Talking Thai

So I never did get around to posting any blog re my time in Thailand which is shameful given that I was there for so long and was stuck for days in Bangkok. Here it is now though...

Spent 2 days in Bangkok first of all and was not impressed. Perhaps my perception was coloured by my reading about it and thinking about it before I went. I don't know. All I know is that I found it to be big and noisy and dirty, with not that many exciting things to do really. Very disappointing. I also found the people of Bangkok to be different to other Asians. Not so friendly or helpful although it should be noted that this is a generalisation in the extreme!

Moved on to Chiang Mai and the Thailand experience immediately got better. Chiang Mai is an ancient city in the north of Thailand, and is populated heavily by hill tribes who live very peacefully and with only the basic amenities available to them. It's beautiful and not so noisy as Bangkok although its nearly as big. I had some fun there - did some volunteer work with elephants, did a 5 hour zipline course which was amazing fun and met some very cool people there. I also visited the hill tribes and did a days trekking in the mountains- which nearly killed me by the way! The guesthouse that I stayed in was cheap and clean and comfortable and the people who ran it were simply lovely. The only bad thing about Chiang Mai is that it is where I parted ways with Mido which was the right thing to do but made me very sad, so I have some upsetting memories of the place. Otherwise all good.

From Chiang Mai I moved on to Koh Chang, one of the little islands that is situated in the west coast. It has only 5000 inhabitants. I would recommend that it be visited as soon as possible though as it will soon become the Benidorm of Thailand. For the moment however, its got the right amount of amenites and conveniencies without being painfully touristy. The waters are crystal clear, the sand is white and the people are warm and friendly. Beautiful. Also did 2 days volunteer work here- with the Koh Chang Animal Foundation. Run by American Lisa McAlonie, it provides treatment and assistance for the islands small animal population. She also does surgery etc for the islands pets and if the owners cant afford to pay then she doesnt charge them. Lisa is a little bit crazy and I think if I stayed any longer she would make me crazy too! But she is warm and good hearted and I enjoyed the experience.

I stayed in Koh Chang for 6 days then headed back to Bangkok to discover that the airport was shut with protesters at the doors and no flights were taking off. So I had the joy of wasting 5 days in Bangkok- trust me, it was no joy!! But it did give me time to relax a bit and take stock of where I was and what I was doing. 10 months away from home already and it only feels like 5 minutes. Time really does fly by....

Travelling has opened my eyes not only to the differences in the world but also to the similarities. People are just people, no matter where you are in the world. They get up in the morning and try to get through the day, some with a smile on their face and some with a scowl. They have the same trials and difficulties, they have the same joys and celebrations and the same heartbreaks. I remember going to a funeral in Tanzania and although the customs were different, the widow was still a widow and the children had still lost their father. The adults in Kenya were battling Aids with some of the same perspicacity and courage that can be seen at times in Britain. When you suffer a loss or a struggle, you think that you have the toughest of everybody and that no one could understand what you are going through. Travelling has shown me that is not the case and the world is filled with folks just trying to get by. Not to mention the fact that there is a McDonalds on every street corner no matter where you are in the world and that there was a KFC in Cambodia- perhaps not such favourable comparisons. I'll leave it for you to judge, dear Reader.

Till next time.