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Trip to Thailand 2004
All travel reports are translated electronically although minor improvements are sometimes made.
Trip to Thailand 2004
My trip: Bangkok – Bazar on the river – Kanchanaburi – Hat Yai – Surat Thani – Ko Phangngnan – Chiang Mai – Chiang Kong.
Bangkok – my first days
(In this reportage: impressions from the arrival, Khao San Road, thai boxing, Thai massage, Thai cuisine, several temples, “ladyboys”, hot Thai)
I landed at the airport in Bangkok early in the morning and was happy. At last I flew and I could not wait for the first clash with Thailand. Upon arriving at the immigration office I realized I was so excited that I forgot to make a visa. However, this was not a problem as I was able to make it at the airport which unfortunately was associated with long wait and cost.
When I finally got out of the airport I got an army of luxury hotel and taxi vendors, but I was not looking for it. I said I would rather use the cheaper version on what they kindly pointed me to the bus for 100 baht going to Khao San Road or the tourist ghetto in Bangkok where there are a lot of hotels of different colors and fun, eating local delicacies and once again the fun lasts until late. I dropped my big luggage to the bus, then adored and staring at the bus full of white men, the Thai sold all the tickets, and then we went on the road. The ride lasted about 40 minutes during which I had the opportunity to observe Bangkok. This crazy city I immediately liked although it is very crowded and very polluted. They all trumpeted and the scooters were racing each other, but the best are tuk tuk or motor rickshaws. The streets were full of people, not too clean and the local stalls sold their fried food everywhere they were to the place.
In many places portraits of the king and his family were also painted. Soon after, I came to Khaosan Road and immediately liked it. There was a huge traffic, plenty of food stalls, lots of tuk tuking customers and at the same time it was very hot. I got out on the street and had a plan to find a room but after a while came to me a young Taj who worked for hotels and led me to a cheap and cozy place. On the way we also walked through the boxing club and the boxers laughed because my hotel agent was pedaling and so he behaved. Very nice girls at the reception gave me the key and the deal was settled. However, when I asked for a single room and so I got double because only they are here. The girls said I would soon understand why in Thailand I would rather not be alone. I got exactly what I was looking for, namely a bed, four walls and a ceiling and a shower outside. I dropped my suitcase and ran out. I walked through the surrounding stalls where on the street Thai people were frying their delicacies and through a narrow street where on benches and hammocks people rested after breakfast on the floor. Many at this time did not do anything because it was probably too hot. Before I started to explore, I first went to the nearest Thai boxing club to ask if I could train with them and when is the nearest training. It turned out that the training was supposed to be in two hours, also after a long flight from Europe and settling the hotel I had little time to eat something because I was going to go to the first training. I did not go far because there was no time for it. I ate at the first frying pan I saw in one of the narrow streets. From what I’ve noticed, Thai people do not often cook, they just fry and the food is always so sharp that no Thai stomach is able to accept that food, in addition to the local climate. Fortunately, the Thai people are understanding and for Europeans they fry gently (as for their taste) though for me it was quite sharply.
Soon afterwards I went to practice. Thai boxing is “muay thai” is a national sport of this country and is cultivated by many people. In many parts of the country you can see young boys practicing kicking in the street and for many it is the only way to break free and keep their families. Thais are willing to invite foreign players to train with them and it is a very good way to earn extra money from these very poor people. But it is always that no one comes to Thailand to train with the Taji but to learn from them because they are simply the best and the hardest. In them there is a true spirit of struggle, which in Europe is not so strong. I think if in Europe someone is a champion, then in Thailand, (without prior training) would certainly be able to recalculate. Here the sport has its own soul and it can be seen in the ring, on the face and on the music accompanying it. Here is not just a training session but an event that people expect and that watch with passion. I have been practicing karate kyokushin for many years, which is considered to be the hardest but what I had to experience in the ring in Thailand gave me a whole new perspective on how to train. The place I was practicing was in the air, under the roof because it is too hot to close in the room.
We had a ring in the middle, a couple of bags and mirrors, and powerful speakers with aggressive music to add to the tempo. It started quite simply. We made some slams, a normal warm-up followed by a few rounds on the bag and dials with an instructor. Around me were people from many parts of the world and we all treated thai boxing very seriously. After a few rounds and extrusion outside the ring finally entered the ring and for almost half an hour I worked hard kicking the shield. I noticed that here is not digging up high either from marketing because thai boxing does not look nice or filmed. It is physically and conditionally very heavy and very hard to use where only a few techniques are used. There are semi-circular kicks on the ribs and on the legs, straight kicks and knees, and blows with fists and elbows – and indeed enough. When I made the twine, I kicked high and the market, everyone liked it and the Thai were impressed because it looks spectacular and no one is so drunk, but their seemingly simple techniques are enough to beat many “acrobats.” After training I was exhausted but happy and adrenaline made it easier for me. It was hot all the time, the guy outside the ring gave me iced water in the breaks and the Taj and the tourists stood behind the ring and screamed and took pictures.
It was very hard and very good, I had fun and I was going to train every day. I got a very good first lesson.After training, I finally went to the hotel to sleep. I took a cold shower because it was so hot and so it would not be needed because it was too hot. Entering the hotel, the receptionist asked me if I liked it and started laughing. Then I lay down on my bunk and fell asleep. I woke up after dark but on Khao San Road life just started. When I entered this bustling and very busy street, first I had to deal with a whole row of tuk tuk drivers who pressed me to take pictures of naked girls in the bath, saying “very nice, very cheap, take you?”Unfortunately it was expensive service and I was not too picky because here it can happen many times.That evening I was quite hungry but even more curious as I wanted to try as much. On both sides of the street were restaurants, and on the first floor disco and massage parlors. I did not go to any pub because the street was too much. There were vendors of skewers with small chunks of chicken in chillies and seafood. I tried everything a bit, but I ate the octopus most. They fried pasta in large frying pans with vegetables because they were throwing them up while making faces. Next to were all kinds of soups and fruit juices. Everything was very colorful, very good and ridiculously cheap and quite different from Europe.One woman was selling scorpions and preparing on the spot but I wanted something else. I ate a portion of fried worms with cinnamon, though I’m not sure about the cinnamon.
