The first reason I have to apologize to my mother is because she doesn't like it when I participate in dangerous activities. I didn't MEAN to do anything death-defying today...it just sort of happened.
On the very first night we arrived in Mui Ne, our guest house of choice was full. A man on a motorbike touted a different guesthouse to us (he'd get a commission). Tired and lazy, we agreed to stay at his guesthouse. But now, how to get there? The guesthouse was 2km away and we didn't want to haul our bags that distance. We decided to take a taxi. The problem was, there's only one kind of taxi in Mui Ne, and that would be the motorbike taxi. With my suitcase wedged between his legs, and me hanging on to him, my motorbike taxist dropped me off at the guesthouse (the other four arrived in staggered intervals).
I hated the ride. It felt much too dangerous.
So today, when Amanda and Suze rented a motorbike (to drive THEMSELVES), I convinced Lisa that a nice, safe non-motorized bicycle ride would be WAY more fun (and safe...did I say that already?)
Off we headed to see the red sand dunes of Mui Ne (the white dunes are supposed to be prettier but its too far to bike there).
Upon reaching the dunes we immediately spotted the ATV's for rent. I've driven ATV's when I was in elementary school (can I get a rural Nova Scotia YEE-HAW) but not since.
I figured that if I could do it when I was eight years old I could do it now, so we rented the ATV's. I'd like to point out two flaws in my logic.
1. When I was eight I drove on trails (around open fish tanks, but still), not dunes.
2. When I was eight I was not aware of my own mortality.
I knew I was in trouble within the first five seconds.
Lisa and I each had our own ATV and then two men (I suppose they were safety guides) shared another. In order to drive up insanely steep sand dunes, you need to speed towards them as fast as possible.
I was not good at this.
I continuously raced towards these walls of sand, only to find myself slowing, slowing, stopped. And going nowhere. Lisa was a champ and was doing fine, so one tiny, Vietnamese safety guide jumped on my lap, wrapped my arms around his torso (twice, because his torso was so small) and showed me how ATVing on the dunes was supposed to be done.
Well Shit.
It was scarier then the most scary roller coaster ride ever invented. We would CHARGE up cliffs of sand, catching air and riding on two wheels. He would drive right along the edge of these four-story cliffs, while I waited for the edge to crumble and for us to plummet to our deaths. Up another wall we'd roar, only to find ourselves staring down a four-story wall of sand.
It's like that moment at the top of the rollercoaster. That second where you're absolutely still, but you know you're going over the edge and nothing you can do can stop it.
"No!" I shrieked, "Don't go DOWN there! Stop! Stop!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
Sand came rushing up past us as we roared down the dune.
I wonder how many foreigners typically scream in his ear? Was I the first?
Eventually we circle back to Lisa.
"I'm done!" I announce dramatically. It's been ten minutes into our hour.
"What?!?, but this is so much fun!", Lisa cries as she guns her engine and zooms into the distance.
"I don't want to do this anymore", I declare firmly to my driver. He looks blankly ahead, then launches us into some sort of suicide doughnut maneuver.
Eventually, I get used to the constant shifting of my stomach from my throat to my toes. I start smiling. I start to enjoy myself. My screams turn from screams of terror to screams of exhilaration.
Its breathtakingly beautiful; the sahara-like dunes that overlook the ocean. It's an awesome sight.
My driver feels y death grip loosening. "You" he grunts as he jumps off the ATV.
"Ok, I can do this", I lecture myself...and get stuck in the sand five metres further on. Running after me, my driver un-sticks me and points me in the right direction.
Quickly, I become this man's worst nightmare, as he chases me over sand dunes, constantly un-sticking me, and/or hopping onto my lap to drive me to somewhere I can handle. During one such short drive he insisted that I wear his baseball cap. Unfortunately, his head was as small as the rest of him, and it immediately blew off my head.
I was getting into it though. I was driving up and down bigger and bigger dunes, and getting stuck less and less.
Finally they thought I was ready to go down a small (maybe 10 foot) 90 degree drop on my own.
I wasn't.
I crept to the edge of the cliff and slowly inched over. So slowly in fact, that my wheels didn't turn at all on my descent, I just ploughed through the sand (which everyone found hilarious).
All in all it was a wicked experience, and I'm glad everyone completely ignored me when I said I wanted to quit.
So sorry mom, for doing a dangerous activity.
Oh yeah...remember how I said I was sorry on two counts? Well...when we got on our ATVs I asked Lisa to carry the digital camera you got me for Christmas last year. She put it in her shoulder bag, which had an unfortunate meeting with her exhaust pipe.
My camera melted.
It is WRECKED.
My driver got the memory stick out, so hopefully my 400+ pictures have survived.
I'm genuinely sorry mom, I really didn't mean to ruin one of the best gifts I've ever been given:(
ps. What were you thinking giving me something so easily destroyed? Have you MET me? :)
Sunday, February 22, 2009
February 21- More Mui Ne
Today I have nothing special to report. It was just a lovely day at the beach.
Instead of a locust tonight I was greeted by a mouse-sized cockroach. Although I'd had success with the locust yesterday; tonight I called in the big guns. After Lisa herded out the cockroach, I once again ensconced myself in mosquito netting and had a good night's sleep.
Instead of a locust tonight I was greeted by a mouse-sized cockroach. Although I'd had success with the locust yesterday; tonight I called in the big guns. After Lisa herded out the cockroach, I once again ensconced myself in mosquito netting and had a good night's sleep.
Friday, February 20, 2009
February 20-Impressions: Big to Small
Impression of: South East Asia
Driving through Chiang Mai, on our first day here, my eyes weren't attracted to the markets stalls, the dogs laying on the roads, the palm trees, the crazy vehicles, or any of the usual things. I was too busy staring at all of the foreigners. I hadn't seen so many white/black people in six months. Isn't it weird that in South East Asia, I've seen more foreigners then I've seen in half a year? I'm starting to understand why the Korean people generally stare at me. I was doing it for crying outloud!
Foreigners dress strangely and inappropriately (does NO ONE follow the legs OR chest rule anymore!?!?). Foreigners can also be shaped very oddly, due to the unhealthy, chemical-ridden food they eat (VERY few Asian people have thunder thighs, saddle bags, or muffin tops, if they are going to carry extra weight, it's usually right in the belly). And I'm one of the oddly-shaped, inappropriately dressed foreigners. Weird.
Impressions of: Vietnam
In Vietnam 98% of all adults and 10% of all children wear helmets on scooters (apparently the soft skulls of children are more resilient than adult skulls). Compared to Thailand and Cambodia, this is a 98/10% increase in helmut use. Unfortunately, the Vietnamese also follow another traffic law: they beep their horns when they pass another vehicle. Every. Single. Time.
And not just a little tap either. It's a continuous lean on the horn.
