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  1. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by can123 View Post
    When we went to Chiang Khan it was empty.
    My last visit, pre-Covid, CK was packed. So much so that we decided not to stay overnight. I guess it is nearly 100% dependent on tourism. I definitely would not want to live there.

    For Mekhong living I think I'd go back to Nakhon Phanom. It is a decent sized town with a small airport and plenty of food options. The view across to Laos is nice too. The river runs north-south here so you can watch the sunrise and the moonrise across the river.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-np-jpg
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-20171223-jpg  

  2. #27
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    As a footnote to this thread, I was thinking about what I wrote about the hotel service being like Thailand 35 years ago.

    The staff, nearly all young women, were dressed in an efficient but unflattering uniform of grey T-shirt with black leggings. Add large black face-masks and you couldn't say this was like old Thailand.

    There were quite a lot of staff around, that helped when you wanted something. That was a plus point.

    It took a while before the main reason dawned on me. It wasn't what I saw, it was what I didn't see.

    Not once did I see a mobile phone in the hands of any of the staff. They were there for customer service.

    It worked and this is why I think it felt like Thailand decades ago. Well done the management of the Chiangkhan River Mountain Resort.

  3. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shutree View Post
    For Mekhong living I think I'd go back to Nakhon Phanom.
    We stayed in Mukdahan a couple of times.

    I liked it a lot

  4. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by helge View Post
    We stayed in Mukdahan a couple of times.

    I liked it a lot
    I have visited a few times and it was the transit point for Laos border runs, back when those things were possible. There is a famous hillside temple to the south and Phu Pha Thoep National Park is interesting. Mukdahan also has that busy IndoChina Market. I couldn't tell you why, I prefer the atmosphere in Nakhon Phanom.

  5. #30
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    I once spent a night in Mukdahan with Rawlins, enroute to Savannakhet.

    We struggled to find a decent bar to spend the evening in and I'm in no hurry to go back.

  6. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by marcusb View Post
    We used to stay at Bouys guesthouse in Sangkrom (sp). Basic basic accommodation but your hut is on a little island on the Mekong.
    I fancied another weekend jolly. Based upon a couple of suggestions here I looked up Bouys on Booking.com and they were not accepting bookings. I got the gf to call them and she told me they are shut. She might be the world's least inquisitive person. I can't tell you if they are shut this weekend, shut until new year or shut for ever, because she didn't ask. She just looked at me and told me they are shut this weekend (just gone), with a look like "Why do you need to know more?"

    Bouys was off the table but I'd already booked the gf's daughter to dogsit, so we thought we'd give Nong Khai a try.

    I was a bit surprised at the prices being asked. One place, HUG, had a basic room at B3K for 2 nights. That was too much so we kept looking and a few days later when we came back to HUG it was B1,400 for two nights with breakfast. The same room. Decision was made and weset off last Friday, a holiday.

    We went straight up Route 2 from Udon Thani and there is a coffee shop in the rice fields that I noticed the last time we went there. Nice place, Sher, run by people who seem to know and care about what they are doing. I wish other places were the same. No pics of the coffee and cakes, it was all good. The rice was looking green.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-sher-jpg

    As a side note, when we drove back on Sunday we saw two people cutting some rice. The first cutting I have seen this season. Only two people so I am guessing it might be what I call 'baby rice' (cow maew), the green early rice that you just find in the market for a few days each year.

    On to HUG and the location was good, only 50m from the Mekhong and 2 minutes to walking street. The view from the room had less river than I expected. It is 50m the other side of the mango tree.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-view-jpg

    The room was clean and tidy and the people were pleasant. It was okay for B1,400 but if I had paid double that I'd have been disappointed.

    Lunch was the top priority and the gf had already chosen the location. It is a large Vietnamese place beside the river. For anyone who knows Udon Thani, this place is owned by the parents of the chap who opened the very successful VT Restaurant in Udon.

    Also, it is closed.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-nolunch-jpg

    This was a little surprising because there is another Vietnamese restaurant next door which was open.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-viet-jpg

    I don't have a pic to show it. Not only was this place open it was absolutely packed, including tables outside along the river. There must have been 300 to 400 people sitting and eating there. It was so busy that we couldn't find a seat.

    So we went to a nearby place along the waterfront that turned out thoroughly mediocre food.

    Never mind, we got to see the river that we couldn't see from the room. Flowing full and fast, it was noticeable that there wasn't a boat to be seen.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-river1-jpg

    The nearby Customs post was all closed up.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-customs-jpg

  7. #32
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    On Friday evening we chose an established local restaurant a few minutes' walk away from the river. We fancied some river fish and went for a tomyum fish soup and some fried thing that I used to know the name of. The owner didn't seem delighted to see us, even though we were his only customers. The cook, if there was such a person, managed to provide a thin soup with some fish bits that looked to be straight out of Makro's freezer, possibly the world's least tasty somtum. The two small fried fish were edible. Mostly. The pakbung was the top dish. That's Baht 660 I'll never see again. And he'll not see me again.

    I guess the Covid has affected people in different ways. This guy would have been better just shutting down for a while.

