Hué, Hoi An, Nha Trang, and Ho Chi Minh

Traveling through a big part of Vietnam in only 10 days is venturesome and I would’ve liked to spend more time in places exploring the places less trodden by tourists. We were only in Hué for a total of 4 hours in which time I rented a bicycle with the guys I met on the boat (and who I got stuck on the bus with) and rode around looking at some of the historic sights and the pagoda by the river.  

Hué was once the capital city of the Nguyen Dynasty and there are still many famous monuments and architectural sites to look at. Hoi An is known for its many tailor shops, so there I had a blazer, jeans, and two pairs of leather sandals designed and custom made for me. The next day they were ready and I was very impressed by the quality, since the price was so inexpensive. 

Sunrise in Nha Trang

Then it was off to the beach capitol of Vietnam:

Nha Trang. 

The beach area honestly reminded me of a smaller and less crowded version of Santa Monica, with people doing Thai Chi on the beach and running along the sidewalk. It was a much different scene than I've been used to in Asia. Since we arrived at 6 am, we chilled on the beach and watched the sunrise before checking into our hostel. We did a day-long boat trip where we went 'snorkeling' (didn't see anything) and stopped at a beach. After lunch on the boat we were told we could jump off the boat and swim and a floating 'bar' was thrown overboard a long with us. Of course it was only the white foreigners who went for it. All the Chinese tourists on our boat were just excited to watch and take pictures while we floated around down below. Later Leo and I found a restaurant ran by a man who looked like he had walked straight off the ranch. I can't say I have ever been that excited for barbeque, but my mouth was watering just by the smell in that place and by the time we got our food we just shut up and ate every last bite. The man was from Texas he told us, and that was some of the best BBQ I have ever eaten, even back home. Nha Trang is also known for it's lively night life, so with some other American girls we met on the boat, we went out the the Sailing Club and danced the night away.

Motorbikes crowding the sidewalk

When we got to the Southern capitol city of Ho Chi Minh, also called Saigon, Leo and I visited the famous War Remnants Museum. It was interesting to see, but also difficult to see the pictures and read accounts from the people during that time. We had much more fun was just walking and exploring the busy streets. There were so many motorbikes that sometimes you couldn't even walk on the sidewalk, and to cross the street you just had to walk slowly into the sea of zipping bikes and let them dodge you. It was nerve racking at first, but soon we got the hang of things. To get out of the heat one day we ducked into a mall to play arcade games and watch a movie in the air-conditioning. If you are ever homesick, this is one of the best things to do because in the dark room you really could be anywhere in the world!

To get rid of some of my ‘dong’ (name for their currency) before going back to Thailand, I decided to treat myself to a facial—only $7 for a rejuvenating hour of relaxation and bliss! Traveling in Vietnam gave me a different perspective on the country and taught me a lot. I also realized that although I love the fact that Thailand is the only country in Southeast Asia never colonized by a European country, I really loved the bread and coffee in Vietnam, thanks to the French!

Overnight Sleeper Busses in Vietnam

Sleeper bus (photo from Internet)

Overnight busses in Vietnam are a good way to travel when on a time crunch. They are cheap and travel at night, which gets you to your next destination without loosing a day and paying for a hotel. They have three rows of bunk beds and ‘sleep’ up to about 30 people- 30 very SHORT people. Leo and I found out the hard way that some busses are nicer than others. We bought a 4-stop bus ticket at the Hanoi Backpackers Hostel since we would be stopping in Hue, Hoi An and ending our trip in Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon). We were told that we would be given our tickets on the first bus. Well after waiting for a van on the side of the road to take a big group of us to the bus, we ended up being the last ones along with 3 other guys. I think what happened is that our ‘VIP’ but had been overbooked, so after about an hour we find ourselves boarding a bus that was almost full of Vietnamese. The woman yelled at us to get off the bus when we didn’t have tickets in hand and we told her the situation. Finally someone called our hostel to confirm our names and we were granted the last two seats on the bus; both on the top middle row. I’m not a tall person and I could hardly fit my legs into the bed without being totally cramped. The best part was that I happened to have the TV coming down from the ceiling and into my lap. To top it all off, when boarding the bus Leo fell down the side stairwell on his way to look for a seat and everyone stared at us, shocked at these crazy foreigners. I really don’t think we were on the right bus. All night I sat/lay with my knees hanging out of my bed and the neon light flashing in my face while the Vietnamese men on either side of me lay stretched out in their beds with room to spare laughing at whatever show was playing.

