How we traveled

Bus in Bagan, Myanmar

Travel Documents

We knew our trip would be a long time, but we underestimated how slow and difficult it would be to get from one place to another.  This was especially the case for Myanmar and Laos.  Over the trip we took a total of 12 plane rides, 14 different buses sometimes with several days on the same bus, 6 tuk tuks, 14 boat trips and 1 bicycle tour.  We stayed in 15 hotels ranging from one night to 3 nights.

Yangon Air out of Myanmar

Tuk Tuk in Vientiane, Laos

In Myanmar the popular tourist destinations such as Yangon, Mandalay, Inle Lake and Bagan are open to foreigners. However, much of Myanmar is closed to foreign travelers, and many land routes to far-flung areas are also closed. Myanmar's infrastructure is presently being built and rebuilt. Since the sanctions were lifted in 2013, a number of highways and bridges were built, and many roads are now more modern, making more destinations accessible. An interesting feature is that most vehicles are designed to be driven on the left side of the road, but the traffic is on the right side of the road.

Biking in Sukhothai

On The Mekong River in Laos

In 1970 all traffic was moved to the right. One theory is that the ruling dictator’s wife’s astrologer said that the country would be better off driving on the right side of the road. The second is that the dictator  had a dream that the country should switch directions. Either way, the dictator called the shots and traffic was directed to move sides overnight. Despite the lane shifts, virtually every vehicle in Myanmar has right hand steering.

Our bus in Laos

Taxi in Myanmar

The adjective that was most often applied to Laos is forgotten and traveling by air, road or river in Laos can be as interesting as the destination itself,  but flexibility is important for the near inevitable delays, cancellations and breakdowns. The cars are designed to be driven on the right side of the road and this is the side that the traffic is on. The highways in Laos have improved in the past ten years, but 80% remain unpaved. The main routes connecting Vientiane, Vang Vieng, Luang Prabang and Savannakhet are now mostly asphalt. On these roads you see pedestrians, animals, tuk tuks, buses, minibuses, big trucks, various converted trucks and everything else I have forgotten.

In Thailand they drive on the left side of the road and the cars and other vehicles are those designed for this side driving. Thailand's roads are head and shoulders above its neighbors Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, but driving habits are still quite dangerous. We had excellent drivers but speeding and reckless passing are common and motorbikes drive close to the curb and on the wrong side of the road. Accidents increase major holidays, especially Songkhran (New Year), when bystanders often throw water on passing cars and bikes. Many drivers don't use headlights at night and we seldom were on the road at night, except in cities.

Chaing Mai

20 Mar CHIANG MAI

We take a short ride through the narrow valley of the Mae Sa River which has attracted orchid farms, elephant rescue camps and resorts with impressive gardens. As the national animal of Thailand, the elephant has a special place in Thai lore. Elephants were once numerous, till the 1950s ranging over extensive forest habitats that covered much of Northern Thailand. In former times, the animals they were the equivalent of an off-road vehicle and a ten-wheel truck.

The a white elephant the symbol of kingship required such elaborate care that a gift of one from a king was enough to bring ruination to an over-ambitious courtier; hence the English expression a white elephant. Ironically, ordinary elephants have become white elephants to poor mahouts who are no longer able to find work for their animals logging in the hills and have to abandon them. The abandoned beasts were unable to find sufficient open land and have been destroying crops. As a result they are hunted and shot. The conservation center gives the elephants a place to safely live. Each elephant lives with the same person who feeds, bathes and cares for them. Every elephant lives out their life on the farm. We learn about some of the many traditional roles the elephant has played in Thailand since the days of old Siam. We go on elephant ride through the preserves. Its a bit like a Disney experience but considering the alternatives it is a good thing.

We also visit an orchid farm this morning and get to see how they are cultivated. There are many on display and we get to look around and try for the perfect orchid picture. Its back to town for a lunch at a local restaurant where we have a whole crispy fish and morning glory salad.  We get some down time before our last night on the town.  We walk to the night market and bargain for some souvenirs.  We have a wonderful dinner at an Italian restaurant near our hotel Da Antonio where we have the only salmon we have seen since leaving home.

