So...I guess I will begin this trip diary like this...It's 2:00 AM, and the bar band starts playing Hava Nigila...yep...Hava Nigila in Bangkok...
To describe an indescribable city is tough..but I will try my best...This part of the trip update is being written during a lengthy airport delay, so I apologize if I sound a bit testy, it is only due to the fact that I am..:-)
So Bangkok...first of all, I am blown away by the sheer size of this city...I have heard that Beijing is bigger, but I can't even imagine it...in terms of mileage, has to be maybe the size of 20 Manhattan's? Maybe more...walking is impossible...pollution is rampant and the traffic is so bad that it is almost laughable to describe...getting anywhere takes at least 45 minutes..if not longer...
But...the city is undoubtedly alive...the streets buzz with life and the aromas of all of the street food fill the air...and boy do Thai people like to eat...FOOD overwhelmingly dominates everything about Bangkok...basically you are surrounded by food...
So onto some highlights...first off...The temples are amazing...it is my first time in Asia, and you do get that feeling of being in an ancient land as you walk among these huge, stunning works of art...secondly...just the experience of arguing for everything...I mean we were ripped off at every single opportunity...but I think the highlight was when we told a taxi driver to take us to a mall and he decided that we were hungry and took us to a seafood restaurant instead...classic....
Last night was a ton of fun as well...after foot massages...and Thai massages (which is not quite a massage as I needed another massage after being twisted like a pretzel for 30 minutes), we did it big time in Bangkok..KOI and BED...so that was classic...
So leaving Bangok with a kind of feeling of not too sure how to judge this city yet, it is time to really see Thailand, and head to the beaches...so with big hearts full of hope, leg 2 of the journey was set to begin...
Sadly...paradise had to wait a few days...basically, trouble started when our flight was moved, and then delayed by 4 hours...then we arrive in Surat Tani, expecting to take a 1 hour boat trip to Koh Samui, but I quickly learned how everything works in Thailand...first, a 2 hour bus trip needed to be taken, much to our surprise...then the 1 hour boat trip turned into a 2 hour boat trip...
Koh Samui had highs and lows...basically the island is HUGE...much bigger than I thought...lots of tourists, but we had some bad weather...so the days were filled with some really cool activities, like Jungle Trekking on Cables..Check out the pics!
BUT...the nights were awesome..at night all of the restaurants serve fresh seafood on the beach...really cool...great music is playing all night, and drinking is cheap and everywhere...we had a huge seafood feast and got very, very drunk in all of the bars and clubs in Chawang, Koh Samui's downtown area...
Then we headed to Koh Phangnon...The Ibiza of South East Asia...famous for its Full Moon parties...I couldn't believe it..First off, the sea was rough and I thought the ferry was going to capsize...I started praying for my life as people began to hang on for dear life...somehow we made it and I felt like I was in another world...literally a Back Packer's paradise...people from everywhere in the world flock here...tons of Israeli's, Swedes, and basically every other country you can imagine...Koh Phangnon is insane...we found a bungalow (if you can call it a bungalow) for $10 a night...and just had an amazing time...to sum up, at 4:30 AM, Bruce and I were watching people jump through a hula hoop lit on fire...yep...I will end it there...
But the fun was not over yet...we needed to get to Krabi from Koh Phangnon...so 10 VEHICLES and 12 hours later we travelled a total distance of 250 miles...yep...including 2 ferry trips, 2 mini-buses, 2 big buses, 1 tuk-tuk, and 2 cabs...we arrived in Krabi...
What can you say about Krabi? The Thailand that I have seen in all of the postcards is in fact real...today I spent the entire day gawking at beaches, riding long tail boats, and just being completely mesmerized by it all...the little tan I got does not hurt either..:-) Tomorrow we are off to Maya Bay, the location where they filmed The Beach...we got a private speed boat to take us around Phi Phi Island...so I am really, really excited for all of this...sadly, only two more days of this are on the agenda, but right now we are considering extending our stay here...we shall see what the future will bring...
Anyway...the trip is going really well so far, and I can't wait for Singapore and Hong Kong...and for the record...I think I have had some form of Pad Thai for 1 week so far, and I still LOVE IT...you can get Pad Thai here for 40-50 Bhat...that is $1.25...Crazy right?
Well...I am writing this update to everyone in a comfy seat at my desk in London...yep...as hard as it is to write, I am sadly back in London and already reminiscing on one of the best trips of my life...
Anyway...where were we...Oh Yeah...Singapore...
Well Thailand ended a lot smoother than it began...so now that Thailand is over...I want to give everyone some highlights, tips, pointers, etc. before I jump into Singapore and Hong Kong...
Top 5 Lines Heard in Thailand
1. "No alcohol served here after 2:00AM---Just Whiskey and Vodka"
2. "Are you going to dinner? If so...can I interest you in a seafood buffet and a Lady-Boy show? Please..take a look at the brochure"
3. "I guess the yellow lines in the road are just mere suggestions for you"
4. "Good Fucking Bucket...for sale here"
5. "What time does the ferry leave? 12:30" "What time does the ferry leave? 2:30" What time does the ferry leave? TOMORROW?!? -- This was the dialogue between 3 different travel operators...
