Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
I am for Scuba
I can't belive our trip is almost over. Though there were ups and downs, it couldn't possibly have been better. Thinking back, I am amazed at how much we did and how many places we saw. It was perfect.
We have been in the islands for a little while now, and I have to admit that my feelings are mixed. With everybody raving about the islands, we really had our hopes up. In truth, the islands are extremely touristy and Thai culture is almost completely lost at times. There were moments when I could have been on an island anywhere on the world. I was a little disappointed. We arrived in Koh Samui to discover that it is basically a golfing destination packed with middle aged white people and overpriced restaurants. The beaches are nice, but littered with Thai people trying to sell you shark tooth necklaces and other such crap. The food is mediocre, like the town itself. We couldn't wait to get out of there. All the Israelis raved about Koh Phangan, so the next day we took a boat there. Surprise surprise the boat was loaded with Israelis. We met some nice Israelis on the boat and ended up staying with them for the two days we were on the crumby little Island. Again, the beaches are really beautiful, but I am convinced that Koh Phangan exists only to cater to Israelis. I started calling it Schnitzel Island because every single restaurant is a schnitzel place. The hotels all have signs in Hebrew. And I have to say that every single meal I had on Schnitzel Island was atrocious. It was very upsetting. Since all there is to do aside from lie on the beach (apparently a lot of people can just do that forever) is party. We went to a pool party with our Israeli friends. I admit we had a good time. We ended up eating ramen noodles on the floor of the 7-Eleven. Definitely the best meal I had in Koh Phangan. Wait a second. I never mentioned that there are at least two 7-Elevens on every block in Thailand. It's amazing. All tourists know that if you are hot and sweaty, the best air-con in Thailand is in the 7-Eleven. Anyway, we were bored as hell and quite worried that we had made a mistake coming to the islands. Leeor really wanted to do an open water scuba certification course in Koh Tao, so we somehow managed to stick it out long enough to get on boat to Koh Tao. Thank god we did. Koh Tao is not only absolutely beautiful, with coral reefs galore and crystal clear waters, but it's a lovely place to stay. The food is excellent. It was such a relief to finally be in a town that we didn't want to leave. Ever.
Leeor and I joined a four day scuba course and had the time of our lives. I thought I would be scared of being so deep under water, but it was incredible. Our Thai instructor, Santi, was amazing. His incessant sexual jokes weirded me out at first, but in the end his crass sense of humor somehow caught on and made the course so much more fun. Also, since I am so much smaller than most people, he tried really hard to get me equipment that fit me properly. He even found me a small tank because with the big one I was barely able to stand. We were really lucky to have him. We ended up hanging out with Santi and an awesome Canadian couple that was in our group the whole time we were there. On the last night of our course, we went to a little bar across the street where they had some guitars hidden in their cooler. Santi and I played and we all sang every song we could think of for hours. I found out that I know a lot of songs, and we played so long my fingers were bleeding. We had a blast. When it came to diving, we were not yet satisfied, so we and the Canadian couple stayed for one more day. We did three dives the last day-- a deep dive (30 meters! Imagine how much fun Santi had with that one...), a navigation dive (haha yeah right), and a night dive with flashlights, which was scary and surreal. I felt like I was exploring another planet with a strange atmosphere. I somehow got lost from the group during the night dive. It was frightening. Leeor found me a few long minutes later, though, and everything was fine. Thanks to the extra day, we can now call ourselves adventure divers.
We were planning to leave that night on a night boat and bus ride to Phuket (12 hours), the cheapest option. After saying a sad goodbye to Koh Tao, also known as sticky island because people can't seem to leave, we went to the pier. We got on our night ferry and what we saw made the night dive seem as scary as an episode of Care Bears. The boat was lined with filthy mats placed one next to the other in an open-air deck. Nine hours on that boat out at sea? At night? With all those greasy Thai men? I don't think so. I tried to convince myself to sick it out. Thankfully, I regained my senses and got the hell out of that boat. I promise I am not being a princess. It was really that horrible. We decided not to be so cheap and buy a bloody plane ticket. We took off the next day from Koh Samui and I was so grateful that I did not stay on that ferry that was more like a transport for prisoners of war.
Patong, Phuket is basically a brothel nestled by the Andaman Sea. It is teeming with prostitutes, lady boys, go-go clubs, and, of course, balding white men. It is something to see. The beach is not as placid or warm as the Pacific, so we took advantage, rented a boogy board, and rode the waves for a while. It was really fun. We decided to go to Koh Phi Phi for a day. Koh Phi Phi is famous for its beaches, which are featured in The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio. It's a gorgeous island with colorful coral reefs brimming with fish. The town itself is not so great, but we did manage to find an amazing restaurant. We has a whole fried fish with red curry sauce. Unbelievably delicious. We also ate the best crab I have ever had in a chilli and basil sauce. We went back today for another perfect fish, and this time we also ordered mussels baked in a garlic and butter sauce. Oh. My. God. Not only were they wonderful to look at, with a bluish breen tinge on the outer edges of the black shells, but they were perfectly soft and mild flavored. It was Leeor's first time eating mussels and he was in heaven. I wish we could have a restaurant like that at home, but I guess it's all in the freshness of the seafood. This morning, we took a short snorkling trip around Phi Phi Ley. We saw sea turtles and a black fin reef shark. It was a perfect end to our trip.
We are now back in Patong, waiting to go to the airport and begin the long voyage home. We have four flights ahead of us. We will get through it and somehow get back to reality. It has been truly amazing. Thank you for following us around Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Writing this blog has made the experience even more special because I could share it with all of you. I can't wait to see you and show you all my pictures. Thanks so much for reading!
Kob kun krab!!!
We have been in the islands for a little while now, and I have to admit that my feelings are mixed. With everybody raving about the islands, we really had our hopes up. In truth, the islands are extremely touristy and Thai culture is almost completely lost at times. There were moments when I could have been on an island anywhere on the world. I was a little disappointed. We arrived in Koh Samui to discover that it is basically a golfing destination packed with middle aged white people and overpriced restaurants. The beaches are nice, but littered with Thai people trying to sell you shark tooth necklaces and other such crap. The food is mediocre, like the town itself. We couldn't wait to get out of there. All the Israelis raved about Koh Phangan, so the next day we took a boat there. Surprise surprise the boat was loaded with Israelis. We met some nice Israelis on the boat and ended up staying with them for the two days we were on the crumby little Island. Again, the beaches are really beautiful, but I am convinced that Koh Phangan exists only to cater to Israelis. I started calling it Schnitzel Island because every single restaurant is a schnitzel place. The hotels all have signs in Hebrew. And I have to say that every single meal I had on Schnitzel Island was atrocious. It was very upsetting. Since all there is to do aside from lie on the beach (apparently a lot of people can just do that forever) is party. We went to a pool party with our Israeli friends. I admit we had a good time. We ended up eating ramen noodles on the floor of the 7-Eleven. Definitely the best meal I had in Koh Phangan. Wait a second. I never mentioned that there are at least two 7-Elevens on every block in Thailand. It's amazing. All tourists know that if you are hot and sweaty, the best air-con in Thailand is in the 7-Eleven. Anyway, we were bored as hell and quite worried that we had made a mistake coming to the islands. Leeor really wanted to do an open water scuba certification course in Koh Tao, so we somehow managed to stick it out long enough to get on boat to Koh Tao. Thank god we did. Koh Tao is not only absolutely beautiful, with coral reefs galore and crystal clear waters, but it's a lovely place to stay. The food is excellent. It was such a relief to finally be in a town that we didn't want to leave. Ever.
Leeor and I joined a four day scuba course and had the time of our lives. I thought I would be scared of being so deep under water, but it was incredible. Our Thai instructor, Santi, was amazing. His incessant sexual jokes weirded me out at first, but in the end his crass sense of humor somehow caught on and made the course so much more fun. Also, since I am so much smaller than most people, he tried really hard to get me equipment that fit me properly. He even found me a small tank because with the big one I was barely able to stand. We were really lucky to have him. We ended up hanging out with Santi and an awesome Canadian couple that was in our group the whole time we were there. On the last night of our course, we went to a little bar across the street where they had some guitars hidden in their cooler. Santi and I played and we all sang every song we could think of for hours. I found out that I know a lot of songs, and we played so long my fingers were bleeding. We had a blast. When it came to diving, we were not yet satisfied, so we and the Canadian couple stayed for one more day. We did three dives the last day-- a deep dive (30 meters! Imagine how much fun Santi had with that one...), a navigation dive (haha yeah right), and a night dive with flashlights, which was scary and surreal. I felt like I was exploring another planet with a strange atmosphere. I somehow got lost from the group during the night dive. It was frightening. Leeor found me a few long minutes later, though, and everything was fine. Thanks to the extra day, we can now call ourselves adventure divers.
We were planning to leave that night on a night boat and bus ride to Phuket (12 hours), the cheapest option. After saying a sad goodbye to Koh Tao, also known as sticky island because people can't seem to leave, we went to the pier. We got on our night ferry and what we saw made the night dive seem as scary as an episode of Care Bears. The boat was lined with filthy mats placed one next to the other in an open-air deck. Nine hours on that boat out at sea? At night? With all those greasy Thai men? I don't think so. I tried to convince myself to sick it out. Thankfully, I regained my senses and got the hell out of that boat. I promise I am not being a princess. It was really that horrible. We decided not to be so cheap and buy a bloody plane ticket. We took off the next day from Koh Samui and I was so grateful that I did not stay on that ferry that was more like a transport for prisoners of war.