The worms were very good and tasted like very delicate meat just that it fired me under the teeth. Just like some kind of cereal on the milk. I think I tried something from every stall and every time I was very pleased, whether it was a small chicken, octopus with pasta or worms. At last I drank coconut milk, and there are many kinds here and I just walked. There was music all the time, and the people were having a good time and they ate all the time. At the corner of Khao San Road was Gulliver’s pub, which was a local disco where drinks drifted and beautiful and always hot Thai girls came to meet the boys from Europe.Some also came to make money but anyway it was a very happy place. After a few moments the girl came to me and started to ask me standard questions, or where I am, as my name and one of the most important or how much I intend to stay. So also very quickly wherever I went she followed me. When I went out to the hotel she also went with me. This is how it looks like the girl is approaching and reserving herself. When I went out with her from the pub, the Dutch at the exit wanted me a nice night and patted me on the shoulder. At the hotel reception of the Tajki they canceled me for another person and with a very wide smile they lent me a nice evening. I felt great, my friend snapped me and put me to bed. She did not take a penny. This was my first full day in Thailand and went excellent. I went to workout, tried local delicacies, saturated the charm of the area and met a very friendly friend from a new country for me. In the morning, the Tajka woke me up and then evaporated before I could wipe my eyes. On the way to the bathroom I saw that my hotel is a nice playground. Around me was an old Austrian who was about 80 years old and ran out of his room in the corridor, patting his butt. She just squealed and laughed and the old man was happy.Shortly afterwards I went to Khao San Road to buy breakfast for the crooked rice and come back to the area and see the wonders of the day. Then I went to Thai boxing. There was loud music again and again.They wanted to teach me because this time there was no shield anymore, this time I also got a few times after the mouth. I walked out of the ring and was happy again though finished. Every time is great. I also saw a sad thing about this club. The girl who dealt with organizational matters lived in a wooden barrack that was fixed over the cash register, and during the day the boxers had no place to go, so they rested on the hammocks and benches near the ring. They lived from training to training and as someone told me, once in a while they traveled to Bangkok to help their parents. When I came back from training, this narrow, lazy street smiled happily again. I looked really bad, in the same shorts, dirty, sweaty and with a constricted eye but the girls called me to myself and when I came to them they fed me fruit and then the whole street was having fun. It took me a long time to get to the hotel and the Thai at the reception again made me joking and asked if it was hard at work. This afternoon I decided to go sightseeing too. I hired a tuk tuk and left for the streets of Bangkok. Tuk tuk is small but very fast and always enforces priority. Driving alone was a great adventure and I thought I would not get to the place. Bangkok was very busy at this time of the day, and all of us trumpeted and my tuk tukes crossed the smallest cracks at high speed. But before I got to where I wanted, my driver drove me to some expensive shops to show his face. It was a nice experience because the shops were decorated with splendor and gave a great show of Thai art. They were unfortunately very expensive though I did not have to buy. It is important that the driver took me there and got a lot more out of my course. We went to two such stores and finally drove me to Buddhist temples (90% of people in Thailand profess this religion). The temples throughout Bangkok are pretty much all beautiful and well worth seeing. I would like to describe a few of them.
The first I went to was the Royal Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Keo), something that should be on the plan of every traveler in Bangkok. The whole complex consists of a magnificent complex of buildings founded by King Rama I in 1782 and later expanded by successive rulers. No other temples in Thailand are so beautiful, so rich with the splendor of monuments like the Royal Palace. No other temples are so important historically and they do not have the same meaning as this place. At the Royal Palace there is also the temple and statue of the emerald Buddha, or the symbol of the king and of the whole nation. All the buildings in the Palace are beautifully built, preserving their characteristic Thai architecture and all are different. The decor of each one in the middle is different. Temples are usually set on high pillars and covered with intricately carved roofs with distinctive golden hooks upstairs. Others are very tall and built in the kind of towering towers with large, also gold blades, and the entire complex of temples is surrounded by ornate walls. In each temple there are many statues of the Buddha in different positions and in different stages of spiritual advancement. For example, I was in a temple where there were several hundred Buddha statues depicting him on the path to the light. In the middle you can also meet monks who are very willing to be photographed and welcome foreigners in Thailand. I spent a couple of hours in the Palace and was very impressed. Never before have I seen such beautiful architectural-cultural achievements of this part of Asia. So far in Thailand I enjoyed it and enjoyed every moment. After leaving the facility I was looking for my tuk tuk but it was gone. Often it is that tuk tuk no longer depends on my money because it will get a lot more from the shops to which tourists will call and instead of waiting for me can take someone else. No problem, I took another tuk tuk that drove me to Khao San Road. Having been in the spot, when it was dark, I saw that as usual at this time the fun began. I walked through the main street full of shops and stalls, on the way of course I tried some small skewers and ate something I did not know the name. I walked into a smaller street and there I found a massage parlor. Actually the girls from the massage parlor found me because a lonely white man is always a potential client. The girls were very nice, they immediately took my hand and started talking to me. They stared at me as if they were watching TV and feeding me fruit, while massaging my neck and hands. I will mention that the official massage for a fee has not yet started. About Thai massage I heard a lot of good and thought it would be nice to try it.When I entered the living room, there was nothing I could have expected. I walked in, and there on the floor there were thick sheets and omnipresent scent of incense. I lay down on one of them and then the older man began to massage me. At first I will say that Thai massage can be quite painful because it relieves joints and muscles by bending the massaged person in every, most uncomfortable way. In short, it is the way of oriental therapy and the healing method in which the masseur pressing the massages makes bodily manipulation of blood flow and energy channels of the massaged person. In massage therapists use more body parts than any other kind of medical manipulation. For this purpose, not only the hands and fingers, but also the elbows, knees, forearms, heels and other parts of the feet are used. The masseur first struck me so hard that it made me hot and then he grabbed my hands from behind, blocked my spine with his heel in the lower part and pulled slowly but strongly backwards and I felt like my circles were firing. At times, he also pulled on a shoulder blade, sometimes knitting my ankles, and leaning heavily on my spine, so that my bones were firing again. The same thing I did with many other parts of the body and sometimes it was quite painful. Sometimes it was nice, but Thai massage was very unpredictable as I did not know when to shoot something again. Often, too, bending me back so he moved his neck with his foot that he shot me too.
