something-to-remember: #Satun

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Sonntag, 8. Februar 2015

Thailand- a journey (part3)

And so we go on traveling.. it's time as Thailand is not such a small country, but warm and in January try and sunny.
Now that I am in Satun, the car is taking the streets through the country up north and the goal is the town nearer to Trang at the end of the day.
Waking up on a calm and sunny day and the beach behind the hotel, just a few steps before breakfast.
The shower in the morning just with cold water, but the toilet is European style, as you must know toilets looks different here, means- you don't sit on them you kind of stand and bow.

Like you see on the pic, it is to keep and eye on your trousers and where you do your steps as many toilets this way are not try on the ground. And the rosa bottle is for the water to flush your whatever you lose... but also have always tissues with you as their don't have toilet paper! But let me tell you- you get use to it.

But where did we go? To the Diamond Caves! Biggest caves as they say in Thailand and they have been discovered by a monk in his meditations and then a group searched for it and so we gladly can visit them now. Really it is a very big cave and inside the sparkling of the stones and minerals looks very much like snow in the afterglow or sunset. Many stones look like faces, figures, Buddhas and so on.
The tour inside is going up and down and is very interesting, kind of amusing and yes, once it is said to be true- people have lived inside them and there is also a part where the sunlight can come in. So.. Stunning sights will be to discover for you and only the entrance is very small.
Some people may not feel so good inside, as it is very warm and it is a cave, but as I said a very big one, so you will have much space to go, look around and you are able to move without getting into panic.
The area around the cave is not that special, just the stairs up to the entrance of the cave is a challenge.
You're climbing up a cliff kind of. But what would be the fun, if everything is just easy?!

Afterwards our way went to another rocks and those where filled with water. A waterfall actually you can bath in, climb on and try to not to fall, while going down them again. Refreshing and funny place and you have space around to make a picnic, eat and drink something and I had the luck to do so, as my guide had friends being there so we could take a seat and chat and eat and drink. Also we got try again after all the water sparkling on us.

Then it was time to travel to the next place. Taking a ride on the river? Maybe. Eating some lunch? maybe. Meeting new and special people? Maybe.
I actually don't remember the english name of this place as it was not to read in english on that place itself. Something you should be prepared to. In the very south, as tourist are not that common, mostly things as streets, hotels and places are only to find in Thai. No english translation. I guess in the next five years there will be, but just now. No. So just like on the picture I took- you'll gonna find those places in Thai.
Well, I was near the river but not to take a boat. Though it maybe would have been fun and if you are there with children- this is the place to do an adventure boat trip on the river as this was a very family friendly one. I was there to eat, thought I was not that hungry after the picnic, but I could see, my driver and guide needed some food. Those poor lamps looked so devastating. How could I not let them eat themself lucky.

Don't take me to serious! But truth is, the way we eat in Europe and when we eat is bit different to Thailand. Not only is it common to take a soup and rise in the morning, you eat more often, but mostly a little. Though I can understand it when you think of the temp. and the way of life on this place. No hurry and more to the fact that best time to work and do some things is always after lunch. Therefore it can get late into the night and many stores and restaurants are often open up till midnight.
But back to my adventure and what could be next after food? Seeing a tribe.
Yes in the area between Satun and Trang there are a couple of tribes. Living very simple and as they told me, they don't want the country to give them land, thought it could make more sure they can survive, they prefer to live on the place they think it's right. The houses, made of palm leaves and wood are changing their places every year, but this is not a bad thing, they just do this and the houses won't last longer I guess to protect them, so they have to rebuild them anyway. Yes, the government made sure that once or twice a doctor comes, but it is mostly just vaccination and to look after, but nothing more as the tribes don't believe in our medicine and therefore don't want the western medicine. Somehow this is understandable and as we already know from older experiences with tribes, it use to be better when they deal with their own way and medicine. Thought the clock is ticking, as it is known that when a tribe is discovered and get contact to the "modern" world it loses its languages and freedom to live as they use to. Sadly, but that is why some projects try to discover them from the helicopter and make sure they don't get contact with us. Otherwise the end of a language and culture arrises.

on the way to the tribe...

