Jan 12
Pla Pak Noi is Caitlyn's second school and is a much different atmosphere. The teachers were incredibly welcoming at Pla Pak Noi and the set up was pretty much the same in terms of her schedule. The children were very curious at this school and seemed much more comfortable asking questions (perhaps because the class size is smaller). One young girl seemed to really take a liking to me and was asking Caitlyn to ask me if I had a boyfriend. Caitlyn told her she needed to ask me that question, so she did and I said no and she ran off outside and yelled down the answer to all of her friends below, haha! She then came right back to ask me how old I was and ran and told everyone I was 24, it must have been exciting information :)
We had lunch at noon and the teachers made an extravagant feast, I guess it is commonplace at Pla Pak Noi, and in Thai culture it is seen as a status thing to have much too much food at the end of a meal. Caitlyn counted and there were 21 plates of food for the 6 of us eating! I got to try Som Tom (Spicy Papaya salad), fried chicken wings, a garlic and pork omelet, sticky rice, and sweet banana soup. It was all delicious (sap!) but so filling!
PiTook, who sometimes stays in the classroom while Caitlyn instructs seemed to get on Caitlyn's nerves a bit today, which was entirely understandable to me! She kept interrupting her in the middle of her sentences to tell the students to repeat of to say the English words herself, maybe thinking the kids would understand better with a Thai accent or perhaps just for her own practice! I absolutely know she had no clue it might be disruptive for Caitlyn but it was still difficult. After school we went over to see the gardens that the students tend to at Pla Pak Noi. Each grade has their own plot and they plant herbs and vegetables to use for the lunch meals.
When we got in the car to head home PiTook had many questions for me including how much my car cost and if my family owned a plane! I thought it was quite humorous :) They expect that everyone from the US is very wealthy from the TV they see. She didn't seem to understand why Caitlyn and I found the question so funny! Once we got home I was standing outside and the neighbor's daughter who is a nurse in Nakhon Phanom asked me to come over, so I did. She asked me if I would get on her motorbike and I said noooo way since they scare me here in Thailand (well also in the states) and so she insisted I jump on the back of her bicycle. I had no idea where we were going since neither of us spoke more than a couple words of the opposite language. She took me to the village center markets and bought us a bunch of sweets. She wanted to buy more, dinner food, but I told her that was not necessary since we had stuff at home already.
After the little adventure we had dinner and one of Steph's co-workers , Thon, the chemistry teacher ate with us. I felt kinda bad because he seemed very envious that I was heading to the islands after Chiang Mai and he has never been there. He lives about 20 hours away so that makes it hard and I guess I have not ever seen Boston and would love to so maybe I shouldn't feel too bad!
Jan 13
Last day in Pla Pak! It was quite sad after just meeting all these wonderful people having to say goodbye already. School was nice in the morning since their was a visitor so everyone was all geeked up to make sure it went well for him. Since we were leaving for Chiang Mai after lunch they moved all of Caitlyn's classes to the morning. She had fun activities planed so that was nice :) We grabbed the lunch they provided and got all our stuff together and waiting for Caitlyn's principal to come get us to take us to NKP. He helped us negotiate the purchasing of the tickets which was a challenge since it was not straight to Chiang Mai, we had to stop in Udon Thani on the way.
After buying the tickets we went to find a pharmacy in town to purchase some Dramamine for the bus ride. It was difficult to find (the 4th pharmacy had it) and then we waited for the bus to arrive. The bus was a bit smaller since the trip was shorter. The bus in Udon Thani was AWFUL. We both slept with fabric over our faces so we didn't breathe in the fumes being blown into the bus and I kept getting whiffs of the toilet smells, yuck!
We made it to Chiang Mai after a mid-night stop (Caitlyn ate the provided rice soup and veggies, but I couldn't handle the thought at the time). Once we got off the bus we had to find a taxi or bus to find the SpicyThai Backpacker hostel. We ended up overpaying (150 Baht when we could have gotten there for 20B on the bus that wasn't running at the time) but we made it safe and sound and the hostel is going to be fun and interesting I can tell already :)
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Monk Arrival
Day 3 Pla Pak
Today was the coolest I have had since arriving in Thailand. We got up just before dawn this morning to get ready for school and head to the ceremony in town happening before the school day starts. One hundred and eleven Buddhist Monks came to Pla Pak today to take Merit from the community members (food is given from the community to the temples since money is not spend on feeding them but provided by the people). The typical offerings range from rice and vegetables to juice boxes, candy bars, and milk. We brought packaged noodles (like ramen) and fresh fruit to offer. We placed in all on a tray once we made it to the center of the village and went and sat at the spot they asked us to in the middle of the road where they had lain yards upon yards of cloth and plastic mats along the street. We sat on the ground with our feet behind us since in Thai culture it is rude to show the bottom of your feet to people and extremely disrespectful to point your foot at someone. Needless to say this position got extremely uncomfortable, but every Thai person seemed just fine so I tried to grin and bear it!
