2006 Thailand Backpacking Trip

We arrive to Bangkok by Thailand Airlines to be served by men and women wearing their authentic colorful Thailand silk uniforms. The new Thailand airport was just finished in time for us to be the first group of customers to land that week. Its the largest airport in Asia and found the staff to be courteous and helpful.

  Thailand 2006 Backpack Trip  

Travel Bangkok

Travel Kanchanaburi
Travel Ko Libong Island
Travel Nakhon Sri Thammarat
Travel Khanom Nai Ploa Beach

Bangkok Bridge over floods from monsoon season.

Bangkok Night Life

Bangkok was our first experience in an Asian country. The first few days had us overwhelmed with the heat, smells, and the constant traffic noise 24 hours.  We just could not get to sleep in Bangkok as we where jet lag and our digestion system went into immediate alert. It was also monsoon season so outbreaks of downpours could flood the streets in minutes and getting soaked was a common thing throughout our trip. Our budget was set at $60.00 a day for two of us including meals, entertainment, place to stay and travel.

Bangkok Booze VW Bus

Entrepreneurs set up just about anywhere with whatever they have to sell. A Volkswagen bus was converted by some USA hippies into a booze bar parked right on the street curb. Now it’s franchised.

Monsoon season floods & Bangkok Bridge

We only had backpacks with us and did not bring enough changes of clothes or shoes. We had to break down and buy some clothes along the way. We were sweating heavily ALL the time as we were not used to this kind of climate and our clothes never seemed to get DRY.

Bangkok NIGHT Flower Market

We could not sleep at all with the squeaking dirty fan whirring away and the city streets busy with the 2 stroke engines squealing about all night so we thought let us just get out into the night to see Bangkok.
 

Cats are everywhere in Bangkok and seem to be friendly
and better respected than the wild dog population.
These cats have kinky tails and obviously a mixed breed.

We stopped in for a late night bowl of noodle soup at a restaurant that is serving all hours. I shared some petting time with the restaurants infamous lucky Koret Cat that roam freely all over the city streets. 

Bundles of roses at the Night Flower Market, Bangkok

We decided to get out on another evening of no sleeping and hired a tuk-tuk ride to the Night Flower Market which was a very magical place to be in the middle of the night. It was busy with buyers and sellers for the next day shipments of flowers. 

Bangkok Night Flower Market

Families are busy with selling and buying flowers while the youth help out and little children are curled up asleep under tables. Many of the flowers are sold for Buddhist ceremonies and take the bouquets to the temples as offerings. Each type of flower and color represents a wish or blessing.

Bangkok NIGHT Flower Market

Bangkok NIGHT Flower Market

Bangkok NIGHT Flower Market

The Bangkok Public city bus

What we learned on the streets of chaos... the rule is the BIGGEST vehicles gets the RIGHT of WAY.  

Pedestrians walk at their own risk.    Even the free-roaming dogs know to get out of the way of traffic as no one veers or slows down at any time. The bus drivers get the right away and they do not give way to anyone old or young...'shit happens' so fast. Crossing the street with the rough pitted roads and crazed drivers coming from every direction on the tuk-tuks, motorcycles, and cars was freaking me out!

Thailand has  Tuk Tuk rentals as well as motorcycle rentals

 for going places that Tuk Tuk's can not take you. 

The drivers wear an official orange vest & prices vary with each driver. 

We were in Thailand during a military coup d'etat and our hotel ended up being right beside the military camp. Thai’s seem to support their King & Queen of Thailand with great fondness and affection. We could see signs everywhere, stating the glory and generosity that the Royal Family has bestowed on their fellow countryman. 

Bangkok depends on the canals as the function is to contain monsoon floods. Shortly after we left Bangkok, the city flooded. It is known that the new city's planning DEPARTMENTS had taken out the useful canals for roads and soon regret that lack of foresight in planning for deadly monsoon rains.

Thai people wear yellow T-Shirts for Royal Approval

Bright yellow is worn for the appreciation of their Royalty.   We found out why the coup d'etat was partially started by a 

greedy trouble maker gangster Prime Minister who ran away from Thailand to escape to England where he can enjoy his absconded billions of dollars he was caught stealing out of the countries cookie jar…He was known for selling a corporation to a Malaysian business group and then saying he didn't have to pay taxes. "Off with his head" is expressed by the Thai people who we talked too along with our month long journey.

Thailand's Military ready for the coup d'etat

Newly purchased a silk top to slip over the new cotton dress...
I am melting and so sticky HOT!

We wandered around the shops that had air-conditioning where I bought sandals, a blue cotton dress with a silk top to cover my skin when visiting inside Buddhist temples. The silk top could easily be tucked into my bag with the camera so I could be respectful and cover up when necessary.

Beautiful water lilies are found in clay pots.

Bangkok University

We found it too hot and cloying in the city! We also found it hard to breathe with the traffic pollution so we decided to stay for a few days to see a few Bangkok sights before leaving for the countryside. We have a month ahead of us to travel!

Bangkok Street Lamp Close to Palace

We spent time wandering around Bangkok or should say more like stumbling over uneven sidewalks while surviving the roads while dodging traffic. My ankles were getting a workout! 

Political Art Bangkok

We did find a gem of a place called the Queen Sirikit Art Gallery. Its wonderfully air-conditioned and the cost was super cheap to enter an abundant display of authentic Thai art both ancient and new. Inside the museum, when first walking into the building, is a room featuring a few members of the Royal Thailand Families who had taken up the hobby of fine art painting. As each room progresses along, the art era's shift up to modern day Thai artists. 
 

JOY SPOT

We found that many of the older oil paintings where in bad shape from the climate, bad storage and lack of funding directed to their conservation of the art. Upstairs in the Queen Sirikit Art museum are some ancient paintings on huge pieces of fragile papyrus paper.

Political Art Bangkok

In the center of the Queen Sirikit Art museum is a variety of friendly local artists that have their artworks set up on wall racks for people to view and purchase. I had a wonderful time chatting with the local Thai artists, where all of us are using pantomime, the universal language to communicate!

The Grand Palace in Bangkok ENTRANCE

We heard about an incredible place to visit and it was true… The Grand Palace is the most extraordinary place to photograph and experience and this is where the Emerald Buddha which is actually made of Green Jade is featured for ultimate spiritual meditation. We were first in line to enter the Grand Emerald Palace and looked forward to photographing this fine Palace. 

For women it is important to know that it is expected to have a covering blouse to hide shoulders and neck.

The Grand Emerald Palace in Bangkok ENTRANCE

The Grand Palace in Bangkok features clay pots filled with water lilies as every tree is treated with the style of Bonsai treatments. 
The cut glass and clay tiles for details are seen on every surface. 
Unbelievable the extent of craftsmanship and years of labor 
to preserve Grand Emerald Palace.

Seems like all the trees are cut with Bonsai designs.

Decorative moldings painted in gold leaf with tiny cut glass enamel bits.

Everything is crafted by hand, gold leafed, cut color glass, hand painted and delicately crafted molds are used to make the intricately detailed trimming we see everywhere.

DETAILS in gold, enamels, and crafted clay molds. 

DETAILS in gold, enamels, tiles of cut glass and crafted clay molds. 

DETAILS in gold, enamels, tiles of cut glass and crafted clay molds.

Restorations of wall murals by trained artists.

Restorations of wall murals by trained artists.

Restorations of wall murals by trained artists.

The King's, Emerald Grand Palace has been completely restored starting in the 1900s. Let’s just say a phenomenal amount of Thai money from the people went into restoring the palace. Thai’s are very proud of this magnificent Palace. It hires lots of people to maintain it and also the best artisans, craftsman, gardeners, soldiers, etc are employed to work in this absolutely gorgeous setting and everyone is very honored to work here.

Restored Emerald Grand Palace in Bangkok

Shrine in one of the buildings at The Grand Palace

This is the food preparation area outside the temple.

There is a separate museum in the back area out of the main tourist area, where they display the original artifacts that the new craftsman will copy and perfect. We enjoyed this quiet building out back so we took the time to read and see the historical review of the restoration that has an ancient history.

Details of gold & enamels with glass tiles railing on stairs.

Statues of flamboyant decoration stand on guard at
various entrances of buildings on the site.
Also noted was these large statue Guards where displayed
throughout the NEW Thailand Airport.

Each new piece of sculpture had to be restored or completely remade in the Palace workshops. The craftspeople learn to do this restoration with ancient styled tools and would need to study all the ancient Thai arts.

Larger than life-size statues covered in gold foils.

The Palace Guard Dogs

The Palace Elephants

During our cross country adventure, we would have a kismet connection with a group of Thai School teachers we connect with on an island. They would invite us to visit them in their ancient city Nakhon Sri Thammarat. One of these Thai teachers is Mrs. Amnuay, a Thai Art teacher, who explained to me that artists in her country can gain full-time employment for new and old restorations of Buddhist temples that are everywhere throughout Thailand.

The Giant Reclining Golden Buddha 
in Wat Pho, Bangkok

Giant Reclining Buddha has feet that are 5 meters long.

YOU MUST SEE the Wat Pho The Giant Reclining GOLDEN Buddha which is a HUGE reclining Buddha stuffed inside a building, barely large enough to contain the statue which is covered in real gold foil. Its 15 meters tall, 46 meters long with feet that measure 5 meters long. 

Pearl inlay on Giant Buddha's foot.

Along the bottom of the foot on the Golden Buddha are detailed illustrations in mother of pearl inlay. There is lots of freedom to get up close to photograph. 

LOOK at the elbow to COMPARE a small Buddha on a table. 

Buddhism is really BIG here, in fact, it is so big their desire to make their Buddha’s massive in size are needed to express the passion they have of this ancient spiritual belief which came over from India 555 B.C. to where Buddhism first landed in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. There are endless shrines everywhere we went… even in the most remote areas. 

Beautiful water lilies everywhere, even in the most modest of buckets.

Everyone hustles in Bangkok and it got a little irritating as we couldn't go anywhere without someone getting into our face to sell us something so walking around was getting at times a bit aggressive. Time for us to go. We were not staying in the upscale tourist area of Bangkok so maybe this constant hassle might have been less. We have to stick to our beer budget of about $60.00 a day for the two of us including food, a place to stay and travel.

Lone dog at the train station looking for scraps.

Dog neglect was rampant throughout Thailand and not just a problem in the cities. The dogs are without homes, care, water, and always scrounging for food. We saw dogs in advanced stages of decay, still alive, suffering from their last breath, laying out in a busy bus terminal in Kanachanburi. Even the Buddhist Monk had just stepped over the suffering dog without even glance. This is part of Thailand that was killing my spirit. Thailand's neglect for their animals and prostitution of underage girls & boys which we witnessed throughout our trip in Thailand. I had to take my beliefs and stuff them deep so we could continue our trip where we would find in contrast the beauty, joy, friendships and spiritual grace of this ancient Asian culture of Thailand. 

A tiny mixed breed of free-roaming cats 
are approachable by strangers and little girls!

Korat Cat mixed breed with kinky tail...very friendly!

For some reason, the cats seem to fair better and were friendly and like to have a pat compared to the dogs who are frightened of people. I have seen very tiny cats everywhere, with many colors and stripes with some funky tails. One thing in common is their big blue, gold and green eyes with long pointy ears inherited by their ancient ancestors such as the Korat Cat.

