Tham Sakoen National Park

For the first weekend in a while, I stayed local and enjoyed the natural beauty right in my backyard.  Instead of the routine overnight bus ride to Bangkok and beyond, I took a leisurely hour and a half motorbike ride with Josh near the Laos border to Tham Sakoen National Park, which we originally passed on our way to the northern most province of Chiang Rai two months ago.

The province of Nan doesn’t draw flocks of tourists because it lacks the razzle dazzle postcard sites and high energy of a Chiang Mai, which insures Nan’s fitting place as one of Thailand’s hidden gems.  It’s quietly rural but filled with incredible landscapes symbolic of authentic Southeast Asia.  Each motorbike ride in Nan provides the opportunity to stumble upon something unexpectedly awesome.  The roads are surrounded by electric lime green rice paddies, thick forests and rolling hills as far as the eye can see, with little wooden shacks sprinkled on top.  All you need is a motorbike; the rest is provided.

After frequent stops to enjoy the scenery, Josh and I arrived at Thom Sakoen National Park and marveled at the limestone mountains soaring through the jungle.  They reminded me of the limestone structures we saw in the beautiful island of Ko Phi Phi jutting out of the aqua water.  On the way to the campsite we spotted a small sign for a cave, so we hopped off the motorbikes and began a steep hike on an unmaintained trail.  Soon the immensity of the cave’s mouth caught us by surprise and we excitingly, yet cautiously entered the darkness.  Boulders became our stepping stones as we followed the sound of shrieking bats towards the cave’s belly.  We stood under the flying rodents’ hectic home and followed their shadowy figures on the cave walls.  Then we decided to investigate a ray of light coming from the back of the cave, which entailed passing through bat shit and stalactite tunnels.  The light from the cave’s ceiling gleamed through various crooks and crannies as we climbed up to the outside.  We explored at a methodical pace in case we encountered any dangerous critters (i.e. snakes, spiders or scorpions), although what ended up scaring me was a small decapitated doll, whose role it seemed was to scare off nosy travelers...

With plenty of daylight left to pitch a tent and gather wood for a campfire, Josh and I settled into the empty campgrounds.  The landscape had a land-before-time feel; it was the kind of place you could envision a pterodactyl swooping down from the mountains into the jungle.  The night was warm and clear and the innumerable stars illuminated the canopy, making it perfect to abandon the tent and sleep on the ground. 

We woke up the following morning with the sunrise and explored a river that ran through the national park.  The boulders that rested in the water were similar in size to the ones we encountered in the cave and we jumped from rock to rock until we came to a fork in the river.  Josh went left and I went right, although we each ultimately found a waterfall.  I was quite satisfied with the serene spot and promptly swam to the falls in the refreshingly cool water.  As I air-dried on a boulder in front of the waterfall pool, I observed the jungle downstream and absorbed the tranquility.

The Seven-Tiered Waterfalls at Erawan National Park

Another weekend leaving Thawangpha by overnight bus,

They’re pretty comfortable though so no reason to fuss,

In Bangkok I met up with Jill and to Konchanaburi we took a minivan

Which ingeniously lacked a trunk so we held our bags and felt pretty crammed.

Upon arrival we rented a motorbike and found a suitable bungalow,

We drove to Erawan National Park which would have been a favorite of Thoreau,

That is if there weren’t so many obnoxious tourists posing by the waterfalls in speedos,

I wanted to say, “This is Thai culture, not the Jersey Shore with guidos,”

But even their blotchy sunburned blubber couldn’t stop us from enjoying the spectacular seven-tiered waterfalls,

A jungle oasis with waterfalls both wide and tall,

Each of the seven could have been its own main attraction,

Monkeys swung from trees and stole some of the action,

We enjoyed the show and took a seat,

Then fish in the pools pecked and tickled our feet,

The waterfall scenery seemed so unreal we were simply in awe,

Undoubtedly the most beautiful waterfalls I ever saw.

On our ride back we got caught in a hard rain,

This was an issue on the motorbike and much ground we could not gain,

It was cold, dark and slippery and we didn’t want to risk any fatalities,

So we made several stops at the scarce nearby houses and appreciated the typical Thai hospitality,

Finally got back and then marveled about Thailand and all its fun,

How the Erawan weekend was symbolic of each Thaiventure- second to none. 

