Last day

We made it to our last day in Thailand. I gotta say, it's feeling pretty bittersweet right now. While I'm glad to be heading home to reclaim the comforts of my life - reliable access to relatively clean toilets with toilet paper, nice bed, clean meat and water - and while I miss my friends and family, I really do enjoy it here. If I could go back to Chiang Mai right now, I would go without any hesitation. But alas, back to the states we go, to celebrate the end of the holiday weekend. (By celebrate, of course, I mean sleep through.)

A little recap of the last few days... 

We headed from Ao Nang, Krabi back to Phuket, and nearly didn't make it due to the WORST driver in the entire country. First, we weren't told we were going to be transferring ino another van, so when we were dropped off at a little hut in a small town, we were a little annoyed. Little did we know, that would be the least of our problems. And plus, we had chickens to entertain us.

When we finally got to leave, we were packed into a van like pickles in a pickle jar - I'm talking 17 people in a 15 seat van with luggage crammed in every aisle way and free space.

This picture does it no justice. It was horrible. There was a nice couple from Saskatchewan in front of us, however, a cute Japanese baby on the van, and some spicy Brit girls in the front seat that gave our driver a little of the attitude he deserved. Here is a picture of our piece of shit, arrogant driver:

This guy was flying down the road, like most Thai driver. However, this one was texting and talking on his phone half the time! We're going through the winding, hazardous Thailand roadway system, with motorbikes aplenty and drivers who don't wear helmets, and while he is in charge with our lives, this asshole is texting! Then, as we are packed in and making our way to Phuket, this PoS stops on the side of the road at a food cart and orders himself lunch! Not 15 minutes later we stop at a gas station, not to fill up the tank, no, but so he can sit down and eat his lunch! That wasn't so bad, because it allowed us to use the bathroom, but then this guy orders an ice cream cone, and is licking away like a child while we're all fuming. We pile back into the van, and again, not 15 minutes later, we stop AGAIN so he can have the tires of the van filled with air. We get on our way, figuring surely this guy is going to take us to Phuket now, but NO! He's gotta stop for a snack this time. Now, we've taken a few van trip during our time in Thailand, and never once did a van stop for any reason, let alone 4 times!! Oh, but he wasn't done yet. When we finally get to Phuket, this PoS stops and make everyone get out of the van at a travel agency. We were told to notify the agents which hotel we were going to so the driver could drop us off at our hotels, which is the service all of us paid for. So, we all give them our intended destinations, and pile back into the van, glad to be near the end of this hell ride. He heads to the first hotel where the sassy Brits and the Japanese women with the baby were staying, then all get of, and we move on. But then, this asshole drives us to the middle of town and tells everyone to get off the van, that this was the end of the line. We all start to argue that, no, he was to take us to our respective hotels - that was why we stopped at the last stop, after all. Asshole plays dumb like he can't speak any English all of a sudden, and starts THROWING our luggage (starting with mine) out of the van onto the soaking wet cement. Oh did I mention it was raining? Yeah. So, luckily, we talk to a girl in a travel booth on the side of the road and realize our hotel is only about a 10 minute walk down the road. So, we took pictures of the PoS and his lisence plate, and intend to file a complain to someone as soon as we can figure out who. Remember that nice couple from Canada? They paid an extra 100 baht for this particular van, being assured that they would be dropped off at their hotel. So, the guy - who was about 6'7" - refused to get out of the van in protest. The driver took them to someone who could help translate, and when we crossed paths with them again further down the road, it seemed their luck was worse than ours. Their hotel was on the other side of town, not in walking distance. Ugh, I really hope they were able to get this dick to being them to their hotel, or at least near by. This was, by far, our worst experience in Thailand.

But on a lighter note, we went back to the hotel with the awesome infinity pool, and it cleared up just enough in the evening to use it. 

When we were at this hotel the first time around, we met two really friendly guys from New Zealand who urged us to check out Bangla Road, so we did that night. Wow. It's debauhery at it's finest. Strip clubs, loud music (a lot of Eminem), lady boys galore, and ping pong shows, ping pong shows, ping pong shows. Every wherewe walked down party road, we were approached by advertisers popping their lips, imitating, what I image, the ping pong ball makes during the performance. If you're not sure what a ping ping show is, you may (or may not) want to look it up. Disgusting. Needless to say, we didn't check one out. When saw our friends from New Zealand, we were informed that, while you can get in free of charge, a drink purchase is necessary, with small beers starting at 900 baht. That's about $30 for a bottle of beer. Nope.