Buddha Monk School, Bangkok

Those who are Thai and Buddhist have a chance at any time in their life to stop what they’re doing in their lives and join a Buddha Boot camp at any age. The families will send money to feed, house and buy the robes. It is honorable to do the practice for at least one year. These people in the above photo are just starting out so wearing bright orange wraps letting everyone know what level they have studied. 

Each Buddist has to shave their heads including the women and eat vegetarian foods. They are also not allowed to handle money but are given free rides and food by other Thai people.

Bangkok Train Station

Jimmy heads off to Banglamphu train station at 3:00 am in the morning to get train tickets. It is potentially a dangerous walk over to the station as there are no lights on anywhere and yet there are lots of people trying to get where they need to go, mixed with some unsavory characters looking for their victims. 

1950's Train Bangkok to Kanchanaburi

Travel Kanchanaburi

Central Thailand

Next place for us to experience is Kanchanaburi where we end up spending some time with a Princess of Thailand who had served her Queen of Thailand for 21 years as a lady in waiting.

Jim in the 1950's train heading out 
to the country and Kanchanaburi

We LOVED this cheap ride in a 1950’s train that runs well and enjoyed seeing the layers of paint applied over the years on the sitting benches. The train stopped at every small town along the way where a woman, man or child will hop on board to sell out of their baskets, packaged snacks or sell a cold beer, drinks, and sometimes even homemade food cooked on their small charcoal burners. The smells of the burning charcoal did not please my fine smelling nose and found out they cook with this charcoal everywhere. I could not acquire a taste for it but then again our digestion was in crisis the whole trip.

We hoped our digestions might settle down but it was like having morning sickness with small breaks in between. The more we ventured away from the Big City Bangkok, the less refined we found with cooked foods and a noticeable increase in the abundance of bugs. We even have seen a woman selling juicy fat live maggots, wiggling in a basket for a delicacy treat that is fried and eaten with spicy sauce. 

Bangkok Bridge and monsoon flooding. 

After three days of Bangkok and trying to acclimatize ourselves, we decided to go to the city Kanchanaburi where Jimmy had a surprise experience waiting for us that involved tigers! 

We traveled three hours by an old 1950’s train… leaving the endless slums of suburban Bangkok. The 1950's train was the most fun way to see the countryside and the changes in agriculture and landscape. 

Loved the rickety clack sounds of the 1950's train and the gentle rocking. 
AHH fresh air and the countryside is happiness
for us getting out of the big city Bangkok.

The old train is all wood inside and the windows stay open even though it’s monsoon season… chilled air does not exist… fans are attached to the ceiling covered in GUCK but blowing cool-ish air about the train. 

Kanchanaburi Train Station & Royal Yellow Train

If you want to go to Kanchanaburi, repeat after me…..Gan-ja-na-boo-li. Learning how to properly pronounce Thai cities, helps get the right ticket at the train and bus stations.

Kanchanaburi Train Station

Arriving at the Kanchanaburi Train station, we are accosted by dozens of men trying to get us to take their transportation to our river lodging. Jimmy’s trying out his negotiating, speaking his newly learned Thai. 

We are seeing pick up trucks, nice scooters but what did we get unknowingly but must have been the cheapest ride… a 60’s Kawasaki motorbike with an old rusty sidecar attached that is not starting up. We think suddenly we are too big and too heavy to be sitting on that contraption anyways…. Our enthusiastic driver was assuring us no problem… except the bike doesn’t want to start up and when it does there is no power… no clutch. 

The other transporters are laughing their heads off, watching us with this guy on the last trip this bike will EVER do again. The other drivers helped push the bike with us still in the sidecar as we cross an insane 4 lane highway… everyone speeds... we could die right here! We are thinking this is dangerous and mostly humiliating with everyone laughing.…the Canadians are HERE!

Green Chopper outside of tattoo parlor in Kanchanaburi

Kanchanaburi side street and motorcycle with sidecar.

To get around Thailand there are many options for traveling…There are Pedi-bikes, old trains, sleepover trains, yellow train for locals, motor scooters, sidecar motorbikes, taxi, a variety of buses, vans, boats and even elephants. The choices of travel we took are as much a part of the Thailand experience as is eating the local foods. 

We carried only backpacks. Sometimes even that MUCH was almost too much to transport with some methods of traveling but we managed. Thanks to Jimmy for offering to carry my larger heavy pack which had all our toiletries, medicines, & art kit.

Kanchanaburi Broom Sellers

It’s so hot and sticky everywhere all the time whether it’s pouring rain, no matter what… it’s always HOT. Dehydration always needs to be addressed and seeking sealed drinking water is a constant issue. Deciphering where to access some sort of toilet is another BIG issue and don't forget the toilet paper cause none is offered in public facilities. We found bug sprays and sunscreen for the most part just melted off in no time so think it is pointless to wear it. 

Not to be rude, but how do I use it?
Toilet paper not included.

Bugs begin to be very apparent part of breathing and eating.  Food begins to fade into uncharted eating experiences and so the constant dietary purging is what our bodies expressed daily!

Resort area by Kanchanaburi, Main Street

Kanchanaburi was going to be about the last stop to Thai food prepared in a more refined way and recognizable to what we know as Thai food in Canada. 

We found every place we went to eat Thai food in this resort town was good tasting & prices are excellent. This town has lots of foreigners visiting so there is a need to cater to their tastes. 

An authentic Thai breakfast is the same ingredients as dinner but made more into soup with an egg dropped into the hot broth…. Warning very very hot!  Coffee was always great tasting and served espresso style in small cups. The second cup is not the normal expectation and many times coffee is also served with a hot tea as a compliment to cleanse your palate. Chocolate is rare and ice cream has made a big hit that comes from a company in San Francisco.

We usually found a place that served American Breakfasts…. this just means eggs with thin white toast… The best is fried bananas and some vendors will make banana pancakes that are to die for!!! The serving sizes are small which were perfect for sampling more than one dish.  The prices for dinner didn’t top $6.00 including cold beer, 3 dishes for the meal and some sort of dessert later for two of us. Breakfast could be less than 300 bhat.

We arrived at an intended resort but find out there is some construction going on…right NEXT door … that’s what is nice about not booking ahead and we decide to walk further along the town. looking for another place that is much more appealing.

Ploy River Kwai Resort

www.ploygh.com

We stopped at a Japanese Style resort called Ploy River Kwai Guesthouse. We are first greeted by this young gay fellow who shows us around the place with such a delightful sense of humor and panache… he points to the mini fridge as the big seller and waves his hips and arms like game show Vana White, pointing to it… “And it comes with the mini fridge!” we said SOLD!

Mini fridge behind Jim kept our water cool. 
The bed BIG and is up on a platform. 
Nice place and we liked the people here too.

The shower is completely outside but there is privacy.

The toilet is partially outside with the shower
on the other side of this partial wall.

The bathroom has a flush toilet, toilet paper, sink and shower which is set up outside our room and inside our very own walled garden. When we do go to the bathroom… there is always a need to step over a row of marching sugar ants and watch out for the large centipede who lives in the corner of the shower.

Sharing the shower with a large centipede!

Ploy River Kwai Lounge area

It was nice to sit out on the Ploy River Kwai guesthouse veranda and here is where we meet people from all over the world and chat while looking over an inlet of the River Kwai. When we first arrived I was looking at the water to notice what I thought to be a small crocodile but later was told that this is the town’s lizard… at times the lizard will take a stroll through town for a walk hissing at everyone.

View from the veranda lounge of the River Kwai 
and where the large lizard lives and hunts.

River Kwai view from the veranda lounge.
The long tail power boats are traveling
 up and down transporting people and goods.

One day while I was hanging out in the veranda lounge, I took up a conversation with a most incredibly beautiful older Thai woman at the Ploy River Resort. She introduces herself as nickname Nid (actual name Benjawan Chakrabandu). We chatted about travels around the world and politics. Eventually, she asked us to join her at the table for further conversations.
 

Breakfast with Nid, Grandchild, and Jim

Later we find out Nid served the Queen of Thailand as a Lady in Waiting for 21 years and she is the fifth daughter of the Prince of Thailand. Educated in Paris, Nid herself is royalty and it turns out that the manager woman of the resort and the gay fellow we met where all the families’ servants. The young child in her arms is her granddaughter who is also a princess. 

Grandmother Nid and Grandchild at Breakfast time!

The granddaughter was constantly under watch with the older servants and attended like a sister by the younger servants. The servants are people who are family connected from one generation to the next to serve the Royal families of Thailand. These servants are on a higher status than say a hired employee. Nid’s son, Prawee had this small resort built as an investment and at times an inconspicuous place for all of them to stay outside of Bangkok.

Ten Buddhist monks are hired to perform
ceremonial chants and blessings.

After chants and blessing, we crawl on our knees
to receive their blessings and to give gifts.

Nid invited us along with another world traveler from the USA named Miles. We joined the family to join in with a private Buddhist ceremony of blessings to chase away negative spirits. Special woven mats were laid out and the entire village cooked their best dishes to serve the 10 singing monks & royal family members.

Once the monks have eaten, they sit back down on the ceremonial mats and individual gifts are given to each monk. The monks perform their final chants and blessings and off they go. What foods are left is then laid out on the picnic tables for the rest of us to feast. What terrific fun we had met with the rest of the family and all are great conversationalists.

Jim, Miles and Nid's family gather to eat the banquet of foods.

Nid is encouraging us to try out some 
authentic Thai dishes and Miles is hesitating!

The rest of the family came from Bangkok to join in the Buddhist ceremony and we all ate our lunch in a relaxed atmosphere under the shaded veranda.

This fellow is the architect & friend of Nid's family
and wearing the dress is Bangkok DOLLY!

Our Tiger Temple Taxi truck ride shared
with a couple of Thai women, one Swiss guy and one Australian guy. 
They had hired the Thai women as their holiday dates.

The surprise awaiting for me was the trip to the incredible Tiger Temple where Buddhist Monks and animals alike live together. Jimmy kept it a secret right up to arriving at the gates. Meeting the young deer at the gate was happy to greet us but what I found most repulsive and almost could not venture further, was the smell of urine that was burning my brain. Once we walked further into the jungle the smell dissipated and could then enjoy the rest of the adventure.

Welcoming us at the gate of the TIGER TEMPLE
 is this friendly young deer!

Small tour groups are organized by local villagers of Kanchanaburi who donate their time and trucks to drive us up into the jungle hills. At a certain time of the day, the Buddhist Monks take the tigers out for a swim then to play with tourists… hmmmm this could be a very interesting day! 

Tiger being guided through the tourist and
other animals with a monk and qualified helper.

The Buddhist monks and helpers walk several of the grand tigers to a big pit in the heat of the day. We, the tourists go into the pit to hopefully meet with some friendly tigers who are lounging about content. The tigers are chained to a spike in the ground and a keeper is close by for each tiger.

I had some fantastic photos taken and previewed before having them downloaded onto a disc at the local computer place. 
I SHOULD HAVE CHECKED PHOTOS
before leaving to make sure I got ALL the photos.

