Sunday 31st January, 2010
Wow. What a day, for those of you that grow up in th
e 80’s, particularly the the early 80’s then I would think that James Bond was quite a big think from your childhood. Well it was for me. As far as I am concerned Roger Moore was James Bond and the best movie was ‘Man with the golden gun’. The reason why I mention all this is because I have been to the Island where this movie was shot, although I hadn’t realised it was made in 1974. It is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Thailand and it was a fabulous day.
I was collected from the hotel and we drove to Phang Nga (a
bout 1 1/2 hours) From there we got in a longtail boat and went about 30 minutes through Phang Nga national park and to Talu Nok where we all went sea canoeing. This was great, there were guides paddling us through the caves and into the centre of the rocks, it is unbelieveable how they are still held on place with so many holes around the base! We were sea canoeing for about 1 hour.
On to longtail boat again and off to Ko Tapu (James Bond Island). The boat dropped us off on one side of the island to walk round and pick up the boat at the other side. The place was packed with tourists but that didn’t matter because I was on James Bond Island! I saw the beach were James and Scaramanga had there shot out, the caves were NikNak climbed to keep an eye on James and Nail Island where I imagined the solar panels would come out at any minute.
Ok, I am a bit sad about this movie but it was really good and I have been there! From the Island we were back in the longtail boat to Ko Panyi a muslim fishing village built on stilts over the water. It was massive and housed about 500 families. This was the place we stopped for something to eat and tourists were obviously their main source of income out here.
Back to the Kasom pier to get back on the minibus and a great day. Visiting Phang Nga was something that I have wanted to do for a while but to go in longtail boat and sea canoeing just made the day for me. I won’t forget this one in a hurry, and I took loads of pictures to keep the memory fresh.
Wednesday 27th January, 2010
Unfortunately for you but fortunately for me this doesn’t involve some bizarre story about me having diarrhoea whilst on a moped but if you don’t like the sound of the title then don’t read on.
Guess what guys, I had my first bout of diarrhoea today. I think it must have been the food from last night but it was good. I had to be out of the guest house by 11am and had about an hour on the bus to get to the next place not very convienient but I managed it. There didn’t seem to be anything left by 10.50am so I got out while I could. I travelled to Wat Chalong where I am staying in the Youth Hostel for a couple of nights. I had thought I would go on a couple of dy trips from here but the prices are ridiculous compared with those I saw yesterday and they included a hostel pick up. I will be headign back to Phuket town after here and go from there. Free of my rucksack again I needed to get out as I felt I had just been travelling for the last few days. It became pretty apprent getting here that the hostel wasn’t exactly in the thick of things. It didn’t really mention that, but you live and learn and you go hire a moped!
I was really out and about now, after being so dependant on the thai trains, buses, swindling taxi’s and tuk tuk’s I was on my own schedule. 4 quid for the day but as I left I don’t think the lady thought she was goign to see me or the bike back in one piece. Having never driven a moped before it took a bit of getting used to and I tried to find somewhere a little quieter to practice turning round and stoppingbut I couldn’t and just had to get on with it. After a few hours on the bike I was weaving around the cars like the other bikes. (I know my mum is having a fit right now reading this!)
I have to say though, I do like the bike idea. It has always been something that has scred me a bit but even on a moped going at 50mph you get an idea of how it feels. I think I would want to be in charge though, havign taken a couple of motorbike taxi’s I have discovered I don’t really like being on the back!
I have been all round on my moped today my base for the next couple of nights in near Wat Chalong so I went into Chalong itself then on to Karon beach which is suppose to be a nicer version of Patong. It was lovely but packed and I can’t believe how blue the water is. There are hotels all along the beach but come with a hefty price tag. I think they tend to put the backpacker hostels further away with song taews (open air trucks) or mopeds to get there. If youare coming on a package holiday 1 0r 2 weeks stying near the beach wanting a bech holiday then its great for that. Thinks are far more expensive than the rest of thailand (with the exception of Ko Samui and Ko Phi Phi) because they know they can charge it and it is still cheaper then Europe.
I also found the Central Festival Phuket which is a shopping complex but they have a great place that does ice blended juices and the Havana was devine. Back to the hostel and quick round of internetting and then off for dinner. The same place that hires the mopeds did a great steamed rice and chicken dish that was really spicy but really nice and for 80p. Excellent.
