London, England
01/25/03 Email Announcing the Beginning of Our Trip To Southeast Asia (Cem):
Done. Done. Done. Done. Done. Yes, my applications are all finally done. Finished even though I faced every imaginable logistical problem. My quest to complete my applications took me from Istanbul to Dublin, to London, back to Dublin, then to Brussels, and then back to London. Oh yeah, and in between somewhere, we (illegally I might add) also went to Luxemburg and Paris. Not kidding. But tonight, we get on our flight to Thailand to begin the next phase of our trip in South East Asia. After a four month break for the Army and my applications, the excitement is strong.
Oh yeah, that gets me thinking about my Army stint. When I wrote about my email exchange with Mr. Ristau about my experience in the Army on our website, I thought I would be flooded with support email from my friends. Instead, please see a recent email below from Mr. Mark Miller, my so called good friend from the University of Virginia, to Tam:
"The pictures of Cem in the army really put my mind at ease with the whole Iraq situation. I know that his "blanket of freedom" will be bestowed to all good nations in defiance of the evil oppressors. I only hope he returns from the far east soon enough to fight alongside his countrymen. I will inform the Turkish Army that they need to install little heaters in the bathrooms because Cem doesn't like his feet getting cold. And they need the "Digable Planets" because Cem likes to listen to "their just babies man" while he's sipping Yeni Raki on the front line. And don't forget room for the stereo, DVD, TV, surround sound....
(Make sure Cem reads this) -- MARK"
Great, another friend mocking my military training from the comfort of his suburban Maryland home in the U.S. of A. Although I will admit that I hated waking up in the barracks and having to relieve myself in near freezing temperatures, and to top it off, shaving and washing my face with freezing cold water, I will not dignify Mr. Miler with a response.
Anyway, I know we haven’t updated the webpage in several months, but know that we will be back on the road, expect regular updates. For those of you that had already forgot all about the webpage, its on at http://geocities.com/cemandtam. I hope everyone is doing well. Besides Mr. Mark Miller of course!
-- Cem
Bangkok
1/26/03 - 1/30/03 (Cem)
We visited many very interesting sites in Bangkok. Since Tam is focusing on this, I wanted to mention some other points. Remember, this site is also serving as a journal of the trip, so don't expect all of this to be exciting.
* Quick to Smile: The Thai people, among all other countries that I have been to, are the quickest to smile. Its really puts you at ease almost whether you are walking around in an all-Thai market or in a rural Wat. From the old to the young, the majority of times, peoples' first and last gesture is a smile. It really is a part of their culture.
* Food Vendors Everywhere: There are an incredible number of street food vendors everywhere. These include vendors focused on Soups, Noodles (Pad Thai), Barbeques, Fruits and other Thai dishes. We have been pretty picky about the ones we have chosen from (generally by seeing how many Thai people are eating from there), and so far have not been disappointed, or sick for that matter. Its been a great way to eat good Thai food cheaply.
* Tam is Thai: Almost everyone in Thailand that has met Tam, from street vendors, to bus drivers, to waiters/waitresses, to hotel staff think that Tam is Thai. It has become a regular occurance that people will immediately speak with her in Thai. The funniest is when she wears white sneakers or her glasses, since this clearly does not really fit the local style. Then we begin to notice that people are staring at her trying to figure out where the hell she is from. And then finally, the brave ones just come up to us and ask. It's really quiet amusing. What really isn't all that amusing is when people mistake her for a Thai "go-go girl".
* Middle Aged Men with Thai girls: There are a very large number of middle aged "western" men walking around with beautiful young Thai girls. Although I am sure some of them are legitamate romantic relationships, my guess is that more likely we are witnessing the huge Thai service sector of the oldest proffession in the world.
* "Wat is closed this morning for foreigners": Never trust anyone that comes up to you and offers help in Bankok (or as we have seen, in the rest of Thailand for that matter.) Our first morning walking around the city, we had four different people come up to us to say that the Wat Po Temple (Wat btw means temple) we were going to was closed until 2pm that day for a royal ceremony. One of them was even a young woman who claimed to be a teacher. The scam, as the tourist office later told us is an attempt to take us to shop for gems where most unsuspecting tourists get royally ripped off. To be fair, the Thai on the street are extremely friendly and geninuely willing to help, even if they speak no English! I suspect that is why so many people fall for the scamsters when they are approached.
* Loud, Loud, Loud: Everyone always says Bankok is a crazy, urban place. After Istanbul, it actually did not seem that intense or crazy. The one thing, however, that we were glad to leave was the noise. The constant sound of loud traffic is everywhere in the city.
