Thailand IV

(not sure why this was never published...  continuation of my visit to Thailand in April 2009.  click on the "Thailand" category to the left for the earlier entries.)
 
An April gathering at Khun Tan is a tradition my mom was a part of more than 40 years ago. Schools are on break during April and the whole family would go up to the mountains to escape the heat. (I somehow missed the part about April being THE hottest month of the year when I was making my travel plans...) Back then they would take the train and walk up to the cabins from the train station.

We took a song taew instead, which dropped us off at Yaw 1, a kilometer up the mountain from the train station (Yaw is short for strategic military point, from their use during World War II). At Yaw 1 we had our bags loaded on the back of motorbikes to be taken up to the cabins. The motorbikes are able to traverse the hiking trail that winds up the mountain, although I'm sure the steep grade takes a toll on the engine and brakes. It's a 1-2 hour hike from Yaw 1 to Yaw 3 where the cabins are located. Another 30 min hike takes you up to Tip Top (Yaw 4) at the top of the mountain where there's a small stone lookout. You have to work for the view and cooler air!

41 people were there at one point during the 6 nights we spent on Doi Khun Tan (doi means mountain). Half of those were under 16, so Annie was in good company. 2 tire swings, badminton, soccer, lots of games and card, squirt guns, and water balloons made for a fun time.

Oddly enough there are no graham crackers to be had in Chiang Mai. The two boxes I brought at my mom's suggestion were very popular when it came time for a bonfire and s'mores.

The mosquitos were relentless! As the number of bites continued to rise I tried being more intentional about wearing long sleeves and pants. Woke up the next morning with a bite on the distal knuckle of my ring finger and another on the side of my little toe. I just couldn't win. =P

It's cooler up in the mountains, but it's still too hot for even a sheet until 2 or 3 in the morning. This leaves you with the dilemma of choosing between the cool breeze and protection from mosquitos. Another family brought a mosquito net, but I hear that blocks the breeze, so it's not a perfect solution.

There is constant noise! I remember getting out of the song taew and asking to make sure I wasn't the only one with a ringing in my ears. The cicada's lead the chorus of bugs and birds in a continual cacophany.

It was quite nice to return to the cool airconditioned luxury of the house in Chiang Mai. While the heat has been rather oppressive at times, I'm not sure I'm ready to come back and face weather that includes snow(?!!) in April. That'll be quite a change.

Thailand III

(not sure why this was never published...  continuation of my visit to Thailand in April 2009.  click on the "Thailand" category to the left for the first two entries.)

Wildlife is abundant. Not only do geckos, ginkos and ants make an appearance, there is a peacock family complete with five little babies, a few geese, and a very hungry orange cat.

The sun beats down as the beach and the pool beckon. Annie and I strike out for the open water and end up walking quite a ways on the shallow reef. Ended up with a cool picture of the two of us far from shore, but standing on the reef in such a way we look like we're walking on water. We may have passed some interesting underwater flora and fauna, but we didn't want to look too closely seeing as we were wading right through it. The water is like the wind. Patches of cooler water appear out of nowhere. The sand is coarse and new on the water's edge, with softer sand further up.

One day we rent motorbikes. It's a long way around the island and at one point we're caught in driving rain. The rain drops sting as they hit my arms and face at 40 km/hr, but the cool breeze is welcome. It pours and we're soaked. Then the hot sun comes back out to bake us dry. A very long side road takes us to Treetop Resort on Long Beach. The road alternates between a strip of pavement, dirt, and gravel, and rises and falls sharply. The Treetop has a lovely restaurant area overlooking the beach with hammocks and guests reading in the afternoon breeze. The rooms are only 100-300 baht per night (~$3-10), but the lack of airconditioning makes me tired just thinking about it.

Back on the bike, stopping to take pictures this time. Made the mistake of pulling into a ditch to make sure I was out of the way of traffic and couldn't get the bike back out. It was heavier than I expected and the sides of the ditch were steep. I tried giving it some gas but it just sputtered in the leaves. I cranked the gas some more and the bike shot up the side in an alarming burst of power I didn't feel capable of reigning in. I let go and tumbled to my left. My fall was surprisingly graceful and left me with only a few cuts and bruises. The bike's left mirror was knocked loose, but it seemed fine too. A kind passerby helped me right the bike and continue on my way. It wasn't until I caught up with my mom and Annie that I realized the camera had fallen out during my tumble. Thankfully the dry, weedchoked ditch provided a good cover and I was able to recover a hot, but otherwise unharmed camera.