Ko Chang

On the first full weekend of 2012, I took Monday off from school and went to the island of Ko Chang.  After another overnight bus from Thawangpha to Bangkok, followed by a shorter bus ride from Bangkok to Chonburi, I met up with Jill and two of her American friends, Jack and Alyssa, on vacation from teaching English in China. The four of us took a four hour bus ride to Trat, where we hopped on a ferry for an hour to Ko Chang and then spent another hour on a hilly taxi ride from the pier to our bungalows on the opposite side of the island.  With the 20 hours of traveling under my belt, I was ready to finally undue my belt and switch into a bathing suit.  Once I stepped onto the soft white sand and saw the plentiful palm trees gazing at the tropical waters and sunset, my senses were cleansed and the inherent hassles of traveling for a day seemed trivial.

We awoke moderately early the following morning because we felt the urge to make the most of our limited time and explore (one of the few reasons that I can justify waking up early on vacation or a weekend).  We rented two kayaks and paddled to one of the three islands that graced the beach view.  The sunshine, sea breeze and salt water insured a great day, but discovering that we essentially had the island to ourselves made it especially memorable.  My own paradise island?!  Thank you, Thailand, for completely exceeding my expectations.  We hiked through the jungle from one side of the short island to the other and swung from dangling vines.  Kayaking through rock formations without another soul in sight seemed like we were living our own Planet Earth episode (sure beats living your own Twilight Zone episode, as in last week’s Thaiventure).  It felt incredibly timeless. 

That night we celebrated at a full moon party on the beach.  Explore and chill all day, party at night.  Yeah, man!

The Ko Chang weekend gave us a greater appreciation for Thailand’s nickname- “Land of Smiles.”  Check out the corresponding Ko Chang video!

New Years in Ko Phi Phi

When it comes to the transportation aspect of traveling, no news is often good news- especially in Southeast Asia.  Alas, I had a rather draining experience schlepping from Chiang Mai to Ko Phi Phi for New Years.  While the traveling Thaiventure seemed to fit the plot of a Twilight Zone episode, my New Year’s weekend in Ko Phi Phi was unforgettably awesome.

Ko Phi Phi

The story begins at a travel agency in Chiang Mai.  Two experienced travelers (with awareness of various infamous Eastern scams) book two cheap overnight bus tickets from Chiang Mai to Bangkok.  The travelers think to themselves that the inexpensiveness should not be a cause for concern because the tickets are sold at an established travel agency with a permanent address, thus providing traceable contact information.  Furthermore, it should be noted that the same travel agency was successfully used to book the travelers’ minibus tickets from Chiang Mai to Pai and back, only a few days prior to the Bangkok trip.  Despite the knowledge that such logic often does not hold up in Southeast Asia, the travelers go forth.  First, they feel suspicious when dropped off at a random gas station, the supposed departing location, 20 minutes out of town by the travel agency’s taxi.  Two hours pass waiting for the bus.  Suspicion turns into frustration.  The Chiang Mai “tourist police” are at the scene and inform the travelers that the bus company is notorious for stealing from sleeping passengers.  The travelers wonder how such tourists could be so oblivious, until they hear a rumor that the bus driver is known to spray a sleeping gas into the ventilation system in order to facilitate the middle of the night thievery.  The police subsequently take out a man’s license and say if the bus shows up, they will promptly arrest the driver.  Frustration turns into confusions because the police should simply be able to investigate the travel agency after previous complaints so that the fiasco ceases to perpetuate.  Are the police in on the scam as well?  The two travelers feel slightly ashamed for getting themselves into this mess, but remain calm and collected.  The bus ultimately shows up, the police take photos of the license plates, the two travelers take sleeping shifts throughout the ten hour overnight ride and end up safely in Bangkok early the following morning… with all their belongings.

