The Joy Of Touring 02of13 Thailand
today the joy of touring plunges deep into the jungles of thailand known for its cultural diversity this small country in southeast asia shares borders with laos cambodia myanmar and malaysia while thailand has long been celebrated for its stunning beaches and colorful seaside resorts the center of the country has slowly been developing the infrastructure required to support the tourism industry inland as well the beaches are still stunning but now we're able to visit some incredible inland cultural attractions as well including temples museums and markets visitors to thailand all agree that the thai people are instilled with a strong sense of joy in their daily lives as well as a culturally entrenched sense of respect and politeness the joy of touring invites you to join us on our adventure in thailand our itinerary will bring us all over the country allowing us to discover the rich thai culture that is becoming more and more accessible to visitors markets built right on train lines buddhist temples soccer with the elephants there are many surprises in store for us on our adventure through thailand our visit will bring us to the thai capital of bangkok as well as chiang mai and the legendary bridge of the river kwai come join us on our all-inclusive tour to thailand on the joy of touring on board our chartered bus we're heading with our guide toward our first destination the chao praya river the name chao praya means river of kings although it's only the third largest river in thailand the chao praia is the main transportation and commercial waterway in the country beginning in northern thailand it flows south for over 400 kilometers to empty into the gulf of thailand this is the land of boats for the thai locals there's nothing that can't float markets restaurants houses anything can be built on water the scene is refreshing it's like a river festival all year long pulling up to an enormous warehouse building on the riverbank we've arrived at the national museum of royal barges this is where part of the impressive royal fleet is stored these sumptuous vessels carry the kings and nobility of the country on the chao praia river during ceremonial processions while the figureheads are impressive the most amazing thing is the size of the vessels each one is from 40 to 50 meters long and each one is made from a single piece of teak over the years many official ceremonies have taken place on the river of kings some processions are composed of up to a hundred barges today this is where the magnificent collection is stored and maintained to eventually be passed down to the next generation of royalty although all the barges are in excellent condition some of them haven't been used since the thai king's diamond jubilee celebrations in 1996. on that occasion 50 barges and 2 000 oarsmen participated in the procession another national treasure stands on the banks of the chao praya wataran the temple of dawn which is featured on the thailand's ten bot coin although it's the third largest temple in thailand it's not very well known and therefore is not overly crowded when we arrive the joy of touring brings us off the beaten track to visit a national treasure that has not yet felt the effects of mass tourism this is the real thing the temple was first constructed in the 17th century because of the building's height the morning sunlight makes wat around shimmer before it even touches the surrounding buildings which is why it's called the temple of dawn our eyes are drawn to the prang the tower that soars 80 meters above us adorned with porcelain it's surrounded by four smaller prangs we can see seashells encrusted into the smaller towers which were previously used as ballasts in ships in buddhist temples sacred images are everywhere there's no separation between religious mythology and daily life don't forget to touch the buddha it will bring you luck our day on the shores of the chao praia is coming to an end we'll get a good night's sleep so we can continue our immersion in thai culture tomorrow morning for our brief stay in bangkok we'll stay here at the novotel silom situated in the city center this four-star establishment has over 200 spacious rooms equipped with all the luxuries great explorers like us have come to expect one of the perks a magnificent view of the chao praia the river that we'll be following for much of our journey it's still early in the morning and already we're on the bus and heading off in search of adventure after a restful sleep and a good breakfast we're ready for anything on the roadside we noticed some enormous pools of water with little white mounds this will be our first stop of the day we're going to visit a sea salt farm in the town of samut sakon sea salt production is one of the main economic activities in the region from the road we can see large pools where the water evaporates allowing the workers to harvest the sea salt every day dozens of employees work to shape these small mounds of salt they let it dry before putting it on the market many markets in thailand sell salt one of the most spectacular is the train market which is definitely worth a stop and a look around when we arrive it's difficult to imagine that there are train tracks under these colorful fruit and vegetable stands our first thought when we see the rails is what a great idea to