Jorge's Travelog

Summer roadtrip

2008-08-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

After a long while of mostly staying at home, Weena and I took a road trip around the country. We left California on June 11, and for 40 days (and 40 nights), we roamed from place to place catching up with friends, visiting national parks, racing cars, exploring caves, etc. In total, we drove 7,200 miles. We started out at the Grand Canyon. We stayed on the rim but got info in hiking in the canyon for a future visit.

A lesser known park that turned out to be interesting was Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Petrified trees are everywhere, along with wildlife and indian ruins. We went here as a break from driving and ended spending a few hours more than expected.

Our next stop was at the Rocky Mountain Biological lab where we visit a friend that studies Marmots. We spent a day trapping and sightseeing, and the scenery is truly beautiful.

Next, on the way to the evolution meetings in Minneapolis, we made a stop at Mt. Rushmore and the black hills. This was the only part of the trip where we almost got bad weather. It got very windy at the campsite, and from the radio, we learned of big thunderstorms and tornado watches to our south, west and east. It seems we picked the right spot because we didn't even get rain at our campsite. The next night, we didn't take chances and went to a hotel.

Not far from Mt. Rushmore is Badlands National Park. Like the petrified forest, this place turned out to be better than expected - lots of wildlife and beautiful scenery.

Skipping ahead, we visited the Door Peninsula in Wisconsin. It's a nice place. One of the highlights as a visit to a restaurant where a train delivers food to your table.

We spent 5 days in Chicagoland mostly exploring the museums and downtown. We were there during the Taste of Chicago, so the crowds were larger than usual. This is the fountain in Grand Park.

This is on the Chicago river.

Weena is not exactly a dog person, but many of my friends are, but I think by the time we got to Michigan she was even beginning to like dogs. This at the beach on Lake Michigan with our friends Laurie and Joe.

We also went car racing in Michigan and Indiana. It was Weena's first time autocrossing, and she did pretty well. In addition to driving, it's fun to look at the cars people bring to the race. Most are regular cars, but one in a while there is something unusual, like this.

This is a video of an actual run at the race.

We made stops at several caves in South Dakota, Indiana and Kentucky. The most interesting was Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. We spent 7 hours exploring over 2 days, and we only saw a tiny portion. It is the longest cave in the world. Here's an attempt at cave photography.

The Green River runs along Mammoth Cave, and we spent a morning canoeing through the hills surrounding by lots of turtles and fish.

On the return trip, we stopped in Aztec, New Mexico. The "aztec" ruins are actually native american. We got to learn a little about native american history,

And we also got to explore the surrounding area. We found this arch less than 10 miles out of town. Continuing west, we drove through Monument Valley,

and stopped at Navajo National Monument for a rest and to visit some ruins.

On the last day, we drove through Zion National Park and had to stop for some pictures with the sandstone formations. We wished we had had more time to spend there...

So, those are our latest adventures. I'll post again when there are interesting news, but for now we're at home and life is back to normal.

Spring break 2008

2008-04-21T00:26:00.000-07:00

Spring break was a fun week. It started with a trip to Death Valley. One of the highlights was a visit to the "racetrack." There, rocks move on a lakebed when it gets muddy. No one knows how, but they definitely move.

Another highlight of the Death Valley part of the trip was driving on the back roads. MINIs were not meant for 4-wheel driving. We got stuck twice, but we got to parts of the desert not many people visit, and the views and stories (of ghost towns, mines and fossils) were great.

Another stop was Mono Lake where the tufa formations are interesting. It is nice to see the lake recovering. Water levels are not dropping any more.

The main stop of the trip was Lake Tahoe. We spent 4 days exploring around the lake, enjoying the views, hiking, going to comedy shows... Here we are cruising on a boat on the lake.

And here is a view of Emerald Bay... and Weena.
We also visited UC Davis where I went for undergrad. I hadn't been there in about 8 years. It was nice to reminisce.
The trip ended with a visit to Napa exploring the wineries.

Now, we wait another year for the next Spring break :)

Death Valley - January 2008

2008-01-28T21:12:00.000-08:00

In January, Weena and I took a trip to Death Valley... sort of like a mini honeymoon. At first, this may not seem like a nice place to visit, but it is, and we had a great time. Death Valley gets extremely hot in the summer. It also gets cold in winter. Going the first days of January, however, kept us away from the heat and the crowds.

