Koh Tao 24th - 30th July

Having looked at various scuba diving options, I decided to try out an introductory day-class provided by a relatively small diving school, which limited the number of diving students. In the end, the class turned out to be a one-to-one session with a Norwegian instructor called Roar. The whole of the day-class took place in a swimming pool, and although enjoyable it was also very challenging. The weight of the oxygen cylinder and the tightness of the jacket/harness that holds it in place makes it difficult to walk and carry the load, something made worse by the awkwardness of walking wearing fins, but once immersed in the water, it is as if you become weightless. It's a very strange experience to breathe under water for the first time, but quite exhilirating all the same. There were quite a few technical exercises, like learning how to clear a flooded mask underwater, and how to raise and lower yourself in the water while remaining relatively streamlined through breathing control and subtle physical movements. All in all it had been a steep learning experience, and a good way to gain a sense of what it might be like to take the open water certificate in diving.

Part of the introductory course involved doing a couple of open water dives with another instructor, a very likeable fellow called Craig who stayed close by the whole time. We carried out two separate dives in different locations; a place called Japanese Gardens, and another called Twins. Its hard to explain the excitement of going underwater properly in open water, and that sense of sucking in air from a tank on your back, and going deeper and deeper towards the most stunning, multicoloured coral while around you there are fish of all shapes and sizes. It's a magical experience, particularly the area we covered in Japanese Gardens.

Preparing to dive

With Craig on the boat

I hadn't imagined that the coral itself, such as the Christmas worms that glow in the dark on the surface, would be more eye-catching than the fish. So after getting back on the boat, and weighing up the cost and length of time it would take to complete (four days in total), I decided that I would attempt the open water course after all. Ultimately it seemed too good an opportunity to ignore.

So at the end of the week, together with a couple from Denmark, the course started and ended the following week. Most of the day was spent in a classroom watching videos produced by PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors). These were mainly focused on safety issues, like what to do when things go wrong underwater, as well as technical stuff to do with density, pressure and how to make slow gradual ascents, and the importance of equalisation so you can avoid a build up of pressure in your ears.

   

Bangkok and Koh Tao: July 17th to July 23rd

This week I decided to take a trip to southern Thailand, and visit some of the islands. I'd been advised that the eastern seaboard, looking out to the Gulf of Thailand, would perhaps be less affected by seasonal rains at this time of year in comparison with the western seaboard. So I caught an overnight train from the main Hua Lamphong railway station in Bangkok, which left at about 7.30pm. Luckily i'd managed to secure the very last ticket the day before travelling! The train was comfortable and relatively spacious, although I didn't sleep too well, mainly due to staying up too late in conversation with a Leeds engineer travelling with his family. Unfortunately making up the upper bunk bed meant waking a fast-asleep railway attendant, who was not entirely delighted with the situation.

The train arrived at Chumphon station at around 5am, at which time a number of us alighted and made our way in the darkness to the little cafe over the road from the station. Perhaps an hour or so later, the coach arrived to take us to the pier, and shortly after we boarded a boat. I'd decided to spend some time on Koh Tao, a small island made famous by the sheer number of diving schools. Despite tiredness, there was a real sense of anticipation as the early morning breeze and bluish-green waters all around were invigorating.

I spent a few days resting up in a small beach hut a short walk from the pier head, exploring the island and looking at different diving schools. I also spent a bit of time with a fellow backpacker from Kent who had been living in Australia for the past few years. It was an idyllic place with an abundance of coral just a short stretch from the beach, so there were wonderful opportunities for snorkelling.

Bangkok 10th to 16th July

There is quite a lot to see and do in Bangkok, and I really enjoyed visiting one of the main flower markets quite adjacent to the sprawling Chinatown district. Its a huge enclosed market with so many flower vendors, as well as others selling a huge variety of vegetables, some of which i'd never seen before. There were times I wished to have had a guide to explain what various items were! Marigolds seemed to feature quite heavily in Buddhist offerings at temples.

Marigolds

Roses

Transporting roses

Flower vendors

Conveying roses

I spent quite a bit of time wandering around the Chinatown district, where one market drifts fairly seamlessly into another. There's such an energy to these markets with all kinds of produce being sold, a series of small vendors crammed into the narrowest of places.

