10 short days, lots of sun, new friends, great food, lots of traffic, only-in-Thailand experiences, some rain, did I mention the traffic? The traffic is probably the first thing to hit your senses in Thailand (if not the heat). I think 4 people + groceries was the most I saw on one bike, kids welcome. The traffic safety campaign award would definitely go to the poster in Patong asking people to "Drive Fast Be Careful" :-) Yes they did, but ummm, don't know that they always were... Usually in the battle between going somewhere new and revisiting a place which created [View Full Entry]

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"If you see one temple in Chiang Mai, make it Doi Suthep" I was told. So I took the chance to head up to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep (about 15 km outside Chiang Mai city) with some other Spicythai'ers on the morning of my last full day in Chiang Mai. In 1368 a monk brought a sacred relic he had discovered as the result of a dream to Northern Thailand. The King of the time placed it on the back of a white elephant and said that he would build a temple wherever the elephant stopped. After wandering through the jungle [View Full Entry]

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One thing I wanted to do in Thailand was ride an elephant. Most of the options for that also included hiking, orchids, butterflies and some form of rafting. The butterflies were, well, disappointing I thought. Not many around, and not a lot of colour. But out the door, turn left and things picked up. More colours and varieties of orchids than I knew existed (note - I'm no 'green thumb'). Back into the van and a drive of about I'm not sure how long because I dozed a bit, then it was out and onto Shanks's pony. The intended elephant ride [View Full Entry]

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What would a culinary-challenged person who wasn't a huge fan of spicy food do for a day in Thailand? Why not sign up for a Thai cooking course? After all, isn't travelling to new countries all about new experiences? Others staying at Spicythai were signing up for a one day course the day after I arrived in Chiang Mai so I jumped on the wagon, and the next morning via a trip to a local food market we were lined up - aproned up with sharp knives in hand - ready to slice, stir and steam our way through 6 courses. [View Full Entry]

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It was raining. Not a light shower, but looks-like-the-rainy-season-has-started-early type of rain. Guess where I was off to.......yep, I had planned a day of island hopping - in the sun. All you can do is cross fingers and push on with things. Purely for the sake of ease I had decided to join the tourist horde to check out Ko Phi Phi. Given that I had only one more day in the area and wanted to see as much as I could, I figured there wasn't much point taking the longboat charter option because the masses were still going to be [View Full Entry]

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Less than 24 hours after touching down at Bangkok I'm lying back in an inflatable sea canoe so we can get through into a hong in Phang Nga Bay. A hong is a sea cave, and access into them is very much dependant on the tides. Stay in there too long and you'll be there until the tide changes. My guide Noi (as with the other guides in the group) does the paddling through into each hong, then takes the canoe round pointing out different things. The boat makes about three stops at different islands in Phang Nga Bay, and we [View Full Entry]

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Actually, there was more than a pot - way more. Discovered in 1526, at the peak of its production around the early 17th century one third of the world's silver came from the Iwami mines. Many of the technologies and methods used here spread to other parts of Asia. One of the mine shafts is open to the public, the many others are closed off with grates at the entrance. Getting into those would be one way to not be found in a hurry... 500 sounds like a pretty good number - Gohyakurakan Created to commerate those who had died working [View Full Entry]

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Here it is, my last 'Ode To The Snow' blog entry for this winter. Winter has technically been over for at least a couple of weeks now, and though a few stubborn piles of white gold can still be seen without venturing out of the neighbourhood, I've finally admitted to myself that until next winter there will be no more snowboarding :-( There, I've said it, it didn't hurt too bad. The end was nigh...... - I could almost use the back stairs, for their intended purpose that is. No more board descents into the row of trees. - The pile [View Full Entry]

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One overcast Saturday and one out-of-prefecture friend on an 18-odd hour visit. Did I mention the friend doesn't like snowboarding/skiing? (no offense my friend who shall remain nameless for safety reasons - my safety) Yes, I do actually have some non-snowaholic friends, quite a few actually. Whether that's still the case after next winter and my first full season owning a snowboard.......... Anyway, I picked my friend up from one of the train stations in Matsue and we headed off to Izumo to show her around Izumo Taisha, one of the more famous shrines in Japan. It started snowing just before [View Full Entry]

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Same place as the previous entry - Adachi Museum of Art, this time the snow was in stock. [View Full Entry]

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