Just One Expat's Opinion: April 2015

Now that I am working in two schools with about 375 students and 16 classes total per week to plan for, it's getting even more difficult for me to find time to write blogs. I went to Thailand in February, and every week since then, I have attempted to finish a blog about my trip.

Then I threw it out.

I got bored looking at the same blog for two months. Instead, I'll tell you a little bit about my happenings in Thailand through a few pieces of advice, some do's and dont's, and a general compilation of my limited (but at least existent) knowledge of international travel. I would not presume that anyone traveling in SoKo with me needs any of this information. In full disclosure, I'm mostly writing this for my younger siblings who I hope get to experience some travel abroad and use this as future reference.

Travel far and wide sibs.

~~~~~~

#1 DON'T GET INTIMIDATED!
When in doubt, pretend you're on a game show...

The night before I left for Thailand I was in full panic mode. I had spent months preparing for this trip - longer than Vietnam. I knew my itinerary like the back of my hand. From my previous experience, I knew exactly where the currency exchange was, how to wind my way through the Incheon Airport, where to find the best snacks while I waited for take off and how long security would take for an international flight.

But I was still freaking out.

This trip was different. I wasn't traveling with my typical horde of international explorers. I was traveling with a "foreigner" (yes I'm a foreigner too but I'm a resident, an expat, and she was green). Someone from home. Someone who, although more than capable of taking care of herself, I felt a significant responsibility for. And we were flying into different airports. Even though she assured me that she could make her way to the hotel, I insisted on crossing the entirety of Bangkok to prevent her from navigating on her own. I found this to be the only option: I had more experience in international travel so it just made sense. But little miss "international travel" was in total freak out mode at the idea of navigating on my own. It took a long talking to from Itai to even sleep that night, and another reminder from Natalie that I had moved to Korea on my own before I was able to get my wits about me.

When I arrived in Bangkok, effortlessly made my way through the airport, claimed my bag and stepped outside, I was ready to take on the task. There was a whirlwind of activity just outside Don Muang Airport; taxi drivers producing clouds of smoke, big buses, little vans, frantic tourists, multi-colored baggage, and the like, flying every which way. I stopped for a second to take it all in and scanned the signs around me. I knew I had three options to get to her, some easier to find than others but far more involved and I had limited time to figure it out. Before I started to panic again a big smile swept across my face and the idea of being on the Amazing Race popped into my head. Now it was a game... and I was going to win.

I successfully arrived at the Suvarnabhumi Airport via a transportation option that never appeared on my list, even after months of preparation and research. I found it the good 'ol fashion way, I asked as many locals as I could until I stumbled onto the right bus. I still had another couple hours before Sarah arrived so I sat back, ate, relaxed, and watched the teenagers freak out over a couple of Korean dance stars that had made an appearance at Gate G. When I finally saw her come through the gate I was candidly a little overwhelmed. She was the first piece of home I had seen in six months. I think I did all the talking for the next couple hours as we checked into our hotel and wandered the streets looking for something to eat.

#2 PLAN EVERY STEP OF YOUR TRIP
Literally.

There are two types of vacations. One type is the "do nothing" kind where you transfer your sloth from the couch to an exotic beach somewhere, treating yourself to fancy cocktails and avoiding anything that resembles a to-do list. The other kind, is when you travel to a new and exciting place, with a limited time to see and do all the things. You want to try all the famous food, see all the famous sights and stretch your time as much as possible. That was the case for me and Thailand, so I did months of research and planning before I went.

In doing so I learned that the beautiful island I first had interest in was more like "Frat Boy Island" and unless I wanted to risk consuming a roofied beverage or spend my time surrounded by miscreants, I should opt for the lesser known island (Koh Larn), that was not only easier to get to but far less popular than Frat Boy Island or Koh Larn's neighbor, Pattaya. Which meant that I might actually be able to see the sand in between the sunburned multicultural tourists beaching themselves on the shore.

