Adjusting

I arrived back in Chicago, early Tuesday morning, exhausted and dreading the cold I was about to face. When we left, the weather in Chicago was above normal and we were only wearing fleeces, so we were not prepared for the below zero weather while waiting for a cab.

It felt so good to finally be home! Although the trip was amazing, there were some amenities I definitely missed. Most of all, I missed Oscar, our amazingly handsome orange cat. He definitely gave us an earful and he never left our side while we unpacked. He also loved our new schedule of sleeping during the day and being up late at night.

We both knew we had to try to stay up during the day, but at 1:00pm we decided to take an hour and a half nap. Well...... we slept till 12:30am!!!! We woke up and were totally energized. We continued to unpack, do laundry and organize. Around 3:30am, I started to get tired, again, so I went back to bed until 7:30am. Steve decided to stay up the rest of the night and play video games. He even stayed up the whole day until 10:00pm. I, on the other hand, fell asleep the next night at 6:00pm and slept till 4:00am. Steve got up shortly after me and we made a large breakfast, just like we were used to on our trip. It's going to be rough next week, when we're finally back on schedule. We love our big breakfasts!!!!

It's Saturday and I'm still not fully back to a normal schedule, but at least it's the weekend. Getting up at 5:30am this morning was definitely not my idea of sleeping in, so I'm off to take a nap. A real nap this time!

Last Days

My last evening in Koh Phangan was spent going to the Full Moon Party at Haad Rin. We made our trip to the popular party in a cab, which is a truck with open seating in the back. The cab was packed with fellow party goers. It was a great time getting to meet different travellers and hearing their stories. In no time, we had arrived at the beach. The shop and restaurant filled streets were blocked off from cars and Thai police were everywhere. The beach was very different from the day before when we had taken a walk during the day. All of the bars were open, the small booths in front of the bars were filled with drinks and various types of music was blaring from different deejay booths. The beach was filled with people of all ages dancing up a storm. We decided to walk along the beach to see what kind of music was at each bar. The music ranged from rap, top 40, house, trance and drum and bass. We chose house music for our evening entertainment.

Nancy, Steve and I danced until 2:30 in the morning. There was a great energy to the party and it was great to see so many people parting with few issues arising. By the time we left, the ocean was becoming a popular toilet, people were passed out in odd locations, and many people had moved to the streets for deep conversations. After 4 hours of alcohol free dancing, I was excited to get home to a clean warm bed.

The following day, we packed our bags and headed to Ko Samui to board a plane for Bangkok. Once we arrived in Bangkok, we headed to the popular Koh San Road for shopping. The road didn't provide us with any stores different from any of the islands we visited, but it was cheaper. The following day we had planned on taking a trip to a Tiger temple, where you can actually pet tigers not in cages. The 3 hour trip to and from the temple deterred us from making the trip on our last day in Thailand. In stead, Steve and I finished a mourning of shopping and met Nancy at her new hotel downtown. Our afternoon was spent walking around and relaxing prior to leaving for the airport.

It was a wonderful trip, in which I experience a lot. Thailand is a beautiful country, which unfortunately is quickly being taken over by tourism. I wonder what it was like 10 years ago and where it will be 10 years from now. Hopefully, I'll be able to go back some day, but now I'm in search for my next big trip. It was also a great opportunity to get to know Nancy more and hear about her travels. I am so happy she asked us to join her on part her adventure!!!

Morning Exercise

As I had mentioned in a previous blog, Nancy, Steve and I were going to climb to the highest point on Koh Phangan yesterday. After reviewing the map and pondering what kind of creatures we might come upon in such a desolate area, we decided to climb a shorter mountain with the national park station at the foot. Once again, Nancy did not join us for this adventure. She was concerned about her trip down and possible hurting herself. One of the thing I've learned about Nancy is she's not very graceful when participating in physical activities, which typically leads to her hurting herself. Although I really wanted her there, I realized half way through our hike that this would have been a bad idea.

When Steve and I arrived at the park station, we were greeted by a medium sized black and white dog. He was extremely friendly and happy to see us. As we head for the path, he continued to follow us. When I stopped to take a quick picture, he stopped. As we started to head up the base of the mountain, he took the lead. Was he going to be our tour guide for the whole trip, we wondered? As we worked our way up the step hills, our little friend showed us the way, stopping while we took photos. Sometimes he would get a little distracted and start veering off path to sniff things out. Every time he came running back to us to take the lead. Once at a fork in the path, he decided to voice his opinion on which way we should go. Steve and I decided to take the opposite direction. Even though he may have disapproved, he took the lead once again.

