July 5, 2012

Wat Next

Ok, so i have fallen behind with my posts, bur i swear its not because im a lazy ass, let me explain! First of all, since arriving in Europe I have been jumping around from place to place a bit more than I usually plan for (it goes against my travel philosophy) making it hard to find time to write, second the WordPress App on my iPad keeps shitting the bed and refuses to work, consequently deleting all my drafts. The good news is that there is decent WiFi in Europe (excluding Poland) and I’m committed to getting back on the blogging bandwagon so I can catch you all up to my current adventures. So let me wrap up my Asian experience with some final thoughts and pictures of the many Wats I visited during my tenure.
Wats are Buddhist temples, and I toured more than my fair share while in Thailand. Each Wat is distinct in its architecture, location, history and purpose, but like touring cathedrals and getting “churched-out” in Europe, much the same happens when my ADD kicks in after the 5th Wat in each city. The good thing is that the colorful uniqueness of all the Wats in Thailand make for some great pictures, even if I only spent 15 minutes in the place before getting “templed-out”. Below are a few pictures from a couple of my favorites.

First we have the Wat Phra Kaew, know to us westerners as: The Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This temple is inside the Grand Palace in Bangkok, the complex that is the traditional home for the Kings of Siam (Thailand). The Wat takes up about a quarter of the Grand Palace grounds and is one of the most popular tourist attractions and religious sites in Thailand.

Upon entering, one is first confronted by several menacing Temple Guardians, as is common in almost every Wat. These guys were about 10 feet tall.

In addition to the building that houses the Emerald Buddha, there are 3 other Pagodas inside the Wat. This one is a golden pagoda built in the Indian style that supposedly houses some of the remains of the last Buddha.

There are many small statues inside the temple complex, many of which are simply decorative temple guardians of different varieties. There are also small Zen-like gardens squeezed in everywhere.

The entire inside of the wall that encircles the Wat is decorated with a continuous colorful mural depicting the mythological history of the Thai National Epic.

There is even a full miniature scale model of Angkor Wat carved from stone.

The main temple of the Emerald Buddha. Done in the colorful Rattanakosin architectural style.

The main man himself, the Emerald Buddha. Actually made from jade, not emerald, this is the most sacred Buddha statue in the world. It can only be touched by the King himself and the King must do so 3 times a year to change the Buddha into its seasonal robes, like an American Girl doll. Legend has it that the Emerald Buddha is originally from India, but was transported to the northern forest monastery in Chiang Rai, where it was struck by lightning and hidden in a tree for years before its rediscovery.

In Chiang Mai I visited the mountaintop temple of Doi Suthep. To reach this temple you must drive up a steep winding mountain road, which I chose to navigate on a motorbike. Several times I found myself face to face with my own mortality when rounding a blind curve or forgetting that I am supposed to drive in the left lane (yes that happened frequently, doh!). On my way to the top I encountered some ancillary temples and many beautiful vistas of Chiang Mai.

Mysterious white temple with all white giant Buddha image I happened upon halfway up the mountain.

View of Chang Mai from the mountainside. Still not to the top of the mountain yet.

Once at the top of the Mountain I encountered a small village, now mainly made up of touristy vendor shacks selling the typical street food and home crafts you see most everywhere in Thailand. Once you look past the villagers you start to see giant Buddhist relics emerge from the misty mountain, such as this giant gong and huge statue of a prominent Monk.

You must stop driving at this point, but you have not yet reached the mountaintop temple. Now you must climb the legendary stairway to heaven. These were some intense stairs, each guardrail is the back of a 4 headed dragon.

After the sweaty clim, you reach the top. Luckily, due to the elevation, it is about 10 degrees cooler up at the top of the mountain. Typically the top is enshrouded in cloudy mists, but I was fortunate enough to be there on a clear day.

Once inside the temple there are many interesting nooks to explore. Flowering trees, Buddhist bells (used to ward off evil spirits) and even a huge sacred Jackfruit tree.

Like many historic temples in southeast Asia, there are signs both Buddhist and Hindu worshippers. Doi Suthep is now Buddhist, but over the years there were times when it was a Hindu temple, depending on who was in power in the government.
The many temples of southeast Asia were a joy to explore, it’s hard to imagine a place of worship so different than the one I grew up knowing. Wats are very much a part daily life, most Thai schools are attached to Wats and the majority of young men spend time ordaining as a monk, even the King himself. Now that I’ve moved on to land of ornate and gothic catholic cathedrals, it’s interesting to compare my experiences and impressions.
Well that about does it for Asia. I’ve got many more stories and pictures I wish I could share, but time marches on and now that I’ve been in Europe for 2 weeks I think you all deserve to know what I’m seeing/experiencing over here. So Kop Khrun Khap Thailand!

Posted in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Religion, Sightseeing, Thailand
Tagged Bangkok, Buddhist, Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep, Emerald Buddha, Grand Palace, Monk, Pagoda, Temple, Thailand, Wat
Leave a comment

July 2, 2012

Small but Spicy! (Another post dedicated to SEA food)

I’ve come to the grim realization that I am now one of those annoying people who take pictures of their food at every meal. At least I do it for my blog and not for Facebook (not like that makes people care any more). That being said, here are some wonderful pictures of the things I eat in southeast Asia!

