INTRODUCTION

Our month long trip to Nepal the previous year introduced us to the world of 'modern' backpackers. Almost all had suggested Thailand as the place to start hence this the first of several trips in the years ahead before our retirement opened the door to more prolonged explorations in Asia, Central and South America.

This blog is thus written retrospectively 27 years later from the diary I wrote at the time. Copies from the pre-digital photography era will be added later from film taken at the time.

BANGKOK and SURIN ELEPHANT ROUND-UP

Khoa San Road Bangkok 16  November 1990
Our very first night sitting on a comfortable double bed in a small room overlooking a little square just off Khoa San Road, the mecca of backpackers. It is 3:30 pm and Joan is asleep on the bed. The fan above rotates slowly and quietly making a pleasant breeze. The room is in the shade but the outside the sun is beating down, according to our pilot the temperature would be 29C. The windows are covered with mosquito netting. The scrupulously clean shared toilet and refreshing cold shower are located downstairs. We are very satisfied with this small guest house run in a family home which also operates as a Chinese laundry. It is costing just 150 Baht/night (around £4) and was the best of several we looked at in the area. 

The day had begun badly though Geoff had come to stay for the night and took us to catch the National Express bus at 7:30am as planned. The bus however developed two flat tires and limped vibrating to Bridgend 40 minutes late where we waited for a replacement bus from Swansea. We eventually reached Heathrow with 50 minutes rather than three hours before the flight. I had felt nervous and sick throughout the bus journey, as I had done somewhat for several days previously. In the event the plane was delayed for an hour but the pilot obviously made up sufficient time for us to catch the connecting flight at Frankfurt with time to spare, allowing me finally to relax and enjoy the long flight.

In the evening we strolled along Khoa San Rd which was brim with activity the pavement full with temporary stalls selling a wide variety of goods and services. We decided to sign up for a trip to Surin in the east of the country to see their Elephant Round-up starting early the following morning, it included accommodation for an overnight stop. I changed £100 for 4869 Baht an exchange rate of 48.7B/£. We had our first taste of Thai food my meal being Spicy Prawn with mushroom soup for 30B (61p, 10p less than for a small beer), Joan's was noodles with bean sprouts and chicken for half that price. By 9pm we were in bed for a well earned rest.

SURIN ELEPHANT ROUND-UP
We were suddenly woken at 3am when the light was switched on next door exposing a problem with our room the connecting wall was only gauze only at ceiling level to allow acceptable air flow. Followed by an excited young English girl inviting a recent Thai boyfriend to her room, followed by "that was the best of my life". Joan could hardly believe her ears, but I mused "was it ever thus?"
Joan's record of the same event
"What are we here for?"
"What is your name?" 
"I don't know, you don't know - better that way"
At 5am we got our own back by switching on the light to get dressed for our trip to Surin. 

Joan's description of  busy Khoa San road at 5:30am that morning. Today they are preparing for a festival, near where we are waiting there is a Thai lady with her small son and a folding table full of plastic bags each filled with rice, spinach, cabbage, coriander, fish.   
Small groups of Buddhist monks in brown robes carrying small covered pots walked up to the table and opened the lids of their bowl. The mother and her son together holding the bag placed in the begging bowl, a bag of each type of food was given. We learned that every male Buddhist (even the king) has to spend a short period of his life as a monk, to beg for food so as to understand how it felt to be poor. 

We were on time for the start at 6am, Dave an American was already there soon joined by a Canadian couple Craig and Frances. By 9am nothing had happened so I went back to our room for the malaria tablets I had forgotten. I inquired at a nearby Travel Agent where two English girls were complaining on the same issue, he sorted it out and in 15 mins and we were soon off in a minibus thinking it would rendez-vous with a coach but in fact we joined with other minibuses full of tourists who were staying in the Miami Hotel.

At Korat we took a side road to Phimai to see the ruins of a temple with beautifully  carved white sandstone doorways and inside a 4 metre meditating Buddha with a seven headed cobra supporting him. A pleasant site to wander around with shrines either side of a covered way but much of the roof was missing but still giving a good impression of the complete 12 century building by King Jayavarnian 7th, the Khmer shrine of the Mahayana Buddhists 

We returned to Korat to spend the night in the tourist Thai Hotel, in a huge bedroom with its own facilities but had to endure the sound of passing lorries for the whole night. Joan did not sleep. We had an excellent meal recommended by Frances of Shanghai Noodles, with beer plus free tea.

Sunday 18 Nov   Up at 4am and a good breakfast and on to complete the journey to Surin. The show itself was fantastic with about 150 elephants who had been brought from Chaing Mai province especially for the event.

Only last night (17/05/2017) I was reminded on a BBC program that the use of elephants for logging had been banned by the Thai government the previous year (1989). Surin province had been cleared by elephants and was under arable cultivation. Elephants no longer had work their only future was as tourist attractions. The Surin event was a traditional  event which we were to learn had recently finished with an elephant stampede in the town after the event's finish.

A Grand Parade ended displays of pageantry, acrobatics and even a game of football ending in a 0-9 draw. Some elephants kicked with good timing but others missed the ball altogether and some ended up unintentionally heeling the ball backwards. 

The finale was a battle by two armies on foot with swords with the generals mounted on elephants.

The trip back was a disaster as three of the five buses had left empty their passengers having already paid for the return journey.  The girl acting as our guide managed to hire one AC bus to take people straight back to Bangkok.

