Green's Windmill - Nottingham

Green's Windmill is a little visited gem in the Sneinton area of Nottingham, just a short distance outside the city centre (accessed by bus numbers 23 and 24).

It is a working windmill (although the brakes were on when I visited) and makes very high quality flour which you can buy in the shop. Entry is free and there is a great little Science musuem, an ideal place for kids. You can climb up four levels inside the windmill to enjoy great panoramic views of Nottingham, through the flour-coated windows! Unfortunately the viewing deck isn't open to the public ('ealth and safety Sir!).
There is a wonderful park in the grounds, great for the kids to burn off some energy. This area of Nottingham also contains some historic terraced housing with the communal alleyways, not seen so much in the UK any more.

This is well worth a visit, and...it's free!

Jim Thompson’s House

Jim Thompson’s House is a collection of traditional Thai style houses that were transported from various parts of the country and reassembled. They are interconnected and these days are a museum to his life and also Thai culture and artefacts.

Jim Thompson himself is the man credited with reviving the Thai silk industry. He disappeared one day while walking in the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia and was never heard from again, presumed dead. His family gave the house to the Thai Fine Arts department who converted it into a museum.

I was surprised how peaceful it is here, given its central Bangkok location. It is at the end of Soi Kasem San 2, just off the main Rama I - Phaya Thai intersection and a stones throw from National Stadium skytrain station.

You have to join a guided tour, available in several languages. This makes for a nice, cool and relaxing way to spend a couple of hours. You take a tour around the house, with the usual roped off walkways ensuring you can’t touch anything. The tour ends in the shop (as they usually do!) which sells some very nice, but very expensive silk related products.

This is one of the top sights in Bangkok, for a window into traditional Thai architecture and way of life. But at the same time it isn’t too crowded (at least not when I went!) and is an ideal tonic to the general craziness of Bangkok.

You can check photos on my website, www.matthewt.co.uk

My blog - http://matthewted.blogspot.com

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Kanchanaburi trip – A truly moving experience

I won’t waffle on too much in this post, but let the pictures do the talking.

Kanchanaburi is around a 3 hour drive west of Bangkok, probably slightly longer by train. It is most famous as being the home of the Bridge over the River Kwai. This was of course made famous by the film of the same name. There are many Allied cemeteries dotted around the town and outside, also some Chinese cemeteries.





You can still ride on a train over the bridge and along a part of the old “Death Railway”, so called because so many people died constructing it. The area is also outstandingly beautiful and a gateway to the Sai Yok national park.



You can visit my website, http://www.matthewt.co.uk for a collection of photos from my visit, along with many other places in Thailand.

South East Asia photos on my website, www.matthewt.co.uk

My blog - http://matthewted.blogspot.com

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Angkor - Words can't describe it

But I’ll give it a go anyway. If you’re into temples, ruins, ancient civilisations and cultures or any combination of the above, Angkor is a must see.

Parallels have been drawn with Ancient Egypt and the Incan and Mayan civilisations of Central/South America. And sure there are some similarities in terms of the scale of the empires, their architectural beauty and significant achievements made. But Angkor is certainly nothing like I’ve seen or experienced anywhere else.

It has an aura, it’s a special almost mystical place. A new wonder lurks around every corner, so many times you’ll feel the hairs on the back of your neck rise.

Make sure you take a few spare memory cards with you, if you’re a keen photographer you’ll take hundreds of pictures, it becomes an automatic reaction!

The Angkor historical park is located on the edge of the town of Siem Reap. I travelled here from Bangkok in the relative luxury of a Bangkok Airways flight (they operate a monopoly on the direct Bangkok – Siem Reap route so there are no cheap deals to be had). The alternative however is a particularly uncomfortable bus ride to the border crossing of Poi Pet. The hassle of the cross border bureaucracy and then transferring to a bus on the Cambodian side and carrying on the bumpy journey.

I stayed at the plush yet almost deserted Khmera Angkor Hotel on the main road from the airport into town. Breakfast was an awkward experience, there was only one other party in the hotel, I had about 6 waitresses hovering around me waiting for something to do. Never have I felt so under pressure to finish my breakfast! I even asked for some extra butter that I didn’t really want just to give someone something to do!

