I made it.. Thailand!

So I made it! The beautiful country of Thailand! And it was everything that I imagined it to be and more.

My nerves were running wild as I arrived at BKK airport. I couldn't believe I had finally made it to the country that was calling my name for the last three years. I had to get to DMX Airport as I was flying Air Asia up to Chiang Mai, so I went the cheap route and took a shuttle bus to a bus terminal and then another hour-long bus ride to DMX. Fun fact: I was nervous I would miss the stop, so as soon as I saw the airport I got off at the next stop. Little did I know I should have stayed on the bus for about three more stops. So yes, I was only in Bangkok about 2 hours and I, a 23 year old foreign girl, was walking alone on a major highway at 2:30am. All good! I eventually made it to the airport where I was met by sleeping travelers spread out on benches, propped up against walls, earphones in, and noses peeking out of blankets. I quickly realized that the gates didn't open until 4am, so I found myself a nice little table at the only open coffee shop in the place, took out my kindle, and kicked back.


Two hours later, I spotted my mom and Susan walking towards my gate and it was, as you can imagine, a joyous reunion. The stories couldn't come out fast enough as they had spent the previous two days in Bangkok. They experienced a floating market, language barriers, delicious food, and the usual frustrations and joys that come with traveling in Asia. We got our Starbucks and we were off to Chiang Mai for the next 4 days!

Chiang Mai:
Wow, what a city! Northern Thailand is gorgeous. The mountains, the people, the laid back atmosphere... it was just beautiful. We stayed at Diva Guesthouse, who couldn't be more helpful. I recommend them to anyone visiting Chiang Mai. They set every activity up for us, no problem.

Monestary

One of these included the famous Tiger Kingdom. Yes, we were able to hang out with massive, wild, cats who are capable of taking a chunk out of your body. We also played with the little guys, who I actually found scarier.. they were little balls of energy.

Cooking Class:
We partook in a cooking class, where I made pad see ew, panang curry (pictured below), and Thailand's famous dessert- sticky rice with mango. My mom and Susan made massaman curry, coconut milk, and a spicy chicken basil dish. Our teacher, a young Thai woman around my age, was hysterical and really made the day. We took a visit to the market and their local garden, where we learned about the different ingredients we would be cooking with.

One thing I noticed about Thai cooking compared to Korean, is that there is so much more variety health wise. In particular, Korea douses all of their fermented and raw veggies with red pepper sauce. Thailand works with a variety of sauces. Korea uses white rice. Thailand has a HUGE variety, and our teacher was explaining how most cooking is done with brown rice or the expensive white rice, for cheap white rice is very unhealthy. The Thai people have this knowledge and use it. Korean people must know, they just choose to stick to their traditional cheap white rice. Anyway, the cooking class was loads of fun, and had us laughing and joking all day. We were in need of a good laugh after our crazy trek, which I'll get to soon...

Mom going to town on that curry

Sticky rice with mango

Night Bazaar and Saturday Night Market:
Markets, markets, and more markets! Now, living in Asia and experiencing Korea, Japan and Taiwan already- I was used to markets. But boy is Thailand unlike any other. NEVER ENDINGGGGGG. I mean really, it was beyond overwhelming. But you get my mom and I together.. it's like we have a Mary Poppins wallet, where money just keeps producing itself. We couldn't buy enough. Yes, we were in our own little heaven. Keeping in mind that I still had Bangkok and Krabi ahead of me, I did hold back a bit. (Yeah who am I kidding, that's a lie.)

Khantoke (Traditional Dance & Dinner):
Tourist Trap? Yes. But a necessary one I think. Though the food wasn't fabulous, the dances and performances were very entertaining. The young Thai girls were stunning in their traditional dresses, and the little children performing traditional games and dances couldn't be cuter. The hot Thai men and their sword dancing didn't hurt either.

Elephant Riding and a Two-Day Trek to a Karen Village:
Chiang Mai is known for two very big things: Elephants and Trekking. We did both! Riding elephants- I mean hell yeah! No pondering that one. I had two major reasons for deciding to do this particular trek. 1. Trekking to a village overnight-stay was on the itinerary for my ISV trip three years ago. 2. When I travel, I like to treat myself, be a typical tourist, but I also like to see the REAL country. I like to see its people in their own environment going about their typical day. I like to experience all of that. So I have made it a point everywhere I've traveled so far since being out here, to go in search of that. You usually don't have to go too far. Just off the beaten path. Get yourself out of the tourist traps, the markets, the hagglers, and go for a walk. This trek was one of the toughest, physically and mentally challenging things I have done thus far in my life. I would tie it with the 5-hour glacier hike up New Zealand's Franz Josef Glacier. This trek tested my physical abilities, my awareness, my trust in others, but most of all trust and confidence in myself.