First off, we travelled in style...

Although cruising on motorbikes would have been fun, we didn't. We took the Mini. Since there were very few people, most of the time you'll see photos of either Weena or me. It wasn't so easy to take pictures of both.

On the way to Death Valley, we took a little detour to the Trona Pinnacles. These pinnacles actually formed under the water of Searles Lake. Even though today these region is a desert, there were large lakes covering the area at the end of the last ice ages when the glacier water of the Sierra Nevada flowed into these valleys. The pinnacles are deposits of calcium carbonate and other minerals. Some are 150 feet tall. It was pretty interesting to find these formations here.

Another stop on our trip was Ubeheebe crater near the north end of Death Valley. This is a volcanic crater although there was never an eruption. Hot magma came in contact with underground water which turned to steam and exploded. This has happened several time as there are many of these craters.

Not far from the crater, near a spring, we found a castle. The desert is full of surprises. This is known as Scotty's Castle. Death Valley Scotty used to tell people it was his. In reality, it was the vacation home of a rich Chicago couple. There are lots of stories about Scotty that are fun to hear, and the building itself is quite impressive.

Elsewhere in the valley and surrounding region, there are springs, streams and fish! This picture is at salt creek in the heart of Death Valley. Places like this are full of endemic plants. Here, there is also a fish the lives in the salty water of the creek.

Borax mining also figures prominently in the history of this region. Salt and borax mines are still active in nearby valleys. The region is sprinkled with remains of borax mines and wagons. The wagons were very large and pulled by 20-mule teams (that didn't always have 20 mules).

Hiking in the canyons took us to beautiful scenery.

Look at the colors of the hills behind us.And no visit to Death Valley is complete without a stop at Badwater, the lowest point in the western hemisphere.
Just outside the national park is the Amargosa Opera house. For years, Marta Becket performed her unique style of theatre in a town called Death Valley Junction. This is a remote outpost that can barely be called a town. There is only a motel and the opera house; no gas station or restaurant. This lady refurbished an old building into a theatre and spent over 30 years performing. Early on, there wasn't much of an audience, so she painted one on the walls. The show itself was very interesting, but now she's in her 70s and the performances are narrations of the old days. Again, this is something no one really would have expected to find in the middle of the desert.

East of the national park is the little town of Beatty, Nevada. This town started during the mining boom of the 1840s and 50s and managed to survive.

Rhyolite, on the other hand, didn't survive. It is now a ghost town. This building is the old jail. This was a town of 8,000 or more people for about 4 or 5 years.

This was one of the stores.
And this is the bottle house. A miner built it out of beer bottles. Other building supplies were expensive to bring here, and people were very good at making do with what they had on hand.

From Rhyolite, we took an old road via Leadfield (another ghost town) and Titus canyon into Death Valley proper. Ghost towns are most interesting if you know a little bout their history. Otherwise they are not much to see. Leadfield attracted several hundred prospectors and a lot of mining activity for a few years. Some guy started a mine, brought lead ore from another (distant) mine to convince people there was lead here, told investors the nearby Amargosa river was navigable - it isn't - and managed to attracted investors. No significant amount of lead (or any other mineral of value) was ever extracted here. This is Leadfield.The road was very rough and recommended for 4-wheel-drive. We went in the Mini anyway. The drive was rough but the scenery amazing and well worth the trip. Everything was going well at first...

But 26 miles of rough roads eventually took their toll on the car...At higher elevations, there are trees. These kilns in the Pannamint Mountains were used to produce charcoal for the mining towns in the area. They are remarkably well preserved.

All this was only 3 days in the Death Valley region. Weena wasn't too thrilled about going here just based on the name of the national park, but even she had a good time. And there was more to see. I hope to go on another visit in the near future.

Kanchanaburi - August 2007

2007-09-02T18:47:00.000-07:00

After returning to Thailand, Weena and I took a short trip to Kanchanaburi. This city was made famous by the movie 'Bridge on the River Kwai.' During WWII, the Japanese used prisoners of war and conscripts from Malaysia and other countries in SE Asia to build a railway to support their war efforts in Burma. The conditions were extremely bad and many tens of thousands died from malnutrition and disease. There is an excellent museum where one can learn a great deal about the history of that period.

