Tomorrow we drive to Chiang Rai (in Northeast Thailand) and then we'll be heading out of the country on a slow boat down the Mekong into Laos. I've done a lot over the last few weeks, here are some of the more memorable moments.
1. Boating, canoeing and swimming around the karsts near Phuket. Truly magnificent and quintessential Thailand.
2. Riding the ferry to Koh Tao. It was a very rough day (we were fortunate that the ferry wasn't cancelled) but it meant that about 100 people were either green or hanging over trashcans and the side of the boat. Unfortunately for them that meant that they were also drenched from the rain and sea spray. Malena and I were 2 of about 20 that weren't sick. I was having a great time (as soon as I went onto the back deck where I wasn't afraid of drowning if the boat capsized).
3. Trying to find our way to Jim Johnson's house in Bangkok only to be trapped inside the post office during a torrential rain storm. When we left (it was still raining) we started hopping between the awnings to move down the street and found ourselves among what must have been all of the mechanic shops in Bangkok. They were highly amused by our antics.
4. Lost again trying to find the bus station on the north side of Bangkok. This time we got directions from a guard (all but two words "museum" and "car park" were given in Thai and with A LOT of pointing). Along the way we wandered through the gates of a garden where we asked directions again from a different guard. He pointed us in the right direction and we went off. At the first split in the path we started down the wrong way...only to discover this as another guard came running after us...apparently the guards had been talking on the radio so we were essentiallly handed off through the park by little Thai security guards with radios. It wasn't a normal botanical garden experience.
5. Avoiding the tuk tuk drivers and trying to find the wats in Bangkok. Although frustrating at the time, it really is funny to think about.
6. Wandering through one of the biggest night markets I've been in so far in Chiang Mai. Originally on the Silk Road it's history is a long one and the market takes up about four city blocks.
7. Our "adventure" day outside of Chiang Mai with a character for a guide who was playing little pranks on everyone as we went along. He was originally from the jungle of North Thailand. We saw a village of long-neck people, rode and played with elephants, hiked to a waterfall then went for a swim in the frigid water, and finished the day rafting down the river. We had a good group of people (us and 6 others) and it was a full and exciting day.
Pictures will follow soon. Next up: Luang Prabang, Laos and then Siam Reap in Cambodia
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
What? The Wat is Closed?
A wat is a monastery temple and if you believed the people in Bangkok around the National Palace you'd think they were constantly closed for "special" ceremonies. Well, at least until 1pm or is it 12:30? Or was it noon? No matter what the time, it's always the same, "They are closed and you shouldn't bother seeing them, so come with me instead and I'll bring you back when they are open!" The problem is that even with the warnings you eventually start to think there might be something to this story.
On Thursday morning Malena headed home and my mom arrived. Due to a delayed flight, Mom literally met us on the stairs as I was walking Malena out. (She came through Tokyo and when her flight was delayed they sent her to a different airport by bus - her hair may have been glowing with the radioactivity when she arrived.)
After Malena left and Mom was settled, we hit up three wats and the grand palace. We were warned by Malena, who had already seen these sites that people would try to tell us they were closed. I was also warned by other travelers I've come across, by friends (some even commented on this blog), and it even warns tourists about it in our guidebook...so I thought we were prepared. I was wrong.
They are so believable and friendly, one guy spent five minutes telling us about how to pray to the Buddha for good luck and fortune. He showed us photos of his kids and his wife and told us how much he liked Chicago. Then as my feet were itching to get away, he dropped the information about how all the buildings but one were closed in the Grand Palace until 1pm. He was so convincing that it was hard to walk away...until he offered to tour us around in a tuk tuk. RUN!!! Unfortunately in our haste to get away, we missed the main entrance and walked the entire way around the complex before getting back to it...leaving us wide open and easy prey for other vultures.
By the time we made it to within 50 meters of the actual entrance we had already had conversations with two people and waved off another three. The final straw was when a guy who appeared to be unrelated to a company told us again that it was closed until 1p and that we should buy tickets at a different gate first.