We tourists are guided to the pit and come to an outside tent with seats. There is one monk who checks out our energy BEFORE we get close to the tigers. Not everyone is good energy for the tigers like our Tiger Taxi mate from Australia who is obnoxious, boisterous and LOUD. He is denied being able to get close to the tigers but can watch from the sidelines.

Tigers being walked back to their cages.

Several tigers are chained to a ground stake so that tourists can walk around each tiger with a helper and with relative safety as one of the tigers could become amused by taking a playful swipe at our ankles.

One trained monk who has raised and loved the tiger will stay with that one tiger throughout its life so saying that, we rely on the monk to check us out first and make sure the tiger is in agreement with us touching and being around that tiger.

Tourists & Animals at the Tiger Temple

This kind of tourism attraction with wild animals walking around tourists just would not wash as safe with Canada, Europe, and the USA. I don't think Thai has a word for safety and found out later it is rare for anyone to sue or bother with lawyers! Shit just happens!

Tiger Temple has many animals that live side by side with the monks. 

Here are some water buffaloes...get out of their way!

Boars, chickens, roosters, cows, deer, buffaloes
 all seem very relaxed walking about tourists with cameras.

Tiger Temple DINNER BELL!

Tiger Temple Meeting Hall for the Monks in Thailand

Some of the animals like this bull
want to be petted so Jim obliged!

Thailand has been raising funds to eventually build a sanctuary to preserve the tigers but wants to eventually keep them separate with canals on their own protected land. The tours help to build this dream home for the monks and tigers. The entire project is raised on donations as monks cannot earn money and have to receive from those who want to give.

These two were all lovey and wanted me to share in the LOVE!

The Buddhist monks believe the tigers are old spirits of other Buddhist monks and want to demonstrate peace with animals that normally would be eating each other. All of the tigers are rescued from peril situations and come from various countries to live out their lives in this sanctuary. It takes time with a new tiger as they are not used to PEACE with especially other territorial tigers.

Tigers walk among us with only a leash.

The Thailand army helps to clear the grounds and dig deep canals to sanction sections of the reserve for the future tigers home. There is a documentary on the Animal Planet network and the Buddhist Monk that talks to the interviewer were the overseer for the day when we were at the Tiger Temple. I noticed in the show there was no mention of tourists mingling up close with the tigers so think that this practice is kept a low key to the public.

One important factor that was expressed for keeping the tigers more docile, they are fed NO red meat or blood of any kind. The villagers donate their chicken bones and a few women gather and grind the bones into a paste which then they add other ingredients to cook in a very large pot of slop so that no blood can be tasted. This is to keep tigers from killing… so far so good!

The wild boars seem to not  pay much attention
to us people wondering around the place...

When we got back to the resort my camera was set up to view the pictures on the TV set and we did see some fantastic photos of both of us with the tigers petting their coarse hair.
 

Tigers cage.

Like many photography horrors, this was sadly my batch of lost pictures on this trip. Apparently when I had the woman download the pictures onto two discs, somehow she managed to not add the pictures of us taken in the tiger pit… not one photo made it… but every other picture before and after the pit was on the discs but NO tiger pictures of Jimmy and me with the tigers. DISAPPOINTED! 

River Kwai Bridge

The bridge over River Kwai is the famous World War 2 Bridge that connects Thailand and Burma. The Japanese used their prisoners that consisted of Australians, British, Americans, Burmese, Chinese and Thai prisoners to build this bridge to get to Burma. The bridge was bombed twice.

When the Japanese heard that the bridge was to be bombed they lined the prisoners across the bridge knowing that the bombers were not only eliminating the bridge but also killing their own comrades. The river was said to be red with blood for some time. The Japanese soldiers would just get more prisoners to build it again. Needless to say, the conditions were extremely bad and mostly what was fed to the prisoners was white rice so starvation and death were evident.

Old Stage Coach inside River Kwai Museum

River Kwai War museum

The River of Kwai war museum is worthwhile as it tells the stories and displays all the historical items. Some of the prisoners had managed to paint pictures showing stories of life in the prisoner camp. Looking through the museum good displays, it is apparent the deep suffering that people go through during wars.

Minaz and baby elephant in Kanchanaburi Thailand.

Thailand uses its elephants to sadly make money from tourism which is fine but know that the elephant is not ever going to be a free spirit to just BE an elephant and will suffer many human cases of abuse. We walked across the River Kwai bridge to find this young elephant chained while a child sells bags of food to tourists so we can feed the young elephant. I was sad in my spirit for this elephant and yet I know its also a way that this poor family earns an income.

Already hot and sticky, we walked from our resort to this famous River Kwai Bridge in the morning and was quiet. It is free to walk across this active bridge but NOTE that there are no safety railings and the 2x4 boards are only large enough for one person to stand on. We get to the other side of the bridge and visit with the baby elephant for a moment then came back across the precarious River Kwai Bridge.  

Albert Einstein is represented at the River Kwai Museum.

A busload of unruly Chinese tourists pull up in a bus and are half-crazed marching towards us and there is no place to step aside from the mob. We had to YELL to convince the pack mentality that it is necessary to turn the body to the side so we could all pass each other safely.

Gravestone Stupa in a graveyard for the prisoners
who died during the capture of the Japanese.

Many people died as prisoners under the Japanese rule
 and each culture has been represented in this graveyard 
by the styles of gravestones.

Tombstone for River Kwai Battle

Tombstone for River Kwai Battle

The huge grave site has tombstones that come from all the different people from all the countries that served as prisoners to the Japanese building of the River Kwai Bridge. 

Every culture who died in the River Kwai battle
is represented by their culture style of tombstones.
This one is a Chinese tombstone.

Complex tile design and painting to decorate
 the Stupa tombstones of Thai people. 

The Stupa type tombstones are for the Thai’s and the lower marble tombstones are for the Chinese. To the back of this site are tombstones for those who died from Australia, Britain, etc, and over the years families have been claiming the bodies to take them back to their own countries but gravestones still stay in the memory of their death in Kanchanaburi.

Praying shrines disposed under a tree.

On a lighter note, just before we arrived at this large grave site, we had our first Thai massage. We walked around the city in the morning checking out which place looked authentic for massage therapy, not wanting to enter a Thai whorehouse known as the ‘happy ending parlors’. We are greeted by a Pekingese dog to enter what appears to us as an official Traditional massage school. Friendly faces greet us and immediately offer us fried bananas… ohhh they taste so good. 

Jimmy negotiates and explains we are looking for a body massage. Enter two older big women ready for Thai massage. We both notice this large glassed-in room with stepped seating and TV set thinking this is where they must hold their massage demonstrations for teaching.

JOY SPOT

We head up three floors of narrow stairs following the two massage women to find a room with thin mats on the floor all nicely lined up. The air-conditioning and TV get turned on for our pleasure. I end up with the biggest woman who decides to give me the massage of my life… she flips me around like a pancake and this is where I learned another word in Thai… DEE which means good… we laughed a lot and I moaned constantly which triggered smiles as she knew where to find THE spots. 

Jimmy is lying beside me getting his treatment and after two hours the gal number 23 starts to negotiate for more money from Jimmy… the price is very inflated and not the price agreed on originally. Really it’s all a few dollars that haggling is over but it’s the principle. Finally, Jim agreed to a respectable price and we head back down the stairs. 

We find young Thai girls on the second floor having their hair done at a makeshift hairdressing spot in the hallway on the way down to the last set of stairs.  Arriving on the main floor, we notice the glassed-in room that was empty earlier is now full of young girls with numbers pinned to their shoulders watching TV and knitting. (? Who wears sweaters in Thailand?) We are thinking it's their coffee break during the massage/beauty course they might be taking?
 

Jimmy gets encouraged by number 23 that he may ‘LIKE?’ pointing to the young girls in the glass in room… ‘Happy ENDING for you?’, she says. 'Pick out the number you like.', she says… finally, we laugh and get what she is selling… its noon hour and the whore-house is open for biz!

We decide it’s time to discover more of Thailand and wants to hit the beaches. …off to Kolibong Island to a beach shack on the ocean at Le Dugong Libong Beach resort.

Travel Ko Libong Island
South Thailand

Kolibong's only road/path is for scooters ONLY as there are NO CARS on this island. At the end of this path is our beach shack.

Leaving Kanchanaburi, Jim and I took the overnight train traveling first class. A point to remember when traveling in Thailand is that first class is not by any means or standards expected for Europe, Canada or the USA. Never book a room by the bathroom and travel with your own toilet paper. 

The first class train's bathroom was vial to which I will try to describe with dignity how to use it. You step into an incredibly stinky and dirty room with swinging doors that do not latch but thump noisily with the movement of the train. Then you bravely step up on a box with a hole in it and squat while reaching out to the walls to brace yourself to which you hope you do not tip over. It is not relaxing, to say the least, and just try to relieve the much-needed bowel movement that will not wait another minute. There is no toilet paper, ever. Just try to wipe and brace yourself while not falling over, this is a YOGA challenge. The smell is really bad and caused me to retch but you get done what needs to be done as quick as you can make it happen. Then get back to the cubby hole we rented and wash hands with disinfectant. The stink will stick on your clothes and hair until you bath and wash.

We got a private sleeping room which had bunk beds with a sink and did manage to fall asleep. During the trip for food, local Thai’s come on board to sell baskets of homemade food, packaged food, beer, and juice. I could never get over the smell of the foods cooked on the charcoal grills that the poor Thai’s use for cooking so I eat only packaged foods while also fearing the unsanitary conditions many Thai's live.

We arrived in the city of Trang early in the morning and walked throughout the streets looking for the local van/bus station that takes people to the outer skirts of Thailand. 

Signs are difficult at the best of times but being a tourist walking around with backpacks will usually attract some friendly Thai’s who will help give directions. We find our BUS TOP location to ride in a van/bus that eventually gets filled to the brim with passengers before leaving the station. When it is full then it's the time to leave and not before.  We eventually arrive at a seaside fishing village where we are told to wait for our ride after the delivery trucks unload all the islands necessities on to an old rickety long tail boat which will also deliver us to Kolibong Island.

Kolibong Island beach

Expectations for safety and any comforts are not in the quotient for traveling Thai style. Our boat captain finally gets his deliveries loaded to the brim and we squeeze on board with a couple of Muslim women and their children to head out to the Island resort. 

Garbage is everywhere on the beaches and this is typical
 as the local garbage is thrown into the ocean 
while some plastics are picked up for recycling.

Unlike the tourist pictures you see advertising Thailand, we arrive at a pier with scruffy people with missing teeth, living in huts and garbage EVERYWHERE the eye can see in the water and on land. I give Jimmy the look that we couldn’t possibly be stopping here… he speaks his Thai and the guys receiving their deliveries ensure us we are in the right place.

Before I can protest any more about staying on this island, a toothless scooter pirate grabs my pack and waves me onto his scooter. 

Jim has already scooted off with his scooter pirate which I lost sight of him. I was nervous, to say the least as we could disappear off the planet and no one would ever find us. I can barely hang onto the scooter man while also carrying my backpack sandwiched between us and hope the journey is short with my version of happy endings!

This is the only way in and out by land on Kolibong island.

HOME away from HOME, our beach shack on Kolibong Island, Thailand.

