Bob is in Chiang Rai

Bob smsed me early this morning to say they are in Chiang Rai. He must be so happy that he made it there! After thinking about it for all these months. This road trip we took was initially supposed to have taken place in March 2008 but obligations kept him away from fulfilling his dream.

This time around he did it! He just packed us all in and left the office to his sister and reliable employees and off we went. I am a little sad that we (kids and I) were not able to finish the trip with him as planned. I am sure when the kids are older they would be able to appreciate it more.

I must say however that Najihah was a very good traveller. She occupied herself in the car writing in her "diary" of where we went and what we saw. Nadiah on the other hand was her self! Impatient and constantly bored of being in the car for long hours. Bob did comment that it was stressful driving for many long hours with the kids. Ali did not help the situation either as he is so active right now and being confined to a little boot space did not quite cut it!

Bob said he intends to drive as far as he can today but to where I am not so sure. He says the Disco is making a lot of noise but he intends to take the car as far as it can go. The Land Rover mechanic, Mokhtar, was supposed to join him in Chiang Mai on the day we flew back but was unable to make it due to passport reasons. Bob said he would feel a little more confident if Mokhtar was around. On the day we flew back from Chiang Mai, Bob's friend and our neighbour in Ara, Cikgu Rahman, joined him. A few others were interested in going but couldn't due to obligations.

We spent the New Year without him around yesterday. Ushering 2009 will also be spent without him. God Bless Him and we await his safe return.

Khalif is Growing

I went to visit my nephew, Khalif, yesterday. He is 2 weeks old and is growing steadily!

Still not sure who he looks like yet though. I held him too ... he is so small! Can't imagine that Ali was that small at one time. Sigh...babies, they smell so good too!

Thai's and Tourism Savvy

Many people have asked me such simple questions about the trip and entering Thailand, especially driving as much as we did.

First question was the highways/roads. Was it simple to drive there? Yes, extremely cause the road signs are really clear and the maps as well as highway route numbers were exact and in no way misleading.

Second questions was about food. Yes, Muslim food was quite easy to find as there is a large population of Muslims there. Of course the tourist guide books we had came in very handy cause they identified for us where to find Muslim food. But generally, you could find the halal signs or the moon and star to symbolise Muslim almost anywhere. Only thing now Bob is really near the Myanmar border and he said that one night was a bit difficult so they ate our Maggi supplies.

Third question was cleanliness. Yes, Thailand is extremely clean. The toilets, in no matter how public a place and even in the most remote area, would be clean. It is no where like our public toilets, even those along the PLUS highway. Theirs is clean and does not stink!

A public toilet we stopped at .... This was at quite a remote area...

I think this is due to the fact that Thai's are very proud of their country and are so aware of the value of tourism. This is something which we should learn from the Thai's. It would be shameful for Malaysians (in general) to visit their public toilets. Malaysians have this stinking attitude that if it is not my home why should I bother. This negative vibe goes a long way. It shouldn't matter whose toilet it is. You use it and so does your aunty for all you know, so what is so wrong with keeping it clean for the next person. I mean seriously, what is wrong with having a little pride and gloryfying the sharing is caring attitude!

This toilet had a few cubicles. It was arranged really nicely ...

Where Bob Is ....

After we left Chiang Mai last Friday, Bob made his way out of Chiang Mai. He described the place as a little like Janda Baik -- remote but very clean farm stay concept. The drive up was a bit of a nightmare as it was uphill and off road but interesting never the less. It was a way to head to Chiang Rai through smaller village road.

The next day he headed through remote roads along the Thailand-Myanmar border but had to turn back halfway cause they realised they were in the army restricted zone. He stopped at an almost dead town, Tha Ton, by the Mekong River where you could see Myanmar across..

He took the opportunity also to visit the Akha and Yao tribes on the mountain Doi Mae Salong which was described as interesting. And the weather was cold -- 10 to 12 degrees. I believe he is in Chiang Rai tonight. He complained of some car problems but am not sure how major they are. He is also unsure if the car can make it back!

I may not have got all this down in exact chronology. Guess we have to wait for him to come back!

Our Last Night in Chieng Mai

We spent our last night in Chieng Mai at Rati Lanna which used to be the old Sofitel. It was a really nice hotel for only 3,000 Bath(RM300). The kids jumped into the pool immediately after we checked in.

