Kalaw

Posted on 19/10/2012 by Vicky

The hill retreat for the summer, the railway station is mock Tudor, and there are a couple of house that would be 1million in an estate agents window in Surrey. Beautiful countryside. We had a trek today through some villages and counted over ten crops, from avocado to ginger and rice, some of which is sold locally but a lot goes to the bigger cities.

On the trek we passed through a village where there was a big annual ceremony, a lot of noise and jollity, monks and fire crackers.Tea and chilies on mats drying in the village square. Tea and snacks in a house where a woman was weaving cloth, it takes 6 days to weave a lenght for a lunghi. Lunch of noodle soup was cooked for us later on the walk in a villagers house. ( under close inspection of our guide, who I’m sure was in the kitchen to see that hands were washed and plates clean, sick customers aren’t good for donations to the local school)

The village is helped by an organisation that sends some students on to university, purifying water etc.

Picture of village to be added

Not yet posted Remember heading this time

Mandalay

Posted on 19/10/2012 by Vicky

Very much busier than Rangoon, with more big stores, white good shops etc. The town is built on a grid system and far from being romantic, as we think it should be (Kipling etc), the streets are 81st and 64th street!!!

The Irrawaddy river is still flooded from the rains, so incredibly wide at the moment. There are trees and even the roofs of houses in the water.

Early morning walk on the longest teak bridge in the world , U Bien’s, 1km long, that goes from the bank to bank. We set off in time to see the six o’ clock sunrise, but the sun rose unannounced from behind the clouds. Nevertheless it was beautiful with a slight mist. The bridge was busy with people crossing it with their bikes laden with fruit and veg to sell in the city, Monks and people doing their morning exercises and stretching, no yoga classes to join though.

When we turned back another hundred photo opportunities looking the other way! But the sun came out before the walk was over and it was all worth while.

The rest of the day was spent on a trip on the river, visiting a couple of temples
( just for a change) but a very peaceful and restful day. All finished off with an excellent Chinese meal.

Two things about Myanmar you should know

Posted on 13/10/2012 by Vicky

Very few people have mobile phones here, a SIM card has come down to $250.00, and you still have to buy the hand set.The network converge is minimal. There are no phone boxes either. The equivalent is a booth at a street corner with three or four ( very old ) phones, and someone who will connect you the the number you want.

There might be the odd ATM in Yangon but nowhere else, and credit cards don’t exist. So this is a cash society, the currency, the kyat (pronounced chat) is worth 1000 to a pound. There is no coinage as the Government maintain it is cheaper to print notes than mint coins. Older people and country people won’t accept a 10,000 note as it is such a huge amount. The consequence is that you have to have a wad of money about two centimetres thick.

When I have more educational things that you need to know, I will let you know!!!!

Vicky

Bagan

Posted on 10/10/2012 by Vicky

Rangoon is more or less what I expected. From people living , eating and working on the street, to the Strand Hotel, the local Raffles. The only surprise, given that this is a major city in Asia is that there are no bicycles or motorbikes.

Obviously we made a trip to a Stupa with a long complicated name I can’t remember. Quite spectacular and plenty of bling. The Budha no longer makes do with a simple Halo painted behind his head, or a few candles for his ” Aura” but has flashing lights like something at a Fairground.

Bagan is full of acres and acres of temples. We went to see some this evening and will see more tomorrow! Here cycles and motorcycles are allowed. We started with a walk into town and a good browse round the market. Vegetables displayed beautifully and stacks of dried salted fish, spices etc. , and some fairly fowl smelling (probably fish) paste. Every thing you need to keep your kitchen cupboard full.

Monsoon is very much in full swing, we were not caught in the downpour this after noon, but were on our return from a fantastic puppet show this evening. Now the room is festooned with wet clothes.

And so to sleep as we have a fairly early start and Sheila likes to allow loads of time in the morning.

Asia

Posted on 06/10/2012 by Vicky

Bangkok

By myself in Asia. Car I thought I had paid for from the airport to the Hotel didn’t exist, and the Airport Residence Hotel and Spa isn’t near the airport. Minor issues.

From my hotel window there is a buzzing little market, and despite, or because of the air conditioning I have opened the windows and can almost smell the food.

