Memories - Talkingthailand

Tales of 2019

Following my memories in Tales of 2018, I am a little late in reminiscing about 2019, but here goes.

2019 was the first year in a long time that I had spent back home. I never thought I would be living here again, but the year started elsewhere!

January

I flew to Valencia to make a new start in a new city. I had never been before, but it appeared to be right up my street. There is street art, the city of arts and sciences and fabulous architecture and outdoor spaces – like the Gardens of Turia and the beach.

Things to do in Valencia — River Turia, Valencia

It didn’t work out there, I didn’t have the money to pay the deposit on a flat, so I made the decision to return to the UK. That was after just 2 weeks. Looking back I never really explored all my options – I could have looked at places outside the city. There is a really good metro service. Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

February

Back in the UK, I moved in with my brother and his girlfriend. My plan was to stay 6 months. I ended up living there for over a year! I am forever thankful to them for letting me stay – we had so much fun!

Things to do in Northampton — Sunday Funday!

March

I went to Rotterdam to see Chris who had recently moved there. We spent time exploring. I didn’t think much to Rotterdam that first time I went, but am glad to say it has grown on me and I love going there now for its markets, historical areas and its centre.

I also went to Amsterdam, one of my favourite cities to wander around.

April

I went to London with my sister for a day out at Camden Market – a fabulous place to hang out. We did a bit of shopping, had a few drinks and ate some food. A really great day out!

Places to go in the UK — Camden Market, London

May

I went to Fleetwood with my sister and niece. We stayed in a caravan park and had days out to the beach and Blackpool – eerily devoid of humans – which was rather nice! We went for walks and took my niece to the local farm, so she could feed the animals. It was a lovely few days away!

I also went to Portugal for a friend’s wedding. Living in Bangkok meant I missed out on a lot of things. Before the wedding, I went to Albufeira for the day and relaxed on the beach. The wedding day was fabulous, everyone was happy and I was thrilled to be able to spend time with my friends.

June

My friend Chris came to visit. We went out for dinner and drinks and had a ball – as always! I went for Thai food with other friends later in the month. The food and company were fantastic!

July

I loved the Thai food so much last month, I went back to the same restaurant with my mum and dad.

I also went to London to the Van Gogh Exhibition at Tate Britain. I used to visit art galleries all the time in Bangkok, so it was good to do it again on my home turf!

August

In August, I went to Newark to see my good friends – Doyle and Mel. We always have a good time together and this time was no different. We went out for drinks and had a BBQ the next day.

Another trip to Rotterdam and, this time, Chris and I went to Amsterdam for dinner and drinks.

September

Another art exhibition, this time closer to home. Northampton artist, Aasen Stephenson’s Death on Two Legs. His leaf creations are fantastic! I am not sure I would have the patience nor the dexterity!

October

October came around and I was off to Ibiza – a very different trip for me. I used to go there to party until the sun came up and beyond! The closest I got to that was having fun at the mini disco with my sister and niece! But we had a fabulous time and I got to spend time with friends who were there at the same time!

November

I went on a girly weekend to celebrate a friend’s 40th. We sang, we danced, we laughed, we ate and we drank! We made some fab memories!

December

I spent the end of the year in Brussels. It was great to walk around seeing all the sights, having food and drinks by myself. I like the solitude. Although, I was looking forward to the first day of 2020 when my friend Chris was coming to visit!

All in all, my 2019 was a great year! I travelled a bit and went to a couple of art exhibitions, but most of all, I got to spend precious time with my wonderful family and friends.

Sending love and peace your way!

A Day Out in Albufeira Old Town

When I was in Portugal, I took a day trip to Albufeira. From my hotel, it took around 25 minutes to travel the 13 km journey by taxi.

My first glimpse of the lovely old town was a leafy avenue flanked with shops, restaurants and market stalls selling the usual touristy items like fridge magnets and postcards.

Whenever I go anywhere, I usually have a plan of where I want to go and what I want to see, but today was different – I had no plan. I was happy just wandering around.

First, I had some lunch and, as I was sitting in the restaurant, I spotted this impressive sand statue across the road. I had to take a picture or two (three!). Imagine the time it took to carve all the details and create something so brilliant.

I wandered along the small streets further into town, the white-washed buildings and the mosaic-like stones on the ground sparkling in the sunlight.

