A visit to the previously named Kingdom of Siam

3.15.09

EPIC DAY!

Arrived in Laem Chabang, Thailand at about 8:00 am.

Slept in, due to lack of diplomatic briefing. Got some lunch and waited on ship, snapping pictures, for my day trip to Pattaya to leave. I was excited for some elephants! Woot woot!

-Elephant Village
*Bathing - A bunch of people got to ride the elephants into the pond and bathe with them. It was hilarious to watch and listen to.
*Riding -> Climbed up
*Show -> Demonstration of how the elephants were used in the lumber industry
*Bananas - Fed them tons of bananas. They would sneak their trunks through people to get to those with bananas.

-Pattaya
*Looked around
*Eating Thai -> Red Curry with Chicken and Coconut Milk
*Mini Mart
--Red Bull -> Syrupy, non-carbonated
--Green Fanta -> Cream Soda?
--Pocky!
*Stopped at one of the malls
--Saw Watchmen is playing
--Saw girl whack boyfriend with purse -> Thai hooker?
*Looked for Market
--Walked around, looked at stuff
--Awesome clothes, trinkets, etc
*Went to international, overseas calls -> Called Jess
*Bars with Thai hookers everywhere
--Danced to music, TH laughed at us
*Ate a grasshopper
*Ate some street Vendor food
--Noodles with chicken, and leeks
*Pick up truck taxi with seating for 8/10!
*Bought Watchmen on DVD!
--It's legit... bad quality, but the whole thing looks to be there
--Going to see in theaters tomorrow before watching on DVD

3.16.09

Got up to eat and wait until leaving for the Si Racha Zoo... so I could hold a tiger. That's right... a tiger. A vicious, ravenous, man-eating tiger!

Went to Tiger Zoo
-Saw Three Shows:
*Tiger
*Elephant
*Crocodile
-Didn't like how they treated tigers. Definitely shouldn't be "domesticated"
-Held, fed, and strummed a baby tiger. HUGE PAWS!
-Went around zoo
-Saw orangutan, elk, camel, baby elephants, bunnies, etc
Went to Mini Siam
-Lots of models of buildings of Thailand/Siam and famous monuments/buildings
*Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, Valley of the Pharaohs, etc
Market Next Door
-Lots of smells. Mostly bad.
-Saw a durian. Smelled horrible.
-Got corn-on-the-cob -> delicious

Took bus to Harbor Mall in Laem Chabang
-Went to MK restaurant. Didn't make sense.
*Banana shake
*red pork and rice and broth and sauce one and sauce two
*stove in middle of table?
*no seasonings?
-Got Dairy Queen -> Out of sticky rice w/mango >_< -Looked around the mall -Went to Wal-Mart-esque store *bought food *Found a dragonfruit!!! Didn't buy though... can't have on ship. >_<> ---> Story Time

So Keith and I were just getting out of Watchmen at the Harbor Mall just outside the city center of Laem Chabang, when we realized the Mall was closed and we were ushered outside. We looked around trying to figure the best place to catch a taxi. Found a 7-11, went inside and asked the cashier if she knew where we could catch a taxi to the port. She did not seem to understand English, so I showed her the green sheet that says the port's name in Thai script. She was still confused so she called over another worker who pointed out where we should go. Walking out of the 7-11, we realized we were the confused ones.

Walking down the street in the direction that we thought was back to port, we decided to heed the woman's advice and took a turn down a side road where a sign stood that read, "Laem Chabang Port". It lacked any directional symbols, such as an arrow.

So walking down the street, we came upon the little hut of a street vendor. Holding the Green Sheet, Keith walked up to the girls at the "counter" and asked, "Do you know where Laem Chabang Port is and how we could get there?" while making hand motions that seemed to make no sense. Seeing their perplexed look, Keith extended the Green Sheet and pointed to the script. The girls took the sheet read it over, looked at us, read it again, walked off and called to their male friend, who took the sheet and read it over. He then handed it back to one of the girls and began discussing something with her. She then turned to us and said, "C-1?" And we said, "No, C-0." She then turned to the man again and they discussed some more. Finally, he took the green sheet again and walked around the back of the hut. The girl signaled to us to follow him. So we did.

Rounding the corner, we find ourselves staring at two motorcycles/bikes. The man and his friend motion for us to split up onto each. Keith asks how much it will cost. The man looks at him and motions for him to sit again. Keith sits down and I sit down. And then a crying little boy runs up to what who I believe was his father and motions for him to pick him up. The father refuses, but after more crying gives in and scoops his son up and places him right in front of him on the bike. And then we took off.

