Friday, January 5, 2007
My time without chatterbox...
So this morning Dean departed for a 2 day and one night trek, which apparently includes bamboo rafting and something to do with elephants? He was quite excited about it, which is good and I'm sure he'll give you blow by blow detail about it upon his arrival back. Whilst Dean has been gallivanting in the hills for today I spent the day cooking! I got picked up from our guest house at 9:30 am and driven to the cooking school with some others whom were also picked up upon the way. The class went from 10:00 am to 4:00pm, commencing with a general lesson on chief Thai ingredients such as what shrimp paste is and substitutes we can use at home if not available. Our first dish was Tom Yum Soup, which was delicious. The instructor would demonstrate how to make each dish, we would taste it to adjust chili etc according to our own tastes, and then all go to the cooking room where ingredients had been laid out and we would cook this dish and eat it. This was the order for all dishes ie we did not cook ever single type of dish at once and have a banquet at the end. Second was Thai fish cakes with cucumber sauce, then green chicken curry followed by pad Thai. The green chicken curry and pad Thai we ate together and this was classified as our 'lunch', although I felt like i had already eating two lunches. Following 'lunch' we came back to the class room and made spicy chicken salad and dessert of water chestnuts and coconut cream. After we had devoured this (27 in the class) we were driven back to our guest houses etc. I went for a little wander round town this afternoon and have been reading my book. I may have a few beers at the guest house bar tonight, no dinner as I am still stuffed! Dean arrives back at 5:00pm tomorrow and our train back to Bangkok is 6:00pm. He will be back just in time, just his style. I may go to the Tribal Museum tomorrow and stuff like that. I have enjoyed Thailand a lot, and moreover so much more than I had anticipated. I am really pleased that we ended up coming here, but saying that I am ready to go to Vietnam on Sunday, which is the country out of our trip that I have been looking forward to most of all .
Thursday, January 4, 2007
Chang Mai
First day in Chang Mai today. This morning we finally organised our Vietnam visas (just in time) which turned out to be a lot easier than I had anticipated. I booked a cooking class for the day tomorrow and Dean booked an overnight trek for himself, which leaves tomorrow morning. I am unable to do a trek due to my feet issues and Dean cannot do the cooking class as we do not have enough time and are leaving Chang Mai for Bangkok on the evening of the 6th. The National Museum was the first stop for today which was interesting until Dean and I discovered we were so hungry that we felt ill. Following a fabulous lunch of Pork curry, rice and another dish similar to a laksa, Dean and I have been wandering around the city and will continue to do so until this evening when we will head to the night bazaar for dinner and the market. Chang Mai is considerably more relaxed than Bangkok due to the differing traffic conditions and size among other things. Tuk tuks are the same as those within Bangkok yet Taxis look like comby vans verging on utes with seats in the tray. Its is cooler temperature wise here in comparison to Bangkok, we were freezing last night and had to use a blanket, which is a first for the trip so far...
Wednesday, January 3, 2007
Badminton in Ayuttaya
So,
We just arrived in Chaing Mai. Eight hour train trips are actually a lot less fun than they may initially sound.
Prior to this we have been staying in the little town of Ayuttaya, which contains ancient ruins of the once great capital. In its heyday the city was massive, with the entire island crammed full of Temples, a King's palace and various ornate Government departments. However, time and war have weathered this once great Capital, and now things look more like this:
So these were very very cool. I love things that are falling down, and Wats really do it for me so combined! Together at last. We rented bikes and rode around to look at the ruins on the island and then took a boat ride to see the ones on the other side. While riding may sound calm and peaceful, Thai roads are always a little hectic, and there seems to be a constitutionally prescribed law that when it comes to roads "might is right". However, it was nice to be doing something that wasn't generating tonnes of Co2 for a change; I haven't even thought about the ethical implications of flying on this trip, let alone the effects of the smog released by Tuk Tuks.
We were also staying in the coolest place in Ayuttaya. It was an old Thai looking place (hmmm specific?) with a balcony and a nice big room. We met an American called Mike and enjoyed too much beer. It was actually one of those cliche Thai moments I'd hoped for: playing badminton on the street with the Locals at 2:00 am (being beaten 4-21, twice!), staying up really late in nice bars, realising that not all Americans are bad. However, I paid for all this fun this morning, with the first four hours of the train ride having to be spent with sunnies on desperately trying to sleep.
We're in Chaing Mai for three days, and I'm hoping to go on a hill trek and do a cooking course. We still have a niggling concern about a certain Vietnamese visa we need to obtain, but I'm sure that can be sorted.
