May 31, 2012

Trekking in Northern Thailand, Day 2

Day 2

I awoke with a hangover (blame the German waterfalls) and stumbled out into the daylight for breakfast, but not before carefully shaking each of my shoes to check for scorpions, as I had been instructed to do the day before. Mexican showered then breakfast; Instant coffee (lots of it), a boiled egg, pineapple, and toast with butter and jam. Hangover fading, heat and humidity rising, we set off on our Trek for the day down the mountain to seek waterfalls. Early on in the trekking, Johnny Walker kept stopping and walking off into the bamboo thickets with his machete mumbling something about sticks. Many of us guessed chopsticks for lunch? No, he wanted to prepare each of us a walking stick. Myself, and some others included, thought this just a frivolous exercise by our guide as just a helpful gesture. “I don’t need a walking stick”, I thought to myself, I hike all the time. I soon realized why the walking stick was necessary; the trail proceeded straight down at more than a 45% decline on slick red mud. Have Thai trailblazers not heard of switchbacks?

Down and down we went, the foliage getting thicker and the heat/humidity rising as we descended into bamboo thickets and leafy underbrush. As we walked, we chatted amongst ourselves and found that many of us shared common interests in music, online entertainment and sports. At last, I began to hear the all too familiar faint sound of rushing water in the distance. Before we knew it we were crossing a small stream and the roar of a massive waterfall was rattling our eardrums. The waterfall was multi-tiered and ending in a waist deep pool perfect for cooling off after the hour-long steep hike we just finished. Several of my fellow trekkers shied away at the chilly water, but not me, as my upbringing in western North Carolina would suggest, my inner “hillbilly” came out and I jumped right in, being at home in ice cold mountain streams such as Sliding Rock or Deep Creek back in NC.

After everyone had sufficiently cooled off and rested, we were called over to a small bamboo hut for a lunch that Johnny had prepared. Noodles with egg and vegetables, but served in a unique fashion; Johnny had made each of us a trough from a large bamboo stalk he chopped down minutes before.

I finished my lunch rather quickly and began to wander around the waterfall area once again. Upon gazing upward to the trees I noticed that many were bearing small red clusters of red fruit, lychee! Along the entire journey so far I had noticed the remnants of crushed lychee underfoot and the common smell of rotting fruit from time to time, but I had yet to actually see the fruit sprouting fresh from the tree. My curiosity got the best of me and I tried to climb a tree to grab one of these little red balls. I managed to snag one and carried it over to show Johnny and ask if it was indeed OK to eat. He said yes and apparently I had started something, because at that point Johnny asked me to come along with him as we proceeded to harvest a butt-load of these delectable fruits. My method of leaping and grabbing the low hanging branches amused Johnny, so he showed me the more efficient way of crafting a bamboo pole with a fork at the end, which he used to then hook the thin branch at the end of the fruit and twist so that the entire cluster of fruits came down with ease. I tried on my own with great success and brought back many to share with my still lunching trek-mates. At that point, “it was on like Donkey Kong”, and everyone wanted a piece of the action. So much so that Johnny ended up climbing the lychee tree like a Gibbon to snap off full branches (but not before murmuring a quick prayer and uttering his favorite phrase – “Oh my Buddha”). Sweet lychee, fresh from the tree. I’d never had anything so delectably tasty In recent memory that I believe I ate myself sick from our bounty.

Bellies full once again and fingers sticky from lychee juice, we set off down the riverbed in search of waterfall number 2 of the day. At this point in the trek I tended to lag behind on purpose in order to separate myself from the group and enjoy a little personal time while hiking and enjoying my surroundings. This, solo hiking, was a little trick I learned on my first 50 mile hike on the Appalachian Trail as a boy scout and it has stuck with me as one of the best ways to enjoy nature and free your mind to wander. It was during this solo time that I realized once again that I was home. This creek-side trail, these waterfalls, the overhanging greenery and chirping of birds was all too familiar. Instead of pine, birch and rhododendron, it was banana, mango and lychee trees surrounding me but the feeling of being in nature and doing what I’ve always loved to do was the same. Indescribable joy, I felt like a kid again, hiking the ever familiar Graveyard Fields upper waterfall trail. I was skipping along from rock to rock, twirling my bamboo walking stick and singing my favorite songs aloud before I knew I had caught back up with my fellow Trekkers, all looking a bit concerned about me and asking me if I was OK, since I was lagging so far behind. I just said “yeah I’m fine”, with a smile (not bothering to tell them that this was just a normal weekend activity for me, at risk of sounding like the boastful American stereotype). My second realization was that we had all stopped to view and swim at the second waterfall. An even more stunning cascade of water stood before us and an enterprising local had set up a little bamboo hut selling beers, water and snacks. Swimming, relaxing and photo-shoots ensued.

Cooled and refreshed once again, our trek-weary group had only a short hike before we reached our camping spot for the night. After leaving the waterfall we arrived at a series of huts about 30 minutes downstream. We were shown around our accommodations for the night by the two Thai women who lived there and acted as our hosts. This was no hill-tribe village, this was much more basic and much less comfortable. “No worries”, I thought, normally I would be lugging around a 60 pound pack, setting up my own tent and building my own fire had I been home, so this was almost luxury for the wilderness. I can’t say that all my trek-mates shared the same sentiment.

After taking some time to wash up with the stream water shower and relax our tired feet, it was time for dinner. Another two tasty dishes were severed family style over rice; spicy chopped greens with minced chicken and a slow cooked cucumber and veggie curry, followed by some leftover lychee for desert.

After dinner, as it grew dark, we were all fairly pooped from the previous two days exercise, so we took it easy on the Chang beer and mainly sat around chatting about cultural differences in beer and similar tastes in music festivals. At one point, another Thai male entered the camp, carrying an impressive looking, but rather ancient muzzle-loader rifle. Johnny tried to explain that he was going out to hunt some sort of squirrel or rat, and the gentleman fired off a round from his rifle with a deafening blast, for demonstration. As we were all headed off to bed, we weren’t without our own animal encounters that night. First, was the typical cat that preferred to sleep inside our hut and nuzzle up to the French-Canadian couple. Second, and more surprising, was the 5 foot long snake that almost crawled across the feet of Leo (one of the German boys) as he was brushing his teeth just outside of our hut. Johnny heard our commotion and quickly jumped into action to bash the snake to death with a bamboo stick. He later told us that this was a very poisonous variety of snake.

All of us a bit more nervous, we headed into the hut, tucked the mosquito nets tightly around us and drifted off to sleep.

To be continued….

