these pictures are from our chaotic first 24 hours in thailand. it goes like this: on friday at noon, we finished our midterms. we threw our stuff into our bags and headed to the airport, arrived in bangkok at midnight, then our hotel at 1 am. slept from 1-4 am, then got in a cab to the city and on a bus/catamaran combination that put us on the southern island of ko phangan at 5 pm in the afternoon. why? three words: full - moon - party... the legendary, monthly congregation of 10,000+ people on thailand's beaches who want nothing except to party all night. hey, we're young. it's epic. we had to make it. and yes, that is a dog in the refrigerator of the bus stop.
when we arrived in ko phangan, every hostel was full to the brim, including the one with which we had been corresponding. no worries... this is thailand! we were offered deluxe and FREE accommodation on the roof. i kid you not. no photos were taken that evening because caroline mallory and i would really like to get jobs some day. but the signage and 10 am "morning-after rave" basically sum it up. this party even has a website, if you really want to know more. http://fullmoonparty-thailand.com/
from then on, we were good little tourists. seriously! we hopped on the first ferry off that island (which IMMEDIATELY loses its appeal when the party's over... yikes) to ko samui, thailand's paradise for all people. high-end resorts or hostels on the beach, you choose. we took a tour around the island on monday. mommy, the first picture is for you. you would be proud, toyota is VERY present in thailand and especially dominates the tourism vehicle market. next is caroline holding a monkey, who got us coconuts to drink from the top of trees. and finally, a picture of the trio :)
on that tour, typical methods of sucking extra money out of travelers were utilized, e.g. dropping us off at the base of this mountain and telling us that we could climb 30 minutes to the waterfall at the top, or ride elephants for 700 baht to another waterfall. of the entire van full of people, the three of us and one brazilian girl were the only to climb to the top! it was rather dangerous work but tons of fun, and the swim at the top was so cold and refreshing and perfect. we definitely earned our [deliciousss] green curries from the night market that evening.
we also used ko samui as a base to make a day trip to an thong national park, an archipelago of 42 preserved islands about 2 hours away. it monsoon-rained the whole ride out, but once we got there the clouds magically cleared and made for an amazing day :) from the boat, we were able to island-hop, kayak, hike to incredible view points, and even have a buffet lunch! all our guides were hilarious, as was the company of other travelers (germans, canadians and brits for the most part)
this is nothing more than the obligatory picture with thai transexuals... yay for the most sexually tolerant nation in the world! the word on the street is true, some of them are more beautiful than women. depressing?
i think the highlight of our trip was rock climbing in railey beach. midweek, we took ferries and buses from the eastern islands to the west coast of the mainland, or krabi province. railey is famous because (1) it's gorgeous and (2) it attracts all kinds of climbers... beginners and experts can both have a great experience there. i have been on many a rock wall in my days as a summer camper, but this was my first time actually scaling rock faces... and in the most stunning scenery i could have imagined. our guide, soley, was so chill and patient, we felt so lucky to have him with us the entire day (which only cost 65 USD for pickup, gear, a guide, lunch, water, and climbing from 9 am to 5 pm).
on friday night, we took an overnight bus from krabi to bangkok, stopping at sketchy jungle bus stations every few hours along the way. sort of a blurry night. arrived in the city at 7 am the next morning, welcomed by omnipresent pictures of the thai royal family. i have seen them so much i feel like they are my bffls!
when in bangkok, tuk-tuk! tuk-tuks are the little three-wheeled vehicles that tote tourists all around. on saturday morning we ditched our stuff at a hostel, nommed some street food, and got straight to seeing the city. this is the grand palace, the craziest, shiniest, most unique collection of architecture i've ever seen. sweet.
in the afternoon we recharged by the river with more street food... things sampled throughout the week include: thai iced tea, fresh fruit juices, coconut ice cream with sweet corn, mango and sticky rice, taro pancakes, banana roti crepes, fish ball noodles, spring rolls, pad thai (duh), fried rice, and finally, the best fresh pineapple slices ever.
these pictures are from wat pho, one of bangkok's most important temples. it is home to the largest reclining buddha in the world, and the sacred art of thai massage (which costs about 6 USD per hour). mmmm.
since we are studying abroad in china, we HAD to visit bangkok's chinatown to explore and have a meal! it was fantastically bustling, with all these restaurants pouring out onto the street and churning out fresh seafood like nobody's business. after so much time in transit and a crazy day all over bangkok... we slept like rocks on our last night in paradise.
on sunday our flight wasn't scheduled to leave till 7 pm, so we spent the afternoon at bangkok's massive "weekend market," which is BY FAR the coolest, hugest market i have ever been to. sorry china... beats anything you can offer. i probably could have spent two entire days there... caroline and mallory did not share my enthusiasm and had to peel me away at noon. my last picture in the city basically sums it up, chang beer tshirt and a seven 11! these convenience stores are EVERYWHERE, even in random villages we passed through. basically, seven 11 : thailand :: starbucks : washington dc.
and that 7 pm flight? that didn't happen. after a suspiciously long wait, we were told our flight was canceled (very bad news for three girls that were supposed to be in class at 9 am the next morning). we were given a $6 meal voucher, which buys NOTHING in an airport, and told to wait until 1 am for the next flight. we were quite bitter as we boarded, knowing we'd arrive in beijing about 7 am in the morning, until we were seated in BUSINESS CLASS and all that bitterness was replaced by giddy excitement, free slippers, reclining chairs, and red wine. i walked into class at 9 am feeling like the queen of thailand :P
small dogs in fridges filled with beer and transsexuals, what a strange, strange place.
ReplyDeleteLove the Toyotas! Yeah Thailand :)
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