Last time I said it was going to be a long blog entry...well...this might be longer! I'll start where I left off (which seems like ages ago)!
My second day in Pokhara was definitely better than my first. Although I still had some Sinusitis, I felt well enough to walk around the town. We stayed in Lakeside which is basically where all the tourists and trekkers tend to stay. Endless shops lined the streets either selling Nepalese trinkets to foreigners or trekking supplies. If you came to Nepal without anything at all, you could fully outfit yourself at Lakeside in Pokhara.
Truth be told, the scene in Pokhara isn't THAT much different than what you'd see in Seattle. There are hippies everywhere, and people wearing North Face, Mountain Hardwear, Marmot, etc. It was actually pretty funny; right across the street from where we stayed, a cover band would play popular American music every night. I heard "Summer of 69" by Bryan Adams and multiple Red Hot Chilli Peppers songs multiple times. We ended up staying in the trekking town for something like 3-4 nights.
On our last night, we met a thanka artist by the name of Lama Summer. He used to be a monk and learned the art of painting thankas in a monestary near Kathmandu. Grant and I had enquired about the price of thankas a couple times and his was the third shop we visited. He was super nice and seemed to be willing to really negotiate on the price. He said he could sell the thankas for a better price because he was the actual artist and not just a dealer. After some really easy/fun negotiations, Grand and I decided to buy three thankas. The entire exchange was really enjoyable and on top of that we were about to own three beautiful pieces of artwork! What's interesting is i've that noticed that dealing with native Nepali people is much easier that dealing with some of the Indian people who've come to Nepal to do business. The Nepali seem to be more willing to joke around, talk and come to a compromise on the price. By the time we were done at the thanka shop, it was late and we had to wake up early the next morning to start our trek in the Annapurna Sanctuary.
DAY 1
We woke up around 7am and took a taxi to Phedi, the start of our 9-day journey! The trail zigzags up the hillside and is full of stairs. We climbed all the way to the first village, Bhame (a part of Dhampus), where we contributed to the local economy by buying some jewelry. It's really hard to resist when the locals seem so willing to lower the price so you will buy something. After succumbing to the pressure to buy jewelry, we were back on the trail towards our destination for the day: Tolka. On the way, we passed many small villages with guest houses and restaurants, trees covered with lush green moss due to the monsoon season, cows and goats grazing lazily, open meadows with little purple flowers, local residents, as well as guides and porters. The trail climbs and the irritatingly loud sounds of bugs (similar to cicadas) fill your ears and threaten to burst your eardrums. Dragonflies and butterflies of seemingly every color are everywhere.
Just before we hit the village of Pothana, we stopped at a very small family run restaurant. We met two people from North America: Sandy, a middle-aged woman from Massachusetts and David, a middle-aged man from Ottawa. We talked to them for a little while and ended up seeing them on the trail all the way to Tolka. We ordered fried potatoes with cheese and two cups of Masala tea...it was freshly made on the clay oven (which was packed with wood) and it tasted outstanding!
By the time we reached Tolka we had ascended about 7200 ft and descended around 5000-6000 ft. The next day we would have to climb back up...aargh.
DAY 2
We started our day around 7:45am and as usual, it was clear. You could see Annapurna South and the air was crisp, but not too chilly. I had a breakfast of tibetan bread, boiled eggs and tea, then we were off.
There was a lot of going up and down. After leaving Tolka, we began a long descent all the way down to the raging river at the bottom of the valley. We saw terraces stacked upon more terraces of rice and millet. Sometimes an entire hill face is made up of only a handful of houses and terraces. The view is beautiful and i'm not just talking about snow capped mountains. The overlapping valleys, the clouds, and the waterfalls made for amazing scenery as we walked the day away.
The descent lead us into a pretty much tropical climate. Trees were covered in thick moss, plants were a lush green, the leaves on some trees were huge and reminded me of banana tree leaves. When we got to the botytom of the valley (where we had to cross the river), there was a LONG suspension bridge that we had to cross. It was probably something like 200 ft long and wobbly. It's definitely the coolest bridge i've ever crossed! The part you walk on is made of wooden planks and the bridge itself bounces with every step you take. Looking left or right, all you see are raging rapids that i'm not sure even a decent river rafter would want to tackle. It's pretty amazing to think that most of these bridges hold up ratyher well considering the number of people who use them and the porters who carry really heavy loads across.
After the suspension bridge, known as "New Bridge," there is nowhere to go but back up. Stairs, stairs, and more stairs awaited our already tired legs. Even on the map, the section is labeled as "Steep Trail." The goal of the day was to end up at Jhinudanda, a slow, unrelenting climb of about 1000 ft above the river. My calves, quads and knees were feeling the strain of the climb; I wasn't used to climbing so many stairs!
Once at Jhinudanda we decided to set our stuff down and take a side trip to the natural hot springs. There were a lot of people enjoying themselves and relaxing in the hot, semi-cloudy water. The water comes out of tubes that fill large rectangular stone basins. The huge bathtub-like structures are right next to the frigid river, so some people would take a quick dip in the freezing water and run back to the warmth of the hot springs. It was very cool!
On the way up from the hot springs, Grant got "leeched" twice! He felt a prick and discovered a leech had attached itself to the webbing between his fingers. Another leech tried to attach, but he pulled it off before it could really sink its alien-like jaws into him. As we climbed back up to Jhinudanda the leech grew fatter with Grant's blood. It was so gross. Leeches look very similar to slugs and like slugs, you can put salt on them and they won't like it. So once we reached the village, we salted it and it fell right off. After a hearty dinner of chicken chilli and potatoes and cheese, we fell asleep early trying to prepare ourselves for the endless stairs we'd have to climb again the next day.
DAY 3
We climbed about 1500 ft to Chhomrong, stopped to peep the awesome view and have a bite to eat, and we were back on the trail. It turned out to be a pretty rough day. It was full of ups and downs, climbing lots of stairs and descending back down. It was lots and lots of sweaty work.