In case you were wondering no more episodes of diarrhoea but maybe it wasn’t a good idea to have something to spicy today, oh well. My ride did inflict quite a bit of pain from the sun burn.
Note to self: need to wear longer sleeves if stying out in the sun to avoid painful shoulders.
Wednesday 27th January, 2010
Following on from the last post where I was stranded in Nakhom Pathom, I eventually got on the train at 15.10. 30 minutes after the time stated and I could tell where this was going. The first part of the train journey was interesting until it got dark!. Its wierd because there are constantly people up and down the train, the guys from the restaurant car with portions of this just cooked up, people selling drinks, and then at every station there is an influx of people trying to sell what they can before the train sets off again.
I was sat next to a guy from Brazil. He originally sounded French then we started talking and he said he had been travelling round Asia for the past 6 weeks and had 4 more to go so he was heading towards the beach. I don’t know how he did it but he had been travelling non-stop from Laos to Bangkok (14hrs in a minibus) to try and catch the early morning train from there to Champnon but like me found the train full so ended up sitting around Bangkok station for a few hours then the train to Champnon which was another 10hrs, then an overnight ferry to an Island near Ko Samui (no wonder people fly between places here!). He said he lived near the sea and hadn’t seen it at all in the past 6 weeks and was really missing it. When it came into view from the train he got really excited, as did I actually. The view soon went with the light about 7pm and the rest of the journey passed in darkness and with one fan broken and someone constantly turning off the other one. The windows were right down so I was thankful for a little warm breeze coming in and out.
At about 11pm I got to the stage where I really needed to sleep but kept thinking of the horror stories in the guide books about not trusting other travellers to look after your things if you go to the loo or people putting things in your water and waking up to find all your stuff gone so that kept me awake. Other people travelling in pairs/groups seemed to be taking it in turns to sleep.
We eventually arrived in Surat Thani at 2am and I was dead on my feet. I quickly caught site of a couple that looked lost and completely out of their depth and it turned out we were heading for the same hotel so shared a taxi. This hostel was more like a hotel, the rooms were really spacious and clean but I was just interested in sleep. The next morning I got up and got to the bus station to start the 6 hrs journey to Phuket.
Fast forward 6 hrs and I arrived in Phuket town after seeing some fantastic scenery and my first elephants of the trip. I really wanted to be free of my rucksack so desperately tried to find my way to the guest house. It had said it was within walking distance of the bus station but, in the madness of the past couple of days I hadn’t printed out the directions or remembered the name of the guest house. I ended up trying to find an internet cafe so I knew where to go. This place was basic but what more do you need than a bed if you are staying only 1 night.
Thanks for the comments and keeping me posted on things back home.
Sunday 24th January, 2010
![kanchanburi-the-bridge-over-the-river-kwai-2[1]](http://ruthieontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/kanchanburi-the-bridge-over-the-river-kwai-21.jpg "kanchanburi-the-bridge-over-the-river-kwai-2[1]")
I have spent the last couple of days in Kanchanaburi (kan’buri) and it all started with a Bangkok taxi driver chancing his luck. I caught a taxi to the bus station because there are no local buses that go there or the skytrain. A couple wanted to charge 400bt and then I got one for 150bt but asked him to turn on the meter. He spent the whole journey on his mobile and trying to get me to pay for him to take me all the way. When we eventually arrived and the meter said 268bt I took great pleasure in giving him the 150bt and telling him that I knew he had gone twice the distance to get there! The look on his face was priceless, he is obviously used to fleecing tourists.
The bus to Kanchanaburi took about 2 hrs but there really wasn’t much to see along the way. I got to the guest house and it is really nice. There one main street with all the guest houses and hotels on a
nd the internet cafes and bars. The guest house was called Sam’s House and I found out Sam also has a Place and a Floating Oasis too, lucky Sam. Sam’s house consisted of lots of individual stone rooms or wooden ones flaoting on the river. I got a floating one and it was really nice and peaceful, a few bites though!.
After getting settled in I asked how far it was to the bridge and the guy said about 3km and too far to walk. I ignored him and did my own thing, I walked. I think the reason why people don’t walk is because of the heat and because there are no real footpaths. The ones there are, are used to park mopeds. It was nice to walk up and I get there just as the sun was starting to set.
They are obviously geared for tourists here too because they had all the market stalls out and no one else was walking they all had moped taxis to and from the bridge. I walked back and had dinner in a bar down the road from the hotel. Tourists here don’t seem to want to talk to each other, definately not the same atmosphere as Bangkok.