Posted in Animals, Camping, Chiang Mai, Food, Hiking/Trekking, Nature, Thailand
Tagged Bamboo, Cat, Chiang Mai, Curry, Hiking, Lychee, Noodles, Rice, River, Snake, Stream, Thai, Thailand, Trekking, Waterfalls
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May 28, 2012

Same Same, but Different (Trekking in Northern Thailand Day 1)

Do you ever have those moments when on a faraway vacation you suddenly realize that you are doing the exact same thing for fun that you would have been doing were you still at home? This feeling was almost my constant companion during my 3 day 2 night Trek through the mountains of Northern Thailand.
One of my primary concerns when leaving the USA for Thailand was that I would miss out on the backpacking trips that I typically take every summer in the Blue Ridge Mountains, surrounding my hometown of Asheville, NC. When the aforementioned realization hit me while on my Thailand mountain trek, I was overcome with indescribable joy. So as the popular saying goes in Thailand, “Same Same, but Different”.

I suppose there is really no better way to tell you about the trek and all it’s details than a day to day account, so this post is simply the first days events. I will follow up with 2 additional posts to cover the full 3 day affair:

Day 1: I woke up early to pack the small pack I obtained at the Chiang Mai night market ($14 for a Lowe-Alpine knockoff). I was going minimalist, 2 shirts, 2 underwear, 2 pair of socks, 1 pair of pants that zip into shorts, swim trunks, raincoat, NB Minimus trail running shoes and my MSR quickdry towel. The rest of my bag was filled with cameras and toiletries.

My guesthouse (Sri-Pat) agreed to hold the rest of my belongings in storage as long as I stayed with them when I returned. I was picked up promptly (surprise) at 10am by the guide, who introduced himself only as, “Johnny Walker”, and spoke hardly any English. He directed me to the truck and judging from the lack of space it appeared I was the last to be picked up that morning. I grabbed a tight seat next to the tailgate and off we went. There were 11 of us: 2 French Canadians, 2 German lads, 2 young Cambridge girls, a couple from Liverpool ,1 UK-Indian, 1 Northern Irishman and me, the lone American.

As our hour long truck ride commenced I was seated next to 4 of my fellow companions that hailed from the UK. We chatted for quite a while and found that thankfully we were a group that at the very least wouldn’t strangle each other by the first night. Little did i know that i would become very good friends with these “chaps”. Our first stop was at a local market in Mae-Rim to gather food for the trip.

After the supplies were obtained, Johnny herded us back into the truck and shortly thereafter we turned onto dirt roads, before I knew it we had arrived at an elephant camp. Where elephants are cared for and trained to ferry around riders on their backs. There was seating for two aboard each elephants back, so we paired off and climbed atop a wooden platform to mount our elephants. I was paired with the Northen Irishman, whose name happened to be James, my middle name and also the first name of my father and grandfather. As we rode the elephants saunter made seatbelts seem a necessity. Since seatbelts were lacking we held on for dear life and tried out best to shoot some photos. The elephants trekked down to the river where they stopped to cool off by sucking the muddy water into their trunks and then spraying themselves (and us consequently). Soon after it started it was over and we dismounted on a bamboo platform and our elephant got a much needed rest.

Lunch was served, fried rice with tofu, bland but palatable with the accompanying hot chili sauce. After eating, trekking was to begin and Johnny led us on a fairly blistering pace up a steep incline. At first passing small huts and homes and then up into the mountain trails. We passed a few other elephants on the trail and were also followed from the elephant camp by 2 canine companions.
The trail continued to incline and combined with the humidity a few of my trek-mates were beginning to wonder what they had gotten themselves into. As for me, I beginning to realize just how familiar I was with this sort of activity, except back home we don’t call it trekking, this was simply a weekend hike in Pisgah National Forest in the summer (plus some elephants of course).

Up and up we went, the views getting more scenic along each rest we took. Finally we made it to our destination, a small cluster of bamboo huts atop the mountain where a local hill tribe hosts Trekkers almost nightly. The owners of the hut greeted us with cool water, Chang beer and snacks. There was a group hut for eating and socilizing and another group hut for sleeping. There were crude showers but they were refreshingly cold, as well as the typical “squatter” toilets.

After washing up the majority of us went to watch the sun set over the mountains. When I stepped to the ledge I was in floored in amazement; the green rolling mountains, the cool mist, the bluish hue…this was home. I tried exasperatingly to tell my fellow Trekkers how this georgeous scene in front of us was what I grew up with, but I really could not find the words. Most likely I just sounded like a rambling idiot, but I didn’t care, this de-ja-vu in front of me wasn’t taken for granted, it was appreciated in a whole new light to know that Thai hill tribe children were experiencing the same scene I was experiencing as a child, only on the opposite side of the planet.

After sunset we marched back to our hut in twilight, bellies rumbling for dinner. We were not disappointed; green beans with minced chicken in a spicy chili sauce and a curried pumpkin with veggies that tasted similar to butternut squash. All served over white rice and washed down with Chang lager. After dinner we were entertained by the village children who came wearing traditional hill tribe clothing and sang a wonderfully long traditional song. We were asked to return a song, and since we were so culturally diverse ourselves we chose the only tune we universally knew (except the Germans) “twinkle twinkle little star”.

After the children had left, we were to entertain ourselves. We played drinking card games and suprisingly almost everyone favored my rules for “circle of death”, a card game I played with my college buddies (I learned quickly that sitting next to a German who draws the Ace waterfall card is a dangerous thing).

Many of us got properly hammered and we each realized in turn that it was well past time for some much needed sleep. I climbed into a cot, enclosed by a pink mosquito net, inside a bamboo structure alongside my other Trekkers. Out of the slats in the wall next to me I could see the dark shapes of mountains and the faint lights of small villages in the valleys below. Although my Irish neighbor was snoring, I had my ear buds and the musical comfort of Active Child and Bon Iver to lull me to sleep. Lights out.

To be continued…

Posted in Camping, Thailand, Food, Chiang Mai, Animals, Nature, Hiking/Trekking
Tagged Thailand, Curry, Chiang Mai, Mountains, Elephants, Hiking, Mae Rim, Trekking, Trek, Bamboo, Rice, Johnny Walker, Chang, UK, Hill Tribe, Waterfall, German, French-Canadian, Northern Ireland
9 Comments

May 26, 2012

Tiger Kingdom and Saoseng Redemption

There are some moments in life when everything seems to come together at just the right time. I had one of those moments the other day when cruising the back roads of Northern Thailand by motorbike and realizing that my Family, nature and a peace provided by a higher power are all I will ever need.
I had planned to rise early at 8am that morning to then join the masses of westerners in a full day of organized tours to the famed temple of Doi Sutep and the irresistible Tiger Kingdom. What is that quote regarding the “best laid plans of mice and men”? Regardless, I overslept and then awoke to be delivered with some rather unpleasant and unexpected news from back home. A potential day-ruiner and I had missed the guided tour bus to my planned destinations. As The Dude would lament, “that’s a bummer man”.
So I headed out of my guesthouse in the hopes of at least a finding decent breakfast and much needed coffee. On my way to a suitable eating establishment I happened to pop into what i thought was one of the many street side (or should I say Soi side) travel booking agencies. As I inquired with the Thai ladies within about tours to my desired destination leaving late in the day, dealing with the usual price haggling and language barriers, a western looking young lady entered the building. The westerner, a lovely Brit by the name of Nikki, proceeded to wave off her Thai coworkers and give me the advice that would completely turn my day around.
“Instead of an organized tour, why not rent a motorbike and do it all yourself? The trust that many fellow expats share was established and my solution was now crystal clear. I thanked her profusely and then headed off to follow her expert advice. Come to find out, the place I randomly walked into was actually the headquarters for S.E.A Backpacker Magazine, an outfit dedicated to backpacker and flash packer travel in south east Asia. Forget travelfish.org, http://www.southeastasiabackpacker.com/ is a great website for getting any information you need about the travel and countries in SEA. I was handed an issue of their latest magazine and read it cover to cover the following evening and I scoured their website, very nicely done.

