A video review:

So the other morning, while everyone slept, I was up and wide awake with time to spare.  I ended up going through my pictures and putting together this tiny video.  While abroad, I took COUNTLESS photos, and am in countless more on other peoples phones/cameras, and I realize that thats an insane amount of photos to go through, even for people who are interested in the trip.

So I put this video together, consisting of some, not all, of my favorite moments captured on my phone alone.  I'm sure as the other girls post their photos, I will find many more that I adore and love, but heres this in the mean time:

Some information about the placement

So I wanted to write a little bit about my placement, Chumchon Suan Ruen Daycare, as the process was interesting to me.

Benz would drop me off first in the morning, and I'd hop out of the van and then take an over cross over the highway to the other side, where i'd then turn right, walk past food vendors cooking meats, turn an immediate sharp left and wander down this back alley.  Going down the alley you pass a man selling lots of different vegetables and various goods, and every morning i'd give them a look over as the setting was just so curious to me.  One thing I learned about Bangkok, and maybe Thailand/Cambodia in general, is that there are lots of areas that I wouldn't even think about wandering down at home that here have amazing little shops, markets, food vendors and experiences.  Back alleys, or sois, are just a treasure bed of memories here.

The stall on the soi with the day care.

The day care is on your right after you've gone down the soi a short way, behind a brown sliding metal fence.  When you first walk in, you're in this open pavement area where there will be a table set up, a little pool area where the 'well nourished' dog swims, and benches and various chairs on either side.  To the left is Poi's house, where Poi, Mama Poi, and perhaps the younger sister live.  To your right is the day care, fenced off in some areas and yet open in others.  Always remove your shoes, but it helps to wear shoes you can just slip on and off because you will be going in and out a lot through the day, assisting with food, water, following kids around the playground, or just various things.  Also, sometimes the children spill food or water, or actually in certain areas urinate right on the ground, so if you're not in the classroom, I'm just going to suggest you be wearing shoes.

(heres a shot from the children's side of the fenced area, with the classroom behind me and Poi's house in the shot.)

General schedule of events depending on what time you get there:
The children were always already started by the time our van got there, so:

• The kids will be going through prayers, songs that teach to bow and basic manners, stretches.  The children always group greeted me as well.  Of note, you don't bow the same way to the kids as you do adults, nor do you do it first.  The children will greet you, and I think its okay to put your hands together, but they'll greet you and then you respond back.  To all adults, you bow your head, palms pressed together, and greet them first.  They may or may not respond with the head bow/palms pressed, but they will respond.
• Poi usually asked me to sing songs, either Hokey Pokey or Wheels on the Bus, etc, and then they'd go through the Thai alphabet, colors, days of the week, numbers, and story time, with interjections of me going through the same in English.  
• The days of the week chart on the wall is also color coded with the 'colors of the day' to help teach that as well.
• The children break in between to go drink water or milk, whatever the case may be.  If you hear them repeating the word "Nam", that means water, and is the cue. Help with encouraging the children to wash their hands outside the back door before they run over for a drink.
• The kids will all go outside to play as well.  Some stick around on the concrete part but I always ended up on the slide/swings/dirt area with the boys.  They have a good ole time out there, playing in the dirt, filling up trash, and chasing each other.
• Yes, there is a lot of trash just floating around, various bags and plastic that would never be allowed in America, but is quite common here.  The children loved filling up the bags with sand, and I found that throwing away the trash did little to discourage it.  Just keep an eye out for any who might start to stick it in their mouth (not an issue I saw) or sharp bits.  I found one child playing with a broken plastic ruler, and distracted them to safely remove it.  I also found broken glass behind the benches in the back lot, where lots of the kids like to play, so just keep an eye out.
• After play time is Lunch.  I helped with setting up the tables, chairs, the food distribution and the water.  Sometimes you have to encourage the kids to keep eating, sometimes not.
• Lom is usually laying out the children's bed mats at this point, which I helped with sometimes.  It involved laying out the mats in order (never with feet pointed at someone elses head) and pulling their clean clothes out of their bags and placing the bags back on the beds.
• As the kids finish eating, they'll start to wander off one by one towards the playground again, so I spent the rest of the time watching the kids out there and playing with them. 
• The girls would get ushered off to shower, so I spent most of my time with the boys.
• Showering is really hosing the children off around the side by the bathrooms, and after the girls have finished the boys are then rounded up and showered.
• I helped them change out of their clothes, dried off the boys as they came in, gave them the baby powder (always a big moment), and helped them dress again.
• The baby powder is a great moment.  One day I had like five of my little guys in front of me at the same time, and they were all laughing and joking, and when they smeared the baby powder all across their faces like warriors, they started pounding on their chests and striking poses.  It was a really cute moment, and I just keep seeing their smiling faces covered in powder.
• Nap time is a good moment.  They do a prayer, palms together, and then milk bottles are passed out to a few of the children.  Music is put on, an older woman singing, and the children lay down.  Some pass out quickly, some are restless and require some more supervision, but rubbing their backs or hands usually does the trick.  The kids are all precious.
• Usually after this, you sneak out, eat your food and chat with the teachers and locals.  Sometimes it was just me and the teachers, sometimes other older ladies from the community were there sharing food with us.  They liked to offer food, and we all communicated with each other in our own limited ways.  A few spoke better English than others, but they all spoke much better English than I did Thai.

