Adventures in Thailand

Greetings. I meant to send this a week ago, but time has escaped me...here are some bangkok stories.

the normal cost of a tuk tuk ride from point a to b in bangkok can be anywhere from 40 baht to 200. and it's a well-knows scam that tuk tuk drivers will offer to take you somewhere for 10baht, but when you get in the tuk tuk they instead take you to gem shops that sell what appear to be real but probably are fakel gems. So if anyone offers you a 10baht ride, it's too good to be true.

(the reason being, the drivers get gasoline vouchers from the shops they take the tourists to, whether or not the tourists buy anything, it's like backsheesh or a kickback).

but the other day, we wanted to go somewhere, and our driver first said 150 baht, to which we said no way, so he said okay okay 80 baht, one stop, so we said sure why not. it will be an adventure! so ... as we are riding along, getting to know each other (my name is manDEE and paloma is pa-lo-MAH) and having a good chuckle with our driver, he tells us we have to pretend to be interested, and just stay 10 to 15 minutes, but he tells us we have to do a good job. okay. so we rock up to the gem shop and practice our acting skills. it was hilarious. i mean, i knew paloma didn't want to buy that 880euro ring, but she had me giong there for a second.

we stayed our obligatory 15-20 minutes then said thanks, we'll think about it and maybe come back. of course they protested and said that these special promotions were for "today only" but alas ... we left.

as we got back in the tuk tuk our driver said, 1 more stop, and total price 40 instead of 80. wait a minute ... did our tuk tuk ride just get CHEAPER? sure why not, all we had to do was go in to the suit shop and pretend to be interested for another 10 minutes, and magically, our tuk tuk fare was cut in half. so we did, we spent another 15 minutes or so walking around and eventually got back in our tuk tuk to go see asia's largest christmas tree, an afternoon's worth of adventure for 40 baht, or about $1.20.

paloma deserves an academy award for her role in pretending to be interested in gems and suits. classic.

after bangkok, we saved 12 hours on a bus and took a $50 flight to krabi, where we then took an epic ferry to (disappointing) ko lanta. our accommodation was ... interesting. we awoke in the middle of the night to a rustling in a plastic bag hanging on our wall. it was a mouse! eeeeeeeeeeeeek. we were safely tucked away in our mosquito net covered bed, but still, a mouse! so ... needless to say we moved accommodation the next day after a bad night'ssleep.

then, after a rainy day, we came back to krabi and are staying at ao nang, which is full of scandanavians, but a good place to base ourselves since we only have a few days.

and today ... i rode on the head of an elephant. yes, it's true. we did a half-day kayaking trip followed by an elephant ride in the jungle. and for some reason, our guide decided to let us sit on the head of the elephant instead of on the seat on its back. it was fantastic! what an adventure. she had rubbery floppy ears which she swung back and forth to keep cool, and she had a rough, powerful and surprisingly hairy back. but wow what an experience! then, rounding out the day with a nice massage, i am ready to go explore some islands tomorrow.

for some reason my christmas message didn't go through, but i hope everyone had a great day and santa was good to you all!

Mandy and Paloma's Travel Curse Continues .. and some Bangkok observations

Okay, so my close friends know that Paloma and I are cursed for traveling together. The first chaos was when she accidentally abandoned me in Peru. She thought I was arriving one day after I arrived, so I get there, alone, where's Paloma?? etc etc. The longer version of the story is much more interesting, but you get the idea. Next, we tried to go to China together, and after already paying for the trip, she finds out she doesn't have time off. So this time, third time is a charm, right? She's due here at 650am tomorrow. She's a flight attendant with Iberia so gets cheapy stand-bys, but spoke to Thai just last week and they assured her it would be no problem.

So an hour ago I get a text: "News: Iberia and Thai terminated their agreement LAST WEEK."

WHAT?!?!?!?!??! That means no flight for Paloma.

Somehow, magic of magic, after she was already in the airport trying to check in, she managed to get on a Lufthansa flight via Frankfurt and will still get here tomorrow, just 6 hours later. But how do airlines do that and not tell people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111

We are cursed, I tell you, cursed!!!!!

Now aside from that, let me share my latest Thai observations. First, Rayong, where I was last week at the beach, must be a haven for middle-aged men, because EVERY man I saw had a Thai wife or girlfriend. Hmmm...??? And mysteriously, they were almost all German.

