Thailand
I will add more days and pictures as i get time
Days 1 and 2: Two Days in a Steel Can
There is a lot of planning that goes into a trip, especially when the trip involves an eighteen hour flight, combined with a time change of eleven hours (ahead) and a group of four guys. When Ryan sent out the invite asking people if they wanted to go to Thailand for a total of twelve days, Rich, Adam, and I could not pass up the opportunity to see such a beautiful country with the help of Ryan’s girlfriend, Poiioq (Ploy). It was inevitably going to be a trip that none of us would forget, for better or worse.
I am more of the planning type and Ryan and Rich do not very much care as to the accommodations or how we get around so it was left to Adam and me to make the decisions, along with help from Ploy. Flights are key and once these are booked people are locked into the trip (for the most part) and we were booking rooms up until a few nights before we left. However, once all that is done and we have places to sleep the trip grows immensely and the relaxing can begin.
The biggest hurdle we had now was getting to JFK to make our flight. My brother-in-law, Kyle, had just arrived the night before we were leaving and offered to drop us off in Cherry Hill, NJ to catch a bus to NYC; easy and cheap enough. It only cost $9 a person but sometimes parking at the airport may be the better route with bigger groups. Adam was flying from Los Angeles, so we would meet him in Beijing before the second leg to Bangkok. We arrived in the city around 11 am so we had plenty of time to catch the train and head to the airport for our flight at 4:50 pm. Conversely, Rich and Ryan wanted to stop and see an old friend, Xavier, who worked in the city as a high-end barber and we went to high school with. So, we grabbed some food and headed there around 1:30. We all squeezed into this tiny elevator with dimensions of about 4 feet by 5 feet; not too bad even with the bags. It was a pretty chill place and they had a small bar to which they gave us some wine while we caught up. Really, a nice little stop.
It was getting near three and I hate rushing or coming close to missing such a flight. All of us squeezed in the tiny lift, rode down to the street to catch our Uber (instead of taking the train due to time constraints) and arrived at JFK about 45 minutes with a nice little nap. It really was more relaxing than a stop-and-go train even if it made our pockets a slight bit lighter than I was expecting. Security only took about an hour to get through and then we learned our flight had been delayed a half hour so we ended up having a fair amount of time to wait. They grabbed a beer or two while we waited and finally jumped on the flight a little after 5:45. Generally I will wait in line to board the plane but Ryan had a valid point, why wait when you can stay seated and walk on once the crowd has subsided? It makes perfect sense if you already have your seat picked out and don’t have to worry about storing bags. I had carried on two bags (planned to check one but they check-in desk said I should just carry it) so had a little more to put up above. Luckily, it wasn’t a full flight so there was plenty of room for my small roller and mid-sized backpack. Nothing too crazy happened on the flight but we did all watch the newest Star Wars film: A Force Awakens and fly over the bottom part of the Arctic Circle. That was unexpected and very cool to see the North from above. I may have to venture up that way sometime in the future. Thirteen and a half hours later we landed and found our long lost friend, Adam. He had his own cloudy adventure in getting to LAX on his own. ____________. Getting through the Chinese security was kind of a pain as they were very strict and we were very tired, after all it was around 9 am EST and we had barely slept what would have been through the night. But, since there was a time change, it was only 9 pm in Beijing. I carry my Nikon with me and two lenses between the two bags I had to open both up to put those, my camera, and tablet through the scanner. It was a major pain so I will limit the technology next trip. We boarded the flight for Bangkok and four and a half hours later landed. Ploy met us shortly after and we all jumped in a taxi to the hotel for the night. Eleven hours ahead of home time, it was 2 am by the time we got into our hotel. Rich and Adam went exploring, while I tried to sleep. It was one long night as I was able to get only a couple hours of sleep and was still awake when the sun came up at 5 am. But, hey, it gave me time to call home.
Day 3 (I think?): We’ll all Float on Alright
On our first day in Bangkok, Ploy was going to show us the famed floating markets called the Amphawa (Amp-a-wa) Floating Market. It was about an hour or so from where we were and 50 km south-west of the city. With traffic, it took a little longer than we were expecting but we were in a ‘VIP’ taxi which was more like a nine passenger van so it was comfortable nonetheless. It is the second most popular market in Bangkok and is more of a local market than Damnoen Saduak. Amphawa is as famously known by the train that passes through the market as are the floating boats; I was excited to be at the place that I had recently witnessed on TV. I think it was the Travel channel. The trained passed through no more than 30 minutes after we had arrived, somewhere around two o’clock, I believe.
The peculiar part about the train passing through is not entirely the train by itself, it is the environment that gives it a unique element. Amphawa Market has a section that sits on both sides of the train rails. I mean, there are literally items for sale next to the rails and the rails are sometimes used as a support to hold up goods. When the train makes it pass, the goods are either moved off the rails or the train sweeps over them. As it is always 90 plus degrees in Thailand, the umbrellas giving shade to the people and merchandise are folded back before the train comes and then opened in succession as the train passes at its slow average walking pace. It was quite the unique and marvelous experience as the train passed mere inches from where were standing and the market when on its way afterward. One of the few surprises that Ploy had planned for us.
