Category: Asia

Heaven on Earth, Part 2: The Andaman Coast

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We only booked two nights in the Phuket area because we wanted to be free to travel the area. Also, there are literally thousands of hotels and it was difficult to sort through them on the internet. This was a good call because we enjoyed traveling to several cities and beaches. All of them were just so different in terms of landscape, atmosphere and people.

Patong Beach. This was the perfect place to start the beach portion of the trip. All you need to do is throw in hundreds of prostitutes and it’s the same thing as any American beach tourist town. After we checked into our hotel, we ventured out to the bar street and were propositioned about every 5 feet for “massages” and “go-go clubs”. In addition there were also girls working the street and dancing on tables in the open air bars. Classy.

We woke up early the next morning with a serious day of nothing but laying on the beach. An internet article warned that if you were traveling to Thailand in April, plan to be submerged in the ocean the entire time. They were right because it had to be close to 100 degrees. After we were both sufficiently sunburned we decided to spend the rest of the day shopping. Within a couple blocks of our hotel we were introduced to Songkran. This is the Thai New Year and we happened to be in the best celebration area. Since April is Thailands hottest month of the year, Songkran festival is all about having fun and cooling off by getting wet. People walk the streets with water guns and shoot the willing and unwilling, which is the most fun. After my gun broke, I just used two cups to throw water. We played for about four hours and then I was hungry and over it. But really, what a good time.

Khao Lak. We paid a measly price to go on an amazing excursion the next day. At 7:30 a.m., a mini-van picked us up and took us to what one website called, the most beautiful beach in Thailand, Khao Lak. This was also the hardest hit area from the 2004 Tsunami. One of the pictures I took was of a Police boat that was sent 2km inland from the massive waves.

Khao Lak is also where we did elephant trekking. Simply amazing. We rode them through streams, up hills, down hills, through the jungle, etc. Ours was so sweet and we rewarded him with pineapples after our ride.

Then in the afternoon, we stopped to feed some wild monkies. Surprisingly, they prefer Hostess cakes over bananas. From there we went on a little canoe ride through the limestone mountains of Khao Lak National Park. At one point, our guides stopped and we had some time to swim in the crystal clear river. A wonderful day.

Ko Phi Phi Don & Ko Phi Phi Leh. This is what people think of when they think of Thailand beaches. In fact, the movie, the Beach was based and filmed in this paradise. The bigger island, Ko Phi Phi Don, is a 2 hour boat ride from Phuket. It’s limestone peaks make for an interesting and beautiful landscape. Not to mention the water is beyond the bluest blue and the sand whiter than white. The pictures really don’t do it justice.

Once we arrived and checked into our bungalow (adorable), we had just enough time to hit the pool and beach to watch the sunset. We ended the day by eating Thai seafood dishes at a beachside restaurant and going to bed early because in the morning we signed up for a tour of the surrounding islands and secluded beaches.

This turned out to be my favorite day. We departed at 10 am and visited 6 spots in the Phi Phi area. Some of them were areas in the water where we could jump off the boat and snorkel and others where beaches. My favorite was the appropriately named, Monkey Beach. The little guys weren’t as friendly as the once who ate Hottess cakes and were seriously trying to defend their island. While we were taking pictures, on of them decided to see what we had in our bag. Then he took a liking to Fabien’s sun glasses and tried to make a run for it. Regardless, the place was secluded (only accessible by long boat) and beautiful. After we visited the famous beach where the movie was filmed, we watched the sunset on the boat. A perfect day.

Ko Lanta. We arrived early in the afternoon which not much planned. A tout talked us into a bungalow near the beach for about 12€. It wasn’t the Ritz Carlton, but it was worth the money. The beach was just a short walk and, again, just beautiful. There was almost no one in site, so we laid on the beach and swam for most of the day. At sunset we both got massages in little huts on the beach. It was such a relaxing day that we were back in the bungalow sleeping by 9 p.m.

The next morning we woke up and rented a motorbike to tour the island. It was definitely a little scruffier than the other places we’d been, but it had grass roots charm and it was near ghostown in the way of tourists.