This area is also very beautiful. There are limestone mountains with beautiful waterfalls. The water would be very refreshing, but the rain was refreshing enough when we visited.

Here I am with the famous bridge in the background...

This is one of the trains used during WWII to transport supplies to the war front in Burma...

Here is Weena on the famous bridge...

And at Erawan falls in a national park in this area. It's a beautiful place...

A visit to the Maldives

2007-09-02T18:24:00.000-07:00

Weena and I took a 5 day trip to the Maldives. We spend almost all that time at Makunudu island in the north Male atoll. The Maldives are a chain of over 1100 islands and home to 300,000+ people. Tourism is tightly controlled by the government, but we mainly enjoyed the beach and reefs around our island. This is truly a tropical paradise. The sunsets are beautiful, the reefs great for snorkeling or diving, and the resorts are a great place to relax.

On the day of our return to Thailand, we spent a few hours visiting Male, the capital. It's a small city, and a few hours was enough to see the sights, from the main mosque to the markets.

Here I am walking the streets of Male...

Here is a view of the market...

And some school children on a field trip...

The Maldives is definitely a great vacation destination. It's a bit far from the U.S., but if you ever get the chance, take the trip.

Archeological sites

2007-09-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

Other stops in our travels in northern Thailand included visits to the ruins of the kingdom of Sukothai in Sukothai and Kamphaengphet. Thai script was developed by King Ramkhamhaeg but is has been modified since then. Anyway. There are many temples that are quite impressive and definitely worh the visit.

The ruins at Sukothai are spread over a large area, so we rented bicycles to take a tour.

During the Sykothai period, this region was known for the production of glazed ceramics called sangkhalok. These are still produced in modern kilns, but ruins for old kilns are still easy to find.

Northern Thailand - July 2007

2007-08-31T09:16:00.001-07:00

I was in Thailand for a few weeks this summer. Weena and I took at trip to northern Thailand. This was my 4th time in Thailand, and while life and sights are a little less surprising now that I know what to expect, there are lots of beautiful places and interesting things to learn. One of the things I wanted to do was visit some hilltribes. Unfortunately, most of these villages are not accessible without long walks in multiday trips. So, we took a tour to a set of villages that are set up for tourists. It wasn't as authentic as I would have liked, but it was interesting anyway. Most striking is the sight of the long-neck Karen women. The rings they were are surprisingly heavy (5 to 10 kilos, I think, perhaps more), and they push the shoulders down giving the appearance of long necks. It turns out there are several groups of Karen, the the long neck Karen are actually from Burma (Myanmar). That will have to be a destination for another trip. The clothes, jewleries and customs of other tribes like the Akha, Hmong or Lisu are also something to see, but it takes a bit closer attention to notice their crafts.

These region or northern Thailand, and regions across the border in Burma and Laos are known as the Golden Triangle and are famous for opium production. That has declined in recent times but tourists, specially Thai tourists, still come to this parts, not for the opium, but for cheap chinese imports at the markets, and to visit the site of the capital of the Lana kingdom that existed in this region around the 12th and 13th centuries and that after many changes became the Kingdom of Thailand.

This region is also know for tea production. There are many varieties of really good teas I had never heard of. In a visit to a tea plantation and factory, I learned about tea tasing. In some ways it's similar to wine tasking - smell first, then drink - but the cups and other implements are quite different. This is a picture of at a tea shop in Mae Salong.

Mae salong is a fairly remote town that feels like I imagine china might be like (at least the southwest of China). The people immigrated here from China which is not that far north beyond Burma. The noodle soups and wantan soups are very tasty, and here is easier to find chinese food than Thai food.

The posts below are from other trips

2007-08-31T09:01:00.001-07:00

My first shark

2006-08-07T04:24:00.000-07:00

The shark is whitish/yellowish and hard to see thanks to
the cheap camera...

In Phuket, I also took a day to scuba dive. We went to three sites. The first was a ship wreck from 6 or 7 years ago. Unfortunately, it was too deep, and the cheap disposable underwater camera I had would not work. It worked ok at Shark Point where, what a surprise, we found a 1.8 m shark. It was just lying there, doing nothing interesting, but cool to see anyway. At this and the next site where we dove along the underwater portiong of a karst wall, there were lots of cool fish and other underwater creatures. The 40 to 50 minute dives felt more like 15 minutes.