Based on four lines of written directions from Nikki, I embarked on one of the most incredible day-trips of my life. The first stop was a noon breakfast at Euro Cafe (one of the many expat eateries/bars owned by some Australians) where I did in fact get my decent breakfast and coffee, I had an excellent Spanish omlette. I then headed directly next door to Nikki’s reccomdation of Mr. Beers motorcycles for a motorbike rental for the day, only 150 bht ($5). Despite the name, Mr. Beer was very reputable and helpful.

Getting users to the bike took a few minutes, but then it all clicked. The recess of my brain where motorcycle operation had been stored was fully activated, thanks be to my Dad for giving me dirtbikes and motorcycles as an adolescent. I headed to Chiang Mai’s north gate and continued on the highway to Mae-Rim and the Tiger Kingdom.

Now, Tiger Kingdom, what can I say? A chance to literally pet and play with tigers of all sizes for a price of less than $50, and in an environment wherein they are treated humanely? Yes please. Many folks have mixed feelings about the several Tiger refuges that are located in Thailand, and for good reason. There are reports of abuse, drugging, chaining and general mistreatment of the animals simply for the tourist dollar. I made sure to check out Tiger Kingdom beforehand and they appeared to be a legitimate enterprise. Not run by Monks, like many of the tiger refuges and orphanages, but the Tigers are treated well and part of your Money goes back into conservation efforts.
I walked up to the counter and was directed to purchase a ticket for the type of tigers I wanted to encounter. Big, Medium, Small and Smallest were the choices and based on price ($1250 bht) I chose Big, Small and Smallest for my ticket. I was then led into the gated area and guided around to the different compounds where each set of tigers relaxed during the day.

I was randomly paired with Rober (Robert), a Spaniard also traveling alone, so we got to experience the Big cats together. Some were sleeping some were playing, some were just gnawing on bamboo or coconut husks, but we got to see and pet them all. An especially funny photo-op came when a tiger was getting ready to take a poo, and Rober, thinking that this was a trained pose by the tiger, came up behind it for a photo only to have a pile of steamy Tiger soft-serve dropped between his feet.

Next came the small tigers,which were about the size of my families golden retriever back home but with paws the size of saucepans. Most of these youngsters were quite sleepy at this time of day, so the handler took my camera from me and snapped photos for me while I laid around with these big kitties.

Finally, the smallest tigers and by far the cutest and most playful. These little ones were bigger than your average house cat but acted very much the same way when it came to being lazy and chasing around things on a string. Which brings to mind the question: is there catnip for tigers?

As you can see from one of the pics above, the tigers all still have their claws and teeth and as far as I could tell, none of these tigers were drugged in any way, but as you may notice they appear to be knocked out in many of the pictures. Tigers sleep up to 18 hours a day, this is how they can afford to survive as a big cat with little prey in the wild and make them capable of amazing feats of leaping, climbing and running. You may also notice the spots behind their ears, I was told this was a defense mechanism to mimic eyes on the back of their heads.
After the exhilarating Tiger Kingdom experience I still felt I had more biking to do to clear my head, so I headed off on the Saoseng Road around the mountains to explore and blow off some steam. Little did I realize then that this Saoseng Road would be the equivalent of the “Blue Ridge Parkway” (of Asheville fame) in Chiang Mai. I took a 2 hour long ride up and down steep mountain roads and hairpin turns. There were gorgeous vistas, small towns and lots of farmland. I won’t bore you with more words and I certainly won’t go into my visit to Doi Suthep in this post because you all probably cant stop scrolling though the tiger photos anyway but I did make a short video of my motorbike adventure to can get an idea of what I was experiencing. Music by Knife Party, Internet Friends, the song is a bit explicit, so just turn down the sound if it’s not your bag.

Posted in Animals, Chiang Mai, Sightseeing, Thailand, Travel
Tagged Cats, Chiang Mai, Cubs, Doi Suthep, Knife Party, Mae Rim, Monks, Motorbikes, Mr. Beer, S.E.A. Backpacker, Saoseng, Scooters, Tiger Kingdom, Travelfish
8 Comments

May 23, 2012

Chiang Mai

Imagine Asheville, North Carolina in the summer (for those who can), the city of my birth and hometown for 18 formative years. Rolling green mountains, haunted by mists in the early and late in the day, a vibrantly diverse but quaint city center and a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and extreme sports addicts. Now add to that image: elephants, tigers, delectable Thai cusine and everything for one-thirtyith the price. Ladies and gentleman, this is no fantasy, this is Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.

Close to the borders with Myanmar (Burma) and Laos, Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand. With a population of around 160,000 but boasting close to one-million inhabitants in its sprawling low-profile urban area, the citys epicenter is still surrounded by remnants of square brick fortress walls and a moat (which is apparently good for fishing) since in the early centuries Chiang Mai was constantly at war with Burma and in the 1500s was temporarily occupied by the Burmese.

My Chiang Mai experience has been a good one, so there will most likely be several posts dedicated to my weeklong stay here. It all started with disembarking from the train and then deciding to walk from one end of town to the other (where my $30, 4 star, pre-booked hotel lie in wait). The climate was a few degrees cooler than Bangkok so walking and sightseeing seemed to be a suitable option, even though I was toting my 50lbs of luggage.
Much like Asheville, I crossed the muddy Ping river that lie adjacent to the city and I could see the misty green peaks in the distance that reminded me of mine own Blue Ridge Mountains. Soon I came upon the city center’s eastern gate, or what was left of it.

Perusing the streets and many Wats I came across, I was surprised at both the lack of tall buildings and apparent age of the structure that were still within the confines of the old walls.
It took me a good 30 mins to walk from east gate to west gate and then another 15 to make it to my hotel, The Furama Chiang Mai. First, a quick review of The Furama. Excellent overall, well deserving of the 4 stars. Huge room, panoramic view of the city, western bathroom, 2 separate pools (including a rooftop pool), decent fitness center and the coup de grace: free high speed WiFi. All for the neat price of $30 per night.
Over the course of the subsequent 3 day 2 night stay at The Furama, I spent most of my time catching up with online business, writing and hanging out with the Australian ladies I met on the train.

