A little slice of Pai.

Having spent 5 weeks in Chaing Mai I had become very comfortable with my daily routine. I knew where to buy the best Jack fruit, where the cheapest but tastiest street food stalls were located, the most economical methods of travel and who made the best Thai tea. Whilst all this is great, I was craving new sights and new adventures. I decided I would travel up to Pai to spent a few days and then move on to Mai Hong Son near the Burma border.

When researching how to get to Pai I discovered that they no longer ran public buses and the only way to reach there (other than moped or flying) was via mini bus. This struck a little cord of fear in me as I had been warned by ex-pats to be wary of using mini bus transport (the drivers have a reputation of driving very fast on the more dangerous mountain roads). However, I had booked my accommodation in Pai and needed to get there somehow and so at 10am on a Monday morning I climbed aboard the mini bus and took my seat at the back. It was full and with bags also it felt very cramped. Despite this I started to relax and as we left the city I was enjoying looking out the window at the passing scenery.

I had heard that this trip over the mountain roads causes quite a few people to have travel sickness due to the 700 bends in the roads. I was very pleased that I was feeling fine as we swayed around bends amongst stunning scenery listening to music. Of course this was only 30mins into the mountain roads and my smug little bubble quickly burst! One or two consecutive bends is fun, 700 is not!! For over 3 hours (thankfully with a 30 min break in the middle or I would have cried), we weaved from side to side and not once during this time did we travel on a straight patch of road. I could feel myself turning pale then green and I watched as my fellow passengers grew very quiet. Thankfully at the point when I thought I couldn't take it any longer we finally turned onto a stretch if road which led into Pai (I have never been so relieved).

The first thing I remember seeing were these giant strawberry statues on a patch of strawberry picking land. It looked as if we had entered a cute little land where then strawberry god was worshiped! It was a lovely little introduction to Pai which has a very special laid back artistic atmosphere. Due to this (and the night life and beautiful countryside) is quite the Mecca for travellers and there are dread locks and tie dye a plenty.  

When I arrived at my hotel I was perhaps a little too excited to discover I had air con! (those of you who have travelled during the hottest months and have laid in bed at night willing the fan to produce even a small amount of cool air will relate to my joy). There was also a nice sized pool and....FREE toast and tea in the morning. They also had free push bikes available and so on my second day I took one of these and cycled up one of the main roads out of Pai into the countryside. It was such a lovely feeling peddling along with the wind in my face looking at the views.

I met a lovely fellow British traveller called Sarah at breakfast the day after I arrived and by the evening I has also met a women called Gez and the sweetest young Korean guy called Kim (we all felt the urge to mother him!). The three of us went out for dinner and drinks and spent the remaining time in Pai together. There is something to be said about the connections you make when travelling. You tend to get to know people much quicker than you would at home and you quickly form bonds based on a shared love of travel and a similar out look to life.

Sarah, Kim and I booked to go on a day trip which included trip to the caves, hot springs, waterfall and watching the sunset over Pai Canyon. A songreaw picked us up around 10am and we met two other Korean guys, a Japanese girl, a Canadian man and his Thai boyfriend and a Belgian guy. They were all lovely and it was so nice to share experiences with new people. The trip to the caves took approx. 1hr and we sped round the mountain roads soaking in the breath-taking views (this time the sharp bends were enjoyable as I was in the open with the breeze on my face).

When we got the caves we were separated into groups of three and set off with our Thai guide who marched off ahead carrying her lantern. For the first five minuets as I stepped into the darkness I felt refreshing cool and it was a very welcome relief from the oppressive heat. However, this did not last and the further in we went the coolness disappeared and was replaced with a airless sticky atmosphere. The only time our guide slowed her relentless pace was when she stopped to shine the lantern on some feature she thought we would find interesting (this generally consisted of  parts of the caves which resembled a bird, an elephant, a spaceship, a 'boobie'!).

