Yesterday we woke up at 6:30am as we had booked a full day tour which included the floating markets and the River Kwai. We had breakfast again at Sawasdee Restaurant. I had some scrambled eggs, bacon and toast for a change. Dad, mum and I love their "2 fried eggs and big noodles with minced pork served on hot pan + 2 toasts"!
At 8am we were picked up by our driver, Likit, in a 15-seater van and driven quite a distance to the pick up spot for the long tail boats. we were expecting to see floating markets like the ones in Vietnam and were quite disappointed when all that happened was that we were transported to another landing jetty via some canals. Anyway, the ride in the boat was fun. All 11 of us fitted in one boat that travelled abt 15 knots. We got thoroughly soaked by other boats travelling fast in the opposite direction. We passed houses along the way that were built on the river on stilts etc.
Mum reckoned she was scared of falling in cos Dad was at the other end of the boat, too far away to save her! Ramesh was worried about getting the dirty water in his mouth and kept it fully covered with his t'shirt. The drama!
When we got to the landing jetty we were given the choice of taking a row boat to the markets (extra money) or going to see a cobra show (lots of extra money). Uncle Clinton really wanted to see the snake show so we just wandered around the very 'touristy' markets that mum reckons are set up for suckers like us. We also climbed upto a viewing point and watched the traffic jams of all the rowing boats and felt a little glad that we hadn't taken the rowing boat. Ramesh and I saw our first BB gun in the markets. We bargained the shopkeeper down to 600baht (abt $20) for a gun and a set of BBs, but didn't end up buying it.
After a quick walk around the markets we caught our van 10 minutes to the snake farm to watch "The Greatest Show in the World". Mum and dad chose not to come in. Mum doesn't like entertainment that mistreats animals. We watched men 'fighting' upto 3 snakes at a time and a mongoose fighting a cobra. One man caught 2 of the snakes with each hand and had a third in his mouth!! We then looked around the farm at the different types of snakes in cages. Next stop, The Bridge on the River Kwai.
It took us over 2 hours to get there and we were all relieved to just stand up. We went to a restaurant on the river overlooking the bridge. Great spot but the food took so long (45mins!) that we just paid for our drinks and left. Some of us walked along the bridge and learnt of the terrible history that took place there. We then went to the small markets nearby and bought some fried chicken kebabs for 10 baht (33c)! The sun was soooo hot that it was too hot to have a full meal. We also stocked up on mangosteen and durian while walking to the little museum nearby.
Being outdoors was so hot that we were actually looking forward to cramming back into the van again! Uncle Clinton asked if we could go to the cemetry next - this was where those that had build the train track were buried. Uncle Clinton's grandfather (or great grandfather?) had helped build the railway line yet survived to die at a ripe old age in Australia.
We then 'vanned' back to the hotel for 3 hrs(!) and everyone slept whilst I was stuck writing this blog! :)
All in all a long, tiring, yet interesting day.
Today we will have a small meeting with Aunty Siriwan in one of our rooms and then do some sightseeing before catching the overnight train to Chiang Mai.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
One Night in Bangkok
Capital city of Thailand; locally known as "Krung Thep". A shopper's paradise with market stalls around every corner and enormous shopping centres that have become a tourist destination! Yes, it's Bangkok!
And we've just spent ...
"One night in Bangkok and the tough guys stumble
Can't be too careful with your company;
I can feel the devil walking next to me."
Rambutri Village Inn is just how we like our larger guesthouses - quiet, with lovely staff and surprisingly comfortable beds. It's close to, but tucked away from the craziness that is, the Khaosan Road Tourist precinct, and is well worth the 950THB (approx $29) per room per night.
So last evening we checked in, walked to a gorgeous restaurant close by (nice setting and the staff are really sweet), checked out some market stalls, had a massage, tasted a fried scorpion and went to bed quite exhausted. Fitted in quite a bit considering we'd been awake (with small dozes on the planes) since 3:30am that morning!!)
Today we are templed out somewhat. After a late breakfast we started a bit of a walking tour (Ben in charge of a map and strict instructions on me on what I wanted to see). So we headed towards the Grand Palace precinct which includes Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains the famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. This dimunitive figure (actually made of Jade) sits high up in the temple in one of his 3 robes (he has one for each season - hot, cool and rainy)!
The Grand Palace, built in 1782 has been the home of the Thai King for 150 years. The present monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), apparently resides elsewhere, but the Grand Palace is still used for official events.
The beautiful architecture and intricate detail of the buildings in this complex was breathtaking. The beautiful mosaiced buildings, the blindingly golden stupas, the stunning inlaid tiling, the sculpted gardens, the ancient war weapons and the museum of decorative adornments and jewellery kept us riveted until it all got a bit much for the little ones. We split up then and Ben and I took the 4 big boys to Wat Pho.
