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Singapore and Thailand
  • Delaneys to Go

Singapore and Thailand

The Delaneys are travelling to Singapore and Thailand with Wendy and Allan Schmidt. Read more
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  • Trip start
    November 17, 2018
    Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Six days to go!

    November 10, 2018 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 2 °C

    Six days until we leave! I decided to collect what I wanted to take. I am hoping to get it all into a carry-on size suitcase. Take a look at the picture. What do you think; will I be successful or will I have to leave some stuff🤔Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    What is an island, a country, a city?

    November 19, 2018 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    It’s Singapore, of course! Our trip was a series of firsts; first time on Cathay Pacific (very nice); first time leaving at 1:20 a.m.; first time getting hit on the head by a suitcase (Brian and he’s ok); first time in Singapore and finally, first time at the ParkRoyal on Beach Road. It was warm and humid when we landed. The hotel is contemporary and very nice. The staff are fantastic. We splurged for the concierge level and already they are using our names when they see us.

    After unpacking and having a shower, we went for a brief walk to stay awake. We are on the edge of the Arab district, Kampung Glam. As we wandered, we came upon a wedding procession. The Malasian bride was beautifhul. A long sleeved, high necked white wedding dress. They were followed into the reception by a percussion band and the wedding party, much to the delight of all of the tourists.

    Returning to the hotel, we had a light dinner in the lounge. Then Melatonin and straight to bed.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    2 Kms but it took all day

    November 19, 2018 in Singapore ⋅ 🌧 27 °C

    ‘We can walk’ I announced brightly at breakfast and so we did. Granted we had to get to the start of the walking tour and we got lost but that 2 km route took us 5 hours! But we had a great day. Our destination was the Gardens by the Bay.

    Brian and I were not sure about doing this but what a great experience. The gardens include two domes, one for flowers and one called the cloud dome. Both had beautiful plants, interesting displays and were fascinating. Getting there and home, we walked the circumference of the bay, walked through the Marina Bay Sands hotel ( the one with he roof that looks like a ship ) and stopped at The Fullerton for a (very expensive) Singapore Sling. Then a cab home for a nap.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Civic District and National Museum

    November 20, 2018 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    We are sitting beside the pool after another hot day of walking. Our hotel is on the edge of the Arab Quarter so around 4:00 each day, we hear the call to prayer.

    Today we took a cab to St Andrews Cathedral to start our self-guided walking tour of the Civic District. St Andrews is plain by most cathedral standards. It’s white walls are coated in a mixture of egg white, egg shells, coconut husk and plaster. It fits into this district where many of the buildings are of the colonial look favoredby the British. Next to the church are the originall court house and the original city hall. They are beautiful granite buildings in a neoclassic style. They now are joined together as the National Gallery. Our guidebook told us of a free observation deck in the New Supreme Court building so we headed there next. It did provide a nice view of the area but unfortunately, photos were forbidden.

    After a brief stop at the spot where Stamford Raffles made his original landing, thereby changing Singapore’s future, we walked up Fort Canning Hill. This is a high point where a fortress and governor’s mansion was built, overlooking the port area. But many of the historic sites were being renovated so it was a lot of stairs for nothing.

    We had some time before lunch and chose to use it for the National Museum. The museum has a very good exhibit on the history of Singapore (short version: it kept getting invaded by a variety of neighbors because of its strategic value) culminating in the invasion by the Japanese in 1942. The island was captured in 7 days. After the end of the war, Singapore joined with Malaysia for 2 years before becoming an independent country.

    On to lunch at Chijmes, a renovated convent which houses dozens of restaurants. We ate at New Ubin Seafood, having noodles, chicken satay, chicken wings and salted caramel ice cream.

    Across the street was Raffles Hotel which is undergoing an extensive renovation. Only the famous Long Bar is open (it struck us all as not particularly long). We chose not to have a $35 Singapore Sling and headed home for a rest before the Night Safari at the zoo.