Well, mom's will (who I can only assume was tired and less jaded) was starting to falter. We had a small discussion about whether or not these facts were actually true. After all, you don't want to go into a complex where you can only see one building and pay the same price. Fortunately, I'm hardened and skeptical so we forged on...and amazingly found everything to be perfectly open. (Of course, after we got into the gate people were asking us if we needed a tour guide - we just couldn't escape it).
After it was all said and done, we saw the Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha, Wat Po (which is a HUGE reclining Buddha), and Wat Arun (the Temple of the Dawn). It was a long day (particularly when you feel like you've been put through a spin cycle), but mom held out well considering she was working on very little sleep, and we eventually made it back to the hostel.
I write this as we travel north to Chiang Mai on another night train. The last train offered very little sleep as I nervously laid rigid in my bed after seeing too many cockroaches running around when we got on the train. Tonight, my bed is comfortable and seemingly visitor free so I have Double Stuf Oreos, and James Bond movies (all of which are on my computer) to look forward to.
On Thursday morning Malena headed home and my mom arrived. Due to a delayed flight, Mom literally met us on the stairs as I was walking Malena out. (She came through Tokyo and when her flight was delayed they sent her to a different airport by bus - her hair may have been glowing with the radioactivity when she arrived.)
After Malena left and Mom was settled, we hit up three wats and the grand palace. We were warned by Malena, who had already seen these sites that people would try to tell us they were closed. I was also warned by other travelers I've come across, by friends (some even commented on this blog), and it even warns tourists about it in our guidebook...so I thought we were prepared. I was wrong.
They are so believable and friendly, one guy spent five minutes telling us about how to pray to the Buddha for good luck and fortune. He showed us photos of his kids and his wife and told us how much he liked Chicago. Then as my feet were itching to get away, he dropped the information about how all the buildings but one were closed in the Grand Palace until 1pm. He was so convincing that it was hard to walk away...until he offered to tour us around in a tuk tuk. RUN!!! Unfortunately in our haste to get away, we missed the main entrance and walked the entire way around the complex before getting back to it...leaving us wide open and easy prey for other vultures.
By the time we made it to within 50 meters of the actual entrance we had already had conversations with two people and waved off another three. The final straw was when a guy who appeared to be unrelated to a company told us again that it was closed until 1p and that we should buy tickets at a different gate first.
Well, mom's will (who I can only assume was tired and less jaded) was starting to falter. We had a small discussion about whether or not these facts were actually true. After all, you don't want to go into a complex where you can only see one building and pay the same price. Fortunately, I'm hardened and skeptical so we forged on...and amazingly found everything to be perfectly open. (Of course, after we got into the gate people were asking us if we needed a tour guide - we just couldn't escape it).
After it was all said and done, we saw the Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha, Wat Po (which is a HUGE reclining Buddha), and Wat Arun (the Temple of the Dawn). It was a long day (particularly when you feel like you've been put through a spin cycle), but mom held out well considering she was working on very little sleep, and we eventually made it back to the hostel.
I write this as we travel north to Chiang Mai on another night train. The last train offered very little sleep as I nervously laid rigid in my bed after seeing too many cockroaches running around when we got on the train. Tonight, my bed is comfortable and seemingly visitor free so I have Double Stuf Oreos, and James Bond movies (all of which are on my computer) to look forward to.
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| The Grand Palace Complex |
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| Wat Po, the reclining Buddha |
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| Wat Arun, The Temple of the Dawn |
More photos...
More photos from Thailand. (Click on the album below to see it in full screen mode)
Bangkok (March 21-25)
Bangkok (March 21-25)
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Photos: KL and Thailand
I've put together some of my favorite photos from Kuala Lumpur and Southern Thailand. Enjoy! (Click on the album slideshow to see the images in a larger slideshow format)
Kuala Lumpur
Southern Thailand
Kuala Lumpur
Southern Thailand
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