Thailand, Day 6: Back to Melbourne

Friday, April 29
Bangkok, Thailand and Melbourne, Australia

I was sound asleep and very comfortable in my hostel bed when my alarm went off at 4:40am this morning.  I got dressed in the dark, got all of my stuff together and went downstairs to check-out.  It was only when I got out of my room that I realized the massive storm that was currently over Bangkok.  Luckily it lightened up in the 20 minutes it took for me to get into the car taking me to the airport.  The driver was a bit chatty at first, but it was too early and I was too tired to really respond.

We had an uneventful ride in the dark and arrived at the airport so that I had over two hours to get everything situated.  Bangkok’s international terminal is absolutely huge and very modern.  I had to wait in a pretty long line for check-in, but it moved rather quickly.  I rearranged my things so that I only had to carry my purse (Thai airlines allows you to check multiple bags.  Each person just has a weight limit they can’t exceed without charge) which was really nice.

Passport control was really easy, but I was once again held up at security because of my water bottle.  I really never can seem to get it right.

My gate was really far away, and while I walking there, I felt like I was at the mall.  There were so many retail stores, selling pretty much anything you could think of.  I found myself getting distracted along the way and stopping to look at everything.  I only have 150 Baht left, which really isn’t enough to buy anything worth having, but not worth exchanging back to USD.  I highly doubt there is anywhere in Australia where it’s accepted, so I’ll just have to keep it as a souvenir.

Once I finally got to my gate, I was confused by the system they had going.  Each gate has two levels, and we all started on the top one.  After about 20 minutes of waiting up there, with lots of people and very limited seating in the immediate vicinity, a line began to form and one by one people were allowed to go downstairs.  They had another security check you had to pass, and because I hadn’t filled up my water, I made it through without trouble.  There was still time, so people found seats in this new area and we waited for the call to board.

Unfortunately, this flight was full, but I have an aisle seat, so I guess that’s lucky.  It’s probably better this way anyways because I am trying to stay awake throughout the flight so I can go to sleep soon after I arrive back to my room.  Right now we are passing over the last bits of Indonesia and are getting ready to cross the Indian Ocean.  It looks like, if I’ve calculated everything correctly, we’ve got a bit over five hours left.  So far, I’ve watched a movie (Tangled) and an episode of Hawaii Five-O.  I also devoured a large breakfast of eggs, potatoes, a grilled tomato, sausage, yogurt, fruit, bread, and tea.  One more meal service in about 2.5 hours, and I’ll have a choice of fish ball in green curry or veal loin.  I have yet to be disappointed, so I’m sure either will be quite yummy.

Tomorrow will be a busy day.  I have to go to the grocery store when I get up because I don’t have any food in my room, and then I’ll spend some time uploading pictures and updating the blog before sitting down to start some schoolwork.  I have a lab due Monday and a finance tutorial due Wednesday that need to get done, I need to listen to the diffusion lecture from last Thursday, and I need to begin the process of planning my paper for biomed assignment #2.  It’s a lot to do in the next couple of days, but it’s been really nice not to have to think about it for the last week.  Only four more weeks until study period begins, and I know it’s going to go by quickly!  And I just realized that means I’ll get my exam schedule soon as well; something else to look forward to (not, haha).

I continued to pass the time by watching Hawaii Five-O; I think I may have gone through seven episodes.  After I wore that out I switched over to a Reese Witherspoon film, but didn’t get to finish it before we landed.  Somewhere in there I had a great shrimp dinner (they ran out of the veal, and I really didn’t want fish ball curry).  It included a nice shrimp and fruit salad and my last serving of rice for a while.  I need to have a rice detox at this point because I’ve had it at almost every meal over the last week.

We landed, I got off and got my bags all very easily.  I got through customs, but had to go to quarantine because of some of the things I brought back.  Australia is very strict about that kind of thing because they are out on their own here in the ocean, and don’t want anything brought in that could lead to some sort of outbreak.

A 20-minute SkyBus trip, short metro and tram ride trip later, and I am finally back in my room.  I’m probably 75% unpacked, but am tired and ready for bed.  Reflections on my trip will come sometime over the next few days, if I can find some time in-between everything else that needs to be done in the next 48 hours.  For now, all I can say is thank you Thailand for an amazing week and an overall awesome experience that won’t be forgotten anytime in the near future.

Thailand, Day 5: Bangkok

Thursday, April 28
Bangkok, Thailand
 

I woke up this morning at 7:15am (sleeping in, compared to the last few days) and gathered my remaining items before taking advantage of the free breakfast and checking out of my room.  Part of me felt a little badly about leaving a very dirty towel (I used it to wipe off my mud/elephant poo covered tennis shoes) for them to clean, but I just couldn’t stand the thought of smelling up my entire bag with those shoes.

I only had to wait a few minutes before my ride came to pick me up from the lobby.  We made the short trip to the Chiang Mai airport, I checked in, and am now sitting outside the security gate in the “domestic passenger lounge,” trying to chug the rest of my water from my water bottle.  I board my flight to Bangkok in 55 minutes, so I still have some time to kill.  I’m sad to be leaving Chiang Mai, because I quite liked my stay, but I’m sure Bangkok will be just as interesting an adventure.  I’ll only be there less than 24 hours before getting on another plane and heading back to Melbourne and to all of the schoolwork I should have been doing during the break.