We arrived in Bamboo just befor 1pm and discovered that all the lodges were full due to the numerous (and large) trekking groups. We ended up taking a couple spots in the dining hall of one guest house. However, situations like these aren't uncommon, it actually happens all the time. We slept on cots that were already in the dining hall. All we had to do was roll out our sleeping bags. The next day we were going to head to Deurali, about 2700 ft above where we were staying. Little did I know it was going to be the start of a series of illnesses.
DAYS 4-8
We left Bamboo early hoping to sleep in a room rather than the dining hall again. The trail lead us through sections of muddy jungle, some areas with beautiful views and waterfalls. Machhapuchhare loomed majestically ahead of us, calling us forward towards it. As we got closer to Deurali, breathing became a little more difficult due to the smaller amount of oxygen in the air, but it wasn't too bad. When we reached the village, surprise suprise, all the lodges were completely full, so we took another spot in a dining hall once again.
It was almost instantaneous. Once we set our stuff down on our "beds" I became very cold and tired. I put on all the layers I had with me, put my gloves and beanie on and bundled myself in my sleeping bag and I was still cold. All I could do was sleep. By the time dinnertime rolled around I wasn't hungry at all, and the last time I had eaten was 6 hours previous. I forced myself to eat and drink, but soon after I had to go outside because I was scared i'd throw up all over the table where everyone was sitting. As I stood in the cold night air, I vomited. There was no question, I had Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). A number of locals came up and asked me if I was okay. Once I told them my symptoms they recommended that I chew on a clove of garlic to alleviate some of the symptoms. I tried it, and it didn't help. Grant and I made the decision that if I didn't feel better in the morning, we would have to head down. The sleepless night passed and I still had a headache, my balance was off, and I had no appetite. It was terrible because we were only a few hours away from Annapurna Base Camp, but we had to turn back because of my AMS. If we had continued, it might have gotten a lot worse and I may have lost consciousness. So, we headed back down to Sinuwa, a 3300 ft descent.
*I'm really using a lot of minutes at this internet cafe, so i'll continue this post later tonight at my guesthouse where there is free WIFI...it won't be fun because i'll have to do it on my iTouch...but i'll do it.*
Friday, October 29, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Get Ready for a LONG Blog Entry
***I'm writing all of this on my iTouch, so please excuse the multiple spelling errors and weird extra words here and there!***
Wow, so it's been a while since I wrote last! I am currently in Pokhara, Nepal. I haven't had a chance to visit an Internet cafe and haven't stayed in a place with Free WiFi until now. Just so you know, this entry is going to be pretty long. Okay so let's start with India...
There is no mistaking it when you're in India. Nothing really prepares you for what you're about to experience...and what you're about to experience is chaos. Before we left the airport in Kolkata, we purchased a pre-paid taxi to our hotel. Just as the guidebooks said, when we walked outside, people came up to us asking where we were staying and telling us it was a bad place to stay and they knew of a better place. Ofcourse they were all on commission, so you really can't trust them. Our taxi finally arrived and we were off!
Driving in India is indescribable. Words simply can't do it justice. If I thought Bangkok was bad, India is 10 times worse. It took us over an hour and a half to get from the airport to the Inter-Continental Hotel. There seem to be no rules: cars narrowly miss eachother by millimeters, brakes are slammed every 10 seconds, and constantly honking horns become their own form of abrasive, head-hurting music. Local buses are CRAMMED with people. Sometimes people ride on the roofs of buses; it looks absolutely miserable, especially in the humid heat.
Driving through Kolkata is a very different experience. It's the old interspersed with the new. Beautifully vibrant colors (mostly worn by the women) move amongst the brown city filled with decrepid buildings. Numerous cows roam near the streets. This reflects the Hindu belief that cows are sacred animals...no succulent steaks or leather here!
Lucky for us, we've decided to visit India during one of Kolkata's biggest festivals. The Durga Puja is an event lasting for 5 days where idols of the 10-armed goddess are gaudily painted and placed in "pandals" or other colorfully painted tample-like structures. Then after the five days, the idols are all thrown into the Hooghlie River. Bright Christmas-esque lights drape dirty brown bulidings all over the city and I have to wonder if it was all done for the festival. The next day we would head to Varanasi via overnight train.
The next morning on our way to the train station, a view of Kolkata in the daytime was a lot different than what we saw the previous night. What was hidden by darkness and colorful Christmas lights was now exposed. In the light of day, you see piles of garbage that extend into the streets and both people and dogs rummaging through it trying to find something of worth. Different smells wafted into our taxi: diesel, cooking food, raw fish, feces, and rotting garbage. The sky is a constant hazy pinkish color (probably from all the pollution). He sheer number of people here is inbelievable. Never have I seen so many people in one place. I guess it makes sense when there are around 14 million people in the city of Kolkata alone and just over a billion people in all of India. At the train station we ordered some food and here are a couple things I observed: 1.) the cooks don't use glows when preparing your food, so you have to judge wisely where you eat and only go where the locals go, 2.) Indians use only their right hand when they eat. The left hand is considered unclean.
On the overnight train to Varanasi we shared a sleeper bunk with a nice Indian family and another family they were friends with. Imagine a rectangular room with only three walls and three fold-out hard beds stacked over eachother on both of the longer walls. Grant and I both didn't get much sleep as the beds weren't very comfortable. We arrived in Varanasi around 9 in the morning.
Varanasi, like much of the other Indian cities I've seen is crowded with lots of people, cars, rickshaws, and of course pollution. But add to all that many cows, goats and chickens roaming the streets, holy men draped in vibrant orange cloth with red marks on their forehead and you've got Varanasi. The city is one of the oldest continually inhabited places and is one of the holiest cities in the Hindu religion. There are many ghats that line the Ganges River. The ghats are used to cremate the dead. Hindus come to Varanasi to cleanse themselves in the Ganges, as it is one of their holiest rivers. However it's also considered one of the dirtiest rivers in the world because it is used as a toilet, a garbage, a place to wash clothes, and sometimes dead animals are spotted floating in the river.
