ladi's brilliant adventures
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Singapore
This is a truly cosmopolitan super modern and ultra clean city, full with culture and amazing modern designes that leave you gasping. It might have a feel somewhat similar to Hong Kong but with much lower population and less in-your-eyes wealth is much easier to digest. Out of the three planned days I stayed here a week and still didn't see it all!
All photos slideshow.
Melaka
One of the oldest Malay kingdoms, a former Portuguese, Dutch and British colony and now one of the thirteen sultanates of Malaysia.
All photos slideshow.
Kuala Lumpur
The modern Malay capital. Well, with a fair bit of original architecture. And a rather small city-ish feel to it.
All photos slideshow.
Pulau Pinang
An overnight trip through the Pinang island visiting the pretty colonial Georgetown and camping on the beach.
All photos slideshow.
Kachanburi
The famous bridge over the river Kwai that claimed thousands of lives of the allied and Thai forces during the Japanese invasion is situated here.
All photos slideshow.
Sunday, 2 May 2010
Thai New Year
This is the way to celebrate the New Year! Well, I guess you need the temperature to be at least well in the twenties to be able to enjoy it because enjoying it the Thais seem to be a lot!
The original plan was to be in Bangkok for the Thai New Year but due to the riots and the general political unrest I have decided to skip BK for now after an advice from a local lady that Songkran (that is how the Buddhist New Year is called) celebrations will most likely be cancelled. So I stayed in Ayutthaya for the night instead and got up at five in the morning to witness the Songkran Buddhist ceremony of alms giving and water spraying by high monks. I participated so I should be healthy and merry for the rest of the year! Before the morning ceremony was over the 'real' Thai week-long celebration began - water fights on the streets all day long.. spraying or throwing buckets of water on innocent passer-bys on foot, motorcycle, cars, trucks, anything really. From the morning till the late evening. And the next day. And the next. And...
It is quite refreshing to be soaked by a bucket of ice cold water (they actually use large ice blocks to get the water temperature well down) in the midday heat. When you're riding a motorbike it is less fun and I witnessed a couple hitting the asphalt pretty hard. (Every year Songkran claims a few lives this way!) I however did not ride my bike until early next morning when most of the people were just getting ready for another day.
I have left Ayutthaya for Kachanburi on the famous River Kwai where I spent another two nights in a similar way. On the fourth morning however the 'fun' ceased to be fun and I got quite pissed off with some of the people when being hit full in the face after kindly requesting a little indifference. I might have shown someone a middle finger too (a westerner, so it's ok) which was due to the troubles with my bike that did not resolve themselves after two long days of motorcycle maintenance. Oh well..
The original plan was to be in Bangkok for the Thai New Year but due to the riots and the general political unrest I have decided to skip BK for now after an advice from a local lady that Songkran (that is how the Buddhist New Year is called) celebrations will most likely be cancelled. So I stayed in Ayutthaya for the night instead and got up at five in the morning to witness the Songkran Buddhist ceremony of alms giving and water spraying by high monks. I participated so I should be healthy and merry for the rest of the year! Before the morning ceremony was over the 'real' Thai week-long celebration began - water fights on the streets all day long.. spraying or throwing buckets of water on innocent passer-bys on foot, motorcycle, cars, trucks, anything really. From the morning till the late evening. And the next day. And the next. And...
It is quite refreshing to be soaked by a bucket of ice cold water (they actually use large ice blocks to get the water temperature well down) in the midday heat. When you're riding a motorbike it is less fun and I witnessed a couple hitting the asphalt pretty hard. (Every year Songkran claims a few lives this way!) I however did not ride my bike until early next morning when most of the people were just getting ready for another day.
I have left Ayutthaya for Kachanburi on the famous River Kwai where I spent another two nights in a similar way. On the fourth morning however the 'fun' ceased to be fun and I got quite pissed off with some of the people when being hit full in the face after kindly requesting a little indifference. I might have shown someone a middle finger too (a westerner, so it's ok) which was due to the troubles with my bike that did not resolve themselves after two long days of motorcycle maintenance. Oh well..
The ruins of Ayutthaya
In pictures
The magnificent ruins of the royal capital of the ancient Ayutthaya kingdom, now a part of Thailand. I have spent two nights here due to another problem with my bike and the riots in Bangkok.
All photos slideshow.
The magnificent ruins of the royal capital of the ancient Ayutthaya kingdom, now a part of Thailand. I have spent two nights here due to another problem with my bike and the riots in Bangkok.
Northeast of Thailand
In pictures
My first week in Thailand... I really couldn't believe how easy it was to get the bike over the border in the end. I only have to make sure to get it out within a month not to be fined a thousand pounds. That is the deal!
All photos slideshow.
My first week in Thailand... I really couldn't believe how easy it was to get the bike over the border in the end. I only have to make sure to get it out within a month not to be fined a thousand pounds. That is the deal!
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