I returned to Kunming at the end of February after an incredible trip through SE Asia. It was most difficult for I knew I would be on lockdown for the next five months due to work. Now that I’m a month in, I have a nice routine that I can’t really complain about. I have been able to do everything that I had wanted to do when I first came out here. From swimming to Kung Fu, reading to writing, studying Mandarin to teaching, I’m doing it all. Here’s a breakdown of my weekly routine:
Monday: I kick off the week teaching two classes that are full of less-than-excited students (mostly since my first class starts at 8am). I enjoy it though for my classroom has a wonderful view of the sunrise each morning I teach. Every one of my classes boasts 50 students or more who cram into the language lab classroom that I’ve been assigned. Each student has a computer monitor in front of them that is linked to my computer. I’m supposed to go through a CD-ROM that comes with their text book, but since nobody enjoys the boring exercises in the book, I primarily use the computer to show movies and PowerPoint’s. After executing my lesson plan twice over, I wrap up teaching around 11am and head back to my apartment to cook noodles for lunch. The school I teach at is an easy 10 minute walk from my apartment which is quite nice. At 2pm, I have a tutor, Hazel, who comes to the apartment and works with me for two hours on my Mandarin. She is a great teacher and really pushes me to study hard and memorize as many words as I can. Since I only meet with her once a week, we cover a lot during those two hours. Afterwards I usually take ten minutes just to lie down so that my brain (which has now turned to mush from the influx of Mandarin) can pull itself back together. My roommates, friends, and I try to cook as much as possible so there’s usually a market run sometime after 4. I spend a lot of my in-between time writing emails, reading the news online, or reading novels/writing. After going out or cooking dinner, we usually just kick back and watch a movie or drop down to a bar called Ganesh that is essentially on the first floor of our building (therefore I call it our basement). They have a Happy Hour from 2pm-9pm so it’s quite convenient. Since we live the life of old, retired people, I’m usually in bed around 10pm; besides, my body is now used to waking up early so naturally I go to sleep earlier.
Tuesday: I have Tuesday off from teaching at Kunming University and like to sleep in and catch up with friends back home on Skype. My breakfasts usually consist of oatmeal with cinnamon and sugar, topped with banana slices. It’s cheap and somewhat healthy. My roommate Chiara also likes to cook some bomb egg, bacon, and cheese sandwiches that we put on bagels. Those are a nice treat from time to time. We’ll also make pancakes from scratch which is my ultimate favorite! But day to day, I usually just do oatmeal. I like to workout sometime around noon and usually just jog for 15 minutes in our park close by. It’s fun to see the culture from a runner’s perspective. When you jog next to a cyclist going the same speed, you realize just how slow of a pace things here operate at. No doubt there are too many cars, motobikes, bicycles, and people everywhere, but they all move really slowly. It’s annoying since I usually waste no time walking anywhere and like to move fast. When I’m done jogging and stretching for a good while, I like to do pull-ups and dips at a jungle-gym like structure in the park itself. There’s a wide opening with a basketball hoop, the jungle-gym looking structure, and open space where the Chinese practice Taiji and Kungfu most every morning. They also set up badminton nets. It’s fun to watch them play while I do my workout there. It’s also incredible to see how un-athletic these people really are. I hesitate to say it’s a cultural thing but I truly haven’t seen one athletic Chinese brotha yet! It is cool to see people of all ages, wearing jeans and non-athletic clothes, out there doing their little workout routine. I think it is hilarious seeing guys in full business suits playing hoops, but they don’t even think twice about ruining a suit. They just want to play! After my workout, I head back to my apartment to do some sit-ups and push-ups. I like to listen to my home church’s sermon on the podcast while doing my sit-ups. It’s a good way to stay connected and keep my spiritual life in check. By the time I finish and shower up, it’s already 2pm. My roommates and I will either go for a nice stroll through the park or simply hang out until dinner. Then we do the same dinner routine as any night. Either go to the market to pick up food to cook, or just eat out.
Wednesday: I teach in the morning from 8-11 like on Monday. My classes this day have a little more energy and make class time more enjoyable for me. After teaching I head home to make lunch and study Mandarin a good portion of the afternoon. Then around 3:30pm I catch a bus that takes me to another campus a little further away. I teach a Speech and Debate class from 4:30-6pm every Wednesday which has actually become my favorite class. In total I teach seven classes. I teach the same lesson plan for six of those seven classes and this one Speech and Debate class is my only chance to mix it up a bit. With no textbook or aid to teach, I’m pretty much teaching my college Communications 100 class. Although it was five years ago, I still remember what we did and what we learned. My favorite thing to do is make the students stand up in front of the class and give impromptu speeches to practice not only their speaking, but also their fear of embarrassment. It is Chinese custom to save face, never make a big scene, and avoid embarrassment at any cost. Yet the students are so shy and reluctant to speak out that they lack any self-confidence (at least that’s noticeable). If they learn nothing else in the class, I hope they can at least overcome their cultural inheritance of fear of embarrassment. After class I catch the bus back, usually reading a book along the way. I stroll through the park on my way back to my apartment and enjoy the sunset and smell of the now blooming flowers. Then my evening is pretty much the same. We either cook for dinner, or eat out. We then follow it up with a movie, a drink at the bar, or some sort of board game.
Thursday: I’ve decided that this is the best day in my week. I teach my last two classes in the morning right next door to my roommate Ben’s classroom. It’s more enjoyable teaching when someone is right next door. The other day we switched classrooms for the fun of it and enjoyed watching the students try to cover their embarrassment after walking into the wrong classroom. When you teach the same lesson six times a week, you have to do something to entertain yourself. After teaching, Ben and I meet Tai outside the school gates (since he teaches at the same campus as well) and we all go out for lunch. Then we just relax the whole afternoon. I study, read, write, catch up on emails, or do all of the above. Thursday’s are nice too because it’s our payday. We only get paid once a month and when we do we’ll usually celebrate with a few drinks at Ganesh. Normal Thursday evenings follow the same nightly routine of dinner and… whatever. When we can, we try to get together to play a board game called Settlers of Catan. We’ve grown addicted to its strategic, yet simple nature. It’s a fun way to pass the time and much more social than just watching TV. It’s been a refreshing break living without TV. You connect with people so much more, especially during a nice round (or two) of Catan.
Friday: Just recently I’ve started Kung Fu lessons Friday mornings from 9-11. After jogging in the park one day I sat down in a grassy area to do some stretching. I noticed this Kung Fu guy who looked like Yoda (and who could kick anybody’s butt) performing some intense Kung Fu in the open area by the jungle-gym structure. I approached him and now I meet with him for two hours, once a week. I really enjoy diving further into the culture of China as well as learning such an art form. It’s very graceful, yet powerful. I now have an intermediary who interprets for my shifu (kungfu teacher) occasionally via email. She informs me that the Kungfu I’m learning is supposedly top notch and that I’m lucky he has agreed to teach me. She says that only special people get to learn from this guy and that I am not to let anyone watch me practice or take pictures of my movements when I practice. Rather intense. So to my brother, Mike… you better watch out! When I get back you’re going down! After getting worked all morning (it requires a lot of leg strength which I’ve lost since my track and field days), I have the rest of the day free to do as I wish :).
Saturday: I wake up early to catch a one hour and twenty minute bus ride down to a ‘school’ facility close to DianChi Lake. I make the trek because I get paid $50 to teach children ages 4-8 for one hour. The facility is also a Western owned putt-putt golf place that serves me nice American coffee and also lunch. It’s in an upper-class neighborhood and is also located next to an athletic training facility and a driving range. Teaching the kids has been a blast so far but it’s most difficult keeping their attention, especially when I’m not even speaking their language. It’s most enjoyable because a kid is a kid no matter where he comes from or what language he speaks. For that I am able to effectively connect with the children by becoming one myself :). Afterwards, I head over to the athletic training facility to pump some iron and swim. I love swimming for it not only keeps me in shape, but also provides a release from the frustrations that cultural differences can bring: and believe me, there are A LOT of cultural differences between the US and China. I have yet to hit the driving range but hope to soon. I spend most of my day down by the lake but get back home around 3pm. Then I just hang out with my friends for the rest of the day and night.
Sunday: Ahhhh, after four days straight of waking up early, it’s nice to sleep in. My Sundays are much like my Tuesdays where I have all day to do a number of things. I always study a little and try to get outside and enjoy the day. I’ve started joining the Ultimate Frisbee crew that’s formed here on Sunday nights. We meet around 5pm at a field close by and play for a good two hours or so. Once again, it’s a nice break from the Chinese culture and also a good outlet for my competitive spirit (not to mention a good workout). After eating dinner with some of the regulars who play, I head home to prepare my lesson plans for the week and get ready to do it all over again! That’s basically my life: I have roughly 13 more weeks of this before I am able to get out and travel again. Hopefully I’ll get a break in May but I’m not holding my breath.
