On April 20th I had the pleasure of hosting my
ever-attractive sister Laura and her insanely likeable friend, Jessica, here in
Thailand. Though their visit was all too short (only 7 quick days), I did my
best to show them all I love (and as little as I could of what I loathe) about
this unique country.
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| Jess & Laura, looking surprisingly perky as they head to the BTS |
We started our journey with a couple brief days in BKK. Rallying well on the jet lag, the girls were game to experience Silom nightlife for some shopping and margaritas.
The next day, we took the opportunity to explore some of the more “spiritual” locations in the city – namely the most infamous temples along the Chao Phraya River. This was a treat for me as well as, not only am I always a fan of a good boat trip, but in the year I’ve lived here I have yet to visit some of these most sought-after tourist hotspots. Ironic, actually, as I spent an entire semester teaching the history and cultural relevance of each one to my 3rd graders as part of their social studies curriculum!
Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) was our first stop, and the most impressive in my opinion. The Buddha image residing in the temple easily deserves the term ‘massive,’ but is equally deserving of the word ‘important.’ Wat Pho is one of the largest and oldest wats in Bangkok, and a remains a popular place for pious Buddhists and gawking visitors alike. The temple is also the birthplace of the Traditional Thai massage (which none of us were quite so brave to endure).
The Reclining Buddha is one of the largest single Buddha images, measuring about 50 feet high and 160 feet long.
As amazing as the shining gold structure appeared, I found the intricate flood-to-ceiling wall murals to be just as mesmerizing, a tribute to the Thais extraordinary eye for detail.
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| Several people were making merit to Buddha while we were there |
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| Dwarves compared to the massive Buddha image |
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| Mother of Pearl inlaid into the feet of the Buddha |
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| From the outside of Wat Pho |
Next stop was the Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) which we mainly enjoyed from a distance (sweltering heat and staunch temple dress-codes are not a match made in heaven). I smiled upon seeing it, remembering it as my students’ personal favorite temple. They loved the history of the wat’s decorative pieces; a collection of ceramics from the ballasts of old ships.
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| On the ferry on the way to Wat Arun |
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| Wat Arun |
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| "Devil pigeon" |
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| Goofin' around at Wat Arun... sorry Buddha :) |
From there we ventured to Khao San Road, the busy backpacker district that I
usually can stomach for only an hour at a time. It’s a great place to take
visitors though, for its excess of shopping options and overall entertainment
of hustling and bustling foreigners. Laura was particularly fond of a true Khao
San favorite: the fresh fruit smoothie stand at one opening of the road. I
think this was the first of about 30 amazing tropical fruit smoothies we each
had on this trip, a quintessentially “Thai” experience I figured she would take
a liking to. J
Caught a government bus out of the Southern Bus Terminal that night, preparing
for a long overnight journey to Koh Tao (Turtle Island).
Of course as a host to my older sister (who has graciously hosted me on
numerous occasions in numerous locations), there is quite a bit of pressure to
make the journey as carefree and enjoyable as possible. Unfortunately, hosting
in a foreign country (and one that is still quite ‘third-world’ nonetheless!)
makes it often quite difficult – if not impossible – to predict the quality and
consistency of each experience. Case in point: getting to Koh Tao.
My experience of Bangkok-to-island travel thus far has remained rather simple.
One moderately comfortable overnight bus ride leads to one moderately
comfortable ferry ride which leads to the island – Voila! Island getaway.
But the Thais seem to have this nifty way of taking organization and order and
throwing them up in the air, only to intricate the Confetti of Chaos into a
series of random experiences that (though confusing) do eventually get you
where you need to go.
I should know this— I have been on a dozen various excursions in this country
and see instances of it on a daily basis in mundane cab rides… so who am I to
feel we could get away with a simple trip to Koh Tao (when I of all people am
bearing the title of “host!”)? Silly, naïve Sarah.
So I had no explanation for why our bus had stopped in the absolute middle of
nowhere at 4:30AM, announcing we were to switch forms of transportation (no
pier in site.) I had no explanation as to where we were supposed to
sit/relax/sleep in the small, fluorescently lit “bus stop” where we weren’t to
be picked up for 3 more hours. I had no explanation for the large, steel songtaew truck –dubbed the “jail truck”
by my sister— that picked us and about 20 other tourists up on the way to the
pier. And I had no explanation for the snail-paced ferry ride that smelled of
diesel fuel and lasted about 2 hours longer than it should have. No
explanations, no suggestions. Except to attempt a smile, close my eyes, take a
deep breath and repeat the mantra I’ve acquired to my guests: “Ahh… Good ol’
Thailand.”