* Motorcycle Gangs: Ok, I exagerate, these are not actually gangs. Its just a funny phenomen I observed. There are a very large number of motorcyles and mopeds on the roads. Since lanes on the roads are generally ignored by everyone and the street lights in Bangkok can stay red for 5-8 minutes at a time, all two wheeled traffic will eventually make their way to the front of the line. So when the light turns green, all you hear (a major contribution to the noise in the city) and see are 100+ motorcycles and motorbikes take off. It's only after about 10 seconds or so before you see a single cars. They honestly look like the Thai version of the Hells Angels. Ok, exagerating again.
* Pickup Trucks: The most common four wheeled vehicles, especially in rural areas but also in Bankok are pickup trucks. An interesting little fact that I was not aware of before I came here is that after the United States, Thailand is the second largest market in the world for pickup trucks.
* Long Thai Names: If you thought names like Schwarzenegger, or Zbignew Brzezinski were difficult or too long, some Thai names may leave you with your mouth open. Thai names sound nothing like any of their other Asian neigbors. For instance, take the name of our friend Pitchaya Wichayanuparp (known as Jan W.) or the name of the current King Phra Phumiphon Adunyadet. Long names are the norm in Thailand.
King Chulalongkorn (King Rama V) "The Ataturk of Thailand... Somewhat": The Thai's, unlike all of their other neigbors, were never colonized by the western powers. Much of this was due to the works of King Chulalongkorn, who as the Thai ruler during the turn of the 19th century, actually went on long trips, stopping along the way at almost all of the important European capitals and many other capitals in the world and it sounds like litterally networking and building relationships. This relations he built and the sacrifice of the borderlands of his kingdom to the English and French were critical in keeping his country free of foreign domination. In addition, he started a period of modernisation in Thailand, initiating many of the things he had seen during his travels. The guy really seems like he was quite an interesting fellow and was well ahead of his time.
* Muay Thai: Our last night in Bangkok, we went to watch a Muay Thai event in the famous Ratchadamnoen Arena. It is definitely a brutal sport but well worth the price (about $12 per person in 3rd class) to see it. The arena comes alive with people screaming in unison everytime a figther scores a hit (quite often in Muay Thai). However, we soon realized that the main reason for this was the gambling that was also going on. In fact, nearly 80% of the arena seemed to be actively betting from the stands. It was almost like the floor of the New Yort Stock Exchange.
* Heat: Its been in the 90's everyday here and sunny clear skies the majority of the time. After three months in the winter of grey, dark, rainny northeren Europe, the heat and sunshine, at least so far, have actually been quite welcome.
* Beer with Ice-cubes: People often drink beer with ice-cubes here.
Bangkok (Tam)
Large and somewhat sprawling, Bangkok resembles a typically large city in a developing country. It is full of fascinating contrasts: old and new, poverty and new wealth, "Thai-ness" and foreign (both Asian and Western) influence. Moreover, some of the prettiest as well as the most deformed people (many of whom beg along the sidewalks) reside in Bangkok.
Historic District
We greatly enjoyed touring around the historic district. I thought the Grand Palace complex and the temple complex, Wat Phra Kew, which houses the Emerald Buddha, were amazing! Very unique and distinctive. We were able to get a feel for the Thai architecture. It was quite unlike anything we both have seen before. Exotic. We especially like the pillars and stupas decorated in bright rich colors with reflecting materials. However, as the “most venerated buddha image?in Thailand, the Emerald Buddha was disappointing. It may be that we were only able to see the Buddha from far away and he was only about 2 feet high. We also toured the temple, Wat Pho, home to the Thailand’s largest reclining Buddha and largest collection of Buddha icons. The reclining position is the last position the Buddha is pictured in before he reaches Nirvana (enlightenment). The gold-covered reclining Buddha was over 46 meters long and his soles were prettily inlaid with mother-of-pearls. We also visited the National Museum, which detailed the rich history and houses relics from different periods of the Siamese kingdom. This is where we learned about King Rama V (see Cem's note on King Rama V).
Vimanmek Teak Mansion
The world's largest golden teak buildings, Vimanmek, a beautful three storey building with 81 rooms, was King Rama V's residence in the early 1900's. The house reflected his travels and included objects given to him from other state heads. Like the Thai women court dress, it is a mixture of Thai and Western influence, but seems more French and English than Thai. We took a tour of the mansion and enjoyed looking at the treasure trove of early 20th century Thai art objects and antiques. We also greatly enjoyed performances of traditional Thai dancing from different regions of the kingdom and performances of different traditional Thai martial arts in an outdoor gazebo/stage.
Poor Man's Cruise
We took the river bus along Chao Phraya River. This is when the juxtapositioning of rich modern buildings and shacks side by side became much more apparent to us. The shacks were nothing more than sheets of corrugated iron. 40 percent of Bangkok residents live in substandard conditions. Substandard conditions - 10 people living in a small single room.
