Posts in Travel

Shalom Shanghai

Shanghai March 20, 2015 1 Comment

We’re definitely not in Kansas anymore, because we are most certainly in Mainland China. Shanghai is freezing (low forties Fahrenheit), and it’s kind of creepy because you can’t see anything due to the intense grey fog.

The moment we stepped off of the plane we got onto a bus to take us to the terminal. For reasons unknown, the driver seemed to be doing donuts on the tarmac before eventually dropping us off. The Shanghai Pudong Airport pales in comparison to the one in Hong Kong. After going through customs, we tried to acquire SIM cards, but felt strange when a man with a printed sign of a telephone company told us he could give us one for a random price that he entered into a calculator. He didn’t speak great English, and there was no plan booklet to look at, so we decided to skip out on his offer. We went to an ATM to withdraw money (they use Yuan, no more Hong Kong dollars) only to find the ATM was out of money. We missioned around the airport until we eventually found another ATM on the third floor.

We had the option of a taxi or a train, and we decided to take the train, which connected us to a second train, and then eventually to a third train. We bought our first train tickets, put our bags through security (even though the station was in the airport) and boarded a 6-minute train to another station. At the second station, we bought another ticket, put our bags through security again and arrived at the third station—it was around here that I started to get over schlepping my backpack and going in circles with directions.

At this point, we had one massive issue—we had no cell phone data and the screen shots we had taken of our transit plans from Google Maps, didn’t extend this far. Thus, we couldn’t take a third train because we didn’t know which stop to get off at. All we had was a print out Daniel made, which included the name and address of the Sheraton Four Points hotel (in both English and a Chinese dialect). We decided to forget the third train and just find a cab. But, for some reason all seven cabs in the taxi line refused to take us even after looking at the paper (and unfolding it which only reveled information about our dietary restrictions). Extremely confused we found a guy at a food stand down the street and asked if he could help direct us., surprisingly, he spoke some English. While he was trying to help us a guy passing by stopped to ask where we were trying to go. As he and the food stand owner were working it out, a third guy stopped and took out his phone to help us look up where we were going. The short version of the story is we eventually got in a cab that took us to the hotel, but both of us were so touched that people took time to help us. Truly, it was a kind of culture shock I hadn’t expected.

Chinese Translation Print Outs — Our English translation print out which included the name and address of the Sheraton Four Points hotel (in both English and a Chinese dialect), the Convention center address, and our dietary preferences. [Everything below the fold really confused the taxi drivers.]

The Sheraton Four Points is a very old-school corporate hotel. I’m sure in it’s time it was quite fancy, but now it just seems a little tired and full of smoke (everyone secretly smokes in the bathrooms off of the lobby). Starving, we went up to the hotel restaurant called Panache for dinner. All I can say is the meal represented whatever the stark opposite of the word Panache is. I got a very cold soup , which they took back to the microwave to warm up, with french fries and Daniel got a very interesting interpretation of a penne arrabbiata, which he ended up wearing all over his shirt. I think we’ll have to find some vegetarian Chinese food, cause Western clearly isn’t working. After dinner, we walked across the street to the local convenience store, got some milk tea and decided to call it a night.

Panache Restaurant in Shanghai — The meal that represented whatever the stark opposite of the word Panache is—cold soup, “penne arrabbiata” and fries.

Lobby of the Sheraton Four Points Shanghai.

Panache Restaurant at the Sheraton — Daniel’s very interesting interpretation of a penne arrabbiata, which he ended up wearing all over his shirt at Panache Restaurant.

Travel: Sometimes Things Don’t Go Your Way

China Hong Kong March 20, 2015

Monday we slept in and ran down to breakfast just in the nick of time. Then we packed up, checked out, and took a taxi to the MTN station (to go to the airport). When we got to the station we noticed that you could check your bags in straight to the airport (at the corresponding airline counter). According to our tickets we had a flight leaving at 2:35 PM on Hong Kong Airlines, however, when we got to the counter they told us that we were not on the flight and to speak with Shanghai Airlines. Annoyed, we ran over to Shanghai Airlines, where they told us our ticket said Hong Kong Airlines. We went through a whole rigmarole with them only to get sent back to Hong Kong Airlines, while on the phone with United Airlines. After an hour of back and forth, we left on the MTN to the airport, with our bags, unsure of which airline we would be flying and what flight we might be on.

At the Hong Kong International Airport we went to the Hong Kong Airlines counter where we were told that we were not confirmed on the 2:35 PM flight. It seems that our airline tickets were booked but never issued. We were then directed to the United Airlines counter, where they got on the phone with the people from the desk at the Hong Kong Airlines. United Airlines told us we needed to go back to Hong Kong Airlines because they might have room for us on the flight. We explained to them that we were just there, and that there was no room for us, but after more back and forth we went back to Hong Kong Airlines, only to hear that we were now confirmed to definitely not be on their flight. So, we went back to the United Airlines counter where they then offered to help us. One of the women managed to find us a 3:10 PM flight on China Eastern Airlines to the Shanghai Pudong International Airport (closer to where we are staying than the airport we were meant to fly into). Delighted to finally be on a flight, we went through security, grabbed sandwiches and boarded a bus from the terminal to go to the plane. China Eastern Airlines was definitely not as nice as any of the Thai airlines we had flown but it got us to Shanghai, so we were happy.

Finally on the China Eastern Airlines plane headed to Shanghai!

Flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai — Window views by Daniel—on the flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai.

I Left My Heart in Hong Kong

Hong Kong March 19, 2015

Sunday morning we woke up early and took a taxi to the top of the Hong Kong Peak (Daniel’s father gave us this advice to avoid waiting in a two hour tram line). Unfortunately, when we arrived, the fog was so thick that we couldn’t see a thing. We figured that maybe if we waited an hour visibility might get better, so we headed into the shopping mall and found a local attraction known as the Trick Eye Museum. The “museum” was basically a few interconnecting large rooms filled with different paintings, illusions and props on the walls and floors where you can pose and take awesome photos. Now I know that the expression goes, “the early bird gets the worm,” however, we were there so early, there was no one else to help us take photos of ourselves. So we posed solo for many of these scenarios until we found someone to snap a few photos. I should probably be embarrassed to admit this, but I absolutely I LOVED this place.

