With tickets sorted and my destination set, I bid New Zealand farewell and began my trek to South East Asia. After a seven hour layover in Brisbane, Australia and a five hour layover in Singapore, I finally arrived in Bangkok, Thailand. Singapore is one of the most economically advanced countries in this region with shipping and science and technology to spare. My few hours in the airport showed me just how "advanced" the country was with prices for food and drink being comparable to those of Canada. Thailand is one of the only countries in South East Asia to have avoided colonial rule by European powers while all those around fell victim to the British, French, and Portuguese. The last of these named the area of Thailand for westerners as Siam after a derogatory Malay term to describe Thais as "dark brown" people. After nearly 1,000 years of cultural history and many wars with the neighboring Burmese, Khmers (Cambodians), and Vietnamese, Thailand has established itself as a progressive South East Asian nation by adopting western modes of education, trade, and dress.
I decided to try taking transit from the airport to the city, so I wandered down to the new skytrain station. As I was waiting to buy a ticket, I noticed the woman in front of me speaking English and asking for directions to the same area I was headed... Khao San Road. I struck up a conversation with the woman and we decided to go it together. She was an American who was just returning from a VISA run to China to renew her Thai tourist VISA. We arrived in the city proper during the evening rush hour... chaotic would be a gentle way of describing the random mix of tuk-tuks, taxis, mopeds (called motos), trucks, cars, cyclists, and pedestrians that jostle for road space, weave past one another, and somehow manage to keep moving. The twenty kilometre skytrain ride took us twelve minutes while the taxi from the metro to Khao San Road, a mere two and a half kilometres, took twenty minutes.
I had heard from some of the wwoofers in New Zealand that Khao San Road was a great backpacker area in Bangkok, hence it being my destination. It was definitely a place full of backpackers, often there were more foreigners than locals! On the brink of Thailand's economic boom in 1982, the Thai Government issued its policy to commemorate Bangkok's bicentennial anniversary and celebrate the Buddhist calendar's lucky year "2525", by launching festive ceremonies in Bangkok to bring in tourist dollars. Tourists poured in from around the world, causing Bangkok's hotels to overflow with bookings. The most spectacular festivities were performed in the Grand Palace. Some backpackers, unable to get an overpriced room, successfully convinced local residents on Khao San Road to rent out vacant rooms in their houses, reasoning that, in return, the guest house owners could earn some extra income and it was convenient for them to travel to their destinations. The guest house business generated more profits than any amateur entrepreneur ever expected. Before long, more guesthouses, restaurants and souvenir shops sprouted along the road in full bloom.
The American girl who showed me Khao San Road suggested I look for lodging a block away from the gong show that was perpetually happening there, so we wandered up Soi Rambuttri. I was tired after traveling so decided to grab the first reasonably priced room while my friend decided to soldier on. We parted ways and I settled into my room. Thank goodness for the air conditioning! Thailand is very hot and humid (around 35 C during the day and around 27 C at night). You are ALWAYS sticky either from sweat or the humidity. Even taking a cold shower only provides temporary relief as the minute you step out and dry off... you're sticky with humidity again.
Once settled in I decided to do my customary "get to know the area" stroll... it was a madhouse of people and hawkers and tiny twisting alleyways which, although they appeared to end, only required you to walk through a hotel or restaurant to continue on. Foreigners of all flavours squeezed past food carts and stands while different genres of loud music thumped from every restaurant and bar. This city apparently never sleeps and it's not just the nightlife of clubs, restaurants, and bars. People do their laundry at 3 am, or take their kids to various night markets, road or building construction can be going on at any time of day or night... there's never a time of day when the streets are empty.
The next day I had some errands to run in preparation for the arrival of my girlfriend the next evening. As I was getting ready to get under way, a tuk-tuk driver talked me into a tour of some of the monuments around town. His deal was 10 Baht (about 30 cents) for 2 or 3 hours, the only catch, we'd stop in a few stores where his compatriots would try to sell me stuff. I didn't have to buy anything, just stay in the store for at least 12 minutes, that way my driver would get gas coupons. I figured why not!? And off we went... first stop was the Giant Buddha at Wat Indrawiharn. The 32-meter (100-foot) tall standing Buddha of Wat Indrawiharn used to be visible from just about any high vantage point around the old city. Now its hidden behind the new buildings from Thailand's boom years. Not that its any great loss. The giant Buddha statue is a rare example of Thai religious art failing to live up the the graceful lines its known for. The statue is flattened and thus very unrealistic. Its still an impressive work, and popular as a place of homage for some Thais.