Patong, Phuket is basically a brothel nestled by the Andaman Sea. It is teeming with prostitutes, lady boys, go-go clubs, and, of course, balding white men. It is something to see. The beach is not as placid or warm as the Pacific, so we took advantage, rented a boogy board, and rode the waves for a while. It was really fun. We decided to go to Koh Phi Phi for a day. Koh Phi Phi is famous for its beaches, which are featured in The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio. It's a gorgeous island with colorful coral reefs brimming with fish. The town itself is not so great, but we did manage to find an amazing restaurant. We has a whole fried fish with red curry sauce. Unbelievably delicious. We also ate the best crab I have ever had in a chilli and basil sauce. We went back today for another perfect fish, and this time we also ordered mussels baked in a garlic and butter sauce. Oh. My. God. Not only were they wonderful to look at, with a bluish breen tinge on the outer edges of the black shells, but they were perfectly soft and mild flavored. It was Leeor's first time eating mussels and he was in heaven. I wish we could have a restaurant like that at home, but I guess it's all in the freshness of the seafood. This morning, we took a short snorkling trip around Phi Phi Ley. We saw sea turtles and a black fin reef shark. It was a perfect end to our trip.
We are now back in Patong, waiting to go to the airport and begin the long voyage home. We have four flights ahead of us. We will get through it and somehow get back to reality. It has been truly amazing. Thank you for following us around Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. Writing this blog has made the experience even more special because I could share it with all of you. I can't wait to see you and show you all my pictures. Thanks so much for reading!
Kob kun krab!!!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Five Days and Millions of Dong Later...
Vietnam. What a crazy place. So different from Laos, population 6.6 million, almost all living in rural villages. Over 80 million people live in Vietnam and they all drive motor bikes all day long every day. I wonder where are they going all the time? We arrived in Hanoi and found a room in the Old Quarter, where most of the backpackers stay. They are mostly shirtless and drunk British...no more Israelis or signs in Hebrew. Motorbikes. I can't write down in words what it is like to walk the streets of Hanoi, surrounded by swarming motorbikers who come within a centimeter of each other, constantly beeping their horns. It is sensory overload to the max. Assuming that the sidewalk is not torn up and laying in a pile that blocks your passage, you have to walk in the street most of the time anyway because loads of motorbikes are parked upon them. How do you cross the street with thousands of motorbikes coming straight toward you and no pedestrian crossing you ask? That's easy. You simply walk slowly into oncoming traffic and allow them to navigate around you. No problem. Chaos aside, the city reminds me a lot of Tel Aviv. It must be the influence of Soviet (ugly) architecture. But really Hanoi is awesome. We were instantly glad to be there, in a city a thousand times more complex and bustling than Bangkok.
Our food experience in Hanoi was surprising. During the taxi ride into the city from the airport, we found out that 'Pho' is actually pronounced Phaaaa and is not nearly as good as anything you get in Thailand. The weird meat component is a bit too scary for me. We discovered that the restaurants in Hanoi-- yes the ones that cater to tourists and expats-- are fantastic. We had one of the best Italian dinners we ever had at a charming place in the Old Quarter called Mediterraneo. The owner is a true Italian. We had black linguine with shrimp, squid, and tomato sauce that was outstanding. We were growing tired of Asian food anyway, so Hanoi was a great opportunity to do some gourmet dining at a quarter of the price of home. And the city itself is so hectic that escaping the streets and having your meals in a real restaurant is a treat. Also worth mentioning is Fanny's Ice Cream, located by the lake also in the Old Quarter. We went there three times. The dark chocolate is almost black and is by far the best chocolate ice cream I have ever had. In case you are wondering if we did anything but eat, we did make it around almost the entire city, important temples, etc. We even went to the Fine Arts Museum, which houses some pretty nice paintings, mostly depicting scenes of war. Actually the city has loads of galleries that make you want to start an art collection. The city's attractions are not very impressive, though, aside from Ho Chi Min's mausoleum. The best thing to do there is walk along the streets and markets and witness the insanity.
We decided to go to Ha Long Bay for a couple days before heading back to Thailand. We did not want to take a tour, because all the tours sounded lame (stay on a mediocre boat for three days bleh), so we hopped on a public bus. We knew it would be more of an ordeal doing anything on our own in Vietnam (the people are not exactly out to please you), but we could not have imagined what lunacy was in store for us.
At first, we managed to avoid being scammed. We planned to take a hydro-foil from Hai Phung to Cat Ba Island. We were able to find the pier on our own and board the fast boat, despite the woman who followed us around saying "No boat Today!" We even paid the correct ticket price! We were proud. We got to Cat Ba and found a decent 10 dollar room with an impressive view of the boat and limestone island packed harbor. The town itself is junky and well...ugly, but the scenery is certainly unusual. We got settled and had a delicious crab for lunch that must have been taken out of the restaurant's tank and killed five minutes before we devoured it.
Leeor had the idea to rent a kayak and go around the bay for a couple hours before sunset. We rowed (Leeor rowed) past the floating fishing villages and the garbage (they just throw everything in the water), and out to the undulating sea. We saw a small, empty beach on one of the islands, parked there, and went swimming. We collected some beautiful shells. We got back into our kayak...actually it was a canoe, before it got too late. The rising tide, however, filled the back of our canoe with water, and we were forced to return to our deserted (this time not in a good way!) beach and quickly scoop the water out. We set out again, a little nervous about the darkening sky. As my oar hit the black water (this time I had to help) I noticed a bright green flash in the water. I thought I was hallucinating and I asked Leeor whether I was imagining the phenomenon, but he realized right away that what we were seeing was phosphorescent algae. We splashed the water around, enjoying the little light show. It was cool. Nevertheless, night was upon us, so we hurried in, passing by the shadowed limestone islands that dramatically jut up out of the water at wondrous angles. It was a spooky scene that felt like the Pirates of the Caribbean with all the dark boats and the creepy quiet. We fortunately found our way back and returned the 'kayak,' feeling happy to be alive.
The next day we took a boat ride around the bay. A depressing five hour trip during which the extraordinary scenery became mundane. The captain of our junk was supposed to bring us back way before the last hydrofoil back to Hai Phung; but alas, we were in Vietnam, where non-truths seem to be the norm when it comes to dealing with tourists. We missed the boat. This was a big deal, since we had to fly out of Hanoi in the morning. Everyone tried to 'help us' by telling us we were stuck on the island and to come "stay at my hotel!" I refused to accept that we would miss our flight. We were getting off that stupid island even if it killed me. Someone finally told us that if we hurried, we could make the last ferry off the island to another island closer to Hai Phung. This ferry, leaving from the other side of Cat Ba Island could be reached by motorbike. We mounted two motorbikes and hung on tight as we were taken on one of the most thrilling and beautiful rides we have ever experienced. By the end of it, we were almost happy we missed the boat. Almost. Our drivers demanded more money than they asked for initially (very common practice in Vietnam) and we were suckered them into giving them a bit more, despite my feelings towards such scams. I genuinely felt bad for them. After all, it was a long ride and we survived. I know, I was stupid. Well that would be the last time. We got on the ferry-- some kind of shady cargo boat-- and escaped Cat Ba. We didn't know what we would do once we got to Cat Hai, but at least we were somewhat on our way. The whole dodgy town's male population came out to greet us and ask if we want a motor bike ride to a hotel. We responded by demanding any kind of way to Hai Phung. Finally, a wheeler and dealer kind of guy called his friend who has a motorboat. One hundred US dollars he wanted. We came back with twenty five. We settled (or so we thought) on 800,000 dong, or $40. There really was no other way. Thankful that we were moving on, we got on the sorry excuse for a boat and began the long voyage to Hai Phung City. After a few hours, and to our dismay, he let us out at a truly creepy industrial plant's loading dock a few km from the actual city. He had called a taxi for us at least. Of course, when I handed him the 800,000 dong, which we agreed on IN WRITING, he wanted $80. This time, I was strong and I refused to give him any more money. We got into the taxi, even though the s.o.b. was not going away, and sat there until he finally gave up. At that point, you can imagine how frightened and distressed we were. It was so stressful. Now we had to hope and pray that this taxi driver would bring us to the right bus station. "Sabeet Hanoi!" we yelled. He seemed to know what the hell we were talking about, but god only knows. We praised the heavens when he dropped us at the bus and didn't demand double the price he asked. We were so relieved to be on a straight form of transportation. It took us seven hours, a huge amount of tenacity and determination, and probably a few miracles, but we got back to Hanoi in one piece. We were tired of the scamming and the overall non-Thai mentality of the Vietnamese. We were excited to get back to happy Thailand, which turned into a paradise in our minds. It was late. We went to bed and woke up early for our flight to Koh Samui. Goodbye Vietnam! The islands here we come.
Our food experience in Hanoi was surprising. During the taxi ride into the city from the airport, we found out that 'Pho' is actually pronounced Phaaaa and is not nearly as good as anything you get in Thailand. The weird meat component is a bit too scary for me. We discovered that the restaurants in Hanoi-- yes the ones that cater to tourists and expats-- are fantastic. We had one of the best Italian dinners we ever had at a charming place in the Old Quarter called Mediterraneo. The owner is a true Italian. We had black linguine with shrimp, squid, and tomato sauce that was outstanding. We were growing tired of Asian food anyway, so Hanoi was a great opportunity to do some gourmet dining at a quarter of the price of home. And the city itself is so hectic that escaping the streets and having your meals in a real restaurant is a treat. Also worth mentioning is Fanny's Ice Cream, located by the lake also in the Old Quarter. We went there three times. The dark chocolate is almost black and is by far the best chocolate ice cream I have ever had. In case you are wondering if we did anything but eat, we did make it around almost the entire city, important temples, etc. We even went to the Fine Arts Museum, which houses some pretty nice paintings, mostly depicting scenes of war. Actually the city has loads of galleries that make you want to start an art collection. The city's attractions are not very impressive, though, aside from Ho Chi Min's mausoleum. The best thing to do there is walk along the streets and markets and witness the insanity.