After those 13 weeks are up and I’m all traveled out, I’ll be looking forward to seeing most of you back home in the US. Until then, stay posted in case the unusual story (which can happen at a moments notice in China) arises and I am so inclined to share… otherwise, you now know what I’m up too.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
SE Asia-Vientien, Laos
It took about 30 hours to get from Koh Tao to the Tai-Laos border in the north. Boats, buses, trains, and tuk-tuk’s got me there and I sometimes wonder how people could stand to travel back when trains were the only means for long distance travel. The Mekong River forms the eastern border of Laos so I would have to cross Friendship Bridge to get there. I arrived just in time for they actually shut the border down at 9pm. The officials reluctantly allowed me to cross into Laos but I got through with no problem. It took awhile for me to find a guest house in Vientien (since it was high tourist season) but I eventually found a nice place that was off the beaten track. I slept like a rock that night and was happy to get a full nights rest after squeezing in mere hours of uncomfortable sleep on trains and buses.
There’s not much in Vientien but I walked around the town anyway just to see it. It lies along the Mekong River which I’m sure is pretty cool during the rainy season. The water level was very low when I arrived and less than exciting. On my way to a makeshift Arc Du Triumph (the French played a big part of the history of Laos) I found the best attraction in all of town. A buffet! What caught my attention to this buffet, however, was the price. For $5 one could eat all the Asian cuisine they could desire; even better, for an additional $2 one could throw back all the tapped Beer Lao or wine they could drink. Where else can you get such value? The restaurant was in a nice hotel that was full of westerners. So with not much to see or do, I spent a good 1.5 hours enjoying the sounds of Sinatra, Torme, and Tony Bennett while chasing spring roll after spring roll with glasses of red wine. I was reminded as to why Americans are so fat. I watched several different tourists make multiple trips to the buffet. I like to eat my fair share too, but many seemed to stuff their faces almost subconsciously. With my belly full and head happily buzzing, I strolled back to my GH room for a nice nap.
Vientien was very tame that night so I watched a movie at the GH. The next day I would be off for Vang Vieng for some ultimate tubing!
The bus picked me up at my GH in the morning as they usually do. The bus company makes its rounds through the town picking everybody up at their respective GH. We then proceeded to a dirt lot not but 5 minutes from where each of us started. It doesn’t make any sense but that’s just the way it works. At the dirt lot we were suppose to pick up an additional 10 people who were spill over from an earlier bus. All of them were upset since they were booted from their original bus (overbooked) and were reluctant to cooperate with our driver. We had room for some, but it required stacking everybody’s luggage on top (which I would regret having to do later) and cramming the 30-seater bus full. I even offered to give up my comfortable seat up front to a disgruntled lady knowing I could much better endure the cramped seat in the back. We loaded as many as we could but left a handful that refused to stuff it in with the rest of us.
I met several cool people on the rickety, bumpy bus ride to Vang Vieng. It took us 5 hours to make the trek. The terrain from Vientien all the way north to Kunming is mostly mountainous. With terrible infrastructure, the drive takes that much longer and leaves you shaken up like a DQ Blizzard. We arrived in the river city just before sundown. After unloading our bags, I noticed my cell phone was missing for I wanted to charge it before heading back to China. The only possible explanation I could think of was that it was shaken out of my pack along the drive. What can I say; cell phones and I go together like ham and tuna fish.
I was able to score a nice room with a beautiful view overlooking the river. I immediately noticed the small size of Vang Vieng and realized that the only thing keeping this place running was the river that ran beside it. Across the river, dubbed the ‘other side’, are beautiful meadows that lead up to some spectacular looking hills that are both jagged and lush. Built in a small portion of this meadow are some cool bungalows that I wished I’d seen before checking into my GH. I felt like I was in “Little House on the Prarie” standing next to a cow in between the two rows of primitive shacks where the guests stay.
The restaurants around town lure you in by playing episodes of Friends and Family Guy. They seemed to be the only two TV shows the Laos people knew. I like Family Guy and spent a better part of the evening enjoying my dinner and watching TV. I retired early having no desire to join the other tourists in getting drunk and partying all night. Unfortunately my once peaceful room with a nice view was now absorbing most of the blaring music that came from the ‘other side’. I sat on my balcony contemplating the sad irony of the situation. Here was a beautiful, primitive, peaceful Laos community that was being disrespected and destroyed by foreigners. We flair up ridiculous bon fires, blast pulsating noise into the air, and destroy the natural splendor that once was. As fun as that may be to some, it destroys an entire culture for others. Yet the people of this small town have come to depend on the same foreigners that destroy it. The restaurants rely on the masses of tourists to order up drinks and food. The GH’s need people to fill their rooms. And most of all, the whole community depends on tourists excited to float the river. There are various outfits with which to rent tubes, but they are all ultimately connected. Since the people depend on foreigners, I didn’t mind participating in the now foreign dominated town.
In the morning I rented my tube, loaded into the tuk-tuk with several other foreigners, and was on my way up the river. I was stoked having heard of the rope swings that line the river but had no idea what I was in for. The first quarter mile is lined with river-side bars, each with their own rope swing and one with a water slide. I cruised with some Italians and a couple of Germans. We took our time floating down the first half (didn’t have much of a choice since it was dry season and the river was low and slow). We spent a good two hours at a bar that had a rope-swing, zip-line, and the only water slide. The rope-swing was the tallest, flinging people an estimated 30 feet above the river. Naturally, I was like a kid in a candy shop. The place was basically a play ground for adults, and I looooove playgrounds! I would fling myself off the rope swing, climb back up the shore, then slide down the water slide laughing and splashing the whole time. The most fun we had was laughing at some foreign girl who held onto the zip-line too long. She went zooming by as we all watched; then without warning, the zip-line hit its end sending her into an immediate flip. She performed a one-and-a-half back flip before smacking into the river. She was alright, but her shoulders had to have been sore the next day. Fortunately, nothing bad happened to me despite pulling some gnarly flips and big air layouts off of the rope swing. You would think that after my ear incident that I would have been more cautious, but what’s life without a little risk?
Most people get absolutely drunk floating the river, but I was happy to be sober and still having the most fun. After the last bar we made the 1.5 mile float back to town. It was very slow, but peaceful and relaxing. I had tamed the VangVieng float! That night I enjoyed a nice hammock by one of the bonfires just gazing up at the stars. Not only had I conquered VangVieng, I was fulfilling my dream of seeing the world. I had been traveling the past 3.5 weeks. I had some incredible experiences, seen places unlike any other on earth, and made friends from all over the globe. I took over 800 pictures, mostly of the scenery; but it will be the people that I met along the way that will stick with me forever.
The next morning I started an epic 48 hour, multi-bus trip back to Kunming. I had to stay the night in Luang Prabang but fortunately was able to catch a direct bus to Kunming the next morning. I met a hilarious Russian guy who spoke very little English and hardly any Chinese. I don’t know how he got around but he was very funny and friendly. Crossing back into China was a struggle. By the end of my trip, I desired more to return to the US than to go back to China. My fun was over and now I was headed to 14 hours a week of teaching English. Relatively speaking, that’s not bad. I guess I just wish to see my friends back home again.
Now I stare down 4.5 months of work both teaching and studying. I think it will be a positive experience, but I also hope it will go fast. I have my eyes on the horizon and the US in sight!
Pictures: http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Vientien-Vangvieng?h=7aec7b
There’s not much in Vientien but I walked around the town anyway just to see it. It lies along the Mekong River which I’m sure is pretty cool during the rainy season. The water level was very low when I arrived and less than exciting. On my way to a makeshift Arc Du Triumph (the French played a big part of the history of Laos) I found the best attraction in all of town. A buffet! What caught my attention to this buffet, however, was the price. For $5 one could eat all the Asian cuisine they could desire; even better, for an additional $2 one could throw back all the tapped Beer Lao or wine they could drink. Where else can you get such value? The restaurant was in a nice hotel that was full of westerners. So with not much to see or do, I spent a good 1.5 hours enjoying the sounds of Sinatra, Torme, and Tony Bennett while chasing spring roll after spring roll with glasses of red wine. I was reminded as to why Americans are so fat. I watched several different tourists make multiple trips to the buffet. I like to eat my fair share too, but many seemed to stuff their faces almost subconsciously. With my belly full and head happily buzzing, I strolled back to my GH room for a nice nap.