The ceremony began just after dawn. Prayers, ceremonial chants and speeches were performed and then the monks began their journey down the lain out path of village people with their offerings in front of them. With the passing of each monk we handed one or two items to each monk and they placed it in a bowl or canister they were carrying and once it was filled they transferred the goods into large plastic bags to take back to their Wat. I had to make sure I was doing a proper Wai (hands up in front like a bow) since with Monks the Wai is held in front of your face instead of at your chest.
Caitlyn and I had to rush out at the completion of the ceremony to meet Khru Kim to drive us over to Wang Yang - Caitlyn's first school. School began at 8:30 for the students and they do prayers, country pledges, and role call as well as cleaning before class begins at 9am. Caitlyn teaches grades 5, 6 and a combined class of 3rd and 4th graders each week at Wang Yang. The children are amazingly well behaved and respectful, it was quite a change from what I know in the states and very refreshing to experience!
Her first class was the 6th graders and they seemed genuinely interested in learning English and inquisitive in their own way. Caitlyn does quite well with them! I know I would struggle with the situation knowing that if I also spoke their language it would be so much more efficient, yet almost no one hear speaks any English and NO ONE is fluent. Its especially difficult since in Pla Pak they use Isan dialect which is almost an entirely different way to speak Thai so even a trained English teacher fluent in Thai would struggle in Pla Pak.
Between each class Caitlyn gets a one hour break to prepare and a one hour lunch break. Her classes are quite small (12-15 on average and one larger class with about 25). At lunch I received my Thai nickname, Bai Bua, which means Lotus leaf :) Cailtlyn's name is Bai Khao which stands for rice leaf and Steph is Pla Noi meaning small fish! The whole idea is very sweet and is just much easier for the Thai people to say and remember. It spread quickly that Bai Bua was my name and the children in the subsequent classes and days knew within minutes!
The craziest part of the day was really realizing how hard it is for these students to pronounce English words and sounds. They exchange their R's with L's since that is the sound in Thai and when you say the name for the letter H and ask them what it is they get it confused with the letter X because when they pronounce each they sound very similar. Some get it much better than others and I am sure, as in the States, much of that is influenced by family interactions.
After the day at Wang Yang we went over to the town Aerobic dance class and got a quick workout! It was a really relaxing and funny way to wind down after a very eventful day. They played some pretty riske music and it reminded me of aerobics in the 90s! We got back to the house and PiYok had gotten us some rice with chicken (well mainly chicken fat) and some veggies. Then Caitlyn and I rode into town on our bikes (somehow we miraculously had 3 bikes when we woke up this morning - I told you they are taking care of me!) and fulfilled our sweet tooth with an ice cream bar. Its not very usual to go out of the house after dark in Pla Pak so we got a few funny looks, but its definitely safe to do so.
Today was the coolest I have had since arriving in Thailand. We got up just before dawn this morning to get ready for school and head to the ceremony in town happening before the school day starts. One hundred and eleven Buddhist Monks came to Pla Pak today to take Merit from the community members (food is given from the community to the temples since money is not spend on feeding them but provided by the people). The typical offerings range from rice and vegetables to juice boxes, candy bars, and milk. We brought packaged noodles (like ramen) and fresh fruit to offer. We placed in all on a tray once we made it to the center of the village and went and sat at the spot they asked us to in the middle of the road where they had lain yards upon yards of cloth and plastic mats along the street. We sat on the ground with our feet behind us since in Thai culture it is rude to show the bottom of your feet to people and extremely disrespectful to point your foot at someone. Needless to say this position got extremely uncomfortable, but every Thai person seemed just fine so I tried to grin and bear it!
The ceremony began just after dawn. Prayers, ceremonial chants and speeches were performed and then the monks began their journey down the lain out path of village people with their offerings in front of them. With the passing of each monk we handed one or two items to each monk and they placed it in a bowl or canister they were carrying and once it was filled they transferred the goods into large plastic bags to take back to their Wat. I had to make sure I was doing a proper Wai (hands up in front like a bow) since with Monks the Wai is held in front of your face instead of at your chest.
