Breakfast is around the corner at a French bakery, pancakes and coffee, pancakes good, coffee is crap, thats deuce. We could have had the complimentary breakfast at the hotel (80 baht) but we chose to go to the alternative so we can only blame ourselves.

8.30am we load up 2 mini buses, with 7-8 people in each bus and head north out of Chiang Mai towards Chiang Khong on the Mekong River and the border with Laos. We go through mountain passes, through river plains, if its not jungle it’s got fruit trees, vegetables, or cannabis planted in it. We stop for a toilet and coffee break at a modern building thats sort of a packing house for coffee and nuts, with a sideline vertigral integration into selling cannabis plants. The “grass” plants were about 15-20cm high, healthy and in black pots with Thai writing we couldn’t work out the price. News flash, he just looked at the photo and it says 35 baht for 1 plant or 100 baht for 3 plants. 35 baht is about $1.50 Aussie and 100 baht is $4.00.

Workers are in the rice paddies planting, and the further north we get the less signs there are in English. Our bus is quiet, we have Mat, Dave from Florida, one of the Irish boys, Valentin and Barbara (Germans) and us with Naa up front with the driver, the other bus has Bruce and Aussie Dave, and apparently they both hold the talking spoon. Thank goodness I’m not on that bus.

A lunch stop at the White Temple is a welcome pit stop for me, the coffee from the other place has broken the seal and I’m squirming to escape and release the pressure. The White Temple at Chiang Rai was built by a wealthy bloke using his own funds, its magnificent and it a blinding white, with some mirror tiles blended in to give it some sparkle. The toilet is world class, no squat toilet for this place, not that I could see anyway. There were a few monks around in their saffron robes but I’m guessing the bloke who built it collects rent from the many stall holders, restaurants and shops to defray the expense of maintaining the temple and its grounds.

We reach the Mekong and our hotel about 3pm, its right on the river which is massive and flowing strongly, all rooms face the river and the other side of the river is Laos. I can hear a rooster crowing from Laos. The rooms look nice but the bathroom is basic with a fuse box that must turn the hot water on and off as TMM feels he needs a shower before we go on our orientation walk about 4pm, and he comes out saying the water is very cold. BUT, I fix it for him later on, no comment but I thought a Maintenance Planner at a mine might know how to get some hot water out of a weird machine then adjust the spray so it feels like a shower and not a pressure spray.

We walk into Chiang Khong village, through it to their temple, through the temple back to the river then back to the hotel for a beer at the bar downstairs looking over the Mekong. Its quiet, apparently we’re the first Intrepid trip into Laos since it opened up about a month ago, Covid has impacted these river towns on the border between Laos and Thailand.

This area is part of the Golden Triangle, where huge amounts of opium was grown and traded. There are a lot of big houses this side of the river and in Laos that we can see over the river, I’m guessing it’s residual capital left over from the drug days. I’m enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of this place.

The Mekong is huge, and the river is high and flowing pretty fast so I’m guessing we won’t have to get off the boat and go by road in any places. The hotel is basic but ok, the views from the rooms is sensational. Tonight we are eating at a little restaurant up the road from the hotel that overlooks the Mekong River.

Dinner tonight is the group minus Bruce, not sure where Bruce is but nobody seems surprised. We are at a restaurant looking over the river, there is 14 of us and another small group of 2. The food is renowned for its Mekong River fish dishes so I have to try one, and have a mid spicy Mekong fish stir fry. Its delicious but my lips and tongue are dancing for a while after I finish and the Singha beer largy fails to cool it down, only time does that. TMM (remember him?) , has a chicken rice dish with a dipping sauce, and remarkably it looks a lot like chicken fried rice, but I could be wrong. Although to be fair he’s been pretty adventurous with his food today. We are sitting near Mat from Melbourne tonight, TMM rolls hand grenade after hand grenade under him about Victorians, I’d say the end of the night its 1 set apiece in a 3 set match.

Naa tells me she has organised flowers for a little ceremony tomorrow to put some of Tim’s ashes into the Mekong. I didn’t expect it, all I asked her the other day was, was it appropriate to leave some ashes at the temple above Chiange Mai. Its very nice of her and hopefully the group don’t mind the interruption to the boat trip. After the 400 baht dinner for two with drinks ($16) we walk back along the banks of the Mekong. Its very peaceful here and we’re all looking forward to getting over the border into Laos tomorrow and on the Mekong River for two days.

Ciao for now, leaving for Thailand heading for Laos. Paulo

I still haven’t had a chance to do the YouTube thing with the video from my GoPro. The video is clear, I have it on 2.7k not 4k as the files are so big on 4k, and I have shot a lot of my legs and the ground when I’ve forgotten to turn it off. The camera mode I have set on ultra wide, then I use my proper camera for normal format shots and special effects stuff, a bit cumbersome but I like the photos.

The GoPro is small light and easy to use, although I still can’t do a quick changeover to timed shots v instant shots, my fingers are too stubby. If I could I would use a digital SLR, I have a reasonable but old Canon but its too heavy and too large and I carry soo much crap (that I don’t need) so it gets left at home.

