Day 29:
Last night I stayed in Pong Phem guesthouse and had a great sleep. I woke up early at 7 to my alarm since I wanted to get good use out of the 24 hour motorbike rental. After breakfast I headed off to the Bridge over the River Kwai. It was really neat to walk on the bridge (though the original wooden bridge no longer exists). At the site is a iron bridge which was completed at about the same time as the wooden one. Much of it was rebuilt after the Allied forces bombed it during the war. The bridge can still be used for trains (though most of them are for tourists) and surprisingly you can walk out on the track even when the trains are present since they are slow moving. After the stop at the bridge I headed to something on the map called "Don Chedi" and King Naresaun the Great Monument. After a fifteen minute drive on a main road I followed the signs down a bumpy road speckled with potholes. The monument of King Naresuan the Great was of the king (I think the fifth Rama) on a elephant ready for a battle elephant joust. The statue and the pagoda were built to commemorate the victory over the Burmese troops.It was very impressive. Also, on the land was a museum about the kind and different alter areas. There were also hundreds of roster statues. I would find out the next day that this as because thing King really enjoyed cockfighting with other royal families. After leaving the site, I headed into Kanchanaburi where the road led me through a temple's grounds. A few meters after exiting the temple I was stopped by a traffic jam and hear a lot of music. Thinking it was a parade I pulled the motorbike over and got out my camera. I ran to the front of the parade to film the excitement. People were dancing in the street with open containers of beer and behind them a marching band was dancing and playing lively music. Following the band was a pickup truck with several people seated in it also consuming alcohol. I reassessed the scenario and have decided that it was a wedding party, but I'm still not 100% sure. Shortly thereafter I headed to the JEATH war museum. JEATH stands for the five main nationalities that were used to construct the "Death Railway": Japanese, English, Australian, Thai and Holland. Inside the museum photos and drawings depict the harsh conditions that war prisoners and civilians encountered while completing the "Death Railway" and the Bridge over the River Kwai. After leaving the museum, I biked to the Chongkai War Cemetery (a different one than two days ago) and spent some time there. In the early afternoon I lounged around the pool at Pong Phem and later headed back to Bangkok for the evening. I stayed at the Merry V again in a more basic room and got average sleep.
Day 30:
I woke up at the crack of dawn today (6 am) to get ready for a day tour to Ayutaya. At first I was a bit worried that the van would not arrive to the arranged meeting point, so I began asking around. Before long I was whisked away to meet up with the van. After a half of an hour they packed 11 tourists, a guide, and a driver into a van and we were off. It was a excellent and diverse group from Spain, India, Finland, South Korea, Holland, and of course the US. Our tour guide, named "Wurie," turned out to be a character. Shortly after departing he asked where I was from and after he learned the US he told me that he was trying to perfect American style English and pulled out a practice exam that he had been working on. It was really tough! Parts of it remained me of the ACT. I helped him out with parts of it on the ride to Ayutaya, but it seemed like he had most of ti right (I'd hope so since he said he had worked on it for three days). Near Ayutaya we stopped at the Bang-Po-In Summer Place. It was really interesting since it had not only Thai and southeastern Asian influence, but also European. The close relationships of many of the Thai monarchs with their European counterparts are thought to be one of the factors that protected Thailand from colonization. The grounds were kept extremely tidy and included precisely carved bushes shaped like herds of elephants, deer, and other creatures. Two of the items that I found interesting were a statue of the King (made in France, since the French have the best sculptures) and a Chinese style palace which was presented as a gift to the King from the Chinese. It was also great to get a chance to see the King's Royal Army on patrol around the grounds. After leaving Bang-Po-In we headed to Ayutaya city, which is completely surrounded by a moat like water feature (canals and rivers). Inside and outside the city arte a number of ruins from the once mighty capital of Thailand (Ayutaya). Most of the ancient city was smashed to pieces when the Burmese troops invaded several hundred years ago. The pagodas, wats and chedis lie in ruins and thousands of Buddhas stand upright but without their heads. Looking at the old capital it was amazing to me that the Thai culture and civilization lived on past this period. The grounds reminded me of the Mayan ruins in the Yucatan only larger. One impressive place is a particular Banyan tree that has engulfed a severed Buddha head in its trunk and roots. After a lunch in the city we headed to more ruins and a massive Wat that was built by the Burmese and Thais only sixty years ago. According to Wurrie, sixty years ago the Burmese (Myanmat) paid Thailand a sum of money for the damage done to the city and looting of the past. At this site there is another statue of King Naresuan, since he was the one to finally repel the Burmese forces. Overall, Ayutaya was a place rich in history and I wish that I could have spent a bit longer there. So, sadly tonight is my last one in Thailand, but I hope to return one day!