The next morning, we flew back into Bangkok, and arrived at the nicest hotel we've stayed in the whole trip. What a pleasant way to end our trip! Melanie already described the hotel a little, but seriously, these people know hospitality! Everything about this hotel is great!

The first night we headed to the MBK market, which is bartering on the largest scale. This place was insane. Even the streets leading up to it were lined with retailers of clothing, sunglasses, purses, jewelry, and trinkets. And banana shakes.

Yesterday, the other three went to Ayutthaya, which I was really looking forward to at the beginning of this trip. However, I was feeling a little less than great yesterday, so I opted to stay at the hotel and take advantage of the sun and the pool. It was so nice to have a day of lounging around and relaxing. I really needed it after these last two weeks of go, go, go!

That night, when we were all reunited, we headed out to Khaosan Road, which is backpacker haven. It reminded me of Bangla Road in Phuket, only less dirty debauchery and more college party. (There were still ping pong shows for those who wanted it.) Pictures do no justice to the insanity that is Khaosan Road. Hooka, large beer carafes for tables to share, laughing gas balloons every 30 ft, and an average age of about 20, it was just your regular state university on steroids.

Oh, and bugs...

And the best mango sticky rice ever.

And of course, shopping and bartering. It's going to be a rough transition going home and not being able to argue for a better price. I really have fallen in love with bartering, which is probably why I have so many things I am bringing home!

Today, we relax as long as we can, pack up or things, and start on our long journey home. I'm preying that my kindle has enough juice to get me through 28 hours of travel and layovers... See you again in the states! And thanks for following us along. I'll have one or two more posts when I get home, most likely, but this blog was really fun to do for us, and I hope it was enjoyable for you, as well, reading about our thoughts and experiences 😊

-Julie, who doesn't know how she's going to fit so much stuff into so few bags...

Peace out Asia

We are on our final leg of our journey. We've made it back to Bangkok. We hated the city when we first arrived two weeks ago; or maybe I should say..we didn't have a great first impression. So, we've been a bit skeptical to return. However, it has redeemed itself just a tad. Or, maybe we've become more familiar with the Thai language and culture so it's not so overwhelming. In any event, we made it to our AMAZING hotel. 

When we arrived yesterday (Tuesday) we were welcomed with towels that were soaked in lemongrass-refreshing! We also got to choose our own soap for the room! Our choices were bamboo, jasmine, lemongrass, or orchid. We sure felt like queens after some of the hotels we slept at on the islands. 

After getting comfortable in our room we ventured for..you guessed it- food! Wee always on the hunt for some good Thai food. Believe it or not we found it at the local malls food court. It has seriously been the best Pad Thai I've had since I've been here except for the organic restaurant in Chiang Mai. 

We then decided to check out the largest shopping center called MBK. This was quite the experience. It's exactly how I pictured Asia to be. It was packed full of people weaving in and out and you could barely move. There were knock off brands of watches, shoes, bags, clothes, you name it. Street meat lined the sidewalks and the hot hot Bangkok heat and exhaust filled the air. I love/hated it. 

After shopping for hours we headed back for a much needed long sleep! 

Today (Wednesday) we decided to venture out and see ancient city ruins in Ayutthaya, just north of Bangkok. We didn't want to go through a guide so we figured out the transit system ourself and got there! It was a little sketchy at time, but I'm so proud of us for figuring it out. The ancient city is not very touristy so it was hard to navigate with very little English speakers. It was well worth it. I took a million pictures, but here's a few. 

This ancient temple, Wat Maha That was built in 1374 AD and was ruined during a war with Burma years later. The ruins are breathtaking. It's very cool to be standing amongst a piece of history. 

Now we lay by the rooftop pool relaxing and tonight we will head out to Khao San Road where the adventure will continue for one more night. 

Tattoos maybe? 

Peace, love, and elephants, 

Melanie 

As slice of humble pie

So, in this post don't expect to find some amazing adventure. Instead these are sort of my thoughts on my experience traveling here as I've met others and seen new things. 

Same Same, but different

^^a great motto that the Thai people have. At first I thought it was funny, but then we started saying it as it was appropriate and it makes a lot of sense. 

We have just 3 short days left on this journey and each day when I'm in a new destination, I have to stop and think about how I'm really in Thailand! It's so humbling to take a look at your surroundings and think about how far you are from home. It's been such a blessing to learn about a whole new culture. It truly is a passion of mine to learn about other areas of the world. I've certainly got the itch now and want to continue on with adventures around the world. 

Among our travels we've met other young travelers, mostly from

European countries. When they ask us how long we're here for we say 2 weeks and they're shocked at how short of a time we have. However, in America when we told people we were going for 2 weeks they couldn't believe how long. It really opens your eyes to the fact at how behind the USA is culturally. It is commonplace for young people in other countries to travel for weeks, even months at a time. America needs to step up, I think our country would be in a much better place. 