As we made our trip down, I started to realized that the dog was probably right on taking the other path first. The path suddenly disappeared when we got to the waterfall. What looked like the continuation of the path, started dropping with large rocks that didn't provide a easy walking terrain. The dog decided to walk down the other side of the waterfall, where there also wasn't a path. Where was he in our time of need? We started contemplating walking down the rocks next to the water, but hesitated. In the end, we took our first option of the questionable path continuation. The trip was difficult and many times we wondered if we were going the right way. As we got closer to the bottom, our furry friend joined us again. He stayed with us to the bottom, where he then found a Thai family eating beside the water. He stayed with them as we headed back to our car. This relieved us from tipping him.

I loved our hiking trip. It combined many of my favorite things: nature, exercise, animals and, of course, Steve.

Road Trip

Ko Samui

Our last full day in Lamai, Steve, Nancy and I decided to rent motorbikes (scooters) for the afternoon, so we could travel around the island. When we first got to the rental place, the woman didn't ask us many questions about our expedience, but as we waited for Steve to get his passport, she asked if we had ever drove a motorbike before. Nancy and I both said "no". She said she would not let us rent them, if we did not have any experience driving them because of the traffic and possible accidents. This was definitely putting a damper on our afternoon plans. Nancy then said she had driven one a couple of times in Koa Toa. Nancy was definitely believable, so the woman didn't question her again. Once Steve arrived, she gave us our two bikes. Steve tried to give Nancy a quick tutorial on how to operate the bike, but after a couple of tries she couldn't get the bike working. The woman, who had been watching us from inside, came out and started to question Nancy aggressively and final decided she had no idea what she was doing. Sadly, the three musketeers where broken up. Nancy said we should go without her and she would hang out at the pool. The afternoon wasn't the same without her, but she was probably a lot safer not going on the trip. She's still recovering from her rock climbing incident at Railie.

The bike ride around the island was very refreshing. We took some interior roads to see what life was like outside of the beach towns. It was very lush with varying styles of homes, ranging from small shacks to some larger grated homes. On our way home, we stopped to see the Big Buddha, which was cool. The afternoon was a lot of fun, but I wish we could have taken a quick motorbike class, so we could have all gone together. Another thing to learn in the states.

Koh Phangan

We arrived yesterday on the island of Koh Phangan. This is the ultimate party island, which is know for the Full Moon Party. The Full Moon Party is one of the top parties in the world. When there isn't a full moon, there are still parties to celebrate the half moon and dark moon. Last night there was a moonset celebration just down from our hotel. The parties never end here. I guess the original party started because of someone's birthday, which just happened to fall on a full moon. A simple birthday turned into a monthly celebration.

The party is located in Haad Rin, which is on the Southwest end of the island. Luckily, I selected a place on the Northwest side, away from the dirty and loud playground. Our current hotel is the most secluded than any place we've stayed on the trip. The place is great for our last days here.

Today we decided to take a jeep to Haad Rin to check out the shops and party beach. The jeep was manual with 4 wheel drive. Steve was the only possible driver, since he's the only one that knows how to drive manual. The drive was a scary one. As I've gotten older, I've started to get a fear of heights and the mountainous roads here are narrow and winding. It's like a roller coaster without a track. Prior to heading to Haad Rin, we decided to check out the tallest point on the island. This required us to ride on dirt roads with huge pot holes, some even washing away. Once we found the correct road that took us into the middle of nowhere, we realized that it was going to be a 2-3 hour walk to the top. We were totally not prepared for that! Instead we'll do it tomorrow morning.

After our jungle adventure, we went into town. The streets here got even more narrow and their was the addition of pedestrians and motorbikers. Some streets didn't even look drivable. Finally, we found a large open space and parked for the day. Shopping was successful and our trip home safe, but stressful (for me).

Thanks to my driver for a great trip!

Cultural Differences

While I've been here, I've had the opportunity or unfortunate opportunity to experience some of the cultural differences between the States and Thailand. Here are a list of my top 4. I'll be adding more, so stay tuned.