I would have preferred to have had the time to stop and take in the general ambiance as it was a truly amazing place. The caves were enormous and I'm sure if there had been better light I would have been enthralled. The other thing to point out was the distinct lack of health and safety. The wooden stairs we climbed up were so narrow and steep that I'm surprised fatal accidents were not a daily occurrence! As we ascended and descended our way through the tunnels I was longing to simply get on one of the rafts and gently meander my way through the cave waterways (in my naivety  I thought we would have a little stroll through the cave and then spent the rest of the trip being rowed on cute little rafts!!). When we did eventually reach the water I was dripping with sweat and I practically jumped on the raft to be able to sit! This part of the trip was worth the wait as it was beautiful to glide along the water watching the lights from the guides lanterns reflect off the walls.

The hot springs and waterfall portion of the trip were not as impressive as it was the dry hot season and so sitting in tepid water was far from refreshing and watching a thin trickle of water run between rocks was not the cascading waterfall I had imagined!

The end to the day was stunning though as we sat at Pai canyon and watched the sun set. The view was beyond amazing and although it was busy it was lovely to realise that all these different people were enjoying the same experience together. As I sat with the fading sun on my face I looked at the incredible colours in front of me and thought how lucky and privileged I am to travel. It was a wonderful moment and I will look back at my time in Pai very fondly over the coming years.

Chaing Mai: oh my!

I have been in Chaing Mai for a total of 5 weeks and its safe to say I am in love with this place. It is the largest city in Northern Thailand, although it doesn't have the feel of a busy capital. Within its centre is the old city with was once surrounded by a stone wall on all four sides. The majority of the walls have long since disappeared leaving only reminants at each corner and the large stone gates. Surrounding the old city is a moat with fountains in the centre spraying water up in high foaming peaks. Pretty pink flowers on trees create a beautiful back drop to the wooden bridges and, as the sun rises, their image is reflected off the water.

There are several small Soi’s (small streets) running off the main roads in the city and these are an explorer’s paradise. Down each of these you are bound to find something of interest and they offer a peaceful alternative to the busier roads. I am staying in the North East corner of the old town and the Soi’s in this area are packed with beautiful creative graffiti art murals, laid back vegetarian restaurants, traditional produce markets and other wonderful sights. I love nothing more than to amble around the old city soaking in the atmosphere.

I have been getting up very early some mornings to join the locals in Quigong in the park. The struggle I feel to get up at 5:30am feels worth it when I walk through the gates and see the locals happily chatting and exercising with each other. It is such a communal atmosphere and very addictive. The sun has not yet risen at that hour and the birds are excitedly chirping their dawn chorus. The Quigong is a free class and the locals have been very welcoming (taking the time to demonstrate the breathing which is at the crux of the exercise). I adore the sequence of movements which you undertake to the ‘breath in’ and ‘breath out’ rhythm. I love how the flow of your limbs and the deliberate stances feels like you are dancing through air

The 45min walk back to my hotel after Quigong is one of my favourite times of day. There is a serene quietness that envelopes the city and the rising sun emits a gorgeous encompassing glow. Around this time the monks leave the Wat’s (temples) and walk bare feet through the city to collect psalms. Their rich orange robes stand in stark contrast to the white of the temple walls and they move together with such gentle grace. Stray dogs start to stir from their slumber as they lazily sniff in the direction of the early morning food stalls. The air is noticeably cooler and the soft breeze causes the multitude of gorgeous hanging lanterns to lightly sway.

I love the abundance of colours in Thailand. The pinks, the oranges, the reds, the greens. Everything seems brighter here. Art is part of the culture and this is reflected in the dazzling decoration of the many Wat’s. These are wonderful places to visit not just for a glimpse of Buddhist culture but for the calm they evoke.

The locals are also wonderful. They grin when I verbally stumble clumsily over phrases and seem genuinely pleased when a tourist attempts to talk their language. I often say hello (Sawadee Ka) and good morning (Sawadee tdawn chao) to an elderly Tuk Tuk driver who seems to spend all day parked in the Soi where my hotel is located. When he sees me he breaks in to a big toothless smile and we laugh together (about what I'm not sure, but that hardly seems to matter!!). There is a real sense of community here and this is most apparent around the food stalls and local markets. Women of all ages sit and gossip together, laughing joyfully while they cradle their infants and attend to their produce.

