Jan 31 Sukhothai

I know there is a burning question all of you have.

"Ralf, tell me, what kind of hotel do you get for 12 dollars?"

To satisfy your curiosity I am staying in one now. 

The advantages are cost, and location. It is 12 dollars a night, and it is a 5 minute walk from the center of Sukhothai, a great location. Another plus is a very good wifi connection in my room.

The room is very clean, I have a private bathroom with a shower. The shower has no temperature control, it is simply there to control the water flow. The water is room temperature, which can be refreshing. No soap, no shampoo, but there is toilet paper.

The air conditioning unit works very well.

The word basic comes to mind when I describe my furniture. It is minimal, one very large bed, a coat rack, which becomes important, and a bookcase. The bed is huge, I am sure a family of four could sleep in it comfortably, if they are Japanese. The only problem is that it takes up 80% of the room. The mattress is another matter. It is about an inch and a half thick, and I have never seen a foam mattress like it. Hard is too kind a word. I lifted one corner, and it was like lifting a sheet of plywood, no sag. I am sure that if you dropped an egg on it it would break, rather than bounce.

It is formfitting as long as your body is perfectly flat. 

I understand that two kinds of people like this kind of firmness, the Japanese and dead people. I am, unfortunately, neither.

Surprisingly I slept fairly well.

Another challenge in my room are the electrical outlets, which I need to recharge my iPad. iPod, and my camera batteries. I have two outlets, both situated halfway up the wall, beside the door. The difficulty I have is that my charging cables aren't long enough to reach the floor, and the plugs aren't strong enough to stay in, when the tablets are attached to it. Here is where the coat rack comes in. I moved it near the outlets, hung a bag from one of the hooks, attached the items, put them in the bag, and then hung the bag from the coatrack. Works perfectly.

I spent a good part of the day visiting the Historical Park of Sukhothai. Before the 13th century what is now Thailand was a series of city states, dominated by the Khmer empire, centred at Angor Wat, in Cambodia. At this time several Thai rulers combined their forces and pushed the Khmer out of Thailand. They established their capital at Sukhothai, and ruled for about 150 years, when the Burmese invaded and defeated the Thai. Sukhothai was abandoned. It was not restored until after WW2. The present day city of Sukhothai is about 12 km from the ruins.

The best way to see the site is to take a local "bus" to the site. These buses are basically pickup trucks, with an extended back, so that up to 30 people can be squeezed in, a row down each side, and a board down the middle. No padding. But it only costs a buck for a half hour ride.

The original city was quite large, it covered 70 square kilometres. There are two parts to the site, an inner walled part, and the outskirts, what used to be the suburbs. The only buildings restored are the almost 200 temples and other religious statues. No other buildings survived, because they weren't made of stone. The most sensible way to see the sites, especially the outer ones is to rent a bicycle (1 dollar) and pedal away.

The inner city is very beautiful, lots of canals, with purple lilies floating in the water. The site is well maintained, and because of the size, not overcrowded. The statues are different from the Khmer temples at Angkor Wat, they are more graceful, and pleasing to the eye.

The other nice thing is that even though it was a hot day, there was a lovely breeze. I spent about 3 hours pedalling away, and once you went outside there were very few other tourists. I stopped in a little village, that had some cattle. Aside from the peaceful atmosphere there wasn't a lot to see. Most of the structures were similar, and not that impressive. The inner city was much more impressive. 

I did the tour in about 3 hours, and only fell down twice, both times after I had stopped, and tried to dismount. My big fat tourist ass was caught by the saddle. And I landed lying on the ground. No injuries, just embarrassing.

I took the bus back, and had a rest. That went well, but I did wake up once with a painful cramp. The old body isn't what it used to be.

Ralf

One of three furniture items in my room. It came in handy when I charged my iPad

The main temple in the walled city

The most graceful statue I have seen so far

A slim graceful Bhudda 

I love the water buffalo 

Jan 30 Travelling to Sukhotan

Today was a travel day, 8 hours from Chiang Rai to Sukhotan, which is in central Thailand. I can't figure out how their bus rates work. I took a bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, 3 hours, 300 baht (12 dollars). My bus today was 8 hours and cost 250 baht. On Sunday I have a 4 hour ride to Ayutthala, 340 baht. There is no great difference between the buses.

Our bus was stopped for a police check, and the officer went through my bag. I am happy that I didn't decide to bring my pink Cinderella bikini undies.