Each night consisted of a famed Chiang Mai, “Night Bazaar”. Saturday night was the standard nightly street market with local stalls set up outside the city gates east side. Most of the goods were the typical knock-off handbags, watches, shoes, jewelry and EPL jerseys. The difference in Chiang Mai is that there are serious deals to be had if you are an experienced haggler. I like to think I showed the Aussie girls a few good sales tactics and helped them get season 6 of Greys Anatomy for around $12. We soon tired of getting hassled by vendors (at least we weren’t being asked to go to Ping-Pong shows) so we headed off to a famed rooftop bar for some beverages and I had the privilege of buying the girls their first Thai bucket drink.
The real action comes around every Sunday night in Chiang Mai, when inside the walls of the city the center streets are shut down to traffic and a street market of mammoth proportions takes place.

There are vendors selling handmade goods and souvenirs as well as all the lovely northern Thai food, fruits, vegetables and meats. There is even a small carnival set up for children that includes a mini ferris wheel and a bounce house. There was a noticeable lack of the typical street vendors hocking the off-brand touristy goods, I think they relegate those schemesters to outside the city walls on this night. The Sunday night bazaar is obviously a big attraction for tourists to visit, but for the most part this is a celebration for the Thai locals of Chiang Mai and the surrounding areas to come together, sell their goods to one another and see and be seen about town. There are also a variety of street performers, singers, dancers and here is a video of a full band:

Around 10pm the night bazaar starts to close down and the people go home. Westerners (or party loving Thais) can then go to a number of bars operated by expats from around the globe. There is an American themed saloon (featuring last years NFL games), a UN Irish Pub, a Mikes Burgers, and a bar called The Wall, dedicated to Pink Floyd.
When Monday comes around all returns to normal and the people and tourists of Chiang Mai pick back up their hiking boots, mountain bikes, kayak paddles, climbing harnesses, etc., and go about enjoying the natural wonders of nature that Chiang Mai has to offer. I have been enjoying these wonders myself and I will be posting more about the adventures, jungles, cuisine and tigers of this beautiful area. Here is just a little teaser for you cat lovers

Posted in Chiang Mai, Sightseeing, Thailand
Tagged asheville, Australians, Buckets, Burma, Chiang Mai, Elephants, Furama Hotel, Hiking, kayaking, Laos, Moat, Mountains, Night Bazaar, Northern Thailand, Ping River, Sightseeing, Thailand, The Wall, Tigers, travel
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May 22, 2012

C’mon Ride the Train

After the escapade that was Khaosan road, I was again tired of the hustle and bustle of the city. I wanted a change of atmosphere as well as a change of scenery. Seeing as this is Thailand, and it offers both serene beaches and picturesque mountains, the change I was looking for was within reach, well, about 800 miles of reach. I needed to head north to Chiang Mai, the second largest city in Thailand. So the question was: how do I get there?
I have always been fascinated by trains (not so much as to have a model in my basement, but my Uncle did) and it seemed like part of the 12 hour journey to Chiang Mai might go down smoother with a little sleep involved. These factors considered, I took the advice of the Quad City DJs and decided to just “c’mon” and ride the night train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.

Upon arrival to Hua Lamphong train station in Bangkok I was directed to counter to purchase my ticket. I had done my research beforehand and knew that out of VIP, 1st Class, 2nd Class and Economy that I wanted a 2nd class ticket with air-con and a top bunk sleeper, since this would be an overnight train. The total cost for my 800 mile, 12 hour journey came to around 720 bht (~$25).
The train wasnt leaving for another few hours so I walked around snapping photos like a good little tourist and decided to snag a bit of food as well. The train station eatery was a bit of a cafeteria where you had to buy coupons first then order at your choice of food stall. Confused as I was, I looked to my left to see an almost equally bewildered western-looking girl. Between the two of us we worked out the procedure and she was kind enough to invite me to eat with her and her travel partner (I’m sure you Shielas are reading and you are my loves forever):

Over the course of fried rice with pork, I learned that these two ladies were Australians from Adelaide and we shared a penchant for Greys Anatomy and of all things, Carolina Basketball!!! Coincidentally the Aussies and I were on the same train, so when the time came to board we herded into our respective purple train cars.

The cars were surprisingly roomy and comfortable since it appeared as though the train wasn’t even close to fully booked. I passed the first few hours gazing out the window as the filthy streets of Bangkok turned into countryside and getting my nose crammed into my Kindle.

Before I knew it, the Australians had gotten bored themselves and I had been invited back to their train-car to play cards and drink Sangsom & cokes. They had their own version of a popular college card game we affectionately call, “Asshole”, back in the states. A few of the rules were different and I can’t quite recall the name they called it, but the result of the game was the same, we all ended up a bit buzzed. After cards we took a trip down to the restaurant car and I ordered up some curry and a Singha. The food was served cold (probably because it was 10pm) but it was much better than airplane fare. Finally after more late night chit-chat with the ladies it was off to catch a bit of shut-eye before dawn. I crawled up into my top bunk, yanked the curtain closed and let the combination of Fleet Foxes and the swaying train lull me to sleep.

I awoke promptly at 6:45am expecting our arrival in Chiang Mai at 7:15, as the ticket stated. I headed off to the restaurant car for a quick breakfast of Jok and coffee.

As 7:15 came and went, I decided to ask someone if I had missed my stop. “No” they replied, “the train is simply on a 3 hour delay”. 3 hours? When did I miss this? Oh well, I decided I’d better use the facilities and get quick Mexican shower (sink shower) to freshen up. Here’s a sneak peak at the quality of WC the train had to offer:

The delay was no big deal as the scenery was beautiful to watch race by my window. We finally got to our stop and disembarked. After a quick goodbye to my Australian friends from the previous night and a promise to meet up with them again once I got settled in town, I hit the mean streets of Chiang Mai.