Then it would be time to leave, and i'd say my goodbyes and head out to the main road to meet with Benz again.  I'd hang out on the bridge watching for him to approach, watching people and cars pass.

In which I celebrate the end of the world

So I spent my last day in Thailand, on a beach, drinking rum.

Wait, let me rewind.

At 4:30 AM, I woke up and wandered down stairs, tired but excited and ready to go.  We had gotten the suggestion from a roommate to go to Koh Samet if we were wanting to go to a beach in our time frame.  Koh Samet, while not world renown for being the most beautiful beach in all of Thailand, is still a super pretty beach that is within easy distance of Bangkok, making it a popular spot for city people who want to escape but can only do it for the day, or weekend.

Our van picked us up at 5 am, and soon me, Sara, and Victoria were all in and on our way.   The night before, Sara and Victoria had prepared iced coffee and purchased donuts from Mr. Donut for our trip, so we had those with us as well.  I fell asleep for a while, despite the coffee, but woke up in time to watch to sun rise, which was pretty beautiful.  It was the first of many moments that day where I sat and thought about where I was, and what I was doing.  When I actually allowed myself to think about it all, it was rather surreal.

I'm also pretty sure that by the time we got there, our driver was convinced he had caught my funk and was going to die of whatever disease I've got, cause I was coughing for at least an hour of that trip, and who am I to say he won't. He may. I don't know what I got.  Cough hack throat clear.

The trip took less time than we expected, probably due to the hour of morning, and we arrived within two and a half hours.  We had predicted at least three, maybe more, so it was nice.  Ah, just a heads up, for parts of this I'm going to give a lot of information, should anyone reading decide it be something that they wish to do, because parts were confusing for us since we had none of this information.  Sooo, yes.  Moving on.

We get there, and a woman asks if we speak Thai.  I answer that we do not, we speak English, and we were immediately dismissed.  It was both funny and slightly rude, because it became very apparent that since we didn't speak Thai, we weren't a priority or a bother.  I decided I wasn't going to let it bother me, and went across the lot to use the restroom.  The restroom cost 3 baht, and had both squatters and a Western style toilet   One fun fact about Thailand that I will include in a post all to itself: always carry tissues with you for the bathroom.  Most places do not provide them.

We purchased the ticket from a man over on the right side of the lot, which cost 100 baht each, 50 for the trip there, 50 for the trip back.  They give you different color tickets, which I believe are for distinguishing which ferry to take back.  Our ticket there was yellow, and the return slip was pink.  The ferry would leave every hour on the hour, starting at 8 and ending at 6.  We only had a few minutes to wait before we started the trip.

Our taxi was this baby pink and purple boat, and we shared it only with the crew of two and this one couple.  It was kind of cool to me, because the men set up this ramp that was very obviously hand built, one holding it from the top and one steadying it from the bottom.  I was enjoying myself already.

We crossed the bridge and went downstairs, and sat right up front.  It was a nice, slow and gentle ride out and over to Koh Samet.  The weather was perfect, and our day had finally begun.

When we arrived it was another moment of slight confusion.  The other volunteer hadn't said anything about this, so we walked down the pier and out to this center area.  In the middle of the small lot there is a group of statues where tourist were taking photos, a 7/11 on both your left and your right, and a line of green trucks with locals sitting around in them.  The green trucks are actually the island's taxi system, and i'm not certain of the price, but for the three of us it turned out to be 100 baht total every time we took one, but I don't know if thats just the flat rate any time or if it was factored using the number of people.  Either way, there you have it.

