Post 14 - more Thailand Exploring ..

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With the temples of Cambodia ticked off my list, and with Pod able to take a long weekend break courtesy of the Queen of Thailand's birthday (ie a long holiday weekend) I take a slight detour for us to meet in Bangkok, and together we head up to the very north of Thailand to Chiang Rai for a few days away from the back packer trail... absolutely assured this time as Pod has worked his magic and secured an affordable rate at no less than Le Meridian resort and spa, on the banks of the river Kok, just outside of town.. and a very nice spot it is too.

This is four days of five star pampering with enormous breakfasts and ensuing recovery time by the infinity pools in the grounds over looking the on-site lake and river, with the occasional jaunt into town to view the best of the local temples (including a rather stunning contemporary white temple which is still under construction) and gardens before returning for the obligatory gin martini at the hotel poolside bar .. bliss..!

This all far too quickly comes to an end with Pod's return to Bangkok on Sunday afternoon for the working week ahead. I stay on at the hotel for a further 2 nights as I'm keen to see more of the surrounding lush green countryside and distant mountain borders of MyanMar (as Burma is now called) and Laos, immediately to the north west and north east respectively.

I have a plan to do some trekking in the nearby hills and to visit one or two of the many hill tribes who call this region home. A rather frustrating afternoon visiting all of the tour agencies in town however and it is clear that there are no trekking trips leaving town over the next few days, unless I organise a private tour just for me (this being the rainy season and tourist numbers in this northern most outpost of Thailand just not being large enough at this time). It also soon becomes apparent though that it is easily possible to catch a flavour of the region with a day trip and a car.. in the end I decide to just hire a car for the day and undertake this well trodden tourist circuit by myself.

For a third of the cost of a one day tour for one and a fraction of the hire cost of similar car at home I take delivery of a rather smart Honda saloon, some assorted local maps, and after a slightly lighter Meridian breakfast (to offset the otherwise inevitable effect of slumping over the wheel), head off in a northerly direction. My first stop is the Royal Villa of Doi Tung - a very sweet and very Swiss styled wooden chalet rather wonderfully situated atop a hill with commanding views over MyanMar to the North and back over Thailand to the South. This was the last home of Thailand's very own, much loved and now departed Queen Mother - (His Majesty the King's Mother to give her corrrect title) who dedicated the last part of her life to this northern most region of the Kingdom. The immaculate gardens are testimony to her love of gardening and together with the modest villa itself and the surrounding idyllic views, is a real delight to visit. The villa is still used by the Thai Royals today, who come here every February, to escape the heat of Bangkok. This is no Balmoral though - the house probably no larger than one of the gamekeepers lodges of one of our own dear Royal's rural retreats.

It is hard to spend any time in Thailand without developing an incredible soft spot for the Thai Royal family. Images of the present elderly King (who has been ill in hospital now for some months) together with his Queen and Prince and Princesses adorn billboards and public buildings the length and breadth of the country. The national anthem is played at cinemas before every screening and the audience actually stand. It is also played at 6pm every day in public parks (and the park goers and joggers stop in respect as the crackling speakers come to life), and even on every commercial radio station, the traditional sound of the orchestra somewhat at odds with the usual blasts of global pop acts such as Lady Gaga and the BlackEyed Peas which it interrupts.

I gain a greater insight into just how the Thai Royals model themselves from the state of the art exhibition centre which has been built atop the hill adjacent to the Royal Villa at Doi Tung. The high tech displays of still photographs and moving images show just to what enormous efforts they take their responsibility to model themselves as true Buddhist belief upholding royals, putting charitable endeavours at the very top of their list of duties, backed up with a whole range of direct action initiatives to provide tangible benefit to as many of their people as is possible. The King was well known for always carring a camera (a Canon of course!) together with a notebook and pencil, and two way radio so he could always record and note issues he came across on his visits and speak directly to officials for immediate action where possible. This is a habit which one of his daughters has carried on - I have seen many local news reports of her attending events from factory openings to the Thai stand at the current World Expo in Shangai - always plainly dressed and entirely focussed on the job in hand she looks much more politician than royal, and has her Father's trademark camera and notebook at hand always. Regardless of how effective their interventions might have been over the years it remains very touching to see just how earnestly and seriously they take their responsibilities..at least the public image of such.

