Adios Thailand! We leave tonight on another looonnngg boat+bus+boat trip into Malaysia. These last few days (how many, I have no idea) have been amazing. Back in Bangkok, Mal and I were able to reconnect with old friends from previous travels, which made the city much more enjoyable. I actually donned a non-backpacker outfit and when out on the town with a Bangkok expat (hey Sam!) for some drinks. I saw Bangkok from a whole other angle, high-rise bar overlooking the skyline. New York’s got nothing on Bangkok!
Our reunion was quick, because we had to catch a train down to Ko Phangan for the infamous Full Moon Party. But this time we adopted another traveler…our wonderful friend Alicia from Australia. Ko Phangan has so much more to offer than the full moon, so one day we rented an off-road jeep wrangler and tackled the rough roads around the island. I was able to practice my not-so-bad manual driving skills. I only stalled on a hill once! Haha, we screamed loudly as we rolled backwards until some wonderful Samaritans advised me on the proper way to screech up the hills. From then on, I was so unstoppable, we decided to keep driving around the island and have a good ol’ night on the town driving around with the windows down and the music loud.
Now, I already told you the Full Moon Party was epic, but I promised some dirty details. But, since they aren’t just my dirty details, I’m afraid I will have to leave most of it up to your imagination. Let’s just say it was a CRRAAAZZZYYYY party! I can sum it up with: thousands of partiers covering the entire beach, fire twirlers, fire jump rope, numerous drinking stalls selling buckets and beer galore, raging music of all genres, “mushroom” shakes, sleeping areas designated for those who can’t move an inch further, and doctors @ every corner to bandage the wounded. The night was spent laughing and dancing till the sun came up.
As true full moon partiers, we watched the sunrise and stayed on the beach well into the morning, admiring the few hard-core partiers still dancing among the sea of drunkards passed out on the sand. Haha, you could see the hurt and remorse all over people’s faces as they hung their heads low trying to remember their drunken escapades. Running on zero sleep and still recovering from the night/morning we had to part with our Aussie friend and head to Ko Tao for a 4-day scuba certification. While boarding the boat at 2pm, I was asked, “So, did you enjoy the full moon party?” My reply, “Ask me once I’ve gotten some sleep!” After checking into our guesthouse at 4:00pm (and still no sleep!) I retreated to our room desperate to close my eyes.
Today, as we speak, Mal and I have officially completed our 4-day course and become PADI certified as Open Water Scuba Divers. I have now achieved one of my top 10 goals! Words cannot describe the feeling of looking up 33 feet and seeing the sun glistening through the water. Below the surface, schools of fish I normally only sea in marine museums swam freely all around me. The sights and sounds nearly took my breath away, but then I would have drowned! It was a bit of a hard start for me. I had difficultly equalizing the pressure in my ears and breathing slowly with the tank. But, well worth the persistence! I always knew I was born to be in the water. True to scuba tradition, you can now refer to me as “Leahfish.”
Next step….finding an awesome place to celebrate my 27th birthday in Malaysia!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Cambodia, the Wild West of Asia
10 days is not enough time to travel in 1 country. Already, Mal and I are leaving Cambodia, on our way back to Thailand. We have high hopes for our night bus which leaves at 2am since we paid a whole $14! Cambodia was AMAZING! We didn't have any plans to travel here, but after hearing so many other travelers speak about the country we had to see it. Cambodia has recovered well from the devastating war and mass genocide, however you can't miss the broken down and abandoned buildings around the cities. As we crossed the border we were greeted by guards, half-dressed in their uniforms, drinking beer and eating dinner. They refused to let us in with the standard fee of $25 and insisted we had to pay $35 to get it. After trying to haggle down the price we settled as I'm pretty sure they would have turned us away otherwise. I guess there are some times you shouldn't try to bargain...especially when there are guns involved. Instead of heading as most travelers do, we stayed in the border town, Koh Kong, which is in the heart of the Cardamom Mountains. Two local Khmer guides helped us trek through the unspoiled jungles. As we were searching for local wildlife we were flicking leeches off of us left and right. Those things really hurt when they burrow inside of your shoes and socks!! As we relaxed and ate our lunch by an enormous waterfall, we watched monkeys play and swing from tree to tree across the river. As the sun was setting, we set up camp by a lazy river...well, actually our wonderful guides did all the work (they wouldn't let us help!) We had a camp fire complete with pork and veggie skewers, coffee, fruit hand-picked from the jungle, and local whiskey. Delicious! We slept like babies in the most comfy hammocks I've ever been in and awoke to a campfire breakfast and a brisk swim in the river. Luckily, we made it out alive as we passed by a HUGE snake on the side of the road. That was enough wildlife for us, and we headed back to town.
We then made our way to a really chill town, Kampot. As Mal put it, it was just the right combination between travelers, locals, and expats. We spent a couple lazy days hanging out around the guesthouse eating, reading, and chating with other travelers. One day, we peeled ourselves off the hammocks and set out to explore bat-filled caves with the local kids. With all the hard work we did (just kidding), we treated ourselves to a day at the spa. After a month of traveling, it was nice to be pampered a bit. Sometimes traveling is actually hard work, you know, with long bus rides, sweat and dirt-caked bodies, as we sometimes don't shower for days, and very very very uncomfortable beds. Hard life, I know!!