The ever popular green curry with chicken. This particular curry was served at the Saturday night market in Chiang Mai. The eggplants (aubergines for you Brits) were the size of large green peas.

This is a Northern Thailand specialty plate, served in Chiang Mai at, The Wall, an expat sponsored Pink Floyd bar. Two types of pork sausage, a pork roll, pork cracklin, boiled egg, steamed veggies and a spicy green chili sauce in the middle. Similar in appearance to the Malaysian, Nasi Lemak, but far less fishy and much more delicious.

Curry burger, served at Eurobar in Chiang Mai. Meatless, but still hearty.

My meal from May Kaidee’s in Chiang Mai. A popular place for taking cooking classes with a completely vegetarian menu. First is the pumpkin hummus with wild steamed rice and a Thai iced tea (super sweetened with condensed milk). Second is a tofu and veggie stir fry with cashews. Best vegetarian I’ve ever had, hands down. Chiang Mai is famous for its food for good reason.

Another papaya salad, along with a Thai coke to cool down the spice. This one served to me at Tiger Kingdom while I watched big cats play in the pool 10 feet from me.

My FAVE, the fresh coconut shake. Less than a dollar, served everywhere and consumed often. In a glass or in the husk, this stuff is the nectar of the gods. Both hydrating and tasty, it beats out the sweeter mango and watermelon shakes in my opinion. Many people make the mistake of thinking you can get this deliciousness out of the stereotypical brown, round coconut that has fallen from the trees. Nay, I say, the very best is the young coconut, still green and picked by monkeys from the tops of the trees before they fall to the ground.

The famous Khaosan road critters, this one is a large cricket. All crunch, no creamy filling, this guy tasted like stale popcorn. They spray them with a soy sauce mixture and throw on a dash of salt and pepper on them to taste. It’s a dollar for 10 bugs and thirty cents just to take a picture. The lady selling them was chowing down on a full bag herself.

Khmer curry, served in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Tons of veggies, including Potatoes, not too much spice. Kind of like a mix between Thai red and massaman curries.

One of the more interesting dining experiences in Thailand, this was an all-u-can-eat sushi bar in Bangkok. Not only was there a buffet of sushi, fried foods and assorted dim sum, the main course was a boiling pot of broth (Tom Yum or Chicken broth) that you add ingredients to from a rotating conveyer belt. Ingredients include all forms of beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, squid and fish as well as veggies of all types. Top it all off with ice cream and a soda fountain, all for just over $10.

Another green curry, this one from near Khaosan road in Bangkok. Subtle differences like larger eggplant (golf ball size) and baby corn.

Worth noting that all Thailand McDonalds feature Ronald showing the traditional greeting gesture of respect. The only differences inside are that they serve a double Big Mac, a pork burger and Thai chili sauce next to the ketchup. Oh and like everywhere else in the world, there are no biscuits at breakfast, only English muffins.

This cracked me up on Khaosan in Bangkok; probably the longest name of an establishment I’ve seen…& restaurant.

Assorted colorful candies at MBK mall in Bangkok. I think they look better than they taste.

These little taco-esqe creations are served on almost every street corner in Thailand. It’s a crispy pancake filled with marshmallow fluff and some stringy candied egg yolk. Probably neck and neck with pad Thai as the most popular street food in Bangkok.

Well I hope you enjoyed another installment of the random assortment of the things I eat in southeast Asia. It’s worth noting that aside from the all-u-can-eat sushi and soup place, all my meals where eaten in open air restaurants, strangely the norm in SEA. I’m always up for an adventure so let me know if there is anything you think I should try. The stinky Durian fruit is still on my list: smells like a toilet but tastes like heaven, so people claim. Until next time, stay hungry, I’ll stay cheesy.

Posted in Cambodia, Food, Thailand
Tagged Bangkok, Cambodia, Chiang Mai, Coconut Shake, Crickets, Curry, Eggplant, Eurobar, Khaosan Road, May Kaidees, McDonalds, Pork Roll, Siem Reap, Thailand, The Wall, Tom Yum
2 Comments

June 24, 2012

How to get to Siem Reap (Travel Tips)

For those of you simply reading my blog for entertainment, this post is probably not going to interest you greatly. But you lucky few with the cojones to venture out to SEA will ultimately feel compelled to visit the ancient ruins of Angkor Archeological park in Siem Reap, Cambodia and may find this post helpful. Even though the distance may seem short compared to some jaunts within only Thailand, this particular journey is riddled with pitfalls. So this is the bit of travel advice I can offer to those wanting to make the trip. All those who have convinced themselves that that a trip to SEA is not possible, you can simply wait for my next post which will showcase pics and descriptions of all the amazing things you are cheating yourself out of.

