Thai-o-rama
Ha ha!
I am just back from lovely Thailand where the Canadian and I had a really nice week eating stupendous food and doing semi cultural things that parents would have been proud of (and, of course, some which they may have wanted to avert their eyes from.)
We started at the Kohsan Road, a mecca for all burgeoning travellers in Bangkok. It was a flurry of foreigners and bargaining - it's fun to haggle and practice your non-capitulating skills, a talent that Mike somehow failed to grasp. I also saw a Scots bagpiper in his full regalia, pumping out some typically whiny Scottish ballad (about thistle and whiskey, I'm sure) , surrounded by scantily-clad Thai women in tartan. Whilst in Bangkok, we also visited the Grand Palace, which was essentially an oversized rhinestone. There was little information on site about its origins and its purposes for being built so I can only assume that Thai royalty like everything to be as garish and as shiny as possible, at the risk of attracting magpies and other jewel thieving birds. We also saw a huge reclining gold Buddha, which my own parents visited many years ago, a surreal testament to the fact that I am endeavouring to following their travelling footsteps.
Muay Thai was violent and fun, and I really liked the graceful flower-laden dances that the fighters would do, right before kicking the crap out of each other. They were only boys that were doing this though - 15 at the youngest, supposedly - and were literally 0% body fat. They looked like they could mow lawns with a razor blade.
After having our fill of Bangkok, we flew to Koh Samui and got the ferry across to neighbouring Ko Pha Ngan. It was something of an experience in itself. We unfortunately missed the Full Moon Party by one day so we arrived on the island in the carnage of its aftermath. Three girls had lost their friend for two days (and missed their flights to Cambodia in the process). Most people seemed to be going to the police station in an attempt to regain stolen possessions. It almost seemed a mercy to have missed it although it would have been one serious party. We went snorkelling around this tall coral and stone structure called Sail Rock, which was incredible, although the waves threatened to dash us against the rocks which would have been messy. We also had a night out on the beach where the only people left standing (theoretically standing, that is, most were passed out on the sand) were - pause - the Irish. Saw the sun rise. Tried to sleep in our hammocks. Got bitten by mosquitoes.
Mike was a dab hand at hanging our hammocks, which was delightful.
Coming home was only slightly sad because I got home at nine on Friday morning, attempted to tidy my apartment, then collected Aoife and Lorraine from the airport(yay!). It has been amazing catching up with them, and trying to confuse them about the subway system.
I am just back from lovely Thailand where the Canadian and I had a really nice week eating stupendous food and doing semi cultural things that parents would have been proud of (and, of course, some which they may have wanted to avert their eyes from.)
We started at the Kohsan Road, a mecca for all burgeoning travellers in Bangkok. It was a flurry of foreigners and bargaining - it's fun to haggle and practice your non-capitulating skills, a talent that Mike somehow failed to grasp. I also saw a Scots bagpiper in his full regalia, pumping out some typically whiny Scottish ballad (about thistle and whiskey, I'm sure) , surrounded by scantily-clad Thai women in tartan. Whilst in Bangkok, we also visited the Grand Palace, which was essentially an oversized rhinestone. There was little information on site about its origins and its purposes for being built so I can only assume that Thai royalty like everything to be as garish and as shiny as possible, at the risk of attracting magpies and other jewel thieving birds. We also saw a huge reclining gold Buddha, which my own parents visited many years ago, a surreal testament to the fact that I am endeavouring to following their travelling footsteps.
Muay Thai was violent and fun, and I really liked the graceful flower-laden dances that the fighters would do, right before kicking the crap out of each other. They were only boys that were doing this though - 15 at the youngest, supposedly - and were literally 0% body fat. They looked like they could mow lawns with a razor blade.
After having our fill of Bangkok, we flew to Koh Samui and got the ferry across to neighbouring Ko Pha Ngan. It was something of an experience in itself. We unfortunately missed the Full Moon Party by one day so we arrived on the island in the carnage of its aftermath. Three girls had lost their friend for two days (and missed their flights to Cambodia in the process). Most people seemed to be going to the police station in an attempt to regain stolen possessions. It almost seemed a mercy to have missed it although it would have been one serious party. We went snorkelling around this tall coral and stone structure called Sail Rock, which was incredible, although the waves threatened to dash us against the rocks which would have been messy. We also had a night out on the beach where the only people left standing (theoretically standing, that is, most were passed out on the sand) were - pause - the Irish. Saw the sun rise. Tried to sleep in our hammocks. Got bitten by mosquitoes.
Mike was a dab hand at hanging our hammocks, which was delightful.
Coming home was only slightly sad because I got home at nine on Friday morning, attempted to tidy my apartment, then collected Aoife and Lorraine from the airport(yay!). It has been amazing catching up with them, and trying to confuse them about the subway system.
posted by Korrena at 5:33 PM
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