Pang Nga bay

2006-08-07T03:52:00.000-07:00

My most recent travel was to southern Thailand. I will go back the first chance I get. The beaches and sceenery are beautiful. I stayed in Phuket town which is not much to speak of, but the islad of Phuket has very nice beaches. One day, I took a tour of Pang Nga bay. The mangrove forests and karsts that stick stright up out of the bay create amazing views. Some karsts have caves near their bases, and we took inflatable canoes into some of them.

Further out in the bay is Panyee. This is a village of about 200 families that make a living mostly from fishing. Their houses are at the foot of a karst in the bay, using stilts to stay above the water. This and other villages like it are muslim. This is the part of Thailand where the Buddhists from the north and the Muslim from the south overlap. It was a very interesting place to see. The door of one of the houses had what I suspect is the Koran above the door. There's also a mosk in the back of the village, next to the karst. I wish I could talk with the people, but my efforts at learning Thai have not been successful.

In this bay, there is a place known as James Bond Island. It's a tiny little place where they filmed one of the old James Bond movies (when Roger Moore played 007). I found a spot to do a little rockclimbing and weightlifting on the beach, but I was most definitely not dressed for the ocassion.

Till death do us part

2006-07-23T23:46:00.000-07:00

I had to take a picture of these two. Apparently, not even death could separate them. This sculptures are in Nong Khai, across the Mekong from Vientiane in northeast Thailand. There is a park full of very large Indu-Thai sculptures. Here's one of an elephant riding a mouse.

Vientiane

2006-07-23T23:36:00.000-07:00

My visit to vientiane was very short, only 6 hours. Even though it is the biggest city in Laos, it is small. I got to all the major sites before returning to Bangkok by train. The monument on the left is the simbol of Laos and some times appears on their flag. The one on the right resembles the Arch of the Triumph in Paris. I read it was built bought by the US to build a new runway at the airport. I don't think planes can land here.

There is a temple in Vientiane that has more than 6800 Buddhas - I didn't count :)

Luang Phabang

2006-07-23T23:02:00.000-07:00

Luang Phabang (or Luang Prabang) is the former capital of kingdom of Laos. It's a beautiful place, and peaceful even though it's the second largest city in Laos. It has maybe around 50,000 inhabitats. It's lay out is typical of Laosian cities, with neighborhoods centered around ancient temples. The french influence is also very apparent, specially around the old part of the city. This place is probably the no. 1 tourist destination in Laos. It is also been designated as a world heritage site by the UNESCO. Even today, this is a pretty remote city. I read that in colonial times, it could take longer to reach Luang Prabang from french Vietnam than to reach Vietnam from France. The Mekong is not navigable all year.
Here, I spent a day visiting the old palace, temples, and the market. I also went to a theatre showing traditional Laosian dances which are very similar to Thai dances - not a surprise.

On-my second day, I went to a nearby village where I found hand-made textiles (mostly of cotton and silk). I got there by bicycle after taking a wrong turn and riding 14 Km more than I needed.

Something else I saw a lot of on the streets was gambling. Poeple play cards, or another game that looks like dominoes, but the chips have what looks like chinese characters on them. They have large stacks of kip (laosian currency) in front of them. In a walk through a small market full of chinese goods, I found 3 groups of gamblers.

From Luang Phabang, I took a bus to Vientiane on a good road. The 380 Km took only 11 hours. That's an average of 35 Kph ( = 22 mph). The road is just very windy. It was ok though. I wouldn't want to arrive in Vientiane at 3 am.

Pak Beng

2006-07-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

Pak Beng was a nice place to rest on the way to Luang Phabang. This "town" on the banks of the Mekong river is very small. I found the hotel I alreay mentioned, and had dinner. It only took 15 minutes to see the whole place.

The views of the river are beautiful. I also had my firts encounter with Laosian "decoration". Laos has had more bombs dropped on it, per capita, than any other country. Unexploded ordinance is apparently still common in areas near Vietnam. Nevertheless, even this far people use bombs for decoration. Notice the bomb that is used as a welcome sign for this restaurant.

Hotel charges

2006-07-23T22:43:00.000-07:00

How much should a clean room with a nice view of the Mekong river cost?
This is the view from my room...