My travel experience to Siem Reap was by land, which is also the most affordable way, but this path is laden with booby traps waiting to trip you up, some even government sanctioned. If you have the greenbacks, I’ve heard it’s much simpler to fly to Siem Reap, albeit more expensive. Most backpackers and flash packers will enter Cambodia much the same way as i did, with the horror that is getting there by land. The journey began smoothly enough in Bangkok. After a little online research I decided to take the train instead of the bus, and since I was in Khaosan the night before I certainly didn’t catch the early train. I opted for the 1:05pm train to Aranyprathet, realizing and accepting the fact that the border crossing into Cambodia closes at 8pm, so if the train was delayed (as they typically are ) I may be staying overnight in Aranyprathet or Poi Pet. Luckily the train faced no serious delays and I was at the Aranyprathet station by 7pm. It is at this point where you have to be smart and keep your head on a swivel. You will be approached by numerous tuk-tuk drivers who want to take you to the Poi Pet border crossing for anywhere between 20 and 80bht. You do have to take the tuk-tuk, but just beware, they will purposefully take you fake Cambodian Visa stands in hopes of getting a kickback from their friends that run those operations. It will most likely appear fishy from the get-go, so just refuse to exit the Tuk-tuk and ignore the tout that approaches you from the fake Visa stand. Request firmly that the driver take you to the real border crossing (or Night Market). You know you are in the right place when you see the proper government signs and channels for immigration to Cambodia. To assist you visually, the market will be on your left and the border crossing is right between the two huge casinos next to the market. Don’t get out of the tuk-tuk and don’t talk to anyone untill you see that gateway and those casinos. I arrived in as the sun was setting and as Obi-Wan Kenobi once said, “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy”. Seriously Poi Pet is terrifying, you are being approached by touts in all directions and there are literally rats scurrying from one trash heap to the next; just put the blinders on, stare straight ahead and do not acknowledge their existence. The first stop is the Thai customs, it’s indoors and you will see signs, no one needs to lead you there as you will enter via several guardrail channels under signage marked for immigration. They check your passport and send you speedily thru to the no-mans-land that is the Casinos. After leaving Thailand head directly to the Cambodian Visa building to get your visa. It will be on the right side of the street before the first casino. It should cost you $20 or 800bht and remember to bring a passport photo with you or else you will be charged an extra 100bht. Once you have the visa proceed past the casinos on the right side of the road and enter Cambodia where they will check your Visa and stamp your passport. Whew! But it’s not over yet, now you face the Next wave of scammers waiting to ferry you from Poi Pet to Siem Reap.
I heard from multiple sources that the best part about Poi Pet, Cambodia is leaving Poi Pet, I wholeheartedly agree. However, in your rush to get out, don’t make a hasty decision about your transportation to Siem Reap. There is a huge and well know government sanctioned bus scam, so avoid the buses or anyone offering to take you to a bus station. Your best option is to use good judgement and common sense to find a reputable cab driver that will take you directly from Poi Pet to your Hotel in Siem Reap (if you don’t have a hotel booked, just say the Pub Street). The cost for this cab ride should be somewhere between $20-$50 depending on the quality of the cab, after all it is a 2 hour drive. If traveling alone its best to try and find some others to split the cab fare with, try to find someone while in line during customs. I paired up with the only other English speaking couple crossing the border that night and we found a questionable, but not totally dodgy driver that offered us a ride in his Toyota Camry for $35. The 2 hour drive to Siem Reap went smoothly enough, until we got close to the town and the cab drive took an abrupt turn off the main road and into what appeared to be a shady tuk-tuk junction. He informed us that the tuk-tuk will take us from here to our hotel for free. We proceeded to inform him that this wasn’t the arrangement we agreed on, that he promised to take us all the way to the hotel. Again, just be firm and persistent, but don’t lose your cool. They will ultimately cave and do as they promised. This little hiccup is simply a way for the cab drivers to hook up their tuk-tuk buddies with business for the next day by having them ferry you the last few miles to your hotel and tell you how they can give you an Angkor tour the next day. Probably no harm done, but in the dark in Cambodia its best not to take chances.
Once you are in Siem Reap and ready to purchase a one day, 3 day, or one week pass to Angkor Archeological park, your best strategy is to purchase your pass on the day before you plan to start, at 4:45pm. So find a tuk-tuk driver around 4pm and negotiate a deal for the evening transportation of a few hours, it should only be around $5-$8. By purchasing your pass at 4:45pm the day before, you will get to visit the complex from 4:45 to 5:30 that evening for free, taking in a complementary sunset. I reccomend you take in that first sunset at the ancillary temple of Phnom Bakheng, saving the main Angkor Wat temple for a sunrise and subsequent mini-tour or grand tour via tuk-tuk on a full day. You want to be sure you get to the top of the Phnom Bakheng temple before the cutoff time of 5:30, so head straight there after getting your pass at 4:45. If you want to save you first sight of Angkor Wat for sunrise, simply avert your gaze and don’t look to the right as you head to Phnom Bakheng. It takes about 15 minutes to walk to the top where you should promptly get in line to climb the temple stairs to the top. Once you made it up top, before the 5:30pm cutoff, you will have to wait around an hour more for the sun to set. So grab a seat and relax with the rest of the crowd. It would be advisable to bring a water or snack with you and some sort of reading material.
Finally, when then sun drops below the horizon, you can climb back down the temple and find your tuk-tuk driver for the ride back to the hotel. The driver will try to sell you on his services for the next day and a mini or grand tour of Angkor, only take up the offer if you get a good vibe from him, since you can always take your pic of drivers the next day. You want a driver that speaks reasonably good English and has a decent knowledge of the temples in the park with their history history.
There ya go, that’s all you need to know to get to one of the great wonders of the world, if a dunce like me can do it without getting totally ripped off, so can you. If you plan on going back to Bangkok after Siem Reap (as I did), the journey back is a bit easier and you will have attained a new level of travel savvy after dealing with the entry. My recommendation is that you book a bus to take you to Poi Pet and no further. You can book these buses with your hotel or hostel and even at some of the travel agencies on Pub Street. They will offer you transportation all the way back to Bangkok, but the problem is that after Poi Pet you switch to a different bus and typically that bus will make frequent and mandatory snack, souvenir and dinner stops at their buddies shops all the way back to Bangkok, stretching a 5 hour drive into an 8 hour one. Once you get dropped off at Poi Pet, brush off the touts (you should be good at this by now) and head straight to Customs. This way, Cambodian customs are a breeze, they take your fingerprints and send you through, the bad part is Thai Customs. The lines are long and the inspection is through, since there is a problem with many illegal immigrants from Cambodia. It takes at least an hour in most cases, 2 hours in mine since it was pissing rain and the power went out halfway through the process. After you are through Customs, proceed to have a tuk-tuk take you to the “Government Bus Station”, be clear about this as they may try and take you to a privately owned place. You know you are at the right bus station when you see the 7/11 on the corner and behind it there is the enclave where you buy your bus ticket. 220 bht will get you on a bus directly to Bangkok and the last bus leaves at 4pm. The bus I rode was extremely high quality and I was very pleased. They even give you complementary water, coffee, snack and kiwi juice box! The bus will take about 5-6 hours and drop you off at Mo Chit station in Bangkok, which is accessible by BTS and Taxi.

