Summary of 9 weeks in Asia - Thailand * Cambodia * Laos

It's hard to make a summary of 9 weeks in three different countries but I see it more as a trip in Asia. Many things are similare in those countries. Thailand has most people per area and Laos the least! That makes the traffic harder in Thailand, but in Cambodia they drive harder - maybe more accidents!

The people are friendly, helpsome and nice and I've been feeling safe while travelling! They are hard working people trying to earn there living. Thailand is the richest and Laos the poorest! 

There are a lot of dirt everywhere and when people are struggling to survive, cleaning is not important. I noticed especially today that when people start owning they start to protect there house and things! 

I've seen how people are living in those countries and as I wrote earlier its like going back maybe more then 100 years in Sweden when we were living on that standard!!! Especially out in the countryside, not in general in the big cities.

The most people travelling around in those countries are Asian, I would say about 80 %. But in Hua Hin there are so many Scandinavian tourist, but they were rare in the other places.

It's been a very interesting journey, travelling by train, bus and boat and meeting all those wonderful people!

Being a Layman for 8 days in a Buddhist Monastry was very interesting - to follow the Monks routins and learn about buddhism and doing a lot of meditation - and not the least, cutting myself out from the hectic world by not using mobile or other wordly devices! 

Angor Wat is a wonderful place on earth - so huge and so beautiful. 

The world heritage site - Luang Prabang old town - such a laydback and beatiful place. I could easily spend some winter months at this place! There are also such beautiful surroundings. 

Meeting all the people along the trip - very rewarding. 

I would also say that it's been quite easy to travel - I mean to find information about were to go and what to do and how to get there. Lonely Planet is a great source, but the local people and the traveller are equally important to find the best way of travelling.

Tomorrow I'll take the train back to Bangkok and it takes the whole afternoon and early in the morning on Sunday I will go to the AirPort to fly home! 

Thanks to all who have followed my blog! 

                     

                                                  Leolejon

The last day in Hua Hin!

From the morning walk

Walking in the sunrice in the waterfront - to remember when home in the cold!

A fishing boat in the suns silver!

Back to the "King's Home"

In the morning, the same proceedure as every morning here! To remember when back in the cold! 

I picked up my laundry 3 kg for 50 SEK! Washed and Ironed!

I decided to take the 2 pm train tomorrow back to Bangkok, a little bit slower - it only costs 44 THB, almost free! I also picked up the banner from Yesterday Rotary Meeting - nice! 

Spending some time on the beach and in the evening a nice meal at a favourite restaurant! 

My cold is gone :-)) that's good and I feel that I'm ready to go back home! 

Another day in Hua Hin

This morning Peter left at 7.30am for a bus to the AirPort and in the evening a flight back to Copenhagen! 

I took my morning walk in the sunrice by the waterfront for about one hour and a swimm and back to the King's Home for breakfast! I had a feeling of a cold and I've taken some medicin and the "King" offered me a good one. 

I rested a while before going down to the beach for a lazy moment on a sun chair, though in the shadow! The last hour I changed to the sun to get some tan - my tan is very funny - my face, my arms, my legs up to the knees and a part of my feet.

I walked back and went for a beer in the Kings room in a bar where we often went in the afternoon. I then walked out to the fishing pier and took some photos of the town and also the sunset.

In the evening I went to the Grand Hotel for a Rotary Meeting at Hua Hin RC. Some spicy food and then a meeting, all in Thai! I could say some words, translated by the president and I gave them our banner and tomorrow I will get theirs!

I walked home in the early night and stopped for a banana pancake to get the spicy tast out of my mouth! 

Back home now for a good nights sleep - my cold is much better and I hope its gone by tomorrow!

The Kings room, filled with pictures of Thai Kings.

This statue of a Thai fighter was outside the City Hall!

The fishermans Pier!

The sunset over the mountains!

A panorama of Hua Hin from the fishermans Pier.

At Hua Hin Rotary Club

Hua Hin

Today was a slow day apart from walking this morning before breakfast! 

And after breakfast we had a slow day with some rest and laying on the beach!

Now I have three more days before I leave for Bangkok on Saturday and on Sunday morning I'll start my trip going back to Sweden! I will make summary of this trip before leaving, but the next three days will be rest and beach life. 

Good Night from Hua Hin!

A nice day

This morning we started with a walk along the beach and we returned back for breakfast. One hour walking in the nice sunny waterfront almost out in the water and finishing with a short swim in the Salty water! We had breakfast by the pool at Kings Home this morning. 

