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    Japan and Thailand: Armchair Travel Series
    Japan and Thailand: Armchair Travel Series
    Japan and Thailand: Armchair Travel Series
    Ebook48 pages1 hour

    Japan and Thailand: Armchair Travel Series

    By Pauline Hager

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    Pauline and husband lived in Japan from 1994 to 1996. One weekend they spent a night at an authentic Japanese ryokan (inn) at Nikko National Park Japan. Unfamiliar with the rules of the inn, the Hagers committed several faux pas, not knowing which slippers to wear in the bedroom, how to bathe before entering an onsen (spa) and which clothes to wear for each meal. Pauline describes the lobby, the bedroom, the spa, and the reaction of the Japanese diners inside the restaurant. This is a modified chapter taken from Pauline's published book titled Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan. Another chapter from the same book recounts a seven day trip to Thailand. To see as much of the country possible in 7 days, the Hagers hired a tour guide. Their first encounter was a scene in Bangkok, viewing four monks in saffron-colored robes standing in line to receive their daily alms. A trip to three ancient temples "Wat", begun in 1345 and now in ruins, was another first. The evening consisted of an interesting Thai dinner and dance show, very different from Western-style entertainment. Next morning their guide drove them to Chiang Mai, 450 miles north of Bangkok. Pauline describes a stop at the Meo Hilltribe Village. They paid a tribesman to enter his home and watch him demonstrate how he smokes his opium through a long pipe. From the Golden Triangle near Chiang Rai, they climbed a steep slope overlooking the Mae Khong River, where the rivers of Thailand, Burma and Laos converge. Next was an elephant work farm. They experienced a harrowing elephant ride, climbing a steep hillside on soft, soggy ground, sensing they were on a seesaw! Next a visit to a reptile farm housing poisonous and nonlethal snakes, and attended a show where the trainer treated them to a riveting performance, tossing reptiles at the audience!!! The Hagers were taken to a large furniture factory, a jewelry outlet and a hand-woven silk factory, whether they wanted to visit or not! They returned to Bangkok in time to view The Royal Barge Procession on the Chao Phraya River in a driving, monsoonal rain storm, celebrating the King of Thailand 50th year on the throne, a spectacular scene. The parade consisted of 53 gilded royal barges rowed by Royal Navy oarsmen, 20 miles upstream from the Gulf of Thailand, ending at the Grand Palace. A spectacular river parade. A visit to the Grand Palace, expecting to see this palace similar to those seen all over Europe with opulent rooms and gardens. This Palace was completely different and overwhelming, resembling a Siamese version of Disneyland. The grounds housed Buddhist religious compounds comprised of several temples, monasteries, and meditation halls. The "Emerald Buddha" (The Enlightened One and founder of Buddhism) is stored here, among other statues and fierce-looking Garudas (half bird and half human). Their final significant tour was the JEATH War Museum, named after the six counties involved in the construction of the "Death Railway" over the River Kwai, linking Thailand and Burma during WWII. Next to the museum sits a bomb enclosed in a glass stand. Dropped by the English, it never exploded and is now on display with the words "The Bomb". Large letters above the bomb read: Forgive but Not Forget. Their final visit was the Kanchanaburi War Cemetery. Rows of marble headstone inscribed with the names and countries of the fallen soldiers, are buried here; an emotional experience. The following day the Hagers left this fascinating country and flew back to Japan. Photos by Pauline.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPauline Hager
    Release dateJun 29, 2015
    ISBN9781311694171
    Japan and Thailand: Armchair Travel Series
    Author

    Pauline Hager

    A native of Clinton, Massachusetts, a graduate of The University of South Carolina, and a longtime resident of Southern California, Pauline Hager presently lives in La Jolla, California with her husband Randy. Ms. Hager writes from her home and is presently working on her third book. Her first book Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan humorously recounts her two and one half years living among the Japanese, and her second book is a novel Giorgi's Greek Tragedy, an epic tale during the Greek War of Independence from the Ottoman Turks. The author contributes articles to a monthly e-newsletter www.foxandquill.com/

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      Book preview

      Japan and Thailand - Pauline Hager

      Preface

      My husband and I have traveled to many countries around the globe, via ocean and river cruises, bus/auto and rail. Twenty-one countries (including the U.S.) and eleven excursions are chronicled and published into four separate travelogues; each with title of country followed by Armchair Travel Series.

      The four travelogues and twenty-one countries are as follows:

      AUTO:

      Nikko National Park, Japan (1995)

      Thailand (1996)

      TRAIN:

      Durango, Colorado (2005)

      Grand Canyon, Arizona (2008)

      Chama, New Mexico to Antonito, Colorado (2010)

      Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri (2011)

      CRUISES: OCEAN AND RIVER:

      Panama Canal includes Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Jamaica, and Grand Cayman Islands (2003).

      Russian River Cruise: Moscow to St. Petersburg via Volga Baltic Canal & River. Cities along the way include Uglich, Yaroslavl, Goritzy and Kizhi Island (2005).

      Danube River Cruise includes Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, and Germany (2011).

      AUTO, BUS AND RIVER CRUISE:

      China—bus and river cruise (2007)

      England—auto (2008)

      Happy reading and bon voyage!

      Nikko National Park Japan - 1995

      My husband and I lived in Naka, Japan, for over two and one-half years, (1994 to 1996). During that time I took many pictures with my favorite Canon film camera (since then I've updated with a digital Canon) and ultimately published, Memoirs of an American Housewife in Japan (2002). Our visit to Nikko National Park follows our experience from the sincere to the bungling, to the hilarious.

      If you ever visit a ryokan (Japanese inn) make sure you don't make the same mistakes we did. Hopefully, the following travel tidbit taken from my book will help you enjoy this lovely country, without angst.

      One weekend we drove to Nikko National Park and stayed at an authentic ryokan, as opposed to a Western-style inn; an experience we're not likely to forget.

      Our neighbors told us about this beautiful park in the mountains (elevation 8,150 ft.) about seventy miles northwest of Naka. They raved about it, declaring it well worth the drive up there, and gave us directions. You can't miss it, we were told. Good thing we made an early morning start. After getting lost several times unable to read the signs, we missed turn-offs, attempted to maneuver through congested traffic in small towns on extremely narrow roads, and finally arrived about five hours later.

      Our first night at this lush park (established in 1934) was spent in a Western-style hotel. The room, including

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