Day 31:
Today I will make the the trek back to the US of A. Bangkok- Tokyo- Los Angeles- Denver- Laramie (via car). It will take just under two days.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thailand Trip (Day 28)
Day 28:
Lat night (Thursday- Day 27) I ended up stopping at a Ex-Pat bar and met a guy from San Fransisco, one from Australia, and two girls from Australia. We had several drinks and some great conversations. At the end of the night I made the long walk back to Bamboo House and woke up what seemed to be 100 dogs. In the morning I woke up when the floating house started rocking from the boat cruises going by. After a night out it was a bit rough, so I headed off to the shower which was open air and had a nice river view! I decided to move to a different hostel the second night in Kanchanaburi, and headed off there after a big breakfast. Mid-morning I checked in a t Pong Phem Guesthouse. Pong Phem is nice and has a great view and pool. The best part is that the pool was probably built for the clients in the expensive rooms, but I was able to get a basic room for just 150 Baht (cheapest yet!). I think I will hit the pool early tomorrow morning. After checking in I decided to rent a motor bike (and helmet). It was a slick blue Honda and ended up driving real well. Jimmy from the bar had told me to check two things... tires and brakes. They looked good. Aboard the motorbike I headed off to Erawin National Park. The traffic was relatively light, but consisted of everything from pickup trucks full of water buffalo to motor carts toting whole families. At first driving was a bit scary with the traffic, but I got a hang of it quickly. Motorbikes stick to the shoulders and the other traffic is usually generous with space when passing. The first hour of driving was relatively flat and I passed through jungle, farmland, and some villages. The last half hour or so became more interesting with hills, dense forests, a massive dam, and a winding mountain pass. After just under two hours I arrived at the National Park and paid the "farang" fee + the motor bike fee. Still it was quite reasonable. Erawin National Park is home to the Erawin Falls a series of seven sections of waterfalls. It took about 15 minutes to walk to what I though was the first waterfall. It was beautiful with crisp clear water, lush forests, and rounded rocks. As I trekked on I realized that it was actually not the first waterfall, but just a smaller one. The first waterfall was even more impressive. At the second waterfall there was a crowd of people swimming and enjoying the water. The third may have actually been the most impressive. A stream of blue-white water was falling an incredible distance to a pool that was so clear that the fish swimming in it were completely visible. Past the third waterfall food and drink is not permitted and the terrain gets a lot more rough. The path became more of a rain forest trek and I had a great time watching birds, lizards, and brightly colored butterflies. The other good thing was that there was no litter past this point. The forth and fifth waterfalls were a bit harder to get to and I had to use the ladders nailed on the rocks. It was also helpful to grab the bordering tree trunks and vines. By the time I arrived at the sixth waterfall I was exhausted and realized that I had to cross the river. At first it was fine, but then after five minutes of moving between the slippery rocks I fell on my butt. Brushing off the dirt, I realized the my shoes were pretty soaked and that it was easier to walk through the streams with my shoes on. The final leg of the walk was exciting since there was no one else on the trail. The trek between six and seven is definitely the longest and took a good 15 minutes. By the time I made it to the seventh fall and pool I was drenched in sweat. At the pool a Thai family was swimming, and I decided to follow their lead. Luckily, I had a swim suit under my cargo pants. The water was cold and felt amazing. It was definitely on of the best swims I have ever had. I stood in the water for a moment, but soon jumped as the fish began biting at my leg. As I took pictures of the waterfall, the older Thai man in the family pointed out Erawin in the trees, rocks, and water fall. "Erawin" is a three headed elephant in Thai mythology. The image was easily visible and quite impressive. After trekking down, I made my way back to the main road for the long drive back. Once back in town, I had some delicious Indian food (recommended at the bar last night) and headed to the net cafe. Tomorrow I have the scooter for a half day and will explore some of the WWII sites in Kanchanaburi. In the early afternoon I return to Bangkok.
