*Everyday at 6:00pm the national song comes on through speakers in the cities and everyone stops whatever they are doing, stands up straight and listens.
My first time seeing this was in the bustling train station in Bangkok... I had no idea what was going on, it was crazy. EVERYTHING and everybody stopped.
The second time I was at the Sunday market in Chiang Mai (think Portland Saturday Market, but bigger, denser and more crowded). The flow of people came to a complete stop, the song was played and then we continued on. It's really neat.
*Lots of people think I am Thai.
Many will come up and just start rambling to me and I say "konnichiwa" they quickly realize how American I am. But they don't believe that I'm Japanese either, "oh, but you look like Thai!". My cooking teacher said my eyes don't look Japanese and my skin is too pale.
*Thai's think pale skin is more beautiful. Most of the lotion sold has "Skin Whitening" properties.
*I'm still not used to the fact that they drive on the wrong side of the road here, a little scary at times.
*There are dirty stray dogs everywhere and a lot of them have rabies.
*They rarely eat with chopsticks = ( . Fork and Spoon.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
I love Pai!
A la mode... because it's uber hot up here (during the day). Pai is a little town a steep and winding 3hr trip from Chiang Mai. The bus ride over was a little sickening, but the town awesome, nice and small and really laid back. At night every bar has good live music. I hung around a campfire (it gets quite chilly here at night) with a large group of travellers listening to music and was very impressed by the amount they drank and their stories of travelling. It's quite a bit different than my experience, I left them at midnight and heard them return to the hostel around 5am... I was getting up in a couple hours to bike around before it got too hot.
The town is surrounded by trails leading to waterfalls, hotsprings, caves and cool things. So I rented a bike (for a 24hr rental it is the same price as a beer $1.25) and hit the road. I planned on riding around to all the surround waterfalls and springs. But on my way to the first one I took a wrong turn. But it was alright because it lead me to endless bumpy hilly roads and dirt trails. It was so amazing and fun riding around the desserted trails and beautiful scenery until I stopped and realized how bad it would suck to be lost and I'm getting hot and tired and I still have lots to see. After a couple of detours and lots of back tracking I found the correct road to the Mo Paeng waterfall. It was a hot steep uphill battle (with locals laughing at me along the way and scooters wizzing by me) for 8km. When I made it to the top a couple that had scootered past me were cheering me on when I arrived. All this to see a sad flow of water pouring over some rocks (I'm spoiled in Oregon). I didn't care to see the other falls by now and was exhausted but had the best joy ride all the way back into town with another missed turn which ended up being alright again because it extended the sweet ride down hill.
Moral of this story: Bikes are fun and amazing!
I made it back to the hostel took a swim in the river that my hostel is set upon and treated myself to my first Thai massage($5/1hr) I felt I'd deserved it, it was great.
Tomorrow I head back to Chaing Mai and am having dinner with the Aussie couple, we're gonna eat like the locals! I catch a long train on Friday to Bangkok to meet... Kenny!! I am so excited! My guy here, getting to do my favorite thing (rock climb), relax on beautiful beaches and snorkel and have an awesome, awesome time for two weeks as this hardworking guy is taking a much deserved vacation.
...forgive me if I don't find time to write a whole lot.
The town is surrounded by trails leading to waterfalls, hotsprings, caves and cool things. So I rented a bike (for a 24hr rental it is the same price as a beer $1.25) and hit the road. I planned on riding around to all the surround waterfalls and springs. But on my way to the first one I took a wrong turn. But it was alright because it lead me to endless bumpy hilly roads and dirt trails. It was so amazing and fun riding around the desserted trails and beautiful scenery until I stopped and realized how bad it would suck to be lost and I'm getting hot and tired and I still have lots to see. After a couple of detours and lots of back tracking I found the correct road to the Mo Paeng waterfall. It was a hot steep uphill battle (with locals laughing at me along the way and scooters wizzing by me) for 8km. When I made it to the top a couple that had scootered past me were cheering me on when I arrived. All this to see a sad flow of water pouring over some rocks (I'm spoiled in Oregon). I didn't care to see the other falls by now and was exhausted but had the best joy ride all the way back into town with another missed turn which ended up being alright again because it extended the sweet ride down hill.
Moral of this story: Bikes are fun and amazing!
I made it back to the hostel took a swim in the river that my hostel is set upon and treated myself to my first Thai massage($5/1hr) I felt I'd deserved it, it was great.
Tomorrow I head back to Chaing Mai and am having dinner with the Aussie couple, we're gonna eat like the locals! I catch a long train on Friday to Bangkok to meet... Kenny!! I am so excited! My guy here, getting to do my favorite thing (rock climb), relax on beautiful beaches and snorkel and have an awesome, awesome time for two weeks as this hardworking guy is taking a much deserved vacation.
...forgive me if I don't find time to write a whole lot.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Hello from Thailand!
I arrived in Bangkok safe and sound. It was a long haul over here from Portland, but well worth every moment. Even the awful woman sitting next to me. I vowed I would never be that obnoxious and the next thing I knew I was eating chicken (for the first time in years) because she was so mean to the poor stewardess I just couldn't bother her more... I've since eaten chicken almost every day. Good bye vegetarianism? Well it was psuedo anyway and on the trek I just returned from my other option would have been to starve... and I'm not about to do that. Thai food is too good =).
Bangkok was a bit overwhelming and busy. I booked an overnight train ticket up here to Chiang Mia the evening I got in. Here I've taken a cooking class, DELISH! and did a three day trek which included an elephant ride, bamboo and white water rafting, sleeping and eating with the local hilltribe village people and a great refreshing swimming hole complete with a water slide i.e. steep, slippery rock. There were 7 of us in my group. A really cool Aussie couple who are staying and working in an orphange here and are showing me the ins and outs of the city and 4 guys from Argentina who had been travelling around the world for 9 months. Part of the trek we were with another group of about 10, from all over, I was the only American. A South Korean couple provided all sorts of entertainment. The guy managed to catapult himself into the river from the bamboo raft fully submerging himself in the knee deep, still water, complete with camera around neck and fanny pack, so hilarious.
So I guess this is my blog... I hope I can manage it and keep you all posted on my travel adventures!
Bangkok was a bit overwhelming and busy. I booked an overnight train ticket up here to Chiang Mia the evening I got in. Here I've taken a cooking class, DELISH! and did a three day trek which included an elephant ride, bamboo and white water rafting, sleeping and eating with the local hilltribe village people and a great refreshing swimming hole complete with a water slide i.e. steep, slippery rock. There were 7 of us in my group. A really cool Aussie couple who are staying and working in an orphange here and are showing me the ins and outs of the city and 4 guys from Argentina who had been travelling around the world for 9 months. Part of the trek we were with another group of about 10, from all over, I was the only American. A South Korean couple provided all sorts of entertainment. The guy managed to catapult himself into the river from the bamboo raft fully submerging himself in the knee deep, still water, complete with camera around neck and fanny pack, so hilarious.
So I guess this is my blog... I hope I can manage it and keep you all posted on my travel adventures!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)