The two drivers were said to be in town  hoping to find fares. Together the rest of us walked into town in search of the last two minibuses but first found the elephants were ahead of us being fed by the stallholders and offering free rides to the local children. Our guide now penniless was distraught and Joan put her arm around her shoulders to console her and was thus the first to learn the problem was that the last two drivers were demanding 3500B to include the major detour to the famous temple as had been promised as part of the trip. Together we agreed to pay 120B each making 2000B in total and set off far later than intended on the return journey. We arrived at the temple in the Kanupuchu highlands at 6pm just as it became dusk. Nevertheless we were impressed by this almost magical effect of this ancient monument, not that far from Ankor Wat in Cambodia, finally reaching Bangkok at 3am already well rested by sleeping on the bus.

19 Nov In the morning we breakfasted on peanuts muesli with yogurt, fresh banana, watermelon and pineapple - a good experience. Next to the travel agent to request return of our cash, which Craig and Frances were to collect for us later whilst we delivered a couple of packages to Bangkok residents from friends in the UK. A Thai with two young girls stopped us soliciting to get free lessons in English for his daughters from passing tourists like us, we stopped and talked pleasantly together for 15 minutes. We found and caught a bus to the British Embassy but had a deal of trouble getting in, the parcel we had for Mrs P Squire helped but I supposed it could have been thought of as a bomb. We got talking to a helpful English ex-pat from Hong Kong who needed to see her friend Mrs Helen Squires to get her passport ready so as to catch her 2pm flight. They were not related but eventually we learned that Phallee was at a seminar and a friend from her office came down to collect the parcel - my notes do not record who had given us the parcel in the UK in the first place though we both recall the incident.

The second parcel proved much more difficult, this was a Welsh doll from David and Isla Naylor for Bow a girl who had stayed with them earlier. The street was easy enough to find but as we were to learn again in Amritsa there is no such equivalence to orderly numbering in Asia. At 1 Soi Ruamrudee, Ploenchit Road  one we got friendly help from the lady Yor-Ying Sittavibula who ran the Tourist Business. She explained that we needed Soi 1 (lane 1) off Soi Ruam Road and phoned advance warning but the Thai girl answering did not speak English, did not know Bow, and put the phone down. Eventually we found what we believed to be the right house, got the phone number from the houseboy, the only one in, and went back to the Yor-Ying's house, left the doll drank cold water and exchanged addresses. She was hoping to move to a bigger house so next time we visited Bangkok would like us to stay with her. Next task was to find the Lufthanza office to reconfirm our return flight to London.It turned out to be next door to the British Embassy in the Bank of America building, a long tortuous walk back only to be told we needn't have bothered. 

On return to the Guest House we found a new notice on the stairway "Thai girls were allowed in your room provided they paid 50B for the privilege", no doubt the man who has taken up residence in the room next door was culprit. It was free for English girls to invite Thai men. The owners were Chinese, when asked he about the different standards he said
"Chinese girls work hard - Thai girls earn money the easy way"  NB Only Thai girls were allowed in for sex! 
Had we chosen a brothel for our very first night as backpackers? Not quite just a scrupulously clean (Joan's Description) venue for young sex!!

On Craig's advice we had dinner in almost entirely Thai floating restaurant on the river near the Express boat pier. Prawns in garlic, mixed fried vegetables, rice a large beer and soda water for 188B expensive we thought at the time, were we slowly moving up market.

The GH owner had not produced the rail tickets for tomorrow night's sleeper to Chang Mai for which we had already paid 960B, and found that Craig had got tickets for 350B less, though possibly on a slower train. We tried to contact Bow by phone but failed and must phone again - did we? 

I almost forgot to record our visit to Wat Pho which was open until 5pm. It featured a 46 metre long reclining Buddha in gold, not to mention all the other images and the fantastic statues. Impressive sky lines with roofs of bright red, green and orange tiles with the ornamental parts covered in mirrors, or gold leaf or mother of pearl. All but the details were too big to photograph

Tuesday 20 November
The early part of the night was ruined by our new neighbour who refused to switch off his light even on request from either side, Joan eventually went beserk and nearly kicked in the plywood panel separating the rooms (not that we wanted to share rooms!), but that had the desired effect and we were able to sleep well though slightly too late for our rendez-vous for breakfast with Craig and Frances.

HEAD OF THE HUGE RECLINING BUDDHA

In the morning we visited the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Keo the sun shone and the whole experience was quite amazing quite the most ornate yet architecturally satisfying set of buildings I have ever seen. Simply incredible the majesty, glitter, roof lines a mixture of shapes such a contrast with the chaotic nonentity full of traffic that is Bangkok. The feature was the emerald Buddha a small jade figure in a magnificent sitting above many far larger Buddhas all with their hands raised in the symbol of 'peace'.

In the afternoon we went to the house of Jim Thompson, a legendary American who built the silk trade before disappearing in Malaya in 1967. Much smaller with far less to see for the house totally in hardwood was on a human scale, tasteful and totally in harmony with the surroundings. The house was full of artifacts collected in Thailand, Burma and China. In fact it was an amalgamation of two houses the second from Burma, set in a small garden of jungle backing onto a canal. On the other side of the canal he had built lots of houses for silk workers who still plied their trade. 

JIM THOMPSON'S HOUSE

We left a 500B deposit, with 1000B to pay on collection at the end of our trip for a lovely stylized painting on cotton by a local artist exhibiting at the house. It still adorns our bedroom. Finally a pricing the clothes on sale in Koa San Road t-shirts and shorts 80B each, earlier we had noticed similar for 100B though in neither case did we bargain or attempt to buy. For dinner we went to the night market and had a delicious totally different tasting soup made of bean sprouts, pork mince and various fish for 15B. When we got back to the GH our train tickets had arrived so we caught probably our very first tuk-tuk for 50B to the station, my lack of experience caused some mirth from onlookers as I tried to get in with my large rucksack still on my back. 

At the station there was a clear departure board in English and the platforms had clear English signs giving the destination of their trains.

