Now it is time to say goodbye to Thailand. As usual I will miss being on the road. I will miss seeing Saadia everyday. I will miss some of the adventure we have had. 


I will not however, miss the homeless people and dogs, the abused elephants and tigers, mean taxi drivers, fishball soup, roaches in the train station, toilets that are neither squat or western, and the humid heat. 


I will miss mango and sticky rice, nice hotel owners, funny taxi drivers and people on the street, the beach, hearing Elsie and Saadia joke around, some of the impressive views and being on vacation. 


Not sure when I will get to travel again, but I have learned so much from this incredible trip. Thailand will be missed, but I have to admit it is nice to be on my own computer and bed. :) 


Thanks again for everyone that made this trip possible. This is the best gift Elsie and I could have gotten. We love you all with all our hearts. 


Khob Khun Kah and Sawadee Kah

It took 2 hours to get there, 2 hours to get back home and we only spent an hour and a half there. I was a little bummed, but it is hard to fit in so much in a few days. 


Upon arriving at the Ayutthuya train station we were hounded by tuk tk drivers trying to make us pay outrageous prices to take us around the temples. I wanted to rent a bike and do the trip myself. We hid in 7 eleven, even crossed the river, only to find this one jerk following us. In the end because we didn't have time we had to go with him. He was rude and I was so upset to be with him. He didn't take us to the Royal Palace. We only got to see two places. I was just happy we went to Wat Mahathat to see the Buddha head wrapped in the tree. It was so beautiful, but smaller than I imagined. Kind of like the Mona Lisa; perfect, but tiny. 


I loved the architecture of the buildings here. I wish I had had more time. To me this was the real Thailand or at least what I always envisioned it as. 


After Ayutthuya we were stuck on a train that was supposed to take us back to the hotel. It left late, stopped randomly for 30 minutes. So much for trains always being on time. Why couldn't our train to Koh Samui be late like this? Then we could have had a sleeper bed and not paid extra or waste so much time. Oh well, we just have to go with the flow. 


Trying to find out hotel was another adventure. We walked into a 7 Eleven to ask for direction and bumped into a ginormous spider. It was not a tarantula. It looked like a Huntsman spider. We all freaked out. No one in 7 Eleven seemed to care when it was on top of the cash register. I read they are common, but I am glad this one was the only one we saw. 

After we got back to the hotel we went to MBK to do our last minute shopping. We figured out how to take the bus, which is way cheaper and faster than the subway. Finally not getting ripped off any more. It was one hour to closing time so shopping was rushed. I picked up somethings I needed and then we headed to the hotel to get Elsie so we could have dinner. Out final supper was less than memorable, except for the very large lady boi that we saw there. 


After dinner we headed to Khao San Road for a final trip. Did some more shopping, ate a cockroach (not delicious), had a massage (again awkward and this time by a dude) and did some dancing in the street. 
We were so exhausted that we just crashed when we got back to the hotel. 

This morning we got up early and went to get massages right on the beach. It was bizarre because I had not changed into my bathing suit and the lady wanted me to strip down to my underwear. Luckily she gave me a sheet to cover up with. It was a divine massage. Thanks Jennifer for sponsoring my massages. 


After the massage I ordered a Pad thai with shrimp breakfast and showered. We checked out and took a cab to the port. We got ripped off again because I forgot to negotiate. Oh well this is all a learning experience. 


We found our bus and the ferry. This bus was much nicer than the one we took to get to the island, but it was overcrowded. We had to run to the bus when we got off the ferry to make sure we had seats. 


Once at the train station we had to take a train back to Bangkok. Luckily we didn't have to wait long and we had a sleeper train this time. The train was really cold. We couldn't wait to get into the beds to huddle in our blankets. I kind of slept, but kept having the issue with my limbs getting numb. 


In the morning we needed to take a cab to find our hotel. We had no reservation again so we were also hoping they would have available rooms and not charge us extra for not having reserved it in advance. It took forever to get a taxi. For one, we didn't fit in one because of our luggage. We each had a bag and Brigitte had a suitcase that was bigger than her lol. The other issue was the cost. Although illegal, most of the taxis want to be off the meter and quote you a price that is three times what the fare should be. Finally we got a metered taxi and crammed into it. Brigitte sat on my lap. I just wanted to not be cheated anymore. 


