As I've indicated before, I do a lot of reading on this trip. I finished Fast Food Nation, Around the World in 80 Days (I found it oddly fitting), and a couple Dan Brown novels.
My purchases in Chaing Mai include The Communist Manifesto, Common Sense by Thomas Paine, Video Night in Kathmandu by Pico Iyer, A History of Asia, and The Tailor from Panama by John La Carre. I also picked up a copy of this week's Economist magazine. And I finally found Walden as well.
I talked about Pico Iyer in the last book post. This book talks about how Western trends move through Asia. It should be an appropriate read.
I've always thought about reading the Communist Manifesto. I just wanted to know what it was that sparked a whole way of life for, at its time, about half the world. I thought Common Sense was necessary for some balance.
So I'm set for the rest of Thailand and couple of weeks or so of India. But, I would like some suggestions for future picks.
Criteria:
- In press long enough to be in paperback; It's lighter, and I'll be more likely to find it used.
- Should not be excessively long; Please, no War and Peace. It gets difficult to pack the big books.
- Mainstream that I would probably find it used. This is not so difficult as it sounds, but would preclude Beowulf in original Old English.
- No Russian authors. I read a few in high school, and found them depressing. I don't need that on this trip.
- No poetry. Just not in the mood.
Thanks for the help...
06 December 2005
05 December 2005
Cooking class
I took a Thai cooking class today. I chose the class offered on this particular day because they were teaching knife skills. I learned how to make a rose from a tomato peel, and a lotus blossom from a tomato. And I made a nice leaf from a carrot. They have much bigger carrots here.
I have a feeling that I will be investing in a nice knife for this purpose once I get back home. It was actually an odd knife. It was curved, but the sharp edge was on the inside of the curve, instead of the expected outside. There are pictures of all the creations. I had to learn about the "macro" function on my camera.
The afternoon was spent making five different dishes. Yes, Roxy, I did get a cookbook. I am quite pleased with the course.
Pictures will follow.
I have a feeling that I will be investing in a nice knife for this purpose once I get back home. It was actually an odd knife. It was curved, but the sharp edge was on the inside of the curve, instead of the expected outside. There are pictures of all the creations. I had to learn about the "macro" function on my camera.
The afternoon was spent making five different dishes. Yes, Roxy, I did get a cookbook. I am quite pleased with the course.
Pictures will follow.
04 December 2005
Transport...
It occurs to me that I haven't really been sharing the details of my transportation. I think you'd be slightly intrigued.
I was finished with my time in Kanchanaburi, and by that, I mean that since I had gotten there, things had seemed a bit off at every turn. This happens from time to time. Nothing bad, but always something slightly unexpected, and so slightly disappointing. For breakfast, I didn't get what I ordered. I assume I didn't point at the menu correctly. The day had been full of things like that.
So I started off to the bus station. I accepted an offer to be taken there in a rickshaw. (That's its name in India, I'm not sure of the correct term in Thailand.) Think of a bicycle, but with two wheels in the back sharing an axle. There's a platform to sit on. Someone pedals, and you go. Something about a person moving me along bothers me, so I tip well to assuage some guilt.
The driver asked me what city I was headed to, and proceeded to take me towards the bus station. He tells me a bit about the town when we are stopped at the light. He stops a bit before we get to the bus station, and tells me that the bus in front of us is the bus I want. I look at it, and it does have the expected number painted on the side. I do have to say that the rickshaw driver was the best part of Kanchanaburi. The conductor gets me on board, and even finds me a seat on the very packed bus.
I'm not sure how to describe this bus. Think school bus, complete with windows that come down, and you get close. They also have curtains to keep the sun out, and fans on the ceiling.
About 12:45, I start to get hungry, and hope that the ride is almost over. We are stopped at a semi-major town center, waiting for the proper time to leave. All of a sudden, there appear food vendors on the bus. A man shows up with BBQ chicken. I automatically have a huge grin on my face, and he knows he has a customer. I get four pieces for about $.50. I also get a bag filled with ice, water, and coconut flavor for about a quarter. My faith in Thailand is restored.
Upon arrival at the transfer point, the conductor finds and directs me to the next bus to take me to Ayuthaya. I'm feeling grateful.
I took the train here to Chaing Mai. I was waiting at the train station. A train pulls in about 15 minutes before I'm supposed to board. So I ask someone in uniform if this is the train to Chaing Mai. Someone else offers assistance to translate. The bottom line is that when my train does arrive, the station manager signals to me, and then sends someone over to get me and take me to the correct compartment. I am truly grateful.
I was finished with my time in Kanchanaburi, and by that, I mean that since I had gotten there, things had seemed a bit off at every turn. This happens from time to time. Nothing bad, but always something slightly unexpected, and so slightly disappointing. For breakfast, I didn't get what I ordered. I assume I didn't point at the menu correctly. The day had been full of things like that.
So I started off to the bus station. I accepted an offer to be taken there in a rickshaw. (That's its name in India, I'm not sure of the correct term in Thailand.) Think of a bicycle, but with two wheels in the back sharing an axle. There's a platform to sit on. Someone pedals, and you go. Something about a person moving me along bothers me, so I tip well to assuage some guilt.
The driver asked me what city I was headed to, and proceeded to take me towards the bus station. He tells me a bit about the town when we are stopped at the light. He stops a bit before we get to the bus station, and tells me that the bus in front of us is the bus I want. I look at it, and it does have the expected number painted on the side. I do have to say that the rickshaw driver was the best part of Kanchanaburi. The conductor gets me on board, and even finds me a seat on the very packed bus.
I'm not sure how to describe this bus. Think school bus, complete with windows that come down, and you get close. They also have curtains to keep the sun out, and fans on the ceiling.
