Author: thelasthurrahsite

Courtesy of a British Airways price promotion, a direct flight took me to Bangkok this time. A journey of just over 11 hours as opposed to 15+ with a transit somewhere makes a big difference. So I wasn’t feeling too bad on arrival until I hit the usual horrendous traffic congestion between the airport and the downtown area. Some things never change! Putting that aside, the sights, sounds – and smells – of Bangkok always delight

as does the inexpensive and (surprisingly) delicious street food.

A few days spent dodging the rain storms (it’s still the rainy season) and it was time to head north east to Maha Sarakham in the Isan province. In the interests of both economy and curiosity, a 7 1/2 hour bus journey was chosen which turned out to be surprisingly comfortable albeit long!

Apart from a relatively small hilly area about 2 hours north of Bangkok

the topography in this part of Thailand is, I’m afraid to say, pretty flat and boring interspersed with a bit of interest created by the frequent police check points

and the splendid array of food available at  the service stations.

Having said that I wasn’t tempted by  this offering of locusts, grasshoppers and assorted bugs!

The main money earner in Isan is rice production.

To say it’s an ‘earner’ is a bit of a misnomer as nobody seems to make any money from  producing this crop. The wholesale price is fixed by the government and is currently under £0.18 per kilo. When ex Prime Minister Thaksin was the head honcho, the price was app £0.36 per kilo. Little wonder he has a very strong following in this part of Thailand! And to make matters worse, as there is, currently, an over supply of rice, the government has just restricted rice growing to only one crop a year irrespective of whether the more fertile areas are capable of producing 2 or even 3 crops!

Apparently the soil here is unsuitable for growing any alternative crops and as there are few economically viable alternative industries around, the local smallholder  farmers eke out a living as best they can

in the knowledge that generation after generation of farming has created little or no asset value for them and certainly insufficient income to provide anything other than the most basic standard of living for their families. It’s the strength of  ‘family’, though,  that holds this fragile society together.

As I have mentioned previously, the Isan province is home to more than 30% of Thailand’s entire population but receives less than 10% of all government revenues, the major share of which goes to Bangkok and the tourist dominated areas in the south. Thailand’s overall growth rate is app 4% per year but, as so often happens this is unevenly spread,the more deprived areas having a lot of catching up to do.

The price  paid for a more vibrant economy in the south – and especially in Bangkok – is, amongst other things,  traffic congestion and the inevitable pollution this causes.

The Thais, though, seem to have settled on a simple solution – build higher!

My personal solution, though, is to move out of Bangkok – much as I love the place –  and head south to Hua Hin.

Until I get there,

 

Phileas

 

 

My winter’s hibernation is nearly at an end. I had hoped that, by now, spring would have definitely sprung in the UK but it seems that more snow is on the way for when I return on Good Friday. Brrrrr! But at least I will return with memories of warmer climes and especially of Hua Hin which ticks so many of my boxes!

Watching the kite surfers on the long and semi deserted beach makes for a very pleasant afternoon’s viewing

and had I been younger I might have given the sport a go as it looks so invigorating.

But then again, just chilling out watching the tide come in – until it does- is probably more my cup of tea!

Temples abound, of course, seemingly always at the top of a flight of steep steps

I counted 217 of the darned things to reach this one located more or less in the middle of nowhere and guarded by a herd of inanimate elephants.

I have only seen a few of these beautiful and revered beasts on this trip almost all of them having been ‘imported’ from the north of Thailand. However, other members of the animal kingdom are in abundance here

and clearly in no danger of extinction!

For an area of Thailand that is expanding so quickly, I must say that most of the more modern architecture is acceptable but every now and again you come across something hideous! The apartments in this eyesore are, apparently in much demand.

I can’t possibly imagine how this dreadful structure slipped through the planning ‘net’.

The Thais certainly don’t lack creativity, though

and close to the centre of Hua Hin itself there is a lovely artists’ village with a plethora of half way decent artwork for sale.

In the surrounding countryside there are a number of top class golf courses

and even a couple of vineyards

The town itself is full of a wide range of bars (with or without music), a ‘ladyboy’ show or two

plus, of course, an endless supply of both local and international restaurants. I was not, however, tempted to try this jungle curry

nor this month’s special Prosecco offer!