The Group we are travelling with is great, a real mix. The group consists of;

Naa – Our Intrepid Tour Group Leader. She is a youthful 61, former teacher who prefers travelling and leading groups for Intrepid. During Covid she taught prisoners in the Bangkok gaols. She is married, her husband is 70 and retired and she has 2 daughters who have educated and I’m not sure if they have any other family.

Dale aka as TMM (The Maintenance Man) & me – Pauolo.

Valentin & Barbara – a 30ish couple from Germany on their honeymoon. He works in German politics and she is almost trained to be a psychologist – I think she would be a good one.

Mat – a chatty 30ish computer IT engineer from Melbourne

Dave – a 40ish mats teacher from Florida USA, leaving teaching and moving to work in computer science when he gets home.

Dave 2 – a 61 year old single guy from St George in Sydney, still working, a well travelled knowledgeable bloke with a head fullof trivia.

Bruce – a 70 year old guy also from Florida, sounds like a New York accent. Very independent and I would say a unique personality.

Ange & Georgia – Mother and daughter from Perth travelling together, Ange is a copper probably mid 50’s and Georgia s about 30 and I think works in disability services.

Robyn – a friend of Ange & Georgia. Now single woman who won’t disclose her age, good on her, but I reckon she’s about mid 50’s. Shes a Grandmother that doesn’t like children, but I reckon she’s probably a pretty good granny, and good fun to have around.

Ginger – a 50ish single Canadian woman who currently lives in Malaysia, I think a teacher as well. Very organised and pleasant to talk to, well travelled woman.

Mark & Ben – two young blokes, brothers, from Dublin, one just finished uni and one just finished high school so they are Intrepiding around Asia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, India and maybe a few more places. Pleasant young fellas who fit in well with everyone.

That makes 14 travellers.

Today, in the morning we split into 2 groups and Bruce. We don’t know what Bruce is doing but he’s doing it, we may not find out what he did, his answers tend to be obscure. One lot go to a cooking class, which they love and they ended up cooking their own lunch. TMM and I were with 5 others and we go out to the paddy fields where they are planting rice, then to a local temple which is all made by the local Buddhist community, tin on the outside and silver on the inside. Men only are allowed on the inside. Should be more places like that I reckon, Nah just joking. It is a stunning beautiful place. I leave a bell hanging outside the temple for Tim. The locals are also the craftsmen and women who make the bits and pieces for the temple as well as little stuff to sell to raise for building and maintaining the temple. It would take a fair bit of Silvo to polish it I reckon. Next is lunch at a place that is a local restaurant that only does a chicken and rice dish with dipping sauce and broth and onion soup. Surprising but TMM eats the chicken and rice dish with the dipping sauce, BUT, it does look a lot like chicken fried rice. We then go to a local market, lots of stuff, good quality, really good prices, TMM buys more stuff but I refrain, discipline is the order of the day.

This afternoon is a chill afternoon, the monsoon weather is building again, its steamy and dark clouds are building in the south. Tonight we are going to a local cultural event. Some of the group go for a swim at the hotel next door, some go for massages. I’m sitting out the front of the hotel in the smokers area in the shade, listening to the birds in the jungly gardens and watching the storm build.

Team meeting before we leave for the cultural evening to sort out visa paperwork for the crossing into Laos the day after tomorrow when we get on the small boat on the Mekong. Naa gets it all sorted, collects money for laundry done today, collects money for tonights event, I’m not sure how she keeps it all sorted.

6.30pm and the storm breaks, its absolutely pissing down as we contemplate the ride to the event in the back of a truck with seats, a sort of big brother tuk tuk. There are 15 of us in is, squeezed in like sardines in a can.

The event is well supported by a mix of people and we sit down to a lovely Thai meal and some Singha beers. The dancing is all Thai traditional dances, mostly women and some men. The women look sensational in their traditional clothes with their long fingernails that seem to float through the air as they slowly dance. Its a lovely night, finished with a quick walk to the market and a foot massage.

Tomorrow we leave for Chiang Khong, further north, via Chiang Rai where we are visiting a couple of things.

Ciao from Chiang Mai – Pauolo

Chiang Mai started its existence about 700 years ago as the capital of the kingdom of Lanna. its a cultural centre, digital hub, expat retiree haven, with a population of about 130,000. The country around Chiang Mai is mostly mountainous jungle with some flats that a sown down to rice. As well as an overnight earthquake magnitude 6 in Myanmar (Burma) which is not far from here and a magnitude 4 in Chiang Mai. There has been rain, streams are running strongly with a foamy creamy look about them.

The nights sleep was a bit fractured, but started with the porters making the beds up at 8pm. They had a bed made in about 2 minutes then you have no option but to get in your little cubby house and read, sleep, eat chocolates or all three at the same time. The people on the top bunk (TMM is one) complain that the cabin light shines through their cabin curtain and keeps them awake.