This is the dry season, I haven't seen a rain cloud yet, and I assume it's been like that since October. The landscape is dried out, and not colourful. When you do see colour it is spectacular. There are no muted colours, every flower is a brilliant yellow, bright red or orange. It's funny seeing a tree that looks dead, no leaves on its spindly branches, but the are several bright yellow blooms.

This is also reflected in the people. Houses are fluorescent green, bright mauve and orange is a popular combination for houses.

Even the trucks and tour buses are very colourful.

The colour I really love is the bright green of a rice field, that is starting to grow.

The other surprising thing is that different villages seem to have specialities. Yesterday there was a stretch of about 3 km, along the highway where there were more than 50 stalls, selling only pineapples. Each stall had several dozen. I can't understand how they can sell all those pineapple. I didn't see one car stop.

Today there were other examples. One village had several dozen stalls selling woven baskets; a second village had several dozen stalls selling chairs, no tables, just chairs, all pretty well identical. My favourite was one that had several dozen stalls selling machetes, and all kinds of knifes, enough to outfit the army of a small country.

The weather has changed, hot and humid. I even saw my first mosquito. It's time to think about heading home

Ralf

A couple of Thai motor vehicles, a tour bus and a truck

One of the popular souvenir items, a piece of soap, carved for your bathroom

Jan 29 Northern Thailand

Today was probably my "busiest" day of sightseeing. I joined a small group, consisting of two lovely Spanish young ladies and myself. I wanted to see the far north of Thailand, the area known as the Golden Triangle. This was, not that long ago, the center of opium production in Asia. One reason it is called that is the it sits at the junction of two rivers, and it is only a few meters across one river to Burma, and likewise, across the other river to Laos. The only way to get to the Golden Triangle, unless you have your own transportation is with a tour.

So we set out in a nice Toyota SUV, making a few stops along the way.

The first was a return to the White Temple, and I actually enjoyed this visit more than my first one. It was earlier in the morning, and no big tour buses had yet arrived. I was as amazed as the first time.

We then went to what is called the Black House, just north of Chiang Rai. This was another surreal experience. Again the work of one artist, and it also consisted of a large complex, with many buildings. The look like temples, but there are no religious statues. The artist had a thing about death. There are multitudes of bones, animal skulls, antlers and skins. The main building has several large tribal tables, with a center piece of either a large crocodile, with head, or a large snake skin. The chairs are huge and made out of hides, with the backs Buffalo horns or antlers. Lots of bones and antlers along the walls.

The whole things is just plain weird, although some of the wood carvings are very intricate and beautiful.

Our next stop was a tribal village of the Karen people. This village is known for their custom of putting brass rings around the neck of their women, starting at age 4; thus the name "Long Necks". To be honest it was an unsettling experience. The women are quite beautiful, but you felt you were in a human zoo. It was nothing like the tribal villages I visited in Northern Vietnam, where you saw actual functioning communities, not a side show for tourists.

This was followed by a visit to a large tea plantation. Very well organized. The tea plants are like privet hedges, 2 to 3 feet high, and there are a lot of long rows. Pickers remove the new leaves, after which the top of the hedge is trimmed back, and new leaves are allowed to grow for 4 to 6 weeks, when the process is repeated. The pickers  move to the next area, and everything is repeated. The setting is quite beautiful.

Lunch was at a combination "Jewelry/buffet restaurant". There's a new combination for you. The food was pretty good.

We then drove to the Golden Triangle, and enjoyed the view. There is also an Opium Museum, which gives some historical facts. It was informative.

I have seen a lot of Bhudda statues, and it is interesting that the Bhudda in Thailand doesn't look at all like the fat little God you see in India. Here the Bhudda is quite slim and fit looking.

It was amusing, our guide kept saying "Oh, my Bhudda"

I also saw some Burmese script, and it is unlike any other writing I have ever seen.

All in all an excellent day!

Ralf

One of the buildings at the Black House

The thing at the end is a chair

One of the Long Neck women

The tea plantation

The view from the Golden Triangle, the spit of land on the left is Burma, the shore on the right is Laos.

Jan 28 Arriving in Chiang Rai

I took a bus to Chiang Rai this morning. Chiang Rai is the capital of a province of the same name. It is the northerly part of Thailand, bordering on Laos and Mynamar, which was called Burma. It is the area known as the Golden Triangle, known as a major opium producing region. That, apparently, is in the past.