It took a while finding the hotel. I am so surprised that a lot of the taxis and not familiar with many areas. We were a little scared because some of the surrounding area was a little shady. But once we found the hotel it was nice, reasonably prices and had three rooms. We took it and rushed back out to get on another train to Ayutthuya. I think we spent more time in trains than anything else, lol. 

Did I mention I love this place? I LOVE THIS PLACE. 


At 7:20 AM our driver from Blue Stars Kayaking came to pick us up. We picked up a few other people and then headed to the port. There we met our tour guide and owner. He was a very cool German guy. We had a light breakfast of Croissants and fruit. Elsie felt a little motion sickness so we climbed to the sun deck. We laid down and took a nap until we got to the Ang Thong Marine Park. It was a nice boat ride. We could see several islands in the distance. Once at the park we split up into 2 groups, German and English speaking. The German group went Kayaking first and we went into the marine park to see the emerald sea water lake. It was a vigorous hike up. There were stairs, but they were narrow and way too many of them. But at the top the view was very impressive and totally worth it. Our tour guide hates crowds and touristy areas too so he took us here early before too many other tourist groups came. 


Elsie, Saadia and I made it down to the beach and hung out in the water. It was soooooo pretty and crystal clear. There were little fish swimming at our feet. Next we got to kayak to another part of the island. I shared a kayak with Saadia and Elsie was teamed with a frenchman that let her do all the work. We all had fun though. The water and park were so beautiful. After a yummy lunch we had free time. The three of us went snorkeling. I had never done it before and I panicked at first because I couldn't get enough oxygen. Once I calmed down, my breathing slowed and it was a lot of fun. We saw coral reefs and lots of different kinds of fish. Something stung Elsie on the lip and it was swollen and burning for a little bit. She took some benadryl and it went away after a while. Saadia decided to keep swimming so Elsie and I teamed up to kayak together. There was a cute little thai boy, and by little I mean early teens, who was the son of one of the crew members. He came kayaking with us and was messing with me and Elsie. He kept giving us serious looks then smiles and would tease use. It was fun. Then his dad was joking with us too. He even splashed us with water. They were really funny and nice. We went into rock formations and kayaked through choppy waters. It wore us out, but it was definitely one of the most exciting things we did in Thailand. Thanks James for sponsoring this trip. It was fantastic. 


By the time it was time to go back we were knocked out. Elsie and Saadia slept under the sun on the top deck and I went to the bottom one with the local crew. I used a life vest for a pillow just like them. 


Back at our beach, Elsie and I ran into the water. Saadia had a spa appointment and Brigitte was resting from hers. Elsie and I swam for a few hours then got to eat chicken satey from a lady making it right on the beach. We got some lemon water (their version of lemonade) and just chilled at the beach until it was time to take a shower. 


Once we were all fresh and clean again we walked to the fisherman's village with Brigitte in search for food for our last meal at the beach. When Saadia returned we dinned at an expensive steakhouse. It was delicious so I have no regrets. Although it was a little awkward because in front of us was a prostitute with her old dude and the table next to us also had some prostitution going on. I guess it's very common in Thailand. I had not noticed it so much until we got to Koh Samui. I guess all the rich old men are here lol. 


Oh well, the food was lovely so it all works out. 

Before I write the blog, just want to let you know that I have not figured out how to post pics on the blog, but I have started to upload some in the picture gallery section. Just click on a pic and you can see the gallery a little bigger. Thanks. 


Today was a sick day. Last night I slept with my foot raised to get the swelling to go down and it did a little bit. We got up early to have breakfast and head out to Doi Suthep, which is not the most impressive wat in Thailand, but it is the best one in Chiang Mai and contains a very important Buddha relic. As usual we got ripped off to get there so it was an expensive trip up the mountain. The price to get in was not too bad, but as I was walking in the temple to make an offering my foot began to kill me. Saadia and Brigitte had taken the tram up because Saadia was really dizzy, but Elsie and I insisted on walking up a thousand stairs or so. By the time I made it up my foot was so swollen I thought it would burst. I had to run to sit down ASAP. Saadia and Brigitte got a blessing from a monk, who wrapped their wrists with a string. I was sad I couldn't do that, but my foot was just not having it. I was a good sport and walked around the whole wat to get a view of the city. It was truly impressive. After we went around I felt bad I had to insist we head back, but like I said, my foot was not happy. This time I took the tram down. 