Lat night (Thursday- Day 27) I ended up stopping at a Ex-Pat bar and met a guy from San Fransisco, one from Australia, and two girls from Australia. We had several drinks and some great conversations. At the end of the night I made the long walk back to Bamboo House and woke up what seemed to be 100 dogs. In the morning I woke up when the floating house started rocking from the boat cruises going by. After a night out it was a bit rough, so I headed off to the shower which was open air and had a nice river view! I decided to move to a different hostel the second night in Kanchanaburi, and headed off there after a big breakfast. Mid-morning I checked in a t Pong Phem Guesthouse. Pong Phem is nice and has a great view and pool. The best part is that the pool was probably built for the clients in the expensive rooms, but I was able to get a basic room for just 150 Baht (cheapest yet!). I think I will hit the pool early tomorrow morning. After checking in I decided to rent a motor bike (and helmet). It was a slick blue Honda and ended up driving real well. Jimmy from the bar had told me to check two things... tires and brakes. They looked good. Aboard the motorbike I headed off to Erawin National Park. The traffic was relatively light, but consisted of everything from pickup trucks full of water buffalo to motor carts toting whole families. At first driving was a bit scary with the traffic, but I got a hang of it quickly. Motorbikes stick to the shoulders and the other traffic is usually generous with space when passing. The first hour of driving was relatively flat and I passed through jungle, farmland, and some villages. The last half hour or so became more interesting with hills, dense forests, a massive dam, and a winding mountain pass. After just under two hours I arrived at the National Park and paid the "farang" fee + the motor bike fee. Still it was quite reasonable. Erawin National Park is home to the Erawin Falls a series of seven sections of waterfalls. It took about 15 minutes to walk to what I though was the first waterfall. It was beautiful with crisp clear water, lush forests, and rounded rocks. As I trekked on I realized that it was actually not the first waterfall, but just a smaller one. The first waterfall was even more impressive. At the second waterfall there was a crowd of people swimming and enjoying the water. The third may have actually been the most impressive. A stream of blue-white water was falling an incredible distance to a pool that was so clear that the fish swimming in it were completely visible. Past the third waterfall food and drink is not permitted and the terrain gets a lot more rough. The path became more of a rain forest trek and I had a great time watching birds, lizards, and brightly colored butterflies. The other good thing was that there was no litter past this point. The forth and fifth waterfalls were a bit harder to get to and I had to use the ladders nailed on the rocks. It was also helpful to grab the bordering tree trunks and vines. By the time I arrived at the sixth waterfall I was exhausted and realized that I had to cross the river. At first it was fine, but then after five minutes of moving between the slippery rocks I fell on my butt. Brushing off the dirt, I realized the my shoes were pretty soaked and that it was easier to walk through the streams with my shoes on. The final leg of the walk was exciting since there was no one else on the trail. The trek between six and seven is definitely the longest and took a good 15 minutes. By the time I made it to the seventh fall and pool I was drenched in sweat. At the pool a Thai family was swimming, and I decided to follow their lead. Luckily, I had a swim suit under my cargo pants. The water was cold and felt amazing. It was definitely on of the best swims I have ever had. I stood in the water for a moment, but soon jumped as the fish began biting at my leg. As I took pictures of the waterfall, the older Thai man in the family pointed out Erawin in the trees, rocks, and water fall. "Erawin" is a three headed elephant in Thai mythology. The image was easily visible and quite impressive. After trekking down, I made my way back to the main road for the long drive back. Once back in town, I had some delicious Indian food (recommended at the bar last night) and headed to the net cafe. Tomorrow I have the scooter for a half day and will explore some of the WWII sites in Kanchanaburi. In the early afternoon I return to Bangkok.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Thailand Trip (Day 27)
Day 27:
Today I left Kao San Road, Bangkok for
Kanchanaburi. The trip took a little over two hours since I took a direct shuttle from Kao San. The van arrived in Kanchanaburi outside a place called Bamboo House (the probably have a deal to drop tourists off their). It turned out that a room was only 200 Baht, so I checked it out. The room was a bamboo hut floating one on a square raft made of wood and barrels. Surprisingly, it did have electricity, but the bathroom was in a central location on the land. I decided to take the room, but only for one night. It will be good for the experience and perhaps I will try another guesthouse tomorrow. After having at brisk lunch at the Bamboo House restaurant I decided to join a minivan heading to the Tiger Temple. The Temple is one a large wildlife refuge that is home to wild boars, deer, elk looking creatures, peacocks, buffalo, horses, and of course tigers. The tigers are very strange and quite docile. According to the temple, it is because they are raised by humans since they are cubs and are used to the human contact. Still they need to be led around on leashes with handlers (most of which are monks). It was great having the opportunity to visit the temple and get a picture taken next to a sleeping tiger. Later I was taking a picture of a monk walking a tiger on a leash and he stopped to let me walk the tiger around. It was quite the experience! Later I met a Doctor who was a vet at the refuge. He told me about the tigers, Buddhism, and also doing socially responsible business in the area. It was a top notch learning opportunity. After returning from the Temple, I headed to the Donrak War Cemetery. The Cemetery is home to thousands of graves of the soldiers and civilians that died building the Death Railway (Bridge over the River Kwai). It was a sad place to see, but a good historical site. Going their gives one a very eerie feeling. After leaving the cemetery I headed off to dinner and then the net cafe **at the cafe now!**.
