Home At Last

Tower of London

Well, we're back.  How is it possible that it could go by so quickly?  We've enjoyed our journey immensely and have even more ideas for future trips.  We ended up in some pretty amazing places which weren't even on the itinerary;  London, England being a prime  example. Turns out it's now one of our favorite cities!  The spontaneity is the best part about open-ended travel.     

Of course, there have been some adjustments, such as the temperature change.  From +33 degrees in Bangkok to -36 in Calgary, factoring in the wind chill.  But who's complaining? We've lived here all our lives; we know the drill!

Island Breezes

Cool Corner Cafe

The town of Trat isn't much of a destination, but serves as a prelude to the gulf islands as it's close to the ferry terminals.  Five hours from Bangkok, this laid back provincial capital was a pleasant-enough place to spend a day or two.  It was refreshing because the residents lacked the jaded insularity & reticence we encountered in some of Thailand's mainstay destinations;  perhaps a response to the ugliness of unbridled tourism.  In any event, most travelers immediately hop on a boat to get to the beach.  But Trat has a few simple, cheap guest houses and we'd go back just to eat at Cool Corner.  Once we found this arty cafe, we ate all our meals there - the food was absolutely superb.     

Ruins & Elephants

Ayutthaya's ruins

From 1351 to 1767 the town of Ayutthaya was the capital city of ancient Siam (present-day Thailand).  The heart of the city was a 4 km wide island where the rivers of Lopburi, Pasak & Chao Phraya converge.  Very much reliant on an extensive series of canals, Ayutthaya's population lived mainly on houseboats. This empire rose to great heights by taking advantage of the expanding trade routes between India and China.  Eventually Ayutthaya controlled a weathly empire and welcomed foreign traders such as the Dutch, English, French, Portuguese, Chinese and Persians who operated their own docks exporting rice, timber & spices.  Unfortunately this 400+ year golden age would come to a sad end.