use an old disused railway line for their marketplace the market is clean and well set up and shoppers use the train tracks to stroll from stall to stall when we hear the train whistle we imagine that they must have built the new rail line pretty close to these old tracks but when everyone leaps into action we understand that we're actually on the current train line and that the train is on its way through the market the sellers go through the motions easily and without concern it's clear that they've done this hundreds of times the train moves slowly through the marketplace it seems to be doing some window shopping we're witnessing a perfectly choreographed ballet where every centimeter counts once the train has passed everything gets put back in order as though nothing happened like the train we'll continue on our way back on the road we head for the lovely floating market of damnoen sadwa located 100 kilometers from the capital the village of damno and sadua is renowned for its impressive network of canals which in thai are called clongs a clong is a term used to describe the small canals that empty into the chao prior river this small village has built a reputation for conducting business directly on the water early in the morning hundreds of small wooden boats wind their way up the clongs to sell their merchandise largely operated by women who proudly wear the traditional clothing of the area the market is a testament to their refined boating skills while it seems a bit chaotic there is in fact an organized system in place that keeps the market operating efficiently if you wish to order a meal it's not just the food that comes to you but the entire floating restaurant as the region is primarily agricultural most of these boats are filled with fruits vegetables and flowers that have been picked from the fields earlier in the day you can't get fresher than that it's a bustling marketplace the area is saturated with a quiet tranquility after the floating market we head toward a site that receives hundreds of thai buddhist pilgrims every day the royal palace a complex of more than 50 buildings surrounded by a two kilometer long wall built in the late 1700s this enormous complex includes the royal residence and the throne room as well as many temples and important government buildings the site sprawls over an area of more than 200 000 square meters the equivalent to around 27 football fields thailand is principally a buddhist country in the buddhist religion there are many different ways of portraying the man who found that elusive path to enlightenment while we may not always understand all the symbolism behind the various representations we can still appreciate their beauty we see reclining buddhas sitting buddhas even the most holy emerald buddha the buddha gently encourages his followers towards paths of awakening in the grand palace just counting all the buddhas is a challenge in itself all around us the intricate detail and fabulous richness of the monuments is staggering although we don't necessarily understand the subtleties of the religion and its symbols we can understand its importance to the thai people just by looking at these magnificent temples surrounding us the day winds down at a traditional thai restaurant we're a bit worn out from our day exploring the countryside around bangkok so a meal and a traditional performance is just what we need to end our day we have one more night at the novotel salome and tomorrow will hit the road in search of thailand's ancient past this is our last day in the bangkok area and we have some great stops planned there's no time to lose we're already on the road to our first destination situated about an hour's drive from bangkok ayutthaya is the former capital of the kingdom of thailand which at the time was called the kingdom of ayutthaya located at the junction of the chao praya and the pasak rivers the ancient capital is almost entirely surrounded by water an additional canal was dug to protect the town essentially turning it into an island to enter the village we muster our courage for a death-defying feat we'll cross the river on the cable car once on the island we're off in search of its ancient palaces ayuthaya was the capital of thailand for over four centuries today it's still one of the most stunning attractions in the country in its glory the magnificent city was home to a succession of over 30 kings then in the mid-1700s the city was destroyed by the burmese army who left nothing but ruins and pillaged monuments in their wake as we wander through this site admiring the superb structures around us we can easily imagine the glory of this magnificent city in its golden age the towering prangs and hundreds of buddhas leave no doubt as to its former grandeur after a walk through ayutthaya we're driving south for several kilometers our course is set for the summer residence of the kings of thailand bang pa in royal palace situated in the town of bang pa in this magnificent 17th century residence is built right on the chao praia river in fact the estate encompasses several little islands which are linked together by small bridges we can visit it on foot or rent a little golf cart aside from the stunning buildings the estate includes majestic trees dozens of roman style statues and several meticulously groomed living sculptures as well one fascinating thing