TravelStream™ news feed for member 1061kun on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/1061kun en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:38:16 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201575600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201575600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201575600/tpod.html Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:38:16 -0500 The long way home - From Tottori to Oregon by the way of Kyushu, Tokyo and South East Asia

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Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

I had signed up for an all day tour - in the morning, go to the famous caves and in the afternoon, go visit the famous waterfalls. But I was feeling a little lazy and not looking forward to an hour long boat ride so I slept in. I was able to catch the afternoon section of the tour. The sky was overcast in the morning but turned to drizzle in afternoon as we made our way in the van in the waterfall.

There was a main falls which was over 25 meters high and quite beautiful in the rain. There was a trail to reach the upper parts of the falls which I took. There was a beautiful pool where another water falls fell into an there were several foreigners swimming despite the rain and the no swimming sigh Base, well, the pool was above the tall falls.I had taken my shoes off and it was difficult to climb down the slick clay path.

After sitting under a covered picnic table and putting back on my shoes, I hike own the river an saw many more pools which cascaded down into more pools. It was like a scene from a movie. These pool, people could swim and some people were but I didn't because of the rain.

The rain was pouring down when I got back to town an I decided to get a massage before I left Luang Prabang. The Lao massage was a bit different from the Thai massage; more fingertip pressuring and not as much leverage. She also did an interesting thing with my fingers and toes where she popped them. An hour long massage for about $4.50.


]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201663620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201663620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201663620/tpod.html Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:16:24 -0500 The long way home - From Tottori to Oregon by the way of Kyushu, Tokyo and South East Asia

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Vientiane, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

I woke up early and things went wrong from the start. I had my clothes washed yesterday and since it rained, my clothes were still wet when I packed them. The tuk-tuk was supposed to pick me up at 8:10 so I went to breakfast down the street at 7:30. Just after my food arrived, I had to go to the bathroom so I went back to my room (just about 30 meters away). While I was in the bathroom, the hotel keeper knocked on my door, saying the tuk-tuk had arrived. So I went back to the restaurant, ate two bits of my omelet, paid for breakfast and loaded my bags into the tuk-tuk. In the hurry to leave, I forgot to give back my key (so I left it with the tuk-tuk driver to return).

The tuk-tuk picked a few other people up on the way to the bus station including a nice older couple from Wiesbaden, Germany where I served in the army. We made it to the bus station when my back went out. I had a sharp pain in my back which has happened to me a couple of times. It usually last a couple of days before it gets back to normal.

Anyways, I took the VIP bus, the king of bus (according to the sign) and got to my assigned seat early. There was no one sitting next to me so I was thinking that I have got it good but soon the bus was filling up and I was asked to move to another seat as there was a couple that wanted. Then he had his pants unbuttoned and his belly was hanging out, and he was stretched back with his arm over his head so I was getting the full force of his arm pit. My opinion of him as pretty low and I kept thinking that he was one of those dirty tourist who comes to sexually abuse underage children.

The bus actually left on time at 9 am. Then it it pulled into the next door gas station for five minutes. Then we were off through the crowded streets of Luang Prabang but after five minutes we left the city and entered the countryside and started climbing a mountain. For nearly the next five hours, the bus would climb a mountain on a narrow curvy road with steep drop off on one-side and after reaching the peak, we would descend down the other side. At the bottom, the bus would cross a small stream and start climbing again. The traffic was light but the bus would pass other vehicles. It was a white knuckle ride and I was gripping the armrest and a handle on the seat in front of me, leaning away from the smelly guy with a bad back and a raging headache along with motion sickness. I didn`t have a clear view out the window but I did see that people lived right next to the road and used it as their front porch. Lots of people were using the road to beat or thresh some type of long stem plants.