Many guide books say that if you're ready for Varanasi, it might be your most favorite place; this was not the case for me. My allergies kicked into high gear the moment I stepped off the train. It must've been all the dust and animal dander that did me in. We roamed around aimlessly in Varanasi, taking winding side streets that got us lost a couple times. Honestly, walking around not knowing where to go in relentless heat with sneeze attacks happening every 10 minutes was not my idea of fun. So we decided not to stay a night in Varanasi; instead we planned to take another overnight bus to Sonauli then take another bus to the India/Nepal border. Little did I know it would be the worst bus ride of my life.
Before getting on the bus to Sonauli, we met a fellow backpacker named Esther. She's 27 years old and is from Holland. We three got on the non-air conditioned bus, cramped bus expecting to have a pretty uneventful trip. The ride started out bumpy with lots of screeching halts due to the traffic in and around Varanasi. But the bumps never smoothed out. For about 6 hours we endured one of the bumpiest rides of our lives. Then, around 1:30am the unthinkable happened. After dropping off a cpuple passengers in a small town, we heard a loud bang... It was a tire exploding. We rolled really slowly to a food shack nearby and everyone got off. We didn't speak Hindi so we basically had no idea what was going on. We decided to wait until someone told us what to do, so we sat down and had a couple glasses of Chai Tea. After about 20 minutes or so, another bus pulled up on it's way to Gorakhpur. The driver said we wouldn't have to pay, so we got on that bus along with a handful of people who decided to come with. It was another bumpy ride to Gorakhpur with multiple mosquito bites, but at least a little more room to move. We arrived at Gorakhpur around 5am and crammed into a jeep-like taxi to go to the bus station where we needed to catch yet another bus to Sonauli. 12 of us packed into the car with all our belongings. It was a TIGHT fit. We were like 2 cans worth of sardines stuffed into one. I sat on Esther's lap as we made the bumpy but thankfully short ride to the station. We immediately hopped on the bus to Sonauli, which took a few hours. We were dropped off and walked a little ways to the border. Once we got out exit and entry visas, we sat down to have some lunch before trying to find a bus to Pokhara, Nepal.
I'm pretty sure we got ripped off when we purchased our bus ticket. We went into a little office that sold bus tickets. Once we paid 410 Nepali Rupees each to get onto the bus, the guy led us past the real ticket counter where our salesman exchanged a few words with the people behind the counter. If we had went up to that counter individually or just waited until we were on the bus to pay, we most definitely would have paid a lot less. Oh well, I guess you learn from your mistakes. Remember when I said the bus ride from Varanasi to Sonauli was the worst bus ride of my life? I was wrong. The bus ride from Bhairawa (Nepal's side of the border) to Pokhara was definitely THE WORST of my life. It was even bumpier than all the other rides and the fact that we had been on uncomfortable trains and super bumpy buses for basically 16 hours straight really didn't help. The trip took about 8 hours; but it felt like so much longer. The seats were hard and riding in that bus reminded me of riding in the back of a pick-up truck that was travelling over some really REALLY rocky terrain. By the time we got to Pokhara, it felt like we had been thrown around like rag dolls; my neck felt like I had experienced whip lash several time over and my butt/tail bone were as sore as ever.
Our taxi driver couldn't find the guest house Esther was looking for, so we just got out and walked around trying to find vacancy. The last handful of hours on the bus, I was continually blowing my nose and had developed some kind of post-nasal drip. So by the time we were trying to find a place for the night, I really wasn't feeling well. Esther decided to go with a place that had a cheap single room, but Grant and I opted out because the double room there was too expensive. We stumbled across the Pushpa Guest House and just decided to take the room because we didn't want to keep looking.
All night I kept waking up to blow my nose. This morning I woke up feeling sick. I've had to constantly blow my nose, take ibuprofen for my small fever and drink as much water as possible. Basically my first day in Pokhara, Nepal was spent in bed; I didn't take a step outside. Grant definitely took care of me. He bought me a bunch of water and went out a couple times in search of food for me. He looked up my condition and said found out that I have textbook Sinusitis (probably caused by all the pollutants and allergens in India). It's currently about 10pm and I feel better, though I have developed a small cough. I hope I am better by tomorrow! I want to explore Pokhara!!!
Wow, so it's been a while since I wrote last! I am currently in Pokhara, Nepal. I haven't had a chance to visit an Internet cafe and haven't stayed in a place with Free WiFi until now. Just so you know, this entry is going to be pretty long. Okay so let's start with India...
There is no mistaking it when you're in India. Nothing really prepares you for what you're about to experience...and what you're about to experience is chaos. Before we left the airport in Kolkata, we purchased a pre-paid taxi to our hotel. Just as the guidebooks said, when we walked outside, people came up to us asking where we were staying and telling us it was a bad place to stay and they knew of a better place. Ofcourse they were all on commission, so you really can't trust them. Our taxi finally arrived and we were off!
Driving in India is indescribable. Words simply can't do it justice. If I thought Bangkok was bad, India is 10 times worse. It took us over an hour and a half to get from the airport to the Inter-Continental Hotel. There seem to be no rules: cars narrowly miss eachother by millimeters, brakes are slammed every 10 seconds, and constantly honking horns become their own form of abrasive, head-hurting music. Local buses are CRAMMED with people. Sometimes people ride on the roofs of buses; it looks absolutely miserable, especially in the humid heat.
Driving through Kolkata is a very different experience. It's the old interspersed with the new. Beautifully vibrant colors (mostly worn by the women) move amongst the brown city filled with decrepid buildings. Numerous cows roam near the streets. This reflects the Hindu belief that cows are sacred animals...no succulent steaks or leather here!
Lucky for us, we've decided to visit India during one of Kolkata's biggest festivals. The Durga Puja is an event lasting for 5 days where idols of the 10-armed goddess are gaudily painted and placed in "pandals" or other colorfully painted tample-like structures. Then after the five days, the idols are all thrown into the Hooghlie River. Bright Christmas-esque lights drape dirty brown bulidings all over the city and I have to wonder if it was all done for the festival. The next day we would head to Varanasi via overnight train.
