I last posted about Laos and that adventure was nearly 3 months ago. Time has passed so quickly, it's unbelievable. Over the past 2 and a half months or so I' ve had my bouts with homesickness, and at the time, time seemed to be moving so slowly. Looking back now, with homesickness cleared up for the most part, the days passed in a snap.
That's what will happen when you stop traveling and start working. Joining the working, professional world in Thailand has been pretty eye opening. Joining the Thai teaching force has also been quite exciting.
So now, after about 2 months of traveling and getting my feet wet with Thai culture, language, food, islands, beaches and other great tourists attractions, I am settled into a great town called Rayong, on the eastern side of the country on the gulf of Thailand. Southeast of Pattaya and a bit northwest of Ban Phe, if you're looking on a map. Ban Phe sees a lot of traffic due to the fact that in order to get to Koh Samed, a popular weekend island getaway, one must take the ferry from Ban Phe.
Rayong is a cool town and I'm really enjoying living here. I've been here since October 23rd. I began teaching October 26th, and since then it's been hard to catch my breath sometimes! I am joined by three other new teachers through AYC and I traveled down to Rayong from Bangkok after our seminar with two of them. My new best buddy is a woman named Teresa, a Filipina dentist turned teacher. She has lived in Thailand for nearly 6 years now, and with the help of her and significant other Wat Chai, I was settled into a room in the same building as her the same night we arrived in Rayong. Wat Chai drove me, Teresa, and Mateo from Bangkok to Rayong. I realized that in 2 months time that was the first free ride I got. Ha! not that I'm complaining, transportation is quite cheap here, but just an observation.
We all teach at the same school, Watpapradoo School. I'm really liking it so far, everyone has been very welcoming and helpful, teachers and students alike. There are many school customs that I am still becoming familiar with, but I'm really enjoying my job. I teach Mattayom 1, 4, and 6 students, which translates to middle school and high school ages Mattayom 1 is 7th grade, Mattayom 4 is 10th grade and Mattayom 6 is 12th grade. I never thought I'd be teaching high school when I thought of myself teaching in Thailand, but here I am! And I really like it. Because the students are older I can get to know them and joke around with them. One thing I'll say right away is that 7th graders are the same the world over. And that's all I'll say on that subject. :)
My school is huge. I think there's nearly 3,000 students that attend Watpapradoo School. Now how many of those are actually in attendance everyday is a different matter. The attendance game is always fun, especially when you get into the 'higher' sections of any given class. How the sections work is like this- Each grade (M1-M6) has many levels- the highest being M1-1, M2-1, M3-1 and so on and so forth. 'slash 1' means those students are..um, the best. They work hard, they speak english really well, they come to class and they are well behaved. Sometimes. The sections go up to 15 for some classes. And, let's just say that 50 minutes with say, M3-15 might make you want to cry. I do not have any M3 students (roughly 9th grade) but my fellow English teachers do, and often times they return to the teachers office looking very down. But I'd say for the most part, Thai kids and students are really sweet and they are a lot of fun to be around and teach. But, when you have a class of 50 or 60 kids who are talking all the time, drumming on desks, talking on their phones in class, walking around, going in and out of class, and in general just not paying attention to you it can be discouraging. My largest class is 51 students. This has made me rethink how I plan lessons and restructure my activities. Now, I'm not saying I've been totally successful. When your students arrive nearly 20 minutes late for a 50 minute class and you need to assess 51 students on a conversation exercise, after you've given them a lecture on a new topic, you start to abbreviate things. I don't know if I'm painting the best picture of school life, but this is just the realities. I like what I do, I like my students, and these behaviors just start to feel normal, I don't think it's strange anymore that my students arrive 15 to 20 minutes late sometimes! I like them all same at the end of the day. Crazy how it goes once you've adapted to things. So in short to paint a picture for you- I teach M1/1, M1/2, M4/2, M6/1, M6/2, M6/3, M6/5, M6/7- that equates to 18 hours per week. All the M6 kids I see for two periods a week, M4/2 I see three times a week, M1/2 I see 4 times a week and M1/1 I see once a week. Sometimes I might not see some classes at all due to holidays or special events. Just this past week, our last week before midterms- when we were all under the assumption that we would have a full, normal week- we would have class everyday and have all of our classes. Well, Tuesday that changed. Wednesday we had no classes, just a work day, and Friday the 8th and 9th period was cancelled due to a...I don't even know what it was. Something about the students getting money and buying school supplies. All I saw were kids playing soccer outside. Not being sarcastic at all. Needless to say, it is a running joke that you will never have a full week of school or classes in Thailand. There are many national holidays and events at school. The school day starts at 7:50 with the flag raising assembly and goes until 4:30. 9th period begins at 3:40. Isn't that insane? It sure feels that way when I have 7th graders at 3:40 in the afternoon when they've had 4 periods straight since lunch. I usually arrive at school in between 7am and 7:30, and I leave between 5 and 6pm. We can leave at 4pm if we don't have a 9th period class.
So, midterms are upon us, and it has been a busy few weeks preparing. Another reason I stay so late at school besides just simply trying to gather my head at the end of a school day is because we have a Christmas show coming up at school and I am working with Teresa and a group of our M4/2 students to perform a skit for the show. The show will be on the 24th, Christmas Eve day. We have midterms Monday through Thursday, and then the show Friday morning, and then classes after that. No Christmas Eve off at my school, but some schools do have off. But, our skit- and I'm very proud to say this- was written by yours truly, and is an adaptation of Dr. Seuss's famous children's book- "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". The kids have been working really hard, and it's going to be great. I'm really excited for them. Thai kids are so creative and hard working. The first week we met to practice they volunteered to come in on Saturday to work on the props and backdrops, and they had all their lines memorized by Friday of that same week. Awesome. I may have written the lines, but they have contributed way more on the creative side. It's really cool working with them, they're really sweet. I may be tired at the end of the day, but I always enjoy my time with them. I really feel like I'm connecting to these kids and getting to know them. They're also teaching me a little Thai! Free lessons, what a perk.
But just being in school everyday has taught me so much. Being settled and being surrounded by Thai people has helped me learn a lot of Thai. I can now order food, talk about food, ask what things are, ask how much, and say hello and thank you, and "I don't understand". That sounds like so little for being here for nearly 4 months, but learning the Thai language is hard! If you don't get the tone right you sound like a doofus. There's high tone, mid tone, low tone, neutral, falling and rising tone. You can say the word 'ka' or 'mai' with different tones and be saying a completely different word each time. With some words you can even compose a sentence with the same word but just saying it a different way. When I practice saying Thai words with my students I think I'm saying it right, but they keep correcting me! Ahh, getting there...It's a lot of fun though. When I try to speak Thai to people sometimes they just laugh or smile. They're so polite.
So, back to Rayong. It's a pretty big town, and near the sea. There are beaches here, but according to locals they're not that great for swimming. It's always breezy here which is great. It's about 2-3 hours from Bangkok (depending on traffic) and about 30 minutes to Ban Phe to lay on the beach or to take the 30 minute ferry to Koh Samed to lay on even better beaches. Farang and Thai alike frequent Koh Samed, it's so close and easy to get to.
On my weekends I try to get out of town and adventure to other places, but I also like to wander around the downtown of Rayong and get to know the city. The people are very friendly, and I've even been invited to join the family to whom I take my laundry for dinner some nights. As I was walking to the shop where I use the internet by my apartment last Sunday night, I passed my laundry shop and was stopped by one of the ladies. A new girl was sitting with them, and she started speaking to me in English. She said that she is a friend of the family and she comes to visit and help with the laundry business every weekend or a few times a month. She's 25 and her nickname is Nick, and she is very friendly. I'm excited to say that she has potential to be my first actual Thai friend who is my age! Everyone is very friendly here sure, but it can be difficult to make friends. So I was very happy when she gave me her email and facebook, and invited me to come back and eat dinner with them next time she was back in town.
So, life is happening. Things are good, and I'm happy here. I finished Tom Robbins' Jitterbug Perfume and I've just started Herman Hesse's Siddhartha. This will be the second time around for Siddhartha. I think it's just one of those books to read again. I read it a few years ago, but now that I'm in Asia I was drawn back to it. Thanks mom, for putting that one in the package! I was so excited to get those packages- just like a camper at Minikani, I was so pumped.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Laos
Hello friends!
It's been long overdue, but I wanted to share my thoughts on Laos. I am really busy these days with teaching and lesson planning that my time to write on my blog has shrunk quite a lot. But without further ado...
I left Chiang Mai for Laos on October 11th and arrived October 12th. I was across the border by 10:30am. Whoo! The bus ride to Laos left something to be desired...it was really cheap, but looking back on it I could have splurged a couple hundred baht more for something more comfortable. I will not longer take the cheapest bus possible. The seats were really cramped, there wasn't a bathroom on the bus and the aircon was not the typical icicle blast like it usually is on thai buses...it felt like the air was trickly through the vent. I was seated next to a young mother whose baby was about three. He was slipping and sliding all over her lap all night and while at first I thought they were both very sweet and beautiful, at around 1am I didn't really appreciate the baby's head in my side. Oh, and the mom was throwing up in a plastic bag periodically, and my seat wouldn't recline. There were about 4 babies on board and at least one of them was crying at any given moment. And I was scolded for having my headlamp on when the lights were off. I couldn't sleep so I wanted to read! It was a little miserable, but now I've got the story to tell! The ride was about 11 hours long.
So, after the initial bus ride, I arrived in Udon Thani, then took another bus to Nong Khai- the border town to Laos on the eastern side of Thailand. I made some friends on that bus ride- Kiril from Israel and Phoebe and Gemma from England- who I spent my time in Laos with. Throughout the bus ride from Udon Thani to Nong Khai, the bus stops to pick up locals, and as we neared the border, the bus was stopped several times. Tuk tuk drivers hop on and just say 'Laos, Laos, border...Friendship Bridge' to try and get you to get off and ride with them to the border and cross to the Friendship Bridge (everyone crosses the friendship bridge to get into Laos). They act really desparate and give off the feeling like this is your last chance to get to the border, when in actuality you'll just stay on the bus until the end of the line- or until it takes you to the bus stop, at which point you can find some kind of vehicle to take you to the Friendship Bridge. Anyhow my new friends and I decided to get off the bus shortly after we passed the turn for the friendship bridge and hopped in a tuk tuk. Only a short time into our tuk tuk ride the driver stops at a little tourist tout rip off type thing and we are told to get off here to get into a minivan that will take us to the border. Sorry friend, but you're gonna take us all the way to the border. Scam averted. We get to the border and then we fill out the exit paper in our passports to leave Thailand and get our passports stamped out of Thailand. We passed through the checkpoint and hopped onto the shuttle bus that carries you across the Friendship Bridge. I guess at that point we were in no-man's land. That bus ride was pretty quick- 10 minutes or so- and I on it I met two American guys who I happened to run into a handful of times through my short stay in Laos. They were both teachers in Bangkok so it was cool hearing their stories. We all hopped off the bus when we got to the Laos border and filled out our paperwork to receive a Laos visa. 35 USD and 15 minutes later...Visa acquisition accomplished and we 4 crossed into Laos! Hooray! Of course we hopped into another tuk tuk which carried us to our guesthouse. A crazy Canadian man who has been living in Thailand for 8 years was also packed into our tuk tuk and that ride will never be forgotten. He's been living and working in Bangkok for a long time, and he was pretty obsessed with it. He had to come to Laos for a visa run because he changed jobs and therefore needed a new work permit. One must obtain the NON B visa to obtain the work permit. Anyhow- this man said he did not like coming to Laos because they don't have Burger King or McDonalds. I'm not joking. He was quite friendly and talkative, but I was pretty stunned by the fast food chain comment, and the fact that he would not stop hitting on Phoebe! Indeed she is really sweet and cute, but honestly we were all getting a little embarassed for her. He has been around Thai women and thai people for too long that I think the etiquette for talking to/flirting with Western girls was somewhat fogotten...Needless to say it was hilarious ride. We saw him later near our guesthouse and we sort of had to pretend not to hear him when he called after us.
We headed to Vientiane, the capitol and checked into our guesthouse and got some lunch. Over the course of the next few days we bounced around to various markets and tourist type things like the Victory monument which is neat but a little bit of an eyesore up close (the plaque on site actually degrades the structure a bit- the monument was not finished with all the original intended materials- instead it was completed with concreted given to Laos by the US earmarked for building roads or something else- and the structure has fallen a bit into disrepair.) I also spent a lot of time at the Thai Embassy trying to apply for a NON B visa.
After a few days in Vientiane we headed to Vang Vieng. Vang Vieng is a beautiful town- luscious greenery all around, and the landscape becomes more mountainous as you head north from the flat capitol of Vientiane. However, Vang Vieng is also a western town. It's as if some strange universal force has scooped up the young white folks from the US and Europe and then dumped them- already in their bathing suits- into the town of Vang Vieng. The town is famous for travelers for its drinking and tubing extravanga. You get to float down a river in an intertube and stop at bars along the way. American pop music is blaring from the speakers of every bar, and you can stop if you please and drink a bucket of some kind of rum concoction. It's what you make of it I guess. I did indulge in this crazy experience, but I came out alright in the end and I lived to tell the tale. I have checked that off my Southeast Asia bucket list and I don't really think I need to do it again. But I was with my friends so that was fun.
The next day I left to head back to Vientiane to retrieve my free! tourist visa from the Thai Embassy. I was an expert at getting to and from that embassy at that point. With that out of the way, I spent the rest of my time in Laos with my friend Sylvie who I met in Bangkok, then met up with again in Chiang Mai by coincidence and we had a good time catching up on the experiences we'd both had since we parted ways in Chiang Mai. We rented bikes and rode around town which was fun. I think the coolest thing I did in Laos was in those last two days with Sylvie. We rode our bikes to a temple and got to practice meditation with monks. We sat with some 15 other people- farang and asian- and listened to the monks talk to us about the practice of meditation and then we meditated. Then we practiced walking meditation- which was cool. There is a special way to walk when doing walking meditation, and I'd never heard of walking meditation so that was neat for me. Then we did seated meditation again, and then there was a question and answer session. Very cool. I was inspired to meditate more on my own after that, and I try to meditate every night before bed now that I'm settled in my own place.
The next coolest thing occured just after the meditation. At the same temple (the name escapes me now) there are Lao massages offered (not by the monks don't worry!) and a steam room. Sylvie chose a massage and I chose the steam room. The whole operation was set up in a traditional Lao style house- raised on stilts. The steam room was heated with a fire below the house. When I pulled back the curtain after stepping through the wooden door of the steam room I felt like I'd stepped back into Ancient China. I was expecting to see a group of rotund Chinese men, but instead there sat a lanky German fellow in his 40s. We had some nice conversation about travels and his time living in Thailand. We sat on wooden benches and danced our feet along the wooden floorboards to keep them from getting too hot. Although he was only sitting about 4 feet in front of me, I could not make out his face at all, it was so steamy. It felt nice to end the day with a good steam. I stepped out, took a deep breath and drank some tea. After I'd stopped dripping sweat I changed out of my bathing suit and Sylvie and I exchanged stories about our experiences. We were both quite satisfied. We rode our bikes home and got some dinner. We both slept very well that night.
The next day it was time to part ways again, and I said my goodbyes to Sylvie. We weren't sure if we'd cross paths again in Asia. But, we now, I'll have a friend to visit in France!
I boarded a night bus headed back to Bangkok for my seminar to start teaching. The ride was pretty uneventful- american movies, lots of air conditioning, and generic oreo cookies. I arrived on Khao San Road in Bangkok Monday morning and made my way to AYC office to set up a bank account. The traveling and living out of a pack was soon coming to an end...in about a week I would be relocated and settling into some new, more permanent digs.
More to come on the seminar and location change!
It's been long overdue, but I wanted to share my thoughts on Laos. I am really busy these days with teaching and lesson planning that my time to write on my blog has shrunk quite a lot. But without further ado...
I left Chiang Mai for Laos on October 11th and arrived October 12th. I was across the border by 10:30am. Whoo! The bus ride to Laos left something to be desired...it was really cheap, but looking back on it I could have splurged a couple hundred baht more for something more comfortable. I will not longer take the cheapest bus possible. The seats were really cramped, there wasn't a bathroom on the bus and the aircon was not the typical icicle blast like it usually is on thai buses...it felt like the air was trickly through the vent. I was seated next to a young mother whose baby was about three. He was slipping and sliding all over her lap all night and while at first I thought they were both very sweet and beautiful, at around 1am I didn't really appreciate the baby's head in my side. Oh, and the mom was throwing up in a plastic bag periodically, and my seat wouldn't recline. There were about 4 babies on board and at least one of them was crying at any given moment. And I was scolded for having my headlamp on when the lights were off. I couldn't sleep so I wanted to read! It was a little miserable, but now I've got the story to tell! The ride was about 11 hours long.