I finished my water in my own good time and then proceeded to my gate after clearing the security check.  I was very interested in all the stores along the way because they contained things I’d never seen before.  So I took my time, which was good because my flight ended up being delayed (only 10 minutes) and I didn’t have anything else to do (I finished my book a couple of days ago and don’t feel like I have enough time to get through another one).  There was a program on TV about the Royal Wedding, which ended up keeping my attention even though it was dubbed over in Thai.

Once on the plane, we actually made up time and got to Bangkok in 50 minutes and only 5 minutes late.  The plane itself was probably the largest aircraft I’ve ever seen or been on, which seems silly for such a short flight, but still cool to look at.  It was two stories (I don’t know who the lucky privileged ones were who got to sit up there on the second floor) and an amazing looking first class, with round chairs that were soft and swiveled around.  Even my seat in economy had more legroom.  For the first time on this trip I had someone sitting in my row, but it was fine because the flight was so quick.  How the service staff even got through a snack and beverage service (mini chicken sandwich and hot tea) is beyond me.

For whatever time we made up in the air, we lost at baggage claim.  Something happened to the belt as the luggage was coming out and so we were stuck waiting for maintenance to get it fixed.  I was already apprehensive about even getting my bag because in Chiang Mai, my name was called over the intercom and I was asked to make myself known at the ticket counter.  They informed me that something happened with my bag before giving me a new claim ticket.  It turns out the belt got fixed and my bag showed up, so crisis was averted.

I found my ride, and again I was met with some questions that made me a little worrisome.  Booking with the travel agent put me under the false pretense that everything would run like clockwork and I wouldn’t have to think.  That ended up being a terrible assumption on my part.  In this case, the driver showed up and then we found out that we had conflicting listings when we looked up where I was staying.  The driver was a little reluctant to take my advice and take me to the place I had listed, but I finally convinced them that I had printed out the most up to date itinerary from the travel agent and hadn’t received notification of a change.  I kind of passed out in the car on the second half of the trip, but I ended up being correct and I was in fact staying where I thought I was.

Coming out of the airport, the difference between Chiang Mai and Bangkok was stark.  Bangkok is very westernized and actually reminds me a bit of LA.  While Chiang Mai made me feel like I was somewhere very different, Bangkok greeted me with billboards in English and multi-lane freeways.  As we moved away from the airport and more towards the city center, that seemed to change a little bit, but the two cities have completely different dynamics.

When the car stopped and I woke up, we had arrived at the hostel where I was staying.  This is my first time in a hostel, and it is a very unique environment.  On the bottom floor there are a cluster of computers, a table with games, a couple of TVs, and a bar.  As you go up, there is also a theater, which I’m pretty sure has some comfy chairs and another TV, maybe for watching movies.  Continuing up to the fourth floor, I finally made it to my room.  I walk in to five sets of bunk beds, only two of which are taken, so I am free to choose any of the remaining ones I want.  Each bed has it’s own light on the wall by it, and a shelf and set of plugs.  No one was in the room when I got there, so I just quickly rearranged some of my things and was eager to get out and explore.

I found my way to the main road and enjoyed looking at all the shop, food, and street vendors along the sidewalk.  I bought some fresh guava for 10 Baht, and it was delicious.  It was at this point that I was approached by the driver of the nearest tuk-tuk.  He offered to drive me around for an hour for 20 Baht, which is an amazing deal, and I fell for it.  I should have known there was a catch.  The first part was great; riding in the motorbike taxi was fun, and we made our first stop at a temple in the middle of the city that is home to the lucky Buddha.  I was able to get some pictures, and then we left.  Our next two stops were at a travel agent and a fabric/tailoring store, both of which confused me.  The driver told me to spend five minutes in each store, but neither time I did because there was nothing there of interest to me.  The driver started getting angry and explained that he needed me to spend five minutes in the store so that the owner would give him a gas card.  I told him I didn’t want to, because by this point I knew I was just being used, and he argued with me before he just got fed up.  When he tried to strike a deal with me and I refused, he just shook his head and I finally walked away and got back on my own.

I went back to my room because it was so hot and sticky that I decided to change from a shirt and shorts into a sundress.  I went out and found myself a hole-in-the-wall little place for lunch on one of the side streets.  I had green curry with chicken and rice (I am going to have to take a serious hiatus from rice once this experience is over) that was very spicy, once again clearing my sinuses.  I went back to the hostel again to get 20 USD to convert, just to make me feel safe (the hostel reception took a 100 Baht deposit when I arrived).  Before heading back into town, I took advantage of the free internet and tried to catch up with the rest of the world.  It ended up taking an hour, which was actually good because that put me at about 4:45pm and it had cooled down and became very pleasant outside.

I walked along the opposite side of the road, once again taking in all of the action of the street vendors (including food, tailoring, watch repair) more than anything.  I ended up buying a bag and getting a Thai pedicure along the way, which was a nice way to treat my feet after keeping them in damp, mud covered shoes for the better part of the last week.

One more stop at the hostel to get a dinner suggestion and I was off again to what I would learn was a very nice little outdoor restaurant.  It was very relaxing, with the warm weather and slight breeze, and was a great place to gather some thoughts while enjoying a spicy salad with duck, and of course some rice.  That 30 minutes or so, with nothing really going on around me, gave me time to realize just how much I’ve learned about myself this past week.  I think I’m going to let that stew until I get back to Melbourne, but then I think it’d be worthwhile for me to take note of it all before the feelings begin to fade.

I’ve been writing all of this while in the hostel lobby, observing the sea of people who have been coming and going.  It’s cool to see/listen in to everything that’s going on, because there are travelers from all over the world, and all here for different reasons.  If I make another trip like this one, I’d like to spend my non-trekking time in a hostel.  I don’t really have enough time to do it here, because I’m leaving tomorrow at 5am, but it really is an optimal environment to meet people because it lacks the formal feel of a hotel.

