On the road with Rita and Jon

On the road with Rita and Jon 2008-08-20T07:09:29Z http://jtbaxter.co.uk/atom.aspx Quick Blog Diving Sipadan Island tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2008-03-18:6267cabd-bc2f-42ab-8100-efcaede8065b Jon 2008-03-18T11:14:30Z 2008-03-18T06:02:00Z

On every dive we have done someone talks about looking for sharks, I personally thought it best not to go looking for trouble and hope it didn't come looking for me. During several of the dives here we saw sharks, above us, below us, and even swim within a meter of us. I believe we spotted white tip sharks, gray sharks and leopard sharks. I have to admit I felt a little uneasy, but I was one of several divers in our party and odds where if a shark decided it needed a snack I stood about a one in six chance that it would choose me.

There were lots of other things to look at, so I could always pretend the sharks were not really there. We even got to lie on the ocean floor next to a 5ft long barracuda.

Apart from the incredible displays of fish life there was still so much more to see. So much in fact that we could just not take it all in. It's a place where you could dive every day for a year and still continue to be amazed.

Another world right here on earth, just waiting to be explored. Rita put it nicely when she said it's like wandering through a beautiful garden but one that doesn't need watering or weeding.

Borneo is behind us now and we have travelled on. A journey of 37 hours utilizing a taxi, 3 planes, 2 trains and a bus have brought us back to where we started, in the UK. Some may think it to be the journeys end, I think not. More of a prelude of what is to come. Hey there is a world out there just waiting for us to discover it's many facets. So after a brief interlude here in the UK the adventure will continue. To those of you who have kept up with our adventure so far through reading our blogs and e-mails, we want to say thank you for your friendship, encouragement and at times support. We hope you will continue to follow our trail and we will continue to welcome your questions, for our blogs are but a glimse into what we have seen and experienced. Thank you.]]>

Borneo is touted as one of the top dive sites in the world, this is the reason we decided to travel here. Who knows if we will ever be as close to this area of the world again. Having been there now and dived six dives I would have to say, amazing. It is hard to find words adaquate enough to describe all that we saw. Look left, look right, look up and look down, everywhere was filled with a spectacular sights. There are over 3000 different type of fish and all are in great abundance. Rita wanted turtles and ...

The Wild Man of Borneo tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2008-03-09:b6deb371-bdc9-446f-88ae-8dfd1df4dc2c Rita 2008-03-18T11:36:05Z 2008-03-09T13:24:00Z Do they exist? Yes, I'm happy to report they do, we have seen some in the Sepilok Orang Utang Sanctuary which is situated in the rainforests of North-East Borneo. With the diminishing of the rainforests, they are a very endangered species and the sanctuary does a wonderful job of protecting them. We started our visit with an introduction by a volunteer worker named Julie, she had previously worked in Twycross Zoo (less than than 10 miles away from our home town, Hinckley).

We watched a video showing the care the orang utangs have from babies to eventual release into the natural environment. Honestly, those babies are pampered as much as any human child! Then it was time to view the orang utangs at feeding time. Guess what? It's a rainforest and it rained and rained. Eventually, a few orang utangs braved the elements and swung along the rope system to the feeding platform. They were so funny, they made umbrellas out of leaves! Here's a picture of one braving his way through the rain to the feeding platform - look familiar eh?

After the visit, we stayed overnight in a jungle resort nearby. The rain continued to pour down all night. Now we know why so many houses are built on stilts!

Fortunately, Jon was feeling much better now so we could go ahead with our diving plans when we returned to Semporna.

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     Do they exist? Yes, I'm happy to report they do, we have seen some in the Sepilok orang utang Sanctuary. They are a very endangered species with the diminishing of the rainforests and the sanctuary does a wonderful job of protecting them. ...

Malaysia, Borneo tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2008-03-06:667d6179-5862-4c4b-a15b-17e54b28d798 Jon 2008-03-06T06:38:09Z 2008-03-06T05:25:00Z          Traveller's be warned, we know the feeling and try so hard to be careful but it got me and got me good this time. Food posioning is one thing and you can figure it out by the sudden onset of pain and discomfort, add to that you can usually figure it will be done with within a day, unless very severe. But this time the symptoms did not match the physical actions.

         I guess this all started about 36 hours prior to our departure from Cambodia. That final day and night I could not leave the hotel room, I became very concerned. Having ruled out food posioning and the possibility that it was Cholera (no headache, anxiety, or vomiting) I looked to the possibility of an intestinal bug (virus).

         Cholera is very common place in Asia, during my health classes I had my students do a lot of research about it and other infectious diseases, what symptoms to look for, what to do if infection is suspected and how to stop the spread.

         Go to the doctor is what most would think to be the best action, but this is not UK, or the US. Here you have to weigh up the hygene habits and available treatments. Do you want to get stuck with a needle that has probably been used on someone else?

         We have medical supplies with us including needles and limited medications for use in emergency situations. I knew also that if this sickness continued untreated I could end up in hospital on the other end of a drip.

         Because we were due to leave Cambodia I decided to fill myself up with plenty of bottled water, rehydration packs, including electrolites, and imodium pills. Not the perfect solution, or the cure but it did get me through the flight to Kuala Lumpur and from there the flight to Tawau.

        At our destination of Semporna the problems continued which meant we could not book to go diving, in fact I didn't venture out from the hotel until the second day when we found a doctor. She did mention hospitalization but took into consideration that I was doing the right thing by taking plenty of fluids and rehydration packs. She prescribed an antibiotic, a stronger form of imodium and gave me some additional rehydration packs.

       It was day five before this all kicked into place, by this time Rita had suggested that we travel North to see the Orang Utans while I recouperate as there was no way I could dive yet. So here we are in Borneo, one of the reconized best diving locations in the world and we have yet to get our feet into the water.

      It's at times like these, when I was in need and felt as weak as a kitten that the true value of Rita's love for me shone, throughout this ordeal she was vigilant and caring. Took the lead and made the decisions as needed,
we are a team.