So, after the initial bus ride, I arrived in Udon Thani, then took another bus to Nong Khai- the border town to Laos on the eastern side of Thailand. I made some friends on that bus ride- Kiril from Israel and Phoebe and Gemma from England- who I spent my time in Laos with. Throughout the bus ride from Udon Thani to Nong Khai, the bus stops to pick up locals, and as we neared the border, the bus was stopped several times. Tuk tuk drivers hop on and just say 'Laos, Laos, border...Friendship Bridge' to try and get you to get off and ride with them to the border and cross to the Friendship Bridge (everyone crosses the friendship bridge to get into Laos). They act really desparate and give off the feeling like this is your last chance to get to the border, when in actuality you'll just stay on the bus until the end of the line- or until it takes you to the bus stop, at which point you can find some kind of vehicle to take you to the Friendship Bridge. Anyhow my new friends and I decided to get off the bus shortly after we passed the turn for the friendship bridge and hopped in a tuk tuk. Only a short time into our tuk tuk ride the driver stops at a little tourist tout rip off type thing and we are told to get off here to get into a minivan that will take us to the border. Sorry friend, but you're gonna take us all the way to the border. Scam averted. We get to the border and then we fill out the exit paper in our passports to leave Thailand and get our passports stamped out of Thailand. We passed through the checkpoint and hopped onto the shuttle bus that carries you across the Friendship Bridge. I guess at that point we were in no-man's land. That bus ride was pretty quick- 10 minutes or so- and I on it I met two American guys who I happened to run into a handful of times through my short stay in Laos. They were both teachers in Bangkok so it was cool hearing their stories. We all hopped off the bus when we got to the Laos border and filled out our paperwork to receive a Laos visa. 35 USD and 15 minutes later...Visa acquisition accomplished and we 4 crossed into Laos! Hooray! Of course we hopped into another tuk tuk which carried us to our guesthouse. A crazy Canadian man who has been living in Thailand for 8 years was also packed into our tuk tuk and that ride will never be forgotten. He's been living and working in Bangkok for a long time, and he was pretty obsessed with it. He had to come to Laos for a visa run because he changed jobs and therefore needed a new work permit. One must obtain the NON B visa to obtain the work permit. Anyhow- this man said he did not like coming to Laos because they don't have Burger King or McDonalds. I'm not joking. He was quite friendly and talkative, but I was pretty stunned by the fast food chain comment, and the fact that he would not stop hitting on Phoebe! Indeed she is really sweet and cute, but honestly we were all getting a little embarassed for her. He has been around Thai women and thai people for too long that I think the etiquette for talking to/flirting with Western girls was somewhat fogotten...Needless to say it was hilarious ride. We saw him later near our guesthouse and we sort of had to pretend not to hear him when he called after us.
We headed to Vientiane, the capitol and checked into our guesthouse and got some lunch. Over the course of the next few days we bounced around to various markets and tourist type things like the Victory monument which is neat but a little bit of an eyesore up close (the plaque on site actually degrades the structure a bit- the monument was not finished with all the original intended materials- instead it was completed with concreted given to Laos by the US earmarked for building roads or something else- and the structure has fallen a bit into disrepair.) I also spent a lot of time at the Thai Embassy trying to apply for a NON B visa.
After a few days in Vientiane we headed to Vang Vieng. Vang Vieng is a beautiful town- luscious greenery all around, and the landscape becomes more mountainous as you head north from the flat capitol of Vientiane. However, Vang Vieng is also a western town. It's as if some strange universal force has scooped up the young white folks from the US and Europe and then dumped them- already in their bathing suits- into the town of Vang Vieng. The town is famous for travelers for its drinking and tubing extravanga. You get to float down a river in an intertube and stop at bars along the way. American pop music is blaring from the speakers of every bar, and you can stop if you please and drink a bucket of some kind of rum concoction. It's what you make of it I guess. I did indulge in this crazy experience, but I came out alright in the end and I lived to tell the tale. I have checked that off my Southeast Asia bucket list and I don't really think I need to do it again. But I was with my friends so that was fun.
The next day I left to head back to Vientiane to retrieve my free! tourist visa from the Thai Embassy. I was an expert at getting to and from that embassy at that point. With that out of the way, I spent the rest of my time in Laos with my friend Sylvie who I met in Bangkok, then met up with again in Chiang Mai by coincidence and we had a good time catching up on the experiences we'd both had since we parted ways in Chiang Mai. We rented bikes and rode around town which was fun. I think the coolest thing I did in Laos was in those last two days with Sylvie. We rode our bikes to a temple and got to practice meditation with monks. We sat with some 15 other people- farang and asian- and listened to the monks talk to us about the practice of meditation and then we meditated. Then we practiced walking meditation- which was cool. There is a special way to walk when doing walking meditation, and I'd never heard of walking meditation so that was neat for me. Then we did seated meditation again, and then there was a question and answer session. Very cool. I was inspired to meditate more on my own after that, and I try to meditate every night before bed now that I'm settled in my own place.
The next coolest thing occured just after the meditation. At the same temple (the name escapes me now) there are Lao massages offered (not by the monks don't worry!) and a steam room. Sylvie chose a massage and I chose the steam room. The whole operation was set up in a traditional Lao style house- raised on stilts. The steam room was heated with a fire below the house. When I pulled back the curtain after stepping through the wooden door of the steam room I felt like I'd stepped back into Ancient China. I was expecting to see a group of rotund Chinese men, but instead there sat a lanky German fellow in his 40s. We had some nice conversation about travels and his time living in Thailand. We sat on wooden benches and danced our feet along the wooden floorboards to keep them from getting too hot. Although he was only sitting about 4 feet in front of me, I could not make out his face at all, it was so steamy. It felt nice to end the day with a good steam. I stepped out, took a deep breath and drank some tea. After I'd stopped dripping sweat I changed out of my bathing suit and Sylvie and I exchanged stories about our experiences. We were both quite satisfied. We rode our bikes home and got some dinner. We both slept very well that night.
The next day it was time to part ways again, and I said my goodbyes to Sylvie. We weren't sure if we'd cross paths again in Asia. But, we now, I'll have a friend to visit in France!
I boarded a night bus headed back to Bangkok for my seminar to start teaching. The ride was pretty uneventful- american movies, lots of air conditioning, and generic oreo cookies. I arrived on Khao San Road in Bangkok Monday morning and made my way to AYC office to set up a bank account. The traveling and living out of a pack was soon coming to an end...in about a week I would be relocated and settling into some new, more permanent digs.
More to come on the seminar and location change!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Chiang Mai Revisited
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep- Chiang Mai
The temple of Doi Suthep is a very sacred place for Thai people. It is somewhat 'touristy' as they say, but it still offers a very impressive view of Chiang Mai. The temple is about 15 km from the city of Chiang Mai, and it sits high in a mountain. You have to climb 309 steps to get to the temple. It's pretty cool. I forgot to mention that in my highlights. It only takes about 20 minutes to get there from the Song Tao stop outside Chiang Mai University, and driving up the mountain you pass many signs for waterfalls. I definitely wanted to visit some of those after my trip to the temple.
The song tao went back down the mountain and I got some lunch. I was determined to hike back up that mountain to get to some of those waterfalls. Yes it was uphill and pretty steep, and yes I could have taken a song tao and paid 50 baht or something- but dang it I wanted to hike! It's not the best hiking- I was on a road the whole time, and many people stopped and offered to give me a ride- but I declined. I would do this on my own!
The hike to the waterfall might have been around 5 miles from town, and man it felt tough in the afternoon heat and uphill the whole time. But I made sure I had plenty of water so I was ok. Once I got to the National Park Entrance I was bright red and the officials at the gate were kind of laughing at me, in a nice way like Thai people do when they see me bright red from running or being in the sun.
But when I made it to the waterfall it was worth it. There were only a few other people there and it was a beautiful park. I set my backpack down and hopped over some rocks to sit under the cold water. It felt great. Sitting there with the cool water rushing over my head giving me a big of a brain freeze I reflected on how great it was that I hiked for an hour or so and got to this- sit in a waterfall. So wonderful.
After hopping back over the rocks to my bag I snapped some photos and saw a crab scurry away from me and back to the water. That was a bit startling, but when I saw it scurry away sideways as crabs do I just laughed outloud to myself.
On my hike back down I was very exuberant, especially when I passed the initial park office because I knew I was close to the base of the mountain- soon I would pass the Chiang Mai Aquarium and Zoo. I was swinging my arms, I had a pep in my step and a smile on my face. I was happy I made it to those waterfalls and accomplished a goal I set, and I was relieved to be nice and cool after being so blessed hot. I saw a older monk across the road and I gave him a wai (a wai is a gesture that is done in greeting and to show respect. it is bow done by bringing your hands together in front of your face and lowering your head and hands. I'll explain more about the different wai's another time) which is polite to do when you see a monk. Instead of simply returning my gesture with a smile and a little nod like I was expecting, he flashed me a big old thumbs up! I was so ecstatic- once again I laughed outloud to myself, and I returned his thumbs up. Perhaps my joy was so visible on my face- literally and figuratively- I do get really red and I'm sure I was flushed at the time from my hike- but perhaps it was just so obvious that I was happy and he knew it and recognized my delight with a thumbs up. So cool. I'll never forget my little encounter with the elderly thumbs up monk.
The temple of Doi Suthep is a very sacred place for Thai people. It is somewhat 'touristy' as they say, but it still offers a very impressive view of Chiang Mai. The temple is about 15 km from the city of Chiang Mai, and it sits high in a mountain. You have to climb 309 steps to get to the temple. It's pretty cool. I forgot to mention that in my highlights. It only takes about 20 minutes to get there from the Song Tao stop outside Chiang Mai University, and driving up the mountain you pass many signs for waterfalls. I definitely wanted to visit some of those after my trip to the temple.
The song tao went back down the mountain and I got some lunch. I was determined to hike back up that mountain to get to some of those waterfalls. Yes it was uphill and pretty steep, and yes I could have taken a song tao and paid 50 baht or something- but dang it I wanted to hike! It's not the best hiking- I was on a road the whole time, and many people stopped and offered to give me a ride- but I declined. I would do this on my own!
The hike to the waterfall might have been around 5 miles from town, and man it felt tough in the afternoon heat and uphill the whole time. But I made sure I had plenty of water so I was ok. Once I got to the National Park Entrance I was bright red and the officials at the gate were kind of laughing at me, in a nice way like Thai people do when they see me bright red from running or being in the sun.
But when I made it to the waterfall it was worth it. There were only a few other people there and it was a beautiful park. I set my backpack down and hopped over some rocks to sit under the cold water. It felt great. Sitting there with the cool water rushing over my head giving me a big of a brain freeze I reflected on how great it was that I hiked for an hour or so and got to this- sit in a waterfall. So wonderful.
After hopping back over the rocks to my bag I snapped some photos and saw a crab scurry away from me and back to the water. That was a bit startling, but when I saw it scurry away sideways as crabs do I just laughed outloud to myself.
On my hike back down I was very exuberant, especially when I passed the initial park office because I knew I was close to the base of the mountain- soon I would pass the Chiang Mai Aquarium and Zoo. I was swinging my arms, I had a pep in my step and a smile on my face. I was happy I made it to those waterfalls and accomplished a goal I set, and I was relieved to be nice and cool after being so blessed hot. I saw a older monk across the road and I gave him a wai (a wai is a gesture that is done in greeting and to show respect. it is bow done by bringing your hands together in front of your face and lowering your head and hands. I'll explain more about the different wai's another time) which is polite to do when you see a monk. Instead of simply returning my gesture with a smile and a little nod like I was expecting, he flashed me a big old thumbs up! I was so ecstatic- once again I laughed outloud to myself, and I returned his thumbs up. Perhaps my joy was so visible on my face- literally and figuratively- I do get really red and I'm sure I was flushed at the time from my hike- but perhaps it was just so obvious that I was happy and he knew it and recognized my delight with a thumbs up. So cool. I'll never forget my little encounter with the elderly thumbs up monk.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
i'm not sure where to start!
Hello Hello everyone!
It's been so long since i've last posted that i'm not quite sure where to even begin. my last real post was ages ago and it was about my experiences on the farm. Here's an update of my time in Chiang Mai.
After the farm I spent two weeks in Chiang Mai, which is about 12 hours north of Bangkok by train. I really enjoyed it there, and I would love to go back. I visited many markets, saw many beautiful handicrafts, silks and other handmade items, took a thai cooking class, spent a day with elephants, I went rock climbing at Crazy Horse Buttress which was pretty fantastic, I went to a yoga class, hiked to a waterfall after visiting a temple that overlooks Chiang Mai, and ate a lot of fantastic food. I also was very lucky to see my friend Jamie Morgan while I was there. She came up from Jakarta, Indonesia for a visa run. It was so great to see an old friend, in another country! We hadn't seen each other since the previous December, before she left for Indonesia. We both appreciated the comfort of seeing a friend- I'd been alone for a little while (except for a few great days with my friend Sylvie from France who I met in Bangkok and then randomly met up with in Chiang Mai- we saw one another in a market and both of our jaws dropped to see each other) and Jamie has been living in Indonesia for almost a year, and it's been quite an interesting nine or so months for her. With old friends you quickly step back into the same rhythme you've always had- no need to for telling your life story like you do when you meet new people traveling. It was great catching up on Oak Park happenings, family and friends. And of course swapping travel stories!
Overall I had an amazing experience in Chiang Mai and enjoyed my time there. The people are friendly and helpful, there is an active expat community that makes getting involved in town happenings very doable, and the city is so easy to navigate. There are so many things to see and do there.
The highlights were the cooking class, elephant camp, climbing, and the food! I really enjoyed spending a day at an elephant camp. These types of things are really popular in Chiang Mai. You can do a trek to a hilltribe village, go bamboo rafting, hiking, ziplining, riding elephants, whitewater rafting...and you can do all of this in a few days if you're willing to pay the money. Some tourist companies offer to design a trip to your liking- whatever you'd like to do on the above list, you can do it. Some people enjoy these tourists packages, but I wasn't really all that interested. I did however want to spend time with elephants because they are amazing creatures and highly revered in Thailand. They used to be work animals, helping to cut and carry logs when logging in the north was a large industry for Thailand (late 19th centry-early 20th century) and even helped with things like railroad construction. Once the logging industry was put to an end, the elephants lost a lot of work, and therefore it was hard for them to survive. Elephants need to eat at least 10% of their body weight every day, and they need to drink about that much water too. Their caretakers, called 'mahouts' (pronounced something like ma-hut but with a soft u sound) spend everyday with them, and are responsible for getting them food and water. In the wild elephants can survive, but once they've been dependent on their mahout, survival is hard. Soon the elephants ventured to the big cities like Bangkok with their mahouts to get handouts wherever they could. I think within the last 20 years or so Bangkok has outlawed this practice- they do not allow elepephants and their mahouts into the city limits (how stictly this is enforced I'm not sure. I don't know what is meant exactly by 'city limits' because Bangkok is so sprawling. So I'm not an expert). It sounds sort of cruel at first, that they aren't allowed into the city and the practice of feeding them your food or giving the mahouts money for food is frowned upon, but the hope is that this will drive the mahouts to seek proper care and shelter for the elephants by taking them to live in elephant camps where they have room to graze, walk and get medical help when necessary. For the most part the elephant camps are a really positive place for the elephants as their mahouts stay with them and take care of them all the time. A popular trip for tourists is to spend a few days at the camp and work with the mahout and same elephant everyday- feeding them, bathing them, learning about elephant behavior, and spending time with them. I got to do all this in a day ( I didn't really have the time and my budget didn't really allow for a few days- but if you have the money and time it is well worth it). There is one elephant camp that is supposed to be the best- I think it's called the Elephant Nature Camp that comes highly recommended. I didn't do this one because it's a little further from Chiang Mai and a bit more expensive, but if you do want to a few days with the elephants this is certainly the place to do it- they cater to this type of package more. If the elephants were sick or pregnant at the camp I was at the elephants were taken to the Elephant Nature Camp. They also take in injured mistreated elephants so they act as a rehabilitation camp as well. In short, your money is well spent on this type of activity. For the most part it goes to a good cause, you should just do a little research to make sure.
The Cooking Course I took was really fantastic. I went through the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School, located within the Old Town area, very close to where I stayed. Similar to the elephant training camp, you can choose to do one day or many day experiences. I again just did one day- but I cooked about 6 dishes, and I even got a cookbook! The cookbook includes all the recipes from the course I took, as well as all the other courses, so you can learn how to make a lot of dishes even if you only experienced making a few. The course was really well run and organized and they had a really friendly staff. We had demonstrations in a demo room for every dish, and then we went back to our kitchens and made the meal, and then we ate! In the demonstrations the staff would explain every ingredient and tell us an appropriate substitute because it's hard to find some of the ingredients once you're outside of Thailand, or they may be really expensive. I don't have a kitchen where I live now, but when I return home I will certainly be testing out my skills. Thai food is actually really easy and fast to make, it requires few materials and little prep time. The longest dish to prepare is actually sticky rice- which is different from steamed or 'regular' rice- it needs to be soaked overnight and it is prepared a little different way I think. Basically all you need to cook Thai food is fish sauce, a wok, a wooden spatula and a big knife. Ta daa!
