68. Golden Triangle Tour - The Golden Triangle

Our next stop is Chiang Saen - where you cruise over to the Laos island of Don Xao. I had been told the boat was a small canoe, being a non-swimmer I didn't fancy my chances in a little canoe so decided against joining in this part of the trip. Because of this I hadn't brought extra cash with me.

Above: Chiang Saen
Yep, here's the notice board which "proves" I was at the Golden Triangle! It seems a bit childish now taking a photo for proof, but hey! people do funny things and I'm pretty sure people have done funnier! All in the name of tourism.☺

Above: Boat to Don Xao Island
I found out the boat is not a little canoe, but this "normal" size boat so then there was a rush of letting the tour guide know that yes, I did want to go on the cruise. That meant I had to hand over 300 baht - don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, had I not been told the boat was a little canoe, I'd have paid the extra when I booked the tour and would have taken extra cash with me for spending.

Above: Thai side
It was lovely sitting in the boat - I love messing about on boats and sitting back watching the water and the river scenery, it is such a peaceful thing to do. Here is the Thai side of the river. Hmm - looks like a work in progress.

Above: Golden Buddha, Wat Sop Ruak
A little further up is the big buddha - Wat Sop Ruak, which I believe is the border point of Laos, Thailand and Burma (Myanmar). The huge golden Buddha rises 40-feet from the stern of an elaborately designed metal pirate boat.

Above: Laos Golden Triangle
On the Laos side. Here we see one of the casinos being built by China. It disappoints me that monstrosities like this are built along a quiet, lovely place all in the name of greed, money and big business.

Above: The Golden Triangle
Where three countries "meet".

Above: Don Xao Island
Here I am - the island where you get mostly black market stuff - grog, tobacco, you name it, they got it. I bought a white handbag for 300 baht. Asking price was 600 baht. Mostly the bags weren't really what I wanted - there were so many, and we had so little time. Anyway, I fell in love with a fuschia pink bag with a grey flower and black plastic beaded handles. Fellow wanted 800 baht. I offered 400, went up to 500 baht, Had left the bulk of cash at the hotel safe and couldn't go higher. He wouldn't budge. He did speak to someone and I caught the words "special delivery" or something like that. I was very disappointed.

If I were to be lucky enough to come back here, I'd be looking at the locally made silk scarves and trinkets and knick-knacks rather than handbags. You don't need your passport, even though this island belongs to Laos.

Above: Ferry
Soon it was time to leave - here we are on the boat heading back. Eating the ice cream I bought on the island. It was a goooood ice cream.

Above: Back to Chiang Saen
Soon we were back on dry land and it's okay everybody, back on the bus - it's time to head to the restaurant for lunch. We drove for a short while, probably no more than a few minutes.

 

Above: Chiang Saen restaurant
The restaurant was fairly large and is set up for tourist groups. I didn't know this at the time, but do now. Anyway, whether the food was "authentic" or an "authentic" experience I had a lovely time here. The food was good, plenty of it and I can honestly say I had a good time. The lower left-hand photo shows food dishes which are from L to R - Fried rice, Fried Chinese noodle, Fried potato, Fried chicken, Chicken curry.
There were also desserts, little confections of sweet stuff. And of course - coffee.

 

Above: Restaurant front entrance
This is the outside of the restaurant - it's just beautiful with all that bougainvillea overhanging, framing the place with a hint of old fashioned mystery. Sitting in one of the chairs under a flowering cover is one of the most enjoyable things you can do. I could have sat there forever. Sipping coffee, sitting in the shade with nothing more to do than pick up the coffee cup, the breeze wafting past your face with a delicate freshness. You close your eyes and live the moment.

 

Above: Verandah Chairs
These are the chairs on the verandah. As I sat on one of these rattan chairs drinking coffee, it looked and felt like British Colonial times.

 

Above: View opposite
There was a school or childcare learning centre opposite with drawing/artwork on the wall and small chairs. I couldn't get the whole lot in one photo, so took three and I've put them together in a collage. If you enlarge the photo, you get a better view. Does anyone reading this know what the Thai writing says?

The village, if that is what it was, was a pleasant, sleepy little place, busy but not crowded.
All too soon it was time to head back to the bus.


Next: Mae Sai/Tachilek

57. Dinner, A Ticket And Feet

Well it was the end of the day, my last night in Kanchanaburi and I thought I'd have a "night on the town." First thing was to find somewhere to eat, so I walked around looking at the various eating houses, it was no to this one, or that one isn't quite what I'm looking for. Then I saw it - The Hut.

