Diving Thai Style

June 13, 2011

The sea around Koh Tao has a temperature of 31°C and the visibility is 10-15m at the moment. Not the worst conditions for diving although the visibility could be a bit better. Compared to the reef in Cairns the dive spots here have one big advantage. The scenery when you get out of the water is simply stunning. The advanced open water course requires me to do five so called ‘adventure dives’.

Koh Tao

June 11, 2011

The train to Chumphon was scheduled to leave Bangkok at 7:30 in the evening. We were still on the platform 45 minutes later. Thai railway makes the German one look like a clockwork. In this case a delayed departure wasn’t a bad thing though as it means a later arrival and thus more time to sleep (scheduled arrival was 4:15am). A mere 1.5h late we pulled into Chumphon station and a bus took us to the ferry terminal.

Train to Bangkok

June 10, 2011

After our adventure in the north it is now time to go south. Destination is Koh Tao, tropical island in the Gulf of Thailand. Hiro will stay in Chiang Mai for a couple more days to settle her stuff but I left town yesterday evening. This time my transport of choice is the train instead of the bus. Oddly enough the trains take much longer than the buses but they also offer additional comfort.

Far North Thailand

June 6, 2011

This weekend Hiro’s visa was about to expire and we went to get an extension at the border to Burma/Myanmar. Extending a visa is rather easy (if you’re a citizen of the right group of countries), leave the country, come back half an hour later and get another 15 days (or 30 if you enter the country by plane).

The border crossing that is the easiest to reach is at Mae Sai about five hours north of Chiang Mai. We couldn’t get a bus ticket directly to Mae Sai so we went to Chiang Rai instead to catch a bus to the border from there.

From Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai it’s about 3-4 hours and once again I was amazed by the Thai bus drivers. So far I’m unable to tell on which side of the thin line that divides genius and insanity they are to be positioned.

They might be masters on four wheels, using every inch of the road (including the oncoming lane of course) and getting the last bit of power out of their aged vehicles. They might as well be plain mad, unaware of what happens when two heavy loads of steel collide at high speed. Frankly the fact that I haven’t seen a single accident yet let’s me think of them as masters of their craft. That thought is also more comforting when you’re at their mercy.

The reincarnation-express delivered us safely in Chiang Rai and we had a look around for the bus to Mae Sai. Now while the long distance coaches are somewhat close to what you’re used to from western countries the local buses are a bit different.

Ever wondered where the old buses go that no-one wants to have on Europe’s roads any more? I know that now. Have a look at the top notch air-con.

There was up to thirty people in that bus and I was the only one with blond hair. Gives you quite a feeling.

The ride to Mae Sai takes roughly an hour and a half and as the roads are close to the border there is frequent police checkpoints. The police is - as far as I know - mainly looking for illegal immigrants from Burma so when they board the bus to check IDs

Crossing the Road

June 3, 2011

Imagine you want to cross one of Chiang Mai’s busiest roads during the rush hour. Without any help that endeavour is bound to fail. Traffic is so dense that you would have to force your way through it, risking accidents and severe injuries. Fortunately every now and then there are pedestrian crossings with traffic lights. They look the same as in Australia, they sound the same but they work differently. As this is just a pedestrian crossing and not a crossroads one has to consider the basics of Thai traffic law.

Moving Pictures: Chiang Mai

June 1, 2011

Not much going on at the moment. Here’s some impressions from the streets of Chiang Mai.

Sick - again?

May 26, 2011

On Wednesday I woke up feeling weird and almost having to throw up. Releasing my bowels was most unpleasant and with all signs of a fever coming up I decided to go back to Chiang Mai - not keen on getting ill in a mountain village where I don’t know a single soul. By now I’m feeling a bit better with the fever almost gone. I still don’t have a clue where I caught that gastroenteritis or whatever it is.

More of Pai

May 24, 2011

Decades ago Pai would have been a very dangerous place for tourists. Back then it was a hub for drug trading in the golden triangle. That changed in the 1980s and the area became an option for tourists. From what I’ve heard these people still had an interest in cheap opium and cannabis. From that something of a hippy culture developed in Pai and until the early 21st century it probably was a very relaxed place.

Pai

May 23, 2011

In the last weeks I spent a lot of time in cities. Time for a change. This is the view from my Bungalow near the river in Pai. Pai is a small town three hours north-west of Chiang Mai just 30km from the border to Myanmar/Burma. The road that leads there is famous - it has 762 bends on 90km. It feels nice to be in the countryside again and even though the ‘down-town’ here is a bit touristic the place has a very relaxed atmosphere overall.

Saturday Adventures

May 22, 2011

Towering on a mountain over Chiang Mai is Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, sacred site to the Thais and known among visitors for its views over the city. The temple can be reached by private transport or with the common red taxis (Songthaew). As always, travelling on the road in Thailand is an impressive proof for the deep religious beliefs of the people. Only somebody convinced of reincarnation can do what they do.