It was exhilarating. I've never been on a two-wheeled, motorized, open air transport before. The wind on your face, in your hair, on your arm, on your legs, and everywhere else. Sitting behind someone else, with your hands holding on to the bars beneath your seat. Right then I decided (probably to my parents disapproval and worry) that I would eventually own a motorcycle. And don't worry. I'll be careful, wear a helmet, and wear my super, awesome, hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind jumpsuit! I'm thinking blue and black, with maybe a touch of burnt orange. And a cobalt blue bike. Something Japanese. Don't want a Harley. I'm thinking Kawasaki or Suzuki or Yahama or something. A crotch-rocket as they are called. Anyways... back to the story.

So we motorcycled it back to the port, they handled getting in, and they took us right to the gate at C-0. We got off, thanked them profusely, and we yanked money just they looked as though they were ready to leave. Keith handed his driver money, who looked confused and didn't count it. I handed my driver some as well. We thanked them profusely as best we could and they drove off.

We got to ride on motorcycles, through Thailand, at midnight, with two Thai men that didn't speak or understand English, one's child, and they appeared to take us out of the goodness of their hearts. It was awesome. Best night ever.

3.17.09

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

Woke up early (7:15 am) to get ready for our trip to Koh Samet, an island a couple hundred km away.
-Hour bus ride
-10 minute speed boat ride -> Right to the beach. Hopped off in the water, 2 feet from the beach

Koh Samet
-Beauty
-Beaches
-Water -> warm, like bath water -> salty, blech
-Pad thai for lunch -> delicious
-Explored the beach
-Explored the one street that runs through the area
-Got lunch
-Swam
-Got First Dinner
-Got Second Dinner
-Went night swimming

3.18.09

-Breakfast -> DRAGONFRUIT! YAY!
-Second breakfast
-Started to rain
-Went swimming in the rain
-Began thunderstorming -> after awhile got out, fearful of electrocution
-Stayed inside, watched Meerkat Manor
-Left Koh Samet just as the sun came out

-After getting back to the ship, we quickly unpacked, repacked and left via an eleven person bus to Bangkok!
-Two hour trip took four hours.
*Two to city
*Two to find our hostel
Lub d Bangkok -> Sleep in Bangkok
-Wonderful
-Clean
-Modern
-Nice rooms
-Keycard doors
-Free Wi-fi
-TVs
-Computers

-Went out on the town
-Got some food
*Red Curry Soup -> amazing
*Chicken wings -> mouth watering
*Fried Banana and ice cream -> Fantastic
-Night Markets
-Night Baazar
*awesome shirt
-Went to sleep

3.19.09
Woke up at 8:30
Left at 9:00
Went to Hindu Temple
Took cab to Grand Palace
-Beautiful architecture
-Amazingly intricate details
-humongous
-HOT
Walked to the Reclining Buddha
-Thought he'd be about ten times bigger than a man
-No. He was huge! It was a pretty big sized temple (maybe two average sized homes), and he took up most of the space. It was unbelievable. And he looked so very relaxed, even though the story goes that he's supposedly dying.
Took taxi to Kao San Rd. -> Where all the backpackers go
-Ate last Thai meal -> amazing chicken Pad Thai
-Went shopping in the street markets -> Fake Birkenstocks
-Took taxi back to hostel, met up with rest of the group, and grabbed a van back to the ship

-Waited in line for 30 mins to get back on the ship.

Final thoughts on Thailand:

Loved it. Definitely one of the countries that I'd like to revisit one day. Maybe even live there for a couple months. I feel like there was a lot to do and see and so much of it we weren't able to accomplish in the five days we had there.

I'd definitely recommend it. The food was delicious. The people were friendly. The cities looked Southeastern Asian, but still nice. Somewhat homely. The weather was nearly perfect. And it was cheap. Which leads to a lot of spending, though.

Definitely one of my tops countries thus far.

PICTURES:

Wandering around Pattaya.


Big Sheet!


Hussain on an elephant


Grasshoppers


Ronald McDonald performing a "wai"


Delicious street vendor noodles w/chicken


The Humongous Reclining Buddha


Demons (?) of the Grand Palace, Bangkok


The beautiful beach of Koh Samet