Author: thelasthurrahsite

About 20 minutes north of Cha am at the back of this craggy hill

is a cave, home to a colony of bats. I say ‘colony’ but perhaps a continent is more accurate as it is estimated that more then 10 million (!) live there, sleeping during the day and emerging at dusk to go food shopping. And what a sight it is as they fly off into the dying light of day

snaking into the air like some lazy smoke trail from a bonfire or chimney stack.

I have no idea  where they are going

or when they return from their daily ritual. What is certain is that, for those who didn’t see this amazing spectacle today, the same thing will happen tomorrow and the next day and the next…

While this wonder of nature is happening up in the air, down on earth the sights are often not so beautiful.

Although Thais have the most marvellous sense of ‘family’, this often doesn’t extend to care in the overall community or any commitment to environmental improvement. I suspect that part of this is fuelled by opportunistic desires to cash in on the massive boom in tourism in recent years – almost at any cost and not always successfully. Abandoned structures are plentiful

as are half finished development projects

but every once in a while someone gets it right – and with a certain style…

and cost!!

Tomorrow it’s south again to Hua Hin which I know will be in sharp contrast to the idyllic oasis of my current abode so close to the less than idyllic town of Cha am. In the meantime, time for one last swim.

and a bit of ‘scrumping’ from the papaya tree and I’m off.

Phileas

Faith, family and FOOD are 3 Thai obsessions – a point proven, I think, by the fact that one of the most watched vlogs in this country is of a woman eating. Just that. No more. Just eating! Bizzarre!

Ch am’s delightful railway station

is the unlikely location for this town’s weekly street market when the open space directly in front of the railway line is transformed into a riot of sounds, colours and smells.

Whereas most markets in the west are full of either artisan or mass produced consumer products with the occasional food stall, here it is the exact opposite. Food stalls dominate.

although the area is big enough to accommodate some enthusiastic young entrepreneurs

a Big Bouncy Castle

and sellers of all manner of audio and video stuff!

But it’s the food that dominates whether to eat on site

 

or take away

 

Being close to the sea, not surprisingly, sea food is much in evidence be it mussels,

crabs

or plain fish!

The aromas swirling into the ether are just awesome.

Quite how long this market stays open is difficult to determine. Maybe it’s until all the food has been sold which, based on the sheer volume of the produce on offer, could take a while

but then again, knowing the Thais voracious appetite for ‘snacking’, maybe not!

Until I’m hungry again!

Phileas.

A serious attack of ‘man ‘flu’ has limited my exploring activities over the last few days but has given me a chance to catch up on what has been going on back in Blighty. This didn’t take long as, clearly, the usual post festive torpor has limited any earth shattering developments other than Liverpool’s magnificent win against Man City, of course. The collapse of Carillion, UK’s second largest construction company, caught my eye, though. I’m sure there will be many an ‘expert’ view of what went wrong but my simple observation is that the company was too focussed on sales growth (largely by acquisition which is never easy) rather than profit. Anyway, what really interests me is the question of why our glorious government kept on awarding Carillion large contracts when it knew the company was in trouble? Doubtless the demise of Carillion will be thoroughly investigated but will similarly searching questions also be asked about what would appear to be, at the very least, the reckless or naive actions of certain MPs ?

About 2.5 hours drive south west of the the hustle and bustle of Bangkok is the coastal town of Cha-am, located 25km north of the better known resort of Hua Hin. I’ve never been here before and if I’m brutally honest, I’m not sure if I ever will again! It’s OK I suppose but neither has the character of a quaint Thai village or small town nor the facilities and amenities of a popular tourist destination. I’m happy, therefore to be staying in a small hamlet about 7km inland from Cha-am itself. As with so many places just a few miles from the tourist ‘traps’, it’s all a bit rundown

and very rural

although it does boast a DIY laundrette in the main street!

Hidden away in the middle of this agricultural community is a tiny little oasis of a ‘resort’ comprising 4 bedrooms in the main house and a mere 4 bungalows

spread out in a beautifully mature landscaped garden

bursting with colour and all manner of wildlife.

This little gem was designed, built and has been owned by Rudi The German for the past 17 years who is now looking for another project and wants to sell it. If I was 20 years younger I would be seriously tempted as it really is an idyllic spot.

The downside  is that there are no nearby shops although mobile sellers of foodstuffs are never far away.

Watermelons at a little more than 50p each is unreal!

There is, however,  one restaurant – bizzarely, a Mexican –

 owned by a curious, late middle aged Brit from the Manchester area! Quite why he chose to settle here and then offer this type of culinary fare in is a question as yet unanswered. It’s a funny old world!

The only other negative is the poor internet which, frankly is

but who wants 21st century speed in this time warp environment?

Phileas

A bit of culture to start the day with a visit to the Hua Lamphong temple located in one of the busiest areas of central Bangkok renowned, amongst other things, for being the only temple in Bangkok to have livestock living in the middle of it!

