And the Asiademy Award for best city (so far) is…

Chiang Mai!

I couldn’t resist. In spirit of the recent Oscars, I wanted to emphasize my favorite city that I have visited so far in SE Asia (although right now I am in Hoi An, Vietnam, and it is catching up fast).

Chiang Mai is the second-largest city in Thailand after Bangkok, and is located about 600km north of the capital. Abbie and I took an overnight bus to get there, which was so much better than expected (however, I thought there was a snake-like bug in my chair for one second and then realized they had turned on the odd seat massagers – that was weird). After a perfect night’s sleep, we got off the bus ready to explore the city! Our first day was packed – tigers and exploring and cooking, oh my!

Before my trip, I wrote a list of must-do’s (so unnatural of me, right?) and seeing tigers at the Chiang Mai Tiger Park was number one. They have always been my favorite animals, and having the opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with them was one I was not going to pass up. The Tiger Park is extremely touristy, but unlike a zoo, visitors get to choose which size cat they would like to interact with, and how many. Trained from an early age, the tigers are calm and sleep most of the day, and there has never been an instance of biting or mauling (we checked). They cleverly make the baby tigers the most expensive to hang out with, and we opted to see the babies, the “mid-sized” (5 months old) and the big mommas. The babies were the most playful, and we had fun watching them rough-house and bounce around. The picture opportunities were perfect, and definitely one of my favorite parts of the whole experience – posing with the big cats, lying with them, high-fiving with them. It was just so amazing, and like the elephant expedition, I found myself smiling from ear-to-ear and excited the whole day.

Best high-five award

The next activity on the list was a cooking class! Abbie and I hadn’t even considered doing one until an elderly couple told us about the one they did in Chiang Mai and completely convinced us. My love for Thai food has multiplied exponentially since I arrived here, and I knew very little about the cuisine before, so this was the perfect way to understand the ingredients and unique cooking techniques. In a group of 8, we all sat cross-legged on the floor at a long, short table while our instructor began the course. She then led us to the local market, where she taught us about the different spices, vegetable extractions, meats, noodles, and curry pastes that are used in Thai cooking. Many of the ingredients are impossible to find in other countries, such as “elephant mushrooms” – long, slimy, brown mushrooms that resemble elephant ears, used in many stir-fry dishes. I won’t go into much more detail, as I am concocting a scrumptious post on food of the region and want to go into much more depth about the components and methods of the cuisine here. (so more to come!)

We were brought back to the house and kitchen, and spent around 3 hours cooking four different dishes! It was so much fun and I was definitely in my element. I chose to cook fried cashew nut with chicken, spring rolls, hot and sour prawn soup, and Chiang Mai noodle with chicken, which is the typical dish from the city, and my absolute favorite Thai food! Abbie and I have concurred that this was by far the best meal we have had so far, and we couldn’t believe that we were actually the ones to make it! I have always found that bike tours are an amazing way to experience a new city and culture, and now I am convinced that taking a cooking class is another unique, perfect way to learn so much more about a new destination.

Different curry pastes at the local market

Because the first day was so action-packed, we reserved the next couple of days for sightseeing and exploring the city of Chiang Mai. The Old Town is enclosed in 4 square, stone walls, giving it oddly somewhat of a European feel. That feeling is immediately expunged when you walk into Old Town among the endless ornate Buddhist temples within. We spent a whole afternoon walking inside and around the various temples, and each one brings you such peace and leaves you in awe of the distinctive religious culture of the region. Another attraction is the immense night market lining the walls of the city. Packed to the brim of tourists buying souvenirs, locals slurping on noodles at food stalls, and street performers, the night market is much more than shopping. We spent a few hours just taking everything in, walking with a street beer and trying local snacks such as dumplings, sweet corn, and spring rolls. The nightlife in Chiang Mai is a blast as well, as many young Westerners teach English there and backpackers make it a “must-stop city”. We met loads of people from all over the world and had a great time at the local bars!

The final day was reserved for the Doi Suthep Temple, a sacred sight for many Thai people, located in the hills surrounding Chiang Mai. The local tour agent convinced us of the trip in pitching “You haven’t been to Chiang Mai if you haven’t been to Doi Suthep”… gets me EVERY time. A van took us up the winding mountain to the “Temple on the Hill” and once inside, the atmosphere was immediately calmer, more serene, more peaceful. Wearing a shawl and long skirt, I purchased flowers and incense and walked three times around the temple for good luck and prosperity. After, I lit the incense and placed it below Buddha, bowed, then placed the flowers in the offertory, and bowed. This process had been explained to us by our tour guide, and it all felt very enchanting and soothing. Abbie and I wished for safe travels, especially that we would be traveling that night for 12 hours via mini-bus across the Thai-Laotian border

Another triumphant, meaningful day behind us, and we set off for our third country of the trip: Laos!