Vientien was very tame that night so I watched a movie at the GH. The next day I would be off for Vang Vieng for some ultimate tubing!
The bus picked me up at my GH in the morning as they usually do. The bus company makes its rounds through the town picking everybody up at their respective GH. We then proceeded to a dirt lot not but 5 minutes from where each of us started. It doesn’t make any sense but that’s just the way it works. At the dirt lot we were suppose to pick up an additional 10 people who were spill over from an earlier bus. All of them were upset since they were booted from their original bus (overbooked) and were reluctant to cooperate with our driver. We had room for some, but it required stacking everybody’s luggage on top (which I would regret having to do later) and cramming the 30-seater bus full. I even offered to give up my comfortable seat up front to a disgruntled lady knowing I could much better endure the cramped seat in the back. We loaded as many as we could but left a handful that refused to stuff it in with the rest of us.
I met several cool people on the rickety, bumpy bus ride to Vang Vieng. It took us 5 hours to make the trek. The terrain from Vientien all the way north to Kunming is mostly mountainous. With terrible infrastructure, the drive takes that much longer and leaves you shaken up like a DQ Blizzard. We arrived in the river city just before sundown. After unloading our bags, I noticed my cell phone was missing for I wanted to charge it before heading back to China. The only possible explanation I could think of was that it was shaken out of my pack along the drive. What can I say; cell phones and I go together like ham and tuna fish.
I was able to score a nice room with a beautiful view overlooking the river. I immediately noticed the small size of Vang Vieng and realized that the only thing keeping this place running was the river that ran beside it. Across the river, dubbed the ‘other side’, are beautiful meadows that lead up to some spectacular looking hills that are both jagged and lush. Built in a small portion of this meadow are some cool bungalows that I wished I’d seen before checking into my GH. I felt like I was in “Little House on the Prarie” standing next to a cow in between the two rows of primitive shacks where the guests stay.
The restaurants around town lure you in by playing episodes of Friends and Family Guy. They seemed to be the only two TV shows the Laos people knew. I like Family Guy and spent a better part of the evening enjoying my dinner and watching TV. I retired early having no desire to join the other tourists in getting drunk and partying all night. Unfortunately my once peaceful room with a nice view was now absorbing most of the blaring music that came from the ‘other side’. I sat on my balcony contemplating the sad irony of the situation. Here was a beautiful, primitive, peaceful Laos community that was being disrespected and destroyed by foreigners. We flair up ridiculous bon fires, blast pulsating noise into the air, and destroy the natural splendor that once was. As fun as that may be to some, it destroys an entire culture for others. Yet the people of this small town have come to depend on the same foreigners that destroy it. The restaurants rely on the masses of tourists to order up drinks and food. The GH’s need people to fill their rooms. And most of all, the whole community depends on tourists excited to float the river. There are various outfits with which to rent tubes, but they are all ultimately connected. Since the people depend on foreigners, I didn’t mind participating in the now foreign dominated town.
In the morning I rented my tube, loaded into the tuk-tuk with several other foreigners, and was on my way up the river. I was stoked having heard of the rope swings that line the river but had no idea what I was in for. The first quarter mile is lined with river-side bars, each with their own rope swing and one with a water slide. I cruised with some Italians and a couple of Germans. We took our time floating down the first half (didn’t have much of a choice since it was dry season and the river was low and slow). We spent a good two hours at a bar that had a rope-swing, zip-line, and the only water slide. The rope-swing was the tallest, flinging people an estimated 30 feet above the river. Naturally, I was like a kid in a candy shop. The place was basically a play ground for adults, and I looooove playgrounds! I would fling myself off the rope swing, climb back up the shore, then slide down the water slide laughing and splashing the whole time. The most fun we had was laughing at some foreign girl who held onto the zip-line too long. She went zooming by as we all watched; then without warning, the zip-line hit its end sending her into an immediate flip. She performed a one-and-a-half back flip before smacking into the river. She was alright, but her shoulders had to have been sore the next day. Fortunately, nothing bad happened to me despite pulling some gnarly flips and big air layouts off of the rope swing. You would think that after my ear incident that I would have been more cautious, but what’s life without a little risk?
Most people get absolutely drunk floating the river, but I was happy to be sober and still having the most fun. After the last bar we made the 1.5 mile float back to town. It was very slow, but peaceful and relaxing. I had tamed the VangVieng float! That night I enjoyed a nice hammock by one of the bonfires just gazing up at the stars. Not only had I conquered VangVieng, I was fulfilling my dream of seeing the world. I had been traveling the past 3.5 weeks. I had some incredible experiences, seen places unlike any other on earth, and made friends from all over the globe. I took over 800 pictures, mostly of the scenery; but it will be the people that I met along the way that will stick with me forever.
The next morning I started an epic 48 hour, multi-bus trip back to Kunming. I had to stay the night in Luang Prabang but fortunately was able to catch a direct bus to Kunming the next morning. I met a hilarious Russian guy who spoke very little English and hardly any Chinese. I don’t know how he got around but he was very funny and friendly. Crossing back into China was a struggle. By the end of my trip, I desired more to return to the US than to go back to China. My fun was over and now I was headed to 14 hours a week of teaching English. Relatively speaking, that’s not bad. I guess I just wish to see my friends back home again.
Now I stare down 4.5 months of work both teaching and studying. I think it will be a positive experience, but I also hope it will go fast. I have my eyes on the horizon and the US in sight!
Pictures: http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Vientien-Vangvieng?h=7aec7b
Sunday, March 7, 2010
SE Asia-Koh Tao (part 2)
Ban’s dive shop is the place to be on Hat Sai Ri. It’s where the best music, most people, and best beach layout can be found. At night, it also hosts the world’s best pancake maker (self-proclaimed of course). There’s a nice local guy who sets up his portable kitchen right along the walk path that cuts through Ban’s. His marketing scheme is to simply yell out, “Best pancake! Best pancake! Hey, you my friend… Best Pancake!” I must say that the man isn’t lying. I think I averaged about a pancake a night. My favorite was the apple cinnamon and honey but I also enjoyed the Gnutella/Chocolate pancake.
After an enjoyable few days of diving, I moved out of my nice resort style accommodations to the much cheaper bungalow. Even still, you cannot beat any sort of room that is a stone’s throw from the ocean for just under $10. After diving I had a good six days to just relax on the beach and explore the island.
My new friends Dustin and Shane and I rented motobikes for two days and took them around the island to check it all out. On the south side are a nice cove and a more laid back beach if one is looking to escape reality even further. There is a fun bench swing that hangs out over the water during high tide that I spent a few hours on relaxing to the sounds of lapping waves below me. Since I was traveling alone, I was more interested in being where the action was so although I stayed on the south side for two nights, I ended up back in Hat Sai Ri. The three of us also took the motobikes to the north (which takes only about 10 minutes). On the main road that stretched the island north to south, one can really let loose with the motobike. We got those things hauling up to about 55mph but I didn’t stay there for very long since I didn’t have a helmet. To get to the north side of the island requires navigating some windy, steep, and mostly dirt roads. Although our motobikes weren’t meant for off-roading, they got us there. My buddy Dustin unfortunately put his on its side adding a few scratches to it. At the top of the trail is a beautiful view of the island looking south. From there you can take a pathway down the hill, through some resort bungalows, and finally to a nice platform over the water. There isn’t any beach on the north side at Mango Bay, but diving off of the platform was still fun. There were tons of fish making for good snorkeling. It was nice, but I still preferred the west facing beach of Hat Sai Ri.
After our two days of romping around on motobikes, we all went our own ways with different itineraries. It was nice meeting these new friends and enjoyed hanging out with company on the island. Dustin and Shane both left Koh Tao while I stayed. I spent the remainder of my time just being lazy on the beach, swimming, and relaxing. At night I hung out with a few others from our dive group who had stayed longer as well. One guy originally planned his stay on Koh Tao to be four days; he ended up staying a full month. After being there for a week, you start to recognize all of the long timers and you realize just how small the island is. You see the same people every day doing the same ‘ol thing. They’re either diving or hanging out on the beach. It was truly paradise; the phrase ‘no shirt, no shoes, no problem’ actually applies here. I didn’t touch my sandals at all and only wore a shirt at night. This was the kind of place you feel you could live forever.
