hello to all my awesome bloggy blog readers!
I'm sorry that I haven't posted anything for a while... life has just been super busy AND to make matters worse when I finally decided to buy my laptop a new battery the graphics card goes and dies on me 5 days later. i could kill HP right now... ugh...
Note to self... DON"T BUY HP. they are pieces of shit!
and now so I don't end with this and leave you empty handed with an update... here's a little about my time in Bangkok post-Olli....
***************************************************************************
So it’s been a while since I’ve blogged… since Vietnam really. I am now in Bangkok and Oliver has already flown back to Germany. Now my days have been filled with studying for my final gemology exam here in Bangkok, and I must admit I am relieved that our fast-paced travelling has slowed down, but am certainly not thrilled about the fact that my eyes are stuck in a microscope for 8 hours a day and will continue to be until I fly out of this wonderful country next Wed. evening.
After Oliver kissed me goodbye and after I prayed that his baggage allowance wasn’t too overweight I spent a relaxing weekend with my dear friend Pablo (pictured here in a group photo of all of us at the floating markets the day Oliver left…
…..Oooo!! Here is another one of us at the Crocodile farm!
My weekend was spent doing some long over-due working out as well as some lounging by the poolside with pineapple shakes. YUM! Pablo invited me to spend the weekend with him at his place, the Amari Residence. Instead of a hotel or a hostel Pablo decided to spoil himself a bit (and me) by getting a residence (a large studio apartment w/ house keeping and room service… but the room also comes with it’s own fully stocked kitchen and entertainment center!)
I had planned on writing another blog edition this weekend while I was doing nothing but chill-laxin’ however the overdue laziness took over and now we are here.
I must admit I haven’t been the best at keeping a total up-to-date record of my blogs. I’m usually about 7-10 days behind on my writings, which I hope you all can forgive me for, but instead of writing something right now as a re-cap to something that has already past (i.e. the whole Oliver meets the family/Chinese new year event-which I will write next!) I just needed to ramble for a bit…
After spending 2 months every single day with someone it’s weird for them not to be around. I’ll be very happy when I see Oliver again, but at the same time I think we are both happy we are having some time away from eachother as well. He is in Kassel with his friends now and I am here engrossed in my studies.
My days here kinda feel like a race against time. No joke! I have 1.3 weeks to correctly identify 250 gemstones and only after that is complete am I able to attempt to take the final exam. I usually can grade about 42 stones a day which basically puts me at completing everything the day before I fly out of Bangkok…so I only have one day to try and pass the 20 stone final exam. If I pass or fail I am on a flight out of here wed. even. If I fail… I will have to fly to GIA London for another try…. UGH! I don’t want to think about that what so ever…
Anywho, so those are my worries. It makes it even more problematic that this Friday is a freakin’ Buddhist holiday! Double ugh! (Every month in Thailand there is a “Wan Phra” or Monk Day where people take the day off to do to the temple… and this month’s Wan Phra just happens to fall at the worst time for me! ) My days begin at 8am and end at 4:30pm…. Wish me luck and pray that I don’t get more near sighted due to all this eye strain and fiber optic lights w/ spectrometers!
Ok… onto a bit of back blogging now…
I am very excited to head to Munich! A new city in a new country to explore!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Jack fruit and Jackets!
We had to take an intermission from eating and walking since Oliver needed to stop by the local International clinic to get a recent ear infection looked at while I needed a nap and took a break from rush hour Hanoi motorbike traffic for a nice 2 hr afternoon nap. Oliver left as I fell asleep and came back a REM cycle later to wake me up with utter frustration at the amount of grid locked traffic he had just subjugated himself into walking through for an hour+ .
Let me interject with a common known fact: Oliver is German.
(We know he likes to mock me sometimes and pretend that he's Asian...
....but NO. He's German.)
He may not be the most highly organized German, but compared to me he is super perfectly on time and organized in every way. So take someone who comes from a country who is very good at efficiency and drop them anywhere in Asia, but ESPECIALLY in downtown Hanoi during 5 pm rush hour traffic and... well... you can imagine the shock he was having and the chuckles I was having even with the sudden awakening from my nap.
It's not that Olli couldn't handle it, but he found himself wish he could organize things in a different manner. Cars blocked motorbikes , motorbikes parked on streets, street vendors setting up shop on sidewalks, utterly no where to walk but in the street with the cars and traffic honking all around you. Basically if you just told people they couldn't drive in the city center except by bikes or on public transport (basically pull a London) things would be better...
....but then again who are we to tell a country what is better / more efficient for them when they are too busy having their own industrial revolution to waste time listening to us anyways? And thus... history is always doomed to repeat itself.
Moving on from my little rant to something more important: Jackets.
Whenever I find myself in Hanoi it always seems to be freezing cold (to the point where people are dying since there is no heating in Hanoi due to the fact that its usually tropical...ugh) So that is just what we did. We bought some nice, factory second NorthFace jackets. Hell, its gonna be cold in Germany, may as well get them and use them now!