What do Elephants and Neon Paint have in Common?

...they both somehow contributed to an amazingly sunny and eventful trip to the Thai islands!

Before our trip, Abbie and I had allocated about 10 days to explore some of the hugely popular paradises in the south of the country. The greatest stress about it? Picking the right ones! We knew we would be on the island of Ko Pha Ngan on February 7^th for the Full Moon Party (I will explain THAT in detail in a bit) so we planned to check out one other island before as well. We finally decided on Ko Chang, because it was “easily” accessible from Cambodia. Oh yea, and it has tons of elephants – sold!

While travel guides and locals claim that Siem Reap to Ko Chang is an uncomplicated, relatively short journey, we found it quite the opposite. After a tuk-tuk, taxi, on-foot border crossing, tour bus, and local bus with old men selling raw meat on strings, we still had not reached our destination and at that point it was too late to get a ferry to Ko Chang anyways. We found a random hostel in the little coastal town, downed some Thai noodles, and fell asleep in our cocoon sleeping bags (set aside for the more gross hostels) anxious to arrive the next day.

All was glorious the next morning with a couple beers and a beautiful ferry ride to the island. We found our hostel effortlessly (unheard of) as it was basically in the ocean on one of the main beaches of Ko Chang, White Sands beach. While the location was stunning and you could not ask for a better view, the room was a bed. Yes, a bed. Nothing else. Not that we needed much else because we were beachside 16 hours a day, and I guess you could say I got great sand exfoliation on my entire body during the night...

No one lied when they told us that any island you choose in Thailand is simply stunning. The clear water, yellow sand, and jungle-green mountains carrying the backdrop all merge to provide scenic, picture-perfect views no matter where you look.

While the main activity was therefore sun-soaking on the beach, we happened to fit in a few other things as well. Ko Chang is a relatively small island, but on the southern point is a small fishing village called Bang Boa, which is a beautiful dock full of shops and great seafood restaurants. We enjoyed some scallops and shrimp, Thai style, while looking out over the bright blue water, next to fishermen pulling in exactly what we were eating! We also heard that elephant trekking was popular on the island, and instead of riding elephants in the north of Thailand, we opted to do it on the beautiful island as it was much less touristy. Once at the elephant sanctuary, Abbie and I hopped on one elephant for a little ride through the jungle. We were having enough fun, but didn’t realize we would actually get to swim with them during the final part of our tour! Off came the seats and saddles where we were carefully placed before, and we rode bareback into a watering hole with the other elephants! We didn’t know that they were into dunking either until we were fully submerged underwater and had to figure out a way to climb back up the massive mammals. Never in a million years did I imagine myself actually side-by-side to elephants in a lake in southern Thailand. The experience added a little swing in my step and I could not stop smiling the rest of the day.

Bang Bao Fishing Village

The positive elephant energy was greatly needed as we approached the next leg of our journey. We booked an overnight train from Bangkok to Koh Pha Ngan so that we could make it to the Full Moon Party and also have a few more days on the beach. On our way to Bangkok from Ko Chang to catch the train, I received an email stating that the train was full…no worries, we will just catch the next one or get another class bunk, right? WRONG. Once at the train station, we were informed that there were no more trains or buses for the next 7 nights! The travel fiasco ensued and we spent the next three hours in a hole-in-the-wall travel agency, booking flights and ferries and asking the agent all kinds of questions. I think we annoyed her enough because she ended up selling us quadruple-the-price one-way slow ferry tickets that she told us were round-trip fast ferry tickets. Being ripped off is as common as noodles in this region, and I knew it would happen multiple times, but it doesn’t minimize my frustration in the least! Tired, sunburnt, and defeated, Abbie and I accepted our loss and hit the streets of Bangkok for some yummy street food and beer before our flight the next morning.

Once we finally reached Ko Pha Ngan we were ecstatic to find that our bungalow was a perfectly simple wooden shack overlooking the beach. The owner was a sweet, motherly Thai woman who cooked the best Thai food we have had on our trip. The only downside were the hand-sized spiders we encountered in our bathroom…

Ko Pha Ngan is the ultimate backpacker destination for one sole reason: the Full Moon Party. (And the beaches are awesome too!) One of the biggest parties in the world, FMP draws around 25,000 people every month during the full moon. We stayed on the island for 4 nights, and met so many young people in our hostel and on the beaches – it was a blast! The night of the Full Moon, we bought neon paint and went to town drawing temporary tattoos on each other with people from our hostel. The party itself was a jumble of fire shows, clubs, bars, black lights, dancing, and buckets – all on the beach! Everyone purchases a bucket and chooses their alcohol and mixers for the night, dancing to different beats that the various clubs along the ocean provide. Check that off the “bucket” list – ha!