Textiles

Passing from one market to another

Durian fruit

I also took a day trip to the amazing ruins of Ayuthaya, the capital of Thailand for over 400 years, until it was overrun by Burmese invaders in 1767. It has a fantastic collection of temples that has been acknowledged by UNESCO, which declared it a World Heritage Site in 1991. It's located around 80 kilometres from Bangkok, and I went there for the day by a slow train that was outrageously cheap (about 15 pence each way). Arriving in Ayuthaya, I decided to hire a tuk tuk for the afternoon through a recommended travel agent, which meant that I was able to get around the main temples. On reflection it might have made better sense to have spent a day or so there, as there are other archaelogical sites quite nearby. Ayuthaya is quite a haunting place with these magnificent structure evoking a glorious past long since gone. The stone carvings on the temples were really impressive.

Wat Phanoenchung

Wat Chaiya Mongkol

Reclining Buddha

I also took a day trip to Kanchanaburi, home to the famous bridge over the river Kwai that was constructed by Allied prisoners of war in 1942. There's a war memorial there and Commonwealth War Graves cemetary, and it bears witness to the awful suffering that took place during the building of the so-called Death Railway. A very moving experience. The museum was also very well put together and provided quite a lot of historical detail explaining how the use of prisoners-of-war for construction purposes took hold, and the terrible consequences for those forced into slave labour.

Bridge over the river Kwai

War cemetary

I also visited Chatuchak Market over the weekend, a sprawling collection of stalls selling all kinds of things. It is the country's largest market, and yet I preferred the Chinese markets which seemed more atmospheric and less mundane.

Chatuchak Market

During the week I spent more time looking at different transport options for getting around the place, whereas earlier I'd largely relied on using the super-efficient Skytrain. However, I felt that using the buses - not as easy as might be imagined given the large number of routes - meant that it was possible to see more of regular life at street level.

I also started to use the boats that traversed the waterways of the Chaophraya river, which bisects the city. It was a comfortable and convenient way to get around once you'd gained a grasp of where the piers were located. In the evenings when lit up, it looked very picturesque, especially given the different kinds of vessels on the river.

Bangkok 3rd July to 9th July

It had been quite frustrating that I hadn't done very much the previous week, so I set about seeing as much of the city as I could over the next few days. I started off with visiting Wat Pho, a very large Buddhist temple complex situated on Rattanakosin Island. Its a hugely impressive place, and occupies very high status as regards royal temples. As a whole, it has the highest numbers of Buddha images in the whole country, and it houses a huge 46 metre long and 15 metres high reclining Buddha in one of the temples. The name 'Wat Pho' derives from Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya in India, where the Buddha is said to have achieved enlightenment. The entire site dates from the 1700s, and it covers an area of about 80,000 square metres. The architecture of the whole place is so intricate, its one of those places that is quite overwhelming in its grandeur, and I intended to make a return visit, but ran out of time.

Wat Pho (the temple of the reclining Buddha) is an incredible place to visit, with the Buddha image being totally serene, quite a captivating and immersive experience. Built in 1832, it depicts the passing of the Buddha into final Nirvana after death. The soles of the feet illustrate, in mother-of-pearl, the 108 auspicious characteristics of the Buddha.

Reclining Buddha

The soles of the Buddha's feet

The Phra Maha Chedi Si Rajakarn are an amazing set of four ornately styled pagodas, each of which represents a Thai monarch, from Rama I to Rama IV.

Phra Maha Chedi Si Rajakarn

The Phra Asada Maha Chedi (there are eight of them) are dedicated to different Buddhist concepts, such as the Buddha's teachings, the community of monks, the Buddha in his former lives and the future Buddha.

Phra Asada Maha Chedi

The Phra Sri Ratana Chedi is covered in gold mirrored tiles and is said to contain relics of the Buddha. It reflects the monumental grandeur of the former capital, Ayuthaya, that I visted a few days later.

Phra Sri Ratana Chedi

The Phra Mondop is an extraordinarily beautiful spired library housing sacred Buddhist scriptures written on palm leaves. At its four corners are stone Buddhas carved in the Javanese style, and the tiered roof is a real wonder.

