Month: January 2025

Hanoi and Halong Bay

On January 29, 2025

As we fly into Hanoi the scenery is very different from what I expected. I thought I would see a sprawling metropolis like Bangkok but this is quite different. The airport is modern and clean and as soon as we exit the terminal building it is clear that we are in a very different country from Laos. Everything feels sharper and better organised. Our hotel is in the old quarter of Hanoi and is probably the nicest accommodation we have experienced. Our room even has a soft bed. Hoorah! Our flight from Vientiane was slightly delayed so we only have a quick half hour turn around before heading out for dinner. We dine in a rustic restaurant situated in a little side street. Paper lanterns light the alley above us.

The menu is extensive and everybody has an exceptional meal. The ambience and structure of the restaurant is reminiscent of Cuba. There are worn stairs and bare bricks and yet the place has charm and exudes a warm and welcoming atmosphere. I think Vietnam is already working it’s magic. The whole group seems much more relaxed here. My comment at dinner was that I would compare my first taste of Vietnam with the opening of the first page of a book, where I am instantly drawn into the story, and cannot wait to turn the next page.

After the meal, Puna our guide orders the equivalent of an Uber for us. She guides us to our car, opens the doors for us and ushers us in. The driver appears with a face like thunder. It turns out this is not our vehicle. So very funny!

Breakfast is a pleasant surprise, with a good selection of food. I choose an omelette and can actually have various fillings in it. Amazing! Then it’s time for an orientation tour of the city on foot. We start in the old quarter where vendors display their wares on the pavement. It is particularly vibrant and bustling as everyone is preparing for the New Year in a couple of days time – 29 January. It is impressive how much people can transport on their bikes.

All the produce looks very fresh. The chickens particularly so. They are despatched and plucked for you while you wait. Slightly hard to watch but as I like to eat chicken, I really should not be too squeamish about seeing the actual process.

There are nearly 9 million people in Hanoi and most of them own a motorbike or scooter. The roads are busy and crossing them requires some nerve. We are told to stick together as a group and not stop no matter what. It’s surprising how quickly you get used to spotting a small gap in the traffic and then determinedly walking at a steady space and in a straight line to the far side. I would advise anyone to just look directly ahead. If you stop to look at the mayhem you are causing you would freeze like a frightened rabbit. There are traffic lights but they are regarded as advisory only and most drivers ignore them.

Our walk firstly takes us past The North Gate to the city, which was built in 1805 and is the only one of the five external gates in the Nguyen Dynasty citadel walls that survived the French military’s attack in the late 19th century. The impact of two cannonballs fired by French troops from the Red River can still be clearly seen.

We walk down a wide tree lined mall and past the presidential palace.

Our next stop is at Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum. It is a Monday so we can only view the outside and not enter to see his body. I am fine with that. The area around the mausoleum is extensive and well manicured.

We have to undergo strict airport security type checks before admission is granted, which involves walking the whole way around the complex to the far side. The entry point where we start will not accept groups.

We are lucky enough to catch the changing of the guards. I do not know much about Ho Chi Minh so have subsequently read quite a lot about him. Clearly a very intelligent and deep thinking man. He spoke 13 languages and travelled the world extensively before his leadership. His legacy is a country that has a warm and friendly population. They are forward looking and do not dwell on the past horrors inflicted upon them. There appears to be great personal freedom. People can own property and practice religion freely. People are industrious and can set up their own enterprises. Indeed in many ways it is hard to believe that this is a communist country.

Behind the Mausoleum we visit The One Pillar Pagoda which was built to resemble a lotus flower emerging from the water.

There is a temple adjacent to this which seemed to be a memorial house. Photos of loved ones were displayed with offerings of fruit and flowers. Poignant music plays and the whole place is very spiritual, calm and beautiful and brings a tear to my eyes as I think about lost loved ones.

We wend our way back to the hotel and pass the street where dog meat is sold. Whole cooked dogs are displayed and for westerners it is pretty hard to stomach. I move on swiftly. I took photos, but once seen it is not an easy sight to forget so I will not share them with you. Every street we walk along is different but all houses have very narrow frontages and go back a long way. This is because houses used to be taxed on their frontage.

Our final morning’s destination is Railway Alley. Restaurants press as close to the train track as possible. We order coffees and wait for the train to arrive.

