Night Boat from Hell

We met a nice couple in Chumphon who also had the whole day to kill before their train left. We got the best travel tip so far. The girl told us to go ahead and buy the more expensive night boat to Koh Tao. She mentioned how she was nervous on the cheap, small boat as there was only one exit, and hundreds of people crammed in the boat. Not thinking much about it, we spent the extra dollar. Our boat left at 11pm and arrived at 5 am.

Around 2:30 in the morning I awoke to an ear shattering crash! Shit, are we going under? I heard the crash again and the boat was rocking side to side like a rollercoaster. We were rolling in our bunk beds hoping our luggage was too heavy to roll off! I thought I was going to meet my maker that night. I heard another crashing wave on the boat and wondered if this was normal. I wanted to go to the deck and see the night swell, but instead I stayed huddled under my covers for fear of falling off the deck. All I could think about was how lucky we were to get the bigger boat. I couldn't imagine being on any smaller boat. I defiantly now know what our traveling friend was talking about.

Sometime between crashes I'd fallen asleep only to wake up again at 4am. I was so happy to know we only had an hour left. The waters have to calm down as we get closer, right? Needless to say, we made it to Koh Tao, otherwise you wouldn't be reading this.

Never again will I take the night boat from

Mystery Island

This is the true definition of paradise. This is where people go to escape. This is where there are no showers, but only a hose. All the accommodations are full, but you only see a handful of people on the whole stretch of beach. You’re morning alarm clock is replaced with the squawking of roosters. Every bungalow has a gecko, and you find little presents in your bed in the afternoon. This is where your biggest daily responsibility is to find the reservoir, hike to the ranger station, read a book, or journal. Most things and food are handmade. The island only has electricity from 6 pm to 9:30 pm. The only way off this island is a longtail boat that comes twice a day. To catch the boat, you must stand on shore, wave your arms, and jump up and down until it sees you. This is where life is simple; you eat when you’re hungry, you sleep when you’re tired, and make new friends every day.

Everyone has a different reason to be here. Some are escaping their old life, some were born on the island, other people vacation here, some come for a week but stay for a lifetime, some visit friends, and some, like us, stumble upon it by mistake. A friend of Suzie’s suggested we go to an island with the same name but to our surprise, the suggestion was for a northeast Thai island and we are in the southwest. It was a pleasant surprise and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve met so many beautiful souls of all ages and from all over (but defiantly a lot of German). We swam in the ocean, did yoga on the beach, explored the tide pools, discovered the reservoir, tasted cashew wine, trekked through a cashew plantation and stopped to try the fruit, saw rubber trees tapped for their sap, and even found time to sit down for a beer and hear other travelers’ stories.

 

 

This island draws a specific type of person. Materialist, over-consuming people wouldn't fit in. It's for people who enjoy simple times, people who don't need much in their life but a bed to sleep in and a roof over their head. It's refreshing. It’s nice to force yourself to relax and have no worries at all. I hope this island never changes. I hope it stays uncharted and over looked. Until next time mystery island, keep those biting sand fleas, blood-thirsty mosquitos, unsanitary food, polluted waters, and rabid dogs, or at least that what we tell other tourists. 

From Riches to Rags

Suzie and I are now on our own. We went from staying in nice hotels with pools to hostels that look like you can rent a bed for an hour and have no separation between the shower and the toilet. It finally feels like we’re traveling: waiting at bus stops, eating street food, and watching our daily budget. Traveling in SEA is pretty cheap. We’re trying to spend $20 a day. Back in San Luis Obispo, I was spending about $23/day solely on rent and groceries. So this travel thing isn’t too too bad ; )

It’s crazy how fast time goes by. It feels like just yesterday we were all in Colorado planning our trip. Our family vacation came and went and it is a reminder to live in the moment. Yes, it is good to plan ahead and reflect on the past, but it’s important to take in everything right now. Make new memories, do what you enjoy, and, most importantly, always look on the bright side and make the best out of the situation.

I've got Krabi in my pants!

Unlike common belief, Krabi is not pronounced like the red crustacean with claws, it's pronounced as G(k)-rabi.

It’s a shame when places get overexposed, tourist run, and lose their character. In 20 years some places change so much that they are unrecognizable. This is exactly what has happened to Krabi and Koh Phi Phi. They both started as quant, beach towns and have turned into worldwide couples retreat destinations. You know it’s bad when it is difficult to find authentic Thai food in Thailand! There are more resorts than year-round residents.

Even with all of this, we all had a good time. Releigh Beach is a short longtail boat ride away from Krabi and is gorgeous. Each one of us took our turn getting massages on the beach. In Koh Phi Phi we went scuba diving and saw turtles, box fish, trumpet fish, parrot fish, and many other creatures under the sea. Suzie jumped out of her comfort zone and dove for the first time! Best put by Suzie, “The first dive was a little scary, but the second dive makes you addicted!” I’m stoked we saw each other on the other side!

 

This was the last stop for Mom’s travel express. She’s heading back to the States and Suzie and I are continuing to discover the Thai islands!

 

Koh Phi Phi by day.

Koh Phi Phi by night.

And don't worry mom and dad, we did not jump the jump rope of fire. No comment on the ring or limbo of fire...

Kicking it with Buddha

Here we are at Siam Reap with the world famous Angkor ruins.