We decided to go to Ha Long Bay for a couple days before heading back to Thailand. We did not want to take a tour, because all the tours sounded lame (stay on a mediocre boat for three days bleh), so we hopped on a public bus. We knew it would be more of an ordeal doing anything on our own in Vietnam (the people are not exactly out to please you), but we could not have imagined what lunacy was in store for us.
At first, we managed to avoid being scammed. We planned to take a hydro-foil from Hai Phung to Cat Ba Island. We were able to find the pier on our own and board the fast boat, despite the woman who followed us around saying "No boat Today!" We even paid the correct ticket price! We were proud. We got to Cat Ba and found a decent 10 dollar room with an impressive view of the boat and limestone island packed harbor. The town itself is junky and well...ugly, but the scenery is certainly unusual. We got settled and had a delicious crab for lunch that must have been taken out of the restaurant's tank and killed five minutes before we devoured it.
Leeor had the idea to rent a kayak and go around the bay for a couple hours before sunset. We rowed (Leeor rowed) past the floating fishing villages and the garbage (they just throw everything in the water), and out to the undulating sea. We saw a small, empty beach on one of the islands, parked there, and went swimming. We collected some beautiful shells. We got back into our kayak...actually it was a canoe, before it got too late. The rising tide, however, filled the back of our canoe with water, and we were forced to return to our deserted (this time not in a good way!) beach and quickly scoop the water out. We set out again, a little nervous about the darkening sky. As my oar hit the black water (this time I had to help) I noticed a bright green flash in the water. I thought I was hallucinating and I asked Leeor whether I was imagining the phenomenon, but he realized right away that what we were seeing was phosphorescent algae. We splashed the water around, enjoying the little light show. It was cool. Nevertheless, night was upon us, so we hurried in, passing by the shadowed limestone islands that dramatically jut up out of the water at wondrous angles. It was a spooky scene that felt like the Pirates of the Caribbean with all the dark boats and the creepy quiet. We fortunately found our way back and returned the 'kayak,' feeling happy to be alive.
The next day we took a boat ride around the bay. A depressing five hour trip during which the extraordinary scenery became mundane. The captain of our junk was supposed to bring us back way before the last hydrofoil back to Hai Phung; but alas, we were in Vietnam, where non-truths seem to be the norm when it comes to dealing with tourists. We missed the boat. This was a big deal, since we had to fly out of Hanoi in the morning. Everyone tried to 'help us' by telling us we were stuck on the island and to come "stay at my hotel!" I refused to accept that we would miss our flight. We were getting off that stupid island even if it killed me. Someone finally told us that if we hurried, we could make the last ferry off the island to another island closer to Hai Phung. This ferry, leaving from the other side of Cat Ba Island could be reached by motorbike. We mounted two motorbikes and hung on tight as we were taken on one of the most thrilling and beautiful rides we have ever experienced. By the end of it, we were almost happy we missed the boat. Almost. Our drivers demanded more money than they asked for initially (very common practice in Vietnam) and we were suckered them into giving them a bit more, despite my feelings towards such scams. I genuinely felt bad for them. After all, it was a long ride and we survived. I know, I was stupid. Well that would be the last time. We got on the ferry-- some kind of shady cargo boat-- and escaped Cat Ba. We didn't know what we would do once we got to Cat Hai, but at least we were somewhat on our way. The whole dodgy town's male population came out to greet us and ask if we want a motor bike ride to a hotel. We responded by demanding any kind of way to Hai Phung. Finally, a wheeler and dealer kind of guy called his friend who has a motorboat. One hundred US dollars he wanted. We came back with twenty five. We settled (or so we thought) on 800,000 dong, or $40. There really was no other way. Thankful that we were moving on, we got on the sorry excuse for a boat and began the long voyage to Hai Phung City. After a few hours, and to our dismay, he let us out at a truly creepy industrial plant's loading dock a few km from the actual city. He had called a taxi for us at least. Of course, when I handed him the 800,000 dong, which we agreed on IN WRITING, he wanted $80. This time, I was strong and I refused to give him any more money. We got into the taxi, even though the s.o.b. was not going away, and sat there until he finally gave up. At that point, you can imagine how frightened and distressed we were. It was so stressful. Now we had to hope and pray that this taxi driver would bring us to the right bus station. "Sabeet Hanoi!" we yelled. He seemed to know what the hell we were talking about, but god only knows. We praised the heavens when he dropped us at the bus and didn't demand double the price he asked. We were so relieved to be on a straight form of transportation. It took us seven hours, a huge amount of tenacity and determination, and probably a few miracles, but we got back to Hanoi in one piece. We were tired of the scamming and the overall non-Thai mentality of the Vietnamese. We were excited to get back to happy Thailand, which turned into a paradise in our minds. It was late. We went to bed and woke up early for our flight to Koh Samui. Goodbye Vietnam! The islands here we come.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Week Three: Lau Lau!
So our time in Lau is almost up and one thing's for sure: in Lau, time does not equal money. In Lau, time slips by undetected and dissolves as though it never was. If there is a clock somewhere, it definitely doesn't tick. Buses leave an hour later than scheduled, and the ride is two hours longer than they told you it would be. We have fought hard to make it out of here, as one day easily becomes three.
I left off at our 11 hour bus ride to Luang Prabang. Did I say 11 hours? Try 14. Yes 14 hours on a bus. The first five hours, the bus shook to the beats of Lau music, hands down the worst music on the planet (according to our Lonely Planet, the classical Lau music has fallen victim to the "vapid tentacles of Thai pop"). My stomach did somersaults. Thankfully, I had earplugs and two seats to myself. I curled up into a ball and closed my eyes. After our dinner stop, the bus shot through the jungle darkness like a spaceship on the verge of breaking down, narrowly avoiding horrific collisions with asteroids, barely able to handle the demands of its fearless captain. The only way to describe the violence with which the bus frantically bounced, shook, and swayed is that it did so with cartoon-like exaggeration. Laying your jostled head against anything for comfort was futile, as a mild concussion was a probable outcome. I guess you can say that we slept, but I wouldn't be able to say that without mentioning that most of the sleep was more like hallucination. In that place between awake and asleep, I imagined the bus falling on its side or toppling off the side of the mountain. But somehow, we survived and arrived in Luang Prabang. All we could manage to utter was, "That was horrible."
On that fantastic voyage, we met two nice Moroccan Israeli guys, Idan and Eyal, and a sweet American girl from California named Sarah (not Jewish). We played some fun games on the bus to kill time (one person thinks about something, anything in the universe, and everyone asks questions to try to figure out what it is...lots of laughs) and ended up hanging out quite a bit until yesterday, when we finally had to say our goodbyes.
We were pretty out of it the first couple days in Luang Prabang, but we managed to enjoy eating the food and walking around the exceptionally charming city. The French influence is everywhere. The walkways are brick lined, the courtyards are terracotta tiled, and the windows are quaintly shuttered. Many rooms have hard wood floors and ceilings. The result is a visually pleasing and photo-friendly town. Of course, tourists are everywhere, and one quickly gets the sense that the place survives solely on tourism and the excessive popularity of Beer Lau, but it is a nice plays to vegetate for a few days. The coffee alone is reason enough to stay. Lao coffee is a thick, silky brew of rich black liquid. When it hits your tongue, it doesn't taste or feel watery. It is like a velvety blanket saturated with the essence of coffee. It is normally mixed with a bit of sweetened condensed milk, which lightens it ever so slightly. I would like to take a bushel home with me.
On Friday night, the five of us got together and did a little Shabbat dinner at the restaurant across from our room that overlooks the Mei Kong and the mountains beyond. It is really beautiful. Sarah was a little surprised by our rituals, but we had a great time chatting and eating. It started to rain (it rains every day) and we made it an early night. The next day we got together after the morning rain and took a Tuk Tuk ride over to the unbelievably amazing waterfalls. We hiked a bit, swam, and swung into the freezing water by rope along with dozens of other travelers and locals. I can't stress how special the Kuang Si water falls are. It is an idyllic, fairy tale setting. We spent about three hours enjoying ourselves before we rode back to town, hanging of the back of the tuk tuk, soaking in the scenery, singing songs, and greeting the people and children by the road with a loud "Sabaideeee!" It was a special day.
The next day, Leeor and I fell ridiculously ill with food poisoning. We stayed in bed the whole day doing what peeple with food poisoning do. We had fevers and body aches. We also had HBO, which we could not have done without. Movie after movie took our minds off of the complete awfulness of the day. Somehow we survived and left the next day for Vang Vieng, or what I like to call the SE Asian mouth of hell.
Vang Vieng. It's the type of place where a horror movie should be filmed. It is a Mexico-like drinking town full of Wester travelers looking to get a cheap buzz (fall on the floor drunk) off of the buckets of alcohol (literally small plastic buckets) they give away for free. There is an area of the river where you can tube from bar to bar. That's what people go there for. However, as a shirtless and tatooed European traveler put it, you don't have to drink all the time, you can also smoke weed and watch movies (?!?!?!). I wasn't really into it, so we went out one night dancing with our new friends (very fun, no buckets I promise!) and then spent a day still recovering from our previous sickness. I have to admit that despite the bizzareness of the town, the scenery is magnificent. So we enjoyed it. We came to Vientiane yesterday and today we are going to Vietnam (yay!). Thank god, after a few days of eating almost nothing and having the most boring cravings in the world, we have our appetites back. We can't wait to get out of Lau, but we are happy about our stay. You have to come here with the notion that it's ok to spend some time soing absolutely nothing. If you enjoy the coffee, which you must, and find sticky rice to be a revalation, which it certainly is, you should be fine. But stay away from Lau Lau, the locally made rice whiskey. It's vile. So I will end with a warm Kop Jai Lai Lai!
