After another poor nights sleep on the train, I'm still not convinced by the two straps to protect you falling off, we are awoken at 5.30am by the deep voiced lady conductor shouting one hour to Bangkok. Five minutes later it was the same shout but this time saying half an hour. No word of lie, 7 minutes after waking up I was ordered off my bed. I guess that's what you get for third class travel! What annoyed us most was the fact we were still sitting there an hour and a half later!
Anyways when we finally arrived in Bangkok just after 7, saying goodbye to a few people in the process, we strolled back to the main hotel with me now as the only boy! Thank you Sheree, Tammy, Andrea, Howey, Jhansi, Sarah. Lena and Martin for being such brilliant people over the last week! After spending an hour or so at the hotel the general view was to relax all day. I thought I would take this chance to visit a couple of places that did not interest other people.
First stop was the snake farm, for a show at 11am where they did venom milking on cobras. After a short journey on the metro system I arrived around 10 and had a good look at all the cobras, pythons and vipers to name a few. There was even one snake stalking a mouse! It was then time for the cobra milking, and despite being behind a big screen was a very tense experience as they showed how to grab a cobra by the neck by hand and then extract the venom. The snake farm was opened in 1927 with goal of creating anti venom for people bitten by snakes. They somehow inject the venom into rabbits and do something from there.
After the show was over I was told there was another show at 2.30pm, so I headed for the Beiyoke Tower. This did involve me walking straight through the protest however which seemed to have got bigger. Apparently election day is when I arrive back in Bangkok which could make things interesting! After finally arriving at the tower, the tallest in Thailand and 47th tallest in the world, I just took a break to admire the sheer height of the building.
At 84 floors high, the first significant stop was floor 77 which was the lobby with an array of shops and quirky things to take pictures with like a tuk tuk, hot air balloon and a garden. The views from here were already simply stunning, spanning for miles in all directions. It was then up to floor 84 for me which was accessed by staircase from floor 83. After walking through a black room with the star wars theme, I emerged on this revolving sky deck which circled round the cyclindrical structure at the top. You don't really realise just how many skyscrapers Bangkok has until you see it from the top. I couldn't work out whether the misty stuff over the city was just mist, or pollution?
I then went back down to floor 83 where I redeemed my free drink voucher and sat on the balcony with a beer admiring the city. It was then time to go down to make the second snake show. On the way down I saw an amazing buffet on floor 81 with every food you can imagine, but it was very expensive.
Again passing the protest on the way back to the snake farm, which this time involved security searches, I arrived just in time for the snake handling show. It all started with the handlers almost teasing all these different cobras, before things like pythons and vipers came out. The worst one was the rat snake which was very jumpy and nearly jumped out the handlers hands into the crowd at one point! It even bit him! At the end they brought out this big Burmese python which we were all allowed to hold. I was expecting it to be all slimy but it was actually just solid muscle.
After another quick dash on the metro, which I still can't believe was only tunneled 9 years ago, I had about 2 hours to kill before meeting my new group. I just relaxed in my room for this time, expecting to gain a room mate but I didn't!
By 6 we had a group meeting to introduce ourselves to the tour now entitled "South Thailand Soujourn" and gained some Canadians, Austrians, Australians and English to our already diverse group. We then all headed for Khao San Road where I ate a rice meal with chips. We then went to a few bars and met with the people we had just lost from the previous group. By now it was just people from the first week, and a few drinks later we ended up in a club and that's about all you need to know.
Friday, 31 January 2014
Thursday, 30 January 2014
January 26th... Chiang Mai again
I was relieved to be sleeping in Chiang Mai last night as the climate is so much cooler than Bangkok, which gave me a good night sleep! I also continued with my own room in what was actually a really nice hotel seeing as it had room service, free drinks, and a swimming pool! I had an early start today, so after another brilliant buffet breakfast like the last time in Chiang Mai, I set off on a bike ride round the city.
The five of us who opted for this today were joined by a German man whose wife had got food poisoning, and after a few safety checks we set off. First stop was another temple which had only been built 50 years ago, yet boasted another massive Buddha and impressive gold and tile work. The temple was solely built by the general publics donations!
After cycling further out of Chiang Mai, including on main roads, we stopped at a rehabilitation centre for all kinds of Thai people. This included disabled, old, ill and even people just on their own. There was a whole community feel, as each person got their own little house to themselves! Shortly after there we continued round the large rehabilitation complex to the Oxfam shop. Like the UK, this shop boasted many quirky little items for a small price to charity. As we came on Sunday, only the shop was open, but during the week people work on other projects too.
We then continued further and further into the countryside, passing banana trees and cabbage patches, before stopping at a rice plantation. We saw a man knee deep in water harvesting the rice in what looked like a long and tiring job. Apparently they sell 70% of what they grow, with the rest for family.
After cycling into a field surrounded by trees, we emerged at a large dam in the Ping river, which is apparently the same river which flows through Bangkok. We then arrived at a crematorium where we learned that most people are cremated in Thailand. After that we stopped off at another temple, similar to the last one, but the highlight was feeding the catfish! Called the holy fish by the Thai people, these fish are not allowed to be killed by the people. We were able to feed them, and it was amazing to see the fish literally jump out the water and even on top of each other to get the food!
After this we made one last push for lunch, leaving behind the lush countryside and old wooden houses. This also involved cycling along a main road for part of it! Luckily Thailand is also left side driving which made it easier. Lunch was a choice of three dishes, including noodles, rice or curry. I just had all three! It was really nice sitting in the countryside on a bamboo table taking in the surroundings. After we were also given little cupcakes and oranges, which was a welcome change from all the pineapple we have had!
It was then off back to the hotel, passing the ancient city on the way, a set of old brick ruins found by archaeologists around 40 years ago, and still being found today. It was then back into the winding streets of Chiang Mai, passing the quirky shops, and yet more 7/11s and Tesco stores.
When arriving back at the hotel I opted for a swim in the pool just to relax for the couple of hours we had to wait for the sleeper train this evening. I also bought some sandwiches, crisps, chicken and oreos for the journey as I didn't fancy the spicy train food from last time! I even stopped off at a local cafe on the cafe on the way back to the hotel and had a lovely slice of rainbow cake!
It was then onto another 14 hour train journey, although it actually went really fast as before long I found myself in the party carriage. However prior to this an old Thai waiter serving tea had the unfortunate embarrassment of his trousers falling down in front of everybody, it was so funny! As today was Australia Day, the Australians insisted we have a drink, or two..., and before long everything was in full flow with the Macarena and YMCA booming through the train. It is also nice on these trains because you meet other people doing interesting things. For example I met this Canadian who was aiming to travel round the world in 180 days without air travel! The party carriage was however shut down at 10 due to a grumpy German couple who seemed annoyed by everything. After finishing our drinks we were ordered to bed by the Thai conductor, who in one word was "scary".
The five of us who opted for this today were joined by a German man whose wife had got food poisoning, and after a few safety checks we set off. First stop was another temple which had only been built 50 years ago, yet boasted another massive Buddha and impressive gold and tile work. The temple was solely built by the general publics donations!
After cycling further out of Chiang Mai, including on main roads, we stopped at a rehabilitation centre for all kinds of Thai people. This included disabled, old, ill and even people just on their own. There was a whole community feel, as each person got their own little house to themselves! Shortly after there we continued round the large rehabilitation complex to the Oxfam shop. Like the UK, this shop boasted many quirky little items for a small price to charity. As we came on Sunday, only the shop was open, but during the week people work on other projects too.
We then continued further and further into the countryside, passing banana trees and cabbage patches, before stopping at a rice plantation. We saw a man knee deep in water harvesting the rice in what looked like a long and tiring job. Apparently they sell 70% of what they grow, with the rest for family.
After cycling into a field surrounded by trees, we emerged at a large dam in the Ping river, which is apparently the same river which flows through Bangkok. We then arrived at a crematorium where we learned that most people are cremated in Thailand. After that we stopped off at another temple, similar to the last one, but the highlight was feeding the catfish! Called the holy fish by the Thai people, these fish are not allowed to be killed by the people. We were able to feed them, and it was amazing to see the fish literally jump out the water and even on top of each other to get the food!
After this we made one last push for lunch, leaving behind the lush countryside and old wooden houses. This also involved cycling along a main road for part of it! Luckily Thailand is also left side driving which made it easier. Lunch was a choice of three dishes, including noodles, rice or curry. I just had all three! It was really nice sitting in the countryside on a bamboo table taking in the surroundings. After we were also given little cupcakes and oranges, which was a welcome change from all the pineapple we have had!
It was then off back to the hotel, passing the ancient city on the way, a set of old brick ruins found by archaeologists around 40 years ago, and still being found today. It was then back into the winding streets of Chiang Mai, passing the quirky shops, and yet more 7/11s and Tesco stores.
When arriving back at the hotel I opted for a swim in the pool just to relax for the couple of hours we had to wait for the sleeper train this evening. I also bought some sandwiches, crisps, chicken and oreos for the journey as I didn't fancy the spicy train food from last time! I even stopped off at a local cafe on the cafe on the way back to the hotel and had a lovely slice of rainbow cake!