]]> Temples, temples and even more temples! tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2008-03-06:31f5b5ef-1b26-41be-a7ce-611a07089b23 Rita 2008-03-06T11:54:54Z 2008-03-06T04:47:00Z
Then it was time to explore the wonders of the temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and we weren't disappointed. The town itself is very touristy and has cashed in on temple fever, but who can blame them for that? The new airport is the most attractive one I've seen and the road into the town is lined with super smart looking hotels, new ones springing up en route. When you reach the town, it has a very friendly atmosphere and a host of eating places to choose from. Imagine our delight to find "Molly Malone's" in a central location! They served excellent curry as well as a delicious Irish Stew.

Angkor Wat is the main temple, a 20 minute tuk-tuk ride from the hotel. It's surrounded by a huge moat which is very impressive at a quarter of a mile wide. Then it's another quarter of a mile or so before you're in the actual temple. All the 4 main cloisters are covered with bas-relief depicting a diary of different events of the time so it takes a while to interpret them. We hired Mr Sa Muk as our driver for the temple experience. He was brilliant, dropping us off at a convenient place and looking out for us when we emerged from different entrances. We also felt we could appreciate the countryside around the temples more from an open vehicle.

Bayon Temple is probably the next most famous one. It was my favourite as it consisted of many smiling faces. I've never seen anything quite like that before. Hopefully it was a happy place to worship in. We took an elephant ride around it so that we could view it from a higher perpective.

     After that, there are a dozen or more different temples to view at your leisure and numerous ruins to ponder over. The earliest date back to the 6th century, the latest date back to the 12th century. It's not obvious where everyone came from to require temples of this number and size. Even now, there aren't any big cities nearby. Many of the temples are in a fragile state as sandstone seemed to be the main material used. Several countries are involved in restoration projects around the area which is good to see.

     We found the whole complex truly amazing but no-one tells you how exhausting temple hunting is. We never managed a full day, by around 13.00 we would start to feel "templed out" and ask Sa Muk to take us to Molly Malone's for a cool Tiger beer!

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     From our idyllic island in Vietnam (Phy Quoc) we were suddenly surrounded by noise and pollution in Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon as the locals call it. The motorbikes are everywhere and have even less rules on the road as in Thailand. Stop for a few seconds in a taxi and you're surounded by them instantly, Honda has a lot to answer for in Asia. <br> <br>      Then it was time to explore the wonders of the temples in Siem Reap, Cambodia, and we weren't disappointed. The town itself is very touristy and has cashed in on temple fever, but who ...

The Central Highlands, Vietnam tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2008-02-24:d2e46d2b-895d-422d-90d2-2c006f23ca26 Rita 2008-02-24T15:21:25Z 2008-02-24T04:41:00Z On Day 1 we set off in a very nice Ford Explorer, driven by Hi our Vietnamese driver who loved the vehicle and guarded with his life. Funny was to be our Vietnamese tour guide, a retired war veteran who was always on the look out to get a few extra dong in commission. We were soon up in the mountains with wonderful views. Funny pointed out the hills affected by "Agent Orange" dropped by the Americans in the war. 42 years later and the hills are still barren for miles and miles. We also passed miles of coffee plantations, I hadn't realised that coffee is a main crop in Vietnam. After a few hours we stopped for lunch, the sort of roadside cafe we usually avoided but we decided what the heck, we can't starve for 3 days! Funny organised fried rice and chicken, in fact, he always tried to organise fried rice and chicken. He confessed later that his teeth were bad and he couldn't chew anything else! We ate lunch but declined an offer of snake wine, supposed to have magnificent medical qualities. I couldn't believe my eyes, it's made by putting around 20 snakes in a jar and topping it up with liquid. After 1 year it's ready. I discovered a shop in Phu Quoc that did the same thing with sea-horses. By late afternoon, we had reached an area where the most spectacular waterfalls in Vietnam are found. The hour or spent trekking around the area was well worth it.

The 1st night was spent in a longhouse in one of the minority villages. We weren't too sure about this but Funny assured us we needed to experience it for ourselves. We also experienced a special "blessing of the elephant " ceremony performed by one of the village elders. We were a bit suspicious of the still bleeding pig's head laid out in front of the elephants and what were the elephant riders passing round and ceremoniously sipping? Where was the rest of the pig? Actually, we were served a delicious meal and offered hot showers before being taken to the longhouse (no running water or facilities here). Just remember Scout and Guide camps I said to Jon and get on with it. Torches off.... dark... and noises! The longhouses are built on stilts for a reason, the animals. There was a constant stream of dogs fighting, pigs runting, snakes hissing and cockerels cock-a-doodle-doing even before daybreak! So much for the peace of the countryside. We were exhausted by 7.00 am but we knew we had an easy day just sight-seeing from the vehicle.

     The 2nd day's drive took us through spectacular scenery, coffee plantations, minority villages, lakes and mountains. We came across numerous busy markets and even the villagers washing clothes in the river. Now we can add more things to our list of goods carried by motorbike, pig (alive), goat (dead) bed (double). We were both very impressed by it all. Finally we reached Dalat, one of the main tourist areas in Vietnam. The town is centred around a huge lake and has many attractions. It's also a centre for the cultivation of flowers so I was in my element. Funny took us to "The Crazy House" and a flower park before finding our hotel. Thank goodness, no longhouses here! Dalat is a mix of many European countries, France, Germany, Switzerland, Holland, even little Old England is there too. We loved it there, it had atmosphere and a petite version of the Eiffel Tower!

     The 3rd day took us back to the coast, a resort town famous for it's sand dunes. We were ready to relax on the beach again. We thought we had the evening to ourselves but Funny organised fried rice and chicken again! This was the main night of the New Year celebrations (Tet) and Hi went off to spend it with his family who lived nearby. For us, we wandered along the main road for a while giving and receiving "Happy New Year" greetings. It's a night for feasting and drinking but mainly family celebrations. Would we see Hi again we wondered.