Like I said, early morning tomorrow so I am going to get ready for bed.  I can’t believe it will be my last sleep in Thailand.  Maybe I’ll put it off just a little longer by reading one of the books from the communal bookshelf the hostel has, which basically functions as a book trading site where people leave and take books as they please.  Cool to think that the book I choose could have come from another awesome country somewhere.

Thailand, Day 4: Bamboo Rafting

Wednesday, April 27
Chiang Mai, Thailand

I am up early again, though this time it’s more because I wasn’t really comfortable rather than the fact that we just went to bed so early that I got in all the sleep I needed.  It’s about 6:30am, so I probably have about an hour and a half to wait before anything happens, though it sounds like Bernhard and his wife are awake.

It’s a morning quite like yesterday:  a bit overcast but still relatively warm, and the people of the village seem to be up with the sun, tending to whatever need to be done, like cleaning, cooking, and feeding the wide range of animals that live here. 

My legs are very sore today, and I feel like I could use a nice long stretch.  I also feel like I could use another shower, and my hair desperately is in need of a brush.  The other girls mentioned massages and pedicures for when they get back today, and I might have to steal that idea, though I hear Thai massages can be quite painful.  Only one true way to find out though!

We left the village sometime around 9, though that’s only a guess because at this point everyone has taken off their watches.  We left after eating breakfast, which was toast, fresh pineapple, and an omelet with tomato.  All we had to do to get to our raft was walk down the bank.  The raft was constructed last night, and was made up of maybe ten long, thick rods of bamboo all tied together.  Our bags were draped over a bamboo cross at the front.  We were each given a big plastic bag to put our electronics and valuables in, in case our bags were to get wet.  Because of the danger of getting it wet, I was only able to pull out my camera a couple of times and get a few pictures. 

We donned some pretty sweet and stylish life jackets and climbed onto the raft one at a time.  Luke started out in the back while one of his friends took over steering in the front and the rest of us were lined up single file in-between.  I was third in line, between Laura and Aiofe (I finally learned how to spell her name…still can’t pronounce it).  We stayed standing as we started our way down the river, which was calm and peaceful.   

There were so many different kinds of trees and plants, all very green and most really tall, as well as a variety of animals.  We saw buffalo, cows, and elephants as we floated along, as well as spiders (one pretty massive one made its way up my leg), a couple of water snakes, and some amazingly beautiful butterflies.  We made a pit stop at a village, just to use the bathroom (hole in the ground) and so that Luke and his friend could switch places on the raft.  To steer, they used very long bamboo sticks and basically just kept us moving along and helping us to avoid hitting rocks.

The second half of the ride was much like the first, except we had the added bonus of some “rapids” which helped push us along a bit.  We were told to sit or squat in those moments so that we wouldn’t lose our balance and fall off. During one of the calmer stretches, Luke brought me up front to steer.  The long bamboo stick made me very clumsy and it was very hard to manipulate.  However, I did keep us a safe distance away from a massive bush/shrub on one side of the river.

After what I would guess was three hours total, we made it to our destination, which was a nice resort for white water rafters.  We stopped there to have lunch (tofu pad thai…so good.  I was the big eater of the group) and take a few photos before piling in the truck for our last leg to the hotel.   

As we got in, it began to rain, so we had good timing, but that also meant we had to close up the “open-air” part of the truck.  That, coupled with bumpy, muddy roads, lots of turns, and a stomach full of pad thai, made me rather carsick.  I had to stay that way for about an hour before we were let out for a break.  A couple of people got tea or coffee, but I couldn’t imagine stomaching anything.  When we got back in, I convinced Luke to let us open up at least the back “window” of the truck bed, so I could look out behind us as we drove along.  Luckily, the rain was letting up and he agreed, and the rest of the way back wasn’t as terrible.

We dropped off and said goodbye to Bernhard and his wife before heading to the Imm Hotel, where the rest of us were staying.  The other girls and I checked in and gathered up the bags we had left behind the counter a few days ago.  We are now all on the first floor, which is nice because this place doesn’t have an elevator.

The very first thing I did when I got to my room was pull out my toiletries and hop in the shower.  It was so nice to come out clean and to actually brush my hair, which I haven’t done for a few days.  I got dressed afterward and headed out to find a place for a Thai massage.  I found a nice looking place that was an open storefront, allowing the warm breeze inside, and for a little more than 5 USD I experienced an hour-long Thai massage.  This type of massage focuses more on pressure points to relieve tension, rather then rubbing.  There was also a lot of stretching involved, which was great for my sore muscles.

I walked out feeling pretty great, and now I’m back in my room.  When I walked in I found a note on the floor from Laura, Claire, and Aiofe, inviting me to join them for dinner in about an hour and a half.  In that time, I think I’ll pack up my stuff because I don’t know how late I’ll be out, and my flight leaves at a pretty decent hour tomorrow morning.

I waited in the lobby of the hotel until almost 8pm, and was about to leave when the girls rushed in.  They were running late from getting manicures/pedicures, but I’m just glad I didn’t miss them.

We went to dinner at a nice looking Thai restaurant.  I ordered a glass-noodle salad with seafood, but was way spicier than I anticipated (all in the sauce) and my lips and throat were burning the entire time.

