Shut down Bangkok Restart Thailand

We arrive in Khao San Road exactly at 5.30am as advertised. There are the usual tuk tuk drivers jostling for position. It's only a mile or so walk and we've been on a bus for 10 hours so an early morning walk suits.

We are once again at the Tavee Guest House, known and loved, it has been a parenthesis around our holiday and feels good. As we're early we do have to wait for a room to become available and be cleaned but we're in one of the nicest rooms and it's great. Even the little dog is pleased to see us and sits quite happily on my knee for half an hour. I miss my Lexie dog.

Shopping calls today so we head off to the MBK Shopping Centre, it's Meadow Hell on speed. Several roads are closed with sandbags, the army are camped out in little camouflaged bivouacs on street corners and there's a sense of the trouble in the city we didn't experience 7 weeks ago. After a 5 km walk, avoiding the protest areas as best we can we head straight to McDonalds for a McFlurry. Seven floors of retail nightmare and we're done, as we head out we see the clean up process starting at the end of the protest that happened right outside the shopping centre. The elections have ended today in the provinces that were disrupted at the beginning of February and we missed it.

At the airport we spend our last baht on a bag of crisps and two sweets. We leave with nothing... Nothing that is except lots of lovely memories and very special experiences. Now where next.......

Koh Samui

The boat journey from Don Sak to Koh Samui is simply beautiful, the sun is shining, the sea is blue, little silver fishes are jumping in the boat's wake, you couldn't ask for more. The reliable song thaew gets us from the dock to our 'resort'.

Our bungalow is not quite as pictured on the internet, which I was sort of ready for, you know a little bit of wear and tear, but in fact it looked nothing like it. On a positive note there are actually two nice pools and beach for us to use. We even get taken to our bungalow in a little golf cart. Then the cake is iced as a Bowing 737 comes over so low you can wave to the pilot. Thirty minutes later another one, thirty minutes later etc. etc. I'm a little despondent and Adrian tries to rally me with beer, crisps and backgammon. At the reception I ask if there's an alternative bungalow a bit further away from the runway. Apparently not. She asks how long we plan to stay and I respond it depends on how many planes a day there are. An hour later she turns up in the golf cart to move us. We're now bang next to the pool and life looks a little better, we're not immediately under the flight path so possibly out of danger. Thankfully we are able to laugh about it, even more thankfully the flights stop at 10pm.

We are staying in Bo phut, home of the original fishermans village. The town is stretched out along the coast and the fishermans village is some 3.5 Kim's from where we are. It's a nice walk and we go in search of a Thai breakfast, which proves elusive as everywhere serves western breakfast, we do finally find somewhere before setting off to find Villa Mango, the home of the people we met in Cambodia a few years ago. We're somewhat unsure if it's a good idea but are saved any embarrassment when they are out when we get there. So it's a long walk back but a welcome dip in the pool awaits.

We manage two days of the proposed three doing 'resort', decide we've had enough and then head off on the boat and an overnight bus back to Bangkok. How rubbish are we?

Krabi

Virtually everyone we've spoken to about Southern Thailand has said go to Krabi, so go to Krabi we have. It's a good kicking off point for the islands. Off Krabi is an archipelago of some 130 Islands in crystal clear blue water with white sand beaches, it could be paradise. Krabi is a plain in amongst some very weird limestone crags, almost mountain-like and is one of 'the' premier climbing destinations of the world.

That aside, or probably because of that, Krabi is on the verge of losing its Thai soul. It's main purpose now seems to be tourism. Every other building is a bar and/or hotel and the ones in between are gift shops. We do manage to find local eats in the market at lunch time and on the night market in an evening. It must be coming close to going home as we are now talking about food, "what shall our first meal at home be....?" That kind of thing.

Our island plans change here and we book to go to Koh Samui. We met some people in Cambodia a few years ago who lived in Samui and Adrian has been keen to go ever since as they described a quiet, idyllic, tropical island. I'm straight on the internet and book us into a resort - cheap one of course but it does at least have two pools. Island life, here I come.

