So for our last day in Chiang Mai, we had a full day booked. We met Mameow at 11 to rent motorbikes. I was totally intimidated not only to try motorbiking for the first time, but doing it in a foreign country where the rules of the road are...looser.
So we finally got the bikes (actually motor scooters, but they still went 80-90 km/h) and dropped our stuff out at the new hostel we'd be spending our last night at, and took off for the countryside. Our destination was the Tiger Kingdom, so that Dielle and Dion could take pictures with tigers.
I wasn't ready to start out biking in the city, so I waited until we were on the outskirts before I took over. When I did finally get on the bike, it was actually a breeze. Speeding down the highway was just such a releasing feeling, and I can't think of a time I've ever felt so free.
When I went on this trip, I definitely had some personal goals I wanted to achieve during the trip. For those of you who know me well, you'll know about my struggle with risk aversion throughout my life. So you can imagine how I felt when I had to be the passenger on a bike. Talk about givimg up control and putting complete trust in someone else. And you know what? That leap of faith was totally worth it. It felt pretty empowering to put myself in one of the exact situations in which I desired to be (that is, give up complete control). Risk aversion is definitely one of the most important things for me to improve in myself in my 20s, and this opportunity was really what I needed.
Not only did I get to work on myself, but I absolutely fell in love with the feeling of motorbiking. Given my predilection for loving driving, road trips, and the open highway, the main issues I had with motorcycles were the safety risks and the noise. Now I didn't get to experience the noise, but now that I have proof for myself that you can get on a motorbike and not die (and feel totally freaking awesome), I think I may give some thought to trying it in the US. Seriously, I may have just found a new love.
So personal gains aside, we got to the Tiger Kingdom. They had an AYCE Thai buffet. It cost 3$. I think its 6$ usually, but we had Mameow, a repeat customer local. But even for $6, wowowowowowowow. I ate so much food. I may have had a plate of french fries.
Then Dielle and Dion took pictures with the tigers. I didn't personally feel the need to spend money doing that, so I hung back with Mameow and we took pictures and watched from the buffet deck. And of course, I had a mini-adventure of my own when they were done. I was going to get to try something I'd always wanted to try.
...
...
...
...ZORBING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, some New Zealander guy opened an extreme sports thing next to Tiger Kingdom, so Mameow and I jumped at the opportunity to go Zorbing (Xorbing at this place). And it was only $20! Basically we were strapped into a gigantic plastic ball that rolls down a hill into a lake (Mameow and I in the same one, dL and DIon watched as they had zorbed in NZ before). I was underwhelmed by the hill at first, but it turned out to be really fun. Definitely was a little carsick by the time we rolled into the lake and then were given free range to roll like hamsters around the lake. We got out soon after that because we were so dizzy. Then we biked home. At this point, I actually got to bike in Chiang Mai traffic, which was kind of amazing, but eventually, the complicated turns made it more efficient and safe form Mameow to drive again. That said, Dion drove like a pro through the streets. Super mad props.
We stopped for ice cream at iBerry before stopping in at the CMU Scrabble Club. Mameow bragged about my recent defeat of Nigel at Princess Cup, and then everyone was awestruck (lol). Since Jakkrit wasn't there, I was the de facto best player in their eyes, but the other club "teacher" just about beat me in a close game. He also beat Dielle. The club takes place next to a Tae Kwan Do club and a practicing band, so you get some hybrid of gamelan rock jazz music. Kinda a cool setup.
Then it was off for some more street food. We had tom yum (So yummy), rice, fried rice, curry, basil chicken, and spring rolls for like $6 US. SO GOOD.
So we went back to the new hostel, and tried to figure out our plans for the next day. The intent was to go to an island in southwest Thailand, Koh Phi Phi, but the planning for getting there never really happened, so it was becoming pretty clear that it wasn't going to happen. We eventually settled on flying back to Bangkok the next afternoon and just going from there. For me going to an island wasn't really the most important thing ever, and I was pretty excited at the prospect of spending a couple more days in Bangkok since I'm already somewhat comfortable and know people there.
After finally getting everything figured out, we checked out a club near the hostel even though it was closing, and eventually ended up at Club Spicy near Thapae Gate again. It was definitely an entertaining night, being right next to a (shield your eyes if you don't like rated-R stuff) lesbian hooker versus ladyboy hooker fight, and seeing an old guy make out with another one, ewwww. I try not to judge but ewwww.
We ended up getting home some time after 4.
The next morning was a mad dash to get to the airport. We eventually made it AND found a cafe that was actually normally priced. And then we flew Nok Air back to Bangkok.
That was a day and a half ago, and much has happened since then, but I think I am going to leave off here for now since it seems like a natural starting point.
So it's been an amazing trip so far - everything I could've wanted and more. I hope it keeps up, but I'll just ride this wave while I can.
Peace!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Lions, Tigers, and Beers, Chiang Mai!
So after nearly missing our flight due to the constant Saldanhian need to straighten ones hair, we hopped an AirAsia flight up to Chiang Mai. The hostel we had planned to stay at was booked to capacity, so we hopped a songthaew (or as it is called in Chiang Mai, a "bus") to Thapae gate, on the other side of the old city. A songthaew is basically a pickup truck with some open-air seats in the back. We checked into the MD Guesthouse near Thapae Gate, and headed to a recommended French restaurant, Chez Marco, nearby. Although I tried to put on a smile at dinner, the food really was not very good, and for $15US, I was rather disappointed.
We had been planning to go out on the town the last two nights in Bangkok, so we decided to make up for our failure to do so by going out our first night in Chiang Mai. Unfortunately, all the bars seemed to be dead, to our dismay, and we were tired enough that further exploration would be too tedious. We retired for the night.
Tuesday morning, we met up with Chiang Mai native (and Scrabble player) Mameow. She took us to Chiang Mai University to walk around and have lunch at one of the cafterias. Man, if UCSD served food like this place...I would've had a freshman 150. I had noodle soup and a japanese crepe, as well as a thai tea and thai green tea. yum yum yum.
After lunch, we walked through the campus some more, and then headed through town to the Chiang Mai zoo. At the zoo, I got to have 4 birds perch on me (one decided my finger was potentially a delectable morsel), I got to feed elephants, and got to see some lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) Apparently Dion is violently afraid of birds. We also saw an ostrich do its business. You should research how it works in ostriches. Very...weird.
From the zoo, we hopped a songthaew up the mountain to Doisuthep Temple. I got very carsick. We arrived near dusk, and climbed the 300 steps to the temple. From the outside, you get a panoramic view of the city of Chiang Mai (just gorgeous). From the inside, there is a stunning gold pagoda that glistens so brightly. We got blessings from a Buddhist monk (even though all four of us range from agnostic-Christian to Catholic), and walked around the temple for a bit. On the ride back down, my carsickness increased manyfold, and I had to sit down on the street when we got off the bus.
We tried to convince Mameow to come clubbing with us that night, but we finally agreed to meet up to do so on Thursday. Mameow bid farewell from a night market (not the main one - Dielle and Dion are there right now, and I chose not to go because shopping really isn't my thing), and the three of us walked around, trying all sorts of foods - crepes, deep friend corn fritters, shiu mai, fruits, sausages, dumplings, pastries, until we finally made it back to the main street. From there, we songthaewed over to a Burmese restaurant. My beef noodle soup was more like a curry, but it was delicious - always nice to try a new cuisine.
We went home, and vowed to find some nightlife. We started at Cafe Riva, where we had Tigers and played cards. Then we discovered there was a Jenga set, and whilst quite buzzed, managed to have an amazingly epic game of Jenga. Then, the two other bargoers next to us decided to join in for the next round. The game went so long, that Dielle actually lost on a turn where there were no possible moves that could end successfully. There are pictures to show just how epic the game truly was.
