Sunday, April 29, 2012
Greece: Yinonte Episodia?!
Kalimera!
Well, it's 7:30am and I'm sitting in the breakfast area of our 13th century old hostel (was a pilgrim hostel, and than later a Monastary) finding myself behind in posting...again! I told myself I needed to a) write in my journal more often and b) write posts more often, because frankly, we have been so busy it has been taking me longer to remember little details! Ahh my brain is slowly failing me... I must say though, I have been doing the journal thing quite frequently so I can refer back to that when my memory seems slippery.
Okay, so Greece! Being that we sort of bypassed busy season, we definitely didn't get the whole "European crowd" thing going quite yet (not to worry, Italy had plenty of that in store for us). We stayed at a hostel called Athens Backpackers in a 6 bed dorm with a little mini-kitchen and balcony. The first thing we did was drop our bags and head out for a walk im search of a grocery store of some kind. Walking around Athens most definitely had a different vibe than Istanbul. The map we were given from the hostel staff has a brief "speak Greek" on the back of it with translations for everything from Good Morning to Are there riots? Wait..what?? Needless to say, we were a little more on guard (and to answer "Yinonte episodia?" nope, no riots). With the country being in such dire straights we weren't surprised to hear the level of pickpocketing has risen as well. We werent bothered; Andrew likes to think it was the beard..) but we did hear of a few people who had backpacks swiped from them. Both cases of backpack swiping, the owner of the pack had left it sitting behind them, and with so many people around, it's easy enough for someone to sneak by and take it unnoticed. A guy we met from Detroit staying in our dorm was contemplating starting a website where people could share their pickpocket stories..I suppose it happens often enough.
With groceries in hand we headed back to sit on the balcony and enjoy a glass of wine and some tzatziki and pita bread! That night we went with a couple guys from our dorm to "the rocks", a huge hangout spot for locals and travelers alike with a wicked view of the Acropolis and the city of Athens. The nighttime view was incredible! I was snapping away and walked away with a few really good shots of the Acropolis all lit up (Facebook!).
Before I move on, I MUST share with you the greatness that is Greek bakeries. Ahh, I can smell the fresh bread and baklava now... If you are so lucky to walk in to one of these heaven-like shops DO NOT LEAVE EMPTY HANDED. From moist and fragile to crunchy and chewy, the cakes, cookies, and confections will tempt any sweet tooth! We also took advantage of the €0.80 fresh bread to make some dynamite sandwiches.
Alright, back to business. Our first day in Athens was spent walking through Athens and checking out the many temples, stadiums, ruins, and gardens. There is so much history in that city, it's a shame to thing Athens is going downhill. We actually had a hard time accepting that some of the sights are SO old. It's like, okay, so your telling me Zeus sat in this temple?? The Acropolis was amazing. Massive, and unfortunately under a good deal of construction. But then again, pretty much every historic site we have seen is under some sort of "restoration".
Athens is also home to many dogs. Yes, dogs. Not the scraggly, havent-been-fed-in-days type dogs we found on Asia, but the fat, friendly, and lazy type dogs that Athenians seem to love so much. There were several that the staff at Athens Backpackers had names for. These dogs don't seem to be owned by anyone in particular, they just roam the streets, wooing passerby to feed them and pet them. I'm not going to lie, it really made me miss our family dogs at home! Someone in my household needs to remind Jagger and Mona that I haven't disowned them and WILL be coming home again(I'm sure they are just gutted without me there...).
After a couple of days in Athens visiting the sites, eating gyro's and drinking frappes, we decided to book a ferry to Santorini(Thira). An 8 hour ferry ride, on probably the nicest ferry either of us has been on, landed us on the dry and barren piece of giant rock. Don't let my description deceive you..Santorini is absolutely beautiful and full of life. With houses built in to the hilltops, and roads switch-backing up the mountains, there is much to explore on this island!
We spent 2 nights there with a friend, Carl, whom we met in Athens. He was the organized Kiwi, and we were the crazy Canadian couple.
Our guesthouse was great! The couple that run it are so sweet, and had lunch and a bottle of wine for everyone on arrival! There was a giant pool(freezing) and an amazing view of the island and ocean. We took walks throughout the vineyards right down the road from Villa Manos, and sat out in the blazing sun. It's a dry heat, but with the wind it felt a little bit like home.
We rented a motorbike for Andy and I, and a quad for Carl, and spent the entire day driving around the island. We went to the most southern point, the highest point, and in the evening, to Oia, the most northern point, to watch the beautiful sunset. We stopped at a wine museum for a tour and tasting, then beach hopped to dig our feet into the hot black sand. Andy and I both agreed that this was the real Greek experience we were searching for.
After another 8 hour ferry back, we spent one more night in Athens, with a flight to Rome booked for the next day. The anticipation was great!! During the planning stage of our trip, we both chose "must-see" countries, with Iceland being Andrews, and Italy being mine. I was giddy with excitement boarding that plane, knowing that Rome was only 2 hours away from my grasp! I'll just say for now...Italy has not let me down.
More to come soon!
Hope all is well, efharisto to all for reading :)
Love A&C
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Istanbul: Rooftops, Kebabs, and Turkish Delight
Merhaba!
(MARE-ha-ba, hello in Turkish)
After a quick night flight, we found ourselves in the part Asian, part European city of Istanbul (we never made it to the Asian side, but we were told it's similar, but with less tourists and more chopsticks..).
Thankfully, we moved quickly through the airport, payed our $60 for an entry visa, and hopped on the metro. An hour and a half later we arrived in Sultanahmet, part of the "Old City". It was 7:30am, the air was chilly, and there was a light drizzling of rain. It looked like a ghost town. A beautiful ghost town. There was almost no one around. We were approached by the odd early rising salesmen, umbrellas and Istanbul guide books in hand. When we said no thanks, rather than trying to change our minds, they simply said thank you, smiled, and moved on. Well this was different...No heckling? No convincing?? One salesman in particular noticed we looked a little lost, so when we told him the hostel we were looking for, he said "follow me" and led us a few minutes towards a beautiful square, pointing us in the direction we needed to go. A little intro to the Turkish Hospitality.
We stood in the Sultanahmet square marveling at the cobblestone roads and sidewalks, the colorful tulips blooming everywhere, and the looming Mosques on either side of us. Aya Sofya(Church of Holy Wisdom) to one side, Sultan Ahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) to the other. With the rain picking up, we picked our jaws up off the ground and continued on our search for the Bahaus Guesthouse.
A short walk later through more cobblestone streets, we made it to our hostel, dropped our bags, and followed a staff member up to the breakfast room. After airport food galore, we were stunned by the buffet before us. Fresh bakery breads, cucumbers and tomatoes, dried apricots and olives, meat and the popular Turkish goats-milk cheeses. Can't forget the nice addition of nutella as well! With a coffee and our plates of goodies we sat down to admire the view. Situated almost perfectly between buildings, the guesthouse looked directly out to the ocean. We could feel it...Istanbul was going to be great.
After breakfast, we washed up and decided to head to an area called Taksim Square in search of some warmer clothing. Coming from SE Asia, our bags were filled with shorts, tank tops, and swimsuits, which was not going to cut it in Turkey. When we got off the metro, the rain had picked up, and sure enough we quickly found ourselves an umbrella salesman to help us out.
Taksim square is a more modern area of Istanbul. You'll find a Starbucks amongst the local cafes, a Top Shop along with the souvenir shops, and a Burger King next to the little kebab restaurants. Our senses were alive with the beeping of cars, shouts from the local vendors selling roasted chestnuts and corn on the cob, savory smells coming from the open windowed kebab stalls, and of course the dessert shops selling mounds of Turkish delight and Baklava. We spent a few hours walking along Istiklal street, a street flowing from Taksim square restricted to pedestrians, police cars, and one rickety little train that runs straight down the middle.
Despite the rain that first day, we could not stop smiling, reminding each other every ten minutes "we are in ISTANBUL right now!". It was quite surreal to be walking through streets, passing by historical buildings and monuments that you read about in textbooks or see in movies.
