November 9, 2012 WANG PO ELEPHANT CAMP

Great day today. We had a lovely breakfast compliments of the U Inchantree Hotel, on a patio overlooking the River Kwai. Our taxi arrived at 8:30am to take us to the Wangpo Elephant Camp.  Driver thought we didnt know where we were going so he took us to the Mekong elephant camp and told us it was the same.  We made him take us to the correct place because Wangpo is supposedly kinder to the animals, less touristy and I had read about the chance to bathe the elephants.  On our way, we noticed a sign “Do Not Feed the Monkeys” so started to keep a sharp eye out for monkeys and found a bunch of them just off the side of a road.  There was a booth selling food to ffed the monkeys.  The driver bought corn on the cob and immediately began throwing it to the monkeys.  We had some cheezies that we hand fed to them.  Apparently no one obeys the signs.  We then went on to the elephants where Rick and I rode one through some trees and into the river.  We were on a large seat on her back while the mahout sat on her neck and steered.  They called this a trek.  As we were the only people riding at the time, the mahout let us take turns riding her bareback on her neck with our legs tucked in behind her ears.  Her name is Tiku and she is 37 years old.  Riding up front was very challenging when we went down short but steep hills.  Then we stripped to swimming suits, got an elephant with no seat on her and climbed into the river with her.  This one is called Miss Noi.  Rick decided to take photos so I was sitting on her bareback while she sprayed me and then tossed me into the river several times.  It was an awesome experience even though I hate to support elephant abuse.  These elephants did not appear to be abused but Im sure they dont love their jobs.  

We spent the rest of the day by the pool and then walked down to a small massage place where we got a one hour foot massage for 150 baht.  About $5.  Off to see the Tigers tomorrow.  

2013 GREAT WALL MARATHON TRIP

MAY 12, 2013

Tamara flew in from Calgary this morning and found Larraine and I at our boarding gate in Vancouver. We will meet up with Warren, Lynda and Jaki on May 15 for the Great Wall Marathon on May 18. 

Some pics from last years' race to show what we are looking forward to seeing this year.  

Here we are in our shirts provided by the marathon group. 

Bridge Over The River Kwai, November 8, 2012

We checked out of our Bangkok hotel just after 6am and caught a cab to take us to the train station where we planned to hop a train to Kanchanaburi.  The cab driver talked us into letting him drive us all the way so we missed out on a $3 train trip but made a detour to see the floating market included in the price of $42 the driver charged. The floating market is a village on a cannels that were built in the mid 1800’s.  Many streets of little shops right on the water and boats drift by and stop at shops of interest.  Rick bought some hand carved wooden things and a crocodile belt.  We negotiated down to 1/6 the original asking price and yet found everything later at a less touristy market for asking prices of half what we paid.  You can never go too low when bartering.  We eventually reached the Bridge over teh River Kwai and since we knew our hotel was near the bridge and the taxi driver had no idea where the hotel was, he dropped us off and we walked the 300 meters to our hotel.  We were greeted with cold scented wash clothes, a tiny but spectacular room in the U Inchantree Hotel, located right on the River Kwai.  We had a delicious lunch and went for a walk across the famous bridge.  The weather is extremely hot and humid, even for meso we spent the afternnon in and around the pool.  We ordered lattes this eveing as I write this we are sitting out on our tiny but very private balcony..  

NOVEMBER 5, 2012 BEIJING

We arrived in Beijing and had just enough time to enjoy some snacks and drinks at the business class lounge before catching our 5 hour flight to Bangkok.  

We grabbed a cab at the Bangkok airport as I didn’t know how late the trains ran or how difficult it would be to find our hotel from the train station at 1:00 am. Still over 30C in Bangkok.  We had the slowest cabbie on the road.  This was probably due to the fact that he was completely out of gas according to the gauge and the gas light, his engine light was on and his steering  was barely functioning.  He was all over the road so we were glad to arrive safely at the Novotal.  Got checked in and went right to bed as we had not had much sleep on the flights.

BANGKOK, NOVEMBER 7, 2012

Again we tried to walk around our neighbourhood but again tuk drivers and various others on the street, including a tourist police, kept telling us we should go to this market and that market and trying to put us in a tuk for a very cheap price.  We finallly caught on that if they take you to a gem shop or a tailor shop they get free gas and if you buy anything they get a kick back.  We didn't buy and our tuk driver had offered to take us anywhere for under $1 so he was frustrated and dropped us off at a tiny market when we had requested only to go to Boo Bea market.  We then had to pay a real price to get back to our hotel and had not had our walk, explored our neighbourhood or seen the market.  So we went for a foot massage.  Then we went for a Thai massage.  Then we packed as we have an early morning tomorrow. 

NOVEMBER 6, 2012 BANGKOK

We had an exceptionally great breakfast buffet in the hotel. Included in the room price.  Then we decided to just walk and explore our neighbourhood, the Siam Square area.  We were constantly accosted by cab drivers and others trying to take us places.  We finally got a tuk tuk to a travel company where we booked our overnight train to Ko Samui for Nov 11.  Then we took a private boat trip down the Chao Phraya River.  He took us through canals where many people live right along the river. At one point we went through a lock where we had to wait with 10 other boats crowded into a small lock area while the gates opened and closed. He was supposed to drop us off at the Grand Palace but he just left us at one of the many Wats and we had to find a cab to take us to the palace.  There is a Buddha holiday today and the king did a cruise accompanied by many boats full of monks singing.  Apparently this is a big event that rarely happens.  We had to pay 100 baht just to watch from a parking lot along the river.  There is no access to the river as so many people live right along the river.  

To go back to the hotel we hopped on a bus that a transit guy told us was free and would take us all the way back to Siam Square.  It was a very old, hot and crowded bus but it got us home.  We went for a foot massage, got a Starbucks frapp and went for  a neck and shoulder massage.  All in all an ok day.  Bangkok is not my favourite place.  

THAILAND 2012 - almost

We leave Sunday November 4, 2012 for Thailand.  Business class on Air China - thanks to aeroplan miles.  We have 3 hours in Beijing -just enough time to locate our next flight - not enough time to see anything.  That will have to be the next flight.  Hope to have enough wifi to maintain this blog.