Koh Toa, Thailand

Let’s Go Koh Tao… We arrived in Koh Tao on a high speed catamaran after taking the over- night bus from Bangkok.  Koh Tao is one of four islands in the Gulf of Thailand and we were pleasantly greeted with sunshine and calm waters.  Finally at the beach, we wasted no time in grabbing a quick breakfast and dropping our bags off at the hotel before making ourselves at home on the beach.  The sun was so hot but the water was amazing and exactly what we had in mind when we decided to hit the islands.

After a full day in the sun I had to meet my dive instructor and the rest of my open water course group in the evening.  While I was in class, Stijn explored the island a bit and found an amazing beachfront restaurant serving fresh seafood kabobs right off the barbeque.  We headed straight there as soon as I was done my class and enjoyed every minute of the scenery and great food.

The next three days I had morning dives followed by afternoons in the classroom.  We had hoped that Stijn would be able to explore and go off-roading with the skooter we rented but sadly the weather didn’t cooperate.  He still managed to find some interesting places and took me to a few amazing viewpoints after my classes.

The first day of diving was done in the pool and it’s a good thing because it was very stormy and I’m glad I wasn’t at sea- being in the pool was bad enough!  The next morning we headed out to the ocean for a series of two dives where we practiced emergency ascents and other necessary skills.  The weather was still quite stormy and I had some issues keeping my breakfast down on the way back on the boat but the time in the water was amazing.  Even with the choppy seas we were able to see some interesting things… for me every creature was so amazing and the whole experience was unlike any other.

The next morning we headed out early again for two more dives and this time Stijn was able to join us which was really nice.  The weather had calmed down considerably so we were able to see a lot more and go to more interesting dive sites.  I’m sure Stijn has seen much better but to me each dive gets more and more exciting and it was really nice to be able to share it with him.  We managed to stay together the whole dive and figured out a pretty good buddy system.  I have a feeling there will be plenty more dives to come for us!

That night we met a couple of the instructors and a few of the other divers at the beach bar at our hotel for a couple of drinks.  There were a bunch of master divers that had just finished their four week course and were celebrating- it was pretty funny to watch as they had several competitions including drinking a bucket through a snorkel!  After all the chaos there was an acoustic band playing great tunes so Stijn and I sat around soaking up the atmosphere while sipping on a few drinks.  The island life is treating us well and I think it suits us!

The next morning we woke up early and headed to the top of the mountain to catch a glimpse of the sun rise coming up over the island.  Many of the roads here are dirt and sand and with the recent rain, they can be quite bumpy and hard to manoeuvre.  Luckily for me my job is merely to sit on the back and hold on tight!  Our next stop was one of the most amazing beaches we’ve ever seen- it was a private beach at a $500 a night hotel but the guard let us in and said we could use the beach.  I fell asleep under a tree while Stijn bravely went hunting for reef sharks… clearly I was happily sitting this one out!  He managed to find one but since the visibility still wasn’t great it’s a bit scary to be swimming around when you can’t see what’s lurking around you!

This afternoon we took a longtail boat taxi to Koh Nangyuan which is just beside Koh Tao where a beach hut overlooking the stunning bay awaited us.  This place is truly heaven.  We had to take a small boat from the hotel reception over to where our hut is located- there is a sandbar that can only be crossed at low tide a few hours during the day, so we are truly away from it all.   There is only the one resort here and very few people though it is one of the best places to snorkel in the world.  Stijn once again took to the crystal clear water while I hit the beach which feels as though it was made especially for us!  Only a tiny patch of sand but absolute perfection.

As I lay in bed writing this I can see the lights of Koh Tao reflecting off the water and the cool ocean breeze sweeps in through our window.  When Stijn and I dreamt about taking a year off this is what we envisioned only its way better than we could have ever hoped for.  Hopefully the weather will continue to dazzle us for the next few days as we enjoy our slice of heaven. 

Later that night, Stijn took a hike to the top of the other side of the island to take in the sun set… I on the other hand thought it more pertinent to indulge in frosted drinks at the bar while reading my book!  Luckily the hike didn’t take him too long though it must have been quite steep as he re-emerged quite ‘damp’.  The pictures were worth the hike and I ensured that frosted drinks awaited him too!  The restaurant on the island is quite good which is a good thing seeing as it’s the only one! 

This morning we enjoyed another morning in paradise and visited all of our friends at the restaurant for breakfast.  We seem to have a great animal following but the fondness is mutual… even the cats here are too cute for us to begrudge.   I can’t pretend it’s completely by accident though as we have on occasion shared our food with them which I suspect is a regular occurrence as some of the animals, including our favourite Beagle with shorter legs –type dog, are very picky about the kind of scraps they receive!  ‘Beags’ the Beagle prefers affection to food which worked for us considering we are Mia-less!

