Koh Tao

Recovering from the Full Moon party, we left to Koh Tao (Turtle Island) on an hour ferry ride. We booked a 3 day diving package in order to get our Open Water Diving certification at Crystal Dive resort. Upon our arrival, we were immediately welcomed by a friendly international staff. Most of them backpacked through Koh Tao at one time, fell in love with diving, and decided to stay and work at the dive resort.

Our open water certification consisted of four ocean dives, to a maximum depth of about 18m. Of course, hours of classroom instruction also accompany the experience, and they proved to be quite valuable for us once we put on our diving equipment. Adjusting to breathing underwater wasn't too much of a problem for us, since we were able to start in a pool before entering the open water. After mastering our equipment, the next challenge for us was to gain control of our bouyancy in the water. With the right weights and breathing techniques, a diver learns to essentially make himself float or sink with a breath of air rather than increased motion. Less motion requires less air. Less air used means more time underwater. In diving, although its counter-intuitive to what we know about swimming, you move very slowly and gracefully, making for a very calming experience underwater.

The ocean is a totally different world. What an remarkable experience! We were lucky enough to dive in good visibilty wter and saw dozens of different species marine life including fish, crab, rays, jellyfish, anenomies, and coral. After mastering bouyancy and getting a good bearing on my breathing, I began to fall in love with the hobby. We had such a great time, and 3 days was just a tease, so Jordan and I decided to stick around a few more days and pursue our Advanced open water certification, which includes a night dive and 30m deep water dive as well as additional navigation and bouyancy skills. I have acquired a newfound passion for the ocean. Now just sitting on the beach may not be enough, since I will be constantly thinking about what's beneath the surface. (A new yet expensive hobby for back home)

Koh Tao also boasts a very festive nightlife. Several beach bars line Sairee Bay and play chilled out music into the night (with much less of a crowd than Ko Phangan). We also found a really fun Australian Bar in Sairee that had live music. Our entire dive group (and instructor, Guy) went out several times after our courses for some drinks. The place got pretty crazy, with patrons (mostly British and Irish) dancing on tables singing loads of songs acapella.

We had a fantastic and relaxing week on the Island, and it was well worth it. We departed on a cramped night ferry back to the mainland and stayed in transit for 48 hours to get to Tokyo. The Ferry was quite an experience. It had about 50 people packed in the main cabin of a loud, old wooden boat. We were on the boat with most of our diving team (coincidently we all were leaving the same day). We all sat underneath a single light playing cards and drinking some good beer to help us sleep in the 3 foot wide stiff mats that were our so-called beds for the trip. A tough night's sleep, but it was quite a fun experience sharing card games with our British friends.

Full Moon Party

It's hard to describe the feeling one gets when arriving to Ko Phangan in the days leading up to the Full Moon. It's much like the excitement you may have when attending a very popular yet exclusive party, or some large-scale televised event like the Oscars. (I don't know what it's like to go to the Oscars, but I can only imagine). In the nights leading up to October 14, the beach at Haad Rin Bay had transformed from a swimming and water sports beach to one of the largest outdoor party venues ever imaginable.


The Gang


The Gang painted up

All along the beach lies different bars and clubs, each one with a different theme, bragging a larger sound system, and flashier lights and decorations, and a better DJ. A handful of clubs specialized in attracting a crowd with their impressive nightly fireshows, which featured local Thais spinning flaming sticks and ropes at extremely high speeds. Other clubs set up large platforms for dancing, and blasted music so loudly that it could probably be heard miles away. Countless "Bucket Stands" filled any remaining free space along the beach front. Each 5 foot plot featured different lights, decorations, and hilarious messages spraypainted on the makeshift storefront in hopes of attracting any passerby who might be any bit thirsty. I had never heard of the term bucket until arriving in Thailand, but the alcoholic beverage is extremely popular with European backpackers. Basically, its one giant cocktail served in a bucket with 5 straws, intended to be shared by a few people. (The reality is that many consumers purchase their own bucket with false hopes of lasting the entire night).


Just a bit of the fire...

We had a great deal of fun the two nights before the full moon party, since there was still a beach party every night, and several hundred people filled each club. But on the night of the Full Moon, the beach exploded with people! (About 7-10,000 from what I heard in a local's estimate) Travelers from all over the island and from nearby islands flocked to the beach by ferry, motorbike, and taxi beginning in the late evening. By 11pm, about the time we arrived at the beach, it was very hard to navigate through the crowds. We did decide to sport some glow in the dark body paint (a popular thing to do) that would be seen in the UV lights from club to club. The night went by in a flash, and we managed to stay awake for the sunrise on the ocean's horizon.

