More temples and Beer Chang in Mae Sariang

I decided that as it was my last day in Chiang Mai, i'd spend it wandering around the city itself and seeing some of its temples. I visited Wat Chiang Man, Wat Chiang Yeun, Wat Ku Tao, Wat Phan Tao, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Mahawan, Wat Bupparam and Wat Chetawan.

By far and awy the most impressive was Wat Chedi Luang. It encloses a very large and venerable Lanna style stupa, dating from 1441. The Phra Kaew (Emerald Buddha now held in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaew) used to reside in the eastern niche here in 1475. However, the most captivating was Wat Chiang Man, for the many obersvations about life and about one's hopes and fears & dreams written upon wooden plaques and scattered around the grounds of the temple. This is an example of just one of them . . .

"Love is a garden which is watered by tears."

Wat Ku Tao gets its name because its chedi looks like a pile of watermelons placed on top of each other ; "Tao" in Thai northern dialect means "watermelon."

In the grounds of a lot of the temples, there were women selling caged birds, which was a trade i had read about but not been witness to until now. When i say 'caged', they were confined in a tiny wicker container not even large enough to house one bird yet there were about 4 in each one. I felt compelled to spend my 10THB to release a few, as i hated to see them kept in such conditions. However, i'm sure once free, they were caught again and resold for another 10THB.

Ate at the vegetarian buffet at Gap's this evening. It's from 7-9pm every night and costs 130THB each, but only 90THB if you're dining alone, which is considerate of them ; get a 40THB reduction if you've got no mates! The food was wonderful incidently : there were about 8 dishes to choose from so you could pick your favourites or try a bit of everything - like i did!

Chiang Mai Eateries

1. Night Bazaar ; nice and cheap and plenty of places to sit down if you don't want to eat and walk!
2. AUM Vegetarian restaurant : lots of choice, plus it's a bookstore so you can chill out and read while your food settles. Sit upstairs as its a lot more atmospheric and you can dine on the floor Japanese style!
3. Gap's : vegetarian buffet is fantastic and the restaurant's in a lovely setting, complete with candlelight

Mae Sariang

I caught the earliest bus (8am) up to Mae Sariang to be guarannteed some accommodation for the night. I'm staying at the North West Guesthouse for 120THB per night. The place has got real character, the room is light and airy and i had my first hot shower since arriving in Thailand. Absolute bliss!

Lonely Planet were right : there's not a great deal to do here. It's nestled in some very beautiful surroundings but you can see the village's attractions (which consist of a handful of small temples) in a couple of hours.

I did consider doing a trek here but after asking around it appeared that treks in Mae Sariang do not necessarily go ahead unless enough people show an interest. So, with that information i didn't really want to wait around and take the risk in a place where there's nothing else to do. I had planned to take the 6:30am bus this morning up to Mae Hong Son until i met this Canadian guy, James, and several beer Changs later i was pretty drunk and it was 2am!!!

From talking to James i discovered that he'd also come here to do a trek and had been speaking to a guide, Mr Adul (who trades under the name of Salawin Tours) who had agreed for his younger cousin, Nigorn, to take him (and only him, as there don't appear to be any other tourists in this village!) on a 2 day trek for 2000THB. He suggested i join him (my thoughts exactly!) which should then put the cost per person down to 1000THB. We're due to speak to the guide this evening, so if all goes to plan James and i will be trekking into the forests, doing some bamboo rafting, elephant riding, and staying at one of the local hilltribe villages (where the Mr Abdul and his cousin are actually from).

Photo is of elephant at Wat Chiang Man, Chiang Mai

Thai massage, Doi Inthanon and Karen hilltribe village

Traditional Thai Massage . . .

" . . . is a combination of assisted yoga stretching, calmness of meditation, accupressure and reflexology."
Text taken from www.healingpathways.net

I experienced a traditional Thai massage yesterday morning with a masseusse at Bor Nguen (get the play on words?) massage centre. Not too sure i enjoyed the experience but it certainly brought about an entirely new definition to the word "massage!"

I was instructed to change into the clothing provided (which consisted of some baggy polyester silk fishermans trousers and a light loose fitting cotton/linen shirt), i was given a hot cup of green tea, and lay myself down on a bed in a candle-lit room listening to some soothing Thai music. So, as you can imagine, i was under the impression that the next hour would continue along much the same theme. I was quite wrong!

Much of the process at the beginning seemed to consist of finding certain pressure points in my feet and legs, which was reasonably relaxing, but then just became incredibly ticklish when she got to the inside of my thighs! As the process moved on, it seemed more to do with stretching the muscles to their extreme potential, which at times was verging on painful! Think Yoga class when you're not the one in control of how far you push yourself! There was one point when she had my body balanced on the soles of her feet (her heels at the base of my spine) while she pulled back on my arms. I felt like we were a pair of circus performers!!!

Obviously, Thai massage has proven physical benefits to our bodies (although i'm not entirely sure i was feeling them during the process!) It has been practised for centuries : its founder, Shivaga Komarpaj, a doctor, was a friend of Buddha himself. The practice balances the energy flow around the body, and releases energ blockages, thus leading to an increased sense of vitality and well-being, whilst enhancing flexibility and invigorating the nervous system. Maybe i'll wake up tomorrow and feel re-juvenated!

