Thai Islands

Koh Samet:
One word of advice to anyone thinking about travelling to the Thai Islands during a Thai holiday...DON'T DO IT!! I was so eager to get out of Bangkok I quickly booked a trip to Koh Samet (4hrs outside Bangkok) without checking the Thai holiday schedule. Well it turned out I arrived on this beautiful island with no place to stay because every local had planned a 3 day weekend with their family. So as I paced back and forth up and down the beach looking for a place to stay only to be slapped in the face each time with a sign that said, "FULL"...I really started to get worried. After about 1 hour of searching and literally asking every shopkeeper if they had a place I could stay in, I fell upon 9 Thai friends also looking for a room. They were college buddies that decided last minute to get away and didn't make any reservations (like me). They were so sweet and kind they asked if I wanted to join them (that's right 10 people in a room meant for 2). Needless to say it was a 3 day adventure with my new Thai friends and of course it all worked out like it always does...

Koh Tao:
After my adventure in Koh Samet, I was really looking forward to some quiet "LT Time" on the beach. I exchanged my Chasing Harry Winston (I do love my chick-lit book and the book stores here make it so easy to fine them) for a good Jodi Picoult book and I was ready to go. After my 10hr bus that arrived on the pier at 4am and the ferry that doesn't leave until 7am, I finally arrived in Koh Tao. I made friends with a nice Christian girl that shared the same passion for Israel that I do and we decided to find a place to stay together. We stayed on top of the cliff with a beautiful lookout to watch the amazing sunsets. After a day in no-mans land, I was ready to get back to "town". I switched bungalows and signed up for my 4day Scuba diving certification. (Back to school Back to school...said in my best Billy Madison voice). It was early morning wake up for class and then afternoon's spent at sea. It was amazing. I had an incredible time and of course passed my final exam for flying colors. I am officially an Open Water Diver (so if anyone wants to be my buddy...). I made friends with my Aussie Instructor and she convinced me to stay a couple more days to dive with her on her free days. So here I am still on Koh Tao and lovin' it! I might even sign up for the Advanced course but we shall see...

http://picasaweb.google.co.th/lturnof/KohSametKohTao#

Laos

After my jungle experience, I decided to join the rest of humanity in what Laos calls a big city...Luang Prabang. Previously named the capital (until Vientiene took that title over), it was so nice to be back in a place where my neighbors had opposable thumbs. Luang Prabang was very enjoyable squeezed between two rivers and sprawling with french cafes. I continued my journey with my British friends through most of Laos playing cards and enjoying our evenings dining at the Veggie Buffet for 8000 Kip (8000 Kip = $0.93). We spent most of the day bicycling around to see the sight and after we travelled to the most well known tourist attraction of Laos, "Tubing in Vang Vieng". I liken it to the lazy river at any water park in the states, but with drunken college age kids swinging from ropes and diving into the river. After tubing, everyone goes back to spend their evenings watching marathon Friends episodes showing in every restaurant in town. Since I was never much of a Friends watcher, Harry, Elle, and I watched the new X-men 4 (Wolverine) movie. Since it was clearly the pirated version, we had a couple of scenes where all we saw were the digital graphics (either way still enjoyable!). Needless to say, I spent very little time here. After moving on from Vang Vieng (or as I called it Spring Break 2009...Old School Style), we took our first local bus to Vientiene (sharing the journey with all sorts of farm animals and clearly going past the capacity limit after 1 stop of 50. Quite the adventure and certainly not one I plan on doing again. I had to say goodbye to my British friends as they were off to Vietnam and I was making my way back to Bangkok. Laos was beautiful, filled with incredible scenic drives through the mountains and enjoyable conversations with locals...although definitely a place that runs at a slower speed than I'm used to.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lturnof/LuangPrabang#

http://picasaweb.google.com/lturnof/Vientiane#

Welcome to the Jungle...Northern Laos

After my exhilarating experience zip lining in Chiang Mai, I decided I didn't have enough time in the jungle. I wanted to really experience the true jungle of Southeast Asia...and so I signed up for a 3 day/2 night Live and Learn the Jungle in the Bokeo Conservation Park. We were thrown together as a group of 8 (3 English, 2 Kiwis, 2 Germans, & me...the Yank) and our 2 Lao tour guides. After a 10 minute safety video, they were sure we were ready to zip line at 1000 meters high on the first go around...thank goodness I practised in Thailand. Anyway, it was incredible!!We ate strictly from the fruits and vegetables grown throughout the jungle and of course sticky rice 3 meals a day. The views, the trekking through the jungle, living in a tree house 950 meters high with all kinds of insects/rodents/animals (you name it I probably saw it), and using the zip lines as our form of transportation were all adventures that I will cherish (notice I didn't include details on the bathroom...you can use your imagination!). I've included a video of my last zip line through the jungle and some pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lturnof/NorthernLaos

After 3 fun-filled days in the Jungle, I was very ready for some form of a shower (as I do not believe the waterfall that we swam in counts as a shower). And of course, upon my return to the guesthouse the water was shut off as it hasn't rained enough to keep it on all day. My English friends and I sat around counting down the minutes until we could shower. We figured we can only hang out with other sticky people as not to offend anyone. Finally, it was night time and the water was back on so we got squeeky clean for our 12 hour bus ride to Luang Prabang.