Caitlyn and I had to rush out at the completion of the ceremony to meet Khru Kim to drive us over to Wang Yang - Caitlyn's first school. School began at 8:30 for the students and they do prayers, country pledges, and role call as well as cleaning before class begins at 9am. Caitlyn teaches grades 5, 6 and a combined class of 3rd and 4th graders each week at Wang Yang. The children are amazingly well behaved and respectful, it was quite a change from what I know in the states and very refreshing to experience!
Her first class was the 6th graders and they seemed genuinely interested in learning English and inquisitive in their own way. Caitlyn does quite well with them! I know I would struggle with the situation knowing that if I also spoke their language it would be so much more efficient, yet almost no one hear speaks any English and NO ONE is fluent. Its especially difficult since in Pla Pak they use Isan dialect which is almost an entirely different way to speak Thai so even a trained English teacher fluent in Thai would struggle in Pla Pak.
Between each class Caitlyn gets a one hour break to prepare and a one hour lunch break. Her classes are quite small (12-15 on average and one larger class with about 25). At lunch I received my Thai nickname, Bai Bua, which means Lotus leaf :) Cailtlyn's name is Bai Khao which stands for rice leaf and Steph is Pla Noi meaning small fish! The whole idea is very sweet and is just much easier for the Thai people to say and remember. It spread quickly that Bai Bua was my name and the children in the subsequent classes and days knew within minutes!
The craziest part of the day was really realizing how hard it is for these students to pronounce English words and sounds. They exchange their R's with L's since that is the sound in Thai and when you say the name for the letter H and ask them what it is they get it confused with the letter X because when they pronounce each they sound very similar. Some get it much better than others and I am sure, as in the States, much of that is influenced by family interactions.
After the day at Wang Yang we went over to the town Aerobic dance class and got a quick workout! It was a really relaxing and funny way to wind down after a very eventful day. They played some pretty riske music and it reminded me of aerobics in the 90s! We got back to the house and PiYok had gotten us some rice with chicken (well mainly chicken fat) and some veggies. Then Caitlyn and I rode into town on our bikes (somehow we miraculously had 3 bikes when we woke up this morning - I told you they are taking care of me!) and fulfilled our sweet tooth with an ice cream bar. Its not very usual to go out of the house after dark in Pla Pak so we got a few funny looks, but its definitely safe to do so.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Pla Pak - Caitlyn's Village
I made it into Nakhon Phanom after an extremely long and awful busride as I mentioned before and got to give Caitlyn a big hug which I am sure many people in her life are pretty jealous of right now! She looked just great and it seems as though Thailand is treating her extraordinarily well. One of Caitlyn's principals and her Thai mom (PiTook) and Thai dad (Khru Kim) met us at the Nakhon Phanom bus station and took us out to lunch (we picked Caitlyn's roommate Steph up from town on the way). It was the first time I really had to eat what was put in front of me and we had breakfast sandwiches with shredded sweet meat and eggs, spicy pork sandwiches, grilled spicy pork, fried eggs and tomatoes and cucumbers. I ate a little of each of it! Once we finished breakfast we toured around the town a bit and got to see the mountains of Laos from the border and we drove past the construction of 'Friendship Bridge #2' between Laos and Thailand. The 3 Thai people from Caitlyn's town with us were incredibly sweet and wanted to make sure we had everything we needed and were in want for nothing, and that is how I experienced my entire time in Pla Pak.
Nakhon Phanom is the bigger city (20,000) of which Caitlyn's town (Pla Pak) is connected. It took about 40 minutes to drive back to Pla Pak and we got dropped off at Caitlyn and Steph's home and I got to see the way they have lived for the last 2 months and will be living for the next 9! It was very simple and took a bit to get used to, but once you get over being barefoot in the bathroom and then in the kitchen and sleeping on either a very hard mattress or the floor, its just wonderful. We got to take out the bicycles and explore Pla Pak and the market nature of Thailand in the small villages. Everyone was staring as we rode through since they are still not even used to seeing one white person everyday let alone 2 together. We even rode over to one of Caitlyn's schools to check that out for a bit (which even she had not done before) and got to meet a few of her students. The weather was hot but not as humid and it was a beautiful day.
