As a traveler, I meet many different people – of many different nationalities and ages (young and old) during the course of my travels. I have met people from all over the world – from Sudan to Korea to Kazakhstan. Of course, despite our diverse backgrounds, the common denominator is that we are all travelers.

As travelers, we share our experiences of travel on the road – the highs and the lows - and sometimes we lose all our inhibitions and go completely wild. While I was staying in Bolivia’s Amazon Basin far away from civilization, I met a small group of young travelers at San Miguel de Bala Lodge – a young couple from England and from Switzerland/Spain as well as a young lady from Korea.

As sort of tribute to yours truly, the two young blokes – Henri (from England) and Eunico (from Andalusia) went off the deep end and created an outrageous new dance style called “Do the Papa Mono”. The Papa Mono dance promises to be the biggest thing to hit the dance floors since the Lambada. Check it out and pretty soon, I guarantee that you will soon be going ape too. PURA VIDA

P.S. I would like to apologize to all our loyal subscribers for our disappearance during the last 3 months. However as you can see, we have returned bigger (and better) than ever!

I have traveled to some fairly obscure and off the beaten path places in Northern Thailand, none more so than Uttaradit. Unknown to most Westerners, Uttaradit is a very pleasant and laid-back city with a very rich and interesting history as well as many beautiful places in the countryside.

Spared from excesses of tourism, Uttaradit offers the visitor a genuine
opportunity to experience Thai life and culture. Because the tourism infrastructure is somewhat rudimentary, finding a knowledgeable tour guide who speaks decent English can be a real challenge, although recruiting a capable driver for touring is relatively easy.

Visiting Uttaradit for the first time, I had the manager of my hotel set me up with a driver so I could tour and explore the area at my leisure. While I was able to take in the “Highlights of Uttaradit”, my experience would have been 200% better if the driver had some facility with English. Needless to say, an English-speaking driver/tour guide is a real luxury in this region of Thailand.

Highlights included the very impressive Sirikit Dam and Reservoir (located about 1 hour outside the city), the largest earthen dam in Thailand as well as nearby Lab Lae, an historic village surrounded by gardens and temples – sort of a throwback to the Thailand of olden days. Entering Lab Lae District – only 7 Km from the city of Uttaradit - there is a beautiful golden archway above the road. The crafts complex and the local museum at Lab Lae were very well done, and the gals who worked there were gracious enough to pose for series of very unique pictures.

In addition to Sirikit Dam and Lab Lae, we also stopped at the Uttaradit Municipality Museum. Inside were many detailed and colorful paintings and murals which depicted Uttaradit during the 18th and early 19th century when the city was very important trading center and the site of many important battles between the Kingdom of Siam and the Burmese.

Standing in front of nearby city hall, is a very unique monument of Phraya Phichai , a fearless Siamese general from Uttaradit province who fought valiantly against the hated Burmese in latter half of the 18th century. Because of his heroic deeds in battle, he earned the nickname of the Thai Superman.

Very few tourists have been to Uttaradit, a small, relatively obscure city of roughly 60,000 inhabitants located in the lower half of Northern Thailand. Lying on the banks of the Nan River, historically Uttaradit was once an important trading center. Like most cities in upcountry Thailand, there are some real beauty spots and some lovely scenery in the surrounding countryside.

Why go to Uttaradit? I have always been intrigued by places “off the beaten path”. When I discovered that a Thai friend of mine had often stopped in Uttaradit during her travels in Northern Thailand, my interest was peaked. Moreover, I fell in love with the name “Uttaradit”, which translates to Port of the North. With that logic in place, I had a good excuse to visit Uttaradit on my next trip to Northern Thailand.

How was my trip? After flying into Phitsanulok, I caught a local bus for the 90-minute journey to Uttaradit. I stayed for 3 nights at the Seeharaj Hotel, a traditional Thai style hotel located in the city’s small tourist quarter. The hotel was acceptable, but as an older property it should some signs of wear and tear. For Thai people, it represented a first class hotel and the place to be. Although I was the only farang at the hotel, I had a wonderful time during my brief stay.