In all honesty, I'm not too much of a party person, but this was nothing like we had ever seen before. What was more interesting was really just the growing excitement that could be felt in the days leading up to the party. It attracts thousands of people from dozens of different nationalities. In addition, most of the party-goers are fellow travelers who are close in age and have adopted similar traveler's mindsets. When one travels, whether alone or with friends, one is pulled out of his comfort zone and forced into challenging and unpredictable situations. As one adjusts to backpacking and staying in hostels, naturally one becomes more friendly, always willing to meet more people and discover different cultures and stories through conversation. Sometimes it starts by turning to one's neighbor for travel advice, or meeting another group of backpackers in a hostel lobby and sharing stories. Other times one can just stumble into a random conversation with someone he/she recognizes from another part of the trip.

In Haad Rin, I was fascinated with the massive yet short-lived city of travelers that forms overnight and then disappears at sunrise. The loads of travelers that fill the island come essentially because other travelers will be there. During a moment of reflection one night, I thought to myself how we, as human beings, naturally gravitate towards other people. We like being surrounded by others, and not too many people can live in solitude. For example, there is a unique enthusiasm when going to see a movie in theaters, and much of that comes from the social surrounding that is created. Many people have home theater systems that can easily recreate a movie theater, but we still enjoy being around others. For a backpacker in Thailand, the Full Moon Party is very similar in that sense. One large-scale event, weeks of hype, and an impressive social outcome. On a smaller level, I was impressed and somewhat surprised by the friendliness of so many groups of backpackers we randomly met. For instance, we were walking down the beach the night before full moon when we bumped into a large, sweaty, jolly guy from Melbourne. I just gave him a nod "hello" and he instantly reached out his hand and introduced himself with a huge smile. Seconds later, as Kush introduced himself, the man hugged and picked him up in an act of excitement and accidentally flipped him over. It resulted in one big laugh from the surrounding crowd, and it made for quite a memory.

We left the island the following day extremely tired. We've had our fill of partying.
Here's a picture of sunrise the morning after:

Ko Phi Phi and Ko Phangan

Whew...All this backpacking and then. Beach?

We spent one night in Phuket town, which was just okay since we arrived late and left the next morning. But we found ourselves in Ko Phi Phi after a quick ferry ride and we had...nothing to do. It's a beautiful island on the western end of Thailand that attracts many backpackers. Gorgeous white sandy beaches adorn most of the bays, with scattered rocks on the coast and a luscious jungle inland. So for the most part of 5 nights, we just relaxed. A lot of reading, journal writing, snorkeling, swimming in WARM WARM water. One of the bays near the village has a sandbar that goes out about 1/2 mile from the shore and stays only about 3 feet deep. On the shore, bars and restuarants advertise their drink specials and night-time "fireshows".

There are no cars on the island, and we discovered later that its population is about 80% Muslim. We could hear the beautiful calls to prayer throughout the day. Apparently this also explains why there are so many cats. We learned, from another traveler, that since cats are considered clean animals, there is no population control, and the cats are free to breed all over the island. We stumbled upon hundreds of cats throughout the five days we spent on the island. In fact, one night, a rat had managed to sneak into our bungalow and ravage through some food wrappers. (Jordan jumped up on the bed as if the rat were a fire-breathing snake). He did manage to find a cat roaming around nearby, and sure enough, within 5 minutes, "Big Mama" (the nickname we gave the cat) pounced on the little rodent and tore him a new one. It made for some good entertainment. (That and Jordan screaming on the bed mattress flailing his arms).

Ko Phi Phi has loads of diving centers, western food, internet cafes, and pubs. It's hard to just try and eat Thai food when a juicy burger or tasty scrambled eggs jumps off the menu at a restaurant. The food selection caters to the majority of travelers in the South. Most of the travelers we've met down here have been British and Israeli. Loads and loads of backpackers come off the ferry and fill the beaches in the Southern islands of Thailand. We've made a bunch of friends in transit, many of whom we continue to bump into throughout the rest of our journey. Everyone here pretty much has a similar path leading up to the Full Moon Party. On Oct 14, and every month near the time of the full moon, they throw a legendary party on Ko Phangan Island (the east side). The party is known by backpackers around the world, and almost everyone to travels to Thailand is expected to be at this event.