    Later....the Night Safari, while an interesting idea, was disappointing. For Christine especially, the animals were hard to see. The “show” was much like that at other zoos. Oh well, live and learn!    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Peanut pancakes in Chinatown

    November 21, 2018 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Today we did a half day walking tour of Chinatown offered by The Original Singapore Walks with Poh, a wonderful guide. She grew up in Chinatown and was generous in sharing her own history as well of the Malay and Chinese cultural history. Singapore has a majority Chinese population so really the whole city is a Chinatown.

    Unlike other Chinatowns we have been to, Singapore has designated its ‘shop houses’ as historical buildings. If an owner changes the exterior, it must be changed back to its traditional look before being sold. Whole streets are preserved to look as they did in the late 1800s. Highlights of the day were tasting peanut pancakes (delicious), visiting a traditional medicine shop and touring the Chinese Heritage Centre. The Centre is a re-creation of the harsh living conditions of the Chinese economic migrants. Small rooms (about 8’ x 10’) housed families of 6-8 people and also functioned as places of business. Cooking was in a communal kitchen shared by 4 or more families. Fascinating.

    We walked along the street which had been the original shore line, Telok Ayer Street. Singapore has reclaimed blocks of land and continues to do so. We visited the Temple of Heavenly Happiness which includes Taoist and Confucius deities. The temple was built without the use of nails. Much of the paintwork has been restored. Poh shared with us the importance of bats in Chinese culture (they are seen as bringing good fortune). The word for bat is very similar to the word for good fortune and are seen as a sign of long life.

    After a break for coffee we stopped at the Lee clan house. The clan house functions as a social club but originally helped newcomers (who shared the same name) to find accommodation and work.

    At the market, we eyed the frogs, eels and turtles destined for a cook’s kitchen. At the traditional medical clinic, Brian and I bought a ‘balm’ for our sore backs and knees and Wendy bought 7 Flower tea to rejuvenate!

    Poh recommended Lamb Noodles for lunch and we had a delicious lunch of hand worked noodles and dumplings. Delicious!

    A very satisfying day; back to the hotel fora much needed break.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    1 city, 2 worlds

    November 22, 2018 in Singapore ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

    Today we visited the Little India neighbourhood and Orchard Road, the high end shopping street. What a contrast,

    Little India was our least favourite experience, so far. Unlike the rest of Singapore, it seemed more rundown, with the first garbage we have seen on the streets. It did not help that most of the stores were just starting to open at 10:00 a.m. and we could not go into the mosques as we had shorts on. But we visited one Hindu temple before heading off to Orchard Road.

    Today was also our first trip on the subway. Not surprisingly it was clean, fast and efficient. Lunch was at Food Republic, a food court in one of the malls. While we were eating, there was a rain storm complete with thunder and lightening, our first day-time rain in Singapore. We all had some variation on chicken and rice; all cheap and delicious.

    We took pictures of 2 fun signs, one construction ‘worker’ and one that sums up Christine’s thoughts about golf.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Cruising down the river

    November 22, 2018 in Singapore ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    We returned to the hotel for a 2 hour rest then took the MRT to Clarke’s Quay for the river cruise. The sun came out and it was a lovely, leisurely trip to the bay and back with a running commentary about the city. Afterwards, we strolled along the river walk to look for a place to eat dinner. We chose a Thai restaurant and the food was quite good. The free Tiger beer went down quickly and a second round was had by all.
    The sun set as we made our way back to the bay to see the light show at 8 p.m. It was a bit anticlimactic (Disney has nothing to worry about) and we were glad we hadn’t spent the big bucks for the Light and Laser show option with the cruise.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Bangkok Busy

    November 23, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Our driver arrived promptly this a.m. to drive us to the airport. Our stay at the Park Royal was an unqualified success and we will miss being spoiled by the staff.

    The airport in Singapore wasn’t too busy and we sailed through without incident. The flight to Bangkok was filled but uneventful and we met our new driver immediately after exiting the baggage claim. The drive to the hotel was long (rush hour ?) and the traffic was chaotic. (what we eventually came to realize was normal).

    The hotel is an oasis amidst a street of 7 eleven’s, massage parlours, laundries, and a HUGE hospital. The best part of the ambiance is the street vendors selling various foods.
    We sampled a Roti made with an egg that was reminiscent of French Toast; delicious.
    We strolled around the block to find 2 large open air restaurants selling fish. You pick your dinner and they cook it right before your eyes. I’m sure we will have some before we leave.