After our jacket buying we then proceeding to partake in some jack fruit buying with a couple friends we had met earlier that night (pre-jacket buying). I guess Olli had never tried Jack fruit (this deliciously sweet cousin to the stinky, bulbously spiky Durian fruit) and proceeded to excitedly eat it while offering me some, and telling me that he hadn't tried any of this yet and why not!?
I politely accepted a small piece of jackfruit but told him no thanks to the rest since I was allergic to the stuff and some kind of resin in it made my mouth itch all over if I ate too much.
....5 Mins. & 3 pieces of jackfruit later Olivers mouth started to itch. Then it started to itch more, then the itch grew into his throat....
....and that's when Oliver decided that his new discovery in fruit he probably would never eat again... oh the Horror when this happnens!
Damn You Jackfruit! why must you be oh so tasty and annoying at the same time?
On an ending note: It you want to get your shoes shined in Hanoi. The moment they try and "re-sole" your shoes DONT"T let them do it! They will raise the price, or refuse to give you your shoes back. I may look cute and happy in this picture, but I sure wasnt' 5 mins later....
Let me interject with a common known fact: Oliver is German.
(We know he likes to mock me sometimes and pretend that he's Asian...
....but NO. He's German.)
He may not be the most highly organized German, but compared to me he is super perfectly on time and organized in every way. So take someone who comes from a country who is very good at efficiency and drop them anywhere in Asia, but ESPECIALLY in downtown Hanoi during 5 pm rush hour traffic and... well... you can imagine the shock he was having and the chuckles I was having even with the sudden awakening from my nap.
It's not that Olli couldn't handle it, but he found himself wish he could organize things in a different manner. Cars blocked motorbikes , motorbikes parked on streets, street vendors setting up shop on sidewalks, utterly no where to walk but in the street with the cars and traffic honking all around you. Basically if you just told people they couldn't drive in the city center except by bikes or on public transport (basically pull a London) things would be better...
....but then again who are we to tell a country what is better / more efficient for them when they are too busy having their own industrial revolution to waste time listening to us anyways? And thus... history is always doomed to repeat itself.
Moving on from my little rant to something more important: Jackets.
Whenever I find myself in Hanoi it always seems to be freezing cold (to the point where people are dying since there is no heating in Hanoi due to the fact that its usually tropical...ugh) So that is just what we did. We bought some nice, factory second NorthFace jackets. Hell, its gonna be cold in Germany, may as well get them and use them now!
After our jacket buying we then proceeding to partake in some jack fruit buying with a couple friends we had met earlier that night (pre-jacket buying). I guess Olli had never tried Jack fruit (this deliciously sweet cousin to the stinky, bulbously spiky Durian fruit) and proceeded to excitedly eat it while offering me some, and telling me that he hadn't tried any of this yet and why not!?
I politely accepted a small piece of jackfruit but told him no thanks to the rest since I was allergic to the stuff and some kind of resin in it made my mouth itch all over if I ate too much.
....5 Mins. & 3 pieces of jackfruit later Olivers mouth started to itch. Then it started to itch more, then the itch grew into his throat....
....and that's when Oliver decided that his new discovery in fruit he probably would never eat again... oh the Horror when this happnens!
Damn You Jackfruit! why must you be oh so tasty and annoying at the same time?
On an ending note: It you want to get your shoes shined in Hanoi. The moment they try and "re-sole" your shoes DONT"T let them do it! They will raise the price, or refuse to give you your shoes back. I may look cute and happy in this picture, but I sure wasnt' 5 mins later....
From Tropical and Warm to Freezing Cold! --Hanoi, Vietnam
The night before we left the island of Koh Tao we decided to head out to a party island on the main side at a club called Moov where they had flown in a couple of UK Dj's. The party and DJ's were actually quite good. After several sangsom buckets (basically a small bottle of Thai rum emptied into a bucket of Coke and a squeeze of Lime) I was dancing my tush off with a slight worry in the back of my head about sleep since basically we had booked ourselves one last dive trip to Shark Island leaving at 7:15 am. This means our schedule for the next day looks like this:
we party until past 1am,
check out of hotel by 7am,
dive until 12:30pm- eat-
catch island taxi to boat @ 2pm,
boat to mainland leaves 2:45pm
train to BKK from Chumpon leave at 8:30pm
Arrive in BKK- 6am
ugh... so I've just set myself up for little sleep for the next 2 days. Luckily my 4 years of Burning Man experience has taught me how to pull this off and still maintain some social nicities even when groggy and sleepy.
So after we left the islands and chartered a fast boat to Chumpon where we waited for the night train to take us back to Bangkok. During this time we strolled down the street with our backpacks and camped out under the tarps of local street vendor's shanty shacks of delicious "Yaam Talay" or Seafood ceviche mixed with mint, cilantro, chilli, lime, fish sauce and a couple other local herbs.
It was a most delicious meal, and perfect before we got back on the (roach infected FAN ONLY ) night train where Oliver proceeded to have dreams of roaches biting him all night.
