Banging around in Bangkok

The bus arrived at 7:45am to take us to the border. There were way too many people crammed on the bus, but we survived the ride. I slept badly, but nothing of significance happened on the way to Poipet. Just when I thought we had escaped Patrick, I noticed him on another bus headed to the border. It seems my luck hadn't quite been so good. It turned out that I didn't see him again, so I can only wish him safe travels and a new perspective on other foreigners. We arrived at the border hot, sweaty, and ready to be in Thailand. We were shuffled off the transfer bus and into a long line of foreigners. After getting our exit stamp from Cambodia, we walked across the border to Thailand where another line awaited. I waited patiently, stepped in front of the customs agent, and was finally admitted into Thailand. Woohoo! A minibus was waiting, and after a quick transfer to the tourist agency, we were off to Bangkok. The 2 hour ride took 4, but we had a great conversation with a bunch of Europeans about the state of the EU and how the US factors into the global community. I loved it! After only minor car sickness, we were dropped off at Khao San Road. I wasn't quite prepared for the immediate assault on my senses. Bangkok was bustling and I felt as if I had slipped into a reality I wasn't sure of. There were brands I recognized and modern luxuries. The first order of business was to find a guesthouse. We stopped at multiple places, but they were all full. We finally found a place that had a triple, so I bunked with the Germans. We dropped our bags and left to find food. Vendors were everywhere selling everything you could think of. I wanted Thai food, so another street restaurant was in our future. We got Pad Thai for $1 and I devoured it. We walked to Khao San Road and joined the throngs of backpackers checking out the items for sale, the men offering ping pong shows, and the bumping music.
The next morning, Uli and I got up early and went for a breakfast. We found a vegtarian restaurant and I had some delicious tomato soup with a freshly made orange shake. Our next stop of the day was a spa for some treatments. I got an awesome facial and spent an hour relaxing while someone massaged the tension away. We ran into Matthias and took a stroll around the neighborhood. The evening was relaxed and we avoided any of the bars or clubs that night. The next morning, we got up early to find a storage place to leave a pack and some stuff for a couple of weeks while we travel around Thailand. We stopped at the palace on the way back to the guesthouse. The Wat was gold-filled and incredible. While walking to the palace, we fell victim to two scams. The first happened near where we had lunch. A woman walked up to us and stuck a package of nuts in our hands. While we were fending her off, she slipped her hand up and stole Matthias's sunglasses. He realized it almost immediately after she left, but it was too late. Not 5 feet further, a smartly dressed tour guide walked up to us and informed us the the palace and wat were closed for a buddhist holiday. Lonely Planet had warned us, so we kept walking and saw the entrance. As we walked in, I looked down and noticed that my zipped purse was open. Within nanoseconds, I was hysterically riffling through my purse taking note of evertything. Whoever had opened my purse hadn't gotten anything, but I was on high alert the rest of the time in Bangkok.
We walked back to the guesthouse and spent a couple of hours lounding before catching the night bus to Chiang Mai. The bus left at 6 and was supposed to arrive at 6:00am. The bus was full and incredibly uncomfortable. I was uber crabby by the time we got to Chiang Mai. A tour company took us to their guesthouse, but I was hellbent to find another place. We were approached by a woman offering a ride to her family's guesthouse. We checked it out and negotiated a triple room down to 200 baht/night. It works out to around $2.50/night for each of us. So ridiculously cheap! Matthias and I convinced Uli to take a little nap before beginning our exploration of Chiang Mai. We left the hotel around noon and crossed the moat to get to the Old City. We knew we wanted to do a trek and a little research was required. We stopped at a travel agency and found a 2 day/1 nigh trek that we signed up for. Lunch consisted of my new favorite dish in the world: Khao Soy. It's a northern specialty made with egg noodles and curry. So delicious! After lunch, we stopped by one of the many Wats in Chiang Mai. We also got Thai Massages to help recover from the stressfilled bus ride. :) Uli wasn't feeling so great, so Matthias and I headed to the market to pick up a few supplies for the trek before going to bed early.
We packed quickly in the morning and were set for the trek. The guide picked us up and we joined the other 8 people for the 2 days in the jungle. The trek was good, but not the best I've ever been on. The hills were intense and proper hiking trails are unheard of. I've been in mudslides with better traction and steps. Needless to say, I fell 3 times by the time we stopped for dinner. I had a ridiculously bloody knee and the start of a nasty infection. Gotta love being in the middle of nowhere without proper first aid materials. We spent the evening with a hilltribe and got the opportunity to play music around the campfire with them. The women of the tribe put rings around their necks to elongate them, so some of the older women had as many as 30 rings. It was incredible to see another culture's view of what was beautiful.
The next morning, we woke early to hike a bit more. I am proud to say I made it to the elephant camp without falling. I was the slowest person, but no more scrapes or scratches. We went for a bamboo raft ride down the river before hopping on elephants and riding through the countryside and river. Such a cool experience! By this time, I was beyond dirty and so excited for a swim in the waterfall. The brochure advertised a waterfall, but what awaited us was a man-made collection of pools with water flowing in between. Not quite the waterfall I imagined, but still incredibly welcome after feeling so dirty. After the waterfall, we went white-water rafting. Our guide was inexperienced, so we spent lots of time going down rapids backwards and getting stuck on every rock in the river. We still enjoyed ourselves and laughed quite a bit. Matthias and Uli are such a blast to travel with and we are now starting to feel a bit like a little family.
We were dropped off at the guesthouse and we showered before heading to the night market. On our way, we checked out Hooker street and the bars filled with Thai women waiting for their Johns. There was no subtlety about what was happening. I took in the sight of so many white foreigners with so many beautiful Thai prostitutes. I can't help but be sad at the situation. The market was expansive and time consuming. We spent too much time and money looking at the goods, but it was cool to see the local artwork and goods.
The next morning, we slept late and headed towards a little cafe to grab breakfast. The place specialized in shakes made with chocolate, banana, nutella, and milk. So delicious! We stopped to check email and met up again to head towards the mountain. There was a Wat in the mountain that we wanted to check out. After fierce negotiations with a tuk-tuk driver, we drove the 15km and climbed the hill to see the Pagoda. I'm continuously amazed by the gold that is everywhere and the immediate peace I feel in the Wats. I could spend days in these places. We ate some fresh strawberries on our way back down the mountain. We headed to the guesthouse for showers before dinner, where Uli and I watched the sun set from our balcony and soaked in the colors. Last night was our second night of Khao Soy and every place we eat it is different. So much fun! We went to finish the night market and called it another early night. We haven't experienced the night life of Chiang Mai, but I don't feel like we're missing too much. I would much rather explore during the day and sleep well.
Today was a day filled with cooking. We took a Thai cooking course and spent the day learning how to prepare typical Thai dishes. It was so much fun, but I am incredibly full now. I don't think I can eat anything for a week! Uli, Matthias, and I made different dishes, so we could try them all. Let me know if you want to come over to sample some of my cooking when I get home. I have a certificate to prove that I'm now a master...ok, master may be pushing it, but I think I can make curry without a problem now. Tomorrow, we're heading to peaceful Pai for an even more relaxed couple of days in the northern countryside.