    It was still rush hour and the traffic was horrific. Like Rome, all the scooters weave to the front at every red light and zoom away like the Indy 500 at the first opportunity. Like Peru, the electrical wiring is all above ground and resembles a plate of spaghetti atop the hydro poles. Alan was amazed.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Wat Pho

    November 24, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    Wat Pho is the temple of the reclining Buddha. The Buddha is 46 meters long and 230 years old. He is gold-plated cement. The temple grounds also houses chedes or pagodas each of which house the ashes of a prominent family. This temple is also an important centre for the teaching of Thai massage and Thai medicine.

    It was very crowded and VERY hot. Our guide, Air, blamed the crowds on it being Saturday.

    All of the temples today required us to remove our shoes.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Bankok’s rivers and canals

    November 24, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    From Wat Pho, we jump on a long tail boat for a cruise up the river and canals. While the relief from the heat was welcome, the river crossing was a bit scary. The river is very busy so there are swells from other boats. We saw a wide variety of houses from barely standing to prosperous looking. We also saw herons, a very large lizard, and lots and lots of kids. We were apparently just in front of a Buddha statue coming down the river by boat, so lots of people were out watching the river and feeding the river fish.Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Temple of Dawn and Royal Palace

    November 24, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    The Temple of Dawn was completed in1769 by the king to recognize the expulsion of the Malays. It is covered in intricate Chinese porcelain mosaics of flowers.

    The Royal Palace complex was constructed in 2 years by King Rama 1. The grounds have been extended to approximately one square mile. King Rama 10 laid in state here for 1 year after his death to allow the Thai people to pay their respects. Our guide waited from 8:00 p.m until 2:00 a.m. to walk past the casket. Her friend from Europe waited 3 days on the street to hold a spot for the funeral procession! All of the kings are revered but the most famous is King Rama 4 on whom The King and I was based. Also on the grounds is the Temple of the Jade Buddha which is a very small figure on top of an elaborate display. But more impressive was the Gold Buddha which is solid gold. It was covered in cement and sunk in the River to protect it from the Japanese during W.W. 2.

    It being a Sat., the crowds were overwhelming and between that and the heat, we headed home to swim and sit by the pool after a delicious lunch of noodles.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    The floating market

    November 25, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    An early start (7:30) and a long car ride took us to the Damneon Saduak Floating Market. On the way we stopped off for a bathroom break at a coconut farm. The primary products here seem to be coconut oil and coconut sugar (and providing washrooms for tour buses) but a pleasant extra were the orchids. They are grown without soil, getting their moisture from the air and occasional misting. Allan bought some coconut sugar as a treat.

    The market was quite a slice. Narrow canals with food and souvenirs stalls, as well as vendors in boats. If you express an interest, the vendor hooks your boat, pulls you over and the bargaining begins! Brian got a shirt and Wendy and I bought a small surprise for the grandkids. My favourite part was the coconut nut pancakes. Delicious!    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    National Museum and seafood lumch

    November 26, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We drove back to Bangkok to go to the National Museum. On the way, we passed salt farms; small areas like rice paddies which are flooded with sea water. When the water evaporates, the salt is harvested. There were many stands on the roadside selling bags of salt. We also passed catfish farms which looked a lot like the salt farms, except that machines were aerating the water.

    There are lots of scooters here. Some are taxi cabs. The drivers wear yellow or red vests. Passengers hop on the back, sometime without a helmet. These are cheap and quicker than car taxis as they can run up through the rows of cars. The traffic here is horrendous, it can take an hour to go 2 kms!

    There are also many pictures of King Rama X on the highway. Surprisingly, we see little graffiti.

    The National Museum is across from the Royal Palace and was built in the 1700's as a residence for the queen and crown prince. The compound has several buildings including a temple, a display of ceremonial clothes and most impressively, several funeral carriages. Again, lots of glitter and gold. All very interesting.