In the market they were selling everything from clothes to seafood. They would cook up meals of many varieties in their tiny but functional ‘kitchens.’ There were many food items that looked abnormal to us along with some seafood that I could not stand the smell of (I generally do not enjoy seafood of the smell of raw fish). We walked through the market for a good while and emerged out the other side. I would guess it was about 1,000 feet long on that “street.” There were a few straggler stands on the outside of the market but nothing too worthy to see so we headed back through the market to find some lunch as we had eaten very little throughout the day, besides a quick stop at a gas station on the way down.
Since it is a floating market there are many boats that maneuver through the waters with markets on both sides and on boats. That’s right, they cook seafood right on the boats on the side of the waterway! If you are willing to wait and endure the crowds around the boats, it is a justifiably cool experience. However, we just wanted to find some food so we found a nice Thai restaurant just off the canal and indulged in some local cuisine. I generally like to find my food appealing in terms of how it looks but was proved wrong many times that that is not a good indicator. It is always worthy to give something a shot.
A succulent meal and sometime later, Ploy negotiated a private river boat tour for the five of us for 500 Baht (100 Baht = $3). It was by far one of my favorite ways we ended a day in Thailand. The boat was equipped, like all were, with a car engine mounted on the stern of the boat with a long shaft coming out and a propeller on the end. Thai people sure do make the most of their belongings. We went up the canal, under the bridges, picked up a squad of beers and continued our way up the waterway. After two days of travelling and a day in the market, we were touring Bangkok on a boat, wind in our hair, more beers than we could drink, beautiful Thai architecture, friendly people, and the sun setting ahead of us; living the (legendary) dream. Sadly, the boat driver would not join us in having a beer.
While beers can be enjoyed in number, they also are known to dehydrate you and we were happy enough to get back on land after an hour and find a bathroom. We found the taxi driver and jumped back in to head back up to Bangkok and our place for the night. The house we were staying at was unusually tough to find and we could tell the driver was getting pretty annoyed and simply wanted to go home. Luckily Ploy was able to act as a hot spot for internet so that I could direct the driver since no one seemed to know where to go. It seemed ridiculous to me but I was trying to tell Ploy when and where to turn and she would communicate with the driver. For whatever reason, she could not relay the information fast enough. Eventually, I turned to directing him based on the words of left or right, with one-way roads adding to the chaos. Turn left, Turn Right, leeow sy, leeow kwah, respectively. We found the place after calling the air bnb owner a few times and showed up finally. We could tell everyone was relieved to have found the place for the night. It was a three story place and was very nice. Best of all, it only cost us $40 for the night, so cheap! Unfortunately, while getting out of the van I had left my sandals on the floor. Item 1 left behind. I was going to have to wear my shoes for the near future.
It was around midnight and we were all pretty hungry so decided to walk towards the main street and see what we could find. It did not take long to find a local bar and pub to get a late night snack. After eating Asian food for days, we decided on some chicken wings and a typical Thai dish to split. It was supposed to be a plate of twenty wings but they went insanely fast. While they were smaller than what we are used to in the states, they were still pretty good, so we ordered another 20. We swallowed them up arguably quicker and figured what the hell, give us more. The only problem was that we had eaten all of the wings so they brought what was left. We were content at this point and just stuck with the beer. All around the bar was some sort of initiation where the locals would take water and pour it on each other or a flour type paste, similar to paper mache, and would wipe it on each other’s faces or clothes. Rich got into it a little but the rest of us wanted little to do with getting drenched at this point. The locals were all good sports and interacted briefly from time to time. All along, on a table nearby, we could see some Thais huddled around a computer watching cock fights. They were interested to start but are generally boring and drawn out events so we generally ignored them. It was one of the more unique days and nights we would have on the trip.
Day 4: Phuket
I am always down for catching a flight to get to our destination earlier in the day, even if it means waking up a bit early. Luckily, our flight was only at 8 am and it was only around and hour long so we didn’t have to wake up to early to enjoy a full day in Phuket. A short ride to the airport and without much hassle we were in the air and landed in one of the most beautiful places I have been. Unfortunately, in the commotion, Adam had left his travel pillow in the taxi so we had Ploy call back to have them hold it for us. Item 2 left behind. First, though, we had to jump on a van to take us down to our residence for the night. Ryan had booked a place at the North end of Kata Beach so we found a place at the South end, figuring it would not be too hard to meet up. After dropping them off and eventually finding our place, which was tucked away but in a great location. It was a standard one room with three beds and not much else. Not the best airbnb experience we had but it worked out for us anyways. Rich, Adam, and I grabbed a bite close by while Ryan and Ploy got situated and rested for a bit before we would meet up.