Next we headed for Wat Suthat a royal temple of the first grade, one of ten such temples in Bangkok (23 in Thailand). Construction was begun by His Majesty King Rama I in 1807 (B.E. 2350). Further construction and decorations were carried out by King Rama II who helped carve the wooden doors, but the temple was not completed until the reign of King Rama III in 1847 (B.E.2390). This temple contains the Buddha image Phra Sri Sakyamuni or "Sisakayamunee" which moved from Sukhothai province. At the lower terrace of the base, there are 28 Chinese pagodas which mean the 28 Buddhas born on this earth. Wat Suthat also contains Phra Buddha Trilokachet in the Ubosot (Ordinary Hall) and Phra Buddha Setthamuni in Sala Kan Parien (Meeting Hall). In 2005 the temple was submitted to UNESCO for consideration as a future World Heritage site. I didn't fully explore the temple, but I did wonder at the opulent garden grounds and stopped to chill out under the large bodhi tree in one of its courtyards.
After leaving Wat Suthat it was my turn to make good on my promise.... first stop.... Bangkok's most exclusive tailors. Although I didn't buy anything (they wanted around $600/ suit) I did learn a bit about suits and proper tailoring before my tuk-tuk driver drove me to a travel agency where I could book my trip to Koh Chang Island. After 30 minutes and a hard sell the next 10 days of my life were planned, well at least my transportation and accommodations, all top shelf, which was going to be a nice change from the last 4 months of budget travel I had been doing.
I decided to lay low after dropping my stuff off at the night's cheap cheap accommodations (I'm talking four walls a mattress and a fan). So I grabbed a cold drink and a book and chilled out at a cafe on an obscure Bangkok backstreet. While reading, another foreigner showed up at the cafe and ordered up a drink. Before long we struck a conversation about our travel experiences. Turns out the fellow was from Germany and had just had a narrow brush with the Thai authorities over some questionable dealings facilitated by a tuk-tuk driver. The driver had set him up with the police landing him in a Thai jail and costing him 70,000 Baht (just under $2,300 US) to legally leave the country. We ended up on Soi Rambuttri playing pool at one of the many restaurant/bars until late. Then it was off to my budget room to await my girlfriend and 10 days of posh living.
In the morning I checked into the hotel I had organized for my girlfriend and I. After a couple of days in the Thai heat and humidity, the air conditioning was a welcome luxury, so I relaxed on the nice bed with a little satellite T.V.. The afternoon was HOT and it had been awhile since I had had a haircut, so I got to some personal grooming before my evening trip to the airport to meet Janet. After being on the road for 4 months it sure was good to see a familiar face again.
The next day we checked out and hopped on a minibus headed for Koh Chang island. I had been told about this place by my room mate back home, Brad. It sounded like the perfect place to spend a week with Janet. A five hour bus ride through south eastern Thailand was an eye-opener after a couple months in New Zealand. Even though Thailand is one of the more developed countries in this region of the world, poverty is still experienced by many in the countryside. Similar to South America, regions of poverty can be identified by the amount of garbage present... everywhere.
Our bus took us to a ferry to make the 30 minute crossing to Koh Chang. Koh Chang means "elephant island" because on a map it is said to look like an elephant's head... and it kind of does. It is situated off the coast of the southeastern point of Thailand near the Cambodian border. The island itself is more or less divided into two parts: the tourist side and the undeveloped local side. We got a bungalow in a jungle setting resort which was slice of paradise on its own with a couple pools, jungle walks, hanging orchid gardens, and a snake show next door. Once checked in, we decided to lay low while Janet worked on her jet lag.
The next day we decided to explore the island a bit, and what better was than to rent a moped and cruise at our own speed. Down the west coast we explored the many tourist developed beaches in the villages along the coast. We checked out Hat Sai Khao, then on to the Ao Klong Phrao, and then we stopped for a hike to Khlong Phlu Waterfall for a much needed swim in the pool below. After an hour or two hiking through the jungle and swimming, we continued south to Lonely Beach (Hat Tha Nam) for some beach side Thai lunch. With bellies full it was on past Bang Bao towards the southern reach of the roads on Koh Chang.
