February 4 – 8, 2003 – Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai |
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Chiang Rai, a mountainous province located at the Northern tip of Thailand bordering Myanmar and Laos, is often dubbed as a disappointing city, nevertheless Oli and I enjoyed it a lot.
There are some sights (mainly Wats) to visit as well as a Night Bazaar in the evening. We especially liked the Night Bazaar a lot – firstly, because of the great variety of food stalls offering cheap and yummy food and secondly, it’s a nice place to browse – it’s open, friendly and less frenetic than the Night Market in Chiang Mai.
While in Chiang Rai we did this one day tour to Chiang Saen (Wat Pasak, Wat Phrathat Chedi), boated along the Mekong River, stopped in Laos for a while, continued on by boat to Sop Ruak, to the Golden Triangle and the House of Opium (the Golden Triangle covers areas of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos; "Golden" because of the opium that was (is?) smuggled between these countries) and had lunch. Afterward we traveled on to Mae Sai (border town to Myanmar) and last but not least visited an Akha Hilltribe village.
All in all, I expected a lot from this tour… maybe that’s why I was a bit disappointed afterwards. Ok, it was quite interesting to visit all these places, "cruise" the Mekong and set foot on Lao ground… but still it wasn’t exactly what I had hoped for.
On February 6, we continued on to Chiang Mai, which is five times bigger than Chiang Rai in terms of population. Talking of comparisons: Chiang Mai is 45 times smaller than Bangkok but houses nearly as many Wats as the capital. So you can imagine, behind nearly every corner there is a Wat to admire. We spent a whole day strolling around the walled Old City – checking out a fraction of the Wats: Wat Phra Sing, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Chao, etc. I could go on like that forever, but then you might be probably get bored. But believe me, these Wats are really stunning.
On the other days, we watched the ongoing Flower Festival that turned the whole city into a sea of flowers, visited the bustling Chiang Mai Night Market on more than one occasion (lots of shopping opportunities there, great variety of hilltribe handicrafts, etc.; all in all a shoppers’ paradise) and enjoyed the cool climate there before heading back to Bangkok with the night train on February 8. Those sleeper trains are really comfortable :-)
Well, that’s all on Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai – I know it’s not too much but I’m a bit too lazy to write more. However, if you have any questions on Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai, let me know.
Oh, by the way, before I forget: In Chiang Rai we stayed at this guesthouse called "Korean Guesthouse" - a place that’s not mentioned in any guidebook – I can really recommend this place: clean, spacious and friendly. I also wanna recommend the Tha Phae Gate Lodge in Chiang Mai – also a very nice place to stay at!
Ok, that’s it for today!
Love,
February 9 – 16, 2003 – One week in Bangkok... |
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Although during our travels in Thailand we've been twice before to Bangkok, we've never done any sightseeing or shopping there… we saved all this for the last week, for this week.
During this last week we also did two day trips – one to Ayutthaya and another one to the Floating Market at Damnoen Saduak, to the Bridge of the River Kwai as well as to Nakhon Pathom.
First, I wanna talk a bit about Bangkok, the spiritual, cultural, political, commercial, educational and diplomatic center of the Kingdom of Thailand. It's said that Bangkok suffers under the worst traffic of the world, that the air pollution and the heat can take one's breath away. Well, I don't agree with that entirely… the traffic, the pollution and the heat are bad but I wouldn't necessarily say that it's the worst! I've experienced more chaotic traffic in Delhi, breathed worse air in Mexico City or Manila and experienced nearly unbearable heat in Delhi in May. Nevertheless, Bangkok can be quite exhausting after a while… but don't get me wrong, I really liked this city.
During our time in Bangkok, we - of course - did typical touristy sightseeing, like the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn), Wat Ratchanatdaram and Loha Prasat (Metal Palace), Wat Suthat and the Giant Swing, the Golden Mount, Chinatown, boated along the Chao Phraya River and and and… You could easily spend two weeks in Bangkok and probably still wouldn't have covered everything. It's a huge city with a lot to offer (take any guidebook, you'll see it!).