It turns out that Ryan and Ploy were going to rest for a bit after a late night and early flight, so we decided to check out Kata Beach. It is one of the premier beaches in Phuket and was near our living quarters. However, we went some back alley way to get there and it smelled pretty rank walking along some waterway. We made it to the beach and it was what you picture paradise to be like. There was clear blue water and beautiful white sand beaches in this cove with rock outcrops on both sides of the beach that stretched for 1.5 kilometers. Although the beach is fairly touristy, with the chairs and umbrellas you can rent, there is plenty of room to enjoy it and spread out in the sand. It was such a beautiful place to relax after a fast few days. We were only there for an hour and a half or so before we decided to head back and see if the other two were ready to meet up. It turns out that they had just left to get some food.
It was inevitable that we had to rent mopeds as that was the way most people got around. Each of us rented one for 200 sol a day ($6 or 35 Sol to $1) so it was pretty cheap. The only problem was that I did not really ride a motorcycle like Rich and Adam so I was little more hesitant to take off. Secondly, the Thai people drive like crazy since there is relatively no laws enforced on the roads and they come out of nowhere all the time. Lastly, they drive on the other side of the road. Right out of the gate I had issues. I attempted to make a right turn, so across one lane onto the left side of the road. However, as I started to pull out I must have been startled by the bikes come at me that I did not fully complete my turn and ran into some caution type on the correct side of the road. I have always has issues turning motorized bikes dating back to my moped riding days in middle school. No big deal, so I went off the “road” a tad bit. After straightening back up, I headed for the other two stopped ahead. Whoosh, crash (and a roll)! My helmet wasn’t fully secured as I took off and it went flying behind me. It must have been quite the scene as my brother described “people were scattering.” A gentlemen kindly grabbed my helmet for me and I made sure it was secure this time before I caught up to them. I had not even gone a hundred yards by this point as we returned and I traded in my bike to ride double with Rich. Scooter riding was just not my thing.
We were off, for the second time on the scooters. As we did not know the city at all, it made it very easy to explore and ride as we pleased. The main road took us through town and up a four line road into the hills. The wind was spectacular in the hot weather and it is always fun to be on a bike. The toughest part was the other drivers and trying to find Ryan and Ploy’s hotel, which we vaguely remembered where it was from that morning. I had sent a message to them before we left but had no way to check it while we were away from our place. We thought we knew which building it was but were not able to locate how to get there (turns out it was down an ordinary alley) and so we gave up and road around some more. Like many bike heavy countries, the road laws are slim to none in terms of enforcement. Therefore, not only are you driving on the other side of the road, you can go about at whichever speed you deem safe, and other drivers will merge in as the please (really, whenever they have any sort of opening) or even drive on the shoulder or curb (sometimes in the opposite direction). Rich and Adam both are experienced riders and they even felt like they were going to die. I would have died. Anyways, we ventured around another hour or so until we headed back to our room to get Ryan’s address via wifi and figure out what to do for the evening. It was around 1900 by the time we got back and agree to meet up with them at Cape Phromthep, an outcrop on the southern tip famous for its sunsets.
Cape Phromthep was located 11 kilometers south of us in a country we had just arrived. Additionally, the sunset was in about 35 minutes and it takes nearly that much to drive there. Luckily we had a map that I had printed off beforehand and one we grabbed from the airport to guide us. It was no easy feat but after two wrong turns, that delayed us only slightly, we finally made it to the point with only a few minutes to spare. The sunset was and location were very nice but not the stunning-ness that I was expecting, especially compared to the boat ride the night before. We did however see two very long stretch-motorcycles at the point that look nearly impossible to turn. They were probably ten feet or more in length and would have to take some of the curves fairly slow to make it back to town. Oh, and the other two never showed up. The trouble we faced now would be to make it back to our place without getting too lost. And, that was left to me as the passenger and map holder. Most of the turns were fairly recognizable to me so we had even less issues getting back to our room. Sometimes winging it works out just fine. There was even a detour, but a generally sense of direction (map was no good at this point) put us back in familiar territory in no time.
