A Travel Companion comes to Thailand
Warning: This travelogue update is rather long. I fear I have prattled on somewhat too much but a lot has happened over the last two weeks and there is a lot to tell. My apologies.
I spent one night in the sleepy riverside town of Nong Khai in Thailand. On the evening of May 9 I made my way to the train station just outside the town and got my ticket for the overnight train to Bangkok. I had booked into a second class sleeper coach with a fan, deciding that benefits of the air conditioned carriages or first class didn’t warrant the high additional cost.
The carriages themselves are very compact. When everything is folded away each passenger gets a comfy seat next to the window. Soon after we were on our way, the train porters came through the compartment and folded panels out of the wall and converted the chairs, like some giant children’s toy, so that they formed two bunk beds complete with curtains, pillows, sheets and blankets. Very private it was too.
Although the beds were very comfy, the train ride itself was noisy and bumpy and inexplicably the carriage lights were kept on throughout the night. I didn’t get too much sleep but I did enjoy the ride. It’s much better than the overnight buses.
The train pulled into Bangkok’s main station, Hualamphong, at just after 8am, two hours behind schedule. For some reason none of the metered taxis waiting in the taxi rank would agree to taking us across town to Khao San Road. Well, not until we (I had agreed to share a taxi with a British couple also struggling to get a taxi) put our packs into one taxi’s boot , jumped into the cab and told the driver to take us where we wanted to go. Eventually I made my way back to my favorite Guest House, Green Guest House, dropped my bags, had a quick shower and headed straight off to Bangkok Airport.
The reason for the mad dash back to Bangkok was that Carol was arriving from the U.K.
Carol is my long suffering English girlfriend. I have known her for nearly two years and she has had to put up with a lot from me. When we met in late 2000 I had completed one trip around the world and was in the middle of planning and saving for the next one (this one) that would be longer and further. The killer is that Carol has a terrible phobia, she is completely scared of flying. This meant that Carol was quite content to spend her free time and holidays at or near her home in London. That was until she met me, who is practically addicted to travel. You could say we were a perfect match?
So she put up with a lot from me and my travels, since we have been together I have traveled to Egypt, Turkey, Ireland, Czech Republic and South Africa (2000). But I will give Carol her due credit, she is a battling trooper. She has overcome her inner demons and despite her fears has traveled to Spain (not with me), France (twice but not flying), Germany and South Africa (2001).
For Carol’s birthday this year, I had bought her a ticket to Bangkok. We planned to travel around Bangkok and Thailand for a month.
Carol’s Austrian Airways flight arrived at Bangkok’s International airport on time. Unfortunately, I was waiting in the international arrivals terminal 1 and had neglected to check into which terminal her flight was actually arriving. By rotten luck she arrived in the domestic terminal 2. After one hour when she had not walked through I was now frantic from waiting and searching. I had visions that the nightmare I had put her through by getting on a plane was now too much and she had bottled it and not come. I finally got my wits about me to ask at the information desk to see what can be done. The young lady there pointed out my error. So now I had to hot foot it to the other terminal building. Not so easy in the heat and humidity of Bangkok. When I rushed through the buildings doors there she was calmly waiting for me to show up. What a champion.
Once my nerves had settled we caught the bus back into the centre of Bangkok. By this time it was early evening so we found a nice pavement cafe and sat down to catch up on each other news for the last three months. This also gave Carol her first impressions of Bangkok’s hustle and bustle. And it didn’t let me down either. The funny thing was I had just explained the significance of Khao San Road and how it was the meeting place for fellow travelers when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“How goes it, Phil?” a voice said, “How was your hike down from Kala Pattar?”
It was Rick and Martina, the Dutch couple I had trekked in the Himalaya with in March. We had said our goodbyes at the summit of Kala Pattar whilst admiring the spectacular views of Mt Everest. Now they were also here in Thailand. It was great to see them again and of course we reminisced about those torturous days trekking to Everest Base Camp.
Later I took Carol around the chaotic Khao San Road proper. The place was in its usual state of disorganization. We cruised up and down looking at the street vendors stalls. Like all girls, Carols loves shopping and she was delighted with the variety of things she could buy.
Eventually hunger got the better of us and we chose one of the many restaurants in the area and enjoyed a supper of lovely Thai food.
Afterwards, to be like good typical backpackers, we headed off to Gulliver’s Travelers Tavern for a few drinks. As usual the place was packed with foreigners spending too much money. I even bumped into a few other previous travel acquaintances. Carol must be beginning to think I know every traveler in Thailand.
