Khon Kaen to Nong Khai

 Leaving Khon Kaen to Nong Khai, in our hire car (ex-Pattaya)...obviously, I'm the back seat driver.

 

 

Our hotel in Nong Khai, the Mekong Guesthouse. Wonderful! The room was spacious, nice...but, a tip, don't stay on the ground floor...Thai plumbing/drainage, not so good, lol. 

Lovely view and restaurant out the back, over looking the Mekong and right on top of the night market (either Saturday or Sunday nights...can't recall), but not noisy.

Looking across the Mekong at Laos.

The night market stretched along the river behind our hotel. Head north and you'll find even more bargains and tasty treats, in the street at the end.

 Tomorrow...the Buddha Park, Nong Kai.

Snap's other blog Chiang Mai Thai

When Tripadvisor won't advise - Happiness Guesthouse

For quite a few years I've gathered valuable information from tripadvisor.com and contributed what I could, myself. Even adding unlisted hotels and guesthouses to their list. To do that, you must provide as much detail about said establishment, as possible. 

However, after sending specifics about the Happiness Guesthouse and a great hotel in Khon Kaen, I was politely rejected and given this link.

I didn't really want to sift though Tripadvisor's requirements, so decided to do my own review here for the Happiness Guesthouse. Here goes...

Refer to previous post to how we arrived at our lodgings. Now I'll just show you some photos of where we stayed with a few relevant and not so relevant comments :)

Massive (wet) bathroom with danky corners

The 300 Baht room...hardish mattress

Large 400 Baht room with private balcony

Private balcony over looking the street

View way off in the distance on a hill top, taken from the roof top of the guesthouse

Another view of the bathroom in need of a good scrub

From the roof top (not meant to be up there) looking down on the car park

The communal balcony on the upper floor.

Comments: Beware the red chairs, they've been sitting there for years and tend to collapse under farang (non Thai sized foreigners). Internet is available at an hourly rate, I didn't bother using it, I was kapooped. The staff that greeted us, the old guy who owns the place, didn't speak English and wasn't very customer savvy. Later that afternoon a couple of younger people appeared in reception and were helpful the one time I asked for information. No breakfast or toiletries, and no luxuries such as an in room safe...it's a guesthouse. 

Finding breakfast was a bit of a challenge, encountering no boiled eggs (ไข่ลวก kài-​lûak...frustrating, because we pronounced it kai luuang for most of our trip and were understood!) and toast (not for me) on the service road we did a U turn on the suggestion of a local and started to head back out of town. It wasn't long before we spotted a western style coffee shop/cafe. 

The location. Right next to a train track, not visible and rarely heard from the guesthouse.


View Happiness Inn Pak Chong Thailand in a larger map

Snap's other blog Chiang Mai Thai

Our Thailand Road Trip - and then there were three.

Still weary and in need of a good nights sleep, we've literally just returned from our Thailand road trip. Hope you'll stay tuned for where we went (clues above) and stayed, what we did and didn't do and what we'd do differently...if anything.

Snap's other blog Chiang Mai Thai

Women and maps, dangerous or not?

Apparently women's oestrogen plays havoc with our 'spatial intelligence'. Regardless, I love maps and have no problem reading them or navigating...Stray would beg to differ because I do have difficulty determining which deck I'm on or which side I'm on when travelling on ships. (They should supply maps)

In preparation for our driving holiday in Thailand I downloaded a few map apps onto my HTC Android phone. After a while I was reminded that however smart these phones are, they're really not so great for those of us with poor eyesight.

So, a little research later, I hunted down a tablet for a reasonable price which had built in GPS.

Now I'm armed with maps galore, including some old fashioned paper versions we kept from our visa run to Laos.

Notice how nice my photo looks? :) New camera too!

The three android apps downloaded?

Nostra Map Thailand by Globotech - Free - needs GPS and Internet

Thailand GPS Map by Kaart Data - $4.99 - needs GPS only!

Mappa's Offline North Thailand Map - .99 cents

The tablet? A Flytouch 8. This is my first Tablet and even having used computers for umpteen years and mastering my smart phone...this was a little challenging. The manual is wafer thin and finding what's where is a trifle frustrating at times.

It also comes with a GPS antennae for extra satellite detection and a GPS Test app...just so you can see how many satellites are up there watching you. A few days went by and I remained undetected and began to Google the problem. I wasn't alone. Many others were experiencing the same issue, followed by being plonked off the east coast of Africa...when they were clearly not.

Starting to panic as our departure date approaches, I downloaded, tried and deleted a few other GPS testing apps. I remained invisible until I upgraded to GPS Test Plus ($2.99). Sitting on my front veranda, antennae attached, I finally made contact with 2 satellites which put me in my correct place. Coincidental? I'll never know.

