The Christmas Spirit

Welcome home. After a few weeks of traveling, I'm back in the United States. First thing when I landed on US soil: long lines. It must be the holidays. When checking into my final flight, the screen asks for volunteers. The airlines have oversold the flight: the holidays. I say yes.

After a few hours in Lax waiting for the flight (which btw is the worst airport), they call my name asking if I'd still like to volunteer. I hesitate, I've been flying forever, would be nice to be done. "How about a $600 voucher and we put you up for the night?" Okay, you've convinced me. Merry Christmas from Delta. Makes me feel better that I just paid $1000 yesterday for my other flight. That makes it only $400. Woohoo! On that cheerful note, I end my journey.

The transportation tally:
9 flights (44 hours in the air)
8 boat trips
6 buses
4 sky trains
1 sleeper train
2 subways
3 taxis
10 tuk tuks
4 complimentary rides (hotels)
Who knows how much walking and swimming?

Whew! What a whirlwind! Beaches, Wats, elephants, monks, Thai food, zip-lining, $6 accommodations, $1-2 meals, coconut shakes, and sunshine.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

*Sigh*

Oh the perils of my travels. It turns out a few weeks ago when we changed our itinerary from Vietnam to Northern Thailand, that change would make it difficult for me to get home.

Since my departing flight home was out of Hanoi, Vietnam. I thought I could just book a flight there from Bangkok to catch the plane without a visa (since I wouldn't be leaving the airport). Sadly I found out last night at midnight, that wouldn't work. I needed a visa.

After spending an hour sulking, I (with help from my parents), jumped into action. With the flight the next morning I was scrambling trying to figure out what to do. In the end, I had to buy another ticket home ($1k: ouch, ouch, ouch....so very painful. I think I need another massage).

But I'm on my way home as scheduled. All the wiser (and worn). Goodbyes are always hard right? :)

Mmm Mmm Good

My last day in Thailand :(. I took a Thai cooking class. It was awesome. We learned how to cook a number of Thai dishes including Pad Thai, spring rolls, and curry paste! Who knew Thai food was sooo easy! Granted they were doing all the prep work and cleanup. We went to the market and they have us an introduction to different veggies, fruits, and spices. I love lemongrass! I bought some dried goods at the market. Hopefully I can get through customs (I'm pulling a Wendie ;) ).

Learning about the food made me want to stay and eat more! Mmmmm so good. I could talk more about the cooking and food, but I think I will let the photos do the talking.

Zip-lining with Monks

Okay, not really. But I did zip line today and I did chat with monks.

I've never zip lined before and thought "why not? It's a chance to be a monkey high up in the jungle." It was heart pumping excitement. Not for those afraid of heights though. Whisking high up in the trees. We had these "brakes" which were bamboo stick that you would press down on the lines to slow down. The group was from all around the world (about 12 of us). I chatted with some friendly Brits living in Vietnam. The braking was an issue for a few of the members of the group (either couldn't hear them saying break or couldn't understand). Anyhow, one of the ladies came smashing into the platform and ended up with a giant blood oozing gash on her forehead! Put a little bit of a kink in the day. She had to be rushed off the get stitches and since she was in the jungle, they had to zip line her the rest of the way out. We kept zipping away until there was no more. Then it was out of the jungle and back into the city.

I caught a bit to eat and stopped by an electronics store for a cultural modern technology experience. Wowza. Gadget overload. But the thing that i really noticed was how many different colored fans there were. In a place this hot, it's important to make your fan fashionable.

Moving back from the modern world, I decided to attend an intro to meditation session held by some monks at one of the Wats. It started out with a group of us just chatting with the monks. They gave us some free monk water (wish I had a photo, bottled water with little cartoon monks on it). We asked questions about their lifestyle, studies, Buddhism, and iphones. Was fascinating. Most of us were Christian, they explained how they study other religions and are accepting. After the chat was the meditation.

