One of many street vendors.Note the extractor fan system.
...
Monday, 10 March 2008
Same-same....but different.
The craft mafia followed us around most times when we entered a village. I have very mixed feelings – I want to support the people but I generally do not like the craft work. I am not a big weaving and beads person. Plus I suspect a lot of the plant materials wouldn’t make it through customs anyway.
To protest that you have seem similar stuff elsewhere, or if you already have something, is to invite the gentle rebuke “Same same but different”.
The same phrase is sometimes used as a replacement for ‘whatever’ or ‘it doesn’t matter’.
...
That's not...oh, yes it is...
Yep. Fried crickets.
They taste slightly nutty, like pumpkin seeds.
Only crunchier.
...
Sunday, 9 March 2008
Premium transport!
They looked dodgey but the bamboo rafts were extremely robust.Especially considering the treatment they got going down the rapids.
Idyllic scene at one point - we were drifting through pretty thick jungle, a line of elephants were walking across the river and a group of buffalo watched from the bank.
...
An elephant ate my walking stick!
The above photo is of David & Suzanne, from the US.When we were trekking, our guide cut us bamboo walking sticks. When we came to the elephant riding point, we fed the walking sticks to the elephants.
...
Another day, another greeting.
Every village we came to had its own language. Each time we were coached in using the correct greeting. Sometimes you wondered if the guides were making it up. I mean, can you say “A-kee-boo-boo” to someone with a straight face? We did, and they seemed to like it. Another one ended in “-puddle”. The cake for cross-language perils is the the official Thai phrase for ‘thank you’ : “kop koon krap”. There is a definite psychological barrier to saying this at first, as the words have their own meaning in English.
Oddly, while the men say “kop koon krap”, the women say “kop koon kar”.
…
Chaing Mai
Chaing Mai – northern Thailand.
◊ Opted for Asian breakfast, fried rice, rather than the ‘continental’ breakfast.
◊ New member of the group turned up, immediately started asking who were the ‘unattached’ girls. Universally scorned by the females on the trip.
◊ Visited a silk factory, a paper factory and a silver factory. Fascinating in themselves but I don’t like the pressure to buy. It’s not why I am traveling.
◊ Visited an elephant training school – they played soccer, painted pictures, hauled stuff about and performed various tricks. Fun to watch, admire the training that they have received but, in the background, I can’t help wondering if this is a particularly good idea. I think it is more a program to keep the elephant handlers employed rather than from any interest in the elephant. Apparently it was set up after the logging was banned because the handlers and their elephants were going down to the cities in search of work and/or money.
◊ Megan, from our group was asked to sit on a post and the elephant, knowing that she had bananas, was allowed to go rummaging. Who says blondes have the most fun?
◊ Followed up the elephants with a more spiritual visit – to Doi Suthep temple, high in the hills above Chaing Mai. Very soothing. I don’t agree with everything Buddhist (eg handicapped people were bad in a former life) but it does have a lot going for it from a simplicity point of view.
◊ Finally, a visit to the night market. Good food, far too many crafts to take in in one night! I think I am all crafted out. An enormous place though with every conceivable craft and produce. All accompanied by vocal group singing Western songs from the 70s.
…
◊ Opted for Asian breakfast, fried rice, rather than the ‘continental’ breakfast.
◊ New member of the group turned up, immediately started asking who were the ‘unattached’ girls. Universally scorned by the females on the trip.
◊ Visited a silk factory, a paper factory and a silver factory. Fascinating in themselves but I don’t like the pressure to buy. It’s not why I am traveling.
◊ Visited an elephant training school – they played soccer, painted pictures, hauled stuff about and performed various tricks. Fun to watch, admire the training that they have received but, in the background, I can’t help wondering if this is a particularly good idea. I think it is more a program to keep the elephant handlers employed rather than from any interest in the elephant. Apparently it was set up after the logging was banned because the handlers and their elephants were going down to the cities in search of work and/or money.
◊ Megan, from our group was asked to sit on a post and the elephant, knowing that she had bananas, was allowed to go rummaging. Who says blondes have the most fun?
◊ Followed up the elephants with a more spiritual visit – to Doi Suthep temple, high in the hills above Chaing Mai. Very soothing. I don’t agree with everything Buddhist (eg handicapped people were bad in a former life) but it does have a lot going for it from a simplicity point of view.
◊ Finally, a visit to the night market. Good food, far too many crafts to take in in one night! I think I am all crafted out. An enormous place though with every conceivable craft and produce. All accompanied by vocal group singing Western songs from the 70s.
…
Bangkok contrasts
A mixture of temples, skyscrapers and everything in between.All overlaid with a constant smokey haze.
...
Stereotyping.
On the flight to KL, for breakfast we were offered a choice of chicken curry and rice or scrambled eggs, sausage, tomato and an amorphous brown lump described as ‘chipped beef’.
“I’ll have the curry?”
“Are you sure?” replied the steward.
Why did he offer it?, I wondered.
But he was either concerned or just being tricksy, because he insisted on giving me an extra glass of water with it.
The curry was actually quite nice.
..
“I’ll have the curry?”
“Are you sure?” replied the steward.
Why did he offer it?, I wondered.
But he was either concerned or just being tricksy, because he insisted on giving me an extra glass of water with it.
The curry was actually quite nice.
..
Saturday, 8 March 2008
We regret the interruption to our transmission...
Alive and well but finding wi-fi, well not really finding wi-fi.
But writing bits as I go so, when they come, they will come in a rush.
Post titles will include "Another day, another greeting", "An elephant ate my walking stick" and "Same-same...but different".
...
But writing bits as I go so, when they come, they will come in a rush.
Post titles will include "Another day, another greeting", "An elephant ate my walking stick" and "Same-same...but different".
...
Monday, 3 March 2008
So far so good...
Internet wi-fi has been elusive but have a number of posts ready to go when found.
We have settled in to Bangkok, met all the local conmen, tried a few foods, walked a lot, tuk-tuked a bit, by-passed the fried crickets (for the moment), seen a swodge of Buddhas in beautiful, ornate temples, declined numerous offers to the tailoring and lapidary sweatshops of Thailand and are about to head off on a long-tailed boat tour of the canals of Bangkok. Tonight we catch the local train to the hills (Chiang Mai).
...
Saturday, 1 March 2008
Day One (sort of) - March 1st.
to visit. Will definitely try to come back here.
◊ Watched to lorikeets, the multicoloured mafia, fight with a raven
on the feeding tray. Quite colourful – I wish I could have got a
photo but it would have disturbed them – the raven jet black, what
Dylan Thomas would have called 'bible black', and standing at least
twice as tall as the lorikeets in their red, green and blue outfits.
Odd that they fight at all really, as they eat different food – the
lorikeets eating the seeds, the raven eating the meat. But they put
on a good show and eventually the raven grabbed some meat and fled.
◊ An article in the morning paper on the odds of surviving a plane
crash. Happily the odds are good but the timing could have been better.
◊ Wandered to the kitchen to made coffee and tea and was confronted
with the stacked up remnants of the evening's meal. It was a good
meal but high dirty plate-load. Slowly working them through the
system. Smiled at the thought that I will not have to wash any dishes
again for a while. And so many other foods to explore!
◊ Wont sleep in my own bed for a while, either.
◊ Now, what have I forgotten to pack...?
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