Beaches and fireshows

Favorite spot on the beach
Fire show!
Cute girl on the beach
My alcoholic picture. Hong Thong with a straw. Don't worry there's coke in there too.
Scott and I at the club

November 28, 2009

Last Saturday we left Lumtaphern Dam and drove to a hotel in a nearby town. After a little bit of internet time we met up to go have dinner. Four of us, Scott, Imogen, Sheena and myself, opted to pay for our own meal and got some pizza. It was beyond fantastic. After dinner we did a quick stop at Tescos to pick up some beverages before heading back to the hotel. There was a club connected to the hotel that had live performances so we went there for the night.

The next morning we met the rest of the group that had been teaching and headed to the island of Koh Samet. Scott and I rented 4-wheelers for an hour one day and on Wednesday the group went on a boat trip that consisted of snorkeling, fishing and sunbathing. The rest of the week consisted of mostly eating and lying in the sun. In the evenings we would all eat together and a live acoustic band would perform. They put out small tables on the beach and we sat on the floor. After the band was done performing they would have a fire show on the beach. The restaurant also had a club where the band would perform. We were there almost every night.

On Saturday we left the island and headed back to Bangkok. We had one last meal together and then went our separate ways. A lot of the group is continuing on in their travels and almost half will be in either Australia or New Zealand in the coming months. The rest are heading home and so am I. For a month anyway. I changed my flight a few times but I am very excited to be coming back to the states. I will be in California for a few days starting on December 1st and will be in North Dakota that Saturday.

I was able to do a lot of things here in Thailand. I learned about Buddhism, visited many temples and even had the unique opportunity to stay with the monks. I ate a lot of rice and other Thai food and met some friendly locals. I went trekking through the rain forest, explored some caves and camped out under the stars complete with meteor shower. I went to the zoo and got to feed the giraffes and take pictures with the monkey-humans. I went on a bike ride through Singburi and spent a day at Dream World. I spent a week on the island sunbathing, snorkeling and chilling out. But most importantly I met some really cool people that I am going to miss a lot. If any of you are reading this, good luck with everything and make sure to keep me updated. I will let you know if I ever make it to England. And for those of you at home, see you soon!

Trekking and Stargazing

Old Tractor that made me happy
Happy jumping by the dam
The girls taking my hair out

Our transportation

The Waterfall

November 21, 2009

On Monday eight of us drove out to the first campsite in Phutoei National Park. The other four headed back to the eco-house to teach. After setting up our crappy tents, we had a wonderful dinner of fried rice and pineapple. We spent the rest of the evening playing card games and chatting. The next morning we packed up and headed out to the starting point.

The first day was not too difficult. We stopped often and had lunch on the way out of a bag. We saw a few waterfalls and even climbed up one. Our leader, Joe (as in G.I. Joe), was one of the park rangers and cleared the path for us using his machete. Egg was the other ranger with us and Paris also joined. After three hours of hiking we came to the last waterfall, Taperngkee, and stripped down to our bathing suits for a shower. After that we hiked the last ten minutes to our campsite and set up camp. I spent the rest of the day sleeping, eating and enjoying a cultural dance performed by the children of the local hill tribe.

That night there was supposed to be a meteor shower. We woke up at 4 am to see it. I saw about 5 shooting stars in a short amount of time but the others were not impressed. I guess they expected all the stars to be shooting at once. One girl even asked me if one of the stars that were already there would fall. Not the smartest group I am traveling with.

On the second day we left at 10 am to explore some caves. One of the dogs even joined us for the adventure. The first was easy to walk through and although we saw a few bats was not very exciting. We were able to explore a bit further in the second one and even climbed up on top of the ridge. A Buddha image could be found in this cave as well as the third one.

The third cave was by far the coolest. Five of us, Imogen, Scott, Nicky, Maryanne and I, accompanied by Joe made the trip. There were a few parts where we had to crawl and there was a lot of going over and under rocks. We saw a few bats and had to crawl right by one of them. We got to a dead end and Joe told us all to turn off our lights. I decided that would be a good time to let them hear my Phantom of the Opera scream. On the way back out I was leading for a little bit. We had to crawl by the bat again. I shined my flashlight on it so I knew where it was. It moved so I decided to crawl past it as quickly as I could. Soon I heard Scott yell “it’s moving…IT”S FLYING!” and soon after the bat flew out of the narrow opening right by my head. After every calmed down we preceded to the exit.