Nai Yang. We had about 3 hours to kill before we could check into our flight so we decided to hang at a beach close to the airport, Nai Yang. We got in the taxi and told the driver to take us to his favorite restaurant in town. He responded telling us his sister worked at a great place. Usually not a good sign. We pulled up to a “restaurant” that consisted of tables with red and white linen clothes, topped off with tropical flowers and candles, next to strings of white lights in palm trees and tiki torches, on the beach and perfectly positioned to watch the pink, blue, purple and orange sunset that was going down. For the hundredth time on the vacation, Fabien rightfully patted himself on the back for being “so romantic”. It was bitter sweet because we had found the perfect beach and only had 3 hours to spend there. Even worse….in Ko Lanta the camera stopped working so I have no pictures. :( So after a fantastic dinner and, probably the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen, we headed back to the airport to board our flight to Bangkok.

 

Heaven on Earth, Part 1: Bangkok

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What an exciting time to travel to Bangkok! A few days before leaving, we decided it would be a smart move to register with our Embassies and move our hotel from Siam Square (downtown) to China Town (of all places), which was just far away from the protester locations, but close enough to all the spots we wanted to visit. If you are not aware of the situation, the Red Shirts have been congregating and protesting in major city areas of Bangkok, Chang Mai and Phuket. In summary, they believe that their Prime Minister is corrupt and want him to resign. Also, they would like the current Monarchy government to be dissolved and a new, Democratic one to be installed.

 Once we arrive in the Bangkok Airport, we instantly noticed a temperament change. The customs inspectors were wearing Hawaiian shirts and after stamping our passports, they smiled and welcomed us to Thailand. By the time we made it to baggage claim, our luggage was already on the conveyor belt. We exited the airport and approached the taxi stand. The girl asked us where we were going and she then instructed the queued driver to our destination. What efficiency. Within 30 minutes of our plane landing, we made it through customs, collected our luggage, got money out of an ATM and were already in route to our hotel. Were we really in Asia?

 Lonely Planet described our hotel as the most stylish place to stay in Bangkok. That was fine and dandy, but I picked it because it was off the beaten path of the protester mess and it was on sale (only $50 per night). We walked into the lobby and Fabien was thrilled that his name was on a board welcoming him. The bellboy was so nice what we were suspicious of him. He introduced himself, made sure that we knew where and what time breakfast was, showed us how to turn the air on, told us not to drink the water out of the tap, etc., etc. Weird. And Lonely Plant was right about the decor. Super cool, stylish and sheik. It was late, so we decided to just hang in China Town and have a couple beers on the street. It was midnight, 95 degrees and the area was great for people watching.

 We woke up Saturday morning and attacked the steaming city (near 100) with gusto. The Reclining Buddha, lunch on a riverside patio, Wat Arun, the Grand Palace(cover your eyes Frenchies….it was more beautiful than Versailles), a typical market and a tuk tuk ride. From there we rested at the hotel, cleaned up and went out in search of dinner. It was then that we got our first sight of the Red Shirt protestors. They were a fun bunch. Country music blaring, signs hoisted, noise makers going, dancing and singing. Cover your eyes moms, but we walked through their area to get to a famous city park. In the park, the police were having a little rest next to their riot gear. Within a couple of ours the police and protesters would have a standoff. 23 people would be killed and hundreds injured. Fortunately, we did not have any issue or find ourselves anywhere near these problems Saturday night. Probably because after a spicy dinner and a few beers, we were sleeping in the hotel at 10 p.m.

After the Saturday clash, the mood in the city was dramatically different. We planned to go see the Democracy Monument, the King’s residence and a few of the surrounding areas, but they were all barbwired off. The Red Shirts and police were everywhere and both of them had broken spirits. We had a taxi drive us around to the spots that he could access and then we took a water taxi to get a different view of the city. From there, we walked through a huge alley market where they were selling just about everything under the sun. From there we decided to just head to the airport and relax before heading to the beach that night.