We just arrived yesterday in Ko Phangan after an entire day of movement via Bus and Ferry. The town is a little crazier, much louder than Ko Phi Phi, and we are hoping to have a good time these next couple of days. We rented Jet Skis today for about $15 USD for 30 minutes and had a fantastic time riding the waves during sunset. At this point, we've basically formed a crew of travelers that consists of group of british guys about our age (Adam and Rick) as well as this lone British traveler (Pete). Together, we plan to take on the island. With some fishing trips, beaches, nights out, and more jet skiing. More to come...

Chatuchak Market

It took awhile for all of us to recover from our ailments. For awhile, I was getting over Dengue Fever while Jordan had a painful infected cut on his foot that he acquired on jungle trek. Kush wasn't fairing any better since he had an upset stomach for several days. On our way to the south, we spent one night in Bangkok and stayed at our favorite hostel, Suk 11 (near Sukhumvit Road). A very rustic and comfortable place, we hung out there for the night and bumped into some other BRUINS in the lobby! Surprisingly enough, each of us knew at least one of them (Jesslyn and Lindsey), as they were traveling with one other really cool dude from the states. The next day we all met at the Chatuchak market, a huge weekend market just outside Bangkok.

The Market was insanely large. It would take an entire weekend to see it all, since every vendor is so densly packed together in a 2 square mile region. There are dozens of tiny streets, or "soi" that divide the open-air market into different sections. One can find anything from underwear, handmade jewelry, antiques, loads of food, pets, electronics, to furniture, jeans, and vintage American clothing. Looking through one store, I discovered recycled shirts from the states that were probably originally manufactured in Thailand, shipped to the states, printed and sold, then sent back on some huge Goodwill truck and re-sold in a Thai market. Some favorite shirts were the "Bank of America Family picnic 1996" and "Beaver Tale Ale" we happened to stumble upon. It was quite a sight, and MUST DO for anyone visiting Bangkok. Extremely cheap and equipped with almost every type of merchandise imaginable, it is a bargainers paradise. Even if you don't want to buy anything, it's a sight to see. (One of my most memorable of the trip)

Monkey Temple

Another sleeper train from Chiang Mai to Bangkok went by in a flash. The morning of our arrival in Bangkok, we jumped right back on a train to Lopburi, a city known for its notable monkey population. Be bought our train tickets in a hurry and purchased the 30 Baht ($1) third class ticket rather than the 300 Baht 2nd-class ticket. With regard to the comfort of third class, as Jordan phrased it, "Let's just write this off as a cultural experience" For $1 I guess it was a good deal, but the lack of A/C or fan on a 3-hour local train, accompanied by all the interesting sights and smells. It was an experience (to say the least).

The old city of Lopburi is within walking distance from the train station. It is also showered with tiny monkeys that will scavenge through almost anything, ride on cars for transportation, and do not deem it necessary to find any privacy for thier lewd acts. It was a lot of fun hanging out with the monkeys. In fact, most of the local businesses have bamboo poles and slingshots to keep the monkeys away. As we ate lunch, the shopowner began his target practice with tiny pieces of chalk. The monkeys were much smarter, however, and they all took cover at the sight of the slingshot. We visited an ancient temple at the city center known as the "monkey temple". Pretty much the main sanctuary for these little guys, the temple had at least 500 monkeys running about. Old, young, fat, skinny, male, female-every type of monkey imaginable could be seen inside. We walked through with our bamboo hitting stick (for safety measures) and a bag of sunflower seeds. Immediately they would scurry up near our legs, position themselves on their hind legs , and grab the seeds out of our hands as quick as possible before the Alpha male came and chased them away.

A Rough Few Days

After the Jungle Trek, I felt like absolute sh*t. Not even a 1 hour Thai massage could do the trick for my sore body. The one night that everyone from the trek was planning on going out to a bar to celebrate, I found myself with a 102-degree fever in bed with tension headaches and severe body aches. The following day I visited the Chiang Mai hospital for a diagnosis and blood test. They confirmed my original fears: Dengue Fever. A Mosquito-transmitted virus that lasts for about 7 days, Dengue fever is much more dangerous with children and the elderly. I weathered the fever pretty well, drank a ton of water every day, and just monitored my fever. Now I'm feeling much better. No worries.