This is my clean bed with the mosquito net over it...

The bathroom was clean, too.

You can get all this, plus a bonus pet mouse, for 25,000 kip ( = 100 bhat = $2.50). This is officially the second cheapest hotel I have ever stayed in (in 1992, I found a similar room with a view of the Hunza valley in northern Pakistan for less than $1).

Visit to Laos - getting to Luang Phabang

2006-07-23T22:17:00.000-07:00

After rafting, I continued north to Chian Mai, a major city in northern Thailand with an awesome night market. There, I visited some temples, and got sick for a day. The north of Thailand gets hilly, and the scenery is beautiful, but I have already seen enough places like this. I was not in a picture-taking mood, but had a good time.

From Chian Mai, I continued on to the Laos border. It was time for another visa run. To get into Laos, I took a ferry across the Mekong River into the little town of Huay Xai (sounds "Huay Sai" - thank the French for the wierd translitteration of Laosian script. Even the name of the capital, Vientiane, should actually be pronounced something like Wien Chang). Anyway, Huay Xai is a very tiny place. In the picture, you can see half the town. I arrived in the early afternoon (having spent the morning in Chian Khong, on the Thai side of the border) to find that the few buses and boats I could take into more interesting parts had already left. I was stuck here until the next morning.

I had two choices. One, a 2 day boat ride to Luang Phabang (nice city in northern Laos - see following posts), or two, a 24 hour bus ride. The catch is that 150 Km take 24 hours in the dry season. We're in the wet season, and there's no guarantee the trip can be completed in 24 hours. It coud take 2 or 3 days, or longer if it rained a lot. (Overland trips in northern Laos are slow going because the terrain is mountanous and the roads very windy. Another 130 Km bus trip normally takes 6 to 8 hours!).

So, I opted for the 2 day boat trip. The seats were unconfortable, but the scenery made up for it. I could see villages on the sides of the river where people dress and live in traditional ways. The first day ended in a little place (town?) called Pak Beng. One the second day, the scenery was just as beautiful. The clouds and rain were nice to watch, but I was tired, so I couldn't wait to arrive. The trip was certainly worthwile, but 2 days was plenty for me.

Rafting in Pisanulok

2006-07-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I started traveling north from Bangkok into northern Thailand. The first stop was in Pisanulok, where Weena and I went rafting. The river looked desceptively calm. Several of the rapids were sufficiently scary to make the trip exciting. Here, they take boats through rapids where beginners would never go in the States.
Unlike my previous rafting trips, the water was not cold. It was fun to go in for a swim.
The tricky part was following the guide's instructions in Thai - rowing forward vs. backward, right vs. left, etc. I just had to learn a few more words - which I have since forgotten.

(In the photos, I am on the rear left and Weena on the rear right)

More pictures from Cambodia

2006-07-23T21:49:00.000-07:00

When I went to Cambodia last month, I took a boat ride from the temples at Ankor to a little city called Battambang. It was interesting to see the villages, some floating on the river, and the people and how they travel. The boat with all the people was part of a 3 boat caravan apparently going to a wedding. Some people were singing and partying on the first boat.
The big tower on the other picture is a contraption used for fishing.

Later, on a motorbike ride to Pailin, I came across signs of the former Kmer Rouge prescense in this area. The number 2 and no. 3 former leaders still leave around here.

Koh Tao

2006-07-13T04:52:00.000-07:00

I have finally made it to the islands in southern Thailand. There are many, and the beaches are beautiful. I spent 5 days in Koh Tao (Koh = island), which attracts scuba divers from around the world. There are beautiful reefs and abundant marine life. Whale-sharks are seen in this area.
What did I do here? I signed up for a scuba diving class, and I am now certified! It was fun even though I actually had to study and take an exam. I managed some underwater photos with a cheap disposable camera. I hope to do a little more diving before I leave.

Petchaburi

2006-07-13T04:45:00.000-07:00

bout 2 hours south of Bangkok, there's a city (and a province) by this name. There are many caves in the limestone outcrops of the Indochina peninsula (and in various others parts of southeast Asia). In Petchaburi, Buddhist monks have done quite a good job converting some of these caves in temples with dozens or hundreds of Buddha statues in them. There was little else to see or do. Few tourists come here, so it was a good place to get away from the vendors and tour operators that abound at the major sites - a relaxing place.