It was then onto another 14 hour train journey, although it actually went really fast as before long I found myself in the party carriage. However prior to this an old Thai waiter serving tea had the unfortunate embarrassment of his trousers falling down in front of everybody, it was so funny! As today was Australia Day, the Australians insisted we have a drink, or two..., and before long everything was in full flow with the Macarena and YMCA booming through the train. It is also nice on these trains because you meet other people doing interesting things. For example I met this Canadian who was aiming to travel round the world in 180 days without air travel! The party carriage was however shut down at 10 due to a grumpy German couple who seemed annoyed by everything. After finishing our drinks we were ordered to bed by the Thai conductor, who in one word was "scary".
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
January 25th... Hill Tribe Trek Day 3
So I finally had a good night’s sleep at last! The
temperature inside the bamboo shelter we were staying in happened to be nice
and cool, but not so cold I had to really snuggle up. This morning’s breakfast
consisted of eggs and toast, along with the all added extras we always had. The
recurring food stuff we seem to be having a lot of at the moment is pineapple,
so I am slightly bored of that now. It is really nice the way they have
prepared all these locally home cooked meals for us though.
Today was meant to be an 8.30am in the morning, but by
9.30am our local guides were still building the bamboo rafts to be used when we
floated down the river. Apparently they have to build a new raft every time a
new group comes, and the bamboo used is transported between two points of the
river each time due to the flow of the river. The guides built 3 bamboo rafts,
each about 16 bamboo poles wide, and long enough for up to about 8 people on
each boat. At the front of the boat was a structure designed to hold the bags.
The poles were lashed together with bamboo by putting horizontal bamboo poles
across the boats. Let’s just say everything was bamboo.
By 10.00am we finally managed to get onto the water. When
reading the initial itinerary of the trip it said that we were having a nice
gentle few hours flowing down the river through the jungle. Let’s just say that
3 boats, 3 guys meant that the girls got to sit down or stand up relaxing
whilst the manpower had to steer the boat at the back. We had a guide at the front
as well however who did most of the hard work however. Because the water was
shallowish, the way to steer a bamboo raft was not by paddling, but by digging
a pole in the water and holding it, which made the boat turn depending on what
side the pole was inserted. To make things even more interesting we were
immediately presented with rapids, and shortly after the boat in front of me
sank after hitting a rock in front of the rapids, which resulted in everyone
having to hold onto a slippery rock to stop being sucked into the rapids. Even
our guide seemed to be really worried! As we continued further downstream we
got more and more rapids, and it got to a point where the girls would have to
get out the boat and walk past the rapids, whilst me and guide steered the boat
through. As the people in the middle were standing and had no pole, there was
little stability. Half way day, I managed to go into the middle, where I
managed to just sit down and take in the beauty of the area, despite getting a
soaking every time we entered rapids.
When we finally reached the final village, there were shouts
of joy as some tired and achy people celebrated completing the trek. Upon
arrival however my boat suddenly stopped and my leg fell between the bamboo poles
and got stuck, which wasn’t so good! The guide managed to release me though,
although it wasn’t nice getting laughed at as I helplessly stood there! We had
noodles waiting for us here, and I of course polished off the spare ones as
usual. After saying goodbye to out guides who were absolutely brilliant, even
if they did think they were funny, we set off on out long drive back to Chiang
Mai. It was really nice sitting on the back of the truck watching elephants
roam round the local landscape, and see the river wind its way through the
dense forest around us. Before long we were back onto the main road and by
about 4ish we were back to the hotel where I had a lovely shower. It wasn’t
really practical to shower on the trek as the village’s showers were very
basic, and also cold and dirty!
This evening we lucky is was a Saturday which meant we meant to the famous Saturday night market in Chiang Mai. This was much busier compared to the night bazaar we went to previously. Selling the same kind of stuff as many of the markets, it was the size that made this market, as little side streets went off the main street creating a buzz round the whole area. There were a lot of tourists here. We had dinner first and I tried some weird crispy chicken things, a pork steak and rice. It was also nice to try a different beer here (Leo) as I have been having Chang a lot of the time. Then came to the time for me try the insects after one of the others bought some. I thought I would out do her and just buy the biggest possible ones, so as far as I am aware I ate grasshoppers, crickets, silk worms, and some maggot things. The maggots were definitely the worst.
We then split up and I continued round the market, trying new things like chrysanthemum juice in a bamboo shoot, and more homely things like chocolate waffles. I did however get stuck in the whole girls in a clothes shop situation. Although I even managed to find a top saying “Chang” on it which I really liked. To finish off the evening we went to the main market square where there was some live music, although the women singing in the band was very stocky and deep voiced when singing! We finally realized it was time to go when some women with the same voice as Brandine off the Simpsons came on stage and starting squealing some Chinese song. A quick trip to the local internet cafĂ©, where I was plunged in the awkward situation of sitting next to an old man watching gay porn, to Skype people and update Facebook then rounded off the evening nicely on what was a rather tiring day.
This evening we lucky is was a Saturday which meant we meant to the famous Saturday night market in Chiang Mai. This was much busier compared to the night bazaar we went to previously. Selling the same kind of stuff as many of the markets, it was the size that made this market, as little side streets went off the main street creating a buzz round the whole area. There were a lot of tourists here. We had dinner first and I tried some weird crispy chicken things, a pork steak and rice. It was also nice to try a different beer here (Leo) as I have been having Chang a lot of the time. Then came to the time for me try the insects after one of the others bought some. I thought I would out do her and just buy the biggest possible ones, so as far as I am aware I ate grasshoppers, crickets, silk worms, and some maggot things. The maggots were definitely the worst.
We then split up and I continued round the market, trying new things like chrysanthemum juice in a bamboo shoot, and more homely things like chocolate waffles. I did however get stuck in the whole girls in a clothes shop situation. Although I even managed to find a top saying “Chang” on it which I really liked. To finish off the evening we went to the main market square where there was some live music, although the women singing in the band was very stocky and deep voiced when singing! We finally realized it was time to go when some women with the same voice as Brandine off the Simpsons came on stage and starting squealing some Chinese song. A quick trip to the local internet cafĂ©, where I was plunged in the awkward situation of sitting next to an old man watching gay porn, to Skype people and update Facebook then rounded off the evening nicely on what was a rather tiring day.
Monday, 27 January 2014
January 24th... Hill Tribe Trek Day 2
After having an early night, I spent most of the night adding layers to myself to keep myself warm as it got really cold! In the end I found a position whereby I literally got inside my sleeping bag! We had to get up by half 7ish as instructed by one of our guides for a half 8 start, although time didn't seem in issue in such a remote setting. Breakfast this morning consisted of scrambled eggs and jam on toast to name a few things.
Whilst leaving the village after breakfast, I took in how amazing everything was. A shower made by the flow of water through bamboo, a big pestle and mortar like structure to crush rice, and the big wooden poles in the ground supporting the houses gave such a direct look into the construction of much of the infrastructure. After getting waved out the village by locals, with the odd little hello from the young children we headed up a dirt track which had been constructed through the forest by the locals to link their farm to the village.
A short while later we arrived at the farm which was a large open space in the valley. You could see how generations of people had shaped the land here. After a quick slingshot session where our guide just showed off again, we continued up a very steep hill which went up and up, before dropping down to the stream. We then continued up to a ridge which presented us with stunning views of the surrounding forest. It just put into perspective the size of the area. Apparently the forest stretched all the way to Burma which made it important not to get lost!
We continued along the ridge, and along the way I climbed the trees, and the local guides showed us these nuts on the floor where you had to crack the shell with a rock. I wasn't very good at the getting the nut as I was either too aggressive or didn't hit the nut hard enough. To add to this they gave us some weird fruit which was really sour and made my mouth dry the other day. The joys of jungle survival!
When eventually reaching the so called peak, we started heading down a very steep hill which put a few people on the floor. The problem was the path was very stoney and gave way easily. The amazing thing was that there was elephant dung on the path! We then reached the bottom and soon saw an elephant walking through the nearby trees. This turned out to be the elephant park and we followed the wider stream down to a gentle waterfall where we were able to cool the elephant with water.
Then we continued to the elephant park where we were able to hug the trunks and pat them. They are such gentle animals and do nothing sudden to scare you at all! I even got to feed it pineapple. After having pasta for lunch. It was time to ride the elephant. We had the choice of sitting on a seat, or on the elephants neck. I sat on the neck. It was an amazing experience having the ears flap over my legs, although the sharp hairs in the elephants body scraped over the legs with every stride, and it felt as if I could feel the leg muscles from the elephant with each step.
We swapped over with the other people half way down, and I continued down to the river at another local village, where I went for a paddle, although after getting out and standing on the rope bridge I realised I had been paddling with a load of massive catfish! It was also nice to see how the local villagers were harvesting the field.
After getting back with the whole group again, we continued for one last push to the village. I could tell everyone was tired as the once vocal group had turned to silence. The terrain got more severe later as we clambered over rocks, and at one point traversed across something like a cliff face next to the river! Soon after this we arrived into the village, which was much quieter than the last one as the main village was above our accomodation which was by the river.