I tagged along as the group headed to a cocktail bar.  We were having a good time and conversation came easily, which was nice.  The bar had a nice feel to it and we took a seat and enjoyed our drinks.  We talked and laughed about a lot of things and listened to the soothing music.  At some point we decided we needed something more upbeat if there was any chance for us to stay awake, so we found another bar with a live band doing covers of American songs.  We found a table, ordered another round and listened/sang along to the music.  It was too loud to carry on any real form of conversation, but we were still enjoying ourselves.

It was at this point that Claire had the brilliant idea to sign us up to shoot a round of pool.  I don’t know if it’s like this in the states, because I’ve never been to a bar with a pool table, but the people playing were really serious and really good; neither of which I am.

Anyway, our turn finally came and I was partners with Laura.  All three of the other girls were better than I was, claiming to have played in Irish/British pubs, but none of us were up to par with the Thai natives.  I oftentimes failed to get the cue ball to hit one of ours (we were stripes), but I did get a few crucial shots and we kept the game close.  Little did we know that our game was taking forever (the other games averaged about 15 minutes.  Later we worked out that we were at it for an hour and a half) but we did end up drawing the attention of pretty much the entire bar, and the guy singing made a few comments about our game and how talented and entertaining we were.  All jokes of course, as we were neither.

In the end, we battled over the 8 ball, and Claire and Aiofe got it in first.  It took us so long for someone to finally sink it that we were just in fits of laughter over the entire situation.  We finally finished and sort of rushed out of the bar with ducked heads, to avoid jabs and comments.

We made it back to the hotel and gathered in their room, talking for a bit before I finally decided it was time for me to head to my room because I had to get up early the next morning.  We said goodbye and I went to my room to finish packing up my things.  I finally made it to bed around 1:15am, and fell asleep very quickly, spoiled by the softness of the bed and pillow and cleanliness of the sheets.

Thailand, Day 3: Elephant Camp

Tuesday, April 26
Chiang Mai, Thailand

I woke up this morning to the “cock-a-doodle-doo” of the resident rooster.  As I sat up, surrounded by my mosquito net and listening to the river running behind me, I really began to internalize where I am and what I’m doing.  I stepped out of my room to another overcast morning, a signature of rainy season, which was decently warm and very fresh.  I’m the only one of the group that’s awake right now, and I don’t even know what time it is (actually, our guide just came out of his room and told me it’s 6:30am).

Most people of the village are already awake, cooking, cleaning, and feeding the animals.  Not much else is going on at the moment, but as the sun continues to rise and more people wake up, that will change.  Right now it’s just nice to listen to nature and the man in the kitchen who is singing a song, even though I can’t understand a word he’s saying.

It’s nearing 7:30am, and now Bernhard and his wife are awake, the sun is breaking through, and breakfast and coffee are being made in the kitchen.  I walked around the village a little bit, taking pictures and getting a glimpse of what life would be like living here.  It would be busy, but just very different.  Just now, a man herded a bunch of cows through the village.  Who knows where they came from or where they are going, but that’s definitely not something I’m used to seeing everyday.  On the other hand, most people here own motorbikes and zoom around and in and out of the village on them.  No electricity, but modern forms of transportation; quite a contrast.

We ate breakfast, consisting of eggs, toast with butter and jam, coffee, tea, and an exotic fruit that’s kind of like lychee.   

Soon after, we set off on our trek.  The weather was much more cooperative, and would have been perfect except for the humidity.  We walked for a grand total of about 3 hours, passing through rice fields and climbing steep hills along the way, before arriving at the elephant camp.  Everyone was cheery because they were dry, minus the sweat, there had been no leeches, and the scenery was nice to look at.  Upon arriving at the camp, there were four elephants; two in the water and two gathered around a tree.  We took off our shoes so that we could put our feet in the water, and spent some time relaxing and watching the elephants while lunch was being prepared.  When it was ready, we ate noodle soup with cabbage and carrots.  The noodles reminded me of Ramen, but still very good.  There was also fresh pineapple, which seems to be popular around here.

After lunch, it was time for the elephants to have a bath.  There were all put in the river while bucket of water were thrown on them.  We were told we could help, so into the river we went.  The elephants were very well behaved and it was fun to throw water all over them and clean their tusks.

Once clean, the elephants were prepared for riding.  The have little benches “installed” on them that hold two people each, along with their bags.  One of the lawyers and I climbed up to the same elephant.  Along the way we discovered that she was a bit of a rogue and had her own mind and agenda.  The ride was bit jerky and we swayed a little from side to side, but it was still awesome.  The elephants feel very leathery, but also have bristly hair.  Ours liked to flap her ears a lot and a couple of times she used her trunk to kill flies that were on her head.  It was cool to watch them eat because it showed us all the cool ways their trunks can bend and move.  The other two elephants stopped for snacks quite often, but ours didn’t seem hungry/interested.

After dismounting the elephant, we gathered our things and walked about ten minutes more to the village where we’ll be sleeping tonight.  At this point, my legs are tired/sore and I rolled my ankle once, so I was glad to see the wood huts.  This second village seems to span a larger area than the last one and also has a pretty nice school.  The kids are on summer holiday now, so the school is all closed up.  The building we’re sleeping in is right next to the river we’ll be bamboo rafting down tomorrow.  Luke, our tour guide, has decided to go fishing in the river, while the rest of us are taking turns using the shower (a tin hut with a hose).

Not much happened this evening, but everyone felt refreshed after showering.  We walked around the village a little bit and remarked at how interesting it is that there is no electricity here (I am writing by candlelight) but some of the huts have satellites, for radio or cell phones I’m not sure.  We did see someone on an iPhone, which was funny and seemed out of place.

