From home after a couple of days to catch up on sleep and unpack …
On Tuesday after a short but restful sleep at the nearby Courtyard Marriott I’m back on Eastern Standard Time and back at Logan for the return flight to DC. I swap travel stories on the shuttle to Logan with a woman returning from the Philippines and passing through Boston way back home to Nova Scotia. We both had lengthy flying days on Monday and appreciated the chance to rest up before continuing home. The airport is busy as airlines continue to get back on track following the recent snowstorm. They are still clearing snow from the airfield at Logan.
My first class return was lost when I rescheduled the trip to come up a day early due to weather a couple of weeks ago. No luck on the refund yet. I’ve been directed to call “reservations.” I’ll deal with that after I get home, but I do enjoy a couple of hours in the United Club lounge trying not to appear too surly that my plan for a comfortable seat after the 20 hour 8,500 mile flying marathon is a no go. United Flight 525 to Dulles features a lovely aisle seat in economy.
Sonia meets me at the airport for a ride back to our neighborhood. I always appreciate the opportunity to pass up the local ground transportation options for the last leg of the trip, so I am grateful for the lift! I drag my 46.7 pound suitcase up the three flights of stairs, open the door, bring in the suitcase and camera bag, and this adventure is done!
Back at home it’s time to reflect on the trip – our tour guides, the countries we’ve visited, and my fellow travelers.
Explorica features an outstanding network of tour guides. They are more than just authorities on local history and culture. Dong Nguyen Khoi in Vietnam, Thara Ukbun in Cambodia, Suthep Pattanan in Thailand are logistics experts, information resources, and one-man concierge services. Khoi’s heartfelt observations about the Vietnam War were moving, but he could also be a stand up comedian. We’ll be talking for years about Thara’s brilliant plan for the boat to boat transfer to get us on the Chao Pryaya River dinner cruise. Suthep’s dining and massage recommendations were excellent and he read the entire travel blog!
We spent many hours traveling by bus in Thailand and our bus driver Aek was one of the best. Working without an assistant he loaded all the luggage, had tissue ready to hand out at each rest stop, and distributed cold water bottles, cool towelettes, and candy when we got back to the bus. And he helped Brad and Suthep with traveler counts to confirm we all got back on board. It’s not uncommon for bus drivers on these trips to sleep on their bus. Aek did the same. After dropping us off at a hotel he would find a place to park the bus and stay with the bus for the night before picking us up the next morning.
If you travel to this part of the world, consider seeing these three countries on the same trip. Recovery from recent wars is ever-present … the “American War” in Vietnam, the civil war in Cambodia, and World War 2 in Thailand. But even more present is the kindness and generosity of the Southeast Asian people. Everywhere we went people were always friendly and willing to assist a group of tourists.
In all three countries there are street vendors everywhere and at all hours of the day or night. People in Southeast Asia love food from a street vendor. In all three countries motorbikes are the primary means of getting around. Motorbikes are a great way to beat traffic, so much so that in Ho Chi Minh City we frequently saw people get around stop lights just by driving on the sidewalks. In many cases in Ho Chi Minh City sidewalks were blocked by street vendors and motorbike parking requiring stepping into the street to get around the blockage. Maybe it was just the places where we stayed or maybe it’s a local preference, but the beds in Cambodia and Thailand were as hard as those we encountered in China.
This was my 8th trip with Brad and the Milford travelers, dating back to the China trip in 2009. International travel with a group of experienced travelers is key and makes traveling with this group of people a great experience. Brad is a master planner and these trips go so well based on his ability to read the group and make adjustments to the itinerary on the fly when needed. It’s always a pleasure when Nancy, Georgia, and Sue join Brad. They are great to travel with and now Sue has new luggage as a souvenir from this trip.
Ron’s hearty laugh and unmistakable camera shutter are always welcome to hear – even knowing I will have to edit them out of the video. He doesn’t miss anything and his photo documentation of the trips is outstanding. Marguerite has been on all of the Dr. Craven trips I’ve been on. If she had been my Spanish teacher I might have actually learned Spanish. She is also a FitBit master. I cannot keep up with her steps! Carol is always a joy to travel with and she can identify the local birds no matter where we are in the world. I spent close to 35 hours sitting next to Phyllis on the way to Hong Kong and back. We are inherently in sync on an airplane. I would sit with Phyllis on a flight to anywhere in the world. Greg P is an accomplished traveler and could be a one-man economic development office for Milford. I’m ready to relocate!