    Lunch was a delicious crab and snapper at Kuang Seafood. Then back to the hotel for a swim.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Ayutthaya, the original capital

    November 26, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    75 kms north of Bangkok is Ayutthaya, the first capital of Thailand. Ayutthaya was a major trading port in the area. With the arrival of the Dutch in the 17th century, trade was extended to China, Japan, Indonesia, Portugal, Holland and France. The city was conquered by Myanmar in 1769 and burnt to the ground, temples, palaces and all. Many Buddha’s were destroyed. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, some restorations have begun. The only structure that has been fully rebuilt is Wat Panan Cgeong which houses the largest sitting Buddha in Thailand. This defeat by Myramar also was the last time elephants were used in battle. Interested tourists can take an elephant ride (we didn’t) but we did visit the memorial to the elephant warriors. It is customary here to buy either a blanket for the Buddha, a gift of basic supplies or rice for the monks and a bit of gold leaf to stick on a Buddha of your choice. A bit like a popularity contest as some Buddha’s were covered and some had very few gold stickers.Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    The Summer Palace, Bang Pa-In.

    November 26, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    King Rama V built a summer palace compound for his wives and family in Ayutthaya. It was a beautiful morning when we visited, cooler and fresh. King Rama V had been educated in Europe and brought back those influences to his kingdom. Some of the buildings have a distinct European look while others show a Chinese influence. This Palace is used occasionally as a residence and also hosts ceremonies and receptions. I think the public is allowed in some buildings, but we just walked the grounds.

    On the drive to our cruise boat for the ride home, we drove past rice paddies, lots of banana and mango trees and lotus fields. We stopped for a local snack, sugar in a roti. Very sweet but nice.

    The boat cruise home included a lunch buffet (quite nice), a more Western meal than we have had lately. It gave us a different view of downtown Bangkok. Traffic was so bad Air had us exit the van and led us to the Sky Train were we travelled for 4 stops to a station near our hotel.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Ariyasomvilla

    November 27, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Our boutique hotel in Bangkok deserves an entry of its own. The Ariyacomvilla is a lovely small hotel in the downtown area. It is next to a hospital, and close to busy streets but once we arrive, a sense of peace descends.

    The owner's grand-father-in-law built the main structure to live in. When the Japanese took over Bangkok, the military took the house for its generals. After the war, he got the house back and eventually, the family made renovations, an addition and turned it into a hotel. There is beautiful wood in every room, stones as accents, water features in the courtyard and lots of plants and trees. The public areas are small, maintaining the feel of a private residence. The bedrooms and bathrooms are large, quiet and very comfortable.

    The restaurant is meat-free but does use eggs and a bit of fish. A surprise, but we enjoyed two delicious dinners and the breakfasts are lovely with a wide choice of dishes.

    A hidden gem in Bangkok.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Bangkok-last thoughts

    November 27, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We are sitting in the airport waiting to fly to Chiangmai Rai. Some reflections on Bangkok.

    1) Does Bangkok have more temples or 7-Elevens? Hard to say. And then there are many spirit houses (doll-house sized shrines) in front of many houses and businesses.
    2) Visitors must wear long pants in the Royal Palaces and the temples associated with them. Shoes must come off for every temple. So pack with that in mind or you will end up having to buy baggie pants in a crazy elephant print.
    3) It takes longer to get to where you are going than you would expect. Short trips by car regularly take an hour or more. (Rush hour never ends in the city).
    4) Pictures of the King abound. There is little graffiti but the City streets look messy with discarded stuff.
    5) This is the start of winter but it is HOT and humid. Hope for cloudy days and plan indoor activities for the afternoons. Light, cotton clothing works best.

    Three days is about the right amount of time.

    Ever on ward to Chiang Rai.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    The Golden Triangle

    November 28, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We started the day at a tea plantation owned by a Chinese businessman. I mention this because the Chinese have had a big impact on the Thai economy. For example, most of the 7-elevens are owned by Chinese entrepreneurs. The tea plantations pay Thai women 8 Bhatt per kilo to pick the tea leaves or 300 Bhatt per hour to clear old plants (they need to be replaced every four years). 100 Bhatt is equal to about $4 Cdn.