The rooms we got overlook the Ping River which offers you a boat ride to the nearest temple. The package includes lunch too for some RM100 a person.

I personally thought the bathroom was the best feature. The bathtub overlooks a water feature with a little waterfall action. Very relaxing when you take a soak.

This is the way to the swimming pool from the lobby of the hotel

The hotel overlooks the Ping River...

Our last dinner we had in town which I mentioned earlier is not far at all. Chieng Mai town seems pretty small after all with everything only 10 to 15 minutes away including the airport.

The best part I liked about Chieng Mai was the weather. It was a bit dry but cool. Could feel the heat difference immediately after we returned home.

All in all it was a good trip! Hope the girls will remember it...

Our Trip Home

After being away for almost 2 weeks, we decided it would be better for the kids if I flew back first. We didn't want the kids to be too stressed out anymore as the drive back would be equally as long for them. We also didn't want them to get a phobia of road travel in future.

So it was Air Asia for us from Chieng Mai. You all know what the Air Asia tagline is right? "Everyone Can Wait" and that is exactly what we did. The flight was delayed by 2 hours because one of the crew got into an accident so they had to find a replacement and that took the extra 2 hours. The flight from KL was supposed to arrive at 10am and our flight to leave at 11am but instead we left at 1pm.

If that was not bad enough, upon arrival at LCCT we had to walk so far to the terminal. With Ali and the extra bags I had to carry, that walk seemed to last forever! Keeping to promise of everyone can wait, we had to wait ONE HOUR for our bags!

Najihah got really bored wondering when that carousel would move!

Some of the souvenirs we picked up in Chieng Mai. This is a bottle cover made by the local tribes.

This hats we picked up are really cool. We bought this in Pai. It is made by the hilltribes.

Ali liked this one! Najihah calls it the witches' hat.

It took us a week to get to Chieng Mai and 3 hours to come home. Bob is still driving around. He went up to Tha Ton when we left and I think he is planning to go to Chieng Rai and maybe as far as Laos. Will keep you posted!

The Myanmar Border

On our drive from Khao Lak to Chumphon we passed by a place, Isthmus of Kra facing the Indian Ocean, where you can see the Thailand/Myanmar border. There is a lay-by where you can stop and there is a plaque giving you a brief history of the border. Our Disco actually made it to the border!

Following Highway no. 4 we would head up to Chumphon, a province divided into 8 districts. The Gulf of Thailand sits on the east, while on the west are the Union of Myanmar (thaninthayi division), and Ranong.

In the horizon is Myanmar. It is bordered by the river you can see in the picture

The two girls are proud to have seen the Myanmar border!

Najihah pointing to the Thailand-Myanmar border

Nadiah posing with the Disco at the Isthmus of Kra

That is the highway we were driving on to get to Chumphon. The boundary to the north is Prachuap Khiri Khan, to the south is Surat Thani. The Gulf of Thailand sits on the east, while on the west are the Union of Myanmar (thaninthayi division), and Ranong.

Isthmus of Kra, narrowest point on the Malay Peninsula, in Thailand, directly south of the Myanmar-Thailand border. Kra lies at the head of the estuary of the Pakchan River, which forms a segment of the border.

This isthmus, 64 km (40 mi) wide, with a maximum elevation of 76 m (250 ft), has been considered as a possible site for a canal between the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Thailand, but such a project faces serious obstacles, many of them having to do with the area itself. In the rainy season the region of the isthmus poses the threat of malaria, and in the dry season there is insufficient water to operate the locks of a canal. Furthermore, a sea-level canal would have to cope with the different tidal levels of the west and east coasts, the necessity of blasting a channel through solid rock in the eastern approaches, and strong coastal currents and semi-typhoon weather in the Gulf of Thailand. The Thai parliament has deliberated over the canal project several times in the last few decades, and while it was once declared too costly, the plan has recently been revived. Plans are also in the works for a multinational private company to construct an oil pipeline that would move imported crude oil across the isthmus to the East Asian markets.

Where We Went

I tried to cut and paste a good map I found of Thailand showing you all the places we visited and stopped at but can't seem to paste it and get it at a good size so here is the link:

www.maps-thailand.com/

If I cut and paste it it gets to this size: POINTLESS!

