It was a good feeling being back at the guest house after three days in the jungle. After showering, an hour relaxing with TV, and a quick look at our email accounts, we headed out to dinner with D and Ita. We opted for the Riverside, a restaurant that Jack and Kerri had been to earlier in the week, where they really enjoyed the live music (Thai band covering American/Euro hits). Jack and Kerri would be meeting us there a bit later.
The Riverside was just what we needed after three days in the jungle...Jacki, D and Ita opted for some good old Western food (baked potatoes, burgers and garlic bread). I went with Indian curry, which was okay, however I was really eyeing up the burgers. McDonald's and Burger King aside, a burger is a risky proposition in this part of the world, but D and Ita went for it, and they looked delicious...and hence our Irish friends were very pleased.
Although we sat upstairs, the band was played over the speakers (they were downstairs), and they were really good! Jack and Kerri showed up eventually, as did Thai Jack (our trek guide), so we had a few and hit the bar for some music. The Thais definitely dig their cover bands, cause this place was PACKED. So packed that Thai Jack convinced us all to go elsewhere. I was amped to get Chris a Riverside t-shirt, but we bailed so fast that I forgot. Not to worry, there will be more bars.
We piled into Thai Jack's pickup/people carrier, and headed to another place. I don't recall the name, but what I do recall is the band at this joint was just as good. We rocked out all night to the Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Nirvana, Rage, Oasis, you name it from the West, these guys killed it. Anything else I could write about the night is only speculation, but the pictures indicate that we were having a blast. I do recall D using the tuk tuk battery as his seat on the way home...which seemed to make perfect sense at 3am.
We had decided to nix a day trip to Myanmar, partly because we wanted to spend more time in Chiang Mai, and partly because it would last all day (7am-8pm), some 10 hours of which would have been in a bus (I am good on buses!). This worked out to be a good call, because we both woke up horribly hungover at 11 or so. After going to a local restaurant for breakfast -- at which we ordered toast and eggs, and wound up getting some of the grossest shit I have ever seen (we paid and left without touching it) -- we settled for some Lays chips, which did the job. We had signed up for a cooking school the previous day, and headed over that afternoon.
The headaches had subsided, and we had a lot of fun preparing Thai dishes. We opted for Pad Thai with prawns, Massaman Curry, Spring Rolls and, of course, Jacki's new favorite, Mango Sticky Rice. We wound up being the only people to attend that particular class, which was great because we had the instructor all to ourselves. She was great about telling us what we could use as substitute ingredients in the US, as surely we wouldn't easily find some of the Thai ingredients. Each dish turned out amazing. The only problem was that after the first two, I was so stuffed, it was a challenge getting the next two down.
We headed to the nighttime bazaar in the evening. It's basically a bunch of vendors lining the road, selling the same crap as in Bangkok, however they aren't so aggressive and the deals are much better. We did some bartering and scored...got eight t-shirts for about 30 bucks. I love Thailand. Picked up a good one for Ed (you'll see it soon!). I finally got to relive a banana pancake w/chocolate...I lived on those when I was here in 2002...and we called it a night.
The plan for today was to ride bikes around the city, hit the floating restaurant for lunch, and make our 2:50 train to Bangkok. Due to my upset stomach, we didn't bike; but instead walked a bit and took some pictures. As for the Floating Restaurant...I am convinced it is merely a myth. Despite having seen it on the internet, even showing our tuk tuk driver an online review with the address, and having him ask about 25 other Thais where it was, we didn't make it. We rode around for an hour or so, but to no avail. Jacki was sad, but we got some good video from the tuk tuk, which took the edge off.
(It's worth mentioning that we lost about 30 minutes in a taxi with a driver who knew only one word in English...'YES'. Unfortunately, it took some time before that became apparent. She was nice, though, and when it was obvious she didn't know where we were going -- which in hindsight is no surprise, since the place doesn't exist -- she gave us half our money back.)
We grabbed a quick lunch, and made our way to the train station. Armed with some Lays chips and Leo beer, we're on a train to Bangkok, aboard the Thailand express (for the Rush fans out there). After two hours there, we are off to Siem Reap to see the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia...another 8 hours of what is sure to be multiple buses (stoked).
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Jungle Trek
After spending our day at the Floating Market in Bangkok, Matt and I headed to the train station to catch our overnight train up to Chiang Mai. We LOVE the overnight train. The people we've told that to seem to think we're crazy, so maybe it's just because we had spent the previous night on the big pink bus. We were in a second class car, each with our own bed...we slept like babies. As it got light out and we got closer to Chiang Mai, the scenery outside was so beautiful. So lush, beautiful mountains...a world away from Bangkok.
Our driver picked us up and took us to a guest house where we ate a quick breakfast and packed up our daypacks with three days' worth of clothes and supplies for a trek in the jungle. I was a bit nervous, but I embraced the "packing light" idea, since it's clear I brought too many things on this trip, i.e., wedges, t-shirts (all I can bear to have on is a tank top), etc. Just four wife-beaters, one pair of khaki shorts, three pairs of socks, underwear, pjs and my hiking shoes. And a headband, of course. They have become my new favorite accessory.
Our guide's name was Jack (not Rambo). He said that his nickname is Captain Jack, but that we could call him Johnny Depp if we wanted. We were set up with a great group, and all got along right away. Ida and Diarmuid are from Ireland (Diarmuid actually lives in County Roscommon!!), and Kerri and Jack are from England. Lots of things were "grand" and "brilliant" over the course of the three days, and Matt and I loved it. We did find out that we were the oldies in the group...the rest of them were 25 or younger, but we held our own. Captain Jack's co-pilot was either Mr. A or Mr. Egg...none of us could exactly figure out what Jack was saying, so I think we split about 50-50 on which it was. I went with Mr. Egg. Matt went with Mr. A.
Our first stop was floating down a river on bamboo rafts, which was such a refreshing treat from the heat. It's hot here, but not humid like Bangkok. Floating through the jungle was beautiful, and I started to see why Matt likes Northern Thailand so much. Everything is so green. Fortunately neither of us had to steer the boat. There was only one casualty, when Diarmuid fell off his raft trying to catch his flip-flop.
We were told that we'd be fed on the trek, and even though I've been enjoying the food here, I was a bit concerned. When we stopped for lunch, though, the locals had made us a delicious meal of fried rice with vegetables in it. There wasn't much to it, but Matt and I have both decided how much we like the blandness of some of the food. So, this rice was perfectly bland. And I was content upon getting a good meal in before starting the hike. It was also accompanied by fresh watermelon and pineapple. I have never been a pineapple person, but now I am officially addicted. It is so sweet and juicy here, absolutely delicious.