But then again, paradise is only paradise for so long. Towards the end of my stay, my smiled started to fade. It is nice escaping to some tropical paradise, but it sucks doing it alone. I longed for a companion of some sort but understood my circumstances. You meet people for sure, but there is just a lack of intimate connection. After my experience on Koh Tao, I’ve made some serious conclusions about life. First off, life is not worth living without someone to share it with (although being single does have its benefits, having a significant other eventually outweighs those benefits). Second, it doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing as long as you are with the ones you love. Finally, life is all about relationships; there is no sum of money, no island so perfect, no set of circumstances so ideal that could ever fulfill one’s heart like relationships can. Granted, these are not ground breaking truths that I’m talking about here. I just further appreciate them now having first hand experience with what they really mean.
On my second to last day I decided to do two more dives just for the fun of it. The water visibility had progressively gotten worse since I had arrived, however. My fun dives weren’t as exciting as the first dives I had done but I at least got to see two new dive spots. It was also nice just to be back in the water. Like I said before, I love the ocean; any day in the water is a great day for me! I soaked in my last night dancing with some friends from Switzerland at a cool place called the Lotus Bar. We had a great night but I was ready to move on.
I enjoyed my time on Koh Tao and was thankful for the opportunity to dive. I was also grateful for the people I had met and the experiences we shared. With my trip now more than half over, it was time to make my way back north to Bangkok. I would continue straight up through Laos, stopping in two cities, on my way back to Kunming.
After an enjoyable few days of diving, I moved out of my nice resort style accommodations to the much cheaper bungalow. Even still, you cannot beat any sort of room that is a stone’s throw from the ocean for just under $10. After diving I had a good six days to just relax on the beach and explore the island.
My new friends Dustin and Shane and I rented motobikes for two days and took them around the island to check it all out. On the south side are a nice cove and a more laid back beach if one is looking to escape reality even further. There is a fun bench swing that hangs out over the water during high tide that I spent a few hours on relaxing to the sounds of lapping waves below me. Since I was traveling alone, I was more interested in being where the action was so although I stayed on the south side for two nights, I ended up back in Hat Sai Ri. The three of us also took the motobikes to the north (which takes only about 10 minutes). On the main road that stretched the island north to south, one can really let loose with the motobike. We got those things hauling up to about 55mph but I didn’t stay there for very long since I didn’t have a helmet. To get to the north side of the island requires navigating some windy, steep, and mostly dirt roads. Although our motobikes weren’t meant for off-roading, they got us there. My buddy Dustin unfortunately put his on its side adding a few scratches to it. At the top of the trail is a beautiful view of the island looking south. From there you can take a pathway down the hill, through some resort bungalows, and finally to a nice platform over the water. There isn’t any beach on the north side at Mango Bay, but diving off of the platform was still fun. There were tons of fish making for good snorkeling. It was nice, but I still preferred the west facing beach of Hat Sai Ri.
After our two days of romping around on motobikes, we all went our own ways with different itineraries. It was nice meeting these new friends and enjoyed hanging out with company on the island. Dustin and Shane both left Koh Tao while I stayed. I spent the remainder of my time just being lazy on the beach, swimming, and relaxing. At night I hung out with a few others from our dive group who had stayed longer as well. One guy originally planned his stay on Koh Tao to be four days; he ended up staying a full month. After being there for a week, you start to recognize all of the long timers and you realize just how small the island is. You see the same people every day doing the same ‘ol thing. They’re either diving or hanging out on the beach. It was truly paradise; the phrase ‘no shirt, no shoes, no problem’ actually applies here. I didn’t touch my sandals at all and only wore a shirt at night. This was the kind of place you feel you could live forever.
But then again, paradise is only paradise for so long. Towards the end of my stay, my smiled started to fade. It is nice escaping to some tropical paradise, but it sucks doing it alone. I longed for a companion of some sort but understood my circumstances. You meet people for sure, but there is just a lack of intimate connection. After my experience on Koh Tao, I’ve made some serious conclusions about life. First off, life is not worth living without someone to share it with (although being single does have its benefits, having a significant other eventually outweighs those benefits). Second, it doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing as long as you are with the ones you love. Finally, life is all about relationships; there is no sum of money, no island so perfect, no set of circumstances so ideal that could ever fulfill one’s heart like relationships can. Granted, these are not ground breaking truths that I’m talking about here. I just further appreciate them now having first hand experience with what they really mean.
On my second to last day I decided to do two more dives just for the fun of it. The water visibility had progressively gotten worse since I had arrived, however. My fun dives weren’t as exciting as the first dives I had done but I at least got to see two new dive spots. It was also nice just to be back in the water. Like I said before, I love the ocean; any day in the water is a great day for me! I soaked in my last night dancing with some friends from Switzerland at a cool place called the Lotus Bar. We had a great night but I was ready to move on.
I enjoyed my time on Koh Tao and was thankful for the opportunity to dive. I was also grateful for the people I had met and the experiences we shared. With my trip now more than half over, it was time to make my way back north to Bangkok. I would continue straight up through Laos, stopping in two cities, on my way back to Kunming.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
SE Asia-Koh Tao (part 1)
I booked my train ticket with two nice German guys so it was fun riding down from Bangkok with them. The trains in Thailand carry many more foreigners than the trains in China so it’s fun to meet other people and hear what they’re up to. We arrived to the port in Chumpon just in time to watch a spectacular sunrise. Everything was coming together and I was so thrilled to finally be by the ocean. Tired from the sleepless night on the train, I conked out on the three hour ferry ride for a good majority of it. As we approached Hat Sai Ri and the bay, the water began to change from a deep ocean blue to a pristine turquoise and sky-blue color. I thought the water was even clearer and nicer than that of Bocas Del Toro, Panama (I had dived Bocas Del Toro, four years ago while studying abroad in Costa Rica). While on the ferry, you are bombarded by representatives from different dive resorts on the island and they all give you the same spiel. It’s funny too because the prices are pretty much all the same and you could literally pick a brochure out of a hat and not go wrong. I decided just to walk around and find a place on my own.
The German guys headed to the other side of the island for some rock climbing while I was more interested in diving. We parted ways and I walked down the pathway that parallels the beach in search of the right dive shop. The beach at Hat Sai Ri is no more than 2km long, the island being very small itself. As I made my way along the path I had passed a place called Ban’s Dive Resort which just felt right and seemed like the place to be. I booked a spot for the Advanced Open Water course and was in the pool that afternoon doing my refresher course (I couldn’t believe that it had been four years since I was living it up in Panama where I had earned my Open Water license). The rooms are included in the price for divers and were really nice. So for three nights I lived it up before moving to a cheaper bungalow.
My instructor that afternoon was a nice guy from Italy who was impressed with how much knowledge I had retained; I had to explain to him that I reviewed the whole Open Water book on my way there (I spent a lot of time on buses and trains). I was most nervous about my ear but it was fine in the pool. I went into the ocean afterwards to test it some more by doing some deeper free dives. But I was able to clear with no problem which helped calm my nerves. I had a delicious burger that night at the Fishbowl, Ban’s beachside bar and restaurant. It seriously rivals Duke’s Waikiki as my favorite restaurant in the world. I ended up joining an extremely sweet Australian girl for the sunset since I was sick of being alone and she was cruisin’ solo. She was also a Christian traveling alone which made her easy to talk to. The sunset that first night was absolutely incredible. The oranges and blues were spectacular (yes, God is a Broncos fan!) as the sun cast its beams on and around the clouds. The effect was breathtaking; truly divine. I couldn’t believe that I was on some island thousands of miles away from home enjoying the best art show in the world. I could have never predicted this was where I’d be if you had asked me one year ago (or even six months ago for that matter). I feel truly blessed.
My new friend and I sat there talking about our travels and the difficulties of traveling alone, missing family and friends and all. We continued talking despite our eyes being sucked into the orange fireball as it ducked beneath the sea. Once the sun retired, we both realized that we were in a conversation about nothing which was sort of funny. It was nice having company for the evening. Even the soft oranges of a paradisaical sunset can not always fill the void of being away from friends and family; but company did. I was set to dive the next morning so I thanked her for allowing me to join her and made my way to bed. Unfortunately I only saw her one time after our pleasant conversation but would meet others from diving.
