Chris Backe's Blog, page 112
June 26, 2014
The Slow Nomad: Khon Kaen
Presenting a new, occasional series focused around where we’re living the nomadic life. As time allows I’ll be going back to previous cities where I’ve lived with thoughts on them as well.
When my wife and I moved to Thailand from Korea, we decided on what we’re calling the ‘slow nomad’ style of travel. At it’s heart, aslow nomad is one that lives in a place long enough to become a part of it – long enough to feel like a local, or at the very least find the best coffee in town through rigorous...
June 24, 2014
Destination: the park with full-size dinosaurs – Udon Thani area
My wife and I kind of have a thing for dinosaurs. I’m not sure the origins of my wife’s interest, but I guess there’s still a little5-year-old in me… Off we went to Udon Thani and the nature park with dinosaurs!
To be clear, this is a bit remote from Udon Thani. You’ll need some wheels, and it’ll take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours to reach. That said, there’s enough to see to make it a half-day to a full-day trip here; for extra credit, there are lodges in the park if you want to stay overnight.
Th...
June 22, 2014
Destination: Sala Kaeoku – the Nong Khai ‘temple’ with bizarre statues
Have you ever felt like the lesser-knownsibling? Jan Brady to her sister Marcia? Elizabeth Olsen to her sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley? If so, you’ll probably understand how this place would feel – y’know, if places could talk.
Much like the Xieng Khuan Buddhist Park across the river in Laos, thestory begins with our man Luang Pu, a priest / shaman aiming to integrate Hinduism and Buddhism into a single religion. That park camefirst, andconstruction of the bizarre concrete sculptures began in 19...
June 19, 2014
Destination: Sirindhorn Museum – an awesome dinosaur museum
Dinosaurs, anyone? TheSirindhorn Museum in Kalasinoffers up a look at some of the species found here, including some fossils first discovered by a monk in 1970. An excavation site and the temple itself pair nicely with an additional park of dinosaurs, all within a short ride of each other.
Credit the Abbot of Wat Sakkawan,Phrakhru Wichit Sahatsakhan, for his discovery of some large bones in 1970. He didn’t know what they were, and let them be until a team confirmed they were fossils in 1978. A...
June 17, 2014
Destination: the weirdest temple in Thailand thus far (NSFW)
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s been quite some time since we’ve had a serious WTF? sort of destination. This is OneWeird Globe, after all, and the main focus is on theweird places. I present you here with the weirdest temple we’ve yet found in Thailand – Wat Pa Thewapithak Pracha Bamrung, often shortened toWat Pa Thewapithak.
The entrance along the road (not pictured) offers no clue to the weirdness inside – in fact, from the outside it looks like every other temple. Walk 25 meters in, however, an...
June 16, 2014
Thailand – the One Weird Globe guide
Get off the beaten path in Thailand! Following in the footsteps ofWeird and Wonderful Korea and the One Weird Globe itineraries, this is your chance to go places you’ll never hear of in the mainstream guidebooks.
Just a few places to expect:
Museums and parks with dinosaurs and insects
Hell temples galore
Prehistoric rock paintings
Parks full of monkeys
The temple with horses and a boxing ring
The temple with hid...
June 15, 2014
Are you ready to live abroad?
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This post first appeared at Are you ready to live abroad? on One Weird Globe.
June 12, 2014
Reviews: Oriental Residence Hotel and Expique’s Bangkok Whispers Sun Tour
Bangkok has no shortage of fancy hotels, and as part of coming to the Blogger Matchup eventin Bangkok, I got to stay in one.
Disclaimer: each product or service was complimentarily provided during my recent trip to Bangkok for the Blogger Matchup event. A positive review is never promised or guaranteed, and all opinions are my own. As a general rule, I declineproducts or services that aren’t a good fit for this blog or you, my wonderfulreaders. Thank you for understanding.
Let’s start by saying...
June 10, 2014
Scooters, part 2 – getting around and what to do if there’s a problem
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If you read myabsolute beginner’s guide to renting a motorcycle, you’re probably well on your way to getting around your country of choice. It’s when there’s a problem that things get dicier.
Few things cause more panic than a bike that won’t start. Three quickthings to check:
Is the bike resting on its kickstand? More often th...June 8, 2014
Event: the Thailand Travel Mart, along with reflections and numbers
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Call this part 2 of the Digital Innovation Bloggers Conference post. The dayafter the Blogger Matchup wrapped up, the Thailand Travel Mart opened up (Wednesday, June 4th). This shouldn’t be confused with the Thailand Tourism Festival – leave it to Thailand to have two festivals in the same industry, the same city, in the same week, but with two ver...
