North Thailand

I write this post, the penultimate one of the series, from the (highly familiar) departure lounge of Kuala Lumpur airport, en route to London on hour 14 of what is due to be a 32 hour door-to-door journey. I think I'll write a brief summary of the last week and a half and then post some pictures. I'll follow up with some thoughts and conclusions in a separate post. M'kay? M'kay.

From the moment I arrived in Chiang Mai, I connected with the north of Thailand more than I did with the south; I enjoyed Bangkok and the islands, but the slower pace and mountain air of the north won me over. Chiang Mai itself is very pleasant and not too busy considering that it is a fairly large city. There is an old centre with loads of temples, surrounded by a moat, and in parts by the remnants of a wall. I was lucky enough to arrive in town on the same day as the weekly night market (Sunday) which takes over one of the main streets. There was also one in a running series of free live music events - I saw a Thai didgeridoo band with a bit of a rasta slant whose defiant genre-bending is surely the bane of every record store clerk in the land.

I spent the remainder of my four days in Chiang Mai, among other things, on a day trip to some minority villages and the highest point in Thailand, a visit to a beautiful temple that overlooks the whole town and flossing, because dental hygiene is important.

From Chiang Mai I took a winding three hour journey to the small riverside town of Pai, nestled in a valley not too far from the border with Myanmar. Ah Pai.. Pai is my favourite pair of sweatpants. I had heard glowing reports of Pai for months, both from friends at home and from travelers I met along the way, and it has the reputation of being a place where people repeatedly extend their stay (with some even moving permanently). It seemed like a fitting destination in which to spend my last 6 days in Asia. Nevertheless, I've been burned by high expectations before (cf. Hoi An) and I was concerned that nothing could live up to such hype. I was wrong. Pai is just the best. The real joy of Pai is just staying in town and whiling the hours away in conversation with the fantastic souls that populate the various hostels and bars. That said there are great attractions within an enjoyable scooter ride of town so it's not difficult to stay active too. Some of the most interesting and enjoyable sights were the Pai canyon (see picture below), the 'Land Split' and the Lod cave, which has a eery Styx-like river running through it with creepy dark fish swarming in the water like lost souls. The Land Split is a field in which a giant rift was formed by seismic activity back in 2008. The farmer who owns the field now runs it as a tourist site. The chasm is cool to see, but the real charm there is in the rosella juice, tropical fruits and chillout area complete with hammocks, all provided by the owner for free, with a donation box in which visitors can leave as much cash as they see fit. Suffice it to say that if I didn't have a flight I had to catch, I'm certain I would have been among those remaining in Pai indefinitely - I certainly hope to return.

From Pai it was back to Chiang Mai from where I began this odyssey back home.

Like I said, I hope to still post some general thoughts separately, but anyway, it's been a blast - thanks for joining in.

I love each of you more than the next.

David

Didgeridoo band in Chiang Mai. I want to meme this guy. 

Getting philosophical at a waterfall 

Hanukkah. Better late than never... 

Pai Canyon. Extra points if you can spot me 

Lookout near Pai, on the way to the Lod cave 

Indonesia cont'd.

My most recent post, from Gili Air, ended on a sanguine note, with me returning to normal health and looking forward to a few days in the tropical paradise. The optimism was not misplaced, as I continued to feel better and was able to fully enjoy the island's offerings.

The place is quiet with a rustic feel - no gas powered vehicles are permitted, only horse carriages and bikes. The palm fringed beaches are of beautiful white sand bordering turquoise waters, and to top it off, they have sunset every evening. I spent much of my time relaxing in the excellent pool at my hostel or strolling around the island (an entire loop takes only about an hour). Happily, I also managed to get two further dives under my belt while on the island. The first was to a site chock-full of coral and other marine life, but the real highlight was the second dive, to a place known as the 'Secret Garden' which is known as a haven for sea turtles; I saw many of them and I think that they saw me. They were much larger than I expected - some were 2/3 my size and they moved through the water with effortless grace (which is where the comparisons with me end).

After four great days I departed Gili Air for Lombok, from where I was to fly (by airplane) to the island of Java, more specifically, to Yogyakarta. The scenery on the way to the airport was beautiful and made me regret not having allocated any time to spend in Lombok. I've slotted the disappointment in my ledger of regrets, between not starting that course of Rogaine and getting a shin tattoo of Bill Cosby back in 2011. As my flight was very early in the morning I decided to skip the cost and hassle of leaving a hostel or hotel in the middle of the night in favour of roughing it in the airport. I don't suppose there's a prize for 'least hospitable airport in which to spend a night' , but if there was Lombok International Airport would be a shoo-in.

Java (Indonesia's main population centre and the dominant island politically) is appreciably more Islamic in character than Bali (obviously) and Gili Air, with mosques on every street and many women sporting head coverings; in certain ways it is reminiscent of Malaysia. In this vein, one nice part of leaving Bali is seeing fewer swastikas everywhere.

The city of Yogyakarta, known as 'Jogja' is known as the seat of Javanese culture despite being smaller than the capital Jakarta. The city itself is fairly unassuming with the main attraction being the Sultan's palace and water castle, which are located in a sort of city within a city. The main reason for visiting Jogja is as a base for visiting the temples of Borobudur and Prambanan, Buddhist and Hindu respectively, which are each a short drive out of town.

The popular kids like to visit Borobudur (apparently the largest Buddhist temple in the world) at sunrise. Ever a social striver, I arranged for a 4 am transfer to a hill near the temple which is known for offering a good vantage point. Arriving while it was still dark, I reverently popped a piece of Wrigley's® gum and enjoyed the misty sunrise with minty fresh breath. It was very nice though the temple itself was only just barely visible in the distance. From the lookout point I was taken to the temple itself. With Mt. Merapi, a real volcanos' volcano rising majestically in the background and many distinctive architectural features to observe, it was a treat to wander around Borobudur. Unfortunately, I had to share the site with the worst sort of people - other people - and many of them.

Prambanan, which I visited the following day, was magnificent, or as the French say, 'le weekend'. From a distance the architecture of the temple bears a resemblance to that of the temples at Angkor. Up close though, Prambanan has a unique style all of its own and I'm glad I had the chance to visit, though if I'm honest, I am a bit templed-out again.

I'm writing this post aboard a train rolling leisurely through the central Java countryside, en route to Jakarta. From what I've heard, Jakarta isn't a must-see, but since I have a flight booked to Chiang Mai (in Thailand) on Sunday, I thought it deserved a quick stop. I've booked a ticket to London for the 19th of January, so the eleven days I have to spend in the north of Thailand will be the final leg of my trip. More accurately, they will be the final leg of the Asian part of the trip, as I intend to be in the UK and the Netherlands for a couple of weeks before returning to Israel on the 8th of February.

Looking forward to seeing everyone soon. If I could bring back a pineapple for each of you I would, but you must understand that the logistics simply make it unfeasible.

Love David

Old city of Yogyakarta 

Carvings at Borobudur 

Stupas at Borobudur 

Prambanan