Right now, I'm sitting in the Bangkok airport being mad at the internet. I'm here early, so early that I gave in and shelled out some baht for an hour of wireless, which I now find only connects to some sites. This must be a sign that I should a)post my final blog or b) continue that mostly internet-free existence I've been living while traveling.
Clearly, it's not option b.
I didn't plan on being at the airport quite so early. I left Ko Chang this morning (9:30) and got into Bangkok at 6, which is a full day of traveling already. The airport was not on my top list of places to be. My flight is at 5:30 am (because why should it be convenient?) and that left a decent amount of time to eat, shower, get some last minute present, and then go get my bags from storage. The eating was definitely a success (I'll miss you cheap, cheap food) and the shower less so (I knew that packet was conditioner and not shampoo. Damn you Thai Man at 7-11 Counter!). I had some kind of blackout on Khao San Road and when I came to I had two more bags of stuff. How? Why?
I sat down and had a fruit shake to recover from my medical episode. After, I felt rested, but I realized I couldn't stand to be in Bangkok for one more minute. The smells were particularly awful, I was tired from the bus trip, and it was just time to go. Bangkok is fun for a little while, if I have things to do, but I can only kill so much time here (especially on Khao San) before I feel like I'm about to twitch out of my skin. It might be a side effect of all the pollution. Actually, maybe that explains my shopping blackout...
So now, after a touch-and-go repacking of my bags after I got them from storage (I'm carrying an odd variety of things onto the plane with me, but somehow I managed to fit it all in) I'm still in Bangkok, but it's the airport and that doesn't really count. The downside of course it that it's four hours before my flight leaves and I can't check my bags in yet so I can't even go to the bathroom. And I will not leave them with a kind-looking stranger. I refuse to get anything stolen this late in game, especially after that near-disaster of packing.
From what I can tell, it's a bit of a tradition to write about the things I'll miss about Thailand (or won't miss) and what I'm looking forward to at home. But my (useless) internet minutes are winding down and I figure I can just tell you in person, so I quickly hit the highlights.
Miss:
Thai food - I know, I can get that at home, but I have my doubts about quality. And paying ten bucks for a meal that I used to buy for 80 cents is bound to result in some kind of stress-induced heart attack.
Bargaining - It's like eating a big meal after you've exercised. You really feel like you earned it.
Miss: The king. He is all that is caring and wonderful. What will I do when I can't walk into any random room and see is benevolent face?
Not Miss:
The Staring - After a while it wasn't that bad, but I never completely got used to it.
Bargaining - Sometimes it really is too much work. But principle demands that you don't let them get away with blatant overcharging.
Farang Prices - A lot of places (like zoos, museums, national parks) charge foreigners more, sometimes a lot more. In theory, my work permit was supposed to save me from most of that injustice. In reality, I forgot to bring it. Every. Single. Time.
Looking Forward To:
Cheese
Beef
Seasons
Not having to dress based on what clothing shows sweat the least
Not Looking Forward To:
American accents - I'm sorry, but it's true. There are very very few Americans in Thailand. 98% of all the American accents I was exposed to were my friends who I saw every day. Katie P. and I realized this a couple days ago, listening to the loud, carrying, overpowering voice of a fellow American: we should apologize to all non-Americans because it turns out they're not lying about it being annoying.
The Dollar - I think I just won't buy anything ever again.
Not going on vacation every weekend - You mean most people don't do this? What kind of life is that?
I had more, but time is out. See you in America!
P.S: Apparently, the internet decided as I was writing that it didn't like this site either. So this was posted in The Land of Internet Freedom (aka America).
P.P.S: After months of Thai beds, which have the give of wood floors, my bed feels like it's made of clouds and cotton balls.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Ko "It Waited Until My Last Four Days In Thailand To Rain"
I never thought that at any point while in Thailand I would wish for sun, but we arrived at Ko Chang yesterday for our last days and haven't seen the sun since. I was hoping to step off the plane in (I can't believe it) four days and be jet lagged, dirty, delirious, and gloriously sun-bronzed. My super-tan of July faded long ago and I wanted the chance to gain a little of it back, just enough to last me through October. But I'm worn out from traveling and tanning regrets aside, can't be too disappointed about the rain. As long as I have a book thick enough to last me (and I think the one I have will last all the way to the States) I have no real complaints. If given the choice, though, I would have switched the weather in Chiang Mai and Ko Chang.
Chiang Mai was hot. You would think I'd be used to it but apparently four days in the mountains in Pai were all it took for me to adjust back to normal temperatures (normal being 80 degrees). Unwilling to expose our tired, travel-worn selves to more discomfort, we kept our activities low-key during the first day (reading in the park, napping, Starbucks) and then re-energized for our Thai cooking class. It turns out I have found my cooking niche. I don't have the patience, inclination, or attention span for the usual stuff, but apparently I have a knack for Thai food. I realized that while I could get various people to cook my favorite foods for me at home there was no one who could make Thai food for me. So I stuck out my chin, donned my apron and headscarf, and got to it. I learned all of my favorites (my green curry in particular was excellent), impressed our teacher by making everything Thai-level spicy, and finally found out which is the mortar and which is the pestle (one of my top five questions about Thailand).