As the train approaches, tables are moved and we are all squeezed back as close to the walls as possible. I had no idea that this would be a full-size train and that it would be so close. It was quite intimidating but also kind of cool!

We have a leisurely lunch before heading off at 17.00 for a Water Puppet Show. It is a twenty minute walk from our hotel and the volume of traffic and people is insane.

It is the day before New Year’s Eve here and it seems like the whole of Hanoi is out and making last minute purchases. It is like Oxford Street pre Xmas but with mopeds and bikes driving on the pavement in both directions. Bonkers! One of our group suggests that the Vietnamese are missing a trick. They should make a T-shirt that says “I survived the traffic in Hanoi”

The puppet show is held in a theatre and is quite unique. The music is magical, with very accomplished musicians playing Vietnamese instruments. The show lasts about 45 minutes and depicts the Vietnamese culture and beliefs with the appearance of dragons, phoenixes and a turtle. I would thoroughly recommend it if you are ever in Hanoi.

Another early start for us. We have a 3.5 hour bus trip to Halong Bay which I am really looking forward to. We stop at an artisan centre which was instigated to create jobs for those disabled during the Vietnam War. We buy a silk embroidered picture. The skill of the workers is incredible and from a distance it is hard to realise that the pictures have not been painted.

We arrive at Halong Bay. It is busy. So many boats. It is also very cold and I make a very rapid purchase of a thick Patagonia hoodie. It is wonderfully warm! The boat is better than I had expected…

… and our cabin is comfortable. The salon is decorated for New Year with a peach tree and lanterns.

The food on board is excellent and after lunch we opt for the rowing boat excursion to take us through a limestone arch and into a lagoon. There are far too many people.

People kayaking are literally getting caught between the big rowing boats. Pretty scary I would think. In the lagoon, we have a brief glimpse of a macaque monkey…

… and see dozens of baskets along the shoreline which are used to culture mussels.

We return to the boat, re-locate and go ashore to climb to the top of Ti Top. Yet again there are far too many people. I battle the visitors and climb up the 200+ steps to the first viewing point.

The geology is spectacular and pretty unique. Huge limestone pinnacles rise out of the water. Quite something. There is a small sand beach and on a warmer day a swim might have been pleasant.

It is quite hazy. I have brought my old camera and neither it or the iPhone are taking particularly good photos. People watching is fun though and the camera does a better job of that.

We return to the boat for sundowners and we are fortunate as the sun finally puts in an appearance.

Dinner is a real treat. We work our way through 10 courses ranging from soup, oysters, prawns, squid, rice, vegetables and more. All cooked in different styles and with different spices, but nothing with chilli and beautifully presented.

It is New Year’s Eve and at midnight all the boats in the bay sound their horns and the metal boats let off fireworks. From our cabin, I can see an impressive firework display in Halong in the distance. We sleep well, are up for coffee, toast and egg before going to visit Sung Sot Caves.

The ascent up the steps to the caves was busy but once inside people spaced out as the caves are enormous. At 10,000sq metres they are very impressive and definitely worth visiting.

Then it’s back to the boat for brunch which turns out to be another feast. We disembark, re-board our bus and drive back to Hanoi where we shall catch the overnight train to Hue. This will be another 12 hour journey but the train is an improvement on the previous one. There are cabins shared by four people and we have complementary snacks and drinks in the cabin. As we are settling in a lady comes round and hands us all red envelopes. The envelopes contain 20000 dong (about 60p). It is a New Year tradition – to bring us luck. We are told to keep it safe and not spend it. How nice!

We share our cabin with Alex and Liv. They are the youngest in our group by at least a couple of decades! The top bunks are hard to get into. There is no ladder – just a single flap on the wall. The men are tall and we decide they should have the top beds. The train jolts and then we are off. Looking out of the window we pass through the streets of Hanoi and indeed pass through Railway Alley again.

Luang Prabang to Vientiane

By Maggie

On January 26, 2025

In Laos

Our home for the next three nights is Villa Malinda in Luang Prabang, a little family run hotel with a lovely feel to it and welcoming staff. There are rich polished wood floors and the property feels very loved. Our room is not large but has a certain charm and more importantly a good shower and balcony. It is located on what would be a quiet backstreet if it were not for the shops opposite. More on that later…. It is an easy five minute stroll from the town centre.