Good Luck and enjoy the Journey!

Posted in Cambodia, Travel
Tagged Angkor Archeological Park, Angkor Wat, Bangkok, Bangkok to Angkor Wat, Bangkok to Cambodia, Bangkok to Siem Reap, Cambodia, Customs, Poi Pet, Pub Street, Siem Reap, Thailand, Transportation, travel, Tuk-tuk
2 Comments

June 21, 2012

My SEA Top 10 Tips

Ive spent almost 2 months in Southeast Asia and I have learned a great deal about living and traveling in this area. Therefore, I’ve decided to compile my top 10 SEA tips and observations for those considering a visit, in order for you to survive and thrive:

1. Pack light: No more than a carryon bag and you can even make it with just a large backpack. Anything and everything in SEA is cheap to purchase and you can get whatever you need as you realize you need it. This includes clothes, shoes, toiletries, electronics and medicines. I do not recommend that you bring nice/expensive sandals or sunglasses as you will lose them, i guarantee it. I have already gone through at least 4 pairs of flip-flops and 4 sunglasses, the good thing is that they are insanely cheap to replace. As for your one bag of choice, I don’t recommend the typical backcountry backpack, you are immediately labeled as a tourist/backpacker and open yourself up to being taken advantage of by local scammers because you stick out like a sore thumb. Also, you get more than one sideways look when walking through nice parts of town or checking into the occasional 4 star hotel for a respite from camping or hostel life. I chose the bag made by Rick Steves. The bag is designed to the maximum dimensions of an airplane overhead compartment and while it may appear to be just a square shaped piece of luggage it does have hideable backpack straps and a waist strap that can be configured in a variety of ways for backpacking. As for handbags or a day-pack, you can get those for cheap in any mall or night market, and ladies you know you will want a souvenir handbag at some point anyway, so why bring one from home? While we’re on the subject of shoulder bags, the, “Hangover II”, movie did get one thing right; When Thai men (like Leslie Chow) are out and about or traveling, they do carry man purses, however they are probably not filled with lots of cash or skittles. For your clothes, I say; 1 pants, 1 shorts, 1 swimwear, 1 collared shirt, 3 t-shirts, low profile running shoes, and something like boat-shoes that can be worn out to dinner or to the beach. Remember: it’s hot and humid, so cotton is the devil, if you are wearing cotton and get wet or sweaty, you will stay that way. Invest in some dri-fit. Oh, and protect your electronic gadgetry with some high quality cases, I’ve seen far too many smashed cameras, iPhones and computers. And your life will be so much easier if you do bring an electronic device that accesses wifi, don’t depend on Internet cafes, wifi is everywhere and the glorious interwebs is the ultimate travel assistant.

