This is quite the place. It is 36 on a cool day and 40 today. Got in around 7pm and needed a room Grabbed the cheapest (I know, not the usual) and closest I could find on my wonky Playbook rapidly depleting in energy. I figured one night, can handle that. When I seen my room I almost ----. But like the trooper I am I endurred that one night. I had about a foot at the end of the bed and a foot on the door side wall. The door had a 3 inch magnetic strip and a hook latch. At least who couldn't loose your key. For $9 us including breakfast it was a break even at best.
Priority today, new room, actually a room not a closet. Found one for around $15us with breakfast on the 2nd floor and no the ground floor is not the 1st floor. Room was fine, came with a fan and had an a/c unit perched on the wall just to tease you.
Traffic here makes the Don Valley during rush hour look like a speed way. There are so many cars.So many new cars,tons of Toyotas,a lot we have never heard the names of. Crossing the street is a game of roulette but the drivers are not as aggressive as a lot of places. Pedestrians cross streets with no regard for lights at all. More to follow.
Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Moving on from Bangkok
Being reasonable able to walk it was time to move on to Ayutthaya. This was once a capital of the old kingdom. Filled with many temples and pagodas. Nothing here but the temples, did catch Mr.Noi a local jazz guitarist is the 4 bar gringo area one night while having a mamasan which is a muslim version of a mad mango soup. Basically a veg curry.
Continued up the road to Sukhotai which was also was a capital of an ancient kindom. It is filled with many more temples and shrines. Back continues to hold up. Pills I got in Bangkok are doing their job.
From here a took another bus to Mae Sot and crossed the river to Myanmar. One of the easiest border crossings I have ever done, even having lost my Thai visa in Sukhotai. The girl at the hotel there took it for the number and I didn't check to get it back. Read it was no problem just had to fill out a new one.
The myanmar side town is called Myawaddy. Kinda like something out of the old west. Needed to change some money and was fortuate to meet an older guy who spoke english. Did the deed and he arranged a bus, one that gave you a ride from the bus station into Yangon, which is about 24 kilometres out of downtown. Taxi would cost almost as much as the 10 hour bus ride in.
So I will leave my tale here for now just coming into Yangon. I have to admit that the heat is wearing me down and this internet is not only not air conditioned it is filled with about 30 noisy kids playing computer games. All boys much like home.
Continued up the road to Sukhotai which was also was a capital of an ancient kindom. It is filled with many more temples and shrines. Back continues to hold up. Pills I got in Bangkok are doing their job.
From here a took another bus to Mae Sot and crossed the river to Myanmar. One of the easiest border crossings I have ever done, even having lost my Thai visa in Sukhotai. The girl at the hotel there took it for the number and I didn't check to get it back. Read it was no problem just had to fill out a new one.
The myanmar side town is called Myawaddy. Kinda like something out of the old west. Needed to change some money and was fortuate to meet an older guy who spoke english. Did the deed and he arranged a bus, one that gave you a ride from the bus station into Yangon, which is about 24 kilometres out of downtown. Taxi would cost almost as much as the 10 hour bus ride in.
So I will leave my tale here for now just coming into Yangon. I have to admit that the heat is wearing me down and this internet is not only not air conditioned it is filled with about 30 noisy kids playing computer games. All boys much like home.
Monday, 13 February 2017
Finally Bangkok but Oooooooooooooooh Nooooooooooo
Finally got here. Every plane was delayed. Istanbul to Bangkok was an 8 hour wait all said and done. Hope that old saying "in like a lion out like a lamb" holds true for travel Not only were all the planes late, I lost my book in Toronto then will finishing a not very good but expensive turkish meal in Istanbul my back started to seize up on me while sitting in a chair. Needless to say, it was one hell of a long ride to Bangkok.
Istanbul has a lovely airport with the biggest and most numerous duty free shops but offers no free wifi unless you have a mobile phone so they can call and give you the code on it. At least I was lucky enough to get a seat with a little extra legroom.
Back pain was ok sitting but standing and walking was a chore. Don't know why it takes so much energy to walk when the back spasms. At least it didn't put me into the usual crab twist position.
Took the Skytrain into Bangkok and grab the first single room I coud wince to $50 a night tightened by back even more. Moved next day to a $6 a night room for 2 days. Lucked out again finding some good meds. Tylenol and beer weren't working.Got some Tramadol for pain and some really good muscle relaxants. Are helping immensely. Thought for a while as I was crawling around on the floor that Lou was going to have to come to Bangkok on a mercy flight to nurse her big baby back to health.
