Thailand - 6 to 19 March 2009

Introduction

Sa-wat-dee to an accommodating, exotic location where people radiate a familiar warmth that thaws away the fears of being a stranger in a country that's known for it's fiery but simply delicious cuisine!

Background and History

It is believed that the first Thais migrated South West from China to this area and eventually were ruled by the Angkor Empire. By the 13 th century the first Thai kingdom emerged from the ageing Angkor influence with the current Chakri dynasty in power since the 18 th century – and the country never colonised. But after the country was converted into a constitutional monarchy in 1932, ten coups and chaos followed until a successful civilian government was reinstated in 1992.

Our Experience

Our transit across the border at Sadao into Thailand was painless and in under an hour with our passports only stamped for only 2 weeks, we were on the same good roads north to Hat Yai , then via Trang towards Krabi . By sunset we were 40km short and a heavy downpour encouraged us to wild camp at a roadside filling station! The 400km from Penang was through a mix of tropical jungle, rubber and palm oil tree plantations interspersed with fruit trees and eventually the trademark of limestone outcrops. Krabi was just our jumping off point for the ferry to Kho Phi Phi Island , an indescribably beautiful double horseshoe shaped paradise with sculpted limestone mountains encircling long blonde arcs of sand.

Its natural beauty eclipses the damage still evident after the December 2004 Tsunami and the excessive development that caters to the maddening crowds that flock to this island. En route on the ferry we decided to pre-book at Twin Palm Bungalows and our 2 nights here were spent with ear plugs as fire shows and raucous beach parties with revellers literally downing buckets of alcoholic mixes were just meters away – so much for trying to find accommodation close to the jewelled waters! Our first day was just to soak up the scene, indulge in the artful blend of spiced Thai dishes and of course, dip in the warm waters. That evening we experienced some Thai boxing and watched the famed movie ‘The Beach' at one of the restaurants while savouring the delightful dishes. The next full day was spent on a colourful long tail boat visiting stunning coves and snorkelling spots – from Monkey Bay to the outlying Bamboo Island and the highlight – Kho Phi Phi Lei, an uninhabited marvel. An inlet here led us to Maya Bay which left us speechless – no wonder it was chosen for ‘The Beach' movie. That night with kids tucked in bed, we decided to join the backpacker crowd, bar and beach-party hoping, but our years were telling seriously! Back to nature the next morning, Dane and Gary climbed to a view spot in the centre of the island for that postcard picture and as we were only given a short visa, we were forced to head back to the mainland.

Tipperdee welcomed us back and we continued the drive north west via Phang-Nga to another island! Phuket is linked to the mainland by a short bridge and we headed down the Andaman Sea coast wild camping alone along Mai Kaew beach after searching for the campsite that no longer existed. By noon the next day, after some schooling and a long early morning walk checking out the luxurious resorts, we skirted around the islands jaggered western coast of majestic golden sweeps of sands with beckoning aquamarine waters and views of voluptuous green hills. Surin beach was our first stop for a dip, but we were soon caught up oogling at designer hotels and resorts with envy! Patong, Karon and Nai Han are all gorgeous bays, but this is the domain of package tourists and it was challenging to find an overnight spot to wild camp. About 8 hours later and after literally ripping an entire branch from a tree, further damaging the casing of the awning while admiring the unbelievable views, we spent the night along Karon Beach – just a perfect grassed spot a metres from the water. The inviting waters occupied most of the next morning before we headed to Phukets' east coast and Ao Chalong Bay.

Homely Shanti Lodge came highly recommended by our Wiblin friends from South Africa and it did not disappoint – especially as this was the second year anniversary of the Globerider journey! Great food, friendly people and an arty natural setting where the kids spent most of the day in the pool, struck just the right cord – except for Jade slipping at the side of the pool badly scraping both her legs! The South African grandma as the owners' mum is known, made our 2 days here extra special but the rest of the story is our secret! After the first glorious day we decided that another day at the lodge just had to be spent and on Friday the 13 th (ooopss!) we safely did 330km north after a brief ride through Phuket town.

We wild camped past Ranang at Kra Buri for the night. Typical Thai culture accompanied us all the way in little villages where kids played ta-kraw( a type of foot volley ball) and the many ornate little wat-like spirit houses outside homes where ancestral spirits live and bring good fortune. As we had to spend the last hours' drive in darkness until we found a good spot at another gas station, we had our first glimpse of Myanmar ( Burma ) the next morning - less than a km away. We then crossed the isthmus of Kra to Chumphon and continued up the coast to Prachuap Khiri Khan and to Damnoen Saduak , were we wild camped along the canals in a parking lot for an early morning visit to the famous Floating Market. Before the package tours arrived to clog up the waterways, we enjoyed a relaxing paddled canoe tour past multicoloured canoes laden with fruits and women in wide brimmed straw hats selling all kinds of delicacies, as souvenir stands lining the canals beckoned for business.