Adjoining the lobby was a large lounge/nightclub. At night, the place really rocked as the house band (forgot their name) played a mix of Western pop hits – like Joy to the World and Black Magic Woman - as well as Thai pop standards. One of their female singers did an outstanding rendition of Hava Nagila.

On my 2nd night there, I discovered that one of Thailand’s premier rock bands “Carabao” was performing upstairs in one of their large ballrooms. No wonder, there were so many young couples parading upstairs decked out in their finest threads. In another section of the hotel, a transvestite – ladyboy show took place several times a week. On my last night there, I wandered over to check it out - the music was a little bit loud and the crowd was a little bit “exotic” for my taste.

Directly across the street, there were two bars popular with the young University Crowd, including one, which featured a live band performing Thai folk music nightly. In addition, one block away (and across the street) was Friday’s, a large complex which consisted of a sprawling department store and Uttaradit’s only other major hotel. On the top floor of Friday’s, there was a nightclub with a live band and an adjoining karaoke bar. Needless to say, entertainment options were not lacking in the small tourist quarter of Uttaradit.

When I attended the local Carnival in the rural village of Boklua located in Northern Thailand’s Nan Province, it brought back wonderful memories of my childhood and I had terrific time.

The Carnival was a fundraiser for the local medical clinic, so all the monies went to a good cause. A variety of novel games were going on, including one which involved tossing rings on coke bottles. I played one game but failed miserably as my throws were way off the mark.

Another game was drawing quite a crowd and generating a lot of excitement (and noise) so I moved in that direction. Moving closer to the scene, I could see many people gathered around a small makeshift ring with chutes around the circumference. Suddenly, a young lady appeared and jumped into the ring, collecting bets from the frenzied spectators. The bets were in denomination of 5 baht. Not knowing what was going on, at first, I thought it was some version of the old crab race game.

Boy, I was way off base. I finally realized what was happening, when a young man let loose a small furry critter out ofa thick bamboo tube – the critter was a mouse. The little mouse scurried around the pit for a bit, accompanied by banging sticks and the clamor of the crowd, before dodging into one of the marked chutes. I had never seen anything like this before and I had good laugh.

Caught in the Spirit of the Carnival, I decided to make some bets on the next contest. First go-around, I selected only two chutes and I lost; 2nd time around, I selected 8 out of the 12 possible chutes. Pretty good odds, if you ask me! Needless to say, the little mouse dashed into chute #6 – which was one of the many that I bet on, so I came up a big winner.

My prize? It was a bag of sunflower chips which I later gave to a young lad who worked at my hotel. Who said that “an old fart” like me couldn’t have any fun in Thailand?

Boklua View Resort is one of the few hotels in recent memory that far exceeded my expectations. Located about 2 hours away from the city of Nan in the lush countryside of Nan Province, this small mountain resort consists of approximately 12 bungalows with 20 guestrooms. The nearby village of Boklua with her ancient salt wells are just a short walk from the hotel. Definitely off the beaten path!

Let’s face it – most hotels, while having an impressive write-up and flattering images on their website fall way short of their hype. I had previewed Boklua View earlier last year along with two other boutique hotels in Northern Thailand. Of the three hotels, only Boklua View can be recommended without hesitation to my fellow travelers.

The hotel really has its “feng shui” together. The property is beautifully laid out – the landscaping and architecture of the resort was influenced by Khun Tuan’s (the owner) many trips to Bali in Indonesia. Located on the middle of the slope, there is a pool area for lounging or sunbathing but the pool is not swimmable.

There really aren’t any tourist concessions or other hotels in the area - it is completely natural and relatively undeveloped. Other than a small gift shop and a wonderful outdoor palapa style restaurant, the resort doesn’t have much in terms in facilities. Just lots of peace and quiet. The restaurant is definitely the focal point of the hotel.