We decided to rent Motos and drive up to the monkey mountain. Out we went trying to get there. We stoped for a soft drink and then away again and finally, we took the right way and we got to the top. Parking the Motos we walked up all the stairs to the Pagoda and we also got a wonderful view of the Hua Hin beaches! 

The monkeys were there and we stopped for a drink of water and they worked hard to get the monkeys away from us! There were many of them! The monkeys!

On the way back we passed the fisherman village and I took some pictures of the men taking care of the nets, the fishes and the boats.

It was a nice day that we ended with a beer at a lovely bar and after that we had a really tasty steak!

Its warm and sunny ! Now its time for the bed!

The pool at the Kings Home!

The light house at the monkey mountain!

 

Some of the monkeys!

Hua Hin beaches - a nice view!

The fishermen sorting out the nets after the days catch!

A very delicious crab type according to Peter.

The fisher boats! 

To Hua Hin - the Royal Beach!

This morning we met downstairs 7.30 am and we walked over to the Railway station! We found the plattform and we had to waite some time before the train came! Then the train left Hua Lamphong station 8.05 am for the south and Hua Hin! They served coffe, Water or tea and and cockie! The journey took 4 1/2 hour and before we got of the train we were served the railway lunch, exactly the same as from Chiang Mai! 

The landscape looked different from before!

We arrived at Hua and the First thing we saw was the Kings waiting house! 

We walked a block or so and then we took a taxi to Kings Home and Guest House! It is a familly run Guest house, very friendly, but special! I got a small room but they changed med to a double during the day. Good.

We went out for a walk down to the beach and it looks nice. There are nice hotels and other places along the way. There were ponny riding on the beach and there was a lot of people. 

We went back for a short rest. We both needed that. In the early evening we went down to a restaurant by the beach and we had a nice fish with beer. 

After dinner we walked around and at a nice place we decided to have foot massage - very nice! 

We walked further and came to the night Market where a man recognized Peter since his last visit! He was selling lobsters and other delicious things from the sea! After a drink we walked slowly back to Kings place for a good nights sleep!

Next day in Bangkok

We met again for breakfast and then we decided to go out. We took the Metro and were supposed to get of at Asok but we missed that station as it was named differently, Sukhumvit, so we ended up at Thailand Culturale Centrum. We had decided to just take the Metro to anywhere, so it was OK.

This area was filled with new tall buildings, both offices and residential houses. It was very interesting to see and we walked around for quite some time. We then came to the next station and we took the Metro to Sukhumvit and Asok and when we went of it was around 2pm so we decided to give an English bar a visit for a small Singa beer. 

When we came out we had decided to go for a Thai massage. I had looked up a nice place in the Lonely Planet, but we suddenly saw the Urban Retreat, like a castle for various types of massage. We decided to check it out and it turned out to be a very nice place and we had each a good Thai massage for one hour for 100 SEK! Nice!!

Out after the Tea and we went for a small lunch. Then we decided to go back to Hua Lamphong for a small rest and after that we walked across the street to our beer place from Yesterday - we are now regularisering cusomers!!

At 6.30pm we went back and met Tam at the hostel - he helped us to book the Kings Home in Hua Hin for tomorrow and after that I walked to the railway station and bought two ticket for tomorrow morning! We had a meal and after that I went to bed! 

Tomorrow morning we leave for Hua Hin at 8.05am untill around 11.30am.

Good Night out there!

New buildings and old electricity cabels!!!

The fasad is like a mirror!

The Kings portrait outside a TV Company!

More tall New buildings !

Residential tall buildings! 

The massage Palace! Nice!

A day in Bangkok

This morning Peter and I met for breakfast @Hua Lamphong Guest House were we both are staying.

After the meal we took the Metro to the very large Weekend Market - Chatuchak - where Peter should meet a business associate, Tam - and maybe we should do some shopping!

As Friday morning it hadn't really started and Peter also noted the down size after the Thai recession! 

We met Tam and had a talk. We are planing to go to Hua Hin on Sunday to finish our trips and Tam will be there as well. He's got a house there. 

After a while we took a taxi and we came to a very nice rest, no tourists, and we had a nice coffee and a cake.

We went to another place to see if they could offer some nice shopping, but without result, so we took the Metro baco to Hua Lanphong and we went to a nice place for some beers and we sat talking for quite some time!

