Thai fly-by

As I boarded the plane to travel from Istanbul to Bangkok, I thought about how glad I was that I’d embarked on this leg of my travels with both an open ended itinerary and an open mind. In fact, I had ZERO plans following my Flash Pack tour in South Africa, which ended on April 20. Here it was, mid-June and I’d had so many fabulous adventures since the planned portion of the trip… I’d gone on the most amazing safaris, viewed the spectacular Victoria Falls from multiple perspectives, went camping with locals in South Africa, explored breathtaking Namibia, finally saw THE DOLOMITES (although some unfinished business there), became a regular in Istanbul, bike/hiked/kayaked/bussed through Turkey, and sailed among the Turkish Isles. All experiences I likely never would have even thought to plan if I’d planned the whole trip in advance, and also all incredibly special experiences that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss for the world. I also thought about how it had all kind of naturally come about, as each “next thing” presented itself to me at the time when I needed it to. Of course I did a fair bit of research and asking around, but mostly it all just naturally evolved. My only job was to avoid freaking out about a lack of plans and (minus a few tense moments during #zimbabweforlife) I did this pretty well.

My last pit stop on the way (but not actually on the way) home was Thailand, with a new friend I’d met at a campground in Namibia… as one does. Rowan was the guide of another group staying at the same campground and he was friends with my guide, Jeff. If you’re a regular follower, you may recall he was the guy with the “hot tip” on when the most spectacular animals (elephants!!) would be at the watering hole for viewing.

Rowan had some time off after the tour and was planning a trip to Thailand. That sounded nice. And the planning was already underway, meaning less planning for me. IN!

My Thai fly-by began in Bangkok, which is a “big city” as I’d expected, and as had been advertised by assorted Thailand-loving friends. It’s funny as those friends mostly aren’t huge fans of the country’s capital city and the city is viewed as a means to an end (the end being the rest of the country). Despite low expectations, I actually really enjoyed Bangkok. I thought it had a lot of character (as far as those big cities go) and I found the people very kind and welcoming.

We started our first day exploring the floating markets, which would have been much more fun to explore if I had more/any room in my suitcase for souvenirs.

While floating around the market, I was keeping up with the Stanley Cup finals (ice hockey) in the U.S., as my home team (the Washington Capitols) secured victory!!! This was HUGE news in DC as the Caps have NEVER won the Stanley Cup before. For Caps fans it’s been an abusive cycle… every year we were certain “this is the year” as they looked so good, and they would have a great regular season and then the post-season would start and they would play horribly and our hearts would be broken. And then we’d forget all about it next season because they looked so good…cue pete and repeat. However, this year the cycle was thrown off when they actually did not look good at the beginning of the season, so it totally made sense that they won the whole kit and caboodle. So, while the floating market was pretty cool on its own, it is the fact that’s where I was when the Caps won the Stanley Cup that I will remember the most about it. Of course, I had a celebratory beer in their honor… it was the least I could do!

Next stop was the Grand Palace, which is located right in the heart of the city. The Palace is not one enormous building like you might imagine (definitely how I imagined it… more on that later), it’s actually a complex of buildings, pavilions, halls, courtyards, etc. that expanded organically over time. Construction began in the 18th century and over 200 years the various kings added on to it (and of course each king needed to out-do the previous king) and it’s really something else in terms of its grandeur.

Now it’s just a tourist attraction and the government completely moved out when an absolute monarchy was abolished in the 1930s. Okay, so, I need to be overly honest and admit the detail I just shared about the Grand Palace I learned after I’d seen the Grand Palace. Of course I hadn’t done advance research (other than to learn there is a thing called the Grand Palace that I should see in Bangkok) and there wasn’t much signage in English or brochures or anything with information about what we were looking at… or the history of it. I actually thought the Grand Palace was a singular, huge building inside the complex and kept looking for it! In fact, I asked a few passers-by where the Grand Palace was and got confused looks in return. Finally an employee explained “You’re in the Grand Palace. This is all the Grand Palace.” Ahhh… now I get it!