1. Toilets..... I spoke to my aunt on Christmas morning and she was concerned about my upcoming travels. In her mind, she thought I was going to some third world country. I assured her that I was going to very touristy areas, so things shouldn't be too down and dirty. Even so, she told me to bring a roll of toilet paper. I thought how silly, of course they will have toilet paper!!! I've heard of some places only having holes as toilets, but everyone told me they have toilets in Thailand, so I wasn't too concern.

Now that I'm here and travelled to numerous places, yes, they do have toilets, but toilet paper is hit or miss. Hotels all have it, restaurants almost always have it, but anything else pretty much doesn't have it. Most of the toilet rooms have a hose with a kitchen sprayer on the end, which I'm assuming is to act like a bidet. (Ladies I'll try to get some video of this, so we can add it to our collect). I had to use it once. It wasn't pretty and I won't get into much detail. All I have to say is, luckily, I was wearing a dress and tiny underwear that I could throw in my purse. How does a hose spraying water dry you off? I've still very confused! Needless to say I carry around a roll of toilet paper at all times. It's come in very handy!!!! I still need to get some hand sanitizer!!! Mom- you wouldn't be able to handle this place.

2. Restaurants...... Normally in the states we have a wide variety of different types of restaurants. Japanese, Italian, Mexican...etc. Here there are a lot of restaurants that ALL serve the same thing: Breakfast, Appetizers, Soups, Thai Soups, Salads, Pastas, Pizzas, Thai rice and noodle dishes, Entrees, Cheif specials and Desserts. This is typical of every menu with few exceptions. Once we got to Lamai, we headed out for lunch. We found our selves looking for something we weren't going to find. Something different.

We went to an Irish pub last night and there were a couple of Irish dishes, but once again we were faced with the same list of offerings. I will be happy once I can get some sushi and Mexican!!! Not in the same meal, of course.

3. Prostitutes......It the states, this lucrative business is illegal, except in Vegas, but you still don't see the ladies on the streets in Vegas. Prior to arriving here I had heard many stories and read some men's magazines that painted Thailand as the land of pure pleasure for men. Anything you want, you get. For most of my trip, I've seen the occasional older white man with a young Thai woman and I saw some prostitutes on the streets of Patong. Coming to Lamai, which is much more quiet and secluded than Chaweng, I thought things would be pretty easy going. Last night, our first night here, we went out to dinner and then headed to some bars that looked pretty cool earlier in the day. There are two areas where these bars are located and their almost right across the street from one another. There are about 12 circular bars per area with about 10 seats at each bar. As we got closer, we noticed dancing poles in each bar and girls putting on a show. Seated at these bars were older white men groping young Thai women. It was so disgusting. You could tell these women were also disgusted, but I guess you have to do what you've gots to do. We decided to move along. As we walked down the street, we noticed the same thing at every single bar and restaurant. Where had all the normal people gone???? We retreated to to the beach to clear our heads of what we had just seen. Sinners!!!

4. Beaches......The beaches here are gorgeous, providing fun activities day and night. This can also be found in the states, but swimming tops are not optional. This is the case at ALL beaches. No... I haven't tried it. If the "girls" were to get burnt and peel, there wouldn't be much left and I can't jeopardize the little I already have!!!

What day is it?

I think it's been about 5 days since I've last wrote. The days seem to be melting into one another, making it hard for me to remember what day it is! Its wonderful, but I'm sad that it will quickly come to an end. Since I've last written, I have traveled to Railiey, Krabi, Chewang, Ko Samui and I just arrived in Lamai, Ko Samui today.

Railey is located on a small peninsula on the East coast of Thailand. You can walk from either side in about 5 minutes. We stayed at an amazing resort in the middle, where our room overlooked the pool and pond with coy fish. The sister resort was located on the West side of the peninsula, which has a nicer beach than the East. We were allowed to use both facilities, which was really nice. During our full day there, Steve and I spent the morning traveling over to a small beach just North of us, which was separated by the ocean and a large collection of towering rocks. The trip over wasn't too bad, except we lost Nancy to a fall on some of the rocks, which left her with some bad scratches. She headed back to the resort, while Steve and I continued to the beach. The beach was primarily the home of traveling rock climbers and small bungalows. These climbers were amazing!!! I don't think I could ever get that high, even though I'd be curious to see the small caves on the sides of the mountains. By the time Steve and I had finished walking around the small beach, the tide had started to come in quickly. The smaller rocks we had once hopped along were gone and we were only left two options- walk along the water's edge and risk slipping along the smooth slippery rocks or climb the huge sharp rocks in front of us. Steve decided to take the water route, while I choose to climb. With Steve in possession of the video camera AND Nancy's camera, he finally took to climbing. We didn't need a repeat of my camera incident!!!! Luckily both of us made it back safely.