If you don't mind walking, know where you're going, and are in proper shoes because some areas are questionable as to what you may be walking in, you can go through the area between the 7/11s and this little tour guide shop and follow the dirt road down past shops and out to the beach areas.  We however did not know where we were going, so we hopped in the back of a taxi and asked them to take us to Diamond Beach, which our roommate had suggested saying it was the most beautiful and that they had had a great time there when they went.

Along the way, we stopped at an entrance where a guard came up and charged us 200 baht per person for entry to the beaches, and unexpected charge for us, so there you have it. Supposedly there is a side road you can take to avoid this charge, but I can't confirm that.

We arrive at Diamond Beach, pay the driver, and hop out of the taxi.  We then wandered down this side road, just sort of turning and following our senses until we came to the beach.  You'll have to wander past various huts and houses that are rented out, but if you keep turning right you'll work your way down to the beach.

So, Diamond Beach is apparently the most popular beach on the island, and only about a mile long.  It is also dotted with hotels, restaurants, and tour groups. There will be people walking up and down the beach selling sarongs, fruit, and also trying to get you to come stay at the hotels.  Frankly, I was extremely disappointed.  It was just like Daytona Beach as far as I was concerned, and no where near the picturesque Thai beaches I had been imagining.

We pulled up the island on one of our phones and quickly headed over to another section. We section we ended up on was Ao Hin Khok, the beach just next to Diamond Beach (Hat Sai Kaew) but separated by rocks, and apparently thats enough.

 "Ao Hin Khok is separated from Hat Sai Kaew by a small rocky sea point where a mermaid statue is located. The beach, which is half the size of Hat Sai Kaew, is famous for its strangely shaped rocks. There are inexpensive bungalows/huts located along the beach, and also value-for-money restaurants providing fresh, quality seafood dishes."

 The beach here was perfect.  It was free of tourist when we were there, the sand was crystal white, the water beautiful torquoise, and we quickly claimed three chairs (which cost 30 baht each, btw) beneath the shade of some trees before wandering over for a 'photo shoot' on the rocks.

They also have a statue of a flute player and mermaid over there, which I later discovered was the goddess protector of the island.  Supposedly if you play the flute or something, she would come up out of the water and protect the island.

 There was a larger, apparently brand new statue off the new pier when we arrived that I wish I had wandered down to to take a photo.

Island goddess answering the call.

 I had a difficult time hearing the woman as she told me, as we were on the boat back at that point.

After that, we finally jumped in the water.  We left our bags on the beach in view, sitting in our chairs, and though I watched them all day didn't have any issues with people snooping or being suspicious.  The water was beautiful, and we were able to go relatively far out without having issues about where to put our feet, and actually ended up spending several hours out there, just bobbing, laughing, and talking about things.

We joked, talked about our little crushes, made Little Mermaid connections (there was a dog like Max out there!  And our little Mermaid photo shoot on the rocks, among several other wonderful coincidences that just made it all the better.)  There was also a boxing rink within easy view of the water up on the hill, with lanterns and lights strung up over it, and I could just imagine two boxers duking it out up there.  It'd be a sight to see, and I imagine its especially cool at night.  

There was also a funny moment where Boobs McGee showed back up (we had first spotted her on Diamond Beach.)  Now, I personally couldn't care less about people sunbathing in the nude, the human body doesn't bother me one bit.  However, all through Thailand, I had noticed signs about respecting the local customs, with pictures of women in bikinis and men in speedos as incorrect, and women in sarongs and men in shorts as the proper way to travel.  I've also read in multiple books that while no one is likely to address you, nude sunbathing is generally frowned upon unless you're somewhere thats designated for it specifically.

That being said, I do not believe this was one of the locations.  Boobs McGee did not seem to be concerned, and showed up with her colors hoisted and there for the world to see, like it or not.  It was kind of funny because the minute she showed up, all the men in the water around us slowly started floating towards the beach, as if caught on some unseen lure that had snagged them and was reeling them into shore. I started laughing and making jokes about it, referring to them as moths to a flame, or ships in a storm seeking out the light house.  On some small level I was worried for them, with McGee and her siren boobs, calling her victims into shore to surely be pummeled by her weight lifter boyfriend.  Mostly, however, I was just amused.

Being out there with the two of them, it was another surreal moment.  These were two people that I had just met two weeks prior, but I had already experienced things with them that I would never experience with anyone else, and it seemed so very odd to me that in less than 24 hours we would all be flying off to different locations around the world.  Who knows when we'll see each other again.  It made me sad to think about, but then one of them would inevitably just start giggling out of no where and exclaim, " We're on a freakin' beach in Thailand!"

