The Magic of Thailand

As most of my Facebook friends know, my latest and greatest adventure was to Bangkok, Thailand and man was it amazing. Each place I go, I say to myself it can’t get better but it does each time!

Seeing as this was out last big trip, we (Daniel, myself, Ali and Phil) went on a long weekend after Easter. We arrived in Bangkok late and went straight to the hostel about 20 mins outside the city. Bangkok is different from Hong Kong in that it is not nearly as vertical and is more like Beijing in that is occupies a much larger land space. The weather was upwards of 90 degrees everyday so needless to say, hydration was a must. In terms of the “city” it was very developed with highways, office buildings and ancient temples gathered around the large river that ran through it.

Most of the people in Thailand spoke English although it was not as common as in the Philippines. We had no trouble getting to our hostel which ended up being more like a hotel. The owners were extremely nice in accommodating us so late and telling us about things to do, see, and avoid. 

The first morning we woke up extremely early for a day tour outside the city of Bangkok. Our tour guide, who we called our Thai “mom” greeted us at the hotel and told us the agenda of the day: first the train market, then the floating market, tiger temple, monkey park, elephant riding, then lunch. Seeing as it was 7:30 am and we had yet to eat, we stopped at a coffee shop before the train market to get our energy for they day.

The first stop was a tourist train market where mainly fresh foods were sold. There was everything from fruit and veggies to squid and cockroaches all spread along the length of these train tracks. At first I though this market was of historical significance of a famous passage or train throughway that was. Obviously, some of the vendor’s awnings were built over the tracks so it couldn’t be an active train system right? Well, I guess that’s why its famous in Thailand: because those tracks actually have a train come through every 20 minutes! We were lucky enough to see one go by during our visit. We watched as the temporary awnings were lifted and carts of food and goods were rolled away from the tracks. It was a very short train evidently carrying cargo and once it passed through, the awnings were lowered and business continued on as normal. Apparently, some tourists a few years back didn’t realize the train was still active and were unable to get out if the way in time. Thankfully, our “mom” ensured we were safely out of range.

After the train market we progressed a little further outside of Bangkok to the Floating Market, which is exactly what is sounds like. On a small river (more like a canal) vendors have built shops not  only on the banks but also on the water via long gondolas (or canoes) that take people to other good selling gondolas or different parts of the river to other bank vendors. Whenever you want to check a shop out, you stop the boat and take a look or even hop out if the vendor’s store provides the space. As you can imagine, all those long boats in such a small canal did cause a traffic jam and at times, we were playing bumper cars with the other boats rather than just floating on our own. There was one portion of the canal however where we got to see some wildlife. One section had a man selling pictures with a 10 ft snake and on another we saw two wild monitors (I thought they were Komodo dragons they scared me so much!).

From the floating market we ventured even further outside the city to the Tiger Temple. Originally a Buddhist temple, a few of the monks adopted 2 wild tigers and from there, the temple became known as a refuge and eventual breeding ground for endangered tigers and other animals. Although there is an actual temple, most of the grounds are a reservation for the animals to run freely. When we arrived, our mom told us “no sexy in the temple” so Ali and I put on long pants and covered our shoulders in order to maintain modesty in front of the monks. The first animal we encountered was a fat goat at the entrance that welcomed Dan’s touch affectionately. I was really surprised at first because many farm animals I have been around often shirk from human interaction. On the inside of the temple, we also saw others such as wild hogs, peacocks, an ostrich, deer and even water buffalo.

Eventually, we made our way to the tiger walk line where a line of visitors follow a monk walking a HUGE tiger and take turns walking beside and petting the tiger while a staff member takes pictures. We walked the tiger down through a gorge and from there proceeded to take pictures with even more tigers! Some things we noted: In all there are 92 tigers with 80% (if I remember correctly) being born at the temple. At first we thought they were drugged because they were so calm but eventually we learned that a majority are completely OK with human contact and we also happened to stop by during their typical nap time. Visitors should never bend down in front of a tiger because they can either view it as an invasion of their space of a playful gesture that entices the cat to play (aka knock you out). They would also not permit us to have anything hanging from our bodies (sunglasses, purses, cameras etc) because they are also viewed as play things. When petting a tiger, do not pet around its ears or head but rather, it prefers strong, firm strokes along its belly and side. The only accidents they have reported were from irresponsible visitors not abiding by the rules.

