(By Annie)
After two wonderful train rides I guess we had a lot of hope for Cambodia, but one thing we have learned after three months of traveling is that no matter the language, country, or currency all border towns are shit holes (Sorry for swearing grams). We fairly effortlessly passed through Thai and Cambodian Immigration and then went to a bank to change some money and get smaller American dollars.
Lonely planet warned and warned about the bus scams on the border and apparently in their caution failed to mention there really are no afternoon busses ANYWHERE. So, after walking around aimlessly for a half hour we ate some lunch and then proceeded to bargain for a taxi. I was pissed off by this point and so Rachael took the reigns. We ended up paying $10 a person to take a taxi, which we thought was just for us, but ended up being shared. Even with three people in the back I was a little cramped and crabby, and the fact I did that for years in Benin still baffles me.
Finally, three hours later we were in Siem Reap, or the foothills of the 8th wonder of the world – Ankor Wat. After dogging a few touts our taxi driver wanted to pass us off to we actually found our hotel the Jasmine Lodge. It was the best deal in town and for $9 we shared an elegant suite with Cable TV and a hot shower.
Siem Reap was easy to navigate and we made it to the strip of bars aptly named Bar Street. There we treated ourselves to hamburgers and pitchers at a bar called Ankor What? As someone who completely adores plays on words, they were everywhere. After our burgers we headed over to Funky Munky to play trivia for a cause. Every Thursday this bar hosts a charity and then collects money from tourists and ex-pats. I am not allowed to tell you how much Rachael got into this game – oppss. But, team Yes We Can, finished in dead last. However, Wild Bill was pretty pleased.
The next day we made an executive decision to take in Siem Reap and then go and buy our tickets via bicycle to the Ankor Wat complex. During our explorations we literally stumbled on the brand spanking new Ankor Wat museum. Marvelous and a little expensive this state of the art museum took us through the Khmer Empire explaining all the temples and religious symbolism masterfully. It really is a must see and exactly what we needed before taking in the Wats or temples.
After the museum we saddled up and rode the 6 kilometers to Ankor Wat. We stopped and bought our pass – a whopping $20 dollars, but how can you really put a price on the wonders of the world. The main actual Ankor Wat is a massive complex complete with moats, dikes, and massive sandstone structures that are over a thousand years old. Rachael took lots of photos and I meandered along. After taking in the sunset we left for bar street and more beer on tap.
Day two was exploring Ankor Wat via Tuk Tuk or a motorcycle horse drawn carriage ride. I originally was not smitten with Ankor Wat but after spending the better part of six hours crossing these amazing structures you cannot help but be impressed – seeing the temples’ shear size and the marvelously meticulous figures. It is easy to see why movies like Laura Croft Tomb Raider used the rubbles to depict old gnarly bad ass-ness. Rachael and I both agreed that Bayon was our favorite temple. Everywhere you walked there was literally eyes watching you, said to resemble the king himself.
After our carriage ride concluded we napped and tried to watch some rugby. But, we ended up trying bar after bar with no avail – the channel was not coming in and so internet and more draft beer became an appropriate substitute. Finally, we headed back to the hotel and watched South Africa trounce England during our final night in Siem Reap. What? Wat!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
The rains down in Thailand
(by Annie)
Our last but certainly not least stop in Southern Thailand was Kao Sok National Park. I enjoy a beach with the best of them, but after a week I suggested we take in some of the jungles and waterfalls that also make south the place to be.
The 6 am bus took us literally to the doorsteps of the park. We jumped off expected to walk two kilometers to some of the cheaper hotels closer to the park. Well, we were calmly greeted by four poster holding Thai hotel owners. They were so nice and calm literally Rachael and I almost did a coin flip for which hotel to stay at – we ended up choosing the cheaper of the two – the Evergreen Guest House. For $2 a person we had a cozy jungle bungalow complete with fresh towels and the nicest bathroom we’ve seen yet.
After unpacking and unloading all our beach laundry we headed right into the park. Not only did they have a student price but also the pass was good for 24 hours. So, for three dollars we had two days of waterfalls and lounging.
The park itself actually is really well done. The visitor center is well built and the trails, at least at the beginning, are well marked. The hour hike gave Rachael the physical activity she had been craving and me new views to take in. It ended in a small swimming pool where Rachael fought the river current and I finished my latest book. We saw rain on the horizon and monkeys in the trees so we headed back to the larger trail and back for some beers and dinner, only getting rained on for about five minutes.
After a wonderful night sleep in the jungle. I forgot how the orchestra of nature is really unique in each place. However, there were a few “out of tune” instruments near our bungalow and one bird had a rooster quality that was very humorous to watch Rachael wake up to. In fact I think her exact words were, “What the hell is that?” Birds aside – day two was much like day one only we didn’t get to the waterfall we hoped for because the trail was closed, so instead we took what we believed to be the original trail through the jungle up and down looking at a living and breathing eco-system.
Our viewpoint jaunt brought us back to this damn like watering hole. Here we soaked up some rays, read some books, and planned the rest of our trip to Cambodia. Early afternoon came and we headed back to the cabin for movies and naps. Perhaps equally as entertaining were the people we met at the Evergreen. Hmmm…let’s just say Britain has its own GI Jane and Holland never ceases to amaze us in the crazies it churns out. But, cheers, they make our nights and as long as you have a beer in hand it’s better than watching a movie.
We lazily got up and checked email before heading towards the bus stop. This really could be a post in itself but really I couldn’t adequately explain it and nobody in their right mind would believe it. So, the 150 kilometer journey to Surat Thani where we would catch our train took five hours. First, we got kicked off a public bus for not paying a dollar over, then got picked up by an UNC alumni whose car had a karokee player where we all sang Numa Numa, finally only to be dropped off at a 7-11 where we finally got a bus to the train station. (Please excuse my necessary run on sentence) Inside the bus was the Thai equivalent of my grandmother’s nursing home floor. Wonderfully ironically we arrived at the station with twenty minutes to spare for the first night train.
Have I mentioned I like trains? Well I do. And for about $10 dollars we had two wonderful beds, with real sheets, pillows, and even fans. Even more wonderful was the dining car. All the employees were sipping out of buckets of beer, Eminem playing in the background, and there was even disco type lights to illuminate our rousing game of Rummy, which of course the staff heartily joined in on. Three beers later we were ready for bed and it was comfy – even Rachael who can sleep anywhere and everywhere in any condition was like a little kid in a candy store.
At 4:30 we were rustled awake as Bangkok was on the horizon. Remarkably we timed the trains perfectly so after some Dunkin’ Donuts and a $1 train ticket we were off to the Cambodian border. Six hours later and remarkably well rested we were globe trotting again.
Our last but certainly not least stop in Southern Thailand was Kao Sok National Park. I enjoy a beach with the best of them, but after a week I suggested we take in some of the jungles and waterfalls that also make south the place to be.
