Friday, September 19, 2008

With our last full day in Chiang Mai before us, not to mention our second to last full day in all of Thailand, we were eager to get out and take full advantage of the day.

Freshly showered we headed down to the Bodhi Serene's interior courtyard for breakfast. The white-linen lined tables were set up adjacent to a gurgling fountain and beneath an overhang of the hotel building with white drapes billowing in the breeze. The breakfast was the usual combination of traditional Thai and the occasional American breakfast entity.

Doi Suthep is a gently sloping mountain that nuzzles the city of Chiang Mai at its base and bestows some of the most spectacular views of the city and surrounding countryside in the entire area. Buses regularly run from the city's university to the temple at the mountains summit and taxis are easily flagged down from any part of town. Stepping outside of the hotel walls usually resulted in one or two taxis, Tuk Tuks, or other modes of transport pulling over to ask were we were headed and this was no different.

A woman driving a songthaew motioned us over to the drivers-side window and we negotiated a price up to Doi Suthep. Although we paid double the amount (100 THB vs. 50) recommended in the guides we were of the view that the $1.50 extra meant more to her than it would to us and we didn't mind spreading some of the wealth from the U.S. to Thailand. Plus, it resulted in us having the Songthaew to ourselves rather than more pick-ups along the way.

The wat at Doi Suthep, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, was probably one of my favorite temples throughout the trip to Thailand. Situated at the top of the mountain (1000 m) it was surprisingly busy but also serene at the same time. As is the case with most temples, this one was comprised of many different buildings and nearly-uncountable images of the Buddha. It also housed a chedi near the center of the temple.

One of the more magnificent aspects of the temple here is the 300 steps leading from the lower terrace to the upper terrace. Here, a dragon-like creature on ether side of the steps is made of painted tiles and stretches the entire length of the path.

We spent the vast majority of the day within the temple and enjoyed watching the local worshipers coming and tending to their business. We also had iced coffee in the morning at a small cafe set adjacent to the temple and where we were nearly attacked by giant Thai bees.

Much of the time we spent at the Wat was comprised of people watching with a special focus on viewing the happenings of the locals coming to worship at the various shrines within the temple complex. While Farang were numerous and quite visible, especially as several tour groups came and went, the vast majority of individuals at the temple were community members there to engage in their Buddhist reflections.

We visited each of the many shrines where we were lucky to witness Buddhist monks giving blessings to individuals, were able to view numerous artistic interpretations of the Buddha, and watched, in general, the comings and goings of the busy temple.

Before heading off from the temple I purchased a set of incense, candles, and lotus blossoms to leave at the base of the chedi. I watched a bit as the many local community members approached the chedi or one of the local Buddha shrines, proceeded to lite their candles and incense, and then place the lotus blossoms on small pedestals located in front of each of the shrines. With a lull in the crowd I opted to place my remembrances in front of the chedi with which action I figured I would draw odd looks for doing something incorrectly. However, I don't honestly think anyone gave much notice.

A late lunch was enjoyed on the lower terrace along with several beers and then a trip through the market that spreads out at the base of the lower terrace. Here we finally found the big Buddha we wanted to buy. Carved of bronze and standing a good 1.5 ft we ended up paying just shy of 3000 Bhat (about $130). The thing weighs a TON and without the aid of the beer I probably would have had second thoughts about the purchase. (Although, now that it's home, I can't even think of NOT having made the purchase.) Given that it's hand carved from bronze and etched with a Thai inscription and the artists name it was certainly well worth the price. I'm sure a similar item here in the US would run much more.

I also purchased a small bronze bell, about one and a half inches in diameter, the likes of which are quite common throughout the temples of Thailand. Generally the bells are hung around the exterior eves of the temples and also around the eves facing inner courtyards. Here at Doi Septh I noticed that many of these bells had plastic, spade-shaped cutouts hanging from the chime of the bell. The plastic itself was a metallic gold color and across the plastic, of course in Thai, was writing. I'd have to guess that the meaning was some sort of memory or blessing. (My bell is now hanging by the kitchen window from gold and orange ribbons, the colors of the Buddhist Monks robes.)

As we left the lower terrace to find a songthaew we were accosted by numerous merchants selling their wares. I ended up purchasing a small pouch-type bag that I figured would be excellent for my passport (I used it the entire time I was in Peru in December last year) and two small paintings.

We flagged down a songthaew and jumped in back agreeing on 200 Bhat for the trip back into town. Soon another Farang joined us but was then asked to leave after another driver approached our female driver and some, small commotion ensured. From what we could gather, the other traveler only wanted to pay 50 THB and thought we were "crazy" for paying 100 THB ($3) each for the trip back into town. After she departed we were treated to a private ride back into town.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

The Thailand Elephant Conservation Center was high on our list of places to see and things to experience when we were outlining our trip. Although it wasn't the only reason we had selected the city and surrounding area of Chiang Mai for the itinerary it was certainly among them.

