Phi Phi We Won't Forget You

Sat. Aug 20th, 2016

After staying in the crazy hostel on the beach, Jenna and I decided we needed a slower paced bigger space. We booked a bungalow for ourselves- it was tucked inland, away from the hustle and bustle of the beach but had its own pool. We decided that on Saturday we were going to take full advantage of the sun and swimming. I went for a walk midday to find us some cocktails-- I followed a road that wound around for quite some time and then popped me out near the pier. There were a ton of restaurants and shops. There was a huge outdoor bar that was completely empty. I popped in and started chatting with the bartenders who made me some margaritas while filling me in on the nightlife on this side of phi phi. They said that there would be a fire show at the bar tonight and that we should definitely come back for it.

After swimming and margaritas we decided to go to a huge open bar with a muy thai ring. Spectators could pay to play in addition to the professionals. We grabbed some beers, pulled up our chairs and cheered along with the crowd for the underdogs. After, we grabbed a bite at a popup food stand and then headed to the margarita bar from earlier. Sure enough there was a fire show. Sure enough they needed audience participation. Sure enough they chose me. I was up on stage watching and then all of a sudden I. Was. Twirling. Fire. I don't know how it happened but once I got started I realized I didn't know how to stop. I couldn't just drop the flaming chains at my feet, I couldn't just stop swinging and risk getting them intertwined and I couldn't yell out for someone to take them because I hadn't exactly learned the words, "grab the flaming fire torches from my arms before they burn me please" in thai. Damn. Add that to my list of should'ves for June. HELLPPP. I kept looking at the fire twirlers who were clearly amused by the fact that I. Was. Twirling. Fire. My eyes were pleading, "please take my fire, please take my fire." Finally, one of the twirlers tried to jump in-- I definitely don't think it was a clean exchange but at the end of the day he was the one with the burn marks, not me. In exchange for my service, the fire twirlers tipped me back and dispensed, straight into my mouth, not one but two shots of whiskey- strong whiskey- strong gross whiskey- strong gross whiskey that didn't mix well with my margaritas- before whisking me off of the stage. Woof. Jaclyn was in for a night.

The only logical thing to do was to keep going from bar to bar to bar. So we did. We hopped all around the inner island and then made our way to the beach. We made new friends. We danced, we sang, we ate pizza and sat under the trees in our courtyard. We got hangovers the size of Thailand itself but damn did we have fun.

We got on a boat back to Krabi (after what felt like forever and a day of laying on the sunny, hot benches in the bungalow courtyard trying not to puke) and then headed to the airport to fly back to Bangkok. Next stop, Vietnam. Only problem, we didn't get our visas in time, so instead of flying to Nam on Monday like we had planned, we stayed an extra night in Bangkok and flew out on Tuesday. Where's Tash (and her on point planning skills) when you need her?!

A Fun Friday on Phi Phi? Try a Fuckin Freaky Friday on Phi Phi

Fri, Aug 19, 2016

Phi Phi is an inhabitable island surrounded by tons of tiny, uninhabited islands. These islands are known for their spectacular beauty and cleanliness because they have not been tainted by humankind. We decided to do a full day guided boat tour so that we could see a few of these famous islands. Little did we know, this would be one of our scariest, most physically challenging Thailand adventures. We set sail around 10am. Our group was on a tiny boat with one other couple. Our first stop was Monkey Island. Because of the tides, it was almost impossible to find enough beach to stand on there. Jenna managed to though, and in a few seconds time she was inundated with monkey buddies.

After Monkey Island, we sailed in and out of a few beautifully blue coves.