 

After the tiger temple, we loaded back up into the caravan and headed to the elephant site. On the way, out tour guide stopped at park where we saw small lemur like monkey gathered in a brush of trees. They were all different sizes and some of the bigger moms had little babies hanging under their bellies. So cute! We were able to feed them some corn and crackers and some even came close enough to grab it out of our hands. Unfortunately, my camera dies after the tiger temple so I   didn’t get any pictures of the little guys.

We finally reached the elephant site in the late afternoon. It was actually two small families that had 3-4 elephants in total. When we arrived, we walked behind the house to a small cliff with a bamboo landing that dropped off into where the elephants were standing. Of course I expected them to be big but they were so much better seeing them in person! We had 1 elephant for two people. The trainer (master? keeper?) called the older one (mid 50s) over to the landing. Her back was flush with the bamboo ground and Ali and I boarded very carefully. Dan and Phil got the younger (and more rambunctious) elephant that was in her 30s. Once we were situated, we walked along a path and down a hill over to the water. The ride was actually really scary for me because I was situated on the elephant’s shoulders (between the trainers and Ali) and had a difficult time balancing, especially when she was going down the hill. I’m pretty sure I suffocated the trainer I was holding on so tight.

Being in the water with them was amazing. At first they sprayed and splashed us with water then dunked their heads under water on command. The older one was so cute in that she would dunk her head and only come up when we yanked her ear as a sign. The boys had a tougher time with the younger one who would dunk her head under and attempt to throw the guys off by shaking her head. Phil looked like he was riding a bull at some points. After we played, the younger one lifted some of us on her trunk and face and then dropped us back in (some  gently and others bluntly). We mounted the girls again and trekked out of the water and back to the landing. This time I was on the back so it was much easier to maintain balance.

The elephant ride concluded the activities portion of the tour and after we drove a little further out for some Thai dinner. It was the first meal we had since breakfast and we were eager to get home to we grabbed it to go and hopped back in the car for the long ride home. It eventually started raining which was a sleeping rhythm we enjoyed with exhausted bodies and full bellies.

The next day we had our own schedule. We woke up a little later and left the hostel heading toward the canal ferry that would take us into town. The port was about a 10 minute walk from the hostel and once we found it, we boarded the small ferry and rode it until it dead ended in the heart of Bangkok. Our goal for the day was to sight see and temple visit so we walked around until we saw one in particular called the Golden Mount. We climbed to the top and overlooking the city we realized how may temples are in Bangkok. From there we narrowed our search of temples to two of the most famous: The Grand Palace, and Wat Pho, or Sleeping Buddha. We first went to the Sleeping Buddha which was enormous. The statue plated in gold was a young Buddha laying sideways, head resting on his arm. We took our shoes off out of respect and snapped a few pictures before heading over to the Grand Palace.

It was a few blocks away form Wat Pho was the Grand Palace where the King of Thailand once lived. The heat was getting to us after walking in the heat so the boys decided to stay outside the complex (avoiding the entry fee) while Ali and I put on our long pants and sweaters to enter the palace. The actual palace looked like a more ornate White House only with surrounding temples serving to almost protect it. We ate lunch at a small café near the exit then headed back to the hotel to rest up before a night on the town at Koa Sahn Road.

After seeing and traveling so much, our group spent the next day shopping. On the weekends in Thailand, there is a massive market north of Bangkok where vendors come to sell anything and everything imaginable. We took a cab to the summit and entered in at a corner of the arena. The entire area had to have been acres big and each vendor’s shop was maybe a 12x12 ft space. There were thousands of shops and it only took a few minutes for us to be completely overwhelmed. It was a maze of stores and stuff. Just so. much. stuff. Anything you could think was sold here. You could come here to buy a wardrobe, decorate your home and even pick up a pet or two.

Dan and I separated from Philip and Ali in order to shop for things on our list. We got really brave while getting ready to go home and decided to take the metro home. It was much like the Hong Kong MTR but we had a long walk once we finally got off. After an exhausting day of shopping, we headed to a wonderful dinner outdoors and then went bowling at the nearby lanes. It was a great cap to the vacation with Ali and Phil. They left the next morning while Daniel and I stayed a few days later.

