More Images Get your own free travel journal triptosomewhere

7th June, 2004 // Thailand
Thai Life is Nice

Well, shockingly, it has been a year since we arrived in Bangkok. I imagine right now, some unsuspecting tourists have huge packs filled with all of their belongings and they are being drenched by water guns, buckets, and hoses on their way to a cheap hotel in the backpacker district.

In mid-April, Song Khram, or the Thai New Year, is celebrated as a 10-day long, country-wide water fight. You've never seen anything like it...Tuk tuk drivers, security guards, traffic cops, shopkeepers, kids...The best part was the food!!! Vendor after vendor, the best pad thai you've ever had for 50 cents, and fresh squeezed oj, and whole pineapples on skewers, and chicken on skewers, and squid on skewers, and bubble tea, and mango shakes...on and on! So delicious! After we wandered through the festivities for several days, we headed south the the coastal town of Krabi.

Krabi was great. Two outdoor food markets every night...more things on skewers, and banana pancakes, and spicy chicken thighs, and thai-malay curries...You might have noticed, I thought the food was good in Thailand!! We rented a motorbike for $3 a day and for the first time, well since we left the US, had our own mode of transportation. It was a fabulous feeling of freedom! (How's that for alliteration?) Besides, you had to be moving on the bike to create a breeze to alleviate the incredible ever-pressing heat! It felt good. Thailand always felt good.

We hopped a boat down to the island of Koh Lanta, where we had our own beach bungalow for $7 a day. I often, wonder and hope beyond hope that the Sun Moon "resort" is still standing. The people and the seafood and the coconut shakes were amazing. The snorkling was beautiful. The water had phosphorescent phytoplankton (I think that's what it was called.), so when you went swimming at night, your movements made the water glow. Two elephants got their morning bath across the path from our bungalow every morning. And we befriended a Swede named Jannie who told us unbelievable stroies of travelling in India 40 years ago. Have I mentioned, I didn't want to leave??

Back in Krabi, we continued to enjoy the night market and I took my SCUBA course. WOW. I was so hesitant and afraid of being underwater that deep for that long, but...WOW. What an amazing world that no one can see. We got to go down on 5 dives, and if I could afford it, SCUBA trips would be the only vacation I ever took again.

Back in Bangkok, Jared had a high fever for several days, which is great in Thailand with no AC. Our trip to the hospital was interesting though...And now Jared has his very own Bangkok General Hosptial card and medical id number if he ever has to go back!

And 3 weeks after arriving, our Thailand time had to end, as our return deadline was drawing nigh. I've left out so many things...there will always be more to tell about those three weeks.