Despite all of its relative sophistication, Hua Hin has not forgotten its roots

as a small fishing village.

Nor are you very far away from reminders of what is in store for you if you are not a ‘good person’ in this life. In your next life you live in eternal damnation, blind and emaciated. You have been warned!

So that’s it! I’ve secured my little bit of land here and I’m excited at the prospect of welcoming family and friends to my small ‘hut’ when it’s finished. In the meantime, I’m  looking forward to seeing family and friends back home – even if I suffer a bit of reactive hypothermia in doing so!!

Until we do it again!

Phileas.

 

 

In my last blog I said that, of the western countries, it was the French who had had the most impact on Laos. Actually this is not strictly true. It was the Americans – for all the wrong reasons.

During the Vietnam war, Laos remained officially neutral but that didn’t stop our American cousins. In an attempt to cut off supplies from north to South Vietnam, between 1964 and 1973 the US airforce dropped more than 2 million tons of awful cluster bombs during a staggering 580,000 bombing missions, mostly on defenceless Laotian civilians.

These nasty pieces of ordnance were, in fact, bombs that, prior to impact, ejected  hundreds of explosive bomblets designed to kill personnel and destroy vehicles. It is estimated that more than 30,000 Laotian civilians were killed by these weapons during this conflict. However, as they were notoriously inefficient, about 80 million of the 270 million (yes, 270 million) bomblets dropped did not explode, only about 1% of which have been cleared so far. Thus there are millions of these active devices  lying around in Laotian fields which can so easily be accidentally detonated by a farmers spade, someone’s hot cooking stove or just by being picked up and played with by an innocent child. It is estimated that, since the bombing stopped, a further 20,000 Laotians have been killed and many more injured by these horrible devices, 8,000 of whom were children. Truly shocking!

The COPE Centre in Vientiane is a rehabilitation hospital and prosthetic limb facility for those left maimed and injured by these orange like devices. Inside this place is a small museum full of graphic evidence of the horrors of what man can do to man. It’s a fairly gruesome environment but in a strange way uplifting as  there is  much evidence of human resistance to tragedy here.

The museum is only small  but should be an absolute ‘must’ on everyone’s ‘to do’ list in Laos.

Although I have just spent a few days here and only in the capital, I get the feeling that this is a good place. I like the happy, smiling people.

and their laid back attitude to life.

I like the feeling of ‘space’ so absent in many other capital cities.

I like the signs with their quirky translations.

I like the architecture, not just of the temples.

and I like the money – amusingly called ‘Kip’ – as I’m a multi millionaire here!

This 50,000 Kip note is worth less than a fiver!

And what don’t I like? Actually, it’s nothing to do with Laos but can be heard anywhere in the world. When you are in a foreign land with little knowledge of the local lingo there is no temptation to listen, either accidentally or deliberately, to anyone else’s conversation. So when you do hear, like, someone else, like, talking your, like, language, it tends to, you know, like jar!!

I must be, like, getting old.

Phileas

 

Inevitably, over the years the Chinese have had a huge influence on Laos.

The main impact from the west, however, came from the French who controlled the country as part of Indo China from the late 19th century up to World War II and briefly beyond.

Although not quite as obviously “French” as, say, Ho Chi Minh City the tree lined streets,  crumbling colonial buildings

and even a replica of the Arc de Triomphe (with oriental modifications)

are all monuments to the country’s colonial past. Incidentally, the Laotian version of the ‘Arc’ was never really finished as a rather nasty civil war got in the way!

French is still spoken in some government departments and also in what is generally known as High Society.

I don’t know if there is a collective word for temples. It’s probably not a ‘ton’ but there really are lots of them in Vientiane. And none of them too shabby either. It seems the poorer the country the more brightly the temples shine.

And not just the temples. This reclining Buddha statue is certainly more photogenic than the one in Bangkok.

And when the Grim Reaper finally catches up with me, I wouldn’t mind having my last remains interred in something as spectacular as these!

