Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy new year from Thailand

As you would probably guess they like fireworks, firecrackers and anything else that makes a bang........

and sending lanterns into the sky

Friday, December 30, 2011

Hua Hin

So the last part of the trip is the relaxing bit at Hua Hin, which is likely to consist of:

Sun
Shade
Swim
Food
Read
Watch
and other challenging tasks.

And of course, given its Thailand..........massage.

Now the hotel spa treatments were a bit pricey, so i thought i would try the place at the end of the drive. It looked legit, no ladies outside wolf whistling to attract clients, so i gave it go.

One hour later, i felt relaxed but with Thai massage its no pain no gain. The lady then suggested a foot massage.

PLEASE NOTE FEMALE READERS SHOULD SKIP TO VERSION 2

Version one (male readers only).
It was alright, felt a bit girly but it was cheap and i was doing my bit for local economy. THE END

Version two (female readers only)
It soon became clear i had misunderstood what was on offer. No pounding/massaging of feet but some scrubbing/moisturising. Now i might be a bit slow but eventually i worked out i was getting a pedicure and she was going hell for leather on the sole of my feet and heels. At the end i just paid manfully and left but back in my room i had to give them a quick feel - soft as anything. Now the dilemma, i can manfully go and ask to be pummeled half to death with a Thai massage, but can i really ask for "that thing she did with my feet"

Thursday, December 29, 2011

More Photos posted

Ok, managed to get a decent internet connection so have posted additional photos of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, including trips.

You should be able to get to them from here


Alternatively just google "picasa alex gipson" and you should find them.




p.s. whatever you do don't google "alex gipson sexy photos" - that was all a long time ago,we were in early 20's, if Shane Warne is still dating Liz he would not appreciate them being available on the web, and to be honest Ryan Giggs has not helped all of us that had proper Super Injunctions in place which now seem to have been lifted.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Chiang Rai

Last day in Chaing Rai, sees a tour to Doi Tung Royal Villa and the Mae Luang Garden next door.

Doi Tung is the range of hills and used to be an Opium producing area (and there is probably a fair amount still going on). The villa was built for the King's mother -now deceased - 22 years ago and was inspired by trips she took to Lausanne, and is therefore an interesting mix of Thai and Swiss.

Quite basic in areas, it is used for a few days a year by the royal family, but otherwise open to public.

The location was partly due to the fact that the hills do have a bit of a Swiss feel to them (minus the snow in winter) but also to bring employment to locals in order to encourage them away from previous trade.

The gardens next door are 18 years old but seem quite mature and very well laid out.

On the way back we stopped at the Chiang Rai flower festival, which is an annual event, over 10 days starting just before Xmas. Photos to follow in due course and will hopefully do it justice.
In the morning i fly to Bangkok and then travel down to Hua Hin, for the more relaxing part of trip.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Golden Triangle

Day trip from Chiang Ria taking in:

Local artist complex
Village life
Monkey cave
Trip over border to Burma for a couple of hours
A couple more temples!
Visit to Opium Museum
Trip on Mekong River
Visit to Golden Triangle viewing spot where Laos, Burma and Thailand come together.

You can also see two new Casinos being built in Burma and Laos, who don't have the same gambling restrictions as Thailand.

It sounds quite an itinerary but most places were close together and actually it was quite a relaxed day.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Chiang Mai Temples

Today was a temple day.

Firstly travelling around 45mins outside Chiang Mai into the hills to see Wat Suthep, a temple dating back to 1383. Whilst all temples have common themes, a pagoda, an ordination room and a main hall, they do all seem to have an atmosphere of their own, partly i guess down to location/size and how much they continue to grow with often quite new rooms being added.

This one certainly had an important feel to it and i believe is one of the most visited in the region. Apart from spending time taking in the various sights, my guide informed me:

i was born on a Friday (i guess i should know that) which is the blue day (something i share with the current Queen, hence the blue flags that are often seen with national flag and yellow flag - i think Monday - of the current King)

that my birth date makes me a goat in Thai calendar and monkey in Chinese

Afterwards went back to Chiang Mai to see oldest temple in city. Smaller but similarly interesting.

Then a 3 hour drive to Chiang Rai for next step of trip in north.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Chiang Mai part two

One full day here, which included tour to:

Orchid Farm
Maesa Elephant Camp
Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden.

Be warned, i might well post a lot of photos shortly, you may well be advised to wait until i have been back a while before looking at them, as they probably need a fair amount of editing (if you have been on an elephant ride, you will appreciate that there is a fair amount of click and hope).

All three venues were very interesting, in their different way, and it made up a good three quarter day tour.

I am never sure what really to think of animal projects such as the camp. Clearly the show the put on, with elephants playing football, painting and entertaining are not an insight into the daily life of an elephant in the wild. That said it was not as cring-worthy as it sounds, and shows the ability for man to train the animal, in the past that would be to work transporting people/goods,now its for "Thailand's got talent". (I will refrain from a very unfair Susan Boyle joke). Overall there were strong testimonies to the preservation work undertaken by the camp, and the animals appeared to be kept in quite good conditions, so its probably overall a good location.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Chiang Mai

Flew from Bangkok to Chiang Mai lunchtime and then had relaxing afternoon.

In the evening it was a traditional Northern Thai meal, with traditional Thai dancing show.

Now some people say that its rude to take photos, particularly where flash is required, as it puts people off

some people are nervous that local traditions might be that when someone takes a photo, you take the soul of the person

some people think that you never really enjoy the atmosphere when all you are doing is taking photos so you can enjoy the experience when you get home

me, i just think that before you go these events you should double check the battery on your camera, as you might not be faced with any of these decisions!!!!!!