Outside they had a caged elephant rocking back and forth. At the park I learned that this means they are stressed and afraid. I wanted to cry. I wanted to run to it and pet its trunk, feed it and cuss out his owner. Yet, I couldn't do it. I mean, I have to respect the culture even if I don't agree. I saw a woman hit her dog and all I could do is call her an evil Bitch. In the end I am not in my home where these things are not tolerated and I can actually say and do something about it. 


The return down was awful. The driver crammed the songthaew with so many people. the whole lower part of my body was numb from sitting in such a cramped way and it sure didn't help my foot. When we got back Elsie and I had to go to the bank to get more money before our trip to Koh Samui. Saadia was still feeling nauseous so she and Brigitte returned to the hotel. Before we got to the bank I spotted a doctor's office and went in to get my foot checked. I guess I was bitten by ants and had a really bad reaction. I had to buy really expensive antibiotics, but it is worth it to make my foot all better. 


When I got to the hotel I had to leave again with Brigitte to change our tickets at the train station, otherwise we would be stuck in Bangkok and not make it to the island. I was mad that we downgraded, got no refund and had to pay to make the change on top of it all. One of these days we will stop getting ripped off lol. 


At 3:30pm I picked up my freshly cleaned and ironed laundry. It was nice that I didn't have to do it myself. After that we took a taxi to the airport. The flight to Bangkok was short, but my ears were killing me. I haven't experienced pain from the pressure in a while, but I yelled a few times from how much my ears hurt. It took a while after landing for the pain to go away completely. It was strange. 


Once in Bangkok we made our way to the train station. We had just missed the earlier flight and now had to wait for 3 hours at the station. It would have been fine until Saadia spotted cockroaches on the floor. I wasn't really bothered until I looked down and saw three baby roached on my lap. I got up and screamed. Had I lost any more control and I would have stripped my clothes off. We tried going up to the other level in hopes of escaping the roaches, but they were everywhere. I sprayed deet around me and put my legs up on my bags, but it was hard to feel comfortable. Elsie kept killing the ones she saw, so she was constantly stomping. 


Once on the train we felt much better. It's not super clean, but at least I never saw anything crawling on the floor. Oh wait that's a lie. I saw one little roach, but I was so tired and I didn't want anyone else freaking out, so I raised my legs and went to sleep. It was not easy sleeping on a none sleeper train. The seat reclined a lot, but my circulation was just bad this whole trip. My legs and arms would go numb constantly. 

Night 6, Day 7

After a 10 hour train ride we made it to Surat Thani where we had to get a bus and ferry ride to Koh Samui. As usual we had vendors and taxi drivers hawking us as soon as we got off the train. We didn't know where to go so we followed this bus tour group and bought tickets to get to the island. It was miserable. The bus took forever getting there. Then once we were on we made a whole bunch of stops so they could do their own personal shopping. We missed the early ferry and didn't get to the port until noon. Then we had to run to make that ferry. 


The ferry ride was a little less that 2 hours. I didn't mind it so much. I think I took a nap and ate delicious European style kit kat, which is creamier. 


When we got to the island we were once again ripped off by taxi drivers. We tried finding cheaper ones and negotiating, but these guys had a monopoly of the port. I tried walking a block out of the port and it was dead. We had no choice but to pay ludicrous fees. We didn't have a hotel reservation and the taxi driver just left us at the first hotel on the beach. It's insane how the land of smiles is lacking in the smiles and kindness department. I got sunburned walking down the street looking for a reasonably priced hotel. I knew the island would be expensive, but man some of these place were over $200 a night, which was beyond my budget. Finally I asked around and we made it to the beach bungalows. We figured 2 of us would stay with the luggage while the other 2 scouted for a hotel. Brigitte and I stayed behind. My foot was still swollen and the heat was not helping. Elsie recognized a hotel from our guide book that was supposed to be cheap so she went in and asked for a price. It was around our budget, right on the beach and surrounded by expensive resorts. It was nothing special and had geckos inside the rooms, but hell it was cheap. Plus we were in the ocean most of the time. Only bad part was carrying our luggage through the sand when we first got there. That was less than fun in the heat. 


The beach was beautiful, the water warm and mostly clear except for some funk in the deeper end that looked and smelled like clay. We stayed clear of it. We were going to tour the island, but we were so tired and loved our beach so much that we just spent hours in the water. 