The 6 am bus took us literally to the doorsteps of the park. We jumped off expected to walk two kilometers to some of the cheaper hotels closer to the park. Well, we were calmly greeted by four poster holding Thai hotel owners. They were so nice and calm literally Rachael and I almost did a coin flip for which hotel to stay at – we ended up choosing the cheaper of the two – the Evergreen Guest House. For $2 a person we had a cozy jungle bungalow complete with fresh towels and the nicest bathroom we’ve seen yet.
After unpacking and unloading all our beach laundry we headed right into the park. Not only did they have a student price but also the pass was good for 24 hours. So, for three dollars we had two days of waterfalls and lounging.
The park itself actually is really well done. The visitor center is well built and the trails, at least at the beginning, are well marked. The hour hike gave Rachael the physical activity she had been craving and me new views to take in. It ended in a small swimming pool where Rachael fought the river current and I finished my latest book. We saw rain on the horizon and monkeys in the trees so we headed back to the larger trail and back for some beers and dinner, only getting rained on for about five minutes.
After a wonderful night sleep in the jungle. I forgot how the orchestra of nature is really unique in each place. However, there were a few “out of tune” instruments near our bungalow and one bird had a rooster quality that was very humorous to watch Rachael wake up to. In fact I think her exact words were, “What the hell is that?” Birds aside – day two was much like day one only we didn’t get to the waterfall we hoped for because the trail was closed, so instead we took what we believed to be the original trail through the jungle up and down looking at a living and breathing eco-system.
Our viewpoint jaunt brought us back to this damn like watering hole. Here we soaked up some rays, read some books, and planned the rest of our trip to Cambodia. Early afternoon came and we headed back to the cabin for movies and naps. Perhaps equally as entertaining were the people we met at the Evergreen. Hmmm…let’s just say Britain has its own GI Jane and Holland never ceases to amaze us in the crazies it churns out. But, cheers, they make our nights and as long as you have a beer in hand it’s better than watching a movie.
We lazily got up and checked email before heading towards the bus stop. This really could be a post in itself but really I couldn’t adequately explain it and nobody in their right mind would believe it. So, the 150 kilometer journey to Surat Thani where we would catch our train took five hours. First, we got kicked off a public bus for not paying a dollar over, then got picked up by an UNC alumni whose car had a karokee player where we all sang Numa Numa, finally only to be dropped off at a 7-11 where we finally got a bus to the train station. (Please excuse my necessary run on sentence) Inside the bus was the Thai equivalent of my grandmother’s nursing home floor. Wonderfully ironically we arrived at the station with twenty minutes to spare for the first night train.
Have I mentioned I like trains? Well I do. And for about $10 dollars we had two wonderful beds, with real sheets, pillows, and even fans. Even more wonderful was the dining car. All the employees were sipping out of buckets of beer, Eminem playing in the background, and there was even disco type lights to illuminate our rousing game of Rummy, which of course the staff heartily joined in on. Three beers later we were ready for bed and it was comfy – even Rachael who can sleep anywhere and everywhere in any condition was like a little kid in a candy store.
At 4:30 we were rustled awake as Bangkok was on the horizon. Remarkably we timed the trains perfectly so after some Dunkin’ Donuts and a $1 train ticket we were off to the Cambodian border. Six hours later and remarkably well rested we were globe trotting again.
Phucket...Phucket real good
(By Miller)
We arrived and shrugged off the motos and taxis persuading us that it was a long way into Phuket town. After walking a few kilometers and night approaching, we ate our words and hopped motos to the On-On hotel. It’s a converted old firehouse so plenty of character…not much else. The princess died last year and her cremation ceremony had been playing on the television all day. Things had been randomly closed so we had a quiet dinner and settled in for the night.
The main draw to Phuket for westerners is the strip of beach along the west coast. It is apparently world renowned and apparently very expensive; at least on our budget so we steered clear. Opting for the butterfly house and insect museum sounds far more enticing than sandy white beaches and drinks out of coconuts right? We thought so too so we walked across town to it. Greeted with chilled nectar of something or other, we then continued on to see the exhibits of tarantulas, millipedes, scorpions, and other creepy crawlies I was just as likely to see in my latrine in Benin. Spent some time walking around the butterfly sanctuary and it was time to go. That was our big event for the day so, satiated, we went back to try and find food and more things to do.
A shopping mall presented itself and James Bond just happened to be playing IN ENGLISH! Sold! That’s how we spent our afternoon and loved every minute of the experience, watching an English movie and sucking in the perfumed air that is piped into the theatre, and listening to the fat western dude next to us chomp down his popcorn.
That night we tried to locate all the fabulous bars written up in the LP with happy hours and trivia nights. Again, due to the passing of the princess, they were all closed and we had another mellow night. We’d decided to breakup the long haul from Phuket to Bangkok by stopping in the Kao Sok national park. Phuket was lovely but don’t really need to go again. The islands are where it’s at, and even all the diving trips from Phuket ferry their clients right back to where we’d come from. No more time was needed and we were excited to see some of Thailand’s preserves! Caught a 6am bus the next morning.
We arrived and shrugged off the motos and taxis persuading us that it was a long way into Phuket town. After walking a few kilometers and night approaching, we ate our words and hopped motos to the On-On hotel. It’s a converted old firehouse so plenty of character…not much else. The princess died last year and her cremation ceremony had been playing on the television all day. Things had been randomly closed so we had a quiet dinner and settled in for the night.
The main draw to Phuket for westerners is the strip of beach along the west coast. It is apparently world renowned and apparently very expensive; at least on our budget so we steered clear. Opting for the butterfly house and insect museum sounds far more enticing than sandy white beaches and drinks out of coconuts right? We thought so too so we walked across town to it. Greeted with chilled nectar of something or other, we then continued on to see the exhibits of tarantulas, millipedes, scorpions, and other creepy crawlies I was just as likely to see in my latrine in Benin. Spent some time walking around the butterfly sanctuary and it was time to go. That was our big event for the day so, satiated, we went back to try and find food and more things to do.
A shopping mall presented itself and James Bond just happened to be playing IN ENGLISH! Sold! That’s how we spent our afternoon and loved every minute of the experience, watching an English movie and sucking in the perfumed air that is piped into the theatre, and listening to the fat western dude next to us chomp down his popcorn.
That night we tried to locate all the fabulous bars written up in the LP with happy hours and trivia nights. Again, due to the passing of the princess, they were all closed and we had another mellow night. We’d decided to breakup the long haul from Phuket to Bangkok by stopping in the Kao Sok national park. Phuket was lovely but don’t really need to go again. The islands are where it’s at, and even all the diving trips from Phuket ferry their clients right back to where we’d come from. No more time was needed and we were excited to see some of Thailand’s preserves! Caught a 6am bus the next morning.