Finally, back to our room and it was time to meet up with the other two. They had headed for Patong Beach as this is where the vast majority of the nightlife happens on the island. Man oh man was it busy. After picking our way up the coast we arrived in the town and had to figure out how to find the Aussie Bar they were patronizing. The street was packed and bikes were parked all over so we tried to find the McDonalds they had parked at. However, I figured they parked at the one near the bar so headed for that one; turns out the street was closed due to the festivities and we could not turn down it. Meanwhile, Adam was on the bike behind us and having issues of his own and the other drivers in the street. It was a controlled chaos for sure. After we had gone a few blocks past the street, we decided to just hop the curb and park it where we found an open space. It was easy for us as there were two of us and we are both nimble but not as easy for Adam as we did it without warning and he had to continue to drive past as he was not in the right lane either. We found him waiting at the next turn. It is hard enough having to find a place, but many times harder trying to reroute on the go with craziness all around. Adam could have driven back on the curb to where we parked but he had had enough by that point and was exhausted from the day. He drove off and headed to our room to get a full nights rest. I had at first baulked at the idea of going out too so I can sympathize with his choice. Rich and I easily found the street again and ducked into the bar to meet our friends. It has been a long but good day and burgers and beers were a grand way to end it, as is usual. Once we finished we headed down the street towards our bike and found the bike show that was in progress. It was really just another case of good timing and luck on our part. The show wasn’t too exciting to me but Rich and Ryan enjoyed checking out the merchandise and bikes on display. Those two stretch bikes from earlier had made an appearance as well. Ryan ended up buying a full leather race suit that resembled the likes of a 90s motorcycle racer as it was a steal of a price, even for a used suit. It would have been interesting getting it home had Rich not checked an extra-large bag that which has five bags of Doritos in it for Ploy (they are not easily found there). Anyways, after the show, we agreed upon arrangements for tomorrow’s expedition and parted ways back to our room. Ryan had accompanied us after dropping off Ploy so him and Rich could go out to the bar and implore even more shenanigans. I am sure they have some interesting stories from that night.
Day 5: The Real Paradise
What Thailand is famous for are their beaches, particularly down in Phuket, along with the islands that scatter the water. Ploy had a connection in the area that would get us on a boat tour of several islands for the day. So, we arranged a taxi to pick us up in the morning and take us to boat. Ploy was awesome in the sights she planned and arrangements she made. However, I do admit to being a little lazy myself since we had a translator and local knowledge. For the day we were going to stop at two different islands. Once we had waited a good while at the dock, we were finally off with about 50 other people on a triple engine boat headed for the islands. About 30 minutes into the trip we pulled into the cover of Raya Island. The water was invitingly blue and the sand was as soft as a well-sanded piece of oak. There was absolutely no was around how heavenly this place was. Fresh off the boat we headed down the luscious sand beach we found a place to post up to take a dip. The water was very warm and clear that I could have spent hours sitting on a tube and relaxing. After a bit of swimming and horsing around with the GoPro, we found our way back to shore to grab a seat in the chairs that were laid out and Rich and Ryan snagged a few beers from the local mart (I think I sipped on ice cold Coca-Cola). This was paradise.
After getting shooed off the chairs, because you are supposed to pay to sit in them, we found another place in the shade and muck about. After a bit we jumped back on the boat and headed for our next around. On the way over, the boat guides gave us a nice cold water or soda to sip on. One of the crew was probably around eight years old and he was fierce. The kid reminded me of the leader from the movie Tropic Thunder with his demeanor and overall look. He was all business and would get to where he needed to be without delay. Anyways, not too much later we docked the boat just off Koh Hey to start the snorkeling part of the trip. I think we were out in the water for thirty minutes or so and I was awesome to be out there but we only saw about ten different species of fish. The last time I went snorkeling was in Bali and I remember making pavement pizza in the water from all the water I inhaled. Therefore, I was going to be smart about it this time and take my lifejacket as a floating device. It allowed me to be lazy and not have to tread water for the whole time. Plus we could dive down for 10–15–20 seconds and come back up to float without any effort. It was quite fun swimming with fish below you and to the side of you within an arm’s length. The only issue we ran into you was a slight stinging as if something in the water was irritating the skin, almost like a jelly fish sting but bearable. Adam was the first to be annoyed by it so he went back to the boat and took some pictures of the rest of us idiots in the water. It was a fantastic day so far. The weather was sunny and 90 degrees, the water was beautiful and even more so with tropical fish, the people were friendly (and dislike the Chinese tourist almost to a negative degree, but they would joke about them), and the sand was delightful.
Back on the boat we headed for our last stop, and it didn’t take long before we arrived back at Raya Island but on the other side. Even though it was the same island, it had different feel to it. It was a unique beach from the others as it ran much longer along the water, probably around 500 yards. Getting off the boat was an adventure in itself as they utilized floating docks since so many boats and people visited. The docs stretched out about fifty yards into the water and were not the easiest to walk on since they bobbed every direction. Shortly after getting off the boat, Rich was a little too close to the edge, took a misstep and ended up in the water. Luckily, I had my GoPro on for it and luckily for him, he was able to toss his stuff back on the dock as he fell overboard. The hardest part was walking slowly since there were a ton of people on it and you would have to stop from time to time. Otherwise, we nimble folk could scurry across it in a jiffy.