After relaxing after a whole days up and down through the jungle, the local guide offered me some rice whisky which tasted disgusting! Soon after we were presented with yet another amazing home cooked dinner including potato spring rolls, Thai green curry and even sticky rice which was rice all stuck together. Our chief guide even asked me if I wanted to help but I left all the chopping to the girls to avoid me chopping my fingers off! I did however get forced into our local guides tequila challenge whereby I had to put salt in my mouth, down a shot of tequila, and then squeeze lemon in my mouth. I was left with a very salty mouth!
After dinner we had another camp fire on the balcony, and then the guides asked to play a game called "Bing Bong Bang" where we went round in a circle saying them words, and if you said Bang you had to point at someone and the people next to the person had to jump in the air. If you did something wrong you would get black stuff from the bottom of the pan wiped on your face. I ended up looking like snoopy!
We then returned to the fire where our local guide played the guitar and we sang along to some songs. They even tried to teach us a local Thai song for the bamboo rafting tomorrow. A few beers later people were going off to bed one by one. It was really nice sitting out in the middle of nowhere looking at such a pristine night sky compared to home. I eventually went to bed with the last people, let out my last remaining bit of wind, and settled down in what was a far warmer bamboo shelter than the previous night.
Whilst leaving the village after breakfast, I took in how amazing everything was. A shower made by the flow of water through bamboo, a big pestle and mortar like structure to crush rice, and the big wooden poles in the ground supporting the houses gave such a direct look into the construction of much of the infrastructure. After getting waved out the village by locals, with the odd little hello from the young children we headed up a dirt track which had been constructed through the forest by the locals to link their farm to the village.
A short while later we arrived at the farm which was a large open space in the valley. You could see how generations of people had shaped the land here. After a quick slingshot session where our guide just showed off again, we continued up a very steep hill which went up and up, before dropping down to the stream. We then continued up to a ridge which presented us with stunning views of the surrounding forest. It just put into perspective the size of the area. Apparently the forest stretched all the way to Burma which made it important not to get lost!
We continued along the ridge, and along the way I climbed the trees, and the local guides showed us these nuts on the floor where you had to crack the shell with a rock. I wasn't very good at the getting the nut as I was either too aggressive or didn't hit the nut hard enough. To add to this they gave us some weird fruit which was really sour and made my mouth dry the other day. The joys of jungle survival!
When eventually reaching the so called peak, we started heading down a very steep hill which put a few people on the floor. The problem was the path was very stoney and gave way easily. The amazing thing was that there was elephant dung on the path! We then reached the bottom and soon saw an elephant walking through the nearby trees. This turned out to be the elephant park and we followed the wider stream down to a gentle waterfall where we were able to cool the elephant with water.
Then we continued to the elephant park where we were able to hug the trunks and pat them. They are such gentle animals and do nothing sudden to scare you at all! I even got to feed it pineapple. After having pasta for lunch. It was time to ride the elephant. We had the choice of sitting on a seat, or on the elephants neck. I sat on the neck. It was an amazing experience having the ears flap over my legs, although the sharp hairs in the elephants body scraped over the legs with every stride, and it felt as if I could feel the leg muscles from the elephant with each step.
We swapped over with the other people half way down, and I continued down to the river at another local village, where I went for a paddle, although after getting out and standing on the rope bridge I realised I had been paddling with a load of massive catfish! It was also nice to see how the local villagers were harvesting the field.
After getting back with the whole group again, we continued for one last push to the village. I could tell everyone was tired as the once vocal group had turned to silence. The terrain got more severe later as we clambered over rocks, and at one point traversed across something like a cliff face next to the river! Soon after this we arrived into the village, which was much quieter than the last one as the main village was above our accomodation which was by the river.
After relaxing after a whole days up and down through the jungle, the local guide offered me some rice whisky which tasted disgusting! Soon after we were presented with yet another amazing home cooked dinner including potato spring rolls, Thai green curry and even sticky rice which was rice all stuck together. Our chief guide even asked me if I wanted to help but I left all the chopping to the girls to avoid me chopping my fingers off! I did however get forced into our local guides tequila challenge whereby I had to put salt in my mouth, down a shot of tequila, and then squeeze lemon in my mouth. I was left with a very salty mouth!
After dinner we had another camp fire on the balcony, and then the guides asked to play a game called "Bing Bong Bang" where we went round in a circle saying them words, and if you said Bang you had to point at someone and the people next to the person had to jump in the air. If you did something wrong you would get black stuff from the bottom of the pan wiped on your face. I ended up looking like snoopy!
We then returned to the fire where our local guide played the guitar and we sang along to some songs. They even tried to teach us a local Thai song for the bamboo rafting tomorrow. A few beers later people were going off to bed one by one. It was really nice sitting out in the middle of nowhere looking at such a pristine night sky compared to home. I eventually went to bed with the last people, let out my last remaining bit of wind, and settled down in what was a far warmer bamboo shelter than the previous night.
Saturday, 25 January 2014
January 23rd... Hill Tribe Trek Day 1
After getting in from the whole ladyboys experience late last night, and staying up until 1 in the end checking and updating things I absolutely zonked out! For probably the first night since arriving I slept well, primarily due to the fact that Chiang Mai is slightly cooler than Bangkok. We had another brilliant breakfast, this time a buffet incorporating traditional Thai food, and also English traditions like eggs and toast.
After breakfast we had the option of using our own bags or a trek bag supplied by the company to carry the essentials for our hill tribe trek. We needed to pack light and forget about the whole "looking good" thing for the trek! I went for the trek bag just to be on the safe side in case of any problems!
We then set out for the forest, first stop the local out of town market to stock up on supplies for the trek. I got some mints and gum, and some weird orange powder to mix with water... I was just following the crowd saying it was good! We then carried on further out of town, and large concrete carriageways some became single lane roads surrounded by open land and stunning scenery. The thing that scared me the most wasn't only the fact that our truck had an open back, but the fact that the cars from behind would drive so close to us from behind before overtaking!
We eventually turned off down to Mae So waterfall (I think that was the name) to go for a quick swim before lunch. I was the brave one who jumped in first, although I couldn't go under the waterfall as the sheer force of the waterfall pushed you away. At over 40m tall, it really made me think of the scale of Angel Falls which is closer to 1000m high! The scenery round this area was amazing too with smooth rocks and a stream in a cut out valley kind of formation.
Shortly after this we had lunch at a local restaurant where we had rice. I soon became known as the eater of the group here as before long I was eating straight out of the big bowl of spare rice! We then continued further up the road, this time getting into denser jungle and gaining height at a rapid rate. Some of the views presented to us as we wound through the mountain road were stunning. After a while we turned off onto a dirt track and shortly after got dropped off in what felt like the middle of nowhere! We were offered a lifejacket at this point but everyone refused!
Our trek then begun and we were soon in dense forest. Our local guide, who seemed to like winding us up made us all hats to wear out of large leaves, and soon later after what felt like up and down the whole way, including many beautiful streams, we reached a peak where we played with a slingshot. Everyone missed, but one of the local guides hit the target twice consecutively! Later into the trek we found a spider which our local guide decided to poke. He thought it was really funny to pretend he had flicked it off his stick. It was amazing to see the spider in defense mode though. We then reached the final leg of trek down a steep dirt track which was hard work on our legs. It made me laugh how the trek was rated as easy, but was in fact a challenge for me compared to many others I have been on.
Upon arrival in the village we were greeted by some young children and as we got deeper in we saw some really cute puppies who kept sucking their poor mum dry of milk! I was expecting to have a large welcome party into the village, but the reality was everyone was leading their everyday lives. People were carrying wood on their backs, preparing rice, building things. It was a very surreal moment seeing a whole community run without things like electricity. It was also nice to see so many young children playing with things like bikes and even hide and seek with us!
After being visited by some locals selling their goods, it was time for dinner which was an amazing locally homecooked meal of Thai green curry, stir fry and the most delicious spring rolls cooked by our main tour guide. Along with all this, we had a cool box full of Chang and other drinks for the evening! After dinner we all sat round the campfire just talking about random things, however the village got cold very quickly, and this along with tiredness amongst us forced us into bed by 9!
Our beds tonight consisted of a simple mattress along with a pillow and blanket, along with a mosquito net to go over our beds. Like always I improvised with my bag as a pillow and used my sleeping bag, and soon after getting in I fell asleep!
After breakfast we had the option of using our own bags or a trek bag supplied by the company to carry the essentials for our hill tribe trek. We needed to pack light and forget about the whole "looking good" thing for the trek! I went for the trek bag just to be on the safe side in case of any problems!
We then set out for the forest, first stop the local out of town market to stock up on supplies for the trek. I got some mints and gum, and some weird orange powder to mix with water... I was just following the crowd saying it was good! We then carried on further out of town, and large concrete carriageways some became single lane roads surrounded by open land and stunning scenery. The thing that scared me the most wasn't only the fact that our truck had an open back, but the fact that the cars from behind would drive so close to us from behind before overtaking!