Once the bar shut down, we wandered over to a place with our new friends called Spirit. We were informed that it was known for being a frequent stop for hookers, as well as prone to the occasional fight. No matter, it had music and cheap drinks. Well, as soon as I walked in, a hooker tried to grab my leg. Uhhhh...no thanks. But we sat down and ordered drinks anyway. It was probably 1 AM. And then all of a sudden the club was hopping. And then many drinks and dances and songs and stories later...it was 5 AM and the club was closing.
We somehow ended up at McDonald's, and I regretably had fries. Aarrghh, BK and McD in the same week - what have I done?! I ended up falling asleep sometime after 6. What a fun day!
Today we weren't really capable of functioning until about 2. We literally stumbled over to a local restaurant that had all sorts of hangover cures - deep-fried spring rolls, pad thai, basil fried chicken. Delicious. And then we stumbled back to the hotel, really just wanting to sleep more. But we decided to not write off the whole day, and signed up last minute for a khantoke dinner.
Khantoke is a Thai dinner theater where you are served northern Thai dishes accompanied with music/dancing/performances by the hill tribes of the area. There was everything from fire twirling and knife twirling to candlelit dances. The food was great - and they kept refilling it! What's not to like? After the dinner show, we were treated to some more performances from tribespeople outside in a small ampitheater. There were some pretty unique performances, including some kids who would perfectly step through large bamboo sticks being pounded together (i.e., miss a step, and your foot is gonna feel some painnnn.
We picked up our laundry when we got back (a coin laundry place, and the owners had all our clothes folded and ready when we showed up!), and Dion and Dielle headed to the well-known night bazaar after procrastinating for two years, and finally productively booking a night for the 4 of us at the hostel we wanted to stay at on Monday for tomorrow. As for me, I'm turning in for bed now, at about 12:30 AM because tomorrow is going to be a long day. Supposedly the agenda is to meet up with Mameow at 10:30 to rent motorbikes and go to the Tiger Kingdom outside of town. Mameow has made me aware of the fact that I can go xorbing nearby. I may insist that we do this, as I have always wanted to xorb. Later in the day we will go to the CMU Scrabble club, and then we will check out Nimmanhaemin road, and hopefully go dancing. This will be followed by an early morning flight to Bangkok en route to the next stop on my adventure. Where are we headed? You'll just have to wait and find out...
It's becoming clear to me that trying to add photos to these blogs is going to be tough, but I'll still try.
We had been planning to go out on the town the last two nights in Bangkok, so we decided to make up for our failure to do so by going out our first night in Chiang Mai. Unfortunately, all the bars seemed to be dead, to our dismay, and we were tired enough that further exploration would be too tedious. We retired for the night.
Tuesday morning, we met up with Chiang Mai native (and Scrabble player) Mameow. She took us to Chiang Mai University to walk around and have lunch at one of the cafterias. Man, if UCSD served food like this place...I would've had a freshman 150. I had noodle soup and a japanese crepe, as well as a thai tea and thai green tea. yum yum yum.
After lunch, we walked through the campus some more, and then headed through town to the Chiang Mai zoo. At the zoo, I got to have 4 birds perch on me (one decided my finger was potentially a delectable morsel), I got to feed elephants, and got to see some lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) Apparently Dion is violently afraid of birds. We also saw an ostrich do its business. You should research how it works in ostriches. Very...weird.
From the zoo, we hopped a songthaew up the mountain to Doisuthep Temple. I got very carsick. We arrived near dusk, and climbed the 300 steps to the temple. From the outside, you get a panoramic view of the city of Chiang Mai (just gorgeous). From the inside, there is a stunning gold pagoda that glistens so brightly. We got blessings from a Buddhist monk (even though all four of us range from agnostic-Christian to Catholic), and walked around the temple for a bit. On the ride back down, my carsickness increased manyfold, and I had to sit down on the street when we got off the bus.
We tried to convince Mameow to come clubbing with us that night, but we finally agreed to meet up to do so on Thursday. Mameow bid farewell from a night market (not the main one - Dielle and Dion are there right now, and I chose not to go because shopping really isn't my thing), and the three of us walked around, trying all sorts of foods - crepes, deep friend corn fritters, shiu mai, fruits, sausages, dumplings, pastries, until we finally made it back to the main street. From there, we songthaewed over to a Burmese restaurant. My beef noodle soup was more like a curry, but it was delicious - always nice to try a new cuisine.
We went home, and vowed to find some nightlife. We started at Cafe Riva, where we had Tigers and played cards. Then we discovered there was a Jenga set, and whilst quite buzzed, managed to have an amazingly epic game of Jenga. Then, the two other bargoers next to us decided to join in for the next round. The game went so long, that Dielle actually lost on a turn where there were no possible moves that could end successfully. There are pictures to show just how epic the game truly was.
Once the bar shut down, we wandered over to a place with our new friends called Spirit. We were informed that it was known for being a frequent stop for hookers, as well as prone to the occasional fight. No matter, it had music and cheap drinks. Well, as soon as I walked in, a hooker tried to grab my leg. Uhhhh...no thanks. But we sat down and ordered drinks anyway. It was probably 1 AM. And then all of a sudden the club was hopping. And then many drinks and dances and songs and stories later...it was 5 AM and the club was closing.
We somehow ended up at McDonald's, and I regretably had fries. Aarrghh, BK and McD in the same week - what have I done?! I ended up falling asleep sometime after 6. What a fun day!
Today we weren't really capable of functioning until about 2. We literally stumbled over to a local restaurant that had all sorts of hangover cures - deep-fried spring rolls, pad thai, basil fried chicken. Delicious. And then we stumbled back to the hotel, really just wanting to sleep more. But we decided to not write off the whole day, and signed up last minute for a khantoke dinner.
Khantoke is a Thai dinner theater where you are served northern Thai dishes accompanied with music/dancing/performances by the hill tribes of the area. There was everything from fire twirling and knife twirling to candlelit dances. The food was great - and they kept refilling it! What's not to like? After the dinner show, we were treated to some more performances from tribespeople outside in a small ampitheater. There were some pretty unique performances, including some kids who would perfectly step through large bamboo sticks being pounded together (i.e., miss a step, and your foot is gonna feel some painnnn.
We picked up our laundry when we got back (a coin laundry place, and the owners had all our clothes folded and ready when we showed up!), and Dion and Dielle headed to the well-known night bazaar after procrastinating for two years, and finally productively booking a night for the 4 of us at the hostel we wanted to stay at on Monday for tomorrow. As for me, I'm turning in for bed now, at about 12:30 AM because tomorrow is going to be a long day. Supposedly the agenda is to meet up with Mameow at 10:30 to rent motorbikes and go to the Tiger Kingdom outside of town. Mameow has made me aware of the fact that I can go xorbing nearby. I may insist that we do this, as I have always wanted to xorb. Later in the day we will go to the CMU Scrabble club, and then we will check out Nimmanhaemin road, and hopefully go dancing. This will be followed by an early morning flight to Bangkok en route to the next stop on my adventure. Where are we headed? You'll just have to wait and find out...
It's becoming clear to me that trying to add photos to these blogs is going to be tough, but I'll still try.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Be the Champion of Crossword Game (I'm finally updating!)
OK, so it turned out that blogging is kinda hard to do. So let's try to get caught up here.
After the wonderful day that was Wednesday, we got a very slow start on Thursday. Somehow, we managed to get our act together and scramble to the bus station in time to take a minibus to Hua Hin, a beach town a couple hours outside of Bangkok. Dielle and Dion got an extreme case of the giggles. We checked into the Fulay Guesthouse around 10 PM, and immediately passed out from exhaustion. It turned out to be my first really good night of sleep in Thailand.
