Begur, Costa Brava

Last weekend saw us making our annual visit to Begur on the Costa Brava.  We stayed in the family run Hotel Rosa, where we always try to stay.  And we did the scenic walk from Begur down to Sa Tuna where we sipped beer and ate boquerones and watched the wind whipping up the sea in the normally tranquil bay.   The next day, in glorious sunshine, we walked along the coast to Sa Riera and then back inland on GR92 path (the same walk we did last year see early blog entry).  In the evening we took a hike up to Begur castle. 

 

In 1577 a general royal permit was announced to build towers for defence against pirate raids and so the area is dotted with these stone defence towers.  The towers usually had two or three floors and the occupants used a removable ladder to climb up to the upper floors.   Stones and other heavy objects were kept on the roof to throw down at enemies.  Many of these towers have been restored and now form part of posh villas.  Begur has some beautiful colonial houses.   Many of which were built by inhabitants of Begur who returned after making their fortune in Cuba.  There is one for sale with a whopping price tag of 2.9 million Euros!  I think we’ll stick to visiting!

The snow-capped Pyrenees in the distance!

A Walk In The Chilterns

We revisited this walk last weekend for the first time in five years.  It is a circular walk  much of it through wooded terrain.  The last couple of miles are along the valley floor. (link to map).  The sun was shining and it really felt like spring was on its way.  We parked the car in the quaint village of Hambleden.  Leaving the village we crossed the main road and followed the footpath sign up into Ridge Wood.  We saw a herd of deer – the most we have ever seen in one group.  (The photos aren't great!)  

We continued walking now through Great Wood.  The path descended into a valley where we follow a main track.  This track used to be rough and stoney, but is now tarmacked.  We saw lots of Red Kites soaring through the air (tried to take a photo, but missed!)  The path took us back into Great Wood and then Kimble wood.  One section was extremely muddy and the going was slow as we clung to anything we could to stop us sinking and sliding.   The final climb is rewarded with views of the windmill at Turville (the village where they filmed Vicar of Dibley).  The path then descends to the road at Skirmettt.  As we descended into Skirmett we could see the swollen Hamble brook twisting below us.   There is a good pub at Skirmett – the Frog.   The walk continues along the valley floor back to Hambleden.

It’s funny, although we haven’t done this walk for many years, the route soon came back to us.       

The walk is about 10 miles in length and took us 4 hours (including a break at the pub – of course!)   

Trang Province - The Deep South

We had heard most tourists headed for Krabi and that the beaches were crowded.  We therefore flew to Trang.  Trang is famous for rubber, oil palms, fisheries and now underwater weddings!  We stayed for one night in the Thumrin Thana Hotel a white monstrosity overlooking the town.  Trang didn’t detain us so the next day we caught a taxi  to Hat Chang Lang and the Anantara Si Kao Resort.  We had booked to stay at the Anantara for four days.  To be honest, it did feel like a resort, but was big enough that it never felt overcrowded.  The staff were attentive, friendly and helpful.  It was a great place to relax – made more so by the fact we were upgraded to a suite!  The hotel is set on the mouth of a river and is exposed to tidal fluxes.  At low tide you can walk for 200/300 metres out into the ocean and all kinds of marine life are exposed.  At high tide sea offered perfect swimming in crystal clear water.  In the distance you can see small islands, their limestone cliffs rising from the Andaman Sea.  It is possible to borrow kayaks from the hotel to explore the nearby mangroves. 

Instead, we borrowed bikes and explored the coast.  From Pak Meng pier down to the mouth of the Trang River runs approximately 30kms of lovely beaches with surprisingly little development as the shoreline is part of Hat Chao Mai National Park. 

As the tide turned and the sun set we would watch fishermen and women wade out into sea to gather in their fishing nets and crab pots.  More often than not the nets would be empty.  

Each day a speedboat would take guests to the island of Ko Kradan.  We were happy to enjoy the tranquillity of the beach and pass on the trip, but on our last day we decided to go.  Ko Kradan has white powder-like sand and turquoise water full of tropical fish.  While snorkelling in shallow water I saw fish in a myriad of colours.  Unfortunately, at midday boats arrive and disgorge huge numbers of visitors and the fantasy of a deserted paradise island is shattered.  However, if you are prepared to walk over to the other side of the island it is possible to find an empty beach.  Be warned that if the sea is rough the ride back is bumpy and it’s best to sit in the back of the boat!

Displays made of the rubbish washed up on Ko Kradan

All this plastic makes you think.

Sawat dii kah Thailand!