Bernie always keeps things light with a joke or witty remark. Jessica has a great eye for finding the perfect photo locations. I’ll admit to following Jessica around for a great angle. Jimmy is a regular traveler. Sometimes his mom Carmen comes along and sometimes his aunt joins us. On this trip it’s great to spend some time with aunt Anayansi. Cara is an experienced international traveler and a masterful phone photographer.
Sometimes Shannon and Peter host a couple of overnights while we are meeting up and leaving Boston, but it’s a lot more fun when they are on a trip! An extra bonus is their perpetual search for good Pad Thai and Dim Sum guarantees an excellent meal no matter where we are in the world. Greg H was also on the Peru trip. He is a keen observer of anyplace we are visiting with a wry sense of humor.
It seems like we only see each other in another country, but no matter where we are it’s always great to spend time with Mickey and Donna.
Whether it’s proofreading the daily posting, providing suggestions for the blog, or sharing photos on the bus Mickey and Donna are great friends to travel with. I’m always looking forward to our next great adventure!
Thank you to those of you who followed along and read the daily postings! Here are some of my favorites from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand …
Onboard Cathay Pacific flight 812 …
I’m up at 6:30a and have breakfast at a nearby Starbucks. It’s Monday morning in Bangkok’s financial district, so there are many people heading to work and the street vendors are busy.
Check out of The Heritage Hotel Bangkok is at 9a. Then we’re on the bus for a ride through Bangkok to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Bangkok is a massive city. Over 600 square miles and about 8 million residents. Fairfax County is just over 400 square miles with 1.1 million residents.
Mickey and Donna depart at 12p heading to Taipei and then on to Los Angeles. We’re in a different terminal so I miss out on some quality airport time with these two and instead pass the time exchanging my remaining Thai baht for US dollars. We board Cathay Pacific flight 614 to Hong Kong leaving at 1:05p. I watch The Incredibles 2. My one word review … Awesome!
There’s not much time for our transfer in Hong Kong. Once we get through security and get to the gate it’s about time to board Cathay Pacific flight 812 from Hong Kong to Boston. But like our flight from Boston to Hong Kong, we are delayed about 90 minutes so they can change a tire on the plane. Once we are on the way we pass over Taipei and Japan. We fly over Mount Fuji, but it’s too dark to see anything. Our route takes us over the Aleutian Islands, Anchorage, across Canada, and then on into the continental United States. The sun sets just after we board, rises around the time we pass over the Aleutian Islands, and sets again just before we get to the Great Lakes. I decide that on this flight that I’m going to try and stay up to get back into east coast time. I get by with a couple of quick naps. It’s a long flight, but I’ve got some Game of Thrones episodes to watch.
In Boston we will pass through immigration and customs, say our goodbyes at Logan Airport, and then head our separate ways until the next trip.
Tonight I’m staying at the same Courtyard Marriott as I was in when I flew up to Boston at the start of the trip. I’ve got a Tuesday morning flight back to DC and I’ll post a recap of the trip then.
On the bus to Bangkok …
The last day at the beach tradition of catching the sunrise over the water continues here in Thailand. We’re up at 6a to see the sun come up over the Gulf of Thailand. It’s a little cloudy but we do see the sunrise.
After breakfast at the hotel I head over the the pool. At Hua Hin high tide covers the entire beach up to the sea wall, so people sit at the pool and walk down to get in the ocean instead of sitting on the beach.
As we wind down this trip it’s nice to have a relaxing day by the pool. After the hectic pace of the past couple of weeks it’s kind of like a vacation from the vacation.
A little after 3p we leave Hua Hin for the 4 hour bus ride back to Bangkok. I entertain myself by trying to get a good shot of a rice paddy, but end up with a lot of poorly timed shots of telephone poles.
This bus trip is really for first leg of our return trip home. We’ll stay tonight back at The Heritage Hotel Bangkok. Then tomorrow morning we fly from Bangkok to Hong Kong and then on to Boston.
From the Chomview Hotel in Hua Hin …
We check out of the Heritage Hotel Bangkok at 8a and board our bus bound for Hua Hin.