My experience in the hospital was extremely pleasant, shattering all my predispositions. English speaking doctors and nurses assisted me within 10 minutes of my arrival. During the blood test, I was somewhat skeptical how sanitary the needles were, foolishly assuming I was in a third-world impoverished village. But the experience was seamless, in fact much easier than in the US. They followed all standard medical procedures, were very polite, patient, and freindly, and the entire visit (With blood test and Rx) cost me about $70 USD. A fraction of what the same visit would cost in the States. Now, of course, I must take into consideration that everything is less expensive here. However, it was still extremely efficient, and we have found hospitals all over Thailand with quick and easy medical care. In Bangkok, we were able to swing by one of the largest private hospitals in the country. The building was designed like a 5 star resort, with comfy lounge chairs strewn across the lobby, easy to read signs, complete with Starbucks Coffee in the lobby. It was no Ronald Reagan Medical Center, but for Thailand it sure comes close. Of course, the research advantages of UCLA medcenter are the reason it is ranked #3 in the US.

I guess my main point is that Thailand has built an incredibally impressive infrastructure, especially in the big cities. Brand new monorail and metro systems in Bangkok, a stellar new international airport, as well as a nearly flawless medical system for all citizens. (I was impressed, LA city could take some notes for public transit)

Northern Thailand

After some navigation to the train station, we took a sleeper train up to Chiang Mai, which is probably the most popular northern city in Thailand. The train consisted of mostly western backpackers in addition to some Thai locals commuting for the weekend or taking a small trip. It was about $25 for a 14 hour sleeper train, and was like nothing I've ever taken. Accompanied by some Chang Beer, Thailand's equivalent of Bud Light, we were able to get some sleep on the shaky ride, while gripping our passports and valuables in our bed with us. Theft is huge on the trains, despite all the government's efforts to eliminate it.

Once we arrived, we found our target guesthouse staff waiting at the station with a truck (In northern Thailand, they have these pickup trucks that have a covered wagon with seats in the back; those serve as the taxis in Chiang Mai). Our guesthouse, called Libra Guesthouse, was spectacular. An extremely friendly environment, family owned and operated, great food, travel advice, and highly-recommended jungle treks. Within a few hours, we were already booked on a Jungle trek scheduled to leave the next morning. The total group size was 11 people, 5 british nurses taking a year off to travel and work in Australia, two french beatniks just traveling northern thailand, an Israeli dude about our age traveling the world for a year after finishing his mandatory military service, and then us 3 Americans. We also had two fantastic guides, who pretty much kept us safe at all times: Bee & Mr. Sang, both certified and trained for two years before leading these treks. Mr Sang also grew up in one of the rural villages before his guide job.

I read somewhere that there are almost 200 different trekking companies in Chiang Mai, and that many of them go to crowded spots that lack any sense of the remote Thai jungle. Our 3 day 2 night trek had us walking alone, almost 10 miles up hills and through muddy valleys while resting at two very rural villages near the Burmese border. The first day we stopped at a gorgeous hidden waterfall and jumped in before it began to pour rain. Then we packed it up and hiked a few hours in the mud to the first village. We arrived with candy for the village children (which they loved!) and also brought a good deal sensitivity for their traditions and way of life.

Both night we slept in bamboo huts with mosquito nets. Pigs and chickens could be found grazing about, and there was just one outhouse. At night, the villagers made an income by selling us drinks and some local handcrafts. Nighttime was also when the big bugs came out to play. Huge spiders the about 5 inches in diameter could be seen in the outhouses, and on the walls of the bamboo huts at any evening hour. The group dynamic was phenomenal. There were the French, British, Americans, and Israelis sitting in candlelight sharing stories and jokes into the night. We found out almost every linguistic difference between Brits and Americans: Just to name a few: Lift = elevator, loo = toilet, rubbish = trash, smoko = cigarrette....and so on.

Day 2 we hiked out of the village down to a large river, where we took two handmade bamboo rafts down a pretty rapid river for 2 hours, before landing at the second village. More stories and more fun. We were lucky enough to have a hose at the second village to wash off. Sang, one of our guides, guided our raft down the river (all the guys on the trip). Since it was such a long ride, he taught us an old Thai Elephant Song. In Thai, "Chang" means elephant. (Chang Beer = elephant beer).

The final day of the trek, we were all extremely tired, but it was probably the most memorable. We did an hour and half hiking through an old cave near a rice paddy. Bats, bugs, the usual... Then we moved on to an elephant camp and rode on these enormous elephants for about an hour. If you haven't been on top of an elephant before, they are extremely sensitive, smart, beautiful and hungry creatures. Our elephant could not stop eating, as she ripped out several bamboo and banana trees along the ride. It was also refreshing when we stopped in a river, since the elephants sprayed their bodies down with water to cool off, also giving us a nice bath in the process.

