Bangkok & Chiang Mai

(Click on the images to enlarge...)


I know it’s about time to write some words from the road. I arrived in Bangkok last Tuesday after quite an up and down (or rather down and up) in terms of flying.

My initial flight to London was less than successful. After a delay and a first technical defect we were ready to board the plane with only one hour delay. When the internal communication broke down they decided to cancel the flight and all passengers stormed back out and into the terminal for re-booking their flights. I did get another ticket for the following day which meant I had to go back to Muttenz and did not meet my former colleagues in London.

The flight to Heathrow the following day was OK and so was the onward flight to Helsinki. To my great surprise Finnair converted around 15 seats of the Business Class into Economy seats and I was one of the lucky ones sitting (and lying) in one of these comfortable seats which recline into beds for a good night’s sleep.


So I arrived in Bangkok quite relaxed and took the bus into town. I moved into a hostel in the neighbourhood of Khao San Road, the backpacker ghetto of Bangkok. The next few days were spent on exploring the city by public buses, water taxis and Tuk-Tuks and I enjoyed the diversity and bustle of this town.

On Friday evening I boarded a night train bound for Chiang Mai. The 15-hour ride in the non-air-con wagon was good fun despite the initial heat. Early morning I found out that the front doors of the wagon were open and so they remained for the whole journey. I spent hours standing on the bottom step (tightly holding the railing), taking pictures of the passing landscape.



Saturday Lunchtime I arrived in Chiang Mai and Tuk-Tuk’ed to a hostel. Chiang Mai is a very nice and relaxed city and the climate is much more of my taste compared to Bangkok. I think I will spend a bit more time here than initially planned. There is a huge funeral ceremony taking place these days as a very old and wise monk deceased a few days ago and monks from all over the region are coming to Chiang Mai for the funeral. The remains of the monk are lying on top of a huge statue they built especially for the ceremony and the whole statue will be set on fire at the end of the ceremonies.

The next few days I will be travelling and trekking in the mountains around Chiang Mai with a group of travellers I met at the hostel. Christmas will be spent back in the city where everyone seems to prepare dinners and parties for the foreigners.

I wish everyone at home a Merry Christmas!!