Thailand Again

In January 2006 I made my second trip to Thailand. I considered traveling alone but found a group tour at a price I couldn't refuse. I was able to see some new places and to take the time to explore further places that I had enjoyed during my first trip. This group was an older crowd and all first timers to Thailand. I spent all my nights in the same hotels as the group and would see some of them at breakfast. Then most of them would get on the bus for their day trips, while I would venture on my own.

Our first day in Bangkok I wanted to go with the group to Wat Trimitr to see the five ton solid gold image of the Buddha. Since I saw a few Wats (temples) last time I bailed on all the Wat tours this time. There are over 400 Wats in Bangkok alone. I spent three days in Bangkok using all modes of transportation and finally know my way around enough to not get lost. I enjoyed getting away from the tourist spots and instead concentrated on the smaller markets, local parks and rode city buses. I even went to a movie at the theater where the attendees stand to pay homage to the King of Thailand as pictures of him are shown on the screen and the Thailand national anthem is played. I can't see myself spending more than a few days in Bangkok when I return.

After Bangkok we boarded air conditioned buses, a step up from my first trip, for Ayutthaya, which is an ancient former capital of Thailand that was destroyed and burned by the Burmese over 200 years ago.

We made a stop in Lop Buri at the Prang Sam Temple where hundreds of monkeys reside. We walked around the grounds and inside the few remains of the 17th century temple. The monkeys ignored most of us except for the few tourists that offered peanuts. Our tour guide forgot to inform us, as we disembarked our bus, not to smile at the monkeys. Fortunately, I was able to warn them that the monkeys might presume the showing of teeth to be a show of aggression.

We continued traveling north to the Golden Triangle, taking a boat ride up the Mekong River that separates Thailand, Laos and Myanmar (formerly Burma). We arrived in Laos at a small village, where we did some shopping. We drove back and spent the night in Chiang Rai.

The next morning we rode in the back of the trucks on a dirt road through villages and farmland until we reached a small village in the hills. We, along with other visitors from neighboring villages, waited for the arrival of the "Monks on Horses". Every morning the Buddhist monks from the nearby temple ride on their horses to the village to accept the offerings of food and other necessities from the villagers. The offerings are then taken back to the temple and any extra is shared with the needy from other villages. The head monk has resided in the temple for over 30 years. He described through our translator his younger life of wars with the Burmese and opium lords and his desire to devote his life to Buddhism. Since many of the young monks were abanded as orphans and lacking in discipline, he taught them Muay Thai (kickboxing).

My favorite city is Chiang Mai. I enjoyed it during my first trip and this time I had the opportunity to do more exploring. It is one of the largest cities after Bangkok but is unlike it in many ways: cleaner, less noisy and has less people. In the middle of Chiang Mai is the "Old City" surrounded by a moat and remains of the old wall once used for protection. Chiang Mai is the place I will return some day for an extended visit.

Our final excursion before flying back to Bangkok the next day for our return home was to visit the Elephant's Camp at Maesa. We rode the elephants as their Mahoot (master) directed them where to go and what to do. The Mahoots and their families live at this camp of 80 elephants. Each elephant has one Mahoot for life; they will spend up to 50 years together. Since the elephant's life span is up to 85 years the Mahoot will almost always die first. The elephant will grieve over his death for up to a year.