Oh, and in terms of cultural races i mentioned in an older posts, Men with Big Guns really let themselves down, with Pictures of King Rama IV outnumbering Men with Gun 50 to 1.
We just arrived in Chaing Mai. Eight hour train trips are actually a lot less fun than they may initially sound.
Prior to this we have been staying in the little town of Ayuttaya, which contains ancient ruins of the once great capital. In its heyday the city was massive, with the entire island crammed full of Temples, a King's palace and various ornate Government departments. However, time and war have weathered this once great Capital, and now things look more like this:
So these were very very cool. I love things that are falling down, and Wats really do it for me so combined! Together at last. We rented bikes and rode around to look at the ruins on the island and then took a boat ride to see the ones on the other side. While riding may sound calm and peaceful, Thai roads are always a little hectic, and there seems to be a constitutionally prescribed law that when it comes to roads "might is right". However, it was nice to be doing something that wasn't generating tonnes of Co2 for a change; I haven't even thought about the ethical implications of flying on this trip, let alone the effects of the smog released by Tuk Tuks.
We were also staying in the coolest place in Ayuttaya. It was an old Thai looking place (hmmm specific?) with a balcony and a nice big room. We met an American called Mike and enjoyed too much beer. It was actually one of those cliche Thai moments I'd hoped for: playing badminton on the street with the Locals at 2:00 am (being beaten 4-21, twice!), staying up really late in nice bars, realising that not all Americans are bad. However, I paid for all this fun this morning, with the first four hours of the train ride having to be spent with sunnies on desperately trying to sleep.
We're in Chaing Mai for three days, and I'm hoping to go on a hill trek and do a cooking course. We still have a niggling concern about a certain Vietnamese visa we need to obtain, but I'm sure that can be sorted.
Oh, and in terms of cultural races i mentioned in an older posts, Men with Big Guns really let themselves down, with Pictures of King Rama IV outnumbering Men with Gun 50 to 1.
Monday, January 1, 2007
We have made a Flickr site with most of the pictures we've taken. It can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/swingswinghouse/
The other little thing that happened yesterday...
Reading Sally's post I noticed she missed one thing; that 9 bombs went off in Bangkok last night!!
To be honest the first I heard of it was rolling over and seeing a bunch of messages on my phone. I was so hungover that I though the phone was deliberately tricking me to make me move. However, it really is kind of odd that we weren't aware last night, given we were hanging in a very busy strip. It's so odd that everyone was so calm. While the Age is painting a a picture of pandemonium the truth is the cops and army look as blaise as ever. Sure, they checked my bag on the way in but nothing like the almighty clampdown that we would receive in Melbourne in similar circumstances.
It's also interesting that no motives or rationale have been established. I have been reading the Nation (a Thai English newspaper) like a big nerd and they could only provide very vague speculation. Thai politics really seems to have it all, in good ways and bad ways.
To be honest the first I heard of it was rolling over and seeing a bunch of messages on my phone. I was so hungover that I though the phone was deliberately tricking me to make me move. However, it really is kind of odd that we weren't aware last night, given we were hanging in a very busy strip. It's so odd that everyone was so calm. While the Age is painting a a picture of pandemonium the truth is the cops and army look as blaise as ever. Sure, they checked my bag on the way in but nothing like the almighty clampdown that we would receive in Melbourne in similar circumstances.
It's also interesting that no motives or rationale have been established. I have been reading the Nation (a Thai English newspaper) like a big nerd and they could only provide very vague speculation. Thai politics really seems to have it all, in good ways and bad ways.
So, on the 30th of December Dean and I ventured out to the Chatuchack market once again as this time it was a Saturdy and consequently open! Within two minutes of arrival I becae sooooo hot in the unercover mass that I thougt I woul either faint, thro up or both. We promptly came to the conclusion that this market was not for me so Dean and I split for a few hours. Whilst I found a cool place to sit down, rest and eat Dean emersed himself with the heat confusion and bartering for rubbish at the Chatuchack markets. Following, we went to China Town for the best meal we have hd so far which we devoured whilst chatting to a local 50ish Thai man about Thailand and education. New Years was last night and around 12:00pm yesterday we met up with Jackie and Huddy and spent the majority of the time eating and drinking until 12:30am. We moved around khao San Road and those surounding, at some stage later in the evening stumbling across a wierd concert during which local Thai female teens were performing "sexy" dances to a tune pounded out by a pervy looking Thai guy of about 50! Finally, after having a few hiccups this morning (Dean was a little sick) we have made our a to Authaya to see the 'historic temples' and will depart from here to Chang Mai tomorrow or the follwing day. Our beloved King Rama has followed us from Bankgok to Authaya and he is engraved on the mirror in our room...
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