Going down in Koh Phi Phi
(By Miller)
The express boat ride took two hours from Ao Nang to the island. It was amazing scenery as we stopped midway - in the middle of the ocean – to pick up a round of passengers. Annie and I were a bit miffed at first, when we bought our tickets. We kept looking for the thai price, you know, the bush taxi on water. As it happens, it doesn’t exist. Koh Phi Phi is pretty much locked up as a tourist destination.
When the tsunami hit in 2004, it wiped the island and surrounding area out. Thanks to the endless tourist dollars pouring in, Thailand is faring far better than many of the other areas implicated, like the Philippines. That said, there was still much construction going on and it is nowhere near fully recovered. Something we did enjoy, and aren’t sure whether it’s a result of crisis response or not, were the 5 Bhat water just refill stations. For about 10 cents we could refill the 1½-liter containers so we didn’t have to keep buying more plastic bottles.
Walking off the boat was madness. Wait; actually it was the best organization of the masses we’ve seen yet. Thailand – unlike India – has learned how to effectively wrangle its tourists. There were the usual touts but this time they were behind ropes, much like in an airport. At the end of the dock, there were boards and maps of every possible guesthouse and hostel on the island, complete with pictures and prices. We took this as a personal gesture of kindness from the government of Thailand. Slogging around in the 100-degree sun with packs on is just not a great way to spend an afternoon.
After we located (for $6/night) the H.C. Anderson Guesthouse (Hans Christian Anderson?), Annie was adamant I needed to actually use the SCUBA certification I’d picked up in Egypt. Not that I needed much convincing. I’d really planned on just slothing around on the beach for a few days but the streets and alleys are just lined with dive shops. A very convincing Aussie (who knew where the Appalachians were!) gave us a free map and I was sold. To seal the deal, they take credit cards!!!! I fear the plastic, especially after spending two years in countries where cash is king, but this allowed me to have more money on hand for places that don’t take VISA…like everywhere else. So, for $75 I went on a day trip, which included two dives, lunch and fabulous company. One of my dives ended up being an “adventure dive”, of which I need 5 of to get my advanced diver card. Yahoo! You can imagine how much fun Annie had with that achievement. This one involved going down to 30 meters (between 90-100ft) and seeing if the nitrogen in my blood made me nuts. People compare it to getting drunk but what actually happens is your brain just stops processing information, making gauge reading difficult. Happy to say, neither the Swede I was diving with nor I had much problem and our instructor Mika (also a Swede and did a wicked Muppet chef impression) said we were very comfortable in the water. The second dive after lunch was a fun one and we saw a hawk’s beak turtle after being down only 5 minutes. It was amazing and I’m so happy Annie persuaded me
While I was down under, she was checking out the viewpoint and relaxing vacation style. There are no open container laws and 7-11s are everywhere so we bought beer for half the price of a bar and sat on the beach.
We stayed a total of two nights and left the next afternoon after a morning absolutely baking on the beach. The tide rises and falls by a good 8 feet or so and tide was half in so there was lovely swimming to be done. Boarded the speedboat (the Princess, how appropriate) to Phuket and got to sit in air conditioning for a few hours.
Other travelers we’ve run into have given us mixed reviews on what Koh Phi Phi is really all about. I say take it for what it is. A tourist-ridden isle, paradise for some and a hellhole for others. A bit of both I think for us, it was time to move on.
The express boat ride took two hours from Ao Nang to the island. It was amazing scenery as we stopped midway - in the middle of the ocean – to pick up a round of passengers. Annie and I were a bit miffed at first, when we bought our tickets. We kept looking for the thai price, you know, the bush taxi on water. As it happens, it doesn’t exist. Koh Phi Phi is pretty much locked up as a tourist destination.
When the tsunami hit in 2004, it wiped the island and surrounding area out. Thanks to the endless tourist dollars pouring in, Thailand is faring far better than many of the other areas implicated, like the Philippines. That said, there was still much construction going on and it is nowhere near fully recovered. Something we did enjoy, and aren’t sure whether it’s a result of crisis response or not, were the 5 Bhat water just refill stations. For about 10 cents we could refill the 1½-liter containers so we didn’t have to keep buying more plastic bottles.
Walking off the boat was madness. Wait; actually it was the best organization of the masses we’ve seen yet. Thailand – unlike India – has learned how to effectively wrangle its tourists. There were the usual touts but this time they were behind ropes, much like in an airport. At the end of the dock, there were boards and maps of every possible guesthouse and hostel on the island, complete with pictures and prices. We took this as a personal gesture of kindness from the government of Thailand. Slogging around in the 100-degree sun with packs on is just not a great way to spend an afternoon.
After we located (for $6/night) the H.C. Anderson Guesthouse (Hans Christian Anderson?), Annie was adamant I needed to actually use the SCUBA certification I’d picked up in Egypt. Not that I needed much convincing. I’d really planned on just slothing around on the beach for a few days but the streets and alleys are just lined with dive shops. A very convincing Aussie (who knew where the Appalachians were!) gave us a free map and I was sold. To seal the deal, they take credit cards!!!! I fear the plastic, especially after spending two years in countries where cash is king, but this allowed me to have more money on hand for places that don’t take VISA…like everywhere else. So, for $75 I went on a day trip, which included two dives, lunch and fabulous company. One of my dives ended up being an “adventure dive”, of which I need 5 of to get my advanced diver card. Yahoo! You can imagine how much fun Annie had with that achievement. This one involved going down to 30 meters (between 90-100ft) and seeing if the nitrogen in my blood made me nuts. People compare it to getting drunk but what actually happens is your brain just stops processing information, making gauge reading difficult. Happy to say, neither the Swede I was diving with nor I had much problem and our instructor Mika (also a Swede and did a wicked Muppet chef impression) said we were very comfortable in the water. The second dive after lunch was a fun one and we saw a hawk’s beak turtle after being down only 5 minutes. It was amazing and I’m so happy Annie persuaded me
While I was down under, she was checking out the viewpoint and relaxing vacation style. There are no open container laws and 7-11s are everywhere so we bought beer for half the price of a bar and sat on the beach.
We stayed a total of two nights and left the next afternoon after a morning absolutely baking on the beach. The tide rises and falls by a good 8 feet or so and tide was half in so there was lovely swimming to be done. Boarded the speedboat (the Princess, how appropriate) to Phuket and got to sit in air conditioning for a few hours.
Other travelers we’ve run into have given us mixed reviews on what Koh Phi Phi is really all about. I say take it for what it is. A tourist-ridden isle, paradise for some and a hellhole for others. A bit of both I think for us, it was time to move on.