With that absurd ordeal behind us, Josh and I passed out in a Bangkok hostel.  All of the decent accommodations were booked because of New Year’s weekend, so we made due in a room with holes in the walls, cats coming out of the hallway windows and apparent shit stains on the sheets.  Mai pen rai.  Josh and I cleared our minds and escaped the cacophonous city by playing frisbee on a green in front of the Grand Palace.  Buddhist monks were watching from nearby benches, perhaps meditating on how to incorporate such a chill activity into their Zen practice.  Jill met us that afternoon and the three of us hopped on a plane the next morning to Ko Phi Phi.

Maya Beach

After the hour plane ride and ferry from the mainland, we met up with a handful of other friends from our teach abroad program and finally arrived on the world class island of Ko Phi Phi!  I had been drooling over Google images for the past year and was ecstatic to finally see the stunning Ko Phi Phi beaches in person.  We approached the Phi Phi pier and stood speechless as we gazed at the aqua water and jutting mountains.  Yeaaaaaaaaaah!  Tired from the travels but excited to celebrate New Year’s on the world class island, we hiked up to our hostel.  On the way we picked up the ingredients to make the popular Thai “bucket,” which includes a flask of whiskey, a bottle of Red Bull, a can of Coke, a bottle of seltzer and a bucket to mix the delicious poison.  We found our hostel and handed the British owner our reservation email… and the unexpected ending of our Thaiventure Twilight Zone episode unfolded.  The hostel manager had CANCELLED our reservation for the night and sold our room to other visitors who had arrived on an earlier ferry.  WHAT THE FUCK?!  It was New Year’s Eve and every place on the island was going to be booked!  It was the only time I remember losing my temper in two months in Thailand and it’s not a coincidence the conflict pertained to foreigners rather than Thais.  After arguing with the stubborn British owner and getting only more perplexed and frustrated over his cryptic cancellation policy, Jill and I somehow figured out alternate plans for the night at another hotel.  These things have a way of working out in Thailand.

The New Year’s Eve beach party and following few days of snorkeling, cliff jumping and exploring were incredible.  Maya Beach, the crown jewel beach of Ko Phi Phi and paradise location in the movie, “The Beach,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was particularly epic.  We were repeatedly awed by the lagoons and overall splendor of the island.  Ko Phi Phi was a great way to start the new year and a top highlight of my Thaiventure.

The trip back to Thawangpha was smoother than getting to Ko Phi Phi; nonetheless, it still included a ride on a ferry, taxi, airplane, tuk-tuk (rickshaw), bus and motorbike.  Josh and I arrived back in Thawangpha at 4:30 in the morning with school three hours later.  “Good morning, students!”

             

Chiang Mai and Pai

Josh and I kicked off our midterm vacation in two of Thailand’s hippest places- Chiang Mai and Pai.

Chiang Mai is exactly east of our Nan Province, but mountainous landscapes prohibit a direct route, so a 6 hour southern loop by bus was how our journey began.  During my second time in Chiang Mai, I went on an urban walking tour to famous Buddhist temples with Jill (who flew up for the weekend), found a delicious Jewish restaurant, explored an exotic forest temple and its surroundings, ran a half marathon and naturally celebrated in the evenings, including a memorable night that started at “THC Bar,” continued at a Thai club, and shamefully ended at McDonalds.  Luckily I had a full day to recover before the half marathon, which started a day later at 5 in the morning.  Due to the early starting time, I passed an amusing combination of drunken partiers stumbling on their way back from the night out, as well as a wave of Buddhist monks making their early rounds for food in exchange for blessings.  There were a handful of stops along the road with water and bananas for the runners, but at one point I mistook offerings for the monks as one of the hydrating stations.

The three hour minibus ride north from Chiang Mai to Pai is notoriously twisty, with supposedly 762 curves along the way.  After the nausea, Josh and I checked into a hostel, rented motorbikes and started to explore.  Pai has a fitting reputation as a hippie town and the foreigners there seemed much more like real travelers than tourists (a much appreciated distinction from Khao San Road in Bangkok).  It was a great place to relax and enjoy the wealth of nearby nature attractions.  We found a tranquil river and waterfall, some pretty tight stalactites and mighty stalagmites in a massive cave and inviting canyon trails overlooking misty mountains disappearing into the morning clouds.  Pai was charmingly chill and we were reluctant to leave.