 

Above: The Hut
This was just the sort of place I was looking for - a pub atmosphere with a beer garden - read outdoor eating area, nice, but not posh. (Apart from the fact that I couldn't afford "posh"), I wanted somewhere where the food was cheap, the company relaxed and the place casual. Where you could sit and linger over a drink and take your time without feeling you had to hurry or buy another drink. Anyway, this place suited me to a tee.

I had (from memory) noodles and vegies with pork and a glass of juice followed by a cup of tea. I must say I did enjoy that tea. I'd chosen a table near the street and I could see people walking past. People watching is a great pastime - it costs nothing and is very entertaining.

 

Above: Travel Agent
I popped in here and inquired about a bus to Bangkok. On the lady's advice, I booked my ticket there and then for the 1.00pm bus. As I needed to exchange some currency, I also booked a tuk-tuk for the following morning. She said come about 9.00am and the cost would be 50 baht.

 

Above: Fish Spa
Walking along the street ogling the shops and businesses, I heard a cackle of giggles and looking to where it was coming from, spotted a couple having a fish spa. I had one in Kuala Lumpur the year before and loved it, so I decided to have one here. It was 99 baht for 30 minutes. The English girl kept on cackling like a ninny with, "Oooh, it tickles!" I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I mean to say, it tickles a bit at first, but after a couple of minutes the ticklish sensation goes, yet this dolly never stopped.

I wouldn't recommend having a fish spa here - it was nowhere near as good as FootMaster Fish Spa (in KL)- they don't have separate tanks, nor do they offer you Chinese tea and neither do they finish the job with an exfoliation, which should be done. Still, it was a pleasant way to spend half an hour.

I wandered back to The Hut, ordered another tea and wiled away the time before going back to my accommodation - had to pack and clear up. It's amazing just how much mess one can make in a few short days.

56. PLOY Guesthouse

This is where I stayed in Kanchanaburi - PLOY Guesthouse. It is very clean and the staff were very helpful.

Above: My room
I was in Room A 103 - the "A" building is the single storey building with an outdoor shower with private garden. I would sit on the timber seat and have a smoke, in peaceful surroundings.
There was an information sign on the wall near the mirror which I thought rather delightful. It reads -


DO'S & STOP
:DO REMIND The breakfast time is 7:00 - 10:00am After that
we have to apologise that we can't serve because a ton of work to do.
For the bar serves you until 20:30

:Don't Take Bath towel of the room, please take your towel out.
Pool towel is provided 20 BHT per day.

:DO REMEMBER everything in a room have a price DON'T RUIN them.

:DO Check-out before 12:00 or the late is 100 BHT per hour.

:DO fill the drinking water as we provide.

:DON'T smoke in a room.

:DON'T BE HESITATE to ask for something or any question. we appreciate
to serve you but please DO SPEAK EXTRA SLOWLY AND CLEARLY.
As we can speak English just a little bit.

:DO Enjoy kids with our facilities: Lego, Paint, Sand pool for free
of charges except Radio Control Boat is 40 BHT per 10 minutes.

:DO NOTE that most toilets in Thailand mean you will have to squat,
but in PLOY please sit. And DON'T PUT the toilet paper
or sanitary pads in the toilet bowl.

:DO REMOVE FOOTWEAR before getting on the bed.

Above: PLOY gardens
The gardens around the guesthouse. There are quiet spots where you can sit and just chill out. The centre photo shows the pool and the river. The swimming pool...hmm, yes.

Thou Shalt Look Where Thou Put Thy Big Foot!
I decided to take a dip in the pool, not being a swimmer, I gauged the shallow end and went in accordingly. Oh it was so refreshing sitting there, legs floating in the water, water coming up to chest high, arms weightless. Such a cooling place. Finally I decided to get out and have a drink. Now, there was no sign saying, "Caution - Slippery" and as I awkwardly climbed up the ladder and gingerly put my foot down on the ground --- WHOOSH! I slipped, lost my balance and ended up very inelegantly on my rear end. I put my right arm out to break the fall, and landed in a heap. (I'm afraid I wasn't very quiet about it either) - I couldn't move - pain shot up my right arm and my rear end was very sore. Two of the staff (both male) came over (it was so embarrassing - the top of my bathers had slipped down) and as I feverishly tried to pull them up I asked them to pass me my sarong. After several minutes, I slowly, very slowly got up, sat in the cane chair.
Ever been in situations where you wish the floor would open up and swallow you? Well, this was one of those times. That was my first (and last) adventure into a pool. Sigh........