After finishing lunch, we went for a swim in a waterfall. It was so beautiful. But a bit dangerous...the rocks all around were so slippery. Matt and I agreed it would be a very romantic spot...if you didn't have to worry about falling and cracking your head open! We had fun, though, and everyone left without injury. Then, we put on our new hiking shoes (which we are so thankful for now!) and began our climb to the village we'd be camping at that night. I say "climb" because this was not for the faint of heart. It was basically a three-mile hike that was straight uphill. Yes, we went through some rice fields, and impressive jungle terrain, but it was straight up. We were all pretty surprised that when booking the trek, the TAT agent doesn't mention the intensity of the hike. Then again, ours was Tony, and you all know his track record.
The camp we got to was really cute, very basic...one big house with eight sleeping mats on the floor and mosquito nets; one house where Captain Jack would cook us dinner and sleep; one hut for the campfire; one disgusting "toilet", if you can call it that. Let's just say I opted for au naturel, since there was a bit of an ant infestation at the toilet. We all jumped in the river; water never felt so good. I could not believe I was "showering" in a river. Matt took pictures because I'm sure there won't be too many more instances of that. Some members of the local hilltribe stopped by camp to try to get us to buy sarongs, bracelets, anything. We didn't buy anything, but Matt befriended the cute little boy they brought with them. They were messing around with a lizard and Matt gave him a few baht. Paying people to play with him.
When dinner was served, I could not believe it. Captain Jack and Mr. Egg really outdid themselves. They served green curry with chicken, and then this other pumpkin stir-fry-type dish, which we all missed the name of. I am not a big curry person, but everyone in our group was raving about it. And, I'm not normally a big pumpkin person, but this dish was amazing. Lots of vegetables and the sauce must've hid the true "pumpkin" flavor. Or, maybe I am just used to pumpkin as it around the holidays...in pies, cakes, etc. Maybe it is the cinnamon and stuff that I don't like. Because I devoured this pumpkin stir-fry-thing like nothing I've ever eaten.
After dinner, we got into our pjs and sat around the campfire while Captain Jack played guitar. It was all popular music...sounded a lot like the music we've been hearing in the bars and on the pink bus. I think these few hours may have been the highlight of my trip so far. Hilarious. It started with Captain Jack playing songs and the rest of us cheering him on. After a few Beer Changs, though, he started playing "My Heart Will Go On" (the "Titanic" theme). Hilarious. But it got better. We are all watching him, and right when the chorus starts, EVERYONE starts belting out, "near...far...wherEVER you are"...hilarious. And so fun. The rest of the night was basically a chorus of favorite songs. Matt kept saying, "Petonak would love this." He thinks Tim would have been belting out the tunes louder than anyone.
We rose the next morning to a breakfast of scrambles (kind of a mix between an omelette and scrambled eggs), toast and more fresh pineapple and watermelon. They also gave us indivdual little banana leaf packets. They were pretty heavy, and secured with twine. They told us this was "lunch". Hmmmm. I wonder what this is. After fueling up, we hit the jungle again. This hike was a bit longer, more like six or seven miles, but barely any uphill...until the last stretch, right in the heat of the day. The jungle is so beautiful, and I was in awe staring at the rice fields. Just acres and acres. Absolutely breathtaking. We went to four different waterfalls, and at the second one, we ventured into our lunch packs. Another rice dish...perfect. It was white rice, with basil leaves, chicken, carrots, cabbage, tofu, egg and pineapple mixed in. It probably sounds like a weird mix of stuff, but...again, that pineapple. So delicious, and added the perfect mix of sweetness. We got to our camp at the Karan tribe much earlier today, around 3pm instead of 5pm, so it was just a lazy day spent swimming in the river, reading and, for me, trying to keep myself awake. I knew if I napped, I would never sleep that night.
Mr. Egg had led us the majority of the day, as Captain Jack broke off with some of the two-day trekkers. Mr. Egg and the local tribe women cooked our dinner for us...red curry with potatoes, and cucumber salad with egg. As I said, I am not much of curry person, but this was delicious! It had potatoes and mushrooms in it. Good stuff. After dinner, Captain Jack showed back up. He was WASTED as he had been drinking since 3pm. Ever the good host, he made us all do a shot of local whiskey out of a teacup. I was forced to do two shots as I left a few drops in my first glass. Then it was on to drinking games! Of all the games I've played in my life, with all the complicated rules, who knew a game as simple as "Red or Black" could be just as effective in getting the drink in quickly? The game is just as it sounds. You guess whether the card he flips over will be red or black. If you're wrong, you drink. On some rounds he also threw out some variations such as "Odd or Even" and "Diamond, Club or Heart".
After entertaining this game for far too long, Captain Jack said he would start a fire and to meet him down at the pit. When we got there, we found out that he had passed out! Instead, Mr. Egg and a new friend, Soup, were there to hang out with us. No guitar this time, but Soup still sang to us, and played drums with empty water bottles on his knees. British Jack spent a good deal of time teaching Mr. Egg some English, though I'm not sure how much he will retain, and also checked Mr. Egg's ID. Turns out he is Mr. Aek!
The next morning, we were treated to a breakfast of boiled egg and toast which is just a hard-boiled egg. Interesting, but I love hard-boiled eggs, so I was good to go. We headed out to our last day of trekking, another two miles or so. The sun was relentless and we were sweating within minutes of heading out. Captain Jack was leading us again, with a mysterious bandage on his face. He said he fell down the night before. We were not surprised, knowing the state he was in. We visited the local village, where we all bought bracelets from the Thai kids, and hiked through more rice paddies. We stopped at another waterfall. This one was the largest, by far, but the least favorite for all of us. I guess we got spoiled by all the pristine locations we had seen. When we arrived here, there were already about 30 people at the waterfall. We were used to privacy! After 40 minutes or so, Captain Jack drove us to lunch, where a feast of Pad Thai, alongside watermelon and pineapple, awaited us.
Next we headed to our elephant trek. This was definitely an experience, but not my favorite part of the trip. I'm sure we've got some good pictures, but I didn't like the way our guide was sitting on the elephant's head and screaming Thai at it the whole time. A bit unsettling for me. I couldn't believe how nimble elephants are, though! They are so huge, but navigated effortlessly, if slowly, up a hill via a very narrow path. This was the end of our journey, and just as we got off the elephants, the sky opened up and there was torrential downpour. We were so lucky with the weather! Captain Jack drove us the hour and a half back to our respective guest houses, and we said goodbye to our new friends.
I remember when Matt got back from his 2002 trip to Thailand, he went on and on about the jungle trek and how great it was. I knew it would be a unique experience, but I had no idea what a fantastic time it would be. Great people, amazing scenery, outrageous food...the trek has definitely been the highlight of the trip for me so far. Even without the luxuries of home or a guest house.
Our driver picked us up and took us to a guest house where we ate a quick breakfast and packed up our daypacks with three days' worth of clothes and supplies for a trek in the jungle. I was a bit nervous, but I embraced the "packing light" idea, since it's clear I brought too many things on this trip, i.e., wedges, t-shirts (all I can bear to have on is a tank top), etc. Just four wife-beaters, one pair of khaki shorts, three pairs of socks, underwear, pjs and my hiking shoes. And a headband, of course. They have become my new favorite accessory.
