Koh Tao Island, Thailand

Back in Thailand- Koh Tao Island


Well we made it back to Bangkok to complete the classic “circuit” of Thailand, to Laos, to Vietnam, to Cambodia and back. We’ve now jumped south starting our loop through Southern Thailand, Malaysia, and heading towards our resting point of Bali, Indonesia. This will take about 25 days to reach Bali and then we plan on staying there for 30 days and renting a apartment to gear down and experience some local living in one place (or so we think for now).

First stop on this next leg of the journey is Koh Tao (or “Turtle Island”). Koh Tao is world famous for its pristine classic Asian Beach Views, dive centers and crystal turquoise waters. The journey here was not enjoyable as it required a departure of 7pm bus from Bangkok through the night to a roadside drop at 3am, where we waited for a weird truck that loaded about 20 of us in the back with packs for a 30 minute drive to a pier. There we slept on wooden benches outside at the dock and waited 3 hours for the boat to arrive, then loaded into the boat for about a 3 hour ride to the island. Whewwww. But we made it and were greeted at the docks by at least 1 haggling/taxi/tout per 2 tourists. We were bombarded by offers. Christina finally got fed up and asked one guy to just “back off” while we got ourselves oriented and tried to figure out the next step. Which we did by stopping for a nice Veggie Breakfast and got our bearings.

30 minutes later, we found a fair guesthouse (the island prices are a bit higher than usual), and we settled in for a 3 day stay.

We planned a full day snorkeling and boat tour all around the island and a special stop at another smaller island nearby (famous for it’s amazing lagoons). Gotta check out the slideshow, these island were the stuff you see in the magazines and movies. We had a truly great time snorkeling and enjoyed the warm waters, no waves, sunshine, and amazing underwater visibility, along with abundant colorful fish galore. . We considered scuba, but to get a proper license it really takes 4 days and we were needing to move a bit faster unfortunately. Snorkeling is now a favorite for us though, it’s a ton of fun. We even got in a couple 2nd story jumps into the water off the top deck of the boat.

hard to believe just how blue and clear the water was, really amazing

We met a wonderful couple, Nitzan and Liron, newlyweds on their honeymoon, from Israel. They were along on our snorkeling adventure and we had dinner together two evenings and even found a putt-putt golf place for a little night-time fun. It was a treat to be there for Nitzan’s first round of putt-putt ever, he did quite well actually. We divided into teams and Christina and Nitzan beat Liron and myself by only 2 stinking shots, combined score. It was a real treat to learn and listen to them and about their home and life. It’s one of the best things about travel. We plan to visit them in September this year as we head to Europe. We are super excited about spending time with them in Israel and seeing the country through their eyes.

New friends: Nitzan and Liron from Israel (honeymooners)

Ok- we’re off to Penang, an Island and capital city in northern Malaysia. Our visas are expiring in Thailand and we don’t have time to do a border run for another visa renewal/budget. But we’ve had our beach time fulfilled and are sure to see more real soon.

island hopping for snorkeling around Koh Tao Island

Siem Reap, Cambodia (Angkor Wat)

Major check on the list of things we wanted to see.  Probably the most fantastic site we've seen in our travels.  Indiana Jones style at it's finest.  My niece Grace would have been in heaven climbing up and over and around the massive temple grounds.  It will be hard to top Angkor Wat and it's immense ancient architecture and structures.  They are quite simply ---Massive in size and scope.  Intricate and overwhelming.  It was a civilization so well developed that its hard to imagine these were created so long along.  Angkor Wat is only 1 of many sites (although the largest) in the 45 km area. You can't go to Cambodia and not make it to Siem Reap and take a tuk tuk trip to Angkor Wat for 1-2 or even 3 days of exploration.  The slideshow really says it all.  We spent 2 full days exloring Angkor Wat Temples....man they are something to see, we even made it there to watch the sunrise one morning.

