Luang Prabang was a beautiful, charming, little town. The first day I got out I joined a group from the hostel and went to Kuang Si water fall which was astounding. It was made up of several tiers and many clear bluish swimming holes. I climbed up the steep side of the hill to get a view from the top-quite a workout-before descending and enjoying a cool swim in one of the pools. The rest of the day I took it easy, roamed around town a bit, then went out to dinner with the group at a place that overlooked the Mekong called “Utopia.” It was a picturesque place that offered sand volley ball, bamboo bungalow style furniture, and several lounge areas. I ended up going back the next day, during the day, to fully enjoy the atmosphere.
On day two I decided to explore more of the town by bicycle. I rode around to the many temples and even climbed to the top of the hill for a spectacular view of the city. In part of this hill top temple was a shrine to the foot print of Buddha, which ended up being quite larger than life…sort of strange the types of relics dedicated to religions in general.
In the evening I perused around the night market and ate on the street. They had the best food I have eaten in a while, full veggie buffet style for less than $1 and then a grilled fish that had been stuffed with lemon grass for around $2-the fish was so good I can’t even explain it.
I ended up buying only a t-shirt and a silk scarf. There were so many beautiful silks and things I wanted to buy-but felt that it wasn’t essential to my being, and passed it up.
The last day in Luang Prabang, I joined a group for Mahout Elephant training. Basically I went to an Elephant Sanctuary and feed, rode, bathed, and played with elephants. I will try to upload some pictures so you get a better idea. But this was such an amazing and surreal experience. I rode on the neck of the elephant in the forest than into the river where the elephants would stand, sit, and move around, scaring the shit out of me but making me fall into fits of laughter, either from fear or joy.
Thursday I took a minivan from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, the tubing/backpacker/party town mid way between Luang Prabang and Vientian. The ride over was gorgeous, and at one point as we scaled up and down the mountain sides, we were actually about the clouds. I got a better view of typical Lao life outside of the tourist areas. Many people live in small huts on the side of the mountain road, farming, making things to sell out of natural resources, and living a simple life with almost no modern luxuries. It seems the children here grow up fast. Many 7-10 year old children looked to be in charge of their infant siblings whilst their parents worked, often carrying them on their backs in slings. It was great to see this side of Laos. Besides the Lao man sitting next to me, invading my personal space, the ride was quite pleasant.
Once here, I scooped out the town, ran into some people from Luang Prabang, Aileen from Ohio and Marizio from Mexico- we had a meal together than goofed off the rest of the night.
Friday I went tubing. “Tubing” here is basically word for swimming down the river going from bar to bar where they blast music, give you free Lao Whiskey, and young adults engage in the type of activities their parents wouldn’t approve of. Really has nothing to do with tubing at all. End of explanation.
It was fun, I didn’t drink very much and decided to enjoy the scenery instead. I think today I will go kayak or tubing down the river, actual tubing, like we do in Texas.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Lions, Tiger, No Bears, Oh Chiang Mai (Oh yeah, Elephants too...)
24-01-10
It has been all to long since I wrote anything.
Chiang Mai was as great as I expected it to be. Unfortunately I didn’t get to spend enough time there.
The first day I got my bearings. I rode up to the hill top temple with a few others from the hostel. It was a nice sight to see. Countless Buddha figures, golden mosaics, and the like. Beside the regular tourist fare, it would have been a peaceful retreat from the city.
The afternoon was spent walking around the main “downtown” area of Chiang Mai, seeing about 4 or 5 different Wats or Temples, and grabbing a snack. I was trying not to fill up before my evening of cooking and marathon eating at Baan Thai cooking school.
From 4pm till about 9pm I joined 8 other strangers for a cooking class. We started out by going to the market nearby, where we were given the low down on local vegetables, fruits, coconut milk, etc. We made a total of five dishes each. I made papaya salad, stir-fried chicken cashew nut, coconut milk and chicken soup, chiang mai noodle, and mango sticky rice. All very tasty. It was really hard to eat all if it, and I ended up taking some of it back to the hostel with me. I was really surprised how easy all of it was to make, and how quick too.
I spent the later part of the night perusing the night market and buying only two small items, a coin purse and some essential oils/smell goody things.
The second day in Chiang Mai I joined a tour group for a day trek. Although there was little actual trekking involved, I did have a great time. We rode in a truck for about an hour before stopping briefly at a orchid and butterfly farm, then going on to one of the highlights of the trip-elephant riding.
We went to an elephant sanctuary of sorts out in the middle of nowhere. There were several elephants, a few male, female, and one baby elephant. Some were very old, almost 40 years, and other quite young. We were able to take pictures with them, feed them, and then finally ride them. While feeding them, we learned to say “apa” meaning open, and the elephants would open their mouths, and we would then throw in pineapple, banana, etc. They were so adorable, yet so large, strong and intimidating. The baby elephant was only 6 months, and really mischievous.
When it was time to ride the elephants, everyone else was coupled up, so I ended up riding one with the other solo traveler, a man from Switzerland named Andy. We had a good time riding on the elephant. We were very nervous at first, as we were a top the largest male elephant, yet we gradually gained confidence in the beast, and rode it with some ease after a while. We even took turns riding on the neck of the elephant, which was just an amazing experience.
