My last week has been spent trekking through the rainforest of Phu Toey National Park in the Kanchanaburi province, approximately 130km north of Bangkok. It was back to basics again, camping in traditional villages in tents (I am now somewhat expert in pitching tents). A lack of drinking water and toilet faciltiies did nothing to dampen our spirits as we showered in waterfalls and experienced life in the Karen hill tribe villages. We spent an afternoon exploring the local caves and I didn't realise it was possible to squeeze through such small areas (caving is definitely not for the claustrophobic). We had bats for company (plus a whole of other creatures I'm sure) and I was rather relieved when I saw daylight filtering through the rocks above. My final day was spent at Lampthern Dam (the largest in Thailand) where we swam and tried unsuccessfully to remove the dirt engrained in our bodies. Our tents were pitched in the most picturesque spot overlooking the water and dinner was taken with a very hospitable local family in their beautiful house. I managed an early start one morning to watch a fabulous sunrise and most of the evenings were spent around the campfire. This was real Thailand and I have no doubt I will be visiting this amazing country again.
So after a night in a hotel with a hot shower (heaven) and a very painful Thai massage (hell), I am now chilling out in Ko Samet National Park, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. My leg muscles are looking forward to a recovery period after the battering they took during the trek and the coming week on the beach is most welcome.
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Monday, 28 January 2008
Saturday, 19 January 2008
Budding Buddhist
I knew that living alongside the Buddhist monks would be something not many would have the chance of experiencing and I feel incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to do so. I do like the principles of buddhism - the lack of desire and therefore the lack of suffering and the discipline shown by the monks is admirable. I'm not sure I could cope with the 5am starts every day (not being a morning person) or the fasting between midday and dawn, but I felt strangely peaceful during my stay. The monks have no possessions and rely on others to survive but in a hugely devout buddhist country, there is obviously no lack of support from the lay Buddhists. We began each day by walking the streets in the dark collecting alms - the respect given by a lay Buddhist to a Buddhist monk. The monk then prays for the giver's family and although I did have some doubts as to whether this could be portrayed as charity, it became obvious that the act of alms giving helped to connect the giver to the monk and all that he represents. It surprised me how much we had collected in an hour and a half, and although only ten monks were living in the Wat Songphinong temple I was assured that none of the food would go to waste and it would be distributed to those in need. Before we ate the offerings we took part in the chanting, the traditional means of preparing the mind for meditation. I have used meditation before but had forgotten how effective it is in calming the mind. Walking meditation was a new practice for me and the hectic Western world became a distant memory as I passed time in this way. The days were spent cleaning, chanting and meditating and I felt as though I was cocooned in a land far away from the one I know. My stay has encouraged me to explore the buddhist way of life in more detail so I am now engrossed in text books.
I'm finding it difficult to keep up with the pace of my travelling and the next week will see me trekking through central Thailand, so an entirely different experience again.
She said what? About who? Shameful celebrity quotes on Search Star!
I'm finding it difficult to keep up with the pace of my travelling and the next week will see me trekking through central Thailand, so an entirely different experience again.
She said what? About who? Shameful celebrity quotes on Search Star!
Tuesday, 15 January 2008
Touchdown in Thailand
Arriving at Bangkok airport, I immediately noticed how beautifully clean it was after the dirt of India and it was nothing like the airport I remembered as a naive backpacker 18 years ago. Checking in to my hotel, I felt as though I was in 5 star luxury and the toilet paper in the bathroom was the icing on the cake. Bangkok is such an exciting city and I hit the tourist trail straight away by visiting the Grand Palace, I then took the Chao Phraya Express along the river and found the famous Khao San road which was, as expected, backpacker city. Negotiating the traffic in a tuk-tuk is not dissimilar to the transport in India and I'm sure cramming six of us in was not the best idea. Chatuchak market is supposed to be the best one here but the Thais are much harder to bargain with than the Indians, I still managed to make some good savings. I don't usually make a habit of eating food cooked on the side of the road but I made an exception and tasted some excellent pad thai (with chicken - absolute heaven). Unfortunately the King's sister died while I was in Bangkok so much of the entertainment ceased as a mark of respect - we were disappointed not to experience one of the legendary 'Lady-Boy' shows. However, I did manage to fit in a Thai massage, I don't know where the tiny girls get their strength from but I felt fantastic afterwards.