Today I left Kao San Road, Bangkok for
Kanchanaburi. The trip took a little over two hours since I took a direct shuttle from Kao San. The van arrived in Kanchanaburi outside a place called Bamboo House (the probably have a deal to drop tourists off their). It turned out that a room was only 200 Baht, so I checked it out. The room was a bamboo hut floating one on a square raft made of wood and barrels. Surprisingly, it did have electricity, but the bathroom was in a central location on the land. I decided to take the room, but only for one night. It will be good for the experience and perhaps I will try another guesthouse tomorrow. After having at brisk lunch at the Bamboo House restaurant I decided to join a minivan heading to the Tiger Temple. The Temple is one a large wildlife refuge that is home to wild boars, deer, elk looking creatures, peacocks, buffalo, horses, and of course tigers. The tigers are very strange and quite docile. According to the temple, it is because they are raised by humans since they are cubs and are used to the human contact. Still they need to be led around on leashes with handlers (most of which are monks). It was great having the opportunity to visit the temple and get a picture taken next to a sleeping tiger. Later I was taking a picture of a monk walking a tiger on a leash and he stopped to let me walk the tiger around. It was quite the experience! Later I met a Doctor who was a vet at the refuge. He told me about the tigers, Buddhism, and also doing socially responsible business in the area. It was a top notch learning opportunity. After returning from the Temple, I headed to the Donrak War Cemetery. The Cemetery is home to thousands of graves of the soldiers and civilians that died building the Death Railway (Bridge over the River Kwai). It was a sad place to see, but a good historical site. Going their gives one a very eerie feeling. After leaving the cemetery I headed off to dinner and then the net cafe **at the cafe now!**.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Thailand Trip (Day 26)
Day 26:
Mike and I woke up early today to see some of the major sites in Bangkok (it was a lot more restful at the new hostel). After a nice breakfast of muesli, yogurt, and fruit, we headed off to the Grand National Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. On the way we were approached be several tuk-tuk drivers who tried to tell us that the sites were closed for a plethora of reasons (monks praying, King's B-day, etc.) and tried to sell us side excursions. Since none of the stories matched up we avoided them and cleverly followed a large German tour group to cross the busy Bangkok intersections. As we headed to the palace we met a man in the Thai military who was on his day off. He told us that the Palace and Buddha were open and that if anyone told us otherwise they we bluffing. After thanking him we proceeded happy to know that it was open. Thinking that we had avoided all the scamers we headed towards what looked like a group of people feeding birds. As we crossed into the birds a man put a bag of corn in my hand. I asked, "how much" and he said "good luck, good luck!" After throwing a few bags he started demanding some outrageous amount of money. It ended up costing around five bucks, but I was pretty pissed since that is quite a bit in Thailand. I paid it to avoid a disturbance. Mike was scammed as well for about the same amount. Soon after that birds we arrived at the Royal Palace. It was impressive and massive. Masses of tourists, militarily personnel, monks, and school children moved around the grounds. All of the building we brightly covered and covered with sparkling gold ranging from 50-100% of a building's exterior. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha was my personal favorite. We had to take off our shoes and sit on the floor once were were inside. The room was filled with hundreds of people making the trip to see the Buddha. The room was extremely decorated, but the Buddha itself was relatively small. It had a long history was was over 1,000 years old. It had spent time in Laos and had been moved all over Thailand. After visiting the temple we headed to the throne room which is stilled used today by Rama IX. From there, were headed to the collection of regalia and coins at the same time that a massive army unit was visiting it. It was a bit crowded, but impressive. Nearly everything was made from gems and gold. Leaving the palace a bit "golded out" we headed to downtown Bangkok to meet up with Chong and Jerlyn. We spent the afternoon with Chong as our unofficial tour guide for downtown Bangkok. He showed us stores with delicious food, impressive malls, and incredibly cheap jeans and shorts. At the end of the day Chong gave us directions on how to return to Kao San by public transit. We headed onto the BTS Skytrain (a glorified version of Chicago's EL that rides up to what seemed like 8 stories in the air). From the Skyttrain we transferred to a River Express-boat for a journey of 13 river stops. The boats move up and down the main river in Bangkok using whistles to control all boarding, docking, and control procedures. After the impressive trek across the city we headed back to Kao San for Mike's last night. The main highlight of the night was seeing a Japanese man playing Smash Mouth almost perfectly. I recorded him and he stopped mid-song to say "Konichiwa!," and wave. Tomorrow Mike leaves early at 4:30 am and I head to Kamchamenburi a bit later.