Wat Prathat Doi Suthep

Doi Suthep is 16km north west of Chiang Mai. It's peak (1676m) was named after the hermit Sudeva, who lived on the slopes for many years. Near the summit is Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, a major pilgrimage destination during important Buddhist holidays of Makha Biya and Visak. To get to the Wat involves the slightly strenuous task of climbing a Naga staircase of 309 steps.

I'd just been wandering around Wat Phra Singh when i met up with Henna and Stene (2 Danish girls travelling the same sort of route as me) and we decided to share a taxi together up to Doi Suthep. They'd just completed a homestay with a Thai family, and as a result had ended up attending a Thai funeral (!!?). I also discovered that they're staying at the same guesthouse as me. It's a small world over here too!

Spent the evening wandering around Chiang Mai's night bazaar, which is an activity well worth persuing even if you don't buy anything. There's streets and streets full of stalls selling all sorts of handicrafts and foods. I eneded up munching on some fish cakes and chilli sauce and some rose apple and guava.

Doi Inthanon National Park

Thailand's highest peak, Doi Inthanon (2590m) has 3 impressive waterfalls cascading down its slopes : Nam Tok Mae Klang, Nam Tok Wachiratan, and the highest, Nam Tok Siriphum (Siriphum apparently means lucky in Thai). The entire mountain, which covers an area of 482sq.km, is a national park.

I completed a brief tour of the park today with Penguin tours. We stopped off at Nam Tok Wachiratan and the King's and Queen's Pagodas, before completing our jouney to the peak. The 2 pagodas face each other on neighbouring hills approximately 100m apart. They were built by the Royal Thai air force to commemorate the King and Queen's respective 60th birthdays. The King's pagida was built in 1989 and the Queen's 5 years later. They were built using money from the wages of the Thai soldiers. At the peak, there was a very cheesy sign reading "The highest point in Thailand." Unfortunately there were also crowds of Asian tourists flocking around it taking turns to have their photos taken by it, so i didn't have a chance to do the same!

The Royal Project

After lunch we spent half an hour or so at The Royal Project. It's a project where opium farmers have changed to cultivating vegetables and flowers instead. His majesty The King personally participated in selecting the right crops to replace opium. As well as being a very productive place to visit, it's also really beautiful, with hundreds of different flower varieties in so many different colours and shapes and sizes.

Local Karen village

There are 4 different types of Karen hill tribes : Skaw (white) Karen, Pwo Karen, Pa-o (black) Karen and Kayah (red) Karen. We visited the home of a white Karen tribe. The village consisted of 23 homes (built on stilts or posts) housing 96 inhabitants. Their economy is based on the cultivation of rice and vegetables and the farming of livestock. We watched them weaving cotton scarves, which are now a major source of income for them due to the visiting tourists who purchase them. Each scarf takes approximately 2-4 days to make (depending on the size) so they are worth every baht of the 200-400THB the Karen people charge for them.

Summary of the tour

Booked with Penguin tours in Chiang Mai, 8am-5:30pm 800THB. Price includes all transport, entrance fees and lunch.
The main problem with the tour was that due to the length of time it took to travel between Chiang Mai and the park (approx 1-1 and a half hours), there was not a grat deal of time left to cram all the sights in inbetween. However, our guide, Tom, was fantastic. He was incredibly knowledgable and always gave us a substantial amount of backround information about each place nd its people.

Photo is of the Karen hilltribe village, Doi Inthanon National Park.

Culinary delights in Chiang Mai

Arrival in Chiang Mai

Got the bus up from Sukhothai (6hrs 203THB) so i arrived in Chiang Mai just before 4pm. Took a motorcycle taxi (don't worry mum, i wore a helmet!) from the bus station to Julie's Guesthouse, as all the tuk tuk drivers wanted over 100THB for a 5 minute journey! It was all going so well until me and my huge backpack disembarked rather clumsily from the vehicle and i caught my bare leg on the burning exhaust . . ouch! I think that's going to scar!

I've got mixed views about Julie's Guesthouse. I was placed in a dorm room (ok so it's cheap - only 60THB per night) on the promise that a single room would be available for me the following night. However when i queried the proceedure of changing rooms later on that evening, i was told that there was no guaranntee of a single room but that i was on the waiting list! I felt that as they'd got my trade (by placing me in a dormitory), they were not bothered about how i was treated afterwards. I've worked in sales and customer service for years and that's not the way to make your customers feel valued or encourage repeat trade. You should always under promise and over deliver and that's not something the staff at Julie's are very good at.

On the plus side, it is a very sociable guesthouse (i met Sabrina, a German girl as soon as i got back to the dorm this evening and we had dinner together), and has a fantastic common room/chill out area, complete with pool table. I'll have to see how the sleep (or lack of) goes tonight and how i get on with the lack of privacy.

Gap's Thai Culinary Art School

Took a fantastic cookery course today with Gap's Thai Culinary Art School. The school was featured in my Lonely Planet Guide and had been recommended by a number of users on the Thorn Tree travel forum. I checked out their website beforehand and discovered that they're able to adapt the recipes to accommodate vegetarians, which appealed to me as so many of the dishes a lot of the cookery schools advertise include chicken.

There were only 5 of us in the group (another 2 people were on the 2nd day of the course so they were working seperately on a more advanced level) so you really felt valued as an individual.

Before arriving at the school (it was actually a small kitchen built in the middle of some beautiful gardens) we visited a local market for an attack on the senses and to have a look at some of the vegetables, herbs and seasonings that we'd be working with. The market in itself was fascinating : i never realised there were so many different varieties of eggplant (in fact, all of the vegetables used in a Thai Green Curry are a type of eggplant - bitter, long and crunchy). I also learnt that Papaya is great for your digestive system, Pineapple helps make your sweat smell sweet, and rubbing fresh Turmeric on mosquito bites will help to reduce the swelling and itching!