Once we made it to shore, we headed for the cafeteria to eat a sub-par lunch from a buffet with mostly bland items. But, the day wasn’t about the food and more about the islands. The back side of this island was much more developed with a huts in a little resort and a few shops. After lunch we found the island bar and grabbed a few drinks and a chair to relax and enjoy our last stop in paradise. I ended up getting curious about what the island looked like down the beach and wanted to get a few pictures away from all the people so I walked up the beach toward the huts. The sand was nice and warm, as always, and the water was still magnificently blue. I made it to the end of the beach and was debating whether or not to head out towards a point on the island but as I was barefoot (it was either that or be a shoobie), I decided against it and headed into the island. Not too long and I struck up a conversation with some of the island workers around my age. They were cutting the tops off of coconuts and drinking the milk out of them. I do not think they climbed the tree but grabbed them off the ground. It was pretty neat to cut one myself and they let me have it as a small gift; very nice of them. It made my day that much better. I walked back to the others with a coconut in one hand, my camera in the other, and a big smile on my face. The bartender even supplied the rum at a discount. Back to chilling on the beach, enjoying a beautiful day with my brother and some good friends. I will go back one day.
We spent nearly two hours at the last stop before heading back on the boat and to our place for the night. The house was on the East coast of Phuket and was a beach house. It was another place I found online, but I just knew it was going to be amazing from the pictures and talking with the owner. But first, we had to grab our bags from the West coast. I don’t know if the taxi driver intentionally took us to the beach house and drop us off in confusion (you know, we don’t speak the language and were being told to get off to a place we did not recognize) or thought that was where we wanted to go. The point is, if you are ever unsure, stay in the vehicle until you get clarification. Whatever, it was still early enough in the day that we had some time to figure it out. I believe Ryan and Ploy eventually when back and grabbed our stuff, which we had left at their hotel. They made sure to grab my GoPro monopod as well as Ryan had left it on the bench when we were waiting for the van to pick us up for the day. Item 3 left behind. We were very forgetful throughout the trip. In the meantime, Adam and Rich headed up to the market to grab some beers and I found a little market as well to buy a few snacks for now and the next day. Grocery stores are always cheaper than restaurants and they also have larger quantities of chocolate milk! It did not take them long to come back so we could shower and change into something more comfortable than a bathing suit and watch as the sunset came down over the beach. It was beautiful, even on the wrong side of the island. After talking with the owner of the house, we headed towards a pizza place just down the street. The pizza was good but I think we were all pretty hungry as devoured anything that was put in front of us.
Back at the villa, we took advantage of the pool and television for some late night shenanigans before eventually falling asleep. The place had three bedrooms so it was nice to have our own little place to get away from it all before another early morning.
Day 6: Live long in Paradise
A big plus about staying on the beach is that you are guaranteed to have an amazing view of the sunset if you can wake up early enough. I believe the sun was coming up somewhere around six am and it was going to be on coming up over the water. We had all agreed to wake up early enough to get a glimpse of it (but people generally get lazy in the morning once the alarm sounds). At first it was Rich, Adam, and I that were up and after a few attempts on Ryan and Ploys door they joined us just before the sunrise.
It was a crisp morning, the water was at low tide but the sand still wet were it retreated so the sun glistened and reflected nonetheless. The fishing boats tilted over on their sides due to the lack of water and provided an unusual but tranquil scene that engulfed the five of us. The birds were chirping in the air and squirrels were flying from palm tree to palm tree to find their friends. As the sun raced upwards, the brilliant orange filled the sky and water symmetrically; we were in the grasp of the finest golden hour of this trip.
We enjoyed the sunrise for as long as we could stare on the blazing sun before we retreated to the porch, or some went to bed, to take a seat and plan out the rest of the day. Luckily, for us, the host did not have another guest coming in that night so he allowed us to have access to the house and keep our stuff there until we headed back to Bangkok. It was awfully nice of them and we had found the place on AirBnb for half price, so it was a steal to begin with. Sometimes it does pay to wait to book a place as the prices may drop.
Once we were all awake and plump from breakfast, we had decided it would be best to head to some of the local attractions. We headed for the Nai Harn Beach as I had heard many excellent things about it and we need to chill out and bit and check out a beach before heading back to the city. After a short ride on the scooters with Ploy and Ryan leading the way with the directions we made it to the beach. There were quite a few bikes so we just had to remember where we parked ours. There were also tons of places willing to fill your needs for a drink or cheap souvenir if you fancied. The beach did not disappoint and was in line with the others on the island. It is amazing to go from the Atlantic Ocean on the coast of Maryland to the Andaman Sea in Phuket. The water is spectacularly clear and is line with soft sand instead of rocks or shells or mud-like sand so it is comfortable to stay in the water all day. We hung around for an hour or two and grab some lunch before making our way back. A little ways from the beach there was a temple we checked out for a few minutes (and some tourists wanted to get a picture with us probably because we were white mostly). Then, it was time for a little fun on the scooters. Ryan and Rich (to a less extent) and Adam (to an even lesser extent) practiced their skills at popping ‘dank’ wheelies on a little side street. Ryan was able to get the bike to near the two o’clock mark so it was pretty impressive and none of them got hurt which is equally as impressive. As they all ride in the states, they may have attempted similar tricks before. It was all good fun as we grab a few pictures of them riding wheelies with a temple and Buddha statue in the background but it was time to head back to make the most of our time.