Daylight arrives and its a grey looking day, farmers are out planting rice in the paddy fields, a bloke without a shirt is trimming a jungle vine from his front fence and the traffic at intersections gets busier the closer we get to the train station. The train station is a long way from the old walled center of Chiang Mai where we are staying in the People Palace Hotel. To be fair its better than the Peoples Palace in Pitt Street in Sydney that I once stayed at when we went to Sydney for the State Rugby League Carnival. After the shuttle buses drop us off looking bedraggled and sleep deprived, we have a breakfast of toast and coffee and leave our bags in Naa’s (Intrepid Tour Leader) room as we can’t check in yet.

The shuttles then take us up a mountain, steep and winding to Wat Phra Doi Suthep, a 600 year old Buddhist temple, its 1050 metres above sea level with 330 steps upwards from the car park to the temple, some walk and others take the lift. I’m nearly 67 but I figure I’ll try, if I fail then the instructions are to burn me there and fly me home in a box, But as fate would have it I survived, just, I was last up, my heart was pounding and I was sucking air like turbocharged v8 with a blocked air filter. Howvere the walk up is impressive and the temple is super impressive.

After this we return down the mountain to our hotel where we can now get into our rooms and have a shower and freshen up after the overnight train trip and the sweaty morning at the temple. Its exhausting this tourist travelling stuff.

For TMM ( remember him?) has his first fair dinkum Thai dish away from his normal chicken fried rich, although it has a Thai name it does look awfully like chicken fried rice but I say nothing and allow him his victory and take a photo to put on Facebook so in years to come he can lie about the fantastic Thai food in Chiang Mai. I’ll say nothing more.

After lunch we walk, for ages and Google maps have to find us a track home. Some of the others went off on a 30km pushbike ride, but we’re smarter than that and know it when we see them return later lathered in sweat and red faced.

Tonight we find a night market not far from the hotel with a great food area. I have a stir fried squid with a salted egg sauce, it is so bloody good, washed down with a Singha beer, TMM has the usual chicken fried rice but he tells me its a good one.

I had a foot massage earlier in the day and tonight Dale went to a flash spa for a massage, mine cost $8, Dale’s cost $20.

Tonight a tropical storm descended on Chiang Mai, it absolutley bucketed down, the streets were almost knee high with flood water and I got soaked as I was walking back to the hotel from the markets. The 59 baht rain jacket from Bangkok paid its way tonight.

Tomorrow we’re doing a tuk tuk tour of Chiang Mai, some are doing a Thai cooking class after lunch, some of us aren’t, some are going white water rafting (not us), is there a picture forming here? Tomorrow night we are all going to a local cultural night with food and Thai dancing.

Ciao from Chiang Mai – Pauolo

I’m writing this as we rattle along at a comforatble 100-120 km/hour on a train, sitting in my bed, just like a well made cubby house. Listening to a blues playlist I put together, more obscure music with new versions of classics like When The Levee Breaks thrown in. We left Bangkok at 6pm and arrive in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand at 7am.

A relatively early start today, for us anyway. Today was an Intrepid paid breakfast at the hotel but their breakfast box is crap so we go to the small convenience shop next door, it has some chips and savoury rolls BUT most important of all they have a small espresso machine. I buy a custard roll and a cappuchino thats strong and full of flavour. Cost 100 baht. We walk a block and get on a local bus to the grounds of Wat Pho where we see the reclining Golden Buddha, he’s a big old gold long lieing down bugger, 46 metres long and 15 metres high built 5-600 years ago. The feet are beautiful, black onyx it looks like with inlaid mother of pearl. The other pagodas around him were built n the 1800’s. Its pretty impressive although I think I like the Emerald Buddha and The Grand Palace better.

The next thing is we split into 2 groups and get into long tail boats and explore the klongs (canals) of Bangkok. Its like Venice, canals everywhere, crumbling in a lot of places, stunning moern architural design with piers onto the klong in others. Some houses with rotted stumps slope into the water, you could fall out of bed and roll into the canal if you weren’t careful. We feed some catfish in a sanctuary area, big fat hungery suckers with enormous catfish whiskers who fight and wrestle for the bread we throw them. Probably end up on dinner plates at some stage.

Then its back via the local bus to near the hotel where Naa (our tour group leader) helps me negotiate to get the battery repaced on my watch. My watch is Tim’s old Rip Curl Surfers Watch that I resurrected from his draw, so now ehen I travel I travel with one of the many nice watches he owned. I’m also carrying soem of his ashes that I’ll leave in the Mekong River in a few days time. His ashes have a home in Dubbo but The Navigator and I deposit small amounts in rivers around the world. So he’s still travelling with us when we travel.

A nice break this arvo, pack up the room, two young Irish guys on the trip share the room so that we can freshen up before we head to the train at 4.30.