Taling Chan Floating Market

After that discovery I was stuck scrolling through "off the beaten path" websites where I learned that the amazing floating market I wanted to visit had become so over-publicized and tourist-ridden that it was now described as a "floating souvenir shop". Instead, we opted for a smaller, but far more authentic floating market called Taling Chan that had everything we needed and again, was easier to get to, resulting in less wasted time commuting and more time eating all the things.

Crowds at the Grand Palace

Sea of people

Through the advice of others on various websites (cross reference people!) I found out which Wats (temples) get crowded early, the hours of operation, expected price ranges (so I could pre-budget and avoid scams) and that the most popular sight, The Grand Palace, becomes a sea of cameras and bodies early in the day. Unless we wanted to sweat in the afternoon heat whilst pressed up against the entire population of China, it's best to get there when the gates open.

Side note: we didn't make it before the crowds so we got fed up with being literally pushed through the palace grounds, took a few amazing photos and fled the scene before one of us snapped and committed a felony. (With that said, it's still a must see.)

The Grand Palace - Bedazzled in beauty.

The Grand Palace

Windy!

Most expensive (delicious) drinks ever.

Planning ahead meant things ran as close to clockwork as possible. We discovered the Sky Bar, a rooftop bar made famous on The Hangover Two and through some online advice arranged our visit perfectly. Despite the fact that I flashed all of Bangkok the second we stepped outside when the wind from the 64th floor caught my dress, the view was more than worth it. Our cocktails, albeit the most expensive cocktails I've ever drank in my life, were delicious. The sunset, which we perfectly timed our arrival to witness, was spectacular.

The bible

I had all of the above written in a little book Sarah and I liked to call "my bible" which was broken down by day, including words for destinations printed in Thai (a hella confusing language), expected costs, mini maps with pre-planned routes marked down, and an itinerary. It also included how to get from point A to point B and which method of transportation was the best to do so. If we walked, I had walking directions. I was leaving nothing to chance, and if anyone knows my sense of direction, there is no such thing as over preparation.

Lastly, I love me some food, especially any Asian food, so I made sure to find out the best dishes in each region, the must-tries and even the most famous street food vendors. Anthony Bourdain was my friend in this regard. I went to his websites and found out where he went, if he liked it, I would. It worked very well in Vietnam and now in Thailand.

An Anthony Bourdain recommendation - The
famous "Cow Boy Hat Lady"

Khao Kha Moo - Not the prettiest thing we ate
but probably the most delicious.
Spot on Cow Boy Hat lady...spot on.

Another recommendation - a famous Chiang Mai dish, Khao Soi from the
local favorite "hole-in-the-wall" Khao Soi Khun Yai,

#3 KNOW WHEN TO THROW OUT THE PLAN
And when to prioritize.

Chiang Mai Night Market

We arrived in Chiang Mai in the evening and had intended on spending our first day finding our way out of town for a day trip to a mountain that contained one of the most beautiful wats in the area. After our long adventure to and from the island the day before (see #7) we scratched that plan and decided to stay local and go see as many wats as we could walk to within the gate that enclosed Chiang Mai's Old City. Instead of taking a detour to this particular wat that would have cost us half a day and five Thai meals worth of transportation we had an extremely relaxing day with yummy street food, a bit of wandering, lots of pictures and a visit to the night market where we stocked up on gifts for our families.

It's good to have a list of activities and know which one you would trade for a nap on any day. Traveling is exhausting, and yes seeing all the things is of the utmost importance, but if you wear yourself thin one day, you can forget being as productive as you'd like the next day. Also, quite candidly, your feet will hate you if you don't rest here and there. Sarah and I learned that on two separate days, in two separate cities, meaning the majority of our time spent in Thailand, one of us was slowing down for the other, who was pained with every step. So don't be shy about fitting in a nap time, it's well worth it.

#4 WHEN IN ROME
Travel like a local.

Two employees per bus, one to drive, one to
take the fare. Seems counterintuitive.

We rode the city bus many times in Bangkok. It didn't take us long to realize that while this was the form of transportation least used by tourists it was by far the most cost effective, and if you weren't afraid to ask questions, it was the most convenient as well. From the first day forward we opted to ask a local for the right bus number and climb aboard among the natives (as if we'd been doing it for years), than to take an expensive taxi or bare a sweat-soaked walk for an unknown length of time. From my experience in Korea I was more than comfortable with this option as my daily commute involves 2-3 buses.

