Chiang Mai and the Heart of Travel

Almost as soon as we arrived in Chiang Mai, we were making plans to live there one day. Everything we loved about Bangkok was present, but it had something else too...that small town feeling that makes you feel at home.

The famous Chiang Mai moat. We saw a body in it while we were there! Crazy!!

That's the greatest part about Chiang Mai: it feels like a small town but it's actually quite large and therefore has everything you could want. There are great restaurants--both Thai and international cuisines, multiple open air markets selling a wide variety of goods, a laid back atmosphere, countless temples, fun shops, and plenty of cheery locals, expatriates, and tourists.

We spent most of our time there just strolling around and stopping whenever we were hungry or saw something interesting. I felt like we got a good feeling for the city and got to see a lot of back streets and tucked away gems.

The day we were leaving, we talked to a couple other travelers about the city. One guy started listing off a bunch of famous temples and places to visit both in and outside the city. We had only been to one or two of the places he mentioned and told him so. To that he replied, "Wow, so you guys haven't even done Chiang Mai yet. You haven't seen hardly anything."

I was surprised. I felt like I had seen so much of the city. Yeah, a lot of it was normal day to day things, but that's the lifeblood of a place--that's the heart of traveling, discovering the way other people live. It's what you discover on the way to a tourist attraction that you'll remember long after you've left.

Sometimes, touristy places teach you things too! This was taken at a very popular temple in Chiang Mai's old town.

Whether we saw all the "must see" places or not, I've still fallen in love with Chiang Mai and definitely don't feel "done" with it.

The Number One "Must See" in Bangkok

We went to the Grand Palace, mostly because it's Bangkok's most popular tourist destination. Sometimes when we get to a destination, it seems like we have to go certain places because everyone else goes there. I know we don't really have to, but I don't know....it seems like a rite of passage or something. I can't explain it.

Plus, sometimes the "must see" things are really awesome and you actually MUST see it or you'll be sorry later. The Grand Palace was indeed beautiful, but it was also crowded as f*&% and expensive to get in (for Thailand). I didn't really have that great of a time there. The best part was people watching.

Everything was very pretty.

Meh.

Have you been to the Grand Palace? What did you think?

Terminal 21 Mall

This is the best mall I've ever been to in my entire life.

The stores are all great, of course, but the real treat is the themes. Yes, themes!! Every floor is a different city and the escalators are like the airports. The attention to detail is meticulous and beautiful. Even the security guards and cleaning staff wear costumes!

If you go to Bangkok, you have to go to this mall. Here's the evidence of its awesomeness, in pictures.

escalator "airport terminals"

security on the London floor

Tokyo

I love the light fixtures on the Istanbul floor!

some of the floors or "destinations" - (from bottom to top) Tokyo, London, Istanbul, San Francisco

The Golden Gate, complete with mini-cars!

One of the best parts was, surprisingly, the bathrooms! Every bathroom was totally in character and exquisite.

bathroom on the Paris floor

bathroom on the Rome floor - that fountain is the sink!

For more information, here's the mall's Wikipedia page.

I Love Bangkok

I've heard you either love Bangkok or you hate it. For me, it was love at first sight.


I expected Bangkok to be crowded, dirty, rowdy, and steaming hot. I expected my mind to be blown by the intensity of the city. I thought it would be packed full of people at all hours with wild tuk tuks blazing by and strange smells around every corner.  That's not how I found it (well, except for the hot part) and I was very pleasantly surprised.


I don't know if it's because I'd been living in Korea before traveling, but Bangkok was a lot calmer and nicer than I thought it would be. The airport was nice, the public transportation we took into the city was clean and air conditioned, and there didn't seem to be any more people on the street than in Suncheon. Seriously.

Everyone was super kind and smiley, the food was amazing, and the temples were all gleaming and beautiful. What more could a tourist ask for??!

Bangkok is such a cool city. Since it's an old city, there is so much character. There are great, fancy temples and tiny out of the way ones. There are gigantic malls and tiny roadside stalls. And the best part is, all are filled with happy, kind people. You are affected by the people around you, and I was so happy in Bangkok!

Bohol's Jungle

We set off into Bohol's jungle filled center with little expectation. I'd heard mixed reviews about the famous Chocolate Hills and wasn't expecting anything great. But before the Chocolate Hills, first we went to see the tarsiers.

Tarsiers are tiny, nocturnal primates that live on the island. They are endangered so we went to the Philippine Tarsier Foundation to see some. Apparently, there are some people who just catch them and then let tourists hold them and take pictures with them on their shoulder. This is illegal and those tarsiers die quickly. Not good for an endangered species, so don't do that, everybody!