2. Payment is in cash and is negotiable: since Internet and phone service are spotty at best, most establishments cannot accept credit cards for payment. Cash (Thai Baht) is a must, especially in the islands and on street level in the cities. Many a traveler is stuck when they depend on their credit cards or USD for getting around, eating or shopping. Luckily, ATMs are plentiful in most places and you can withdraw up to 15,000 Bhat at a time (of course there is a 150 bht surcharge for each withdrawal). Once you have your cash in hand, only a fool pays the sticker price. Everything from sandals to mouthwash to hotel rooms are negotiable. Most items do not even have a price listed, you just have to find out from the shop/stall owner. My favorite strategy is to inquire about the price of an item at one place, then go to the next and speak first to suggest a lower price to the vendor. The vendor will probably counter your offer so then I like to just stay silent for a while, the vendor may go ahead and drop their offer once more if you seem hesitant, without you having to haggle at all. In the end, don’t be afraid to walk away, even if you really want or need the item/service. Sometimes the bottom line price isn’t given to you until you make it five steps away from the storefront. Everything is still cheap in SEA so sometimes haggling over 2 or 3 dollars is pointless, unless you just like the sport of it. The bottom line is: only pay a much as you feel comfortable with for the particular item or service and don’t get duped into a high price before you are comfortable understanding the conversion rate. Luckily, Thai money is color coded and sized differently, making it easy to get a handle on the note denominations quickly.
NB – always make sure that you negotiate the price for a taxi or tuk-tuk before you get in, and in the case of the taxi make sure they turn the meter on.

3. Take your shoes off: most of SEA and especially Thailand is predominantly Buddhist, and you never step foot into a temple with shoes on, heck, you aren’t even supposed to point your feet in the direction of the Buddha. Most stores and many hotels will require removal of shoes as well. Thais consider feet very dirty, so never put your feet up on something, touch someone or something with you feet and for gosh sakes, take your shoes off before entering anywhere indoors. The will usually be a pile of shoes and sandals to tip you off, but if you really value your footwear you may avoid the pile and toss them in a more discrete location. This probably goes without saying, but lace up shoes are a pain in the ass, wear slip-ons or sandals. The cheaper the shoes the better, my last pair of flip-flops lasted me 4 days before they dissapeared and an Aussie friend of my said his record was 5 pairs in a week. Luckily, flip-flops only run you about 100 baht (~$4). It’s worth noting that with all the shoelessness, you should still be very careful not to injure your feet on glass or other sharp objects, things tend to get infected very quickly and nastily in SEA.

4. Stay calm: in SEA it is very “uncool” to get angry or raise your voice. Your patience will get tested regularly, I can promise that. Thais are very relaxed and patient people so it’s best that you adapt the same attitude. Whether its your transportation being late, your food order being wrong or almost getting run over by a scooter, just take a deep breath and let the Buddhist philosophy take hold. Americans do have the worst reputation for breaking this rule and getting upset with the little things, so set a good example for the rest of us and take a very large chill pill. At times you will be constantly pestered by touts wanting to sell you everything from cheap suits to ping-pong shows, don’t get frustrated by their persistence, keep the blinders on and keep walking with a smile. There are never any fist fights at bars, even amongst the ludicrously intoxicated, and you never want to get into a fight with a local. Instigating a fight with a local will most certainly involve you defending yourself from multiple other locals, unfair fights, using bottles, pipes, knives, rocks and Muay Thai techniques. If you just keep your cool, everything little ting is gonna be alright. Your bus or boat will show up, your food order will get fixed (or whatever they gave you will taste great anyway), and your air-con and Internet will start working again.

5. Try new food: don’t miss out on some of the most tasty items in SEA due to the questionable cooking areas, strange smells, strange names or your utter cowardice. Thai people are especially we’ll known for their cleanliness in cooking. Most “kitchens” wouldn’t pass even the most basic inspection in the states, but the cooks themselves know what they are doing. Utensils and dishes are sanitized and the food is properly stored and cooked. Some people miss out on some really great food experiences because they only stick to what they know. Obviously don’t drink the water from the tap but bottled water and the ice in restaurants are ok, and it’s ok to brush your teeth with the tap water. I ate and drank everything I could and I never once got sick, not even a tummy ache. Try all the strange looking fruits, I haven’t found one I disliked yet, I especially love the Rambutan and Mangosteen. Sample the street-side insects (I recommend crickets) and go all out at the 7/11 with crab and basil flavored chips, strange looking yogurt drinks, seaweed jerky and for gosh sakes if you haven’t had a tuna toasty at 2am, first, punch yourself in the face, then do yourself a favor and go buy 2 of them.

6. Ask Travel Agents, but don’t always buy from them: since there is an increased requirement for travel by bus, boat, van, taxi, scooter, pack-mule etc., you will find yourself in need of some localized guidance. The wonderful interwebs can only get you so far in SEA because in second and third world countries most transportation methods do not list online and getting from place to place requires multiple modes of transportation. My last adventure from Siem Reap to Bangkok involved: tuk-tuk/mini bus/walking/tuk-tuk/tour bus/motorbike taxi/train, in that order. In SEA you have to get by the old fashioned way and that means using a travel agent…sometimes. I have been ripped off by an agent my fare share of times or mislead in a variety of ways, but I have always made it to my final destination. Many fiercely independent travelers will shy away from the many travel agencies all over SEA, but they really can be an invaluable resource for information and a discount on complicated travel arrangements. If you have time to do the research online, you can most likely figure out the rough idea of getting from point A to B, but don’t expect it to be smooth. Traveling from place to place is always an adventure and most often very exhausting, but some of my best moments and stories have come from these trying travel days.