The train is quite long, about 16 carriages and we’re in 2nd class which is quite nice. First Class looks super nice as we walk past. There are seats that convert into double decker beds, firm but better than a swag on hard rocky ground. We eat the food we brought onto the train,there is no catering no is alcohol allowed on the train. Too many f….wit tourists over doing it we are told, fair enogh I reckon. The train guards carry glock pistols on their hips, I figure I’m being compliant tonight. at 8pm the crew come through and make up the beds and it gets quiet very quickly.

I’m looking forward to seeing and getting to know Chiang Mai over the next few days.

Ciao from train in middle Thaland – Pauolo

Almost forgot, yesterday having breakfast at Macca’s we noticed white sheets with Thai writing facing the huge roundabout at Democracy Monument. The police turned up, got their photo taken with the signs, clearly it’s not saying confrontational stuff like “Thai Police Are Pigs”, but maybe they say ” Aussie Blokes – eat Thai food or go home!” . Why do we eat Maccas for breakfast? Because Hotel Siam Champs Eleesee don’t really do a decent breakfast, and Thai breakfasts don’t do it for me, or TMM. Yet.

Today we have a tour booked via Trip Advisor yesterday – Cost $47 each, to go to the railway market south of Bangkok and the Damenoen Saduak Floating Market. The mini bus turns up on time and the trip is consolidated somewhere near Chinatown to 10 people. There are no other Australians, and Dale is the second oldest on the trip (figure that out), there are couples from Italy (Rome), Singapore, Spain, Germany and I think England. Its a long drive out of Bangkok and a short coffee stop at a roadside stop where we get robbed by Starbucks for coffee and muffins, then onwards to the train station to get the train to the markets where the stalls are on the railway track,

The old diesel train picks us up and we are close to the Gulf of Siam, so there are salt beds everywhere across the lowlands of the coastal plain as well as fish farms. as we roll into the town the stall holders pull their awnins back and the train rolls through the market to the station. Fascinating, and most of the stalls are proper local food stalls selling vegetables, fish, spices as well as the usual poo pants etc to sell to tourists. Its still steaming hot but worth the time just to see this.

The next stop is the Damenoen Sabuak Floating markets, not so busy now as Covid affected the tourism part of of the market. The coconut icecream from the lady who pulled her boat int our boat is beautiful, worth the 60 baht cost.

The trip back to Bangkok in the airconditioned van is very quiet, everyone is sleeping, Thailand siesta time. We arrive back at the depot near the Bangkok Riverside shopping mall, like IconSiam over the river only artier and a bit cheaper. We procure a local ferry for 16 baht each to get us back to Phra Athit pier, then its a quck walk back to hotel, interrupted only phone calls from Dubbo and a stop at McDonalds for an ice cold soft drink.

Our tour group meets at 6 for a meet and greet and to get some administrtive stuff out of the way. Its a big group of 14, from Perth, Melbourne, Germany, Sydney, Dublin, Florida and of course Dubbo and Cobar. Our tour leader is Naa, a lovely Thai woman who is 61 but looks younger and used to be a school teacher. Dale and I pinpoint the troubled ones early and will work a plan to minimise exposue to them.

As we prepare to go to a dinner as a group the storms finally break, after days of buid up it pours down for hours and is still raining ith lightening and thunder.

There has been some comments from my fellow traveller about the status of my memory at times, small important things (to him) mainly, useless stuff I can remember. I remind him of his genetics and that he has missed the target more than a few times. Conversation discontinued.

Tomorrow we see some more of Bangkok and tomorrow evening we are on the overnight train to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand

Ciao for now – Pauolo

• Some Observations On Thailand and Bangkok in Particular;
• Its HOT this time of the year, we knew it was going to be hot but it has caught us by surprise how f….g hot and humid it is.
• Bangkok isn’t that busy, in places like Siam its busy but not as usual, the old town area is pretty quiet.
• Lot of people travelling, families with children, but not many Aussie accents, plenty of English, German, Scandinavian accents though
• Its pleasant on the river cruising past the barges and long tail boats.
• Its easy to orient yourself BUT it takes a few days to get the hang of travel via the klongs (ferry), the road via tuk tuks (negotiate a price before you hop in & no shopping centres jewellery places etc), the BTS Skytrain 140 baht for a day pass (cheap airconditioned travel), the river – local ferry or tourist ferry at 150 baht hop on hop off is good value)
• The klong ferries are a hoot, well worth the anxiety that you have no idea where you are going nor where you’ve arrived at.

Now today was going to be an easy day. But first thing is that its Genelle’s (aka The Navigator) birthday – so after breakfast at our favourite Maccas and a walk via the local markets on our way to the Phra Atchit Ferry Station to get on a hop on hop off ferry, I call her from the ferry on the Chao Praya River.

Another observation, TMM (remember him) seems like he’s transformed into a shopper for girls stuff, he’s forever checking out jewellery, poo pants, dresses, hand bags, shoulda brought The Navigator. Any way enough of that, he’s got the pricing sorted, seems to know what he wants and has the patience and smarts to say that he’ll wait until we get back to Phuket to do his shopping but I know he’s purchased various items that he’s been under instructions to buy. Lets see how much girl stuff he can stuff into that stonking great bell he bought, maybe he’s buying stuff to protect the bell?

