TYING UP THAILAND

  Sukhoyhai, Thailand

Thailand Bus photo:  The Driver 'thou shalt not pee'!

Soi Cowboy, Bangkok

DAY 'ON-OFF' TOUR  BOAT

For < $5 you  get on/off wherever, explore whatever sights then catch it for the next PAS (pretty amazing spot).  And of course given Bangkok's transportation system, the MRT connects to the dock.  Righteous tourist sites and even enjoyably explored... 

* Siriraj Medical Museum -   abit disconcerting with it's displays of pickled body parts, and in the case of fetuses the whole body, then there are the stripped down veins.. ugh you get the picture (Opinion:  it's a 'miss')

* The Grand Palace - built 1782

* Wat Pho -  46' Reclining Buddha - opinion 'must see'

* Wat Phra Kaeo the Temple of the Golden Buddhas', an icon of carved jade and with seasonal robes changed 3 times a year to match the 'season' by his Majesty the King.  Opinion:  Fantastic. Dealing with the millions of 99% 4' 2" Asian people all in tour groups of 60 and all with umbrellas not so fun!

* Street Market on way to Grand Palace.. hum.  Some unhappy sights here (photos below) makes Canadian and American people scowl....
The real positives:  herbal remedies and salves, good food, and interesting old metals and coins for sale.

 Includes Tiger teeth. 

*Chinatown - Opinion 'Fantastic' dinner 'cheap, fresh and delish'



Thailand's New Year - April 13 - 16 FUN and celebrated as a water festival.  Means water water everywhere sprayed, poured, and thrown over other people - walking, cycling, boating, and riding in tuk-tuks or cars, taxi's, trucks.... You've
got the general idea.  Getting doused with water and painted white is good luck.  Total fun, different from India and Nepal.  Didn't see the level of aggression here. 

   Lots of good luck!

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS

Ho-hum yet another boring bus ride story. Not to worry no gory details here just objective facts and figures. Vientiane to Luang Prabang:  384 kms, estimated time: 10 hours; actual time 12 hours.  Scenery: out of this world, misty mountains, green jungle, little village after .. little indigenous village, multiple river crossings. Bus:  tired and had tummy ache.  Several unscheduled stops where the thin, wirey bus 'assistant' would dive into the innards, wrench in hand and ciggarette gripped firmly in mouth.  He would emerge a little more greasy, sweat stained, 5 - 20 minutes later and off we'd limp again. The steep hills were the issue.   Strolling cows and walking small children could pass us with no problem. We were great on the downhill.

Am in love with this wonderful, sedate, and friendly city way in the mountains North of Vientiane.

Early morning fresh egg delivery outside our 'Boutique Hotel'



Jim searching for lunch on the Mekong!



Renting a cruiser bike - we choose silver which is gender neutral - Jim not eager for hot pink cruiser! 

And we wander all over town, happily sight seeing and seeking river side cafes for cold juice/beer when the heat is too.... hot.  Will never ever forget going through the night textile market - a woman friendly event at least a km long with hundreds of small stalls - and cycling 'home' at 11 pm weaving through tuk-tuks, other bikes, scooters, and people wandering. Past 3 beautiful Buddhist Wats trimmed in Gold and colored rich red.  Frangipangi blossoms pumping out their exotic perfume. Skirt flapping in the warm breeze (think very European!),  hand bag slung over my shoulder and fresh chocolate and mango crepe safely riding in the wire basket!   Sherry's Bliss.  da da daaaa I Could Have Peddled All Night.. DAaaaa! 

Bamboo 'dry season' bridge crossing.  I set up the camera on delay. Run to get in the photo. Sit on the railing. Railing drops and cracks. Jim runs to rescue me!!!! 



view of said bridge!



Mekong River Boat Cruise

Wonderful!  2 hours up river, one hour return... past small villages, watching children slide down sand banks and swimming in the river, fishermen throwing nets.  This brown river supports so much life along it's course.. and we wonder how the next generations will make a living.  Resource management is not even on the radar for these countries, and reports of significantly decreased harvests over the last 20 years resound throughout Laos, Northern Thailand and expect Vietnam is the same. 

We stop Ban Xang Hai, a community that produced Rice Whisky  (yes, it's good!) with a speciality of Cobra or Scorpian pickled in the bottle...see below!



Pakou Caves

Cruise destination, and the Lonely Planet really buggered this one up.  We dressed with our best footwear to manage the 'slippery, steep, dark stairs' that go up to the 'dramatic limestone cliffs', and 'bring a torch'.  Big let down, the stairs are managable in thongs, there is no cave to speak of... and limestone may be present but is no more outstanding than the scenery surrounding the area.  There you go. 

Ethnic Fashion Show With Happy Hour!

Royal Palace Tour - not photos allowed, too bad was interesting....and

Buddhist Wat View of Luang Prabang

Street Shot, on Wat Entrance Stairs...



May 10, 2012   HELLO HANOI!


 Luang Prabang, Laos

Ditched the 23 hour, and 1200 kms, sweaty bus from Luang Prabang to Hanoi, and a challenging border crossing (eg. scams and 'extra' costs). For a 55 minute Vietnam Airways comfy flight ... hum.  Cost:  $45 more per person than the bus and oh! to arrive clean and cool as a cuke vs sweat drenched, spotted and dirty; rested vs exhausted, and with cognitive functioning intact vs stunned, confused, and emotionally fragile!!!!

Out for dinner first night in town:  street food anyone?  hum.. we passed on this yummy entree, dog intestine. We can officially be called failures - the only exotic food thus far:  Crispy (fried) Frog

Hanoi!!! Entrancing.  After sedate Luang Prabang to utter street chaos!  We are in the Perfect Hanoi Location, the Old Quarter.  10 pm last night scooters with up to 4 people perched on the seat, zipping around carts piled with !??! everything imaginable, street vendors selling all variety of food.  We are just a tad hypnotized, mesmerized and thrilled.  It's hard to go back to the hotel room to bed with all this action going on 24 - 7. What ARE they all doing out there?  Why are they doing it?   Where are they going?  Questions:  Do they work tomorrow? Obligations at 7 am? A schedule that MIGHT be in conflict of being up so late on a school night?  Why is it so much more fun, interesting and noisier than Vancouver?