Life in the Jungle

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Sawat-dii Khrap! We've been loving Thailand over the last three weeks experiencing a new culture and way of life. To sum up in as little words as possible... elephants, temples, Buddhas, snakes, shakes, rice, noodles, tuk-tuks, songthaews, jungles, waterfalls, ladyboys, monkeys, markets, monks, massages, beautiful beaches, geckos....

Following on from the River Kwai we spent the next day relaxing at Erawan Falls (also in Kanchanaburi) where we bathed in beautiful clear waters where the fish nibbled at our feet if we stopped still for too long (a little disconcerting!). In the afternoon we visited and walked along another part of the death railway - so called as the number of sleepers laid down along its 400km stretch matched the number of deaths (mostly caused by malaria and typhoid) suffered by the POWS and asian workers during its construction in World War II. Thailand has to be the greenest place we've ever been, especially up north where the 'mountains' are covered in thick jungle greenery which disguises the fact they are mountains.

The next day we took a 5 hour bus journey to Thailand's ancient capital Ayutthaya. A beautiful old city full of temple ('Wats' as they are known here) ruins and Buddha statues (including the famous buddha head encompassed in the base of an old tree). We only had the afternoon to explore but ended up finding an effective way of seeing as much as time would allow... When you get a tuk-tuk in Thailand you sometimes find (especially if a cheap rate is thrown at you) that you'll get in and they'll drive you around the corner and get out the tourist map where they'll offer to take you to all the major sites and wait for you at each stop for an all inclusive price. Something that I was skeptical at first about but was a blessing in this case and they generally only charge you equivalent of 12 pounds for 3-4 hours service. You have to watch it in Bangkok though as some will take you to a tailors ("I get a voucher for petrol if I take you there") where they allegedly receive a petrol voucher stamp as well as a commission on any purchases you make. If you want a suit then great (a good tailor made suit over here you can get for as little as 40 quid) but in our case - walk in 'no thank you' and out again ("I couldn't get my voucher you have to stay there for 5 minutes" haha sorry- you're lucky I humoured you in letting you take us there in the first place!). Anyway back to Ayutthaya - we saw many Wats, beautiful ruins of a time long gone and still functioning Wats that house huge gold painted bronze Buddha statues surrounded by lavish ornamentation. We also stopped halfway to take an elephant ride through the old town. Elephants are everywhere in Thailand and unlike Africa (where they were all wild), in Thailand they are uses for many trades and purposes. They are fascinating friendly creatures. I love their leathery rubbery thick skin full of bristly hairs and their trunks which are often inquisitive even when you haven't got a hand full of bananas! They are owned and raised by a 'Mahout' from birth who seem to look after them very well. In this case a Mahout straddles their large head and we climbed onto them from a platform and sat on an umbrella shaded seat.

We got back to the hotel for 5:30 to catch a sleeper train up to Chiang Mai in the north. Jessie was initially excited at the prospect of sleeping on a train though is far less so after failing to sleep much at all. To be fair the trains to the north weren't too bad and had much larger beds than the later ones we caught in the south which even annoyed me by how bumpy they were. Trains in Thailand are also notorious for never arriving on time (why I don't know) and when we are meant to arrive at 6am it's usually generally 7 or 8. Chiang Mai is Thailand's second city and the capital of the north though far smaller in size to Bangkok (250,000 as opposed to 6 million). On our first day here, we were taken by Songthaew (pickup trucks with bench seats in the back covered by a roof) to an elephant show, tiger sanctuary and finally Doi Suthep - probably Chiang Mai's most important Wat. The elephant show was great fun and shed light on just how intelligent animals they can be. First we fed them bunchs of bananas, though faster than I intended! Twice I turned by back to one and it had the hole bunch off me in one - the cheeky git! Once they get hold of them there's no point trying to pull back as they're a hell of a lot stronger than we are. However after we saw the mahouts wash them in the river we also saw their more sensitive side in the show which featured them bowing cross legged in thanks, gently putting hats on their mahouts, playing mouthorgans and most impressively painting artwork which was good by even human standards! They also played football taking penalty kicks against one another! At the tiger sanctuary we got to hold baby tigers and stroke the adolescents though the adults we could only view as they were considered too dangerous. The temple was another one of many impressive temples we explored with many golden buddhas and very ornate decorations, plus we witnessed monks in praying.

