Day 66 - 4 May - Tak to Myawaddy

I had been told that the representative of the travel company that had coordinated my journey through Myanmar, Silver Hills, the guide and the government representative would meet me at the Myawaddy border gate by 1 pm. The distance from Tak to the border post was less than 100 km and that gave me a lot of time in the morning to get ready and hit the road. I even woke up late and had a leisurely breakfast of eggs, pastries, sausage and ham. The orange juice was good and I went about methodically emptying the dispenser. Later I made a tour of the hotel. The Soho Boutique Hotel is value for money. I loved the décor and aesthetics as well as the service. By 11 am I decided to check out and leave for Mae Sot, the Thailand side of the border. Last evening, when I returned to the hotel after the massage, the girl at the reception presented me a traditional Thai bath towel. This morning I gave her a copy of “Record Drives… And Then Some!” before leaving the hotel.

Once I was firmly planted on the route to Mae Sot I took the roads real slow. I have never driven so slowly, and that too deliberately, ever on a highway. It felt heretical doing so on such a lovely road. On the way were markets operated by tribes people, where fresh vegetables, fruits and homemade delicacies were available at really cheap prices. After a while the route vended through hilly terrain and the drive became scenic and enjoyable. I stopped at one of the scenic spots that was terraced to provide lovely views of the winding roads and the dense forests as well as to enjoy some refreshments. I was enticed to stoop there more by the advertisement of ice cream than by anything else. After a few photographs I moved to the vending counter only to be told that ice creams were not in stock! Disappointed though I was I picked up a couple of products homemade by the tribes people of the area. The dried honey coated banana with sesame seeds turned out to be a worthy substitute for the ice cream; the disappointment abated.

At Mae Sot, just before reaching the border, I turned into a fuel station with the intention of tanking up. I did not notice that I had been directed to the dispenser that had the costlier fuel option. When I saw the meter reading going rather quickly I stopped the attendant and told him that I wanted the cheaper fuel. I had to shift my car to another dispenser to have this done. The end result was paying more than I should have for the quantity that I filled.

I parked well ahead of the Immigration counters on the Thai border and walked to the booths with the passport and Carnet. I did not anticipate any problem as I had all the documentation with me. I was asked to report to a specific counter where my passport was stamped. The official then asked me to present the ‘Information of Conveyance’ to another counter. The lady at that counter was more intent on chewing gum and trying to look pretty rather than take interest in the paper given to her. She also displayed an annoying habit of shifting a face mask from nose to throat for no apparent reason, except perhaps calling attention to her ‘seen better days’ features. She sought the assistance of another colleague for assistance, who asked if I had informed people on the Myanmar side about my arrival. When I confirmed the arrangement she looked decidedly unhappy! Then she wanted me to present my passport to the Immigration counter; when I showed her the immigration stamp the unhappiness quotient seemed to increase. Then she said that I have to present papers to Customs. I showed her that I was ready to do that after the immigration formalities were completed. That may have been the last straw for she pulled out a voucher book and asked me to pay 25THB as overtime! When I protested, another officer clarified that they were working through a designated holiday this day and therefore, the overtime was payable. I did that and the lady set about photocopying all the documents and finally handed over all the papers intact. I wondered what would have happened had I not gone to the counter with that piece of paper, since the passport had already been stamped. Much time was not taken in the Customs. I handed over the documents meant to be retained by them and the Carnet was returned duly stamped and signed. Mercifully, the Customs department did not insist on overtime payment.

After completing the Customs work I looked around for a cool drink. I spied a vendor selling iced tea and coffee. I asked him for iced cocoa with jelly. It cost 10 THB, but when I told him that I am one THB short, he smiled and said, ‘no problem, enjoy the drink’. It felt heavenly in that heat and humidity. I slowly took the Friendship Bridge across the Moei River, which forms a natural border between Thailand and Myanmar. At the crest of the bridge is a signal beyond which I had to shift to the right hand side of the road. While driving is on the right side of the road left hand and right hand drive vehicles are permitted to operate in the country. It is a very curious arrangement. As I neared the Myawaddy check point of Myanmar I noticed a couple of guys who looked like my travel coordinators.

As I parked the car they came up to me and introduced themselves as Thein, the guide who had replaced Tun Tun, and Aye, the Silver Hills representative. Shortly, Myint Sang, the government official, who had been with me in March, emerged from one of the office booths. The trio would accompany me on the return leg from Myawaddy to Tamu over the next five days. The work in Customs and Immigration got done in double quick time because the background work had already been done by the time I got there. Moreover, senior officials recognised me and were keen to know how I experienced the drive. Thereafter Thein took me to a bank to exchange currency. Though it took a lot longer than it should have I got better rate this time than in March. My first impression about the new guide was that he was very well read with a wide range of interests, besides very good command of the English language.