Now, I am back in Bangkok, and I am staying just a few blocks off the dreaded/infamous/backpacker haunt of Khao San Road. And yes, it does indeed live up to all the stereotypes and images you have in your head or may have read about. Here are a few: hippies getting dreadlock perms, where literally, a dude sits there and twists and teases your hair until it turns into dreadlocks. Gross. Let's see what else, white girls getting fake braidy hair extensions, frat boys chasing after cute Thai women (they hope they are women), street sellers selling EVERYTHING, hilltribe women wearing traditional dress trying to sell little wodden frog-noise-maker-thingies, tuk tuk drivers trying to "take you for a ride,"scantily clad skinny Thai girls trying to entice you in to their clubs, oh, and my favourite ... you know how some bad-ass people have tribal tatoos running the entire length of their arms? You have to be pretty tough to endure that much pain right? So now, they sell fake tatoo sleeves. It's like a spandex long sleeve, without the t-shirt, that you wear, to look badass with your fake tribal tatoo. Where do people come up with this stuff?

Seriously, even if this is not your scene (as it is not mine) you HAVE to come here and have a look at the madness, just to see it. Even though I've seen it a few times, it's like a train wreck, you know you should look away, but you just have to keep turning your head. I know when I walk down there I am going to say "why why why" but I have to keep going back! Oh the humanity.

And tomorrow, travel gods willing, I will drag Paloma's jetlagged bootie over there with me.

:)

Tingly/numb pinky fingers, hands and arms, anyone?

Clearly this post has nothing to do with travel, but I have not much access to doctors or nurses to ask these questions, and webmd and google are only so helpful ... so ... has anyone had this problem? It's usually when I am asleep (the numbness or tinglyness wakes me up, so I have to shake my arm to wake it up, then roll over and go back to sleep), and sometimes when I am laying in a chair. It's usually my pinky fingers and the outside of my hands (the side where my pinky fingers are, not the thumb side) and sometimes travels up my arm. Of course this happens to everyone once in a while, but it's been happening to me a lot the past few weeks, and more often than not the past few days especially. And well, it's starting to annoy and somewhat worry me. So, doctors, nurses, friends of those out there, any suggestions?
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PS these are the only symptoms. There's no weakness, fevers, headaches, no issues with legs or anything else, just the arms/hands/little fingers.
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It's not everyday...

... that you are walking down the beach and see a baby elephant walking toward you. But that is exactly what happened. Seriously, a baby ELEPHANT. With a trunk, big ol' footprints and everything. But after a few seconds of staring at it in awe, this “oh my god” wonder was quickly dispelled when I saw the man walking next to the elephant with some treats he wanted to sell me so I could feed it. Poor elephant. Where did it come from? Where are its parents? Where does someone even get a baby elephant, and then convince it to walk the beach with you to get some money from the tourists?

Am I in the twilight zone?

And don’t even get me started on the stray dogs. Seriously, can’t something be done about it? Anything? I guess people feed them, so they become quasi-pet-like, but they are everywhere. Everywhere. One stole my water bottle the other day, after first ripping apart my garbage, and then it tried to steal my bag and sarong. "Oh you mean that big dog, brownish, who likes to steal all the tourists' shoes?" Yes, that one. "Oh he's just playing." Um, yeah, but those teeth could still bite me. Sonofa…

So yes, while all of you are shoveling snow, turning up the heaters, and preparing for Christmas, I am getting my belongings stolen by a stray dog whilst supposedly enjoying Thai beachy paradise. Have I mentioned that my fancy-schmancy (NOT) guesthouse has intermittent water problems (which is leaving me quite salty and sandy at the moment), and questionable toilet-flushing? Oh, and a raging karaoke bar around the corner (and good god these people cannot sing!) Note to self, next time, do a bit more research before deciding where to stay.

But hey, what can I expect for $6 per night?

I am just being melodramatic. It is fiiiiiiiiine, fine, really. Fine. I wanted to write and read and walk and relax and sit on the beach, so that is what I am doing. All this other stuff just makes it more ... interesting.

Long Live the King

I left Vietnam and flew to Thailand and December 5th, the king's birthday. I am not sure who knows what about Thailand, but (understatement coming) the king is very popular.

All Thais love the king. It is blasphemy not to. In fact, I hear it is illegal to step on the paper money because the king’s image is on the bills.

And when I say they love the king, I mean they go all out in support of him. They ask me, “What do you think of my king, what do you hear about our king in your country?” Not the king, but my king. They take ownership of him, treat him as their one of their family, respect and revere him, like nothing I have ever seen before. And with good reason. He is a great man who has done a lot of great things for Thailand in his 60 years on the throne, including helping it remain the only Southeast Asian country that has never been colonized by the west.