I left off at our 11 hour bus ride to Luang Prabang. Did I say 11 hours? Try 14. Yes 14 hours on a bus. The first five hours, the bus shook to the beats of Lau music, hands down the worst music on the planet (according to our Lonely Planet, the classical Lau music has fallen victim to the "vapid tentacles of Thai pop"). My stomach did somersaults. Thankfully, I had earplugs and two seats to myself. I curled up into a ball and closed my eyes. After our dinner stop, the bus shot through the jungle darkness like a spaceship on the verge of breaking down, narrowly avoiding horrific collisions with asteroids, barely able to handle the demands of its fearless captain. The only way to describe the violence with which the bus frantically bounced, shook, and swayed is that it did so with cartoon-like exaggeration. Laying your jostled head against anything for comfort was futile, as a mild concussion was a probable outcome. I guess you can say that we slept, but I wouldn't be able to say that without mentioning that most of the sleep was more like hallucination. In that place between awake and asleep, I imagined the bus falling on its side or toppling off the side of the mountain. But somehow, we survived and arrived in Luang Prabang. All we could manage to utter was, "That was horrible."
On that fantastic voyage, we met two nice Moroccan Israeli guys, Idan and Eyal, and a sweet American girl from California named Sarah (not Jewish). We played some fun games on the bus to kill time (one person thinks about something, anything in the universe, and everyone asks questions to try to figure out what it is...lots of laughs) and ended up hanging out quite a bit until yesterday, when we finally had to say our goodbyes.
We were pretty out of it the first couple days in Luang Prabang, but we managed to enjoy eating the food and walking around the exceptionally charming city. The French influence is everywhere. The walkways are brick lined, the courtyards are terracotta tiled, and the windows are quaintly shuttered. Many rooms have hard wood floors and ceilings. The result is a visually pleasing and photo-friendly town. Of course, tourists are everywhere, and one quickly gets the sense that the place survives solely on tourism and the excessive popularity of Beer Lau, but it is a nice plays to vegetate for a few days. The coffee alone is reason enough to stay. Lao coffee is a thick, silky brew of rich black liquid. When it hits your tongue, it doesn't taste or feel watery. It is like a velvety blanket saturated with the essence of coffee. It is normally mixed with a bit of sweetened condensed milk, which lightens it ever so slightly. I would like to take a bushel home with me.
On Friday night, the five of us got together and did a little Shabbat dinner at the restaurant across from our room that overlooks the Mei Kong and the mountains beyond. It is really beautiful. Sarah was a little surprised by our rituals, but we had a great time chatting and eating. It started to rain (it rains every day) and we made it an early night. The next day we got together after the morning rain and took a Tuk Tuk ride over to the unbelievably amazing waterfalls. We hiked a bit, swam, and swung into the freezing water by rope along with dozens of other travelers and locals. I can't stress how special the Kuang Si water falls are. It is an idyllic, fairy tale setting. We spent about three hours enjoying ourselves before we rode back to town, hanging of the back of the tuk tuk, soaking in the scenery, singing songs, and greeting the people and children by the road with a loud "Sabaideeee!" It was a special day.
The next day, Leeor and I fell ridiculously ill with food poisoning. We stayed in bed the whole day doing what peeple with food poisoning do. We had fevers and body aches. We also had HBO, which we could not have done without. Movie after movie took our minds off of the complete awfulness of the day. Somehow we survived and left the next day for Vang Vieng, or what I like to call the SE Asian mouth of hell.
Vang Vieng. It's the type of place where a horror movie should be filmed. It is a Mexico-like drinking town full of Wester travelers looking to get a cheap buzz (fall on the floor drunk) off of the buckets of alcohol (literally small plastic buckets) they give away for free. There is an area of the river where you can tube from bar to bar. That's what people go there for. However, as a shirtless and tatooed European traveler put it, you don't have to drink all the time, you can also smoke weed and watch movies (?!?!?!). I wasn't really into it, so we went out one night dancing with our new friends (very fun, no buckets I promise!) and then spent a day still recovering from our previous sickness. I have to admit that despite the bizzareness of the town, the scenery is magnificent. So we enjoyed it. We came to Vientiane yesterday and today we are going to Vietnam (yay!). Thank god, after a few days of eating almost nothing and having the most boring cravings in the world, we have our appetites back. We can't wait to get out of Lau, but we are happy about our stay. You have to come here with the notion that it's ok to spend some time soing absolutely nothing. If you enjoy the coffee, which you must, and find sticky rice to be a revalation, which it certainly is, you should be fine. But stay away from Lau Lau, the locally made rice whiskey. It's vile. So I will end with a warm Kop Jai Lai Lai!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Week Two: Life is better without leeches
Week two
I haven't been able to update as often as I would like. I am going to have to describe this past week in very little time. I'll give it a shot. Unfortunately, I will have to leave out a lot of amazing meals.
Last Wednesday, we rented a car in Chiang Mai, which we didn't like at all, and drove on the wrong side of the road (Leeor did an amazing job of adjusting) to Doi Inthanon National Park. While it was a beautiful park, we couldn't really find any trails to hike. We simply drove right up to a stunning waterfall, which was a bit disappointing. We left the park and took a drive through the village that sat at the bottom of the mountain. It was quaint and pretty and the road that took us through the village led us to a spectacular valley with rice fields and perfect wooden shacks. A group of boys were swimming in the irrigation canal, and they let me take pictures of them jumping into the water. The sun was setting behind the misty mountains and, trying to avoid driving in the dark, we began the two hour drive back to Chiang Mai. It wasn't what we expected, but it was still a nice day. We took a nice room at a guest house that looked like a Thai style Swiss chalet that stood right on the river. There was even a koo-koo clock on the wall. It was nice to have a comfortable room. The next morning we had a cup of coffee and French toast in the beautiful courtyard that looked onto the river. It was so peaceful. They make a very good American breakfast here. I have to admit that even for me, minced pork on rice is not such an appealing breakfast food.
The next day, we took a bus North to Chiang Rai. We instantly fell in love with the charming little city. It isn't nearly as touristy as Chiang Mai. It has much more of a laid back and friendly vibe. Not everyone is trying to sell you a packaged tour. We stayed at an incredibly sweet guest house with another beautiful courtyard area. The first evening, we walked around the night market, where the whole town congregates. They even watch their favorite soap opera outside, seated together in front of a small tv. Maybe I am idealizing a little, but life here seems so much simpler and generally more enjoyable. People are always laughing and smiling, even though they aren't driving fancy cars and wearing designer clothes. They seem to always be socializing, even while at their jobs. They make life at home seem so full of unnecessary stress. We had a banana roti, an amazing Thai massage, and went to bed. We were happy to be out of Chiang Mai and in a place that has so much soul.
On Friday, we rented bicycles and had one of the best day of our lives (yes, of both of our lives). We wanted to avoid having to do a tour, and it was such a good decision. We ended up doing a 36 km loop up into the mountains, through stunning rice-field valleys and agricultural villages. It was hot, so we stopped often to drink and eat popsicles. We had our lunch by the side of the road. We had rice noodles in an amazing broth with pork balls, these mysterious, spongy things that grow on you, and fresh greens. A little bit of chili powder and it was amazing. We brought lemon-lime gatorade with us, which tasted incredible over ice. We rode on and, thank god, a cloud came and covered the brutal sun right when we began the uphill portion of our voyage. We welcomed the light rain. It smelled sweet and grassy, like in Miami. We didn't quite know where we were headed (our map was not the most accurate or easy to understand) and I think we made a wrong turn, and we were glad we did. It was a longer way and at a certain point the pavement ended, but it was breathtaking. We road past villages built entirely out of wood and set in the hills. All the children waved "Herraaaa!" (hello) and smiled at us. We finally got to a waterfall and took a dip in the cold water. A group of teenagers were barbecuing by the waterfall and let us taste some of their delicious pork chop. At five-thirty, we rode back, this time enjoying the fresh cool breeze as we joyously soared down the hills we struggled to climb. At one point, a pack of dogs chased us as we flew by a group of houses. It sounds charming, but really I was petrified. I thought they wanted to kill me as they barked and ran along side me. But my screams quickly turned to hysterical laughter and we stopped by the road to recover. The ride back was easy, the glorious sunset following close behind us. It was truly a memorable day. We had a deep-fried snapper with garlic sauce at the Chinese (msg mmmmm) diner on the corner of our street for dinner. Definitely one of the best things the world has to offer. We devoured the left overs the next day on the bus ride to Chang Kong (can you imagine eating left over fried fish with garlic on a bus in the US?) , where we would cross the border to Laos.