Trick Eye Museum Hong Kong — Things are a little different here in Hong Kong!

When we left the museum the fog was still there and the visibility was still pretty much non-existent—but we figured we’re here, let’s take the tram down to Central. We bought tickets and hopped onboard with zero wait time. The tram went down the peak at a 45-degree angle. It was pretty cool, but it seems like a more serious version of being a tourist and riding a San Francisco cable car.

The Hong Kong Peak Tram goes down the peak at a 45-degree angl±

When we got to the bottom we walked to another famous attraction called PMQ (Police Marital Quarters). PMQ is where Hong Kong used to house police families, but now it is more like a artsy/cultural center. There are plenty of cool café’s, dining spots, shops and local artisans selling goods. Even though it was a Sunday, it wasn’t yet 3:00 PM, so many of the shops weren’t open. We decided to grab lunch at a place called Wilbur’s Burgers—Daniel got a Happy Hippie Vegetarian Burger and I got a poor excuse for a vegetarian burrito before leaving. Daniel always seems to have better ordering luck here.

PMQ in Hong Kong — PMQ—Police Marital Quarters.

PMQ Hong Kong Art — Art in one of the tiny shops that line the rooms in PMQ.

Wilbur's Burgers in Hong Kong PMQ — Lunch at Wilbur’s Burgers—Daniel got a Happy Hippie Vegetarian Burger and I got a poor excuse for a vegetarian burrito before leaving. Daniel always seems to have better ordering luck here.

Wilbur's Burgers Hong Kong — My poor excuse for a vegetarian burrito although it was quite picturesque. It tasted more like Peruvian food than Mexican.

We walked down Hollywood Road for some window-shopping and navigated some side streets to check the trendy gadget shops. We went to Elephant Grounds, one of Hong Kong’s most highly rated coffee shops, and then walked over to Art Central to check out the local exhibition. The place was super cool, but couldn’t have been more crowded. We spent an hour looking around, had a glass of wine, and left. We walked through Hong Kong Park (it kind of reminded us of Dolores Park in San Francisco) which was full of people picnicking, kids playing, and even a random performance, to get to the MTN station, which we took to get to the Ladies Market in Kowloon.

Elephant Grounds Coffee in Hong Kong in the back of a little store on Gough Street.

Art Central Hong Kong — Abusing our selfie stick outside of Art Central in Hong Kong.

Art Central Art in Hong Kong — Silk wrapped Buddha’s in meditation poses at Art Central.

The Ladies Market, and its surrounding streets and shops, is not for the faint of heart—this area is hustling and bustling. The first thing we noticed when we got off of the MTN was that there were seven Nike stores (all selling “real” Nike shoes and apparel, of course) within a block and a half of each other . Then we went to Mong Kok Computer Center aka heaven for nerds aka heaven for Daniel. I’ve never seen him so truly happy to be in any type of shopping environment before. He lit up as we walked through the four-story electronic mall—each shop selling different varieties of the same of phone cables, computer parts, GoPro accessories, security cameras, selfie sticks, covers, cases dangles, dongles, etc. We bought a few things there and then headed out to take on the Ladies Market night bazar.

Stereotypical posing outside on the street of the Meng Kok Computer Center near the Ladies Market.

The Ladies Market was filled with all of the usual night bazar things you’d expect to see—mainly fake bags, wallets, glasses, jewelry, watches, wigs, kitchen appliances, man-thongs, woman-thongs, bras, traditional Chinese attire, etc. Sometimes the people who run the different booths—under their breath—will approach you and say things like: “I can find you Rolex watch”, “I sell you real designer handbags,” “I sell real nice wallet just for you, good price”—so funny. We found few things for ourselves, but mainly gifts for other people. At one point a man who I’ll refer to as Peanut (because of the large gold peanut charm he wore on his necklace) chased us down the road until he had my attention. When I looked at him, he smiled like he knew me—but when he realized I was confused he asked me if I remembered him. Obviously, I said “Sorry, I don’t know you” at which point he proceeded to pull out his phone and go to his photos, while telling me he saw me at his shop. For a moment I figured he might have had a really good memory, because it is entirely possible that I did see him in a stall somewhere. He then showed me a photo on his phone of him and a girl wearing a similar blue shirt with brown hair in a bun… definitely not me. Then he seemed a bit embarrassed, apologized, and told me it was confusing for him because lots of American’s look the same. Such a funny stereotype reversed.

Real fake everything at the Ladies Market in Kowloon (not our photo).

Ladies Market Kowloon — Elephant man-thongs at the Ladies Market. As to why they sold these at EVREY stand, I have no clue. I mean, would you buy this?

Exhausted from being on our feet for twelve hours, we took a cab to Elements Mall for dinner, found a Japanese restaurant called Sen-Ryo, which turned out to be the most delicious authentic conveyer-belt sushi ever! I’m not exaggerating when I say that it put most sushi we’ve had to shame. We felt like we couldn’t have had a better end to the night… but then we decided to go to Ozone Bar, the one at the top of the Ritz Carlton. Ozone bar is the tallest bar in the world, sitting on the 118th floor of the hotel. We went up, checked the view, took a photo, saw the drink prices, and turned back around to leave. What a busy day!

Elements Mall in Hong Kong — This is Elements Mall—the mall where we found Sen-Ryo conveyor belt sushi. Good things happen to those who follow the rainbow and the fake sheep covered in cheery blossoms.

Sen-Ryo Japanese Sushi Bar conveyer belt. Such a delicious meal!

Sen-Ryo Japanese Sushi in Hong Kong — Sen-Ryo sashimi and edamame. There was even a personal hot water tap at each seat to make green tea.

Ozone Bar Ritz Carlton Hong Kong — Selfie in the glass reflect at Ozone Bar—what a great view!