In this country, I'd say 90% of all motorists are on scooters, motercycles, or some cross in between. Can you imagine how often thousands of two-wheeled vehicles all going down the same road overtake one another? Now imagine that you're in a great, big, tourbus on this road, filled with wimpy motercycles. I was ready to go to the front of the bus, and rip off the steering wheel, to prevent the driver from honking ANY more.
Today we rented bicycles and it was the same thing. Everytime any motorized vehicle passed us, they blew their horns. SO ANNOYING.
One time in particular, I was re-entering the road from a convenience store on the shoulder. I carefully waited for a large break in traffic before going back on the road. Obviously I normally hug the side of the road as much as possible without actually leaving the pavement.
However, I was driving a huge, wobbly, banana-bike, and for the first few unsteady seconds, I accidentally drifted into the middle of the road.
BLAM BLAM BLAM!!!
Honks the tourbus behind me (and it's not like there was a danger of him hitting me, I didn't dart in front of him, he was FAR behind me).
As I gained momentum (and therefore control) I moved to the side of the road, with him BLAMMING at me the ENTIRE , oh I don't know, fifteen seconds it took me to get out of his way. Not content with a clear path, the driver slowed down and kept pace beside me for a good 50 metres, BLAMMING and yelling at me the entire time.
I didn't so much as blink in acknowledgement. But I really wanted him to come out and fight me.
Impressions of: Mui Ne
I'll write more about the beauty of this place later on (someone needs the computer at the moment).
Except last night, as I was cowering under mosquito netting, wondering if four-inch-long, grasshopper-like insects were dangerous, I had a bit of a moment of truth. The above-mentioned insect clinging to my curtains was causing me an unusual hesitation at the thought of turning off the lights and going to sleep.
Instead of being wimpy, I got the bug out myself (which involved squealing, throwing the curtains out the window, and slamming the window shut). Still, I'm taking care of business by myself more and more. It feels good.
Driving through Chiang Mai, on our first day here, my eyes weren't attracted to the markets stalls, the dogs laying on the roads, the palm trees, the crazy vehicles, or any of the usual things. I was too busy staring at all of the foreigners. I hadn't seen so many white/black people in six months. Isn't it weird that in South East Asia, I've seen more foreigners then I've seen in half a year? I'm starting to understand why the Korean people generally stare at me. I was doing it for crying outloud!
Foreigners dress strangely and inappropriately (does NO ONE follow the legs OR chest rule anymore!?!?). Foreigners can also be shaped very oddly, due to the unhealthy, chemical-ridden food they eat (VERY few Asian people have thunder thighs, saddle bags, or muffin tops, if they are going to carry extra weight, it's usually right in the belly). And I'm one of the oddly-shaped, inappropriately dressed foreigners. Weird.
Impressions of: Vietnam
In Vietnam 98% of all adults and 10% of all children wear helmets on scooters (apparently the soft skulls of children are more resilient than adult skulls). Compared to Thailand and Cambodia, this is a 98/10% increase in helmut use. Unfortunately, the Vietnamese also follow another traffic law: they beep their horns when they pass another vehicle. Every. Single. Time.
And not just a little tap either. It's a continuous lean on the horn.
In this country, I'd say 90% of all motorists are on scooters, motercycles, or some cross in between. Can you imagine how often thousands of two-wheeled vehicles all going down the same road overtake one another? Now imagine that you're in a great, big, tourbus on this road, filled with wimpy motercycles. I was ready to go to the front of the bus, and rip off the steering wheel, to prevent the driver from honking ANY more.
Today we rented bicycles and it was the same thing. Everytime any motorized vehicle passed us, they blew their horns. SO ANNOYING.
One time in particular, I was re-entering the road from a convenience store on the shoulder. I carefully waited for a large break in traffic before going back on the road. Obviously I normally hug the side of the road as much as possible without actually leaving the pavement.
However, I was driving a huge, wobbly, banana-bike, and for the first few unsteady seconds, I accidentally drifted into the middle of the road.
BLAM BLAM BLAM!!!
Honks the tourbus behind me (and it's not like there was a danger of him hitting me, I didn't dart in front of him, he was FAR behind me).
As I gained momentum (and therefore control) I moved to the side of the road, with him BLAMMING at me the ENTIRE , oh I don't know, fifteen seconds it took me to get out of his way. Not content with a clear path, the driver slowed down and kept pace beside me for a good 50 metres, BLAMMING and yelling at me the entire time.
I didn't so much as blink in acknowledgement. But I really wanted him to come out and fight me.
Impressions of: Mui Ne
I'll write more about the beauty of this place later on (someone needs the computer at the moment).
Except last night, as I was cowering under mosquito netting, wondering if four-inch-long, grasshopper-like insects were dangerous, I had a bit of a moment of truth. The above-mentioned insect clinging to my curtains was causing me an unusual hesitation at the thought of turning off the lights and going to sleep.
Instead of being wimpy, I got the bug out myself (which involved squealing, throwing the curtains out the window, and slamming the window shut). Still, I'm taking care of business by myself more and more. It feels good.
February 17-19-Siam Reap-Phnom Penh-Mui Ne
Again with the 5am wake-up call! This time we had to catch a boat from Siam Reap to Phnom Penh. I spent most of Phnom Penh in hiding (from the blazing hot sun). On the 19th we took a bus into Vietnam (where the border crossing was delightfully easy and scam-free). Happily we settled into the resort town of Mui Ne.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
February 16: Where we last left off...
Our heroine had fallen into bed after 30-40km of biking in 35C.
So this morning we:
A: Slept in.
B: Got up at 5:00am.
Of course... 'B'.
Yesterday we purposely avoided the main attraction, Angkor Wat, so we could see it at sunrise.
It was beautiful (pics will come on facebook).
Lisa and I also went horseback riding today. We cantered, which was fun, although I really need to take horseback riding lessons and learn how to canter without destroying my ass in the process.
So this morning we:
A: Slept in.
B: Got up at 5:00am.
Of course... 'B'.
Yesterday we purposely avoided the main attraction, Angkor Wat, so we could see it at sunrise.
It was beautiful (pics will come on facebook).
Lisa and I also went horseback riding today. We cantered, which was fun, although I really need to take horseback riding lessons and learn how to canter without destroying my ass in the process.
February 15- Jennifer Becomes Fearless
Today we biked to Angkor.
Bicycling in Siam Reap is an extreme sport. There's no such thing as biking on shoulders or sidewalks. There's no such thing as a bike lane. As a cyclist in Siam Reap, you are a motorist surrounded by tuk tuks, cars, tourbuses, motorcycles, scooters, and slower cyclists/pedestrians pulling huge carts of goodness-knows-what. Throw in the fact that the streets are packed, and motorists driving small vehicles can't seem to pick one side of the road over the other, and you've got yourself a gong-show!
I just pretended like I was on a scooter (in my mind that gave me more of a right to be on the road). I even went through a round-about! All of these vehicles were whizzing all around me, and it honestly didn't phaze me. I was fearless (yet alert, except for one time when I lifted my head to see a motorcycle barreling towards me on the wrong side of the road. But I swerved and was okay).
