Thailand, Day 2-5

I'm laughing because I just re-read my post from day one and I need to make a correction. The roads in Thailand are not sane or safe at all. It was about 24 hours after that post when we got in an accident while we rode in one of those “comfortable” pickup truck taxis. The crash wasn't a big deal. Actually, thinking back on it, it's proof that we've encountered some ridiculous traffic because our reaction wasn't any kind of fear or shock, but instead annoyance that we'd have to sit there and wait while the drivers argued.

On day two, I had another SaS trip to “Sri Racha Tiger Zoo and Mini Siam”. The tiger zoo visit turned out to be the first thing on this whole voyage that I regret seeing. It's a privately owned facility that keeps about 200 tigers, and also farms 1000 crocodiles and some elephants. It would be shut down with one glance from PETA. The tigers are kept in cages that are barely big enough for two steps, and they just pace in circles frantically. There are shows where the trainers kind of smack them around and make them jump through a ring of fire. The crocodile show was similarly upsetting...trainers pulled them around by their tails, and poked them in the eyes with poles until they snapped their jaws. Across from the crocodile stadium, a stand sells crocodile meat. It makes me really sad to think about that place so I'm going to move on. (Mini Siam was kind of cool...it's a big outdoor area that has scale models of monuments around the world. I'd say it's worth seeing if you find yourself near Laem Chabang.)

OK. Thailand. Now that I've left, where should I start?

Taylor and I took a bus into Bangkok for a two-night visit. We stayed at the Sawasdee Krungthep Inn, on Khaosan road, which is a big hub for travelers. It was wild. It's the first place we've seen on this voyage that has been so full of people of different nationalities, all thrown together and just united by the fact that we're all on the move, and mostly pretty poor. There were shops on the road proclaiming “We buy anything!” The street was busy all hours of the day and night, and we had some great cheap Thai food. A new favorite: mango with sticky rice, which is slices of mango on top of buttered rice, with coconut milk on top.

The inn was basic, but had a ton of personality. It had this cute hairball in the sink and the bathroom floor was just a little flooded all the time, so we tracked bathroom floor water around the room and it was adorable.

Bangkok is nuts. There's a startling contrast between intensely weird stuff that is a hundred times more disturbing than what we saw in Pattaya, but also temples and other places of worship that are revered with the highest respect. We got to see the Grand Palace, which was historically the residence of Thailand's kings since the 18th century. It's still used for royal ceremonies, and the buildings have the most intricate details that shimmer and seem to glow. There are shrines to Buddhas in the Thai styling, which is pretty different than the chubby kind that I'm used to seeing. Around the border of the Grand Palace there paintings that tell the religious history, and they're detailed with gold leaf.

Close to the Grand Palace is Wat Pho, which is home to the famous Reclining Buddha. It's huge (46 m long, 15 m high) and painted in gold.

We were around the temples in the afternoon, when many of them close their doors to tourists, and because of that we got a more authentic experience than a lot of travelers. There were monks passing through, and we overheard some chanting.

Thailand is the first place we've been that has a market for pirated media and electronics. You get in a mindset where you start to question the authenticity of everything you see. I caught myself wondering, “Is that a real KFC restaurant or a knockoff?”

We also saw the first Engrish of the journey. Here's the cover of the official tourist map of Bangkok:
***
“ SIAM BANGKOK MAP ” allows you to travel to the destination. Do not fear astray, Because all of the roads in Bangkok Intersection Number. Please note Intersection number sticker stuck at traffic police booth or tag intersection. Simply carry this map to travel through time, will enjoy more fun.
***
All things considered, I had a fun time in Thailand but I feel like I didn't connect with the locals to the same level as some of the other countries so far. Some students felt that Thai people were closed off, but I think it was just because we were in such a touristy area, and American visitors aren't a special event like in India.

A couple last things I don't want to forget:
The first tour guide we had told us “smile from the heart.” He said Thai people recognize and appreciate a genuine smile, and I felt that was a very warm way to welcome us to the country.

I've had a similar conversation in a few countries so far. People ask about our trip, and we tell them about all the different places we're visiting, and I usually return the question, “where have you traveled? Have you been to the US?” People tend to respond by saying that they'd love to travel but they've never had the opportunity or the money to do so. It's a sad moment, because I can tell that some people want so badly to see other parts of the world, but they may never get the chance. I'm realizing (again) that I am extremely fortunate to be able to travel the way I am, and I remind myself every day now not to take it for granted. I was going to write this as an email but I think I'd like everyone to see it:

        Mom and Dad,
        Thank you endlessly for all the support and help that let me be on this trip. You've again given me the world.
        You've both shown a lot of trust in me to be safe, and that means a lot to me. Now that I've reached the halfway point, I feel like I'm on my way home, and one of the things I'm looking forward to most is sharing my memories with you. It's one way I hope I can give back a little bit of this gift-of-a-lifetime voyage.



That's all for now. Vietnam in in two days!

As the Thai say... Sawa Dee Kap!

Thailand, Day 1

Thailand! Before we arrived, I didn't know what to expect. My first impression of the country was surprise at how modern and developed it is. After India, the sane driving and clean air are very welcome. We're docked in Laem Chabang, which is pretty industrial and not tourist friendly, as far as I can tell. Today I stepped off the ship and right onto an SaS service visit to the Pattaya Orphanage in the city of Pattaya. It's a privately funded Catholic facility that houses about 160 orphans and 40 deaf children. They all attend public school although the program provides tutors and other academic help. There's a wide variety of ages, because there is no set age at which the orphans must leave. They make the decision themselves, and some stay until early adulthood. After a brief introduction to the program, we waited in the outside playground area for the kids' recess to start. The kids came out and approached us easily. I guess volunteer visits are routine. They were way way cute. Mostly four or five years old, and they didn't speak any english, but it's amazing how easy it is to communicate with kids without using language. The orphanage provided us with some toys, and one little guy came up and immediately grabbed my hand and I spent almost the entire time with him, blowing bubbles and giving him piggyback rides. They all seemed pretty happy and well taken care of.

 

We also got a chance to interact with some of the toddlers, which was cool but I don't have an easy of a time taking care of them. I guess I need to see more babies.

 

A few of us opted to stay in Pattaya after the service visit, rather than return to the ship. We wandered around the city, which is touristy and frankly pretty sleazy. Without going into detail, I'll just mention that Thailand has a booming sex tourism industry, and it's not the most pleasant thing to be in the middle of. We did get a chance to have our first real Thai food, which is awesome. In addition to eating some great restaurant food, we stopped by a fruit stand and bought a bunch of unfamiliar fruits. They were all delicious and I'll need to show people pictures to find out what exactly we ate.

 

Indian-style rickshaws don't exist here. Instead they have pickup trucks with benches on either side of the flatbed, which are actually really comfortable. I know I said this already, but it's such a relief to be on safer roads.

 

Well that's all to report for now. I'll post again soon.