Back to Bangkok for lunch with my Aunt, Na Jad at a Dim Sum buffet (Aunt and Oliver pictured here) an evening out with an old friend from Korea, and we were off again on another plane....
Then we arrive in a freezing cold Hanoi, Vietnam! (The land where everything is transported by motorbike....
....Like ORANGE TREES!!!
......And BAGS OF GOLD FISHES!
(orange trees and gold fishes, huh? yeah it's Tet/Chinese New Year alright!)
Oh man! A couple days before coming here we received a warning email from Oliver's Mother about the weather. Thank goodness for that email since non of us had thought to check the weather! (And I should of learned my lesson since the last time i came to Vietnam it was Feb. and just as cold if not more!)
After about an hour at the airport of getting our Visas on arrival we then headed to check-in at the Camellia 4 at the Old-Quarter of Hanoi. Wow... this place was the nicest place I had stayed in possibly during this entire trip! It by far was the nicest I had been in in Hanoi. Hell, Right now I a typing to you on a computer that came with the room w/ frree wi-fi.HOrray!
Super clean, warm puffy comforter, great service staff and funny Viet TV! Apart from the lack of heat here (as in every building in Hanoi since no one is use to this super cold weather) this place was alright. After a check in, we then headed out into the Chaos to find some hot soup, some delicious Viet-Sandwiches and to see some Water Puppet Theater in action!
I had already been to Hanoi once with my friend Wakx and thus had seen most of the important awesome sights i.e. the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (this is a must see! super awesome history museum too! It makes you LOVE Uncle Ho!) as well as the lovely Temple of Literature. So my objective for our only day in Hanoi was: TO EAT!!! When I was here before I felt that apart from random street stalls I did not specifically find local specialty dishes as much as in other parts of Vietnam, and since my main objective in travel is to eat and sample different foods (whether I may admit it or not out of shame) I felt I couldn't let my stomach down a second time in Hanoi.
...and boy the hotel staff were helpful! They gave me a map, circled places I should go to eat, and off we went on my treasure hunt of gluttony!
we party until past 1am,
check out of hotel by 7am,
dive until 12:30pm- eat-
catch island taxi to boat @ 2pm,
boat to mainland leaves 2:45pm
train to BKK from Chumpon leave at 8:30pm
Arrive in BKK- 6am
ugh... so I've just set myself up for little sleep for the next 2 days. Luckily my 4 years of Burning Man experience has taught me how to pull this off and still maintain some social nicities even when groggy and sleepy.
So after we left the islands and chartered a fast boat to Chumpon where we waited for the night train to take us back to Bangkok. During this time we strolled down the street with our backpacks and camped out under the tarps of local street vendor's shanty shacks of delicious "Yaam Talay" or Seafood ceviche mixed with mint, cilantro, chilli, lime, fish sauce and a couple other local herbs.
It was a most delicious meal, and perfect before we got back on the (roach infected FAN ONLY ) night train where Oliver proceeded to have dreams of roaches biting him all night.
Back to Bangkok for lunch with my Aunt, Na Jad at a Dim Sum buffet (Aunt and Oliver pictured here) an evening out with an old friend from Korea, and we were off again on another plane....
Then we arrive in a freezing cold Hanoi, Vietnam! (The land where everything is transported by motorbike....
....Like ORANGE TREES!!!
......And BAGS OF GOLD FISHES!
(orange trees and gold fishes, huh? yeah it's Tet/Chinese New Year alright!)
Oh man! A couple days before coming here we received a warning email from Oliver's Mother about the weather. Thank goodness for that email since non of us had thought to check the weather! (And I should of learned my lesson since the last time i came to Vietnam it was Feb. and just as cold if not more!)
After about an hour at the airport of getting our Visas on arrival we then headed to check-in at the Camellia 4 at the Old-Quarter of Hanoi. Wow... this place was the nicest place I had stayed in possibly during this entire trip! It by far was the nicest I had been in in Hanoi. Hell, Right now I a typing to you on a computer that came with the room w/ frree wi-fi.HOrray!
Super clean, warm puffy comforter, great service staff and funny Viet TV! Apart from the lack of heat here (as in every building in Hanoi since no one is use to this super cold weather) this place was alright. After a check in, we then headed out into the Chaos to find some hot soup, some delicious Viet-Sandwiches and to see some Water Puppet Theater in action!
I had already been to Hanoi once with my friend Wakx and thus had seen most of the important awesome sights i.e. the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (this is a must see! super awesome history museum too! It makes you LOVE Uncle Ho!) as well as the lovely Temple of Literature. So my objective for our only day in Hanoi was: TO EAT!!! When I was here before I felt that apart from random street stalls I did not specifically find local specialty dishes as much as in other parts of Vietnam, and since my main objective in travel is to eat and sample different foods (whether I may admit it or not out of shame) I felt I couldn't let my stomach down a second time in Hanoi.
...and boy the hotel staff were helpful! They gave me a map, circled places I should go to eat, and off we went on my treasure hunt of gluttony!