We came back, sat around and eventually had dinner.  Pretty much the same as yesterday, with the same soup and chicken dish, prawn chips, and rice, but this time we also had a salad with noodles and egg, as well as fresh bananas from the village, which were very sweet and so delicious!  All of the vegetables are really fresh and tasty as well.

Luke came over to talk to us about tomorrow’s itinerary, and it’s weird to think that the trek is almost over.  Tomorrow I’ll be back in the city center of Chiang Mai, then off to Bangkok after that.

Anyway, tomorrow we’ll wake up and eat breakfast before getting on the bamboo raft and floating down the river (if the water isn’t moving too fast).  Then we should be meeting up with the truck that will take us back to town.

We also learned that there are 50 families (about) living in this village and that the school on the grounds provides free education to the members of the five tribes nearby.  This tribe also speaks the same dialect as the tribe we stayed with last night.  Walking around we had seen a collapsed concrete bridge, so we asked about it and were told that it was wiped out by flooding right after is was constructed, even before anyone had used it.

Before bed we gathered around a campfire, and ended up playing “21” (normally a drinking game where you go around in a circle, counting up to 21.  Whoever says 21 gets to make up a rule about that number, until all the numbers have their own rules.).  It was really fun to play with people from different countries, and cool to see a commonality that linked us all together.

Thailand, Day 2: Hilltribe Trek

Monday, April 25
Chiang Mai, Thailand

This morning I woke up at 8am, packed up my things and went downstairs for breakfast.  I had hard-boiled eggs, fruit, and wontons.  I took my time before heading back upstairs to gather everything.  Once I deposited one of my bags behind the counter and checked out of my room, all I had to do was wait for my guide to show up.  Three other girls joined me, and I saw that easy was only carrying one bag, while I had two.  I rearranged my stuff again and got things in one bag, depositing the other behind the front desk counter with the first one.  Our guide came and picked us up and we all piled into an open-air pickup truck.  We rode for a few minutes before stopping at another hotel to pick up the remaining two members of the group.  In all, there was me, a girl from England, two originally from Ireland but now working in England, and an Austrian couple who had just come from traveling through northern Vietnam and Laos.  I am definitely the baby of the group, but not too much younger than the group of English lawyers.  Of the couple, the wife teaches English to children at a Russian school, while the husband works as a computer scientist.

Once all on board in the back of the truck, our first order of business was to go to the local police station to check-in, so that they can track us and make sure we all arrive back safely.  With that finished, we drove yet a little bit longer before stopping at a local market to pick up the food we’d need to make meals on our trip.  The market had all sorts of fruits and vegetables, some packaged goods, and fresh fish (so fresh that some were still breathing in their final breaths on the tray they were being kept on).

Back in the truck, we finally took off, really on our way.  We came out of the main city center and into a more rural part of the town.  Everything was so green:  hills, bushes, and trees, and also seemed never ending.  Spread throughout the landscape were a mixture of stores and markets, some rundown shacks, and a couple of temples.  As we climbed higher, it was really nice to have the wind in my face and to be able to look out and take in the scenery.

We stopped at a little place for lunch, which was prepared with the help of our tour guide.  We started off with a really good soup, followed by fried rice with egg, tomato, and bok choi, and some very tasty, fresh pineapple.  I had a very good share of rice because I liked it so much and also because I knew that we probably wouldn’t be eating again until after trekking for a few hours.

Again in the truck, we drove up a steep hill for about 10 minutes, before finally getting out, gathering up all of our stuff, and beginning our climb.  We were told to go heavy on the bug spray because we were going to be walking through brush and the forest floor.  We were also told to look out for leeches, which proved to be a major problem.  They found their way on and into our shoes, so we had to stop every five minutes or so to pick them off.

As gross as the leech experience was, the forest was equally breathtaking.  We climbed uphill for quite awhile before stopping for a water/picture break and leech check.  After an all clear, we began again, and that’s when it started to rain.  It only sprinkled on us at first, even though there were some mighty thunder claps, because we were under the cover of all the trees.  Once we found our way out of the trees however, we got dumped on.  We pulled out our rain gear to cover our backpacks, and our resourceful leader tore off pieces of banana leaves for us to use as umbrellas.  It was wet the rest of the way, which made the trek a bit difficult because a lot of it was downhill at that point and very slippery and muddy.

In total we walked for a bit more than a couple of hours before descending on our destination, a Thai village.  My quads were burning and my knees and ankle were a little upset with me, but it was worth if for the experience.

In the village there are a handful of huts, all different in size and shape.  We stripped off all of our wet clothes before we were shown where we would be sleeping.  All of us are in the same room, and each has a separate mattress, a quilt, pillow, and mosquito net.  It will be comfy enough for the time we are here.

Looking around, I can see a cluster of chickens, a couple of pigs walking around, and roosters who won’t stop making noise.  I can also see people making dinner in the cooking hut and around a fire.  Kids are running around, some trying to stay dry while others could care less.  A couple of girls are weaving something on homemade looms.  As for us travelers, two of the lawyers, Laura and Claire, are playing a game on a piece of paper, the Austrian couple are talking and looking through some papers, and the last lawyer girl (her name I can’t pronounce) and I are reading.

It will probably be a quiet night tonight, before we get up and head off tomorrow.  We’ve just been served some “prawn chips” that are a little spicy but very tasty.  It looks like dinner will be rice, grown on a farm in the village and harvested by the tribe members, soup, a chicken/vegetable dish, and some kind of green bean/tofu dish in a peanut sauce.  Everything that’s being cooked is made from stuff we bought from the market earlier today.