The tour took us all rafting in the afternoon, first white water rafting, then bamboo rafting. Both were fairly exciting, but the white water rafting was much more action packed, despite the small rapids. It was the first time I have ever been rafting, and I really enjoyed it, I think I will have to go again sometime!
The tour ended and I went back to the hostel to join a large barbeque with the other people staying at Spicy Thai . It was a load of fun and I think I played the largest game of King’s Cup ever in my life. Quite exciting. Afterwards we all went out to the bars and clubs of Chiang Mai and painted the town until there was no longer any wet paint in my bucket at about 7am.
The next day I lazed about then went to the Tiger Kingdom outside of Chiang Mai to “play” with the big cats. By “play” I really mean just quietly pet and look at the tigers while my heart raced inside of me at 1000 beats per minute. It was a once in a lifetime sort of a thing-just phenomenal.
That event pretty much sums up the end of my time in Chiang Mai. The next day I headed out to Luang Prabang Laos, where I started feeling really horrible. I checked into a hospital there that afternoon and got a few shots, an IV, and a vague diagnosis. I think it is just some sort of undeveloped country bug making its way through my intestines…its almost gone. Needless to say, hospitals in Laos, not the cleanest, finest places in the world.
I am going to take a chance today and go out to see a waterfall, hopefully my stomach agrees with the decision.
It has been all to long since I wrote anything.
Chiang Mai was as great as I expected it to be. Unfortunately I didn’t get to spend enough time there.
The first day I got my bearings. I rode up to the hill top temple with a few others from the hostel. It was a nice sight to see. Countless Buddha figures, golden mosaics, and the like. Beside the regular tourist fare, it would have been a peaceful retreat from the city.
The afternoon was spent walking around the main “downtown” area of Chiang Mai, seeing about 4 or 5 different Wats or Temples, and grabbing a snack. I was trying not to fill up before my evening of cooking and marathon eating at Baan Thai cooking school.
From 4pm till about 9pm I joined 8 other strangers for a cooking class. We started out by going to the market nearby, where we were given the low down on local vegetables, fruits, coconut milk, etc. We made a total of five dishes each. I made papaya salad, stir-fried chicken cashew nut, coconut milk and chicken soup, chiang mai noodle, and mango sticky rice. All very tasty. It was really hard to eat all if it, and I ended up taking some of it back to the hostel with me. I was really surprised how easy all of it was to make, and how quick too.
I spent the later part of the night perusing the night market and buying only two small items, a coin purse and some essential oils/smell goody things.
The second day in Chiang Mai I joined a tour group for a day trek. Although there was little actual trekking involved, I did have a great time. We rode in a truck for about an hour before stopping briefly at a orchid and butterfly farm, then going on to one of the highlights of the trip-elephant riding.
We went to an elephant sanctuary of sorts out in the middle of nowhere. There were several elephants, a few male, female, and one baby elephant. Some were very old, almost 40 years, and other quite young. We were able to take pictures with them, feed them, and then finally ride them. While feeding them, we learned to say “apa” meaning open, and the elephants would open their mouths, and we would then throw in pineapple, banana, etc. They were so adorable, yet so large, strong and intimidating. The baby elephant was only 6 months, and really mischievous.
When it was time to ride the elephants, everyone else was coupled up, so I ended up riding one with the other solo traveler, a man from Switzerland named Andy. We had a good time riding on the elephant. We were very nervous at first, as we were a top the largest male elephant, yet we gradually gained confidence in the beast, and rode it with some ease after a while. We even took turns riding on the neck of the elephant, which was just an amazing experience.
The tour took us all rafting in the afternoon, first white water rafting, then bamboo rafting. Both were fairly exciting, but the white water rafting was much more action packed, despite the small rapids. It was the first time I have ever been rafting, and I really enjoyed it, I think I will have to go again sometime!
The tour ended and I went back to the hostel to join a large barbeque with the other people staying at Spicy Thai . It was a load of fun and I think I played the largest game of King’s Cup ever in my life. Quite exciting. Afterwards we all went out to the bars and clubs of Chiang Mai and painted the town until there was no longer any wet paint in my bucket at about 7am.
The next day I lazed about then went to the Tiger Kingdom outside of Chiang Mai to “play” with the big cats. By “play” I really mean just quietly pet and look at the tigers while my heart raced inside of me at 1000 beats per minute. It was a once in a lifetime sort of a thing-just phenomenal.
That event pretty much sums up the end of my time in Chiang Mai. The next day I headed out to Luang Prabang Laos, where I started feeling really horrible. I checked into a hospital there that afternoon and got a few shots, an IV, and a vague diagnosis. I think it is just some sort of undeveloped country bug making its way through my intestines…its almost gone. Needless to say, hospitals in Laos, not the cleanest, finest places in the world.
I am going to take a chance today and go out to see a waterfall, hopefully my stomach agrees with the decision.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Bangkok
I have spent the last few days in Bangkok, and honestly, I really have not done all that much.
Right away I met another girl traveling solo. Ashley was nearing her last day of vacation in Thailand and wanted to go to the skybar for a small birthday celebration. Now skybar is one of the “highest and largest” open air roof top bars in the world. It is 64 floors up, and boasts a decent view of Bangkok, an ostentatious cliental, and over priced cocktails. After showing up and being turned away because my sandals were not with in dress code (even though I looked nice, clean, and presentable) Ashley and I searched the streets of Bangkok for some cheap sandals that would be within dress code. Not more than twenty minutes and a few less baht later, we showed up on the rooftop for our 450 baht cocktail. The mojito was good, the view better.