Eventually we headed in and sat in our chairs, ordered some fabulous Pad Thai and drinks, and at 1 o'clock, rung in the end of the world with a toast to amazing moments, memories, and surviving yet another apocalypse   This is what, my 8th one right?  Wheres my movie deal?

There are worse places to be at the end of the world.

Oh, helpful hint, if you see these guys selling fruit, freakin' buy some.  I had the most amazing sapbparot and coconut while there, and apparently the mango is to die for as well.  Its all iced, so its nice and cold and juicy when you get it.  Incredibly refreshing. 

 Also, fun fact, the Pineapple in Thailand is so much better than the pineapple I've had in America.  Its much less acidic, and maybe part of it was just the mentality of being in the location, but it was amazing and I highly recommend it.

The day was amazing, and was completely worth the nice red glow I got to spend it out there with them.  We ended the day with some amazing pineapple fritters, ordered from the same little spot we got our Pad Thai and drinks from, all of which were brought out to our seats by the people from the restaurant. 

The perfect end to the perfect day, the perfect trip, and the perfect experience.

The monks

So I got up this morning super early, coughing and still half asleep by the time I left to go see the monks collecting food at the local market.  It was a short walk down the soi, then a short distance more down the street until we came upon the market.  The morning felt cool, with the sun just rising as we set off, so it was a nice little walk (at least for me.  I think the others were already over it before we even left.)

We came upon the market and turned down it for a short distance.  I was really interested in looking at the stalls and what the vendors had up for sale, as it was the classic early morning market filled to the top with fresh fruit, fish still wiggling about, meat sizzling on one side and vegetables on the other.  I was super interested, but when I turned to look at my companions I thought that they looked like they felt a little out of place.  We hadn't passed a monk as of yet, which was why we were there, so we turned back around and headed into the middle of the street connecting the markets, where we then stopped and watched a few monks cross the street or collect food, whatever the case may be.

To say that there were significantly fewer monks than we had expected would be an understatement, but it was still neat to see the process with them setting the bowl down, the people bowling and him blessing them.  For those who don't know, monks go around every morning with a giant bowl, in which people donate food to them. They then bless them, I believe, as the people believe they gain merit (karma points, more or less) for assistance to monks.  If it is a woman, the monks are not allowed to directly accept food from her, and they lay the bowl down on the ground, which the woman will then put the food in and such 'the package has been delivered.'  Its really an interesting process for those who have never seen it before.

I also can't get over seeing the monks, who I have always associated with mountain temples or hanging out around waterfalls, in the city, navigating traffic and hailing taxis.  I wonder if they pay for the taxi or not...?

Anyway.  I was down to stay for a while, as I had gotten up for this, but after about five minutes it was super apparent that Victoria and Sara were both over it and ready to go.  Not to say that they didn't enjoy themselves, but I was at least thinking of staying thirty minutes at the minimum.  C'est la vie however.  I'm thankful for the little I did get to see.

Monk crossing the street outside of the market.

Now to go to placement!

Boxing in a back alley

Okay so today's cultural activity was Muay Thai boxing, something I've been excited for from the get go. It was just me, Victoria, and Sara this time, as Jill had gone during a previous volunteer trip with CCS.

So we all jump out of the van and follow Jack down this back alley, past scooters, older men smoking cigarettes and little old ladies staring super hard at trees. He stops at this one open hole in the wall sort of place, where lots of people are going back and forth and in a rush to leave.

As it turns out, the hole in the wall was the fighting school, and all those people were rushing around because one of their boxers had a fight tonight. I wonder now how that went.

The studio was an open air format, with three punching bags suspended to the right above a practice mat, and a ring in the back for training. One of the trainers remained behind to teach us, and they asked who would like to train.

I immediately jumped up, and Sara and Victoria decided they were going to give it a swing as well. We got laced up, the school providing the gloves, as well as the lacing because haaaa. There's no way that was happening alone.

The trainer took me aside first, and we did the basic "one two" punch for like maybe five minutes, talking and fancy foot work included, then moved into the kick. The trainer went around to each of us and helped individually, and frankly it was just a real blast.

Sara and Victoria got tired before I did, so the trainer put on some gloves and had us circle each other, instructing me to take swings and do various combos. He was a lot of fun, and helped with my posture as well as reminding me to guard my face properly so I don't get punched and indirectly punch myself XDD (a very real threat.)

He also put on this belt for me to kick, so we added that into our ballroom dance and I loved it.