City of Angels
The “City of Angels?is definitely a misnomer. The "City of Angels" is known world-wide for it's thriving sex industry in the Patpong and Nana "entertainment" areas. (see Cem's note on middle-aged men) Nana, where our hotel is situated, is riddled with lots of bars, where many Thai girls "hang out" and lots of go-go bars. Go-go bars are equivalent to strip clubs in the U.S. It is not uncommon for Cem and I to see many middle-aged men walking around with Thai girls, during any time of the day or night. It seems that if you are a single male with lots of cash, you're bound to find "company" for your stay, if you that's what you want. On our way home one night, I overheard a Western male bargaining for the company of a woman. So bargaining not only apply to goods, but also services. Cem and I have heard amazing stories of "bar tricks" of go-go girls in the Patpong area (which is supposed to be couple friendly) and decided to check it out for ourselves. It's definitely an Experience! and one that I can't really describe; you just have to see for yourself.
Kao Sok National Park
1/31/03 - 2/3/03 (Tam)
Khao Sok could very well have been a location for many of the Vietnam war movies filmed in Thailand. For those of you that may be planning a trip to Thailand, Khao Sok National Park is a must see.
It's the Journey, not the Destination! Yeah right....
The 13 hour train ride and 2 1/2 hour local (which meant we stopped anytime there was a request) bus ride from Bangkok to Khao Sok was painful. Cem and I discovered why the Thais like the bottom bunks on a sleeper train (we were only able to get 2nd class, no A/C uppper berths for the night train with 30+ other people in the compartment), the overhead lights never went off. I had a hard time sleeping because the light was so bright. Once we got off the train, scores of touts held up signs stating multiple destinations. The commotion was somewhat overwhelming at 7:00 in the morning; however, we found our bus. Unlike many tourists, we went off the beaten path and took the road less traveled to Khao Sok National Park.
Khao Sok Homestay Resort
The name "Homestay Resort" is an oxymoron, as homestay implies something very different from a resort. However, I think the owner intentionally wanted to conjure up a picture of the perfect resort, where one can unwind and become part of the family. I will say thought that we greatly enjoyed our stay there! We spent 2 nights in a bamboo bungalow, situated at the edge of a beautiful pond, surrounded by towering limestone mountains and tropical rainforest vegetation. The pond even came complete with its very own island with a picturesque twisting tree. Paradise all for little less than $6 a night! You can see pictures of Khao Sok Homestay Resort on their website and reach them via email at [email protected].
Dam (pronouced dahm) and Monkey Diving
Luckily for us, once we got to Khao Sok, a tout named Dam for Khao Sok Homestay Resort met the bus and showed us pictures of the camp. Although hesitant since it was not recommended by our bible, the Lonely Planet, we decided to take a look, mainly because we were intrigued with his promise of taking us to see "monkey diving" in the afternoon. We settled in and spent the morning on the lawn relaxing by the pond, soaking in our magnific environment.
Side Note: Homestay had only been open to the public for 1 month and 13 days and little did we know how "famous" Dam is in this region for his talented skills as a guide; Homestay poached him from a popular competitor, Treetop River Huts, where most of the tourists from our bus went to.
Tubing down the River
In the afternoon, we went tubing along a river, cutting through limestone cliffs and tropical jungle (just like the jungle river scenes in the Vietnam movies), in adjacent Khlong Saen wildlife sanctuary. (Khao Sok is connected to two other national parks and 2 wildlife sanctuaries, forming the laregest contiguous nature preserve - around 4000 sq. km. on the Thai peninsula!) Tubing was great fun! Although we did have to paddle with our hands more often than not. We even saw a snake in the river! And Grayden, a Kiwi, spotted an eagle. At the end of the trip, Dam fed the fish as we struggle to get back to shore. Both mine and Cem's bums were bitten by the fish. Michael, an English guy with us, was so scared and sat huddled up comically with his arms wrapped around his body. :)
Monkey Diving
In the evening, we were entertained by macau monkeys diving for bananas. Dam and guides from other camps deliberately threw bananas into the river as we watched the monkeys dive below the surface to retrieve the bananas. It was quite an amusing sight! The monkeys came up close to us and even snatched bananas out of our hands if we weren't careful. We were especially entertained by the baby monkeys. After dinner, we listened to the "Monkey Diving Band" - named because all the band members, including our host, dive (scuba-dive).
Chiaw Lan Lake Tour
Chiaw Lan Lake
We took a 2 day tour to Chiaw Lan Lake and stayed overnight on the lake in a remote floating rafthouse, surrounded by towering limestone mountains rising from the water's edge, dense tropical rainforest, gibbon (a type of monkey) calls and frog croaks. The lake is so beautiful! We felt completely awed by our surroundings as we took the 1 hour long-tail boat (a type of traditional Thai boat) ride across the vast reservoir to our rafthouse.