about this palace complex is the evolution of architectural styles the oldest building on the grounds was constructed around the start of the 17th century each of the structures built by the following kings had a slightly different architectural style in total the palaces were built over a period of more than two centuries today although bang pa in still belongs to the thai monarchy it's not often used instead thousands of visitors from all over the world flock to see the beauty of the thai royal palaces leaving the palace we stop at a charming little restaurant the small size of our group allows us to take the time for a cozy lunch at a local restaurant and participate in cultural exchanges with our guide yeah we use this chili sauce especially for omelette sitting together around the table our meals often turn into serious debates about all sorts of important subjects including the proper use of utensils with the rice yeah it's okay with noodle or something dry but when you eat curry there's you know spoon these little cultural exchanges give our trip human proportions allowing us to make some real connections with the thai people and the rest of the day in bangkok belongs to us after stopping off at our hotel we decide to head into the streets for our last night in the metropolis our group is small so even in our free time we choose to stick together this time for some urban exploration with a few days of travel under our belts we're no longer nervous about striking out on our own we're off in search of the closest market in no time we're surrounded by market stalls and small restaurants the travel guys are quite clear to really appreciate a trip to bangkok you have to leave your map behind let your eyes and your nose lead you through the maze-like markets it's a great way to discover the country's customs and our plan works out perfectly in the colorful market we let ourselves taste the thousand and one tempting delicacies on offer you can't find fresher food than what you see here and watching the cook juggle food and fire is a spectacle in itself many stalls sell fresh flowers at any hour of the day they're easy to find just follow your nose the smell is so different from the delectable aromas radiating from the restaurants we are truly in the land of colors and smells our evening expedition allows us to see how these stunning arrangements are made today we'll leave the capital for the north of thailand the city of chiang mai is situated 800 kilometers north of bangkok close to the border with myanmar and laos this time we'll leave our bus behind and take an airplane a short flight takes us there in one hour allowing us to forgo innumerable hours on a bus back on the ground we hop into a chartered vehicle and are on the road again through the streets of chiang mai which is also known as the rose of the north with a quarter of a million inhabitants this is the sixth largest city in thailand capital of chiang mai province this city is known for its long struggle to preserve its cultural identity the century of struggle for cultural recognition have definitely paid off the traditional clothing the alleyways the marketplaces everywhere there's evidence of its remarkable authenticity this isn't a show they're putting on for the tourists this is their life our first stop of the day is 15 kilometers out of town we're heading for wat pradat doi sutep one of the most famous sites in the region on arrival there's not much to see aside from a steep staircase stretching up and out of view before climbing the 300 steps we're intrigued by a procession of several monks each descending with a container in his hands in thailand monks have a simple lifestyle that starts early in the morning after two hours of meditation and chance they go out to the public and are given alms this is the only way that they receive food for thanks they offer a prayer or a song to the giver returning to their temple they eat their breakfast and spend the rest of the day studying and teaching buddhism here the alms prepared look like a marketplace visitors and monks come together in symbiosis the people look after the monks physical needs and the monks look after the people's spiritual needs after making a contribution we climb the stairs that lead to the temple on the hill our efforts are rewarded with the sheer beauty of the site doi sutep temple was constructed around the end of the 14th century according to a legend a monk found a shoulder bone of buddha the bone had the mystical power to replicate itself resulting in two holy relics one was placed in a temple the other attached to the back of a white elephant that was released into the jungle and allowed to choose a place for the relic after climbing deutsche mountain the elephant trumpeted three times and died the temple that we're visiting now was built on top of that noble beast's final resting place the elephant legend bestows special religious importance on the site because it's the location of a holy relic of buddha this gold-plated chedi contains the sacred relic at each of its corners the faithful gather before a statue of buddha for our prayers to be heard we take part in another local tradition we must circle the sacred monument three times procession is done we must light three sticks of incense and make an offering of a lotus leaf only then will buddha ensure that our wishes