We had 2 superb teachers : crazy Yae and his partner in crime, Joe. They helped us prepare and cook the following dishes :

1. POH PIA (Thai spring rolls)
2. TOM YAM KOUNG (spicy and sour lemon grass soup with shrimp)
3. KAI PHAT MET-MAMUANG (chicken sauteed with cashew nuts)
4. PHAT THAI SAI KHAI (fried noodle Thai style)
5. KAENG KHIAW WAAN KAI (Chicken green curry)
6. TORT MAN PLAA (Thai style fish cake)
7. HO MOK PLAA (fish souffle)
8. SANG KAI YAA FAK THAWNG (steamed whole pumpkin with coconut custard

N.B. I substituted the chicken for tofu in all above dishes

Our tutors managed to break down some of Thailand's most famous dishes into their raw ingredients, and therefore made it less of a daunting task for us very amateur cooks to be able to attempt them. The course was fun, educational, interesting and most of all, hands-on. We ate some of our own dishes for lunch and were able to take the rest home with us for dinner (although i'm not sure 'dinner' will be happening this evening after the amount i consumed for lunch!)

I think the 2 day course would have been a little too much information to absorb all at once, but the 1 day course was a perfect introduction to all the dishes and flavours and aromas that shout "Thailand!"

Course details

1 day course with Gap's Thai Culinary Art School 900THB 9:30am-4pm Includes :

• Transport to and from the school
• A book giving you an introduction to Thailand's ingredients and a little history about the methods of preparation and consumption)
• 53 easy to follow recipes
• A certificate of your completion of the course
• A very large doggy bag to take home!

Photo is not of some purple chilli peppers but actually of a variety of eggplant we saw at the market, Chiang Mai

Cycling around Sukhothai's ruins

On my second day in Sukhothai i hired a bicycle to get around some of the ruins outside the city walls - Wat Chang Lom and Wat Si Chum in particular. At the site of Wat Chang Lom is a large bell shaped stupa supported by 36 elephants sculpted into its base. Wat Si Chum on the other hand, houses a huge sitting Buddha whose lap spans a massive 11.3 metres in width! The Buddha is called 'Phra Achana' : 'one who is not frightened.' Mind you, i don't think i would be if i was that big either!

Beautiful as it was cycling around the park, admiring the scenery, feeling the hot sun beating down on my shoulders and the cool breeze on my face, i was all cycled out by around 4pm (it's hard work when you've got no gears!). So i returned the bike and stopped at 'The Coffee Cup' for some refreshment and relaxation.

My intention was to stay at the park until dusk so i could get some good photos of the ruins at sunset. It's definitely one of the best times of the day to visit the park : the bulk of the tourists have dispersed, and as the sun was getting lower in the sky it really brought out the beauty of the ruins and emphasized the shapes of the stonework. Unfortunately my camera battery died just as the sun was beginning to set, and guess who left their spare battery at the guesthouse? Disappointed is not the word!

Closing thoughts on Sukhothai

There are more complete Buddha sculptures remaining at Sukhothai and a lot of the original pillars still exist. However Ayuthaya is home to a larger number of chedis and prangs, which i think makes Ayuthaya's ruins more atmospheric than Sukhothai's. However, Sukhothai historical park has a serene and peaceful atmosphere : the ruins are surrounded by ponds with lillies floating on the surface. Arrive at the right time of day and the ruins are reflected beautifully in the water. The ruins outside the walls are dotted round a landscape that includes lush green hills, empty roads, clusters of banana trees and rice fields. Sukhothai is a reclining Buddha, basking in the afternoon sun.

Photo is of one of the few shots of the ruins at sunset that i managed to get before my battery died!

Lopburi - Phitsanulok - Sukhothai

Phitsanulok - 'Pitts'anulok?

The temples and the night market were disappointing, as were the lack of internet cafes in the centre of the city. Furthermore, if you plan on eating after 7pm, your only real option is the night market (there's also one by the train station), and if you're vegetarian and can't speak Thai, you may find yourself going hungry (save for a few portions of fresh fruit!).

However, that's just my humble opinion. If you fancy staying in Phitsanulok and seeing for yourself then the Lithai guesthouse is a pleasant enough choice. 200THB a night will buy you a room on the 4th floor with shared (outside) bathroom. the room lacks character and could do with a coat of paint, but it's spacious, lets in a lot of light, and even includes a T.V, so you can watch some wierd and wonderful Thai entertainment!

Arrival in Sukhothai

The bus station in Phitsanulok is about 2km from the city centre so you'll need to catch a saamlaw or tuk tuk. Once at the station, buses leave approximately every half an hour, the journey takes about an hour and a half and costs 38THB.

As soon as i arrived in Sukothai, i was approached by a tuk tuk driver intent on taking me to certain guesthouses he was presumably being paid commission from. I was a little annoyed about being pressured into where i chose to stay, so - pleasant as The Garden House and Ban Thai may be - i reluctantly thanked the driver, disembarked and continued along Prawet Nakon road (where he dropped me outside Ban Thai) so that i could have the freedom to make my own decision on where i lay my head for the next couple of nights.