From 9am-6pm we cycled all over Angkor, taking in Angkor Thom, Ta Phroem (sp?) (where "Tomb Raider" and "Indiana Jones:Temple of Doom" were filmed) and all sorts of other smaller lesser know wats (wats=temples).
While we had a fantastic day (Cambodia and I have resolved our differences) the HEAT!! Oh my goodness. You know that stupid question people sometimes ask? (When they're six I suppose): Would you rather be hot or cold?
Well people who can answer that question haven't been REALLY hot or cold. I mean, so hot or cold that you think, "I can see how people can die from this". Anyway, the answer is: neither. I'd rather be temperate (I was really afraid I was going to get a wicked sunburn, I was sweating so much that the sunscreen was just slideing off of my skin, but I was fine).
Thirty-forty kilometres later, we were zonked. After dinner we had massages from blind masseurs and fell into bed.
Bicycling in Siam Reap is an extreme sport. There's no such thing as biking on shoulders or sidewalks. There's no such thing as a bike lane. As a cyclist in Siam Reap, you are a motorist surrounded by tuk tuks, cars, tourbuses, motorcycles, scooters, and slower cyclists/pedestrians pulling huge carts of goodness-knows-what. Throw in the fact that the streets are packed, and motorists driving small vehicles can't seem to pick one side of the road over the other, and you've got yourself a gong-show!
I just pretended like I was on a scooter (in my mind that gave me more of a right to be on the road). I even went through a round-about! All of these vehicles were whizzing all around me, and it honestly didn't phaze me. I was fearless (yet alert, except for one time when I lifted my head to see a motorcycle barreling towards me on the wrong side of the road. But I swerved and was okay).
From 9am-6pm we cycled all over Angkor, taking in Angkor Thom, Ta Phroem (sp?) (where "Tomb Raider" and "Indiana Jones:Temple of Doom" were filmed) and all sorts of other smaller lesser know wats (wats=temples).
While we had a fantastic day (Cambodia and I have resolved our differences) the HEAT!! Oh my goodness. You know that stupid question people sometimes ask? (When they're six I suppose): Would you rather be hot or cold?
Well people who can answer that question haven't been REALLY hot or cold. I mean, so hot or cold that you think, "I can see how people can die from this". Anyway, the answer is: neither. I'd rather be temperate (I was really afraid I was going to get a wicked sunburn, I was sweating so much that the sunscreen was just slideing off of my skin, but I was fine).
Thirty-forty kilometres later, we were zonked. After dinner we had massages from blind masseurs and fell into bed.
February 14- Things get better...
Not like they could have gotten worse! Today we were smart and gave ourselves a break. We mosy-ed, stayed inside out of the heat, ate three square meals, hit a market, and showered frequently (yesterday when I got here, I flung myself into my bed...which turned my white sheets into the most disgusting orangy-brown colour).
Yesterday's entry related some scams I've been subjected to. I didn't really talk about the country. It's exactly how you would picture a post-war country.
Cambodia has the most landmines of any country in the world (don't worry, I'm not straying off the beaten path). As soon as you cross the border, the landscape becomes bleak. Especially after living in hilly South Korea/Northern Thailand, the prairie-like flatness is hard on the eyes.
The ground is red dust and the sky is grey.
During the three-hour taxi-ride from the border to Siam Reap, conditions were appalling. The road is only paved up to a certain point, then you must jounce along crater filled dirt roads, that frequently detour into even worse rutted pathways.
At one point we were driving like a stunt car in a movie, with two wheels up on a mound of dirt and the other two on the road.
Siam Reap is dirty and crowded. While I am no longer wishing to cut my vacation short, Cambodia has been a sobering country.
Yesterday's entry related some scams I've been subjected to. I didn't really talk about the country. It's exactly how you would picture a post-war country.
Cambodia has the most landmines of any country in the world (don't worry, I'm not straying off the beaten path). As soon as you cross the border, the landscape becomes bleak. Especially after living in hilly South Korea/Northern Thailand, the prairie-like flatness is hard on the eyes.
The ground is red dust and the sky is grey.
During the three-hour taxi-ride from the border to Siam Reap, conditions were appalling. The road is only paved up to a certain point, then you must jounce along crater filled dirt roads, that frequently detour into even worse rutted pathways.
At one point we were driving like a stunt car in a movie, with two wheels up on a mound of dirt and the other two on the road.
Siam Reap is dirty and crowded. While I am no longer wishing to cut my vacation short, Cambodia has been a sobering country.
February (Friday the 13th lived up to expectations) OR Bangkok-Siam Reap
I am writing this entry from the relative space and comfort of February the 14th. Had I written this entry yesterday, it would be rated 'R'for use of excessive foul language.
February 13th dawned insanely hot. We ate a quick breakfast and began our major challenge of this trip: traveling from Bangkok, Thailand to Siam Reap, Cambodia.
I don't consider myself a seasoned veteren of international travel, but I'm not green either. Cambodia will be the 12th country I've visited in the last two years, and I'm not counting lay-overs and drive-thrus. However, the Thai-Cambodia border was the first border I've crossed on land (except for EU borders, which they don't check).
It is a DOOZY of a border.
Every sweaty step of the way is a scam to squeeze more money out of tourists. The biggest scam is travel agencies selling tickets directly from Bangkok to Siam Reap. These tickets are invalid. The bus will take you as far as the border, and dump you.
Our Ko Samet friend, Peter, had bought one such ticket years ago. Consequentially, he spent nine hours in the flatbed of a pickup truck with fourteen other people in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Fortunately, we were aware of this scam, so we:
9am :) Insisted on taking a metered taxi to the bus station, which was half as expensive as the tuk-tuks being pushed on us.
9:30am :) Bussed from Bangkok to the A.P. bus station
2:30pm :) took a tuk tuk from A.P. bus station to the border (at a reasonable price)
2:45 :( were taken by tuk tuk to a small visa office before being taken to the border. We bought our visas there because we had no idea what was going on. We would have saved 6CDN each had we bought our visas at the border.
:) Did NOT fall for other scams at said visa office, including a too-cheap taxi-ride to Siam Reap
3:00pm :1 (neutral) left Thailand, walked 200m across border, entered Cambodia
3:40 :) took a free bus from border to bus station
4:00pm :( were pressured into exchanging our baht into riel at a poor exchange rate
4:10 :) found a taxi to take us to Siam Reap
7:30 pm :( were dropped off at a tuk tuk stand just outside the city. Not knowing what else to do, we paid the tuk tuk driver a slightly elevated price to take us to our guesthouse.
:) AVOIDED the scam of taking the ride for free, thus being beholden to give the driver a job the following day.
:) AVOIDED allowing the driver to take us to HIS prefered guesthouse, where he would have received a commission for delivering us.
----------------------------------------
Does this sound as tiring as it was?
It's EXHAUSTING. You always have to be on your guard, fending off scams left, right, and centre. And they know just how to hustle hot and tired tourists who have been traveling all day.
Although...on the flip side, although their tactics are annoying and inconvenient; who's going to cry buckets of tears over poor local people getting a few extra dollars out of relatively rich foreigners? Didn't they write a book about that? Robin Hood?
On the other flipside, from the time we left our hotel in the morning, to the time we got to our hotel at night, we spent twelve hours on the road. During this time period, we ran from bus to tuk tuk, never taking a break in the 40C heat. We didn't even eat, we didn't have time.
When we got to our guesthouse in Siam Reap, I couldn't remember why on earth I had wanted to go to Cambodia in the first place. I was HOT in a way I can't adequately explain, so tired, and SO hungry. I was dizzy, nauseous, covered in sweat, and (Lord forgive me) wishing for a plane ticket back to South Korea to fall out of the sky. I went to bed in a MISERABLE mood.
February 13th dawned insanely hot. We ate a quick breakfast and began our major challenge of this trip: traveling from Bangkok, Thailand to Siam Reap, Cambodia.
I don't consider myself a seasoned veteren of international travel, but I'm not green either. Cambodia will be the 12th country I've visited in the last two years, and I'm not counting lay-overs and drive-thrus. However, the Thai-Cambodia border was the first border I've crossed on land (except for EU borders, which they don't check).
It is a DOOZY of a border.
Every sweaty step of the way is a scam to squeeze more money out of tourists. The biggest scam is travel agencies selling tickets directly from Bangkok to Siam Reap. These tickets are invalid. The bus will take you as far as the border, and dump you.
Our Ko Samet friend, Peter, had bought one such ticket years ago. Consequentially, he spent nine hours in the flatbed of a pickup truck with fourteen other people in the middle of a thunderstorm.
Fortunately, we were aware of this scam, so we:
9am :) Insisted on taking a metered taxi to the bus station, which was half as expensive as the tuk-tuks being pushed on us.
9:30am :) Bussed from Bangkok to the A.P. bus station
2:30pm :) took a tuk tuk from A.P. bus station to the border (at a reasonable price)
2:45 :( were taken by tuk tuk to a small visa office before being taken to the border. We bought our visas there because we had no idea what was going on. We would have saved 6CDN each had we bought our visas at the border.
:) Did NOT fall for other scams at said visa office, including a too-cheap taxi-ride to Siam Reap
3:00pm :1 (neutral) left Thailand, walked 200m across border, entered Cambodia
3:40 :) took a free bus from border to bus station
4:00pm :( were pressured into exchanging our baht into riel at a poor exchange rate
4:10 :) found a taxi to take us to Siam Reap
7:30 pm :( were dropped off at a tuk tuk stand just outside the city. Not knowing what else to do, we paid the tuk tuk driver a slightly elevated price to take us to our guesthouse.
:) AVOIDED the scam of taking the ride for free, thus being beholden to give the driver a job the following day.
:) AVOIDED allowing the driver to take us to HIS prefered guesthouse, where he would have received a commission for delivering us.
----------------------------------------
Does this sound as tiring as it was?
It's EXHAUSTING. You always have to be on your guard, fending off scams left, right, and centre. And they know just how to hustle hot and tired tourists who have been traveling all day.
Although...on the flip side, although their tactics are annoying and inconvenient; who's going to cry buckets of tears over poor local people getting a few extra dollars out of relatively rich foreigners? Didn't they write a book about that? Robin Hood?
On the other flipside, from the time we left our hotel in the morning, to the time we got to our hotel at night, we spent twelve hours on the road. During this time period, we ran from bus to tuk tuk, never taking a break in the 40C heat. We didn't even eat, we didn't have time.
When we got to our guesthouse in Siam Reap, I couldn't remember why on earth I had wanted to go to Cambodia in the first place. I was HOT in a way I can't adequately explain, so tired, and SO hungry. I was dizzy, nauseous, covered in sweat, and (Lord forgive me) wishing for a plane ticket back to South Korea to fall out of the sky. I went to bed in a MISERABLE mood.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
February 10-12 Ko Samet-Bangkok
Tuesday the 10th we spent one more blissful day on Ko Samet. Suze, Peter, Veronica and I took an exhilerating ride on a banana boat, but other then that it was a lazy day.
Wednesday, we got up early and returned to Bangkok. Ali, Suze, and I had to part from Peter and Veronia, which was a bit sad...BUT we did get to reunite with Amanda and Lisa! It feels good for the five of us to be together again.
Amanda and Lisa had met a girl from Holland on their travels. We were briefly introduced, but then she had to go meet her friend. Amanda asked if it was okay if she stayed in a room with Amanda and I. Of course I agreed. Later that night I went to my room. The girl I had only glimpsed briefly (and hadn't talked to at all) was already asleep in bed...wearing only a tank top and see-through black panties. Very backpacker!
Today is Thursday the twelfth. I have not been feeling well for the past few days. While the other four went sight-seeing in Bangkok, I went to a hospital. It turns out I have an inconsequential viral infection. I still elected to take it easy today. My friends are currently at a lady-boy caberet, and I'm stuck in an internet cafe :'(. Oh well, it will be worth it to feel better!
When I was in the hospital, an elderly Indian lady and I were both washing our hands in the bathroom. She caught a glance of me in the mirror, gasped, and said (in English better than mine) "OH!! I am surprised to see YOU!". She very sweetly peppered me with questions, while I tried to edge out of the bathroom in a polite manner.
Her-"What nationality are you?"
Me-"Canadian"
Her-"How old are you?"
Me-"23"
Her-*nodding wisely* "Yes, yes, that's what I thought. How lovely to be so young and able to travel the world. The world is quite small these days. You must find it very hot here."
Me-"Yes, it's quite hot"
Her-"And this is nothing, you know. Even for those of us born in the tropics, April, May, they can be quite difficult".
Eventually I exited the bathroom. As it was 35C today, I am NEVER coming to SouthEast Asia in the hot season!
Wednesday, we got up early and returned to Bangkok. Ali, Suze, and I had to part from Peter and Veronia, which was a bit sad...BUT we did get to reunite with Amanda and Lisa! It feels good for the five of us to be together again.
Amanda and Lisa had met a girl from Holland on their travels. We were briefly introduced, but then she had to go meet her friend. Amanda asked if it was okay if she stayed in a room with Amanda and I. Of course I agreed. Later that night I went to my room. The girl I had only glimpsed briefly (and hadn't talked to at all) was already asleep in bed...wearing only a tank top and see-through black panties. Very backpacker!
Today is Thursday the twelfth. I have not been feeling well for the past few days. While the other four went sight-seeing in Bangkok, I went to a hospital. It turns out I have an inconsequential viral infection. I still elected to take it easy today. My friends are currently at a lady-boy caberet, and I'm stuck in an internet cafe :'(. Oh well, it will be worth it to feel better!
