Top Naked

It's hard for me to sum up the last month of my life in a few paragraphs on this here blog, but I'll do my best, albeit briefly...

So, heading down to the islands a week earlier than planned was perhaps the best decision we ever made. To sum it all up, it was insanely beautiful, with massive limestone cliffs towering out of the emerald colored waters. We snorkeled so much that I forgot what life was like above the water. We even got our open water scuba certification, and then snorkeling just seemed lame. We hiked to viewpoints, we cliff jumped, we rock climbed, we took so many boat rides, it seemed like the only way to get around. I didn't wear a shirt for the majority of my island time, and embraced my new sense of half-nudism (hence the title of this post). We watched colorful sunsets paint the sky as often as we could. And oh yeah, I got a tattoo. We met lots of amazing people, covered ourselves in neon body paint at the infamous Full Moon Party on Ko Phangan, and danced so much, it was hard remembering how to walk the next day.

But, I'd have to say if I had to pick an all time favorite moment of our time on the Thai Islands, it would be without a doubt, sleeping at Maya Bay. Not only is this the most beautiful beach I've ever seen in the daylight, but it's just as impressive at night. Around midnight, we went for a swim in the bay. But this swim was different than any other swim. The plankton that live in the Maya Bay waters, react to movement, and when they react to movement, they glow. And also, there was a lightning storm going on somewhere off in the distance. So put it all together. Night swimming at the most beautiful beach ever, little neon green specks all around you, while lightning lights up the sky. Probably one of the most awesome experiences of my life. Waking up on the sand the next morning and seeing the famous cliffs of the bay wasn't a half bad way to start the day either...

All good things have to come to an end, however. And before we knew it, three weeks was over and our trip was complete. We flew back to Bangkok, spent the billionth hour in the Bangkok airport, and me and Josh said our emotional goodbyes. The trip was incredibly amazing, no question, the best two months I've ever had in my life. When I think back at everything we saw and did, it seems hard to believe that I actually saw and did those things.

Now it is May 6th, and tonight I'm flying down to Australia for the 2nd part of my round the world adventures. Who knows what'll happen next...

Vega, Baby, Vega!

No, that is not a doubly type-o my friends, it is the name of our new favorite travel company, Vega Travels.We booked two tours with them, one in Halong Bay, and the 2nd one in Sapa. Last time we spoke, we had just finished our tour in the majestically beautiful Halong Bay, before we high tailed it on up on the bumpiest/loudest train ride you could possibly imagine to the hill-tribe mountain town of Sapa. Sapa, the place where hill-tribe ladies follow you on 15km hikes up and down the dreamscape scenery, soloing you out from the start of the trek so you'll buy their handicrafts at the end. You can't really decline once they've put in all that hard effort, can you? And in flip flops, no less! After our hike we ran into our new best friends from England, Helen and Mark, and had a couple beers before a delicious Italian pizza dinner. Our third best friend we made in Vietnam was our tour guide, Tu. A self-proclaimed lover of hookers and rice wine. He took Josh and I out on a private trek on our third day in Sapa to a place even he had never been. It was beautiful, new, and exciting, even for him... and he lives in Sapa half the time! We had lunch on the rice paddies that flood the mountains, and we dined on delicious cheese baguettes, mango, and pineapple. Along the way we taught him some funny sayings such as:

"Don't get your panties in a bundle!"
"Use it or lose it!"
"You should see the other guy!".... and many more, which he proceeded to write down in his trusty notebook. We are hoping that he will join in with us at the neon body paint/techno beach rave fest that will be the Full Moon Party on Ko Phangan at the end of April.

Speaking of the islands... looks like we will be heading there a bit sooner than we thought. We have been in northern Thailand for about a week and it hasn't been nice to us. It's unbearably hot, and when you get lost for three hours on a bike in 100 degree heat and no one speaks English to tell you where to go, your mind kind of starts to lose it. At least mine did, which resulted in what almost was a complete mental breakdown for me outside on the steps of a Tesco Express. Luckily my trusty co-traveler Josh was there to boost my spirits and motivate me to continue our journey. Eventually we did find what we were looking for, but at that point we were so tired and hot, we just wanted to leave as soon as we got there.

Another factor that caused us to change our plans so suddenly was the incredibly mediocre trekking and average scenery at best here in northern Thailand. We talked about how there's better hiking back home and the views and treks weren't worth all the work we put into it. So, when the time came for us to go to our next destination in northern Thailand, we played what can best be described as musical chairs at a Thai bus station. We changed our plans over and over as we were in one bus and out within a matter of minutes, eventually deciding to just go to Chiang Mai a week early and go to the islands right after. Unfortunately, this meant we'd miss the famous Thai New Year Festival, Songkran in mid-April. But you know what? It's going to be OK, because we will be down at Ko Phi Phi for it, and I can only imagine how insanely beautiful that place is going to be (it has the beach from the movie, "The Beach!").

Chiang Mai was good though. We played with baby tigers and snakes (much to Josh's amusing hesitation), went to a wat on top of a tall mountain, and took a Thai cooking class! I can now say that I can confidently make anyone back home Red curry, Tom Yam Goong soup, Papaya Salad, Pad Thai, and my favorite, Mango with Sticky Rice. So, when you want a home cooked Thai dinner, you just call me and Josh and we will be over there in a jif, ready and willing to cook you up a Thai feast.

Now we are in the ancient capital city of Sukhothai, where we enjoyed a day of ruined temple viewings, buddhas, and recreating pictures from my Thailand Lonely Planet guide. Tonight, we take an overnight bus to Bangkok where we will have to brave the traffic and commotion caused by all the Red Shirt protests (have you all heard about this?). The Thai Government just issued a state of emergency for Bangkok and the surrounding regions due to the ongoing, and increasingly violent protests in the capital. Hopefully we won't come across them and can make it to the airport safe and sound, where we will catch a flight down to Phuket. Hopefully all those tsunami warnings have cleared up by now...