Climbing. climbing, climbing...so much fun. The Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Association is the place to be for climbing. Their shop is a gear shop and climbing gym with a bouldering wall and some climbing fitness equipment and they organize all their trips there. The outdoor climbing is located about 35 minutes from Chiang Mai, and it's really easy to get to. Only a few turns and you're there! The climbers in the area and those who work at CMRCA work hard at maintaining the crags and bolts, and they're always on the lookout for new climbs at Crazy Horse Buttress. My climbing guidebook for Thailand is somewhat outdated and it's not even that old- that's how fast the climbs in Thailand are being developed- even in the south. So it was fun talking to the staff about the good places to go and what the climbs are like. The rock is limestone so if youre' a fan of that it's awesome. Lots of nice pockets and such. There is a nice range of climbs at Crazy Horse and the surrounding crags, but I stuck to the easier stuff because I was out of practice since my last climbing excursion on Tonsai Beach/Railay Beach in the south. I really wanted to enjoy the climbing and the scnerey, and that I did. Climbing at Crazy Horse is really, really fun. A lot of fun climbs, and a handful of short multi-pitch stuff. You can also climb in some of the caves which is pretty cool. There's plenty of hard stuff for you to get pumped on as well. Climbing in Chiang Mai is definitely one of the reasons I'd like to go back there! Even though you sweat constantly and when you get off a climb you're basically dripping, it's all good. Bring your mosquito coils, those will go a long way to keep the bugs away.
Check out CMRCA's website for new goings-on, and I'd highly suggest picking up the guidebook they advertise on the website if you plan on climbing in Northern Thailand- a Climbing guide to northern thailand- those folks wrote it- they eat, sleep and breathe those crags so they know what's up. you can pick it up at the shop. the staff is so friendly and warm, they will chat with you all the time and help you in any way possible- the right gear, how to get to the crags, help you find a partner, anything. They even wrote down directions in Thai script for me to show the song tao drivers and bus drivers when I was on my way to the farm because one of the guys who works there is from the town I was headed to- Ban Lo Pahan- it turned out to be really helpful!
http://www.thailandclimbing.com/
The food- Good lord there is never a dull eating experience in Thailand. In Chiang Mai especially there are so many great choices. Because of Chiang Mai's location and easy access, and longstanding trade relations, many different foods are available- Burmese food, Chinese food, and northern and eastern Thai cuisine. Additionally, there are so many food markets and while I was there, a food festival- so I was always trying new foods. Eating is always an experience here- not just your average trip to jimmy johns (although I do miss a vito or a roast beef from time to time...) Some favorites are Khao soi- also known as Chiang Mai noodles- a soup with rice noodles, and mango curry. Yum!
So that is the brief overview of my time in Chiang Mai. It's definitely a popular spot to visit, but well worth it. Plus, there are so many bookstores! I stocked up on a few books before I left so that I would have some reading material until I got to another spot with books in English. I've finished Barbara Kingsolver's Pigs in Heaven and now I'm reading David Sedaris' Naked. Hilarious. I can't put it down. Next in line is Tom Robbins' Jitterbug Perfume.
It's been so long since i've last posted that i'm not quite sure where to even begin. my last real post was ages ago and it was about my experiences on the farm. Here's an update of my time in Chiang Mai.
After the farm I spent two weeks in Chiang Mai, which is about 12 hours north of Bangkok by train. I really enjoyed it there, and I would love to go back. I visited many markets, saw many beautiful handicrafts, silks and other handmade items, took a thai cooking class, spent a day with elephants, I went rock climbing at Crazy Horse Buttress which was pretty fantastic, I went to a yoga class, hiked to a waterfall after visiting a temple that overlooks Chiang Mai, and ate a lot of fantastic food. I also was very lucky to see my friend Jamie Morgan while I was there. She came up from Jakarta, Indonesia for a visa run. It was so great to see an old friend, in another country! We hadn't seen each other since the previous December, before she left for Indonesia. We both appreciated the comfort of seeing a friend- I'd been alone for a little while (except for a few great days with my friend Sylvie from France who I met in Bangkok and then randomly met up with in Chiang Mai- we saw one another in a market and both of our jaws dropped to see each other) and Jamie has been living in Indonesia for almost a year, and it's been quite an interesting nine or so months for her. With old friends you quickly step back into the same rhythme you've always had- no need to for telling your life story like you do when you meet new people traveling. It was great catching up on Oak Park happenings, family and friends. And of course swapping travel stories!
Overall I had an amazing experience in Chiang Mai and enjoyed my time there. The people are friendly and helpful, there is an active expat community that makes getting involved in town happenings very doable, and the city is so easy to navigate. There are so many things to see and do there.
The highlights were the cooking class, elephant camp, climbing, and the food! I really enjoyed spending a day at an elephant camp. These types of things are really popular in Chiang Mai. You can do a trek to a hilltribe village, go bamboo rafting, hiking, ziplining, riding elephants, whitewater rafting...and you can do all of this in a few days if you're willing to pay the money. Some tourist companies offer to design a trip to your liking- whatever you'd like to do on the above list, you can do it. Some people enjoy these tourists packages, but I wasn't really all that interested. I did however want to spend time with elephants because they are amazing creatures and highly revered in Thailand. They used to be work animals, helping to cut and carry logs when logging in the north was a large industry for Thailand (late 19th centry-early 20th century) and even helped with things like railroad construction. Once the logging industry was put to an end, the elephants lost a lot of work, and therefore it was hard for them to survive. Elephants need to eat at least 10% of their body weight every day, and they need to drink about that much water too. Their caretakers, called 'mahouts' (pronounced something like ma-hut but with a soft u sound) spend everyday with them, and are responsible for getting them food and water. In the wild elephants can survive, but once they've been dependent on their mahout, survival is hard. Soon the elephants ventured to the big cities like Bangkok with their mahouts to get handouts wherever they could. I think within the last 20 years or so Bangkok has outlawed this practice- they do not allow elepephants and their mahouts into the city limits (how stictly this is enforced I'm not sure. I don't know what is meant exactly by 'city limits' because Bangkok is so sprawling. So I'm not an expert). It sounds sort of cruel at first, that they aren't allowed into the city and the practice of feeding them your food or giving the mahouts money for food is frowned upon, but the hope is that this will drive the mahouts to seek proper care and shelter for the elephants by taking them to live in elephant camps where they have room to graze, walk and get medical help when necessary. For the most part the elephant camps are a really positive place for the elephants as their mahouts stay with them and take care of them all the time. A popular trip for tourists is to spend a few days at the camp and work with the mahout and same elephant everyday- feeding them, bathing them, learning about elephant behavior, and spending time with them. I got to do all this in a day ( I didn't really have the time and my budget didn't really allow for a few days- but if you have the money and time it is well worth it). There is one elephant camp that is supposed to be the best- I think it's called the Elephant Nature Camp that comes highly recommended. I didn't do this one because it's a little further from Chiang Mai and a bit more expensive, but if you do want to a few days with the elephants this is certainly the place to do it- they cater to this type of package more. If the elephants were sick or pregnant at the camp I was at the elephants were taken to the Elephant Nature Camp. They also take in injured mistreated elephants so they act as a rehabilitation camp as well. In short, your money is well spent on this type of activity. For the most part it goes to a good cause, you should just do a little research to make sure.
The Cooking Course I took was really fantastic. I went through the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School, located within the Old Town area, very close to where I stayed. Similar to the elephant training camp, you can choose to do one day or many day experiences. I again just did one day- but I cooked about 6 dishes, and I even got a cookbook! The cookbook includes all the recipes from the course I took, as well as all the other courses, so you can learn how to make a lot of dishes even if you only experienced making a few. The course was really well run and organized and they had a really friendly staff. We had demonstrations in a demo room for every dish, and then we went back to our kitchens and made the meal, and then we ate! In the demonstrations the staff would explain every ingredient and tell us an appropriate substitute because it's hard to find some of the ingredients once you're outside of Thailand, or they may be really expensive. I don't have a kitchen where I live now, but when I return home I will certainly be testing out my skills. Thai food is actually really easy and fast to make, it requires few materials and little prep time. The longest dish to prepare is actually sticky rice- which is different from steamed or 'regular' rice- it needs to be soaked overnight and it is prepared a little different way I think. Basically all you need to cook Thai food is fish sauce, a wok, a wooden spatula and a big knife. Ta daa!
Climbing. climbing, climbing...so much fun. The Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Association is the place to be for climbing. Their shop is a gear shop and climbing gym with a bouldering wall and some climbing fitness equipment and they organize all their trips there. The outdoor climbing is located about 35 minutes from Chiang Mai, and it's really easy to get to. Only a few turns and you're there! The climbers in the area and those who work at CMRCA work hard at maintaining the crags and bolts, and they're always on the lookout for new climbs at Crazy Horse Buttress. My climbing guidebook for Thailand is somewhat outdated and it's not even that old- that's how fast the climbs in Thailand are being developed- even in the south. So it was fun talking to the staff about the good places to go and what the climbs are like. The rock is limestone so if youre' a fan of that it's awesome. Lots of nice pockets and such. There is a nice range of climbs at Crazy Horse and the surrounding crags, but I stuck to the easier stuff because I was out of practice since my last climbing excursion on Tonsai Beach/Railay Beach in the south. I really wanted to enjoy the climbing and the scnerey, and that I did. Climbing at Crazy Horse is really, really fun. A lot of fun climbs, and a handful of short multi-pitch stuff. You can also climb in some of the caves which is pretty cool. There's plenty of hard stuff for you to get pumped on as well. Climbing in Chiang Mai is definitely one of the reasons I'd like to go back there! Even though you sweat constantly and when you get off a climb you're basically dripping, it's all good. Bring your mosquito coils, those will go a long way to keep the bugs away.
Check out CMRCA's website for new goings-on, and I'd highly suggest picking up the guidebook they advertise on the website if you plan on climbing in Northern Thailand- a Climbing guide to northern thailand- those folks wrote it- they eat, sleep and breathe those crags so they know what's up. you can pick it up at the shop. the staff is so friendly and warm, they will chat with you all the time and help you in any way possible- the right gear, how to get to the crags, help you find a partner, anything. They even wrote down directions in Thai script for me to show the song tao drivers and bus drivers when I was on my way to the farm because one of the guys who works there is from the town I was headed to- Ban Lo Pahan- it turned out to be really helpful!
http://www.thailandclimbing.com/
The food- Good lord there is never a dull eating experience in Thailand. In Chiang Mai especially there are so many great choices. Because of Chiang Mai's location and easy access, and longstanding trade relations, many different foods are available- Burmese food, Chinese food, and northern and eastern Thai cuisine. Additionally, there are so many food markets and while I was there, a food festival- so I was always trying new foods. Eating is always an experience here- not just your average trip to jimmy johns (although I do miss a vito or a roast beef from time to time...) Some favorites are Khao soi- also known as Chiang Mai noodles- a soup with rice noodles, and mango curry. Yum!
So that is the brief overview of my time in Chiang Mai. It's definitely a popular spot to visit, but well worth it. Plus, there are so many bookstores! I stocked up on a few books before I left so that I would have some reading material until I got to another spot with books in English. I've finished Barbara Kingsolver's Pigs in Heaven and now I'm reading David Sedaris' Naked. Hilarious. I can't put it down. Next in line is Tom Robbins' Jitterbug Perfume.
Monday, November 1, 2010
it's been a while...
Goodness gracious I can't believe it's been so long since I've last posted! I'm in the process of updating pictures to my picasa web album so there's that in the meantime!
I've been up to a great deal I don't even know where to start...I think since I've last posted I spent time in Chiang Mai, spent a week in Laos, a few days in Bangkok for a seminar for AYC- the organization I work for, made new friends there, and then relocated to Rayong, where I am currently teaching at Watpapradoo School. I teach Mattayom 1, 4 and 6- which equates to 7th grade, 10th grade and 12th. Wild! I originally requested to be with younger kids and be north of Bangkok. But what I got was awesome high schoolers and the sea. My town is a very busy fishing town so the seafood is excellent, and beaches are not too far. The popular island of Ko Samet is a quick ferry ride away, perfect for a weekend vacation. I have yet to visit there! I hope to make a trip there once I'm a bit more settled.
I started classes October 26th and we had to jump right in- head first. I was teaching real lessons of content the second time I met some of my classes! Some classes I only see once a week, and the others I only see twice. It's a little hectic keeping track of all the classes and students- the smallest class I have is 32 students and the largest is 51!
sorry to be brief, but i'm running out of time on the internet. I'll post more later- soon!
I've been up to a great deal I don't even know where to start...I think since I've last posted I spent time in Chiang Mai, spent a week in Laos, a few days in Bangkok for a seminar for AYC- the organization I work for, made new friends there, and then relocated to Rayong, where I am currently teaching at Watpapradoo School. I teach Mattayom 1, 4 and 6- which equates to 7th grade, 10th grade and 12th. Wild! I originally requested to be with younger kids and be north of Bangkok. But what I got was awesome high schoolers and the sea. My town is a very busy fishing town so the seafood is excellent, and beaches are not too far. The popular island of Ko Samet is a quick ferry ride away, perfect for a weekend vacation. I have yet to visit there! I hope to make a trip there once I'm a bit more settled.
I started classes October 26th and we had to jump right in- head first. I was teaching real lessons of content the second time I met some of my classes! Some classes I only see once a week, and the others I only see twice. It's a little hectic keeping track of all the classes and students- the smallest class I have is 32 students and the largest is 51!
sorry to be brief, but i'm running out of time on the internet. I'll post more later- soon!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
pics updated
more pictures! pictures from the siam discovery museum in Bangkok, the farm in Chiang Dao, and some of Chiang Mai so far.
Enjoy!
http://picasaweb.google.co.th/117827828594236536464/HowISpentMySummerVacation#
Enjoy!
http://picasaweb.google.co.th/117827828594236536464/HowISpentMySummerVacation#
Thoughts on the farm- Amee Doyer's Organic Farm
I've summed up my thoughts on the farm as my journal entries during my time there are very long. It was quite a memorable experience, and while I've added pictures to my picasa album for everyone to see, I of course missed the opportunities to take the important photos like of the people I lived and worked with. But for me, those images will be in my mind forever. So here it goes.
My time on the farm was quite and experience, very unique indeed. The farm took some getting to (Bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao- 1.5 hours, wait for a yellow taxi to fill up once you arrive at appropriate intersection, take yellow taxi 45 minutes-unless that one breaks down than you wait for another that will finish the journey, get off at the big motorcycle shop, walk on the only road that leads to the right for a long time- until you get to the last house on the left, and then 50 meters past that is the road to the farm. Walk up this somewhat steep gravel path for about half a mile and then you've made it) but once I finally made it I felt good. I have to admit, I did get a bit lost, but all was well. Once I arrived and took a look at my surroundings- mountains and jungle- I knew I was in a good place.
When I arrived I saw a girl weeding in the yard. Her name was Elodye and she was from France. She'd already been there a bit over a week. Austin from Seattle was splitting bamboo reeds to make ties for rice with Alea, the manager of the farm and guy we spent a lot of time with. I was shown my room in only a few words from Alea, and then I got busy weeding with Elodye for the last hour of the workday.
Shortly after, we washed up and started preparing dinner. This was of course one of our chores as wwoofers. We cut onions, garlic, some greens and tofu. Asamee, Alea's wife, does a majority of the cooking, but often times we'll prepare a dish as well. Dinner was delicious, as they all were. Alea and Asamee are Burmese and therefore the food was quite delicious. All meals were served on rice. There was usually a dish in some broth, a dish of greens, and when available, a dish of meat. The meats served during my time there were dog, chicken, and pig- in that order. All dishes have salt, spice, and msg. That's right, just pour it on there. Tofu and bamboo were also staples. I really liked bamboo. We did have noodles once in a while as well. Tomatoes, potatoes, garlic and onions are common as well.
Many things grow on the farm. Papaya, bamboo, coconut, chili peppers, and bananas. These are not planted for market use, simply for personal consumption on the farm. Alea and Asamee tend to a large fleet of pigs of varying ages and sizes- ranging from tiny newborn piglets to the bigger than the biggest blue ribbon pig you've ever seen. Alea also owns cows, but they live on a different property. Many acres of land are dedicated to rice paddies. Alea told us that in about a month's time the rice will be harvested.
We woke up early the next morning (6:15) and got to work sweeping and mopping the porch, and preparing breakfast. The chickens and pigs make plenty of noise so they definitely woke me up just as much as my alarm clock did. Then at 8 it's time to work...
Work for the day was shoveling gravel to make a path to the pig sty. It was hard work hoeing and shoveling gravel into a two-wheeled cart and then rolling that down to be dumped out, all the while in the hot Thai sun. But a good sweat for sure! I bought a big sun hat on my way to the farm for 20 baht (about 56 cents) which was a very good decision. We worked alongside two Burmese refugees- Lunton and Salmo for most of the work we did on the farm. They were two very cool dudes. Lunton was 64 and Salmo was in his 50s and they are brothers. They have been working at the farm for about 10 years combined. They didn't speak a lot of English at all, but we would exchange a few words in English and Thai, and we got by. They taught us more Thai and Lisu words and I don't know, maybe we taught them a few English words. Lisu are the hilltribe that live in the northern region of Thailand. Working with those guys, them laughing at us when we said a word funny or did something wrong was pretty priceless. They were cool, and even though we couldn't communicate all that well, it was worth working with them.
Sundays are days off on the farm. We slept in and then went into Chiang Dao to use the internet and get a different type of meal. Chiang Dao is about 45 minutes away by songthaew (song-tao, or yellow taxi) and that's where the nearest internet is. We also saw the Chiang Dao caves with buddhas and temple structure inside. Pretty cool except you can't walk around for too long because soon enough you'll be swimming.