However, the fact that we were leaving Pai to spend New Year’s on Ko Phi Phi, arguably Thailand’s most beautiful island, helped us say “lagorn” (goodbye) to the northern haven.  Time to get out the bathing suit!

Crazy Thailand

The past two weekends symbolized two Thai extremes.  On the 10^th and 11^th, Josh and I stayed local in Nan. We rode the motorbikes back up to Nanthaburi National Park on Saturday, only a 40 minute drive away, and then attended a tribal ceremony on Sunday at 3 A.M., which included a horrifying animal sacrifice.  Contrastingly, I spent the weekend of the 17^th and 18^th in modern Bangkok.

As you loyal blog subscribers know, Josh and I had previously visited Nanthaburi National Park, but because time required us to leave without exploring some inviting trails and waterfalls, we made the short ride back for the day.  It was more beautiful than the first time we went!  After chilling by an impressive waterfall in the afternoon, Josh and I hiked back up to the main campgrounds to watch the sunset and eat some grub. A big Thai family was making a campfire and invited us to join for drinks and dinner, which has pleasantly become the hospitable norm around here.

We descended the mountain as it turned dark and paradise was soon lost in the valley.  At 3 A.M. we drove fifteen minutes from our residing town of Thawangpha to a local Tai Lui village to witness their annual heritage rituals.  The Tai Lui people originally immigrated to northern Thailand from the Mekong River in Sipsongpanna, China when they lost a battle with Thailand (which at the time was Siam), since to the victor goes the spoils.  We only learned after the ceremony that the Tai Lui people are more animistic than Buddhist, which surprised us upon arrival because we had acclimated to the peaceful Buddhist ways of Thailand.  With all due respect to cultural relativism, this ceremony was a joke.  It’s hard to be politically correct when you witness something extremely primitive and barbaric.  I’m making these claims based on the assumed premise that the blatant torturing of animals is objectively wrong.  However, the beginning of the ceremony was innocent enough.  A Tai Lui elder who was a descendent of the army commander whom led the Chinese to Thailand performed the first rituals (the rituals and sacrifices performed were supposedly done in honor of the ancestors and revered army commander).   The Tai Lue elder held a baby chicken in front of a miniature home that was built to represent the home of the ancestors and then plucked several feathers from the chicken and offered them to the “ancestral spirits.” 

 If that was the extent of what transpired, I would have perhaps appreciated the emphasis they placed on familial remembrance and respect.  But when the Tai Lui elder subsequently handed the baby chicken off to an assistant whom then threw it in the air for the drunken mob to hysterically chase and catch as a symbol of good luck, I began to get a sour taste in my mouth.  After those shocking shenanigans were over, I begrudgingly meandered my way to the animal sacrifice.  A pig, water buffalo, and a few other helpless creatures were tied to posts, forming a circle.  The executioner held a dull ax.  The water buffalo moaned in agony as the executioner walked around the innocent creature in between blows in order to get a better angle.  It was probably the most unkosher, crude exhibition I have ever witnessed and reminded me of my futile attempts of opening up coconuts with the dull knife we have in our kitchen.  Three strikes to the water buffalo and I decided to head out.  

Khao San Road

The past weekend in bustling Bangkok seemed like I fast-forwarded the clock about 500 years.  I took an 11 hour overnight bus on Friday and a returning one Sunday night, which is one of those things you only do in a foreign country (further than driving from New York to Detroit and back for a weekend).  The company, food, and Thai massage (don’t worry Mom, I was relaxed rather than “happy” at the end of it) made it all worth it.  Bangkok is certainly a crazy metropolis.  Upon arrival at the bus station, I took a 30 minute motorbike-taxi ride to our hotel.  Holy shit!  Nothing like riding helmetless and holding on for dear life as the driver speeds and narrowly weaves between rickshaws and other moving vehicles… all at 5 A.M., right after stumbling off an 11 hour bus ride.  I met up with Jill and the rest of the chill Chonburi crew and we celebrated Danielle’s birthday Saturday night.  We stayed at a hotel on the notoriously touristy Khao San Road, which initially was nice just to get a change of pace from rural Thawangpha, but the extreme foreigner vibe quickly become pretty obnoxious.  If the goal is to be a traveler rather than a tourist, most occupants of Khao San Road didn’t get the memo.  To avoid the daytime commotion, we hung out by the cool of the rooftop pool and ate at an amazing vegetarian restaurant with floor cushions and hip music.  I must say, humus and veggie lasagna really hit the spot, especially after the recent Tai Lue ceremony. 