A tuk tuk driver insisted that he could fit in all 6 of us!! And for 100THB (a rip off but not really since we didn't have to pay for 2 vehicles!) he transported us all squished up! We were the local entertainment to many people we passed and we were photographed and videoed by tourists as we travelled! :)
Wat Pho was an eye opener in itself. I had hears about the enormous reclining Buddha but to actually see it was something else. Here are some facts: The Buddha measures 46 metres long and is covered in gold leaf. The Buddha's feet are 3 metres long and exquisitely decorated in mother-of-pearl illustrations of auspicious 'laksanas' (characteristics) of the Buddha. The highest part of the Buddha we are guessing is about 20m high.
Finally we headed back to the hotel - in 2 tuk tuks this time!! :) Had a long foot massage (totally needed that one!!) and may even hit one of the night markets tonight. Yep we are truly suckers for punishments!
More from Chiang Mai I guess. We head there on the night train on Sunday (arrive on Monday morning).
And we've just spent ...
"One night in Bangkok and the tough guys stumble
Can't be too careful with your company;
I can feel the devil walking next to me."
Rambutri Village Inn is just how we like our larger guesthouses - quiet, with lovely staff and surprisingly comfortable beds. It's close to, but tucked away from the craziness that is, the Khaosan Road Tourist precinct, and is well worth the 950THB (approx $29) per room per night.
So last evening we checked in, walked to a gorgeous restaurant close by (nice setting and the staff are really sweet), checked out some market stalls, had a massage, tasted a fried scorpion and went to bed quite exhausted. Fitted in quite a bit considering we'd been awake (with small dozes on the planes) since 3:30am that morning!!)
Today we are templed out somewhat. After a late breakfast we started a bit of a walking tour (Ben in charge of a map and strict instructions on me on what I wanted to see). So we headed towards the Grand Palace precinct which includes Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), which contains the famous and greatly revered Emerald Buddha that dates back to the 14th century. This dimunitive figure (actually made of Jade) sits high up in the temple in one of his 3 robes (he has one for each season - hot, cool and rainy)!
The Grand Palace, built in 1782 has been the home of the Thai King for 150 years. The present monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), apparently resides elsewhere, but the Grand Palace is still used for official events.
The beautiful architecture and intricate detail of the buildings in this complex was breathtaking. The beautiful mosaiced buildings, the blindingly golden stupas, the stunning inlaid tiling, the sculpted gardens, the ancient war weapons and the museum of decorative adornments and jewellery kept us riveted until it all got a bit much for the little ones. We split up then and Ben and I took the 4 big boys to Wat Pho.
A tuk tuk driver insisted that he could fit in all 6 of us!! And for 100THB (a rip off but not really since we didn't have to pay for 2 vehicles!) he transported us all squished up! We were the local entertainment to many people we passed and we were photographed and videoed by tourists as we travelled! :)
Wat Pho was an eye opener in itself. I had hears about the enormous reclining Buddha but to actually see it was something else. Here are some facts: The Buddha measures 46 metres long and is covered in gold leaf. The Buddha's feet are 3 metres long and exquisitely decorated in mother-of-pearl illustrations of auspicious 'laksanas' (characteristics) of the Buddha. The highest part of the Buddha we are guessing is about 20m high.
Finally we headed back to the hotel - in 2 tuk tuks this time!! :) Had a long foot massage (totally needed that one!!) and may even hit one of the night markets tonight. Yep we are truly suckers for punishments!
More from Chiang Mai I guess. We head there on the night train on Sunday (arrive on Monday morning).
Street art - with a bit of Australian fauna thrown in
exploring our neck of the woods
T'shirts galore - Gangnam Style was BIG - we heard that song played ALL DAY for the entire time of our trip in SE Asia!!
looking up! must be fun being a powerline fixer!
uh oh...
this is what happens when you don't dress properly to visit holy sites! Uncool rented pants!
Beautiful golden stupas
intricate mosaics
even a mini Angkor Wat!
Posers! ;)
love these two! Already tanned!
on our walk past people's doorways - we spotted this honey
At Wat Pho - awed by the 46m long Reclining Buddha
The boys line up at the Buddha's feet - HUGE
By tuk tuk to our next stop
More t'shirts!!
Amongst the craziness Bangkok a moment of tranquility spotted
Just our family heading back after an evening spent on Patpong Road - just the markets not the sex and sleaze!
Cooling off
Cody tries it on for size
We could have spent HOURS watching the crazy traffic jams of tourist boats
Coconut icecream!! A real delight
Sanjay trying to journal while the others snore!
Another night another food stall
Getting pampered each evening!
Travelling by water taxi has to be the most interesting form of transport in Bangkok
A gorgeous bhikkhuni (a fully ordained female Buddhist monastic) was on the boat with us.
Next, travel by train to the outskirts to do some shopping.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
The Production of Packing - Shamara
This is the fullest that our bags have ever been on any of our inland/overseas trips, and there are many reasons for this.
