Thursday, November 19 continued..... Back to Bangkok we went on a 2 hour flight. After going through immigration and customs (once again) and tracking down the shuttle, we were off to our hotel for the evening. We had a 6:15 am flight the next day to Bali, so we opted to stay close to the airport. By the time we got to the hotel it was around 3:00 pm. It was quite a nice hotel, though it looked like hardly anyone was staying there. We went for a quick dip in the pool, had an early dinner, took some sleeping pills and called it a very early night.
Friday, November 20. Today was a day of planes, cars and boats. Travel day. Destination Gili Trawangan aka “Gili T.” We were up bright and early. We had scheduled a 3:30 am wake-up call, but someone from the hotel came to our room, mistakenly, around 1:45 am to drop of a charger. Neither Keith nor I were able to get back to sleep. We took the 4:00 am shuttle back to the airport, checked in, had some breakfast at Burger King and then boarded our 4 plus hour flight to Bali. We arrived in Bali, went through immigration and customs and met a man who gave up our tickets and transfer vouchers to Gili T. Next we took a small smelly plane to the island of Lombok – a 35 to 40 minute flight. We were once again met by a man (as an aside, I had pre-arranged all of the transfers) who drove us to the harbor where were we would be taking a fast boat to the island of Gili T. It about a 35 minute drive up and down a large mountain and through the jungle where we saw monkeys on the side of the road. We finally got the harbor and went for a short 10 minute boat ride over to Gili T. The boat literally dropped us right on the beach in front of our hotel. 12 plus hours after our journey had started, we finally made it to our destination. Gili Trawangan is part of the Gili Islands, three small islands off the larger island of Lombok. Gili T is the largest of the three islands and has a population of about 800 people. The islands were discovered only 30 years ago. Gili T has become known as a bit of a party spot known for its diving and magic mushrooms. There are no paved roads or motorized vehicles on Gili T. The only modes of transportation are foot, bicycle and horse-drawn tuk tuks. The island is encircled by a beautiful white beach and the water is gorgeous. There are now a number of bungalows and villas as well as cafes and restaurants on the island. We checked into our hotel were we gave us a delicious welcome drink (a common occurrence when checking into a hotel in Southeast Asia). As an aside, the juices all over Southeast Asia are delicious – I think it comes from the abundance of fruit that grows in this area of the world. We then went and checked out our room. It was quite nice. The bathroom was partially outside which proved to be quite an experience. We wanted to see sunset so we walked about 7 minutes or so to the area where sunset was supposed to be the best. Though there were many people there, the sun tucked behind the clouds and there really wasn't much to see. We were both starving so we decided to have some dinner. Along the “street” there are a number of restaurants with fresh fish. You pick out your fish and they grill it right there for you. After dinner we were both exhausted from having gotten up so early so we headed back to hotel to shower and call it a night. We then encountered the downside to having a bathroom that's partially outside. There was a small scorpion on the wall and a large cockroach in the shower and somehow a long millipede had made it into our room. Also, we discovered that the water coming out of the bathroom sink as well as the shower was salt water. Apparently it's very difficult and expensive to get fresh water out to the Gili Islands. Fortunately there was a freshwater tap with a bucket, so we were able to rinse off a bit of the salt water. Keith and I both had a restless night sleep.
Saturday, November 21. After breakfast we wandered around town – a one “road” dirt strip about ½ mile long. We dropped off some laundry, Keith bought a bathing suit and we grabbed some water, diet cokes and Oreos. As a side note, Oreos and Pringles can be found all over Southeast Asia. We spent the rest of the day by the pool, lounging about and relaxing. Around 4:00 pm we set off to walk around the entire island – a 2 hour walk. The journey was very nice. The beaches have lots and lots of different coral and good shells. Apparently before tourism reached the island, they used to bomb fish – meaning they would throw sticks of dynamite into the water to kill the fish. This caused the coral to break up with the result being lots of dead coral on the beach. We arrived at the “sunset” spot in time for sunset, though once again the sun had ducked behind the clouds so there really wasn't much to see. We showered, had some dinner and called it a night.
Sunday, November 22. After breakfast we had decided to see the other Gili Islands and do some snorkeling. We set out on a pirate type boat with seven other people (we were the only Americans once again). The day was spent sailing around Gili Air and Gili Nemo, the two other Gili Islands and snorkeling. The snorkeling was very good and the water was extremely warm. We saw lots of brightly colored fish and two salt and pepper colored eels battling over home turf. Lunch was fresh fish – delicious. It was nice to spend the day out on the ocean. Since the temperature was so warm on land, it was nice to be in a spot where there was a constant breeze. We arrived back at the hotel around 4:30 pm, showered and then headed out. We had a few cocktails, some dinner and called it a night.
Monday, November 23. After breakfast we checked out of the hotel and headed off on a speed boat to Bali. The boat ride over to Bali was a bit scary. It was an 1 ½ hour ride on a speed boat which held about 20 passengers. We hit some very rough seas and I (and I think Keith) was a bit nervous – especially given that the day before a ferry had sunk going from an island off Singapore to Sumantra due to rough seas. It was a rough rough ride and we were both very relieved to arrive in Bali. When we arrived in the harbor we had an hour drive to Ubud – the town where we were staying in Bali. Ubud is a bit inland, but boosts a large cultural scene. After checking into our hotel we went to wander along the main street. The shops had many beautiful handcrafts. We had some lunch and Keith went to get a haircut. It was a bit of a scary experience as the girl didn't have a firm grasp on what she was doing and there was somewhat of a language barrier. Thankful only one side burn got a little butchered. We then went over to where our friend Rachel was staying, but she was still out for the day. We went back to the hotel for a swim and then checked by Rachel's place again, but she was still not home. I went back to the hotel for a shower and Keith went to get a massage (he was sore from hanging onto the boat – he said he felt like he had orangutan arms). Finally we met up with Rachel and went out for dinner. It was VERY nice to see someone from home and just to be around another person.
Tuesday, November 24. After breakfast Keith and I went to check out Pasar Seni, the main market which sells clothing, wood carvings, silver jewelry and a wide range of souvenirs. It was a little overwhelming but I managed to purchase yet ANOTHER watch (I think it's watch #3 or #4) as my watch had fallen off in Bangkok and shattered. After going through the market we walked through town a bit and somehow managed to get lost. After two hours of walking and asking multiple people for directions, we finally made it back to the hotel. For the afternoon we had planned to go to the Elephant Safari Park. We got a driver and headed out. The Park was fabulous. The Park began as a rescue center and now houses 27 elephants, including three baby elephants. You could feed and play with all of the elephants. We watched a “talent” show where the elephants did everything from dunk basket balls and drop kick soccer balls to pulling a rope to hoist a flag. We then went for an elephant ride which takes you through the jungle and ends in a small swimming pool. Our elephant's name was Ola. It was cool though Keith was happy when the ride was over. After some lunch we headed back to our hotel. We went for a swim in the pool, showered and met up with Rachel (who had spent the day at the spa). We had FABULOUS dinner at a restaurant that was set in the lush tropical jungle. We then called it a night.