It is so easy to travel around here. Of course there is the ever present Tuk Tuk drivers which although is a fun and quick method of travel it is the more expensive option. There are also plenty of songtaew red taxis and you can simply hail these from the side of the road and hop on to reach anywhere in the city. Most tourists choose to hire a moped or a push bike but I don't trust myself on either in this level of traffic (I tend to day dream too much and you need full concentration on Thai roads!). I did take a trip in a bike carriage which was a nail biting 15mins as the driver kept turning round to chat to me causing the bike to sway erratically into the traffic. The carriage had bits of electric tape holding it together and emitted ominous snapping noises as we rode along! He was a lovely old man though and was obviously very proud of his vehicle.

Five weeks sounds a long time to be in once place and I have been studying massage for the majority of this time. I now have certificates in Thai foot massage, Aroma oil massage and hot stone massage (obtained from ITM school and Spa Mantra). I had such a great time learning these and met some wonderful people. The Thai massage method is so gentle and flowing and it was a real pleasure to be taught in the traditional ways.

The night markets are amazing in Chaing Mai and the Sunday walking market is especially good. There is so much to see and buy as well as tasty street food to sample. They can get very busy and when its hot (as it has been while I have been here), it can become a little overwhelming. I like to find a quiet spot on a curb and sit with a refreshing fresh coconut soaking up the atmosphere when it all gets too much!

This little glimpse into Chaing Mai could never do it Justice and I highly recommend a visit. I'm pretty sure you will fall in love with it too.

 

Erawan waterfalls

On my second whole day in Kanchanaburi I decided to visit Erawan waterfalls. There are many independent tours which will take you there by minibus but I felt these were too expensive for the amount of time I wanted to be there and so I opted for the local bus instead. My plan was to catch the 11:00 bus  to the falls and get the last bus back at 16:00. However this is Thailand and I should have realised by now that it is pretty pointless making plans which involve specific time frames.

I arrived at the bus station around 10:40 and brought my ticket (very reasonable at around 50p!). There was only one other person on the bus when I boarded so I had my pick of seats. Taking into account the heat I chose to sit opposite the middle doors as these are rarely closed on local buses during transit. The interior of the bus was unique to say the least but I was loving the purple and turquoise interior complete with mini potted garden on the dashboard. It also appeared as if our driver today was Mickey Mouse!

Although the bus was interesting I was starting to get twitchy as I watched the clock roll on to 11:15, 11:30, 11:45!!! People were getting on in dribs and drabs but with no real rush and the driver was nowhere to be seen. Eventually the bus pulled out of the station at 11:55 (yay at last).

It seemed to me as if the driver and the conductor were playing a very well rehearsed game of 'how many people can you squeeze on a bus at once'. When I thought there was no possible way they would stop to let more on, that's just what they did. There were even people sitting on the platform which housed the gearstick and sitting on the steps by the open doors swinging their legs worryingly close to the road (I was having 'risk assessment' palpitations!). Luckily we arrived at our destination with all legs intact.

The trip was meant to take 1.5hrs but ended up taking closer to 2hrs. Also, with the delay in leaving the station it meant we arrived at the waterfalls just before 14:00 instead of at 12:30 which is the time I was expecting. This only gave me 2hrs to walk to the waterfalls and back before the last bus back to Kanchanaburi. Undeterred by this I set off down a tree lined forest path and listened to the chorus of birds and insects. There was a small breeze which caused the tall bamboo to gently sway and resulted in a crackling sound which was both eerie and hypnotically peaceful all at once. I then stumbled across a flutter of butterfly's flying low to the ground and watched as they danced in the sun light.