We met up with Steph for lunch in Pla Pak and had Mamaa (sp; Thai soup with beef, cabbage, bean sprout, rice noodles, and fish balls). I did my best with it (meaning I ate the veggies, noodles and broth with a couple bites of beef) and we were off. We stopped to get an ice slushy on the way back and then got settled into the house, read and chatted outside for a bit and then had dinner, relaxed and hit the hay since the morning had been so early and I was exhausted after the bus ride.
Day 2
Sundays in Caitlyn's village are very quite. There was almost no one around! The shops were still open since Sunday is not a religious staple in Buddhism so we went and explored all the village markets and what they were selling. It was quite fun! One interesting, and sad, aspect was that all the lotions here have whitening agents in them since whiteness is still seem as the ideal for beauty. Caitlyn says she gets often, as I did on a few occasions, the Thai people telling her how beautiful she is because of her white skin. We were told we looked like babydolls (we both have blue and green eyes so that only adds to the difference). The women ride around on their bicycles with parasols to protect their skin from tan. It is seen as a status symbol because if you are whiter that means you aren't having to work out in the fields or in the sun, indicating wealth.
After exploring town some more we met up with Steph again for lunch and more Mamaa, but this time it was the seafood version and had ramen type noodles inside. Since the lifestyle is just so simple here we are doing a lot of reading and reminiscing and catching up :) There was a lot of commotion towards the end of the day since the community was setting up for a big event for the morning. Because of this, PiYok, Caitlyn's older Thai roommate brought over dinner for us (she will often cook for the girls). We had pork fried rice, corn on the cob, and cucumbers and it was delicious. We also cut up some dragonfruit and enjoyed that alongside the meal. We have been struggling some with the neighborhood dog, Cha Dom, because when he plays he nips and we are not good at stopping him!
Nakhon Phanom is the bigger city (20,000) of which Caitlyn's town (Pla Pak) is connected. It took about 40 minutes to drive back to Pla Pak and we got dropped off at Caitlyn and Steph's home and I got to see the way they have lived for the last 2 months and will be living for the next 9! It was very simple and took a bit to get used to, but once you get over being barefoot in the bathroom and then in the kitchen and sleeping on either a very hard mattress or the floor, its just wonderful. We got to take out the bicycles and explore Pla Pak and the market nature of Thailand in the small villages. Everyone was staring as we rode through since they are still not even used to seeing one white person everyday let alone 2 together. We even rode over to one of Caitlyn's schools to check that out for a bit (which even she had not done before) and got to meet a few of her students. The weather was hot but not as humid and it was a beautiful day.
We met up with Steph for lunch in Pla Pak and had Mamaa (sp; Thai soup with beef, cabbage, bean sprout, rice noodles, and fish balls). I did my best with it (meaning I ate the veggies, noodles and broth with a couple bites of beef) and we were off. We stopped to get an ice slushy on the way back and then got settled into the house, read and chatted outside for a bit and then had dinner, relaxed and hit the hay since the morning had been so early and I was exhausted after the bus ride.
Day 2
Sundays in Caitlyn's village are very quite. There was almost no one around! The shops were still open since Sunday is not a religious staple in Buddhism so we went and explored all the village markets and what they were selling. It was quite fun! One interesting, and sad, aspect was that all the lotions here have whitening agents in them since whiteness is still seem as the ideal for beauty. Caitlyn says she gets often, as I did on a few occasions, the Thai people telling her how beautiful she is because of her white skin. We were told we looked like babydolls (we both have blue and green eyes so that only adds to the difference). The women ride around on their bicycles with parasols to protect their skin from tan. It is seen as a status symbol because if you are whiter that means you aren't having to work out in the fields or in the sun, indicating wealth.
After exploring town some more we met up with Steph again for lunch and more Mamaa, but this time it was the seafood version and had ramen type noodles inside. Since the lifestyle is just so simple here we are doing a lot of reading and reminiscing and catching up :) There was a lot of commotion towards the end of the day since the community was setting up for a big event for the morning. Because of this, PiYok, Caitlyn's older Thai roommate brought over dinner for us (she will often cook for the girls). We had pork fried rice, corn on the cob, and cucumbers and it was delicious. We also cut up some dragonfruit and enjoyed that alongside the meal. We have been struggling some with the neighborhood dog, Cha Dom, because when he plays he nips and we are not good at stopping him!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Thai Massage - Poor Decision!
