Sawasdee Tao

Greetings from Thailand!

Bangkok

The layover in Singapore went well… the airport was very quiet when we arrived at an early hour and it slowly came to life while we waited for our connection. We sat in a coffee shop and just relaxed. The flight to Bangkok was uneventful and we arrived on time despite thunderstorms in the Singapore area.

The hotel was directly across the river from Wat Arun, which means Temple of the Dawn. According to a brochure we read, that is somewhat ironic, as it is better photographed with the setting sun. It doesn’t look too shabby at night, either.

The hotel itself was very nice although it was located in what, at first glance resembles a seedy area. However, it was merely a residential area and most of the folks in our group are more accustomed to housing with an interior kitchen, rather that the type that spills out onto the street. The smells of smoked and raw fish were also prevalent and they take some getting used to.

We had lunch at the hotel restaurant and liked it well enough (coupled with the lack of other restaurants nearby) that we took all of our meals there. The Thai food is quite good and the Thai people are very sensitive to avoiding the over-spicing of the tourists. They boys have continued with their adventurous ways concerning the trying of things new and different, but they did have the occasional spaghetti or grilled cheese. Here’s a look at one of the things I tried… I don’t remember what it is called, but I do remember that it was good.

Our tour of Bangkok the next day included a visit to the royal palace and it’s temple (including the Emerald Buddah), the temple Wat Pho with the giant reclining Buddah and a trip through the khlongs. Otherwise, we took a few walks within the area and visited the local food and flower markets.

The second day consisted of a bicycle tour through a different part of town, incliding a visit to a kindergarten in one of the slums and a trip across the river to :green” Bangkok, which is the fruit farming area and which is lush and lovely compared to the other parts of town. Afterward, we went to the airport and waited to catch our fight to the north of Thailand.

Chiang Mai

The flight to Chiang Mai took barely an hour and had us arriving at the hotel in time for dinner. This trip is beginning to boil down to flying and eating and that ain’t so bad… maybe a little less flying!

The hotel was a true enclave, set amidst a bustling city while giving you the feeling of being out in the country. It had a pool, which was a welcome change from the winter portion in South Africa where it was way too cold to swim. Again, the hotel restaurant was most enjoyable and we found it was both more convenient as well as preferred to do our dining there. I had an enjoyable cocktail be fore dinner one night… a Chiang Mai Thai Mai Tai.

The next day’s excursion was a trip to the elephant camp at Chiang Dao, about 60 km north of the city. The visit there consisted of watching the elephants get a bath in the river, seeing a demonstration of how they are used in logging operations, watching a young elephant paint a picture and taking a ride on the elephants to the village of one of the hill tribes. We also had a chance to feed them.

On the way back to town, we stopped at another day market and an orchid farm. The afternoon was spent in, and by, the pool while Susan went to get one of the famous Thai massages.

We had an early morning flight the next day and will wind up in Honk Kong afterward. It’s hard to believe that we have cut the distance from home to only one ocean (even though it’s the biggest one). We still have a month and a few days left and lots to do in that time.