No one wanted to stop to swim because we were all excited to make it to the main island and visit the National Park. What we didn't realize however, was that because it was rainy season, getting to this island was going to be almost impossible. The water was incredibly choppy. Each time we slammed against a large wave, our boat would rock and tons of water would pour in. There seemed to be no end in sight and the waves seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. Our tour guide pushed on and eventually, after a few close calls, we made it to the island. However, rainy season came back to bite us once again when we arrived. Normally, boats could dock at the island entrance, however because the tide was incredibly low, our boat had to anchor about a half mile from shore. When we hopped out into the shallow water to start our swim to the island, we realized that we would be swimming over a coral reef. This wouldn't have been a big deal except for the fact that the water was so choppy that each time a wave came in we were being slammed into the sharp, rocky coral below. We tried our best to cover as much ground as we could in between waves, but by the time we got to the island entrance Jason and I both had bloody knees. Never fear though, because another challenge awaited us. Jason and I looked up to find that the island entrance was looming not next to us, but above us. How would we get up there you ask? A net made of ropes connected the rock wall in front of us to the coral reef below us. We watched in horror as swimmers hoisted themselves up into the net and disappeared on the other side. I climbed up into the net, only to realize that each time a wave hit, the net slammed against the rock wall. I had to be careful where I put my hands and bare feet as I climbed, otherwise they would be  scraped on the rock. Somehow I managed to get up and over the net. I fell, exhausted and bloody, onto the other side. This National Park had better be worth it.
We were all a bit disgruntled as we walked down onto the island but after hiking for about twenty minutes we came to one of the most beautiful beach clearings I'd seen yet. The beach was pristine. The sand was rich and warm and the water was amazingly blue. We immediately headed into the water and let our tired bodies float.
When it was time for us to leave, we followed a group who had decided that they weren't going to go over the net wall but instead climb through a cave and come out on the other side. It was incredibly slippery so I took to crawling on my knees instead of risking a fall. We were able to get out to the reef, however, the tide had lowered even more and now we had to walk along the reef before the water dropped off. This was incredibly painful. Jason and I spent quite awhile watching others drop off into the water. We tried to plan the best route, but at the end of the day, we ended up just falling in and trying to stick together as we swam. I thought the way in was bad, but at least the waves were with us. On our way back out, the waves were crashing in against us, so we were being pushed backwards against the coral. There were times we had to grab the coral below us to keep from losing ground, so by the time we got to the boat we were all cut and bleeding. But we weren't in the clear yet. The waves were getting worse and we still had to make it all the way back to Phi Phi. Our guide hadn't said much during our trip, so I tried speaking with him in Thai. Bam! That was the key to his heart. He opened up immediately, speaking to me in Thai and in English. He said that they usually don't do these boat tours at this time of year because of the low tides and the choppy water but that if tourists are willing to go, the boat companies host the excursions. Well shit. We were just dumb tourists. How we were supposed to know we were going to encounter what we did? I was definitely not wearing the "incredibly talented, knowledgeable tour guide hat" for this one. Our real Thai guide said that normally the reef is miles below the boats. He also told us that the current water conditions were quite dangerous for his small boat and that we had better get back quickly before we capsized from a wave. Woof. Talk about nerves. This time Jason and I were both sweating it out the whole way to shore. And it definitely wasn't because we were hot.
#wesurvivedbutbarely

Love and a Viewpoint

Thurs, Aug 18th, 2016

My canadian friend, Jason, just couldn't stay away. He messaged to let me know that one of his friends from back home had come to visit and was wondering if I'd play tour guide again. "Sure," I'd said, "but this time, not in Bangkok. Pack your bags because you're coming to Phi Phi!" The girls and I spent some quality time soaking up the sun before grabbing the boys from their hostel.

We decided to take a hike to the Phi Phi viewpoint- it isn't too arduous of a climb but still does provide a spectacular view of the island. Win! Win! However, without fail, just like every time he steps outside in Thailand, Jason was sweating. A lot. A ton. Profusely. Gotta hand it to him for consistency, that's for sure :) Luckily, he received a bit of relief on our way down from the viewpoint. It started pouring rain, so we quickly hurried to Jason and his friend's hostel-- it was AMAZING. They had a huge double room, with balcony, all to themselves. I definitely wasn't about to introduce them to our squished, three bunk dorm. After all, I was supposed to be the informed tour guide for god sakes. Woops.

That evening the boys came by our beachside hostel for a few beers and some music.