The quality and cleanliness of a Bangkok city bus pales in comparison to a sparkling clean, brand new, SoKo bus, but on the plus side, it seemed our fellow passengers were less impressed with our existence then the gawking Koreans who still have not become used to my appearance on their route even after seven months of hoping on the same 841 bus to school every day - one point for Thailand. In Korea's defense, the quick and easy bus card/coin drop system they use makes much more sense than the additional staff aboard each bus in Bangkok, walking up and down the aisle asking destinations and collecting various fares from passengers - one point for Korea.

Differences aside, I was still able to show off my "bus surfing" skills to Sarah while she attempted to adjust to standing on a moving bus - one point for Shira.

#5 EAT ALL THE THINGS
Sharing is caring.

Thai Basil = delicious

There was an abundance of food stands to chose from in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai, and wanting to try "all the food", we made the second smartest decision of our trip (in addition to our preference for using the city bus). We opted to eat little bits of as much as we could so from then on we split every meal, and sometimes even every skewer. That way we wouldn't fill up on one thing, instead we would snack our way through Thailand. We had every variety of curry offered, various things stuffed inside banana leaves, sticky rice with dragon fruit, many different kinds of meat on a stick, dishes we had never heard of, and dishes we read about. We covered more ground by eating less and now whenever someone says "yeah but did you try...?" we can safely say we tried it all. Except the bugs, we didn't eat the bugs. I ate larva in Korea, I think that covers me from ever eating an insect again.

Some more tidbits for anyone wanting to eat their way through Thailand like we did:

*Pad Thai is not that amazing in Thailand, it isn't like "omg this is so much better from the motherland" kind of dish. In fact it took us a couple days to even see it on a menu, it just isn't the best thing in Thailand. So don't be disappointed (we kinda were).

*Tom Kha Gai, however, is even better in Thailand than in the states. This is my favorite Thai food ever -coconut & lemongrass curry soup- and when I had it in it's country of origin (twice) I almost died from the sheer joy of it's magnificence.

*Papaya Salad. That's it. Papaya Salad. Just eat it, thank me later. Oh and try it early in your trip, because you'll want to eat it seven more times while you're there. Trust me.

#6 TRY NEW THINGS
And stretch your comfort zone.

The trainers are Burmese and have escaped
from Myanmar to find refuge in Thailand.

The Baan Chang Elephant Park was another recommendation, but from a friend rather than the internet. The good thing about being in a program abroad is that there are plenty of people to talk to and ask advice from. It wouldn't take very long to find someone who went to the country you're interested in and can give you the skinny on hostels, activities, and things to avoid. There were a lot of elephant parks in Thailand offering rides to tourists for a fee. Most of them weren't exactly humane but it wasn't always obvious to the untrained eye. Therefore, it was important to me to find a place that treated the elephants well and didn't use some of the barbaric tools to train them that others did.

Me and Mee Naa

I went to Thailand with the thought in mind of riding elephants. I woke up that morning before the sun did, ecstatic about what I was going to do that day. And it was just everything. We fed them, we learned about how they live, the elephant hospital, riding commands, and the like. Then we had a chance to ride them and even bathe them. My adorable elephant, Mee Naa liked her head scratched and would move from side to side in the water depending on which side she wanted me to wash. I kind of have this philosophy that when you travel to a new place you should do a new thing. Ideally, something you can't do at home.

Mee Naa liked to wrap her ears around my legs.

"The Pink"

I also believe you should own that sense of adventure and push yourself just a little outside of your comfort zone. I wasn't too keen on the idea of visiting the red light district in Thailand but with Sarah's encouragement and a lot of my aforementioned research (don't go to the bars upstairs in the district, unless you're into that kind of thing - and being scammed) I decided it was something I had to see.

It wasn't as easy as we thought to find this famous row of scandalous bars and strip clubs. It seemed more like a speckling of scandal here and there. A topless pool hall here, an aptly named strip club there, and a few men standing around with fliers offering us a once in a life time chance to watch a "ping pong" show (I'll let you figure out on your own what that is).

