Hey y'all!
So, since Lopburi, I have been in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. We arrived super early in the AM and then proceeded to walk the 3km to the old city. We then did a walking tour straight out of the Lonely Planet and visited some Wats.
Whats?
Exactly-Wats. It's what the temples are called here in Thailand. We visited Wat Phra Singh-one of the most famous in Chiang Mai and then a bunch of smaller ones too,including the oldest and one made entirely of wood.
Some important Dos and Don'ts for Wat going:
1. Dress politely (no short shorts or shoulders showing)
2. Show respect in the temple and shrine
3. Take off shoes before entering
4. Keep your head lower than the Buddha images and monks
5.Don't display affection for another person in public
6. Always keep clean
7. Never point with your toe; never point your toes toward the Buddha images or monks. Sit on your feet , facing towards the entrance, away from the images.
8. Also, never touch someone on the top of the head. It is a great sign of disrespect in the Thai culture
Those are the basics.
Afterwards, we found a place to stay and trekked back to get our bags that we left at the railway station. Checked in and proceeded to get drinks and food. You know, the usual.
The best part of the day came when I found a place that does massages fro super cheap. 2 hours of pampering-half hour foot massage, half hour facial, then an hour oil massage. My body got a lot of lovin' for $23! It was AMAZING! I, of course, felt like jello afterwards...so wonderful.
Then, the night market...somewhat touristy but nevertheless, you can find super good deals of pretty much anything. That night I got two new shirts for a total of $8. Yeah, and the shirts are sweet.
We bought what we thought was beer...turns out it's called the Thai whiskey but tastes like a bad (I mean REALLY bad) wine cooler. Half way through the bottle I felt drunk and felt like getting sick. Nasty stuff. Siam set or something like that-STAY AWAY!
The next day, TIGER KINGDOM!!!
I rode my first tuk-tuk to Maerim to see the big kitty kitties! I then got to get in the cage with them and play and pet them for a while (see the flickr link for pictures!). It was probably one of the happiest moments of my life. Such big kitties and such big paws! Rawrrrr!
Then-burritos! I know, we probably should still be devouring all the delicious Thai food but I needed a break. Massive veggie burrito was just the fix. Delicioso!!!
The night market again and this time I lost it. The little self control I had left disappeared! I bought these sweet lights for my bohemian room and a few souvenirs for some special peeps. And more things for me...
We bought what we thought was beer...turns out it's called the Thai whiskey but tastes like a bad (I mean REALLY bad) wine cooler. Half way through the bottle I felt drunk and felt like getting sick. Nasty stuff. Siam set or something like that-STAY AWAY!
Elephantes the next day! We woke up late and hung over and decided a chill day with the elephants was in order. It was brilliant! Then after arguing viciously with our tuk-tuk man who was holding our money hostage, we made it back in time to get some food and beer. Then, we kept drinking because we saw a double rainbow and it felt right.
Many Chang beers later...I stumbled my way upstairs and passed out.
I love Chang.
Yesterday, we went to the Doi Suthep Temple. It is outside the city on top of a hill. The views down into the city are gorgeous, especially since the days have been so nice here. The temple itself is almost all covered in gold. It's practically blinding, but absolutely stunning!
The rest of the day was really chill. Thai teas in a cafe while writing more postcards to you lovely people! Dinner and then again-more loss of self control at the night market. We found the night market where the locals go and spent some time roaming through it.
Then back over that the other one, I went a little crazy with some art and bought 3 pieces.
Today, I had to make another run over to the shipping area because just like yesterday, I had to ship some things off. After about $100 spent in shipping, my pack is significantly lighter and my souvenirs and art are in the mail on their way home! Now, I'm headed to the train station to catch a train to Cambodia to see the bat caves! It's going to be another long couple days of traveling...
Until next time, peace and much love!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Crazy Monekys!
The last days on the island we very relaxed and totally full of nothing but lazy hours on the beach, in the hammock, or whereever I pleased...Not much to tell, just imagine sand, beer, and laziness...
Well, I am now in Lop Buri, a city that is about 3 hours north of Bangkok.
And what is this city known for? It's Macaque monkeys...
There are everywhere. They have taken over. Despite building being put up and the city growing, they still manage to be everywhere. It's like beignn in the Jumangi movie...
We went to see some of the sites from the 13 century and the historical sites we too covered in monkeys. Seeing as how we got in somewhat late, we couldn't go in. We resolved to walking along the perimeter taking pictures of the monkeys that had just been fed. I had purchased a 1.5L water bottle to satiate my thirst and Andrew had put it in his bag in order to be able to take pictures. There was about an inch or so showing through the top zippers. I had just knelt down to take a better picture of a monkey with a plantain when I felt a monkey jump straight onto my back. I jumped up and did a bit of a screaming laugh type thing and then the monkey preceeded to jump on Andrew, trying to get the water bottle. She succeeded. She managed to pull the entire thing out (and it was still relatively full) and it went rolling down the hill we were on. Andrew then had to race her to the bottle. He kept shouting "No!" at her and she kept barring her teeth and opening her mouth wide. I could not stop laughing!
