My thoughts on Southeast Asia & the Mekong Region...

This is my thoughts thus far, there is still more to go - the rest of Vietnam, Laos & Northern Thailand. And for those of you reading to see about Crystal & my journey so far - this bit is purely my thoughts & feelings. Crystal, I am sure - has many different thoughts & ideas about her time here.

 

Wow. If ever there was a place to experience culture shock - this is it! It's been a great time so far & part of that is just how we traveled! Winging it, seeing what we want, where & when we want. A lot different than a fully planned schedule that my whirlwind Contiki experience was. Here, if we miss something, it's our faults & if we find something...somewhere or someone amazing, that is all on us! It's pretty incredible. Especially given the language barrier. It makes me feel guilty when everyone we meet can speak better English than I can Thai, Khmer, Vietnamese or Lao. And most of them want to, they try so hard to communicate. It makes me feel so narrow minded & ridiculous. I come from a bilingual country & even my understanding of french is practically negligable these days, so long has it been since I used it with any regularity!

 

However, amongst the rickshaws, temples, rice fields, tiny babies on the back of motorcycles & exotic fruits - a person still sees North American (namely U.S.) influence everywhere. From the clothing brands they wear, the television programming they watch & the music they listen to, there is also the plethora of North American & European food available to please tourists. Also - establishments owned by foreigners who thought they would come to escape, live simpler, make loads of money, or even because they fell in love with a country or a local!

 

Thailand - from our first moments on the ground I was feeling joyous & safe. Everyone truly has been so friendly. In some areas you can really see the lack of money, but you are always seeing smiles as well. I loved the country & the people & I think that every city we have been to so far has been a wonderful experience & can honestly say I cannot wait to get back to Thailand & see even more!

 

Cambodia - this country was the hardest to be on a holiday in. The people were not as happy, their poverty & desperation so obvious & impossible to ignore. They would get angry if we didn't buy something from them, fed up & believing us all to be rich. And yet there is so much in place to help. To train young & impoverished people, to teach a trade, to teach better healthcare, to raise money to helping end prostitution & child labour (aka beggin, selling jewellery or books on the street). And the people that we met who wanted & were able to talk to us were hungry for change & betterment. So excited to talk to us, hear our ideas, practice English, always wanting to learn to advance to a better job for a better life for themselves & their families. It was heartwarming to see the opportunities that they as a people are creating, being given & that we could have used (if we went through the right channels) to help out as well. The Friends Without A Border program & hospital is a miracle, and there were many other foundations we saw & heard about. The history & amazing accomplishments in Angkor Wat & Angkor Thom, surviving wars & their desire to share with us the beauty that their country does yet hold - it was beautiful. This is a place that I would love to come back to, but I would want it to be ain a charitable capacity; a role where I am teaching, building, volunteering - giving back.

 

Vietnam - we haven't been here long, but the differences are vast. Saigon was a crazy busy city with so many vehicles on the road & people everywhere; the kind of city you can find anything & have any kind of experience in. So far there have been no tuk tuks - only cylcos (which are bicycle rickshaws). The children are mostly chubby little things, which to me says that there is a lot more money here, as in Thailand & Cambodia the children (and adults) never had any extra body fat so meagre was their diet & so hard were their working lives. This is not to say that the Vietnamese don't work hard - for I have hardly seen anyone taking any kind of break. But definitely in the cities they have more food on the table. There have not been any begging children, or adults, and one thing so different and...luxurious...is the gardens/parks/greenery! In the city there are parks & not just grass but beautiful multicoloured patterns & bushes carved into giant serpentine dragons & other creatures. And not just in Saigon, but in random round abouts & meridians. It's a very different thing that they have the money to upkeep such a non-essential thing. And still we have just begun, Northern Vietnam might be entirely different, it is a divided country much like Ireland. And there is still Laos & Northern Thailand!

 

But there are some things that I will never forget -

*The driving, crazy & seemingly without rules or order as people drive wherever & on whichever side of the road they want. Horns honking regularly as acknowledgement & as warnings. Turning & driving into oncoming traffic because it gets them more quickly to their destination. Each journey in a vehicle or on foot has left me thankful to be alive & exhilarated from the adreniline pumping through my system. When crossing a street you need to look both ways, until you have reached the other side. And crosswalks (zebra stripes) & traffic lights, mean virtually nothing. No one slows or stops at a crosswalk, they just honk if you are in their way & they run red lights with frightening regularity - it just depends on how much of a hurry they are in.

*The markets, especially the ones with all the handmade & local goods & food. The smells are alternately glorious & horrific as I smell fruit & noodles, rice & spring rolls, so many tasty items on sticks. And then I walk past a fish stall without enough ice, and it's more than a bit smelly - or I encounter a mongrel dog stopping to scratch it's fleas in my general direction or licking at a scabby spot that is oozing some liquid...and I send up a little prayer that it won't rub up against my leg because I am sure that will result in a third foot, a growth of some kind will be birthed from said gooey, manky dog. But the beauty of the items, the bargains to be had, the texture of smooth coconut shell or rough hand woven silk - gorgeous things that are not easily found at home. The smiles, the bartering, the calls of "Laidee, you wanna buy a bracelet?" or "A scarf, I have many colour for you - for your friends at home?!". The tight cramped quarters as I feel the sweat trickle down my back because there is no airflow, thousands of people & we are all shoulder to shoulder. Nowhere to try on items, so over the clothes it goes, or thru some tricky rearranging or clever use of a sarong I get it on, only to discover - I am in Asia & with a butt & thighs like mine & yes, even breasts (over here I am fairly well endowed), I am more of a L or XL. Which folks, I gotta tell you - doesn't do much for the self esteem!!

