southeast asia

Mae Hong Son, Thailand: On the Myanmar border

Nong Jong Kham (Lake), Mae Hong Son
Nong Jong Kham Lake, Mae Hong Son
Getting to Mae Hong Son from Soppong was pretty painful. There is a local bus that runs from Chiang Mai through Soppong on to MHS. This bus was supposed to arrive at 11:30am. We waited in the roasting sun in the middle of the Soppong Tuesday market, and when the bus finally arrived at 2pm it was packed. We bailed and took a minibus that left at 2:30pm for 150B/$4.90.

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Soppong, Thailand (aka Pangmapha)

Highway 108 straight through Soppong
Highway 108 straight through Soppong
Not many people make it to Soppong, which is a shame because it seems like a “real” Thai town. Soppong is a small town built along the highway. We took a minibus from Chiang Mai for 250B/$8. The price is standard even if we had gone all the way to Mae Hong Son from Chiang Mai… had we known this, we might have taken the bus and saved a few dollars.

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Chiang Mai, Thailand: My oh Mai

Exiting Wat Phan Tao
After a 5 hour bus ride (218 baht each) north of Sukhothai we arrived in Chiang Mai, a very backpacker friendly city with an assortment of temples in it. We visited Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chiang Man, Wat Chedi Luang, and Wat Phan Tao.

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What We Ate in Thailand: A Gallery of Tasty Food

“Sara, how would you describe Thai food?”
“I don’t know… Spicy, flavourful, noodley.”
The food of Thailand can be hearty, soothing, tongue numbing, surprising, colourful, heavenly. It’s usually delicious. Sometimes disgusting. Often cheap. Here are some of the dishes we tried.

Pad Thai. Probably the most well known Thai dish, and for good reason -- it's yummy!
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Sukhothai, Thailand: The First Kingdom of Siam

Train from ayutthaya to phitsanulok
Lady who sells train snacks takes a break
Getting to Sukhothai from Ayutthaya was an adventure. We hopped on the train (5-1/2 hours, 245B/$8), which was over a half-hour late, and putted down the tracks to Phitsanulok. We arrived in Phitsanulok and started looking for the bus station… it wasn’t where our map said it was.

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Ayutthaya and the World Heritage Fair

Wat Phra Si Sanphet
Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Ayutthaya Historical Park

We lucked out in Ayutthaya. We arrived on the weekend and they were holding their annual World Heritage Fair celebrating their status as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The fair is usually held in December, but due to the major flooding that devastated Ayutthaya it was postponed until we arrived!

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What to Expect When Getting a Thai Massage in Thailand

The place where it all went down. I didn't see the "porn" part in the sign when I walked in.

Two facts about Thailand: 1) The mattresses are hard. 2) Cheap massages are available everywhere. Perhaps the mattress people are in cahoots with the massage people. I don’t know, but I do know that after 20 days in Thailand it was time for me to get a full body Thai massage.

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Kanchanaburi, Thailand: Bridge on the River Kwai (minus the bridge)

It was easy-peasy to get from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi. We hopped on the 7:50am train from Thonburi Station (formerly known as Bangkok Noi station).  The train is a comfortable and easy way to travel in Thailand, but don’t wear your best clothes as all the windows are open and it can get a little smokey and fumey. Make sure you consult the man in seat 61.

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