We had an accidental early night(went for a nap before supper around 6:30pm, woke up at 10:30pm, decided to stay in bed for the night,haha) and woke up refreshed and excited for another day in Istanbul. We took our times getting ready, and headed up to the breakfast room around 7:00 to have a coffee. Breakfast starts at 7:30, so we were the only ones up for about 45 minutes. After another delicious meal, we set out for the day. The air was chilly and brisk, but it felt nice to have a pair of pants and light jacket on after 3 months of "wanting to be naked" heat. It was just after eight as we were walking towards the Topkapi Palace entryway. We were quite surprised about the lack of people, until, not even 2 minutes later we looked behind us to see a FLOOD of people coming towards us. We literally missed the crowd by seconds. So, we continued on towards the ticket booth, and thought, seeing as we beat the crowd, we might as well get in line! Half hour later, we had our tickets to the Topkapi Palace Museum and the Harem, private quarters where the Sultan did his business, most of the risqué type(think, four wives). We spent a couple of hours wondering through the museum, looking at ancient artifacts and reading the many explanatory signs. Mainly, we introduced "the museum walk", which we, after perfecting, can slow down to with the quick murmur of "museum" (fun to bust out while speed-walking through a crowd of tourists in a rush to the next line-up, we've gotten some looks...) . After we'd had our fill of museums-I swear its more enjoyable then I may be describing- we sought out a cheap kebab for lunch, sat down on a park bench and did some people watching. We were approached more than once by locals taking English courses,asking if we could help them with some homework. We said of course, and spent a few minutes being interviewed by one, while the other videotaped. Questions like, where are you from, what is your name, how long are you in Istanbul. I have never seen someone so nervous! Their hands were shaking, their lips were quivering. Some had great English, others you could tell were just starting out. It was really neat to be apart of helping someone to learn our language.
Later that day we went to the Cagaloglu Hamami, a famous 300 year old venue, for a traditional Turkish Bath. These baths are a tradition founded by the Romans, and passed on to the Byzantines, and later to the Turks. There are separate sections for the men and women. Each includes the camekan(entrance hall) which hold several cubicles to change in, and where you can enjoy a cup of tea or coffee after the bath, the sogukluk(intermediate room) a passage between the entrance and bathing rooms, and lastly, the hararet(hot room) the main room of the bath, where you can sit and sweat in the steam for as long as you choose. The bath includes the steaming, a full-body scrub using a coarse, soapy mitt(kese), a full-body shampoo, and a massage. All done on a huge marble plinth, in the middle of the marble covered hot room. Naked. Stark naked. It was a little shocking for me at first. Naive as I am, I assumed the wrap they gave me would be staying on... The sweet Turkish woman quickly set me straight on that one, grabbing first the wrap, and then my hand, leading me to the marble podium. Umm..okay. After about 15 minutes of sitting in the steam and attempting to relax(I did after about ten minutes), I actually felt liberated, and quite grateful to be experiencing such a historical and popular tradition in Turkey.
Over an hour of sweating, scrubbing, washing, and massaging, we emerged from our separate baths, utterly relaxed, soft-skinned, and sleepy. Now, the women are quite quiet and gentle, but Andrews experience was a little different. There is a lot more yelling, slapping, and even spanking, going on in the men's bathing room. It was quite funny to exchange our stories afterwards over a Turkish coffee.
We spent the evening hanging out on the rooftop bar of the hostel. Alex, the awesome kebab and barman, made us his famous kebab(succulent lamb cooked with a spicy sauce and veggies wrapped up in fresh pita) we played some cards, and met some of the other travelers staying at the hostel.
The next day we spent the morning getting lost in the Grand Bazaar. Named the worlds largest underground market, you can find everything from jewelry to hand-made carpets and antiques to leather. It would be easy to spend an entire day walking the aisles without even noticing time going by. There is just SO much to look at. We found ourselves drinking apple tea(more Turkish hospitality) in a carpet store, while a man tried to convince us to buy a nice carpet for our Mothers... The filming of the new James Bond movie was taking place in Istanbul at the time, and they were filming a scene at the Grand Bazaar the day before we were there(so a good portion of it was closed) and the day we went we watched a few takes of someone saying "we are here on the set of the new James Bond movie...". Cool right?!
We had a fresh fish sandwich at the harbor for lunch, and then made our way to the Spice Bazaar. Another amazing market, this time selling teas, nuts and dried fruits, Turkish delight and other sweets, fresh honeycomb and of course, spices galore!! This place was heaven on earth. We sampled many sweets, and I dreamed of all the things I would buy..if only money grew on trees...and backpacks didn't get heavier...
Another great evening on the rooftop bar! More new friends, more tasty kebabs and glasses of wine.
Our fourth day in Istanbul, we went with a few friends from the hostel to Prince's Island. We took the ferry there, rented some tandem bikes, and spent the day touring around the island. It's a popular hangout for locals in the summer months, but I found the city much nicer(and nicer smelling!!). We had a good laugh over trying to control the double bikes though. It's harder then it looks! Except, don't ask Andrew, because he will blame it on his less then helpful partner in the back... Alright, so I may have slacked a little... We had lunch and an ice-cream, and headed back to watch the sunset from the rooftop.
The fifth day, we decided it would be our last, so we booked flights to Athens for the next morning.
That day we visited the Aya Sofya and the Blue Mosque. The walls and ceilings are covered with beautiful murals and tiling. The Blue Mosque is filled with blue tiles, giving it it's unofficial name. Part of the Blue Mosque is blocked off to tourists, leaving a large portion for praying only. The beauty is indescribable. The atmosphere is thick with history and prayer. We practiced our "museum walk" forcing ourselves to slow down and take it all in.
Throughout our stay we also spent a lot of time walking through Gulhane Park. A beautiful walking park with millions of tulips planted everywhere. Such a beautiful spot to relax in the sun and watch the crowds go by.
Besides the many chicken, lamb, and meatball kebabs, Andrew tested out another form of Turkish fast-food, the Islak burger, or better known as a wet burger. Glass cases are stacked with these soggy, sloppy joe like burgers. They are cheap, and actually don't taste too bad.
Overall, five days in Istanbul gave us time to see what we wanted and to get a good feel of the Turkish culture and history. With that said we could have stayed longer and would go back in a heartbeat! I suppose that's a good way to leave a city. The food, the people, the smells, the history. It will all be missed. We highly recommend a stop in Istanbul for anyone heading to Europe. It is a breathtaking and remarkable city.
"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count, it's the life in your years" - Abraham Lincoln
A&C
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Two Weeks in Indo: Ubud!
Hello!
With flights to Istanbul booked, we were left with 2 nights to spare, so we made our way to a city in Bali called Ubud.
Ever read/watched Eat Pray Love? Well the Love part of the story takes place in Ubud. This city was one of my favorites. Walking down the streets, we were overjoyed with the lack of garbage and un-appetizing smells. Instead, burning incense filled our nostrils, placed amongst the many offerings to the gods laid out on the sidewalks. The constant heckling that seems to come with traveling SE Asia was replaced with genuine smiles and curious glances. Men and women clad in yoga gear made their way to the serene studios throughout Ubud to practice. "Green" shops and cafes lined the streets, inviting you to join in on the healthy and happy lifestyle that seems to come with the city. Ubud is a fine choice of location to learn about the Balinese culture and language, arts such as painting and woodcarving, Balinese cooking and more. There are galleries on every corner, showing off and offering lessons on sculpting, water photography and even egg painting. It was easy to fall in love with a place so filled with passion and people emanating a real zest for life.
We found a nice hostel with a room overlooking a thriving rice field. Right out our window we could watch the numerous garbage-bag kites soar through the sky, children screaming with delight over having raised theirs highest. We left our windows open at night, and let the birds be our alarm (and yes,it was early rising for us!). We ran into a couple staying in the room across from us who had been in Ubud for 3 weeks. After we mentioned we only had a couple of days, they suggested some must-do's : take a walk through Monkey Forest, and experience a traditional Kecak Fire dance.
