Category Archives: Thailand

Koh Tao Island

2015-06-01 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

After leaving Bang Saphan I headed directly to Champon to catch a catamaran over to the very beautiful island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand. Only 21 sq. Km, Koh Tao (turtle island) has surprisingly a lot going for it! It boasts 2 of the top diving schools in the world and is considered one of the top spots in the world to dive, has several volunteer opportunities from being a “Trash Hero” to helping at the Animal Clinic and even some Marine Conservation programs as well. In addition, it has 2 Muay Thai Kickboxing training facilities: Island Muay Thai (where I’m currently training and will write more about in another post) and Monsoon Muay Thai Gym.

Catamaran Dock

Catamaran to Koh Tao

Dock Bay

Koh Tao Arrival

Koh Tao

Koh Tao_2

The island itself is lush and green with a large variety of foliage and critters all around. The beaches are breathless with clear blues and greens and abundantly diverse marine life to boot. Sadly, the island does have a dark past as it is the site of the very unfortunate murders of a young British couple just last year in September that made news world-wide. There are even websites dedicated to the “dark side” of Koh Tao, but so far I haven’t witnessed or felt any dark side to the island.

Koh Tao_3

Koh Tao Arrival_2

Koh Tao Arrival_3

Koh Tao Arrival_4

Koh Tao Green

The Neighborhood_3

Like the two neighboring islands to the South of Koh Tao, Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Tao also parties it up every full moon. They call them “Full Moon” parties, which is really just another excuse to do what people do nightly here (party in bars) but apparently kicked up a notch. Before coming I had heard the Government is trying to put a stop to them because of the drugs that also surface during the parties, but so far all the islands are still celebrating the moon phases. The other two islands apparently also have half-moon parties and even new moon parties! I haven’t experienced the Full Moon party here (the first one I will be present for is tomorrow night) but honestly have no interest to join the crowds at the bars for it. See, while this place does have a huge party scene to it, my purpose here is to train in Muay Thai and get involved where I can in the available volunteer opportunities. Guess I’m growing up a bit… Just a bit though;)

Sunset

Sunset_2

Another Sunset

Another Sunset_2

Another Sunset_3

Another Sunset_4

The expat community here is also huge! Most are in their early 20’s and have come here originally just for vacation and ended up getting jobs and staying. I would say honestly the population of people from the UK or Australia is possibly more than that of Thai’s and Burmese. It is legal to get a job in Thailand as an expat if it’s in an area of expertise that a Thai local wouldn’t necessarily have, such as teaching English or in the case of Koh Tao, diving instructors. One of the bummers in my opinion about having so many expats on the island however, is that the Thai culture seems lost a bit. Many of the locals speak better English than most native speakers and while they may view it as a benefit for them, it’s hard to find locals who only speak Thai. Hence why I wrote my other post on “Talking Thai” so I wouldn’t forget what I’ve learned so far!

The Neighborhood

The Neighborhood_2

Sairee Main Road

Sairee Main Road_2

Sairee Beach

Sairee Beach_2

As the island does boast some of the best diving in the world, there are dive shops absolutely everywhere! You could probably throw a rock in any given direction while walking, and within only a few meters (depending on your location) could hit anywhere from 3-5 of them! They really are everywhere you look, which makes it tough when trying to pick one to go with. Everyone has their opinion on which is the best, and so far each person I’ve spoken to has named a different one as “the best”, lol!! Though I do have my open water certification, I have yet to have done any diving as it’s been so long since my certification and I would have to do the refresher course AND for this month at least, I am tapped out financially on my extra-curricular spending. It’s all about the budgeting! Perhaps next month I’ll get into it, but for now, I frankly enjoy going to the beaches and simply snorkeling! It’s free to snorkel on your own (though there are snorkel tours available too) and the variety of marine life seen snorkeling is impressive enough to me to stick with that for now.

Sairee Beach_3

Sairee Beach_4

Siaree Beach_5

Pedestrian Walkway

Sairee Beach_6

Sairee Beach_7

Truth be told… while there are several beaches around the island I’ve so far only made it to two! Sairee beach and Hin Wong beach. Hin Wong beach is teeny and is privately owned so the owner (Mol of Mol’s beach bar) asks that each visitor either pays 50 baht (equivalent of just over $1.50) or buys a drink from the bar. The snorkeling is unbelievable there and I keep returning for it’s absolute beauty and range of marine life! Every time I go I see something new! There are irradescent clams, blue-spotted sting rays, parrot fish, all sorts of damsel fish, christmas tree corals, anemones, puffer fish, and on and on! Every time I go I also wish I had an underwater camera so I could share the beauty under the water!

Hike to Hin Wong

Hin Wong Bay Peek

Hin Wong Bay Peek_2

Hin Wong Bay

Hin Wong Bay_2

Hin Wong Bay_3

Since I don’t have a motorbike however (the roads are absolute crap on the island and the other drivers are nuts to boot!!) I walk there, which is yet another way I get my exercise. It’s a literal pain in my rear to scale the wee but very steep hill to get to the other side of the island, but it’s well worth it once there!! While I do adore going to that beach, I also try to space out how often I go because inevitably I end up having some drinks at the bar then curse myself as I have to make the trek back over the hill, sweating my rear off (and hopefully some of the booze) to get back to my place. Mol herself is quite the character too! She is a native Thai but speaks English perfectly and even has a cockney accent when she drinks, lol!!

Hin Wong Crab

Fishes!

