If you’re looking to learn a bit more about the local history, check out Itthi Military Base. It tells the story of the times when the mountain was at the centre of violent clashes between Communist insurgent and the Thai Army. You can see vehicles, guns, and other weapons that were used during the fighting, as well as maps, reconstructions of bunkers, and other exhibits and displays. The nearby Khao Koh Sacrificial Monument, made from marble, honours police officers, members of the military, and local people who tried to protect the area during time of trouble
When i was in Cochin in 2015 I saw these wonderfully coloured Rickshaws in the grounds of a Hotel waiting for their start of the now famous Rickshaw challenge India.
1st January 2015, they start the rally in Cochin, Kerala on the southern part of India, and driving up India’s west coast to reach Jaisalmer, Rajasthan in northern India two weeks later (hopefully). Along the way, they pass through the beautiful beaches of Goa, the mountains of Nasik, the chaos of Mumbai, and many other parts of India.
The Rickshaw Run is the brainchild of a UK company called The Adventurists. They are most famous for the Mongol Rally, a race that brings participants from London all the way to Mongolia. Every adventure they run raises money for some charities. So far teams on their adventures have raised a total of 5 million GBP!
To quote them, “Here at The Adventurists we don’t want sunsets and ‘finding oneself’ we want danger and adventure, the clue is in our name. Our adventures are all hard-core and pose great risk to individuals health, however that’s the way we like to live.
The Rickshaw Run is no exception.” Their motto in life: fighting to make the world less boring.
During my road trip Last year in December 2017 I took a road out from Phayao toward the Doi Phu Nang National Park. About 10klm out there is a place edged by huge plastic sunflowers and a giant entrance and you can’t fail to see these amazing restored and fully working Classic cars and pick ups! They all have their papers in and some you can open the doors and sit in and have your photo taken. I have in my past been a great classic car fan and restorer, these I could not pass by and the quality of the restoration is as good as anywhere in Europe or America.
In 2013 i was in Cambodia as part of my bigger Central and SEA tour for just over a year. In Battambang I took what is fondly referred to as “The Bamboo Train”, their proper name is a Norry or Nori and can get upto speeds of 50kmh. It certainly felt like it!!
Norries have low fares, and are frequent and relatively fast, so they are popular despite their rudimentary design, lack of brakes, the state of the rails (often broken or warped) and the lack of any formal operating system. Its simple construction and light weight means that a norry can be easily removed from the track – if two meet on the line, the one with the lighter load is removed from the rails and carried round the other. At the end of the line the vehicle is lifted and turned.
Journeys From A Small Room 