After breakfast we headed out to the beach to soak up some more sun and instantly took to the water- the ‘hike’ from our room to the reception area is quite long and includes passing over a coral filled sand bar which more often than not is covered with water. Once having waded through, and hopefully having avoided cutting your feet open, there is a series of scant wooden walkways that lead to more sturdy cement ones and finally to heaps of stairs.  This may sound like too much of an undertaking every time you want to eat or go to the beach but I assure you it is well worth every step and the water is an indescribable reward.  With our snorkels in hand we hit the ocean and were instantly surrounded by schools of fish.  Stijn was still on the hunt for Nemo (clown fish) and while he had dove down to take a closer look at the coral in which they are found, I found a blue spotted sting ray.  They are really beautiful with their fluorescent blue spots and rarely come out during the day.  Not only did he come out but he actually gave us a little show and went for a bit of a swim- it was really amazing to see! 

While the sting ray was the rarest fish we saw, there were many just as beautiful.  Almost everywhere we looked we were dazzled by the bright colors and amazing sights.  It’s easy to see why this little bay has been highly touted for its underwater life.

Later this afternoon we had to head back to Koh Tao in order to make a visa run to Burma.  As I type this we are laying in our beds upon the overnight boat to Chumporn (quite a great set up!) after which we will take a bus into Burma and then back to Chumporn before heading to Krabi for a few days.  We hope the good weather will follow us for our remaining two weeks in Thailand.

Siem Reap, Phanom Phen, Cambodia

Let’s Go Cambodia… Much the same as most of our travels have been so far, this one too was quite long. We were picked up from a travel agency near our hotel first thing in the morning and then driven to the border at Cambodia. No trip is ever very direct in Thailand and there are always many stops along the way. Needless to say it took us much longer than was necessary to arrive in Cambodia. Once at the border there were three excruciating check stops that were outside and very hot. With our now very large backpacks and our two new additional front packs we were melting in line and the fun continued as we then had to wait for a different bus that would take us from the border to Siem Reap. For some reason after waiting for the bus and everyone to get through the various checkpoints the organizer then decided to put Stijn, myself and one other guy in a taxi rather than on the bus- despite the driver picking up several people en route this turned out to save us a few hours as the people on the bus didn’t arrive until much later.

When we finally arrived we had just enough energy to arrange for a tour guide and a driver for Angkor Wat the following morning and grab something to eat before heading to our hotel room for some much needed rest.

We met our tour guide at 5 a.m. the next morning in order to be able to capture the amazing sunrise at the main temple at Angkor Wat. It was a magnificent sight to see- as the sun creeps up from behind the ancient temple slowly revealing itself to you, nature comes to life. Crickets sprung into high gear and it was as if we were transported into an auditorium where they were singing just for us. The viewing area is filled with people though everyone appeared to be just as enchanted as we were so aside from the shutters of camera and the birds and crickets, there wasn’t much noise. The early start turned out to be great and allowed us to stay ahead of the large crowds of tourists later in the afternoon that typically return to bed after the sunrise- and even more importantly, it saved us from being outside too much in the hotter hours of the day. The heat and humidity is almost crippling as it is the height of summer here and even with the early start, we were still dripping with sweat before 9 a.m.

Angkor Wat has several sections- all of which are truly amazing. For those who have been there they’ll understand when I say that words simply won’t do it justice. Most of the awe-inspiring temples were built in and around the twelfth century though some were built even earlier in the ninth. As an offering of good karma many of the buildings have buried gold at the entrances and in some cases surrounding the building on all four sides. Sadly during civil war much of these treasures were stolen along with a good portion of the statue heads and sold on the black market. Today there is much higher security as a result but Stijn was enchanted with the idea of prospecting for gold and I’m certain heard very little of the history after the word gold was mentioned!

Having our personal guide was fantastic and allowed us to move at our own pace. We were able to see all of the most famous temples, including the one that Angelina Jolie jumped out of in the movie Tomb Raider, which also happens to be famous for the giant Banyan trees that are growing within the building itself. Many of the structures were being repaired which is a constant effort in the area as well as many excavation sites as they continue to find new buildings and artefacts. It was amazing to see how they could put together intricately carved stones back together in their original position.