About 12:45, I start to get hungry, and hope that the ride is almost over. We are stopped at a semi-major town center, waiting for the proper time to leave. All of a sudden, there appear food vendors on the bus. A man shows up with BBQ chicken. I automatically have a huge grin on my face, and he knows he has a customer. I get four pieces for about $.50. I also get a bag filled with ice, water, and coconut flavor for about a quarter. My faith in Thailand is restored.
Upon arrival at the transfer point, the conductor finds and directs me to the next bus to take me to Ayuthaya. I'm feeling grateful.
I took the train here to Chaing Mai. I was waiting at the train station. A train pulls in about 15 minutes before I'm supposed to board. So I ask someone in uniform if this is the train to Chaing Mai. Someone else offers assistance to translate. The bottom line is that when my train does arrive, the station manager signals to me, and then sends someone over to get me and take me to the correct compartment. I am truly grateful.
Where I am/will be...
OK. So I've been hard at work the last two hours or so, and have nailed down some details.
I'll be in Chaing Mai until Thurs, 8 Dec. I'm taking a Thai cooking class tomorrow, and then visiting the highest peak in Thailand, Doi Inthanon, on Tuesday. Wednesday, I'll see some of the wats (temples) in Chaing Mai itself.
On Thursday, I'll fly to Phuket. I'll head north to Khao Lak, where I'll be doing more diving. You probably won't hear much from me at this point. I dive during the day on Friday, but then do a liveaboard Sat-Mon. This means I go out on a boat and don't come back for awhile. We'll see how that goes. I'm going through Sea Dragon Dive Center.
After that, I plan to head north to Khao Sok. It's a national park. A rainforest, actually. I think that I can ride an elephant there. We'll see. After that, I have another day or so before I have to head back to Bangkok. Again, I head to India on 18 December.
Please let me know if you need any more details.
I'll be in Chaing Mai until Thurs, 8 Dec. I'm taking a Thai cooking class tomorrow, and then visiting the highest peak in Thailand, Doi Inthanon, on Tuesday. Wednesday, I'll see some of the wats (temples) in Chaing Mai itself.
On Thursday, I'll fly to Phuket. I'll head north to Khao Lak, where I'll be doing more diving. You probably won't hear much from me at this point. I dive during the day on Friday, but then do a liveaboard Sat-Mon. This means I go out on a boat and don't come back for awhile. We'll see how that goes. I'm going through Sea Dragon Dive Center.
After that, I plan to head north to Khao Sok. It's a national park. A rainforest, actually. I think that I can ride an elephant there. We'll see. After that, I have another day or so before I have to head back to Bangkok. Again, I head to India on 18 December.
Please let me know if you need any more details.
02 December 2005
The Bridge...
I rented a bicycle from my guesthouse yesterday. I rode to The Bridge Over The River Kwai. I couldn't help but start to whistle the "theme" song. There's a museum nearby. They had a video showing an interview with the former POW that started singing the song. It's an old British fight song. They had lyrics that insulted the Japanese, but the Japanese lacked the English vocabulary to realize it was an insult. The captors were amused every time the POWs would start to sing.
Over 100,000 people died building the railway from Thailand to Burma. The Japanese needed this railway to move supplies to Burma and stage an attack on India. The seas were not a safe option for the Japanese, so they had to build a railroad through the mountains. Most of the POWs that died were British, Australian, or Dutch. There are about 6,500 of them buried in a cemetery in Kanchanaburi.
The museum explained that had the Japanese provided proper food, water, and medical care, the death rate would not have been so high. So I found it odd that the Japanese were very respectful of deceased POWs. They allowed the POWs to hold funerals, and would sometimes attend. In 1944, the Japanese even built a monument to all those who died while building the railroad.
The POWs used this respect for the dead to their advantage. They would independently keep records of who died, and periodically would bury it with a POW. These records were then uncovered by the Allied Powers after the country was liberated. During liberation, most of the bodies were exhumed and placed in one of three cemeteries. The British Commonwealth still attends to these sites.
Over 100,000 people died building the railway from Thailand to Burma. The Japanese needed this railway to move supplies to Burma and stage an attack on India. The seas were not a safe option for the Japanese, so they had to build a railroad through the mountains. Most of the POWs that died were British, Australian, or Dutch. There are about 6,500 of them buried in a cemetery in Kanchanaburi.
The museum explained that had the Japanese provided proper food, water, and medical care, the death rate would not have been so high. So I found it odd that the Japanese were very respectful of deceased POWs. They allowed the POWs to hold funerals, and would sometimes attend. In 1944, the Japanese even built a monument to all those who died while building the railroad.
The POWs used this respect for the dead to their advantage. They would independently keep records of who died, and periodically would bury it with a POW. These records were then uncovered by the Allied Powers after the country was liberated. During liberation, most of the bodies were exhumed and placed in one of three cemeteries. The British Commonwealth still attends to these sites.
High Season...
So this is really the first time I've been traveling in High Season. It's been nice enough in the other places I've been, but there was a dearth of fellow travelers. Not so here.
So it's bit me a bit. The first couple of places that I tried, here in Ayuthaya, were booked. The third place is a bit basic. A bed, a chair, a fan. Bathroom downstairs. So I'm shortening my time here and heading to Chaing Mai early. Saturday night I'll take an overnight train.
And yes, I have, after many telecommunications difficulties, made a reservation with a place in Chaing Mai.
So it's bit me a bit. The first couple of places that I tried, here in Ayuthaya, were booked. The third place is a bit basic. A bed, a chair, a fan. Bathroom downstairs. So I'm shortening my time here and heading to Chaing Mai early. Saturday night I'll take an overnight train.
And yes, I have, after many telecommunications difficulties, made a reservation with a place in Chaing Mai.
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