He also had me doing elbow strikes, and would show me how I need to stay closer because sometimes I'd drift too far, and if he wasn't returning my swing then I wouldn't touch him.
I swear I basically found a sort of heaven in a back alley in Thailand. I had so much fun, and the trainer actually complimented me a few times. I'm sure I wasn't fantastic, but I think I at least brought maybe more than he was expecting, because he seemed pleasantly surprised and would just point at me when I was hanging out by the fan to come and practice with him.

I swear if this had been the first cultural activity, I would have been there every night since. That was just a freaking blast. All the pictures that were taken are on the other girls cameras so ill have to edit them in later, but forreal, amazing.

Even wearing socks, the foot I was kicking with got mad dirty, and I know my shin will be bruised tomorrow. (Shouldn't of even been hitting with my foot but those were from my first few kicks, before I figured out how close to stand.)

I was surprised to see I've got some bruises on my elbow!

Sexy lady, no? Lol I know they're not bad, they don't even hurt and frankly I've done much worse to myself via color guard, but I wasn't expecting them and they really crack me up.

So now I can legit say I got myself some souvies from some back alley Muay Thai boxing.

As with most things here in Thailand, the real memories aren't necessarily made in a place bedazzled in gold and gems.

This has been by far one of my favorite activities that we've done.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:กรุงเทพ-นนทบุรี 46,Bang Sue,Thailand

Reality check

So it's nap time at the day care, and I'm sitting here rubbing one of the little guys on the back, looking at the days of the week chart when it hits me: I only have two days left at the day care.

I'm so incredibly sad about that! It's only Tuesday, but we don't work Fridays, and technically I'm not even at placement for an entire days worth of work. All of these kids are incredibly sweet and the two weeks just seems like enough to really start to form the bonds with the kids, and then basically have to go.

One thing I can say about this trip is that I think it's finally turned me into a kid person. Before, while not HATING children, I certainly didn't see the appeal. Now, I find myself not wanting to leave and wishing I could just stay longer and spend more time with them.

Each day, a new child opens up to me, and we play and chase each other around the playground. Add on top of that the kids who have already determined I'm alright, and it's just so much fun.


(Horrible one of me but that's to be expected at this point.)

I've been telling mom about the kids each evening and talking about how cute and adorable they are, and she told me not to come home with one, lol. In the past, that never would have even needed to be uttered! But now, I finally see the appeal. I can understand why people would want children, especially when they can be this sweet.

That being said, I certainly won't have any for a while, but now it at least makes sense to me. Thanks, Thailand.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:รัชดาภิเษก 37,Bang Sue,Thailand

In which I have man-voice

So my throat has been itching for nearly my entire stay in Thailand. It could be from any number of causes, but one of the volunteers showed up with a congested nose and scratchy throat and now three of us do. She may not actually be the source, but were pretty much all joking with her and saying she is.

Regardless of the cause, it got really red and swollen one night, painful and sore all through the next day, irritating for the following two, and now I have total man-voice up in here.

My voice is super soft right now, but all scratchy and croaky and I just feel like a total chain smoker. I thought it'd get better but my voice is getting softer and softer, which now that I think about it might actually BE better.*No*sound might be preferable to how I do sound, lol. I love the thought of the higher power being all "oooooo, lets just....turn that down for the moment, shall we? Theeeeere we go, yes. Much better."

I love that I flew to Thailand to get a cold.

If there's anything worth doing-- this is not it. The cold is so funny because its such a basic ailment that no one takes it seriously, and yet it can really make you feel like you've just been hit by a truck. In my case, it hit me right in the face.

It's not a total KO though, but I have no wish in jinxing myself by talking about my small victories as of yet.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:กรุงเทพ-นนทบุรี 46,Bang Sue,Thailand

JJ Market, Night Market, Christmas shopping: Check.

So today was a relaxed sort of day, in a vague sort of way.  We all arrived here needing to do the basic tourist shopping, but combine that with the need to get Christmas gifts, and you've got four girls who have been inquiring about the best places to get a deal. The end result was JJ Market and Asiatique, the Night Market.

After yesterday, all the other girls decided that they would use today for sleeping in, which made sense as it is literally the only day for our entire placement here that that would even be an option.  Naturally, I woke up at six.  Curses. 

Or so I thought.

I actually spent the morning chatting with my mom, and my older brother, so that was nice as there was no stress, I just wandered and enjoyed the perks of modern technology in the form of face time. I had initially meant to nurse my throat, as I woke up this morning sounding like a frog/chain smoker...a chain smoking frog, but after my first glass of water I decided I wanted to talk to my family, so there went that idea.  Oh well.  It was worth it.