RPCV love doesn't always mean Krabs
(By Miller)
Sometimes unplanned detours are the best and this proved to be true with the south of Thailand. While still in India we received an email from a friend of the family who had built a house in Ao Nang and just happened to be a returned Peace Corps volunteer from Ghana. LOVE the community! We hadn’t planned to go south of Bangkok at all, except to take the train to Singapore. I didn’t need much convincing as sand, crystal clear water, and scuba diving galore sounded slightly more enticing than the streets of Calcutta. After all, we ARE on a vacation of sorts, right?
For about $10, we took an overnight bus from Bangkok to Ao Nang, a smaller ‘burb of Krabi (said crab-EE). The bus was the most comfortable thing to sleep on we’d seen in a long time as I couldn’t fit in the Calcutta bed and the short reprieve we had with an ex-pat friend in Bangkok just didn’t placate my back. The seats reclined to a visually pleasing angle but after two hours of sleep, woke up to numb feet and knees the size of grapefruits. Whatever, we arrived soon enough, looking glamorous. The local taxis in Ao Nang are pickup trucks with benches in the back so we took on to the end of the road, where our soon-to-be new best friend, Mark lived. He said we shouldn’t have a problem finding his house, as it was the one that looked out of place on the road. After a kilometer in the muggiest weather we’ve felt yet, this palatial estate complete with pool appeared and we figured it must have been it. JACKPOT! Mark and his incredibly adorable 8-month old were fabulous hosts.
We rented a moto for a couple days and decided to take it easy and tool around. The “strip” consists of McDonalds, Starbucks, endless restaurants, tattoo parlors, dive shops; and of course, the obligatory 7-11. Checked out the sites, made a plan for the next day, and headed home to cook some noodles and veggies in a real kitchen! Did I mention that Mark treated us to Starbucks filter coffee? Travelers on vacation we are! Stumbled onto a Karaoke bar and Annie got to sing the Romanian dance song so near and dear to all Peace Corps Benin volunteers. You all know the words…my-a-hee my-a-ha…Betsi Frei would have been on cloud 9!
Had a lazy morning and decided to conquer the beach…but not before a rousing game of mini-golf and a Thai massage. The golf course was closed, which was a serious blow to Annie but as some of you may know I’m just not a gamer and wasn’t too broken up about it. She didn’t go in for a massage so while she lounged on the beach, I got worked over for an hour by a small Thai man twisting me in all directions and hitting pressure points I didn’t know I had. It was heaven, they even gave me tea and pineapple afterwards The afternoon was spent wading around in the bathwater warm Indian ocean and watching the boats zip around. Apparently we missed the memo and were caught in a huge rainstorm. Once it let up, we tooled our moto back to Mark’s.
There was a festival of lights and lanterns, something about asking protections and forgiveness from the ocean. People wove palm leaves into floating candle and incense holders and set them out to sea. More stunning still were the lanterns about 2 feet high which are lit from underneath and the hot air makes them rise up to the heavens, carrying good wishes with the flames. Amazing to see the night sky full of floating lights.
Returned the moto, said goodbye to Mark and his baby boy, and hopped a boat to Koh Phi Phi. This was a little more expensive than anything we had planned but OH MY GAWD it was worth it. Phi Phi (said pee-pee) was far grander than anything I expected.
Sometimes unplanned detours are the best and this proved to be true with the south of Thailand. While still in India we received an email from a friend of the family who had built a house in Ao Nang and just happened to be a returned Peace Corps volunteer from Ghana. LOVE the community! We hadn’t planned to go south of Bangkok at all, except to take the train to Singapore. I didn’t need much convincing as sand, crystal clear water, and scuba diving galore sounded slightly more enticing than the streets of Calcutta. After all, we ARE on a vacation of sorts, right?
For about $10, we took an overnight bus from Bangkok to Ao Nang, a smaller ‘burb of Krabi (said crab-EE). The bus was the most comfortable thing to sleep on we’d seen in a long time as I couldn’t fit in the Calcutta bed and the short reprieve we had with an ex-pat friend in Bangkok just didn’t placate my back. The seats reclined to a visually pleasing angle but after two hours of sleep, woke up to numb feet and knees the size of grapefruits. Whatever, we arrived soon enough, looking glamorous. The local taxis in Ao Nang are pickup trucks with benches in the back so we took on to the end of the road, where our soon-to-be new best friend, Mark lived. He said we shouldn’t have a problem finding his house, as it was the one that looked out of place on the road. After a kilometer in the muggiest weather we’ve felt yet, this palatial estate complete with pool appeared and we figured it must have been it. JACKPOT! Mark and his incredibly adorable 8-month old were fabulous hosts.
We rented a moto for a couple days and decided to take it easy and tool around. The “strip” consists of McDonalds, Starbucks, endless restaurants, tattoo parlors, dive shops; and of course, the obligatory 7-11. Checked out the sites, made a plan for the next day, and headed home to cook some noodles and veggies in a real kitchen! Did I mention that Mark treated us to Starbucks filter coffee? Travelers on vacation we are! Stumbled onto a Karaoke bar and Annie got to sing the Romanian dance song so near and dear to all Peace Corps Benin volunteers. You all know the words…my-a-hee my-a-ha…Betsi Frei would have been on cloud 9!
Had a lazy morning and decided to conquer the beach…but not before a rousing game of mini-golf and a Thai massage. The golf course was closed, which was a serious blow to Annie but as some of you may know I’m just not a gamer and wasn’t too broken up about it. She didn’t go in for a massage so while she lounged on the beach, I got worked over for an hour by a small Thai man twisting me in all directions and hitting pressure points I didn’t know I had. It was heaven, they even gave me tea and pineapple afterwards The afternoon was spent wading around in the bathwater warm Indian ocean and watching the boats zip around. Apparently we missed the memo and were caught in a huge rainstorm. Once it let up, we tooled our moto back to Mark’s.
There was a festival of lights and lanterns, something about asking protections and forgiveness from the ocean. People wove palm leaves into floating candle and incense holders and set them out to sea. More stunning still were the lanterns about 2 feet high which are lit from underneath and the hot air makes them rise up to the heavens, carrying good wishes with the flames. Amazing to see the night sky full of floating lights.
Returned the moto, said goodbye to Mark and his baby boy, and hopped a boat to Koh Phi Phi. This was a little more expensive than anything we had planned but OH MY GAWD it was worth it. Phi Phi (said pee-pee) was far grander than anything I expected.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
12 million + 2 more = Bangkok
(By Annie)
Our delightful Thai Airways flight landed shortly after sunrise, so we lost a night of sleep, but gained a whole lot more. Our host in Bangkok was Marilee, who those from my days of Peace Corps will remember as our former director. She now runs program management in Thailand and was so very gracious to offer her apartment as a home base for our travels in Thailand.