Above: PLOY Guesthouse
Looking down from the entrance to the rooms. Note the thatched roofs

Above: Bedroom
My first experience of Thai beds - the mattresses are not just firm they are hard! And instead of it being on a bed with four legs, it was situated on the floor - the floor where the bed was, was higher then the rest of the floor. Just think of a huge step. Getting on it was fairly easy - it was the getting off that took some doing. I found the best way was to slither down to the end of the bed, dangle my feet over the edge on the right hand side and onto the chair, then put them on the ground! What a sight for sore eyes I must have been.

The little fridge was on the same level as the mattress and the window showed the "garden" outside. To the right of the narrow table and mirror is the bathroom door.

Above: Outdoor garden shower
When you go through the bathroom door, the basin and mirror are to your left, the loo is on the right and the shower faces the garden.
There is another sign, equally quaint and rather humourous which says:

DO'S & STOP
:DON'T FORGET that mosquitoes looking and flying like fighter planes will,
not may, also extend you a warm welcome even during daylight. DO BRING
some anti-mosquito-aircraft necessities along and if don't have them ask us.
Especially please DON'T FORGET to close the door.

:DON'T BE ALARMED if you find pigs trotting by or in front of you,
or big monstrous (perhaps to you) lizards wisping out their forked tongues above
your head, or others.....because this is a REAL NATURF.

:DO CONCERN that the electricity and water is the world's resources,
let's save this energy. Please DO TURN OFF when YOU DON"T NEED IT.

:DO let us know if you back from the National park as always many blood
eater come with you, we could give you a hand to clean stuff.

:DON'T KEEP your valuables in a room. And if you do think
we are decent and honest do keep your valuables in out safe deposit box.

:DO BE ALERT if you take NEW FRIEND in room, please take
care your personal belonging.

:DO hang on the sign "do not disturb" If you don't need us to make up
your room.

:DON'T FORGET to double lock the door by wood club.

Have a nice dream!

Above: Walkway
From my room, I walked this way to get to the restaurant - turn left after the elephants.

Above: Entrance to restaurant
The steps lead to the restaurant - on the right hand side is the bar and the area where the breakfast is cooked.

Above: Breakfast table
The tables are made of a solid piece of beautiful timber, topped with glass. The seating is also made of timber, polished to a sheen with the patina of old wood. This was my table. A free breakfast consisting toast and tea or coffee is included in the room price. The rest is extra. I had scrambled egg, 25 baht, bacon - 30 baht and orange juice 40 baht as well. It was 95 baht well spent.

Above: Antiques and Collectables
There are many beautiful pieces - timber sculptures, antiques and curios. This cabinet holds hookah pipes, lustres and candelabras. Above is an old steamer travelling trunk.

Above: Rooftop Garden
I discovered this delightful rooftop garden setting. Relaxing lounges and pillows, undercover from the blazing sun and tables and chairs - again made from nature - solid timbers and marble tops. The whole is surrounded by shrubbery and trees with a view overlooking the River.

Above: View from restaurant
My favourite view - the River Kwai as seen from my breakfast table.

All in all, I was very happy with my choice of accommodation and would recommend it to anyone visiting Kanchanaburi wanting a quiet, relaxed place where you can chill out and just listen to the birds and the gentle lapping of the river.

26. Food in Thailand

Thai Cuisine
It helps if you know what type of food to expect when travelling overseas to a country for the first time. Dishes from Asian countries are far different to dishes from Australia, or indeed other western countries. And "Asian" dishes in Australia often bear little resemblance to Asian dishes in Asian countries.
When I was in Cambodia, I ate the most delicious Thai food at the guesthouse where I was staying, and the Chinese food I had in Malaysia was wonderful. Coming back to Australia, I have to say the Thai and Chinese meals I've had here are "Western" Chinese/Thai foods. Believe me, they are definitely not the same thing!

Rice
Rice - khao, is the staple food in Thailand. In southern and central Thailand, many people eat khao jao (plain rice) with every meal, while people in the north and northeast eat khao nieow (sticky rice) with their hands, sort of what we'd call finger food. The sticky rice is rolled into a small ball then dipped into different sauces. What we would call a main dish or side dish is called gap khao (with rice), so everything is "with rice".