We eventually turned off down to Mae So waterfall (I think that was the name) to go for a quick swim before lunch. I was the brave one who jumped in first, although I couldn't go under the waterfall as the sheer force of the waterfall pushed you away. At over 40m tall, it really made me think of the scale of Angel Falls which is closer to 1000m high! The scenery round this area was amazing too with smooth rocks and a stream in a cut out valley kind of formation.
Shortly after this we had lunch at a local restaurant where we had rice. I soon became known as the eater of the group here as before long I was eating straight out of the big bowl of spare rice! We then continued further up the road, this time getting into denser jungle and gaining height at a rapid rate. Some of the views presented to us as we wound through the mountain road were stunning. After a while we turned off onto a dirt track and shortly after got dropped off in what felt like the middle of nowhere! We were offered a lifejacket at this point but everyone refused!
Our trek then begun and we were soon in dense forest. Our local guide, who seemed to like winding us up made us all hats to wear out of large leaves, and soon later after what felt like up and down the whole way, including many beautiful streams, we reached a peak where we played with a slingshot. Everyone missed, but one of the local guides hit the target twice consecutively! Later into the trek we found a spider which our local guide decided to poke. He thought it was really funny to pretend he had flicked it off his stick. It was amazing to see the spider in defense mode though. We then reached the final leg of trek down a steep dirt track which was hard work on our legs. It made me laugh how the trek was rated as easy, but was in fact a challenge for me compared to many others I have been on.
Upon arrival in the village we were greeted by some young children and as we got deeper in we saw some really cute puppies who kept sucking their poor mum dry of milk! I was expecting to have a large welcome party into the village, but the reality was everyone was leading their everyday lives. People were carrying wood on their backs, preparing rice, building things. It was a very surreal moment seeing a whole community run without things like electricity. It was also nice to see so many young children playing with things like bikes and even hide and seek with us!
After being visited by some locals selling their goods, it was time for dinner which was an amazing locally homecooked meal of Thai green curry, stir fry and the most delicious spring rolls cooked by our main tour guide. Along with all this, we had a cool box full of Chang and other drinks for the evening! After dinner we all sat round the campfire just talking about random things, however the village got cold very quickly, and this along with tiredness amongst us forced us into bed by 9!
Our beds tonight consisted of a simple mattress along with a pillow and blanket, along with a mosquito net to go over our beds. Like always I improvised with my bag as a pillow and used my sleeping bag, and soon after getting in I fell asleep!
Wednesday, 22 January 2014
January 22nd... Chiang Mai
After having an awful night sleep on the train, we finally arrived into Chiang Mai at about 8am. We were picked up from the station by a luxury minibus compared to some I've been on before and got taken straight to the hotel to drop off our bags.
Shortly after we took a truck like vehicle which are Chiang Mai's main taxi method up to Doi Suthep. This was a large temple on top of the mountain overlooking Chiang Mai. We took the mountain road which winded through the jungle, with barriers and a sheer drop one side. Our transport had an open door and driver took corners at speed which made things slightly hairy at times!
Upon arrival at Doi Suthep we had a climb of over 300 steps to reach the summit. The temple included golden structures and heavily detailed artwork over the buildings. I even had my fortune told, and the monk gave us good luck for the hill tribe trek by blessing us by flicking water over us! He also gave us a string bracelet for good luck.
It was then back the hotel where I had an omelette and spring rolls for lunch, before heading off to Tiger Kingdom with 4 others to visit the Tigers. We saw a variety of sizes included cute little babies and large tigers that roared very loudly, and even a white tiger and liger. The highlight of the visit however was the chance to actually see some of the tigers up close in the cage with them. You could choose from a variety of packages and we went for the small tigers. It was just like stroking a domestic cat in a way!
After finishing at Tiger Kingdom we returned to the hotel and I decided to go out geocaching while waiting for others to return and relax for a 6.30pm meeting time. I went round the city moat which surrounds the whole city and found 4 caches in all.
It was then onto the night bazaar for the evening which was a large market where you barter for a large variety of items including clothing, homemade goods and jewellery. I ate a rotee here which was like pancake. We had a good look round the market and some bought more than others, there are some real shoppers in the group... and drinker"(s)" come to mention it! I ended up buying some Thai trousers here to try and fit into the Thai culture more!
It was then off to the ladyboy show to finish off the evening which was actually really good despite them kissing you! There were a variety of routines, including a Rihanna and Lady Gaga one where a man got tied up on stage, and an array of colorful routines with boas. We finally came home at about 11ish.
That now brings you completely up to date for now. I obviously won't be able to post until after the hill tribe trek now, and again apologies for the lack of photos! Speak soon!
Shortly after we took a truck like vehicle which are Chiang Mai's main taxi method up to Doi Suthep. This was a large temple on top of the mountain overlooking Chiang Mai. We took the mountain road which winded through the jungle, with barriers and a sheer drop one side. Our transport had an open door and driver took corners at speed which made things slightly hairy at times!
Upon arrival at Doi Suthep we had a climb of over 300 steps to reach the summit. The temple included golden structures and heavily detailed artwork over the buildings. I even had my fortune told, and the monk gave us good luck for the hill tribe trek by blessing us by flicking water over us! He also gave us a string bracelet for good luck.
It was then back the hotel where I had an omelette and spring rolls for lunch, before heading off to Tiger Kingdom with 4 others to visit the Tigers. We saw a variety of sizes included cute little babies and large tigers that roared very loudly, and even a white tiger and liger. The highlight of the visit however was the chance to actually see some of the tigers up close in the cage with them. You could choose from a variety of packages and we went for the small tigers. It was just like stroking a domestic cat in a way!
After finishing at Tiger Kingdom we returned to the hotel and I decided to go out geocaching while waiting for others to return and relax for a 6.30pm meeting time. I went round the city moat which surrounds the whole city and found 4 caches in all.
It was then onto the night bazaar for the evening which was a large market where you barter for a large variety of items including clothing, homemade goods and jewellery. I ate a rotee here which was like pancake. We had a good look round the market and some bought more than others, there are some real shoppers in the group... and drinker"(s)" come to mention it! I ended up buying some Thai trousers here to try and fit into the Thai culture more!
It was then off to the ladyboy show to finish off the evening which was actually really good despite them kissing you! There were a variety of routines, including a Rihanna and Lady Gaga one where a man got tied up on stage, and an array of colorful routines with boas. We finally came home at about 11ish.
That now brings you completely up to date for now. I obviously won't be able to post until after the hill tribe trek now, and again apologies for the lack of photos! Speak soon!
January 21st... Bangkok and "Sleeper" Trains
Last night was once again a poor nights sleep. I think the fact I was trying to go to bed at 10 when it was actually 3 in terms of my body clock didn't help... but I'm getting there! It was nice to have my own room once again though with two beds which meant I had 4 pillows! I even had a bath this morning to treat myself, well because I couldn't work out how to use the shower until after I poured my bath! Breakfast this morning consisted of a buffet including fruit, toast and some weird Thai stuff.
The first stop today was a trip on one of Klongs along the river in Bangkok. A Klong is like a longboat primarily steered by rudder. We started out on the main river of Bangkok taking in the many temples and big buildings. We then turned into one of the canals which gave us an insight into the "real" Bangkok. We passed many peoples houses made just of old wood, and some people in small boats selling local goods. There were even large lizards on the banks as well! Many of the locals waved us past and this showed us how many people of Bangkok live their daily lives.
After coming off the river we visited the Wat Pho temple which included the reclining Buddha. This was a large Buddha statue of over 60m long made of gold! We had to take our shoes off in here. In addition to the reclining Buddha you could put 108 coins into separate pots and make a wish. This was due to the 108 images of Buddha. The temple also included other areas where we could see monks eating lunch, an area to pray, and an array of other impressive buildings and decoration.
From here we split up, and I took a tuk tuk ride to Wat Suthat with a couple of others after a local strongly recommended it to us. This was a large temple with a Buddha for prayer. We also got taken to the Thai Export Centre which sold cheap tailored suits and jewellery. I now have a largely annotated map of Bangkok as the locals like helping so much! It was from here we went to Chinatown and got slightly lost whilst winding through the narrow streets and bustling Kao Market. Goods like jewellery and gold/red Chinese goods were sold here!
After finally making our way back to the hotel we found a small cafe, and of all things I had lasagne and chips, followed by chocolate ice cream! We then stocked up on goods for the night train, where I bought things like lobster flavour crisps, and mixed meat croissants!
Departing at 6.10pm, we left Bangkok by sleeper train to Chiang Mai. We started out with seats and then tables were brought out along with loads of bug which had been where they stored. I had a meal including chicken with cashews and duck curry here. Then came out the beds, and me being the gentlemen let the lady choose where to sleep, so I ended up on the top bunk. The only from protecting me from rolling off were a couple of straps! Before I continue, I'll just show you a picture of a Thai toilet...
...it was a hole in the train. It was a real challenge keeping balance on such a wobbly train! Every Thai toilet also has a shower head section as well, which would actually be very useful back home! At 9pm came the food carriage turned party carriage. A few beers later and the Thai barman was singing Britney Spears, and the train was dancing macarena! By 11pm everyone had to sleep, so I wish you good night from the top bunk of this noisy train!
