Arriving at Chiang Mai, from Laos, was like stepping forward 20 years. Chiang Mai airport is big and new, shiny and clean. I picked up a cab to take me to my guesthouse a quarter of a mile from the Chiang Mai Gate, into the city's historic centre. The area is a quiet, leafy suburb made up, largely, of single story houses.
Walking around the city, I quickly came to understand why people like it. The old city centre is a walled and moated square encompassing a plethora of temples and historic buildings. Being a big tourist magnet for northern Thailand, it also has an abundance of bars and eating places catering for just about every palate. For pretty much the same reason, it has a vivid and vibrant night life. Almost every night of the week, there are colourful street markets selling everything from souvenirs and Thai craft ware, to fake western branded clothes and electronics.
A friend from Kings Worthy, Nick, moved here to live some years ago and had raved about the place. Although, he has now moved on the a more tranquil part of the country - more of that later - his brother, Ed, has followed and still lives on the edge of the old quarter. As such, I quickly found a drinking partner and a source of information on what to do and see in the area, as well as what to avoid.
An objective of my Odyssey, has been to experience new and unusual things and learn new skills. Whilst in Chiang Mai, I took a trip to an elephant sanctuary and enjoyed a wonderful morning learning to be a mahout. Elephants are amazing animals and learning to ride and control one equally so. I'm always concerned about how humans might treat working animals in their care. These beautiful creatures are both well trained and appeared to have a happy relationship with their handlers - with whom they will remain for most of their adult lives. Probably the height of the experience was bathing them at the end of our walk. If anyone had told me I would enjoy wallowing in a watering hole with four playful pachyderms, I would hardly have believed them. They appeared to enjoy the experience as much as we did.
My day was topped, though, when I then visited a tiger reserve and had the (dubious) privilege of entering a compound with a near fully grown animal. Again, I was concerned about treatment, etc. but, having done some research and then experienced first hand, these tigers have been bred in captivity and have known human contact since birth. Yes, they are captive and yes, they are a tourist attraction. However, they appeared health and lively and would happily play with the handlers. Moreover, money raised at the sanctuary supports research and helps to create and maintain safe habitats for their cousins in the wild. The privilege of being able to commune with such magnificent animal was awe inspiring in the least.
After a relaxing few days in Chiang Mai, Ed and I headed south to meet Nick in Phimai, a small town in central eastern Thailand about 45 minute by bus from his village. Ed was making the trip as it was his brother's birthday and it made sense to travel together. It was great to see Nick again. He has lived in Thailand for some years now and, although I have seen him on his annual return visits to KW, it was great to spend time with him and his partner. Nick and Ed make a great double act and we had a lovely few days busily doing nothing.
In stark contrast, my next destination was Bangkok! On a recommendation from Barry, who I'd met on the Halong Bay trip in Vietnam, I booked into the Atlanta Hotel in the Sukumvit area of the city. What can I say of Bangkok? It is what it is. A big, busy pseudo modern, south east Asian metropolis. A city where you can get just about anything you want, assuming you're not too fussy about authenticity, and that really does mean everything! I never made it to a ladyboy show - being a lone male traveller, it didn't seem right somehow, but I did see some performers out and about in the street markets. I have to say, they looked the part.
Whilst in the city, I made the pilgrimage out to Kanchanaburi, the site of the infamous bridge across the Kwai river and a part of the 'death railway'. The bridge is not the original - obviously, that was blown up by Sir Alex Guinness in 1957 - but it was both fascinating and poignant to witness now the scene of such atrocity nearly 70 years ago. To walk along the line of the, now little used, railway in warm sunshine, knowing you can return to a cold drink and a bus home, it is difficult to start to imagine the suffering inflicted upon those made to work.
From bangkok, I made a train journey to Champhon where, after staying with another blast from the past - Tony Sowton, one time landlord at the King Charles - I took a boat to the island of Koh Tao. By the way, many thanks to tony, a) for putting me up and b) for driving me to the ferry terminal at 5am next morning
Koh Tao was probably the pinnacle of my trip so far. As an island, it isn't much. Sat in the Gulf of Thailand, it has sunshine for most of the year, a northern peak that affords 360 degree views of the terrain, sand swept beaches, rocky coves, tranquil natural harbours, warm turquoise water, surreal sunrises and equally sublime sunsets, giant turtles, a plethora of tropical fish, black tip reef sharks, whale sharks, wonderful seafood...sorry, where was I? Oh, and diving! I hadn't dived for nearly four years and so was a little tentative taking my first step off a boat. By the end my time here I'd completed 20 dives, including two further qualifications. The combination of Thailand and divers meant that there was a health party atmosphere in the evenings, if you so wished. Equally, you could chill out with a cold beer and a book in a quiet corner of the island, if that suited better.
My tour of south east asia coming to an end, from Koh Tao, I took a boat and bus to Surat Thani and thence a flight to Kuala Lumpur. This was really just a staging post to my next adventure, Australia. But I can let it pass without nodding a big thank you to Fiona, sister of my good friend - and Vicky's primary room mate at Reading - Alison. Two days of chilling out in KL was about enough to get me ready for the flight to Sydney and the land down under.
Thank you for keeping up with me and my sincere apologies for being slow in getting this missive published. I hope to get Australia to you soon. I'm guessing that will be my penultimate travel blog for this trip, as it will then be New Zealand and home.
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