Boat Safaris
Dam has keen eyes and is very quick to spot wildlife. On the first day, Dam took us out on 3 boat safaris, one on canoes and two on the long-tailed boat. The canoe safari was the best! We spotted many langurs (long-tail monkeys) and macaus and were amused by their climbing and jumping antics. The night safari on the long-tailed boat was also interesting. Cem lost a bet to Dam (one beer) over whether we would spot many Great Hornbill birds. We did. The next morning, we took a morning safari on the long-tailed boat. We didn't see any noteworthy animals, but it was a great way to wake up! Spectacular sight: mist rising from the lake and shrouding the mountains. (see photos) In between the safaris, we swam and swapped travel stories with Grayden and Jessica, 2 friendly Kiwis that we met at the Homestay and who we did all of our events together.
Our First Jungle Trek
The next day we trekked through the dense tropical rainforest and jungle, crossing over many streams. At the beginning, in a conscious effort to not get wet, instead of walking across the stream, I walked along a fallen tree and promptly fell on my butt! It hurt. Cem and I didn't have the right "gear" for the hike - amphibious shoes/sandals, and thus, our shoes got soaking wet.
Dam is a very knowledgable guide. We spotted many different types of lizards, including a chameleon, butterflies, and insects. No wild boars, elephants or tigers though. We, except Cem (wus), also sampled a jungle fruit (very bitter) and some tree seeds (cross between sunflower seed and an almond). After about 3 hours, we came to an entrance to a cave.
Caving Experience
Little did we knew what was in store for us. We carefully treaded, waded, and swam through the dark, very dark limestone cave with nothing but flashlights and Dam to guide our way. Grayden lent me a dim little maglite flashlight that was running low on battery and Cem had nothing. At times, we wade in chest deep water through a very narrow opening about 2 feet wide and 20 feet long. Another time, we squeeze through a very narrow opening (by carefully climbing along the cave wall) right before a 5 meter drop, where we swam our way out. Later, Dam told us that this is where people cracked their heads and died, as did one tourist last year when she got stuck in a flash flood. Fortunately for us, Dam was a very responsible and professional guide. He does not take tourists through the cave during rainy season nor during dry season it's raining or about to rain.
We also had to contend with snakes in the water, crabs, insects and all sorts of night crawlers, and lots and lots of bats overhead. Also Dam and Moo, our other guide, kept shining the flashlights on the bats so that they would wake up and fly by over our heads! I was certainly not amused. Cave had lots of staglamites and staglacites. Although nothing spectacular. After about an hour, we finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel! Although a highlight of our tour, we definitely welcomed the end of our caving experience! We were also very fortunate that Dam was our guide. He saved our cameras from getting wet by carrying our backpack as he climbed (barefooted!) along the cave walls while we swam or waded deep in the water. Maybe his physical dexterity is the reason why he won so many Muay Thai bouts! Dam was a champion Muay Thai boxer before he became a tour guide.
Phuket
2/3/03 - 2/6/03 (Cem) Phuket is basically the Bodrum of Thailand. It is the most populated and largest of the Thai islands (80,000). To me, it resembles the tourist frequented areas of Bangkok, but with a resort/summer town feel to it. It is indeed one of the main destinations of the package tours from Europe and the United States. Our reason for coming here was to take a step back and focus on the planning of the rest of our trip, respond to request of b-schools, and to take care of other organizational tasks like our taxes in the U.S. Since it is a fairly big town geared towards tourists, we figured that it would be a good place to take care of all this. Our first night we stayed in a small beach area in the south of the island called Nai Han. This actually ended up being our first bad bangalow experience. Both Tam and I were bitten by a variety of bed bugs overnight. Until then, I had thought that bed bugs were merely an urban legend. Since the location was also a little to far away from things, the next day we moved to Patong, the main resort town in the island. Tommorow we expect to leave early and take a boat to Ko Phi Phi, the island where the movie The Beach was filmed, and stay there for several days.
More Tidbits from Tam...
Chinese vs. Thai; chopsticks vs. fork and spoon: Our bible, Lonely Planet, tells us that Thai people eat a lot of Chinese food and I readily agree. You see Chinese food everywhere, and like the Vietnamese, they've adopted parts of the Chinese cuisine for their own. One distinction our bible tells us is that Chinese food is eaten with chopsticks and Thai food is eaten with a fork and spoon. So don't ask for chopsticks if it's not given to you. I don't think really applies, since it seems that everybody eats with a fork and spoon, unless it's noodle soup.
Is it Thai or is it Vietnamese?: A large population of Thai ethnic origin reside in Los Angeles. While dining in a Thai restaurant, I remember many occasions where I find myself not sure which language was being spoken around me. Thai sounds remarkably like Vietnamese. In fact, there are words that sound exactly the same, but have completely different meanings in the two languages. For me, Thai language sounds like Vietnamese, but doesn't make sense (since I don't speak or understand Thai). The Thai language is a tonal language with five tones that are similar to Vietnamese language. Thus, it has been relatively easy for me to pick up some Thai words and phrases. Along the same line.....