Albufeira Old Town is small, so it didn’t take long before I found myself in the main square which is surrounded with more bars and restaurants – a lovely place to hang out with friends. The trees providing shade if you want to just sit and watch the world go by.

I circled the square and found more narrow alleys to explore. The little streets are beautiful with different patterned cobblestones, pretty balconies and orange-tiled roofs.

Another thing I noticed, is that the old town of Albufeira is quite hilly, so be prepared to work up a sweat if you want to visit the archaeological museum or this lovely church on Rua Da Bateria.

On the same street, you’ll also see this plaque where the doorway of Albufeira castle used to be.

From Rua da Bateria, you get some really good views out to sea.

I love the street signs.

I also love all the colourful buildings that have been transformed into cute little bars with outside seating – perfect for a quick break from sightseeing.

From the highest point of the town, you get good views looking back over the town and aerial views of those lovely little streets.

If you get back onto Rue 5 de Outubro, the main pedestrian street in Albufeira, you will see a tunnel which leads to the beach.

If you don’t fancy sunbathing, you can simply stand and feel the fresh sea air on your face.

Heading back into town, I pass ornate balconies and doors.

Before settling in Paulos bar for a few drinks.

I had a really lovely day out in Albufeira’s old town. There is probably lots more to see, so I, for one, will be going back when I can. I hope you enjoyed the little tour. 🙂

On the Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage Exhibition – Take 2

Following my first photo exhibition – On the Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage – at Dialogue Coffee and Gallery back in 2017, I was lucky enough to find a new venue to do it all again!

Chris and I already knew of a little bar on Soi Nana called 23 Bar and Gallery. We used to go there for drinks. One day, I rustled up the courage to ask the owner – Mongkol – if it was possible to exhibit my photos in the art gallery upstairs. He said, YES!

23 bar and gallery is an old shop house with 2 floors, similar to Dialogue, but on a smaller scale. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to show the same 11 photos that I’d exhibited at Dialogue. But, that didn’t worry me, I was just happy that I got a chance to show my work a second time.

It was due to start on 9th February 2018, so a week beforehand, Chris and I schlepped across the city with the chosen photos to set up!

We were greeted by a cheerful Mongkol who handed us some nails, a hammer, and asked if we wanted a beer! It was thirsty work in the hot gallery upstairs!

It took us all of an hour, even less, to get everything set up. Maybe because we were experts at it after my first exhibition, probably because there were fewer pictures and we didn’t have to use wire to hang the photos!

We went and sat outside on the street with another beer. Mongkol seemed happy that I had chosen his bar to hold my exhibition, so he offered to pay for the beers. He even bought a pizza for us, which we ordered from El Chiringuito – a little Tapas bar down the road. We tried to pay him, but he wasn’t having any of it.

It turned out to be such a fun day.

We arrived for the opening night. My friends from work came along too as well as a few more people who popped in for a drink and wandered upstairs to take a look.

I didn’t sell anything this time, but it was still a proud moment for me.

Afterwards, we continued the party in Silom before heading home.

I have plans to do another exhibition somewhere in my home town and I’ll be researching potential venues when I can – watch this space!

The photos used for both exhibitions were a selection from my book – On The Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage.

You can also check out this video if you would like to see all the photos from my book.

I also created this short video of the photos used in my exhibitions.

I hope you enjoyed sharing this very special memory with me! 🙂

A Day Out in Krabi with Chrissy and Gilly

I hope you enjoy this video I created of Chrissy and Gilly’s day out in Krabi 😉

It was such a fun day out! Tell me about your fun days out!

A Day Trip to Krabi

Chris and I took a day trip to Krabi, a little over 782 km from Bangkok. A long way to go for a day trip, especially as we were only going for lunch!

We’ve had some crazy ideas in the past, but this has got to be the craziest. (Until, we do it again somewhere in Europe that is!)

I’d gone round to Chris’ house one day for a few drinks and we started talking about how great it would be to take a day trip somewhere. We decided on Krabi and a few more drinks later, we took the bull by the horns, and just booked it, all for the ridiculously cheap price of around £20.

The day arrived. We met at the skytrain at 6.30 a.m, made our way to the airport, and at 8.55 a.m took off on our way south.

