This morning we got up, got dressed and had our breakfast in the outside restaurant. It was delicious. I had a Spanish omelette, Denali a bread plate with pineapple jam and orange marmalade. After those plates were taken away, you were given a fruit plate. Continue reading “Cambodia Day Two”
Goodbye Bangkok, Hello Siem Reap
This morning we packed and checked out. I was sad to say goodbye to Bangkok. I will definitely be coming back. The bellboy asked if we wanted a taxi to the airport. We said yes, and he quoted us a decent price so we agreed. We got in the taxi and we could clearly see money changing hands between the bellboy and the driver. Continue reading “Goodbye Bangkok, Hello Siem Reap”
Bangkok day two…
It was nice to sleep in. I was still tired from yesterday. We got ourselves together and went downstairs. A tuk tuk driver tried to scam us into going to the less than stellar local floating market. He lied about the opening time of the wholesale market we were going to. It opened at 7 am and he said it opened at 11. Continue reading “Bangkok day two…”
Roaming Bangkok
Denali and I slept in. We decided it would be a walk around and discover the old town day. We took a taxi to Banglamphu area. We didn’t know quite how to explain where we wanted to go to the driver, so we asked to be dropped off at the Grand Palace. Continue reading “Roaming Bangkok”
Flying to Bangkok
We had a late start today. We were saying goodbye to Ao Nang. When we got all of our stuff back into the backpacks, we called for a buggy down hill. They sent a man to carry our bags instead. We were never able to catch a buggy ride, even though they were advertised in all the elevators to our room. We checked out and sat down for breakfast. Continue reading “Flying to Bangkok”
Elephants and Thai Cooking
7:45 am pick up today. We had to get up earlier than usual. We got down to breakfast with 15 mins to eat. There was a yellow curry that looked delicious, so I put some on my plate. There was no warning about how spicy it was! It was still tasty though. This morning they actually had breakfast potatoes. Well a Thai version ,but it was good. The bus driver showed up at 7:43.
Khao Phing-Kan by Speedboat…
This morning went as usual, wake up and head to breakfast. Then wait in the lobby for pick up. The van was 2 mins early! Our guide had lobster hands like the lobster boy from old school side shows, it was amazing. Continue reading “Khao Phing-Kan by Speedboat…”
Island hopping by longboat…
This morning we got up early to get ourselves together. We headed downstairs to the breakfast area. Yet again very interesting choices of food. From fruit to chicken to curry soup. We grab a few bottles of water from the 7-11 and wait for our bus. I neglected to inform you that there are 7-11’s literally everywhere. You can’t turn a corner without seeing one. We have one two doors down from us, which makes it easy to pickup whatever we need.
Krabi bus ride…
Early risers today, so we can get the early bus to Krabi. We have our breakfast, pack our stuff and say goodbye to The BluEco Hotel. (There will be a write up on all of our hotels later) We grab a tuk tuk and get a ride to the Phuket town bus station.
Temples, tigers, and fun…
Today we set off early on our first full day in Phuket. Over the hotel breakfast, which was an interesting mix of food, we discussed what we wanted to see and do.
We decided to head to the Big Buddha first. So we dressed accordingly and found a tuk tuk driver for the next few hours. His tuk tuk was slightly less fancy than the previous one but it was still a wild ride. I neglected to say yesterday that you have to hold the railings or you could fall out of the windows while moving.
Riding up through the hills was amazing. Greenery, elephants, stray dogs, big houses,tiny houses and everything in between. It was quite interesting because around every curve was something different.
We get to the top of the mountain and there is was, the Big Buddha. It was glorious. We walked all around and took a million photos. There was a lookout with a thatched roof. I stepped in and this was the point it really hit me, that I was in Thailand actually seeing these sights for myself!
We hopped back into our tuk tuk and made our way to Wat Chalong. There were so many amazing buildings, most of them covered with beautifully carved decorations. In every temple you have to take your shoes off, it’s funny to see all the  empty shoes outside.
It was approaching noon, so it was getting too hot to walk around. We found our tuk tuk and ventured off to the next location…Tiger Kingdom.
It was not the most ethical location, but where else in the world are they going to let you do this? Definitely not in America. Most of the tigers were obviously sedated, I felt a little twinge of sadness because I know this isn’t a life for a tiger. The guide said they were not sedated, just full. Apparently most tigers that are well fed and bred in captivity, are really chil. I’m not sure if I believe that. They were very clean and so was the enclosure. I was stuck somewhere  between guilt and wonder. Tigers are majestic and it was awe inspiring to be that close to one. We were in a huge enclosed area with four large tigers, a trainer, and a photographer. Of course when Denali posed with the final tiger, it yawned and look like it was roaring. In my pictures the tigers could careless. We left with a bunch of photos on a CD and the glee of a small child.
We then headed into town to get some drinks. We had a blast. Our bartender was named Nooun and she hustled us at connect four. It was quite impressive.
After drinks we walked around, found a mall, and soaked up some much needed AC. We happened upon a 30 minute escape room. Neither one of us had ever done one, so we decided to give it a try.
We we got out with 30 seconds to spare! But we got out in time lol. After winning, we enjoyed a celebratory lunch. I chose a place in the malls atrium that said it served traditional Thai food and it had AC and free wifi. Bad idea. Denali was not pleased with the unspicy “traditional Thai” food. I was just glad to eat. I got veggie spring rolls. They had glass noodles inside. I love glass noodles. I want to know how they are made. After eating it was time to rest….
Ashley's Good Vibes 