*The children & the love, these people are ridiculous about children. They have no rules, they can be little devils & all they get is laughs & kisses & cuddles! And if you bring your child over here it will be grabbed from your hands & kissed & cuddled in much the same way. They cannot get enough of children. They light up their lives & bring smiles & joy to everyone in all of these countries. It's amazing to watch how the family unit works together through everything. You buy a dress in one shop, and they run you over to their cousins shop for shoes. It's great & hilarious. And the kids are more than a little bit adorable, and watching everyone together is beautiful.

 

It's all an experience that I wouldn't trade for the world. I am glad that Crystal wanted to come & I am glad that I came with her. What incredible places we have seen & incredible people we have met. What an incredible experience to have had at an age where I can take more from it than I would have been able to had I been younger.

 

And we're only half way through it!!!!

Leaving Cambodia

Hello All!

So the riverbed place was a place called Kbal Sprean. It's a long tuk-tuk ride & a 2km hike up a hill, and some boulders - to a place they carved religious icons into the stone in the bank. Pretty incredible.The waterfall itself was a bit lame & we didn't see anywhere to swim (as was advertised),but the carvings & the place were cool. We stopped at another temple on our way back. Also very famous - and well worth it because the carvings were more intricate & deep than any of the other temples we saw. We were planning to head back to town, but instead we went to the Floating Village just outside of Siem Reap & we took a boat down the Mekong river past all the floating homes & schools & the police department all the way out to Tongle Sap, which is the famous huge lake in Cambodia. And then back. We bought some school supplies & donated to the school. Then back to our hotel. It made for a long day, a lot of back & forth in the tuk tuk. Which isn't so bad for us on our cushioned seats - but Boi our tuk-tuk driver had the hitch digging into his back for all those hours!
That evening was our last in Siem Reap and we went for dinner & then on a shopping spree. Which was mostly successful & on which we met this great Cambodian fellow who is making his own purses & wallets out of Krama- which is the traditional Cambodian scarf that they use for a million things. They are very cool & we each bought one, but we also had a very interesting 20minute conversation with him! Very cool end to our time in Siem Reap.

Then we hopped a bus in the morning & headed for Phnom Pen. The bus was pretty good. Air-con & all that. But we did blow a tyre out- conveniently right in front of a tyre shop! Which of course made a few people who are big on conspiracy theories throw about a few ideas. We just chilled out, I kept reading, it was fixed within 20 minutes & we were on our way. We stopped once for food, and saw our first crickets & spiders all fried up & spiced up. Haven't tried any yet. Just saw them. lol Then we actually arrived in Phnom Pen a bit early. Hopped into a Tuk Tuk & ended up at Okay Guesthouse. And it's been OK so far! lol After we moved in, we looked into the Lonely Planet guide for a restaurant that gives back. We ended up walking to Friends, which is a place that teaches former street kids how to do many things, one of which is the service industry & working in the restaurant. It was great. I had a traditional Khmer fish dish & a glass of orange & beetroot juice! Pretty good. After that Crystal had noticed a place that had showings of traditional Cambodian dances, music & shadow puppet shows, so we grabbed a tuk tuk & made our way out there. Our driver was hopelessly lost, but there are many nice Cambodians about, so he just kept asking directions until we got there. It was a really great show, we saw many dances & heard some awesome music. An awesome start to Phnom Pen & a great night out. We did find that it's definitely a bigger city, and we don't feel as safe at night here if we get off the beaten track at all. So tuk tuks & motos are key. But our second day had us feeling better about it, but not in love with Phnom Pen. I think the thing about Cambodia is that they have been thru so much. They are so much more desperate in their poverty & it makes both Crystal & I eager to help out & do something about it. I hope that if I come back here it is with an NPO, Unicef, or something like that where I can feel like I'm really helping to make a difference in their lives.
Anyway, yesterday we wandered around a fair bit. Wandered down a street with some cool shops, slowly, and we had slept in pretty good. So we missed the day markets, spent a bit of time in one of the big western style shopping malls & then ended up at the night market. Pretty crazy, there was a band & a whole lot of people. We got some food & sat down on these big mats with everyone. Had babies staring at us & their parents thinking it was hilarious, and this great woman named Alice beside us. She was born in Cambodia, but has been living in California for nearly 30 years. After the real estate market crashed, her real estate career was a mess, so she decided to go for simple instead & she came back here & is teaching. She was really great to talk to, being the she has been in North America for so long & yet she has Cambodia in her blood. After our evening there we went back to our room & mellowed out.
Today we got up a bit earlier & grabbed some breakfast & went to the Russian Market, pretty cool, but really hot & tight. Then to the Orussey Market, which was insane & strange, but also kinda like a wholesale place, not much for Khmer things, just everyday stuff that they need to buy. And finally the Central market, and by then we were hot & marketed out. And it was the same, not so much Khmer handmade stuff..so we weren't as interested. We took Motos all day back and forth - which are what it sounds like. A motorbike with the two of us & a driver on it. They are cheaper than the tuk tuks & it was another experience to add to the list! :) We went in search of a specific place & at the address we had, it was not there. So who knows. Ended up at a place we knew & liked. Went for a wander for some Chuppa Chups (because I am more than a little obsessed with the mango ones) and I was let down. Then back to our room, I read, Crystal read & napped. We had a snack & now this! I felt it was probably time for an update as tomorrow we are on a bus at 8:30am to Vietnam! I think we'll be travelling up the country, seeing what there is to see for about 15 days - and then Laos!!!!