The following 3 days we went on a hilltribe trek through the jungle rainforest - a highlight of our trip so far. On our first day after bathing in some more beautiful waterfalls (where we saw a large watersnake), we trekked for 2-3 hours before arriving at the Karen (a certain tribe) Hilltribe village where we stayed overnight in simple communal accomodation - large wooden huts on stilts. It was very hot trekking through the rainforest but also at one stage very wet. Hence why they're called rainforests, it can rain quite a lot so it wasn't really unexpected plus we are now at the start of the rainy season! However despite this we have been pretty lucky and not had to suffer too much rain on the whole. The next day after another 2-3hr trek we arrived for lunch at the river surrounded by many buffalos and elephants. After enjoying viewing the elephants amusing themselves (including a video I have of a male elephant mounting another male - dubbed by our tour leader 'Brokeback Mountain'- very funny with the Thai accent!) we climbed aboard these magnificent beasts for the next part of the trek which was via elephant back! Despite having previously rode them in Ayutthaya - that was nothing compared to this! One elephant followed after the other (this time with no mahouts controlling them) and at times our elephant would decide his own path leading to going down very steep drops where you literally had to hang on! We had a seat atop their back but after a while I took the option to climb onto its head - riding it bareback with my legs around its neck and behind its ears (which it fanned cooling me down also!). A fantastic experience! The jungle was beautiful and the rain held off for the rest of our trek fortunately. We again stayed with the hilltribes on the second night and our guides showed us around the village teaching us about their different lifestyle and culture. On the third day we poled bamboo rafts down the river back to base.

Once back in Chiang Mai, we explored its Sunday night walking market - a very long market stretch where the prices are cheap even by their standards. As a result of all these cheap interesting souvenirs on offer (flowers made of soap, decorated boxes, elephant and buddha carvings, lots of bangles etc) we now have a small ruck sack full up with them! Jessie urges me to stop but it's so tempting to buy one more item (and then another) when so much is ridiculously cheap! In the middle of the street there were many buskers, of which many were blind musicians (if you could call them that) - some of which were led around singing through a kareoke box while others would play instruments badly! We stopped to eat from the pushcart food markets - tempura battered prawns, pork and chicken balls on a stick, noodles dishes etc. As for drink in Thailand - the most popular beer is Chang (meaning 'elephant'), however we were usually more taken by their fruit shakes! Like at home you get slush puppies - here in Thailand they do fruit shakes (from pretty much any fruit they can get their hands on), however here they're made from fresh fruit blended with ice and syrup. They are so refreshing, especially the Lemon or Lime varieties!

The next day we had a free day in Chiang Mai. We decided to take a day Thai cookery course where we learnt and cooked Thai soup, noodle dishs and curries (of which the base ingredients are fish paste and palm sugar). An interesting insight into their world famous cuisine, we were first shown around the markets to buy the produce and we got to eat what we cooked when we were done. In the afternoon we had just enough time to go to the snake show and then the monkey show. The snake show was impressive, seeing a guy taunt a pair of highly venomous cobras face to face followed by a Reticulated Python which we got to hold (and kiss in my case, Jessie looked like she was being strangled - see pic!). Next he juggled three grass snakes (a lot bigger than in England) catching the third one in his mouth. Finally we were introduced to a Laser snake (aka 'jumping snake') which they teased us first with by throwing a rope out of the box into the audience which prompted some very funny reactions! The monkey show was a bit more routine (monkeys throwing balls through hoops and riding a bike) though we enjoyed meeting them and having them climb all over us. Following this we were dropped off at another temple and got engaged in conservation with a couple of monks.

The following day we took a 4hr bus journey to Tha Ton near the north border where we settled into our riverside lodge. From here we took a very scenic 4hr longtail boat down the river to Chiang Rai stopping off at a couple of Lahu Hilltribe villages on the way. We looked around one of their homes and bought some souvenirs. At the second stop I was pleasantly surprised to find they had lots of snakes - big snakes! Boa Constrictors (including a pretty Golden Boa) to be more precise. In an open box they had one of about 3m (10ft) which I have a picture with around my shoulders. However, this was merely a pup as having clocked my interested they informed me "this one weighs about 40 kilos we have one in the back that weighs 150! Do you want to see it?!" Hell yeah! So for a nominal fee of 20 baht (40p) they took me round the back to this darkly lit room about the size of a garage where lay the biggest snake I have ever seen in my life!! Another Boa Constrictor but this one was 5m (16ft) long and 3 times as fat. As it weighed 2 and a half times as much as me they wouldn't let me risk having it over my shoulders so I sat in the middle of it and picked up its huge head which I kissed for the picture (another 100 baht/2 quid)! Apparently they only fed it one chicken a week but I was confident it wasn't too hungry! They are very docile animals and hardly moved at all completely oblivious to all the attention.