When it was over, I felt very rested and energetic although I thought it would be the opposite. I also spoke with this gentleman and I said that I was training here thai boxing and he said that he was also training when he was young and he started showing me the blows from the elbow. He said that actually everyone on this street used to train because that is their culture and sport they love. I paid off, said goodbye and went out to dinner. This time I went to a small, nice pub where I sat in the middle and the cooks were frying outside. The food was great as ever in Thailand. It was hard for me to convince them not to add chilies.Every meal here is a new, delicious adventure. It was late and I was walking toward the hotel but on the way I stopped for a while to the discotheque on the corner – Gulliver. The party was front as always but the girls looked weird. It turned out that this evening came a lot of “ladyboys” or transvestites, men dressed up as women and with strong makeup. Thai men are rather small and thin, so they are easy to dress up as a woman and look convincing. Some of them look better than real women so being in Thailand you need to be very attentive and know how to not be fooled. Some of these women came to me and wanted me to take them to the hotel – obviously for free. Some had voices like the tube and too muscular hands but many were done perfectly. But one thing that betrayed them is Adam’s apple. If someone is not sure I would advise not to take what immediately throws a man on the neck and those high because mistake can cost many years of visiting a psychologist. I was alert and just had to go back to the room when the girl sat down, then said hello and took me. I just hoped it was not a pedal but it did not look like it. We waited for a moment in enigmatic silence until she finally began to question me about where I was and so on. When they closed the pub and they all had to go out she whistled for a cab and took me home to where other girls who were not there. There was only her, her sister and me. My friend took me first to the shower and thoroughly bathed and her sister did something to snatch. We talked for a while but not too long and then we all went to bed. I can see that the women here, however, are able to take care of the foreign guest. I’m here shortly but I can see that I really like it.
So I spent my first few days in Bangkok and it was really great though it was going to get better.
Bangkok – continued
(More about thai boxing, temples, massage, life in this country and about Thai ways of seduction of white men)
The next few days I spent mostly training in boxing and I have to admit that I was getting better and better.I was getting better and I learned a new technique because this sport is different from karate. We did a lot of five and ten kicks on darts and bangs with elbows and knees. This is the sport. I also practiced with a bigger player than myself because in Thai boxing you can catch. There were also loose sparring parties and though it was very hard it made me so much pleasure and satisfaction. Also the boxers were kind to me and taught me to put my heart into it. Once in the evening when I was going out to Khaosan Road they saw me and invited me to their table when they were having dinner. They said “Martin, although to us, Thai food is very good”. Actually it was very good but very sharp. They gave me rice with chilli and other sharp sauces and a cup of water. They were very poor, lived in barracks or slept on hammocks but still they served me. This gesture on their part was a very good experience for me. He allowed me to get to know the Thai as they are, how they live and their attitude towards the newcomers. There are many tourists who land at the airport, they fly to the wonderful beach to the resort and they really do not know anything about the country and its people. I am on my travels especially the website of luxury to get to know the country and its people as realistically as possible. Thailand is also known through thai boxing and it’s on my own skin. I think it is a good lesson of humility because I can learn from people who have nothing and never got to go to college or make money and are very valuable.
One day I also went with boxers to a karaoke club at the other end of Bangkok.
It was very nice. We took the last floor of a huge skyscraper and took the whole room for ourselves. They sang in Thai and I spoke English. Polish songs were not available. All of them drank but very carefully so as not to get drunk and I liked it very much. I met a girl from Ireland who lived in Thailand for a long time and also trained in boxing. She said she could not imagine living in Europe, now Thailand is her home. Actually, I met many people from all over Europe (also many women) who lived in Thailand and wanted to stay here forever. There were also those who had come for two weeks and they had been for five years. I spoke with one Belgian who boxed with me and said that he was much happier here than in Belgium. He said he teaches English in the province where he is completely different from the richer part of Bangkok. There is poverty, people live without luxury and work in rice fields all their lives. Children who teach English are very poor and can only learn the basics because they will not understand the higher level. Although he is poorly paid here, he is very happy and no longer wants to return to Belgium. Here he teaches that because he can not afford anyone to pay him a European salary, he teaches him boxing and gets as much rice as he can eat. Once a week she also takes a girlfriend for a night out in Thailand which is normal even if she is a teacher. He also said that he believes that every girl in this country has a prostitute mentality. But I think that’s not the end because I have different experiences. (Here I will develop the topic of Tajek). I do not think they all have the mentality of a prostitute, this is the sentence of a lonely Belga living in Thailand, who is only suited to prostitutes.
For example, the girls at the reception always speak to me normally, not as if they wanted to go to bed.They always say they have their men for whom they want to get married. The girls in the photo shop where we laughed a lot of times and many times spent nice time but would never let me too much. I also took one for dinner during which I could find many interesting things and the woman herself was very nice in the conversation. On the other hand, I was dealing with many young women, whose behavior was almost unbelievable. I often thought that women just wanted me to take and have many strategies to catch me, and the more they tried the fun was the better. One, for instance, had a mania that everyone was following her and that’s why she wanted to spend the night with me because she was afraid and I kindly let her do it.Another did not say anything and just went with me as if nothing had happened. When I went to Laos to get to the nearest tourist office, that same evening I took a girl to work there for dinner and then to myself at night. Having been with me, she made a fuss about me and unfortunately I had to throw her away.Despite this, she did not want to go straight away, kicked the door and wanted me to let her in. I thought that after that I would not be surprised, but by the time. The next day I went to another office to make a visa to Cambodia and this charming creature did not want to go to dinner. She simply handed me a passport in person, with a ready visa and was already at night. After some time I was able to change so much that I was tired of it because the women started to come to me at the hotel and in training. For this I had to change the hotel twice. I miss the transvestites who have been trying to keep me talking and telling me they are women. It turned out to be a lot of funny situations but as it turned out, the show “ladyboys” was supposed to have in the south of Thailand, on the way to Malaysia. There were also sad situations when women talked to me and then they said they wanted to go to my room and it cost me so much. One day a prostitute came to me and said that she kept her family and also her sister and many friends. This is the dark side of Thailand that shows the realities of this country, so different from postcards with beautiful beaches and temples. The funniest “collector”. It was a real girl (not a transvestite) who lived long in Australia and boasted that she did not want more Australians because they already had the most. Now she wanted to count all the Europeans and she was in the seventh heaven when I told her I was from Poland.The whole collection was missing a few more, but from what she said and so it went pretty well. Earlier I heard about prostitution in Thailand, but none of these girls took money from me. On the other hand, it’s nice to have Thai friends. For example, I was sick and one of my colleagues took good care of me. She took me to a pharmacy where she bought powder for me and then gave it to me in the room. I did not even know what I was taking but I did not have the strength to think about it. She took me to the shower again, bathed herself, and then went to bed. When I woke up in the morning I was much healthier. I noticed that this is not about money but about someone close to who can give them a good life and men from rich countries are very often their only chance to break away from Thailand, from this hell that is for us paradise. I often felt (other tourists too) that they all wanted only one – to put them on an airplane flying to Europe or America and for that they would be able to do everything. Horrible truth! My friend from the bath, the one who cured me, took once in the way of thanks for a good dinner. It was very nice but the seafood soup “tum yam kum” was so sharp that I ate almost nothing. There was a seafood soup that actually was there but I felt only chillis.