The hext week continued on with the same schedule:
Wake at 6:15 for chores, work 8-12, lunch and siesta 12-3, work 3-5, wash up/dinner prep at 5, eat around 6/6:30, then relax. There was a tv and a lot of dvds so we spent many evenings unwinding this way.
I will note the highlights for rest of this post. Some aren't quite highlights if you are especially fond of dogs or pigs, so skip over those sections if you're a bit squeemish. I've put disclaimers in so you know what's coming!
"That dog is eating my pigs. I have to kill it" -Alea, about the naughty dogs that come in from the village and eat his piglets. These dogs will face a terrible end. Don't read if you don't want to imagine a dog dying by gunshot in the middle of the morning on a Monday.
Sunday night: Alea had been telling us a story about how much you can get for selling large lizards in the markets in Thailand when he stopped mid-sentence because he heard a noise. We (the farangs) grabbed headlamps and flashlights, he grabbed his humongous gun and bag of ammo and we take off down the road to the pigsty where Alea had set up a trap for the dog. It's only about a minute by sprint. Either we were too slow or it was a flase alarm because when we arrived to the scene, nothing had been disturbed and no dog was trapped.
Monday morning: After an eventful night time run down to the pigsty to see if a dog trap that Alea set has worked, the naughty dog caught a terrible fate. I was leveling some gravel, when all of a sudden a shot rang out that silenced even the ever clucking chickens. Alea had spotted the naughty mutt and shot it. He whimpered and howled for a few minutes while the farm dogs came near to check out the scene. They did not go down into the ravine where the dog lay slowly dying. The dog was trying to get up and away between its cries, but to no avail. Later on, Alea picked it up and with the help of Asamee, the dog became a meal. Some friends of theirs came to help with this process, and stayed for the tasty meal.
I'll admit, I tried some dog. I'm not altogether too proud of this, but I thought I should do it because it's a somewhat normal practice here, and I don't want to seem rude- they are offering me this meat, and I should at least try it. I don't know, it was a strange time. It was really chewy and salty. I had only a few bites. Enough said.
Your local Thai Butcher **Disclaimer- another somewhat gruesome tale. This one is about witnessing a pig death. Read if you can.**
Wednesday: A pig was killed and butchered today. Not just any pig- it was a very large, 200 pound pig. It was tied by one of its back legs to a post of a hut. Under the hut a fire was heating a large bowl of water. When I passed by the hut earlier in the day (before the pig was present) I was unsure of what the large bowl was doing there, and why a fire was being started. I soon found out.
The pig was walking around as much as it could with its tether, and when he was standing in a suitable, still position for the older Thai gentleman who acted as butcher for the day, he gave the pig a quick but deep stab with mis machete right behind his left leg. Blood was pouring from the wound immediately and the pig began thrashing around and making the most unbelievable squeals. The pig threw itself to the ground and more blood spewed from its side. It was a scary, bloody, disturbing site. And I was 10 feet from this...watching. To see a 200 pound pig throwing itself into the ground, squealing and screaming to keep itself alive is not something my western mide was really capapble of processing.
The thrashing and bleeding took about two minutes. then the pig lay motionless in the dirt. The team of Burmese and Thai men and women who were attending this butchering (friends of Alea's and Asamee's who live nearby) jumped into action to clean the pig. They hosed him and the area off, then poured boiling hot water on the pig, and also layed burlap bags that had been soaking in the large pan of water on him. Now I saw how handy that fire and hot water was. They were cleaning and simultaneously softening the pig to make it easier to shave, which they stated to do as soon as it was clean. This was when I walked away and headed back to the barn where I was separating dried corn kernels from the cob to make pig feed. But I could see from my spot in the barn what was happening up on the hill, and pretty soon the pink and brown spotted pig was as white as the inside of a coconut. Later on when I looked up from my work again the pig's head was no longer attached to its body. At this point I hurried to finish my work and get up to the house for siesta, and get away from the scene. What was very normal for these people was not normal for me, and I really didn't know how to handle it. Should I feel ashamed for watching, for being an audience? Am I a coward for not helping? No, I shouldn't feel like a coward, I have no idea what to do, and if I helped I'd only be in the way. But if I'm not helping why and I standing here with my jaw on the ground? I was very confused and felt very removed; very western. I didn't know what to think or how to behave. I just knew I couldn't really handle it anymore.
Later that day, the pig had been separated, the prize pieces sold, and the remaining portions parceled out to those who helped, and cooked for meals on the farm. I did try some of the pig, but I'm not a huge fan of pork to begin with, so I didn't eat much. Additionally, after witnessing the scene, I was unable to really stomach the idea of eating pig. Again, I ate it to not be rude. Pork is very common in many dishes here, and Alea was surprised when we didn't eat very much of it. He offered and offered whenever it sat out in our meals, but finally I had to say that I really did not like pork very much to begin with, similar to the way his wife simply did not like to eat dog. It was a somewhat awkward moment. I just couldn't stomach it!
Friday Morning Chinese Market **This one is totally tame!**
This may be one of my favorite memories from the farm experience. I awoke to a misty mountain view as per usual- the past few days had been very rainy. We did our chores, and then Alea sauntered up to the porch asking if we were ready to go to the market. The Friday Morning Chinese Market only occurs on Friday- hence the name- and it is a very local market. It was very bustling as people come from all over the area to go to this market. Driving in we had to weave past other cars, motorbikes and people. Thai music was blaring from a speaker, but the shoppers seemed unaffected. Everything was available at this market- household goods, rice cookers, pots and pans, clothes, food, sweets, meats, vegetables, fruits, smoothies, noodle stands where you can sit for a meal, and pharmacy items. People come to stock up on anything and everything they need for their homes. It was very cool to be a part of this large, bustling crowd where folks were just bent on their business- they've got errands to run! One of my favorite images was seeing a young mother with a baby strapped to her back with a elaborately patterned cloth- the eastern baby bjorn is what popped into my head. This notion of the western vs. eastern grocery shopping mother came into mind: here in this market that is a mile from the burmese border, a woman has a child strapped to her back while she browses some househould goods. In the west, a mother loads her child into the little 'car seat' of the grocery car that the child loves so much. He pretends to drive it while pointing out to mom the snacks and cereals he wants. She only listens and "uh-hmms" half way to his requests and 'beep beeps!' while checking her grocery list and heading to the next aisle. In both images a child is reaching out to touch something, engaging that necessity to connect with ones surroundings by touch- a hallmark mechanism for young children and both mothers are only half focused on the shopping because they are also focused on their child.
We left the market with a lot of vegetables, tofu, noodles and eggs. These items are very representative of Thai and Burmese cuisine (at least the style of Burmese food we were eating). I picked up a few things as well and had a delicious noodle breakfast in my belly. It was a very interesting experience that I was lucky to have.
So, all in all I'm glad I had the farm experience. I can't really say what kind of expectations I had going into it- I tried not to form too many because I had no concrete notions of what it would be like- but I don't really know if they were met. It was just such a different, unique, surreal, and ever evolving experience. I had good feelings and not so good feelings about what I was doing on this farm in the middle of the jungle in the mountains a few miles from Burma. The work was sometimes interesting and rewarding, sometimes I couldn't wait for our lunch and siesta break. But, I can say that WWOOFing is a great way to experience another culture, people, language and food. It is a full immersion experience and very cool- you just have to relax and let the experience unfold. It also takes a lot of initiative once on the farm to get involved with the work, but this comes naturally. I'd love to work on another farm elsewhere in the world through WWOOF to see how the experience compares.
If you want to hear more about the farm experience, please email with questions. This little novella I wrote above is written from the vacuum of my experiences and I realize I might be missing out on a few key details to help you, my reader to visualize these images. Let me know. gina.matranga@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading this long entry! Hope you got through it ok!
**I don't know if I've even really explained what WWOOFing is- sorry about that- but it stands for world wide opportunities on organic farms and it's a great program. Check it out if you're interested in learning more:
http://www.wwoof.org/
My time on the farm was quite and experience, very unique indeed. The farm took some getting to (Bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao- 1.5 hours, wait for a yellow taxi to fill up once you arrive at appropriate intersection, take yellow taxi 45 minutes-unless that one breaks down than you wait for another that will finish the journey, get off at the big motorcycle shop, walk on the only road that leads to the right for a long time- until you get to the last house on the left, and then 50 meters past that is the road to the farm. Walk up this somewhat steep gravel path for about half a mile and then you've made it) but once I finally made it I felt good. I have to admit, I did get a bit lost, but all was well. Once I arrived and took a look at my surroundings- mountains and jungle- I knew I was in a good place.
When I arrived I saw a girl weeding in the yard. Her name was Elodye and she was from France. She'd already been there a bit over a week. Austin from Seattle was splitting bamboo reeds to make ties for rice with Alea, the manager of the farm and guy we spent a lot of time with. I was shown my room in only a few words from Alea, and then I got busy weeding with Elodye for the last hour of the workday.
Shortly after, we washed up and started preparing dinner. This was of course one of our chores as wwoofers. We cut onions, garlic, some greens and tofu. Asamee, Alea's wife, does a majority of the cooking, but often times we'll prepare a dish as well. Dinner was delicious, as they all were. Alea and Asamee are Burmese and therefore the food was quite delicious. All meals were served on rice. There was usually a dish in some broth, a dish of greens, and when available, a dish of meat. The meats served during my time there were dog, chicken, and pig- in that order. All dishes have salt, spice, and msg. That's right, just pour it on there. Tofu and bamboo were also staples. I really liked bamboo. We did have noodles once in a while as well. Tomatoes, potatoes, garlic and onions are common as well.
Many things grow on the farm. Papaya, bamboo, coconut, chili peppers, and bananas. These are not planted for market use, simply for personal consumption on the farm. Alea and Asamee tend to a large fleet of pigs of varying ages and sizes- ranging from tiny newborn piglets to the bigger than the biggest blue ribbon pig you've ever seen. Alea also owns cows, but they live on a different property. Many acres of land are dedicated to rice paddies. Alea told us that in about a month's time the rice will be harvested.
We woke up early the next morning (6:15) and got to work sweeping and mopping the porch, and preparing breakfast. The chickens and pigs make plenty of noise so they definitely woke me up just as much as my alarm clock did. Then at 8 it's time to work...
Work for the day was shoveling gravel to make a path to the pig sty. It was hard work hoeing and shoveling gravel into a two-wheeled cart and then rolling that down to be dumped out, all the while in the hot Thai sun. But a good sweat for sure! I bought a big sun hat on my way to the farm for 20 baht (about 56 cents) which was a very good decision. We worked alongside two Burmese refugees- Lunton and Salmo for most of the work we did on the farm. They were two very cool dudes. Lunton was 64 and Salmo was in his 50s and they are brothers. They have been working at the farm for about 10 years combined. They didn't speak a lot of English at all, but we would exchange a few words in English and Thai, and we got by. They taught us more Thai and Lisu words and I don't know, maybe we taught them a few English words. Lisu are the hilltribe that live in the northern region of Thailand. Working with those guys, them laughing at us when we said a word funny or did something wrong was pretty priceless. They were cool, and even though we couldn't communicate all that well, it was worth working with them.
Sundays are days off on the farm. We slept in and then went into Chiang Dao to use the internet and get a different type of meal. Chiang Dao is about 45 minutes away by songthaew (song-tao, or yellow taxi) and that's where the nearest internet is. We also saw the Chiang Dao caves with buddhas and temple structure inside. Pretty cool except you can't walk around for too long because soon enough you'll be swimming.
The hext week continued on with the same schedule:
Wake at 6:15 for chores, work 8-12, lunch and siesta 12-3, work 3-5, wash up/dinner prep at 5, eat around 6/6:30, then relax. There was a tv and a lot of dvds so we spent many evenings unwinding this way.
I will note the highlights for rest of this post. Some aren't quite highlights if you are especially fond of dogs or pigs, so skip over those sections if you're a bit squeemish. I've put disclaimers in so you know what's coming!
"That dog is eating my pigs. I have to kill it" -Alea, about the naughty dogs that come in from the village and eat his piglets. These dogs will face a terrible end. Don't read if you don't want to imagine a dog dying by gunshot in the middle of the morning on a Monday.
Sunday night: Alea had been telling us a story about how much you can get for selling large lizards in the markets in Thailand when he stopped mid-sentence because he heard a noise. We (the farangs) grabbed headlamps and flashlights, he grabbed his humongous gun and bag of ammo and we take off down the road to the pigsty where Alea had set up a trap for the dog. It's only about a minute by sprint. Either we were too slow or it was a flase alarm because when we arrived to the scene, nothing had been disturbed and no dog was trapped.
Monday morning: After an eventful night time run down to the pigsty to see if a dog trap that Alea set has worked, the naughty dog caught a terrible fate. I was leveling some gravel, when all of a sudden a shot rang out that silenced even the ever clucking chickens. Alea had spotted the naughty mutt and shot it. He whimpered and howled for a few minutes while the farm dogs came near to check out the scene. They did not go down into the ravine where the dog lay slowly dying. The dog was trying to get up and away between its cries, but to no avail. Later on, Alea picked it up and with the help of Asamee, the dog became a meal. Some friends of theirs came to help with this process, and stayed for the tasty meal.
I'll admit, I tried some dog. I'm not altogether too proud of this, but I thought I should do it because it's a somewhat normal practice here, and I don't want to seem rude- they are offering me this meat, and I should at least try it. I don't know, it was a strange time. It was really chewy and salty. I had only a few bites. Enough said.
Your local Thai Butcher **Disclaimer- another somewhat gruesome tale. This one is about witnessing a pig death. Read if you can.**
Wednesday: A pig was killed and butchered today. Not just any pig- it was a very large, 200 pound pig. It was tied by one of its back legs to a post of a hut. Under the hut a fire was heating a large bowl of water. When I passed by the hut earlier in the day (before the pig was present) I was unsure of what the large bowl was doing there, and why a fire was being started. I soon found out.
The pig was walking around as much as it could with its tether, and when he was standing in a suitable, still position for the older Thai gentleman who acted as butcher for the day, he gave the pig a quick but deep stab with mis machete right behind his left leg. Blood was pouring from the wound immediately and the pig began thrashing around and making the most unbelievable squeals. The pig threw itself to the ground and more blood spewed from its side. It was a scary, bloody, disturbing site. And I was 10 feet from this...watching. To see a 200 pound pig throwing itself into the ground, squealing and screaming to keep itself alive is not something my western mide was really capapble of processing.
The thrashing and bleeding took about two minutes. then the pig lay motionless in the dirt. The team of Burmese and Thai men and women who were attending this butchering (friends of Alea's and Asamee's who live nearby) jumped into action to clean the pig. They hosed him and the area off, then poured boiling hot water on the pig, and also layed burlap bags that had been soaking in the large pan of water on him. Now I saw how handy that fire and hot water was. They were cleaning and simultaneously softening the pig to make it easier to shave, which they stated to do as soon as it was clean. This was when I walked away and headed back to the barn where I was separating dried corn kernels from the cob to make pig feed. But I could see from my spot in the barn what was happening up on the hill, and pretty soon the pink and brown spotted pig was as white as the inside of a coconut. Later on when I looked up from my work again the pig's head was no longer attached to its body. At this point I hurried to finish my work and get up to the house for siesta, and get away from the scene. What was very normal for these people was not normal for me, and I really didn't know how to handle it. Should I feel ashamed for watching, for being an audience? Am I a coward for not helping? No, I shouldn't feel like a coward, I have no idea what to do, and if I helped I'd only be in the way. But if I'm not helping why and I standing here with my jaw on the ground? I was very confused and felt very removed; very western. I didn't know what to think or how to behave. I just knew I couldn't really handle it anymore.
Later that day, the pig had been separated, the prize pieces sold, and the remaining portions parceled out to those who helped, and cooked for meals on the farm. I did try some of the pig, but I'm not a huge fan of pork to begin with, so I didn't eat much. Additionally, after witnessing the scene, I was unable to really stomach the idea of eating pig. Again, I ate it to not be rude. Pork is very common in many dishes here, and Alea was surprised when we didn't eat very much of it. He offered and offered whenever it sat out in our meals, but finally I had to say that I really did not like pork very much to begin with, similar to the way his wife simply did not like to eat dog. It was a somewhat awkward moment. I just couldn't stomach it!
Friday Morning Chinese Market **This one is totally tame!**
This may be one of my favorite memories from the farm experience. I awoke to a misty mountain view as per usual- the past few days had been very rainy. We did our chores, and then Alea sauntered up to the porch asking if we were ready to go to the market. The Friday Morning Chinese Market only occurs on Friday- hence the name- and it is a very local market. It was very bustling as people come from all over the area to go to this market. Driving in we had to weave past other cars, motorbikes and people. Thai music was blaring from a speaker, but the shoppers seemed unaffected. Everything was available at this market- household goods, rice cookers, pots and pans, clothes, food, sweets, meats, vegetables, fruits, smoothies, noodle stands where you can sit for a meal, and pharmacy items. People come to stock up on anything and everything they need for their homes. It was very cool to be a part of this large, bustling crowd where folks were just bent on their business- they've got errands to run! One of my favorite images was seeing a young mother with a baby strapped to her back with a elaborately patterned cloth- the eastern baby bjorn is what popped into my head. This notion of the western vs. eastern grocery shopping mother came into mind: here in this market that is a mile from the burmese border, a woman has a child strapped to her back while she browses some househould goods. In the west, a mother loads her child into the little 'car seat' of the grocery car that the child loves so much. He pretends to drive it while pointing out to mom the snacks and cereals he wants. She only listens and "uh-hmms" half way to his requests and 'beep beeps!' while checking her grocery list and heading to the next aisle. In both images a child is reaching out to touch something, engaging that necessity to connect with ones surroundings by touch- a hallmark mechanism for young children and both mothers are only half focused on the shopping because they are also focused on their child.