Nan, Northern Thailand - January 2014

We caught the bus from Chiang Mai.  The bus takes between 5 and 6 hours to get to Nan, but we decided to stop off en route at the town of Phrae - 3 hours away.  Not many western tourists visit this remote corner of northern Thailand, which was great for us!  Lots of smiles and hellos from the school children as they zoomed past on their mopeds.  Whilst in Phrae we visited the Yongburi House Museum, which was originally the residence of the lords of Phrae.  The house, built in 1897 and is painted pink and white.  The woodwork looks like white lace.

Another 2 hours on the bus took us to Nan through wonderful scenery of paddy fields and rolling hills. Nan is located 50 kms from the border with Laos.




The town of Nan is fabulous and it was everything and more than we hoped it would be. It really felt like the real Thailand.



We stayed in the wonderful Pukha Nanfa Hotel  - a traditional Thai wooden place with an open breezy terrace overlooking the bustling street below. To learn a little of Nan's history we visited the Nan National Museum.

Our stay coincided with the walking streets (night markets), which are held on Saturday and Sunday nights.   We passed on the insects and instead headed to the Poom Sam restaurant where we ate a  delicious masaman veg curry.  The food was so good we ate at Poom Sam's every evening!


The next day we visited the temples of Wat Phumin with its famous murals (see photo) and Wat Chang Kham where we had our first monk chat - a petite moment.  Wat Chang Kham is over 500 years old.  The main feature is the gold-capped Chedi, supported by stone elephants (see picture).

Another day, another temple - we needed transport to reach Wat Nong Bua as it is 50 minute drive from Nan so we enlisted the help of Fhu Travel and the owner, Oon Ang, drove us herself.  En route, we stopped off at the Riverside gallery, where, amongst other things, they had a Haiku art exhibition - if only I could read Thai!   

Wat Nong Bua is also famous for its murals.  Behind the temple it is possible to see the Tai Lue hill tribes women weaving their traditional cloth.  Each intricate design was laboriously created on an ancient loom.   

Here's one she made earlier - how could I resist!

In the evenings, we borrowed  bikes from the hotel to get out and explore the surrounding countryside, a

patchwork of paddy fields, shimmering temples and grazing cattle.  Nan is famous for its longboat racing. The races are held on this stretch of river every September/October.

It was hard to drag ourselves away from this unspoilt place, but we had booked our internal flights south and the beaches beckoned.  

Chiang Mai

As the plane touched down at Chiang Mai airport I was relieved to see lots of green hills and space.  We were staying at  the lovely Ruen-Come-In Guesthouse.  The owner’s son, Taam, met us at the airport and we soon joined the queue of traffic.  The guesthouse, built in traditional Thai style in teak, has just 5 rooms and is located just outside the centre of Chiang Mai.  Our hosts were very helpful and made us feel at home.  There are no busses in Chaing Mai - instead you hail a songthaew (communal taxi) if the driver’s going your way you agree a price and hop in, if not, you continue walking until you find one that is.   Our first morning we visited the government run Hill Tribe craft centre where I wished I had brought a bigger ruck sack.  I couldn’t resist some small souvenirs, which were placed in a recycled shopping bag depicting five different hill tribe characters.  We   walked through the city gate into the old town and headed to the river where we took a boat trip up the river, which was very relaxing.  When we got off the boat our boatman pointed to one of the characters on our shopping bag and explained that it was his very own hill tribe.    

At the weekend Chiang Mai holds its "walking streets" or night markets.  We were lucky enough to be there and headed into the throng of people.  There were colourful sights, delicious smells and enthusiastic entertainers.  We couldn't move for the mass of people.  At six o'clock an announcement came over the speaker and everyone stopped what they were doing and stood still - then the national anthem was played.  I have never witnessed anything like it - a bit like musical statues.  Once it finished everyone resumed what they had been doing before.  I later learnt that the national anthem is played in public places twice a day (eight in the morning and six in the evening) and everyone is expected to stop what they are doing.

I plucked up courage to have my first foot massage.  It was painful in parts, but all in all a relaxing experience.  The session was an hour long with the last 15 minutes dedicated to a shoulder and back massage Thai style - I thought I was going to be trampled to death as the lady literally walked all over me!  

Soi Pui Summit 1,688 mtrs

Coffee Beans 

The next day feeling revived by our massage we decided to go up the summit of Doi Suthep.  We hailed a Songthaew along with two other passengers who also wanted to go to the summit.  En route we stopped off at a coffee plantation.  The road soon deteriorated and the driver enthusiastically pointed to the track going uphill saying that was the way to the summit.  He wasn't sure how long the walk would take.  In the end it only took 50 minutes and was very low key - in fact we were the only ones making the climb to the top.   