Meditation is hard! Sitting in one place making your mind focus only on breathing, not letting it wander. T.o.u.g.h. I have to give the monks props for their concentration. They gave tips on getting past the pain, boredom, and wandering mind. They also noted how with meditation, your mind can be more focused and less crazy. It is also something that requires practice. In the end it was very interesting and insightful. It's fascinating to hear the many similarities (and differences) in our beliefs.

On the way out I wandered on to the night market, where I partook in mystery meats on sticks, delicious fruits, and curry noodle dishes. Tomorrow I'm taking a Thai cooking class and will hopefully learn to make some of the foods!

Walking with Elephants

Elephants in Asia: an iconic image. Just like the horses in the American west, the elephant plays an important role in Thailand's development and tourism. Throughout the country you will find elephant treks, camps, and shows. the sad thing is that the giants are often mistreated and abused. Their numbers are dwindling in Thailand with only 3,000 remaining.

We visited the Elephant Nature Park the other day. What an amazing place! It is a sanctuary for abused or abandoned elephants in Thailand. They have 30 elephants at the moment , only 4 males, and 2 baby elephants. A number of these elephants were rescued or bought. Many have injuries. Like Jokia, she was a logging elephant in a village. One day she lost her baby while giving birth. She was pretty distraught and unable to work. Her owners irritated slung rocks in her eye. Still not performing to their standard, they jabbed her other eye with a knife. She is blind. Another elephant (the one with the baby) stepped on a land mine, her foot was badly injured. So many sad stories of abuse and heartache.

During our day visit, we fed the elephants. They eat a lot! We also washed them in the river. With many if the elephants you could just walk beside them and pet them. Their skin is so coarse. It's about an inch think with wrinkles and prickly hairs all over.

They also have 300 dogs and 100 cats on site that they rescued from the flood last year. The dogs just roam around with the elephants. :) At one point we were watching a documentary about elephants, the movie had reached a pretty sad point talking about mahouts (elephant trainers) and how they traditionally have broken the animal into submission by caging it, stabbing it, and beating it-incredibly sad. One of the dogs walked up to the screen, watched it, and attacked it! The screen flew back and broke through the wall! He kept doing it and providing a much needed moment of laughter.

They are beautiful, powerful creatures. I'm so happy I had the opportunity to get to walk with the elephants. For more information on the park and their efforts, visit www.elephantnaturepark.org.

Expect Delays

Adios Cambodia! It was a lovely couple of days exploring ancient wats. But now we're headed back to Northern Thailand.

As in all travel, it's best to expect delays. We purchased a bus ticket from Siem Reap to Bangkok. When the vehicle pulled up we all crowded in and noticed there weren't enough seats! So the squished one more in a row and one guy sat on the suitcases for the three hour ride to the border.

At the boarder we waited in a couple lines for an hour then they herded everyone going on to Bangkok to a cafe. We waited about an hour and a half for our bus. One man was starting to get a little irritated. Finally the van showed up, packed with a number of people. It looked like not everyone would get a seat. The man was was irate! He started yelling at the driver, sitting in the front seat, locking the door. Demanding a front seat or a refund, screaming in peoples faces and even pushing and kicking. It was chaotic and crazy. This kept up for 10 minutes. Hannah and I were debating just grabbing another bus to Bangkok. He finally left and we were able to get on and get a sit. It was a long, hot, crowded six hour ride to Bangkok.

Upon arrival we were wiped. But we still weren't to our destination. We still had to take an overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai. Luckily we had a few hours on land. We ate and got refreshed. I got a haircut. :)

At the train station, we boarded and the sleeper cars were amazing' air conditioned, roomy, comfortable. We started settling in. Until the train attendant came by to say they made a mistake and we needed to get off the train. Confused, we packed up and got off. The train started rolling away. They said it would be a 20 minute delay. Another train rolled up, we boarded. It was different. Turns out we were accidentally in first class last time. Bummer. We had a taste of the good life. But at least we could still lie down and sleep. After another hour delay at the station, we finally left. It would be 14 hours until we reach Chiang Mai. As the train began rocking on, I fell asleep on the top bunk after a long day of travel.