I managed to see 3 waterfalls in the end which were beautiful with white flowing water and inviting turquoise pools surrounded by large rocks and trees. It was quite busy and the flat areas by the pools were crammed with local families enjoying lazy picnics. I decided to swim in the fist pool and as I approached I smelt a faint whiff of something not all that pleasant in the air (I thought the smell may be from the stagnant water at the pool edges and the closest I can liken it is to the smell of wet dog!). This did not put me off however and I carefully made my way over the rocks and into the water which was very refreshingly freezing cold.

The pools were full of fish which are very partial to the dry skin off your peoples feet (bearing in mind these were big fish and not the dainty little ones you see in spas). While people fled terrified from these fish all around me I sat back on the rocks and watched fascinated as they flocked around my feet and nibbled at my skin. I'm ashamed to admit that my feet are not in the best condition and these fish must have thought it was happy hour at the all-you-can-eat buffet (I simultaneously was thinking 'free foot treatment'!).

I wish I had longer to explore the rest of the waterfalls as I find being close to water very relaxing. Next time I plan a trip in Thailand I will remember to give myself at least 2hrs leeway on all journey times (a valuable travel lesson right there).

Death railway and bridge on the river Kwai

Apart from wonderful scenery and a range of trekking activities,  Kanchanaburi is probably most famous for the history surrounding the Burma railway and bridge on the river Kwai. The railway, which was to connect Thailand to Burma, was considered essential by the Empire of Japan as a way of transporting supplies to their troops after they invaded Burma. The project was started in June 1942 and finished in December 1943.

The man power required to build the 415km of tracks and numerous bridges was enormous and Japan utilised the thousands of Allied Prisoners of War (POW) they were holding captive in South east Asia at that time. They also forced locals to join in construction when it became clear that they did not have enough workers from POW's alone. 

The railway was completed in an impressive time scale although the loss of life was tragically extensive.  It is estimated that approx 13,000 POWs and 100,000 native labourers died during this time. One man died for every sleeper laid. The conditions they had to survive in were horrendous. They worked for up to 18hrs a day in tropical heat, humidity and then monsoon rains. They were only fed twice a day on small bowels of rice with a few salty vegetables if available. Due to malnutrition and fatigue they succumbed to a number of illnesses and diseases (tropical ulcers, Vitamin B deficiency, dengue fever and Cholera). They were forced to work until they dropped and many suffered torture at the hands of their captors (for personal accounts of POW see link: Burma Railway: British POW).

The river Kwai bridge has become one of the most famous portions of the railway following the release of the 1957 war drama film 'The bridge over the River Kwai' based on the fiction book by French author Pierre Boulle. It is thought that the story may not be entirely true to life but did highlight this side to WW2 occurring outside of Europe. The bridge itself was bombed a number of times by allied air forces and the railway was eventually put out of action by these bombings.

It was another incredibly hot day when I took a taxi to Kanchanaburi railway station and brought my ticket for the 10:30 train to Nam Tok (end of the line on the Death Railway). The south Asian Orient Express was at the station and I watched as workers dressed in immaculate uniforms stocked the train ready for its next departure. I peered through the windows into opulent cabins with beautiful furniture and fittings. You can imagine my excitement when we were signalled to board the Orient express and I couldn't believe my luck that I was going to get to ride on this train. However, we were merely  being ushered through the train and out the other side where our old and dirty train awaited.

The 2hr journey along the railway was hot, dusty and uncomfortable but the scenery was lovely with mountain range backdrops behind tranquil rivers. However, this was a tourist hot spot and it was difficult to fully soak up the atmosphere as the train was full and people were scrambling for the best view.

I caught myself thinking I felt slightly disappointed that I was not enjoying the trip as much as I thought I would and then quickly reminded myself that this was meant to be an experience not a lovely outing. The whole point was to ride along the railway because if its historical significance. It may have seemed a long 4hr round trip for me but that was nothing compared to the tragic journey of the railway's construction.  

kanchanaburi

I woke in the early hours of the morning in a budget guest house in Bangkok. The bed had looked so inviting the night before after a long day travelling from Koh Chang but looks can be very deceiving! I don't think I have ever slept on a bed that hard and every muscle ached as I lay contemplating the journey to Kanchanaburi. I eventually willed myself to get out of bed and tried to wake up my muscles with a nice COLD shower. With bags loaded on my back (this was a feat in itself) I checked out and wandered to the main road.