Living La Vida Hong Kong

Hong Kong March 19, 2015 1 Comment

Saturday morning we had breakfast and took a double decker bus to Stanley Market. The bus felt like it came out of Harry Potter—we moved so fast, managed to fit on roads, and around curves that seemed way too narrow, and met a warlock (well he never claimed to be a warlock, he just wore a hat that resembled that of a sorcerer, a long robe, and carried a cane). We sat in the front row on the top level and were able to check out Victoria Harbor and all of the massive fancy homes on the hillside. We spent about an hour walking around Stanley Market and then headed back to Central Hong Kong to grab lunch. We went to Oliver’s Super Sandwiches where we shared one of the worst sandwiches we’ve ever had. Then we went to check out the Peak Tram only to find out that the wait was over two hours, obviously we didn’t do that. We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around Central (a part of town) before returning to our hotel to get ready for the evening’s festivities.

Stanley Market Hong Kong — Us at Stanley Market in Hong Kong.

Driving past the Hong Kong Cemetery—this is one of the early Christian cemeteries in Hong Kong dating to its colonial era beginning in 1845. It’s absolutely massive.

We headed to the Empire Hotel to pick up passes for Art Basel (thanks to my godmother Ellen) and then to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center to check it out. The show was incredible and we had an amazing time!!!

Art Basel Hong Kong — Us in front of a Keith Haring at Art Basel in Hong Kong.

We could have spent hours there, but left to go to dinner at The China Club with our friend Justin’s father (Robert), sister (Carly), and family friend (Amir). Daniel and I arrived at the Club, which is modeled to look like a 19030’s Shanghai, and were blown away by the exceptional art collection. We were escorted upstairs to the bar where we met Robert, Carly and Amir before heading to the main dinning room for dinner. Dinner was delicious beyond explanation! Robert ordered food like a world-class champion, and we were treated to the most fantastic Chinese food dinner either of us had ever tasted.

The China Club in Hong Kong — The China Club and just some of the massive art collection. Not our photo.

The China Club Hong Kong — Traditional noodle making dinner show at the China Club.

After dinner Carly took us out to Lan Kwai Fong (LKF)for a night on the town with some of her friends—Daniel’s friend Darren from South Africa and his girlfriend also joined us. We started out at a vibey, local, hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant/bar called Brickhouse—the place was awesome and served some seriously strong drinks. Then we wandered along the densely packed streets filled with people drinking and socializing until we ended up at one of the oldest streets in Hong Kong, Lok Hing Lane. We spent a while longer drinking there before retiring.

Out in Shanghai with Darren, Ali, Daniel and me.

Lok Hing Lane LKF Hong Kong — One of the remaining old streets in Hong Kong, Lok Hing Lane. (Day time shot).

Howdy Hong Kong (and Kowloon)

Hong Kong March 18, 2015 3 Comments

We arrived in the Hong Kong International Airport Thursday night around 8:30 PM and were quite relieved to learn that China’s firewall didn’t extend there (aka we could use the internet freely). We took their subway system, the MTN, from the airport to Hong Kong island, and then a taxi from the MTN station to our hotel. The MTN is unbelievable (it incredibly quick, clean, cheap and gets good service. The taxi ride to the hotel was awesome, we got our first glimpse of the city in all it’s night light glory—buildings piled sky high, each one bigger and more modern than the next—quite a contrast from the simplicity of Thailand.

Hong Kong AIrport — Hong Kong Airport—a love affair at first sight.

Around 10 we finally arrived at the Ovolo Southside, a brand new hotel in Hong Kong’s up and coming arts district. When we walked inside we were absolutely stunned by just how beautiful the place was. From the views, to the service, to the art (and there was a lot of really amazing stuff) we couldn’t have been more excited. We met the hotel’s manager, Cliff, who gave us tickets to Hong Kong’s Art Central (a local exhibition for up and coming artists that they were sponsoring), and a bunch of recommendations for what to do around the city.

Art in the lobby of the Ovolo Southside Hotel in Hong Kong.

Exhausted and starving, we were shown to our room—a small, but modern/industrial space filled with simple and elegant furniture on the sixteenth floor—and directed to CIRQLE (the hotel’s restaurant) for dinner. The food was outrageously delicious (pasta with truffles, a Moroccan baked eggplant dish with hummus and rice, and truffle fries) and the ambiance was awesome. After dinner we went up to the hotel bar, ABOVE, for a quick drink and to check out the city’s notorious skyline (I got a Prosecco and Daniel got some spicy tequila drink that they pour from a tea pot into a glass with a mint leaf). The temperature in Hong Kong was in the ehigh forties/low fifties (Fahrenheit) that night and both of us were absolutely freezing, especially after being in hot and humid weather for the past month. We decided to hit the hay around 1:30 AM, after coming to the conclusion that we were obsessed with Hong Kong and could see ourselves living here (even though we hadn’t yet left the hotel).

Ovolo Southside Hotel Room Hong Kong — Our room at the Ovolo Southside—a small, but modern/industrial space filled with simple and elegant furniture on the sixteenth floor.

Ovolo Southside Hotel — Wall decor inside the Ovolo hotel.

CIRQLE Restaurant for dinner—pasta with truffles, a Moroccan baked eggplant dish with hummus and rice, and truffle fries (not pictured).

Above Bar at Ovolo Hotel — The logo for ABOVE—the rooftop bar at the Ovolo Hotel.

Friday morning we woke up and went down to CIRQLE for breakfast (a delicious spread) and then took a double decker bus to Kowloon. We started off on Nathan Street looking for Sam’s Tailor, but were informed that we didn’t have enough time in Hong Kong for fittings—womp womp. Afterwards, we went to Victoria Harbor City mall (which we thought was called Victoria Habba due to local accents) to get Daniel a pair of nice pants and grab lunch. We ate take-out sushi in the food court and it was absolutely delicious (but next to impossible to get a table).

Fresh sushi in Hong Kong for lunch straight from the take out counter. Just kidding—maybe…directly next to the fish tank is where the sushi is….very fishy.