We left the market with a lot of vegetables, tofu, noodles and eggs. These items are very representative of Thai and Burmese cuisine (at least the style of Burmese food we were eating). I picked up a few things as well and had a delicious noodle breakfast in my belly. It was a very interesting experience that I was lucky to have.
So, all in all I'm glad I had the farm experience. I can't really say what kind of expectations I had going into it- I tried not to form too many because I had no concrete notions of what it would be like- but I don't really know if they were met. It was just such a different, unique, surreal, and ever evolving experience. I had good feelings and not so good feelings about what I was doing on this farm in the middle of the jungle in the mountains a few miles from Burma. The work was sometimes interesting and rewarding, sometimes I couldn't wait for our lunch and siesta break. But, I can say that WWOOFing is a great way to experience another culture, people, language and food. It is a full immersion experience and very cool- you just have to relax and let the experience unfold. It also takes a lot of initiative once on the farm to get involved with the work, but this comes naturally. I'd love to work on another farm elsewhere in the world through WWOOF to see how the experience compares.
If you want to hear more about the farm experience, please email with questions. This little novella I wrote above is written from the vacuum of my experiences and I realize I might be missing out on a few key details to help you, my reader to visualize these images. Let me know. gina.matranga@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading this long entry! Hope you got through it ok!
**I don't know if I've even really explained what WWOOFing is- sorry about that- but it stands for world wide opportunities on organic farms and it's a great program. Check it out if you're interested in learning more:
http://www.wwoof.org/
Thursday, September 16, 2010
heading up north
I'm heading out this morning to go to the farm where I'll be WWOOFing and I just wanted to put up a last post before I go. I'll be gone for about two weeks, and back to hangout in Chiang Mai around the 1st of October. I'll be living and working on a farm called Amee Doyer's Organic Farm in Ban Lo Pahan, Thailand. First I have to get from Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao which will be about 2 hours. Or so I hear. Once I'm in Chiang Dao it's another 30 minutes or so to Ban Lo Pahan. We'll see how getting there goes! Once I'm back I'll be in touch. I don't think I'll have much access to internet while I'm on the farm. So if you try to email me or get in touch and I don't respond, that's why!
Until next time!
Until next time!
12 hours to chiang mai
I had a really nice post going, and then I accidentally deleted it. Yarr!
So, let me try to recreate.
I took the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in typical Gina fashion. I did not have a ticket upon arriving at the station. All those trips from Chicago to Milwaukee and vice versa on the Hiawatha when I would arrive just in the nick of time has given me a false sense of security. But unlike Gina fashion, I arrived very early for this train- about 2 hours early! I would have bought a ticket the evening before through my guesthouse, but I got home too late from my excursions. I was at the Siam Discovery Museum and I got back to my guesthouse too late. The Siam Discovery Museum is actually very cool. It's all about what it means to be Thai, Thai culture past and present, and the evolution of their people, country, and culture. I like museums, and growing up at the Field, I'll always have a soft spot for places like this.
But, the train worked out fine- I was taking a day train to Chiang Mai in the middle of the week, so I was reassured by the lady at my guesthouse that I would be fine. Thais don't want to take the 12 hour trip in the middle of the week because it will take away their workday, and most people want to take the night train so they don't loose a whole day of traveling. I'm not on such a time crunch, and besides, at this point I've taken a handful of night boats/flights/bus rides and you don't really sleep so well on those, so a day trip sounded kind of nice. I got to see the beautiful countryside once you get out of Bangkok. So it was good thing I slept most of the morning and missed the missable sights, and was awake for the beautiful countryside and jungle sites. At some points in the trip, I really did pass through dense jungle and over jungle rivers. Very cool. I really like train trips.
I got settled into a guesthouse around 10pm and then got some dinner. Afterwards, I walked over to a bar where the band was playing Bob Marley songs. Would you be surprised if I told you the name of the bar is 'Roots Rock Reggae' and on the wall behind the band is painted 'Chiang Maica'. Pretty nice vibe there.
Today was for exploring, and just walking around Chiang Mai. I will only be here on this part of the trip for a day because tomorrow I head up to the far I'll be WWOOFing on. After 2 weeks there I'll be back to hangout and take in some more of Chiang Mai. But today, I really just went where I felt like and got my feet wet.
Right off the bat I like Chiang Mai a lot, and definitely a lot more than Bangkok! Petey told me that Chiang Mai has a Boulder, CO feel, and if ever there is a place to give you this feeling- it is a little restaurant called the Free Bird Cafe. The Free Bird Cafe supports the Thai Freedom House which is a language and arts community center for Hill Tribe people and Burmese Refugees. http://www.thaifreedomhouse.org/ if you're interested in their work. There is a second-hand clothing shop, or 'previously loved' as it is labeled, and they also sell locally made soaps and lotions, as well as beautiful handmade cards by the children of the freedom house. The restaraunt serves tasty juices and smoothies, great food and choices of western breakfast or thai food, and coffee from the surrounding hillside. Very Boulder indeed. I bought some cards and orange shower gel, which I'm sure is bound to smell better than the strange soap I bought in the 7-11 with a picture of a parrot on the wrapper.
My first real goal of the day was to get in touch with Alea, the Thai gentleman who runs the farm. I'd been having an interesting time getting in touch with the guy who is the WWOOF contact and so I next turned to getting in touch with the actual farm. While I was having breakfast I was able to reach Alea on the farm, and hooray- I can arrive tomorrow!. He says it will be easy, I think otherwise. The directions sound ridiculous, but I have a cell phone, so I'm not worried!
Then, I wanted to check out the Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Association (CMRCA) and see what they were all about. Being a climber, I was very eager to connect with other climbers because when you're with climbers, you're suddenly at home. I was also just really eager to do a little climbing in my short time in Chiang Mai, and they have a nice bouldering wall at their shop. So, set on finding my own way their- not hiring a tuk tuk driver- only using my guidebook maps, I head out. After 15 minutes of walking, I found it! One reason I immediately liked Chiang Mai so much is that's it's pretty easy to navigate, and it's not su bustling. In Bangkok, as soon as you whip out a map or a guidebook, you are swarmed with tuk tuk drivers asking you if you need a tuk tuk, and the noise of the city makes it so hard to concentrate you can hardly figure out which was is North.
I chatted with the folks there and asked about their trips to Crazy Horse Buttress, a beautiful climbing area about 45 minutes East of the city. When I get back to Chiang Mai after my farm time, I will certainly be signing up to climbing with them to Crazy Horse. From what I've read, seen, and heard of the area it just sounds awesome. And the people at CMRCA are so friendly, one guy even wrote down some words in Thai for me to show the bus drivers where I need to go to get to the farm! It was nice to do a little bouldering and work those muslces. My climbing has been kind of on and off on this trip but that's ok. I also made some friends in the process, and afterwards we went out to dinner and had some fantastic Mango Curry. Food up here is definitely delicious.
Alongside these two events, a great portion of the day was spent in the bookshops. Chiang Mai has a good reputation for used bookshops which was really exciting to hear. Pretty good selection for really cheap prices. I think I stopped in 3 or 4 bookshops today! I was looking for another book to take along to the farm. I'm almost done with the hobbit, so I'll need something else! I picked up a big fat novel called 'East of the Sun' which should be good. It's long so it will last me a while!
But the day has been wonderful. A little rain in the morning, a little in the evening and some good times in between. It was really nice to have a few goals for the day and accomplish them. Get in touch with the farm- check. Find climbing gym and climb if possible- check. Go to a bookstore for another book- check. Plus the added bonus of making friends and sharing a meal makes for a great day.
I'm really excited to spend some real time here. It's definitely my pace.
I will be out of touch for the two weeks I'm on the farm I'm pretty sure, so I'll have lots to share when I return!
So, let me try to recreate.
I took the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in typical Gina fashion. I did not have a ticket upon arriving at the station. All those trips from Chicago to Milwaukee and vice versa on the Hiawatha when I would arrive just in the nick of time has given me a false sense of security. But unlike Gina fashion, I arrived very early for this train- about 2 hours early! I would have bought a ticket the evening before through my guesthouse, but I got home too late from my excursions. I was at the Siam Discovery Museum and I got back to my guesthouse too late. The Siam Discovery Museum is actually very cool. It's all about what it means to be Thai, Thai culture past and present, and the evolution of their people, country, and culture. I like museums, and growing up at the Field, I'll always have a soft spot for places like this.
But, the train worked out fine- I was taking a day train to Chiang Mai in the middle of the week, so I was reassured by the lady at my guesthouse that I would be fine. Thais don't want to take the 12 hour trip in the middle of the week because it will take away their workday, and most people want to take the night train so they don't loose a whole day of traveling. I'm not on such a time crunch, and besides, at this point I've taken a handful of night boats/flights/bus rides and you don't really sleep so well on those, so a day trip sounded kind of nice. I got to see the beautiful countryside once you get out of Bangkok. So it was good thing I slept most of the morning and missed the missable sights, and was awake for the beautiful countryside and jungle sites. At some points in the trip, I really did pass through dense jungle and over jungle rivers. Very cool. I really like train trips.
I got settled into a guesthouse around 10pm and then got some dinner. Afterwards, I walked over to a bar where the band was playing Bob Marley songs. Would you be surprised if I told you the name of the bar is 'Roots Rock Reggae' and on the wall behind the band is painted 'Chiang Maica'. Pretty nice vibe there.
Today was for exploring, and just walking around Chiang Mai. I will only be here on this part of the trip for a day because tomorrow I head up to the far I'll be WWOOFing on. After 2 weeks there I'll be back to hangout and take in some more of Chiang Mai. But today, I really just went where I felt like and got my feet wet.
Right off the bat I like Chiang Mai a lot, and definitely a lot more than Bangkok! Petey told me that Chiang Mai has a Boulder, CO feel, and if ever there is a place to give you this feeling- it is a little restaurant called the Free Bird Cafe. The Free Bird Cafe supports the Thai Freedom House which is a language and arts community center for Hill Tribe people and Burmese Refugees. http://www.thaifreedomhouse.org/ if you're interested in their work. There is a second-hand clothing shop, or 'previously loved' as it is labeled, and they also sell locally made soaps and lotions, as well as beautiful handmade cards by the children of the freedom house. The restaraunt serves tasty juices and smoothies, great food and choices of western breakfast or thai food, and coffee from the surrounding hillside. Very Boulder indeed. I bought some cards and orange shower gel, which I'm sure is bound to smell better than the strange soap I bought in the 7-11 with a picture of a parrot on the wrapper.
My first real goal of the day was to get in touch with Alea, the Thai gentleman who runs the farm. I'd been having an interesting time getting in touch with the guy who is the WWOOF contact and so I next turned to getting in touch with the actual farm. While I was having breakfast I was able to reach Alea on the farm, and hooray- I can arrive tomorrow!. He says it will be easy, I think otherwise. The directions sound ridiculous, but I have a cell phone, so I'm not worried!
Then, I wanted to check out the Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Association (CMRCA) and see what they were all about. Being a climber, I was very eager to connect with other climbers because when you're with climbers, you're suddenly at home. I was also just really eager to do a little climbing in my short time in Chiang Mai, and they have a nice bouldering wall at their shop. So, set on finding my own way their- not hiring a tuk tuk driver- only using my guidebook maps, I head out. After 15 minutes of walking, I found it! One reason I immediately liked Chiang Mai so much is that's it's pretty easy to navigate, and it's not su bustling. In Bangkok, as soon as you whip out a map or a guidebook, you are swarmed with tuk tuk drivers asking you if you need a tuk tuk, and the noise of the city makes it so hard to concentrate you can hardly figure out which was is North.
I chatted with the folks there and asked about their trips to Crazy Horse Buttress, a beautiful climbing area about 45 minutes East of the city. When I get back to Chiang Mai after my farm time, I will certainly be signing up to climbing with them to Crazy Horse. From what I've read, seen, and heard of the area it just sounds awesome. And the people at CMRCA are so friendly, one guy even wrote down some words in Thai for me to show the bus drivers where I need to go to get to the farm! It was nice to do a little bouldering and work those muslces. My climbing has been kind of on and off on this trip but that's ok. I also made some friends in the process, and afterwards we went out to dinner and had some fantastic Mango Curry. Food up here is definitely delicious.
Alongside these two events, a great portion of the day was spent in the bookshops. Chiang Mai has a good reputation for used bookshops which was really exciting to hear. Pretty good selection for really cheap prices. I think I stopped in 3 or 4 bookshops today! I was looking for another book to take along to the farm. I'm almost done with the hobbit, so I'll need something else! I picked up a big fat novel called 'East of the Sun' which should be good. It's long so it will last me a while!
But the day has been wonderful. A little rain in the morning, a little in the evening and some good times in between. It was really nice to have a few goals for the day and accomplish them. Get in touch with the farm- check. Find climbing gym and climb if possible- check. Go to a bookstore for another book- check. Plus the added bonus of making friends and sharing a meal makes for a great day.
I'm really excited to spend some real time here. It's definitely my pace.
I will be out of touch for the two weeks I'm on the farm I'm pretty sure, so I'll have lots to share when I return!
Monday, September 13, 2010
new picture!
This picture was taken on our ride back to town in Siem Reap, Cambodia. We had had a long day of riding our bikes to various ruins of Angkor Wat. It was really fun to ride bikes. We stopped to drink some water and take in the views of this rice paddy.
Bangkok 2
I've been in Bangkok for about 5 days now and I hate to say it, but it hasn't been the most enjoyable part of the journey. Mainly because for the past few days I've been feeling so terribly sick. But, a doctors trip and blood test proved Malaria is negative so that is good. I've already been feeling better today, but yesterday was awful.
So let's see, the things I have done while I've been in Bangkok. Saw more temples.
Me and Pete went to Wat Pho which the home of the reclining buddha and the birthplace of Thai massage. There is a school for thai massage there. We really enjoyed it there. I felt very calm and at ease sitting there in front of a large golden Buddha in one of the temples. It was quiet, and not too many visitors. At one point a school group of about 45 kids probably around 8 years old filed in a put their hands together and bent down to the floor three times, and is typical prayer fashion. I was able to think and reflect on what we had done, and what was ahead for me there, I really liked that.
Then we walked over to a different temple building that houses the famous reclining Buddha that is representative of the Buddha entering Nirvana. Very cool, even though it is very busy, it's still a sight to see.
Then it was time for me to receive a phone call from my friend Tar at AYC on the status of when my paperwork would be ready to take on a border trip to apply for a new visa- I was in luck- it will be ready on Tuesday, September 14th so that I can make my next trip to Chiang Mai, spend a few weeks there touring and working on the farm I'd planned to work on and then from there take a trip to Laos to spend a few days for the visa. If all goes well this is the plan.
At that point though, around 5pm when we were sitting at the edge of the temple complex, the clock was nearly striking midnight and me and Pete's adventures in Thailand together would come to a close. His flight was due to leave at 11pm that night, so we only had time for one more meal together and a few beers at my guesthouse.
Then, as quick as it all started, his taxi came and he was off to the airport. I was alone in Bangkok, oh my goodness. Of course I cried, I didn't know what else to do! But after a while, I was alright. I knew this time was going to come, so I was a little prepared for it.
Since then, I have done some adventuring by myself until I was too sick to manage wandering around. So the next day I walked around to some other temples and took in the sights. It was the Queen's Birthday, so there were garlands everywhere and many people at the temples. Then I ventured to Khao San Road, which is a pretty famous backpacker stop and home to a very lively night market. The street is closed off to traffic, only pedestrians- and everyone is out and about. Music is blaring from the bars and restaurants, all sorts of vendors are out selling everything from fruit shakes to sneakers, and it can be a bit overwhelming. I did a little research though, and found out there are some bookstores on Khao San Road, amidst the chaos. I was desperately looking for a fiction book to keep me busy. I really enjoy my book about getting kids into nature and how important nature is for our development and sanity- but it's just not cutting it right now!
So of course I spent my time in the little book stalls. I found a paperback version of the hobbit for a few bucks and I was sold. Me and Peter had just been talking about that book, so I figured I had to get it. And I'm enjoying it thoroughly so far!
The next day I took the express boat down to the Grand Palace where the Jade Buddha sits. The Grand Palace is home to many museums and collections, as well as private buildings that are for government use only. I think at one point the King used to live within the Grand Palace complex, but now he lives more north of the Grand Palace. The parts that are open to the public are the temple with the Emerald Buddha (which is actually Jade, but the legend goes that when it was first discovered it was thought to be Emerald), the large gold chedi, and the extensive murals of the Ramayana. There are other smaller temples within the complex, such as a royal masoleum, but many of these temples are not open to walk through. That was a little disappointing. The Jade Buddha is smaller than most buddha statues and smaller than you might expect, but it is still rather impressive. The temple sees a lot of traffic, so it wasn't as quiet as other temples, but it is known as one of the holiest places in Bangkok. I sat for quite a while just to be still and think, and that was nice.