So, after an amazing breakfast and Starbucks for Rachael (Miller: STARBUCKS!!!!, it cost more than a meal but was worth it to hear Christmas carols order a drink with 7 words in the name) we were off to conquer Bangkok. First things first, the public transportation system is so diverse and efficient. Traffic is a huge problem for city, so there is an extensive sky train, metro, bus, and river taxi system. In two days believe it or not we conquered them all. I was impressed with how user friendly they all were. The metro and sky train rivals and perhaps surpasses any of its competitors around the world- did I mention they were air conditioned as well?
As for the sights, our first day was spent exploring the river. Most, if not all, the highly visited sites are conveniently located on or around the river. We took the river taxi and happened to stumble across this beautiful park and fort. We then headed down to the Grand Palace, the former residence for the royal family of Thailand. I am not even sure I can put into words what we saw. Imagine a giant gingerbread house made of all the ceramic tiles and precious stones you could collect in a lifetime; and put together with such detail to design and color. It is truly one of those architectural miracles. Also, inside the palace compound was the emerald Buddha – one of the most famous sites for religious pilgrimage and devotion in the entire world. It was wonderful to be a sort of fly on the wall seeing the process that Buddhists go through. It is one of the many times during this trip where I have seen things that I have read and studied come alive.
After the palace we headed home and enjoyed a hot shower and a real bed, which after Calcutta were just as valuable to us as the Grand Palace. Day two was more public transport and then logistics like buying bus tickets and post cards. We also spent some time in the central park of Bangkok watching children on all ages attempt to fly their kites. It was magical to see how they danced in the air and the change of expression on the kids faces as the parents helped them get in the air. We also walked and saw the golden mountain. Hmm, again I am at a loss. Imagine a carnival, literally a carnival – like one with a ferris wheel, games, and all the food on a stick you could ever want. Well, a mountain with a gorgeous temple on top was right in the middle of it, taking in pilgrims and tourists alike still eating the cotton candy off their fingers.
Once we climbed down, it was off to the main event – literally – Muay Thai or Thai boxing, the national sport of Thailand. We saw five different fights and perhaps even cooler than the knockout punches were the rituals performed before each battle and the spectators betting up a storm. The guidebooks described it like the stock exchange and there is not better way to put it.
Day three was finally a Monday and we needed to get down to business. The morning was spent in the Cambodian Embassy, it took a little bit of time, but it was one of the better visa getting experiences we have had. After getting back to the river we headed off to a cyber café for Rachael to finish her job application and for me to finish my scholarship application. Two beers later we were on our overnight train with 7-11 fountain drinks in hand, yes, the answer is- they even have slurpees and we have had three so far.
Fourteen hours later we are in the paradise of Krabi. Moto-ing to the beach today where we can lounge with cocktail in hand and indulge in a $4 hour-long massage, all while staring at the unreal land/seascape that southern Thailand is famous for.
Our delightful Thai Airways flight landed shortly after sunrise, so we lost a night of sleep, but gained a whole lot more. Our host in Bangkok was Marilee, who those from my days of Peace Corps will remember as our former director. She now runs program management in Thailand and was so very gracious to offer her apartment as a home base for our travels in Thailand.
So, after an amazing breakfast and Starbucks for Rachael (Miller: STARBUCKS!!!!, it cost more than a meal but was worth it to hear Christmas carols order a drink with 7 words in the name) we were off to conquer Bangkok. First things first, the public transportation system is so diverse and efficient. Traffic is a huge problem for city, so there is an extensive sky train, metro, bus, and river taxi system. In two days believe it or not we conquered them all. I was impressed with how user friendly they all were. The metro and sky train rivals and perhaps surpasses any of its competitors around the world- did I mention they were air conditioned as well?
As for the sights, our first day was spent exploring the river. Most, if not all, the highly visited sites are conveniently located on or around the river. We took the river taxi and happened to stumble across this beautiful park and fort. We then headed down to the Grand Palace, the former residence for the royal family of Thailand. I am not even sure I can put into words what we saw. Imagine a giant gingerbread house made of all the ceramic tiles and precious stones you could collect in a lifetime; and put together with such detail to design and color. It is truly one of those architectural miracles. Also, inside the palace compound was the emerald Buddha – one of the most famous sites for religious pilgrimage and devotion in the entire world. It was wonderful to be a sort of fly on the wall seeing the process that Buddhists go through. It is one of the many times during this trip where I have seen things that I have read and studied come alive.
After the palace we headed home and enjoyed a hot shower and a real bed, which after Calcutta were just as valuable to us as the Grand Palace. Day two was more public transport and then logistics like buying bus tickets and post cards. We also spent some time in the central park of Bangkok watching children on all ages attempt to fly their kites. It was magical to see how they danced in the air and the change of expression on the kids faces as the parents helped them get in the air. We also walked and saw the golden mountain. Hmm, again I am at a loss. Imagine a carnival, literally a carnival – like one with a ferris wheel, games, and all the food on a stick you could ever want. Well, a mountain with a gorgeous temple on top was right in the middle of it, taking in pilgrims and tourists alike still eating the cotton candy off their fingers.
Once we climbed down, it was off to the main event – literally – Muay Thai or Thai boxing, the national sport of Thailand. We saw five different fights and perhaps even cooler than the knockout punches were the rituals performed before each battle and the spectators betting up a storm. The guidebooks described it like the stock exchange and there is not better way to put it.
Day three was finally a Monday and we needed to get down to business. The morning was spent in the Cambodian Embassy, it took a little bit of time, but it was one of the better visa getting experiences we have had. After getting back to the river we headed off to a cyber café for Rachael to finish her job application and for me to finish my scholarship application. Two beers later we were on our overnight train with 7-11 fountain drinks in hand, yes, the answer is- they even have slurpees and we have had three so far.
Fourteen hours later we are in the paradise of Krabi. Moto-ing to the beach today where we can lounge with cocktail in hand and indulge in a $4 hour-long massage, all while staring at the unreal land/seascape that southern Thailand is famous for.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Kolkata
After arriving from the Nepal border on an 18-hour train at 5:30 in the morning, Annie and I needed some down time (I feel like we’re saying that a lot lately) and we’re pretty sure there’s no better place to do it than Calcutta. Wait, rewind, there are THOUSANDS of better places than Calcutta, we just happened to land there.
The old colonial capital (the new one is Delhi) and home to the birth of Mother Theresa’s order, it is a mix of olds and news. The colonial feel is definitely present as is the strong culture the Indians have held on to. Set in West Bengal, Bengali is the language; different from the Hindi belt we were in before in the state of Rajastan (you know, when we did the Taj Mahal.)