     We did, and the 4th day was to be a long drive skirting around Saigon and onto the ferry port. Many places closed for Tet and the roads were fairly quiet for the first part of the journey. Funny even had difficulty in finding a place to eat. The roads got busier as we approached Saigon. Families of 4 on one motorbike, with the luggage, sometimes the bedding and the boxes of beer! Kids were asleep in akward positions, I guess they had travelled for miles to celebrate with their families.
    Overall, we made good time and reached the ferry port by 10.30 pm. Funny thought we could hang around at the ferry terminal until 8.00 am but a quick call to our man, Phil, and we found a hotel room. Hi insisted on staying with the vehicle for security reasons and Funny kept him company. In the morning they took us to our boat, as arranged, and we waved goodbye as we sped off for our next adventure.

]]> Lost in Space tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2008-02-22:68cb4990-5f54-4bdb-a7ba-1d9059b1a3e1 Jon 2008-02-24T14:57:28Z 2008-02-22T12:28:00Z
                Apparently some people must have known about this Island because upon trying to book flights we found out that all flights were fully booked several weeks in advance and we almost gave up on the idea. That is until a travel agent suggested we take a speed boat, which is what we decided to do.

               Good decision? No, great decision. Phu Quoc is a tropical island still in need of much development, there are no major cities, no big shopping centers, not much of anything for tourists to do apart from play around in the ocean or sunbath on the beaches.

              It is a place to just 'get away' and relax. There are a variety of resorts and resturants which for the most part are open to everyone. Buy a drink or a meal and have use of the pool and as we found be provided with a beach towel. Quite laid back and very friendly.

              But there are signs that Phu Quoc is in the development stages and so this idealic hidden away will, within a few short years change forever and become more like Phuket.

              Shortly after our arrival we switched resorts and took up residence in a bungalow right on the beach, I kid you not, the ocean lay less than fourty feet from our front porch. The sound of the ocean waves gave a peaceful feeling of serinity both day and night. Step off the porch into the the sand, the type of things dreams are made of.

              Also facing due West we had front row seats every evening for the sunset, inspired as we watched the sunlight glisten across the water. Lost in space, time didn't mean very much as our thought's just lazily drifted along. Rising in the morning, time to eat. After sunset, time to eat and maybe somewhere in between, time to eat.

             The warmth of the sun and the refreshing feeling of the ocean were all that one needed to contemplate. A place where you didn't want to be found, to be lost forever although selffish had a wonderful feel about it.

             We did find the time to engage ourselves in several snorking and scuba diving trips to the islands in the north and to the south of Phu Quoc. Did a bit of fishing, Rita even went squid fishing one night which she enjoyed, and ate some squid porridge which she assured me was delicious!

For fourteen nights this was our paradise, our desert island in the sun, our time to enjoy simplicity. We also enjoyed conversations with people from many backgrounds and from many nations, all of whom felt they too had found a very special place. Many memories have been forged here, but as it always does time moves us along and the next stop is Saigon or as it is now known Ho Chi Minh City.

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Imagine a beautiful blue sky, a warm gentle breeze, sandy beach and plam trees. Also imagine if you will ...

Nha Trang Vietnam tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2008-02-03:a140578f-5256-49ce-8ff1-7e8f149530e2 Rita 2008-02-03T17:01:33Z 2008-02-03T15:04:00Z

The beach stretches for over 2 kilometers, the sea is rather rough at this time of the year so we haven't ventured in. It reminds me a lot of resorts in the South of France with it's garden areas along the front and the trees to provide shade. Which isn't surprising really considering the many years the French colonized Vietnam. All around are impressive looking mountains which we're looking forward to exploring as we venture inland.

We have been impressed with the Vietnamese food, there seems to be plenty of choice, variety and not as spicey as Thai dishes. It's very civilised sitting out on the pavements eating dinner and drinking cool lager! So, if Nha Trang, Vietnam isn't on your list of places to visit, we suggest you put it on!.
There's a new development called Vinpearl on a big island in the bay. To reach it, there's a gondola chair lift where you get magnificent views of the area. The resort isn't finished yet but it's already impressive.

Tomorrow, we have an early start for our 4 day trip to The Highlands when we get to see the "real" Vietnam.]]> Bye bye Bangkok tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2008-02-02:cf672929-492b-474d-b9bf-ae7da0841672 Rita 2008-02-02T16:07:25Z 2008-02-02T08:30:00Z The temperature in Bangkok was hot, hot, hot and seemed to be much busier than on our first visit. The pollution levels were also high and we found that travelling by tuk,tuk was not a very comfortable ride. The metered taxis were much better, and less expensive.
We visited the Grand Palace, the most famous tourist sight in the city. Some of it is closed at present as the late Princess' body is lying in state, but it is still an impressive sight. At the gateway we had to be inspected to make sure we met with "modest" clothing requirements. My three quarter trousers were not approved so I had to hire a wrap-around skirt. It's a free service and they are freshly laundered so no problems there.

The spires and towers in the Palace were a magnificent sight sparkling in the sunlight, so many different styles. As well as being one of the residences of the King, it is also home to the Emerald Buddha which is highly revered in Thailand. Photographs are not allowed of it but you can freely take pictures outside the temples.

Wherever we've been in Thailand, the streets are lined with food stalls and around Siam Square there were no exceptions. Sometimes, you can't get past the tables and chairs and have to step out onto the busy road!

On the 5th day we picked up our visas for Vietnam, said goodbye to Bangkok and moved onto our next adventure.

]]> Good Morning Vietnam tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2008-02-02:317650e2-8855-4946-9559-3700ea3600b3 Jon 2008-02-02T14:45:23Z 2008-02-02T07:41:00Z

Due to time and the climate our exploration of the city was limited, we saw a mix of old and new buildings, sites of interest and the preparations for the New Year celebrations which take place in February. They decorate their homes with orange trees and we saw them being transported in the quickest possible way!

I think I can say that we were both happy to board the plane to fly us to Nha Trang, a very popular seaside resort in the southeast, which is where we are at present. As you can see, the weather is more like what we're used to!

Unfortunately during our week in Bangkok, Rita contracted sinus and flu like symptoms which were not helped during our first cold night in Hanoi and steadily have gotten worse and now I have the same symptoms. So we have become a couple of sickies trying to get better fast.