The main one is that the boys have grown in the last 2 years - A LOT! - so their clothes are fuller/longer/wider taking up more room than I anticipated. This time we are also carrying presents from people for the friends that we will meet along the way which have filled up many of those gaps that I usually leave available for shopping!
It took me many hours yesterday as I tried to fit everything we wanted to take with us into the same backpacks that have accompanied us on all our previous 4 week family holidays (eg: Vietnam and Egypt) - editing ruthlessly as I went.
As is my usual habit I am confident that I will end up repacking the bags once again the night before we fly out and end up discarding even more gear - making room for all that shopping! :)
The main one is that the boys have grown in the last 2 years - A LOT! - so their clothes are fuller/longer/wider taking up more room than I anticipated. This time we are also carrying presents from people for the friends that we will meet along the way which have filled up many of those gaps that I usually leave available for shopping!
It took me many hours yesterday as I tried to fit everything we wanted to take with us into the same backpacks that have accompanied us on all our previous 4 week family holidays (eg: Vietnam and Egypt) - editing ruthlessly as I went.
As is my usual habit I am confident that I will end up repacking the bags once again the night before we fly out and end up discarding even more gear - making room for all that shopping! :)
Sunday, December 16, 2012
The Williams Wander Again ...
It's time for yet another epic adventure for the Wandering Williams. This year has been quiet where trips have been concerned (just a flit to Bali and a couple of boat trips) - so it's time we lived up to our reputation and took off for a longer period of time.
We leave in just over a week for a 4-week sojourn to lands in South East Asia - namely Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.
This time we're "flashpacking" (slightly more upmarket than backpacking!) and are travelling with another family. There will be 11 of us in total as our friends have 5 kids! yep... that's right FIVE! :)
So instead of public buses (and even tuk tuks) we will be travelling in a 10-seater minivan where possible - just makes things slightly easier we think. Tho' we're unsure that the 10-seater vans will fit in 11 people PLUS mountains of luggage!
Our friends' kids range from 7yo - 17yo. Our boys will be glad of the company of the two older boys I'm sure.
Our itinerary:
Fly Perth to Bangkok
Spend 3 days in Bangkok
overnight train trip to Chiang Mai
3 days in Chiang Mai
a mini van trip to Chiang Khong (via Chiang Rai) where we spend one night
Picked up in Chiang Khong and taken to a slow boat in Huay Xai (pronounced Hoc-Say)
The 2 day slow boat trip takes us along the Mekong River over the border into Laos. We hop off the boat in Luang Prabang .
3 days in Luang Prabang.
off again in a mini van to Vang Vieng
2 days in Vang Vieng
off in a mini van to Vientiane.
3 days in Vientiane
fly to Siem Reap in Cambodia
3 days in Siem Reap
local bus to Phnom Penh
3 days in Phnom Penh
head by local bus to Sihanoukville and catch a ferry to an island (Koh Rong Samloem) off the coast of Cambodia for 5 days
Head back to Sihanoukville by ferry and then back to Phnom Penh by bus and fly home (via KL).
So that's the plan folks. We will be meeting friends along the way (in Bangkok, Vientiane and Phnom Penh) which we are very much looking forward to.
We will try to keep you updated (and entertained!) as we go... x
We leave in just over a week for a 4-week sojourn to lands in South East Asia - namely Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.
This time we're "flashpacking" (slightly more upmarket than backpacking!) and are travelling with another family. There will be 11 of us in total as our friends have 5 kids! yep... that's right FIVE! :)
So instead of public buses (and even tuk tuks) we will be travelling in a 10-seater minivan where possible - just makes things slightly easier we think. Tho' we're unsure that the 10-seater vans will fit in 11 people PLUS mountains of luggage!
Our friends' kids range from 7yo - 17yo. Our boys will be glad of the company of the two older boys I'm sure.
Our itinerary:
Fly Perth to Bangkok
Spend 3 days in Bangkok
overnight train trip to Chiang Mai
3 days in Chiang Mai
a mini van trip to Chiang Khong (via Chiang Rai) where we spend one night
Picked up in Chiang Khong and taken to a slow boat in Huay Xai (pronounced Hoc-Say)
The 2 day slow boat trip takes us along the Mekong River over the border into Laos. We hop off the boat in Luang Prabang .
3 days in Luang Prabang.
off again in a mini van to Vang Vieng
2 days in Vang Vieng
off in a mini van to Vientiane.
3 days in Vientiane
fly to Siem Reap in Cambodia
3 days in Siem Reap
local bus to Phnom Penh
3 days in Phnom Penh
head by local bus to Sihanoukville and catch a ferry to an island (Koh Rong Samloem) off the coast of Cambodia for 5 days
Head back to Sihanoukville by ferry and then back to Phnom Penh by bus and fly home (via KL).
So that's the plan folks. We will be meeting friends along the way (in Bangkok, Vientiane and Phnom Penh) which we are very much looking forward to.
We will try to keep you updated (and entertained!) as we go... x
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)