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Published: March 13th 2008
For the next ten weeks or so we'll be travelling overland as we make our way from Thailand to Hong Kong. So this will be the last time (for a while) you'll hear me bleat on about flights.
After the hellish 'flap' from Sydney to Bangkok, we thought two flights of an hours duration each (Phuket to Bangkok - Bangkok to Chiang Mai) would be easily negotiated. It's not that I'm a bad flier (or up until now I wasn't) it's just that, well, I'm a control freak who gets a little uncomfortable when my own destiny is in someone else's hands, even if they are highly trained in something I know nothing about. Anyway, the flight to Bangkok had been fine and we were approximately 50m from landing when the pilot aborted that landing and started to lift the nose of the plane skyward with what seemed like maximum thrust, resulting in an erratic swoop, forcing us back into our seats. We were later informed (whilst circling Bangkok) that there had been a plane on the runway. All I can say is; it's a horrible feeling knowing your 'driver' is trying to avoid something but you have no idea what
2 monks
But the question is, are they bulletproof??it is, or more to the point, if he's going to succeed. We landed about 15 minutes later.
The next landing was slightly less dramatic, but this time the pilot (same one, now I have my doubts) blamed expected strong winds for the "heavy landing" that caused the plane to bounce up off the tarmac at Chiang Mai before re-touching down a second or two later.
Chiang Mai is Thailand's second biggest city and for our first night we had a wander around orientating ourselves with our immediate surroundings, which seemed to be a kind of relaxed red light district - where old Western men would kid themselves that they'd found a new sweetheart in a Thai girl who would of course "love you long time" as long as you had money!
Having learned our food lesson, we were back eating from the street vendors, where all hygiene rules are forgotten and we share our dining area with mice, but this seems to agree with our stomachs a lot more than the cosy facades of supposedly Western restaurants.
We were offered massages every two minutes as we walked down the street, but instead of walking into one of
the air conditioned parlours, we opted for an hours feet/legs massage from some of the older ladies who have just a row of plastic chairs and foot stools on the side of the road.
I speak for both of us when I tell you that these massages are a cocktail of relaxation, stimulation and PAIN. Not bad pain, but the type of pain that makes you uncomfortable enough to sweat, laugh through gritted teeth, and at times just shut your eyes and try to concentrate on something else long enough for those fingers of steel to loosen their grip. I'm pretty sure that the 80 year old woman who had her digits burried in my calf muscle tore telephone directories in half with her bare hands for fun in her spare time. She also possessed a pencil-like instrument with a domed end that she used without mercy. An object (I'm guessing) used to exploit pressure points on the soles of victims' feet. Luckily, my skin held, otherwise I think she may have pushed it up, through and out the top of my foot. Once in a while, they would look up and smile and ask if, "everything OK?" to which
we would smile/grimace and tell them all was good. For little under 2 pounds, the hours massage felt like a good workout and really got the blood flowing. When they had finished we became aware that although our feet and calves had been beaten into a relaxed state, our arse cheeks ached having been clenched for 40 of those 60 minutes. We promised the ladies we would return for round two another night which would include back, shoulders and head, although I may have to tape my eyeballs in place if that kind of pressure is going to be exerted on my skull. We did go back to our massage ladies, but this time two slightly younger torturers, equally as brutal, but we had a good laugh between the four of us.
Whilst in Chiang Mai we secured our China visas at the Chinese Consulate and visited temple after temple until we were sick of them, knowing the best one is yet to come in Cambodia.
From Chiang Mai we caught the overnight 'sleeper train' south to a small town called Lopburi. As you arrive at Lopburi train station there's a small clue as to what you can
expect to find around town in the shape of a 15' golden monkey. Not that there are 15' golden monkeys everywhere but there are monkeys and they are everywhere.
Arriving early in the morning we had our first glimpse of the mischievous apes as we walked down the high street where troops of them were scaling the buildings and performing tightrope routines along the telegraph wires. We were suprised at how many there were and how at home they seemed in their concrete jungle. We later went to their main 'hang out' in the temple ruins of San Phra Kan. Here they prey on unsuspecting and prewarned visitors alike with ninja-like stealth, and will pinch anything that catches their eye.
There's a perimeter fence around the ruins and we had been within this area for about ten minutes, wandering around (cautiously), taking some photos before Sam uttered that well known phrase, this time used in its literal sense:
"Neil!! There's a monkey on my back!!"
She hadn't seen it, she just felt her daypack get suddenly heavier. Sure enough there it was, frantically inspecting the outside of the pack for anything that might be on offer. This particular
Sam and the Buddha
Atfer lighting candles and giving flowers, Sam once again would be blessed with good fortune. one didn't stay for long but five minutes later Sam had her bottle of water stolen and seconds after that we were both having to deal with two at a time as a small group took an interest in both daypacks. We managed (eventually) to escape the potential mugging unscathed.
Leaving our 'jungle VIPs', we departed Lopburi and made a double train journey via Bangkok to the province of Kanchanaburi. The second half of that journey took five hours instead of the scheduled two and a half due to reasons unknown, and we arrived sweaty, grubby and tired.
Kanchanaburi is home to the most famous part of the infamous Thailand-Burma Death Railway: The bridge over the River Kwai.
Over six thousand British servicemen lost their lives during the construction of this railroad. The international death toll that included PoWs and enforced labourers exceeded 100,000 men. These men as I'm sure most of you already know, endured dreadful conditions and brutality before their untimely deaths, whilst under the command of their Japanese captors.
We visited the two cemeteries to pay our respects after further educating ourselves in two of the better museums they have here. The days we
went to the cemeteries were ridiculously hot, with high humidity, and simply wandering around was exhausting. To think these men excavated dense jungle and rock then built a railroad in this heat, often after marching overnight, undernourished and nursing injury, illness, or both. The fact that any of them survived is a tribute to the courage and determination of the human spirit. Simply travelling through warm tropical climates we realise the importance of insect repellant, sun screen and bottled water, all of course luxuries that these boys didn't have. They were very sobering moments as we read some of the messages left on the headstones. I took the liberty of putting a few on the blog just because the words are so poignant. And just as the famous phrase asks, whilst stood at the bridge one evening and at the going down of the sun, we remembered them. Unfortunately not everyone has the same agenda and as the Karaoke Barge passed under the bridge later, carrying what must have been the worst Japanese, Chinese or Thai wannabee pop stars, I wished the bombers would reappear and put us out of our misery with a direct hit on the floating
Whilst at Kanchanaburi we also went to a place I'd seen a few years earlier on TV.
There's a canyon here where Buddhist Monks take in injured or abandoned animals. This includes all types of species but the undisputed attraction is approximately 10 tigers ranging from infants to adults. For a few hours in the afternoon (shortly after the felines have had a big lunch I'm guessing) members of the public can come and see these magnificent creatures, the most majestic of the big cats in my opinion.
Like most things in Thailand we were disappointed with what this attraction has become, but it's not everyday you have the chance to pet a tiger and we took the opportunity to do just that. These cats are by no means tame and the fact that you can stroke them does make you wonder whether or not they are 'made' drowsy for a few hours just for that money making privilege?? We'll keep an eye on the news for a potential serious injury in the future, as I'm sure it'll end in tears.
From Kanchanaburi, we headed back to Bangkok for a couple of days of rest and reorganisation before we
Monk
So thats what Franz Klammer is doing these days. move on to Cambodia. We have a long day of travel to get to our destination in Cambodia, and this will obviously include a border crossing that could be fraught with corruption, but having just sorted out our Cambodian visas we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed.............
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