Summer Vacation Thai Style

Part 2: D and B's Excellent Adventure!

When Brianna came to visit it felt like I was coming home. I can’t explain it exactly, but she brings with her this warm sense of comfort that makes me feel like I’m with family, and in some way, she is. After a girlish, high-pitched screaming reunion, we set off to capture the madness of Bangkok in just one day.

Bangkok:

First, we headed to the Siam BTS station to enjoy a satisfying pad thai and chicken satay lunch in the beautifully hectic food court at Siam Paragon, before engaging in some “light” shopping at Central World. Afterwards we enjoyed a traditional thai dinner of red curry and som tam, which clearly indicated that me taste buds had acclimated to thai spicy over the last few months.

Chiang Mai:

The next day we flew off in the direction of my favorite city in the north, Chiang Mai. Immediately we left our Peaceful Little Bird Guesthouse in search of the Night Bazzar for assorted, essential knick knacks. That night, with the heat of last night’s curry still rumbling in her tummy, Bri bravely dug into her 2^nd piping hot bowl of delicious curry.

scrumptious!

The next morning we got off to a late start and headed directly over to Café Liebernard for the best banana pancakes around. I prefer mine with oatmeal: crispy on the edges and chewy in the middle. Aroi Aroi! Fortified, we embarked on a long day of “watting” (wat=temple; yes I made it into a verb). By the end of the day we were so sweaty and our feet were so exhausted we decided to head into the women’s prison where, as part of their rehabilitation, inmates give massages, very special massages (more on that later).

Don't worry, it's only 306 steps to Doi Suthep...

The Sacred Elephant

While in Chiang Mai we also visited Doi Suthep, the magical temple set high up in the mountains. Legend has it that the patron monk was told to follow a white elephant into the hills and build a temple on the very spot the elephant died. There is a staute of this sacred beast at the peak of the temple. We were told we would encounter a glittering golden chedi (it was covered in scaffolding for cleaning), and panoramic views of the city (it was the foggiest day ever), but we did have the pleasure of meeting a “mom”. An animal comprised of something like an eagle, a serpent, and something with very menacing teeth…

The Golden Chedi

"Panoramic" View from the top

AHHHHH!

We also had to pleasure of eating some fabulous Khao Soy on Nimman Road in the University district. This dish is a testament to the Chinese influence in Northern Thailand. It begins with a yellow curry, thickened by coconut milk and filled with bits of chicken and wide wheat noodles. The whole concoction is topped with crunchy noodles. A perfectly delicious end to our Northern experience.

Samui:

If I could sum up Samui in two words I would say: don’t go! And if you do, please avoid the Samui Mermaid “Resort.” From the moment I set foot on this “resort” I wish I hadn’t. Immediately the angry little man at the front tried to con us into paying more for an a/c room. When we refuse we are quickly put on the shitty side of the resort, across the hwy and down a dirt path. Our room was frightening to say the least: the walls were smeared with brown and paint was peeling off them, the pillows were tinged with yellow and the mattress, which had only a tattered cover sheet, sagged as though a family of bowling balls had been the last to sleep here.

Trying to be optimistic we grabbed our thin, faded towels and headed to the pool for a beer, Bad idea! It was the saddest bar we had ever seen. The bartender sat behind the counter sleeping with a sorry display of four half-empty bottles of liquor set before him. We grabbed 2 beers from the fridge, flung our towels onto the cracked lawn furniture from the 1980s and jumped in the pool, and then jumped right back out. The bright green algae had prompted Bri to ask me if we were running the risk of infection being in this lime green water. We had to escape, and fast!

I tentatively turned again to my bible, Lonely Planet, a little warry since it had described the Samui Mermaid as “a great budget option that feels like a full-fledged resort.” And that’s when we found the Library and their restaurant, The Page. The single most enjoyable birthday meal I’ve ever had!

At least we have each other!

Koh Pha Ngan:

Staying at Coral Bungalows was like the tropical fraternity vacation I never knew I wanted. I suppose I should have seen it coming given that Coral hosts pool parties every night leading up to the infamous Full Moon Party. After two days of sipping coconut shakes by the pool while watching large groups of guys drink, and two nights of drinking buckets while watching large groups of guys drink we were ready for the main event.

Sunset views from the pool deck

Buckets!

A full moon party on Koh Pha Ngan is like a spring break in Cabo, but in Las Vegas, on New Year’s Eve, at an all night rave, but with buckets of sweet alcohol and neon body paint. Yea… that pretty much sums it up!

Koh Tao:

By the time we got to Koh Tao we were ready for some rest, relaxation, and scuba! We set out bright and early on the morning of my 23^rd birthday for a scuba refresher course and by 11am we were swimming through beautiful coral gardens and spying all kinds of cute and dangerous sea life like porcupine fish, an eagle ray, squid, and a killer sea krait.

Smiles and Sunscreen at our private beach

The next day, feeling a little water-logged, we headed off in search of a quiet beach and some good snorkeling. The sand was velvety and white, the water was cool and shallow, and the palms provided ample shade for some essential beach naps. We also commandeered a lovely spot under the shade of a giant tree that was equipped with lounge chairs, hammocks, and even a tree snake of two. We waded into the shallow waters and floated around until sunset.

Can you spy the sleeping bri?

For our last meal we chose a sunset beach bbq—standard island fare. Chicken kabobs the length of your arm, corn, and a baked potato with two sauces I creamy garlicky, and the other a sweet and sour limey concoction. Comes with a fire show too. Yummy!

Goodbye beautiful kot tao!

Back to Bangkok. We ended our two week adventure together at Crepes and Company, a shady jungle escape in the middle of the Nana district. We cozzied up on the outdoor cushions and shared a sublime sweet and tart lemon crepe, which eased the pain of our bittersweet separation.

Love you Bri! Come back soon!