SE Asia: First Blood
Sunday, 16 July 1995Skedsmokorset, Norway
My very first time to set foot outside Europe! It happened when I and my sister Siri arrived in Bangkok on 28 June 1995 during a vacation to Thailand. Our mother Ellen was also supposed to join us, but arrived a few days later due to illness.
![Monkey](http://whereisrune.com/images/421891440_YxLid-L.jpg)
The whole idea about this trip was not actually mine, I just sort of followed along, thinking that this could be interesting. It was Ellen who got the idea from her Thai students (in a school for immigrants with the purpose of learning the Norwegian language). They were helpful in providing economical airline tickets too.
The trip went like this: Arrival in Bangkok on 28 June on Finnair via Helsinki, and plane same day to Phuket (we bought the domestic ticket on the spot). We stayed a few days at Patong beach before moving on to Kata beach. Among other things, we rented a motorbike for sightseeing. Our mother arrived eventually. A few days later we took a bus to Bangkok, where we stayed in the middle of the city (don’t remember where). Then we took a train to Chiang Mai, and with that city as a base, we went on a few tours to nearby Chiang Rai, Mae Sai, Mekong River, “Golden Triangle”, jungle trek, etc. At the end, we took a train back to Bangkok and departed on 14 July 1995.
![Patong beach, Phuket](http://whereisrune.com/images/421883334_M3npL-L.jpg)
Patong beach, Phuket.
![Kata beach, Phuket](http://whereisrune.com/images/421884946_62zgK-L.jpg)
Kata beach, Phuket.
![Mae Sai](http://whereisrune.com/images/421887238_MwfNi-L.jpg)
Mae Sai, a border city with Myanmar.
![Elephant show](http://whereisrune.com/images/421890609_GL4aH-L.jpg)
Elephant show near Chiang Mai.
![Asian toilet](http://whereisrune.com/images/421891903_rurrX-L.jpg)
Asian toilet.
![River trip near Chiang Mai](http://whereisrune.com/images/421892006_HZMh6-L.jpg)
River trip near Chiang Mai.