Upon arriving in Chiang Rai we were taken by songthaew to The Golden Triangle - the point where the Mekong river intersects Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Laos. However the area is more famous for its growth of poppies and the Opium trade, especially in the sixties. As it was considered no mans land the trade could thrive without too much oppression. We later visited the opium museum to learn more about its place in local and world culture. The next day we took a 4hr bus back to Chiang Mai where we had a few hours before boarding the overnight train to take us south back to Bangkok.

Now we had chance to properly explore the bustle of Bangkok starting with its main two attractions - Wat Po and the Grand Palace. However, we're sure the Palace would have been a lot grander if we hadn't seen a dozen Wats already! After this I thought it time I indulged in getting a Thai massage. Thailand is famous for them and you can get half an hour for as little as 100 baht/2 quid. However a standard Thai massage is not as relaxing as you may think and involves the masseur implementing a lot of force through their palms and elbows and stretching you into various yoga style positions which at times can be a bit painful! I far preferred the oil or aloe vera massages (I later tried) which are much more soothing. However, it might have also been a touch less heavy if I hadn't had a male masseur! Sods law - Jessie opted for a foot massage and got an attractive young thai girl and I got a bloke! I later felt the need to scout around a bit before, straying away from a) old women b) blokes or c) ladyboys! We saw plenty of these, though probably more than we realised! Some of them are very convincing and usually the only giveaway (if any) are when they speak or the size of their hands.

That night we went for a leaving meal with the group, as this is where the north tour ended so we had to say goodbye to half of the group and our tour leader Willie who weren't going to the south. Willie was a great tour leader and an inspiration - constantly making sure everyone was ok and going out of his way to socialise with everyone, we have never met anyone who loved their job so much. Unfortunately the same couldn't be said for our tour leader in the south. 'Tee' was quite the opposite, often marching off without half the group (leaving them dumbfounded of where to go and being generally unclear and uncommunitive) and did no more than he had to (and often not enough). We spoke to other people who were similarly unimpressed by their tour leader and it shows it's just chance whether you get a good one or not. Fortunately there was only a week of the trip left so we had had Willie for the majority. After the meal we saw a great live band in a bar on Khaosan road.

The next day we explored Chattuchak market - Bangkoks huge weekend market where you can buy pretty much anything and is very interesting just to explore. One of the highlights were the puppies which you could stroke and pick up - some extremely tiny and cute. Stranger pets on display includes hedgehogs (which proved a lot harder to pick up!) and squirrels. After buying a few more souvenirs to add to the collection we took the skytrain to the shopping centre. A refreshing form of transport - to travel so fast with all the commotion below you, especially after having pushed your way through hords of commuters and traffic-jams. The shopping centre was immense - featuring every store you could think of, many very high class (they even had supercar (Ferrari, Lamborgini, Maserati etc) showrooms on one of the floors) spread into various categories over 8 floors! This alone would completely dwarf the likes of Merry Hill and we later found out that this was just one of three shopping centres all ajoined in this area!

Our final day in Bangkok saw us first getting a longboat cruise around the canals where we saw floating vendors (market store on a boat) loads of fish, some more wats and a huge monitor lizard basking on a bank. Later in the afternoon we went to the zoo where we managed to see a few animals we hadn't already seen! The orangutans had to be a highlight - so fat and lazy looking! On the evening we caught another sleeper train to the south. For some reason the trains that go south are far less well equiped, more cramped with smaller beds and no air-con, as well as being extremely bumpy so we didn't manage to get too much sleep!