Birthday Celebrations by the sea

We've got friends from home staying in Phuket so plan to spend a few days with them which happily coincides with my birthday and, they've booked the accommodation for us which means..... Luxury. It's a 6 hour bus journey from Ranong to the bus station located about 12 km from Phuket Town, the usual song thaew gets us there with another taking us to Cape Panwa. Cape Panwa is a very small village dominated by a huge Radisson Hotel and a handful of other upmarket hotels.

Our room is total luxury compared to what we've had, even the best of what we've had, fluffy towels and everything. First night it's a couple of beers overlooking the bay, then on for an Indian. I'm a little nervous as our last foray into Indian in Inle Lake was an unmitigated disaster however, it is delicious and we eat all ours and finish Kate and Steve's too! We finish off in the Small Place bar run by a local lady who is just lovely, all smiles and as the evening turns to morning she dozes in a chair between rounds.

Cape Panwa is home to Phukets aquarium a great facility with several rare species and a separate department where eggs are hatched and babies are nursed before being released into the sea. There is a short tunnel through the largest tank which houses amongst other things two beautiful manta rays with big smiley faces. A little walk along a trail showing beach vegetation is a home/hospital for injured turtles. This is quite sad, there are many turtles with lost limbs and one with a huge split in its shell. A lot of the injuries are believed to be caused by the long tailed boats. There is a research vessel moored at the end of the jetty which visitors are welcome to visit, Kate and I venture aboard but can glean no more about what they are doing than we had already surmised due to the language barrier. As we walk along the jetty the Andaman Sea, beautifully turquoise, is teeming with brightly coloured fish.

Celebration night arrives and we are kindly chauffeured by Roy, a friend of Steve and Kate's, who lives part of the year here. We go across the cape to a little cove and the Ship Inn, a great place to watch the boats bob and the local children play in the sea. There is a lovely old lady here who everyone calls  mama, she is 79 and lost her home In the tsunami but survived. There is nothing to her and you wonder how she did it, Roy tells us the tsunami is not really talked about here, it is in the past and people have moved on, all with the usual Thai cheeriness but private sadness.

A local restaurant serves me sweet and sour fish. It is a whole, huge, meaty fish, with lots of vegetables and fresh pineapple in a lovely sauce. Adrian has squid with noodles and a reliably delicious papaya salad. We return to last nights bar starting on vodka lemons and moving on to vodka passions. Not sure what's in them, other than vodka obviously, but I could get a taste for them. Lovely Gay, bar owner, gives me a beautiful scarf for my birthday. 

I try to persuade Adrian for one more night here but he's not having it. Normal service will resume tomorrow. Well, you can have too much of a good thing - apparently!

Left bank, right bank

Our crossing from Burma to Thailand couldn't have been smoother. A simple walk to the immigration office, follow a boat driver to a boat and cross the river. Stamp in at immigration and we're there. Job done. In complete contrast to last year in Central America not one border official has demanded money from us.

The difference between the two countries is immediately visible. Thailand is notably cleaner, vehicles are driven less aggressively and it's quieter. Calm is restored. A our chosen accommodation is Dahla House, a group of little bungalows around a lush green garden. Clean and well maintained. We even have two geese and one day a visiting snake in the garden, which after describing it to the owner I am assured wasn't venomous.

Food is top of our requirements and within 24 hours of our arrival we've had 4 meals and are already discussing the next. The food market here is so clean compared to the markets of Burma, in fact I wouldn't eat in them. Delicious rice river noodles with chicken and basil, crispy pork and rice with sweet and sour sauce even noodle soup with chicken. One stall I want to try but don't have time serves yellow curry sauce with noodles and then you put in the rest of the ingredients to suit yourself... next time.

Two days of just chilling allows us to get the washing done and plan our last few days. From here we'll join some friends in Phuket for two days before then sampling a couple of Islands. 

The road that's closed to foreigners

All the reading we've done in preparation for, and during, our trip as well as the advice given by the MTT (Ministry for tourism) has told us we cannot go south from Dawei. The advice is sometimes "not at all", occasionally "special permission" is mentioned. We have heard though that travellers can get there. We decide we've got to try.