After the tide came in a bit too close for comfort, the girls and I brought the boys into the town and introduced them to our favorite live music bar. The incredibly talented guitarist was back, so we planted ourselves and sang along to his covers for most of the night, and in that moment, the incredibly talented tour guide was able to redeem herself from her earlier booking faux pas :)

Finally on Phi Phi

Wed, Aug 17, 2016

Today was the day! I finally wasn't going to be a solo traveler anymore. As much fun as I had had, I was ready for a familiar face. Jenna was heading my way and then we were going to be traveling to Phi Phi Island together. The only problem... Jenna messaged letting me know that she missed her flight out of Bangkok (I think I've mentioned Jenna DOES NOT do early mornings :) But that she was able to get on a later flight. I however, had already booked our boat to Phi Phi from Krabi, so was starting to worry that we may not make our boat. (flashbacks to our Ayutthaya excursion, anyone?) To make matters worse, once Jenna got to Krabi, she went to the wrong hostel- did I mention the hostel I was staying in had a sister hostel? Woops. Now I was really getting worried. My liver could not handle another night out with these unrelenting eighteen year olds. Never fear though, some how, some way, Jenna found me and we made it, in time, to get on our boat to Phi Phi Island. One of the girls from my current hostel decided to join us as well, which meant not only was I not traveling solo, but that I was actually traveling with multiple companions. Score!
We spent most of the afternoon sleeping on the boat. Once we got to Phi Phi, we walked down the beach to our hostel. It was an outdoor hostel right on the beach. The rooms were small as small could be-- I could touch all three sets of bunkbeds from my top bunk. There was also an outdoor bar with dj directly under our lodging. Good thing I brought my earplugs, right?
We spent the day exploring the beach, eating at a deliciously yummy beachside cafe with huge burgers and watching one of the most incredible sunsets I've ever seen.

Once the sun went down we started walking the beach and stumbled upon a fire show. After a few fiery limbos accompanied by celebratory shots, we headed into town and found a bar with amazing live music! The guitar player was incredibly talented (and also really cute) so we ordered some beers, sat on some hightop stools and sang along for the night. Around midnight I decided to head back. I was wiped. What I didn't realize however, was that the dj at our hostel would be bumpin' and grindin' past two AM. So much for having an early night in. Just for future reference, earplugs are great for blocking out snorers in close proximity, but are definitely not great for blocking out raves underneath your bedroom windows :)

booze, a bad influence and some bad decisions

Monday Aug 15 & Tuesday Aug 16 2016

After visiting Ben my plan was to go to Krabi. I taxi-ed to the bus station near him and then hopped in a van. The ride took a little over 3 hours. Jenna and I were meeting up there, but not until later in the week. I was going to be exploring on my own yet again. Fingers crossed I don't consume any questionable chicken this time.

I was hungry, so after checking in to my hostel I headed to a restaurant down the street. I treated myself to a beer and a book while people watching with the ocean as the backdrop.

Once I'd finished, I headed back. I met some people at my hostel who were going on a bar crawl that night, so I figured what the hell and joined in. Little did I know, it would be a bunch of 18 somethings from New Zealand and Australia who could drink me under the table. It was definitely quite an evening, which resulted in me being quite hungover the next day. This mid twenty something just can't hang like she used to. My saving grace however was that the weather was overcast and rainy so it was absolutely perfect for napping the day away. Eventually however I did get out of bed and headed to the beach. I had a nice walk in the cold, wet sand once the rain had stopped.

I got back to my hostel only to discover that the 18 year olds were at it again. Tonight they would be taking a party bus to another hostel where they would be playing bar games ALL NIGHT LONG. Woof. I certainly wasn't going to sit in alone (especially because then I would've been woken up by all of the drunkies in my dorm room when they did decide to roll in) but I definitely had learned my lesson from the night before. I was not going to try to keep up. And while I made a solid effort, in the end, tequila buckets were had and bottle to mouth shots were poured. 18 year olds two, 20 somethings big fat zeros.

All in all this Krabi trip was a lovely blur of booze. I was definitely ready to get out of here.

Heading South to Nakhon Si Thammarat

Friday Aug 12-Mon Aug 15 2016

I was supposed to wake up early, finish packing, clean out my refrigerator, say bye to Jason and move out of my apartment for good, however...

a) my alarm went off but my phone was on silent
b) I turned off my alarm and went back to sleep
c) I slept through my alarm
d) I never set my alarm

because I rolled over and looked at the clock AND IT WAS WAY, WAY LATE!
I had to leave for the airport in 12 minutes. OMG 12 minutes. What? I literally jumped out of bed, screamed for Jason to get up and hopped in the shower for the fastest 2 minutes of my life. When I got out I started yelling to Jason, "put this in my bag, clean this out of the refrigerator, etc, etc." I started packing up bags of food and running them down the hall and stacking them outside of Sian and Linds' rooms. I banged on Lauren's door, asking if she would take two boxes of my shit that I could go through when I got back. I was, to say the least, frazzled. I ran out of my apartment and down the stairs with my big pack on my back. I hailed a taxi but he refused to take me to the airport. I then hailed another taxi who agreed. Thank God! We were about a mile down sukhumvit when my current taxi driver decided heading to the airport wasn't a good idea and told me to beat it. WHAT? But you just picked me up and told me you could take me?! Gahhhh.
I flagged down another taxi and thankfully this one took me ALL THE WAY to the airport.