Wednesday, November 25. Happy 1st birthday to my niece Lauran! After breakfast we met up with Rachel and headed over to the Monkey Forest Sanctuary where there are literally hundreds of long-tailed Balinese macaques who have no fear of people and roam wild. My Lonely Planet says the following: “The monkeys are both consummate comedians and pathological kleptomaniacs....” The monkeys were quite aggressive at times. One was particularly interested in Keith's bottle of water. He grabbed it from Keith, managed to unscrew the cap, picked it up with two hands and drank out of it. Another one jumped on Rachel's head (not sure if it was her earrings or her bag that he was after) and didn't seem to want to let go despite our best efforts to get him off. Finally Keith had to give him a smack on the ass, which did get him off of Rachel, though he expressed his unhappiness by showing Keith his pearly whites (and they do have pretty fierce looking teeth). There were monkeys of all different ages and sizes. The Sanctuary itself was quite beautiful with huge trees, moss covered rocks, temples and stone carvings. After a couple of hours at the Sanctuary we decided to go see a little more of Bali. We hired a driver and went to see one of Bali's still active volcanoes. It was an impressive sight to see. We had lunch looking over the volcano and then headed to a coffee plantation where they grow coffee beans, cocoa and a variety of spices. They let us try a couple of different coffees, some cocoa and some herbal tea. It was delicious. They also had a couple of lombaks (?), an animal similar to a meerkat but bigger, which eats the coffee beans when they are ripe, poops them out and then they make a special coffee out of those beans. Interesting. We stopped and took a few pictures of the rice fields on the way home. Our driver dropped us off at Pasar Seni (the main market). We all purchased a few items at the market and then wandered back to our hotels to shower. We met up with Rachel for dinner. We had decided to go a restaurant on the other side of Monkey Forest Sanctuary where we could watch a traditional Balinese dance called Barong. The path going through the Sanctuary was very dark and I was a bit nervous that the monkeys were going to come out and get us, but we had a flashlight and fortunately it appeared that all the monkeys had gone to sleep for the night. The restaurant was nice and I had some delicious Balinese wine. The food was so so. Keith ordered the duck, a local specialty, though what he got was essentially a fried duck carcass which was more reminiscent of a bat than a duck. Fortunately he also ordered some spinach mashed potatoes which were absolutely scrumptious. The dance was colorful and interesting – like nothing I had ever seen before. It told a tale of two kings fighting over a woman and men turning into animals. After some dessert we headed back to our hotels and called it a night.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Pictures from Luang Prabang
Monks arriving for breakfast, elephant strolling down the road and waterfalls.
Pictures from Luang Prabang
One of the many Buddhas we've seen, Luang Prabang and sunset over the Mekong.
Laos
Friday, November 13 continued. We were off to Vientiane, Laos. We flew for about an hour and then stop and a very small airport in Paske to clear customs. Back in the plane we went to fly for another hour or so before landing in Vientiane. Driving to our hotel we decided that Laos lay somewhere in between Thailand and Cambodia in so far as development. It wasn't nearly as westernized as Thailand but it didn't seem to have the prevalent poverty that Cambodia seemed to have. After checking into our hotel we went for a swim and had some lunch. Next we decided to walk into the main area of town and wander around a bit. Vientiane had a strong french influence – the result of being a french colony for a number of years. Vientiane seemed to have some nice spots but overall there really wasn't too much to see or do. Keith and I had a beer along the Mekong River and watched the sunset. We then had dinner where I had probably the best plate of spaghetti I'd ever had (surprisingly). We then went back to the hotel. I called it a night and Keith went and got a head, neck, shoulders and foot massage for the equivalent of U.S.$10.
Saturday, November 14. It was a bit of a lazy morning. We had some breakfast and I spent sometime trying to finalize our accommodations for Bali. Around noon we checked out of our hotel and checked into the hotel where we were to meet our tour guide. The hotel wasn't as nice as where we had stayed the night before, but it was in a more central part of town. We had a delicious pizza for lunch and then met up with our guide who would be showing us around the sights of Vientiane. We had signed up to do an “independent” tour – meaning were not going around with a bunch of other people but rather we had are own private guide who would make sure we got from place to place okay. He seemed like a nice man. He had a “gus” growing out of the side of his cheek which I tried hard not to stare at (they are considered good luck in Asian cultures). We spent the afternoon with him seeing the highlights of Vientiane. We went to Vat Sisaket, a museum that houses over 600 Buddhas, Hor Phakeo, a temple that once housed the emerald Buddha before it was taken to Bangkok, That Luang a huge gold stupa that is considered to be the country's most cherished religious monument and Patuxay, a monument that was modeled after the Arc de Triumph in Paris. On the way back we stopped at Talath Sao, aka the Morning Market, which sells just about everything and anything. Not one person ask us if we wanted to buy anything – it was a welcome change from the constant solicitation we had encountered in Thailand and Cambodia. We stopped back at the hotel for a bit of a rest and then headed out to dinner. We went back to the same place we had been the night before, but sadly it wasn't as good as the previous night. Neither Keith nor I were feeling “quite right” so we called it an early evening.
Sunday, November 15. After breakfast we were picked up and brought to the airport for a short 35-40 minutes flight to Luang Prabang (as there is no train system in Laos the alternatives would have been a 3 day boat ride on the Mekong or an 11 hour bus ride through the mountains). We were met in Luang Prabang by our guide's brother-in-law – our guide had been double booked. We checked into our hotel, which was nothing fancy but had the basics, and had some lunch. Luang Prabang is quite small and charming compare to Vientiane. It's up in the mountains and it lays on the Mekong River. Luang Prabang used to be the capital city, but it was moved to Vientiane in the 1500s. My Lonely Planet describes it as the following, “...this once sleepy capital is perhaps the most sophisticated, photogenic city in the whole of Southeast Asia. With its orange-robed monks, and fantastic food at the many bistros, cafes and night-market, Luang Prabang is a wonder place to kick back for a few days.” So we were off with our replacement guide to see the sights of Luang Prabang. Our first stop was the Royal Palace Museum, followed by Wat Xieng Thong and Wat Visoun (two temples). Our tour for the day ended at Phu Si, a temple that rest atop 300 plus stairs, where we saw an imprint of Buddha's foot (it was quite large) and watched a beautiful sunset. We bid our guide farewell after sunset. We wandered through the night market, one the best and cleanest markets we've come across so far, and grabbed some dinner. We then called it a night.
Monday, November 16. After breakfast we met up with our original tour guide and went for a boat ride along the Mekong River. The boat ride along the Mekong was beautiful and relaxing. We had the boat to ourselves and the weather was perfect. We stopped at a small village along the way nicknamed “Whiskey Village” were they sold silk and of course rice whiskey made with various animals, including snakes, scorpions and hornets. We then headed to the Pak Ou (about 25km by boat from Luang Prabang), two caves in the lower part of a limestone cliff which are filled with Buddha images. As an aside, Keith and I have learned quite a bit of Buddhism though we are a bit templed out. We headed back to Luang Prabang on the boat and bid our guide farewell. We grabbed some lunch at a place called JoMas (owned by Canadians) and headed over to the Phousi Market – once again a market that sells just about everything and anything. Keith was in search of a new pair of flip flops – though he found quite a few pairs, none of were big enough – they just don't grow folks as big as Keith here! The rest of the day was spent lounging about. We had some dinner and called it a night.