We got into Laos on Saturday evening after a three hour no AC bus ride (the views were nice at least!), a tuk-tuk ride, a short boat ride, and a stressful border experience. We already missed Thailand! After talking to some travelers, we decided to try the three day Gibbon Experience -- a zip-lining treking adventure in the middle of the jungles of Laos (!). I was skeptical, especially because the release form indicated that we would have encounters with several insects that I am not particularly fond of, but I agreed because Leeor wanted to do it and the objective of the company is to protect the rain forest and its wildlife. Basically, no gibbons would be chained to a wooden plank. Our group, made up of a British couple, a couple from Holland, and another from Australia, set off Sunday morning. The ride there was pleasant and our group was friendly. After a three hour ride, we got to the village and hiked into the jungle hills for two hours. We swam together in the waterfall to cool off. We then zip-lined (you fly through the air attached by a harness to a metal wire) to our tree house set high up in the trees. The next two days, we hiked, zipped, and ate pretty delicious food (mainly rice and differently flavored vegetables). The hikes were difficult for me, as they were uphill and slippery from the rain, but it felt good to work hard. The other people didn't seem to struggle as much as I did, but then again they are giant goyim. Of course, we didn't see any gibbons, but what we did see were a whole lot of leeches! Leeches everywhere. A few of us were eaten (not me thank god! one tried to suck on my foot in the shower, but I got him off with some wacks from my shoe and cursing before he could taste my blood). We constantly had to watch for them. They tried to crawl up our shoes and socks, and were pretty good at it. The second night, we were surrounded by bees and wasps. Not the post pleasant accommodations. But still no bites. There was a fierce lightening storm that night, which was an experience. In the end, I had sore muscles, good photos, and a few Dutch words to take home with me. While it was nice to spend time with other travelers and hear their (frightening) stories of Nepal and elsewhere, I am glad to be on my own again, especially now that I'm not covered in mud and leeches. I know I wanted to be immersed in nature, but there is only so much I can take. Two days would have been sufficient. It wasn't what I am used to, and there were times when I wasn't enjoying myself, but I am glad we did it.
Last evening, there was a vicious storm in the border town where I am staying. We watched it while drinking a can of Beer Lao at a place by the road.Midstorm, the power went out. Business as usual! Everyone took out candles and went on with their lives. A guy was barbecuing duck so we sat down and chewed tasty duck meat off of its bones in a candle-lit hole-in-the-wall with some male locals, more beer Lao, and the best chili sauce I ever had. It was infused with cilantro and had fish sauce in it. The power eventually came back, and we had a wonderful air-conditioned sleep. Today we are doing laundry and getting ready for an 11 hour night bus ride to Luang Prabang. I hope I can sleep through it.
I haven't been able to update as often as I would like. I am going to have to describe this past week in very little time. I'll give it a shot. Unfortunately, I will have to leave out a lot of amazing meals.
Last Wednesday, we rented a car in Chiang Mai, which we didn't like at all, and drove on the wrong side of the road (Leeor did an amazing job of adjusting) to Doi Inthanon National Park. While it was a beautiful park, we couldn't really find any trails to hike. We simply drove right up to a stunning waterfall, which was a bit disappointing. We left the park and took a drive through the village that sat at the bottom of the mountain. It was quaint and pretty and the road that took us through the village led us to a spectacular valley with rice fields and perfect wooden shacks. A group of boys were swimming in the irrigation canal, and they let me take pictures of them jumping into the water. The sun was setting behind the misty mountains and, trying to avoid driving in the dark, we began the two hour drive back to Chiang Mai. It wasn't what we expected, but it was still a nice day. We took a nice room at a guest house that looked like a Thai style Swiss chalet that stood right on the river. There was even a koo-koo clock on the wall. It was nice to have a comfortable room. The next morning we had a cup of coffee and French toast in the beautiful courtyard that looked onto the river. It was so peaceful. They make a very good American breakfast here. I have to admit that even for me, minced pork on rice is not such an appealing breakfast food.
The next day, we took a bus North to Chiang Rai. We instantly fell in love with the charming little city. It isn't nearly as touristy as Chiang Mai. It has much more of a laid back and friendly vibe. Not everyone is trying to sell you a packaged tour. We stayed at an incredibly sweet guest house with another beautiful courtyard area. The first evening, we walked around the night market, where the whole town congregates. They even watch their favorite soap opera outside, seated together in front of a small tv. Maybe I am idealizing a little, but life here seems so much simpler and generally more enjoyable. People are always laughing and smiling, even though they aren't driving fancy cars and wearing designer clothes. They seem to always be socializing, even while at their jobs. They make life at home seem so full of unnecessary stress. We had a banana roti, an amazing Thai massage, and went to bed. We were happy to be out of Chiang Mai and in a place that has so much soul.
On Friday, we rented bicycles and had one of the best day of our lives (yes, of both of our lives). We wanted to avoid having to do a tour, and it was such a good decision. We ended up doing a 36 km loop up into the mountains, through stunning rice-field valleys and agricultural villages. It was hot, so we stopped often to drink and eat popsicles. We had our lunch by the side of the road. We had rice noodles in an amazing broth with pork balls, these mysterious, spongy things that grow on you, and fresh greens. A little bit of chili powder and it was amazing. We brought lemon-lime gatorade with us, which tasted incredible over ice. We rode on and, thank god, a cloud came and covered the brutal sun right when we began the uphill portion of our voyage. We welcomed the light rain. It smelled sweet and grassy, like in Miami. We didn't quite know where we were headed (our map was not the most accurate or easy to understand) and I think we made a wrong turn, and we were glad we did. It was a longer way and at a certain point the pavement ended, but it was breathtaking. We road past villages built entirely out of wood and set in the hills. All the children waved "Herraaaa!" (hello) and smiled at us. We finally got to a waterfall and took a dip in the cold water. A group of teenagers were barbecuing by the waterfall and let us taste some of their delicious pork chop. At five-thirty, we rode back, this time enjoying the fresh cool breeze as we joyously soared down the hills we struggled to climb. At one point, a pack of dogs chased us as we flew by a group of houses. It sounds charming, but really I was petrified. I thought they wanted to kill me as they barked and ran along side me. But my screams quickly turned to hysterical laughter and we stopped by the road to recover. The ride back was easy, the glorious sunset following close behind us. It was truly a memorable day. We had a deep-fried snapper with garlic sauce at the Chinese (msg mmmmm) diner on the corner of our street for dinner. Definitely one of the best things the world has to offer. We devoured the left overs the next day on the bus ride to Chang Kong (can you imagine eating left over fried fish with garlic on a bus in the US?) , where we would cross the border to Laos.
We got into Laos on Saturday evening after a three hour no AC bus ride (the views were nice at least!), a tuk-tuk ride, a short boat ride, and a stressful border experience. We already missed Thailand! After talking to some travelers, we decided to try the three day Gibbon Experience -- a zip-lining treking adventure in the middle of the jungles of Laos (!). I was skeptical, especially because the release form indicated that we would have encounters with several insects that I am not particularly fond of, but I agreed because Leeor wanted to do it and the objective of the company is to protect the rain forest and its wildlife. Basically, no gibbons would be chained to a wooden plank. Our group, made up of a British couple, a couple from Holland, and another from Australia, set off Sunday morning. The ride there was pleasant and our group was friendly. After a three hour ride, we got to the village and hiked into the jungle hills for two hours. We swam together in the waterfall to cool off. We then zip-lined (you fly through the air attached by a harness to a metal wire) to our tree house set high up in the trees. The next two days, we hiked, zipped, and ate pretty delicious food (mainly rice and differently flavored vegetables). The hikes were difficult for me, as they were uphill and slippery from the rain, but it felt good to work hard. The other people didn't seem to struggle as much as I did, but then again they are giant goyim. Of course, we didn't see any gibbons, but what we did see were a whole lot of leeches! Leeches everywhere. A few of us were eaten (not me thank god! one tried to suck on my foot in the shower, but I got him off with some wacks from my shoe and cursing before he could taste my blood). We constantly had to watch for them. They tried to crawl up our shoes and socks, and were pretty good at it. The second night, we were surrounded by bees and wasps. Not the post pleasant accommodations. But still no bites. There was a fierce lightening storm that night, which was an experience. In the end, I had sore muscles, good photos, and a few Dutch words to take home with me. While it was nice to spend time with other travelers and hear their (frightening) stories of Nepal and elsewhere, I am glad to be on my own again, especially now that I'm not covered in mud and leeches. I know I wanted to be immersed in nature, but there is only so much I can take. Two days would have been sufficient. It wasn't what I am used to, and there were times when I wasn't enjoying myself, but I am glad we did it.
Last evening, there was a vicious storm in the border town where I am staying. We watched it while drinking a can of Beer Lao at a place by the road.Midstorm, the power went out. Business as usual! Everyone took out candles and went on with their lives. A guy was barbecuing duck so we sat down and chewed tasty duck meat off of its bones in a candle-lit hole-in-the-wall with some male locals, more beer Lao, and the best chili sauce I ever had. It was infused with cilantro and had fish sauce in it. The power eventually came back, and we had a wonderful air-conditioned sleep. Today we are doing laundry and getting ready for an 11 hour night bus ride to Luang Prabang. I hope I can sleep through it.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
To Israeli or not to Israeli: The rest of our first week
The rest of week 1
Ayutthaya was a quick bus ride from Bangkok. The UNESCO World Heritage Site was built during the fourteen hundreds during the area's days of glory. These ruins are unlike any other Greek or Roman ruins that I have seen, and have a uniquely Thai aesthetic. The site is littered with red brick stupas and mostly decapitated Buddhas. While our stroll through the ruins was peaceful we got the idea and decided to have a banana pancake on our way out. I have to describe this delicacy. An extremely buttery piece of dough so thin you can see straight through it is stretched out and thrown on to a grill with some clarified butter. She peels and slices a banana and puts the pieces in the middle of the dough along with some beaten egg. She folds the dough over the banana mixture like an envelope and drops some yellow butter on top. The package is fried to a golden crisp, placed on a brown piece of paper, and served with a drizzle of condensed milk (ubiquitous in Thailand) and a sprinkle of sugar on top. The beauty of this simple but delectable desert is once again in the perfect balance of flavors. The only sweet element, except for the hint of gooey topping, is the fresh banana that fills it. Neither the dough nor the egg mixture are sweet. The result is a subtle but extraordinarily delicious mix of textures and flavors.
