I'm home, I'm exhausted, here are some pictures. Cut me some slack, I'm at the end of my second Saturday in a row! That's right, yesterday was Saturday for me. And so is today, of course. Chalk it up to a 15-hour time difference and a 10-hour layover in Seoul. It's like Groundhog Day. Very fun, but sooo exhausting. Now I am home with my own computer and peripherals so I can take the time to fix up my blog and photos.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Thailand - Phuket to Koh Phi Phi
Today I took the 1.5 hour boat ride to Koh Phi Phi, which is famous for being one of the most beautiful places on earth, and also for being the setting of the 2000 Leo diCaprio movie The Beach. I've wanted to come here ever since I saw that movie. Of course on Christmas Eve 2006, Koh Phi Phi gained worldwide fame as ground zero for the tsunami that killed tens of thousands of people. I can't believe I'm standing in the place that was flattened by such an amazing force of nature. And even now, more than 4 years after the fact, there are still piles of rubble here and there that have yet to be cleared.
The village itself is pretty disappointing - it's a total party scene. I'm surrounded by hordes of tanned 20-something Eurotrash, and the village walkways (there are no roads) are lined with Thais all trying to get our attention to sell things, or rent a room to us, or whatever. I finally had to put the iPod on to drown it all out. I was all set to pack up and head to Koh Lanta or Krabi tomorrow, but I've decided to give this place a fair shake. It's actually quite beautiful when you get away from the madness, after all. Tomorrow afternoon I'm doing a 1/2 day snorkelling trip to Koh Phi Phi Leh, which is the uninhabited "little sister" island to this one.
For now, tho, later taters. It's 10:30 p.m. and I was up till 2 a.m. last night in Phuket!
The village itself is pretty disappointing - it's a total party scene. I'm surrounded by hordes of tanned 20-something Eurotrash, and the village walkways (there are no roads) are lined with Thais all trying to get our attention to sell things, or rent a room to us, or whatever. I finally had to put the iPod on to drown it all out. I was all set to pack up and head to Koh Lanta or Krabi tomorrow, but I've decided to give this place a fair shake. It's actually quite beautiful when you get away from the madness, after all. Tomorrow afternoon I'm doing a 1/2 day snorkelling trip to Koh Phi Phi Leh, which is the uninhabited "little sister" island to this one.
For now, tho, later taters. It's 10:30 p.m. and I was up till 2 a.m. last night in Phuket!
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| Thailand - Phuket to Koh Phi Phi |
Thailand - Phuket and the Best Valentine's Day EVER
What a day. Started with me dashing all over Chiang Mai in the early morning, buying more fabric for Mom and silk for Kristine. Done. Phew! Then it was off to the airport to catch my plane to Phuket to start the final leg of my journey. That would be the hedonist beach bum leg.
I was feeling a bit blue because it was Valentine's Day, and I just saw my ex boyfriend with another girl a few weeks ago so my overactive imagination was torturing me as it often does. Then the airline told me they didn't have a seat for me on the plane! I bought a ticket dammit, I better have a seat. "You're lucky," said the checkin lady. Phew, I thought, I get a seat. "We're upgrading you to business class because we don't have a seat for you in economy." YESSS! This kind of stuff never happens to me, and I was pumped. I enjoyed a nice 2-hour ride in the lap of luxury, or at least in the lap of business class.
I'm going to wrap this up for now, but the magical night I had consisted of a great restaurant, sharing a table with a German guy, dancing, a drag show, dancing on tabletops with the drag queen, shimmying with cute Thai boys, getting a scooter ride home from 1 of them. It was such a great night :) "What happens in Phuket, stays in Phuket."