We started making our way back but for some reason they decided to go through the mountain roads instead of the way we went. There was some curvy roads and new sights to see along the way so it was all fine by me. Unfortunately, the day had other plans for us. As we were going into a curve that swept to the right (remember we are on the left side of the road) I muttered to Rich to be careful because there was some loose gravel on the turn and I am always afraid of the tires slipping out. So we made it through that turn, Ryan and Ploy leading, Rich and I following, and Adam holding up the rear. A mere two to three seconds after that turn there was another that curved to the left this time. As Ryan and Ploy leaned into the turn, the rear tire failed to grab the road as it slipped out on some loose gravel on the road. Since they were leaning to the left, the bike low-sided and they landed on the road slightly under the bike, but Ryan quickly let go of the bike so that it slide away and into the other lane, leaving Ryan and Ploy grinding across the asphalt in unison. Ryan’s leg was slightly further out than Ploy’s so that took the brunt of the initial impact but both had scrapes on their feet, knees, and elbows instantly. Ryan was riding in thong sandals and one of them also went flying off in the accident so his toes were grinded down a few millimeters; it was gruesome to say the least and an absolutely terrifying sight to witness from feet away. I am positive it was even worse to be a part of. Fortunately, there were no vehicles coming the opposite way or even closely behind us to no one else was involved. Immediately I jumped off the bike to make sure they were okay and grabbed the bike out of the oncoming lane to move it to a turn in for a hotel that was on the edge of the turn. Once we cleared the road it was then time to provide what medical help we could. There was a guard at the gate to the hotel that provided us with rubbing alcohol and water to clean the cuts along with some gauze pads. I should have been more prepared myself but had left all my stuff at the villa. The guard was very nice and let us borrow his chair so I could clean Ploys cuts as best we could and make sure she was okay. Ryan worked on cleaning his cuts in the meantime to stop the bleeding and prevent infections. It was a hectic few minutes to say the least but we were able to get both cleaned up and back on the bikes to take the route we knew back to the villa. On the way we stopped at a drug store to pick up some more cleaning supplies and bandages as I did not have enough for so many people at once. We finally made it back to villa and they properly cleaned the cuts and wrapped them up to keep dirt and other debris out. It shows that it is always smart to have access to a med kit, even if it is only a few bandages and triple anti-biotic. I had it all but I am sure it was not a fun twenty minute ride. They would wrap the cuts for much of the rest of the trip; predominately on the left knee and elbow. At least they were okay and could mostly enjoy the rest of the vacation!
It was near four o’clock by the time everyone was ready to head back out to see more sight but this time we were going to call a taxi to take us around. Ploy called it up and we hoped in bound for an elephant riding tour. Thailand, and really, much of Asia, is known to be the place you can ride elephants on short expeditions. I do not think it was the place I had saw on one of the brochures but we arrived at the place only twenty minutes before they were to close. After some finagling between Ploy, the taxi driver, and the guides, we booked our tour for 800 Thai Bot each (or $23) for a half hour ride. We were excited nonetheless to sit atop of the giant gentle animals.
We rode two people to and elephant with the guide starting off sitting just behind the head. Ryan and Ploy took the lead, followed by Adam and I, and Rich was left to enjoy the sights on his own elephant. Atop the elephant was the basket to sit in and it was near twelve feet above the ground. It was a lot more bouncy and unstable than I imagined. Just high enough for a fall to hurt a little. These were well trained elephants and the route was not a jungle walk as everyone would imagine but more of a beaten path that they walk several times a day. It is a big tourist trap but one that we are very happy that we did. Next time I will go for a more off the path tour and get the full experience; baby steps. Anyways, about ten minutes in the guide jumped off and we were able to ride just behind the head with our legs perched on each side of the beast. Ah, this was the way to ride the elephant. The ride was ten times smoother. It was like going from a pick-up truck going over rumble strips to a sports car.
After a half hour of riding the elephant on the circuit and getting many pictures, we were nearly back to the office to dismount. The only sour taste I had in my mouth was that the guide tried to sell us bracelets to “feed” the elephants for another 200 baht. Even though it is not much, he tried to guilt us into it and act offended when I declined to buy it. Other than that, it was a pretty fun experience that we nearly missed out on. Looking back, I want to schedule it ahead of time and do more research before just jumping into it.
We jumped back into the taxi after the tour and head to the villa to get ready for our flight back to Bangkok (airport code BKK). It was great to have practically three full days in Phuket but another day would have been nice to finish it off. After some quick packing and disposing of some food, we headed out to meet up with our taxi to the airport. It took nearly an hour to get to the Phuket airport but really was not a bad ride and the flight was only an hour once we were through security and had a quick dinner before boarding. Phuket was extremely beautiful and has some of the best beaches I have seen so far. They glistened in the sun, with the softest sand imaginable, and postcard blue water. The island and surrounding islands are a must of anyone in the area.