My last day for this stint in Bangkok I decided to get a traditional Thai massage. After breakfast I went to find a place recommended by Lonely Planet - Marble House - it took a while to find and I walked in and asked for a 2 hour Thai Massage. The woman looked at me like I was crazy for walking in to her shop and then walked me over to a small room with three beds on the floor and gave me flannel pajamas to put on (mind you it was 80+ degrees outside and the place was not AirConditioned!). So I started to get changed, thought about what I was doing, and turned around and left the place. I figured I could find someplace that might actually have air conditioning and be happy to have some business! So I left and found a shop down the road from my hostel and I stepped inside and it was nice and cool and the women were very friendly, so I decided it would be a better decision. I signed myself up for a 2 hour massage ($15) and got changed. Then the pain began! Thai massage focuses on pressure points throughout the body. She pressed every one three times and it was excruciating and she just giggled at me! I think it may have been the longest 2 hours of my life. Although I did discover that my neck and head are the most tolerant of pain of all the areas of my body.
After that 'experience' I went for lunch at a place I also read about in Lonely Planet called Cabbage and Condoms. It took me a bit to find the place. The streets in Thailand have one main road and then 'Soi's off of them numbered. So I am staying on Sukhumvidt Rd Soi 11 and the restaurant was on Soi 15 but when I walked down it I couldn't find the entrance. It only took a minute though and I got it! The restaurant was pretty cool, an outside area and an inside area and figures dressed in outfits entirely made of colorful condoms! It was quite entertaining and impressive. I think it should be a challenge on next season's Project Runway, although it might create some drama :) I read through the menu and they had a full description of the mission behind their restaurant model. They feel that birth control and std prevention should be as available as vegetables are in this country. I thought that was interesting and kept thinking that the same slogan could not work in many places in our country, i.e. Detroit since fresh vegetables are probably much less common than a condom.
After lunch I walked around the vendors a bit more and then went back to my hostel to get my bag and head for my next destination, Nahkon Phanom to see my graduate school roommate, Caitlyn, who is living there and teaching English. I took the Skytrain again and got off at the Mo Chit stop to get to the Mo Chit Bus Station to catch an overnight bus to the NorthEast. I tried to take the city bus to get to the station, but it started pouring and I had already been waiting for a while for bus #3 and it hadn't come so I jumped in my first Thailand taxi! My taxi driver was wonderful. He didn't speak English but we had a connection ;) He also had a pair of aviator sunglasses so we were perfect companions. He also had Britney Spears on the radio, which I thought was quite humorous! He pointed me in the right direction for the NorthEast buses and I was off! The ticket purchasing was a bit of a trip, but once I found the English speaking folk at the back of the station I was all set. I got on the bus and it was super nice! Big seats that reclined really far and leg rests! They played a crazy Chinese vampire movie which was in Thai of course but was still entertaining :) The ride ended up being kind of awful only because they blasted the AC and I was freeeeeezing the whole way so my sleep kept getting interrupted by chills! I also recieved some serious mosquito bites that make my calves look a little funky! Alas, I made it safely and was incredibly excited to see Caitlyn peering in the window when I arrived in Nakhon Phanom!
After that 'experience' I went for lunch at a place I also read about in Lonely Planet called Cabbage and Condoms. It took me a bit to find the place. The streets in Thailand have one main road and then 'Soi's off of them numbered. So I am staying on Sukhumvidt Rd Soi 11 and the restaurant was on Soi 15 but when I walked down it I couldn't find the entrance. It only took a minute though and I got it! The restaurant was pretty cool, an outside area and an inside area and figures dressed in outfits entirely made of colorful condoms! It was quite entertaining and impressive. I think it should be a challenge on next season's Project Runway, although it might create some drama :) I read through the menu and they had a full description of the mission behind their restaurant model. They feel that birth control and std prevention should be as available as vegetables are in this country. I thought that was interesting and kept thinking that the same slogan could not work in many places in our country, i.e. Detroit since fresh vegetables are probably much less common than a condom.
After lunch I walked around the vendors a bit more and then went back to my hostel to get my bag and head for my next destination, Nahkon Phanom to see my graduate school roommate, Caitlyn, who is living there and teaching English. I took the Skytrain again and got off at the Mo Chit stop to get to the Mo Chit Bus Station to catch an overnight bus to the NorthEast. I tried to take the city bus to get to the station, but it started pouring and I had already been waiting for a while for bus #3 and it hadn't come so I jumped in my first Thailand taxi! My taxi driver was wonderful. He didn't speak English but we had a connection ;) He also had a pair of aviator sunglasses so we were perfect companions. He also had Britney Spears on the radio, which I thought was quite humorous! He pointed me in the right direction for the NorthEast buses and I was off! The ticket purchasing was a bit of a trip, but once I found the English speaking folk at the back of the station I was all set. I got on the bus and it was super nice! Big seats that reclined really far and leg rests! They played a crazy Chinese vampire movie which was in Thai of course but was still entertaining :) The ride ended up being kind of awful only because they blasted the AC and I was freeeeeezing the whole way so my sleep kept getting interrupted by chills! I also recieved some serious mosquito bites that make my calves look a little funky! Alas, I made it safely and was incredibly excited to see Caitlyn peering in the window when I arrived in Nakhon Phanom!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Bangkok, Thailand
For the next few weeks my blog will be from Thailand, a big change from South Africa!