There was lots I wanted to eat there, when I had a wander a short time ago, but there were also a lot of gasping fish and very fine looking toads in baskets. So in the interest of world conservation I am still hungry and will probably use the Hotel’s mediocre restaurant.

They’re a bit faint in the picture, but there are huge thundery clouds on the horizon, behind the skyscrapers of the centre of the city. Does this mean the monsoon is still in full force?

Final day

Posted on 06/09/2012 by Paul

Well my final day is coming to an end and I have to say I’m not looking forward to being back in the UK.

As for today I had a lazy morning followed by an authentic Thai massage. Wow, I have to say it lived up to everything I had been told. After being bent all shapes, massaged deep to the bone and even having fingers and toes cracked I walked out smiling and feeling very, very chilled.

Then it was time to use up the last few Baht in my pocket so I wandered through the streets one last time. Even at 2 in the afternoon there were still the occasional calls of “long hair”! Walking past these I hit a few shops and stalls, bought what I wanted and now I’m back in time to shower and pack my case ready for the trip to Bangkok airport, Heathrow and on to Cheltenham.

Here’s hoping the sun is shining in the UK, that will at least make things a little more palletable.

Drawing to a close

Posted on 06/09/2012 by Paul

Every time I wander out in Pattaya there seems to be something new that I haven’t seen before. Walking round to buy a few bits and pieces there were new stalls, shops and even whole roads that I hadn’t come across before. And now is the time for bartering, a somewhat strange concept to a Westerner like me. But I had a go and it was good although no matter how much I haggled the price down I always came away feeling I’d lost the duel. Save for the last encounter where the price was written on the back of the label, around half the initial asking price. Had a good deal there I think.

So shopping done for now it’s time for another couple of days under the waves. The first day was ok, met some really nice folks on the boat and got to dive with the boss but again the visibility wasn’t too good. For the second day we went out to the Hardeep wreck of the Koh Samaesan. Apparently it is an Indonesian steamship requisitioned by the Japanese during World War II and sunk by Allied bombing in 1942.

We drifted out to the marker buoy, descended the barnacle covered chain to the sea bed and followed a line to the ship. It was pretty good, fairly good visibility and plenty to see. The ascent was more interesting with the current throwing you round a fair bit. After the 3 minute safety stop at 6 metres, and now with almost no visibility due to the current, my instructor motioned to release the line. We just floated gently in the current and when we hit the surface there was the boat. It was amazing to just drift with no visual reference at all.

The second dive of the day was coral just around the corner of the islands head and it was quite spectacular. The corals were good and the fish varied from shoaling yellowtails and angry little pink Anemonefish to some large butterfly fish and a very curious remora at the safety stop. A very good dive to end on and I think I’ve learnt as much diving here in Thailand as I did doing my courses out on the Great Barrier Reef.

To finish of the day we had a couple of beers at a Swiss bar just down the road before heading to an Italian restaurant on Beach Road that brew their own beer, and very nice it was too. Then it was back to the Boxing Roo, stopping off briefly at a club on the way back.

A very good few days.

No penetration allowed

Posted on 02/09/2012 by Paul

Saturday started with an early rise and breakfast at a French restaurant in Jomtien before heading to the dive shop for a couple more excursions under the waves. Phil was also diving along with a couple of his work colleagues.

These two dives were old US war ships given to the Thai navy and sunk to for artificial reefs. This would be my first wreck dive and I’m not quite sure how it will compare to coral dives.

After the dive brief we kitted up and began the line decent to around 26 metres. With visibility limited to 6 metres there were no reference points on the way down but once we got to the bottom the ship came slowly into view. There was little current so it was easy to move around and look at things. And there was quite a lot to see if you could find it. Due to the low visibility we had to stay close to the instructor, John, but after looking at some colourful Nudibranches I looked up to see John and Phil swimming off. So I caught up with them just as they descended into a square hatch. Now I had a quandary. As I am not trained for penetrative wreck diving i knew i shouldn’t go in but John and Phil had gone in. I was just about to follow when I felt a sharp tug on my fin. It was John. I was following the wrong group!