Coupled with these physical problems were electronic ones, battery power, email and on. More on this later. Suffice it to say I have survived and anm now in Ayutthaya and will be leaving for Sukhotai tomorrow.
Istanbul has a lovely airport with the biggest and most numerous duty free shops but offers no free wifi unless you have a mobile phone so they can call and give you the code on it. At least I was lucky enough to get a seat with a little extra legroom.
Back pain was ok sitting but standing and walking was a chore. Don't know why it takes so much energy to walk when the back spasms. At least it didn't put me into the usual crab twist position.
Took the Skytrain into Bangkok and grab the first single room I coud wince to $50 a night tightened by back even more. Moved next day to a $6 a night room for 2 days. Lucked out again finding some good meds. Tylenol and beer weren't working.Got some Tramadol for pain and some really good muscle relaxants. Are helping immensely. Thought for a while as I was crawling around on the floor that Lou was going to have to come to Bangkok on a mercy flight to nurse her big baby back to health.
Coupled with these physical problems were electronic ones, battery power, email and on. More on this later. Suffice it to say I have survived and anm now in Ayutthaya and will be leaving for Sukhotai tomorrow.
Tuesday, 7 February 2017
Back to the Fray
Only chasing travel insurance now as other essential have all been procured. Next will be making a list checking it twice then start packing and of course continueing research on areas i plan to travel through.
Originally I was going to spend a few days in Istanbul on the way to Bangkok but with recent events, the security will probably be so abundant that it wouldn't be enjoyable and a short time visit would be unfair to a city that requires at least 3 full days for just downtown.
They have a free tour in Istanbul if your connecting flight has a layover of 6 hours or more but you still need to get a visa which is $100 US. plus you need to have the time occur betwen 9am and 6pm. My fight lands at 4;15 pm and leaves at 1;15 am for Bangkok.
From Bangkok I will be heading north to the ruins at Ayutthaya then on to Mae Sot to cross the border at Myawaddy into Myanmar.
I have my visa for Myanmar and India already. Crossing from Thailand to Myanmar is not so difficult. There are 4 land borders.The crossing to India by land is a little complicated as you have to get a permit to do it. Will be a challenge to obtain and figure out.
Crossing into India and heading for Imphal and hopefully over through Nagaland and up to Tawang.
Big monestry in Tawang , second biggest next to one in Tibet. Tawang is a difficult bus ride not real far but very slow roads.
From there I hope to get to Siliguri and Darjeeling for a chance to ride the Toy Train and see lots of Tea Plantations.this should fill out the Month of February.
Just ready to head off to catch the REDCAR. Calling for freezing rain so letting Lou avoid the drive to Toronto.
https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/17.070962,98.3369318/Bangkok,+Thailand/Yangon+%E1%80%9B%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%80%E1%80%AF%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA/Old+Bagan+%E1%80%95%E1%80%AF%E1%80%82%E1%80%B6%E1%80%99%E1%80%BC%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF%E1%80%B7%E1%80%9F%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8/Mandalay+%E1%80%99%E1%80%94%E1%80%B9%E1%80%90%E1%80%9C%E1%80%B1%E1%80%B8/Imphal/Tawang/Darjeeling/Kolkata/@25.9417437,88.4602229,7z/data=!4m51!4m50!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x311d6032280d61f3:0x10100b25de24820!2m2!1d100.5017651!2d13.7563309!1m5!1m1!1s0x30c1949e223e196b:0x56fbd271f8080bb4!2m2!1d96.195132!2d16.8660694!1m5!1m1!1s0x30b5e50393d8ca61:0x371a4717c3e89981!2m2!1d94.8585458!2d21.1717271!1m5!1m1!1s0x30cb6d23f0d27411:0x24146be01e4e5646!2m2!1d96.0891032!2d21.9588282!1m5!1m1!1s0x3749265bf16390db:0x19499aae263c5424!2m2!1d93.9368439!2d24.8170111!1m5!1m1!1s0x375cf4f8474f47b7:0x6448080fa5e6771c!2m2!1d91.8757422!2d27.5780678!1m5!1m1!1s0x39e42e654cf501bb:0x4175555979d4702a!2m2!1d88.2626751!2d27.0360066!1m5!1m1!1s0x39f882db4908f667:0x43e330e68f6c2cbc!2m2!1d88.363895!2d22.572646!3e0?hl=en
https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Kolkata/Madurai,+Tamil+Nadu,+India/Varkala,+Kerala,+India/Mumbai,+Maharashtra,+India/@15.6258549,76.1267422,6z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m26!4m25!1m5!1m1!1s0x39f882db4908f667:0x43e330e68f6c2cbc!2m2!1d88.363895!2d22.572646!1m5!1m1!1s0x3b00c582b1189633:0xdc955b7264f63933!2m2!1d78.1197754!2d9.9252007!1m5!1m1!1s0x3b05ef26d90220fb:0xa3ec40c67d4dd020!2m2!1d76.7163359!2d8.7378685!1m5!1m1!1s0x3be7c6306644edc1:0x5da4ed8f8d648c69!2m2!1d72.8776559!2d19.0759837!3e0?hl=en
Originally I was going to spend a few days in Istanbul on the way to Bangkok but with recent events, the security will probably be so abundant that it wouldn't be enjoyable and a short time visit would be unfair to a city that requires at least 3 full days for just downtown.