Luang Prabang was listed in 1995 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. No buildings can be more than two storeys so the town has a more rustic and authentic feel to it. It is not a huge town but still bigger than I expected.

We have a couple of hours lazing and freshening up in the room before heading out to explore the town. Our aim is to find the night market and sample some street food but en route we are distracted by a cool looking bar where we can sit under trees outside and drink cocktails. The trip has been quite full on and we are very ready for some R&R.

Sleeping initially is tricky as people in the bar opposite are very drunk; shouting and singing and the local dog population decides to join in too. Apparently one of the guys takes all his clothes off although we were fortunate enough to not actually witness that. Eventually things quieten down and we have a good night’s sleep.

In the morning there is a visit to the small ethnology museum, where we learn about local culture. The different tribes, costumes and lifestyle.

Our next stop is at Ock Pop Tok which means East meets West in Lao. It was founded by women and is run by women for the women of Laos to preserve the textile traditions of Laos. It is situated on the bank of The Mekong and we have time to drink a smoothie and admire the scenery before commencing the tour.

The artisans work mainly with silk, cotton, hemp and piet (a type of string made by scraping the bark of a jungle vine, drying it and twisting the lengths together. Bags and purses are made out of it. We learn how each of the textiles is made – from plant to finished product, how the different coloured dyes are made and then watch weavers at work. The weaving is intricate and an extremely skilful process.

A Willis Jeep is parked outside and Paul very much wants to take it home with him!

Our lunch is prepared by the women in the local community. Firstly they greet us with a traditional Baci Welcome ceremony.

The crux of the ceremony is to invoke the kwan, which in specific terms is explained as:
An ancient belief in Laos that the human being is a union of 32 organs and that the kwan watch over and protect each one of them. It is of the utmost consequence that as many kwan as possible are kept together in the body at any one time. Since all kwan is often the attributed cause of an illness, the baci ceremony calls the kwan or souls from wherever they may be roaming, back to the body, secures them in place, and thus re-establishes equilibrium.
Wikipedia

The ritual of the Baci involves tying strings around a person’s wrist to preserve good luck, and has become a national custom. We are told to keep the strings on for three days and they must not be cut off, but untied, otherwise it will bring bad luck.

Lunch is plentiful and tasty.

After lunch we drive to Kuang Si Waterfall. It is quite crowded and my expectations are not high but it turns out to be a real highlight. Some people swim in the pools but we decide not to and just absorb the beauty of the falls. The late afternoon sunshine filters through the trees and gives a wonderful light to the scenery.

Sundowners are taken at a bar on the shores of The Mekong. It is very rustic as are most places in Laos. The drinks are good and the view is wonderful.

We explore the night street market and then head back to last night’s bar for some escapism from the milling crowds.

A free day sees us heading off to the spa in the nearby up market hotel for a massage. It is a quite a few steps up in quality from our accommodation with swanky cars to transport guests around town.

The massage is very good indeed and we come back feeling totally relaxed. We laze the day away, which is most welcome and then a group of us head off to Gaspard (a classy French restaurant) for a much needed change from rice and noodles. The food is excellent, though expensive by Laos standards.

We say goodbye to Chiang Mai and take the new fast train to Vang Vieng. It is now only an hour long journey compared to previously taking seven hours by road. The service was launched on 13 April 2023 and provides a 1000km high-speed rail link between Kunming in China and Ventiane the capital of Laos. The new station seems overly grand and large.

The terminal in Vang Vieng is similarly grand so we are expecting great things of the town. What a complete juxtaposition of the two. The town is a rather dirty and unappealing backpackers resort. I have been to some pretty dire places in my life and this is right down there with them. Our hotel is actually OK – modern with large rooms and a rooftop pool (on a fairly unattractive rooftop) but with good views. There is also a rooftop restaurant but when we went at midday it was being used as a laundry with sheets draped over every piece of available furniture. Not something I’ve seen in a hotel before. There are also fish ponds by the hotel entrance with the largest koi carp I have ever seen at 20-24” long.