Most of the backpackers who arrive in Bangkok will sooner or later end up in Thanon Khao San – the "Backpacker Ghetto" of Bangkok. I found the following piece of text in my travel guide which I think is very striking… I wanna quote some lines (Footprint, Thailand Handbook, 3rd edition 2001, p. 139): "There is nothing Thai about the character of Khao San Road: everything is for the Farang, from the clothing, the jewellery, to the food. Most local residents in surrounding neighbourhoods tend to keep the road at an arm's length and do not claim a close familiarity with…. The irony perhaps is that the group of tourists which is usually perceived to live closest to the Thai way of living - backpackers - have helped to create a world which is wholly their own." I didn't like Khao San Road too much - I don't wanna offend anybody, but it's horrible what kind of people are running around there (nearly everybody gets him-/herself dreadlocks, dresses in really fucked-up clothes (do they run around like this in their home countries as well?!), and look amazingly cool *ggg*). Moreover, while you walk along Khao San Road you don't feel at all like being in Bangkok - all you can see, are tourists (mainly from the so-called Western countries). However, I don't wanna stick around with Westerners while being in an exotic country like Thailand. I was really upset that everybody (Thais, that is) labels you as a resident of Khao San. While waiting at a bus stop, for example, the locals tell you the bus number going to Khao San, although you don't wanna go there at all. It seems that all white young travellers wear a stamp on their forehead saying "Khao San Road". Well, I enjoyed our guesthouse, 20 minutes off Khao San, called "Jungle News" a lot - it's run by some really friendly Korean girls.
As I mentioned above, we did two day trips in our last week - on February 12 we did a day trip to the Floating Market at Damoen Saduak, to Kanchanaburi (Bridge over the River Kwai) and to Nakhon Pathom and on the 13th to Ayutthaya, the ancient Thai capital until its destruction by the Burmese in 1767.
Damnoen Saduak Floating Market is 109 km west of Bangkok and supposed to be (almost) the "real thing" - it still functions as a real market. However, I would rather call it "Floating Tourists" than "Floating Market" - watch out for my pictures :-)
After our visit to the Floating Market we travelled further on to Kanchanaburi, where the infamous bridge over the River Kwai was built at such human cost during World War II. The bridge was a small but strategic part of the Death Railway to Burma (Myanmar) and was in use for 20 months only before it was bombed by the Allies in 1945.
Later we visited Nakhon Pathom, famous for the Phra Pathom Chedi, the largest in Thailand. The bell-shaped structure dominates the town and stands 127 m high.
Our second day trip brought us to Ayutthaya, which served for 417 years as Thailand's capital. Many ancient ruins can be seen in the city that was founded in 1350. The wats are spread over a considerable area, too large to walk around comfortably but easily explored by bicycle. We spent some 4-5 hours cycling around the Ayutthaya Historical Park… we liked it a lot :-) Ayutthaya can be easily reached by bus from the Northern Bus Terminal in Bangkok.
Back in Bangkok, we spent our last days shopping, strolling around various markets (you have to visit Chatuchak Weekend Market), sightseeing, enjoying yummy exotic fruits, … and of course, enjoying the heat. I tried to store some heat for cold Austria, but it didn't work (read the next diary entry) :-(
And then on Sunday, Day X was here - the last day of our Southeast Asia trip. We sadly left Bangkok at 11:30 p.m.
How I managed my reintegration in Austria, how I survived :-) the acclimatization, etc., you can read in the next diary entry!
Hugs,
February 17, 2003 onwards - The end of our travels... |
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We arrived at Vienna International Airport on Monday at 9:45 a.m. - we were welcomed by my mom, my cousin and her lovely 2-years-old son. At home we were spoiled with a yummy Austrian lunch *mmhhhh*, a welcomed alternation to the daily rice we had in Southeast Asia ;-)
Unfortunately it was ice-cold in Austria (- 5 degrees Celsius *brrr*) - the 40 degrees difference in temperature between Thailand and Austria has brought me a nice little cold (throat ache, headache, stomach ache, a running nose) - what a great welcome! However, I'm glad that we don't have any snow or ice, at least I don't have to cope with that as well - instead it's quite sunny (but still too cold).
As soon as I got back I tried to return to normal life as soon as possible - I started playing Volleyball again, meeting friends, etc. I know the more you wallow in memories the harder it is to get back to everyday life.
What's happening with me now? Well, I finished my studies right before I left to Southeast Asia… that means my return to Austria marks the transition from one chapter of my life to the next one - from an easy and carefree student life to the serious and responsible work life. However, before I have to find a suitable job… keep your fingers crossed for me!
All in all, I'm really glad that my boyfriend and I did this trip. It was a kind of reward for the completed studies and it was my last big vacation… and one great experience! I don't wanna miss a single minute… it was a fantastic trip that will stay in my mind forever :-)
That's the official end of my Southeast Asia Online Diary - I hope you liked it and I really hope I've whetted your appetite for Southeast Asia, one of the greatest regions in the world!
With love from Austria,
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