The bungalows are scattered on the hillside with ample spacing between each unit so you definitely have a feeling of privacy. Most of them have wraparound wooden terraces with outstanding views of the lush green countryside and nearby rice paddies. Although simply furnished, the rooms are very airy and spacious with comfortable beds. None of the rooms have televisions, which is fine by me.

The only real negative things about the rooms are the toilets - they are very small and too low to the ground. Many westerners might be a little uncomfortable with this especially if they have a large ass. Other than that some of the rooms could use a large wastepaper basket.

Born and raised in the area, Khun Tuan is a gourmet chef by profession. He was trained at one of the most prestigious culinary institutes in Bangkok and worked in the kitchen at a luxury resort in Bali. His culinary training is reflected in the outstanding meals prepared by his staff. The menu consists primarily of novella interpretations of traditional Thai dishes. Western dishes are offered as well.

In particular, the breakfast buffet was exceptional - with fresh rolls, home baked bread, and home made jams and a good selection of fresh fruit not to mention some freshly brewed coffee.

The staff was friendly and attentive as well – service was very good.
I should also mention that there is free wifi available in the restaurant.

In summary, I strongly recommend Boklua View for the discerning traveler who’d like to experience upcountry Thailand in a peaceful and quiet setting.

Finally, I have gotten around to writing a review of the Nan Boutique Hotel based on my brief stay there in late November 2009. Located in the city of Nan in Northern Thailand, this small two story boutique property is the newest hotel in the city, having opened in Spring 2009

Situated just a couple of blocks away from the heart of the downtown area, the location is ideal. The rooms are large and comfortable - the best I have seen in Nan - but there is a very serious design flaw with the rooms on the lower floor. Believe it or not, the closets of these rooms are located in the bathroom. When you take a shower, the moisture inside the bathroom will probably make your clothes damp.

For the life of me, I don’t understand why the rooms were designed like this. When I informed the manager of this situation, she said that she was aware of this odd room configuration, and was quick to point out that the closets of the rooms on the 2nd floor were located outside the bathroom.

The service at the front desk was subpar - while the employees are friendly, they are not knowledgeable about Nan. The small rooftop restaurant recently opened for breakfast only, but the breakfast buffet was very poor overall. The choice of dishes did not cater to the western tourist as there was no toast or bread and limited fruit available. Service needs to be improved here as well.

At the time of my visit (late November), there were no in-room safes or safe deposit boxes in the reception area, however I was told that management would be installing safes in all the rooms sometime this year. Hooray!

Outside of the small gift shop and the rooftop restaurant, the hotel does not have any facilities. It should be noted however that the hotel offers complimentary bicycles to all their guests. This is a real plus as cycling is the best way to get around Nan. A small swimming pool and workout room would be welcome additions - this may happen sometime in the near future.

In summary - the hotel has potential to be a first rate property, but I cannot wholeheartedly recommend Nan Boutique Hotel at this time until the service improves and the rooms on the lower floor are reconfigured. I would also like to mention that the management (the owner) seemed to be very open minded, sincere and receptive to constructive criticism.

What happens when a prominent Swedish Swedish Biologist with a PHD in Plant Physiology meets beautiful lady from Northern Thailand?

He marries the lovely lass, relocates from Sweden to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand and together with his wife’s family opens up Dokmai Garden, the newest ethnobotanical and horticultural attraction in Northern Thailand. Dokmai’s Grand Opening was in Spring 2009.

The Swedish biologist’s name in question is Dr. Eric Danell, and before relocating to Thailand, he had an illustrious career as an educator and in botanical research. His field of expertise was Mycology – the study of mushrooms and other funguses.