So why come to Vang Vieng? Well the scenery is just stunning. Huge limestone pinnacles tower over the pretty Nam Song River and there are lots of adrenalin fuelled activities: zip lining, hang gliding, hot air balloons, kayaking, tubing and more.

Early morning and late afternoon sees lots of balloons being launched. It is quite a spectacle.

The town comes alive at night. There are numerous bars and restaurants and a lot of loud music, but also quieter venues and we found very good restaurants on both nights that we stayed here. Unfortunately Paul could not partake in any activities here as he had picked up a stomach bug so confined to quarters. How lucky that we are not travelling and he has time to recover.

One of the optional activities here is the adrenalin package, which probably half the group opt for. We start by kayaking on the Nam Song River. We get kitted up and are given a short briefing, which mainly focuses on what to do if you capsize. I hope that is not going to happen!

I thought this would be pretty easy but there were some tricky sections of river. The water level was low and there are lots of rocks and small rapids and apparently people do frequently capsize but none of our group do . I share a kayak with our guide Puna. Experienced guides escort us down the river and get out to help us on the difficult bits.

The river is so beautiful and tranquil and on the stretches without rapids I can soak up the view.

There are certain occasions when steering is an issue and we have some close encounters with the bank, but survive without capsizing.

90 minutes later we are once more on dry land. It’s nice to stretch my legs! We cross a bridge and look back down the river. We are amused to watch people who have run aground on rocks mid-stream and their antics to extricate themselves.

Next we visit Angel Caves which are not large but have some nice stalagmites and stalactites.

Then we enter the wet caves. We are given head torches, sit in rubber tubes and pull ourselves through the cave system by holding onto ropes and kicking our feet against the cave walls. It is great fun.

Lunch is barbecued kebabs, rice, bread and fruit which is tasty and hits the spot after the morning’s activities.

In the afternoon we have a scenic drive to the Blue Lagoon to meet the rest of the group who did not kayak. It is a rather underwhelming place. The tall limestone peaks cast shadow over the pool and the sitting areas are set below corrugated iron roofing. It is dour and dusty. Below is the marketing photograph but it did not look like that.

I am sure in the sunshine the whole place would have been more appealing. Definitely a place for a morning not afternoon visit.

We say goodbye to Vang Vieng and take a comfortable 2 hour bus ride on the toll road to Vientiane, which is the capital of Laos. Not much to report here really. It is a small city and does not have many things to visit. The hotel is pleasant enough, with small gardens and an attractive frontage.

It is hot 30c plus so we decide to spend the afternoon chilling out by the small hotel pool.

We have a group meal in the evening. We walk to the restaurant. Crossing the roads is interesting. Basically you cross as a group and hope for the best!

The restaurant is large and busy but they are very efficient. There is a huge choice of meals. I select sushi for a complete change. We are meant to head off to a bar afterwards but everyone is tired so we go back to the hotel. Tomorrow we fly to Hanoi. It will be cool, drizzly and frenetic!

The Mekong

By Maggie

On January 20, 2025

In Laos

It’s my birthday and what an unusual way to spend it! Our introduction to Laos will be a two day cruise on a slow boat along the Mekong. I have seen examples online and it does not look very comfortable. However, we are all pleasantly surprised. We have a private boat with loads of space. It is hosted by a wonderfully warm and welcoming family who live on-board and provide us with lunch and refreshments. Before embarkation we were also able to buy snacks and drinks. We invested in a magnum of red wine, ‘Pringles’ and assorted chocolate bars. So healthy! Steep steps take us down to the boat. There are no handrails so you need to be sure of your footing and confident that you can carry your bags down on your own. For a minimal charge someone would assist you, but we travel light so no problem for us.

The Mekong River is the world’s twelfth longest river at an estimated length of 3050 miles. From its headwaters in the Tibetan Plateau, the river runs through Southwest China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam. The extreme seasonal variations in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls in the Mekong make navigation difficult. Even so, the river is a major trade route between Tibet and Southeast Asia. The construction of hydroelectric dams along the Mekong in the 2000s through the 2020s has caused serious problems for the river’s ecosystem, including the exacerbation of drought
Wikipedia

The sky is blue and cloudless and it is a very comfortable temperature – probably around 23C. A perfect day for a cruise down a river. We sit back and enjoy the passing scenery.

