Hong Kong - I can see China!

My mid-afternoon flight to Hong Kong meant I could have a slow late breakfast, stop in at the local laundromat and easily walk to the airport only 20 mins away. That's how you cruise along for a day's departure to another country. La de da de dah 🎶

Sorry no Uber or Grab cars allowed in this airport mmm..

Departing from Chiang Mai for Hong Kong

I worked very hard to get a good window seat for my Chiang Mai flight to Kong Kong with the best northerly view possible. Hong Kong is now accessible by a recently completed 54km sea bridge to Macau and hence mainland China and it's the longest sea bridge in the world. With my clear-sky view I could see the full length of the bridge and also the massive southern Chinese city of Shenzhen in Quangdong province to the northwest. Apparently known as the ‘Silicon Valley’ of Asia. Hard to imagine a city with a staggering 20 million citizens. So now the Chinese ‘motherland' has an umbilical cord to Hong Kong.

So was I landing in China or Hong Kong? Or is it just one country, two systems? We know of Hong Kong’s British colonial history and then succession to China in 1997. China’s State has allowed Hong Kong to continue as an ‘Administrative’ nation with a reversion date of 2047. Considering the pace of China’s economic and infrastructure development it would not surprise me if that date expired a lot sooner. China’s numerous worker’s cities have grown geographically and economically so fast that Hong Kong's economy is now dwarfed by them which means that Hong Kong appears to have lost it's leverage as an argument to keep China’s ambitions on hold.

The international airport is on Lantau Island and then it was an easy metro train ride across the bay to downtown Kowloon where my hotel was. I like to keep as close to metro systems for ease of getting from one space to another and avoid taxis and buses. I had already used the metro systems in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok so Hong Kong was very easy to navigate. I've been impressed with each city's ways of moving thousands of people in any given moment with the average fare around A$2

I had already researched for cultural/historial places, local western supermarkets, street food locations and even cinemas as I'm a movie addict. After checking in at the hotel and doing all the shopping domestics I headed for the Cantonese markets and street food. I ignorantly said that I don’t speak Mandarin and was kindly corrected by the hotel staff in Hong Kong ''we speak Cantonese". Oh..well then in that case I'll be fine.

A modern Toyota taxi that looks like something Russia built in the 60’s

The left one for tomorrow's lunch

A double-decker tram to move the minions

Ouch! $798 Hong Kong Dollars for small packet of Tasmanian cherries.

I’ll let you do the maths,

Crossing the harbour from Kowloon district on the mainland to Hong Kong island and the central district

Hey what happened to my penthouse view?

Hong Kong Bay

Well there’s another use for bamboo

A visit to an Asian country would not be complete without at least one visit to a Buddhist icon. In this case the largest Buddha statue I have seen so far. It's not hard to find and most probably visible from a passing satellite. It's located close to the Ngong Ping Village on Lantau Island - the same island for Hong Kong's international airport.

Get the metro to Tung Chung station then walk across to the cable car station and up you travel to Ngong Ping Village. I think you get a better view looking down not up so I caught the very cheap local bus up for a cable car journey back down later.

They like their steps

It was generally an overcast day but clear enough for good views of the Hong Kong skyline and bays. After arriving at the village I settled down for lunch surrounded by Chinese chatter, gongs and Ravens (Crows in Australia). It was such a peaceful space after negotiating Hong Kong hustle an hour earlier and my first impression of 'remote' Chinese village life. The Po Lin Monastery is close by where I left a stick of burning incense as an act of respect.

Looking back towards the giant buddha

Hong Kong from above - massive sirport

Wonderful and relaxed Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai was my last stop in Thailand before Hong Kong and I chose this location instead of Phuket because I was told it’s a much nicer place. It suited my interests, especially having good mountain walks, food and ancient Buddhist temples everywhere. This old city is not dominated by high rise buildings and the central district is surrounded by a moat on all four sides with parts of the old fort walls still remaining. Like my native Adelaide I found this square aligned city quite easy to navigate without my smartphone. It recently started its own modern bus service which I found very convenient for exploring the many venues. Even more convenient is that you can walk to the airport from the south east boundary of this small city - are you joking? I hear you say - why walk? Well I did because I can.