Then we turned down a back street and noticed various clusters of women (mostly women) sitting in plastic chairs as if they were waiting for a bus to show up. We then realized this was the real red light district. These women weren't waiting for a bus, they were waiting for a customer. As the men walked past them, they straightened up, smoothed down their hair and pushed out their chests trying to look their best for their next appointment. I felt an overwhelming sadness for them, a giant creepy chill up my spine from the men who had clearly traveled to this country for this opportunity and an un-fightable curiosity causing me to discretely snap photos as I walked through a street of prostitutes.

#7 DON'T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
Shit happens. And shit will definitely happen on your trip. Get over it.

We had a flight in the evening from Bangkok to Chiang Mai but we were determined to get ourselves to a Thai beach at some point during this vacation so we squeezed it in the best we could. Our carefully planned out commute to the island was hours longer than we expected due to traffic; meaning our beach time was cut down by more than half. On the ferry over I decided not to continue waiting until we got there to enjoy myself, but to take in the views, feel the breeze and realize that I was on a beautiful ocean, on my way to a Thai island. There was no point in getting upset over the lost time because it was something I couldn't change. I could, however, change how (and if) I would enjoy the next few hours that we did have.

In the end, it was well worth the hassle: five hour round-trip drive in a van plus 45 minutes each way in a ferry to get to Koh Larn island, plus our first trip on a Songthaew. It was something I can now officially say I've seen and done, although I am sure I will make it back again one day for a second (more thorough) round.

Being born and raised in Florida and seeing some of the most beautiful beaches, I can still safely say this was the most gorgeous stretch of sand and sea I've ever seen. I would say more about this, but there's no point, you just need to go see it.

Moral of the story: No matter how much planning you do, something will go unplanned. You need to be able to adapt and move forward without letting it affect you any longer than necessary.

#8 TRAVEL SMART
The "duh" factor.

Don't be stupid. I could just leave it at that but you know me...I can't say anything in under two paragraphs.

We saw many signs on our trip warning to keep yourself safe from being pick pocketed. There were signs in the tuk-tuks warning you not to set your purse by your side because someone on a motor bike can and probably will speed by and grab the thing before you can even say "whoa". Thailand was kind that way, they wanted to warn all the visitors to watch their back. Vietnam, from what I remember, didn't have such warnings. Korea, from my experience, doesn't need the warnings.

I specifically chose to reside in a country where my ATM card would appear magically after I lost it (see another blog I wrote for that story...can't recall the name so you'll have to just read them all). They really go above and beyond in SoKo to help you out when in need. Have you ever lost your phone and attempted to call it, not at all surprised that the thief chose not to answer? In Korea, on three separate occasions, I have seen people lose their phone and not only did someone answer, but gave them their exact location so that they could retrieve their phone. That just doesn't happen...like anywhere.

Adorable little old swindler
from Vietnam.

Duh factor #1 - watch your back and watch your stuff. Invest in one of those hidden money pouches too, they may add a couple inches to your waistline but they're really pretty helpful at giving you a sense of security whilst traveling from country to country. Mine, which was gifted to me from Itai before I left, has proven to be quite valuable. When I slept in the airport on the way to Vietnam I put my money and my passport in my pouch before tuning out the world. I know someone who kept their wallet in the outside pocket of their backpack during their travels and while waiting on an escalator for under a minute, someone opened her bag and took it, easy as that.

Keeping with the theme of trust, be aware of who is being friendly and who is being too friendly. I learned this the hard way in Vietnam when a friendly old lady told me she wouldn't charge me if I wanted to take a picture with her. She was adorable, I couldn't resist. I took my picture -
I wasn't charged. But I did let myself be manipulated into buying a big bag of fruit off the woman that I didn't want. Actually, I didn't...but Natalie did, because she has a bigger heart than me, but I got her into that situation by letting the friendly little adorable lady talk me in to walking over in the first place.