Siem Reap city is a great place to rest your weary walking legs after all day of trekking in the forrest and temple grounds.  Although I got sick here for about 1-2 days, it was likely due to the "road-side restaurant food" on the bus trip from Phonm Penh to Siem Reap, there's just no avoiding it sometimes. All things considered, a great time was had.   The "Pub Street" was only about 10 minutes walk from our hotel and about 3 city blocks had probably the best vibe of any town we've experienced.  Upscale looks and lighting and comfy chairs and restaurants mixed with reasonable price but good foods. Lots of choices line "Pub Street" and that area and its great for just people watching and walking around.  We even stopped to weirdly enjoy our first "fish foot massage", where the little fish nibble at your feet and ankles plucking dead skin off, leaving you with a silky smooth finish.  Honestly, it mostly tickled and it was like 40 minutes of tickle torture, but fun and a new experience none the less.

1st time fish massage

We must confess though, we pigged out on Pan Pizza, garlic cheese bread, bbq buffalo wings, "fill it up" salad bar and never ending ice filled Coke's at a great franchise pizza restaurant we found.  Deep dish pizza just kept calling our names :)

pile it as high as you can salad bar in Siem Reap

To make matters worse there was an incredible "American Old Fashion Style" icecream shop connected to the pizza place.  This place would have made even my sister Krista proud.  It was the best and unfortunately we partook at least 3 times in our 5 days in Siem Reap.  We even celebrated Christina's 31st Birthday with a special Ice Cream Birthday Sunday, complete with candle and all.

C's 31st Bday in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Oh and we did make it to a crocodile farm as well, where we snapped too many pictures of giant crocs, and crocs of all sizes, who ended up as hand-bags, belts, shoes and other trinkets that we watched Chinese tourist buy by the arm loads.

Siem Reap was great, our last stop in Cambodia.  Cambodia is a must visit for South-East Asia to me.  Combo the history, tribulations the people have endured, their friendly nature, Angkor Wat, Sihanoukville beaches and you've got a great 2-3 weeks easy to enjoy in this country.  We did.

120 Days in Asia.....30 Culture Shocks, Differences and Tidbits

1.       Kids don’t cry

2.       Dogs seldom bark

3.       Don’t be surprised if your food doesn’t look like the picture and don't expect it to come out in the regular restaurant order of drink, appetizer, entree and dessert. 

4.       Motorbikes are an awesome form of transportation.   Record stands at 5 for max # of people we’ve witness on a moving motorbike (2 adults and 3 children).

5.       Get use to wet toilet seats.  Showering occurs in the open space of the bathroom with a removable shower head attached to the wall.  You’re showering over the toilet!

6.       No carseats.  Infants..INFANTS, as in “on the tit” are scooting away in mama’s arms on the moto.

7.       Hotels & guesthouses double as travel agencies and restaurants with the owner’s family living up on site. 

8.       The underused car horn in the US has found its place in Asia!  Very few traffic lights, signs or road lines exist.  Honking their horns is their way of communicating with other drivers. 

9.        Children are welcome at the workplace

10.   There’s no such thing as a free refill & Ice cold fountain drinks and ice are sparse

11.   Riding in a Tuktuk is just plain fun!

12.   No matter what you wear, you still look like a tourist

13.   Asians have a rolled knee cap.  This allows them to be more comfortable in a squatted position. 

14.   Potty Paper.  As my sister taught us in Mexico, always carry some extra toilet paper on you.

15.   Watch your head, door frames are shorter than they appear

16.   Butt sprayers are not only refreshing but environmentally friendly

17.   Speedo supporters are abundant

18.   No UV rays for the natives, they do not want to tan.  They stay covered from head to toe with gloves, hats, long shirts and pants and even socks.

19.   Follow the locals for the cheapest places to eat. 

20.   Manners vary.  Nose picking, clearing your throat of flam and spitting bones or shrimp heads out of your mouth onto the ground is considered acceptable.

21.   Geckos, dogs and cats stroll freely into many eateries and are not chased out.

22.   Fully clothed or Naked.  At the beaches under the age of 4 kids swim naked and adults usually swim completely clothed. 

23.   “Happy” Food and Joints.  Be prepared to lose a dayJ

24.    Tuktuks are in the “know”.  Looking for a barber, night hotspots or a lady massage?  Give the tuk $1 and he’ll take you and get you a good deal-sometimes.