Our travel between Railay to the island of Ko Samui, required us to travel from the East coast of Thailand to the West. Our trip included a boat taxi ride, two bus trips and our final ferry trip to the island. Obviously, we made it to our finally destination, but not without concern and frustration. One thing I've learned here is that you must let the day come to you! Being impatient and voicing your disapproval with get you no where!!! Luckily I learned this prior to our trip to Ko Samui; otherwise, things may have gotten ugly.

The past three days have been spent in Chewang, which is located on the Northeast side of the island. It is a bustling beach town dedicated to tourists. Steve and I took a 3 hour tour on our full day there. It included an elephant ride, feeding the elephants, a swim at the bottom of a waterfall, seeing monkeys collect coconuts, eating and drinking from coconuts and visiting some temples. Of course I loved the animals!!! All in all, it was a lot of fun.

Today we arrived at Lamai, which is about 30 minutes South of Chaweng. It's a smaller beach town, where we are staying at a gorgeous hotel with a large infinity pool right off the beach. After a long walk along the beach, we went swimming and then I got a 1 hour aloe vera massage. This is the life!!! I don't think I can come home for another 6 months.

Four Hour Tour

The decision to travel to Thailand came about because my friend Nancy was unhappy at her job and was looking for new direction in her life. She decided to quite her job and travel around the world for 4 months. She asked Steve and I if we would be interested in visiting her in Thailand. Already having an itch to travel to the East, I didn't have to think over it much and was quickly looking for the best airfare. Our itinerary for the trip was to spend New Years in Patong, head to Bangkok for about a day on Jan. 2nd then take a bus to Surat Tani, where we would take a ferry to an island called Ko Samui and then end on another island called Koh Pangang. Nancy was traveling though out Thailand prior to our arrival and decided to change our New Years plans after visiting the small island of Phi Phi. After being here for 3 days, it was a great idea to make the change. The island is gorgeous and there aren't any cars. We have been relaxing by the pool, taking advantage of the inexpensive spa services and venturing out on day trips.

In the past four days of being here, yesterday was the more exciting! We went on a four hour ferry tour that took us to Monkey Beach, snorkeling and to Maya Bay Beach, where they filmed the movie the Beach. Once our ferry reached Monkey Beach, it stopped about 200 yards from the shore. We had the option to either swim or take a boat. We decided to swim. We now refer to this as "the swim to survive". I can swim, but I'm not a very strong swimmer. Once I got ready to jump from the top of the ferry, I realized this was going to be a work out. After making my jump, I became somewhat concerned about the distance with the waves swooshing me around. Steve, aka my lifeguard, stayed close by. With a combination of swimming on my back and doing the side stroke, I made it pretty far, but as I grew increasingly tired and kept taking in salt water I started to get concerned. Finally, Steve came to help me and I was saved. I think all of us agreed that the next time we'll take the boat!!! The trip to Monkey beach was very quick, but my favorite. I was able to feed the monkeys!!! Their little paws felt so soft on my hand and they were so cute.

After Monkey Beach, we went snorkeling. I have never been snorkeling except in a pool, so I was very excited to try it out in the ocean. After my tiring swim, I was also concerned about how well I was going to be able to stay afloat. Once I was in the water, I didn't have a problem. It was really cool to see all of the colorful fish! I definitely want to learn how to dive after this experience.

Maya Bay Beach was our last destination. This place was amazing and untouched, unlike the rest of the areas I have been. Steve and I ventured along a path to the other side of the island, where we found a small hole that lead to a tiny cave that opened up to the ocean. Although difficult to get into, the view was a amazing. We also stumbled on the home of some crags. They are such silly walkers!!! On my way out of the cave, I slipped on some stones and fell into one of the many shallow pools of water. Unfortunately, I had my camera on me!!!! The camera was not savable, but the disk was not wet, so I'm hoping my photos are still accessible. Luckily I wasn't holding our video camera!!!

Today, we leave for Krabi, a beach town on the East Coast of Thailand. We will be there for a couple of days and then head to Ko Samui. Happy New Years to everyone!