But looking at the map, we did drive a long way didn't we. All in all we took one week to get to Chiang Mai! I enjoyed the drive and yes, would love to do it again!

Just to recap again the journey up to Chieng Mai which took us one week. From Wang Kelian border off Perlis we stopped at Krabi, then Khao Lak, Chumphon, SuphanBuri, Phitsanulok and then Chiang Mai. We spent 2 nights in Chieng Mai to attend to some car problems then moved to Pai for two nights. After that we went back to Chieng Mai.

Elephant Ride

I actually got on an elephant! eeeeeee....what your kids make you do. It was in Pai and the kids really wanted to have a go. I said the poor elephant but according to Najihah, that was the favourite part of the whole trip for her.

The guy pads the elephant up with a seat of the three of us. You can also choose to go on the elephant without any pads or a seat. You can also choose to sit on his head, between his ears.

There we go. How was it? Hmmmm...feels a bit high and I had to hang on really tight especially when the elephant goes down hill. So afraid or slipping off.

You can even choose to go into the water with the elephant. No lah, I didn't do that. There are numerous elephant farms you can choose from. Maximum ride is one hour and maximum amount of people is 2 kids and 1 adult. Ride was affordable ...

That is us after the ride. And no, I would not do it again. Thank you very much!

Christmas in Pai

Pai: Dec 23 to 25 2008

The drive up to Pai, pronounced "Bye" was interesting. It is an uphill climb and is about a two hour drive or so from Chiang Mai. As you climb higher the air gets cooler. It is like our holiday resort Cameron Highlands.

This is the view as we were going up the mountains. All around you is mountains. It seems the Communist trek their way through this parts as they set their trails from Malaysia right into China. There is also a warning that you should never go tracking without a guide as some areas still have mines.

Ali is our official model. See how vast the mountains are, and the air is so clear and crisp.

Half way up you find a little town and here we found a Muslim shop run by a Chinese family. Her beef noodle soup is really good and we had it both ways going up and goind down. There is something I have learnt about Muslims in Thailand, for that matter even the Thais themselves. They are very clean. Wherever you stop for a pit-stop, you can be assured the toilet is clean. You never get that stinky smell like you did in our toilets. Why is that?!? You go figure!

When we got into Pai, we were greeted by a quaint village. According to Lonely Planet tourism has been a contributing factor for the village for the past few years but you can tell that this place will be a little Krabi come 5 years time. As it is there is a wide array of chalets and little resorts you can choose from. Since we came here during the holiday season it was really crowded and we had to shop around for a place to spend the night.

We stopped at this place called Paradise but they had no rooms for us. It is a quite place nestled among the mountains and valley. It overlooks the valley of Pai.

Finally we found a place at Paitree Village. This place was interesting. It was a big and sprawling and you had a choice to stay in this little pondok houses or camp out by the river. This river is also the place where elephants drink or take passengers for a dip! No kidding ...

It was warm when we arrived but as the sun goes down so does the temperature and in the morning it is freezing. Our warm clothing and gloves came in handy!

This was taken in the morning and was really freezing out. You can see the mist and the kids had quite a time as they blew cold air from their mouths. Ali was wondering what it was and kept on blowing. Was really cute to see!

We arrived in Pai quite late that day and only managed to see the town, in like less than an hour, the next day. There is quite a population of Muslims here and food was easy to find. This was a really nice mosque we found. Right infront on the mosque was a rows of shops which had good chicken rice and curry laksa. The thing about eating in Thailand is that they love ajinomoto ...and fish sauce. They can't do without it!

We decided to spend two nights in Pai which was really good cause we managed to get some good R&R here. We stayed in town itself the second night at this really cute place called Baan Pai Village. The chalets were like "pondok-pondok" and the girls had a fine time going around it playing house!

It is surrounded by a pond and we all had a tough time keeping Ali out of the water. Right next to the chalets is a massage house offering Thai massage, herb massage or foot massages. Really cheap and oh so relaxing!

This is another shot of Baan Pai Village. They hikes up the prices it being Christmas and all. They have internet services and the restaurant is right infront of the chalets. It is also walking distance from the night market.