Ready for a day of exploring shops (or shopping) we headed to Granville Road to check out the local attire. We later learned that aside from the malls, most shops here don’t open until around 3:00 PM—not quite sure why this is, but we thought it was pretty strange. We meandered down the street and found that most of the tiny shops you see street-side actually extend several stories up into massive buildings—very unique to Honk Kong. When more shops started to open, I stumbled upon a random entrance to a nine-story “shopping mall” filled with about thirty 8×8 foot stalls per floor. It felt like we entered some secret realm that kept unfolding. I found a few things to buy and then we left.

Grandville Road Hong Kong (not our photo).

Later on, Daniel went to get a haircut (he’s never looked better) while I went to some huge mall where they refer to everything as “THE _____” (e.g. The Fashion, The Food, The Beauty, etc.) Eventually we took the bus back to our hotel, showered, changed, and went to an Italian restaurant called Sepa. The place was beautiful, the food was incredible, and the service was horrible (I think we waited over an hour and a half for our first dish to come). Nevertheless, that didn’t seem to matter as we made friends with a local couple at the bar (Dheeraj and Rada) and spent three hours drinking and eating together. We really enjoyed their company! After dinner Daniel and I walked down to Long Kwai Fong (LKF) to check out the nightlife scene and eventually went back to the Ovolo to pass out.

Spiffy new haircut — Daniel’s spiffy new haircut he’s never looked better!

One Mall in Hong Kong — A huge mall where they refer to everything as “THE _____” (e.g. The Fashion, The Food, The Beauty, etc.)

Ovolo Southside Hotel Elevator Design — Selfie in the Ovolo elevator.

Outside of Sepa Restaurant with our new friends Rada and Dheeraj. We really enjoyed their company!

Post 11: Ko Samui

Thailand March 12, 2015 1 Comment

SawadiKaaaaaa* (Hello in Thai with extra emphasis)!

Our ferry arrived in Ko Samui at 9:30 AM on Tuesday morning. A bit groggy from sleeping the entire time, we managed to find our bags and exit the boat. When we arrived at the port we were immediately surrounded by the usual suspects (the hollering taxi drivers), before we found a tuk-tuk sent by our hotel. We hopped onboard, and within 10 minutes had arrived at our last hotel in Thailand, Lanna Resort.

Ferry from Ko Tao to Ko Samui — Daniel sitting on the ferry from Ko Tao to Ko Samui.

Tuk Tuk to Lanna Resort in Ko Samui — Tuk Tuk ride to Lanna Resort from the ferry port in Ko Samui.

The hotel was beautiful! It kind of reminded me of a more modern Palm Springs hotel, with all of the rooms surrounding one enormous pool. We checked in with a man named Alex at reception and were show to our room; a little studio type space with all white evrerything (walls, linnens, floors, couch, TV, etc.). The room smelled like vanilla with a hint of lemongrass—so delicious. We put our stuff away, changed into bathing suits and headed to the pool cafe for one of the best hotel breakfast’s yet. Then we spent the rest of the morning/afternoon reading, researching, and swimming. I’d like to share that I finally finished the book I was reading, Skippy Dies, which left me with a sense of profound accomplishment as I’d actually managed to finish a book that made me want to light myself on fire for the majority of the time I was reading it (I can’t say I’d recommend it).

Lanna Resort Studio Room in Ko Samui — Our all white studio room at the Lanna Resort.

Lanna Resort Room Interior Design Detail in Ko Samui — All white everything room detail.

Lanna Pool in Ko Samui — Relaxing at the Lanna pool in Ko Samui—not enjoying “Skippy Dies.”

For the sunset we went to a bar called Sunset Bar (so cliche) and had surprisingly good mojitos. Then we took a taxi to Chaweng, the busier side of the island to get dinner. Chaweng had all the usual tourist stands and attractions, but here more than anywhere else I noticed that there were an abundance of well-dressed men (drip-sweating because who wears a suit in this humidity?) peddeling their tailoring services. We found an authentic looking Italian restaurant on Trip Advisor, called Duomo and decided to go there. The food was insanely delicious and surprisingly authentic, it was even managed by an Italian guy named Giuseppe (just kidding, I never got his name, but he looked like a Giuseppe if I’ve ever seen one). We ordered a cuatro stagioni pizza (eighty-six the ham) and a pesto linguini—we’d highly recommend both!

Sunset Bar in Ko Samui — The aptly named Sunset Bar for viewing sunsets in Ko Samui.

Buddha over the Ocean at Sunset Bar in Ko Samui — Watching the sunset at Sunset Bar over the water.

Sundowners at SunsetBar in Ko Samui — Mojito sundowers to watch the sunset.

After dinner we found one of those doctor fish foot spas, the ones where the fish allegedly eat the dead skin off your feet, and I decided we had to do it before we left. So we negotiated with the owner of “The Foot Spa” to let us go together for half the price (I think he was so confused by our offer that he finally just agreed). I can honestly say that this was one of the weirdest experiences of my life. The feeling of multiple fish sucking on my feet was a combination of surprise, tickling, pain, and disgust (or that last one may have just been for me). Daniel and I asked the guy to record us, and well you can see our reactions in the video, but we pretty much giggled like school girls. After that we went back to the hotel, showered, and went to sleep.

Dr Fish Foot Spa in Ko Samui — Kiss fish, aka garra rufa, aka doctor fish, aka nibble fish, aka kangal fish—by far the weirdest sensation I’ve ever paid for.

Yesterday morning we slept in (probably the result of sleeping in a bed that depresses when you lie on it), went for breakfast, and then went to the pool. We spent the afternoon relaxing, swimming, and brainstorming. I’m finally back to feeling creative after months of being stuck, so now ideas are flowing out of me like the Nile—I couldn’t be happier.

Alligator Float at the Lanna Pool in Ko Samui — For some this may be a crocodile float—for others it is the portal to a place called Carrot World. I love a cool pool float.