One morning was devoted to The Flight of the Gibbon, which is the attraction in Chiang Mai (as seen on Amazing Race). A gibbon is a monkey that swings from tree to tree and almost never touches the ground and The Flight is a series of zip-lines through the rainforest where they live. Our guides enjoyed sending us off the platforms before we were ready and, at one time, "missing" someone in my group at the other end so he slid back to the middle. Oh, North and Chit, they were a couple of jokesters. In our group was an Israeli family and they were so awesome that, in two hours, they made me want to convert to Judaism and move to Israel. I still haven't completely dismissed it.
There were more animal related events, including the Night Safari where I held a baby white tiger (it was ferocious), realized that the bird house is frightening in the dark, and got cut off by a roaming giraffe while riding the tram. Our last day was spent at the zoo, where we had to stop every twenty minutes to rest because it was hot and we are getting on in years. But I got to feed a giraffe (a different one) and see what an ostrich looks when it's molted (answer: ewww).
I also went to some markets and spent an upsetting amount of money (baht or no baht, I am on a teacher's salary). Mostly it was upsetting for my back, which now has to carry everything I bought. It also might be upsetting for my suitcase when I get my things out of storage and pack for the plane, but I remain hopeful.
But that is three days away, so I won't worry about it. For now, it's still raining but I'm getting restless and so I think I will go swimming anyway. Thanks to a tropical climate, the water is always warm. Well done, Thailand.
Chiang Mai was hot. You would think I'd be used to it but apparently four days in the mountains in Pai were all it took for me to adjust back to normal temperatures (normal being 80 degrees). Unwilling to expose our tired, travel-worn selves to more discomfort, we kept our activities low-key during the first day (reading in the park, napping, Starbucks) and then re-energized for our Thai cooking class. It turns out I have found my cooking niche. I don't have the patience, inclination, or attention span for the usual stuff, but apparently I have a knack for Thai food. I realized that while I could get various people to cook my favorite foods for me at home there was no one who could make Thai food for me. So I stuck out my chin, donned my apron and headscarf, and got to it. I learned all of my favorites (my green curry in particular was excellent), impressed our teacher by making everything Thai-level spicy, and finally found out which is the mortar and which is the pestle (one of my top five questions about Thailand).
One morning was devoted to The Flight of the Gibbon, which is the attraction in Chiang Mai (as seen on Amazing Race). A gibbon is a monkey that swings from tree to tree and almost never touches the ground and The Flight is a series of zip-lines through the rainforest where they live. Our guides enjoyed sending us off the platforms before we were ready and, at one time, "missing" someone in my group at the other end so he slid back to the middle. Oh, North and Chit, they were a couple of jokesters. In our group was an Israeli family and they were so awesome that, in two hours, they made me want to convert to Judaism and move to Israel. I still haven't completely dismissed it.
There were more animal related events, including the Night Safari where I held a baby white tiger (it was ferocious), realized that the bird house is frightening in the dark, and got cut off by a roaming giraffe while riding the tram. Our last day was spent at the zoo, where we had to stop every twenty minutes to rest because it was hot and we are getting on in years. But I got to feed a giraffe (a different one) and see what an ostrich looks when it's molted (answer: ewww).
I also went to some markets and spent an upsetting amount of money (baht or no baht, I am on a teacher's salary). Mostly it was upsetting for my back, which now has to carry everything I bought. It also might be upsetting for my suitcase when I get my things out of storage and pack for the plane, but I remain hopeful.
But that is three days away, so I won't worry about it. For now, it's still raining but I'm getting restless and so I think I will go swimming anyway. Thanks to a tropical climate, the water is always warm. Well done, Thailand.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Done With Kip, Back To Baht.
I'm not sure how it happened, but it's already been a week since I left Suphan. It was a sad good-bye, but I have Jenny and Katie P. as my traveling companions and we're meeting up with a couple others for the final beaching part of the trip, so I got to put off most of my final farewells for a couple weeks. I've been trying to convince everyone to come home with me and live in the basement (Mom and Dad, we'll talk later), but they keep saying things like "crime" and "drugs" and "don't a lot of people get shot there?". I'm kind of disappointed in them, I thought they were hardier than that.
