Thailand Part 1 - pre Mum!

I arrive in Bangkok and check in to the New Merry V Guest House on Phra Athit road. I want to be away from what I hear is the Khao San Road madness but near enough to the tourist things. My room is the closest thing to a prison cell I've ever experienced but somehow I manage to sleep great there and stick it out for my days in Bangkok. I've just found out that a friend from my masters, Regina, is arriving in Bangkok the day after me so we hang out for a few days here before making our way to Vietnam.

I've had my reservations about Thailand - principally because I've heard so much about its boozing and beaches! Maybe I'm getting old but rather than enticing me, it scares me! I never really had any major plans to visit Thailand but decided to give it a shot while in South East Asia - I'm glad I did! After getting over the initial shock of seeing the hordes of beer- swilling, scantily clad tourists of Khao San Road, I realise that there is actually quite a bit to see in Bangkok. Khao San Road is a must-see but I thank God that I'm not staying there.

There is a lot to see in Bangkok and I'm surprised at how much I like it. The buildings are magnificent and the contrast of the sun-warmed gold leaf stupas and the brightly coloured roofs of the temples is really striking. I visit Wat Pho temple the home of the Reclining Buddha! Again, it's a beautiful structure with lines of golden Buddhas and statues that I last saw in movie 'The King and I' - great old-school movie! There's a massage centre at Wat Pho where you can get a half hour Thai massage for next to nothing and it's done by masseurs trained at the temple - really great start to the trip in SE Asia. The Reclining Buddha is by far my favourite tourist attraction here - a 46m long golden statue of the Buddha lying down with mother of pearl feet. It's amazing! There are some Buddhist monks visiting at the same time as me and they keep moving away as soon as I get anywhere near them. Not sure what's happening so test it out by walking towards them - didn't realise but in some Buddhist cultures/groups, monks are not supposed to be anywhere near a woman.

Myself and Regina also take in the Wat Phra Kaew Temple, which houses the Emerald Buddha (slightly disappointing as it's so tiny) and the Grand Palace, a lovely complex but would be much improved if you were actually allowed inside any of the buildings. The Temple of the Golden Mount or Wat Saket is located in the centre of the city is really lovely - it's a bit of a climb up but you are rewarded with lovely views over the city. I take in the other sights like The Giant Swing and the Dusit Palace amongst others. There is plenty to see and do here actually! I have found a really great brekkie place called 'Salads on Demand' on Phra Athit road - yummy fruit salad, muesli and yoghurt! Great way to start the day.

I'm off to Vietnam to meet my mammy in Vietnam! We travel together in Vietnam and Cambodia for a few weeks and then I'm back to Thailand.

Thailand Part 2 - Post Mum!

I'm off on my lonesome to Thailand again where I've decided to hit for the hills and go to Chiang Mai for a few days of hiking! Chiang Mai is a lovely place - again, somewhere you could easily spend a long time hanging out in!

For the most part, accommodation in Africa and Asia is in the form of private room rather than hostel and I'm wary about what's ahead of me in the Thai hostel! I have it in my head that it's going to be full of 18 year old kids wanting to get hammered drunk and get in to each other's beds! Turns out it's not the young ones you have to look out for as I realise when I come home on my first night in Chiang Mai to a note on the door from my 35 year old dorm-mate saying that the guy who she was kissing in the club we were in (the pair were kicked out for inappropriate behaviour on the dance floor) was staying over. The note promised there would be no sex, just sleep! Hilarious (in retrospect)! Anyway, spend a nice few days touring in Chiang Mai with a Dutch guy from the hostel and an Irish girl, Aoife who is in SE Asia for a long-term stay. I'm meeting so many Irish here in Thailand - more in a week here than I have on my whole trip thus far! Chiang Mai is lovely city with some beautiful temples such at Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep and Wat Phra Singh. It takes me back to India and Nepal spending time in these temples! There are also lots of little streets to wander through and markets to visit including the Sunday Walking Market which is great - lots of lovely clothes, jewellery, food and souvenirs.