Anyway I had the luck to visit them and bring them some gifts, it was interesting but also something with a doubt as what we bring is to show respect and help but in the same time you know that our food for them is not healthy at the end. So my hope to make a god impression but also to make them understand that I respect them is what I leave with them. Thought we made pictures I will not show them to you, as I think it is better to let them be unknown in that case.

Now the way went on to Satun and my next hotel and in the late afternoon we went on to a festival wish took place and we eat, talked and I saw some new food but cannot really tell you what it is. It was sweet and some of it also had a bit pepper taste.
The hotel itself was small but very nice and as it is often here, poor and not so poor live next door. And a tourist can very much experience the very poor from his window. The typical separation from poor and rich as we know them from Europe is very much less to find in Thailand. Although it is rising and you'll find areas with big walls and security around new houses just like you know it from the USA.
So the last pictures are showing the party and the living.

the beginning of the place where the poor lived

there was everything, food, very loud music, lots of folk, people playing games, winning minions and hello kitty...

try it, the strange , but sweet food :-)

God Night as always....

LOVE & LIGHT

Mittwoch, 4. Februar 2015

Thailand- a journey (part2)

Now lets's see how my travel went on. All in english and hopefully well written.

Being back to the airport, it was time to fly with Thai smile airways to Hat Yai. There my guide guy kept me up and we started immediately our tour through the south.

Being near Malaysia means also that most people are muslim and not buddhist here in that area. The south is actually not so much discovered from tourist so it is kind of pure and less the european style with hotels and food. Which I think is perfect for each who want to discover the land and people itself.

Of course we drove to a museum, which was much bigger as I thought it would be- seeing it rom the outside and it shows the history of the area, of Thailand, shows weapons and art, shows how people lived in the past and religious made it into the every day live. It is a very god museum next to the big Songkhla Lake. On the lake by the way you find a fisher mans village and as I must say they seem to have it quite good as the houses were made of wood and colored.

On the way down from the hill where the museum is, we saw houses which looks like ovens but are not. It's part of a hotel. At the lake I ate with my guide, our driver and his father a very typical Thai meal which tasted very good. We took it all as you can see.

little airport Hat Yai

the museum is parted in many houses

the lake I wrote about and the view on the Tinsulanonda Brigde

first you may thing of oven... but.. no

the view I had while eating all the food

After being propped with all the food it was time to drive again and on the way we came to the first lying Buddha, which I pleased them to stop by. It's a nice small Wat at the highway and the energy was warm and soft.

the Buddha is to find at the Wat Pranom Laem Pho

Now our way went to a river and near to another Temple, though we did not went into the temple but on the market to the market on the river. Folks and food! What an energy, what a fun and interesting view to catch.

Then it was time to travel to the beach and find the first place to stay. Simple and sure a two star, but comfy, though the shower had only cold water. But who will complain. If you want it cheap then don't expect four star lyx... But the morning was nice and taking some steps on the other south coast was done. Now it was to go on to Satun, but first, breakfast.

LOVE & LIGHT

Thailand- a journey- (part 1)

It has been a long time since I wrote my last entry and the new year has begun. Already February and still winter in Europe. Snow has fallen again and many wonder how long this winter will last this year.

Now, you can sure imagine why it took me so long to write again. Thailand. A holiday about four weeks and a tour you now will be able to follow. As I usually do, I write always after I did my journeys.

So how was the journey? How did I do it? What did I saw and experience?

First I'll give you an idea about the way I took.

Starting in Berlin with flying to Bangkok. There I met my friend fro Pattaya and we took the bus to his town. I stayed there for about four days. This I can recommend. Starting slowly and get use to the air, temp. food and so on. Then my way went back to Bangkok to take the airplane to Hat Yai in the very south of Thailand, near Malaysia. From that little town I had a guide to travel with in the south and so we went to Satun, Trang and Krabi, where I had my own time and took a tour to Phang- Nga and the "James Bond Islands". Then my way went on to Phuket. Staying there to get sun and other fun. From Phuket my journey went on with a flight to Chiang Mai in the very north of Thailand, into the hills. There I stayed a couple of days and then went on to Lampang and Ayuthaya near Bangkok. Of course Bangkok was the last station and to stay there a couple of days is a must and as a last station very much to recommend. Then as you may already know my flight to Berlin has come and now I am sitting surrounded with snow and much colder temp. as I had in Thailand.