Tuesday, November 17. We were up bright and early. At 4:00 am and 4:00 pm the monks bang drums at their respective temples (to signify something but we can't remember). In the morning approximately 200 monks from all over the area come to the center of Luang Prabang to get breakfast from the people. Keith and I headed out at 4:00 am to see this, only to discover that the monks don't generally arrive until 5:45 am. I headed back to bed, being content to look at pictures. Keith wanted to see this for himself so stayed up and headed out at 5:45 am. There were groups of 20 or so monks coming from every direction to get breakfast. Keith said it was an interesting sight but that I didn't miss too much. After breakfast we decided to head to the Tat Kuang Si waterfalls. It was about an hour tuk tuk ride and we got to see some of the beautiful countryside and mountains. We even passed an man trekking on an elephant. On the way to the waterfalls there was a bear rescue center where they housed maybe 8 or 10 bears that you could watch play, eat, and lounge about. The waterfalls were beautiful. There were several layers and at various spots you could go swimming. My Lonely Planet describes them as the following: “...wide multi-tiered waterfall tumbling over limestone formations into a series of cool, turquoise-green pools. After climbing through a bit of the jungle to the top, Keith and I went for a swim. As an aside, the jungles in Laos have tigers, bears, elephants, boar, deer, monkeys, snakes, etc. - though fortunately we didn't see any of them during our climb. After a few hours at the waterfalls we headed back to town – and just in time. As we were driving back, the rain set in and the cold weather arrived. When we got back to town we had a late lunch. I then headed off for a manicure, pedicure and facial (for about $12 all together). Since Keith and I had had a late lunch we decided to skip dinner and called it a night.
Wednesday, November 18. The cold season had officially arrived. So far the weather for the most part had been in the 90s (unusual for this time of year) – now the temperature hovered somewhere around the high 60s to low 70s. After having spent weeks in the 90s it felt quite cold to us (or at least to me) and I had to pull out my jeans and fleece jacket. Today was overcast and made for a lazy day. After breakfast, we went shopping for a bit where I bought a cheap watch (the third one so far on this trip as I seem to keep losing them) and Keith bought a new pair of flip flops finally – his other ones had almost rotted off his feet. We then checked out of our hotel and into the hotel where we would be staying for our last night. It was quite nice hotel but the room didn't have a television (which was just fine by me but Keith, not so much). We wandered around town for a bit, had a pizza for lunch and then went to go get massages. We both got hour massages for about $12 combined! The massages were very nice though Keith's masseuse was pushing so hard on Keith's back, that she bunted – it was quite amusing. Afterward we grabbed a glass of wine, showered, and did a little more shopping at the night market. We then headed to a restaurant called Utopia. It was a bit of a trek through various side streets, but the restaurant was right on the Mekong where you sat on cushions on a bamboo floor. The restaurant had old Indochina war artifacts, a huge beach volleyball court and a crow's nest. The food was delicious and it was the perfect place to spend our last night in Luang Prabang.
Thursday, November 19. After some breakfast along the Mekong, we checked out of our hotel, hopped in a tuk tuk and headed to the airport. We were headed once again to Bangkok, for just one night, with our ultimate destination being Bali. A few thoughts on Laos... Keith and I very much enjoyed our time in Laos. Although the Temples of Angkor in Cambodia were spectacular, Laos as a whole was wonderful. The people are very friendly without being pushy. They would bargain with you but wouldn't solicit or harass you like the people in Thailand and Cambodia. They seem to have a very laid back approach to life.
Saturday, November 14. It was a bit of a lazy morning. We had some breakfast and I spent sometime trying to finalize our accommodations for Bali. Around noon we checked out of our hotel and checked into the hotel where we were to meet our tour guide. The hotel wasn't as nice as where we had stayed the night before, but it was in a more central part of town. We had a delicious pizza for lunch and then met up with our guide who would be showing us around the sights of Vientiane. We had signed up to do an “independent” tour – meaning were not going around with a bunch of other people but rather we had are own private guide who would make sure we got from place to place okay. He seemed like a nice man. He had a “gus” growing out of the side of his cheek which I tried hard not to stare at (they are considered good luck in Asian cultures). We spent the afternoon with him seeing the highlights of Vientiane. We went to Vat Sisaket, a museum that houses over 600 Buddhas, Hor Phakeo, a temple that once housed the emerald Buddha before it was taken to Bangkok, That Luang a huge gold stupa that is considered to be the country's most cherished religious monument and Patuxay, a monument that was modeled after the Arc de Triumph in Paris. On the way back we stopped at Talath Sao, aka the Morning Market, which sells just about everything and anything. Not one person ask us if we wanted to buy anything – it was a welcome change from the constant solicitation we had encountered in Thailand and Cambodia. We stopped back at the hotel for a bit of a rest and then headed out to dinner. We went back to the same place we had been the night before, but sadly it wasn't as good as the previous night. Neither Keith nor I were feeling “quite right” so we called it an early evening.
Sunday, November 15. After breakfast we were picked up and brought to the airport for a short 35-40 minutes flight to Luang Prabang (as there is no train system in Laos the alternatives would have been a 3 day boat ride on the Mekong or an 11 hour bus ride through the mountains). We were met in Luang Prabang by our guide's brother-in-law – our guide had been double booked. We checked into our hotel, which was nothing fancy but had the basics, and had some lunch. Luang Prabang is quite small and charming compare to Vientiane. It's up in the mountains and it lays on the Mekong River. Luang Prabang used to be the capital city, but it was moved to Vientiane in the 1500s. My Lonely Planet describes it as the following, “...this once sleepy capital is perhaps the most sophisticated, photogenic city in the whole of Southeast Asia. With its orange-robed monks, and fantastic food at the many bistros, cafes and night-market, Luang Prabang is a wonder place to kick back for a few days.” So we were off with our replacement guide to see the sights of Luang Prabang. Our first stop was the Royal Palace Museum, followed by Wat Xieng Thong and Wat Visoun (two temples). Our tour for the day ended at Phu Si, a temple that rest atop 300 plus stairs, where we saw an imprint of Buddha's foot (it was quite large) and watched a beautiful sunset. We bid our guide farewell after sunset. We wandered through the night market, one the best and cleanest markets we've come across so far, and grabbed some dinner. We then called it a night.
