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.