Hope everyone is super!

XOXO

Cambodian Adventures

Yesterday we left our hotel in Bangkok at about 6:50am and took a lengthy bus ride to the border, then got the visa
thing sorted & then did some nutty trekking to the border. It wasn't that long, but when it's 30 degrees, humid & you have a 40lb pack on, it feels like miles. Went
thru the Thai border, and walked to the Cambodia health check where a camera checked our body temperature &
then to the border. Then onto a bus, 4 hrs to a roadside diner thingy
& ate dinner, and arrived in Siem Reap at 7:30pm. Went to the
guesthouse I had booked, but got screwed...they hadn't saved a room for
me. So our tuk-tuk driver took us to a hotel called Sydney Angkor Hotel. It's pretty good.
Hung out in our room. Did some laundry, had a shower,watched a movie.

I got a sunburn on the ferry from Ko Phangan - Surat Thani on our way
back to Bangkok...and now my forehead is peeling & it is SICK! So
I'm wearing a hat. lol I feel like a leper!

Today we slept in. got up & Crystal reorganized her bag & i
read the Mekong Lonely Planet guide. (there is a large portion of southeast asia that surrounds the Mekong river, Cambodia, Northern Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, part of China make up the Mekong Region) Then we went into town to get some
eats. Had a pumpkin dish that was so damn good. Do you understand
how AMAZING the food in these countries is?!??! it's ridiculous. I love
it.  I just want to eat all the time! Then we wandered around to see
the town a bit, found some shops, checked it out to see what is
different here & in Thailand. Then found some eco-friendly places
& a quilt shop (Thought of you Auntie Fay!) (www.mekong-quilts.org), a shop that uses recycled materials (www.friends-international.org) & a couple
more that get disabled or women in rough spots to make things & the
Non profit organizations helping them sell the goods. Very cool. Lots
of stuff we would like to get because they are amazing & because it
helps out. It's just hard when we still have so much time left to
travel & carry around our packs. That's the crappy thing about
these long adventures! After that we headed back to our hotel & stopped off at the Friends Without a Border (www.fwab.org) centre, it's an amazing NPO that specializes in pediatric care throughout cambodia. We went in & read all about it, watched the informational video, donated some money & learned a lot.

Feels like a pretty full day & it's only dinner time. We're planning to go to a place called Red Piano, where they have some fun music & the hecklers from the muppets are a key part of the marketing scheme - and that worked for Crystal! :) Then we are going to wander the night market & check it all out! Tomorrow we are planning to go & check out the temples at Angkor Wat & Angkor Thom. also, we might stop by the Friends Without a Border to see if we are able to give blood...not sure if we can or not, but if they will allow us we would like to help in whatever ways we can. And the day after another special spot where there are carvings in the riverbed & a waterfall to swim in. I can't remember the name of it right now though.

Later alligators! Thanks for your comments! I love when you comment!

Back in Bangkok

So post turning 28 what a wild ride Crystal has had haha. She says that each day brings an adventure, even if we don't do anything, something strange or noteworthy seems to happen!

On the 29th we spent a fair amount of money! The one thing that I wanted to do while we were here was to buy a hammock. And we saw an ad for this Mr. Moon and his Hammock place. It was on the way to Haad Rin and we wanted to check Haad Rin out pre-Full Moon Party anyway. So we got up & ready & started to walk. It is 11km to Haad Rin from our hotel. We walked about 5 or 6 to Mr. Moon's and then we hung out with him trying all the different hammocks. I wanted to buy from him because they are made by a Thai tribe to make money for the tribe. Plus they were really great & came in loads of colours, which I haven't found other places. Crystal got a sitting hammock & I got an Family Size one, so that once it's set up I dont' have to lie in it alone . :) hahaha But the silly thing was that we then had to carry them around all day! We stopped for lunch nearby Mr. Moon's and then we walked another 3 or so kms. But by then it was about 1:30pm and hella hot, and the road went up a mountain, so we were dripping with sweat and decided to hop into the next taxi that drove by. Haad Rin was a lot more upscale touristy, everything was more expensive & people weren't willing to barter. It is just a tiny little place that is party central all the time. But loads of dive shops, so Crystal found one that she liked the vibe of & booked her dive for the next day out to Sail Rock, which is supposed to have some of the best diving in Thailand. After a little shopping, we hightailed it back to Thongsala (via taxi) to get some cheap grub and have a quiet night thinking about all the money that was gone. After that it was bed time because Crystal had an early morning!

Got up at 6:30 & Crystal got ready. I roused myself enough to braid her hair & to eat some brekky with her, and then she left for the day & I sacked out for another couple hours. When I finally got up at 9ish I got ready & hit the beach for a serious tanning day. I was there for about 4 hours. Then I went to eat so I didn't pass out, and dropped off my laundry to be washed. After I ate, I headed back to the beach & that is where Crystal found me when she returned from her day! Her say was great, I was a bit sad I had to miss out, but I wasn't willing to pay to get my certification at this time & you had to be certified. But she met some cool people, got some confidence in her diving & saw some really cool things. Almost everything that the brochure said she might see, she did!! I was tired from laying baking in the sun & she was tired from her 2 dives. So we went to have some dinner, looked in a couple of shops for items we were debating & decided yes, no, or it was already gone. While we were eating dinner, well right after I finished, a gecko wandered by on the ceiling above us & pooped on me. Kinda like a little hamster pellet - a bit smaller than that, but it was like a little gecko bullet! So now I am wondering if it is good luck, like when a bird craps on your head - or if he just didn't like me! :) Then we had dessert, and then we found about about getting out to Haad Rin for New Years the following evening & crashed out in bed