Lunch aboard is simple but very tasty – a chicken curry, soup, rice, mixed vegetables and not a chilli in sight. The Lao people do not like spicy food. This is good news for me as I am allergic to chillis and had to be pretty careful in Thailand.

The landscape slips by at a casual speed. We have time to observe life along the river. Small fires are lit to clear patches of land and encourage new grass growth for the grazing cattle and buffalo.

Children play on the shore and people pan for gold. Big companies come in initially with heavy equipment to mine the gold. When they have gone there will still be a small residue. Local families take two or three weeks off with their families. They use it as a holiday from farming and hopefully can also supplement their income with a little gold. Maybe $20 -$30 worth but that is a huge amount to them.

We arrive at our destination for the night shortly before sunset. We shall be staying in a home stay in a hillside village. We do not really know what to expect but know that there will be 4 of us sharing a room.

We just take bare essentials with us as it is a steep climb up to the village and there will certainly be no bathrooms for us tonight.

We are shown around the village, given dinner of egg fried rice, stir fried vegetables and a local minced chicken dish. Despite the limited resources the people keep everything spotlessly clean and we have no concerns about food hygiene. As we finish dinner I am surprised by our guide and the locals singing “Happy Birthday” and presenting me with a beautiful birthday cake complete with candle.

Puna had carried the cake all the way from Thailand to Laos. In fact she had bought two – one for the children in the village. She transported them in a box balanced on top of her suitcase. Unfortunately it fell off while crossing the Laos border so there was a bit of cake damage! I heard her cry “Oh no!” But had no idea why she was so concerned. So very thoughtful of her.

After dinner we are treated to a welcome dance and invited to join in. It is all very slow and graceful although I don’t think any of us quite mastered it!

Then it was time for bed. We are shown to our home stay, which we will share with the family.

To our relief there is a separate building with a western toilet. Very clean but there is no plumbing so it needs to be flushed with a bowl of water from the adjacent water butt. We then enter our home for the night. We leave our shoes by the door, climb some very steep stairs and are shown our accommodation. A picture tells a thousand stories ….

Initially sleep is difficult. People in the village are still out and about and the dogs and chickens are quite noisy too. We hear our host family settling down to sleep and eventually all is quiet. Our mattresses are quite thin but supply just enough support and the blankets are warm. I think we all sleep better than we thought we would. But make no mistake. Dawn is a relief. As is going to the loo which I had been reluctant to do in the night. Not the easiest journey to get there.

When we wake the air is cool and mist hangs over the hillsides. We are led back to the communal area for breakfast of coffee, fruit, eggs and rice.

By 07.30 we are back aboard our boat. It is chilly and everyone wraps themselves in blankets and drinks lots of hot coffee or tea.

Eventually the mist clears. We sit in the sun at the bow of the boat and drink some more of our big bottle of wine. The scenery is wonderful…

and there are interesting things to see.

There is a final visit to Pak Ou Caves before we disembark. The caves are considered an important spiritual site by many Lao people. Thousands of Buddha statues and images line the walls.

There are two caves. We enter the first which is horrendously crowded and in my opinion pretty underwhelming. There are something like 300 steps up to the second cave but we decide to escape the crowds and return to the boat for some peace and quiet. The view outside the cave is somewhat marred by all the tourist boats.

Close to the caves a new dam is being constructed to supply hydro-electric power. There are already several dams along the course of The Mekong and this, together with them, will have a detrimental impact on the river’s eco-system and further exacerbate drought.

We arrive at Luang Prabang late afternoon, disembark and are taken to our hotel for the next three nights. We shall be able to enjoy some much needed downtime there.

Bangkok to Laos Border

By Maggie

On January 19, 2025

In Thailand

We buy a light meal at the station as there will be no meals on the train. I also manage to find some chocolate bars, cream horns and a packet of orio. Nailed it for the 12 hour trip! Embarkation is orderly and very much like boarding a plane. From the outside the train is dour with dirty windows and on a dark platform. A station official looking very much like a guard from a concentration camp ushers us on board. He is appropriately dressed. My first glimpse of our cabin fills my heart with dread. It does indeed look like a gulag train! The guy picking up his toilet roll from the floor doesn’t improve the concept!

