Singapore: Last Call (November 2013)

We had been on the road for 2 months, traveling from country to country not knowing what lies ahead and who we would meet along the way. Arriving in Singapore was bittersweet. It’s a great city, very modern, comfortable and picturesque, but it meant we were at the end of our journey.

Our first day in Singapore was a rainy one. Not just your standard drizzle, we’re talking torrential downpours. We did our best to wander around, but the rain was getting the best of us plus we were just exhausted. So whenever we would get to this point, we headed to the local theater. After seeing a movie and letting the rain settle down, we went over to the waterfront area to get a good view of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel laser light show. It was an extravagant event like most things in Singapore.

Thankfully the rain gave up and we enjoyed the next full day nice and dry. We went over to Universal Singapore where we walked around the aquarium with the largest tank in the world. It was very impressive. I’ve never seen a tank of sea creatures with stadium seating. Aquariums are always fun to walk through, and the shark tank tunnel was particularly exciting!

After exploring Universal and a traditional Singaporean lunch at a hawker center, we walked back over to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel area where we strolled through the gardens. The highly architectural walkways and greenhouses were like nothing I've ever seen.

We had a couple hours before we had to catch a cab to the airport to make our big trek back home. Word on the street is you can get to the top level of the Marina Bay Sands for free if you go to the bar instead of the “observation deck” which happens to be right next to the bar. So we enjoyed a final rooftop cocktail! It was the perfect place to soak up the city and reflect on the journey we just completed.

   

Koh Phi Phi, Thailand: Traditional Thanksgiving (November 2013)

Celebrating Thanksgiving outside of the US always brings a unique approach to the traditional American holiday. The first Thanksgiving I spent out of the country was in 2011. I was in Cape Verde, Africa visiting a dear friend who was serving in the Peace Corps. We spent the day relaxing and cooking, then enjoyed a delicious meal slightly altered than traditional foods, which we shared with old and new friends.

This Thanksgiving abroad was just as special. We started the day on Koh Lanta, paddleboarding around the cove. The weather was a little gloomy, but the water was beautiful, and there’s no better way to start a holiday than paddleboarding around the Andaman Sea.

Next stop was the island of Koh Phi Phi. We had been enjoying a relaxing couple days on Lanta, so Phi Phi is the natural destination to spice it up a bit due to its party hardy reputation with mixed reviews. After finally finding a guesthouse, which was located above a pirate themed restaurant and ended up being nicer than expected, we spent the afternoon roaming around the island… shopping, eating and drinking per usual.

That night we had our Thanksgiving feast at a German or Austrian or something restaurant. Unable to find a turkey on the island we improvised with comfort foods such as sausage, mashed potatoes and other close substitutes. After stuffing ourselves, we hit the town, which meant beach bar after beach bar. In the middle of an intense round of flaming limbo (literally on fire), who do we see… the Brazilians, again! Our friends who we met in Vietnam and also ran into in Cambodia were now dancing the night away at the same exact beach bar on this tiny Thai island!

I was resistant to go to Phi Phi. At first it sounded crowded, dirty and not what I was in the mood for at the time. It was crowded and not exactly the cleanest place, but it turned out to be my favorite night of the trip, dancing with old friends and getting to know new ones.  I haven’t been with my family for Thanksgiving in 5 years, but whether out of the country or serving up the big meal in my little apartment for 10 friends, it will always remain one of my favorite holidays.

Everyone has their own Turkey Day traditions. I might not have turkey or watch football every year, but I’ve been fortunate to be able to spend all Thanksgivings with good company, and I’m hoping to keep that tradition alive for many more years to come.

Koh Lanta, Thailand: Neverland (November 2013)

White sand beaches stretching for miles, cruising around island roads on a motorbike and a cold local beer on the beach, this is how most people imagine southern Thailand, and it’s spot on. After an eventful experience getting out of Bangkok with the mobs of protesters, we arrived on Koh Lanta a little later than expected, but not too late for our first Thai beach sunset.

We stayed at Twin Bay Resort located on the northern part of Long Beach. It was nice being on the main beach, but not in the thick of it, infinity pool and clean, air-conditioned bungalows. Koh Lanta is very low-key, no part of the island is hectic and over crowded. We had heard it was a good place for couples, which I do agree with, but it’s also a good place if you just want a break, a little bit of peace and quiet. Our friend who met up with us in Bangkok only had a week of vacation in Thailand so we wanted to make it the most well rounded experience we could. We got the big city out of the way, so next stop was the chill beach.