I wasn't planning on checking my bag however, so when I got to the airport I headed to my terminal. When I arrived the attendants told me I could not bring my bag on the plane and that I would have to go to baggage check which was in a different terminal. Me and my big bagged self went sprinting through the terminals, hoping to make our flight. When we arrived to the front of the baggage claim counter the woman asked me if I was ok with the extra checked baggage fee. Well no, I certainly wasn't, but what the hell else was I going to do? I had to check this bag and I had to make my flight. She took the bag and watched me sprint off toward my terminal. All of you "on the edge of your seat" readers will be happy to know I did make my flight that morning.

I texted Jason to apologize for being a complete nut (what a great farewell impression, right?) The text I received back was telling me to be really careful-- there had just been a series of bombings in the south, close to where I was headed. There had also been a bombing in Hua Hin-- thank god Tash had left a week earlier. Figured I should probably be on top of it because last time there was a bombing, my mother found out about it and was wondering if I was ok. This time I tried to be proactive instead of reactive by texting her and turns out she didn't even know about the bombings! #DamnMyGoodDaughterConscience

When I finally did decide to head out of the shoebox sized airport in Nakhon Si Thammarat I was met with a whole lot of nothing. I tried like mad to get a taxi, but there were none in sight. I was going to have to succumb to the ridiculously overpriced airport taxi service. The taxi driver had no idea how to get to Ben's, even after speaking to him on the phone, and ended up dropping me a few blocks from his apartment. This wouldn't have been a big deal, however, Ben was on crutches so it's not like he could come get me. I trudged on in the heat with my big yellow bag.

Ben's house was nice- it had a downstairs living area and kitchen with a bathroom. Upstairs there were two bedrooms and a bathroom. I lucked out because Ben had a girl roommate who was gone for the weekend so I was able to stay in her room.

We didn't do much because of Ben's crutches. He had been in a motorbike accident a few months ago and had messed his leg up pretty badly. He was currently recovering from one of a few surgeries he would have to undergo. That was fine by me though- I was looking forward to a weekend of resting and relaxing. We ordered some super delicious thai style burritos and then underwent the task of binge watching Stranger Things (I highly recommend it, in case you're wondering)

Ben took me to a few different restaurants in his town (these were pretty much the only things in his tiny town).

One of the mornings I decided I'd make breakfast, however Ben had no groceries. I went wandering into the neighborhood because he said that there were a lot of thais nearby who sold eggs and other items out of their houses. I was slightly freaked out, because as I walked, I came across two very, very large buffalo. They just kept nomming on grass though, so I just kept on walking. Phew. That's definitely something you don't see everyday (or ever!) in Bangkok. I came across a few thai women who were selling groceries on their front porch so I stopped to get our breakfast ingredients. While doing this, I witnessed some kind of thai celebration that included fireworks near their shrine to buddha.

I'm glad I got to see and experience the tiny town Ben lived in, but being there reaffirmed for me that I had made the right decision to live and work in Bangkok.

But Really, I Should Be Listing My Place on AirBNB

Bangkok for the week of Aug 8-11 2016

My Canadian friend from Koh Tao, Jason, came to stay with me for the week in Bangkok. When he arrived in Thailand he had flown into Bangkok, but hadn't really explored it. I told him I'd play tour guide, for a small fee of course :)

I started out by introducing him to really delicious, cheap, thai street food. (He hadn't been eating much of it on the islands.) There's a wonderful little place right down the street from me that's only open until 3pm during the week, so you have to rush to get there, but boy is it delish. The walls on the inside of the garage where they cook the food are also really cool because they are riddled with photos of everyday life in Thailand. Jason definitely approved of our first stop.

We then headed to a viewpoint bar. On our way, we passed a street vendor selling shredded pork sticky rice (disclaimer: it may not even be called this, but that is how I would describe it)-- it's one of my most favorite thai dishes. I made Jason try some and he liked it too!

