Israel

   Wow, it's goodbye to SE Asia! Here I am in Israel! At 2:20am on April 22nd, we got up to go to the airport, with a six am flight to Tel Aviv from Bangkok. We took off and made a stop in Kiev, Ukraine, of all places. Then after a few hours in the airport, we had our final flight to Israel. We got off in Tel Aviv and everything was going fine until the baggage belt. First my suitcase came, but then my mom's didn't come. We found that it had been put on the flight immediately before ours in Kiev and shipped off to some other city in the Ukraine. It was fine though, and we got it in a few days, so.... no harm done.
   We went to the apartment of our old friend, Yali and her partner Moshe, and of course, how could we forget the dogs, Bambi and Sandy. The first few days there was spent pretty much chillin' but then I went with them down to the desert for a few days. My mom didn't come, as she was busy with work, but I still went. The place we went was at the site of the worlds largest crater and the tent structure we stayed in was at the top rim of the crater and had an excellent view. That afternoon we went on a short hike before dinner, and also I had a special coffee drink that had special chocolate in it.
   The next day some friends of Yali came down and joined us and we all went on long hike. The hike took us through a small canyon  and through the desert hills. It was exausting but memorable and after the hike I got another coffee drink. Later on we all made dinner at the camp area. The next day we went on another hike and I climbed up a small mountain with a friend of Yali's. We ended up walking for quite a while and were off the beaten track too. Later on, after the hike we headed back. It was a good little side trip.

Koh Lanta, Thailand

   After the Koh Lipe adventure and a night in Trang, Thailand, we headed off Koh Lanta, another island farther north, closer to the tourist hub of Phuket. This time we took a organized tour bus there and even booked a room ahead of time. We got there and went to our hotel. The room was okay but for the price we weren't satisfied. It wasn't quite on the beach but it made little difference anyway, because it was rainy and cloudy.
   The next day (rainy/cloudy again) we went to a new place right on the beach for the same price but as we later saw the actual room was pretty terrible. It consisted of a lumpy mattress with mosquito net, a fan, and a little shelf. The next day we changed again to a more expensive but much nicer place. The bungalow was raised on stilts and had floors made of teak wood. There was a fridge and a friendly little kitten too. The weather remained bad and we tried to get a train back to Bangkok for the remainder of our Thailand time. There was no train available, though that turned out to the best as after a few days the weather got sunny and we enjoyed the beach.

my sandcastle

   One of the highlights of the beach was building a huge sandcastle next to a little stream going into the ocean. Then, the next day, we went on a four-island tour around the neighboring islands. We started with a few snorkeling places, which wasn't great, but the fish were cool and you could feed them food scraps and they would have feeding frenzy. After that we went through an ocean cave to a hidden cove in the island. It was spectacular, not hard to believe it had once been used by pirates and smugglers. Later we stopped at a beach and then headed back.
   The day after we did an elephant riding adventure. In all it was a bit disappointing. It was cruel to the elephants and we just went around the forest a bit. Then the next day we left to go to Bangkok, to catch a flight.

sunset at koh  lanta

 Next destination, Israel

           

elephant riding

Koh Lipe and Another Adventure in Thailand

   From Bangkok we took the overnight train down to the big industrial city of the south, Hat Yai. From there we  took a mini-bus to Pakbarra on the west coast and from there a ferry to the small island of Lipe, one of the far south islands (koh means island in Thai). Kog Lipe, in the Koh Taratao park area, is a tiny boomerang shaped island crossed with semi-paved little roads. There are no cars on Koh Lipe but it is very touristy.