"Tam is Thai": At first, it felt like a compliment. After all, Thai women are reputed to be some of the most beautiful women in the world, or at least among Asians. It also was nice to feel that I "fit" in. However, in areas where the sex trade is thriving, i.e. Patpong in Bangkok and Patong Beach in Phuket, looking Thai no longer was so fun, especially when, only a week into our Thailand trip, a fat old balding middle-age German ask in a hoarse croak for a "massage". I was so thrown off that for a split second I didn't know how to respond. Looking back, I wish I said something like "you wish", "only when hell freezes over, you pervert!", "you pathetic old fart, I pity you" or "you could never afford me, you freaking pathetic loser!" or any of the above combination. Instead I just replied, "you're mistaken. I'm not Thai." Imagine how all the non-prostitutes in Thailand feel, having guys proposition you all the time.
Sex on the Beach: You basically can buy girls for a trick, an hour, a night, all day, all week, all month. Just as long as you have the cash. If Patong Beach is disgusting at night, in broad daylight, it's even worse as ugly old farts walk hand in hand with young Thai girls. In Krabi, we see it every now and then, although usually very discreet. Btw, you can order sex on the beach here, the drink I meant.
Euros are Euros everywhere: Another interesting thing to note is that Europeans are Europeans everywhere.... While I was traveling in Turkey, I remember seeing lots of European sunbathe topless on the beach. The same occurs here in Thailand. However, one can be forgiven for not realizing that it's not a Western beach. In Thailand, the percentage of Thais "vacationing" or relaxing on the beach doesn't seem all that high. I tried it here, but didn't find anything special about it. We were glad to finally leave Patong. It's a great place to go if you were on a vacation for a week or two. It wears you out if stay too long, especially if you are traveling for a long time.
Chinese New Year: We have been seeing lots of Chinese package tourists. A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that over 450 million Chinese (roughly a third of the Chinese population) are traveling this year for Chinese New Year mainly in China but many also oveseas. This has apparently created a logistical nightmare in a country (and unfortunately often times for us in Thailand as well!) that did not even allow the majority of its citizens to travel anywhere just 20 years ago!
Ao Phang-Nga (Tam)
2/6/03 - 2/8/03
Ao Phang-Nga (Ao means bay in Thai) is a scenic area with lots of limestone rocks, clifs, and crags, limestone caves with sparkling staglamite and staglacite, rugged islands that rise out of the sea, and small villages.
Change of plans....
Originally Cem and I had planned on going to Phi Phi Island (pronounced pee pee), where The Beach was filmed. While we were waiting at the bus stop, we were approached by a guy in a minivan. He was taking two other customers to Phuket pier. While we were haggling over the price, our sangthaew, a pickup truck functioning as a local bus, arrived. I made the call to go with the sangthaew as the price he was quoting us was quite high compared to the one that I was quoted by the Lonely Planet. Well, we got to the pier, and it's the same price. So, Cem got quite angry with me (rightly so). The ferry was quite full (several package tours from China) and we would have to stand for 2 hours. I made the call again to not take the ferry. And Cem got even angrier, since we had woken up so early in order to go to Phi Phi island, and now we weren't going.
To rescue the day, I suggested that we reverse our loop, going to Phang-Nga first, then to Krabi, then to Phi Phi Island. Once we got to Phang-Nga town, I inquired into a boat trip around Phang Nga bay. We settled on a full day tour cruising around Phang-Nga Bay in a long-tailed boat and thought it might be interesting to spend the night at Koh Panyee (Panyee Island), a Muslim fishing village on stilts.
Sa Nang Manora Forest
With several hours to kill before our boat departs, Cem and I checked out Phang-Nga city. There’s not much there. The city seems to be the hub for surrounding villages. We saw many schools and lots of school kids busing home. Tourism hasn’t really hit the city yet, even though the local tour agencies do their best to arrange interesting trips around Phang-Nga. All in all, walking around Phang-Nga was a welcome change.
After lunch, our tour company arranged transportation to nearby Sa Nang Manora Forest, which had a well-kept nature trail. It was a nice hike through the rainforest. Here we thought we recognized more varieties of plant life than our previous hike at Khao Sok. We learned that our big tree with big buttressed trunks is called The Giant. In fact, 90% of its roots are located in the first underground meter. We also saw a really neat shell cave, with layers of shells from about 7,000 years ago, when the sea covered the park.
Ko Panyee - Muslim fishing village
We bunked overnight on Ko Panyee in a bamboo bungalow on stilts. In fact the whole village is on stilts. The population is around 1,000-2,000 people who are thought to have descended from two families that had migrated from Malaysia. Most of the shops are geared towards tourists, selling many different types of Thai handicrafts and textiles, as well as most of the restaurants. However, from our tour guide, we learned that Ko Panyee is still, at heart, a fishing village, because tourists usually only come during the high season. It was odd to walk around Ko Panyee, because homes and shops are intermixed along the boardwalk. As a result, one minute we were looking inside some shop and the next moment, into someone’s home. Some were dinky shacks while others were nice and “luxurious?(by Thai standard). Children played on the boardwalk and rode bikes around. Everyone had a nice big television. All in all, it was an interesting walk through the village.
