Walks in the Kingdom of Siam (page 5 of 11)

I still love your writing as much as your gorgeous photos, Joël, Françoise! Thanks for this beautifully illustrated new page in your travel journal! 😉😉😉

Our outing takes us through the temple esplanade: among other things, a massive reclining Buddha welcomes visitors there.







Since the opportunity presents itself, we make a quick stop along the way to stock up on pineapples. The vendor sells them for 10 baht each and... wow, they’re delicious.

Another stop in the countryside to cool off with an iced coffee lets us watch the local geese splashing in the water and drying their feathers. Of course, it’s also the chance for our driver to feed the fish. Every Thai person in their life feeds the fish.

Come on, one more little stroll through the forest to get some fresh air at the foot of majestic trees while admiring the flowing water.







On the way back to the hotel, our driver gets really worried when Joel rushes to the reception desk. - What did I do wrong? Throughout the trip, we enjoyed the wonderful Thai songs stored on her USB stick—she even sang along at times. The receptionist explained to her that we wanted to copy her files, which reassured her and filled her with happiness.

You should’ve seen how the hotel staff went out of their way to help us...

Now we’ve got a huge collection of Thai songs just the way we like them, just when we were starting to think we’d never manage it. The equivalent of years of searching on YouTube.

Good evening,

I really love Françoise's photos—some of them have such a special charm.

This travel journal is a real treat for the eyes.

It’s great that you took the time (and it takes quite a bit!) to post such an image-rich journal.

The message got through to her 😉

Year in, year out, we come back with a good 1,500 photos and about 5 to 7 hours of footage.

We’ve really put in a lot of effort so far to provide as many details as possible, and as accurately as possible. But the writing time, wow!! It’s tough to keep up that effort over time. It’s true that many people solemnly talk about sharing, but only if they’re the ones benefiting from it. The few travel journals that came together because ours existed—that was a truly rewarding experience (you could count them on one hand).

So, it’s up to each person to decide: a travel journal for the eyes, for memories and nostalgia, to inspire others to go and return.

Absolutely thrilled it’s spicing up your early evenings!

Hello

Year in, year out, we come back with around 1,500 photos and about 5 to 7 hours of videos.

Wow… and here I am bringing back fewer than 50 photos and 1 hour of videos, thinking that’s a lot…

The few travel journals that came together because ours existed—those were beautiful experiences (you could count them on one hand).

Well! What matters isn’t the number. What’s nice is that it happened and will happen again. As you say, it’s always a pleasure.

It’s true that many solemnly invoke sharing, but only on the condition that they just get to enjoy it.

I’m happy that people read my travel journals. It’s up to them to make their own if they feel like it, and if they just enjoy them, that’s fine too.

I think we should write travel journals because we want to, because we enjoy it. It doesn’t matter if others just get to enjoy them.

Absolutely thrilled that it spices up your early evenings!

For me, I love your travel journals because they inspire my next trip. I also enjoy reading the little everyday anecdotes. Those small moments that could seem ordinary but, for some reason, become a bit unexpected. Like the retired teachers you crossed paths with, for example.

Have a wonderful day.

Tonight, just dessert. 10 baht for pineapple.

https://youtu.be/8_tzYi6cBBM

It looks so easy when you see her do it, but I just can’t manage it 🏴‍☠️

I can eat them even faster than she can cut them.

Last year, I stuffed myself so much that the acidity irritated my lips. 😮

Between the pineapples and the little waterfall

https://youtu.be/G8lBEAIIt3M

I can eat them even faster than she can cut them.

Last year, I stuffed myself so much that the acidity irritated my lips. 😮

Oh yeah, it’s really too good 🙂. Between the pineapples and the mangoes... Every time, I end up eating a ton of them 😉.

Among the many old residences in the city, we chose to discover another one.

It’s less lavishly furnished, but some refined objects are displayed in glass cases, and there are quite a few period photographs.

















Nearby, there’s a temple we can’t visit due to renovation work—only the museum is open. As usual, it’s a bit of a jumble, poorly lit, with a little too much dust... but still full of treasures.

We’re strolling down a small street when we hear traditional music playing. No sooner do we start approaching than a very outgoing woman calls out to us. - Want to listen to traditional music? Want to come in? - Oh yes, ma’am, if we’re not disturbing you!

After putting away the big dog that would’ve loved to nip at our backsides, we get to meet this retired teacher couple whose hobby is teaching traditional music to kids who wouldn’t otherwise have access to it.

The husband is as shy as the wife is exuberant—she’s a real whirlwind of energy. She tells us Thai kids are way too shy and encourages them to open up and communicate more.