The reality is marginally better than first impressions. We have lower beds which are comfortable singles. There is a clean pillow and quilted blanket and a curtain to give privacy.

However, it is a far cry from being a room with a view!

I would have slept well if it had not been for the unevenness of the track and the frequent stops. The train clatters and clunks and I am frequently awoken. I feel as though I am being violently shaken. It literally feels like someone is shaking the bed to make you get up! We survive the trip and a local bringing us coffee is most welcome. We arrive in Chiang Mai 12.5 hours after our departure.

We board very comfortable minibuses and are transported to our hotel “The Duangtawan” in the centre of Chiang Mai which turns out to be a far larger town than I had expected but definitely more tranquil than Bangkok.

Check in is not until 14.00 so our bags are left with the concierge whilst we head off for breakfast and decide how to spend our free morning. Some of the group have opted to take a cookery lesson but we thought that would be too tiring after our long journey. We go shopping for my birthday present instead and find some lovely silver jewellery. Whilst exploring the backstreets we stumble across the most beautiful temple. It is called Wat Loi Kroh and was constructed during the reign of King Kue Na (1355-1385). Surprisingly there are very few tourists.

We then go to the hotel spa and have a wonderful massage. An hour for £20! A bargain and so very relaxing!

Once everyone has settled into their rooms, we visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (a Theravada Buddhist temple) located 15 kilometres from Chiangmai Mai and situated on top of Doi Suthep mountain at an altitude of 1073 metres. The traffic is horrendous and it takes over an hour to get there. Eventually we make it just as the sun is setting. Fortunately there is a funicular which takes us to the summit. The views are far-reaching but it is very hazy and hard to see Chiang Mai clearly in the distance.

There are some magnificent carved pillars outside the temple.

We take our shoes off to enter the temple complex. It is beautiful and the monks are inside and chanting so this makes it very special. Outside the actual temple is a statue of a white elephant.

and we are told the story of its relevance.

According to legend, a monk named Sumanathera from the Sukhothai Kingdom had a dream. In this vision he was told to go to Pang Cha and look for a relic. Sumanathera ventured to Pang Cha and found a bone. Many claim it was Gautama Buddha‘s shoulder bone. The relic displayed magical powers: it glowed, it was able to vanish, it could move and replicate itself. Sumanathera took the relic to King Dhammaraja, who ruled Sukhothai. The eager Dhammaraja made offerings and hosted a ceremony when Sumanathera arrived. However, the relic displayed no abnormal characteristics, and the king, doubtful of the relic’s authenticity, told Sumanathera to keep it.

King Nu Naone of Lan Na heard of the relic and bade the monk to bring it to him. In 1368, with Dharmmaraja’s permission, Sumanathera took the relic to what is now Lamphun, in northern Thailand. Once there, the relic broke into two pieces. The smaller piece was enshrined at Wat Suan Dok. The other piece was placed by the king on the back of a white elephantwhich was released into the jungle. The elephant is said to have climbed up Doi Suthep, at that time called Doi Aoy Chang (Sugar Elephant Mountain), stopped, trumpeted three times, then dropped dead. This was interpreted as an omen. King Nu Naone immediately ordered the construction of a temple at the site.

The name of the Temple (Wat Phra That Doi Suthep) actually explains what the temple has. Phra entails of an honorific Buddha image, and Thatmeans a relic. Combining the two tells that there is a relic of Buddha’s in the sanctity of the Wat, and in this case it’s half of Buddha’s shoulder bone. The location of the shoulder bone relic is to be found in the rounded portion of the Chedi right above the octagonal section and below the ringed section.

For me the highlight of the site is the gold stupe. The top segment is made out of solid 22ct gold. The remainder is sheathed in sheets of pure gold, not just gold leaf. It really is something to behold and not unsurprisingly is guarded very closely at night. It is now dark and we walk down the steps set inside a snake back to the road.

We were going to see a drag show after dinner but by the time we arrive back in town it is already close to 20.00, so we just have dinner and retire to bed. The restaurant we eat at was recommended by Puna and we had an excellent meal in a pretty courtyard garden.