The next morning on our way to the train station, a view of Kolkata in the daytime was a lot different than what we saw the previous night. What was hidden by darkness and colorful Christmas lights was now exposed. In the light of day, you see piles of garbage that extend into the streets and both people and dogs rummaging through it trying to find something of worth. Different smells wafted into our taxi: diesel, cooking food, raw fish, feces, and rotting garbage. The sky is a constant hazy pinkish color (probably from all the pollution). He sheer number of people here is inbelievable. Never have I seen so many people in one place. I guess it makes sense when there are around 14 million people in the city of Kolkata alone and just over a billion people in all of India. At the train station we ordered some food and here are a couple things I observed: 1.) the cooks don't use glows when preparing your food, so you have to judge wisely where you eat and only go where the locals go, 2.) Indians use only their right hand when they eat. The left hand is considered unclean.
On the overnight train to Varanasi we shared a sleeper bunk with a nice Indian family and another family they were friends with. Imagine a rectangular room with only three walls and three fold-out hard beds stacked over eachother on both of the longer walls. Grant and I both didn't get much sleep as the beds weren't very comfortable. We arrived in Varanasi around 9 in the morning.
Varanasi, like much of the other Indian cities I've seen is crowded with lots of people, cars, rickshaws, and of course pollution. But add to all that many cows, goats and chickens roaming the streets, holy men draped in vibrant orange cloth with red marks on their forehead and you've got Varanasi. The city is one of the oldest continually inhabited places and is one of the holiest cities in the Hindu religion. There are many ghats that line the Ganges River. The ghats are used to cremate the dead. Hindus come to Varanasi to cleanse themselves in the Ganges, as it is one of their holiest rivers. However it's also considered one of the dirtiest rivers in the world because it is used as a toilet, a garbage, a place to wash clothes, and sometimes dead animals are spotted floating in the river.
Many guide books say that if you're ready for Varanasi, it might be your most favorite place; this was not the case for me. My allergies kicked into high gear the moment I stepped off the train. It must've been all the dust and animal dander that did me in. We roamed around aimlessly in Varanasi, taking winding side streets that got us lost a couple times. Honestly, walking around not knowing where to go in relentless heat with sneeze attacks happening every 10 minutes was not my idea of fun. So we decided not to stay a night in Varanasi; instead we planned to take another overnight bus to Sonauli then take another bus to the India/Nepal border. Little did I know it would be the worst bus ride of my life.
Before getting on the bus to Sonauli, we met a fellow backpacker named Esther. She's 27 years old and is from Holland. We three got on the non-air conditioned bus, cramped bus expecting to have a pretty uneventful trip. The ride started out bumpy with lots of screeching halts due to the traffic in and around Varanasi. But the bumps never smoothed out. For about 6 hours we endured one of the bumpiest rides of our lives. Then, around 1:30am the unthinkable happened. After dropping off a cpuple passengers in a small town, we heard a loud bang... It was a tire exploding. We rolled really slowly to a food shack nearby and everyone got off. We didn't speak Hindi so we basically had no idea what was going on. We decided to wait until someone told us what to do, so we sat down and had a couple glasses of Chai Tea. After about 20 minutes or so, another bus pulled up on it's way to Gorakhpur. The driver said we wouldn't have to pay, so we got on that bus along with a handful of people who decided to come with. It was another bumpy ride to Gorakhpur with multiple mosquito bites, but at least a little more room to move. We arrived at Gorakhpur around 5am and crammed into a jeep-like taxi to go to the bus station where we needed to catch yet another bus to Sonauli. 12 of us packed into the car with all our belongings. It was a TIGHT fit. We were like 2 cans worth of sardines stuffed into one. I sat on Esther's lap as we made the bumpy but thankfully short ride to the station. We immediately hopped on the bus to Sonauli, which took a few hours. We were dropped off and walked a little ways to the border. Once we got out exit and entry visas, we sat down to have some lunch before trying to find a bus to Pokhara, Nepal.
I'm pretty sure we got ripped off when we purchased our bus ticket. We went into a little office that sold bus tickets. Once we paid 410 Nepali Rupees each to get onto the bus, the guy led us past the real ticket counter where our salesman exchanged a few words with the people behind the counter. If we had went up to that counter individually or just waited until we were on the bus to pay, we most definitely would have paid a lot less. Oh well, I guess you learn from your mistakes. Remember when I said the bus ride from Varanasi to Sonauli was the worst bus ride of my life? I was wrong. The bus ride from Bhairawa (Nepal's side of the border) to Pokhara was definitely THE WORST of my life. It was even bumpier than all the other rides and the fact that we had been on uncomfortable trains and super bumpy buses for basically 16 hours straight really didn't help. The trip took about 8 hours; but it felt like so much longer. The seats were hard and riding in that bus reminded me of riding in the back of a pick-up truck that was travelling over some really REALLY rocky terrain. By the time we got to Pokhara, it felt like we had been thrown around like rag dolls; my neck felt like I had experienced whip lash several time over and my butt/tail bone were as sore as ever.
Our taxi driver couldn't find the guest house Esther was looking for, so we just got out and walked around trying to find vacancy. The last handful of hours on the bus, I was continually blowing my nose and had developed some kind of post-nasal drip. So by the time we were trying to find a place for the night, I really wasn't feeling well. Esther decided to go with a place that had a cheap single room, but Grant and I opted out because the double room there was too expensive. We stumbled across the Pushpa Guest House and just decided to take the room because we didn't want to keep looking.
All night I kept waking up to blow my nose. This morning I woke up feeling sick. I've had to constantly blow my nose, take ibuprofen for my small fever and drink as much water as possible. Basically my first day in Pokhara, Nepal was spent in bed; I didn't take a step outside. Grant definitely took care of me. He bought me a bunch of water and went out a couple times in search of food for me. He looked up my condition and said found out that I have textbook Sinusitis (probably caused by all the pollutants and allergens in India). It's currently about 10pm and I feel better, though I have developed a small cough. I hope I am better by tomorrow! I want to explore Pokhara!!!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Goodbye Thailand, See You Again Soon!