Chiang Rai is a good sized city, without too many tourist attractions, but it is a starting out point for many treks into the hills.

I did take in THE major attraction in the area, The White Temple. It is an amazing sight. The history of the complex is that about 50 years ago there was a temple, about 13 km south of Chiang Rai, that was falling apart. A local artist decided to rebuild it using his own money. The closest thing to this temple is the work of Gaudi in Barcelona.  Chalermchai Kositpipat began building the temple in 1997. The incredibly detailed, all-white exterior represents Buddha's purity. Mirrored trimming symbolizes self-reflection. The bridge to the entrance crosses over a sea of arms reaching out for help from the fiery depths of hell. Skulls, demon heads, and pop-cultural figures from the underworld—Hellraiser; Hellboy—are harbingers of what's to come.

Inside the temple, the decor changes from pristine white to fiery and bewildering. Murals depict swirling orange flames and demon faces, interspersed with Western idols such as Michael Jackson, Neo from The Matrix, Freddy Kruger, and a T-800 series Terminator. Images of nuclear warfare, terrorist attacks, and oil pumps hammer home the destructive impact that humans have had on earth. The presence of Harry Potter, Superman, and Hello Kitty confuses the message somewhat, but the overall moral is clear: people are wicked. The whole thing is unbelievable surreal.

The complex is quite large, and very well maintained.

There was an earthquake in May 2014, and for a time he thought the whole complex would be razed, but there was little structural damage. You can still see some of the damage though.

My hotel is gaudy, a bit from the center, but very nice.

The main temple

This is the only non-white building. The gold colour symbolizes man's obsession with material goods. 

The only use of this building is that it houses the public washrooms. Should it be called a "out-temple"?

Jan 27 my last day in Chiang Mai

Today was the first day I had a chance to spend some time in the old city in Chiang Mai. The city is 1.6 km square, and, at one time was surrounded by a wall, and a moat. Parts of the old wall are still visible, and the moat has become a lovely water feature, all around the old city, featuring fountains. Quite beautiful.

I started out at 8, a beautiful time of day. It's cool, clear, and sunny. There are a few large streets, but most of the city is covered by laneways. Tourism is certainly the main industry. There are several travel agents on EVERY block. In between are hotels, hostels, guest houses, restaurants and spas offering massages. Literally dozens. There are few other stores, which is surprising.

I did a walking tour, suggested by my Lonely Travel Guide, and saw most of the important sites, mostly temples.

The biggest, and most important is Wat Phro Sing. It is a temple complex, with a monastery, a school, a library, and several temples. The compound is large, and beautifully maintained. Very clean, lots of gardens and flowers. I sat in on a religious service, where a monk was chanting. Very peaceful, a world away from the streets outside

Wad Chedi Luang is another highlight of Chiang Mai. It is a "chedi", which is a large tower, housing a relic or the remains of a famous monk, or royalty. It was built in the 15th century and was to be 82 m high. It was never completed, and an earthquake in 1554, caused the top third to collapse. It also is part of a temple complex that houses a school for monks. It has been restored with the help of the Japanese government.

I also saw a beautiful temple, one of the oldest, made entirely from teak lumber.

I had also read about a program to rehabilitate women from the local Women's Prison. The women are trained as massage therapists, so that they acquire a skill when they leave. The public is welcome to use the facility. It took me a frustrating half hour to find the place, but I persisted. I paid for a one hour full body massage, and I have to say it was the best massage I have had so far. The first massage I had in Bangkok was great, because it helped my back, but this one was not as painful, and very good. At 7 dollars it would definitely become a weekly occurrence back home. They were busy, I counted 14 customers while I was there.

Another interesting thing about Chiang Mai is the number of cafes. Coffee is big! I found one, in a hole-in-the-wall little restaurant that served the best cappuccino I have on this trip.

A great way to finish the day.

Ralf

One of the temples at Wat Phra Sing

A temple guardian

Wat Chedi Luang

The teak temple

Jan 26 Elephant Day

I had two wishes for this trip. One was to see Angkor Wat, and the second was to have an elephant experience. Today was elephant day.