We do a full lap on the ferry, all the way up to Saphin Taksin Skytrain Station or Sathorn Pier I think it is and back then proceed back again but stopping at the Icon Siam shopping centre. This place is as upmarket as you get, the shops are Bulgari, Versace etc and expensive food. Unfortunately lunch was Korean (in Thailand ????) we ordered too much and it cost us $20 each, highway robbery in Bangkok, the dearest food I’ll be buying in the 4 weeks I’m away by a long shot, still TMM actually ate Asian food, thats a win.

Its been very pleasant sitting on the boat, with a breeze in your face. We head back to Wat Arun, an old temple on the western side of the river, Dale is on the phone to Cliff and Jenny while I’ve been accosted by an over judicious gate keeper wanting the 100 baht entrance fee, I said I wasnt going in and just was looking at it from the outside, he said you can’t, you have to leave. I’m not sure what planet hes from but I can’t unsee it just because I’m being told to leave, there are f..wits in every country. But Dale finishes his phone call and decides to pay the money and go in, as a matter of principal I don’t go and sit 2 metres from where I was accosted by the gatekeeper and look at Wat Arun as much as I like (I have been there before years ago, didnt need to see it again anyway).

The ferry drops us back at Phra Athit pier and we walk through the Bang Lamphu area towards Khao San Road and in particular Rambuttri Alley where there are a lot of nice restaurants and no doof doof music you get in Khao San Road. A few beers at a quiet bar with crappy service from gum chewing, mini skirt wearing waitresses, Dale goes shopping for girls stuff and I get a massage, my back has been killing me. Walking and standing on concrete has knotted the right side, the masseuse pops and grinds the knotted area and it now seems ok.

Tomorrow we are leaving at 9am going to Damnoen Floating Market out of Bangkok and the markets where the trains come right through the middle of the market. Looking forward to that. Tomorrow night at 6 we meet the Intrepid Tour Leader and whoever else is in the group we’re travelling with.

Cheers for the day, ciao Pauolo.

Nearly every trip I manage to lose a hat, today I was successful again. Today was a designated temple and history day, so we plan to see the Grand Palace, Wat Phra Krae (the Emerald Buddha)and the Golden Mount before reassessing the rest of the day as we’re both a bit weary. After leaving the Wat Phra Krae ( Temple of the Emeral Buddha) and the Grand Palace we negotiated a tuk tuk ride with a young female tuk tuk driver for a ride to the Temple of the Golden Mount right near our hotel. It was too hot and too far to walk back in the sweltering moist heat, could only beat her down from 200 baht to 150 baht, but it was cheap. Just after we took off into the Bangkok traffic, the wind blew up and a gust blew through the steaming tuk tuk and took took my linen cap, depositing it in about 4 lanes of traffic. Goodbye cap, it was one I bought in Kilkenny a few years ago.

Back to the start, today is Monday so the traffic is back tooting and buzzing down the main road near our hotel. Another nutricious maccas, today TMM flies solo and does the order on the screens, a quick learner he is. The morning is pleasant but has the feel that its going to be really hot and steamy, prophetic forecaster that I am sitting in a sweat soaked shirt.

As we approach the Grand Palace another one of the loitering lurking touts tries to tell us that only Thai people can go in today and we should take take a tuk tuk to some shopping centre he reccommends. You feel that you can never take any help from anyone because there always seems to be some scammer trying to take you away from what you want to do. We thank him kindly for his advice and join the early lineup with a mixed crowd of Thai’s and foreigners, funny that. There are police, sock police, mask police, fan police, uniformed people of all sorts of service, temperature screens, sanitiser stations, all very clean and organised.

The Grand Palace and the Emerald Buddha are spectacular, cost to get in is 500 baht ($20) but well worth it. The Emerald Buddha is actually jade and is small compared most Buddhas. We had what we thought was a bottle water but it was actually a Japanese electrolye replacement drink called Pocari Sweat, with a slight grapefruit taste, very nice. We wander for quite a while before getting the earlier mentioned tuk tuk to The Golden Mount.

Entrance to the Golden Mount is 50 baht, its a high point with a spiral stairway. There are bells everywhere, needless to say TMM is impressed and rings a few including a giant gong about half way up. Theres also an impressive belfrey that he likes the look of, maybe a version of this coming to you soon in Brough Sreet Cobar.

The walk down the Golden Mount is slow and sweaty, its got hotter and hotter, they have misters on everywhere trying to cool visitors down but it just increases the humidity. A short rest at the bottom before TMM thinks he has a route planned to Phanfa Bridge Pier, we are close but he’s got the wrong track, Dr Google tells me so. The Navigator has a competitor for the title of Master of the Wrong Way. But we do make it to the pier.

The next bit is to catch the ferry up to Siam and then retire to the exquisite aircon at the MBK Centre. I love the ferry rides. And, MBK is cool. A KFC lunch with about 3 cups of Fanta to rehydrate, I reckon ive drunk 2 + litres of fluid but pee’d very little, the sweat is running into my eyes, down my arms, everywhere.

