Chapter 4: Mountains, hill tribes, more water

From Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son province by bus to find that at this altitude there are cold nights, sunny Mediterranean days and flora (plus rice) and autumn tints on deciduous forests on the hilltops, quite a surprise.
Pai, ex-hippie centre of opium growing era, now a tired small town trading on its history but still loads of Thai tourists and travellers trying to see if the magic still exists, ethnic food, live music and jam sessions are the flavour here. Biking (1.15GBP per day!) around the valley the best bit.
Managed to get on a whitewater rafting trip for 2 days down Pai river to Mae Hong Son (63km and 40 sets of rapids - not at full spate but still fun), which is where I am headed anyway AND chops off a 4-5 hour bus trip over the mountains containing a well-publicised 1,864 serious bends (you can even buy the T-shirt).
Motorbike trip (3GBP per day plus 1GBP petrol) to particular tribal village of the Paduang people, a sub-sect of the Kayah people, refugees from Burma. Granted land for farming outside of the refugee camp as they bring tourist value due to their custom of wearing brass coils around their necks, knees and ankles - weigh up to 5kg each, depresses the collarbones and ribcage rather than stretching the neck, kids start at 5 with 1kg.
Then trip to a Chinese village, Mae Aw (or Ban Rak Thai in new name, meaning Village loves Thailand)populated by Kuomintang fighters (anti-Mao Chinese war in the 1960's) who were allowed to settle and grow tea and coffee in the highlands, now that Opium is a no-no. Also went to a Royal Food Bank project, teaching the hill tribes how best to grow crops organically and sustainably. They share the produce and sell the extras. Then they go back to their villages to spread the word.
Xmas in Mae Hong Son city, catching my breath before 3 hour bus trip south to Mae Sariang and a serious 1 day jungle trek, wading through streams and complete with machete at times by the guide to Karen tribe villages and jungle waterfalls - 8 hours of it! The Grizzly beard has made a comeback too, see horrible photo under waterfall! Learnt how to say how are you? and Cheers! in Kareni language, very useful.
Now south again in Tak province after 6-hour open-sided pickup truck trip over the mountains at Burmese border city of Mae Sot for New Year. Went past huge refugee camp near Burmese border, been there a while but very depressing. Lots of dodgy trade with Burma here, drugs, teak and gems apparently, Thai officials get bribed.
Heading to Um Phang for largest falls in Thailand, more rafting and jungle trekking, supposed to be most beautiful Nat Park in this country. No internet, phones, banks, ATM or anything down there so there will be a short interlude.
Cheers! Tabloo! Mike
Photos link: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Thailand_2007_Chapter_4 . You can also go to this blog, and therefore the pics by Google searching on "Dodgy Uncle Mike" and selecting the first of two results, not many of us around then.

Chapter 3.....What, wat, water

Now flown to Chiang Mai (55GBP in 5 hours or 25GBP by bus via Bangkok in 24 hours plus - no contest!).



Old walled city built in 1296 and scenes of many kingly wars and takeovers, unfortunately only the corners, city gates and the moat still exist. But it is also the city of 300 temples ("Wat" in Thai), so stand by for the photos! I had a real problem editing down to this many as they are so beautiful inside and out, sorry.



Then have just got back from whitewater rafting (no photos as too hectic paddling and hanging on in the rapids) and rainforest trekking in the nearby Doi Inthanon Nat. Park (highest mt. in Thailand at 2,565m, sorry went a bit David Attenbrough there). 4 days with only a bathe in a forest river on Day 2 night, sleeping on bamboo platforms and cooking on camp fires, very boy scout. Came back filthy and sweaty - still hot in the North and humid in the forest, boy did we smell!



Visited some of the hill tribe villages, these are tribes who have migrated here over the centuries (and still are coming) from Burma and China and have been allowed to settle and farm but they retain their customs and dress. In this case they were from the Karen tribe (ex-Burma) who are still fighting an ethnic cleansing war inside Burma, so the refugees are still coming.