We checked into the Myawaddy Hotel; even though I was okay with the basic accommodation,, absence of lift and poor network connectivity were vexatious. I had lunch of pork fried rice in the hotel restaurant and requested Thein to locate a good massage centre. He was very much apprehensive because massage centres are often mixed up in prostitution rackets, he said, in these places. However, by the time I came down after a short rest he was ready to take me to a place that he had researched. The one hour massage was every bit traditional and had most elements I experienced in Tak.

Daw Na Tuang had turned out to be an extremely strenuous stretch last time when I drove from Yangon to Myawaddy. Anticipating the same on the mountain pass I suggested that we leave quite early from Myawaddy to beat the traffic as well as the road repairs that normally hold up traffic during the day time. So, it was to be a 6 am start next day – I had adjusted to Myanmar time of +6.30 GMT when I was in the immigration office. I had an early dinner of excellent pork noodles and a bottle of Heineken beer.

Day 65 - 3 May 2015 - Bangkok to Tak

I was not very sure if I should stay at Tak or Mae Sot the day before returning to Myanmar. Mae Sot and Myawaddy are the border towns of Thailand and Myanmar respectively. I finally decided on Tak to cut short the drive from Bangkok as well as to explore a historical town. The city is believed to even predate the Sukhothai era, which later served as the western frontier of the kingdom. Tak was once a strategic military region between Thailand and Burma and is said to have bene the first district emancipated from Burmese rule in 1584. Tak is now known for its bustling border markets – a trading gateway between the two nations - ethnic diversity, and natural beauty. Tak is almost entirely off the tourist map. Because of this tourists to the area can expect true Thai hospitality and flavour its culture without the consequences of mass tourism. The natural beauty of Tak includes dense jungles that are ideal for trekking and traditional hill tribes such as Karen, Lisu, Hmong, Yao and Lahu in their natural surroundings.

The 425 km drive to Tak did not pose any challenges, with the roads as good as any in Thailand. By now I have taken for granted the excellent road infrastructure in Thailand and unwavering discipline of the road users. I only stopped en route at a couple of fuel stations to tank up and fulfil biological requirements. At one of them I fell for the freshly cut mangoes on sale. It was not fully ripe and the taste was extraordinary. Once I finished it I rued that I had not bought another lot!

I reached the lovely Soho Boutique Hotel a bit after noon. The receptionist, a young girl, spoke excellent English, as opposed to the experience this far. I was allotted a corner room, spacious and aesthetically done up. In fact, the entire hotel had a boutique took without being garish and loud. Someone with an excellent sense of the being different had been in charge of the décor and get up, I presumed from what I saw from the entrance of the hotel to the room. Once the luggage was put in the room and a can of Chang was down the parched throat I set out in the hot sun to forage for lunch. It being a Sunday afternoon hardly any shop was open. I finally managed to worm into a small eatery that was presumably downing its shutters. But they served me fried rice with egg in quick time and it was delicious. On the way back to the hotel I picked up iced milk tea that turned out to be equally super. I have not had as much ice in my life as I have had during the travel in South East Asia. Ice making must be the most lucrative business in these parts of the world.

It was too hot to venture anywhere out due to the heat. I abandoned all hopes of exploring historical places, which was the reason for choosing to stay in Tak! I passed out almost immediately as I got back to the room. However, I woke up just as the intensity of the sun was going down. At the reception I was told that I had the time to cycle to weekend market and along the Ping River. I selected one of the cycles that the hotel provided free to its guests and took direction from the receptionist to get to the River. It was not too far from the hotel and I reached it in less than 10 minutes. I was using a cycle after many, many years and the thighs started rebelling almost immediately. But, I did not give in. the other discomfort was that the seat was low, apparently to accommodate the general build of people who visited the hotel.

The Ping River, along with the Nan River, is one of the two main tributaries of the Chao Phraya River. The two tributaries join at Nakhon Sawan, about 200 kms south of Tak, to start the journey of the Chao Phraya River. Two major dams are situated in the Ping Basin, which is one of the largest drainage basins of Chao Phraya. The Bangkok Bicentennial Bridge across the Ping River was built in 1982 to celebrate the occasion. The 400 meter suspension bridge has a wooden deck and traffic is not permitted across it. However, people living on either banks of the river use it to move their cycles across the river. The setting sun on the waters with the bridge in the background is an amazing spectacle. I sat there awhile drinking in the majesty of the sight.

The weekend night market was just getting set up at the time. I cycled back and forth beside the river a few times and then parked the cycle to buy local ice cream. The vendor with minimal stuff was doing brisk business. Homemade ice cream kept in a large steel tub was the basic ingredient. The toppings included rice, soya, corn, potato, jelly, pineapple, nuts, cereal, bread, chestnuts and beans. There were three different sizes too choose from and I chose the midsized one for 20 THB.  Seven small scoops of the ice cream, nuts and milk were topped with the four I chose. It was heavenly; I have not eaten the like of this before. I made it last and last, slowly walking around the large playground, observing the goings on there. In one corner women had spread out mattresses for massage and children were playing in another part of the field on swings and slides. I came out of the enclosure to discover that it was designated ‘Happiness Center’! I was extremely happy to see that the local administration had factored in happiness of its residents as one of its prime objectives and provided for it. I celebrated by having another ice cream. Even the vendor was surprised, I could see, because he gave me a larger helping than the previous one!