Mol’s Beach

Mol’s Beach_2

Mol’s Beach_3

When I first arrived, I walked my way in the blistering heat from Mae Haad (where the boats all dock) toward Sairee and found very close to the Wat a place called Happy Bungalows. For 400 baht a night I got my own bungalow with a bed, bathroom and little fridge. When I first arrived I wasn’t sure honestly how long I’d actually stay. My plan was to check out the two Muay Thai gyms and if I liked one, I would stay for a month to train. If not, I would hang about for a few days to a week then head elsewhere. Within 3 days I’d decided to stay and found a monthly rental with a kitchen through Bua Management. Now almost 3 weeks in, I’m planning to stay for another month. There are two reasons I came to that decision: first, I’m really enjoying the Muay Thai training and want to give it another month and second, one of my friends will be popping into Thailand to see me. Since she is interested in diving, I figured I may as well stay put so at the very least she gets to do some diving in one of the best spots! 🙂

Eating Bat and The View

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Sairee Beach_8

Pedestrian Walkway_3

Sairee Beach_9

Sairee Beach_10

Monument to Founding King

Sairee Beach_11

Monument to Founding King_2

King’s Mark

Pier Road

Pier Road_2

Sairee Beach_12

Pier Road_3

Thailand, Travel

Talking Thai

2015-06-01 ramblintraveler 2 Comments

As this blog not only serves as a site for information for fellow travelers, it also serves the purpose of being my memory. Something that years from now I can read about and think fondly back on. As the Thai language is a very foreign and tricky, before I forget all the words I know I wanted to jot them down:) You will notice that several of the Thai words seems to be the same, yet have different English meanings. This is because depending on how the word is spoken (i.e. an inflection or intonation) the meaning changes. And of course I’m not writing the Thai words as they would actually be spelled, but rather in the way they sound so the pronunciation is correct. So here we go…

Poured: Please
Sa-wah-dee-ka: Hello/Goodbye (spoken by females)
Sa-wah-dee-kap: Hello/Goddbye (spoken by males)
Khob-Khun-Ka: Thank you
Mama: Very
Khob-Khun-mama-Ka: Thank you Very much 🙂
Chai: Yes
Mai Chai: No
Ka/Kap (female/male): Sure, Yup, ok, uh-huh, your welcome
Hong: Room
Nam: Water
Hong nam: Bathroom
Sue-Aye: Beautiful
Ma (long A sound): Dog
Ma (short A sound): Come
Ma (long A sound with voice down): Horse
Klap Ma: Come back
Mayo: Cat
Sah-bye: Good
Mai Sah-bye: Not good
Sah-bye-dee: Good health
Mai Sah-bye-dee: Bad health
Tong: Stomach
Gai: Chicken
Kai: Egg
Kai Gai: Chicken egg
Tao-Rai: How much?
Ah-you-da Rai: How old?
Moo: Pork
Ooo-ah: Vomit (this one was an animal clinic word I learned and NOT learned because of the next word, lol!)
Mao: Drunk
Naan Tell-lie: How long?
Lawn: Hot
Mack: Very
Lawn mack: very hot
Nit Noi: Little bit
Mack Noi: A lot
Wah-Nee: Today
Prune-Nee: Tomorrow
Maroon-Nee: Day after tomorrow
Moon-Nee: Yesterday
Numb Ken: Ice
Toe-Who: Tofu
Mee: Bear
Mee Panda: Panda Bear 🙂
Ko: Beach
Tao: Turtle
Took-kay: House gecko
Baan: House
Phone: Rain
Non (pronounced like Noni -as in the juice- without the I): Sleep
Pah-ah-tea: Sun
Sabaidee my ka?: How are you?

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Thailand

The ‘Squirrely’ Side of Thailand

2015-05-22 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

I thought it only fair since I posted ‘Things to Love about Thailand’ that I should also have a little ranting page about things I find squirrely about the country as well. Again, they are in no particular order 🙂

#1: Whitening
Ok, now I understand that this is 100% a culture thing. Unlike many people in the Western world and many Europeans, Asians want white skin. White skin is a sign of wealth. For if you are wealthy, you spend most of your time indoors and don’t have to work or labor outdoors, hence you stay out of the sun, hence you have white skin. On the flip side, having dark skin is a sign of poverty. So ok, I get people here want white skin, but what I’m not a fan of is the whitening products and not having a real choice outside of it. Deodorants, body washes, lotions, basically any product for your skin has chemical whitening agents in them. As a falang who prefers a little color to my skin, and as a person who doesn’t want unnecessary chemicals put on my skin, it’s really, REALLY hard to find any skin products without whitening chemicals in them. They are all “whitening”, “extra whitening”, “white and firm”, etc…. What’s worse to me is so-called skin care product experts like Nivea, Oil of Olay, Dove, and so on are on the whitening bandwagon. They are just out to give what the culture wants despite what damage it may do. All about the $$$$… Again, I get it’s a culture thing to want white skin, I just wish there were options that didn’t have the whitening chemicals in them, that’s all 🙂
#2: Electric Lines
I don’t know why it is exactly that electrical poles have what sometimes looks like hundreds of lines coming off of them stretching along every road and side road. It’s as if they had poles with a few lines at first, then as demand for electricity increased they just added more and more and more. It’s sometimes scary as when you walk by many of the poles you can hear them literally buzzing with electricity! And between some of the poles the electrical lines stretch from the top of the pole to at least half-way down allowing the lines to sag almost to the ground. Now, I’m not an expert in electricity by any means, so I may be way out of my depth here, but I would think there would be a “neater” or more organized way to get electricity where needed without just adding more and more to already congested poles… Hmmm…

Wires Galore

Wires Galore_3

Wires Galore_2

#3: Sugar
I learned very quickly that sugar is super popular here in Thailand. They put it in EVERYTHING!! It’s even a condiment on the table for your meal! They have the chili pepper powder, fish sauce, a vinegar sauce with sliced chili in it and sugar. Nope, that’s NOT salt! I’ve heard that Thailand is way up there for diabetes and obesity, though to be honest I haven’t noticed that many obese Thai’s, so while that part came as a surprise to me, after realizing and tasting that yes, everything does have a ton of sugar in it, it’s not so shocking after all. Bread, coffee, “all natural juices”, potato chips, the list goes on! If shopping on the street at the various vendors, if it looks like it may be tart or not have sugar in it, you really won’t know for sure until you take that first bite. As someone who is trying to watch sugar intake for personal health benefits, I literally have to read every ingredient on what I pick up in the store to check for sugar. I’ve done this action so often now, I even recognize the word in Thai (since the majority of ingredient lists are 100% in Thai). Such a bummer!