This experience has just opened my eyes to see how other people live. They don't overindulge like we do in America. They're okay without air conditioning. Fresh fruit instead of chips and cookies is commonplace. Just being outside and being one with nature. No wonder America has so many health problems and bad reputations amongst other countries. We could truly learn from Thailand and its people on how to live a happy, healthy, peaceful life. 

On that note, first things to purchase in America: a cheeseburger and a wok. 

Peace, love, and elephants,

Melanie

Jungle love

Really enjoying island life so far!

A little bummed we didn't get to kayak around the islands. We missed our chance in Phi Phi but enjoyed the beach so much it didn't matter.

 Ko Lanta, the more relaxed island, was pretty deserted because it is low season. On top of that it was a Sunday and it rained all day. The girls wanted to kill me because I made them get out of the room to go exploring when the rain died down a bit. I get ansy sitting around. :)

Yesterday in Krabi there was a bit of adventuring I've been waiting for. Rickety bridge, steep slippery stairs and jungle rope swings, woohoo! 

At one point during the day, I fell asleep and woke up to a Thai woman rubbing my feet while I starred at the ocean. So niiiice. I also got a pretty ugly pedicure.

And ate a whole plate of mushrooms.

And now it's back to Phuket. The beach is really nice there but the streets are kinda dirty and littered with overpriced unauthentic touristy restrauants. So we will stay in our infinity pool all day!

Chan gaaaoo!

Shana

Box Spring Dreams

So, when we got to this hotel, I felt the beds and knew they would be hard. Only now that I've climbed into it do I realize that I'm sleeping on a box springs with a sheet over it, not a mattress. Oh Thailand...

We spent the day traveling from Ko Lanta to Ao Nang beach in Krabi via overcrowded luxury van. Two scetchy car ferrys and a couple hours later, we made it! We spent the day searching for good Thai food, exploring the beautiful beach, getting massages on the beach, and shopping for souvenirs and gifts. Tomorrow, back in another van to return to Phuket and that infinity pool! :)

Had a storm pass though for about 20 minutes this afternoon, but all day the water was rough and churning up sand. Made for a very relaxing rest on the beach watching the waves crash ashore.

A little creek was created after the tide rolled out.

Shana playing.

The view opposite the beach.

Adorable Thai children playing in the evening.

Also, here are some snacks I tried the last 2 days. See if you can figure out the interesting flavores of the Cheetos and Oreos.

That would be shish-kebob Cheetos, purple and orange Oreos (jury is still out on flavors), and a bonus, buttered corn breadsticks. The bueno I tried and was actually amazing, and just became my new favorite candy bar. Are these available in the states??

-Julie, box springs? Seriously?? 😑

Oh yeah, and this thing was sharing the hotel with us:

Monsoon

**this took over 24 hours to publish, so when I say "today," I mean Sunday.**

Today was our first day of rain, so considering we planned our trip during the rainy season, I didn't mind too much.

This morning was the first we didn't have breakfast included with our overnight stay, so we headed back to the beach where there was a cheap little place offering some breakfast options. We all tried Thai pancakes and they were delicious! I could get used to waking up and enjoying breakfast at a table on the sand with waves crashing behind me!

I don't have any pictures, but there are no vehicles where we were on Koh Phi Phi. Everyone either walks or takes a bike down narrow brick paved pathways. All along the pathways are storefronts - guesthouses, restaurants, massage parlours, gift shops, and tattoo shops. They enclose the pathways tightly on both sides, making the whole place somewhat surreal feeling. I don't know, it's kind of difficult to explain without a visual aid.

We left Koh Phi Phi, and the stairway from hell, and headed to the pier to catch a ferry to Ko Lanta. 

It had rained while we were packing, which other than while we were sleeping, was the first time we had experienced "monsoon season".

As soon as we started walking to the pier, however, the rain stopped. It, thankfully, continued to hold during the whole hour and a half boat ride to Ko Lanta. But the water was super choppy with really large swells, a few of which really had me questioning where the life preservers were!

We arrived to the island - which reminds me more of Nova Scotia than Thailand - and made our way to our hotel. What an improvement! This place was relatively inexpensive, and we have two connecting rooms, so we can all stay together! If I had to be stuck anywhere in the rain all day, it would be here! 