When I was in the hospital, an elderly Indian lady and I were both washing our hands in the bathroom. She caught a glance of me in the mirror, gasped, and said (in English better than mine) "OH!! I am surprised to see YOU!". She very sweetly peppered me with questions, while I tried to edge out of the bathroom in a polite manner.
Her-"What nationality are you?"
Me-"Canadian"
Her-"How old are you?"
Me-"23"
Her-*nodding wisely* "Yes, yes, that's what I thought. How lovely to be so young and able to travel the world. The world is quite small these days. You must find it very hot here."
Me-"Yes, it's quite hot"
Her-"And this is nothing, you know. Even for those of us born in the tropics, April, May, they can be quite difficult".
Eventually I exited the bathroom. As it was 35C today, I am NEVER coming to SouthEast Asia in the hot season!
Monday, February 9, 2009
February 9-Ko Samet:Ultra Blissed out
Today we woke up to face one final (absolute LAST) trek across the island in search of two nights accomodation for a better price then our emergency crashlanding pad.
Finally we got settled in, and I have my own room this time:)
And now? Chill time. The beaches are gorgeous white sand, the water is clear aquamarine, and I have nothing that needs to be done. BLISS.
At various points durning the day, I:
-had a foot scrub on the beach
-completed a suduko puzzle
-read a novel
-ate dinner on a table on a blanket on the beach.
The only physical activity I got was when Peter and I rented a kayak. At one point I jumped out to float a little bit, then re-entered the kayak with the grace of a floating feather. Peter decided to give it a go as well. He made me hold on to his bucket hat. I don't know why he didn't wear it...I wore my sunglasses in. As Peter re-entered the kayak I held on to both our oars. Unfortunately, Peter's re-entry technique was sadly lacking. We capsized (well HE capsized us really). I could picture myself exactly how I looked, laughing hysterically in my puffy life-jacket, holding two oars, with huge sunglasses and a khaki bucket hat swallowing my head, just floating in the ocean. I was about to show Peter how "re-entrance" should be executed, when a man in a speedboat pulled up. He helped us back in our kayak by holding it steady for us. He was so nice! What language barrier?
I am excited for tomorrow, and so happy to be exactly where I am.
Finally we got settled in, and I have my own room this time:)
And now? Chill time. The beaches are gorgeous white sand, the water is clear aquamarine, and I have nothing that needs to be done. BLISS.
At various points durning the day, I:
-had a foot scrub on the beach
-completed a suduko puzzle
-read a novel
-ate dinner on a table on a blanket on the beach.
The only physical activity I got was when Peter and I rented a kayak. At one point I jumped out to float a little bit, then re-entered the kayak with the grace of a floating feather. Peter decided to give it a go as well. He made me hold on to his bucket hat. I don't know why he didn't wear it...I wore my sunglasses in. As Peter re-entered the kayak I held on to both our oars. Unfortunately, Peter's re-entry technique was sadly lacking. We capsized (well HE capsized us really). I could picture myself exactly how I looked, laughing hysterically in my puffy life-jacket, holding two oars, with huge sunglasses and a khaki bucket hat swallowing my head, just floating in the ocean. I was about to show Peter how "re-entrance" should be executed, when a man in a speedboat pulled up. He helped us back in our kayak by holding it steady for us. He was so nice! What language barrier?
I am excited for tomorrow, and so happy to be exactly where I am.
February 8-Ko Samet: Blissed out
Sunday morning, Suze, Ali and I caught an 8:00am bus to Ko Samet. "Ko" is Thai for island.
While I have been jealous of Amanda and Lisa's extended stay at the elephant sanctuary; it's insane to me that they will have experienced Thailand, but not the beaches!
*Tangent* Recently I read the book "Eat Pray Love". In the book the author lives in an ashram in India. I've never so much as heard the word "ashram" before. However, as of last week, it's now my plan to live in an ashram when my year in Korea is finished.
*How this is relevant* On the bus to Ko Samet, I sat next to Peter, a 24 year old Brit, who had just came from living in an ashram in India. That's cosmic forces enforcing my decision if I ever saw them.
So Peter and I got to talking, then he started talking to Veronica, a fellow Canadian. The five of us got off the boat in Ko Samet and have been inseperable ever since. Which is a good thing because...
When we arrived at the island at 2pm on Sunday it was full. As in; no room at the inn. This confused us, because while we knew Ko Samet to be a popular destination for Thai tourists on weekends, we were sure they'd be going home on Sunday. We didn't count on Monday being a holiday.
Suze and I ate lunch from 2-4, while Peter, Veronica, and Ali searched for accomodation. When they came back empty-handed, Suze and I took up the torch. At nightfall we decided that tenting was our only option.
Reluctantly, we rented two tents on the beach. Ali, Suze and Veronica were right in the think of things, while Peter and I were set back with a cluster of other tents. The girls went for a swim, while Peter and I checked out our tent.
Peter got into our tent, landed on a rock, shouted, "I have a plan" and took off. Alone with the mosquitos, I joined Alex (a Brit with a drunken-induced fractured foot) a loud Israli man, an even louder Swiss man, and Mooun-jpa (sp??) a self-proclaimed world-famous Thai artist, around a campfire. Quickly Mooun-jpa handed me his glass of whiskey, until Alex pointed out the abundance of clean glasses.
Mooun-ja asked me where I was from. Upon my reply, he slowly gazed at each one of us in turn, Canadian, English, Israeli, Swiss, and Thai, and then solemnly pronounced, "we are the world".
Just when things were about to get heavy, Peter returned and shouted "I have a room!" in this same tone he would have used to annouce a winning lotto ticket. Although the campfire was lovely, I gulped my whiskey, and grabbed my suitcase, ready to trek across the island for the 8th millionth time that day.
Peter had actually worked a miracle, and got the five of us a large room with two massive beds. Ali, Suze and I shared one bed, with Veronica and Peter on the other. I've never trusted two people so quickly in my life!
While I have been jealous of Amanda and Lisa's extended stay at the elephant sanctuary; it's insane to me that they will have experienced Thailand, but not the beaches!
*Tangent* Recently I read the book "Eat Pray Love". In the book the author lives in an ashram in India. I've never so much as heard the word "ashram" before. However, as of last week, it's now my plan to live in an ashram when my year in Korea is finished.
*How this is relevant* On the bus to Ko Samet, I sat next to Peter, a 24 year old Brit, who had just came from living in an ashram in India. That's cosmic forces enforcing my decision if I ever saw them.
So Peter and I got to talking, then he started talking to Veronica, a fellow Canadian. The five of us got off the boat in Ko Samet and have been inseperable ever since. Which is a good thing because...
When we arrived at the island at 2pm on Sunday it was full. As in; no room at the inn. This confused us, because while we knew Ko Samet to be a popular destination for Thai tourists on weekends, we were sure they'd be going home on Sunday. We didn't count on Monday being a holiday.