By the time we reached Koh Tao we were thrilled to find that both our rented
villa and its host, Belynda, were warm, comfortable, and inviting. The villa
was stunning, set apart from the busier area of the island. With its own
private pool and rainwater shower, large kitchen and (score!) free TV and
movies, we instantly felt at home. My only regret is that we couldn’t have
stayed at these villas longer.
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| Living room area of the villa |
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| Kitchen area of the villa |
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| Private pool in our "backyard" |
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| We got some visitors in the form of neighbor kids! |
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| Narak maahk! (Very cute) |
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| Bennett looking happy to have found a "home" on Koh Tao :) |
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| Another visitor |
Our short stay in Koh Tao included some fabulous meals (duck pate, passionfruit mojitos, oversized kabobs and yummy seafood), some sunset sea kayaking and a snorkeling trip off the coast of the island. I have always appreciated Koh Tao’s “quaintness” and the collective efforts of the islanders and visitors alike to maintain the islands innate, natural beauty. Some highlights of the trip:
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| Dinner at Barracuda's -- one of Belynda's many great suggestions! |
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| Longtail boat to Koh Nang Yuan |
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| Longtail boat to Koh Nang Yuan |
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| Excited for some snorkeling on Koh Nang Yuan! |
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| Koh Nang Yuan |
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| Koh Nang Yuan |
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| Koh Nang Yuan |
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| Koh Nang Yuan |
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| Koh Nang Yuan |
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| That night, we enjoyed a fire dancing show at a local pub |
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| Everyone got a chance to participate! |
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| ...and even try our hand at it! |
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| Putting his Eskrima skills to good use! |
Too soon after we arrived in Koh Tao, we were taking off to Koh Samui, another “short” ferry-ride away. Samui has been a favorite of Nathan and I for some time now. Much larger than Koh Tao, the best way to get around is by your own form of transportation - so this time, we rented a car. An interesting experience, not only driving on the wrong side of the road (and in the wrong side of the car), but amongst wild, spastic Thai traffic. Kudos to Nathan, who put up with everything as elected driver -- including my nails gripping into him with fear when a car/motorbike/soi dog/sidewalk got remotely too close.
We spent two days in Samui, at one of my favorite locations on Mae Nam beach -- a little bungalow resort called Mae Nam Cheer. The privacy and beautiful setting of this beach make it a fantastic spot already, but one random little thing that makes this place a real treasure, is that they
always seem to have a brand new litter of the most adorable island puppies, each time we come.
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One of this year's latest litter.
Some of the Samui highlights included racing quads around a desert-like area of the island, riding elephants (time #3 for Nathan and I) through the jungle, and catching some pretty great sunsets along the way. As usual, I feel photos do more justice than my rambling words:
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| Nathan and I on our lovely little elephant :) |
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| Further testament to Nathan's driving skills. |
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Getting "nosy"
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I will take a moment to talk about what was possibly my favorite moment from the whole trip. As we ended our elephant ride and reached Namuang falls, a glow of saffron and gold caught my eye. The sound of laughter and splashing was the next thing I noticed, and as we made it to the bottom of the falls I saw them: An entire school of novice monks, taking a break from their studies to swim and relax in the shaded waterfall.
It's hard for me to explain why this scenario struck me so deeply. Part of it is the giddy, bold, and childish nature of these boys that I see reflected charmingly in most of the society of this culture. Part of it was the beauty of seeing a level of unanimity, piousness, purpose -- coming together to still just let loose and have fun. And part of it, of course, was the unexpected longing these boys gave me to be reunited with my 3rd grade class I had dedicated my life to this past year.
Whatever it was that hit me, for this moment, by this waterfall, surrounded by boy monks splashing and laughing and cliff jumping one by one, I was on my own personal cloud nine. Such moments of peace and joy don't come as often as I'd like when living in Bangkok, a city that pulses loud, harsh, constant. And I suppose it's moments of peace and joy like this that we (or at least I) search for when going on holiday in the first place. If this is the case, at Namuang Falls that day I most certainly found what i was searching for.
Overall, the trip was pretty delightful. A big THANK YOU to my sister and Jessica for letting me cart them around the country and putting up with various insects and inconveniences along the way. You guys are troopers!
As my time in Thailand comes to an end, I'm not sure if I will ever make it back to these islands. But I thank God I've had the opportunity to visit them (some even more than once) and will hold on tight to each and every one of these delicious memories.