Our next journey was from the south to the north...to a city called Chiang Mai. My favorite of the trip so far, so will update you on our adventures there oh-so-soon!

Cambodian Chaos

Good Morning from another Thai island! We are currently in Koh Pha Ngan, an island much more southern that Koh Chang, and are loving the laid-back, beach lifestyle we’ve had for a few days now!

It has been about a week since we ventured from Cambodia to the Thai islands, and were able to stay in Siem Reap, Cambodia for four nights to really soak up a lot of local flare. Siem Reap is the gateway into the Angkor region of the country, and probably the most touristic city in Cambodia. Around 10 miles from the famous Angkor Wat, the city is now thriving with markets, international and local restaurants, an endless supply of hostels and hotels, and more tuk-tuks and motorbikes than I have ever seen. Cambodia has an extremely devastating history, mainly starting in the 1970’s when the revolutionary Khmer Rouge came into power. The leader, Pol Pot, wanted a completely self-sufficient society that was pure, with no followers of the former government in power, or alive. He ordered the killing of around 1.7 million people in 4 years – men, women, and children, and forced many more into harsh labor camps. I had known little about the country’s somber past before deciding to come on the trip, and the book “First They Killed my Father” really helped me understand first-hand what life was like during the Khmer Rouge years. While the main “killing fields” and war memorials are in the city of Phnom Phen, which we didn’t make it to, we were able to see one memorial outside of Siem Reap. However, one can easily notice the effect of the genocide in that hardly any elderly Cambodians roam the city streets.

Receiving a blessing & bracelet in Angkor Wat

On a lighter note, Cambodia has really flourished, especially as a tourist destination, during the past few years. Angkor Wat is a vast temple complex, and now the largest religious building in the world! Covering many kilometers, Angkor Wat was built in the 12^th century and only suffered mild damage from the Khmer Rouge. You can either purchase a one, three, or seven-day pass to see all of the temples, which is testimony to just how big the complex is. Abbie and I opted for the one-day pass, and even then found our tuk-tuk driver traveling up to 80 kilometers between temples! The most famous temple is Angkor Wat, which some have named one of the seven wonders of the world, and really is the true symbol of Cambodia. Abbie and I explored around 12 temples that day, inside and out, and the freedom to walk wherever you want left us excited taking pictures, walking through secret pathways, and climbing ancient ruins. We even re-enacted Lara Croft Tomb Raider, as one of the tombs (a massive temple with trees growing out of many of the entrances) was the sight of the filming of the bad-ass Angelina Jolie movie.

Second temple of Angkor Wat

Exploring the actual town of Siem Reap was another amazing cultural experience. Crossing the street was almost a death sentence – you have to take 2 steps, wait for a passing motorbike carrying an entire family and their dog (or their pig), take another 3 steps, wait for a passing tuk-tuk carrying some blond Scandinavian tourists, and then sprint to the other side. We tried some Cambodian food and beers, which is much like Thai food but not nearly as spicy. We also got a little “fish pedicure” – you stick your feet in a huge aquarium of carp ready to bite off all of your dead skin. Gross, and scary, and slimy, but AWESOME! You get a beer too and just hang out while the fishies eat your scum away. The markets and night markets boast hundreds of scarves, souvenirs, hats, paintings, etc. and every store-owner is yelling at you “lady, you want a shirt”, “lady, how are youuuuu” and barter for every little thing. We would haggle with a store owner for up to 10 minutes; they are ruthless but ultimately surrender once you get the price you want.

The final full day in Cambodia we traveled outside the city to a small floating village reachable by boat. The entire town is on stilts, and boats driven by children carry everything from pigs to bags of fish to crops to families. We also went inside the village (the land part!) to explore. The children were adorable and one of my favorite moments was buying a bunch of Oreos and handing them out to the wound up, covetous kids, who hung on me for a good 10 minutes after the cookies were gone. I continued to hand out all my chewing gum, which made them even more thrilled. It was so nice to discover a little more outside the big city of Siem Reap; I felt I had truly gotten a sense of the Cambodian civilization. Even more tradition was packed into that day when Abbie and I went to check out a little Aspara dancing. The customary dance was created by the Ballet of Cambodia, and the moves narrate ancient Cambodian myths.