For you video-philes here’s one of the train put to the sweet tunes of, “Trip”, by Vacationer (seriously, no puns intended):

Posted in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Travel
Tagged Adelaide, Australian, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Lamphong, Jok, Quad City DJs, Rail, Sangsom, Shiela, Singha, Thailand, Trains, travel
3 Comments

May 20, 2012

The Khaosan Experience

The first time I stayed in Bangkok I booked a posh hotel in the Silom business district of the city so that i could treat myself and adjust to jet-lag and potential culture shock. I had a relaxing time, an early sleep/wake schedule and more or less a “chilled-out” experience. Upon meeting up with my two high-school buddies in Koh Tao and telling them of my time in Bangkok, they reacted with utter confusion and mild shock. Both told me that I got it all wrong, that my initiation into Thailand had to be, “the Khaosan experience”. So when we arrived in Bangkok after our trip to Kuala Lumpur, it was decided that we would stay in the backpacker mecca that is Khaosan Road (pronounced cow-san).
Granted, I did visit Khaosan Road my first time in Bangkok, it was around 2pm and there didn’t appear to be anything much other than run down hostels and an increase in the typical street-side vendors of cheap souvenirs and mysterious grilled meats. Little did I know that Khaosan comes alive at sunset, so during my visit most of the denizens inhabiting this area were deep in their REM sleep cycles at 2pm.
After deboarding our plan at Suvarnbhumi airport in Bangkok, our subsequent cab pulled us into the area around 5pm and I could tell that the place seemed to be “waking up”. We walked around looking for a place to stay the night and settled on one of the many Guesthouses that line the street. One night stay with air-con was only 650 bht. Take a look at the accommodations:

Not too shabby for this part of town. Next on the agenda was getting some food in our bellies. After a 5 second scan of the area, we settled on the establishment across the street. Typical menu, all the western favorites for over 100 bht and all the local Thai deliciousness for under 100 bht. I went for my go-to which has become the chicken cashew stir-fry with a coconut shake. The restaurant was of course open-air (I don’t think I have eaten indoors since I’ve been in Thailand) and we ended up getting a spurt of rain showers, nothing a quick umbrella can’t fix. Our attention then shifted to the strange statues positioned around the eatery, strangest of all was this giant Buddha-like incarnation that featured a golden mask and grotesque toenails:

After dinner was a 1 hour Thai massage (250 bht) and a quick nap to prepare ourselves for the night ahead of us. If you have ever seen the movie, “The Beach”, you may recall Leonardo Dicaprio’s arrival in Bangkok near the beginning of the film. He is on Khaosan as he walks to his initial hostel where he meets “Ducky”, surrounded by neon lights, shady characters, and pushy vendors. Well, Hollywood is spot-on with that representation. Khaosan at night turns into a street lined with open air bars and back alley dance clubs. On the street are vendors selling street food: grilled meats, fruit and even fried insects. You are constantly fighting off Thai salesmen trying to sell you custom tailored suits (who is buying suits?), Tuk-tuk rides and invitations to Ping-Pong shows (I will not explain what this is, it’s not what you think. I think comedian Dave Attell gives a good assessment of the activities performed during one of these shows). My friends and I are just interested in a few beers and the cultural melting pot that is simply people watching on the street.

Beers turn to cocktails, cocktails turn to shots and shots turn to the infamous buckets. Before we know it we have bar hopped almost every spot on the strip and as we sit telling jokes with some Brit and Thai friends we made along the way we realize the sun is up. Reality sets in and we pay our tabs and stagger back to our guesthouse to sleep away the impending hangover.

The following day, or should I say later that day, I wake up at 3pm and hold my head in my hands as I join my friends for breakfast. Luckily almost everywhere in Thailand serves up an American breakfast at all hours. After eating, it was back to the room for me for Thai movies on TV and falling in and out of sleep. The day would have been considered a total waste but later that evening the boys and I did end up going to MBK (the giant mall/flea market in Bangkok) so that I could get my iPhone camera and backplate fixed as well as catch another movie.
Unlike the movies we went to in Malaysia, before a Thai movie starts you are obligated to stand up in your seat as a short film of the Thai King is played as tribute. The Thais hold their monarchs in great reverence and it is a great insult to disrespect them in any way if you are a westerner. We watched “American Reunion”, which was surprisingly good and immensely nostalgic. After the film I almost forgot I was in in Thailand as memories of my own journey from high school to the end of my twenties ran through my mind.
Back to reality, we got a cab back to Khaosan and, still nursing my previous nights antics, I decided I would take the train up north to Chiang Mai the next day, parting ways with my lifelong buddies Travis and Jon and venturing out on my own once again. Sad in many ways, but excited to experience more of this great land and make new friends.
My Khaosan experience was quite different than my first foray with Bangkok and I have met several others who have gone through the same experience i have. No doubt I will be back though Bangkok and it will be hard not to stay in Khaosan one more time.

Posted in Bangkok, Khaosan Road, Thailand
Tagged American Reunion, Bangkok, Bhat, Buckets, Buddha, Clubs, Cribs, Guesthouse, Hostel, Khaosan, Leonardo Dicaprio, MBK, Ping-Pong Show, Silom, Thai Food, Thai Massage, Thailand, The Beach
4 Comments

May 18, 2012

Malaysian Sensation

When my friends told me that our next destination after Koh Phi Phi needed to be Kuala Lumpur, the part of my brain responsible for geography simply shut down. I couldn’t have even guessed where Kuala Lumpur was and my assumption is that most Americans would have the same trouble. Google Maps to the rescue! Kuala Lumpur (KL) is located in Malaysia, a half peninsular to the Asian continent, bordering Thailand and half island bordering, Indonesia. KL is a city of over 1.6 million people (~7 million unofficially) and considered a major hub of southeast Asia. Not as large as Bangkok, but much more new and technologically/architecturally developed. Wikipedia revealed the glittering image of the landmark Petronas Towers which vaguely registered a memory deep within my mind. I admit, I was ashamed I had never really known about this metropolis that hosts many an international event like Formula 1 racing and the global oil/energy summit. After my Google Maps/Wikipedia refresher I was ready for the trip and of course for a change of scenery to a big city after being in remote islands for so long.
After a short ferry boat ride, we hopped on an Air Asia (another great Asian airline btw) flight out of Krabi International and landed in Kuala Lumpur Airport 2 hours later. Of course, a new country meant a new currency, so we made for an ATM and drew out a couple hundred, Malaysian Ringgit (RM), at an exchange ration of 3:1 to the dollar. Not as great of an exchange rate as Thailand (30:1) but we could make do since we only planned to be in KL for 2 nights. The bank notes were strangely slim, perhaps 2/3 the size of a Dollar and multicolored much like the Thai Baht.
I had booked us a room at the Swiss Garden Hotel, near the city center of KL, so we hailed a cab to take us there. Little did we know that the cab ride was an hours distance from the city. We soon realized why as the sprawl of buildings and groves of palms showed us how expansive this urban area was. Interconnected with the city center of Kuala Lumpur are smaller metro hubs like Cyberjaya and many more clusters of brand new, futuristic looking skyscrapers, stadiums and row after row of developmental housing. The landscape is hilly as KL is situated in a called around a muddy river, surrounded by mountains slightly smaller than those in my birth-town of Asheville NC. Where there are not modern buildings there are groves upon groves of palm trees.
Malaysia is predominantly Muslim and the influence was evident even without leaving our hotel. Women in headscarves and men in traditional caps were prevalent. I also noticed that a large percentage of the other travelers were of middle eastern decent. Even our ride up the elevator to our 8th floor room was alongside a Saudi Arabian couple: the husband in shorts, sandals and t-shirt, the wife in floor length black silk robes, only a narrow slit for her to see through. The food menus were devoid of any pig products and of course there were the noticeable colored domes and minarets of many mosques around the city.
The whole of KL is very diverse, much more so than Bangkok. I notice all types of nationalities and ethnicities, there does not seem to be a majority anywhere. The diversity is most likely due to the popularity of KL as a business and commerce hub for all of southeast Asia, and the fact that the Islamic predominance makes it a prime Asian destination for middle easterners, northern Indians and east Africans, unlike the hedonistic Bangkok of comparable urban size. The language is easier to understand as it uses the English alphabet, unlike the cryptic Thai lettering. Alongside the Malaysian and English words are also Arabic script and Mandarin symbols in order to cater to the diversity of the city.
Now this is when i get into a bit of a travelers review/rant on our hotel, The Swiss Garden Hotel, which would be described as rocky. Check-in went smoothly but as we made our way to our room we found 2 beds instead of the 3 that we requested. Quarters were tight, but that was to be expected in a downtown hotel, we just needed a place for all 3 to rest our heads. Although for a higher price per night, the room (and hospitality) was much lesser than what i experienced at a similar 4 star hotel in Bangkok. I placed a call to housekeeping to notify them of the situation and we headed off to the hotel gym for a much needed workout while our room was being set up properly. To our surprise we discovered the “gym” was not all that Hotels.com described it to be. A few outdated treadmills and a variety of mismatched dumbbells. Luckily, all of us being experienced in the Tony Horton art of P90X we had no problem getting a sweat on without the proper equipment. Next on the agenda was getting some business done, since the 3 of us make our “skrilla” on the internet we looked forward to the “free wifi” that was described on the hotels.com website before we booked. We soon came to realize that not only was there no WiFi in our room or public hotel areas, there was no free WiFi whatsoever. We inquired with the business center and were informed that we could purchase a 30 min WiFi password for 20 Ringgit, more disappointment and utter shock at both the ridiculously high fee and hotels.com’s misleading description of “free WiFi” that we based our hotel booking upon. Some of us paid the fee in disgust, some of us just went to bed.
The next morning we started our first full day in KL. Things started off well as the free breakfast included at out hotel was extensive and delicious. An unlimited buffet of items covering all the major breakfast appetites: Jok with condiments for the Thai, Nasi Lemak for the Malaysians, Roti with curry for the Indians and English breakfast for us westerners (minus the bacon of course). Swiss Garden Hotel was certainly earning some points back in their favor by stuffing out bellies with all types of international cuisine for free. Once refueled we headed out into the streets of KL for some sightseeing. It was oppressively hot so we took an air-conditioned cab to the Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC), which is not only a large spotlessly clean and park but also the location of the famed Petronas Towers, the largest twin towers in the world.