My guide and driver had dropped me at the hotel the night before, and true to their word they picked me up at 9am sharp the next day to begin the grand tour.

We drove to the park entrance to hand over the entrance fee and straight off to the main attraction, Angkor Wat itself. Awe-inspiring, majestic…you can apply any superlative you like and it won’t do Angkor Wat justice, you just have to see it. You approach along a long walkway, elevated over the surrounding moat into the temple itself. I was lucky to visit on a rare quiet day and was afforded many clear photo opportunities. We had a walk around the galleries on the ground level, which house the incredibly detailed bas reliefs (stone carvings in the temple walls) while my guide explained what they represented. Then he left me to attempt the difficult climb to the next level up. The stairs are so steep and narrow it makes it very hard to climb (designed that way on purpose of course!), and the searing heat doesn’t help! The views from the top are incredible and well worth the effort. The descent is rather more awkward as you’re always aware of the chance you might slip and fall down. There are handrails available to try and prevent this.

After the descent we had a walk around on the grass at the rear of the temple and I took lots of shots here. By this point a couple of hours had already passed and I suddenly felt my legs buckle. I hadn’t stopped in 2 hours or drank any water and the heat catches up with you before you know it. Always carry a drink with you, and drink it! You’ll need it.

My guide then read out the schedule for the rest of the day, which to my surprise didn’t include Ta Phrom. I had done some research beforehand and identified this as the one temple I couldn’t miss. It is famous because it was used in filming for one of the Tomb Raider films. I found it to be the most enigmatic of all the temples, because it has been left in the ruined state in which it was found, whereas many temples have now been extensively restored. So another temple was dropped from the schedule to make room for Ta Phrom and off we went.

Once you have gone through the main entrance gate your eyes are immediately drawn to the giant trees that have grown on the roofs of various temple buildings and walls. Many famous photos can be found of these. I felt like a kid in a candy store as I made my way through the various doors and passageways, squeezing through partially collapsed doorways and over piles of rubble. If you can only visit other temples (Angkor Wat is a given) then make it Ta Phrom.

We then took the drive “out of town” to Banteay Srei. In terms of size this is relatively minor, but it is famous because it is the best naturally preserved temple. The details of the carvings are impressive. If you have the time, visit here. If you don’t it can be easily left out.

We then took lunch, the best lunch of my stay, at a family home along the road back to Angkor. This was all tied in with the tour, but I always like to have some kind of contact with the locals when I visit another country, this was ideal for me!

Next on the list was the walled “city” of Angkor Thom. We entered through the famed south gate, after stopping off for photos on the bridge that crosses over the moat. Statues that line either side of this bridge depict the Churning of the Sea of Milk, Google will explain that better than I can but essentially it’s a part of Hindu mythology.

First stop in Angkor Thom is usually the impressive Bayon temple. This is most famous for the gently smiling faces, it is believed they are of King Jayavarman VII. Many believe they represent Buddha himself, many people at the time believed they were one in the same. There is certainly a likeness between the two!

There are many great photo opportunities here that any photographer can enjoy.

By this time we were hurtling towards sunset and I was whisked off to my final stop on the grand tour, Phnom Bakeng. This is a temple on top of a hill which is most famous for its sunset views and the view back down to Angkor Wat. This is the spot that most package tours pick for sunset views and so does get crowded, there are alternatives but I think this is the best place.

I wish I had had more time here but could only squeeze a couple of days in. Even in that short time I visited one of the most memorable and inspiring places on earth and can’t wait to go again.

South East Asia photos on my website, www.matthewt.co.uk

My blog - http://matthewted.blogspot.com

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The Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew

I had visited the Grand Palace twice before and decided that I needed to go again. My first visit was during my first of many trips to Thailand. I was still in the state of shock that many people experience on their first visit somewhere “exotic”. I was dazzled by the beauty of the place but wasn’t really taking anything in and certainly couldn’t remember any of the detail and history about the place.

On my second visit I was taking my parent’s on a whistle stop tour of the city whilst I was living there. We kind of rushed around in a couple of hours and again I had no time to really absorb the atmosphere of the whole site.

I was determined that this time I would spend at least half a day and really get to know and understand the Grand Palace. I would recommend anybody who’s visiting Bangkok visits the Grand Palace/Wat Phra Kaew, even if only for short time. It is spectacular and probably Thailand’s most sacred site. Wat Phra Kaew also contains Thailand’s most important Buddha image, the Emerald Buddha.