Last night we went to the beach for our final Thailand sunset, found lounge chairs at a restaurant/bar called Secret Garden (wifi password happypeople12345), and ordered a few happy hour drinks. The sunset was yet again, absolutely stunning. As we were drinking, a man passed by on the beach holding a red, heart-shaped paper lantern (or “lucky balloon” as they call them here), and we decided to buy it. (Side note: I was so excited for the Full Moon party on Ko Phangan because all the photos show the sky full of lanterns—not red, heart-shaped ones—however, we never saw a single one there… I’m assuming it’s because they banned them.) When the sky got dark we lit our lucky balloon and watched it float up into the sky, along with a few others, until it disappeared. Satisfied, because I felt like I’d done all the random things one needs to do while in Thailand, we went up onto the restaurant deck for a lovely last dinner. After dinner we went back to the hotel and went to sleep.

This morning we woke up and went down for our last authentic Thai breakfast—a bagel, schemer, lox, onions (basil leaves and green olives?). Then we packed up the room and took a taxi to the Ko Samui airport. I spent the plane ride writing this post and now we’re in the Bangkok airport waiting to board our flight to Hong Kong. I’m not so sure what the Internet will be like there, with all the firewalls and what not, but we’ll find a way to keep the posts coming.

Authentic Thai Breakfast in Ko Samui — Our last authentic Thai breakfast—a bagel, schemer, lox, onions (basil leaves and green olives?)

Ko Samui Airport — Us about to board or flight in Ko Samui to go to Bangkok.

Thanks everyone for all of your support and for following along with our travels.

KapKunKaaaaaaaaaaa* (Thank You in Thai with extra emphasis, courtesy of the *Scott Jacks School of International Language)

LJ + DS

Post 10: Ko Tao

Thailand March 9, 2015

Howdy Doody!?!

We haven’t been updating the last few days because we really haven’t done much here. Ko Tao has been pure relaxation, lots of swimming, reading and eating. The Amanjirah Resort, where we are staying here, is located on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean (spectacular), however it is not so conveniently located. It’s about a 20 minute walk to town down some very rugged, very hilly “roads”.

Sunset over ocean in Ko Tao — Jumping Jaxy—from this infinity pool overlooking the scuba divers in the Ko Tao sea.

On Friday night, our first night here, we opted to stay at the hotel for dinner. We had a decent meal overlooking the sea and retired early. As I mentioned before, our first room here was decent but both of us are pretty sure it was not a real room (it was located directly behind the reception desk, and I’m pretty sure they store stuff in the room when people are not saying in there—but that’s besides the point).

Saturday morning we woke up, ate breakfast down by the pool, and moved rooms to our ocean view bungalow aka “Sunset Ocean Dream” as it’s called here—a definite upgrade (especially since we are paying the equivalent of $75 for a room that costs $140 per night), not so bad! That morning we read an article on Business Insider about a new trend emerging among teenage girls who create videos about their morning routines. Considering that we have nothing but time on our hands, and have both reverted to being teenage girls, we decided to make one ourselves.

Breakfast ocean view Ko Tao — Breakfast at the pool overlooking the ocean in Ko Tao.

In the early afternoon we went to the infinity pool, swam, read and ate lunch. We met a Dutch couple (who live in Amsterdam and host on Airbnb) in the pool and they introduced us to Coconut Shakes here. All my life I’ve pretty much detested all forms of coconut aside from coconut water—but these coconut shakes are the most magical and most delicious shakes of all time, I’ve become absolutely addicted over the past few days. With coconut shakes in hand, we watched the sunset.

My Happy Place—reading over a spectacular sunset, coconut shake in hand.

View from the "Sunset Ocean Dream" balcony in Ko Tao. — View from the “Sunset Ocean Dream” balcony in Ko Tao.

Post by Daniel Seeff.

For dinner we decided to be “adventurous” and leave the hotel. We used the headlamps we had packed in our bags to navigate the hilly, gravely, roads until we found our way into town. The town was cute, unlike Ko Phangan it didn’t feel overly touristy or loud. We found a little Italian restaurant (which for some reason feels weird for an island in Thailand) called Farango Pizza and decided to eat there. The food was great! We also had our first glasses of wine in over a month (pretty sure it came from a box even though they insisted it came from a bottle). After dinner we walked down to the strip of beach bars to check out the scene. Exhausted from a tough day, we schlepped back up the hills to our hotel.

Farango Pizza Italian Restaurant Ko Tao — Our meal at Farango Pizza on Ko Tao—greek pizza, peso pasta, (boxed) red wine.

Sunday morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and had virtually the same day at the pool as we did the day before. At dinner time we walked back into town, but this time headed to a sushi restaurant we spotted the night before, called Oishi Kaiso. The food was great (we’d been missing sushi for almost as long as wine). After dinner we ran into someone we met on the beach in Ko Phangan—who also got stung but the jellyfish larval or sea lice—before going back to our hotel.

Oishi Kaiso Japanese food on Ko Tao—bright roll, oishi roll, ginger bucket.

This was our view while we ate dinner at Oishi Kaiso. Cat on a leash with a pink food dispenser. Cat looked miserable.

Monday morning (yesterday) we woke up a bit later than usual and brought our breakfast from the pool back into our air-conditioned bungalow. We spend the early afternoon reading in the room before walking into town (so wild and crazy of us). We found a restaurant on the beach called Island Resort that served edible food and then found a place to rent paddle boards for 200 Baht ($7). Paddle boarding was awesome because the water here is crystal clear and there are coral reefs everywhere you look. For those of you who don’t know, Ko Tao is a scuba divers paradise—almost all of the people we’ve spoken to on this island have come here to get scuba certified.

Daniel the entomologist studying the different sizes of ants and how they behave, on our way to town.

Standup Paddle Board in Ko Tao — Standup Paddle Boarding—”Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath,”

Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Ko Tao — Daniel stand up paddle boarding for the first time.

One thing that we noticed here is that there are tons of horizontal/bent palm trees that seem to be uprooted and growing parallel to the ground, except for the last three feet which are bent upwards towards the sky—very unique. After we spent the afternoon standing on the ocean, we hustled with a taxi-truck driver to take us back to our hotel. The drivers on Ko Tao are extremely lazy, as in they sit in a line of beach chairs on the street and wait for people to come offer to overpay them before they so much as acknowledge you.