The next day I met another girl traveling solo, Serene from Canada. We decided to all go together to the see the temples and the Grand Palace. After two hours of struggling to get there, fighting tuk tuk drivers, scam artists, and the greater Bangkok public transportation system, we arrived.
The temples were quite impressive, really a grand sight to see. They were so magnificently decorated and there were so many structures in the complex that it soon became overwhelming. The temple of the emerald Buddha was by far the most impressive. No photography was allowed, so you will have to google it to see a photo. Apparently this statue of the Buddha, which is actually made of Jasper, not Emerald, was once covered in Stucco, and thought to merely be a stucco sculpture. Later, however, a part of the stone was uncovered and thus the legend began. It was “stolen” by Laos at one time, and later taken again by the Thais.
Another Temple that is worthy of noting was Wat Pho. Here lays the largest reclining Buddha, made of brick, plaster, and covered in gold foil. The best part of this figure are his feet, which are mother of pearl inlay pictures of smaller Buddha figures and script.
The Grand Palace was also very beautiful. After spending a number of hours gawking at this ornate style of architecture, I started to feel as though I was at Disney Land for Buddha.
Friday night I met up with an old acquaintance, Craig. Craig went to Trinity University also, and we worked together at the Princeton Review in San Antonio for sometime. He has been living and working in Bangkok now for about a year and loves it.
We got dinner with a group of people then went to drink sake in the Japanese area of town. I used some of my skills and read the sake bottle to everyone. I felt fulfilled.
Later in the night we went to Khao San Road, the famous toursit/backpacker road from the movie The Beach. It was happening, stock full of venders, drunks, and bars. We went to a bar/club called Gazebo which was quite fun. I met a few more people and also Craig’s Thai girlfriend who was very cute.
The next day proved slightly non productive. I laid around and hung out with Serene before deciding to join her and her friends Charity and James from the US that live here. We chatted and then found some street food before going out to attempt to get tickets to some Muay Thai boxing. Unfortunately the tickets were sold out, so we settled on roaming around Khao San Road.
There I got some delicious pad thai for only 40 Baht (about $1.50) and chang beer ($0.80). Amazing.
Later that night we went to Patpong (Bangkok’s red light district) and were hassled to go see a ping pong show. No thanks.
On Sunday I went to the weekend market with my new friend Mel, a Thai-American artist living in Seattle and studying Gemology here. We had a good time, ate some great food: chicken, rice, papaya salad, etc. I walked around the market and amazingly didn’t buy anything.
Sunday night I hung out with Mel and Craig and roamed around the Silom Festival before retiring to a smaller quieter street for some good noodle soup.
I have mixed feelings about Bangkok. It is an interesting vibrant city, yet it is exhausting and noisy. I am ready to get out of here and enjoy the charms of Chiang Mai-my flight leaves tonight.
Right away I met another girl traveling solo. Ashley was nearing her last day of vacation in Thailand and wanted to go to the skybar for a small birthday celebration. Now skybar is one of the “highest and largest” open air roof top bars in the world. It is 64 floors up, and boasts a decent view of Bangkok, an ostentatious cliental, and over priced cocktails. After showing up and being turned away because my sandals were not with in dress code (even though I looked nice, clean, and presentable) Ashley and I searched the streets of Bangkok for some cheap sandals that would be within dress code. Not more than twenty minutes and a few less baht later, we showed up on the rooftop for our 450 baht cocktail. The mojito was good, the view better.
The next day I met another girl traveling solo, Serene from Canada. We decided to all go together to the see the temples and the Grand Palace. After two hours of struggling to get there, fighting tuk tuk drivers, scam artists, and the greater Bangkok public transportation system, we arrived.
The temples were quite impressive, really a grand sight to see. They were so magnificently decorated and there were so many structures in the complex that it soon became overwhelming. The temple of the emerald Buddha was by far the most impressive. No photography was allowed, so you will have to google it to see a photo. Apparently this statue of the Buddha, which is actually made of Jasper, not Emerald, was once covered in Stucco, and thought to merely be a stucco sculpture. Later, however, a part of the stone was uncovered and thus the legend began. It was “stolen” by Laos at one time, and later taken again by the Thais.
Another Temple that is worthy of noting was Wat Pho. Here lays the largest reclining Buddha, made of brick, plaster, and covered in gold foil. The best part of this figure are his feet, which are mother of pearl inlay pictures of smaller Buddha figures and script.
The Grand Palace was also very beautiful. After spending a number of hours gawking at this ornate style of architecture, I started to feel as though I was at Disney Land for Buddha.
Friday night I met up with an old acquaintance, Craig. Craig went to Trinity University also, and we worked together at the Princeton Review in San Antonio for sometime. He has been living and working in Bangkok now for about a year and loves it.
We got dinner with a group of people then went to drink sake in the Japanese area of town. I used some of my skills and read the sake bottle to everyone. I felt fulfilled.