A little MBK shopping then, the ferry back and a well earned rest at the hotel before dinner.

We’ve moved from Khao San Road to a street with more and better restaurants, its a little tricky to find but you go down Susie Walking Street off Khao San Road and turn left when you hit the T piece. Dinner is Thi food and then I have a hour foot massage and Dale has a proper massage. I cant stay awake and so at about 10 pm we’re back at the hotel.

We’ve been pretty flat out, my feet and back are killing me, its hot and humid, and I think tomorrow is an easy day, we’ll see.

Ciao from Bangkok – Pauolo.

Its a slow start to the day, we arise at a more civilised hour. Its hot and sticky again, a real Asian tropical wet season day, a little sun, clouds and that smell that goes with rotting veggies and moist air and the sewer. What did General George Patton say, something like this “a good plan today is better than a perfect plan next week”

We had a good plan for today BUT, it doesn’t start well. We’re ready to rock n roll at 8.30 or therabouts and walk up to Phanfa Bridge ferry station, it looks awefully quiet, no boats, no girls in blue shirts and pink platform sandals, what the ….. is going on? A walk back to the street which is quiet, Dale makes a purchase at a 7-11 store and finds out the ferries have a holiday on Sundays. There’s a lonely bloke out the front of the 7-11 sitting in his tuk tuk smoking a bad looking rolly cigarette (could be a joint?), I ask how much to MBK, he says 150 baht, I say 100 baht, he says ok, so we jump in and off we go. We belt through the traffic and in no time we’re at the MBK Centre, BUT we can’t go in, its locked until opening at 10am, so we trek down the outside of the building and find a side door into Maccas, negotiate the magic screen (we are really good at this now), a wholesome breakfast of pancakes and really good coffee. We revert to Plan B and decide to head out to Chatachuk Market and get the sim cards later. So much for plans, although we don’t go too badly.

We cross the big road via the overpass into Siam Square, heading for Siam Skytrain station and find this guy sidling up to us, the standard old question “where you from?” ,our answer is “Australia mate” , he says he works in a bank and spent some time in Sydney and is on his day off today and asks what are we doing, we say ” going to Chatachuk Markets”, he says they are shut and only open after lunch and we should go to a souvenier shop he can reccomend, I say “oh yea?” and give a nod to Dale, he catches on (I think) that we know he’s a bullshitting tout and he disappears into the crowd. He ain’t no banker, hes a wanker.

Anyway we carry on to Siam Station, get the 140 baht ($5) BTS Skytrain Day Pass, and after a little analysis and hesitating we’re on the Skytrain to Chatuchuk Markets. Its about 12,000 stalls, that sell almost everything, clothes, furniture, kitchen gear, rabbits, snakes, and bells, you name it its probably there. TMM finds a bell stall, true its a shop just selling bells, big ones and small ones, normal ones and strange ones. He finds one he likes and negotiates, price starts at 2500 baht, there is no movement and we leave, there is no purchase. So after he’s procured a few items like the famous old Poo Pants for the home front, we’ve seen the snakes and other stuff and we find the way out via Section 6 Aisle 59 ( its still written on my hand) and he decides to try and find the bell stall, I think to myself “he’s f….g joking?” Well no hes not, so we go back to try and find the stall, we’re about to leave and he finds the stall. Negotiations recommence and after hes beaten them down to 1200 baht he finds himself the owner of a 1kg + bell with an elephant on it. There are inferences that I’ll carry it home for him but thats got as many legs as the idea that I’d carry taser parts back from Thailand for his brother years ago. The air conditioned Skytrain back to Siam is soooo very nice.

At MBK we find our stall and get the Thailand True Move sim cards fitted by the lady who ownes the shop, 799 baht ($33) gets us unlimited calls and data for 1 month, we test the phones with her and all works perfectly, they should also work in Laos, but we’ll see. A little more shopping, a call home via Facetime on our new Thai numbers, then its on the Sky Train on the Silom Line out to Saphin Taksin where there is a ferry station. we catch a ferr down the Chao Praya River, past the barges, Wat Arun, the Royal Palace to a pier not far from where we are staying.

There is a bar at the pier so we pull in for a beer, then find a tuk tuk back to the hotel for 2 hours rest.

Dinner is back at a street behind Khao San Road, less noise more civilised. The night is dripping humidity so we sit under cover in a bit more up market place tonight.

Its been a long day so caio from Pauolo for now.

There is a 3 hour time difference between Dubbo and Bangkok, of course there are other differences of a significant nature but this morning 3 hours seemed important. Awake at 5.30am and it felt like I’d slept in, of course I hadn’t, never do, and TMM (remember him) has the same issue, our bodies think its 8.30am. Anyway after a major sleep in we finally get on the street and head to Phanfa Pier with no idea how the rough plan will work out. The plan is to catch a ferry down the Bobenae Klong (canal) to Siam, walk to MBK Centre for breakfast, price Thailand sim cards, shop for camera bits and bobs and get the lay of the land, head up to the Erawan Shrine via air conditioned shopping centres then walk back to the klong and get the ferry back to Phanfa Bridge Pier. Then rest, then head to Khao San Road to find a place to watch Ireland beat the All Blacks (tick) and the Wallabies beat England (fail).