Finally, the bus left the mountains and entered a long valley with lots of farms so I was able to relax a little. We stopped off for a free lunch of cooked vegetables and meat over rice. A hour or two later we stopped at Van Vieng which is famous for its limestone peaks and riding inter tubes down the river while drinking. Lots of people were getting off there so I mad my move to the front row so I didn`t have to smell that guy anymore and hopefully I could feel better (headache and motion sickness). I sat alone and had my bag and a bottle of water next to which had a loose cap. Of course, the bottle tipped over and spilled almost all of the water so that there was a puddle of water on the seat. We headed on to capitol but soon the bus pulled over and the bus driver starts working on the engine (fan belts) and it was at least 30 minutes before we got on the road again. We finally made it to Vientiane about 7 pm.
I had picked out a guest house from the guide book and all I wanted to do is get to my room and take a shower and go to bed. I got a tuk-tuk to take me and it was less than 10 minutes to get there. But it was full. UGH! There were several other guest house in the area and it wasn`t until about the sixth one did I find a room. Well, not a room- a family suite for $35. I was so worn out, I took it as I didn`t want to waste more time to find a room. The suite was huge with one room with two twin beds and other room with a double bed with lots of furniture. They also said I could move to a cheaper room the next day. I took a shower and soon zonked out.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201413600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201413600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201413600/tpod.html Fri, 01 Feb 2008 02:06:08 -0500 The long way home - From Tottori to Oregon by the way of Kyushu, Tokyo and South East Asia

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Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

Luang Prabang is a city of 20,000 or so located at the junction of the Mekong River and the Nam Khan River and the main part of the city is located between the two on a narrow peninsula which is a couple of hundred meters wide and two kilometers long. I can see why the site was picked as it was easily defend-able between the rivers along with the fact that there is a small peak at the base of the peninsula so the defenders only had to defend a narrow width of land. There are three or four roads that run par-ell to the rivers which most of the businesses are located. The streets are lined with beautiful French Colonial two story town houses which have either been turned into either guest-houses or shops or restaurants.

The city is a world heritage site so certain zoning rules apply to reserve the atmosphere of the city. The guest-house that I am staying in was just recently built but the size, shape and outdoor area is similar to the original style. The old city remains its charms for what I think are several reasons. First, the terrain prevents large scale development and forces development of the core area. Second, the communist take-over in 1975 slowed down development as the government focused on the capital and Luang Prabang was forgotten. Third, the isolated location prevents mass tourism. So when the city became a world heritage site, the basic structure was here and with targeted resources, the development of the city could be targeted towards building a city that could keep its charms without large tourist hotels.

I decided to have an easy day and explore the city. I had breakfast in an open air cage. Then I walked up to the northern tip of the town where the rivers meet. There is a bamboo foot bridge cross the small river. Then I went to Wat Xieng Thong, the city's most magnificent temple. The temple was constructed in 1560 and was under royal patronage. The temple was pretty cool looking, not very big, and there was a large tree of life on the backside of the temple.

Next, I went to the Royal Palace. Built in 1905 under French help and design and is now a museum. The throne room was gorgeous with the walls had a base of red paint or lacquer and then there were many figures of people in everyday life in brilliant colored Japanese glass. Of course, there was a throne in gold. The king's and queen's bedrooms could also be seen.

In the afternoon, I went to the Internet cafe to type up three blog entries. I have a notebook which I write down my thoughts when I have some free time. Then when I have Internet access, I type up the entry and I finally figured out how to add photos direct from my camera. It usually takes up to an an hour to type a blog entry along with adding pictures. Internet is pretty cheap in Laos, about 60 cents or 60 yen.

In the evening, I crossed the bamboo bridge which was springing to my step. I wanted to watch the sun set but it had already set but the horizon was still red. I then walked around and found a place to eat, an outdoor Lao BBQ restaurant. Like Japanese yakiniku, the BBQ is set in the table so you grill yourself. But the grill was different, closer to shabu-shabu Pan and look like a giant orange juice squeezer. Water is put in the ring and then you put your vegetables in the water to cook. The buffalo meat is cooked on the top part. Turned out pretty good.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201404240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201404240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201404240/tpod.html Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:50:13 -0500 The long way home - From Tottori to Oregon by the way of Kyushu, Tokyo and South East Asia

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Luang Prabang, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

Woke up to the sound of the rosters crowing along with some other animal call (a duck?). The power was out when I woke but came on just aft 7 am. I had breakfast on the veranda of the guest-house overlooking the early calm of the Mekong River. Then after 8:15 am, I carried my bags downs to the boat which was a lot easier in the daylight. Tired to get to boat early to get a good seat as the boat was supposed to sail at 9:30. I got a seat but of course, the boat didn't get underway until about 10:15. I sat next to a guy from Belgium who had also been in the same van as me and who was also traveling for a month. Turns out he is a drummer for a speed metal band who has toured Japan. The seat was ok as I was on the outside seat (the window seat), close to the water but the only problem was I was down wind of smokers.

