beck for drowning out some if not all of the train chaos last night... despite the admirable challenge of the Black Keys he is still reigning Funkiest White Nerd Alive, and he writes some very beautiful quieter tunes as well... for those not into his earlier experimental stuff try and album like 'Sea Change' or 'Modern Guilt' (produced by Danger Mouse no less).
Good luck to Phil for first race session of the season before I forget, do us proud son!!
Thought I should probably check in again since we are now half way across the country. Internet is a bit slow so this may be painful... it's just after noon here and the girls are dead to the world upstairs in our new home, a nice peaceful and well appointed guesthouse down a sleepy lane in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.... fair to say they are a bit shattered from the trip... I on the other hand just a had a walk around town and it is the total opposite of what we just left behind.
It's now Tuesday (I think), we left Koh Chang Island with some regret having got a little bit of the sun that was apparently so desperately needed, seems we stayed the three wettest days of their whole season. Eve and I had a good session at the Irish pub over the course of the rugby (Ab's vs Argies and Aus vs Saffas) which cost us more in Guinness (thanks to the Irishman charging western prices) than the last few days of the trip put together. The rickety old ferry got us back across to the mainland where we had nearly two hours to wait until the bus, during which time the girls ate some dodgy breakfast in the 'cafe' (shed) complete with pigs walking past the tables... the bus was another adventure in itself, a typical Asian affair, once a double decker party tour bus of some sort complete with garish interior, squeaky seats and tired shocks. A bumpy and long ride to Bangkok ensued and we were glad to get off, thankfully the one upside was it was one of the few buses that stops anywhere near the infamous Khao San Road backpacker district so we had a short walk to the hotel.
Khao San is much maligned these days as a place for bums and tour group backpackers who don't know better, but on the other hand it has reasonable hotels, night markets, food of your choosing and most things you need... it is packed with all manner of traveller and tout and street vendor and con artist, but then so are many places in Asia these days, and it suited our needs well. After a good sleep and a day trip to MBK Mall (shopping insanity, total overload to the non-shoppers amongst us) we grabbed our gear and headed for the station for a Monday night train north... this prospect was made more interesting as after we booked our tickets via the internet in Koh Chang, we learned via a newspaper that there had been massive rain and flooding in the north, and sure enough the rail lines a couple of hours south of our destination were "unserviceable". Funny how in a journey of hundreds of km of rail travel, a few metres of missing track can mess up your whole day... especially when said missing rail was on a hillside, which is also missing... I am glad our train was not the one that found it though.
So we set off on the train since the tickets were already paid for, happy that the floods had gone down and the torrents had eased, but not entirely knowing how we were going to make it the last 100km... Thai trains are of high quality by Asian standards, at least in terms of comfortable seat/beds and service.... what I had not encountered previously in Thailand was a track so rough or a train so loud. Along with all the normal creaks, rattles and rumbles I quickly noticed a loud, then LOUD banging noise under the train, which proceeded to get worse and louder as we went, until each jolt rattled the carriage and jarred our bones like someone with a large sledgehammer was pounding on the floor from below. At first I pondered that some large and important metal part of the train had come adrift and was bouncing off the tracks and up into the floor, but I soon realised it was the coupling or buffers between the cars and it was not going to go away. The net effect after a couple of hours was like trying to sleep in a wooden box while someone beat on it constantly with a length of 4x2... fun. I got a reasonable sleep (considering) but the girls suffered from the noise, jolts, and (apparently) some random drunk backpackers who insisted on making noise half the night (which is a pretty standard potential hazard on any bus or train).
We got to the next city south of here (Lampang?) around 0800 this morning after a slow trip through the hilly jungle with a train driver no doubt wary of possible missing tracks, and were thankfully greeted by a fleet of large buses to carry us the last 100km to Chiang Mai. First impressions are of a pretty, quiet little city with much for tourists to do... this is the outdoorsy/nature "place to be" in Thailand with plenty of elephant parks, tiger parks, monkey parks, zip lining (ha! South Park... it's Double Dew!!) and various other stuff... the weather is cooler being further north but so far the rain looks to have cleared, so there is already talk of extending our stay beyond three nights if the sun stays with us. Having gone for a wander in my overnight train clothes (who cares, it's Asia, I am only going to sweat in them again!!) I am now long overdue for a shower, so I will go see how the sleeping princesses are getting on... will check in again soon...