#4: Visas
If you enter Thailand via air, you automatically will receive a tourist Visa for 30 days. If you want to have a Visa for a longer period of time, you can apply before going to Thailand to the nearest Thai embassy for a 60 or even 90 day Visa. It is possible to get a year Visa if you are doing some sort of education while in the country such as learning to speak Thai or Muay Thai training. If you arrive in Thailand via land (bus or train) you get a 15 day Visa!! Seriously??? What in the world would anyone actually be able to see of Thailand in 15 days!?!?! I understand that there are many expats and travelers that get jobs while originally just visiting Thailand and aren’t being legal about it (paying the appropriate taxes and such) so the government is trying to limit the amount of time people stay in the country to make it harder for those who get jobs and aren’t legal about it. I get that. It’s just unfortunate from the perspective of regular travelers who just want to explore the country without having to leave every 30, 60 or 90 days (yes, even 90 days is a pain to have to do!!) especially with some borders being closed (well, you can leave, but you can’t come back). I’m spending my saved earned money in this country… Wouldn’t they want me to be here for a longer period of time without having to leave? Then again, maybe that’s part of it too… Paying for transport in and out of the country to be right by the Visa is also stimulating the economy… Hmmmm…. The rules do change quite often apparently and many expats who have been here legally for many years simply say that “that’s what happens when the government is ruled by the military”. (Sigh)

#5: Thai’s Don’t Sweat!
Ok, this one is obviously just meant to be humorous… It simply astounds me how the Thai people never seem to actually sweat!!! Seriously, if I’m sitting indoors without a fan directly on me I start to sweat profusely! And even then, while the skin being hit by the fan is dry and cool, my backside is not! Walking anywhere and well forget it, I’m drenched in sweat so often just walking about that my clothes change color from being sweat soaked. I’m constantly peeling clothes off soaking wet clothes and setting them outside to dry after my walks and when they do dry they are streaked with white marks across them (from the salt in my sweat) so into the wash they have to go. Yet watching Thai laborers in the sun constructing a new building, carrying materials and such, not a single drop of sweat anywhere! Their skin isn’t glistening with any sign of stress!! Ok, now of course this is a teeny bit of an exaggeration because of course they sweat, otherwise I’d think that was a major health issue, but seriously compared to how I and other falangs sweat, it’s night and day! What is their secret??? I’m off for my third shower of the day now to rinse off the sweat from simply writing this post. 😉

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Thailand

Smack First, Ask Questions Later

2015-05-22 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

I’ve noticed recently that I’ve been practicing what I’ve now coined as the “smack first, ask questions later” action… It really has nothing to do with the recent Muay Thai training I’ve been doing (just finished session 5 today and it’s a real rear-kicker!!). And when I think back I’ve been “smacking first and asking later” since arriving in Thailand last December.

So what am I referring to exactly? Well, you see, not every place has a mosquito net covering the beds. And even if they did, they don’t prevent 100% of whatever night critters decide to come out and join you bedside… And since I’m arachnophobic, I would rather not actually see what it is that’s crawling on me, because if I ever visually found it to be a spider I would absolutely lose my mind.

Enter the “smack first, ask questions later” motto. It’s a simple concept that I use more often than not. Whenever I feel something on my skin while in bed or hanging about, without looking to see what it is, I simply smack the area where I feel the unknown critter. Sometimes that’s the end of it. But sometimes I do feel a body beneath my hand in the area I’ve just smacked so just as quickly as I’ve hit the unknown creature I swiftly grab the body and chuck it as far away as possible from where I am. It’s become such a common movement that I don’t even notice I’ve done it sometimes. And yet I wonder where that bruise came from the next day, lol!!

Thankfully I’ve never come across the body of whatever I’ve hit and thrown off me the next day, which really means one of two things: either the creature was just stunned by the hit and limped away after recovering OR its body was eaten by another critter during the night. Neither of those scenarios are very comforting really, but that’s jungle living for ya! All part of the joys:)

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Bang Saphan, Thailand

Bang Saphan

2015-05-17 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

On the Gulf coast of Thailand, halfway between Prachuap Khiri Khan and Chumphon (where transfer to Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand can be found) is the beautifully picturesque and quiet town of Bang Saphan. I had heard of this place as a recommendation from Sai and Charlie in Sangkhlaburi and am so grateful for it!

Beach from Bungalow

Lola Beach

Beautiful Sky

I will admit right off the bat that I barely spent any real amount of time in the town itself, and well basically the reason for that was because once I had arrived at the bungalows I’d chosen, I simply didn’t want to leave! That and I was about 4 km south of the actual town, and since I didn’t have a motorbike, there was no real big draw for me to go into town. But I’m getting ahead.

Bungalow View

Bungalow View_2

Beautiful Sky_2

Lola’s from Road

I took the mini-bus from Prachuap, which was only about 80 baht and an hour and a half or so later was dropped off on the side of the road for Bang Saphan. The drop off location for the mini-bus was about 4 km west of the town, so I had to get a ride in. There was a motorbike taxi standing by, so I hopped on and asked to go to Lola’s Bungalows. I had read up on this guesthouse from a posting on Travelfish and since it said it was their top pick and cheaply priced, I thought why not? But as the bungalows were 4 km south of town, it ended up being quite an expensive trip there via motorbike! Frankly there could have been a cheaper way to go, but being in the heat of the day and not very many other options just hanging about, I went ahead with the motorbike.

Approaching Storm

Endless Land

Land Life

Endless Land_2

Once I arrived, I was already in love! The property didn’t even have a sign up but it was evident how popular it was. About 20 or so individual bungalows were on the property that were situated only several dozens of feet from a stunning beach! I was shown to a bungalow and for 300 baht a night, set my things down and got ready for the beach! What I thought was cute about this place (other than the amazing location) was how when I tried to pay for the bungalow, they simply waved me off and said to do so whenever I decided to leave. I like that kind of trust in people!