We arrived in Krabi at 10.15 a.m and went looking for the market, so we could start our day with food in our bellies. We had Massaman, a Thai dish with chicken, potatoes, onions, peanuts and a combination of spices. It’s so tasty, we had 2 rounds along with a plate (or 2) of catfish.

Things to eat in Thailand — Catfish. Photo credit: Chris Wotton

Once fed and watered, we took a songthaew to Ao Nang beach.

Ao Nang has a laid-back vibe filled with many restaurants and shops along its short promenade. It also has the most beautiful stretch of sand, flanked by gorgeous cliffs, palm trees, and blue water with views out to Koh Poda.

Apart from lunch, another thing on our agenda was to paddle in the sea. The feeling of the cool water on our feet was refreshing. We wished we had taken our swimming gear because the ocean was inviting us in for a dip!

After a while, we headed off in the direction of the nearest bar. One with a rooftop, so we could sit and enjoy the views with our afternoon drinks. It was heaven!

We soon moved to a new bar with equally fabulous views out over the water. This day was just perfect.

All too soon, our day trip to Krabi was coming to an end. We went back to Krabi town and then caught the bus back to the airport.

Once back in Bangkok, we took a taxi to Devilish, one of our favourite hang-out places, and had a late night dinner. We talked about our day and realised we had travelled 1,600 km and been out for 17 hours!

It was one of the best days out I’ve ever had. Mind you, it took a good few days to get over it! But, it was worth it and I’d do it again in a heartbeat!

Images of Bangkok

There are many things to see in Bangkok – The Grand Palace, Jim Thompson’s House, Khao San Road and much more. While these places are awesome, I sometimes looked for the not so obvious. There are many things hidden around the city, you just have to look for them!

I hope you enjoy this short video of my images of Bangkok.

You never know what you might find!

Chulachomklao Fort, Bangkok

When I lived in Bangkok, I did my fair share of exploring. A colleague told me about Chulachomklao Fort, around 29 km south of Bangkok. It sounded interesting, so I decided to visit.

Getting there was fun, I only knew that I had to take the 145 bus to Pak Nam market, then take a boat across the river. The boat chugged its way around a small island towards the pier in Phra Samut Chedi District. You’ll see lush greenery and birds gathering to grab whatever titbits they can from the local fishermen.

It always seems a bit of an adventure when you don’t really know the way, so I just went with the flow. I had to find a market on the other side which wasn’t too difficult after I’d asked a couple of people. From there, I had to locate a truck which would take me to the fort.

Chulachomklao Fort was built in 1884 during the reign of King Rama V. Its main purpose was to defend Thailand against enemies and those seeking to colonise.

I wandered around the gun park where you can see all the different types of artillery and other weapons that were used when the fort was active.

This proud statue of King Rama V stands at the front of the fort.

You’ll also see the entrance to the bunkers which house the disappearing guns.

Inside the bunker, there is a long open corridor..

with doors leading to low underground tunnels..

and the guns at the end.

The disappearing guns were used only once in 1893 when the fort protected the sovereignty of Thailand from French invasion.

They were designed to be hauled up by their hydro-pneumatic system for firing and lowered again afterwards.

Also at the fort is H.T.M.S Maeklong. She was in service for 60 years and deployed during WWII.

It’s fun to scamper about on her decks!

You get good views across the Gulf of Thailand too!

As you move around the park, you’ll come across this ordinary telegraph pole.

It was constructed in 1869 as the first telegraph cable between Bangkok and Paknam. Unfortunately, the service was unsuccessful. 6 years later, the Thai Department of Defence constructed an underwater telegraph line for messages concerning sea traffic to be transmitted.

There is also a lovely mangrove walk you can take.

With some Macaques for company.

If you ignore them, which you should, they won’t take a blind bit of notice of you.

There is more nature to be seen if you’re lucky.

After I’d seen everything, I made my way back to the pier and across the Chao Praya River towards home.

If you’re ever in Bangkok and want to see something just a bit different, Chulachomklao Fort is a fabulous place to visit for the day.

For more places to go in Bangkok, check out the following posts.

A Guide to Nature in Bangkok

Places to Visit in Bangkok – With a Twist

Cycling Around Chiang Rai

When I was in Chiang Rai, I hired a bicycle and explored the gorgeous countryside. What surprised me was the lack of people, there was hardly anyone around, even the people who lived there seemed to be missing. So, I had no problems cycling on the roads, I wouldn’t have dared in Bangkok!

