Tag Archives: Water

Ban Bang Bao, Koh Chang

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Ban Bang Bao, Koh Chang

Sorry, no picture attached last time, don’t know what happened there.

It’s Sunday , I think, forgive sloppy spelling etc, as it’s not easy typing while lying in a hammock. A well deserved rest, as the first day here I went on a trek in the jungle. Was warned it was hard, but as ever didn’t listen. It was steep, steep, hot hot, and slippery, the best way down was by sliding on your bottom. A sort of off piste, cross-country -down-hill slalom at 34c. And for added adventure, a few rivers to cross, some through the water or simply a felled tree.

Yesterday was a great improvement. Out on a boat all day. Three goes at snorkling and lots of beautiful fish with a good lunch thrown in. Definitely something I could take to!! And then night fishing later in the evening.

To all at work, thanks for the Snorkling kit.

The Island is very beautiful, just a lump of jungle-covered mountains with a road that doesn’t quite go all the way round. The first resorts you hit when you get off the ferry have long sandy beaches. But the bars, eateries etc are Blackpool -in -the -tropics, well more hippyish than that, but you get the drift.

This village at the south end of the island must once have been a fishing centre as it has a large natural harbour. But the local economy has now become so tourist dominated with over priced restaurants ( 3 times as expensive as Bangkok and not so good) hippy clothes and tat, that you can’t even see where the locals do their shopping.

Picture of sunrise!…..

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On my way…

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I’ve lost track of what we have seen and done since I last wrote! A day on Lake Inle, which is still in the hilly region of Shan, so still cool. it would be very peaceful except for the speed that the boats are driven, throwing up an impressive spew of water behind them. Being a bit of a tree hugger I was worried about the environmental damage this causes, let alone the wake that rocks the local people , who live in stilt houses and know no dry land, who get around in what is little more than a dug out. We were up and down the canals that run off the lake and in and out of ” cottage industry” shops.

There was a bonus, as once a year there is a huge 16 day festival, when Buddha statues are taken round the villages on the lake in a huge gold dragon-painted barge. Long boats with 20 rowers each side with dancing girls, all of which we saw, and some time in the week they race these huge barges on the lake itself. Don’t ask me to describe how it’s done, but they stand as they row, and with their lower leg twisted round the oar they row the boat. If you’re rowing you own little boat, fine, but with rowers each side, you need an equal number of lefties!

A cycle ride was a good break one day, I think it might even have been temple free. One day in Rangoon, and now I’m at the Airport and off to Bangkok

So now the travels really begin, but Asia is no longer quite so strange to me.

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Mandalay

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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.

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