Having not found what we were looking for in Nha Trang we have decided to treat ourselves to a vacation. In two days we leave on a 4 day tour of the Highlands, visiting a variety on places inland and ending down in the southwest coast. Once there we will take a two hour speedboat ride over to the island of Phu Quoc where we will spent the next 14 days relaxing on the beach and diving offshore amoung some of the beautiful coral beds.

So let the adventure continue. I'm sure Rita will write several updates along the way.]]> Farewell to Thailand tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2007-12-29:56ed44b2-0898-46a0-add9-937349084323 Jon 2007-12-29T14:35:29Z 2007-12-29T10:38:00Z How time flies?
                       It has been ten months since our bold adventure began, even longer than that if you count all of the weeks, no months we spent talking and planning. Most of which by the way didn't amount to achieving very much. It all came down to booking a flight, jumping on a plane, arriving in Bangkok and taking it from there. Very brave you might think, that or very stupid. But isn't life for the living? Sometimes you have just got to stop wishing you could do something and go do it.

                      Were we afraid? Did we have some fears? Yes, sure we did. We also knew that if we failed we could get back on a plane. This was our time and our choice to go do something and see where the road would take us. Did we have a map? Yes and no, we had a general idea of what we wanted to do but were very fluid and open to change direction at the drop of a hat.

                      I think our biggest fear upon landing was to feel unsafe, which didn't happen. We were met at the airport and driven to our new accommodation. Feeling welcomed and accepted is a very important part of any relocation and we were certainly made to feel these things.

                     The next fear on our list invloved the food, or rather the hygiene standards. Which to save space and time spent typing, it is easier to say that in many places there were no hygiene standards practiced. It didn't help much that shortly before leaving the UK we had read a book about diseases that were contracted through eating and drinking, especially in developing countries.

                               What a dilemma that presented, having people actually handling your food, who looked as if they had never seen a bar of soap, or if they had, had no idea what it was used for. I have used many public restrooms where no soap was provided and most of the men who used the facilities did not even bother to rinse their hands or even come near the sink. Unfortunately I have witnessed those same habits in so called civilized countries and have been told that female habits are not much better. Even in the school that I have just left, I fought to have soap placed in the restrooms. The same restrooms used by the catering staff. What's wrong with a few germs anyway?

                     Overall I would have to admit that Rita has been far more adventurous than I when it came to trying unfamiliar food items and dishes, even so we have both paid the price on occasion. I found the taste or flavor of most Thai food dishes to be similar in that they used the same spices. Apparently Thai food of years gone by was only seasoned with black pepper and the introduction of other spices and flavors has taken place as foreigners have introduced them.

                     Clothing size became an apparent issue as most Thai's are of a much smaller frame than the average westerner, so it presented somewhat of an ordeal especially for Rita when shopping for new attire. But we have managed, and more and more we have noticed that in tourist areas clothing is available in larger sizes more suitable to the western frame.

                     Safety has been and still is a priority. We read the stories of mugging, rape and murder in our local newspaper, as is the same in most countries, and have stayed aware of our surroundings. But I would have to state that not once have we ever felt in fear of our lives. Our accommodation, belongings, including our vehicle have never been under any threat that we are aware of. I think that the use of good common sense in where we have chosen to live, secure our things and chosen to go, have all played a part.

                    Teaching as a choice was a new vocation for me, although we are all teachers and students throughout our lives. To actually stand in front of a classroom full of students and present a lesson which could affect their future either directly or indirectly bares a heavy weight of responsibility. I was amazed at the eagerness of my students to learn and the warmth with which I was accepted. Just a few days ago I received an e-mail from a former student of mine in Chiang Mai. In it she wrote that she and her classmates still talk about me and wish I would come back to teach them, and that I was their best teacher. I am humbled, what a compliment.

                    We have been susceptible to the usual monetary rip-offs as are the practice in most tourist places. When a sign at a National park states, foreigners 800 baht, Thai's 40 baht, to gain entry, you have to wonder what are they thinking. We as westerners are viewed as being wealthy and able to afford to pay more for the same things. Upon our second and subsequent visits to places we contested those high prices by stating that we live in Thailand and work as teachers, consequently we were admitted at the Thai price.

                    In the retail environment also when the westerner price for a shirt is 350 baht we have been able to purchase in for 150 baht, or a watch where they wanted 1800 baht from the westerner was offered to us for 200 baht. A few words with the retailer have made a big difference in the price.

                    Overall I would have to say that we have been treated with respect and graciousness by the people of Thailand in all areas. They have quietly forgiven us when we have not followed their customs and allowed our western ways to rule. We have sometimes complained and knit-picked, only to be met with a smiling face. This is Thailand and we have sometimes failed to understand why things happen the way they do, but as a people they want to learn and want to please.

                   Soon we will leave Thailand, as we have decided to continue our adventure in another part of Asia. possibly Vietnam. Although we will carry with us many memories of our time here. I feel sure that as time passes we will realize an even greater understanding of what this time has meant to both of us.

                   We have now finished work at Kajonkietsuksa School and are in preparation for our move. The one item which will determine our flight date to Vietnam will be the sale of our vehicle. Purchased in Bangkok, it has safely transported us throughout our travels through Thailand. We had contemplated driving it through Cambodia to Vietnam and using it while we're there. However, Cambodia has a law against driving vehicles with right handed steering in its country and we suspect Vietnam may have the same rule. So we have it advertized for sale, if by chance you are interested, it is in excellent condition and low mileage ( 48,000Km, 36,000 miles ).

                     ]]> Christmas in Thailand! tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2007-12-29:9d67b9b1-5ce2-48d3-880d-e068ad1d3c91 Rita 2007-12-31T11:03:52Z 2007-12-29T03:04:00Z

The school went into Christmas big time with most classrooms overloaded with decorations and tinsel. On the last morning of term there was a Christmas show. Jon did his rendering of "Goodbye Horse" with a little help from colleagues and schoolkids. It was much appreciated! Then it was back to the classrooms for Christmas parties. All of the classes took part in "Secret Santa" so everyone had a present to take home.