I’m happy to say that the bus rides got better after this one. All the rest had bigger beds, blankets, and even a bathroom on board. The only problem was that after everyone got on, they would pick up people and let them sleep on the floor in the isles so you had to climb over them if you had to pee and try not to step on anyone! Oh the joys of traveling~

‘Booze Cruising’ in Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay (picture from Internet)

After exploring Hanoi and getting a grip on the drop in temperature, Leo and I signed up for a 2 night, 3-day boat trip on Ha Long Bay, literally meaning “Descending Dragon Bay” in Vietnamese. With its thousands of limestone rock formations, called karsts, jutting straight out of the water with trees and vines clinging to their surface and caves scooped out at the bottom so they sometimes look like they’re floating, you can see why it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We boarded our boat with about 60 other travelers and sailed out into the mists. Just about a month before there had been an accident on the bay and a tourist boat sunk, killing twelve tourists, so security was very tight getting in and out of the harbor.

The cave we kayaked to

This was not your typical tour of the bay of course since we had booked through our hostel. I think everyone on board was under 30 and it quickly turned into more of a ‘booze cruise’. It was not like the pictures on the posters where everyone was in their bikinis out in the sun though; the only people who went up the ‘sun’ deck were those having a smoke. It was freezing!

Partying with new friends on the boat

Leo and I shared a room that was quite cozy, but outside the cold sinking in. We needed a way to warm up so we all cracked a few beers. When the boat made anchor in the middle of mists and jagged islands, and we were told this was the part where we could swim, everyone looked skeptical. Then the guys decided that we were in Ha Long Bay and to hell with it and started jumping overboard. I still had about 3 layers of clothes on and was not about to change that, but when I was told that the first girl to get in got a beer on the house (c’mon, they were expensive!) I went to change. By the time I got back I had already lost that bet, but my competitive side came out and I changed that by doing a back flip off the railing. About 20 feet down I hit the water and my breath caught. SO NOT WORTH IT! The water was like ice, and it’s not like I needed a refresher in the first place! Climbing up the side of the ship with blue lips, I didn’t even smile when the guys high fived me. GET ME A TOWEL!

Next up: canoeing. Seeing that I was already wet, it actually felt warmer in the canoe. We all partnered up and paddled off to explore the cliffs and the caves. We stopped at one that was particularly big to have a look around. While we were out there, small boats would come up to us trying to sell things, there was a little girl about 5 years old with her mom trying to sell us beer. Everything out here is floating on water, even villages. Some people born out here rarely set foot on land and survive by fishing and trading goods.

Our huts on Castaway Island

Later that evening after we ad all eaten and warmed up a bit, we were roped into playing drinking games. I don’t remember if they had warned us about the early wakeup call, or f everyone had forgotten, but when they started banging on doors and ringing doorbells that played “Fur Elise,” no one was a happy camper. We all stumbled out of bed and were determined to go back to our cozy courters the moment we got some coffee and grub. Not a chance. They were already cleaning our rooms getting ready for the next group of travelers! We all sat around, some of us with our heads on the tables trying to make up for lost sleep. Half the group would be returning to Hanoi and the other half of us were traveling on to Castaway Island, a small private island that the company paid a rent under the table to have access to. The island had a small beach; volleyball net, canoes, and a communal area were we ate dinner together. Along a path there were bamboo huts low to the ground so that you had to crawl into them. We all took our pick, Leo and I sharing with the only other four girls and tried to make it cozy. I think the entire trip I wore all my layers of clothing, only taking them off to take a shower once (and jump overboard). Later I went and watched a very entertaining game of volleyball (hilarious because one guy took it very seriously when everyone else was just having fun and the British guy sitting next to me kept whispering a running commentary to me that made me almost die laughing). It was a slower night of drinking that night, but a night of drinking nonetheless and when it started raining I was happy that our huts were a foot off the wet ground. I hunkered down and actually had an unexpectedly pleasant sleep.