New Years Eve we went into town to search for some cheap clothes to wear to the Full Moon Party b/c if you get the glow in the dark paint on you then you can't get it off the clothing. I bought some shorts & Crystal bought a tank. We found a couple more things & then hit the beach for a couple hours. I went & picked up my laundry. Then we lay in the room for a bit, we were a little reddish. And then dinner time. Then we went to 7/11 to get Red Bull & Beer to start off our evening. Hung out on the beach drinking our beer & watching a fireshow & then went to jump in the taxi. The Full Moon Party was EFFING AWESOME! It was funny, I was telling Crystal how we would probably get attention from drinking the beer because in most other countries chicks don't drink beer & one of the first people to talk to us once we hit the beach was a guy who said, "Are you Canadian? Girls who drink beer are awesome". It was funny. When we got to Haad Rin we bought some body paint & some wrist bands, paid our way onto the beach, grabbed another beer & walked the length of the beach to check it out. Went up to this bar/hostel built into a mountainside, went pee. Crystal nearly got taken out by a drunk 40+ man who was stumbling about (10pm and already couldn't walk!), a guy walking behind me moved his hands up & down my waist & told me that I had a beautiful shape. There was a guy who had "Kiss Me Full Moon 2010" or something on his back so I kissed his cheek for a photo op & then he told me to that I was the first & last who would do it. I just laughed & walked away. We went down to the beach to paint each other up. We were worried it was going to be insanely busy, but we were loving it. Not too crowded at all. Crystal got "Canadian Girls Love Aussies" on her arms & I got "I heart Thailand". And then an aussie bloke came up to us & wanted some paint, then intro'd us to his friends (we are pretty sure their names were Travis, Scott, Chris, Jay & Cat). And we spent the rest of the night hanging out with them. Drinking buckets, eating food at the buffet, sending off wish lanterns, getting hit by a stray firework, Crystal & Travis built a sand castle. Scott & Chris were both fun & chatty. They had hats on & we got a few photos of Crystal & I wearing them. All 3 of the guys did pretty well handling what a mouthpiece I can be. I don't think I offended anyone ;) We danced a bit, talked a bit...it was pretty good times. All in all - for two girls who were worried they wouldn't make it thru the night or even enjoy it - it was amazing. The beach wasn't as crowded as we were worried it might be, everyone was in really great spirits, I didn't get tired at all. Crystal had fun, even tho she didn't even want to go at the beginning of the night. We lost two of the guys at the end of the night, but walked Travis back to his ferry. Then we caught the taxi home. Crystal lost a flip flop again, but had found one that was the same size as hers on the beach. On the way back I realized that I had lost our room key. So we waited in the restaurant/lounge area with some other people at the hotel. One guy & I tried to break into our room, but had no luck. Then I went to go & check something & my thongs were gone! Someone had jacked them..and they were fully on their last legs, so I was choked. So he went with me looking on everyone's decks/porches to see if I could find them - but no luck there either. Waited until 8:30am or so when the ladies showed up for work & got let into our room. Crystal passed out, I had a shower and at 8:44am I closed my eyes. Slept for about 4.5 hrs & then tackled the day. LOL We feel fully that we are machines hahaha

New Years Day we got up & ready. Went to get some food into our bellies. Feeling a little boozy & a lot tired we went to get pedicures. $5 pedicures. A little dodgy, a lot different, but our toes are pretty & it was a couple of hours laying around in air-con being pampered! Then I walked into town barefoot. All I had were my new Keen's & they have toe protection & I didn't want to wreck my toes. So I bought some havaianas & was having a pretty good night! Stopped at the food market & loaded up for dinner, and we walked back to our room. Spent a bit of time online & then had an early night because we were leaving the next morning to go to Bangkok. As we were falling asleep I was hearing noises!! It was some kind of rodent. I think a rat, but Crystal thinks mouse for her piece of mind. But it was nibbling on the top of her pringles can...so I think rat. But when I turned the light on it scared it. I started jumping on the beds & moving them around, but couldn't find a rat, a hole or anything. So we but all the food up high & tried to sleep. We heard it a couple more times, but slept a bit. The next morning, up & ready & packed & I opened the door...someone had stolen Crystal's mismatched thongs & my new ones! We found one of Crystal's and another one that she fit. So she wore those & I wore me Keen's. So we've decided the thongs are coming indoors with us, too bad about customs! I don't want to buy anymore!

Then we got the taxi to the pier where it was a complete gong show. Loaded onto the ferry. Got to sit outside on the deck. Sore butt & pretty major sunburn. Yuck! And then 4 hours later we pulled into Surat Thani. Waited there for a couple of hours, ate some of the buffet & chilled out until the bus came. Loaded onto the bus & from 6pm - 3:30am we were on the bus. We had one stop along the way to pee & stretch & eat, that was around 10pm. It was good. Met a couple of really cool Irish guys, Collum & Paddy. They are headed the same direction as us, so we might see them again here in Bangkok, or later in Siem Reap. Either way they gave us a hook up with a guy they did the trekking with up in Chang Mai, so that was awesome. Crystal got about 4 hrs of sleep on the bus, I didn't get any. I was feeling pretty rugged when we rolled up into town & piled into a taxi. Took the taxi to our hotel, who of course said "um, check in isn't until 10am". We said "that's ok, we'll sleep on your couch". So after about half an hour he located a room & we went up. I washed my face & applied aloe because I was a bit sore & then we crawled into bed. It was about 4:30am & we got up today at 9am because we had things to do before heading out tomorrow to Cambodia!