(ps Re-reading this last paragraph having spent a longer period of time in Bangkok just prior to posting, this rosy view of the Thai Royal Family seems hopelessly naive .. while the King remains in high esteem personally, the ongoing political troubles in Thailand are closely related to the political influence of the Royal family, and from what I've been told the wider Royal family group are much less loved now as a result.)

Moving on from the Royal Villa I take the tiny mountain road which then snakes directly along the border between Thailand and MyanMar, being waved through several Thai army checkpoints, with some wonderful views when the heavy rainclouds allow of the green rolling hills of this part of MyanMar, which the BBC still insist on calling Burma. I've no plans or real time available to visit what I had always thought was a closed country (not so!) though it does looks enticing, so that will have to be on my next long list I guess. The tiny mountain road finally drops down into the valley and the very northern most point of Thailand - the small border town of Mai Sai. Not having my passport with me means I can't actually cross the border which is just a small road bridge over a narrow fast flowing river, with the buildings on each side literally within spitting distance. The sizeable market on both sides contains some interesting souvenirs from the other side of the river anyway and I can't resist buying a lovely antique wooden puppet Burmese elephant to accompany me on the rest of my travels.

It is then on to drive through what is known as the Golden Triangle - the remote north eastern corner of Thailand which was largely lawless and where much opium was grown. The lush green fields here now are full of paddy fields and tea plantations. The romance of discovering some hidden corner of this mystical land though causes me to get rather lost and taking the Honda through several miles of extremely muddy dirt road - its a wonder I made it through without getting stuck. I finally make it back to a main road and have no idea where I am until I round a corner to behold the most surreal site.. THE most enormous golden Buddha sitting serenely on the bank of the mighty Mekong river which here marks the boundary between Thailand and Laos, and is a symbol of the Golden Triangle. Back on track, I drive on to the small ancient city of Chiang Saen to capture the local sights including some monks at prayer (from a discreet distance) in the temple site containing an enormous and ancient brick Chedi, before finally heading back to Chiang Rai, making it back to the hotel after a stop in town for supper at around 9.30 in the evening.

Chiang Mai is my next destination - the much larger mountain city, some three hours by bus south of Chiang Rai - because of the much larger tourist numbers at Mai I've been asssured that I will be able to book a trekking trip there without any problem. So an early start the following morning to check out of the comfort zone known as Le Meridian, return the hire car and get the owner to drop me down to the bus station which is miles out of town, for the bus to Chiang Mai. The first seat I can purchase is second class though on a modern, clean air-conned coach - it's still a bit of a reality check after the last few days of pampering though.

First impressions of Chiang Mai are of a big bustling city with a backdrop of forested hills - it is clearly much more geared up for the year round tourist trade too with an endless supply of tour and trekking companies at every turn, all offering deals and touting for business. I've booked a hotel room in advance online - certainly pleasant enough, although the promised central location is far from the reality - my main focus here though is to be out of the city trekking so it is as good a base as any for the first two nights here. The heart of Chiang Mai is an ancient walled town - at least the remaining parts of the wall are pretty ancient - the buildings are largely modern though, with a fair sprinkling of impressive Buddhist temples - some 240 in total apparently.

I visit some of the main temple sites on my first day in town and arrange a tuk tuk driver to ferry me around on the second day, for the princely sum of 300 Baht for the entire day (around £6) - I have his assurance that there are no commissions from unscheduled stops along the way to boost his income.. this being Thailand though, he is pretty determined to earn a good days pay from driving me around, and he knows that I'm in the market to book a three day trek. So first stop is his choice of tour operator - strangely enough, the package they offer me is around 400 Baht more than the standard - my drivers commission by any chance..?! I don't book there on principle and get the same story from his other suggested agents, so opt to leave this until the afternoon and take a two hour river cruise instead in a tiny longtailed boat. The boat goes down river as far as a local farm restaurant which serves up a pretty decent Koi Soi - the local speciality curry of egg noodles and coconut creamed soup - too yummy to resist. The custom here is to post pictures of good food online, so I secure a decent picture and post it on Facebook that evening .. to much critical acclaim..!

