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Gavin’s Gone A-wandering
  • Gavin Wilson

Gavin’s Gone A-wandering

Escaping winter, visiting a few bucket-list places, catching glimpses of paradise.. En savoir plus
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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    Rain is never far away. The communist flags are still flying in the central region.
    My hotel - a breath of fresh air.

    Hoi An, 9th January 2023

    9 janvier 2023, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

    At last, I've caught up. We're back on track.
    Finally... after much problems indeed... I arrived in Hoi An with the help of a very friendly and generous Vietnamese chap who took pity on me and drove me the last bit of the way into the touristy centre of Hoi An.
    It's a very welcome revelation. Maybe I should be staying here a week? My hotel is the best yet on this trip, the streets. are interesting, the food's sooo much better than The Philippines (sorry fans of Phi cuisine). Hell, it's so darned photogenic I'll struggle to do it justice. UNESCO World Heritage City 'n all that.
    Blimey I'm tired though ZZZzzzzzz.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur

    Hoi An, 10th January 2023

    10 janvier 2023, Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    Now here's a place I'd like to spend more time in.
    Hoi An has a fascinating old town district. Yes, it's all geared up for tourism these days, but it’s interesting anyway.
    I got here on another of the luxury coaches that have beds rather than the convention seats. It's a grand way to travel long distances.
    As I'm feeling short of time, and the 'visa on arrival' for Vietnam only allows 15 days without charge, I'll move on further north tomorrow - which will still leave me time to check out Hue.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur

    Hue to , 11th January 2023

    11 janvier 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    All the information I've been able to find about Hue has led me to believe it's an absolute 'must see' place in Vietnam. Mmmm.
    Of course, there are trips you can go on to visit places of interest outside the city but, for me, Hue isn't all that thrilling. There only seems to be 'The Citadel' in the centre, and a few small museums around the periphery. Imagine Windsor Castle was transplanted to the centre of, say, Reading in the U.K. I think you'll get the picture.
    The weather hasn't picked either. It's almost funny to recall people from outside the U.K. (ok, one American; hardly a large sample group) saying that 'living in the U.K. is like living in a car wash'. Well, I think I know what they were meaning but I can't agree. It was raining when I arrived yesterday, and the air is still full of moisture/drizzle today.
    So, it was off to the citadel via an extraordinary riverside display of dozens, maybe hundreds, of Bonsai. (You'd have been impressed Mick.) It looked like some kind of competition.
    It was okay. The cycle rickshaw touts were just as annoyingly persistent, but I'm glad I went for a look around.
    Lunch was good of course (photo evidence - £1:20 equivalent).
    My bus to Hanoi is at 5pm today, so I'll have to get myself and this increasingly heavy rucksack around the corner to the pick-up point.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    One of the prettier bits of Hue.
    Last lunch in Hue.Mango seller. I had to have some in exchange for a photo (and cash).Halong 'pleasure beach'.Halong's even got its own cable car.At the end of the day, good coffee makes a difference.

    Hue to Hanoi, Haiphong, Halong, 12/01/23

    12 janvier 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    What an awful journey! :(
    This last bit of rambling started badly yesterday, and just got worse as it went on.
    It was another overnight bus - reasonably comfortable beds and an on-bus loo (not fully functioning). If it hadn't been for the rude, brusque bus drivers and every other Vietnamese we encountered along the journey, it might have been more pleasant. Sadly, it wasn't. Arrogant, aggressive and evidently continuously trying to scam me at every turn, the hassle and physical pulling, tugging, shouting really got to me today.
    I got drooped off yet again at some kind of random roadside transportation office in Hanoi, and left to find some way of continuing my journey northwards. I did get a little bit of help eventually, but this was almost definitely a scam. Eventually a bus to Haiphong is the best I can arrange.
    Haiphong may be. Vietnam's 5th largest city, but it's a decidedly dull place. After even more bus station touts and scammers, I manage to get directed by a member of a bus. company staff to get on a minibus to Halong City on the east coast of northern Vietnam. I had hoped to go to a place called Cat Ba, as a stepping stone to Lan Ha Bay, which is supposed to be as gorgeous as Halong Bay - we'll see.
    Halong Bay will have to do. It may even be a better option as the transport links back to Hanoi for the airport will be better.
    I was really looking forward to visiting Vietnam but, so far, I've mightily disappointed. Maybe I've missed the best bits, but the scams and shifty people have. repeatedly soured my experience. The bus driver holding onto my change from a 500,000 Dong note (not a huge amount) got me concerned that I was in for another bout of being ripped off. After a 3-way telephone call with someone in his office, and a long delay, he did give me the 300,000 Dong change. But, surprise, surprise, they dropped me off on the outskirts of Halong, leaving me with a about a mile of walking to my digs.
    Ah well, the walk will do me good. Surprisingly, the traffic is quite sedate, even calm.
    The afternoon ends. on a bright not though. I managed to find a decent place for the next two nights, got myself booked onto a tour around Halong Bay for tomorrow, and sorted out how to get to Hanoi Airport for later.
    Even managed to squeeze in a good coffee.
    Halong could bring some pleasant surprises. I'm feeling more positive.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    1