If you have longer to spend here, then half a day can easily be passed here. Try and arrive early to beat the crowds and the heat. It does get very busy here (as you’d expect of such a major attraction) and somewhat difficult to get clear photos.

Basically after you’ve entered the grounds and ignored all the touts waiting outside, you go to the ticket office and enter Wat Phra Kaew. The grounds contain many stunning buildings each with their own significance that I won’t even attempt to explain here! My favourite is the golden Chedi which contains a part one of Buddha’s bones. You can get some fantastic photos of this when the sunlight catches it. The same goes for the other temple buildings.

The main doorway through from Wat Phra Kaew into the Grand Palace grounds is a bit hidden in a far corner. Basically when you enter Wat Phra Kaew you take a left and do a circuit around the grounds, then just before you come back to your starting point there’s a doorway on your left.

The Grand Palace grounds are slightly more spacious with manicured trees and plants and ceremonial guards. The main building is Chakri Mahaprasad Hall, which is European in appearance with a Thai style roof. Again it can be difficult to get clear photos here so get there as early as you can to take photos and then take your time to wander the grounds and soak it all up. There are a couple of slightly overpriced cafes dotted around, but I’d recommend bringing your own water. There are also plenty of places you can go for some shade.

One of which are the galleries all along the walls of Wat Phra Kaew which depict the Ramayana.

One other thing not to be missed is the fantastically detailed scale model of Angkor Wat, in the grounds of Wat Phra Kaew.

Whether you’re a photographer or not, a temple lover or not, you’ll love this place!

South East Asia photos on my website, www.matthewt.co.uk

My blog - http://matthewted.blogspot.com

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Ten free things to do in Bangkok

Bangkok is, in many ways, a cheap city for the average tourist to survive in. But everyone appreciates getting something for free and Bangkok has plenty of freebies, here are the top ten:

1. Visit a park. Lumpini Park is Bangkok's most famous, located conveniently in Bangkok's commercial heart. Lumpini Park is an oasis of green and a haven for Bangkok's joggers and early morning yoga and tai chi enthusiasts.

2. Just take a walk! Bangkok is a maze, the best way to explore it sometimes is just to walk and get yourself a bit lost! You never know what will lie around the next corner and I often find some of the best adventures are to be had when you are just....well, walking!

3. Visit a temple. Many of Bangkok's temples are still free to visit. Wat Indrawihan houses a spectacular standing Buddha and Wat Patum Wanaram is impressive because it manages to remain so peaceful despite it's location in downtown Bangkok.

4. The Bangkokian Museum. Located on the corner of Surawong and Sriphaya Roads, this museum offers an interesting snapshot of 1950s Bangkok.

5. Take in an exhibition at the Goethe Institute. Nestled in a quiet Soi off Sathon Road is the German Cultural Centre and restaurant, the Goethe Institute. There is always an interesting and thought provoking photography exhibition on display and the house itself is worth a look. If that doesn't float your boat, the food is also very good (although not free!)

6. The Royal Elephant museum. The elephant is still a hugely important symbol for Thailand, you can see why at this former royal stable which once housed white elephants.

7. People watch at the Paragon. Or anywhere for that matter in Bangkok. But the Siam Paragon shopping centre attracts the hi-so and wealthy upper classes of Thai society. Come here to witness some big hair, over the top make-up and shoulder pads!

8. The Corrections Museum. Located in Romaneenart Park in the Old City, this museum is home to some grisly exhibtions of instruments of torture and execution used in Thailand in the past.

9. Bangkok Butterfly Garden and Insectarium. This is a great place to take the kids, just opposite the Chatuchak Weekend Market, in Rot Fai Park.

10. Take a stroll around Chatuchak Market. Even if you don't intend to buy anything, this is a fascinating place to while away a few hours. The sheer size and array of things on sale here is incredible. Be warned though, this place gets hot....and it probably won't end up being free!