So my first 2 days in Bangkok have surely been adventurous even though I was fighting off a bit of Jetlag yesterday! I woke up quite early yesterday morning since I had slept some on the plane, throwing off my sleep schedule. I took my first outdoor shower, which was actually quite nice (all showers here are on the cold side). The breakfast at Suk 11 (my hostel) was fantastic. Lots of fresh cut fruit - most of it I could not tell you what it was! I think there was some sort of apple-dealy but I did not enjoy it, then watermelon, papaya or mango - I cannot tell - and pineapple. They also served toast with jam and coconut/strong tea spread. There was also a small dish with little ball of something at the bottom - one was sweet potato and the other was something strange that I did not eat - but ontop you were to pour a coconut milk and sugar mixture and it was delish! I sadly passed on the black squid option, not quite to that adventure level yet :(
After breakfast I was off to tackle Lonely Planet's suggested walking tour of the important sights to see in Bangkok. I took my first shot at the SkyTrain without any mixups - its very similar to the El in Chicago. Once I made my transfer and stopped at Saphon Taksin I then boarded the Chao Phraya River Tour Boat - which I was goaded into doing by a lady standing there and overpaid, but I learned from my mistake (and it was only 150Baht which is close to $5 for a day pass on all boat ferries). Lonely Planet suggested starting at Tha Chang, but the ferry I boarded did not stop there so I got off at the stop just before it and took a little stroll along the markets. They sell almost anything you could ever imagine there, its very strange. Normal stuff like t-shirts, sunglasses, bags etc but also phone chargers and anything that may have come from the bottom of someone's purse. Great WEGs I must say! haha. I wish I would have taken pictures or written down what some of the strange things were. They also sold an amazing amount of food. I could tell you there was fruit and fish but the specifics of those or anything else they were selling is beyond my Thai vocab. They also sell soda and once sold they put ice and a straw in a plastic baggie, pour the soda in that, and you drink out of it instead of a bottle, funny eh? I did not get one as I was unsure of the ice safety!
My first official site was Thammasat University and it was very tranquil with pretty foliage. Then I walked and stopped at a small temple, took some pictures outside, but did not go in. It was called Wat Mahathat. From there I went to what is likely the most famous spot in Bangkok, Wat Phra Kaew temple and Golden Palace. I didn't pay the 350 B to go into the Palace but took pictures of the beautiful architecture and landscape where I could.
From there I went to the home of Bangkok's City Spirit, Lak Meuang. It was beautiful although I felt as though I was stepping into a ritual that was likely meant to be more private. Then I paid to enter Wat Pho to see the golden Buddhas lining the square and to see the humongous Reclining Buddha, I had to take 9 length-wise photos to capture it all!
I decided at this point it was time for lunch so I re-boarded the boat to head back. In the midst of the journey the guide mentioned that the Rachawongse stop would be the place to unboard for Chinatown. So I figured I might as well try to find one of the Lonely Planet suggested lunch spots. Well, that ended up being a poor choice! I walked for what seemed like forever through crowds of people on the smallest sidewalks lined with vendors. It was incredibly hot and it had been about 5 hours since Id eaten so I was getting nervous that my body needed some fuel. Well I ended up getting quite lost and just popped into the first restaurant I saw with English written food options. I ordered a chicken mushroom and bamboo noodle dish and it came to the table and I knew immediately I was not going to enjoy it one bit. It had brown sauce all over it and the texture was just too slimy for me to handle, so I ate 3 bites and paid and left! I found my way back to the boat after a nice woman in the restaurant tried to help me with her limited English. I got back onto the boat and returned to the SkyTrain.
Since I had a bit of a frustrating morning, I decided to take a stop at the popular (and very European) Siam Square. I had a croissant and soup to ensure I had some food in me, I figure I'll get more adventurous as the days go on. I made it back to Suk 11 and decided to take a nap which turned into sleeping through the night, I guess my jetlag was worse than I thought!