Around 10:30 - 11, maybe even 12, everyone else slowly woke up and rolled on out of bed.  It was a lazy sort of Sunday morning, which was nice because no one felt rushed.  We ended up leaving maybe around 1 - 1:30, and had a fun little taxi ride over with a younger taxi driver.  We all tried to communicate, driver included, and that was enjoyable.  The drivers all seem amused at our poor attempts, but we try, and they try back in English, and it ends up as a lot of laughing and repeating after one another.

So then we arrive. JJ Market, the myth, the legend: the biggest outdoor market I have ever been in.  For a while, we sort of stick together, getting a feel of what was there, and how the system worked ( ha!) before all splitting up.  We had designated a time and location for when to return, giving ourselves until 4 to reconvene and decide from there.

JJ Market, otherwise known as Chatuchak Weekend Market, is huge.  It covers 35 acres of land, has over 5,000 stalls, and covers everything from tourist trinkets, furniture, candles, fans, musical instruments, clothing, food, animals, bugs, and religious artifacts.  You name it, they have it, and in an assortment of colors.


I really enjoyed wandering from stall to stall for a while, looking at the different clothing options, or the incredible carvings.  True to form, there was food on nearly every corner.  Lots of shops had signs up for "No picture!" so I didn't snap many, but the environment was both exciting and over stimulating. 

When we started out, the weather was listed as being 93, but feeling like 103, so a lot of people were out with freshly packed smoothies, or fruit, coconuts that they would split for you right there. 

JJ Market is all about bargaining as well, and its good to ask around at multiple stalls to get an idea about what a reasonable price would be before you start to bargain.  I did this, as I wasn't sure what the running price on specific items actually would be, but I also learned that if you see something and you love it, buy it, because in a place like that, returning to "that one stall" might not even be an option.  In fact, it may fall under the realm of fairy tale, something you only read about in story books, or see on temple walls.

 I got a couple of Christmas items from this place, and was happy.  I at least got everyone I wanted one thing, so if all else fails, I do have a gift.

At one point however, I wandered into the animal section, and immediately regretted it.  This was the most crowded area of the market that I experienced, and that wasn't really the issue.  A lot of the dogs are in small cages, some open for people to touch the animals, but not all,and I saw a depressing amount of heavy fur dogs like Huskies and Lab pups panting horribly in the heat.  Some shops had the animals inside enclosures, in the air conditioning, which was good, but some...ah...It was hard because I know buying animals from places like that just perpetuates it, but buying them is also the only way to get them out of the situation. I just got really depressed.  I saw a lot of different animals for sale, and again, some in great conditions, some not so much.

Just to list a few of the animals I saw:
Meerkats, Geese, Ducks, Roosters, Squirrels, Sugar Gliders, Fish, Starfish, Dogs of every breed, Hawks, and Groundhogs to name a few.

While working my way out of this area, I came across the often spoke of but as of yet unseen area for me: the bug food stands.  I didn't get to take a picture as I was in this procession of people trying to get out of the way, but I did get a good look at a stand that had HUGE cockroaches mixed in with something else, it looked like cooked larva.  I also saw lots of live worms and larva wiggling about, either for fish or for people, you decide.  I really wanted to snap a photo but I didn't want to be "that person" either, holding up the endless amount of people behind me just trying to get down the row.

We all met up at the appointed time some how, talked about our experiences, and then hopped a taxi back to the home base for some dinner and a quick break.  The heat had taken its toll on a few of us and the break was just nice.  Jill and I had discussed going to the Night Market to fill in any gaps from our shopping, and both Sara and Victoria decided they'd come as well, as we were all missing certain items.

After dinner and dumping our purchases, we hailed another taxi and off we went!  This market was a bit further from home base, but nothing horrible.  The night market starts around 5 from what I understand, and goes to midnight.  While more expensive, even in bargaining, this market is MUCH better organized and has less of an open area feel and more of what i'd call an "outlet" feel.


That being said, do not go here for 'outlet' prices.  It is simply well run, with live music along the main walk way, a Ferris wheel on the right corner, and actual restaurants replacing the much less formal food stalls. 

Again, I recommend meandering your way through, inquiring about prices, and then deciding.  I had a much easier time mentally mapping this area than I had with JJ Market for a first timer, and was able to retrace my steps to return and purchase items I decided on.  That being said, the ONE item I've been searching for since I got here I missed.  I saw it, went to exchange money so I'd have enough, and then promptly never found the shop again.  Blast!