After they departed, Daniel and I traveled to the Rambuttri Inn on Koa Sahn Road. The atmosphere on this road is amazing. It’s a path through Bangkok where many backpackers travel and it’s full of vendors and awesome restaurants. Our first night there, Daniel and I explored the road and had street food for dinner (the best kabob ever!). The next morning, we have ice cream for breakfast and spend the day lounging around the rooftop pool and going to a mall market for some bargaining. When the evening arrives, we venture through the road again, having dinner at an outdoor café and finishing our shopping. On the way in, we stop by an internet café and check in with the outside world only to hear that the United States has captured and killed Osama Bin Laden. Good news to cap off an awesome trip.

Overall, Thailand has been my favorite vacation trip. The palaces, markets, and animals make this country such a magical place that is honestly a once in a lifetime experience. Koa Sahn Road embodies the Thai spirit and the people are so welcoming it is hard not to talk to them and get to know who they are. Everything we saw was increasingly beautiful and I only wish I had more time to travel to other parts of the country. It is definitely on my ‘revisit list’ and I cannot wait to go back!

Maccin' on some Macanese

Holidays here are much like ones at home. Some students go home to visit family and some go on vacations. Even though we only had Friday and Monday set aside as a holiday, I was planning on traveling outside of Hong Kong…until flights to anywhere spiked by $200 per ticket. The only other option was another trip to Macau…

This trip, instead of going as a predominantly exchange group, we (myself, Daniel, Ali and another American, Josh) were accompanied this time by a group of international local students. This ambiguous title names a student that was born and raised in Hong Kong but went to a British, or international grade school and high school. These students have a British accent and are more familiar with western culture than traditional local students.  Instead of learning about Hong Kong or Chinese history they learned about British history and literature. These type of schools are a great example of the lasting influence of Britain's colonization of the territory.

Chitra (HK), Ankita (HK), Me, Josh (IL), Hil (MA), Ali (NY), Haywood (HK), Prateek (HK), Mike (OH), Dan(OH)

As I have mentioned, Macau is the other special administrative region of Hong Kong and known for its Vegas atmosphere with most of the region occupied with casinos. The last time we were there, it was for a day trip during Chinese New Year so this time, our group wanted to experience more of the night scene and casinos. To the guys, this meant “suiting up” and the girls were told by Haywood, one of the organizers, to “dress to impress…and that means wear earrings”.

We left the harbor in the mid afternoon on Friday and took the evening ferry to Macau. After check-in, the guys left the girls to get ready and explored the casino across the street for some pre-dinner gambling. The girls and I ended up taking a while and by the time we headed down stairs all of us were starving. We went to a traditional Macanese/Portuguese restaurant which was so delicious!

All the girls at the Venetian

Our first stop of the evening was to the Venetian Resort and Casino. The inside of the hotel portion was beautiful with ornate decoration and detailed architecture modeled after historic Italian sites. The entrance was lined high end shops and boutiques that eventually led to the open casino ground. Here, there was a younger crowd of people and quite a few women as well. Of the people in our group who gambled (all the guys and one girl) only one of them left casino with more money than when they entered. The rest of the gambling group looked to the next stop for more luck.

MGM Casino was next on the list. Here, the girls that were not gambling, enjoyed complementary juices and a majority of the boys continued to lose money. The atmosphere of this casino was different than the Venetian in that it attracted an older and maybe more serious group and was also full of smoke making our stay at MGM short lived. 

The last casino on the evening’s agenda was the Sands. As the girls were getting tired of watching the boys gamble, we quickly walked in and out only end up in a taxi queue waiting to go back to the hotel. As we were waiting, a white stretch Chrysler pulled up and dropped of a large group into the Sands. At this, Prateek, a friend of ours, asked the driver if he was free for the night and how much the fare would be to transport our group to a “disco” club instead of the hotel. Prateek negotiated a price of $400 HKD (which is about $4 USD) for our group of 12 people and we hopped in the limo for a ride that ended up being cheaper than a taxi fare!

Obviously we couldn’t go back to the hotel since Prateek had sent it to a club so we ventured back into the center of town for an evening of dancing. We headed back to the hotel entirely too late and woke up in time to take the 1pm ferry back to Hong Kong. Our one night in Macau was definitely short-lived but turned out to be a great Easter mini vacation.