What a Wat

Angkor: wow! How to even describe it? The sheer scale, detail, and setting are all unforgettable. Deep in Cambodia lies of the most spectacular man made treasures on earth. The park is one the largest religious complexes in the world. It was the Capitol of the Khmer Empire and originally Hindu, then buddist.

There are thousands of temples in this region. We spent a couple of days visiting only a few. Angkor Wat, the largest and most ornate, boggles the mind. There are thousands of beautiful decorations and details. Surrounded by a moat. Picturesque. Woke up very early to gaze at the sun rising in front of the Wat.

Other neat temples included Bayon, one with giant Buddha faces printed everywhere, the tomb raider temple, and other marvels of stone. Exploring the temples is splendid!

Presenting Angkor Wat....

Goodbye Beach....

Hello Cambodia! The sunset, warm waters, and beach bungalows are in the past. On to another country for a bit!

After one rather long day of travel (two trains, two buses and a tuktuk), we made it to the gates of Angor Wat. We're ripped off only a little at the border, oh well. Rice fields all around. Looking forward to exploring the Wat tomorrow!

Swimming with Stars

It will be so sad to say goodbye to the beach soon. It's been so lovely. We overnighted at Ko Phi Phi Island yesterday. The island is one of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand. It's also one of the busiest. The crown jewel is hectic like spring break. Almost seems like you aren't even in another country.

The main activity we did was a evening boat cruise to swim with the bioluminescent plankton. The boat departed early afternoon and along the way you could jump out of the boat to snorkel in spots or swim to a nearby beach. We visited famous Maya Bay beach (from the movie the beach). Torquise blue warm waters completely surrounded by cliffs.

Once the sun had set it was time to swim with the stars or bioluminescent plankton. These small creatures light up at night with movement in the water. You take a plunge into dark waters which is a little freaky! All around your legs and hands are bright glowing plankton. The faster you move your legs or hands, the brighter the lights. Look up out of the water and you saw the shadows of tall cliffs and the stars in the sky, look in the water and you saw stars dancing around you. Magical.

Taking the Long Boat

Judging from my sunburned body this morning, I made it to the beach! I was able to soak up some much needed SUN!

Yesterday I took a long boat to Railey beach. A beautiful patch where torquise waters meet white fine sand meet jagged limestone jungle cliffs. Sublime. The boat ride took about an hour and when it arrived they anchored a hundred feet or so from the beach and we jumped into the warm water and walked to shore.

To get to the beach you walked along a cave! Railey is a popular rock climbing destination. So you saw people all around trying to conquer the rock. I headed for the water. Right on the beach there were "food boats". Kinda like a food truck, but in the water. You would order up something and they would cook it right there for you!

The day was mainly spent relaxing, enjoying the warm water, sun, and scenery. Monkeys even started appearing in the trees! By the end of the day I was feeling the heat. Should have put on more sunscreen!

Crash Into Me

I'm almost to the beach! The limestone cliffs surround me, the jungle closes in, I can smell the ocean. The town of Krabi is close to the beach. Literally the beach from the Leo dicaprio movie is only an hour boat ride away!

Another strange ordeal happened to me. The taxi I took from the airport to Krabi was eventful. The driver was dropping me off at a tourist shop (instead of my hostel that I asked him to drop me off at). I opened the car door and whoosh a car flew by taking part of my car door with him. I got out of the car, part of the door was smashed in.

I should be lucky that I wasn't hurt, but all I could think was "oh crap, are they going to make me pay for this even though it wasn't my fault?" The drivers argued in thai for a while. They told me to sit inside the agency. It took everything i had to hold back tears. So I sat for ten minutes contemplating liability and my defense. When they finally called me out, the driver gave me my bag, said thank you and I went on my way. Stessful to say the least.

So I got an hour thai massage which btw is like a yoga + massage. Awesome. And now I sit here with my pad Sei ewe and Thai beer. I think I deserve it all after today. And tomorrow the sand, sun, and ocean will wash all my worries away......