I did get a milk boba tea though, which I happily drank while waiting on the others.  After everyone arrived, they decided they'd like a beer so we all sat at this interesting little shop/bar/thing and had a drink.  I had water, they had beer, and we chatted about our finds and plans for the week.  I was happy.

Location:กรุงเทพ-นนทบุรี 46,Bang Sue,Thailand

Culture Shock: I finally get me some o'dat.

So the subject of 'culture shock' has been brought up a couple of times since I've been here, and I've actually spent a while thinking about it, wondering if it was something I've ever experienced myself.

While I've come across things that are different, obviously, there hasn't been anything that's just had me so bowled over that I couldn't believe it.

When I think of culture shock, I think of the people who just can't overcome the differences, or people who get irritated and upset easily at the little things that are different from their normal.

While I didn't experience something that just sent me over the edge today, I certainly experienced something that will make my list of "well that was a whole new case of wtf." Culture shock to me is experiencing something you will never accept about a new country, something you can never make a part of your norm.

Today, I saw this kid, easily 3 or 4, running around the area prior to us boarding the rafts. Upon our arrival, I came across him again as I climbed the hill to return to the top. He smiled at me, then tilted his head back far enough for me to see that what I had mistaken for a lollipop was actually a cigarette.

Me," uh, pretty sure you're not supposed to have that in your mouth--"

And he runs off towards this older man, the guy driving our van for this excursion actually, and instead of pulling it out of his mouth, home boy whips out a lighter and lights it up for the kid. The kid then took a drag, and ran off; a child on a nicotine high.

I couldn't believe I had just seen that.



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Adventure time: Kanchanaburi

Today has been big. I've waded through waterfalls, hiked mountains, rode on the heads of elephants and relaxed on bamboo rafts as we glided past alligators basking on the bank.

Lets back up:
The waterfalls


We started today at the waterfalls, a grouping of seven major falls that are accessible by hiking. Even though the seven big ones are the highlighted stops, there are countless smaller ones along the hike.  Some are open to swim in, some are just to look at, all are incredibly beautiful.If you hike from first fall to the top one, not stopping to take photos, it supposedly takes an hour up, and an hour down.  I wanted to hike to the top most one to see them, but since we had something of a time limit, I just meandered through them, stopping at the ones I was interested in for photos, looking at the tourists at the other ones, and just enjoying the nature. 
One fall was pretty cool because the rocks actually served as slides for people who braved it, sending them sliding down into the clear pool beneath.  I saw this one guy who started to go, then backed out and ended up holding onto the rock on his stomach all spread eagle as he struggled to stop himself and crawl back up.  A lot of people were laughing, and as he finally righted himself, this older woman came past him, sat down, and just slid right off the rock like a pro.  He watched her all astonished, gathered his courage, and went screaming down the rock, lol.  It was pretty fun to watch.

The water felt AMAZING, and was just this clear turquoise blue. As I waded around out through the water, little fish would come up and start sucking on your feet. It feels insanely odd, but a lot of people will pay to have it done. Fish massage, they call it. The fishes are actually eating your dead skin. Yummy!

I was hiking up to one of the falls when I saw a smaller path, not quite so visible but still definitely a path. So I decided to follow it down and I am so glad I did.

I came to this private set of falls, no other tourist around, and perfectly suited for swimming/wading around in.  You have to step around a few tree roots, but thats nothing, and for some private waterfall action it was something i'd gladly do again.  If I was a local, this spot would be such a huge part of my weekends, I can't even begin to tell you.

The Elephant Ride:
After the waterfalls, we worked our way down to the elephants, which were about 45 minutes away. Once there, we bought some bananas to feed them while we waited. I fed the baby.

Sarah and Victoria were on an elephant together, while Jill and I took another. We actually got the person I had wanted, this extremely cute and knowledgable guide:


If she looks like she's 6, it's because she probably is. I had been watching her sitting atop the elephant earlier, just eating a Popsicle while she waited. I asked her her name in Thai, as well as introduced myself. Her name is Ahm, and she then pointed out her papa to us, who was guiding the elephant behind us.

It was pretty funny because Jill was very much unsure of what the safety of this whole operation was. With each tilt of the seat, she would go "mm. Okay. Alright."

Our child driver clamored down off the elephant to take our photos at a certain point, and it was really cute to see her go into full photographer mode. It was also fun for me to climb down the back of elephant and sit on her neck.

The elephants were everything you expect them to be, but there's something about the setting that just really makes the difference.