   There was no pier on Lipe, so the ferry docked at an offshore dock, and from there we took a longtail boat in the rest of the way to shore, where we disembarked directly on to the pure white sand of the beach. It did mean hauling our heavy suitcases up the beach though. I went to wait at a restaurant while my mom went to look for a guesthouse.
   True to the guidebook, everything on the island was much more expensive than anywhere else we had been, owing to its remote location and size. The bungalow we picked (the cheapest we could find) was quite rustic, with the bare minimum of everything, and stinky water. It rained that afternoon so we didn't do much else for the rest of the day.
   The next day we went over to sunrise beach, which was much less crowded than the main boat polluted beach and very nice. I built a sandcastle, played in the water and chased crabs on the rocks. Though it was cloudy and even sprinkled for a few minutes, it also was overall a lot better weather wise. That night I had a delicious grilled cheese sandwich and played the game Life with a kid from Sweden.
   The next day, our last day, we went over to sunset beach, which a bit of a hike, but it was very pretty and secluded, but the sand wasn't as good for sandcastles. Still it was nice and we I met a Spanish kid and we played together with the kittens at the place he was staying. That night I had another grilled cheese and the next morning we left Koh Lipe. Overall Koh Lipe wasn't the greatest place in Thailand but I did enjoy the beaches.
   When we came back to Thailand from Laos, we received a 15 day visa, but it was more than 15 days till we flew out, so we needed to go over the border and come right back in and get another visa (process known as visa run). Because of our location, we decided to go to Malaysia, but instead of doing the conventional taxi booking from a travel agency, we decided to hoof it there with local transport (the cheap way). First we took two song taos, converted pick-up trucks with there backs covered and with two rows of seats. That took us to some cruddy little town in the middle of nowhere. From there we tried to get another vehicle the rest of the way to the border, but we were told the only way to get there was to take a motorbike.
   We were already apprehensive about doing that, but as we rounded a corner on our way to eat, we saw a motorbike wreck with someone on the ground hurt. We had no desire to go any closer and I could hardly eat my lunch. In the end we got a taxi from some other town (for actually the same price as the motorbike would have been) and the visa run went smoothly, and my mom used the restroom in Malaysia. Just as well we took the taxi too, as it ended up raining. When we got back up to cruddy-little-nowhere town (I really did forget the name) we caught a cramped local bus to Trang, a jumping off point to Koh Lanta, our next destination. We were the only farang (foreigner) on board the whole way and it continued raining, with the ceiling dripping sometimes. We got there, which is what matters, and by that time it was to late to go on so we stayed  the night in a fairly nice guesthouse there, to set off the next day to Koh Lanta.
    That's all for now!  

Bangkok

me at the feet of the reclining Buddha

  After Laos, the modern super-city of the Thai capital, Bangkok, was a huge change. The city has a population of around 8 million people and takes up both sides of the Chao Phraya River. We arrived in at the train station and took an air-con meter taxi, pretty rare in other cities, to our guesthouse. It was a small room with no natural light and one bed, farther away from the main tourist area.

wat temple building

market at Bankok

   The remainder of the day was spent going to Wat Pho, a temple and home of the legendary reclining Buddha. It wasn't that simple of course. We tried walking and passed through a fascinating market filled with live seafood; fish, shrimp, crabs, turtles, and I'm sure quite a bit more. We stopped to eat at a (thankfully) air conditioned restaurant, where the friendly owner told us that it was really to far to walk to the temple, but we could take a bus instead. We did so and arrived there, admiring the architecture and the 150ft long reclining Buddha statue. The massive temple complex was scattered with other statues all throughout as well. After that we took the bus back and chilled at our room for the rest of the day.
    We switched guesthouses the next day and then went out to see the Grand Palace, one of the main tourist attractions. We walked, but somehow went down the wrong street, and were studying our map when we were approached by 'friendly' local. He then told us that it was closed today for some 'special holiday', but we could also get a tuk tuk ride around town for only 20 baht (66 cents). We proceeded to visit first some small temple, but then spent the rest of the afternoon cruising past all the cool monuments and temples and went to a few tailors and a tourist agency where we needled and prodded to buy expensive suits or hotel rooms for the south beaches...... the tuk tuk driver would get a commission if we bought something of course. In the end it was a total scam and we were stupid to fall for it. The driver realized that we knew and didn't even ask for his payment.
   Later, back at the guesthouse, looking at the guidebook we saw that two of the most common scams are the "that's closed today scam" and the "cheap tuk tuk ride scam". After Bangkok we headed to the south beaches.

art and language

   Because my mom was working, I did an art class and a language class, in Chiang Mai. The art class for me was a favorite. It was pretty much one on one, though there were sometimes a few other people there, we all got plenty of help with drawing. The teacher's name was Noina, and if you go to Chiang Mai and want something to do, I recommend this drawing class.

the buddha

    The language class was cool and I learned the basics of Thai. It was one on one and the teacher was helpful. An upside was that the class was at the computer plaza of Chiang Mai and I always went and played on the ipads after class. They were both worth doing and gave me something to do during the day.

me drawing a penguin

drawing a lotus flower

Lovely Laos, Lousy Laos

                         This blog is about my brief trip to Laos, the lousy and lovely....