So it's already our last night in Bangkok and we've spent 7days here. Every day has been filled with stuff to do and every night we come back to our place completely exhausted. It's made time go by fast here.
Today we made our return trip back from Amphawa. It was quite a feat getting there and we impressed even my family, who are of course Thai people. On Friday morning, we took the BTS Sky Train to the end of the line. Then got into a Taxi to go to Wong Wan Yai train station (a smaller more locally used station). We took the train to Mahachai. Because they considered me a Thai person, I rode the train for free, but grant had to pay 15 baht because he was a "Farang," which is loosely translated as "white guy." At Mahachai we took a short boat to Ban Laem, then from there, took another train to Mae Klong. It was SUPER cool pulling into Mae Klong. The train basically pulls into a busy market. Vendors set up their shops right next to the tracks and have retractable awnings that they pull back when the train comes through. It blows its horn to let vendors know it's arriving, the vendors quickly pull the awnings/umbrellas back and herd tourists and local shoppers off of the tracks. If you want to see how this works, watch Anthony Bourdain's episode on Amphawa, Thailand. I think he took the same train! After exploring the market at Mae Klong, we took a Song Tao (sp?) ...a bigger Tuk Tuk that is basically a small local bus... All the way to Amphawa. When we arrived we had no where to stay, so finding a place to lay our heads was the first order of business. After asking around for a bit, we finally found a nice guesthouse. It had air conditioning, included breakfast, transportation to and from the market, and to top it all off, our hosts were the nicest, most accomodating people!
Amphawa is best known for the shops that line the canal as well as the small floating market. Walking along the canal is not for those who are clausterphobic. You are constantly rubbing shoulders with people you dont know. To cap it off, it's REALLY hot, so you're sticking to veryone else toHerOn Amphawa, you really can't go hungry; there's so much food to try! Both nigts we were there, we ordered food from people in boats, bought handmade trinkets, and on the first night we rode a boat out onto the river to see some beautiful fireflies! Amphawa is the place where Thais go to get away for the weekend. There are hardly any "farangs" at Amphawa, but Damnoen Saduak is another story. On our second day we decided to visit the very popular, touristy Damnoen Saduak. There, you can find all sorts of quintessential Thai items to bring home to your friends; its basically a tourist's dream. And hey, lets face it, Grant and I are tourists too... So naturally, we went to town buying cool "Thai" stuff. On Monday morning we left Amphawa after first saying goodbye to our amazingly hospitable hosts. They sent us to the local bus stop via motorcycle and we rode a "Song Tao" back to Mae Klong. There were school kids riding the Song Tao and when they saw Grant, said "hello" in English and laughed. We're pretty sure they have probably never seen a "Farang" riding the local bus on a Monday morning haha. Then we caught a "Rot Baep," a small air conditioned van all the way back to Bangkok.
Tomorrow morning we leave to India and I find myself not wanting to leave the familiarity of Thailand. Though I can't speak a ton of Thai, I can still speak enough to get around. In India, I won't be able to speak any Hindi which makes life more difficult in terms of getting around as well as bargaining for lower prices. Here I have the advantage of making vendors think I know exactly how the pitch works. After all, if I'm adequate at bargaining, I must be "kohn Thai" (a Thai person) right? A Thai vendor in Dam Noen Saduak told me that if Grant was trying to buy something from him alone, he would have jacked up the price and ran away with it. In India i'm going to be just like Grant; I'm not going to have the Thai advantage :(
In preparation for India, I re-packed my whole backpack with some of the stuff I've recently acquired. The rest of the stuff we've bought is packed neatly and efficiently into the hard luggage we brought with us; it's going to stay with family while we travel. The luggage is already incredibly full. I'm pretty sure we'll have to buy another piece of luggage to carry everything back home! In such short time span we filled one luggage...and we still have 5 weeks to go! Eeeek! I can't help but shop here though... Everything is just SUCH a good deal! It's ridiculous and it's a shopper's dream!
Don't know when I'll write next...India is going to be NUTS!
Today we made our return trip back from Amphawa. It was quite a feat getting there and we impressed even my family, who are of course Thai people. On Friday morning, we took the BTS Sky Train to the end of the line. Then got into a Taxi to go to Wong Wan Yai train station (a smaller more locally used station). We took the train to Mahachai. Because they considered me a Thai person, I rode the train for free, but grant had to pay 15 baht because he was a "Farang," which is loosely translated as "white guy." At Mahachai we took a short boat to Ban Laem, then from there, took another train to Mae Klong. It was SUPER cool pulling into Mae Klong. The train basically pulls into a busy market. Vendors set up their shops right next to the tracks and have retractable awnings that they pull back when the train comes through. It blows its horn to let vendors know it's arriving, the vendors quickly pull the awnings/umbrellas back and herd tourists and local shoppers off of the tracks. If you want to see how this works, watch Anthony Bourdain's episode on Amphawa, Thailand. I think he took the same train! After exploring the market at Mae Klong, we took a Song Tao (sp?) ...a bigger Tuk Tuk that is basically a small local bus... All the way to Amphawa. When we arrived we had no where to stay, so finding a place to lay our heads was the first order of business. After asking around for a bit, we finally found a nice guesthouse. It had air conditioning, included breakfast, transportation to and from the market, and to top it all off, our hosts were the nicest, most accomodating people!