Simple Road

Marsh Land

Endless Land_3

In any event, I had only planned on being there max 5 days, but ended up staying 2 full weeks! Most of the bungalows were occupied by couples or families that had been staying there already for weeks themselves and or were planning to be there for a month at least. I guess that’s why the property owners didn’t want money up-front as they were probably used to people coming in and then wanting to stay on!

Endless Land_4

Cow in the Road

Ocean View from Afar

Setting Sky

Along the beach were several eateries, including my personal favorite called Roy Tawan all of a 3 minute walk along the beach south from the bungalows, that had THE BEST chicken club sandwich I’d tasted in a very long time!! I was seriously addicted to it!! And for every meal they would start you off with fresh bananas and give sliced mango for dessert! So for about $1.50 I was very fully and quite healthily satiated! Another favorite spot I had was the Why Not Bar just a bit further south along the beach where about the only nightlife could be found. The people there were so friendly and welcoming, I just adored it!

Sunset Sky

Lola’s Beach at Night

My favorite Beach Home

Lola’s Beach at Night_2

I spent my two weeks at Lola’s getting myself back into an exercise regime, lounging on the many hammocks along the beach reading books, walking daily anywhere from 2-6km through the lush and beautiful land filled with a variety of life to various stores for my food needs (they had a fridge in the room) or to the Thursday and Saturday evening market at the nearby Wat, hanging out at the Why Not Bar, eating a ridiculous amount of Club sandwiches from Roy Tawan, taking brief dips in the ocean (only brief and I will explain why later), gazing at the night sky, eating yet another ridiculous amount of ridiculously fresh and juicy mangos on my front porch, exploring new ways to walk to the neighborhood stores (one dirt path included cutting through a cow pasture), chatting with neighbors and making local friends, enjoying the sights and sounds of approaching storms, listening to some guided meditations on YouTube before falling asleep nightly and generally otherwise relaxing and unwinding.

Lola’s Bungalows

Working Macaque

Macaque Bum

Dropped Coconut

I saw my first flying squirrels there and though they were impossible to take images of, since they only came out at night and moved too quickly to capture, they were still a delight to watch! Another thing I’d heard about but had never witnessed before Bang Saphan was coconut collectors using monkeys to cut off and throw down the coconuts! Some workers also had long bamboo sticks with a knife at the end that they would use to cut off coconuts, but far more had several macaques with them that would easily climb to the top and chuck down several coconuts. I hope and could only assume the animals were treated well!

View from Why Not Bar

View from Why Not Bar_2

Full Moon Rising

I mentioned above that I only spent brief time swimming in the ocean, and the reason for that was first because there were several jellyfish in the area. Every time I walked out into the ocean I could spot several bobbing along looking harmless enough, yet I wasn’t going to test how much their sting might hurt! Of course I could have simply walked past the area they were bobbing in as the deeper you got the fewer jellyfish there were, however once getting past the gauntlet of jellyfish, another gauntlet of sorts had to be passed. See, this particular beach had hundreds upon hundreds of sand dollars in the sand. You could feel them under your feet as you walked, their little bodies crunching under the weight of my feet and I just couldn’t stomach damaging them just so I could get out deep enough to where I could start to actually swim or float. So, between the jellyfish and not wanting to potentially kill dozens of sand dollars with each trip in and out of the ocean, I simply opted to hang beside the ocean instead:)

Full Moon Rising_2

Full Moon Rising_3

Macaque at Work

Macaque at Work_2

Another first that I witnessed one Saturday when I went for an early lunch at Roy Tawan was a bird singing competition… A bird singing competition… Yes… Let me set the scene: I arrived at Roy Tawan and sat at a little table awaiting my food when I spotted in the grass section nearby a metal structure with about 12 cages hanging. Each cage had a bird in it and there was even another bird cage (with a bird inside) hanging in the shade about 20 feet from the other 12 on the metal structure. One man was sitting under the shade with the bird and he had a cylinder vase filled with water that he would drop the shell of what looked like half of a coconut that had a small hole in the bottom. Once the coconut shell filled with water and sunk to the bottom, he would blow a whistle and retrieve the coconut. At this point, two men whom had been standing on opposite sides of the 12 hanging bird cages would approach a cage and make a mark on a piece of paper hanging from the bottom of each cage. Then they would step back and seemingly watch the next cage. The whistle was blown again, the coconut shell was dropped (their way of timing!) and the whistle blew again to signal time, the men would make their mark on the next bird cage and move on.

Macaque at Work_3

Macaque at Work_4

Macaques lost in Palms

Now, mind you during this entire time all the birds were singing away. The air was filled with birds singing as well as with some people on the side lines making sounds that sounded like encouragement to one bird or another. I asked the local woman at Roy Tawan what on earth was going on and she simply said it was a bird singing competition! The birds in the 12 cages were trying to mimic the song of the single bird in the shade. The two men making marks were judges and they were scoring which birds sang the best in comparison to the one bird! Just as I was wondering how in the world these judges could hear only the sound of the one bird they were supposed to be watching for judging and drown out the other 11 birds singing their hearts out, she added “I don’t understand this competition, it seems very silly to me”! LOL!!

Lola Beach_2

Lola Beach_3

Lola Beach_4

Endless Land_5

Lola Beach_5

I honestly could have stayed another 2 weeks at Lola’s but alas, it was time to move on! I think I had gotten my fill of relaxation and was ready to try a new spot. My next destination was for the island of Koh Tao:)

On To Koh Tao Island

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Thailand, Travel

Things to Love about Thailand

2015-05-17 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

I’ve been traveling in Thailand now for over 5 months now, so I thought perhaps now is the best time to break out with a few things I love or at least find the most interesting about Thailand:)

It will be a working list and isn’t in any particular order with the exception of the first one. 🙂

#1: NO SHOES!!!
I absolutely adore how before entering any building, home or place of work you must first remove your shoes! This goes for just about every place, with the exception of some grocery stores (though no one would squawk if you didn’t have your shoes on) and with some restaurants as well. But for the most part (including in the vet clinic where I volunteered) you have to kick off your shoes before entering. I will admit sometimes it’s a pain to do so (if you are wearing anything other than flip flops) but otherwise, the no shoe rule is my favorite cultural behavior and one that I will be using wherever I end up for good:) I love, love, LOVE it!!