Later in the night we went to Khao San Road, the famous toursit/backpacker road from the movie The Beach. It was happening, stock full of venders, drunks, and bars. We went to a bar/club called Gazebo which was quite fun. I met a few more people and also Craig’s Thai girlfriend who was very cute.
The next day proved slightly non productive. I laid around and hung out with Serene before deciding to join her and her friends Charity and James from the US that live here. We chatted and then found some street food before going out to attempt to get tickets to some Muay Thai boxing. Unfortunately the tickets were sold out, so we settled on roaming around Khao San Road.
There I got some delicious pad thai for only 40 Baht (about $1.50) and chang beer ($0.80). Amazing.
Later that night we went to Patpong (Bangkok’s red light district) and were hassled to go see a ping pong show. No thanks.
On Sunday I went to the weekend market with my new friend Mel, a Thai-American artist living in Seattle and studying Gemology here. We had a good time, ate some great food: chicken, rice, papaya salad, etc. I walked around the market and amazingly didn’t buy anything.
Sunday night I hung out with Mel and Craig and roamed around the Silom Festival before retiring to a smaller quieter street for some good noodle soup.
I have mixed feelings about Bangkok. It is an interesting vibrant city, yet it is exhausting and noisy. I am ready to get out of here and enjoy the charms of Chiang Mai-my flight leaves tonight.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Golf, Yoga, and The Beach
11-01-10
Yesterday was a great day. The morning started off a bit rough, as me and my comrades didn’t rise until lunch time. Due to the overcast weather, Carina suggested we go mini golfing. We lasted only 6 holes at the small putt putt center. At hole 6 we bounced around the idea of going exploring instead, since the sun had come out. Our decision was final two seconds later when Jochen and Carina accidentally broke the cement table shaped like a tree stump. They merely leaned over it on their elbow and the damn thing fell into bits and pieces. We laughed hysterically at the sight of it, then bolted in fear of the owners making us pay. Fortunately they didn’t seem to mind, suggesting that this was not the first time this has happened.
We then went to do a jungle trek to see a waterfall. After walking five minutes Max began to complain, saying “we could be on the beach right now, blah blah blah” as the sun had finally come out. We walked another ten of so minutes before coming upon a cave. We explored the cave for a few minutes, admiring the amazing roots which grew straight down out of the rocks above and into the ground below. At that point we decided everyone had enough, and we would then go to the beach to catch the last bit of afternoon sun and the sunset. We went to a new beach, the most southern beach on Koh Lanta. It was very beautiful and the sand was finer and nearly as white as sugar. We all relaxed for a bit, watched the sun go down, then went to have dinner at a nearby restaurant called, “Same Same, but Different.” The food was good, the white wine was refreshing (Thanks Max and Jochen for having good jobs and buying the bottle). I was exhausted from the day and nearly fell asleep at the dinner table.
I went to bed at nine thirty that night.
On Monday the 11th of January, I woke up early to go to a yoga class on the beach. My friend Tom took me over on his motor bike. There were only 5 in the class and some were beginners so it was a fairly easy going practice. Having the beach to look at ten feet in front of you whilst doing yoga is amazing. Nonetheless, I am sore. I walked back to the bungalow afterwards, it took about an hour. It was so hot and I actually enjoyed my cold shower for the first time in a long time.
The rest of the day I spent on the beach, reading and swimming. I did end up getting a one hour Thai massage which was nice. Quite different than the massage I have had before.
Last night I got dinner with my friend Kuba from Poland-then met up with Jo, Max, and Tom for a party back at the south beach. It ended up being a really fun night. There were maybe one hundred people there, all having a good time, relaxing, and listening to the live band which surprisingly played a lot of American music from the seventies on.
12-01-10
Today I went on an all day excursion to Phi Phi Island. The trip began at 7:30 (super early considering the hour I went to bed) and lasted until 4pm. It included a boat ride over to Phi Phi, Manaba Bay, Monkey Island, lunch on the boat, and a stop over at Phi Phi for a few hours.
The snorkeling wasn’t that great. The corals were not very diverse or colorful. There were, however, several very large and colorful parrot fish, coral fish, and damsels. Borneo definitely had better reefs for snorkeling.
The water around the island was gorgeous, crystal clear, dazzling. I went to the beach for the movie “The Beach” which was kind of cool, too bad it was stuffed with tourists and boats.
I met some nice people, among them was an older French man named Gerard, who snorkeled with me a bit.
The beach on the opposite side of Phi Phi was brilliant. It was so shallow for half a mile out of the bay, hence it looked so clear and bright blue.
To end my trip I enjoyed a fresh coconut drink, then got on the ferry back to Koh Lanta.
I leave Koh Lanta tomorrow and take the overnight bus to Bangkok. Not looking forward to the ten hour ride, but perhaps I can sleep some.
I plan to spend only a few nights there, then head north. I cannot believe time has gone by so fast already. I have been gone for over a month now, and I go to Australia in just one month. I am getting really excited to see more of Thailand, then Laos, Vietnam, and then finally see Australia (not to mention also a certain someone).
Yesterday was a great day. The morning started off a bit rough, as me and my comrades didn’t rise until lunch time. Due to the overcast weather, Carina suggested we go mini golfing. We lasted only 6 holes at the small putt putt center. At hole 6 we bounced around the idea of going exploring instead, since the sun had come out. Our decision was final two seconds later when Jochen and Carina accidentally broke the cement table shaped like a tree stump. They merely leaned over it on their elbow and the damn thing fell into bits and pieces. We laughed hysterically at the sight of it, then bolted in fear of the owners making us pay. Fortunately they didn’t seem to mind, suggesting that this was not the first time this has happened.