By the time we got back to the Backpackers Hostel in Hanoi, we had just enough time to get in a hot shower and eat before undertaking our first overnight bus in Vietnam. 

And we're BACK!

I know that the last few months I have failed miserably at keeping up with my blog, but I have a good excuse! Five countries in three months without my constant companion: my MacBook. But to make sure I didn’t forget those unhinged overnight busses of Vietnam, early morning walks in Nepal, tasty morsels in India, flying through the jungles of Thailand, and soaking up both culture and rays in Bali, I diligently kept a journal and will now share all of my adventures with you.

For me the past two and a half months have been the real reason I moved to Thailand in the first place. As much as I love my experience teaching and all that it has taught me, I was born to travel, and nothing makes me feel more alive. 

Noodles, narrow streets, and lots and lots of motorbikes=Hanoi, Vietnam

We made it to Hanoi this morning and I couldn't bemore excited and shocked to walk outside and feel "chilly"! Yes, I am aware that itis the end of winter here, but c'mon, winter in Thailand was a joke and I thought this would be comprable! I am wearing a sweatshirt and scarf and I think if I straightened my hair it might actually stay that way for more than five minutes. Crazy.

We're so rich! ;)

Yet again we lucked out with a really sweet hostel for about $6 a night in the center of the old quarter. Outside the bright modern interior is a crowded street lined with food vendors, boutiques and people going places. I love seeing all the traditional hats, people sitting on tiney stools drinking tea and the women carying fruit dangling from baskets hanging off their shoulders.

To make our flight, Leo and I got up at 2:30 am and took a cab into the BKK airport. I slept maybe a half hour on the plane and in the shuttle from the airport. For some reason I have been having really bad luck with my left big toe. Remember when I sliced a piece off in the grate in the street? Well that's about healed, I opened it up again on the uneven streets, but then the other night while out in the city, smashed between a million gay men at DJ Station, someone crushed my poor toe with their out or control dance moves. It started bleeding all around the edges and is currently in bad shape again. The problem is that I walk here all the time in sandalsand it is hard to keep it clean. Now it is so bad that my leg gets cramped from walking weird and compensating for it. I had to take a cab home after walking all day because I couldn't take it any longer. Not good, but other than that I can't complain! haha it seems like one injury after another.
Leo and I went to the Ho Chi Mhin museum (closed, but the grounds were cool), and this restaurant for lunch called Koto, which is a grassroots organization who helps give people off the streets a place to work and gives all profits to the charity. We had these amazing cold noodles with beef, peanuts and chili lime sauce.

I just got back to the hostel and am going to do some planning and napping before going out to eat more delicious food hopefully including clay pots and spring rolls!
To be continued...

The City Life

Just a look at some of the things Leo and I are doing over our week in Bangkok before we head to Vietnam on Monday! Sightseeing, meeting cool peeps in our hostel and so forth :)

Wat Po (reclining Buddha) 