Theater in Bangkok

2006-07-13T04:24:00.000-07:00

On my visits to Bangkok, I have gotten to see a couple of shows that I would highly recommend. One is a puppet show. This is a uniquely Thai art form and nothing like I imagined. The puppets, representing characters from the Ramakian (traditional Thai story derived from Hindu tradition) are controlled by 3 people each. They reenact scenes from the ancient stories. They also have an audience participation part which is quite funny. Who thought a puppet show could be so entertaining.

Another show worth seing is Siam Niramit. Is a large, modern production that is simply outstanding. The show takes one on a journey through Thai history, traditions and festivals. The customs, music and lights are spectacular.

So, these are the kinds of things I do in Bangkok when I pass through.

Visa run - a second visit to Cambodia

2006-07-13T03:43:00.000-07:00

Coming into Thailand, I get a 30 day visa. At the end of June, I had to leave Thailand and reenter to get another 30 days, so I went on a short trip into Cambodia again. I visited Siam Reap and Battambang again but went to sites I missed on my first visit in May.

Near Siam Reap, I went to a floating village on Tonle Sap lake. Houses on stilts are moved when the lake rises. They don't actually float. Fishing is a major part of how these people make a living. Many children here work pretty hard. It's too bad they have almost no opportunities to get ahead in life because many are quite bright and learn several languages (English, French, Spanish German, etc) to speak with foreigners. On the shores of the lake, the water rises as much as 10 meters, so houses are pretty high up. When I visited, the water was still fairly low, so we had to ride the motorbike through what my driver called "a little bad" road. I'd hate to see this road when it's really bad :) Nevertheless, we made it to the villages and back to Siam Reap. In the city, some prices, including food and drinks are quite cheap. The sign on the photo is in dollars. Yes, there is $0.25 cent beer! (many prices are posted in US dollars throughout Cambodia).

I went to Battambang only on my way to Pailin, a border town formerly known for it's production of precious stones. The quarries have since been depleted. This is the region were the Kmer Rouge started their revolution. The number 2 and 3 Kmer Rouge leaders still leave here. There houses are known to everyone. They are hated, so apparently they rarely leave. There are still many mines in some areas. My plan was to spend a day here, but after about 1 hour, I had seen the whole town, so I went on to the border. The only hotel with available rooms had no water, so I crossed into Thailand hoping to somehow make it to a nearby town for the night. I was very lucky. At the immigration, just as I finished the paperwork (and got my new 30 day visa), a man was leaving in his private car. There was no public transport in sight, so I asked him for a ride. It turned out he was going to Chantaburi, where I would have to go on my way back to Bangkok the next day. So, this was perfect. He spoke little English, and I speak only a few phrases in Thai, but I managed to ask him to drop me at any hotel in Chantaburi (he had his wife do a little translating for us on the cell phone). Well, he first went to his house to pick up his wife. They then drove me around until they found me a hotel - a very nice place at a great price. It seems I got a discount because the wife said I was her brother. People in Thailand are known for being very friendly, and that makes traveling here much more enjoyable.

Kao Yai National Park

2006-06-19T05:01:00.000-07:00

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)

2006-06-19T04:17:00.000-07:00

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

2006-06-19T04:09:00.000-07:00

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

2006-06-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

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

2006-06-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

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

2006-06-02T05:55:00.000-07:00

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.

Cambodia

2006-05-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

I spent nearly 2 weeks exploring Cambodia. I'll spare you the details of city names and get directly to the highlights.

(1) Ankor is the most amazing archeological site. There is a collection of ancient stone temples with amazing carvings. The most famous is Ankor Wat, but there's probably a hundred spread in tens of square kilometers (and even more in farther places in SE Asia). One of the temples I liked most was Ta Phrom: trees grow over the ruins. Aparently parts of Tomb Raider were filmed here (or in a replica).

(2) The beaches and islands in the south were worth the visit, although a walk in the jungle of a national park gave me my first intimate encounter with a leech, a little one - cute bastard :)

(3) The countriside is beautiful but people are very poor. Most of the country appears to be covered in rice paddys. Riding a "bamboo" train is an interesting way to get around. It opperates on the same tracks as the regular train (which

runs only once a week). The bamboo train is actually put together on the spot when someone needs it: wheels, chasis, engine. When it's time to turn around, they actually pick up the chasis and engine and turn them around.