The terrain starts similar as yesterday, a steep canyon but as we descend the Mekong, the hills become generally shorter and there is more flat ground near the river. The vegetation becomes more jungle like- trees are covered in vines and pretty dense. The boats seems to a family business. The husband drives the boat while the wife either sits next of the husband up front or runs the snack bar, the older son is the deck hand and the younger kids play on the boat. In the back, there are cabins where they live. There are a bunch of boats of the same class (they come in two sizes) and I wonder if they were built in the same boat yard? There are also a lot of small boats of the same type- about 20 feet long, narrow with a kind of square bow and stern. Some of them have engines mounted in the middle and others are human propelled. They tend to be used in fishing or local transport. Then there the speedboats holding up to six passengers who wear helmets and life vest and they go really fast. They kind of look like race boats in the boat races in Japan or at Grants Pass with low free board.

Late in the afternoon, the country side changes with large steep limestone peaks dot the countryside. There is more of a valley with signs of more civilization. Just as the sun is setting with a lemon yellow sunset, we arrive at Luang Prabang, the old royal capital (the Kyoto of Laos) We disembark just after 6 pm. I have picked a guest house from the Lonely Planet guidebook so I hurry through the dark streets, bypassing all the touts to reach they guest house. But it is full full and $35 (It looks nice) Went across the street to where a tout was promoting and checked it out. $20 maybe a little much but it look like it had a nice bathroom Then I went for a bit of walk exploring the town and having dinner. It is a French Colonial town and there are still many of the building remaining. There are many cafe's, guest-houses and shops in the old building and they have an upscale feeling, like they could be in a trendy part of Tokyo. A night market was going on and it was pretty relaxed and slower pace then Thailand. There seems to be more locally produced good also.

I am glad I finally to got to Luang Prabang after a journey of three days.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201254480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201254480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201254480/tpod.html Thu, 31 Jan 2008 05:22:03 -0500 The long way home - From Tottori to Oregon by the way of Kyushu, Tokyo and South East Asia

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Pakbeng, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

Woke up early as I wasn't sure of the schedule and I had no alarm clock. Anyways, the tour operator was on Thai time. After breakfast, they took us down to the ferries. I hesitate to call it a ferry terminal as it was just the river bank with a bunch of long boats with engines. We climbed aboard and set off for the minute ride to the Laos side. We proceeded through passport control and got our visas. Laos looks a bit poorer than the Thai side but not much different. I also became a millionaire when I exchanged my dollars (9600 kip to the dollar) and got a big stack of kip.

Then we hopped into tuk-tuks to go to the slow boat landing. The infamous "slow boat" are large boats- over 100 feet long and 25 feet wide that can carry about 100 passengers on one deck under a roof with open sides. The slow boats run from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang over a period of two days. (the fast boat takes under a day but is is supposed to be the ride from hell) About 90% of the passengers are foreign tourist and there are rows of wooden beaches to sit on which are hard so many people buy cushions to sit on (I did) to make the journey more comfortable.

Finally at just past 11:30 am, the boat cast down the mighty Mekong River which was low as it was dry season so many rocks were exposed. The slow boat actually moves at a pretty good clip. The river meanders through a steep canyon and we leave the modern world behind. There are no towns or cities, just small clusters of hamlets with a couple dozen thatched roofs huts. There are no bridges and just a hint of road. The local people fish from small narrow boats or from the shore by throwing small nets. They have cows, tan or a dark color that cool themselves off in the river. Where the land is flat enough, corn and other crops are grown. Boats are the primary means of transportation and our boat every hour or so will swing over to the shore and let off or pick up people. The hills have been logged but there are pockets of older bigger trees. Lots of bamboo. The river has cut deep into the bedrock and a variety of rock formations can be seen as the river is so low.