Wat Arun

View from the top

Out Awesome hostel- LubD

My first trip to the ER in BKK

Last night Leo, Erin and I went to a little restaurant just across the street form our hostel because it was torrential down-pouring. I love the seafood in Thailand, so of course I order this dish full of squid and shrimp with sticky rice. It was delicious and I had just them about how I used to be allergic to shrimp and how my mouth would itch. Well we finished dinner and were on our way to buy a drink at seven eleven when my mouth started feeling funny and I felt like I got bit by a mosquito behind my ear. I asked Erin and  she and Leo both said I would be fine, but them in the light I asked again and she saw a hive under my eye. We went back to the hostel and I took benadryl but it just kept getting worse. My tongue swelled up and felt like a rock in my mouth and I had hives all over my head, in my armpits and thighs. I have never been in anaphylactic shock before so of course I was freaking out. We called the hospital and they told us to come in immediately so we jumped in a cab. Leo was taking to long putting things away so we left without him. Lizzie was just walking to our hostel at that time so we told her to come with too. I was admitted and injected with medicine in my hand. The sensation was insane and I didn't realize what was going on at first, but there was this intense burning in my "groin area" and I flipped! It was sooo funny because I think the nurse knew that would happen but didn't tell me. It went away in seconds but my knee jerk reaction to grab my crotch was the funniest thing the girls have seen I'm sure. I can't imagine what the guy who was talking to me about finance thought at the time! The doctor wanted me to spend the night so he could monitor me, but when we saw the 40000 baht deposit it was a sure NO. I waited there for about an hour and a half until I started to deflate a bit. Lizzie and Erin were on observation duty and thought it was funny to watch me try and touch my tongue to my nose (I couldn't even stick it out) or make me pronounce my last name. I just thought everything was funny by that point. I got some more medicine to take and we went back to the hostel. Our plans to go out were ruined, and I spent way more then is typical in BKK, but at least I don't look like Will Smith in Hitch anymore. My neck still feels like I got badly chocked and I think I'll stay away form my favorite food for a while.

Semester #1 -SET LAOU!!!

Time sure does fly fast when you work all week and travel every weekend! I have now officially made it through my first semester teaching and boy am I excited! (set laou=finished) It still seems like a joke that I have the next two and a half months free to travel. During this time I will be exploring the cities and bays of northern Vietnam, sunbathing and hitting up a full moon party on the southernmost islands of Thailand, trekking in Nepal, sightseeing in India, and reconnoitering the lush rice fields of Bali. May this turn out to be my own version or Eat, Pray, Love! 

Getting ready!

During the first month (actually in the next few hours) my dear friend Leo from Iowa will be joining me. I can't wait to glimpse his first perspective on Thailand and rehash all the wonderful things I have come somewhat accustomed to here. He will be traveling on to Australia with nothing but a backpack and working holiday visa after this and my hope is to be able to visit him there when my contract here is up. I've been chilling here at the hostel all day anticipating his arrival (just took a break to go get some of the best tom kha gai soup I've ever had at a small street-side restaurant that cost $4). 

This morning I had an appointment at an International hospital in BKK, which was by far the nicest hospital I have even been in. I have been having some stomach issues and now acid reflux that could be something serious if not taken care of. Before doing an endoscopy, however, I am reforming my diet and taking antibiotics to see if a 

Happy Valentine's Day! The students decorated our shirts

less invasive method could be the key to getting rid of this. Worst thing is, I can't have coffee or chocolate *sigh*. But let's look on the bright side, maybe this will also help the few kilos I've gained while living here as well. I was sad to have to freeze my Fitness First gym membership, I'm going to really miss it and the trainers! 

Well, with that said, let the epic adventure begin!!!

“Sexy Elephants” Trip to Khao Yai National Park --February 11-13

Khao Yai is said to look like something straight Jurassic Park just like so other many national parks in Thailand. We took the recommendation from some friends to stay at Bobby’s hostel, which ended up being a great choice. We opted for a day and a half tour of the park, six girls and our guide Aton (or just Ton). He was a short little guy with tattoos that covered every inch of his body as far as I could tell.  He really enjoyed calling everything “sexy”. Sexy girls, sexy guide, sexy waterfalls…everything was considered sexy. He spoke English brilliantly well.

The first night we all sat around talking about teaching and the ups and downs we all go thorough in a single day. It’s nice to hear of similar experiences and new ones that the others encounter in their schools. We also got into our tiffs about the expats who are overpopulating some areas (in our opinion). I just can’t look at old, white, guys with beautiful Thai women and imagine a genuine love connection there. It’s too bad.  