The history of Thailand and the Asian Elephant is closely intertwined and little else, beyond perhaps the king of the country himself, is as much a symbol of Thailand as the elephant. Sadly, there are no longer any wild elephants in the country and the entire population of elephants are domesticated animals. Although it is now illegal to use them in the logging trade, that is actually where humans and elephants came together in their first meeting and co-existence.

The Thailand Elephant Conservation Center is a government owned, funded, and arun center that cares for a large number of Thai elephants on the property and also provides free medical care to any elephant in the country. We had read about the center in numerous guide books and compared them to some of the other, less reputable, "elephant centers" located in all the cities we visited. Many of the other "centers" featured circus-like exhibits of the elephants and simply used the magnificent animals as a means to earn money. With strong feelings about the exploitation of animals in such animal-tourism there was a zero percent chance that any of them would see a single dollar, or bhat, from us. The government run center on the other hand used all monies collected, through admission and gift shop revenue, to support and care for the elephant population of Thailand.

We had two options to get to the conservation center which was located along the highway about 45 minutes outside of the city. One, was to use the public buses which would probably cost less than $8 per person. The second was to book a direct tour through the Bodhi Serene. That would end up running about 4000 BHT ($112) but would allow us a private car, driver, and direct transportation to and from the conservation center. The buses, which only ran hourly, would include multiple stops along the route and would limit the amount of time we would have at the center. We opted for the tour and couldn't have been more pleased.

The driver picked us up about thirty minutes after we contacted the front desk and booked the trip. As with the driver who picked us up for the June Bhatra trip in Phuket, he was about our age or, perhaps, a bit younger. Very pleasant with great English we were able to chat with him off and on throughout the day. He spoke at length about the elephants in Thailand and the Elephant Conservation Center here in the city and a bit about himself and his life in Thailand.

The road trip out of the city and up through some of the low lying hills provided our first glimpse of the non-urban areas of Thailand. The patch-work farms rolled by with the occasional clump of water ox here and there and small farm houses dotting the countryside. Once on the main highway the slope of the land gradually increased and a soft mist gathered among the tree line on the hills. Deep gray clouds had rolled over the area and little sunlight crept through and by the time we arrived at the center a steady rain had begun to fall.

The entrance to the center was little more than a gate fashioned out of cut timber with a small directional sign pointing into the campus. Our driver pulled up to a small building and indicated that we purchase our tickets here. Again, we happily obliged knowing that the money was going to a great cause. With tickets in hand we were directed onto a small, open-sided bus-truck hybrid that rolled us along a dirt path into the heart of the center. We, along with our driver/guide, and a couple of other guests of the center, off loaded and were corralled in a waiting area. It was in this area that we got our first glimpse of some of the elephants of the center. They were awaiting the first "show" of the day, their bath.

Manhouts, both true Thai Manhouts as well as training manhourts (you can book week-long trips at the center during which you are actually trained to become a manhout and work directly with an elephant), were soon leading the giant beasts into a large pond just on the other side of an observation area. It didn't take long to see that the elephants were quite happy with this arrangement as they sprayed themselves and each other with their trunks and the manhouts used large brushes to scrub the elephants clean as they stood in water that would have well been above my head. The giants also seemed to rather enjoy the rainy weather of which we were spared much wetness thanks to our driver offering umbrellas.

Next was one of the main attractions of the center the full-fledged demonstration of logging and an introduction to many of the centers elephants. As each elephant came out their name was called and a bit of information was provided about their personalities. One, much younger than the rest, was obviously quite the ham as he wanted the biggest applause and laughter that he would manage from the crowd. (He generally got it too.)

The show, as mentioned, attempted to illustrate how elephants once aided the thriving logging industry in Thailand. The strength of the animals is truly amazing and the way they used their brute force, trunks, and even tusks to manipulate single and stacks of logs was a sight to behold. It seemed that the elephants' ability to move logs the size of full-sized trees would be akin to a human manipulating a broom stick. And yet, the slow, gentle and deliberate movements of the animals masked much of that strength.

The show lasted approximately thirty minutes and then the "actors" were brought to the front of the seating area for pictures and to allow guests to feed them a treat. Bunches of sugar cane were for sale and Travis purchased a bundle and proceeded to feed one of the larger elephants of the group. Quite fond of sugar cane, evidently, the elephant would no sooner scoop one bunch of the canes into his mouth before reaching out for the next trunk full. I don't believe any of the other elephants had a helping from our bunch although Travis certainly got a handful of mud and elephant saliva.