Monday, November 16. After breakfast we met up with our original tour guide and went for a boat ride along the Mekong River. The boat ride along the Mekong was beautiful and relaxing. We had the boat to ourselves and the weather was perfect. We stopped at a small village along the way nicknamed “Whiskey Village” were they sold silk and of course rice whiskey made with various animals, including snakes, scorpions and hornets. We then headed to the Pak Ou (about 25km by boat from Luang Prabang), two caves in the lower part of a limestone cliff which are filled with Buddha images. As an aside, Keith and I have learned quite a bit of Buddhism though we are a bit templed out. We headed back to Luang Prabang on the boat and bid our guide farewell. We grabbed some lunch at a place called JoMas (owned by Canadians) and headed over to the Phousi Market – once again a market that sells just about everything and anything. Keith was in search of a new pair of flip flops – though he found quite a few pairs, none of were big enough – they just don't grow folks as big as Keith here! The rest of the day was spent lounging about. We had some dinner and called it a night.
Tuesday, November 17. We were up bright and early. At 4:00 am and 4:00 pm the monks bang drums at their respective temples (to signify something but we can't remember). In the morning approximately 200 monks from all over the area come to the center of Luang Prabang to get breakfast from the people. Keith and I headed out at 4:00 am to see this, only to discover that the monks don't generally arrive until 5:45 am. I headed back to bed, being content to look at pictures. Keith wanted to see this for himself so stayed up and headed out at 5:45 am. There were groups of 20 or so monks coming from every direction to get breakfast. Keith said it was an interesting sight but that I didn't miss too much. After breakfast we decided to head to the Tat Kuang Si waterfalls. It was about an hour tuk tuk ride and we got to see some of the beautiful countryside and mountains. We even passed an man trekking on an elephant. On the way to the waterfalls there was a bear rescue center where they housed maybe 8 or 10 bears that you could watch play, eat, and lounge about. The waterfalls were beautiful. There were several layers and at various spots you could go swimming. My Lonely Planet describes them as the following: “...wide multi-tiered waterfall tumbling over limestone formations into a series of cool, turquoise-green pools. After climbing through a bit of the jungle to the top, Keith and I went for a swim. As an aside, the jungles in Laos have tigers, bears, elephants, boar, deer, monkeys, snakes, etc. - though fortunately we didn't see any of them during our climb. After a few hours at the waterfalls we headed back to town – and just in time. As we were driving back, the rain set in and the cold weather arrived. When we got back to town we had a late lunch. I then headed off for a manicure, pedicure and facial (for about $12 all together). Since Keith and I had had a late lunch we decided to skip dinner and called it a night.
Wednesday, November 18. The cold season had officially arrived. So far the weather for the most part had been in the 90s (unusual for this time of year) – now the temperature hovered somewhere around the high 60s to low 70s. After having spent weeks in the 90s it felt quite cold to us (or at least to me) and I had to pull out my jeans and fleece jacket. Today was overcast and made for a lazy day. After breakfast, we went shopping for a bit where I bought a cheap watch (the third one so far on this trip as I seem to keep losing them) and Keith bought a new pair of flip flops finally – his other ones had almost rotted off his feet. We then checked out of our hotel and into the hotel where we would be staying for our last night. It was quite nice hotel but the room didn't have a television (which was just fine by me but Keith, not so much). We wandered around town for a bit, had a pizza for lunch and then went to go get massages. We both got hour massages for about $12 combined! The massages were very nice though Keith's masseuse was pushing so hard on Keith's back, that she bunted – it was quite amusing. Afterward we grabbed a glass of wine, showered, and did a little more shopping at the night market. We then headed to a restaurant called Utopia. It was a bit of a trek through various side streets, but the restaurant was right on the Mekong where you sat on cushions on a bamboo floor. The restaurant had old Indochina war artifacts, a huge beach volleyball court and a crow's nest. The food was delicious and it was the perfect place to spend our last night in Luang Prabang.
Thursday, November 19. After some breakfast along the Mekong, we checked out of our hotel, hopped in a tuk tuk and headed to the airport. We were headed once again to Bangkok, for just one night, with our ultimate destination being Bali. A few thoughts on Laos... Keith and I very much enjoyed our time in Laos. Although the Temples of Angkor in Cambodia were spectacular, Laos as a whole was wonderful. The people are very friendly without being pushy. They would bargain with you but wouldn't solicit or harass you like the people in Thailand and Cambodia. They seem to have a very laid back approach to life.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Cambodia
Friday, November 6 continued. On the plane we went to fly from Bangkok, Thailand to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was a short flight and after clearing customs and immigration relatively quickly, we were headed to our hotel for the night, an Intercontinental. During the drive to the hotel it became clear that Cambodia was still far away from being westernized and was not nearly as developed as where we had been in Thailand. Though there was one Kentucky Fried Chicken, other than a handful of buildings, there was no “shiny and new.” Our taxi driver's family had all been killed by the Khumer Rouge. He did say things were improving as more tourists were visiting the country, but it seemed like Phnom Penh still had a long way to go. The Intercontinental was quite nice. After checking in we wandered around the hotel and walked around a bit outside. Though there were many stalls with “stuff,” there really wasn't much to see or buy. Crossing the street was a bit challenging with mopeds and cars going in every which direction. We had dinner back at the hotel and called it an early night.
Saturday, November 7. Today was a bit of a lazy day. After sleeping in, we grabbed some breakfast and took a dip in the pool. Around 2:00 pm we headed over to the hotel where we would be staying for the next two days and where we would be meeting our tour. Though the hotel was not as fancy as the Intercontinental, it seemed to be in a little better part of town, right along the Tonle Sap River and close to the Royal Palace. We then hopped in a tuk tuk and went to check out Phnom Penh's only casino. Apparently there used to be many more casinos, but the government shut them all down after Cambodians lost their money (which, I'm guessing, was very little to begin with). The casino is only open to foreigners. I, happily, won $100 on the penny slots and called it quits. Keith did not fare as well. We then headed back to our hotel to meet up with our tour group. There are approximately 16 people in our tour group ranging in age from mid 20s to Betty, who just celebrated her 80th birthday. Once again we were the only Americans (though Nadia currently lives in Boston but is from the Ukraine). Most of the people on the tour were from Australia or New Zealand. We had a Cambodian guide name So On (sp?). He was a bit hard to understand at times, but had an infectious laugh. After having a meet and greet, we all headed out to dinner. We dined at a non-profit restaurant where all of the money goes to support an orphanage. Cambodia is extremely poor – it's probably the poorest place I have ever visited. Many families can't afford their children, or the parents have been killed by land mines or disease. During dinner the children of the orphanage put on several dances. It was heart-breaking on one hand but comforting on the other knowing that they weren't living on the streets. The children genuinely looked to be having fun and were quite good dancers. At the end of the dances they passed around sheets with a picture and the name of the different children available for adoption. It definitely pulled at my heart -strings. After dinner we headed back to the hotel where I called it night. Keith headed back to casino where he fared a little better.