Finally, just after six pm, the boat pulls into Pakbeng, the only sizable "town" I have seen along the river. It was getting dark so it was a bit of chore to get the begs out of the hull, dodge the local "carry your bag" crew ($4), navigate the narrow gang-way, climb up the steep bank which was covered in dust and ten find my way to the guest-house that I reserved. Luckily, it was only 200 meters from the landing. Got to my room and the bellboy offered me weed which is the first time somebody offered me any mary jane in my life. Of course, I said no. Then I had dinner at a nearby place by candlelight and I was offered a speedboat ride the next day and more weed. Why can't they offer something I need like a hot shower, Internet or a newspaper?

I went to bed fairly early (9:30) so I missed it when the power went off. The town is on generator and they turn off power at around 10 pm. The heart of darkness.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201166220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201166220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201166220/tpod.html Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:28:48 -0500 The long way home - From Tottori to Oregon by the way of Kyushu, Tokyo and South East Asia

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Chiang Khong, Thailand

The van was scheduled to leave at noon so I checked out of my hotel and typed up a blog entry (I am now a couple days behind- sorry, I am on vacation). The van was late so I just surfed the Internet.

I was the last to be picked up so I got to ride shotgun to the driver which is actually where I wanted to sit as I can see everything.(and less chance of getting car sickness). The van was packed with ten travelers and as I was sitting up front, I didn't get to interact with the others until later.

We took the highway east out of town. Chiang Mai was built up for awhile until the road started climbing into the mountains. The road was being worked on so it was slow going. After we crossed the pass, the road declined into a large valley. We stopped for a break where I had a chance to meet my fellow travelers. I met an English girl who was travelling with her two friends. They are also going to the same place so it looks like we will be spending some time together.

The landscape of Northern Thailand is very rustic with lots of farms. Saw a beautiful sunsets across the fields. We made it just after six pm to Chiang Khong on the border and checked into the guest house. It is right on the Mekong River and I can see the lights of Laos. Tomorrow, I will enter that mysterious and relatively unknown country of Laos.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201078740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201078740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201078740/tpod.html Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:15:48 -0500 The long way home - From Tottori to Oregon by the way of Kyushu, Tokyo and South East Asia

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Chiang Mai, Thailand

Tak was returning to Japan today so we got together before he went. We didn't spend a lot of time together as we both like to do our own things. I found a package tour for the next leg of my trip. Tomorrow, a min-van will pick me up and take me to Chiang Khong, on the border of Thailand and Laos where I will stay the night. The next morning, I will take a boat down the Mekong river to the city of Luang Prabang. Almost everything is included so it was a pretty good deal and I didn't have to worry about making arrangements.

After eating lunch and saying good bye to Tak, I took it easy and finished reading a book, wrote in my journal and walked around town. I ended up at the famous night market as it was beginning at around 6 pm. I ended up buying some new socks and a watch, which sure is probably a fake (new Swiss army) but my cell phone battery died so I needed a way to tell the time. The night market in Chiang Mai is huge with block after block of small stalls. I made a discovery when I was walking around. Sure, there are hundred of shops but there are really only about 15 to 20 types of shops. For example, the watch shop. There was at least five watch shops but their line up was all pretty much the same. The shop keepers probably buy from the same wholesaler and then sell. so the tourists think they have lots of choices but in fact the choices are limited. I was reading something a few months ago that Chinese clothing factories are making a limited number of styles so it is easy to mass produced. This is leading to fewer choices in the world.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201063080/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201063080/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1201063080/tpod.html Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:06:39 -0500 The long way home - From Tottori to Oregon by the way of Kyushu, Tokyo and South East Asia

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Chiang Mai, Thailand

I had the full day tour today with several different activities. The van picked me up aft 8 am.. There were six of us today in the tour- two French Canadian women, another French couple, a girl from New Hampshire and me along with the driver and guide. We drove a little over a hour, down through the farm land and then we turned and went up a valley that was a mix of farms and forest.

Our first activity was riding elephants. There were about ten elephants in the clearing including two babies. The American girl and I mounted an elephant named Hanbai side by side on a raised bench. We were paired with another elephant on which the local guide rode. One of the baby elephants walked with us and its mother. So we had a a good view from the top of the elephant as they started walking.