    Halong Bay, 13th January 2023

    13 janvier 2023, Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Blimey Moses the bed was hard last night. I had a double room to myself, two double beds to boot, but the mattress is a thick sheet on top of wood boards :(
    Still, it's cheap again (£7.00 per night) and I only have one more night here.
    Just when I was falling out of love with travelling, and growing to actively dislike most things about Vietnam, I ended up at Halong Bay on the North East coast of Vietnam.
    Open any guide book on Vietnam and this place comes up pretty often as one of the go-to's.
    The boat tour of the famous bay started off in gloomy, misty conditions. It didn't bode well. However the photos looked moody and a tiny bit spooky. As the day went on the mist cleared and the sun jolly well came out with it's hat on.
    We sailed around some of the rock formations in the bay, went kayaking or 'bamboo boating' around an enclosed lake through a hole in the rocks (photos) and explored a really impressive cave system. Lunch on the boat was damned good grub - as has been the case lately.
    After sailing on a bit further, we had a hike up one of the bigger rocks to a viewing platform. This is the photo opportunity spot that features in all the publicity material - for good reason.
    Last up was a stop at a cracking little beach, which some people had got the right info about swimming (but which I was told wasn't included).
    The sun was fully out now and the afternoon was hot and gorgeous.
    Thank you Halong Bay.
    I didn't feel I'd missed out on visiting Lan Ha Bay as I originally planned.
    Back to Halong city, sorted out my travel arrangements for tomorrow and the day. after, another tasty meal at the Vietnamese place across the road from my hotel, write this and turn in.
    Today was a good day.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur

    Halong Bay to Chiang Mai 13-15/01/2023

    16 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Even though the last couple of days have involved a lot of travelling, I'm so pooped that I'm going to make this post short.
    It was slightly poignant leaving Halong Bay. The morning of the 13th was a gloriously sunny and hot day, so I went for a stroll down by the beach where a gazillion apartments are being build for the wealthy and/or property speculators. It's going to be very impressive, although today it's something of an odd ghost town complete with newly planted palm trees.
    On balance, it was a relief to be leaving Vietnam. Thankfully, my travel arrangements nearly all fell into place and I got to Hanoi airport in one piece. (Ugh! it's an okay airport, but I've just seen it too many times in a short period.
    Aah, but the flight to Chiang Mai was a really pleasant one: cotton wool clouds then spectacular, jungle topped mountains over Laos (Sadly the shot doesn't do it justice.)
    The taxi from the airport to the centre of the old town was painless, and the town looks very interesting. Right next to where I've managed. to find digs, there's the Sunday Market on - walking only in the streets and packed with people - especially after the sun has gone down.
    I'm unsure whether to book a trip to the elephant sanctuary or something else. I've. only booked into my tiny hotel for two nights.
    A bit of late planning is in order.
    However, getting some laundry dropped off at the little old lady on the corner, and a spot of temple-gawping is on the cards for tomorrow morning.
    I'm already liking it here. (and breathe..... )    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    1