Sunday, November 8. Our tour had officially begun. After breakfast we boarded a bus to go to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (aka S-21). Originally a high school during the reign of Pol Pot, his security forces turned it into a detention center in 1975 where over 17,000 people were tortured and either killed here or at the Killing Fields. It was pretty hard to imagine the atrocities that were committed here to men, women and children (many of whom had done nothing except for being the wrong profession or wearing glasses). My Lonely Planet describes it as the following: “Tuol Sleng demonstrates the darkest side of the human spirit that lurks within us all. It is not for the squeamish, but a visit here is instrumental in understanding Cambodia's past and present.” From there, we headed to Choeung Ek, otherwise known as the Killing Fields. People were brought here to be killed when they ran out of room for the bodies at S-21. 80 or so of the 129 mass graves were dug up in the late 1980's to provide proof of the atrocities that were committed by the Khumer Rouge. It was a solemn sight. In the center, they have a large monument which contains the skulls of the 900 people they recovered. As a side note, in the Cambodian culture in order for your soul to go to heaven, the body needs to be cremated. By having these mass graves and not cremating the bodies made the atrocities even worse. Next we headed back to the hotel for lunch and a little rest. In the afternoon we headed over to the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace was a stark contrast to what was going on outside. To get to the Royal Palace we needed to walk through one of the local markets. It was an experience (and not necessarily a good one). There was a strong smell of rot, there was hunks of raw meat sitting out with flies, half dead fish, it was hot, humid, muggy and very dirty. There were mopeds, cars and tuk tuks going every which way so you had to try hard not to get hit. Children begging everywhere. I was happy to get to the Royal Palace. Similar to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, it is a complex of temples and beautiful buildings (though not quite as fancy as Bangkok). From there, we headed to the National Museum which contained many pieces of Khumer art. We headed back to the hotel for a short rest before dinner. For dinner we all dined at a nice Khumer restaurant nestled in some of the back streets of Phnom Pehn. As a side note, Cambodia was once the center of the Khumer Empire that included much of what is now Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. Unfortunately I was starting not to feel well so I didn't each much, but Keith thought the food was quite good.
Monday, November 9. The day started very early for me. My upset stomach culminated at about 3:00 am and there were many trips to the bathroom from then on. Unfortunately today was also travel day – we were to take a 5 – 6 hour bus ride from Phnom Pehn to Siem Reap. I wasn't looking forward to it. I took a couple of amodium ad and hoped for the best. Our first stop was at a market which sold everything from fruit to fired crickets and spiders. One young girl had a tarantula crawling on her (though the teeth had been removed). Apparently Cambodians eat everything – except rocks – I'm guessing because the county is so poor they have to eat whatever they can. The market was quite dirty and as soon as you stepped off the bus you had children trying to sell you anything and everything (a very common occurrence in Cambodia). Our second stop was a bridge that was build in the 4th century. There had been no restoration to the bridge and it was amazingly well preserved (and still in use). We then grabbed some lunch just outside of Siem Reap and checked into our hotel. Thankfully the ride went okay for me and I was starting to feel a little bit better. Driving through Cambodia was something else. The country is shockingly poor. People leave in run down shacks with little to no plumbing or electricity. There is garbage everywhere. Words are hard to describe the poverty that these people live in. A governor makes a good salary at $120 a month, a teacher, around $40 a month. The government seems not to care about the squander that the people live in. Children literally poop in a bag on the side of the street and toss the bag wherever. Back to the day - after a short rest we headed over the to the Temples of Angkor. They are, in a word, spectacular and are sometimes referred to as the 8th wonder of the world. If you've never heard or seen them before, its worth a google. Essentially between the 9th and the 13th century, the Khumer kings built a whole complex which contains a number of different temples and a walled city which at one time lived 500,000 people. It was abandoned in the 13th century during a war with Thailand. It sat untouched for almost 400 years. In the late 1800's it was discovered by a French naturalist and in the early 1900's the French made a huge undertaking to clear away all of the jungle vegetation that was overtaking Angkor and to restore and rebuild a number of the structures. A number of statutes and carvings had been stolen or lost, but overall, Angkor was amazingly well-preserved. Our first stop in Angkor was Phom Bakheng, one of temples. After a bit of a hike and climbing some steep stairs, we watched a beautiful sunset. We then headed back to the hotel Everyone was pretty tired from the long day, so we all decided just to have dinner at the hotel before calling it a night.
Tuesday, November 10. Today was a very early start as we meet our group at 5:00 am to go watch surise at Agkor Wat – the most famous of all of the temples. It's the largest religious building in the world that is surrounded by a HUGE moat. It was built by Suryavarman II, who reigned from 1112 to 1152. It was to honor the god Vishnu and it was to be his funeral temple. There is a large reflection pool outside of Agkor Wat and it provides a great place to watch the sun rise. After sunrise we headed to Ta Prohm (probably my most favorite spot in all of Angkor). It looks like something out of Indiana Jones and it in fact provided the set for the movie Tomb Raider. It's another one of the temples, but whereas the French untook huge measures to clear away the jungle that was overtaking Angkor, this temple was left much as it looked when the French found it years ago. There are huge trees and roots growing right in, over and through the stonework. It was incredible. After Ta Prohm we headed back to the hotel for some breakfast and a bit of a rest. We gathered back together around 1:00 pm to head back to Angkor for lunch. Next we wandered around Angkor Thom – the fortified city. Angkor Thom was built by Jayavarman II, who reigned from 1181 to 1219. The walls of the city are 12 km long, 6 meters high and 12 meters wide. Angkor Thom contained many wonderful and amazing sights. We then watched another beautiful sunset. After heading back to the hotel and a quick shower we went out to dinner where we watched traditional Cambodian dancers. Next we visited the night market, where you could buy wood and stone carvings, silk, silver and souvenirs. They even had fish massages where you would put your feet in a pool and fish would eat all the dead skin off the bottoms of them. We then called it a night.
Wednesday, November 11. Today was yet another early start (though not as early as the day before). Our first stop of the day was the actual inside of Angkor Wat. The central temple consists of three levels, each of which encloses a square that are interlinked by galleries. Lonely Planet says, “it'll blow your socks of!” It did not disappoint. Wandering through there you could imagine the splendor of what it looked like back then. The carvings and etching in the walls were amazingly well preserved. The only downside to the visit was Keith getting pooped on by one of the thousands of bats that live up in the ceilings. After a few hours wandering around Angkor Wat we got back on the bus and stopped at a small silver shop where the silver is 92.9% pure. I of course bought a small bowl. Next we visited Artisans d'Angkor, an artisan's school where they make (and we watched them make) wooden and stone carvings, silk weaving and silk paintings. It's was neat to be able to see how much work goes into all of the items they sell on the street. Back to the hotel we went for lunch and a bit of a rest. For the afternoon you had a your choice of a number of things to do. Keith and I opted to go see a traditional Cambodian floating village (along with 4 other people). After a 35 minute bus ride and a 45 minute boat ride, we arrived at the floating village -a very cool sight to see. There were about 100 houses all built about 8 meters off the ground. Approximately five months of the year the ground is flooded and hence the need to build the houses so high. There was just a handful of tourists there and it provided a real insight into Cambodian life. We then hopped in an even smaller boat where we spent 30 minutes or so paddling through the mangroves. On the way back, we were treated to an incredible sunset. For our last evening we all dined together and then had some ice cream. It had been a really good group of people and we had many laughs. I was sad to say goodbye to them.