The first stop today was a trip on one of Klongs along the river in Bangkok. A Klong is like a longboat primarily steered by rudder. We started out on the main river of Bangkok taking in the many temples and big buildings. We then turned into one of the canals which gave us an insight into the "real" Bangkok. We passed many peoples houses made just of old wood, and some people in small boats selling local goods. There were even large lizards on the banks as well! Many of the locals waved us past and this showed us how many people of Bangkok live their daily lives.
After coming off the river we visited the Wat Pho temple which included the reclining Buddha. This was a large Buddha statue of over 60m long made of gold! We had to take our shoes off in here. In addition to the reclining Buddha you could put 108 coins into separate pots and make a wish. This was due to the 108 images of Buddha. The temple also included other areas where we could see monks eating lunch, an area to pray, and an array of other impressive buildings and decoration.
From here we split up, and I took a tuk tuk ride to Wat Suthat with a couple of others after a local strongly recommended it to us. This was a large temple with a Buddha for prayer. We also got taken to the Thai Export Centre which sold cheap tailored suits and jewellery. I now have a largely annotated map of Bangkok as the locals like helping so much! It was from here we went to Chinatown and got slightly lost whilst winding through the narrow streets and bustling Kao Market. Goods like jewellery and gold/red Chinese goods were sold here!
After finally making our way back to the hotel we found a small cafe, and of all things I had lasagne and chips, followed by chocolate ice cream! We then stocked up on goods for the night train, where I bought things like lobster flavour crisps, and mixed meat croissants!
Departing at 6.10pm, we left Bangkok by sleeper train to Chiang Mai. We started out with seats and then tables were brought out along with loads of bug which had been where they stored. I had a meal including chicken with cashews and duck curry here. Then came out the beds, and me being the gentlemen let the lady choose where to sleep, so I ended up on the top bunk. The only from protecting me from rolling off were a couple of straps! Before I continue, I'll just show you a picture of a Thai toilet...
...it was a hole in the train. It was a real challenge keeping balance on such a wobbly train! Every Thai toilet also has a shower head section as well, which would actually be very useful back home! At 9pm came the food carriage turned party carriage. A few beers later and the Thai barman was singing Britney Spears, and the train was dancing macarena! By 11pm everyone had to sleep, so I wish you good night from the top bunk of this noisy train!
Monday, 20 January 2014
January 20th... The Start of my Tour
PHOTOS TO COME WHEN I CAN GET A COMPUTER TO READ MY SD CARD!
I left you last night at about 6pm saying that I was very tired. My plan was go to sleep to try and remove the jet lag I had. The problem was I was on a road which become very lively with nightlife in the evening. After staying in my room until 10.30pm I decided I would venture out and take in some of the nightlife. A few beers later (which is 80p a pint out here) I was watching the Chelsea v Man U on the big screens. I was tempted to try some of the insects and scorpions on a stick as well but I thought I would save that for another time. They even charge you to take pictures of that food stall! I guess I will have eat it for you to see it!
After getting back in at about 1.00am I went to bed and didn't end up waking up will 10.30am! Just shows how tired I was. I then experienced a very funny shower whereby I was making it cold just to keep cool, then stepped out to a rush of warm air, very different to back home! I decided I was going to go to Siam City today which is the main shopping area of Bangkok. When leaving Khao San Road I bumped into a fortune teller who "predicted my name and age". I'll leave it at that!
I then walked to Siam City, and visited the National Stadium en route which was very impressive! I was then greeted with these market stalls selling anti government stuff, and then loads of tents before seeing loads of people sitting there on blankets as part of the ongoing government protests. There was a big stage with someone shouting out all sorts of stuff I didn't understand. I can't really explain the size of this event, but don't worry I'm still in one piece!
By now it was lunch time so I decided I would "play safe" and have McDonalds. This wasn't the case however as the likes of triple cheeseburger, samurai pork burger and spinach pie were on the menu. In the end I went for spicy chicken, rice and egg which was very spicy! After lunch I then explored the MBK Centre in Siam City. This shopping area was primarily small shops crammed into a very large building over at least 6 floors. The size was massive. I continued my travels by looking at the Siam Paragon and Siam Centre which again were both massive, this time containing more worldwide recognized brands, and also things like an aquarium, cinema and Madame tussauds.
After spending a good few hours in these places taking in the sheer size and diversity compared to home, I started making my way back to the hotel. This involved me walking straight through the protest, although like all the other Thai people I have met they were friendly and talkative. Once checking into my hotel which involves my own room again, including free whisky, cashews and all the added extras I went out to look round Chinatown. I climbed up the temple here where I had to take my shoes off and engage in prayer. It was very interesting.
It then came to the time where I had to meet my group to start my tour with G Adventures. My group consists of people from the Germany, Netherlands, USA, Australia, and UK, including a Newcastle fan and a couple of girls who live in Brighton! Such a small world! Half of the group are only doing the Northern section as you gain and lose people from different trips along the way. My trip, "Thailand on a Shoestring" is effectively two trips, one north and one south. We then all went out for meal, where I decided to be adventurous and have Chicken stuffed in Squid!
When arriving back at the hotel some of us stayed downstairs for a few drinks, although no one was adventurous enough to go out to the Night Market and decided instead on bed, shame! The thing that makes me laugh still is the Thai tuk tuks. On my way back he offered a ride for 160baht, so I jokedly replied with 20baht and he said ok then!
That brings you completely up to date with everything now. I'm not sure when I will next post as I leave for Chiang Mai on the night train tomorrow at 5pm. Apparently at 9pm the food cart changes into a party carriage which could be interesting! I then have a day in Chiang Mai followed by the Hill Tribe trek where they have no electricity! Anyways, night and I'll post something up soon.
I left you last night at about 6pm saying that I was very tired. My plan was go to sleep to try and remove the jet lag I had. The problem was I was on a road which become very lively with nightlife in the evening. After staying in my room until 10.30pm I decided I would venture out and take in some of the nightlife. A few beers later (which is 80p a pint out here) I was watching the Chelsea v Man U on the big screens. I was tempted to try some of the insects and scorpions on a stick as well but I thought I would save that for another time. They even charge you to take pictures of that food stall! I guess I will have eat it for you to see it!
After getting back in at about 1.00am I went to bed and didn't end up waking up will 10.30am! Just shows how tired I was. I then experienced a very funny shower whereby I was making it cold just to keep cool, then stepped out to a rush of warm air, very different to back home! I decided I was going to go to Siam City today which is the main shopping area of Bangkok. When leaving Khao San Road I bumped into a fortune teller who "predicted my name and age". I'll leave it at that!
I then walked to Siam City, and visited the National Stadium en route which was very impressive! I was then greeted with these market stalls selling anti government stuff, and then loads of tents before seeing loads of people sitting there on blankets as part of the ongoing government protests. There was a big stage with someone shouting out all sorts of stuff I didn't understand. I can't really explain the size of this event, but don't worry I'm still in one piece!
By now it was lunch time so I decided I would "play safe" and have McDonalds. This wasn't the case however as the likes of triple cheeseburger, samurai pork burger and spinach pie were on the menu. In the end I went for spicy chicken, rice and egg which was very spicy! After lunch I then explored the MBK Centre in Siam City. This shopping area was primarily small shops crammed into a very large building over at least 6 floors. The size was massive. I continued my travels by looking at the Siam Paragon and Siam Centre which again were both massive, this time containing more worldwide recognized brands, and also things like an aquarium, cinema and Madame tussauds.
After spending a good few hours in these places taking in the sheer size and diversity compared to home, I started making my way back to the hotel. This involved me walking straight through the protest, although like all the other Thai people I have met they were friendly and talkative. Once checking into my hotel which involves my own room again, including free whisky, cashews and all the added extras I went out to look round Chinatown. I climbed up the temple here where I had to take my shoes off and engage in prayer. It was very interesting.
It then came to the time where I had to meet my group to start my tour with G Adventures. My group consists of people from the Germany, Netherlands, USA, Australia, and UK, including a Newcastle fan and a couple of girls who live in Brighton! Such a small world! Half of the group are only doing the Northern section as you gain and lose people from different trips along the way. My trip, "Thailand on a Shoestring" is effectively two trips, one north and one south. We then all went out for meal, where I decided to be adventurous and have Chicken stuffed in Squid!
When arriving back at the hotel some of us stayed downstairs for a few drinks, although no one was adventurous enough to go out to the Night Market and decided instead on bed, shame! The thing that makes me laugh still is the Thai tuk tuks. On my way back he offered a ride for 160baht, so I jokedly replied with 20baht and he said ok then!
That brings you completely up to date with everything now. I'm not sure when I will next post as I leave for Chiang Mai on the night train tomorrow at 5pm. Apparently at 9pm the food cart changes into a party carriage which could be interesting! I then have a day in Chiang Mai followed by the Hill Tribe trek where they have no electricity! Anyways, night and I'll post something up soon.