I was feeling a bit blue because it was Valentine's Day, and I just saw my ex boyfriend with another girl a few weeks ago so my overactive imagination was torturing me as it often does. Then the airline told me they didn't have a seat for me on the plane! I bought a ticket dammit, I better have a seat. "You're lucky," said the checkin lady. Phew, I thought, I get a seat. "We're upgrading you to business class because we don't have a seat for you in economy." YESSS! This kind of stuff never happens to me, and I was pumped. I enjoyed a nice 2-hour ride in the lap of luxury, or at least in the lap of business class.
I'm going to wrap this up for now, but the magical night I had consisted of a great restaurant, sharing a table with a German guy, dancing, a drag show, dancing on tabletops with the drag queen, shimmying with cute Thai boys, getting a scooter ride home from 1 of them. It was such a great night :) "What happens in Phuket, stays in Phuket."
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| Thailand - Phuket and the Best Valentine's Day EVER |
Thailand - Chiang Mai Part 2
Sorry for the long radio silence... I've actually been doing fun things at night when I usually update blog and photos. And now I'm on Koh Phi Phi where the internet is expensive and really freakin' slow, so I'm just going to put placeholders in for now. (We know how that goes when I do that.) Anyway. In a nutshell:
Chiang Mai the 2nd time around was great fun. I rented a scooter, my new favorite form of transport, and headed around town then into the mountains to see some Wats. Then later that night met my new friend, Mimi, to go to the Night Bazaar to do my shopping. Mimi lives in CM and I met her the first time I was there a few days ago. Wats: done. Shopping: done. We went to a really cool restaurant called the Riverside, and that's where everyone hangs out apparently, cause it was jumpin.
Chiang Mai the 2nd time around was great fun. I rented a scooter, my new favorite form of transport, and headed around town then into the mountains to see some Wats. Then later that night met my new friend, Mimi, to go to the Night Bazaar to do my shopping. Mimi lives in CM and I met her the first time I was there a few days ago. Wats: done. Shopping: done. We went to a really cool restaurant called the Riverside, and that's where everyone hangs out apparently, cause it was jumpin.
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| Thailand - Chiang Mai Part 2 |
Friday, February 13, 2009
Thailand - Pai to Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai
No blog entry till now because I didn't upload yesterday's pictures till now. Not much of a blog entry at the moment, because it's 9:15 a.m. and I'm heading out to see the sights in a few minutes. But I will write more when I get back.
I'm staying at a lovely guesthouse, Awana House. It's awesome so far, the people are very helpful (they gave me their business card to show to taxi drivers so they can get me home), and it's in a great location. I highly recommend it.
Here are yesterday's pictures. Enjoy.
I'm staying at a lovely guesthouse, Awana House. It's awesome so far, the people are very helpful (they gave me their business card to show to taxi drivers so they can get me home), and it's in a great location. I highly recommend it.
Here are yesterday's pictures. Enjoy.
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| Thailand - Pai to Mae Hong Son to Chiang Mai |
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Thailand - Pai
Alternate title: Dogs and Chickens and Water Buffalo, Oh My!
The day started as it always does, with a double mocha and Thai food. Delicious as usual. Then I set out on foot for Wat Phra That Mae Yen, which is 1km out of town. It was a beautiful walk, and after stopping for more coffee I ascended the many steps to the Wat. After the Wat I had planned to go to Mae Hong Son today, because honestly Pai wasn't really doing it for me. Seriously, I can go to Port Townsend to see this action! But before I caught the bus out of town I decided to rent a scooter and check out the countryside and see a waterfall. And riding around out there in the countryside, I decided to stay here another night. There's so much more to Pai than just the little town. It's the country out here! I saw many creatures, pictures of which you'll find on my photo page.
Up to now I've resisted taking pictures of dogs because, well, I know not everyone is as obsessed with them as I am (believe it or not). But the fact is, Thailand is full of dogs. Some with homes, many homeless. They're not like U.S. dogs either...they don't live inside the house, they wander around the neighborhood, and they are really skinny. The homeless dogs wander anywhere they want to. I just saw a dog sleeping under a bench that I saw last night near my guesthouse on the other side of town. Last night it wanted to be my best friend, tonight it was napping and wanted nothing to do with me. Hmph. Many Thais are Buddhist, and I guess that's why they leave the dogs alone. If a dog wanders out into the road, cars go around it. If it wanders into a restaurant, all of which are open-air, it's allowed. Dogs lounge around everywhere. I, of course, love it. There are several pictures of dogs in today's photo album so you can see what I'm talking about.