Even if you are not religious in any way, you just can’t help being in awe of these buildings. The colours, especially on a bright, sunny day, are awesome, inspiring, uplifting.

and they are everywhere, on every street corner. Even on the way to Boris’ Bakery!

And the interiors of many of them are often just as impressive as the exteriors.

Each of the panels on this ceiling tells a different story. Each has a different message in a room used on a daily basis where ordinary people bring food offerings to both the Gods and monks alike.

And in between time, there’s always cleaning and maintenance to be done, invariably by the young, novice monks.

Back home, it’s usually the oldies who get this task!

It’s a funny old world

Phileas.

Being landlocked limits mass tourism in Laos. Despite that, the country  has, somewhat surprisingly,  one of the fastest growing economies in South East Asia. With an average monthly wage of around US$250, the starting point is fairly low, though.  And of course, as often happens in emerging nations, there are clearly a few wealthy individuals here who have excellent taste, of course

but the vast majority of the population have to graft hard for their meagre earnings in whatever way they can.

Much of the country’s impressive growth record comes from hydro electric exports to neighbouring countries, mining and metals. Clearly there is an overstock of the latter which has found its way to my hotel .

I’m not entirely sure that this so called chic design works for me.

Bathroom towel hooks made out of bits of scrap metal just doesn’t seem right!

As in similar lower income countries, outdoor markets flourish. But whereas in Thailand the emphasis is on food, in Laos it’s every other conceivable product that dominates. For example, fake grass sees to be popular

 

as do large soft toys doing unspeakable things to each other!

And as for the ladies’ fashion wear, I can’t see these designs taking off in the west any time yet. But what do I know?

Just across the mighty Mekong river from Thailand is Vientiane, the capital of Laos with a population of less than 1 million people all of whom appear to descend on the 7 day a week night market in the centre of the city where most of the prices are absurdly cheap.

The local currency (called the Kip!) is quite confusing as there are lots and lots of them to the £, Euro or US$ but to give you an idea, the price of each of these ladies dresses, tops or whatever is less than £0.80!!

This splendid wood carving will, of course, cost you just a tad more and I suspect the shipping costs to Europe will be more than the article itself!

And when you’re all shopped out there’s always food close at hand.

In this country of less than 7 million inhabitants there is a rich cultural heritage here.  So, although I am not venturing out of the capital this time, I am told that what there is to see in the capital is a good ‘taster’ of what lies in the surrounding countryside. So, I shall see because absorbing a bit of local culture is next on my list.

Phileas

I do like Hua Hin.  Close-ish to Bangkok (and even closer when the high speed train arrives!). Full of both international and local restaurants, plenty of watering holes

and the usual array of rental shops, tailors, taxi and laundries plus, of course,

excellent street food  (this lady makes the most amazing papaya salad) but with none of the seediness of the likes of Pattaya, Patong in Phuket or Chaewang in Koh Samui. Hua Hin has a definite charm and even some sophistication about it so absent in many other Thailand  ‘tourist’ towns of similar size.

In the centre, the beach is more busy than packed, not only with people but horses

and many, many stray – albeit friendly- dogs. However, go just a few miles further south

and you could easily be on your own on a stretch of pristine sand.

So I have taken the plunge and paid a small deposit to reserve a bit of land west of Hua Hin

on which my idea is to build a small hut or install a Portakabin in which I can hibernate in future winters. With luck there might be a bit of extra space so I can accommodate the odd guest or two! If all goes according to plan (whenever does it?) everything could be ready by the end of the year! All quite exciting, really!

There is now a catamaran ferry which runs between Hua Hin on the west side of the Gulf of Thailand and Pattaya on the east side. The journey takes 2 hours- or it should do but history repeated itself and half an hour after departing we came to a grinding halt courtesy of some trash stuck in the jet engine inlet ports. The amount of rubbish in the sea is frightening but clearly the captain of this vessel had encountered such a  problem before as he merely put the engines in neutral but in reverse and literally blew the offending detritus to kingdom come.

