http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/The-Doc-moves-to-Thailand/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from The Doc moves to Thailand en-us Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:25:13 +0000 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:25:13 +0000 I have lived in MHS for over 8 months and have managed to avoid an outing to the infamous ldquoChaletrdquo up until now. The ldquoChaletrdquo is MHSrsquos only nightclub and I am certain that if it had been playing the sounds of Armin Van Buren or trance I would have made an appearance sooner. Definitely not Dome in its prime but it does have kathoeys ladyboys so there is one similar http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Mae-Hong-Son/blog-431270.html As classes were reduced in the month of August our section at work organised a half day trip to Camp 1. Although I had seen many of the places we visited before it was good to reconnect with the community and be a part of camp life again. We caught the children just before they went off to school and a few colleagues joined in on playing elastics. The children and camp populace were just as int http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Mae-Hong-Son/blog-433717.html After having a disagreement at Yangon airport with the woman collecting our departure taxes because she refused to accept any of our US20 notes I couldnrsquot wait to return to the sweet sound of Sawadee ka and the traditional wai Thai greeting. The Burmese government only accepts brand new not ripped crinkled or torn US notes which is almost impossible when you have been travelling for 2 w http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Mae-Hong-Son/blog-425212.html Before we left Kalaw we paid a visit to the Catholic Church photo in previous blog and met the lovely priest Father Paul. It was interesting how many places of worship there were in this small town a mosque various Christian Churches and numerous temples. Nevertheless the government has been known to discriminate against those who are not Buddhist so while people practice different religi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Burma/Inle-Lake/blog-424969.html Joseph wanted a rest after our day trek so his coworker Mr Aye took us on the second day. Mr Aye also spoke English well but was Chin ethnic. He had served in the military 30 years ago and had battle scars as a reminder of his service. Although you would never have guessed it he was as fit as a 20 year old and it was like running behind ldquoRoad Runnerrdquo when we were nearing our desti http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Burma/Kalaw/blog-424967.html While it took us quite a while to eventually make it to Kalaw after a long flight delay in Mandalay we were not disappointed. Shan State was one of my favourite destinations in Burma both Kalaw and Inle Lake because of its spectacular mountainous scenery. If it wasnrsquot for all the government restrictions and red tape Shan State would be a lot easier for me to access from MHS because th http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Burma/Kalaw/blog-424956.html By the middle of the second day or it could have been at the end of the first many of the ruins started looking quite similar to me. Donrsquot get me wrong Bagan is an amazing place however knowing little about architectural styles except a slight understanding of the difference between Thai Khmer and Burmese it can get slightly monotonous. At least the vistas from the top of the payas re http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Burma/Bagan/blog-424943.html Bagan is one of Burmarsquos most famous attractions. It is a notable archaeological site and has over 2000 pagodas and temples of the 11th13th century. At one time there were 13000 temples pagodas payas and religious structures. UNESCO has been unsuccessful in trying to designate it as a World Heritage Site which is unfortunate as it is worthy of such a title. Bagan is located in the dr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Burma/Bagan/blog-424931.html Formerly known as Maymyo Pyin U Lwin is a hill station 69km out of Mandalay about an hour and a half drive. As it is 1000m above sea level and enjoys a relatively cooler climate it once was the summer capital for the Raj in Burma and a retreat for the British from Burmarsquos scorching heat. As a result Pyin U Lwin is well known for its colonial style houses. There still remains a large In http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Burma/Pyin-U-Lwin/blog-424921.html This was one of the best day trips we had. It was full of Burmese history culture food and people. The highlights included Mandalay photos in previous blogVisiting the stone carvers workshop Purchasing longyis Burmese traditional wear and getting help from the locals a wall tapestry and a puppet at the weaving and handicrafts shop. AmarapuraIt is 11 km south of Mandalay and most famou http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Burma/Mandalay/blog-424872.html After initially stepping off at Bagan airport and not realising it until the nurse checking our ears for swine flu informed us we counted ourselves lucky to have made it back on the plane to Mandalay as planned. Located approximately an hour away from the airport there was something I found charming about Mandalay instantly even with its dusty potholed roads With a population of around 7.7 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Burma/Mandalay/blog-424852.html To go or not to go to Burma This is the question that plays on most peoplersquos minds about travelling to a country where the military governmentrsquos human rights record is abominable and by visiting you put money into their pockets through tourism revenue received in taxes and various charges. It is particularly a difficult decision to make when you have been working with refugees from http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Burma/Yangon/blog-424840.html When I heard that Camp 2 was in the heart of the jungle and very picturesque I had to see it with my own eyes. This would have to be one of the most remote camps I have visited. To reach the camp you travel 1.5 hours from Khun Yuam town by 4WD on a muddy and rutted track through beautiful bamboo forests and dense jungle over numerous streams and rivers. It is that bumpy that for most of the ri http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Mae-Hong-Son/blog-407429.html We spent the week of my birthday in Chiang Mai and the actual day at Doi Inthanon Thailandrsquos highest mountainpeak. Art our driver picked us up at our Guesthouse early in the morning to make the 1.5 hour trip. Referred to as ldquoThe Roof of Thailandrdquo Doi Inthanon stands at 2565 metres. The temperature is relatively cool with the summit frequently covered in cloud and mist main http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Mai/blog-399878.html May has been a busy month with a visit from Mum and Dad and an Australian work colleague Michael. Mum and Dad joined me in Thailand for a couple of weeks to celebrate my 18th birthday. Ok so I may have made a slight typo but they say you are only as old as you feel I took some leave from work and we spent a couple of days touring around MHS including 3 days in Soppong and a week in Chiang Mai. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Mae-Hong-Son/blog-399877.html Located around 77 km between Pai and Mae Hong Son and a 1.5 half hour bus ride around agonising curves my parents Lou and I arrived in Soppong Pang Mapha district. It was my prebirthday celebration weekend with everyone including 3 Thai friends and Claire from Chiang Mai. We spent 2 nights amidst nature at the famous Cave Lodge set on a secluded forested hillside 700 metres above sea level http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Soppong/blog-399876.html With a monk's blessing of our workplace at the end of March and a request to teach the monks English at our local temple Pang Lor I was definitely immersing myself into Thai culture. Khanit our friend had come out of monkhood and asked if I would be able to teach the monks English. Surely this wasnrsquot only culturally enticing but a way for me to gain some merit I started teaching the mon http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Mae-Hong-Son/blog-393671.html A celebrationfestivity where you can soak and wet as many people on the roads including passersby without any penalties or ramifications who would have thought Nothing prepared me for the amount of water that is thrown during Songkran cold warm dirty clean icy or whatever as long as it is water From garden hoses water containers buckets pistols the moat or wherever it can be found. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Chiang-Mai/blog-393669.html We were able to get the best of both worlds on our long weekend away. We watched the Poi Sang Long celebration in Mae Sariang upon arriving by bus relaxed the whole afternoon in a restaurant overlooking Yuam River and we hired a motorbike the next day to do some sightseeing and enjoy the scenery. We made a long motorbike journey to the Salween River Mae Saem Laep near the Burma border and thr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Mae-Hong-Son/blog-393668.html After travelling 34 hours south of MHS in a bus with no airconditioning that had the back door wide open and me thinking that I would fall out at anytime we found ourselves in charming Mae Sariang and met up with our friend Claire from Chiang Mai. While MHS is a quiet country town this goes a step further. Home to only a small number of guesthouses and trekking companies it is a place visi http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Mae-Hong-Son/blog-395047.html