So, no time to waste we made our way to the Monkey Forest Sanctuary. Home to over 530 Balinese macaques, or long-tail macaques, this forest is also the home of three holy Temples built during the 14th century, and two graveyards. These monkeys are no strangers to humans, and are found strewn about the sidewalks, stone walls, and hanging from the trees. We seen them sleeping, eating a banana-most likely an entire cluster, stolen from the poor tourist who paid to feed multiple monkeys and ended up surrendering the entire bunch to one of these very adamant creatures-picking through each others hair, scratching bums, and in one case smashing a glass bottle to smithereens. I had one baby monkey climb up beside me and hold my hand. And, admittedly, I had a run in with a particularly hungry monkey while holding a cluster of bananas for another man while Andrew took his picture. Unfortunately, as described above, the bunch could not be saved, as I feared for my own well being over the loss of bananas. Having a large monkey cling onto your leg and begin his ascend was not my idea of fun...Besides my near-death experience (only kidding) we had a great time walking through the forest and watching these crazy human-like animals interact.
That night we bought tickets for the traditional Kecak and Trance dance. So glad we did, as it was one of the most beautiful things we have witnessed. A crowd of men sit cross-legged around a tower of lit candles and incense, chanting in unison, creating a unique and wonderful kind of music, known as gamelan suara. The men sway, stand up, and lie prone as the story develops. Women in elaborate and traditional costume dance using not only their bodies, but their eyes, to tell you the story of trickery, love, magic, and defeat. It's not something that is very easy for me to describe, as the entire experience was so elaborate and touching. It was definitely not something we expected to be so mesmerized by.
The following day, we rented a motorbike and spent a couple of hours in search of a particular fruit and coffee plantation. We were told about a rather unique and very rare type of coffee that was a must-try in Bali. Now, before I explain, you must be a brave coffee-lover to really appreciate this whole process...
The Asian Palm Civet Cat, or Luwok in Balinese, is an animal that roams Indonesia, feeding on only the finest and ripest cherries (fruit of the coffee plant). Coffee plantations around Bali are home to these cats, protecting them from extinction, and capitalizing on their rare ability. Here's the secret. After eating these cherries, the cat eventually poops out the beans which are handpicked out, cleaned, dried, and roasted to perfection. With an intense, but delicate flavor, what sets this coffee apart is that it has almost no aftertaste. The flavor is due to the bean being partially fermented in the cats digestive system. From cat poop to coffee cup, the rarest coffee in the world is born! Gross in theory, but delicious in your cup!
Luwok coffee wasn't our only tester while at this local plantation. We tried vanilla coffee, hot cocoa, lemon tea, and Balinese coffee. All ingredients grown and made fresh on the plantation. There were cinnamon trees, chili peppers, fruits from papaya to pineapple, cocoa and vanilla beans. Local fruits and veggies from the salak fruit to a tiny version of an eggplant. This place was alive and fresh! The men roasted us some kasapa, a Balinese root tasting of a mix between sweet potato and parsnip (absolutely delicious, and filling!). It was a real, local experience.
We thoroughly enjoyed every minute spent in Ubud. The healthy and delicious foods, fresh coffees. Restraurants, yoga studios, and our hostel overlooking the rice fields. It was an unexpected treat to end our time in Indo.
Now, we are bordering Europe and Asia in the beautiful city of Istanbul!
Here's to big changes in our Dream Adventure!
Love to all
A&C
With flights to Istanbul booked, we were left with 2 nights to spare, so we made our way to a city in Bali called Ubud.
Ever read/watched Eat Pray Love? Well the Love part of the story takes place in Ubud. This city was one of my favorites. Walking down the streets, we were overjoyed with the lack of garbage and un-appetizing smells. Instead, burning incense filled our nostrils, placed amongst the many offerings to the gods laid out on the sidewalks. The constant heckling that seems to come with traveling SE Asia was replaced with genuine smiles and curious glances. Men and women clad in yoga gear made their way to the serene studios throughout Ubud to practice. "Green" shops and cafes lined the streets, inviting you to join in on the healthy and happy lifestyle that seems to come with the city. Ubud is a fine choice of location to learn about the Balinese culture and language, arts such as painting and woodcarving, Balinese cooking and more. There are galleries on every corner, showing off and offering lessons on sculpting, water photography and even egg painting. It was easy to fall in love with a place so filled with passion and people emanating a real zest for life.
We found a nice hostel with a room overlooking a thriving rice field. Right out our window we could watch the numerous garbage-bag kites soar through the sky, children screaming with delight over having raised theirs highest. We left our windows open at night, and let the birds be our alarm (and yes,it was early rising for us!). We ran into a couple staying in the room across from us who had been in Ubud for 3 weeks. After we mentioned we only had a couple of days, they suggested some must-do's : take a walk through Monkey Forest, and experience a traditional Kecak Fire dance.
So, no time to waste we made our way to the Monkey Forest Sanctuary. Home to over 530 Balinese macaques, or long-tail macaques, this forest is also the home of three holy Temples built during the 14th century, and two graveyards. These monkeys are no strangers to humans, and are found strewn about the sidewalks, stone walls, and hanging from the trees. We seen them sleeping, eating a banana-most likely an entire cluster, stolen from the poor tourist who paid to feed multiple monkeys and ended up surrendering the entire bunch to one of these very adamant creatures-picking through each others hair, scratching bums, and in one case smashing a glass bottle to smithereens. I had one baby monkey climb up beside me and hold my hand. And, admittedly, I had a run in with a particularly hungry monkey while holding a cluster of bananas for another man while Andrew took his picture. Unfortunately, as described above, the bunch could not be saved, as I feared for my own well being over the loss of bananas. Having a large monkey cling onto your leg and begin his ascend was not my idea of fun...Besides my near-death experience (only kidding) we had a great time walking through the forest and watching these crazy human-like animals interact.
That night we bought tickets for the traditional Kecak and Trance dance. So glad we did, as it was one of the most beautiful things we have witnessed. A crowd of men sit cross-legged around a tower of lit candles and incense, chanting in unison, creating a unique and wonderful kind of music, known as gamelan suara. The men sway, stand up, and lie prone as the story develops. Women in elaborate and traditional costume dance using not only their bodies, but their eyes, to tell you the story of trickery, love, magic, and defeat. It's not something that is very easy for me to describe, as the entire experience was so elaborate and touching. It was definitely not something we expected to be so mesmerized by.
The following day, we rented a motorbike and spent a couple of hours in search of a particular fruit and coffee plantation. We were told about a rather unique and very rare type of coffee that was a must-try in Bali. Now, before I explain, you must be a brave coffee-lover to really appreciate this whole process...
The Asian Palm Civet Cat, or Luwok in Balinese, is an animal that roams Indonesia, feeding on only the finest and ripest cherries (fruit of the coffee plant). Coffee plantations around Bali are home to these cats, protecting them from extinction, and capitalizing on their rare ability. Here's the secret. After eating these cherries, the cat eventually poops out the beans which are handpicked out, cleaned, dried, and roasted to perfection. With an intense, but delicate flavor, what sets this coffee apart is that it has almost no aftertaste. The flavor is due to the bean being partially fermented in the cats digestive system. From cat poop to coffee cup, the rarest coffee in the world is born! Gross in theory, but delicious in your cup!
Luwok coffee wasn't our only tester while at this local plantation. We tried vanilla coffee, hot cocoa, lemon tea, and Balinese coffee. All ingredients grown and made fresh on the plantation. There were cinnamon trees, chili peppers, fruits from papaya to pineapple, cocoa and vanilla beans. Local fruits and veggies from the salak fruit to a tiny version of an eggplant. This place was alive and fresh! The men roasted us some kasapa, a Balinese root tasting of a mix between sweet potato and parsnip (absolutely delicious, and filling!). It was a real, local experience.
We thoroughly enjoyed every minute spent in Ubud. The healthy and delicious foods, fresh coffees. Restraurants, yoga studios, and our hostel overlooking the rice fields. It was an unexpected treat to end our time in Indo.