These bovine beasts all seemed  quite docile until one nearly bit my sister’s hand off!

The Buddhist religion reveres all large animals and yet Thais are happy to eat them. So it is only natural that prayers should be said as a way of apologising to the cow for ending it’s life on the dinner plate! Quite sweet really

I am constantly amazed and enchanted by the ornate  and intricate designs and colours of these beautiful buildings.

So it was interesting to see a new one in its natural state before all the gold leaf and marble has been added.

Dropping into the temple for a quick prayer for guidance, to remember those who have passed away or simply for some quiet meditation or contemplation is a natural way of life for all Thais, including the younger generation. It really is a very relaxed and friendly religion,

full of symbols as well as bells to be rung for good luck.

Close by, I was slightly surprised to stumble across this set of tiles –

the more so as they were located just outside a toilet!!

A quick whizz up the river courtesy of a longtail boat was the quickest way to get to Wat Arun –

the Temple of Dawn which is so often only seen by river tourists from a distance away.

Close up, though, it is a staggering piece of architecture

Originally built in the 17th century and renovated as recently as last year, it’s full of intricate designs and a lot of steep steps which, happily,  proved no obstacle to my agile sister

but created a big challenge to this Japanese guy who was nearly in tears by the time he reached the bottom.

Our day’s activity ended with a stroll through Lumpini Park where we tried to figure out the significance of watering the water. Clearly another symbolic Thai ceremony!

Sister is now on her way back home. I have throughly enjoyed introducing her to a few of the sights and sounds of Bangkok but now it’s time for me to pack  the suitcase again, head south and continue my peripatetic wanderings. So..

Off we go again!

Phileas

I must say that the weather in Langkawi was less than inspiring. OK, so it was hot but leaden skies, rain and a few thunderstorms in what is supposed to be the dry season is hardly going to improve the ‘Tropical Island’ image shown on the promotional posters. But now back in Bangkok, it’s hot and the sun is shining which certainly helps dry the newly laid concrete but not quickly enough as I discovered!

Oooops!

The hectic pace of life in this city is a far cry from the sedate existence of the island I’ve just left but most people don’t seemed phased by it at all.

whilst others are constantly driven by commercial endeavour

and an apparent reluctance to admit that Christmas is over!

My sister’s last experience in Bangkok was not a good one as she got caught up with street demonstrations and a night time curfew. So I was determined to show her a better side of Bangkok when she stopped over for a couple of days en route from Langkawi to her home in France

Asiatique is a large mall and entertainment centre facing the Chao Phraya river and built on a former dockyard comprising, amongst other things, around 40 restaurants and 1,500 shops!!

It’s a buzzy, fun place full of an eclectic mix of sights,

sounds

and street artists

plus lots and lots of retail therapy.

And when all that’s done, it’s time for refreshment

although there is no guarantee you will get what you want!!

A fairly gentle start for sister’s short stay in Bangkok leaving a lot to do before she departs.

I have a plan!

Phileas.

The New Year’s Eve party was a predictably jolly affair. The star of the event was most certainly my sister who drank and danced the night away

until close to 3.00 am and then wanted to help with the washing up and general cleaning! Prior to that, on the stroke of midnight her son welcomed in the New Year in pyromaniacal style making use of some outdated marine flares.

Inevitably, a quiet day followed with much alcohol soaking up snacking.

These banana fritters are to die for.

Being a free port, boating in all its forms is an important part of life in Langkawi be it refuelling the mega yachts of the obscenely wealthy, running charters to the outlying islands, operating dive expeditions or simply messing about on the water.

Apart from that and the obvious natural beauty of this tropical island there is little to attract the tourist. In fact the whole place is a bit run down and in desperate need of investment and a redevelopment plan. Half finished constructions abound,

many being obvious projects of pure vanity

No progress has been made in finishing the building of this tower since I was last here 12 months ago. If it is ever completed it will be serve no other purpose than being just that – a tower! Elsewhere, crumbling monuments to previous short term investment initiatives are everywhere.

And even the more grandiose projects that do get finished are in need of refurbishment.

It’s really all quite sad, the more so as the action needed to reverse this situation is quite obvious but the local government seems content merely to involve itself in such micro projects as a bit of street cleaning.

Picking  weeds out from the cobbled street surrounded by edifices in need of bulldozing

does seem faintly absurd.

Every once in a while, though, you do come across evidence that someone, somewhere recognises the importance of accentuating the positives.

 

 

A proclamation that the installation of a new hotel lift will ‘take your experience with us to the next refreshing level’ says it all, I think!

Whilst I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my sister, my nephew and his very hospitable friends here, I am looking forward to returning to Bangkok tomorrow – and so is my liver!

Phileas.

 

The ferry from Koh Lanta Island to the mainland is a bit of a rust bucket

with few passenger facilities

but it works. Once on the mainland it’s a 4 hour uneventful drive to a rather more modern water borne transport for the crossing from Satun in southern Thailand to Langkawi in Malaysia

to meet my nephew who has lived there for many years and my sister who has flown in from France.

