Sawat-dii kha!

Sawat-dii kha (hello) from Thailand!

Traveling to Thailand seemed like it took forever, but here I am finally in Thailand! It only took me 4 flights, 23 hours on planes, and 11 hours in different airports. But all the flights were worth it, I met so many people that wanted to give me advice on traveling and Thailand and I got phone numbers and invitations to stay in people's homes. I've never seen so many friendly people!

I'm staying now in a Thai home of a woman I sat next to on the plane from Taipei, Taiwan to Bangkok. She teaches math methods in a University in CA (who would've known :) ) Her daughter is a few years older than me and works in Maylasia so I might visit her later on during my trip, I'm not sure yet though.

Yesterday, my first morning I went to breakfast with Ba-Dang (Ba means auntie) thats how she told me to call her. I had the best wonton soup (giot, in Thai) ever. Then we bought Kohw la'am (in the picture). Its sicky, sweet rice thats put in bamboo and cooked from a flame. Ba-dang is trying to teach me Thai, but its hard!

We also went to a buddhist temple. Then later on I went with Pi Liew (Pi means older sister) to JJ market, it was huge! There are hundreds of shops that sell everything from clothes, and suiveners to food, and a shop where Pi Liew ordered invitations for her upcoming wedding.

I've already tried so many different foods I cannot even remember the names, lol. The Thai's eat tons of sea food, and its very very cheap. Squid, octupus, shrimp (1 kilo of shrimp for about $1.50), crab, and other things I dare not ask. Lots of fruit, most that I have never seen before, and you can try the fruit in the market before you buy it. My favorite is loong kong.... its good!

I'm having trouble uploading more pictures now. But I am having a great time and loving Thailand!

Getting ready for Thailand

Its now almost 48 hours before I leave for Thailand, yes I'm counting down. So far I have absolutely no plans made for when I arrive in Bangkok in 72 hours. I guess the under planning for my time in Thailand is making up for the over preparation I've been doing on my backpack for the past 3 weeks. Since I finished my internship on August 1st all I've been doing is packing and unpacking my pack every time I think of something else I need to bring. Not to mention boredom on top of nervousness is a bad combination that always leads to compulsive behavior even in the most stable people.

So here are my very, (let me emphasize the very) tentative plans for Thailand. I'm taking with me my 65L backpack and in it my camping gear, rock climbing gear, toiletries, first aid, 4 pairs of clothes, rain gear, and hiking boots. Anything else I need I figure I'll buy while I'm there.

Saturday, August 30 1:05 am - Arrive in Bangkok Suvarnbhumi International Airport after first losing a day traveling across the dateline, and stopping over in LA and Taipei, Taiwan. Book a flight to the Philippines for October and November. Wander around the airport for a few hours waiting for the city to wake up.

First week - Hang around Bangkok and meet other backpackers to travel with. See some of the tourist traps in Thailand's capital and possibly take a small trip north to Ayuthaya.

Next week - Take a train or more likely a bus to the south eastern coast on the gulf of Thailand. Visit some Wats (Buddhists temples), national parks, and beaches. Hopefully spend my nights camping on the beaches and my days hiking to waterfalls or taking boat trips to the many different islands.

September and October - Spend my time around the coasts in the south and hope for good weather for camping. These 2 months are supposed to be the end of the rainy season in Thailand. Maybe I will buy myself a traditional Thai fishing hat and learn to fish! Sometime in there I plan to make my way over to the west coast on the Andaman Sea and go rock climbing at Railay beach on dry days. Possibly get a scuba diving certification, go sailing, maybe some hiking, and a lot of camping and just plain relaxing.

Before October 20 - Leave Thailand because my first entry visa runs out. Hopefully I will have bought a ticket to the Philippines before this date. Stay up to 4 weeks in the Philippines doing Island hopping and visiting one of my good friends' families.

Somtime in November - Stopover in Singapore before making my way back to Thailand.

December and January - Travel in the northern Provinces.
Spend a few weeks in the mountains around Chiang Mai, go trekking and take a cooking course in Thai. Yumm!!!! Find some families to stay with and teach Thai kids English, maybe even get a job in the Thai schools.
Go east and travel along the Mekong River. Cross into Laos if my visa allows me to.

January 21 or before - Fly back to the US when my money runs out or my scheduled flight back on Jan. 21, which ever comes first.

So there you have it! The next 5 months of my life, and not one day of it set in stone!