Now, we are bordering Europe and Asia in the beautiful city of Istanbul!
Here's to big changes in our Dream Adventure!
Love to all
A&C
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Two Weeks in Indo: A&C vs. Mt. Rinjani
Hey Everyone!
Next in Indo was a 3day/2night trek up to the summit of Mt. Rinjani, 3726m high(12,224 feet).
Mount or Gunung Rinjani is the 3rd largest Volcano in Indonesia,and last erupted in 2009. The mountain rises up over the volcano itself, creating a ring around it. The center of the ring also holds Segara Anak, a crater lake, hot springs, and one big waterfall. The volcano is considered a sacred place and many people from around Lombok, Sasak and Balinese alike, make the trip up to the lake to leave offerings in the water, or bathe off disease in the hot springs. The hike itself is beautiful, but challenging.
Before beginning the trek, we spent one night in a village called Senaru, a main entry point to the hike. We took a walk into the Senaru Falls, and spent the evening teaching a local boy, Ju, a few of our card games. Ju, 17 years old, works at the guesthouse we stayed at but also works as a porter. He explained that he would like to become a guide, but needs to "get better english" first. The night before the hike, he took us for a walk into a smaller village to buy some local rice wine to share with our porters and guide. The women spoke zero English and seemed quite nervous around us, making little to no eye-contact. The wine came in a 1.5 L water bottle, and despite the ant or two that made their way in, was quite tasty.
The morning of the hike we woke up for breakfast around 700am, met up with our fellow hikers, and set off for the trail. We hiked from about 8am until 1130am, mostly uphill, and then stopped for lunch. We had 4 porters(1 for every 2 hikers) who carried everything(except for our clothing, everyone had their own backpack for that) in 2 woven baskets on either side of a bamboo stick. Food, pots and cutlery, sleeping bags and tents. Each porter carries about 30kg on their shoulder, and the crazy part is, they do the entire hike in either flip-flops or bare feet! Their shoulders actually had a permanent indent where the bamboo stick sits.
Lunch was amazing. Hot noodle and veggie soup with a boiled egg, rice, tea and biscuits, cut up pineapple and bananas. 5 star! We relaxed after lunch for a bit, and then set off again. We hiked for another 3 1/2 hours(uphill of course) until we arrived at our first camp. Andy helped our porters set up tents while me and the other girls changed into warmer clothes..in other words, every possible layer we had with us! It was freezing! The wind is what really got us. But of course, being cold didnt stop us from enjoying the AMMAAZING view and sunset (pictures on Facebook). Our wonderful porters made us yet another delicious meal, Nasi Gori (fried rice with veggies) and fried chicken(the porters actually boiled the chicken at the first stop we made of the day, wrapped it up, and then fried it for dinner). We spent the evening huddling around the fire with tea and biscuits. We also busted out the rice wine, which our guide Saf and the porters were happy to drink. One in particular was quite a fan of the drink, and after finishing about half of the bottle, we pronounced him drunk, and the other porters called him Mr. Brum(rice wine) for the rest of the trip.
After a slightly cold and uncomfortable sleep-okay that's giving it more credit than deserved, it was a terrible sleep- we had a banana pancake and tea for breakfast and set off again. We hiked for a half-hour to the "Rim", which overlooks the crater, and then 3 hours down to the lake where we stopped for lunch(a mix of rice, tempeh-similar to tofu, made out of soybeans- and veggies. Fruit and tea as well). After wading in the water, eating, and resting our legs in the sun we began again, this time uphill for 3 hours. We stopped for the night at Base camp, an area of volcanic sand and rock, with monkeys swinging from tree to tree, waiting for you to drop a handful of rice. The wind was again, freezing, so we bundled up wih every layer we had and drank hot tea non-stop to keep warm. I'm sure many people were cursing the salesman for not informing them of both the cold weather, and the difficulty of the hike. Countless people start the hike with no clue of what they are getting themselves into.
We had an early bedtime of 7:00pm as we were due to wakeup at 2:00am the next day! Another cold few hours of off and on sleep and Saf was calling us for breakfast "Mr. Andy, Chelsie Olivia, time to get up please"(Andy's other nickname was "boss"). We had some more tea and biscuits and started off for the summit. 3 hours we hiked in the bone-chilling wind. The entire trail up is made up of volcanic sand, so you sunk back with every step you took. It was mentally, the most challenging hike Andrew and I have ever done. It was hard physically as well, but trying to stay positive at 3am, on the dark and windy side of a mountain proved very difficult. Thankfully we all made it to the top, just in time for the sunrise. It was so cold at the top, all I could do was bundle up in a little ball, hands too numb to take pictures, using Andrew as a shield/blanket(we did get pictures, but most credit goes to Andrew!). After the sun rose, we made our way down, bouncing in the sand like we were on mars. It took us about an hour and a half to get back to camp. It was strange seeing the trail down in the daylight. We still can't believe what we had to hike up in the complete darkness. What a sense of accomplishment we had though!
We had a long day ahead of us, as we were making the entire trip down back to the village. 6 more hours of hiking and we were back. We walked down the mountain, through grasslands, forests, rice fields, until finally reaching the village, where a van was waiting to pick us up. Exhausted doesn't begin to explain how we felt. We were stinky,sweaty, and full of dirt. I fell asleep almost instantly after getting into the van.
Hiking Mt. Rinjani was a challenging and rewarding experience. We watched the clouds swallow the hillside, the sun rise and fall over the mountain, monkeys fight over leftovers, and the flashlights of several hikers bobbing in the dark, minds fighting bodies, pushing their way up to the summit at 3am. Everyone there for one reason or another, but all looking to reach the same point.
Worth it? Hell. Yes.
A&C
Next in Indo was a 3day/2night trek up to the summit of Mt. Rinjani, 3726m high(12,224 feet).
Mount or Gunung Rinjani is the 3rd largest Volcano in Indonesia,and last erupted in 2009. The mountain rises up over the volcano itself, creating a ring around it. The center of the ring also holds Segara Anak, a crater lake, hot springs, and one big waterfall. The volcano is considered a sacred place and many people from around Lombok, Sasak and Balinese alike, make the trip up to the lake to leave offerings in the water, or bathe off disease in the hot springs. The hike itself is beautiful, but challenging.
Before beginning the trek, we spent one night in a village called Senaru, a main entry point to the hike. We took a walk into the Senaru Falls, and spent the evening teaching a local boy, Ju, a few of our card games. Ju, 17 years old, works at the guesthouse we stayed at but also works as a porter. He explained that he would like to become a guide, but needs to "get better english" first. The night before the hike, he took us for a walk into a smaller village to buy some local rice wine to share with our porters and guide. The women spoke zero English and seemed quite nervous around us, making little to no eye-contact. The wine came in a 1.5 L water bottle, and despite the ant or two that made their way in, was quite tasty.
The morning of the hike we woke up for breakfast around 700am, met up with our fellow hikers, and set off for the trail. We hiked from about 8am until 1130am, mostly uphill, and then stopped for lunch. We had 4 porters(1 for every 2 hikers) who carried everything(except for our clothing, everyone had their own backpack for that) in 2 woven baskets on either side of a bamboo stick. Food, pots and cutlery, sleeping bags and tents. Each porter carries about 30kg on their shoulder, and the crazy part is, they do the entire hike in either flip-flops or bare feet! Their shoulders actually had a permanent indent where the bamboo stick sits.
Lunch was amazing. Hot noodle and veggie soup with a boiled egg, rice, tea and biscuits, cut up pineapple and bananas. 5 star! We relaxed after lunch for a bit, and then set off again. We hiked for another 3 1/2 hours(uphill of course) until we arrived at our first camp. Andy helped our porters set up tents while me and the other girls changed into warmer clothes..in other words, every possible layer we had with us! It was freezing! The wind is what really got us. But of course, being cold didnt stop us from enjoying the AMMAAZING view and sunset (pictures on Facebook). Our wonderful porters made us yet another delicious meal, Nasi Gori (fried rice with veggies) and fried chicken(the porters actually boiled the chicken at the first stop we made of the day, wrapped it up, and then fried it for dinner). We spent the evening huddling around the fire with tea and biscuits. We also busted out the rice wine, which our guide Saf and the porters were happy to drink. One in particular was quite a fan of the drink, and after finishing about half of the bottle, we pronounced him drunk, and the other porters called him Mr. Brum(rice wine) for the rest of the trip.