Thursday, November 12. Our tour officially ended after breakfast. Keith and I had one more day and night in Siem Reap before flying off to Laos. We spent the morning at the Angkor National Museum. It wasn't too crowded and it wasn't too big, so it was a perfect way to spend a morning. After the Museum we checked out of our hotel and into the hotel where we would be spending the next night. We took a dip in the salt water pool (which was quite fancy) and had some lunch. Around 2:00 pm So On's brother-in-law picked us up in his tuk tuk and Keith and I went to go see a few more of the sights of Angkor. We started with a short helium balloon ride (we went up approximately 130 meters). It provided a spectacular view of all of Angkor Wat. Next we visited a few more temples and feed some monkeys . We headed back to our hotel around 5:30, showered and headed out for the evening. I did a bit of shopping at the night market and Keith got his feet eaten by the fish. We then both got back and shoulder massages, followed by dinner. We then called it a night.
Friday, November 13. After breakfast, we checked out and headed for the airport. We encountered a parade which were welcoming back soldiers who had been stationed by the Thailand border. They shut down the road for a bit and I have to admit I got a little nervous that we were going to miss our flight to Laos. Fortunately after about 20-30 minutes, the parade was over and we made it to the airport with plenty of time. We were off to Vientiane, Laos. More on Laos later. A few final thoughts on Cambodia. The Temples of Angkor were truly one of the most spectacular places I've ever been. For being under the jungle for 400 years, it was amazing how well everything was preserved. Cambodia however was shockingly poor and I saw a few things that I wish I hadn't seen.
Saturday, November 7. Today was a bit of a lazy day. After sleeping in, we grabbed some breakfast and took a dip in the pool. Around 2:00 pm we headed over to the hotel where we would be staying for the next two days and where we would be meeting our tour. Though the hotel was not as fancy as the Intercontinental, it seemed to be in a little better part of town, right along the Tonle Sap River and close to the Royal Palace. We then hopped in a tuk tuk and went to check out Phnom Penh's only casino. Apparently there used to be many more casinos, but the government shut them all down after Cambodians lost their money (which, I'm guessing, was very little to begin with). The casino is only open to foreigners. I, happily, won $100 on the penny slots and called it quits. Keith did not fare as well. We then headed back to our hotel to meet up with our tour group. There are approximately 16 people in our tour group ranging in age from mid 20s to Betty, who just celebrated her 80th birthday. Once again we were the only Americans (though Nadia currently lives in Boston but is from the Ukraine). Most of the people on the tour were from Australia or New Zealand. We had a Cambodian guide name So On (sp?). He was a bit hard to understand at times, but had an infectious laugh. After having a meet and greet, we all headed out to dinner. We dined at a non-profit restaurant where all of the money goes to support an orphanage. Cambodia is extremely poor – it's probably the poorest place I have ever visited. Many families can't afford their children, or the parents have been killed by land mines or disease. During dinner the children of the orphanage put on several dances. It was heart-breaking on one hand but comforting on the other knowing that they weren't living on the streets. The children genuinely looked to be having fun and were quite good dancers. At the end of the dances they passed around sheets with a picture and the name of the different children available for adoption. It definitely pulled at my heart -strings. After dinner we headed back to the hotel where I called it night. Keith headed back to casino where he fared a little better.
Sunday, November 8. Our tour had officially begun. After breakfast we boarded a bus to go to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum (aka S-21). Originally a high school during the reign of Pol Pot, his security forces turned it into a detention center in 1975 where over 17,000 people were tortured and either killed here or at the Killing Fields. It was pretty hard to imagine the atrocities that were committed here to men, women and children (many of whom had done nothing except for being the wrong profession or wearing glasses). My Lonely Planet describes it as the following: “Tuol Sleng demonstrates the darkest side of the human spirit that lurks within us all. It is not for the squeamish, but a visit here is instrumental in understanding Cambodia's past and present.” From there, we headed to Choeung Ek, otherwise known as the Killing Fields. People were brought here to be killed when they ran out of room for the bodies at S-21. 80 or so of the 129 mass graves were dug up in the late 1980's to provide proof of the atrocities that were committed by the Khumer Rouge. It was a solemn sight. In the center, they have a large monument which contains the skulls of the 900 people they recovered. As a side note, in the Cambodian culture in order for your soul to go to heaven, the body needs to be cremated. By having these mass graves and not cremating the bodies made the atrocities even worse. Next we headed back to the hotel for lunch and a little rest. In the afternoon we headed over to the Royal Palace. The Royal Palace was a stark contrast to what was going on outside. To get to the Royal Palace we needed to walk through one of the local markets. It was an experience (and not necessarily a good one). There was a strong smell of rot, there was hunks of raw meat sitting out with flies, half dead fish, it was hot, humid, muggy and very dirty. There were mopeds, cars and tuk tuks going every which way so you had to try hard not to get hit. Children begging everywhere. I was happy to get to the Royal Palace. Similar to the Grand Palace in Bangkok, it is a complex of temples and beautiful buildings (though not quite as fancy as Bangkok). From there, we headed to the National Museum which contained many pieces of Khumer art. We headed back to the hotel for a short rest before dinner. For dinner we all dined at a nice Khumer restaurant nestled in some of the back streets of Phnom Pehn. As a side note, Cambodia was once the center of the Khumer Empire that included much of what is now Laos, Vietnam and Thailand. Unfortunately I was starting not to feel well so I didn't each much, but Keith thought the food was quite good.
Monday, November 9. The day started very early for me. My upset stomach culminated at about 3:00 am and there were many trips to the bathroom from then on. Unfortunately today was also travel day – we were to take a 5 – 6 hour bus ride from Phnom Pehn to Siem Reap. I wasn't looking forward to it. I took a couple of amodium ad and hoped for the best. Our first stop was at a market which sold everything from fruit to fired crickets and spiders. One young girl had a tarantula crawling on her (though the teeth had been removed). Apparently Cambodians eat everything – except rocks – I'm guessing because the county is so poor they have to eat whatever they can. The market was quite dirty and as soon as you stepped off the bus you had children trying to sell you anything and everything (a very common occurrence in Cambodia). Our second stop was a bridge that was build in the 4th century. There had been no restoration to the bridge and it was amazingly well preserved (and still in use). We then grabbed some lunch just outside of Siem Reap and checked into our hotel. Thankfully the ride went okay for me and I was starting to feel a little bit better. Driving through Cambodia was something else. The country is shockingly poor. People leave in run down shacks with little to no plumbing or electricity. There is garbage everywhere. Words are hard to describe the poverty that these people live in. A governor makes a good salary at $120 a month, a teacher, around $40 a month. The government seems not to care about the squander that the people live in. Children literally poop in a bag on the side of the street and toss the bag wherever. Back to the day - after a short rest we headed over the to the Temples of Angkor. They are, in a word, spectacular and are sometimes referred to as the 8th wonder of the world. If you've never heard or seen them before, its worth a google. Essentially between the 9th and the 13th century, the Khumer kings built a whole complex which contains a number of different temples and a walled city which at one time lived 500,000 people. It was abandoned in the 13th century during a war with Thailand. It sat untouched for almost 400 years. In the late 1800's it was discovered by a French naturalist and in the early 1900's the French made a huge undertaking to clear away all of the jungle vegetation that was overtaking Angkor and to restore and rebuild a number of the structures. A number of statutes and carvings had been stolen or lost, but overall, Angkor was amazingly well-preserved. Our first stop in Angkor was Phom Bakheng, one of temples. After a bit of a hike and climbing some steep stairs, we watched a beautiful sunset. We then headed back to the hotel Everyone was pretty tired from the long day, so we all decided just to have dinner at the hotel before calling it a night.