Back at the campsite we had a delicious dinner and then played some more card games. That evening most people retired to their tents but Scott and I drug our sleeping bags outside and stargazed. I only know a few constellations but we had fun chatting and making up our own.

On Thursday morning we trekked up to the top of the nearby mountain. It is around 1200 meters above sea level and took us just over an hour to reach the top. On the top of the mountain there is, of course, a Buddha image. We took some pictures, had a snack, enjoyed the view for a bit and then headed back to the campsite. After lunch the rangers convinced us to go see Dragon Cave. What they didn’t tell us was that tennis shoes and a flashlight would be necessary. I ended up climbing up and over in my broken flip-flops, getting fed up with the situation (I didn’t trust these guys in the first place) and walking back to the truck. That night we ate spaghetti and garlic bread and then played card games. Seven of us stargazed although most headed in around 8:30. Scott and I stayed out until midnight and then called it a night.

Friday morning we loaded up into the back of a pick-up truck and headed to Lumtaphern Dam. The place we stayed was nice. We had mattresses to sleep on and a shower. I took my braids out and lost about half my hair in the shower afterwards. They also stocked up on drinks and snacks for us and had a karaoke machine down by the water. We had a drink or two and stargazed that night but the bugs were bad and we were all inside by 10 pm. That’s it for now. I’ll try to post one or two more times before I leave Thailand. Miss you all!

Dream World and the Zoo

Dream World!

White Tiger (for you B)

Snake

Monkey-humans

Snow World

November 15, 2009

Friday we decided to switch things up a bit and go to Dream World, which reminds me very much of Disney World just a bit smaller. Scott, Nicky, Jackie and I split off from the rest of the group as soon as we entered the park. We started our day with some pictures in love town and then moved on to other cutouts that included James Bond, the Flintstones and Superman. After that we ventured into the Giant House. I felt really small for once and thoroughly enjoyed climbing into the giant boots and onto the giant chair for a picture.

After a quick snack we went into the haunted house and onto some other rides including Hurricane, Raptor, Bumper Cars and Space Mountain. They even had a hanging roller coaster and a log ride that ended in a giant splash. Not a bad thing on such a hot day. We had lunch at KFC and ended the day with an action show, some time in Snow World and a 4D picture show. Snow World is an indoor play place where you can build a snowman, sled and take pictures next to the North Pole. They give you a jacket and boots to wear since it is -2* C inside. Reminded me a bit of home. For the 4D picture show they gave us 3D glasses and then made us feel like a part of the show by spraying us with water among other special effects. On the way home we stopped again for KFC and enjoyed a DVD showing of Prison Break Season 1.

On Saturday morning we got up and headed to the zoo. We were able to take pictures with a couple of monkeys that were dressed up as well as with some baby tigers. Further over they had two giant snakes. After lunch we went to see a 100-year old market in Samchuk. It was crowded but a cool thing to see.

On Sunday I got up early to watch the first half of the Notre Dame football game. We were losing 10-3 when I left. We then packed up and drove to the resort where they had a pool, Thai massage, a golf course, a basketball court and Internet. They also provided entertainment that night in the form of a cultural dance. The rooms had air conditioning and I spent most of my time there sleeping. Up next: trekking through the rainforest. Should be fun!

Buddhism and bikes

Giant Buddha.
Me being happy in front of happy monk (he's happy cause he's fat...).
We got bored of temples so we took this picture.
Following monks to get food. Yes we all had to wear white and yes we do look like escaped mental patients.
Me and my bike.

November 13, 2009

Monday morning we woke up at 5:30 to go feed the monks. Every morning they walk around and collect food from the villagers to eat for their breakfast and noontime meal. Girls are not allowed to touch monks, so we scooped the rice into bowls they had with them and put the rest of the food in a basket on a cart.

Instead of going back to bed like everyone else I decided it was time for me to start running again. I was finally feeling healthy and honestly I just miss working out. It is extremely hot here even at 6 in the morning but I managed a twenty-minute jog. I got back to the house and sweated it out for another twenty or so minutes then showered and rested until breakfast. The rest of the day was spent learning about Buddhism and visiting another temple featuring a giant Buddha, happy monk and pictures of the different heavens and hells of Buddhism.

