After overcoming a few technical difficulties, we were able to post pictures of our beloved Laos. Revisit the Laos section of the blog, or follow these links to Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, and the Plain of Jars.
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Thailand
Life is Scrumptious
After three days of meditating, being mindful of the minute, and being led around by an ominous bell, we had a Dhamma talk. The monk told us, "no look to man, look to nature." So we did.
I try to write about Ko Lipe and I end up lying in bed, smiling for an hour. That a place like this exists is a big, fat WOW. A sparkling island with no cars, no franchises, or large developments. Just four gorgeous beaches and a collection of trails and shortcuts that lead you through pockets of this tiny world.
We spent a day boating and snorkeling around the nearby islands. The water is invitingly warm and the lengthy shallows offer up a flood of life. We played with giant clams straight out of the cartoons, lost our vision (and a little skin off our fingers) in mobs of fish, evaded the Jellies, and rippled through the current with a squiggle of squid. Very cool.
The whole place feels like a weird dream. Like you're a castaway. Stranded within a brilliant self-sustaining world, built just for you. It was the perfect place to let the enormity of the past five months sink in, and to recharge our batteries for the upcoming months in India and Nepal.
View map of Ko Lipe
Year of the Ox
Back in Bangkok to settle our visas before leaving for Southern Thailand, Jeff and I headed to Chinatown to bring in the Lunar New Year.
On the Backs of Beasts
On the backs of beasts we roamed the land.
Two by two, with tropical fruits in our hand.
Down the white rapids after a relaxing float.
We bravely clung to a big rubber boat.
Through the jungle we trekked with monsterous spiders and snakes.
In the evening a million frogs sang like they had cake.
The villagers smiled, danced, and sold their wares.
In the chilling stream, we washed the dirt off in layers.
The fire crackled, snapped, and roared.
Until in our bamboo huts we lightly snored.
Thailand's Pride and Joy
We rolled into Chang Mai and stepped into the chilly night air. Our eyes immediately fixed on the large, orange, starlike orbs slowly floating across the sky. Nobody at the train station could tell us what they were (at least not in English), so we got our bearings and headed for the old city. The whole time new orbs were shooting upwards into the dark space above. Then we arrived at the bridge into town. It was a jubilent celebration of crackling and light. The entire structure was filled with people dodging cars and igniting their various and sometimes large fireworks in every direction. It was here, through the tear inducing smoke, our War of the Worlds mystery was solved. People were releasing miniature hot air balloons made of paper and wire. They ranged from one to three feet in size and were fueled by a fist sized ring that emmitted flame and gas when lit. The simple creations simply made the night.
Being late and without a place to stay, we kept on. But encountered a long string of full lodgings. Luckily, about a half an hour earlier, while deciphering our map, a Thai lady offered her help. She lived in the area, but went totally out of her way to take us through all the winding side streets until we finally found a vacancy. We settled for a tiny one-person room with a single bed, a single pillow and a tree in the bathroom. Less than spectacular, but it did the trick.
Next morning we headed out in search of more comfortable digs. A couple hours of perseverance really paid off, as we stumbled upon the Sunny Salsa. From floor to ceiling the place was sparkling clean in the way only a new place can be. And run by a husband and wife who made you feel totally at home. Our spacious room on the third floor offered us a wide-open 360 degree view of the city. (We even had curing meats hanging from our balcony). It was a perfect base to enjoy the magnificent and climaxing celebration of water over the next couple of nights.
On a tip from an old Aussie that we met on the ferry from Bali to Lombok, we signed up for a day of swinging from the treetops. The Flight of the Gibbon bus picked us up at the crack of dawn and we headed high into the mountains. With over 2km of cable, 20 platforms and up to 100m between you and the ground, this was a zip line adventure we couldn't pass up. It was very professionally run and our guides were absolutely hillarious! They did everything they could to entertain, scare and rattle you, from bouncing the ziplines and bridge crossings, to pushing you off the platform before you were ready, and even faking a few falls. One lady in our group nearly hyperventilated after the first big crossing, and Heather was crowned champion with her very impressive, x-shaped, upside down zip. After two wonderful hours, they served us a great lunch complete with tasty tea and coffee plucked from three feet away, and then took us to beautiful waterfall hike. As old Phil said, "Top day...Top day."
It takes no time at all to realize what a special city Chang Mai is. The old quater is surrounded by a square moat and even has a rampart still standing at the main gate. There's a calm bustle that fills the air and the people are exceptionally friendly. Old books stores, cafe's, delectable eateries and little hangouts are to be found everywhere. It was hard to leave. Staying twice as long as we originally planned, Chang Mai began to feel like home.
The Next Seven Days
Caught train to Kanchanaburi
Checked in to a floating guesthouse. Weeee.
Walked across a bridge over the Kwai River
Hiked half of Hellfire Pass
Got drenched in a downpour
Tried to take the bus to Lopburi, but ended up stranded in Angthong
Hopped on a scooter ride to a hotel from a 7-11 worker (3 people, 2 packs, 1 bike)
Bused pass a giant Budah on the way to Phitsanulok
Happened upon a night festival while searching for grub
Biked around the ancient city of Sukothai
Caught train to Chang Mai
Too spicy for you.
A turbulent plane ride that housed the occasional yelp of fright, brought us to our next cultural exploration –Thailand – home of culinary delights, happy massages, and 50 gazillion Buddhas.
We checked into Bangkok's Lub*d, our wonderful home for the next 5 nights, and shared a deep dreamy sleep. Waking up refreshed, we took off on the Skytrain, determined to take care of our mandatory Advance Visa to Vietnam. Unfortunately, the Vietnam embassy doesn’t share our philosophy regarding the days of the week. They knew it was Saturday and had the doors firmly locked.
The excursion was worth it though, as we decided to jump right into the street fare, and have lunch at a Pho cart that our noses just couldn’t ignore. We sat on our plastic stools amongst the pack of soup slurpering locals. Without a common language between us all we could do was nod, smile and laugh, as we compared our red pepper tinged meal to their deep crimson broth. It was the start of our love affair with Thai street food, and cost us less than a dollar each.
A short time later, we made our way to the Chatuchack market, Thailand’s largest. It was a giant maze of over 15,000 tight knit stalls, jammed with over 200,000 glass eyed shoppers. My favorite item: the flying squirrel.This market was the first of many that we would visit and had absolutely everything you could imagine. Except for the Ping Pong show, which was repeatedly offered to Heather as we perused the Patpong Night Market. But as luck would have it, she forgot her paddle and had to politely decline.
The next day we did a little temple touring in the King’s palace and Wat pho, which houses the largest Reclining Buddha in the world. We were also lucky enough to catch a royal funeral procession and parade for princess Galyani Vadhana. It was a very militaristic affair, with the media circling like vultures, and machine gun toting guards clearing the way. Inside the grounds of the Kings Palace was a collection of ornate and sparkly buildings that nearly fried our retinas under the intense sun. The highlight here was the ominous emerald Buddha shrine. With our enlightenment tanks fully topped up, we called the site seeing a day a rode the river ferry back to our end of town, slamming into every pier along the way.
Tuesday night was our last in Bangkok and Lumphini Stadium was calling our names. We snagged ringside seats for the Muay Thai Boxing event of the week. It was an intense evening, filled with quirky music, strange ceremonial dance and a roaring crowd. And the fighting, it was a brutal display of rib crunching action. For anyone who appreciates the art of violent sport, this is a winner.
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