It's amazing that in such a frenetic city, great solitude and quiet can be found inside the temple walls. Even in the busiest parts of town, once you step into a temple, the noise and chaos seems to melt away. It's so comforting to have that kind of quiet of mind and spirit. Because no matter where else you are in Bangkok, there is always a lot of noise and people everywhere.
That pretty much brings me up to date. I was going to go to the popular Chatuchak or "JJ" market on Sunday because it's only a weekend market, but that's when my troubles began. I had just made a friend, a French woman, and we planned to make our way there together, and then the next morning I had to back out. I was pretty bummed.
But tomorrow I meet with Tar at AYC again and hopefully collect my papers for my visa. Then we'll see what the afternoon brings, if I feel like getting out and about much. Then I leave Wednesday morning for Chiang Mai via train.
So let's see, the things I have done while I've been in Bangkok. Saw more temples.
Me and Pete went to Wat Pho which the home of the reclining buddha and the birthplace of Thai massage. There is a school for thai massage there. We really enjoyed it there. I felt very calm and at ease sitting there in front of a large golden Buddha in one of the temples. It was quiet, and not too many visitors. At one point a school group of about 45 kids probably around 8 years old filed in a put their hands together and bent down to the floor three times, and is typical prayer fashion. I was able to think and reflect on what we had done, and what was ahead for me there, I really liked that.
Then we walked over to a different temple building that houses the famous reclining Buddha that is representative of the Buddha entering Nirvana. Very cool, even though it is very busy, it's still a sight to see.
Then it was time for me to receive a phone call from my friend Tar at AYC on the status of when my paperwork would be ready to take on a border trip to apply for a new visa- I was in luck- it will be ready on Tuesday, September 14th so that I can make my next trip to Chiang Mai, spend a few weeks there touring and working on the farm I'd planned to work on and then from there take a trip to Laos to spend a few days for the visa. If all goes well this is the plan.
At that point though, around 5pm when we were sitting at the edge of the temple complex, the clock was nearly striking midnight and me and Pete's adventures in Thailand together would come to a close. His flight was due to leave at 11pm that night, so we only had time for one more meal together and a few beers at my guesthouse.
Then, as quick as it all started, his taxi came and he was off to the airport. I was alone in Bangkok, oh my goodness. Of course I cried, I didn't know what else to do! But after a while, I was alright. I knew this time was going to come, so I was a little prepared for it.
Since then, I have done some adventuring by myself until I was too sick to manage wandering around. So the next day I walked around to some other temples and took in the sights. It was the Queen's Birthday, so there were garlands everywhere and many people at the temples. Then I ventured to Khao San Road, which is a pretty famous backpacker stop and home to a very lively night market. The street is closed off to traffic, only pedestrians- and everyone is out and about. Music is blaring from the bars and restaurants, all sorts of vendors are out selling everything from fruit shakes to sneakers, and it can be a bit overwhelming. I did a little research though, and found out there are some bookstores on Khao San Road, amidst the chaos. I was desperately looking for a fiction book to keep me busy. I really enjoy my book about getting kids into nature and how important nature is for our development and sanity- but it's just not cutting it right now!
So of course I spent my time in the little book stalls. I found a paperback version of the hobbit for a few bucks and I was sold. Me and Peter had just been talking about that book, so I figured I had to get it. And I'm enjoying it thoroughly so far!
The next day I took the express boat down to the Grand Palace where the Jade Buddha sits. The Grand Palace is home to many museums and collections, as well as private buildings that are for government use only. I think at one point the King used to live within the Grand Palace complex, but now he lives more north of the Grand Palace. The parts that are open to the public are the temple with the Emerald Buddha (which is actually Jade, but the legend goes that when it was first discovered it was thought to be Emerald), the large gold chedi, and the extensive murals of the Ramayana. There are other smaller temples within the complex, such as a royal masoleum, but many of these temples are not open to walk through. That was a little disappointing. The Jade Buddha is smaller than most buddha statues and smaller than you might expect, but it is still rather impressive. The temple sees a lot of traffic, so it wasn't as quiet as other temples, but it is known as one of the holiest places in Bangkok. I sat for quite a while just to be still and think, and that was nice.
It's amazing that in such a frenetic city, great solitude and quiet can be found inside the temple walls. Even in the busiest parts of town, once you step into a temple, the noise and chaos seems to melt away. It's so comforting to have that kind of quiet of mind and spirit. Because no matter where else you are in Bangkok, there is always a lot of noise and people everywhere.
That pretty much brings me up to date. I was going to go to the popular Chatuchak or "JJ" market on Sunday because it's only a weekend market, but that's when my troubles began. I had just made a friend, a French woman, and we planned to make our way there together, and then the next morning I had to back out. I was pretty bummed.
But tomorrow I meet with Tar at AYC again and hopefully collect my papers for my visa. Then we'll see what the afternoon brings, if I feel like getting out and about much. Then I leave Wednesday morning for Chiang Mai via train.
Bangkok Furious
**This is a really long post! Get a snack and a beverage before you sit down to read it.
After Peter and I left Tonsai beach, we took a long night bus ride from Krabi to Bangkok. We arrived in Bangkok at 5:30 in the morning and then finally made it to a guesthouse at 7:30. We crashed immediately and took good power naps. Then, it was off to the AYC office to meet with Tar- my new friend who I've exchanged nearly 50 emails with since May. AYC is the name of the organization I am teaching English with. It was really nice to put a name to a face and thank her personally for all the hardwork and time she has dedicated to me.
But first, a little story.
I was riding home from a frisbee tournament with a few folks, one of them being my former roommate and good frisbee gal pal Beth Tau. The carload of us somehow got on the subject of those silly "Tokyo Drift" movies. We knew there was a series of them, but we couldn't remember all their names, so we began brainstorming. I shouted out Bangkok Fury, and we all laughed our butts off because it really was not one of the titles of the movies, but it sure as heck could have been.
And now, in Bangkok, the title could not be more fitting for the way this city moves. Bangkok, furious.
The tuk tuk drivers are capable of handling their 3 wheel vehicles like the cart on the American Eagle rollercoaster ride at Six Flags. Sharp turns that leave you grabbing onto your Jesus handles and clutching your partner in this flight for life. Lights flashing, horns blaring, cigarettes hanging out of the side of their mouth, it can be insane. But, this particular ride was simply a tourist gimmick. Pete and I were leaving from the Night Bazaar (which was really cool and had some great shopping) and heading to a bar and we were haggling with a few tuk tuk drivers. The one that won gave us the ride of our lives. Tuk tuks can get you somewhere quickly, but it's not always such a white knuckle experience.
Bangkok is the definition of a city that never sleeps. Cars, tuk tuks, motorbikes, big buses and songthaews always fill the 6 lanes of city streets. Street food vendors fill the sidewalks until all hours of the night and there are always people out and about. In some parts of town, there can be three levels of traffic- the street, a highway, and another highway above that.
I'm not writing this post after I've been here a few days, and the initial shock has worn off. But, for more clarity, I'd like to add my journal entry that I wrote at the end of our first real day in Bangkok- the day we arrived in Bangkok at 5:30 in the morning.
September 8, 2010 Wednesday
Actually Sept 9, Writing late again-
BANGKOK FURIOUS.
Holy hell what a day. 20 hours ago we arrived in Bangkok. I can't even find the words to capture this day's events succinctly, but maybe a timeline will help. This day was so packed, and Bangkok is furiouysly busy. There were moments of such ridiculous farnang (westerner)/thai culture clash that pure laughter ensued, awe at the sights and sounds, and near panic over the fact that soon I am left to my own devices without my traveling buddy petey. Then, the moments of clarity that come after understanding that by operating on the 'one piece of the puzzle at a time' principle, everything will be fine, albeit with some confusion and anxiety.
Petey told me a good metaphor for this next chapter to come:
"I have to eat this entire elephant. How on earth will I eat this entire elephant?
One bite at a time".
Wise words pete, thanks. I'll try to think big picture and live in the moment at the same time.
So here's a timeline of today, September 8, 2010
5:30am- arrive bangkok off bus from krabi (about 12 hours)
6:45am- arrive at Ban Dakkoon, our guesthouse and wait 45 minutes for manager to show up
7:30am- manager arrives, gives super sweet coffee and gives a room key
7:45am- settle in. proceed to journal and read and cry quietly thinking pete won't notice. i'm overtired and anxious about his leaving.
8:30am- pass out for power naps
10:30am- wake up feeling groggy. it's very sunny out right now.
12:00pm- get directions from manager and proceed to walk the 1kilometer to the AYC building (the organization I'm teaching with)
12:50pm-enter AYC building and hop onto elevator. A woman turns and says to me- "I think we've been exchanging messages!" Oh my goodness- it's Tar! My contact with AYC I've had since May! Unreal.
1:00pm- after sweating profusley, get water and proceed to a conference room. The AYC office is very official and everyone is very welcoming.
1pm-2:30pm- Fill out AYC application form, meet with Tar, ask questions. Realize NON B paperwork is still in the works (not really what I planned when I was heading into the office- I thought they would all be ready for me to pick up! not so fast.)
Begin to panic a little bit. Drink water to steady myself. Take deep breaths.
Tar is very calm and broaches this subject as if it all very usual...for things to be so undecided when I'm supposed begin teaching a little less that 2 months. I'm relieved by her demeanor and reassurance.
3:00pm-Walk away from AYC feeling really hungry. We stopped at a sidewalk eatery. Chicken and rice, soup and coke. Good lunch. Look out at the woman who is sweeping the sidewalk to brush the leaves into the street and thinking about how fruitless this task can be at times...on such a busy street all those leaves and debris are bound to wind up back on the sidewalk further down the road...
3:30pm- Head to the "Big C" Supermarket to purchase a cell phone as per Tar's suggestion. Purchased a nice little black Samsung and Sim Card. All this through hand signals, gestures, and numbering signs. The department store employees didn't speak much English. A "Big C" is a chain of department stores- similar to a super Target. You can get anything there! I made some test phone calls, and just like that- Gina is connected! So I'm starting to feel a little better about things. Being connected is a good feeling.
* Because Pete and I didn't fully understand how the phone works or if I could call internationally, I recently found more out. So you can purchase more time on your cell phone at any convenience shop or 7-11. You can purchase minutes for your cell phone at a 7-11 but you can't get a decent slurpee at a Thai 7-11. Outrageous. Anyways- I can make international calls, but it simply drains my account really quickly. It's not expensive to buy minutes, and you can buy in a variety of increments: 60 baht, 100 baht, 200 baht (~2 USD, ~3 USD, ~5 USD) whatever you'd like really.
We walked around the mall and purchased some more things, lost each other at bathrooms, but rejoined at the "Black Canyon Coffee" and had celebratory cappucinos. Not bad. Laughed hysterically at the fact that my new phone can receive 'fake calls' if you're on a date or in a metting that you really want to get out of!
6:00pm- Make it back to our residence- the Ban Dakkoon and brainstorm evening plans. Settle on the Suam Luam Nigh Bazaar nearLumphini Park and hopefully some drinks at a rooftop bar.
7:45ish- Arrive at the Banyan Tree Hotel (super swanky hotel and restaurant) where the rooftop bar is only to find we were not dressed to code! Of course. Dirtbag travellers.
8:30 or so- Reach the night market and puruse the many food stalls. Decide on some sea food and Chang beer. Listen to and watch live Thai pop music complete with cheerleader type dance performance.
9:00-Lychee smoothie in hand we venture into the stalls of the night bazaar. Inside are many vendors selling all sorts of things. Clothes, jewelry, touristy stuff, wood carvings, furniture, loads of t-shirts, purses, pillows...you name it. We purchased some gifts and all in all ended up spending nearly and hour and a half in the bazaar.
10:30- Venture back to the streets- Head home or go back to plan A of having drinks on some rooftop bar?
Aggressive tuk tuk driver manages to get into his crazy light show tuk tuk for a silly inflated price and we experience a BANGKOK TUK TUK RIDE complete with light show and ridiculous BANGKOK FURY type driving. It was a roller coaster ride for sure.
We made it to Lebua Hotel where the 'Sky Bar' and 'Distil' are located where we proceed to run into a couple we met while scuba diving in Ko Pha Ngan. Unbelievable. How you manage to meet up with someone you met on an island when you're in BAngkok is pure luck. Bangkok is huge.
Realize again we are underdressed, but we do meet the standard for some other bar they have in the hotel tower. The drinks were expensive, but the pillows, music and atmosphere were nice. It felt like we weren't really in Bangkok at that point. It was a nice last night for me and Pete.
Taxi ride home- around midnight- The drivers outside the hotel say 'Ban Dak Koon' over and over again, as if it's something really funny, or a silly phrase. We didn't get it. "Why you stay so far away?!" They pass my brochure with the map on it amongst one another and turn it this way and that, trying to figure out where it is. Finally a cabbie surfaces who "knows all of Bangkok!" and he tells us that 'Dak Koon" means the treet of the flower- the flower that is used in all the garlands for holidays and festivals. And 'Ban' means guesthouse or residence. Ahhh, it all makes sense now. When we pulled up to our place he saw one of these trees outside of our place, and he jumped out of his taxi, bolted over to the tree, and started jumping up and down to point out the flower! He was so excited to have found the dak koon I guess!
So, it's amazing to think this was all one day. We came back, packed up, and finally, finally we get to bed for some solid sleep.
After Peter and I left Tonsai beach, we took a long night bus ride from Krabi to Bangkok. We arrived in Bangkok at 5:30 in the morning and then finally made it to a guesthouse at 7:30. We crashed immediately and took good power naps. Then, it was off to the AYC office to meet with Tar- my new friend who I've exchanged nearly 50 emails with since May. AYC is the name of the organization I am teaching English with. It was really nice to put a name to a face and thank her personally for all the hardwork and time she has dedicated to me.
But first, a little story.
I was riding home from a frisbee tournament with a few folks, one of them being my former roommate and good frisbee gal pal Beth Tau. The carload of us somehow got on the subject of those silly "Tokyo Drift" movies. We knew there was a series of them, but we couldn't remember all their names, so we began brainstorming. I shouted out Bangkok Fury, and we all laughed our butts off because it really was not one of the titles of the movies, but it sure as heck could have been.
And now, in Bangkok, the title could not be more fitting for the way this city moves. Bangkok, furious.
The tuk tuk drivers are capable of handling their 3 wheel vehicles like the cart on the American Eagle rollercoaster ride at Six Flags. Sharp turns that leave you grabbing onto your Jesus handles and clutching your partner in this flight for life. Lights flashing, horns blaring, cigarettes hanging out of the side of their mouth, it can be insane. But, this particular ride was simply a tourist gimmick. Pete and I were leaving from the Night Bazaar (which was really cool and had some great shopping) and heading to a bar and we were haggling with a few tuk tuk drivers. The one that won gave us the ride of our lives. Tuk tuks can get you somewhere quickly, but it's not always such a white knuckle experience.
Bangkok is the definition of a city that never sleeps. Cars, tuk tuks, motorbikes, big buses and songthaews always fill the 6 lanes of city streets. Street food vendors fill the sidewalks until all hours of the night and there are always people out and about. In some parts of town, there can be three levels of traffic- the street, a highway, and another highway above that.
I'm not writing this post after I've been here a few days, and the initial shock has worn off. But, for more clarity, I'd like to add my journal entry that I wrote at the end of our first real day in Bangkok- the day we arrived in Bangkok at 5:30 in the morning.
September 8, 2010 Wednesday
Actually Sept 9, Writing late again-
BANGKOK FURIOUS.
Holy hell what a day. 20 hours ago we arrived in Bangkok. I can't even find the words to capture this day's events succinctly, but maybe a timeline will help. This day was so packed, and Bangkok is furiouysly busy. There were moments of such ridiculous farnang (westerner)/thai culture clash that pure laughter ensued, awe at the sights and sounds, and near panic over the fact that soon I am left to my own devices without my traveling buddy petey. Then, the moments of clarity that come after understanding that by operating on the 'one piece of the puzzle at a time' principle, everything will be fine, albeit with some confusion and anxiety.
Petey told me a good metaphor for this next chapter to come:
"I have to eat this entire elephant. How on earth will I eat this entire elephant?
One bite at a time".
Wise words pete, thanks. I'll try to think big picture and live in the moment at the same time.
So here's a timeline of today, September 8, 2010
5:30am- arrive bangkok off bus from krabi (about 12 hours)
6:45am- arrive at Ban Dakkoon, our guesthouse and wait 45 minutes for manager to show up
7:30am- manager arrives, gives super sweet coffee and gives a room key
7:45am- settle in. proceed to journal and read and cry quietly thinking pete won't notice. i'm overtired and anxious about his leaving.
8:30am- pass out for power naps
10:30am- wake up feeling groggy. it's very sunny out right now.
12:00pm- get directions from manager and proceed to walk the 1kilometer to the AYC building (the organization I'm teaching with)
12:50pm-enter AYC building and hop onto elevator. A woman turns and says to me- "I think we've been exchanging messages!" Oh my goodness- it's Tar! My contact with AYC I've had since May! Unreal.