After the show the rain had slowed to a drizzle and we paid a visit to the gift shop areas of the center as well as the painting house. I had read that the elephants actually paint on occasion and that their artwork could be purchased. We selected an abstract with bright, vivid lines of color scrawled across the canvas and the elephants name and date of painting stamped onto the corner. Some of the paintings resembled flowers and were quite striking. Decorating the walls of the building were pictures of many of the center's elephants actually completing their artwork and a small sign outside indicated when the next painting session would take place. Due to the rain, sadly, that wouldn't be today. Our driver told us that the center's prices for the paintings were better than any other place offering similar items. We paid 500 BHT (about $14). Even the canister we purchased to hold the painting safe was eco-friendly as it was fashioned from elephant dung. At the gift shop we purchased a magnet and t-shirt with the conservation centers logo.

Finally, we were about to embark on the most adventurous aspect of our visit to the center: The elephant ride. Offered in varying lengths of time, from 15 minutes to a full hour, you could ride, with a manhout, one of the camps elephants along the grounds of the center. The center had large loading platforms elevated 15+ feet off the ground so that you "boarded" the elephant at back level. We paid (500 BHT each for 30 minutes) and soon our elephant slowly strode to the platform. This close the animals are truly magnificent, giant, and more than a bit intimidating. The back and forth swaying of the chair, strapped with giant cords to the elephants mid-section by way of his belly, took a bit of getting use to and was actually quite jolting. Not a gentle means of travel by any description.

The thirty minute ride took us through flowing brooks, up and down forested hills, across a rather wide gulch, and past one section of the elephant hospital and clinic. Several memorable moments included:

All in all, while an amazing experience, I was glad the trek only lasted the thirty minutes. Travel by elephant must have been quite uncomfortable and, depending on the elephants personality, perhaps more than a bit frightening.

Following our elephant trek we walked over to view the clinic area of the center and the guide provided some information about how they care for the elephants and pointed out a clinic board that listed the current patients and what they were admitted to the clinic for. We also visited the maternity ward where we were able to get up close and personal with two baby calves and their mothers. Although cute, even the calves stood nearly at my height and, I'm sure, weighed more than my car.

Wrapping up the elephant conservation center we visited a few shopping stands set up near the entrance and then were back in the SUV heading toward Chaing Mai.

Our driver inquired if we wanted to stop somewhere for lunch but we declined as we wanted to visit Mai Kaidee's back in the city. After being so impressed with their food, atmosphere and service in Bangkok we didn't want to miss the chance at another meal there and also wanted to compare the Chiang Mai location to Bangkok's.

The trip back to Chiang Mai included some stop-overs at any number of the local handcraft factories located along the periphery of the city. Our driver asked which we would like to see and proffered visits to silk factories, metal, wood, etc. After the long day at the elephant center and the relatively early waking hour we decided on just two: the silk and wood working locations.

Chiang Mai is ground zero for the hand-craft industry of Thailand with vast amounts of goods produced here often in the very same manner in which they've been produced for hundreds of years. From silk fabrics to silver jewelry the vast "factories" churn out a multitude of arts and goods to be sold throughout Thailand and, indeed, around the world.

The tour of the silk factory was actually very interesting as I had little idea of how silk goods were produced. The guide walked us step-by-step through the process in which silk worms are born, eat, and then cocoon themselves in the silk spindles. From there, these cocoons are unwound and many spindles combined to form a single silk thread which, in turn, is woven into sheets of very fine silk fabric.

The tour included demonstrations of the spindling of the silk and actual weaving of the silk threads into fabric. The amount of silk worms and cocoons that it takes to turn out a sheet of fabric must be astounding.

Concluding the tour ended up in the factory show room and shop where you could purchase everything from tailored silk shirts to pillow cases and more. The vibrant colors of the silken fabrics were fantastic and the quality of the products seemed quite high. Having little interest in purchasing anything we looked about for a bit before heading off to find our driver.

He had actually parked himself next to a small cafe at the front of the factory and was enjoying a game on some hand-held gaming system. Soon we were back on the road and after just a bit of a drive we pulled into our next stop: A wood hand-craft facility.

The demonstrations were less dramatic at this facility as the workers hacked away at what seemed to be impossibly huge chunks of various types of wood. It was more the fact that carving wood is probably a bit less interesting at this stage than watching silk worms transform into ties and dress shirts. It was not, however, any reflection of the artistic ability of the craftsmen or a sign of diminished value of the end-products. The show room would certainly attest to that.

Huge wall coverings, furniture, and home decor pieces, all carved from wood, were packed into the display areas of the factory. Some were truly amazing in detail and the carved Buddhas looked as if they belonged in a temple rather than on a display room floor. Although we had more of an interest in purchasing something here than at the silk factory our ability to transport items home limited any real looking we did.

The remainder of the day trip was comprised of traversing from the outskirts of Chiang Mai back to the center of the city. Although traffic by this time of day had increased dramatically the trip wasn't too long and just watching the people of the city engaged in daily tasks kept me amused until we had reached our hotel again. After tipping the driver and receiving his business card we headed inside and upstairs to shower before lunch.