The map apps? I've started taking notes and will be writing a full run down after we return.

Snap's other blog Chiang Mai Thai

Sanctuary in Pattaya

Stray and I have just returned from Pattaya where we celebrated an old mate’s birthday, quite successfully I might add. So, for a fewui days we hung around catching up and enjoying the big event...and before anyone gets their knickers in a knot, I DO know that there is more to Pattaya than what first meets stabs you in the eye. However, apart from my own grey hair and big belly, one can’t ignore their overwhelming presence bobbing up and down in a sea of bars and massage parlours, outfitted with lovely ladies who seriously need to stop using the hot cycle on their ‘hand wash only’ clothes.

And it was Simply Delicious!

Same, same, but totally different - Thailand and Vietnam

Thailand and Vietnam have some things in common...they're both in Asia (obviously) and over time, have been home to some of the same ethnic tribes. And, each have given and taken from the Mon Khmer language in years gone by. But they are very different.

After having been in Thailand now for 9 months, I guess one tends to notice, well, odd, trivial or smaller differences when travelling to another country.

In Vietnam you might find....

If I could bottle a rural village...

If I could bottle a rural village, I'd make a fortune, selling it as a natural sleep aid! Our sleep patterns have been pretty woeful since we arrived in Thailand four months ago. The night before I headed to my friend's hometown, I managed three hours of broken slumber.

Thailand Survival Kit for Newbies

My long time friend JJ is in flight right now (well she should be, and not reading this blog like she usually does)....due to arrive in Chiang Mai in the morning. It's her second time venturing out of Australia. The first time doesn't really count, because it was to New Zealand ;) say no more!

Anyway, I decided to put together a slightly 'tongue in cheek' survival kit, as a welcome gift and souvenir of her stay.

*A map of Chiang Mai with our hotel marked on it...in case she gets lost
*Our hotel card, with contact details and mapped location...in case she gets lost
*Hand sanitiser
*Purse size packets of Tissues
*Hong Nam (toilet) instructions - my way! with the all important phrase 'hong nam thii nai kha?'  with Australian transliteration - 'horng narm tea nigh car?'

• Hang your handbag up somewhere secure...and no, you won't want to put it on the floor if there isn't a hook...I'm sure you'll figure it out
• Make sure any reading/sun glasses, headbands or other paraphernalia can't fall off your person and into the bowl...you're on your own if they do!

Fire! Fire!

Our good friends 'M' and 'J' arrived from Australia last week and after meeting them at the airport, we went to their hotel...the luxurious Holiday Inn. 'M' and I were standing outside and noticed a large wall of mist emanating from the side of the building, from a few stories high. We figure it's like those similarly used to cool down coffee shops and restaurants.

Shortly after the parking lot attendant starts blowing his whistle, directing cars away from a certain area. Sirens start blaring...from an ambulance, exiting the hospital directly across the road, which hurtles into the hotel car park and from a fire engine, which has over shot the hotel entrance and now needs to reverse in the busy street.

"It's a fire drill!" one of the management staff informs us, saying that all of the guest have been alerted.

Back home I've worked in offices and shops that have legally mandatory, regular fire drills. But ours never involve actual emergency services attending. Pre-nominated fire wardens (employees) have specified tasks...counting heads, ensuring allocated areas have been evacuated etc. Then we all take our merry time, returning to our offices.

So, I was surprised to see the fire truck not only arrive, but to engage the stabilising legs and set the cherry picker (AKA Skylift F32HDT) in motion.

Spray of mist in the background

Visa Run Day 3. Loei to Nong Khai

Before leaving Loei we stop to buy a new map, as ours has nearly reached it's limits. The gas station employee suggests we take another path to Nong Khai, up to Chiang Khan and south east, along the Mekong river. (video - Chiang Khan)

Visa Run Day 2. Uttaradit to Loei

It turns out that the route to Loei, plotted out yesterday, is a pleasant change. Quieter (not too quiet) roads, cooler in the shade of the hills and much more scenic. The video isn't very interesting, it's hard to get the camera out at just the right time. 

It’s nice to be off the main highway where the shoulder of the road is officially the motorbike (bicycle, tuk tuk or any other homemade contraption, motorised or not) lane. Overtaking on the inside feels unnatural and dangerous, and it’s illegal in Australia, so often we go around the outside...the normal way.

Visa Run Day 1. Chiang Mai to Uttaradit

When we arrived in Uttaradit this afternoon, Stray said he felt like a Labradoodle, the way everyone would do a double take when they saw us. But first, I’ll go back to this morning, when we left Chiang Mai.

We’d being weighing up our mode of transport for quite some time before going to Laos for my Visa and decided to hire a bike...not a road bike, more like a scooter, a 125 cc Honda Wave.