Brand new service - nice timing for me

Please excuse me while a make a Divine connection

I like to leave the indoor venues for poor weather days but the forecast was clear sunny skies for the four days so I had no pressure for the order of my itinerary. The Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple is a very important one located in the mountains to the west so I took the new bus service up to the Zoo and caught a 10 km Songthaew from there to the temple.

Riding in the Songthaew

Chiang Mai

 

After the Songthaew ride and three hundred steps to the entrance you can instantly tell from the cooler moist air at the temple you’ve gained some height. Once your inside the main grounds there’s a good view of Chiang Mai below to the East and you can see the square perimeter around the old city district. The Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple has quite a long history spanning several centuries and a significant spiritual location for the Thai nation and Local Lanna culture. The typical ornate decoration of these temples is a real testament of the craftsmanship and patience of the many skilled architects and designers who have left their legacy for all to enjoy in times of reverence, dedication, celebration and strong commitment of their culture.

We’ve all heard about the expression ‘white elephant in the room’ - the temple has one but does not come with any sinister subtext or surprises. The legend behind this is quite significant and basically states that a white elephant carried a fragment of the shoulder bone of the Buddha to this place where the elephant died. So a temple was built here as an important spiritual icon.

My roomy and comfortable abode

Mmmmm... do I keep my Tuk Tuk or buy a ute? Ute sounds Like a Mongolian carriage.

Thank you Trip Advisor

After lunch I decided to explore the mountain tracks and waterfalls and look for a few sights of the 300 bird species, Macaque monkeys and whatever else presented itself. After some forest exploration I decided to casually walk the downhill 10km track back to the city with a cup of tea and cake break along the way. I finished at the hotel in time for a refreshing nap before the evenings street food rewards and chatting with the locals. Others may also prefer a massage before dinner but walking and a nap is my therapy.

Night markets and street food

Thai Green Curry

Setting up for Friday night

Bangkok & Maeklong Railway Market

Many of us will remember watching our favourite Saturday morning music video programmes on TV. I think the mid 70’s through to the late 80’s were the best years for well-crafted performance music by artists that could actually sing as well as write unlike the duff duff duff talentless dance music that unfortunately permeates our space now in cars and the suburbs.

I remember one particular video clip called ‘One Night in Bangkok (CHESS) Murray Head’ written by the two gifted lads lads from ABBA, Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus for the musical called Chess - catch it on YouTube. The musical was a metaphor for the ‘chess moves’ of the Cold War but also compared to the chances a tourist might take in Bangkok at night. I was also acutely aware of its reputation for traffic deadlock and glad I decided to leave the bicycle back in Australia.

After a full day visiting temples and testing the street food I stayed well clear of certain districts with suspect venues and journeyed down to the river for a much safer and wholesome experience of viewing the New Year’s fireworks. I found a cosy spot on the river amongst several million local folk and no surprise, many foreigners. I didn’t have to think about getting back to the hotel later as it was easy walking distance. No Tuk Tuk scooters needed. From the look of some foreigners I think they would be still finding their way home after I left for Chang Mai two days later.

If you thrive on nightlife and are an adrenalin junkie for traffic jams that New Dehli would be proud of then this is the space for you. I could certainly feel its passion for life and how it breathes.

It’s not all that though as it’s home to the head of the Thai government and the monstrous Grand Palace which is worth a visit. It is the official residence of the King although he lives in a smaller palace. Due to political unrest the constitution was suspended in 2014 after a military coup. From a tourist point of view you would think life is normal except for the ever present beret-wearing Thai army - don’t even think of challenging them. New Years day in Bangkok is not the space for an agoraphobic because there’s 1000s of devotees bringing gifts to the numerous shrines throughout the city. I personally like big open spaces but the gregarious part of me kicks in at times and quite adept with large crowded spaces - the caveat here is the need to recharge the ‘batteries’ after the event. Again a another wonderful cultural experience amongst the local citizens and so much food on offer too.