Consulting the Rough Guide we ascertained the location of Mai Kaidee's and headed out. The restaurant wasn't difficult to find though I was much surprised by the small location in which it was housed. As with nearly all establishments in Thailand the restaurant was open-air and housed on the bottom floor of a multi-story building. My guess is that the upper floors housed homes, perhaps, of the owner or operator. In all, the restaurant had, perhaps, six tables or so.

We sat and were presented with the same menus as the location in Bangkok had used. We went about ordering and selected several entrees, appetizers, and the request Chaing Beer. The food, I'm sure, was excellent though I didn't make note of much of it in my journal and can't recall much detail as I write this (01.11.09). One detail I do remember: Pumpkin Hummus. It was truly outstanding and quite possibly worth an entire trip to Thailand in and of itself.

Finishing lunch we decided to finish up the walking tour we had started the previous day and finish up at the Chiang Mai Women's Prison for a second traditional Thai massage. The remainder of the walking tour consisted of several more temple visits of which one afforded a particularly notable event. The Buddhist monks of the various temples are charged with care of everything in nature. One of the temples we visited was charged with care of the city's dog population and, each day near sunset, sounds an amazingly large gong to draw the hounds for feeding. It was odd to see the dogs respond in such numbers to this gong but nice to know that the Buddhists take care of them.

At another temple Travis purchased doves being sold by a local on the grounds of the temple. The idea is to release the birds and receive, in return, blessings of Karma and peace. (Note here that prior to the trip Travis advised me that I couldn't partake in this action after I told him about it from info I had obtained in the guide books. Evidently he was concerned about Bird Flu of which, by his actions, he must be fairly certain he is immune.)

On the way to the Women's Prison we picked up some iced coffees from what looked to be the Thai version of Starbucks. Tasty and nice!

After having such grand experiences with our first Thai massage in BKK we were eager to experience our next. All of the travel books indicated that one of the best, and most inexpensive, massage establishments was that connected to the Women's Prison. Here, non-violent offenders are taught the trade in hopes that upon release they will have skills for work and also have saved funds (they keep money earned from their services) to be used upon their release.

We checked in and were quickly shown into a changing room. Although Thai massage is done fully clothed the massage outfits are loose-fitted and allow the masseur to more easily manipulate your limbs, muscles, and skin during the treatment.

With much confusion and laughter, and try as we might, we could not figure out the clothing. With ties and straps attached in seemingly nonsensical places the clothing had us beat. We finally had to call the masseurs into the changing room to help us out a bit at which we all had a good laugh.

For what amounted to about $7 we each had an hour massage that nearly put me asleep during its duration and left me nearly weeping over the fact that we have no such service offerings back at home. We tipped the women before leaving and took note of the astute observation the guards placed on noting the amount of the tip in a nearby ledger book.

With dusk settling in we spent the remainder of the evening walking the city center and checking out some of the sites as they are lit at night and walking the night food market before retiring home to bed.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

During check in at the Marina Phuket we arranged our complimentary resort transportation back to the Phuket International Airport for this morning. The desk staff seemed to think that an hour for transit would be more than enough so we went with recommendation and planned to leave the resort at 7:00 to catch our 8:50 AM Air Asia flight from Phuket back to Bangkok. We then had a 10:45 flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

Again we had packed the night before, before heading out for dinner, to allow ourselves extra time and avoid being rushed. We awoke around 5:50, showered, checked the room for anything that escaped being packed, checked in one last time on e-mail, and then headed down to the second restaurant of the resort, Sala Thai, for the breakfast buffet.

The open restaurant overlooked the pool and surrounding area and the buffet set up was quite extensive. Again, the mix included both Western style breakfast favorites, dry cereals, waffles, scrambled eggs, pastries and muffins, as well as Thai noodle dishes and an excellent soup. Several cooks were also preparing made to order omelets and pancakes with your choice of ingredients.

The seafood soup was simply excellent and, odd as it may sound, went well with orange juice and the other breakfast options. The soup station also provided several ingredients of which you could mix-and-match to your own combination desire, and, of course the traditional four Thai accompaniments of sweet (sugar), salty (course salt), vinegary (diced peppers in vinegar or fish sauce), and heat (crushed dried peppers).

Finishing with breakfast we headed back to the room and found one of the porters waiting just outside our door to take our bags to the front desk. We glanced over the room once more and headed to the front desk to finalize the checkout. This only took a couple minutes and we were soon loaded into a mini bus and heading to the airport.

Arriving in plenty of time we checked in for our flight, obtained our Express Boarding stickers, and headed to the gate area to wait for the plane to begin boarding. We were both a bit anxious to get on the plane in a hurry and end up with seats at the front of the plane because our connecting flight allowed us little time to navigate the huge airport in BKK. It's here in Phuket that I, inadvertently, cut in front of the British woman and Travis found a new Aussie friend.

