Asia/Europe Travels 2008: Kuala Lumpur Thailand Laos Vietnam Germany Austria Prague (Czech Republic)
Poland Vilnius (Lithuania) Riga (Latvia) Berlin London (UK) Amsterdam (Holland) Dublin (Ireland) Hamburg

Thailand

Sun 31st – Thailand

Leaving early from our backpackers, we grabbed one of the many waiting cabs, and it was off to the airport. After a short flight we landed in Chiang Mai and took a taxi from the airport to the Spicy Thai backpackers. This place was awesome, set up like a home and everyone was immediately friendly and very helpful. We took a short walk into town, and chilled out as our room was prepared. That night they were nice enough to drop who ever wanted to come at the main markets. This was really awesome, and I bought all sorts of stuff including a shirt, some light pants, a pair of locally made shoes and an awesome little guitar which had three strings and weirdly spaced frets. We also tried some of the local foods and got to see an awesome puppet show on the street. This was also one of the largest markets I have ever seen. It stretched for miles and took us the better part of the evening to get through it all. We were thinking of meeting up with the others who were celebrating some dudes birthday at the riverside pub, but by the time we had finished looking around it was a bit late. We did happen to pass by a tour company shop, and we talked to the lady about tour options. She was fantastic explaining all the options and in the end helped us save some time by suggesting a tour that would take us from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai via some really nice temples. This seemed a lot better than a hour bus trip which was our other option so we booked it in.

Mon 1st – Thailand

With only two days in Thailand, we decided to make the most of it and take a couple of tours of the surrounding area. We picked a one day tour around Chiang Mai which included visits to some of the hill tribes, elephant riding and white water rafting (or brown water rafting as seemed to be the case). We headed off early and soon found ourselves in an old traditional hill tribe village. It was a little sad walking around the various huts where the locals looked like animals in a zoo as tourists snapped photos of them. I took one or two photos and bought one of their hand made bags for my video camera, but they seemed quite lifeless posing away. Apparently this village was previously to be abandoned however the village received government support for it to be preserved as an authentic village for tourists, and now it survives alone on income from tours, as surrounding farmland is not suitable anymore for complete self sustainability. It was certainly an insight into some strong traditional cultures although I can't say I left with a good feeling about the experience.

Next it was off to the elephant riding fiasco. We walked past a small waterfall and down to the bottom of the valley where we were loaded onto the elephant over a small stream. The guides took us down a muddy path I could swear were impassable, however our trusty elephants charged on through the steep muddy terrain, stopping every few minutes to attempt to eat the surrounding bamboo shoots. The guide constantly kicked the elephant in the head and lashed its ears to get us moving. At the end he let Kristy and me ride it while he took a photo which was nice, although I think I was a little soft on the elephant as he kept pausing for food and drink. Apparently they eat all the time consuming about 300kg of food per day. They certainly had made light work of the jungle we were trekking through. I really wonder what the elephant thought of the whole thing. It must have wondered why the hell it was taking people around and around in big circles all day, dropping them off in the same place they were picked up. it must seem kind of pointless for them, still they get their bananas at the end of each circuit so it must be worth it.

White water rafting was great fun. We were loaded onto two rubber rafts after a bumpy 4WD drive up the river. We had 6 in our tub including 2 kids. The guide kept pointing into the water and saying crocodile to scare the kids and at one point a paddle water fight started up. After the rapids most of us jumped in for a swim, which was perhaps a little dangerous as the little boy started to float away from the group in the torrent. I swam over and grabbed him but found it almost impossible to stay still with the pressure of the water. Still we all got back together and jumped ashore.

As soon as we dried off and walked up the bank, I was surprised to find a framed picture of all of us in the last bit of rapids on the table. Now this is efficient. By the time we made it down the last bit of the river, they had managed to take a photo, drive down to the pick up point, print out the pics on their bubble jet printer and frame about a dozen of them complete with wrapping. I had to buy one now, and at about $3 I wouldn't lose too much sleep over it. I just really wanted the picture of the picture though, so here it is.

Tues 2nd - Thailand - Tour to Chiang Rai

It made sense to do a tour which took us within a few hours of the border, so we decided to see some of the worlds most unique temples whilst covering some ground at the same time. This meant leaving our wonderful Spicy Thai backpackers, but we were thrilled to learn of a Spicy Lao backpackers in Luang Prabang, a future destination of ours. We visited a variety of temples including a white temple which is rumoured to be the most unique temple in the world. I also really like one of the more run down shrines next to a small Buddhist commune. After a delicious lunch on a part of the Thailand - Laos border we were zipped across to a small town in Laos for a look around. We were going to a different part of the border the following day, but it was great to get a small taste of what was to come. We saw a bear, snakes in jars of alcohol, and plenty of trinkets made by the locals.

During the van trip we just missed a major down pour. It is amazing how quickly the weather can change over here. One minute it is sunny and the next you are in a torrential downpour. This photo sums it up I think. Luckily we managed to avoid rain today and our luck continues as blue skies prevail. We headed off watching Jackie Chan overdubbed in Thai, shortly before we were dropped at our hotel in Chiang Rai. We decided to go extravagant for the last night in Thailand and booked a room in a really nice hotel where we had really good feed and a traditional 2 hour Thai massage. It was all so cheap! I recommend the Thai massage as well, however it is an aggressive action so be sure not to have any injuries at the time or they might strain something. It was certainly good preparation for the Gibbon Experience hike in only a few days time.

Wed 3rd – Chiang Rai to Laos

What was supposed to be a 2 hour bus ride departing at 1pm got us to our destination at just after 5pm. It seems to be the way here that you ask how long it takes for the journey, and then double it to know what it actually is. You can also generally add about half an hour to the leaving time for bus rides and tours. The bus trundled along dropping off bags of fish, rice and all sorts to houses along the way, and we were quite anxious by the time we reached our tuk tuk pick up point. A 5 minute ride to the jetty and we crossed just in time. The border closes at 6pm on the Laos side so we were cutting it close. After a successful crossing, we checked in at the Gibbon Experience office and they recommended a nice hotel for the night at the Sabadee, which means thankyou in Laos. We had read blogs about some very dodgy hotels in the area so were relieved we found somewhere clean and cheap. After a tasty pizza up the street, we hit the hay ready for the long trek the following day. I was so excited, as a large part of the trip had been planned around the Gibbon Experience.

I really enjoyed the north of Thailand even though we really only spent a few nights there. I think the south is quite different and from what I hear, the north is a lot more traditional/beautiful, and I certainly want to revisit the place for much longer. I could easily spend a week at the Spicy Thai as well as it really is an awesome hostel, one where you can actually meet the other people staying there in a friendly environment. We also took the 1 day trek due to time constraints, but there are all sorts of 3 day hikes and things in the surrounding area. I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting a holiday that doesn't break the budget. Next we were off to Laos.