An interlude of Useful Tips:
We momentarily interrupt this Blog to bring you the following useful information:
Random USEFUL Tips when travelling through Thailand and SE Asia:
-Always Haggle!
....Most of you know this by now, but whenever bargaining for most things is the rule of thumb in SE Asia. While in Thailand you can only know $1-$2 bucks off your items (due to the long history of tourism and increasing popularity in having something more near "fixed" pricing) however in Bali make sure to haggle your socks off since prices are jaw-droppingly as high as 6 times the price you should be paying.
Example: Laquerware bowls, set of 3: starting Price: 650,000 IRH post-haggle "morning*" price (what we paid): 100,000.
Vietnam is somewhere in between. Since Vietnamese tend to come off as less smiley and can been percieved as more rude and unwavering you just need to stand your haggling ground. Vietnamese have the best poker-faces throughout all the country's I've been in around here, but when shopping if you have a haggling objective, try and stand your ground. You can always walk away and come back later if need be.
-The Morning Price: Buy you Shit in the Morning!
....ok, so we here in Asia believe that the first sale of the morning is lucky, and are quick to make the first buck, regardless of what kind of massive discount they give. After the first sale of the morning is made the money of the first sale is commonly useds as a charm which the shop-owner then taps on all his merchandise for a "lucky" day. Some store owners simply tap their cash register. If you watch you'll see it, and if you listen you'll hear it, (i.e. Bali) "Hello Hello! You come look. I give you morning price! Special Price! Look here!"
No ladies and gentleman they aren't shitting you... they really are out to give you a good deal... but only if you are the first.
Shop owners can get aggressive to make the first sale (with you and with other competeing shop owners) but don't worry, before you head into the market remember to have a mental list prepared of what you would like to buy, don't get side tracked by all the other amazing deals of junk people will throw at you.
Remember: the most important rule of shopping/haggling in SE Asia (particularly in Bali or in the morning) is to act not interested, as if you could just walk away and not look back...that is the best poker face. Realistically- you can just walk away, since most likely there is the same crap at the next three stalls down idetical to the thing you were looking at.
-Buy the Beer in Advance
For most outdoor shows, or train rides you should by the beer in advance. usually there is a cute old man or lady selling beer out of a bucket near an entrance to an outdoor performance. When boarding a night or day train get the beer at the train station. While you cannot drink it in the party car (read below) you can drink it in your seat and it usually costs 2x the price in the train while moving.
-Train it always at night- 2nd class-bottom bunk (with Air Con, but beware the cold!)
So the great part about sleeper trains is that they are seats in which beds fold out of. If you get the bottom bunk its actually more spacious w/ headroom and there is more privacy/darkness with the aisle curtains.
The problem with 2nd class sleepers is the Air-Con is always so "fuck me I'm in Antarctica" cold! So one time Olli and I opted for 2nd class sleepers w/ fan only. DOn't Do it unless you like sleeping with Cockroaches! Unfortunately 2nd class w/ fan doens't mean "yay it's warmer" sadly it mean "hi, I'm the older, shittier car before air con was installed and because I'm older, shittier and warmer I come with roaches!"
....yeah... so my advice: pack 2 sweaters, wear layers, book the bottom bunk (at least 3+ days ahead) and get the Air-Con Roach-free Freezer train.
-Always insist- Meter ON!
From Bangkok to Bali to Hanoi, Taxi's like to scam you. They try every trick in the book. When you get in, insist meter on, right away. if they don't get the fuck out of the cab. Any decent travel book will expound on this so I don't need to.
-Night Bus from Islands= Theft Central
So I really prefer the night train to the night bus since you can lay all the way down in the train, while the bus's reclining seats give my knees horrible aches. (NOTE: All buses around Thailand are faster than the train by several hours or more, I prefer the slow train regardless.)
The only time I have ever been robbed in all of my travels has been in Thailand one night bus coming back from the islands of Thailand to Bangkok. I "stupidly" left my snap camera and $50 USD in my large backpack which was under the bus. During the night, while the bus is moving someone hides inside the undercarriage of the tour bus and seaches for hours through peoples bags. Since they have so much time they can search carefully and repack things the way they were. The company I took when I was robbed was "LOMPRAYAH" which unfortunately is the company which runs the fastest Catamaran boats to Koh Tao. (ugh, you just can't win.)
-Fast Boats to Islands: BOOK AHEAD!
Boats heading to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand get booked up fast. As I said before the fastest way to get to Koh Tao is by booking with LOMPRAYAH (aka, theft night bus central)
it'll only take 90 mins from Chumpon to Koh Tao, but I don't recommend them for busing back due to theft reasons.
-try for Motorbike insurance ...because they will screw you in the ass!
Most motorbike rental places throughout Thailand have insurance policies. GET THEM GET THEM GET THEM! I can't stress this enough, since if you wreck or even scratch the bike you will be paying upwards of 15,000 baht and they will hold your passport from you until you fork up the dough (whether they even repair the bike or not- usually they pocket the money and never really repair minor-moderate cosmetic damage.)