Phang-Nga Boat Tour
We greatly enjoyed our long-tailed boat tour around the bay! Spectacular scenery! One of the advantages of doing the tour from Phang-Nga versus Phuket is that we arrived at and left all of the main sights before hundreds of package tourists. It was also about half the price from Phang Nga! Phang Nga bay is literally littered with many limestone islands, many of them oddly shaped. These green-covered islands appear to have risen from the sea. We also toured many caves with lots of staglacites and staglamites.
Some of the islands and caves that we toured include Leaning Island, aka James Bond island, Nail Mountain Island (flat and wide at the top and narrow at the bottom), Poodle Moutain, Dragon Cave, Inscription Mountain (with depictions of animals and boats from about 3,000 years ago presumably drawn by voyagers who took shelter there during storms), and Room Island (like a “crater?island, the room being the “crater?inside the mountain island).
Ao Nang, Krabi (Cem)
2/8/03 - 2/11/03
While I was in Turkey, Tam and I did a PADI course to become certified divers. Unfortunately, Tam got sick and was unable to complete her course. Anyway, I loved every second that I was underwater in Turkey and had been looking forward to going diving again. In Thailand, I got my chance.
I did my first dive at Krabi between Ao Nang and the island of Ko Phi Phi. The day actually consisted of three dives. The first dive was a wreck dive. We dove in and around the King Cruiser, a ferry that sank under suspicious conditions (widely thought to be an insurance scam) in 1997. As my first wreck dive (ok, it was actually my third dive ever as a certified diver!), it was interesting. The other two dives were around the rocks that the ferry had hit, which I found to be much more interesting. There was really a rainforest of fish down there. The numbers and variety need to be experienced to be appreciated. Unfortunately, I was actually relatively disappointed with my dives. First, when we got to the wreck, there were about fifty other divers at the site. Second, the visibility was terrible. There were moments were it seemed like it was below 10m. If it weren't for the ridiculous number of fish, I probably would have regretted the whole experience.
Now my next dive experience on the other hand was magical. Tam arranged a 3 day 3 night trip to the Surin islands. The trip consisted of a total of 8 dives, including a night dive. In between, we were able to explore the islands, go kayaking and snorkeling, or just laze around. There were nine of us total on the trip. Unfortunately, Tam and I were the only non-German customers! But most everyone was nice and spoke English, and there were two crew members who didn't know any German either.
Anyway, I still have flashbacks from this trip. Every dive left me amazed. My five minutes into my first dive, I spotted a giant Jenkins Stingray which seemed to be the size of a Sumo wrestler. Dave, my divemaster says he had never seen one that big and that we were quite lucky to see one at all. In addition we saw several turtles, sharks (don't worry Mom, only the docile ones. No man-eating sharks off the coast of Thailand), schools of barracudas, eels, etc. Oh yeah, another interesting thing I did on this trip was a cave dive (at a maximum depth of twelve meters), which was a little rough on the ears, but also very interesting. It really would take up too much space to write it all. But as I said, I can still close my eyes and visualize myself diving off the Surin islands...
Tam also did two discovery dives, which entails a private trip up to 10m with a divemaster who sets and controls her buoyancy. After her first not so good experience, I was really hoping she would enjoy it this time. To my pleasure, she really liked it this time and began talking about trying to do her PADI again!
During this trip, I also experienced my first underwater emergency. 30 minutes into my night dive, my low pressure hose burst and started leaking major ammounts of air. I quickly looked at my depth guage and was relieved to see that I was only at about 8 meters. I started shaking my flashlight to get the attention of the other divers in the team. However, after about five seconds of this, I began to do a slow ascent to the surface. Was this a life threatening situation? Not by any means. Although it being a night dive did make it a little more intense. However, it was reassuring to me that I didn't panic and was able to calmly recall my PADI trainning.
A non-diving related point is that I have decided to avoid any further political/current day discussions with people I meet on the road. From my accent, people automatically assume that I am an American, and the topic invariably comes to the Iraqi Crisis. Anyway, my own views aside, I think this topic never ends in a happy discussion, where people just agree to disagree.
More to come on our trip to Ao Nang and Ko Phi Phi...
Krabi (Tam)
Princess Cave Beach
We stayed on Ao Nang beach. Ao Nang has a long stretch of sandy beach. However, it is basically empty as there are much better beaches just a short boat ride away, including Princess Cave Beach. This is one of the most beautiful beaches in the area. White sand so fine that it's powdery. Coconut palms and lush vegetation. Cool and clear aquamarine water. And a hot, hot sun. Perfection....