Our hotel was called Coconut Calm Beach and it had the Cannabis Bar. They played great music, which was shocking. Their food was also pretty good. At night we walked over to the Fisherman's Village (We were staying on Bophut beach). It was so quaint and by quaint I mean expensive. It was like being on a luxury island in the states. It was worth it though. I guess you have to splurge sometime lol. We had a really nice seafood dinner and at Italian place at the first end of the village. It was owned and run by an Italian man. It was very cute. We underestimated the prices since we didn't realize they charge by the gram. Elsie and I shared a res snapper, and mussels and clams in a white wine sauce. It was delicious to say the least. We cleaned our plates. Saadia also got the fish. Brigitte got a very yummy pizza because she doesn't eat seafood. I wanted pizza too, but I really didn't want my bill to be bigger than it already was. 


I slept well that night, but had to get up early for Kayaking. I love this part of the trip. Wish I could just hang out on the beach forever lol. 

Today was wonderful. Thanks to our sponsor Gordon we got to go the Elephant Nature Park where they have 33 rescued elephants. I will include a link to their site later because if you want to do a good deed for the world, donating to them is definitely a great way to help. Not only do they rescue abused and abandoned elephants, but they also provide homes for stray dogs and cats, and they have other animals too. Thailand, like much of the world, has a problem with homeless animals. This place even has them spayed or neutered to stop the problem of more animals breeding.
Our day began with a feeding of the elephants. We got to feed a  mom and her one month old baby. We even got to pet the obaby. They are so adorable. After their lunch we had ours. Then we got to go into the river to bathe them. It is a lot of work. They eat so much and spraying them with buckets of water wore us out. It's amazing how the people that work there and devote their lives to these animals do it. I had a lot of respect for the mahouts who take care of the elephants here. Instead of abusing and beating them into submission, they talk to the animals and show them love. It was very touching to see. I hope to be able to be a part of this group. If you ever travel to Thailand or a place that has elephants for tourism, avoid them at all costs. Do not support the abuse. These animals are worked 24 hours a day with little food. They are taken into the cities where they are hit by cars all the time. Most of the elephants at the park were crippled from abuse. Some were blind, had broken hips, or were drug addicts all because of the inhumanity of humans. So if you want a truly life changing place go to a conservation, not a silly tourist trap.

After the elephant park we chilled at the hotel. We went to the night market again, but my foot was so swollen. I had to go to another pharmacy for more drugs. It's pretty annoying because they are not working. We'll see if it gets better tomorrow.

Today was my favorite day in Thailand so far. At one point I was shouting in my head, "I love this country and it's people." Saadia and I took a Thai cooking class. Thank you Sam and Sangmee for sponsoring it because  
it was an amazing experience. The instructor was named Yuni and she runs A Lot of Thai cooking school from her home. We made six courses. I got to cook each one on my own. I have pics for that too later. We made, Pad Thai, spring rolls, spicy green curry, tom yum kung soup (my fave), chicken cashew in oyster sauce stir fry and mango with sticky rice. I am still full from eating all of that. It was so much fun and Yumi was just wonderful. Now I will have to try my new Thai cooking skills back home.

After cooking I went to the movies with Elsie and Brigitte. We watched GI Joe for less than $3. It was a funny movie. It's an action movie on acid. Still it was nice to pay $3 for a new movie. There were no commercials, only one preview and like the Arclight we get to pick out own seats. The theater took up the entire top floor of this one plaza/mall. It was not brand new, but it was nice. The seats were comfortable. The English movies are played in the Vista Theater section and it looks like a knock-off of our LA Vista theater. Before the movie starts we had to stand up for a video of the King. They showed pics of him from his childhood until present day. It was actually kind of neat. 

Tomorrow we go on the Elephant tour. Thanks for sponsoring that Gordon. We are trying to figure out how to post pics on this thing soon so stay tuned.

Oh and today was the first time bugs bit me. They came with a vengance and ate my legs. It's awesome. Not really... I guess it was ants and now my foot is starting to swell up. I've tried everything  to make it better, but so far not being successful. 

Thailand rocks despite the nasties attacking my legs. 

Oh and if you come here, bring your own toiler paper. Bathrooms at even nice establishments lack them. It's pretty annoying. I guess if you're a guy it's not a big deal, but ladies, don't leave home without your toilet paper. 