Next morning the weather was still hot and sticky but a tropical rainstorm had blown in and it was pouring with rain. Undeterred, we made our way down to the nearby Tha Phra Athit pier in the Mae Nam Chao Phraya river. The plan was to take the Chao Phraya river express boat a few stops down to the Grand Palace.
The rain came down so hard that I was not sure we wouldn’t have gotten much wetter if we had swam down the river. It was no better when we got off the boat at the Tha Chang pier, there was just no let up in the torrential downpour and by the time we walked the 500m to the Grand Palace entrance we were soaked to the skin.
We encountered more problems at the gate as my shorts – which came to way below the knees – and Carol’s surfing baggies were unsuitable and we were given, for free, a skirt and a pair of trousers to put on. The funny thing was that the pair of pants I was given were way too short for me in fact they came about 2-3 inches lower than the shorts that I originally had on.
The Grand Palace is, well grand. First we walked around the compound of Wat Phra Keaw, or Temple of the Emerald Buddha. I am sure the photos we took here will have us looking like drowned rats. It rained so much that visitors congregated around the Emerald Buddha’s entrance, unable to enter as some Buddhist service was in progress and the temple was packed to the rafters.
We did manage to spot the Emerald Buddha high on its alter at the back of the temple. The Buddha itself is actually made of Jade and stands 60-70 cm tall. Its origins are lost in the mists of time but it is known to have to have been discovered in the 15th century in Northern Thailand, hidden from the marauding Burmese with a plaster covering. In the 16th century it was looted by the invading Laotians and moved to Luang Prabang. It was then recaptured by the Thais and moved back to Thailand before eventually finding a home in the new capital of Bangkok.
All the Wats and Temples are extremely colourful, comprising of gold gilded Chedi (Stupas), polished orange and green tiled roofs, mirror and mosaic-encrusted pillars and rich polished marble pediments. Newly restored rich murals depicting Thai scenes from the Ramakain line the inside walls of the compound.
From here we moved into the Grand Palace compound itself where much larger halls dwarf the visitors and they are just as elaborately decorated. Almost Disneyland-like, with well manicured bonsai trees, close cropped lawns and gaudy decor.
By this time we had had enough of the rain so we made our way back to the Banglamphu and treated Carol to some Thai food from one of the many vegetarian restaurants in the area. Then we could relax for the rest of the afternoon whilst waiting for our evening bus to Southern Thailand and the island of Ko Pha-Ngan. One last thing we had to do before we left Bangkok was leave our passports with a travel agent so that our Vietnam visas can be processed. There should be plenty of time to get this done before our May 26 departure for Hanoi but still, it makes me very edgy leaving my passport behind with complete strangers for such a long time. But hey, what can you do? It has to be done and we have photocopies of the passports just in case.
The bus ride south was uneventful and, as usual, long. I did manage to get some shut eye. I must be getting used to these torturous overnight journeys to be able to get some rest. By the time we boarded the ferry at Sarat Thani to sail out to the islands Carol had been traveling on and off for three days and she was shattered and promptly fell fast asleep on one of the ferry’s bench seats whilst I sunned myself on the upper deck. She missed a beautiful cruise through the tropical islands of the Ang Thong National Marine Park and I had to wake her just as the boat docked at Thong Sala on Ko Pha-Ngan.
We quickly caught a songthaew to Had Rin Nok beach on the very south of the island. For those how can’t remember, this is a taxi which is actually a pick-up truck with two bench seats along the length at the back, songthaew means “two rows” in Thai. As this is the beach where the famous Full Moon Parties are held every month accommodation here can be quite expensive and even scarce. While traveling the bumpy, hilly road the travelers were talking amongst themselves about where to find the best places to stay. It was May 12, about as far as way from full moon as we could get so hopefully things would be a lot quieter.
Having been to this beach three years ago I knew where I wanted to stay. Carol and I got off the taxi, made our way to the northern end of the beach, found the bungalows I had stayed in previously, and chose one with a great view of the beach for 400 baht a night. By the time we were back on the main strip eating some brunch, our fellow travelers were still searching up and down the various guest houses trying to find something suitable.
For three days we were able to relax, either working on our tans, and that’s hard work, or lounging around the beach hut reading. In the evenings we caught up on all the movies that I had promised to take Carol to but had never got round to it. After a few late night drinks we would retire feeling very relaxed.