After a slightly cold and uncomfortable sleep-okay that's giving it more credit than deserved, it was a terrible sleep- we had a banana pancake and tea for breakfast and set off again. We hiked for a half-hour to the "Rim", which overlooks the crater, and then 3 hours down to the lake where we stopped for lunch(a mix of rice, tempeh-similar to tofu, made out of soybeans- and veggies. Fruit and tea as well). After wading in the water, eating, and resting our legs in the sun we began again, this time uphill for 3 hours. We stopped for the night at Base camp, an area of volcanic sand and rock, with monkeys swinging from tree to tree, waiting for you to drop a handful of rice. The wind was again, freezing, so we bundled up wih every layer we had and drank hot tea non-stop to keep warm. I'm sure many people were cursing the salesman for not informing them of both the cold weather, and the difficulty of the hike. Countless people start the hike with no clue of what they are getting themselves into.
We had an early bedtime of 7:00pm as we were due to wakeup at 2:00am the next day! Another cold few hours of off and on sleep and Saf was calling us for breakfast "Mr. Andy, Chelsie Olivia, time to get up please"(Andy's other nickname was "boss"). We had some more tea and biscuits and started off for the summit. 3 hours we hiked in the bone-chilling wind. The entire trail up is made up of volcanic sand, so you sunk back with every step you took. It was mentally, the most challenging hike Andrew and I have ever done. It was hard physically as well, but trying to stay positive at 3am, on the dark and windy side of a mountain proved very difficult. Thankfully we all made it to the top, just in time for the sunrise. It was so cold at the top, all I could do was bundle up in a little ball, hands too numb to take pictures, using Andrew as a shield/blanket(we did get pictures, but most credit goes to Andrew!). After the sun rose, we made our way down, bouncing in the sand like we were on mars. It took us about an hour and a half to get back to camp. It was strange seeing the trail down in the daylight. We still can't believe what we had to hike up in the complete darkness. What a sense of accomplishment we had though!
We had a long day ahead of us, as we were making the entire trip down back to the village. 6 more hours of hiking and we were back. We walked down the mountain, through grasslands, forests, rice fields, until finally reaching the village, where a van was waiting to pick us up. Exhausted doesn't begin to explain how we felt. We were stinky,sweaty, and full of dirt. I fell asleep almost instantly after getting into the van.
Hiking Mt. Rinjani was a challenging and rewarding experience. We watched the clouds swallow the hillside, the sun rise and fall over the mountain, monkeys fight over leftovers, and the flashlights of several hikers bobbing in the dark, minds fighting bodies, pushing their way up to the summit at 3am. Everyone there for one reason or another, but all looking to reach the same point.
Worth it? Hell. Yes.
A&C
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Two Weeks in Indo: Diving Komodo National Park and Soaking Up the Gili's
Hi Everyone!
After spending two weeks in Indonesia, we decided this was our favorite country in SE Asia. Beautiful scenery, genuinely friendly people, and so much to do!
First on our itinerary (which was shorter then we would have liked, but as our flights to Istanbul were booked, we fit in what we could!) was a trip to Komodo National Park. As a child, Andrew was obsessed with dinosaurs and while watching tv one day, he seen a commercial for Komodo Island. These dragons were quite similar looking to his beloved, but waay extinct favorite animal. Since then, he has always wanted to visit this far away island. Neither of us actually knew that Komodo was in Indonesia, until talking to a couple from London that encouraged us to add Indo to our travel list (thank you!). So we set off with the goal of reaching this mystery island first.
A quick flight from Denpasar, Bali, we arrived in Labuan Bajo, the port to exploring Komodo National Park.
We decided to set up a diving safari and explore the park from under the ocean and above! A 2day/1night with 6 dives ahead of us, and a hike around Komodo and Rinca island (where the dragons live). This diving trip was most definitely a highlight of our entire adventure so far. Gusta, the captain of the boat, knew everything there is to know about the waters surrounding Komodo and Rinca island and our dive masters were great as well! We started the first day with a dive around 10am, came up for lunch (all made and set out for us!) and then went for dive number 2. We seen so many new fish and sea life we hadn't experienced yet, it was so exciting. White-tipped reef sharks, unicorn fish(watched one in particular feeding on some smaller fish), trumpet fish, tons of moray eels and a couple of HUGE lobsters. My favorite part of the day was seeing turtles! We swam right along them, and I had a hard time leaving them as they made their way to the surface. One actually swam right between my legs! I almost pulled my regulator out just to scream in delight.
In between dives we docked the boat and went to find some Komodo Dragons! The islands are absolutely beautiful, with rolling grassy hills and an unbelievable view. Sure enough we seen a handful of these strange creatures. Most just lazing around, a couple walking around with their tongues out (that is how they pick ip scents). They are very unpredictable animals, so you really can't get too close. People have been attacked and killed before, so we didn't take our chances. After hiking around, we made our way back to the boat for the last dive.
(I really can't explain the beauty of these islands. There are some pictures on Facebook, but really, nothing does them justice)
After some tea and a snack, we set out for our 3rd dive of the day, right before the sunset. Our first night dive! We started in the light, so it was really neat to see the changes in the ocean as the sun slowly went down. Once it got dark enough, we switched on our flashlights and swam right along the ocean floor to watch all the little critters you don't see during the day. When it was totally dark, we put our flashlights against our chests to block the light, and watched as sparks danced from our fingers. When we made our way to the top, this time, dinner was ready for us! We relaxed and logged our dives while drinking tea and watching the stars. When it was bedtime, Andy and I decided to move our mattresses up on the deck and sleep there. So glad we did, it was a great sleep, and we woke up to a beautiful, serene sunrise. That kind of quiet doesn't come around often, so we slowly sipped our coffees until the rest of the boat was up and ready to dive our second day.
Our fourth dive was a drift dive. The strength of the current moves you along, so you can really just sit cross-legged in the water, lean back and relax. We set out towards an island surrounded by thriving coral reef and let the current take us around. It was another amazing dive with beautiful ocean life, and let's not forget, more turtles!!
Our next 2 dives were just as exciting. Strong currents, bright coral, and tons of crazy looking fish. The last dive was at Manta Point. It's quite a shallow dive, about 10 meters, and again with strong currents pulling you along. Manta Point is where tons of Manta Rays come to feed. It's like a zoo of Manta Rays. We seen babies, mid-size, and one that was 6 meters wide! These are huge creatures, and watching them float through the water was magnificent.
After our 6 dives were over, we were tired, but so sad to head back to shore. Our "room" on the boat was nicer then the room we had on Labuan Bajo! But we left feeling way more comfortable under water, and having seen so much exciting ocean life.
Next on our list was to soak up the sun on the Gili islands! There are 3 islands all in a row. Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air.
Two days,one nasty night bus, multiple ferries and mini-buses and we finally arrived on Gili Trawangan, or for short, Gili T. Gili T is the busiest of the islands, with beautiful white and black sand, great little places to eat, and nice accommodation. We spent our days walking/running around the island(takes about an hour and a half to walk around the whole thing) learning to surf(Andy)practicing yoga(Me. The girl who runs the studio is Canadian actually!) and laying with our books on the scorching hot sand (so hot, I'm pretty sure our feet were screeching "I'm melllttinngg!" on the short run from sarong to water, water to sarong). We stayed on Gili T for 3 nights, and then took a short boat ride over to Gili Air, a much quieter, less busy island for one night. It was a great 4 nights, relaxing, and just busy enough.
We really soaked up the sun, and took advantage of laying around because we knew our next stop would be a challenging one... Climbing Mt. Rinjani!
More to come..
Love to all!
