Chiang Khong
(Johnny is 12 hours ahead of us. He sends blog and I post it here usually at night so his yesterday is our today.)
Yesterday in Chiang Rai (the day before in Chiang Mai, and today in Chiang Khong) I met with two old friends that I had traveled with in the past. It was good to see them and hear of them all being successful in their chosen work.
Then I went to the bus station to get a bus here.
It was amazing. I asked a person where the bus to Chiang Khong was and he pointed thataway and held up 4 fingers. So I walked thataway and came to platform sign 4, and there posted on a column, was a sign stating Chiang Khong, then a schedule of departures, the time of travel and the price.
In all my travels, I have never gotten so much information so easily from one source as I did in Chiang Rai yesterday. Now the bus wasn't so hot, maybe that is not the right word, it was HOT, but it wasn't very NEW. And with no AC all the windows were opened up 3 inches at the bottom of the window. For the entire trip no one raised a window any higher, and in fact some people closed their window!
The bus left on time. In front of me was a Buddist Monk dressed in his Orange robe, an Indian mother with a crying baby, and across from me a student with her I-Phone. All kinds of folks. The bus had wood plank floors. I've never seen that in an actual bus before. And, oh yea, there were vendors outside the windows trying to sell us a mixture of everything - chicken to kleenex.
The bus assistant who takes up the fares.... the trip cost 69 baht, about $2.25 and took a little over two hours.... is also the package (like UPS) delivery man. We stopped 4 or 5 times, and she would jump off bus with an envelope or package and deliver it to a business.
Arrived at Ching Khong about 5:30 and had a short walk into town where I found a nice guest house. Actually it was a beautiful little place. I got a room with a fan but no bathroom for 200 baht. $6.00. But the bath and toilet facilities are nice, and it has hot water showers.
Last night I decided to stay here tomorrow and hit the road again Thursday. This morning I went for a walk and found another interesting guesthouse, and inquired about a room, and for 200 Baht they had a room with a bath. The guesthouse also has a large "veranda" that overlooks the Mekong River, so this morning I left where I was and moved to the new place.
The pictures are of my bus,
my hotel Tuesday,
and my hotel Wednesday,
the lobby,
just to show you what you get for $6.00. and the restaurant I ate in this morning. For breakfast I had chicken over rice, plus some kind of tasty thin soup, and a warm weak cup of something to drink. It cost $1.00.
This restaurant where I ate breakfast and had rice with chicken, well, I decided it was a good place to eat so I went back for lunch. There was another lady there, and she came to my table with no menu, but asking did I want fried chicken and something else. I figured it was the special for the day, so I said, 'yea, great' . When she brought me my fried chicken lunch. It was boiled chicken over rice - just what I had had for breakfast! Glad I liked it the first time - and it was good a second time, but tonite I am going to another restaurant and order something with pork in it!
Also, I tried to take a picture that would show the floors in this guest house I am in now. The boards are all at least 18 inches wide and are really beautiful wood, furniture grade wood!
All for now -
Yesterday in Chiang Rai (the day before in Chiang Mai, and today in Chiang Khong) I met with two old friends that I had traveled with in the past. It was good to see them and hear of them all being successful in their chosen work.
Then I went to the bus station to get a bus here.
It was amazing. I asked a person where the bus to Chiang Khong was and he pointed thataway and held up 4 fingers. So I walked thataway and came to platform sign 4, and there posted on a column, was a sign stating Chiang Khong, then a schedule of departures, the time of travel and the price.
In all my travels, I have never gotten so much information so easily from one source as I did in Chiang Rai yesterday. Now the bus wasn't so hot, maybe that is not the right word, it was HOT, but it wasn't very NEW. And with no AC all the windows were opened up 3 inches at the bottom of the window. For the entire trip no one raised a window any higher, and in fact some people closed their window!
The bus left on time. In front of me was a Buddist Monk dressed in his Orange robe, an Indian mother with a crying baby, and across from me a student with her I-Phone. All kinds of folks. The bus had wood plank floors. I've never seen that in an actual bus before. And, oh yea, there were vendors outside the windows trying to sell us a mixture of everything - chicken to kleenex.
The bus assistant who takes up the fares.... the trip cost 69 baht, about $2.25 and took a little over two hours.... is also the package (like UPS) delivery man. We stopped 4 or 5 times, and she would jump off bus with an envelope or package and deliver it to a business.
Arrived at Ching Khong about 5:30 and had a short walk into town where I found a nice guest house. Actually it was a beautiful little place. I got a room with a fan but no bathroom for 200 baht. $6.00. But the bath and toilet facilities are nice, and it has hot water showers.
Last night I decided to stay here tomorrow and hit the road again Thursday. This morning I went for a walk and found another interesting guesthouse, and inquired about a room, and for 200 Baht they had a room with a bath. The guesthouse also has a large "veranda" that overlooks the Mekong River, so this morning I left where I was and moved to the new place.
The pictures are of my bus,
my hotel Tuesday,
and my hotel Wednesday,
the lobby,
just to show you what you get for $6.00. and the restaurant I ate in this morning. For breakfast I had chicken over rice, plus some kind of tasty thin soup, and a warm weak cup of something to drink. It cost $1.00.
This restaurant where I ate breakfast and had rice with chicken, well, I decided it was a good place to eat so I went back for lunch. There was another lady there, and she came to my table with no menu, but asking did I want fried chicken and something else. I figured it was the special for the day, so I said, 'yea, great' . When she brought me my fried chicken lunch. It was boiled chicken over rice - just what I had had for breakfast! Glad I liked it the first time - and it was good a second time, but tonite I am going to another restaurant and order something with pork in it!
Also, I tried to take a picture that would show the floors in this guest house I am in now. The boards are all at least 18 inches wide and are really beautiful wood, furniture grade wood!
All for now -
posted by Johnny at
8:13 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Johnny...Saw Anna at Heritage last Sunday. We were visiting as my bro in law is the new lead pastor. Seeing her reminded me you're away trippin'. Am enjoying the blog. Too bad you couldn't stay in Chaing Khong for the big catfish festival!
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home