Thailand 2005: Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai - The Golden Triangle...

"When someone is nasty or treats you poorly, don't take it personally. It says nothing about you but a lot about them..." - Michael Josephson

(The Golden Triangle of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos)

Chiang Mai is the second-largest city in Thailand, with cool mountain climate. This small city offers a much more pleasant atmosphere than Bangkok, but still has all the modern amenities. The location of the city lends itself to excellent trekking and exploration of the lush surrounding nature areas. The heart of Chiang Mai is its old city, circled by ancient walls and moats and offers an old-world feel, despite the heavy traffic circling it.

16 December 2005
Day-1 : Rose of the North

(Chiang Mai International Airport)

We checked-in the Empress Hotel and have some time to freshen up before we took a van to the Handicraft Centre where we visited the Shinawatra Silk factory, Lacquer ware factory, Gems gallery and the Bo Sang Paper and Parasol factory. Chiang Mai is a shopping paradise, simply because there is such a wide range of unusual goods at knock down prices. the quality is variable but the value for money undeniable.

(Shinawatra, the Legend of Thai Silk)

(Hand-made paper and bamboo umbrella)

(Buying souvenirs at Handicraft Shop)

(Authentic Thai dinner at one of the restaurants)

A Chinese couple, Bobby and Liz, from Australia joined us for dinner at a Muslim Restaurant. After dinner, the van sent the four of us to Chan Klan Road. The centre of shopping is undoubtedly the Night Bazaar, which takes up several blocks. At this place you can wander among the countless pavement stalls, shops and arcades admiring the beautifully crafted Northern Thai handicrafts. On the way back to the hotel, we took the Tuk-tuk and stopped at one of the many massage centres for an hour of relaxing foot massage.

17 December 2005
Day-2 : Union of the Hill Tribes

We had early breakfast as today we are going for a full-day tour to Chiang Rai. We started at 7 a.m. Passing through scenic hills and jungles, our first stop was at the San Kamphaeng Hot Spring. The Hot spring water has a high sulphur content that allegedly possesses curative and restorative properties. Separate male and female bathing facilities are available. We bought some t-shirts and silks from the souvenir shops.

(San Kamphaeng Hot Spring)

(Cooking hard-boiled eggs)

We reached Chiang Rai at about noon. The province average elevation is 580 meters above sea level, Myanmar borders on the north, and Laos on the north and northeast. From Chiang Rai town, we stopped at the Union of the Hill Tribe Villages where we visited the various hill tribes of Thailand. They are from the Akha. Yao, Lisu, Lahu, Palong, Karen and many other tribes.

(At one of the Hill Tribe Villages)

(Socializing with the Hill Tribe family)

(Relaxing at one of the bamboo houses)

(A Karen lady making a shawl)

(At the Karen Long-neck Village)

(Buying souvenirs of local handicraft)

We reached Chiang Rai at about noon. The province average elevation is 580 meters above sea level, Myanmar borders on the north, and Laos on the north and northeast. From Chiang Rai town, we stopped at the Union of the Hill Tribe Villages where we visited the various hill tribes of Thailand. They are from the Akha. Yao, Lisu, Lahu, Palong, Karen and many other tribes. What attracted us most were the long necked Karen girls in colorful dresses. Legend claims that the brass rings protect the women from tiger bites as well as maintaining individual and tribal identity.

(Bobby and Liz from Australia)

(The Golden Trangle of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos)

(An Old Temple in Chiang Rai Golden Triangle)

(The twin dragons at an old temple)

Thailand's northernmost point is at Mae Sai which is well known for its crisp mountain scenery, and hill tribes. At Mae Sai, we stopped at a Muslim Restaurant for lunch. At Mae Sai border, we walked through the local market and enjoyed an image of a frontier town which is populated and studded with shop houses and souvenir shops along the way .We visited a Gem factory and he bought me a white gold ring with ruby, a belated present for my birthday.

(Taking the Tuk-tuk around Mae Sai town)

(The Thailand/Myanmar Immigration Complex)

(The Gem Store for my belated birthday present)

To the north, falls within the region known as the Golden Triangle, the area where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos converge at the confluence of the Mekong River. Our trip continued to an archaeological site of Chiang Saen. Where we stopped at the oldest pagoda.We slept all the way back to Chiang Mai. Tonight we had dinner at Al-Farouk Hotel, a popular hotel for the locals as well as foreign muslim tourists. We saw the sign ‘Jalan-jalan Cari Makan’ posted on the wall. We ended the day pampering ourselves with an hour long full body massage.

(The huge golden Buddha)

(A pilgrimage site for the Buddhists)

(Pretty Hill Tribe girls posing for the camera)

18 December 2005
Day-2 : Maesa Elephant Camp

Woke up late and had a quick breakfast. The two Australian couples left for Bangkok and today we are on our own. We started the day’s tour visiting a famous temple the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep. The old temple dated from the 16th Century. A flight of over 300 steps bordered by a Naga balustrade leads up to beautifully decorated buildings and a Lanna-styled chedi covered with engraved gold plates.