The bar itself was only 25 stories, but it had a 1920s flapper theme. The inside of the building fit the theme perfectly and the outside balcony was quaint and quiet. I chose it because they have a really nice whiskey selection and when it comes to whiskey, Jason doesn't mess around. I told him if he really wanted to see the city though, we had to go to the tallest viewpoint in Bangkok, Vertigo at Banyan Tree (I had been to this bar with my coworkers and it was amazing) We wandered there but on our way it started to rain. When we arrived the rooftop was closed but we could take a peek from inside the restaurant a few stories below. Did I mention Jason has a fear of heights? I don't think he liked this activity quite as much as the last one.

I then took him for pizza at THE ONLY place to order pizza in Bangkok (trust me friends, Bangkok "pizza hut" does not taste like it does back home) However, because we're ignorant and don't use meters for measurement, we ordered incredibly incorrectly and ended up with enough pizza to feed us for four days. #ThankGodForBoyStomachs

Jenna and I decided a tour of Bangkok wouldn't be complete without free bubbly, so we put Wednesday night Ku de Ta on the calendar. However, since I had sent almost all of my nice clothes home and Jason only had backpacking clothes, we had to spend some time at the mall finding appropriate clothes and shoes for the occasion- Ku de Ta doesn't just let in any schmuck from off the street. So, by going on a tour of the malls in Bangkok and getting clothes for the evening, we killed two birds with one stone. Ku de Ta is an experience to say the least. Jason totally loved the strobe lights on the ceiling, the bumpin music and the overflowing glasses of bubbly. But the best part? When the champagne stops at 11pm, everyone heads downstairs to the lobby of the building-- in it there's a sev and beers/liquors are super cheap. We got a few bottles and then sat in the lobby of the closed starbucks to enjoy them. We then headed back up, ready to dance the night away, having enough liquid courage to shake it like shakira but enough money left in our pockets for some late night Dondy's and then some. We may look like we classy, but these shmucks came in from right off the street :) #No400BahtBeersForMe

Jason had seen plenty of outdoor tourist markets, but what he hadn't seen was the outdoor market for locals in the slums. This market was a true Bangkok experience. It's amazing because tourists don't know about it (well except for the few lucky ones) so it's a real immersion experience. I've been there quite a few times, but bringing someone for the first time never gets old, especially when you're walking by hanging pig carcasses, chicken decapitations and fish flopping off the tables. Jason was really glad to have seen it, but I'm not sure if he would've eaten anything from there (little does he know that's where I get all of my fruits and vegetables :)

Bangkok certainly isn't complete without a massage and on my street is the best massage place, hands down. I bring all of my guests there. Which unfortunately, probably looks a bit odd to my regular ladies who saw me in with Tom over the weekend and are now seeing me in with Jason but long hair don't care, right? He very much enjoyed his massage, sans happy ending.

Did I mention Jason was in law school at the time he was traveling? So yeah, even though he liked to live it up he still had to get some work done here and there, which worked out perfectly for us one evening. It was Julianne's last night, so Jenna and I decided to meet up with her for dinner at Hemingways. We celebrated the three of us, our fun times in Thailand, and our adventures to come. It was a wonderful last dinner! After we ate, I headed back to my apartment to grab Jason. We decided we wanted to hear some live music and I had been hearing nothing but great things about Iron Fairies from Jenna and Julianne, so I decided to bring him there. The venue is small and intimate. We got to sit in the loft area right near the band. Their set was absolutely amazing-- everything was accoustic. And, they had fantastic whiskey. win. win.
After Iron Fairies, we went with Jenna and Julianne to this crazy hole in the wall underground house/techno club (one of Julieanne's favorite things) and danced the night away. Sionara Julianne, XXX!

I decided we needed to see the "nature-y" part of Bangkok, so I planned a day at the Green Lung. We took the MRT to the river, then boarded a boat across (Jenna told us they would try to charge us more because we are farang but just to pay the local price). On the other side you can rent bikes and circle around some paths surrounded by water. It's very beautiful and relaxing. We biked until the heat overtook us and then headed back to the city life.

All in all it was a super fun week. I loved getting to spend time enjoying the city I called my home for seven months, with a person I called my friend for seven days.