For part of our Buddhist education we watched a documentary about the Buddha, his life and his teachings. The Buddha, born Siddhartha, was a prince and grew up in a palace. His father tried to protect him from the outside world and prevent him from becoming a religious person because at his birth it was foretold that he would become either a great spiritual leader or a great king. Obviously his father wished for him to follow in his footsteps.

Siddhartha got married and had a son but soon after got his first glimpse of human suffering. He left the palace shortly after to seek spiritual truth. After a long journey of self-discovery he found meditation to be the way to enlightenment. Henceforth he was known as the Buddha, or the fully enlightened one. Even though the Buddha preached about not worshiping idols he has become one of the most worshipped figures in history. Maybe worship isn’t the right word. It is more like respect as shown through money offerings, chants, incense and prayers.

Buddhism today teaches that there is no creator god and that the path to true enlightenment lies in following precepts that were set out by the Buddha and of course, meditation. The five precepts that everyday people are to follow are similar to the Ten Commandments:

1. Refrain from killing (both human and nonhuman).
2. Refrain from stealing.
3. Refrain from sexual misconduct.
4. Refrain from lying.
5. Refrain from drugs and alcohol.

There are also three more precepts that can be undertaken which include no eating after noon until the sun rises the next morning, no wearing jewelry, lotion or other cosmetics, no listening to music, dancing or attending entertainment performances and no sleeping or resting in ornate places. We were supposed to follow all eight during out temple stay Tuesday night.

We got to the temple around 4 in the afternoon and after a brief walk around town and of course another temple visit we returned to our temple for the evening. We joined the monks in evening chants and then practiced meditating with them for half an hour. It was hard to do because the head monk kept interrupting to give us instructions on how to meditate but it was also very calming. The rest of the night was free. I

The next morning we got up and followed the monks around as they got their daily food. We then slept for a few more hours and then got up to eat. After that we fed the fish in the pond the extra rice and helped clean part of the temple. We had one more meal around 11 and then got a final blessing from the head monk. Overall the temple stay was all right but not nearly as insightful or demanding as I had anticipated.

In the past year or so I have been moving away from religion. Some of it just strikes me as false while other parts of it seem to cause more harm then good in the world. I have been hoping that this year would give me some insight into not only other religious beliefs but also into my own religious beliefs. I really believe that religion is something that everyone must figure out for him or her self and that the religion you are born into needs to be questioned before taken as being true. I guess I am still questioning what is true for me. I know this much: that I believe there is a God and that religious tolerance is the only way people will get along in such a globalized world. I also know that a part of me misses organized religion but it feels fake to go on pretending that I believe in it all. Hopefully I will figure it all out soon.

Thursday morning we went over to Lemon house to check the tents that we would use for camping. I wasn’t sure why we would need to check the tents until we got them out. They are old US army tents but the poles were all put into buckets that we had to dig through in order to find ones that were the correct size and not broken. A lot of the tents also have holes in them or zippers that are broken. We managed to find some decent ones but it could be interesting camping next week.

Most of the group then went for a bike ride around town. We stopped for lunch, which was delicious. It felt good to get a workout in other than running. The rest of the day was spent in Singburi. We went to the pool for a few hours before eating out at KFC and having dessert at Dairy Queen. I know it’s very American but it’s been a while since I have had food like that and it tasted quite good. That’s it for now. Miss you terribly.

Monkeys and waterfalls

Royal Temple and stairs (happiness, love, wealth)
Giraffes!
Bridge over the River Kwai
Superpeople at level 7 of Erawan waterfall
Monkeys at the monkey temple

November 10, 2009

On Friday morning we went to Lopburi to see the monkey temple. The monkeys receive free food and can go wherever they want in the city although they tend to stay near the temple area. They will sometimes jump on you or try to steal your stuff but they were definitely nicer than the baboons in Livingstone.

After eating lunch at a local Thai restaurant (sitting on the floor) we went to yet another temple. This was one of the royal temples and was called Wat Phra Buddhabat, located in Saraburi province. To get up to the temple there were three sets of staircases. The first represented happiness, the second love and the third wealth. After picking a staircase you hold your breath and walk up. I picked happiness. This was one of the most beautiful temples we have seen and housed the Buddha’s footprint, although we could not see it because it had been covered in order to preserve it.

After getting back to the house we ate and went across the street to the bar. I had my typical two orange juices and we played cards. Around 9:30 a group of about twenty people from the other house showed up in cowboy and Indian costumes. I still wasn’t feeling that well and went to bed early.