#2: Nature
The diversity of the landscapes here are extraordinary! From the beaches to jungle to islands, mountains, rivers and lakes, Thailand seems to have just about every kind of terrain one would want to find.

#3: House Geckos
I just adore these creatures! They are simply a much larger version of regular geckos and they are quite beneficial to have in the home since they take care of the majority of other insects in the home (including spiders, yay!!). They also make the cutest and most interesting sound. They start off with a quick series of chitters, then make a series of staccato sounds in repetition. When I first heard their sound I thought I was crazy because it sounded like they were saying “F you” in slow repetition. However, I’ve come across many other travelers and very-well-spoken-in-English-locals who have also pointed this out, so I guess I wasn’t as crazy as I thought, LOL!

#4: Animals
I know I just wrote about the geckos, and they technically would qualify in the animal section as well, but I just love those little buggers so much that they got their own section. However, I do also adore the large variety of other kinds of animals here in Thailand. From elephants, street dogs and cats, variety of monkeys, flying squirrels, regular squirrels, lizards, birds, the diversity is so rich! You just never know what you are going to find! The sea life is also beautifully diverse and lush! From corals to sting rays, sharks, nudibranchs, sea cucumbers, and a huge variety of fish, it’s amazingly impressive!

#5: Kind & Honest People
The people are generous and kind, patient and welcoming. I have yet to run into a rude local here and though I’ve heard from other fellow travelers that it all depends on where you go, in my opinion and experience the people have been nothing but kind. In addition to the generous and kind nature of the people here, they are also very honest. In particular when it comes to money. I’ve been other places where I’ve handed over too much money (from being tired or just not thinking the correct exchange rate) and they’ve gone on their way with the extra money in hand. Here, there have been several occasions where I’ve handed over too much and they immediately return whatever over I’ve paid, even if it’s just a single baht! I’ve gotten so comfortable with their honesty that there have also been several times when my mind wasn’t working properly to understand how much I owed in Thai that I’ve simply held a bunch of bills and let them pick what they needed. I love that kind of honesty as it makes one feel more comfortable in their surroundings!! Now, that’s not to say some people won’t try to overcharge you for something (cab ride, etc) but if you ask upfront what something will cost, they stick by it.

#6: No sleazy men
Traveling in Latin American countries, one thing I had to get used to that also really annoyed me at times, but just had to learn to ignore, was the cat calls, whistles, stares and hissing sounds (they literally sounded like snakes to be honest) men would constantly make toward any female as you walked by. Here, no such behavior exists! The men are much more respectful in that way and even to the point where I sometimes wondered why I wasn’t getting any looks from locals, and it simply is because their culture, unlike others, is to not display emotions of affection in any way in public. Hence, no cat calls, uncomfortable stares or hissing sounds!

#7: Packaging with plastic bags
This one I personally struggle with from the environmental perspective and really wish they would cut back on their use of plastic bags, but I do also find it interesting and entertaining how they package to-go food or drink items. Coffee, sodas, rice, soups, and more are packaged in a plastic bag tied off with a rubber band for take away. Other items like rice and pad thai are put in styrofoam containers, so it’s one evil for the environment versus the other… While I can understand the simplicity and ease of using plastic bags, I wish in general they would cut back because they insist in using a ton of bags for very few items. I’m always refusing bags (as I generally bring my own or just don’t need one) but you really have to be on the ball to say you don’t want a bag as they are very quick to snatch one out. The straws also drive me nuts (though technically from the hygienic perspective it’s better) as they will give you one for each can or bottle purchased (including for beers) so if I walked in and bought 2 bottles of water and a soda they would put in 3 straws!

#8: Built to last
Another thing that really impresses me about Thailand is the construction of their homes and buildings. Yes, there are several homes that are made entirely from bamboo and other wood (though bamboo is a very highly resilient wood to begin with!) but many homes, stores and general buildings are built to a very high quality standard and are built to last! It’s amazing watching them construct a home or other building because their scaffolding is simply rickety looking pieces of wood that you wouldn’t think would hold people walking or working around them, yet the finished product is brick and concrete with tile throughout.

#9: Muay Thai
Whether it’s enjoying an evening out watching fights or joining in training yourself, Muay Thai is entertaining, engaging and a real real-kicker! Granted not all fights are created equal as some are much more entertaining or gruesome than others, but all the fighters have a real sportsmanship about them that isn’t as easily found in countless other sports. What I love the most is the fights where it’s evident that the competitors are friends. They encourage each other between fighting rounds but when the bell goes off, all bets are off and “may the best fighter win” kicks in. Another thing I love about Muay Thai is the sense of tradition and culture. The fighters respect the ring, the judges, their opponent and their God. The more I train in Muay Thai, the more I understand the fights as I watch and questions I had before while watching fights are now answered because of my own training. I won’t go into that here, but will in a future post for sure!

To be continued…

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Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand

Ao Manao

2015-05-03 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

One of the nicer and calmer beaches in Prachuap Khiri Khan is that of Ao Manao. It was located about 4 km South from the Ban Thai Hut Bungalows where we were staying. It is well worth the walk (as we did) or a taxi can get you there much faster otherwise 🙂 If you plan to walk, make note that you do have to cross a military checkpoint and sign in as a guest and part of your walk will include walking across an airstrip! Rules state that you can’t take pictures of it (go figure) so I of course ignored that… Kidding! Best part about this beach is that for 10 baht, approximately $0.31, you can rent a comfy lounge chair (all day!!!) completely shaded under umbrellas right on the beach. They even serve food and drinks (for an extra charge of course) right to you. It was quite the relaxing and pampering day! In any event, enjoy the pictures from the walk there 🙂

On to Bang Saphan

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Hilltop Wat

Southern View

Northern View

Crossing the Bridge

Wat Hill

Going to Work

Beach Pack

Macaques!