Once back in the city and awaiting tuk tuk, the driver is now more determined to get his commission - as he's still denying this though, I'm equally determined not to fall for it, so dart out of the latest tour agency he suggests I might like to visit and opt for another one just down the road where I finally book my three day, two night trek leaving the following morning. My driver is definitely not amused and takes off immediately, claiming another urgent job and so only able to charge me for half a day so earning the total paltry sum of 150 Baht for around six hours of driving me around the city - serves him right...! Harsh I know, but I have really had enough of being taken for a ride (pardon the pun) by everyone who sells anything to tourists here..

I book a private trekking trip in the end as this is an affrdable option here and so many of the standard options, while certainly much cheaper as they place everyone into groups, are clearly aimed at the young backpacking market and anyone familiar with my blogs from when I was in Australia will know my aversion to being in a group of backpackers..!

My personal tour guide is one Rocky and his sidekick Jimmy - and they turn out to be every bit as dodgy as they sound I'm afraid to say. I've requested a route away from the large backpacker groups as possible although get served up the standard tour group treatment to begin with - having driven out of the city and stopped at the local market for provisions we drive on until we are in the hills close to the city and stop at an elephant camp where I get to have my second ride on an elephant since being in Thailand (the first being with the group trip back in Surin). This elephant has a wooden seat attached which makes for a much more comfortable ride (for me at least) - I buy the suggested bag of bananas and sugar cane as treats for my carrier during the 30 minute ride - the enormous trunk expertly gliding towards me every few seconds clearly demanding more.. so that the bag is in fact empty within ten minutes - just before a strategically placed feeding platform with a little lady all too ready to sell me another bag of bananas and sugar cane - which also get entirely consumed within the next ten minutes, until a third feeding platform comes into view - I'm just concerned for the digestion of the elephant, although this is in fact just a fraction of the daily in-take of your average elephant.

The trek proper begins after our own feeding session - a much healthier mix of rice and vegetables I'm pleased to report. The first afternoon of walking is really good in fact - just myself and the two guides ascending a steep wooded hill side for over an hour, the hot sunshine being replaced with some welcome light rain. The lush green of the countryside, the natural smells of vegetation and forest life together with the stunning views of the valley falling away beneath us as we climb higher are exactly what I was looking forward to experiencing.

Trekking in this region is as much about encountering the many hill tribe people who live in these hills as experiencing the natural wonders of the landscape, and before long we encounter our first settlement. This is tiny by anyone's standards - a community of just nine people living in a small collection of tiny bamboo huts on top of the first hill we have climbed, with stunning views in all directions. This small community is one extended family, from aged grandparents in their traditional tribal outfits down to three small children. We stop for a chat and the tribal elder gets into quite a heated conversation in their own tribal language of Karen about the impact of climate change on their livelihood - opinions derived from experiencing the changes in climate directly on the crops this small community relies on to exist rather than any current political debate which makes it all the more real of course.

We continue on our trail until we reach a much larger Karen tribe village, atop the next hill - this time around 60 inhabitants in a range of bamboo huts, many of which are raised high on stilts with an assortment of animals tethered beneath - from cows to buffalo, pigs and chickens. Home for the night is the bamboo hut of one of the village elders, and I'm treated to a private room with a basic rolled down mattress, blankets and mosquito net. Rocky and Jimmy prepare the evening meal over an open fire in the main part of the hut (no chimney) which serves as a kitchen while I walk around the village taking photographs and saying hello to the children who are all trying to sell me home made bracelets and the like. I get some further shots later after dinner with the old man whose hut we are staying in and one of the local kids who teaches me some of his magic tricks while I show him how to play Brickbreaker on my Blackberry..!