Saturday morning eight of us got up early, got in a taxi and rode to Erawan National Park to see the waterfall. We were dropped off around 10:30 am and given until 4 pm to explore. The waterfall is gorgeous and has seven levels with hiking between each one. We took our time but eventually made it to the top. On the way up we stopped at level 5 to swim and besides being nibbled on by the fish it was quite fun. On the way down we stopped to swim at level 3 where you could go sit behind the waterfall. I really wanted to stop at level 4 where the rocks were used as waterslides but it was really busy so we skipped it.

That night we stayed at a fairly nice guesthouse. The showers were hot, there was a pool and the food was good. We wandered around a bit that night to explore the city of Kanchanaburi. Maryann and I stopped for a drink at the bar and then called it a night.

The next morning we woke up and drove to the bridge over the River Khwae. The railroad and bridge were built by POW's of the Japanese during WWII. Over 100,000 people died in the construction of the railroad thus leading to the name the Death Railway. Toward the end of the war the bridge was bombed and destroyed. Later the railway was sold to the Thailand government and eventually rebuilt.

For the afternoon they had told us that we were going on a safari, which sounded very exciting. Unfortunately in was just a ride through the zoo where you could feed the semi-tame animals. One exciting part was the giraffes that stick their heads in through the window looking for the food. After the “safari” we explored a bit more of the zoo and went to a couple of shows. They don’t treat the animals very well here. We went to a dog show where the man hit the dog in front of us because we wouldn’t do one of the tricks. And then there are the tigers that they keep chained up so you can take pictures with them. We ended our zoo trip with a crocodile wrestling show where I am almost certain the crocodiles were drugged. We then drove back to the house and chilled for the evening.

The next few days are devoted to learning about Buddhism. We will stay at a temple to learn about their beliefs and practices. I am excited to finally learn about the religion instead of just visiting the temples.

Elephants and temples

Asian Elephant ride
Old temple ruins
19 day-old baby elephant
Oldest Buddha
My Krathong

November 3, 2009

Yesterday I was awoken at 5 am by Thai music and public announcements. Apparently that is how they wake people up here. I went back to sleep until breakfast, which included hard boiled eggs, fruit and toast with jelly. After breakfast we had a quick meeting and then our leader, Paris, took us around town. We saw some crocodiles, some really cute puppies and got to see how people in the village live.

When we got back to the house we hopped in the back of a truck/bus and headed to a local restaurant for lunch. It was quite good and we met another group doing a similar program. After lunch we went to make coconut bracelets. Mine ended up being an anklet although I also bought a bracelet with my name carved on it in Thai alphabet. On the way back to the house we stopped by the local market and bought supplies to make a krathong.

Loy Krathong Day is celebrated annually during the full moon in the month of November. Krathongs are made or bought at the local market and floated down the river. They are made of banana leaf, flowers, a candle and incense. You add a piece of your hair and your nails, put in a small coin, light the candle and incense, make a wish and put it in the water.

To do this we traveled about an hour from the house to the fairgrounds. There were carnival games, praying, fireworks and even a main stage where concerts and pageants were being held. Basically something for everyone. After we floated our krathongs we wandered around for a bit and then headed back to the house.

Earlier that evening some of the local children stopped by the house to throw us a welcome party. They performed a drum dance for us as well as a candle dance and a cane dance. At the end they invited us to join them. They had on traditional clothing and had their hair and makeup done.

I woke up around 8 am this morning and had breakfast. We left at 10 am to go see some temples. We saw four in all. They are all very different. The first included some very old ruins and next to it was a newer temple. The third temple had one of the oldest Buddha statues in it and the fourth featured a giant reclining Buddha.

We also had the opportunity to ride on some Asian elephants and visit the elephant city. The elephants here a slightly smaller than the ones in Africa, and have smaller ears and more coloration. Their trainers sit on their heads and control them with a stick that has a poker on the end. We even got to see a 19-day-old baby elephant.

The day ended with a dinner cruise and karaoke. The food was good and very filling. Karaoke was interesting to say the least. Overall the cruise was cold and rainy but still a good time. We then drove the hour and half home and headed over to the bar for a snack.