Bent Palm Tree Ko Tao — One of the many horizontal/bent palm trees that seem to be uprooted and growing parallel to the ground, except for the last three feet which are bent upwards towards the sky—very unique.

Back at the hotel we resumed our daily activities of swimming, lounging, reading, and enjoying the spectacular sunset. We have some serious footage of the sunsets here—it’s magnificent. We ate dinner at the hotel pool (I fed a decent amount of my food to one of the stray cats meandering around the table) and came back to our room to pack up and try to get an early night’s rest.

Today (Tuesday) it’s 5:30 AM—way too early for those of us who haven’t needed to be up early in over a month—and we are taking a taxi-truck down to the pier to catch a 6:30 AM ferry to Ko Samui (our last island).

Sunset in Ko Tao ocean — Our last sunset from this amazing view in the infinity pool in Ko Tao.

TTFN

LJ + DS

Part 9: Full Moon Party and Ko Tao

Thailand March 6, 2015 1 Comment

Last night was wild.

After our festive dinner at Little Israel, we headed over to HaBait to check out the Purim party, however, since we only got there at 11 PM, most people had already left for Haad Rin beach. So Daniel and I said goodbye to the people who ran the place, bought a bucket, and headed for the Full Moon party.—I know we keep saying it gets more packed everyday, but last night was beyond words, they said there were between ten and twenty thousand people on the beach…total insanity.

Purim Party costumes double as Full Moon Party costumes. Us at Habait.

Full Moon Party Face Paint — Welcome to the original Full Moon Party on Ko Phangan!

Full Moon party is basically a massive children’s birthday party (with a few adult modifications). All over the beach you can buy beach buckets (filled with alcohol), you can jump rope (rope dipped in kerosine ablaze with fire), you can play games (these also involve fire), you can get someone to paint your face and body (this gets quite raunchy), you can pee in the ocean (most people are too drunk to go to a bathroom), you can strip completely and roll in the shallow waves (doesn’t have the same cute connotation as when you’re a kid). The whole experience is definitely a trip, it’s kind of like a massive spring break on steroids. Every bar at the beach blasts their own music and has their own vibe, and everywhere you look you see neon. From the moment we got to the beach there were already people falling over themselves because they were too drunk. We found one guy that Daniel had some serious fun following with the GoPro—he was a mess.

Later on, we started to hear rumblings of people getting pick pocketed and decided to snap a few more photos before taking all of our possessions back to the hotel for safe keeping. Once we deposited our stuff, we headed back to the beach to party. Throughout the night we met a string of characters, too many to describe in detail, but it was throughly entertaining. Around 3 AM we walked to one side of the beach to sit down. After sitting for a while I turned to my right and realized I was sitting directly next to Graham (a friend I worked at Airbnb with for two years)… I mean of all ten/twenty thousand people on that beach what are the odds?—well actually Daniel worked this out last night. (Backstory: the night before, Graham had messaged me, but we realized it would probably be impossible to meet up at Full Moon and never really entertained the thought any further). Such a small world.

Look who we ran into on Haad Rin beach for Full Moon Party!—Graham, a friend/co-worker from Airbnb.

For the remainder of the night, we danced, walked, drank, people watched, and waited for the sun to rise (which it eventually did at 6:20 AM). After that we headed back to or hotel, put in earplugs (because the hotel’s next door neighbors host the monthly Full Moon after party which starts at 7 AM), and passed out until 11:30 AM. I hate to say it but I think we’re past or prime with regards to pulling all nighters.

We took a open taxi-truck to the Haad Rin pier and boarded the high-speed Lomprayah ferry to Ko Tao. On the ferry we listened to Serial (podcast) to keep ourselves awake. We arrived in Ko Tao around 2:30 and were picked up by our hotel and driven to the Amanjirah Resort. The place is beautiful with an infinity pool that looks right over the ocean! When we booked the room a few weeks back, we selected “The Mystery” option on their website, which means you basically roll the dice and take your chance at ending up in any room from a private pool villa to a budget room for a fixed price. Tonight we are staying in a nice room, but the next three nights it looks like we hit the jackpot with a really nice sea view room.

Lomprayah Pier in Ko Tao — Taxi-hunters madness on the Ko Tao pier, right after getting off the ferry.

Aminjirah Hotel Room Mystery — We booked “The Mystery” at Aminjirah Hotel. This is our room for tonight.

This afternoon we ate a late lunch (our first real meal in a while), and went for a dip in the pool—beyond refreshing; it’s humid as can be here. Daniel took a nap while I did some writing. Then we came to the pool to watch the sunset—it was spectacular, obviously. We’ve seen two consecutive sunsets and a sunrise now—we definitely won’t make it for tomorrow sunrise.

Ko Tao Sunset Infinity pool — “There’s a sunrise and a sunset every single day, they’re absolutely free. Don’t miss os many of them.”–We managed two consecutive sunsets and a sunrise.

Sorry for the lack of excitement in today’s post, the lack of sleep is finally wearing on me.

Ok tootles.

Part 8: Ko Phangan

Thailand March 5, 2015 1 Comment

Chag Purim Sameach!

Wednesday, yesterday, we decided to take a little day trip to a place called Thongsala, per our friend Steve’s recommendation. We got into a taxi aka the back of a truck and drove, or rather gunned it, for 30 minutes up and down some serious hills to get there. In the back of the truck we met two guys from Germany who told us places to go in Ko Tao (our next island). When we arrived we decided to go for lunch at a place called “Clean Vegetarian Restaurant”. Now I’m not sure if the owners of the place thought that Clean Vegetarian Restaurant sounded like a cool name, but I can assure you this place was the opposite of vegetarian and definitely not clean. We opened a menu, the size of a children’s book (complete with lots of colorful pictures), to find pages and pages of pork dishes. We finally found a small section that said Vegetarianism and ordered from there. The food was good, but nothing special, especially since Daniel found two hairs in his (is hair vegetarian?).

Vegetarian Restaurant Thailand — “Clean Vegetarian Restaurant” – aka lots of meat with a side of hair.