With no electricity its an inevitable early night and with so much animal life around it is an inevitable early morning wake up call of crowing roosters and fighting dogs.The second, middle, day of the trek involves various stints of walking - now along the top of the hills so no more steep climbs, with many stops at a whole variety of different waterfalls. As the day wears on though, I find we are shadowing larger trekking groups so by the afternoon every waterfall stop we make has the same collection of trekking groups already there - slightly frustrating although the waterfalls are spectacular and the cool water provides a welcome break from the heat of the sun which shines from an almost cloudless sky all day - in this the rainy season..

Our last stop for the day is at a particularily busy falls with a hill tribe village on the hill above - we are staying here for the second night, again in one of the village huts - mercifully the larger groups are either moving on to another village or staying at the local campsite so I once again have the run of the village in the fading early evening light with my Canon to capture a flavour of the place. A pre dinner walk up the steep hill leading through the village delivers a real find at the very top of the hill - a small, charming resort, just having its finishing touches applied in the build up to the high tourist season which begins in October. The lovely hilltop site with well manicured gardens and charming little bamboo huts as guest bedrooms has the most stunning views down over the village and its lush green rice fields and the distant line of mountains in the background - a perfect hideway for another time for sure.

Making my way back down to the village it suddenly starts to rain very heavily, and I take refuge at the nearest hut, am invited in by the resident family and poured a large glass of moonshine whisky by the head of the household while I wait out the rain storm .. I couldn't really have refused now after all..! After a simple home cooked supper of bamboo and mushroom soup, fried fish, rice and vegetable curry - all delicious, I sit down with our host - a young 24 year old who has a wife and one child and lives with his parents too in this very simple bamboo hut. He is keen to practice his english. His life is hard without doubt - his work as a local farmer earns him just 130 Baht a day (around £2.50) with which he has to support his family. The furthest he has travelled is Chiang Mai - one hour away - any further and he cannot afford the petrol for his scooter.

After a couple of beers I retire to bed, although my two guides continue on - clearly by the state of them in the morning when I have quite a task to wake them up even after 9am, they had quite a bit more drinking time than I did. I'm pretty unimpressed with this, especially as I have paid handsomely for their time to guide me throughout the three days, so its a surly breakfast mood with me not talking to them and them both nursing no doubt pretty full on hangovers. The final day continues as planned anyway with a final waterfall visit - this one in fact over-run with backgrouper groups so we stay only for a quick photograph, and then to the end of the trail itself, lunch and the last activity which is a bamboo raft trip down the fast moving local river. The raft is simply a collection of bamboo logs roughly strung together with two long bamboo stick punts - one handled by the raft owner standing at the front, and the other by yours truly, also standing, towards the rear. It starts to rain heavily as we set off down the fast moving river with occasional patches of white water - standing wet with rain though on this simple raft as it quickly glides its way down stream past the lush green forested banks of the river and surrounding green hills is quite an experience. Not having a waterprrof camera means that this isn't recorded to film - just a particular shame some two thirds down the river when we punt around a bend to see a full size tourist carrying elephant and her tiny (by elephant standards tiny) baby, gleefully stepping into the river, the baby rolliing over in the cool water and gurgling with pleasure .. !

After the rafting its a return to the big city of Chiang Mai and to check in to a basic though much more central small hotel for the last two nights of my stay here and to finalise plans for my onward journey - to the bordering country of Laos, situated betweem Thailand and Vietnam. All the guidebooks say that the best introduction to this much more mysterious and lower profile country is to take the slow boat from the Thai border at Chiang Kong along the Mekong river to what is the best preserved of all cities within Laos - Luang Prabang. The tour agencies in Chiang Mai all offer this trip as a package - so transport arranged directly up to the border, overnight in a hotel there, then on to the slow boat the following morning for the two day trip along the Mekong river, stopping overnight half way, before reaching Luang Prabang itself. I book myself a ticket and am off on the Monday morning for this latest adventure... which is the subject of my next blog.. post 15.

Over and out for now..

LOL

Simon XX

ps Posting from Bangkok on September 25, my last weekend here (sob sob) before the final journey home via Hong Kong, with new London arrival date now being Friday October 1st ..

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