So now we're back in Bangkok, running errands & getting things we need. Bought new thongs & are catching everyone up online :) Photos to come soon on Facebook for sure, and hopefully some on here for those of you who don't check Facebook --- B!!!

Love you all!

Crystal's Birthday

On Boxing Day, after the internet session we slowly made it back to our hotel. We headed for the beach. Got a little sun, had a little swim, although it's so damn shallow on our beach it feels like we could walk all the way to the next island. We were at least a football field from the shore & the water was only up to our waists. So it is more of a floating area than a swimming area!
After spending a little time on the beach we went to our rooms to change & get ready for the birthday dinner & evening. Crystal showered, and then I did. And while I was in the shower the power flickered, and then it went out. But we are troopers! I just got dressed & didn't worry about my hair or anything, Crystal put on her headlamp & put on her makeup and got ready with that light. It was hilarious to watch, but it worked great! The power was still out at our hotel when we made our way back into town to eat
dinner & shop a little.
We had dinner at an english restaurant. Crystal had her first Branston Pickle sandwich experience, and I had Thai food.
Then we got a slice of cake each from this wonderful little bakery "Nira's Bakery" & went down to the
beach to eat it. We thought, two winter birthday gals -that it would be pretty cool to be eating birthday cake on the beach on Crystal's bday! Then we were wandering back up to the shops & got
distracted at this Irish Pub because there was live music - and I love
live music. So we went inside & had 3 beer & ended up staying there until
the two guys finished up their evening. One was an English bloke from
Manchester & the other a younger guy from Scotland. They have both
been living in Thailand for ages. They invited us to this other bar on
the beach where musicians go & have open mic night & Crystal
was half cut & wanted to chit chat with them more, so we went to the place. Not
a cheap night...lots of food, booze & taxis! But the place, called
The Jam, was pretty great. They busted out the tunes, old rock, newer
stuff, one guy brought out his didgeridoo and it was so awesome. We
were right on the beach, and Crystal was chatting up one of the guys - Scottish one. She learned all about his life here & they talked about her plans etc, she was having fun meeting
Thai girls & dancing around in the sand with them. I was thinking about all of the people that I know who would have loved the place - Gordo - you would have been in musical hippie heaven :)

We were there until 2am & then they closed down & we caught  a
taxi back to our hotel. Went to bed pretty much right away & then
yesterday Crystal was hung over all day. Didn't leave the room until
after 1pm. Then had some food & then she felt sick, but I was on
the beach for 3 hours or so. Met her back in our room, then a nap. And then we went out for
dinner & had a mellow night reading in our room and having rather
large beetles try to move in with us. There was this really cool, really big green beetle that just kept coming back in. I got some photos for Char. It was a really beautiful colour!

Today we came out to the bakery for breakfast & now we're not sure what the plan is. But Crystal is going to organize her week. Figure out about diving & all of that. And we have to find out about getting to Haad Rin for the Full Moon party. :)

Christmas in a tropical paradise

 

Merry Christmas everyone!

 

Here we are on Boxing Day aka Crystal's birthday, and it is hella hot & I can't wait to get to the beach. What a trip! LOL We got so much rain in Kranbi & Ko Samui it's nice to be here in Ko Phangan & be sweatin' again. Beach on boxing day - how wicked is that?! We went to bed late (after 2am) last night because we were watching movies on the TV in our room..trying to get in some Christmas flavour on the 25th of December.

 

Our time in Ko Samui was spent reading a lot of the time. Sometimes on the beach, sometimes at our room because of the rain. I finished reading 2 books, so I went to the exchange & got Dr.Zhivago...I thought maybe a classic would take me a little more time so that I'm not powering thru a book a day. We went to a shisha place on the 23rd. Had some good eats & then smoked a little Shisha. Had grape with a little mint. It was pretty nice stuff. After the shisha we made a stop in an internet cafe & then we went to grab a couple of beers for the road. We had plans to go to this bar on the beach that we had seen - Swing Bar and we thought we could drink a beer on the walk to the bar. Only we didn't have anything to open them with. So I tried using the keychain on our door key  ripped my knuckles up, so I was bleeding for the rest of our walk. Then we found a guy at a shop doing wood carving stuff who offered to open our beers. So we drank them pretty quick because they were already warming up & warm beer is YUCK. Needless to say we ended up in an area with loads of bars & little market areas, so Swing Bar never happened. We went to this place called Fusion. Pretty sweet nightclub setup, but totally dead. We had a drink each & then we went to McDonalds. Then we went across the road. There were all these little bars...and each little place had a pole or two in them so that the girls could dance to attract customers, or the customers could dance. We went to one & had a drink, Crystal played some Connect 4 with one of the girls, and I had a little dance on the poles with a boy...who I think is going to be a lady boy in a year or two. And then this guy from New York sits beside us & asks to sleep at our place. I told him 'no we have bed bugs & no room". Crystal told him to take a cab back to his place. Eventually he went on his way. We ended up back at McDonald's (yes - we were on fire!) hahaha And then we walked back to our room to call it a night. Mostly it was good.

 

Slept in pretty good the next day & went for fruit for brekky & then to the beach for a bit. It was Christmas Eve and we ended up going back to this restaurant that we loved called Kokomiko. Cute little place & great food. I got a curry dish that nearly killed me it was so hot. And even though I was sweating so bad I needed a shower & my eyes felt like they were bugging out of my head - I made it through. And it did taste really good! LOL We had some wine with dinner & then went for a walk to the markets to look for Christmas gifts for one another. But had no luck.

