The Dirty South

The Gulf of Thailand islands aren’t actually dirty by any means. They are beautiful!  Though I was told that during monsoon season, all the flooding rivers of Thailand and Cambodia which empty in the south into the Gulf of Thailand carry an untold amount of garbage and sediment, making the Gulf a little dirtier that it normally is. My dive instructor on Koh Tao said that when out diving once during monsoon season a baby stroller floated by, obviously brought to Koh Tao by currents after being swept from somewhere by floods.  Okay, so enough facts and information, let’s get back to the good stuff like beautiful beaches, scuba diving,  sunshine, and other positive island things.  So far I have been to five islands in the Gulf of Thailand (Phu Quoc in Vietnam, Koh Rong in Cambodia, and Koh Tao, Koh Samui and Koh Phangan in Thailand) and each of them is very different from each other. Koh Rong is a newbie on the bloc and is so undeveloped and pristine. Phu Quoc is a teenager where is has rows of accommodation on the main beach and in town but nothing outside of it. It is not built up like Koh Samui but I believe it is wants to be a busy and touristy as Samui is. Samui is the most visited and built up island out of the Thai Gulf Coast isles. It has a huge supermarket called Tesco that is like a Wal-Mart with KFC, Diary Queen and other shops in the complex.  I did visit Tesco when I was in Lamai (a town and beach on the east coast of Samui) and a random thing happened to me in the TV section. I was looking at memory sticks, turned around and the TV was showing scenes of Whistler in the summertime. It was a promotion video of Canada with all scenic shots from all the country but of all the places to watch such a video starting with where you live.  Koh Tao is the chilled out island, full of divers and snorkelers.  Koh Phangan has quite, secluded beaches but also boosts Haad Rin which is home of the Fullmoon parties but on any given day is a party in itself. The Fullmoon party is on the 19^th so I will let you know how that goes as I am going with the Dutch gals, Sieske and Sanne.  Koh Tao, Samui and Phangan are part of the main attraction for tourist to Thailand as pretty much everyone  you meet travelling in Asia has been to at least one of them or are planning on going to them.

Oh and I out on Khao San Rd

Since leaving Bangkok, I went to Koh Tao first for seven days,  Koh Samui for three and I will be on Koh Phangan for seven days before heading to the west coast. My time on Koh Tao was awesome. I love that island! Firstly because I learned to scuba dive there and that was just so much fun, and secondly because the island just has such a chill vibe, probably due to the nature of scuba divers who are pretty chilled out party people.  My scuba diving course was amazing and I had the best time. I am now an open water diver and am seriously thinking about doing my advanced open water in Malaysia or Indonesia. The course took four days and we did four open water dives at White Rock, Mango Bay, Southwest Pinnacle, and 3 Rocks. I also did two fun dives when the course was over to Chumphon Pinnacle and the Twins. Those two dives were the best dives with the Twins having the best visibility and marine life with a Blue Spotted Stingray, nudibranches, moray eels, and all different kinds of coral and fish. I spent the rest of my time on the island chilling out by lying at the beach and exploring some sights. I walked to Shark Bay and went snorkelling one day but failed to learn that the sharks live in the middle of the bay not on the sides which is where I snorkelled so didn’t see any shard. I also learned that my waterproof camera is not so waterproof as it took in water. Thankfully it dried out and still works with water damage to the LCD screen but the main thing it works.  I also met up with Ingrid, who I spent Christmas in Vang Veng with, and we did yoga two nights on a platform overlooking the beach. Diving in the morning and yoga at night is a great way to spend a day.

From Koh Tao, I took a ferry to Koh Samui and stayed on the south end of Lamai Beach. Lamai is a smaller town, versus Chaweng to the north, and is full older Europeans and families. My bungalow was a couple hundred meters up from the beach in a pretty garden and it suited me just fine. It was only a 20 minute walk in was into the Lamai town so after spending the day at the beach, I would walk in for cheap street food and shopping. It was nice to be able to do some shopping, especially as I thought I was going to have to buy a new camera, and have some modern conveniences available but Samui is too touristy for my likings. Even what are supposed to be the quieted beaches are still wall to wall resorts and beach bars.  After Samui , I took the ferry o Koh Phangan and caught a share taxi and than a longtail boat to Bottle Beach (Haad Khuat) on the north part of the island. Bottle Beach is one of the prettiest beaches on the island is nestled in a cove with only four resorts on it. Longtail boats arrive with day trippers but staying here is definitely the way to go. The beach is white sand with green water and all I did was cycles of swimming and reading and sun tanning.  Life is good when you all you have to do are those three things all day. From Bottle Beach before I headed to Baan Tai Beach on the south part of the island to be closer to Haad Rin and the Fullmoon party. I met up with the gals at our bungalow and we hung out at the beach and checked out Baan Tai that night. Not much too see in Baan Tai other than a 7-Eleven and some restaurants so the next night after a beach day, we walked 1.5 hrs into Haad Rin to check it out, do some shopping and figure out the fullmoon party. The day of the full moon party, after wasting the day at the beach, we got ready and headed by shared taxi in around 10pm. There were thousands of people on the beach and it was definitely one big party. The gals and I lost each other but all made it home safe and sound and each of us had a fun night. I am glad that I went to the party but it wasn’t the best party I have ever been too. Maybe it was because I lost the gals or because there was just too many people there or maybe I am just getting older but in the end I am glad I went as now I can say been there, done that and got the full moon tank top.  After the party, I slept all day on the beach and took the very crowded night boat to the mainland and than a morning bus to Krabi.  Krabi is the access point to Railay Beach (infamous for climbing), Koh Phi Phi (home of beach from the movie “The Beach”) and Koh Lanta, which will be my next three destinations before Malaysia.  The middle point of my trip has come to pass and now I only have eight more weeks left in Asia.  Still lots more to see and do in that time frame and I know it will fly by.  Well, I hope this finds everyone happy and healthy. Love to all xoxox