You see, when they call for Express Boarding on Air Asia people en mass run to the boarding gate. Even those without the Express Boarding privilege. Seeing as we had a connection to catch I was determined not to let that happen here in Phuket as it had in Bangkok (on the way to Phuket) and, so, I rushed to the front of the line when they called for Express boarding. It so happened that the woman I rushed in front of also was an Express Boarder. When Travis brought my attention to that fact I sincerely apologized and returned to my rightful spot behind her.

Previously, just after we had made our way to the gate waiting area, Travis had sat down in a seat near the boarding gate area. He had just finished positioning the roll ons next to his seat when a man, with an obvious Australian accent, stated that the seat Travis had sat in was saved. Not before he had sat down. Not as he was sitting down. But, rather, after he had sat down and placed the bags next to him. At any rate, Travis got up and found new seats, all the while muttering under his breath, no doubt.

We boarded the plane and ended up sitting in the very front row which provided us not only with extra leg room but also a quick exit when we landed at BKK. Again, the flight was non-eventful, which, when flying, is probably a good thing, although we did note that Travis' Australian friend was with a young, Thai who spoke little to no English. Draw your own conclusions here.

We anxiously watched the minutes tick by as our departure flight from Bangkok drew closer. Air Asia has a clearly stated policy that all check in counters close 30 minutes before every flight and since ours left at 10:45 that meant we needed to be at the counter by 10:15. The flight from Phuket to Bangkok being about an hour and ten minutes meant we had a buffer of only fifteen minutes.

Landing we rushed out of the plane and onto the waiting buses that would ferry us back to the airport terminal. Then it was a mad rush back to the ticketing and check in counters. We arrived at such counters to find significant lines waiting for us. By the time we finally reached a airline rep it was seven minutes past the 30 minute deadline and no amount of pleading would change this fact, apparently. We were told there was nothing more the airline could do.

We ended up having to re-purchase tickets for the next flight out of Bangkok, which, thankfully, was at 12:50 and only a couple hours off. Missing the flight meant we would have to swallow the cost of the tickets and repurchase new ones that, again thankfully, were still pretty inexpensive.

We passed the time in the airport by checking out some of the duty free shops, which were not surprisingly much more expensive than shopping in the city, and reading up on our next destination. Soon, we were on board and heading to Northern Thailand.

Landing in Chiang Mai we exited the airport and headed to the taxi stand to the left of the airport entrance. We advised the attendant of our destination, The Bodhi Serene Hotel, and were given a ticket and pointed toward a line of taxis at the back of the airport. A second attendant took our ticket and ushered us to a driver and taxi who spoke very little English. Still, we were soon off and heading across the surrounding city moat and past the centuries-old city walls. While I had selected the Buddy Lodge in Bangkok and the Marina in Phuket, Travis had done the research for Chiang Mai and selected the Bodhi Serene and, as we generally do, selected a hotel within the old district of the city center.

The taxi driver was a bit perplexed with the address that the attendant had given him and we had to backtrack a bit to find the hotel as he inadvertently passed it. It didn't help matters that it wasn't clearly marked with any type of sign and that the building proper was actually hidden behind a large, stark wall.

We paid and tipped the driver and were soon sitting at the check-in desk finishing up the paper work. As with many countries, the government of Thailand requires certain information to be gathered from all hotel guests. Just general demographic info but forms that take a bit to fill out. While working on the paperwork we were offered a refreshing green tea to sip on and were then shown to our room. As in Phuket, we were given a brief tour of all of the facilities, except for the exterior pool and such, as it had begun to pour down rain.

The hotel was three stories and all open-air with the pool and restaurant/bar on the second floor and everything opening out onto a central courtyard filled with flowering plants and a multi-tiered, flowing water fountain. The room was lined with dark wood paneling and accent furniture to match. The balcony opened behing, plush, white-cotton drapes and faced the next building of the hotel.

We unpacked and looked over the brochures, in-room menus, and miscellaneous other info. Unlike in our two other hotels to date, the Bodhi provided drinking water in glass bottles rather than plastic. So, unfortunately, we couldn't take those from our room and with us on our outings very easily. Ah, none the less, we're in Thailand and a 7-Eleven is only a few feet in any direction.

As it was still raining rather heavily after we finished unpacking and looking over the room we opted to head out to check out the other parts of the hotel. We ended up at the bar which was located just off the pool and on a balcony overlooking the superbly designed courtyard. We decided a drink was in order until the rain let up and I enjoyed a Bloody Mary while Travis had a beer. We also ordered a spicy tuna flat bread appetizer that was totally superb in every way. The spices and saltiness were an excellent accompaniment to the drinks.

By the time we had finished with our drinks and appetizer the rain had fully stopped and the sun was out shining again. We picked up the guidebooks we had been reading over, and using to plot the rest of the afternoon and evening, and went back to the room to pick up needed supplies. We changed from shorts to our long pants again, as we expected to visit some temples, grabbed our cameras and the GPS, and headed out.