 

Christmas Day we went out to buy one another a little gift, went to the Grand-rocks & found some things. On our way back to the hotel to catch our ride to the ferry we were stopped by two guys on a moped. Aussie's who wanted to invite us to the Christmas BBQ they were organizing on the beach. It was the first time that any travellers have approached us and we were pretty disappointed that we had to say no because we were leaving. But it left some Christmas cheer in our hearts. Then we came over to Ko Phangan. Holed up in our room for a bit, watching Christmas programs & Crystal had a nap. Then we went for dinner, exchanged gifts, wandered the town & grabbed some dessert. Ended up back in our room watching movies & trying to find Christmas shows, while we burned the little Christmas tree candle that Crystal brought with her. (Thanks Jaquie!) Very cute.

 

Today we slept in & called our families when we made it to a payphone. Both our mom's were a little teary. Both of our brothers were having a bit of a rough time - and everyone was struggling to hear us because the connection is so crappy & there were so many people in the houses we called. But it was nice to talk to everyone. Got to say hi to my grandparents & my sis, and I haven't spoken to them in a long while. Then grabbed some brekky...it was pretty perfect, fresh squeezed OJ & the eggs were just like how Crystal likes them. So far her bday is turning out pretty good!

 

So now...the plan is the beach. And other than that?? Crystal is thinking of booking a trip to Ko Tao to go diving. I am thinking, beach, beach, beach... and the 31st is the Full Moon Party, so we're trying to figure out how the hell these two old grannies are going to be able to stay awake until sunrise!!! Yikes! Wish us luck!!

 

Love you all!

Happy Holidays!

XOXO

Ko Samui

Hello Everyone!

 

Ah Krabi!!! We were not actually in Krabi town & on our quiet little strip we took it pretty easy. But on our last day we decided that we would hire a long tail boat & go to this little pennisula on the island that is supposed to have some pretty ace snorkelling. So that is what we did. Sunshine & loveliness, and then we got out to the beach. Very cool limestone caves & definitely some snorkelling options. We put our stuff down & we headed for the water...and almost immediately a storm kicked up & it downpoured all over everything. So our day packs got soaked, and some of the stuff inside them got a little dampish. We ran out of the water (all I could think was I was NOT baywatch hot to be running along a beach in my swimsuit!!!) and we grabbed our stuff & tried to find shelter under some trees so that we weren't having constant water pouring on our bags. When it let up we went exploring around the caves & waited until it stopped entirely. Met an English guy & his family, he was happy to tell us that he had been born in Canada - but he had an English accent. LOL We  tucked our things into a little cavey area out of the possible rain & did some snorkelling. It was pretty good. Saw lots of cool fish, a couple crabs here & there & lots of living sea plants etc. Everything was really close in the shallow water & I sliced my finger a bit on some of the coral - but that's all cleared up now. We got our stuff together & spent a little time laying on the sand again. Crystal went adventuring & came to get me. Saw some monkeys in action taking fruit from the tourists & then we went to our stuff. We had arranged for a pickup at 5pm. And at 4:45 the skies opened up, yet again. So we ran back to the boats & saw our friend in orange & we headed back to the room. It poured for a bit & we showered & got ready. Then it let up & we walked into town to attend our "dinner & a show" that Crystal had discovered. It was a buffet dinner & a ladyboy cabaret show. It was good fun & went on a lot longer than we expected. We left before it was even over because we had a long walk & we had to get up early. Most of our stuff was still wet & very sandy - so our resolution is NOT to head out to places our stuff will get wet the day before a travel day. Also - we bought dry bags & we're using them as day bags & beach bags because if it does rain, our stuff will be ok, and you can't beat that!!

 

So now we're in Ko Samui. The journey was typical Thai. We took a minibus & went to pick up other passengers. Then we ended up back at our jungle depot in Surat Thani & got our stickers & hopped into another minibus. And then to a big bus, took that to the ferry & walked on. That time it was a ferry that also took vehicles! First one over here. We sat in some comfy seats, and Crystal watched some cheesy Thai soap opera on the TV, while I read. Got in to the port & took a taxi to our hotel. Moved into our bungalow, very cute. But budget. No hot water & no fridge. We miss the fridge the most, can't buy any drinks or fruit without it. We had dinner at the hotel & then went to the market on the strip, and grabbed a couple of Chang beers & went back to our little porch to soak up the evening. I pestered our neighbours a bit & they invited us out for some food with them. Two danish guys named Kim & Tim, one Swiss guy named Fabio, and a Dutch guy named Sam. It was a good night. Had another beer, some eats, ended up swimming in the pool at the hotel & then the ocean a bit. Still ended up back in bed not too late because Crystal had found some grease/tar on the beach somewhere & it was all over her toes & hands. Since then she has found more a couple times on our journey's down the beach. But it was a fun night. Slept in, took a chilled out day because it was crazy storming. The weather has been inconsistent at best since Krabi - but lots of rain & little bit of sunshine. It's always warm, but it's not tanning weather. Also - and this is the fun part. I have some kind of bug living in my bed area. I have gotten so many bites. I think it's bedbugs again. Why the hell am I always the one to chose the bed with them in it?!?! I told the staff, & they said they were going to deal with it today, so we'll see what happens. But I'm hella itchy & feel like I have some skanky disease LOL.

 

Yesterday we did a tour around the island. Went to a temple, then the Big Buddha, then "the viewpoint", then Grandfather & Grandmother Stone, then a monkey show where we watched monkeys harvest coconuts & ate some coconut, then to another temple where the mummified monk is, then to the national park to check out the waterfall & see a bunch of elephants doing trekking, and then into town for some shopping. It was a fun day & while the morning was dodgy - woke up at 6:30am to an enormous thunderstorm that shook the bungalow - we had nice weather by the end of it!