As always, link on over to Josh's blog, The Awkward Traveler, to check our his take on our Southeast Asian Adventures!

Oh yeah, one more thing! If you happen to get any Vietnamese TV stations, keep a lookout for us. That's right, we were interviewed for a Vietnamese TV program while we were at a "hot pot" restaurant. Ilan and Josh... Vietnam's new biggest TV superstars!

One more last last thing! How great was the new episode of LOST?! Best episode of the season so far. Desmond and Penny... greatest TV couple of all time? Debate...

'Nam

Angkor Wat was incredible. Sadly, Phnom Penh is a big ole stinker. We got ripped off, we got hassled, and Josh made enemies with some street kids who threatened his life and punched him in the face. We left a day early for Vietnam because we just had to get out of Cambodia. Turns out, it was a great decision. Vietnam has been amazing, we rode on the back of motorbikes along the coast up to sand dunes. We swam in blue waters, and relaxed on white sands. We ended up spending a few days at an isolated beach resort called Paradise, and it truly did live up to its namesake. There were communal meals, the best salad in the world, all you can drink coffee, and a funny Frenchman owner to boot. A very long and bumpy bus ride later, where I slept in a space pod like bed, we ended up in Hoi An and saw some ruins out in the jungle. A quick fight up to Hanoi and a 4 hour journey east later, we were in the mesmerizing Halong Bay. We spent the next few days on a boat traveling around the bay, meeting our fellow shipmates, kayaking, jungle trekking, and being blown away by the massive limestone cliffs that jut out of the waters. Now, we are in an internet cafe in Hanoi getting a much needed LOST fix. We leave for Sapa tonight on an overnight train, and are ready for 3 days of village life and rice paddies. Then it's back to my homeland, Thailand.

Arrest Free for Two Weeks!

Its been a wild week here on this side of the world. The camel trek was a great way to end our time in India, and sleeping under the stariest sky these old eyes have eyes have ever seen on soft sand dunes was certainly a highlight. It was a hectic transition into Cambodia, when we took a red eye flight from India to Bangkok then straight to the bus station to make our way to the Cambodian border. The border crossing wasn't as easy as when I accidentally entered Burma... it was hot, long lines, big backpacks, and the most uncomfortable van ride of my life. We did get to meet a great Danish girl who we became friends with and we've been hanging out with her for the past couple of days. Now, we have completed our temple tour of Angkor Wat over the past three days, and it sure was something special. Especially when you leave a temple and a stampede of Cambodian vendors come up to you screaming, "Hey mistaaa you want some coal wataaaaaaaaa!?!?!" They all sound exactly the same, and I'm pretty sure it might just be the same few ladies following us all over the different temples. In a few hours we are off to the capital city, Phnom Penh and before we know it, we'll be on the beaches of Vietnam, soaking up some much needed sun and relaxation time. I'll try to put up some pictures as soon as I'm at a computer that can handle it. Until next time...

Highlights From the Road

1. Getting arrested in India.
2. Throwing up at the Taj Mahal.
3. Walking through narrow streets filled with cows and cow poop.
4. Pretending we are from different countries (or outer space) when people ask us where we are from.
5. Talking about Lindsay Lohan while under the influence of sleeping pills on a sleeper train.
6. Chocolate balls and peanut butter.
7. Enjoying rooftop dinners everywhere we go, and the beautiful, colorful scenery.
8. Getting ripped off in every rickshaw we've been in.
9. Picture of the day.
10. Our never ending quest of reenacting as many scenes from the movie, "The Fall" as we possibly can.
11. Doing crossword puzzles that seem to gather the interest of every single Indian person within an arms reach.

Still to come in India: Village jeep tour tomorrow, then off to Jaisalmer where we will hop on the backs of some camels for a trek into the Great Thar Desert. Two days full of slow, spitting camels, baking in the hot Indian sun, sunset at sand dunes, and a night under the stars. Heyo!

Check out Josh's blog for his take on our Indian adventures... The Awkward Traveler.

A Fond Farewell

Friends, followers, dreamers. The end has come. I have finished my tenure as an English teacher in Thailand. It was a long and bumpy road, but I'm here on the other side to tell you it was an experience of a lifetime and will only help me grow as a teacher and as a person.

My bags are packed, and I'm ready to go (on a jet plane). I'm about to leave for Bangkok to pick up Josh at the airport after his flight was delayed in New York, causing us to lose a day. Oh well, do with what you got, right? I'm just so excited that he's finally coming today.

I will try and update this blog as much as possible while I am on the road. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to do it, but I'll do the best I can!

Alright, so this is it. Goodbye, farewell, aurevoir, adios, I bid you all adieu. I'll see you on the flipside.

Language Barriers

I gave out me e-mail address to my classes so they can stay in touch with me if they want to after I leave. I have already received two e-mails from the same student.

Email #1: Written in Thai, this is the Google translation

555 + Teacher Im Thinnakorn Sriwilard M.2 / 3 5555 +. Miss Youuuu ~ ~ ~ 55 +. My Email-Address: kurosakiijiko@hotmail.com.

l You will be returned to your home เเ still want happiness in mind, we always other other other other other other. Teacher Ilan

E-mail #2:

I hope to see you in MSN live

MSNNNNNNN~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 ... 2 ... 3 !!!!!GO
YAYAYAYA!!!!!
555+
(Crazy)
hmmmm..... MY nickname is Aof

Weirdos.