The bus journey from Mawlamyine to Dawei must be undertaken at night by foreigners, the day bus is only available to locals. The road is 90% unpaved and unless you've drunk a half bottle of whiskey like my travelling companion you are unlikely to get any sleep. My inner rebel keeps me awake and I peer through the dust until it becomes unbearable and I have to close the window. It's heavily tinted but I can still just about see. We pass through numerous villages and towns with no one in sight from 8.30pm. They're either all at a party somewhere or there must be a curfew. A second carriageway to the road is under construction, possibly that's why we must travel by night. We've read that roads are constructed by forced labour including women and children, which we have in actual fact seen, although we'd no idea at the time it could possibly be forced labour.

A switchback road climbs us up and over the mountain, accelerating wildly between bends and breaking heavily for them. I wish I'd bought my rosary, Adrian snores on beside me. Several times the driver's mate hops off the bus and slowly guides the driver onto a bridge, just two tracks for the wheels to go on. My view of these proceedings is a reflection in a trim on the underside of the luggage rack, I can see the bridge in all it's glory and the dark gorges below. Hail Mary full of grace.....

We reach our destination of Dawei exactly on time, 5.30am, to be met by the usual mob of taxi drivers pushing and shoving. Our packs are so dirty from the dust on the road I'm not sure they'll ever be clean again. My nerves are rattled and I need coffee so the taxi drivers have to wait. We finally arrive at the Dream Emperor Hotel, seemingly the cheapest place in town with hot water and immediately avail ourselves of the facilities.

Dawei was the first place in Burma to be taken by the British during the first Anglo Burmese war in the 1820s, it has only recently been connected by road to the rest of the country. It is very reminiscent of Kentung, a hark back to the old days. The people of the town do not see that many Westerners and everyone wants to wave and say Hello, we raise many a giggle when we respond "Hello, Mingala ba". 

Boat tickets are purchased with relative ease, the only problem being the language barrier, Mingala ba can only get you so far! Another early start beckons and at 1am we're sat outside the ticket office awaiting the truck to transport us, our fellow passengers and what feels like a full seasons supply of tomatoes. The boat departs at 4am and we have the upper deck pretty much to ourselves, a video of Buddhist monuments with a Buddhist chant soundtrack plays loudly but we manage to sleep. The boat motion stops waking us up and we're just drifting. After about 20 minutes it starts again and we head off to the first stop of Myeik.

The archipelago consists of 4000 Islands and atolls according to the Burmese government although apparently British Surveyors state less than 900. Many are uninhabited with only the sea gypsies occasionally visiting them. It feels like we are sailing past paradise, tantalising glimpses of white sand beaches and atop the tallest mountains, the glistening of golden pagodas.

After 11 hours at sea we reach Kawthaung the southernmost point of Burma. A town that is completely bilingual, and trades in 3 currencies, Kyat, Baht and Dollar. Our hotel is the Penguin, immaculately clean and reasonably priced. Dinner tonight is a tasty red chicken curry, my first good meal in 3 weeks. It's devilishly spicy but I can't leave it, all washed down with lovely Chang beer. 

Reclining in Mawlamyine

Our journey towards Thailand takes us to Mawlamyine sited on the Thanlwin River, the longest in Myanmar. It is the third largest city but feels nothing like Yangon or Mandalay, it has a much more laid back feeling (relatively speaking). We're in the Breeze Rest Guest House which has a river view, but our room is a windowless box. Each evening on a terrace overlooking the river, several restaurants set up and you can while away the hours whilst watching the sun set.

An hours bus ride away is the worlds largest reclining Buddha, some 170m long. It is the dream child of the head monk here and has been reputedly built without the aid of an architect. It is surreal, a little religious, a lot Disney. Inside the Buddha are scenes from the Lives of the Buddha and heaven and hell. The head monk is sat at the bottom of the steps personally asking for donations.

Some research here alters the course of our trip and Thailand now seems a few days further off, we are informed we can travel south to an area previously closed to foreigners, more latterly only available with special permission. Now we can go but we have to travel at night. What exactly do the government not want us to see?