As we are entering the Kolibong island's jungle, I see that there are no roads only a scooter path throughout the stick built shacks with some on stilts while I also hear the Muslim prayer chants over the LOUDSPEAKER throughout the jungle. Finally, we arrive at the end of the scooter path at a beach resort with palm tree shacks by the sea and Jimmy is there waiting for us.

Monsoon's make for beautiful clouds.

Owner of our little beach resort.
He will make any arrangements.

No one other than the Islanders is here at this little resort and so we are greeted by Buddhist Moo who turns out to be the most hospital hostess and her helper.

Moo on the right and helper ? on the left in front
of resort Le Dugong Libong main office/kitchen.

Kolibong Kitten Friend

A most favorite adorable kitten we nicknamed Kolibong Kitten became our instant playful companion and breakfast dinner friend. In general, Thai’s don’t have the same attitude Europeans & North Americans have about cats and dogs. They were surprised to see us play and pet their little cat.

Evening nap after
sharing our dinner

Minaz on play dates with Kitty

LOVE LOVE Kolibong Kitty LOVES to play for Minaz! LOVE LOVE

Moo loved to feature her expertise in cooking home favorites to feed us. We had seriously started to lose any appetite by this time and had to keep food simple as possible which was near impossible except for the endless mounds of white rice. The fresh pineapple she sliced for us was most delicious. 

We find out menus given before every meal doesn’t mean a thing… it is only a way to initiate the idea that you want to be fed not what you want off the menu cause they don't have it.  Coffee is fabulous and served only one small cup and accompanied by water & tea. The fresh fruit was bountiful and delicious…The seafood we ate fresh from the daily’s catch was delicious but clearly, the seasoning would get to our stomachs on another purge. Refrigeration is only on for a few hours a day.

Beach sculpture I made from beach garbage 
and natural items.

Much to my horror, we noticed that beach was covered in washed up garbage EVERYWHERE…Most pictures of pristine beaches in travel photos don’t show the hours it took to get them that way. Every morning a fresh new batch of various articles of clothing, balls of Styrofoam, huge light bulbs, red bull drink containers, plastic and glass bottles all wash up on shore. The world’s oceans are dumping grounds for the nation’s refuse.

Garbage on beach BEFORE cleanup.

Garbage still washes up daily.

It took us two days to get to this island and felt that we would stay but have to clean up the beach. We asked for and got garbage bags, shovels, and rakes to start right away to clean the beaches and grounds of garbage. The Islanders were curious at what we were doing… we are out there in the heat picking up garbage for days. Are we crazy?

Hammock out front of our shack where the Muslim Boy
would sit and keep watch over us every day.

We where watched DAILY by a young Muslim boy who was sent to literally sit out front of our shack all day while we were there and watched us as instructed by the Muslim cleric from Hat Yao.

I would not lay out on the beach or go with just my swimsuit on but remained covered up till we were out of their site. Jim talked to the cleric and was seeking out new acolytes to join his flock.  On the news later we heard the radical Muslims blowing themselves up and taking out others in some market in Yala province in Thailand.

CLEAN beach out front of our shack and tide is out.

Eventually, the whole beach area was undergoing a cleaning with the islanders motivated to pitch in and even got out their saws to clear out some of the underbrush.

My collection of shells over the week and carried them
 in my backpack home. Now they are featured in a wood bowl on my table.

Part of Kolibong Island but only accessible by boat.

We rented a paddle boat and headed over to another beach area with such incredible red lava type rocks. The sand was so brilliant it hurt the eyes to look at it without glasses. I had wadded out and got my self stung by a smaller jellyfish and felt that I was pierced by thousands of HOT needles and ran out of the water fast. The red stinging continued for a while and it stayed red for the duration of the trip. I can not imagine surviving the larger jellyfish stings after experiencing the baby jellyfish on my ankle. I still years later have the scars of the jellyfish sting.

Bed with netting.

Rocking chair made from palm trees.

Outside shower with privacy.

Outside toilet over bamboo slats.

View from the corner of the bed.

Monsoon rains daily.

We later found out that electricity was only two times during the day and none on during the night to keep the fan running.  Lucky to find the resort beside us had a generator and therefore had a cold beer for sale during the daily afternoon monsoon rains.

Dieter joining us for breakfast. 
Jam, coffee and white bread toasted with fresh pineapple slices.
Notice the sign behind Dieter for when a 
Tsunami hits, run for the hills...this way UP.

One morning we had a new visitor come to the camp named Dieter from Germany. He would join us in some adventures, laughs and great conversations. He is a retired editor of a magazine called Technology and Culture from Germany and was a journalist for many years in Africa. He had seen more than his fair share of horrors in his journeys and had many stories to share. We would split the costs to hire Captain Bow to take us on island excursions.

Captain Bow and his boat taking us on an ocean adventure.

Dieter & Jimmy on our way for some island hopping.

We decided to adventure off the island to hop around the different island beaches. We discovered giant jellyfish everywhere in the water and realize why locals may not find swimming so enticing as beautiful as they appear, the jellyfish will kill a human.

We arrive at Paradise Beach by boat. Also known as LOVE ISLAND
where transsexuals and gay men come on holiday.

Garden ENTRANCE to Love Island Cabins

Sculptures of animals are featured
throughout Love Islands garden.

Using driftwood, sculptures, and flowers
to create a wild looking garden at Love Island.

There are several animals represented in the garden
and noticed throughout Thailand that these sculptures
are widely used to decorate outside doorways and walkways.

Buddhism spirituality and its practices are evident even in the remotest of areas.
There are daily offerings displayed on the prayer temples.

Paradise beach is also known as Love Island which it turns out it is a holiday place for transsexual Thai men but in its offseason. Jim goes off on his own and comes across a few transsexuals having a relaxing moment and where very pleased to have Jim the blue-eyed Canadian join them for a cold beer and pineapple. They had a great time laughing and talking while Dieter and I went off exploring without cameras. Being gay in Thailand is not frowned upon but accepted as calmly as bugs that fly.  The standards of the cabins were scary at best but just down the beach was an exclusive resort being built for foreigners to land by boat.

Here's hoping the Capt. Bow will come back to pick us up!

Emerald Island was totaled during the Tsunami
and the old resort is gone but it is going to be rebuilt.

Since the 2004 India Ocean Tsunami, we noticed many of the islands we visited, where getting new fancy resorts owned by foreign money, being taken over and possibly stolen from local family owned resorts of the past. Another Tsunami will hit again but that doesn’t seem to put off oodles of money pouring into these islands to grab at the tourist dollar.

View from our beach shack.

Walking along our newly cleaned beach is when Jim runs into a group of Thai’s that are teachers from an ancient city not really known to North Americans for tourism. Suriwan is a guidance teacher and loved to practice her English with Jim while he was keen on practicing more of his Thai. The group of Thai teachers invited us to their city and promised to take us on trips if we came to visit. We decided later to take them up on their offer.

Hibiscus plant beside our beach shack.

After a week on totally uncomfortable beds, no air conditioning, sleeping breathing endless bugs, and very limited food choices. It was time to move on. We thought why not follow up on the Thai teachers' invitation to explore their ancient city Nakhon Sri Thammarat.  It was going to be an entire day of various travel experiences to get to the next stage of our Thailand trip.

Leaving Kolibong Island by boat.

Monsoons are flooding out northern Thailand and many mentions of bombings near tourist areas and meanwhile the Coup d’état is still happening, so we want to stay away from the potential disaster zones.

Saying good-bye to Kolibong Island

This time instead of the precarious ride back on scooters through the island jungle...ugghh... We hired a boat for 1200 bhat to take us back to the mainland where we will catch the van bus back to the city Trang. Jim asked the driver to drop us off at the express bus going north up the east coast.

Seedling for a palm tree.

JOY SPOT

As it turns out we were dropped off at the local bus stop which was an absolute riot filled road trip where we stopped at all the little towns along the way. The cost was 100 bhat for each of us for a days ride and total entertainment plus! The colorful bus has dangling decorations and television which features Thai music videos blaring out and everyone is all excited and dressed up in their finest outfits which certainly added to our latest traveling entertainment. 

We found out later that to catch a bus which has no real time schedule, people will put out a plastic chair along the side of the road at the end of their driveway and this is where the ticket taker and assistant will look ahead while the driver will BEEP the horn several times before arriving at the chair and the person will run to the road to catch the bus with money in hand unless your a Buddhist Monk then they travel for free.

Monsoon Clouds

We take another road trip on a local cross country bus where few white pink people like Jim are ever seen in the area. Because Jim attempted to speak their language, the Thai’s were always gracious and open to talk. 

HAPPY Mannequin
THAI style!

At the end of the day, our cheeks would be sore from smiling so much… the people of Thailand are awesome everywhere we traveled.

Travel Nakhon Sri Thammarat

South Thailand

Next trip to the incredible ancient city Nakhon Sri Thammarat for one week. We made life long friends with the Thai teachers and would go back in time to the beginnings of Buddhism in Thailand. 

Wat Phra Mahathat where Buddhism was first introduced to Thailand

Downtown Nakhon Sri Thammarat, South Thailand

What an awesome city and relatively easy to get around once you figure it out and very inexpensive. This is not your normal tourist town, but a place steeped in history.

Nakhom Sri Thammarat ENTRANCE

We have left the Island Kolibong to adventure to our new Thai friends Supra & Siriwan’s city Nakhon Sri Thammarat. They had proudly presented this city to be one of the cleanest cities in Thailand and most historical. Also, the Thai teachers promised to take us on tours to share their hospitality and local countryside. 

Nakhom Sri Thammarat downtown traffic!

After our adventure and a scenic bus ride across Thailand, we are ushered through monsoon rains onto another big bus full of locals. The ever presence of video Thai pop music blares out of cheap speakers forever creating a soundtrack to our travel adventures.

Coconut Deliveries in Nakhon Sri Thammarat

The monsoon rains and pours buckets within an instant every afternoon soaking everything & everyone… no matter what, their smiling faces are quickly moving and sharing umbrellas. We saw people driving through the busy streets on their scooters visually impaired holding an umbrella like a shield in front of them so as not to blow up the umbrella with the added scooter wind velocity. The rest of us are piling into a difficult bus entrance… forget about handicap considerations… but no one loses an eye as said sarcastically!!!!

Wood delivery in Nakhon Sri Thammarat.

The bus driver has his kids with him for the day and they team with dad to assist in the efficiency of a bus ride into rural Southern Thailand. The daughter collects the coins & manages the video dancing tapes while the son hangs out the bus door looking for fares on the side of the road up ahead. The bus horn blows the signal to alert & pick up the passengers. There seem to be no actual bus stops along the way and schedules are on strictly Thai time!

Thai’s are polite to everyone it seems. Even in such tight, hot & sticky surroundings, my bothersome acute sense of smell discovers that the people do not have stinky body smells like Europeans and North Americans. Between sweating, monsoon rains, cleansing foods, and their sense of personal hygiene even those individuals who are considered very poor are relatively tidy with great haircuts. We saw only one beggar in this city looking ratty and stinky which we later discovered was a well known Caucasian junkie from the USA.

Nakhon Sri Thammarat, the ancient walls.