As we secure our overnight size bag to the front basket, ‘S’, one of the hotel staff (who speaks only Thai) made it quite clear that we are nuts. She alternates between laughing and frowning, and throws in a few ‘mai dee’s’...not good! We assure her we’ll be on the go slow, taking a few days to reach the border. It does occur to us that we may be making a big mistake, but guess that going such distances in Thailand is not the norm, as they are in Australia.

Umong Wine House Warming

Back home I really enjoy a glass of red wine (probably a little too much at times ;). In Asia, imported wine is obviously on the expensive side when compared to local products, particularly if you're on a local budget. Mike's review on Mao Berry Wine gave me hope, so I thought I'd do a bit of sampling myself. Why not!  A a house warming celebratory drink. We moved from a hotel room into an apartment today.

While wandering around Central Airport Plaza, I purchased a small bottle (70 Baht) of Umong Wine, rather than blow 250 Baht on what might be an inferior product.

Random bits and pieces

After a trip to Warorot Markets to buy a 'polite' shirt (collar and sleeves) for my official student photo, today I enrolled in my Thai Language course! Now I wait for my application to be approved by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Not a good photo of Warorot Markets

Mum...I'd like one of these for Christmas for my lounge room please ;)

The Garden

The Garden was one of our favourite places to eat, drink and duck out of the hustle and bustle of central Chiang Mai last year, so we went back for a visit. Unfortunately for us, good for them, it's situated smack bang near the intersection of the Sunday night Walking Street Markets.

I don't remember the walking being as slow or as crowded as it was yesterday evening. We stopped for a juice and sat out of the way for about 20 minutes and to escape the stifling heat generated by  bodies and hundreds of stall lights.

Anyway, we got there in the end and were lucky there were still a few vacant seats.

Stray's meal: pad see ew, excellent! My meal: Squid with basil and  of course steamed rice. Also excellent, however, I forgot to say 'nit naawy phrik kha!'. HOLD THE BLOODY CHILLI. Even after plucking the little blighters out, it was incredibly hot. My eyes started watering and the fire in my mouth intensified. I do alright on the chillidometer, but will never reach Thai standards.

I finish my meal. I ask the waiter for a little bit of milk.  He looks at me strangely and questions my request. I guess he couldn't figure out how the milk worked in with the squid dish and Chang beer. 'Yes please', I say. By the time he returned with my milk, delivered in a small jug :) the inferno was dying down...but I drank it anyway for good measure.

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Yesterday - Half of today was spent getting some much needed supplies: phone charger, universal power board, locks etc. But on the top of our list were pillows. Because ours.... well, I reckon somewhere around town two foundation stones are missing.

The mattress isn’t far behind in the comfort department, but we’ll deal with that another day.

Robinsons at Airport Central Plaza, which is on par with Myer or David Jones, was a little over our price range. In fact the prices were similar to those back in Australia. We walked about a kilometre or so down to Tesco Lotus and bought our 199 Baht pillows, including covers.

I’m looking forward to tonight’s sleep, but I’m sure our new purchases will only highlight just how bad the mattress is.

Snap's Thai Language course cancelled

I wasn't going to go on about my/our courses on this blog, but can't help this post.

My One Year Thai Language course has been cancelled. You can read the whole account at my other blog...if you really want the ins and outs. Stray's TEFL course appears to be OK...for now, even though we were to attend the same institute?

I will apply for a 60 day tourist visa and take it from there...with an outbound flight to probably Laos, so I can stay legitimate and arrange an ED Visa.

Nata De Coco...Salacca...Favourite Foods!!!!!

Stray and I have enjoyed broadening our food horizons as we travel, trying different dishes, vegetables and fruit. We dropped into (not our usual) an Asian grocery store yesterday on the hunt for fresh, thick sheets of rice noodle, but they didn't stock it.

We want to try our hand(s) at making Pho Chien Phong. Little pillows of fried noodle topped with beef and kang kong. We love cooking, because we love eating good food.

Not my photo, but we tried it in Hanoi, it's delicious.

Video and Photos - Floating Markets and Giant Dragon Temple, Thailand 2009

One of the things I wanted to do in Thailand last year was to visit the floating market. I had no idea that there was more than one (stupid me) and hence, went to not quite MY intended location. We went by taxi from BKK and arrived at a VERY expensive boat ride through the markets. We're not quite sure which markets we went to, perhaps Don Wai, either way it was ridiculously priced at around 1000 Baht each! This was probably inclusive of our taxi driver's kick back.

Videos - Northern Thailand 2009

We've had small videos stashed away and have never done anything with them. So (to take my mind of everything) I'll be uploading them according to their location, to our blog. Some are incredibly short and have a strange metallic sound?

Intersection outside of the Parasol Inn (centre of Chiang Mai) where the Sunday night walking market takes place, along with cake in child proof packaging.