Day 2: Dameaon Saduak Floating Market and Tania Fainting Day

We started off the day by taking a bus to the Damean Saduk Floating Market. It's a market that is almost entirely done on little boats. The bus dropped us off at some tour stop, which we never wanted to do. Now that we were stuck, we had no choice but to pay for the tour. It was no big deal and started off great. However, once we reached the vendors our boat driver kept forcing us to buy things from specific vendors. I don't doubt they thought we were cheap and rude for not buying a lot, but honestly I am not into touristy souvenirs. I like more unique gifts. Furthermore, to make it worse, I wanted to go to the main market, but we were only allowed to get off at this tiny market that had nothing interesting. We were told we could get food, but were never given the opportunity. At one point I bought some Sticky Rice with Mango and the driver kept part of the money he told me to pay for it. Overall it was an interesting experice.

Once we were done with the tour we had another adventure being lost. We were given vague directions on how to get back to the bus stop. We tried asking for help, but it took a while to get someone to point us in the right direction. Right at the bus stop, which doesn't look like any stop, was a little mom and pop noodle stand. They had chairs and my friend Saadia and I were hungry. We asked to sit down and for two bowls of their noodles. They were delicious and the people very accomodating. They even stopped the bus for us when it arrived while we were still eating.

Later in the day we had to catch a train to Chiang Mai so we decided to eat on Khaosan Road near the hotel so we could easily get our bags afterwards. We ate at a touristy place and I was less than impressed with the food. I kid you not, street stalls are way more delicious than the restaurants.

After lunch we had some time to kill and Saadia and I went to get a neck and back massage while Elsie and Brigitte watched. It felt great to have a massage until suddenly my vision was blurry. I got really dizzy, felt like throwing up and before I knew it I blacked out. I couldn't see anything. I had to stop the masseuse and called Elsie for water. Elsie and Saadia said my eyes were all black and my face and lips were pale. About five of the massage ladies came to my rescue. They gave me menthol to smell and each one was massaging my hands, feet, and putting cold compresses on my head and neck. As soon as they did that my vision came back. I was still weak and dizzy so they helped me sit down and kept massaging me and helping me revive. I felt tingling in my arms and hands and couldn't move them at all. It was scary. The Thai lady giving Saadia the massage really helped me so I gave her a 100% tip. $3 is a small price to pay for my life. She was so shocked and grateful. I thought she was going to cry.

After that we took it easy and got to the train station. The overnight trip to Chiang Mai was pretty awesome. I hated the fumes from the train, but it was comfortable to sleep in and I liked the view in the morning.

Day 2: Chiang Mai; Delicious Local food, Dissappointing River,

Before starting the days adventure, we enjoyed a nice bath in our lovely hotel room. Thanks Joseph for sponsoring it. ;) It was way nicer than the Bangkok hotel. After that we went to do a walking tour. We stopped at a totally local restaurant where they spoke no English, but the food was yummy. I love local food lol. The walking tour was long and we couldn't find anything we were looking for. Finally we reached the river for our river ride,  only to find that it is the dirtiest river. Plus it was tiny. The only way to get a ride anyway was on a tour and we didn't feel it was worth the money.

Needing to get some AC and rest, we went to a cafe that advertised Mango and Sticky Rice only to find out they don't have it. They just use a huge poster to advertise it to lure in customers. The two waitresses were beyond rude. It didn't matter because the place provided shelter from the rain that came down without notice. Now I am waiting for the Night Bazar to start. Will let you know how that goes. :-)


The Night Bazar is huge. It spans down the length of a few blocks with stalls on each side of the street and in some of the side streets. We walked down all of it, but didn't do much shopping. We wanted to get a feel for what was available and prices. We figured we could return the following day and actually do the shopping. Saadia got some Indian food. Brigitte and I had some Garlic Nan. It was pretty yummy, but more expensive than your average food stall. Exhausted from walking up and down for a long time, we returned to the hotel. We were hungry and decided to find something near the hotel. Elsie and I spotted a place at the corner that looked like Thai Shabu Shabu. We walked the rest of the street to see if there was anything else, by Shaby Shabu won in the end. It was really quite good. It was expensive since you pay for each item to add to the broth, but the place was packed. Everyone we say ordered extra broth and side dishes three or four times. After finishing up all our broth I could see why. It was quite good. We were stuffed by the end though so no seconds for us. We walked around for a bit then ended back at a grocery store where we bought bottled water. It was cheaper than buying it one at a time on the street or a 7 Eleven. 


I slept really well that night. Tomorrow Saadia and I will go to our cooking class while Elsie and Brigitte sight-see.