Ahm pulled flowers out of a tree and gave them to us, and they were super pretty. Once the ride was done, I tipped her for her help and watched as she ran off to buy another Popsicle.  While getting to know the adults on this trip has been fun, its really the children i've been meeting who are giving me some real memories.

Bamboo raft:

This kinda made me really excited. The raft was literally bamboo shoots tied together with a man in the front and on the back paddling the boat.


Some sections were under a thin layer of water, with places to sit on the raft. We passed one of the elephants bathing in the river, which was cool to see. I spent the majority of my time shifting and walking around the raft to see the views, all of which were incredible.  We rounded the bend on this raft, and the mountains were just stretched out in the distance, with banana trees and various palms spotting the banks.  Once I sat down I got some fun pictures.

On our way up the river, the kid of one of the men was enjoying the back current created by the raft.

The man saw me smiling and watching the kid and nodded a hello. I nodded back before basically doing the same thing the child was doing because, lets face it, it was cool. Then I hear the man going, "hello, hello!" So I look up from my play time and he points to the bank. Under the shade of some strangler tree roots, camouflaged amongst the shadows, was a crocodile. Or maybe an alligator. I can't be sure but I will look it up.

I was surprised and just started laughing, and thanked him for pointing him out to me. I had asked while in Cambodia if they had alligators or not, as I saw some amongst the carvings. One might figure that if they're in the carvings then obviously they have them, yeah? But they also have half man half demons carved on the walls so. Now I at least know for certain they are in Thailand, which puts Cambodia not too far out of question. (Edit:
Siamese crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis) is a freshwater crocodile native to Indonesia (Borneo and possibly Java), Brunei, East Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam. The species is critically endangered and already extirpated from many regions.)

Lastly, Death Railway and the cave temple.

Back during WW2, multitudes of people died while being forced to build this railway. Inside the caves close to the rails, sick and dying prisoners used to be left to their fate. After the war, the Thai people put a statue of the Buddha in the cave to remember the people, and to bring luck to the place instead of all the death that had surrounded it for so long.


While waiting on the train, I watched this whole village of people strip off their clothes and just run screaming and laughing into the river. They all seemed pretty happy.

We rode the train for about 20 minutes or so, past a few stations and farm fields.


Victoria and I stood in the back near one of the windows so we could see the fields.

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Location:กรุงเทพ-นนทบุรี 46,Bang Sue,Thailand

The Grand Palace with a Tic Tac

So the Grand Palace is most certainly grand. In fact, it was frickin amazing. They should rename it The Frickin Amazing Palace.

We had a dress code to adhere to for this cultural activity, so I wore a nicer shirt and dress slacks, all of which were really complimented by my busted looking tennis shoes, but whatever.(also, FYI, all of these images shall be extra large, to give you as close of a sensation to actually being there as possible.)

Benzy-Benz dropped us off in front of the palace where our guide Tic Tac met us. Tic Tac is just the sweetest man, and truly fit into the Thai concept of making everyone feel like family. I only got one photo of him on my phone but I think it may end up being a favorite. It just seems to capture him to me.


So, from the moment we got out of the car to the moment we got back in, we were surrounded by people. The palace was packed with visiting Chinese tour groups, and while I wouldn't say they contributed to the trip, I wouldn't necessarily say they ruined it either.

From the minute you enter the gates, you're greeted by these three amazing buildings. They're just gigantic, and the sheer detail of the place basically stimulated all the senses.


The far left one, the golden bell, still houses a relic of the Buddha I believe, and mmm... Either the far one or the middle houses the Emerald Buddha, I can't remember off the bat. Ill have to look it up.


The palace has areas still used for ceremony events by the king and or his family, so it was neat to see where these events would take place.

Everything was sparkling, either with gold leaf or mosaic inlaid glass.

Once again I was wondering about the extent of Hindu gods in Buddhist temples.


Tic Tac also took us through the museum prior to entry, which was interesting because the knowledge from there helped to make the palace and temple more interesting.

One thing I did not know was that the Emerald Buddha actually has three different outfits. One for dry season, one for cool, and one for the rainy season. Apparently the king himself usually climbs the stairs and changes the outfit on the Buddha, however last year I believe it was his brother. I didn't get any photos from this area as you're not allowed to take photos in the temple, and my phone doesn't zoom well.

A few more photos from the Palace:

This building was interesting. Due to his time spent in Europe, King Rama the ...4th? 5th? (Will check later) was really into European architecture and wanted to bring it back to Thailand to build in their palace. It was a family member who suggested keeping the roof Thai, and the result is this beautiful building within the Palace complex.


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