Our "sexy" guide Ton

We called it a fairly early night so that we would be well rested for our jungle trek the next day. I was pumped yet skeptical about seeing wildlife such as gibbons and elephants in the jungle since I had read that they are not always easily spotted.

Our day started at 9 am. After the ride to the park we commenced our trek, stomping through leaves off the beaten track. Every so often Ton would make us stop so he could listen, or stop to show us a cinnamon tree or a rubber tree.

Gibbon, taken with a large zoom

The first rare animal we saw was called a hornbill; a huge bird that sounded like a helicopter when it took off because of its massive wingspan. It was almost time to break for lunch and after we were quite tired out when suddenly we came upon a family of black gibbons! They were way up in the canopy and we watched them until our necks got sore and they finally started swinging away through the branches. They are such amazing creatures, and very rare compared to all the “ling” (monkeys) in the park and all over Thailand. After lunch we went to see a waterfall that was used in the scene from The Beach. This was really the only part of our day where we encountered other tourists, two of whom told our guide that they had just come face to face with a wild elephant a little ways into the forest. They scared look on their faces translated into an excited face on our guide and all of a sudden we were scampering through the trees in search of the elephant.

I thought that since I have 50 elephants as my closest neighbors, seeing just one in the wild would be no big deal right? WRONG! It’s like being around dogs all the time and then seeing a wolf in the wild…heart palpitating, and ready to run through the jungle underbrush for my life I just stood and watched the bamboo shacking as if got stopped down. Finally I could see some grey, then a head and two ivory tusks. I think this male was the king of the jungle; he was larger than any on by block.

Hello there!!! 

After seeing the elephant we treaded over to the waterfall to take a dip. It was nice and completely secluded from the other tourist and after our initial shock at how frigid the water was, even to our sweaty skin, we all go the courage to bare all and jump in. It was refreshing to get all the dirt and grim off our bodies.

After our numbing swim under the waterfall and attempt to all dry off a bit with one towel, we headed quickly back through the foliage, still on the lookout in case the elephant turned up again. By this time we were all exhausted and the blister that had sprung up on my heel was rubbing me the wrong way. There was no one left on the beaten trail and we were about to reach our ride when all of a sudden Ton leaps back, his arms spread, clutching his machete. We all stop and stare down at the path directly in front of us. There, wearing camouflage that matched perfectly with the leaves was a long brown snake. Ton was pretty damn close to stepping on the thing! He starts freaking out and all of a sudden I hear him say “crobar!” “Um, excuse me what’s that?” “Most poisonous snake, the king crobar!” “OH. Mygod. It’s a King cobra. Just when I thought our day could not get any more exciting. I had taken a picture of one of these in the park museum, but this one was alive, not coiled in formaldehyde… our driver didn’t even believe Ton when he told him until we showed him a picture! 

Young King Cobra

After a delicious dinner or masaman curry and some tea, and after zoning out and watching An Education for a bit on the TV, we all crashed.  What a spectacular, extraordinary day. 

The next day Ton took us to this temple that is literally built into a mountain and there is a cave inside where Buddhists go to meditate and pry. Every inch of this this was covered in the Buddha image and medallions. It was so gaudy and over the top that it actually worked, it was spectacular. There were many photographs hanging of a monk who looked like he had been all around the world and who is special to this particular temple, at least I think that's what Ton said. Well when we were almost ready to leave, we look into this room and there is the monk, just about to eat lunch, the same one who is in the photos. He invites us to sit down and welcomes us to Thailand by giving us each a beaded bracelet from a bag. In Thailand you mush always stay lower than a monk and also never touch their hands or clothes. This monk seemed very carefree and had a childlike glimmer in his eyes. He explained to us why meditation is so important and led us in a ten minute silent meditation. It was a real treat to be able to do something like that.