Jim and I arrive at our new city’s edge and get busy figuring out what type of transportation we need to get to a decent hotel in the city of Nakhon Si Thammarat, a prominent city in the ancient kingdom of Tambralinga. The city was a part of the Srivijaya empire till the early 13th century. Lots of history to explore and a city filled with friendly smiling Thai's!

Ancient walls of Nakhon Sri Thammarat

The cross country bus drops us off to an area where there are oodles of scooter pirates on the edge of the city center. From here we are to find a scooter to drive us anywhere we want to go for a negotiated fee. Then, later on, we found another very efficient form of transportation where lots of people move throughout the day up and down dedicated roads within the city limits in small pickup trucks decked out with rooftop and bench seating along the sides. 

You can hear the truck-bus coming with the uplifting music sounds of THAI TV VIDEO… gotta love it! Just walk up or wave them over and get into the back of the truck to grab a seat. The driver is not going to dedicate the ride with just YOU in the back but will require more passengers to make his trip worthwhile so we all get involved with soliciting with a wave for other potential riders to get in so we can get to where we want to end up.

Nakhon Sri Thammarat City Center,

walking on the overpass.

Blaring Thai pop music is the advertising to seek out paying riders along the sidewalks. We just jump on the back and find a seat and PAY ONLY twenty cents per trip to anywhere he goes along the dedicated roads. We pay the driver when we get there but need to let him know ahead of time where we want to get off or knock on the inside truck window.… Remember there is no such thing as time schedules… when you get there is the right time… Buddhist style!!! The drivers will turn around at their designated end of the route and will come back the same way, picking up people going the other way. They do this throughout the day but the truck buses STOP WORK around 6:00 pm. Seems like a very efficient system of transportation. If we need to go OFF these routes then we would hire a motor scooter driver in an official orange vest.

In the photo on the left-hand side, you can see a converted truck
with bench seating for carrying passengers to any location along their routes.
It comes with complimentary HAPPY Dance Thai music!

The taxi scooters work all hours and will go places that the truck buses don’t go. You can make deals and negotiate with these guys but make sure they are official with the orange jackets. These scooter guys can pile a family, groceries, and grandma onto one scooter…then boot about the city waving in and out of traffic… unbelievable… even the babies know how to hang on tight! 

Most drivers wear helmets but passengers don't and
women are seen riding with their legs over one side of the motor scooters.

Unwritten driving rules state that the biggest vehicles have the right of way… so just get out of the way. Speedy chaos is what we witness but amazed at the efficiency of everyone moving about on the same vibe. No signs of road rage and swearing as they work it out instantly without fuss. THINK FAST and move quickly forward…

Grand Park Hotel in Nahkom Sci Thammarat 

very clean, friendly service and excellent price.

We get our scooter drivers to take us to the city’s newest Grand Park Hotel which is in the center of the city buzz and we believe the ONLY one that is of this quality in the city center. We get a big room with a KING SIZE bed an actual bathtub with hot water, mini fridge, air-conditioning, laundry service, clean king-size bed, and a TV. There was a problem with the tub but someone was up to repair it immediately and found everyone very friendly. 

Grand Park Hotel was the nicest place we had stayed at in Thailand and considered to be a glamour Hotel for the cost of $23.00 Canadian a night. It was the most we spent anywhere, but well worth it and still within our $60 dollar a day budget.

The local mall Carrefour gave us refuge with air conditioning and also we wondered the shops looking at what foods are sold. We were looking for Thailand Specialty Rice that we could buy in Canada but never where we served this rice in Thailand nor find it on the shelves to buy.

We stayed for a week in Grand Park Hotel and had our clothes sent to their in house laundry service where we would finally get our clothes washed in real washing machines with real dryers, then folded nicely left on our large king-size bed. Our digestions by this time were ruling how far each day we could travel from this air-conditioned room with a real bathroom and real toilet paper.

The leftover chicken and fries from dinner
was brought into our room and is served in this funky chicken basket!

We did eat at the Grand Park Hotel and being a Canadian, found the foods to be not to our tastes. So not saying the food was horrible for anyone eating here but it is not our style. The tough thin steak was served with a red sauce that I could not place in my years of cooking with spices. The grease that the fried chicken and french fries were cooked in had overwhelmed my senses and could not eat the food. 

Next evening we went across the street to eat at a local restaurant that served soya sausages in the morning called breakfast sausages with fried eggs and white toast and for the evening the same soya sausages would be thicker and sliced vertically called Bavarian style. It is all the same but different!  We did go to some Thai restaurants and enjoyed the very hot soupy style of dishes always served with a bowl of white rice. We tried endlessly to order noodles but there seems to be a shortage of noodles all across Thailand even thou it was offered on the menu.

Local Movie Theater

By this time in our travels, we have given up on bug sprays and sunscreen... discerning menus or asking what is THAT in or on the food. BUGS BUGS where everywhere you eat, walk, breath, & sit…You couldn’t kill enough bugs and us wet ALL the time from sweat and monsoon rains.

Local Bird Seller

We are not prudes to eating different foods but we just needed desperately after two weeks to find foods with English words… like hamburger, French fries, potatoes… what ever…. Please, nothing more THAI my stomach yearns for something familiar to digest… We even resort to potato chips and other junk foods I rarely eat back home. But even those foods have special Thai flavor and never found anywhere else in the world except here!  Jimmy is on high alert forever explaining DIE DIE CHOKE CHOKE in his newly learned THAI language stating if there is dried shrimp, clams etc. in the food he will die of his nasty seafood allergy.

Pastry Shop in Nakhon Sri Thammarat City Center

JOY SPOT

Found a pastry shop in the morning that served delicate pastries that were not so bad but still the lurking in the ingredients is Thai flavor of who knows what and suspect its not butter but some kind of soy-based fat. We order two trays filled with 'one of each' and ate the whole serving with their tasteful coffee and tea which is served as well for cleansing the palette. The young serving gals found it shocking to see us gobble down all the pastries for breakfast!

All sausage sold in stores and restaurants are soy based
made in different sizes with various dyes
 to give it a variety of the same mix.

All sausages are soy based and the women in this grocery store
 thought it odd I was taking photos of the sausages!

We also found a restaurant with the sign Rock & Roll who advertised Steak Pasta Burgers Pizza… okay, we can survive another week in Thailand. Ketchup is hidden away and has to ask for it as it is imported and expensive. The food was not so bad and inched closer to flavors we can recognize as our type of food. 

Dairy is not usually available and the fats used is different and adds a strangeness to all the foods. The owner of this restaurant had spent time in Europe and developed recipes that could be converted in Thailand. Eating here is the most expensive food we have eaten in Thailand because all these ingredients have to be shipped in from afar.

An American English teacher introduces himself to us and joins us in conversation at our table. He has left the USA for Thailand and has been residing for many years teaching English to Thai’s. He fills us in on the customs, problems, laws, etc. to eventually he confesses his marriage the next day to his two year Buddhist Thai girlfriend. She is half his age of course and is committed to serving him the rest of his life. They were to be married the next day Buddhist style and this will give her family a much better standing within their communities. Otherwise, the woman is considered a whore to a white man. He mentions the Europeans and North American men trolling these cities for their boy toys and girls. We actually ran into a few who will keep their distance from other white folks because they know we don’t approve.

Downtown Nakhon Sri Thammarat

We found out there was a National Museum of Nakhron Sri Thammarat . It was filled with lots of ancient artifacts found in the region. Nothing was in English at the time but it was still worthy to see the displays and room filled with artisans works of ancient times. 

After a couple of days of wandering around the city & checking out the museum and Buddhist Temples, we were charmed and decided to stay for the week. Jim gets on the phone to the Thai’s we met on Kolibong Island and call Supra & Siriwan from the hotel room. 

With some difficulty, we managed to communicate that we are here staying in their city. Language barriers, especially over telephones, left us not sure what we were actually going to do with them. Next day we have a group of Thai’s waiting out in the Hotel's parking lot to take us on several days filled with adventures.

In the lobby of Grand Park Hotel with our newly made Thai friends with one of my watercolor pencil drawings of Tiger Temple.

Our new Thai friends have come to collect us for some morning Dim Sum in one of their favorite Chinese market eating places. They are all really excited to connect with us and brought their family members and friends to meet us, ‘The Canadians’. The families invited us to share their unique villages, lifestyles, and customs. Everyone wants to ask us questions about our lives in Canada and somehow we all understand each other even with major language barriers.

Dog packs will make an area their home and this poor dog is afraid of me coming to take photos at this temple under repair. 

I notice it has crippled back legs and had puppies.

Buddhist Temple being restored 

next to the Thai Massage in Nakhon Sri Thammarat

Buddhist Temple being restored 

next to the Thai Massage in Nakhon Sri Thammarat

Fresh paint, glass enamel tiles, and gold.

Buddhist Temple getting a fresh new exterior.

Next to the Thai Massage in Nakhon Sri Thammarat

Training school Wat Sala Mi Chai for Thai Massage. 

Located outside the city center of Nakhon Sri Thammarat. 

Each statue is a Thai Yoga Pose for healing developed

 by the photo posted at the end of the room. 

We discovered a training school Wat Sala Mi Chai for a Thai Massage that costs $3.00 for over an hour. They are located on the main drag easily accessible by the downtown truck bus. Many Thai’s do the training so both men and women can earn a living that also helps to heal the local communities for minimum costs.

Entrance for Wat Sala Mi Chai for authentic Thai Massage.

Entrance for Wat Sala Mi Chai for a Thai Massage

Inside the massage school are thin mattresses lined up on the multi-layered linoleum floors with fans blowing everywhere... no air conditioning or décor here folks, just practical Thai massage at the best prices.

Young girls are training to become authentic Thai massage therapists.

To attend a massage therapy session, you wear loose clothes or they will give you baggy cotton bottoms to cover up. They use a wonderful massage cream but that’s only for the beginning to loosen up the tension THEN the deep massage begins with the use of their knees, elbows and will stand on you too for ultimate Thai massage.  This is not for the light touch SPA massage as you will find yourself going through torture needed for getting to the problem faster than regular relaxing style massage. It is not a place to come get a SPA type body massage.

Various Thai poses for healing the body at the massage school.

There is no privacy at the massage school as everyone shares the floor space but they do put men in one area and women in another area. Seems no matter what day we arrive, everyone smiles, chats, and the Thai music are playing somewhere over the radio. The people enjoyed us being there and welcomed us to their conversations and wanted to practice their English and ask questions about our country.

Bathroom in the massage school leaves us Western people confused about how to use the facilities. It is clear that we can not use the toilet paper we brought and are expected to use hands and the bucket of water displayed on the side of the squatting toilet. There is a woman who attends and cleans the toilet after every use. I think we have to remove our shorts & underwear completely to do this part but can find no hook to hang them out of the flow of water. 

We went many times over the week to this massage school for massage therapy. Sometimes I could not experience another session but Jim went inside for his series of body massages. I would go sit outside to watch the reconstruction of another Buddhist Temple being restored by Thai's graduate art students. Jim also ventured forth and drank a stinky yucky tonic for internal wellness. Jimmy connected with one martial arts/massage therapist as seen in the photo, where I had different women therapist every time.