Some good advice (especially #9)

In Thailand Sarah and I were looking at a map when a kind older man approached us and offered to help us find our location. That's nice. Then he suggested a couple other places we should see along the way. Very nice. Then he went to retrieve a map from his bag that had the tourist locations highlighted like rides on a Disney map and began to point out a specific route that would take us there. That's too nice. Red flag - he was working for some kind of transportation company and was about to offer us a discount on an all day tour. I could see it coming and started to say, "ok thank you" while trying to drag Sarah away who was still listening intently to his suggestions. But it was too late, we spent more time then we wanted to politely saying no while he kept dropping the price. It actually would've been an incredible deal but we really did want to walk. This is, of course, a harmless example. Thankfully I don't have any worse examples to share with you.

Duh factor #2 - Don't trust too easily and be careful who you ask advice from. Need directions? Ask a security guard, not a cab driver.

Speaking of cab drivers, my little bible also included the average cost of a cab ride to and from each location including the fare that the cab ride starts at since I had heard of cabbies messing with the meters. And sure enough we had one or two try to start the ride at a higher fare until I politely reminded them to reset it. Natalie, Jenni, and I had a similar experience in Vietnam when I had to insist that the cabby in the metered cab actually turn on the meter. Avoid cabs, they suck. But if you have to, don't get in unless you know your shit or can at least pretend to. If possible, follow the drive on your phone via Google maps, make sure you're not taking the long way.

Oh and also, try to have the name of your destination written in the local language, especially if they don't use the roman alphabet. I used pieces of sticky pad paper so I could take it out of my "bible" and just hand it to the driver. They usually appreciated it and happily stuck them onto their steering wheels.

But I still hold strong to the fact that taking the city bus is the best way to go. Unless you're pressed for time, you're traveling at a weird time of day, or truly have no other options there really is no reason to resort to cabs. Sarah and I saved over 80% on our transportation costs by staying out of the taxis.

We also saved a good 50% on food costs by eating street food whenever possible. Of course we treated ourselves to restaurants every now and then but the best food we had was from the street vendors or the little alley way "restaurants" that consisted of a bunch of tables and a few men working a grill.

Alley way restaurant.

Various food stands that set up at night. Certain
tables were associated with specific food stands.

In regards to alcohol, some people like to go out every night and spend their entire days allowance on alcohol. More power to you. For me, I'd rather not have a hangover ruin half my day or wander the streets of a foreign country unless I can recite the alphabet backwards. Sarah and I saved a ton of money by going to a local grocery store to buy a few beers and had some good bonding time back at the hostel on like 90% less than we would've spent out on the town.

One more tip on saving money: don't be afraid to haggle. You're not hurting anyone by asking for (and even insisting) on a lower price. If I've been able to easily get everything down by two-thirds of the original cost you can only imagine how much they mark it up in the first place. Personally, I can't understand why it's so scary for some people (*achem Natalie*) to haggle but I was pretty proud of Sarah who didn't take long to learn the system.

Duh factor #3 - I'd rather use my money to pay for things like the elephant park, then to waste it on cab fare. Do some research, figure out what things should cost, don't just accept the first offer and don't spend more than you have to on things that won't give you a good memory.

Of course if you just want to enjoy a new experience,
spending a little unplanned money is NBD. Here
Sarah and I paid to release doves for good luck.
Not the best use of our money, but a good memory.

ONE MORE THING! Everyone who has traveled with me knows that I am addicted to taking pictures of my travels (with an affection for selfies). Documenting your experience is important. But don't forget to put the camera down and just let the experience sink in a little bit, as all of my travel buddies have reminded me to do from time to time. And on that note, I present you with a selfie with an elephant.

A note to my travel buddy, Sarah...

Words cannot express how much it meant to me that you crossed the globe to come see me and go on this adventure with me. You literally traveled for days to get to me and home again. It took you less than 24 hours to acclimate to your surroundings and you handled the jet lag like a champ.

I was definitely impressed.

Not only that but you were amazing company and offered a good ear to listen to someone who was excited to speak English exclusively for six days straight.

Oh and you brought me some my favorite shampoo and conditioner so you kind of rock. :)

More pictures!

Here are some fun signs from Thailand for your amusement...