    This area of Thailand is part of the Golden Triangle which includes parts of Laos and Burma. Opium is still an issue as the farmers burn out the forests for opium fields. The farmers do not recognize the authority of the state (i.e. the police); they only recognize the authority of the King.

    Tan, our guide for the rest of the trip talked about the education system. King Rama IX recognized the importance of education and offers loans to students who want to go to university. But after studying in the cities, the young people find it hard to get meaningful work; increasingly they are returning home to start small businesses. Boys also have the option of becoming monks while in school; most return to their community after graduation.

    A sobering stop was the Scorpion temple with its museum of the events of the rescue of the boys from the cave. The Navy seal who died in the rescue is considered a national hero. The museum had thousands of flowers and garlands as well as hundreds of pictures of the events and the main players.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Borders and Buddhas

    November 28, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Next we went to Mea Sai the border town with Burma. Thie Main Street is one big market so we browsed for awhile. The vendors seemed content to let us window shop; there was no hard sell like in Bangkok. Burma drives on the right side of the road and Thailand on the left. So there is a dance on the bridge connecting the two countries where the cars switch from one side to the other!

    Lunch was a westernized buffet at The Boarderview Restaurant, overlooking the Mekong River. The village is in poor shape as the Chinese have built a casino in Laos, across the river, and that has bled out much of the traffic. Many of the storefronts were shuttered.

    The Mekong is shallow and silty here. Tan blames dams upriver in China for diverting the water from the river.

    Our last stop for the day was at Wat Cheri Leung, a 12th century temple ruin. The main temple has been restored. We saw many Buddhist monks. The orange robes signified a Thai monk, the rust robes were Burmese and the brown robes were monks who strictly followed the Buddha’s teachings in hopes of reaching enlightenment.

    The property has many teak trees; the temple is trying to get permission to cut them down and sell the timber. Teak is making a comeback here but it takes a long time to reach maturity. We also passed many rice fields, pineapple plantations and the ubiquitous banana trees.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    The Hill People

    November 29, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Perhaps the nicest day, weather wise we have had this trip, 28 and sunny. We headed out to the mountains to visit Akha and Yao, minority villages. The Akha are originally from Burma, having fled the fighting there. We were able to walk through a thatched, bamboo house owned by an elderly woman who sold us bracelets. She didn’t have running water but had electricity and an old satellite t.v. We walked the length of the town of 500 and met the mayor who was quite personable. The mayor is ‘elected’ but buys his votes. He has a great deal of power. As well as being headman, he is also policeman, judge and jury. He is a young man and has big plans for the village. He wants to encourage tourism by having his older citizens dress in traditional garb (they already sell souvenirs). He is trying to address the drug trade but has already been shot at, twice! Being mayor is very lucrative. He gets a salary from the government and unspecified ‘perks’. He drove a brand new Honda and had the biggest house in the village.

    A short drive took us to the second town whose people are from Tibet. The older women where turbans and ethnic dress. We walked to a public school and looked into the classrooms. A teacher applies for the job and must be approved by the bureaucracy of the royal family as the royal family are the patrons of the school. The rooms were small but everyone seemed in good spirits. The teachers must teach but also get the kids to like them as there is no infrastructure to keep them in school. If they are unhappy, they stay home.    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    Afternoon in the Mountains

    November 29, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Over a horrendous, pot-holed road we visited Burmes refugees famous for their “long necks”. The Karen hill tribe people wear heavy brass necklaces from a very young age. The longer their neck, the more beautiful they are thought to be. These members of this tribe are refugees from the war in Burma and persecution by the Chinese. As refugees, they have few rights and limited opportunities. Brian thought subjecting these children to this practice bordered on child abuse and couldn’t wait to leave.

    Further up the mountain we enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Maekok Village Resort. overlooking a tributary of the Mekong River. The resort was started as an international school by a British couple but has been expanded to include a cooking school, and a spa. A short walk through lovely gardens brought us to our “long tail” boat and a 45 minute cruise down the river.

