Words from Afterdark

These were two nice weeks in Thailand.

I just came back from two weeks’ holidays in Thailand, where I could enjoy a weather quite unlike that at home. You will find even more pictures here.

I started with a few days in Bangkok. There, some friends took me around the city, which is very helpful in such foreign and –to an unexperienced visitor like me– confusing country. Wat Phra Kaeo (a large and very colorful temple), a trip along the Chao Phraya river on a bus-boat, the Vinmanmek mansion –made all of teak wood, without any metal nail–, Chinatown, Wat Pho, and so much more. Of course, Thai food for every meal! We also went on a one-day trip to Ayutthaya, one of the old capitals; it was amazing to walk around the ruins of ancient temples.

Then I spent some days in Chiang Mai. This is a much smaller city than Bangkok, and much easier for the visitor. You can walk across the city center by foot, and this city center is square and enclosed in a moat, which makes orientation simpler. This also used to be a capital city, and because of this it has many wonderful temples –more than Bangkok, it is said. I had a made-for-tourist version of a “kantoke” dinner, a particular meal eaten, as is traditional, on the floor, with a show of traditional dance.

And finally, I stayed some days in Phuket. This is an island where people go to sunbathe. I’m not the kind of person that enjoys much going on vacation just to do this, but I thought that this time I could try to strike a balance –some days visiting in Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and some days relaxing in Phuket . But Phuket is a strange place. In Kata, where I stayed, every third shop is a tailor. And it’s absolutely full of Swedes and Finns! I could also do some snorkelling and I saw beatifully-colored fish that I had only seen in aquariums before (not really the gray Mediterranean!).
And on the very last day, we were treated to an excellent dance show in a commercial center.