A Promenade with Poon Choi

Rose garden park we discovered

Happy Easter everyone! It's been another great 2 weeks in Hong Kong with more exploration around the city, surrounding islands and new territories! Because my time her is dwindling down very quickly, I have tried to spend weekends that I'm not traveling, going out to different parts of Hong Kong. The weather here has only been getting more and more beautiful making day trips easier and more fun.

The first weekend after Beijing, I ventured out with another exchange student, Ali, to explore more of the downtown area (I always seem to see it at night but rarely during the day). We had no real plans or set destination so we just picked a place on the MTR that we both had never been and took it for a ride. We ended up in Jordan, a district on the Kowloon side known for it's bargaining markets. No purchases were made and instead we walked toward the water into Tsim Sha Tsui. To get there, we meandered along Nathan Road (the Fifth avenue of New York or the Michigan Avenue of Chicago) and managed to depart from the strip to discover Kowloon Park, a green open park plopped in the middle of the city. The back end of the park had an amazing rose garden with flowers that seemed to be on steroids. I had never seen them so huge! Finding the park was such good discovery. It was a great getaway from the busy downtown streets.

Boat departing in Victoria Harbour

After Nathan Road, we entered the harbour area where we took pictures of the bay and surrounding buildings. Around there, we found 5 different couples taking pictures after their  nuptials. It was funny to see so many and so close together. We though we kept seeing the same couple but looking through our pictures we realized they were all different! Ali and I watched the picture taking over an Italian lunch then ventured across the harbour via ferry to see the International Finance Center on the other side.

 Cheung Chau Island

The next weekend, I traveled a little further outside of Hong Kong, going to Cheung Chau Island with a fellow exchanger, Chelsea. The island, about a half hour ferry ride from Hong Kong, is known for its beaches, historic temples, and caves. It's a very small island with a large fishing harbour and a board walk extending along the length of the island. The day we went, the weather was perfect. We first ate a traditional Hong Kong lunch at an outside cafe, then walked up the island to see a few temples. One thing about the majority of southeast Asia is that each village has it's own temple for that community so technically there are thousands of temples scattered around the country. After the temple, we walked down the opposite side of the island to the caves at the end of the coast. The sun was setting so it made for a beautiful scene with the rocks and water.


The last exploration trip was sponsored by the Exchange Activities Committee and featured a day trip to the northern part of Hong Kong called the New Territories. This part of land is attached to China and considered one of the oldest and most historical of Hong Kong. We began the tour in Yuen Long by visiting various temples around the village. It was rainy that day so we decided to head to an early dinner. Yuen Long is also the origination of a traditional Hong Kong dish called "poon choi". The simplest way to describe this dish is like a meat stew, only without the stew portion. There was pork, chicken, beef, pig's feet, prawn, beets, potatoes and fried fish all in one bowl set atop a burner to keep it warm. And it was so big! Each bowl is supposed to serve 8-10 people however there were 11 in our group and we barely made it half way! Hong Kong people usually enjoy this meal for a special occasion or as a way to celebrate family. Obviously everyone serves themselves from the one bowl, so it makes sense. It was certainly a once in a lifetime dish and I'm glad to say I had the experience even if it was difficult to eat. After dinner, we stayed in Yuen Long and had an herbal jelly dish covered in fresh fruit and served with sweet milk. It was such a healthy desert but really yummy.


All of these trips make want to see more and more of Hong Kong. I am already dreading the feeling of going back home without going one more place or doing one more thing in the region where I spent an entire semester. The only thing is that the more I see, the more I realize how much there is to do and my list of sites only gets longer. I forgot to talk about studying...it only seems to get in the way! (sorry Dad).

Memories in Mainland

New post! Our amazing trip to China was quickly overcast with overflowing email inboxes, upcoming assignments, and exams so I apologize for the time lag.

So a few things before I delve into the events...

I LOVE Beijing! Definitely my favorite place outside of Hong Kong.