Suze and I ate lunch from 2-4, while Peter, Veronica, and Ali searched for accomodation. When they came back empty-handed, Suze and I took up the torch. At nightfall we decided that tenting was our only option.
Reluctantly, we rented two tents on the beach. Ali, Suze and Veronica were right in the think of things, while Peter and I were set back with a cluster of other tents. The girls went for a swim, while Peter and I checked out our tent.
Peter got into our tent, landed on a rock, shouted, "I have a plan" and took off. Alone with the mosquitos, I joined Alex (a Brit with a drunken-induced fractured foot) a loud Israli man, an even louder Swiss man, and Mooun-jpa (sp??) a self-proclaimed world-famous Thai artist, around a campfire. Quickly Mooun-jpa handed me his glass of whiskey, until Alex pointed out the abundance of clean glasses.
Mooun-ja asked me where I was from. Upon my reply, he slowly gazed at each one of us in turn, Canadian, English, Israeli, Swiss, and Thai, and then solemnly pronounced, "we are the world".
Just when things were about to get heavy, Peter returned and shouted "I have a room!" in this same tone he would have used to annouce a winning lotto ticket. Although the campfire was lovely, I gulped my whiskey, and grabbed my suitcase, ready to trek across the island for the 8th millionth time that day.
Peter had actually worked a miracle, and got the five of us a large room with two massive beds. Ali, Suze and I shared one bed, with Veronica and Peter on the other. I've never trusted two people so quickly in my life!
February 7 Not Worth Reading
Woke up
Saw monkeys (lots). We may have even hit feast day, which only happens once a year. The townspeople hold a feast for the monkeys. There were certainly huge bags of bananas everywhere. The monkeys could also dine on: yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, or oranges.
Then we took a 3hr bus to Bangkok and stayed the night there.
Saw monkeys (lots). We may have even hit feast day, which only happens once a year. The townspeople hold a feast for the monkeys. There were certainly huge bags of bananas everywhere. The monkeys could also dine on: yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, or oranges.
Then we took a 3hr bus to Bangkok and stayed the night there.
February 6-The sketchiest thing I've ever done.
I really didn't think I'd have enough fodder to write a journal entry today. I knew today consisted of a ten hour bus ride, so I didn't think I'd have much report.
Ali, Suze, and I woke up in Chiang Mai for the last time this morning. We were headed to Bangkok, but decided to stop for the night in Lopburi (a town famous for being over-run with monkeys).
After a lazy start we went to the bus station, only to find that the 1:30pm bus to Lopburi was full. After some consideration, we decided on a 2:00pm bus that would drop us off 27km away from Lopburi (and then we would take a taxi the rest of the way). The bus ride itself was fairly uneventful. Although we were boarded by immigration police FOUR times. Anyway, nine hours later, at 11pm, our bus hostess instructed us to exit the bus. Ali, Suze and I were the only ones who got off. It wasn't hard to see why. We were on the shoulder of the superhighway in a completely deserted area (I have to mention that the previous stops were all at legitimate bus stations, positively oozing with taxis).
We looked up the highway, and down the highway, and at each other, and at the ground. Finally we saw a lady standing down a small dirt road by herself in the darkness. She looked promising so we trudged towards her.
"Lopburi?" we asked timidly.
"Oh yes, yes" she replied and motioned us to follow her further down the small dirt road. Nervously trailing in her wake, we soon found ourselves at a small, shack-like house. They lady immediately knocked at the door, clearly awakening its young male inhabitant. After a rapid-fire Thai conversation, she motioned to a pick-up truck and asked "ok?"
What would YOU do??
Our choices were:
A: Ride in the flatbed of a pickup truck, driven by a young Thai male with NO English, hoping to get to our destination.
OR
B: Stay on the shoulder of the super highway.
We three shared a glance and then simultaneously heaved our luggage into the flatbed. Suze and Ali climbed in after our belongings. I was about to join them when the lady motioned me to sit in the cabin of the truck. So I didn't get the full weird-ass experience...but still!!
Anyway, we're now in Lopburi, safe and sound, with a very clear reason to always make sure we know where the bus will drop us off!
Ali, Suze, and I woke up in Chiang Mai for the last time this morning. We were headed to Bangkok, but decided to stop for the night in Lopburi (a town famous for being over-run with monkeys).
After a lazy start we went to the bus station, only to find that the 1:30pm bus to Lopburi was full. After some consideration, we decided on a 2:00pm bus that would drop us off 27km away from Lopburi (and then we would take a taxi the rest of the way). The bus ride itself was fairly uneventful. Although we were boarded by immigration police FOUR times. Anyway, nine hours later, at 11pm, our bus hostess instructed us to exit the bus. Ali, Suze and I were the only ones who got off. It wasn't hard to see why. We were on the shoulder of the superhighway in a completely deserted area (I have to mention that the previous stops were all at legitimate bus stations, positively oozing with taxis).
We looked up the highway, and down the highway, and at each other, and at the ground. Finally we saw a lady standing down a small dirt road by herself in the darkness. She looked promising so we trudged towards her.
"Lopburi?" we asked timidly.
"Oh yes, yes" she replied and motioned us to follow her further down the small dirt road. Nervously trailing in her wake, we soon found ourselves at a small, shack-like house. They lady immediately knocked at the door, clearly awakening its young male inhabitant. After a rapid-fire Thai conversation, she motioned to a pick-up truck and asked "ok?"
What would YOU do??
Our choices were:
A: Ride in the flatbed of a pickup truck, driven by a young Thai male with NO English, hoping to get to our destination.
OR
B: Stay on the shoulder of the super highway.
We three shared a glance and then simultaneously heaved our luggage into the flatbed. Suze and Ali climbed in after our belongings. I was about to join them when the lady motioned me to sit in the cabin of the truck. So I didn't get the full weird-ass experience...but still!!
Anyway, we're now in Lopburi, safe and sound, with a very clear reason to always make sure we know where the bus will drop us off!
February 5-Golden Triangle
I'm afraid for this month I'm going to post blogs even if they're just short, bland journals of my days. I don't want to forget anything from this vacation. I'll tell you at the front if I don't think they're worth reading. This one's not.
So we took a tour. Here are the stops:
1: A hot spring
2: A boat ride on the Mekong. We floated by the Golden Triangle. Then we stopped in Laos. We had the oppurtunity to sample whiskey with different objects floating in the vats. I chose 'banana' and 'ginseng'. Susan chose 'king cobra' and 'tiger penis'. Yep, a real albeit dead king cobra was floating in a vat of whiskey, and Susan DRANK it. Don't get me started on tiger penis!
3: The Anka tribe, and Padong (what the long-necked tribe call themselves. Or maybe it's 'Palong'. I forget :O )
So we took a tour. Here are the stops:
1: A hot spring
2: A boat ride on the Mekong. We floated by the Golden Triangle. Then we stopped in Laos. We had the oppurtunity to sample whiskey with different objects floating in the vats. I chose 'banana' and 'ginseng'. Susan chose 'king cobra' and 'tiger penis'. Yep, a real albeit dead king cobra was floating in a vat of whiskey, and Susan DRANK it. Don't get me started on tiger penis!