So there will only be a few photos, but it did mean the camera was not a distraction.

Update

Ok, so i have been able to update recent posts, including spellchecking (shocking grammar i know).

Links to photos are also here:

Train
River Kwai
Bangkok

Although i have not yet:

Deleted the fifth picture of a particular view
Edited with any details
Airbrushed

So they are raw, just point and click

Friday, December 23, 2011

Bangkok

With only one full day in Bangkok i was not going to see much of it, so i decided to go on half day tour taking in three of the typical temples.

You often encounter a range of different guides,

some are enthusiastic
some know a lot
some shout at their driver
some know everyone at all the sights
some are political
some are mad
some try a few scams
but rarely all of the above.

Until Sonni

mother of three boys aged between 20 and 30
husband of someone high up in "Bangkok Fbi"
flooded effected for about six weeks, but luckily lives on 1st floor
talks quickly
talks constantly
walks quickly
walks constantly
has some interesting views on thai monarchy which she probably does not shout about
keen to provide some additional offerings to the tour, a "quick stop off drink" happened to be in a gem saleshop (commission opportunity), knows a good restaurant after tour is finished (commission opportunity), knows a legit massage place best in town (commission opportunity)  and i wont mention her last offering

So an interesting tour if a bit rushed. We took in an additional palace, thrown in free because driver was half hour late, but that did mean we got stuck in traffic for quite some time. The temples were very impressive and certainly Sonni knew and shared a lot of the history and stories.

I leave tomorrow for trip to Chang Mai and Chang Rai. Since booking trailfinders have taken this tour off their website so i cant remember whats actually involved but i am sure guide will.

Bangkok - and i have two nights to cope with..........

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Singapore

Flights were fine.

Leaving UK at 10pm, flying 11 hours to Kulua Lumpa and then one hour to Singapore, arriving 8pm, does lead to some interesting decisions on when to eat.
Airline assumes you want to eat an hour or so into flight - which is either 11pm at night or 7am in morning depending on what time zone you want to adopt mid flight.

I have one night only in Singapore which was thrown in "free" as part of train trip.

Now,  i soon worked out:

when i saw plasma (ok a small one) above the bath, in the bathroom that is about as big as my house, that there is no such thing as a free night;

when butler rang door asking if there was anything she could do, that there is no such thing as a free night;

when i got lost in the dressing room, that there is no such thing........

Ok maybe not free, but nothing extra to pay.

So join train Tuesday lunchtime. I did read instructions beforehand and notice that i needed a tie for dinner. So i said to myself that the last thing i wanted to do when packing was to forget a tie, and sure enough when i got to Heathrow i noticed that the last thing i forgot to pack was indeed a tie (i can never remember who came up with that joke, i think it was Rowan Atkinson when he made a career out of actually telling jokes rather than just making strange faces). So the first three shops had ties reduced, tax free, to just over fifty quid, so you can not believe my joy when i saw Tie Rack (i never thought i would actually ever say that phrase)

Train Singapore to Bangkok

After being picked up from hotel, checked in for train at another hotel and then boarded at station around 20mins outside the city centre - Woodlands, just on border with Malaysia.

This train is a bit more up market than the trip i took from Perth to Adelaide, but actualy atmosphere was quite relaxed and journey very interesting. You spend two nights in a cabin that is functional but not large, although shower was actually very good.

The train winds its way up through Malaysia for the first day and a half and then crosses into Thailand.

There is one stop on the second day at Penang, and another on following day at River Kwai. Penang was quite interesting, includer a rickshaw ride, but lacked a bit of focus. The local guide was well intentioned but lost his audience toward the end as his jokes lost a bit in translation - ask me when i am back and i will tell you his viagra joke!

River Kwai was more interesting, actually it would have been worth a longer stop at musuem and memorial.

Meals were excellant, breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner - i have not been on a cruise but it seems like the same endless supply of food, other than no midnight buffet.

So all goes according to plan until lunch on last day, heading from River Kwai to Bangkok. Sudden braking sends water glass, some of the soup, thankfuly clear, into my lap and chair. A truck had apparently decided to play chicken with the train at a level crossing and train driver hit the brakes. A few broken glasses (well actually according to Claims Are Us "no win no fee" i should say there was utter carnage and i wont be able to sleep, or eat noodle soup, for years) but nobody injured other than the locomtive which packed up. So replacement sent and original arrival at Bangkok of 2-30pm, which changed to 4-30pm due to general delays, is now 8-30pm.

Train passengers

You meet a range of different people on train trips, and this has been no exception:

Peter +Antonia - American, Father and daughter, well travelled, whole range of business ventures, she is studying international relations at Edinburgh University, he is based n San Francisco

Vicky - Canadian, but seems to have spent last twenty or so years teaching in various parts of Asia

Lynne - a retired Australian croupier/surveillance manager, who spent 12 years in South Africa after going there for 6 months

Daniel - a 50ish New York language teacher who had just finished teaching in a monastery in Tibet

Toni and Pam cousins from New York and Washington state,  both well travelled and both understand and have watched rugby matches in US (neither typical American traits)

Dave, personal trainer and ex Olympic weightlifter and accountant wife Rosalind
And of course they had a 43 year old banker to talk to!

Friday, December 16, 2011

Off again

This time to far east for a couple of weeks over xmas and new year.

Fly to Singapore via Kuala Lumpa
Train to Bangkok
Few days in Bangkok
Trip to Chang Mai and Chang Rai
Beach in Hua Hin

Swapping the curent severe weather warnings for the heat overseas.

Not sure how much i will blog, or what photos i may be able to post.