Side note to Chris Ristau: Chris, you and Anne will find Princess Cave Beach to be the perfect honeymoon spot. It does get a bit crowded, but it was peak season when we went. Also there are other less crowded islands nearby like Ko Lanta. We didn't go because we didn't have enough time before our boat trip to the Surin Islands.
"Rock-climbing" to Princess Lagoon
Despite our lack of proper footwear, Cem and I decided to hike and climb up to the viewpoint. The scenery was fabulous as we took in a view of the peninsula and sea. Encouraged by the relative ease of our trek, we decided to go to the Princess Lagoon, a freshwater lagoon in the middle of the peninsula.
Accidents happen....best be prepared...
As we approached our very last drop, we heard a traveller scream as her friend sliped along the path. We decided to forgo seeing the Lagoon. Before we left, we threw down our first aid kit. Cem and I totally overdid our first aid supply and medicine kits and I've contemplated ditching it, as pharmacies are in abundance. However, we were glad to have been prepared, as this could have easily happen to us. Cem's scuba trip - see Cem's entry
Tam's disappointing boat tour
I took a crappy snorkelling/island tour to the islands around Krabi, which I do not recommend to anybody. It was supposed to be a snorkelling tour (or at least I thought it was), but there was only one stop for snorkelling. and the variety of fish was pathetic (about 5 or so different kinds of fish). no coral beds. however, there was a large school of angel fish around, because people were feeding the fish. There were many tours doing the exact same itineary in the exact same order, so the beaches were crowded to say the least...
Ko Phi Phi (Tam)
2/11/03 - 2/12/03
Paradise...
Cem and I took a day trip to Ko Phi Phi Ley, the island where The Beach was filmed. The island was beautiful and picturesque. Powdery white sandy beach. Clear aquamarine water. No sea lice. (Oh, I forgot to mention earlier that Krabi's beaches, although great to lay on, is not great to swim in - lots of sea lice. Okay snorkelling (not as good as Maui). Lots of the coral reefs had been destroyed by bad boat anchorings. We did see some really cool fish though, including clown fish, parrot looking (because of its colors) fish. Good variety.
... and Paradise Lost
On the other hand, Ko Phi Phi Don, the island where we stayed is dirty and smelly (and extremely expensive to boot! Thai standards of course). The core of the island is a shanty-town of run-down, rusty, corrogated iron shacks. And I thought East L.A. was a slum. Dirt and trash is everywhere. And kids are blithely playing on these "dirt passageways". They always seem happy though. I remember two kids fighting and chasing each other in plastic shopping bags used as potato sacks.
And of course, the nice resorts, line up along the beach...prime real estate, and of course, away from the grim realities of the island people's plight... Yet, not far away enough...as the stink of the sewer/sh!t is pervalent on Ko Phi Phi main beaches. And the water is gross and dirty. There were stuff growing on the bottom on the sand bed. I was so afraid to swim just in case I swallowed some of the stuff. It's really sad to see such beauty destroyed by greed. Basically the island is not equipped to handle that many visitors and their trash.
Thai WWF, Reggae and Buckets
A strange mixture....In one of the local magazines, we read about buckets - a local mix of Thai whisky, Red Bull, and coke served in a bucket. So as Cem and I were wandering around the streets after dinner, we came across a venue, The Reggae Bar, advertising Thai kick-boxing and 2-for-1 buckets. Why not...seems happening...even if the kick-boxing might be half-a$$. What we did not foresee is that it would be staged, yup, staged for our benefit. It was great fun to watch (isn't WWF one of the U.S.' most watched "sports"?) and we got a kick out of knowing that it was staged, but some of the other tourists thought it was real.
More Interesting Tidbits from Tam...
(or not so interesting - Cem)"Tuk Tuk Mafia": (To borrow the phrase from a local magazine)Transportation in Phuket is dominated by a gang "tuk tuk" drivers. You can hardly find any air-conditioned taxis and the tuk tuk drivers gouge you royally, charging about 5 times the equivalent fare in Bangkok. For example, we paid $10 to go approx. 20 km. And bargaining won't work, since they know they got you by the ba!!$... Actually, all types of transportation is expensive in Phuket, except for government buses. To go to Ko Phi Phi would cost 400 baht from Phuket but only 200 baht from Ko Phi Phi to Phuket. Mark Miller, Cem's friend, emailed me the following comment: "... you just have to say ...'Phuket'" Actually, Phuket is pronounced "poo-ket", but "fuk-it" does seem more apt. Oh, one more bad thing about Phuket, Patong stinks! The vents from the sewage system stink up the whole city!
Food: How can I resist commenting on the food.... Thai food is oh so yummy! We haven't had bad Thai food, but on rare occassions, we definitely encountered mediocre cooks.
So far, we have grown addicted (I've always been addicted)to cold fresh young coconuts and chocolate banana crepe-like pancakes. Coconut shakes are oh so yummy! I'm quite hooked on taro as well as coconut ice cream, even though ice-cream is not a good idea...(power outages happen all the time). Cem is quite favorable to noodle soup, any time of the day.