The two weekends of experiencing the Tai Leu animistic rituals and touristy Khao San Road, respectively, are by no means representative of Thai culture.  However, they do comprise two minority and extreme parts of Thailand as a whole.  Thailand reminds of a line in “Sara,” by Dylan, which goes, “So easy to look at, so hard to define.” 

Our school has midterms next week, so we get a little vacation!  I’ll be back in Chiang Mai, the caves and misty mountains of northwest Thailand, then flying down to stunning Ko Phi Phi Island for New Years.  Hope you have a happy holidays and New Year!

Chiang Rai and Phu Chi Fa Forest Park

The whole country had the day off on Monday in honor of the King’s birthday.  I celebrated by meeting some friends in Chiang Rai, the northern most province in Thailand, for a three day weekend of adventures.  While our friends in the greater Bangkok area endured a 14 hour overnight bus, Josh and I enjoyed a four and half hour motorbike ride over the mountains.  It was simply one the most beautiful rides I’ve seen.  The majority of the time was spent going back and forth on curvy roads with majestic mountains distracting us on either side, compelling us to stop and smell the roses along the way.

We soon discovered that Chiang Rai is a pretty hip place.  The manageable city offers the best of both worlds with a handful of fun downtown bars and the scenery of rice patties, mountains, and forests surrounding the outskirts.  On Saturday we visited Wat Rong Khun, an aesthetically pleasing white temple, which was constructed to resemble hell (it sounds counterintuitive until you see the architectural details).  That night we walked around the bustling Chiang Rai night market and eventually ended the long day at the reggae playing Peace Bar- just what the doctor ordered (especially the alternative California doctor).

The next day we went to Phu Chi Fa Forest Park, which entailed another unforgettable motor 

bike ride.  The journey to Chiang Rai from Nan was smooth sailing, but this ride presented some challenges, to say the least.  Before I rant about the details, I’ll first ease any worries by saying that we were thankfully safe the entire time.  Jill rode on the back of my motorbike and the two of us enjoyed the scenery until it began to get dark, which was around the same time that we turned right on an unmarked fork in the road.  The lack of signs at a crucial intersection was quite typical of Thailand, although the more illogical part was that most of the trip was actually well marked!  Needless to say, turning right was wrong, which we concluded after the next sign indicated 50 more kilometers or so than the previous one.  As the mountain road steadily inclined, the temperature quickly declined (an unfamiliar feeling for us in Thailand) and the unlit roads became more difficult to navigate.  Suddenly, the motor bike stalled and stopped.  I tried kick starting it but to no avail, for the motorbike had run out of gas.  At that moment, when we were mentally and physically drained from the tiring ride (your ass starts to really feel it after a few hours… that’s what she said), and stranded on the side of a dark, cold mountain, Jill started laughing hysterically.  We had been driving the past few hours with no signs of civilization (besides the paved road), but our motorbike had broken down only a few dozen meters away from a small gas pump.  I’d like to add that it was only after we responded with levity when the bike died that we found the gas pump, which made me think that perhaps our ability to stay calm and carry on somehow contributed to the borderline miraculous aftermath.  Or it was merely fortuitous.  Either way, we were thankful to finally find a cozy bungalow and meet up with the rest of our friends.  The night ended on a fun, spontaneous note as Jill and I were walking past the campgrounds when a group of Thai guys invited us over for drinks and food.  It was a real testament to the friendliness of Thai people.  They offered us everything they had to eat and drink, serenated us on the guitar, took numerous photos with us, and repeatedly thanked us for stopping by.  We kept responding, “no, thank you, thank you!” 

The next morning we climbed Phu Chi Fa and waited under the stars in the whipping cold for the sunrise.  The subsequent scenery was beautifully indescribable, so I’ll let the pictures and video give it a shot.  I just kept saying “wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!” whenever I turned and faced the sun, mountains, and clouds.