On Christmas Eve we went to Simon's cabaret in Patong, don't get too excited chaps, they're all guys! It was our first time in a theatre since we arrived in Thailand and it was a lot of fun.

On Christmas morning we went to our favourite spa. It was very hot so it was good to have a dip in the pool to cool down. They had erected a Christmas Tree to make us feel at home.

Then it was onto "Don's Mall" to meet up with a few people from work for Christmas Dinner. It was roast turkey with all the trimmings (except Don is American so there was no Christmas pudding) and you could eat as much as
you like. We were fairly modest with our platefuls as we remembered being stuffed after the Thanksgiving Dinner at the same place.

Hope you're all having a great time too!
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It seems that, even in Buddhist Thailand, ther is no escape from Christmas so we're sharing some of our activities over the festive season wih you!<br> ...

Visa run to Ranong tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2007-12-27:13785026-0cef-45bd-ac8d-9a8238796192 Rita 2007-12-29T14:12:11Z 2007-12-27T09:35:00Z

After you have parked your car in the very fishy fish market, you then have to walk about 150m to the first immigration office to get a stamp in your passport. Not far, you may think, but it was well into the 90's. Then you negotiate a price for the boat. That agreed, you ignore the crowd selling illegal substances and head off for the next stop. It's a sort of a floating pontoon with an office on in the middle of the river. The boatman takes your passport for another stamp. It's decided that I can't go any further into Burma as I need to go to immigration in Phuket for my stamp. However, they provide me with a chair and a bottle of water and say I can stay on the pontoon while Jon continues into Burma to get his stamp.

So, he continues on, I'm told it will be about an hour and I watch the comings and goings of the boats with amazement! Every few minutes, boats pull up with a thud, the boatman comes up the rickety steps, hands over bundles of Bahts then hurries backdown the rickety steps. It's never ending, boats coming from Burma to Thailand and boats going from Thailand to Burma! Meanwhile, Jon has reached Burma immigration and has to disembark to get another stamp.

It was exactly an hour when the boat picked me up and we returned to the fish dock in Ranong. Jon then had to go back to the first immigration office for a re-entry stamp (this time we took the car). Now, he's OK for 90 days, but I have to remember to visit Phuket immigration. Oh, on the way back I was complaining about the strong smell from the fish dock following us. It wasn't until we were nearly back when Jon realised it was the dead fish stuck to the bottom of the car!]]>

Thailand is very strict about farangues keeping up-to-date with stamps in their passports so, last weekend , it was necessary to do a "border run". There are several places this can be done, we chose Ranong which is on the Thai-Burma border. It was a fairly straight forward drive of about 300km north of Phuket. The only incident was when we realised we were driving over what looked like dead fish. Sure enough, on the side of the road was a truck which it had lost it's load as the tail gate had come undone! Considering it's a border run town, ...

Here fishy, fishy, fishy. tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2007-11-18:09db445d-aabe-4aba-9b27-ab946b3b8a43 Jon 2007-11-18T08:45:23Z 2007-11-18T06:21:00Z Since my return to Thailand in late September there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. I started teaching at Kajonkeitsuksa Bi-lingual School, first in there summer program where I taught a class of 10 and 11 year olds, English, Maths and Science. Then when the new term started I was assigned to teach English to a class of 10/11 year olds and Health to four grade levels. A full time job with long working days Monday through Friday, I find myself, quite frequently wondering why I am doing this? But then Rita shows up and smiles and I remember why.
After the school day is complete Rita and I will usually head off to our favorite spa for a nice relaxing swim, during which we decide where we want to eat that night. So our weekdays are pretty much sewn up, we get up early, get ready then its off to school. After dinner in the evening we return home tired, take a shower and its off to bed.

So that just leaves the weekends, Saturday and Sunday to relax. Relax? Not us, no, we decided to tackle a scuba diving course. We didn't have a clue as to what we were letting ourselves in for. It's easy, right? Put on some gear and go swim with the fishes.

Also most people start their training course in the safety of a swiming pool, not us. Straight to the open sea for lesson one. How do you put your fins on in chest high water, with three foot waves? We found out. It was very difficult. Then the instructor said go down under the water and kneel on the bottom. Kneel? It was hard to stay in place with the current trying to throw us about. After some basic safety checks the instructor bid us to follow him. This was it, we were heading deeper and away from the shoreline. Then suddenly you find that the currents have decreased and you are moving more easily through the water and you think to yourself 'I've done it'.

We continued on for about an hour, the instructor would give us tasks to complete every so often, then move on.
That evening both Rita and I were pleased with our accomplishment, although we felt very tired. Due to the roughness of the sea, our instructor had asked if we would prefer to go boat diving the next day out near one of the islands. Like lambs to the slaughter we had said yes, how were we to know what lay in store for us?

Still feeling tired the next morning we made our way to the pier to meet our instructor and board the boat. To cut a long story short we had a great time, did two dives and completed several more tasks. Saw lots of beautifully colored fish and coral. Three dives under our belts now and we are starting to get the hang of things, we think?

Two things to mention here, first our instructor was filming us in the water and taking pictures. We thought great, we can show the folks back home. When we got to see the film the following weekend and saw just how bad we were with our techniques, we thought there is no way we will be sending this footage to anyone. Later you realize that in filming us it gave us a chance to see for ourselves where we needed to improve and it was a good teaching tool. The second thing is, no one tells you just how tired you will be after diving or how much your muscles are going to hurt. Hence Monday was a real struggle to get through and Tuesday wasn't much better.

But guess what? Come the next weekend we were back there again doing dives number four and five, all the time feeling more comfortable and getting more acquanted with the requirements of this hobby. The first time we saw our instructor smile was on dive 5 when we surfaced and he called us together, shook our hands and told us we had past the Open Water Diving Course.

Rita is now happy with her accomplishment and will enjoy doing some recreational dives, exploring the coral beds and discovering different fish and turtles.