Government Administrative Building

• It reminds me a lot of home in the sense that everything is much more spread out. No skyscrapers like in Hong Kong but rather low standing government building that are somewhat reminiscent of our very own Washington D.C.
• Being the most populous city in China, I expected to see crowds like in New York or Chicago but because the space, it wasn't too crowded at all. 
• When we arrived the weather was about 40 degrees but ended up warming up (to about 65) by the end of our trip. 
• The biggest hurdle to exploring Beijing ended up being the language barrier because virtually NO ONE speaks English. One of our travelers, Ryan, is fluent in Cantonese and has taken a couple weeks of Mandarin so he was able to piece together some of what the local people were trying to say.

Adidas Store in Sanlitun

We left the airport heading into what ended up being the most bizarre cab ride yet. The driver, who spoke no English drove a black car lined with red velvet on the seats. We were skeptical at first but all "cabs" in China are owned by the government and his rate was cheaper than others so we took a leap of faith. We began the drive listening to what sounded like a U.S. light rock equivalent and listening to the driver sing without any hesitation. I almost felt like I should have been singing along too. He interrupted his own singing to talk in Chinese but he never seemed to be talking to anyone but himself (unless he thought we understood him). Eventually, while still singing, he pulled down the passenger sun-visor to reveal a small screen and DVD player where the video of this sing-along concert was playing. HILARIOUS.I had never seen one in the sun visor area and it was quite entertaining to watch. There's a first for everything I guess.

Olympic Tower

Our hotel was situated in what I would consider a small alley but is actually a TWO way street. Apparently, Beijing is known for it's cultural alleys but the government is doing away with them in order to modernize.  Getting there in the afternoon, we had some time to explore so we headed to a new shopping district for Macanese food. After, we went to the Pearl Market where Dan and Ali made a great bargain for a North Face coat. It was getting dark so we decided to take the subway north of town to see the Olympic Village featured in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Both the Water Cube and Bird's Nest were lit up and we got some great pictures although it ended up raining :(

Me, Ali and Ryan at the Forbidden City

Dan and I in the Imperial Garden

Saturday ended up being a beautiful day, both warm and sunny. We ventured out to the Forbidden City, named in ancient times to keep the emperor inside the royal palace, and everyone else, out. I never realized how expansive the entire "city" was. It extended as a succession of plazas and temples that were used for various emperor needs, like changing clothes, reading, sleeping and praying...a temple for everything. At one temple, two Chinese girls asked to take pictures with them and one told us her English name was "Sally". Adorable. The Imperial Garden surrounded the west end of the Forbidden City and was full of blossom trees and flowers. Tienanmen Square, located on the opposite end of the forbidden city was also really interesting to see especially since there were Chinese military and multiple security cameras on telephone poles. We even had to go through security to enter.

For lunch, we dined on the famous Peking duck known to be superb in China. Instead of just meat, it is wrapped in rice tortilla and served with vegetables and a peanut butter sauce. SO GOOD. With our stomachs full we bargained for a cab that took us to the Temple of Heaven where "commoners" go to pray for a good harvest. It was HUGE and obviously at one of the tallest points in Beijing. 

Dan and Ryan taking a bike break

 Sunday was really fun because we BIKED around the city. Even though Beijing has the space for people to own cars (unlike Hong Kong) they are still very expensive, meaning a large population use bikes to get around. In the U.S., it’s difficult to drive crowded roads with bikers intertwining the traffic; but in Beijing, they have wide bike lanes especially for scooters, two-wheelers and tandem bikes alike. Again, the weather was perfect and we ventured to a local rental shop to explore the city. It was great to see the sites on our own terms instead of through a cab or tour bus. We could go to parks and into alleys that cars couldn’t, making it easy to travel quickly without hassle.

After we returned our bikes, we headed to the Silk Market, known for it’s linens and clothing as opposed to jewelry and electronics. There is certainly an art to bargaining and if you can get over the hoard of people yelling “Missy, missy, looka here…newest style…best price for you” it is actually fun to explore the merchandise. Ali managed to snag a pair of jeans for $9 USD when the merchant initially quoted over $50. She’s a tough one though.

That night, Daniel, Ryan and I went with another group of students to a traditional Chinese dinner in the city. Chinese food here, as I expected, is much different than back home. There are more dishes with raw vegetables, and parts of animals that you would never see on a menu in the states. Also, the food in Beijing was surprisingly spicy and almost all the restaurants used hot red pepper as a main seasoning. 