From what I’ve seen women from Europe have a long way to match the Thai women. Many Europeans are too noisy, vulgar, often too selfish, egotistical. The Thai feel like living for their men, although I do not have a long experience.
I feel that there are still many surprises here …
The next day I decided to see some more temples so I hired a tuk tuk and went to the facility where there were several of them in one area. Again I had a very adventurous tuk tuk ride and again I had to visit two expensive shops until I got to the facility where I first saw a huge golden statue of a standing buddha and then went to the Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) from the 16th century which is considered one of the most beautiful . As the name implies, there is a great, because the 46m statue of the great Buddha, which symbolizes his transition to the state of nirvana. This is actually a beautiful temple where monks spend their time praying and taking care of this sacred place. There are always plenty of fresh flowers and fragrances that add to the mood. In addition to lying Buddha, I also saw the viharn, a building with a statue of Buddha, in which the king himself is. These are pointed, tall structures in which the ashes of the dead commemorating the first kings of the Chakri dynasty are often buried. Then I went to the Temple of the Golden Buddha (Wat Traimit), which like all the palaces here are beautiful and also has its own mood.Worth mentioning here is the great statue of the golden Buddha which was made of 5.5 ton of pure gold and was probably made in the 18th century in the former capital of Thailand-Sukhothai. I learned that it was not until the mid-twentieth century that this statue was discovered. Several centuries ago the statue of the Golden Buddha was covered with cement so that it was not stolen during the wars with Burma. Under the statue are the ashes of King Rama V. As in all the other temples, also here was a beautiful mood. There were candles, incense and many other decorations. The whole complex of palaces and temples struck with its beauty and richness of art. The whole was not only the large temples I described, but also the smaller sacred buildings where there were always many Buddha statues. All were built in a very characteristic style for this region.
After leaving the facility I just walked the streets of Bangkok and watched the people and the surroundings. I watched tuk tuk and street vendors. I sat down for a while and chose something to eat at random hit because I did not know Thai and could not communicate. When I was almost finished, he parked my old car around me and the taxi driver jumped out of the center, who offered me to take me to the beautiful temple free of charge. That meant, of course, that I had to visit some very expensive shops first, but I agreed. On our way we talked about Thailand, the monarchy and the level of living in that country. He said that he is not as sweet as I think life is very hard for the Thai. Only for me is great here. He said that living here would never be able to do things that I do for example me. It was a sad conversation but once again capturing the realism of beautiful Thailand. My driver drove me to the Marble Temple (Wat Benchamabophit). It was a beautiful experience and worth my previous visits to the shops. Marble Temple is an architecturally magnificent building dating back to the 19th century and marble to its construction was imported from Italy. In front of the entrance are stone lions and behind them on the pillars there is a main entrance. The red, decorated door is the center of the golden frame, although I liked the roofs the most. As always beautifully decorated and profiled with golden ends pointing up. In the middle was a large marble square where around me under a small roof was the statues of the Buddha depicting him in various forms. Throughout the facility, a river was flowing, where temples stood on either side. It was beautiful and the whole place was very well done and made with great craftsmanship. On the river there were also decorated bridges and small temples embedded on them. In the middle I met the children with whom I made a few photos and which made me laugh constantly. Upon leaving the temple I saw my driver waiting for me. So he took me to Khao San Road and there after breaking through people who wanted to sell me a Thai night and a tuk tuk ride, I went for a very good dinner and then for a massage.
This time I did not massage the man who recently massaged me but a young girl. I have to say that a real and solid massage did me just because he was doing it nice but too gentle to be effective. Anyway it was nice. I also noticed that sometimes when I go out on the main street some merchants say they saw me practicing and how I had sparring “with their boys” who are very good. They respect me for it and I feel good about it. That evening I went back to the hotel to play billiards and then go to bed. I was visited by a colleague from one of the tourist offices and we had a long talk and had another good massage that day.My life in Bangkok has gone very well and so far I have fulfilled all my plans. But it is time that I have left from here because this country has much more to offer than just Bangkok, where I have been so far and where still I played very well.
Floating market – Damnoen Saduak
After many days spent in Bangkok chose two hours drive out of town to see one of the most popular tourist destinations bazaar or on the river, which was for me a completely new experience. On the way I had the opportunity to observe people working in the rice fields and a Thai wildlife and beautiful scenery or banana trees growing along the roads. On reaching the first place I went through the bazaar on the mainland where sellers showed me how to make local dishes and then I got into a very long and narrow boats, which sailed at high speed in the direction of the bazaar on the river. Sailing through the narrow channel seen people living in wooden huts built on wooden piles driven into the river bed. People lived in this way, their fried food and doing laundry.Means of transport were small, narrow, wooden boat attached to stakes. I could also see the great a monitor that does not run away when zipped. Just basking in the sun and waited for the victim. The road was a very good way to get to know the living conditions of the local community. After fifteen minutes flash drive and interesting when the water reached to the market. First, I took in everything his eyes and saw that the place was pretty loud and crowded with people and goods. After a while I got another, very slow boat, and among the great crowd of other boats which sold everything possible and among the shops on the shore sailed around the bazaar. With the huts standing on stilts submerged in water sold hats, food, fruit, spices, fans,sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves as a quick snack and all kinds of skewers of meat of unknown origin for me. Vendors on the boats had a more difficult task because many customers and retailers also floated boats. It was a very lively place and the Thai trade flourished in the best products. When I sailed one of these boats and, for example, when I wanted a coconut, souvenirs, grilled meat or some concoction wrapped in banana leaf just had to shout or whistle a stall (boat with goods) przypływał me. Nowhere I had to move because the boat did shopping, buying from other boats. This is a very unusual place, so that makes you want to buy. Not so much for the product as for the pleasure of the transaction and the manner in which the seller swim to me in a hurry, in his round,caps with pointy leaves. I bought so little but often and every time I made it a pleasure. Well, I found the time to take pictures because each pressed me something and I had a lot of new experiences.
After this nice trip back to Bangkok for an evening workout and then met up with a friend and we went to the river to see the show richly illuminated royal barges. Most of them were golden in color and had parudziesięciu rowers and all were dressed in identical uniforms. The whole performance was very impressive, especially since he was accompanied by a fireworks display. Then after another, a delicious Thai dinner I went to sleep because the next day waiting for me next trip.