The next morning we all gathered for a quick school session before heading out for our morning dive. Our instructor was a cute girl from the UK who had been living on Koh Tao as a dive instructor for five years. I was jealous. Our first dive spot was called Chumpon Pinnacle. I had great hopes of seeing the world famous wale shark but unfortunately struck out. During the first dive we did see an amazing 10ft. bull shark that swam within about 10ft. of us. After about five minutes of swimming around we all heard the banging of our instructors tank as she tried to get our attention. She made the shark signal and pointed somewhere off in the deep blue. Then all of a sudden the beautiful creature appeared. Everybody says that they’d be terrified to dive with a shark, but when you’re down there it’s the most harmonious and peaceful thing to experience. As I took in deep breaths from my SCUBA tank (helps conserve oxygen), I floated neutrally buoyant and watched the beast as it swam. It slowly got closer and I began to wonder where everyone was. Everyone was behind me! Great; I kept thinking, if this shark gets aggressive, I’m the first to go. That’d be a fun post card home. But my instructor actually came into view a little in front of me so I felt better. The shark swam from right to left opening its jaws for whatever reason. It was quite impressive to see its jaws completely open. That was until it came towards us. The large creature slipped right on by us at about 10ft. I think it was just curious but made all of our days. After seeing the shark we continued down to our target depth of 30m (roughly 100ft). You’re supposed to experience Nitrogen Narcosis which has similar symptoms to that of being drunk. I didn’t feel anything but people are known to do crazy things. Our instructor told us that she’d seen people try to give their regulator to fishes thinking that the fish couldn’t breathe. My ears were fine at 30m which meant I could continue the dive course with no problem. Relieved that my ringing ear was fine, I was as high as a kite when we finished the dive.
I love the ocean and everything about it. SCUBA diving unlocks a world in which most humans fail to realize exist or dare to explore. It’s fun to go to the beach, swim, and surf. But its life changing to penetrate the surface and enter into another element. Of course anyone can see sharks at SeaWorld. But to see a shark in the open, on his turf, was absolutely phenomenal. As we left Chumpon Pinnacle for our next dive spot, we all high-fived each other stoked on life. The shark was cool, but for me the best part about diving was the cookies on the boat. There was about a five gallon cookie jar that was stored full of some delicious cream filled cookies. I ate at least 30 of them that day (what can I say, I like cookies). On our second dive we worked on navigational exercises and got comfortable diving on our own without the instructor. The dive spot was cool but what made the day was our final dive.
In order to receive your Advanced Open Water certificate, one must complete a Deep Dive, Navigational Dive, and three optional adventure dives. One of those optional dives is a Night Dive. It is one that almost everybody at Ban’s does. After returning to the resort and having dinner, we loaded up again and headed back out as the sun was setting. We dove the same spot as our second dive since we were now familiar with it. With flashlights in hand, we headed down. During the day, light from the sun penetrates the water. When it hits the surface, white light refracts and splits into its basic colors (those of the rainbow). There are different angles of refraction among the different frequencies (colors) of light; therefore, you loose particular colors the deeper you dive. At 30m depth, you loose the reds and oranges that you may see at 5m depth. The deeper you go, the more everything becomes violet and blue. During a night dive, however, you take a flashlight down with you. This allows you to bring out more colors among the reef and see more brilliant fish than you normally would during the day. Thus the night dive is very fun and unique to see the different colors. What also made the dive special was the bioluminescence.
There are particular plankton that absorb energy from the sun at the surface of the water during the day. At night they sink back down to deeper depths, and if disturbed, give off that energy in the form of a glow. I had seen this phenomenon in its purest form in Puerto Rico this past summer. However, we were not allowed to swim in the water in order to preserve the plankton. Our night dive was different. We all gathered in a circle at one point and our instructor signaled us to cut our flashlights. Then, all of a sudden, he just started going bananas. We quickly realized what was up as the plankton lit up all around him from the disturbance. We followed suit and soon enough our whole group looked like we were cracked out. Everyone was going crazy, flipping all around, and making as much commotion as possible. It was truly a special sight. It was a perfect end to a perfect day. Although diving is a very relaxing activity, I was exhausted from doing three dives that day. We had two more dives to do the next day so I took it easy that night. Every night Ban’s sets up an awesome beach seen with live music, fire throwers, and bean bags to lay back and gaze at the stars. Two Thai guys twirl fire to the beat of the music (performed by two other foreign guys: one with an awesome voice and the other who played the guitar and harmonica simultaneously). So I enjoyed a beer with my new dive friends as the melodies of Jack Johnson and Bob Marley along with the memorizing twirl of fire lulled us all into the perfect trance. Life is good!
to be continued…
PICTURES of Bangkok and Koh Tao:
http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Bangkok-Koh%20Tao?h=bc409a
The German guys headed to the other side of the island for some rock climbing while I was more interested in diving. We parted ways and I walked down the pathway that parallels the beach in search of the right dive shop. The beach at Hat Sai Ri is no more than 2km long, the island being very small itself. As I made my way along the path I had passed a place called Ban’s Dive Resort which just felt right and seemed like the place to be. I booked a spot for the Advanced Open Water course and was in the pool that afternoon doing my refresher course (I couldn’t believe that it had been four years since I was living it up in Panama where I had earned my Open Water license). The rooms are included in the price for divers and were really nice. So for three nights I lived it up before moving to a cheaper bungalow.
My instructor that afternoon was a nice guy from Italy who was impressed with how much knowledge I had retained; I had to explain to him that I reviewed the whole Open Water book on my way there (I spent a lot of time on buses and trains). I was most nervous about my ear but it was fine in the pool. I went into the ocean afterwards to test it some more by doing some deeper free dives. But I was able to clear with no problem which helped calm my nerves. I had a delicious burger that night at the Fishbowl, Ban’s beachside bar and restaurant. It seriously rivals Duke’s Waikiki as my favorite restaurant in the world. I ended up joining an extremely sweet Australian girl for the sunset since I was sick of being alone and she was cruisin’ solo. She was also a Christian traveling alone which made her easy to talk to. The sunset that first night was absolutely incredible. The oranges and blues were spectacular (yes, God is a Broncos fan!) as the sun cast its beams on and around the clouds. The effect was breathtaking; truly divine. I couldn’t believe that I was on some island thousands of miles away from home enjoying the best art show in the world. I could have never predicted this was where I’d be if you had asked me one year ago (or even six months ago for that matter). I feel truly blessed.
My new friend and I sat there talking about our travels and the difficulties of traveling alone, missing family and friends and all. We continued talking despite our eyes being sucked into the orange fireball as it ducked beneath the sea. Once the sun retired, we both realized that we were in a conversation about nothing which was sort of funny. It was nice having company for the evening. Even the soft oranges of a paradisaical sunset can not always fill the void of being away from friends and family; but company did. I was set to dive the next morning so I thanked her for allowing me to join her and made my way to bed. Unfortunately I only saw her one time after our pleasant conversation but would meet others from diving.
The next morning we all gathered for a quick school session before heading out for our morning dive. Our instructor was a cute girl from the UK who had been living on Koh Tao as a dive instructor for five years. I was jealous. Our first dive spot was called Chumpon Pinnacle. I had great hopes of seeing the world famous wale shark but unfortunately struck out. During the first dive we did see an amazing 10ft. bull shark that swam within about 10ft. of us. After about five minutes of swimming around we all heard the banging of our instructors tank as she tried to get our attention. She made the shark signal and pointed somewhere off in the deep blue. Then all of a sudden the beautiful creature appeared. Everybody says that they’d be terrified to dive with a shark, but when you’re down there it’s the most harmonious and peaceful thing to experience. As I took in deep breaths from my SCUBA tank (helps conserve oxygen), I floated neutrally buoyant and watched the beast as it swam. It slowly got closer and I began to wonder where everyone was. Everyone was behind me! Great; I kept thinking, if this shark gets aggressive, I’m the first to go. That’d be a fun post card home. But my instructor actually came into view a little in front of me so I felt better. The shark swam from right to left opening its jaws for whatever reason. It was quite impressive to see its jaws completely open. That was until it came towards us. The large creature slipped right on by us at about 10ft. I think it was just curious but made all of our days. After seeing the shark we continued down to our target depth of 30m (roughly 100ft). You’re supposed to experience Nitrogen Narcosis which has similar symptoms to that of being drunk. I didn’t feel anything but people are known to do crazy things. Our instructor told us that she’d seen people try to give their regulator to fishes thinking that the fish couldn’t breathe. My ears were fine at 30m which meant I could continue the dive course with no problem. Relieved that my ringing ear was fine, I was as high as a kite when we finished the dive.
I love the ocean and everything about it. SCUBA diving unlocks a world in which most humans fail to realize exist or dare to explore. It’s fun to go to the beach, swim, and surf. But its life changing to penetrate the surface and enter into another element. Of course anyone can see sharks at SeaWorld. But to see a shark in the open, on his turf, was absolutely phenomenal. As we left Chumpon Pinnacle for our next dive spot, we all high-fived each other stoked on life. The shark was cool, but for me the best part about diving was the cookies on the boat. There was about a five gallon cookie jar that was stored full of some delicious cream filled cookies. I ate at least 30 of them that day (what can I say, I like cookies). On our second dive we worked on navigational exercises and got comfortable diving on our own without the instructor. The dive spot was cool but what made the day was our final dive.