As for me, well, I think there is a lot more in need to know, not only to enjoy the hobby but also to be and feel safe when down there. So I have signed up to take the Advanced Open Water Diver Course which contains five modules.
Deep Diving, Wreck Diving, Underwater Navigation, Peak Performance Buoyancy and Underwater Photography.
The first two modules are required and the other three are electives. So next weekend will find me once again at the pier, boarding a boat and heading to yet another diving destination.

It is hard work both in the book study and in physically undertaking the challenge to do this. But the reward, seeing this whole new world, all the beauty that is just below the surface of the water, is worth it. So for the next few weeks there just isn't enough time in the day, time to relax and just lay on the beach, stay in bed in the morning, or enjoy that extra cup of java. No, its a seven day a week up and at um time, not what we came here for at all. Funny how life has a way of doing that too you.

It looks a long way down when you are standing on that dive platform and you are being told to just take a big step. But you do it and in doing it, you dicover a new world.
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<div>Since my return to Thailand in late September there just doesn't seem to be enough hours in the day. I started teaching at Kajonkeitsuksa Bi-lingual School, first in there summer program where I taught a class of 10 and 11 year olds, English, Maths and Science. Then when the new term started I was assigned to teach English to a class of 10/11 year olds and Health to four grade levels. A full time job with long working days Monday through Friday, I find myself, quite frequently wondering why I am doing this? But then Rita shows up and smiles and I remember ...</div>

Wat Chalong tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2007-10-30:abf1c46d-52e9-4699-bd97-d516f4f57d01 Rita 2007-11-01T14:17:57Z 2007-10-30T13:25:00Z I thought it was time to have a religious input on the blog site considering over 90% of Thais are Buddhist and celebrate their religion on a regular basis. A "Wat" means a collection of buildings in an enclosed area, usually religious buildings. Wat Chalong is the most important temple on the island of Phuket and is just "up road" from our school. The buildings are very ornate and colourful and are visited by many farangues as well as Thais.

The interior of the temple buildings are also very different from churches as we know them back home. Families visit the temples whenever they wish to and make their offerings. There are no set times for services or prayers. So, there is no need for numerous rows of pews for everyone to sit on! Much of the floor space is taken up with statues if Buddha in various traditional poses. (I'm not sure how many there are.) The interior walls are also colourful with murals of Buddha's life painted on them.

Sunday seems to be a popular day for families to visit the temples together.They buy flowers and candles outside and make their offerings as they walk inside (taking their shoes off as they enter). Inside, there's respect for the temple but also a friendliness. Everyone is welcome providing they are dressed in a suitable manner and remove footwear.
The most important building on the site is three stories high and is said to contain an actual relic of Buddha.

This may look like it, but it is not the relic! On the site there are numerous stalls selling religious items and souvenirs. There is also the usual assembly of Thai food stalls! ]]>

<div>     I thought it was time to have a religious input on the blog site considering over 90% of Thais are Buddhist and celebrate their religion on a regular basis. A "Wat" means a collection of buildings in an enclosed area, usually religious buildings. Wat Chalong is the most important temple on the island of Phuket and is just "up road" from our school. The buildings are very ornate and colourful and are visited by many farangues as well as Thais.<br> <br> <br>      The interior of the temple buildings are also very different from churches as we know them back home. Families ...</div>

Rainy Sunday Afternoon tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2007-09-16:aef69f9f-7c20-4781-886d-c268468b3ae1 Rita 2007-09-16T11:48:40Z 2007-09-16T11:14:00Z I don't want you folks back home to think it's always fun, sun tan lotion, bikinis and shades on the beach. Sometimes we have "red flag days" just like Scarborough! I had to wear my cardigan for the second time since I came here as the temperature dropped to the top 70's.

This is Kamala Beach, just north of the main tourist area of Patong. I'm told it's not so crowded on the beach here and it certainly wasn't today! The plastic mac came in really useful for my stroll along the prom, then I had to content myself with banana fritters and hot tea in a beach restaurant.

Since the tsunami, many warning signs have been posted around the beaches. It's always good to know which direction to run in should there be another natural disaster! Fortunately, there seems to be lots of high ground near the beaches we've visited so far.

Oh well, there's always next weekend to top up the tan!

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<div>     I don't want you folks back home to think it's always fun, sun tan lotion, bikinis and shades on the beach. Sometimes we have "red flag days" just like Scarborough! I had to wear my cardigan for the second time since I came here as the temperature dropped to the top 70's.<br> <br> <br> <br>      This is Kamala Beach, just north of the main tourist area of Patong. I'm told it's not so crowded on the beach here and it certainly wasn't today! The plastic mac came in really useful for my stroll along the prom, then  I had to content myself with ...</div>

Sport's Day Thai Style! tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2007-09-15:c8c87ec5-77b3-4c1b-939a-b5bc07549362 Rita 2007-09-15T19:03:14Z 2007-09-15T14:36:00Z Last week, my school combined with another school in Phuket for "Sports Day". Staff were instructed to be there by 7.15 a.m. to greet the children. However, many of them were already there by then with their parents putting final touches to their costumes. It is traditional to start the Sports off with a Thai style parade. This means lots of flashy outfits (including make-up, hair pieces, glitter, fish-nets tights and high-heeled boots) for the girls and whatever is left over for the boys as per.

It also means noise, bands, commotion and "nobody knowing what the heck is going on but it will all turn out right in the end".

By 8.00 a.m. the heat was already on and most of the farangue staff were searching for shade. It took a while for the Thais to organise the parade into the 4 colours (red, blue, yellow and pink) with each colour having the appropriate band to lead it into the stadium. By 9.00. everyone had paraded around the stadium, assembled into the middle of the arena. By 9.30 everyone had joined in with The King's Song, The Queen's Song, The National Anthem and the opening speeches (in Thai and English).

The opening ceremony was a red, white and blue umbrella dance and some Thai dancing by the seniors in my class. They had been practising all week and it looked very pretty. Everyone applauded and then....by 10.15, it was time for some sports!