The problem with cuts and abrasions is they don't mix well with salt water or chlorine. The next day being our last at the beach, I tried out the pool and was pleasantly surprised that it didn't sting. Swimming in the ocean awakened a cut on my shin, but wasn't too bad either. All of this leads me back to our disappointingly lengthened van ride home. You see, getting back at 5 am wouldn't have been such a big deal if not for the fact that we were leaving at 8 am that morning for Khun Tan (in the mountains)...

...to be continued...

Thailand II

A few days adjusting to the climate and experiencing their daily life was just what I needed. The dreary chill of Washington and weary routine of work quickly faded from my mind.

Our first spring break destination was Koh Chang, an island off the coast of Thailand a few hours south of Bangkok. To get there we started with a 15 hour train ride from Chaing Mai to Bangkok. When I was 7 we travelled through Europe and took an overnight train through Germany. I remember the steady swaying of the train gently lulling me to sleep. This trip was like a ship on the high seas at times, pitching and bucking in a way that tested your sea legs. Either the journey was actually rockier or I've just gotten old...

Disembarking in Bangkok, we made a beeline for the cafe. (can you disembark a train? Or is that term specific to boats? ...moving on) A 4 hour bus ride lay before us. Even in the comparative cool of the morning my face was already damp with a film of sweat. The combination of suncreen, bug repellent, and sweat makes for an unpleasant sticking coating.

We loaded up in a double-decker bus and wound our way through downtown Bangkok. A little way out of the city the bus started to vibrate in a way that felt like a flat tire. We slowed down and pulled to the side of the road, but kept going in the slow lane. We passed one exit, then another. Either the problem isn't as bad as it sounded or they had a favorite tire place. We finally stopped for our lunch break and they openned up the engine. Out came a chewed up plastic fan and an hour later its replacement arrived to be attached by force, including a good dose of hammering (very reassuring). Then we were back on the road for the remaining 3+ hours to the coast.

<- this is NOT the boat we took.

The ferry ride to Koh Chang is quite similar to Washington ferries. The cars load up on the main deck and there's seating on the upper two levels. It's a smaller ferry, though, and all open air. The view was a little different, too. Deep blue water surrounded us and the islands were covered with lush vegetation.

Once on the island we found a song taew (taew is pronounced like the first part of "towel") to take us to the resort. A song taew is a pick-up truck converted into an open air taxi by adding benches down the sides of the truck bed and putting a roof with a low railing over the top. Luggage is tossed up and strapped to the roof, while passengers settle onto the benches or in the coveted airconditioned seats in the cab of the truck.

I don't believe the island is a volcanic formation. It's more like a mountain of sand covered in vegetation. The road wound up and down along the edge of the island, reducing the passenger-laden song taew to a crawl at times.


We stayed at the Chang Park Resort and Spa (Chang means elephant). The place is beautiful! Not bad for something picked at random on the Internet. An expanse of lawn sprinkled with palm trees stretches between the main building and the pool. A small hedge on the edge of the pool is gradually blocking the otherwise unobstructed view of the beach and ocean. Our bungalow was part of a cluster of huts off to the right.

...to be continued.

Thailand

I mentioned spending a few years in Thailand when I was growing up. What I haven't mentioned is that my mom and younger sister are currently in the middle of a 5 year return trip. I had the chance to visit for three weeks last April and thought I would share some of the thoughts and experiences I had while I was there:

Some things can't be captured by pictures or words. The flicker and buzz when you flip on the fluorescent bulbs. The warble of an exotic bird. The thucas (lizards) named for the sound they make. A lai of Thai flowers filling the car with their sweet familiar fragrance. A sweet and lightly fizzy pink soda my sister picks out for me. The incomprehensible chatter my mom engages in effortlessly and my sister is learning more of each day. The transition from air conditioning to the warmth of the outdoors that gradually progresses to a draining heat whose effects you aren't fully aware of until you return to the cool air and are at once refreshed and tired.

One night, my sister and I stood out on the balcony in the warm night air, watching lightening flicker in the distance.

We went to an elephant show where flowers and elephant silhouettes were casually painted by them holding paint brushes with their trunks. The same pliable trunk would then wrap around the shoulders of eager picture takers after relieving them of their offerings of sugar cane and banana bunches.

I revved up a motorcycle and tooled around my childhood neighborhood, recognizing less than I thought I would.

We walked through the night bazaar where I found the sweetened condensed milk wraps I overindulged in when I was young and, while trying on sunglasses, noticed my face was still steadily manufacturing sweat to combat the oppressive heat.

In the interest of escaping the heat, we fled to Koh Chang, an island off the southern coast of the Thai mainland, a short ferry and a few hours bus ride from Bangkok. But more about that later...