-The party Car= Fun Times!
I've raved about the train travel a bit so far, but what makes it extra special is the PARTY CAR! The food cars on most Thai trains are open until 10 pm, come with a friend staff, swinging blinky christmas light decorations and blaring loud Esarn/Thai music (ala synth Keyboard) they are quirky, kitschy and really fun to have at least one over-priced beer in. Make sure you go!, but make sure to bring your valuables with you.
....And that does it for this addition of Mellington's travels tips through SE Asia and Thailand. We now return you to your regularly broadcasted blog postings.
*Thank you, and Goodnight*
*Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*
Random USEFUL Tips when travelling through Thailand and SE Asia:
-Always Haggle!
....Most of you know this by now, but whenever bargaining for most things is the rule of thumb in SE Asia. While in Thailand you can only know $1-$2 bucks off your items (due to the long history of tourism and increasing popularity in having something more near "fixed" pricing) however in Bali make sure to haggle your socks off since prices are jaw-droppingly as high as 6 times the price you should be paying.
Example: Laquerware bowls, set of 3: starting Price: 650,000 IRH post-haggle "morning*" price (what we paid): 100,000.
Vietnam is somewhere in between. Since Vietnamese tend to come off as less smiley and can been percieved as more rude and unwavering you just need to stand your haggling ground. Vietnamese have the best poker-faces throughout all the country's I've been in around here, but when shopping if you have a haggling objective, try and stand your ground. You can always walk away and come back later if need be.
-The Morning Price: Buy you Shit in the Morning!
....ok, so we here in Asia believe that the first sale of the morning is lucky, and are quick to make the first buck, regardless of what kind of massive discount they give. After the first sale of the morning is made the money of the first sale is commonly useds as a charm which the shop-owner then taps on all his merchandise for a "lucky" day. Some store owners simply tap their cash register. If you watch you'll see it, and if you listen you'll hear it, (i.e. Bali) "Hello Hello! You come look. I give you morning price! Special Price! Look here!"
No ladies and gentleman they aren't shitting you... they really are out to give you a good deal... but only if you are the first.
Shop owners can get aggressive to make the first sale (with you and with other competeing shop owners) but don't worry, before you head into the market remember to have a mental list prepared of what you would like to buy, don't get side tracked by all the other amazing deals of junk people will throw at you.
Remember: the most important rule of shopping/haggling in SE Asia (particularly in Bali or in the morning) is to act not interested, as if you could just walk away and not look back...that is the best poker face. Realistically- you can just walk away, since most likely there is the same crap at the next three stalls down idetical to the thing you were looking at.
-Buy the Beer in Advance
For most outdoor shows, or train rides you should by the beer in advance. usually there is a cute old man or lady selling beer out of a bucket near an entrance to an outdoor performance. When boarding a night or day train get the beer at the train station. While you cannot drink it in the party car (read below) you can drink it in your seat and it usually costs 2x the price in the train while moving.
-Train it always at night- 2nd class-bottom bunk (with Air Con, but beware the cold!)
So the great part about sleeper trains is that they are seats in which beds fold out of. If you get the bottom bunk its actually more spacious w/ headroom and there is more privacy/darkness with the aisle curtains.
The problem with 2nd class sleepers is the Air-Con is always so "fuck me I'm in Antarctica" cold! So one time Olli and I opted for 2nd class sleepers w/ fan only. DOn't Do it unless you like sleeping with Cockroaches! Unfortunately 2nd class w/ fan doens't mean "yay it's warmer" sadly it mean "hi, I'm the older, shittier car before air con was installed and because I'm older, shittier and warmer I come with roaches!"
....yeah... so my advice: pack 2 sweaters, wear layers, book the bottom bunk (at least 3+ days ahead) and get the Air-Con Roach-free Freezer train.
-Always insist- Meter ON!
From Bangkok to Bali to Hanoi, Taxi's like to scam you. They try every trick in the book. When you get in, insist meter on, right away. if they don't get the fuck out of the cab. Any decent travel book will expound on this so I don't need to.
-Night Bus from Islands= Theft Central
So I really prefer the night train to the night bus since you can lay all the way down in the train, while the bus's reclining seats give my knees horrible aches. (NOTE: All buses around Thailand are faster than the train by several hours or more, I prefer the slow train regardless.)
The only time I have ever been robbed in all of my travels has been in Thailand one night bus coming back from the islands of Thailand to Bangkok. I "stupidly" left my snap camera and $50 USD in my large backpack which was under the bus. During the night, while the bus is moving someone hides inside the undercarriage of the tour bus and seaches for hours through peoples bags. Since they have so much time they can search carefully and repack things the way they were. The company I took when I was robbed was "LOMPRAYAH" which unfortunately is the company which runs the fastest Catamaran boats to Koh Tao. (ugh, you just can't win.)
-Fast Boats to Islands: BOOK AHEAD!