I had read in one of the travel sites that the Tak massage has to be experienced. The receptionist seconded it and recommended one. The massage session was every bit traditional and extremely therapeutic. It was almost a public affair with a young lady and another who came in bent on a walking stick on cots on either side being given the treatment too. I slept through some of it; it was that soothing. It cost me just the equivalent of Rs. 500 for the two hour session. By the time the massage session was over all dining places had shut shop. Fortunately, a provision store was open from where I bought ready to eat Tam Yum noodle soup. Another chilled can of Chang beer and I was ready to savour the noodle soup after I got back to the room. Before I dozed off I went through in my mind the amazing days that I had spent in Thailand – it is truly the land of smiles.

Day 64 - 2 May 2015 - In Bangkok

After breakfast I wanted to do the laundry at the coin operated machines in the basement of the hotel. They told me at the reception that the washing and drying machines would require 100 THB each and they changed notes to coins for me. Armed with a whole lot of coins and a bagful of soiled clothes I reached the machines. I could not locate the balance of the washing powder I had purchased in Koh Lanta and settled to innovate with a bar soap. A truck was unloading freshly washed linen with the driver overseeing the operations. At the washing machine I was stuck because all instructions were in Thai language. He seemed to have sensed it for he called one of the hotel staff on his phone to come and help me. Goodwill has many ways of manifesting itself.

The Chatuchak (Jatujak or even JJ) weekend market is considered one of the largest markets in the world covering over 35 acres and having more than 15,000 booths and stalls. Goods from all over Thailand are sold in this market. The large market has been open for more than 60 years now. This was once popular among wholesalers and traders, as I had experienced during my trip here in 2000. But it is now a very popular shopping centre for locals as well as foreigners visiting Bangkok. The latter constitute nearly 40 per cent of the quarter million footfalls each day of the weekend. Most organised tour groups include a visit to the weekend market as part of the ‘attractions’. Almost anything can be found in this market at a bargain; the diverse merchandise from python to antiques and sheer size will bring even seasoned shoppers to their knees. Most often people who visit the market do not know exactly what you want, but end up picking stuff they never thought possible. Bargaining is a must have negotiation skill in the market. The vendors are either from local factories or source their materials from there making them cheaper than the tourist prices found in the rest of the city. The clock tower in the weekend market, built to commemorate the King’s 60^th birthday, is the most popular meeting point.

Moncy said that the market will become active only after 11 am and therefore we (Thomas, his precocious son, included) had a late start to the day and reached Chatuchak market by sky train. It was already hot and humid by the time we reached there. The main entrance was so crowded that we walked further ahead and took another. One of the things that immediately struck me was the unusual stuff vendors do to attract attention of potential customers and turn them into actual ones. There was this vendor selling coconuts who had all foreign tourists hooked to him with his peculiar style of aggression and war like cries. They flocked to picture him and he would then point a machete in their direction aggressively and ask, “COCONUT?” Many surrendered! And then he would dramatically open the nut with four blows of the machete, all the time mouthing loud war cries.

I walked into the market and was swept away by display of clothes, accessories, footwear, luggage, food stalls and much, much more. I was not prepared for this. Shoppers could be seen sifting through merchandise, bargaining and moving away if the right price was not struck. I was discouraged from bargaining as I found that most of the items were already very low priced; a selfies stick and remote was priced at Rs. 340, a fraction of what it was in Cochin. My poor negotiation skill was soon discovered by all of them with who I feebly attempted it on. A particular item of clothing was 100 THB. I asked the woman who tended the stall how much she would price it at if I bought four pieces. Pat came the reply, “400 la”. Without another word I picked up what I wanted and paid for them. That was the limit of my bargaining!

I may have bought more than what I wanted – that is the lure of the market. You buy and then find a use for it! Moncy and Thomas took me to the food court of the newly opened Emporium shopping mall. Thomas told me that the huge mall was completed in less than 6 months. Unbelievable, but that seems to be the pace of construction with pre-fabricated material. The mall had displays of even top end cars. Posing for pictures by the side of such machines that you motor only in your dreams is a popular past time.

The food court had many restaurants. I settled for a Piri Piri chicken. The huge portion needed special effort to get through fully. After lunch it was Big-C, the large retail store, to buy biscuits, candies and souvenirs for distribution. I reached the hotel with a whole lot of stuff in a taxi after bidding goodbye to Thomas, who I would not be meeting again before leaving Bangkok. Moncy said that he would come to the hotel the next day to see me off.