We then went to do a jungle trek to see a waterfall. After walking five minutes Max began to complain, saying “we could be on the beach right now, blah blah blah” as the sun had finally come out. We walked another ten of so minutes before coming upon a cave. We explored the cave for a few minutes, admiring the amazing roots which grew straight down out of the rocks above and into the ground below. At that point we decided everyone had enough, and we would then go to the beach to catch the last bit of afternoon sun and the sunset. We went to a new beach, the most southern beach on Koh Lanta. It was very beautiful and the sand was finer and nearly as white as sugar. We all relaxed for a bit, watched the sun go down, then went to have dinner at a nearby restaurant called, “Same Same, but Different.” The food was good, the white wine was refreshing (Thanks Max and Jochen for having good jobs and buying the bottle). I was exhausted from the day and nearly fell asleep at the dinner table.
I went to bed at nine thirty that night.
On Monday the 11th of January, I woke up early to go to a yoga class on the beach. My friend Tom took me over on his motor bike. There were only 5 in the class and some were beginners so it was a fairly easy going practice. Having the beach to look at ten feet in front of you whilst doing yoga is amazing. Nonetheless, I am sore. I walked back to the bungalow afterwards, it took about an hour. It was so hot and I actually enjoyed my cold shower for the first time in a long time.
The rest of the day I spent on the beach, reading and swimming. I did end up getting a one hour Thai massage which was nice. Quite different than the massage I have had before.
Last night I got dinner with my friend Kuba from Poland-then met up with Jo, Max, and Tom for a party back at the south beach. It ended up being a really fun night. There were maybe one hundred people there, all having a good time, relaxing, and listening to the live band which surprisingly played a lot of American music from the seventies on.
12-01-10
Today I went on an all day excursion to Phi Phi Island. The trip began at 7:30 (super early considering the hour I went to bed) and lasted until 4pm. It included a boat ride over to Phi Phi, Manaba Bay, Monkey Island, lunch on the boat, and a stop over at Phi Phi for a few hours.
The snorkeling wasn’t that great. The corals were not very diverse or colorful. There were, however, several very large and colorful parrot fish, coral fish, and damsels. Borneo definitely had better reefs for snorkeling.
The water around the island was gorgeous, crystal clear, dazzling. I went to the beach for the movie “The Beach” which was kind of cool, too bad it was stuffed with tourists and boats.
I met some nice people, among them was an older French man named Gerard, who snorkeled with me a bit.
The beach on the opposite side of Phi Phi was brilliant. It was so shallow for half a mile out of the bay, hence it looked so clear and bright blue.
To end my trip I enjoyed a fresh coconut drink, then got on the ferry back to Koh Lanta.
I leave Koh Lanta tomorrow and take the overnight bus to Bangkok. Not looking forward to the ten hour ride, but perhaps I can sleep some.
I plan to spend only a few nights there, then head north. I cannot believe time has gone by so fast already. I have been gone for over a month now, and I go to Australia in just one month. I am getting really excited to see more of Thailand, then Laos, Vietnam, and then finally see Australia (not to mention also a certain someone).
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Koh Lanta
08-01-10
Yesterday I left Krabi Town and headed to the island of Koh Lanta. Koh Lanta is a good sized island south of Krabi Town on the Adaman coast of Thailand. The minivan ride took around 2 hours and consisted of highway driving and two sort ferry transports. I rode in the van with 5 others, all Thai people, none of which spoke English. The driver attempted to pawn me off to a tuk tuk driver once on Koh Lanta, but I persisted and made him drive me to the doorstep of my bungalow.
I had plans to stay at a place called Sanctuary, yet after seeing the A line bungalow that was fit to my budget, I started to shop around. I found a nice place with my own bathroom, fan and cold shower for 500 Baht per night, only 100 more than the small bungalow at Sanctuary which had only a nasty shared bathroom and stood 10ft in from of a few horse and chickens….no thank you.
On my way to this other place I ran into a few friends I had met in the Cameron Highlands. They offered a ride to where they were staying-said it was nice, so I took them up on it. Two of them are from Holland, Jasper and Tess, and the other from Australia, Stewie. I ended up bargaining with a Thai lady to give me a bungalow for 400 Baht a night, what I would have paid for the shit one I first saw, and it has worked out quite nicely so far. I have my own bathroom, real floor, raised bed, mosquito net, fan, etc.
I spent the afternoon just walking along the beach, finishing up my book (Sex Lives of Cannibals by Maarten Troost, very funny, read it), and relaxing. In the evening, after a cold shower, I met up with Jasper, Tess, and Stewie, we all visited and watched the sunset. At that time I also met two new friends from Germany, Max and Johen. They are very intelligent funny fellows who I ended up spending the evening and next day with.
The late evening hours were spend drinking, eating, and singing along to guitar music played by a polish man next to a camp fire on the beach. Really just an amazing night with a very international crowd.
Today it was beautiful and sunny for most of the day. I rode down to a different beach with Max and Jochen and spent the day swimming, laying out, reading, and drinking some really delicious coconut drinks.