Boats heading to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand get booked up fast. As I said before the fastest way to get to Koh Tao is by booking with LOMPRAYAH (aka, theft night bus central)
it'll only take 90 mins from Chumpon to Koh Tao, but I don't recommend them for busing back due to theft reasons.
-try for Motorbike insurance ...because they will screw you in the ass!
Most motorbike rental places throughout Thailand have insurance policies. GET THEM GET THEM GET THEM! I can't stress this enough, since if you wreck or even scratch the bike you will be paying upwards of 15,000 baht and they will hold your passport from you until you fork up the dough (whether they even repair the bike or not- usually they pocket the money and never really repair minor-moderate cosmetic damage.)
-The party Car= Fun Times!
I've raved about the train travel a bit so far, but what makes it extra special is the PARTY CAR! The food cars on most Thai trains are open until 10 pm, come with a friend staff, swinging blinky christmas light decorations and blaring loud Esarn/Thai music (ala synth Keyboard) they are quirky, kitschy and really fun to have at least one over-priced beer in. Make sure you go!, but make sure to bring your valuables with you.
....And that does it for this addition of Mellington's travels tips through SE Asia and Thailand. We now return you to your regularly broadcasted blog postings.
*Thank you, and Goodnight*
*Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep*
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Traveller´s Final Epiphany
So we’ve been on the road for a while now and I am starting to daydream about what has become the most exciting part about this whole adventure: looking for apartments.
Please note that as I type these words we are on a cruise floating through the towering Limestone islands of Halong Bay in Northern Vietnam. I had always wanted to come to this Unesco world Heritage site since I had seen pictures 4 years ago, and I find myself a little surprised that now that I’m here staring at these salt, rocky sentinals floating in misty beauty that I long for choosing curtains and new fluffy pillows.
Perhaps we’ve been on the road too long? No! that’s ridiculous! I use to love the idea of traveling for months at a time, being a nomad, wandering throughout the world with no address… this idea was not only challenging and exciting, but freeing as well. However on this trip I find myself being content at more creature comforts (Koh Tao with nothing to do but beach, BBQ and volleyball watching) than exciting and uncomfortable places (the mosquito-filled $12 a night homestay in Ubud). I have noticed though that when my excitement for life has peaked it has been at times when freedom tugs at us and we do not know what to expect around the corner (our protest at guided tours and how we left our things and took off on a pink motorbike around Bali winding down long pot-hole filled roads through hidden cloud forests and caldera vistas.)
As Oliver and I walked through the massive expanse of a giant saltwater soaked limestone cave yesterday we talked about this. “You know Olli. I’ve seen a lot of caves in my life…”
“What are you saying, Mel? That this cave isn’t a good cave on your quality level of caves?” he chuckles at me.
“No, its not that… what I mean is, I’ve seen a lot of caves, and this cave is pretty spectacular. The main cabin is as large as one of the main caverns in Carlsbad. However, I don’t feel excited at being here.”
How awful really, I thought to myself. We are traveling through such amazing places and for some concerning reason I don’t seem to be filled with that bottomless well of wonderment any longer. As we talked, I also brought up that maybe I was traveling with someone who has less excited at these sites around us and maybe that possibly influenced me …
(Oliver, while enjoying this trip is basically fine in whatever we do. He is Mr. Neutral. From the outside this can look like apathy or boredom since the kind of perfect holiday Oliver likes is where he is being challenged somehow, being challenged physically is preferable. So when we have to sit for long hours on boats trains or planes to see/do anything it can be taxing on the poor guy since he’d rather park his butt on a beach in one place for 2 weeks and do nothing but wind-surf, swim and snorkel. He’s a darling to let me drag him around to all these historical foodie-based places in the first place! I particularly happy most of the time that he has no strong opinion and is happy with my planning since it means there are no arguments usually about what sites to see.)
…I disregard that Oliver’s disposition is influencing my lack of excitement since I am grateful for his company and moderate levels of interest. Besides, I don’t think an introverted calm travel partner could really get in the way of my Hypomanic excitement at new things, or funny things. Hell! I’m always still talking a mile a min. and pointing out all the craziness around me, “Oh wow, look fishes on a motorcycle! And look a motorcycle carrying a giant orange tree. Oh hey, piggies! Yummy pho stands…. oooooooOOOOO I want a Viet Sandwich! I can’t wait! Oh Boy oh Boy oh Boy!!!! ….yes THAT is what I sounds like when I’m going from the Hanoi airport to the hotel. I sounds like some crazy girl with an altered case of Turrets Syndrome. I’m glad he thinks I’m cute and not crazy.
Post Turrets tangent what I’m trying to say is that I think that not only is this move to Germany and this adventure with this crazy Scientist man a new chapter in my life, but I think it ends the period where I feel that running around the world is my top romantic priority. I use to feel that there was nothing better than the excitement of hitchhiking on the open road, and telling people I had no home when they asked where I was from. Now all I seem to want is home, and its kinda startling. If my 20 yr old self could see me if wouldn’t believe it. I guess I could of seen it coming when my Thai cousin asked me 2 year ago, “Mel, you’ve been to so many places, where do you want to travel next?”