Part of the trek was also bamboo rafting, which is how these tribes ship their produce towards the markets in the towns and villages (although 4-WD tracks and motorbike trails are fast taking over). Rafting over mini-rapids whilst standing up with nothing to hold onto is quite something, and I was rear driver with a long pole to fend off the rocks and banks and keep the bloody thing straight-ish whilst our guide steered at the front!

Other thoughts:

• King's birthday: he is like a god here, even got his own shrines inside buddhist temples, slightly weird. He's 80 and I hate to think what they'll do when he dies.
  
• Chiang Mai sausage: they eat pig here in the North, and all of it. Intestines are deep fried, pork crackling of a sort is a daily snack as is lumps of deep-fried pork fat, and the sausages make Cumberland ones seem bland, I don't know what's in them but...
• Elections: they closed all the bars for an entire weekend, and will again this weekend, to stop politicians getting prospective voters drunk for free and bus them to the poll station! Just got to the mini-mart in time to get a slab of Singha and a bottle of Mekhong before the ban started. So what are the politicians doing this time? They are handing over cash to the poorer voters to buy their votes (allegedly), 3-500Baht per vote, about 7GBP!

Photos link at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Thailand_2007_Chapter_3

Right off to aging-hippydom (ex-opium growing area) in the mountains north west of here around Pai, then hopefully a 2-day whitewater rafting trek down the Mae Nam Pai river to Mae Hong Son, more forest trekking to other tribes (Burma / Thai border conflicts permitting).

Cheers!

Chapter 2......and Plan B

You are now in touch with Mike Laurent, AOW and bar. Passed my Advanced Open Water PADI course, so I hit the bar on the boat! Does that mean I am now Well Dodgy?

Had a great time since last post (only 2 weeks ago but seems longer):

• 3-day liveaboard diving trip to Phi Phi Islands and Hin Muang / Hin Daeng rocks - 9 dives in 3 days including my first night dives! Liveaboards are really good, you dive, eat, rest, dive, eat, rest and then beers after last dive of day whilst looking at all the photos and watching the sunsets
• 3-day expedition to 2 nature reserves in next province, Phang-Nga at Khao Lak (coastal) - endless beaches, staying in wooden huts behind the beach; and Khao Sok (one of oldest primary rainforests in the world). Still too wet to trek after end of recent rainy season (mud up to your thighs and leeches everywhere, nice), so had to go in by elephant (not what I wanted at all but no choice) and out by canoe. Needs more time to explore properly, so may be back!
• 7-day liveaboard diving trip to Similan Islands (Thailand), into Myanmar islands and back via Richelieu Rock (Surin Islands) whilst doing course. Stunning places. Deep dives to 35 metres, night dives into caves and tunnels up to 16m long with 1 square metre exit at 25 metres depth. Getting quite exciting at times.

Myanmar has hundreds of uninhabited islands off the coast, all rainforest to sandy beaches and 27C water! And nobody there, only Moken (sea gypsy) people. We were the only dive boat in the entire place, quite spooky really.

On a more sombre note, the Tsunami sort of haunts the coast. Chatted with a tuk-tuk driver who lost his sister and took 5 days to find his wife, who was one of only 2 survivors from a beachfront hotel kitchen staff of 35. He said as noone knew what this was everyone was watching / photographing the seawater disappear leaving fish all over the exposed sea bottom, as the wave sucked all the water into it. Sucked dry for 10-15 minutes, then they saw the wave and ran for it, he escaped 6000 around here didn't. The wave was about 7 metres high in Khao Lak, moving faster than a car and went over half a mile inland just flattened everything. Also destroyed many coral reefs, so the beaches are now being eroded as no more protection. Still photos stuck on trees as memorials, some with small offerings of flowers, incense sticks.

And so to Plan B. As from December 1st, crossing into Myanmar for diving now counts as a formal exit and re-entry trip (before they just paid a visa fee ($200 per person) and sailed on). So, as I have a 3x60-day visa for Thailand, my passport got stamped and I am now officially into my second 60-day package. I still had 15 days left on my first package which I was going to use up and cross into Laos for New Year, NO LONGER!