Kanchanaburi
(The Bridge on the River Kwai, Death Railway, a museum, a cemetery of fallen soldiers and prisoners, riding on an elephant through the jungle, raft trip on the River Kwai)
The next day I went with a group of people to Kanchanaburi. It is a very popular tourist destination close to the border with Burma. Kanchanaburi is a small city whose assets is the beauty of nature, jungle, ubiquitous palm trees and cultivated fields of mango, papaya, tobacco and sugar cane. The entire town is also surrounded by mountains. Kanchanaburi is also quite sad place reminding of the tragic history of the Second World War. There is a famous bridge on the River Kwai also known from the movie of the same title. The bridge was built in 1942 by American and British prisoners of war are in Japanese captivity. The bridge is 4.5 kilometers and was bombed many times and rebuilt. The Japanese planned,that the bridge and the whole turn in this episode where the tracks have a length of 425km will be built in five to six years, but spending about 100,000 prisoners from America, Europe and many countries in Asia, the entire project was built in just one year. I think that the bridge is a great experience especially for those who have seen the film. Interestingly the film was based on the novel survivor prisoner of Kanchanaburi, which in fact was not a prisoner. Many facts have been altered or przekoloryzowanych and filming were not even filmed in Thailand but in Sri Lanka. Despite this advertised in Bangkok and the world tour for “Bridge on the River Kwai” attracts many tourists. When I walked on the famous bridge and looking at the mountains of Myanmar (Burma) and watching the river and the bridge,I saw hanging bridges and the people living on the bank of the river in wooden huts at balls. From the bridge is a nice view of the jungle, hear the birds singing and the screeching parrots. I loved especially the property has tremendous historical value. The bridge, however, is not the only thing that is worth seeing here. I remember very well drive train of death by fire-breathing pass. It is the turn of the war, where the train travels on tracks embedded on an iron bridge over the river and the cliff, which had to be grooved in addition to the train could fit in turn. These were extremely difficult sections for slave labor. Some moments of the train ride seemed like I was going over the precipice and as if he had a fall out of the train tracks. Probably because the railway is called the train of death.It was a very unusual train ride adventure obkupiona unfortunately thousands of lives. This short trip allowed me to see the wider river Kwai and how people live on its banks in their wooden houses on balls. Some of these houses are well-equipped hotels for tourists. The whole time I was traveling with marriage from South Korea where she had 26 years and he 47. They were very nice and even went to dinner together. The man told me that Korean women are beautiful and showed me a picture of his sister’s beautiful young wife. He said that they are very good at home and with the children and at the same obedient. He gave me his phone number and told me that when I was going to let him call to Korea because of his wife’s sister (one of the best I’ve ever seen) was looking for a husband. So I have to necessarily go to Korea because I seethat also this country can be extremely beautiful.
After a train ride of my death, I went to the war museum. It was a sad place of suffering prisoners building the bridge over the River Kwai. It was a collection of figures, and random comments from newspapers from that period describe the construction of the bridge. Most striking, however, were evidence of torture on prisoners of Japanese soldiers and their ordeal at the murderous work.
The next and last longer sad place, which was visited cemetery in Kanchanaburi. There were graves of nearly 7,000 young men who died far from home, working condemned to a certain death by the Empire of Japan. They were young people and every gravestone telling a different story of lost life. Many do not even have this opportunity to be buried with dignity, because most of the work has been dead buried under the foundations of the bridge and its surroundings. Being in Kanchanaburi also went to the elephant breeding center. These elephants working in the jungle when felling trees and moving but some worked in tourism. They were very nice and sociable giants. Always give the stroke and even included me trumpets. I bought a bowl full of bananas and fed them and then I got on a bamboo scaffolding which came on an elephant.With me sitting in the trainer, and so two people went to the elephant back to the jungle. We passed by steep cliffs, the river and under the famous bridge. It was very nice, especially since I sat on the back of his neck and I could see everything well, watch the movements of the elephant, his maneuvers and the beautiful nature surrounding me. Handler also allowed me to hold the leash so that I could control the same elephant. It was beautiful and every moment spent on an elephant was fun. At the end of the ride I got back onto the stage and then I bought him a few bananas. Sad experience here was the same trainer. It was a very poor young guy who did not even have shoes, and occasionally asked me for a tip. I gave him a 20 bhat of which was of course very happy, but once again could see the true face of the country, which is great poverty.Then Thais carried me through the jungle where I had the opportunity to admire some nice waterfalls. Pretty soon we passed this short section, then walked to the wooden suspension bridge and there again met my Koreans. Together we entered the super fast boat and after a few minutes of frantic ride we reached the place where I had to take the raft. Swimming raft in Kanchanaburi is also a major attraction and now I know why now. The raft was attached linądo long speedboat, which queuing us and I was not carried away by the river, watching wildlife and once again the hut at balls over each other with more suspension bridges. It was beautiful. I was on a raft on the River Kwai and was moving slowly forward in the direction of the sunset. The raft was made of bamboo and therefore was not sealed which added flavor adventure.When hastened motorboat in front of me, my raft sinks gently into the water and I tried to go in a drier place. Moments that I spent in Kanchanaburi were exceptional and very well spent time here. I had the opportunity to experience all these adventures and see another, a charming part of Thailand. At the end of my stay here even I went to the local bazaar to buy a cup of local tea, boarded the bus and went back to Bangkok. I also realized that a visa in my passport has already ended and I had to leave Thailand to return again at the entrance to get a visa at the border. So I had to go over the next three days and then come back to see some more of this beautiful country and continue my training. So I bought a bus ticket to Malaysia for the next evening.my raft sinks gently into the water and I tried to go in a drier place. Moments that I spent in Kanchanaburi were exceptional and very well spent time here. I had the opportunity to experience all these adventures and see another, a charming part of Thailand. At the end of my stay here even I went to the local bazaar to buy a cup of local tea, boarded the bus and went back to Bangkok. I also realized that a visa in my passport has already ended and I had to leave Thailand to return again at the entrance to get a visa at the border. So I had to go over the next three days and then come back to see some more of this beautiful country and continue my training. So I bought a bus ticket to Malaysia for the next evening.my raft sinks gently into the water and I tried to go in a drier place. Moments that I spent in Kanchanaburi were exceptional and very well spent time here. I had the opportunity to experience all these adventures and see another, a charming part of Thailand. At the end of my stay here even I went to the local bazaar to buy a cup of local tea, boarded the bus and went back to Bangkok. I also realized that a visa in my passport has already ended and I had to leave Thailand to return again at the entrance to get a visa at the border. So I had to go over the next three days and then come back to see some more of this beautiful country and continue my training. So I bought a bus ticket to Malaysia for the next evening.I spent in Kanchanaburi were exceptional and very well spent time here. I had the opportunity to experience all these adventures and see another, a charming part of Thailand. At the end of my stay here even I went to the local bazaar to buy a cup of local tea, boarded the bus and went back to Bangkok. I also realized that a visa in my passport has already ended and I had to leave Thailand to return again at the entrance to get a visa at the border. So I had to go over the next three days and then come back to see some more of this beautiful country and continue my training. So I bought a bus ticket to Malaysia for the next evening.I spent in Kanchanaburi were exceptional and very well spent time here. I had the opportunity to experience all these adventures and see another, a charming part of Thailand. At the end of my stay here even I went to the local bazaar to buy a cup of local tea, boarded the bus and went back to Bangkok. I also realized that a visa in my passport has already ended and I had to leave Thailand to return again at the entrance to get a visa at the border. So I had to go over the next three days and then come back to see some more of this beautiful country and continue my training. So I bought a bus ticket to Malaysia for the next evening.At the end of my stay here even I went to the local bazaar to buy a cup of local tea, boarded the bus and went back to Bangkok. I also realized that a visa in my passport has already ended and I had to leave Thailand to return again at the entrance to get a visa at the border. So I had to go over the next three days and then come back to see some more of this beautiful country and continue my training. So I bought a bus ticket to Malaysia for the next evening.At the end of my stay here even I went to the local bazaar to buy a cup of local tea, boarded the bus and went back to Bangkok. I also realized that a visa in my passport has already ended and I had to leave Thailand to return again at the entrance to get a visa at the border. So I had to go over the next three days and then come back to see some more of this beautiful country and continue my training. So I bought a bus ticket to Malaysia for the next evening.So I had to go over the next three days and then come back to see some more of this beautiful country and continue my training. So I bought a bus ticket to Malaysia for the next evening.So I had to go over the next three days and then come back to see some more of this beautiful country and continue my training. So I bought a bus ticket to Malaysia for the next evening.