The surrounding KLCC park was beautiful, filled with banyan trees, pools, playgrounds, fountains and spotlessly clean everywhere. We played around a bit on the parks massive playgrounds and took silly King Kong-esque pictures of ourselves with the towers.

Below the towers is a huge shopping mall with all the high-end brands you can imagine. We explored 5 floors of shops until our feet were sore and then decided to catch a movie at the mall cinema, actually, we caught 2 in a row. Both films, “Safe” (starring Jason Statham) and “The Avengers” were in English with both Malaysian and Chinese subtitles. The movie tickets were only 10 RM each (~$3.30) and the theatre was luxuriously comfortable. After treating ourselves to 4 hours of Hollywood action, we ventured back into the KLCC park to bask in the nighttime glow of the towers and surrounding skyline.

Dinner was consumed at Dome, an Italian restaurant in the park which served up all types of cuisine. I decided to try the national dish of Malaysia, Nasi Lemak. Nasi Lemak can and is consumed at breakfast, lunch and/or dinner in Malaysia and Indonesia, it usually consists of coconut scented rice, peanuts, boiled egg, cucumber, dried sardines, spicy red sauce and tender chicken or beef. Sometimes served on a plate sometimes wrapped inside a pandana leaf, this isthe multi-tool of Malaysian food. My version of the dish at Dome was of the higher-end Nasi Lemak spectrum.

The red sauce was a spicy puffer-fish concoction and the dried sardines were kind of like fishy pork rinds. The best part was the spicy tender beef mixed with the coconut scented rice.
After dinner we walked back home since the air had cooled off considerably. We passed through shopping district after shopping district, all sparkling clean and aglow with LED light. KL is by far one of the cleanest cities I have ever experienced and also one of the most beautiful. Parks and fountains are everywhere, litter is non-existent and the smells were quite pleasant (unlike the constant stench of Bangkok that you learn to deal with). KL is also a city built for cars and even though motorbikes are prevalent, there are certainly more Lamborghini and Porsche than scooters.
Upon returning to our hotel that night, we visited the business center once again to unhappily request more WiFi time. This time a different lady was working the counter and she informed us that it would be only 10 RM for 24 hours of WiFi. We were all at once elated at the new information and furious that the previous help was so badly misinformed. The WiFi was still not free as the website described, but the situation was infinitely better than the night before.
The next morning started with another hunger crushing buffet breakfast of delectable variety followed by checkout at 11am. After multiple attempts we were not able to book flights online for some reason, so we decided to do it the old fashioned way. We got a cab back to the airport and walked up to the ticket counter for Air Asia Airlines to request 3 one-way tickets to Bangkok. Air Asia’s staff is friendly and polite and gave us a great deal on the 3pm flight. Once aboard the spartan clean plane we were treated to further kind service by Barbie-doll like stewardesses, only adding to my newfound appreciation for Air Asia and other Asian airlines. Goodbye Kuala Lumpur, and thanks for the memories, we may remember you next time we need another 30 day passport extension for Thailand.

Posted in Food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Travel
Tagged Air Asia, Dome, Hotel, Islam, KLCC, Krabi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Muslim, Nasi Lemak, Petronas, Petronas Towers, Ringgit, Swiss Garden Hotel, WiFi
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May 15, 2012

Housecleaning

Greetings my fellow Americans (and the internationals I’ve met along the way), this is my state of the vagabond address. I am writing to you from my porch in Koh Phi Phi, watching the sun set.

I will have to move indoors soon since swarms of mosquitoes will be out in force when that big glowing disk moves below the horizon. I have been in Thailand for close to 3 weeks now and I already feel as if I have some blog housekeeping to do. I want to catch you up on a few thoughts, pics, and goings-on that I have neglected in my previous postings.
First, my current location, Koh Phi Phi (pronounced pee pee), the small island off the coast of western Thailand, slightly south of the more renowned tourist destination of Phuket (pronounced foo-ket). Phi Phi’s local Thai population is 80% Muslim, but i don’t believe there are many actively practicing Muslims here due to the raging beach parties this island hosts on a nightly basis. There is one Mosque and a noticeable lack of the requirement for the removal of shoes. I have been here for 2 nights and am staying at the Tara Inn. The Tara inn is low budget at best (numerous cockroaches and geckos share my room with me), but the hillside view is amazing. My surroundings sort of remind me of a Brazilian favela.