25.   Don’t opt for the cheap sunblock.

26.   Bring your license, wear your helmets and pay the cop’s bribe request.

27.   Gas is expensive everywhere.  However, you can get it from a used 2 liter soda bottle on the side of road here.

28.   Travel makes you more aware of your own country’s issues and brings you much more in touch with world events.

29.   Yes Sister- Travel “opens you up as a person, breaks down your walls and exposes you to yourself.” 

30.   Travel is awesome but we still miss the comforts of home and our family and friends! 

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

“Oh Sihanoukville, let me count the way we love thee.”  We slid into Sihanoukville in a cloud of dust as the tour bus jolted to a stop amongst the eager touts and tuk tuk drivers.  I often wonder how they expect to give you a ride when you can’t even get off the bus due to the cramming elbows in the fight for the new customers.  The frustrating madness is always the same when exiting a travel bus but is quite amusing also.  Four beaches create most of the travel scene, so after bag retrieval we split a cab with a nice Holland couple and headed out to find our beach paradise.

Paradise is all in what you make of it we’ve found.  At $12 per night the guesthouse Makara, provided A/C, cable tv, hot water in a comfortable size, clean room.  It was not the Reitz but the Reitz is a wee more pricey!  In addition to the modest amenities, the white sand beach of Ochheuteal was only 200 steps across the street and the Guesthouse’s restaurant sat next door for snacks in between sun bathing sessions.

Most of our time was spent getting lost in our books or cat napping in the lounge chairs by the ocean. One day we got motivated enough to go on a boat trip to the nearby islands.  Three islands were included on the day tour.  The first and third islands included stops for snorkeling.  With the temperature of bathwater, Todd and I had no problem diving into the teal blue.  Key elements for good snorkeling are nice tropical weather with light breeze and warm water.  Forget about equipment wrapped in plastic protection bag for your hygiene safety!  If they soaked the mouth pieces in sanitizer I’d consider myself lucky.  When asked how the pieces are cleaned I received a reply of “with salt water.”  Dirty mouthpiece considered, it was still a great experience.   

 On the second island, lunch consisting of a baguette, grilled fish and Khmer salad was served along with fresh watermelon and mango for dessert. It was a dramatic hour off the boat with Todd and I both coming in close contact with sea creatures; I suffered a brush with a jelly fish and Todd stepped on a sea urchin.  Both of us obtained minimal damage.  Note to self: “The adorable little jelly you see floating so carefree has bigger relatives close by.”  Even with the slight injuries, we trucked it twenty minutes to the other side of the land and found the most beautiful beach we’ve seen.  Nearly secluded, the barreling ocean’s front occupied approximately thirty bohemian overnight guests. The allure to move locations was there but without our packs a second trip would be required and let’s be honest that involved workJ

Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came.  Khin’s Shack is that place for us.  Eighty percent of our dining took place in the papasan chairs on the sandy coastline.  Sokna 17, worked and lived upstairs at Khin’s along with some of his kin.  A motivated young man working to pay for his education never missed a shift while we were there and appeared to work all day up until 2am.  Also among the cast of characters was Oun 11, a cute girl who had no idea what “personal space” meant.  She literally climbed all over me constantly insisting we buy her a coke.  “Belly Man”, (aka staff worker at Khin’s), kept cool by removing, unbuttoning or lifting his shirt and resting it over his perfectly tan, Buddha belly.  These became familiar faces and entertainment for us over the week. Highlights on the menu were ten fresh sea scallops for $2, vegetable curry and icy cold draft Angkor beer for fifty cents.  The “squid lady” became a favorite too!  14 perfectly grilled squid over open coals for $2 also.

Khmer New Year took place on April 14 and was celebrated by weekend trips to the beaches with family or visits to “Pagoda”.  Ochheuteal beach flooded with Cambodian’s ready to ring in the New Year with Roman candle fireworks, traditional food and cases of Ankgor beer.  Todd and I did our part to keep the celebration going by stuffing ourselves with local food and drink, lying around and setting off a couple Roman candles.  It was the best New Year’s ever!