     The first part of the journey was the boat. We bought a package deal in Chiang Mai, for a slow boat river cruise to Luang Prabang, Laos. From Chiang Mai my mom and I took a bus to the Thai-Laos border, formed by the Mekong River. We stayed a night in a cheap and not-so-nice guesthouse on the Thai side, included in the (quite lousy) package we had bought in Chiang Mai. The next day we and the whole big tourist group with numerous package deals set out across the border.
   The crossing was pretty painless, though instead of forming nice lines on the Lao side, everything was a big blob of humans rushing to get their visas and get going. We did so and exchanged some of our Thai baht for Lao kip. Then we were taken to the boat. After waiting around for a while, we finally got on the boat. The seats were not hard benches as we had been told, but old seats from mini buses. Then we headed out.
   The boat trip was lovely. We cruised through the pretty country side, and passed many local people washing or fishing on the sandy beaches. That night after six hours on the boat, we pulled into Pak Beng (lousy) to stay the night there. We were greeted by touts, offering rooms for the night.... And the travel agency in Chiang Mai had said we would have a hard time finding a place to stay, that there was no money exchange and no Baht was excepted. Of course there was a money changer and they even took Baht at most places, and probably US dollars. The kip is a fairly unstable currency so dollars and baht are used a lot.
   We stayed the night in a mediocre guest house an the next morning headed out to Luang Prabang with a German/Colombian couple. When we arrived we went to a more pricey but very nice guesthouse. In the evening we ate at the night market. The next day we parted ways and my mom an I went to see a friend from Eugene, Karen.We met at her massage course area in the country and after that went to see a beautiful waterfall.
   That evening with the couple from the boat we found a great restaurant a little way away from the main area and very hard to find. The food though, was delicious, serving a small menu of Lao and western food. The chef had been to Europe so it was authentic. The next day the couple left and we went wat (temple) hopping. The main one was on top of a hill in the town and provided a great view. The rest of the day was spent relaxing. We had switched to a cheaper guesthouse then. The next day we took a kayak trip down the nearby Nam Khan. We started out early while it was still cool. We and our guide passed elephants and locals bathing in the river. At around noon we stopped for lunch which was uneventful. We continued on and at some points the river and surrounding area was so quiet you could hear a coin drop in to the water downstream
   That was a fun conclusion an the next day we left to Vang Vieng. VV is more of a party town and in the main area are restaurants playing reruns of dumb TV episodes, in other words nothing interesting. The other side of the river was quiet and pretty but there was no internet over there and we needed that. We stayed two nights there and were glad to move on, to Vientiene, the capital. The roads were terrible and we bumped along to the bus station. It was a bit out of town and we had to take local transport to the main area. As we were waiting for our driver the bus slowly, but with gaining speed, started to roll backwards towards a pond. Fortunately the driver stopped it before it crashed.
   Vientiene turned out to be rather boring. We stayed at a nice cheap geusthouse and saw the main attraction, Pha That Luang, a giant golden tower. We were glad to leave in a few days time.The crossing went smoothly and we were back into Thailand.  

Laos waterfall

Mekong River view

temple in Laung Prabang

Laos waterfall

The White Temple in Thailand where we took a rest stop

 

Elephant park

   A week or so ago I went to an elephant sanctuary out side of Chiang Mai. Instead of riding the elephants, we fed them and washed them in the river. This park was a cruelty free place and the goal was to get the elephants back into the wild. Most elephants are treated very badly, getting beaten and tortured to make them tame
   We took a bus into the country and arrived at the 200 acre park. There, the elephants were given free range to wander. The first thing we did is see the massive food storage area. The elephants could eat a whole lot! There was also a covered walkway that the elephants could walk underneath and directly under you. Next we went to feed them, and they eat a whole lot! We broke for lunch, which was an extravagant buffet (the elephants weren't the only ones who ate well!).
   After lunch we went into the river and splashed the elephants with buckets of water. It was fun and refreshing to splash in the cool, clean water with the elephants. After that we fed the baby elephant (who ate like a toddler) and then it was time to go. Overall it was a fascinating and memorable experience.