    Chiang Mai, 16th January 2023

    16 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ 🌙 20 °C

    Thailand, lovely Thailand.
    There's a relaxed, almost serene air about Chiang Mai. Its reputation precedes it. I'm feeling calmer already - after only one day.
    Chiang Mai's known for having lots of temples, and the hiking (not for me) and the elephant sanctuaries you can visit. Frolicking in mud and cuddling several tons of animal might sound like a grand day out, but I've seen them in action in India and I could nip to the zoo if I'm desperate to bump into one again. Checking the tours advertised around Chiang Mai, at last count there were at least eight different 'elephant sanctuaries' on offer. (I think these particular elephants are fairly safe now.)
    The. town is very walkable. There's a big, square old town district (where I'm staying), and most of the temples are easy to get to and move around.
    Yes. it's a very photogenic place, with oodles of ex- (and current) hippies bicycling and walking around the town. I have to say, it's a very laid back and pleasant atmosphere after the big cities of Vietnam.
    More exploring tomorrow before moving on.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur

    Chiang Mai, 17th January 2023

    17 janvier 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Chiang Mai is a very relaxed, laid back, cultured place. The pace is noticeably slowed down. Interestingly, a large number of 'old hippies', travellers fetch up here to try to find themselves - and don't seem to leave.
    It's a very walkable city; especially in the old town area, which is a compact square of narrow-is streets dotted with temples almost everywhere.
    Before getting my train ticket sorted for getting to Bangkok, I found one of the several English bookshops and got a couple of books to read in the quiet times between rushing around: One is 'Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucia', which is written any the original drummer in Genesis. It's good too.
    Yes, Chiang Mai is great and I could have stayed longer, but I've pretty much done all I came to do. More southern treats are calling.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur

    Chiang Mai to Siem Reap 18/01/2023

    18 janvier 2023, Cambodge ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    It might sound like loadsa fun, but this frequent travelling between cities gets wearing.
    Chiang Mai was great, but I felt I'd seen most of what's on offer to the culture-vulture traveller I've become. Bangkok was always going to be a transit point, or short-term base on my way heading further into southern Thailand. 'Nipping across' to Siem Reap was a fairly recent decision. I could perhaps have gone to Siem Reap (for Ankhor Wat) from Saigon, but that would have meant applying. for two 'visas on entry' for Cambodia - needlessly complicating matters.
    So... gentle reader. I've rolled today's news into one digestible chunk of bits in between Bangkok and arriving at Siem Reap in Cambodia.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur

    Siem Reap/Angkor Wat (1st half) 19/01/23

    19 janvier 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    As most people will know - well almost anybody that's contemplated visiting any of those 'bucket list' destinations - Angkor Wat is right up there near the top of the list.
    And, well...
    The superlatives are about to flow.
    It's big, damned big. No, it's huge. The kind of gargantuan, mind-numbing vastness that it's actually impossible on the ground to get a fix on how far each component bit, each related temple complex, is from the next one. With your ticket (that gets checked by sleepy staff in numerous places a round the complex) you can avail yourself of a map.
    Well, it helped me a little bit, but didn't prevent me from walking far, far too far. Did I say this place was big?
    Eventutally, I had to bite the bullet and hire a tuk-tuk driver to get me around the last few temples and back to my hotel in Siem Reap city.
    Speaking of which; despite being Cambodia's 2nd largest city, Siem Reap seems only to exist as a 'feeder city' for Angkor Wat. I can't for the life in me identify what else it's for. There doesn't seem to be much. industry, a little commerce obviously, but it's mainly tourism-related. It's a dull place, but it doesn't need to bed, I left my hotel early (as the guidebooks tell you) and negotiated a price with a tuk-tuk driver to take me to the ticket office, and then the main entrance to the Angkor Wat complex. It looked vast and forbidding from the front door.
    (How the hell did the people discovering it all get their heads around how much there was hiding in the jungle for all these hundreds of years?)
    The Angkor Wat temple is actually the smaller of the two main temple complexes - and it's gigantic. The square 'moat' around the perimeter must be 400-500 yards across, and is like a shipping canal bordered by banks made from 1000s of huge stones.
    I was pretty pooped working my way through Angkor Wat, and walking the perimeter. Stupidly, I thought I'd taken a clever route and found my way into the largest temple complex, Phnom Bakheng. Not a bit of it. I was (probably literally) miles away.
    Therefore, common sense prevailed for once, persuading me (and my aching back telling me) to get a tuk-tuk for the rest of the morning/day.
    Hell; the place just seemed to get bigger. You cannot see the ends. Long straight roads lead off through what used to be impenetrable jungle and now looks like parkland. I was cream crackers from occasionally jumping off the tuk-tuk to snap yet another crumbling old edifice (insert self joke here).
    Angkor Wat is described as the 8th wonder of the world, and it's justified.
    It's absolutely, definitely, one of the handful of most extraordinary places I have ever been. It defies simple and glib description.
    I hope the photos [*restricted to two halves of 10 each by the site] do it justice. which are in chronological order as I made my way around - as far as I can remember.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur

    Siem Reap/Angkor Wat (2nd half) 19/01/23

    19 janvier 2023, Cambodge ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    Here's the 2nd half selection from the hundreds of photos I took whilst working my way around Angkor Wat etc.
    Afterwards, there was not much left to do with the day except eat, drink more water, eat again and plan my onward journey tomorrow back to Bangkok, and onward south into Thailand.En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    Bangkok illuminations
    This is where I'm staying on Koh Tao.My digs have a cracking location, just off the beach.My view at breakfast just down the road.I'll be in that water in about 5 mins.My hotel is on the right, where the lassies are walking.Lunch was the best tasting meal I've had all trip: Papaya Salad.

    Siem Reap - Bangkok - Koh Tao, 21/01/23

    21 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    The sharp-eyed amongst you will notice I didn't post anything for 20th January. The main reason was that I was mainly travelling and it's a bit tedious sharing my progress from one bus station to another, getting dropped off at some random place in the middle of nowhere and having to find my way. to where I need to be. The other reason is that Chinese New Year is looming and I want to get away from the madness if I can.
    Bangkok is ablaze with street lighting, and the souvenir shops are keeping the Chinese economy afloat. Thailand is calling me.
    I got the early bus out of Siem Reap, deciding to go the overland route back via Bangkok and down to Chumphon. What's Chumphon, you ask? Well, it's the recommended jumping off point for people going on the ferries out to Koh Tao for the diving, Koh Pha Ngan for the 'full moon parties', and Koh Samui for everything else.
    It was another horrendous journey, which I won't go into. It's behind me (again).
    I opted for Ko Tao even though I've now made an executive decision that I'm unlikely to keep my diving qualifications current (too expensive for a pensioner). The world -class snorkelling around picture-perfect islands will suffice.
    Here then are a few shots up to my first day on Koh Tao.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    Blimey, it's gorgeous.
    We snorkelled all over the place.The real estate here is to behold.Who needs scuba - they use the same spots as the snorkelers.The way back.The hike is worth it for the view.A walk along a shallow spit leads to Koh Nang Yuan island.

    Koh Tau, 22nd January 2023

    22 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    What a fabulous island Koh Tau is.
    I reckon I'm going to spend quite a few days here. It's gorgeous.
    Great food, clean beaches, gin-clear water surrounding pretty islands, fantastic snorkelling that cancels any nagging ideas to spend big money on scuba diving (that I almost definitely won't continue back in Blighty).
    Today's thrilling instalment concentrates on a really great trip I took from Mae Haad Pier, just south of where Im staying on Sairee Beach.
    I had an early-ish breakfast (muesli & yoghurt and coffee in a lovely spot just on from my hotel) - a grand view to start the day. Then got picked up by the open backed 'shuttle-truck' with a few others to take us to the jetty and the boat. All nice and smooth, although I insisted on keeping my receipt/ticket.
    The. day was a cracker: a fab hike up the hill that overlooks an even tinier island called Koh Nang Yuan (worth the climb), excellent snorkelling in various gorgeous bays and generally having fun in the sun.
    Lunch was okay, if a bit cold, but the endless fruit, coffee etc., provided was good to have.
    We saw a small (baby?) shark and what seemed to be an enormous turtle. Th guide said it was a 'medium one', and showed us a photo of a larger one! It should make a few gallons of soup. (Oh no, perish the thought.)
    We didn't sail far but it was a brilliant day.
    Came back tired and contented. Aaaaahhh.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur

    Koh Tao, 23rd January 2023

    23 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Maybe I've earned a lazy afternoon. After all, today's main task was to visit a bank and change my remaining Cambodian Rial to Thai Bhat.
    Well, that was the plan. It's Monday and they should all be open. What could go wrong?
    I went to Bangkok Bank - they wouldn't accept Cambodia's currency. This is beyond weird as they are neighbouring countries. It's like a French bank not accepting Swiss Francs.
    The second bank I went to - same story, so I was left with the money changers :(
    The exchange rate from them was abysmal ! - less than a sixth of the official rate.
    So I threw my teddy out of the pram, kept my cash and went to the beach.
    Not many photos today - I said I deserved a lazy afternoon.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    Supposed to resemble a chicken.Damn this weather.Railay beach.Ao Nang beach.