DAY 2
Today I woke up at 5 in the morn since I went to sleep so early! So I got showered and got ready and headed out early for my next adventure. I decided I would try something a little different and try to make my way to the island in the river/canal of Bangkok, Ko Kret. I took the same ferry (only the cheaper option) all the way to the last stop (about an hour boat ride). When I boarded the ferry a very sweet woman asked me if I spoke English and asked if she could sit with me to practice hers! She is an secondary school English teacher and has a nephew living in New York right now who is visiting next month, so practice was a good thing! She gave me some tips on the area and at the end of our conversation she gave me her phone number and email so I may have a new penpal :) Her Thai nickname was Pui and her English name is Tina.
I made my way to the last stop Tha Nonthaburi. Once I got off I was unsure of what to do to get to Ko Kret as I knew it was another boat away and I had read that there were tours you could arrange. I guess since there were not many people even unboarding when I did, this was not a common tourist spot. A man offered to take me to Ko Kret by long boat for 700B. I think I probably could have bartered with him since this was a pretty high price but oh well! I took him up on his offer and had a fabulous boat trip to the island. He said he would wait for me where he dropped me off and that I had 2 hours to explore the island. I walked off unsure of where to go and just started exploring! I stumbled upon a shop renting bicycles, so of course I rented one for 40B and got a map of the island. The trail was a large circle, kinda like Mackinaw Island. It seemed to me like I was seeing the real Thailand on this excursion and the people were incredibly friendly. I was one of maybe 6 other tourists on the island, which was wonderful. I even had 2 15 year old boys following me for a while, only one spoke any English so I managed that their names were something like Boi and Mey?! They were sweet.
My boat driver was exactly where I left him on my return and after a quick trip to my first stand and squat, no toilet paper, bathroom, we were on our way back to the Tha Nonthaburi stop and reboarded the hour long ferry. All in all the trip was an hour and a half each way, but well worth the scenery and the atmosphere! On my way back I stopped for some Thai ice cream and explored some of the vendors close to my hostel. Now I am sitting at an outside restaurant enjoying my first drink in Thailand and the weather is beautiful! The past two days its been so humid that just by moving I sweat, its not even all that hot exactly, its just the humidity.
Tomorrow I am off to get a traditional Thai massage and eat at a recommended stop through Lonely Planet, Cabbages and Condoms - profits go towards sex education and aids prevention programs in Thailand. After that I will be taking the overnight bus to Nakhom Phanom to see Caitlyn :) Can't wait!
So my first 2 days in Bangkok have surely been adventurous even though I was fighting off a bit of Jetlag yesterday! I woke up quite early yesterday morning since I had slept some on the plane, throwing off my sleep schedule. I took my first outdoor shower, which was actually quite nice (all showers here are on the cold side). The breakfast at Suk 11 (my hostel) was fantastic. Lots of fresh cut fruit - most of it I could not tell you what it was! I think there was some sort of apple-dealy but I did not enjoy it, then watermelon, papaya or mango - I cannot tell - and pineapple. They also served toast with jam and coconut/strong tea spread. There was also a small dish with little ball of something at the bottom - one was sweet potato and the other was something strange that I did not eat - but ontop you were to pour a coconut milk and sugar mixture and it was delish! I sadly passed on the black squid option, not quite to that adventure level yet :(
After breakfast I was off to tackle Lonely Planet's suggested walking tour of the important sights to see in Bangkok. I took my first shot at the SkyTrain without any mixups - its very similar to the El in Chicago. Once I made my transfer and stopped at Saphon Taksin I then boarded the Chao Phraya River Tour Boat - which I was goaded into doing by a lady standing there and overpaid, but I learned from my mistake (and it was only 150Baht which is close to $5 for a day pass on all boat ferries). Lonely Planet suggested starting at Tha Chang, but the ferry I boarded did not stop there so I got off at the stop just before it and took a little stroll along the markets. They sell almost anything you could ever imagine there, its very strange. Normal stuff like t-shirts, sunglasses, bags etc but also phone chargers and anything that may have come from the bottom of someone's purse. Great WEGs I must say! haha. I wish I would have taken pictures or written down what some of the strange things were. They also sold an amazing amount of food. I could tell you there was fruit and fish but the specifics of those or anything else they were selling is beyond my Thai vocab. They also sell soda and once sold they put ice and a straw in a plastic baggie, pour the soda in that, and you drink out of it instead of a bottle, funny eh? I did not get one as I was unsure of the ice safety!