One thing I learned about elephants is that they eat 500 pounds of food a day and soon our elephant was begging for food. They bring their trunk back over their heads and I got a close up view of their nostrils and smell their breath. Along the trail are raised stands where they are selling bananas and sugar cane for 20 babt a bag and I bought one. So I was soon spending most of my time breaking off bananas to feed to our elephant. They are fun to ride and I had a nice view of the countryside which reminded me of Southern Oregon in August.

Next we went to a mountain village and watch an older women weave a scarf. Then we started a mini-trek about a hour over the hills. It was getting hot and luckily we stopped off at a waterfall to cool off. We walked through a banana plantation and came out at another mountain tribe's village that was of a different tribe than before. There homes were on the ground compared to the elevated homes of the other tribe. We got to walk into a house and see how they lived with a small stove burning wood and raised sleeping platforms.

Next, we went rafting on bamboo rafts that were 2 meters wide and about 10 meters long. The boatman stood near the front with a long pole. The others sat on the raft which was right on the water meaning your but got wet but I got to stand at the back with a pole and help propel the boat. There were some rapids but I was able to keep standing. Then we reached a bigger rapids and the boatman made me sit so I knelled down hoping to keep my bottom dry but it didn't work. The water came all the way up to my waist. It is dry season so the water was low but I could see how high the water gets and it looked like it knocked down a foot bridge. There were small bamboo platforms which were covered set up along the river where the Thai people come to pick-nick and enjoy the water.

So it was a pretty fun day, I rode an elephant, went trekking thou the hills of Thailand and went rafting on a bamboo raft down a "wild" river. Beats working.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1200971460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1200971460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1200971460/tpod.html Sun, 27 Jan 2008 04:13:28 -0500 The long way home - From Tottori to Oregon by the way of Kyushu, Tokyo and South East Asia

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Chiang Mai, Thailand

I decided to have an easy morning as I had been traveling for two days. Took a walk to look at the moat and the remaining parts of the walls. The moat was maybe 20 meters wide and the walls were made of brick and looked like it was 5 to 10 meters tall. The bricks looked like they were slowly eroding after many years in the sun and the rain. Japanese castle's walls were made of large rocks and will last a long time. The remnant of the wall I saw was semi-preserved and I saw a well preserved section later from the van which I want to see later.

I had signed up on an afternoon tour to the top of the mountain over looking the city. Chiang Mai lies at 200 meters above sea level while the mountain is about 1500 meters. Tours are nice as they pick you up from your hotel, there is a guide and you don't have to worry about anything. We drove for awhile through the heavy traffic of the city and soon arrived at the base of the hill. The road was steep and curvy and the air-con was switched off so the engine could get more power. The driver was a little crazy passing cars on the road going up the hill.

After the white knuckled ride we arrived at a mountain tribe's village. There are a large number of tribes that have emigrated into Thailand over the years from China, Burma and other countries and have kept their cultures and languages. Many of them grew opium but the government, sorry, the king, have embarked on a series of royal projects to bring development to the tribes with tourism and agriculture programs.

The village was perched on the side of the hill and the largest flat spot was the parking lot which wasn't exactly level. There were shops selling locally made goods and/or made in China stuff to the tourist. After walking through the market, we entered a garden in which many flowers were growing on several terraces covering the hillside. You could wear the local costumes and get your picture taken. They also had a small patch of the opium poppies which are quite beautiful.

After the village, we drove past one of the king's palaces, high on the mountain before we arrived at a temple which is one of famous temples of Northern Thailand. We took a cable car to the top as it was over 300 steps to the top. The temple grounds had several building around The Thai version of the pagoda, a beautiful golden tower. Around the temple were many bells which if you ring, you can make a wish. There was a great view spot and the whole city of Chiang Mai could be seen including the moat and the outline of the old city and you could watch airplanes taking off from the airport.

One thing that was interesting to me was that many people were actively worshiping. In Japan, many of the temples and shrines are seen just as a sightseeing place and not as a place of worship (OK, Hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year but that is just one time a year and is more of a custom than worship). My opinion is that Japan religion is dormant while Buddhism in Thailand is active and is part of people's daily lives.