After dinner, which everyone really enjoyed, our group just sat around the table, quietly, before deciding that pretty much the only thing left to do was get ready for bed.  It was completely dark out, not leaving us with any other options.

Our group leader wanted to go over tomorrow’s game plan, and he actually got into some history and facts about the group of people we are staying with.  They have been living in this village for hundreds of years, and little has changed since then.  There are 290 people and they still go out and hunt, bringing back buffalo, deer, cows, chicken, and frogs, among other things (pigs, snakes).  They farm rice, corn, and tobacco, mostly to eat, but some to sell.  The biggest change is that the kids go to school now, but the “local” school is two hours away.  Each tribe has their own dialect, but everyone also knows Thai, which they only use when others are around.

Day 1 Continued: Flight to and Arrival into Chiang Mai

Sunday, April 24
Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand

I got aboard my flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and to my surprise and excitement, I yet again had an entire row to myself.  The good omens kept streaming in, until an announcement was made that our flight was going to be delayed due to some technical issues.  It's always a little distressing to hear that, but I made the best of it by putting up the arm rests and getting about 30 minutes of extra sleep.  Finally we were off, and an hour later we touched down in Chiang Mai.  This was a much smaller airport, but the surrounding scenery (a bit of fog and endless rolling green hills) was really cool.

I made it through customs and baggage claim, and then started wondering where I was supposed to get picked up.  I followed the mass of people through some glass doors, and standing there was a man holding a sign with my name on it.  So, it was easy enough, and soon we were in a van on the way to my hotel.
We drove through town, and the guy was talking to me but I was too busy looking around to really notice.  Here in Thailand they also drive on the left hand side of the road.  I'm getting more used to it after living in Australia for a couple of months, but throw in the open-air truck drivers, carrying anything and everything, the taxis (which are actually big motor bikes and called "tuk-tuks") and the mopeds and motorcycles whizzing about everywhere, and you've got one busy, crazy road.  It seems like everyone owns a motorbike of some kind, and young and old whiz around town on them.  Some people are even carrying babies with them while they drive.

We arrived at my hotel (which sits connected to a McDonald's) and I was very pleasantly surprised.  I was thinking hostel, but this is a full on hotel, with meeting rooms and hot breakfast in the morning.  I got up to my room and was shocked again when I saw a TV, full bath, and two beds!  I decided that the first thing I wanted to do was shower.  It was much colder when I left Melbourne and I was hot and sticky in what I was wearing.  Refreshed and ready to go (it's about 11am at this point), the first thing I had to get done was currency exchange.  I found a little booth near the hotel and it was a no commission place, with an exchange rate of 1 USD = 29 something Baht.  It was great to feel like I had so much money; a big change from my first few weeks of school.

 After that, I set off to explore.  I kind of just wandered, taking random turns and not quite knowing where I was going.  It was actually a great way to take in my surroundings.  There are little streets everywhere, with shops and massage parlors galore.  An hour long massage would cost 5 USD, so I'm thinking I might get one when I come back after trekking.
It was getting very hot outside, and just wandering around was making me weary.  I was going to start heading back in the direction of my hotel when I saw some people who looked like tourists and seemed to know where they were going, so I trailed them.  It was a good thing I did because I ended up at a huge shrine, surrounded by lots of little temples.  All the temples were open, and as long as you took your shoes off, you were free to enter.  They were all different, but elaborately decorated and pretty humbling.  There were oftentimes people sitting on the floor meditating and/or praying, and I just hope I didn't disturb them.  There were also monks around everywhere, sometimes stopping and taking a moment to say a prayer.

Seeing those temples were really wonderful, but I was tired from the time change and from the trip, so I decided to go back and take a nap.  On my way back, I saw that the plaza across the street from my hotel was being set up for some kind of market.  I was most excited to see people cooking, and I started my food adventure by ordering lunch from one of them; a chicken and basil stir-fry.  It was delicious, but the even better part of my meal was meeting Dan and Jeff, two Canadians who had just arrived on a train from Bangkok, where they had been for the past couple of days.  We talked over food, and I learned that Dan was still in school and Jeff was a working guy but was hoping to return to school in September for his masters.  They invited me to join them on their preliminary walk through town, and even though I still felt exhausted, I accepted their offer.  However, it didn't take that long for their travels to catch up with them as well, so we all decided to head back, nap, and meet up at the market when it opened at 5pm.
The nap really was glorious, and I was ready to go when five came around.  I found my new companions and we began wandering around the market, which we learned extended all the way down the main road.  We munched and talked our way through the first hour, exploring different food options and sampling each others' dishes.  I had to run back to my hotel for a quick meeting with my trekking guide, but found the boys again afterwards and continued on, taking in everything the market had to offer.  It was great to have people to shop, talk, and share food with, and we ended up all eating a lot and making lots of purchases; mostly gifts for other people.  As Dan put it, we were doing a good thing by stimulating the economy.  I came away with a whole bunch of handmade stuff, for under 40-50 USD.  The other 10 USD I spent was on food, and it was worth every penny.  Pad thai, Thai pancakes (filled with coconut cream), a fresh fruit smoothie, and I even ate a cricket!  It really wasn't bad at all; crunchy, and kind of tasted like chicken.  I also sampled fried banana (really good), curry sausage (really spicy!), and freshly made Thai coffee.  I'm pretty sure I've already gained weight.