Amphawa is best known for the shops that line the canal as well as the small floating market. Walking along the canal is not for those who are clausterphobic. You are constantly rubbing shoulders with people you dont know. To cap it off, it's REALLY hot, so you're sticking to veryone else toHerOn Amphawa, you really can't go hungry; there's so much food to try! Both nigts we were there, we ordered food from people in boats, bought handmade trinkets, and on the first night we rode a boat out onto the river to see some beautiful fireflies! Amphawa is the place where Thais go to get away for the weekend. There are hardly any "farangs" at Amphawa, but Damnoen Saduak is another story. On our second day we decided to visit the very popular, touristy Damnoen Saduak. There, you can find all sorts of quintessential Thai items to bring home to your friends; its basically a tourist's dream. And hey, lets face it, Grant and I are tourists too... So naturally, we went to town buying cool "Thai" stuff. On Monday morning we left Amphawa after first saying goodbye to our amazingly hospitable hosts. They sent us to the local bus stop via motorcycle and we rode a "Song Tao" back to Mae Klong. There were school kids riding the Song Tao and when they saw Grant, said "hello" in English and laughed. We're pretty sure they have probably never seen a "Farang" riding the local bus on a Monday morning haha. Then we caught a "Rot Baep," a small air conditioned van all the way back to Bangkok.
Tomorrow morning we leave to India and I find myself not wanting to leave the familiarity of Thailand. Though I can't speak a ton of Thai, I can still speak enough to get around. In India, I won't be able to speak any Hindi which makes life more difficult in terms of getting around as well as bargaining for lower prices. Here I have the advantage of making vendors think I know exactly how the pitch works. After all, if I'm adequate at bargaining, I must be "kohn Thai" (a Thai person) right? A Thai vendor in Dam Noen Saduak told me that if Grant was trying to buy something from him alone, he would have jacked up the price and ran away with it. In India i'm going to be just like Grant; I'm not going to have the Thai advantage :(
In preparation for India, I re-packed my whole backpack with some of the stuff I've recently acquired. The rest of the stuff we've bought is packed neatly and efficiently into the hard luggage we brought with us; it's going to stay with family while we travel. The luggage is already incredibly full. I'm pretty sure we'll have to buy another piece of luggage to carry everything back home! In such short time span we filled one luggage...and we still have 5 weeks to go! Eeeek! I can't help but shop here though... Everything is just SUCH a good deal! It's ridiculous and it's a shopper's dream!
Don't know when I'll write next...India is going to be NUTS!
Friday, October 8, 2010
A Sweat-Filled Day in Thailand's Old Capitol
It's currently 1:50am and I have to get up at 6:00 to get ready to go to Amphawa (sp?). So I won't be writing too much this time around! Today we went to Ayutthaya, Thailand's old Capitol. We took the BTS Skytrain to Silom, then the MRT Metro to the Hualamphong train station. Once we walked in, a "tourist information" lady stopped me and asked where I needed to go. I told her and she proceeded to tell me that I shouldn't go by train, but rather by individual taxi. She lead us up to the second floor where travel agent-esque people sat in rooms behind big glass windows. At that point I had figured out that she wasn't really the info lady for the station, but was rather getting a commission for everyone she brought up who bought a tour package to Ayutthaya. Grant and I were intent on taking the train (as it is ultra cheap and also the way locals travel); so after 5-10 minutes of us declining every offer, the lady FINALLY let us go. I left the office and passed tourists following an "info person" inside; I don't they had realized yet that they were walking into a sales trap.
We went downstairs to the ticket counter and discovered that 1.) the last air conditioned car had left about 10 minutes prior (if only our time wasn't wasted by listening to a sales pitch!) and thus the only type of transport left was the 3rd class train with no A/C, and. 2.) Because I passed as Thai, I got to ride the 1.5-2 hour train for free! Grant had to pay 15 Baht, but I mean .50 for a train ride is a steal anyways so it wasn't a big deal. Surprisingly the ride wasn't all that bad. Innumerable sales people went down the alleyway selling food, drinks and sweets.
We arrived at Ayutthaya and took a boat across the river for 4 Baht each. After a little exploring that also helped us get our bearings, I negotiated a price with a Tuk Tuk driver and we were off on a rickety ride to the old area of the city.
It is filled with TONS of "wat," thai temples, as well as ruins of old temples. It really was an amazing sight; it was so different from the European cathedrals, Greek Orthodox churches or Turkish mosques that I've seen before. Tall structures shoot towards they sky in a shape similar to that of a spire, just with a wider base and a little more triangular. Many of these structures were made with bricks, covered with plaster, and carved. Some have steps up to a carved out area where a statue of Buddha might have sat long ago. There are also innumerable Buddha statues that have either already completely crumbled or are in the process of being worn away. I guess once the Burmese took the city of Ayutthaya, the Thais moved the Capitol to Bangkok.
For lunch we went down a small sidestreet that was filled with local Thais and not the usual "Farang" or white tourist crowd. We decided to sit down at a roadside noodle restaurant with lots of people each enjoying 2 or 3 bowls of noodle soup. Grant and I really weren't sure how we were supposed to order (as all the signs were in Thai and there was no menu). However, after a minute, a guy came by to take our order. Thank god I know some Thai because I was able to mostly figure out what was in the soup and how much it all cost. We each got a bowl of pork/beef noodle soup (12 Baht per bowl) and a Pepsi with ice which Grant and I shared (11 Baht). Remember, it's about 30 Baht to the US Dollar... So we spent under a dollar for our entire lunch!
We took a bus back to Bangkok and of course met up with the whole family for dinner. In total there were about 12-13 of us sitting at the table. Grant is getting along well with the fam, and with each passing day is getting more and more comfortable speaking what he knows of the language. Grant and I took a pic of the place we ate lunch. We showed it to my relatives and they told us that not only did we eat noodles, beef, and pork...but they also mixed cow's blood into the broth. What's funny is I remember wondering why the broth was such a dark brown color. I was kind of grossed out when I heard I had eaten cow's blood and thought it was tasty, but I felt better when my cousin told me she and other Thai people liked to eat it. I guess it's all about experiencing a different culture!
I should go to bed; I've definately written more than I expected to write! Oh and please excuse any misspellings or grammar probs as I every post after my first, has been done on my iTouch...yeah I know, it's kind of a pain. In a few hours I have to wake up to head to Amphawa. We are planning to stay there for a couple nights, return to Bangkok for one night, then fly out to Kolkota,India the next morning. I hope to post again soon, but I don't know when I'll get the chance. Who knows if I'll be so lucky as to have WIFI at the next place I stay!