Our guide's name was Jack (not Rambo). He said that his nickname is Captain Jack, but that we could call him Johnny Depp if we wanted. We were set up with a great group, and all got along right away. Ida and Diarmuid are from Ireland (Diarmuid actually lives in County Roscommon!!), and Kerri and Jack are from England. Lots of things were "grand" and "brilliant" over the course of the three days, and Matt and I loved it. We did find out that we were the oldies in the group...the rest of them were 25 or younger, but we held our own. Captain Jack's co-pilot was either Mr. A or Mr. Egg...none of us could exactly figure out what Jack was saying, so I think we split about 50-50 on which it was. I went with Mr. Egg. Matt went with Mr. A.
Our first stop was floating down a river on bamboo rafts, which was such a refreshing treat from the heat. It's hot here, but not humid like Bangkok. Floating through the jungle was beautiful, and I started to see why Matt likes Northern Thailand so much. Everything is so green. Fortunately neither of us had to steer the boat. There was only one casualty, when Diarmuid fell off his raft trying to catch his flip-flop.
We were told that we'd be fed on the trek, and even though I've been enjoying the food here, I was a bit concerned. When we stopped for lunch, though, the locals had made us a delicious meal of fried rice with vegetables in it. There wasn't much to it, but Matt and I have both decided how much we like the blandness of some of the food. So, this rice was perfectly bland. And I was content upon getting a good meal in before starting the hike. It was also accompanied by fresh watermelon and pineapple. I have never been a pineapple person, but now I am officially addicted. It is so sweet and juicy here, absolutely delicious.
After finishing lunch, we went for a swim in a waterfall. It was so beautiful. But a bit dangerous...the rocks all around were so slippery. Matt and I agreed it would be a very romantic spot...if you didn't have to worry about falling and cracking your head open! We had fun, though, and everyone left without injury. Then, we put on our new hiking shoes (which we are so thankful for now!) and began our climb to the village we'd be camping at that night. I say "climb" because this was not for the faint of heart. It was basically a three-mile hike that was straight uphill. Yes, we went through some rice fields, and impressive jungle terrain, but it was straight up. We were all pretty surprised that when booking the trek, the TAT agent doesn't mention the intensity of the hike. Then again, ours was Tony, and you all know his track record.
The camp we got to was really cute, very basic...one big house with eight sleeping mats on the floor and mosquito nets; one house where Captain Jack would cook us dinner and sleep; one hut for the campfire; one disgusting "toilet", if you can call it that. Let's just say I opted for au naturel, since there was a bit of an ant infestation at the toilet. We all jumped in the river; water never felt so good. I could not believe I was "showering" in a river. Matt took pictures because I'm sure there won't be too many more instances of that. Some members of the local hilltribe stopped by camp to try to get us to buy sarongs, bracelets, anything. We didn't buy anything, but Matt befriended the cute little boy they brought with them. They were messing around with a lizard and Matt gave him a few baht. Paying people to play with him.
When dinner was served, I could not believe it. Captain Jack and Mr. Egg really outdid themselves. They served green curry with chicken, and then this other pumpkin stir-fry-type dish, which we all missed the name of. I am not a big curry person, but everyone in our group was raving about it. And, I'm not normally a big pumpkin person, but this dish was amazing. Lots of vegetables and the sauce must've hid the true "pumpkin" flavor. Or, maybe I am just used to pumpkin as it around the holidays...in pies, cakes, etc. Maybe it is the cinnamon and stuff that I don't like. Because I devoured this pumpkin stir-fry-thing like nothing I've ever eaten.
After dinner, we got into our pjs and sat around the campfire while Captain Jack played guitar. It was all popular music...sounded a lot like the music we've been hearing in the bars and on the pink bus. I think these few hours may have been the highlight of my trip so far. Hilarious. It started with Captain Jack playing songs and the rest of us cheering him on. After a few Beer Changs, though, he started playing "My Heart Will Go On" (the "Titanic" theme). Hilarious. But it got better. We are all watching him, and right when the chorus starts, EVERYONE starts belting out, "near...far...wherEVER you are"...hilarious. And so fun. The rest of the night was basically a chorus of favorite songs. Matt kept saying, "Petonak would love this." He thinks Tim would have been belting out the tunes louder than anyone.
We rose the next morning to a breakfast of scrambles (kind of a mix between an omelette and scrambled eggs), toast and more fresh pineapple and watermelon. They also gave us indivdual little banana leaf packets. They were pretty heavy, and secured with twine. They told us this was "lunch". Hmmmm. I wonder what this is. After fueling up, we hit the jungle again. This hike was a bit longer, more like six or seven miles, but barely any uphill...until the last stretch, right in the heat of the day. The jungle is so beautiful, and I was in awe staring at the rice fields. Just acres and acres. Absolutely breathtaking. We went to four different waterfalls, and at the second one, we ventured into our lunch packs. Another rice dish...perfect. It was white rice, with basil leaves, chicken, carrots, cabbage, tofu, egg and pineapple mixed in. It probably sounds like a weird mix of stuff, but...again, that pineapple. So delicious, and added the perfect mix of sweetness. We got to our camp at the Karan tribe much earlier today, around 3pm instead of 5pm, so it was just a lazy day spent swimming in the river, reading and, for me, trying to keep myself awake. I knew if I napped, I would never sleep that night.
Mr. Egg had led us the majority of the day, as Captain Jack broke off with some of the two-day trekkers. Mr. Egg and the local tribe women cooked our dinner for us...red curry with potatoes, and cucumber salad with egg. As I said, I am not much of curry person, but this was delicious! It had potatoes and mushrooms in it. Good stuff. After dinner, Captain Jack showed back up. He was WASTED as he had been drinking since 3pm. Ever the good host, he made us all do a shot of local whiskey out of a teacup. I was forced to do two shots as I left a few drops in my first glass. Then it was on to drinking games! Of all the games I've played in my life, with all the complicated rules, who knew a game as simple as "Red or Black" could be just as effective in getting the drink in quickly? The game is just as it sounds. You guess whether the card he flips over will be red or black. If you're wrong, you drink. On some rounds he also threw out some variations such as "Odd or Even" and "Diamond, Club or Heart".
After entertaining this game for far too long, Captain Jack said he would start a fire and to meet him down at the pit. When we got there, we found out that he had passed out! Instead, Mr. Egg and a new friend, Soup, were there to hang out with us. No guitar this time, but Soup still sang to us, and played drums with empty water bottles on his knees. British Jack spent a good deal of time teaching Mr. Egg some English, though I'm not sure how much he will retain, and also checked Mr. Egg's ID. Turns out he is Mr. Aek!