7. Don’t always be a “Pleasure Seeker”: many travelers envision the ideal SEA vacation to be all about sipping fruity alcoholic beverages on the beach all day,experimenting with the variety of unpoliced drugs, or getting ridiculously pampered with massages and cheap yet fancy hotels. I have done plenty of the aforementioned from time to time but I feel that you really have to find times to separate yourself from all that noise. Take time to just have a walk-about, go grocery shopping, find an adventurous local excursion for the day, or just relax somewhere outside the bounds of your hotel. Challenge yourself with a cooking class, meditation retreat or volunteer work. In my opinion the best way to enjoy another country is to experience some of the culture, uninhibited and un-inebriated. You may come to realize that laying out poolside or on the beach is quite the same anywhere you go, even in your backyard. Take time to communicate with the locals or go to a market. It feels good to get away from the touristy flash. Even as a backpacker through hostels and camps, take time to get away from the other sweaty backpackers and immerse yourself in both the locals and the upscale vacationers. Perspective comes from both directions.

(Anna, if you are reading this, I’m sorry for using this picture, but it was too perfect, hehe)

8. Common Sense Rules: there are a million ways to die, get seriously injured or hurt. There are no guardrails, handrails or danger signs. Police are seldom around and when they are, they are most likely not on the side of helping a westerner. Crazy drivers, no helmets, horrible pavement, and unintelligible road signs. Stupid people don’t last in SEA, so use your noggin. Don’t put yourself in dumb situations with silly people and trust your instincts with touts and other potential scammers. Putting blinders on and training yourself not to look at every tout who says, “hey sir”, will take you leagues. I see all too often the bandaged limping backpacker and the small cut that turned grossly infected. Use band-aids (plasters) and antibiotic ointment on any scratch. If something looks unsafe, unstable or broken it probably is and will be soon. You can’t trust the upkeep of things in Asia quite like you can in the good ol’ US of A. If you find yourself in SEA, do your life expectancy a favor and use your stupid brain with everything from crossing the road to rock climbing.

9. Get used to the Bathrooms: you will be faced with toilet challenges of all kinds. Usually the first is the noticeable absence of toilet paper. The sewers here just aren’t designed for anything but human waste, so most toilets come equipped with a handheld bidet. Don’t worry if you are washing the walls with it at first, with forced practice you will get used to it, I promise. If you are lucky enough to have TP, don’t throw it in the toilet, use the trash can, you don’t want an Asian plumbing problem. Secondly, it’s guaranteed that at some point you will have to use a, “squatter”. When you find yourself in the more local parts of town there are no western toilets to be found. Instead you have the more eastern style, “squatter”, toilet. So aptly named because that’s exactly what you do; stand on the porcelain rim and squat. It’s a strange and smelly experience, but some say it is a healthier way of taking the Cosbys to the pool. The “squatters” are also a manual flush operation, so when you are finished you dump a few bucketful’s of water down that drain and let gravity do the work. Lastly, in most hotel rooms, the bathroom and the shower are the same closet sized room and the showers are usually cold water, handheld, low pressure garbage. But I like to look on the bright side and consider the multi-tasking opportunities a toilet/shower brings.

10. Asians like a slim fit: when purchasing clothing in SEA, which I do highly reccomned since its cheap and allows you to pack light, remember that they are a small people in general. I think my first purchase was underwear, and I learned the hard way. Large was unwearable at the get-go, XL was unwearable after 1 wash, and XXL (the largest you will find, if you are even that lucky) are more nut-hugging than I am comfortable with. Same goes for shirts, shorts and pants. Just attempt to try things on before buying them, even though fitting rooms are nonexistent in SEA, you left your dignity back home, so drop trow and try it on right then and there.

So in closing: Have a freaking, bomb-ass, grandma slappin, helluva good time because you are not only smart and lucky, but brave enough to shun the traditional, “one weak”, vacation in Mexico and come to one of the greatest spots on the planet.

Posted in Cambodia, Food, Malaysia, Thailand, Travel
Tagged 7/11, Aussie, Backpacker, Baht, Bangkok, Bidet, Buddhist, Cambodia, Haggling, Hostel, Hotel, insects, iPhone, Luggage, Malaysia, Rick Steve's, SEA, Siem Reap, Squatter, Thai Massage, Thailand, Travel Agent
1 Comment

June 19, 2012

Status Update (and housecleaning)