We laid in hammocks next to a tikki bar, and enjoyed the afternoon showers and evening sunset. We had dinner at a nearby “Sunset Restaurant” where indeed, the sunset was phenomenal. Absolutely hands down the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. The clouds formed grey mountainous landscapes that brooded below vanilla and strawberry swirled skies.
Once it became dark, we headed back to our bungalows for a cold refreshing shower. Followed by a nice dinner on the beach. We ended the night hanging out at a nearby bar that attracted a more eccentric crowd.
10-01-10
Yesterday was another beautiful sunny day in Koh Lanta. I woke up a bit earlier in hopes of seeking out a fairly priced snorkeling tour to some of the smaller islands around, but was disappointed not to find any. (I think I will go back to Krabi and spend a day snorkeling Phi Phi Island or something before I head to Bangkok). Nonetheless, I headed to the Viewpoint Restaurant for brunch with a few of my friends from the bungalow. Carina from Germany, who I met in KL on New Years, has been hanging out with me and my two German friends, Max and Jochen. She is a lot of fun and it is nice having another girl to hang around with (We met again here coincidentally!) I find that girls don’t tend to travel solo nearly as often as guys around here.
After a good brunch at an amazing spot, we headed back to the same beach as the day before because we liked it so much and found it so beautiful and peaceful. The coconut shakes there are pretty damn good too.
I spent the day swimming in the ocean, laying around, playing Frisbee, drinking a coconut shake (the highlight of the day), and chatting with my fellow travelers. The sunset last night wasn’t nearly as beautiful or enjoyable. We went to the same restaurant on the beach, but this time it was crowded with side shows, and more tourists. There was a “snake charmer,” whom I didn’t find to be very charming at all, and two elephants and their keepers, I don’t care much for seeing enslaved elephants.
In the late evening we all headed back to the bungalows then out for a night at the “Feeling Bar,” where another traveler was Djing. There was a huge group of Germans, infact, almost all the people I have met here are German. Besides my English friend Tom and these other two American guys, whom don’t really amuse me, there are lots of Germans-I am starting to develop a certain affinity for them and their guttural language.
Today looks like another nice day. I think perhaps it will be spent on a beach-imagine that.
Yesterday I left Krabi Town and headed to the island of Koh Lanta. Koh Lanta is a good sized island south of Krabi Town on the Adaman coast of Thailand. The minivan ride took around 2 hours and consisted of highway driving and two sort ferry transports. I rode in the van with 5 others, all Thai people, none of which spoke English. The driver attempted to pawn me off to a tuk tuk driver once on Koh Lanta, but I persisted and made him drive me to the doorstep of my bungalow.
I had plans to stay at a place called Sanctuary, yet after seeing the A line bungalow that was fit to my budget, I started to shop around. I found a nice place with my own bathroom, fan and cold shower for 500 Baht per night, only 100 more than the small bungalow at Sanctuary which had only a nasty shared bathroom and stood 10ft in from of a few horse and chickens….no thank you.
On my way to this other place I ran into a few friends I had met in the Cameron Highlands. They offered a ride to where they were staying-said it was nice, so I took them up on it. Two of them are from Holland, Jasper and Tess, and the other from Australia, Stewie. I ended up bargaining with a Thai lady to give me a bungalow for 400 Baht a night, what I would have paid for the shit one I first saw, and it has worked out quite nicely so far. I have my own bathroom, real floor, raised bed, mosquito net, fan, etc.
I spent the afternoon just walking along the beach, finishing up my book (Sex Lives of Cannibals by Maarten Troost, very funny, read it), and relaxing. In the evening, after a cold shower, I met up with Jasper, Tess, and Stewie, we all visited and watched the sunset. At that time I also met two new friends from Germany, Max and Johen. They are very intelligent funny fellows who I ended up spending the evening and next day with.
The late evening hours were spend drinking, eating, and singing along to guitar music played by a polish man next to a camp fire on the beach. Really just an amazing night with a very international crowd.
Today it was beautiful and sunny for most of the day. I rode down to a different beach with Max and Jochen and spent the day swimming, laying out, reading, and drinking some really delicious coconut drinks.
We laid in hammocks next to a tikki bar, and enjoyed the afternoon showers and evening sunset. We had dinner at a nearby “Sunset Restaurant” where indeed, the sunset was phenomenal. Absolutely hands down the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. The clouds formed grey mountainous landscapes that brooded below vanilla and strawberry swirled skies.
Once it became dark, we headed back to our bungalows for a cold refreshing shower. Followed by a nice dinner on the beach. We ended the night hanging out at a nearby bar that attracted a more eccentric crowd.
10-01-10
Yesterday was another beautiful sunny day in Koh Lanta. I woke up a bit earlier in hopes of seeking out a fairly priced snorkeling tour to some of the smaller islands around, but was disappointed not to find any. (I think I will go back to Krabi and spend a day snorkeling Phi Phi Island or something before I head to Bangkok). Nonetheless, I headed to the Viewpoint Restaurant for brunch with a few of my friends from the bungalow. Carina from Germany, who I met in KL on New Years, has been hanging out with me and my two German friends, Max and Jochen. She is a lot of fun and it is nice having another girl to hang around with (We met again here coincidentally!) I find that girls don’t tend to travel solo nearly as often as guys around here.
