First, here are a few pictures I took in Bangkok after making my last post. This is the view from the "river taxi," a system of boats that cruise up and down the river:
A local I met on Khao San Road, keeping the reputation alive:
While walking to my hostel, I stumbled upon a bunch of people flying kites. Everyone was so happy and friendly--it was the perfect place to be on my last evening in Bangkok:
Kites for sale:
Having some trouble:
After spending a little longer than I was originally planning in Bangkok (during which I wrote the last update, with photos), I caught a bus down to an island in southern Thailand. Thailand is blessed with tons of gorgeous islands, but not all of them are pleasant to visit. Islands such as Phuket and Ko Samui are renowned for how "disgusting" the tourist industry has made them ("Like Khao San road on an island: full of drugs, alcohol, and prostitutes," one traveler told me, and others echoed this opinion). So I started talking with locals and fellow travelers early on, asking for recommendations on which of Thailand's many, many islands I should visit, if I had to choose just one. The response was unanimous: Ko Phi Phi.
After an uncomfortable overnight bus ride followed by a two-hour ferry ride, I arrived at Ko Phi Phi. I didn't have a reservation at a hostel, but I soon found a reasonably priced, reasonably clean place after going door-to-door. It's difficult to describe the beauty of Ko Phi Phi--of course, neither words nor pictures can do a place justice, but I've posted some pictures below to help me out. "Vibrant" is a word that I think describes Thailand well, and Ko Phi Phi was no exception. The water was many shades of blue, indigo, and green, and the beaches were almost blindingly white. But I think what attracted my attention most were the lush, green hills that jutted out of the sea. While swimming, I noticed that the waves were full of little fish that occasionally launched out of the water. Even when standing in shallow water I could hold the fish in my hands.
The little boats (or taxis) that skim around the island add to its aesthetic appeal:
On my second day, I rented a kayak and explored some of the less-populated beaches:
Simply being on Ko Phi Phi and being surrounded by its beauty was a highlight of my trip. So I guess I could describe scuba diving there as a highlight within a highlight. The diving on Ko Phi Phi is said to be world-class, so I didn't hesitate long when deciding whether or not to do it. The coral was very colorful and vibrant (there's that word again), and the fish so populous that I found myself surrounded by huge schools of them. At one point I saw a couple adult leopard sharks, each about 12 feet long, resting on the sea bottom. As I was hovering a few feet above them, they began swimming in circles around me. Although I have to admit it made me a little nervous, it was really an incredible experience.
Oh, and as a little bonus, I found out that the beach from the movie "The Beach," with Leonardo DiCaprio, actually is on Ko Phi Phi. So if you want to see footage of the island, go rent "The Beach" (I can't promise you'll enjoy the movie).
A boat we passed on the ferry back to the mainland:
After a few days on Ko Phi Phi, I decided I had to tear myself away. I headed, by bus, back to Bangkok, then by train north (far north) to Thailand's cultural capital, Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai, which is one-tenth the size of Bangkok, has the same number of temples as the capital city. It is also known to have the best food in Thailand (spicier than the south). After a few days sunbathing on Ko Phi Phi, I was due for a little cultural immersion.
I arrived in Chiang Mai in the early morning, and, initially, I was underwhelmed. Having fallen in love with Bangkok, I felt like Chiang Mai was a smaller, more dreary, less lively place than the capital. But as the day progressed, I began to see another side of the city. At the end of the day, while writing in my journal, I realized that I had experienced more "highlights" during my first day in Chiang Mai than during any other single day in Thailand. I have a hard time describing what it was about the city that I found so special. The sights and smells, the general feeling of the place, the personalities of the locals I met (from the adorable family of three that served me sugar cane juice from the back of their truck, to the university student who interviewed me outside a temple as part of her English homework)--it all combined to create a city with a deep soul that captivated me.
Visiting a temple in Chiang Mai:
Words of wisdom hanging from the trees around the temple:
In addition, Chiang Mai will forever hold a special place in my heart as the city where I learned to cook and give Thai massages. Yes, you read that correctly. While there, I enrolled in a cooking course, and another course in Thai massage. I finally graduated from Ramen noodles! And it's true--the food in Chiang Mai really is spectacular, even compared to the rest of Thailand, so I think I picked a good place to learn. I just need to find a wok...
This is the meal I cooked. Hearing "I" and "cooked" in the same sentence sounds toxic, but these dishes were really, really, REALLY good (I promise!). Clockwise from the top-left corner is steamed rice, steamed fish in banana leaves, a sauce for the coconut curry chicken, chicken with cashews, and coconut curry chicken:
Chiang Mai at sunset:
I arrived back in Bangkok by train a few hours ago. It's currently 3am, and I have a train to catch at 5am. I'll take the train to Aranya Prathet, which is on the border with Cambodia. From there I'll walk across the border, then hire someone to drive me five hours to Siem Reap. If all goes smoothly, I should be in Siem Reap, Cambodia in about 14 hours (around 5pm my time). So why Siem Reap? I decided to spend a few days in Cambodia to see the Angkor temples, including Angkor Wat. In literature and through word of mouth, I've repeatedly heard how stunning the temples are, and I've been told it would be a terrible mistake for me not to visit them while I'm in the region. So I decided to shorten my time in Thailand by just a couple days, and to head east.
After Cambodia, things are going to get tricky. My plan is to fly into southern Laos (flying really simplifies the visa issue since I can get one on the spot at the airport, instead of waiting several days elsewhere), and to travel north into China using land transportation. The tricky part is that in a couple days Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand will begin celebrating the lunar new year, and won't stop for a couple weeks. That means not only will everyone be carrying water balloons and a water pistol (they celebrate by attacking each other with water--it'll be nice since it's so hot here), but also that transportation will be running much, much slower than usual, if at all. Worst case scenario: I'm stuck in a tiny, desolate town in Laos for two weeks, waiting for the next pickup north. But honestly, even that's not such a bad scenario. I'm pretty grateful to be able to experience the lunar new year here. All the locals are talking about it, and the little kids are already walking around with (empty) water guns. I hear it's a pretty big deal.
Farewell until next time.
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