Located behind the Grand Palace is another grandiose complex, this one consisting of temples, named Wat Pho (also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha). There are buddhas EVERYWHERE in this place and according to one sign there are over 1,000 buddha images in totality (I did not count but that seems about right). The Reclining Buddha itself is pretty impressive and at 150 feet long it’s one of the largest buddhas anywhere. (Btw, “reclining buddha” means that buddha is laying on its side. Not in a chaise lounger.)

Another highlight in Bangkok was the Night Market, which was recommended as a spot where the locals hang out. I have to say, it’s pretty off the hook and is bustling with locals navigating rows and rows of vendors cooking and selling every food type you can imagine. The Thai currency is the “baht” and the exchange rate is about 30 baht to 1 US dollar. After much deliberation I bought summer rolls (a favorite of mine) and skewers of fresh shrimp and vegetables that they cooked in front of me. All for a grand total of 90 baht!

There are more established shops and restaurants around the Night Market perimeter, as well as a beer garden with live music. Despite my lack of suitcase space I found an item I HAD to purchase from one of the shops. Overall during my travels I’ve been pretty discretionary in my shopping and there are few items I’ve felt that I HAD to have. This board game, however, was not even a question:

I plan to bring it on a family vacation this summer and am pretty sure I’ll be Auntie of the Year, as my nieces and nephews (minus 6 month old Theodore) are ALL at the age where anything involving the word or image of “poop” is worthy of hysterical laughter. [Update: Yes, I proceeded to carry this game around to multiple cities, actually just carrying it in my arms at times. Eventually I got another bag for it and I’m happy to report is has successfully made it to the States].

Despite the fact I was pleasantly surprised by Bangkok, three nights was plenty and I was not sad to board a plane for a quickie flight the next morning, our final destination being the island of Khao Luk. Now, if Khao Luk sounds a little bit familiar it’s likely because it’s the spot that experienced the most devastation during the tsunami in 2004. THE tsunami pretty much decimated the area, which at the time was the fastest growing tourism destination in the country. There was also a significant loss of life and it’s estimated that, tragically, more than 10,000 people died (locals and tourists alike). It wasn’t until very recently that their hotel capacity is close to being back to where it was in 2004, but other tourism infrastructure is still struggling to regain the momentum it once had.

I loved this spot and would definitely go back! It’s beautiful and has a really chill, good vibe.

Known for its marine life, we had ideations of day trips to go snorkeling among some spots named the most beautiful in the world… but learned it’s not exactly peak season this time of year and most of the spots weren’t open (apparently the water is too cloudy to snorkel this time of year?). Between that and the Dolomites... who knew that mountains and islands could be seasonally CLOSED for business?? Definitely a lesson learned for Teha’s Travels! But this minor snafu did not put a black mark on my Khao Luk experience in the least. I found something just innately relaxing about the spot. And there are several places offering $8 Thai massages, which are just about the best thing ever. Did I mention I like it there?

In Khao Luk, we stumbled across a local live music venue, named The Monkey Bar, where we made friends and became locals of sorts. Between a super-talented Thai musician covering my favorite 80s and 90s rock bands (I swear if you closed your eyes you think it’s really Bryan Adams) and an assortment of games, including Jenga and Connect 4, it was perfection. I usually have to make an effort to lose when playing Connect 4 with my nieces and nephews but it was funny how after a few Thai beers the game wasn’t so easy anymore!! We also made friends (a lovely couple in a long-distance relationship from London to Tokyo) and we all got together again the next night, at the Monkey Bar of course! Why would you go anywhere else??

I admit I was a little bit bummed to be leaving tranquil Khao Luk for the hub-bub of Phuket… but I guess it’s good to leave a place wanting more. Now, I’ve been to Phuket before, but only to the quieter beach areas of Kata and Naiyang. My personal favorite is actually Naiyang and I’ve spent a few extended layovers there- it’s literally next to the airport and a hidden gem with a gorgeous beach, national park and adorable beachside shops (with a few massage places, of course). Hotels are super cheap there and if you ever have the opportunity to fly through Phuket, stay a night or two in Naiyang.