SLEEPER TO CHAING MAI

Our sleeper was in the very last carriage and by 22:30 the attendant had converted the seats into the lower bunk and swung the upper bunk from the ceiling. With mattress, sheet, a blanket and pillow and a curtain/ It appeared very civilised.

I observed from a Thai opposite that the technique was to unhook the centre part of the curtain so that it fell away to let the carriage fan do its work, without which the upper bunk was unbearably hot.

  


 

CHIANG MAI and the Golden Triangle

Wednesday 21 November 1990
Breakfast as served on the train to Chiang Mai was English style eggs, bacon and sausage but with coffee to drink. The train stopped at Utaradit just after getting up at 07:30, a town just north of the Sukathai so it would be a good choice for an overnight journey  leaving Bangkok at 22:00 to this old capital. We thoroughly enjoyed that morning gradually rising through the jungle on the single track rail, writing as we reached 500m indicative of the flatness of much of Thailand. 

I was reading Julian Barnes 'A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters' for the first time and reflecting on my choice of this book for a Christmas present to my bible incensed very religious dad. It is an amusing but clinical debunking of the Ark and the superiority of man exposed by a stowaway woodworm. In chapter 2 an Arab terrorist high-jack of a classical history cruise anti Israeli view, likening their tactics to those of Nazi Germany. 

On arrival at Chiang Mai we were again met by the usual bury of touts. Joan chose the AT Guest House as did many others who met in the back of a songthaew, a mini truck. The room and the house were just clean enough but then for 80 baht with window and own toilet who could really argue. We spent the rest of the day walking to the TAT to get a street map and an invaluable bus time table and then to DK Books looking for maps but ending up with a selection of fabulous cards destined to convey Birthday and Christmas greetings.

We met up with Craig and Frances later that evening who had our 240 B refund from the trip to the elephant round up. They had signed up for a 1400B trek for four days and two nights involving  elephant rides and rafting, we would have done the same but there were no more vacancies. They recommended DARETS Guest House 100B, two Americans had decamped from the AT GH to Happy Home where they were quite satisfied but paying 320B. We returned to the AT but found the beds hard and creaky. 

Thurs 22 November
We went to catch a bus to San Kamphaeng but went with a songthaew we took us there for the same price 4B. At the factory we saw the complete silk manufacture  process from the history of the moth/silkworm to the uncoiling of about 20 cocoons being inter-twisted into a single thread, it's dyeing and straightening before weaving into cloth.

Joan ended up buying £56's worth, half 4x1 metre for herself and a dressing gown in the same material for Judy.

The driver had waited over an hour and then took us to an umbrella factory where they started by making the paper heating bamboo into pulp in vats, the frames were also made of bamboo and the paper was attractively decorated. 

Finally he took us to the lacquer factory a process starting with teak wood carved into objects and sealed with clay where the 5 coats of enamel drying and smoothing before a final two coats of gloss. The decoration was formed by etching back to the wood using eggshell and inlays with mother of pearl plus painting white or gold leaf. So were made the traditional impressive ornaments from beautiful  simple boxes and trays to bracelets and rings on cores of silver, to large decorative wooden room screens.

That evening I chose a restaurant packed with Thai's in this very touristy town, a meal spoilt in Joan's eye when I followed the Thai habit of ordering  a half bottle of whisky and virtually finishing it off!

23 November, Chiang Saen 

We had decided to head north and spend a night at Chiang Saen on the so called Golden Triangle  where the borders of Thailand Burma and Laos meet beside the Mekong river. First there was a four hour journey to Chiang Rai, pleasant enough until the AC system failed, the deliberate absence of opening widows left us very hot, luckily there was a bottle of iced water and croisants in the price. On arrival we changed bus and 90 minutes later were in Chiang Saen, where free mini cabs were offering to take us to the town's main GH where we found it full, probably a favour since the smaller nearby Suree GH was ideal.

 A stroll to the beautiful banks of the Mekong, bought a few pieces from the small market. Got into the museum with just thirty minutes to go, like the town it was full of history. There were many ruins nearby, including the temple just outside our GH, a testament to the fact that this now tiny un-feted village had been a capital city 200 years previously.

Near the Mekong we came across a vert interesting Open Day for the local school with Physics exhibitions, English lessons with language labs, it was all there including Arithmetic and Art. At the heart of the exhibition was a modern Japanese instrument for automatically testing your eyes driven by a guy taking readings of the refractive index as he moved a target around the eye a complete circle. At the end of which there was a print out of your prescription with a graph of variation around the 360 degree circle. They even had a machine making your lenses but at £50 a shot they were not getting orders. Amazing to she such advanced technology at the smallest, most remote village we had visited in Thailand. 

That evening we went back to the school to be blasted by the disco and entertained by the school kids dancing to singing rock groups. We retired to the refreshment tents before viewing our first Thai boxing match, the feet being used to trip as well deliver flying karate style kicks, and of course using the fists to punch as well. The bouts usually degenerated into wrestling with attempts to trip each other. Probably not Thai boxing at its most skillful!

Saturday 24 November
There were very powerful touristy boats at the small town of Sop Ruak in the Golden Triangle (for long a world centre of the Opium trade) offering round trips for 350B but we opted for a smaller one at 60B, sufficient nevertheless to get the feel of this unique meeting of the boundaries where the Mekong sweeps north in a change of direction. The influence of Burma was even more obvious in the long street market of tasteful souvenir shops and restaurants.

After walking for a mile, passing the market we watched a lady prepare the Thai spicy papaya salad delicacy of Som Tam for herself. She crushed ingredients with a pestle and mortar, chilli, peanuts, a small crab, dried shrimps, tomato, spices, papaya and soya. We bought which became a real favorite for me, a challenge at first though I suspect far too hot for Joan's delicate taste.