The next morning, we were treated to a breakfast of boiled egg and toast which is just a hard-boiled egg. Interesting, but I love hard-boiled eggs, so I was good to go. We headed out to our last day of trekking, another two miles or so. The sun was relentless and we were sweating within minutes of heading out. Captain Jack was leading us again, with a mysterious bandage on his face. He said he fell down the night before. We were not surprised, knowing the state he was in. We visited the local village, where we all bought bracelets from the Thai kids, and hiked through more rice paddies. We stopped at another waterfall. This one was the largest, by far, but the least favorite for all of us. I guess we got spoiled by all the pristine locations we had seen. When we arrived here, there were already about 30 people at the waterfall. We were used to privacy! After 40 minutes or so, Captain Jack drove us to lunch, where a feast of Pad Thai, alongside watermelon and pineapple, awaited us.
Next we headed to our elephant trek. This was definitely an experience, but not my favorite part of the trip. I'm sure we've got some good pictures, but I didn't like the way our guide was sitting on the elephant's head and screaming Thai at it the whole time. A bit unsettling for me. I couldn't believe how nimble elephants are, though! They are so huge, but navigated effortlessly, if slowly, up a hill via a very narrow path. This was the end of our journey, and just as we got off the elephants, the sky opened up and there was torrential downpour. We were so lucky with the weather! Captain Jack drove us the hour and a half back to our respective guest houses, and we said goodbye to our new friends.
I remember when Matt got back from his 2002 trip to Thailand, he went on and on about the jungle trek and how great it was. I knew it would be a unique experience, but I had no idea what a fantastic time it would be. Great people, amazing scenery, outrageous food...the trek has definitely been the highlight of the trip for me so far. Even without the luxuries of home or a guest house.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Floating Market
After leaving Krabi yesterday, we were able to secure the coveted "back row" of the pink bus for our trip up north. This means Matt and I spread out across five seats instead of two. This is a HUGE deal, so we actually got some pretty decent sleep.
Upon arriving in Bangkok for our stopover, we spent the morning at the Damnem Sadouk Floating Market, which was absolutey beautiful! We had a very hot and sunny day, but the humidity seems to have subsided for the time-being.
The market was such a sight to see, similar to the other "vendors" you see in Bangkok in that they line up with their merchandise, cooking food right there, selling trinkets, etc. We were accosted by people wanting us to buy tiger balm, but the only thing we bought was a souvenir for our nephew. And ice cream for me.
The difference is that the market is set up in canals throughout the town. So, none of the vendors are pushing carts; they're all on boats. It was really fantastic to watch them purchase goods from each other, make food right there and just paddle down the canals. Some were drinking Singha while they were peddling, others smoking, but the water was moving! And didn't smell!
AFter touring the market a bit, we had a longtail boat ride through the canals on the outskirts of the cities, which was also impressive. We have some great pics, which I hope to get uploaded soon.
Now, we're off to catch a train in about an hour to Chiang Mai. We'll be off the computer for about three days while we're on our jungle trek, but will check back in when we're back.
Upon arriving in Bangkok for our stopover, we spent the morning at the Damnem Sadouk Floating Market, which was absolutey beautiful! We had a very hot and sunny day, but the humidity seems to have subsided for the time-being.
The market was such a sight to see, similar to the other "vendors" you see in Bangkok in that they line up with their merchandise, cooking food right there, selling trinkets, etc. We were accosted by people wanting us to buy tiger balm, but the only thing we bought was a souvenir for our nephew. And ice cream for me.
The difference is that the market is set up in canals throughout the town. So, none of the vendors are pushing carts; they're all on boats. It was really fantastic to watch them purchase goods from each other, make food right there and just paddle down the canals. Some were drinking Singha while they were peddling, others smoking, but the water was moving! And didn't smell!
AFter touring the market a bit, we had a longtail boat ride through the canals on the outskirts of the cities, which was also impressive. We have some great pics, which I hope to get uploaded soon.
Now, we're off to catch a train in about an hour to Chiang Mai. We'll be off the computer for about three days while we're on our jungle trek, but will check back in when we're back.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Krabi
As soon as Alex drove us off the car ferry, officially gone from No Lanta, it's like the skies opened up. Suddenly it was sunny again and we couldn't wait to get back to Krabi. Krabi seems to be a place that people go through on their way to various islands, but they have beaches, too, so we decided it would be the easiest way to get back to our overnight bus on Monday. Using the dial-up, we randomly chose Ao Nang Beach as our destination.
We couldn't be happier here! Ao Nang is a great little town. As soon as we got here, Matt started saying that "no one can be crabby in Krabi". It's true; it's too perfect! We found a great little guest house, the Ao Nang Grand Inn, with big and immaculate rooms, about 300 meters from the beach. As soon as we got here, we started exploring the town. Even though it's the low season, there were people here! Not like Ko Lanta! We immediately went to our new favorite restaurant, Mama's Kitchen, where I had my new favorite food, Mango Sticky Rice. It is amazing. As I ate it and drank a Leo, with a view of giant limestone formations jutting out of the Andaman Sea, I was completely at peace. It's still hot, but the sea breeze completely relieves you. The water is over 80 degrees and the beach is beautiful. There are fun bars and restaurants lining the streets and alleys. Mom, there is even a Haagen Dazs shop!
After lunch we ventured down to the beach, where we swam and laid out a bit. When Matt started getting antsy, we took a walk down to the other end of the beach where we saw monkeys. On the beach. About three feet (and sometimes closer!) to us. Like, 50 of them. I am not exaggerating. We took tons of pictures and video and can't wait to share them with you. We went back to Mama's Kitchen for dinner. Although it was tempting to get sticky rice, I am trying to branch out, so I had Pad Thai, which was absolutely fantastic. We watched an amazing sunset while we ate and drank.
After dinner, we had a great experience...Thai kick-boxing! I had been hoping to do this, but we weren't in Bangkok on the right nights. While sitting at Mama's a van drove by announcing it was Thai kick-boxing night in Ao Nang. Life is perfect in Ao Nang and it seemed like everything was falling into place here. After our tuk tuk driver dropped us off at the arena, I was a bit surprised. I turned to Matt and said, "Wait, are these KIDS?" He said, "Uh, yeah." Apparently he knew this from his 2002 trip. He told me they start training at age 5, but I had no idea they started fighting so young. It was such a fantastic time...they have live "music" (I think it was an oboe/drum/gong trio) throughout the fights, and the local fans go nuts! We were in the cheap seats...the eighth row! The expensive seats are literally giant black leather couches that are ring-side. Nuts. And the fighters are ripped. The energy was great. Very exciting night for us.
The following day, we hired a longtail boat to take us out to some of the islands right off Krabi. We took a four-hour tour of Chicken Island, Railay Beach and Poda Island, which had...more monkeys. Matt got up close and personal with them again, as I kept my distance. It was such a pristine day; we enjoyed every second, and then made it back in time to get a four-pack of Leo and watch the sunset. The sunsets here are really picturesque. Such vibrant bright colors. They cap off the day making you feel that everything is as it should be. We finally gave up our loyalty to Mama's, where we had also eaten the morning's breakfast, and went to Dragon. I guess I am getting used to the food here because I hated the spring rolls. They were just like you would get in the US...nothing like what I had at Bulan. And my rice dish was not nearly spicy enough. Matt could not believe I put the entire dish of chili fish oil they provided into my food. I am really enjoying the food...way more than I would've thought.
