Bangkok Has Him Now!

After saying goodbye to Thailand's islands, it was time to dive head first into its capital, Bangkok. We opted to not stay in the backpacker area aka Khao San Road and got a hotel in the Sukhimvit area. Although our hotel, Tune, was located outside the main tourist area of Banglamphu, it was conveniently located a couple of blocks from the skytrain and metro stations. This made it pretty easy to get around most places in the city.

Since the metro doesn't go directly into the tourist area, we took it as far as we could and then made our way through Chinatown on foot. Hands down, this was the craziest Chinatown we have come across on this trip. Everywhere you looked was a new sight often accompanied with a new smell... some good and some not so good. We saw everything from huge shark fins used in soups (which we found pretty upsetting given the common practice of finning sharks and leaving them to die) to some interesting individuals selling sex toys out of suitcases along the road. Trying to make our way down one of the claustrophobic passageways while taking in everything that we were seeing and dodging motorbikes was sensory overload.

Shark fin and bird nest soup restaurants

Massive shark fins

Anything you can imagine is sold here

Tuk tuk in Chinatown

From Chinatown, we continued onto Banglampu. Luckily, we knew to bypass the tuk-tuk drivers who were falsely claiming that the temples we were walking to were closed. Of course they were graciously offering their "services" to take us to another lucky Buddha temple that was open. We kindly brushed them off and made our way to Wat Pho to see the iconic reclining Buddha. The famous statue and surrounding ornate stuppas were quite impressive. That day, we also wanted to see the Royal Palace which was just up the road, but unfortunately it was closing as we arrived. We made our way back there the next day to see it and by chance it was closed for a special royal ceremony.

Stupas in Wat Pho

Reclining Buddha

Lots of Buddhas

 

There were many more fantastic temples in Bangkok and two others that stood out were the Temple of the Golden Buddha and the Golden Mount. The Golden Buddha was just as described, a large Buddha statue made of solid gold. The Golden Mount was built up on a man made hill offering great views of the city.

Temple of the Golden Buddha

Over 5 tons of solid gold

Top of the Golden Mount Temple

Great view of Bangkok

Buddha statue in Golden Mount

While walking around the city, we noticed that many people were wearing amulets which are charms depicting deities or highly regarded Buddhist monks. Some people had one while others had several adorning their neck. Since it had peaked our interest, we decided to check out the large amulet market near the royal palace. The vendors line the streets with tables and tables of different amulets. The prices varied from cheap to extremely expensive and we even saw some men examining them with a gemologist loupe. I was even tempted to get one for safe travels but then remembered I really don't like jewelry and the interest quickly passed.

Amulet shopping

It was insanely hot in Bangkok while we were there. We decided that museums are usually a good way to beat the heat and headed for the National Museum. While it had some interesting exhibits, it is an open air museum and didn't provide much in the way of cooling off. One of the best exhibits at the museum was the royal chariots which are still used for special occasions by the Thai Royalty. They were housed in a large hanger that could be opened up to let the immense chariots out.

One of several Royal chariots

Although we avoided staying on backpacker row, we knew that a trip to Bangkok is not complete without a walk down the infamous Khao San Road. You can get anything you want on this little stretch of skid row: cheap beer, tattoos, a tailored suit, any array of drugs you fancy, a fake student id, press pass, diploma or even a California driver's license. It was quite a sight to see, and we were glad we decided to stay elsewhere while in the city.

Pick your poison

We were in the city on May 7, 2014 when Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was outed from her position in what was deemed as a judicial coup. In all honesty, my knowledge of the politics in South East Asia was non-existent before this trip, but since being here, I have taken a real interest in it. I started to follow the story on the BBC news and became very interested in the political divide between the royalist, urban elite, and anti-government "yellow shirts" and the rural, working class, and pro-government "red shirts." While we were visiting some of the Siam Square shopping malls, we saw our first protestors. They were some middle aged women and their daughters who were sitting next to us in Starbucks of all places. They were all wearing their Thai flag t-shirts, hats, and lanyards with whistles. These women were "yellow shirts" and supported the dismantling of the current Thai government. I admit I was disappointed they weren't actually wearing yellow shirts. It's hard to summarize Thai politics in a few sentences, but my general take on it was the yellow shirts want to do away with the current government and install an unelected people's council to supervise a political reform of the country. This is all started with a former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was also outed from power in a military coup in 2006. He is currently living in self imposed exile but is still considered influential in the Shinawatra political clan which has won major elections for the past decade. They are generally seen as favoring the rural, working class and farmers. Yingluck was regarded as a puppet for her brother by the yellow shirts which largely led to this last coup.

The protestors were not exactly a menacing mob that you so commonly see on the news reports regarding political protests and coups. We did hear reports of some tear gas being used by the police and someone throwing a grenade at a judge's house, but we didn't see anything out of the ordinary ourselves. The day we left Bangkok, there were supposed to be some counter-protest by the red shirts. While I was very interested in what was going on and a small part of me wanted to see a protests firsthand, we decided it was a good thing we were moving on from Bangkok when we did. As an American, it seemed so odd to me that anyone would want to do away with the democratic process and put an unelected council in place to run the country.