So Plan B is now to stay in northern Thailand until the end of January. In some ways it is good as I can really see a whole section of the country that I would have missed - all the mountains, rivers, treks and hill tribes along the Myanmar borders and into the Golden Triangle. Very remote and have to check each step with the Thai army to make sure that Thailand and Burma aren't having yet another border war. Also hope to now get to the ancient capital cities of Sukhotai and Ayuthaya. But the effect will probably be that I won't be able to see much of Vietnam on this trip, Laos will be Feb, Cambodia in March then back to Phuket for 08/04 flight to Malaysia.

That's it! Photo link is http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Thailand_2007_Chapter_2 I have put captions on photos to try to give some sort of reference points.

Cheers!

Mike

Thailand: Chapter 1, the first.......and second

So, it has been 3 weeks in sunny Thailand (apart from the tropical downpours), and Mike is well into this lifestyle, thank you.

This was going to be a list of firsts, but following a disaster with the memory card in my camera and time marching on, there are also a lot of seconds.

I lost 75% of my photos, so had to go back to re-take them, hence the sequence is all awry I'm afraid but you'll get the drift - pictures of Kamala Beach (my base), a trip to the neighbouring province of Phang-Nga which are all the shots of island stacks coming out of the sea, caves and fishing village on stilts; and 2 lots of dive days in reverse order.

I have also now bought a new camera (about 15-20% cheaper here against even online sites in UK, 30% on RRP) which also has an underwater case, so the second dive day are photos taken by me - scary taking a new camera 20 metres under relying entirely on a waterproof seal!

Back to the list:

• The first dive day off an island called Racha Yai, south of Phuket island - lionfish, stonefish and moray eels amongst loads
• The first nights at 2 new beach bars, free food! Cheap booze, some homemade plum brandy and all on a beach under the stars - oh all right. just one more
• The first jet ski ride, at least on this trip, jumping the waves was fun
• The first travels with backpack and using public transport (1 GBP for a 1.5 hour bus ride here) to Phang-Nga, just turning up and seeing how far I got that day. Relatively short trip but a learning curve too. Buses in Thailand are pretty good, but timing is on Thai time
• The first whitewater rafting where I reached to Level 4 (serious rapids and drops), a level higher than in Peru
• The first motorbike ride for many years - rented one for a day to get to far end of island, not my idea of fun though, so may stick to cars if I ever need to do that again. My sense of balance is pretty crap and the traffic here has its own rules. Using motorbike taxis though
• The first longtail boat trip through mangrove swamps and around the Phang-Nga islands, including the "James Bond island" where a couple of those films have been shot - badly ruined by tourism now, but the rest of the islands are still untouched
• The first overnight stay in a Muslim community (Koh Panyee fishing village) - no alcohol for an entire day and night! No running water either after the pipes burst and a mossie net full of holes
• The second photo shoot of Kamala beach and neighbouring Laem Singh cove
• The second trip to Phang-Nga islands to re-take all the lost photos, as I thought the place was worth it (40 GBP for a speedboat day trip when the entire 3 day first trip cost less!)
• The second dive day at Anenome Reef and Shark Point (my photos and the first ones you'll see!). Still too nervous, using my air up too quickly (40 minutes max for a whole tank, others getting an hour out of one) but hopefully practice will fix that.

Now planning for Stage 2 in northern Thailand, trekking in the rainforests, temples and lots of earliest Thai culture. Got a contact from a UK couple just come down from there so trying to fix up with them, and base myself in Chiang Mai until 29/12 when I have to leave Thailand as my first entry (60 days per entry) on my visa expires, so Laos for New Year!

But the next event is a 3 day diving trip, living on board the dive boat (23-25 Nov) to a couple of rocks about 60km south of Phuket island (Hin Dang and Hin Mueang) as a practice for the 8 day trip (including sitting my Advanced PADI exam) from 1 Dec to Similan and Surin islands off the west coast and (unofficially as no visa stamping done, just some money changes hands with the Burmese Coastguard apparently!) into Burma. Then trekking for a couple of days up the west coast from here.

Photo link is: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Thailand_2007_Chapter_1 Sorry, quite a few as diving and the coast here is pretty spectacular. I'll try to keep to more regular posts and so smaller photo links in the future, honest.

Cheers!