We started the two days off with a visit to Maevong Elephant Camp. We were there for about 5 hours. We fed them, learned how to talk to them using Mahout language. We practiced mounting, riding, and dismounting them. Then it was off to the river! Some of us, like myself, and a few Dutch guys my age got our own elephants. My mom and Susan were together. I admit now, I was scared shitless to be by myself but so ready for it! Now a lot of tourists when they come to Thailand will sit on the big seat strapped onto the elephant's back. When I signed up for this trek/elephant package I knew right away I didn't want to do it that way. I wanted to be bareback on this massive animal. I wanted to do it the real way. I wanted adventure and authentic experiences.

So as we all mounted our elephants, we began our journey through the jungle, up small cliffs, down narrow pathways, down to a river. Of course our elephants were hungry along the way, so they would stop every so often and pull massive bamboo branches off of trees, up out of the ground, and chomp away. I'll never forget the vision of one of the Dutch guys ahead of me, holding on for dear life as his elephant was standing on its hind legs, front legs against a tree pulling at bamboo. But the real sight that will stay with me forever, is the one of me turning around to see my mom and Susan on their elephant, mountains and bamboo trees as the backdrop, half freaked out half laughing, having the absolute time of their lives. It was an unreal picture and an unreal feeling; one that I cannot possibly fully explain to anyone. But I am so grateful to have that picture forever with me. When we arrived at the river, we were able to bathe and play with the elephants. The baby who was walking along its mother the entire way down, was hysterical in that water! 

The mahouts called it a "submarine," because it would roll around under the water sending waves knocking us over. So funny! As soon as we got into that river, there were no longer 9 adults and 2 children in our group.. there were now 11 children. You know when you're experiencing something so fun, so lax, so different than what you're used to.. you kind of turn into a kid again. The laughs were endless and the smiles were contagious. I remember looking over at my mom and Susan pouring water over their elephant, laughing and smiling, all worries and stress- gone. I looked over at the French family and thought, they were bonding over an experience that was making their family unit stronger by the minute. 

And the group of 4 guys- well they were just having a freakin great old time. Right before we left, Thomas decided we should jump onto each other's elephants. I hesitated for a few seconds there, but I was finally just like, 'MaryKate, you're in freaking Thailand on an ELEPHANT! Just do it!.' Sooooo, we stood up on our elephants, counted to three and jumped! And yes... I made it safely... just in case you were holding your breath there for a sec. Entire experience. Amazing.

Trek time!
So after having a delicious lunch prepared by the elephant camp family, we were off on our hike. Susan, my mom, myself, the French family (mom, dad, and their two beautiful children), and our 52-year old guide, Min. We hiked through the jungle, up steep cliffs, down even steeper cliffs, through gorgeous beyond gorgeous rice paddy fields, across rivers, and over single bamboo logs about the width of a balance beam (4 in.) over raging waterfalls. Did you hear that last one? Yeah. A single bamboo log. Holding onto a thin flimsy rope tied to a tree on either side, that swung about a foot if you didn't hold on tightly. When we saw what lay ahead of us, I think a few of our stomachs dropped. The rapids underneath us were raging as if they were waiting to take us in and swallow us whole. But we each conquered it like champs. One by one with our walking sticks in our left hands and our right hand holding onto that thing they called a rope (I would call it sewing thread) for dear life, we walked across this thing to safety. Halfway through I looked back at my mother conquering this thing, and I felt so much pride. I also had a tiny thought of what my next step would be if she fell in.. On that note, just as night fell, we finally arrived at Min's village. He is part of the Karen tribe. (They are most known for the women with the rings on their necks that push down their collarbones making their necks appear abnormally long and stretched out.) We met who we think was his wife, and some other family members. No shower; an in-ground squatter (eh no biggie after living 18 months in Asia); mosquito-net covered traditional Asian mattresses set on wooden planks. It was roughin-it to the core. And I loved every second of it. This is what I wanted out of this trip. I wanted to let go of everything I knew; I wanted a challenge; I wanted to see how these people live, eat, and spend their days. Well I got that alright! They cooked us a wonderful dinner (If I remember correctly- pumpkin curry, rice, and veggies.) YUM. We sat around the table with Min and his wife for hours playing games with tiny bamboo sticks, drinking delicious Thai whiskey from his water bottle, painting each other's faces with ash, and bonding over smiles, facial expressions, actions, and what little English and Thai we could all conjure up. These people don't have much. At all. But what they do have is making use of their resources in ways our society has forgotten how to do.