Located about 20 minutes outside of Chiang Mai, Dokmai was developed on the grounds of a former longan plantation. The gardens, which occupy an area of 24 rai or 4 hectares, has over 500 selected tropical species including a variety of Thai natives as well as vegetables and fruits.

The New Gardens is definitely a family affair as Erik has integrated his wife and her entire family in the new ecotourism business venture – Ketsanee is the President, her sister is the marketing manager and her brother is the head gardener, while Erik’s official position is scientific consultant. Ketsanee and her family come from humble origins as rice farmers and agriculturalists in rural Northeastern Thailand.

In addition to promoting horticultural tourism, the doctor continues his research in the cultivation of mushrooms for medicinal purposes in collaboration with the University at Chiang Mai.

Eric gave me a tour of the compound and pointed out the educational aspect of the gardens. Most of the plants and trees are not only labeled with their latin and common name, but a brief profile on each species is provided - i.e. cultivation, medicinal uses and cultural history. I have visited many botanical gardens and horticultural facilities, and this is the only garden that I know of that provides such valuable background information.
Horticultural enthusiasts will find this information to be very instructive. This descriptive profile is provided not only in English but also in Thai and Japanese.

There is also wonderful restaurant on the premises – breakfast and lunch are served - as well as a gift shop where you can buy some unique Thai handicrafts in addition to literature and books on the plants of Thailand. There are even changing rooms available! Entrance fee is 300 baht.

Dokmai is a Love Affair in more ways than one.

The best place to shop for T-shirts in Thailand is the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. There is no other place in Thailand that has the variety that is offered here. The designs range from the sexually explicit (naughty) to the comically inane; in between, you can find a variety of very elegant and stylish T-shirts with some very aesthetically pleasing designs.

The most outrageous T-Shirts that I have seen in recent memory has to be a toss up between the T-shirt that lambasted our former President George W Bush and the x-rated “Blowjob is better than No Job” T-shirt. The Blowjob T-Shirt in particular was executed very well with very bold white lettering against a black background – very simple and to the point, elegant and classy in its own vulgar way.

I was walking through the Night Bazaar last year when I saw the Blowjob T-shirt. I did a double take as it was so outrageous and I had the sales clerk hold it up for me so I could take a picture. Walking away from the outdoor shop, I suddenly reversed directions and headed back to the shop. I had decided to to buy the T-shirt as a collector’s item.

Most Thai people cannot read or understand English very well; those that are well versed in English – like my ladyfriend, Khun Moongmink – do not know what the expression blow job means anyhow. Even the Thai people who understand the meaning of Blow Job might chuckle when looking at the T-Shirt or look the other way. You must understand that as a Buddhist country, Thailand is a very tolerant country. There is an expression in Thai, “Mai Pen Rai”. Literally it means Never Mind or Who Cares which really describes Thai mentality to a tee.

Back in the USA, I have to be very careful where and when I wear this Blowjob T-shirt as I would be inviting a lot of stares, and I can imagine that many ladies would be very disgusted. Who knows, some very prude lady might make a complaint to the local police!

Normally when I visit Chiang Mai, I stay at Tawan Court, a small budget hotel located a couple blocks away from Chiang Mai’s popular Night Bazaar. While there really isn’t anything really special about the hotel (the rooms are somewhat drab and need new carpeting), I feel comfortable staying there because the management is very friendly and the location is ideal. As the hotel rates go up every year, you would think that the owners would spend some extra monies on refurbishing the rooms.

On my last visit to Chiang Mai in December 2009, I decided to ignore my loyalties to Tawan Court and try something different. After considerable research online, I found the Banilah Hotel, a very stylish looking budget hotel located away from the tourist districts in a neighborhood popular with the University crowd.

The images on Banilah’s website are very flattering in an attempt to portray the hotel as a boutique property. While the office has a nice ambiance, the rooms were sort of dark and drab with very small and cramped bathroom facilities. When you take a shower, the toilet will get all wet. The hotel, which is over 3 years old, is beginning to show some signs of wear and tear. As with most local and budget hotels, there are no in-room safes or safe deposit boxes available at the front desk.