First stop was Wat Huay Pla Kang and an enormous statue on the hill, which is so large, I could see the top of its head from my accommodation, some 2 kilometres away. Locally known as the Big Buddha, it’s not a Buddha at all. This impressive hillside statue is a depiction of the Goddess of Mercy from Chinese Buddhism – Guan Yin also known as Kuan Eim (กวนอิม) or Prah Mae Kuan Eim in Thailand.

As you approach the temple complex, the huge statue looms over the countryside.

There are several buildings there and this 9-tier pagoda is guarded by a couple of golden lions at the base of the staircase leading up to the entrance.

The day I visited it was delightfully empty of tourists, so I happily scampered around the grounds taking photos of all the temples. This white temple is reminiscent of the more famous Wat Rong Khun, also in Chiang Rai.

It’s the statue of Guan Yin that takes your breath away. It’s colossal, standing at 90 metres high with 23 storeys. If you want, you can take the lift up inside the statue where you get spectacular views of the countryside.

I didn’t, I just walked up the stairs, flanked by white dragons,

and strolled around the base of the statue.

The views of this green and mountainous region of Chiang Rai, even from the top of staircase, are just as impressive.

You can also get a good view of the other temples from up on the hill.

Smaller Buddha statues surround Guan Yin.

It’s free to visit Wat Huay Pla Kang. However, if you want to go inside the statue of Guan Yin there is a small fee of 40 Baht (Just over 1 GBP) – a small price to pay to experience this fabulous attraction.

Next stop was Wat Rong Suea Ten or the Blue Temple, a gorgeous, blue building with ornately carved gold decoration.

It is quite simply, stunning! I have never seen anything like it in Thailand before.

Part of the temple was under construction, but you can still see how beautiful it is.

There are many statues around the complex too – all a fabulous shade of blue.

The gold decoration is lovely!

There are other interesting elements to the temple. The tiger refers to a time when tigers could be found in the area. The name of the temple – Suea Ten – means “dancing tiger.”

I actually preferred it to the White Temple, if only for the lack of tourists!

I only wish I’d have gone inside because it’s arguably more beautiful than the outside – if that is at all possible. There’s always next time!

Onward on my trusty steed, I cycled away from the Blue Temple towards my next destination of the day. Bypassing glorious countryside on the way.

I was heading to Wat Tham Phra (Buddha Images Cave). Along the way, I spotted a small golden chedi and a gateway with lions standing on stone plinths on either side.

I cycled a little further and saw a huge Buddha carved into the rock and steps leading up to a cave. This wasn’t the one I was heading towards, according to the map I was still two clicks away. I turned around and went to investigate.

I parked my bike and tentatively walked up the steps taking care not to slip on the moss. At the top was a door leading into the cave. This was Wat Tham Tu Pu.

My heart was thudding. I half expected to see some poor soul, who had made their home there, or a snake in the shadows, none to happy that I had disturbed it. I saw neither, but I still felt a litle spooked. In the darkness, I was met with a pair of eyes staring back at me – it was a Buddha statue – but that only became apparent as my eyes got used to the darkness.

It was really eerie in the cave, so I didn’t hang around very long. I was happy to be outside in the light again!

Still feeling a bit unnerved, I cycled away as quickly as I could! Before long, I arrived at the last port of call – Wat Tham Phra (Buddha Images Cave).

A larger cave and not as scary with a number of Buddhist statues and altars inside.

The people there were preparing for some kind of celebration, so I had a quick look inside and then left to go back to the homestay. More gorgeous views along the way.

I arrived back at the homestay after cycling some 10 kilometres around Chiang Rai. I spent the evening with a cold beer or two and relished in the quiet surround sound!

First Day in Chiang Rai

In June 2018, I spent a wonderful 4 days in the north of Thailand, I went to Chiang Rai.

I’d wanted to go to Chiang Rai for ages, not only to visit the White Temple, but also to see Phu Chi Fah (the Sea of Mist.) I later realised that I was going at the wrong time of year to see the mist, the best time is around February. So, apart from the White Temple, there wasn’t much else I planned to do. For this reason, I wondered whether it would be best to stay in the town or somewhere in the countryside. In the end, I chose to stay at Ban Lom Jen Homestay which is about 12 kilometres outside of the city.