As I prepare to leave the land of geckos, coconuts and ladyboys, I figure it’s time for a brief update on my plans and some general housecleaning of the blog. Prague is my next destination and I feel like I should be ready for a change of climate and cuisine, but I can’t help being saddened that I am leaving SEA. It’s been a really rad 2 months and I feel like there is still so much I left untouched, especially after my recent week-long venture into Cambodia. As I was enduring the 6 hour third class train from Bangkok to the Cambodian border, I realized wholeheartedly that I love Thailand. My seat was heinously uncomfortable plastic and the train car unbelievably crowded along with no A/C in 90 degree heat, but as I stared out the open window at acre upon acre of farmland and palms I felt a settling peace and contentment that made my ass ache less. Even with movies like “The Beach” and “Hangover 2″ exposing the fun to be had and beauty to be seen in Thailand, I frequently wonder; why don’t more Americans come here? It’s strange how much Thailand seems like an undiscovered paradise at times, even when I’m amongst the crowds of European, Scandinavian, British and Australian tourists/backpackers. It’s just strangely uncommon to run into other Americans. In my 2 months here I’ve only met a handful, not a single north (or south) Carolinian, and only one from my stomping grounds of the southeast in general. Not saying that this is an incredibly bad thing, I get to enjoy being minority most of the time and picking up on the many language and cultural differences of our English speaking brethren from across both ponds.
When vagabonding, you not only visit interesting and unique places, you also get to meet a variety of interesting and unique people. Kindred souls or polar opposites, there something about traveling that gets me out of my introverted shell. That person sitting next to you on the island ferry or 8 hour night bus ride might be just an annoying 20 minute conversation or they could end up being your travel buddy for weeks, you just never know until you speak up. As a single traveler most of the time, I often ponder the benefits of a travel buddy; they will watch your bag when you go pee, they will split cab/hotel cost with you and they don’t mind as much when you pass out on their shoulder on that 8 hour night bus. I’ve picked up a couple good travel buddies in my time here, Travis and John of course, Shawn, Ollie & Gabby and James, Casey and now enter Kelvin and Sophia.

During my sweat drenched, rat infested, scam ridden journey across the Thailand border into Cambodia I chanced to meet this couple, an American guy from Wisconsin and a British gal from Brighton. They extended a helping hand to me when it was apparent I was a bit overwhelmed and close to my breaking point. Through our subsequent border crossing and shared taxi ride into Siem Reap we struck up a partnership that lasted my full week in Cambodia. We played tomb raider in the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat, ate a confusing Cambodia BBQ and had quite a few tequila and dancing infused late nights.
One evening, shortly after placing 3rd in a Cambodian pub quiz (and polishing off two towers of Anchor Beer), we were approached by an adorable waif of an Australian girl who was looking for some buddies herself, so in the nature that almost all travelers here share, we gave her a chair and poured her a beer from our tower. Jagerbombs and ridiculous dance moves later, we had ourselves a veritable gang. The wonderful Rachel was a sharp witted, ukelele toting aussie gal who shared the same creative and nerdy traits of all my great friends back home, only with an Australian accent, schwing! She is quite hilarious and you can see for yourself on her blog, http://www.racheltripsitup.wordpress.com. Seriously, do it, she’s a much more entertaining writer than me and she will have loads of great stories to tell as she works teaching in Cambodia.
The hard part comes when it’s time to go your separate ways. You feel like you’ve made a connection with some people that is lasting and just when the fun starts you are called in different directions, c’est la vie. You hope that one day your paths may cross again, but the odds are hardly ever in your favor (no Hunger Games pun intended). However, you never know, I thought I said my final goodbyes to my trek-mates in Chiang Mai, only to meet up with them a week later in distant Koh Tao. It’s all part of the ride, sometimes you feel up and sometimes you crash, but as the Chinese proverb states, “the journey is the reward”. Sorry if this post seems a little scatterbrained, it’s probably because I truly feel that way at the moment. Excited and anxious for a new part of the world to explore but occasionally detached and depressed that I have to leave one of the best places on earth. To make up for the terrible writing and flow, here are some fun housecleaning pics:

Posted in Cambodia, Housekeeping, Thailand, Travel
Tagged Anchor Beer, Angkor Wat, Bangkok, Housekeeping, Jagerbombs, Prague, SEA, Tequila, Thailand, Vagabonding
2 Comments

June 6, 2012

A Video Recap

For those of you joining the party late, or if you just want to see more videos of wonderful ol’ me, here is a quick video I whipped up to showcase some of my favorite adventures so far. Including my backflip off the rocks during my deep water solo climb (sorry Mom). Please remember to comment on my posts and hit the “like” button on the blog page!

Posted in Travel
Tagged Cliff Jumping, Climbing, diving, fire dancing, Hiking, Lagoon, motorbike, Rafting, scooter, Scuba, Thailand, tiger, train, Waterfall
1 Comment

June 3, 2012

Trekking in Northern Thailand, Day 3

Day 3

The final day of our trek I awoke a bit later than expected. I had fallen into a deep sleep I supposed, perhaps due to the previous two days of hyperactivity. I felt sticky and groggy, so first things first I headed to the creek shower for a quick splash of ice cold water to the face. Almost everyone had already risen and were gathered around the community table sipping instant coffee, tea, or sugar water (Imogen). I joined the group, but didn’t really contribute to any conversation until I’d had at least 2 cups of coffee. Soon breakfast was served; Eggs, omlette style, toast and fresh pinapple. We even brought out a few leftover lychees that hadn’t been taken over by the hoards of ants overnight. As we ate I happened to glance into the kitchen/sleeping area where the two local women and Johnny Walker slept and cooked. To my astonishment, one of the women was cleaning and picking the fur off what appeared to be a dead rat. She and I locked eyes for one nervous second and she shot me a smile to suggest, “yeah, it’s a rat I’m eating for breakfast, I can tell you are shocked white boy”. Growing up in a community where squirrels were regularly consumed, I really wasn’t all that surprised, just interested in how she was going to prepare her jungle rat. I watched her chop it up and throw it into a pot over the fire along with some shredded leafy greens. A rat stew perhaps?