The very top of the temple

Inside the cave

Following that tour, we briefly stopped to bathe "Thai-style" (fully clothed even if you are wearing jeans, which of course none of us were, but many Thais do) at a natural spring. After climbing through the temple and walking around in the powerful sun, it was a welcomed treat to cool off. Because of work obligations the next day we were unable to visit the bat cave that is usually included in the tour, but mai pen rai, maybe next time.

Special visitors--2/9-2/11

My weekend started two days early this week since I had some very special visitors in town! My uncles, Neal and Donald formed their winter trip with me in mind and I couldn’t have been more happy to see family! As you all know, traveling in a huge part of my life, and I love getting to share it with others. I am also highly looking forward to my mom coming in April!

On Wednesday afternoon after teaching five classes, I couldn’t wait to get out of my office and go into BKK. I also couldn’t wait to hunker down in a nice big bed with soft sheets and down pillows instead of my normal hard bed, or the bunk beds I usually sleep in at hostels.

Finally I made it to the Metropolitan and Neal met me in the lobby. After setting my things down (my room at the was sleek and modern, with a big bathroom, and towels that could swallow me up!), we all sat around their room, chatting and catching up. They had only been in Thailand for two days and already had done a few tours of the city, hitting the major wats and sights. At 7 pm we went downstairs and met our guide Da, who would be taking us on a night tour of BKK. I was really pumped because I have never taken a tour here and there are many places in BKK I have not discovered yet (it really is a HUGE city). The tour consisted of a ride over to the Nana area, a walk through the Lebanese part of town, a stop at the outdoor bar Cheap Charlie’s for a cocktail, then on through the red light district. We had dinner at a famous restaurant called Cabbages and Condoms.  A Thai nongovernmental organization established the chain as a public outreach program for AIDS awareness, safe sex, and family planning. There everything is decorated in condoms, a Tiger Woods, Santa and Superman were all covered in rubbers and birth control pills, and the Christmas tree with hanging condoms actually looked quite pretty from far away! The dinner was very good and instead of giving you after dinner mints, we were given complimentary condoms. After dinner, we taxied over to a flower market that never closes. We passed mountains of flowers and people buying and selling. The air-conditioned taxi came as a relief at the end of our stroll and we headed to a rooftop bar in the State building, but before we stopped and bought a pair of 200B ($6) heels on the side of the street since the bar has a dress code and I was wearing flip-flops! This is the tallest rooftop bar in BKK; I think we got off on the 65^th floor. There are no other large buildings right around it so you have an unobstructed view of the city and the river. Above the noise and smog, the city actually looks quite spectacular and pretty with all her sparkling lights. Throw in a fresh berry martini and I’d say the night was a smashing success!

One of the best things about the hotel was the breakfast. I am a huge fan of Thai food, but there are many things you start to miss, such as cheese. The buffet consisted of wonderful breads, fruit spreads, pastries, meats, avocado, all types of fruits and fresh squeezed juices, and yogurt with different toppings. Aroi mak mak!!!

Breakfast

On Thursday after this smorgasbord of food, we strolled around BKK, saw the Golden Buddha, ate noodles at a roadside stand, and checked out the Mandarin Oriental. After sweating and walking down back streets we returned to the hotel to sit by the pool and read for a while. We all have kindles and after I finished up my book I took their advice and started to read The Help, which I am enjoying immensely. After a quick soak in the tub and a long (HOT!) shower, we went out. Before dinner we started with a drink in the Four Seasons and then went to The Spice Kitchen for dinner which Neal and Donald heard was a “must go to” restaurant in BKK. After eating there I can agree with that statement. We had a set menu and I’m not going to rattle off all the deliciousness, but I can tell you it was probably one of the best Thai meals I have had so far. The only thing that made it even better was the wine, something that I rarely drink here.

Dinner at the Spice Market

Neal and Donald had an early rise on Friday and I get up to say goodbye and thank them for visiting and treating me to a wonderful time in BKK. After they left I went back to bed for awhile and took my time enjoying the hotel before I checked out at noon to start the other very exciting yet very different part of my long weekend. 