Macaques w Baby

Wat Hillside

Wat Hill Longview

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Macaques!_3

Macaques!_4

Macaques!_5

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Macaque Crossing Road

Wat Park

Wat Park_2

Monument

Decorative Guesthouse

Along the Sea Wall

Hanging Fish

Boats in the Bay

Fish Drying

Boats in the Bay_2

View of Khao Lommuak

Pretty Foliage

Golden Rain Tree

Holy Ground

Pretty Foliage_2

Pretty Foliage_3

Pretty Foliage_4

Ao Manao

Ao Manao_2

Ao Manao_3

Ao Manao_4

Ao Manao_5

Ao Manao Cafe

Ao Manao_6

Ao Manao_7

Ao Manao Crab

Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand

Hiking Khao Lommuak

2015-04-27 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

Jo and I rose early to meet a local and her son who had invited us for a hike to the top of Khao Lommuak. We had met Ploi and her 13-year-old son Noi Noi several days prior to the hike at a restaurant called Da-DoDo (by Dubai) that she and her husband (a native Italian) run. From the first time Jo and I had gone to Da-DoDo, the reception was unbelievably welcoming and warm. The food was also very delicious, and since it was only located a couple of doors down from where we were staying, well obviously, we had Italian more than just a few times, much to the dismay of my waistline, but NOT my taste buds! 🙂

Sunrise

Sunrise_2

We really weren’t all that keen about having to get up so early (we met Ploi at 6am) but knowing how hot it gets as soon as the sun rises around here, it made the most sense to get the hike started as early as possible. We hopped in to Ploi’s car and headed out to Khao Lommuak, one of the tallest of the islands in Prachuap that divide Ao Manao and the Prachuap bay. It really was a good thing that we had gone with a local because though Jo and I had already planned to do the hike at one point, we would have gone to the wrong place for it to begin with! See, we had already walked to the Ao Manao beach several days earlier and had spotted signs for the National Park just before reaching the beach. But this entrance is NOT the entrance to the hiking trail… So had we gone on our own, we would have been very lost as to actually finding the place.

Dusky Leaf Monkeys

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_2

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_3

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_4

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_5

Hike Entrance

In any event, once we arrived at the hike entrance, we were greeted by some lovely monkeys that live at the base of Khao Lommuak. I had never seen this particular primate before and came to learn they are called dusky leaf monkeys or spectacled leaf monkeys! They were quite the friendly bunch and eagerly accepted any food items we gave them. I had some peanut butter crackers I had bought for breakfast and as a snack on the way up the hill, but of course ended up giving them all away to the beautiful monkeys! Apparently, while the adults have a brown/black coat, the babies have yellow fur until they are about a year old, then it changes to the adult color:) We didn’t see any babies during our first visit, but were fortunate enough to see one when we came back down.

Monument at Base

Looking up from the Base

The dreaded Stairs!

Natural Path Start

After about 20 minutes playing with the monkeys, it was time to get the hike on! The hike in total was 6 kilometers (round-trip) to a height of 240-ish meters from sea level. Honestly I was shocked to hear how little of a height that was, since it seemed a lot higher as we climbed up and looked down!! We started up the trail which first was just a series of steps with Noi Noi in the lead. I can’t recall now exactly how many stairs there were, but generally to keep myself distracted from the pain of climbing stairs I simply count. If memory serves however it was over 500! We were all taking breaks of course to catch our breath, drink water and collect ourselves before moving on. And of course I had to use the excuse that I needed pictures in order to rest a bit 😉

A Wee Cave

Half-way up View

Rope Assistance

Wee Island View

Getting Closer to Top

Keep on Climbing

It was just before the stairs turned to a natural dirt and rock path that little Noi Noi decided to turn back. He had done the hike the day before and wasn’t up for doing the whole thing again, so he headed to the car. I had gone ahead up to the end of the stairs and started to climb up the rock path until I reached a little cave. Not sure of whether anyone else was going to join me however, I headed back down a bit to see what the plan was. Ploi also had apparently gone back down and Jo seemed uncertain of how far she would make it since Ploi had described part of the trek as ‘only using ropes to hoist yourself up to the top’… She was game to try as far as she could, but wasn’t certain yet how far that would be.

“Safe and Secure”

Seriously?!?!

View getting Higher

Temple at the Top

View from the Top

View from the Top_2

I was determined however no matter what lay ahead so I continued on. The natural path was outlined the entire way by a rope that clung to trees along the path. Honestly, as you can see from the picture above labeled ‘safe and secure’, the rope really didn’t seem to be all that secure (though it felt secure enough) because sometimes the trees that the rope was attached to were barely thicker than my ankle and they were rooted on the cliff edge! Kinda scary, but again it did feel secure enough. Up and up I went, at times literally feeling like I was rock climbing with the rope as a guide and assistance at times but otherwise just feeling my way up the rocks (which were really petrified coral so very sharp at times!!) until the next area to rest a bit. As I climbed, the views became even more spectacular as the vistas opened up to a panoramic view.

Made it!

Temple

Ploi and I

Jo and I

View from the Top_3

View from the Top_4

I won’t lie, there were some times while climbing up that I honestly questioned how in the heck I would get back down! Ploi had told us that the day before there had been a class of 40 students and a teacher doing the trek and all I could think of as I lay flat against the rock, trying NOT to look down and freak myself out, was that if we were in the States, there would be NO WAY a trek like this would be allowed for students to do without all the proper safety measures in place! It was quite impressive to think of, especially for the fact that it was 40 or them scrambling along the teeny path!

Ploi and I_2

View from the Top_5

View from the Top_6

View from the Top_7

View from the Top_8

Dragonflies!