(The remnants of old temple and chedi)

(One of the oldest Chedi still standing strong)

We had early lunch then headed to one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thailand, the Maesa Elephant Camp. They have over 70 happy elephants with many talented elephant artists. We have a chance to observe the elephants bathing at the two bathing areas on Maesa River before the elephant show. The shows demonstrated performances by the elephants and their experienced mahouts.

(Watching performances by the intelligent elephants)

(The many elephants in captivity)

They have musical performance, dancing and football matches. And most amazing moment was to watch the talented elephants painting abstract arts and beautiful pictures. Maesa Elephant Camp created a painting by a group of the eight artist elephants which became of interest on Ripley's Believe It. They are also awarded by the Guinness World Records as the largest and most expensive painting by a group of elephants.

(A ride on the elephant)

At the elephant camp, the most delightful experience for us was to ride on the back of an elephant. Here at Maesa the experience is as authentic as they come as we trudged through the mountains, streams and jungle. To me, an adventure of a lifetime.

(A beautiful butterfly at the farm)

(Beautifully coloured orchids)

Later we visited the butterfly and orchid farm and had an early dinner before we proceeded to the night bazaar. Tonight, again we indulged in a luxurious foot massage before we retired to have a restful deep sleep.

19 December 2005
Day-4 : Mae Ping River Cruise

As our flight to Bangkok is in the afternoon, we have a lot of free time in the morning. so we decided to leave the city behind and relax on a river cruise along the Ping River.The boat cruised slowly and we enjoyed the changing scenes along the river. The boat ride took us two hours to complete.

(A half-day river cruise to fruit farms)

(The riverside view from the cruise boat)

We made a stop at a fruit and herbal farm where we enjoyed a snack of seasonal fresh fruits and savored the refreshing taste of herb and longan juices. We even have time to relax a while on the comfortable hammock made from a piece of bamboo!

(A bamboo hammock)

After the boat ride, we checked out of the hotel and headed for the airport. We stopped at the Central Airport Plaza for a delicious murtabak, roti canai and kuew teow goreng for lunch. Our flight was a 3 p.m. and we have time for another round of foot massage at the boarding lounge. We transit in Bangkok for 2 hours and had our last minute shopping there to finish our baht.

We reached KLIA late and we reached our Putramas Apartment way after midnight...

👈 2006: Bali, Indonesia 

2005: Singapore 👉

Singapore 2005: On-site approval...

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” - Dr. Seuss

(A souvenir coin pack from the Singapore Mint)

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The alarm woke me up at 5 a.m. but it took me a long time to depart from the cozy comforter. By the time I rushed out of the house and took the highway, it way already busy with traffic. I reached KLIA at 6.30 a.m. and had ample time to check-in and had light breakfast at the McD. Linda had booked me the 0805 flight to Singapore. The journey was uneventful and I slept all the way.

TJK was already waiting for me at the arrival hall of Changi Airport. His company car took us to the Mint and I was supposed to meet up with Miss C, the CEO and Dan T but they had to rush for a very important board meeting. TJK ended up giving me a tour around the Coin Shoppe and the exhibition gallery before we start on business.

I was introduced to the Production Manager and Technical Manager who later assisted me in checking the specifications of the samples. Some improvements on the relief of the design and the depth of the edge lettering have to be done before they proceed with production.

Later we met up with Miss C and Dan T at Desa Kartika for a hearty lunch. She had a bagful of souvenirs for me to bring home and distribute and some will add to my collections. TJK sent me back to the airport and I took the 17:25 flight to KL.

From KLIA I drove straight to Masjid Negara for my class.

👈 2005: Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai, Thailand

2005: Singapore 👉

Sweden 2005: Stockholm - The Land of the Vikings...

"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do..." - Henry Ford

(The town is covered with snow)

27 February 2005
Day 1 - Our Winter Sonata

The plane landed at Arlanda Airport, 40km north of Stockholm late noon. The whether was chilly, the air was frosty. The temperature was –6 C. The snow was heavy and visibility was poor. We took the shuttle bus to Central Station but could see little of this Royal Capital of Sweden. We booked our hotel at the tourist information counter. The hotel was near the Central Station and only a few blocks away but the snow made it difficult for us to locate the hotel. Hubby had to go out to look for direction before we ventured out in the snow dragging our luggage. Half way to the hotel, we stopped at Mc D for filet-o-fish and a cup of steaming hot coffee.

(Our comfortable hotel room)

(Right in the middle of Stockholm)

(Cozy lounge with a free-flow of coffee)

While resting in bed we made plan on what to do and where to visit in Stockholm before we retired for the night and slept soundly.