We capped off the night at a Reggae Bar at the end of the alley near our guesthouse. Another perfect day in Ao Nang. We are getting sad that we'll be leaving soon, but are so happy for our time here. We would recommend Ao Nang to ANYONE. I can envision all of my different friends and family members loving it here...if you can stomach the long trip. It is like paradise. And, after all this time, the only way I will be crabby in Krabi is when we have to leave.
We couldn't be happier here! Ao Nang is a great little town. As soon as we got here, Matt started saying that "no one can be crabby in Krabi". It's true; it's too perfect! We found a great little guest house, the Ao Nang Grand Inn, with big and immaculate rooms, about 300 meters from the beach. As soon as we got here, we started exploring the town. Even though it's the low season, there were people here! Not like Ko Lanta! We immediately went to our new favorite restaurant, Mama's Kitchen, where I had my new favorite food, Mango Sticky Rice. It is amazing. As I ate it and drank a Leo, with a view of giant limestone formations jutting out of the Andaman Sea, I was completely at peace. It's still hot, but the sea breeze completely relieves you. The water is over 80 degrees and the beach is beautiful. There are fun bars and restaurants lining the streets and alleys. Mom, there is even a Haagen Dazs shop!
After lunch we ventured down to the beach, where we swam and laid out a bit. When Matt started getting antsy, we took a walk down to the other end of the beach where we saw monkeys. On the beach. About three feet (and sometimes closer!) to us. Like, 50 of them. I am not exaggerating. We took tons of pictures and video and can't wait to share them with you. We went back to Mama's Kitchen for dinner. Although it was tempting to get sticky rice, I am trying to branch out, so I had Pad Thai, which was absolutely fantastic. We watched an amazing sunset while we ate and drank.
After dinner, we had a great experience...Thai kick-boxing! I had been hoping to do this, but we weren't in Bangkok on the right nights. While sitting at Mama's a van drove by announcing it was Thai kick-boxing night in Ao Nang. Life is perfect in Ao Nang and it seemed like everything was falling into place here. After our tuk tuk driver dropped us off at the arena, I was a bit surprised. I turned to Matt and said, "Wait, are these KIDS?" He said, "Uh, yeah." Apparently he knew this from his 2002 trip. He told me they start training at age 5, but I had no idea they started fighting so young. It was such a fantastic time...they have live "music" (I think it was an oboe/drum/gong trio) throughout the fights, and the local fans go nuts! We were in the cheap seats...the eighth row! The expensive seats are literally giant black leather couches that are ring-side. Nuts. And the fighters are ripped. The energy was great. Very exciting night for us.
The following day, we hired a longtail boat to take us out to some of the islands right off Krabi. We took a four-hour tour of Chicken Island, Railay Beach and Poda Island, which had...more monkeys. Matt got up close and personal with them again, as I kept my distance. It was such a pristine day; we enjoyed every second, and then made it back in time to get a four-pack of Leo and watch the sunset. The sunsets here are really picturesque. Such vibrant bright colors. They cap off the day making you feel that everything is as it should be. We finally gave up our loyalty to Mama's, where we had also eaten the morning's breakfast, and went to Dragon. I guess I am getting used to the food here because I hated the spring rolls. They were just like you would get in the US...nothing like what I had at Bulan. And my rice dish was not nearly spicy enough. Matt could not believe I put the entire dish of chili fish oil they provided into my food. I am really enjoying the food...way more than I would've thought.
We capped off the night at a Reggae Bar at the end of the alley near our guesthouse. Another perfect day in Ao Nang. We are getting sad that we'll be leaving soon, but are so happy for our time here. We would recommend Ao Nang to ANYONE. I can envision all of my different friends and family members loving it here...if you can stomach the long trip. It is like paradise. And, after all this time, the only way I will be crabby in Krabi is when we have to leave.
Ko Lanta
We wanted to go to the Thai islands. There are hundreds. We did a lot of research to determine the best fit for us and chose Ko Mak. This is what we told Tony at the TAT. He “corrected” us and told us we were talking about Ko Muk. Now, in a normal situation, I would correct him back. But, you have to understand. On six different maps, you will see Ko Muk listed as: Ko Muk, Koh Muk, Ko Muuk, Koh Mook, Ko Mok , Koh Mok and Ko Mook. I am completely serious. So, when Tony told us we were pronouncing it wrong, we trusted him. Thanks, Tony.
The way to get to Ko Muk from Bangkok is via overnight train or bus to Krabi and then Ko Lanta. We were booked on a bus. A hot pink bus. I am serious. Inside hot pink. Outside mostly fluorescent pink with a few topless mermaids on it. We hopped on and prepared for our trip...after nearly missing the bus since our driver that was sent by Tony was late picking us up. Thanks, Tony. He got us there, though and it was obvious that the bus had waited for us.
I actually slept surprisingly well on the bus. I woke up a few times, but kept falling back to sleep. Once it hit 7am, though, they started blaring music. The music we’ve been hearing here is interesting…mostly American music, sung by an Asian artist. On the way to Krabi, we heard a lot of stuff…TONS of Fergie (she must’ve sold her rights to Asia), new music (Rihanna), old music (I was brought back to the Colemans’ station wagon with “Country Roads”), etc. But, there is still a language barrier in music. For example, we listened to “Puff, the magic dragon, LIFTED by the sea.” The best by far, though, was “Pachelbel’s Canon”…to a club beat. I am serious. For you girls out there…no explanation needed. For you guys out there, it is the song 50% of your wives have walked down the aisle to. The other 50% (excluding Ang and myself) walked to “Here Comes the Bride”.
On the drive down, it was obvious we weren't in Bangkok anymore. The city streets were replaced with rice fields, cows on the side of the road, lush forests, giant palm trees (Sandy, they are many times bigger than the ones you saw in Encinitas!). It was a beautiful trip down, but we were getting antsy to be done with the traveling.
Once we got to Krabi, we had a two-hour van ride, combined with two car ferries to get to the island of Ko Lanta. When we were dropped off at the Full Moon Bay View "Resort", we were not impressed. We were the only guests they had for the evening...although it looked like it had been a bit longer than that. The bar, the restaurant, the "salon", all had tarps over them. Apparently the low season means that no one comes to Ko Lanta. I will say the room was immaculate and very big. But, we knew we did not want to be there. Thanks, Tony. This is about the time Matt started calling the island NO Lanta.
We got online (which was slower than dial-up, I swear) to check out some information about Ko Muk. Unfortunately, we determined that WE were right when we were at the TAT. We DID want to go to Ko Mak and the language barrier had us headed to a completely different island, on the opposite side of Thailand, in a completely different SEA, that we did not want to be on. Thanks, Tony. No Lanta.