After the walk to the Wat, I took the scooter to Pai Canyon. This is a large canyon that has raised, naturally-formed narrow trails throughout. It's pretty amazing. After the canyon I came back to town to find a new place to stay and have some lunch. I ended up in a cute, tiny bungalow at Golden House guesthouse for 400 bhat, or about $12 US. Then it was back on the scooter to Pam Bok Waterfall. A short dusty trail led to the falls, which were actually not that overwhelming compared to falls in Washington State. But the water was warm and I waded a bit. It was fun. Then I rode to Tha Pai Hotsprings, which are in a national park. I paid 200 bhat to get in. This is the farang (foreigner) price. Ashley told me that Thailand residents get in for 20 bhat, one tenth of the price. She is pretty bothered by this, even though she gets the Thai price. I don't mind, because it's still only $6 US. After my soak (going in a hot, hot spring in Thailand? I must be crazy), I dressed and came back to my bungalow. By this time it was 4 p.m., so I rested for awhile and went through the pictures in my camera in preparation for tonight's blog entry.
After a brief rest, and a thorough reapplication of DEET, I headed out to the Sanctuary Restaurant for some dinner. It turned out to be only a snack though, because they were out of green papaya salad. Bummer. But that means I get to eat more tonight at yet another delicious restaurant or street cart! No complaints there.
I just got done with a facial, which I opted to do tonight instead of another brutal Thai massage. I thought the price was a little outrageous at 350 bhat (about $11.75 US), but the heat & humidity, mosquitos, and DEET applications created an emergency situation. I think tomorrow I will get a reflexology massage.
Tomorrow I take the bus to Mae Hong Son, then fly back to Chiang Mai in the afternoon. Yes, I am a major wuss - I booked a plane ticket because I refuse to sit through 2 hours of carsickness on the way back. And I'm taking a dramamine for the bus ride to Mae Hong Son, just in case. I will be in Chiang Mai for 2 days and I plan to do lots of shopping at the Night Bazaar.
The day started as it always does, with a double mocha and Thai food. Delicious as usual. Then I set out on foot for Wat Phra That Mae Yen, which is 1km out of town. It was a beautiful walk, and after stopping for more coffee I ascended the many steps to the Wat. After the Wat I had planned to go to Mae Hong Son today, because honestly Pai wasn't really doing it for me. Seriously, I can go to Port Townsend to see this action! But before I caught the bus out of town I decided to rent a scooter and check out the countryside and see a waterfall. And riding around out there in the countryside, I decided to stay here another night. There's so much more to Pai than just the little town. It's the country out here! I saw many creatures, pictures of which you'll find on my photo page.
Up to now I've resisted taking pictures of dogs because, well, I know not everyone is as obsessed with them as I am (believe it or not). But the fact is, Thailand is full of dogs. Some with homes, many homeless. They're not like U.S. dogs either...they don't live inside the house, they wander around the neighborhood, and they are really skinny. The homeless dogs wander anywhere they want to. I just saw a dog sleeping under a bench that I saw last night near my guesthouse on the other side of town. Last night it wanted to be my best friend, tonight it was napping and wanted nothing to do with me. Hmph. Many Thais are Buddhist, and I guess that's why they leave the dogs alone. If a dog wanders out into the road, cars go around it. If it wanders into a restaurant, all of which are open-air, it's allowed. Dogs lounge around everywhere. I, of course, love it. There are several pictures of dogs in today's photo album so you can see what I'm talking about.