Wat Phra Mahathat the first place
in Thailand to introduce Buddhism.
The pointy structures are called 
Stupa in Sri Lankan style

Wat Phra Mahathat and a Stupa

Wat Phra Mahathat temple is a fabulous historical place to visit and photograph. In 2012 it is noted that the temple was offered to Unesco to protect it and is still on the tentative list. 

Each Buddhist Monk is represented by a look-a-like statue built in their honor.
Here you will find ancient statues that are being
resurfaced with new gold leafing and paint.

Since the 13 century, Wat Phra Mahathat has been transformed and fuses many other ancient religious practices to eventually adopting India's introduction to Buddhism. At the time we were visiting in 2006, there was no English to read, nor plaques or tourist typical vague information, nor internet of any kind to research what this amazing place we came upon. We clued in that this was a very ancient and unique place so we decided to enter the Temple. 

Wat Phra Mahathat

Wat Phra Mahathat Entrance and desk to buy gold & flowers.

Most fabulous*** Wat Phra Mahathat to experience and a must go if you happen to venture to this area. 

JOY SPOT

Today anyone can visit for just a donation. Everyone is required to take off the shoes before entering the premises while inside the building. Also, we can buy gold leaf to apply it to the restorations as indicated by the sellers. What a great idea for visitors to actively restore the sculptures but also to pray and place in front of various statues with offerings of fruit and flowers.

I believe this statue was influenced by another religion but still all religions of the past is represented here. Today regular people can come to pray, view and put gold leaf on favorite statues. You can see a few square spots placed in the above photo.

This old monk lived a long life and is decorated with orange sashes.
Also, you can see in the photo that this statue
has been getting more gold leafing put on by visitors.

Here is some wall sculpture made so long ago and is the original religion and style of the day.  As time evolved, the old beliefs and their style were left as is then the newer style and beliefs evolved outward from the original walls. Notice new little squares of gold leafing.

Artist is working on an area that is very ancient and maybe one of the first reliefs to be made in Wat Phra Mahathat temple
as its more of a relief than a sculpture.

This spot was magical and colorful! It was at the far end of the room and placed here was a kneeling mat for meditation and prayer.

The offering of flowers.

Notice there is a row and layers of statues. Each row is another era moving through to the current times. Inside Wat Phra Mahathat.

A Pepsi cup filled with a plant and used as an offering.
Outside Wat Phra Mahathat.

Our newly acquired Thai friends have planned a few sights seeing tours to some of their favorite and special places. Siriwan and her husband Supra drove us for a couple of days stopping for quick visits to their private homes meeting with more family members and friends. Each time we had to eat something that was local and this was the most trying part of our visits as not to insult them by saying NO to more unusual foods that I could not digest. They still remained cheerful and laughed with us about our stomach problems. Conversations would range from USA Bush politics, child rearing, music, movies, and favorite American movie stars.

Purple Orchids

We have been explained the customs of Buddhism and how everything in all that they do & accomplish in life is based on Buddhism. In Thailand, anyone and everyone are expected to go to a Buddhist monk school for 1 year of training. They can choose when or whatever age they want to enter and women too. Everyone cuts off their hair and the family’s pay support to who enters the schools. Depending on how long you want to be a monk devotee your training will increase and the color of your gowns will also change.

City center Nakhon Sri Thammarat and the cross over bridges. People generally do not cut across to the other side and notice barriers along sidewalks to discourage pedestrians jaywalking.

Starting out on our adventure Siriwan got a cell phone call that her brother the Lawyer has had a heart attack and we need to speed off fast to our first Thai hospital. Dirty diseased dogs are hanging around the front entrance while people are stretched out on stretchers waiting for their treatment. Luckily her brother who we meet at the front door waiting for us and did not have a heart attack but a major trapped BURP in his digestion from partying too much! Here we meet Sirwan’s sister and the embarrassed brother.

Students in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. The youth liked to approach us
to try out their English and always smiling!

Wat Kao Poon Temple 
South Thailand

Wat Kao Poon Buddhist Temple at the top of a steep climb hill.

Only stairs up part way
to the Wat Kao Poon Buddhist Temple.

First tour with our Thai friends it to check out an old Buddhist temple Wat Kao Poon which has a village surrounding the bottom of the hill to cater to locals as wells as to feed the Buddhist monks.

On the way up the hill, there are sculptures
and various flowering plants.

Incense lingers in the air.

Lots of rickety dangerous stairs to climb to get to the top of the hill where the Buddhist temple is nestled among lots of green plants and mountains. We went inside the temple to view the hand-painted Thai story of the history of this area.

At the top of the hill, we can see the mountain in the distance.

ENTRANCE to the
Buddhist Temple Wat Kao Poon

Buddhist temple Wat Kao Poon is explained
 in an illustrated hand painted story on the walls.
You can see that there is a hillside with the temple at the top.

Buddhist temple Wat Kao Poon is explained
 in an illustrated hand painted story on the walls.

Inside Wat Kao Poon Temple

Once at the bottom of the hillside, our Thai families decide to eat at the local eatery at the bottom of the hill. Scruffy dogs and their pups scramble by our feet wanting attention and food. It is frowned upon to touch these dogs. I do it anyways and find these dogs very friendly.

The village at the bottom of Wat Kao Poon Temple.

Buddhist temple Wat Kao Poon sculptures 
seen everywhere along the hillside.

More home-style Thai foods for us to try out and I will stick with my new diet …a mouthful to tactfully respectful and drink lots of bottled water. Siriwan explains enthusiastically to me that the Thai way of social activities is to eat often and talk all the time.

Ban Kiri Wong 
South Thailand

Bridge to Ban Khiri Wong Village

Sign about Ban Khiri Wong and its eco-tourism.

Siriwan our Thai friend at the front of the store
got someone to open the shop for us.
We bought some handmade items
such as a handbag, shirt, and Mangosteen soap.

JOY SPOT

Ban Khiri Wong is a community filled with artisans who make the fabric's hand dyed to then make into clothing and accessories as well they make a prized soap that is popular with Japanese to buy for their skin. The soap maker of the village gave us a demonstration of soap making and was he gifted us a couple of bars and can say what amazing soap it was to my skin.

Making the dyes from natural plants
and cooking them over outside fires.

The big pots are boiling the natural materials

 for the dyes used in their cloth.

The residents were helped to develop an eco-tourism project to welcome visitors and to buy from their well-stocked store. The village won Thailand Tourism Awards for best culture and community travel in 1998.

Ban Khiri Wong Natural dye & batik of fabrics: 
Cottage Industry makes clothing & accessories from the fabrics.

We purchased two batik handmade shirts and a comfy shoulder handbag for me that I still like to use when traveling. Found that the craftsmanship and quality of sewing are really excellent. Jim has worn his shirts for years going out to play music on stage.

Read more here about this area of Thailand and what to see and experience.

Mangosteen Soap Demonstration: The Soap Master here will be wearing one of the villages cotton hand dyed batik shirts.

Mangosteen Soap Demonstration

Mangosteen Soap Demonstration, Minaz, Soap Maker,
& Jim with a couple of bars to take back to Vancouver.

While we are shopping our Thai friends make arrangements so that someone from the village with an impromptu soap demonstration on how they make their prized soaps. 

Hindu God Ganesh is celebrated in the village of Ban Khiri Wong.

Hindu God of Ganesh is fused with Buddhism and can see why this village adopted Ganesh to represent the spirit of their eco-tourism and way of creating beauty from nature and offering a way of life. This link explains who is Ganesh the elephant God.

I have since used the mangosteen soaps over the year and they are excellent with real soft suds with no sticky residue which leaves the skin soft just like they promised. 

Our hosts' little girls swimming in the river by Ban Khiri Wong.

The day is hot and we decide to head over to the local hang out by the river that runs past the village. Many people are in the river playing around the water cooling off and our hosts' little girls decide they are going in for a dip with the locals while we eat more Thai foods and drink some more Thai beer with our hosts who had planned ahead and have brought another picnic to share. The women do not normally drink but the men save no time on downing as many beers as they can handle except for our driver Supra. 

I call it the parachute flower. Everywhere is flowering plants
but the light is very dark where they survive the heat.

Lots of giggling, facial dramatizations, and body animations get everyone to laugh and somehow we manage to communicate just fine as usual. Jimmy is center of their attention, acting out and fumbling through his Thai language, getting them to laugh even more. Thai’s LOVE to laugh… Jimmy was master of ceremonies keeping them in stitches.

Flowering shrubs at Ban Khiri Wong

The guys have drunk their beer quotas so back to the city where there are some plans to get a good deal on some Thai silver jewelry. Plans are the women are going to get me shopping. We have backpacks so shopping is minimal. Mrs. Amnuay LOVES to shop and wants to share some of her favorite places to shop. We are late in arriving but the storekeeper stays open for us Canadians! 

I found a few jewelry pieces for gifts but upon deeper inspection, the quality I noticed is a very low standard to what I am used to seeing for sterling silver. The jewelry has to be completely checked over for imperfections, etc… we almost walk out with nothing… BUT… The pressure from the women to buy something is strong… We did find a few decent pieces and thankful for our friends' bargaining for us to get the Thai price! I did bring back one piece later to be exchanged and they just smiled and said no problem.

Hindu God Ganesh

We say our farewells to our Thai friends at the hotel and there is the talk of another trip guided by our other host Mr. Amnuay and his wife later on in the week if we decide to stay.

The food we can eat is a daily search and find a reliable restaurant across from where we are staying and can eat American breakfast meaning eggs, thin white toast, and beige sausage wieners. No matter what NAME they call the sausage we begin to observe that this means a soya wiener in different shapes, sizes, and colors.

European sausage would come fatter & darker in color with slits cut along the top. In the morning we would have breakfast sausage which would be from the same vat only lighter beige and small in size. These are not MEAT sausage as we know and most likely are soy base meats with the same dull taste no matter the LOOK.

Carrefour Mall and air conditioning get-a-way 

from the blistering heat in Nakhon Sri Thammarat City!

Walking through Carrefour, one of the local malls has the air conditioning turned up so here we find many other Thai’s gathering about eating, talking and attending the Karaoke bar. We go into their large chain store selling everything including the sausages we were eating at restaurants. I took photos of their deli sausage department. The gals working there thought I was a nut taking pictures but Jimmy ensured them speaking Thai we love sausage so much… what a weird white woman they laughed!

This is a village where Mr. Amnuay's family's home is and where we will have the boat trip of a lifetime. We do not know where this is on the map nor do I know the name but its a mangrove protected by the KING and where shrimp is cultivated for market sales.

Our gracious host Mr. Amnuay in the back
and a local fisherman who will join us on the boat.

Our excited host Mr. Amnuay had planned a trip to his family’s home village where we are promised an ocean boat ride. We were prepared for the open waters of an ocean size boat but as usual with Thailand language descriptions & misunderstandings it leads us to a day adventure on a long tail boat that we can tell ‘ya’ not too many tourists get to experience.

Pink Flower with raindrops.

Supra, Siriwan, Mr. & Mrs. Amnuay have us traveling further into another jungle village, passing a huge open-walled building that turns out to be the village’s school. It looks like a factory building abandoned with no walls. We pull into a driveway to the home of the Mom & Dad of Mr. & Mrs. Amnuay where we are first approached by two flea-infested barking dogs who greet us with sniffs then wags.