Another early morning start sees us meeting a driver to take us to an artisan village on the outskirts of Chiang Mai. We travel in one of the local taxi type vehicles. Basically two bench seats in the back of a van. Our first stop is at the silk village where we are shown how silk is made. Silk worms eating mulberry leaves and making their cocoons. The cocoons are dried, placed in hot water and then gently unravelled. Their is over 300m of silk in a single cocoon. The silk is then dyed and woven into cloth on large manual looms.

Next door a shop sells a large selection of silk attire and I buy a lovely silk pashmina. The prices are very reasonable.

We also visit the jade village and the silver village. However, we are early, and the only tourists, so every sales person hones in on us and gives us a bit of a hard sell. This has the opposite effect and ensures that I do not buy anything. In any event the silver we bought yesterday was nicer and better priced. There is no doubt that the prices in this village have been upped for the tourists. We head back to the hotel and have time for a coffee before leaving at 11.00. As we drink our coffee a parade passes by with a band, floats and Chinese dragons. A very pleasant end to our stay in Chiang Mai.

A 3.5 hour drive takes us to Wat Rong Kuhn also known as the white temple. The original Wat Rong Khun was in a bad state of repair. Funds were not available for renovation so Chalermchai Kositpipat, a local artist from Chiang Rai, decided to completely rebuild the temple and fund the project with his own money. We are particularly lucky today because the artist is standing outside the restaurant and is happy to pose for photos. He is quite a celebrity and local hero.

The temple is very quirky but tells the story of Buddhism and the journey to nirvana. Here is the story:-

Bridge of “the cycle of rebirth”

The main building at the white temple, the ubosot, is reached by crossing a bridge over a small lake. In front of the bridge are hundreds of outreaching hands that symbolize unrestrained desire. The bridge proclaims that the way to happiness is by foregoing temptation, greed, and desire.

Gate of heaven

After crossing the bridge, the visitor arrives at the “gate of heaven”, guarded by two creatures representing Death and Rahu, who decides the fate of the dead. In front of the ubosot are several meditative Buddha images.

Golden building

A structure that stands out because of its color is the rest rooms building. Another very ornately decorated structure, this golden building represents the body, whereas the white ubosot represents the mind. The gold symbolizes how people focus on worldly desires and money. The white building represents the idea to make merit and to focus on the mind, instead of material things and possession.

Ubosot

The principal building, the ubosot, is an all-white building with fragments of mirrored glass embedded in its exterior. It embodies design elements from classic Thai architecture, such as the three-tiered roof and abundant use of Nāgaserpents. Inside the temple, the decor swiftly moves from pristine white to fiery and bewildering. Murals depict swirling orange flames and demon faces, interspersed with Western idols such as Michael Jackson, Neo from The Matrix, Freddy Krueger, and a T-800 series Terminator. Images of nuclear warfare, terrorist attacks such as the World Trade Center attack, and oil pumps hammer home the destructive impact that humans have had on earth.
Wikipedia

This is a fascinating place and it portrays a very strong message in a truly remarkable manner. I could have spent hours here photographing but time was limited sadly.

A short hour drive takes us to a small guest house in Chiang Khong, close to the Laos border. We stop to watch the sunset over the paddy fields…

Our accommodation for the evening is nothing fancy, but clean and functional and the room is large. The group head out for dinner with our guide Puna to a little family restaurant looking out over the Mekong. The food is simple but good.

We depart at 07.00 and are taken to a riverside hotel for breakfast. The view is spectacular with the sun rising over the Mekong and mist rising over the distant hills. What a beautiful view to greet me on my birthday!

Exiting Thailand is pretty quick and easy. To cross into Laos, we must board a bus (something akin to a large prison bus with a door which shuts us off from the driver). We drive across no man’s land to the Laos border. There we fill out entry forms and clear immigration. This is a fairly straightforward procedure if you have obtained e-visas in advance, but we have a longish wait once we have been processed. Two of our party do not have visas, so we have to wait for them. Eventually we are all cleared and can continue our adventure.