    Ao Nang, 1st day, 25th January 2023

    25 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Sorry for being tardy and missing a day for these posts.
    You didn't miss much. It. was a travel day - from Koh Tao on the overnight sleeper ferry and minibus. I've had worse, slept a bit too.
    Reading up on places around the Gulf of Siam, Ao Nang came up as probably the best place to be based or the tours around the islands.
    When I got here and found my hotel, I was too early to check in, so went or a quick wander along the beach-side shops and tour operators. One o them looked too good to miss and began in the afternoon, so I paid up and let my hotel know I'd be late in checking in.
    Then, Sod's law, the heavens opened and down came the rain. It got darker and damper. Hell though, I've. paid or an island-hopping tour and I'm damned well going to have one.
    If I could have cancelled, I should have. It was a lousy trip around some spectacularly beautiful beaches and stunning rock formations. The weather got worse (and this is S.E. Asia for Pete's sake) and the photos will show it wasn't a pretty day out on a boat: One of the 'longtail' variety that splutter and fart around these parts. (They'd never pass a marine survey or MOT or whatever in most parts of the world.)
    Our first. stop was in Railay, which is legendary for it's beauty and expensive resorts. It might sound like I'm getting all blasé and up myself, but it was okay, just okay - in a gorgeous way of course. More beaches followed or some excellent snorkelling. The weather, however, wasn't playing fair, and all of us punters on the boat voted to have lunch and then call it quits. We were all getting drenched and cold.
    Lunch in a kind've cafeteria restaurant on Railay beach was okay. Took a while to make our way there - and back - in the dark and over water between jetties.
    A funny old afternoon.
    At this rate, I'm not sure how long I'm staying here. The weather forecast is for more of the same.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    The main beach-side road in Ao Nang.For some reason they like sculptures with sealife.'He opened his eyes and saw...'I'm sorry, but this is what it looks like.My hotel pool.

    Ao Nang, 2nd day, 26th January 2023

    26 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    After yesterday's rain-soaked exertions, I was determined to make today a lazy, holiday day. It worked.
    I had a lie-in and spent a bit of the morning checking on the times and prices for getting from here to the airport. Phuket is favourite as I don't fancy the bus and/or train and/or taxi up to Bangkok to save a few quid on the airfare.
    The minibus from Ao Nang to Phuket Airport it will be - in a few days.
    A few people have said something along the lines of 'Stay where you are, it's freezing cold and wet here.' Well, last night was as grim as it ever seems at home - and it should be gloriously hot and sticky and typically tropical.
    Yep, I'm going to spend a few more days in this area - in the Gulf of Thailand - visiting a few more idyllic beaches and topping up the tan. Then I'll head home.
    The hotel I'm staying at - almost certainly for the rest of my time in Thailand is called Fiesta Hostel, but it's the swankiest and priciest place I've staying in this trip. The pool photo is from here. The bar can be a bit noisy, but I slept alright last night. It'll do nicely thanks.
    Today's photos are a representation of what I saw when I opened my eyes in between sunbathing, nibbling fruit, and strolling along the beach-side streets in Ao Nang.
    Spare me some sympathy. It's hell out here :)    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    Praying in the cave temple, Suwankhuha.Reclining Buddha in Suwankhuha temple.The damned monkeys get everywhere.Mangroves.More mangroves - pretty amazing.Floating Village.Clothes shop at the floating village.

    Ao Nang, 3rd day, Part 1. 27/01/2023

    28 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Part 1:
    Another lovely morning, and mixed afternoon/evening.
    This morning was taken up with another boat tour; this time around Phang Nga Bay within the Bay of Thailand. The tour took in a few things; the highlight being to visit the island of Khao Ping Kan (the 'James Bond island' featured in the film The Man With The Golden Gun.
    It was a long journey there and back, but well worth it. A cracking day out, which also included a longtail boat ride through the mangrove swamps, a cave for canoeing, lunch at the floating village at Koh Panyee, another temple complex within a cave (plus obligatory monkeys) called Suwankhuha, and a visit to a waterfall (dried up, so not much to see).    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur

    Ao Nang, 4th Day. 28th January 2023

    28 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    It's simply amazing how lazy I can be when I really put my mind to it.
    Apart from getting a few pounds changed for Thai Baht, and a spot of sunbathing, I had nothing much planned for today. Plan accomplished!
    Although it's been overcast most of this morning, I went to the Ao Nang beach for a while until the fine spots of rain began earlier than usual.
    The hot news folks is that I've booked my flight home.
    I'll be checking out on Thursday morning 2nd February, getting a minibus from Ao Nang to Phuket Airport for the last few flights to round off this trip.
    I fly from Phuket to Doha, then Doha to Rome, then Rome to Manchester.
    More details to follow as things possibly change/fall completely apart.
    The two shots attached will have to suffice to illustrate this morning. Hope nobody feels cheated.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    A bike delivery lady, one of many.Women on a fruit and veg stall.Man eating ice cream between jobs.One of the dozens of tour sellers around town.Man selling Durian fruit - yack!Man painting the step orange.A local tailor, from Nepal.

    Ao Nang, Part 1. 29th January 2023

    29 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Hopefully, my WhatsApp message yesterday will have reached most people, but then again, it might not have. I'm setting off home soon.
    If all goes as expected, I'll arrive back at Manchester Airport on 3 February, 2023, at 15:30. If I can get a train back to Northallerton in good time, I could be home for supper this Friday evening.
    Anyways...
    Today was another 'steady away' day. Y'know - eat, beach, eat, a gentle stroll.
    For the photos, I've concentrated on recording some of the people. Y'know, you can't take 'em with you.
    In two halves again, because the site restricts my uploads to 10 pics.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    Apparently, the gods like drinking pop.The massage ladies get sooo bored..Longtail boat drivers between jobs.Ex-pat gone native.Noisiest bloke in Ao Nang, shouting the boat destinations.A tattoo shop dedicated to Ganesha.

    Ao Nang, Part 2. 29th January 2023

    29 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Here's part 2 from Sunday's shots around Ao Nang, and some of the people and scenes I'd particularly like to record.
    (I've shot literally thousands of photos, so what gets onto this site is just a small selection.)En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    My smoothy maker in action.
    Is that really food?Getting the money 'right'.That look when they know they're being shot.A fire-juggling child.

    Ao Nang, night of 29th-30th January 2023

    30 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Here are a few shots taken around the 'famous' Ao Nang Night Market.
    It was a long walk, but I rewarded myself with a choco-chip milky drink thingy for the walk back.

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    Tsunami?? Really? How much warning do we get?
    Aaaand relax.Hard to get to, secluded beach. Very nice.I asked the seller what fish this was. He said 'fish', so it must be that.Very nice people at Cafe Amazon.I want one.

    Ao Nang, 7th day. 31st January 2023

    31 janvier 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    It's getting around to the time I should be looking back at this trip and offering some observations, reflections and so on. I'll begin here with a few words about Thailand where I am at the present, and try in subsequent posts to work backwards and remember places and incidents in other countries earlier on in the trip.
    Ao Nang, where I've spent the last week, is an odd place. It's a good base from which to do the (much vaunted) island-hopping tours. It's well placed on the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand, so that the stunning rock formations, gorgeous beaches and idyllic islands are nearby or within a boat ride away in Prang Nga Bay.
    Maybe I've been here just a tad too long. It's getting increasingly easy to see a spectacular view, another lovely beach, and almost ignore it as 'just more of the same'. It's not paradise of course, but it's pretty okay thanks.
    In quite a few places in Thailand, some things have disappointed, and frankly annoyed the hell out of me. The concept of customer service seems to be foreign to far too many Thais working in areas like Ao Nang, Krabi, Chumphon, Bangkok. Often I've sensed that I should feel grateful that I'm allowed to be 'sold to' and hand over hard-earned money for whatever service or Chinese made trinket was on offer. But a 'please', 'thank you', or a kind word would have been welcome more than occasionally. There's obvious a cultural mis-match between my expectations and the day to day reality here. Perhaps, as often it is in American exchanges, politeness is 'inferred' rather than overtly stated, but Thais can still come across as rude and unhelpful sometimes.
    However, however...
    Some isolated events can re-kindle my enthusiasm for Thailand and South East Asia generally. Just yesterday I nearly lost the small digital camera I'm using on this trip. I left it in a cafe and had to retrace my steps to find it. It had been noticed and was held safely by the very nice staff in Cafe Amazon (reference to the river and Brazilian coffee rather than parcel delivery I think).
    Y'see. Their lovely people at heart.
    Which I hope today's section of shots illustrates.
    I spent most of the morning sunbathing-swimming-sunbathing, and the afternoon walking down to the posh end of Ao Nang, past the Monkey Trail, up and over the walkway that led to the very nice 'private/public' beach for Centara Grand Beach Resort and Villas. Very nice indeed.
    More positives/negatives and reflections tomorrow.    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur
    Fire juggling in one of the restaurants last night.
    Waiter, you've burnt my food, and taken your eyebrows off.It's a relatively rich country and men are still looking through bins.Angelic?Getting geared up for a spectacular sunset.Ao Nang's never looked so good at night.