After that I got into a conversation with a group of young men and boys which helped greatly with my pronunciation of Thai. I had already developed a feeling for the importance of being able to speak local languages and had studied this one with the help of Linguaphone CDs. Though I never found learning foreign languages easy, whilst working I had got a good grade in O level Italian (which I took at the time because the evening classes for Spanish were full) and a median A level pass in French also from two years of evening classes. Later I was to add linquaphone Malay wishfully thinking it would cover Indonesian as well and finally Mandarin in preparation for our trip West to East across China in 2006. All now in 2017 forgotten - but I hope still recoverable. 

As we were leaving the Som Tam  encounters an English couple driving a canvassed pick up truck offered us a lift back to the Golden Triangle. We also arranged to meet later for a lift back to Chiang Mai where they were staying. In the meantime we bought an embroidered skirt for Joan and two Golden Triangle T-shirts. They picked us up as promised. Stopping at a remote one hut petrol station we were bought four small possibly plover eggs sold in a basket, thinking they were hard boiled I was about to break the shell, horrifying the small girl who had sold them - the real technique was to cook them in the hot spring with a well top lowering the basket on a fishing line. 

We ate them with soya in the back of the van. We were very pleased for the lift arriving in Chiang Mai by 7pm rather than the 10pm of the bus, they refused any payment but we exchanged addresses. That evening we ate four dishes at the Thai restaurant  noting we were getting a feel for Thai cuisine.

25 November, Pai
Picked up a van/cab for minimal charge to the silk factory to pick up Judy's dressing gown. Then thinking to assist him to get more rewards for introducing customers moved first to the lacquer factory where we bought another three bracelets for £15 for Christmas presents. 

The final stop at the driver's request was a wood carving shop where the carvings in solid teak were attractive but the solid teak furniture was out of this world, though one would need huge rooms to justify purchase, for instance £2400 for a set of one large and two small coffee tables plus four easy chairs and a three/four person sofa, with lots of carving. Onto an ornate eight seater dining set but finally resting on a teak table of simpler design for £1868-£1762. Each placing had it's own built in drawer Very tempting the price included pacing and insurance but not freight charges. Looking back we realised how near we were to buying something too big for our needs, and still feel a sigh of relief.

  
 

TREKKING fom PAI

25 November, Pai
Picked up a van/cab for minimal charge to the silk factory to pick up Judy's dressing gown. Then thinking to assist him to get more rewards for introducing customers moved first to the lacquer factory where we bought another three bracelets for £15 for Christmas presents. 

The final stop at the driver's request was a wood carving shop where the carvings in solid teak were attractive but the solid teak furniture was out of this world, though one would need huge rooms to justify purchase, for instance £2400 for a set of one large and two small coffee tables plus four easy chairs and a three/four person sofa, with lots of carving. Onto an ornate eight seater dining set but finally resting on a teak table of simpler design for £1868-£1762. Each placing had it's own built in drawer Very tempting the price included pacing and insurance but not freight charges. Looking back we realised how near we were to buying something too big for our needs, and still feel a sigh of relief.

We got the last two seats on the bus to Pai but it soon got overfull as Thai people joined. Two and a half hours later we stopped high on mountains for a break and a food stop, free water mussels in a sauce with vegetables and rice - very tasty for 10B. A girl got on with several plastic bags of live frogs and one eel. Just as we were leaving I noticed I noticed an advertisement for DIY trekking maps alongside a very small guest house, an interesting thought for next time, a few days in this small rural place would be so different.

At an army check point a legless Thai drunk got on, determined to stand but continually falling. Eventually he was persuaded to stay on the floor and I nestled my feet under his head to save him from further damage which served the additionally to protect a large box full of bread rolls. He took a liking to me and gave me a thumbs up when he finally stumbled off. 

We went for the Duang Guest House just opposite the bus station for 100B we had a five foot bed, toilet and a hot shower, though Charlie's 50 yards further might have been better. Duang's sister ran the restaurant where we ate well, once again being the only non Thai. We booked a three day, two night walking trek for 750B each starting tomorrow so went to our room to pack our rucksacks and write these memoirs.

26 November, Trek to Karen village near Pai

We were picked up an hour or so late at 10am by a pick up truck somewhat back on our arrival route before turning into a large track which ended in a settlement.  The party consisted of Pot our guide and his helper John-ju, American police Jack (35) and Gail (32), John a Belgian doctor who was intending to go later to Cambodia and Vietnam, Paul an Australian who had been away for 19 months much of it in London and was due n home for Christmas and Yeo a 25 year old Dutch girl.  A pleasant party and one with at least four strong walkers. I was carrying a much larger rucksack since we had decided to bring sleeping bags, which would not fit into our day sack.

Back Row - JACK - JOAN, PAUL, JEO,GAIL - Middle POT, JACK -  Front JOHN-JU and JOHN 

Lunching after three hours of walling it was obvious this was no easy trek. Next at least one long hard climb in the hottest and most humid part leaving our clothes soaking wet with sweat. Unfortunately the views weren't that good because of the trees and the height of the bushes. The path was almost always under the cover of trees and wound its way though undergrowth and if you got 10 metres behind it was often hard to see those in front. So that evening we were all exhausted when we arrived at a river for washing. I surprised everyone by stripping off completely and sitting in the water, it was glorious and by the next evening the other males had taken the idea on board.

That left just a last steep climb to the village and our bamboo hut in two parts, a dormitory where we slept (they slept in an annexe inside a mosquito net), in the other part on the first floor there was a hearth with a fire used for cooking - remember the structure is entirely bamboo. Pot immediately set a to making tea and the dinner to which we added chili. No-one found it harder than me to sit on the floor so I spent time standing. The native Karen people were obviously pleased to see us. The village was very poor with just a few animals, we were to learn later the more prosperous villages concentrated on the production of opium. There was however one young addict in the corner and John was persuaded to lie down with him and he took 12 pipes at 5B each before giving up with zero affect.