The plane touched down around 10:30 and once we gathered up everyone, Ploy grabbed a taxi and we headed for our hotel. Rich, Adam, and I were staying at a place called Rambuttri House as it was downtown near the Thai New Years — Songkran Festival — and my cousin who lives in Bali, Lisa, said that was the place to be, specifically on San Road. We had no idea what we were getting into. The taxi pulled up to the end of the street, because it was blocked off by barricades, and the driver told us to get out. Ryan and Ploy stayed in to go to her apartment for the night. Us three clambered out and were given general directions as to where the place was located. Little did we know, the festival is a multi-day event and a fair amount of people were still about in the streets partying. Now, coming from the south and being pretty tired as is, we really did not want to deal with too many rowdy people. Fortunately, we were able to find the place without getting sprayed by the water guns too much and were mostly dry. The Rambuttri House was dead smack in the center of the festival. For the night we were going to relax and take it easy and try to get some sleep while the party went on outside.
Day 7: The Water Fight
Surprisingly, we slept well that night and were up around ten to get some breakfast at a little place across the street. At least we didn’t have to go far. The food was nothing special but it at least filled us up for a long day of festival activities. After buying some cheap sandals from a street vendor and changing into clothes that could get wet and dry faster, we went out to find our weapons. In Thailand, you can buy guns on the street not questions asked — that is water guns anyways.
I think the standard fair we came across was 250 baht for a water gun with a 1.5 liter tank on it. That was the standard gun that we saw most people carrying. Each of us bought one, in three different colors, and filled up our tanks to boot. It was still before noon but people were already out and anyone was free game to spray. Anyone. It was all and good fun as you can’t take it too serious. If you are on the street, you are putting yourself out there to be sprayed. The street started to fill in with people and the water fights increased in intensity along with it. Walking down the street, there were little stalls that people would sell you water or guns or anything else but they would also use the ice cold water from the drink cooler to spray people with a shockingly cold effect. Restaurants primarily lined the other side of the street and occasionally people dining would get into a battle with someone on the street. Although, since there was food involved, it was rare. You could tell everyone was having a great time soaking each other and laughing while doing it. From time to time, we would come across another group and have a small battle for 10–15 seconds until someone gave up. I never thought having a water gun fight in my mid-twenties would be so a blast! I would highly recommend going to Bangkok during the Songkran Festival, and, if fact, any other major festival that a city puts on.
We would either fill up at one of the stalls or go back to the hotel and fill up in our bathroom. It was free, we got to take a breather, and I am sure the hotel loved us walking through all wet (I am sure they are used to it). One of the times we were filling up at the hotel, Adam had a prodigious idea to pump up the water gun “until it doesn’t pump anymore.” His theory was that you could pump it up to displace the water in the pipes and allow the tank to hold more water. Fair enough. Adam is pumping away and as it is getting more pressure and tougher he keeps pumping. All of a sudden, the gun emits a loud pop, as if you were to pop a plastic bag or the top off a soda bottle. His gun did not shoot after that as he pressurized too much and blew the little plastic line in the gun. Shoot! Now he had to buy a new water gun if he wanted to play. Meanwhile, we were having a good laugh at his expense and the look upon his face when it popped.
We went back down to the street to find another gun that he had his eye on from earlier. This this was a behemoth and could hold 5 liters of water in its tank. It also had loony toons stickers on it for emblems: bad-ass. It also weighed a ton so had to be held under the arm to prevent from breaking, which it did start to do at one point but we fixed it with tape. While we were fixing it, Adam thought of an idea to use my bag as a backpack to run the water to the gun, but all that came of that was that we smashed his old gun up in the bathroom (and chipping some tile) and gave up when it came time to splicing two wires together.
It was later in the day and we tried to get Ryan and Ploy to join us but they decided it was not a good idea since they had open wounds and would most certainly get infected. So, we headed back out and went a street over as we had not been that way yet. The whole street was packed shoulder to shoulder as if you were at a music festival and it wasn’t nearly as fun. Needless to say, there was less water fights to be had and we made our way down the street as soon as we could squeeze our way through. It was a good thing too as we needed to grab some food and some beers to go with it. It was a party, after all.
The place was just down the street from our hotel and right along the action. It was fun to see the kids and adults battling it out. I don’t remember exactly what we ate but I do remember the two-liter-of-beer tower that we ordered and drank accordingly. For some reason, the restaurant could not serve beer between 2 and 5 o’clock so we had to wait a bit to get some Chang (beer). Also, FYI Chang means elephant in Thai. I am sure there are ways around this law but we were content with waiting twenty minutes to be served. It took us a few minutes to drink down the Chang but we most definitely enjoyed the relaxation.