The city of Chiang Mai exudes a much different feel and atmosphere than that of Bangkok. Even though the city is home to over 200,000 people it feels much smaller and more quaint. Or, at least, the old city center and immediate surrounding area felt that way. During our three day stay here I think only one Tuk Tuk actually pulled over to ask us if we needed a lift. Much different than in the capital city. The surrounding mountains also provided a very different backdrop replacing the smog and pollution filled air of the city of eight million plus.

After the stress of missing our connecting flight and having to re-purchase tickets in order to reach Chiang Mai we wanted to make the rest of the afternoon and evening as restful and easy-going as could be. We first opted to take the walking tour of the city as offered in the Lonely Planet guidebook. This tour was much more concentrated to a relatively small geographical area of the city and visited many of the most popular temples Chiang Mai has to offer.

In addition to Wat Chiang Man, the city's oldest temple, and Wat Phra Singh, the most visited temple of the city, we also visited the exterior of the Chiang Mai Women's Prison. The prison actually offers a massage parlor, opposite the prison entrance, where prisoners offer massages to tourists and locals alike. The service not only provides for non-violent offenders to earn savings to help support them post-release but it also teaches them a valuable trade of which they may earn a living once released. We had decided we wanted to have a massage here after reading about the offerings in the guide books but we planned for such on our last day in Chiang Mai.

After finishing the tour, and as the sun was setting, we headed back to the hotel to change and find a restaurant for dinner. The quest for dinner actually took us a bit as we had selected a location from The Rough Guide and, after traipsing all over for what seemed like hours in an attempt to find the alley it was located off of, discovered the shuttered building with a note posted to the exterior gate. Again, it seems, we had selected a restaurant that was shut for several weeks for renovations. Ahhh... We had passed (and read about) Bierstube another restaurant not too far off and decided to head back and try it. Turns out it was quite a lively spot located just shy of the city moat and city walls and on a busy street corner.

The food featured German influences but also offered the usual and extensive Thai selections. As an appetizer I ordered a soup that turned out to actually be a giant cauldron of soup rather than a single serving. As is common in the cuisine of the North of Thailand, it contained coconut milk but, much to my dismay, also contained copious amounts of ginger. (Since the trip to Thailand I've come to the conclusion that ginger is far from a favorite taste of mine.)

After dinner we headed back to the hotel for a quick stop and then decided to head to the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. Described in the Lonely Planet:

The market itself spreads for block after block with hundreds of individuals stands radiating outward along the streets leading to the main night bazaar building. Anything and everything, from touristy nick-nacks to authentic Thai antiques, from DVDs to clothing, can be had by the dedicated shopper.

We spent several hours wandering the various stalls, cheking out the Anusan Night Market food market within the Night Bazaar realms, and taking photos while enjoying the atmosphere. At times, just as in Chinatown in Bangkok, the crowds were stifling and jammed in what seemed to be ever-smaller walkways and pathways, but, in all, the experience was much fun. We each purchased a small Buddha for our car back home and a couple bottles of water. We were searching for a large Buddha for the house but didn't find one that we liked and would be easy to get back to the U.S.

After arriving back at the hotel we opted, for a brief moment, to find a lounge or bar and have a nightcap before heading to bed. However, fatigue won out and it was soon lights out on our first day and night Northern Thailand.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

We had an early wake up call from the front desk this morning (06:45) as we had to catch our transfers to the far Northeastern corner of Phuket island for the sailing trip to Ao Phang Nga.

Click for larger map.

The trip was arranged through the resort and the operator was Asian Oasis. We would be taking a junk by the name of the June Bahtra from the Yacht Haven Marina to Phang Nga Bay. The junk style of ship is of Chinese origin but beautifully fits in with the rock-formations and other scenery of Thailand's Phang Nga Bay.

After showering we decided we didn't have enough time for the breakfast buffet at the resort and I was craving another Birdy so we opted to walk down to the shops bordering the front of the resort and grab such a drink there. Unfortunately, my plans were squelched as Phuket must not be an early rising town and we found all of the shops closed. Even the "24 Hour Market."

We grabbed some cash from a nearby ATM and then headed back to the Marina to wait for our transfers. We had run into our driver at the resort entrance before heading off to look for coffee and we told him we needed to get some cash. He said that would be fine and he would meet us back here in a few minutes. He soon returned and we were loaded into a mini-bus and off heading North on the islands small highways.

The Thai population's median age is significantly younger than that of the population of the United States and one could easily notice that by spending any length of time in the country. It was especially evident this morning on the packed streets of Phuket island. The early morning hour meant adults heading off to work and school children heading off to school. The public buses were jammed with kids and many rode on the back of mopeds and motorcycles through the streets. Some, who looked older though by no means would be considered an "adult" here in the U.S., drove the motorcycles with one or two siblings seated behind them.