We were still on an island in the Andaman Sea, so we decided to walk around and check out the beach. It was dirty, lots of garbage, even an exposed electrical wire running across the ground of the entrance to the beach. No Lanta. We went back to the dial-up to figure out how to leave. We talked about going to Ko Phi Phi (where they filmed "The Beach"), but decided to check with a trusted source, my cousin, Allison. Fortunately, she referred me to her blog about her trip in January, and we decided that Phi Phi would be too dirty and too busy for us, so we figured we'd go back to Krabi and explore there.
Since the next ferry out wasn't until the morning, we needed to make the most of No Lanta. I'm proud of us. We realized this is a long trip and stuff is going to happen, so we rallied. We went on a walk and found Bulan Cafe. We were, of course, the only people there, but we had delicious food. I had Rice Bulan-Style and the best spring rolls I have ever had...made fresh and with the most amazing sauce ever. We were in better spirits leaving Bulan, but still wondering what we would do for the night.
We saw several bars on the beach...all of which were closed. No Lanta. But, finally we stumbled upon Fortune Bar. We went in for one drink, but wound up hanging out there for nearly four hours, three of which were spent, of course, as the only customers. But, the bartenders were so sweet; they played Bob Marley all night, and served our Leos in koozies! We hadn't seen this yet and it is a great idea in this heat! We had a wonderful time chatting and drinking; Fortune Bar really lifted our spirits.
Until the electricity went out. On the whole island. No Lanta. Again, the bartenders were great. One came running over with a candleabra for our table. As she was lighting them, she kept giggling and saying, "So romantic for you."
We decided it was time to get back to the "resort". This was a bit unnerving, as we walked about a half mile in darkness. No street lights. No cars. No Lanta. Fortunately, we had Matt's SAIC pocket flashlight. Even though it's just a beam of light, it made us feel better. When we finally got to the "resort", Alex (our resort host) was waiting for us with a flashlight and more candles for our room. He even went to the bar and got us a few more Singhas to enjoy in our room.
The next morning, Alex drove us to Krabi at 8:00. Overall it was an adventure, but, Deb, if you're starting that list of places we liked and didn't like, No Lanta.
The way to get to Ko Muk from Bangkok is via overnight train or bus to Krabi and then Ko Lanta. We were booked on a bus. A hot pink bus. I am serious. Inside hot pink. Outside mostly fluorescent pink with a few topless mermaids on it. We hopped on and prepared for our trip...after nearly missing the bus since our driver that was sent by Tony was late picking us up. Thanks, Tony. He got us there, though and it was obvious that the bus had waited for us.
I actually slept surprisingly well on the bus. I woke up a few times, but kept falling back to sleep. Once it hit 7am, though, they started blaring music. The music we’ve been hearing here is interesting…mostly American music, sung by an Asian artist. On the way to Krabi, we heard a lot of stuff…TONS of Fergie (she must’ve sold her rights to Asia), new music (Rihanna), old music (I was brought back to the Colemans’ station wagon with “Country Roads”), etc. But, there is still a language barrier in music. For example, we listened to “Puff, the magic dragon, LIFTED by the sea.” The best by far, though, was “Pachelbel’s Canon”…to a club beat. I am serious. For you girls out there…no explanation needed. For you guys out there, it is the song 50% of your wives have walked down the aisle to. The other 50% (excluding Ang and myself) walked to “Here Comes the Bride”.
On the drive down, it was obvious we weren't in Bangkok anymore. The city streets were replaced with rice fields, cows on the side of the road, lush forests, giant palm trees (Sandy, they are many times bigger than the ones you saw in Encinitas!). It was a beautiful trip down, but we were getting antsy to be done with the traveling.
Once we got to Krabi, we had a two-hour van ride, combined with two car ferries to get to the island of Ko Lanta. When we were dropped off at the Full Moon Bay View "Resort", we were not impressed. We were the only guests they had for the evening...although it looked like it had been a bit longer than that. The bar, the restaurant, the "salon", all had tarps over them. Apparently the low season means that no one comes to Ko Lanta. I will say the room was immaculate and very big. But, we knew we did not want to be there. Thanks, Tony. This is about the time Matt started calling the island NO Lanta.
We got online (which was slower than dial-up, I swear) to check out some information about Ko Muk. Unfortunately, we determined that WE were right when we were at the TAT. We DID want to go to Ko Mak and the language barrier had us headed to a completely different island, on the opposite side of Thailand, in a completely different SEA, that we did not want to be on. Thanks, Tony. No Lanta.
We were still on an island in the Andaman Sea, so we decided to walk around and check out the beach. It was dirty, lots of garbage, even an exposed electrical wire running across the ground of the entrance to the beach. No Lanta. We went back to the dial-up to figure out how to leave. We talked about going to Ko Phi Phi (where they filmed "The Beach"), but decided to check with a trusted source, my cousin, Allison. Fortunately, she referred me to her blog about her trip in January, and we decided that Phi Phi would be too dirty and too busy for us, so we figured we'd go back to Krabi and explore there.
Since the next ferry out wasn't until the morning, we needed to make the most of No Lanta. I'm proud of us. We realized this is a long trip and stuff is going to happen, so we rallied. We went on a walk and found Bulan Cafe. We were, of course, the only people there, but we had delicious food. I had Rice Bulan-Style and the best spring rolls I have ever had...made fresh and with the most amazing sauce ever. We were in better spirits leaving Bulan, but still wondering what we would do for the night.
We saw several bars on the beach...all of which were closed. No Lanta. But, finally we stumbled upon Fortune Bar. We went in for one drink, but wound up hanging out there for nearly four hours, three of which were spent, of course, as the only customers. But, the bartenders were so sweet; they played Bob Marley all night, and served our Leos in koozies! We hadn't seen this yet and it is a great idea in this heat! We had a wonderful time chatting and drinking; Fortune Bar really lifted our spirits.
Until the electricity went out. On the whole island. No Lanta. Again, the bartenders were great. One came running over with a candleabra for our table. As she was lighting them, she kept giggling and saying, "So romantic for you."
We decided it was time to get back to the "resort". This was a bit unnerving, as we walked about a half mile in darkness. No street lights. No cars. No Lanta. Fortunately, we had Matt's SAIC pocket flashlight. Even though it's just a beam of light, it made us feel better. When we finally got to the "resort", Alex (our resort host) was waiting for us with a flashlight and more candles for our room. He even went to the bar and got us a few more Singhas to enjoy in our room.
The next morning, Alex drove us to Krabi at 8:00. Overall it was an adventure, but, Deb, if you're starting that list of places we liked and didn't like, No Lanta.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Bangkok
****NOTE: Sorry for not posting sooner. When we left Bangkok, I wrote this post around some of our funny pictures, but am having technical difficulties getting the pictures to upload now that we are in Krabi and do not have high-speed internet. Bear with me...when we get back to Bangkok, I will upload the pictures.