Following the tour at Angkor Wat we went to an art school that teaches local children traditional skills such as wood carving, silk weaving, gold leaf painting, etc., that are used to make a lot of the souvenir’s that people buy in the area. We were taken on a tour through the various shops where the students were practicing their crafts- many of the students have special needs and the majority of them are from rural areas. The skills that the students learn here enable them to remain in their villages and provide for their families while at the same time slow the rate of urbanization. At the end of the tour we were able to see all the final products many of which were truly amazing and best of all completely authentic.

Following the art school we had a far less authentic experience when we hired a boat to take us to the local floating village as the guide recommended. Many families, most of which are poor Vietnamese immigrants, live on small boats with shanty roofing. There are floating schools, churches and even community water stations but the tour boat immediately take you to a floating restaurant/souvenir shop where children try and get you to give them money for a picture of them holding a snake while floating in a large cooking pot. We had been told about this prior to coming but it was even worse in real life. Our experience included a mother (presumably) sleeping in a small boat while her five or six small children floated about trying to earn a few Cambodian Riel. For more fun the restaurant had a pit of crocodiles which they kept in a cage solely for the purpose of killing for souvenirs such as skin, teeth and jaw bones. Needless to say we weren’t impressed and didn’t stay long. We were taken back to shore as soon as we finished at the ‘restaurant’ without seeing much else of the village. It was probably for the best as the early morning made for a long day. We were able to find a few great restaurants including a fantastic French bakery to indulge in before heading back to the hotel.

The Khmere Rouge committed this genocide of their own people in the hopes of building a communist country and in order to do so needed to exterminate all of the educated, intelligent, opposing or otherwise threatening people within their borders. Over 3 million people were rounded up, in prisoned at various torture facilities, then sent in trucks to me executed and dumped in mass graves at the site now known as the Killing Fields. We then made our way to S-21 which was one of the largest torture facilities where the cells and torture rooms remain nearly as they were when they were liberated. We were told by other travellers that blood sprays still exist on many of the room walls but we didn’t look too closely as it all becomes overwhelming and a bit much to handle- the thousands of photographs and torture tools were more than enough for us.

The next day we headed back to Bangkok to end our quick adventure into Cambodia. We have some more shopping to do in Bangkok before we head to Koh Tao where I will be taking my open water dive course.

 Having our personal guide was fantastic and allowed us to move at our own pace. We were able to see all of the most famous temples, including the one that Angelina Jolie jumped out of in the movie Tomb Raider, which also happens to be famous for the giant Banyan trees that are growing within the building itself. Many of the structures were being repaired which is a constant effort in the area as well as many excavation sites as they continue to find new buildings and artefacts. It was amazing to see how they could put together intricately carved stones back together in their original position.

Bangkok, Thailand

Let`s Go Bangkok… After a full day and night journey and next to no sleep we landed in Bangkok and headed straight to our favourite boutique hotel on Khoasan Road for some much needed sleep.  In the afternoon we explored the backpacksers haven and all its offerings.  We are really pleased with how much positive change has happened here since we were last here three years ago.  Previously it was not our favourite place to spend time and most often was strictly our hub for flying but otherwise we had little use for it.  Today it is extremely clean with far less smog and garbage on the streets, the wares are of a much better quality and the people seem much more friendly- so much so there are heaps of families walking around at all times of the day and night, strollers and all- never thought I`d see the day that Khoasan Road was a family destination but why not!

After lacking fresh fruit the majority of our time in India we were delighted to find a stunning fruit stand not far from our hotel offering smoothies, shakes and my personal favourite… yogurt, muesli and fresh fruit.  We could not have been happier with this discovery.  That night we sat on the sidewalk café outside our hotel eating pad thai fresh from the street and drinking Singha beer.  Oh it is sweet to be back in Thailand!

For the next few days we kept ourselves busy shopping for Ria`s flea market which has been a lot of fun, and occasionally finding a few items for ourselves!  We also booked a number of excursions for the rest of the week to keep us busy until the weekend market which is a massive market that sells everything from furniture and clothing to animals and is really a sight to see.  We made it there last time but it`s so large you would need days to get through the whole thing but we`re hoping to be able to make a small dent.   

Today we took Thai cooking lessons where we learned to make green chilli paste- which was really more like a soup than a paste but delicious none the less.  Pad Thai was also on the menu as was tom yum soup and a sweet pumpkin desert.  I had to improvise quite a lot as everything had coconut and meat and my removal of such ingredients did not impress the instructor but we had a great time and everything tasted great!  There were only four of us in the class and the other couple just happen to be Dutch and were very nice so we had a great time with them.  I hope they are an indication of the kind of people we will meet travelling through Holland in a few months.  We rounded out the day by checking out a market near China Town and then heading for Sushi.