We are invited inside the beautiful solid wood room that has only one carved couch, a bookshelf, and a desk. The room was like a yoga room full of peaceful space.  We notice one door and room off to the side with clothes & stuff piled in it and a stairway that goes up to where they sleep. 

Out back of the house is a roofed porch kitchen. They are hooked up to a propane bottle with one burner to cook and a pipe that brings in monsoon water saved for washing dishes. The fridge is inside by the toilet… yes, they too have a barrel of water and holes to stand on with water everywhere.

Outside the kitchen area is where the chickens run freely and where they stand to shower off every day.  Our two hostesses start to cook up a storm in this minimalists Thai kitchen, all food prepared is for the picnic we are going to have later on.

Meanwhile, the fellows sit out front drinking Thai Chang Beer under the outdoor veranda that is interrupted by orderly marching sugar ants getting on with their day.

Local fisherman and long tail boat owner
who will also join us on the day adventure?

One of the villagers came by to drop off freshly caught shrimp for The Canadians’ to enjoy. It was wonderful tasting food but we know our stomachs are rumbling again. We begin to worry about how to go to the bathroom while out on a boat in the middle of the ocean… this is going to be interesting… pray to the Shit Gods to bless us with stable bowels for the day!

Here is Mr. Amnuay's grocery and gas station
somewhere in a rural fishing village.

Mrs. Amnuay (an art teacher) and her young daughter
will join us for the boat trip.

We all pitch in to help unload Mr. Amnuay's
pick-up truck filled with supplies for his Gas Station Store.

We bid our farewells to the older folks and pick up the daughter to come with us. Apparently, it is common for families to leave the children for grandparents to care for while the parents live and work elsewhere. Mr. and Mrs. Amnuay, Supra & Siriwan are professional teachers at a large city school which later we visit that day many miles away from this town.  We head off to the Amnuay’s store & gas station to meet up with our captain and the owner of the long-tailed boat for our ocean cruise. First, we have to unload all the boxes off the back of the truck for the hired staff to stock the shelves.

Mrs. Amnuay and daughter. Here we go on our long tail boat ride.

Nine of us pile into the long-tailed boat with the picnic baskets filled with beer and food. Jim and I are thinking this is the delivery boat to get us to the big ocean boat… NOT… we start to cruise through the fishing village along the river like we are in a national geographic film. My camera is clicking away and thrilled for the experience.

Here we go for the day's adventure with 9 of us and a picnic!

We wave to the locals like we are in a parade Sava Dee!

Houses are built right on the river and interesting to us, we hear a TV set on.

This village’s ancient lifestyle still works for this fishing village but we can hear and notice that even this deep into the jungle, the TV appears to be blaring through the thin shacks built along the river. We were told that the KING gave TV to everyone who could not afford them so they could see how the world is changing around them.

Locals buying and trading right off their boats.

The woman floats from pier to pier selling food.

Young boys going for a cruise on dads longtail boat!

Everyone is as curious about us as we are looking back at them!

A village built literally on the flooding waters.

A village built literally on the flooding waters.

House on the river seems more modern and uses concrete instead of wood.

House on the river.

House on the river.

House on the river with large rain barrels to catch the monsoon rains.

Monsoon rains and tidal waters keep changing water levels.
Locals hanging out on their boats.

We cruise out of the mangrove swamps that flood during monsoons and are told this is the oldest natural place in the world to cultivate shrimp. The King of Thailand finally sanctioned this area to preserve it as is forever, no tourism is to set up here… We are thinking where is the ocean our Thai friends mentioned and where is the ocean boat? 

What is that structure out in the water??? We are heading toward it.

The skies start to darken and the rumblings of monsoon rains are about to crash down on us. In the distance we see these shrimp shacks poking out of the big waves… what are these shacks used for and how did they get out here?

This is the THING out in the water as mentioned above in the photo. 

It is a shrimp shack for fishermen to get out of the storms.

It is built precariously but we are encouraged to get out of the boat and get inside the shrimp shack. EEKKS!

The shrimp shack is put together with scraps of rope and the monsoon rains have started. Also, the water is raising rather quickly and the shack is groaning and moving but not to WORRY! BE HAPPY!

Siriwan who is the group's interpreter speaks some English.
We are sitting and watching the water rising. There is time to eat the picnic lunch while the guys encourage Jim to drink some more 
Thai style of booze and beer! We ladies stick to water!

Here sits 'Buddha' smiling Supra who is not drinking 
and remains our trustworthy driving guide.

Our Captain takes up alongside one of these shrimp shacks. I am thinking we are not ALL getting out of this long tail boat. OHHHH YES, WE ARE ALL getting out of the boat so 5 of us crawl over to the far side and sit down carefully.

Here the BOYS are getting drunk on Thai alcohol, 

song, and laughter,

while our shack begins to groan and shake.

Time to leave what was is now called

by our Thai friends as "James Hotel".

Jimmy hangs with the fellows to DRINK more Thai beer. We 5 people on the other side of the shack and attempting to balance the precariously built shack. Our captain drinks moonshine… okay... sober me is starting to get a bit worried but no one seems alarmed and we do have one child to think about so hopefully we get back OKAY.  Outcomes MORE food again with shrimps, pork, rice and some other things which are most delicious and hope this is not THE LAST MEAL!  I drink back more water while my hostesses say pointing to me that I am too skinny… eat more!

The Thai’s love their music and drunk musician Jimmy is to sing them favorite North American tunes… which they loved and would join in. Jimmy is joking with the guys and more laughter while I start to notice the water level is rising close to the top of our shrimp shack. Suddenly, the whole shack starts to creak into the water under the extra tonnage of our bodies. The party is over and we quickly pack up and get back onto the long tail boat heading back to the village. So this was the ocean cruise. The shrimp shack has now been christened with the name ‘James Hotel'!  

South Thailand, Princess country residence 

right beside the KINGS Dam

South Thailand, Princess country residence right beside the KINGS Dam

Our day is not complete as our Thai hosts have more sightseeing trips planned for us for the rest of the day. Our Thai friends love to talk about their King and Queen explaining the political and spiritual connections that many Thai’s seem to openly express.  

Thailand Kings Dam is next to the Royal Residence in the South.

There is a bridge combined with the King’s new power dam by another village and where the ‘cottage palace’ is for the princess of Thailand for summer visits. The daughter is very much respected for the love of her country by her actions in protecting natural areas, building schools, hospitals, putting in roads, power plants all for the betterment for all Thais. The son of the King and Queen, on the other hand, is thought of as a useless, show off, party playboy who will be a bad influence on Thailand when the father passes on. 

Since writing in this BLOG and now it's 2017, I find no information on the internet about this place we visited nor anything on the Kings Dam. Also, the King of Thailand has since died in 2016.

While standing around the power plant admiring the Princess summer residence, more flea dogs hang about too looking for scraps. There is always someone selling something to eat and drink too. The gals decided to get us this juice they frequently serve tied in a plastic bag with a straw… no cups. I begin to drink this fruit juice and again the stomach goes NO WAY. I try to find a moment to pour it out without being noticed and finally manifest that moment just before getting back into the truck.

Tha Phaya a village where our teacher Thai friends have taught school.
A storm is lurking and a young boy of the village has drowned.

Tha Phaya a village where we stopped for a visit. We just discovered the whole village is out on the beach where they have discovered the drowned body of a young boy from the village and are carrying the body home.

Next, we go to visit the large city school where our hosts teach at the local high school. Supra is a math teacher, Siriwan is the school counselor, Mr. Amnuay is science/history and Mrs. Amnuay is the art teacher. The school is more modern and serves a huge area.  We head off to the ocean side village Tha Phaya where we are planning to stop to eat, drink and meet with more locals. When we arrive there is something that has happened which has brought the whole village out to the waterfront. 

We walk along a huge pier to see a whole village of Tha Phaya is lined up along the shore. Mr. Amnuay finds one of his buddies who is the local cop to ask what is the problem.

It turns out one teenage local boy fell into the violent stormy waves off the edge of a boat and could not fight the current so another teenage boy, the better swimmer rescues him but he succumbs to some underwater current that drowns him. 


The fisherman's' boats were trying to spot him for two hours and all the villagers are standing along the shore to watch for the body to be swept up to shore which the inevitable happened just as we arrive. The boy's body is held up high above the villagers’ as the men carry the dead boy above their heads, heading back to the village to be ritualized for burial. One of the elders of the village comes out to the pier chanting something while throwing firecrackers to ward away the evil energy lurking around the pier. Needless to say very sad and we didn’t stay.

Ban Rang Nok has an interesting story and history to do with swallow birds and it's very famous cultivation of 'birds nest' products, popular among Asian medicines which we can buy in Vancouver BC in China Town. This odd place is reflective of the Alfred Hitchcock 1963 movie “The Birds” … thousands upon thousands of chirping swallow birds are everywhere the eye can see. The chirping was the loudest bird sounds we have ever heard.

Years past a rich Thai fellow came to this city and bought up the whole city and decided to build a bird sanctuary. He had a passion for birds so he built sky high apartment buildings that tower over the city for the birds to live and nest.  Apparently because of the bird dander, and poop droppings, this idea to preserve birds has created many breathing allergies and cancers to the locals. It was surreal and weird to witness this bird town but I was so exhausted I didn’t get my hosts to stop the truck to take any pictures. I just wanted to get back to our hotel to relax in a bath with air-conditioning. No such luck… the adventure still continues!

We drive on to an interesting ocean-side small city called Pak Parang. It is decided that food needs to happen AGAIN. In the monsoon rains, we stop at the local market with the women buying more food already prepared by local vendors and the guys are picking up MORE beer.  We head off to Mr. Amnuay’s sister's home who is married to a Thai cop… a tough guy, martial arts trained so Jimmy and he has something in common to share. 

Seven of us arrive at their small apartment and we sit on the cool floor and spread out all the food. I find one type of food that Siriwan chose for me, some kind of deep fried blobs and of course its got good hot and spicy sauce which is good tasting to me and I devour it. Still, I am turning away from soupy sauced items and white rice. Dessert comes as a pudding with things floating in it and served once again in a clear plastic bag. They tease me to try it all and I remain firm… NO THANK YOU.

Wonderful & gracious hosts Siriwan and Supra saying goodbye in our Grand Park Hotel. I gave them my sketch and art portfolio as a THANK YOU.

We bid our farewells with our wonderful Thai friends. I had managed one watercolor pencil drawing of the Buddhist monk and his tiger. This was my personal thanks to all they shared and today we still keep in contact by email and facebook.

Saying goodbye to our Thailand friends Siriwan and our BEST driver Supra!

Jimmy was given one last warning in jest to NEVER go with ‘happy ending’ massage as Siriwan yells “HIV!!!!”… We all laugh again and say our goodbyes in the hotel lobby with tears in our eyes promising to always remember our friendship with them.

JOY SPOT

Our conversations with our new Thai friends gave us such an insight to Thailand and the history of this great ancient city Nakhon Sri Thammarat. No white people tourism has come here to this clean Southern City and it’s a real pleasure to not see drunken white men stumbling around with their rented Thai girlfriends.