There’s lots of traffic on the way to the beaches in the south of Thailand. The rest stops are crowded with people getting in a quick weekend getaway. On the way we see salt farms, fields that are flooded with saltwater, then harvested after evaporation leaves salt behind. The geography changes as we move south, from the flatlands surrounding Bangkok to more mountainous areas along the Gulf of Thailand.
In a lot of ways this feels similar to a drive to the Outer Banks … the anticipation building as we get closer to the ocean. The new high rise condo buildings popping up along the shoreline remind me of Ocean City, Maryland.
After 3 hours on the road we stop to visit Khao Luang Cave to see the five golden Buddhas among the stalagmites and stalactites. Incense burns in the cave and creates a shaft of light that pours down from the cave entrance.
A community of monkeys live near the cave. Warning signs let us know to protect any items we have from being pilfered by curious monkeys. After we leave the cave there is an opportunity to stop and feed the monkeys. They are pretty cute and pretty well behaved.
We stop at a local mall for lunch around 12:30p. Mickey, Donna, and I opt for sushi and sake at Fuji Japanese Restaurant. An excellent choice! A fellow diner helped the three Americans with the correct way eat the noodles by pointing out the hidden sauce container with in the serving dish.
A hour later we check in at the Chomview Hotel in Hua Hin and start enjoying our weekend at the beach!
I walk a couple of miles down the beach to photograph some kiteboarders, then head back to the hotel for a swim.
Tonight’s dinner is at the hotel. Afterwards we’re visiting a night market in Hua Hin.
From the Skywalk of the Mahanakhon Tower …
We’re on the bus early this morning with a 6:30a departure to travel from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi. Our run of leisurely 8a departures has come to an end!
We drive about 120 kilometers to the west of Bangkok and reach our destination at 9a. Kanchanaburi is the site of the bridge on the River Kwai where Allied prisoners of war were forced to build a railway bridge by their Japanese captors. The bridge was later destroyed by Allied bombers.
The first stop is a museum dedicated to the history of the construction of the bridge. Our itinerary calls this museum the Thailand-Burma Railway Center but the sign outside the building says Death Railway Museum. The Japanese used 61,000 Allied prisoners of war and over 200,000 Southeast Asian civilian forced laborers to build the 258 mile railway. Of those 12,000 POWs and 90,000 civilians died during construction of the rail line.
Across from the museum is the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery where 7,000 of the prisoners are buried, relocated from jungle grave sites on the southern part of the railroad after the war.
Next we have an opportunity to walk across the now reconstructed River Kwai Bridge. Several minutes later the track is cleared, a train arrives, we board the train, and take the Bridge Over the River Kwai.
An hour later we arrive at Wang Pho and stop for lunch at Praweenut Restaurant where the bus has driven ahead to meet us.
Our last stop of the day is nearby at the Taweechai Elephant Camp, an elephant sanctuary that offers a chance to see these magnificent animals up close.
At 3p we board the bus for the return trip to Bangkok.
Whenever we are on the bus for an extended period of time there is a good AirDrop session that happens among the iPhone users. The Airdrop session is generally silent. Out of the blue Mickey sends a picture and the sharing session begins.
On the first day a seating arrangement develops on the bus and it remains for the entire trip – even as countries and vehicles change. Our Thailand bus sits around 40 passengers in 10 rows separated by an aisle. Since we’re only 20 everyone has a pair of seats to themselves which makes for a convenient place to put your daypack or camera bag. Brad sits in the front nearest the guide and Georgia is in the last row with Ron. I always sit toward the back of the bus. Most people want to be closer to the exit and someone needs to sit farther back, so why not me.
Also, although the roads here are better than in India, they are still bumpy enough that I can get almost a day’s worth of steps just riding in the bus! Today is one of those days.
Tonight is dinner on our own, so Mickey, Donna, Shannon, Peter, Greg, and me go to Little Home Bakery for some Pad Thai.
For an after dinner adventure we head up to the 78th floor Sky Walk at the top of Mahanakhon Tower. The Sky Walk is a glass floor with a view of Bangkok 314.2 meters down! We step out into the floor to take pictures. It’s terrifying and exhilarating!
Tomorrow we head to Hua Hin for a weekend at the beach.
View from the balcony ...
Michael S. Liberman