The second wreck dive was different as the visibility dropped to 2 metres max and the current was a rising 50 for the ascent. As we waited a the 3 metre safety stop I could feel my mask being lifted and had to angle my head to prevent it being ripped off. It also made the exit from the water interesting! Two other divers attempted a drift around the bow of the wreck to the bottom of the line. They missed it and we’re swept away. The boat spotted their marker about 500 metres from the boat and they were safely picked up.

Both dives were good and I would like to do some more wreck diving but with better visibility and less divers. Overcrowding does not make for good diving.

In the evening we took a motorbike taxi up to Jomtein to eat Italian but unfortunately it was closed. Mexican was a good second choice. We then headed for a stroll down Pattiya’s infamous Walking Street, so called as it is closed to traffic in the evening. It was busy even through the evening was young, most of the bars and restaurants stay open until at least 4am. With so many bars and clubs it must be time for a beer or two after such a busy day.

Go with the flow

Posted on 31/08/2012 by Paul

A few days spent in Pattaya now and the initial culture shock has gone. It really is something to see all round and the food is great even for a vegetarian!

The plan had been to go down to Koh Kood for a couple of days but the dive shop i was hoping to use is closed until October due to heavy rains. This probably means both Koh Kood and Koh Chang are fairly inaccessible and, even if I could get out, there would be no point going in the water. I was half expecting this. So a quick call to the Mermaid Dive Centre here in Pattaya and I was picked up at 8 this morning at the top of the road for a days diving at some nearby islands.

It was a really good dive trip, very different to the Great Barrier Reef but well worth it. There were quite a lot of fish around although I didn’t ID many. I did spot my first Moray Eel and there was a lovely Blue Spotted String Ray sheltering under some coral. Phil tells me they taste quite nice but I was happy to just stop a while and watch.

The most amazing thing was the current on the second dive as I have not dived in current before. It was rising 40 which to me felt quite strong. But hey, just go with the flow as seems to be the way here in Thailand.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be doing a couple of wreck dives. Can’t wait.

Night time Pattaya style

Posted on 29/08/2012 by Paul

After having a couple of beers and a few games of pool in the Roo, Phil and I headed out into the still hot evening. First stop, the all veggie Thai restaurant I failed to find earlier and turning the corner onto Pattaya Tai there it was. Looking like a little cafe we entered the strangely named “Five Star Tai Restaurant” and sat down to look at the menu.

The menu was a huge A4 ring binder with so much choice and all veggie. We picked a couple of dishes each to share and wow, it was something else. There was almost to much to eat but we managed! And it only came to 300 Bart, about a days wages for a Thai.

Stomachs loaded we headed off for a walk down some of the side roads I had skirted past earlier. The first thing that struck me was the signs, it was neon city overload. Every bar and club had groups of girls or ladyboys outside. There job I guess is to get you in to buy drinks by paying you complements. I had been informed I would be called handsome man and this is the norm. I was I’ll informed as it turned out. I walked down the street to calls of “long hair, long hair, I like long”.

It would have been rude not to call into a couple of clubs for curiosity if nothing else. As we approached the first club the bouncer pulled aside the black curtain and we walked straight in. We were ushered straight to a small table facing the dancing tables and drinks were ordered. Maybe I’m getting old but the girls didn’t seem old enough to be working there although the Thai authorities are apparently quite strict and all girls have to be over 21. And as for me being old, not by the standards of some of the clientele. There were some quite old guys in there with young Thai girls on their arms watching the show.

We had a couple of drinks and moved on.

The next club was pretty much the same although the music was a bit better! Scantily clad girls dancing on tables hoping for drinks to be bought. After a few more beers we moved on again.

Lots of calls from the girls/boys continued up the street and the occasional one coming to stand right in front of us. Next port of call was an English pub for a quite beer and a decent toilet. After the hustle bustle of the streets and the clubs we had been in it seemed really flat.

With Phil having work in the morning we headed back towards the Roo and parted company, I opted for a few more beers and a couple of games of pool before retiring.

All in all a good night and, although really not my scene today has been quite an experience. And I’m sure I have only just scratched the surface of Pattaya.

Tomorrow is time for the camera as there are just so many photo opportunities here.