Bug Museum

   In Chiang Mai there is a museum of bugs that has on display cases full of carefully preserved insects in glass cases. We went in and the friendly owner of the museum showed us around a bit. We were the only ones there and it was very small. The first case displayed several large tarantulas, a long centipede (about 6 inches) and a bunch of large beetles (about 3-4 inches). One of the beetles could kill you by pinching the artery in your hand, and another could cut your finger off between its head and body. (pictures) The second and third floors contained butterflies and then more bugs including a display of fighting beetles! (pictures) It was fun way to spend the afternoon

The man who ran the place was a spry 81-yr old, retired lawyer who never meant to be an entomologist (someone who studies insects). He and his wife spent a lifetime studying over 400 species of mosquitoes in an effort to study and eradicate malaria in Thailand.

What my mom really liked about the guy and museum was his respect for life. There were many displays with writing about how we must all respect nature, about love, about his own personal spiritual journey. Quite moving and touching.

Thai Cooking Class

 A couple of days ago my mom and I did a Thai cooking class at a farm. We were picked up from our hotel in a song tao, a converted pick-up truck with a cover and seats in the rear truck bed. We headed out with the rest of our group and stopped at a market, where we learned a few basic ingredients we would be using. The market was a typical Thai market, basically a large covered shelter with stalls selling fish, meat, veggies, sauces and cooking supplies.
   After that we got back into the song tao and headed out to the farm. It was quite a ways out of the main town and we got a chance to see some of the country side, filled with rice fields, farms, and a whole lot of cows. We got to the farm. There were open air buildings to cook in but first we looked at the herbs and veggies growing around. It was interesting to see all the herbs and learn what they were. Many we recognized from Thai meals we had had.
   We finished that and finally got down to the cooking. Inside each building were maybe a dozen cooking stations with a stove for everyone learning to cook. I shared a station with my mom. We started out by making a coconut milk and chicken soup (tom khar). It was delicious. Next we made a curry. We had to mash various herbs and spices together with a mortar and pestle to form the base for it. It was cooked in a pot with chicken and veggies. mmmmmmmm
   Next we made a stir fry with chicken and cashews. We fried in a big wok pot. It was perfectly done, and it was eaten quickly and eagerly. We proceeded to make spring rolls and a dessert, mango in sticky rice. They were both great but we were so full we had to bring some home.
   My conclusions: we can make anything better than a restaurant can.

New Year's Eve in Chiang Mai

CD xmas tree

   In Chiang Mai, I have to say, New Year's Eve is a massive deal. At the Tha Phae gate on the east side of the city, was a humongous celebration. Many streets were closed off and packed with people. There were street stalls with tons of food and more stalls selling clothing, jewelery, and lots of other stuff. A huge stage had been set up and there was a massive Christmas tree made entirely from CDs! Far away it sparkled and you could only tell it was made of CDs if you went up close.
   But the most amazing thing was the lanterns. In the streets hundreds and hundreds of lanterns, a paper hot air balloon thing that when you lit the material at the bottom, drifted off into the sky, in vast numbers. It was quite a sight to see them all drifting away. We also got a massage on the street and an iced mocha at a starbucks , where we sat on the 3rd floor, enjoying the view and the drink. Then, at midnight we watched fireworks shoot into the air, beginning the new year.

massages on the street

Tigers in Chiang Mai

   A couple weeks ago we arrived in Chiang Mai, Thailand, by train. After a few days of getting settled in the city, we took a tuk tuk, a small, open-air taxi thing, out about 17 kilometers outside of the city to the Chiang Mai tiger park. There, for an exorbitant price, you could go face to face with tigers and actually pet them inside their enclosures. We started out by meeting the young six month old tigers. It was thrilling and a bit scary to be up so close to such an amazing and powerful animal..... I mean really, they could rip you apart if they wanted.

me with a 6 month old tiger

    Next before we left we decided to look at the other tigers, though we couldn't go in with them unless we got more tickets for it. Well, when we saw the baby tigers, we decided that we had to go in and pet them, so we had to get more tickets. They were adorable.

me with a baby (1 month old)

     In all it was an okay trip out there, although getting there was not half the fun, in a tuk tuk on the car fumed road. It also seemed that the staff could be a tad cruel at times to the tigers, bugging them and shoving them around so the tourists could pet them. A word of advice..... if you are in Chiang Mai, and go see the tigers, only visit the baby ones.