Apparently, West Bengal is also known for its sweets. This was certainly reinforced by all the sweet shops, sometimes three in a row. Among the 30 or so choices, most are spongy balls soaked in sweet syrup coated in a sugary dough, like they decorate cakes with. In any case, they are amazing and guaranteed to rot the teeth right out of your head. The other food was similar to what we’d seen before with a bigger fish influence with lots of delicious oily sauces and roti (grilled flat bread). Our default meal was vegetable thali, which is a huge round tray with rice, roti, butter/peanut sauce with potato, lentils, and three other sauces, usually with cucumber and onions chopped up to cool the spicy burn of the curry. Hungry yet?
We stayed on Sudder Street, the tourist drag but also with the cheapest accommodations. After being told the Salvation Army was “broken” we opted for Hotel Maria with rooms like saunas and cats all over the place. Our neighbor was the toilet and right down the hall some guy was storing a thousand sweaters accompanied by a thousand mothballs. I guess the place had its own charm about it.
The town is full of places to visit, mostly due to the old colonial landmarks. Our first venture out was to the National Museum where things are poorly labeled but displays some great Buddhist architecture pieces as well as the Mecca of taxidermy. Annie enlightened me on the process of animal preservation as she took it in college when she brought her turtle, which died in 1984, out of the freezer and into the limelight. Enough about that… we also felt like exhibits ourselves, as people just couldn’t resist “capturing” us with their camera phones, even though photography is prohibited.
Other outings included seeing a movie at the local Elite theatre, a far cry from the masses we braved back in Jaipur. This was a much more pleasant experience and a great way to stay cool in the afternoon. Even the post office was something to see. Large and domed like the US capitol, it has a mini museum right around the corner. We visited the Calcutta zoo also…not much to say. Small cages, overgrown bush, sad animals; not recommended.
Our shining moment in Calcutta was the US elections. After getting to vote by ballot in the embassy in Nepal, we were even more excited to follow the play by play on Nov 4th. Having never been abroad for a happening such as this and only taking up a recent interest in politics, Annie was captain of this endeavor. Once we got to Calcutta, we went to the embassy just to ask where the best place to watch the vote was as we didn’t have a tv in our hotel room. They mentioned a gathering at the swank Park hotel and printed us an invitation. I was dubious but decided there really wasn’t an alternative and hey, don’t things like this have free food?
Because of the time difference, we woke up at 4:30 on the 5th and walked the 15 minutes to the hotel. We got there by 5:15 and clearly were in the right spot, with arches of red, white, and blue balloons snaking up to the party room. With a grand flourish, we flung open the door not really sure what to expect, only to discover we were by FAR the most enthusiastic Americans present. In fact, the only ones present. Soon after, the head of the American cultural center showed up and other volunteer-like folk we’d talked to started to dribble in. Coffee, doughnuts, and sandwiches came out (yahoo!) and we got to watch everything unravel on two HUGE projection screens. Once Ohio got the vote we all cheered and crossed our fingers a little harder. When the west coast finally closed and Obama was declared president elect of the US, people cheered, clapped, and even some tears of joy were shed. The one guy over in the corner, wearing a McCain/Palin button, deck shoes, and a polo shirt, muttered, “it’s only 4 years”. It was a jovial moment so we held back the tar and feathering.
Our rendezvous with our fellow Americans did us good and we decided to go bowling to celebrate the good ol’ Amerrrrrican spirit. Found out the alley didn’t exist and settled for a classy Indian dinner instead. It was time to leave, we’ve exhausted all our activity resources and still had a couple days to burn, which we spent watching pirated dvds and eating. Life is hard.
Our time there ended with rounds of beers with Kristen – our new Wisconsin playmate, taxi to the edge of civilization where the airport is and caught the 2am plane to Bangkok, which was only a 2 hour flight, ate AMAZING plane food and landed in on of the greatest cities I’ve seen yet.
The old colonial capital (the new one is Delhi) and home to the birth of Mother Theresa’s order, it is a mix of olds and news. The colonial feel is definitely present as is the strong culture the Indians have held on to. Set in West Bengal, Bengali is the language; different from the Hindi belt we were in before in the state of Rajastan (you know, when we did the Taj Mahal.)
Apparently, West Bengal is also known for its sweets. This was certainly reinforced by all the sweet shops, sometimes three in a row. Among the 30 or so choices, most are spongy balls soaked in sweet syrup coated in a sugary dough, like they decorate cakes with. In any case, they are amazing and guaranteed to rot the teeth right out of your head. The other food was similar to what we’d seen before with a bigger fish influence with lots of delicious oily sauces and roti (grilled flat bread). Our default meal was vegetable thali, which is a huge round tray with rice, roti, butter/peanut sauce with potato, lentils, and three other sauces, usually with cucumber and onions chopped up to cool the spicy burn of the curry. Hungry yet?
We stayed on Sudder Street, the tourist drag but also with the cheapest accommodations. After being told the Salvation Army was “broken” we opted for Hotel Maria with rooms like saunas and cats all over the place. Our neighbor was the toilet and right down the hall some guy was storing a thousand sweaters accompanied by a thousand mothballs. I guess the place had its own charm about it.
The town is full of places to visit, mostly due to the old colonial landmarks. Our first venture out was to the National Museum where things are poorly labeled but displays some great Buddhist architecture pieces as well as the Mecca of taxidermy. Annie enlightened me on the process of animal preservation as she took it in college when she brought her turtle, which died in 1984, out of the freezer and into the limelight. Enough about that… we also felt like exhibits ourselves, as people just couldn’t resist “capturing” us with their camera phones, even though photography is prohibited.
Other outings included seeing a movie at the local Elite theatre, a far cry from the masses we braved back in Jaipur. This was a much more pleasant experience and a great way to stay cool in the afternoon. Even the post office was something to see. Large and domed like the US capitol, it has a mini museum right around the corner. We visited the Calcutta zoo also…not much to say. Small cages, overgrown bush, sad animals; not recommended.
Our shining moment in Calcutta was the US elections. After getting to vote by ballot in the embassy in Nepal, we were even more excited to follow the play by play on Nov 4th. Having never been abroad for a happening such as this and only taking up a recent interest in politics, Annie was captain of this endeavor. Once we got to Calcutta, we went to the embassy just to ask where the best place to watch the vote was as we didn’t have a tv in our hotel room. They mentioned a gathering at the swank Park hotel and printed us an invitation. I was dubious but decided there really wasn’t an alternative and hey, don’t things like this have free food?
Because of the time difference, we woke up at 4:30 on the 5th and walked the 15 minutes to the hotel. We got there by 5:15 and clearly were in the right spot, with arches of red, white, and blue balloons snaking up to the party room. With a grand flourish, we flung open the door not really sure what to expect, only to discover we were by FAR the most enthusiastic Americans present. In fact, the only ones present. Soon after, the head of the American cultural center showed up and other volunteer-like folk we’d talked to started to dribble in. Coffee, doughnuts, and sandwiches came out (yahoo!) and we got to watch everything unravel on two HUGE projection screens. Once Ohio got the vote we all cheered and crossed our fingers a little harder. When the west coast finally closed and Obama was declared president elect of the US, people cheered, clapped, and even some tears of joy were shed. The one guy over in the corner, wearing a McCain/Palin button, deck shoes, and a polo shirt, muttered, “it’s only 4 years”. It was a jovial moment so we held back the tar and feathering.