The races began, the cheer leaders led the cheering and I went in search of some shade. Fortunately, I didn't have to go far. I was offered a seat in the official box with the owner and managers of the schools. By now, all the usual Thai food stalls were in full swing so there was no shortage of refreshments. Most of the farangue teachers had to escape for an hour or so at lunch time to get out of the heat.

After lunch, the races and cheering continued until around 3.30. The closing ceremony was performed by a group of seniors from the other school doing acrobatics, very good. Then there was? You've guessed it...The King's Song etc etc etc.

By 5.00 p.m. pupils and parents began leaving the stadium and by 5.30, the staff were free to go.

Don't let me EVER hear any complaints about English school sports days again!!!!!

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<div>     Last week, my school combined with another school in Phuket for "Sport's Day". Staff were instructed to be there by 7.15 a.m. to greet the children. However, many of them were already there by then with their parents putting final touches to their costumes. It is traditional to start the Sports off with a Thai style parade. This means lots of flashy outfits (including make-up, hair pieces, glitter, fish-nets tights and high-heeled boots) for the girls and whatever is left over for the boys as per.<br> <br>      It also means noise, bands, commotion and "nobody knowing what the heck is ...</div>

Weekend in Krabi tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2007-09-03:4a233f94-ba41-471d-9e76-e8519c423f6f Rita 2007-09-04T14:11:52Z 2007-09-03T13:05:00Z After a busy week at my new school, we decided to explore a new part of the Thailand coast line. We chose Krabi as we'd heard good reports about it. It entailed driving off the island of Phuket and going further south down the coast - about 200 km altogether.

On the way, we stopped to admire a beautiful beach at the top of Phuket, it seemed to stretch for a mile or more, and was deserted. All the tourists seem to flock to the south of the island, safety in numbers I suppose!

The drive to Krabi took us through fascinating scenery, huge big hills of limestone, mostly covered in shrubbery and trees. Not the sort to climb on as they looked rather crumbly. As we got nearer the coast, we could see numerous islands of the same type of construction.

At first, we were disappointed with the beaches. The sand was gritty, not like the soft sand on our favourite beach in Phuket. However, the views out to sea were amazing with such a variety of islands and boats zig-zagging between them.

We found a really nice hotel to stay for the night with a sea view, beautiful gardens and 2 pools. After cooling down in one of the pools, we thought it would be more fun in the sea. Unfortunately, so did the jelly fish and I suddenly realised I was being stung! Jon managed to make the kitchen staff understand that we needed some vinegar and it certainly helped to stop the stinging.

On Sunday morning, we were picked up at the hotel for another speed boat trip to the islands. This time we knew what to expect and headed straight for the front of the boat! The first stop was Tup Island, with amazing sandbanks. You could walk across to the next island but the current was quite strong.

Chicken Island was the next stop, so called because of it's shape. Then, finally, Poda Island where we could snorkel. We returned to the mainland exhausted and vowed that next time we'll choose a trip to just one island.

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<div>     After a busy week at my new school, we decided to explore a new part of the Thailand coast line. We chose Krabi as we'd heard good reports about it. It  entailed driving off the island of Phuket and going further south down the coast - about 200 km altogether.<br> <br>      On the way, we stopped to admire a beautiful beach at the top of Phuket, it seemed to stretch for a mile or more, and was deserted. All the tourists seem to flock to the south of the island, safety in numbers I suppose!<br> <br>      The drive to Krabi took ...</div>

Bit's and Bob's tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2007-08-28:9f05ce88-f92f-4f26-8949-bb18605ce353 Jon 2007-08-29T15:23:10Z 2007-08-28T04:43:00Z Thailand continue's to be a learning experience for both Rita and I, the Thai driving habit's never cease to amaze us. They appear to be very careless, not looking before turning onto the main road. Moving out into traffic as if there were no other vehicles on the road, changing lanes on a whim, or no staying between the lines painted on the road. It all makes for some very harrowing moments. Then there is the overloading of trucks, motorbikes, puchcarts, or whatever they can use to move people and things around in. They tend to ignore stops lights and signs as if they were not even in existence. Even a policeman on traffic duty runs the risk of being ignored or run down. There was a picture in the newspaper a few weeks ago which gave a light hearted view and we found quite humorous. Although not the best in quality reproduction I thought it was worth putting on our blog.

Someone had obviously overlaid this scene. The three girl's on their motorbike is a very common site here, what brought it to mind today was while out and about with Rita this morning she saw a mother and four boy's on a motorbike. Yes that is five people all together on one bike, I guess they left the pet dog at home today.
Which reminds me of another occasion, while driving to Phuket from Chiang Mai I came across a motorcyclist driving along the road who had his pet monkey siting behind him on the seat. A big monkey, just sitting there as natural as can be, enjoying the ride. Some of the things we have seen are beyond belief, you just have to see them for yourself to believe them.

We had also come to realize that even though Thai driver's think they can do whatever they feel like doing on the road, they get quite upset if a 'forang' (Westerner) starts to play them at there own game. That's when they start sounding there horn. But I believe that when in Rome do as the Roman's do, which ends up being quite funny.

From all that we have seen around Thailand, a lot of which we have found not to be that impressive. We have come to the conclusion that we much prefer the coastal area. Rita for sure is a beach baby, I'm not sure if I've ever seen her has happy as when she is on a beach or playing in the ocean. I think that we have decided that wherever we eventually end up it has to have a beach and sea. Add to that a warm climate and we will be in our element. Going back to last year, we loved Sri Lanka and both could see us living there. But we do realize that when there we saw it as tourist's and would need to return and view it from a different prospective.

There are several other places in Asia that we have yet to explore, also the Southeastern and Southwestern US and possibly parts of Central and South America all have the potential of providing us with a desirable place to live. The fun part is the journey and the freedom of mind to choose.

Closely watching the declining real estate market in the US and reading the reports of an expected 10% drop in property values over the next 18 month's I see a tremendous opportunity for investor's like myself to help people who have overextended themselves on their mortgages, so a trip to the US is not out of the question in the forseeable future. Which in turn would give me the opportunity to show Rita my old stomping grounds and a chance to look at some of the wonderful locations over there.