(I won’t dare talk about the government here, that’s a-whole-nother-story, we are just talking about the king). He is a great unifying presence in Thailand. And his 80th birthday was on December 5th, so there was a week's worth of celebrations going on to support him. I met my friend Pauline in Bangkok; she had the yellow shirt waiting for me (remember the king’s color is yellow, so on Mondays (and several other days) people wear yellow “long live the king” shirts to show support). Anyway, there were parades, fireworks, candle-lighting ceremonies, and hundreds of thousands of Thais, and a few farang (foreigners) waiting anxiously to see the king ride by in his car. It was so exciting to be a part of this festive atmosphere. Free candles, flags, water, food, etc, were passed out to the revelers, and people cheered when his car finally drove by. I got to see him too! And yes, this is me, marching with the military down the street to the next parade site. So cool! What a world away from the (ick) backpacker scene on Khao San Road.

I next went to visit Pauline’s family up north for a few days – it was fun to be part of a Thai family for a day or two. They are so cute! We went to MK for hotpot, where you cook a big family-style soup at your table. I know some of you think what’s the point if you have to cook it yourself, but I promise, this is fun. We also went around the night markets in search of my favourite desert, mango and sticky rice. Yum. Yes, this has been a food-filled holiday. I need to get back in the gym. Haha.

Then, after a few days back in Bangkok, I came to a quiet beach to do some reading, writing, dvd-watching, relaxing, and basically, nothing. I needed a bit of down time. So here I am. More from me in a few days.

But in case I am a slacker and don’t write for a while, Happy Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, New Year and any other holidays I might be missing.

PS My phone number whilst in Thailand the next few weeks is +66 814 555 027. Incoming calls are free (hint hint)

ps photos are here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=76270&l=f8c11&id=791230081

one more Vietnam posting

Sorry, sorry, I haven't fallen off the planet. Just been on the road a bit. Here's the rest of my Vietnam story.

This photo is of me going in to one of the Cu Chi Tunnels, which were used by the Viet Cong in the Vietnam/American War. Yes, you can see how small the hole is - I am not sure how I fit in there. Only three of us could fit, everyone else was too big! And yes, it was dark and scary inside. This is just one of several dozens of holes that were all connected underground, used quite efficiently to outsmart the Americans in the war. The VC dug these holes and used the dirt to make fake termite mounds, which, placed near to the holes, acted as signs that the tunnels were near by. They had an intricate system of of tunnels with trap doors, multi-levels, ways to cook without producing smoke, underground wells, etc. It was ... amazing, to be honest. But I am not sure how, physically and mentally, these men were able to live in these holes for months at a time. The whole open-air museum was really informative. If anyone is interested in history, have a read about these tunnels, it was really quite amazing. And sad. And disturbing. And all those things we don't like to think about when it comes to war.

I saw a man at my hotel wearing an "I survived Ho Chi Minh City" shirt. Quite funny. The traffic and street crossing were about as harrowing as Hanoi, if not more, but luckily, I was only there for a few days. I went on a cyclo tour (one of those things where the guys peddle you around on a bike with a seat in the front) and my driver kept telling me to hang on to my bag, my phone, my anything that was not immediately attached to my body, because apparently the motorbike thieves are the best and most cunning on the planet. Luckily, I (and my belongings) escaped unscathed.

A lot of you have asked me, and no, I never felt any residual resentment towards Americans, or French, or anyone else that Vietnam has had wars with in the past. The people seemed to be open minded toward all visitors, but I also found most people to be friendly only if they thought they could sell you something. I can't speak for the whole country; this was just my experience.

So ... what else to say. You can probably tell by my Vietnam postings that it was not my favourite place on my itinerary. In fact, I liked it the least. I am glad it was part of a bigger journey, otherwise I would have been too disappointed to go all that way. It's just ... different. And tiring. I understand all the hustlers are just trying to make a living, and their country's unfortunate situation of being in war for most of it's existence hasn't helped any. But still, it just took all my energy to exist in those cities and towns without pulling my hair out. I just wanted ... peace.

(In Mandy's Spanish voice): In-cre-di-ble!

Things keep happening that continually amaze me, because really, you can't make this stuff up, so I must share yet another.

Let me preface this by saying that although I am not a religious person, I do believe that sacred places or places of worship should be treated with quiet respect, whether it be a mosque, church, temple, wat, cemetery, Buddha statue, pagoda, whatever. (I know that statement was common sense, but read on). And I like going to see Buddha statues because they are always smiling, welcoming and peaceful.

In Nha Trang, Vietnam, there is a lovely huge Buddha statue, pure white, up 150 steps, overlooking the city. When you get to the Pagoda, before you start the 150-step climb, there's a sign telling you that this is a place of peace and you should behave as such.

Before we got to this sign, however, a tout had spotted us and tried to tell us which way to go (which was the wrong way) so that he could take us on a tour and then make us pay an exorbitant amount of money. We had been warned about this and other scams in the area.