These stick games were so entertaining for them, and their joy and enthusiasm sparked it in us. I finally had to start rejecting the whiskey as it was getting to be too much, and we woke up the next day to the most breathtaking view. We arrived the night before so we weren't able to get the whole feel of the place. We had coffee, delicious coconut tea, pineapple (of course) eggs, toast, (3 pieces. Did my mom and I eat all three? Hell yes we did. Yeah our usual clean eating habits were thrown out the window from the second our planes landed in this country) butter, and jam. Breakfast of champions. We started off on our hike back down through the jungle, stopping at a waterfall for a short break along the way. After about 4 hours, we made it to a road. Hallelujah! A man picked us up and drove us back to the elephant camp where we were fed a scrumptious lunch and we were back off to our hostel to take... what was that?? SHOWERS! I washed off the dirty backpacker feel and looked like a girl again.

The French boy painting my mom's face with ash. He loved this. Clearly.

Loved these tea kettles

Woman making tablecloths

Min and the French girl

This was our transportation to and from the start and end of our trek.

Get it mom!!

These kids were so great! Yes, I am holding a cat. I was also having mini heart attacks every 7 seconds.

Getting to that point of exhaustion.

Bamboo Rafting:
This was also included in our trekking/elephant package. It was quite the beautiful little ride. We had a young Thai man with bamboo as oars and we sat back on this long, well-built, bamboo raft. At one point I was looking behind me talking to my mom and she said, "Mer, look!" And she pointed her finger in front of me. Just as I turned around I saw an elephant with a mahout on its back just casually walking across the river in front of our raft. Because ya know, that's normal... But it was. I mean, wow. I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped. If someone snapped a picture, we would be on the front of a postcard.

I was so intrigued at the way they made these rafts

Hung out with these folks and could not figure out for the life of me the rules of the game. But, the baby was cute!

Krabi/Ko Phi Phi:

We were now off to the magical world of Southern Thailand. The islands! Krabi! I would finally meet up with my friends, Leandi and Suzanne, and Suzanne's friend Delene from home. After some unwanted sprinting to airport gates and a long bus ride to our resort, we had arrived. We stayed at Aonang All Seasons Resort. Highly recommend it.

We were in a movie. We were in paradise. And it simply didn't feel real. (Yes, I took this picture to the right. Unreal.) Now I'm not privileged enough to go on yearly trips to the Bahamas, Hawaii, and/or Central America. The last time I saw waters this blue was when I was about 14 on a cruise to the U.S. Virgin Islands. My mom and I agreed, as we were both in Antigua at separate times- as beautiful as that was, it didn't compare to what were staring at in Krabi. This. Was. Paradise. We had a lovely beach-side seafood lunch where I almost died of hot flashes and sweating from my spicy ass crab dish. The two of them, as you could imagine, had a grand old time cracking jokes at me. You know something is spicy when I willingly order a side of white sticky rice. MaryKate- ordering white rice. Yep.

We quickly figured out how to buy a ticket for a long-tail boat that took us over to Railay Beach. (Not more than a 10 minute ride.) I was so happy to be reunited with my friends and to  hear all about their adventures in Malaysia. I received a foot scrub on the beach by a kind old Thai woman, sipped on a cocktail, did some handstands, got wrinkled in the water, and allowed myself time to take in everything I was experiencing in these moments.

Of course we can't go anywhere without my mom putting her medical degree to good use. There was an unconcious 14-year old girl who was found by a couple German men, lying face down in the sand with waves crashing over her. They resuscitated her and it wasn't until a little while later when we actually noticed what was going on, that I had asked one man if they needed someone with medical background. His worried expression and voice when he said "yes," was all I needed. I ran and ushered my mom out of the water. She ran over to them, and at that point there wasn't much she could really do because her pulse had returned and they were just waiting for a doctor from the main island to arrive. It was an unnerving situation because we didn't know the entire story, and if those men didn't find her when they did, who knows how long she would've been laying there for. The doctor wound up showing up 20 minutes later, giving her an IV on the beach, and lifting her onto a long-tail boat (yeah no speed boat). It was quite a scene. Unfortunately we weren't able to get an update, but prayed that she was able to get some help.

I have one beautiful mother.

Crack up every time I look at this picture

The next day we were up early for a full-day of island hopping through the Pi Pi islands. Ko Phi Phi. Wow. Pictures will just never do justice when it comes to sights like these. But I'm glad I had people to share them with. We snorkeled, learned about the 2004 Tsunami, and to top it off traveled back to Krabi through a legit tornado. There were a few times there I thought I was flying off the side of that boat. Comforting.

When we arrived back, my mom and I spent a lovely hour together on the beach with a cup of coffee and some delicious coconut almond cookies form a local bakery. Time finally slowed down and we were able to get some alone time to talk and catch up. Being on vacation sometimes distances you in ways from the people you're with, because everything is so novel and exciting and you're all busy snapping pictures trying to take it all in. It's so important to put that camera and phone away, grab some treats and get back in touch with who you're spending this time with. I can't say it enough, I love my mother for taking this step and making it possible for her to once again, meet me on the other side of the world. This vacation was so good for her. She deserved every single second of it.