They have a free tour in Istanbul if your connecting flight has a layover of 6 hours or more but you still need to get a visa which is $100 US. plus you need to have the time occur betwen 9am and 6pm. My fight lands at 4;15 pm and leaves at 1;15 am for Bangkok.
From Bangkok I will be heading north to the ruins at Ayutthaya then on to Mae Sot to cross the border at Myawaddy into Myanmar.
I have my visa for Myanmar and India already. Crossing from Thailand to Myanmar is not so difficult. There are 4 land borders.The crossing to India by land is a little complicated as you have to get a permit to do it. Will be a challenge to obtain and figure out.
Crossing into India and heading for Imphal and hopefully over through Nagaland and up to Tawang.
Big monestry in Tawang , second biggest next to one in Tibet. Tawang is a difficult bus ride not real far but very slow roads.
From there I hope to get to Siliguri and Darjeeling for a chance to ride the Toy Train and see lots of Tea Plantations.this should fill out the Month of February.
Just ready to head off to catch the REDCAR. Calling for freezing rain so letting Lou avoid the drive to Toronto.https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/17.070962,98.3369318/Bangkok,+Thailand/Yangon+%E1%80%9B%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA%E1%80%80%E1%80%AF%E1%80%94%E1%80%BA/Old+Bagan+%E1%80%95%E1%80%AF%E1%80%82%E1%80%B6%E1%80%99%E1%80%BC%E1%80%AD%E1%80%AF%E1%80%B7%E1%80%9F%E1%80%B1%E1%80%AC%E1%80%84%E1%80%BA%E1%80%B8/Mandalay+%E1%80%99%E1%80%94%E1%80%B9%E1%80%90%E1%80%9C%E1%80%B1%E1%80%B8/Imphal/Tawang/Darjeeling/Kolkata/@25.9417437,88.4602229,7z/data=!4m51!4m50!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x311d6032280d61f3:0x10100b25de24820!2m2!1d100.5017651!2d13.7563309!1m5!1m1!1s0x30c1949e223e196b:0x56fbd271f8080bb4!2m2!1d96.195132!2d16.8660694!1m5!1m1!1s0x30b5e50393d8ca61:0x371a4717c3e89981!2m2!1d94.8585458!2d21.1717271!1m5!1m1!1s0x30cb6d23f0d27411:0x24146be01e4e5646!2m2!1d96.0891032!2d21.9588282!1m5!1m1!1s0x3749265bf16390db:0x19499aae263c5424!2m2!1d93.9368439!2d24.8170111!1m5!1m1!1s0x375cf4f8474f47b7:0x6448080fa5e6771c!2m2!1d91.8757422!2d27.5780678!1m5!1m1!1s0x39e42e654cf501bb:0x4175555979d4702a!2m2!1d88.2626751!2d27.0360066!1m5!1m1!1s0x39f882db4908f667:0x43e330e68f6c2cbc!2m2!1d88.363895!2d22.572646!3e0?hl=en
https://www.google.ca/maps/dir/Kolkata/Madurai,+Tamil+Nadu,+India/Varkala,+Kerala,+India/Mumbai,+Maharashtra,+India/@15.6258549,76.1267422,6z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m26!4m25!1m5!1m1!1s0x39f882db4908f667:0x43e330e68f6c2cbc!2m2!1d88.363895!2d22.572646!1m5!1m1!1s0x3b00c582b1189633:0xdc955b7264f63933!2m2!1d78.1197754!2d9.9252007!1m5!1m1!1s0x3b05ef26d90220fb:0xa3ec40c67d4dd020!2m2!1d76.7163359!2d8.7378685!1m5!1m1!1s0x3be7c6306644edc1:0x5da4ed8f8d648c69!2m2!1d72.8776559!2d19.0759837!3e0?hl=en
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