Happy with our purchases and full stomachs, we called it a night.  We exchanged enough information to find each other on Facebook, and we're gonna see if we can't hook up on Thursday when I get back from my trek.
It's now 11:45pm, I've showered (again) and am ready for bed.  Meeting tomorrow at 9am to get the trek started!  It's into the hills I go.

Thailand, Day 1: Bangkok Airport

Sunday, April 24
Bangkok, Thailand

After a 9 hour flight, I am now in Bangkok.  It is almost 6am local time, meaning 9am in Melbourne and 4pm at home.
The flight was actually great!  I think it's a good omen for the trip.  I walked on board to some soothing background music and ladies who were dressed in nice skirts and sashes (being on Thai Airlines, I should have expected something of the sort).  They greeted me by placing their hands together and giving a little bow.  I continued on to my seat, realizing that I was lucky and got assigned to sit by a window.  There was a guy in the aisle seat already, but as loading continued, no one was coming to fill our middle seat.  I thought this was great, but then even better was the announcement that we were getting ready to back away from the gate, prompting the guy in the aisle seat to get up and find a row of his own.  I ended up on a 9 hour flight with an entire row all to myself!  That meant I could lie down and sleep through most of the flight, which I definitely did.
Also to my surprise was the fact that we were served two meals.  I was under the impression that we'd just be getting one.  First up was dinner, served around midnight Melbourne time.  It kind of threw off my eating schedule, but I've already thrown all rules out the window for this trip.  It was actually very good:  rice, chicken curry, vegetables, and bread.

After dinner I did some reading and then slept till breakfast, 6 hours later.  Breakfast was fruit, scrambled eggs, yogurt, and a croissant.  Also very decent.  And throughout the entire flight the service crew was awesome.
We landed in Bangkok at 5am local time, and after asking someone to translate all of the Thai directions given by the pilot, I found myself being shuttled onto a bus on the tarmac and driven to the terminal.  The weather was overcast and very humid, but also very warm.  Upon arriving inside, I once again found myself wandering, trying to navigate and find my way, but eventually I found immigration, passed through security, and am currently sitting at my gate.  The terminal is very vibrant and full of life and colors.  All of the announcements are made in a language I don't understand, which is interesting, considering every TV is blaring something in English.

say what???

One more flight, only an hour, and I'll be in Chiang Mai.  I'm hoping to get to my room, shower, nap, and explore.  It's going to be very warm by the time I get settled, and I just hope I can dress comfortably without offending anyone.  Right now I see a pretty wide range of apparel, from a girl across the way in a tank top and shorts to the pair of monks sitting a few seats to my left.
I see people moving towards our gate after the last announcement.  I guess that's my cue to go.

Mega Adventure: Thailand, Day 0

Just as a disclaimer, today is actually my last night in Thailand.  I am currently sitting at a computer in the hostel that I'm staying in (more on that later), and I'm just going to upload one or two days worth of my trip right now.  I have been keeping a daily log of what's been happening while I've been gone, so I'm just going to put that up here.  That means I'll be talking like it's a few days ago, when in fact that's not the case.  Sorry for you guys, but it's just a lot easier for me that way...here goes  :)

Saturday, April 23
Melbourne, Australia

Everything has gone smoothly so far.  I did run into trouble trying to find a bag this morning; I was too busy with work to do it before yesterday, and as I found out, this country takes the Easter holiday very seriously and almost all the stores were closed yesterday (Good Friday).  That left me scrambling a little this morning.  I learned that finding a $10 duffle bag is near impossible.  Neither Big W nor Target carries them and I got some weird glances when I inquired about it.  I eventually found my way to a luggage store, where I spent more money than I hoped, but didn't really feel terrible because I found $40 on the sidewalk while I was running yesterday.
In any case, I got the bag and packed up, somewhat tightly, before heading off to lunch, then the library to do some work and chat with people, then to my room to try and pass the time, since my flight wasn't until 11pm.
Finally the time rolled around and I got on the tram to Melbourne Central Station.  It was an easy few minutes and then a couple more on the metro to Southern Cross Station, where I got off and wandered around trying to find the bus terminal.  It took me about 10 minutes, but I finally got there, bought my ticket, and got onboard the SkyBus to the airport.  It takes about 20 minutes to get from Southern Cross to the airport, but again it was an easy ride.
The airport terminal is huge and a little overwhelming at first, but after standing in line at check-in for a good 15 minutes, I was greeted by a friendly lady who took all my information before asking me for my visa.  I freaked out because the travel agent I booked with said I didn't need one, and I thought my trip was going to be over before it even really started.  But I was informed that it's not a big deal and I'll just get a stamp in my passport upon arrival.  So basically the freakout was unneccessary, but she could have skipped the questioning and gone straight to telling me about the stamp, saving me from the minor heart attack.
Security here is a little more laid-back, as in you aren't made to take off your shoes or coats.  I didn't have anything with me but my backpack, so things went smoothly.  That is, until I was about to walk to my gate, but was stopped by TSA and told that I have been "randomly" chosen to have my bag checked for explosives and to have a pat down.  I seem to be "randomly" picked more often than other people.  Must be something about the way I smile at them as I go through; I must look suspicious.
After that slight delay, I finally made it to my gate.  I was early, of course, and found myself quickly becoming bored, so I brought out my new Ken Follett book and whipped through the first 30 pages before deciding to get up and explore.  Around the gate there really isn't a lot to look at, so that took me about 5 minutes.  Now I'm here, it's 10:20pm and we should be boarding soon for a 9.5 hour flight...something to look forward to.  I'm hoping to pass out and only wake up when breakfast is served.
I'm going to run to the bathroom and then make it back in time to get on the plane.  Or I could just continue to sit here and listen to the Asian man next to me practice his English out loud with his computer.  I think not.