Thailand is a crazy country, but also an amazing country--it basically offers everything to everyone...and I am very thankful that we got to see it practically from every angle possible...from the street food vendors in Bangkok, to hob-nobbing at KOI and BED---from partying in Koh Samui and Koh Phangnon, to travelling to Krabi by: mini-bus, bus, ferry, tuk-tuk, coach bus, ferry, and a taxi---and finally...to the paradise of Phi Phi island, Railay Beach, and the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea---Thailand has to be experienced and I give it my highest recommendation...
Now to describe the difference between Singapore and Thailand is like night and day...but I will try my best...
Singapore was a city that I had really high hopes for...and it lived up to those hopes...first off...it is so modern, clean, and well-run that coming from Thailand, we constantly had to pinch ourselves to really believe what was happening. I cannot stress enough how clean this city is (now i realize there is a $5000 fine for spitting gum...but hey, lets not be picky here).
We stayed an a really cool modern boutique hotel (a theme from the trip--I am the new king of boutique hotels)--and just threw ourselves into the city---and here is what we found...
First off..Singapore, as described by my travel companion Jessie, basically is one big Epcot Center---there are more shopping malls per square foot than any country in the world---I seriously mean that Singapore builds malls that are literally tourist destinations, and we delightfully visited about 5 of them...In terms of history---the city has been around for a long time...over 300 years...but you would never be able to tell...some historical monuments remain, but really the biggest thing left is Raffles Hotel--literally named after the founder of the city...in fact they love Raffles so much that an entire section of Singapore is called Raffles City, which is of course another mall...
Singapore is known for one thing only when it comes to food, and that is CHILI and BLACK PEPPER CRABS---the undisputed king of this is JUMBO seafood..so of course we had to visit--I think the pictures describe the rest...the crab was so good that words do not do it justice...you MUST get this dish if you ever visit...
In terms of nightlife, the city has one of the world's most amazing clubs---ZOUK--thanks to Bruce..who somehow got us past the 3 block long line in the pouring rain---who knows how he did it...we partied the night away until 5 AM--and when we left, the club was more packed than when we got there...I have not seen anything like ZOUK since Vegas...but even then ZOUK was crazier...it was also the first time I heard a mix of THE SIGN by Ace of Base in literally 10 years...
I think Singapore did a great job of preparing us for what was next, and that is HONG KONG---the best and most accurate way to describe Hong Kong is literally the New York of Asia---I have never in my life seen 2 cities with so many similarities...but in a way...Hong Kong is even more stunning, and more unbelievable to a first-time visitor...All of us were just completely speechless at everything the city threw at us---from the skyline, to the nightlife, to the shops, and to the live chickens for sale on the street...
Yep...Live chickens for sale on the street...it is astonishing to know that 1 minute you are walking amongst Rolls-Royces and sipping champagne at the Peninsula hotel, and the next minutes you can take a cab to the sprawling markets of Hong Kong and things that you have never seen before. I implore everyone if they can to visit Hong Kong at least once---my emails and pictures cannot do it justice...
In terms of highlights--here we go--We had DIM SUM until it came out of our ears---I am a certified expert and can order literally any Dim Sum dish you have ever had...we found the best places, and sometimes had to wait over 1.5 hours to eat---we were the only Americans in the restaurants and communicated to the staff by pointing to dishes that people were eating at other tables...but the experience was worth it...just delicious...
New Year's was amazing..for being in a city for the first time...we did great...partied at the Peninsula, followed by a night time ride across the city in a ferry looking at the fireworks..then an awesome sushi dinner...and a rocking club for the mid-night toast...
I also had the pleasure to meet up with one of my close friends--Adam--who happened to be in the city as well...as you can tell from the picture...we had a great time...
The trip sadly came to an end, but not before one last adventure---MACAU--the Vegas, or soon to be Vegas (more like Reno right now) of Asia...1 hour on a high speed catamaran and you find yourself in Macau..our first stop of course was the WYNN---we checked out all of the sights and saw all of the old history of the island as well (it was a Portuguese colony for 350 years) Anyway--I am glad I saw Macau...here is what I will remember...
1. The 100% best buffet I have ever had---Let me just say that dinner had UNLIMITED SASHIMI---yep, I think I personally had about 5 pounds of salmon, tuna, sweet shrimp, and octopus---but don't forget crab legs, mussels, oysters, shrimp--I could go on forever...I have never seen anything like it...
2. Asians DO NOT DRINK when they gamble...we saw thousands of people playing Baccarat--drinking Orange Juice...yep Orange Juice---sometimes they had coffee or green tea---The casino felt like a crowded board room---I guess the Vegas craziness just does not translate...but it was cool nonetheless
Anyway..that is it from my little jaunt across Asia---I hope I did a good job painting a decent picture of what I saw and experienced...If anyone is going to any of these places--totally email me and I will bore you with more details and travel tips---
A final really big thank you to my brother who did an incredible job planning and coordinating a ton of aspects of this trip...I don't think the trip would have happened without him...
Happy New Year to everyone...and here is looking forward to another great semester in London...
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