vancouver (!)

So ya, perhaps I haven't been so diligent with the blog... But here we are home after having two Saturdays in a row thanks to the wonders of moderne jet travel. Current;y 430am and I am jet-lagged so thought I would make a final entry (and import photos).

We flew from Sukhothai to Bangkok, scruffy Sukothai having in the end what just might be the most charming little airport in the world - right down to the free coffee and snacks in the one open-air departure lounge. It was very good to have a one hour flight down to Bangkok rather than an 8 hour bus trip through (albeit lovely) Thai countryside. And I think Traci was somewhat relieved to finally be going somewhere she was familiar with!

Our final few days in Bangkok were a steady round of temples (Wat Arun, Wat Po), final cheap Thai food and beer, some aimless wandering, and of course - shopping. We came away with one Very Large Bag Traci could have fit into but that was only 3/4 full and included duty free treasures as well (the main one being an 18 year old Glenmorangie). We also managed to figure out the Bangkok skytrain which is easy enough if you don't have to change lines (different companies run different lines to no smooth exchanges it seems). Makes it easy to get from Khaosan Road area to the downtown area, first by riverboat, then the train.

We could certainly see evidence of the floods in Bangkok, mainly sand bags along the river and detritus being swept up. If any of you know Banglumpoo and the fort the water seems to have come level with the upper grassy area but doesn't seem to have spilled over into the channel immediately around the fort itself. Our weather was better in BKK this time around as the monsoon storms are now staying to the south. Still raining much down there it seems so the islands' beach tourism must be suffering (people kept asking if we'd been south and what the weather was like, apparently we seemed travel-worn).

Wandering around the city I was certainly torn between on the one hand feeling glad the trip went well and to be going home to familiarity, and on the other knowing the holiday was over and there was still so much we could see and do! I can hardly grumble though can I? Or can I ... ?!

Oh ya, damn cold here.

sukothai

Have left Chiang Mai behind and its our second evening here in Sukothai, about 5 hours by bus to the south. Chiang Mai was very enjoyable: very easy to find guesthouses and food (indulged in a steak and Guiness pie at the Irish Pub), the zoo turned out be middling to quite good (esp. the aquarium and pygmy marmosets!), the pandas, white tiger, and lone orangutang were good as well but we felt sorry for the single otter. We in fact managed to get on with the gibbon trip which turned out to be a very good time and besides the rush of the zip lining we did see gibbons - 3 of them including a baby. They were at the very top of a tree and a few hundred yards away but the view was clear anough. Spent our last day there simply wandering around the city and, since it was Sunday, found at least one huge temple party going on with much prwying and feeding of the multitudes happening! So yes, Chiang Mai seems a very good place to stay and also to act as a base for exploring northern Thailand more thoroughly.

Sukothai is an ancient capital of a formerly quite large area of this part of the world, roughly 13/14th century. The main draw is a large area of temple and wat ruins outside of town. This "Historical Park" is great to explore, Sukothai proper is a bit scruffy
and chaotic but we have landed in one of the nicer guesthouses in town so are quute comfy. The usual way to explore the park is by bike but as we were riding outside the main area and into the countryside to see some more far flung sites my tire blew. So I pouted and winged as we walked all the way back to the main park and the bike rental shop. Did find the best espresso in Thailand on the way home though so somewhat mollified.

Oh ya, had dinner last night at the Chopper Pub and Restaurant, Harleys parked outside and good curry to be had inside!

Hard to believe but tomorrow we fly to Bangkok (a one hour flight seems better than an eight hour bus ride) for the last few days of our trip. A few sites to see in Bangkok, some shirts etc. to buy downtown at MBK plaza, and home Saturday... Ciao for now...

chiang mai

After being denied a final, quiet night living in high style because the locals down the hill decided to put on a rock 'n roll banshee-a-thon til all hours we caught the bus to Chiang Mai. It was a remarkable, if somewhat lurching and swerving, trip down through the lush, rolling jungled hills (with wats and stupas emerging through the greenery and one huge stupa on top of one huge hill)- I can see why motorcyclists love riding here.

Have been in CM only for the afternoon but so far we're enjoying a kinder, gentler version of Bangkok and its been easy to find a guesthouse and pretty decent coffee as well. The traveler area within the old city is a labyrinth of said guesthouses,local businesses, coffeeshops, wats, pubs,travel agencies, and the inevitable massage parlours. Its not too bad to walk around but one still has to keep one's wits alert to traffic and be bold when crossing streets.