It was the best decision I could have made. I found myself in such beautiful surroundings.

With not a soul in sight.

When I arrived, the owner, Son, greeted me and showed me to my room. She told me that this was the first day of the season and I was the only guest. Could this day get any better?

I dumped my bags and took a short walk to explore my surroundings.

The Kok River was nearby, so I walked along the path taking in the beauty of the place. It was so peaceful.

To add to the serenity, this huge, white Buddha statue was a lovely sight.

The lovely colours of the countryside – all different shades of greens and browns.

This was my first time in Chiang Rai and I was amazed at how beautiful it was – and I hadn’t gone any further than across the road from my accommodation. I couldn’t wait to see more. I returned to my room and ate satay chicken and drank a couple of bottles of Singha beer. After dinner, I sat outside and wrote for a while before picking up my book. It was so peaceful sitting there as day turned to night. All I could hear was the sounds of the insects. It was a really good start to my trip.

I was so taken aback at just how stunning Chiang Rai was, it inspired me to write a couple of posts about what I saw.

Get Inspired About What You See

Poetry in Motion

The Making of a Photo Exhibition

The year was 2015 and I’d been living in Bangkok for a few months. I used to love wandering around the city taking photos and writing about what I’d done.

I was doing some research to find out if there were any castles in Thailand when I came across a map, produced by the European Union National Institutes for Culture in Thailand (EUNIC), that had information on European heritage. I started reading and decided that I was going to start my own little project for Talkingthailand.

I made a list of the places I wanted to find and started to explore the city. I was really interested in the history behind them. I also love walking, so I thought it would be a good idea if I could combine both of these things and create a book so people could learn about the history and go in search of these places for themselves.

That’s how my idea for On The Trail of Bangkok’s European Heritage was born. A year later, I self-published my first book. I was very proud of myself.

As someone who loves taking photographs, I always wanted to hold my own photo exhibition and my idea was that I could exhibit photos from my book.

I already knew of just the place. Dialogue Coffee and Gallery – a small Indie cafe on Phra Sumen Road. I knew the owner, Narin, because I had already reached out to him to have a copy of my book on show. Narin told me that anyone could display their work in the art and exhibition space upstairs. Anyone, who wasn’t well-known that is – enter me!

After discussing the details, the date was set. I was really happy, but soon realised I had less than a month to sort everything out. At least this gave me a kick up the butt to get on and do it!

There are 47 places of interest that feature in my book and I knew the gallery space at Dialogue was too small to hold them all. The first thing I did with my faithful assistant, Chris, was to go back to Dialogue to measure the space. I’d already bought some frames, so I knew how big the photos would be. We returned to Chris’ house and replicated the space with a tape measure and books to try and work out the spacing between the frames. Once we had finished our makeshift gallery, I knew I had room for 11 photos, so I bought the rest of the frames.

The next thing I had to do was get the photos printed as 20×30 inch prints. This was easy as there was a photo shop near my home who did an excellent job. I also had postcards and bookmarks printed for sale. Other items such as a price list and information cards for each photo were created by me and printed at home.

A few days before the exhibition opening night, Chris and I transported the 11 framed photos and other items over to Dialogue to set up. Much to our pleasant surprise, our dry run in Chris’ living room proved to have been worthwhile. The photos were hung in the places we’d planned!

It took more or less the whole day to hang the photos in their designated spaces, to lay out all the postcards and bookmarks for sale, and to make sure the space was as perfect as we could get it!

A few days later, we returned to Dialogue all suited and booted for the opening night!

We arrived, had one final check to make sure everything was in its place (and the photos hadn’t fallen down), started the music up from Chris’ laptop, and waited for my guests to arrive.

I’d already invited people I knew, so at least I would have a few people there. To my surprise a few folks came who had just popped into the cafe and realised there was an exhibition going on.

I even managed to sell a photo and a couple of books. So, all in all, a very successful evening.

My exhibition ran from 3 – 25 November 2017 and all too soon it was time to return to Dialogue to take down the photos.

I am immensely proud that one of the things I wanted to do had become a reality. It was a great experience and one where I got to put skills to use such as creativity, organisation, and collaboration. I couldn’t have done it alone though and, thankfully, I had my trusty assistant, Chris, to help every step of the way!

The photos that made the cut..