Anyways, all this to say that this time I was staying in the Patong beach area, which is the “hub” of Phuket, where all the “action” is. I was only there for two days and one night and did my best to avoid the action, so I don’t have much to report on… but according to new friends we met at the hotel it’s a pretty hopping party scene. Complete with a red light district of sorts and the “lady boy” scene (some people are into seeing these things as a tourist attraction and it was also a thing in Bangkok… I am not. Just a personal preference). We signed up for a day excursion to go snorkeling at two nearby islands, as apparently the weather wasn’t an issue in those parts. The brochure looked lovely and promised white sandy beaches and crystal clear, iridescent blue water! What could be more perfect?

That night we were at the hotel bar and a couple sat down next to us, clearly animated. The woman was trying to calm down her husband who was still amped up from having confronted the travel agent who’d booked the day trip they’d just returned from. He pulled out the brochure to show us and it was the same brochure we had! He then showed us photos on his phone…. of dark rocky beaches and murky, dark water. Hmmm… While Animated Husband was lucky to get 50% of his money back, it was even luckier for us that we ran into them and were able to cancel our journey for a full refund! No matter, I guess I’d have to explore the town, relax at the beach and get a massage instead (which is exactly what I did, as well taking in a spectacular sunset).

As I prepared to leave, I also tried to mentally prepare myself for a looooong journey home, but I don’t think I did a very good job. My flight left Phuket at 1:40 AM and I was connecting through Beijing en route to Dulles. I struggled to stay awake at the chaotic airport, especially as the flight was delayed until 2:30 AM.

I then boarded my five hour Air China flight, and realized quickly there was no in-flight entertainment… but no matter, I would sleep. I was dozing off when meal service arrived and I made the mistake of both accepting the meal and taking a bite of it… shrimp. I wasn’t feeling it and felt a smidge bad I had taken the meal, taken a bite, and was wasting it… but I quickly fell into a deep sleep. I honestly didn’t think of that bite of shrimp again until I was in the middle of the painful security process in China (you have to go through two separate securities, as well as customs, just for a connecting flight!) I thought maybe the process was making me feel nauseous, maybe combined with a lack of sleep. Um… nope. I’d never had food poisoning and now I know what all the fuss is about! I spent much of my 5-hour layover in the bathroom (as a bonus, I was in the lounge but the lounge bathroom was under renovation… the public bathroom required a walk through the food court, which is the last place I wanted to be anywhere close to). It was absolutely miserable. At least by the time I boarded my next flight I was certain there was absolutely nothing in my system. Speaking of systems, this time we had an entertainment system but I quickly realized the movies were mostly in Chinese, so decided sleep was a better option anyways. Hours later I woke up from a slumber thinking I’d put a big dent in the flight… and looked at the monitor to see the remaining flight time was 10 hours and 45 minutes. UGGGG. To make matters worse I was in a window seat with an adorable 5 year old boy next to me who, after much squirming, had finally fallen asleep but kinda nuzzled up against me and I hated to move wake him. To make matters double-worse, I felt HORRIBLE. My stomach was okay, thankfully, but I ACHED all over, like the kind of aches you get with a horrible flu. I finally carefully stepped over the boy and his father and started roaming the plane seeking some sort of relief… any sort of relief. Suspecting dehydration, I drank a lot of water but I needed a quicker fix. I soon realized that I seemed to be the only person on the flight who was not Chinese and I even had difficulty communicating with the flight attendant. I finally got my point across and learned that she did not, in fact, have Tylenol or any other pain reliever. With a silent sigh I moved on, to two woman who were standing in the bulkhead and it turned out that one of them had a son who spoke some English! After much back and forth, the translator’s mother dug in her purse and handed me a little packet of a white powdery substance that she described as a “Chinese herbal remedy.” Okay… that would have to do! Maybe it was the remedy, but I did start to feel better an hour or two later (THANK YOU LORD!!!) Despite this, it was the longest and most uncomfortable flight I’ve ever had. [I’m feeling my blood pressure rise as I’m writing this and quasi-reliving the experience!] Needless to say, I don’t see myself flying Air China again anytime soon… or at least until such time they’re that much cheaper.

So, now, here I am… back in DC. I’ll leave you with a mini-cliffhanger and not tell you what’s next. Stay tuned… I know I will!