We were more than gracious to return to the city after the trek. And I had a newfound appreciation for running water. There are so many things we take for granted. It's important to take a step back and realize how much we really do have in the States. We can get almost any resource at our fingertips, and we should remember that most of the world does not have even a fraction of what we find essential to live. Apparently Cambodia is much worse, from what we heard from the other backpackers. But witnessing the poverty level, and realizing the power of our dollar in a developing country is a very valuable experience.

Bangkok

We had no idea or specific plan when arriving to Thailand. In fact, all I had was a guidebook. We decided to stay in Khaosan road, the most famous hub for backpackers in Thailand, and also probably the craziest half-mile stretch of road anyone will ever encounter. Loads of street vendors, roadside food stands, fried bugs, club promoters, and "tuk tuk" drivers in every westerner's face hustling. "Tuk Tuks" are basically gas motorcycles connected to a little carriage that can fit 2-3 people. They go almost everywhere, pollute a ton, and the drivers will usually take you to "suit shop" or "gem store" before actually taking you to your destination.

In Bangkok we visited the Grand Palace, which featured some pretty breathtaking architecture. We also spent some time on Sukhumvit road in the central part of Bangkok. We made the typical mistake of hiring a Tuk Tuk without being too firm in our destination, so he took us all over town, showed us some pretty temples, and we basically became friends for the day. As a returning favor, all we had to do was go inside one of the businesses to which he brought us. In return, he gets vouchers for free gasoline for every tourist he brings inside a suit store or travel agency. Sure enough, being that we were brand new to the country, we felt like suckers when we bought custom fitted suits and made travel reservations for the next phase of our trip. Below I've listed some of my expenses so far to give you an idea of the prices in Thailand...

Large Water: 15 Baht ~ $0.50
Large Beer: 30 Baht ~$1.00
Pad Thai: 40 Baht ~ $1.25
1 Hour Full Body Thai Massage: 300 Baht ~ $9.00
Guesthouse in Bangkok (per night): 300 Baht ~ $9.00

Basically, you get the idea. Thailand is VERY affordable. We have actually been seeing mostly European (some American) expats living in Thailand and even raising their families here. The US economy has taken a hit recently, and if you ever want a place to retire and live like a king, Thailand could be on your radar.

Overall Bangkok was fun and easy to navigate since almost everyone speaks some degree of English. But it is just the tip of the iceberg for Thailand, and aside from the Grand Palace, street markets, and bars, there was not much more to see. 3 nights was enough for us, so we decided to pack up and take an overnight train to the northern city of Chiang Mai.

Let's get started

So, it took awhile to get this blog set up. Additionally, I found myself scrambling all over Thailand for the last week that I didn't have a chance to sit down at a computer. I will start by quickly summarizing our trip and the travelers...

The Travelers:
There are three of us traveling in total. Aside from myself,
Ankush, a good friend from UCLA who was also a campus tour guide, just graduated with me and is taking time off to see the world before he enters law school. After our trip, he will undertake an exciting microfinance internship in Sudan with an international charity organization.
Jordan, was in Pi Kappa Phi fraternity with me for three years and has also decided to take some time off to travel before finding some work.

The Trip:
5 weeks in total. 4 weeks in Thailand (no specific plan) and 1 week in Tokyo.

My Thoughts
We decided to travel to Thailand primarily because we heard it was beautiful, and secondarily because the dollar still has some strength in Thailand compared to Europe. At first, the thought of taking time off after college and traveling scared me to death. I found myself to be extremely ambitious around middle school, and as a result I always set high expectations. For all of my educational career, I found myself just pushing forward, like a train, always with next destination in reach. By my fourth year, and after a couple of internships, I set out on the interview path, attending career fairs searching for anything and everything that might interest me. It was a great experience, as I had some lengthy discussions with professionals in marketing, consulting, and sales. I thought to myself "It would be great to land a job right after graduation and just start working" But then, I remembered what so many people suggested to me when they had some advice: "TRAVEL THE WORLD BEFORE YOU WORK". My parents, mentors, former colleagues, older alums all had the same piece of advice, go explore the world because you have the rest of your life to travel-And that's exactly what I did.

I suppose I could have taken a year off, like many international travelers I've met here in Thailand, who are taking 8 months to a year away from home before starting another phase in their lives. However, I couldn't be away from my friends, family, and girlfriend for so long. (Plus, I didn't want to miss UCLA basketball season). So that leaves me here, just an introduction to the blog and why I decided to travel. I will try and update this as much as possible throughout the trip. I am already backlogged one week and have a lot of writing to do...