I had got in touch with the Thailand Malayalee Samajam (TMS) prior to leaving on the expedition. Filsuf Navas was my contact and he had confirmed a meeting in Bangkok. A week back I confirmed to him the dates on which I would be in the city. Yesterday the TMS confirmed the venue and time of the meeting. It was to be at the Royal Dragon Restaurant at 6.30 pm. Rajesh Pillai, the President of TMS who coordinated the meeting, offered to pick me up from the hotel. TMS has its roots in 2001 and has been active ever since. Rajesh gave me a good feel of their activities on the drive to the restaurant.

TMS had specially chosen the Royal Dragon Restaurant for a reason. The seafood restaurant was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1992 as the world’s largest restaurant. A large wooden inscription at the entrance to the iconic hotel sets at rest any debate that one may have on the status of the restaurant. I was told that the hotel has seen better days and that it has been on a steady decline over the past many years. However, I saw many large batches of tourists brought here to witness the restaurant’s unique style of serving its customers never seen anywhere else. Some of the waiters walk on water, others fly on zip chords in ceremonial dress and most skate to bring speedy service to their customers, 5000 of who can be accommodated in one sitting! More than 1000 staff serves a wide variety of cuisine to guests from all over the world. The restaurant also arranges cultural shows, showcasing traditional Thailand, in an ambience that is magical and romantic.

It was a wonderful networking session, attended by about 25 members of TMS and WMC (World Malayalee Council). What fascinated me, as I have found in most foreign countries, is the success Malayalees have achieved as executives, managers and entrepreneurs. The potential that the state has is appreciated most when you with the diaspora abroad. The evening went on and on with lovely talk, informative exchange of views and a fabulous dinner. Almost all the popular Thai dishes were on the table from Tam Yum soup to steamed fish to minced chicken. Generous helpings of Vodka in Coke added lustre to the evening.

Day 63 - 1 May 2015 - In Bangkok

The Bridge on the River Kwai, the 1957 World War II movie classic by David Lean, left an indelible impression on me as a young film buff. And stories of valour such as depicted in the movie was a synopsis of the hard fought battles and plots that pieced together important elements of the War. My paternal grandfather had served the Army during WWII and a bit thereafter in what are parts of Bangladesh and Pakistan. The spine chilling stories he told his grandchildren of the War and Partition came to life, as it were, when I saw movies like Bridge on the River Kwai. Even though I had visited Thailand a few times in the past I had not ventured to Kanchanaburi to see the Bridge. From the time I announced the expedition to South East Asia a Facebook friend kept on reminding me not to miss a visit to Kanchanaburi. If nothing else, I could not turn a deaf ear to such fervent reminders, despite the historical place being more than 175 km from Bangkok, close to the Myanmar border. Being Labour Day Moncy also had a day off, the beginning of a long weekend. Therefore, Moncy, Thomas and I planned the out of city visit this day.

This morning at breakfast the number of Chinese tourists had come down quite a bit, even though they were the only ones to be seen around. I was told that were in Bangkok in transit to their home towns in China after sightseeing in Thailand. Though they are not heavy spenders the numbers provide margins for hotels and other support systems.

We set out for Kanchanaburi after breakfast with young Thomas as navigator assisted by Google Maps. The roads, be it the highway or those that linked inconsequential towns, were ship shape. However, the traffic was denser than expected, possibly due to the long weekend. Besides public holidays on 1 and 5 May and the weekend that intervened on 2 and 3 May, all government offices and banks had declared holiday on 5 May too. Therefore, people were ‘migrating’ out of the city to holiday locations, rural vacation homes and resorts.

Kanchanaburi railway station was the first halt, which is almost opposite the Bridge. The quaint metre gauge station has organised tourist train trips to visit the Bridge. I was told that the ride is scenic and spectacular, at the same time. We did not have time for that. The friendly station master gave us clear direction to reach the Bridge. He was doubly pleased when I told him that I am a retired officer of the Indian Railways. He told that to all his colleagues present there. One of them came out to see the car and expressed his wonderment inimitably slapping his forehead and uttering sounds that sounded ‘Tarzan’ish. On the way to the Bridge, beside the main road, lay the war cemetery. The Don-Rak war cemetery, as it is locally known, is the main PoW cemetery with over 6900 graves.

The award winning movie was based on the 1952 best seller, Le Pont de la Riviere Kwai by Pierre Boulle. The author himself was a Japanese POW. However, his novel borrowed less from fact and more from fiction. However, the curios part is that even history was ‘bent’ to accommodate fiction. The construction of the Burma Railway in 1942-43 is the historical setting. The novel depicted the railway bridge as one over the River Kwai. In actual fact the bridge was over the Mae Klong River. The ‘original’ Kwai River did not have any railway line passing over it. After the film became a hit and tourists wanted to visit the Bridge over the River Kwai the Thais were put to a dilemma, because the River Kwai was actually the River Mae Klong. But, they did a star turn by renaming the Mae Klong River as River Khwae Yai in the 1960s! Fiction became history, Voila! The movie was filmed in Kitulgala in Sri Lanka and bagged many international awards and is widely recognised as one of the greatest movies ever made. The movie did not find acceptance by the Japanese as their engineers were shown in the movie as being incompetent.