Bottle Beach

Bottle Beach

Destruction, History and Return to Familiar Territory

Destruction of a country and genocide of its people was basically what happened to Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge Regime from 1975-1979. It was a horrible time and the effects are still being felt today. Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, which was the takeover point, was emptied as citizens were forced in to the country side to work as slaves. The Khmer Rouge wanted a peasant- dominated society and anyone intellectual or educated was put into prison and executed. Tuol Sleng Museum, also known as Security Prison 21 or S-21, was the main prison in Phnom Penh and was a former high school.  The Khmer Rouge took a picture of every prisoner and those pictures are all on display, giving the museum a very eerie feeling as you look into the sad and scared eye of the victims. Those who were in S-21 were taken in the middle of night and executed at the Killing Fields of Cheoung Ek, 14km outside Phnom Penh. It is also is a museum with a monument full of victims’ bones and skulls at the center, honouring those who perished.  A visit to S-21 and the Killing Fields are very sad and depressing but also very interesting and eye opening and those who visit Phnom Penh really should go see the destruction for themselves.

Monument at the Killing Fields

At the Royal Palace

Thankfully, Cambodia is definitely recovering and tourism is helping in that regard, and thus Phnom Penh has lots of happier/positive things to see.  This was good as I had 4 day to spend there while waiting for my Thailand 60 day visa to get approved.  I did lots of walking around, while saying lots of no’s to tuk tuk and moto drivers on every corner (it can get a bit much at times being asked every block).  I visited the Central Market, the Russian Market, Wat Phnom, the Royal Palace, and the Silver Pagoda. The same afternoon I got my passport with my new visa back, I caught an evening bus to Siem Reap. Siem Reap is the home of Angkor Wat, the most impressive and coolest wat in the world. History resides on the stones of the many temples built in Angkor Wat park and the temples date back from the 9^th -12^th century.  The Bayon is 37 pillars with faces made out of stones, Ta Prohm has cool trees growing out of the stones and ruins, while Angkor Wat itself is just so impressive in its size and the detail of the reliefs (drawings) in the walls. I had a 3 day ticket and took advantage of it. The first day I biked around the little circuit (21km) checking out Angkor Thom , the Bayon, Ta Prohm and some other temples. Sieske and Sanne, the Dutch gals, joined me at my guesthouse on my 2^nd day in Siem Reap and we wandered and shopped downtown before going to Phnom Bakeng, a hill and temple, to watch the sunset. The 3^rd day, the gals and I shared a tuk tuk and did the big circuit, starting with sunrise over Angkor Wat.  It was awesome! I felt like a giant kid climbing all over these ancient temples and exploring the nooks and crannies of them. It was great to see the gals again too and we had a good time hanging out.

Bayon

Sunrise with Sieske and Sanne

Sunrise at Angkor Wat

 At Phnom Bok

After my 3 days in Siem Reap, I hit the road on a 10 hour bus ride through the border of Cambodia and Thailand, back to the familiar territory of Bangkok.  It was weird to be there again as it meant  the midway point of my trip. Still can’t believe I have been travelling for over 2 months now!  It was also nice to be in Bangkok as  I was able to see and hang out with Oh again. I ate all my meals at her food stand on Rambuttri. She makes the best spring rolls ever!! I took the river boat to visit the Palace and Emerald Buddha as I didn’t see them last time.  The Palace is very complex place with a multitude of building of religious and royal proposes. I also went for a walk in Chinatown as it was the day before Chinese New Year (Feb 3^rd ) and everyone was getting ready to celebrate. Would have been fun to be there on the day but instead I did some errands, had a wicked Thai massage and then caught a night bus to the port of Chumphon.  Arrived in Chumphon at 5am and then got the catamaran to Koh Tao at 7am, where I am currently taking my PADI open water course. I have always wanted to do it and Koh Tao is one of the most popular places to dive and to do diving courses which makes sense as the island is surrounded by reefs and the water is clear and warm.  Yesterday was my first day in the pool with my gear and I am really looking forward to 4 dives I have to do over the next couple of days. It will be sweet to have my PADI certification so I can dive in Indonesia and the Philippines in the next couple of months. Well I have a course book to read so hope this find everyone happy and healthy. Love to all xoxox