Mike and I woke up early today to see some of the major sites in Bangkok (it was a lot more restful at the new hostel). After a nice breakfast of muesli, yogurt, and fruit, we headed off to the Grand National Palace and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. On the way we were approached be several tuk-tuk drivers who tried to tell us that the sites were closed for a plethora of reasons (monks praying, King's B-day, etc.) and tried to sell us side excursions. Since none of the stories matched up we avoided them and cleverly followed a large German tour group to cross the busy Bangkok intersections. As we headed to the palace we met a man in the Thai military who was on his day off. He told us that the Palace and Buddha were open and that if anyone told us otherwise they we bluffing. After thanking him we proceeded happy to know that it was open. Thinking that we had avoided all the scamers we headed towards what looked like a group of people feeding birds. As we crossed into the birds a man put a bag of corn in my hand. I asked, "how much" and he said "good luck, good luck!" After throwing a few bags he started demanding some outrageous amount of money. It ended up costing around five bucks, but I was pretty pissed since that is quite a bit in Thailand. I paid it to avoid a disturbance. Mike was scammed as well for about the same amount. Soon after that birds we arrived at the Royal Palace. It was impressive and massive. Masses of tourists, militarily personnel, monks, and school children moved around the grounds. All of the building we brightly covered and covered with sparkling gold ranging from 50-100% of a building's exterior. The Temple of the Emerald Buddha was my personal favorite. We had to take off our shoes and sit on the floor once were were inside. The room was filled with hundreds of people making the trip to see the Buddha. The room was extremely decorated, but the Buddha itself was relatively small. It had a long history was was over 1,000 years old. It had spent time in Laos and had been moved all over Thailand. After visiting the temple we headed to the throne room which is stilled used today by Rama IX. From there, were headed to the collection of regalia and coins at the same time that a massive army unit was visiting it. It was a bit crowded, but impressive. Nearly everything was made from gems and gold. Leaving the palace a bit "golded out" we headed to downtown Bangkok to meet up with Chong and Jerlyn. We spent the afternoon with Chong as our unofficial tour guide for downtown Bangkok. He showed us stores with delicious food, impressive malls, and incredibly cheap jeans and shorts. At the end of the day Chong gave us directions on how to return to Kao San by public transit. We headed onto the BTS Skytrain (a glorified version of Chicago's EL that rides up to what seemed like 8 stories in the air). From the Skyttrain we transferred to a River Express-boat for a journey of 13 river stops. The boats move up and down the main river in Bangkok using whistles to control all boarding, docking, and control procedures. After the impressive trek across the city we headed back to Kao San for Mike's last night. The main highlight of the night was seeing a Japanese man playing Smash Mouth almost perfectly. I recorded him and he stopped mid-song to say "Konichiwa!," and wave. Tomorrow Mike leaves early at 4:30 am and I head to Kamchamenburi a bit later.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Thailand Trip (Day 25)
Day 25:
It turns out that even though we thought that we were a bit off of the main road, the loud music still was a bit loud... also being near the staircase did not help when the drunk masses began rolling in late at night. Overall, we did get a decent night's sleep since we were so tired. Given the proximity to the noise, we decided to change locations. We had heard about a street near Kao San that curved around a temple. It was still a lively backpacker's street, but only one side of the road was filled with bars and guesthouse (the other was the temple compound). The new place that we found is called Merry V and has a lot of character. The rooms are basic, but are clean, cheap, and have nice AC systems. It is also conveniently located near some great street vendors. Our friend Wenzeng Chong was in town (Bangkok) for a few days on vacation from Singapore, so we decide to meet up with him and his girlfriend. We met Chong, a Singaporean, at MSU in supply chain classes. He has since graduated and is doing his required military service in Singapore now. In the afternoon we visited several religious sites of Bangkok, including a giant standing Buddha and a reclining Buddha that is over 850 years old. At the standing Buddha there was a ceremony for the changing of the dress (Buddha wears a rainy, summer, and cool