It would have been easy to spend so much more time in Kampot with our new Swedish, German, Norwegian, English and Aussie friends, but we had to move on to Siem Riep for the Temples. The Temples of Angkor Wat were spectacular. It is right up there with the other world wonders. We were real Lara Croft and Indiana Jones explorers, making our way through structures that were built by the old god-kings of the Khmer Empire. It was truly inspiring.
So, now I am Bangkok bound, and ready for the beautiful beaches of Thailand once again!
We then made our way to a really chill town, Kampot. As Mal put it, it was just the right combination between travelers, locals, and expats. We spent a couple lazy days hanging out around the guesthouse eating, reading, and chating with other travelers. One day, we peeled ourselves off the hammocks and set out to explore bat-filled caves with the local kids. With all the hard work we did (just kidding), we treated ourselves to a day at the spa. After a month of traveling, it was nice to be pampered a bit. Sometimes traveling is actually hard work, you know, with long bus rides, sweat and dirt-caked bodies, as we sometimes don't shower for days, and very very very uncomfortable beds. Hard life, I know!!
It would have been easy to spend so much more time in Kampot with our new Swedish, German, Norwegian, English and Aussie friends, but we had to move on to Siem Riep for the Temples. The Temples of Angkor Wat were spectacular. It is right up there with the other world wonders. We were real Lara Croft and Indiana Jones explorers, making our way through structures that were built by the old god-kings of the Khmer Empire. It was truly inspiring.
So, now I am Bangkok bound, and ready for the beautiful beaches of Thailand once again!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Plans are Overrated
Every time Mal and I update our status our plans change. Cambodia, wait, no the beach. Ok, Cambodia today, wait no, another day at the beach. Haha, who knows what will happen next. So, last time I left you, I was in Pai on my way down to Chang Mai for mountain biking. Now, I have already biked down the world's most dangerous road, aka Death Road, in Bolivia. It was crazy difficult, but this biking adventure brought me to another level! Imagine biking during a mud slide...over rocks and tree trunks the size of snow moguls...in a rainstorm. It was crazy, and so much fun! Even falling and getting covered in mud was fun. Our trail ended near a lake at the bottom of the mountain where we took a little swim to get clean and have lunch. Beautiful:)
Next, as Mal put it best, we took a 15 hour train which looked like it belonged in a train junk yard to Bangkok. There is nothing much to say about Bangkok except that it is crap. Ok, ok, I guess it's intricate canal transportation gives it a nice charm, but I can only take traffic, smog,overwhelming pee and fish smells, and men trying to take me to "ping pong" shows for so long. We lasted one night there and then had to get out.
We found ourselves in Ko Samed, a little island off the east coast where many Thais take there vacation. We rented a scooter and set off to explore the island...found this private cove set below a steep cliff where we took a refreshing afternoon swim in our birthday suits:) When in Rome!! It was the perfect place to watch the sunset, so we headed back there with a little Mumford and Sons to set the tone. Traveling is never complete without running into fellow explorers. We met an awesome travel group to party with and with a little luck, we will join them again and 20,000 other travelers for the infamous full moon party in Ko Phanang.
As I write this, I am sitting in a hammock under a blue sky next to the crystal-clear ocean. Before you get too jealous, let me tell you what I am thinking of. No, its not anticipating the ancient world of Cambodia, or rock climbing over the ocean, or being a part of one of the best parties in the world. As I stare out into the ocean, I think of home. All the people I miss in my life...my crazy family, fun roomies, and long-lost friends. I think of how wonderful it is to share the joys and sorrows of day to day life. And as excited as I am to experience the adventures to come, I am even more excited to return home and share my life with those I love the most. So, please don't forget to keep in touch!! Miss you more than you know:)
Next, as Mal put it best, we took a 15 hour train which looked like it belonged in a train junk yard to Bangkok. There is nothing much to say about Bangkok except that it is crap. Ok, ok, I guess it's intricate canal transportation gives it a nice charm, but I can only take traffic, smog,overwhelming pee and fish smells, and men trying to take me to "ping pong" shows for so long. We lasted one night there and then had to get out.
We found ourselves in Ko Samed, a little island off the east coast where many Thais take there vacation. We rented a scooter and set off to explore the island...found this private cove set below a steep cliff where we took a refreshing afternoon swim in our birthday suits:) When in Rome!! It was the perfect place to watch the sunset, so we headed back there with a little Mumford and Sons to set the tone. Traveling is never complete without running into fellow explorers. We met an awesome travel group to party with and with a little luck, we will join them again and 20,000 other travelers for the infamous full moon party in Ko Phanang.
As I write this, I am sitting in a hammock under a blue sky next to the crystal-clear ocean. Before you get too jealous, let me tell you what I am thinking of. No, its not anticipating the ancient world of Cambodia, or rock climbing over the ocean, or being a part of one of the best parties in the world. As I stare out into the ocean, I think of home. All the people I miss in my life...my crazy family, fun roomies, and long-lost friends. I think of how wonderful it is to share the joys and sorrows of day to day life. And as excited as I am to experience the adventures to come, I am even more excited to return home and share my life with those I love the most. So, please don't forget to keep in touch!! Miss you more than you know:)
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