Yesterday was spent in the JEATH war museum and around the town. I walked to the train station intending to buy my ticket for the next day but the lady said that the train from there was always about 1 hr later and I would miss the next train. She suggested I get the bus and to Nakhom Pathom and get the train from there. That is what I did this morning getting up at 6am and getting here for 9am only to find out that the train was full and I would have to get the one at 14.45 or midnight.
Having walked through Nakhom Pathom to get to the train station I didn’t like the prospect of staying here till midnight and I have a booking in Surat Thani for tonight. With a lot of questioning the girls in the 7/11 they directed me to the only internet cafe in town so I had a walk round the market with my rucksack and now only have 4 hours to kill till I get the train. I thought thinks were going too well.
I have also got to try and contact the hotel and tell them I won’t be there till midnight. So much for a restful day!
Friday 22nd January, 2010
I arrived 2 days ago now and I can say that I haven’t been taken in by the madness of this city. I am pleased I have been and experienced a little bit of life in Bangkok, but that is exactly what it is, a little bit. This place is so vast you really don’t know were to turn to and there is no way to get your bearings.
The guest house is really nice and has a bar and a restaurant area and I have met loads of nice people with loads of travel stories. I originally booked 3 nights and was considering increasing that if the place was ok but I am out to Kanchanaburi tomorrow for a couple of nights. It’s the place of the infamous river kwai the bridge and the death railway and although a place previously full of death and misery is suppose to be lovely now.
On Wednesday I did the whole tourist thing, caught the skytrain from near the guest house and went to central pier. The Chao Phraya River is the main waterway through Bangkok and a great place to hop off and on for all the temples etc. enroute. The river like everywhere else was really busy with hotel boats, tankers, long tail boats and tourist boats all josseling for position at the various piers (30 in total).
The first stop for me was the Si Phraya pier for the river city arts and crafts centre. There was loads to see and I liked the look of an old shipping map but it was more than I would have paid and I would not have trusted it in the post. The silk shops and clothing were lovely and in abundance. Next was Tha Tien pier and the Wat Pho. Wat Pho is the largert Wat in Bangkok, was built in 16th century and then almost completely rebuild in 1785. It is massive and the main building houses the largest reclining Buddha and collection of Buddha images. The reclinging Buddha was truely immense and I have plenty of photo’s, although I am sure they will not convey its true size.
The builds were all so inticate and I spent some time watching the restoration process and it seems painstakingly slow. I wandered round Tien market and ended up with a skewer of non-descript meat and a coconut with a straw in. I think a good breakfast.
At Maharaj pier and the Grand Palace which was again huge and very intricate detailing on all the buildings. There is a really strict dress code there and although I didn’t wear my flip flops it would seem that my sleeves were too short. I had to go to the borrow shop and get a shawl but I was lucky, other people were getting totally redressed in there!
Within the imposing white walled compound was a mix of buildings, some wood, some stone and some concrete added by various King Rama’s along the way. There was so much to see here it could have taken days but enough with the masses of people and overheating with the shawl I decided to get back on the boat. I had asked the guest house owner where I could book day trips on arrival and he said Khao San Rd. I had already heard about the delights of Khao San rd with its banana shows and ladyboys and walking down it was an experience. It is really embarassing to see places like that because it is so obviously catering for the tourists and they think that is what we all want, drink 24hrs a day and girls prostituting themselves. The idea of getting up for day trips at 5.30am didn’t impress me either so I decided getting the train or local bus and staying the night was a better option.
Back on the ferry and I went to the end of the line to see if I could experience a bit of a local feel. That was nice because there was a market and clock tower that obviously the tourist don’t go to. A visit to the shops was a final stop for the day then back to the guest house for food and drink.
Not to sure about the heat yet but hopefully will get used to it.
Sunday 17th January, 2010
As the title would suggest I believe that I have well and truly experienced a diverse range of activities in Hong Kong and I am about ready to move on. The last couple of days have been spent dragging myself round various museums whilst having severe attacks of runny nose, coughing fits and manic sneezing. Having tried various potions and remedies I have reverted back to the chinese version of paracetamol and menthol tissues. But, like the wonderful people you are, your words of wisdom, warm wishes and quick notes through facebook have lifted my mood and for that I would like to say a big thank you.
