Kao Yai National Park

Kao Yai National Park has a lot of very cool wildlife. The signs, when they warn of wild elephants are not kidding. There are signs of elephants everywhere, and sightings are common. On an evening drive, I saw a 2.5 m piton, porcupines, a dog-like mammal I could not identify, something that looked like a racoon, turtles, birds, lizards, etc. etc. All kinds of cools stuff. The only thing that I managed to photograph (the battery ran out) was an oversized rolly polly (excuse the dirty foot which is there for scale). Views from high points are beautiful.

I came to the park fairly unprepared. I am taking malaria meds, but I was not ready for the onslaught of leeches: they were landing on my feet and legs seemingly out of nowhere. I had no pair of trusty rubber boots, so after removing what felt like the 50th leech (15th is more likely), I cut my jungle walk a little short. There will be other jungles to walk through later.

Now, did you know that it is possible to remove the ignition key from a motorbike when it's on the on position? I didn't, and I learned the hard way. I road up a mountain to an observation point. Somewhere along the road, they key fell out (probably as I passed over a pot hole). I managed to turn the bike off with my hotel key. Well, it turns out you can use any key to switch to off, but you must use the right key to turn it back on - someone should have told me. Now, the only help were the soildiers at the military checkpoint (near a radar site) which didn't speak English. They couldn't do much. So, remember, if you loose your motorbike key, don't turn it off until you're at a locksmith! I eventually found help and made it back to the hotel, and to a locksmith the next morning.

A visit to Nakon Rachasima (aka Korat)

The northeast of Thailand, a group of provinces collectively called Isan, is known for... well, for nothing. Neither Thai nor foreign tourists venture into this region very much. The little I have seen is no different from other parts of Thailand, meaning that it has a lot of interesting places. Fewer people speak English, even at the hotels and guest houses, so it is more of a challenge when you forget a cell phone charger in a room and have to call to ask them to save it for you. People are still very friendly. Food is still excellent.


I decided that the best way to travel these parts was by motorbike, so I rented a 125 cc, 2-wheeled death machine with squeaky breaks. By now, I have gotten used to Thai traffic rules (if there are any, other than driving on the left - most of the time, - it's hard to tell), and somehow, I seem to manage to get where I want to go, even when few signs are in English. Riding feels safe but in reality, it's a lot more dangerous than skydiving. So far, I have seen 2 minor motorbike accidents (no one injured). At least, cars are used to motobikes and other small vehicles on the roads.
I took day trips to various places around Korat. Phimai has temple ruins reminiscent of the Ankor area in Cambodia - not surprising since these structures were built under Kmer rule during the same period. Somewhat restored, the site is quite nice. The stone work is impressive.
Nor far outside Phimai, there's a site probably well described as a park. It's actually a 250 year old banyan tree whose aerial roots grow forming something of a roof over a large area (an acre?).
Off the main highway, there are small villages where it was interesting to just rest and watch people - selling food, rocking their babies to sleep... Many houses have stores in the relatively open first floors. Thailand is actually a farily modern country, but in places like this, running water is not available everywhere.

From a bridge, I saw a couple of women working a canoe through an area chocked by water-lillies - who knows what they were up to.

Other Lopburi photos

For such a small city, Lopburi was quite interesting. Fishing is big, but the fishing tools are different. Here'sa picture of a fishing contraption that is quite common. Talk about having a riverfront property.
Like I said before, though, monkeys are the big attraction in this town. Here you can see a group hanging out on the ruins of an old temple, and another getting up close with the camera.

A few days in Ko Chang

Ko Chang is an island in SE Thailand. I spent 4 days there. The beaches are beautiful. There are good snorkeling spots and beautiful waterfalls with swiming holes under them. I took a day tour to 3 snorkeling spots in neighboring islands. We got hit by pretty hard rain on the way out, but it passed, and the views on the reefs and beaches were nice. I'm sorry to report we did not find Nemo, but many of his relatives were in sight.
Another day was spent visiting waterfalls and on the beach. Being the off season, I missed the big crowds. One of the falls had almost no one there, and the pools were perfect for swiming, and deep enough for diving into them. A word of caution: if you wear contacts and dive in, remember to close your eyes before hitting the water. I didn't and lost my left contact (which I have managed to replace in Bangkok).
The time on the island was very relaxing. I plan to visit other islands in the south, and may even get certified for SCUBA. We'll see. For now, I'm off to Bangkok for a few days to plan my next travels.

Monkey business in Lopburi

This monkey business actually involves monkeys, a kind of macaque to be precise. Monkeys used to live in a temple but now also walk around parts of the city. Apparently, they are a nuisance some times, but people put up with it because they attract tourists. Lopburi was also a capital of the kingdom of Siam once upon a time, and there are temples and palaces. I spent a day plus looking at the sights and watching the monkeys swinging from power lines, playing, fighting, pushing each other into water pools, etc. I don't have all the pictures yet. I'll add others when I get the next roll developed.

Ayutthaya

Ayutthaya, north of Bangkok, is the former capital of Thailand (known as Siam back then). The city is sprinkled with ruins of temples and palaces. I took a couple of days to explore. Some ruins look pretty neat at night. Here, one also finds what they say is the most photographed site in Thailand, so I had to take a picture of the tree growing around a stone Buddha head. Oh, if these picture looks like those at Ankor in Cambodia (below), that is because Ayutthaya became the capital of Siam when the Kmer got kicked out, and Angkor was the capital of the Kmer empire. The influence on Thai architecture remained .

Walking by the local McDonalds, I noticed Ronald's wai. This is the traditional Thai greeting. I don't think we see him to this in the states. At least he wasn't standing by the entrance to a temple.

A 30-Km motorbike ride south of Ayutthaya, I visited Bang pa-in palace. I forget when it was built, but it is still used by the royal family. The main buildings, where pictures are not allowed, are incredible. The whole place is very peaceful - a nice change from the crowded streets I've been seeing, specially in Bangkok.

Ayutthaya also has a couple of interesting night markets. I got some fruit and peanuts, and noticed this stall where, it turns out, you can buy whiskey mixed with your choice of spices. I don't think I'll drink this, but I may get some as a souvenir. Apparently, being 21 is not required to serve alcohol.