The next morning, Friday, we actually got to see the lay of the land. Our guest house was on a pier over the water, and was just so beautiful. They tried to charge us more for the room because there was a mixup, but Dion's epic arguing skills worked the price down a lot. And then it was time for THE BEACH.
We had lunch literally 5 feet from the water, which included a spicy green curry for me, and the most delicious watermelon/pineapple smoothie. Afterwards, we hit the water. It was clear and warm. Just awesome.
After spending a few hours at the beach, we hopped a bus back to Bangkok. By the time we got back, it was pretty much time for bed since the Princess Cup began the next morning.
Yesterday morning, we woke up bright and early to go play some Scrabble (called Crossword Game in Thailand). It took us awhile to find the right part of the Bangna Central Plaza Mall where the tournament was being held, but once we got there, it was very obvious. Hundreds of kids milling about, anxious for their Scrabble, kumkom (Thai Scrabble), A-Math (think scrabble but with number equations), and Sudoku games to start. A big gigantic stage. A huge Scrabble board 10 feet tall that was actually a Scrabble Transforer (like the movie).
Eventually we started playing. By the time the opening ceremonies began, I was 2-0! The opening ceremony was pretty amazing. The princess of Thailand was actually in attendance, and all of the participating countries were introduced (I was the sole American in attendance). I can't really describe how awesome the opening ceremonies were, but I believe Dielle has videos of it, so maybe those will be available at some point.
I was very excited to finish the day in second place with 7 wins and 1 loss (to Nigel Richards, the Michael Jordan of Scrabble). I even beat two of the top three Thai players - Komol and Panupol (a former World Champion). Keep in mind that this tournament uses the Collins lexicon, which is far larger than the OWL2, which is used in club/tournament play in the US and Canada. I know very little Collins, and this lack of word knowledge is definitely a handicap for playing Scrabble with this word source.
In round 7, I was invited to actually play on the gigantic Scrabble board, complete with live commentators and gigantic versions of the Scrabble setup. If you have to put letters near the top of the board, you had to climb on a ladder! Keep in mind this is in the middle of a functioning mall. A very busy one.
Saturday night the entire guesthouse went out for beer (and more beer) ((and more beer)). We almost went to a club, but decided sleep was probably a good idea. I was in contention, after all. Oh right, and we had KFC for dinner.
Sunday morning, I lost my first two games. Then things started to pick up. I even got to play another game on the gigantic board (won again) and found myself in good shape for second place. And then I find out that the top 2 players at the end of regulation play a best of two finals with the slate wiped clean. So although Nigel had "clinched" first place, he had really only clinched a spot in the finals. So when I beat Komol again, the only other player in contention lost, and all of a sudden I had snagged a spot in the finals against Nigel! Really? Me? I know I'm a good Scrabble player, but this is a new dictionary to me!
Nigel started out quickly in the first game, but I got a HUGE break by getting to play GY(R)ATION for 167 points on two triple word scores (a "nine timer"). This turned into a huge rout in my favor, and all I had to do was not lose the second game by more than 191. It was a slow game, and I ended up losing by only 9 (sacrificing the win in order to ensure I wouldn't lose a rout).
But holy crap, I WON! I got a trophy, and $950! I wasn't even expecting to be in contention, let alone beating the best Scrabble player in the history of the universe in his dictionary, and not mine. Granted, I know I got really lucky, but hey, it was about as good as surprises get. This tournament may actually be my best Scrabble memory...ever.
Tonight Dielle and Dion have finally convinced me to get a massage, and then we will eat dinner. MOAR PAD THAI. MOAR BECAUSE MOAR. Also, pad thai is so delicious. After dinner, I think we're going to hit the town since it is our last night in Bangkok.
Rumor has it we're going to Chiangmai tomorrow. More on that later. I'll try to blog soon, but this is going to be hard. I'm just having so much fun - this has been one of the best weeks ever. And I can't wait for the next few, too!
We have to get going now, so I can't put in pictures right now, but I will try to go back and add them in soon.
Really, Dion and Dielle are pestering me to get going, and clearly they are always ready exactly on time, I should be ashamed of taking a few extra minutes this time (typed as they hover over me, reading this already brief entry). See you guys soon! :)
Seriously. Most amazing weekend ever.
Note to Dielle and Dion and Dion and Dielle: BANGNA! This weekend was my bang-na, my bang-na (to the tune of my moment by rebecca black).
Really leaving now! Bai!
After the wonderful day that was Wednesday, we got a very slow start on Thursday. Somehow, we managed to get our act together and scramble to the bus station in time to take a minibus to Hua Hin, a beach town a couple hours outside of Bangkok. Dielle and Dion got an extreme case of the giggles. We checked into the Fulay Guesthouse around 10 PM, and immediately passed out from exhaustion. It turned out to be my first really good night of sleep in Thailand.
The next morning, Friday, we actually got to see the lay of the land. Our guest house was on a pier over the water, and was just so beautiful. They tried to charge us more for the room because there was a mixup, but Dion's epic arguing skills worked the price down a lot. And then it was time for THE BEACH.
We had lunch literally 5 feet from the water, which included a spicy green curry for me, and the most delicious watermelon/pineapple smoothie. Afterwards, we hit the water. It was clear and warm. Just awesome.
After spending a few hours at the beach, we hopped a bus back to Bangkok. By the time we got back, it was pretty much time for bed since the Princess Cup began the next morning.
Yesterday morning, we woke up bright and early to go play some Scrabble (called Crossword Game in Thailand). It took us awhile to find the right part of the Bangna Central Plaza Mall where the tournament was being held, but once we got there, it was very obvious. Hundreds of kids milling about, anxious for their Scrabble, kumkom (Thai Scrabble), A-Math (think scrabble but with number equations), and Sudoku games to start. A big gigantic stage. A huge Scrabble board 10 feet tall that was actually a Scrabble Transforer (like the movie).
Eventually we started playing. By the time the opening ceremonies began, I was 2-0! The opening ceremony was pretty amazing. The princess of Thailand was actually in attendance, and all of the participating countries were introduced (I was the sole American in attendance). I can't really describe how awesome the opening ceremonies were, but I believe Dielle has videos of it, so maybe those will be available at some point.
I was very excited to finish the day in second place with 7 wins and 1 loss (to Nigel Richards, the Michael Jordan of Scrabble). I even beat two of the top three Thai players - Komol and Panupol (a former World Champion). Keep in mind that this tournament uses the Collins lexicon, which is far larger than the OWL2, which is used in club/tournament play in the US and Canada. I know very little Collins, and this lack of word knowledge is definitely a handicap for playing Scrabble with this word source.
In round 7, I was invited to actually play on the gigantic Scrabble board, complete with live commentators and gigantic versions of the Scrabble setup. If you have to put letters near the top of the board, you had to climb on a ladder! Keep in mind this is in the middle of a functioning mall. A very busy one.
Saturday night the entire guesthouse went out for beer (and more beer) ((and more beer)). We almost went to a club, but decided sleep was probably a good idea. I was in contention, after all. Oh right, and we had KFC for dinner.
Sunday morning, I lost my first two games. Then things started to pick up. I even got to play another game on the gigantic board (won again) and found myself in good shape for second place. And then I find out that the top 2 players at the end of regulation play a best of two finals with the slate wiped clean. So although Nigel had "clinched" first place, he had really only clinched a spot in the finals. So when I beat Komol again, the only other player in contention lost, and all of a sudden I had snagged a spot in the finals against Nigel! Really? Me? I know I'm a good Scrabble player, but this is a new dictionary to me!