You have to join a tour, and there are several elephant camps in the area. Some are quite Eco minded. The elephants are in a sanctuary, they are not forced to do any work, or be ridden. You learn a lot about elephants, you feed them, and wash them. But, at 240 dollars the price was a bit high. I decided on a half day tour with Panda Elephant Camp. Most of these places are about an hour outside of Chiang Mae. Our transport was not ideal. The vehicle is a small pickup truck, where the back is covered with a canopy, and there are two rows of seats, front to back, room for 10 people, in a pinch. We only had six, so it was roomy, but the seats are not the most comfortable. I don't think it would pass any safety inspection in Canada, sitting in the back of an open truck, no seat belts. There were times, when we were going well over 100 km/h, when I wondered what would happen in the case of an accident. I wouldn't be writing this blog, for one.

When we arrived at the camp we changed into "mahout" outfits, a pair of denim shorts, and a denim shirt. We were told some basic facts about elephants, and then we allowed to feed the three elephants that were with us. The total herd here numbers 15. They eat over 200 kilos of food every day, each. It was neat putting a banana right into the elephants mouth, big pink thing.

Then we were given a lesson, with a cheat sheet, of commands, in Thai. One of the mahouts then demonstrated the various maneuvers, left, right, go forwards, go backwards...

We were the told that we were all going to mount an elephant and do these maneuvers. I wasn't sure whether I was up to that, but when it came my turn I actually climbed the beast, and went through the paces. To be honest even though I said all the right words, and used the bamboo hook, as directed, the mahout, walking beside the elephant, probably did most of the directing, it was a neat feeling, sitting bareback on an elephant, and going through the motions.

Getting off is fun. The elephant kneels on its from feet, you put your feet in front of you, and you slide down the front of the head. I did it, but not very gracefully.

After that we paired up, and two of us got back on the elephant, bareback, and we went for, about, a half hour ride to the pond. Going down a hill was interesting. One of the other elephants decided to eat some reeds, partway down a gully, and it's riders had interesting looks on their faces.

When we got to the pond we spent about half an hour in the water, with the elephants. We had buckets, and used them the wash the elephant. That was my favourite part. You were really close to the animal, and she was blowing bubbles, while you scrubbed it all over. It is quite an experience being that close to her. Our elephant decided to take a dump, and there were several softball size yellow blobs floating in the pond. It was time to leave.

I was happy I had only done the half day tour, I can't imagine doing nothing but feeding and washing an elephant for a whole day. We left at about 9, and didn't get back till 3:30. 

I did get a thrill out of riding an elephant.

One more day in Chiang Mae.

Ralf

Feeding the beast

Getting to know you

I did it!, I got on

Jan 25 Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is quite different from the other cities I have visited, a lot less hectic than Bangkok, much cleaner and livelier than Siem Reap and Luang Prabang.

The weather is also nicer. It still cool in the morning and in the upper 20's in the afternoon, but there is no haziness in the morning, and a lot less humidity.

The hotel I am staying in is a lot more luxurious than all the others. Lovely clean room, good wifi connection, and a beautiful swimming pool; a nice way to cool down after a long day walking.

I joined a local tour today to visit Wat Phra That, the most important temple in Chiang Mae. It is at the top of Doi Suthep mountain. It's a 30 minute car ride to the top.

On the way we stopped at a local tribal village. It was basically a place with a lot of souvenir stalls. Some of the locals wore their tribal outfits, but it was just to sell stuff to the tourists. The location was nice, and lots of flowers were blooming

One of the amazing thing about the temple is that it was built centuries ago, when there was no road, everything had to be brought along paths in a dense jungle. Pilgrims visiting the temple would need at least half a day to hike from the city. Once the car reaches the top there are 362 steps up to the temple. Fortunately there is a tram that goes up, and then you can walk down.

It is a magnificent structure. Everything is covered with gold leaf, and it just shines brilliantly in the sunshine. Lots of statues of Bhudda.

Thais are quite religious, and there were many visitors praying and making offerings while we were there.

I saw the most gorgeous group of Thai, at the temple. They looked like models. I snuck a couple of photos. On the way down the steps we met them again, and I made a comment to one of the men in our tour, a Frenchman. He told me he thought they were transvestites. No way, but then one of them turned around, and in perfect English and a manly voice told me "He's right, I have a dick, just like yours". It takes a lot to leave me speechless, but this was one case where I was. 

The people you meet at temples.

Ralf

The pool at my hotel. My room was at the, and I have a balcony right beside the pool

Tribal costume

The center structure of the temple

Who would have guessed?