Sunday, 19 January 2014
January 19th... Arrival in Bangkok
The flight went very smoothly, not that I could see much as I was on the aisle seat and it was pitch black outside. It went so smooth that we landed half an hour early and got a guided tour of the city by satellite to kill time! I thought I would be able to make a swift exit from the airport and start exploring but the reality was Thailand has very strict immigration laws and they had to check everything. It didn't help either by having more people handing the Thai entries than the Foreign entries. By about 9am I had finally made it out of security and had collected my baggage and was ready to go!
I had a dilemma after getting off the plain of whether to take a taxi or a train into Bangkok. I decided to go for the train in the end, and was surprised to see a very similar train to ones of the UK pull into the station. As the easiest stop for me was Hua Lamphong I had to change at Makkason to pick up the Bangkok Metro System. I won't post all the pictures I took of Bangkok on the way! For all you train enthusiasts out there, they gave you plastic tokens instead of train tickets. No word of lie, I was the only non Thai person on the train when it pulled up. It was actually very similar to the London Underground, just plusher.
It was then all down to me as I got off the train and exited to some boiling hot street. There were roads all over the place and people on tuk tuks, scooters and taxis giving lifts. I decided to be bold and just try and walk couple of miles to my hotel area. The reality was I got lost, and went down some real non tourist streets. It wasn't all bad though as I soon found the river, and then more and more tourists appeared as I came to a never ending market, primarily made up of people with blankets. I then thought I would be brave and cross the river by ferry which I was following to get to my hotel at Kao San Road.
It was by this time I was realising that Thailand was dirt cheap. 10 Baht for the ferry is 20p in UK money! By about 1.30pm I had located my hotel in Khao San Road. and began chilling (I haven't slept since I left). This is most certainly ruled by the backpackers as there is barely a Thai person in sight bar the annoying people who are trying to sell stuff like suits! The other thing that they keep doing is trying to make you go everywhere by tuk tuk or taxi, and they never take no for an answer. They seem to recognise me as the guy who laughs and walks off now. All in all the Thai people are actually really friendly and I have had some good conversations with some of them as they can speak good English!
I then went out to do a bit of geocaching and found it surprisingly difficult to find any caches, coming back with only two! This did enable to have a good look round the main city area. Below is an image of Khao San Road. I also got myself my first Thai street meal which a chicken and egg noodle thing!
I guess what I need to do now is relax and Skype my Mum and get some sleep for the first time since I left. Thanks for reading.
I had a dilemma after getting off the plain of whether to take a taxi or a train into Bangkok. I decided to go for the train in the end, and was surprised to see a very similar train to ones of the UK pull into the station. As the easiest stop for me was Hua Lamphong I had to change at Makkason to pick up the Bangkok Metro System. I won't post all the pictures I took of Bangkok on the way! For all you train enthusiasts out there, they gave you plastic tokens instead of train tickets. No word of lie, I was the only non Thai person on the train when it pulled up. It was actually very similar to the London Underground, just plusher.
It was then all down to me as I got off the train and exited to some boiling hot street. There were roads all over the place and people on tuk tuks, scooters and taxis giving lifts. I decided to be bold and just try and walk couple of miles to my hotel area. The reality was I got lost, and went down some real non tourist streets. It wasn't all bad though as I soon found the river, and then more and more tourists appeared as I came to a never ending market, primarily made up of people with blankets. I then thought I would be brave and cross the river by ferry which I was following to get to my hotel at Kao San Road.
It was by this time I was realising that Thailand was dirt cheap. 10 Baht for the ferry is 20p in UK money! By about 1.30pm I had located my hotel in Khao San Road. and began chilling (I haven't slept since I left). This is most certainly ruled by the backpackers as there is barely a Thai person in sight bar the annoying people who are trying to sell stuff like suits! The other thing that they keep doing is trying to make you go everywhere by tuk tuk or taxi, and they never take no for an answer. They seem to recognise me as the guy who laughs and walks off now. All in all the Thai people are actually really friendly and I have had some good conversations with some of them as they can speak good English!
I then went out to do a bit of geocaching and found it surprisingly difficult to find any caches, coming back with only two! This did enable to have a good look round the main city area. Below is an image of Khao San Road. I also got myself my first Thai street meal which a chicken and egg noodle thing!
I guess what I need to do now is relax and Skype my Mum and get some sleep for the first time since I left. Thanks for reading.
January 18th... take off
So it came to the day, after years of dreaming, months of waiting, weeks of panicking and the last few days getting everything together I finally got there. After a 3.30am wake up in morning I was finally off at 4.30am to start my trip of a lifetime. Looking back at things I probably was too careful with the timings and after checking in at 5.45am (the earliest check in) for my take off at 9.45am meant there was a lot of waiting around, but that did bring up the excuse to go into Wetherspoons for one last taste of England before I went!
After saying my final farewells (which involved tears from one person) I was all ready to go. Once boarding the plane I was in my element as Emirates supplied each passenger with a screen jammed full of films, tv shows, games and even a program which displayed cameras from outside the plane to watch things like take off and a real world map of our location which was very interesting! The only downside was the the fact that the plane was slightly cramped, but then I was the lowest of the 3 classes! The other added bonus which ended up arising was the fact I got a 3 course meal, unlimited drinks (including alcohol) and afternoon tea supplied for me. Below is a picture of my meal and me on the plane: -
Due to the long length of the flight I had a 2 and a bit hour wait a Dubai so the plane could refill. The reality was we got a completely different plane. I had fun looking round at the expensive gifts within the terminal and was amazed by just how plush the airport was as a whole! By 11.10 I had boarded my next flight to Bangkok, which again had all the latest technology and another 3 course meal, this time I had Chicken Noodles, Cajun Chicken and Chocolate Pudding, ending with Cheese and Biscuits. Below is a picture of my meal, and me at Dubai.
I then had the rest of the long flight of getting to Bangkok...
After saying my final farewells (which involved tears from one person) I was all ready to go. Once boarding the plane I was in my element as Emirates supplied each passenger with a screen jammed full of films, tv shows, games and even a program which displayed cameras from outside the plane to watch things like take off and a real world map of our location which was very interesting! The only downside was the the fact that the plane was slightly cramped, but then I was the lowest of the 3 classes! The other added bonus which ended up arising was the fact I got a 3 course meal, unlimited drinks (including alcohol) and afternoon tea supplied for me. Below is a picture of my meal and me on the plane: -
Due to the long length of the flight I had a 2 and a bit hour wait a Dubai so the plane could refill. The reality was we got a completely different plane. I had fun looking round at the expensive gifts within the terminal and was amazed by just how plush the airport was as a whole! By 11.10 I had boarded my next flight to Bangkok, which again had all the latest technology and another 3 course meal, this time I had Chicken Noodles, Cajun Chicken and Chocolate Pudding, ending with Cheese and Biscuits. Below is a picture of my meal, and me at Dubai.
I then had the rest of the long flight of getting to Bangkok...
Saturday, 18 January 2014
On my way...
So it's come to the day, the day I am going to the other side of the world. Now is the time I start my awfully long journey aiming for a 9.45am from Gatwick with a scheduled arrival in Bangkok 8.00am (1.00am GMT). First stop will be Wetherspoons of course for a last breakfast, then I will be all on my own. Thank you for everyone's support in making this day happen! I'll try and keep this updated as regularly as possible depending on how easy it is to get internet out there.
Thursday, 16 January 2014
The End of an Era
So it's come down to that time where my trip is well and truly in sight. 2 days to go! I bet lots of people are thinking things like, "Have you packed?" and "Have you brought everything you need?". Of course the answer to that is "no" like every other time. It's not that bad though. If I do forget anything (which I always do) I can always buy things when I am abroad. As you can see below there is a pile of things starting to be established!
Tomorrow is a big day for me, not just because it will be my last day in the UK for a while, but also because it is my last day of my paper round after over 5 years of delivering papers to my local area. I most certainly won't miss getting up at early hours each morning! In addition to this I will saying goodbye to Tesco for a few months which will be nice when looking back at how ridiculous my hours were over Christmas!
I'll cut this short tonight because I have so much to do. I think the whole thing is starting to become really real which is making me worry about everything.
Tomorrow is a big day for me, not just because it will be my last day in the UK for a while, but also because it is my last day of my paper round after over 5 years of delivering papers to my local area. I most certainly won't miss getting up at early hours each morning! In addition to this I will saying goodbye to Tesco for a few months which will be nice when looking back at how ridiculous my hours were over Christmas!
I'll cut this short tonight because I have so much to do. I think the whole thing is starting to become really real which is making me worry about everything.
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
Money, money, money...
I have contemplated for many weeks now over the best way to take money whilst going away for something which is effectively longer than a holiday, but shorter than a move out the country. There are so many different options these days with the world becoming more and more connected and things like travellers cheques are now last century! The cheapest way of taking money abroad is obviously to just take cash as the exchange rate is that of UK companies, but this is not realistic in terms of me carrying around large sums of money every day.