November 4, 2009

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling feverish, stuffed up and generally not good. I had had a sore throat for the past couple of days and when I looked at my throat noticed some spots on my tonsils. We had a Thai language lesson at the house in the morning but I spent most of the time lying in bed. That afternoon we went to see a temple and then went to Singburi. After dropping everyone else in town Paris and I went to the private hospital to see the doctor. They did a blood test, throat swab and tested me for H1N1. The tests came back negative but I was given antibiotics, Tylenol and an anti-inflammatory.

I asked Paris a little bit about the medical system here in Thailand. The government pays for public healthcare. Patients must pay just one dollar for consultation and treatment. The downside is the long lines and possible lower quality of health care offered. The private sector, however, is very nice. The doctor I saw studied in the United States and spoke very good English. They did the tests quickly and got the results back almost instantly. It did cost a bit more ($50) but probably worth not waiting in line all day.

That evening we ate out and had Thai-style BBQ. They brought raw meat, including pork and squid, vegetables and a Thai grill for us to cook it on. They also brought us out green curry, fried rice, noodles and dipping sauces for the meat. It ended up being a very good meal. When we got back to the house I crawled into bed and stayed there until the next morning.

Today I am feeling a little better but my throat still hurts. We visited a school today to play with the children. I took a few pictures but mostly just sat and watched. This afternoon we have another Thai language lesson followed by a Thai cooking lesson. I am planning on attending these but we’ll see how I feel.

Thailand

Chinatown
Thai baby
Luke and I (and my new hair)
Royal Palace
Temple of the Emerald Buddha

October 30, 2009

I am currently sitting at the Hong Kong International Airport waiting to get on my final flight to Bangkok. It is a beautiful airport with even more beautiful scenery around it. The floor to ceiling glass windows give wonderful views of the mountains surrounding the airport on three sides and the Pacific Ocean on the other.

Johannesburg was wildly uninteresting. I got picked up from the airport and taken to Mzibi Backpackers, which is basically a fairly nice house that has been outfitted to accommodate guests. I got a free upgrade to a room with a queen-sized bed. I ventured out of the house only once to go grab a pizza at the local pizzeria. The rest of the time was spent watching satellite TV, sleeping, going on the internet and eating the snacks I had packed from Livingstone. It still managed to cost me around $75 for the two days but at least I was safe. I could not sleep on the flight (all twelve and a half hours of it). There was only two people in the middle four seats, which would have been great if the other five foot nothing woman did not decide she needed three seats to herself. I ended up watching movies, documentaries, comedy shows and playing some games that were included in the in-flight entertainment.

November 1, 2009

The flight to Bangkok went well and I made it to the Royal Hotel without incident. I met two of the other girls, Rachel and Becky, at the front desk and we went out for lunch. I spent the rest of the afternoon sleeping and then went down to the lobby at 8 pm to meet up with everyone else. There are eleven of us in total, two boys and nine girls. The age range is 18-26 and everyone else is from England. After getting slightly lost we backtracked and found the famous backpackers street, Khao San Road. We ate, wandered for a bit and then went to listen to some live music at a third floor bar.

Saturday morning I got up for breakfast and then attended the group meeting at 9:30. After a quick stop at the ATM, Luke and I went to the Royal Grand Palace to see the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Everything was plated in gold and was very ornate. It was quite stunning to be honest. After the temple we headed over to the dock to catch a boat to Chinatown. The boat cost us 13 Baht per person (about 50 cents). It was very crowded in Chinatown and we had trouble finding a restaurant so we hired a tut-tut (motorized three wheel vehicle) to take us back to the hotel.

After lunch and a nap we went back to Khao San Road. I bought a skirt and a couple of shirts and then decided to get my hair done. I paid way too much for it but wasn’t in the mood for bartering. My hair is now braided and reaches to my waist. There are even pieces of blue braided in. We then enjoyed dinner and went back to the hotel to drop off our bags. It was Halloween and even though we didn’t dress up we decided to go out. We went to a couple bars and headed back around 1:30 am. It was a really fun night.

This morning I ate breakfast and packed up. We were picked up around 1:30 pm and driven out to the Brown house. It is located about 12 km outside of Singburi. They cook three meals a day for us but it is all vegetarian. They have internet and a television. There are lock boxes for our stuff and we have keys to the rooms. The rooms have bunk beds in them and a bathroom with a shower and western style toilet. We took a quick look around the village today but it looks like we have a fun couple of weeks planned to get us acquainted with Thai culture.

That’s it for now. Miss you all!