The construction of the ‘Death Railway’ was a Japanese project to support its military ambitions in Burma and India. More than 13,000 prisoners of war and 100,000 civilian are said to have died in the execution of the project, and hence, the name of the railway. The destruction of the bridge as depicted in the film is entirely fictional. In fact, two bridges were built - a temporary wooden bridge and a permanent steel/concrete bridge a few months later. Both bridges were used for two years, until they were destroyed by Allied aerial bombing. The steel bridge was repaired and is still in use. The steel girders bear testimony today to the heavy artillery fire the bridge was subjected to.

I walked across the Bridge; it was so romantic and at the same time a walk down pages of history. There were tourists all along the Bridge, River Kwai railway station and the many shops in the area. I bought a few pieces of exquisitely hand carved soap. Craftsmanship is of a high order in Thailand. We came back to Bangkok after lunch in one of the Malaysian restaurants in the complex. It had been extremely hot and we were happy to get back.

After relaxing a little while in the hotel we left for some street shopping and dinner. I picked up a few shawls, belts and t-shirts before we homed in on a Lebanese restaurant for a few rounds of beer and short eats. Moncy took me to a Nepalese restaurant for dinner later, where he has been a few times before. I was put off by the waiter who ‘demanded’ that we place all the orders at once and not in piecemeal. When I gave him a piece of my mind the lady owner stepped in and restored ‘peace’.  Three Sardarjis occupied a table in the restaurant. One of them seemed to convince the lady owner about his skills in palm reading. A casual ‘eavesdrop’ convinced me that he was peddling a non-existent skill, but one that is a sure shot to gain attention with the fairer sex. We left the restaurant after the chappatis and chilly chicken that were average fare. 

Day 62 - 30 April 2015 - In Bangkok

I was sufficiently nervous as the day began because I started thinking about alternatives in case there was a glitch with the Myanmar visa. The first thought was about the extended stay in Bangkok and the next was the network I would have to activate for course correction. With all these difficult thoughts I gravitated for breakfast in the hotel restaurant. I could not believe my eyes and ears because the very large lobby was nearly filled with luggage; there were Chinese everywhere. I wondered if there had been an invasion the previous night and some sort of resettlement of Bangkok had begun! The second floor restaurant was over crowded with more Chinese waiting for chairs and tables. The air was filled with smell of noodles and rice and chicken and conjee. Children to the elderly took portions as if the hotel was running out of food. Some dropped food on the floor, some others on the table. Much food was wasted and some more was picked up for the same purpose. It was not a pleasant sight to watch. I managed to grab a chair and set my bag firmly on it. Fresh fruits, eggs, Danish pastries and toasts, I tucked into with gusto; the sense of achievement at having got a plateful of them and manoeuvring through the increasing number of Chinese tourists at the restaurant adding to the appetite. The young among them were dressed fashionably, with more revealed than concealed. I remembered Simon, the B&B owner in Phuket, who said that the Chinese comprised more than 50 per cent of the tourists who came to Thailand these days when the more generous western tourists went to Laos and Myanmar. Besides, they travel together in large number, often on conducted tours. I had experienced this in Batam, Singapore and Malaysia too.

I checked at the reception where I could change currency. They told me it could be done in the bank just opposite the hotel. There was an air of excitement at the counter. A woman at the reception asked me if I could recognise the picture they had on the computer screen of an Indian actress.  I did recognise the popular face but could not recollect the name. She was expected to arrive at the hotel the next day with her entourage and 21 pieces of luggage!  

When I reached the bank I was greeted in typical Thai style by the security personnel, bank attendant, manager and all the women who manned the counters. I was the first customer of the day. I finished my business quite soon and asked the hotel to arrange a taxi to get me to the Myanmar Embassy. The taxi took some time coming because it was already rush hour. After it arrived it took further time to let the driver, who spoke Thai only, know where I had to go. Progress on the road was so excruciatingly slow that I feared I would be delayed for the visa submission. The many traffic lights and busy intersections kept the taxi meter ticking without the car having to move. Finally when I got to the embassy the early morning crowd had dissipated, mercifully.

There were three counters for visa submission. As soon as I got into the covered enclosure a person at the entrance asked the type of visa I would be applying for. He gave me a token for counter 2, as I wanted a tourist visa. I had filled up the visa form and kept all enclosures and photographs ready. I did not have to wait long before my turn was announced. I submitted the visa application form along with enclosures and the documents given by Silver Hills. The polite official consulted another colleague with my papers and asked me to fill up another visa application form. He was extremely patient with me and helped submit the required papers, collected the fee for same day visa and asked me to return with the receipt after 3.30 pm to collect the passport. It had been quick work and smoother than I had expected it to be.