We went downstairs to the ticket counter and discovered that 1.) the last air conditioned car had left about 10 minutes prior (if only our time wasn't wasted by listening to a sales pitch!) and thus the only type of transport left was the 3rd class train with no A/C, and. 2.) Because I passed as Thai, I got to ride the 1.5-2 hour train for free! Grant had to pay 15 Baht, but I mean .50 for a train ride is a steal anyways so it wasn't a big deal. Surprisingly the ride wasn't all that bad. Innumerable sales people went down the alleyway selling food, drinks and sweets.
We arrived at Ayutthaya and took a boat across the river for 4 Baht each. After a little exploring that also helped us get our bearings, I negotiated a price with a Tuk Tuk driver and we were off on a rickety ride to the old area of the city.
It is filled with TONS of "wat," thai temples, as well as ruins of old temples. It really was an amazing sight; it was so different from the European cathedrals, Greek Orthodox churches or Turkish mosques that I've seen before. Tall structures shoot towards they sky in a shape similar to that of a spire, just with a wider base and a little more triangular. Many of these structures were made with bricks, covered with plaster, and carved. Some have steps up to a carved out area where a statue of Buddha might have sat long ago. There are also innumerable Buddha statues that have either already completely crumbled or are in the process of being worn away. I guess once the Burmese took the city of Ayutthaya, the Thais moved the Capitol to Bangkok.
For lunch we went down a small sidestreet that was filled with local Thais and not the usual "Farang" or white tourist crowd. We decided to sit down at a roadside noodle restaurant with lots of people each enjoying 2 or 3 bowls of noodle soup. Grant and I really weren't sure how we were supposed to order (as all the signs were in Thai and there was no menu). However, after a minute, a guy came by to take our order. Thank god I know some Thai because I was able to mostly figure out what was in the soup and how much it all cost. We each got a bowl of pork/beef noodle soup (12 Baht per bowl) and a Pepsi with ice which Grant and I shared (11 Baht). Remember, it's about 30 Baht to the US Dollar... So we spent under a dollar for our entire lunch!
We took a bus back to Bangkok and of course met up with the whole family for dinner. In total there were about 12-13 of us sitting at the table. Grant is getting along well with the fam, and with each passing day is getting more and more comfortable speaking what he knows of the language. Grant and I took a pic of the place we ate lunch. We showed it to my relatives and they told us that not only did we eat noodles, beef, and pork...but they also mixed cow's blood into the broth. What's funny is I remember wondering why the broth was such a dark brown color. I was kind of grossed out when I heard I had eaten cow's blood and thought it was tasty, but I felt better when my cousin told me she and other Thai people liked to eat it. I guess it's all about experiencing a different culture!
I should go to bed; I've definately written more than I expected to write! Oh and please excuse any misspellings or grammar probs as I every post after my first, has been done on my iTouch...yeah I know, it's kind of a pain. In a few hours I have to wake up to head to Amphawa. We are planning to stay there for a couple nights, return to Bangkok for one night, then fly out to Kolkota,India the next morning. I hope to post again soon, but I don't know when I'll get the chance. Who knows if I'll be so lucky as to have WIFI at the next place I stay!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Finally...A Day To Ourselves!
Goodmorning! Today Grant and I finally get a day to ourselves! Since we've gotten here we have spent every waking moment with my family. It's much MUCH more time than families in the states might spend together; Here, family matters. But I'm not saying it's been bad. In fact, we haven't paid for a meal since we arrived. Every meal has been fantastic and VERY filling. In Thailand it's customary to refill other people's plates for them and that's exactly what's happening to me and Grant. I honestly thought I was going to lose weight while in Thailand due to the hot climate and all the walking I expected to do...but I was so wrong. I'm pretty sure I'm gaining weight!
Here, there, everywhere...COCONUTS!
Everything here seems to be made with coconut. From the appetizers, to the main dishes, to the dessert, it all seems to have coconut milk. People even get coconut juice to go with their already coconutty meal! Yesterday my Uncle Ben brought us to a nice traditional Thai restaurant. It was spicy and awesome. Thai food here is, for obvious reasons so much better than in the states.
Shopping Shopping SHOPPING!!!
Yesterday we also went to Ma Boon Krong (sp?) also known as MBK. There are about 6 floors of intense,cheap and crowded shopping. I'm pretty sure this is what heaven is like! I got to bargain (in Thai ofcourse) for every single thing I bought! The electronics aren't that cheap, but it seems everything else is. I bought an IPod charger for $10, three purses for $6 each, and a pair of heels for about $13. I'll need to head back to MBK to do some more shopping before I leave...can't pass up good deals like these!
Too Much Teak To Take
We also went to the Vimanmek Golden Teak Mansion, built in 1900 and home to King Rama the 5th. It is the biggest all teak buliding in the world. No nails were used, only teak pegs. We got the ultra special tour and were allowed to take pictures and explore restricted areas. Actually, because tourists aren't allowed to take pictures a photographer followed us around and took pics for us. Lots of tour groups passed, gaping at us, as we posed in rooms that were roped off; it was kind of cool :) I'm lucky my Uncle knows people!
Well, time to go! Grant and I are planning to take the BTS Skytrain to the river and then a boat up to the old city where we can see the Emerald Buddah and biggest Reclining Buddah (about 140ft long)! Can't wait to see and take pictures of all the beautiful temples!
Here, there, everywhere...COCONUTS!
Everything here seems to be made with coconut. From the appetizers, to the main dishes, to the dessert, it all seems to have coconut milk. People even get coconut juice to go with their already coconutty meal! Yesterday my Uncle Ben brought us to a nice traditional Thai restaurant. It was spicy and awesome. Thai food here is, for obvious reasons so much better than in the states.
Shopping Shopping SHOPPING!!!