At the Foundation, there is a small area with information about tarsiers, a video about them and the Foundation's efforts (which we didn't watch), and then a guide will take you out in the nearby jungle to see the little creatures. It was a pretty quick trip since we didn't watch the video and just went out to see them.

Then we got on the pretty bus pictured below and went to the Chocolate Hills.

Once we got to the Chocolate Hills we had two options, hire an overpriced tricycle to take us to the top or walk up. Even though we had our bags strapped on us, the walk wasn't bad at all. Actually, some of the best views we got were from the road...but that might have just been because we had to share the viewing platform with a Chinese tour group, who pulled up right as we reached the top.

The Chocolate Hills were pretty but the ride to get there was the real delight of the trip. The views from the bus were phenomenal. It was like a tropical dream.

All in all, I was underwhelmed with the touristy things to do on the island but loved the everyday aspects of it and the people were all super friendly so it was great. Sometimes, it really is just about the journey and not the destination.

Adventures in Siquijor

Following Lonely Planet's advice, we rented a motorbike to tour the small island of Siquijor. As promised, it was a really fun way to see the island and do things on your own terms without having to bargain with tricycle or jeepney drivers, which can quickly become tiresome.

What we didn't count on, was Spencer being incredibly ill. That morning Spencer wasn't feeling well but he still really wanted to go on the trip. So, we went.

We set off on the motorbike a bit shaky at first. We were wearing helmets and full of determination to make it a success. We planned on taking turns and I was driving first since I had some previous motorcycle experience from when my dad taught me to ride a quad (aka ATV). As I was starting out, I was a bit nervous but I kept hearing my dad say, “Listen to the engine! Hear that? Okay, let up the gas and shift!” We would have been doomed without those lessons from my childhood! (Thanks, Dad!!)

As we hit the smooth main road, things got easier and I got more confidence. We were doing it! We were riding a motorbike and it was scary, exciting, and absolutely beautiful. We passed fields of rice, countless coconut trees, thatch huts, brightly painted cement houses, goats, chickens, pigs, cows, schools, villages, and the endless, shimmering sea. I felt so free but at the same time, I was constantly clutching the handlebars and never going over 45 kilometres/28 miles per hour.

After stopping a couple times for Spencer to be sick, getting lost once, and asking for directions multiple times, we finally made it to our first stop: Cambuhagay Falls. We planned on our second stop being a beach, but we never made it. You'll see why later.

Cambuhagay Falls is a set of three cascades in a river headed for the ocean. The water is a beautiful shade of aqua and the biggest swimming hole comes complete with an old jungle vine to swing into the water. The swinging vine along with the lush, green jungle surrounding the falls brings up thoughts of Tarzan. It was like a tropical dream! It's a must see if you come to Siquijor island.

The beauty of the location was the exact opposite of how Spencer felt. He was miserable. I kept telling him we could go back to our resort but he kept saying no. Even though he was sick, he still wanted to see the waterfall and hang out. What a trooper! So, I went swimming while Spencer threw up some more. Then we both took turns on the rope swing.

After a while, Spencer couldn't tolerate it anymore and we got back on the motorbike and headed towards home. I was getting more and more worried about his inability to even hold down water so when I saw a sign for a hospital, I immediately turned into its driveway.

We had to wait about 40 minutes for the doctor to come but I was happy we did. While we were waiting, the nurses gave Spencer a pill for his fever and by the time the doctor showed up, he was feeling a bit better. The doctor was very kind, she spoke perfect English (as a lot of Filipinos do), and prescribed Spencer some probiotics and re-hydration salts.

On doctor's orders, we skipped the beach and headed back to the resort. By the time we got back, Spencer was feeling better and even ate some toast for dinner. The day had not turned out how we intended but we had survived.

Christmastime in the Philippines

Even though it's hot and humid outside and doesn't feel like Christmastime at all, it still is, and it's nice to be reminded of it by decorations and Christmas lights.

In the Philippines if someone has a Christmas tree at their home, it's always a faux-tree and it's usually placed out on a front porch or balcony. It seems like people spend most of their time outside and from there they and others can enjoy it the most.

Near where we are staying in Tagbilaran, on the island Bohol, there is a public square with a big church on one side and the capitol building on the other. The park is decorated with all kinds of different Christmas lights.

A stroll through the park at night was a sparkly and wonderful way to be reminded that yes indeed, it is Christmastime, even though you are wearing as little clothes as possible and are still sweating at night! :)

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and lots of joy to all of those who don't celebrate either of those!! Happiness and love to all!!!