come true after our visit to the temple we head back in the direction of chiang mai stopping in the village of bosang famous for its colorful markets and especially its craft people it's also known as the umbrella village umbrella and parasol production provides employment for the majority of the population in the villages workshops and market stalls all the materials used to make them are produced locally bamboo cotton and silk as well as saw paper made out of the bark of mulberry trees the umbrella is a religious buddhist symbol said to protect its carrier from suffering it's also a symbol of royal dignity and for the more practical minded it provides protection from the sun for visitors to thailand these are ideal souvenirs to take home for family and friends the umbrella making process follows a strict ancestral tradition the framework is composed of a wooden handle and bamboo ribs saw paper is placed over the frame and then the colors and designs are applied the designs are all done by hand in eye-popping colors each umbrella maker strives for originality and each umbrella is a one-of-a-kind product every year the village holds an umbrella festival where the village explodes into color with exhibitions and traditional costumes and prizes for the most colorful umbrellas we'll end our evening at kentoki palace plunged once more into traditional thai customs a kantoki is a small table used to serve dishes at important occasions such as marriages births and funerals the dishes include regional specialties including spicy salads rich curries marinated fish and meat and sticky rice the tradition is quite an experience for visitors wanting a taste of thai culture we're no longer required to eat on the ground but the spirit of sharing and friendliness remains after the meal thai dancers perform traditional dances accompanied by a local musical ensemble this is the perfect opportunity to appreciate the cultural heritage of the chiang mai region as the day begins we're feeling festive there are no temples or marketplaces in store for us this morning today we're going to camp a few minutes on the bus brings us to our destination here at mitaman elephant camp we'll spend the day with the thai version of man's best friend the elephant established in 1987 this camp is home to more than 60 elephants here in thailand the elephant is considered to be a very special animal according to buddhist literature the buddha's mother became pregnant as she dreamt of an elephant because of these beliefs the pachyderm enjoys the status of sacred animal a white elephant is featured prominently on the former flag of thailand over the centuries the animal has been an ideal work companion because of its great strength once elephants work tirelessly in the teak forests lifting and dragging immense tree trunks for the furniture industry today the thai elephant population is estimated at around four thousand animals as the teak forests are under strict preservation laws these elephants have had to find a new source of employment that better showcases their talents working in the tourism industry seems to suit them just fine these beasts are very affectionate and they're always ready to play they strive to be helpful in all situations and now it's their turn to give us a refreshing break camp visitors can participate in many activities with the great animals this isn't just a show where we sit and watch we're plunged into the fascinating universe of elephants and we can truly interact with them after meeting washing and feeding them we're ready to go for a trek seated on the back of an elephant we head straight into the jungle following the river the trek is magical the most amazing part is the sounds around us apart from the river the birds and the laughter of our companions there is total silence around us although the elephant is the largest animal living on land it can walk through the jungle without making a sound this is thanks to its padded feet which are essential to the animal's comfort this stillness makes our trek even more extraordinary our journey through the lush green jungle is over the elephants returned to the camp and this time they've decided to show us what they can do bring on the performance some of the elephants at the camp have made a name for themselves for their artistic ability others are quite accomplished soccer players but these elephants are also very perceptive a trait that was noticed during the terrible tsunami that ravaged the country in 2004. many witnesses have confirmed that as the massive wave approached the elephants left their enclosure to alert the population and bring them to safety some say that the elephants made several trips to and from the seaside in search of children to bring them to higher ground after a day like today witnessing the abilities of these enormous animals we can't help fall in love with them tonight we'll leave modern accommodations behind to stay at a rustic lodge in the jungle the hamong hill tribe lodge is located amid a handful of small traditional hmong villages of chinese ancestry the hamongs live mainly in the mountains they are accomplished craftspeople and principally live off of farming and artisan crafts locals from the hamong villages work closely with the lodge turning the evening into a cultural extravaganza we take in a show under the starry sky indulging in an