I stumbled upon T.R guesthouse (which was in my Lonely Planet guide and had been recommended on Passplanet). The room was bright and spacious and had a private bathroom, and also offers laundry service, free internet and motorbike rental (shame i didn't bring my drivers licence!) The staff are all very friendly, and it's got quite a homely feel to the place. My only gripe is that they lock the gates at 10pm - no late night partying for me then!

Sukhothai

Sukhothai was Thailand's first capital. Sukhothai means 'rising of happiness' and the kingdom flourished from the mid 13th century until the late 14th century. The park includes remains of 21 historical sites and 4 large ponds within the old walls, with an additional 70 sites within a 5km radius.

I only managed to make it around 6 of them this afternoon : Wat Mahathat, Wat Si Sawai, Wat Trapang Ngoen, Wat Sa Si, Wat Chana Songkram and Wat Mai. They're all within the old city walls and within easy walking distance of each other. It's quite a pleasant stroll through the park, as the ruins are encircled by attractive ponds and the pathways are shaded by trees.

I spent the evening at the guesthouse chatting to a German family and a Dutch couple who'd just arrived from Chiang Mai. I'm warming to the TR Guesthouse the longer i stay here : there's a lovely relaxed and friendly feel to the place, which makes it easy to meet other travellers, and the owner is incredibly helpful and accommodating.

Photo is of Buddha statue at Wat Mahathat, Sukhothai historical park.

"Hey Hey, we're the monkeys!"

Lopburi

Inhabited since the Dvaravati period, Lopburi houses ruins which span a remarkable 12 centuries. However, it is the population of wild monkeys (a type of macaque) which inhabit the town that earns Lopburi its fame.

I'm not sure how often the buses leave Ayuthaya for Lopburi, as i was sat on an almost empty bus for over half an hour before the driver turned up, but the journey takes approximately 2 hours and costs 40 THB.

Lopburi has quite an intimate feel to it, it's a reasonably compact town and very easy to find your way around. I arrived at the Nett Hotel (160 THB per night) and was a little disappointed considering this is supposed to be the best accommodation option in town. The rooms are clean and spacious but seriously worn and tatty, and the whole place could do with a bit of a re-vamp. The fan in the first room i was shown looked like it was dangerously close to detaching itself from the ceiling!

I managed to explore Wat Phra Si Ratana Mahathat (which, during Lopburi's hey day, was the town's largest monastry) without seeing a single monkey. However, as soon as i got closer to the railway line and San Phra Kan (Kala Shrine), all of a sudden it was like i'd walked into another world. There were monkeys stopping the traffic in the street, climbing the lamp posts, and hanging off the telephone lines! There were monkeys everywhere, and there were hundreds of them! This was a town gone crazy!

I walked into the grounds of the shrine, seriously worried i wasn't going to be able to escape a monkey attack. However, this group of monkeys didn't seem that bothered by people, as long as you didn't get too close or try to feed them. It was quite amusing and endearing to watch them pushing each other into this huge pool of water, playing inquisitively with a garden hose and chasing each other through the trees.

Prang Sam Yot (monkey temple)

This is a Hindu turned Buddhist temple. Originally the 3 towers symbolised the Hindu triumurti of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, but now 2 of them contain Lopburi style Buddha images

This place was crawling with monkeys. I couldn't actually walk the circumference of the grounds due to not being able to make a clear pathway through the monkeys. After witnessing an Australian girl fight off a monkey crawling up her back and pulling at her hair, and a Thai girl cry out in dismay as her sunglasses were swiped from her face, i decided it was wise to keep my distance! You need 360 degree vision in this place!

I ate at the White House Garden restaurant this evening, as it was round the corner from the Nett Hotel. Piak, the owner, began talking to me about the volunteer project he forms part of : helping out at a heroin detox centre for monks up at one of the nearby monastries. He showed me some photos and a book of comments from visitors who had taken the tour up there and to the hospital where HIV victims are treated. Had i had time, it would have been nice to have been able to take the tour myself. Obviously not nice in the aesthetic sense but in the sense that it would have given me experience of the real Thailand, real issues affecting the country now, as opposed to the kind of things we see on postcards.

Notes : If you plan a visit to Chao Phraya Wichayen or Phra Narai Ratchaniwet (King Narai's Palace), they both close at 4pm. Unfortunately, as i'd spent about 2 hours photographing monkeys, i didn't realise this fact until it was too late!

Photo is of monkeys cuddling at Prang Sam Yot.

Ruins and sunburn!

Ayuthaya

Ayuthaya was the Siamese royal capital from 1350. 33 kings of various Siamese dynasties reigned here until the city was conquered by the Burmese in 1767. The city was named after Ayodhya (Sanskrit for 'unassailable' or 'undefeatable') During its hey day , Thai culture and international commerce flourished in the kingdom.

Ayuthaya historical park is an Unesco World Heritage site, and it's ruins are scattered around this once magnificent city and along the rivers which encircle it.

I rose early this morning and hired a bicycle for the day (cost : 40THB until 6pm) to enable me to explore a large chunk of Ayuthaya's ruins. Once i got off the main roads (which are a little bit unnerving, as no-one seems to take much notice of you if you're on a push bike, including pedestrians, who kept walking out in front of me!), it was quite a pleasant place to cycle around. There were plenty of street stalls around selling liquid refreshments, and you will need plenty : Ayuthaya felt so much hotter than Kanchanaburi as there was no cross breeze to cool you down.

Wat Phra Mahathat

Built during the reign of King Ramesuan in the 14th century, it is home to one of Ayuthaya's most photographed sites : a buddha head embedded in twisted tree roots. the Khmer style tower is one of the first built in the capital.