My first official site was Thammasat University and it was very tranquil with pretty foliage. Then I walked and stopped at a small temple, took some pictures outside, but did not go in. It was called Wat Mahathat. From there I went to what is likely the most famous spot in Bangkok, Wat Phra Kaew temple and Golden Palace. I didn't pay the 350 B to go into the Palace but took pictures of the beautiful architecture and landscape where I could.
From there I went to the home of Bangkok's City Spirit, Lak Meuang. It was beautiful although I felt as though I was stepping into a ritual that was likely meant to be more private. Then I paid to enter Wat Pho to see the golden Buddhas lining the square and to see the humongous Reclining Buddha, I had to take 9 length-wise photos to capture it all!
I decided at this point it was time for lunch so I re-boarded the boat to head back. In the midst of the journey the guide mentioned that the Rachawongse stop would be the place to unboard for Chinatown. So I figured I might as well try to find one of the Lonely Planet suggested lunch spots. Well, that ended up being a poor choice! I walked for what seemed like forever through crowds of people on the smallest sidewalks lined with vendors. It was incredibly hot and it had been about 5 hours since Id eaten so I was getting nervous that my body needed some fuel. Well I ended up getting quite lost and just popped into the first restaurant I saw with English written food options. I ordered a chicken mushroom and bamboo noodle dish and it came to the table and I knew immediately I was not going to enjoy it one bit. It had brown sauce all over it and the texture was just too slimy for me to handle, so I ate 3 bites and paid and left! I found my way back to the boat after a nice woman in the restaurant tried to help me with her limited English. I got back onto the boat and returned to the SkyTrain.
Since I had a bit of a frustrating morning, I decided to take a stop at the popular (and very European) Siam Square. I had a croissant and soup to ensure I had some food in me, I figure I'll get more adventurous as the days go on. I made it back to Suk 11 and decided to take a nap which turned into sleeping through the night, I guess my jetlag was worse than I thought!
DAY 2
Today I woke up at 5 in the morn since I went to sleep so early! So I got showered and got ready and headed out early for my next adventure. I decided I would try something a little different and try to make my way to the island in the river/canal of Bangkok, Ko Kret. I took the same ferry (only the cheaper option) all the way to the last stop (about an hour boat ride). When I boarded the ferry a very sweet woman asked me if I spoke English and asked if she could sit with me to practice hers! She is an secondary school English teacher and has a nephew living in New York right now who is visiting next month, so practice was a good thing! She gave me some tips on the area and at the end of our conversation she gave me her phone number and email so I may have a new penpal :) Her Thai nickname was Pui and her English name is Tina.
I made my way to the last stop Tha Nonthaburi. Once I got off I was unsure of what to do to get to Ko Kret as I knew it was another boat away and I had read that there were tours you could arrange. I guess since there were not many people even unboarding when I did, this was not a common tourist spot. A man offered to take me to Ko Kret by long boat for 700B. I think I probably could have bartered with him since this was a pretty high price but oh well! I took him up on his offer and had a fabulous boat trip to the island. He said he would wait for me where he dropped me off and that I had 2 hours to explore the island. I walked off unsure of where to go and just started exploring! I stumbled upon a shop renting bicycles, so of course I rented one for 40B and got a map of the island. The trail was a large circle, kinda like Mackinaw Island. It seemed to me like I was seeing the real Thailand on this excursion and the people were incredibly friendly. I was one of maybe 6 other tourists on the island, which was wonderful. I even had 2 15 year old boys following me for a while, only one spoke any English so I managed that their names were something like Boi and Mey?! They were sweet.
My boat driver was exactly where I left him on my return and after a quick trip to my first stand and squat, no toilet paper, bathroom, we were on our way back to the Tha Nonthaburi stop and reboarded the hour long ferry. All in all the trip was an hour and a half each way, but well worth the scenery and the atmosphere! On my way back I stopped for some Thai ice cream and explored some of the vendors close to my hostel. Now I am sitting at an outside restaurant enjoying my first drink in Thailand and the weather is beautiful! The past two days its been so humid that just by moving I sweat, its not even all that hot exactly, its just the humidity.
Tomorrow I am off to get a traditional Thai massage and eat at a recommended stop through Lonely Planet, Cabbages and Condoms - profits go towards sex education and aids prevention programs in Thailand. After that I will be taking the overnight bus to Nakhom Phanom to see Caitlyn :) Can't wait!
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