1:00pm- after sweating profusley, get water and proceed to a conference room. The AYC office is very official and everyone is very welcoming.
1pm-2:30pm- Fill out AYC application form, meet with Tar, ask questions. Realize NON B paperwork is still in the works (not really what I planned when I was heading into the office- I thought they would all be ready for me to pick up! not so fast.)
Begin to panic a little bit. Drink water to steady myself. Take deep breaths.
Tar is very calm and broaches this subject as if it all very usual...for things to be so undecided when I'm supposed begin teaching a little less that 2 months. I'm relieved by her demeanor and reassurance.
3:00pm-Walk away from AYC feeling really hungry. We stopped at a sidewalk eatery. Chicken and rice, soup and coke. Good lunch. Look out at the woman who is sweeping the sidewalk to brush the leaves into the street and thinking about how fruitless this task can be at times...on such a busy street all those leaves and debris are bound to wind up back on the sidewalk further down the road...
3:30pm- Head to the "Big C" Supermarket to purchase a cell phone as per Tar's suggestion. Purchased a nice little black Samsung and Sim Card. All this through hand signals, gestures, and numbering signs. The department store employees didn't speak much English. A "Big C" is a chain of department stores- similar to a super Target. You can get anything there! I made some test phone calls, and just like that- Gina is connected! So I'm starting to feel a little better about things. Being connected is a good feeling.
* Because Pete and I didn't fully understand how the phone works or if I could call internationally, I recently found more out. So you can purchase more time on your cell phone at any convenience shop or 7-11. You can purchase minutes for your cell phone at a 7-11 but you can't get a decent slurpee at a Thai 7-11. Outrageous. Anyways- I can make international calls, but it simply drains my account really quickly. It's not expensive to buy minutes, and you can buy in a variety of increments: 60 baht, 100 baht, 200 baht (~2 USD, ~3 USD, ~5 USD) whatever you'd like really.
We walked around the mall and purchased some more things, lost each other at bathrooms, but rejoined at the "Black Canyon Coffee" and had celebratory cappucinos. Not bad. Laughed hysterically at the fact that my new phone can receive 'fake calls' if you're on a date or in a metting that you really want to get out of!
6:00pm- Make it back to our residence- the Ban Dakkoon and brainstorm evening plans. Settle on the Suam Luam Nigh Bazaar nearLumphini Park and hopefully some drinks at a rooftop bar.
7:45ish- Arrive at the Banyan Tree Hotel (super swanky hotel and restaurant) where the rooftop bar is only to find we were not dressed to code! Of course. Dirtbag travellers.
8:30 or so- Reach the night market and puruse the many food stalls. Decide on some sea food and Chang beer. Listen to and watch live Thai pop music complete with cheerleader type dance performance.
9:00-Lychee smoothie in hand we venture into the stalls of the night bazaar. Inside are many vendors selling all sorts of things. Clothes, jewelry, touristy stuff, wood carvings, furniture, loads of t-shirts, purses, pillows...you name it. We purchased some gifts and all in all ended up spending nearly and hour and a half in the bazaar.
10:30- Venture back to the streets- Head home or go back to plan A of having drinks on some rooftop bar?
Aggressive tuk tuk driver manages to get into his crazy light show tuk tuk for a silly inflated price and we experience a BANGKOK TUK TUK RIDE complete with light show and ridiculous BANGKOK FURY type driving. It was a roller coaster ride for sure.
We made it to Lebua Hotel where the 'Sky Bar' and 'Distil' are located where we proceed to run into a couple we met while scuba diving in Ko Pha Ngan. Unbelievable. How you manage to meet up with someone you met on an island when you're in BAngkok is pure luck. Bangkok is huge.
Realize again we are underdressed, but we do meet the standard for some other bar they have in the hotel tower. The drinks were expensive, but the pillows, music and atmosphere were nice. It felt like we weren't really in Bangkok at that point. It was a nice last night for me and Pete.
Taxi ride home- around midnight- The drivers outside the hotel say 'Ban Dak Koon' over and over again, as if it's something really funny, or a silly phrase. We didn't get it. "Why you stay so far away?!" They pass my brochure with the map on it amongst one another and turn it this way and that, trying to figure out where it is. Finally a cabbie surfaces who "knows all of Bangkok!" and he tells us that 'Dak Koon" means the treet of the flower- the flower that is used in all the garlands for holidays and festivals. And 'Ban' means guesthouse or residence. Ahhh, it all makes sense now. When we pulled up to our place he saw one of these trees outside of our place, and he jumped out of his taxi, bolted over to the tree, and started jumping up and down to point out the flower! He was so excited to have found the dak koon I guess!
So, it's amazing to think this was all one day. We came back, packed up, and finally, finally we get to bed for some solid sleep.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
pictures!
finally! here ya go!
http://picasaweb.google.com/117827828594236536464/HowISpentMySummerVacation#
http://picasaweb.google.com/117827828594236536464/HowISpentMySummerVacation#
Friday, September 10, 2010
Ko Tao - Suratthani - Krabi - Ao Nang Pier - Tonsai
Holy Cow it took a while to get to Tonsai beach from Ko Tao. But it is traveling from an island in the Gulf of Thailand to a beach on the other side of the country on the Andaman Sea.
So I'm writing ex post facto about my time on Tonsai beach because now I'm on Bangkok and I've been here for a few days already! Sorry for the delay. There isn't much in the way of internet cafes on Tonsai Beach. It is removed from a lot of things ( I think they only recently got a few atms) and you can only get there by boat.
Well, for those of you who climb on rocks- Tonsai Beach, East and West Railay is really just as amazing as those pictures you've seen of dripping limestones over a beautiful beach and ocean in climbing magazine and rock & ice. Unbelievable. Sadly, we got rained out a lot, but it didn't prevent us from climbing completly. The climbing is so unreal there, it's hard to describe. You will see my pictures. But, in a few words, the rock is: friction, the inside of a cave on the outside, hard, tall, slings, threads, beautiful. Pete and I were both a little bummed we weren't in better shape because the amount of easy climbs are limited and the number of hard routes and cool multi-pitch routes are unlimited.
Tonsai also has a really nice and laid back atmosphere. Despite the rain, it still might be one of my favorite spots we visited. During the high season I'm sure it's totally nuts, so being there at an off time was actually kind of nice. We met some really friendly climbers which was fun...not only were we surrounded by climbers with whom we could be spazzes about the rock with, but making friends and sharing meals and beers with new people is fun. Tonsai is also the cheapest of the island spots on the Andaman side which was nice. East Railay is the runner up in cheapness, and West Railay is probably one of the most beautiful places on Earth when the weather is good. It was still beautiful, but just not as picturesque with rain clouds looming overhead. When the tide is low, you can actually walk from West Railay beach to East Railay beach by walking around an outcropping in the rock and trees. When the tide is in however, you need to follow a path that runs along the ocean, but it's slippery and steep. Lucky us forgot headlamps when were returning from East Railay to Tonsai beach. We were with some of our new friends who had walked the route several times already, but it was pretty funny that out of 4 people who have collectively had a serious number of hours in the backcountry or out on similar type excursions and none of us had a headlamp. The coconut, mango, and watermelon shakes we had that night at dinner were well earned.
And oh my...are the fruit shakes good here. Pure, blended fruit with some ice. No special vitamins, no added powders or sweeteners, no ice cream or yogurt- unless you want that kind of beverage. But a fruit shake- is really what it says it is. And it is simply devine. I order them quite often.
Our time on Tonsai was pretty short, but we really wanted to check out the world class climbing at see it for ourselves. We were really happy we came even if it was only for a few nights and some rainy days. I hope to go back there during my time in Thailand. Everything is pretty easy to get to, even if you have to take a night boat, long bus road, songthaew ride, and then wait for enouh people to fill a longtail boat. It took me a while to figure this out, but for your imformation- a songthaew is a pick up truck with benches put in the back and a cover put on top. While in America you might get a ticket for having someone just sitting in the back of your truck, here it is a regular and handy means of transportation. I've seen about 14 people filling one up if that's even believable.
I think that's all I've got for Tonsai. The pictures will describe it better than my diatribe here. As me and Peter's last real tourist destination, it was a really nice way to end our time together. That spot will always hold a special place in my heart for the friendly people we met and connected with, the friendly Thai people who live and work there, the absolutely gorgeous scenery and climbing potential, and sharing all that with my brother Pete.
So I'm writing ex post facto about my time on Tonsai beach because now I'm on Bangkok and I've been here for a few days already! Sorry for the delay. There isn't much in the way of internet cafes on Tonsai Beach. It is removed from a lot of things ( I think they only recently got a few atms) and you can only get there by boat.
Well, for those of you who climb on rocks- Tonsai Beach, East and West Railay is really just as amazing as those pictures you've seen of dripping limestones over a beautiful beach and ocean in climbing magazine and rock & ice. Unbelievable. Sadly, we got rained out a lot, but it didn't prevent us from climbing completly. The climbing is so unreal there, it's hard to describe. You will see my pictures. But, in a few words, the rock is: friction, the inside of a cave on the outside, hard, tall, slings, threads, beautiful. Pete and I were both a little bummed we weren't in better shape because the amount of easy climbs are limited and the number of hard routes and cool multi-pitch routes are unlimited.
Tonsai also has a really nice and laid back atmosphere. Despite the rain, it still might be one of my favorite spots we visited. During the high season I'm sure it's totally nuts, so being there at an off time was actually kind of nice. We met some really friendly climbers which was fun...not only were we surrounded by climbers with whom we could be spazzes about the rock with, but making friends and sharing meals and beers with new people is fun. Tonsai is also the cheapest of the island spots on the Andaman side which was nice. East Railay is the runner up in cheapness, and West Railay is probably one of the most beautiful places on Earth when the weather is good. It was still beautiful, but just not as picturesque with rain clouds looming overhead. When the tide is low, you can actually walk from West Railay beach to East Railay beach by walking around an outcropping in the rock and trees. When the tide is in however, you need to follow a path that runs along the ocean, but it's slippery and steep. Lucky us forgot headlamps when were returning from East Railay to Tonsai beach. We were with some of our new friends who had walked the route several times already, but it was pretty funny that out of 4 people who have collectively had a serious number of hours in the backcountry or out on similar type excursions and none of us had a headlamp. The coconut, mango, and watermelon shakes we had that night at dinner were well earned.
And oh my...are the fruit shakes good here. Pure, blended fruit with some ice. No special vitamins, no added powders or sweeteners, no ice cream or yogurt- unless you want that kind of beverage. But a fruit shake- is really what it says it is. And it is simply devine. I order them quite often.
Our time on Tonsai was pretty short, but we really wanted to check out the world class climbing at see it for ourselves. We were really happy we came even if it was only for a few nights and some rainy days. I hope to go back there during my time in Thailand. Everything is pretty easy to get to, even if you have to take a night boat, long bus road, songthaew ride, and then wait for enouh people to fill a longtail boat. It took me a while to figure this out, but for your imformation- a songthaew is a pick up truck with benches put in the back and a cover put on top. While in America you might get a ticket for having someone just sitting in the back of your truck, here it is a regular and handy means of transportation. I've seen about 14 people filling one up if that's even believable.
I think that's all I've got for Tonsai. The pictures will describe it better than my diatribe here. As me and Peter's last real tourist destination, it was a really nice way to end our time together. That spot will always hold a special place in my heart for the friendly people we met and connected with, the friendly Thai people who live and work there, the absolutely gorgeous scenery and climbing potential, and sharing all that with my brother Pete.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
facelift
I changed the layout of my blog obviously. I heard feedback that the white writing was a little tough to read on that background, plus I like changes. Hope that's alright.
Also, I forgot to mention in my last post- Pete and I saw The A-Team tonight at a restaurant. Many restaurants around here play movies nightly. I'm pretty sure most of them are still in theaters in the U.S. But it was pretty ridiculous to say the least. But it was nice to sit back and watch an American movie for sure. That's about as connected to the U.S. as I am right now; the A-Team.
Also, I forgot to mention in my last post- Pete and I saw The A-Team tonight at a restaurant. Many restaurants around here play movies nightly. I'm pretty sure most of them are still in theaters in the U.S. But it was pretty ridiculous to say the least. But it was nice to sit back and watch an American movie for sure. That's about as connected to the U.S. as I am right now; the A-Team.
ko pha ngan and koh tao
greetings from yet another island! i never posted while on koh pha ngan. we were too busy...living on an island i guess...
koh pha ngan is beautiful. we rented a great bunglaw from a nice family owned resort called Wang Sai Resort. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Located at the north end of the beach on Mae Haad beach, it was a short walk from the beach. our stretch of beach was really nice. Pretty much paradise. We got massages, read on the beach, played cards at the restaurant at our resort and did a good amount of relaxing in general.
We didn't just beach bum though. We rented a motorbike and drive to the national park on the island and hiked up a pretty steep trail to hike along some waterfalls. Unfortunately, the water wasn't really falling, it was more like trickling. Maybe with more rain the water will be flowing. But it was a very sweaty hike in the jungle. Then we signed up to do some diving an snorkeling. Pete is a certified scuba diver and he was itching to do some climbing.
So the next day we met up at a dive shop called Reefers. Awesome folks there- they run a nice little dive operation. Pete did a two tank dive and I just snorkelled. He went about 30 meters and saw some pretty neat stuff. I stayed near the surface and saw some pretty spectacular stuff as well. Fish of every color of the rainbow, striped and spotted fish, huge schools of little fish, baracudas, neon colored anemonies, all sorts of cool stuff.
The culture of Koh Pha Ngan is very laid back. If you are in need of some R & R, that is the place to be. As we left, the resort owners shook our hands and bid us good luck. We both got a very good vibe from the people and the flavor of Koh Pha Ngan.
Now we're on Koh Tao which is dive central! I guess this is one of the most popular places in the world to come diving. There are so many spots to go diving that are very close to the island, so divers can take their pick. Pete will do some more 'fun' dives as their called- diving for those who are certified and more experienced, and I will do a 'discover' scuba class which is for newbies to get a taste of diving. I will do some training in the pool at the resort where we are staying in the morning and then in the afternoon we'll go out on one of the dive shops boats and do a real dive! I'm a bit nervous, but I think the pool practice will be really helpful. I think that if I can climb really high stuff and not get too spooked, I can do diving.
There is also some really sweet bouldering here on the island. Tonight we checked out a big boulder field with lots of fat boulders with lots of problem possibilities. We messed around a bit but it started to get dark and we didn't have crash pads so we didn't want to push it. 'Good Times Adventures' is the only outfit that does climbing here on Koh Tao, and they are really cool and friendly. We might do some roped climbing and we'll get all our gear from them. We'll also rent crash pads from them. They offer everything from scuba to wake boarding to climbing. Pretty cool group. But it felt great to put my climbing shoes on even for a couple hours! I've been lugging them and my harness along everywhere, and now I'm actually going to use my gear!
So the vibe on this island is a bit faster paced, more younger folks carrying backpacker packs and rockin' the knock off ray-ban sunglasses. We're surrounded by more people our age which is nice, but I think I like the pace of Koh Pha Ngan a bit more. I guess we've just off the beaten path a bit more, and here we're right in the thick of it. There are lots of shops, bars, restaurants and dive shops. But, no matter where we've been on any of the islands, the beach is only steps away and I like that. After being by the ocean for a bit now I've definitely been thinking about how wonderful lakes are! I've been spoiled growing up along the worlds largest freshwater lake system, there's a reason they're called the great lakes. So, oceans are vast and amazing, but I like the humility of lakes. I could see myself living on a lake over an ocean when I grow up.
Well, more to come as adventures on Koh Tao unfold. I'm thinking about everyone back home and I've definitely had my bouts of being homesick. I love you all and I hope things are going well! For those of you going back to school or have recently started up again, best of luck in the school year and enjoy the first few weeks of classes.
I'll try to put up pictures soon, or at least make a picasa album and share the link. I'll have a really hard time fishing through all of them to find the best. I'm a Matranga so naturally I take tons and tons of pictures. I hope I can do my family name justice.
koh pha ngan is beautiful. we rented a great bunglaw from a nice family owned resort called Wang Sai Resort. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Located at the north end of the beach on Mae Haad beach, it was a short walk from the beach. our stretch of beach was really nice. Pretty much paradise. We got massages, read on the beach, played cards at the restaurant at our resort and did a good amount of relaxing in general.
We didn't just beach bum though. We rented a motorbike and drive to the national park on the island and hiked up a pretty steep trail to hike along some waterfalls. Unfortunately, the water wasn't really falling, it was more like trickling. Maybe with more rain the water will be flowing. But it was a very sweaty hike in the jungle. Then we signed up to do some diving an snorkeling. Pete is a certified scuba diver and he was itching to do some climbing.
So the next day we met up at a dive shop called Reefers. Awesome folks there- they run a nice little dive operation. Pete did a two tank dive and I just snorkelled. He went about 30 meters and saw some pretty neat stuff. I stayed near the surface and saw some pretty spectacular stuff as well. Fish of every color of the rainbow, striped and spotted fish, huge schools of little fish, baracudas, neon colored anemonies, all sorts of cool stuff.