When I returned to the embassy to collect the passport at 3.30 pm the entire hall was full of people, foreigners and locals, waiting to collect their passports. The maximum queue was for counter 2 that snaked all across the hall. What made matters worse was the inefficient air conditioning and the locked windows. And the queue moved ever so slowly. I was worried that I would not be able to get the passport that day if they closed the counter at 4.30 pm, the official closing time. What prolonged the queue was when some were denied visa and they kept arguing with the counter official. The embassy should have had some mechanism of redressing such grievances beside the counter with another official put in charge to handle them. Finally, I managed to get my passport and confirmed that the visa stamped therein met my need.

During the course of the day I had ‘mastered’ the BTS and the bike taxi system. Bike taxis are extremely efficient and cheap and is the best way to get around in Bangkok, especially during the peak time. I met up with Thomas at Siam BTS station and we did a bit of shopping before going to the Saphan Taksin BTS. Moncy had made a booking for a river cruise and dinner on it. We waited for Moncy to arrive there after his office commitments. The Chao Phraya River cruise is one of the must do activities for tourists to Bangkok. The river cruise itself attracted large number of people to the river cruise terminal. Boats arrived and departed at very short intervals and made sure that the numbers were evacuated quickly. I could make out that the river was used extensively for passenger transportation as well as for cargo movement. Small motorised barges pulled two to three large dumb barges filled with cargo. I was later told that the Chao Phraya River is a major transportation artery that links a vast network of river buses, cross river ferries and water taxis. The most famous hotels in Bangkok as well as some of the popular attractions of the city were by the sides of the river. They are also linked by the transportation network. All the hotels seemed to have their own boats to ferry customers back and forth.

The sun had gone down by the time we were picked up from the boat terminal by the company with who Moncy had arranged the river cruise. We were taken to their terminal to complete the check in formalities. I wandered around the terminal complex that was an exclusive shopping mall. The shops had wares to suit different wallet sizes and customers. I fell prey to an impulse buy before boarding the ‘Wonderful Pearl’. The cruise boat could accommodate 500 and was almost to capacity. Moncy had taken a table on the open deck from where we could observe the sights around, particularly as the lights went on. Dinner was an opulent affair and I helped myself to small portions of almost all dishes that were in the buffet. Sangha beer accompanied the solids. I had fruits and a few local delicacies for dessert. The cruise boat had entertainment on board. Western live music was the most popular. There were shows of traditional Thai art and music too. On the top deck people danced to popular music and socialised with abandon. The cruise began after giving sufficient time for guests to get through their dinner. I only wished for some form of commentary during the cruise that could have identified the landmarks and recapped some history. In the absence of that Moncy and Thomas filled in with information about the landmarks. They included the First Presbyterian Church, Royal Thai Naval dockyard, Thai Maritime Navigation Company, Customs House, Grand Palace, Wat Arun, Royal Boat House and many other temples and exclusive hotels that studded the banks of the river. They also pointed out the Shangrila Hotel from where Carl Slim, the Tata Motors top shot, had flung himself to his death. The entire river cruise had been a fantastic experience, more so because the Myanmar visa matter was done and dusted too.

Day 61 - 29 April 2015 -- Chumphon to Bangkok

With rescheduling of the expedition programme it is just another three weeks to touchdown in Cochin. The expedition had been fine this far. Except for the major disappointment of not being able to drive in Vietnam and missing the huge opportunity for sightseeing in that country and the non-availability of a ferry to Batam, the rest went pretty much to plan. The biggest gain of the expedition has been the many new friends I have made on the way and the renewal of older relationships.

The accommodation in Euro Boutique Hotel had been more than adequate for the price. For about Rs. 1000 the location, the facilities in the room as well as the breakfast was fantastic value for money. One of the things I have come to accept is that the booking sites describe quite accurately what you can expect in the hotels. The photographs are not window dressing. Moreover, whatever the price in the hotels the facilities are invariably clean and neat. That has never been a concern right from Myanmar through all the other countries. In fact, it is part of the culture in these countries. Garbage is regularly collected and disposed off, streets and buildings are cleaned and their upkeep is ensured, rules and regulations are followed on the road, individuals are given respect and politeness is a ‘national value’.

In the large room that doubled up as a restaurant for the buffet breakfast the women first smilingly folded their hands and greeted in the normal sing song manner. The elder of the two asked if I am from Malaysia and then made it a point to tell me that the sausages were made of chicken. Besides the sparse continental fare there were many local items like conjee, noodles and rice cakes. I had toasts with eggs and plenty of orange juice. When I returned the key at the reception and mentioned that I was checking out the ‘key deposit’ was returned.