In my opinion, the best view of Pattaya and the neighbouring town of Jomtien is definitely from the sea!

because once you disembark you are subjected to a barrage of brashness, tackiness

and, especially at this time of year, hordes and hordes of Chinese tourists. Having said that, by and large they keep to themselves although I am unsure what they do all day as they are not beach lovers,

unlike the Russians who are also here in droves! And as for the Brits, I think it’s more a case of least said, soonest mended. I have only been here a couple of days but I have heard more bad language spewing out of foul mouthed Brits during this time than I have during the  3+ months I have spent in this part of the world. At least, though, the local tattoo industry must be flourishing!

There are reasons why I am here for a short time in this particular part of Thailand so I will do my best to enjoy the good food, the relatively cheap beer and of course the sunshine I will, though, be very happy to leave.

Am I getting old?

Phileas

There are 2 ways to return to the mainland from Koh Samui – by plane or by ferry – unless, of course, you want to swim! I decided on the ferry again but this time chose to go the scenic route further up the coast to Chumphon rather than the 45 minute ‘hop’ to Donsak/Surat Thani. This was probably a mistake! We had a delayed start as the captain turned up late

but after that all went well for the first leg of the journey to Koh Phangan where we stopped to let some people off and let hordes of others on-

an interesting eclectic mix of race, colour and creed!

We even had time for some cooling ice creams

sold to us by two enterprising ladies on the dockside before setting off for our next stop, the island of Koh Tao

where more people got on and more got off.

I’ve never been here before. It looks pretty and colourful enough

although I suspect there’s not much to do other than sunbathe, swim and snorkel!

Off we went again on the last leg of our journey. All was going well until we came to a grinding halt – in the middle of nowhere! Something had jammed itself around the steering mechanism. An attempt was made to solve the problem using some sort of butcher’s cleaver

but this proved too blunt so had to be sharpened!

which with the aid of some diving gear

finally did the trick and we were off again. We arrived at Chumphon pier after just over 5 hours on the water – a delay of 1.5hrs

Of course, Chumphon pier is nowhere near Chumphon railway station, is it? So, onto a bus we climbed

which hurtled its way through the narrow country lanes as night descended. It was pitch black by the time we arrived although crowds of our feathered friends were still having a Karaoke party.

The train from Chumphon to Hua Hin is capable of quite high speeds – occasionally but as it’s only a single track, has to stop at every possible ‘passing place’ to let oncoming trains through. All very tedious! Koh Samui – Hua Hin by boat, bus and train = 13 hours. Bangkok – London by plane = 13 hours.

You do the maths!

Phileas

 

It was my youngest granddaughter’s 1st birthday earlier in the week,

a week when I have also met up with my daughter (not my granddaughter’s mother, you understand)

who is visiting Koh Samui for a few days. It was wonderful to see her again. By chance, friends of mine from Blighty (Wesley and Tina) were also in Samui so it was good to have a couple of beers with them as well!

It was Wesley’s and Tina’s first visit to Thailand and they have already vowed to come back again. It’s been a good ‘people week’ so far!

The west and northern side of Samui has been (over?) developed out of all recognition from the semi deserted tropical island I first visited all those years ago. Virtually every centimetre of beachfront is taken up with restaurants, hotels and bungalows to the point where there are people jams on the beaches

albeit many transformed into more tranquil and romantic eating spots each night

and traffic jams on the roads.

The west side of Samui is still relatively unspoilt

where the locals still dig for clams.

In between the two areas of this island is the capital, Nathon

 

originally a ferry port and fishing village but now gaining increasing revenue from tourism albeit in a very laid back way – eg a clothes shop selling bananas! –

in stark contrast to the frantic commercialism of the likes of Chaewang and Lamai on the east coast.

There’s quite a strong Chinese influence here, all the more obvious as Chinese New Year day approaches

and of course, there’s the ubiquitous Irish pub!

My daughter goes back to Bangkok tomorrow and onwards to the UK the following day – a day when I go back to the mainland, courtesy of some old rust bucket of a ferry. For obvious reasons I have enjoyed my time here but I’m not sure I’ll come back. Samui is not the idyllic, peaceful tropical island it used to be. The west coast is the nearest you come to that (despite a ‘Nikki Beach’ opening up recently!) but the rest is becoming more and more like so many other over developed tourist destinations in the otherwise wonderful country.