28 February 2005
Day 2 - A City of contrast

(A sight-seeing tour for the day)

(Encompasses of fourteen islands)

(More than 50 bridges criss-crossing the city)

(The 9th most densely populated EU city)

(Snow-covered vehicles lining the streets)

(An extensive Baltic Sea archipelago)

(The Beauty on Water frozen city)

We had early breakfast and got ready for the city tour. The sightseeing tour bus departed from the Royal Opera House every hour. The tour took us round the different islands and gave us some idea of the city’s history. We could see well-preserved medieval buildings stand alongside modern architecture. Stockholm is built on 14 islands and a city of culture and there are lots of exciting places of interest to visit. Unfortunate for us, during this time of the year, the river cruise is not operational as some part of the rivers and lakes are frozen!

(The cobblestone streets and ochre-colored buildings)

(A modern, dynamic and ever-evolving city)

(Ferries and boats shuttle passengers between the islands)

(Snow-covered streets good for skating)

(An attraction with historic charm)

In the afternoon we visited the Vasa Museum which houses the royal warship Vasa that sank in Stockholm harbour and was salvaged some 300 years later in remarkably good condition. We spent time in Galleria shopping Mall and later had Tom yam dinner at My Thai Restaurant.

(A must visit to the Vasa Museum)

(A stunning museum and good restoration)

(The famous ship that sunk on its' maiden voyage)

1 March 2005
Day 3 - Between the Baltic Sea

(A visit to IKEA)

(A cup of steaming hot coffee)

(Walking in deep snow on the street)

Stockholm is a home of Nobel Prize and the world’s biggest IKEA is just outside the city. Today we decided to visit a few more museums. Our first stop was the Skansen Open-air Museet. The museum has buildings from different part of Sweden, dated from different centuries. The museum includes a zoo where you could see Nordic animals, including the elk. Our next stop was the National Museum of Fine Arts, which owns Sweden’s largest collection of classical art. There were exhibition on furniture, glass, textile and industrial designs from the last 100 years.

(Skansen Open-air Museet)

(Exploring the ground of the Skansen)

(Learning the custom and tradition of Sweden)

(Wild animals in the Zoo)

(A yak watching the visitors)

(The moose in captivity)

(The whole Skansen is covered with snow)

(Step back in time to learn about Sweden's past)

From the National Museum we walked through the children’s park and had prawn chillies for lunch at Cheng’s Restaurant. The owner is a Malaysian Chinese who has been in Stockholm for almost 30 years. We took the train to Kista Galleria for some shopping. And later watch the movie ‘Hide and Seek’ starring Robert De Nero, a widowed father desperately tries to break through to his nine year old daughter (Dakota Fanning) when she creates a creepy, maniacal imaginary friend, Charlie, with a terrifying vendetta…

(Playing with dwarf pony in the park)

(A leisure stroll on a sunny day)

2 March 2005
Day 4 - Footsteps of the Vikings

This morning we visited the Historiska Museet which is next to the Vasa Museet. The museum building is impressive and an attraction in itself. From the Historiska Musseet we walked quite a distance to the Nordiska Museet, a museum of national antiquities where we could see historical gold treasures and the Viking exhibition. Later we took the bus to one of the shopping mall. There is plenty of opportunity to shop in Stockholm and most shops are situated in big department stores in the city center. After spending the whole day visiting museums and window-shopping, we came back to the hotel to rest and later dragged ourselves to My Thai Restaurant next door for a hot Tom Yam dinner.

(Visiting historical buildings)

(Another landmark of Stockholm)

3 March 2005
Day 5 - Snowflakes Dance

(The Moose soft toy)

Today is our last day in Stockholm and we haven’t got enough souvenirs for everyone. We took the bus to Gamlastan, a part of the old town. We crossed the bridge and passed the Sveriges Riskbank on the way. The narrow, winding coble-stoned streets of the old town lead us to ochre-colored buildings where they sell a good selection of arts and crafts, antiques and souvenirs. The area is a shopping heaven to tourists. After spending most of our kroners in the old town, we walked to the Dance musset, where they exhibits traditional dances from countries all over the world. We had Tom yam Lunch at My Thai Restaurant again. In the evening we went for last shopping spree at Hamgattan.

(A shopping street for local and foreigners)

(Looking for local souvenirs)

Tonight we slept very late, feeling happy that we have had a wonderful holiday and also feeling a little bit sad that our winter holiday is coming to an end.

4 March 2005
Day 6 – Locked in Time

We had breakfast and checked out from the hotel early. Took the 9 o’clock train to Arlanda Airport and stayed in the lounge for a while waiting for the final call for boarding. On the plane we met with Ismail Lajim, my old classmate during my diploma years in ITM and exchanged news of old friends from School of Applied Science.

(A lovely city to explore)

(A winter holiday to remember)

We were tired and sleepy. During most of the journey, we slept while holding each other’s hands...

5 March 2005
Day 6 – Stray snowflakes

(Taking the train to the airport)

The plane landed at KLIA at 7.30 a.m. After buying lots of chocolates, we took the ERL and later a cab to my office to take the car. We stopped for a hearty breakfast of roti chanai at the Mamak restaurant. We skipped lunch and the whole afternoon was spent catching up with sleep. Later we had dinner at Victoria Station with Sara and Saufi.

👈 2005: Singapore

2005: Richmond, USA 👉