After a good brunch at an amazing spot, we headed back to the same beach as the day before because we liked it so much and found it so beautiful and peaceful. The coconut shakes there are pretty damn good too.
I spent the day swimming in the ocean, laying around, playing Frisbee, drinking a coconut shake (the highlight of the day), and chatting with my fellow travelers. The sunset last night wasn’t nearly as beautiful or enjoyable. We went to the same restaurant on the beach, but this time it was crowded with side shows, and more tourists. There was a “snake charmer,” whom I didn’t find to be very charming at all, and two elephants and their keepers, I don’t care much for seeing enslaved elephants.
In the late evening we all headed back to the bungalows then out for a night at the “Feeling Bar,” where another traveler was Djing. There was a huge group of Germans, infact, almost all the people I have met here are German. Besides my English friend Tom and these other two American guys, whom don’t really amuse me, there are lots of Germans-I am starting to develop a certain affinity for them and their guttural language.
Today looks like another nice day. I think perhaps it will be spent on a beach-imagine that.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
First Day in Thailand
I really need to catch up on the Cameron Highlands- its on my to do list.
For now, let me just share with you the details of today.
I am now in Krabi, Thailand. I flew in yesterday from KL, an hour and half flight. I planned on spending that hour and half sleeping, but the Germans behind me had other plans.
I came into the Krabi airport and was quite impressed at how modern and clean it was. The bathroom even had toilet paper and soap, quite an advancement compared to Malaysian airports, bathrooms, and such facilities.
I got onto a bus into town, just like all the other fresh faced foreigners around. I found my hostel after wandering for only about ten minutes, but the town of Krabi can honestly be covered on foot in about ten minutes. I am staying at Chan-Cha-Lay Guesthouse. It is very clean, has a cute beach theme, and despite the charm only rates as a 4 on my scale (1-10), as it lacks comfortable beds and a/c.
I spent most of the afternoon settling in, getting laundry done, and figuring out my next move. I ate some decent pad thai, enjoyed the evening watching a movie and surfing the internet at a café. I also conversed with a woman from Belgium who was on her way to the Philippines.
Another night of tossing and turning…
Today was an alright day. I wouldn’t call it a great day, but it will do.
I booked a kayaking tour for the first half of the day. After much ambiguity and an hour of riding in the back of a pick-up trunk/Thai style bus, two other Americans (Steph and Brian from San Francisco) and I were quite disappointed with the 1.5 hour kayaking trip to two caves. At the first stop we had to get out of the kayak in order to view the cave and the ancient paintings inside. They were sort of cool but lacked real luster, since we were given no information about them-besides the obvious. The second cave was much more exciting. We kayaked through it and were able to view all of the formations. The tour was quick, and I was in a kayak with some random Thai girl-I was expecting more.
In the afternoon I went to Railay Beach. It was very pretty, but also very crowded. I hiked around a bit in search of cheap accommodation but found nothing under 500 THB. I then went the the “Rock Restaurant.”
This place overlooked one of the large limestone karsts that several rock climbers where scaling up. It was relaxing, the pad thai was great, and the view couldn’t have been better.
I then headed to the beach-laid out for a bit, swam a bit, got stung by some jelly fish a bit. After I headed back to the Ao Nang on my way back to Krabi Town, where I enjoyed a coconut shake, searched for more accommodation-found nothing too promising, and decided its best to just head out to Koh Lanta tomorrow.
For now, let me just share with you the details of today.
I am now in Krabi, Thailand. I flew in yesterday from KL, an hour and half flight. I planned on spending that hour and half sleeping, but the Germans behind me had other plans.
I came into the Krabi airport and was quite impressed at how modern and clean it was. The bathroom even had toilet paper and soap, quite an advancement compared to Malaysian airports, bathrooms, and such facilities.
I got onto a bus into town, just like all the other fresh faced foreigners around. I found my hostel after wandering for only about ten minutes, but the town of Krabi can honestly be covered on foot in about ten minutes. I am staying at Chan-Cha-Lay Guesthouse. It is very clean, has a cute beach theme, and despite the charm only rates as a 4 on my scale (1-10), as it lacks comfortable beds and a/c.
I spent most of the afternoon settling in, getting laundry done, and figuring out my next move. I ate some decent pad thai, enjoyed the evening watching a movie and surfing the internet at a café. I also conversed with a woman from Belgium who was on her way to the Philippines.
Another night of tossing and turning…
Today was an alright day. I wouldn’t call it a great day, but it will do.
I booked a kayaking tour for the first half of the day. After much ambiguity and an hour of riding in the back of a pick-up trunk/Thai style bus, two other Americans (Steph and Brian from San Francisco) and I were quite disappointed with the 1.5 hour kayaking trip to two caves. At the first stop we had to get out of the kayak in order to view the cave and the ancient paintings inside. They were sort of cool but lacked real luster, since we were given no information about them-besides the obvious. The second cave was much more exciting. We kayaked through it and were able to view all of the formations. The tour was quick, and I was in a kayak with some random Thai girl-I was expecting more.
In the afternoon I went to Railay Beach. It was very pretty, but also very crowded. I hiked around a bit in search of cheap accommodation but found nothing under 500 THB. I then went the the “Rock Restaurant.”