3: The Anka tribe, and Padong (what the long-necked tribe call themselves. Or maybe it's 'Palong'. I forget :O )
February 2-4- Elephant Nature Park
A month before our vacation, our extreme-environmentalist travelmate (Amanda) decided she HAD to do some eco-tourism at the very beginning of our trip.
Eventually she decided on a week-long stay at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai. At this park, you help look after abused elephants. And we encountered some difficulties. Lisa was directly on board, Ali and Suze wanted to go for 2 days, 1 night, and I was totally against the idea (scooping elephant poop is NOT my idea of vacation, and the 50 dogs also at the place sounded a wee bit intimidating).
Eventually we decided that Lisa and Amanda would go for a week, and the rest of us for 2 days and 1 night.
The minute we stepped into the compound, I insisted that Ali, Suze, and I should book another night. It was INSANE.
The buildings looked just like the home on the blue lagoon, except 50 times the size. Everything was made of bamboo, with all different levels of stairs and foliage EVERYWHERE.
AND
37 elephants were just walking around, as well as 50 dogs, 15 cats, 10 water buffalo, and 2 baby pigs.
We got to feed the elephants, and twice a day we'd all go down to the river and give the elephants baths (which consisted of throwing pails of water on their backs, and avoiding the trunks of elephants with naughty mahouts, who would encourage their elephants to spray us!). We also had to be fully dressed, (we were told jokingly this rule existed so the mahouts would concentrate on their elephants, and not on women in bikinis). It felt kind of biblical, all of us running into a river, fully-clothed, to wash elephants.
One morning we went for a walk down in the field with all of the elephants. This was slightly terrifying, but also really cool. The different family groups were all spread out, so we walked from group to group, while our guide told us stories of the individual elephants.
Domestic elephants in Asia have it ROUGH.
After spending time at the elephant sanctuary I would highly discourage anyone to participate in elephant activities. No elephant treks, buying elephant paintings, watching elephant soccer matches, or buying food to feed to street elephants.
According to the elephant sanctuary, in order to train elephants, many Thai people believe that a terribly cruel ritual called 'pajeon' (literally 'crush') must be preformed on the elephants in order to break their spirits. We watched a video on it at the elephant sanctuary. They rip elephants away from their mothers at age four (in the wild males wouldn't leave until eight or ten, and females even later). Then the poor elephant is stuffed into a cage so small it can't move at all. Then for a week it's absolutely tortured. They take sticks with sharp metal ends and stab the elephant. The elephant we saw on the video was gushing blood from more than 50 wounds. All the while a shaman is blessing the elephant, as if this cruelty is somehow holy.
I can't say for certain that every working elephant has been subjected to this treatment, but most probably have.
After pajeon, some elephants are lucky enough to be well-treated by their owners; but not all.
Max was working the streets of Bangkok, when he was hit by an 18-wheeler. His front two legs were broken, and he is skeletally thin.
Lily's owners pumped her full of meth to get more work hours out of her.
Jokia was made to work logging while she was in labour. She had her baby at the top of a hill, and it rolled down the hill and died. She was unable to save her baby. She laid down and refused to work anymore. Her mahout used a slingshot on her eyes to make her move, and he permanently blinded her.
Most of the 37 elephants have similar horror stories.
I built fences, shucked corn, and helped build a dam, all the while watching EXACTLY where the money I had spent was going. It was a fabulous experience.
If you're ever in Chiang Mai, be sure to check it out!
Eventually she decided on a week-long stay at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai. At this park, you help look after abused elephants. And we encountered some difficulties. Lisa was directly on board, Ali and Suze wanted to go for 2 days, 1 night, and I was totally against the idea (scooping elephant poop is NOT my idea of vacation, and the 50 dogs also at the place sounded a wee bit intimidating).
Eventually we decided that Lisa and Amanda would go for a week, and the rest of us for 2 days and 1 night.
The minute we stepped into the compound, I insisted that Ali, Suze, and I should book another night. It was INSANE.
The buildings looked just like the home on the blue lagoon, except 50 times the size. Everything was made of bamboo, with all different levels of stairs and foliage EVERYWHERE.
AND
37 elephants were just walking around, as well as 50 dogs, 15 cats, 10 water buffalo, and 2 baby pigs.
We got to feed the elephants, and twice a day we'd all go down to the river and give the elephants baths (which consisted of throwing pails of water on their backs, and avoiding the trunks of elephants with naughty mahouts, who would encourage their elephants to spray us!). We also had to be fully dressed, (we were told jokingly this rule existed so the mahouts would concentrate on their elephants, and not on women in bikinis). It felt kind of biblical, all of us running into a river, fully-clothed, to wash elephants.
One morning we went for a walk down in the field with all of the elephants. This was slightly terrifying, but also really cool. The different family groups were all spread out, so we walked from group to group, while our guide told us stories of the individual elephants.
Domestic elephants in Asia have it ROUGH.
After spending time at the elephant sanctuary I would highly discourage anyone to participate in elephant activities. No elephant treks, buying elephant paintings, watching elephant soccer matches, or buying food to feed to street elephants.
According to the elephant sanctuary, in order to train elephants, many Thai people believe that a terribly cruel ritual called 'pajeon' (literally 'crush') must be preformed on the elephants in order to break their spirits. We watched a video on it at the elephant sanctuary. They rip elephants away from their mothers at age four (in the wild males wouldn't leave until eight or ten, and females even later). Then the poor elephant is stuffed into a cage so small it can't move at all. Then for a week it's absolutely tortured. They take sticks with sharp metal ends and stab the elephant. The elephant we saw on the video was gushing blood from more than 50 wounds. All the while a shaman is blessing the elephant, as if this cruelty is somehow holy.
I can't say for certain that every working elephant has been subjected to this treatment, but most probably have.
After pajeon, some elephants are lucky enough to be well-treated by their owners; but not all.
Max was working the streets of Bangkok, when he was hit by an 18-wheeler. His front two legs were broken, and he is skeletally thin.
Lily's owners pumped her full of meth to get more work hours out of her.
Jokia was made to work logging while she was in labour. She had her baby at the top of a hill, and it rolled down the hill and died. She was unable to save her baby. She laid down and refused to work anymore. Her mahout used a slingshot on her eyes to make her move, and he permanently blinded her.
Most of the 37 elephants have similar horror stories.
I built fences, shucked corn, and helped build a dam, all the while watching EXACTLY where the money I had spent was going. It was a fabulous experience.
If you're ever in Chiang Mai, be sure to check it out!
February 1-Chiang Mai
I woke up at 7:00am. My wake up call wasn't supposed to be until 7:30, but the roosters were a little off. I didn't mind.
Today we ended up taking a tour with a man named Beer. Beer told us that a visit to Chiang Mai without seeing Doi Suthep (a temple) is like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel tower. Impressed?