Then... DISASTER! As we headed up a long stretch of road a novice German moped rider pulled onto the road. Driving is on the left hand side in Thailand, so I went to pass on the right... the German looked back and saw us coming and, I imagine, panicked and swerved right, directly in front of us. I locked up the brakes to stop and/or avoid him. At a fairly low speed the front wheel jack-knifed sending the bike into a slide off the side of the road, but not before both Janet and I got our shares of road burn. OUCH! After a somewhat heated exchange we collected our bloody bodies and scuffed up moped and headed for the nearby beach to wash our wounds.
Upon closer inspection I wasn't that bad off with some road burn to an arm, leg, and foot, and a fractured big toe. Janet seemed worse off with larger scrapes all up on leg and a foot losing some pretty major blood, plus a hand wound. We got back on the moped and headed for the island's international clinic to get her cleaned up and bandaged. A grueling 2 hours later Janet was all sorted out so I took her back to the resort to relax and begin the healing process... what a day in paradise!
The rest of our time on Koh Chang involved daily visits to the clinic to have Janet's dressings changed and to check for infection. We had the odd excursion to a beach or market to take our minds off of our aching bodies, but it definitely put a damper on our days in paradise. We were both extremely lucky in this situation because we got away with no infections and top notch treatment. It was still a week in paradise, albeit not the adventure either of us had envisioned. Props to Janet for a trooper through it all, she is one tough woman.
A week later we returned to Bangkok in luxury to spend out last couple of days in the club district of Sukhumvit. Most of the time, however, was spent nursing our injuries, watching movies, and escaping the humid heat in our air conditioned room. Ten days after her arrival, I accompanied Janet to the airport and said farewell for another 6 months. Her flight left late so I didn't get back to the hotel until after 3am where I promptly passed out.
The next day I checked out and began my search for the Indian consulate to organize my visa for the India leg of my journey. Alas, they were closed and I was tired of Bangkok, so I started to research my next bit of adventure. I checked into a cheap hostel back on Soi Rambuttri and after some book time decided to head for Cambodia in the morning. I was really excited to Angkor Wat up close and personal.
With my plans made I decided to relax for the rest of the evening and people watch in the busy tourist district of Bangkok... I took my Lonely Planet guidebook along to further detail out my Cambodia experience. Around 10pm I discovered that I needed to get some passport photos for the border crossing or pay a fine to have them done there. So at 10:30pm I wandered around Bangkok until I found a late-night passport photo place... gotta love Bangkok! My bags were packed, documents ready, and a skeletal plan sorted... I went to sleep eager to continue my adventure.
I decided to try taking transit from the airport to the city, so I wandered down to the new skytrain station. As I was waiting to buy a ticket, I noticed the woman in front of me speaking English and asking for directions to the same area I was headed... Khao San Road. I struck up a conversation with the woman and we decided to go it together. She was an American who was just returning from a VISA run to China to renew her Thai tourist VISA. We arrived in the city proper during the evening rush hour... chaotic would be a gentle way of describing the random mix of tuk-tuks, taxis, mopeds (called motos), trucks, cars, cyclists, and pedestrians that jostle for road space, weave past one another, and somehow manage to keep moving. The twenty kilometre skytrain ride took us twelve minutes while the taxi from the metro to Khao San Road, a mere two and a half kilometres, took twenty minutes.
I had heard from some of the wwoofers in New Zealand that Khao San Road was a great backpacker area in Bangkok, hence it being my destination. It was definitely a place full of backpackers, often there were more foreigners than locals! On the brink of Thailand's economic boom in 1982, the Thai Government issued its policy to commemorate Bangkok's bicentennial anniversary and celebrate the Buddhist calendar's lucky year "2525", by launching festive ceremonies in Bangkok to bring in tourist dollars. Tourists poured in from around the world, causing Bangkok's hotels to overflow with bookings. The most spectacular festivities were performed in the Grand Palace. Some backpackers, unable to get an overpriced room, successfully convinced local residents on Khao San Road to rent out vacant rooms in their houses, reasoning that, in return, the guest house owners could earn some extra income and it was convenient for them to travel to their destinations. The guest house business generated more profits than any amateur entrepreneur ever expected. Before long, more guesthouses, restaurants and souvenir shops sprouted along the road in full bloom.