THINGS THAT ARE BEAUTIFUL IN BANGKOK (Yes, Bri, there really are beautiful things here!):
Temples
A few people told me, “Once you see one wat (temple), you’ve seen them all.” I am disagreeing with this. I think they are amazing. Our first day in Bangkok we visited Wat Ratchanaddaram. It was so beautiful. It was commissioned in 1846 by King Nangkiao, and has 37 spyres, one each to represent the 37 steps to enlightenment. It was built as a gift to his favorite Granddaughter. I would argue that building a temple is a much grander showing of affection than tattooing her name on his shoulder, like someone else I know.
Children
I have literally seen the cutest kids on the planet here…with the exception of Julia, Riley, Ian and Miles, of course. Thai kids are always smiling, even when they are whizzing down the road on the front of their parents’ motorbike with no helmet on!
Gardens
Matt and I were admiring Rama VIII Bridge from a quaint garden in Bangkok our first day, when he said he’d like to see if we could walk across it. The next day we were booking some travel with the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) and decided to walk around this part of the city, when we came upon the bridge. It turns out you can walk across it to the other side, which is actually in Thonburi. We thought it would just be something cool to do. Well, “cool” isn’t the right word since the heat in Bangkok is unbelievable, but we thought it would be fun. The architecture of the bridge is impressive, and it turns out that when you get to the other side, there’s an amazing garden that we spent a bit of time exploring. Keep in mind we are sweating our butts off from the humidity in this picture.
Sidewalks
Anyone who’s been to Bangkok probably cannot believe I’m listing the sidewalks, as they can be a bit overwhelming and overcrowded with all the street vendors. There is so much hidden beauty in Bangkok, though. We realized that no matter what part of the city you’re in, every square of sidewalk has intricate patterns in it that intertwines with each one around it. It’s sad, though, to see such attention to detail and beauty on the sidewalks, since when you look back up, you remember the poverty, unkempt buildings, etc. that surrounds you.
Lucky Beer
This is our favorite bar in Bangkok. First of all, all the staff wears bright orange shirts. Matt says he likes an establishment with uniforms. And, they all have funny name tags. They obviously know that the clientele will either not be able to pronounce their name, or be too drunk to remember it, so they have nametags like “Mr. T”, or simply “A”. It is in prime people-watching location on Khao San Road, and the layout is tiered, so it’s almost like having stadium seating to watch the craziness outside. We spent hours drinking Leo and just watching our surroundings. This was the perfect spot since they brought out cold towels to relieve you from the humidity, and have vaulted fans all around the bar. We had a delicious lunch here (fried noodles with asparagus for me; red curry for Matt), and the staff is just so pleasant. Once, on my way to the restroom (which was immaculate…a very big deal in this city, believe me), one of the servers was eating shrimp chips and basically forced me to stop and share a few with him! They mostly tasted like air, but it was a sweet gesture. The best example, though, of the way they go above and beyond in their customer service happened right before we were leaving. I was going to take a picture of something in the back of the restaurant and Matt also wanted a picture of a “special” towel dispenser outside the restroom. When I got back there, I took my pictures and realized that one of the waitresses had taken the dispenser off the wall. She saw that I had a camera and ran to my side to show me the dispenser and told me that I had to take a picture of it. Thank goodness, because I would’ve been embarrassed to say that my husband sent me back there for that exact purpose. She ran and hung it up, positioning it perfectly for the shot.
Tuk Tuks
Tuk tuks are these fun little motorized vehicles that zip you all around the city. The day we got to Bangkok was actually a day where the government was funding the tuk tuks, so it was only 20 baht to go anywhere. We hired one to take us to the TAT to book our travel, but had a minor ATM authorization issue that required we go back to our guesthouse to get a different card. So, our tuk tuk driver drove us to the TAT, waited while we booked our travel, drove us back to our hotel, took us to an ATM, drove us back to the TAT, waited while we paid, then drove us back to our guesthouse. He was with us for about an hour and a half, all for 20 baht, which is less than 1 USD. Obviously, we tipped him generously. At any rate, the tuk tuks are a fun way to see the city.
Khoa San Road
Khoa San Road is a backpacker’s paradise. It seems like all the backpackers in the world convene here to get street food, great deals on lodging, and to make friends with other backpackers. I think some people would find it a bit claustrophobic, but it is truly a sight to see. Literally the best people-watching I have ever done. Everyone is in a great mood. And you can get great deals by bargaining with the street vendors, which came in handy since I still needed a sleeping bag for our safari, plus flip flops since mine broke the first day. There are unique t-shirts, cute sundresses, books…I think you can find just about anything on Khoa San Road. But, I think the “wedding” ring Matt bought me is a fake…it turned my finger green today.
THINGS THAT ARE NOT BEAUTIFUL IN BANGKOK
Smell
Bangkok smells. That’s all there is to it. You cannot escape it. I think it is a combination of the smog, too many types of food vendors in one place, water, exhaust, sewage, thousands of sweaty bodies, etc. It’s gross.
Humidity
Wow. I mean, I grew up in Jersey. I get humidity. I have never experienced anything like this. It is OPPRESSIVE. The headbands I bought are put to good use every single day. Fortunately, I have found a new appreciation for water. The first day I seriously thought I was going to drop from the humidity. When this happens now, I run into the nearest 7-11 (which is the most prevalent Western influence in the city) and get bottled water. Slamming down a bottle is the only way to try to reinvigorate yourself from the humidity, and even that isn’t a sure bet. We have also adapted a slower pace, both literally and figuratively. We still walk like East Coasters, even after nine years in San Diego. We walk way too fast for everyone there, so even moreso in Asia. We did realize that the locals are always wearing long pants and long sleeves, but never seem to be sweating. We also realized that they walk MUCH slower than us. So, we've slowed down our gait...we're still hot, but not dripping wet.
Bathroom Signs
We were walking around Patpong when we needed to use a restroom. There was a giant McDonald’s, which we thought may be our most sanitary bet. We were right. It was actually the cleanest public restroom we found in Bangkok. However, please take note of the bathroom signs indicating which bathroom is for which sex. I could not get over this! I know we are on the other side of the world, but I was not raised this way! I never even played soccer as a kid, but I resented these signs. Nonetheless, I hesitantly used the appropriate “girl” facility.
Stagnant Water
It’s everywhere. The canals look like the water hasn’t moved in years. It is dark, completely opaque and stinks. Matt wondered if you would get some horrible disease and die if you fell in one of them. I told him I would surely die of cardiac arrest if I fell in because I would just completely freak out about what had just happened. The puddles on the sidewalk look like they have been there forever, not drying up because of all the moisture in the air. We are steering clear of the water.
Flesh-Eating Fish
These are all around Bangkok. The signs read, “Please feed our hungry fish by your dead skin.” Gross. They have these giant pools of too-blue water and hundreds of fish in them that nibble away at your feet. I have seen shows about this on TV, so I know it is done in some salons back in the US, but somehow I think the sanitary conditions may be slightly different here. Trust me, I love a good pedicure, but there is no way I would stick my feet in those tanks.
Electricity
This is what the electric wires look like all around the city. No joke. Everywhere. Very different from Encinitas, where everything is hidden underground. I guess both methods serve the same purpose, but this just seems a bit unsafe to me, especially in a place known for its moisture and rain.
