13-16 March '04

The bus trip to Bangkok was unbelievable. It took five hours to get from Siem Reap to the Thai border, instead of two, due to frequent and long stops where the driver would get commission for the customers he brought in. The border was crowded and it took an hour to get through, only to have to wait again for hours for our bus to Bangkok to show up.

After three weeks of basic Cambodia, we were awestruck by the modernity of the city and its overflow of tourists. The whole backpackers area of Kao San Road was to us really insane: drunken people crashed on the street, crowds at two o'clock at night, and what a noise!!

On the morning of the 14^th, we headed for the airport for our first appointment in months: Fab's family was arriving for a two-week holiday in Thailand. Slowly they leaked in: first Gerald (Fab's brother), Ana-Luisa (his wife) and Theodore (Fab's two year old godson). Then came Jean-Michel, a friend. Last but not least, two days later Fab's mother also arrived. She headed for Ko Samui, an Island on the Southeast coast where we would join her the second week. During the first week, the younger generation(s) would visit the North of Thailand.

Change of company, change of rhythm. The Belgian "team" had to get used to the heat; we to the pace of "the baby boy" (as the Thai would call him). In Bangkok we visited some main attractions: the temple Pho Wat, where a giant lying Buddha shines her gold and the Royal Palace, where the king and queen of Siam have a nice little "pied-a-terre".

16-19 March '04

They took the plane; we took the train. The Thai train was one of the best we ever had, modern, supper served in bed and even the toilet was clean (premiere!).

The north of Thailand is supposed to be not touristy but that is a fable. We spent the whole morning finding a guesthouse that suited our different needs: air co for Toto, basic and cheap for us. Plenty of guesthouses, but most were full. In the afternoon we made a promenade to a couple of temples. Chiang Mai counts some 350 of them, so we had plenty of choice!

The next day we hired a local taxi: a pick-up where benches and a roof have been installed in the back. We hit the road for the Doi Ithanon Nature Reserve, where waterfalls sprout from Thailand's highest mountain. We visited the cheddi's on a mountaintop, a birthday gift for the beloved King Bhumibol's birthday. After that, we visited two waterfalls. The first of astonishing height and the second pleasant for a dip.

To finish we went to see the Borichinda cave. The climb was exhausting and we were on the point of giving up when we finally saw the cave. And it had been worth it. It was huge, unlit, but enough daylight entered from various shafts to see properly. Moreover, we had the impression no-one had never been there before.

19-20 March '04

A bus took us to Sukhotai where Siam's old capital was seated. A complex also referred to as "the Angkor of Thailand" was nice, but not much of a surprise to us. The most impressive temples were Wat Mahathat and Wat Sri Chum. Wat Mahathat is the main temple and has been extended throughout the centuries, resulting in a mix of architectural styles and materials, radiating from the centre. In Wat Sri Chum, outside the city walls, a giant Buddha is hidden behind a vault-like aperture in a wall. The geometry of the Buddha matches the opening perfectly, giving a great effect when advancing upon the statue.

We took an evening bus to Phitsanulok where we had to spend the night because the night trains to Bangkok were all fully booked.

21-26 March '04