The American girl who showed me Khao San Road suggested I look for lodging a block away from the gong show that was perpetually happening there, so we wandered up Soi Rambuttri. I was tired after traveling so decided to grab the first reasonably priced room while my friend decided to soldier on. We parted ways and I settled into my room. Thank goodness for the air conditioning! Thailand is very hot and humid (around 35 C during the day and around 27 C at night). You are ALWAYS sticky either from sweat or the humidity. Even taking a cold shower only provides temporary relief as the minute you step out and dry off... you're sticky with humidity again.
Once settled in I decided to do my customary "get to know the area" stroll... it was a madhouse of people and hawkers and tiny twisting alleyways which, although they appeared to end, only required you to walk through a hotel or restaurant to continue on. Foreigners of all flavours squeezed past food carts and stands while different genres of loud music thumped from every restaurant and bar. This city apparently never sleeps and it's not just the nightlife of clubs, restaurants, and bars. People do their laundry at 3 am, or take their kids to various night markets, road or building construction can be going on at any time of day or night... there's never a time of day when the streets are empty.
The next day I had some errands to run in preparation for the arrival of my girlfriend the next evening. As I was getting ready to get under way, a tuk-tuk driver talked me into a tour of some of the monuments around town. His deal was 10 Baht (about 30 cents) for 2 or 3 hours, the only catch, we'd stop in a few stores where his compatriots would try to sell me stuff. I didn't have to buy anything, just stay in the store for at least 12 minutes, that way my driver would get gas coupons. I figured why not!? And off we went... first stop was the Giant Buddha at Wat Indrawiharn. The 32-meter (100-foot) tall standing Buddha of Wat Indrawiharn used to be visible from just about any high vantage point around the old city. Now its hidden behind the new buildings from Thailand's boom years. Not that its any great loss. The giant Buddha statue is a rare example of Thai religious art failing to live up the the graceful lines its known for. The statue is flattened and thus very unrealistic. Its still an impressive work, and popular as a place of homage for some Thais.
Next we headed for Wat Suthat a royal temple of the first grade, one of ten such temples in Bangkok (23 in Thailand). Construction was begun by His Majesty King Rama I in 1807 (B.E. 2350). Further construction and decorations were carried out by King Rama II who helped carve the wooden doors, but the temple was not completed until the reign of King Rama III in 1847 (B.E.2390). This temple contains the Buddha image Phra Sri Sakyamuni or "Sisakayamunee" which moved from Sukhothai province. At the lower terrace of the base, there are 28 Chinese pagodas which mean the 28 Buddhas born on this earth. Wat Suthat also contains Phra Buddha Trilokachet in the Ubosot (Ordinary Hall) and Phra Buddha Setthamuni in Sala Kan Parien (Meeting Hall). In 2005 the temple was submitted to UNESCO for consideration as a future World Heritage site. I didn't fully explore the temple, but I did wonder at the opulent garden grounds and stopped to chill out under the large bodhi tree in one of its courtyards.
After leaving Wat Suthat it was my turn to make good on my promise.... first stop.... Bangkok's most exclusive tailors. Although I didn't buy anything (they wanted around $600/ suit) I did learn a bit about suits and proper tailoring before my tuk-tuk driver drove me to a travel agency where I could book my trip to Koh Chang Island. After 30 minutes and a hard sell the next 10 days of my life were planned, well at least my transportation and accommodations, all top shelf, which was going to be a nice change from the last 4 months of budget travel I had been doing.
I decided to lay low after dropping my stuff off at the night's cheap cheap accommodations (I'm talking four walls a mattress and a fan). So I grabbed a cold drink and a book and chilled out at a cafe on an obscure Bangkok backstreet. While reading, another foreigner showed up at the cafe and ordered up a drink. Before long we struck a conversation about our travel experiences. Turns out the fellow was from Germany and had just had a narrow brush with the Thai authorities over some questionable dealings facilitated by a tuk-tuk driver. The driver had set him up with the police landing him in a Thai jail and costing him 70,000 Baht (just under $2,300 US) to legally leave the country. We ended up on Soi Rambuttri playing pool at one of the many restaurant/bars until late. Then it was off to my budget room to await my girlfriend and 10 days of posh living.