immense barbecue in a generous buffet one of the villagers introduces us to a traditional instrument called the ken the ken is a mouth organ composed of six pipes attached to a hollow reservoir dating back to the bronze age this instrument could be compared to a harmonica in terms of the way it's played but that's where the similarity ends up in the thai mountains nothing can compare to what we are experiencing right now day is breaking in the jungle of northern thailand we lazily roll out of bed our gaze straying into the magnificent landscapes that surround us but this sense of calm will soon be at an end today we're going back to school just like the traditional back to school season in autumn we first have to go to buy school supplies today our school day will have little to do with math and grammar follow me please okay we're going to a cooking school our school supplies are the ingredients that will go into the delectable thai dishes that we will learn to make today at the market we meet our teacher for the day who guides us through the maze of smells and colors faced with the sheer quantity of herbs spices and other ingredients in the market it's extremely reassuring to have a teacher along to guide us 27 different herbs and spices are used in the so-called basic traditional thai cooking while we're familiar with some of these ingredients they look and taste different here take galangal for example it looks even stranger than regular ginger and the taste is very different thai recipes are very precise you must use the right ingredient this is our first lesson of the day our shopping complete we head off for the school with our grocery baskets full the ban hong nuol cookery school is a family-run business that teaches the basic techniques of thai cooking all our staff is the same family and the youngest of the family you are chef today you are a structure today it's a friendly place where each student has a fully equipped workspace with our aprons tied and our hands washed we start to prepare our meal the team is very attentive and nothing is left to chance dry shrimp sugar and radish one teaspoon the chef and her team take the time to explain each step involved in preparing the dish so that the end result will be a success oyster sauce one tablespoon although the recipe seems simple at first glance respecting the set quantities is extremely important and the cooking methods are crucial a wok is essential as its curved shape allows us to cook the ingredients at different temperatures when our pad thai is done we get to taste our culinary masterpieces and for our first attempt at a thai meal we're satisfied with our results all we need is a bit of practice with our chopsticks and we're good to go on our last day in thailand we regretfully leave the north and head back to the capitol we take a quick flight back to the bangkok airport we'll spend the last day of our tour in the region surrounding the city we've just gotten off the plane and we're heading for a small town about 130 kilometers from bangkok where we'll visit a famous landmark from the second world war the bridge on the river kwai when we arrive the bridge in no way resembles the famous structure in the movie of the same name in the film the bridge is enormous made of bamboo and spanning a wide river in the middle of the jungle of course the 1957 film contains a hollywood version of the real thing in 1942 during the second world war the japanese army used british prisoners of war to build this railway so that they could get reinforcements and supplies through to their troops in burma the line was quickly baptized the death railway during the construction of the bridge and the 415 kilometer rail line over 100 000 asian laborers and 16 000 prisoners of war lost their lives the project was slated to be constructed over a four-year period but the japanese finished it in only 16 months the workers toiled in inhumane conditions the famous bridge was completely destroyed by the allied army only two years after its completion after the war the local authorities decided to rebuild it although it's still in use the bridge in its history have left deep scars on the country after our visit to the bridge we continue our journey on the river it crosses the river kwai we're heading toward the fabulous accommodations where we'll spend our last night in thailand the rizzo tell kanglawa on the river kwai there's no better place to spend our last night we'll sleep in these charming little huts deep in the jungle we're right on the shore of the famous river and the massive cliffs make us feel like we're standing alone at the edge of the world the rooms are no less picturesque everything is impeccable there's a pool on the grounds but the call of the river is even stronger the last day of our tour wouldn't be complete without a delectable meal prepared specially for us and for a treat we get a completely charming show by local performers this trip to thailand really took us off the beaten track traveling in a small group means that we can personalize our trip and go on excursions that would be otherwise impossible and having a local guide stay with us for the entire time makes us feel safe and promotes cultural exchange in a country where we don't speak the language stay tuned we have other trips in store that will take us all over the world you
2021-06-19 04:43
