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Thailand

Because things are less expensive in Thailand you may want to arrive with nothing but the minimum and buy what you need as you go. I am surprised at the things we carried and never needed.

We did a bit of shopping but by staying at Tavee Guest House we were able to mail from Chiang Mai a large box of things we purchased. When we got back to Bangkok the stuff was there. We were unsure at first but as it worked out it was okay. Tavee is a great place to go. Very friendly and well known to Europeans but not many US travelers there yet. shhhh....don't ruin a good thing. The nice thing about it is the atmosphere is like Khao San Road used to be but Khao San has gone downhill or I am getting older. If you are young and wild you may really like Khao San better.

Contact info for Tavee: 83 Sri-Ayuttaya Road Soi 14 (Behind the National Library)
Bangkok 10300
Tel 02-280-1447, 02-282-5983

If you are going to Khao San Road from the airport go upstairs to the departure area. You can get a ride back to Khao San here when they drop people off. Avoid the overpriced Taxi Services right there where you get off the plane. If money is no object the taxi are Mercedes and it is nice but was about $12. A virtual fortune in Thailand for the ride across town.

If you are going a long ways you want to take a taxi. Make sure it is a metered taxi. This is the least hassle of bartering and so on. If you are going a short distance get a Tuk Tuk. Bargaining is important but even if you pay too much it won't be all that bad. Just decide before you go how much you will pay and stick to it.

Don't forget the river taxi for getting around. Quite fun to stand on the back of the boat and see the water right there. Like so many things in this area the safety regulations are much more lax than here in the US. There are no triple restraints to keep you from falling in. So, be aware. That I think is a good thing for those of us that fall into a rut on autopilot.

We ate food on the street and no problem. I really like the chocolate crepes you can get. Khao San Road is one place to go in the evening if you want to try these. They are all different. Some are better than others. Sample many. Also, the pineapple on a stick is good.

Gem Scam. Be aware of the gem scam and jewelry scams. The rules are different in Thailand than what I expect here in the US. If you make a deal great, how can you complain after if it wasn't a good deal. The way it works sometimes is:

The Spotter: you are getting off of a boat, coming out of the Grand Palace or just seen somewhere around town. "How long have you been here"? A short time indicates ignorance....good. The friendly Spotter will arrange a Tuk Tuk for you at a good price, like 20 Baht.

The Tuk Tuk Driver: This person, usually male, will take you to several places. One of them is often a temple. Here you meet the friendly guy.

The Friendly Guy: You will be drawn into a conversation in which you find out what a good deal gems, jewelry or something is today only. This is your lucky day. The prices are really good because it is in tribute to the King. Or it is the end of some tax season or some other reason. The Friendly Guy will be well dressed and speaks English or your language well.

The Closer: You will on your Tuk Tuk travel end up at the door of the Closer. If you have any idea about buying the Closer will try many techniques to induce you to buy.

The Cop: Oh, I have been ripped off. The cop will arrange for some kind of refund much less than 100%. He will be sympathetic and helpful. So, helpful that while I don't know this for a fact but I think he gets a cut of the money returned and you go on your way and the Dealer goes his way.

 

Laos

Laos seems like a scary idea. It is a communist country and we have been taught to fear the communists. My experience there was only for a short time but what I saw was a peaceful, safe city of Luang Prabang. People were friendly and polite. After some of the aggressive Tuk Tuk drivers in Chiang Mai and Bangkok it was pleasant to have the Tuk Tuk drivers cruise by and glance at us. If we wanted a ride there they were ready and willing and if not they just moved on. No hassle at all. I hope this continues but as more tourists find this great little place it may change.

I got to Luang Prabang through Chiang Kong in the North of Thailand. When I was preparing my trip I was originally planing on taking a bus or something from Chiang Mai down to the capital of Laos, Vientiane. Well I learned somewhere of a boat that cuts across the top of Thailand into Laos. What a time and trouble savings.

We took the slow boat....

Tip: here is to carry ear plugs.

You can take the slow boat or a fast boat. Both are very noisy and ear plugs help immensely. We had extras and handed them out. Didn't have enough.

We did the slow boat which means a stay in the town of Pak Beng. Talk about getting away from it all. You are miles and miles from anywhere. The town has one main road and it leads right to the dock and up into the hills. I am not sure what is up the hill but there were small pickups so there must be somewhere to go.

We stayed in a grass hut. If you peek you can see through the cross hatching but the lights go out at 9 or 10. So, nothing to see. When we were in Cambodia we saw a guest house burn to the ground. People were at the Wats, Angkor Wat and so on. Some had left their money, travelers checks, tickets and passports in the Guest House only to come back to nothing. Be aware of where you are and how you would get out if you needed to. I told Trish that if need be we go right through the walls. I could kick or cut my way into a wall and if there were a fire or other problem that is what I would do.

Tip: Pak Beng has a morning market up the hill on the left. If you get up early you can visit it and still catch the boat.

Tip: Always carry your own toilet paper. When nature calls and dials 911 is not a time to be without your paperwork.

Tip: Always keep an extra bottle of water available. It is hot and at least us Westerners sweat a lot which loses valuable moisture. I lived in Korea and I don't think Koreans or maybe all Asians sweat like we do. Their body temperature seems to go up higher before they sweat. This is from an unofficial observation at a disco. I am sweating, soaked and I bump into Koreans on the crowded dance floor and they are hot, while I am soaked.

Luang Prabang

When we got off the boat we were offered two or three guest houses. We settled on Jaliya Guest house across from the Lao Aviation office. We really liked it. The lady at the desk had a monkey that took my glasses and put them on. What a cute little guy. His fingers had an interesting rubbery feel. They also had this really odd looking bird. We asked people but so far no one knows what type of bird it was.

We found the best restaurant in Luang Prabang. L'Elephant is expensive by Lao standards but compared to the US it was very inexpensive. It is a french restaurant and they have the best chocolate mousse. They only make 6 chocolate mousse per day so they run out sometimes. The last night we were in Luang Prabang we decided to treat ourselves and use up the last of our kip. They ran out that night.

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