Tuesday, November 10. Today was a very early start as we meet our group at 5:00 am to go watch surise at Agkor Wat – the most famous of all of the temples. It's the largest religious building in the world that is surrounded by a HUGE moat. It was built by Suryavarman II, who reigned from 1112 to 1152. It was to honor the god Vishnu and it was to be his funeral temple. There is a large reflection pool outside of Agkor Wat and it provides a great place to watch the sun rise. After sunrise we headed to Ta Prohm (probably my most favorite spot in all of Angkor). It looks like something out of Indiana Jones and it in fact provided the set for the movie Tomb Raider. It's another one of the temples, but whereas the French untook huge measures to clear away the jungle that was overtaking Angkor, this temple was left much as it looked when the French found it years ago. There are huge trees and roots growing right in, over and through the stonework. It was incredible. After Ta Prohm we headed back to the hotel for some breakfast and a bit of a rest. We gathered back together around 1:00 pm to head back to Angkor for lunch. Next we wandered around Angkor Thom – the fortified city. Angkor Thom was built by Jayavarman II, who reigned from 1181 to 1219. The walls of the city are 12 km long, 6 meters high and 12 meters wide. Angkor Thom contained many wonderful and amazing sights. We then watched another beautiful sunset. After heading back to the hotel and a quick shower we went out to dinner where we watched traditional Cambodian dancers. Next we visited the night market, where you could buy wood and stone carvings, silk, silver and souvenirs. They even had fish massages where you would put your feet in a pool and fish would eat all the dead skin off the bottoms of them. We then called it a night.
Wednesday, November 11. Today was yet another early start (though not as early as the day before). Our first stop of the day was the actual inside of Angkor Wat. The central temple consists of three levels, each of which encloses a square that are interlinked by galleries. Lonely Planet says, “it'll blow your socks of!” It did not disappoint. Wandering through there you could imagine the splendor of what it looked like back then. The carvings and etching in the walls were amazingly well preserved. The only downside to the visit was Keith getting pooped on by one of the thousands of bats that live up in the ceilings. After a few hours wandering around Angkor Wat we got back on the bus and stopped at a small silver shop where the silver is 92.9% pure. I of course bought a small bowl. Next we visited Artisans d'Angkor, an artisan's school where they make (and we watched them make) wooden and stone carvings, silk weaving and silk paintings. It's was neat to be able to see how much work goes into all of the items they sell on the street. Back to the hotel we went for lunch and a bit of a rest. For the afternoon you had a your choice of a number of things to do. Keith and I opted to go see a traditional Cambodian floating village (along with 4 other people). After a 35 minute bus ride and a 45 minute boat ride, we arrived at the floating village -a very cool sight to see. There were about 100 houses all built about 8 meters off the ground. Approximately five months of the year the ground is flooded and hence the need to build the houses so high. There was just a handful of tourists there and it provided a real insight into Cambodian life. We then hopped in an even smaller boat where we spent 30 minutes or so paddling through the mangroves. On the way back, we were treated to an incredible sunset. For our last evening we all dined together and then had some ice cream. It had been a really good group of people and we had many laughs. I was sad to say goodbye to them.
Thursday, November 12. Our tour officially ended after breakfast. Keith and I had one more day and night in Siem Reap before flying off to Laos. We spent the morning at the Angkor National Museum. It wasn't too crowded and it wasn't too big, so it was a perfect way to spend a morning. After the Museum we checked out of our hotel and into the hotel where we would be spending the next night. We took a dip in the salt water pool (which was quite fancy) and had some lunch. Around 2:00 pm So On's brother-in-law picked us up in his tuk tuk and Keith and I went to go see a few more of the sights of Angkor. We started with a short helium balloon ride (we went up approximately 130 meters). It provided a spectacular view of all of Angkor Wat. Next we visited a few more temples and feed some monkeys . We headed back to our hotel around 5:30, showered and headed out for the evening. I did a bit of shopping at the night market and Keith got his feet eaten by the fish. We then both got back and shoulder massages, followed by dinner. We then called it a night.
Friday, November 13. After breakfast, we checked out and headed for the airport. We encountered a parade which were welcoming back soldiers who had been stationed by the Thailand border. They shut down the road for a bit and I have to admit I got a little nervous that we were going to miss our flight to Laos. Fortunately after about 20-30 minutes, the parade was over and we made it to the airport with plenty of time. We were off to Vientiane, Laos. More on Laos later. A few final thoughts on Cambodia. The Temples of Angkor were truly one of the most spectacular places I've ever been. For being under the jungle for 400 years, it was amazing how well everything was preserved. Cambodia however was shockingly poor and I saw a few things that I wish I hadn't seen.
Even More Pictures from the Temples of Angkor
Keith lounging in a tree at one of the temples, kids trying to sell Keith trinkets, me in the tuk tuk and one of the monkeys catching a ride in our tuk tuk.
Pictures from Cambodia
Traditional Cambodian dancer, floating village and sunset heading back from floating village.
Pictures from Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Market in Phnom Penh, skulls found in the mass graves in the Killing Fields and the National Musuem.
Friday, November 6, 2009
Bangkok
Thursday, November 5 continued... So we arrived once again at the huge Bangkok Airport. Our taxi ride to our hotel was supposed to only be 45 minutes long but due to an accident on the highway, it ended up being 1 ½ hours. It seemed like we would never get to Bangkok! We did finally checked into our hotel (almost 12 hours since our journey had begun) – a very nice Le Meridien. Keith and I were both starving so after dumping our bags we went out on the street to grab some dinner. Bangkok was like Phuket only 10 times over. Markets and shopping stall were everywhere. Traffic everywhere. Girls were everywhere. Keith was offered to see any one of a number of ping pong shows. I can see why people only stay “one night in Bangkok.” We grabbed a quick cheap dinner of, what else, Thai food and wandered around one of the open markets. We were both spent from traveling all day so we called it a night.
Friday, November 6. We were up bring and early. We only had a few hours before our flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia and we wanted to catch at least one of the major sights in Bangkok – the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha). It's hard for words to accurately describe but it's a brilliant complex made up of a number of temples and buildings all encrusted in gold and mosaic tiles. It was quite a sight to see. Back to the hotel we went to check out and head to the airport.