Down below are the bustling sidewalks of Koh Phi Phi’s urbanized area. The area is an interconnected web of narrow stone walkways, as automobiles and scooters are not allowed on the island. The cobblestones are tightly lined with markets, bars, food stalls, dive shops, tour agencies, hostels and mostly shallow storefronts selling the same t-shirts and trinkets the tourists love to buy. Koh Phi Phi is definitely a young backpacker port of call, tons of twenty somethings are roaming the streets at all times and you can hardly notice an ounce of Thai culture left on the small island. While the westernization for the sake of tourism is depressing to me, i realize that it is vital to the Thais and many Malaysians that live here, since this area was ravaged by the big Tsunami in 2004. Many structures are still damaged and there are empty lots here and there where nothing has been rebuilt. Almost every store or restaurant I enter has pictures of the local owner picking through the post-flood rubble. To my knowledge this was one of the hardest areas hit by the carnage. On a positive note, this Island was the filming location for the Hollywood movie, “The Beach”, starring Leo Decaprio. The nearby beach of Koh Phi Phi Ley (Maya Bay namely) was the setting for Dicaprio’s hidden island paradise (and hippie commune) in the film. Keeping things positive, as I’ve been writing the sun has set and colored the bay a gorgeous purple.

As far as food goes, I am trying to keep my eating habits regular. Sometimes I eat twice a day, sometimes eight times a day. It is common for newcomers to SEA to lose 10 to 15 pounds at first but I think I have reminded stable since I eat more carbs here than I did back in the States, although all the scales I step on measure my weight in Kilograms or Stones, so its hard to know exactly. I try to eat local whenever I can and I find that breakfast is the hardest meal to eat local since Thais dont have many breakfast options other than the rice porridge, Jok, or fried rice with a fried egg on top. I have had just about every Thai dish that appears on a common menu. Lots curries, soups, rice, omlettes and the bounty of condiments. Here are a few more food pics I snapped along the way:

These are some pig legs (I think) in one of the many roadside markets in Bangkok.

The deliciously spicy Tom Yum soup with shrimp.

JB with fried rice, traditionally served in a pineapple down in south Thailand.

Typically called “no-name”, these are basically deep fried vegetable fritters with Thai chili sauce.

Mussels in a spicy brown gravy sauce. The shells are blue in color on the edges and they are a bit smaller than the ones in Charleston.

Just to clean house, here are a few pictures of some things I deemed noteworthy but not enough for a full blog post:

One of many large Geckos found all over Koh Tao, this one was probably a foot long and was hanging outside my hotel door.

MBK, the huge mall in Siam Bangkok where you can buy any kind of knock-off product, most popularly iPhones, iPads, and Havaniana sandals, for dirt cheap.

A cave in the limestone cliffs next to the my hotel in Railay. It was filled with bats.

A hike up a waterfall the guys and I went on in a Koh Phangan national park.

A Mosque in Ao Nang, southern Thailand.

A few shots from one of the many boat ferry rides I’ve taken to get around the islands. Even Buddhist Monks get their travel on.

Ok! I feel much better after getting these words off my brain and pics off my hard drive, I hope you enjoyed them also. Barring any travel mishaps, my next post should be about my upcoming visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Posted in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand, Travel
Tagged Buddhist Temple, Curry, Fried Rice, Gecko, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Tao, Krabi, Kuala Lumpur, Leonardo Dicaprio, Malasia, Phuket, Thailand, The Beach, travel, Tsunami, Vagabonding
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May 12, 2012

Cliffhanger

Rock climbing is much more than an activity on Railay beach, it is a passion. Climbers flock to this renowned site for the stunning limestone cliffs on both land and sea. Professional climbers from Europe and North America come here toting cameras seeking sponsorship and fame while the less individualistic Thai (and Malaysian) locals simply climb for the love of the sport. A visitor to Railay can sign up for many different climbing courses and excursions. Full-day, Half-day, 3 day, full belay, soloing and more.
There are also numerous places to climb without using a guide. My friends and I chose to do some very adventurous hiking/climbing when wendecided to seek out a secluded lagoon that we spotted on map of the area the day before. We took a short walk from our hotel to the vertical trailhead and began our ascent. Barefoot and shirtless, we were thinking this would be a quick 30 minute round trip. Thailand is notorious for a lack of signage or warnings (Dad you would be furious). Helmets? Waivers? Warning signs? Never. In Thailand common sense and luck determine your fate.
Despite not having a guide or harnesses, there are many spots where ropes have been secured for assistance to free climbers, however, the maintenance and slickness of these ropes are tricky variables. Danger be damned, we would not be thwarted, so up we went, using dirt, tree, root, rope and rock to pull ourselves to the top.

We came upon the first waypoint, a cliffside view of the entire Railay beach area…stunning.

But our quest was for the lagoon, so we continued. We walked along the rim of the precipice before we reached an obvious area for descent into what appeared to be our lagoon crater. There were no ropes here but the grade wasn’t quite vertical so down we went. We descended about 300 vertical feet into thick jungle only to find that at the bottom was nothing but swamp. “maybe it’s just low-tide for the lagoon”, we reasoned, and back up we went.

Upon reaching the top, I was feeling quite accomplished and worn out from renewing my climbing skills (Climbax of Asheville would be proud). As we took the trail back I chanced to take a small detour trail which upon further exploration, led to another giant yet deeper crater in the limestone and jungle. Peering down over the edge, I could see the blue-green waters of a lagoon! I called the boys over for a look at the more technical and treacherous climb down. Our egos would not be denied this lagoon, despite bare feet, slick mud and tired muscles.

What followed were about 10 adrenaline packed brushes with near death as we climbed down 3 vertical-plus overhangs with only our hands and bare feet and the occasional slippery knotted rope between life and a bone crushing fall. This descent was also about 300 feet, but much more rocky and vertical. I was the first down to gaze upon one of the most gorgeous sights I’ve ever seen, a blue lagoon, surrounded by caves and stalactites. It was circular and completely enclosed with a diameter of about 100 feet.

The more professional climbing experience I chose was deep water soloing with an outfit named Hot Rock Climbers. Deep water soloing involves climbing without harnesses (like we did the day before) however you are given proper climbing footwear, a guide and taken out to the limestone towers out in the deep waters of the Andaman sea.

There were a total of 6 of us that day, Travis, John and I and a couple from Portland as well as our guide, an Australian named Michael who has been living and climbing in Railay for years. Our long-tail boat took us out to several different island rock formations where we attached a short bamboo ladder to access some great climbing spots. (see Michael attaching one of the more challenging ladders).

We were ferried around to several of the rocky islands in the area, including, Poda, Chicken, Hong, and James Bond islands. At each stop we attached the ladder and started climbing. Once you made it to the top (or lost your grip) you fell into the deep waters below. Climbing and cliff jumping? This is soooo my bag baby! Below is a quick video of a fun traverse I tried, until I lost my grip and took a unexpected plunge.