We enjoy these old-time sounds while being offered refreshments. To do things properly, they give us a tour of the house, which is a museum of musical instruments. Now we understand why they have a dog—to scare off potential thieves.

We’re really glad we emailed them the photos we took, just like we did for Noey and the four businesswomen. Promises kept, a little thoughtfulness sent to the other side of the world...



For the second time, we plan to head back to the hotel, but once again, we’re stopped by shouts at regular intervals. Here’s the thing: in the Kingdom of Siam, if you film or photograph a ceremony, expect to be approached or even invited. We ended up witnessing the family’s arrival and the novice monk throwing candy.

That’s how we found ourselves with the whole family in a small temple, attending the young monk’s presentation. We wouldn’t have dared, but they didn’t hesitate—they decided for us. Everyone seemed thrilled to have us there, showering us with smiles, even though our presence felt a bit out of place.

Françoise won their hearts when she offered to take photos with their phones, saving them from the awkwardness of not having the person taking the photo in the picture. The highlight was when the monk said the word "farang" twice, and everyone turned to us, laughing. Maybe we were just a good omen... or maybe they would’ve invited us anyway, even without one! The ceremony dragged on, so we eventually slipped away, making sure to say goodbye to everyone—and they did the same. That morning, we collected plenty of smiles...

Night had fallen by the time we wandered through this provincial night market, with its smells and flavors as authentic as ever.

But what amazing encounters— the ceremony for the monk’s “ordination” is truly one-of-a-kind! 🙂

Awesome travel journal! Gorgeous landscapes, but also local life and a touch of humor!

Hi Melanie,

I’m so glad your first compliments for a travel journal went to mine

I also see you didn’t waste any time—right after joining the site—sharing your knowledge with other members. Not something you see every day, I think...

Like magic, with just a click on my username, my other journals appear. I think you’ll like them just as much, and they’re more detailed.

Thanks, I’m discovering the forum little by little—there are so many interesting topics! I try to help if I can with my small experience, and I read other travelers’ posts with great interest.

I’ll definitely check out the rest of the travel journals. I’m always on the lookout for new destinations!

But what amazing encounters—witnessing the monk "ordination" ceremony is truly one-of-a-kind! 🙂

https://youtu.be/NK2MXGhXFq4

Magnificent

We spotted a place that seems interesting, quite off the tourist highway, but it first requires a several-hour bus ride. At the bus station, we still have to take a local bus for a good hour. You know, the kind that barely has any shock absorbers left and has fans instead of air conditioning. But it’s always a totally exotic experience. And let’s be honest, the fare is only 25 baht for two people for a journey of several dozen kilometers.

This bus drops us off in a village by the side of the road, but the problem is that the hotel’s phone number is either wrong or no one answers. No worries, though—the man we buy a drink from takes care of us and even gets help from the little vendor next door.

We arrive without any issues at a huge property bought over twenty years ago by a very wealthy Thai man, who decided to turn it into a haven of peace for elephants that had known a life of suffering. He bought his first elephant from a poor man who was dragging it through the streets of Bangkok. The animal found part of its food in the nearby dump.

Here, everything is done for the elephants rather than the visitors: we just get what the animals are willing to offer. No fancy shows, not even washing the animals or rolling around with them in the mud while they roam in semi-freedom.

The overall setting is stunning: in an endless corridor, a valley is topped by a row of hills where the tropical forest is preserved.



The reception hall is monumental, resting on extremely tall pillars with nets to keep birds out. You almost feel like you’re at the entrance to Jurassic Park.

The manager speaks English and German and can arrange all sorts of outings. He explains that they prioritize hiring locals, which explains a few rough edges in the service—but a jungle resort isn’t your typical resort. The bungalows cover a vast area, right in the middle of the forest. The pool area alone could host a massive party.

From the terrace, our first evening ends to the sounds of nature.

The weather changes, and the next few days bring some climatic variation, but in the end, it doesn’t cause us too many inconveniences.

We’d already noticed that Thais tend to see every hilltop as a potential spot for a temple. This leads us to a high-altitude visit in what you could call a brisk wind—quite a change! Massive clouds envelop the peaks, creating a special atmosphere.



















Much farther on, we get the chance to do our shopping at a pretty isolated local market. We checked out all the vendors. We left loaded with bananas, avocados, pineapples, and dragon fruit. Our best find? Two yellow mangoes that turned out to be delicious. Two perfectly ripe yellow mangoes, total weight 1.9 kg!





Our long journey pauses for a bit as we wander around nature near a waterfall that seems well-fed by the rain—rain that often falls where we *aren’t*!