A few km's away, our journey took us past Thailand 's oldest city, Nakhon Pathom where the worlds tallest Buddhist monument of Phra Pathom Chedi is the only remaining evidence of the 6 th century. Walking around the massive bell-shaped structure as monks and worshippers went through their rituals, proved captivating.

By midday we hit modern steamy Bangkok with its canyons of skyscrapers and maze of highways. By some miracle we found Chatuchak market, a weekend event where over 15 000 stalls sell absolutely everything and you can even bet on cock fights! Hours later we made our way south towards our home away from home for 5 nights at Keith and Candy Fryers gorgeous home in Samut Prakan. With some help along the way and after a missed turn or 2, we arrived at our long awaited reunion with some great S.A. friends. What a joy to be spoilt with a braai, amazing Thai dishes prepared in the comfort of their home by an expert Thai cook and to sleep in clean massive beds rolling around in beautiful linen! Although we caught up on internet and washing of all the difficult items, we just relaxed and over indulged! Our piece of heaven slid by so fast that we only had time to visit the helpful SA Embassy for a letter for the Vietnam border, get our Laos visa (in under and hour!) and service Tipperdee. With one day of sightseeing we were chauffeured by Keith's driver to On Nut station and took the sky train to the Mae Chao Phraya for the river ferry upstream to the oldest and holiest part of town, Ko Ratanakosin. Wat Phra Kaew is an absolute gleaming architectural wonder with gilded stupas, amazing sculptures and temples – the main shrine houses the rather small emerald Buddha (really Jade stone!) Within the same grounds is the Grand Palace which is only used for ceremonial occasions, but the former royal residence is closed to us mortals! After uncovering our loaned ‘drapes' and really feeling the blistering heat and humidity we had to walk through backpacker heaven, Khao San road which brought back memories of 15 years ago! After a lovely lunch and an obligatory stop at a jewellery shop by the tuk-tuk driver, we hopped onto a real local canal boat towards ‘home'. What an experience!

On the 20 th March with our Thai visa about to expire we departed east for a 260km drive to Aranya Prathet and our border crossing into Cambodia . A massive ‘Khawp Khun Kha' to Keith and Candy for their limitless hospitality, friendship and recharging our body's batteries to continue the journey into the unknown …… till later!

20th April to 21st May 2009

Sa-wat-dee and welcome back to our second leg of Thailand ! Returning to Thailand lifted our spirits – the abundance of fresh produce, all kinds of dairy, bread, western type shopping centres, ATM's and well maintained roads made travelling that much easier. We'd be heading down from the peaks of the north to the fertile plains of central Thailand and to Bangkok (with a few detours) to ship to North America .

An uneventful ferry crossing and an hour long custom and immigration formalities at Chiang Khong on the Thai side of the Mekong River still afforded us enough daylight for 80km towards Chiang Rai. We later learned that our camp spot for the night was the grounds for the weekend market but luckily it was Monday. Just outside busy Chiang Rai, we found a hardware store that had a new shower rose to replace our leaking one and a bolt to repair the broken leaf spring bracket. The city itself was just for shopping and we initially continued north for 30km just short of the infamous Golden Triangle, before heading west towards Pai. True to our averages, we camped after 250km short of Pai in the mountains at just over 1000m as it's much cooler to sleep at this altitude. Dane's series of ‘Rocky' that Rein had given him as a birthday gift had its ‘premier' that night and we were hooked!

After 80km of passes that cut through the mountains we eventually ended up in Pai with a lunch stop at Pong Duet to check out the hot springs and mineral pools. What a charming hippie village in a mountain-fortressed valley along a rambling river. The Countryside Cabins with a pool set amidst dry rice paddies was like manna and a great base for the next 2 nights to explore the valley with Tipperdee – through small quaint hamlets, a Chinese village with exiles from Yunnan Province and the Mor Paeng waterfall. Rocky 2 and 3 also had their desperate screening on the laptop in the bedroom!

From Pai we twisted our way up and down the windiest of roads in the mountains of far north west Thailand to Mae Hong Son, first stopping at the Fish Cave with hundreds of massive carp. We had a look at the glitzy Shan built Wat Jong and explored west for 8km to find the village of Huay Sua Tao , passing some elephants along the way. Just 10km from Mynamar refugees from the military regime have been living here for 14 years – mostly from the Kayan tribe and are also known as the Long neck people who have distinctive heavy brass rings around their necks. There were also a few long-eared people from the Kayaw tribe in the camp. These friendly persecuted people originally travelled south from Mongolia in bronze age! As they are not Thai, they cannot legally work, but survive by selling handicrafts and the 250 baht (approx $7) entrance fee.

Overjoyed with the privilege of meeting these unique people, we continued south to wildcamp in a forest near Khun Yuam – another 190km long day. The next days' 220km to Chiang Mai was along hair-pin curved roads that ascend and descend over a 1000m every few kilometres, passing Thailand 's highest peak Doi Inthanon at 2590m. We've never travelled in first gear so much on a tarred road and eventually needed to use the low range gears!