“I want to find home.” I replied. “…and maybe see Jeruselum before I die.”
Yup. Home and maybe Jeruselum. That’s a pretty modest serving of life for someone who has only demanded tall orders most of her life.
I guess I call this train of thought “The Traveller’s Final Ephiphany” since once you realize this deep longing for home, you are no longer interested in “traveling” ….only “visiting” since visiting a place implies you have somewhere else you would be.
The ships steward has now told me it’s time for our last lunch. I wave goodbye to the shadowy giants of Halong Bay and continue to dream of curtain colors.
Please note that as I type these words we are on a cruise floating through the towering Limestone islands of Halong Bay in Northern Vietnam. I had always wanted to come to this Unesco world Heritage site since I had seen pictures 4 years ago, and I find myself a little surprised that now that I’m here staring at these salt, rocky sentinals floating in misty beauty that I long for choosing curtains and new fluffy pillows.
Perhaps we’ve been on the road too long? No! that’s ridiculous! I use to love the idea of traveling for months at a time, being a nomad, wandering throughout the world with no address… this idea was not only challenging and exciting, but freeing as well. However on this trip I find myself being content at more creature comforts (Koh Tao with nothing to do but beach, BBQ and volleyball watching) than exciting and uncomfortable places (the mosquito-filled $12 a night homestay in Ubud). I have noticed though that when my excitement for life has peaked it has been at times when freedom tugs at us and we do not know what to expect around the corner (our protest at guided tours and how we left our things and took off on a pink motorbike around Bali winding down long pot-hole filled roads through hidden cloud forests and caldera vistas.)
As Oliver and I walked through the massive expanse of a giant saltwater soaked limestone cave yesterday we talked about this. “You know Olli. I’ve seen a lot of caves in my life…”
“What are you saying, Mel? That this cave isn’t a good cave on your quality level of caves?” he chuckles at me.
“No, its not that… what I mean is, I’ve seen a lot of caves, and this cave is pretty spectacular. The main cabin is as large as one of the main caverns in Carlsbad. However, I don’t feel excited at being here.”
How awful really, I thought to myself. We are traveling through such amazing places and for some concerning reason I don’t seem to be filled with that bottomless well of wonderment any longer. As we talked, I also brought up that maybe I was traveling with someone who has less excited at these sites around us and maybe that possibly influenced me …
(Oliver, while enjoying this trip is basically fine in whatever we do. He is Mr. Neutral. From the outside this can look like apathy or boredom since the kind of perfect holiday Oliver likes is where he is being challenged somehow, being challenged physically is preferable. So when we have to sit for long hours on boats trains or planes to see/do anything it can be taxing on the poor guy since he’d rather park his butt on a beach in one place for 2 weeks and do nothing but wind-surf, swim and snorkel. He’s a darling to let me drag him around to all these historical foodie-based places in the first place! I particularly happy most of the time that he has no strong opinion and is happy with my planning since it means there are no arguments usually about what sites to see.)
…I disregard that Oliver’s disposition is influencing my lack of excitement since I am grateful for his company and moderate levels of interest. Besides, I don’t think an introverted calm travel partner could really get in the way of my Hypomanic excitement at new things, or funny things. Hell! I’m always still talking a mile a min. and pointing out all the craziness around me, “Oh wow, look fishes on a motorcycle! And look a motorcycle carrying a giant orange tree. Oh hey, piggies! Yummy pho stands…. oooooooOOOOO I want a Viet Sandwich! I can’t wait! Oh Boy oh Boy oh Boy!!!! ….yes THAT is what I sounds like when I’m going from the Hanoi airport to the hotel. I sounds like some crazy girl with an altered case of Turrets Syndrome. I’m glad he thinks I’m cute and not crazy.
Post Turrets tangent what I’m trying to say is that I think that not only is this move to Germany and this adventure with this crazy Scientist man a new chapter in my life, but I think it ends the period where I feel that running around the world is my top romantic priority. I use to feel that there was nothing better than the excitement of hitchhiking on the open road, and telling people I had no home when they asked where I was from. Now all I seem to want is home, and its kinda startling. If my 20 yr old self could see me if wouldn’t believe it. I guess I could of seen it coming when my Thai cousin asked me 2 year ago, “Mel, you’ve been to so many places, where do you want to travel next?”
“I want to find home.” I replied. “…and maybe see Jeruselum before I die.”
Yup. Home and maybe Jeruselum. That’s a pretty modest serving of life for someone who has only demanded tall orders most of her life.
I guess I call this train of thought “The Traveller’s Final Ephiphany” since once you realize this deep longing for home, you are no longer interested in “traveling” ….only “visiting” since visiting a place implies you have somewhere else you would be.
The ships steward has now told me it’s time for our last lunch. I wave goodbye to the shadowy giants of Halong Bay and continue to dream of curtain colors.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Sapphire Beaches and Raspberry Sunsets!