Climbing the uneven steps at the Great Wall

Monday was our last day in Beijing and it was also jam packed with activities. We started bright and early with a private tour and tour guide that spoke English! She was very smart and began telling us about the Great Wall on our hour long ride to see it. In all, it stretches over 5,000 miles and unites regions and provinces of China that were once under different dynasty rulings. The wall has been restored continuously and the place where we were was in good shape. We entered in a valley and decided to walk up the less steep mountain to get a view from the top. Future Visitor Warning: Going to the Great Wall is NOT a spectator site. You have to WORK to get there. Not only were there a TON of steps but it was challenging because they were of uneven heights. One time I was climbing and trying to take a picture at the same time and almost did a face-plant because the next step was 6 inches taller than the one before, thus pay attention. Our group got some great shots and a great workout while there. 

The next stop on the tour was the Jade factory. Jade is very popular in China both for jewelry and sculptures. Many women wear jade bangles passed down from the matriarch of the family to signify their continued presence. It’s also worn on the left hand, closest to the heart. Needless to say Jade is also very expensive so I kept my eyes from gazing too far.

After the Jade market we enjoyed a traditional Chinese lunch then headed to the Silk Museum where we observed the life cycle of silk worms and how they develop the thread used in many of the final products. Silk is one of the strongest threads and both a summer/winter material.

Next we headed to the Summer Palace, a village of temples where the emperors would go in the summer to avoid the heat of the city. The temples overlook a beautiful, lake that host ferries to take visitors from one side to the other. Here, Ali had an onlooker as to have his picture taken with her. Our tour guide explained that some elderly people have not been exposed to white people as much. Also, common toys for Chinese children of the older generation were white dolls. She said that Ali reminded him of a doll with her fair skin and blond hair. 

Summer Palace from across the lake

The last event on the day’s agenda was a stop at Dr. Tea, a well-known tea retailer in Beijing. We had a tea tasting and drinking demonstration with the tea specialist who explained that different teas are for different remedies and depending on where you are in China, there are varying methods to drinking the tea. I had never been a fan of tea but I’m thinking about trying to get into the one that makes you look younger! (Jasmine I think).

A couple other things about Beijing and maybe China in general: 

Disclaimer- the following might be gross/strange but I’m here to share everything!

Look closely, you can see the rip

For being as developed as they are (in terms of their economy) some aspects of their culture surprised me: 90% of the toilets I encountered were not toilets at all but rather pits in the ground. This may sound strange but even in homes I think this is the case. And you have to supply your own paper. Along the same lines, we saw a young boy (about 1) playing in the Forbidden City and he had a massive rip in his pants along the crotch seam from the front to back. Our group laughed because we wondered if his parents knew they ripped. A couple hours later we saw another boy with a rip in the same place! At this point I stopped wondering why children’s pants were so poorly made and started understanding that parents cut the holes so they don't need to use a diaper…the kid would just do his business wherever. When we were at the Silk Market I saw an older man pick up his son, yank down his pants and the boy did his thing basically on command! And right in public. Obviously rural areas are going to be much worse but I didn’t imagine this for the capital.

Interaction with locals was extremely limited mainly because of the language barrier. We could barely get a cab driver to understand out hotel name, let alone carry on a conversation. Ordering meals was done by picture pointing and for everything else we ignored because we couldn’t understand. (I knowingly admit I am an ignorant American who only knows my native tongue…terrible). Even though there was a communication issue, the people we encountered were not as friendly, accepting or welcoming of us…even without knowing we were Americans. We got more scowls and stares than smiles and waves which was a stark contrast to the way natives treated us in the Philippines and Hong Kong.  I can’t help but wonder what perceptions these people carry and what information they have about what nationality they though we were. Or maybe it’s a form of ethnocentrism and disdain on any foreigner regardless of nationality. It was funny to see many building and signs influenced by Russian culture, though. 

Even with snubs, going to China was nothing like I expected (but what did I expect?) in that I came back to Hong Kong thinking I could spend years there and not see everything. Although our time there was so busy, we could have done so much more had time permitted. I hope I get to go back before the semester ends…maybe to Shanghai, a large financial center and then compare the cities. All I know is that I loved my time in Beijing. The China that I saw is so different from the controversial, feared and publicized China in the media. I'm so thankful I had the opportunity to experience the difference firsthand.