In the morning I checked into the hotel I had organized for my girlfriend and I. After a couple of days in the Thai heat and humidity, the air conditioning was a welcome luxury, so I relaxed on the nice bed with a little satellite T.V.. The afternoon was HOT and it had been awhile since I had had a haircut, so I got to some personal grooming before my evening trip to the airport to meet Janet. After being on the road for 4 months it sure was good to see a familiar face again.
The next day we checked out and hopped on a minibus headed for Koh Chang island. I had been told about this place by my room mate back home, Brad. It sounded like the perfect place to spend a week with Janet. A five hour bus ride through south eastern Thailand was an eye-opener after a couple months in New Zealand. Even though Thailand is one of the more developed countries in this region of the world, poverty is still experienced by many in the countryside. Similar to South America, regions of poverty can be identified by the amount of garbage present... everywhere.
Our bus took us to a ferry to make the 30 minute crossing to Koh Chang. Koh Chang means "elephant island" because on a map it is said to look like an elephant's head... and it kind of does. It is situated off the coast of the southeastern point of Thailand near the Cambodian border. The island itself is more or less divided into two parts: the tourist side and the undeveloped local side. We got a bungalow in a jungle setting resort which was slice of paradise on its own with a couple pools, jungle walks, hanging orchid gardens, and a snake show next door. Once checked in, we decided to lay low while Janet worked on her jet lag.
The next day we decided to explore the island a bit, and what better was than to rent a moped and cruise at our own speed. Down the west coast we explored the many tourist developed beaches in the villages along the coast. We checked out Hat Sai Khao, then on to the Ao Klong Phrao, and then we stopped for a hike to Khlong Phlu Waterfall for a much needed swim in the pool below. After an hour or two hiking through the jungle and swimming, we continued south to Lonely Beach (Hat Tha Nam) for some beach side Thai lunch. With bellies full it was on past Bang Bao towards the southern reach of the roads on Koh Chang.
Upon closer inspection I wasn't that bad off with some road burn to an arm, leg, and foot, and a fractured big toe. Janet seemed worse off with larger scrapes all up on leg and a foot losing some pretty major blood, plus a hand wound. We got back on the moped and headed for the island's international clinic to get her cleaned up and bandaged. A grueling 2 hours later Janet was all sorted out so I took her back to the resort to relax and begin the healing process... what a day in paradise!
The rest of our time on Koh Chang involved daily visits to the clinic to have Janet's dressings changed and to check for infection. We had the odd excursion to a beach or market to take our minds off of our aching bodies, but it definitely put a damper on our days in paradise. We were both extremely lucky in this situation because we got away with no infections and top notch treatment. It was still a week in paradise, albeit not the adventure either of us had envisioned. Props to Janet for a trooper through it all, she is one tough woman.
A week later we returned to Bangkok in luxury to spend out last couple of days in the club district of Sukhumvit. Most of the time, however, was spent nursing our injuries, watching movies, and escaping the humid heat in our air conditioned room. Ten days after her arrival, I accompanied Janet to the airport and said farewell for another 6 months. Her flight left late so I didn't get back to the hotel until after 3am where I promptly passed out.
The next day I checked out and began my search for the Indian consulate to organize my visa for the India leg of my journey. Alas, they were closed and I was tired of Bangkok, so I started to research my next bit of adventure. I checked into a cheap hostel back on Soi Rambuttri and after some book time decided to head for Cambodia in the morning. I was really excited to Angkor Wat up close and personal.
With my plans made I decided to relax for the rest of the evening and people watch in the busy tourist district of Bangkok... I took my Lonely Planet guidebook along to further detail out my Cambodia experience. Around 10pm I discovered that I needed to get some passport photos for the border crossing or pay a fine to have them done there. So at 10:30pm I wandered around Bangkok until I found a late-night passport photo place... gotta love Bangkok! My bags were packed, documents ready, and a skeletal plan sorted... I went to sleep eager to continue my adventure.
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