This place overlooked one of the large limestone karsts that several rock climbers where scaling up. It was relaxing, the pad thai was great, and the view couldn’t have been better.
I then headed to the beach-laid out for a bit, swam a bit, got stung by some jelly fish a bit. After I headed back to the Ao Nang on my way back to Krabi Town, where I enjoyed a coconut shake, searched for more accommodation-found nothing too promising, and decided its best to just head out to Koh Lanta tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Batu Caves: Last excursion of 2010
The 31st I visited the Batu Caves outside of KL. The Caves, discovered about 120 years ago by an Englishman are now home to a number of Hindu temples, tourist booths, and raging hungry blood sucking monkeys. Ok, so it was a cave, and there were Hindu temples, and there were monkeys, but not of the blood sucking variety (however, they were quite frightening). You must look at my pictures to really understand what I am talking about.
The caves were a sight to see, no doubt about that. The dominating golden statue at the entrance, the grand staircase ascending into the colossal cave entrance, it was all phenomenal. Unfortunately, what was once an amazing natural wonder, is now an overt tourist attraction, complete with concrete steps and railings, animals to pet, and trinkets galore. No doubt all the cave formations- stalagmites and helictites- have been damaged, as the natural environment has been devastated by the introduction of the temples and tourists.
There were several monkeys living and feeding around the caves. These particular monkeys were quite mischievous, and not in a cute way. They were voracious-grabbing peoples’ food, trash, anything they could get their little hands on. At one point, a monkey grabbed a coconut half offered from a tourist, then proceeded to climb up two stories to enjoy it, only to drop in nearly two inches from another tourist’s head. Upon dropping the coconut, the monkey flipped out, ran down the pole, and hissed at anyone nearby, myself included. At that point I decided, “Today I don’t want to be ‘friends’, today I don’t want to get rabies” and steered clear of any and all monkeys.
After leaving the Batu Caves, I bought a box of various Indian desserts and sweets, many of them I did not like at all, and a few were interesting. I ended up leaving them on the street in the hopes that someone who was hungry would pick it up-as often happens in places like Kuala Lumpur.
The afternoon was spent napping and getting psyched up for New Year’s eve. I had dinner with Frank and Johannes at Reggae Bar in Chinatown were we met up with several other travelers who were in for a fun night. Next we hit up a shady rooftop bar in Chinatown-dirty, gritting, cheap, but with a magnificent view. Merdeka square had free concerts and festivities, so we stopped by for a peak before heading over to the famous Petronas Towers for the countdown and fireworks show.
The towers were so beautiful and the lights were quite a sight to see. Unfortunately, the count down was a disappointment; as the clock on the skyscraper next door struck twelve, the count down hadn’t even started, thus confusing everyone…then the fireworks started before the M.C. had finished counting down. Still, it was a great place to be for the New Year.
We finished the night back at a club, were we met up with our Swedish friends and where I met a few more people. There was Damien from the Caribbean, who lived in Germany, and Ingrid from Norway.
The next morning I headed out early for the Cameron Highlands, five hours north of KL.
The caves were a sight to see, no doubt about that. The dominating golden statue at the entrance, the grand staircase ascending into the colossal cave entrance, it was all phenomenal. Unfortunately, what was once an amazing natural wonder, is now an overt tourist attraction, complete with concrete steps and railings, animals to pet, and trinkets galore. No doubt all the cave formations- stalagmites and helictites- have been damaged, as the natural environment has been devastated by the introduction of the temples and tourists.
There were several monkeys living and feeding around the caves. These particular monkeys were quite mischievous, and not in a cute way. They were voracious-grabbing peoples’ food, trash, anything they could get their little hands on. At one point, a monkey grabbed a coconut half offered from a tourist, then proceeded to climb up two stories to enjoy it, only to drop in nearly two inches from another tourist’s head. Upon dropping the coconut, the monkey flipped out, ran down the pole, and hissed at anyone nearby, myself included. At that point I decided, “Today I don’t want to be ‘friends’, today I don’t want to get rabies” and steered clear of any and all monkeys.
After leaving the Batu Caves, I bought a box of various Indian desserts and sweets, many of them I did not like at all, and a few were interesting. I ended up leaving them on the street in the hopes that someone who was hungry would pick it up-as often happens in places like Kuala Lumpur.
The afternoon was spent napping and getting psyched up for New Year’s eve. I had dinner with Frank and Johannes at Reggae Bar in Chinatown were we met up with several other travelers who were in for a fun night. Next we hit up a shady rooftop bar in Chinatown-dirty, gritting, cheap, but with a magnificent view. Merdeka square had free concerts and festivities, so we stopped by for a peak before heading over to the famous Petronas Towers for the countdown and fireworks show.
The towers were so beautiful and the lights were quite a sight to see. Unfortunately, the count down was a disappointment; as the clock on the skyscraper next door struck twelve, the count down hadn’t even started, thus confusing everyone…then the fireworks started before the M.C. had finished counting down. Still, it was a great place to be for the New Year.
We finished the night back at a club, were we met up with our Swedish friends and where I met a few more people. There was Damien from the Caribbean, who lived in Germany, and Ingrid from Norway.
The next morning I headed out early for the Cameron Highlands, five hours north of KL.
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