After lunch we wandered around the streets for a bit, went to a shop Steve told us to go to run by an Indian man named Hit, and then went to haggle with some of the local vendors to buy Full Moon attire (neon clothing) for Purim and Full Moon party. After about two hours we decided to take another truck-taxi back to Haad Rin beach. The ride back reminded me of the way taxi drivers in Buenos Aires drive—fast, furious, and with no regard for other drivers or people on or near the road. We were thrilled when the ride was over.

We spent the majority of the day back at Haad Rin beach hanging out in the ocean—the water was much calmer than the day before, however the beach was twice as packed. It’s amazing how the number of people in Haad Rin has at least doubled everyday since we’ve been here because everyone is starting to come for the Full Moon party. When we left the beach I couldn’t help but notice a local vendor selling rad tie dye print clothing. Long story short we decided to be Hippies for Purim.

We came back to Little Israel, changed into our Purim costumes, applied some body paint and went down to the beach to watch the sunset and the Israelis. I don’t think I’ve mentioned his yet, but the Israeli girls here make my photo game look weak. These girls spend all day taking hundreds of modeling shots on the beach, regardless of the fact that their friends all take the exact same shots. It is quite possibly one of the most entertaining things to watch…ever. I’m pretty sure competitive posing and modeling will at some point be considered a national past time for Israel.

Chag Purim Sameach—Hippies were as creative as we could get because the only clothing for sale on Ko Phangan is neon or tie dye. Also an Israeli friend at the Cocohut directed this photoshoot (with the sunset in front of us).

Ko Phangan Sunset Full Moon Costumes — Hippies for Purim

Full Moon Party clothing Ko Phangan — Jumping Jaxy—Full Moon/Purim attire in Ko Phangan for good measure.

After sunset we walked over to Habait HaYisrael for a Megillah reading (it had nothing on you Peretz). Turns out Daniel and I were the only people there in costume (not that I mind as I love any opportunity to dress up). We later learned that even though the Megillah was read, the actual Purim party was moved to Thursday night (the same night as the Full Moon party) because of Buddha Day. As I mentioned before, no one is allowed to sell alcohol or throw parties on Buddha Day, and if they get caught doing so, they will receive a 22,000 Baht ($7,300) fine. So, we hung out at Habait for a few hours and had another amazing dinner. While eating we met a Swedish chick who lives in Israel named Naomi. She told us about the northern part of Ko Phangan, much more of a yogi/hippie vibe up there and about a yoga retreat she did in Ko Samui—sounds awesome. Then we chatted with Steve for a while about Full Moon party before leaving to go to Haad Rin beach.

The beach was fuller than any other night, but eerily quiet without any music playing. As we walked down the beach it was the first time we could really hear people talking—so many different accents here it’s crazy. Over the beach, we went back to our room to pass out.

This morning we woke up and went to breakfast. The breakfast bar was so much more full than it’d been every other day. Another observation I’ve made about the Israelis is that they eat bread at breakfast like it’s going out of style. In the middle of every table, whether there are two people or six people, is a plate of bread (about half a loaf, no exaggeration) stacked pretty high. Such an interesting thing. Go gluten.

We spent the afternoon working on Say it with a Sock and then went back to Habait for lunch. No new restaurants ever (I mean we found a place that serves delicious food with a great atmosphere and nice people, so why chance it with hairy food). After lunch we went to a very very full Haad Rin beach and got in the water on our floats. All of a sudden we started feeling stinging sensations everywhere, as did many of the people around us. We got out of the water, skin burning and turning red, from either jellyfish larval or sea lice (gross). As we sat back down on the beach, all the people surrounding us told us they left the water for the same reason. We decided to call it a day at the beach and head back to our pool.

Last sunset aka last Israeli modeling competition in Ko Phangan.

We watched our last sunset in Ko Phangan and scouted for the future Miss Israel pageant—the jury is still out on the winner.

Tonight we had a Full Moon dinner at Little Israel, which entailed a decked out dinning area complete with a DJ booth made to look like a boat and a very earnest welcoming committee of staff ready to give out lei’s made of Styrofoam and purple flowers.

Now we’re headed back to HaBait for a Purim party, and then to Haad Rin beach for the Full Moon party.

We’ll give you all the details in the next post!

LJ + DS

Part 7: Ko Phanang

Thailand March 3, 2015 4 Comments

Happy Buddha Day! (I just learned about this holiday last night, which recognizes nine full months after Buddha reached Enlightenment, but to tourists it really just means a day where almost all places don’t sell alcohol).

No alcohol in Thailand on Buddah day — Buddha Day – no alcohol sign in 7-Elephant.

Sunday was a day of planes, trains and automobiles (minus the planes and trains and add in a ferry and a high speed boat). We got up early (at 7:45 am) and boarded a two and a half hour ferry to Krabi. From Krabi we took ten minute taxi van to a double decker bus. We took the double decker bus two and a half hours (driving under 30 mph the entire time) to Don Sak Pier, where we waited an hour because the high speed ferry was delayed—thank goodness for the Serial podcast. At 4:00 PM we boarded the two hour high speed ferry and headed for Ko Phanang. Mid way though the ride someone’s backpack (from the pile where they make you store your bags when you get on) flew off the boat and the crew just kind of shrugged—I can only imagine how frustrated the owner of that pack must have been when they arrived because there is definitely no such thing as luggage insurance on these boats. When we finally arrived on the island we took a twenty five minute taxi van and then a five minute truck ride to our hotel the Coco Hut. All I can say is I was definitely glad that this was where we landed after such a long schlep. The place is magnificent!

Sunset view from the CoCo Hunt upon our arrival.

The hotel is run by an Israeli and is basically little Israel—you hear more Hebrew than any other language here (I keep waiting for Adam Sandler to make a surprise entrance as the Zohan). We checked in and were shown to our room, a fantastic modern bungalow with an insane view. The only catch is that a bungalow with a view requires climbing A LOT of stairs. As in, we feel like we are climbing the 306 steps up Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, so basically our bungalow is a temple that requires an act of great strength and meditation to get to.

The view from our bungalow at the top of the world's tallest staircase. — The view from our bungalow at the top of the world’s tallest staircase.