No photo! No Photo!

While we were in Cambodia, the Thai military launched a coup against the caretaker government left in place after the removal of Yingluck. On May 22, 2014, the military took control of the country and put a nationwide curfew in place, declared martial law, repealed part of the constitution, censored internet and foreign news media, and banned all political gatherings. It will be interesting continuing to follow the story as it unfolds. It seems the future of Thai politics is still very much uncertain.

We just returned to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand after visiting Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos. We have seen a few military trucks and troops stationed in the city, but there doesn't seem to be any sense of danger or trouble. The curfew was also lifted nationwide on June 13 which seems to have eased tensions and signify things are getting back to normal... as much as possible.

 

The Best of Vietnam

We spent the first two weeks in Vietnam longing for the hospitality and genuine smiles we found throughout Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia. Unfortunately, the Vietnam we found was similar to the one Nomadic Matt depicted in "Why I Will Never Return to Vietnam". Prior to our trip, we read his post and were concerned about having a similar experience but we knew that we had to see Vietnam for ourselves before making such a bold statement. Two weeks in and regrettably we shared the same sentiments as Matt. Since we plan our travels as we go, we made a joint decision to fly to Laos after Hue and therefore planned to skip Halong Bay and Sapa altogether. These two places were on our "must see" list but unfortunately they were the last places we planned to visit. We were burnt out and ready to leave. Then the day before our scheduled flight to Laos, we did some reconsidering. We knew that if we decided to never return to Vietnam then at least that decision should be made after visiting all the major points of interest. So after lunch and Vietnamese coffee, we went to a travel agency, changed our flight and extended our stay for another 5 days which ironically was the best decision we made in Vietnam!

The next day we left the hostile, dirty, and bustling streets of Hanoi and boarded a two night three day Chinese junker boat for Halong Bay. Our boat took the less traveled route through Bai Tu Long Bay which made the experience even better. We realized that the best of Vietnam lay in the north and we just hadn't made it there yet. From the ship we took kayaks through the emerald green water. As we glided through the calm waters, we enjoyed the quiet misty air only to be interrupted by the call of massive hawks which flew above our heads. We were surrounded by over 2,000 limestone karsts for as far as the eye could see. The experience was both relaxing and surreal. Vietnamese and Thai food has been some of our favorite during our travels and the chefs on the junk boat delivered the best of the Vietnamese cuisine. On the last night, we had a candlelit grilled seafood dinner in a cave. The dinner was beautifully executed and the Vietnamese flavors still linger on my palate. Before returning to the mainland, we had the oppurtunity to see a floating village and get a feel for the lives of fishermen and their families which spend every day on the water.

Our breathtaking view for three days

Fishing village

Fishing house boat

Look what I found!

After completing the cruise we continued our northern adventure on an overnight train to the Northwest Vietnam town of Sapa. Sapa is located just few miles south of the Chinese border and is home to the hill tribes of Vietnam. The inhabitants of Sapa and the surrounding villages are very different than the Vietnamese we have met and after speaking with them we learned that they do not even consider themselves to be Vietnamese. The people of Sapa and the surrounding mountain villages are comprised of eight different minority ethnic groups who reside in Vietnam and Laos as well as China and other parts of the world. Traditionally, they comprise of farming communities each with their own language and culture. The inhabitants primarily farm rice and corn for self sustenance. They are completey self sufficient and surprisingly did not have electricity in their villages until 10 years ago! We have learned that a lot has changed with the introduction tourism but their traditions and culture still persist. We hiked, talked, ate, and interacted with the local people from the Black Hmong and Red Dao tribes. The trekking was beautiful as we hiked around the terraced rice fields. There was a constant sprinkle while we were there so the ladies were always willing to give me a hand as I was slipping and sliding in the mud.

Sapa

The smiles of Sapa...

These kiddos were so happy to see us eating the same berry that makes their mouths blue

After playing with indigo

Some ladies had a little too much rice wine

Thanks to the warm tribal people, we left with a good taste in our mouths and unforgettable memories. This was indeed the best of Vietnam. This is the Vietnam that I would recommend. And as for returning to Vietnam; we came, we saw, we conquered...and as with Matt we will probably never return.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the experience you may have. I implore you to get out and discover Vietnam for yourself!

"A mile of road can take you a mile, but a mile of runway can take you anywhere." - Unknown

 

 

 

Searching for Paradise: Thailand's Beaches

 

Let's face it...Thailand's beaches are the reason everyone dreams of going to this beautiful country. We've all seen the postcard images of white sand, blue waters, longtail boats, and limestone karsts. The search for paradise lured us in and with a blink of an eye, a few days in the islands turned into two weeks! Breathtaking views, tasty Thai cuisine, and friendly people don't make it easy to leave.