That day it was late but I went out for a moment on Khao San Road. This time I walked into the restaurant but I have eaten in the street. It always has its charm. I started with small skewers of seafood and ankles zlepionego rice with mango juice and finished as usual on the fruit. It’s from which to choose for your convenience and most everything is impaled on a stick. I also met my friend and then she took me to her. It’s nice, I thought, that so far from home with whom I meet and I talk to people from Thailand and around the world who are always cheerful, nice for me and as I was fascinated by everything around us. Of course, it is a very poor country of poor people, but I live here very well. Speaking about the people with whom I mix every day I mean those with whom I train and ride on the tour,local retailers and nice and warm women who meet on your way.
My next experiences
(Crossing Thai borders, the town of Hat Yai which is a parade of transvestites and similar attractions, Surat Thani and beauty of the islands in Thailand, grilled squid, a trip to Chiang Mai and crossing to Laos)
In the following reportage I’m going to describe my adventures from different parts of Thailand and unfortunately they will not turn arranged to Thailand since returned many times and each time I had a new experience. I will describe what happened to me and what I saw on the way to and from Malaysia and Myanmar (Burma) and on the way to Laos.
The next day, as usual, I went to training and again at the river in the evening and left most of their belongings in Bangkok and got on a bus moving to Malaysia. Although as yet the Thai people in all were well organized this time the bus was late. The trip lasted all night and was not the most comfortable but as I had to sit in the morning I arrived to the city of Hat Yai. It is quite large, but nieszczególne city, which is very hard to get around on the way to or from Malaysia. In Hat Yai I was only about two hours. Me just enough time for a quick shower in the local bath and a walk around the city and implementation travelers checks. I equipped the fruit is also on his way Thai people and then threw me to another bus and drove to the border.Hat Yai was not nothing to me as a lost and so I come back the same way I see why this city afterwards. I drove here with a pair of Scots, whose visa ran out three days ago but it was not a problem. In Thailand you all for the money because if a tourist exceed the term of validity, the Thai government is to decree that for every day you have to pay 200 bhat more. I am already on the border I bought bananas from rice wrapped in banana leaves and then crossed the border and was already in Malaysia.that for each day you have to pay 200 bhat more. I am already on the border I bought bananas from rice wrapped in banana leaves and then crossed the border and was already in Malaysia.that for each day you have to pay 200 bhat more. I am already on the border I bought bananas from rice wrapped in banana leaves and then crossed the border and was already in Malaysia.
After returning from Malaysia
From the entrance to Thailand from Malaysia I had a lot of trouble because I needed a visa in 1000 bhat and I had no cash. Thai immigration office so I turned back to Malaysia and said that if I do not have money, I can get back there because that’s where I do not need a visa. So I returned to Malaysia and walk on the Fortunately, the first building just abroad was a teller. The same way so I returned to Thailand and after a short time set me a visa. It showed me that although Thailand is beautiful and has so much to offer a man without money is not worth absolutely nothing and do not even want to talk to him. Despite everything I could but I still had one problem. The border was away from the nearest town of Hat Yai, which is about an hour away but I did not how to get there. So I had to stop to catch the car.After many failed attempts, the truck driver took me and strangely did not want money. Same driver did not speak any English, but he understood where I wanted to go. He was very cheerful and a little drunk and on top of that five minutes after driving away from the border stopped at a roadside pub with other drivers to eat and drink. It was a very nice place on the road consisting of a hut where there was a kitchen and outside were two tables. We ordered a couple of chickens and a couple of beers and a driver so we spent half an hour laughing and guessing each other about what we wanted. It seems to me that I was a kind of attraction because look at me, they said to each other and then laughed and tried to make contact. After some time we got into the truck and the driver dropped me off on the highway at the junction and from there I had to take another hitch,who was traveling to Hat Yai. After reaching the place I thought I would not be immediately returned to Bangkok but will spend the night here and look around a little. I walked down the street bazaars where they sold birds in cages and fish aquarium and all the equipment. Next was a fruit market and fish market. It was very noisy and quite dirty. All were busy bargaining or gutting fish. Although it was only a bazaar, everything was different than in Europe. Not only the people themselves but the way these people were planning their stalls and, above all hygiene. Sold fruit, which I saw for the first time in my life that is, for example, red dragon fruit, rose apple-like shape rather than a bell pepper apples, many species of coconuts, durians their shape resembling balls of skin like club with spikes in the middle, but was very delicate,rambutants that is another set of small balls covered with hairs and spines softer-than durians as sweet inside. They were also more available in Europe fruits like mango, guava and watermelon. An interesting result was also a variety of Thai pomelo or grapefruit. It is much bigger than I’ve known grapefruit and sweeter. It is also a very good fruit for longer storage without a fridge because it is covered with a very thick skin that protects it from drying out. I tried a little of everything and all the fruits were very good. This shows that even though Thai food is so good and rich in flavors and spices, in fact adventure with Thai food, you can start with fruit.They were also more available in Europe fruits like mango, guava and watermelon. An interesting result was also a variety of Thai pomelo or grapefruit. It is much bigger than I’ve known grapefruit and sweeter. It is also a very good fruit for longer storage without a fridge because it is covered with a very thick skin that protects it from drying out. I tried a little of everything and all the fruits were very good. This shows that even though Thai food is so good and rich in flavors and spices, in fact adventure with Thai food, you can start with fruit.They were also more available in Europe fruits like mango, guava and watermelon. An interesting result was also a variety of Thai pomelo or grapefruit. It is much bigger than I’ve known grapefruit and sweeter. It is also a very good fruit for longer storage without a fridge because it is covered with a very thick skin that protects it from drying out. I tried a little of everything and all the fruits were very good. This shows that even though Thai food is so good and rich in flavors and spices, in fact adventure with Thai food, you can start with fruit.which protects it from drying out. I tried a little of everything and all the fruits were very good. This shows that even though Thai food is so good and rich in flavors and spices, in fact adventure with Thai food, you can start with fruit.which protects it from drying out. I tried a little of everything and all the fruits were very good. This shows that even though Thai food is so good and rich in flavors and spices, in fact adventure with Thai food, you can start with fruit.
