Thailand Bangkok

*Sawadee ka*

Arriving into Bangkok we were met by our good friend J who was currently working in Thailand. Lucky for us he knew what he was doing and helped us get into a taxi and on our way. But incase you were wondering Bangkok has great public transportation from the airport into the city. Just ask for the train and follow the signs and it will save you a good amount of baht. If you are looking for good and cheap accommodation once you get off the train walk or hail a cab (which are shockingly affordable compared to NYC) to Koh San Road. 

Now first impressions of this street may be alarming. For example you will probably see more tourists than locals and more dreadlocks and poorly made Bob Marley shirts than you knew existed. You may also be taken back by the huge Mcdonalds and KFC signs. Welcome to backpacking through Southeast Asia! Nothing epitomizes the overall experience of students taking a gap year or adults not ready to grow up yet (I hope I fit into that category just a little) like this little corner of the world. Enjoy the streets and small alleys and as you wander about I am sure you will find what you are looking for. I prefer to stay in hotels off the main road as they tend to be quieter and have a more relaxed vibe. For $10 dollars find a place to sleep and then dish out $1 more for the greatest fruit smoothie on earth. Seriously- we have tried fruit smoothies across the globe and nowhere makes them as well as thailand. that and coconut ice cream in a coconut with peanuts on top. Or fried bananas. I like them best early in the morning on your way to an adventure. 

Jaims and I only had a few days here as we were renting a car with J to do some thai road tripping for the next little while. So we ran all over the city ie took tuk tuks all over the city and saw as much as I think you can physically see and ate as much as you could physically eat. I would say two or three days is perfect at the pace we like. Oh Thailand I love you. 

*500% humidity*

*Jaims is the most beautiful person I know- even with a white face*

*Any good pictures were probably taken by Jaims- she has soo much talent*

In Jaimie's Words

6/14/11

Wow wow wow!  I am loving i mean REALLY loving this trip.  SIngapore was great to see the kids - lots of good food (you know rajan :)  Eating out for every meal - yikes , no wonder while i was in france i got so plumpy! ha!  lots of swimming in their apt. complex outdoor pool, hot hot hot humid weather that makes me move like a slug, chinese dinner with the whole fmily for sivi's (older brothers) birthday where I tried a whole crispy small fish - just popped the whole thing in head and all - not bad but also not my favorite - and pig stomach - not throw up sick but pretty gross.  Went to another restaurant where we used huge banana leaves as plates and fingers for utensils ....mmmmmmmmmmmm - love love indian food- gimme some dhal and curry and I'm a happy kid- add some naan in there and i'm in paradise.  For lunch one day we went ot the K-BOX where the K stands for karaoke and it's exactly how it sounds - you get a private room complete w/ two microphones and a tv and you get to sing karaoke fora couple hours, ha! love that family. rajan delphine cam and I went to a bar/cluyb one night w/ a live band (really good one!) and cam and I danced till about two in the morning - we showed everyone that you can have a good time w/ virgin drinks :)They took us to the airport, whole family came to see us off in the morning. They are such such good people and their generosity is remarkable.  love them!

now THAILAND!!!! oh man oh man I'm going to need 5 hrs to explain everythingto you!

day one: get picked up from the airport by james (awesome kid - THE most responsible and polite 19 yr old I've ever EVER met - been all ovr the world , literally. it's easier for him to list the countries in africa that he hasn't been to than to list theones he has) take taxi to hotel - the prince royal hotel - THE nicest hotel I've ever been in in my entire life - no joking.  BEAUTIFUL and it's all paid for by his work so cam and I aren't paying a dime plus we get free breakfast vouchers for an amazing breakfast buffet, WHAT??? Stay in bangkok for a day and night - go on boat on river and see all the houses in the river, and a bit of hte floating market where people row around selling things off of their boats, then went to the neatest temple, called the temple of dawn w/ the most intricate tile murials and designs i've ever seen.

Rented a car and drove to kanchanaburi - where we got to see this stunning temple with a staircase that's red like the dragons tongue and it goes straight into the fragons mouth which leads to a cave w/ a huge buddha inside and we went higher up and then down into a cave filled with bats and shrines - SO NEAT!!! don't know if we're really meant to go there but we did.  Went to see 7 waterfalls - erawan waterfalls and got to swim in the clearest water - w/ loads of fish that LOVED nibbling and bighting on the toes and legs - yikes!!!  made me yelp every time - just keep movin and they stay away :) ha!  got an hour long thai massage for 6 dollars and it was AWESOME!! she stretched and massaged my body wonderfully and if i could get thatevery day I think I'd have no joint pain or anything aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

Then we drove to Sangleburi and we're here now and we've seen a couple temples - one where the monks take in stray dogs (loads and loads of stray dogs in thailand - really cute) and feed them.  it's a teeny tiny town. Thai people are so kind and so honest and warm people - I love it here so much and could see myself living here. We are going to go today to three pagodas pass (burmese border) to an orphanage/refugee camp that james works with, and to see the karin and mon hill tribes here before driving on to cambodia which is about a 8 hr drive where we'll see angkor wat and other temples there and also go around siem reap a bit. then we're driving back to bangkok for a few ays before we fly to the island koh pan yang (wow really butchered the spelling onthat so sorry!) for a couple days!!!

Love you guys so much, i feel so so blessed to be able to see the things I am and have this experience - feel so spoiled.

mom about coming home - i don't know exactly the days and not sure if i'll be ble to afford it after this trip straight away - do you know about how much it'd be?  I'm pretty felxible with my field study so it oesn't have to be straight away that I come home - I could take a few days off in between to come too.  let me know if youfind some deals and for what days they are okay?  Love you so much!

looooooooooooooooove and loads of hugs and kisses,

jaimarino