Despite the un-beautiful things, we had a great time in Bangkok. The same two people who told me about the wats also told me, “Bangkok sucks.” And, on one hand, I can see what they’re saying. But, I am choosing to be positive and focus on the beautiful things we saw and experienced there. We had so much fun, a ton of laughs, delicious food and good beer. Then again, this is the first of many weeks on the road. Give me three weeks or so.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Food
I am a notoriously picky eater. This is one of the things that has given me the most anxiety about our trip. I am determined, though, to be adventurous and go outside my comfort zone. That said, I knew my last few meals in the US would be important ones.
On Saturday, we had Chipotle...I thought that was important, as I'm sure any Chipotle fan would agree. That evening, we shared John and Nicole's wedding day with them, with food and cocktails that were absolutely outstanding. Yesterday we drove up to Chris and Di's house in LA, where we are leaving Matt's car while we are away. As usual, Di out-did herself. There was a huge breakfast buffet to welcome the first day of football, complete with a bloody mary bar, mimosas, bagels, asparagus fritatta, breakfast potatoes, cheesy hashbrowns, perfectly well-done bacon and coffee cake. Since breakfast is my favorite meal, this was my perfect bon voyage meal. After Matt only finished half his plate, he couldn't believe I was heading back for seconds! Apparently, this was a good decision on my part.
Our first meal on the flight to Taiwan was a choice of chicken rice or a baked potato. Even though chicken rice sounded good, I decided to be "safe" and go with the baked potato. Not smart. It was actually boiled, sliced potatoes over some old-looking beef. I ate the dinner roll. Second meal was a choice of eggs or chicken rice. I decided to go with the chicken rice, since this seemed like a popular option. This was more like a watery, soupy-looking mixture with rice and boiled chicken floating in it. I ate the dinner roll and a few grapes. On the flight from Taiwan to Bangkok, we were presented with the option of chicken rice or spaghetti. Matt and I both opted for spaghetti. Matt opened his box and immediately closed it, saying, "You don't want this." Turns out spaghetti means fettucine pasta in a watery white sauce with giant slices of ham on it. I ate the dinner roll.
After three dinner rolls, I was getting nervous, but reminded myself that this was airline food, not Asian food. We got into Bangkok late last night and headed to our hotel. By the time we made it there and checked in, it was about 2:30am, and we decided to go out for a beer. We had a few Leos and decided to get something in our stomachs. Matt was excited to have the authentic curry he's been missing for seven years. I opted for "Garlic Rice wrapped in egg", which is exactly what it sounds like. Imagine a rice omelette. It was, as Ang would put it, "to die for". So, things are looking up!
Now, we're off to explore Bangkok and book some of our travels to the islands and northern Thailand. And, I am happy, at least knowing I will not wither away to nothing while we're in Asia!
On Saturday, we had Chipotle...I thought that was important, as I'm sure any Chipotle fan would agree. That evening, we shared John and Nicole's wedding day with them, with food and cocktails that were absolutely outstanding. Yesterday we drove up to Chris and Di's house in LA, where we are leaving Matt's car while we are away. As usual, Di out-did herself. There was a huge breakfast buffet to welcome the first day of football, complete with a bloody mary bar, mimosas, bagels, asparagus fritatta, breakfast potatoes, cheesy hashbrowns, perfectly well-done bacon and coffee cake. Since breakfast is my favorite meal, this was my perfect bon voyage meal. After Matt only finished half his plate, he couldn't believe I was heading back for seconds! Apparently, this was a good decision on my part.
Our first meal on the flight to Taiwan was a choice of chicken rice or a baked potato. Even though chicken rice sounded good, I decided to be "safe" and go with the baked potato. Not smart. It was actually boiled, sliced potatoes over some old-looking beef. I ate the dinner roll. Second meal was a choice of eggs or chicken rice. I decided to go with the chicken rice, since this seemed like a popular option. This was more like a watery, soupy-looking mixture with rice and boiled chicken floating in it. I ate the dinner roll and a few grapes. On the flight from Taiwan to Bangkok, we were presented with the option of chicken rice or spaghetti. Matt and I both opted for spaghetti. Matt opened his box and immediately closed it, saying, "You don't want this." Turns out spaghetti means fettucine pasta in a watery white sauce with giant slices of ham on it. I ate the dinner roll.
After three dinner rolls, I was getting nervous, but reminded myself that this was airline food, not Asian food. We got into Bangkok late last night and headed to our hotel. By the time we made it there and checked in, it was about 2:30am, and we decided to go out for a beer. We had a few Leos and decided to get something in our stomachs. Matt was excited to have the authentic curry he's been missing for seven years. I opted for "Garlic Rice wrapped in egg", which is exactly what it sounds like. Imagine a rice omelette. It was, as Ang would put it, "to die for". So, things are looking up!
Now, we're off to explore Bangkok and book some of our travels to the islands and northern Thailand. And, I am happy, at least knowing I will not wither away to nothing while we're in Asia!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Five Days to Go!
After deciding to go on this trip about a year ago, we can't believe we're leaving on Sunday! I think we are pretty well-prepared...all our flights are booked and we have ideas of what we'd like to do and see in each city we'll be in. Here's a map of our flight-path. Though we'll only be hitting two continents, our travels take us directly "around" the world. We'll be visiting Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Egypt, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and South Africa.
As part of our prep, we went to the International Travelers' Clinic to get our immunizations. They were so helpful there, but the visit was a little unnerving, too. Hearing the list of precautions you "might want to take", I started to stress. As most of you know, I wear my emotions on my face. So, as we walked out, Matt pointed out that the nurse practitioner should have also said, "You may get struck by lightning," just so they have covered EVERYTHING. He's right, of course, and armed with an insider's perspective to the world of Public Health (thanks, Sarah!), we got our shots, anti-malarials and a few antibiotics to bring along. Now we need to get our DEET bug spray, sunscreen and a couple of other toiletries and we'll be all set.
There is, of course, that giant obstacle of packing. I'm having a hard time getting started on this. It shouldn't be too difficult since we're only bringing one backpack each, but as a chronic "overpacker" I am starting to get anxiety about leaving certain things behind. Of course we've been checking the weather in Cairo, Bangkok, Windhoek and everywhere in-between, but can the "Weather" app on the iPhone REALLY be trusted??? We shall see. Plus, how do we know what types of clothing we'll need for a night out in Livingstone? We got some new hiking shoes for our jungle trek and safari, headbands to try to tame the curls in the Asian humidity, and I still think I will bring along a pair of wedges, just to be "safe".
We hope you will all join us on our journey by checking out this blog. We think it will be the easiest way to keep everyone (read: nervous Moms and Sisters) aware of where we are and what we're doing. I'm new to this, and some of the areas we'll be in will be pretty remote, so I can promise to TRY to update regularly. Hopefully I can convince Matt to share in doing some posts as well. Currently, though, he thinks that the blog is a great idea...for me to be in charge of. Wish me luck!
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