Baiyoke Tower views

This is Bangkok (and Thailand’s) tallest building and so is probably the best place to get panoramic views of the city.
I visited here on my first trip to Bangkok and so didn’t really know where I was going. Although fairly centrally located, the Tower isn’t close by to a Skytrain or Underground station, so really it’s a taxi unless you fancy a walk. I decided to take a skytrain to the nearest station (Phaya Thai) and walk. How lost did I get?!
After spending 30 minutes walking along Si Ayuthaya Road and not knowing where to turn to get to the Tower, I saw a small alleyway leading into a market. I thought I’d just stop here for a bite to eat anyway, then as I came towards the other end of the market I saw the railway lines and I knew then I was going in the right general direction. I then stumbled into some narrow alleyways crammed full of more shops and somehow when I came out the other end, there was the entrance to the Baiyoke Tower. Don’t ask me how I found it, if you want my advice take a taxi! Unless you enjoy these little adventures that can often be had by getting lost.
When I visited there was the often of just paying to go up to the viewing deck or you could have an international buffet as well. As I was famished I opted for the buffet, slightly overpriced by Bangkok standards and ordinary food, but I would have eaten anything at that point! Then you take a further lift from the restaurant to the viewing deck and are rewarded with fabulous views across the city. As with anywhere, this depends upon weather and pollution conditions on the day. The deck revolves so you can get a good perspective of just how vast Bangkok is.
If you have the time this is a worthwhile stop off and is a nice alternative to visiting temples, which are great but can get a little “samey” after a while.

South East Asia photos on my website, www.matthewt.co.uk

My blog - http://matthewted.blogspot.com

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The Bangkok tuk-tuk trick

Bangkok is a city quite famous for its touts and scam artists. However some are now so famous that you’d have to lead a pretty sheltered life to fall for them.

One such scam is run by some of the city’s tuk-tuk drivers. They will loiter outside famous attractions (especially popular is the Grand Palace) and try to tell you that it’s closed for a public holiday. Despite the fact that you can clearly see it is open and people streaming in and out! Nonetheless, people still fall for it and one day I decided it might be fun to “fall for it” myself and find out just where they take you.



Now, firstly let me fill you in on just what the scam is. They will tell you that they’re taking you on a tour of some of Bangkok’s great temples, usually featuring a combination of the “Lucky Buddha”, “Golden Buddha”, “Great Buddha” and other imaginary names! And indeed they do take you to a temple or two along the way and wait outside for you to finish. And these are temples that you might not otherwise have seen during your stay.



The catch comes at the end when they drop you off at their brother’s/uncle’s/friend’s tailors or gem shop. This is where you become subject of some high pressure selling tactics, which for some people may be uncomfortable. Having lived in Thailand and having Thai inlaws I felt ok with this, had a quick look round and politely declined and left. Certainly don’t be pressured into buying something you don’t want.

And what does the tuk-tuk driver get out of this? Well here I’m a little hazy. They say they get some tokens which they can exchange for gas at their local filling station. However I think they get paid some sort of commission for bringing tourists to the various shops.

As for my own journey, I decided to play the tourist. Dressed in Beer Chang t-shirt and three-quarter length trousers with rucksack I looked the part! Sure enough as I approached the entrance to the Grand Palace grounds I was approached by a friendly driver by the name of James (a common Thai nickname). He informed me that the Grand Palace was closed for maintenance (a variation I hadn’t heard before, other stories may include public holiday, Buddhist ceremony, King in residence). James kindly offered to take me to some beautiful temples instead for a flat fee of 20 baht. I hopped in and off we went. First stop Wat Indrawihan (photos on my website linked below). The temple itself is fairly standard, the main attraction is a very imposing standing Buddha. Next stop, just down the road was Wat Benjamabophit, this temple is certainly worth a visit, laden with Italian marble it shimmers in the sun.



James then informed me that we’d be making one more stop on our grand tour, a fantastic government tailors that had a special promotion for today only. What luck! Sure enough, 5 minutes later, we pulled up outside the tailors. “This way Sir…” he opened the door and waited outside. The owner and his assistant came rushing over, “Suit for you Sir? I make you nice shirt, special promotion” etc etc etc. I humoured him for a few minutes, had a quick browse then made my excuses (that I would return later) and left.

I asked James if he would take me back home, he replied “Sure, but first I take you to Gem shop, special promotion, you buy cheap” and so forth. At that point I opted out and walked to the nearest main road and caught a taxi home.