Overall, I just loved Bangkok. Everything you would think about the city is true. It’s a mess, it’s so hot, it smells, the proverty is right in your face, but the people are just so nice that I couldn’t help but fall in love. And again, it was so cheap. Our room, the taxis, the shopping, cheap, cheap, cheap. At a clothing market, I bought some tank tops for 20 baht (40 cents). I didn’t even try to bargain because I would feel guilty cheating the woman out of 20 cents. And being so close to the amazing beaches (next blog) doesn’t hurt either. If you ever get a chance to go, I highly, highly, highly recommend.

 Here are Bangkok’s Greatest Hits in the way of photos: http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2414744017/a=139030390_139030390/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

But if you are short on time, here is the best of Thailand: http://www1.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=2414442017/a=139030390_139030390/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Controlling the Population

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A lot of times, I just don’t understand the people here. They walk around with masks on their faces in fear of swine flu, but will jump on a motorcycle without a helmet. I’ve been taking mental notes of contradictory actions such as this. So, here are a few things that will get you killed in Guangzhou (and China in general) if you’re not careful.

Crossing the street. I have no idea who came up with this traffic system. But seriously, WTF? Even when the walk signal to cross the street says go, you still have to look out for those turning right and left. Pedestrians have no right of way and the drivers really don’t care if you are walking and that your signal to do so is green.

Walking down the street. There are several dangers involved in this act. First, Watch out for man hole covers. There not always secure. At someone warned me that if you fall in one “There is no compensation.” Next, be on the look out for spit on the sidewalk. Chinese men love to get a nice, fat lougy and release it on the ground. Simply hearing the act is enough to send me into a screaming rage. Not to mention that one day, I almost broke my neck slipping on the pavement/saliva combo. And lastly, be on the look out for cars driving on the sidewalk. If you can’t find a parking spot on the street, just go ahead and park on the sidewalk. 

Riding a motorbike. Fortunately, they are not allowed in Guangzhou, but in Foshan, the motorbike drivers were CRAZY. Weaving in and out of traffic, driving on the shoulder, between cars, with no helmet and sometimes 4 people on one bike (including children and infants). It’s the Chinese minivan. Also, it’s very cheap to take a motorbike taxi. All you need is a dollar and a death wish.  When we lived in Foshan we saw the remnants of a taxi vs. motorbike match. Guess who won? I’ll give you a hint….there was a big round hole in the windshield of the taxi. I’m guessing it was from the motorbike drivers head. 

Taking a taxi in Shenzhen. This past weekend, Fabien and I went to the city that boarders Hong Kong. With only an hour to make our departing train, the taxi driver was on a mission. Driving on shoulders, sidewalks, through construction projects, you name it. At one point, I just laid down in the back seat. And did I mention there are no seat belts? I figured this might be the only way I could possible prevent myself from being ejected from the car if we got into an accident.

 Crossing the highway. I’m serious, people do this. It’s like that old Atari game that I can’t remember the name of.

 Buying something from a street food vendor. Every morning there is a guy marking breakfast burritos at the top of the Metro stop. Fabien really wants to try one but everyone is warning him not too. I told him if he does, I’m not sharing my Pepto Bismol supply with him.

 Heat stroke. It’s still winter but sometimes it get’s near 90F. On these days I sport my tank top, skirt and flip flops, but the Chinese have jeans, long sleeve shirts, boots, etc. I have no idea how they do it.

 Being trampled getting on and off the Metro. At first, the pushing to get on and off really annoyed me, but now I just push back (sometimes forcefully). Everyone else does it and I get some aggression out.

 Breathing. Hello pollution and second hand smoke. Everyone smokes everywhere. You can even smoke in the police station. There’s no such thing as a no smoking section. I think I’ve even been in an elevator when someone was smoking. Fortunately, it’s not allowed on the Metro. 

 There are over a billion people here, so all of these scenrios are just ways to control the population, but consider this your warning if (or when) you ever travel to China.

 Also, there are some photos in the Photo Gallery of this past weekend when we were Stranded in Guangdong (a whole other blog).