Wat Ratburana

Over the road from Wat Phra Mahathat. It was established in 1424 by king Boromaraja the 2nd to hold the ashes of his elder brothers who killed each other in battle - on elephant back - fighting over the throne.

Wat Phra Ram

Built in 1369, the towering prang at Wat Phra Ram is an excellent example of a Khmer style temple from the beginning of the Ayuthaya period.

Wat Phra Si Samphet

This one was my favourite. It was built by King Boromatrailokanat (hope he didn't have to sign his name too often!) in 1448. It was one of the grandest temples in the ancient capital and is still one of the best preserved.

Wat Na Phramane

Really out of tourist territory, this one. It was built in 1503 A.D by Angel Indra in the reign of King Rama the 2nd. It's unique in that it managed to escape attack by the Burmese in 1767. It houses an impressive 4.4m wide and 6m high solid gold Buddha.

Wat Phra Chao Phannan Choeng

A ferry ride across the river, It was built in the early 14th century before Ayuthaya became the Siamese capital. It contains a highly revered 19m high Buddha image from which the Wat derives its name.

After cycling around Ayuthaya's ruins for almost 6 hours, i was feeling seriously sunburnt and in desperate need of huge amounts of water. Can't quite understand how i managed to walk around Kanchanaburi for a whole day and not even turn pink, yet after a few hours of cycling around Ayuthaya, i felt very much like an ingredient in one of the stir frys i'd been eating! I had my very own central heating system, which may have been useful had the outside temperature not been touching 35 degrees!

Beware : Savage dogs!

Although most of the dogs here (and there are alot of them!) will lie peacefully in the sunas you walk past, there are the odd few that will follow you and bark and growl at you, and it can be pretty scary. They're not your cute, fluffy domestic dogs; they're mean looking stray mongrels with sharp teeth!

Thoughts on Ayuthaya

Fascinating as all the ruins and the history of Ayuthaya are, i didn't really warm to it as a place to stay. It's very spread out, the only real centre being in and around Soi 1 (off Naresuan Rd) where there are a handful of guesthouses and eateries, Tony's Place being the one with the best atmosphere and crowd.

Photo is of a Buddha head at the ruins of Wat Ratburana, Ayuthaya

laa kawn Kanchanaburi, sawatdii kha Ayuthaya!

Kanchanaburi recommendations

Guesthouse : Sugar Cane 2, River Kwai bridge end of Mae Tham Kwae road.

I realise i have no experience of any other guesthouses by means of comparison but i couldn't fault Sugar Cane 2 : Idyllic surroundings, spotless, large and airy rooms, and friendly service.

Eateries : Sri Rung Reung, Mae Tham Kwae road.

Pleasant surroundings, efficient and friendly service and the Thai green curry was very tasty.

Internet : Jo Jo internet (opposite Sri Rung Reung)

30THB per hour and they'll also serve you drinks while you're surfing. All computers have USB ports so if you've got a memory card reader or pendrive, you can transfer photos directly fromyour memory card without the need to burn them to C.D

I don't feel like i've really accomplished a great deal today, apart from a lot of travelling and my third port of call in Thailand reached, however i did meet a couple of really nice people in the process. I bumped into Tony (Belgium guy who lives in America) briefly yesterday when he recognised me from Sugar Cane. This morning i recognised him in the guest house cafe so i said "hi" and he invited me to sit at his table. Subsequently we had breakfast together and ended up chatting until our respective mini buses arrived at 1:30pm. On the bus i sat next to Katherine. She's from Edinburgh and has been travelling (mainly around Australia and New Zealand) for a year. We got on really well and exchanged email addresses before going our separate ways (she was heading back into Bangkok).

I arrived in Ayuthaya around 5pm. Aside from a few of the ruins i caught glimpses of on the journey in, the town doesn't seem to have a lot of character. However, i think it will take a great deal for a town to match up to the beauty of Kanchanaburi. As i was walking down Soi 1, just off Naresuan road (the main traveller's centre), i was really starting to think it had beeen a bad idea not booking some accommodation beforehand : Tony's Place, Baan Lotus and Chantana guesthouse were all full and the room i was shown at P.U guesthouse was a complete dump (in fact the whole guesthouse looked like a building site!). Then i stumbled across Ayuthaya guesthouse. It wasn't in the accommodation recommendations in the Lonely Planet guide or on Travelfish (which have been my bibles for this trip!) but as i was rapidly running out of available options, i decided to take a look. 160THB was the cost of a room; at 140THB less than i'd been quoted everywhere else, i had my reservations. However i was pleasantly surprised. Ok, so it was nothing to write home about but there was a double bed, a window, a fan, a lock on the door and it appeared to be sufficiently clean. So that's where i decided to lay my hat for the next couple of nights.

Later on this evening i was sipping a refreshingly cold Chang beer and enjoying a delicious Thai green curry at Tony's Place (which incidently is a fantastic place to spend the evening : lively atmosphere, the friendliest staff i've experienced so far, and first class service) when i spotted a comment in my Lonely Planet guide. It read, "several serious complaints have been made about service and tours at Ayuthaya Guesthouse." Oh dear . . . so it appears that, although the rooms are perfectly adequate (and cheap!), it's not advisable to do anything other than sleep at the Ayuthaya Guesthouse!

It's also very noisy along this soi due to passing traffic and music from the neighbouring bars, so pack your ear plugs if you want a good night's sleep (as i have!)

Photo is off me at the top pool at Erawan Falls, near Kanchanaburi

A walk along the river . . .

Well, i planned to have a chilled day today - but yet again i ended up walking miles! I was flicking through my Lonely Planet guide over breakfast in the cafe at my guesthouse, and decided that it would be quite nice to take a casual stroll down to the Jeath Museum. The road leading down to the museum runs parallel to the river and passes Wat Neua on the way.

Jeath Museum

The museum is so called, as it's an abbreviation of the names of the 6 countries involved in the construction of the Death Railway : Japan (J), England (E), America and Austrailia (A), Thailand (T), and Holland (H), and the fact that it resembles the word death also has great significance. The Japanese were the controllers of the railway project, Thailand was involved as the conquered country and the other 4 countries were involved as prisoners of war on the actual construction of the 415km long Death Railway and the bridge over the River Kwai.

Construction of the bridge began on the 16th September 1942, and the prisoners were forced to complete it in just 16 months, a project which would normally have taken over 5 years. The museunm exhibits original photographs taken by Thais and prisoners of war, and actual construction equipment used. There's also a display of weapons including a bomb that was dropped to destroy the River Kwai bridge.

The museum was quite disturbing in parts, not so much the photos themselves but some of the realistic and gruesome scenes that had been painted, depicting the conditions the prisoners were living and working in and some of the injuries they endured and diseases they suffered.

I also visited the World War 2 Museum up the other end of the town (my poor feet!). I paid my 30THB not so much to see the museum itself (as it was, as is acurately described in the Lonely Planet, very much "a monument to kitsch") but to walk up on to the rooftops and admire the fantastic view of Kanchanaburi and the bridge over the River Kwai. I'm sure they'd make a lot of money if they put a few chairs up there and served drinks, as the view is spectacular. If you're a keen photographer like me (well, i try!) then i reckon you'll get the best view of the infamous bridge from up here.

Photo is of two boats passing each other on the Mae Nam Khwae Yai, Kanchanaburi

Waterfalls and monkeys

I decided to book a tour for today, as a lot of Kanchanaburi's attractions are several kilometres outside the town itself, and difficult to get to independently. So on the agenda today were Hellfire Pass, Erawan National Park, Krasae Cave, Death Railway and a train ride to The Bridge over The River Kwai, in time to watch the sunset.

At Hellfire Pass we had time to look around the museum and walk down the pass itself. Hellfire Pass is the name the prisoners of war gave to the cutting at Konya, the largest of a 1000m series of mountain cuttings accomplished with minimal equipment and by prisoners working 16-18 hour shifts for 12 solid weeks. Hellfire Pass is so named because of the way the flickering bonfire light lit up the emaciated faces of the workers. The scenery around Hellfire Pass is spectacular, in stark contrast to the knowledge of what happened here several decades ago.

Erawan National Park is one of the most visited and most beautiful national parks in Thailand. There are 7 tiered waterfalls, all of which feed into the Mae Nam Khwae Yai. the top pool is over a 2km hike from the base and the last stretch is quite a difficult climb, and almost impossible in the wet season. The uppermost pool is said to resemble Airvata (Erawan in Thai), who is the 3 headed elephant of Hindu mythology.

It's certainly well worth a climb to the top. You can swim in 5 out of the 7 pools and i chose to take the long walk up first and then take a nice refreshing swim in the top pool. The only aspect i wasn't too keen on were the little fish in the water that kept nipping at my feet. They didn't hurt but it did give me a bit of a shock everytime they decided to have a nibble!

There are also wild monkeys living within the park, 2 of which Micki, Dik and I encountered on our way down. I managed to get a couple of photos before they got a little too close for comfort and i made my escape!

The Tour

Booked with Toi Tours, full day excursion 8am-6pm, 600THB (including an authentic Thai lunch)

Pros :

1. We were given just the right amount of time to fully appreciate each attraction
2. The group was small enough that you could get to know people on a personal level
3. Good contrast of activities and sights

Cons :

1. A little bit of backround information/history on the sites would have been useful. thankfully i had my trusty Lonely Planet guide!

Photo is of the River Kwai Bridge at sunset, Kanchanaburi

Arrival in Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi is 130km west of Bangkok in the valley of Mae Nam Klong, amid hills and sugar cane plantations. the town was originally established by King Rama 1 as a first line of defence against the Burmese, should they try to invade through the Three Pagodas Pass on the Thailand-Myanmar border.
During WW11 the Japenese used Allied prisoners of war to build the infamous Death Railway Bridge along this invasion route, from Mae Nam Khwae Noi to the Three Pagodas Path.
Thousands of prisoners died as a result of brutal teatment by their captors. their graves are found in the Kanchanaburi Allied war Cemetery and the Chinese Cemetery.

Arrival In Kanchanaburi

I'm staying at the Sugar Cane 2 guest house here in Kanchanaburi,. it's so pretty here, it's like a little village of bamboo huts, lush greenery and beautiful fushia pink flowers, all overlooking the Mae Nam Khwae river. My room has a double bed, private bathroom (with mirror - a luxury in guesthouse bedrooms!) and a window that overlooks the gardens and the inviting reception area/cafe, right on the banks of the river.

