Jac’s Journey

Ko Tao was all about diving, beach bumming and getting my head around the fact that this is pretty much my last stop in Asia.

Ten days of the long goodbye. What better way to spend it than underwater?

On Ko Tao, I went diving 15 times. My confidence has grown so much, and with it, my enjoyment of diving. I’ve learned to relax and not think so much about what I’m doing. More is coming naturally, to the extent that my divemaster had to come up with creative ways to get my attention underwater – I was too busy watching the fish! It just keeps getting better; the experience of thousands of fish finning gracefully past, seeing something new for the first time, seeing something huge and impressive, seeing something rare, something tiny and beautiful. It’s a sensory delight. The feeling of moving through the water easily, hanging effortlessly in mid-water watching schoals of fish above and below, breathing underwater. Although carrying heavy diving equipment, you’re essentially weightless and float through the underwater world as easily as the teeming fish around you.

I won’t bore you by reeling off all the fish I saw, or all the things I’ve learned about the underwater world. Before I started diving, I couldn’t recognise a fish unless it was on my plate, but as I grew to love the sensations of being underwater, in their world, I started learning about different fish and their characteristics, which has made the whole experience more interesting.

There are some real personalities under the water. One of my favourites is the clown fish – of Finding Nemo fame. He lives in an anemone, which in itself is very beautiful, and whenever a scuba diver swims near, this tiny, fiesty fish swims out and starts shouting in fishy language. In my head they shout at me in a Glaswegian accent and I always imagine the old-fashioned Glasgow Bus Conductresses saying “C’mon you, Get aff” as they tell me to beat it the hell away from their anemone.

But one of my most exciting encounters was while snorkelling rather than diving…

Most of the year, you’re guaranteed to see sharks when diving on Ko Tao. While I was there, they were all away mating in deeper waters, so not a single shark to be found at any of the dive sites.

Not to be put off so easily, I headed to Shark Bay where you can go snorkelling off the beach and see baby sharks in their ‘nursery’! With hired mask and fins, I set off into the water, catching my leg on some rock while I was putting my fins on. A short time later, my leg started to sting. A brief inspection showed a flow of blood seeping out of my leg. So there I was, hunting for sharks, with blood pouring out of my leg!

Vivid shark-movie scenes flashed through my head and on top of the apprehensiveness I was feeling anyway, I got my backside out of the water and onto on the beach.

About a week later, I gave it another go, this time in the bay around the corner from where I was staying at Tanote. I had friends in the next bay, and snorkelled round to see them. I coincided my snorkel trip with underwater feeding time in the late afternoon and got to see so many beautiful fish hunting and chasing each other. On the way back to my own bay, I was moving slowly, gazing down through 5 metres of crystal clear water, when I saw it.

‘Oh, there’s a shark.’

In much the same way as you might say ‘Oh, there’s my neighbour’, while shopping in Marks and Spencer.

It was a Black Tip Reef Shark, over a metre long, and I stopped to watch it gracefully move through the water, framed by the field of staghorn coral below.

I’d been unsure how I would react when I saw a shark. The logical facts are that there’s practically no risk. Apparently, last year, 8 people were killed in shark attacks, 12 people were killed by falling coconuts and 25 people were killed by elephants.

But Stephen Spielberg didn’t make a film about coconuts!

Very proud of myself, I continued to make my way home. ‘I’ve swam with sharks and I wasn’t even scared!’ Puff of breath on the back of the hand, she polishes her lapel. Go me!

Ha. About 20 minutes later, nearly home, in murkier water, I looked to my left and saw Mr Shark again. Swimming just below the surface about 6 or 7 metres to my left. There was something much more sinister seeing him in murky water at the same level as me: the shadow of that upright fin, the shark-shape of his body, that Jaw. I had been calm seeing him from above, but on seeing him to my side, my fins started going like pistons to get me round that rock and safely home. I take it all back!

Ko Tao was the perfect place to say farewell and thanks for the good times, Asia. I loved going diving every day, loved learning about the underwater world. By the time I left, I was ready to face flying ‘down under’ and excited about doing more diving in Australia.

Singapore, then Sydney, here I come!

Koh Tao

Walking through the Siam Centre, I could have been in New York. Young people carried themselves with confidence; trendy and glam, kitted out in the latest fashions, their funky hairstyles decorated by iPod earphones descending to designer pockets, manicured nails punching into all-singing all-dancing mobile phones. A Thai pop group played on the outdoor stage to a large crowd of adoring fans, while commuters glanced up from their BlackBerries as they waited on the Skytrain platform.

Later, at the fantastic Bumrungrad hospital, I was surrounded by people from every continent, as scores of rich Saudis waited for their cheap, high quality healthcare, burka-clad women sharing waiting rooms with the long slim legs of young Thai girls in designer skirts.

Sitting in my worn-out traveller gear, I stuck out like a raggy-nailed sore thumb.

I passed through quickly a few months ago, but spending a little longer this time, I am amazed by how much Bangkok has changed since my last visit in 2001. It’s slicker, there are more cars, fewer tuk tuks and bikes, it smells less and seems more westernised.

Many travellers I’ve spoken to turn their noses up at Bangkok, but it really depends what you’re looking for. It’s hard to beat for shopping – apparently people from Hong Kong and Singapore now fly to Bangkok to shop! It’s one of the best places in Asia to get healthcare. You can eat in top class restaurants, food from every continent, visit amazing sights and stay in some of the best hotels in the world.

What you don’t get is an authentic Thai experience, and the people who come here looking for that are missing the point. You can’t take a direct flight from hundreds of different countries and expect the destination to be ‘unspoilt Asia’. When thousands of people can, and do, get here easily from all over the world, you end up with a cosmopolitan environment, and that’s exactly what Bangkok has.

