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Published: August 6th 2007
House along the Chao Phraya River
There were mainly houses lining the canals which run off Bangkok's main river, many flying the Thai flag.So here goes my first blog entry -- this feels a little weird! I'll try not to yammer on and bore you with too many details, but my trip has gotten off to a GREAT start. You'll notice in the photos that I'm embarrassingly pale compared to most of my trip mates, many of whom have been travelling for months!
I'm drafting this by hand on our slow boat, which is gradually making its way down the Mekong River from Chiang Khong (actually, the Laos town just across the river from Chiang Khong) to Luang Prabang where we'll spend the next 3 nights. It is a houseboat belonging to a Laos family, who shared a traditional meal with us yesterday -- sticky rice, chili paste with buffalo skin, and laap. They, and everyone we have met in this country so far, have been incredibly friendly.
It already seems like ages since my arrival in Bangkok last Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday, after a day touring Wat Po, the Royal Palace, and the canals of the Chao Phraya River (meaning: Humble Man) we made our way to the train station for our 14 hour train ride to Chiang Mai. We had
Elephant Ride
About an hour outside of Chiang Mai -- we also got to sit right on the elephant's neck! a busy day in store for us there -- elephant riding, bamboo rafting, a temple visit, and last but certainly not least -- Thai boxing! The ring was surrounded by bars, and when we arrived the "lightweights" were fighting -- and I mean lightweights! The kids were about 8 or 9 (40 lbs I think), with the competitors getting progressively older as the night went on. It was funny -- what the smaller kids lacked in strength, they made up for with ferociously serious faces and demeanors. The bamboo rafting was SO fun -- there were pockets of kids swimming and playing along the river, splashing the rafts as much as they could when we passed! We of course returned the splashing. It was just really, really fun and probably my favorite activity of that day.
Sunday night we stayed in Pak Beng, where we walked through town and around the "super local market"as our Laos guide Sing put it. Despite the small size of the town and its limited means (most homes had no electricity; our hotel had a generator which ran for a few hours each night, giving us electricity but no hot water), there was an
Thai Boxing
The ring, semi-outdoors, surrounded by bars... we had ring-side seats incredible sense of energy! Kids and dogs everywhere, and people partying on the street drinking Lao Beer and dancing to blaring music.
I suppose that's it for now. So far Laos has made quite the impression -- one that is only being solidified by Luang Prabang, the city we are in now. Our tour guide Matt says that either Luang Prabang or Hoi An end up being the favorites on the tour, and it's not hard to see why. With influences of French colonial architecture (the town is a UNESCO World Heritage site), there is a peaceful night market full of textiles, bags, and jewelry -- and our rooms are individual bungalows in a lovely hotel (we get breakfast delivered to our rooms each morning!). Ah, it's a tough life isn't it....
PS. "Sabbai dee" means "Hello" or "How are you" or "I'm fine!"...
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Gillian R
non-member comment
Jealousy!!
Sitting here with my QC box open and CFA books on my desk i am very very jealous - looks amazing and you're only just starting out! Keep the blog entries coming - great to hear how you're doing. Miss you! Gillian xo