Usually on a main road in Thailand you have taxi's and Tuk Tuk's fighting to grab your attention. I stood waiting very patiently and soon realised I had managed to pick the one road where this was not the case. I managed to hail down a taxi with some comical hand waving only to be laughed at when I gave the destination of the South bus terminal (apparently if the destination is deemed too far or complicated to reach the driver will howl with laughter and just drive off). After this had happened with two separate taxi's I realised I needed to change my travel plans.

I waited another 20mins before grabbing the attention of a passing Tuk Tuk and asked him to take me to the nearest BKK (Bangkok overhead metro train link). Once arriving there I climbed the 3 flights of stairs and brought a ticket. When I boarded the train I didn't have the energy to take my rucksack off again so I balanced myself on the edge of the seat and tried not to give eye contact to the screaming toddler who had burst into tears when I sat opposite him. When the train reached my destination I climbed back down three flights of stairs and walked to another main road where I hailed a taxi who didn't laugh at me. Within another 10mins I was at the Southern bus station and brought my ticket to Kanchanaburi.

The bus ride was 2hrs long and I dosed on and off. The scenery was beautiful the further away from Bangkok we travelled and tree covered mountains lined up on the horizon. It was very lush and green

and the air was much less humid. We pulled into Kanchanaburi bus station and I was once more acquainted with my rucksack (the enthusiasm for 'backpacking' had already started to wain). I was assured my guest house was only round the corner and so I set off down an alley way.

Luckily it was only just around the corner and I walked through a little gate into an inviting open planned area with a large wooden seating area surrounded by hanging plants and little water features. A huge overhead fan whirled above me emitting a warm breeze. It was so hot. I was shown to my room and as I lay on the bed willing myself to cool down I looked up the temperature in Kanchanaburi. It was 40 degrees!

I didn't venture out until late afternoon when I decided to explore the town. This should have been an easy process seeing as I was staying so close to the bus station which was a central point. However, I turned right instead of left out of my guesthouse and ended up in a residential warren of alleyways. Once I managed to stumble out of this area I found myself quite some distance from the center. I am not great at navigation at the best of times and rely on visual points of reference to determine where I am. This is much harder in Thailand as most streets look the same.

I spied locals flocking down a side street and thought maybe this was the route to the centre. No it was not. It was a local market so off the beaten track that I was the only foreigner there. I wandered past a vast array of local delicacies in the form of pigs heads, odd looking chicken meat, dried fish, sheep's eyes and fried insects. I am not very good at controlling my facial expressions and often look like the champion at a national gurning competition when I see or hear something I don't like. I willed myself to keep my face still as I walked past stalls with foul smelling concoction's.

I eventually found my at back to the bus station but by this point I had been walking for two and a half hours (quite and achievement when it should only have taken me 2 mins!). The sun had set and my mouth salivated as I walked past the line of street food stalls. I grabbed some supper and returned to my guesthouse thoroughly exhausted.

Bobbing along

Bang Bao pier is the main set off point for boat trips around the smaller Islands. There are a number of different  companies to choose from but most of the boats look similar and offer the same type of trip (you eventually learn this despite being assured by each company that "we offer best trip for sure"). I booked one of these tours which included snorkelling, secluded beaches, lunch, water and "life jacket no extra" (not sure why this is considered a selling point?)

I wandered to the pier around 08:45 the following day and was ushered onto a blue coloured double story boat and made my way to the top deck to sit at the front. I had a very good view of the rest of the pier from my vantage point and I watched as tourists boarded other boats while the crew ran round stocking up on water and food. I was particularly intrigued watching a rather jolly Thai man walk round his boat handing out mini plastic vomit bags complete with sound effects (in case the intention was unclear).  I felt this may not be the best sign for the trip ahead if he was predicting that amount of vomit!