So we politely declined (well, politely until he refused to give up, so my friend just told him to go away) then started up the steps, frequently bothered by children selling incense, asking for money, or whatever.

Then we got to the top and had a look at the peaceful, smiling Buddha, took some photos, and walked around. At the back of the statue there is a little temple, so I went inside, and right as I took my shoes off (which you must do to enter a Buddhist temple, and I have done dozens of times before, as everyone else does, with no drama) two little kids came up and tried to take my shoes! I quickly snatched them up, thank you very much and carried them inside with me (but respectfully placing them behind my back). I quickly figured out that their scam is not to steal your shoes, per se, but to move them, so that when you get out of the temple you will give them money for doing so. Nice. And the people in front of me, who didn't see the kids take their shoes, had to do this just that so the kids would release their hostage shoes.

So I go back outside and watch what turns in to a mini child gang fight. One 8-year old girl was yelling at one much smaller 5-year old girl, then a few others came over and got in to the mix. They were yelling at each other in Vietnamese, so we couldn't understand a word, but by their body language, I assume it went something like this:

"Beee-atch, you are in my territory. How many times to I have to tell you that you can sell incense to the tourists at the front but I get the back by the temple."

"Nu-uh, this is a better position. More people are here, I need more of the action."

"I've been here longer than you, and I'm older and bigger, so get your skanky ass back to the other side or just piss off."

"Listen, skank. You always try to bully me just because you are older. Why don't you go find someone else to pick on and let me get paid."

(The foreshadowing of their futures, fighting over street territory is just too alarming).

And of course while this is going, the shoe-stealers are running amok and screaming as well. Oh, and as an aside, can I just mention that the other day in a village a little girl, cute as she was, came over to a friend and went through all her pockets, looking for money or treats or toys. My friend didn't say anything and let the girl rummage, as I think she was just amused, but this little girl is a total pickpocket in training!

But I digress, back to the story.

We could have left, yes, but you can't pay for this sort of entertainment, so we carried on watching from a corner, as did the other adults in the area who felt no need to step in. If I spoke Vietnamese I would have given them a piece of my mind for being so disrespectful, and I know one Buddhist friend would have bitch-slapped them for their behavior (I did mention they were screaming right?).

So not long after, we hear a commotion at the front of the Buddha and three or four girls are in a full-on fight: hair-pulling, slapping, wrestling, you name it. It was a full-on brawl. And these kids were all aged five to 10. Finally an older lady came over and smacked a few of them with shoe so they would stop, which worked. But then they just moved to the back and started arguing again.

Where were their parents? Great question. I doubt the kids even see any of the money they get from the incense they sell, so most of them also beg on the side. It's downright awful, and I have no idea where they learned to behave this way. But it was, (insert my Spanish voice here) "in-cre-di-ble."

So that was my peaceful Buddha-visiting experience this morning.

Today, a visit to some mud baths and hot springs, then an overnight train ride to Ho Chi Minh City, where the traffic and street-crossing is supposed to be more harrowing than in Hanoi. Wish me luck.

yay, visitors

I just got off a 10-hour train through the middle of Vietnam, and am not quite ready for sleep, so time for a wee blog post.

I am so excited because I've been making plans. Even though my Thanksgiving was spent sans-family in Hanoi (I had sweet and sour tofu instead of Tofurkey, in case you were wondering), I will have friends and/or family to spend Christmas, New Years AND my birthday with. I know -- so exciting!!! Traveling solo for an extended period of time makes you THOROUGHLY appreciate things like that.

My friend Paloma from Spain is meeting me in Thailand on December 18th and we are going to have an adventure for a few weeks through Thailand and Malaysia.

And then, wait for it, MOM will meet me in Thailand in the end of January and we will have an adventure. I am so excited that she is going to step (actually LEAP) out of her comfort zone and have an adventure in Thailand. So exciting. I can't wait to share the places I've loved visiting and experience some new ones with her too. How cool!!!

Oh so in case anyone is wondering where I've been ... Hue for a few days, then Hoi An. We rented bikes and went to the beach yesterday. I stuck my toes in the South China Sea and then spent the afternoon people-watching, sipping on a mango shake, from the balcony of a restaurant. Echos of "Helooooooooo. You want boat-ride? You buy something?" will echo in my head for days to come.

Tomorrow, a boat ride from Nha Trang to some of the islands, and maybe a bit of snorkelling.

Oh and, my exhaust-pipe burn is getting much better. Nasty scar, but at least it is healing.

Okay people, send me emails. I've talked to some of you but have no idea what some of you are up to these days...