That was the plan. Now reality. First thing was TMM has to get some Thai Baht, there is a bank on the other side of the 8 lanes of traffic on Ratchadamnoen Klang Road outside the little hotel, TMM buggers off into the traffic, no care for his ageing travel companion, only to find that his Combank Travel card won’t convince the bank ATM to spit out cash. Serves him right. He does secure some cash using another card, however, he was sweating a bit. But, it was very hot and humid, just sayin!

We cross back over the road, then over a bridge to where we think Phanfa Bridge ferry pier is, we can see it after a tuk tuk driver trying to secure our business points it out. The pier is not easy to spot, its sort of crumbling with some young women in blue shirts and platform thongs (the foot variety) with pink flowers on them, they suggest that the crumbling dishevelved ferry clunking against the pier is the one we have to take, I’m not convinced so ask “is this the ferry to Hua Chang?”, the reply and a smile “yes yes, doan warly, is ok”. She was right, and we fly up the klong, wallowing in other ferrys bow waves, missing walls by centimetres, I poke the Gopro through a hole in the plastic roof only to nearly lose it to low level pedestrian bridge. The girl in the blue shirt and pink thongs ( I guess Bankok Ferries have these a standard PPE for staff) gives a a nod when we get to Ha Chang Pier. Its taken no time at all, we jump off while the ferry is wallowing, little concern for public safety, walk through a dark ghetto out into the street. MBK is about 5 minutes walk away, bloody amazing that it worked out. The ferry fare, wait for it, is 11 thb (baht) = 50c each.

To balance out the risk management, seeing we’ve survived the ferry we decide that the air con of the MBK KFC is a suitable place for a risk free breakfast. We buy a 59 thb (baht) light raincoat = $2 at a cheap shop as a backup to our gortex coats that are for heavy duty rain.  The 4th and 5th levels are for phones, cameras, electronics, hundereds of stalls and we find a very helpful lady who explains what we should do, which we will do, but tomorrow morning. A coffee at Maccas, and the coffee is good but we have to order using the same f…g machines we used in Sydney, lucky we know this stuff inside out by now.

The weather outside is hot and steamy, getting steamier by the minute so the walk along the elevated walkway beside the major shopping centres of Siam Paragon and Central World we duck inside for short relief from the steamy Asian heat. Erawan Shrine s a tiny shrine but clearly important, there are lots of people, security and as usual in Thailand there are people selling things like garlands off flowers and incense. There are also some traditional dancers, beautiful Thai women in beautiful dresses, dancing to traditional live music.

As we walk to what we think is the Pratunam Pier, Dale finds some clever hair bands for his daughter that are clearly a bargain, but that will be determined not by him however. The Pier is where its supposed to be, girls in blue shirts and platform thongs man the pier and the boat and after we pay our 11 baht each we belt down the klong heading towards Phanfa Bridge and if we miss diembarking its the Chao Praya River for us. We’re deposited at Phanfa Bridge Pier much wiser and I now consider us to be seasoned klong travellers.

A short rest and a cool shower, then its off to Khao San Road to watch the rugby, if we can find somewhere that is televising it. Khao San Road is quiet in daytime hours compared to last nights pulsating episode inducing laser light shows and nightclubs and bars BUT we do find a bar that has Ireland smacking the All Blacks on a screen so I know we’ll get the Wallabies v England at 4.55pm. No word on whether Thai security has an alert out for Kiwi’s with razor blades trying to cut their wrists. Some food and a few drinks and the Wallabies don’t quite make the grade, so we head off to explore the alley ways and streets between Khao San Road and the Chao Praya River. The heat is opressive, my glasses are constantly fogged (I did say fogged!), my cap is soaked in sweat, and as the day wears on my feet get a bit sore. We wind our way all the way down to the river, after TMM has a failed negotiation on a small person handbag, he needs his Aunty with him, he’d be leaving no handbags behind if she was here. The Chao Praya River is big, there are ferries, huge barges, small boats and floating debri on the river. As we wind our way back through the back streets and alleys we come on a bit of a horror scene, a crowd with traffic blocked and an ambulance/paramedic working feverously trying to resucitate somebody. Not a nice scene and we can’t help so we dodge around it, and back into Khao San Road for a largish container of Fanta to rehydrate. I do think then that the ambulance could have been for a Kiwi supporter after the All Blacks loss, but maybe not.

As we get back to the hotel, another shower, wash a few clothes, and listen to the tropical storm pounding outside, we got home just in time.

Tomorrow we head back to MBK Centre to get Thai sim cards, then a 3 day BTS Skytrain Pass at Siam Station and the catch the train to Chatuchuk Week-End markets where they have about 12,000 stalls and sell everything from sofa’s to snakes.

