Amy, Alex and The King

I now have the daunting task of updating the last 2 1/2 months...and you have the daunting task of reading it. Good luck to us both. I've decided to do this by country, though it is not completely in chronological order (due to unforseen idiotic embassy rules, a date deadline and a poorly timed chest cold...).

To begin, I should apologize to the multitude of individuals that adore Thailand and return year after year - our time there wasn't close to our favourite so far. We entered the north from Laos to find modern cities with all of the perks of home. The excitement of bank machines and well-stocked convenience stores left quickly as we were immersed into the land of tourism. As it has been pointed out to me, 'touristy' places are sometimes that way for a reason - there is something interesting to see. I agree, and am generally not annoyed by the presence of other travellers (though there are some exceptions...).

I guess the best way for me to explain how I feel about tourism in Thailand is that it's overdone. Everywhere you turn there are signs advertising ATV rentals, kayaking, safaris, etc., etc. My favourites are the travel offices that boast "untouched hilltribe experiences" and also state that they were established in 1985...right.

Despite the bitter tone, I did not hate my time there. The food was very flavourful, the people were some of the sweetest we've ever met and it was interesting to compare life there with that found in neighbouring countries. Alex and I selectively worked our way south, stopping at Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, Bangkok, Krabi and Koh Lanta. In doing so, we got a descent view of each region.

Chiang Mai is know as "the tourist hub of the North", where everyone and then some go before setting off to Pai (a meeting spot for the world's hippy wannabees). The city was a pleasant place filled with Wats and tiny shops. Temples in Thailand were really interesting - a lot of detail. I would say that they are Buddhism's answer to Catholic churches...gold, gold, gold. One day we had the opportunity to sit down with a monk and pick his brain about the religion. As we have come to expect of Buddhism, many things he said were much more 'open-minded' than Judeo-Christian philosophies. Others, however, smacked of 'man-made' absurdity...women are technically allowed to become monks but don't because they have many more rules that they must follow. This, therefore, creates inequality in education (particularly in poorer countries like Laos) where the boys have access to schools through the temples, but girls do not. Hhmmm...

Chiang Mai was also the first place that we witnessed the Thai people's serious love of their King in action. The posters and yellow shirts can't be missed, but I was still surprised when hundreds of people in a bustling market stood still at precisely 6:00pm when the anthem was blared through public speakers (which also happens at 8:00am...I will refrain from stating any personal views about this as I am still in Thailand and do not wish to spend 10 years in jail).

Our next stop, Sukhothai, was a sparse little town that probably wouldn't have seen a tourist if it weren't for the history of that area. Just outside of town, old ruins still stand (sort of...) from when it was the capital of the area in the 1400s. Having already been to Angkor in Cambodia, the Mecca of SE Asian ruins, we were not expecting much. Perhaps because of our low expectations, we were pleasantly surprised and had a lovely day wandering around the area.
Our soothing stroll here was the calm before the storm - our next stop, Bangkok, was sensory overload. Noise, stench, crowds, garbage, in-your-face sex trade, BAH!

We wondered around the city and, like everywhere else, some parts were nicer than others. Chinatown was a neat break from the scenery, but not the crowds. We enjoyed visiting the Royal Palace and several Wats but were very much relieved to leave.

Our experiences in the south were wonderful in comparison to the north. There was an abundance of things to do and, because it was nearing the low season, not so many tourists. Krabi was conveniently close to beautiful limestone karst formations which made it a perfect place to go rock climbing - both Alex and I LOVED it! (...our bruised knees and sore arms weren't so lucky...).
After Krabi, we spent almost a week on Koh Lanta. We stayed in a rustic bungalow that faced the beach - absolutely fabulous! Although we enjoyed a couple of days lazing, snorkelling and tooting around the island on a motorbike, the highlights of our time there were definitely a day we spent SCUBA diving and another kayaking with friends we met in Hanoi.

Our day diving included three dives near Koh Phi Phi. As always, it was really great to see life underwater. We were lucky enough to see Hawksbill turtles, sea snakes, a huge jellyfish, an octopus, lots of reef fish and colourful soft and hard corals. The following day we went for a days adventure with a Canadian couple that we met back in Vietnam and have been 'bumping into' (or stalking...!) ever since. We had the chance to kayak around limestone karst (yes...it's everywhere!), into caves and through some narrow waterways. A great day.

Koh Lanta was a wonderful place to say goodbye to Thailand. With a high muslim population, every day we were caressed by the soothing sound of the call to prayer that echoed from public speakers. It was great to spend time with our new friends, and the food on the island was particularly good. We also winessed some strange things during our time there - one in particular was the prevalent laziness that seemed to be at the core of every smiling local. Not to be rude (who am I kidding...) but I couldn't believe the 'customer service' (or lack thereof) that existed there. Every where we turned it seemed that we had to beg people to conduct business - staff would be sleeping or watching TV and seemed annoyed if you disturbed them...very bizarre.

The flight to our next and final stop, India, was out of Bangkok so we were forced to return to the big city. As it turned out, this was a treat because we returned in time for Songkran (Thai New Year). To celebrate, people enjoyed a few days off and partied in the streets with water and mud. Kids of all ages lined the streets with water guns and huge smiles on their faces as they soaked passersby. As expected, this is also an excuse for slightly older youth to have some fun too...streets filled with thousands of Thais dancing, drinking, throwing water and spreading clay over everyone's face. I know that to many (including myself) this sounds horrifying, but it was surprisingly a great deal of fun. I even had the opportunity to try cricket...it tasted a lot like shrimp! (unfortunately, the wet and dirty mess was not ideal for picture taking....sorry!)