Chao Phraya River

On route to New Year’s celebration and dedications

Evening walk before Thai dance theatre

On my last day in Bangkok I decided to visit the Maeklong Railway Market about half a day’s travel and back southwest of Bangkok city - you have to see it to believe it. Breaks all the rules of occupational health and safety. Some markets have something special to attract you like the Chatuchak that spreads itself for up to 1km - just massive. The Meaklong spreads itself across a railway line and yes you probably guessed it’s an active railway service. The port itself has been active for some time but the train service only arrived (excuse the pun please 👀) around 1905 and used to freight goods back and forth. The market was allowed to co-exist as a vital space for locals and businesses and has become an important tourist attraction which boosts the local economy. That’s an interesting point because the authorities in Bangkok have started clamping down on street stalls throughout the city as part of a recent cleanup the streets programme to provide pedestrian access and deal with hygiene issues. The famous backpackers Khaosan Road has thwarted this action - for the moment. Apparently Bangkok has the envious reputation of having the best street food In the world which doesn’t surprise me. A Michelin-star rated street food vendor is now supplying Thai Airways.

So I disembarked from the train at the Maeklong Station (last on that line) then walked back to the markets for some lunch. Later the air horns started on the train so I got ready for a ‘safe’ view. The markets vendors start collapsing the material canopies above their produce and wait for the train to ‘squeeze’ through which passes over produce still on the ground without damaging it. To keep things under some sensible control the station master/conductor slowly walks in front of the train with flag in hand. Just unique and the vendors are so relaxed about the process. They know it’s another good day for them.

My first Thai Buddhist temple & Ao Nang evening shift

So far on my journey I have not yet ‘templed out’ as I still want to visit Thai and Japanese sites as well and see how the culture is reflected in each one. I was only a 45 min walk from a prominent one southeast of Ao Nang beach. It was set back away from the main Street and immediately felt the serenity as I walked towards this impressive structure which is also an academic place of learning for the Buddhist monks. So peaceful and nice to sit amongst the decorative relics and burning musk incense sticks. You basically have to immerse yourself in these shrines of worship to appreciate them. I always come away quite relaxed and chilled out so much that I was ready for an early afternoon siesta on the beach followed by a swim. Others may prefer a more hands-on therapeutic Thai massage and there’s a lot of venues to choose.

Before returning to the hotel I visited a local nursery and had a great chat with a kindred spirit who owned it. We shared photos of each other’s garden and I told her about Australian plants when I worked in an Adelaide Hills nursery in the early 80’s. Some of the plants here I expect would grow in far North Queensland and possibly down to New South Wales, like avocados and mangos.

Thai nursery

Thai traffic lights

Thai family SUV - no wonder the fatalities are high

Demolition Thai style

So back to the hotel for a shower and cleanup then off in my evening outfit for a meal. I noticed a restaurant the previous day that was a Pad Thai specialist but very cheap at street food prices. Pad Thai is almost a national dish in Thailand so there’s plenty of variation compared to what I learnt to cook back in Canberra. A work colleague’s Thai wife offered 1 to 1 private cooking courses on Saturday mornings and as it happened is my equal top favourite cuisine along with Indian. She was very firm but patient with her guidance and invited her three Thai middle-age women friends for lunch as well - I was the cook - no pressure then? So I learnt how to cook an authentic non-western version of Pad Thai. When I eat spicy, salty or curries I always crave for something dairy-based to balance the palette. A mango or banana yogurt drink always works for me.

