Tag Thailand
The sign says 34 degrees and the one in the next pool reads 35. Somewhere off to the left is the source, the hot water cascading down from pool to pool, dropping in temperature along the way. This hotspring river as it were, flows through the forest, trees growing right at the edge. Thick vines grow from tree to tree, stretching across the water, hanging low down with people sitting or leaning on them as they relax in the heat.… Read the rest
A tall sandstone ridge runs through the forests, winding its way forward and branching off here and there, sending out tendrils of rock like tentacles into the undergrowth. A small footpath runs along the top of the ridge, at places barely wide enough for a person to stand, the sides falling away steeply without so much as a hint of a safety rail; one wrong step here and you go tumbling over the precipice. The part I’m on now slopes steeply downwards, and a deep fissure has been cut through the soft material, presumably by streams of water in the … Read the rest
It seems no matter how many waterfalls I see, they still have a powerful draw for me. This one is neither the highest nor the widest I’ve seen in this journey, just two streams of water, tumbling down an irregular cliff face covered in plants, to a pool and a small beach of coarse sand. I stand, ankle deep in the cool water, contemplating the booming noise.… Read the rest
From Bangkok I took the night bus to my last major destination for this trip, Chiang Mai up in the north west. Something I don’t understand about the night buses here in south east Asia is that they tend to leave around dinner time, then arrive in the early morning before anything is open. It would be more convenient if they arrived an hour or two later, so the hostels and breakfast places have time to open. I wasn’t able to check in directly so I dumped my bag in the hostel then took a stroll downtown to kill some … Read the rest
There were a few things in Bangkok I still wanted to see, so after my little excursion to Pattaya I headed back to the capital. After leaving Siem Reap, Renegade Wife and I have been traveling separately but it so happened that we were both in Bangkok for Christmas, so we could spend Christmas eve and part of Christmas day together (she had to go to the airport in the evening). It’s been a long time since I had a proper Christmas celebration with the family and I’m fine with treating it as just a normal day but it’s still very … Read the rest
I don’t know when or where I heard it but the name Pattaya has stuck in my mind as a place to go for beaches and nightlife. Some quick research showed that Pattaya is pretty touristic and that you can do much better for relaxing at the beach, and since I’m not much of a party guy some place like Hua Hin would probably be a better option for me. However, I just couldn’t get the name Pattaya out of my head, I had to see it for myself.
I read that the main beach in Pattaya city is pretty … Read the rest
This is the most exploited beach I’ve seen in a long time. Miles and miles of parasols and deck chairs set back from the water under the the shade of a row of trees, behind them, a wide road lined with shops and restaurants and out in the water, by some floating jetties, a whole flotilla of boats and jet skis. Far in the distance, tall white skyscrapers that I can only presume are hotels. I like a good beach but this level of exploitation kills the relaxed vibe.… Read the rest
I’ve had an active day in Bangkok, doing the rounds of the main tourist attractions. I started with the Grand Palace and Wat Pra Kaeow, both of which are full of both splendor and tourists. It’s almost too much gold and decorations to take it all in and as you get jostled around by the other visitors it’s a bit stressful. I also noted that except for the billboards honoring the king, there were hundreds of black clad Thai people around the palace, waiting to pay their respects.
They have some … Read the rest
The backside of the reclining Buddha, all you can see of the statue is his back, the folds of his robes hanging down to the pedestal and the pillars supporting the roof. On the opposite side of the corridor is a row of brass bowls on little stands. In each one of them is a number of coins and the room is filled with the plinking sound as people keep dropping more coins in the bowls. They go along the corridor, dropping a coin in each one then moving on to the next. It’s some kind of ritual and though … Read the rest