There are a lot of stalls here where chopped fruits are sold in bags or mangoes or pineapple baked on a stick for a few bhat. This is a delicious and very healthy Thai “fast food”. The second part of the bazaar was also very interesting but different. There were mainly fish floating in plastic bowls. All were different than I had seen before, and many were more like snakes than fish. It was sad that frogs and turtles were also sold for meat, which I like so much, but alive and not on the plate. Thailand is a poor country where everything is eaten and rarely something is wasted. After my visit to the bazaar I took a tuk tuk and drove to one of the cheapest hotels throughout Hat Yai. The floor was made of concrete, the windows were lattice and instead of the toilet hole in the floor and one faucet for both cleaning butt and water rinse. The room was big however and was in front of the hospital which was very convenient for me. Coming through Malaysia, on one of the stops I ran into the canal and most likely I broke my little toe. So I went to the hospital in Hat Yai where I was very well looked after. They immediately overexposed me, gave me vitamins and a compress and the doctor said that my finger was only swollen. As usual, I was a bit overdone. After a nap at the hotel, in the evening I went to the center where social life was flourishing and it was just a bull’s eye. I got to some Malaysian guys and started talking. It was nice, we ate vegetable skewers and ate some teas prepared by a bearded Muslim. Teapot is usually prepared on the Indian subcontinent but also in the south of Thailand and in some parts of Malaysia and is based on condensed milk – at least the variant here. The evening was just beginning, and all sorts of creatures began to go out into the street. It was a real show of transvestites (“ladyboys”). There were quite a lot of them that evening and they were all very funny. They were dressed up as women all the way down the street behaving like models on the runway. All movements were perfectly developed. Some stood by me, looked into their eyes, tied their heads back, and walked again like models. Most of them looked like real women, so well-characterized. Only the tea vendor told me they were men. We sat still without hope, but after some time real women came. They did not know English well, but I could not get along well, but they found out they were prostitutes and wanted to make a living. They sat down and tried to put my hands on their shorts but they were so ugly that no one wanted them. I felt a little overwhelmed, on the one hand, and on the other hand transvestites. So I took tea and went to the hotel. With the sellers of octopus and fruit I came across another transvestite who wanted to go with me to the room for free and told me he was a woman. To be honest – I thought that in this country no more will surprise me. But I was very wrong.
After a while, a guy in the street caught me saying that for only 30 baht he would take me to a nice place of Thai art. So I went from pure curiosity. At the entrance the young girl took my hand and pointed me to the couch closest to the stage. After a while the actors started to appear and it turned out that it was a live porn show. They were sexually active in a variety of forms and with many partners, but kept their full attention. Men poured hot wax from candles and girls made them ice cream, though I could count here in their ingenuity. The best performances were solo performances by women. I do not know how it was possible, but they put a packet of razor blades into the scabbard, and there was only a string outside. She came to me and told me to pull out. So I pulled a string and, without a single scratch, pulled out about twenty-one razor blades. Another put the trumpet into the vagina and so played it. There was also sex on nails and many other hard-boiled tricks. I understood why the guy on the street said it was art. Not everyone can.
When I got to the hotel, the manager asked me why I always go back to the hotel alone and that ladies with Hat Yai I do not like so much. It sounded like he was disappointed. I said that for the time being, I met only the crazies and pedals pretending to be women, so I will not advertise Hat Yai among my friends.
I also started planning my trip to one of the islands in the south of Thailand. I thought it was worth visiting one of them. Especially since they were on the way to Bangkok where I had to go back anyway. Thai islands are a separate, fabulous chapter of my journey through this country. There are islands of golden sand, clear water, palms and tourist settlements where the cottages are built under palm trees. The most famous and most visited islands are Phuket, Ko Pi Pi, Ko Tao, Ko Samui and Ko Phangngan. I went to the last one. Going north, I drove for a while to Surat Thani, a town in the eastern part of the Malay Peninsula. For me it was just a place from where I took the next bus to get to the nearest port where I boarded a ship going to the islands. We first got to Ko Tao and then after an hour of cruise we got to Ko Phangngan where I got off. This island is the host of beach parties at the full moon so it is most visited during the full moon. I got there late afternoon and on the bank waiting for me were small busiks with back benches instead of enclosed cars. Tuk tuk here was not because they would not pass the exam in such a mountainous terrain.Because it was dark, the driver took me and several other people to the nearest resort. It was a picturesque settlement on the sea under coconut palms. There was a restaurant with a bar and everything was made only from the natural raw materials available on the island. I lived in a wooden hut where I heard waves crashing to the shore and coconuts falling to the ground. I went for a walk by the sea and just watched the horizon and everything that surrounded me. It was beautiful … but exceptionally quiet for a well advertised island. It may well be that the moon was not entirely full because otherwise the beach would be crowded and people would not sober for a few days. After a few hours I went back to my hut and went to bed. My humble though was very well equipped. I had a shower, a bed and a mosquito net. In the morning I wanted to change the place. So I went to the main road and grabbed a hitchhiker who drove me to the port. I did not know exactly where I wanted to go but luckily the driver gave me an idea. From the harbor I took a jeep which led me through the hilly terrain to another place from where I was supposed to take the boat to get reported in a beautiful but accessible only by boat place. Coming through the island, I noticed that the night was very restless. The storm blew up several roads, broke high-tension wires, and a few jeeps lay low in the valleys, among palm trees and banana trees.