But for now the Island of Phuket, the beaches Kata, Karon, and Patong. The surounding Islands and the Andaman Sea are where we choose to hang our hats and call home.

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<div>Thailand continue's to be a learning experience for both Rita and I, the Thai driving habit's never cease to amaze us. They appear to be very careless, not looking before turning onto the main road. Moving out into traffic as if there were no other vehicles on the road, changing lanes on a whim, or no staying between the lines painted on the road. It all makes for some very harrowing moments. Then there is the overloading of trucks, motorbikes, puchcarts, or whatever they can use to move people and things around in. They tend to ignore stops lights and signs ...</div>

Snorkelling adventure tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2007-08-25:e30e1913-2edd-4449-8d09-2f346403680d Rita 2007-08-28T04:29:33Z 2007-08-25T10:05:00Z      We decided it was time to become proper tourists and enquired about a "full day snorkelling by speed boat" trip. The Thai lady selling the tickets tried to divert our attention towards a more sedate passenger boat but we stuck with our first choice and booked 2 places on the speed boat.

     A mini-bus picked us up at 8.00 a.m. from the apartment and drove us away to a hidden harbour. Now we realised the Thai lady's concern, the average age of our fellow snorkellers was around 25 years! After a short description of the day's highlights, about 30 of us boarded the speed boat. The Thai man in charge of the trip (Hathi) had a good sense of humour as he handed out sea-sickness tablets and we sped away for our first leg of the journey which was to be about 45 minutes.

     It was a very EXCITING feeling to be moving so fast through the water and the views of the islands around us were stunning. Very soon, we could see the Phi Phi Islands, our first destination. We landed at Maya Bay which apparantly has been made famous by the film "The Beach". It was absolutely gorgeous, turqoise clear sea, white sand, tropical plants, amazing scenery. However, about 50 million other tourists were also there and we spent most of the 30 minutes stay queuing for the loos in the jungle!

Back onto the boat for fresh fruits and cold drinks. Then we sped onto a quiet lagoon and a cave for photo opportunities. We had a short stop for snorkelling but it was very crowded and there were more views of people's fins than tropical fish!

Our next stop was Monkey Beach, Hathi handed out pieces of melon and bananas for feeding time. The cute little monkeys grabbed the fruit out of our hands and then posed on rocks while they stuffed themselves. Memories of school Christmas parties came to mind! Now it was time for our lunch and we sped away again to Runtee Bay on Phi Phi Don.

After an excellent Thai and European buffet lunch, Hathi rounded us up for our main destination of the day, Khai Nok Island. Feeling a little braver by now, we found seats at the front of the boat. What an experience! The boat bounced madly over the waves and everyone squealed! A couple of people started to look a bit green but everyone managed to hold onto their lunch.

Khai Nok Island was another idyllic setting and not so crowded. We had a 2 hour stay here so we could take our time getting ready for snorkelling. The sea was warm and clear, perfect conditions for exploring! It was amazing how many different fish were in one bay. All the colours of the rainbow were present in some shape or form. Some of our group went out a little further with Hathi to swim with sharks but we decided to leave that for the next trip.

     Around 4.00 p.m. it was time to board the speed boat for the 15 minute return trip to Phuket. It started to rain just a few minutes from the shore - perfect timing. The trip had been a truly exciting adventure.



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<div>     We decided it was time to become proper tourists and enquired about  a "full day snorkelling by speed boat" trip. The Thai lady selling the tickets tried to divert our attention towards a more sedate passenger boat but we stuck with our first choice and booked 2 places on the speed boat.<br> <br>      A mini-bus picked us up at 8.00 a.m. from the apartment and drove us away to a hidden harbour. Now we realised the Thai lady's concern, the average age of our fellow snorkellers was around 25 years! After a short description of the day's highlights, about 30 of us boarded ...</div>

My return to Thailand tag:jtbaxter.co.uk,2007-08-22:d7b12301-e02e-4826-95e9-c349a532e680 Rita 2007-08-23T00:58:31Z 2007-08-22T13:37:00Z      I left London on 15th August from Heath Row. Why is it always so chaotic and in a state of refurbishment there? I was so thankful my son, Kevin, was there to guide me through it otherwise I might still be there going round in circles!

     On my arrival in Phuket, it was raining, but warm rain. It rains most days as it's the monsoon season and the umbrellas quickly go up on the motor bikes (well something has to keep the babies, the shopping, the dogs and the rest of the family dry).

     We are staying in a hotel apartment in the town of Phuket. The apartment is fairly new and has all mod-cons, which these days means wireless-connection. Jon took me for a walk into Phuket town but warned me not to be too excited about the place. He was right, it is rather run down and lacking in character. We're not sure how much it suffered after the tsumani but it does require a face-lift.

     It's about 15km to Patong Beach from here which is the main tourist area. You have to drive over a series of hills to get there, on an uneven road. It resembles a ride at the fun-fair with it's many twists and turns. Add to that the reckless Thai driving and it all adds to the fun! Patong has all the usual tourist attractions by day and non-stop entertainment at night. The beach is very crowded and I'm sure will get more so as the main tourist season hasn't really started yet.

     Further down the coast are 2 gorgeous beaches, Karon and Kata. The sea is a beautiful turquoise colour and the sand is clean and white. They are both much quieter than Padong and more relaxing. We've had a few dips already! The sea is quite rough with foamy waves to jump over which is how I like it.

There are numerous islands within easy reach of Phuket so we're planning to do a speed-boat ride to visit 4 of them at the week end. Will report back soon!
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<div>     I left London on 15th August from Heath Row. Why is it always so chaotic and in a state of refurbishment there? I was so thankful my son, Kevin, was there to guide me through it otherwise I might still be there going round in circles!<br> <br>      On my arrival in Phuket, it was raining, but warm rain. It rains most days as it's the monsoon season and the umbrellas quickly go up on the motor bikes (well something has to keep the babies, the shopping, the dogs and the rest of the family dry).<br> <br>      We are staying in a hotel apartment in ...</div>