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Published: April 26th 2010
Goodbye wonderful Chiang Mai
We really loved Chiang Mai. Despite being the hinterland of the working class red shirts who have taken over Bangkok, we have found the people to be extremely friendly, far more relaxed and much more fun than their Southern counterparts. We won't forget the friendly hospitality of A, our cooking school host, or the smiling faces along the river during our rafting tour.
We really wish we had more time for the place but after seven nights in Thailand's relaxed second city its time to head south, and on towards Cambodia. Not before one last activity in Chiang Mai though. We venture 40 miles north of the city to the forest, where we spend 2 hours swinging through the trees at Jungle Flight. Its all good fun, and very entertaining, even for a slightly nervous Fay!
The trip climaxes in a 50 metre abseil down to the bottom of the tree's, the initial look of terror in Fay's eyes was something worth capturing! (see Picture)!
Meeting Lisa and Scott
After finishing in Chiang Mai we head down to Bangkok on the sleeper train. Finally, some comfort while we
are traveling. We are in second class sleeper cabin, full of jet setting westerners and Thai's heading south to spend Songkran (Thai new year) with family. The trip is relatively comfortable and we both manage some sleep. As we arrive in Bangkok, we find the train to Cha'am which takes 4 hours, we are glad that the train departs only minutes after we arrive! Bangkok isn't exactly a place where you want to linger at the moment, traveling around the city is not much fun...... something we will later discover!!
The 3rd class train to Cha'am (a Thai beach resort) is hot, sticky, but still full of entertainment. All forms of Thai life converge to produce a vibrant site of Thai life, unconcerned with western tourists. We are sat next to a real comedian, intent on practicing his English and pulling funny faces the entire way down. It's all good fun.
When we finally reach Cha'am we check in to our rather expensive, and slightly more posh then we are used to! Nevertheless, we are here to see Scott and Lisa, friends from home.
We head out for dinner with Lisa and Scott and we all talk
about how surreal the whole episode was, here we all are eating pizza in Thailand together. But nothing was as surreal as what happened on the Tuk-Tuk ride back to the hotel.
Whilst riding back the Tuk Tuk driver insists on playing some music for us! So on the 9th of April 2010, in Thailand, in 33 degree heat, on a Tuk Tuk, with Lisa and Scott, "Mary's boy child, Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day....." rings out of the speakers! Words cannot describe the moment, but much confusion and hilarity reigns amongst us all! Bloody Bangkok
Since traveling down to Cha' am the mood in Bangkok had taken a drastic change, gone were the scene's of happy red shirt protesters dancing, singing and parading around as if they were at a Music Festival. Something was afoot. The night before, instead of a massive water fight, the normal scene greeting Songkhran (Thai new year), a blood bath ensued with 21 protesters and soldiers dying, and 900 injured.
The scene's today were more like that of a quiet evacuation. From the moment we arrived in Bangkok's southern bus terminal we new
something was up. Our bus driver had already refused to take us to the Northern bus terminal (our original destination). Catching a train was already out of the question as we would arrive too late for the border. The bus terminal was clogged up with thousands of people sitting on the floor, determined not too move unless they have some form of transport out of the city. The whole day was turning into some kind of farce. There is no real way to describe the scene that faced us....
Not really wishing to contend with the sweltering heat, and with little prospects of reaching the border, having over stayed our visa by two days already, we cheated and headed for the airport! Our luck improved, but not by much, the cheapest flight was a mere 161 pounds (one hour journey!). Tired, sweating and generally exhausted we stump up the cash and....... escape Bloody Bangkok!
Hello Smiling Cambodia, Siem Reap and Majestic Angkor
Our arrival at Siem Reap airport provides us with the first site of this vibrant country of smiles and friendliness! Even the ground crew smile incessantly at us, as if we were long
lost friends meeting for the first time in years! The recently built terminal gives us an insight into the aspirational side of this magical land.
The warm reception we receive extends to the Prince Mekong Villa, our guesthouse for our 5 days in Siem Reap (thank you Mel and Jez for the recommendation! It was Lovely!). Fay instantly falls in love with our 16 year old, bell boy, bar attendant, bike attendant, breakfast waiter, laundry guy and general handy man who generally cannot stop helping us.
The guesthouse owner, a Swiss gentleman, suggests a nice little 26 mile bike ride which we should take around the temple's and cities of Angkor! Temple's and Cities?? You may be forgiven for asking, the universally famous and world renowned Angkor Wat is just one of Dozens of temples in the vicinity of Siem Reap! The Guesthouse owner, and full time beer connoisseur, suggests a route that takes in some of the older and less celebrated temples of Angkor.
Our first day of our three days visiting the temples we try his route, gluttons for punishment we are up at 4.30am ready for our mad day of cycling. We visit 8
temples in what is an absolutely balmy, sun baked, oppressively humid day!
After having enough of cycling Fay decides its time to slow Chris down and get him to take a break, Her method; ride straight into a unmissable pothole, fall head first off her bicycle and lay in a crumpled heap on the Floor!! For those who might be worried about little Fay - she is perfectly fine, bar a couple of scrapes, and two massive bruises, stretching the side of her body!
The next day we spend hours in the boiling sun at Angkor Wat. Its beauty and majesty defies all superlatives. Exquisite wall carvings and painstaking attention to detail make this the most impressive of the Temples. The only problem is the heat which saps the body and mind, making it hard to digest the impressiveness of our surroundings!
Our third day of temple trekking took us to West Baray and the Ruins of the temple on the lake.
Our planned quiet boat ride and wonder round the island was shattered by the sound of "four for one dollar!?" and "hello man/ lady, you buy from me?" as a group of around 20 children surround us! The children graciously accept Fays offer of a muffin and divide it equally amongst themselves!
Join us next week when we tackle traveling pains, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and the dark side of Cambodia!
Hope your all well.
Love Fay and Chris x
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Eric
non-member comment
Hey guys, I enjoyed your Thailand post. You got some great shots there. My blog is looking for travel photos and hostel reviews. If you have the time, email us some at dirtyhippiesblog@gmail.com or check us out at dirty-hippies.blogspot.com Continued fun on your travels, Eric