Gail a physio did a marvellous job on the back of my knee which I had recently injured playing tennis. It took her a long time to find the problem area deep in the structure, her massaging was painful as she got the blood moving but next day was absolutely free until the very end of the day's walking (pity I didn't persuade her to do it again).

The night was very hard and somewhat cold on the bamboo strip, so we were glad to have brought our sleeping bags. The toilet as in Nepal was simply a reserved area of the jungle near the village.

It was nice to find the village so natural and so friendly, they even cooked a rat to add spice to their breakfast but ours was more conventional with coffee served in bamboo cups with an inset lip for your nose, toast and pineapple jam.

27 November Lahu Village near Pai
The morning's walking was not too hard though we climbing a great deal from the outset. Soon we were seeing fields with young poppies. Midday we stopped in Lisu village and had lunch in a prosperous looking Chinese bamboo hut. Jack and I also sampled the Thai lunch next door with a beautiful omelette and bamboo shoots with cooked crisp chillie.

That afternoon was the hardest part of the trek, steeply up for an hour or so to the summit with photo session at 1500m, then as steeply down for the same distance.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY at 1500 METRE

The Lahu village looked far more prosperous with an abundance of pigs and chickens, far more colourful and like a village, the other was spaced out so as to avoid mingling with neighbours. 

A MORE PROSPEROUS VILLAGE - WITH OPIUM to SELL

We ate, slept and cooked in the same room, in fact it probably was one of the village's main opium dens with at least five people lying down to smoke, one a father with a small child on his back. I studied the opium habit more carefully. The opium itself was a black tar like substance which was mixed with a blackstick, probably charcoal, before being ground, a globule the size of a penny was placed on a pin and burned over a small flame whilst the smoker draws off the fume in a pipe and the helper gradually feeds more of the globule into the flame, a burning process lasting around one minute before the wait whilst the next pipe load is prepared,. All very messy.

OPIUM POPPIES

Pot told us it takes around a year to become addicted, much slower than heroin, but after that you are useless for work, for him becoming addicted would be the end of trekking, though he said Jong-ju his helper was an addict who could obviously still walk well and on our return to Pai saw he was also employed as a waiter.

Paul had 16 pipes and ended up with a high and Yeo just four and though both slept well they were both shattered the next morning - maybe it wasn't the opium that did it! 

Joan and Jack were feeling sick and went early to bed. I stayed long enough to see the opium have a deal more effect on Paul than on John the previous evening.

Wednesday 28 November, trek and return to Pai
First task a walk to the stream for a wash then breakfast of rice cooked in coconut milk, toast and coffee.

Joan was walking very slowly on the very first uphill stretch and we waited 30 minutes for her to arrive. After that I walked with her carrying her rucksack in front but soon she was violently sick, largely fluid with diarrhea. She walked very slowly up hill without energy, one step at a time and most unusually complained. Still she kept going and soon it got better.

Pot for the first time bought a great deal of fruit including Pomelo , like Grapefruit but not so juicy and with many pips that day as we neared the road and civilisation. Pot taught me to throw his knife into a nearby tree, I could hit the tree but only once did it stick in as intended. 

KNIFE THROWING LESSONS

We had to wait 30 minutes for a songthaew which took a further 50 minutes to take us back to Pai. That evening we all had a meal together of 'home cooking' but it was neither very good or a success though the evening was not helped by the insistent music and the fact that everyone was very tired.

29 November Pai
We decided to spend a leisurely day in Pai though Gail and Jack departed at 7am. 

We walked to the temple on the hill after a leisurely brunch with a young Dutch fellow. We eventually found out he worked for the Dutch customs in Rotterdam for eight months of the year and travelled for the other four months. He looked very much like a punk with small tattoos and a blond top to his hair though I later came to the opinion that he was currently on duty as an informer. 

He had told us however about a cycle trip to a waterfall on which he was offered opium for resale, perhaps to sound us out. Later he was very friendly and how he was learning Thai from a black book and gave us several addresses in India for future reference.

That evening we had dinner with him and the Belgian doctor John in a truly Farang restaurant (usual slang? for foreigner) which was owned by a Thai with a Scottish wife. An excellent Minestrone soup and curry followed by a couple of small bottles of Mekong. A very pleasant evening.

MAE HONG SON to MAE SOT (north-western border with Myanmar)

30 November

OUR HOSTS FRIENDLY DAUGHTER SAYS GOODBYE

Up at 7am to catch the first bus to Mae Hong Son. A very interesting ride because of the mixture of passengers, locals with bags of vegetables, two chickens in a basket, a hill tribe lady, a soldier with a machine gun and a variety of much less colourful characters but no tourists.

A MACHINE GUN for COMPANY

We took some time wandering around the lake to choose a GH before finally settling on 'Garden' just opposite the bus station 150B with hot shower but found it not very friendly, a better choice might have been 'Jeans'. We burned our mosquito coils for the first time on the trip, probably due to the proximity of the lake whilst never the less was beautiful with colours from flowers and foliage all reflected in the sill water.

THE LAKE SIDE AT MAE HONG SON 

Other than that we were disappointed to be in a totally tourist oriented town, you couldn't move without being offered hire of a motor bike or a place on a tour, but perhaps most of all we missed the fine company of the past few days. We were to late for a tour of the refugee camp at Mae Aw. Joan was inclined to blame the Mekong for her ills and for an unknown reason I was devoid of energy for a few days.