Phra Mondop

Phra Mondop - Javanese style Buddha

The Hor Phra Monthein Dharma is an exquisite Buddhist library containing ancient scriptures, and has incredibly intricate mother-of-pearl inlay work on its doors.

Hor Phra Monthien Dharma

Roof Detail - Hor Phra Monthien Dharma

Phra Viharn Yod has a lovely porcelain floral design with a spire that is shaped like the Thai crown. It also has amazing mother-of-pearl doors.

Phra Viharn Yod

Phra Viharn Yod - Mother-of-Pearl Doors

Hor Phra Nak has an intriguing roof structure, and is a mausoleum that contains the ashes of princes and other members of the royal family.

Hor Phra Nak

The Royal Chapel of the Emerald Buddha contains Thailand's most revered Buddha image, which is actually made of jade. The building is extremely, and its a pity that visitors are not permitted to take photographs inside the building.

Its very hard to do justice to the whole temple complex, which is a kaleidoscope of colour and ornate style, beautifully maintained throughout. These photos just present small snippets of a wonderful place.

I also visited the Royal Barges National Museum, which was located at a converted dry dock. There are eight royal barges on display that are ornately carved and decorated in vivid colours, and which made me wonder how resplendent they would have appeared passing through the rivers. One of the facts about Thai religious and social culture that surprised me during my stay in Bangkok was the extent to which it had been influenced by Indian culture, and this was evident in different ways. Some of the royal barges, for example, featured carved images of Garuda, a legendary bird-like figure that generally appears as the mount of the Hindu god Vishnu, on the prow of the boats.

Barge with throne

Barge throne

Barge with Garuda at the prow

Close up of Garuda

Multi-headed sepent on Prow of the Barge

I also visited the Royal Palaces, which are closely located near to Wat Pho. The range of buildings there is extraordinary, and it was a real delight to see them shimmering under the hot sun.

Phra Buddha Chinnazri at Wat Pho

Phra Buddha Theva Patimakorn

Phra Buddha Theva Patimakorn is located in the ordination hall (ubot), a sacred space for performing rituals, such as ordaining new monks.

During the rest of the week, I stumbled upon a fantastic vegetarian restaurant, May Kaidee, in the Koh San road area, a real backpacker haunt, and to my delight they ran vegetarian cookery classes, which I did the following day. This meant cooking about four or five dishes, including my favourite, 'Pad Thai', which had become a staple dish during most of the time in Bangkok, a noodle dish with vegetables, peanuts and a sprinkling of fresh lime juice. The class was brilliant, it really made me appreciate just how quick the cooking process is in Thai food, its all done in less than five minutes using fresh ingredients, with the preparation of chopped vegetables taking a fair bit of time.  Some of the ingredients, like galangal and Thai basil, might be a bit hard to obtain in the UK, although hopefully an East Asian / Chinese supermarket may come to the rescue!

The National Museum housed some incredible statuary from 9th to 12th century, largely depicting deities from the Hindu tradition. These statues were given prominent place in the main gallery, and were the most interesting aspect of the museum for the remarkable quality of the stonework.

Brahma 11th - 12th century

Brahma 9th - 10th century

Buddha image under naga 12th - 13th century

Four-armed Ganesha 10th century

Vishnu 9th - 10th century

I also visited the Wat Traimit Golden Buddha, which is the single most economically valuable religious artefact in the world. It is an image of the Buddha made of solid gold that was cast sometime in the 13th or 14th century, and weighs 5,500 kilograms. It used to be housed in the former capital Ayuthaya, and was covered in plaster to hide its true identity from the invading Burmese. And so it remained hidden for all those centuries until in 1954 it was being moved, a rope slipped and it collided with the ground, so that the plaster was chipped, revealing the secret beneath. It really is a beautiful item, and reflects well the Sukhothai artistic tradition, which is regarded as the highest point of traditional Thai art. It is hugely revered in Thailand.

I also visited the Jim Thompson house, the home of an American entrepreneur who did much to promote Thai textiles on the international stage, and who disappeared mysteriously in the 1960s. The house contains some phenomenal examples of ancient sculpture, which unfortunately we were not allowed to photograph.