Ciao from Pauolo for today

Yesterday went slowly, I repacked twice, threw some more gear out, added some in, charged the phone twice, looked at my watch 20 times. Finally, relief, at 3.30 we head to the airport, checkin, security goes well for me, no alarms because of my metal knees, instead I get the full body scan, I wished the Navigator could see the scan so she can tell me what I have wrong with me, but I suspect the good Dr Reid really knows whats wrong. Despite whats on the news regarding the airlines being in a mess, QF2047 arrives early, everyone is checked in so we actually leave early and arrive in Sydney early. T2 to T1 by train, Rydges check in, healthy meal at Macca’s then after a discussion on Australian political issues TMM nods off, so I get stuck into a Candice Fox crime thriller on the Kobo.

Give me a human anytime

We’re on the plane, finally, 3-4 hours into the flight, and about to leave Australian territory. Jeez there is a lot of Australia. Not sure exactly where we are but there are a lot of big rivers below, the Moving Map is a static blank screen, technology is a treat because you dont have to deal with human beings, but more about that later, one thing The Navigator and I think TMM and I agree on.

An early start, we get to Qantas checkin at 6.15am, who said I sleep in! Now we aren”t Business Class or Qantas Club so we don’t get to go to see a human being, we get sent to a roped off pen with machines and some pleasant women to help us master the technology. I read the screen as I’m going through the process, I’m feeeling confident as just last night I mastered the Maccas ordering screen and assisted Dale with his order, but it says you cant check in power packs,you have to take them in carry on luggage, I’m warm (sweating in my Kathmadu polar fleece), I take my bag off, unlock the lock but then cant get the lock off because the cable tie is blocking it. F…..!, So calm down Pauolo, unlock the small compartment, find scissors, cut cable ties, scrummage around find battery f….g pack, tidy up, lock it all up and start the check in over again. Feel like I’ve just arrived in Bangkok, sweat trickling down my neck. Meanwhile the human help has been great, its those f….g machines I hate. Baggage check in next, this nearly brings me undone, the bag is on the scales, but thinks its a backpack (sort of is but isnt) so won’t sent it, the human help comes over and sorts it out. Glad we got there early.

Next step is through the gates of no return. The lineup is long but patience prevails, I’m jealous of the ones with kids and old people (wait…. I’m one of them!) who go through via the short line. Next step is breakfast and seeing we’ve mastered Maccas and the Qantas f…up check in we try the Maccas order screen again for a healthy breakfast. TMM (The Maintenance Man for those of you with dementia) does his first solo run on the Maccas machine, what a legend.

QF23 to Bangkok is delayed a little because catering is short staffed or their trolly broke, at least its humans and not robots loading it up. The pilot, Captain Juan Fangio Something-OrOther, assures us he’ll have us in Bangkok on time, TMM brings out the Minties with a look of doubt on his face. Lets see. As usual the food is crap, definitely not up to Macca’s standards.

The movies are not that impressive, so I switch the Bose headphones over to the phone to write this rubbish and listen to some music eg Lana Del Rey, Amy Shark, The Heavy, Billy D & The Hudoos, All Them Witches, Playing For Change, mostly blues and weird shit a lot of you wouldn’t like. This will get me to Bangkok.

There aren’t any weird or interesting people on the flight, that I can see anyway, what a tame bunch. There’s the odd person picking their nose and scratching their bum when they stand up. I know I could make some stuff up about people but you’d probably pick that, I’m assuming if you’ve read this far that you are intelligent and perceptive people. Sometimes boring is good.

The last bit into Bangkok we can see green and paddy fields, and buildings everywhere. There is a little confusion as we come off the plane trying to work out where immigration is and where you pick up bags, but oodles of Thai women in tight uniforms sort us all out, and we find ourselves with our bags at Exit gate 3-4 and sign with our names on it. a nice drive in a flash black Honda hybrid sedan to our hotel the Siam Champs Elysee Hotel. Google Mpas off line maps are treat. Its in the old Bangkok town, not far from Khoasan Road so a quick check in, sort the wifi,call home and then wander to Khoasan Road for a a meal and a beer.

The place is pumping, sort of Bangla Road at Phuket without the bar girls and ping pong shows. We find a table, an amiable waiter and order a padthai and a chicken rice stir fry with a big Leo beer each. Its stick hot, the food has a nice spice to it, the sound is abit loud but after 2 large Leo’s (a full strength Singha beer) I’m not worrying.

End of Day 1, I’ll need to sort out wifi for my Samsung tablet so I can post this with a few photos. OK the wifi doesn’t get sorted until the next morning, I think the Leo’s affected my brain a bit, at 5% alcohol. A dry mouth and a small headache convince me that if I drink Leos then only have the small ones. The room is quiet, air-conditioned, bathroom ok, beds comfortable.

So today is going to be a light day, explore Bangkok a little, catch the ferry up the klong to Siam from Phanfa Bridge, sample the BTS skytrain.

Caio from Bangkok – Paolo