It's a little bit of a walk from the guesthouse into the main stretch of cafes/bars (about 15 minutes) but it's close to The Bridge over the River Kwai, which is where i took a walk to this afternoon. Ok, so it doesn't take long to walk up and down the bridge and take a few photos (which can be a rather precarious activity in itself, especially when you need to pass someone coming from the opposite direction!) but it's a lovely area to spend a bit of time. There are lots of shops and market stalls and several cafes along the riverside where you can grab yourself a nice cold drink and take in the scenery.

For the remainder of the afternoon i decided to wander in the other direction, towards the main traveller's centre. All the bars and cafes are situation within more of the little wooden huts as found at my guesthouse. It' is indeed "swoi-ma" and such a pleasant and serene contrast to Bangkok.

I ended up at the Kanchanaburi Allied War Cemetery and the Chinese Cemetery. The Chinese Cemetry was particularly haunting, as all the graves are numbered, in their hundreds. there's a museum next door (the Thailand-Burma Railway centre) if you want to learn a bit of history about the Thailand-Burma railway : why it was built, why people died building it, and what has happened since the war ended.

Photo is of some of the ornate graves at the Chinese Cemetery, Kancahnaburi.

Alms bowls and blues, baby!!

Today i walked from Khao San road to Wat Saket and The Golden Mount . The view offered by climbing to the top of the spiral staircase of The Golden Mount is actually more impressive than the mount itself. It gives you a full 360 degree view of Bangkok, and is probably the only way you'll be able to view the city from this height.

On your descent, shaded by mysterious gnarled trees, you'll see past graves and pictures of ghostly looking residents.

Wat Tramit

I desperately needed to sit down by the time i got here : i'd walked the entire length of Thannon Chraoen Krung and not a single cafe in sight. There were hundreds upon hundreds of market stalls lining the edge of the road, but no-where i could rest my weary legs with a refreshing fruit shake and watch the world go by.

The main attraction of Wat Tramit is the 5.5 tonne solid gold buddha image, which is impressive. However, apart from that, there's not a lot else to see, so i didn't stop here for long before hailing a tuk tuk to Ban Bart (Monk's Bowl Village)

Ban Bart

It's more like a rather large yard rather than a village but very interesting all the same. It's the residence of the only surviving family who remain faithful to the art of making traditional steel bart (alms bowls). The bowls are made of 8 seperate pieces of steel (with copper interwoven inbetween) which are said to represent the 8 spokes of the wheel of Dharma (which symbolise Buddhas eightfold path)

Community leader Hiran Suasriserm greeted me, showed me the finished product and how the bowls are made (each bowl takes 1 day to make; 2 days for larger bowls), and even let me help to bang one into shape! Aware that purchases of these bowls made by tourists, help to support the craft families and maintain a dying tradition in Thailand, i felt i had to buy one myself. The bowl is beautiful (or "swoi-ma" (phonetic spelling as the word was told to me by Hiran) in Thai) and worth every baht.

Spent a fantastic evening at Ad Here (jazz and blues bar recommended by Lonely Planet). To find it, exit Khao san Road (the police station end), turn right, carry on walking until you cross the bridge and then it's on your left hand side. If you're travelling alone (like me) and want to meet people then this is the place. It's regularly packed out and a live band play nightly from 10pm until midnight. I got chatting to Lenka, who is originally from the UK but has been working on VSO projects throughout India and Thailand. I asked her about the country and the language (she can speak, in her words, enought Thai "to get by") Learned an interseting, if bizarre fact from her : don't try to order bananas from the market because if you say the Thai word for banana in the wrong tone, you're actually saying "penis", tee hee!!!

The band that played this eve were fronted by a large (in Thai terms) lady with a fantastic voice and because the band are regulars at this bar, she interacted with the crowd brilliantly. They did a wicked blues version of Elvis's "Hound Dog".

If you come to Bangkok, you have to pay this bar a visit : the atmosphere, the people, the music, the beer - all first class!

Photo is of me and Hiran making alms bowls at Ban Bart, Bangkok.

Note to self

Do not forget about the time and have a shower after sundown when there are open vents in the shower room. It was like a scene out of The Birds, only with mosquitoes!!! I'm stood there cowering under a towel in the corner trying to cover up as much of my body as possible to avoid being eaten alive. At the same time i'm wondering, "how the hell do i get out of here?" : I still had shampoo in my hair, the clothes i was washing were drowning with dead mosquitoes on the shower room floor, and my only exit was the door below the light where all the ba****ds, in their hundreds, were making a beeline for!

Now that i've managed to escape, my only worry now is how many bites i'll wake up covered with in the morning. the one under my eye was bad enough and the swelling on that is only just beginning to subside . .

Peace and tranquility in Bangkok

Decided to take a walk to Vimanmek Mansion today, as there was supposed to be a Thai dance show at 10:30am, and Dusit Park was reportedly a serene and peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. However, when i was walking into the grounds there were security guards at every corner asking what business i had there. Hence, i didn't really feel i could (or was allowed to!) have a peaceful wander through the park.

When i arrived at the mansion, i was taken (along with a Swedish family and a German couple) on a compulsary tour around the mansion. At the end of the tour, there was no Thai dancing show. If it had have taken place and wherever it did take place, i had missed it as a result of the tour..
The tour itself would have been more interesting if it wasn't for the thickness of the guide's accent and the fast (almost monotone) pace at which she spoke, which made it difficult to understand the content of her speech.

Do it if you fancy a slice of how Royalty in thailand lived, otherwise miss it off your list. Wat Benchamabophit (which i visited afterwatds) is however, worth a visit if you're in the area.