After the walk to the Wat, I took the scooter to Pai Canyon. This is a large canyon that has raised, naturally-formed narrow trails throughout. It's pretty amazing. After the canyon I came back to town to find a new place to stay and have some lunch. I ended up in a cute, tiny bungalow at Golden House guesthouse for 400 bhat, or about $12 US. Then it was back on the scooter to Pam Bok Waterfall. A short dusty trail led to the falls, which were actually not that overwhelming compared to falls in Washington State. But the water was warm and I waded a bit. It was fun. Then I rode to Tha Pai Hotsprings, which are in a national park. I paid 200 bhat to get in. This is the farang (foreigner) price. Ashley told me that Thailand residents get in for 20 bhat, one tenth of the price. She is pretty bothered by this, even though she gets the Thai price. I don't mind, because it's still only $6 US. After my soak (going in a hot, hot spring in Thailand? I must be crazy), I dressed and came back to my bungalow. By this time it was 4 p.m., so I rested for awhile and went through the pictures in my camera in preparation for tonight's blog entry.
After a brief rest, and a thorough reapplication of DEET, I headed out to the Sanctuary Restaurant for some dinner. It turned out to be only a snack though, because they were out of green papaya salad. Bummer. But that means I get to eat more tonight at yet another delicious restaurant or street cart! No complaints there.
I just got done with a facial, which I opted to do tonight instead of another brutal Thai massage. I thought the price was a little outrageous at 350 bhat (about $11.75 US), but the heat & humidity, mosquitos, and DEET applications created an emergency situation. I think tomorrow I will get a reflexology massage.
Tomorrow I take the bus to Mae Hong Son, then fly back to Chiang Mai in the afternoon. Yes, I am a major wuss - I booked a plane ticket because I refuse to sit through 2 hours of carsickness on the way back. And I'm taking a dramamine for the bus ride to Mae Hong Son, just in case. I will be in Chiang Mai for 2 days and I plan to do lots of shopping at the Night Bazaar.
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| Thailand - Pai |
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Thailand - Chiang Mai to Pai
Today I made the journey from Chiang Mai to Pai. I know I said I was going to Mae Hong Son first, but I'm going there tomorrow.
After a lovely coffee this morning and picking up my laundry, I headed off to Pai in a minivan along with 9 other intrepid souls. I'd been warned by Erin and by Lonely Planet that the long and winding road could make you feel carsick. But holy mother of GOD, I was not prepared for 2 hours of winding carsick HELL. You've been carsick I'm sure. Now imagine it for 2 freakin' hours. I managed to hang onto my cookies, barely. Ugh. I made a video so you can see what it was like. Enjoy, and hold onto your cookies.
Upon arriving in Pai and checking into the Breeze of Pai Guesthouse, I laid on the bed for a few minutes until my tummy calmed down. Then it was off to explore the streets of Pai. And there are hippies as far as the eye can see. Lots of white hippies, but also... Thai hippies. I've never seen such a think. We're talking dreadlocks, hemp clothing, and the whole hippie shebang. It's fascinating. How narrowminded of me to think that hippie-dom was strictly an American phenomenon. Speaking of Americans, I hadn't run into a single one in Thailand...until I got to Pai, where there are tons of them. I'm not sure why that is.
After walking around and exploring, and stopping for dinner, it was time for another Thai massage. This lady was completely different from the one I got yesterday. Today the massage hurt. Lots of pressure points were pressed. It was painful throughout, but I felt much better after. I could get used to this. I could get used to a lot about Thailand.
The mosquitos seem to be getting worse the further North I get. Despite constantly bathing myself in DEET, they are making a meal of me. I guess I will have to get a higher concentration of bug spray at the drugstore tomorrow. I spend my days covered in a mixture of sweat, sunscreen, and bug spray. No wonder my arms are developing a bumpy little rash. But it's a small price to pay for the awesomeness that is Thailand (did I mention that it's 9 p.m. and I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt?).