It took quite a while for the rest of the passengers to board and after what seemed like ages the engines eventually sprang to life and we eased away from the pier. The breeze was amazing and the sea was choppy enough to make the motion of the boat exhilarating rather than too bad thus running the risk of sea sickness. Being out in the vast expanse of sea made me feel peaceful yet invigorated all at once and I sat back listening to the hum of the engines and the sound of the waves as the sun shone down on my face.

We were soon heading for our first stop and one of the crew brought round a huge box of snorkelling masks and handed me one. The first though that sprung to mind was 'do they take the time after each trip to thoroughly disinfect these?' to which I gave the likely answer of NO and proceeded to manically scrub it with antibacterial wipes. The mask felt very strange on as it was very tightly fitted and it took a while to get used to the positioning of the mouthpiece. Once this was mastered a whole underwater world awaited.

What struck me first was the lack of noise (except the somewhat creepy Darth Vader sound of my breathing) and this quietness gave a serene quality to the environment. Having taken away one sense you could fully focus on the sights all around you. It felt like I was swimming through large shoals of fish as they darted all around me and swam inches in front of my googles. The predominant fish appeared to have a zebra striped patterning although nearer the coral I also saw tiny electric blue fish and an amazing fish that appeared to shimmer with a kaleidoscope of iridescent colours.

The coral was also beautiful and the environment was very diverse. I saw large groupings of black spiny sea urchins which had anchored themselves to the top of the coral creating a spiky fortress. They have the most amazing tiny blue lights surrounding a yellow eye (I have since discovered this is not the eye but the anus!). The colours of the coral were also amazing; especially the bright purple. In the deeper crevices I was almost expecting to see the beady eyes of a hiding moray eel or shark but in reality I think the biggest danger was in the form of wayward limbs of fellow snorkelers.

While the snorkelling and swimming were great, climbing back up into the boat was not. The ladder was steep and slippery and as I heaved my carcass upwards I silently cursed myself for my recent banana pancake addiction! The deck had also become very wet and slippery (I noticed a distinct lack of bright yellow 'slip hazard' signs) and so I plodded carefully around looking like a constipated penguin.

The small beaches we moored close too were very picturesque and as an added element of fun the boat slide was set up. Everyone gathered to watch the brave few launch themselves from the top of the slide and see them fly through the air before hitting the water below. Then salt air must have gone to my head because I lined up and before I realised what I was doing I rocketed off the end of the slide and hit the water (great fun).

The entire trip was around 7 hours and it was a wonderful day full of great experiences and lots of smiles and laughter.

You never know what may cross your path.

I was happily ambling along the road side this morning on the way to the pier when I saw something move up ahead. Out of the trees strode this big monkey (I assumed he was a male due to his size and general demeanour) and I stood there frozen as he sat in the middle of the road staring at me. Luckily I did not emit my usual high pitch squeal of joy (which is how as I tend to greet any and every animal I see) as he was not looking best pleased as it was. I was desperate to get out my camera but doing so in a subtle and quiet manner proved to be very tricky. After what appeared to be ages he gave a snort of indifference and strutted to the other side of the road.

I was just thinking how lucky I was to have this encounter when another monkey came out from behind the trees and raced and across the road to the bushes on the other side. This one was followed by a female with its young clinging to its belly and then another. I realised I had stumbled upon a troop of monkeys and stood transfixed as the young playfully darted around their mothers all under the watchful eye of the original male. They started climbing the trees and the younger ones appeared to play chase along the overhead cables. I tried to be as quiet as I could while taking plenty of photos (I felt like David Attenborough and David Bailey all rolled into one!).

Although I was enjoying witnessing this I was starting to wonder how I would walk past them as the male was still keeping his beady eye on me. I didn't want to antagonise him especially as there were very young monkeys in the group. I was just contemplating turning round and heading back to my accommodation when the monkeys gave a warning cry and scrambled further into the forest. I then noticed the stray dog I had been 'talking' to down the road was standing by my side and with a little growl in the direction of the bushes he proceeded to escort me past them and didn't leave my side until I was far down the road.

All in all it was a very extraordinary encounter.