Stairs up to our bungalow wat. — The stairs up to our bungalow make us feel like we are climbing the 306 steps up Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai, so basically our bungalow is a temple that requires an act of great strength and meditation to get to.

Delighted with our accommodation we realized we were starving from not eating a real meal all day. We walked to the town and found a restaurant with Israeli food—quite a nice change from everyday Thai food.

I know that earlier I touched on the notion that I was not designed to carry a backpack, but I really wasn’t joking. I must have done something really bad because my lower back was in a bad way the whole day of travel. Sitting and lying down every which way I tried on all the busses, boats, and taxis was a struggle, so after dinner I decided a back massage was in order. For 300 Baht ($9) an older Thai woman named Gidt was able to change my life. I showed her where I was in pain and she proceeded to give me the works. It was definitely the most unconventional massage I’ve ever had but I’d do it again in a heartbeat. She performed moves* (that I’ve named myself) like Santa’s Sleigh, Flappy Bird, the Elephant Dancer, Snap Crackle Pop, and Surprise I’m Standing On Your Back like a true champion. I now know what a dog feels like when it’s getting trained. Gidt would tell me to do something. I would proceed to move myself into every imaginable position I thought she might want me to move into, only to be corrected again and again. I had her in tears laughing at me, but I don’t care because after that massage I felt like a new person. Later that night we walked the beach where the full moon party takes place and watched the poi shows. Then we went back to our hotel, ascended the steps to our personal temple and passed out.

7-Elephant (an interesting approach at 7-11) .

Many of the bucket booths have people's names on them, like Johnrambo and Anna (but we wouldn't have gone to Anna because she was tweezing her leg hairs over the buckets). — Many of the bucket booths have people’s names on them, like Johnrambo and Anna (but we wouldn’t have gone to Anna because she was tweezing her leg hairs over the buckets).

One of the many bucket bars. This is one of like 40 named Sara.

Monday we woke up, ate an Israeli breakfast, and went down to the beach. We may as well be in Israel with all of the cucumbers, Israeli music, Hebrew and matkot down here. It’s amazing how much more Israeli than Thai this place feels (all the restaurants serve hummus, schnitzel, Israeli salad, in addition to Thai food—they definitely know their audience).

"the University of Timbuktu never existed —the only thing that existed in Timbuktu was a beach bar hut." Shake your coconuts at the Coco Hut in Ko Phangan. — “the University of Timbuktu never existed —the only thing that existed in Timbuktu was a beach bar hut.” Shake your coconuts at the Coco Hut in Ko Phangan.

CocoHut - volleyball courts sponsored by Swatch? (which no one seems to play on). — CocoHut – volleyball courts sponsored by Swatch? (which no one seems to play on).

After a day of chilling at the hotel we went back into town and had dinner at the Israeli restaurant called Habayit HaYisraeli. Our Thai waiter asked us in Hebrew what we wanted to order—so funny. We had a lovely meal and then decided to lay in the hammocks in the restaurant and digest. At some point we met a guy from Brooklyn named Steve, who has been living here for two years running a company called Sababa Tours from inside of Habait HaYisraeli. Steve is kind of like the glue in this very transient island life atmosphere. He’s just constantly networking trying to connect people with each other to go to parties and such. He told us some cool places to go on the island and introduced us to Avivit (from Israel-obviously). We hung out with them for a bit and later ended up at Haad Rin beach again to watch the entertainment.

Habayit HaYisraeli restaurant vibe. — Habait HaYisraeli restaurant vibe.

Us at Habayit HaYisraeli in a hammock with Steve of Sababa Tours and Avivit (from Israel). — Us at Habait HaYisraeli in a hammock with Steve of Sababa Tours and Avivit (from Israel). We took this photo cause Steve said this selfie would do wonders for us.

At the beach we ordered our first bucket since being here (gin and tonic, which were both pretty sure was gin and soda) and watched yet another poi show. Curious by lights we saw up on the side of the mountain surrounding the beach, we climbed up some serious stairs to get to a bar called Mellow Mountain. From up there we could see all of the activity going on down on the beach. Not a bad way to end the night.

At Hadd Rin beach they have these swatches of neon paint designs at that they will pain on your body (for a small fee ;) of course). — At Hadd Rin beach they have these swatches of neon paint designs at that they will pain on your body (for a small fee 😉 of course).

Yesterday we slept in and went to breakfast at the last possible minute before they shut down. Then we wandered around town for a while and got lunch at the self-proclaimed Delight Restaurant. We spent the majority of the day on the beach playing in the waves—it was the best! At one point in the day I went to go to the bathroom and happened to walk in on a local sitting on the throne, speedo around his ankles, smoking a cigarette with the door wide open—I was much more startled by the interaction that he seemed to be. After we saw each other he kind of half shut the door without so much as flinching. I couldn’t stop cracking up.

Daniel playing in the waves with his selfie stick (waves not pictured).

Mellow mountain koh phangan — Bathroom where I walked in on a local sitting on the throne, speedo around his ankles, smoking a cigarette with the door wide open (man not pictured for obvious reasons).

We came back to the Coco Hut (aka Little Israel) to watch the sunset and it was absolutely magnificent! Between the sky and the ocean, every beautiful color you could imagine was represented. After sunset, we went into the pool to cool off. Everything was going swimmingly until we turned around to see two of the maintenance staff using a hairdryer to dry something in the pool filter. Oy. It really goes without saying (but I’ll say it for your sake), that our swim at the pool ended there.

Sunset in Ko Phangan — Sunset from Coco Hut beach—between the sky and the ocean, every beautiful color you could imagine was represented, but this shot doesn’t do it justice.

Last night we went back to dinner at Habait HaYisraeli (same place as last night). After dinner we went to partake in usual beach night fun before calling it a night. All in all, we are very happy to be here!

Now it’s Wednesday morning and we’re putting up this blog for you to enjoy before we switch rooms (long story).

Boker Tov from us and Laila Tov to most of you. Xx from Ko Phanang (the Israel of Thailand)

*I can later show these moves if anyone would like to see.