Our digs here approach spartan but at $15/night we can't grumble. Tomorrow its off to the zoo/aquarium (which is supposed to be decent enough) and trying to book a gibbon/zipline trip for the day after that. Tonight its off to the night market and just might stop in for a pint of Guiness (on tap) at the local Irish pub. I think Liverpool ans Chelsea are on live there at midnight tonight but I don't think I'll quite make that one.

All in all a good day's travel and its also nice that neither of us have been here before so we're exploring together, Aah, there goes the evening gong from the local wat: sunset!

Cheers
KerryTraci

PS: Haven't been able to figure out how to scroll within this text box in order to edit so thats what I blame the typos on...

the mush-room to phu chaisai resort and spa

I have been on Asia time it seems, hence the bloglessness. We left the sublime to the ridiculous experience that is Angkor Wat and Siem Reap and flew north to Laos and Luang Prabang. " LP" is a bit like the Canmore of Laos, full of charming guesthouses, pretty decent food, and lots of outdoor and indoor things to do. However, our first night there we spent i what we have come to call the mushroom: a dank, airless, spore-filled cell that has left me with a bit of a cough. We moved down to a dry, airy, and spacious place near the river the next day. We spent a few days there, taking in the various hilltribe centres, wats, palaces, museums, etc as well of course doing some shopping. The night market goes every night and Traci was able to buy some very nice Laos skirts. Between wanting to mellow out for a bit and our various coughs, knees, etc we didn't avail ourselves of any biking, kayaking adventures but did go for a nice drive out into the country to see a local waterfall.

I think the best part of LP was the very nice Chilean merlot we discoverd at the local wine bar, the worst part was, yes, it has finally happened: I ate some bad noodles at a night market buffet and ... whoosh - both end (thankfully not simultaneously). This little
experience happened as we overnighted on out 2-day slow boat trip from LP north to Houey Xai, the Northern Laos/Thai border crossing. The boat trip was really nice, slowly chugging up the Mekhong through some quite spectacular country. Oh ya, the boat broke down! Fortunately we were able to drift, sputter, and pole our way to a beach on the other side of the river where another boat came along and picked us up.

So while I was a bit under the weather for day 2 of the river it was still enjoyable and I felt better as the day progressed. We overnighted in Houey Xai, a dusty, scruffy, border town enriched by the opium trade, before water taxiing across the river the next day to Thailand. Once rough all the border formalities we caught a rough and tumble local bus up to Chiang Rai, the main city in far northern Thailand. That too was a great little ride through some much cleaner, more organised, and generally more affluent countryside than Laos.

Afer all of that the main event of the day was finding our way up to the resort spa we had booked for ourselves. We had a hard time finding a taxi and finally rented a car and driver from a rental agency. We were both a bit nervous about our reception at the resort as well since I assume we are at the lower end of their clientele's income continuum. Besides, we were both pretty stinky... however, after climbing and climbing up through the hills north of the city we were met by friendly and welcoming staff who then UPGRADED us Yaaaay. I think what that meant is that besides the lovely 4 poster bed, very hot shower with super pressure, bathtub, robes, slippers, fridge, we also have a terrace on whichbto sit and gaze out over the great unwashed toling away below us.

More of the resor later as I have booked a 2 1/2 hour spa session where they will do far too many things to me to describe at the moment. Had a bit of the return of the whooshing thing last night so hope I get through ghe spa thing with my dignity intact. Traci will be by the pool....

Will try to be more conscientious about the blog dad,

KerryTraci

Angkor Wat

The Old Market area of Siem Reap is fast becoming the Khaosan Rd of Cambodia but still a kinder, gentler version of it. Angkor Wat, however, remains as breathtaking as ever. It being Traci's first time she, of course, cried at first sight. We've spent the last couple of days tuk-tuking around the temples with another day tomorrow which will include venturing out into the countryside a little bit further to see "The Lady Temple." Not splurging anymore on our room, we've descended to a fan-only which is 12/night, so far its been ok as it seems a bit cooler here. Weather has been great the last couple of days but keeping an eye out for Typhoon Megi to see if it has any impact on us.

Currently sitting in the Blue Pumpkin cafe which is like time-warping back to 4th ave, but I left Traci here to Facebook and went off to the stinky part of the market to check out the well-plucked but not beheaded chickens, slithering fish, slithier eels, and assorted marine life minutes away from the supper table.

Traci craving pizza which is not hard to find and then its off to Miss Wong's Cocktail Bar which is down a suspicious looking lane. Onward,

Traci&Kerry

tk adds

another universal truth ~
#26 :
cafe tables wobble the world over ~

tk thinks

that there are universal truths to be found whilst travelling ~
universal truth #364 : children chase pigeons