    The river reminded Brian and I of our Viking Cruise up the Mekong. We saw men fishing with poles from boats and from the shore and a family fishing with nets. We also saw people working in the corn fields and orange groves. No wildlife except egrets. But the main activity seemed to be dredging sand from the river. Although the river banks looked lush and green we also saw signs of environmental stress. There were floating plastic bottles, plastic bags stuck in bushes, and large areas where the forest had been completely cleared. Most disressing was seeing the significant presence of the same invasive species that we see taking over the wetlands in Ontario. Tall fronds with feathery tops which can grow to 8 feet and push out all the native plants. Tragic.

    We disembarked at a Lasu village, cut through a family's backyard, said hello to their pig and 3 piglets and then met up with our driver. We bounced over another terrible road to get back to the main highway.    Read more

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    Goodbye to the Katiliya Resort

    November 30, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Today we leave Chiang Rai and drive to Chaing Mai, our final stop before heading home.

    The resort is in the hills outside Chiang Rai which means that once we are dropped off, we are here for the night. The access road alone is 2 kms. The resort is surrounded by lush, beautiful gardens, mature trees and lots of water features. It is a typical tropical resort in that the only inside spaces are the rooms. Hallways, dining room, bar and lobby are open-air.

    There are 2 lovely pool areas. One unheated, the other a heated large jacuzzi and a children’s pool. The jacuzzi is the size of the average backyard pool at home.

    The most memorable feature however, will be the toads in the pool just outside the lobby. They are VERY loud and sound like a cross between an angry goose and a small dog. The front desk staff say the toads moved into the pool on their own and the noise drives them crazy (the toads croak from dusk to dawn). Sort of like an unwelcome relative who moves into your basement and refuses to leave! We came up with many creative solutions which respects the Buddhist proscription against killing. My favourite suggestion was a sign that said, "Free frogs".    Read more

  • Delaneys to GoSingapore and ThailandTraveler

    The White Temple

    November 30, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    On the day long trip to Chiang Mai, we stopped at The White Temple. It is a weird combination of Disneyland, personal hubris and religion. It was built by Chalermchai Kositpipat, a very successful artist (his Dad wanted him to be a mechanic). It has never been officially designated as a temple but it has both a Buddha and a life-like statue of a monk. Chalermchai’s work (he has a museum of his art on the grounds) has a strong bent to fantasy. Lots of strong pinks and greens, fantasy animals and dream-like landscapes. Even the bathroom building is ornate with gold painted trim. He continues to add to the complex; he is working on a pagoda for his ashes and a creamatorium.

    The temple is made of white concrete embedded with tiny mirrors. From a distance, it looks like spun sugar. The ramp to the temple has images of hell and demons on both sides. Inside, the wall with the entrance doors is painted with fantasy scenes which include Superman, a Minion, Spiderman, Elvis, Batman, space ships and the burning World Trade Centre. Clearly a complex man with a unique vision.    Read more

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    On the Road Again

    November 30, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    We had our last long road trip today to Chiang Mai and I thought it time to share some thoughts on driving in Thailand. It’s scary. There are few speed limit signs and fewer drivers adhering to them. There are lines down the middle of the road but they’re more for decoration than instruction. The main roads have wide (4 - 5’) shoulders which are essential for survival. Here is why. To pass a car, no matter what the situation, you simply pull out to the center of the road and the car ahead straddles the shoulder to allow you to pass. If there is oncoming traffic, they simply move over to their shoulder. No horns honk; the only noise you hear are the sharp intakes of breath from the Western passengers.

    Motorcycles mostly stick to the shoulders until you reach a stop light; then they all weave through the traffic to the head of the line. Less than half wear helmets but most wear flip flops. It was not uncommon to see parents with one or two children zipping along. The legal age to drive is 20 but I swear I saw many young teens scootering down the road.

    Most cars are Japanese make, Toyota, the favourite by my count. There are MANY pickup trucks modified with extra large rear decks to haul goods. They can be seen to sway with their over filled loads of merchandise.

    Lastly, to be fair, I only saw one minor traffic accident. The Thai are just as polite on the road as they are off it. Honking is seen as rude. The police don’t seem to have much of a presence. We did pass 6 officers around a corner in Chiang Mai. Our guide explained they were stopping tourists on rented motor bikes. If you don’t have an international licence it’s a large fine and a good money maker for the city.    Read more

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