Bangkok to the Laos border

---

After modern, sleek, air-conditioned Singapore it was some change to arrive in Bangkok – a huge, sprawling, noisy, crowded city, with jam-packed streets full of taxis, cars, tuk tuks, motorbikes and people. Our hotel was in Sukhumvit, which turned out to be an excellent choice as it was close to a Skytrain station – the rapid transit system which speeds you way above the constant traffic jams. We saw the Royal Palace and Emerald Temple in the midday heat (high 90s and very humid), thus confirming that saying about mad dogs and Englishmen. We also went to Jim Thompson’s House (JT was an American who helped to re-launch the Thai Silk trade in the 1960s) to see some stunning antiques in traditional Thai teak houses, moved and re-erected in a pretty tropical garden. We met up with our group at an hotel in Chinatown, close to the Khao San Road – the main backpackers’ street full of market stalls, small shops and restaurants. After a trip on Bangkok’s canals in a longtailed boat and a visit to Wat Po temple to see the huge (65 metre long) gold reclining Buddha we took the overnight train (16 hours) to Chiang Mai, up in the North of Thailand. The train was clean and comfortable and we settled down with a few beers to get to know our fellow-travellers. But at around 9.30 pm the scary sleeping-car lady arrived to make up the bunks, which she did with impressive speed and much clattering, so we all dutifully went to bed. We arrived at Chiang Mai at around 10.00 am and made straight for our hotel, which was near the night-market street. After a quick shower and a couple of ‘keep-awake’ coffees, we set off to explore the town and had our first Thai massages of this trip. Very relaxing. In the late afternoon we set off in a minivan for Doi Suthep temple, high in the mountains above Chiang Mai, to see the sunset, but it now being the rainy season a massive thunderstorm intervened. We saw and heard the monks chanting their evening prayers, and admired the ornate carvings, the golden stupa and the colourful statues. Thai Buddhism has taken much from both India and China and it was fascinating to see the mix of religious symbolism. Next day we drove towards the Thai-Laos northern border, stopping at the ‘White Temple’ on the way. ‘Bloody amazing’, our Cambodian guide said, and he was right. The border here is the mighty Mekong River, which winds its way from Tibet, through Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam before reaching the South China Sea. The swirling brown river is fast-flowing, and we left Thailand in a small, flat-bottomed boat for the 5 minute crossing to Huay Xai in Laos, where we had a beautifully coloured Lao PDR visa stuck into our passports, and changed some money into Lao Kip. At around 12,000 Kip to the pound, we had finally become millionaires! Next – a slow boat down the Mekong.

---

Comments

[Margy Lohoff]

More -
Even more wondrous adventures! Your experiences are each more fantastic than the last! However will you adjust to being home in one place upon return?? I know - just pack up again and head to Texas!! Much love -