I would like to point out that here would be the worst place in the world to have a cold. Everyone here is paranoid about infections and swine flu. There are posters everywhere about preventing the spread of infection, there are sanatizing stations every 2 meters across the entire city and I feel like I should have a big neon sign above my head saying ‘infected’. Despite this I have enjoyed Hong Kong immensely and would like to force myself upon anyone that would consider a trip here. After 2 weeks here and the benefit of a local guide I think I have a good grasp on not only the tourist bits they want you to see, but the bits you didn’t even know you wanted to see.
Plans for Bangkok are coming on nicely. I have found a guest house that is quite cheap and from the reviews, no sign of bed bugs (like a lot of the others I looked at!). I have also lined up a nice resort in Phuket that I think is worth a night or two at least. It is all very exciting and getting snippets of information from other travellers has really re-enforced the enthusiasm, not that I really needed it.
I this is probably the last post from Hong Kong so fare well and see you in Bangkok. Only 7 hours ahead of the UK there.
Thursday 14th January, 2010
It would seem I have walked the path to enlightenment. Really??
Yesterday I took the MTR to Tung Cheung and then the 6km cable car ride on Lantau. It was great and gave some stunning views of Tung Chung bay, the airport and North Lantau looking out to the south china sea. Again the usual theme park feel in the newly created Ngong Ping village with souvenir shops and restaurants. Bypassing all that, I headed straight for the Tian Tan Buddha which was quite frankly, very hard to miss. It is the worlds tallest outdoor bronze buddha that stands 34metres tall, is 250 tonnes in weight and has exactly 268 steps up to it that even the gym stairmaster can not prepare you for! Once you reach the plateau it is all completely worth it. The views were stunning and the photo opportunities immense.
After quite a few photo’s I walked to the Po Lin Monastery and beyond this to the wisdom path. The information board told me that the wisdom path was a replica of the old heart sutra. I suppose this is like the Lords Prayer for Confucians, Buddhists and Taoists. It is a series of wooden pillars in a figure of eight to symbolise infinity and immeasurable splendour. Maybe this should have been the last definative point in the trip that would help me figure out what direction I wanted my life to take, but it wasn’t. I walked away thinking maybe I needed a night to think about it. I was going to wake up today with all the answers. I didn’t.
Today I went to the Cosmos. A book shop recommended in the lonely planet guide. It was pretty impressive and I was proud that I managed to leave with only a pocket guide to Thailand and a padded envelope to send some stuff back. This was followed by a lunch with Pat and her friend and a walk around Sheung Wan up and down the little streets past temples, all the antique/junk shops and the shops selling dried sharks fin and turtle shells.
Tuesday 12th January, 2010
Another couple of days gone and still discoverying new places to visit. It was raining yesterday and I was most disgruntled. I went to the Western market which is a beautiful old colonial building. It looked almost as if it was in England but they decided to add the 2 old red phone boxes and the giant wooden soldiers to make it really authentic. 1 floor was entirely devoted to a cloth market. Fabrics of every texture, pattern and size that you could possibly imagine and then there was a model bus and plane shop, Jade shops and a restaurant, which I have to admit seemed like a bit of a strange conbination.
I have been swept away with the novelty of the trams and the fact that they actually take you to places you want to go while the drivers play a giant game of bumper buses, its great fun! So I got the tram back from Sheung Wan to Causeway bay. The tram costs the same no matter if you go 1 stop or to the end of the line, a bargain 2 HKD which is no more than 15p. The rest of the day I went from book shop to book shop making plans for Thailand.
Today was nice again and I have taken to going to the ferry terminal first thing. It is a good place to go to assess the day. From here you can see across to Kowloon and see what the sky’s are doing. It might sound wierd but with all the skyscrapers around, you can’t see what it looks like beyond. It was nice and probably about as clear as it was going to get so today was the day for The Peak.
From Central Pier there is a bus that takes you directly to the lower peak tram terminus near St John’s Cathedral. It was an open top bus so I took the opportunity to take a few more photo’s, paying particular attention to the building in central with round porthole style windows that I have been reliably informed, the expat locals affectionately call ‘the building of a thousand arseholes’!
Arriving at the lower peak tram station I waited in line with all the other english, american, japanese, chinese, russian, france, canadian, scottish and a few I couldn’t decide where they were from. Basically the Peak tram is a really old tram (funicular railway really) in operation since 1888. The journey is far too short but it takes you up Victoria Peak behind the city on the north side of Hong Kong Island. At some points the incline is a 40 degree angle. Like everything that draws tourists in Asia they feel the need to dress it up in americana. People dressed in silly costumes and a Madame Tussauds that had ‘engrossing interactive entertainment’. What is wrong with just appreciating the fabulous views.