We landed in Phuket on April 23rd and went straight for Nai Yang. Although we had heard less than stellar reviews of Phuket, we decided to give Thailand's most popular island a try. Nai Yang is located in the north side of the island and is described as a quieter town in Phuket. Since we initially were not interested in the wild side of Phuket, we thought this would be a good place for us to relax. We checked into our hotel and walked down to the beach. At a glimpse, picturesque long tail boats and beach chairs lined the beach but with a closer look we could see rubbish scattered in the sand and ocean. Of course, there are plenty of cheap restaurants and spas in Nai Yang but there was not much else to do. We even ventured into the national park (a term I use very loosely) the following day and still we were unimpressed. It was time to get out of Nai Yang. We decided that if we were going to see Phuket then we should dive in head first into this crazy island and make our way to Patong. We traded in a quiet beach town for an outrageous one. We only spent one night so we made the most of it and saw the famous Simon Cabaret show among other things. I won't get into much detail about Patong but I will say that it is a seedy place saturated with massage parlors and ladyboys. Not our idea of paradise. I went to sleep that night dreaming about the postcard images we were searching for.

The following day we took a ferry to Ko Lanta, another Thai island in the Adaman Sea. Ko Lanta is a world of difference from the sketchiness of Phuket. We spent the day lounging at one of the restaurants on the beach and stayed in a bungalow for the next three nights. The following day we rented a motorbike to visit the rest of the island. We saw more beaches, hiked to a waterfall, got sprayed by a boy's pet elephant, and ate at a great restaurant overlooking the bay. We even saw little monkeys on the side of the road! The next day we took a four island boat trip to see some smaller islands near Ko Lanta. At one of the islands, we swam in crystal clear water and the tropical fish would come right up to us to investigate. After leaving the white sand beach we went to one of the most amazing destinations on our trip, Emerald Cove. At first I was skeptical because we jumped off our boat into the water and had to swim through a cave to get there. I didn't really know what to expect, but I knew that I didn't like the dark ocean cave. Luckily no poisonous snakes, sharks, or box jellies got us. At the end of the tunnel cave we emerged onto a beautiful hidden beach. The beach was completely enclosed by limestone cliffs and lush greenery. Althought it was crowded with tourists, the scenery was like something out of a movie.

Our humble beach abode

Emerald cove

After Ko Lanta we made our way to Phi Phi Don as a jumping off point for our sleep aboard trip to Phi Phi Lei. We spent one night on Phi Phi Don which was littered with beach bars and obnoxiously drunk tourists. We decided to visit one of those beach bars and saw the wildest partying ever! People were doing the limbo with a blazing limbo stick, jumping through fire hoops, and getting painted with glow in the dark paint. I was awestruck! We weren't crazy enough to join in the antics but we definetly enjoyed watching these fools.

Do not try this at home

The following day we hopped on a boat to Maya Bay. Maya Bay is where "The Beach" was filmed and we were eager to see the paradise Leo was looking for. Maya Bay Sleep Aboard is the only company to offer the unique experience of spending the night on the boat in the bay. After stopping for a brief snorkel session, we were ready to finally make it to the bay. We turned a corner and our eyes fell upon the most iconic Thailand beach. Limestone cliffs hug the white sand on Maya Bay. Luckily, the island is now a national park so a lot has been done to keep it clean despite the millions of tourists who arrive annually. When we arrived there were hundreds of tourists but slowly they returned to Phi Phi Don and our small group was the only people left to enjoy paradise. After watching a colorful sunset, it was time for a late night barbecue and our first Thai buckets. We then made our way to the beach to see the bioluminescent plankton that Leo got frisky in. At first we could only see a negligible shimmer of the plankton when the waves crashed on the sand. Then we took a small longtail boat back to our large boat and we could see millions of flashing lights in the wake. A late night swim in the bay was the best way to truly experience the glow of the plankton. With each movement, the plankton would light up the ocean like tiny Christmas lights. It was a once in a lifetime experience! We slept under the stars and the next morning we made our way back to the bay before anyone else arrived. Jon and some of the other guys swam back to shore to search for black tip reef sharks. Jon arrived on shore disappointed because he didn't see any and then I glanced into the water and saw a 2 foot black tip reef shark pup swim by. I was psyched. (I have a weird fascination with sharks).. We loved the sleep aboard experience and would highly recommend it to anyone wishing to see Maya Bay!

Black tip reef shark pup

Jumping beach shot!

Next up was Krabi Town where we relaxed for a couple nights after moving around so much. There was a good night market where we got some tasty and cheap meals but not much else going on in the town.

Thai pancakes!

After recharging our batteries in Krabi, we spent three nights in a hippy beach town, Tonsai. It is a rock climbers paradise since there are limestone cliffs in every direction. We lost ourselves in the laid back atmosphere of Tonsai and its people. We chilled with the locals in some of the funky beach bars, most of which paid homage to Bob Marley and Che Guevera. While in Tonsai, we also hired a kayak and explored the sea. We made our way around some big limestone karsts and even through a cave during low tide. We ended up on Phra Nang beach where we relaxed for the rest of the day. There were some interesting caves which were decorated with phaluses. Legend has it that the caves are inhabited by the spirit of an Indian princess whose ship sunk off the coast. We learned that the phaluses are gifted by fishermen in order to be blessed with bountiful fishing.

Showing everyone how its done

Our view from Phra Nang beach

After finding paradise on Thailand's unforgettable beaches, we were ready to take on the craziness of Bangkok! Stay tuned...

"You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself." - Alan Alda