Chiang Mai's unique cultural heritage dates to the 13 th century Lanna period and is typified by its abundance of temples (> 300) with unique intricate wood carvings and colourful murals. After passing the central old city's surrounding square moat, we passed remnants of the 700 year old medieval wall and nervously negotiated the narrow brick Soi's (side streets) into a quiet world. The Top North Guesthouse was our home for the next 2 nights with the kids spending most of the time in the pool while we caught up on internet and washing duties. Heavy rain made most of the next day for school but by late afternoon we managed to visit the Lanna architectural showcases of Wat Phra Singh and Chedi Luang. The huge entertaining weekly Sunday market then came to life in the old city's cordoned off main streets. We spent 6 hours strolling past hundreds of arty stalls, snacking on all kinds of delicious eats – the most memorable being the melt-in-your-mouth banana spring rolls. Just to spoil ourselves we ended the day with a $1.50 half hour foot massage that nearly ended up a full leg treat.

On the 27 th April the journey continued south to the Sukhothai historical site where we camped under an open high-roofed shelter protecting us from the pelting rain. This original capital of the first Thai kingdom dates back to when the Thai nation pushed back the Khmers in the mid 13 th century and when they developed their alphabet and distinctive art. The well kept and presented ruins are mainly of religious Buddhist symbolism with close to 100 Wats. The crown jewel is Wat Mahathat, a vast assemblage of 200 Chedi (stupa) and Buddha images amidst broken columns. By 10:30am Gary had spent 2 hours walking and admiring the architecture and we were off south via Kamphaeng Phet, stopping in Ayuthaya. From the 14 th to 18 th centuries, this was the Thai capital and we popped in just to get a feel of that period's architecture at Wat Phra Si Sanphet with its distinctive 3 massive bell-shaped Chedi. As the sun set the kids visited Wat Mahathat just to capture the famous picture of a Buddha head engulfed by tree roots.

But the heat and proximity to the luxury at the Fryers home convinced us to head straight for Bangkok . By 8pm we had done 480km we were back at Keith and Candy's fabulous home – passing the 100 000km mark as we entered Bangkok. What a joy to have a comfortable AC base to organise the logistics of shipping, flights, Canadian visa, another battery change and other odds and ends for the final leg of the journey through the Americas. In between the inevitable feasting and partying we joined the Fryers on the 1 st May for a long weekend of pampering at Kho Samet villas – what a treat to step out of the basic budget travelling mode and into a world of luxury. The fine white sandy coves of this national park island are just heavenly, but one can only get a taste of its unspoilt nature by walking around on footpaths that hug the shore. We spent the mornings gorging ourselves on the buffet breakfast and spent the days in the water with the kids looking for ‘3 rd eye' shells or kayaking with Keith's son Darren and his wife Nikky. By late afternoon sundowners led to a smorgasbord of tasty Thai dishes. At least we managed to squeeze in a half day snorkelling trip on our private speed boat, also visiting the floating fish farm. On the 5 th we had to drag ourselves back to the mainland and with Keith Nissan pickup we spent the day and night driving the hectic strips of Pattaya – a haven for shop-o-holics, flesh-o-holics and all kinds of indulgences!

The next 2 weeks we spent emailing shipping agents to get Tipperdee to North America and Mr Beer from Transpeed comes highly recommended as an efficient, good natured guy. Before we knew it the rush was on to get the cheapest flights to Anchorage , Alaska and to book some activities while Tipperdee sailed the seas for 2 weeks to Vancouver . We were also lucky enough to lighten Tipperdee's load by sending home 2 boxes filled with all our accumulated treasures – a huge thanks to the MD of SA Canopy Port Elizabeth, Andy Walsh, for transporting our goods ‘on the house', organised by Keith, the former MD of the company.

In between we really got a good taste of Bangkok 's array of massive shopping centres, night markets and the Thai way of life – if not riding the sky train it was with Tipperdee weaving through the hectic traffic. But again, it was the Thai cuisine like Tom Yung Kung (sweet and sour spicy prawn soup), pad kra pow moo (mince pork laden with chilli – Keiths favourite!) and the mango with sticky rice and coconut milk that is available around every corner and especially in Candy's well stocked kitchen – not forgetting the ‘oxtail' and ……...! Another highlight was a tantalising buffet lunch spread at a 5 star hotel courtesy of the Fryers neighbours! The kids spent most of the days doing school work, playing with the 2 dogs or on the computer and just lazing in front of the TV. On the last day Jo-Anne and Candy had their make-over and we had a swim in the clubhouse Olympic pool before the final pack and exquisite parting Thai dishes, thanks to Khun Tot.

A mere thank you to our gracious hosts does not suffice for the wonderful hospitality and generosity shown by them. Our parting was not a ‘good-bye' but rather a ‘so-long' until we meet again – you've given us a perfect start for the 3 rd and final leg of our journey as Globeriders! On the 22 nd May, we will spend the next gruelling 26 hours flying via Tokyo and Seattle to Anchorage , Alaska .

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