I'm wearing jeans again, which means the trip, and therefore the blog, is over. I guess I could find some reason for continuing the blog, maybe to document my adventures in bschool, but to be honest, I've learned a few things about myself this summer that tell me thats not a good idea at all. To share a few:
1) While Dan was born to blog (if you havent checked out his blog yet, you really should - its hilarious: www.strangleagiraffe.blogspot.com), I was born to write in my journal about my feelings
2) Blogging is a pain in the butt. Especially in Africa where the internet is slow and expensive. (In Africa at one point I paid $10 for one hour of internet. My first day in Thailand I paid 50 cents). The whole trip, it felt like a job that I tried my best to procrastinate. (You'll notice that my last week in the islands I wrote not a single post, because I was so determined to make that time feel like vacation)
3) I missed my jeans. A LOT. In fact, I intend to never travel without them again. Therefore this blog would be a farce if I ever tried to continue it.
And so I'm closing the door on life without jeans. Its been great, really, but next trip I'm sticking to emails and picasa albums. Speaking of which, I'll be sending out some picasa links this weekend once I cull the 53 giraffe, 102 elephants and 570 antelope pictures down to something more manageable (interesting).
xo,
KC
Friday, August 29, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Fastest Update Ever
Chiang Mai was awesome (thai cooking school, meet up with GSB crew, jungle trek, batman were just a few highlights); train to bangkok was late by 3 hours, took 12 hours, and sucked. watching Jaws on TV in the bangkok hotel while waiting for Alana so we could go swim in the ocean for 7 days was a dumb idea, Alana arrived right on time safe and sound and we were SO excited/in disbelief that we were in bangkok together. We're now on Koh Phanghan and off to the...FULL MOON PARTY. wish us luck. Our boat shuttle takes us there at 7:30pm and picks us up to go home at 7:30 am...
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Train to Chaing Mai
Given that my sleeper seat had only cost $25 and based on other train experiences I've had where the food on board is either inedible or limited to chips and candy bars, I was prepared to huddle down for the 13 hour overnight train ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai with my Dunkin Donuts iced coffee, spring rolls and some cashews saved from Tanzania. Instead, at 7:30, I was served delicious green curry chicken, with rice and soup and pineapple for dessert. Despite reports of a disco party in the dining car, I then settled into a great night of sleep on my comfy and spacious sleeper bed. In the morning, I was awakened for a hot breakfast of congee and coffee and pineapple and arrived in Chiang Mai just before 8am this morning. I'm staying at Julie Guesthouse in the old part of Chiang Mai for at least the next two nights. After that, who knows! Another update to come tomorrow...
Train food - it may not look like much, but when you're expecting nothing....its fabulous!!!
Train bed - lower berth is definitely better!
6:30am view from the train - almost to Chiang Mai!
Train food - it may not look like much, but when you're expecting nothing....its fabulous!!!
Train bed - lower berth is definitely better!
6:30am view from the train - almost to Chiang Mai!Day Two in Bangkok - Ooops Day
Oops #1
I had planned all kinds of things for my second morning in Bangkok. Eating a delicious 8:30 breakfast at the hotel (a big part of the reason I was staying at the hotel was their reputation for amazing food), updating my blog from my in room computer with internet, repacking my bag, beating the crowds to visit the temples...all things I hoped to get done by noon.
Here's what I actually did by noon: I woke up. As a devout morning person, who is usually incapable of sleeping in past 7:30, it was very very weird to see 11:30 on the clock when I opened my eyes. The thought of missing the incredible breakfast I had been looking forward to since I checked in was devastating. Until I finally walked out at 12:30 and was greeted with a "Good Morning Ms George, are you ready for breakfast?" Ohmygod, so exciting. The pictures below show why:
I mean the fruit alone was to die for: pomelo (less bitter version of grapefruit), asian pear, dragon fruit (like white kiwi with more seeds, everywhere), papaya (i dont know about this one - still tastes like dirty socks to me), cantaloupe (also not my fave, but beautiful!), Rambutan (aka lychee lookalikes), watermelon, MANGOSTEEN (definitely my new favorite fruit)...add to that the amazing coconut pancakes, congee with yummy pork dumplings, yogurt with coconut...yum yum yum.
Ooops #2
Finally done eating, I headed to the Grand Palace to get in my culture for the day. Unfortunately, in addition to my internal alarm clock, my normally fairly decent sense of direction was off today too and I walked for 40 minutes in the opposite direction from the Palace. I mean, the complete opposite direction. In my defense, Bangkok is impossible to navigate, even for the taxi drivers (see yesterday's blog), but still, this was a big, embarrassing, thank-god-Im-traveling-by-myself-right-now, "oops". In fact, for a bit of irony, it was a taxi driver that actually rescued me and whisked me to the palace. At least I got my exercise in?
Along the way:
If you look really closely, there's a bead of sweat dripping from the King's nose...
No wonder Bangkok is dirty...