We are already on a lovely island with nice beaches, but there is always something better around the corner.... like another island!
So we made some friends! Kandis from BC, Cananda and Ella from Sweden!
Then we charmed them into hiring a boat with us for transport out to Koh Nang Yuan (Koh means Island in Thai, i.e. Koh Tao)
Koh Nang Yuan is a stunning island with clear bright blue water and a wonderous white sand triple beach which is created by a really confusing mildly low tide. It's a private beach where the Thai government heavily restricts over-development, this making it pricy to get to and pricy to be on. There are no water bottles allowed on the island and there is only one bar on the entire beach. A bit overpriced, but man they make the best strawberry-banana smoothie I have ever had!
Here is an pic. I took off the web which truly captures this beaches awesomeness:
And so we spent the day lying on the beach, walking along the beach, playing more chess and doing some snorkelling. At a certain point when low tide is happening and the beach strips are starting to appear, the current is actually quite strong and people get pulled out to see.
This happened to a larger, older man and Olli ended up running into the water to save him and explain to him how to swim back to shore. I beamed with adoration from the shore, the type damsels have when their hero has slain a dragon or something... lol...
When Oliver came back to the shore I joked with him about how he was a life saver, he replied, "well, I'm with 3 hot women on a beach, of course I have to save him!" hehe... regardless he would've of course.
...and then we went snorkelling!
And what is better than snorkelling with attractive friends? Snorkelling with attractive friends and suddenly happening upon a floating piece of watermelon near a dive boat!
Fact 1: There are fuck loads of fishies (that are NOT shy) all around Koh Nang Yuan.
Fact 2: They LOVE Watermelon! (almost to the point that they will chew through you for it!
After a long day of snorkelling and sandy beaches and watermelon-eating fishies we headed back to the main island and up the the hilltop "High" Bar for a relaxing beer, smoke and a breath-taking raspberry sunset.
I love this place....
Chess and Diving: Lazy days on Koh-Tao, Thailand.
Upon returning to Thailand we headed south on the night train to Chumpon and then the 7 am 3 hr boat ride to Koh-Tao.
Okay... so the boat ride is the hardest part about this trip since they pack you on the boat like sardines, and if the seas are even mildly rough, everyone gets sick.
There were some people drinking loads of beer getting on the boat at 7am. They were yelling and singing and gluping down booze. After we started to move, they got really quiet and turned quite pale.
Our days in Koh Tao have been super relaxing. There is not really too much to write about here accept that the time seems to pass by quickly when one is doing nothing but sleeping, eating, lying on the beach, dving, and snorkelling...
....oh yes, and chess playing... lots of chess. Yes. We have actually be backpacking around with a chess board! Oliver loves games, and even though I hate losing to him (constantly) I will at times begrudgingly play... it was part of the contract after all.
Here in Koh Tao when I lie on the small strip of beach (high tide) near our guest house, the Tropicana this is what I see....
...and this is what I see when I look to my right. Oh Yeah! Sexy!!!
That said, there is not really much to do in Koh Tao apart from just this. The next island over, Koh Pang Ngan is the crazy party island where the full moon parties happen. Tonight just happens to be the night of the full moon in Jan. and after a couple days of pondering "do we go to the next island to party?" we have decided- NO.
We've been to Burning Man numerous times and know how to stay away for multiple days and ingest all sort of manners of craziness, but that's not this trip. Besides from what I hear the day after the full moon party it looks like a bomb exploded on the island and the beach is littered with broken bottles, beers cans, and random bodies of salty, exhausted tourists sleeping. yeah... I don't know if I want to contribute to it this time... Koh Tao will be extra quiet tonight since most people will be off this island and onto the other one.
We are currently staying in the quiet and lovely Bay of Chalok Baan in the southern part of the island. Here is a view of the bay:
Yesterday we rented some snorkelling gear and swam to the next bay over, Shark Bay.
Oh man, that was a bit of a swim!
We were on a mission to see reef sharks, but after our ~2 km swim with a mild current coming around the point (it basically felt like we were swimming in one place forever) and no sharks coming to greet us I decided to catch my breath on the bay before walking overland back to our bay.
Luckily Oliver had strapped 2 weights and a liter of water to himself using a piece of old rope, so we had some water to drink on our walk back!
After a nice BBQ dinner of grilled squid, kings prawns, lobster, veggies and chicken satay (all for $14 at most!) We walked along the darkened beach while the moonlight lit the emptied bay during this starry low tide. Our favorite bar, The Babaloo Bar was one along the Southwestern edge of the bay full of fish in microwaves, fishes in beerc coolers, black light painted nooks, and lanter lit hammocks along the beach! If you ever go here be sure to order the Thai-pirinia. Also be sure to NEVER order the Pina Colada.
...oh and watch out when you get a beer! the fishies bite!
The swim left me exhausted and after the squid, the drinks and the sway of the hammock I slept quite well that night.
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