Our first south destination was Khao Sok National Park - probably the most beautiful place we have been to yet. At its centre a huge man-made dammed lake amidst rainforest clad mountains and steep limestone rock islands that jut out the water. The scenery reminded me of something you'd see in a James Bond film! On our first day we went tubing down the river. This involves floating inside a blow-up rubber ring down the rapids - both fun and relaxing! From here we were taken to the monkey temple where Long-tailed Macaques came down from the canopies to feed on our offerings. Unlike other monkeys we'd been hands on with, these were wild! Therefore they would usually quickly grab the food off you and wouldn't like to be stroked. However I persisted and instead of giving the food straight to one I managed to get it to climb up and all over me to claim its prize! The next day we took a Longboat cruise over the lake and stopped at bamboo rafthouses for swimming, kayaking and lunch. We then took bamboo rafts to some caves which featured lots of evocative shaped stalactites and stalacmites.

From Khao Sok we took a songthaew to the south-east coast and a 2hr ferry over to the island Koh Samui. A resort style island with beautiful beaches and good night life. After some swimming in the crystal clear and green waters off Chaweng beach, we took a songthaew to find the 'Grandfather' and 'Grandmother' rocks - the only pair of their kind to closely resemble the male and female sex organs (quite uncanny)! In the evening we ate on the beach as we watched Thai traditional dancing and then explored the night markets and bars.

Next day we were up early to take the high speed catamaran over to Koh Tao. Much smaller and unspoilt than Koh Samui and even prettier, this really was palm-fringed paradise! After such activity packed travelling it was nice to chill out and take time out relaxing for a bit - this was real holiday time! We found the north of Thailand to be more authentic and cultured for a proper travelling experience while the south far more a tourist destination for indulgence! The following day we took a boat trip around the island stopping off at various points to go snorkelling and view the many colourful reefs and fish through which the island has become a world famous dive site. That night - our last night out in Thailand, after getting an aloe-vera massage, we experienced the best night's entertainment we'd had in a long time in the form of a ladyboy show! A cabaret style act, groups of ladyboys (some extremely convincing) would mime and perform to various popular songs. Seeing it initially as a bit of a joke we were actually very impressed by the choreography and performing talent some of them had. Some of the acts, as expected were very funny and rude while one (where a ladyboy performing 'My Way' stripped and changed back into a man) was actually quite touching. For the encore, they called on the audience for volunteers and I was promptly pushed up and taken backstage (by what looked like an attractive girl then its quite bizarre when they open their mouth!) where I had to change into a ladyboy costume myself and then join in performing the YMCA. Quite a unique experience! After the show we met and had pictures with the ladyboys, ending a great last night in a great country!

The following day, in an urge to make the most out of the island before we went back to Bangkok, I hired (Jessie read her book) a moped and pottered around the island. Being only 21 square km, in 2 hours I managed to get to the other side and explore both the north and south tips, even though the roads at times were bumpy dirt-tracks (not easy on a moped) - in fact there's only one main road. I managed to get back in time to have lunch on the beach and a quick swim in the sea before meeting the group to catch the catamaran back to the mainland and sleeper train back up to Bangkok where we went straight to the airport. Used the time waiting in the airports to type the blog (taking advantage of free usage at Singapore). After a 2 and a half hour flight from Bangkok back to Singapore we had a 7hr flight from Singapore to Melbourne, Australia! This was an overnight flight, arriving at 6am, though with Melbourne being 3hrs ahead of Bangkok (9hrs ahead of home now) it was 3am for our bodyclocks.

Arriving in Melbourne felt like we had come home to Birmingham - the airport was very similar and it was cold (12 degrees) and wet! We also found out that we couldn't get a free transfer to the hostel as it was a public holiday for the Queen's birthday (do we even have a day off for that?!) so we got the skybus and briefly fell asleep exhausted before going for an explore. Anyway that marks the end of Thailand and I've written too much already to start talking about Oz plus I've got to go to bed for we're picking up the campervan early tomorrow morning.

P.S. Please check out all the photos I've uploaded to Travelblog (this blog and the last one plus finally ones from Victoria Falls and Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe)
P.P.S. Jessie has somehow lost my mobile sim card so if you need to contact us please call us on her number - 07827963687 (can't remember if you'll have to replace the '0' with the country code, Australia is +61)

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Photos

Golden Budda in cave
Inside cliff by Death Railway

Big millipede
I'll pick up most things!

The famous Buddha head
nestled in the roots of a bodhi tree, Wat Phra Mahathat, Ayutthaya

The lying Budda, Ayutthaya
Complete with saffron robe

Comments

[Toobz]

Cold in Melbourne, brilliant!
Great photos, but all the close ups are of Si... This is no good. It's Jess we want to see, so stop hogging focus Simon!