To the far North! Reggae Festival in Chiang Mai

A normal 2-day weekend does not give you much time to travel far, but last weekend that didn’t stop me. I had wanted to go up north to Chiang Mai even before I came to Thailand, and hearing that there would be a reggae festival made me want to just go for it. I was planning on making it a solo trip, but after I posted my plans on Facebook, a girl from my program decided to come with me. Her school had given her the next week off (so lucky) and she could stay a few extra days.

On Friday all afternoon classes were cancelled and I went to the doctor because I have been having weird stomach pains sometimes and I wanted to get it checked out. The doctor spoke decent English, but instead of doing any tests they just loaded me up with antibiotics and medicine, told me to eat bland food (not possible for me), try not to stress (when 3^rd graders are throwing chairs at each other?) and get lots of rest (so I keep traveling). I hate taking antibiotics, especially when your mother is into Homeopathy, you know all about how bad it can be for your body. But since I can’t remember the last time I took them, I decided that maybe it is a good time and if it makes me feel better then great. The fact that I’ve been taking probiotics everyday for the last 2 months should help too! The appointment ended just after 1pm and I decided to go back to my apartment instead of school to pack. I forgot to mention my toe. The previous morning Lizzie and I were walking on our route to work on the side of the freeway and there are these big grates in the ground for runoff. I was wearing flip-flops and my toe when into one, ripping of a chunk of the skin. I wanted to cry. It was so painful I could hardly sand it, but we had to keep walking so that we wouldn’t be late for work. I went directly to the nurse who cleaned it, then took out a huge tweezers and scissors and cut off the piece that was hanging off. I think a few nerve ending went with it. The rest of the day I had to explain to the students why I had a bandage on my big toe. They were very sympathetic.

I waited till 4 to head into Bangkok. I took a van to Mochit, the big bus station and waited for Elana. She wanted to pay with her card so we didn’t purchase our tickets until later so we got stuck with terrible seats (here they have VIP busses that have much more room and they serve snacks, first class and second class where your knees are against the seat in front of you. For a 10 hour trip you pay about $20 for regular busses and $27 for VIP—totally worth the extra money). 

VIP bus

They ended up not even taking credit cards, go figure! I feel like I’m getting to be an expert sleeper on ever-night busses, but the combo of the cramped quarters and that fact that my toe would not stop throbbing made it a very long night.

Some funky shoes for about $5 (I didn't buy these ones though)

We made it to Chiang Mai at about 6 am Saturday morning. I booked a VIP bus back so that I didn’t have to deal with it later and we got a truck to take us to our hostel. I was freeeeezing on the ride! It was such a difference from central Thailand, but very refreshing. Our hostel let us check into our room when we arrived so we went and crashed for a few hours. 

The hostel was called MD House and 

had a pool shaped like a penis in the front! At first

we were like, “did they do that on purpose?” but c’mon, how could you do that and NOT be aware? Our room had two beds, a hot shower and air conditioning and breakfast was included. It cost about $13 a night.

During the day we walked around, had lunch and some mango and sticky rice. I love the city, it is much smaller than I imagined for being the second largest in Thailand and there are no big buildings. It is very walk able; there are great restaurants, markets, art galleries and parks. It was a beautiful sunny day, but not humid. At 4 we met up with two other girls from our program. One lives in Chiang Mai and the other about an hour away. This was the first time we’d seen each other since orientation so I was really excited. We found this young tuktuk driver who was super nice and spoke great English. He agreed to take us out to the grounds where the reggae festival was, so we all crammed in the back and took off. The grounds were set around a lake and there were mountains all around. A big stage was set up and there were lots of vendors selling crafts, drinks and food. They had spread straw out everywhere and banners of red, yellow and green blew in the wind.

The festival didn’t really get going till after sunset so we sat in a little bamboo structure and had a few beers. Our friend Zach came to meet us because he had been in Chiang Mai with his school for a conference and they let him come.

