Thailand – the North
After the last few months of sometimes very spartan, rustic existence, our first destination in Thailand, the capital Bangkok, was at first overwhelming.
After the last few months of sometimes very spartan, rustic existence, our first destination in Thailand, the capital Bangkok, was at first overwhelming.So many skyscrapers! So many people! It took me a few days to stop feeling like a country bumpkin on his first visit to the big city, and then I started to enjoy it. It's fashionable for people on the backpacker circuit to criticise this city, but I don't really understand the usual reasons for doing so. Frequently heard complaints are that it is 'too hectic' or 'too full on'. It is busy, but the streets are by no means overcrowded; certainly nowhere near the level of say, London or Hong Kong. And it is not nearly so to the levels that it eats you up and spits you out, but rather that it has a lively, pulsating atmosphere which is rewarding to tune into.
%%Could not get body element policy for VersionedContentId(1.7389.UNDEFINED)There is an abundance of affluence only rarely apparent in Vietnam and not at all in Cambodia or Laos, and most people happily go about their lives without the desperation we have witnessed elsewhere. Instead they have the satisfaction and relaxation that financial comfort entails. So with their wealth, they can afford to treat themselves, and Bangkok is awash with consumer choice. This has been one of the biggest changes to what we have been used to - being able to buy what we want, when we want, without having to make do with an inadequate substitute.
%%Could not get body element policy for VersionedContentId(1.7388.UNDEFINED)Suitably enticed, we spent a thoroughly enjoyable and relaxing week or so eating well, shopping, visiting massage parlours, going to nightclubs and generally indulging ourselves. Sightseeing was also on the agenda in this remarkable city; the highlight of which being the Grand Palace complex; a stunning collection of gilded-roofed Buddhist temples, intricately carved statues, exquisitely detailed murals and the suitably regal palace itself.
%%Could not get body element policy for VersionedContentId(1.7387.UNDEFINED)We also took a few trips to the cinema, which in Thailand has one slightly bizarre quirk to it in that the national anthem is played before every film - the audience being expected to stand to attention. Meanwhile, pictures of the much-beloved king meeting his people are shown.
%%Could not get body element policy for VersionedContentId(1.7386.UNDEFINED)Good advice for foreigners in Thailand: do not insult the monarchy. The Thais hold the institution in extremely high esteem, their opinion of the king bordering on hero worship. Pictures of the royal family are literally everywhere - adorning streets, shopping centres, restaurants and more. A Swiss man recently fell foul of the country's lese majeste laws and was sentenced to an incredible ten years imprisonment for no more than defacing some of these pictures.
After Bangkok, we headed north to take in two of Thailand's previous capitals in centuries gone by; Ayuthaya and Sukhothai. Both are pleasant towns, dripping with history and an abundance of ancient ruins. In the former, the chief attraction is to visit the ruins at nighttime when they are lit up in all their resplendent glory. For the latter we hired bicycles and pedalled around for a few hours, taking in everything we deemed worthwhile. It didn't take us too long as we are now a little jaded by temples. Once you've seen Ankor Wat and the Grand Palace, everything similar tends to pail in comparison.
In Ayuthaya we did spend a delightful evening at Moo's Seafood Restaurant where Moo and his staff entertain patrons with good humour and magic tricks. It really made a difference from the usual fare of grumpy waiters who slap your food down and leave you to it. Moo himself seems to work all the hours under the sun and more, having a day job in a telecommunication company's finance department and running the restaurant by night. In a typical portrayal of Asian commitment to family, he explained that he had three sons and lived his life with the primary goal of making enough money to insure that no doors of opportunity were closed to them. We asked him why he went to the effort for the tourist's benefit and he said that it was because travellers are always on the move, away from their homes, and that he wanted to give them a smile and run somewhere that was a fun place to be, rather than merely a place where you ate. He seemed quite astute in his observation in that, believe it or not, eating out every night can be trying. And he did a great job - it is probably the friendliest establishment I have ever been to.
The next stop was Chiang Mai, a relative tourist mecca. Opportunities abound here for activities such as trekking, rafting, bungee jumping and elephant riding. The most unique of these is the elephant riding, and in the years of planning that went into this trip, one of the most evocative imaginations I had was of riding atop one of these great beasts as it lumbered through the jungle. However, over the last few months, I have witnessed plenty of captive animals being mistreated in public places and have come to realise that animal welfare does not exactly rate very highly amongst the priorities of South East Asians. As such, I decided to do some research into the industry before I contributed to it. Despite being Thailand's national symbol, the elephant is not afforded any protected status and, as I suspected, the trade is almost invariably exploitative and cruel. To begin with, the elephant will be captured and transported from its natural habitat to an area popular with tourists, which is often hundreds of miles away.
Once it has endured this stress, the beast will be put to work, carrying multiple passengers at any time who sit in a boxed contraption attached to its back. Needless to say, these seats are not designed to be molded around the creature in the manner of a horse's saddle, but rather most usually leave it with permanent spinal damage and deformity in its old age. Most elephants will also be forced to endure humiliating circus-style performances for the benefit of tourists and when not engaged in these activities, they spend nearly all their time chained up. We therefore decided to boycott this 'attraction' and focus on the more physical activities.
Unfortunately we found ourselves susceptible to the scourge of every backpacker – the dreaded stomach virus. Unbeknown to us, we checked into a guesthouse notorious for striking its patrons down with mysterious illnesses and within a few days, both Mani and I were confined to our room, only leaving to make frequent trips to the bathroom. Upon recovery, I promptly contracted a particularly violent food poisoning! After more than a week, it was time to move on having done none of the things we came here to do.
Let's hope for some better health in the south, where we aim to spend some much-deserved beach time.
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Weather for Grantham
Friday 03 September 2010
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny spells
Temperature: 10 C to 19 C
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