More photos from my time in Bangkok.
Bronze human-deer mythical statue.
Decorative balustrades on a bridge over the canal.
Jane and Will on bridge over canal.
Will and Jane leaning over the bridge looking into the canal below.
Jane and Will behind decorative balustrades of the bridge over the canal.
Chakkraphet Road crossing the bridge over Rop Krung Canal.
View along Rop Krung Canal.
Looking down Chakkraphet Road at the junction with Atsadang Road.
Stall within Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market.
Tropical greenery – leaves in water filled buckets for sale.
Market vendors selling root vegetables.
Big bunch of red roses.
Bags of Thai round aubergines and long green beans.
Large stem white orchids.
Closer look at the white orchids.
Different varieties of chillis in varying colours.
Purple orchids.
Decorative suspended marigold arrangements.
Closer look at the marigold arrangements.
Shrubs and climbing vines.
Marigold floral decorations.
Jasmine devotional flower garland offerings for sale on a stall.
Bags of marigold crowns for sale on the left and marigold garlands being made and sold on the right. The crowns and garlands are used as offerings.
Purple and white globe amaranth garlands for sale.
Purple orchids for sale at Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market.
Possibly sliced figs.
Pumpkins adorned with fabric and plastic decorations.
Women making decorative floral offerings in Pak Khlong Talat Flower Market.
Stacks of banana leaves for sale.
Two people removing outer leaves from garlic bulbs.
Typical backstreet close to Pak Khlong Talat flower market with a mix of residential and commercial properties.
Residential properties with clothing hanging outside above commercial properties.
Beverages delivered and placed into a wire basket attached to a line.
Why walk downstairs to collect a beverage when you can simply pull up a basket containing them ?
Beverages on their way up.
Snoozing on the job !
Traditional cargo ship on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.
Baan Chao Praya residential block with Banyan Tree Residences Riverside tower on the left.
The building in the centre of the photo is Si Phraya River View residential apartment block. The tower on the right of the photo which looks like it has been made out of Lego by a four year old is the King Power Mahanakhon skyscraper which at one point was the tallest building in Thailand.
The tower on the left is the Four Seasons Private Residences apartments. Chatrium Hotel Riverside is the tower with the circular roof.
So unbelievably I am in to my last month of this part of my madventure.
After the fantastic experience with the elephants we carried on in Laos with our next stop being Veng Vien, an adrenalin junkies paradise, zip lining and tubing etc. not my favourite place and a real contrast to peacefulness Luang Probang.
Our last stop in Loas was Vientiane where I went to a monastery to take part in meditation and realised I would never be able to switch my mind off!
After that Jane and I went in to the middle of the forest for a sauna and massage in the open air of a tree house. We had bought a pineapple on the way and when we asked for a knife he brought out a machete!!!
On the way back we hailed a tuk tuk. Taking our life in our hands as we were convinced that the brakes had failed given the amount of red lights he went through and U turns he made because he couldn’t stop!
The next day was a real eye opener for me when we visited COPE a place that helps victims of explosions.
During the Vietnam war Loas suffered a plane load of cluster bombs (containing 670 bombies) every eight minutes 24 hours a day for nine years. Between 10/20% didn’t explode leaving 80million UXO (unexploded ordanance) in a country that wasn’t even at war but just happened to have the Ho Chi Ming trail on its border.
Vietnam was our next destination and Hue our first stop. Whilst here I did a pottery workshop at HOPE. A place that helps disabled people by given them a trade and the opportunity to get s job. Turns out I’m not bad at pottery – who knew!
Hoi An was our next city where amongst other things we celebrated Lorna’s birthday by having dinner in Morning Glory Two. I had a dress made for the Sydney opera house. Jane and I rented a bike and cycled to the beach.
Hoi An is a great place and I struggled with whether to leave the group and stay a bit longer joining them a few days later.
An overnight bus, arrival at 4:00am and a motorcyclist snatching Gayle’s phone out of her hand made me regret my decision not to stay.
However one day Jane and I walked to the quayside and chartered a boat that was fun. Well it was a fishing boat but as we were the only two on it and it went where we wanted it to it may as well be!
It was fun Oh apart from the shark being battered over the head at the choose your own fish restaurant. That put us off having lunch there. We did get to feed the turtles in the aquarium.
Next stop was Ho Chi Ming City. Here was another stark reminder of the Vietnam war. Firstly the War Remnants Museum with all its graphic photography and secondly the Cu Chi tunnels where you crawl (and much to my surprise I did) through the tunnels cleverly constructed by the south Vietnamese to allude and attack the Americans. Some of the traps were pretty barbaric.
Our last city in Vietnam was Phnom Penh and the best gym I’ve been to ever and I went twice! Had a massage at Healing Hands where all the therapists were blind.
On to Cambodia and the genocide museum and S21. I can’t begin to tell you how distressing this visit was. The victims torture and murder was barbaric. I took many pictures but couldn’t bring myself to share them on Facebook. Just ask me about it when I’m home.
Siem Reap was next stop. Our first trip was to Apopo where they train rats to seek out land and personnel minds. Amazing what a difference they have made to locating UXO.
But the main reason to visit Siem Reap is the magnificence that is Angkor Wat.
A 4:30 start in hope to witness a lovely sunrise was the only disappointment of the day. The temples were breath taking. My favourite was The Bayon temple with its many faces. But you couldn’t help but appreciate the ruins of Ta Prophm. Aka the tomb raider temple.
Thailand next Bring on Bangkok and the Khoa San Road. It’s a bit like marmite you either love it or hate it. I don’t like marmite but I enjoyed the khoasan road with its many bars and restaurants. Not forgetting the lady boys. Talking of which we celebrated Eirik’s birthday there which was great fun.
A visit to the site of The Bridge over the River Kwai was quite sobering.
Our last trip was to the market which is literally next to the train tracks. Not for the feint hearted when the train is six inches away from your face and you read a sign that says “you will die if you stand here”.
The floating market was bedlam but at least it wasn’t life threatening!
The next day took us via a 12 hour coach journey and 90 minute ferry trip to the beautiful island of Ko Samui and 4 days much needed R&R. The island has changed a lot in the 12 years I was there last but fisherman’s village still had a quirky feel about it. The sun was out and I assumed my position on the sun lounger so all was well with the world.
Phew that’s the last month’s update complete. Four countries in four weeks. Only four weeks and five countries left to go.
TTFN Take care and keep safe everyone xxx