I take off on a 3 day, 2 night hike in Doi Inthanon National Park. My group consists of a French mother and her two young sons and a group of four teenage French girls - not the best start for the trip considering they don't speak much English. I actually end up getting on well with the French mum, Laetitia, and her family who include me in their card games in the evenings - it seems it's not only kids who can manage to communicate when there's a language barrier. The trip starts with an elephant ride - I'm wary about it and realise why when I see the conditions. The poor elephants are taken on trips around the same route every 45 minutes and are stuffed with bananas which tourists are encouraged to buy to feed the poor b*****s! Fair enough, riding an elephant is a cool experience but I wouldn't do it again!

The hike itself isn't all that tough but at least it's some exercise. I lost a heap of weight traveling in India and Nepal and the good eating while mum was around helped to pack the pounds on again. We hike through some lovely rainforest and visit many beautiful waterfalls. It's a little chilly for a swim but we all brave it - you're only here once! We pass through some lovely little villages which belong to the Karen tribes. We overnight in wooden sheds with mattresses on the floor and mosquito nets surrounding them. It's all pretty basic but I end up sleeping like a baby and having to be woken up each morning! It's lovely to be out in the countryside again with no noise, no hawkers and just fresh air! I really thought I was a 'big city' person but this trip is making me think otherwise.

After the hike, I spend a few more days in Chiang Mai having dinner with friends and planning the rest of the trip. I then make my way to Koh Phi Phi, an island in the south of the country - it's a long trip from north to south and I end up doing it in two night busses, one after the other. On the way to Phi Phi Don I meet Serge, a lovely Dutch guy who I end up hanging out with on the islands for a few days. Phi Phi itself is lovely - there are narrow streets full of restaurants, tourist gimmicks, tattoo and diving shops and a whole lot more. The beach in the centre isn't exactly picturesque though - a little dirty and just lined with bars and restaurants so we take a walk/hike to Rantee Bay. This requires a walk in over 30 degree heat to each of the three Phi Phi viewpoints, asking a local for directions and subsequently being sent in the wrong direction, following directions on a rock (could have been an arrow or could have been graffiti) and climbing down through a forest stream to get to the bay - I'm sure there was an easier route but we were damned if we were going to turn back. Rantee is a beautiful bay though and well worth the trip! There's an idyllic beach with palm fronds stretching out over the waters and postcard-worthy white sand. Long Beach, another lovely beach on Phi Phi is less of a hike but still requires a bit of a walk - all well worth it again though! At night, we find a cool bar called Hippies where there is a fire-show and live didgeridoo music so we settle in for a few beers! I never actually get to try a 'bucket' in Thailand (a bucket is effectively a small sand-castle like container which contains a mad mixture of spirits and soda/red bull) but having seen the effects of same I'm not sure I missed out on all that much. One of the more enduring memories of Phi Phi is the hoards of people at tattoo parlours in the wee hours of the morning lying on bamboo mats getting something, which I'm sure is really profound, inked on to their bodies! I can understand getting a tattoo, I've contemplated it more than once myself on this trip, but getting one at 2am after a feed of alcohol is never a good decision! J I really relax in Phi Phi - so glad I came to the islands. My final stop is Ko Lanta where I stay for just one night. I don't have all that much time here and unfortunately the stretch of beach that I'm staying on isn't all that great so I just hang at the pool, have dins and enjoy a few beers under the stars!

It's time to head back to Bangkok - another lovely night-bus! I'm brought to the bus in the back of a pick-up truck with two American guys - strange but one can expect anything to happen in Asia. I don't have much time in Bangkok before I have to pack my bags and leave South East Asia. SE Asia is not somewhere I have always dreamed of coming to, but part of this trip is giving places a chance and not being so closed minded. This part of the world certainly did surprise me! I liked it a whole lot more than expected, especially Vietnam! Thanks for a great trip mum! Off to Hong Kong now…..