That evening, after we returned to Bangkok, we went to street vendor by the river for dinner. Bangkok has the most beautiful and fresh looking seafood I have ever seen. In front of his alleyway kitchen, the cook had some gorgeous pieces of red snapper laid out on ice. I ordered it with the red curry sauce. He sliced the fish into half inch think pieces and deep fried them before topping it with sliced long green beans (I don't have a name for them yet) and fresh baby corn. I have never had fresh baby corn before and I don't think I can go back to the canned stuff.
We left Bangkok at 9 in the morning accompanied by fifteen Israelis. We were unsure about joining an organized tour but Leeor and I decided to give it a go. Maybe we would meet some cool people? On the 2 hour minibus trip to our hotel in Kanchanaburi we got an idea of what kind of travelers we are not. While the Israelis were friendly and warm all they wanted to talk about was shopping (surprise!) and good American style restaurants in Israel. Eh. Not for us.
We arrived around noon time at the River Kwai Bridge Resort, where we were briefed by a Thai woman whose speech was punctuated with Israeli terms of endearment "OK, Kuparah?" We were all "Mamies" and "Chamudies". We were given a meal ticket with three options: schnitzel (yes, schnitzel) and French fries, spaghetti with chicken and tomato sauce, and chicken pad thai. At that moment I knew that I will never again sacrifice food for convenience. On the upside, the rooms were actually beautifully designed, much more posh than where we had been staying so far. The floor was stained cement which I am really into.
We left the hotel (late of course) and went to our first destination. The first activity planned for us was this horrible 'safari' place that made me want to join PETA. In the entrance they have beautiful tigers and baby leopards chained to wooded platforms so you can touch them and take pictures with them. The site made me feel sad and embarrassed. I don't know how these animals are treated at these places, but to see such impressive and wild creatures shackled and used for our amusement is disturbing. I couldn't really enjoy it. The rest of the experience was no different. We fed too tame lions, giraffes, deer, zebras, etc., through the windows of the van. Then we saw a crocodile 'wrestling' show which was as good awful as it sounds. I don't understand what is so great about training a vicious animal into submission and then pretending you are risking your life when you stick your head in it's mouth.The elephant show was even sadder. These poor creatures are forced to do stupid tricks, like stand on their front or hind legs and then bow so the audience can clap for them. It's mortifying. I can't imagine what the process of training these animals involves. I felt horrible for sitting there like a stupid tourist. I hated that place.Then we went to see the River Kwai Bridge, which was actually lovely. We returned to the fancy hotel from our dangerous encounter with wild beasts to a foot massage and a relaxing dip in the pool. How ridiculous is that? Dinner: schnitzel. I won't lie, it actually looked good.
The next day was an improvement. In the morning we left the hotel 45 minutes late and went to ride elephants. While I felt bad about the elephant slave labor, the ride was awesome. After it was over we were taken right on the elephant's back (no wussy seat), into the river where we bathed with them for a while. It was cool to be so close to such a powerful animal, touching its rough skin and gigantic ears. After a pointless stop at a dam, where the Israelis demanded 500 more pictures, we got to Erwan National Park (the destination that Leeor and I wanted to go to Kanchanaburi to see) where we had only two our left to explore. We made the most of it and hiked all the way up to the seventh waterfall. We took a rejuvenating dip in the pool under the falls, welcoming the cool water after working up a sweat in the afternoon heat. We expected the falls to be somewhat dried up in the dry season, but all seven waterfalls boasted an impressive amount of rushing water. Israel would do anything with such a 'dry season.' We left he park satisfied and tired and drove back to Bangkok. So ended our sixth day in Thailand.
We were planning to take the 12 hour night train to Chiang Mai, but we were tired and decided to spend another night at the Four Sons in crazy Bangkok. I am so glad we did because we ate a whole grilled snapper for dinner, I have no words to describe how succulent that fish was. I wish I could send some to all of you. The next day, we flew to Chiang Mai with half a plane-full of Israelis. Though I am somewhat comforted by the ever-presence of Israelis in Thailand, we can't travel with them, because all they want to do in Thailand is go on jeep tours and ATV rides with other Israelis, eat falafel, and get to the islands in time for the famous full moon parties. We just aren't into that sort of thing. Our first night in Chaing Mai, we stayed at Thana guest house, which caters to Israeli tourists. The signs are all in Hebrew, there are posters of Israel on every wall, and all the women that work there speak Hebrew. We got a free ride there from the airport, because all of the Israelis on our plane were staying there and doing the Thana jeepim tour. The room was 300 Baht ($10), so we figured what the hell.
Chiang Mai, we discovered, is glutted with crappy tourism offices that sell prepackaged 'adventure' tours like bungee jumping and white water rafting. I understand that these activities are fun and it's cheaper to do it here, I didn't come all the way to SE Asia to do things you can do anywhere. Yes, they throw in an hour of minority village viewing, but I'm not interested in seeing local crafts in exchange for photo opportunities and the false impression of a cultural experience. I know I am in danger of sounding like a real snob, but I can't help it. We want to immerse ourselves as much as we possibly can, whether it's in a city, a village, or in nature.
Ayutthaya was a quick bus ride from Bangkok. The UNESCO World Heritage Site was built during the fourteen hundreds during the area's days of glory. These ruins are unlike any other Greek or Roman ruins that I have seen, and have a uniquely Thai aesthetic. The site is littered with red brick stupas and mostly decapitated Buddhas. While our stroll through the ruins was peaceful we got the idea and decided to have a banana pancake on our way out. I have to describe this delicacy. An extremely buttery piece of dough so thin you can see straight through it is stretched out and thrown on to a grill with some clarified butter. She peels and slices a banana and puts the pieces in the middle of the dough along with some beaten egg. She folds the dough over the banana mixture like an envelope and drops some yellow butter on top. The package is fried to a golden crisp, placed on a brown piece of paper, and served with a drizzle of condensed milk (ubiquitous in Thailand) and a sprinkle of sugar on top. The beauty of this simple but delectable desert is once again in the perfect balance of flavors. The only sweet element, except for the hint of gooey topping, is the fresh banana that fills it. Neither the dough nor the egg mixture are sweet. The result is a subtle but extraordinarily delicious mix of textures and flavors.
That evening, after we returned to Bangkok, we went to street vendor by the river for dinner. Bangkok has the most beautiful and fresh looking seafood I have ever seen. In front of his alleyway kitchen, the cook had some gorgeous pieces of red snapper laid out on ice. I ordered it with the red curry sauce. He sliced the fish into half inch think pieces and deep fried them before topping it with sliced long green beans (I don't have a name for them yet) and fresh baby corn. I have never had fresh baby corn before and I don't think I can go back to the canned stuff.
We left Bangkok at 9 in the morning accompanied by fifteen Israelis. We were unsure about joining an organized tour but Leeor and I decided to give it a go. Maybe we would meet some cool people? On the 2 hour minibus trip to our hotel in Kanchanaburi we got an idea of what kind of travelers we are not. While the Israelis were friendly and warm all they wanted to talk about was shopping (surprise!) and good American style restaurants in Israel. Eh. Not for us.
We arrived around noon time at the River Kwai Bridge Resort, where we were briefed by a Thai woman whose speech was punctuated with Israeli terms of endearment "OK, Kuparah?" We were all "Mamies" and "Chamudies". We were given a meal ticket with three options: schnitzel (yes, schnitzel) and French fries, spaghetti with chicken and tomato sauce, and chicken pad thai. At that moment I knew that I will never again sacrifice food for convenience. On the upside, the rooms were actually beautifully designed, much more posh than where we had been staying so far. The floor was stained cement which I am really into.
We left the hotel (late of course) and went to our first destination. The first activity planned for us was this horrible 'safari' place that made me want to join PETA. In the entrance they have beautiful tigers and baby leopards chained to wooded platforms so you can touch them and take pictures with them. The site made me feel sad and embarrassed. I don't know how these animals are treated at these places, but to see such impressive and wild creatures shackled and used for our amusement is disturbing. I couldn't really enjoy it. The rest of the experience was no different. We fed too tame lions, giraffes, deer, zebras, etc., through the windows of the van. Then we saw a crocodile 'wrestling' show which was as good awful as it sounds. I don't understand what is so great about training a vicious animal into submission and then pretending you are risking your life when you stick your head in it's mouth.The elephant show was even sadder. These poor creatures are forced to do stupid tricks, like stand on their front or hind legs and then bow so the audience can clap for them. It's mortifying. I can't imagine what the process of training these animals involves. I felt horrible for sitting there like a stupid tourist. I hated that place.Then we went to see the River Kwai Bridge, which was actually lovely. We returned to the fancy hotel from our dangerous encounter with wild beasts to a foot massage and a relaxing dip in the pool. How ridiculous is that? Dinner: schnitzel. I won't lie, it actually looked good.