Nigel started out quickly in the first game, but I got a HUGE break by getting to play GY(R)ATION for 167 points on two triple word scores (a "nine timer"). This turned into a huge rout in my favor, and all I had to do was not lose the second game by more than 191. It was a slow game, and I ended up losing by only 9 (sacrificing the win in order to ensure I wouldn't lose a rout).
But holy crap, I WON! I got a trophy, and $950! I wasn't even expecting to be in contention, let alone beating the best Scrabble player in the history of the universe in his dictionary, and not mine. Granted, I know I got really lucky, but hey, it was about as good as surprises get. This tournament may actually be my best Scrabble memory...ever.
Tonight Dielle and Dion have finally convinced me to get a massage, and then we will eat dinner. MOAR PAD THAI. MOAR BECAUSE MOAR. Also, pad thai is so delicious. After dinner, I think we're going to hit the town since it is our last night in Bangkok.
Rumor has it we're going to Chiangmai tomorrow. More on that later. I'll try to blog soon, but this is going to be hard. I'm just having so much fun - this has been one of the best weeks ever. And I can't wait for the next few, too!
We have to get going now, so I can't put in pictures right now, but I will try to go back and add them in soon.
Really, Dion and Dielle are pestering me to get going, and clearly they are always ready exactly on time, I should be ashamed of taking a few extra minutes this time (typed as they hover over me, reading this already brief entry). See you guys soon! :)
Seriously. Most amazing weekend ever.
Note to Dielle and Dion and Dion and Dielle: BANGNA! This weekend was my bang-na, my bang-na (to the tune of my moment by rebecca black).
Really leaving now! Bai!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Epic.
Yesterday was one of those days that I'll never forget. I'm not going to rehash it all right now, maybe in the future, but I'll give a brief summary of what happened for now.
It involved:
- seeing my friend Win for the first time in over two years, and him being a superb tour guide, and his awesome girlfriend!
- eating approximately six meals
- taking a private boat through the river and seeing first hand and up close the effects of the floods
- having our boat drivers decide to impromptu-ly race another boat, which was kind awesome.
- visiting a pagoda which had stairs at what seemed like approximately a very unsafe angle that went straight up a bunch of stories.
- piling 6 people into a taxi and getting pulled over by a cop because our driver didn't get out of the way of the emergency vehicles (no real law against piling people into taxis)
- Dielle trying to sell roses to backpackers
- And capped off with a night of drunken debauchery
...and much more (sorry no ladybois or hookers involved)
I also had pad thai 3 times yesterday. And a quart of thai tea.
I also slept 4 hours (6-10AM) and woke up feeling perfectly rested. What a perfect day.
Rumor has it we are headed to Hua Hin and the beach today. I'm happy to report than the three of us are taking hundreds of pictures (and some videos) of our (mis)adventures. I may write about this day in detail in the future, but for now, suffice to say it was one of the best days of all of our lives! Pictures to come soon! Time for foooooooooooood!
It involved:
- seeing my friend Win for the first time in over two years, and him being a superb tour guide, and his awesome girlfriend!
- eating approximately six meals
- taking a private boat through the river and seeing first hand and up close the effects of the floods
- having our boat drivers decide to impromptu-ly race another boat, which was kind awesome.
- visiting a pagoda which had stairs at what seemed like approximately a very unsafe angle that went straight up a bunch of stories.
- piling 6 people into a taxi and getting pulled over by a cop because our driver didn't get out of the way of the emergency vehicles (no real law against piling people into taxis)
- Dielle trying to sell roses to backpackers
- And capped off with a night of drunken debauchery
...and much more (sorry no ladybois or hookers involved)
I also had pad thai 3 times yesterday. And a quart of thai tea.
I also slept 4 hours (6-10AM) and woke up feeling perfectly rested. What a perfect day.
Rumor has it we are headed to Hua Hin and the beach today. I'm happy to report than the three of us are taking hundreds of pictures (and some videos) of our (mis)adventures. I may write about this day in detail in the future, but for now, suffice to say it was one of the best days of all of our lives! Pictures to come soon! Time for foooooooooooood!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
11/15/2011: Make Spicy A Frog.
So after a not-so-great night of sleep, I was surprised to actually be hungry at 11 AM. Leo showed us some street food stalls nearby the BTS station. Dielle and I both got a bowl of chicken/pork/wonton noodle soup, and afterwards got a fresh fruit shake. Total price: 60 baht (USD $1.95).
After returning back to the guesthouse, Dielle and I decided we should wander. We ended up heading south about a 15 minute walk to the Bangkok Art and Culture Center. We checked out a lot of nationalistic pieces - although the point of the contest was to praise the King, there were some really incredible pieces. Lots of need perspective changes, too.
After a couple hours, we walked over to the Siam Discovery mall. This area of Bangkok is all mall all the time. We walked through Siam Discovery, and onto Siam Paragon, which has an international food complex half the size of Piedmont. Now when I say international food, I mean international to Thailand. So yes, McDonalds was there. I'm actually hoping to sneak back there at some point to try Mos Burger. But in the end there was SO MUCH mall, that we didn't even make it to the biggest one, NBK. I'm sure we will make it back there before we leave town, though.
On the way back, Dielle successfully haggled for some earrings, and we even shared a coconut!
The coconut is actually still in the fridge...we need to crack it open.
Our sore legs carried us back to the guesthouse, and we rested for awhile, eventually getting our butts kicked in Monopoly Deal again. We also found out that Dion had missed her connection and wouldn't be arriving until 6AM the next morning. While we were waiting to start the dinner tour, we went down to the "corner market" (I use the term loosely) and got big bottles of beer. Dielle got Chang, I got Singha, and Leo got...well...Leo. Also, you can walk down the street drinking beer. take that SBPD.
Once we found out everybody else coming to the food tour had bailed, we set off for Victory Square Plaza with Nate, Elias, and Leo. The first stop was a noodle shop. Bowls cost about 10 baht, but were only about 5 bites. But you could still get 3 bowls for a dollar. The second stop was some other noodles. They may or may not have been in a pink sauce. What is pink sauce? Nate didn't know.
The next stop was a restaurant/bar a block or so south of the square. We shared a bunch of different dishes, including the soon-to-be-infamous "Make Spicy a Frog".
The verdict? Well, the dish was way too spicy, but once you get past the inevitable bones, the meat is pretty tasty. This was the most expensive meal of the day - about $5 USD each. And that was because they way overcharged for water.
It was at this restaurant, though, that I had that realization of, where is this socialization in the US? Seriously, how many places in US/Canada have 5x5 block centers of food and drinks, where people are out enjoying themselves like every day is the weekend? And the place we were at was clearly not the only one. I definitely got my first glimpse of that idea that the US can be kinda...boring...socially.
After our last stop (OK, so maybe it wasn't a complete food "tour", but it involved lots of good tasting food), we went to the Saxophone Bar. It claimed to once host the King with Elvis, and had been open since 1987. Uh...anyway I had a Tiger beer, and got to listen to a Thai Jazz band groove it out. The keyboardist was a sunglass-wearing hipster version of James Leong. It was nice to just sit and enjoy the music.
When we got home, it was more Monopoly Deal. And I finally won a game! Masochism pays off, kids. Before heading off to bed, I talked to Win, and he told me he was going to come take us sightseeing today. This means I'll even get to experience what it is like to be a passenger in a car on the Bangkok streets. The roads probably are far tamer than India, Bangladesh, or Vietnam, but it's still a far cry from what I'm used to.