1 December
After a leisurely morning we signed on for an Elephant ride, 300B each for 2 hours. Joan was very keen and thoroughly enjoyed the trip and even managed to sleep on the elephant but I would gladly have got off after 15 minutes when the severe jolting, bottom pain and sheer boredom got to me.

SEE JOAN WAITING TO GET ON

However getting on was a mountaineering feat attacked from a place on a raised grassy bank one clambered over its head. Joan doubted she would have made it but for my assistance in pulling her up.

The ride along leafy paths on a level of the branches gave one a good view of the country. To begin with there was another elephant behind so I turned around to watch his joints noting the foreleg movement being the opposite of its back legs. I tried to photograph but found the amplitudes of motion made it impossible except when halted. 

The driver sat on his head and kept vibrating one ear with his foot in order to keep him moving. You obviously steered vibrating each ear as required to make him turn his head. We returned part way down in a shallow fiver bed which the elephant greeted with an enormous fart before the plop plop of great turds from a great height. A reason to beware of drinking river water!

That evening I purchased my first durian at the market for 100B/kg, 140B in total, expensive? - I should have bargained. It is a large prickly fruit which was separated on sale into natural segments by knife to expose the yellow fruit and a large stone inside. The taste is unique and very rich. It is said that foreigners don't like it because of the pervasive smell, best ate outside rather than taken to overnight in ones room.

That evening we again ate at the night market, and observed how the knowledgeable first bought starters from the stalls on the front - we were obviously getting learning to make the most of Thailand. For starters we chose pork slices on sticks sold with a sauce and a dish of sweet and sour vegetables. We then ordered a main course. 

Sunday 2 December, Mai Sariang
Our luggage went into the locker that had previously contained fish of the 6am bus to Mai Sariang. There were several lady passengers with large colourful rectangular bags who we thought were going away for the 5 December holiday. They however got off at a small village and we saw the contents consisted of many repeats of the same item, eg bra's, and were full of clothes for resale. We arrived at 10:30 and started to look for a guest house. 

This was not a tourist town and in my opinion all the better for that, the Sea View! guest house was 350m from the bus station meant walking across the river. It was newly opened and we had the nicest largest room of the trip for 100B with cold shower. Unfortunately we made the mistake of thinking they were out to make an impression and so stayed for dinner. It was in fact the poorest meal of the trip so I saved my appetite and followed the Lonely Planet to at the Intira restaurant whose chicken fried in holy basil they rated as the best in Thailand, it was very good - almost entirely meat.

We went walk about and found the Riverside guest house beautifully situated by a rapid section and drank beer whilst watching their tame monkey play. The Canadians we kept on meeting were staying there. After a fruit salad at a bir restaurant in f town we bought a whole pineapple for 14B to take back to our room. Ever the watcher for birds Joan spotted a perching Kingfisher but  only saw it fly off! 

3 December, Mai Sot
Following advice from the Riverside GH we went at 7:30 for the songthaew to Mai Sot, the fee was 500B. We had breakfast on the market before leaving at 8am in a packed songthaew which went round the town picking up and dropping passengers to various local villages, for which the locals never payed more the 25B before reaching Tha Song Yang having covered just a third of the distance to Mai Sot. 

Here we transferred to a new pick up truck after our previous driver had presumably passed over a share of our 500B. We initially set off with just two Thai children as passengers.

The road which had been difficult became  newly paved and the truck sped off through superb scenery. We picked up several hill tribe people and usually frequently dropped them at the next village, including a lady with two children who smoked a small pipe. She had a fascinating face and I hurriedly took a photo taking the time to focus properly. In fact people don't mind being photographed so I really must learn to be confident and take my time. The hill tribe people were only paying 10 to 15B often for quite large distances clearly we were financing the trip. Nevertheless seemed to be expected at certain stopping points and was presumably essentially scheduled.  

Mae Sot was a bustling town when compared with the others we had visited, but there was little evidence of tourists. No GHs were listed in the LP but once we had located the Siam Hotel a local Indian told us most travellers stayed at the Mae Sot GH much further along the same road which we soon found. It was delightful more like a youth hostel, an old wooden construction with a communal atmosphere. Like most we slept in the dormitory with perhaps thirteen others - there were a few private rooms but they were all full.

Our first conversation was with two youngish  English lads, one was teaching English in Thailand and the other was photographing the war in Burma. They had just returned from an illegal trip to that country, not apparently too difficult or too dangerous as long as you avoid the air raids, in fact malaria was the main hazard. The whole GH was obviously supporting the rebel cause, with requests to donate unwanted medicines or clothes. About 20 groups, 13 seriously of which the Karen tribe was the largest were fighting the Chinese communist regime in Burma, which the lads said had an extremely poor record in civil rights.

That evening we ate with a Dane who was also staying at the GH. He was a most interesting cultured person who spent last year of his schooling in Wellard, Canada, there is an important canal of that name joining Lakes Ontario and Erie, before failing at Copenhagen University and taking up stockbroking and studying economics. He was now embarked on travelling before settling back in Denmark, his journey had started in Japan, a fascinating country full of very polite people who are prepared to put themselves to a quite embarrassing extent out in order to help with even small requests. Travelling was expensive there but he found accommodation via a friend already living there.

He had come to Thailand via Indonesia and was obviously impressed by the more natural north east of this country - the one part we never visited in what turned out to be five visits over the next twenty years. He advised us to go south to nearby Umpang obviously a fabulous trekking and rafting destination south on what was in the 80's known as the death highway because of the combination of mountainous terrain and guerrilla activity, but we said we had to go to Sukhothai the next morning on our way home.

Joan talked to a chemistry graduate from King's College, London who was obviously impressed with the revolutionary pamphlets, financed by the UN. In fact they had just started a stance against the Burmese Communists because they had been ousted in recent elections but refused to relinquish power.