On the plus side, all the rooms have free Wifi and TV. In addition, the hotel offers complementary use of bicycles to all their guests.

Two of my biggest criticisms with Banilah are:

• The hotel management exercised very poor judgment by laying down a water hose across the narrow walkway to the guestrooms without putting up a caution sign. Somebody easily could have tripped and had an accident.
• The hotel staff doesn’t necessarily answer their phones during their normal business hours of 9:00AM – 6:00PM. That definitely created a problem for me. To give you some idea, I was near Taphae Gate in Chiang Mai (the opposite side of town) and was getting ready to return to Banilah by Tuk tuk about 4:30PM in the afternoon. As I was leaving on an early morning flight to Singapore, I had to retrieve my valuables from the hotel safe by 7:00PM (the hotel office closes at that time). As most of the tuk tuk drivers probably did not know of the hotel and where it was located, I tried calling the hotel numerous times to get directions but there was no answer. Fortunately the tuk tuk driver that I hired knew the way and I reached the hotel in less than 15 minutes.

Even though the hotel is a pretty good value, in light of my recent experience, I really cannot recommend Banilah Hotel at this time. Management needs to be more responsible to its guests, and most Western visitors might be not too pleased with its offbeat location. Then again, the hotel seems to cater mostly to a Thai clientele.

This is a continuation of my story about GEORGE KEMP,
a remarkable gentleman that I met in Nan, Thailand

Upon arriving at his sprawling house located just outside of the city, George showed me pictures of himself when he was younger. With his exotic good looks and the physique of a bodybuilder, George could have easily passed for a Hollywood star. Admittedly, George was somewhat of a butterfly (lady’s man) in his younger days and has been married four times.

Sometime in the mid 1960’s, George lived in Japan for 5 years, where he was married twice and earned to speak Japanese fluently, before returning to Thailand to resume his career with the police force.

Tragedy struck George in the prime of his life in late 1973 (at the time he was 35 years old). While on duty in his patrol car, a speeding car sideswiped the vehicle. At the time of the accident, George was taking a nap in the front passenger seat, while his colleague was driving the car. His colleague escaped with minor injuries but George wasn’t so fortunate.

The accident left George paralyzed from the waist down. After extensive physical therapy, George was unable to continue his duties as a traffic cop and resigned from the Bangkok police force. Confined to a wheelchair, George had to adjust to his new life and was forced to reinvent himself.

Shortly after his mom died, he married the Thai lady who was his mom’s caregiver. Not only did she become George’s wife, but she also became his caregiver. Sometime later George and his wife relocated to Nan, his wife’s hometown and settled down.

While George cannot walk because of his paralysis, he doesn’t let that slow him down as he drives both a customized car for the handicapped as well as a mini motorcar. Well known in the community of Nan, George promotes his wife’s dog grooming business and teaches both English and Japanese (he is fluent in both languages) from his home. Believe it or not, I think George’s classes are free!

In addition, George accommodates out-of-town visitors (mostly western tourists)at his house with “bed and breakfast”. There are five guestrooms available; most of the rooms are equipped with private bathroom and a TV ‘to boot’. I have seen the rooms and in my opinion, they are pretty decent (better than most guesthouses in the area). There is one catch however - George refuses to charge his guests any monies. Apparently George does not need the monies - meeting and interacting with people is more important to him!

I promised GEORGE that I would publicize his guesthouse to fellow travelers on the condition that he accepts a minimum donation of 150 baht (approximately $5.00USD) per night which he will donate to a charity of his choosing, He reluctantly agreed to this stipulation and indicated that he would donate any monies he received to medical research that helps other paralysis victims. If you’re interested in visiting Nan and staying with George, contact him by e-mail at g_kemp83@yahoo.com or call him at 0832932394