I actually slept through the night, for about 6 hours, and feel decently rested. Dion showed up at around 7 or so, and is currently upstairs sleeping (it's no problem though - we will make her come sightseeing at 12). And I think we're going to go party at Soi Khao San tonight. We'll see if all plans hold up though.
For now, though, I leave you with this picture (spotted by dL):
Wow, I've actually written two mornings in a row. Not sure how long that will keep up for. :)
After returning back to the guesthouse, Dielle and I decided we should wander. We ended up heading south about a 15 minute walk to the Bangkok Art and Culture Center. We checked out a lot of nationalistic pieces - although the point of the contest was to praise the King, there were some really incredible pieces. Lots of need perspective changes, too.
After a couple hours, we walked over to the Siam Discovery mall. This area of Bangkok is all mall all the time. We walked through Siam Discovery, and onto Siam Paragon, which has an international food complex half the size of Piedmont. Now when I say international food, I mean international to Thailand. So yes, McDonalds was there. I'm actually hoping to sneak back there at some point to try Mos Burger. But in the end there was SO MUCH mall, that we didn't even make it to the biggest one, NBK. I'm sure we will make it back there before we leave town, though.
On the way back, Dielle successfully haggled for some earrings, and we even shared a coconut!
The coconut is actually still in the fridge...we need to crack it open.
Our sore legs carried us back to the guesthouse, and we rested for awhile, eventually getting our butts kicked in Monopoly Deal again. We also found out that Dion had missed her connection and wouldn't be arriving until 6AM the next morning. While we were waiting to start the dinner tour, we went down to the "corner market" (I use the term loosely) and got big bottles of beer. Dielle got Chang, I got Singha, and Leo got...well...Leo. Also, you can walk down the street drinking beer. take that SBPD.
Once we found out everybody else coming to the food tour had bailed, we set off for Victory Square Plaza with Nate, Elias, and Leo. The first stop was a noodle shop. Bowls cost about 10 baht, but were only about 5 bites. But you could still get 3 bowls for a dollar. The second stop was some other noodles. They may or may not have been in a pink sauce. What is pink sauce? Nate didn't know.
The next stop was a restaurant/bar a block or so south of the square. We shared a bunch of different dishes, including the soon-to-be-infamous "Make Spicy a Frog".
The verdict? Well, the dish was way too spicy, but once you get past the inevitable bones, the meat is pretty tasty. This was the most expensive meal of the day - about $5 USD each. And that was because they way overcharged for water.
It was at this restaurant, though, that I had that realization of, where is this socialization in the US? Seriously, how many places in US/Canada have 5x5 block centers of food and drinks, where people are out enjoying themselves like every day is the weekend? And the place we were at was clearly not the only one. I definitely got my first glimpse of that idea that the US can be kinda...boring...socially.
After our last stop (OK, so maybe it wasn't a complete food "tour", but it involved lots of good tasting food), we went to the Saxophone Bar. It claimed to once host the King with Elvis, and had been open since 1987. Uh...anyway I had a Tiger beer, and got to listen to a Thai Jazz band groove it out. The keyboardist was a sunglass-wearing hipster version of James Leong. It was nice to just sit and enjoy the music.
When we got home, it was more Monopoly Deal. And I finally won a game! Masochism pays off, kids. Before heading off to bed, I talked to Win, and he told me he was going to come take us sightseeing today. This means I'll even get to experience what it is like to be a passenger in a car on the Bangkok streets. The roads probably are far tamer than India, Bangladesh, or Vietnam, but it's still a far cry from what I'm used to.
I actually slept through the night, for about 6 hours, and feel decently rested. Dion showed up at around 7 or so, and is currently upstairs sleeping (it's no problem though - we will make her come sightseeing at 12). And I think we're going to go party at Soi Khao San tonight. We'll see if all plans hold up though.
For now, though, I leave you with this picture (spotted by dL):
Wow, I've actually written two mornings in a row. Not sure how long that will keep up for. :)
Monday, November 14, 2011
The Rest of Day 1
So I found the Aurport Link Train with no problem, and only missed one turn going to the guesthouse, which I quickly corrected. When I got there, I showered immediately, which was accompanied by a clueless rooster, who decided to start crowing at 3...PM?
I met the guys running the guesthouse. One of them just got his degree from CSULB and lived in SF for awhile. The other guest for the night (til Thursday) was also from SF. So I eventually just got too tired, and had to give into jetlag at about 5 PM BKK time (that's 2 AM CA time, which is approximately my bedtime). I told the guys to wake me if they went out for food. Fortunately, they did, at about 8. If they hadn't I'd have not woken up til like 2 AM. Which would've sucked.
As a tangent, the guesthouse we're at right now is in an alley in an alley in an alley. There's air conditioning, which is a lifesaver. I don't think there is hot water, and thank goodness because the two cold showers I have had so far have been great. And at least at this guesthouse, there is internet too!
We're in the neighborhood of Phayathai, which is really close to the train lines, and on the edge of downtown. The great thing about this neighborhood, is that it's not tourist town at ALL, so there is every kind of food you could possibly imagine. So picking up from before, we navigated (OK, I followed amazedly) through assorted walkways, and somehow ended up at another alley. We eventually stopped at a Southern Thai restaurant. Southern Thailand is predominantly Muslim, and ends up with a lot of its own Thai cuisine, that I would guess is somewhat like Malaysian food. We had a quesadillalike# dish that was dough and egg cooked on a searing hot slab of something (think the grill at a restaurant). Then add a lot of beef and some bananas, heavily coated in all sorts of good spice, and then fold over. We also got some southern-Thai style tea, sweetened with condensed milk, much like thai tea. But the type of tea they used made the tea flavor stronger, and the sweet not as cloying. Delicious.
Nate then suggested steak. I was like, well sure, why not, I haven't had steak in a day. It turned out to be a pounded thin ribeye in what was actually a pretty good (mushroom?) sauce. It was served with fries and buttered toast. OK so maybe I will stick to actual Thai food for now, but it was actually kind of an awesome experience, because it was definitely a Thai restaurant hidden in some alley in some alley in some alley.
Then I picked up Dielle from the train station. We coincidently arrived at the same time, so there was no waiting around, and we walked back to the guesthouse. We met another new guy, a friend of the hosts, and we all played the Monopoly card game. Dielle and I kinda failed epicly. Eventually, we went out for more food. This of course involved walking through random alley after random alley all filled with street food. The 6 of us eventually settled on a random street joint. I actually didn't eat, and just mooched a bit of Dielle's pad see ew, since it was after midnight and I didn't want to mess with my sleep (which of course sucked anyway). It's kind of awesome when the stand proprietors just bust out a plastic table and six chairs in the middle of the street with cards driving by you down these tight alleys.
We came home, and I then failed to sleep well. Though I did have dreams, so I must've slept some! I think today the guesthouse hosts are bring some of us on a food tour of Bangkok. We had so much fun here that we're going to stay another night at least. I personally think staying in a random neighborhood with peers our own age who know the way around beats the heck out of staying in tourist town, but we will check out Khaosan Road eventually. Meeting other travelers is cool, too! Dion gets in at midnight tonight!
I hope I eat lots today. It's 10 AM now, and 4/6 people are awake. Hopefully I'll be used to the time change soon. Also blogspot insists on being in Thai, so I just have to navigate it in Thai, remembering what button does what :). Finally, I decided not to take pictures yesterday, but mayyyyybe I will today :)
So glad I am settled in now. Bangkok is awesome so far!