Catatonic tourist

Ao Nang

I arrived at the restaurant and was directed to a small table for one you could say and started drinking a complimentary juice. A family of five from Finland on their winter break needed more seats and table space as the restaurant was full. There was no way I would let them move on to another place as they were keen to try a meal here so ai offered up my table and chairs and was happy to come back another night. You’re probably thinking that was a nice gesture or why would should I go elsewhere - well maybe I’m naive or odd but it’s my belief that one should give way for the many. The family kindly invited me to join them and of course I accepted and we moved the tables together. I enjoyed a wonderful conversation with them - one of the their daughters spoke excellent English so translation was covered and we all had a great time exchanging stories as you would. Finland is on my list for the Scandinavian journey later this year so I was able to gather some local knowledge about travelling as a cyclist. Can’t wait. The lovely family even paid for my meal.

Authentic Pad Thai - OMG how yummy!!

Mango goat’s milk smoothie

Avoiding terrorist strife & first sights of Thailand - Krabi & Ao Nang beach

While I was planning my last stop at Lankawi Islands in northwest Malaysia I received two alerts for travellers from Australia. A severe weather warning with cyclonic conditions would soon arrive in the northern Malaysia region and cross over the border into southern Thailand. The other related to personal security and advised not to travel through parts of southern Thailand. Apparently most of the far southern provinces of Thailand have a Muslim majority and since 2004 the ongoing fight for Muslim independence has seen many attacks by insurgents resulting in several thousand deaths with nearly half of them being civilians. I certainly did not want to add to the terrorists jihad quota and also received terrible news that two more Thai Buddhist monks were shot last week.

Muslim people told me in Krabi that they love Thai life and did not support these attacks. It’s unfortunate for them because we know that not all Muslim people are terrorists but certainly in more contemporary times most terrorists appear to be Muslim and more than happy to hurt their own.
Catching land transport across the boarder by train or bus for the 410km was not an option so I took Smarttravellers advice and caught a flight from Penang to Krabi city via the west coast taking me to the more safe and stable most northern Muslim province of Krabi. This would also provide a four day buffer from the impending cyclone. I never had any intentions of going to Phuket anyway and wanted to visit Ao Nang Beach and the Phi Phi Islands for some swimming/hiking and my first visit to a Thai Buddhist temple.

After exiting Krabi Airport I was approached by taxi drivers on the scam. They will take you 3/4 of the way and leave you with their local cousin who will take you for a world discovery tour of the last 1km for almost the same cost as the original fare so watch out for them. Thailand is known as the land of 1000 smiles but like any nation you need to be aware of the scammers too.

Songthaew

My friend Chris who lived in Thailand for a while and spoke the language confidently told me to catch the Songthaew. Her informed advice about a lot of places in Thailand and Malaysia has made the journey even more enjoyable. So a songthaew is a utility converted to carry passengers on bench seats. I loved loved it as the driver took you where you actually wanted to go, a third of the cost of the scammers and you meet locals and other travellers. It may not be as comfortable as a car or van but it’s fun.

At Ao Nang Beach I strategically placed myself to be close enough for the long-tail boats, cafes and local Buddhist monastery. The atmosphere here reminded me of Byron Bay in Australia as a popular backpackers location on the coast but many many more places to swim, eat and relax. It’s much cheaper as well and the food is fabulous. The next day I awoke to perfect weather with a calm sea so I headed off with a group of Germans I met on the songthaew the previous morning, to go to the islands for the day. As a group we decided to book the long-tail boat together as a force in numbers because the boat pilots have a reputation for only taking you to three of five destinations for your day trip that you paid for and then take you back directly to Ao Nang beach.
So we managed to haggle for a good price and told the pilot where we want to go with no change to the itinerary or we would go elsewhere. It was great to have a strong frauline to negotiate for me. Her tall stature and experience as a policewoman in Cologne helped a lot. Go girl!! One for the tourists.

On our way to Railay Beach

The boats are numerous so you have plenty of destination options. Be prepared to inhale some petrol fumes if the wind is blowing the wrong way. The engines are enormous - about the size of a large car engine and quite powerful.

Long-tail boat

Railay Beach was a first stop for a morning swim and relax under a 24 degree sun. The water is so clear that you can see quite a distance with tropical fish wandering around you.

Everyone comes for the Ao Nang beach sunset before the evening meal