After a day of lounging, we decided to rent motorbikes in order to see the rest of the island. Our first stop was lunch. The town area is very small, not many shops, but plenty of waterfront restaurants to choose from. We grabbed a leisurely delicious seafood lunch with a spectacular view, then hit the open road.

Riding motorbikes around Pai was very different than Koh Lanta. The island roads were flat, wide and far less busy than up north. One of the very helpful staff members at our hotel told us about waterfalls on the southern part of the island. I’m not sure if we found the ones he was referring too, but after a bit of a hike, we did find some water falling down a cliff. We hadn’t done much hiking until now, and of course we were well prepared in our flipflops! It was a bit rough in patches, but overall a fun experience and no toes were lost in the process of exploring caves, trekking through creeks and showering in the falls.

I don’t know what it is about that island, but it made me feel young and free. The temperature and picturesque views were perfect, with the motorbikes being our only mode of transportation. It was rebellious and yet oddly safe at the same time, safe in the sense of confidence, feeling as if you could spend the rest of your life only knowing those couple roads.  As much as I love knowing that feeling will always exist on Koh Lanta, it was time to move on. We spent the rest of our time on the island motorbiking, beaching and cocktailing, but we were in the mood for a little more of an active social scene. Next stop: Koh Phi Phi!!

Bangkok, Thailand: Bangkok Has Them Now (November 2013)

This city is dirty, crowded, touristy and a place you don’t want to look behind the curtain. And yet, I didn’t hate it. Before we arrived we had heard only bad things about Bangkok. I think my expectations were so low and scary that I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it, not saying I’d want to live there, but it was much more bearable than I expected. My brother and I had familiar company for that week of our trip with my college roommate meeting up with us for a few play days in Bangkok then heading down to the southern beaches.

We started with touring Wat Pho, one of the largest and oldest temple complexes in Bangkok and home to the Temple of Reclining Buddha. This Grand Palace is located in the old part of the city, and consists of two large gated complexes and is regularly packed with monks and tourists. Also a fun fact, Wat Pho is the birthplace of the first traditional Thai massage school. We had seen our fair share of temples at this point, but it was important to tour this magnificent landmark.

Before we went up to Northern Thailand we had a day in Bangkok waiting for our night bus. We noticed crowds of political demonstrations such as speeches and festive looking events, and we thought nothing of it. Possibly a national holiday of sorts. Upon our return to Bangkok we found out the demonstrations has significantly escalated causing streets to shut down due to the antigovernment mobs. The protests had not become violent yet, but the crowds made it very difficult to get around the city, even causing us to miss our flight out the next day. (http://world.time.com/2014/01/21/bangkok-shutdown-explained/)

That night we hit the town. We decided to start our evening with a sky high cocktail at Sky Bar. With their recent claim to fame being the filming location for The Hangover II, the bar was crowded with high rollers. We looked slightly out of place, but still enjoyed a fancy drink overlooking the city.

I think we went to another part of town, and maybe a club, might have hung out with a monkey and a Russian but there’s no way to know for sure… Bangkok has them now.

Pai, Thailand: Biker Gang (November 2013)

We finally got bikes!!! It was time to hit the open road! There are several natural attractions around the town of Pai, including waterfalls, hot springs and hikes. Since we only had our bikes for a day we had to prioritize our activities, although just riding around the windy, mountainous roads on a motorbike was an adventure in itself. I’ll fully admit I was nervous/terrified at first, but was surprised how quickly the nerves calmed and the adrenaline kicked in.

Our first stop was the hot springs. After parking the bikes, we walked back into the woods to find 5 pools of water flowing into one another, and several tourists enjoying the natural jacuzzis. We took a dip, ran into our new Canadian and German friends then walked back a little further into the woods to find steaming hot pools of water. These 80 degree puddles smelled of sulfur and were too toasty to swim in, but we did enjoy the warning sign “No Boil Egg” which apparently is an issue?

With our muscles relaxed after a nice hot swim, we got back on the bikes to cruise over to a hiking area. I was expecting a path through the trees leading up one of the various mountainsides. Not exactly what we found. Instead we walked up a long flight of stairs to find a plateau of narrow walkways on top of a hill. And of course there are no rails or barriers between you and the rocky cliff as you walk along the narrow paths. It was a bit of a rush, and also made for some fun photo ops.

Some of life’s best experiences are those unexpected. It never crossed my mind that I’d love a place without a beach, but Northern Thailand is absolutely stunning and attracts amazing tourists and locals alike. There’s an indescribably majestic quality to the town, which explains the hippie invasion that seems to fuel the perfect escape that is Pai, Thailand.