I met the guys running the guesthouse. One of them just got his degree from CSULB and lived in SF for awhile. The other guest for the night (til Thursday) was also from SF. So I eventually just got too tired, and had to give into jetlag at about 5 PM BKK time (that's 2 AM CA time, which is approximately my bedtime). I told the guys to wake me if they went out for food. Fortunately, they did, at about 8. If they hadn't I'd have not woken up til like 2 AM. Which would've sucked.
As a tangent, the guesthouse we're at right now is in an alley in an alley in an alley. There's air conditioning, which is a lifesaver. I don't think there is hot water, and thank goodness because the two cold showers I have had so far have been great. And at least at this guesthouse, there is internet too!
We're in the neighborhood of Phayathai, which is really close to the train lines, and on the edge of downtown. The great thing about this neighborhood, is that it's not tourist town at ALL, so there is every kind of food you could possibly imagine. So picking up from before, we navigated (OK, I followed amazedly) through assorted walkways, and somehow ended up at another alley. We eventually stopped at a Southern Thai restaurant. Southern Thailand is predominantly Muslim, and ends up with a lot of its own Thai cuisine, that I would guess is somewhat like Malaysian food. We had a quesadillalike# dish that was dough and egg cooked on a searing hot slab of something (think the grill at a restaurant). Then add a lot of beef and some bananas, heavily coated in all sorts of good spice, and then fold over. We also got some southern-Thai style tea, sweetened with condensed milk, much like thai tea. But the type of tea they used made the tea flavor stronger, and the sweet not as cloying. Delicious.
Nate then suggested steak. I was like, well sure, why not, I haven't had steak in a day. It turned out to be a pounded thin ribeye in what was actually a pretty good (mushroom?) sauce. It was served with fries and buttered toast. OK so maybe I will stick to actual Thai food for now, but it was actually kind of an awesome experience, because it was definitely a Thai restaurant hidden in some alley in some alley in some alley.
Then I picked up Dielle from the train station. We coincidently arrived at the same time, so there was no waiting around, and we walked back to the guesthouse. We met another new guy, a friend of the hosts, and we all played the Monopoly card game. Dielle and I kinda failed epicly. Eventually, we went out for more food. This of course involved walking through random alley after random alley all filled with street food. The 6 of us eventually settled on a random street joint. I actually didn't eat, and just mooched a bit of Dielle's pad see ew, since it was after midnight and I didn't want to mess with my sleep (which of course sucked anyway). It's kind of awesome when the stand proprietors just bust out a plastic table and six chairs in the middle of the street with cards driving by you down these tight alleys.
We came home, and I then failed to sleep well. Though I did have dreams, so I must've slept some! I think today the guesthouse hosts are bring some of us on a food tour of Bangkok. We had so much fun here that we're going to stay another night at least. I personally think staying in a random neighborhood with peers our own age who know the way around beats the heck out of staying in tourist town, but we will check out Khaosan Road eventually. Meeting other travelers is cool, too! Dion gets in at midnight tonight!
I hope I eat lots today. It's 10 AM now, and 4/6 people are awake. Hopefully I'll be used to the time change soon. Also blogspot insists on being in Thai, so I just have to navigate it in Thai, remembering what button does what :). Finally, I decided not to take pictures yesterday, but mayyyyybe I will today :)
So glad I am settled in now. Bangkok is awesome so far!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
No turning back now!
So to my surprise, I managed to find a free internet connection at Suvarnabhumi Airport. I'm pretty sure I am mooching off of the limo company, so I won't be surprised if they see me and kick me off.
So I last left off after realizing my flight to BKK was boarding 20 minutes earlier than I thought. This flight had the best food (not saying too much), and I managed to have a whole row to myself. The only problem was, I was surrounded by a large group of maybe 20 or so people who were extremely noisy the entire flight. They would even inadvertently mess with my seat, and talk right in my face to their friends. It kinda sucked. I felt bad for the flight attendents who were trying to figure out who had the veggie meals, since all these people were switching seats.
I did get to see the floods, though. I moved over to the window seat, and looked out the window. It doesn't seem like much for awhile, but then you realize that it's actually water, and you're like..whoa crap. I tried to take some pictures from the plane, but I'm not sure if they really paint the full picture.
So I got off the plane and moseyed to customs. I got through, and found a seat. I don't check into the hostel until 2, so now that I have this free connection, I think I am going to just settle in here for a bit (or at least until I get kicked off). I figure it doesn't make any sense to show up before 2 PM. Dielle gets in at 8:25, and I expect to see here by about 9:30. Dion gets in tomorrow afternoon.
I've definitely got a case of the nerves, and I think I'm still trying to process the fact that I just flew 8000 miles away from everything I know for 5 weeks. So I'll relax here at the airport for a bit, and then head over to the hostel soon enough. Fortunately the one I convinced Dielle to stay at tonight (after all, I am the one who is actually IN Bangkok today), is a 5 minute walk from the terminus of the Airport Train.
One interesting observation is that the airport is almost empty. I guess people really are staying out of this area for now. Or maybe the airport is usually like this? Also, the laptop did not fry when I plugged it into a 220V outlet at the airport. The laptop charger said it was good for up to 240V, but I was still nervous!
Anyway, here we go. Part 1: Bangkok. Welcome to being out of my comfort zone.
Hurry up, Saldanha sisters :)
So I last left off after realizing my flight to BKK was boarding 20 minutes earlier than I thought. This flight had the best food (not saying too much), and I managed to have a whole row to myself. The only problem was, I was surrounded by a large group of maybe 20 or so people who were extremely noisy the entire flight. They would even inadvertently mess with my seat, and talk right in my face to their friends. It kinda sucked. I felt bad for the flight attendents who were trying to figure out who had the veggie meals, since all these people were switching seats.
I did get to see the floods, though. I moved over to the window seat, and looked out the window. It doesn't seem like much for awhile, but then you realize that it's actually water, and you're like..whoa crap. I tried to take some pictures from the plane, but I'm not sure if they really paint the full picture.
So I got off the plane and moseyed to customs. I got through, and found a seat. I don't check into the hostel until 2, so now that I have this free connection, I think I am going to just settle in here for a bit (or at least until I get kicked off). I figure it doesn't make any sense to show up before 2 PM. Dielle gets in at 8:25, and I expect to see here by about 9:30. Dion gets in tomorrow afternoon.
I've definitely got a case of the nerves, and I think I'm still trying to process the fact that I just flew 8000 miles away from everything I know for 5 weeks. So I'll relax here at the airport for a bit, and then head over to the hostel soon enough. Fortunately the one I convinced Dielle to stay at tonight (after all, I am the one who is actually IN Bangkok today), is a 5 minute walk from the terminus of the Airport Train.
One interesting observation is that the airport is almost empty. I guess people really are staying out of this area for now. Or maybe the airport is usually like this? Also, the laptop did not fry when I plugged it into a 220V outlet at the airport. The laptop charger said it was good for up to 240V, but I was still nervous!
Anyway, here we go. Part 1: Bangkok. Welcome to being out of my comfort zone.
Hurry up, Saldanha sisters :)
One flight down
So I just had to navigate blogspot in Cantonese, since google translate didn't want to work.
I made it to Hong Kong! My flight for Bangkok leaves in an hour. Unfortunately it is too foggy to see much of anything.
So the 14 hour transpacific flight was pretty uneventful. The in-seat power worked, the food was kinda awful, I eventually fell asleep and am as sore as heck. I sat next to an 85 year old Chinese lady who kept trying to hijack part of my airspace. She was funny though, and only had to get up once, so all in all, not too bad.
I watched 3 movies, and was too tired to study words like at all.
Early on I had two big glasses of riesling, which, although not making me very tipsy (too full), did sort of make me oblivious to time. The flight honestly felt like it was about 7 or 8 hours.