The best way to explore the ancient temples is to hire a guide and a tuk tuk for the day.

We started at the most renowned temple of them all, Angkor Wat. It is the largest religious structure in the world. Around the temple, gardens, and fields is a mote. The whole construction took 36 years. That’s incredible for when it was built!! Next, we continued on to the Ta Prohm Temple which is famous for the filming of Tomb Rader and is also known as the Angelina Temple. The Temple was in the process of renovation since there was a lot of destruction during the Vietnam War. You could even see bullet holes in the stone. Most of the temples have been repaired and renovated. The last temple of the day was Angkor Thom. This was the most impressive temple! Standing before us were faces of Buddha in all different directions. As we pasted the main alter, we were giving insense and an orange bracelet which was tied around our wrist with a prayer for good luck.  

The next day we trekked out to Wat Thmey, a monastery in memory of those who died due to the Khmer Rouge. I don’t understand how wonderful the people can be when the government resembles the devil. Seeing a memorial of the killing fields really opens your eyes to how disgusting people can be. The small museum followed one man’s life as he was forced from his home in Pheom Pen to work in the fields. He was put in a reeducation camp due to suspicion of anti-Khmer Rouge association. By some greater power unknown to man he survived the camp and lived to tell the tale. This man saw torture tactics that are so cruel, a sane man wouldn’t believe them.

 

 

To many peoples’ dismay, the US govern was indirectly supporting the Khmer Rouge. We were assisting the anti-communist party with financial and warfare aid. Although the US government will not admit it, the anti-communist party was fighting side by side with the Khmer Rouge sharing military tactics and equipment. If I can hold my sources accountable, the leaders of the Khmer Rouge have never been put on trial. They actually are good friends with the minister of the state.

To lift our spirits from this experience, we continued on to the Cambodia Museum to learn about Buddhism, Cambodian tales, and the building of Angkor Wat. The museum was very impressive, especially after seeing the temples first hand.

That night we explored Pub Street. Wow, what a tourist trap!!! Even with all the neon lights and the ear shattering music, it was fun. We saw grilled snakes on a stick, fried tarantula, and baked crickets for sale. Ewww! $1 to eat, $.50 for a photo.

Suzie and I enjoyed drinks with some friends from San Luis Obispo. We shared travel stories and tips and then it was time for a tuk tuk home and a good night sleep.

 

We saw the sites, explored the museum, and got out of there as fast as we got there. Tomorrow is beach and massage time in southern Thailand!!

Biking and Beyond!!!

On Friday, we took a bike tour around Hoi An. We had two local guides who grew up in the area. One was from a farming family and the other family was fishermen. We started on the mainland, but quickly took a boat to an island made from the delta.

We biked through rice paddies (where you defiantly didn’t want to fall), small villages, open fields, and along the river. The tour should have been called “Hello Tour” because all the families would yell from inside, “Hello! Hello!” Some kids would even come to the gate at the edge of their property to see us bike by.

 

We ate at a local family’s house and learned about their culture. Traditional houses have three doors, the right one for women, the left for men, and the center is for their gods and ancestors. EVERY house has an altar. They place food for their ancestors around the altar, and when the insense burns out, the ancestors are done eating and the family can now finish the food. When someone dies, the family burns all of their belongings from iPhones to houses. Though, they don’t burn the actual material item but life-size items made out of paper. This is so the deceased can bring all their possessions into the next world. As you can see, the Vietnamese are VERY superstitious. For tet, they will also burn fake money outside of their shop because it supposedly brings prosperity for the next year. The deceased are buried under cylindrical mounds and it is very bad luck if you ever disrupt the grave. Hoi An is also the city of lanterns. These lanterns are supposed to bring the people longevity and happiness.

 

On Saturday we biked to the beach to have some fun in the sun! Tomorrow we fly to Siam Reap! Ta Ta Viet Nam!

Hoi An: a greedy man's heaven

You want shirt? You want suit? You want bag, purse, shoes? We make it for you! You pick color and design! Custom, custom!

If I had a dollar for every time I heard that, I’d own the whole city! Hoi An is a quant, touristy town burrowed in a delta on the central coast of Vietnam. The people are very friendly and nice, especially if you’re at their shop. Hoi An’s claim to fame is their custom shops. There’s leather stores and fabric stores. You pick everything from the design and color to the pickup time, and they will make anything for you! The price though, that is definantly negotiated.

Viet Nam, like many other countries, is based around bartering. Though, Hoi An is another kind of animal. They will fight until the end over 2,000 VND (about $0.10). They love Tet because then they can say “it’s a happy new year price, no negotiation”. As you walk though the market people shout at you “Buy something, please” or “come in, look around, best price in town”. We spoke with traveler coming from India who said the bartering here was the most intense and exhausting they’ve ever seen.

Suzie and I had the opportunity to have coffee with a local. This is when we found out most all the clothing is made by the same “big tailor”/factory no matter where you’re shopping. So, pick the shop on the price because they are all the same quality. It is funny knowing this while shopping because the sellers say they are the tailor or their mother or father makes the clothes. At one shop a women told me she made the clothes and the next day she mentioned her mother would make the clothes. Ha! Yaa right!! Shoes though, are a different story. The shops make them individually so be careful where you buy them!