The Four Tastes
There are four main tastes in Thai dishes - hot (spicy), sour, sweet, and salty and it is the combination of these tastes that gives Thai food its delicious flavour.

What if you don't eat spicy foods?
If you don't like spicy food, ask "Phet mai" which means is it spicy?
Chan au mai phet na ka means I don't want spicy please. "Mai phet" translates as not spicy. Mai sai prik means do not put in chillies. If you do happen to bite something that is too hot eating either plain rice or noodles will help as they soak up the spicy oil. Don't make the mistake of drinking water - it only spreads the oil around your mouth and you still feel like you have a volcano sitting there.

I wish I'd known this before, when I'd gone out with friends to an Indian restaurant and ordered what I was told was the mildest dish and not hot at all. Hah! We live and learn eh?☺

Popular dishes
Neua phat bai ka prao ~ Beef, stir-fried with vegetables and Thai basil.
Phat tai (Pronounced "pat tai") ~ Fried noodles with bean sprouts, peanuts, and lime juice, usually not spicy.
Gai phat met ma-muang ~ Chicken, stir-fried with vegetables and cashews.
Khao naa pet ~ Rice with roast duck, non-spicy normally found in shops with roasted duck in window display.
Khao phat ~ Fried rice, usually not spicy.
Kuoi tiaw ~ Chinese noodles, served as soup (kuoi tiaw naam) or dry (kuoi tiaw hang).
Plaa thawd ~ Savoury deep-fried fish, often whole, tilapia or catfish.
Phat pak lai yang ~ Stir-fried vegetables.
Raat naa taleh ~ Wide noodles (raat naa) with a selection of shrimp, squid etc in a light gravy. Not spicy.
Som tam ~ Green papaya salad with hot chilis, lime, tomatoes, peanuts, and a special sauce and a specialty of Isaan, in northeast Thailand.

And something to drink
Cha yen ~ Thai iced tea made with black tea, ice, and condensed milk. It is often served in a plastic bag with a straw for you to carry away.

24. Food - Thai Travel Menu

Some of the best (and cheapest) food in Thailand I've been told is to be found at the food stalls on the street - food hawkers. The may not have menus written up and chances are if they do, they're most likely in Thai. Which can present a bit of a conundrum for tourists who are unfamiliar with the Thai language, although you could of course point to something on the "menu" and ask the person working there what it is.

Menu Explained
Take a look at this menu board below

Above: Menu board
It has great dishes on there like chicken fried with cashew nuts, fried thousand year eggs with crispy basil leaves, spicy squid in a basil & curry sauce and many others for 20 baht each. Yet many people don't get much way past the fried rice or fried noodles.

Over rice
Many of the items can be ordered "over rice", so including rice. Ordering an indivudal dish over rice is cheaper so probably the best thing when you're travelling by yourself. If you order seperately you get more, but the price will be a little higher.

Chanchao wrote a Thai Travel Menu which you can find here. The Travel Menu is a PDf file and it requires Adobe Reader to open.

Chanchao's travel menu is the copywright of Chanchao and netasia.org
Many thanks to Chanchao for giving me his permission to use the above information in my blog.

14. Ginny Place

One of the accommodation places in Chiang Mai is Ginny Place located in the heart of the old city and in a great location.

Address
114/1 Ratchapakinai Road
Tambon Phra Sing
Amphoe Muang
Chiang Mai 50200
Phone: (0)6 587-6249 / (0)5 30272009
Email: phiphawee_buasen@hotmail.com
ian@iantaylor.org

 

Above: Ginny Place Bedrooms
Bright, colourful cheerful rooms although basic, are all scrupulously clean. The guesthouse provides a towel and hot water is available in both shared bathrooms and private ones.
The guesthouse is very popular with budget travellers with rates from 100 to 300 baht per night. I was hoping to stay here but they don't take online bookings, meaning you can't pre-book, so you just have to try your luck and hope they have a vacancy on the day you arrive.

I have heard the people who run the place are very friendly and helpful - Tee also runs a travel agency and can help arrange tours and sightseeing and answer questions like "Where do I get the bus to such-and-such a place"? and Ian will quite happily sit with you and have a drink.
They have wi-fi available as well as television.

 

Above: Ginny Place

Dining:
There's a cafe called The Be Bee Cafe at Ginny's which serves reasonably priced meals. Below is a sample menu:

Breakfast:

Big Breafast - 150 baht
The big breakfast consists of 2 Sausages, 2 rashers of bacon, 2 eggs (fried, scrambled, or poached), baked beans, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, french fries, toast with butter/jam, orange juice and tea or coffee.