A&C
After spending two weeks in Indonesia, we decided this was our favorite country in SE Asia. Beautiful scenery, genuinely friendly people, and so much to do!
First on our itinerary (which was shorter then we would have liked, but as our flights to Istanbul were booked, we fit in what we could!) was a trip to Komodo National Park. As a child, Andrew was obsessed with dinosaurs and while watching tv one day, he seen a commercial for Komodo Island. These dragons were quite similar looking to his beloved, but waay extinct favorite animal. Since then, he has always wanted to visit this far away island. Neither of us actually knew that Komodo was in Indonesia, until talking to a couple from London that encouraged us to add Indo to our travel list (thank you!). So we set off with the goal of reaching this mystery island first.
A quick flight from Denpasar, Bali, we arrived in Labuan Bajo, the port to exploring Komodo National Park.
We decided to set up a diving safari and explore the park from under the ocean and above! A 2day/1night with 6 dives ahead of us, and a hike around Komodo and Rinca island (where the dragons live). This diving trip was most definitely a highlight of our entire adventure so far. Gusta, the captain of the boat, knew everything there is to know about the waters surrounding Komodo and Rinca island and our dive masters were great as well! We started the first day with a dive around 10am, came up for lunch (all made and set out for us!) and then went for dive number 2. We seen so many new fish and sea life we hadn't experienced yet, it was so exciting. White-tipped reef sharks, unicorn fish(watched one in particular feeding on some smaller fish), trumpet fish, tons of moray eels and a couple of HUGE lobsters. My favorite part of the day was seeing turtles! We swam right along them, and I had a hard time leaving them as they made their way to the surface. One actually swam right between my legs! I almost pulled my regulator out just to scream in delight.
In between dives we docked the boat and went to find some Komodo Dragons! The islands are absolutely beautiful, with rolling grassy hills and an unbelievable view. Sure enough we seen a handful of these strange creatures. Most just lazing around, a couple walking around with their tongues out (that is how they pick ip scents). They are very unpredictable animals, so you really can't get too close. People have been attacked and killed before, so we didn't take our chances. After hiking around, we made our way back to the boat for the last dive.
(I really can't explain the beauty of these islands. There are some pictures on Facebook, but really, nothing does them justice)
After some tea and a snack, we set out for our 3rd dive of the day, right before the sunset. Our first night dive! We started in the light, so it was really neat to see the changes in the ocean as the sun slowly went down. Once it got dark enough, we switched on our flashlights and swam right along the ocean floor to watch all the little critters you don't see during the day. When it was totally dark, we put our flashlights against our chests to block the light, and watched as sparks danced from our fingers. When we made our way to the top, this time, dinner was ready for us! We relaxed and logged our dives while drinking tea and watching the stars. When it was bedtime, Andy and I decided to move our mattresses up on the deck and sleep there. So glad we did, it was a great sleep, and we woke up to a beautiful, serene sunrise. That kind of quiet doesn't come around often, so we slowly sipped our coffees until the rest of the boat was up and ready to dive our second day.
Our fourth dive was a drift dive. The strength of the current moves you along, so you can really just sit cross-legged in the water, lean back and relax. We set out towards an island surrounded by thriving coral reef and let the current take us around. It was another amazing dive with beautiful ocean life, and let's not forget, more turtles!!
Our next 2 dives were just as exciting. Strong currents, bright coral, and tons of crazy looking fish. The last dive was at Manta Point. It's quite a shallow dive, about 10 meters, and again with strong currents pulling you along. Manta Point is where tons of Manta Rays come to feed. It's like a zoo of Manta Rays. We seen babies, mid-size, and one that was 6 meters wide! These are huge creatures, and watching them float through the water was magnificent.
After our 6 dives were over, we were tired, but so sad to head back to shore. Our "room" on the boat was nicer then the room we had on Labuan Bajo! But we left feeling way more comfortable under water, and having seen so much exciting ocean life.
Next on our list was to soak up the sun on the Gili islands! There are 3 islands all in a row. Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air.
Two days,one nasty night bus, multiple ferries and mini-buses and we finally arrived on Gili Trawangan, or for short, Gili T. Gili T is the busiest of the islands, with beautiful white and black sand, great little places to eat, and nice accommodation. We spent our days walking/running around the island(takes about an hour and a half to walk around the whole thing) learning to surf(Andy)practicing yoga(Me. The girl who runs the studio is Canadian actually!) and laying with our books on the scorching hot sand (so hot, I'm pretty sure our feet were screeching "I'm melllttinngg!" on the short run from sarong to water, water to sarong). We stayed on Gili T for 3 nights, and then took a short boat ride over to Gili Air, a much quieter, less busy island for one night. It was a great 4 nights, relaxing, and just busy enough.
We really soaked up the sun, and took advantage of laying around because we knew our next stop would be a challenging one... Climbing Mt. Rinjani!
More to come..
Love to all!
A&C
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Time to Get Spicy
Last stop in Thailand, Chiang Mai.
Where to begin?! Northern Thailand was a breath of fresh air after all the buckets, beaches, and neon tank tops that come with the south. We had a list of To Do's and couldn't wait to experience some real Thai culture. Before I get into our northern adventures, I'll tell you about our journey there...
Arriving in the Bangkok train station, Andy and I were actually looking forward to the night train we were about to jump on. Neither of us had been on a train before, and after many night buses with "reclining" seats, broken a/c and awful movies playing on a tv from the '80's, a sleeper train sounded perfect. On we clambered with the many backpackers and locals alike, and made our way to car #2.
Around 1:00am Andrew woke up, noting that the train was stopped he fell back asleep. Later, at 5:00am we both awoke to an unmoving train. Thinking it was a quick stop, we went back to sleep for another hour. At 6:00am, train was stopped again, this time we assumed we had made it to Chiang Mai! After an hour of confusion and asking around we discovered not only were we not in Chiang Mai, but we were still four hours from Bangkok. In other words, not even halfway to our destination! Around 1:00am, a car on the train ahead of us derailed. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and after being moved to another train, the passengers made it to Chiang Mai with a 6 hour delay. We, on the other hand were not so lucky. After sitting all night, we were finally moved like herds of cattle, onto buses. We then jumped on a completely different train and took the loonnngg way to Chiang Mai. We arrived, sweaty, stinky, and tired after a 12 hour delay. How's that for train first timers?!
We spent our five nights at a hostel called SpicyThai. Located in a quiet residential area, this hostel was a home away from home. The staff were great for organizing hostel outings, and had tons of maps and brochures to guide you to the many activities in Chiang Mai. We reunited with our Dutch friend Maarten that we first met in the Philippines which was really cool. SE Asia is a small world when it comes to backpackers. We also met tons of great people from all over the world, Europe, Israel, Canada! My stomach literally hurt after four days of laughing so hard. It is such a rewarding experience to meet and get to know people while traveling that you otherwise would never see in your life!
Now, on to our To Do list:
1. Temple visiting and a Monk Chat! Our first full day we grouped together with a few others from our hostel and did our own walking tour of the city and some of it's beautiful Temples. Part of our tour was to take a visit to the Women's Prison and stop for lunch at the cafe there. All the work is done by the inmates, and the food was quite good. On a separate day we decided to visit the "Mountain Temple". We prepared for a bit of a trek, but were slightly disappointed when we arrived and realized it was really only about 100 steps up...Oh well. The Temple (Wat Phra That Doi Suthep) itself is beautiful. Ivory Buddahs, Emeral Buddhas, and of course the usual Gold Buddhas. After spending some time walking around, we made the treacherous trek back down (hint of sarcasm there). After all that walking we stopped at our favorite lunch spot, Blue Diamond. This cute little restaurant with garden setting has a menu full of fresh veggies, fabulous Thai food, and delectable sandwiches(the tuna and avocado being our favorite!!). Not to mention, the refreshing iced coffees.
