Spending two weeks in
one country was just enough time to get a brief glimpse into different places
within that country. It definitely isn’t enough time to truly immerse yourself
into the culture and lifestyle. It’s a whirlwind of seeing sights,
participating in activities and then packing up to move to the next spot. We
spent a jam packed 14 days in 6 different cities!
Because of this I’ve
learnt that rather than checking a country off my bucketlist when I travel to
it, I’m continuing to add new things to the list. I've learnt that the first trip to a country seems to be simply a feeling out process so I know where I want to spend more time when
I return there! More importantly, I’ve also learnt that no amount of Pad Thai
will ever be enough and I’ve learnt that one should ever take for granted a 100
Baht massage (miss them already).
We started our trip
in Bangkok – wow – words can’t describe the culture shock that occurs when you
are coming from a conservative and strict Middle Eastern culture (I was feeling
risqué simply showing my elbows and knees). In Bangkok I learnt that the
“anything goes” attitude is apparently contagious and you may find yourself in
shock as you watch your boyfriend and brother eat a scorpion. I’ve learnt that
you may as well stop trying to figure out if you are talking to a lady with too
much makeup or a man who is dressed as a lady. I learnt that the excitement of
a 2$ meal quickly loses its appeal as you notice the rats, garbage and smells
surrounding the vendors and you wonder “Was that really chicken that I just
ate?” I learnt that it is possible to start shopping literally 1 minute after
arriving at your destination – even if you haven’t slept in 24 hours,
desperately need a shower and still have your luggage on your back. But who can
really pass up a 3$ tshirt or a $5 dress?!
Next up was Chiang
Mai. Leaving the hustle and bustle and craziness of Bangkok Chaing Mai felt
like a breath of fresh air. It’s lush, green and smells worlds better than
Bangkok. To say that the day we spent at Elephant Nature Park was my favourite
day would be an understatement. The kindness and dedication that these people
have should act as an inspiration to us all. We spent the day following 3
elephants. I learnt that these amazing animals are gracious, gentle, patient,
strong, loyal, demanding and mischievous. We walked with them, we rubbed them
affectionately, we got splashed with water, we chatted with them and we guarded
our bananas as they were very sneaky and very demanding! We watched them
interact with one another and their environment. Elephants are known to be
strong-minded and patient animals. The abuse and trauma they endure as a result
of humans is heart wrenching. Yet these animals rarely, if ever, retaliate even
though one swipe of their trunk could send you flying. My favourite elephant was
May Banyen. She was rescued 2 months prior to our visit from a life of tourism
in Chiang Mai. The puncture wounds in her head and back were still visible and
raw. I’ll admit that I was skeptical of approaching her after hearing her
story. However, she quickly responded to my rubs and continued to following me
around nudging me gently to ask for more bananas. The one word I can use to
describe her is gentle. Another of the elephants rescued is blind due to
abuse from her owner. She was forced to work for years in the logging industry.
She was pushed to her limit and lost her newborn baby as she gave birth to her
while working on a hill. Her baby fell to it’s death. Distraught and refusing
to work – she was beaten and blinded. I tell you these stories so that you may
make more informed choices when you are travelling or when you are given the
opportunity to visit a circus of go for an elephant ride. Please do not support
animal exploitation in the form of tourism or entertainment. It was a humbling
and moving day that I will carry with me forever. Through this day I learnt
that it is possible to be strong but also patient and gentle.
Next leg of our
adventure was a flight south to Phuket. Although our first impressions were
tainted by the smells and sights of Bangla Road, we persevered through and
stayed for 3 days. Here I learnt that you should never book a hostel on Bangla
Road! I also learnt that there is a
reason many tourists are walking around with scrapes and bruises – having a few
mishaps ourselves and a couple members of our groups will now be sporting tough
looking scars from a bike accident. Aside from the accident the day we rented
bikes and cruised along the ocean was bliss. Wind in the hair, ocean breeze on
the left, sun on the right. We arrived at a semi-secluded beach “Paradise
Beach”. It was in that moment that I thought “now this is why I came to
Thailand!” To get away from the crowds, to hear the ocean waves and to soak up
the sun. Our last day in Phuket was a rainy one so we figured why not spend it
visiting another animal rescue – pure heaven for this girl. We took a tuk-tuk
to the jungle to see the Gibbon Rescue Centre. Read my animal blog for more
info J
From Phuket we took a
ferry to Koh Lanta. Koh Lanta ranked top 2 for me on this trip. Koh Lanta
epitomizes the phrase “chilled out”. Our hotel balcony opened up onto the pool.
The ocean was a minutes’ walk away. Here I learnt how to truly relax and just
breathe. The beach was next to empty – with beachside restaurants, massages,
yoga. The 3 days we spent in Koh Lanta were the most relaxed I felt on the
whole trip. I loved the feeling of waking up with no plan, no alarm and just
seeing where the day leads. In this place we went to visit the local Animal
Rescue. We spent the day cuddling with kittens who needed love and walking 3
dogs who needed some attention. Elvis (who broke his pelvis) was the highlight
of our day. Justin had the pleasure of walking this little fella who had just
recovered from his injuries but has a permanent bowlegged walk. He was full of
spunk and sped along with the rest of us, even though we knew it was tiresome
for him! Our last day in Koh Lanta we braved the tiger cave. Headsets on our
foreheads, non-english speaking guide to lead the way and we were off. The 3 of us scrambled to keep up with our
guide as we hiked the hour through the jungle. Arriving at the cave we found we
had to climb up ladders made of merely sticks and logs and scale down a 10 foot
rock cliff (with no harness). The worst of it was a bridge – just over a foot
wide, made of two logs with sticks every few inches. I thought I was an
adventurous soul but in that moment I learnt that I value my life too much and
logic won over and I called it quits!
The next stop was simply
a blur – we went to Koh Phangan for a brief stay – 1 night to be exact! We couldn’t
miss the chance to attend a half moon party while we were in the country. All
there is to say about this night is: buckets of bevies, neon paint and laughing
gas.
Our last stop was in
Koh Tao. Our “budget” trip turned into a bit of luxury, with a 5 star cottage
on the hillside, overlooking the ocean. Just thinking about it soothes my soul.
We spent 3 blissful days in Koh Tao (which ranked in my top 2 as well). We took
a long-tail boat tour with just the 6 of us. We snorkeled all over the island,
stopping along the way. Our last stop was “Shark Bay” so needless to say, I
didn’t get into the water. Within 10 minutes Justin had spotted 2 sharks! The
next day I worked up the nerve to kayak back to shark bay and try snorkeling.
Half hour into the adventure I spotted a baby reef shark. Although small, that
was enough for me and I was right back into the kayak. We paddled around for
awhile after and spotted at least 5 more reef sharks. It was here that I learnt
how one can be mesmerized and moved by these powerful animals. But a quick flap
of their tail and they are off – blink and you miss them!
Thailand – I hope to
see you again one day xoxo