The Grand Palace was beautiful and surprisingly well-maintained (does gold leaf grow on trees here too?). A good way to spend an hour out of the busy city. Especially when youve been walking aimlessly in that city for almost an hour...
Ooops #3
Still in good spirits, and my normal, overly optimistic self, I decided I still had time to get some internet in before heading back to my hotel to collect my bags and make my 6pm train to Chiang Mai. I was soon pulled into the wonderful world of gmail, gchat and excel (yes, Team Africa I'm working on the grand total for everyone, I promise). And then, all of a sudden it was 4:55 and I was very very very late for the train station.
I ran the 6 blocks to my hotel and walked in to the greeting of "Hello Ms George, we've been looking for you - we're worried about your train catching." Yeah, join the club! It was then suggested that because of the evening rush hour traffic, it would be best if I took a tuktuk rather than a taxi. I guess we all decided to ignore the letter the hotel had given me the day before warning me not to use a tuk tuk under any circumstances (they are known to swindle tourists and lure them into stores rather than taking them to where they want to go). Im guessing those rules dont apply when theres a Thai doing the flagging. I watched as my awesome hotel friend flagged one down, negotiated a very good price and sent me off to the train station with only minutes to spare.
Hooray for the tuk tuk! Normal traffic rules dont apply to them (or so I chooose to believe after my trip) and we were at the station in 10 minutes when it would have taken a taxi at least 30. After all that, I even had time to get myself a Dunkin Donuts iced coffee for the ride (Nicky - I was thinking of you, of course!).
Tuk Tuk to the Rescue!
Tuk Tuk Self Portrait
I had planned all kinds of things for my second morning in Bangkok. Eating a delicious 8:30 breakfast at the hotel (a big part of the reason I was staying at the hotel was their reputation for amazing food), updating my blog from my in room computer with internet, repacking my bag, beating the crowds to visit the temples...all things I hoped to get done by noon.
Here's what I actually did by noon: I woke up. As a devout morning person, who is usually incapable of sleeping in past 7:30, it was very very weird to see 11:30 on the clock when I opened my eyes. The thought of missing the incredible breakfast I had been looking forward to since I checked in was devastating. Until I finally walked out at 12:30 and was greeted with a "Good Morning Ms George, are you ready for breakfast?" Ohmygod, so exciting. The pictures below show why:
I mean the fruit alone was to die for: pomelo (less bitter version of grapefruit), asian pear, dragon fruit (like white kiwi with more seeds, everywhere), papaya (i dont know about this one - still tastes like dirty socks to me), cantaloupe (also not my fave, but beautiful!), Rambutan (aka lychee lookalikes), watermelon, MANGOSTEEN (definitely my new favorite fruit)...add to that the amazing coconut pancakes, congee with yummy pork dumplings, yogurt with coconut...yum yum yum.Ooops #2
Finally done eating, I headed to the Grand Palace to get in my culture for the day. Unfortunately, in addition to my internal alarm clock, my normally fairly decent sense of direction was off today too and I walked for 40 minutes in the opposite direction from the Palace. I mean, the complete opposite direction. In my defense, Bangkok is impossible to navigate, even for the taxi drivers (see yesterday's blog), but still, this was a big, embarrassing, thank-god-Im-traveling-by-myself-right-now, "oops". In fact, for a bit of irony, it was a taxi driver that actually rescued me and whisked me to the palace. At least I got my exercise in?
Along the way:
If you look really closely, there's a bead of sweat dripping from the King's nose...
No wonder Bangkok is dirty...The Grand Palace was beautiful and surprisingly well-maintained (does gold leaf grow on trees here too?). A good way to spend an hour out of the busy city. Especially when youve been walking aimlessly in that city for almost an hour...
Ooops #3Still in good spirits, and my normal, overly optimistic self, I decided I still had time to get some internet in before heading back to my hotel to collect my bags and make my 6pm train to Chiang Mai. I was soon pulled into the wonderful world of gmail, gchat and excel (yes, Team Africa I'm working on the grand total for everyone, I promise). And then, all of a sudden it was 4:55 and I was very very very late for the train station.
I ran the 6 blocks to my hotel and walked in to the greeting of "Hello Ms George, we've been looking for you - we're worried about your train catching." Yeah, join the club! It was then suggested that because of the evening rush hour traffic, it would be best if I took a tuktuk rather than a taxi. I guess we all decided to ignore the letter the hotel had given me the day before warning me not to use a tuk tuk under any circumstances (they are known to swindle tourists and lure them into stores rather than taking them to where they want to go). Im guessing those rules dont apply when theres a Thai doing the flagging. I watched as my awesome hotel friend flagged one down, negotiated a very good price and sent me off to the train station with only minutes to spare.
Hooray for the tuk tuk! Normal traffic rules dont apply to them (or so I chooose to believe after my trip) and we were at the station in 10 minutes when it would have taken a taxi at least 30. After all that, I even had time to get myself a Dunkin Donuts iced coffee for the ride (Nicky - I was thinking of you, of course!).
Tuk Tuk to the Rescue!