Along with seeing the Temples, we also stopped for an insightful chat with a Monk. The Monk we sat down with is 22 and has been in the Monastery for 8 years now. We talked about everything from sports(they can watch, but can't play) breaking the rules(sometimes he sings in his room..shh!) women(we can't touch a Monk, or even directly pass anything to them. Monks must avoid any chance of desire or temptation setting in) the afterlife, and life in general for a Monk. It was quite an interesting and honest conversation. We learnt a lot about the life of a Monk and their rules and beliefs.
2. Tiger Kingdom! We spent the afternoon snuggling up to these beautiful and enormous animals. What a thrill! Niiiceeee kiittttyyyy....
3. Thai cooking class! I was really looking forward to taking a cooking class,and the one we did with Asia Scenic did not disappoint! Our teacher, Mam, was hilarious and so knowledgeable with Thai cooking. She first took us to a local market and explained the differences between noodles, rice, vegetables, and more. We were shown everything we would be cooking with, and where in our home countries we would expect to find it.
After the market tour, we went back to Asia Scenics home to check out their garden. This garden was herb heaven! Lemongrass, basil, coriander. The aromas were tantalizing, the air fresh.
Next, we strapped on our aprons and yielded our machetes. All that touring and listening had our bellies grumbling, so we got chopping. Our menu for the. evening,
Andrew: Pad Thai, Coconut-Milk Soup w/ Chicken, Red Curry (the paste and the meal)
Chelsie: Chicken Cashew-Nut, Tom Tum Soup w/ Shrimp, Massaman Curry (paste and meal)
All I can say is we were so FULL we opted out of the cab ride back to the hostel and walked an hour and a half instead. It was so much fun,and we left with numerous tips and recipes to bring home. Be prepared for some real Thai cuisine when we get home friends and family!
4. Muay Thai! We watched 8 year olds, 13 year olds, women, and men beat the crap out of each other, only after finishing a ten minute spiritual dance and series of prayers around the arena.
5. Scouring the streets of the Sunday Market! As the famous saying in Thailand goes, same same but different. Although, the street food is unbeatable! Sweet corn on the cob, fresh fruit smoothies, pineapple chicken and veggie skewers, and Pad Thai galore. Insert mouth-watering here.
6. A real trek! We spent an awesome and busy day with a group from the hostel, starting with a short ride on some elephants (quite uncomfortable, but it was really neat to be so close to those giant creatures! Also, we were lucky in not getting snotted on like some of the others.) and then a 70 minute hike into some waterfalls where we cooled off with a swim(a short one for me, after being informed by Andrew that he had spotted a snake in the water. No joke) and then hiked back out. Next we fought some wicked rapids while river rafting, and then floated our way back on bamboo rafts.
SpicyThai also brought us all to a local beach for an afternoon of beers and swimming, and then a HUGE local buffet. Tables were lined with all kinds of raw seafood and meats, and we were given a small grill to cook our food on. There were veggies, rice, noodles, fruits and deserts. More tables contained all kinds of (unknown) Thai dishes. There were local bands playing on stage. It was a great experience, and we may have been the only non-local table. Again, being so full, Andrew and I waved goodbye to the others in the truck and walked back to SpicyThai.
Our last night in Chiang Mai, a bunch of us got together for a night out on the town. Little did we know we would end the night in a gay bar...Oops! All in the name of FUN I suppose, right?!
Chiang Mai was the perfect end to our month in Thailand. With Visas running out, we hopped on a plane to, first Bangkok, and then Denpasar, Bali. That's right, we have thrown another country in the mix...we are now in Indonesia and loving it! Chillin' with Komodo Dragons, swimming with turtles and Manta Rays, and one HORRENDOUS night bus(didn't we say we were done with night buses?!?) is all to come in our next post!
We are currently soaking up the sun in the Gili's before a 3 day trek up Mt. Rinjani(the second highest volcano in Indonesia).
Take care, wherever in the world you may be.
xx A&C
Where to begin?! Northern Thailand was a breath of fresh air after all the buckets, beaches, and neon tank tops that come with the south. We had a list of To Do's and couldn't wait to experience some real Thai culture. Before I get into our northern adventures, I'll tell you about our journey there...
Arriving in the Bangkok train station, Andy and I were actually looking forward to the night train we were about to jump on. Neither of us had been on a train before, and after many night buses with "reclining" seats, broken a/c and awful movies playing on a tv from the '80's, a sleeper train sounded perfect. On we clambered with the many backpackers and locals alike, and made our way to car #2.
Around 1:00am Andrew woke up, noting that the train was stopped he fell back asleep. Later, at 5:00am we both awoke to an unmoving train. Thinking it was a quick stop, we went back to sleep for another hour. At 6:00am, train was stopped again, this time we assumed we had made it to Chiang Mai! After an hour of confusion and asking around we discovered not only were we not in Chiang Mai, but we were still four hours from Bangkok. In other words, not even halfway to our destination! Around 1:00am, a car on the train ahead of us derailed. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and after being moved to another train, the passengers made it to Chiang Mai with a 6 hour delay. We, on the other hand were not so lucky. After sitting all night, we were finally moved like herds of cattle, onto buses. We then jumped on a completely different train and took the loonnngg way to Chiang Mai. We arrived, sweaty, stinky, and tired after a 12 hour delay. How's that for train first timers?!
We spent our five nights at a hostel called SpicyThai. Located in a quiet residential area, this hostel was a home away from home. The staff were great for organizing hostel outings, and had tons of maps and brochures to guide you to the many activities in Chiang Mai. We reunited with our Dutch friend Maarten that we first met in the Philippines which was really cool. SE Asia is a small world when it comes to backpackers. We also met tons of great people from all over the world, Europe, Israel, Canada! My stomach literally hurt after four days of laughing so hard. It is such a rewarding experience to meet and get to know people while traveling that you otherwise would never see in your life!
Now, on to our To Do list:
1. Temple visiting and a Monk Chat! Our first full day we grouped together with a few others from our hostel and did our own walking tour of the city and some of it's beautiful Temples. Part of our tour was to take a visit to the Women's Prison and stop for lunch at the cafe there. All the work is done by the inmates, and the food was quite good. On a separate day we decided to visit the "Mountain Temple". We prepared for a bit of a trek, but were slightly disappointed when we arrived and realized it was really only about 100 steps up...Oh well. The Temple (Wat Phra That Doi Suthep) itself is beautiful. Ivory Buddahs, Emeral Buddhas, and of course the usual Gold Buddhas. After spending some time walking around, we made the treacherous trek back down (hint of sarcasm there). After all that walking we stopped at our favorite lunch spot, Blue Diamond. This cute little restaurant with garden setting has a menu full of fresh veggies, fabulous Thai food, and delectable sandwiches(the tuna and avocado being our favorite!!). Not to mention, the refreshing iced coffees.
Along with seeing the Temples, we also stopped for an insightful chat with a Monk. The Monk we sat down with is 22 and has been in the Monastery for 8 years now. We talked about everything from sports(they can watch, but can't play) breaking the rules(sometimes he sings in his room..shh!) women(we can't touch a Monk, or even directly pass anything to them. Monks must avoid any chance of desire or temptation setting in) the afterlife, and life in general for a Monk. It was quite an interesting and honest conversation. We learnt a lot about the life of a Monk and their rules and beliefs.
2. Tiger Kingdom! We spent the afternoon snuggling up to these beautiful and enormous animals. What a thrill! Niiiceeee kiittttyyyy....
3. Thai cooking class! I was really looking forward to taking a cooking class,and the one we did with Asia Scenic did not disappoint! Our teacher, Mam, was hilarious and so knowledgeable with Thai cooking. She first took us to a local market and explained the differences between noodles, rice, vegetables, and more. We were shown everything we would be cooking with, and where in our home countries we would expect to find it.
After the market tour, we went back to Asia Scenics home to check out their garden. This garden was herb heaven! Lemongrass, basil, coriander. The aromas were tantalizing, the air fresh.