The culture of Koh Pha Ngan is very laid back. If you are in need of some R & R, that is the place to be. As we left, the resort owners shook our hands and bid us good luck. We both got a very good vibe from the people and the flavor of Koh Pha Ngan.
Now we're on Koh Tao which is dive central! I guess this is one of the most popular places in the world to come diving. There are so many spots to go diving that are very close to the island, so divers can take their pick. Pete will do some more 'fun' dives as their called- diving for those who are certified and more experienced, and I will do a 'discover' scuba class which is for newbies to get a taste of diving. I will do some training in the pool at the resort where we are staying in the morning and then in the afternoon we'll go out on one of the dive shops boats and do a real dive! I'm a bit nervous, but I think the pool practice will be really helpful. I think that if I can climb really high stuff and not get too spooked, I can do diving.
There is also some really sweet bouldering here on the island. Tonight we checked out a big boulder field with lots of fat boulders with lots of problem possibilities. We messed around a bit but it started to get dark and we didn't have crash pads so we didn't want to push it. 'Good Times Adventures' is the only outfit that does climbing here on Koh Tao, and they are really cool and friendly. We might do some roped climbing and we'll get all our gear from them. We'll also rent crash pads from them. They offer everything from scuba to wake boarding to climbing. Pretty cool group. But it felt great to put my climbing shoes on even for a couple hours! I've been lugging them and my harness along everywhere, and now I'm actually going to use my gear!
So the vibe on this island is a bit faster paced, more younger folks carrying backpacker packs and rockin' the knock off ray-ban sunglasses. We're surrounded by more people our age which is nice, but I think I like the pace of Koh Pha Ngan a bit more. I guess we've just off the beaten path a bit more, and here we're right in the thick of it. There are lots of shops, bars, restaurants and dive shops. But, no matter where we've been on any of the islands, the beach is only steps away and I like that. After being by the ocean for a bit now I've definitely been thinking about how wonderful lakes are! I've been spoiled growing up along the worlds largest freshwater lake system, there's a reason they're called the great lakes. So, oceans are vast and amazing, but I like the humility of lakes. I could see myself living on a lake over an ocean when I grow up.
Well, more to come as adventures on Koh Tao unfold. I'm thinking about everyone back home and I've definitely had my bouts of being homesick. I love you all and I hope things are going well! For those of you going back to school or have recently started up again, best of luck in the school year and enjoy the first few weeks of classes.
I'll try to put up pictures soon, or at least make a picasa album and share the link. I'll have a really hard time fishing through all of them to find the best. I'm a Matranga so naturally I take tons and tons of pictures. I hope I can do my family name justice.
Friday, August 27, 2010
ko samui
Ahh the island life. So easy and slow. We got to Ko Samui, Thailand yesterday afternoon around 5:30pm and settled into a cheapie guesthouse right here on the ocean. We're on the northeastern side of the island, on a stretch of beach called North Chaweng. Cambodia was awe inspiring for the temples, and the islands are jaw dropping for their beauty. It's also nice to look out onto some terrain along with the ocean- Siem Reap, Cambodia is pretty flat!
So today we beach bummed. I got a little too much sun, I clearly did not apply enough SPF. Pete and I wandered the beach a little for some dinner and watched some Thai folk play some serious beach volleyball. The beach feels a little quiet compared to what I think it would be like in the high season. Right now it is the low season so the beaches and hotels aren't as crowded which is really nice. Prices are reduced which is also a plus. There are a lot more farangs here than in Cambodia- I've heard a lot of different languages while strolling in the shallow waters and laying up by our guesthouse. Just some things I'm noticin'.
I got my first Thai massage today! Quite a nice experience. Not just the typical kneading of the hands into your back, but leg lifting, back cracking and stretching mixed in with standard massage stuff. It felt great! It also feels great to pay a tenth of what something like that costs in the United States. Can't complain!
So, not a ton to report today since we mainly just relaxed and put good dents into the books we're reading. I'm reading 'Little Bee' by Chris Cleave, and Pete is reading 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy. We've both realized our books are pretty depressing but also really good. I guess reading a sad book while on an island in Thailand is better than reading it on a gloomy winter day in the Midwest. No hard feelings everyone! You know I love the Midwest.
More on island happenings to come. Tomorrow we venture to Ko Pha Ngan, the middle island in the chain here in the Gulf Of Thailand.
So today we beach bummed. I got a little too much sun, I clearly did not apply enough SPF. Pete and I wandered the beach a little for some dinner and watched some Thai folk play some serious beach volleyball. The beach feels a little quiet compared to what I think it would be like in the high season. Right now it is the low season so the beaches and hotels aren't as crowded which is really nice. Prices are reduced which is also a plus. There are a lot more farangs here than in Cambodia- I've heard a lot of different languages while strolling in the shallow waters and laying up by our guesthouse. Just some things I'm noticin'.
I got my first Thai massage today! Quite a nice experience. Not just the typical kneading of the hands into your back, but leg lifting, back cracking and stretching mixed in with standard massage stuff. It felt great! It also feels great to pay a tenth of what something like that costs in the United States. Can't complain!
So, not a ton to report today since we mainly just relaxed and put good dents into the books we're reading. I'm reading 'Little Bee' by Chris Cleave, and Pete is reading 'The Road' by Cormac McCarthy. We've both realized our books are pretty depressing but also really good. I guess reading a sad book while on an island in Thailand is better than reading it on a gloomy winter day in the Midwest. No hard feelings everyone! You know I love the Midwest.
More on island happenings to come. Tomorrow we venture to Ko Pha Ngan, the middle island in the chain here in the Gulf Of Thailand.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
last morning in cambodia
Today is our last morning in Cambodia. It has been a pretty quick tour. I've liked it though, it's been a great eye opener. The town of Siem Reap thrives on the tourist industry. I couldn't give you an exact number, but it seems like almost everyone is a tuk tuk driver, waiter at a restaurant that caters to westerners, a vendor in one of the market stalls,and also leads personalized tours of the temple ruins. Bargaining over prices is everyday standard practice here, except for a meal in a sit-down restaurant. I have to admit, I haven't eaten much "street food"yet, but maybe that's more popular in Thailand. Here, the more common street vendors I've seen sell some sort of shells in a large basket and I'm not quite sure of what they are, and corn on the cob. Very few noodle vendor carts.
Anyhow, yesterday and the day before we did some serious ruin-ing. Touring ruins can be a 9-5 job! Yesterday we rented bicycles to cruise around the ruins which was an awesome way to go. Got some exercise, went at our own pace, and got to be a part of the local commute. It can be a little scary if you're not comfortable on a bike. City traffic in the states can be scarier sometimes! Here, bikes and motorbikes outnumber cars by a lare margin. We saw more of Angkor Wat which is most famous for its four large temples with one temple in the middle symbolizing Mt. Meru, the center and creator of the universe, as well as its well preserved bas reliefs. For a long time these bas reliefs were exposed to the elements, but in the 70s and 80s preseravationists rebuilt the arches, pillars and roof that protect the carvings. The carvings depict epic battle scenes between gods and demons, Shiva, Ganesh, Vishnu, scenes from the Ramayana and countless other tales. Our favorite was "The Churning of the Sea of Milk"which depicts gods and demons pulling at the tail and head end of a serpent that churns the Sea of Milk, which produces the elixir of immortality. Ah the age old battle over immortality. Pretty timeless, even J.K. Rowlings uses that theme in her first Harry Potter novel. But I digress...
Seeing the ruins has been pretty amazing. There is just so much to take in! To get some sustenance you are able to each lunch basically on site. At every stop there are vendors selling the classic Angkor Wat t-shirts (I bought one...) and little restaurants. As soon as you enter or exit a site, you will hear a young woman call out to you "You want something to eat? You eat lunch here!" We were sold on a little girl and she walked us to her table. Her name was Bo and she was eleven years old. She asked if we rode bikes and we replied yes. I asked if she rides and bike and she said yes, everday to go to school. I took a picture with her, I'll try to post it later some time. She was very sweet.
We toured Angkor Thom yesterday along with some other smaller ruins by tuk tuk. Angkor Thom is a massive temple site, and house over a million people in its hey day. My favorite part of that temple complex was the Bayon Temple, which has hundreds of faces- gods and the image of the bodhisattvha staring at you from all directions. The expression that finds you around every turn is an ambivalent, omniscient, and omnipotent smile. Somewhat scary, somewhat genuine, but you are never away from its gaze. the symbolism behind this described in the guidebooks is that this was the ever present eye of the king-always watching everything that went on in his kingdom. Pretty neat.
Last night we made it a point to visit the night market. It is also massive. Anything you could want in terms of tourist goods. Paintings and drawings of the ruins, Khmer pants, Angkor Wat t-shirts, jewelry, handbags, and rows beyond rows of scarves. We haggled a little on some items and man is it exhausting. I make a special price for you.
We ended the night with a late dinner of Cambodian BBQ. Super tasty! It is cooked on what looks like an upside down collander except there aren't holes all the way from the bottom to the top. There are holes from the top and halfway down (sorry I didn't have my camera out last night...) and then a trough around the bottom. This contraption sits on a gas burner. The waiter then pours water from a kettle into the trough to heat up this bbq grill. The dish comes with four different meats- we went with the basics of chicken, fish, beef, and...oh my lord its escaping me now. But, you can order snake, ostrich, kangaroo and crocodile. No thanks to those options. But it was really delicious. The water turns to broth while the meat is cooked over the bbq with the addition of lettuce, noodles, carrots and some other greens. The whole dish is served with rice of course, and it was a tasty little meal.
Today we fly to Ko Samui, the southernmost island in the chain of islands in the Gulf of Thailand. We want to stop onto all of the islands- Ko Samui, then Koh Phangan, and Ko Tao. There is great diving and bouldering on and around these islands, and of course wonderful beaches. Hooray!
So goodbye Siem Reap, Cambodia and hello Southern Thailand. Last night the moon looked near full and we realized it will be a full moon while were on the islands. Oh boy.
Anyhow, yesterday and the day before we did some serious ruin-ing. Touring ruins can be a 9-5 job! Yesterday we rented bicycles to cruise around the ruins which was an awesome way to go. Got some exercise, went at our own pace, and got to be a part of the local commute. It can be a little scary if you're not comfortable on a bike. City traffic in the states can be scarier sometimes! Here, bikes and motorbikes outnumber cars by a lare margin. We saw more of Angkor Wat which is most famous for its four large temples with one temple in the middle symbolizing Mt. Meru, the center and creator of the universe, as well as its well preserved bas reliefs. For a long time these bas reliefs were exposed to the elements, but in the 70s and 80s preseravationists rebuilt the arches, pillars and roof that protect the carvings. The carvings depict epic battle scenes between gods and demons, Shiva, Ganesh, Vishnu, scenes from the Ramayana and countless other tales. Our favorite was "The Churning of the Sea of Milk"which depicts gods and demons pulling at the tail and head end of a serpent that churns the Sea of Milk, which produces the elixir of immortality. Ah the age old battle over immortality. Pretty timeless, even J.K. Rowlings uses that theme in her first Harry Potter novel. But I digress...
Seeing the ruins has been pretty amazing. There is just so much to take in! To get some sustenance you are able to each lunch basically on site. At every stop there are vendors selling the classic Angkor Wat t-shirts (I bought one...) and little restaurants. As soon as you enter or exit a site, you will hear a young woman call out to you "You want something to eat? You eat lunch here!" We were sold on a little girl and she walked us to her table. Her name was Bo and she was eleven years old. She asked if we rode bikes and we replied yes. I asked if she rides and bike and she said yes, everday to go to school. I took a picture with her, I'll try to post it later some time. She was very sweet.
We toured Angkor Thom yesterday along with some other smaller ruins by tuk tuk. Angkor Thom is a massive temple site, and house over a million people in its hey day. My favorite part of that temple complex was the Bayon Temple, which has hundreds of faces- gods and the image of the bodhisattvha staring at you from all directions. The expression that finds you around every turn is an ambivalent, omniscient, and omnipotent smile. Somewhat scary, somewhat genuine, but you are never away from its gaze. the symbolism behind this described in the guidebooks is that this was the ever present eye of the king-always watching everything that went on in his kingdom. Pretty neat.
Last night we made it a point to visit the night market. It is also massive. Anything you could want in terms of tourist goods. Paintings and drawings of the ruins, Khmer pants, Angkor Wat t-shirts, jewelry, handbags, and rows beyond rows of scarves. We haggled a little on some items and man is it exhausting. I make a special price for you.
We ended the night with a late dinner of Cambodian BBQ. Super tasty! It is cooked on what looks like an upside down collander except there aren't holes all the way from the bottom to the top. There are holes from the top and halfway down (sorry I didn't have my camera out last night...) and then a trough around the bottom. This contraption sits on a gas burner. The waiter then pours water from a kettle into the trough to heat up this bbq grill. The dish comes with four different meats- we went with the basics of chicken, fish, beef, and...oh my lord its escaping me now. But, you can order snake, ostrich, kangaroo and crocodile. No thanks to those options. But it was really delicious. The water turns to broth while the meat is cooked over the bbq with the addition of lettuce, noodles, carrots and some other greens. The whole dish is served with rice of course, and it was a tasty little meal.
Today we fly to Ko Samui, the southernmost island in the chain of islands in the Gulf of Thailand. We want to stop onto all of the islands- Ko Samui, then Koh Phangan, and Ko Tao. There is great diving and bouldering on and around these islands, and of course wonderful beaches. Hooray!
So goodbye Siem Reap, Cambodia and hello Southern Thailand. Last night the moon looked near full and we realized it will be a full moon while were on the islands. Oh boy.
Monday, August 23, 2010
three days, three planes
Hi Friends!
I'm writing from Cambodia tonight! Got into Bangkok on Sunday August 22nd, and it's now Tuesday at 7:15pm. I've been on three planes in three days to get here. Not bad! Petey and I arrived in Cambodia around 1pm today and shortly there after arrived in the Old French Quarter of Siem Reap, the main downtown area. We walked around, got some food and a 2 dollar carafe of beer (i'm missing all the delicious craft beers already! ) and stopped at a market to get some fruit. Waiting around for a Cambodian lady to ask you what you want is not the way to do it in those markets. Point at what you want and ask how much. We got some apples, pears, and what we thougth were lychees but the woman told us soemthing different. Then we took a tuk tuk ride to the ruins of Angkor Wat for ""sunset". It's pretty overcast here right now so we saw no sunset! It's actually raining at the moment- but the cool air feels nice. We only walked around the main temple Angkor Wat- for about 2 hours. The ruins are so immense, it's hard to know where to start. Pete and I just marvelled at how everything was constructed, how much time it took to engrave every detail of Shiva on every wall, to chisel the ornate decorations, to landscape everything, and how to manage when the monsoons came. My favorite part of our short trip was visiting an area off to the side of the ruins where monks currently live and study. It was very interesting to see how the past meets the present day and how presence of the ruins affects the daily lives of those who live and study there. The smell of incense was ever present, and I liked that.
Our guesthouse sits along a busy alley off of the main road in town. Some things I noticed and smiled at right away- you must leave your shoes at the front and salamanders count as roommates. We also get to watch dvds for free as every room has a dvd player! Pretty swank I know. We're pretty wiped, the jet lag might be catching up with us, so we'll have a relaxing evening in our guesthouse. Our tuk tuk driver was really trying to sell us on Traditional Cambodian dancing with a big meal, but seeing as how I was beginning to doze just on the 20 minute ride home from the ruins, we had to pass. Maybe next time friend.
I'm writing from Cambodia tonight! Got into Bangkok on Sunday August 22nd, and it's now Tuesday at 7:15pm. I've been on three planes in three days to get here. Not bad! Petey and I arrived in Cambodia around 1pm today and shortly there after arrived in the Old French Quarter of Siem Reap, the main downtown area. We walked around, got some food and a 2 dollar carafe of beer (i'm missing all the delicious craft beers already! ) and stopped at a market to get some fruit. Waiting around for a Cambodian lady to ask you what you want is not the way to do it in those markets. Point at what you want and ask how much. We got some apples, pears, and what we thougth were lychees but the woman told us soemthing different. Then we took a tuk tuk ride to the ruins of Angkor Wat for ""sunset". It's pretty overcast here right now so we saw no sunset! It's actually raining at the moment- but the cool air feels nice. We only walked around the main temple Angkor Wat- for about 2 hours. The ruins are so immense, it's hard to know where to start. Pete and I just marvelled at how everything was constructed, how much time it took to engrave every detail of Shiva on every wall, to chisel the ornate decorations, to landscape everything, and how to manage when the monsoons came. My favorite part of our short trip was visiting an area off to the side of the ruins where monks currently live and study. It was very interesting to see how the past meets the present day and how presence of the ruins affects the daily lives of those who live and study there. The smell of incense was ever present, and I liked that.
Our guesthouse sits along a busy alley off of the main road in town. Some things I noticed and smiled at right away- you must leave your shoes at the front and salamanders count as roommates. We also get to watch dvds for free as every room has a dvd player! Pretty swank I know. We're pretty wiped, the jet lag might be catching up with us, so we'll have a relaxing evening in our guesthouse. Our tuk tuk driver was really trying to sell us on Traditional Cambodian dancing with a big meal, but seeing as how I was beginning to doze just on the 20 minute ride home from the ruins, we had to pass. Maybe next time friend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)