Google Maps was to be the guide yet again. The distance to Bangkok was more than 450 km. However, the road condition, the signposting of routes and the disciplined rod users combined to make the driving experience pleasant and hassle free. Nearly 50 km short of Bangkok I encountered humongous traffic jams. Traffic came to a standstill at many places. However, save the delay, I reached Jasmine Grande Residence on Rama IV road in slightly less than 6 hours. Once I reached Bangkok I was convinced that I could have done the journey from Phuket to Bangkok in one shot, about 850 km, without having to break journey in Chumphon. The road condition is quite good and it does not wear you out.

As I drove into the hotel I was greeted at the entrance by a bellboy who loaded my luggage into a cart and asked me to report to the reception. The check in did not take much time. I was told that they were upgrading my accommodation for the four night stay at the hotel. When I was taken to the room I was surprised to be given a suite room with fantastic views of the port and the neighbourhood. For less that Rs. 4000 a night this was more royal than it could be. It was as big as a serviced singe room apartment. The balcony of the large living room was locked. At the reception I was told that I had to give an undertaking if it were to be opened. The printed form had questions like, “Why do you want the balcony door to be opened”? Once the undertaking was given the door to the balcony was opened and I had lovely unhindered views. I was also happy that I had covered car park for the four days that I would be there at no extra cost.

Moncy Thomas works for Alsthom in Bangkok. He and Reji Mammen, my colleague in Trans Asia, had been classmates in college. When I shared my travel plans with Reji he had put me in touch with Moncy, who offered to put me up in Bangkok. He was in regular touch to monitor the progress of the expedition. A week back the dates for Bangkok were confirmed to Moncy who said that accommodation would be fixed suitably. It was only when I was in Phuket that I got a mail from him about the hotel accommodation. I felt bad that I was imposing so much on him; I had expected to share the accommodation at home. He explained that his family had moved back to Kerala and hence, he was in a smaller rented accommodation. The hotel was not very far from the office he worked in as the Group CFO. He has been with Alsthom for over a decade and managed the financial services of the three verticals of Power, Transportation and Energy Infrastructures.

I called him up after I had checked in and he said that he would send his son, Thomas, to take me around till he could get free from the office. Thomas arrived within the hour and I was instantly struck by the confidence of the young man and his knowledge of the city. The 9^th standard student, who studied and lived in Kottayam with his mother, was encyclopaedic about the places to visit and what one could get where. I felt as if I had a ‘wired’ companion. He said we should visit the MBK Centre to find if some of the stuff I wanted to pick could be had there. But we made a mistake of taking the car to the shopping mall. The traffic hardly moved and we spent more time sitting in the car than driving. It is not so wise to drive in the city due to the density of vehicles as well as the number of traffic lights and major intersections. The best way to move around, I realised later, is to hire a bike taxi or the BTS, which linked almost all shopping centres in the city.

Moncy met us at the shopping mall and we walked around the many floors of the mall that had food stuffs, textile, electrical and electronic items, footwear and much, much more. After I had picked up a few things we went to the food court in the mall. Various stalls offered cuisine from all over South East Asia as well as Continental dishes. I chose to have a seafood green curry soup with a couple of beers. The portion was huge and I was grateful that I had not ordered steamed rice to go with it. Over dinner Moncy and I exchanged notes on work, family and friends. It came as a pleasant surprise that Moncy and Sam Manipadam, who was my colleague in DP World and a dear friend, were thick friends from their CA days in Mumbai. The world had shrunk. I was even more surprised to know that Moncy and Reji had met only once in the past 30 years since their salad days in college. The fact that Reji could depend on Moncy to host me in Bangkok brought home to me the quality of their friendship.

I had one more visa hurdle to cross before returning to India. Myanmar embassy in India had given only a single entry visa stating that the return visa could be had at the border ‘on arrival’. When I was exiting Myanmar in March the Silver Hills representative had confirmed from the border authorities that they do not issue visa at the border. That was a major shock at the time. However, the remedy was to get the visa issued in Bangkok, they said. I have been apprehensive about this arrangement, but Silver Hills was confident it could be done. They sent me a couple of documents to be presented to the Embassy in Bangkok and gave me the contact details of the Minister Counsellor, in case I had any trouble. To say that I was comfortable about the visa when I went to bed would be far from the truth.

Day 60 - 28 April 2015 - Phuket to Chumphon

When I was contemplating the alternative routes to Chumphon Simon chipped in with his suggestion. One of the routes went directly eastwards, on the more used highway, via Phang Nga. Simon said that the route via Ranong is more scenic and less used. He warned that it could be a lot slower than the first alternative. I did not have much to do in Chumphon and therefore, I had time to spare. So, it was to be via Ranong.

I packed all the stuff I had offloaded from the car and stuffed it back. I had a light breakfast of bread and jam with a large mug of coffee. As I was finishing the breakfast I saw a woman moving rapidly through the rubber plantation with a tapping knife in her hand. I was curious to see how tapping was done in these parts of the world. In Kerala the tapping table and the coconut shell are cleaned first, the scrap collected and then the bark is tapped. Here, the woman just cleared the tapping table with her knife, nothing that resembled what is used in Kerala, and tapped the tree. The shell scrap remained in the cup and sap started to drip into the half full cup. Evidently, either the sap had not been collected from the previous round of tapping or the process was to convert the scrap I not sheets! I could not ascertain it because the woman only spoke Thai and Simon did not know anything about it.