I decided to stay on Khao San Road this time. I’ve avoided staying here in the past, but with a long to-do list, the tourist services around the place would be convenient. It’s cheesy, tacky and garish. And I quite respect that. It’s not trying to be anything other than cheesy and tacky, and it’s proud of it. Gaun yersel Khao San. I do wonder where all these people with dreadlocks come from though – I’ve been travelling in Asia for 8 months and have never seen so many dreadlocks. Folk must wash them out on the overnight train as they leave. I did resist the call of the dreadlock-maker on the street. I’d had a second Cambodian haircut before leaving Phnom Penh, which was a bit of a mistake; dreadlocks will not improve matters, I fear.

With my to-do list complete, it was time to hit the beach, so I set off on the night bus and ferry to Ko Tao. A tropical island paradise with loads of diving and beach bumming…ahhhhh

Bangkok

Calling all readers!

I’m on the threshold of leaving Asia, the promised land as far as knock-off music and movies is concerned. Not, of course, that I would ever condone counterfeit activity. Ahem.

Having recently purchased a delicious new laptop, I can at last buy music and put it on my iPod and buy DVDs to watch.

I’ve been out of the loop for the last 9 months so desperately need your recommendations:

– Great new artists on the music scene I should listen to

– Great music albums that’ve come out in the last 9 months

– Great movies

Thanks in advance!!

After Thailand coming as a bit of a surprise to me, I headed for Chiang Mai ‘cos it was a place I’d really wanted to visit last time, but couldn’t fit it in. I’ve had a lovely (nearly) 2 weeks here; wandering around wats, strolling city walls and moats, cycling to the forest, lounging by the pool (yes, I splashed out – 9 quid a night – on a great place that has a pool!), partaking of Pad Thai, reading a ton of books and haggling in the markets. It’s been good for me to get the old grey matter moving by learning some new skills – I really enjoyed learning Thai Massage.

But at the back of my mind, it’s been turning over and over…where next, where next?

In one of my beloved second-hand bookshops, I picked up a Thailand guidebook. Scanning through the pages, I just couldn’t get excited…Pai, yip, would be lovely, ho hum, Mai Sariang, hmmm, yip, anything else, Chiang Rai, dum de dum. They’re all fantastic places but my excitement level was well below acceptable. Just not good enough.

I worried about this for a few days. I’m nearly 6 months into my trip. This is the point when people tend to get a little travel-weary. And I have had to give myself a kick up the jacsky a couple of times already – reminding myself how lucky I am to have this opportunity. But another swift havaiana to the posterior just wasn’t doing it.

I started to generate other options, and found excitement in Laos! So, I’m heading there tomorrow. I get the bus to Chiang Khong, stay there one night, then cross to Laos the next morning. My current plan is to head a little way south along the Mekong, pick up a north-bound boat at a little village/river-port, then take a 2-day boat trip north up the Nam Tha River to a protected area that specialises in eco-tourism and trekking.

And I’m really excited!!

I’m not sure why I couldn’t find excitement in Thailand’s destinations – there are loads of gorgeous places in this country. Perhaps it’s been spending so long here in Chiang Mai… I have been amazed at the massive numbers of loud-mouthed mid-American tourists who talk inane nonsense, at the top of their voices, drowning out all other conversation in the restaurant/coffee shop/city square!!! There are several of them in my guesthouse, and the horrible kids are just like the rude parents. Pah!

Or maybe I just needed a new challenge. I think I’m going to find that in Laos…!

Here are some photos from Chiang Mai – I’m having uploading problems at the moment, so have more to add – come back soon! [later edit - more photos added]

Chiang Mai

Well, this is a surprise! I wasn’t expecting to be in Thailand for a couple of months yet.

But, things change, and it’s one of my favourite aspects of travelling!

Arriving into Bangkok I made my way to one of the worst hostels I’ve ever stayed in. Got hardly any sleep ‘cos I was convinced the bed was full of all kinds of creepy-crawlies, then got the hell outta there and onto the overnight train to Chiang Mai.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Bangkok. Last time I was there was 7 years ago and I want to go and visit all those wonderful sights again. I loved them so much last time and want to get some digital photos, cos the previous photos are all on film. But, I’ll be back later this trip, and Chiang Mai was calling.

Chiang Mai is a special place. A mountain city, it’s Thailand’s second city and a major tourist haunt. There are almost as many westerners around the city centre as there are Thais. With that comes all kinds of treats like great coffee shops and restaurants, second hand bookshops, fast internet everywhere and loads to see and do.

The guidebooks say it’s the sort of place where you come for a few days and stay for a few weeks. And it’s happening to me!

I spent a few days wandering around, gazing at temples, the city walls, drinking coffee and browsing markets. I hired a bike and braved the Thai traffic to head out to a Wat (temple) in the middle of the forest outside the city. I’ve had massages and chilled out, reading loads of books and then swapped them for new ones at the second hand bookshops.

While I’m here, I’ve decided to learn some new skills! Today I went outside the city to an organic farm where I learned to cook 5 different Thai dishes – and pretty well if I do say so myself! For those of you who’ve tasted the delights of my Thai red curry, just wait ’til you taste the new/improved one! And boy can I make great spring rolls! Mmmmm. I’ve got a whole recipe book to try out on you when I get back. If anyone fancies getting their hands on a recipe before then, email me and I’ll send through whatever you fancy.

Tomorrow I start a course to learn Thai Massage. It’s the traditional Thai approach blended with Chinese acupressure, so the perfect kind of massage for me to bring home from this trip!

Ahem…get in line…believe it or not, there’s already a queue!

And then, once I get through with that, there’s a whole load of temples and countryside and villages to see…I may be some time…