Tomorrow morning I am walking 1 km out of town to see a Wat that is several names long. After that I may go to the Pai hot springs, then it's off to Mae Hong Son via a 3-hour bus ride in the afternoon/evening. More updates later!
After a lovely coffee this morning and picking up my laundry, I headed off to Pai in a minivan along with 9 other intrepid souls. I'd been warned by Erin and by Lonely Planet that the long and winding road could make you feel carsick. But holy mother of GOD, I was not prepared for 2 hours of winding carsick HELL. You've been carsick I'm sure. Now imagine it for 2 freakin' hours. I managed to hang onto my cookies, barely. Ugh. I made a video so you can see what it was like. Enjoy, and hold onto your cookies.
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| From Thailand - Chiang Mai to Pai |
Upon arriving in Pai and checking into the Breeze of Pai Guesthouse, I laid on the bed for a few minutes until my tummy calmed down. Then it was off to explore the streets of Pai. And there are hippies as far as the eye can see. Lots of white hippies, but also... Thai hippies. I've never seen such a think. We're talking dreadlocks, hemp clothing, and the whole hippie shebang. It's fascinating. How narrowminded of me to think that hippie-dom was strictly an American phenomenon. Speaking of Americans, I hadn't run into a single one in Thailand...until I got to Pai, where there are tons of them. I'm not sure why that is.
After walking around and exploring, and stopping for dinner, it was time for another Thai massage. This lady was completely different from the one I got yesterday. Today the massage hurt. Lots of pressure points were pressed. It was painful throughout, but I felt much better after. I could get used to this. I could get used to a lot about Thailand.
The mosquitos seem to be getting worse the further North I get. Despite constantly bathing myself in DEET, they are making a meal of me. I guess I will have to get a higher concentration of bug spray at the drugstore tomorrow. I spend my days covered in a mixture of sweat, sunscreen, and bug spray. No wonder my arms are developing a bumpy little rash. But it's a small price to pay for the awesomeness that is Thailand (did I mention that it's 9 p.m. and I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt?).
Tomorrow morning I am walking 1 km out of town to see a Wat that is several names long. After that I may go to the Pai hot springs, then it's off to Mae Hong Son via a 3-hour bus ride in the afternoon/evening. More updates later!
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| Thailand - Chiang Mai to Pai |
Monday, February 9, 2009
Thailand - Rayong, etc.
Don't feel too much like blogging, oddly enough. But in a nutshell,
- I had a nice uneventful flight(s) to Thailand on Wednesday.
- My friend Ashley got my arrival day mixed up, and fortunately I had her number so was able to roust her from her bed to come pick me up.
- It took 2 days to get over the jet lag. Those 2 days really sucked, because I would start to get tired at noon (9 p.m. PST), and get progressively worse until I fell into bed at 8 p.m., then wake up at 5:00 a.m. Yesterday I finally made it through the day without feeling tired. Yay!
- I arrived in Chiang Mai today after 3 days with Ashley and her adorable daughters, and I'm travelling to Mae Hong Son tomorrow. From there to Pai, from Pai back to Chiang Mai, where I will stay for a couple days till I fly to Phuket on the 14th.
- Valentine's Day can suck itself.
- Thai food is so amazing. I may never eat Thai food in the states again, because it doesn't compare to this. After a couple painful and embarrassing episodes, Ash taught me a useful phrase: "Mai phet!" which means "not hot!" I have used it many times since then with great success.
- I got a cell phone for $15. All cells in Thailand are prepaid, and I thought it was a good idea for emergencies. Of course it's also helpful for calling the folks back home, also very cheap.
- There are internet cafes and laundry places on every corner. Both are cheap. When I finish up at this internet cafe, I am going to sleep at my guest house and picking up my laundry in the morning.
I don't even want to attempt to add pictures to this post - who knows how long it'll take. So here you go: Pictures here. Sawatee kha.
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