The next day was an improvement. In the morning we left the hotel 45 minutes late and went to ride elephants. While I felt bad about the elephant slave labor, the ride was awesome. After it was over we were taken right on the elephant's back (no wussy seat), into the river where we bathed with them for a while. It was cool to be so close to such a powerful animal, touching its rough skin and gigantic ears. After a pointless stop at a dam, where the Israelis demanded 500 more pictures, we got to Erwan National Park (the destination that Leeor and I wanted to go to Kanchanaburi to see) where we had only two our left to explore. We made the most of it and hiked all the way up to the seventh waterfall. We took a rejuvenating dip in the pool under the falls, welcoming the cool water after working up a sweat in the afternoon heat. We expected the falls to be somewhat dried up in the dry season, but all seven waterfalls boasted an impressive amount of rushing water. Israel would do anything with such a 'dry season.' We left he park satisfied and tired and drove back to Bangkok. So ended our sixth day in Thailand.
We were planning to take the 12 hour night train to Chiang Mai, but we were tired and decided to spend another night at the Four Sons in crazy Bangkok. I am so glad we did because we ate a whole grilled snapper for dinner, I have no words to describe how succulent that fish was. I wish I could send some to all of you. The next day, we flew to Chiang Mai with half a plane-full of Israelis. Though I am somewhat comforted by the ever-presence of Israelis in Thailand, we can't travel with them, because all they want to do in Thailand is go on jeep tours and ATV rides with other Israelis, eat falafel, and get to the islands in time for the famous full moon parties. We just aren't into that sort of thing. Our first night in Chaing Mai, we stayed at Thana guest house, which caters to Israeli tourists. The signs are all in Hebrew, there are posters of Israel on every wall, and all the women that work there speak Hebrew. We got a free ride there from the airport, because all of the Israelis on our plane were staying there and doing the Thana jeepim tour. The room was 300 Baht ($10), so we figured what the hell.
Chiang Mai, we discovered, is glutted with crappy tourism offices that sell prepackaged 'adventure' tours like bungee jumping and white water rafting. I understand that these activities are fun and it's cheaper to do it here, I didn't come all the way to SE Asia to do things you can do anywhere. Yes, they throw in an hour of minority village viewing, but I'm not interested in seeing local crafts in exchange for photo opportunities and the false impression of a cultural experience. I know I am in danger of sounding like a real snob, but I can't help it. We want to immerse ourselves as much as we possibly can, whether it's in a city, a village, or in nature.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Days 3 and some of 4: Wat next?
This blog has me constantly writing inside my head. I can't look at anything, go anywhere, or eat a bite of food without trying to find the words to tell you all about it. I bought a little diary for 17 baht to keep in my purse so I can get the sentences down and out of my mind. Unfortunately, there is so much that I'm forced to leave out.
I have to tell you about where I am writing from. Lemetayel, an Israeli travel company (some of you may have been to their store in Dizengoff) has a travel center in Bangkok right near our hotel. There are several other Israeli travel centers on this street that serve Israeli food like mallawach and Israeli salad and house backpacking Israelis. They have free internet. It's a home away from home away from home. I am enjoying the chance to speak Hebrew. I am thinking of Michelle and feeling nostalgic as Barry Sacharov is playing in the background. Boi habaytah...never!
I have to admit that wats (temples) bore me a little. They are definitely impressive and brilliantly colorful, but my travel buddy Leeor and I would so much rather wander the streets tasting and smelling, and we have been doing plenty of that. There is nothing more fun to us than getting lost, getting hungry, finding duck soup (my new obsession), bumping into an amazing market, and then somehow finding our way back. We will go to all the importants wats and see all the important buddhas, but nothing thrills be like a stroll down a bustling street.
Yesterday began with more delicious coffee and pancakes. I tried to ask about the fermented honey, but really the people here barely speak English at all so if I can't point at what I am trying to say, there is almost no way of communicating. We decided to take the river taxi to China Town and check out the markets. On the way to the pier, we stopped and got some roti at a place called Roti Mataba and ordered freshly fried Indian roti with a little bowl of this outrageous chicken curry. It was like liquid spice. We somehow made it to the river taxi without a third meal and hopped on. Leeor wanted to buy sunglasses and a watch because we have had no way of keeping time since we got here, even though it doesn't really seem to be an issue. The China Town markets there are full of plastic crap, but the kind you don't want, and they weren't open to bargaining, so we left. China Town was not so much fun. I did buy a little bag of tiny deep fried salted anchovies which my mom and Debbi would have found completely irresistable. They were fried to a crisp like potato chips with eyes and tails. Addictive little things. Every minute I think about how much my mom would absolutely love this place, despite the dirtiness of the city.
We took a taxi to Sukhumvit, Bangkok's red light district, to try the street market which accroding to the book is a good place to find knock offs and good bargaining. We managed to find a pretty awesome fake tag and decent ray ban knock offs. We bought a couple sticks of barbequed meat that blew our minds. They really get the balance of flavors perfectly right here. Feeling satisfied with our purchases and a tired of frolicking in the heat of Bangkok, we decided to get a second massage. Best $15 I have ever spent. I am never leaving went through my head several times during the 60 minutes of absolute bliss.
Trecking on, we found another duck soup place, this one totally different that the first. We saw the golden brown ducks dripping in their own savory fat in the window and we were forced to sit down. The certified hole-in-the-wall, seemlingly very popular establishment serves fresh ramen egg noodled topped with the softest and juciest slices of duck meat and perfectly rendered skin with a deliciously sweet sauce. Some hot red chilli flakes brought the dish to a state of perfection. After our second bowl of heaven, we hit the road.
We went to Chabad for Shabbat dinner, which was packed with Morroccan Israelis. It was totally surreal. It felt like anywhere else in the world. If I were running a Chabad in Bangkok, I would make it look like Bangkok. It was colorless and looked like a big mess hall. The singing was nice and the fish curry was pretty good, but we couldn't wait to get out of there.
We got another good night of sleep and were up at dawn. This morning we booked a trip at the Israeli place to go to Kanchanaburi for a two day excursion, which we are both nervous and excited about. Hopefully we will be with nice people. It's a great price, and really, it should be amazing. I'll try to write down everything we do. We are going to spend this afternooon in Ayutthaya, a once extremely powerful old city full of beautiful ruins. I will try to write more later, but it may be a couple days until I can write again.
I have to tell you about where I am writing from. Lemetayel, an Israeli travel company (some of you may have been to their store in Dizengoff) has a travel center in Bangkok right near our hotel. There are several other Israeli travel centers on this street that serve Israeli food like mallawach and Israeli salad and house backpacking Israelis. They have free internet. It's a home away from home away from home. I am enjoying the chance to speak Hebrew. I am thinking of Michelle and feeling nostalgic as Barry Sacharov is playing in the background. Boi habaytah...never!
I have to admit that wats (temples) bore me a little. They are definitely impressive and brilliantly colorful, but my travel buddy Leeor and I would so much rather wander the streets tasting and smelling, and we have been doing plenty of that. There is nothing more fun to us than getting lost, getting hungry, finding duck soup (my new obsession), bumping into an amazing market, and then somehow finding our way back. We will go to all the importants wats and see all the important buddhas, but nothing thrills be like a stroll down a bustling street.
Yesterday began with more delicious coffee and pancakes. I tried to ask about the fermented honey, but really the people here barely speak English at all so if I can't point at what I am trying to say, there is almost no way of communicating. We decided to take the river taxi to China Town and check out the markets. On the way to the pier, we stopped and got some roti at a place called Roti Mataba and ordered freshly fried Indian roti with a little bowl of this outrageous chicken curry. It was like liquid spice. We somehow made it to the river taxi without a third meal and hopped on. Leeor wanted to buy sunglasses and a watch because we have had no way of keeping time since we got here, even though it doesn't really seem to be an issue. The China Town markets there are full of plastic crap, but the kind you don't want, and they weren't open to bargaining, so we left. China Town was not so much fun. I did buy a little bag of tiny deep fried salted anchovies which my mom and Debbi would have found completely irresistable. They were fried to a crisp like potato chips with eyes and tails. Addictive little things. Every minute I think about how much my mom would absolutely love this place, despite the dirtiness of the city.
We took a taxi to Sukhumvit, Bangkok's red light district, to try the street market which accroding to the book is a good place to find knock offs and good bargaining. We managed to find a pretty awesome fake tag and decent ray ban knock offs. We bought a couple sticks of barbequed meat that blew our minds. They really get the balance of flavors perfectly right here. Feeling satisfied with our purchases and a tired of frolicking in the heat of Bangkok, we decided to get a second massage. Best $15 I have ever spent. I am never leaving went through my head several times during the 60 minutes of absolute bliss.
Trecking on, we found another duck soup place, this one totally different that the first. We saw the golden brown ducks dripping in their own savory fat in the window and we were forced to sit down. The certified hole-in-the-wall, seemlingly very popular establishment serves fresh ramen egg noodled topped with the softest and juciest slices of duck meat and perfectly rendered skin with a deliciously sweet sauce. Some hot red chilli flakes brought the dish to a state of perfection. After our second bowl of heaven, we hit the road.
We went to Chabad for Shabbat dinner, which was packed with Morroccan Israelis. It was totally surreal. It felt like anywhere else in the world. If I were running a Chabad in Bangkok, I would make it look like Bangkok. It was colorless and looked like a big mess hall. The singing was nice and the fish curry was pretty good, but we couldn't wait to get out of there.
We got another good night of sleep and were up at dawn. This morning we booked a trip at the Israeli place to go to Kanchanaburi for a two day excursion, which we are both nervous and excited about. Hopefully we will be with nice people. It's a great price, and really, it should be amazing. I'll try to write down everything we do. We are going to spend this afternooon in Ayutthaya, a once extremely powerful old city full of beautiful ruins. I will try to write more later, but it may be a couple days until I can write again.