We headed back down the hill arrived back at the hotel alive. I rested a little and then it was time to go to dinner and a show. Tak and I had signed up for a program that included dinner and traditional Thai dancing. Tak was late so I caught the van to the Thai arts center alone. There was a large hall with a small raised stage and lots of Gaijin sitting on the floor eating and drinking from small tables. I was escorted to my seat down near the stage. After a few minutes, Tak arrived after taking a tuk-tuk and also our table of food arrived. But we ate off plates which were on the floor which was a bit strange.

A small group of musicians had been playing on the stage and they sound good but they moved behind the stage curtain and the main show started. Six beautifully dressed female dancers cam out and performed the first dance, the fingernail dance in which they danced with long finger nails. The dance movement were slow and graceful. There were several other dances including one with just one guy and a bunch of knives. It was a bit difficult to eat, watch the show and try to take pictures at the same time. Finally, the last dance of the first stage was the candle dance where the lights were dimmed and the girls danced with candles in each hand. Very beautiful and hot.

Then we moved to an outdoor stage to watch the mountain tribes dances. It started with four kids who had to jump over bamboo poles that several other kids where sliding back in forth in pairs on the ground. So the kids would step in an opening and then raise up their foot as the bamboo poles closed and then stop into another hole. I think it was closer to a game than a dance and they needed great timing to avoid getting their ankles hit. It was fun to watch. There were several other dances including a man playing a type of flute and he would roll on the ground while playing the instrument.

All in all, a great evening of good food, good music and a good show. I enjoyed seeing some of the traditional Thai culture.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1200881280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1200881280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1061kun/tottorioregon/1200881280/tpod.html Sun, 27 Jan 2008 02:35:25 -0500 The long way home - From Tottori to Oregon by the way of Kyushu, Tokyo and South East Asia

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Chiang Mai, Thailand

Arrived at the Bangkok station at 6:45 am, 45 minutes late. Bangkok station is like the Wiesbaden Haupebanhof in Germany or the Nankai's Numba station in Osaka- the end of line station where all the trains pull in head first. It was a long walk from the last car to the main entrance, half of it under the shed. The waiting room was large with an arched ceiling and shops lining the sides. I bough a paper and was reading it when all of sudden at 8 am, a song started to play over the loudspeakers. I looked around and everyone was standing up as they were playing the Thai National Anthem. I stood up too and was a little embarrassed as I was a slow.

I had some free time so I wandered around a bit. The subway station was next to the train station so I decided to take a ride. The one subway is very new and it is on the same level as Japan's newest subway lines with electronic tickets like Suica and the platform has walls and doors so you can't fall on to the track. It is a big contrast to the rail system which is old and a little rundown with shacks built right next to the track.

Finally, I got bored and decided to go to the airport and waste a couple of hours there as my flight wasn't until 3 pm. I met up with Tak finally as he flew up from Krabi after taking an extra day scuba diving. We boarded the Air Asia plane, a discount airline which meant no assigned seats and no free drinks or snacks. The Flight to Chiang Mai was just over an hour (compared to 12 hours by train). From the plane, I got a good look at the landscape of Thailand and it seemed pretty flat with lots of farms.

Soon, we arrived at the Chiang Mai airport which is close to downtown. Chiang Mai is Thailand's second city located in a valley in the more mountainous northern part of the country. It reminds me of Medford or Kofu in Japan as they are in a valley surround by mountains and they are all hot dry places. Chiang Mai was drier than the south part of Thailand. Chiang Mai is an ancient city and it was once the capital of a northern kingdom. In the middle of the city is the square old town surrounded by a moat. There used to be a wall; which encircled the old city which was about 1 km by 1 km and some parts of the walls can still be seen. The walls were torn down to build a road that runs counter-clockwise along the moat and the road on the other side of the moat runs clockwise.

Our hotel is about 200 meters south of the old city. The place is a little rundown like it has seen better days. The lobby is large with many knick-knacks scatter throughout like elephant tusks and a grandfather clock. The place reminded me of the hotel in Haruki Murakami's book, the Wild Sheep Chase, the Dolphin Hotel. Or the Diamond Lake Lodge in Oregon. Next door is a Japanese cafe with comics and there is a pool out back. The rooms also have a dated look with hard wood floors and interesting trim around the doors.
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