The driver of the bus made a couple stops and at one picked up a woman who would turn out to be our guide for the June Bahtra trip. In speaking with her later on in the day it turns out she's one of the many guides on the island that is fluent in English but one of the few guides that also speaks French and Spanish in a fluent capacity.

We arrived at the marina about 40 minutes later and were shown down a steep embankment to a storefront at the water's edge. Inside our guide gave us stickers indicating we were on the tour, little images of the June, and various merchandise was offered for sale. We joined the others outside as we all waited for a fourth, and final, couple.

Soon after their arrival we were led along the docks to the June and boarded the ship. With only the eight guests and, perhaps, five crew and our guide, the ship was going to be quite quiet. In fact, our guide suggested that each trip usually takes 30 to 35 people rather than eight. As the trip progressed we determined that we were the only U.S. citizens on board. The other guests included a couple from France, a couple from the United Kingdom, and a couple from Australia.

The June Bahtra
Image © 2006-2008 Asian Oasis Co., Ltd.

As the trip got underway we were offered coffee or tea and a selection of fresh fruit as the guide began to detail some history and general information about the bay and this part of southern Thailand. She also used a marine map and pointed out the various areas we would see on today's voyage. The area's main industry has become tourism but prior to this the area was an important fishing center and still provides much fish and seafood to Thailand to this day. Filming of the James Bond movie, The Man with the Golden Gun played a large part in transforming this once thriving fishing community into a global vacationing spot. In fact, the guide mentioned that the Thailand government, with growing concern about the impact of tourism on the area, designated all of Phang Nga Bay a national park to better protect it.

Heading out of the marina and toward Phang Nga Bay

Fresh cut rambutan fruit.

The tour guide informed us that once we reached the shallow waters of the inner bay we would have to transfer from the June to a smaller long boat for the voyage onto "James Bond Island" and onto the Koh Pannyi village. We were also asked our preference for the lunch to be served and, surprisingly, there were several other vegetarians on the ship that day and, as such, the majority of the meal would be vegetarian with only one fish dish.

As the June continued to sail toward the mouth of the bay the giant limestone formations, the signature element of the bay, began to rise out of the turquoise waters and appear on the horizon in all directions. As we crept ever closer to the limestone outcroppings they began to change color from a muted gray to alternating hues of rust, white, dark midnight blues, and various shades of gray, each capped with a bright green top of vegetation. Detail became more apparent too and one could easily see where caves and tunnel systems opened up under some of the formations and where others had been whittled away by the water currents to collapse in on themselves or out into the bay.

In the long boat heading further into the bay. (This picture is actually looking back toward the aft of the boat, with the captain, and back toward the mouth of Phang Nga Bay.)

Looking toward the front of our long boat (and our guide) as we head through a cave underneath one of the massive limestone formations.

We soon reached our transfer spot and were off-loaded from the June to a long boat. The transfer only took a few minutes, considering they're were only eight of us, and we were then on our way in the long boat. These boats moved at a speedier clip through the shallow waters and could get us closer to some of the rock formations. We ventured fully through one of the tunnels that cut through one of the formations and were told that in many similar caves in the area the birds nests were harvested within for the infamous birds nest soup. (We had seen several shops specializing in this delicacy in Bangkok. Mainly in Chinatown.)

The rock formations were much more imposing at these close quarters and seemed like giant icebergs gently floating by. As we continued further north into the bay the water morphed from its previous turquoise clarity into a gray-green pot of ever churning silt.

We briefly passed James Bond island and our guide told us we wouldn't be stopping at this point but would rather pay a visit to the island after we explored the floating village of Koh Pannyi. In preparation for the island the guide again went into the history of the location and informed us that it was a Muslim community, through a few other religions had mingled in, and had originally survived off the sea. Now, again, tourism was a huge industry and had become the trade of many within the village. She also informed us that 99% of the village was built on stilts directly over the waters of the bay. The only dry land was taken up by the community mosque and a small, adjacent burial ground. One last bit of advice from our guide concerned women and Gibbons. It turns out that these women will let you snap a picture with their Gibbons and then demand $10 (or more) from you. Our guide thought this was a shitty deal and advised us to offer no more than 35 or 50 Bhat ($1-1.75) if we really wanted such a souvenir.

Approaching Koh Pannyi. Note the mosque located directly in front of the limestone formation.

Another shot of the village.

We landed at a dock situated directly in front of a large restaurant and were informed that the owner of the restaurant was the most wealthy family on the island. As with almost everything else in Thailand, it was all open air, but was made unique by the fact that between the floorboards one could see the water gently lapping across the surface of the bay. Some of the best seafood in Thailand served here per the guide.