Back to the Guest House for a short rest and then we took a taxi to Baiyoke Sky Hotel, because the Bangkok Kluaynamthai RC had an evening Meeting there. It was a small Club and the meeting was at the 17th floor! Tonight only 5 members were present and Peter and I. 

We had a meal, a meeting and we changed banners. The president, mrs Jeerapomchai and mrs Baiyoke were running the meeting. After the Meeting we found out the mrs Maiyoke was marketing manager and her familly owned the Hotel and she offered us a visit on the rotating 84th floor !!! Thailands talest building 305 m high! This was a very nice surprice and after our visit to the top floor she showed us some samples of rooms. They have one million visitors per year to the top floor and they had to pay if not staying at the Hotel, which had some 600 rooms! This is Rotary - you never know who you are Meeting and many times like this one, something positivly unexpected happens!

Out on the street againg in the Market area, we both bought some things to bring home and then we took a taxi back to the Guest House for a good nights sleep!

The tower in Chatuchak weekend Market!

A nice afternoon with a beer or two!

The president and the past president changing banners!

Bangkok from the 84th floor!

Showing the tallest building innThailand! 

Back to Bangkok

This morning I had the nice breakfast and I checked out and took a taxi to the train station! The military made an inspektion and I asked one of them to take my photo. 

I had been thinking why this ticket was about the double price as going to Ubon Rachathina. It was almost the same distans, but I realized that this was a more touristic line. When We left the station a hostmedicin came and offered coffee. Some time later it was time for lunch and in the afternoon we could get coffee or Tea with a cake! The train journey costed totally 20 USD or 160 SEK everything included.

12 hours travel gives you a lot of tome for thinking and sorting out a lot of things. I could also do some writing on my IPAD, thou they didn't had WIFI.

Two hours before Bankok we had a lovely sunset. I also took some photos thru the window and the "bird" is actually the State Railway logo!

Now I'm sitting @Hua Lamphong waiting for Peter. He is on his way, about one hour late from Australia!

The military check up!

The Lunch! Tasty!

The nature and the Rail Logo!

In Chiang Mai area the rice was not growing, but further south we saw huge fields with growing rice!

The Sunset from the Train window! It took almost 12 hours to get to Bangkok!

Chiang Mai 3:d day

What to do this day? I rented a moto and took of. I wanted to see the surroundings of Chiang Mai and the book was hight lightning Doi Sethup-Pui National Park with Wat Phra That Doi West of the old city.

First I went thru newer parts of Chiang Mai and I passed the University and then it started to go up and up and up in nice serpentines. Almost 2000 m.a.s and I stopped some times before reaching the Wat. There was no doubt that I was at the right place. So many tuk tuk and minibuses etc told me - this was it! I parked the Moto and walked to the starting Point. 

This place was established 1383 under King Kru Naone and has a mystical birth story. A visiting monk instructed the Lanna King to establish a temple with the twin of a miraculous Buddha relic. The relic was mounted on a white elephant, which wandered the mountain until it died at this spot, interpreted as the chosen location!

The temple is reached by a stenuous 306-step staircase and the climb is intendent as an act of meditation. It was more then worth going the stairs. The only thing was the hord of tourists. On the top there was a fantastic view of the city but the setting of this Wat and all the Temples, stupa etc was breath taking. The white elephant was there of course. I walked around and took a lot of photos, lighted two candles and when seen the most I walked down again and I had a wonderful cup of Latte, made in a small stall where I parked the Moto.

Going down felt easier then going up and soon I was down. I saw all those colorful things on the other side and decided to find out what it was. It was a book fair but combined with the University - lots of people. I finally came back and parked the Moto for the day. 

I met this nice couple from Vancouver and we had a Long chat about travelling. 

I walked out again and I was heading for the Flower and Food market down by the river. Very nice and beautiful Flower decorations and I always love Food markets. ( You shouldn't think about how they treat the meat or fish when eating it.)

I walked to the nice restaurant from Yesterday and had a nice dinner. I walked back with a feeling that I had seen what I wanted in Chiang Mai.

Tomorrow will be a whole day on the train and in the evening I'll meet Peter from Malmö and Sweden and we'll spend some days together.

Me and the Moto!

The white elephant!

The Golden Stupa.

Chiang Mai from the mountain.

A wonderful Buddha with a Golden dress.

The delicious Latte!

Selling stuff for the book fair and University Meeting.

The Crown in the Flower Market will end the blog from Chiang Mai.