AFPF Travelogue
Huguette and Francois visit Thailand
Sawati kha ..... Bonjour, hello in Thaï language
Our trip led us to a country of contrast where great poverty rubs elbows
with wealth, luxurious mansions, temples and palaces with house made by hook
or by crook but in which people seem happy and always smiling.
Bangkok is an over crowded town with all this noticeable contrast.
We staid some days in Bangkok visiting palaces and temples. In one of which
we saw a reclining Boudha all covered with leaves of gold more than 20
metres long and shining in the sun.
We were rowed about on a pirogue through canals and saw humble houses built
on piles along their banks ; the water of which seemed glaucous and in spite
of it there were fishing men and children swimming or playing in it.
Just behind our hotel the river Neman that runs through Bangkok (such river
are not at all those ones we know at home they come from Himalayas and carry
along loam. (Their water is far from clear) Ecology doesn't seem to interest
Asian people.
However in this river an astonishing number of fishes are bubbling over.
A visit to a tropical garden where we might admire orchids in full bloom all
various in form and colour, before we went to the special floating market
in Damnoen Saduak where in punts and canoes a crowd of men and women sell
vegetables and fruit : pineapples, grapefruit, banana, lichees and so on -
even some do their cooking in their punts on gas-cookers set in them in big
pans full of hot water women cook vegetable or meat.
After Bangkok we started to the North. First a stop to Kanchanabury, a visit
to the river Kwaï and its famous bridge. We stepped up in a train and had an
one hour drive in it to the famous turn which cost so many lives during the
second world war, so many young men fighting for our freedom and victims of
Japonese barbary. We went to the cimetary where they sleep and had a thought
of thanks for these courageous children from England, Australia, New
Zeeland, Netherland and United State who died for our freedom.
In the end of the afternoon we went to an elephant farm and had an elephant
ride through jungle and a bath with them in Kwaï river. Our elephant "Pop"
had her baby with her "Poopeye" (5 months old) which protested at beeing
denied its right to suck.
Then we went on our way, every day visiting the last remnants of a glorious
past in Attaya or Sukkotaï, two prestigious royal towns.
We had medical massage to relax us in Chiang-Mai, a pedicab ride in
Phisanuloke. It was funny ; after dinner we were wheeled through the little
town, a noisy column of pedicab, full of song and music and laughter.
Another cruise on pirogues on KhoK river led us to an old Tibeto-Birman
village lost in the mountains, some elephants were taking a bath along its
banks. Every family, there, owns its elephant ant it is surprising to see
them ride through the vilage as it were horseback rides.
A gathering of children dressed in colored attire gave us welcome in the
"Golden Triangle" singing for some coins "Please, a photo ten bath" almost
nothing for us, but the beginning of wealth for them (it cost 48 baths to
make one Euro or Dollar)
We stopped in a town in which monkeys are free to wander about. They run
everywhere, nesting in the ruins of an old temple, running in the streets
amidst cars and people but are not agressive at all if you leave them alone.
One pleasant remind, we were locked in the temple behind pad locked railings
and the monkeys, outside, through them contemplated these human prisoners.
We returned to the South by train - a very comfortable one - starting from
Lamping in the evening, we splept through and arrived in Bangkok early next
morning.
Again more to the south to Pattaya a seaside resort.
On the way we stopped and visited a big crocodiles farm more than 100,000.
crocs
most of them to be turned in shoes or bags........alas.
Our last days were spent in Pattaya and Corral island situated about 20
kilometres and where we went on speed boat. Just to rest, bathe and sunbathe.
We came back with splendid sunburns, and turned to black, enough to make the
French soccer team envious ;-))
I can tell you, the tropical sun is no mild brother of even our fiercest
Mediterranean one. Whoa ! it itched for more than a week after.
And now, back to our chores, expecting our next our next trip to Brazil in
October
Click here Album Thaïland to see photos of this trip
Posted 1st August 2003