We were given a tour of the village which included visits to the community school, the mosque, and the main shopping market, and then turned loose on our own for about 15 to 20 minutes. During the guided portion of the visit to the village the French couple kept wandering off and the guide was having a hard time finding and keeping tabs on them. The narrow walkways of the village did seem like a maze and it probably wouldn't be difficult to become lost within them. Of course, eventually you would find your way out given the small size of the place overall.

After the tour we meandered through the shopping area and purchased a couple magnets. Travis was had by one merchant who demanded BHT 100 (Roughly $3) for a magnet and he paid it. I got a near-exact copy for BHT 25 ($0.75).

Travis also had a run-in with a Gibbon woman. Well, actually, it was a Gibbon Ladyboy. (Considered as a third gender in Thailand, Ladyboys are men who live as women. Sexual orientation wise they fall into both categories of gay and straight. Culturally they're considered, as stated, a third gender and are treated no differently than the female or male gender.) Shortly after working our way through the restaurant and into the main market area of the village a Ladyboy with a Gibbon pushed it up against Travis and said something about a picture. I had seen several women headed in our direction and just kept walking knowing the slowest in our pack would get picked off. That designation just happened to fall to Travis. I'm not sure how things ended but he didn't snap any pictures.

Pictures from around the village. Click to enlarge.

After our guide rounded up the French couple and we were all accounted for and back in the long boat we headed out to James Bond Island, or, more formally, Tapoo Island.

The navigable portion of the island is, perhaps, as large as a football field. And that's probably being generous. Little is actually there aside from a few vendors selling various "James Bond Island" souvenirs, a cave off to the western portion of the island, and, of course, the view of the now famous rock formation.

Scarimanga's deadly rock (left) and various merchants selling wares and souvenirs (right) near Scarimanga's deadly rock.
(Click to enlarge).

We were given about 25 minutes or so to snap pictures here and check out the various merchandise stands. It was then back onto the long boat for the return trip to the June and our awaiting lunch. As we re-boarded the June the crew were putting the finishing touches on lunch and it smelled wonderful. Having had nothing since the night before we were both famished and were thankful for the delightful looking spread in front of us.

There was bean curd soup, salad, pasta, baked fish (right from the bay), and beer. Afterward there was more fresh fruit and coffee or tea. We ate and then munched for length of the return trip and the crew had just finished clearing the food when we pulled into a little cove for our "swimming time." Anchor was dropped and the crew extended a ladder down into the water. Our guide warned us that it was monsoon season and currents were strong and not to venture too far from the June. We both contemplated a swim, just to say we've had a swim in the Andaman Sea but decided against it. All of the others did as well and soon the crew was pulling up anchor and ladder and turning back to our home port.

The remainder of the trip was just spent lounging and talking politics with our guide and the couple from Australia. The political upheaval in Thailand was of much discussion and our guide was taken aback that we knew quite a bit about the recent events and the history behind them. (Given that we were closely keeping an eye on the events before we departed for Thailand we had learned a bit about the politics behind the upheaval.) Our guide also asked us about Hillary, Obama and the presidential elections.)

Upon reaching the Yacht Haven Marina and pier we debarked from the June and headed back toward the store front. We perused the t-shirts once again and wanted to purchase one but the only sizes they had were huge and extra-huge so we had to forgo any such parting gift. Tired from the sun, saltwater, and trip the two of us piled into the van and waited for our guide. Soon we were back on the road heading to the Marina Phuket.

Arriving back at the resort we headed to the "Around the Clock" and picked up a couple of Birdys, dropped off our bags in the room and then headed down to the pool for a swim.

The multi-layered pool was beautifully landscaped but a bit cold. Still, it was an enjoyable swim aside from the loud, and rather childish, Russian group that insisted on harassing a giant iguana that was simply out looking for dinner. (Not to worry, no harm came of the iguana. I think they were more scared of it than he/she was of them.)

We swam for a good hour or so and then showered back at the room before heading out to dinner. We found a nice restaurant on the main road with terrace seating so that our table faced outward, and looked down on the street below. I enjoyed a magnificent Pad Thai with shrimp wrapped in an egg omelet and lots of Thai spice and Travis had a vegetable stir fry. We enjoyed a bruschetta (Thai style) which was quite good as an appetizer and had Chang all around.

Near the end of the meal Travis spotted Kirsch on the menu and had a great idea of starting a new tradition regarding our vacations. As you may recall, from the Switzerland Trip Report, we enjoyed Kirsch in Zermatt, Switzerland in March. We figured we could have a Kirsch here in Thailand as sort of a tribute to the last vacation and as a way of honoring both the country we visited last time around and our new country of exploration. We thought it would be great and something we could carry on in future voyages. Alas! It wasn't to be as the restaurant had no Kirsch!

We finished dinner and spent about an hour walking the adjacent streets and market areas around the Marina. We had another early flight tomorrow AM to head to Chiang Mai and so, after purchasing a magnet, headed back to the room for another show and a great nights sleep.