Many thanks to the not-so-obscure music of Beck for drowning out some if not all of the train chaos last night... despite the admirable challenge of the Black Keys he is still reigning Funkiest White Nerd Alive, and he writes some very beautiful quieter tunes as well... for those not into his earlier experimental stuff try and album like 'Sea Change' or 'Modern Guilt' (produced by Danger Mouse no less).
Good luck to Phil for first race session of the season before I forget, do us proud son!!
Saturday, September 8, 2012
And then we were on an island somehow...
Greetings from Koh Chang... before leaving Siem Reap a friend (thanks Dan) recommended an island off the south east coast of Thailand called Koh Chang as an awesome place to visit. Rather than heading to Bangkok and then off to the north the girls decided they needed some "beach time" after more rain in Cambodia and I let them do the research on how to get down there... I was assured it was "only three or four hours" from the border... which was actually pretty close to being right, if you tripled it
So, having taken a private car from Siem Reap and walking over the Cambodia/Thailand frontier (a MUCH more civilised experience than when I did it four years ago, the road is now sealed and a five-six hour trip is now under two hours, the border is also fairly tame by comparison especially going the other way), we loaded onto a tuk tuk to the bus station. There we found a mini van promising to go where we needed (just a Hiace but quite comfy) and off we went... a few hours later once in the south (Chantaburi? where I was told by the navigators was "where the ferry is") we found our van did not in fact go "all the way to the ferry" and got transferred to another van... packed to capacity with locals... which went to the next city (Trat)... which was also not where the ferry was... and we got dumped at another bus depot, in the middle of nowhere. Having been earlier informed the last ferry was at 1730, it was now 1800 and we were without ferry, or hotel, or even a town to find a hotel... then a taxi ute driver said he would take us to the ferry, which left at 1900... which the girls still insisted was "nearby"... about forty minutes in the back of the ute with a stop for tickets and an emergency hotel booking, and just on dark we made it to the rather ragged looking car ferry to Koh Chang.
It probably would have been faster to swim (and with the state of the boat that was looking like a possibility anyway) but we made it in the end, and it was then onto another taxi ute for a fairly entertaining ride through the dark (Koh Chang is mostly jungle and STEEP hills), finally making it to the hotel at about 2100... to be greeted by more torrential rain... yes, it would seem that in the rush to "get to the beach", the planners had neglected to check the weather forecast... "Tropical island" may give most people visions of sun baked shores, but sometimes (like in the wet season) this is not totally the case... However Koh Chang is a very nice place and tourists and backpackers are mercifully pretty light on the ground this time of year (must be crazy in the high season as it would be stunning here) so we are just chilling for a couple of days. The sun is semi-out today so we are now off to sit by the pool for a bit, then the Irish Pub (there is always one) up the road is advertising the AB's vs Argentina this afternoon so we will get a bit of a taste of home with a Guinness and a bit of rugby.
From here we are back on the ferry tomorrow and then on a bus to Bangkok where we will overnight before loading on a train northwest to Chiang Mai, where we will spend a couple of days, and apparently seeing elephants and tigers is high on the agenda. Mercifully we are booked into hotels and onto trains in advance this time (I made sure of that) so there won't be too many "oh crap what do we do now" moments... while a bit of adventure is all part of the fun, it is certainly easier when you are traveling by yourself. On my own I am happy to ride in the back of a local bus and sleep under a tree if I need to, but (call me old fashioned) when I have two girls with me I do feel more than a little responsible for them, and the need to have a vehicle to get somewhere and a roof to sleep under is slightly more pressing... but it's all good fun.
Hope all is well at home, I hear there is a lot of hard work being done and sorry I am not there to pitch in... keep on keeping on and keep me updated!!