Phileas

 

Back in the UK, buying train tickets is easy. In Thailand it’s a bit hit and miss! Whereas a week or so ago I successfully managed to book an online ticket from Hua Hin to Surat Thani (en route to Koh Samui), today I have wasted most of the morning trying to buy a ticket for when I return to the mainland next week, from Chumphon back to Hua Hin. 2 websites tell me that the train in question is already full. The rail company official website tells me that I cannot buy tickets until 48 hours before departure. I subsequently managed to talk to a very helpful ‘real person’ who made the required reservation for me and even gave me both a reservation number and seat number. Splendid, I thought until he casually mentioned that the ticket must be collected from a train station within the next 24 hours otherwise it would be cancelled. “But there are no train stations on Koh Samui” said I which threw him totally as I piled headlong into a brick wall which is exactly where I am stuck now. To calm my frayed nerves I then set about the task of buying an online prezzie for my granddaughter’s 1st birthday. What a joy to navigate an easy UK website until….  I ticked all the right boxes including the one that asked if I wanted the delivery address to be different from the billing address and happily pressed the ‘order confirmation’ page which confidently told me that the gift would be sent to my billing address! So, back I went, inputted exactly the same info only to be told the same thing. In this case, there was no helpful person on the end of the phone as there was no answer to the number on the website!! Lesson learnt? Brick walls are the same the world over so I’m going to the beach to help a man with a bonfire!

I have been to Koh Samui many times and witnessed the enormous changes that have taken place over the years, not always for the better in my opinion. Almost every bit of the coastline is taken up with tourist buildings of one type or another, some of which seemingly oblivious to the fact that, generally speaking, people who come here like beaches.

And when you are able to find a few undeveloped spots,

they don’t always give off the blissful sun kissed feel that you see in the brochures.

Where I am staying is an oddity. On the AirBnB website it is billed as ‘Peaceful Garden Bungalows’ and there is certainly a rustic feel to the place

with an abundance of animals and wildlife close by.

It’s only a small place – 6 bungalows set in a garden about 300 yards from a quiet beach.Totally idyllic, especially if you like Muay Thai (kick boxing) training, tough exercise regimes and regular boxing with a bit of yoga thrown in. Because, right in the middle of an otherwise pastoral scene is a fitness centre

which operates more or less non stop from 0800 – 2000 every day except Sunday to the accompaniment of assorted grunts, groans and other ‘enjoyable’ exercise noises. Hardly the ‘Peaceful Garden’ as advertised but you can’t win them all! All a bit odd, as was the sight of the local council worker watering the power lines

in another strange Thai ritual!

Good food though is always a constant in Thailand. So, maybe tonight I will give crickets, bugs and grasshoppers a try.

Or then again. maybe not!

My daughter arrives tomorrow. Yippee!

Phileas.

Although the distance between Cha am and Hua Hin is less then 20 miles, the difference between the two towns couldn’t be more marked. Hua Hin has clearly targeted the western tourist but hasn’t totally abandoned it’s roots.

It’s full of excellent international and regional restaurants and bars but has not succumbed to the seediness of the likes of Pattaya largely due to the regular presence of the Thai Royal family who have a large home here.

Being a comfortable 3 hour drive from Bangkok, it’s a popular weekend home spot for Thaisand retirement foreigners. Property development is everywhere.

Hua Hin beach is not the best I’ve seen but there are some excellent semi deserted spots close byand of course, there are the markets.

At first, I thought the taxidermist had been having some fun with this moggy until it yawned and went back to sleep again!

What I like most about Hua Hin is the olde world charm in parts of the town despite the obvious explosive growth in other areas over recent years. Nowhere is this more evident than the listed building that is the train station

built in the early 20th century and lovingly maintained ever since.

The trains themselves though have been upgraded to semi modern diesels

 

one of which took me on a 5 hour journey through rice fields which later gave way to palm oil and rubber plantations and finally to Surat Thani from where I caught the high speed ferry to Koh Samui

a mere 45 minutes away, albeit through some fairly choppy water!

I have visited Koh Samui many times before so might have given the island a miss on this particular trip. However, as my daughter arrives here in less then 1 week’s time I just had to be here. There are far worse places to spend a few days in late January/early Feb!

Phileas