Tuk Tuk Self PortraitWednesday, August 6, 2008
Day One in Bangkok - Singapore Sling
My fresh off the plane energy to explore a new city was pretty shortlived. An hour of Koh San Rd craziness sent me back to my hotel ready for some rest. Old Bangkok Inn did not disappoint, bringing me a pot of hot vanilla tea, fresh homemade cookies, and a selection of DVDs. Hotel Rwanda had me in tears 2 hours later (especially considering that story only took place 14 years ago right next door to Tanzania...), but I still felt rested and was ready for more Bangkok. Working off Mom's recommendation list (a compilation from her time in Bangkok 20 years ago and the NY Times 36 hour guide), I headed to the Oriental Hotel for a delicious Singapore Sling and a view of the river...
Decided to work off my very strong drink by walking to dinner at Eat Me, an artsy dinner place about 45 min walk from the Oriental, and also on the NY Time's list. Maybe I ordered poorly, or maybe I was just tired and overly picky (read cranky), but I left feeling like my food was pretty tasteless, overpriced (and thats hard to do in Thailand) and the atmosphere was very "you could be at any over priced hipster mod restaurant in the world right now because they all look feel the same" Ah well...
Taxi ride home was an adventure...I had been warned that taxi drivers in Bangkok dont really speak english, and the hotel had given me a map written in Thai to show the driver where my hotel was. Just to be extra sure, I even asked the driver before i got in the cab if he knew where the hotel on the map was...two drivers shook their heads no at this question. #3 seemed confident and I got in. 45 minutes later i had given up on him getting to my hotel on his own and directed him to take me to koh san rd. Once we were there I made him go slowly block by block as I navigated with hand signals based on my walk to Koh San Rd from the hotel earlier in the day. After an hour driving what should have taken 10 minutes, I was so happy to crawl into bed...
Decided to work off my very strong drink by walking to dinner at Eat Me, an artsy dinner place about 45 min walk from the Oriental, and also on the NY Time's list. Maybe I ordered poorly, or maybe I was just tired and overly picky (read cranky), but I left feeling like my food was pretty tasteless, overpriced (and thats hard to do in Thailand) and the atmosphere was very "you could be at any over priced hipster mod restaurant in the world right now because they all look feel the same" Ah well...Taxi ride home was an adventure...I had been warned that taxi drivers in Bangkok dont really speak english, and the hotel had given me a map written in Thai to show the driver where my hotel was. Just to be extra sure, I even asked the driver before i got in the cab if he knew where the hotel on the map was...two drivers shook their heads no at this question. #3 seemed confident and I got in. 45 minutes later i had given up on him getting to my hotel on his own and directed him to take me to koh san rd. Once we were there I made him go slowly block by block as I navigated with hand signals based on my walk to Koh San Rd from the hotel earlier in the day. After an hour driving what should have taken 10 minutes, I was so happy to crawl into bed...
Hello Thailand! aka Back to Blogging...
After a super smooth string of flights from Zanzibar to Dar to Doha to Bangkok, I got to the Old Bangkok Inn early Wednesday morning and was able to move right into my lovely room immediately. Despite not sleeping a wink on any of my flights (the movies and tetris games on Qatar Air were just too good to sleep through!) I was strangely awake and within half an hour I was strolling Koh San Road, with offers to take a tuk tuk, buy new shoes, book a tour to angkor wat and eat pad thai all being shouted at me at once. I took none and discovered super fast internet instead.
Can I just say, first of all, that it is SO much easier to blog from Thailand??? Internet is like 50 cents an hour and its FAST! I already miss a lot about Africa, but one thing I definitely won't miss is trying to blog/send emails/check websites. Dan did a much better job updating his blog than I did, but that boy is dedicated (did we ever get a photo of Dan blogging from Lisa's blackberry in the ocean at Paje by Night???). I'm instead taking the "I'll catch up from Thailand" approach to blogging...
Can I just say, first of all, that it is SO much easier to blog from Thailand??? Internet is like 50 cents an hour and its FAST! I already miss a lot about Africa, but one thing I definitely won't miss is trying to blog/send emails/check websites. Dan did a much better job updating his blog than I did, but that boy is dedicated (did we ever get a photo of Dan blogging from Lisa's blackberry in the ocean at Paje by Night???). I'm instead taking the "I'll catch up from Thailand" approach to blogging...
Monday, August 4, 2008
Zanzibar
Before catching the series of flights that would take me from Zanzibar to Bangkok, I spent a day alone exploring Stonetown. We'd already been to town as a group a few days earlier, so this time around I was content to just roam the streets taking pictures and soaking up the city (and plotting the best place to have dinner, of course!). Here are a few shots from that day...
All the interesting masks and carved wood souvenirs I didnt buy...
While the rest of Tanzania is majority Christian, Zanzibar is very Muslim.
Views from my hotel roof
All the interesting masks and carved wood souvenirs I didnt buy...
While the rest of Tanzania is majority Christian, Zanzibar is very Muslim.
Views from my hotel roof
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