So, having taken a private car from Siem Reap and walking over the Cambodia/Thailand frontier (a MUCH more civilised experience than when I did it four years ago, the road is now sealed and a five-six hour trip is now under two hours, the border is also fairly tame by comparison especially going the other way), we loaded onto a tuk tuk to the bus station. There we found a mini van promising to go where we needed (just a Hiace but quite comfy) and off we went... a few hours later once in the south (Chantaburi? where I was told by the navigators was "where the ferry is") we found our van did not in fact go "all the way to the ferry" and got transferred to another van... packed to capacity with locals... which went to the next city (Trat)... which was also not where the ferry was... and we got dumped at another bus depot, in the middle of nowhere. Having been earlier informed the last ferry was at 1730, it was now 1800 and we were without ferry, or hotel, or even a town to find a hotel... then a taxi ute driver said he would take us to the ferry, which left at 1900... which the girls still insisted was "nearby"... about forty minutes in the back of the ute with a stop for tickets and an emergency hotel booking, and just on dark we made it to the rather ragged looking car ferry to Koh Chang.
It probably would have been faster to swim (and with the state of the boat that was looking like a possibility anyway) but we made it in the end, and it was then onto another taxi ute for a fairly entertaining ride through the dark (Koh Chang is mostly jungle and STEEP hills), finally making it to the hotel at about 2100... to be greeted by more torrential rain... yes, it would seem that in the rush to "get to the beach", the planners had neglected to check the weather forecast... "Tropical island" may give most people visions of sun baked shores, but sometimes (like in the wet season) this is not totally the case... However Koh Chang is a very nice place and tourists and backpackers are mercifully pretty light on the ground this time of year (must be crazy in the high season as it would be stunning here) so we are just chilling for a couple of days. The sun is semi-out today so we are now off to sit by the pool for a bit, then the Irish Pub (there is always one) up the road is advertising the AB's vs Argentina this afternoon so we will get a bit of a taste of home with a Guinness and a bit of rugby.
From here we are back on the ferry tomorrow and then on a bus to Bangkok where we will overnight before loading on a train northwest to Chiang Mai, where we will spend a couple of days, and apparently seeing elephants and tigers is high on the agenda. Mercifully we are booked into hotels and onto trains in advance this time (I made sure of that) so there won't be too many "oh crap what do we do now" moments... while a bit of adventure is all part of the fun, it is certainly easier when you are traveling by yourself. On my own I am happy to ride in the back of a local bus and sleep under a tree if I need to, but (call me old fashioned) when I have two girls with me I do feel more than a little responsible for them, and the need to have a vehicle to get somewhere and a roof to sleep under is slightly more pressing... but it's all good fun.
Hope all is well at home, I hear there is a lot of hard work being done and sorry I am not there to pitch in... keep on keeping on and keep me updated!!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Temples, temples, temples...
Today three took a tuk tuk to temples... say that ten times fast... we had a guide with us who showed us around Angkor Wat and a couple of the other major ones... been there done that but still glad to go back as they are pretty awesome... more awesome was the mass monkey fight we literally got involved in at Angkor Wat.. it got real when a small monkey disagreement on the stairs we were walking up turned into an all-in biting screaming riot, at one point they were going at it about two stairs below me and I thought they were eyeing me up as a strategic high point. About four piled in on one big one and they ended up rolling off the side of the temple in one big ball of flying fur, falling about ten feet into a huge puddle and then carrying on with the biting and screaming. Great entertainment, especially with all the old American tourists freaking out and scattering as rabid monkey packs ran in all directions.
Tomorrow we have another tuk tuk (less tour guide) to see some of the smaller, less frequented temple sites (no monkeys apparently, but a lot of talk about black cobras)... the rain here has been getting gradually worse every day, last night we were horribly trapped in a cocktail bar as the rain hammered down and flowed down the footpaths ankle-deep... then the power went off and it was booze by candlelight in a monsoon. All good fun but the upshot is most reports are saying Laos is going to be worse, and there is a good chance roads will become impassable etc, so we will likely look at leaving here in a couple of nights and probably head straight into Thailand, across to Bangkok and maybe north from there.
Most randomly we were walking through Hoi An Ancient Town the other night looking for a decent beverage and by some bizarre chance they were playing Neutral Milk Hotel, an amazing band so unknown to most people that they just give you an odd look when you mention the name... so obviously that sold me for a couple of drinks... as far as obscure music events go that is right up there for me... find some tracks from the album 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea', most definitely the title track, and 'Holland, 1945', 'Two Headed Boy', 'Oh Comely' etc...