Next, we strapped on our aprons and yielded our machetes. All that touring and listening had our bellies grumbling, so we got chopping. Our menu for the. evening,
Andrew: Pad Thai, Coconut-Milk Soup w/ Chicken, Red Curry (the paste and the meal)
Chelsie: Chicken Cashew-Nut, Tom Tum Soup w/ Shrimp, Massaman Curry (paste and meal)
All I can say is we were so FULL we opted out of the cab ride back to the hostel and walked an hour and a half instead. It was so much fun,and we left with numerous tips and recipes to bring home. Be prepared for some real Thai cuisine when we get home friends and family!
4. Muay Thai! We watched 8 year olds, 13 year olds, women, and men beat the crap out of each other, only after finishing a ten minute spiritual dance and series of prayers around the arena.
5. Scouring the streets of the Sunday Market! As the famous saying in Thailand goes, same same but different. Although, the street food is unbeatable! Sweet corn on the cob, fresh fruit smoothies, pineapple chicken and veggie skewers, and Pad Thai galore. Insert mouth-watering here.
6. A real trek! We spent an awesome and busy day with a group from the hostel, starting with a short ride on some elephants (quite uncomfortable, but it was really neat to be so close to those giant creatures! Also, we were lucky in not getting snotted on like some of the others.) and then a 70 minute hike into some waterfalls where we cooled off with a swim(a short one for me, after being informed by Andrew that he had spotted a snake in the water. No joke) and then hiked back out. Next we fought some wicked rapids while river rafting, and then floated our way back on bamboo rafts.
SpicyThai also brought us all to a local beach for an afternoon of beers and swimming, and then a HUGE local buffet. Tables were lined with all kinds of raw seafood and meats, and we were given a small grill to cook our food on. There were veggies, rice, noodles, fruits and deserts. More tables contained all kinds of (unknown) Thai dishes. There were local bands playing on stage. It was a great experience, and we may have been the only non-local table. Again, being so full, Andrew and I waved goodbye to the others in the truck and walked back to SpicyThai.
Our last night in Chiang Mai, a bunch of us got together for a night out on the town. Little did we know we would end the night in a gay bar...Oops! All in the name of FUN I suppose, right?!
Chiang Mai was the perfect end to our month in Thailand. With Visas running out, we hopped on a plane to, first Bangkok, and then Denpasar, Bali. That's right, we have thrown another country in the mix...we are now in Indonesia and loving it! Chillin' with Komodo Dragons, swimming with turtles and Manta Rays, and one HORRENDOUS night bus(didn't we say we were done with night buses?!?) is all to come in our next post!
We are currently soaking up the sun in the Gili's before a 3 day trek up Mt. Rinjani(the second highest volcano in Indonesia).
Take care, wherever in the world you may be.
xx A&C
Monday, April 02, 2012
Sunsets and Monkeys Crossing
Hello!
Our second last stop in Thailand was the beautiful jungle-clad island of Koh Chang. The first thing that struck us was the size! The island is separated into 5 beaches, Hat Sai Khao, Ao Khlong Phrao, Lonely Beach(Hat Tha Nam),the floating village(Bang Bao), and Long Beach(Hat Yao). We stayed in the not so lonely Lonely Beach at a wonderful guesthouse called Paradise Bungalows made up of thatch and cocnrete huts looking out to the ocean. Laden with hammocks galore, it didn't take us long to settle in and enjoy our first sunset on the island.
We spent four nights on Koh Chang, and the days flew by! Our first day we decided to rent a motorbike and drive through the different beaches. We made our way over to Bang Bao, an old-fashioned fishing village, all built off a dock in the ocean. They call it the Floating Village. It was really neat walking down the docks, shops and little cafes on either side. Locals selling everything from sawdust and glue dragons, to bracelets and shark teeth. It was a very relaxed area, other than it being the hub for any boat tours off Koh Chang. After a stop for lunch and an iced coffee, we jumped back on the bike to tour more of the island. We made our way to the Lighthouse Bar, where we climbed several sets of stairs for a lovely view of yet another sunset.
The next day we were up early for breakfast and a nice walk into town. We decided to jump on another bike and this time head for the Khlong Phlu Waterfall. After a short hike in, we spent some time cliff jumping and swimming around the falls. The water temperature here felt a little more like home!
On the way back, Andrew decided it was time I took a turn driving.. Yeeaah, me and driving motorbikes don't get along so well...but, hey, I decided I had a good teacher, so we pulled on over and I jumped up front. Keep in mind, vehicles drive on the opposite side of the road in Thailand, so we had a bit of a rocky start when I pulled out onto the wrong side of the road. After a quick recovery we continued on to a less busy path. Things were going fairly well until I looked up and seen an elephant coming towards us.. "Oh my goodness, Andrew, there's an elephant coming...what do I do now?!?" A brief moment of shaky steering and we were back on track. Phew. (It wasn't a wild elephant or anything, but still..you wouldn't expect to pull over for an elephant to cross the road. Although, there were SEVERAL wild monkeys we had to avoid as well)
All in all, Andrew was a very patient teacher, and by the end of our Koh Chang biking adventures, I think it's safe to say I could handle a bike to myself :)
Motorbikes, watching the sunsets, lounging in hammocks, and touring the island pretty much sums up our stay in Koh Chang. We spent a day on the beaches, where the water was just as hot as it was outside! We didn't even think the ocean could be that hot.
All that relaxing had us ready for some action! So we headed back to Bangkok to catch the night train to Chiang Mai. First train ride for the both of us..and what an interesting ride it was...
I'll fill you in next time!
Love to all
A&C
Our second last stop in Thailand was the beautiful jungle-clad island of Koh Chang. The first thing that struck us was the size! The island is separated into 5 beaches, Hat Sai Khao, Ao Khlong Phrao, Lonely Beach(Hat Tha Nam),the floating village(Bang Bao), and Long Beach(Hat Yao). We stayed in the not so lonely Lonely Beach at a wonderful guesthouse called Paradise Bungalows made up of thatch and cocnrete huts looking out to the ocean. Laden with hammocks galore, it didn't take us long to settle in and enjoy our first sunset on the island.
We spent four nights on Koh Chang, and the days flew by! Our first day we decided to rent a motorbike and drive through the different beaches. We made our way over to Bang Bao, an old-fashioned fishing village, all built off a dock in the ocean. They call it the Floating Village. It was really neat walking down the docks, shops and little cafes on either side. Locals selling everything from sawdust and glue dragons, to bracelets and shark teeth. It was a very relaxed area, other than it being the hub for any boat tours off Koh Chang. After a stop for lunch and an iced coffee, we jumped back on the bike to tour more of the island. We made our way to the Lighthouse Bar, where we climbed several sets of stairs for a lovely view of yet another sunset.
The next day we were up early for breakfast and a nice walk into town. We decided to jump on another bike and this time head for the Khlong Phlu Waterfall. After a short hike in, we spent some time cliff jumping and swimming around the falls. The water temperature here felt a little more like home!
On the way back, Andrew decided it was time I took a turn driving.. Yeeaah, me and driving motorbikes don't get along so well...but, hey, I decided I had a good teacher, so we pulled on over and I jumped up front. Keep in mind, vehicles drive on the opposite side of the road in Thailand, so we had a bit of a rocky start when I pulled out onto the wrong side of the road. After a quick recovery we continued on to a less busy path. Things were going fairly well until I looked up and seen an elephant coming towards us.. "Oh my goodness, Andrew, there's an elephant coming...what do I do now?!?" A brief moment of shaky steering and we were back on track. Phew. (It wasn't a wild elephant or anything, but still..you wouldn't expect to pull over for an elephant to cross the road. Although, there were SEVERAL wild monkeys we had to avoid as well)
All in all, Andrew was a very patient teacher, and by the end of our Koh Chang biking adventures, I think it's safe to say I could handle a bike to myself :)
Motorbikes, watching the sunsets, lounging in hammocks, and touring the island pretty much sums up our stay in Koh Chang. We spent a day on the beaches, where the water was just as hot as it was outside! We didn't even think the ocean could be that hot.
All that relaxing had us ready for some action! So we headed back to Bangkok to catch the night train to Chiang Mai. First train ride for the both of us..and what an interesting ride it was...
I'll fill you in next time!
Love to all
A&C
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)