Mike

Welcome to Thailand

It's been a week, so I thought I would get a first post up for this trip as an introduction. By the way, this is not going to be a Judith Chalmers or a David Bellamy travelogue but more my experiences and my usual warped views.

Uneventful flights all on time, so got to Kamala Beach on Phuket island early afternoon. Watched Pirates of C. 3 film - brilliant piece of overacting by all!

Staying at PapaCrab Guesthouse about 1 minute from beach, this is right at start of season so all the beach bars are just being built and restaurants gearing up.

First night's sleep was interesting: right next to Bob's Reggae bar (hate reggae), down the road from a club, fighting the mozzies, then at 4 am the sound of stilleto heels on walkway outside and my neighbour enjoys what I shall politely call a bit of slap and tickle (literally) until 5 am, just in time for the Mullah at the mosque down the road to blast the town with loudspeaker-driven 5 am call to prayers! Not finished yet, at 7 am next door other side is a large school and they start at 7 am with outdoor assembly conducted over loudspeakers complete with music and drum rolls - fantastic!

So, exploring beach and town for first few days. Managed to fall into "Sports Bar" where only sports were ladies and "lady boys", got invited to their grand opening night by Evie, a lady (no adam's apple) who is my size and height, so I didn't argue! Escaped intact and avoided the place on Opening Night only to be spotted by Evie who came stomping down the road after me! Anyway, managed to get out of it and we are still talking (Dodgy Uncle Mike strikes again, and NO, Lindie, I still don't want to buy those - in joke, ask her, but you can guess I expect).

Kinger, if you are reading this, you were right of course, a bloke on his own here stands out somewhat - unless you then have a Thai lady (or lady boy) on your arm, which so many of the older ones do, thankfully I'm not old yet (mentally, anyway)!

Went to Kata and Patong to see what they are like, very large, very crowded and all the lady bars you could possibly want! I'll stick to Kamala. Met with the Dive team and firmed up all dive dates, so that starts from 10/11 and finishes with a week aboard a dive boat in Similan and Surin Islands plus going into Burma to Mergeuil banks, doing my Advanced PADI at same time, firsat week of December - at least that's the plan.

Living here is so good, get up for walk on beach, breakfast at beach bar, laze on beach (when not raining, still end of rainy season) cruise the bars for the evening and eat at seafood and Thai restaurants. A dinner with a Singha beer costs about 3.75GBP, a beer or a Thai (Mehkong) whisky is about 85p!

Anyway, getting known around town now - even the Indian tailors are starting to give up, and the ladies just shout and wave. Really friendly people particularly if you try a little Thai speaking.

Finding my way around the island using the local buses (not tuk-tuk's), 40p for about a 1 hour journey (tuk-tuk is about 5GBP for same trip as I can't divide the cost with anyone here), if you don't mind sitting with chickens, sacks of rice and all sorts of locals.

Off to Phang Nga, neighbouring province, for a few days next week - island stacks out of the sea, James Bond film-style, caves, temples and nature reserves plus sea kayaking and rafting, I hope. Catch the bus there and see!

Cheers!

Mike / Mick

First draft of the Peru Journal now has a link

Go to Peru posting and click on journal link.

Note: so far only covers first few days! I'll update over the next couple of weeks and issue a posting to say when finished

Cheers!

Mick / Mike

Today

Right, we are up to date.

I have slightly enhanced the Bali post today as I remembered a couple more nicknames and movie sketches!

There will be more stuff added to the Peru posting as I am getting photos from the guys on the trip and I have yet to publish the journal as a link.

I shall be doing these updates as I shelter from the midday sun in Phuket!

Off tomorrow, so next post will be just to say arrived ok, after which there will be irregular posts and, if I can organise it, photo dumps.

Cheers!

September 2007: Kuala Lumpur and Bali with the "family"

A long arranged holiday of the "family" in celebration of Jackie's 40th birthday. I was asked if I would like to join, and so was born "The Add On" / "Dodgy Uncle Mike".