These drivers get paid for each drop off they make, so they will try and take you to as many shops as possible. One thing to remember in Thailand is not to get angry, it will not gain you anything. If you realise you’ve been scammed, or if you’ve just had enough then politely make your apologies and walk away. Shouting and getting angry can very quickly escalate into an ugly confrontation that you won’t win.

Now, I never felt threatened or intimidated during this excursion, but that maybe because of my previous experience in the country. I’ve never heard of anyone getting into difficulties as a result of this scam, the only thing is you may feel pressured into buying something you don’t want and I have heard of people getting into arguments when trying to get back to where they wanted to be. And as mentioned above, keep calm and if your driver is being stubborn, just walk away and pick up the next taxi. It’s not worth getting into a fight over a few Baht!

Now for me, having spent a lot of time in Thailand this was no problem, as I was curious to see it for myself. However for somebody with limited time in Bangkok, this scam is a nuisance that could leave you with a sour taste.

As on any holiday, keep your wits about you and don’t believe everything you’re told!

South East Asia photos on my website, www.matthewt.co.uk

My blog - http://matthewted.blogspot.com

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Songkran in Bangkok

Songkran is the festival celebrated at Thai New Year, which is in mid April (dependant on the Lunar cycle).
The festival has its origins in Thailand’s agricultural heartland, when thanks was given each year for the water which helps to grow the rice that the people survive on.

These days it is a 4 day holiday, celebrated on the streets by people dousing each other with buckets of freezing cold water and throwing a flour/water paste at you. The more “sophisticated” have Supersoaker water pistols and drive around towns and cities in their pick-up trucks spraying one another.

At its best, this is a fantastically fun festival and the locals are more than happy for foreigners to take part. If you are prepared to get soaked on these days (ie: not wearing your finest suit and carrying your expensive laptop!) and know the score it’s great fun. If you take it in the wrong spirit then probably best to avoid Thailand during Songkran, or stay indoors!
At its worst, Songkran can bring out the worst in people. As with the standard New Year, copious amounts of alcohol are consumed, this combined with copious amounts of water being thrown at people means a spike in road traffic accidents. In particular motorcycle accidents soar during this festival.
As I always advise to anyone visiting Thailand, common sense should always prevail, don’t leave that at home just because you’re on holiday.

I have included below a few pictures of a typical Bangkok Songkran scene.

Vietnam – a short visit

I had the opportunity to visit Vietnam for three days and just couldn’t pass it up, having read and heard so many positive things about it. I knew three wouldn’t be nearly enough to do any kind of justice to the place, but it was better than nothing.



Basically, while based in Thailand I won a prize for a short holiday, hotel stay, guided tour etc. We were based in Ho Chi Minh City and followed what I presume is a standard tourist itinerary. Even doing this gives you a great insight into this fascinating country.



We had a look around what used to be called the “American War Crimes Museum” and did a walking tour around some of the city’s famous monuments like the Opera House, markets and Chinese temples.



The thing that really struck me about the city initially was the volume of motorcycle traffic and lack of traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. On the face of it the city is chaotic, actually there’s a kid of order to it all. Once you get past the initial culture shock, you can appreciate the diverse, historical nature of the city. Asian shop houses intermingle with French style architecture and a strong communist Chinese influence.



The food here is really fresh, often chickens and ducks are kept round the back of restaurants and killed to order. Vietnamese cuisine is fantastic and very subtle. I loved eating out in the city, so many choices. And if you tire of Asian food, of course here in Vietnam you can always pick up a fresh baguette!



After a day in the city, we had two day trips out to the countryside. One day was spent along the Mekong Delta, visiting local communities and factories.



The other day was a visit to the famous Cu Chi tunnels, were Viet Cong and civilians lived during the French occupation and the Vietnam War. This was another fascinating day, some of the tunnels have been widened to allow for visitors to crawl in! Most of the tunnels are so small, only Vietnamese people could fit in!



Vietnam is a really lively place, packed full of history and diversity. Of course its recent history is very sad, and this is reason enough to visit, to understand what happened here and ensure it doesn’t happen again.



You’ll love Vietnam!



You can see more photos on my website, linked below.

South East Asia photos on my website, www.matthewt.co.uk

My blog - http://matthewted.blogspot.com

Free iPod, iPhone or Touch - http://67.220.209.137/~freeipod/?r=11454