Our last day on Kho Pha-Ngan I hired a motorbike again so that we could explore the island a bit further. The plan was to find one of the inland waterfalls. We did explore quite a bit of the island. I took a few wrong turns and we ended up on some very hairy jungle tracks with some impossibly steep gradients. Not being too confident poor Carol had to do a lot of walking in the intense heat while I attempted, not always successfully, to ride up these dangerous hills. We eventually found the Nam Tok Than Sadet falls which turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, but I still had a nice swim.
We also took long rides on some of the more established roads to the beaches on the other side of the island. These were a lot less crowded than Hat Rin and we relaxed here awhile, literally having the place to ourselves. That evening we made it back to our end of the beach just before it got dark and we showered and settled down to watch another movie – this time I think it was Lord of the Rings.
Next day, May 15, we moved to the next island north which is Ko Tao. I wanted to meet up with Shaz and Aaron, my traveling companions from Chiang Mai and Laos. Aaron had sent me an email saying they where on Ko Tao doing their PADI Open Water course. Carol and I caught the (slow) ferry which took 2½ hours. Again it was a lovely blue sea which made the crossing calm. We were offered great views of the tropical islands covered with jungle forests and coconut palm tree lined beaches.
The ferry docked at Ban Mae, the main beach on Ko Tao. From the landing jetty it was a short walk up the beach to Crystal Dive Resort where I signed up to do my Advanced Open Water course which included accommodation in a beach bungalow at the resort to boot.
Again we settled down to beach life on this island, this time with some exquisite diving thrown in. The course included the normal dives to explore pinnacles and spot reef fish. We did a tedious compass navigation dive where I managed to get me and my diving buddy lost underwater. I did manage to log a deep dive to 30m, where I got a case of Nitrogen Narcosis. Don’t worry, don’t confuse this with decompression sickness (or the bends) this is quite normal and is harmless, it just makes you light headed and maybe a bit irrational. It effected me by bringing back all my old anxieties about water and claustrophobia. I also did a night dive which is quite a different experience and fun too, you really get a feeling of weightlessness and your only source of light is the powerful underwater torch which you carry. Carol, who doesn’t swim and has a fear of water (along with her fear of flying and spiders) was able to come along on the large dive boat to see what we divers get up to and continue working on her tan.
Like all good things the course came to a successful end and we had to leave the island. I had indulged myself with the diving, neglecting Carol a bit, so it was time to get back to the mainland to explore some of the cultural sites of Thailand. On the Sunday morning we left, the wind had freshened overnight and had whipped up waves making the sea quite rough. We had booked a fast ferry back to the mainland and only realized how rough the sea was once we were underway. Poor Carol, being scared of water, went to pieces on me. She was in a right state during the crossing and only when the sea calmed down as we neared the mainland coast was she able to relax again.
At the harbor in Chumphun our ferry cruised quite a way up the river where a very busy fishing port is located. The fishing trawlers had all just returned from their morning endeavors and the jetties where a hive of activity with fish being sorted and loaded whilst the fishermen on the boats packed nets and washed down the decks. It was very interesting seeing the way these communities live right on the river, their houses built on stilts over the water and thin long-tail boats are used for getting around.
I reckon it’s a fact of traveling life that when couples travel together at some stage they have to go through the ice cream saga in some form of another. I had read a book by Peter Moore about he and his girlfriend traveling in Central America and they went through a version of it. So this is how Carol and I nearly came to blows over ice cream.
We disembarked from our ferry and had to make our way straight to the afternoon bus to Bangkok. Except Carol had to go to the toilet. Fair enough, apart from fact that she took an age in the ladies loo and we really had to rush up the road to be the last to board the waiting bus. Now we were both hot and flustered and we only had a mouthful of water each left in the water bottle. As luck would have it the bus pulled into a petrol station (you would think that drivers in Thailand would have some forethought and fill up before they have a busload of passengers). So I asked Carol what I can get her from the shop and she replied only some water. I duly got us each a bottle of water and as the beer was cheap a couple of cans of beer and some Coke as Carol doesn’t drink beer. I also got Carol, a confirmed chocoholic, some Smarties and a KitKat and on a last impulse I got myself a Cornetto ice cream.
Once back on the bus I presented this haul to Carol and the first thing she picks up is my Cornetto. “No, you can’t have that, it’s mine,” I told her.
“You mean to say you got yourself an ice cream and didn’t get me one?” She grumbled.
I showed her the chocolates I had got her instead or pointed out that she didn’t want anything from the shop anyway. I even offered to share my ice cream with her. But no amount of groveling was going to get me out of trouble. We spent a good couple of hours on that bus not talking to each other. Men just can’t win.