The rest of the night we danced to reggae, ate, and hung out by bond fires. One of the bands, Easy Star All Stars just blew me away; they were amazing and even threw in some great renditions of The Beatles. We left late and took a free songtaw back to the center, just a short walk from our hostel. The concert was definitely worth making the trip. 

After breakfast on Sunday we checked out China Town and the flower market. There was a big market inside with lots of herbs, tea, and dried fruits, along with countless things I didn’t recognize. There was one temple that was different for many that I've seen here in Thailand since it was all Chinese. Very different style than the Thai temples, but very important to the city of Chiang Mai all the same. The flower market was beautiful and smelled amazing as you walked by, I wish I could have brought some back to put in my apartment.

Later we sat down to an Indian lunch and rested our feet. On Sunday evenings there is a walking street set up with all kinds of artist and vendors. This is the kind of thing I’ve been looking for since I got here! I bought a necklace and a little Buddha, a bag and some other things. I ate the best Pad Thai for dinner before I went back to the hostel, grabbed my bad and took a tuktuk to the bus station for my 9:00 bus. This ride was much better, but I ended up getting back about half an hour before I had to walk to school! I took a nap at my desk and ended up making it to the gym after work. I think I need to catch up on my sleep! (Sorry this post is kind of long, not much to do today at work! Hope you all enjoy!)

Sunday walking street

Bangkok and floating markets

Last weekend I went into Bangkok to celebrate Kristin’s birthday on Friday night at a club called Narz. I have never been out to a really nice place like that in Bangkok; we usually go to the backpacker’s district of something like that. There were about 10 of us and then some guys from South Africa who we met traveling showed up too. We had a blast dancing all night. Then at one point one of my Thai friends came up to me, so random, but I fell like I see him everywhere, such a funny coincidence, so after some people left we hung out with them for awhile and left at about 5 am. 

Cassie and Christie

Amphawa

The next day Lizzie and I were planning on going to a floating market about an hour out of town. To tell you the truth I was pretty exhausted and not too excited, but I was determined not to punk out. We took the BTS to Victory Monument and then got a van to Amphawa. Then it was just a short songtaw ride and we were there. It was amazing and I was glad we had stuck to the plan. It was a beautiful sunny day and we spent it walking through the bustling market past toys, crafts, sweets and tons of food. I love markets because you always see things that you have to try and guess what it is—like are those bugs or sweets?

Our yummy lunch! Can't get any fresher than this

Later when we got hungry we sat down on these little steps facing the water. There were all these long boats set up there, each one serving a different dish. We gave our order to a man that yelled it out to the women, who then started making our orders. We got grilled squid, giant prawns, son tom papaya salad, pad thai, chicken satays with peanut sauce, and beer and each spent under $5. It was so fresh and yummy; I would eat it everyday if I could! We were planning on staying the night there to see the fireflies that are a big attraction there, but we decided to skip that and go back to Bangkok. 

Mackerel-famous in this market

We went and put our backpacks in a friend’s hostel, took a shower, and met people out on Khaosan road, the backpacker’s street. It was fun, but I was not really in the mood to drink because of our rowdy night before. I did see many people I hadn’t seen in awhile, so that was good. Later at about 1 am Lizzie and I were going to get a taxi home so we could wake up in our own beds and not in a hostel in Bangkok. As we were going to the cab, 2 people we had met in Koh Tao came up! They were in Bangkok for about a week, one was on her way home to England and the other was flying to Egypt in a few days to meet him girlfriend. It is SO random to me that weeks later we just run into people we know, it’s happened before as well! We caught up a bit and then said goodbye and went home. The next day I slept until 2 pm, (I NEVER get to sleep in) only getting up to talk to a friend on Skype for his birthday. I finally texted Lizzie later and we got ourselves motivated to go to the gym and then to the market. We made salads, had some masaman curry and watched the movie Invictus. Getting up at 6:15 Monday mornings is never nice.

Out on Khaosan road-backpacker's district