Finally, the end was in sight as the teeny Temple that stands at the top of Khao Lommuak began to come into view. The view from the top was absolutely incredible and though I was absolutely dripping in sweat, it was well worth the climb! I hung around enjoying the views for about 10 minutes or so, but since I didn’t know whether Jo and Ploi were behind me or whether they had gone back to the car, I didn’t want to spend too much time at the top making them wait on me. I was just about to start heading back down when both Jo and Ploi rounded the corner! Happy day! Now we could all enjoy the views and chill for a bit! As we relaxed and enjoyed the rest, more and more people started to show. It was nice to see that no matter the age or fitness level of the hikers, everyone was dripping in sweat as they climbed to the top (so it wasn’t just me being out of shape, lol!!).

Hanging Out

Heading Back

Heading Back_2

Baby Leaf Monkey

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_6

Baby Leaf Monkey_2

I will say it was quite impressive to watch the locals walk around the top of Khao Lommuak. It was just their comfort level being up there! While I kept being very cautious of where I stepped and not getting too close to the edge, the locals just walked about and went freely to the edges as if they were walking on sea level. I was amazed and in awe of their bravery! At one point, an older falang made it to the top and stomped rather hurriedly past us to get to the Temple to ring the bell. He stayed for all of a minute, then headed right back down the path. Ploi explained to us that that particular gentleman did this hike 3 times EVERY DAY. Every day! Up to the top and back down 3 times in a row every day… His speed was remarkable as during the time that we were heading back down, he had passed us on his way up for the second time, down for the second time and up again for his third! Absolutely unreal! And he wasn’t a spring chicken either! He claimed the only reason he did the hike was to keep in shape so he could drink more beer… I can relate to that! Lol!

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_7

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_8

Baby Leaf Monkey_3

After all the pictures were taken and our energy was refueled by rest and water, we headed back down ourselves, stopping again to feed the monkeys (Noi Noi had spotted a baby this time!) some fruit purchased from a nearby fruit stand. It was only about a quarter to 10am, so instead of going back, we opted to head to the Ao Manao beach for some R&R. Though I did get a little R&R, and while the water did feel great on the muscles, I was exhausted more by the beach time than the hike! Little Noi Noi (who doesn’t speak a lick of English) and I came up with game after game to entertain ourselves and each other while playing in the water. First it was a hunting game where I stalked him pretending to be a shark, his only defense being to splash me, to which I would immediately retreat. Then we became hunters of the sea life on the ocean floor finding all sorts of crabs, hermit crabs, and huge clams! Of course everything was returned to the ocean floor, especially since Ploi kept saying things like ‘oh, those clams are really great to eat!’.

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_9

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_10

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_11

Dusky Leaf Monkeys_12

It impressed me that even without speaking each others language, Noi Noi and I were able to communicate and play for hours on end in the ocean. Just goes to show you how unnecessary the spoken word really is. We left the beach in the late afternoon (they had to get back to open the restaurant) and of course ended up having Italian for dinner that night. It was such an amazing day! The only ‘downfall’ was that the blister on the bottom of my foot that I’d gotten the day before popped open during the Khao Lommuak hike and stung like crazy as I swam in the ocean. But heck, for a day with so many other blessings, I can’t really complain!

On to Ao Manao

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Thailand, Travel

Debating ‘Falang’

2015-04-25 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

One of the first things I learned when I arrived in Thailand was the word ‘falang’. It is the word that Thai’s use to describe a foreigner. Now, whether this word is meant to be an insult or not, I still haven’t figured out for sure. According to some fellow travelers however, it is meant to be an insult, an impolite expression to describe people basically with white skin.

While I’m not entirely sure the exact connotation this word is supposed to carry, here is my take on it. Perhaps at one point this word was supposed to be an insult. Perhaps even today, depending on how the word is spoken (whether spat out with spite or generally inserted to refer to specific people present) it may or may not have a derogatory meaning attached. But what my opinion is overall on the issue: it just doesn’t matter.

There are a lot of words out there in the World that people of one race or origin use to describe other people who either don’t look alike or are from somewhere entirely different. And though I know that even today many of those hateful words are still used to inflict pain or rile up others, to me, allowing a word to change my attitude or way of thinking or feeling is just ridiculous.

I’ve been called a falang countless times while here. And while sometimes I could say that the way in which they said the word was rude or hateful and meant to be an insult, why bother letting it bother me? To give a negative reaction back to someone who may be trying to be hateful is to allow them to win. For me to be upset at being called a falang means that I’ve given my power over to another. I’ve allowed them to change my behavior for the negative.

This is why personally, I find no offense in the word or being called a falang. Falang simply means foreigner in my book, no matter the tone in which it’s spoken. Because let’s face it, that’s what I am! There’s no debating that. I can’t tell you the number of times traveling with others that I’ve had a discussion on ‘falang’ and what it means. And it’s even more surprising to me how many find it insulting. Again, perhaps once upon a time it had a bad meaning attached to it, but today I don’t see why people are still carrying around the idea that it does.

We are all products of our reactions. If we allow our reactions to be negative or hateful, that’s what we will continue to be and to spread. If we choose not to let words or allow ourselves to feel other people’s negativity, yet simply move forward in a positive light, then light and positivity will be all that’s spread. Simple choice to me.

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Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand

Wat A Cave!

2015-04-25 ramblintraveler Leave a comment

While there are several fabulous things to do while in Prachuap Khiri Khan, Thailand, perhaps one of my favorites was visiting the Ao Noi Wat. ‘Wat’ simply means Temple, but what sets this one apart from every other Wat I’ve been to so far is that it is located inside a cave! In college I took a biospeleology class in college where we went all over the state of Texas and even into Mexico to different caves and the idea of finally getting back into one was thrilling! Mind you, this particular cave wasn’t one that required to wiggle on your belly to get from one point to the next as it is quite large and easy to simply walk through.