Bangkok

By Maggie

On January 17, 2025

In Thailand

The flight from London to Bangkok was straightforward with no hitches. We flew with Eva Airways who I have not used before. They were quite excellent and I can totally recommend them. Bangkok airport is busy to say the least and it is not that easy to work out where you are going. However we make it through immigration in record time and then try to find our driver. As we clear customs we see drivers standing outside holding name cards and expect ours to be among them. This is not the case. Apparently there are numerous meeting places along the front of the airport – each used by 20-30 operators. It would have been helpful if G Adventures had provided us with that information. Sensibly we ask someone and eventually locate our transfer. There are hoards of people and we are glad to finally escape the airport frenzy. A very comfortable vehicle takes us to our hotel – The Hotel Royal Bangkok, which is in the centre of Chinatown. The traffic is horrendous and it is better to not focus too closely on the lane changes and proximity of other vehicles. The pavement is lined with street vendors and just exiting the vehicle and making it to the hotel lobby is a bit of a feat. The hotel is fine. Nothing fancy but clean and in a great central location for sightseeing.

We dump our bags and decide to go exploring. However after the long flight I am not really in the mood or quite mentally prepared for the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. We battle the crowds and traffic for 30 minutes or so and then head for the tranquil haven of the hotel rooftop bar and a G&T.

We sleep surprisingly well despite the 7 hour time difference and nearly miss breakfast! Then we set out to explore. The streets are just as busy but it all seems very manageable after a good night’s rest and we explore the street markets. Our noses are assaulted by all manner of aromas and not always pleasant ones. The variety of items for sale is staggering and I have no idea what at least 90% of the produce is.

We make our way to a small temple…

… and then walk to the river and take a ferry to the Royal Palace. By now it is beer o’clock. We find a cafe with breezy outside tables and enjoy a leisurely lunch and beer whilst watching the world go by. Lunch is followed by some seriously delicious ice cream. Feeling refreshed we set off on the long walk back to the hotel. The heat has really built so we sensibly decide to take a tuk-tuk instead.

At 6pm we gather to meet the rest of our group. Our guide is Puna. This is not her real name. In Thailand everyone has two names – their real name which will be long and include elements of the birthday, moon phase and family details. Consequently it can be very long! Accordingly everyone has a nickname – Puna means crab because her mother ate a lot of crab when she was pregnant. There are 16 in our group – 6 Brits, 10 Canadians and 2 Americans. Apart from 2 of us we are all more mature in years and doing the gap year we never had. I think it’s going to be a fun trip. We eat dinner and explore the night street market and have to sample a fried banana pancake even though we are full from dinner.

An early start sees us in the lobby for our first adventure. We again walk through the street market and find lots of fresh fish …

…as well as the more unusual fare. This time Puna explains what a lot of the food is. Yesterday we saw loads of big bags of golden fried puffy things. Paul thought they were pork scratchings. If only! Turns out they are dried fish swim bladders that have been deep fried. Apparently the older they are the better. They develop more taste with age. I hope I never have to find out!

20 minutes later finds us at the pier where we board a long boat to take us through the klongs. The river level is high with quite a swell and boarding is challenging. The river here is tidal. It is full moon and the tide is at its peak. To prevent the land around the klongs flooding, huge lock gates have been installed …

…. and we have to wait to enter. The long boats are powered by car engines attached to the stern.

I had expected the klongs to be smelly but they were not at all. Crocodiles and monitor lizards laze on any available raised bank.

The buildings along the klongs are largely wooden. The piles are rotting and some are leaning badly. Others have lost the battle completely. Newer buildings have concrete foundations or piles.

We stop at one point to feed the catfish. We are given bags of stale bread. There are so many fish. They boil on the surface and some are pretty large.

After the klongs we visit Wat Pho. A very impressive temple housing an enormous gold reclining Buddha some 51m long. It is the largest Buddha in the country. The site also houses the largest collection of Buddha images in Thailand.

The soles of the Buddha’s feet are very ornate with beautiful pictures made out of mother of pearl.

We have time to wander around. There are lots of very ornate stupas around the temple. They have very intricate decorations and date from different eras.

It is now hot and we decide to go back to the hotel and have a relaxing afternoon. We spend the afternoon by the pool on the roof terrace and have time to view the Bangkok skyline and unusual buildings.

Departure is at 17.30 to take the night train for the 12 hour journey to Chiang Mai. We are not anticipating that this will be a particularly comfortable experience and sleep is likely to be limited.

Bangkok station is a pleasant surprise. It is brand new, enormous and looks very much like an airport terminal building. I hope this bodes well and that our train is going to be more pleasant than expected. Here’s hoping!