season garment) and admission was free. We also bought two cages of birds to release in the temple for good luck (though a loose cat caught and ate one of the birds). It was neat visiting the temples and watching the monks. Especially the ones on cell phones and such. In the afternoon we headed to the guesthouse to meet Chong and Jerlyn (his girlfriend). We headed out to dinner and had some delicious Thai food and beer. It was great to catch up as we have not seen each other for half a year. In the evening we explored Bangkok's nightlife with Chong and Jerlyn and had a wild tuk-tuk ride back to Kao San. The driver asked Jerlyn if she was scared (since she was holding on pretty tight to the ceiling bars and they don't have tuk-tuks in Singapore). She said no, he laughed and said "50% the time you ride with me you die!" Odd sense of humor, he also told us that the railway station was Kao San road, but we knew better. Other highlights included two slight wheelies as we took off from the stoplights (which he commented "one wheelie- ten Bhat"), and passing a cab on the other side of the road. We arrived safely though and enjoyed a great nights sleep at Merry V.
It turns out that even though we thought that we were a bit off of the main road, the loud music still was a bit loud... also being near the staircase did not help when the drunk masses began rolling in late at night. Overall, we did get a decent night's sleep since we were so tired. Given the proximity to the noise, we decided to change locations. We had heard about a street near Kao San that curved around a temple. It was still a lively backpacker's street, but only one side of the road was filled with bars and guesthouse (the other was the temple compound). The new place that we found is called Merry V and has a lot of character. The rooms are basic, but are clean, cheap, and have nice AC systems. It is also conveniently located near some great street vendors. Our friend Wenzeng Chong was in town (Bangkok) for a few days on vacation from Singapore, so we decide to meet up with him and his girlfriend. We met Chong, a Singaporean, at MSU in supply chain classes. He has since graduated and is doing his required military service in Singapore now. In the afternoon we visited several religious sites of Bangkok, including a giant standing Buddha and a reclining Buddha that is over 850 years old. At the standing Buddha there was a ceremony for the changing of the dress (Buddha wears a rainy, summer, and cool
season garment) and admission was free. We also bought two cages of birds to release in the temple for good luck (though a loose cat caught and ate one of the birds). It was neat visiting the temples and watching the monks. Especially the ones on cell phones and such. In the afternoon we headed to the guesthouse to meet Chong and Jerlyn (his girlfriend). We headed out to dinner and had some delicious Thai food and beer. It was great to catch up as we have not seen each other for half a year. In the evening we explored Bangkok's nightlife with Chong and Jerlyn and had a wild tuk-tuk ride back to Kao San. The driver asked Jerlyn if she was scared (since she was holding on pretty tight to the ceiling bars and they don't have tuk-tuks in Singapore). She said no, he laughed and said "50% the time you ride with me you die!" Odd sense of humor, he also told us that the railway station was Kao San road, but we knew better. Other highlights included two slight wheelies as we took off from the stoplights (which he commented "one wheelie- ten Bhat"), and passing a cab on the other side of the road. We arrived safely though and enjoyed a great nights sleep at Merry V.
Thailand Trip (Day 24)
Day 24:
After a long night out we woke up to freshen up for the day ahead. Since the cost of a flight to Bangkok was reasonable (and only a bit more than a train or bus), we decided to splurge and fly back. After a brisk lunch we found a tuk-tuk/ songtaew driver that would take us to the airport for a good price. The reason I said "tuk-tuk/ songtaew" is that "tuk-tuks" in the Phukett area are actually miniature pickup trucks (similar to songtaews). It's all really confusing... ohh Thailand. :) As we headed up over the mountain by Patong in route to the airport a huge rain storm started. Luckily the tuk-tuk was covered, but we had to put down the plastic windows. Still, we got a bit wet. The ride became more entertaining when the tuk-tuk began to sputter and belch smoke, but it soon stopped. At one point we got a bit freaked out because a passing dump-truck backfired and it sounded a bit like gunshots. Soon the rain ended and the driver pulled over on the side of the highway to literally "roll up the windows" (which is actually how you open them). At the airport we had some Burger King, which I think made me sick later. The flight was a bit bumpy, but only lasted a an hour and twenty minutes. At the airport we caught a metered cab for Kao San Road (a backpacker haven in the heart of Bangkok). The ride should have taken 50 minutes, but due to a heavy rainstorm which put traffic to a near standstill it lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes. At that time we were so close that we asked the driver if we could walk the rest, he was more than happy as I think he might have been missing dinner. Kao San Road is pretty difficult to describe. It's a frantic strip of neon signs, blaring techno, hip-hop, and bass, mixed with street vendors selling literally everything. We decided to stay the night in a guesthouse slightly off the strip and enjoyed some of the best Indian food I have ever had for dinner. Despite our guesthouse facing away from the road, we fell asleep at 12 to the sound of the crowds and intense music.
