We enjoy being in the countryside while traveling, seeing every day life through the eyes of the common man. So, after spending a few days in the big city, we were ready for something less hectic: the train from Bangkok’s Thonburi Station to Kanchanaburi along the route of the famous Burma Railway. It’s only a … Continue reading →

In my last post, I related the history of Thailand’s first 400 years, ending in 1767 with the Burmese invasion and siege of Ayutthaya. Once Ayutthaya fell, the kingdom disintegrated. The story continues by way of a local noble named Taksin who managed to make his way out of the city during the attack at … Continue reading →

In order to better describe the culture and history of Thailand, I’m going to tell you about our first days in Bangkok in reverse order. On our second full day as tourists, we hired a guide and driver to take us north 50 miles to visit the Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site … Continue reading →

Seven years ago (has it really been that long?) we spent nearly a month traveling the length of Vietnam. It was our first visit to Asia and an amazing trip. Vietnam is one of the more recent members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, known as ASEAN, an international organization – and formidable trading … Continue reading →