So yeah I forgot to post this before the flight, so I am actually writing this from Bangkok.
I made it to Hong Kong! My flight for Bangkok leaves in an hour. Unfortunately it is too foggy to see much of anything.
So the 14 hour transpacific flight was pretty uneventful. The in-seat power worked, the food was kinda awful, I eventually fell asleep and am as sore as heck. I sat next to an 85 year old Chinese lady who kept trying to hijack part of my airspace. She was funny though, and only had to get up once, so all in all, not too bad.
I watched 3 movies, and was too tired to study words like at all.
Early on I had two big glasses of riesling, which, although not making me very tipsy (too full), did sort of make me oblivious to time. The flight honestly felt like it was about 7 or 8 hours.
So yeah I forgot to post this before the flight, so I am actually writing this from Bangkok.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Asia here I come...
Well, I'm at the airport. My flight boards in a few minutes. I hope that the in-seat chargers work so I can study thousands and thousands of collins words (lol). Gabe says Cathay does free alcoholic drinks - I hope he isn't lying.
I tried to stream some episodes of Psych, but the internet crapped out and the streams died, so it looks like I'm limited to choosing from like 100 movies that Cathay offers. And studying more words. There's always more words to study!
___
So I just got called up to show my proof of future travel out of Bangkok. Thank GOODNESS I have a flight from BKK-->Luang Prabang in December. Good to be prepared, otherwise I may not have been let on the flight. OK, my flight is boarding! I'm off to Asia! I'll check in when I land in HK!
<3
I tried to stream some episodes of Psych, but the internet crapped out and the streams died, so it looks like I'm limited to choosing from like 100 movies that Cathay offers. And studying more words. There's always more words to study!
___
So I just got called up to show my proof of future travel out of Bangkok. Thank GOODNESS I have a flight from BKK-->Luang Prabang in December. Good to be prepared, otherwise I may not have been let on the flight. OK, my flight is boarding! I'm off to Asia! I'll check in when I land in HK!
<3
Friday, November 11, 2011
Drum roll: Did I manage to get an aisle seat on my first ever transpac flight?
Before I begin this post, I'd like to say that it was a very successful shopping trip, as I got pretty much everything else I need, minus a final trip to the pharmacy on Saturday. I was even able to exchange money at a bank in Berkeley for a nice low fee of $1.50. This way, I've got $80 in baht to last me until we go to Bangkok Bank, which offers much much better rates. A rousing success!
Anyway, onto the real point of this post!
So back in September, I bought these flights
SFO-->HKG
HKG-->BKK
________________
MNL-->HKG (12 hour layover)
HKG-->SFO
(Airport codes: SFO = San Francisco; HKG = Hong Kong; BKK = Bangkok; MNL = Manila)
on one intinerary. Kayak had been quoting me prices of $1,111, and that price seemed outdated, as the best I could find was on Cathay's website for about $1,140. I had almost given up and resigned myself to that price, when I decided to check Travelocity. I found a quote of $1,026! The first time it didn't go through, but the second time, I was successful. As a result though, I was in Cathay's lowest fare class, in which you do not get to pick your seat until 48 hours before the flight. In order to move up a fare class, I would've had to pay about $1,200 for those flights. So I decided to gambit and hope that I could sneak into an aisle seat. I figure worst case scenario, I save about $150 by not being able to pick my seat, and I end up stuck in a middle seat for 14.5 hours. $1,026 seemed like kind of a bargain, to be honest, not that I claim to be any expert on such matters. Would I be successful in this gambit?
So there I was, refreshing the check-in button constantly, and sure enough, I ended up with seat 35G! Near the front of the plane, and more importantly, an AISLE SEAT!!!! Keep in mind, this is a 747-400 plane, so the seating is 3/4/3. Seatguru suggests that the only downside to this seat is that there is no row 35 window. So needless to say, I am just thrilled. I check in for the HKG-->BKK leg at 5:10 PM tomorrow. Since it is "only" a 3 hour-ish flight, I'm thinking about maybe getting a window seat. If not, I'll do that on MNL-->HKG leg on the way back.
The next obstacle is the bag checking situation. I'll probably update that from the airport.
48 hours from now, I'll be out over the Pacific Ocean.
Anyway, onto the real point of this post!
So back in September, I bought these flights
SFO-->HKG
HKG-->BKK
________________
MNL-->HKG (12 hour layover)
HKG-->SFO
(Airport codes: SFO = San Francisco; HKG = Hong Kong; BKK = Bangkok; MNL = Manila)
on one intinerary. Kayak had been quoting me prices of $1,111, and that price seemed outdated, as the best I could find was on Cathay's website for about $1,140. I had almost given up and resigned myself to that price, when I decided to check Travelocity. I found a quote of $1,026! The first time it didn't go through, but the second time, I was successful. As a result though, I was in Cathay's lowest fare class, in which you do not get to pick your seat until 48 hours before the flight. In order to move up a fare class, I would've had to pay about $1,200 for those flights. So I decided to gambit and hope that I could sneak into an aisle seat. I figure worst case scenario, I save about $150 by not being able to pick my seat, and I end up stuck in a middle seat for 14.5 hours. $1,026 seemed like kind of a bargain, to be honest, not that I claim to be any expert on such matters. Would I be successful in this gambit?
So there I was, refreshing the check-in button constantly, and sure enough, I ended up with seat 35G! Near the front of the plane, and more importantly, an AISLE SEAT!!!! Keep in mind, this is a 747-400 plane, so the seating is 3/4/3. Seatguru suggests that the only downside to this seat is that there is no row 35 window. So needless to say, I am just thrilled. I check in for the HKG-->BKK leg at 5:10 PM tomorrow. Since it is "only" a 3 hour-ish flight, I'm thinking about maybe getting a window seat. If not, I'll do that on MNL-->HKG leg on the way back.
The next obstacle is the bag checking situation. I'll probably update that from the airport.
48 hours from now, I'll be out over the Pacific Ocean.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Packing list
So I'm about to go do what is hopefully my final shopping excursion before the trip. Here's what I'm bringing:
I know this isn't the most exciting post ever, but I do encourage you to chime in with anything I might be missing, or telling me that I am overpacking like crazy.
- 5 shirts + 1 long sleeve + 1 sweatshirt
- 5 shorts + 1 gym shorts + 1 pair jeans + 1 pair lounge pants + board shorts
- socks, boxers, sandals
- first aid kid (very light)
- steripen + batteries (more on this another time)
- towel (hosteling for a lot of the trip)
- mom's netbook she doesnt use + charger cord - much lighter and cheaper than my macbook pro.
- electric shaver + charger cord
- medicines/pain relievers/bug spray
- sundries (pretty sure I have these all covered)
- water bottle
- camera
- folder with pens/paper + flight information. doctor information, travel clinic information, etc.
- passport/wallet
- universal power adapter*** (forgot to add this before)
Things I have to get today:
- $400-$500 US or so
- $50-$100 in baht (exchange rate in Bangkok is much better, but I'll get some just incase)
- Masterlock (again, may need it for hosteling)
- Suntan lotion - I'm sure they have it there, may as well bring some though, since I have very sensitive skin
- Cheap headphones - not bringing my Bose QCs
- Neck pillow - essential
- sunglasses/hat - get once I'm there? I don't like sunglasses, but they may be helpful.
(Edit: all of the above have been purchased, minus the sunglasses and hat, which I'll decide on soon.)
As I think about it, I still have a few unsureties on stuff to bring, so maybe I'll have to make a second trip to the store at some point. But I can get most of the big stuff done now :)
So tell me: what am I missing? I probably forgot to add a couple things to this list, and I'll probably remember something after I take off, but impart the wisdom of crowds on me please! :)
OK I'd better get shopping! Val's for birthday dinner tonight! I'm 22 today! That mean's I'm old!