Aussie Breakfast - 120 baht
Also sounds delicious with 2 sausages, 2 rasher of bacon, 2 eggs (fried, scrambled, or poached), baked beans, fried tomatoes and mushrooms, toast with butter and jam, orange juice and teoa or coffee.
The only difference between the two is chips.

Omelet - 80 baht
Served with cheese, ham, onion, tomato, butter and jam

Pancakes
Plain Pancake - 40 baht
Pineapple Pancake - 50 baht
Banana pancake - 50 baht
All pancakes are served with syrup

Sandwiches
Toasted Ham and Cheese - 65 baht
Toasted Tuna - 60 baht
~ combination of chunky tuna, onion, and tomato

Grilled Chicken Supreme - 75 baht
~ grilled chicken, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, thousand island dressing

Club Sandwich - 120 baht
~ ham, cheese, fried egg, bacon, tomato, and lettuce and served with french fries

Chicken Sandwich - 60 baht
~ grilled chicken, tomato, onion, cucumber, and lettuce.

Above: Chiang Mai town map showing location Map courtesy of Ian from Ginny Place.

10. Thai Foods

 

Lunch anyone?

From left to right,

Row 1: Rice Porridge with Pork = joke, Egg Noodle Soup = ba-me, Fried Noodles of Thai Style = phat thai,
Row 2: Fried Vegetables = pad pak, Spicy Lemonglass Soup with Shrimp = tom yum kung, Papaya Spicy Salad = som tum,
Row 3: Green Curry = gang khee-o wan, Omelette = kai jee-o, Egg Noodle Soup = ba-me, Chicken cook in Spicy Basil = kai khapraew,
Row 4: Chicken Fried with Cashew Nuts = kai phat met mamuang himmaphan,
Meat in Coconut Cream = pha naeng, and Chicken with rice = khao mun khai.

9. Exotic Thai Fruit

There are many delicious and exotics fruits in Thailand and Laos. To help first time travellers recognise them and their names, I have made a collage of the most common ones.

 

Above: Exotic Fruits

I have given the English name followed by the Thai word for these fruits. Going from left to right, top to bottom:

Row 1: Banana - Kluai, Pomelo - Som oo, Coconut - Ma praw, Papaya - Ma la gore, Star Gooseberry - Ma yom.
Row 2: Mango - Ma muag, Mango - Ra gum.
Row 3: Durian - Tou rian, Star Fruits - Ma feu-ung, Guava - Fa rang, Custard Apples - Noi nar.
Row 4: Lychees - Lin gee, Rose apple - Chom poo, Orange - Som, Pomegranate - Tub tim.

Bananas (Kluai)
There are several types grown in Thailand, some of which are
Kluai Hom - Fragrant Banana
Ripe fragrant bananas are a popular all-day snack. It goes well with breakfast cereals and is ideal for making banana fritters, cakes and ice-cream.
Kluai Khai - The Egg Banana
Has a thinner golden-yellow skin when ripe. It is eaten fresh or cooked in a light syrup. It is also popular as dried banana, candy, or cake.
Kluai Nam Wa -
Sticky and sweet when ripe, Kluai Nam Wa is valued for its high nutritional value. It is often used in a dessert known as Kluai Buat Chee in which slices of banana are cooked in coconut milk. It is also a key ingredient of steamed desserts made with glutinous rice, or rice flour, such as in Khao Tom Mut or Khanom Kluai.
Kluai Hak Mook
A cooking banana that is delicious when roasted or grilled.
Banana blossoms known as "Hua Plee" are used fresh as a garnish for the famous Pad Thai noodle dish, used in Thai salads or yam, or eaten raw as a salad vegetable served with chilli dips called nam prik.

DURIAN (Tou rian)
Peak season: May to August

Considered to be the 'King of Thai Fruits', Thais prefer a durian that is just ripe. The flesh should be slightly soft to the touch but without being crunchy.

Durians are an acquired taste and ripen quickly in the hot tropical climate. As the fruit ripens, the flesh takes on a creamy consistency and the intensity of the aroma increases. (Given this lingering and at times overwhelming aroma, durian is banned from hotel rooms, cinemas, aircraft, limousines, coaches and vans.)


To find out about other fruits click here AN INTRODUCTION TO THAI FRUITS.