As soon as we got into the hotel and met our host, Chai (the Thai grandpa we all wish for), the rain came back, and didn't quit. We, of course, we're starving, so we braved the downpour and headed down the road. I've heard that a lot of places close down for the off season, but we really haven't experienced that until this island. It's kind of a ghost town compared to the bustling life of Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and even Phuket! But Chai recommended a little place called Sawadee, so we walked down to it and enjoyed another delicious Thai meal. I'm never going to get sick of this food! 

After that, we walked around a bit, and even though the weather was still lousy, we headed down to the beach. The waves were crashing in, the sand crabs were out and scuttling about, and there were beautiful shells to search for.

The grey clouds were threatening again, so we stopped and grabbed some beers, and went back to the hotel. We waited out the rain by playing a drinking version of Uno, which I won :)

When Shana had had enough of being indoors, we all headed back out to explore. While Shana got a pedicure, I stocked up on some Thai snacks. I tried the butters corn breadsticks (which later became a treat for some wild dogs that were suspiciously following us), but I passed on these: 

If I have the nerve, I'll try them later. And the shrimp flavored. And the seaweed flavored. I did, however, opt for the shish kebob flavored Cheetos... Look for review later. The buttered corn breadsticks were weird, so I didn't feel bad giving them to the dogs.

We headed back to Sawadee for dinner, endulged ourselves again in some delicious Thai with a side of French fries, and headed back to the hotel to shower (long overdue) and head to bed. Which is where I leave you now, to dream about my perfect coconut curry dinner :)

-Julie, smoothie free for 1 day

Water for elephants

Sorry there's been no posting for a couple says, we've had some unreliable wifi. So, this is going to be another long post, but I have plenty of pictures to help you get through it ;)

Thursday morning we woke nice and early, enjoyed our eggs and toast, and headed out to a cool little coffee shop that caught Dana's eye the night before. We all indulged in an iced late to meet the morning caffeine requirement and cool us down at the same time.

After that, we took a bus (aka a red Ranger sizes pick up with a couple benches in the bed and an awning over top) up the mountain to Doi Suthep, the most revered temple in the Chiang Mai area. The road contains a lot of tight twists and turns, so that coupled with insane Thai drivers and diesel fumes, made the drive a little rough, but we were rewarded with the most amazing view of Chiang Mai:

The temple itself was awe-inspiring. It was inspiring to see so many people come to worship and pay respects to their god. There were seated Buddhas lining every wall, candles and Buddhas of all shapes and sizes all throughout the temple, every surface was detailed, from the floors and walls, the support beams, and every door and entrance on the compound.

There were these little bells hanging everywhere, and I just loved them. When I purchased one from the street vendor outside the temple, she said the bells were for good luck.

Other than being fascinated by those who came to worship, I was drawn to the ornate murals that decorated every walk. I assume that they told stories of the Buddha. There was just so much going on in them, it was impossible to fully take it all in!

After we finished exploring, we headed back down to the street vendors to barter for some souvineers and delicious treats. I got a waffle covered banana with a little chocolate drizzled over top, which was good, but still didn't compare to the street cart banana and Nutella crepe I purchased in Chiang Mai. That, my friends, was perfection in a cardboard cone. But anyway, I digress. I picked up a few scarves - when I say a few, I mean 8. Cashmere and silk scarves for $3-$4?!? C'mon! Bartering Americans for the win! *hopefully* 

When we had spent enough money, we took the bus of fumes back down the mountain and back to the MD house. We changed into more appropriate attire, and grabbed a quick lunch at our favorite Chiang Mai restaurant, Nature's Way. Then, it was time for elephants!

Another long ride in a luxury van took us through rural Thailand. Really beautiful, lush, jungle and farm landscapes decorate the north, and it was really interesting to see, compared to the cities that we had toured so far. When we finally arrived at the elephant camp, we were a little unnerved. There was no signage alerting us that we had arrived, no welcome center, nothing, except for a little pavilion with a couple of men standing underneith and some elephants hanging out nearby. We were approached by Yen (how it's pronounced, probably not how it's spelled), our Swedish elephant guide. He told us to change into proper mahout attire, which I can already tell, will be all the rage in the states soon: jumbo sized, linen/burlap blend, wide leg, flood pants with a Mexican poncho over top. Hot. After changing, we bribed the elephants into liking us by feeding them bananas.

Did you know their snouts have a thumb-like appendage at the tip? I sure didn't! After rhe bribing was done, it was time to mount the elephants. Just a quick note Ran-Tong Elephant Camp is a rehabilitation center, so no tricks are performed by the elephants, and no states are used by riders. We rode bareback, with just two ropes fastened around the elephant for us to hang on to. Climbing up the elephant is much easier said than done. Needless to say, I had quite a bit of trouble. Also, I didn't realize how high up the back of an elephant really is, so the first part of my ride was devoted to calming myself out of a panic attack. Dana was in the back and I was in the front, which means the neck of the elephant, which means right near the shoulder blades, which means a very uneasy ride, with the thought of toppling over one side coming to you with every step. Once I was able to (mostly) relax, however, I was able to embrace the experience. I was touring this stunning landscape, in a place I never thought I'd be, from the back of an elephant. To say the experience was humbling would be an understatement.