I know this isn't the most exciting post ever, but I do encourage you to chime in with anything I might be missing, or telling me that I am overpacking like crazy.
- 5 shirts + 1 long sleeve + 1 sweatshirt
- 5 shorts + 1 gym shorts + 1 pair jeans + 1 pair lounge pants + board shorts
- socks, boxers, sandals
- first aid kid (very light)
- steripen + batteries (more on this another time)
- towel (hosteling for a lot of the trip)
- mom's netbook she doesnt use + charger cord - much lighter and cheaper than my macbook pro.
- electric shaver + charger cord
- medicines/pain relievers/bug spray
- sundries (pretty sure I have these all covered)
- water bottle
- camera
- folder with pens/paper + flight information. doctor information, travel clinic information, etc.
- passport/wallet
- universal power adapter*** (forgot to add this before)
Things I have to get today:
- $400-$500 US or so
- $50-$100 in baht (exchange rate in Bangkok is much better, but I'll get some just incase)
- Masterlock (again, may need it for hosteling)
- Suntan lotion - I'm sure they have it there, may as well bring some though, since I have very sensitive skin
- Cheap headphones - not bringing my Bose QCs
- Neck pillow - essential
- sunglasses/hat - get once I'm there? I don't like sunglasses, but they may be helpful.
(Edit: all of the above have been purchased, minus the sunglasses and hat, which I'll decide on soon.)
As I think about it, I still have a few unsureties on stuff to bring, so maybe I'll have to make a second trip to the store at some point. But I can get most of the big stuff done now :)
So tell me: what am I missing? I probably forgot to add a couple things to this list, and I'll probably remember something after I take off, but impart the wisdom of crowds on me please! :)
OK I'd better get shopping! Val's for birthday dinner tonight! I'm 22 today! That mean's I'm old!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
96 hours and counting...
Hey readers! Welcome to my travel blog! In just 4 days, I will be on a Cathay Pacific flight bound for Bangkok, Thailand (connecting in Hong Kong)!
In case you didn't know, I have never traveled outside of the USA, with the exceptions of the BC way to the north of California, and the BC to the south of California. So this will be my first trip abroad, and I feel like I'm really throwing myself out there. I don't have the entire trip planned, which I think is a good thing, but this is what I do know:
November 14th: Arrive Bangkok
November 15-18: Bangkok????
November 19-20: Adult Division of Princess Cup Scrabble tournament (Bangkok)
November 21-29: ?????
November 30-December 4: Johor Bahru, Malaysia for the Causeway Challenge Scrabble Tournament
December 4-5: Singapore
December 6-14ish: Laos (Luang Prabang, Phonsavan/Plain of Jars, Vientiane)
December 15-16: Manila
December 17: 12 hour layover in Hong Kong
December 18: Return home. Maybe. :)
As I have said above, this is my first time traveling, and as such, I made it very clear to myself that this would be a trip with friends. It's pretty intimidating to plan my first five week trip, and I think I will get a lot more out of it being with experienced travelers through the duration of the trip. So who are my companions?
Well let's think of the trip in two halves - the pre-Causeway and post-Causeway halves (see schedule above - 5 day long Scrabble event in Malaysia). I'll have a number of friends at the tournament, but have different travelmates before and after.
The first part of the trip is with the fearless Saldanha sisters. Dielle and I both arrive on the 14th, if all goes as planned, and Dion arrives the 15th. We will proceed to take on mainland Southeast Asia. Dion leaves the 28th; then, Dielle and I will head south to Johor forway too much scrabble.
Before you ask, yes, we have decided to brave the floods in Bangkok. If it should turn out to be too much, then we can always go somewhere else for a few days!
After the tournament,eternal grad student Jesse and I will head to Singapore to meet up with our good friend, The Great Wang. (Don't worry if the sentence means nothing to you) Also known as James Leong, Yak Attack, James Wong, and, ironically, Gabriel Wong, some think he is a former national champion, but others are less sure. From Singapore, I'll be traveling with these two deep into the depths of Laos, throughout the rest of the trip.
My intent is to keep a blog throughout this trip. I will have a laptop, but I have no idea about Internet. I want to be fairly off the grid, but keeping a blog is a fun idea. And yes, the only reason I am bringing a laptop is to study words. The tournaments outside of North America usually use a different lexicon - the Collins dictionary. It is a larger dictionary than the hybrid book we use in the states, including lots of words unique to other English speaking countries, and the slang, borrowed words, and foreign words relevant to those areas.
I'll probably post in the next couple days about my continued worrying and fretting as the last few days before I depart come to an end. I have some pre-trip thoughts, and I'm sure people want to read about my freaking out about packing :)
Great time to have a birthday - right? I'm turning 22 on Thursday!
You'll hear more from me soon. Please leave comments, travel suggestions, questions, anything at all you have to say, but if you don't have an account, do leave your name, so I know who I'm talking to you.
Thanks for being a part of what I hope will be a truly amazing experience!
So nervous! So excited!
In case you didn't know, I have never traveled outside of the USA, with the exceptions of the BC way to the north of California, and the BC to the south of California. So this will be my first trip abroad, and I feel like I'm really throwing myself out there. I don't have the entire trip planned, which I think is a good thing, but this is what I do know:
November 14th: Arrive Bangkok
November 15-18: Bangkok????
November 19-20: Adult Division of Princess Cup Scrabble tournament (Bangkok)
November 21-29: ?????
November 30-December 4: Johor Bahru, Malaysia for the Causeway Challenge Scrabble Tournament
December 4-5: Singapore
December 6-14ish: Laos (Luang Prabang, Phonsavan/Plain of Jars, Vientiane)
December 15-16: Manila
December 17: 12 hour layover in Hong Kong
December 18: Return home. Maybe. :)
As I have said above, this is my first time traveling, and as such, I made it very clear to myself that this would be a trip with friends. It's pretty intimidating to plan my first five week trip, and I think I will get a lot more out of it being with experienced travelers through the duration of the trip. So who are my companions?
Well let's think of the trip in two halves - the pre-Causeway and post-Causeway halves (see schedule above - 5 day long Scrabble event in Malaysia). I'll have a number of friends at the tournament, but have different travelmates before and after.
The first part of the trip is with the fearless Saldanha sisters. Dielle and I both arrive on the 14th, if all goes as planned, and Dion arrives the 15th. We will proceed to take on mainland Southeast Asia. Dion leaves the 28th; then, Dielle and I will head south to Johor for
Before you ask, yes, we have decided to brave the floods in Bangkok. If it should turn out to be too much, then we can always go somewhere else for a few days!
After the tournament,
My intent is to keep a blog throughout this trip. I will have a laptop, but I have no idea about Internet. I want to be fairly off the grid, but keeping a blog is a fun idea. And yes, the only reason I am bringing a laptop is to study words. The tournaments outside of North America usually use a different lexicon - the Collins dictionary. It is a larger dictionary than the hybrid book we use in the states, including lots of words unique to other English speaking countries, and the slang, borrowed words, and foreign words relevant to those areas.
I'll probably post in the next couple days about my continued worrying and fretting as the last few days before I depart come to an end. I have some pre-trip thoughts, and I'm sure people want to read about my freaking out about packing :)
Great time to have a birthday - right? I'm turning 22 on Thursday!
You'll hear more from me soon. Please leave comments, travel suggestions, questions, anything at all you have to say, but if you don't have an account, do leave your name, so I know who I'm talking to you.
Thanks for being a part of what I hope will be a truly amazing experience!
So nervous! So excited!
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