Final Travel Post!!
Thailand (again)
This time COUCHSURFING!! With Jurri (Thai) and Paco (French) in a neighborhood exclusivly Thai! Other than Paco, I pretty much saw only a few foriegners in 2 days. They have a nice small studio apartment with a baby pidgeon on the balcony. After the public bus ride to find them which was an adventure all in itself, Jurri and I went shopping to a local market for ingredients for dinner. Green papaya salad! With Sapodilla (new fruit) for dessert.
Next day Jurri and I walked through several streets of furniture maker/woodworker shops (and Thai people) to the pier where I took the ferry North to Thonburri (the northernmost dock) and wandered around the town and markets for a while. Lots of Fishies, chicken parts, chilies and garlic. :) Got a bottle of "strawberry juice" which was pretty much mashed strawberries. Tasty but odd.
Eventually sucessfully found my way back to the apartment with only one wrong turn! I win. Dinner was noodles with chicken at a local place actually up against the train tracks. We walked along the tracks to get to it. The train is LOUD when it goes by, I know people live right up on the tracks as well, couldn't imagine being able to sleep.
Sadly left J&P to go on an adventure out of the city. I went and visited Khao Yai, a national park about 3hrs East of Bangkok for a few days. After arrival and lunch, i took the 1/2 day tour which included swiming at a natural "lime" spring (makes the water look almost fake blue from the limestone residue, really, really cool). Then wandering through a cave full of bats. Afterwards we drove to another "bat cave" where 2 something million bats live, and watched, through the rain, as they flew out for the evening at sunset. It was pretty darn cool.
Back at the guesthouse (with only cold showers) I talked them into giving me a bucket of hot water and had myself a "hot shower" of sorts. Still works. :)
Next day was the full day tour of the national park. We drove there in converted trucks, and were given "leech" socks to wear. It's today's MUST HAVE fashion accessory! :) Several hours of treking through the jungle (pretty much walking +), bugs and birds and a Chamelion and Scorpion later, we stopped for lunch at a sortof clearing with a downed tree to sit on. Lots of underbrush, but not as dense as I must say I was anticipating. There were many decidious trees mixed in with the palms and vines.
Next we piled back into the converted truck and headed to a waterfall (was in the beach??). Pretty and not a bad walk down to the base (it's only 20meters tall). A bit of time hanging out, talking and taking pictures. Finally rounded out the day by driving around looking for elephants, but we were unsucessfull.
Said goodbye to my new friends in the morning and headed back to Bangkok to do some more couchsurfing with Nok, who lives West of BKK.
Met up with her in the city and we headed out to her place via taxi, minivan and then MOTORCYCLE Taxi. Remember at this point I have my big backpack with me, certainly an adventure to balance on the back of a bike with it.
Chatting, a visit to the local market for dinner ingredients, cooking dinner, and EATING dinner.. oh sooo good. Penang curry with pork, fried beef, fried veggies (tomato, mushroom, baby corn, I made this), soup (with soft tofu, pork sausage) and mango sticky rice for dessert. Feast! Then more chatting.
In the morning (ish) we went to visit a nearby "floating market" with boats of stuff (mostly food and fruit and veggies) on the canals. It's an odd mix of really traditional and really touristy. Glad I went to see, but not really my favorite "you have to see it" place so far this trip. :P Nok's BF joined us and we drove to another floating market which had more shops you could walk to (along the sides of the canal).
Next off to "fisherman's village" where Nok bought some seafood including 4 live crabs. We had dinner at a nearby (all thai people) resturant, the menu was in Thai, Nok ordered. Crab in curry sauce was fantastic though dificult to eat. Payapa salad (too spicy) Fish egg soup (waaay to sour) and grilled seafood, clams good, mussels (too much crunchy stuff inside, ew) and prawns, good. Nok ate the heads. I did NOT. :P Then drove back to apartment.
In the morning Nok had to go to class so we split up and I headed back to BKK to spend my last 2 nights in the city. After reching Khao San and checking in I wandered to check out Chinatown. Total cheap plastic crap central. Couldn't find "real" chinatown, with actual chinese food or apothicary shops, even though I duucked down tons of alleyways. Oh well. Ferry back to Khao San and chatting and hanging out with some of the other peeps at the Hostel and I was good.
Final shopping day, I walked North till I found another local market, bought myself some more mangosteens, and a starfruit shake, wandered through shops and stalls and more shops. Caught a Taxi at 2:30am and headed to the Airport and home. It's been a FANTASTIC trip.
----
Arrived! NOW in Seattle where I'll be based for a few months helping my mother launch a new business. (Jewelry!) I'll definitly be making a visit run or two to Cali as soon as I get my car fixed (it wouldn't start) so hopefully I'll see most of you soon!