Walk to Ao Noi

Fishing Village from Afar

Fishing Village Welcome

I headed out about mid-day on my own to track down the Ao Noi Wat with a bottle of water, my camera and favorite all around walking shoes, my Keens. The walk there really wasn’t all that interesting per se, since it literally was just walking along the side of the road. The views however became more and more breathtaking as I got closer to the Khao Ta Lai Forest Park. The beauty of the hills jutting out from the ocean was so beautiful and picturesque, I had a hard time continuing without stopping to take a gazillion pictures!

Fishing Village Bay

Khao Ta Lai

Khao Ta Lai_2

Khao Ta Lai_3

Toward Ao Noi

Turn off for Wat Ao Noi

I walked past the over 150 year old fishing community of Ban Ta Monglai toward the Ao Noi community as the sun beat down on my skin making me wish for shade! I knew I was going in the right direction, but I also knew the Wat was located in a cave, so some form of hill had to be ahead. But as I walked past the fishing community and the Khao Ta Lai Forest Park, the hills disappeared. The only ones visible were about 11 kilometers away in Myanmar (Burma)! I continued to trek on however stopping every now and again to ask locals which direction the Wat was, and armed with the confidence that even they were still pointing for me to continue on, I figured some hill structure would have to show up soon.

Turn off for Wat Ao Noi_2

Flowers

En Route Wat Ao Noi

Detour to Beach

Detour to Beach_2

Hut on Beach

As I didn’t have a watch with me, I honestly don’t even know how much further on I walked until some hills became visible again and until I finally hit Wat Ao Noi. I was drenched in sweat from the sun and had been guzzling water as if my life depended on it (which let’s face it, it does!). Finally I arrived at the base of the Wat and started an over 300 step climb to the entrance of the Wat. The views of the town and beaches as I climbed were spectacular! I will say that while most of the stairs up were in good condition, there were a few bits that had me worried as they were split in half and sliding toward the edge of the cliff. Up and up I went until finally coming to the entrance where a box with 2 rechargeable flashlights sat. A little sign said they were for the borrowing, and just to plug them back in when done.

Wat Hills

Wat Ao Noi Bay

Wat Ao Noi Bay_2

Start of Steps to Wat

View from the Top

Sketchy Steps

Of course, the one thing I SHOULD have thought and known to bring (a flashlight) I didn’t, so it was really quite nice that they provided them there :). I headed into the cave armed with my flashlight out of the sun and into the darkness. I was literally the only person in the Wat and I won’t lie, at some points little bits and flashes of the movie “The Descent” went through my mind that at times freaked me out. An especially heart-pounding moment was after I left the only naturally lit area of the cave and headed to the first reclining Buddha. As I grappled with my camera while attempting also hold onto the rather large flashlight, the light flickered on something alive on the cave floor. I immediately scanned the light back to what I had seen to discover 2 little black dogs!! They lived in the cave!!

Flashlights!

Cave Entrance

Cave Inside

Natural Lighting

Stranger in the Dark

Stranger in the Dark_2

I sighed a sigh of relief upon seeing them as I called them over for a pat, but then had another second of slight panic as I wondered whether they could be rabid! I mean, bats can carry rabies, bats live in caves and who knew whether the dogs had been vaccinated or if anyone actually took care of these dogs… Luckily however they were very friendly and showed no signs of being rabid and quite frankly their presence made it easier to be the only one in the cave. Because surely if some crazy creature crawled out of some crevice to attack me, they would bark first to alert me, right?? 😉

Reclining Buddha 1

Reclining Buddha 1_2

Sitting Buddha

Reclining Buddha 2

I carried along the length of the cave past the first reclining Buddha and to my surprise found a second next to a series of about a dozen large Buddha’s in seated position. Along to the right of the seated Buddha’s was another walkway that led to another large area where tons of visitors had stacked rocks in a variety of patterns, making their mark to show they were there. And in the very back of this last large room sat yet another Buddha watching over the whole show.

Inside Cave_2

Inside Cave_3

I spent probably twenty minutes (it’s not THAT large a cave) walking around and searching for various other avenues to explore while listening to the nothing sound of caves, linked in with little chitters from bats above every now and again. I will say my favorite thing about caves is the nothingness. There is no sound most of the time and when the lights are turned off, you could hold your hand an inch in front of your face and still not see it. There is such a peace about caves that is so very hard to find anywhere else and being back in the environment again was so very delightful.

Inside Cave_4

Inside Cave_5

As I headed out of the cave, my two little protectors followed. At the entrance I noticed that indeed there was dog food scattered about the entrance around two blue dog bowls (I hadn’t noticed this detail before) but I also noticed there didn’t seem to be any water source for them. As one of the dishes was empty, I poured it full with water. One seemed to be quite thirsty, the other not so much so again it was a good sign that they were being taken care of somehow.

Inside Cave_6

My Protectors

I headed back to the ground floor as the dogs chose to remain behind and wait for the next cave guests. Back on solid ground I visited the actual Wat of Ao Noi. The Cave is simply where there are several Buddha statues, but the actual Wat isn’t in the cave, yet decoratively set along the base of the cave hill near a pond, the ocean and a monk community. After visiting the Wat, I headed back toward my guesthouse back in Prachuap, stopping along the way at a very delicious (I should have gotten the name!!) restaurant with some of the best khao pad gai (chicken fried rice) I’d tasted anywhere.

Wat Ao Noi

Wat Ao Noi_2

Wat Ao Noi View

Wat Ao Noi View_2

I was quite shocked to learn that the whole trip only took me about 5 hours or so, including a leisure lunch! I am generally quite a fast walker by nature, but even this surprised me! One not so good outcome from having walked as far and as fast as I had, however was my feet. It had been a long time since I’d actually worn my Keens and by the time all was said and done with the walking for the day, I’d developed quite a large blister on the bottom of my foot. Luckily it hadn’t popped, but I wasn’t so sure the same could be said after the walk we had planned for the next day at Khao Lommuak…

On to Hiking Khao Lommuak

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