So back to Pattaya.

Fanny think first- it is Bangkok. Well, all the area around Bangkok up to two hours from the town itself is called Bangkok.

Lovely 33 ° C and the ocean in front of me. A little wind breezing and the asian food in the mouth. Sleeping as I belong and making my walks with my friends. Seeing all the plants and oh so many different palms so you began to wonder how much different are out there and all have different fruits too. Living in an area which is quite new but some hotels already looks like being ten years old, but that's because building fast and cheep and then no one cares to look after as it should be. So no wonder as most employes work in town but live on total different place so it is nothing the Thai people thing about. Also coming from the fact that Buddhism is a religious thing and not some rules of life you follow, so that means people are much like day to day live and not thinking much about tomorrow.

The beach in Pattaya is not that big but wow how many people are already here and umbrellas to save your skin from burning as the sun is much stronger here then back home.

Of course drinking and eating my Coconut and walking around the town. Well, much enjoyable and much to learn. The mini- busses quite cheap (10 Bath) but the taxis expensive and you have to make up the price with them as they don't do taxameters. It's because the Mafia, but what is new in that.

Mostly quite an interesting thing to see is that old style of buildings stand right between the new once. Sometimes very close. Some buildings obviously are not old but no one is in there and it is mostly because owners have problems with themselfs. The Scene quite big and interesting and so you can watch the girls and boys sitting in the bar and waiting for the "rich" man to have an affair with. Kind of. It's true since the G.I. s came from the Vietnam war to get their girls it became a big thing to be young and get old man to pay for your life. Mostly food and cloths and this and that and many times for a whole round i the bar. Most older man like this, some younger too. Some because they can be the big man, some because they get somebody beside who is nice, young and beauty. The difference of age can be very big, so don't wonder. But be more concern about the fact that it can get very loud on the streets as each disco, each bar tries to overturn the other one. And most singers can't sing. But the food is good and I also eat a- well call it spit from the birds... as it is a net of a bird and you know the leaves become the net with the help of the spit of the bird. So this they cut and put into water and at the end it is a soup. Tasted sweet but strange and comes clearly from the side of china as people there can eat strange things without a twinkle of an eye.

Pattaya has also a little harbor and many boats, so it is fun to travel to islands, get fresh fish and have a walk on the beach in the centre, though they made the beach and walk way smaller to make the streets bigger. The mistake seems to make every country in the world and no one seems to learn from the others.

Of course as January is a very good time to come to Thailand as the rain period is over we still can see christmas decoration. Yes, because of us tourists. Christmas trees, angels and lights.

But above this, take a ride to the hill above the city in the afternoon, just before the sun gets down and climb to the big Buddhas. What a view and how nice to end a day and then go eat somewhere some good fish food. And yes a bit outside Pattaya is also a Temple with Wats. You can come there with busses but better take a taxi and make the price up (just now should be around 800/900 Baths for the ride to the temple and back and to the hill with the Buddhas). Very nice and lovely area and temple and Wats and with a little sea around.

There is also a Buddha on the rocks.. just see on the pics! How they made it- don't know.

So all in all four days will be right to start in Pattaya and get you use to the typical feeling you will have in Thailand. Also having time for a massage, changing your money and starting save (more or lesson) with Thai food but be aware that it is very spicy as long you don't tell the waitress to make it less spicy or you choose some less spicy food. Pattaya is not such a big shopping area, but nice and calm and easy going. Also ask about the "Gay" areas as you can see drag shows there in the afternoon, which are fun and you just have to take your table and please for drinks.

So you will be able to start the big journey around this country.

Now of course pictures to get a feeling of what you could get into.

Enjoy.