Thailand (again)
This time COUCHSURFING!! With Jurri (Thai) and Paco (French) in a neighborhood exclusivly Thai! Other than Paco, I pretty much saw only a few foriegners in 2 days. They have a nice small studio apartment with a baby pidgeon on the balcony. After the public bus ride to find them which was an adventure all in itself, Jurri and I went shopping to a local market for ingredients for dinner. Green papaya salad! With Sapodilla (new fruit) for dessert.
Next day Jurri and I walked through several streets of furniture maker/woodworker shops (and Thai people) to the pier where I took the ferry North to Thonburri (the northernmost dock) and wandered around the town and markets for a while. Lots of Fishies, chicken parts, chilies and garlic. :) Got a bottle of "strawberry juice" which was pretty much mashed strawberries. Tasty but odd.
Eventually sucessfully found my way back to the apartment with only one wrong turn! I win. Dinner was noodles with chicken at a local place actually up against the train tracks. We walked along the tracks to get to it. The train is LOUD when it goes by, I know people live right up on the tracks as well, couldn't imagine being able to sleep.
Sadly left J&P to go on an adventure out of the city. I went and visited Khao Yai, a national park about 3hrs East of Bangkok for a few days. After arrival and lunch, i took the 1/2 day tour which included swiming at a natural "lime" spring (makes the water look almost fake blue from the limestone residue, really, really cool). Then wandering through a cave full of bats. Afterwards we drove to another "bat cave" where 2 something million bats live, and watched, through the rain, as they flew out for the evening at sunset. It was pretty darn cool.
Back at the guesthouse (with only cold showers) I talked them into giving me a bucket of hot water and had myself a "hot shower" of sorts. Still works. :)
Next day was the full day tour of the national park. We drove there in converted trucks, and were given "leech" socks to wear. It's today's MUST HAVE fashion accessory! :) Several hours of treking through the jungle (pretty much walking +), bugs and birds and a Chamelion and Scorpion later, we stopped for lunch at a sortof clearing with a downed tree to sit on. Lots of underbrush, but not as dense as I must say I was anticipating. There were many decidious trees mixed in with the palms and vines.
Next we piled back into the converted truck and headed to a waterfall (was in the beach??). Pretty and not a bad walk down to the base (it's only 20meters tall). A bit of time hanging out, talking and taking pictures. Finally rounded out the day by driving around looking for elephants, but we were unsucessfull.
Said goodbye to my new friends in the morning and headed back to Bangkok to do some more couchsurfing with Nok, who lives West of BKK.
Met up with her in the city and we headed out to her place via taxi, minivan and then MOTORCYCLE Taxi. Remember at this point I have my big backpack with me, certainly an adventure to balance on the back of a bike with it.
Chatting, a visit to the local market for dinner ingredients, cooking dinner, and EATING dinner.. oh sooo good. Penang curry with pork, fried beef, fried veggies (tomato, mushroom, baby corn, I made this), soup (with soft tofu, pork sausage) and mango sticky rice for dessert. Feast! Then more chatting.
In the morning (ish) we went to visit a nearby "floating market" with boats of stuff (mostly food and fruit and veggies) on the canals. It's an odd mix of really traditional and really touristy. Glad I went to see, but not really my favorite "you have to see it" place so far this trip. :P Nok's BF joined us and we drove to another floating market which had more shops you could walk to (along the sides of the canal).
Next off to "fisherman's village" where Nok bought some seafood including 4 live crabs. We had dinner at a nearby (all thai people) resturant, the menu was in Thai, Nok ordered. Crab in curry sauce was fantastic though dificult to eat. Payapa salad (too spicy) Fish egg soup (waaay to sour) and grilled seafood, clams good, mussels (too much crunchy stuff inside, ew) and prawns, good. Nok ate the heads. I did NOT. :P Then drove back to apartment.
In the morning Nok had to go to class so we split up and I headed back to BKK to spend my last 2 nights in the city. After reching Khao San and checking in I wandered to check out Chinatown. Total cheap plastic crap central. Couldn't find "real" chinatown, with actual chinese food or apothicary shops, even though I duucked down tons of alleyways. Oh well. Ferry back to Khao San and chatting and hanging out with some of the other peeps at the Hostel and I was good.
Final shopping day, I walked North till I found another local market, bought myself some more mangosteens, and a starfruit shake, wandered through shops and stalls and more shops. Caught a Taxi at 2:30am and headed to the Airport and home. It's been a FANTASTIC trip.
----
Arrived! NOW in Seattle where I'll be based for a few months helping my mother launch a new business. (Jewelry!) I'll definitly be making a visit run or two to Cali as soon as I get my car fixed (it wouldn't start) so hopefully I'll see most of you soon!
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