I am therefore taking something called the "STA Cashcard" which enables me to make overseas purchase transactions and ATM withdrawals at an exchange rate fairly similar to the UK. The only downside to this is the fact I am unable see my balance at ATMs, but this is where the online banking section comes into play as with this card I am able to control how much money is available to me on card at one time. For example if I were to have £1000 in my account, I could decide to have £500 available to me on card, and £500 put aside online. This allows me to budget my money more easily.
In addition to taking an "STA Cashcard", I am taking some Cash Passports which basically have money (Thank You Mum) already changed over into the desired currency . I have got one of these for Australia and one of these for New Zealand. With these I am able to makes overseas purchase transactions and ATM withdrawals as above, I just can't control my money online. The advantage with these is that compared to the STA card I probably have a more favourable exchange rate.
In Thailand I am just taking some Thai Baht in cash with me as I only need to buy some meals here, as everything else is included bar some optional additional activities. I have done a similar thing in Australia so I have a little bit of money upon arrival just to get me started.
I know I have probably made things really complicated in terms of money, but having a variety of different sources of money not only secures me in case one fails, but also allows me to budget more easily in my opinion. I am even taking my Santander Visa as a last resort if anything happens, although I hope not to as I lose 20% of everything I withdraw through commission!
I am therefore taking something called the "STA Cashcard" which enables me to make overseas purchase transactions and ATM withdrawals at an exchange rate fairly similar to the UK. The only downside to this is the fact I am unable see my balance at ATMs, but this is where the online banking section comes into play as with this card I am able to control how much money is available to me on card at one time. For example if I were to have £1000 in my account, I could decide to have £500 available to me on card, and £500 put aside online. This allows me to budget my money more easily.
In addition to taking an "STA Cashcard", I am taking some Cash Passports which basically have money (Thank You Mum) already changed over into the desired currency . I have got one of these for Australia and one of these for New Zealand. With these I am able to makes overseas purchase transactions and ATM withdrawals as above, I just can't control my money online. The advantage with these is that compared to the STA card I probably have a more favourable exchange rate.
In Thailand I am just taking some Thai Baht in cash with me as I only need to buy some meals here, as everything else is included bar some optional additional activities. I have done a similar thing in Australia so I have a little bit of money upon arrival just to get me started.
I know I have probably made things really complicated in terms of money, but having a variety of different sources of money not only secures me in case one fails, but also allows me to budget more easily in my opinion. I am even taking my Santander Visa as a last resort if anything happens, although I hope not to as I lose 20% of everything I withdraw through commission!
Sunday, 12 January 2014
My Whole World on my Shoulders
Lots of people forget that part of backpacking means I have to leave behind all my luxuries from home and pack my whole life into one solitary backpack. The way I am doing things as well means that I will primarily be staying in hostels on bunk beds with other people. I have even read somewhere that one of the dorms in a hostel in Fiji holds 120 people! This means I have pack considering things like weight, but I also need to consider the cost of items as I should not trust anyone abroad!
The biggest change I am having to undertake is my clothing, whereby I am having to pack cautiously as this is what will take up my most room. I am primarily taking wicking t-shirts and trek trousers, along with shorts due to the extreme heat out there. I am still taking a very limited wardrobe compared to my current clothing selection! This is very difficult in some areas due to the fact that some areas of Thailand apparently have cultural issues whereby no flesh can be shown. In addition to this in Thailand is said to be very cold when I stay with the hill tribes in Chiang Mai.
In terms of footwear I am taking a pair of trail trainers, and will also take some sandals for the beaches. To overall maintain my "fashion sense" I have invested in some multifunctional headwear to add some colour to my look. The lucky thing is that I am likely to be able to buy other items of clothing if needed at any other location en route if needed. I should probably stop talking about fashion, I sound as if I know about fashion here.
In terms of electrical items I am taking my phone, which in theory should allow me to connect to WiFi so I can regularly update Twitter and Facebook. The thing I have got to be careful abroad is to not use my data. Lets say in an average month I use 250MB of data. 1MB abroad is £3, so if I use data abroad I think you can do the maths! I am also taking my webcam which means I will be able to Skype people in internet cafes as well as update this blog regularly. In addition to this I am taking my camera, and my GPS device so I can say I have found geocaches in 6 countries and 4 continents upon my return!
I won't go into detail about my wash kit and first aid kit, other than saying that if I eat something I shouldn't in Thailand I should be able to relieve any toilet issues swiftly! Other than the above I have got what I call the little things which build up quickly in my bag, including guidebooks, maps, mosquito repellent, travel adapter and ear plugs! The other thing I have invested in is a money belt where I keep my passport, money, and other important documents so that no one can easily get to them.
I hope this has given you an insight into what I am taking, and also reminded me of some things I have probably forgotten. I will post a picture of my bag up once it is packed so you can see how big it is.
The biggest change I am having to undertake is my clothing, whereby I am having to pack cautiously as this is what will take up my most room. I am primarily taking wicking t-shirts and trek trousers, along with shorts due to the extreme heat out there. I am still taking a very limited wardrobe compared to my current clothing selection! This is very difficult in some areas due to the fact that some areas of Thailand apparently have cultural issues whereby no flesh can be shown. In addition to this in Thailand is said to be very cold when I stay with the hill tribes in Chiang Mai.
In terms of footwear I am taking a pair of trail trainers, and will also take some sandals for the beaches. To overall maintain my "fashion sense" I have invested in some multifunctional headwear to add some colour to my look. The lucky thing is that I am likely to be able to buy other items of clothing if needed at any other location en route if needed. I should probably stop talking about fashion, I sound as if I know about fashion here.
In terms of electrical items I am taking my phone, which in theory should allow me to connect to WiFi so I can regularly update Twitter and Facebook. The thing I have got to be careful abroad is to not use my data. Lets say in an average month I use 250MB of data. 1MB abroad is £3, so if I use data abroad I think you can do the maths! I am also taking my webcam which means I will be able to Skype people in internet cafes as well as update this blog regularly. In addition to this I am taking my camera, and my GPS device so I can say I have found geocaches in 6 countries and 4 continents upon my return!
I won't go into detail about my wash kit and first aid kit, other than saying that if I eat something I shouldn't in Thailand I should be able to relieve any toilet issues swiftly! Other than the above I have got what I call the little things which build up quickly in my bag, including guidebooks, maps, mosquito repellent, travel adapter and ear plugs! The other thing I have invested in is a money belt where I keep my passport, money, and other important documents so that no one can easily get to them.
I hope this has given you an insight into what I am taking, and also reminded me of some things I have probably forgotten. I will post a picture of my bag up once it is packed so you can see how big it is.
Friday, 10 January 2014
8 days to go!
Before I start I'll just like to apologise for my lack of activity over the last few days. It is really difficult for starters to think of something other to say along the lines of "I can't wait" or "I am so excited". To sum up over the last few days I have been amassing a pile of stuff which could make my final cut of what to take, and also adding to that pile some much needed essentials. I'll talk about my bag in more detail some other time.
I guess in 8 days time I will standing in Dubai Airport waiting for my onward flight. Well that depends on what you look at it as officially I land in Dubai at 20:30 and leave at 23:10, but if my calculations are correct that makes it a 16:30 landing British time with a 19:10 departure. To confuse matters even more my 08:00 landing in Bangkok is actually 01:00 British time. Why do time zones have to make matters either end so confusing?!
The only other news I have to give you this evening is that I feel really rich because of the fact I get over 50 baht for every 1 pound. Having such a "large" amount of money in hand feels really weird! I doubt I will be feeling that rich when I am over there though when everything feels much more expensive when in reality it is much more cheaper. I am starting to waffle now so I am off to bed.
Keep posted as I will posting about my backpack, fashion and zzzzzzzzzz in the coming days!
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
The Hurdles of Travelling...
Ever since the whole idea of travelling came into my head I have been faced with big dilemmas, which have just taken me round in circles. I often try and seek inspiration from people who have been there and done it, people who 'answer' those questions like, "Where do you go?", "What do you bring?", "How long do you go for?", "How much does it cost?", etc. The reality is there is no answers because everyone thinks something different which has made things very difficult for first time travellers like me.
It all started when I realised that if you want to make something happen you shouldn't just put up barriers like money, family, friends, careers and ultimately fear as reasons not to pursue your dreams. Things like not having enough money should not be a reason to not travel. If you really have the desire to go through with it and start saving, and if you really want things to happen then ways will be found to make it happen.
I guess another major issue is the confidence factor. Going travelling is one thing, but being a solo traveller is a completely different story. I am a pretty outgoing person in terms of outdoor pursuits, but when looking at things from social aspect I am not the best person in the world at meeting new people. It is not just about having the confidence to travel however, there are things like having the confidence to commit yourself to something, having the confidence to leave home for the first time, having the confidence to give up a job in this day in age, and once travelling having the confidence to make my own decisions. This experience will be invaluable to me and I will for sure come back a different and ultimately more confident person.
A lot of people have said to me about how envious they are about what I am doing and how they never had the opportunity. My answer to that is that it didn't just drop into my lap, I actually had to make things happen. I will hopefully look back at this experience in years to come and feel that all them hours at Tesco, all them mornings doing my paper round, all them days I looked at the world around me will have made one of the best experiences of my life.