Friday, November 6. We were up bring and early. We only had a few hours before our flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia and we wanted to catch at least one of the major sights in Bangkok – the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (the Temple of the Emerald Buddha). It's hard for words to accurately describe but it's a brilliant complex made up of a number of temples and buildings all encrusted in gold and mosaic tiles. It was quite a sight to see. Back to the hotel we went to check out and head to the airport.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Thailand
Monday, November 2 continued. We were picked up from the Resort around 5:30 pm and brought to where the speedboat was departing for Ko Pha Ngan. After packing the boat with 29 people, all wearing life jackets, we were off for the 45 minute ride over to the full moon party. We hit a number of good swells along the way and the driver of the boat was continuously coughing up a lung (Keith thought he must have TB for sure). We arrived at Ko Pha Ngan, paid our 100 bhat to get into the party and wandered through the street of the town of Haad Rin (or Hat Rin). The town was charming with lots of little shops and restaurants. As soon as you entered the town, there were stands selling BUCKETS of booze. Essentially you buy a pint of gin, rum, vodka, they dump it in a bucket with some ice and then you have them add soda, juice, etc. Everyone walks around with buckets. After wandering through the streets we headed down to the beach where all the action would be happening. All along the beach there were stand after stand after stand selling buckets of booze. It was still a little on the early side so Keith and I grabbed a leisurely dinner and watched the number of people grow and grow and grow. There were bars with dance areas and stages set up. There were flame throwers. There were people dressed in all kinds of outfits with glowing body paint. The pictures don't do it justice. The evening was fabulous. The moon was full and bright. The people watching was something else, the music was great and buckets of booze were delicious. By 10:00 pm or so the party was in full swing and you could only imagine what it looked like at 1:00 am. 8,000 – 10,000 people enjoying an evening of full on debauchery on the beach. Keith and I can't wait to go again (next time with as many of our friends as we can)! We managed to catch a 2:00 am speedboat back to Ko Samui (things were still in full swing with the party lasting until 7:00 am or so) and we were thankfully in bed by about 3:30 am. Oh what a night!
Tuesday, November 3. Needless to say after getting home in the wee hours of the morning, Keith and I slept in, though we did manage to make it to breakfast before the buffet closed. It was a very overcast day (just what we needed), so after breakfast Keith and I headed back to bed to nurse our wounds from the night before. By mid-afternoon I was feeling better and, with it still being overcast, I decided to do a little shopping. I wasn't that successful shopping, but I did get a manicure and pedicure for under $10 (a perk of Thailand). I met back up with Keith at the hotel where we went for a swim in the pool and dip in the jacuzzi. We then headed out for the evening. After wandering around for a bit, it started to rain (as a side note, when it rains in Thailand, it POURS), so we went and grabbed a couple of cocktails. We then had a delicious Thai dinner and called it an early night.
Wednesday, November 4. We awoke to rain, rain, more rain and wind. Again it was a lazy day. I spent much of the day on the internet, trying to nail down some more details for our time in Indonesia. Keith caught up on some sleep and searched for a new pair of flip flops. By late in the day the rain had stopped (though it was still overcast). Keith and I took advantage of the 2 for 1 cocktail hour by the beach and watched the surf (which was quite impressive). My drink of choice was the Samui Seabreeze (vodka, grape, lychee juice and grapefruit juice - yum). We then headed out to dinner to a Brazilian restaurant where they served us skewer after skewer of meat (they had something like 15 different meats and fishes). After dinner I called it an early night while Keith passed the evening playing pool with three women from Australia.
Thursday, November 5. Today was a day of taxis, buses, ferries and planes – travel day. Destination – Bangkok. Unfortunately all of the flights from Ko Samui to Bangkok were super expensive so we had booked a flight out of Surat Thai (on the mainland) to Bangkok. We got an early start after breakfast with a minivan picking us up at the Resort at 8:20. From there we took a 45 minute ride to the other side of the island to where we would be catching the ferry back over to the mainland. Once the minivan dropped us off, we boarded a bus (but not before I encountered my first squat toilet) which drove us a short distance to the pier. Off the bus we went onto the ferry where we took the 1 ½ hour ride to Don Sak. At Don Sak we got back on the bus and drove 1 hour to the center of Surat Thai. From there we had about ½ hour wait where we then boarded a different bus that would take us to the airport. An hour minutes later we arrived at the airport and were checked into our flight to Bangkok. More on Bangkok later....
Tuesday, November 3. Needless to say after getting home in the wee hours of the morning, Keith and I slept in, though we did manage to make it to breakfast before the buffet closed. It was a very overcast day (just what we needed), so after breakfast Keith and I headed back to bed to nurse our wounds from the night before. By mid-afternoon I was feeling better and, with it still being overcast, I decided to do a little shopping. I wasn't that successful shopping, but I did get a manicure and pedicure for under $10 (a perk of Thailand). I met back up with Keith at the hotel where we went for a swim in the pool and dip in the jacuzzi. We then headed out for the evening. After wandering around for a bit, it started to rain (as a side note, when it rains in Thailand, it POURS), so we went and grabbed a couple of cocktails. We then had a delicious Thai dinner and called it an early night.
Wednesday, November 4. We awoke to rain, rain, more rain and wind. Again it was a lazy day. I spent much of the day on the internet, trying to nail down some more details for our time in Indonesia. Keith caught up on some sleep and searched for a new pair of flip flops. By late in the day the rain had stopped (though it was still overcast). Keith and I took advantage of the 2 for 1 cocktail hour by the beach and watched the surf (which was quite impressive). My drink of choice was the Samui Seabreeze (vodka, grape, lychee juice and grapefruit juice - yum). We then headed out to dinner to a Brazilian restaurant where they served us skewer after skewer of meat (they had something like 15 different meats and fishes). After dinner I called it an early night while Keith passed the evening playing pool with three women from Australia.
Thursday, November 5. Today was a day of taxis, buses, ferries and planes – travel day. Destination – Bangkok. Unfortunately all of the flights from Ko Samui to Bangkok were super expensive so we had booked a flight out of Surat Thai (on the mainland) to Bangkok. We got an early start after breakfast with a minivan picking us up at the Resort at 8:20. From there we took a 45 minute ride to the other side of the island to where we would be catching the ferry back over to the mainland. Once the minivan dropped us off, we boarded a bus (but not before I encountered my first squat toilet) which drove us a short distance to the pier. Off the bus we went onto the ferry where we took the 1 ½ hour ride to Don Sak. At Don Sak we got back on the bus and drove 1 hour to the center of Surat Thai. From there we had about ½ hour wait where we then boarded a different bus that would take us to the airport. An hour minutes later we arrived at the airport and were checked into our flight to Bangkok. More on Bangkok later....
Pictures from Ko Samui, Thailand
Chaweng Beach, dinner on the beach, view from Overlap Stone and Big Buddha.
More Pictures from Phuket, Thailand
tsunami evacuation sign, the electrical "mess" and a small fishing community in Patong.
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