After a long night out we woke up to freshen up for the day ahead. Since the cost of a flight to Bangkok was reasonable (and only a bit more than a train or bus), we decided to splurge and fly back. After a brisk lunch we found a tuk-tuk/ songtaew driver that would take us to the airport for a good price. The reason I said "tuk-tuk/ songtaew" is that "tuk-tuks" in the Phukett area are actually miniature pickup trucks (similar to songtaews). It's all really confusing... ohh Thailand. :) As we headed up over the mountain by Patong in route to the airport a huge rain storm started. Luckily the tuk-tuk was covered, but we had to put down the plastic windows. Still, we got a bit wet. The ride became more entertaining when the tuk-tuk began to sputter and belch smoke, but it soon stopped. At one point we got a bit freaked out because a passing dump-truck backfired and it sounded a bit like gunshots. Soon the rain ended and the driver pulled over on the side of the highway to literally "roll up the windows" (which is actually how you open them). At the airport we had some Burger King, which I think made me sick later. The flight was a bit bumpy, but only lasted a an hour and twenty minutes. At the airport we caught a metered cab for Kao San Road (a backpacker haven in the heart of Bangkok). The ride should have taken 50 minutes, but due to a heavy rainstorm which put traffic to a near standstill it lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes. At that time we were so close that we asked the driver if we could walk the rest, he was more than happy as I think he might have been missing dinner. Kao San Road is pretty difficult to describe. It's a frantic strip of neon signs, blaring techno, hip-hop, and bass, mixed with street vendors selling literally everything. We decided to stay the night in a guesthouse slightly off the strip and enjoyed some of the best Indian food I have ever had for dinner. Despite our guesthouse facing away from the road, we fell asleep at 12 to the sound of the crowds and intense music.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Thailand Trip (Day 23)
Day 23:
We left Phukett town this morning for Patong Beach. Interestingly enough, our friend Christie Hwang from MSU is traveling Asia with her friend Crystal and her boyfriend Eric. They happened to be in Patong for a few days, so we wanted to meet up. We arrived at Som Guesthouse at 9 in the morning and they let us check in, which was great. Som is on a crazy backpacker street in Patong and run by a friendly Korean family. The room was awesome and well worth the 500 Bhat we paid. After meeting up with Christie and meeting Eric and Crystal we headed to the beach. The beach was amazing, but nothing like Railay. Like the other Thai beaches it had pure sand and bright blue water which was a lot more rough then the others we had been to. There were also a lot more vendors and tourists, which is not that bad and makes for great people watching. The para sailing also was quite entertaining to watch, since it was so sketchy.
After a light lunch we headed of to a trek that Christie had booked for the whole group. It included several activities, but the one that caused the most anticipation was "buffalo cart." It turned out to be just what it sounded like. A big cart attached to a giant sweaty water buffalo. We all boarded the cart and realized that one of us could not fit in the cart. "No problem, you ride buffalo," said the man tending to the buffalo. Soon Christie was atop the giant beast. It was a hilarious and bumpy ride and afterwards Christie's leg was covered in gross buffalo sweat. After the ride, we headed to a rubber plantation to learn about rubber tapping. According to the tour guide, Thailand is the world's largest rubber exporter. Then came the best part. Elephant trekking! To board the elephant you have to climb a large one story tall platform and then make a big step onto the back of the huge animal. Mike and I rode in a seat on the back of the elephant while the "driver" sat on the head. It was a bit bumpy, but amazing! We headed down a steep hill and felt that we would almost fall out. Luckily we had been tied in with a big piece of rope. At the bottom on the hill the elephant lumbered into a river with we began walking down. It was quite deep and my shoes almost touched the water level. After at least 5 minutes in the river the elephant headed and up an even steeper hill. It seemed to be at least a 70 degree angle! Soon we were back on level ground and headed back into the jungle and plantation. The driver noticed us taking pictures and said, "ahhh, picture, picture!" I gave him my camera and he jumped off the elephants head onto the ground! He headed up the trail and began hollering at the elephant. Along we rolled and he snapped picture after picture. Then he told us to move down to the neck and head area. We "unbuckled" and moved down. The best part was that the driver did not return to the elephant, but instead walked up front while we rode. It was a great time, but Christie did have a story that trumped our ride. Apparently her driver decided to dismount to kill a lizard that he saw in the bushes midway in the trek.