Moreover, there's a fantastic food market along the banks of the river as you exit Tha Thewes (the docking port for Dusit Park & Wat Benchamabophit). Everything you could possibly want and so fresh the fish were still flapping around!
When you wander through the market you're hit by a carcophony of aromas from fresh fish to dried chillis to a huge array of herbs and spices.

Vimanmek Mansion
The mansion is the world's largest golden teak building. It was originally constructed in Ko Si Chang in 1868, and moved to the present site in 1910. It was the site of King Rama V's residence in the early 1900's.

Wat Benchamabophit (marble temple)
This Wat was built in the late 19th century under King Rama V (King Chulalongkorn). the base of the central Buddha image contains the ashes of King Rama V. The courtyard beside the bot (central sanctuary in a Thai temple) exhibits 53 Buddha images (33 original & 20 copies) representing famous figures and styles from Thailand and other Buddhist countries.

It is possible to walk the entire journey from Tha Thewes to Dusit and then along to Wat Benchamabophit if you don't mind the heat (and being constantly asked where you're going!) but i had to take a tuk tuk back to the port as i had serious blisters on my feet at this point! (knew i should have stuck to my reliable old flip-flops!) The tuk tuk cost me 80THB, although the first driver i asked wanted 150!!

Photo is of Wat Benchamabophit, Bangkok.

What a lot of Wats!

Well, i have arrived!! Touched down yesterday in the early hours of the afternoon, temperature 28 degrees . . . toasty! I decided to locate the airport bus, which cost me 100THB and dropped me at the top end of Khao San Road. The ordinary bus would have been a little bit cheaper, but after a 13 or 14 hour flight and no real sleep, it wasn't worth the hassle!

For those of you interested the Shambara Boutique is an excellent hostel. The rooms are spotlessly clean, the staff are friendly, towels are even included and the air con is very effective (if not a little too much so, i woke up freezing in the middle of the night under my little thin sheet!) It's got a lovely little courtyard where they serve drinks and food (i looked at the menu this eve and you can get stir fried red snapper with red pepper sauce for 90 THB - not much over 1 british pound!

I started my day early this morning - set out at around 9am with the intention of packing the day full of Wats : The Grand Palace, Wat Phra Kaew (the temple of the emerald Buddha), Wat Pho, and Wat Arun. I decided to to take the boat down the Chao Praya river, as the docking station was only a short walk from my hostel. Not long after i set out, i was stopped by a tuk tuk driver (i obviously looked lost with map in hand!) He asked the usual "Where you from?", "How long you here?" and "Where you go?", to which i answered the latter with "The Grand Palace." His response to that was that it was closed until 1:30 : "speceeal Boodah day" he said. He proceeded to mark a number of other temples on the map that were however, open. Hmmm, now maybe a first time Bangkoker would have believed him but i had my suspicions. So i decieded to go with my original plan : i took a very pleasant (and very refreshing after the pollution of Bangkok's roads) boat journey down to Tha Cheng, and surprise surprise, the Grand Palace was not closed, but it was under serious reconstruction, so a lot of the main part was covered in scafolding!

The Grand Palace

The Grand Palace was consecrated in 1782, the first year of Bangkok rule, and today is a pilgrimage destination for devout Buddhists and nationalists. The 94.5 hectare grounds encompass more than 100 buildings that represent 200 years of royal history and architectuaral experimentation.

Wat Pho

Wat Pho houses the largest reclining Buddha (46m long and 15m high) and the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand. It's also the country's earliest centre for public education. There's a reputable massage school on site.

Wat Arun

Wat Arun is the third triumvirate along with Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kaew. It's named after the Indian God of Dawn, Aruna. The most prominent feature of this Wat is the 82m high prang (Khmer style tower), and some spectacular sunsets can apparently be seen as the backdrop to the temple if viewing it from the opposite side of the Chao Praya river.

I intended to try and catch one of these sunsets. I was told the sun set at around 4pm, so based on this fact i arrived at the temple just before 3pm. However, but 3:45 the sun was still very much high in the sky so i decided to head over to Chinatown instead. I hailed a tuk tuk and we settled on the price of 60THB, not sure whether that's good or bad but i managed to barter him down from 100! I just love Tuk tuk's - especially when you get one with a crazy driver who weaves his way in and out of the traffic at high speed! Well, i'm not insured for winter sports on this trip so i'll have to get my thrills somehow!!!

In three words CHINATOWN IS CRAZY!! You thought Khao San Road was manic, well treble it and treble it again! Moreover, Chinatown is on a much larger scale. If you fancy sampling lots of strange unidentifiable food then this is the place to come. If you have a bad sense of direction then this is not! I managed to get completely and utterly lost! Being the stubborn person that i am, i decided that i was going to un-lose myself, but after over an hour of not recognising any street names and not seeing a single white person, i had to give in as soon as i spotted what turned out to be two American guys sitting on the pavement with a map in hand. So thanks guys, i'd probabaly still be in Chinatown if it wasn't for you!

I've had my staple Phad Thai and fresh pineapple and papaya this evening from one of Bangkok's numerous street stalls so i'm off now to wash it down with a Singha beer in many of the bars down here on Khao San Road . . .

Entrance to most of the Wats around the city is 20THB, with the exception of The Grand Palace, which is 250THB. This does however include entrance to Wat Phra Kaew (the temple of the emerald buddha)

If you're in Thailand at this time of year, sunset is at 5:30/5:45pm

Photo is of a strange creature who forms part of the decorative temples at The Grand Palace, Bangkok