Next day, back in Bangkok, our plans to take in some site-seeing tours were dealt a cruel blow by the early monsoon rains which had arrived. The morning deluge put the Bangkok streets under a foot of water.
Instead I thought the best thing for a woman to do is a bit of real shopping therapy. We spent a day cruising around large modern shopping malls at Siam Square in the centre of Bangkok. It was just like being back home with Benetton, Chaps, Esprit, Lacoste and Timberland designer shops abound.
I did selfishly convince Carol late in the afternoon to see Star Wars Episode II – Attack of the Clones, which had just had it’s worldwide release. Me being such a Star Wars junkie I couldn’t miss it. Funny thing is that during my last trip around the world in 1999, because I had been jumping around the continents I kept on missing the opening in the various countries. I eventually caught it when I was in Los Angeles. I wrote then about how archaic it was having different release dates for a big release film across different continents. Hopefully this trend of giving simultaneous worldwide release dates to these films will continue. The movie itself was quite good but maybe the Star Wars formula is a little well used now.
We got up next day to catch a 7am mini bus but a misunderstanding with the driver meant he didn’t turn up. It was a lovely sunny (read hot) day so instead we caught the river express to go and see Wat Pho. The river trip was far better than our last experience when it was raining. We got a lovely ride down river getting great views of heaps of riverside temples and the Grand Palace.
We got off the boat at Tha Tien and walked the short distance to the Wat Pho compound. This is the oldest and largest Wat in Bangkok. It features the largest reclining Buddha – in the world, I think – and the largest collection of Buddha images. It also has a bot (sanctuary) enclosed by a gallery of Buddha images and four wihaan or chedi or stupa (take your pick, I have no idea which is the correct word to use). These chedi commemorate the first three Chakri kings (Rama III has two chedis).
The tremendous relining Buddha – actually more like a beached whale – is housed in a large temple. It is 46m long and 15m high and covered in gold leaf with mother of pearl inlay on the all seeing eyes and feet. The temple is currently undergoing renovations and the interior if full of scaffolding which takes a bit away from the magnificence of the Buddha image.
We finally caught the site-seeing bus at 7am the next day. We drove the 104km south-west to the Damnoen Saduak floating market. Unfortunately this has become a bit of a unauthentic tourist trap, but it is still worth seeing. First of all we stopped off at a place where coconut sugar is made. This was interesting enough and there were some good coconut souvenirs to be had. They even had prize fighting cocks and Siamese fighting fish for sale.
Next we were taken on a James Bond type ride on a long tail boat. These are long narrow boats with powerful engines and the propeller is at the end of a long pole and extends way off the back of the boat. Our driver really thought he was chasing James Bond because he teared up and down the impossibly narrow canals at suicide speeds.
Finally we were dropped off at the floating market itself. The place was packed with package tourists with expensive video cameras. Carol and I made our way from the main area where the canal banks are lined with stalls selling the normal tourist trinkets. Eventually we came across that image of Thailand we were looking for. Wooden canoes laden with multicoloured fruits and vegetables paddles by Thai ladies wearing indigo-hued clothes and wide brimmed straw hats. A good photo opportunity.
In the afternoon we caught another bus to Kanchanaburi, the site of the Bridge over the River Kwai. As you can imagine most visitors come here to visit the bridge and the various war museums. Carol and I spent about 20 minutes wandering around the immaculately kelt Allied War Cemetery. Again that sad mood fell about as as we read the familiar English names and ages of the men killed when building the cursed bridge and death railway from Thailand to the Burmese border during World War II.
Next we visited the WWII war museum on the banks at the site of the original bridge over the Mae Nam Khwea Yai (River Kwai). There is now no trace of the original bridge depicted in the famous film. That structure was blown up by Allied forces some nine months after it was completed. The present iron bridge, situated some 300m upstream, was also built by Allied forces during the war. Many POW’s were killed during it’s construction and the accompanying railway line, hence the name Death Railway. There is a harrowing book on sale at the site called A Life for Each Sleeper.
Just in case Carol didn’t have enough Thai culture for one day, on the way back to Bangkok we stopped in at the town of Nakhon Pathom. Here we visited the Phra Pathom Chedi. This is a massive, 127m tall orange-glazed dome. The tallest Buddhist monument in the world. An original structure was built in 6th century but that was sacked by the king of Burma in 1057. The remains were restored in 1860 by the king of Siam.
Enough culture for one holiday I think. Next, Carol and I are off to Vietnam. This means I have to get Carol onto a flight to Hanoi, not an easy thing to do.
Don’t hold your breath.
