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!

 

The Suicide Walk

Crossing the street in Vietnam is a feat in its own. Cars, motorbikes, and bicycles zoom past you. The rule of the thumb is the bigger vehicle is responsible. For example, if a car and a motorbike get in an accident, no matter what, it’s the car’s fault. If a bicycle and a motorbike get in an accident, it’s the motorbike’s fault, and so on. So, as a pedestrian, even if you cross the street when it’s a green light for the cars, it is never your fault. I don’t suggest it, but if you shut your eyes and walked at a constant rate, you will most likely get across the street safely.

Most all cars stop at red lights, but only some motorbikes and bicycles. Instead, they honk their horn and proceed through the intersection as if it were a green light. The intersections look like schools of fish intersecting, each fish swerves a different way and somehow they all continue on their journey without hitting one another.

On the highway, the direction on the lanes don’t mean much. Some cars drive half way in two different lanes, sometimes you’re on the left side of the road (this is a right-side-driving country), and most of the time you’re grabbing the oh-shit-bar and hoping for the best. It is like the roads that have a center lane with a green arrow or a red X depending on which direction is the busiest during rush hour. Though, here there are no signs and both directions assume the center lane is their lane.

 

 

To Hue we go!

Person 1: To Hue (pronounced “way”)?

Person 2: No, no, only one way! We go to Hue!

Person 1: Yes, to Hue.

Person 2: No way!! We find other way to Hue.

Yes, yes as sad as it may be, this conversation did occur. Hue, pronounced “way” was the border between the old North and South Viet Nam. The first night we were in the city, we stumbled upon a roof-top restaurant. At the Moonlight Hotel, we ate a delicious meal with the best view in town! We not only overlooked the city, but also the Perfume River.

On day two, we took the time to discover the Forbidden City!

 

 

A lot of the Forbidden City had to be renovated/put back together after the war. So it was pretty rare to find original walls, tile work, and roofs.

On our walk home we found a hole-in-the-wall salon. They gave us full body massages, including walking on our backs, for only $6 each. Before it was my turn I needed to use the lady’s room. One of the workers was so enthusiastic about taking me she stopped massaging my mom mid-stoke and grabbed my hand. To find a restroom we had to go across the street to the preschool. I’ve never seen a local be so careful crossing the street. She was more careful than I would have been on my own! I guess she figured she didn’t want to kill a paying customer! The owner of the preschool, an older gentleman, was very inviting, and he showed me (and the masseuse still holding my hand) upstairs to the bathroom. Thankfully the masseuse didn’t feel obligate to escort me all the way to the toilet. Not to my surprise, there was no toilet paper so I did the 1-2 shake. As we descended the stairs, the older gentleman was running up the stairs holding a roll of toilet paper saying “wait, wait”. I explained I had already gone, and we laughed it off. I don’t know if it was my blonde hair or what, but I’ve never had people so excited to help me to the lady’s room. It was quite the experience!

Tomorrow we leave bright and early for Hoi An!

               

Halong Bay: One of Vietnam's Most Beautiful Sites!

We hopped on a bus from Hanoi to Halong Bay. In less than 3.5 hours we were on a boat headed to one of the most beautiful sites I’ve ever seen. Halong Bay was filled with moss covered cliffs.

 

 

 

 

We started the adventure with a small hike through a cave. For millions of years water and wind wore at the yellowstone to form house-sized caves. The caves started at water level, and the waves smoothed the interior walls. Then, as time continued, the cave rose above the water level and stalagmites and stalactites formed. Now, the caves have smooth ceilings and ruff walls.

 

Next on our itinerary was kayaking! We paddled around from island to island. After another hike and a short splash in the water we headed back on the boat. Though, the goofy British boys wouldn’t hop on the boat until they all split a jellyfish they found beached on shore. Ewww! They throw it back with a disgusted face and in a swallow it was gone!

On the boat we learned how to make the “labor-intensive”, Vietnamese spring rolls. We sat at large tables and ate family-style with many dishes passed around. Our meals consisted of BBQ chicken, fried fish, fried potatoes, fried chicken, fried spring rolls, salads, rice, noodles, and the traditional new year’s cake. Boy, do they love their fried foods!

The rest of our evening was spent playing drink games and sneaking beers on the boat. At night, women will row next to your boat trying to sell drinks and food. The boat crew does not want you to buy from these women because they will not get commission. Well, money talks and the women’s beer was half the price!

 

The next day we took a tour through an oyster farm and learned how pearls are made. By noon, we were back on the bus heading to Hanoi!

Gooooodbye Halong Bay!