 

We here until the 25th & that morning we head to Ko Phangan. So far it's good. It's all good! I'm loving Thailand! I already can't wait until I come back! LOL

 

Mother - 4 days is nothing!!! Things happen & I don't want to spend all of my money paying to be online! I am OK!!! I love you - and I am ok!!!

Still hot as Hades!

Ko Phi Phi was good to us. We had some sun issues with the malaria pills. Crystal decided to go off hers until such time as we are in an area we really need to worry about it & I kept taking mine. My sun sensitivity wasn't as bad as hers, but it's still definitely making me more than I usually am! So I'm thinking about quitting them too, for now at least. We aren't in an area we need to worry.

We went down to the beach & then ended up back in our room pouring cold water all over ourselves. We ate lots of fruit & Crystal was mad about spring rolls for a bit. This kooky old lady had a stand & she would yell "10 baht, 10 baht Yoo Hoo Yoo Hoo" at everyone as they walked by. She was great. We got asked by a guy to go for beers, but refused. Went back to our room...still suffering the effects of the sun. We did a day out on a long tail boat. There was a couple from Vancouver Island on the boat with us. We went from our beach, to Shark Point & did some snorkelling - but didn't see any sharks. We went to Monkey Beach & hung out there for half an hour & did see some monkeys. Crystal got some great photos. Then we went to Bamboo Island & had lunch, we also went exploring, really strange rock formations,they kinda looked like lava rock. It was hot, our feet were burning b/c we forgot to take our flip flops on our little trek. Then we went to Maya Beach -the one from the movie The Beach. Hung out there for quite awhile. A stop at Viking Cave & then we sat on the boat & watched the sunset. And then it was quite windy & choppy for our ride back & we got entirely drenched. it was fun, really fun, but I could barely see because huge amounts of water kept smacking me in the face LOL. Crystal was hiding behind her sarong. Man, next trip I take I NEED to have one of those waterproof cameras because that would have been a great photo!!! We arrived back & went to our room,grabbed food along the way & mellowed out. The next morning we did the hike up to the Viewpoint where you can see all of the town that we were staying in. It was a 45min hike, in the heat & humidity & we were both thinking how we are in horrible shape. On the way up there was a bit of a sign to another beach, so we headed back down that way. Rantee Beach. It was quite the trek down the mountain. But the beach was cute, small & quiet, the people working there were really nice. But it was a bit buggy, ended up with some bites. And then when we headed back to our side of the island we were chased by mossies practically the whole trek thru the jungle! We got back, had showers & then went into town & grabbed some food & went to a place where they do "pedicures" with fish. You stick your feet into a big tank & hundreds of little fish nibble your feet, toes & legs & they are supposed to nibble all the dead skin off. LOL It was wild. It didn't work anything like a real pedicure, but was well worth the 150 baht to have the experience!

We have seen a few people who bring their pet monkeys to town with them, as well as the very scary families on mopeds, motorbikes & bicycles that ride along with their babies hanging on for dear life off the back. It seems so scary to us, but no one bats an eye here.

Our final morning was a slow going one, we ate breakfast, played some cards, put our bags in storage & headed out. Spent a bit of time online & then grabbed some food, rented a couple chairs & hung out in the shade for a couple of hours. Crystal slept & I read. Then we went & gathered our things & hopped on the ferry. Nicest one we've been on. Had some trouble out in the ocean, they think we hit a shark, so they stopped & dove under to check?! Crazy. We got here to Ao Nang in Krabi & got settled into our room. There was some confusion & our first night we had A/C instead of a fan room. So posh! Then we went wandering around. It's cute here, quiet on our little strip. Ended up at a restaurant on the beach having Pad Thai & a storm blew in & it was raining buckets & windy like mad. So we waited it out & when it seemed to mellow we headed back to our room. Only to have it come back & start to dump on us so we found some cover & waited until the next slow down & we made it back to our room during that trickle.

Yesterday we got up late & had breakfast & went down to the beach. Only the tide was way out & still receding, so the beach didn't look so tempting. We ended up chilling out on a bench in the shade beside the beach. I read, Crystal took some photos. She ate Pringles & I ate half a pinapple. :) And then we walked the strip. Further than we had the night before & it gets really busy & happening a little further on! We found a Hagaan Daas & had some overpriced ice cream & then stopped at a McDonalds because Crystal had a hankering for Broccoli Pie. I grabbed some Papaya. I was having an off day. The heat & not getting any sleep. So we headed back to our room. We watched Dirty Dancing on the Iphone & then went to bed. Today we spent the morning indoors. Late start, late brunch, then Crystal updated her journal & I read. Finished my book. My first Ann Rice book, courtesy of Miriam, so now I'm seeing ghosts everywhere! :) lol Now we're out & about. Off to see more of town & I'm hoping to call Spyros tonight & have a little chat. Crystal & I worked it out - the calling cards here are nuts - 33 cents a minute!!! What a rip off! So mom & dad & Spyros - forgive me when I don't call so often, but it's a little ridiculous!

One more full day here & then we're off to Ko Samui for a whole week!!

Down South

Hello everybody!!

 

So we are now in Ko Phi-Phi. And what an adventure! We loved Bangkok, made friends with our TukTuk driver Bill. Cool guy. Ate some awesome & cheap food - wandered and wandered and wandered. Saw the festivities for the King's birthday, some fireworks etc. The driving here is crazy, but I feel safer because the roads are wider than in Europe. And everyone is friendly - no road rage.