Spring/Autumn/Easter/Whatever Break is Finally Here

After eight weeks of school, my first break is finally here.  I keep calling it Spring Break, but it's not spring over here.  However, it doesn't feel like autumn either, and it's April, so I have a hard time with that.  I don't celebrate Easter (though I did get an AWESOME egg yesterday from one of my friends), so that puts me in a bind and I'm not sure how to put a name to the next 10 days.

Today is Good Friday, so we don't have class, but because I'm getting ready (supposedly) to head off to Thailand, I'm trying to get some work done.  However, for one reason or another, things just aren't really working in my favor, so maybe that's a sign that I really do need to just stop working and start enjoying the down time.

After this break is over, I'll have four more weeks of instruction, a week of study time (with no class or new information, unlike Stanford's "Dead Week"), and then what may be the longest final exam period I have ever experienced.  Everyone here was appalled when I told them that I'm used to having all of my exams within 5 days.  I won't know my exam schedule until May 6, and I have yet to decide if I would prefer them to be spread out or if I would rather just get them all over with.  Being that I don't really have any say in the matter, I'll just have to go with what I'm given.  Hopefully it will work out, but in any case my "go with the flow" motto will be tested.

Koalas and Emu and Kangaroos...Oh My!!

This weekend, after watching the exciting conclusion of the NCAA Gymnastics Championships, I decided to finally strike out on an adventure.  My destination, thanks to the recommendation of my dad's OZ co-worker Sue, was Healesville Sanctuary.  I had planned to visit there ever since Sue told me about it, but one thing or another kept me from getting there.  Finally, I made it.  In order to get there, I had to get on the metro from Melbourne Central Station for about an hour, arriving in Lilydale.  Upon arriving, there was a bus waiting, like clockwork, to take me another 35 minutes or so out of town to the sanctuary.  It was a bit of a long trek, but I actually really enjoyed it (and I am very proud of myself for manipulating the public transit system).  Being in the city is great, but has kind of put temporary blinders on me, making me forget that life isn't all like the downtown hustle and bustle.  It was great to pass through towns and see elementary schools, parks, and cute antique stores.  The time went by quickly, and soon I found myself at the entrance of my destination.

Pelican

Emu

 The sanctuary is kind of a blend between a zoo and pure mother nature.  The animals aren't kept in cages, but they are taken care of by the people that work there.  So in a way, you get to experience the creatures in their "natural habitats," which is pretty cool.  A lot of them will come right up to you, which isn't something that you get to see every day.  There were so many animals that I have never had the chance to see before, including some really exotic birds, koalas, dingos and....kangaroos!!!  I actually got the opportunity to pet and feed them, which was AWESOME.  They are so soft and kind, though apparently if you touch their faces they will pounce.  I found out that they eat popcorn kernels like candy, and besides that they snack on leaves from trees that are trimmed back at the sanctuary.  Interacting with them was definitely the highlight of the trip, but everything there was amazing.  Walking around in nature has a funny way of making you forget about everything else you were thinking or worrying about.  A good end to an overall fantastic weekend.

Hello there  :)

Snacking on leaves

And popcorn kernels

#100!!!!

The Stanford Men's Gymnastics team just earned the university's 100th national championship title.  I can't think of a more deserving group of guys; they have worked so hard and are some of the nicest and caring people you will ever meet.  Congratulations on a fantastic weekend and to the winners of all 99 championships that came before you and allowed you to reach this milestone.  SMG 2011, you are amazing.

Newspaper Articles:
Stanford Wins 2011 Men's NCAA Title
Sacramento Bee
NY Times
International Gymnast Magazine
GoStanford.com

Edited to add:  Congratulations Alex on your NCAA High Bar title.  You soared above in every sense of the phrase, and I'm so happy for you!!

Ryan, Tim, Josh, Cam, Eddie, and Chris also competed this evening, and represented Stanford in the best way possible.  Way to close out a fantastic weekend, guys.  And congrats to the seniors for going out in such high-style  :)

Bring It Home, Boys

This week the Stanford Men's Gymnastics team is in Columbus, Ohio for the the NCAA Championships.  It's been a long, hard season with many victories along with a few upsets, but the boys proved themselves two weekends ago at the MPSF Championships, bringing home the top prize and besting rivals Oklahoma and California.  Some individuals took event titles, and even one took home the honor of MPSF Gymnast of the Year (shout out to Tim Gentry!!), but overall it was a real team effort.  An interesting fact is that each of the four times that Stanford has won the NCAA title, the Cardinal have preceded it with a conference (MPSF) title.  So hopefully that trend will continue, and the boys will put together a complete meet this weekend, because they have worked hard all year and deserve the honor more than anyone else out there.  Good luck boys...have an amazing time and I know you will make us all very proud!!

Flat Andy

I had a visitor arrive in the mail the other day, coming from Hawaii, and sent to me from Ms. Annie Lindseth.  His name is "Flat Andy" and he has been a great companion for the last 24 hours.  His mission is to try and travel the world, stopping in as many places as possible.  He joined me in class and at the gym, and is currently sitting with me in the State Library, enjoying some much needed study/essay writing time.  As soon as the weekend is over, he will be leaving me to embark on another adventure; he is shipping off to Singapore.  I hope he has a good time and can see many more places before he heads back home to California!