Pai

or 3.14 as my brother so fondly calls it. It's almost like I've been transported to the psychedelic era of the 60s. Pai is an incredible cross between a hippie nation and crunchy new age granola folks seeking refuge from their alternate life. Either way, I've really enjoyed my stay in a delightful bungalow type accommodation overlooking the riverfront. I spent the days scootering around the hills, caves, canyons, and waterfalls of northern Thailand. That's right...I rented a scooter (and of course they gave me the pinkest one in the shop...they clearly don't know me) and just for those who don't know they drive on the left side here. So not only did I have to worry about cows, dogs, and chickens jumped into the road I had to also drive on the "wrong" side...eek! Don't worry I survived and it was actually super fun!

http://picasaweb.google.com/lturnof/Pai#

Now, I'm on my way to getting dreadlocks and assorted tattoos of Bob Marley...kidding! I'm actually on my way to Laos tomorrow, taking 3 buses so that I don't get Monkey Butt on another slow boat (I really don't like those slow boats...). If you can believe it, I'll actually arrive sooner with the 3 buses than with the slow boat...gotta love SE Asia!

Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai

After a couple of days in Bangkok, I was on my way to the north. After a brutal overnight bus with a seat that didn't recline, I arrived in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is beautiful, slightly less chaotic than Bangkok, and for sure less pollution. The streets are easy to navigate, the food is delightfully tasty, and the people are always joking around. I arrived in Chiang Mai at the beginning of Thai New Year (Songkran Festival). This festival is like no other holiday I've ever experienced. Imagine a 5 day constant water fight/street party with every neighbor, store owner, friend, family member in the entire city...intense! It's clearly not documented as no one wants to ruin their camera (but I did sneak in a couple of pictures). The traffic is at a standstill around the old city and water from buckets and water guns fly through the air. When driving around the country water comes flying from every direction...good thing the temperature is 95F so that we welcome it. After a couple of days of sheer madness and enjoying a wonderful cooking class, I started my 3-day Jeep Adventure through some of the north of Thailand. I was the only American in the group of 17 Israelis and it was quite the experience. We had such a nice time together traveling around and sharing stories. Not only was my trip to learn about Thailand, I also got quite an education on Israelis...lots of fun!!

I've always wanted to try to do a zip line course. Needless to say, I never thought it would be in the jungles of Northern Thailand. After my 3 days in a Jeep, I felt I was ready for my "Jungle Flight". It was incredible...22 zip lines, 2 free falls, 3 shaky bridges and 1 day of complete fun! I survived to tell the story and even learned a bit about the village that lives down below (they of course climb the trees without harnesses...maybe I'll do it next time!)

http://picasaweb.google.com/lturnof/ChiangMaiChiangRai#

Passover in Bangkok

After a 2 hour journey from the airport to my guesthouse (due to an obscene amount of traffic), I arrived in Bangkok to the heart of the travelers area (Khao San Rd). The hustle and bustle of the streets, the cabs outnumbering the people, and the rats scurrying around made me feel right at home as if I were in NYC. I treated myself to a bit of an upscale guesthouse that included air-con (instead of a fan)...pretty nice! After I got settled, I took a stroll over to the Chabad House to sort out my reservation for the Seders. As I walked down the street, I noticed more signs in Hebrew than in Thai and I knew I had to be going in the right direction. The following day I spent wondering around the Banglumphu area exploring and getting prepared for Passover (not to make anyone jealous but my Passover cleaning consisted of emptying my daypack and refilling it...tough I know). Upon arrival at the Chabad House, there was intense security from one end of the street to the other after about 5mins of checking each people I entered the room that was set with long tables to seat about 1000 people. It was incredible. Since I arrived almost on time (and most Israelis show up 1hr after set time), I had my choice of seats. I sat down and was immediately introduced to this guy and his group of friends. They made me feel right at home and were very welcoming to my desperate attempt to speak Hebrew. About 2hrs after the time stated on the ticket, the Rabbi began with an opening Passover story and so it all began. Singing, dancing, storytelling and jokes filled the room all night. I really appreciated the openness of Chabad in a place that is so far from my home (the food needed a little work but that's OK). The week should be interesting...

After making some new friends at the Seder, I decided to travel to the north of Thailand with some of them. We leave tonight on our overnight bus and I'm looking forward to the upcoming adventures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lturnof/Bangkok#

To all my Friends and Family who are "Members of the Tribe"...

CHAG SAMEACH! I've landed in Bangkok and will be joining 800-1000 of my nearest and dearest Israeli and traveling friends for a seder tonight at the Chabad House. Stories to follow.