I managed to get someone to take my picture with it so I actually have evidence that I have been here now and not just a loads of shots of buildings, boats and beaches. The view took a lot of digesting actually, you could see the planes flying in the out along the harbour from Lantau, the shipping freight cutting great paths through the water, the star ferries backwards and forwards between central and tsim sha tsui, the skyscrapers and high rise buildings that were dwarfed by the land, but from this far up there was no sign of the millions of people that were going about their daily lives oblivious to the people looking on from high above. Wow.
Tuesday 12th January, 2010
I suppose I know a little about the London underground. I can figure my way round when I need to and I am aware of the fact that you have got to go miles out of your way on the weekend to get anyway ‘due to maintenance’ but I have got the MTR (really the mass transit rail) sussed. They seem to have thought of everything.
The MTR have clear signs in English (as well as cantonese), they have multiple exits from each station depending on where you want to be, they have hand and sole sanitising stations everywhere and the trains or frequent. They get really busy but not stuffy like London and they have overhead maps alone the insides that light up with the direction of the train, the next stop the lines that interchange and, wait for it, which side of the train to exit. Genuinious! I know small things and all but it makes all the difference, it makes even the most amatuer subway person look proficient in the ways of the commuter and saves all the people getting in the way wondering where they need to go.
I have come to the conclusion that if the octopus did come before the oyster then London transport need to adopt a few more MTR principles.
Saturday 9th January, 2010
![images[1]](http://ruthieontheroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/images11.jpg "images[1]")
Sitting with my coffee this morning I decided that today was the day for Stanley. It had been recommended by Liz prior to arriving and the guidebooks also said that it was worth a visit. All I can say is Thanks Liz!
Before I talk about today I have to just mention last night. I went to the night market with a couple of people from the hostel, Robert and Alice. They were really nice but only in town for a couple of nights. We had dim sum (still my favourite) and walked around the market ending with a drink near Jordan MTR. The market was much the same as the ones I had visited in the day but this had a bit of a buzz about it. There were fortune tellers everywhere advertising where they told fortunes in english. I was tempted but I don’t know if I want to know if its something bad. I might end up going back, even if it is just to find out if there is a tall handsome strange waiting out there for me, a girl can hope!
Back to today. Stanley is absolutely beautiful and the trip there was amazing too. The bus left the city and went straight through a tunnel at the base of Victoria peak. Emerging on the other side and the landscape couldn’t be more different. The road wound its way around the edge of the hills vehicles narrowly missing oncoming traffic on a number of occasions. Looking out of the bus it was a beautifully clear day and about 20 degrees. As the road scooped down to sea level you could see people swimming in the bays and then back up among the plethora of expensive hotels and apartments. I went a little to far on the bus and ended up at the prison but they wouldn’t let me in so I walked to the market.
Stanley market is a maze of sloping walkways and cavens where you can bargain to your hearts content. I spent a while walking round and managed to avoid getting stuck the wrong side of the owners to get to the exits, I guess years of edging out of people’s doorways has taught me well. Coming out on the other side I found Stanley main street which to be honest, reminded me of being on the spainish coast. Pubs with stupid names, american diners and the obligatory McDonalds but looking beyond that here was yet another beautiful bay, a fantastically crafted building and a lovely pier.
Murray house at the waters front is a maritime museum and restuarants. Originally this building was erected in central, then, as the city developed and expanded it was dismantled and rebuilt here. It looked as if it was meant to be here all along. The pier endured the same but again looked so inkeeping in it current surrounding you couldn’t imagine it anywhere else.
Walking down to the pier and there was a couple getting wedding photographs taken. I couldn’t really understand that when I saw it in Shanghai but I think I have it sussed now. Basically they have the wedding and some photographs taken with friends and family etc. Then over the next few months the bride and groom put their wedding outfits back on a few times and go off the lots of different lovely places and have their photographs taken again. Months later they get a wedding album that their parents can show off to their friends and then when their friends kids get married they try and go one better!
Anyway, I took loads of photographs spent a while soaking it all in. I did glance at the real estate agents and a months rent in a 2 bed apartment with sea view would cost you about 2500 pounds a month. Great location though!