We then headed to a nice water fall and the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project. Gibbons are monkey like critters that are often taken from the wild into bars and houses as pets. The primates live in captivity often eating only human food and stay awake at night for tourists only through the night only because they are drugged. Luckily, keeping gibbons is illegal, but the captive gibbons cannot reenter the jungle because they have lost many of their natural skills. The project aims to help the animals return to a normal life and then releases them into the wild with a mate. It was an amazing place. Our final stop was for a short time kayaking and a dinner at a seafood restaurant. The food was amazing and a tad spicy. After dinner we returned to Patong to enjoy the amazing club and bar scene.
We left Phukett town this morning for Patong Beach. Interestingly enough, our friend Christie Hwang from MSU is traveling Asia with her friend Crystal and her boyfriend Eric. They happened to be in Patong for a few days, so we wanted to meet up. We arrived at Som Guesthouse at 9 in the morning and they let us check in, which was great. Som is on a crazy backpacker street in Patong and run by a friendly Korean family. The room was awesome and well worth the 500 Bhat we paid. After meeting up with Christie and meeting Eric and Crystal we headed to the beach. The beach was amazing, but nothing like Railay. Like the other Thai beaches it had pure sand and bright blue water which was a lot more rough then the others we had been to. There were also a lot more vendors and tourists, which is not that bad and makes for great people watching. The para sailing also was quite entertaining to watch, since it was so sketchy.
After a light lunch we headed of to a trek that Christie had booked for the whole group. It included several activities, but the one that caused the most anticipation was "buffalo cart." It turned out to be just what it sounded like. A big cart attached to a giant sweaty water buffalo. We all boarded the cart and realized that one of us could not fit in the cart. "No problem, you ride buffalo," said the man tending to the buffalo. Soon Christie was atop the giant beast. It was a hilarious and bumpy ride and afterwards Christie's leg was covered in gross buffalo sweat. After the ride, we headed to a rubber plantation to learn about rubber tapping. According to the tour guide, Thailand is the world's largest rubber exporter. Then came the best part. Elephant trekking! To board the elephant you have to climb a large one story tall platform and then make a big step onto the back of the huge animal. Mike and I rode in a seat on the back of the elephant while the "driver" sat on the head. It was a bit bumpy, but amazing! We headed down a steep hill and felt that we would almost fall out. Luckily we had been tied in with a big piece of rope. At the bottom on the hill the elephant lumbered into a river with we began walking down. It was quite deep and my shoes almost touched the water level. After at least 5 minutes in the river the elephant headed and up an even steeper hill. It seemed to be at least a 70 degree angle! Soon we were back on level ground and headed back into the jungle and plantation. The driver noticed us taking pictures and said, "ahhh, picture, picture!" I gave him my camera and he jumped off the elephants head onto the ground! He headed up the trail and began hollering at the elephant. Along we rolled and he snapped picture after picture. Then he told us to move down to the neck and head area. We "unbuckled" and moved down. The best part was that the driver did not return to the elephant, but instead walked up front while we rode. It was a great time, but Christie did have a story that trumped our ride. Apparently her driver decided to dismount to kill a lizard that he saw in the bushes midway in the trek.
We then headed to a nice water fall and the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project. Gibbons are monkey like critters that are often taken from the wild into bars and houses as pets. The primates live in captivity often eating only human food and stay awake at night for tourists only through the night only because they are drugged. Luckily, keeping gibbons is illegal, but the captive gibbons cannot reenter the jungle because they have lost many of their natural skills. The project aims to help the animals return to a normal life and then releases them into the wild with a mate. It was an amazing place. Our final stop was for a short time kayaking and a dinner at a seafood restaurant. The food was amazing and a tad spicy. After dinner we returned to Patong to enjoy the amazing club and bar scene.
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