Next stop was at a Hill Tribe village, where we wandered beyond the usual souvenir stalls and stumbled on a local sporting event where the participants wore traditional dress.  We were the only tourists watching and they seemed totally oblivious to our presence.  

Then it was back down the hill to the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep with its panoramic views over Chiang Mai (I haven't managed to capture it!)  The temple was lovely, but busy with tourists, including monks on holiday.

I had read about the government run Elephant Conservation Centre, which came highly recommended in our guidebook as being a worthwhile and ethical thing to do.  It was an hour’s drive away so entailed having to hire a driver, but I’m so pleased we did as I had an unforgettable day.   

Again, it was very low-key and there weren’t many visitors.   It was possible to get up close to the elephants and I’ve never seen such happy and healthy looking animals – sadly the ones I’ve seen in the past were working in the streets of India.  There was a German man who was volunteering at the centre and he happily told us all about his day and the fact that it is geared towards the elephant’s needs and not the tourist’s needs.  The centre recognises the intelligence of these huge beasts and encourages activities – I would not have believed an elephant could paint unless I had seen it with my own eyes!  

We went on to the town of Lampang where we had a delicious lunch at the Riverside café (my first massaman curry) where we got chatting to a couple of British cyclists who were on an epic journey through Asia.  On the drive back we stopped off at Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao Temple – there are no shortages of temples in Thailand!

Thailand

We arrived in Bangkok on New Year's Day and the City was very quiet.  We stayed in the Sukhumvit sector where some of the embassies are located.  We had 2 days to explore the city.  Day 1 we took the sky train down to the river where we hopped on a river boat stopping at various points including the grand palace.  It cost 500 Baht (£10) to get in - men have to wear long trousers and women skirts or trousers below the knee and shoulders covered. Being high season it was very busy, but even with the crowds it was possible to have a quiet moment sitting and staring up at the famous emerald Buddha.  No photos were allowed.  We took another boat across the river to the dawn temple - think this temple is more dramatic viewed from a distance.  Then a boat back and another temple this time housing a huge reclining Buddha (200 Baht entrance fee).  Another popular spot with lots of tourists.  The soles of the reclining Buddha's huge feet are inlaid with intricate patterns picked out in mother of pearl.  The boats were so busy that we walked back through China Town and past the flower market - beautiful. 


Day 2 we visited Jim Thompson's house/museum - a tranquil spot amidst the frenetic city.  Jim Thompson was an American entrepreneur responsible for making Thai silk popular with the west.   He disappeared in mysterious circumstances whilst visiting friends in Malaysia in 1967.  His traditional Thai house and his antiques have been preserved.
We had three great meals - two at very simple places and one at the more upmarket Baan Khanitha where the roasted seabass with Thai basil and chilli was sublime! 

Bangkok is a city of contrasts with shrines and temples competing with modern swanky air conditioned shopping centres selling designer goods.  Boots the chemist is a popular brand here!  Monks in saffron coloured robs walk along with their smart phones and people selling anything and everything.  The roads are choked with cars, tuktuks and busses while the sky train glides seemingly effortlessly above the chaos.  There aren't many green spaces.  I was glad to have stayed, but after 3 nights I was glad to be on my way to the city of Chiang Mai.

Flower Garlands 

The Maz Circuit

Every day I try and fit in a walk, even if it is just the “Maz Circuit.”  The Maz Circuit is the name we have given to the local walk we do.  It only takes 35 minutes, but there is a climb involved so it gets the heart pumping.  In our early days here we insisted that all our visitors did the Maz Circuit at least once in their stay!  We leave the house, walk through our tiny hamlet of Mazerolles, up past the old stone church, then right past a couple of houses and following an old mule track uphill.  The track is littered with rocks and stones, some moss-covered and lethal when wet, others worn smooth over the ages.  Often we are compelled to stop and admire the view (a good excuse to catch your breath!) Below the church and chateau of Mazerolles stretch before us and in the distance sits Najac castle.  I love the view whatever the season.  In the winter smoke unfurls from chimneys.   In the summer the trees are full of birdsong and children’s laughter floats up.  In early autumn our walking is slower as we stop to pick blackberries.  When we reach the top we are usually joined by a couple of local dogs eager to be out on a walk.  We turn left to join the main road where it is an easy walk downhill past the cemetery with its view across the hills to Najac, spread along the ridge like a string of pearls.