    Ao Nang, Last Full Day 1st February 2023

    1 février 2023, Thaïlande ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Right
    I only have today to get some thoughts down - tomorrow and the day after will be travel days, and experienced has told me that I probably won't have much opportunity to post anything meaningful whilst 'in transit', on buses, in airports, scrambling for trains during another strike etc.
    It's time to reflect on a few things:
    Hopefully, this will be a balanced account in hindsight of the trip. Yes, it's not quite over until I set foot inside my door in Brompton, but you know what I mean.
    Dislikes/things could have gone better:
    The flagrant scamming/ripping off that seemed to be acceptable in a few places (especially Vietnam and at Angkor Wat).
    The dual pricing of lots of things - eg. entrance charges to some temples - that hugely hike up the cost for travellers and non-natives of a country.
    Constant beeping car horns from taxi drivers, trying to either signal they're available for hire, or just to annoy pedestrians.
    No! I don't want a massage, or whatever it is you're offering. I can't afford it, I'm a pensioner and it might hurt.
    Airports, bloody airports.
    Getting dumped at random places in strange towns at godforsaken hours by rude and unhelpful bus drivers.
    Places and things I've been thrilled, delighted, amazed by:
    The Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi; Lalitpur in Nepal; Langkawi Island and Malacca in Malaysia; Yogyakarta in Indonesia; Gili Island off Lombok Indonesia; El Nido in the Philippines; Hoi An and Halong Bay in Vietnam; Chiang Mai, Koh Tao and several things whilst in Ao Nang in Thailand.
    Which single place would I go back to in a heartbeat? Gili Island.
    Favourite food?
    Probably Thailand, but Khin Wee's and Jen's cooking in Kuwait takes some beating.
    What have I missed doing/seeing/ experiencing?
    Honestly, not much. I avoided scuba diving - I've realised that the PADI system has some features of network marketing: they want to get you in and climbing up the qualifications ladder within their organisation. Therefore, a steady stream of either fresh blood or ambitious, well-healed amateurs who like the paraphernalia of it all keeps the PADI organisation thriving.
    Am I bored of Southeast Asia? No. not really, but I am a bit tired and jaded by so much travelling on a budget in a relatively short period of time.
    Will I do something similar again? Perhaps. South America could be on the cards.
    On balance, has it been enjoyable, or a thrill, or culturally enriching, or fascinating? Yes, definitely yes.
    Did I glimpse a few instances of paradise? It felt like that a few times.
    Yes, I 'ticked off' a few bucket-list places.
    Just as importantly though; I escaped winter and the crippling electricity bills back in Northern England. ("Oh England, where my heart lies." ) As Paul Simon sang many years ago, and perhaps still does. I know I do.
    And yes, I set off for home tomorrow :)    En savoir plus

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  • Gavin WilsonGavin’s Gone A-wanderingVoyageur

    Arrived home (relatively) safely

    4 février 2023, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    I'm back home.
    Bbrrrrrr, it's a tad chilly. But it's good to be back - honest.
    It's been that cliched 'rollercoaster ride', and by planes, trains, boats, buses, taxis, tuk-tuks, trike taxis and motorbikes.
    Thank you so very much to everyone who's followed me on this trip. I really appreciate your interest, support, 'likes' and comments. I've read them all and they've helped me on my way.
    If and when we meet in the flesh, I look forward to catching up with you on some of the details of what I got up to (the bits I can remember - it's all a bit of a blur at the mo).
    But, most importantly, I'm back. And it really is good to be home.    En savoir plus

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    Fin du voyage
    4 février 2023