I will leave you with this quote...
It all started when I realised that if you want to make something happen you shouldn't just put up barriers like money, family, friends, careers and ultimately fear as reasons not to pursue your dreams. Things like not having enough money should not be a reason to not travel. If you really have the desire to go through with it and start saving, and if you really want things to happen then ways will be found to make it happen.
I guess another major issue is the confidence factor. Going travelling is one thing, but being a solo traveller is a completely different story. I am a pretty outgoing person in terms of outdoor pursuits, but when looking at things from social aspect I am not the best person in the world at meeting new people. It is not just about having the confidence to travel however, there are things like having the confidence to commit yourself to something, having the confidence to leave home for the first time, having the confidence to give up a job in this day in age, and once travelling having the confidence to make my own decisions. This experience will be invaluable to me and I will for sure come back a different and ultimately more confident person.
A lot of people have said to me about how envious they are about what I am doing and how they never had the opportunity. My answer to that is that it didn't just drop into my lap, I actually had to make things happen. I will hopefully look back at this experience in years to come and feel that all them hours at Tesco, all them mornings doing my paper round, all them days I looked at the world around me will have made one of the best experiences of my life.
I will leave you with this quote...
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Triple Treat in Fiji
When arriving in Fiji I will be doing a 10 day tour with an organisation called "Feejee Experience". Taking in parts of Viti Levi Island, Beachcomber Island and Mantaray Island, I will give the opportunity to do things like a sevusevu ceremony, sandboarding, mud pools and a jungle trek! The basic itinerary of my time in Fiji is as follows.
Day 1
Nadi to Mango Bay including Nadi town markets, Natadola beach for 2-3 hours, Lomawai village and sand boarding!
Day 2
Mango Bay to Uprising Beach Resort inclusing the Uprising rainforest trek (optional) and the afternoon on Uprising beach.
Day 3
Uprising Beach Resort to Tanoa Rakiraki Hotel including Suva city tour, Nasautoka village, school / orphanage visit and bilibili rafting.
Day 4
Tano Rakiraki Hotel to Nadi, drive through the cane belt for an Indo-Fijian lunch stop in Lautoka then to Sabeto mud and hot pools!
Day 5
Nadi to Beachcomber Island, arrive at this amazing late morning, just in time for lunch.
Day 6
Beachcomber Island, spend a day doing activities or relaxing on your tropical paradise!
Day 7
Beachcomber Island to Mantaray Island Resort, cruise north to Mantaray Island arriving early afternoon.
Day 8
Mantaray Island, spend all day on this amazing island snorkelling, diving, swimming or spotting mantarays!
Day 9
Mantaray Island, spend your second day doing the same as the first!
Day 10
Mantaray Island to Nadi, depart the island and get back to Nadi early evening.
For more information about my tour of Fiji visit the link below.
http://www.feejeeexperience.com/passes/triple-treat#details
Day 1
Nadi to Mango Bay including Nadi town markets, Natadola beach for 2-3 hours, Lomawai village and sand boarding!
Day 2
Mango Bay to Uprising Beach Resort inclusing the Uprising rainforest trek (optional) and the afternoon on Uprising beach.
Day 3
Uprising Beach Resort to Tanoa Rakiraki Hotel including Suva city tour, Nasautoka village, school / orphanage visit and bilibili rafting.
Day 4
Tano Rakiraki Hotel to Nadi, drive through the cane belt for an Indo-Fijian lunch stop in Lautoka then to Sabeto mud and hot pools!
Day 5
Nadi to Beachcomber Island, arrive at this amazing late morning, just in time for lunch.
Day 6
Beachcomber Island, spend a day doing activities or relaxing on your tropical paradise!
Day 7
Beachcomber Island to Mantaray Island Resort, cruise north to Mantaray Island arriving early afternoon.
Day 8
Mantaray Island, spend all day on this amazing island snorkelling, diving, swimming or spotting mantarays!
Day 9
Mantaray Island, spend your second day doing the same as the first!
Day 10
Mantaray Island to Nadi, depart the island and get back to Nadi early evening.
For more information about my tour of Fiji visit the link below.
http://www.feejeeexperience.com/passes/triple-treat#details
Saturday, 4 January 2014
Kiwi Experience New Zealand
I am also using a bus pass round New Zealand, this time using a company called Kiwi Experience. Unlike Greyhound Australia, this company operates solely for the tourists rather than the general public, which means I am with people who are all doing a similar thing to me!
I will be starting my tour upon arrival in Auckland where I will be doing a lap round the country before finishing again in Auckland. This already comes with a wide variety of free inclusions including the Milford Sound, as well an array of additional experiences at an additional cost. I am doing the tour called the Chilly Bin.
For more information visit the website below.
http://www.kiwiexperience.com/nz-bus-passes/Pages/chilly-bin.aspx
Thursday, 2 January 2014
Greyhound Australia
I previously said I was using a bus pass to get around Australia. I am basically going with a company called Greyhound Australia and my ticket enables me to go one way between Sydney and Cairns along the East Coast.
Through going with this company I am supposedly guaranteed somewhere to sleep each night, as well as having the bus drivers expertise of the local area and the things to do. In addition to being a bus pass, the company offers many experiences and packages along the way at an additional cost to enhance my experience.
For more information look at the website below.
http://www.greyhound.com.au/
The thing that has confused me the most in Australia is the time zones!
Why can't they just keep things simple!
Through going with this company I am supposedly guaranteed somewhere to sleep each night, as well as having the bus drivers expertise of the local area and the things to do. In addition to being a bus pass, the company offers many experiences and packages along the way at an additional cost to enhance my experience.
For more information look at the website below.
http://www.greyhound.com.au/
The thing that has confused me the most in Australia is the time zones!
Why can't they just keep things simple!
Wednesday, 1 January 2014
Thailand on a Shoestring
I previously said that I was doing a tour of Thailand. To put it simply I am doing a 16 day tour with G Adventures called "Thailand on a Shoestring". Below is a basic itinerary of my time in Thailand.
Day 1 Bangkok
Arrive at any time. Street food crawl with the group and CEO either today or another day on tour.
Day 2 Bangkok
Option to visit the Grand Palace and Wat Po. Overnight train to Chiang Mai (flight and extra night in Bangkok during monsoon season, depending on conditions)
Day 3 Chiang Mai
Option to attend a Thai cooking course, take a bicycle tour or visit Doi Suthep temple.
Day 4-6 Hilltribe Trek
Enjoy trekking amongst hilltribes, staying in villages, riding an elephant, navigating a river on a bamboo raft and eating local style meals.
Day 7 Chiang Mai
Time for last minute shopping or a cooking class before boarding the overnight train to Bangkok (flight and extra night in Chiang Mai during monsoon season, depending on conditions)
Day 8-9 Bangkok
Return to Bangkok to visit the temples missed, museums only passed by and shops only peeked in.
Day 10 Khao Sok National Park
Option to hike, swim or relax riverside.
Day 11-12 Koh Samui
Option to visit the national marine park on a snorkelling trip, kayak on crystal clear waters or chill out on white sand beaches
Day 13-15 Koh Tao
Relax, swim, snorkel or take part in water activities.
Day 16 Bangkok
Trip ends on arrival at the Bangkok train station. Onward travel can be booked for 3pm or later
For more information about my trip to Thailand visit the link below.
http://www.gadventures.com/trips/thailand-on-a-shoestring/ATRT/2014/
Onto other matters however, the weather certainly looks better in Bangkok compared to here at the moment!
18 days to go!
Day 1 Bangkok
Arrive at any time. Street food crawl with the group and CEO either today or another day on tour.
Day 2 Bangkok
Option to visit the Grand Palace and Wat Po. Overnight train to Chiang Mai (flight and extra night in Bangkok during monsoon season, depending on conditions)
Day 3 Chiang Mai
Option to attend a Thai cooking course, take a bicycle tour or visit Doi Suthep temple.
Day 4-6 Hilltribe Trek
Enjoy trekking amongst hilltribes, staying in villages, riding an elephant, navigating a river on a bamboo raft and eating local style meals.
Day 7 Chiang Mai
Time for last minute shopping or a cooking class before boarding the overnight train to Bangkok (flight and extra night in Chiang Mai during monsoon season, depending on conditions)
Day 8-9 Bangkok
Return to Bangkok to visit the temples missed, museums only passed by and shops only peeked in.
Day 10 Khao Sok National Park
Option to hike, swim or relax riverside.
Day 11-12 Koh Samui
Option to visit the national marine park on a snorkelling trip, kayak on crystal clear waters or chill out on white sand beaches
Day 13-15 Koh Tao
Relax, swim, snorkel or take part in water activities.
Day 16 Bangkok
Trip ends on arrival at the Bangkok train station. Onward travel can be booked for 3pm or later
For more information about my trip to Thailand visit the link below.
http://www.gadventures.com/trips/thailand-on-a-shoestring/ATRT/2014/
Onto other matters however, the weather certainly looks better in Bangkok compared to here at the moment!
18 days to go!
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