    Back then to Walking Street.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-ws-jpg

    It was pleasant by the river and moderately busy without being overcrowded. Which was nice.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-river2-jpg

  8. #33
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    Saturday in Nong Khai and what to do. The gf was up for visiting the skywalk that had been closed when we were in Chiangkhan, until she realised that it was 100km away.

    I got first choice and I chose the aquarium, maybe we can see a few river fish. My pink ID got me the local price, Baht50. Like many places the aquarium here has dual pricing which I find objectionable. Some will say it's only an extra Baht50, which is factually correct, but it is plainly discriminatory and the signs are telling all the young people who visit here that racial discrimination is okay. Which it is not, in my opinion.

    Inside you have - an aquarium. Lots of fish in tanks. Both fish and tanks look a bit sad. It is low light and of course flash photography is not allowed, so action shots of moving fish are a test. Here is a Blacktip reef shark.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-shark-jpg

    And some Siamese Giant Carp.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-carp-jpg

    I was interested in some of the large Mekhong fish. The gf was mainly interested to know what they taste like.

    I don't have a picture of the glass tunnel through the largest tank. I thought it was kind of cool but the gf was scared to be there, so there was no stopping.

    One thing about the aquarium is that there are no seats. There is only so long that you can spend standing and watching fish swim by. Another thing is that there were very few colourful fish, a lot of greys and blacks around the place.

    Like most places these days, the exit is through the shop. A sad excuse for a shop here with a couple of trinkets and a bored old lady staring into space. However, I noticed a couple of fine fish posters on the wall.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-poster-jpg

    Mendip will be up for a wall full of these, I thought to myself. But it wasn't to be. The old lady, surprised that anyone might want to buy anything, stirred enough to tell us that they used to sell the posters years ago and then they sold out. No chance of restocking a popular item then?

  9. #34
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    We were done and next stop was the gf's choice. We were off to a temple! I have enough temple pics and there was nothing exceptional here. I thought.

    Now the gf can play a long game. In my house we have a small Buddha shelf and I have wondered for over a year why it is an empty Buddha shelf. Suddenly it dawned, all the places we had seen selling Buddha images were not selling the right kind of Buddha image. This temple is famous for it's brass Buddha images. What a stroke of luck!

    Attachment 77779
    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-temple-jpg

    After a bit of praying and giving money to people who are already a lot richer than I, we found our way to the shop. Sharp intake of breath at the prices. The gf was willing to walk away (she said.) After negotiations the smallest size available was agreed upon. About 8 inches tall and B1,500, a bargain. The gf is happy and we all know that this is an important part of a quiet life.

    Next stop, lunch. Our meal plans so far hadn't been particularly successful. Driving down a small soi we saw a cafe/restaurant with spaces to park and decided to take a chance. It was fine. We got the wrong food, twice, and it was a bit of a comedy but everyone was very helpful and smiley and the food was tasty. One dish I couldn't decide if it was crab or carp on the menu. I never found out.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-crap-jpeg

    Attachment 77780
    Last edited by Shutree; 28-10-2021 at 03:29 PM.

  10. #35
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    In a tiny soi next to HUG is the Hornbill Bookshop. Someone's house, with some recycled books for sale.

    Pre-Covid I had overseas visitors who'd always bring along their recently finished books. I'd read whatever they brought and then pass them along. This last year has been a bit of a book desert, so I was open to anything. There was the expected collection of airport novels and some old travel guides and some oddments in Dutch and Swedish. Best culture choice was Middlemarch, but I read it not long ago. The only thing I found was Anna Karenina. People tell me it isn't up to the standard of War and Peace, still I haven't read it. Plus a Reacher novel that I later realised I had already read and a Clive Cussler book that I know I have never read because I haven't read anything he has written.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-books-jpeg

    Attachment 77781

    In the Indo-China market there is a kitchen shop that sells hundreds of things I don't need. I once bought a cafetiere there. Maybe I could find a garlic press to replace the one I bought not long ago then threw away after it painfully pinched my fingers both times I used it. Yes they had garlic presses, three to choose from, all looking poor quality and a waste of time. (Why don't they sell some good quality bits amongst all the cheap tat?) The gf found a 12-inch mini-wok which apparently we couldn't live without, despite my getting through the past 60+ years without one. Meanwhile I found a larger martini glass, not Lalique although entirely adequate for Isan cocktails. I'd mention that I don't want larger martinis, I simply want to drink the same size of cocktail from a larger glass that I can pick up without spilling the contents. Here it is, back at base, next to its smaller cousin, ready for testing.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-glass-jpg

    Attachment 77782
    Last edited by Shutree; 28-10-2021 at 03:31 PM.

  11. #36
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    Dinner was street food in the Walking Street, followed by drinks at the Irish Bar which was mercifully open.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-ws3-jpg

    Attachment 77783

    Sunday was the return journey home. We chose a longer, rural route which turned out to be fairly boring.

    Our last stop was late morning coffee at a shop we have visited before, not too far out of Nongbualamphu. Coffee is coffee, I don't have pictures. There was however an interesting butterfly, new one to me, fluttering around the place. It did a lot of fluttering and absolutely no sitting still, this was my best shot.

    Attachment 77784

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-bfly-jpg
    Last edited by Shutree; 28-10-2021 at 03:33 PM.

  12. #37
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    ^ Shu thanks for the update but unless its just me your last three pages are not showing the pics

  13. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shutree View Post
    Yes they had garlic presses, three to choose from, all looking poor quality and a waste of time
    I gave up on them and now peel and grate, easy.

  14. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by malmomike77 View Post
    ^ Shu thanks for the update but unless its just me your last three pages are not showing the pics
    WTF is it with posting pictures here. I do the same thing every time and get different results. Let me try to edit.

  15. #40
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    ^ no idea why it does it sometimes and not others, it makes it a pain posting. I have to say your strike rate for bad restaurants is above average

  16. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by malmomike77 View Post
    ^ Shu thanks for the update but unless its just me your last three pages are not showing the pics
    There now? I only did the same thing again.

  17. #42
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  18. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shutree View Post
    The gf was willing to walk away (she said.) After negotiations the smallest size available was agreed upon. About 8 inches tall and B1,500, a bargain. The gf is happy and we all know that this is an important part of a quiet life.
    You'll now need to get this to the local temple for a blessing which will likely bump the cost up further

  19. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shutree View Post


    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-poster-jpg

    Mendip will be up for a wall full of these, I thought to myself. But it wasn't to be. The old lady, surprised that anyone might want to buy anything, stirred enough to tell us that they used to sell the posters years ago and then they sold out. No chance of restocking a popular item then?
    Shutree... I was at that same Nong Khai aquarium back in April after taking 10 hours to drive up during Songkran to drop off a couple of puppies to a new home.

    I also tried to buy a couple of fish posters but there was no-one there to sell them, and I was told the woman wasn't going to be in that day. Just as well if they have none to sell anyway.

    I did find out where to download the files from and have been meaning to take the files along to a poster place in Korat to see if they can print them off. I'm sure I can find the link to the files if you're interested... they'll be on my 'Anna the Dog' thread somewhere. I think it was Neverna who posted the links.

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    "I fancied another weekend jolly. Based upon a couple of suggestions here I looked up Bouys on Booking.com and they were not accepting bookings. I got the gf to call them and she told me they are shut."

    Well I am kind of relieved they were closed. I absolutely love the place but its very very rustic. A little island with 4 little bungalows, great view, peaceful. The cabins are old, no air, no frills whatsoever. After I suggested it I pictured your gf saying "who the feck suggested this dump!"

    Walking street in NK is sure developing! Though the town must be hurting from the loss of an open border.

  21. #46
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    Most enjoyable sir.

  22. #47
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    Very nice thread, shutree. Thanks for the pics.

    How goes the winemaking? Still at it?

  23. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by katie23 View Post
    How goes the winemaking? Still at it?
    Indeed I am Katie. I am a little disappointed that I seem not to have been able to improve the final product. I'm not sure what I need to do differently. I suspect that the summer season has been too warm. The weather has shown signs of changing over the past week or so and my next efforts will be ready for Christmas.

  24. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    I also tried to buy a couple of fish posters but there was no-one there to sell them, and I was told the woman wasn't going to be in that day. Just as well if they have none to sell anyway.
    At least you now know that you didn't miss an opportunity there.

    It must have been quite a lot of work to produce that poster and you'd think that they would reprint them from time to time. I guess it is no one's job to do that.

    On another matter, I studied your Black Sea nearly-a-dolphin picture and realise that you are now vying with me for the TD Wildlife Photographer of the Year title.

  25. #50
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    Rather than a new thread, I thought I'd stick with this one for my first trip of 2022. We are still circumspect about flying in a tube full of Covid so we decided again on a drive. The 'somewhere not too far' discussion resolved to Phu Ruea. We have been before and like it up in the mountains. This being peak season we couldn't find a room on New Year's Eve so we travelled on January 1st. The roads were very busy.

    Twenty minutes along Route 210 and we were ready for coffee. Who wouldn't choose a place with a mocked up aeroplane on the roof?

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-coffeeshop-jpg

    There are two routes to choose. The longer route with better road goes through Loei city, the slightly shorter route takes a narrow and twisty route up into the mountains. We took the shorter road and we were lucky not to catch up with anything large and slow. Traffic was streaming down the mountain, probably all those people who had been seeing in the New Year now rushing home, mostly not drunk.

    The mountain road has fine scenery and no petrol stations. After a coffee and an hour in the car the gf is hoping for a bathroom. There was none. She is moderately fussy about these things and only a PTT will do, she tells me, so we have to drive past the hotel turning to get to the PTT. Unfortunately, it seems that every woman on the road is like the gf, the PTT was jammed with a queue to get in and the kind of mess you can imagine as people desperate to park block those trying to leave. It was gridlock. Followed by a long line outside the Ladies'. The picture doesn't quite convey the chaos.

    Chiang Khan, the wet weekend-ptt-jpg

    Eventually all was made right and we escaped the PTT for our accommodation.

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