Entrance to massage school Wat Sala Mi Chai
 for authentic Thai Massage.

One hot afternoon after our massage at the school, Jimmy and I decided to take back one of the broken necklaces purchased at the shop. We walk and weave throughout the back streets where villagers came out to greet us, smiling, saying HELLO while they wave at us. We wander the streets and eventually got LOST.  While walking around the busy streets I witness a truck approaching with young boys in colorful uniforms standing up in the back bouncing around to blaring music and banging on drums.

Behind them is another truck with young men in the same outfits that seem to be in a trance while one guy sits on a chair with gobs of red sticky fluid all over his face, neck, and chest. We are thinking this is an act for a horror Thai movie but quickly see that the young guy is actually slashing his outstretched tongue with a big razor!!!!….. OKAY, this is sick, I want back to the hotel now!… Turns out asking our Thai friends about seeing this slashing and they say for sure it not a Buddhist thing to do but is another religious practice that gets celebrated once a year. These believers go into a trance to show off how they can stick things into themselves! 

Locals in Nakhron Sri Thammarat.

Jimmy finally takes the initiative to go ask where we are and how do we get to our hotel! He enters a furniture store and asks people for help. Next thing we have a scooter driver telling us to jump on… three adults and a large bag… I am in a dress yanked up over my knees sandwiched between two men on a scooter… sweltering… weaving around car bumpers with my knees within in an inch of the moving cars. EDGY…??? We apparently walked totally in the wrong direction getting further away from our Hotel.

The only vegetable we can recognize while in Thailand is the cucumber with the occasional small tortured tomatoes. It seems that vegetables are not what they eat in their regular home foods. Vegetables are considered more for Chinese cooking. No peppers, onions, lettuce, carrots, celery, etc. are to be found anywhere… We can find fat juicy maggots thou for sale fresh which is cooked crispy in some hot oil served with dipping sauces. The eggs flavor and color is more wild tasting which is fine and are delivered daily by men & women who hang a big stick over their shoulders while balancing the baskets filled with their eggs for sale to markets, individuals and restaurants.  

JOY SPOT

This city Nakhon Sri Thammarat is a must for those who don’t want the typical glossy tourist package for holidays. Our life and trip were enriched by the generosity of our lifetime Thai friends. Also, we enjoyed the many hours of conversations we shared about the USA, Canada and their love for their King and Queen of Thailand.

Films are rated off limits with kissing or any kind of nudity as it's considered pornographic. Mel Gibson is a big hit among Thai women and we are asked to send kissing films even if they are in English. Mostly we found the shopping to be nothing but Chinese knock-offs & lots of junk. 

We discover too that anything authentically made in Thailand is verified by the King’s stamp of authentication and be purchased only for sale in government approved shops… in Bangkok.

The time has come for us to make some different plans and to inch our way closer to the Bangkok airport. We have a week left and get a few recommendations from our Thai friends. We go on another all day bus ride heading to a place called Khanom and Nai Ploa Beach where we will stay at the only hotel in town next to the ocean. Arriving by air-conditioned bus we then continue to Nai Ploa Beach by scooter pirates to our final destination in a small seaside village.  

Travel Khanom Nai Ploa Beach

South Thailand

Nai Ploa Beach view of cottages 
& ocean in front of our hotel balcony.

Nai Ploa, Supar Royal Beach Hotel. Love the geometry!

South Thailand Nai Ploa, Supar Royal Beach Hotel entrance.

South Thailand Nai Ploa, Supar Royal Beach Hotel entrance.

Traveling back towards Bangkok on our last week in Thailand, we arrive in a village named Khanom and venture to the village’s beach called Nai Ploa. This is off season for Thai tourism and the area caters to Thai families and Thai business retreats. We were suggested that the beach cottages could be a place to stay but our noses smell mold and our eyes see uncomfortable beds.

The hotel lobby has a large vase in the center.
ABOVE is an old print of a much younger King and Queen of Thailand.

Disappointed with the dumpy seaside cottages, we ventured across the street to the villages only hotel, Supar Royal Beach Hotel. The hotel is empty except for the young Thai’s staying there who work for free in order to get their accommodations and training. The hotel at one time was very swanky but we find out the owners have let everything slide into disarray as they have decided to put the money into building a huge shipping pier in Thailand. Such a shame as we go from room to room finding the best space with the least damage and finally settle into our view room for the duration.

Nai Ploa Beach no suntanning today!

I spot a beach that calls my name and all I want to do at this part of the trip is soak up the sun in-between monsoon rains. Jim, on the other hand, is sunburned and needs to find shade.

Nai Ploa Beach, One More Beer bar, restaurant, cottages, 

jeeps, and scooters for rent.

Jim ventures for a walk and finds another beachside cottage resort with an awesome bar called ‘One More Beer’. Its owned by an American named Boyd ‘Butch’ Bartusch. July 2008 we where sent an email from his son mentioning that the larger than life character Butch had passed away from cancer. He was a wonderful host and a definite character along our travels. His two sons Michael & Brian and daughter-in-law Jen are managing the resort.  There was friendly energy by the Thai staff and lots of opportunities to meet with a few other foreigner travelers too.

Beautiful NEW home built along the beach in Nai Ploa Beach.

Beautiful NEW home built along the beach in Nai Ploa Beach.

As explained by Butch, in Thailand, no foreigner can own 100 % of the property purchased. The landowner must have a Thai resident to be a partner in the ownership of the property. New Thailand rules state that every foreigner has to leave the country within three months. 

The jungle out the back of our hotel
in Nai Ploa Beach, South Thailand.

Butch’s goal with ‘One More Beer’ is to make Thailand’s best beef burgers and French fried potatoes. Butch has northern farmers in Thailand growing for his franchise the organic beef and potatoes he needs to make BEST BURGERS. Still, the taste of the oils and spices make even these intended American foods taste a bit weird but still a nice break from Thai foods. We order often our Thai favorite Banana Pancakes! also served here with ice cream!!!

ONE MORE BEER
Nai Ploa Beach, South Thailand.

Nai Ploa Beach, South Thailand

Nai Ploa Beach, South Thailand

One More Beer also rents out scooters, jeeps, speed boats and one motorcycle for tourists to rent. Jimmy rented a scooter for the day going on his own adventure throughout the villages meeting with more locals speaking in his new language Thai which one more time is hanging out with the locals to chat, laugh, and drink some Thai beer! I, on the other hand, was finally left to my simple solitude and sun for a few moments on the beach….AHHHAHHH!

Nai Ploa jungle hike, South Thailand

Bananas along the side of the jungle road.
 Nai Ploa jungle hike, South Thailand

We took a hike up into the back jungle area where we heard the Beatles music played on a record player and was told it was a USA war vet who doesn't want visitors. 

 Nai Ploa jungle hike, South Thailand

 Nai Ploa jungle hike, South Thailand

Walking towards the jungle.
Nai Ploa Beach

We notice there is only one small power line, moving throughout the jungle for those who want to hook up TV sets, record players, or one light. Even here in the jungle, TV has become the daily passion filled with Thai's soap operas and silly game shows… BUT no kissing ALLOWED… but lots of seductive expressions.

HI COW! *  Nai Ploa jungle hike, South Thailand

Beautiful orchids...Nai Ploa Beach

So brilliant is this red flower, need to wear SHADES!
Nai Ploa Beach

There were many plants in full bloom as a strolled around the village area. I wish I knew what were the official names of these flowers!

Walking along the road I find many plants are in full bloom.
Nai Ploa Beach

It was time for us to leave Thailand and get back to Canada. We had a lot of traveling to get through yet to get back to Bangkok. Hopefully, our transportation estimations will get us there on time for our flight out of the new Thailand Airport. 

GOOD-BYE Nai Ploa Beach

Leaving the hotel we got our favorite gal manager from One More Beer to drive us in the jeep to the overnight travel bus in town. The bus ticket includes air-conditioning, snacks with a drink and a midnight food voucher to drop in on the side of the road  TENTED food court filled with food hot meals. I stick to packaged food and water.

GOOD-BYE Buddhist SHRINES & Happy Thailand
We are heading HOME!

Jim and I traveled all night leaving Nai Ploa Beach arriving early morning in Bangkok where literally hundreds of taxis are jamming the bus square. Everyone is competing for customers coming off of the buses. It is CHAOS! We had one Thai fellow approach us as soon as we got off the bus. I was heading to a bathroom which he escorted me there while waving away the tattered dogs. I pay to enter the FLUSH toilets bathroom and get to WHIFF one more final smell of Thailands public bathrooms.

Kinky Flowers

After our bathroom break, our friendly taxi driver is making negations on the fee to get to the airport which will be another couple of hours drive through morning traffic in Bangkok. Jim wants to see what car he drives before agreeing to anything. The taxi driver has a new car and it turns he is also a world traveler and speaks English very well. We drive for a few more hours but the time is filled sharing travel stories while we drive through the noisy and stinky Bangkok. We have a great ride to the airport and tip him well. The airport has escorts in wonderful uniforms right there to greet us back and to assist us in any way they can.

Suddenly we can not find our tickets after a month of backpacking and we are FREAKING… Finally, brain fart we remember tucking in the tickets in a hidden compartment in the backpack! WHEA! We wander around the incredible new Thailand airport and try to spend our last Thai money. Everything is VERY expensive so I can only afford some Swiss chocolate and a couple of gourmet spices. Our pictures, some shells, a few clothing items, friendships and a few pounds lighter...we will get home satisfied!

 Thailand is a place where I was pushed out of my comfort zones and only a hint of what life is like in ANCIENT Asian cultures with their way of life. We are the same, no matter where we live, and all we want to better our selves, to enjoy our children, to laugh out loud, to share our homes and our beautiful nature with others.  It was a trip of a lifetime for both of us. Wished thou our digestions would agree to the pushing of its food boundaries! OHH well, we lived to tell the tale!

I did manage to get some art mojo happening. I did a couple of sketches while in Thailand with a set of watercolor pencils and a watercolor pad with a brush. Once at home I did an oil painting portrait of Nid and her granddaughter and a pastel of a lotus flower. 

To View More of Minaz's art  www.artgirlgallery.com

Tropical Banana Waves
watercolor pencil on watercolor paper
by Minaz Jantz

Tiger Temple
watercolor pencil on watercolor paper
by Minaz Jantz

Breakfast with Grandmother
(Princesses' of Thailand)
oil on canvas with gold foil
by Minaz Jantz

Lotus Divine
pastel on sandpaper
By Minaz Jantz

Thai children at Grand Palace Bangkok

The best in Thailand is the people. Thai people are enthusiastic and ready to welcome you with a smile. No matter what back-alley, jungle, beach, city center, temple; pretty much everyone wanted to come and say “HELLO!!, wave and smile. 

Captain Bow says PEACE

The cost for the trip was budgeted at $60.00 CND a day for all expenses for two people. We didn’t slum it totally but we did keep away from the heavy tourist areas and went where the locals hung out for food & transportation.

We recommend the Thailand adventure outside of the usual tourist zones. But do take one word of advice…. Bring medicines for your bowel movements and pack some toilet paper and handy wipes… when your bowels are happy… you're happy!

Sawadee... Minaz and Jim ‘the Canadians’