The elephants, with the help of their mahoors (personal caretakers) took us on a walk through the compound, and down into a river. Once in the river, it was a piece of cake to slide down off her back and into the water. Then, Yen gave us little pales, and we bathed the elephants. Well, bathe probably isn't the most accurate, more like "tossed water on them". This made for very happy, cool elephants. Content enough to poop, which is what they did, in the river where we were wading. 

After some time hanging out at the river, it was time to head back. Luckily, this meant switching places on the elephant, which made for a much more enjoyable ride. Also, we were able to mount from higher ground, thereby maintaing our standards for poise and grace (which were low to begin with). During our journey to the dinner pavilion, we were able to see about 10 more of the camps elephants just hanging around.

Once we arrived back at the pavilion, we changed back into our dry clothes and were treated to dinner, a delicious curry called Kai Soi, which is Chiang Mai's traditional curry, and only available in the north of Thailand. I devoured mine, suspect chicken leg and all.

Then, it was time to say goodbye to the elephants, and make the long journey home. I was exhausted and not feeling the greatest - probably that suspect chicken - so I cleaned up, packed, and went to sleep, while the other three went out for some food and one last trip to the night market.

Still with me so far? Thanks! Cause we have another day to go! But much less eventful, so I'm almost through.

Friday morning we woke up early and headed to the airport to catch our flight to the islands. While waiting for the plane, we caved for a little taste of home: McDonalds egg mcmuffins and a hash brown. It was so American and delicious, in spite of the worst coffee I've ever tasted served along side.

We were really sad to leave Chiang Mai. Seriously, the city is so welcoming, it moves at the perfect pace, the food is incredible, and the landscape is breah taking. We barely scratched the surface of what Chiang Mai has to offer, so the day I return won't be soon enough. That all being said, or sadness was tempered with our first sights of the Andaman Sea islands.

Our first stop was Phuket at the Mer Jarr hotel, which was only a few minutes walk to the beach. And what a beach that was:

After feeling enough of the heat, we went back to check out the hotel pool. Oh. My. God. This pool. It's a rooftop salt water infinity pool with a view straight out over the beach, surrounded by mountains. In other words, where we will be spending all of Tuesday when we return to Phuket and this hotel.

We stayed and watched the sunset, and enjoyed dinner poolside.

We had to get an early ride to the ferry this morning, so we turned in semi-early. The ferry this morning took us to Ko Phi Phi Don, where the movie The Beach was filmed (never saw it). The ferry ride was two hours and was hot, even rooftop. The views, however, were stunning. Seriously, why don't more people vacation here?? The Caribbean is gorgeous, but this... 

And our arrival on the pier? 

You all know I love my camera filters, and you'll find none in these photos. That's exactly what the colors are like here.

The only downside was that we didn't have a hotel planned, knowing we would be able to wing it. We had a few places in mind, but they escaped us as we were, again, hassled as soon as we disembarked from the ferry. So, we picked a place and went. 😑 The guest house we chose is up a brutal stairway on a hill, which nearly caused my arthritic knee caps to quit entirely. Then, the room has a small collection of creatures living inside of it, including some ants on the toilet and a lizard in the bathroom. To add insult to injury, my pillowcase had bird poop on it, and the AC in Melanie's and my room doesn't exactly work. This is a big bummer coming from some great places (even MD House, which cost the same). But, it's only one night, and we're already laughing about it.

Anyway, redemption of Ko Phi Phi was found, again, via water and the beach. And this shark lamp in our room:

Smaller than the beach on Phuket, this one is littered with backpackers.

After getting fried, we headed back to the guest house and searched for a place to stay on Ko Lanta, which is our destination tomorrow. 

If you made it this far, thank you. This was a bitch to rewrite after the first one deleted. I know my posts tend to be quite longer than my traveling counterparts, but I'm already the old one of the bunch, and would hate to forget any part of this life changing trip. Even with the frustrations we've encountered, I feel blessed every day that the four of us were able to embark on this journey through paradise.

-Julie, covered in sand and sun ☀️🌊

P.S. I've been averaging 2 smoothies a day for the last few days, so I've mixed in some coconut, just to spice things up.

Also, Thai-English is hilarious: