Receiving the memento for 20 service years from K. Pichai, COO of TISCO Bank Plc.
With the management of TISCO.
With our bosses: K. Suthas and K. Metha.
I and Lim work for 20 and 5 years, respectively at TISCO.
With Treasury Department.
(Note: Thanks. All pictures are taken by Pui and Note with their Nikon D80.)
Waiting for the flight in the afternoon, we visit the Temple of Literature. It was established by King Ly Thanh Tong. Names of successful examinees were engraved on stone steles at the back of the stone turtles.
We start walking down from that tower to the village below.
Dying the cotton with the natural plant.
View at Cat Cat Village.
We all contribute a small part to the well-being of the local hill tribe people by buying a lot of their products.
Bye Bye Sapa
We then board the train back to Hanoi in the evening. Thanks for the leader of the trip, Mer, who knows me enough to arrange the trip to be short, only 4 days trip. Because my legs do not support me anymore even after taking a ‘relieving pain’ medicine.
Start our day at the city market where the fresh products are sold on the ground floor and the handicraft on the second floor.
Our breakfast with the local food.
Mer is looking for the Hmong whom she took a picture in her earlier trip (January) and wants to give a photo to her.
Ethnic ladies from different tribes.
For the last one - Her very effective sale techniques in this competitive handicraft market is to invite tourists to try on her costumes and take a picture and then ask to buy her products for return. Salute for her non M.B.A.study.!!! 555
We buy the trekking tour to visit the hill tribe village. Our group consists of 6 ladies often take a break every 15 minutes (or shorter than that???) with the excuse to take some pictures or buy things from local. Of course I checked before that it would be downhill trekking, otherwise I would have waited for the gang at the hotel.
Although we start trekking early in the morning, groups after groups of tourist walk pass us.
The panoramic view of rice field in Sapa.
Another stunning vistas and impressive rice terraces.
Let me show - one last picture of today trekking for the worth of my sore legs.
Glad that finally the car comes to pick up us at the last village because I don’t think that I can climb up to the main road.
After arriving at Lao Cai station, we visit the hill-tribe market where we start to shop. Because of their colorful dress, they are called “Flower Hmong” instead of others Black Hmong.
I begin my shopping mode from here on so that finally the shopping expense almost equals to the trip expense.
Members of the trip: Mer, Patch, Lek (Alex), Lee and Hui.
We arrive to Sapa in the late afternoon. Sapa is located in the northwest of Hanoi (350 kilometers) in the Fansipan Mountains and 3,000 meters above sea level.
Visit the small lake in the city.
In Sapa, you will see a lot of ethnic minority people adorn in colorful hill tribe costumes walking and selling thing in the streets.
Refill our energy at a lovely café.
Today is the children day in Vietnam. Parade of decorated light lanterns are processed to the football field.
We enjoy our meal at P. Aey's house warming party.
Hat Noppharat Thara (Noppharat Thara Beach)
Located 6 kilometers from Ao Nang is a famous 3-kilometer long white sandy beach lined with dense casuarinas and coconut groves. The beach, paved with tiny seashells, was formerly called "Hat Khlong Haeng", which means dried canal beach by locals, because the canal dries up during low tide and the area turns into a long beach
Next place is สุสานหอย. But it is the “high tide” time of the day so I don’t see much of the shell graveyard.
My brother, a sponsor of this trip.
“Nemo” at a small Marine Fish Reservation
We stop to have lunch at Ban Ton Kao “บ้านต้นข้าว” which offers a great land view. I would rather recommend to come for dinner since the area would be cooler for walking around and taking a picture.
Our menu includes Stir-fried crab with eggs and curry powder (ปูผัดผงกะหรี่), Traditional spare rib soup (ต้มซี่โครงหมูโบราณ), Simmered Fish หลนปลาอินทรีย์ and Spicy Ban Ton Kao Salad (ยำบ้านต้นข้าว).
Wat Tham Suea, which literally means tiger cave temple, is located in the Khiriwong Valley amidst lush forests and mountains with large trees over a hundred years old approximately 9 kilometers northeast of Krabi Town. Aside from being the site of a meditation center, the compound is also a place of archaeological and historical interest as excavations have uncovered stone tools, pottery remains and Buddha footprint crafting molds. In addition, a cave in the compound has what appears to be tiger paw prints in the stone.
Our next place is at “พิพิธภัณฑ์คลองท่อม”
Wat Khlong Thom Museum
The Museum exhibits various artifacts discovered during excavations of an area called "Khuan Luk Pat" or a bead mound behind Wat Khlong Thom. Unearthed artifacts include stone tools, bronze implements, metal coins, pottery shards, ceramic and stone decorative art and colored beads that are over 5,000 years old.
In the same district is “น้ำตกร้อน”. If I had known that we can enjoy pool, I would bring my T-shirt and shorts to enjoy outdoor on-sen.
Namtok Ron Khlong Thom (Hot shower waterfall)
The waterfall, located quite near to the Emerald pool, is in a shady forest area with numerous hot springs. The hot springs and cool streams converge on a slope to form lovely cascades of warm water with a temperature of 40-50 degrees Celsius. The best time to visit is from 7.00 a.m. to 8.00 a.m. and from 4.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.
Near the waterfall is the famous Emerald Pool where we have to walk very fast since it is almost a closing time.
Emerald Pool
This hot spring originates from a warm stream in the lowland forest of Khao Nor Juji which is supposedly Thailand's last piece of virgin and fertile forest. The intensity of the pools turquoise colored water varies according to the light and time of the day so visitors determined to see the real emerald color should plan to visit at dawn or early in the morning.
Last stop before heading to the airport is at Ku-sa-ra-ka-sai “กุศลากาศัย” eatery. Here I tries the boiled local seawater snail “หอยชักตีนลวก” which is Krabi specialty dish.
Other dishes include Fried Fish with Turmeric (ปลาทรายทอดขมิ้น), Local Thai Vegetable Soup (แกงเลียง), Stir-fried Sator with shrimp (ผัดสะตอใส่กุ้ง)