So I suppose I'll just have to cling to what little time we have left. We've definitely been making the most of it. Our first destination was Laos and, sadly, we had to race through it. We spent a couple days in Vang Vieng and our main activity was Tubing. This wasn't regular tubing and so deserves capitalization. There are a bunch of bars lined up along the (big, fast moving, rock-laden) river. You rent a tube and float from bar to bar where they throw you line, reel you in and ply you with free whiskey. There are zip lines and high swings (I was the only one to do the high swing because I am the coolest and most fearless of us all) and an underlying sense of danger. We managed to make it through relatively unwounded.
If you think the Tubing was exciting, wait until you hear about how we spent our nights. Restaurants and bars in Laos are all centered around one thing - television. And the only shows on are Friends, Family Guy, and occasionally soccer. So it turns out I found my heaven, and it happens to be in a tiny developing country in Southeast Asia. Who knew? Because we spent a lot of our time in Laos traveling, watching t.v. and drinking fruit shakes was as much activity as we could handle. At first we disagreed on where to go ("I want to watch Friends", "But I feel like Family Guy", "Look, soccer!) but we quickly came up with an excellent solution. So we spent the nights bar-hopping from show to show, ordering shakes and baguettes and cheese at each one (Laos was lucky enough to be colonized by the French and, though it's independent now, we can still enjoy the culinary heritage).
After Vang Vieng, we spent a day in Luang Prabang, which was quaint and had equally delicious food, and then it was time to head back to Thailand. I would have liked to spend at least a few more days in Laos, but I was also a little relieved to be back. I was very much a tourist in Laos and, while I had a great time, it was a little unsettling. In Thailand I don't have to worry about converting money (I never got a handle on the Laos Kip), basic communication, or getting scammed. Not to mention, Thailand is still the cheapest country ever.
So now I'm in Pai, a tiny little town in the northwest. Everything about Pai is relaxed and slightly New-Agey. I didn't think it was possible for people in Thailand to be friendlier, but the people in Pai have managed it. We spent a day white water rafting and cliff jumping. The cliffs weren't too high, only about 8 meters (which, thanks to my American education I know is somewhere between 10 and 50 feet) but high enough that even I, with all of my daring and fearlessness, hesitated. It was my first time rafting, but I think I carried my weight. I suppose I'm just a natural at everything I do.
We have one more day here and then we leave tomorrow for a few days in Chiang Mai. We don't have any particular plans, so I expect we'll just do whatever catches our attention. Probably something shiny and sparkly. For now I'm going to read my book, drink coffee, and count how many people with dreads walk by.
So I suppose I'll just have to cling to what little time we have left. We've definitely been making the most of it. Our first destination was Laos and, sadly, we had to race through it. We spent a couple days in Vang Vieng and our main activity was Tubing. This wasn't regular tubing and so deserves capitalization. There are a bunch of bars lined up along the (big, fast moving, rock-laden) river. You rent a tube and float from bar to bar where they throw you line, reel you in and ply you with free whiskey. There are zip lines and high swings (I was the only one to do the high swing because I am the coolest and most fearless of us all) and an underlying sense of danger. We managed to make it through relatively unwounded.
If you think the Tubing was exciting, wait until you hear about how we spent our nights. Restaurants and bars in Laos are all centered around one thing - television. And the only shows on are Friends, Family Guy, and occasionally soccer. So it turns out I found my heaven, and it happens to be in a tiny developing country in Southeast Asia. Who knew? Because we spent a lot of our time in Laos traveling, watching t.v. and drinking fruit shakes was as much activity as we could handle. At first we disagreed on where to go ("I want to watch Friends", "But I feel like Family Guy", "Look, soccer!) but we quickly came up with an excellent solution. So we spent the nights bar-hopping from show to show, ordering shakes and baguettes and cheese at each one (Laos was lucky enough to be colonized by the French and, though it's independent now, we can still enjoy the culinary heritage).
After Vang Vieng, we spent a day in Luang Prabang, which was quaint and had equally delicious food, and then it was time to head back to Thailand. I would have liked to spend at least a few more days in Laos, but I was also a little relieved to be back. I was very much a tourist in Laos and, while I had a great time, it was a little unsettling. In Thailand I don't have to worry about converting money (I never got a handle on the Laos Kip), basic communication, or getting scammed. Not to mention, Thailand is still the cheapest country ever.
So now I'm in Pai, a tiny little town in the northwest. Everything about Pai is relaxed and slightly New-Agey. I didn't think it was possible for people in Thailand to be friendlier, but the people in Pai have managed it. We spent a day white water rafting and cliff jumping. The cliffs weren't too high, only about 8 meters (which, thanks to my American education I know is somewhere between 10 and 50 feet) but high enough that even I, with all of my daring and fearlessness, hesitated. It was my first time rafting, but I think I carried my weight. I suppose I'm just a natural at everything I do.
We have one more day here and then we leave tomorrow for a few days in Chiang Mai. We don't have any particular plans, so I expect we'll just do whatever catches our attention. Probably something shiny and sparkly. For now I'm going to read my book, drink coffee, and count how many people with dreads walk by.
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