RIVER DIVIDES THAILAND FROM BURMA

At some stage we walked to the bridge which formed a crossing point of the border with Burma. On the Thai side there was a spectacular street market selling what we presume were goods originating in Burma. I remember the displays of fine jewelry from which I bought a long delicate necklace of fresh water pearls for Mum, another Christmas present solved. Joan thinks it was worn double and that the oysters may have been from mussels rather than oysters.
  

SUKHOTHAI, Thailand's first capital

Tuesday 4 December 1990

WE STAYED AT TRADITIONAL HOUSES TOO

Bus to Tak where we lunched on roast chicken wing and a further bus to Sukhothai, perhaps the whole journey costing 70B for two. Having found the excellent No 4 GH through a bicycle rickshaw driver we opted to laze the day away found the market and the recommended Chinese restaurant which closed at 6pm, too early for dinner and opted to eat at the night market spending 'a fortune' 125B on four dishes. We ate at he night market the next night too, evidence of us adapting to the Thai way of life.

5 December visit Si Satchanalia
It being the King's Birthday the museum at Sukhothai was closed so we took the local bus to Si Satchanalia the site of an even older city.

SI SATCHANALAI

The bus stopped for 90 minutes at Sawankhalok whilst the driver had lunch so we sampled various foodies, rice and coconut milk desert on a banana leaf plate, an interesting snack was a sort of flat biscuit with peanuts - we were prepared to eat anything now as we see the standards of hygiene are excellent, and street trading is the way most Thais seem to eat - we wondered if any of them actually cook. No doubt this is driven by the low price and excellent quality of food. I again the opportunity to photograph whatever and whoever I pleased and thinking of missed shots wished I had earlier been much braver.

The old city ruins themselves were on the other side of the river,  1.5km from the bus stop. It was an idyllic setting, the first port of call being a modern restaurant in a beautiful traditional style Thai building in the grounds was a most magnificent large garden full of flowers but also featured old cats and cartwheels. Also I guessed high quality shops beneath he restaurant.

On to the wide open parkland with extensive ruins but few visitors. Without a doubt this place made a far greater impact on us than tomorrow's well visited Sukhothai sites, impressive as they were they could not match its natural grandeur. We also bought a china teapot from the back of a lorry with so much choice we all but dithered too long almost to his point of departure. It is still a proud memory on the shelves of our lounge. 

SI SATCHANALAI

Before leaving we walked to the ruins of Chaliang which were far less extensive though much better preserved. finally a 30 minute wait for the return bus taking 90 minutes - without stopping for a driver's meal break! 

Then night market for an excellent spicy mixed sea food soup and then to the Dream Cafe for a real coffee, expensive at 15B a cup but the real stuff.

6 December
Packing at 10am ready for the night VIP bus to Bangkok 190B, alternative services from 140B. Then spent the day looking around Sukhothai ruins on hired cycles. the outer reaches were not at all well signposted, nor were they very impressive. The entry charge was 20B for each of the five areas plus another 10B for the museum - a rip off by Thai standards! The museum and the main park were the best bits, but mostly disappointing after yesterdays wonderful day at Satchanalia.

SUKHOTHAI

I had a super shampoo and haircut for 60B, my first in Asia, ready for my homecoming from a delightful small Thai girl, clearly unused to travellers, who found me far too tall so I had to slump in my chair to make cutting possible.  A quick meal on the night market followed by return to the GH where we were invited to rest in our rooms ready for the night bus. At 22:45 we found the bus waiting and it left early. The VIP bus was excellent , lots of room, good suspension and not to cold as they reduced the air conditioning flow during the night, though we had been for warned by travellers to use our sleeping bags. I slept well as usual on transport but Joan not quite as well though we agreed the journey was painless.

BANGKOK AGAIN

7 December 
Arrived in Bangkok by 5:30 though didn't have any idea about our location. After turning down Tuk-tuk drivers who wanted 70B but with some difficulty chose the correct bus, a Number 3, on the basis it was going in the correct direction - it took 30/45 minutes so the tuk-tuk charges were OK. We had arrived at the North Bus Station, not south of the centre at Humphalong as we had expected. We checked in at the Super Siam for 120B for a double room with beautiful shared facilities.

BANGKOK TRAFFIC IN 1990

We decided to try out the water taxis but first took the large Express boat to China Town. It was a fantastic area dominated by streets of shops, cheek by jowl, selling textiles wholesale, then a packed market area selling everything, cloths, clothes, jewelry, leather, even one fabulous food store selling lobster. The whole area was a maze of narrow streets some merging into the Indian area, absolutely full of life but very few tourists as so often missing the bits we found alluring. We thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and bought many presents, eg shorts, material at 28B a square metre, jewelry, wallets and the usual belt for me. I find it impossible to look back on this month long trip as other than a glorified tropical shopping expedition!

CHINA TOWN MARKET BANGKOK

At the same time we discovered Jack Fruit Ka-Noon, not unlike Durian in style though the exterior is less prickly and without the unique intensive smell. Inside are delicious yellow fruits and nearby stalls were cutting them up, taking out the nuts and selling them for 10B a portion in small plastic bags. Everything in the Bangkok of the 1990's days was sold in disposable small plastic bags, especially pineapple slices and all drinks. 

The water boat is a superb way to get about around town - no traffic. We decided to try first to get to Jim Thompson's house to pick up our painting, but found it tricky to choose the right bus for there are no signposts or timetables as found for buses, all information is by asking. This was 3pm and the traffic was at its usual stand still, so mastering the art paid dividends. 