Participants were:

• Jackie (aka "Judith Chalmers" / tour guide / "control freak" / "The Director")
• Tracy (aka "The Smiter" / "she who takes photos of toilets")
• Dave (aka "Dad")
• Libby (aka "Mum")
• Taff (aka "Uncle" / "Bobby" / "Wobert" / "David Bellamy")
• Lin (aka "Aunty", "Lindie")
• Mike (aka "The Add On" / "Dodgy Uncle Mike" / "Rex Hunt", and the one who always seemed to get the blame for everyone's hangovers, tiredness, lateness, illness - but do I get any sympathy?)

Publishable photos on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/KL_and_Bali

Also a certain set of movie sketches (who's idea was it to give Jackie a camcorder for her birthday?), the highlights of which include:

• Judith Chalmers' travelogues
• David Bellamy's wildlife documentaries
• Panorama-style hidden camera stalking. These include the quite brilliant ideas of: stalking the victim from in front of him; and doing "silent stalking" with a commentary! But the director can never stop talking so not really a surprise.
• "Cutting Shapes" in an "if you are ever in KL, this is a real cool club" club
• "Buddha eating a Chinese meal"
• The hotel band singing "Who The **** Is Alice?"
• and culminating in the dark, drunken "I Need A ****" sketch

All cheques for the movie to be addressed to B. R. Ibery, Alton.

Enjoy.

July 2007: Peru Tour and Inca Trail Trek

A four week tour of southern Peru through a tour company, The Adventure Company http://www.adventurecompany.co.uk/


This consisted of an effective seven sections:

1. Coast, Deserts, Nazca and Puerto Inca - http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Peru_Coast_Deserts_Nazca_07_2007
2. Arequipa, the Altiplano, Volcanoes, Colca Canyon and the Condors - http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Peru_Altiplano_Volcanoes_Canyons
3. Lake Titicaca, Sillustrani and Sacred Valley (first visit), which also had a surprise in store - a general strike! - http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Peru_Lake_Titicaca_Sacred_Valley_1
4. Inca Trail trek to Machu Picchu - http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Peru_Inca_Trail_to_Machu_Picchu
5. Inside Machu Picchu - http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Peru_Inside_Machu_Picchu
6. Sacred Valley (2) and on to Cusco - http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Peru_Sacred_Valley_2_and_Cusco
7. Amazon Rainforest trails - http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Peru_Amazon

I have a Journal (Word document) under construction (still!), so this piece is an intro with links to photos and the journal - http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dff2nsff_1gf69vp

I have created separate web photo albums for each section due to size and allowing for boredom factor!

Enjoy

June 2007: Sailing in Greece

A late offer from Sunsail was too good to refuse. A week sailing around the Sporades islands and Volos gulf (mainland).

They do a share-a-boat scheme within a flotilla group, the risk is always who you are stuck with to share the boat. Done it before, had a really good time.

This time I was berthed with 2 skippers who fought each other for control whilst I sat and refereed - terrific. Worse was that one was an OAP who was really past skippering and a bit forgetful but "a decent chap", and this egomaniac bullshitter who was an excellent racing skipper but had a fuse the length of a hamster's toenail.

Luckily you always meet up with the other boat crews in the evening and have drinkies (surprise!) and dinner together, so they were laughing at our antics every day and I managed to talk to humans every night!

Anyway, the Greek islands are a superb setting for sailing (and some motoring when no wind), so a couple of photos are on this link:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Greece_06_2007

May 2007: Worldham Golf Club Tour to Devon

No photos, thankfully. Just including this as a reminder.

4 days in Okehampton, Devon organised at the golf club.

About 40-50 supposed golfers play "sociable" golf on a huge complex near Okehampton, can't even remember the name!

Managed to get some sleep between drinking, eating, golf and all sorts of other indoor "sports".

March 2007: Antigua and BVI

The start of a new chapter.

Get back to sailing, learn SCUBA diving and travel.

Easy start, a package through Sunsail including 2 weeks on land at their club in Antigua, getting RYA Dinghy Sailing Level 2 ticket, followed by a week in British Virgin Islands doing an RYA Competent Crew course.

Managed to get some golf and mountain biking in too! Plus the cricket world cup was on in the West Indies at the same time, so the locals were well excited and chatty, taking the piss out of the English efforts as usual.

See selection of photos at:

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/laurentmik/Antigua_and_BVI