We stopped for a fried rice lunch at a picturesque island beach and explored some inland caves which contained hoards of bats and guano (thank you Ace Ventura for introducing the word Guano into the vernacular of everyone in my generation). One of our group members from Portland (Bryan) explained that the acid rain reacts with the limestone to form the massive stalactites in an almost wax-like manner, that appear everywhere in this part of Thailand.

After lunch was more climbing and some snorkeling until we were dead tired. We all escaped the day without injury, aside from sore feet, hands and a small cut on my forehead that i received from bumping into a stalactite. We sipped cold Singha and Chang and reflected on the literal heights we reached that day as the long-tail boat ferried us back to Railay.

Here is a video of the highest and most exhilarating free climb/cliff jump ive ever done ( I was the only one of the group to do it).

I hope you all enjoy reading about this as much as I had fun doing it. I can imagine spending a good amount of time in Railay but alas I must move on to new adventures. As always, your comments and feedback are greatly appreciated. Hopefully I will make it to a larger city area sometime soon so that I can post longer videos as many have requested!

Posted in Railay Beach, Sporting, Thailand
Tagged Ao nang, Bats, Belay, Cave, Chicken Island, Cliff Jumping, Climbing, Deep Water Solo, Hong Island, Krabi, Lagoon, Limestone, Long-tail Boat, Poda Island, Railay, Rock Climbing, Solo Climb, Thailand
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May 9, 2012

Go West Young Man

My apologies if some of you got a sneak peak of this post yesterday. It was unfinished and due to some technical difficulties with the WordPress app, a preliminary draft was accidentally posted. Having said that below is the complete and finished post.

It was difficult to do, but I have left Koh Tao and started my journey south to the western coast of Thailand. Our first pit stop was only an hour away, hopping to the island of Koh Phangan for the (in)famous full moon party, which obviously happens only once per month. I wont go into details because this is simply something you must experience for yourself and due to the abundance of water, fire and body paint I did not risk bringing along a camera for any photo or video documentation aside from this little video of me and the guys having fun at a pre-full moon foam bash in our hotel pool.

After a day of recovery and another long journey, my crew and I have made it to Railay beach.
The journey from Ko Phangan took us by barge to Don Sak, then by bus to Krabi, then a taxi to Ao Nang, a beach town on the western coast. Thailand’s western coast is at the southernmost tip of the country, bordering Malaysia. I have already noticed a slightly more Muslim influence in architecture and headscarves abound on the local women. The most stunning difference between this area of Thailand and the gulf island I was in previously is the topography.

Lush jungles and gigantic limestone cliffs jut out everywhere, on land and in the ocean. The bordering ocean is the Andaman sea, with waters that are relatively calm (no waves for surfing), but should be great for kayak exploring and scuba. Amongst the westerners here the majority seems scandinavian and there is quite the noticeable Rastafarian culture, evidenced in the frequency of smokey reggae bars. We spent one night in Ao Nang since we were to exhausted to go through any further travel that day, so we crammed into a tight hotel room to get some rest. The following day we spent exploring a bit of Ao Nang, which we found a bit deserted and lackluster. Pushy salesmen abound, hocking everything from crappy jewelry to custom tailored suits. There was a Starbucks and a McDonalds, so the boys and I did momentarily enjoy some western comforts, but that got old rather quickly. At dusk, we decide it was time to ditch Ao Nang and head to Railay. Railay is not an island, rather a secluded peninsula, but it is still only accessible by boat since it is completely surrounded by the giganic limestone cliffs of a national preserve. We were able to get a long-tail boat to ferry us around the coastline for the 15 min boat ride from Ao Nang.
With our shorts rolled up and our bags securely on our heads we hopped off the long-tail boat into the surf up to our knees. We were walking up the west beach of Railay but we really had no clue where we were since it had fallen to darkness on our jaunt over from Ao Nang. Priority number one. Was finding a place to stay the night. Aside from a few beach bars the place was relatively quiet, by the big dark shawls around us we could tell that we were surrounded by either rock or jungle but there was no way to tell. We started trekking up a narrow walking path that then turned into a lightless dirt trail, time to bring out the headlamps. Guided by lamplight we walked along the path for about a quarter mile, bordered on our left by an giant overhanging limestone cliff and on our right by dense jungle foliage. FINALLY, civilization, a hotel reception area in the middle of a jungle. We walked up, drenched in sweat from our hike carrying 50 pound bags and were promptly served some sort of alcoholic fresh fruit juice in typical Thai hospitality. Promptly I booked us 3 rooms and we hit the showers and the sweet sweet comfort of air-conditioned slumber.
The next morning was a revelation, in the light I could realize my surroundings and it was a childhood fantasy come true, I was in Jurassic Park. Encircled by towering limestone cliffs covered in green. Jungle, rocky peaks jutting every which way and overhangs in with stalactites in abundance. Huge prehistoric looking palm fronds, buzzing colorful insects and for gosh sakes, MONKEYS. I half expected Jeff Goldblum to pop out and start explaining Chaos Theory to me.

I spent the morning wandering around the small area in wonderment, to be honest I had been feeling slightly depressed and homesick before arriving in Railay but it always seems that the wonders of nature bring me out of that funk and allow me to realize how lucky I am. So far this place seems like Disney world for a full-grown boy scout such as myself who loves ecology and wildlife, but to top it all off for all you sun-lovers, not only are there mountains, but there is a beautiful beach here too.

The main attraction of Railay is rock-climbing. What Koh Tao is to divers, Railay is for climbers, I now have to assume that Thailand has a perfect spot for any extreme sport adventurer. I met up with the guys and we took off on a hike around the area. Mangroves bordered the bay closest to our hotel, making it unsuitable for swimming but great for mosquitoes. A wooden and concrete boardwalk edged the waterline and long that path were several local shops for climbing, coffee, food, tattoos, massage and of course more Rasta bars. We went on a hike that ended up lasting us the whole day, exploring the natural wonders Railay has to offer. Caves, water, jungle, you name it. We even hiked/climbed down to a lagoon in the middle of a giant limestone mountain.In the evening the monkeys came out in search of food and play. You could generally get really close to them since they are used to people, but watch out, if you are holding anything resembling a candy or wrapper you will quickly be under siege and robbed.

At night we were exhausted so we headed to the local watering hole for a few Singha and we were treated to some of the best fire dancers I’ve seen yet in Thailand. The mood is very relaxed here in Railay so that chill vibe lead us to our short trek back to our hotel beds.

As an aside, here is a little video from our journey into the hidden lagoon on Railay. It was quite the adventure getting there and I will elaborate on that descent in a later post that tells more about our climbing adventures in Railay.

Posted in Railay Beach, Thailand, Travel
Tagged Ao nang, don sak, full moon party, Koh phangan, Muslim, Railay beach, Rastafarian, surrathani, travel. Thailand
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ZachCoddington

Every day is Saturday

Monthly Archives: May 2012