 

So we booked our travels south. Pretty much the whole month, up to Jan 4th is now planned out. On the 7th we took a taxi to the train depot & sat there for 2 hours on the floor. Stood up at around 6:45pm when they played the National Anthem. Made pals with this Thai guy named Lo who couldn't speak any English but was determined to have a conversation & to get our phone number. Hilarious. And I helped another girl with her English homework haha. At 7:15 we got on the night train. Sat at our seats & ate our dinner. Then they come around & flip down the upper bunk & turn everything into beds. Crystal & I were in the top bunks. They have these straps so that you can't fall out. And it was pretty good. I woke up a lot because I'm such a light sleeper & everytime a curtain opened I wondered if it were mine or something. We arrived to Surat-Thani early morning, a little later than scheduled & were directed to a bus. That bus took us to this depot in the middle of the jungle. We waited there for 20 min and then a crazy pickup with seats in the box took us into some town & we talked to an Indian guy who charged us an extra 200 baht to take us straight to the hotel. So back onto another bus & got the last seats. Settled in for the next...7 hours!! Yikes. Got to Phuket, switched into a minibus & that took us straight to our hotel. All in all from train to hotel it was about a 19 hour trip. Totally dodgy being thrown from one vehicle into another & having no idea where you are or where you're going LOL. Spyros baby, you would LOVE Thailand!!! And at least you would have a language barrier here, so we would be even!

 

Phuket was ok, we stayed at Pa Tong beach. It's the ladyboy, prostitute, sex show type of capital here. Which we didn't know. But it was still cool. Spent the first evening wandering around & shopping. Went to a bar & had a couple beer. There were 3 very drunk aussie blokes that came through & took over the stage from the live band & started treating it like a kareoke bar. We laughed it up with them for a bit & took some photos. Then we went to another bar with them that they heard was awesome, but which was dead. Then they started getting pouty because one of them lost his wallet so we headed off. Ended up on the beach with a couple guys from Canada, a bit of a late night swim. And then hopped on the back of an old guy's motorbike taxi back to the hotel.

 

The next day was supposed to be our first beach day, but Crystal was SUPER hungover & my tummy was a little rough from the booze too. So we mellowed out & chatted & hung in the room until dinner. Went out, had some dinner & Crystal bought new flip flops because the night before she ended up coming home with one of hers & one of someone else's.

 

This morning we had breakfast, took a minibus to the ferry terminal, a 2 hour ferry ride here, to Ko Phi Phi. Very tropical, very lush. And hella hot. So I wanted to get out an update to everyone before we hit the beach. Ko Phi Phi is the sister island to the one where "The Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed. So we're gonna do a hike up to The Viewpoint where you can see the other island from!

 

4 days here, then 4 in Krabi, and then we go to Ko Samui & the Ko Phagn (full moon party!) and that will take us to January. At which time we'll be heading over to Cambodia!

 

More later, maybe I will have some colour by my next update!!!

 

In Bangkok!!

Hello curious friends & family!

So far - we're in Bangkok. Last
night we were both pretty tired. Didn't get hardly any sleep on our
flights. The flights were uneventful, and China Air was great. I loved the asian flair the food had. Crystal wasn't as crazy about it as me LOL But we watched a lot of movies & tried to sleep without much success.

Got into Bangkok airport & we got some Baht & headed to Th Khao San in a taxi. We found a guest house with rooms for 290 baht each, which is less than $10. It's a room with a king sized bed, that is clean and has ac & a fan. The toilets are shared, and you can't flush your TP (if you choose to USE TP) but we will survive that, cuz it's cheaper than camping back home! hahaha We checked in, & then wandered a
bit & got some dinner. It's a very festive area right now, and the people are wanting you to ride their tuk tuks, get your fortune read & to come in & buy things. Went to bed early with the intent to figure out a bit of a plan & get up at 10ish to see some celebrations. But I read, Crystal slept & then we both just slept thru the night. Got up at 7ish. Now
it's the Kings Birthday or some kind of King celebration, so we are
going to take a TukTuk around to see a few places. I guess because of
the day admissions are free most places.  I had an "asian breakfast" this morning. pretty good.

I
have attempted to get my phone unlocked. Some people are saying it's
too new. So I'm going to try a few more places & we will see what
happens. I don't want to buy a new one now that I'm here. I want to be
able to use this one. And if I can get it unlocked here, then I have a
phone to use with other plans back at home too. And it would be very
nice to be able to just shoot off a text & let you all know that I
am safe & ok.

We are planning to leave Bangkok in the next couple of days. Head south
& spend some time beaching it & chilling out until Christmas
& Crystal's bday. And then we will wander over to some other
countries. Hoping to meet some people & discuss where they have
been & where they are going by that time. Last night was pretty
much just sleeping!! LOL

I'll keep you updated on the phone thing. And I will be updating the
blog too.

So far?? It is pretty much what we expected. It was a bit more intense than Crystal was expecting the first night, but she was just a little disoriented because she was so tired. It's hot, but I don't feel like I'm going to die. LOL at least not yet. The people are all very friendly. I feel like I'm being far more cautious than I ever have been in any country. I think it's because it's another language & we're not with a group of people. Oh well, better safe than sorry! Bangkok is cool. I know I could spend plenty of time here just wandering around markets & seeing the city, but I think we both want to get out of the big cities right now. We will let you know how our first Tuk Tuk experience is ---

OH! Had pinapple last night, I loved it. Crystal says it's better than home, but still not for her! :)

mmmm...ice cream...

lata!