Pai, Thailand: Mountain Escape (November 2013)

After a trip like this, the first question asked is “what was your favorite place,” an impossible question to answer. Although when I start to really think about it, I realized that the most unexpected place that I loved was Northern Thailand, in particular the small hippie town of Pai. We took a bus from Chiang Mai about 3 hours north near the Burma border. We had heard that the town was tiny, but worth the trip up, and that’s exactly what it was. The road north is along a very windy road weaving through the mountains. It was absolutely beautiful.

We checked into the BEST guesthouse/hostel in Pai, Darling View Point Resort. It’s located slightly outside of town, across an Indiana Jones bridge, along a dirt road and up a slight hill, providing their guests with treehouse like bungalows, a magnificent mountainous view and an inviting nightly bonfire. We also lucked out meeting an amazing group of fellow travelers hailing from Canada, Germany, the UK and even back home. It felt as if we were at camp, checking in with each other to see if anyone was up for wandering into town for a meal or take an adventure via motorbike to a local natural attraction. Once again we had introduced ourselves to people who we can now call new travel friends, and people we even ran into later on in Bangkok. Small world encounters will never get old.

One thing we had heard about Pai is that it’s a great place to learn how to ride a motorbike. Before Pai, we had been in large cities and simply the idea of riding a motorbike solo was terrifying. So this was it, time to face fears and get on those scooters!! Yet one thing we didn’t hear about Pai was how hard it was to actually get a scooter. Tourists are up early, making their way into town to snatch up the limited amount of bikes. Our first day trying to get a bike was very frustrating. The lines were insane and our patience were surely being tested. We decided to call it quits for the day and try again early the next morning, but in the meantime we had half of a hot and humid day ahead of us. Anytime we found ourselves with some downtime and couldn’t decide what we should do, we resorted to “what would we do if we were at home in this situation,” and the answer was… find a swimming pool.

My brother had read about a local public swimming pool just outside of town, and after about a mile or so walk we found Fluid. It was perfect. The grassy pool deck was filled with backpackers lounging around, drinking cocktails, eating your standard pool snackage and dipping into the refreshing semi-chlorinated water (can’t win them all). Maybe we wont discuss whether or not the facility was up to code, but it was exactly what we were looking for. We spent the afternoon relaxing around this hidden gem in our new favorite mountain escape.

Each evening we walked around the nightly market, enjoying the vibrant energy and delicious street food this small hippie town has to offer. I could have spent at least a week just in Pai, lounging around the pool, exploring the beautiful natural sights and eating some of the best barbequed ribs I’ve ever had in my life from my favorite street market in Thailand. My favorite place on the trip is an impossible question to answer, but Pai will always hold a special place.

Chiang Mai, Thailand: Baan Thai Cookery School (November 2013)

One of the first questions asked when you return home after traveling abroad is, “how was the food?” We all have to eat no matter our ethnicity, religion and income. Our plan on this trip was not to have much of a plan and just see what strikes our fancy as we travel from place to place. There were a few things though that I had on my to-do list that included diving the Great Barrier Reef, visiting a beach town in Cambodia, experience a lantern festival and learn how to cook. Looking back I wish I would have done a cooking class in each country, but that can be another trip. If you’re looking to travel domestically or internationally, I highly recommend taking a cooking course where you learn to prepare indigenous food. It’s definitely something I will add to future travel itineraries.

The Baan Thai Cookery School in Chiang Mai offers one of the best cooking courses in the area, and is recommended by Lonely Planet and TripAdvisor (travel bibles). We arrived at the school around 10am, ready and hungry! The first task of the class was to pick our menu consisting of five dishes. Then our group strolled over to the local market to pick out our ingredients. We had spent a lot of time around various markets as we traveled, but this market was fresh and plentiful. As we walked around, we learned about different spices and herbs used with Thai cooking as we collected our ingredients.

We returned to the kitchen ready to cook with baskets filled with fresh produce. The best part of this school is the prep work, or should I say lack thereof. Everything was pre-cut and proportioned making this class fun and easy for chefs of all levels. We would make a dish, sit with our group to enjoy and then divide up again for the next dish. It was a great way to learn to cook and appreciate Thai cuisine.

After preparing and consuming bowls of homemade pad thai, curries, soups and dessert we were stuffed. It was time for a long walk and a longer nap. The class was wonderful, and I can't emphasize enough the importance of taking the time to learn about local foods along your travels, whether preparing or just eating. Take a step out of your culinary comfort zone. Even if you’re the type of person who burns cornflakes, try to take on a wok or taste a dish that’s new to you. If all else fails, you can always grab a slice of pizza pretty much anywhere in the world.