Day 2
Thursday morning we woke up at dawn after sleeping the whole night through. Staying up the whole day yesterday was extremely effective. We started out with the best cup of coffee that I have had in a very long time. Our hotel is on this charming, though touristy, tree lined street off of the main backpacker's road. It's incredibly quiet and pleasant in the morning. There is a soft breeze that cuts through the trees and pushes away the stench and the heat that would otherwise accumulate during the dry season.
We reluctantly ordered a pancake with fruit and honey at the vendor on our little street. How could a pancake in Thailan be any good you ask? It was great. It was a cross between a pancake and a French crepe and I think it has coconut in the batter. The fruits on top-- dragon fruit, mango, pineapple, papaya, and banana-- were incredibly fresh and sweet, especially the mango, which was unlike any mango I have ever had (sorry Jackie). This sounds weird, but I think they water down the honey with beer. They serve it warm and it tastes fizzy and malted. It's bizarre, but delicious. I think I will ask them about it.
We set off for our first touring day. On the way to the river we met a nice newly-wedded couple from Chile who were going to the Grand Palace. We went along and enjoyed a stroll through the two hunderd year old compound. We separated from Pillar and Patricio and made our way southwest and found a stall that serves roast duck soup. I had to stop. He had the duck hanging and the frangrant broth boiling. He had three sizes of rice noodles to choose from (we chose medium) which he bathed in hot water for a few seconds before putting them in a bowl. He added the broth and pieces of the soft duck and we added some chile. Needless to say, we had seconds (at one dollar a serving, how can you not). I definitely tasted a lot of chinese five spice in the broth and in the duckmeat. It was incredible.
I tore myself away from the hanging golden ducks to explore the nearby market. Every corner in Thailand is colorful and vibrant. There are people around every turn. If you think you are ever going to walk down an empty street, forget it. Ten million people have to hang out somewhere. The market is especially crowded. Technicolor produce, cooked food, Thai iced tea and coffee stalls (yum), old ladies serving weird black and green jelly drinks in bags that I haven't tried yet because of the tap water but I really want to anyway, line the streets. It is my kind of paradise. I found a women selling lime leaf and I rubbed the pungent green between my fingers, breathed deep, and smiled at her in approval. She gave me an actual kaffir lime, which I have never seen before, to smell. It is bumpy and has a unique fragrance that flavors many Thai delights. I am bringing the little guy home with me.
After some wrong turns, dead-end alleyways, and side roads that lead to abandoned piers, we found our way onto a water taxi. While there in no expensive way to get around, water taxi is definitely one of the cheapest at 13 baht (less than 50 cents). We took a ride back to our area, where we were met by day three of the new year celebrations. We were soaked again by the time we got back to our street, so we decided to sit and have a beer, talk to some traveling Europeans, buy a water gun, and join in on the festivities. All the westerners comment on how three days of water fights is overkill, but I am glad we got to experience it. And I am glad we got here on the second day, because three days would definitely have been too much. It's enough that our wet clothes are hanging on every possible knob, hook, and hanger in the room.
We reluctantly ordered a pancake with fruit and honey at the vendor on our little street. How could a pancake in Thailan be any good you ask? It was great. It was a cross between a pancake and a French crepe and I think it has coconut in the batter. The fruits on top-- dragon fruit, mango, pineapple, papaya, and banana-- were incredibly fresh and sweet, especially the mango, which was unlike any mango I have ever had (sorry Jackie). This sounds weird, but I think they water down the honey with beer. They serve it warm and it tastes fizzy and malted. It's bizarre, but delicious. I think I will ask them about it.
We set off for our first touring day. On the way to the river we met a nice newly-wedded couple from Chile who were going to the Grand Palace. We went along and enjoyed a stroll through the two hunderd year old compound. We separated from Pillar and Patricio and made our way southwest and found a stall that serves roast duck soup. I had to stop. He had the duck hanging and the frangrant broth boiling. He had three sizes of rice noodles to choose from (we chose medium) which he bathed in hot water for a few seconds before putting them in a bowl. He added the broth and pieces of the soft duck and we added some chile. Needless to say, we had seconds (at one dollar a serving, how can you not). I definitely tasted a lot of chinese five spice in the broth and in the duckmeat. It was incredible.
I tore myself away from the hanging golden ducks to explore the nearby market. Every corner in Thailand is colorful and vibrant. There are people around every turn. If you think you are ever going to walk down an empty street, forget it. Ten million people have to hang out somewhere. The market is especially crowded. Technicolor produce, cooked food, Thai iced tea and coffee stalls (yum), old ladies serving weird black and green jelly drinks in bags that I haven't tried yet because of the tap water but I really want to anyway, line the streets. It is my kind of paradise. I found a women selling lime leaf and I rubbed the pungent green between my fingers, breathed deep, and smiled at her in approval. She gave me an actual kaffir lime, which I have never seen before, to smell. It is bumpy and has a unique fragrance that flavors many Thai delights. I am bringing the little guy home with me.
After some wrong turns, dead-end alleyways, and side roads that lead to abandoned piers, we found our way onto a water taxi. While there in no expensive way to get around, water taxi is definitely one of the cheapest at 13 baht (less than 50 cents). We took a ride back to our area, where we were met by day three of the new year celebrations. We were soaked again by the time we got back to our street, so we decided to sit and have a beer, talk to some traveling Europeans, buy a water gun, and join in on the festivities. All the westerners comment on how three days of water fights is overkill, but I am glad we got to experience it. And I am glad we got here on the second day, because three days would definitely have been too much. It's enough that our wet clothes are hanging on every possible knob, hook, and hanger in the room.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Thailand: Day 1
We arrived in Bangkok at seven am. We took a taxi into the city. Bangkok looks a bit like a Chinese Tel Aviv. We were dropped off by the backpacker's street, Khao San Road. After shopping around a little, we found a decent room at the Four Sons for 450 Baht (about $13!). After a 36 hour journey, we were glad to have a cold shower and some AC. It's actually not brutally hot here or that humid at all. It's pretty comfortable. So we got dressed and headed our for some breakfast.
Everything in Thailand costs a dollar-- a taxi ride, a meal, a beer, a coffee. A dollar. It's amazing. You can do whatever you want, eat five meals a day, and stay well within your budget. You actually have to eat five times a day because the portions are so small. Otherwise you would starve. No wonder people love it here.
Around lunchtime, we found our way to the street where the protesters are camped out (oops). It wasn't too rowdy, though. And we had our second meal of the day with some friendly and smiley police officers. We had this dish we have named 'the egg thing.' They scramble an egg with some scallion, soy, and a bit of spice and throw it into a wok with hot oil at the bottom. The egg expands and bubbles and browns into a delicious crispy egg cloud. It's like a deep fried omelette. They serve it over rice. At the recommendation of the policeman, we doused it with this hot chilly condiment-- basically vinegar with sliced fresh red and green chillies. It's an experience
After realizing that I bought different sized hiking sandals at Sports Authority (arg), we decided to check out the biggest mall in Thailand, MBK, and look for a three dollar replacement pair. It's seriously enormous and houses a Dunkin Donuts, KFC, McDonald's, Starbucks,among other Western delights. The place is like a giant indoor bazaar.You can buy anything, as long as it's crap.
In the late afternoon, we had our first Thai Massage. Even though we were wet and getting a little cold, it was a lovely experience.
Today, we fell in love with Thailand. It is the second day of the Songkran, Thai New Year celebrations, and the whole city turns into a giant water fight. We read about this tradition before we arrived, but we could never have imagined how awesome it is. Water guns shoot at you, buckets of ice water are thrown on your head, hoses spray water in your face. Even the fire department comes out and sprays the crowd. Everyone gets into it. So by three in the afternoon the whole city is drenched. The streets are packed with sopping wet teenagers who carry around bowls of slip (clay and water) which, smiling and saying happy new year, they gently slather on your face as you walk by. They do this for three days! This truly is the land of smiles.
Everything in Thailand costs a dollar-- a taxi ride, a meal, a beer, a coffee. A dollar. It's amazing. You can do whatever you want, eat five meals a day, and stay well within your budget. You actually have to eat five times a day because the portions are so small. Otherwise you would starve. No wonder people love it here.
Around lunchtime, we found our way to the street where the protesters are camped out (oops). It wasn't too rowdy, though. And we had our second meal of the day with some friendly and smiley police officers. We had this dish we have named 'the egg thing.' They scramble an egg with some scallion, soy, and a bit of spice and throw it into a wok with hot oil at the bottom. The egg expands and bubbles and browns into a delicious crispy egg cloud. It's like a deep fried omelette. They serve it over rice. At the recommendation of the policeman, we doused it with this hot chilly condiment-- basically vinegar with sliced fresh red and green chillies. It's an experience
After realizing that I bought different sized hiking sandals at Sports Authority (arg), we decided to check out the biggest mall in Thailand, MBK, and look for a three dollar replacement pair. It's seriously enormous and houses a Dunkin Donuts, KFC, McDonald's, Starbucks,among other Western delights. The place is like a giant indoor bazaar.You can buy anything, as long as it's crap.
In the late afternoon, we had our first Thai Massage. Even though we were wet and getting a little cold, it was a lovely experience.
Today, we fell in love with Thailand. It is the second day of the Songkran, Thai New Year celebrations, and the whole city turns into a giant water fight. We read about this tradition before we arrived, but we could never have imagined how awesome it is. Water guns shoot at you, buckets of ice water are thrown on your head, hoses spray water in your face. Even the fire department comes out and sprays the crowd. Everyone gets into it. So by three in the afternoon the whole city is drenched. The streets are packed with sopping wet teenagers who carry around bowls of slip (clay and water) which, smiling and saying happy new year, they gently slather on your face as you walk by. They do this for three days! This truly is the land of smiles.
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