After a bit of sightseeing,

including a trip to the local temple to view the impressive marble statue carved out of the rock face,

and a few comments about the similarity between my increasing beer sodden girth and this Chinese Buddha

plus refreshment

it was time for some food and drink shopping prior to the New Year’s eve party to which we have all been invited.

Being a Muslim country, buying alcohol is not as easy as dropping into the local Majestic store – perhaps more like it might have been during Prohibition in the States.

But if you no where to look, it’s there as are other delicacies carefully secreted in the cold store!

 So we’re all set to see out 2017 and welcome in what I hope will be a spectacular new year for all of us.

Until next year

Phileas

As a child I must admit to being quite bored with my father’s endless photos of sunsets. But here I am following in the family tradition in search of the perfect ‘shot’.

There is no such thing of course but scenes like this are really quite mesmeric.

As soon as darkness descends, the fire brigade are out in force performing in front of many of the beach side restaurants

with not a single member of Health and Safety in sight!

Earlier on Christmas Day it was very much ‘business as usual’ although a few folk were determined to get into the Christmas spirit.

whilst it was just another day for the local shrimp fisherman.

So, time to do a bit more exploring on my ‘ranted’ motorbike!

Frankly, there’s not much to Koh Lanta other than a bit of wildlife

and the (admittedly fabulous) beaches

although, as in so many other parts of the globe, there is an urgent need to be more aware of the damage we humans are doing to our planet.

I read recently that some fish that end up on our dinner table are now eating more plastic than ‘normal’ food!

I get the impression that the tourist industry here is not developing as fast as many other parts of South East Asia as is evidenced by quite a few unfinished and abandoned resort hotels.

This is, in part perhaps, because  Lanta has not quite decided what it is. It’s not a back packers’ paradise. It’s not full of 5 star resorts and it certainly doesn’t cater for the more hedonistically inclined tourist. It shines in one area, though…

There are literally scores of these clinics dotted about the island so maybe the tourist target is the aged and infirm!

My Thai visa expires in a couple of days so I’m off to Langkawi, Malaysia tomorrow to meet up with my nephew who lives there and my sister who is visiting from France. As I am assured of a fairly alcoholic reunion, maybe I should take one of these clinics with me!

Until my liver recovers,

Phileas

 

 

 

 

 

For a few days now I have been trying (and failing) to order and send something via the internet. So in desperation I emailed the company to ask them what I might be doing wrong. Yesterday I received a reply from ‘Tanya’  who started by saying:-

“Hello Richard, thank you for reaching out to us!” 

What on earth is all that about? I haven’t ‘reached out’ to anyone. I haven’t touched anyone. I merely sent an email asking a simple question. Yuk!

I much preferred the cozy reply I received when I had a not dissimilar problem earlier in my trip.

I think all customer support staff should be called ‘Muffin’!

The little sand crabs are the busiest beings here on Koh Lanta,  hard at work  burying into the sand when the tide goes out creating the most wonderful patterns.

The rest of us put as much ‘chill’ as is possible into this warm and laid back place which, despite being a tourist destination, is in no way overcrowded

despite being  Christmas time

but that’s maybe because a lot of the visitors are stuck trying to figure out how to work the serve yourself petrol pump!

Things are even quieter on the east side of the island which is, as yet, almost totally under developed

and under populated except for Lanta Old Townwhich seems to have successfully morphed from a fishing village to a twee tourist spot full of trendy boutiques, bars

and restaurants

many of which are built on stilts out onto the water

where I have a nasty suspicion other things are destined for as well!

And on that sanitary note,

Richard

 

The sun kissed beaches of Krabi province in southern Thailand are certainly a change

from the flat, open spaces of the Isaan region.

Despite my great love affair with the beaches in the south, I  will miss the poor, largely ignored region of north east Thailand. I will miss my visits to the local village shop

and my afternoon tea from the local roti (pancake) maker.

And I will miss listening to (although not really understanding) the local gossip about shared hardships. I will miss the camaraderie, the selfless sharing and the immense sense of ‘family’  of everyone in ‘my’ village and I will miss the smiling, under privileged children

seemingly so happy with the simplest things in life.

It’s been a great – and quite humbling – experience being accepted into this rural community.

Almost everything is different here in Koh Lanta. The food is different as is the language – or rather, the dialect. Islam rather than Buddhism is the main religion. The landscape is hilly rather than pancake-like. Rubber and palm oil production takes the place of rice growing  and of course there’s the sea  bringing tourism as a major revenue and wealth earner so lacking further north. But some things are the same. There are the fruit and vegetable markets

brimming with a marvellous array of produce at unbelievably low prices.

Pineapples are a little over £0.20 each!

and for the truly brave there are mountains of spices.

But as a gentle reminder of home, just around the corner is a very familiar sight

It’s difficult to imagine that in a few days time it will be the shortest day – at least it is from where I’m sitting!

Phileas.