Now I am being nagged to stop being antisocial and get ready to head to the night markets for street food... rain is looking likely again... ah the joys of SE Asia... syoo
Tomorrow we have another tuk tuk (less tour guide) to see some of the smaller, less frequented temple sites (no monkeys apparently, but a lot of talk about black cobras)... the rain here has been getting gradually worse every day, last night we were horribly trapped in a cocktail bar as the rain hammered down and flowed down the footpaths ankle-deep... then the power went off and it was booze by candlelight in a monsoon. All good fun but the upshot is most reports are saying Laos is going to be worse, and there is a good chance roads will become impassable etc, so we will likely look at leaving here in a couple of nights and probably head straight into Thailand, across to Bangkok and maybe north from there.
Most randomly we were walking through Hoi An Ancient Town the other night looking for a decent beverage and by some bizarre chance they were playing Neutral Milk Hotel, an amazing band so unknown to most people that they just give you an odd look when you mention the name... so obviously that sold me for a couple of drinks... as far as obscure music events go that is right up there for me... find some tracks from the album 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea', most definitely the title track, and 'Holland, 1945', 'Two Headed Boy', 'Oh Comely' etc...
Now I am being nagged to stop being antisocial and get ready to head to the night markets for street food... rain is looking likely again... ah the joys of SE Asia... syoo
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Siem Reap V2.0
Back in Siem Reap town... the rathole hotel in Phnom Penh further endeared itself with the boomboom sounds of a next door nightclub last night, needless to say we were happy to see the back of it... the bus ride today was also something of a trial, thanks to fat Indians and their fat loud children, not to mention the Italians who insisted on reclining their seats so far back that the guy probably has a permanent imprint of my knee in his back, more so because I felt the need to give him a good nudge in the spine with every decent bump in the road... but these things are par for the course and six hours on a bad bus is better than... well... seven hours on a bad bus. Travel tip number 964 - it is usually worth spending a few dollars more... Mekong Express was actually pretty good from Saigon to Phnom Penh, but today, not so much.
The guesthouse (Babel) I stayed in here four years ago is the diametric opposite of our Phnom Penh accomodation and is still friendly, clean, comfy and well sorted, for only $2 more a night... totally happy to be back here, and a stroll around Siem Reap town tonight confirms it is even better than before... if 'better' means more bars, restaurants, tourist shops, etc etc... but sometimes a place with all the comforts of home is exactly what you need. Siam Reap is ground zero for tourism in Cambodia and lightyears ahead of the capital city. Dinner tonight was Cambodian BBQ (cook-it-yourself kind of stonegrill styles but on a charcoal-heated hotplate) and Lala got her first tastes of crocodile and snake... much as I remembered, crocodile is very nice if done right, snake is not really much to write home about.
We shall be taking things slow from here I think, a few days of R&R with Eve arriving to join us tomorrow, and a slow (for a change) look around the local sights, chiefly of course being Ankhor Watt (spelling? too jaded to care) and the amazing temple/palace complexes.
The rain has set in and I think it is time to leave our comfy guesthouse garden bar and go and recharge.
The guesthouse (Babel) I stayed in here four years ago is the diametric opposite of our Phnom Penh accomodation and is still friendly, clean, comfy and well sorted, for only $2 more a night... totally happy to be back here, and a stroll around Siem Reap town tonight confirms it is even better than before... if 'better' means more bars, restaurants, tourist shops, etc etc... but sometimes a place with all the comforts of home is exactly what you need. Siam Reap is ground zero for tourism in Cambodia and lightyears ahead of the capital city. Dinner tonight was Cambodian BBQ (cook-it-yourself kind of stonegrill styles but on a charcoal-heated hotplate) and Lala got her first tastes of crocodile and snake... much as I remembered, crocodile is very nice if done right, snake is not really much to write home about.
We shall be taking things slow from here I think, a few days of R&R with Eve arriving to join us tomorrow, and a slow (for a change) look around the local sights, chiefly of course being Ankhor Watt (spelling? too jaded to care) and the amazing temple/palace complexes.
The rain has set in and I think it is time to leave our comfy guesthouse garden bar and go and recharge.
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