The B&B had been a fantastic experience. Simon had looked after every detail in the landscaping of the small facility from placing sculptures and paintings to water feng shui and even a pond. The room was quite comfortable and premises were kept neat and tidy. Simon was proud to say that the B&B is ‘totally safe’; the rooms were seldom locked. There was in house arrangement for breakfast while lunch and supper could be ordered from the hotel nearby – which belonged to one of his ex-wives. Moreover, Simon was wonderful company and his wide range of understanding and knowledge of Thailand, in particular, and the region was an added benefit to the curious traveller. After the two days there I understood why the B&B received such a high rating on travel sites. Before leaving I asked Simon if ever he takes a break, for he is such a hands on guy and looking after the facilities would require him to be on site all the time. He had not for more than three years! He wants to close down his B&B during the rains for a fortnight to travel. But I doubt if he will because he is so passionate about what he is doing right now.

The route suggested by Simon turned out to be more ‘lively’ than the highway. It took me through thick vegetation, forests, roads lined with konna and ashoka trees, incredible blind summits and beaches. I passed by Khao Lak, which had been devastated during the tsunami in 2004. Views from the car gave a glimpse of the lovely water front. The many resorts, spas and restaurants on the way indicated how popular it still is with tourists. Driving through the city I could not see any vestiges of the immense destruction and havoc that had been caused here in 2004. Flashes of videos showing beach front hotels being razed and people being engulfed by the massive waves crossed my mind then.

I reached Chumphon, nearly 400 km, in five hours of relaxed driving – there were many police pickets en route, perhaps due to the Myanmar border - and lavish stops to refresh en route. I had been for an oil massage when I visited Patong the previous evening. My limbs were a bit loose and I was overcome by sleep. Therefore, whenever I felt the eyes closing I would stop, wash my face and towel down. Besides, generous food supplies on the passenger seat and many bottles of drinking water kept the concentration going. When I was within 2 km of the Euro Boutique Hotel, where I was to stay, Google Maps went haywire. It took me through such small roads that I felt the car would get jammed. I figured that I had to cross the railway track somewhere and that the one on Google Maps had been blocked some time ago. I kept asking for directions and all the response I could get was, “No English”. It was frustrating – so near, yet so far. After nearly half an hour of wandering I decided to look for a police station and came back on to the main road. Suddenly, Google Maps showed me a different route and I reached the hotel in no time. Even Maps can be told to behave, or else!

The girl at the reception was polite but not quite able to explain what I could do in half a day in the city. Finally, piecing together what I thought she meant and a few scribbles on a map, the night market and food market that were in close proximity of the hotel were the only ones to ‘explore’ there. I relaxed in the room a bit over a couple of Chang beer cans and switched on the TV. I was appalled to see reports on the Nepal earthquake; the destruction and disruption that had been caused to human life and property was huge. I was proud to see how India reacted to the humanitarian crisis, as it had in Yemen recently. I came to know that borders were sealed except for international aid and workers. After shocks were still being felt in many parts of the Himalayan country. Locals and tourists were lining up to be evacuated from Kathmandu.

After concluding the South East Asian expedition in Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh I had planned to do a 14 day Himalayan Expedition. The route prescribed by Limca Book of Records passed through Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bhutan, West Bengal, Sikkim, Nepal, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. The massive earthquake and its aftermath in Nepal meant that I would have to recast my plans. So I went back to the original plan of concluding the South East Asian expedition in Cochin. The Himalayan Expedition had been an add on so that I would not have to, at a later date, make a long dry run to the starting point from Kerala. Anyway, the force majeure condition meant that I would have to plan the Himalayan Expedition later.

For lunch I tried KFC chicken – the first time during the entire journey that I tried out something western. The idea was to experience how different it is from what I had in India. It was quite different in that it was very much less oily, crispier, pieces more fleshy and served with some outstanding sauces. As I was having that my eyes fell on what was being served in the shop opposite – mango ice cream in a wide variety of ways! I would not let go of that, of course. Mango Supreme was a large helping of delicious mango ice cream topped with caramel and cream. When the waiters saw this elder tipping the cup to tease out the dregs of caramel they knew that they had had me hooked!

The night market was an ensemble of food stalls, souvenirs, footwear and clothes. Great bargains were on offer. I was not in a mood for a solid meal and the smell of street food made me nauseous. Then my eyes fell on a stall selling fresh cut fruits. I was amazed by the low prices of guava, mango, sapota and melon and picked up a kg of each; some for supper and rest for the journey the next day. The melon and mango fell prey easily and the rest I put into the car.