We enjoyed a few more water fights before retreating back to the hotel around eight to figure out what we wanted to do for the night. One of the unique things we noticed about bathrooms in Thailand, is that they all have some sort of bidet in them. Toilet paper cannot be flushed as it will clog there pipes. The traditional toilet is one you have to squat on with places for your feet on each side and a whole in the ground. But, the places we stayed had the ‘normal toilet’. Anyways, Adam went to use the bathroom and of course had to try out the bidet. Rich had used it before and thus instructed Adam to “push it all the way down” as the pressure is quite weak. Fortunately for Rich and me, we had a good laugh as Adam jumped off the toilet in shock when you went to use the bidet. Rich lied. The pressure was like a pressure washer on a weaker setting; far too strong to be pointing at your arse. Oh, poor Adam. He laughed at it later even if he was slightly traumatized from the experience.
A nap ensued as we were all pretty tired from all of our recent undertakings. It was glorious for an hour before we decided that we needed to go out and enjoy the city while we were there. The first thing we did was head to roof for some rooftop beers and a view of the shenanigans below. As it was not yet ten, there was a lot going on still as it was also the main night to celebrate. Eventually, we were notified that Ryan and Ploy still were not going to make it so we went in search for a bar to mingle with the locals and enjoy the party from within.
We bounced around a little until we found this bar near midnight. It had a good atmosphere and was packed with a line of people waiting to get it. I believe Rich ordered some drinks when we were outside and somehow that got us the fast track to the inside but as it was an open air bar it was pretty much one big party anyways.
After walking around a bit we had found a spot to chill and enjoy the night. The music was mostly English music as that seems to be the universal music to listen to, although sometimes they would throw some Thai music in but it all had a beat so was fun to dance to. We started dancing with a group of locals and were having a pretty good time. There was white folding table for people to put drinks on near us and was full of half or empty cups and bottles. As we “danced” this one kid was acting strange and for some reason he still had his water gun when everyone else had ditched theirs. All of a sudden, he sprayed Rich right in the eyes and from no farther than six feet away so it was no accident. I wasn’t sure what was going on but when he went to do it again, some of the Thai people around us block him from spraying. It was weird to say the least and Rich was not happy about it but he kept dancing anyways. He did it again and Rich stared him down and made a fist signal towards me when the kid wasn’t looking. I wasn’t sure what he wanted me to do or what was going to happen. Adam was off getting another drink so I couldn’t find him. But, then the kid sprayed him a third time and Rich immediately made his move. As the water hit him in the eyes from four feet and across the plastic table Rich had had enough of his shenanigans. Now Rich is pretty nimble but I am not sure how he pulled it off. In one motion he jumped over the table, grabbed the kid, and threw him against the bar and onto the floor next to it. A small tussle ensued with both of them on the ground. I ran over to help separate them so that we could all leave the bar together and not go to jail in Thailand. The table was destroyed — Rich has a habit of breaking those — and we were ushered to the back door out of the building. After only a step, I felt a sharp pain in my right foot. As I lifted it up I could see blood dripping down profusely. There was a gash in my big toe. I could not tell right away how deep it was but just hoped that it wasn’t too deep nor going to get infected in the water (and now alcohol) soaked floor. The first day that I wore sandals! Damn Ryan and his peer pressure by calling me a shoobie! About halfway out of the building my head felt light and I thought I might pass out so I grabbed onto Adam and the medic caught up to me to spray it with antiseptic. As I was walking out a pool of blood followed each step as if it was out of some horror movie. Okay, maybe not THAT bad but there were puddles nonetheless. We were lucky no one got seriously hurt with all the broken glass. Rich and the kid both had some scrapes on the knees and a few on the arms but nothing too bad. The medics took us the alley and had chairs for us to sit in while the cleaned and bandaged the cuts. At least they were close by and we didn’t have to go far. The interesting part is that the other kid was sitting about 15 feet to the left of me. Like they were not going to still be mad at each other? I had sent Rich to find me some water to combat the dizziness and on his way back the kid was done being bandaged up and had a few words for Rich. I knew right when the kid was close by and stood up that he wasn’t done. Before anything even started, I told the medic that they were not done and his response was, “Again?” Haha yep! It didn’t take long before the kid pushed Rich and tried to start something again. But this time, a built Thai bouncer came out of nowhere, bear hugged the kid and dragged him away. They even knew that he was the instigator. My toe ended up having a cut on it that was one centimeter long and three to four millimeters deep. It may have needed stitches but I was going to wait to get them in the morning and not at 1 am. All this craziness because they kid was jealous that Rich was dancing with some girl. Drunk people do some stupid things.
We raced away from the bar and my goal was to make it back to our place to call it a night. Once I was back, I made sure the cut was well bandaged and took to my bed to get some must need shut eye. The other two apparently did not have enough and wanted to go back out. As I slept, they wandered around and eventually went back to the same bar. Guess who was also at the bar. That kid. Things went a bit differently this time and they actually reconciled and realized how stupid it all was. Additionally, they joked about how fun it actually was and the kid asked if I was alright. So in the end, I guess it all worked out to the point where they were cool with each other. What a day! Water fights are fun but keep those water guns out of bars or real fights might ensue.