(4) Historic sites and memorials from the Kmer Rouge years are sobering. The stories are not sanitized like they would probably be in similar exhibits in the States. Displays are graphic. Former prisons still have some dry blood splatered in the ceiling... It seems everyone in the country has horror stories from these years.

I hope to return and explore more of Cambodia before the summer is over. For now, I return to Thailand. I'll keep updating these stories when I get more pictures developed...

The road to Phnom Penh

2006-05-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

I left Pattaya for Phnom Penh, to explore Cambodia for a couple of weeks. I decided to go using public transport from town to town – rather than buying a direct ticket to the border – just to see if I could do it. It may be good to remind you that I can’t read Thai script. Many signs, to me, are just like the one in the picture. I think this one was selling home appliances, but how would I know. In any case, 3 buses and 6 hours later, I was in Trat, the last real town on the way to the Thai-Cambodia border. I got there with almost no delays waiting for busses, and managed to get on the right bus on the first try every time. It surprising what one can do with 2 phrases and sign language :)

Trat turned out to be a nice little town, so I decided to spend an extra day there. I explored the markets, a temple, and just watched people around town doing unusual things like riding motorbikes with umbrellas. It’s a relaxing place; a nice change after Pattaya.

The next day, May 13th, I crossed into Cambodia and went straight for the capital. The trip wasn’t as short as it sounds. Cambodia has a few major highways in good shape. Most other roads are in bad shape. We had 4 major river crossings, but there were no bridges. The Thai government is funding the construction of some bridges, but for now, ferries are used for river crossings. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour – probably longer if there were a long line. Some ferries are just 3 or 4 canoes strapped together. They have two engines, each with a separate driver. Some how, they manage to get across without loosing passengers or cars. The crossings themselves take only 3 to 5 minutes, but one of the ferries had a kitchen and sold food... Eventually, after reaching a main highway, and changing to a local bus that stopped every 5 minutes, I made it to Phnom Penh.

Pattaya

2006-05-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

Pattaya is one of the major tourist destinations in Thailand. You can read a lot about Pattaya on a google search. I wasn’t too impressed with the city or the beach, but the surrounding area has some interesting places to explore. I took a day trip to Ko Si Chan (Si Chan island; Ko = island). I spent quite a while at a Buddhist monastery. Guided by a nun, I learned a bit about Buddhism, which I’ve decided is the best religion because they have the prettiest temples :)

The island also has an old palace (remember that Thailand is a kingdom), and just walking around was interesting. Ice is brought from the mainland, and they use some interesting methods to unload it and transport it. This is probably the same ice they serve me with drinks, but so far, I haven’t been sick.

Before leaving Pattaya, I went to a go-kart track. They have a “beginners” track like those in the States. They also have a track with real 10 or 15 HP karts (as well as an off road track and a bungee tower). Guess which karts I chose to race... The warning sign says there’s an additional charge if they have to pull your kart of the lake. You understand the reason for the warning the moment you step on the gas (specially with cold tires at the start). The kart takes off and can go a lot faster than the turns permit. I spun out twice but nowhere near the water. 10 minutes of this was long enough, but I may have to go back.

The first few days in Bangkok

2006-05-27T06:53:00.000-07:00

Bangkok is beginning to feel familiar. I know my away around (mostly) without a map. It's nice to arrive in a familiar place after such a long trip - 28 hours of flights and lay-overs. It's also very nice that my friend Aor drove an hour from her city to visit me the day after my arrival. She's been my pen-pal since about 1990, and knows everything there is to know about Thailand...

Since, as usual, I travel with no plan or itinerary, I took the first few days to plan, and to explore around Bangkok with Aor. The pictures here were taken at the Ancient City, an outdoor museum that has reconstructions of many historic sites from around Thailand.

Thailand - Summer 2006

2006-05-27T06:47:00.000-07:00

I had such a good time during my New Year trip to Thailand, that I decided to go back with more time. So, here I am, traveling again. This time it's for 3 months (May 2 to August 14). I'm sure it will seem short. Nearly a month into the trip, I feel like I'm just getting started.
Well, here are some of the highlights from my travels...