Bangkok (or Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit)

I've arrived in hot, steamy, hectic Bangkok, Thailand. With a couple days to get over jetlag, I was resting and being bedazzled in the city with the longest name in the world (which means "The city of angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city (unlike Ayutthaya) of God Indra, the grand capital of the world endowed with nine precious gems, the happy city, abounding in an enormous Royal Palace that resembles the heavenly abode where reigns the reincarnated god, a city given by Indra and built by Vishnukarn"- whew!).

Leaving the airport I decided to take an adventure with the train. I took off to downtown where I was immediately thrown into a bustling, vibrant city full of scurrying people, motorcycles, and tuk-tuks. I passed by countless street vendors with delicious fried, grilled, baked goods, fruit, and teas! Mmmmm. The waterways were alive with zooming boat taxis. And as always, westernization is spotted everywhere. 7-Elevens are literally found on every corner. Starbucks, KFC, and Subway have found there way as well.

Having no clue what any of the text says is slightly disorienting. At least in Europe and South America you can guess on the word or at least know the letters used.

After enough walking downtown, I took a tuk tuk, where we almost got squished in between two buses,
to my hotel (or in the vicinity, i like to walk out of the way as much as i can sometimes). After a nap, shower, and bite to eat, I set out with a mission of a massage. Massages are a dime a dozen in thailand with shops everywhere on the street! I got an hour foot massage and an hour back massage for $10! Love it! I also did one of those treatments where the fish clean your feet: it tickled. All in all a rejuvenating day.

The next day I visited the grand place and the emerald Buddha. Talk about decadence. Golden, shiny, colorful. Quite the scene. Very busy as well!

Strange encounter with one foreign lady. She came up to me and said you so beautiful, pointed to her son and had a camera in her hand. She asked me something i didn't understand. I asked if she wanted her picture taken. She said no. I said no sorry and walked away. Did she want me to pose in the photo with him or was she trying to set me up with her son? Who knows?

Apparently it is the kings bday tmrw. Which means EVERYWHERE around town has large golden portraits of him saying "Long live the King". I was very perplexed by everything, then my taxi driver finally explained it to me. Apparently it is a huge deal, since he is considered the father of thailand, it is also "Father's Day". This year His Majesty turns 84, the completion of the seventh 12-year cycle. For Thais, the 84th anniversary is considered an important milestone of life, deserving of special celebrations.They will have ceremonies for him and 200,000 people will come out to wish him Happy Birthday.

Bangkok is quite interesting. But a little too hectic for me. I think I'm ready for the beach now!

P.s. excuse all the grammar errors, capitalization mistakes, etc. these blogs are all being posted from my iPhone!

A Tale of Two Tokyo Airports

I'm in Asia! 14 hours of flying down and only 7 more to go. It's great to be international again. And as always, full of surprises. 

Upon landing in Tokyo I proceed through the security line to get to my connecting flight. I wasn't yet checked in, so I didn't have a boarding pass to give them. Bur luckily I found an itinerary on my phone. Then they proceed in telling me my departure is actually at the other airport in Tokyo!

Now you would think they would have said something on my ticket like "whoa there! You're arrival and departure flights are in two different airports, an hour apart." To the same point, you would think with my previous flight mishaps I would check my ticket thoroughly. :) 

Either way, I had to enter the country and get to the other airport. Luckily I wasn't crunched on time. I think one of my favorite things about traveling abroad is the deer in headlights effect you feel. It can be very unnerving yet releasing in a weird way. 

I figured out some transportation via an "airport limousine bus". Pulling out of the airport there were fireworks! Hi Japan! Funny though on the bus they didn't allow phones because I quote "other passengers might get annoyed".

We drove by the bright lights of Tokyo and I arrived at the other airport in plenty of time. In fact I just enjoyed a cup of tea and a lovely cone of green tea ice cream. What a short travel experience in Japan! 

On to Thailand now!