First taste of ASIA!

New continent, new way of travel, new accommodation types, and a brand new level of grunge. Everything about this backpacking trip is completely unfamiliar, but transitioning has been easier than expected. I think the job has really prepped me for any type of culture shock; however, every second of every day is filled with new sights and surprises, keeping all of my senses continually active.

I am currently sitting on the deck of our beach bungalow in Ko Chang, Thailand, about 500 km south of Bangkok. Meaning “Elephant Island”, this jungle-clad escape is exactly what I imagine a Thai island to look like. Perfectly yellow beaches and light blue waters are enough to satisfy any beach bum, but the lush jungle background adds to the beauty of it. It’s a cloudy morning so I’m taking advantage to fill you guys in, then hopefully the sun will come out (Abbie and I are planning to ride some elephants today!)

Where to start? Bangkok was my first stop, where I would meet Abbie and get my first taste of SE Asia. After 2 days of travel, I showed up in Thailand, but my backpack did not. I tried to make light of it – backpacking without a backpack! – but I was just plain miserable in the hot, sticky, smoky city wearing the same clothes. I HAD to take advantage of the day however, and trekked to the ornate Golden Palace of Bangkok to hit the sights straight away while I waited for Abbie. The Golden Palace is simply spectacular. It really gave me a feel for the grandeur of Asian culture and religion, and I loved walking through the palaces and temples at my own pace, snapping pictures and sweating in my borrowed sarong (no leggings allowed once in the palace, so many have to “rent” sarongs to wear!) The most phenomenal sight was the emerald Buddha inside the great temple. You enter the temple without shoes, and are not allowed to point your feet directly at the Buddha. The peacefulness inside the temple was a stark contrast to the overly-excited tourists outside, and sitting there in silence was somewhat of a perfect welcoming to this new region which I knew nothing about and which I was so eager to explore.

One small section of the Golden Palace!

Finally Abbie arrived that night, and we forgot all about our jetlag (and stupidly all about our bug spray) and headed out for our first dinner and drinks of the trip. We talked and talked and talked (and if you know Abbie, you know this is true beyond description). We enjoyed some pad thai with the locals – aka the rats – on the streets of Bangkok near our hostel. Street food is supposedly some of the best in the world in Thailand, and the beer isn’t so bad either! “Chang” is the most well-known (again meaning “Elephant”) and we have found ourselves consuming this the most as import taxes make wine and spirits somewhat off-limits for us budget travelers.

The next day we headed via tuk-tuk (how everyone gets around here) to the main shopping district of Bangkok. A HUGE mall, MBK, and square after square of markets left us overwhelmed and excited. We saw so many cute, cheap items (I’m talking $5 dresses…max) we vowed to come back at the end of our trip, as we are flying out of Bangkok, and are going to buy another luggage to bring some of those goodies home! When in Thailand…

That night we ventured to Khao San Road, a crazy, touristy, gritty area of Bangkok, with restaurant and bar owners calling to you every second, not to mention the sketchy pimps also urging you to come to their “shows”. Just watching the tourists is fun in itself…Abbie and I have vowed that we won’t turn into those backpackers who turn extremely hippy on their travels just to fit it. It’s funny to pick up on the clichés of the whole experience. Most young people backpacking all look exactly the same: greasy hair covered with a bandana, a “Chang” beer tank top, those baggy genie pants, and dirt-clad feet (complete with a slouchy canvas bag). I don’t mean to sound judgmental, just very perceptive. :) SE Asia is the “new” backpacking trail, so the number of hotels and guesthouses is overwhelming, as are the tuk-tuk drivers and bar owners ready to rip you off. You must haggle for everything, and fight until the very last cent, because these businessmen have been at the game for years.

Yummy snacks in Bangkok...

We were only in Bangkok two nights, as we will be stopping over a couple more times before our trip is through. All in all, it was the perfect first taste of the chaotic Asian culture, and prepped me to be ready for just about anything. I am already used to being smelly and itchy (although now I use bug spray a little bit obsessively – these mosquitoes are ruthless). I am used to no hot water and taking a shower in the entire bathroom (rarely are there separate shower stalls) and sleeping in my silk “cocoon” that serves as a sleeping bag over the hostel beds. Although this all doesn’t exactly sound like paradise, the experience so far has been unforgettable and amazing. We are truly making the most out of it and I have already seen and done so many new, wild things in only one week. More to come on our first venture out of Thailand to Cambodia!