We had a stroll through the night market when I mimed by wants to a food stall and got pad thai with fresh shrimp and calamari. Yum! Then, some other snacks and finished it off with an Archa Beer-still liking Singha and Chang better though. Went to a bar for my dessert of a White Russian and then went to crash in the bamboo bungalow.
Well, about an hour later, and every 45 minutes or so after that, the monkeys thought it'd be cool to argue and have stomping parties on the roof...so much for sleeping. Then, at about 4AM a cat starting howling...it continued...
In the AM, we went to see the place we couldn't get into last night. I swear, these are some of the most ballsy monkeys I have ever come across...I was standing with my back against the fence taking a picture when one of the young ones came over and tried to pull the anklet off my ankle! What the?! And if you are holding a plastic bag, you can forget it. They'll see it far off and then stalk you and run at you until you drop it or shout loudly and put it away.
The Sunday market was insane: palates of fish, plantains, eels, and turtles, pharmacy type stalls, clothes and an abundance of underwear and bras. The food stalls are everywhere and offer a delicious variety from meats to veggies to fresh cut fruit. I only wish I had more stomachs!
The train system here is like nothing I've experienced in Europe. While the rules are strict and you must abide by them as there are people there to enforce said rules, here, you can stand in the middle of the tracks and jump on all pell-mell, even as the train is still pulling into the station. There aren't assigned seats for shorter distance trains so, the idea is that you need to get on in order to secure a seat. Otherwise, you're standing for the whole trip (the second leg of the trip we had to do that-stand for and hour and a half). It's one crazy cluster of a mess.
From here, we are headed to Chiang Mai in the very North of Thailand. I can't wait to ride an elephant!
The internet place I'm at right now doesn't have functioning USB drives, but as soon as I can, I will upload more photos! The ones of the monkeys, even though they are cheeky, ballsy, rambunctious little bastards, are still quite cute!
So, ciao for now. I'll write again soon!
Well, I am now in Lop Buri, a city that is about 3 hours north of Bangkok.
And what is this city known for? It's Macaque monkeys...
There are everywhere. They have taken over. Despite building being put up and the city growing, they still manage to be everywhere. It's like beignn in the Jumangi movie...
We went to see some of the sites from the 13 century and the historical sites we too covered in monkeys. Seeing as how we got in somewhat late, we couldn't go in. We resolved to walking along the perimeter taking pictures of the monkeys that had just been fed. I had purchased a 1.5L water bottle to satiate my thirst and Andrew had put it in his bag in order to be able to take pictures. There was about an inch or so showing through the top zippers. I had just knelt down to take a better picture of a monkey with a plantain when I felt a monkey jump straight onto my back. I jumped up and did a bit of a screaming laugh type thing and then the monkey preceeded to jump on Andrew, trying to get the water bottle. She succeeded. She managed to pull the entire thing out (and it was still relatively full) and it went rolling down the hill we were on. Andrew then had to race her to the bottle. He kept shouting "No!" at her and she kept barring her teeth and opening her mouth wide. I could not stop laughing!
We had a stroll through the night market when I mimed by wants to a food stall and got pad thai with fresh shrimp and calamari. Yum! Then, some other snacks and finished it off with an Archa Beer-still liking Singha and Chang better though. Went to a bar for my dessert of a White Russian and then went to crash in the bamboo bungalow.
Well, about an hour later, and every 45 minutes or so after that, the monkeys thought it'd be cool to argue and have stomping parties on the roof...so much for sleeping. Then, at about 4AM a cat starting howling...it continued...
In the AM, we went to see the place we couldn't get into last night. I swear, these are some of the most ballsy monkeys I have ever come across...I was standing with my back against the fence taking a picture when one of the young ones came over and tried to pull the anklet off my ankle! What the?! And if you are holding a plastic bag, you can forget it. They'll see it far off and then stalk you and run at you until you drop it or shout loudly and put it away.
The Sunday market was insane: palates of fish, plantains, eels, and turtles, pharmacy type stalls, clothes and an abundance of underwear and bras. The food stalls are everywhere and offer a delicious variety from meats to veggies to fresh cut fruit. I only wish I had more stomachs!
The train system here is like nothing I've experienced in Europe. While the rules are strict and you must abide by them as there are people there to enforce said rules, here, you can stand in the middle of the tracks and jump on all pell-mell, even as the train is still pulling into the station. There aren't assigned seats for shorter distance trains so, the idea is that you need to get on in order to secure a seat. Otherwise, you're standing for the whole trip (the second leg of the trip we had to do that-stand for and hour and a half). It's one crazy cluster of a mess.
From here, we are headed to Chiang Mai in the very North of Thailand. I can't wait to ride an elephant!
The internet place I'm at right now doesn't have functioning USB drives, but as soon as I can, I will upload more photos! The ones of the monkeys, even though they are cheeky, ballsy, rambunctious little bastards, are still quite cute!
So, ciao for now. I'll write again soon!
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