Our rendezvous with our fellow Americans did us good and we decided to go bowling to celebrate the good ol’ Amerrrrrican spirit. Found out the alley didn’t exist and settled for a classy Indian dinner instead. It was time to leave, we’ve exhausted all our activity resources and still had a couple days to burn, which we spent watching pirated dvds and eating. Life is hard.
Our time there ended with rounds of beers with Kristen – our new Wisconsin playmate, taxi to the edge of civilization where the airport is and caught the 2am plane to Bangkok, which was only a 2 hour flight, ate AMAZING plane food and landed in on of the greatest cities I’ve seen yet.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Kathman-dos and don’ts
P.S. Pre-Script: This post was written on October 28th. We made it to India and are now in Calcutta, with minimal pain.
(By Annie)
Well, I am literally sitting in the lobby of Mohan’s Tattoo Inn, and realizing that you all have not been filled in on the going-ons in the wonderful capital city of Nepal. I also am willing to wager that you are tired of the same old blog post about as much as Rachael is tired of getting poked with a needle after five hours. So, we are going to get a little creative and make this post a sort or dos and don’ts. Wow, we are getting to crazy for you, fear not more of the same will come as we head to India tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m.
Kathman-do’s
1. Take the tourist bus – We realized the only way we were truly getting swindled on this trip was the bus ticket officers. So, we just gave up finally and took the tourist bus. It was more comfortable, more reliable, and really only two dollars more expensive.
2. Stay near Durbar Square – There are many places to stay but none richer in tradition than Durbar Square. If you can imagine a single place that is still an active market area, houses the original royal palace dating all the way back to the 1800’s, and it entertains hundreds of tourists too! We seriously were so lucky to have a place near there. One of my favorite mornings was our last one in Kathmandu where we just climbed up one of the temples and people watched for two hours. All the colors coming together and the people coming in and out of the square, there really was something magical about it.
3. Go in as many back doors as possible – Well while I was a little under the weather the first day, Rachael went to see the monkey temple. She walked around the back and got in for free. There were monkeys galore and this cute little temple was perfectly placed on the top of the hillside. Of course she also ran into pretty much every single person we met while in Pokhara.
4. Take a picnic to the Secret Garden – Our second day in Kathmandu was literally out of a movie, Rachael’s favorite in fact. Tucked away in the hustle and bustle of the tourist area was this magical garden. It was probably only the size of a high school football stadium, but it truly was so peaceful. Exactly what we needed, and of course, there was wifi there. So, we read, had a picnic, and uploaded photos all day long.
5. Decorate your animals – If you go to Nepal, go in October. Pretty much every day there is a festival. Our visit to Kathmandu coincided with Diwali or the Hindu festival of lights. It is pretty much exactly like a New Years celebration. In keeping with Diwali, animals are decorated on different days. Dogs, Cows, Goats, and even I wore different forms of powder and lays of flowers. Rachael especially loved the dog and cow day. I really think she, not so secretly, just wanted to put flowers on dogs all day long.
6. Walk as often as possible – Nepal turned out to be expensive, well more expensive than India. So, our walking motives were probably at the beginning to save money for beers later. But, we have now decided we would rather see less and do the walking, cause in return you actually see more. For example, we walked to Boudha in the suburbs of Kathmandu to see the famous Stupa or prayer statue (which was wonderful). Sure, we got lost and had to walk through sewers to get there, but those are the moments that have made our trip and what can you really see from a window anyway.
7. Rock the vote – It’s official we BOTH voted. After a long trek back from the Stupa, we took the long way around and found the Embassy. Rachael thought she was going along for moral support, but it turned out they had extra federal write-in ballots, so she got to vote too. You still have time, register, seriously, I cannot even tell you how much this election means abroad. I held true to my promise, if I met someone in my travels who wanted John McCain for president I would vote for him. Hmmm, can you guess how that turned out?
8. Get tattooed at Mohan’s – Well, really, this is for Rachael, so I will let her tell.
Just as or more sterile than any place I’ve been to in the U.S. and doubly as friendly. Mohan is a great guy who worked really hard on my design and made sure we were both happy at the end. 5 hours later, bleeding but in good spirits we said goodbye with promises to email. Was truly a pleasure to work with him and I HIGHLY recommend buying a plane ticket just to get ink-ed, well worth it and about half the cost I’d have paid in the states.
Kathman-don’ts
1. Have Rachael stay awake. – You know how I complained about Rachael sleeping on buses, well she is scary when she doesn’t. So, I take that back. Who can blame her though, it is not fun riding a bus on mountain ridges. Especially when this travel partner took the lazy way out and had a beer for lunch and a window seat.
2. Buy flutes – The most annoying and ironically the place we spent a great majority of our time was this little neighborhood called Thamel. Everywhere you turned there were motorcycles, tourists, and Nepalese selling flutes. What is with the flutes? I have heard of Irish whistles and even RPCVs from Vietnam taking up the flute (Shout out to my man Johnny). Seriously, if you can tell me why there is a Nepal flute demand, I will buy one for you.
3. Take pictures with fake priests and monks – Okay, I know there is no Santa Clause. If I am bursting your bubble too bad, you shouldn’t be reading this blog. However, I also get why Santa exists and the spirit of going to the mall and getting a photo. Well, there are in fact real monks out there so…I will never understand the allure of a tourist taking a picture with an imposter. I really think they just don’t know they are a fake, so sad.
4. Go anywhere near Thamel if you can help it – I think I already covered this with the flutes, but yeah, enough said. But, you are going to end up going there, so just have a sense of humor about it. (Miller: ok, you WILL go there, it has everything and most do end up going to see something in that area. Last time I checked, we were big white western tourists after all…oddly, the place we felt most uncomfortable was the only place we didn’t stick out. AND we got the chance to see a GREAT Nepalese cover rock band)
5. Take expeditions to “Breakfast” Restaurants at night – As I said, walking is all fun and games, until you get lost. Highly recommend getting lost during the day and not at night. You just get frustrated, angry, and pissy. A situation like eating should never be stressful. Plus, they are known for their breakfast, what was I doing suggesting we go there at night, duh!
6. Go anywhere near children with fire-crackers or even who have that look in their eye. – Okay. Let’s pause. Sure the festivals are cool, but the children and their fun firecrackers suck. As Rachael was getting “inked,” I was getting “dyed” and “blazed” as it seams even kids on the roofs thought it sooo funny to throw sparklers at my feet. I love Diwali, but have changed my mind about firework regulations. Go, Illinois. Keep on enforcing that ban.