This is a VW van which they convert into coffee shops and other arty-farty stations. The night market in Pai is different. It is more like an artists' colony kinda show. Of course this was the perfect place to find some real handiwork of the tribal people here. They specialise in weaving and we found a few authentic weaved pieces of clothing. The price was a bit on the high side but the workmanship is really good. I fell in love with some weaved bags but didn't get any. Thought it was a bit too pricey.

That is us at the night market. We walked down about four streets and had our fill of pancakes which is actually roti canan but they give you all kinds of filling like banana and chocolate, or egg (roti telur lah) and sugar or milk. Some even put cheese. It is a must for us whenever we are in Thailand.

This was taken on the last day we were in Pai. Najihah is saying bye to Pai here! We are off to

Chiang Mai again.....

Oh ya! We spent Christmas eve in Pai but it was not that happening. There were many foreigners around and they said they were here to get away from the cold Christmas. But their revelling was not very "happening" like it would be elsewhere I think!

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai: Dec 21 to 23 2008

The first thing we did when we reached Chiang Mai was look for food as we were all hungry. According to Lonely Planet there are several Muslim shops around the night market area and true enough as we were driving around, we found this shop, Le Spice, run by a nice and friendly Thai whose son studied in UIAM and he himself is well versed with Malaysia and Malaysians.

The food was pretty good and he serves a varied menu of Thai, Indian and Western dishes. And he offers free internet services which was really high speed! After a decent meal next on the list was to look for a place to stay. We were all tired from the long drive as the drive into Chiang Mai from SuphanBuri was not as scenic as the other routes. This highway 11 was rather boring as the road was winding and the scenery was hills. The trees were also getting drier the way there giving you the impression that fall was coming to an end. Chiang Mai by the way enjoys four seasons. The weather is cool, kinda like Bandung!

This is the place where we stayed, 296 Ratnadiya Residence. It is a not far from the city centre. For that matter the city centre is not far from anywhere. Even to the airport takes 10 minutes or so from wherever you are. The residence gives you a business hotel feel but it really is very quaint, and the decor very Zen. Nothing like the Rain Forest Resort but nice all the same.

Chiang Mai is a nice place, albeit a little busy but nice. They call it mini Bangkok. I have never been to Bangkok so I can't make a comparison but I will take the word of Lonely Planet. The guide book also says it is a shopping haven but I don't really see it that way. Maybe I am not in the shopping mode, which is hard to believe isn't it!

This is part of the city. The picture was taken on a tuk-tuk ride which the kids simply love to bits. Bob had to fix the car on the second day we were in Chiang Mai so the kids and I found our way about the town. Apparently to explore for the shopping haven but I must say my expectations were not met! Chiang Mai is famous for its silver and thai silk is really cheap there. I found some silver. Not that cheap but in abundance. I didn't feel like buying thai silk so didn't even venture into any of the shops. There are many places in Chiang Mai calling out thai silk galore so yes, it is cheap and in abundance!

The girls are enjoying the tuk-tuk ride here. They love the wind in their faces. Even Ali enjoyed it and he started pointing out to tuk-tuks every time we saw one pass by. The city is more or less built around this old fort and part of the building can still be seen along the big drain/stream/river. Not sure what this water feature is which runs through the city but they have done it up very nicely by putting fountains along it and doing up the landscape. Very creative!

This is the night market which is open only at night (DUH!) It is the usual fare of shops which is Thailand is famous for. Stalls and stalls line both sides of the road and you find all kinds of shops selling silver, thai silk, cotton blouses, fake watches and bags. Tiffany & Co designed jewellery, and a whole load of other stuff. Some parts of the market is nice cause they have done up complexes ala Central Market so the shops look a bit more organised. They also have a stage near the food court area where cultural dances are organised. This picture below is part of the cultural dance but it isn't very clear I'm afraid.

Had to take this picture. It is a tractor where they have built a lorry out out of it!

We left Chiang Mai on Dec 23 to go up to Pai, pronounced "Bye". It is like Cameron Highlands and about a two-hour drive up the hill. As you can see packing all our stuff into the Disco is quite a feat!

We found a Petronas kiosk and the shops is called Suria. Even the design of the shop is different. we stopped here to get top-up for our pre-paid!

This is the junction leading to Pai ......