In order to receive your Advanced Open Water certificate, one must complete a Deep Dive, Navigational Dive, and three optional adventure dives. One of those optional dives is a Night Dive. It is one that almost everybody at Ban’s does. After returning to the resort and having dinner, we loaded up again and headed back out as the sun was setting. We dove the same spot as our second dive since we were now familiar with it. With flashlights in hand, we headed down. During the day, light from the sun penetrates the water. When it hits the surface, white light refracts and splits into its basic colors (those of the rainbow). There are different angles of refraction among the different frequencies (colors) of light; therefore, you loose particular colors the deeper you dive. At 30m depth, you loose the reds and oranges that you may see at 5m depth. The deeper you go, the more everything becomes violet and blue. During a night dive, however, you take a flashlight down with you. This allows you to bring out more colors among the reef and see more brilliant fish than you normally would during the day. Thus the night dive is very fun and unique to see the different colors. What also made the dive special was the bioluminescence.
There are particular plankton that absorb energy from the sun at the surface of the water during the day. At night they sink back down to deeper depths, and if disturbed, give off that energy in the form of a glow. I had seen this phenomenon in its purest form in Puerto Rico this past summer. However, we were not allowed to swim in the water in order to preserve the plankton. Our night dive was different. We all gathered in a circle at one point and our instructor signaled us to cut our flashlights. Then, all of a sudden, he just started going bananas. We quickly realized what was up as the plankton lit up all around him from the disturbance. We followed suit and soon enough our whole group looked like we were cracked out. Everyone was going crazy, flipping all around, and making as much commotion as possible. It was truly a special sight. It was a perfect end to a perfect day. Although diving is a very relaxing activity, I was exhausted from doing three dives that day. We had two more dives to do the next day so I took it easy that night. Every night Ban’s sets up an awesome beach seen with live music, fire throwers, and bean bags to lay back and gaze at the stars. Two Thai guys twirl fire to the beat of the music (performed by two other foreign guys: one with an awesome voice and the other who played the guitar and harmonica simultaneously). So I enjoyed a beer with my new dive friends as the melodies of Jack Johnson and Bob Marley along with the memorizing twirl of fire lulled us all into the perfect trance. Life is good!
to be continued…
PICTURES of Bangkok and Koh Tao:
http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Bangkok-Koh%20Tao?h=bc409a
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
SE Asia-Bangkok, Thailand
The road that leads from Saigon through Cambodia and on to Bangkok covers nothing but flat plains. As I gazed out the window on our way to Bangkok I felt like I was driving north on I-25 towards Ft. Collins, CO; nothing for miles except farm land. It was refreshing to be outside of the cities and in the open range again. There’s just something about open space that makes me feel at home.
Our ride to Bangkok would go a little different than I had anticipated. I was picked up from the guest house in an old Toyota car which I thought would take me to the bus station. Instead we picked up three Korean tourists and made the drive to the border in the car. I had no problem with it, just didn’t anticipate a personal driver. Once at the border, several other cars dropped off more tourists. We all huddled together with our pretty red stickers on our shirts indicating that we were headed to the same place. We walked across the border and then gathered with people who had the same color sticker. Our group from the car merged with another group to share a minibus into Bangkok. The minibus driver thought he was Mario Andredi and I swear we hit 100+ miles/hour several times on the main highway into town. But that’s how everybody was driving; we were even being passed! None the less, the high velocity put everybody on edge. After saying a few prayers I sat back and enjoyed the setting sun straight ahead.
We got into Bangkok during traffic hour but were still on time thanks to Jeff Gordon. We dropped a French couple and one other guy off at their hotel before proceeding to the main tourist area around Khaosan Road. When backpacking anywhere, you’re always cognizant of your belongings. I usually carry my pack in my lap for simply not trusting its security under or even on top of any bus, depending on its storage configuration. Since we had a minibus and small group, I had no problem just throwing my bag in the back with everybody else’s. But when we arrived at Khaosan Road I immediately noticed the French guys pack (who we had just dropped off several miles away). When I didn’t see my bag I knew just what had happened. Frenchy took my pack instead of his since they were similar in style. So here I was, stuck on some foreign street, now dark, with some other guy’s bag. A nice Canadian couple and Korean guy who were on our bus waited to help me troubleshoot what to do. Fortunately someone mentioned a police station close by and recommended I go there, if nothing else, to report what had happened. I kept thinking that it was going to be impossible to find this dude who now had my bag. The only info I had was his address in France; no cell phone number, knowledge of itinerary, or any way to get in contact with him other than to bump into him on the street. A nice police officer inside the station helped me try to call the bus service to possibly get some more details. While calling I looked up towards the heavens and asked God for a miracle (since that’s what it was going to take) when all of a sudden Frenchy busted through the doors. I knew since I had his bag that he would be looking for me, but what were the odds that he would think to go to the police station as well! I couldn’t believe it!! Bangkok is no small city. There are at least a hundred different guest houses around Khaosan Road and yet through some quick act of God we found each other and were able to exchange bags. He had been to Khaosan Road before and remembered the police station; what luck. We immediately embraced happy to have our proper possessions and had a beer over the minor incident. What a crazy way to start my Thailand adventure!
After shaking hands and wishing each other well, I set off to choose one of many GH for the next two nights. I visited at least a dozen that were all full before finding a really cheap but OK room a little ways away.
Khaosan Road is a cool strip about half a mile long where you can find an assortment of T-shirts and other goods. The T-shirts are unique, however, for the designs are unlike anything you’ve ever seen. They have some pretty cool retro shirts with Tony the Tiger and Toucan-Sam on them. I picked up a few over the next two days that I really like but the street vendors mostly sell a bunch of junk. There are several bars as well along the road and the place was teeming with tourists. My first night in Bangkok was great… it’s always fun to arrive in some place you’ve never been before and explore around. The following day I did just that.
I visited a cool temple which hosted a ginormous gold Buddha that was lying on its side. I was sick of temples though so I just walked around the city. I found the train station and booked my much anticipated ticket south to Koh Tao, a dive island in the Gulf of Thailand. On my way back I dropped by a hospital to have a doctor take a look at my ear. She probed in to have a look and said that my external canal was fine and that if I was having troubles then it had to be something internal. To further diagnose the problem required seeing a specialist who only came during the week. I asked her about diving and after playing charades to explain ‘diving’, about three nurses all at once said, “NO WAY!” I was crushed! Here I had planned my whole adventure around this dive trip to Koh Tao and these ladies were telling me no??! So I walked back to my GH pissed off but made no promises of not diving. I set out to try some local Thai food but was disappointed several times. Therefore I stuck to mostly western food; I laugh because I know people will ask me, “How was the Thai food?!!” All I’ll say is, “Ya, the burgers were great.” After receiving bad news about my ear and tasting some less than scrumptious Thai food, I was grateful to stumble upon a Swensen’s Ice Cream shop. I indulged and my worries about diving melted away like the ice cream in my tummy :) Having seen Bangkok, I really didn’t know what to do with my extra day that I had planned. For those who may travel this way, there’s really no need to come to Bangkok unless you want a cool T-shirt or are passing through. One day max!
It was cool to watch the movie ‘The Beach’ back in Kunming for the movie takes place in Thailand and was partially filmed on Kohsan Road. Having been there, I can now relate more to the movie and understand the perspective for it closely reflected my own experience. They filmed the beach scenes on the Phi Phi islands (Western shores of Thailand) which are suppose to be amazing. But since the movie made the place famous, it’s always crowded with tourists. I decided to skip it this time around and planned to stay a full 9 days on Koh Tao.
I left the next night on an all-night train south to a place called Chumpon. From Chumpon we would catch a short bus ride and then a three hour ferry to Koh Tao. It was there that I would discover a paradise that one would wish to never end…
Our ride to Bangkok would go a little different than I had anticipated. I was picked up from the guest house in an old Toyota car which I thought would take me to the bus station. Instead we picked up three Korean tourists and made the drive to the border in the car. I had no problem with it, just didn’t anticipate a personal driver. Once at the border, several other cars dropped off more tourists. We all huddled together with our pretty red stickers on our shirts indicating that we were headed to the same place. We walked across the border and then gathered with people who had the same color sticker. Our group from the car merged with another group to share a minibus into Bangkok. The minibus driver thought he was Mario Andredi and I swear we hit 100+ miles/hour several times on the main highway into town. But that’s how everybody was driving; we were even being passed! None the less, the high velocity put everybody on edge. After saying a few prayers I sat back and enjoyed the setting sun straight ahead.