We located the painter and secured the painting on paying the final 1000B. Then we walked to the Bows thinking to deliver the doll but again she was out. We got back to the GH exhausted. After a shower we went to the restaurant recommended by Craig the Ton Pho there is no English script sign outside. A very proper and dignified young waiter served us with great attention - we followed his recommendation of a fish in sauce which was served in a dish above a charcoal burner plus rice and a vegetable dish. The bill was 310B including a fruit mixture, the fish alone was 160B. The sauces were excellent, but then as I noted at the time so many of them are.

Saturday 8 December, our last day
We booked a minibus to the airport for 8pm at 80B. In order to capitalise on our last day we intended to explore water transport further. First we aimed for the Royal barges knowing only they were on the other bank of the river, finally sussing it by taking the express boat just two stops on the other Thonbury side, then paid 1B for a ferry across the Klong Bangkok Noi and a waterside walk to the sheds. The boats were impressive but not all that by the standards of the Bangkok WATS (what that means I cannot remember!)

Next attempt was to get a boat further inland as advised by the Lonely Planet. Talking as best I could the lady understood that I wanted to go up rather than just across the Klong Noi, but she directed us back to catch it from a terminal on the Bangkok side via the zig-zagging Express boat.

The LP said it left from the Phra Chan terminal but the correct one was Na Phra Lam, having found this there was a jetty marked Bangkok Klong Noi. Many boats came in and out, mostly specials with tourists but we noticed one moored filling up slowly with Thais and discovered this one we needed. A narrow boat with about twenty double divisions for seating, canvas on springs to keep out the worst spray, a powerful engined long tail boat of the type we had first noted on the Mekong. 

LONG TAILED BOAT SPEEDING UP THE KLONG NOI

KLONG NOI,      RIVERSIDE DWELLINGS SERVED BY FLOATING SHOPS 

We were off soon after boarding at a fair lick with the spray in our faces, the bow lifted as it accelerated and soon it was racing on its bow wave.

Fifty five minutes of sheer delight was in store as we went several miles up stream, the river was little but a street of houses built in the water with pylons in concrete. It looked a superb way of living, folks were dropped off on their own doorstep and others were picked up from home on signalling. Payment was made on leaving coins being passed from hand to hand back to the driver. The river dominated the way of life, there were people washing in the river, women washing clothes immersed in the river, boats fishing, boats selling green grocery, mobile kitchens.

The destination where we moored was a small town so we decided to stay for lunch and bought bottles of water for 3B (we had got used to prices of 5 or 6B. Two young Thai girls were eating at the same stall and bought four lollies and insisted on giving us one each, typical of the friendliness the people and of our welcome.

The young driver for the return drove far more slowly at first but made up for it with an exciting burst of speed at the end in danger of getting into a death roll until he motioned to me to sit down in the centre of the boat, the seat divisions were narrow so I had to sit side saddle. The best 40B worth of the whole holiday, just 10B for each single hour long journey. Such a delight I registered it as being the equivalent of seeing the statue of Liberty in New York for the first time from the Staten Island ferry.

Mastering local transport is always a delight getting you right among the people and saving a lot of money. Trying the same exercise twenty years later with our extended family we could not travel with the locals but had to take a separate long tailed boat for tourists only.

From the peer we headed directly for the night market buying Jack fruit , papaya, and home dried bananas to bring home. How times have changed!!

On the street we sampled the home made green drinks made from herbs in great demand from passing Thais but no tourists! We will try anything now. Finally to Kao San Road to buy four T-shirts, 2 shirts plus long trousers for me plus two midnight oil tapes (presumably a defence against mosquitoes)

Our last act was to eat at the very same restaurant where we had started, weeks earlier I had been startled by the hotness of the spicy soup - no longer.

Pick up at 19:50 by the minibus and we were on our way home with great memories.

Sunday 8 December
Frankfurt at 07:00 and out at 08:35. The temperature was -2C at Frankfurt and just positive at 1C in London  - what a reminder. We ought to have had more than a two hour wait for the express bus to Swansea but luckily there was one in place and the driver waited for a couple of minutes whilst we collected the luggage we had left in the terminal. We later found out the bus was yesterday's which had been stranded by the snows. What a change to today's National Bus now (2017) you wouldn't be allowed on without the right ticket and changing the time let alone the date would cost.

Written Conclusions

1 Friendliness of the Thai people and their sense of fun

2 A little Thai language and complete mastery of numbers went a long way but I need to learn more for next time
Korp kun krap thank you
Sawat dii krap greetings
Meua rai        when?  
Thao rai          how much?
Nii rai          what is this?
Yaak dai tua  I want a ticket
krap               yes (krap completes a sentence spoken by a male)
mai si           no
kai                 chicken
yaak ja pai    I want to go to

3 The excellent food, everyone eats food cooked in street markets either to eat at a table or as a take away in a plastic bag. Tropical fruit is marvellous

4 Cheapness 
Exchange rate 49 baht for £1
Accommodation 80 to 150 baht
Meals 8 to 30 baht per plate
Transport 50 baht for 4 hours on a bus
Total expenditure including air tickets £1018, insurance £94, and purchases was £1666 for 23 days for two. Expenditure in Thailand mainly by travellers cheques of £400 and cash of £80

5 Cleanliness  no need for a sheet sleeping bag or concern over toilets

6 Water       we drank bottled water no problem with ice

7 Malaria    is a hazard but many travellers fear the poisonous medicine even more

8 Sleeping bags   need a wider ruck sack for mine, not essential but they offer flexibility

9 Boots             essential for trekking, Welsh standard of hills

10 Liked working towns and small touristy villages, no so impressed with major tourist centre like Chiang Mai and surprisingle Mae Hong Son 

11 Backpacking is great but the real gain is with the interesting people you meet in their guest houses and the advice they pass on 

12 Carry business cards to give away with addresses 

Purchases We spent nearly 9000B on things to bring home 36 items in all largely as Christmas presents