The Bridge Over The River Qwai

24 Mar KANCHANABURI

Its a hot humid day and they predict rain for later in the day which would be a first for the year and today we will visit the museums and sites associated with the Death Railway constructed by Allied POWs during world war II working in hellish conditions under the Japanese occupation. Some 106,000 POWs and most enslaved Malay workers died during the railway construction.

Our Guide, Dom, in front of portrait of  Jack Chalker.

Dom brought Adrian Chalker, Jack's son, to visit this site anumber of years ago.

We first motor down river from our hotel on a long tailed boat to the wharf, then drive to the resort Home Phutoey to see a recreation of one of the camps for POWs and a private museum for Jack Chalker. We continue to the Hellfire Pass Memorial and Museum which honors two of the more famous Allied POWS, the great Australian national hero of the camps, Colonel Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop,  who’s bravery and temerity as a medical officer saved countless lives, and the British artist, Jack Bridger Chalker commissioned by Dunlop at the risk of his own life to make a pictorial record of the brutality, appalling conditions and medical techniques employed during their captivity.

Hell Fire Pass

Rail Bed

From the museum we walk down a number of stairs to the rail bed and through Hellfire Pass. It is the most notorious section of the Death Railway, built during the speedo period where the POWs were forced to work very long days and nights that resulted in the heaviest POW casualties of the war.
We have lunch at Wampo Siding in a local restaurant. This where we will board the train on a portion of the original  Death Railway along tracks laid by the Allied prisoners in 1943, and still in use today.

We then depart on a historic train ride at a very slow speed, through lush river-side teak forest and farming towns ending with the infamous crossing over the Bridge over the River Kwai. It was popularized in the 1950s by the movie of the same name. The bridge is actually over the Kwai Yai River, and there were two bridges, one made of bamboo and wood the other of metal, built between 1942 and 1945. The present iron bridge has two central boxy spans to replace three sections destroyed by Allied bombing. 

The Bridge Over The River Qwai

Just as forecasted as we drive back to wharf to go to our hotel its starts raining.  We have a tropical downpour for about 30 minutes it stops when we reach the wharf and its a boat ride back to our hotel in much cooler conditions due to the rain.  Then next day we drive back to Bangkok and after a night of r&r we make the long plane ride home.  We will have a number of posts to follow on some subjects we have thoughts on but this is the end of the day be day postings.

Kanchanaburi

23 Mar CHAING RAI TO KANCHANABURI

Allied War Graves Cemetery for World War II POWs

This morning we leave our jungle like hotel in Chaing Rai and fly south to Bangkok. From the airport we drive to Kanchanaburi near the border with Myanmar. We stop at the  Allied War Graves Cemetery for World War II POWs who were used by the Japanese to build the railroad to Burma and although its over 100 deg f we walk through the cemetery and see the many nations represented.  Its a quiet and peaceful place for the many that are buried there.

Long-tailed boat

We then drive to the river at the hotel Resotel Pier and take a long-tailed boat through the unspoiled mountain jungle scenery to our hotel on the river. It has individual bungalows set in the lavish jungle next to the river.  We have dinner at the hotel and relax ready for our tour the next day.

The Golden Triangle

22 Mar CHIANG RAI

Today we drive to Mae Chan and visit the morning market where we see all the food grown and sold in the area. Then on to Mae Sai, the farthermost northern village on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, with its bustling market place. Here the people from Myanmar cross daily to sell goods in small shops. Then into the Golden Triangle where the Makong River joins the Ruak River, forming the triangle where the borders of Thailand, Burma, and Laos meet.

We then take a long tail boat trip on the Mae Khong River, stopping at an island in Lao territory to visit a Laotian village famous for liquor making and to visit the Opium Museum. Then continue on to the old city of Chiang Saen (1260 CE) on the steep banks opposite Laos, where we explore some magnificent ancient ruins and temples.

We take a break for a swim at our hotel the Laluna in Chain Rai and then its off to the night market.  We have an excellent dinner and then visit the clock tower.  It was redone by the artist that did the white temple and has a light show which was quite enjoyable.

Chiang Rai

21 Mar CHIANG RAI

This morning we drive to Chiang Rai. along the way we visit Wat Rong Khun perhaps better known as the White Temple. It is a contemporary, unconventional, privately owned, art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple. It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997. He is a Thai visual artist. Primarily a painter, Chalermchai's works have been exhibited worldwide, and he is known for his use of Buddhist imagery in his art.