Yesterday we also went to Ma Boon Krong (sp?) also known as MBK. There are about 6 floors of intense,cheap and crowded shopping. I'm pretty sure this is what heaven is like! I got to bargain (in Thai ofcourse) for every single thing I bought! The electronics aren't that cheap, but it seems everything else is. I bought an IPod charger for $10, three purses for $6 each, and a pair of heels for about $13. I'll need to head back to MBK to do some more shopping before I leave...can't pass up good deals like these!
Too Much Teak To Take
We also went to the Vimanmek Golden Teak Mansion, built in 1900 and home to King Rama the 5th. It is the biggest all teak buliding in the world. No nails were used, only teak pegs. We got the ultra special tour and were allowed to take pictures and explore restricted areas. Actually, because tourists aren't allowed to take pictures a photographer followed us around and took pics for us. Lots of tour groups passed, gaping at us, as we posed in rooms that were roped off; it was kind of cool :) I'm lucky my Uncle knows people!
Well, time to go! Grant and I are planning to take the BTS Skytrain to the river and then a boat up to the old city where we can see the Emerald Buddah and biggest Reclining Buddah (about 140ft long)! Can't wait to see and take pictures of all the beautiful temples!
Monday, October 4, 2010
Sawadee from the Land of Smiles!
Sawadee Kha! We are finally here! Last night we arrived at 11:30pm and instead of getting "hit" by the humidity, the damp air instead settled into our clothing and skin. The smell of the air here can't be described as anything else but "Thailand." I guess the city smells like a bustling, humid, metropolis.
We were met at the gate by my Uncle Sumo and Uncle Ben. Apparently one of them knows someone who works at the airport, so instead of walking with the crowd to get our entry visas, we got into a small doorless car (used for security) and drove past everone! We quickly got our visas, in a line that consisted of just me and Grant (again because one of my Uncles knew someone) and we were out the airport doors on our way to the hotel.
Driving in Bangkok
There are a quite a few things one should know while driving in Bangkok: 1.) the driver's side is on the right side, 2.) seatbelts aren't required in the back seat, 3.) on some big freeways there are no lanes and as for the roads with lanes, people don't really try too hard to stay them, 4.) there is a speed limit, but no one pays attention to it. In short, thank God we weren't driving.
Swanky at its Swankiest
My aunt arranged the hotel room for us and it's absolutely beautiful! Think Whistler time share, just ultra modern and decorated with a dash of the orient! A glass box encases the toilet, and another glass box surrounds a shower. The floors are made of hardwood or another material resembling the look and feel of marble. The dining table is flanked by electric blue velvet chairs and on top of the table, my family has left a bunch of Thai sweets (known here as "kanom") for us to try.
Today, my aunt will pick us up and we will go see my grandparents. Hopefully Grant remembers to bow respectfully and say "Sawadee Krup!" Then after that, it's off to explore the city!!!
We were met at the gate by my Uncle Sumo and Uncle Ben. Apparently one of them knows someone who works at the airport, so instead of walking with the crowd to get our entry visas, we got into a small doorless car (used for security) and drove past everone! We quickly got our visas, in a line that consisted of just me and Grant (again because one of my Uncles knew someone) and we were out the airport doors on our way to the hotel.
Driving in Bangkok
There are a quite a few things one should know while driving in Bangkok: 1.) the driver's side is on the right side, 2.) seatbelts aren't required in the back seat, 3.) on some big freeways there are no lanes and as for the roads with lanes, people don't really try too hard to stay them, 4.) there is a speed limit, but no one pays attention to it. In short, thank God we weren't driving.
Swanky at its Swankiest
My aunt arranged the hotel room for us and it's absolutely beautiful! Think Whistler time share, just ultra modern and decorated with a dash of the orient! A glass box encases the toilet, and another glass box surrounds a shower. The floors are made of hardwood or another material resembling the look and feel of marble. The dining table is flanked by electric blue velvet chairs and on top of the table, my family has left a bunch of Thai sweets (known here as "kanom") for us to try.
Today, my aunt will pick us up and we will go see my grandparents. Hopefully Grant remembers to bow respectfully and say "Sawadee Krup!" Then after that, it's off to explore the city!!!
Still Sleepless...But Not In Seattle
After a 12-hour flight filled with all sorts of people coughing up their lungs and other organs we finally made it to Incheon International Airport in Seoul, South Korea! Korean Air has been great so far. The flight attendants looked like they came straight out of a TV commercial. The food was also pretty good. I tried Bi Bim Bap for the first time in my life (a Korean dish of rice,beef, and vegetables); Grant stuck with the "Beef Meal" which was of course as all-American you could get, right down to the caesar salad and potatoes.
We still have 5 more hours on our flight to Bangkok and we begin boarding in about 5 minutes. Till next time!
We still have 5 more hours on our flight to Bangkok and we begin boarding in about 5 minutes. Till next time!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Sleepless in Seattle
It's 2:11 AM and with each passing minute i'm getting closer to my flight to Asia...eek! I haven't even started packing! Strangely enough, i'm not panicking and i'm not even tired. I'm just nervous and excited for what's in store.
Sure, Grant and I have backpacked twice in Europe, but Asia? It's a whole different animal: languages I can't read, knowing only little bits of Thai (mostly phrases like "Can you lower the price?" or "Where is the bathroom?"), and of course the constant fear that i'll be plagued with diarrhea for the entire trip.
Hopefully i'll be lucky enough to not use my stock of Imodium for at least a week or two.
Well, I better start packing. At this rate I won't get to sleep until 7AM. It's okay though, the flight from Seattle to Seoul is 12 hours, then another 5 hours to Bangkok; so there will be plenty of time to sleep.
Sure, Grant and I have backpacked twice in Europe, but Asia? It's a whole different animal: languages I can't read, knowing only little bits of Thai (mostly phrases like "Can you lower the price?" or "Where is the bathroom?"), and of course the constant fear that i'll be plagued with diarrhea for the entire trip.
Hopefully i'll be lucky enough to not use my stock of Imodium for at least a week or two.Well, I better start packing. At this rate I won't get to sleep until 7AM. It's okay though, the flight from Seattle to Seoul is 12 hours, then another 5 hours to Bangkok; so there will be plenty of time to sleep.
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