We got into Bangkok during traffic hour but were still on time thanks to Jeff Gordon. We dropped a French couple and one other guy off at their hotel before proceeding to the main tourist area around Khaosan Road. When backpacking anywhere, you’re always cognizant of your belongings. I usually carry my pack in my lap for simply not trusting its security under or even on top of any bus, depending on its storage configuration. Since we had a minibus and small group, I had no problem just throwing my bag in the back with everybody else’s. But when we arrived at Khaosan Road I immediately noticed the French guys pack (who we had just dropped off several miles away). When I didn’t see my bag I knew just what had happened. Frenchy took my pack instead of his since they were similar in style. So here I was, stuck on some foreign street, now dark, with some other guy’s bag. A nice Canadian couple and Korean guy who were on our bus waited to help me troubleshoot what to do. Fortunately someone mentioned a police station close by and recommended I go there, if nothing else, to report what had happened. I kept thinking that it was going to be impossible to find this dude who now had my bag. The only info I had was his address in France; no cell phone number, knowledge of itinerary, or any way to get in contact with him other than to bump into him on the street. A nice police officer inside the station helped me try to call the bus service to possibly get some more details. While calling I looked up towards the heavens and asked God for a miracle (since that’s what it was going to take) when all of a sudden Frenchy busted through the doors. I knew since I had his bag that he would be looking for me, but what were the odds that he would think to go to the police station as well! I couldn’t believe it!! Bangkok is no small city. There are at least a hundred different guest houses around Khaosan Road and yet through some quick act of God we found each other and were able to exchange bags. He had been to Khaosan Road before and remembered the police station; what luck. We immediately embraced happy to have our proper possessions and had a beer over the minor incident. What a crazy way to start my Thailand adventure!
After shaking hands and wishing each other well, I set off to choose one of many GH for the next two nights. I visited at least a dozen that were all full before finding a really cheap but OK room a little ways away.
Khaosan Road is a cool strip about half a mile long where you can find an assortment of T-shirts and other goods. The T-shirts are unique, however, for the designs are unlike anything you’ve ever seen. They have some pretty cool retro shirts with Tony the Tiger and Toucan-Sam on them. I picked up a few over the next two days that I really like but the street vendors mostly sell a bunch of junk. There are several bars as well along the road and the place was teeming with tourists. My first night in Bangkok was great… it’s always fun to arrive in some place you’ve never been before and explore around. The following day I did just that.
I visited a cool temple which hosted a ginormous gold Buddha that was lying on its side. I was sick of temples though so I just walked around the city. I found the train station and booked my much anticipated ticket south to Koh Tao, a dive island in the Gulf of Thailand. On my way back I dropped by a hospital to have a doctor take a look at my ear. She probed in to have a look and said that my external canal was fine and that if I was having troubles then it had to be something internal. To further diagnose the problem required seeing a specialist who only came during the week. I asked her about diving and after playing charades to explain ‘diving’, about three nurses all at once said, “NO WAY!” I was crushed! Here I had planned my whole adventure around this dive trip to Koh Tao and these ladies were telling me no??! So I walked back to my GH pissed off but made no promises of not diving. I set out to try some local Thai food but was disappointed several times. Therefore I stuck to mostly western food; I laugh because I know people will ask me, “How was the Thai food?!!” All I’ll say is, “Ya, the burgers were great.” After receiving bad news about my ear and tasting some less than scrumptious Thai food, I was grateful to stumble upon a Swensen’s Ice Cream shop. I indulged and my worries about diving melted away like the ice cream in my tummy :) Having seen Bangkok, I really didn’t know what to do with my extra day that I had planned. For those who may travel this way, there’s really no need to come to Bangkok unless you want a cool T-shirt or are passing through. One day max!
It was cool to watch the movie ‘The Beach’ back in Kunming for the movie takes place in Thailand and was partially filmed on Kohsan Road. Having been there, I can now relate more to the movie and understand the perspective for it closely reflected my own experience. They filmed the beach scenes on the Phi Phi islands (Western shores of Thailand) which are suppose to be amazing. But since the movie made the place famous, it’s always crowded with tourists. I decided to skip it this time around and planned to stay a full 9 days on Koh Tao.
I left the next night on an all-night train south to a place called Chumpon. From Chumpon we would catch a short bus ride and then a three hour ferry to Koh Tao. It was there that I would discover a paradise that one would wish to never end…
Monday, March 1, 2010
SE Asia-Siem Reap, Cambodia
My roommates had done practically the same SE Asia route that I was on (just about a year earlier) and had told me about the poverty in Cambodia. Although I thought I was mentally prepared, my first contact with it was emotionally overwhelming. We were sitting on our bus coming in from Vietnam, waiting in a line to board a ferry in order to cross a river. Looking out the window I could see the filthy, dusty sidewalks and streets lined with children of all ages. Some were completely naked. Some were just missing a shirt. Some were only missing pants and most didn’t have any form of shoes or sandals. They all came up close to our windows holding their hands up in desperation. Their little faces were so innocent and beautiful yet here these kids were trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty. One even held his naked brother, lying lifeless, in his arms offering him up to anyone who might take him to a better place. I was deeply conflicted when a Spaniard kept taking photo after photo of the kids as if we were on an African safari. It’s important to show the world what it’s like here but something just didn’t feel right about the way he was taking his photos. My heart just sank; it is one thing to see commercials’ asking for donations to help these poor kids, but to come face to face with it was emotionally hard. Here I had a grocery bag full of food for lunch and pockets that had more money than these kids had probably ever seen in their short lifetime. Yet how was I to help them? I knew giving food would simply prolong the inevitable and there was nothing I could do in the short period of time I would be in contact with them. The feeling of helplessness weighs deep but I hope to someday return with the ability to do more.
It honestly took a couple hours to shake the funk that that experience had put me in. What partly helped was our bus’s mechanical failure. The sun was setting when we pulled over for what we all thought was just another routine stop. But then when we saw some guy elbow deep in gasoline and oil come from behind our bus, we knew something was up. All of us tourists sort of bonded while sitting around this little shop eating whatever we could find for dinner. The night grew darker and fortunately myself and another tourist carried flashlights that the guy now needed to fix the bus. He was most grateful to have them and I think we saved his butt. We finally got it started and were back on the rode after the mild two hour delay. We got in late, but better late than never. I found a cheap place to lay my head and made arrangements to visit the famous city of Angkor the next day.
Siem Reap is a cool little town with a welcome tourist scene. The main tourist road, Pub Street, hosts numerous western restaurants and glasses of beer for 50 cents; genius. But the main attraction lies a few miles north of town. The following day I rented a nice beach cruiser to ride around Angkor since the temples are widely spread. On the way there I met a nice German guy who was all too willing to share the history of the place as we rode. It was nice to get a little inside scoop since he’d been there the previous four days but after awhile he got on my nerves. I decided to ride the ‘short’ route since I had plans to return the next morning to the rest of it. The first few Wats on my route were spectacular! I didn’t really know what to expect; I’d seen numerous temples before but nothing like these. The first thing that came to mind was Walt Disney’s ‘The Jungle Book’. I swore Mowgli and Baloo were going to pop out and start singing ‘Bare Necessities’ at any moment. The beautiful stone structures are unlike anything else in the world but are slowly crumbling. Presently, anyone can walk through the temples but I predict the sites will soon become like Stonehenge. Where people could once roam through the historical site, they will be roped off to observe the sites from a distance.
Continuing on the cirque, I came to Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom was once the film set of Tomb Raider. It is an incredible temple for the surrounding trees have slowly started taking back over their territory. Pictures are worth a thousand words for this one…
http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Siem%20Reap?h=f5e9e5
It was pretty spectacular to see these enormous trees spurting up out of nowhere only to work themselves around stone walls. Roots everywhere shot down through any small crack that they could find in search for soil. This would make a great paintball location but I don’t think the historians would go for it. The most famous of all the Wats is the great Angkor Wat which is the largest religious structure in the world. It was built in the early 12th century and is the best preserved of all the temples. After spending all day cruising through the small loop, I ended up back here for the sunset which was a most special treat. The figures on the walls come to life as the sun casts detailed shadows all over. Tourists are allowed to climb to the top of Angkor Wat to peer out among its courtyards. However, the top is considered holy and therefore requires proper attire. Flip-flops, board shorts, and a T-shirt will get you by but I had a sleeveless shirt on. The lady didn’t want to let me go to the top so I convinced her to let me borrow her shawl to cover my shoulders. She did and so I gave her my Dos Equis hat as collateral which was rather hilarious. I was one of the last ones through Angkor Wat that day and it was special being on such ancient, magnificent, spiritual grounds during the sunset.