Cem complained the other day because I had ordered him a "western" breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast. These days for breakfast, we either have rice porridge/rice soup or noodle soup. Most of the time, we eat where the locals seem to eat - street stalls and local food stalls.
We did splurge one night and went out to a nice seafood restaurant in Patong, Phuket. The restaurant had a "Maui" feel to it. Large, lots of waiters and waitresses, open air, tropical, etc. It had lost it's "Thai" feel. In front of the restuarants were posters with big pictures of the chefs and highlights of their "cooking experience". For example, over 20 years of experience...trained in France (like that is supposed to matter to "thai" food).... We thought it was quite amusing. The food, however, was amazing! Cem had Thai pineapple rice (rice baked in pineapple, usually with pineapples, cashews, chinese sausage, egg, and chicken or shrimp) and deep fried whole fish with hot and sweet chili sauce for the first time.
One thing is that it doesn't matter where you eat, the chefs love using lots and lots of oil! And lots and lots of chili peppers!
Lots of good fresh fish: Cem and I tried serpenthead or snakehead fish for the very first time. We bought it off of a local at Chiaw Lan Lak and the cooks at Khao Sok Homestay resort seasoned and barbecued it for us. Great fish! Very tasty! We also had fresh swordfish, Thai style with lots of garlic and pepper.
Toilet Paper Napkins: Most food stalls and restaurants that locals frequent will use toilet paper as napkins. They even have plastic toilet paper holders. Quite an economical solution, and although initially strange (wiping one's mouth with paper normally used to wipe one's other opening) I got quite used to the concept. So that's where the toilet paper is used for folks....as I can attest to the fact that there's never any toilet paper in bathrooms!
Ticks and Mosquitoes: I have been bitten more times than I care to count! In fact, I think I get bitten at least 10 times a day. So far, I ran out of 2 anti-itch sticks and 1 mosquitoe repellent spray that I've brought along from the states and had to replenish my supplies. What's even more annoying than having to constantly hold back from scratching myself is the fact that Cem doesn't get bitten at all when we're together! They only bite him when I'm not around or when I engulf myself with DEET.
They're everywhere... For example, last night on Koh Phi Phi, I thought I was safe since I was on an island out in the middle of the sea, but lo and behold, before I even realized it, I was bitten 6 times! One night in Krabi, I got so fed up with not being able to sleep that I turned the lights on and went on a killing spree. I was a madwoman! Stalking and hunting...dancing an Indian "rain dance" of sorts whenever I killed one. I killed 12 mosquitoes that night alone among several other types of bugs and ticks.
I don't know how I got my first tick, nor my second. It was well beyond a day before I realized that something was wrong. The ticks managed somehow to crawl into my inner earfold and attached themselves. My lymph nodes swelled up, I think from trying to fight the ticks. Other than sore ears, I'm fine. Hopefully I haven't picked up lyme disease, malaria, or dengue fever from my many encounters with nasty insects.
Lizards... Speaking of nasties, salamander types of lizards are everywhere. They crawl into our bungalows and guesthouse (so far in Krabi and Ko Phi Phi). (As I am typing this message, there are two lizards in the internet cafe!) Makes me feel as if I'm really out in the "wilderness" when I'm not...especially when I hear strange noises at night...
Japan and Baths: I never thought I would miss my little apartment in Japan, but I do. I miss my bathroom. My apartment was tiny, but my bathroom was twice as big as any bathroom you would find in a U.S. My bathtub was a mini hot tub. The bathrooms in Thailand are quite terrible. And I mean terrible.
Powdery White Sandy Beaches: Some of the beaches here are amazing! Not only is the beach usually fringed by swaying coconut palms, but also the sand is white and very fine, resembling powder. Cem made the comment "it's like you sink into it (the sand)".
For Awards presentation purpose only.... Both in Thailand and in Malaysia, it is popular with Westerners (including us) to watch newly released films shown in a cafe. Usually it's an illegal DVD or VCD copy. In Georgetown, throughout the movie, we saw the scrolling script...For awards presentation purpose only. Not for sale and definitely not for public viewing... :)
Diving in the Surin Islands
2/12/03 - 2/16/03 See diving entry for Ao Nang
The Southern Thailand Border City of Hat Yai
2/16/03 - 2/17/03
CemWe basically spent this day traveling, as we were on a bus for nearly nine hours from Khao Lak first to Surathani than to Hat Yai. Hat Yai was basically a pit stop for us between the west coast of Thailand and our first stop in Malaysia, Penang. Beside it being the third largest city in Thailand, there seemed absolutely nothing interesting about this city. We took advantage of the time and planned our excursion into Malaysia and Singapore for the next two weeks. This portion of the trip had become more important recently when I scheduled one of my MBA interviews in Singapore. Tam: definitely more headscarves....