When I reached the shore there was a small boat waiting for me, which took me to the more inaccessible part of the island. I swam between the rocks and the waves hit the boat, the sun shone and I jumped into the warm, clear sea. After about half an hour of pleasant voyage we reached the shore. I stayed in a resort just by the sea, which was all built from palm trees. Every single thing was made from palm trees and from their leaves. I mean tables, stairs and doors. The lighting fixtures were made of coconut and the roof of the braided palm leaves. The same material was also made of sleeping mats and plates. Everything was very ecological and I loved it. I wrote the rest of it in my MA thesis, ie ecotourism. I lived on the first floor in a big room where instead of beds there were mats of palm leaves and above them mosquito nets were hung over them. It was enough for me, especially since it was very cheap and beautiful.
On this part of the island there were many huts built in this way, sometimes also from clay. I stayed here two days and did not do much. I only swam in the warm sea and eat fruit. However, I was alone here, and when I am alone, even the most beautiful places are bored quickly, so after two days of stay, the same road and also through Surat Thani, through the beautiful rice paddy fields, I returned to Bangkok. There again I trained thai boxing, I could live on the shields and pleasantly tired. I ate local delicacies and met a friend who had cured me so well. All the time, I have encountered people who have somehow influenced me and show me this country in many ways. For example, an Irishman with whom I train, came here for two weeks and wants to stay for at least two years. He said that they offered him a good job in Dublin but he prefers to teach English in Thailand for a modest room, thai boxing lessons and as much rice as he can eat. Thailand has a charm, a beautiful setting and a way of life that does not allow you to leave without regret.
Also on Khao San Road I bought an air ticket to Myanmar (Myanmar) and flew there the next day. That evening in Bangkok I also tried something new. I ate the grilled squid. This is another Thai “fast food” that looks like the dried squashes are attached with washclips, to the strings of the trolley pushed by the seller.When I selected a particular art, then the seller, squeezed the squid several times between the rollers to be more delicate and then tossed her on the grill. I have to admit that the squid was very tasty as well as all the seafood was also healthy. I would recommend to anyone traveling to Thailand!
The next day I went to the airport to take a plane to Yangon-capital Myanmar (Burma).
After my return from Myanmar
After returning from Burma at the Bangkok airport I experienced a nightmare because I had no money for a visa and therefore could not enter Thailand. But I see that white people in such places are like family. I got some money at the airport from one Pole and then from the Americans and settled the case. I did not ask for money, they gave it to me, and I will give it when someone is in need. It was really a big trouble, they wanted to send me to Burma, without money, without anything, a few cents I did not have, I would be finished! I have seen here for the second time that in Thailand without money I am not worth anything and no one even wants to talk to me. I also made a mistake because I took to Burma not enough money. It was a country back in time for a few centuries where the only value was American dollars, which I unfortunately did not have. When I finally got off the airport I had to catch a bus to take me to a hotel 20 km away. Of course I did not have the money, so I got a ticket from one Belga, but again he gave me when I told him his story. Adversity in recent times
I had many, nice and sullen but fortunately everything was fine. I learned a very important thing, even necessary if I want to continue my travels in these countries. You always have more money than I need because differently it can be and I had a very good lesson at the end of the world. Upon arriving at Khao San Road I first went to pick up my luggage to remove my debit card and finally took out the cash. I felt saved. Again I went to pay for the cheapest room in the area and then after a meal, I was quietly going to sleep.
In the morning I went to the last training session and as usual I gave everything myself. I learned a lot and it made me very happy. I was playing in Thailand very well but I had to continue my trip and my next destination was Laos. On the last day at Khao San Road I also went with a friend to the bazaar to eat something and buy a bedspread, black in golden elephants. They are very popular here. On the other hand, my other colleague (from the travel agency) put me in the evening to the bus going to the capital of north-Chiang Mai from where I was waiting for a further trip towards the border with Laos. This was the last time I saw this unique place and the people I met here. I always wanted to go back but there are so many places to see and the world is so huge. Traveling to Chiang Mai practically did not feel as I was going all night and woke up already. Chiang Mai and the so-called “golden triangle” is a well-known tourist destination of northern Thailand. The region is famous for its expeditions to the mountains and the jungle on the elephants. This time, however, I did not have time to see the north and spent in Chiang Mai only one day that I dedicated myself to refresh and relax after the trip. I played a billiard game and went to the local vegetable market and then went on the road. We were going all the way up the hill. I observed the nature and the mountains of rice fields that were arranged like terraces-one on top of another. To do this, the farmers first had to dig up parallel to the sea level the plains, which were arranged like stairs. The sluggish Thai farmers in their round, pointed caps or planted and irrigated their plots or harvested rice. Coming for a few hours I was able to realize how hard it is to work. All day long, these people have to be sloppy, barefoot and ankle in the water. No wonder, when I was ordering a chicken leg for a local dog, the thin and tired Thai looked at me in a very cool way. When I reached the Chiang Khong border town after dark, the farmers just came out of the field. I have enjoyed my last day in Thailand. The local kids gave me a ride on the bike and I was at a karaoke show under the open sky. At the hotel where I slept that night, the terrace was facing the Mekong River. So I was in Thailand watching what was going on in Laos on the other side of the river. In the morning the next day, I went to immigration checkup and then got on one of the many boats waiting at the shore and after a few minutes I was already in Laos.
Summary
Thailand was a wonderful experience and I had a wonderful time. I trained the national sport of this country, which taught me a lot, and I was able to get to know many Thai people as they are. I saw beautiful temples and oriental art. The people and especially the women were always very good to me and the kitchen was excellent. Whether it was the bustling Bangkok, elephant riding in the jungle, rafting or paradise, the tropical island, every time it was great. The only thing I can regret is that I had to leave, but here time is not enough.
TAGS
- Bangkok Buddha
- bangkok thai boxing
- Bangkok Wat Phra Kaew
- Buddhist temples
- Dusit Palace Bangkok
- Gulf of Thailand
- Kanchanaburi
- Kao San Road
- King of Thailand
- King Rama III
- Koh Phangan island
- Koh Samui island
- muay thai
- Ratchadamnoen
- Temple of the Emerald Buddha
- Thai cuisine
- Thai massage
- Thailand beaches
- the guide to Bangkok
- Wat Arun