Next up is the floating market tomorrow morning and Thursday we are doing a day tour at the tiger temple, the museum and the River Kwai.  We also booked a few other adventures for later this month but I hold off on those details for now. 

Up and at it early to catch the bus to the floating market- it was quite a sight to see.   For the most part it’s a lot of the same things that are sold on most streets only now you’re floating by the shops on a long tail boat.  There are ladies floating around offering fresh fruit and snacks and the whole scene transports you back to a time long gone.  After the market we were taken through an area of all the homes built on stilts that line the canals.  We found the homes more interesting than the market itself but all in all it was a great excursion that we didn’t take in last time we were in Bangkok.

The next day we had yet another excursion booked- this time a full day tour.  Our first stop was the war cemetery where we surprised to learn that over 100,000 citizens and 1,800 Dutch (among a number of commonwealth countries) were killed building the railway which was Japan’s transport for weapons and supplies.  The POW’s were kept in a camp of appalling conditions similar to one might expect to find in many of the concentration camps of that era.  The bridge itself was completed in 1943 and is considered an engineering feat for its time but the cost of life was immense and while the majority of the rail line was bombed by Allied forces, the Japanese were ordered to restore it as part of their reparations agreement.  Walking across the bridge it strikes you as many other bridges you might cross but knowing the loss of life that was a result of its construction makes its impact that much more.

En route to the train station there was a market where one stall has a mother and a baby leopard as part of the advertisement for the local zoo.  Though we were torn between feeling badly for the animals and being awestruck by being inches away we eventually caved in a paid to have Stijn be able to feed the baby.  Cradled like a small child in his arms, the amazing animal drank from a baby bottle but the second he was finished his milk he was ready to play which means the claws come out.  At that point the trainer quickly grabs him and puts him back in his cage.  We were pleased to see the care that was given to the magnificent animals and felt better about our inability to simply walk by.

The highlight for the day was the Tiger Temple- we arrived only 40 minutes before closing so we had to make it quick- or at least that’s what they tried to tell us- but as we entered this amazing sanctuary with water buffalo bathing, wild deer roaming and all kinds of other animals freely moving within the park- we knew 40 minutes wasn’t going to be nearly enough.  As we got nearer to the tiger area there were a few of the smaller cats that were sitting on rocks for you to have your picture taken with- Stijn was right at home with the animals but I took some time to feel comfortable especially when I got swatted by a tail- seemingly so small but felt like it weighed 80 pounds! 

An area called Tiger Canyon is where the real cats play… and so we climbed into the canyon not quite knowing what to expect.  Before I knew it Stijn was being lead through a series of full grown tigers with a guide taking pictures of him with every cat.  By the time my turn came around I emerged to find us registered for an evening program that would put us in a ‘cage’ with the off leash giants but not before we watched and guided some of the other tigers out of the canyon.

Then our program began… we were instructed to never turn our backs to the cats or kneel down and to always stay within the ‘cage’ that was nothing more than loosely joined mesh fencing.  I wasn’t sure what Stijn had gotten us into – particularly as one of the guides from Calgary was regaling us with tales of his scars and missing finger-tips from ‘playing’ with the cats!  Luckily it turned out to be an amazing experience- the giant beasts transformed into kittens at play as they chased balls and toys and wrestled with each other.  We were mere feet from the animals for over half an hour before they were lead out of the canyon and back to their homes for the night.   

We rushed out ourselves knowing full well we were well past our allotted time at the temple and as we emerged with a mini-van full of people waiting for us we were given a lecture about time from our guide.  Hopefully they will adjust their itinerary in the future to ensure people are given more time at the temple but somehow we doubt it! 

The next day we had no excursion booked so we woke slowly and headed to starbucks- probably the nicest one I’ve ever been in- and drank real coffee and read the newspaper before heading out for some markets and the famous MBK shopping mall.  We managed to find lots of goods to ship home and even a few things for ourselves.  We also took in a movie before heading back to Kosan Road for some delicious street food. Today was much the same as yesterday with markets and another trip back to MBK for yet another movie (a great air conditioned break from the summer heat)- while the movies are great, our favourite part is after the previews when you have to stand up and pay your respects to the King- much like a national anthem at a hockey game.   The whole 7^th floor of the massive shopping mall is an entertainment centre- complete with restaurants, arcades, the cinema, karaoke and of course the not to be missed glo-bowling which we indulged in before heading back to our hotel.  Tonight we will pack our bags (the number of which has already increased!) and head to Cambodia to take in the must-see Angkor Wat and the Killing Fields.  We’ve booked a 12 hour bus ride to Siem Reap for first thing tomorrow morning and barring the long ride, we are looking forward to a new adventure.