I was glowing as I rode back into town. I just took my time without a care in the world thinking of all the desk jobs I was avoiding. I know I’ll end up there someday but for now I’m so fortunate and grateful to be doing what I’m doing. I only regret not having all of my closest friends out here with me.
Stoked on the day I grabbed an awesome dinner and a few beers with a nice guy from Canada. I love sharing my experiences and thoughts with like-minded people who see life the way I do. After dinner he went with his tour group off to some club while I just soaked in the night life on Pub Street. I decided to try a fish foot massage which looked just ridiculous but was actually really awesome. There’s a certain type of guppy that eats your dead skin, so for three bucks I dunked my toes into a fish tank while a bunch of guppies went to town on my feet and lower legs (I hope you’re not eating food while reading this). I giggled for probably a good 10 minutes straight since the experience tickles like none-other. Finally use to it, I just relaxed and had a beer while the lady working there gave me a nice back massage. I highly recommend the fish foot massage to anyone who comes across it!
Afterwards my feet and legs were smooth as silk and I couldn’t believe how feminine I felt. So naturally I did what any manly man would do and ordered up a few rounds of beer to bring back my mojo. While enjoying a few glasses, I noticed a girl not far from where I was sitting who was drinking alone. I asked if she wanted to join (since it seemed no one was coming to join her) but she politely declined. She was a Cambodian girl who spoke very little English but we ended up talking for quite some time about Jesus since she had noticed my cross necklace. She was going through some tough times since her French boyfriend had just broken up with her. It’s funny how God will put you in certain places that are right where you need to be when you least expect it. She eventually opened up a lot to me and I helped her cry and simply listened to her vent. This is exactly why foreigners shouldn’t mess with the local people romantically. She had hopes of marrying this guy and moving out of Cambodia (like a lot of people from third world countries hope for) and was just crushed by the break-up. She was a believer in Jesus and so I tried to shed some positive light into her world but it was very difficult. I at least convinced her to stop drinking her sorrows away and to simply trust that the Lord had a plan for her life. We talked a bit and I tried my best to encourage her. It was getting late (11:30 is late for me) so I parted with the distraught girl but not before making her smile. I hope I was able to bring some inspiration and positive energy into her hopeless, depressed state but God only knows. The lesson learned - you never know when or where you’ll be required to minister or help a stranger in need. And although neither of us spoke each others language (very well at least), we still had a connection through Jesus and were able to communicate on that level. I pray that she’s doing better.
Having seen everything I had wanted to see, I decided to leave the following day without returning to Angkor. Although my time in Cambodia was brief, it was most spectacular. The next time I visit, I hope to be on a more philanthropic adventure where I can visit an orphanage and spend some time with the kids!
It honestly took a couple hours to shake the funk that that experience had put me in. What partly helped was our bus’s mechanical failure. The sun was setting when we pulled over for what we all thought was just another routine stop. But then when we saw some guy elbow deep in gasoline and oil come from behind our bus, we knew something was up. All of us tourists sort of bonded while sitting around this little shop eating whatever we could find for dinner. The night grew darker and fortunately myself and another tourist carried flashlights that the guy now needed to fix the bus. He was most grateful to have them and I think we saved his butt. We finally got it started and were back on the rode after the mild two hour delay. We got in late, but better late than never. I found a cheap place to lay my head and made arrangements to visit the famous city of Angkor the next day.
Siem Reap is a cool little town with a welcome tourist scene. The main tourist road, Pub Street, hosts numerous western restaurants and glasses of beer for 50 cents; genius. But the main attraction lies a few miles north of town. The following day I rented a nice beach cruiser to ride around Angkor since the temples are widely spread. On the way there I met a nice German guy who was all too willing to share the history of the place as we rode. It was nice to get a little inside scoop since he’d been there the previous four days but after awhile he got on my nerves. I decided to ride the ‘short’ route since I had plans to return the next morning to the rest of it. The first few Wats on my route were spectacular! I didn’t really know what to expect; I’d seen numerous temples before but nothing like these. The first thing that came to mind was Walt Disney’s ‘The Jungle Book’. I swore Mowgli and Baloo were going to pop out and start singing ‘Bare Necessities’ at any moment. The beautiful stone structures are unlike anything else in the world but are slowly crumbling. Presently, anyone can walk through the temples but I predict the sites will soon become like Stonehenge. Where people could once roam through the historical site, they will be roped off to observe the sites from a distance.
Continuing on the cirque, I came to Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom was once the film set of Tomb Raider. It is an incredible temple for the surrounding trees have slowly started taking back over their territory. Pictures are worth a thousand words for this one…
http://www.dropbox.com/gallery/2688277/1/Siem%20Reap?h=f5e9e5
It was pretty spectacular to see these enormous trees spurting up out of nowhere only to work themselves around stone walls. Roots everywhere shot down through any small crack that they could find in search for soil. This would make a great paintball location but I don’t think the historians would go for it. The most famous of all the Wats is the great Angkor Wat which is the largest religious structure in the world. It was built in the early 12th century and is the best preserved of all the temples. After spending all day cruising through the small loop, I ended up back here for the sunset which was a most special treat. The figures on the walls come to life as the sun casts detailed shadows all over. Tourists are allowed to climb to the top of Angkor Wat to peer out among its courtyards. However, the top is considered holy and therefore requires proper attire. Flip-flops, board shorts, and a T-shirt will get you by but I had a sleeveless shirt on. The lady didn’t want to let me go to the top so I convinced her to let me borrow her shawl to cover my shoulders. She did and so I gave her my Dos Equis hat as collateral which was rather hilarious. I was one of the last ones through Angkor Wat that day and it was special being on such ancient, magnificent, spiritual grounds during the sunset.
I was glowing as I rode back into town. I just took my time without a care in the world thinking of all the desk jobs I was avoiding. I know I’ll end up there someday but for now I’m so fortunate and grateful to be doing what I’m doing. I only regret not having all of my closest friends out here with me.
Stoked on the day I grabbed an awesome dinner and a few beers with a nice guy from Canada. I love sharing my experiences and thoughts with like-minded people who see life the way I do. After dinner he went with his tour group off to some club while I just soaked in the night life on Pub Street. I decided to try a fish foot massage which looked just ridiculous but was actually really awesome. There’s a certain type of guppy that eats your dead skin, so for three bucks I dunked my toes into a fish tank while a bunch of guppies went to town on my feet and lower legs (I hope you’re not eating food while reading this). I giggled for probably a good 10 minutes straight since the experience tickles like none-other. Finally use to it, I just relaxed and had a beer while the lady working there gave me a nice back massage. I highly recommend the fish foot massage to anyone who comes across it!
Afterwards my feet and legs were smooth as silk and I couldn’t believe how feminine I felt. So naturally I did what any manly man would do and ordered up a few rounds of beer to bring back my mojo. While enjoying a few glasses, I noticed a girl not far from where I was sitting who was drinking alone. I asked if she wanted to join (since it seemed no one was coming to join her) but she politely declined. She was a Cambodian girl who spoke very little English but we ended up talking for quite some time about Jesus since she had noticed my cross necklace. She was going through some tough times since her French boyfriend had just broken up with her. It’s funny how God will put you in certain places that are right where you need to be when you least expect it. She eventually opened up a lot to me and I helped her cry and simply listened to her vent. This is exactly why foreigners shouldn’t mess with the local people romantically. She had hopes of marrying this guy and moving out of Cambodia (like a lot of people from third world countries hope for) and was just crushed by the break-up. She was a believer in Jesus and so I tried to shed some positive light into her world but it was very difficult. I at least convinced her to stop drinking her sorrows away and to simply trust that the Lord had a plan for her life. We talked a bit and I tried my best to encourage her. It was getting late (11:30 is late for me) so I parted with the distraught girl but not before making her smile. I hope I was able to bring some inspiration and positive energy into her hopeless, depressed state but God only knows. The lesson learned - you never know when or where you’ll be required to minister or help a stranger in need. And although neither of us spoke each others language (very well at least), we still had a connection through Jesus and were able to communicate on that level. I pray that she’s doing better.
Having seen everything I had wanted to see, I decided to leave the following day without returning to Angkor. Although my time in Cambodia was brief, it was most spectacular. The next time I visit, I hope to be on a more philanthropic adventure where I can visit an orphanage and spend some time with the kids!
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