7. Go to restaurants just for the internet connection – Well, again, duh. Super, they have free internet connection, but guess what they also have meals three times the price. Plus, we are not good multi-taskers when it comes to food and beer.
8. Stay too long – I put this one last cause it is only partly true. I loved Nepal. It was tranquil, picturesque, and became very comfortable. But, food isn’t cheap, and you burn through money quickly, so be careful.
Okay, that’s all from Nepal. You regularly scheduled blog will return at an unscheduled time in the future.
(By Annie)
Well, I am literally sitting in the lobby of Mohan’s Tattoo Inn, and realizing that you all have not been filled in on the going-ons in the wonderful capital city of Nepal. I also am willing to wager that you are tired of the same old blog post about as much as Rachael is tired of getting poked with a needle after five hours. So, we are going to get a little creative and make this post a sort or dos and don’ts. Wow, we are getting to crazy for you, fear not more of the same will come as we head to India tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m.
Kathman-do’s
1. Take the tourist bus – We realized the only way we were truly getting swindled on this trip was the bus ticket officers. So, we just gave up finally and took the tourist bus. It was more comfortable, more reliable, and really only two dollars more expensive.
2. Stay near Durbar Square – There are many places to stay but none richer in tradition than Durbar Square. If you can imagine a single place that is still an active market area, houses the original royal palace dating all the way back to the 1800’s, and it entertains hundreds of tourists too! We seriously were so lucky to have a place near there. One of my favorite mornings was our last one in Kathmandu where we just climbed up one of the temples and people watched for two hours. All the colors coming together and the people coming in and out of the square, there really was something magical about it.
3. Go in as many back doors as possible – Well while I was a little under the weather the first day, Rachael went to see the monkey temple. She walked around the back and got in for free. There were monkeys galore and this cute little temple was perfectly placed on the top of the hillside. Of course she also ran into pretty much every single person we met while in Pokhara.
4. Take a picnic to the Secret Garden – Our second day in Kathmandu was literally out of a movie, Rachael’s favorite in fact. Tucked away in the hustle and bustle of the tourist area was this magical garden. It was probably only the size of a high school football stadium, but it truly was so peaceful. Exactly what we needed, and of course, there was wifi there. So, we read, had a picnic, and uploaded photos all day long.
5. Decorate your animals – If you go to Nepal, go in October. Pretty much every day there is a festival. Our visit to Kathmandu coincided with Diwali or the Hindu festival of lights. It is pretty much exactly like a New Years celebration. In keeping with Diwali, animals are decorated on different days. Dogs, Cows, Goats, and even I wore different forms of powder and lays of flowers. Rachael especially loved the dog and cow day. I really think she, not so secretly, just wanted to put flowers on dogs all day long.
6. Walk as often as possible – Nepal turned out to be expensive, well more expensive than India. So, our walking motives were probably at the beginning to save money for beers later. But, we have now decided we would rather see less and do the walking, cause in return you actually see more. For example, we walked to Boudha in the suburbs of Kathmandu to see the famous Stupa or prayer statue (which was wonderful). Sure, we got lost and had to walk through sewers to get there, but those are the moments that have made our trip and what can you really see from a window anyway.
7. Rock the vote – It’s official we BOTH voted. After a long trek back from the Stupa, we took the long way around and found the Embassy. Rachael thought she was going along for moral support, but it turned out they had extra federal write-in ballots, so she got to vote too. You still have time, register, seriously, I cannot even tell you how much this election means abroad. I held true to my promise, if I met someone in my travels who wanted John McCain for president I would vote for him. Hmmm, can you guess how that turned out?
8. Get tattooed at Mohan’s – Well, really, this is for Rachael, so I will let her tell.
Just as or more sterile than any place I’ve been to in the U.S. and doubly as friendly. Mohan is a great guy who worked really hard on my design and made sure we were both happy at the end. 5 hours later, bleeding but in good spirits we said goodbye with promises to email. Was truly a pleasure to work with him and I HIGHLY recommend buying a plane ticket just to get ink-ed, well worth it and about half the cost I’d have paid in the states.
Kathman-don’ts
1. Have Rachael stay awake. – You know how I complained about Rachael sleeping on buses, well she is scary when she doesn’t. So, I take that back. Who can blame her though, it is not fun riding a bus on mountain ridges. Especially when this travel partner took the lazy way out and had a beer for lunch and a window seat.
2. Buy flutes – The most annoying and ironically the place we spent a great majority of our time was this little neighborhood called Thamel. Everywhere you turned there were motorcycles, tourists, and Nepalese selling flutes. What is with the flutes? I have heard of Irish whistles and even RPCVs from Vietnam taking up the flute (Shout out to my man Johnny). Seriously, if you can tell me why there is a Nepal flute demand, I will buy one for you.
3. Take pictures with fake priests and monks – Okay, I know there is no Santa Clause. If I am bursting your bubble too bad, you shouldn’t be reading this blog. However, I also get why Santa exists and the spirit of going to the mall and getting a photo. Well, there are in fact real monks out there so…I will never understand the allure of a tourist taking a picture with an imposter. I really think they just don’t know they are a fake, so sad.
4. Go anywhere near Thamel if you can help it – I think I already covered this with the flutes, but yeah, enough said. But, you are going to end up going there, so just have a sense of humor about it. (Miller: ok, you WILL go there, it has everything and most do end up going to see something in that area. Last time I checked, we were big white western tourists after all…oddly, the place we felt most uncomfortable was the only place we didn’t stick out. AND we got the chance to see a GREAT Nepalese cover rock band)
5. Take expeditions to “Breakfast” Restaurants at night – As I said, walking is all fun and games, until you get lost. Highly recommend getting lost during the day and not at night. You just get frustrated, angry, and pissy. A situation like eating should never be stressful. Plus, they are known for their breakfast, what was I doing suggesting we go there at night, duh!
6. Go anywhere near children with fire-crackers or even who have that look in their eye. – Okay. Let’s pause. Sure the festivals are cool, but the children and their fun firecrackers suck. As Rachael was getting “inked,” I was getting “dyed” and “blazed” as it seams even kids on the roofs thought it sooo funny to throw sparklers at my feet. I love Diwali, but have changed my mind about firework regulations. Go, Illinois. Keep on enforcing that ban.
7. Go to restaurants just for the internet connection – Well, again, duh. Super, they have free internet connection, but guess what they also have meals three times the price. Plus, we are not good multi-taskers when it comes to food and beer.
8. Stay too long – I put this one last cause it is only partly true. I loved Nepal. It was tranquil, picturesque, and became very comfortable. But, food isn’t cheap, and you burn through money quickly, so be careful.
Okay, that’s all from Nepal. You regularly scheduled blog will return at an unscheduled time in the future.
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