Amanda and I had to snuggle in the front seat of his car (which is less a snuggle, and more a sweatbath at 35C).
He asked us if any of us 'have the carsick' because the road to Doi Suthep was very twisty. Instead of "very" he should have said "twistiest road in the HISTORY of roads". I should mention that Beer was once a DJ. As we're racing up the road,often on the wrong side, overtaking every scooter, truck and tourbus, wheels screeching in protest of the 180 degree turns we're executing at high speeds- we're listening to the sounds of Shakira, Enrique Iglesies, and even Rain (a Korean pop star). It was like being in a bad music video. I expected us to explode into a ball of fire at any moment. It was kind of fun. Especially at the high bits in 'Hero' because Beer's voice couldn't quite keep up:)
I'll have pictures of Doi Suthep on facebook. It's really beautiful. And I was blessed by a monk.
Later that night I had my first Thai massage. I would highly recommend it.
Today we ended up taking a tour with a man named Beer. Beer told us that a visit to Chiang Mai without seeing Doi Suthep (a temple) is like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel tower. Impressed?
Amanda and I had to snuggle in the front seat of his car (which is less a snuggle, and more a sweatbath at 35C).
He asked us if any of us 'have the carsick' because the road to Doi Suthep was very twisty. Instead of "very" he should have said "twistiest road in the HISTORY of roads". I should mention that Beer was once a DJ. As we're racing up the road,often on the wrong side, overtaking every scooter, truck and tourbus, wheels screeching in protest of the 180 degree turns we're executing at high speeds- we're listening to the sounds of Shakira, Enrique Iglesies, and even Rain (a Korean pop star). It was like being in a bad music video. I expected us to explode into a ball of fire at any moment. It was kind of fun. Especially at the high bits in 'Hero' because Beer's voice couldn't quite keep up:)
I'll have pictures of Doi Suthep on facebook. It's really beautiful. And I was blessed by a monk.
Later that night I had my first Thai massage. I would highly recommend it.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Thailand vs Korea- Ding ding ding!
Ali, Susan, Amanda, Lisa and I (all teachers in South Korea), arrived in Thailand, February 1st, 2:00am.
After living in Korea for six months I can't help but compare the two countries.
My overall impression is that Thailand is like a Korea that got laid.
Everything I write in the following entry is going to be a generalization. Sorry.
1. The people.
Thai people are poorer, fatter, browner, and WAY more relaxed than Koreans.
When I enter shops in Thailand, instead of shuddering, giggling nervously, shooting looks at their fellow co-workers that clearly mean, ' oh HELL a FOREIGNER', and generally making me feel unwelcome; Thai people will talk your ear off forever, in the most unselfconscious, beautiful rendition of the English language (they sound slightly Jamaican to me). Of course, tourism is a top industry here, which directly influences the Thai comfort level with foreigners, it's still nice.
Thai people also have much darker skin. Koreans are generally OBSESSED with being as white as possible.
Ali bought sunscreen in Korea to take on this trip. When she first put it on in Thailand, it was this horrific thick goop, that, in Ali's words, 'looked like the sunblock my parents wore on their noses in the 60's' ie it really didn't rub in well. Later that evening, Ali removed her shirt, to find stripes of it had been BLEACHED. That's right. Those white-obsessed Koreans hid bleach in their sunscreen! (To be fair, it probably said bleach on the label..in Korean). As you can imagine, tan-seeking Ali was a bit put-off to find she had inadvertently bleached herself.
1 point to Thailand for being comfortable in their skin, not wearing HUGE visors and kid gloves, and smiling ALL the time.
2. The toilets.
I can't believe I've lived to see the day when I judge a country on it's squat toilets but...
When I arrived in Korea I was not impressed with straddling a porcelain hole in the floor, desperately trying not to pee on my feet (although in the bus station in Suncheon, their is a stall labeled 'foreigner only' with a proper toilet inside).
In Thailand it's (hate to say it) even WORSE. The squatters here are raised from the ground (about a foot?) with narrow places for your feet on each side. So instead of JUST having to squat and pee (a feat in itself) you also have to balance on slippery ledges connected to the squatter. It's a disaster waiting to happen! AND you also have to flush the toilet manually! Next to each squatter is a large cistern of water with a bucket inside. So you have to collect the bucket from the grimy water, and dump water down the toilet.
1 point to Korea, for being 'slightly' less disgusting.
To recap we're standing at one point Thailand, one point Korea.
What could possibly break the tie??
Oh I know...
3. The FOOD
And Thailand wins the competition by a landslide!!
After living in Korea for six months I can't help but compare the two countries.
My overall impression is that Thailand is like a Korea that got laid.
Everything I write in the following entry is going to be a generalization. Sorry.
1. The people.
Thai people are poorer, fatter, browner, and WAY more relaxed than Koreans.
When I enter shops in Thailand, instead of shuddering, giggling nervously, shooting looks at their fellow co-workers that clearly mean, ' oh HELL a FOREIGNER', and generally making me feel unwelcome; Thai people will talk your ear off forever, in the most unselfconscious, beautiful rendition of the English language (they sound slightly Jamaican to me). Of course, tourism is a top industry here, which directly influences the Thai comfort level with foreigners, it's still nice.
Thai people also have much darker skin. Koreans are generally OBSESSED with being as white as possible.
Ali bought sunscreen in Korea to take on this trip. When she first put it on in Thailand, it was this horrific thick goop, that, in Ali's words, 'looked like the sunblock my parents wore on their noses in the 60's' ie it really didn't rub in well. Later that evening, Ali removed her shirt, to find stripes of it had been BLEACHED. That's right. Those white-obsessed Koreans hid bleach in their sunscreen! (To be fair, it probably said bleach on the label..in Korean). As you can imagine, tan-seeking Ali was a bit put-off to find she had inadvertently bleached herself.
1 point to Thailand for being comfortable in their skin, not wearing HUGE visors and kid gloves, and smiling ALL the time.
2. The toilets.
I can't believe I've lived to see the day when I judge a country on it's squat toilets but...
When I arrived in Korea I was not impressed with straddling a porcelain hole in the floor, desperately trying not to pee on my feet (although in the bus station in Suncheon, their is a stall labeled 'foreigner only' with a proper toilet inside).
In Thailand it's (hate to say it) even WORSE. The squatters here are raised from the ground (about a foot?) with narrow places for your feet on each side. So instead of JUST having to squat and pee (a feat in itself) you also have to balance on slippery ledges connected to the squatter. It's a disaster waiting to happen! AND you also have to flush the toilet manually! Next to each squatter is a large cistern of water with a bucket inside. So you have to collect the bucket from the grimy water, and dump water down the toilet.
1 point to Korea, for being 'slightly' less disgusting.
To recap we're standing at one point Thailand, one point Korea.
What could possibly break the tie??
Oh I know...
3. The FOOD
And Thailand wins the competition by a landslide!!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)