We then visit Wat Phra Kaeo, the city's most revered temple. According to legend, lightning struck and cracked the chedi in 1436 CE, revealing a plaster cast statue encasing the Emerald Buddha (actually made of jadeite). Today, Thailand's most holy Buddha image is housed in Bangkok; a replica, presented in 1991, is now kept here. The wat dates from the 13th century and one of the largest surviving bronze statues from the early Lanna period.

After a lunch at local restaurant we visit a museum on the hill tribes many of which migrated to this part of Thailand to avoid persecution in their countries. We then  take a boat trip on the Maekok River and visit a local Hill Tribe Village. The rugged, forested limestone hills of northern Thailand are home to some of the most interesting indigenous peoples in the world. The Lao, Karen, Hmong (or Meo), Mien, Lahu, Akha and Lisu minorities are a fascinating example of a vibrant pre-industrial way of life. They originated in Tibet and south China and live on the migration route that the Thai people themselves traveled 1,000 years ago.

Chiang Rai was founded in 1262 CE by King Mengrai. He decided that the site, in a basin between mountains, would be ideal for the new capital of the Lanna Kingdom. However, The capital was moved to Chiang Mai only 34 years later and Chiang Rai declined in importance. Today it is known as the Gateway to the Golden Triangle. With its varied ethnic groups and beautiful surrounding scenery, Chiang Rai, the capital of Thailand's northernmost province, feels far removed from Bangkok or even Chiang Mai.

We check into our hotel and go to a local restaurant the Moom Mia which is like sitting in a forest and listening to music and crickets chirping. We need to employ a local hotel to get us a tuk tuk back to our hotel.  He arrives with his wife and child, so Susan pays the wife and Tom pays the driver each the fare, happy to pay double fare.

Chaing Mai

19 Mar CHIANG MAI

We visit Doi Suthep, which dominates the skyline to the west of Chiang Mai, characterized by the eagles nest temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. This is Northern Thailand's holiest shrine and one of Thailand's most important places of pilgrimage. The view on a clear day extends over a seemingly infinite plain, making Chiang Mai look surprisingly compact.

Then on to the city of Chiang Mai which has over 300 temples of the Lanna’ style dating between the 13th and 18th centuries and characterized by curved wooden roofs pointing up at the top. Its old quarter is set within a 2 km moat and retains many of its traditional wooden houses. We visit Wat Phra Singh one of the most visually impressive temples in Chiang Mai. The main temple building is the star of the show, featuring the Lanna-style roofs and an intricately decorated facade that shines brightly in the sunlight. Wat Chiang Man temple is next and it once served as the residence of the city’s founder, King Mengrai, shortly after its construction in the 13th century which makes it one of the very oldest in the region. The temple itself is a glorious sight from every angle.

We then visit the Lanna folk life museum which opened last December. The museum is the brainchild of Chiang Mai Municipality Mayor Tussanai Buranupakorn whose aims to revive Lanna culture, educate the young about the Northern Thailand's distinctive culture and history, and make the museum a new tourism attraction in the old town. It was wonderful and a good setting for discussion at lunch at the local restaurant Huen Phen where we has some local dishes the heat toned down for westerners.

We then go to the most famous temple in Chiang Mai’s Old City Wat Phan Tao it is a more modest building. Its ornate decorations and detailed statues dotted around the garden are very nice and quite different. The temple has a viharn, which is one of the few remaining all wood structures in Chiang Mai. We are then off to the wood carvers warehouse to buy a spirit house and then to the Buddha store to furnish our spirit house.

After some rest we take a tuc tuc to the Sunday market a once a week event complete with musicians, clowns, message and of course many vendors.  After walking through the market we stop at a local restaurant Kanjana for some tasty dinner and some local beer before heading to our hotel.

Bangkok to Chiang Mai

18 Mar BANGKOK TO CHIANG MAI

We fly from Bangkok to Pitsanolok.  first we stop at Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat, commonly called by the inhabitants as Wat Yai. This is the most important monastery of Pitsanulok, located at the foot of Naresuan Bridge on the city side of the river. The monastery was built in the reign of Phra Maha Thamma Racha I In 1357 CE. It houses the Phra Buddha Chinnarat regarded as the most beautiful Buddha image in Thailand. Phitsanulok has long been an important center for political and strategic reasons, and a major center of recruitment when waging war with Burma. It was the capital of Thailand for 25 years during the 1448-1488 CE reign of Ayuthayaos King Boromtrailokanat.