The backpacker trail continued for me as I caught a bus and a ferry to Koh Phangan - home of the Full Moon Party. Did some amazing diving at Sail Rock just south of Koh Tao, unfortunately the local whale shark didn't put in an appearance but we did see moray eels and stingrays. Thank goodness Thailand allows anyone to dive without evidence of any qualifications - I'm sure my open water certification I attained in 1990 is well out of date now but I need all the practice I can get before I arrive in Ecuador to begin my marine conservation project.
I fell in love with Koh Phangan - not the southern party resort in Haad Rin but the eastern part of the island has some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen, white sand and completely deserted. Ko Samui is again an island of contrasts, I visted Hat Bo Phut on the north side which was stunning (apart from the occasional jelly fish). We had a slightly hairy moment when we thought we were stranded but luckily managed to wade our way out with backpacks above our heads, much to the amusement of the sun worshippers in the resort behind.
So after travelling the backpacker trail for a week, I am now living in an Eco House in Singburi (two hours north of Bangkok), an area totally unaffacted by tourism. I was prepared for the locals to find us strange and after the initial staring we encountered, we are finding the Thais here extremely friendly with huge smiles.
What an action-packed first week in Thailand it has been, now I am looking forward to the coming week and understanding more about the Buddhist way of life when we live alongside the monks in the temple.
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The backpacker trail continued for me as I caught a bus and a ferry to Koh Phangan - home of the Full Moon Party. Did some amazing diving at Sail Rock just south of Koh Tao, unfortunately the local whale shark didn't put in an appearance but we did see moray eels and stingrays. Thank goodness Thailand allows anyone to dive without evidence of any qualifications - I'm sure my open water certification I attained in 1990 is well out of date now but I need all the practice I can get before I arrive in Ecuador to begin my marine conservation project.
I fell in love with Koh Phangan - not the southern party resort in Haad Rin but the eastern part of the island has some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen, white sand and completely deserted. Ko Samui is again an island of contrasts, I visted Hat Bo Phut on the north side which was stunning (apart from the occasional jelly fish). We had a slightly hairy moment when we thought we were stranded but luckily managed to wade our way out with backpacks above our heads, much to the amusement of the sun worshippers in the resort behind.
So after travelling the backpacker trail for a week, I am now living in an Eco House in Singburi (two hours north of Bangkok), an area totally unaffacted by tourism. I was prepared for the locals to find us strange and after the initial staring we encountered, we are finding the Thais here extremely friendly with huge smiles.
What an action-packed first week in Thailand it has been, now I am looking forward to the coming week and understanding more about the Buddhist way of life when we live alongside the monks in the temple.
Think you know your TV, music and film? Try Search Charades!
Monday, 7 January 2008
Goodbye India
During my final two weeks in
The teaching definitely became easier towards the end so a big thank you to everyone who e-mailed me with suggestions (I did not have to resort to your comments Crass Aussie – but thank you anyway!). My wonderful mother sent over some great materials which the children loved, the giant cannon and balloons went down a storm. It seems odd that I will never see the children again but they now have a new volunteer so I'm sure she is carrying on the good work. I was wondering what to write in my report before I left but when I look back on what I achieved, one of the most important things I gave to them was affection which some of the kids were so clearly lacking. A number of very violent children joined the class in the last week and it was difficult to control them but I think all they really needed was a bit of attention. The Christmas period was very quiet with only a handful turning up but it meant they did get a bit of extra tuition.
I did manage to get to Palolem for Christmas, it felt like a holiday and was good to get away from my workplace although I still find Christmas in the sun rather strange. The beachshack we rented was perfect and cost ten pounds between four of us so another Indian bargain.
I also managed to attend a henna workshop so am now an expert in body art (almost) and the cooking class I'm hoping will encourage me to attempt a proper curry when I get home.
I'm not sure what I will remember most about my time in India, the crazy driving (our driver hit a motorbike then a couple of days later put the jeep in a ditch during my last week), the colourful clothes and jewelry, the spicy food, the despair of so many Indians living in poverty or the smiles on the faces of my lovely schoolchildren.
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