After breakfast, Johnny gave us some personal time to mill around and let our food settle. I spent the majority of that time testing out the set of handmade slingshots the locals had set out for our entertainment. A few plastic water bottled tied to a distant tree limb provided the targets and the ammunition were simply the bounty of pebbles on the ground. I will proudly admit that I became fairly proficient, hitting the target a number of times, my personal best being 3 in a row. Johnny on the other hand, hit 7 in a row. Johnny also showed us about 3 pounds of local mushrooms he had dug up from underground and intended to sell that the famous Chiang Mai Sunday market.

Soon enough it was time to resume hiking. Johnny told us today’s hike would be a 49 minute jaunt down the creek until we hit the river (Johnny tended to end all his estimations with a 9, I believe because the current Thai King is King Rama the 9th? Just another Johnnyism). We hit the trail and had a pleasurably flat hike along the stream, coming across bamboo groves and some impressive hardwoods. Fairly soon we started seeing signs of civilization once again. A PVC pipe here, a motor bike there, soon enough were full blown riverside elephant camps and rafting put-ins. When we reached our designated put-in for rafting, we dumped our packs and valuables into the back of a pickup truck and walked down to the riverside.

Lifejackets and helmets were selected and a short tutorial was given by our eccentric river guide. We split up into two rafts, essentially youngsters and “experienced”, myself in the latter group. I was placed up in the front of the boat along with Ollie (one of the Brits) and behind me was Gabby (Ollie’s girlfriend), opposite James and finally Nimisha and the guide, who was quite the amateur comedian. Since this wasn’t my first rodeo when it came to whitewater rafting I was ready to roll and it wasn’t a long wait until we started hitting some whitewater. Apparently the water level was a little low, so there were many rocks and obstacles to avoid, but the rapids were quite akin to a longer version of the Natahala with the muddy consistency of the French Broad. Truth be told I felt safe the entire time but it was an exhilarating ride with a lot of great moments and of course the obligatory splash-fights with the raft full of youngsters. We even had a calm section where we took a swim (or float). Once the rapids had calmed down and the rivers slowed to a manageable pace, we transitioned to authentic bamboo rafts that were used in olden times by the Thai river people. I would liken the bamboo rafts to a bit of a gondola ride, wherein we sat two by two and a “driver” stood at the back with long pole to push and steer (minus he Italian crooning). The bamboo rafts are lashed together with more bamboo, a very versatile plant to be sure, although these rafts did acquire a more modern touch, for added safety strips of motorcycle tire were also used to secure the bamboo shafts together. So, keeping score, we used bamboo for huts, walking sticks, bowls, chopsticks and now rafts.

After our Huck Finn cruise we walked back up the riverbank to have our final lunch. Pad Thai was served and we were allowed a proper shower and change of clothes at a small picnic area near the river. Johnny Walker was able to meet up with a few of his fellow guide buddies where we were informed that they actually call him Johnny “Wanker”, the Thais and the Brits really got a kick out of this, hand gestures a-plenty.
We took a group picture and gave Johnny a sizable tip for all he had done for us over the course of 3 days. “Oh my Buddha” he proclaimed one last time before he then herded us back into a covered truckbed for transportation back home to our respective Guesthouses. Once back in civilization it was an immediate hot shower, promptly followed by a Thai massage and a good ol’ American style burger with a coconut shake, seemingly always more gratifying when following a camping trip.
I had a great time trekking in the mountains of Chiang Mai with many experiences I will never forget and making some friends that I believe will stay in touch and perhaps be valuable contacts when I travel to other countries. I highly recommend a trek of any length to anyone visiting northern Thailand, just make sure to pack smart, pack light and ensure that the trek you choose fits your experience, athletic ability and comfort level with the outdoors. As Shakespeare once wrote, “A rose by any other name still smells as sweet”, I find this to even be true with respect to Trekking in Thailand and Backpacking in my native homeland.

Fin.

Posted in Camping, Chiang Mai, Hiking/Trekking, Nature, Sporting, Thailand
Tagged Bamboo, Bamboo Raft, Chiang Mai, Coffee, Eggs, Hiking, Johnny Walker, King Rama, Pad Thai, Rafting, Rapids, Rats, slingshot, Squirrels, Thai Omlette, Thailand, Trekking, Wanker
2 Comments

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
5 Comments

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

ZachCoddington

Every day is Saturday

Tag Archives: Thailand