After our visit we continue to Sukhothai an early kingdom in the area around the city Sukhothai, in north central Thailand. It existed from 1238 until 1438. The old capital, now 12 km outside of new city, is in ruins and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage historical park.  We visit the Ramkhamhueng National Museum, an excellent introduction to the historic city, including much in the Sukhothai style. From here we proceed to Wat Mahatat, dominated by a 14th Century lotus-bud tower and encircled by a moat. Some of the best architectural ornamentation is found in the main tower. We also visit the remains of the Royal Palace and other temples. We ride through this wonderful place on bicycles which give a quiet calm to the experience.

We continue our long drive to Chiang Mai, arriving around 6 pm having started a 3 am in Bangkok we are beat. We check into the Empress Hotel and collapse for the night.

Viangchan

FRI 17 MAR 2017 VIANGCHAN, LAOS - BANGKOK, THAILAND

Today we tour the sites of Vientiane the capital and largest city of Laos, on the banks of the Mekong River near the border with Thailand. Vientiane became the capital in 1563 due to fears of a Burmese invasion, but was later razed and looted to the ground in 1827 by the Thai. Vientiane was the administrative capital during French rule and, due to economic growth in recent times, is now the economic center of Laos. The estimated population of the city is 760,000 (2015).

We begin with a visit to Carol Cassidy's Lao Textiles workshop, studio and gallery where they create woven art. Specializing in 100 percent hand-woven silk, Carol and the 40 Lao artisans she employs produce exquisitely crafted wall hangings, scarves, shawls and custom furnishing fabrics. Their pieces are displayed in galleries and museums around the world including the Unites States.  We  then go to the national museum for some Laos history.

Pha That Luang

The city contains many temples and Buddhist monuments and we are off to Pha That Luang, a Buddhist stupa, one of the most famous in Laos. It is the most important national cultural monument and very popular with tourists. The original part was built in 1566 by King Setthathirath, and was restored in 1953. The golden stupa is 45 meters tall and is believed to contain a relic of the Lord Buddha.

Haw Phra Kaew

We visit Haw Phra Kaew which was built in 1565–1566 on the orders of King Setthathirath after he moved the capital from Luang Prabang to Vientiane. The temple was built on the grounds of the royal palace to house the Emerald Buddha figurine, which Setthathirath had brought from Chiang Mai, then the capital of Lanna, to Luang Prabang. Haw Pha Kaew  now serves as a museum of religious artifacts.

Statue at HOPE center

Also, earlier in the day we stopped by the COPE hospital and visitors center, they help in the rehabilitation for people injured by unexploded ordinance.  They are funded by a number of agencies including the USAID.  They have been credited with very good work.

We then head to the airport for our flight to Bangkok, then our hotel and leave our small group.  They fly home the next day and at 3 am we are up for our solo trip to Thailand.

Viangchan, Capitol City of Laos

THU 16 MAR 2017 VANG VIENG - VIANGCHAN

Today we  begin with a long stick boat ride up and back on the Nam Song River. We have a great view of the limestone outcroppings and the development on the river.  It attracts kayakers, tubers, as well as hikers and climbers.

We then start our 140 km travel by road to Viangchan (Vientiane), the capital of Laos. We make a number of stops, the first at the fishing village of Tha Heua which is near the lake formed by some of Laos hydropower development.  People fish the lake and dry the catch and sell it at road side stands.
We make a lunch stop at a Laos equivalent of a truck stop.  We all try the noodle soup for less than $2. As we make it closer to the capital is turns hot and muggy with a slight rain possibility in the forecast.

We stop at the memorial monument, Patuxai, which began construction in 1957 and completed in 1968, is perhaps the most prominent landmark in the city. While the Arc de Triomphe in Paris inspired the architecture, the design incorporates typical Lao motifs including Kinnari, a mythical bird woman. We passed on climbing to the top of the monument, which reveals an panoramic view of the city.