We had some amazing food in Krabi. To name a few, gourmet pizzas, grilled salmon, decadent Thai curries. Of course by the time I got to Krabi, I had had my fair share of curries and Thai dishes, that I was craving some good western dishes that I had been denied for the last six months in Korea.

Bangkok:
Well it was off to the 'City of Angels.' The backpacker capital of the world. The city where people wake up with missing digits and tigers in their bathrooms... Yes. We had arrived in BANGKOK. It was also time to say goodbye to my mother and Susan, but not before we went to the infamous Khao San Rd. I sure did some damage there.

I mean how couldn't I when jewelry was 20 baht a pop ($0.62) And dresses were 180 baht (just over $5.) I continued to indulge in my new addiction to pineapple. Yes, I had recently come to develop the taste buds for this juicy fruit. GOOD. THING. I had at least 3-4 servings a day in Thailand. When you get half of a cut-up pineapple in little baggies for 20 baht, how could I not go back every hour for more? Oh and I guess I should admit- it was in Bangkok where I had my very first Hawaiian Pizza. Come on now. Don't judge. I said goodbye to my mom and Susan that night. Cried like a baby. Yes. Not as much as when I left her at the airport in February, but still.. I think the doorman thought we had some separation-anxiety issues.

View of Wat Arun form the city boat.

Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha)

In the middle of it all! Khao San Rd

Now since I feel this blog is getting RIDICULOUSLY long, I'm now resorting to a list... Yeah yeah, you're welcome.

Adventures in Bangkok included but not limited to:
1. Sketchy tuk-tuk drivers bringing us to Indian-owned fabric stores in return for compensation.
2. Me fighting with said tuk-tuk driver, making sure his "5-minute search for fashion" condition did not turn into 10 minutes. 
3. The Grand Palace. Endless beauty. 
4. Making Korean Military friends./Them most-likely interpreting our extreme friendliness as flirting.
5. Photo bombing said Korean's pictures.  
6. Getting to the point of wanting nothing more to do with shopping and night markets. Yes, this happened. 
7. Going to see a movie in a Bangkok mall. (We were exhausted.)


8. Standing up for 'The King's Anthem' before said movie. What an unexpected cultural experience. Let me set this up for you: Everyone starts rising out of their seats. Me: looking around, heartbeat increasing, "Oh my god what's going on?!?!" Waiting for some kind of bomb to go off. Yeah, my paranoia was clearly set in motion. Cue 'King's Anthem'- a beautiful song, with a picture slideshow of the King interacting with his country's people. Had goosebumps by the end of it.
9. Clubbing with new French, American, and Canadian friends. Dancing the night away. Oh and finding an American-style diner for our 4am munchies. Perfection!
10. Curbside drinking with the interruptions of Thai children asking for money. (These children work for the Thai mafia, and their job is to go up to and sometimes harass foreigners, demanding money.) I'll never forget the one girl who kept coming back to our table. She was dancing around as if she was putting on a cute little show for us. Then would stop, pout, and look all sad in hopes that we would put money in her little bucket. My heart broke for them.
11. Met up with Mike, who showed me around his neighborhood, including getting lunch from his favorite papaya salad lady (Papaya salad, grilled chicken, and sticky rice = The Holy Trinity of Thai Cuisine.) We got everything but the rice- obviously. Delicious. Went on a public city boat and saw a whole other side of Bangkok.
12. Being the unfortunate victim of a sketchy Turkish man and his need to sit down next to me on a bench asking about who I am traveling with, when my flight out of Bangkok was, and using the exact words, "I am good man. You can trust me. I am good man." Thanks bud but all that encounter did for me was test my street smarts and rise my blood pressure to an all-time high. I didn't get sold into the sex-trade. I'm here. I'm good. And of course this would happen to me my very last day in Bangkok. Lovely. 
13. Met a wise man while buying fresh papaya from a street vendor, who talked mine and Mike's ear off about good vs. bad people in life and how we should all strive to be the best person we can be. These are the authentic experiences I crave when I travel, but the experiences you can't go in search for. They always come to you. And they are the most worth-while. They are the ones that stick with you. 
14. Sipping Starbucks with Suzanne on the steps outside a subway station, taking in the hustle and bustle of the city; the trucks pack-filled with Thai labor workers; old women on scooters; and foreign business men walking the streets. Chatting away about serious topics, including family, love, travel, and life.
15. Spending a day in the park with me, myself, and I. Devouring my last street meal: Papaya salad, grilled chicken, and fresh pineapple.
16. Discovered I have quite the talent for bargaining. Get me and Suzanne together, we'll get a tuk-tuk ride down to almost nothing.
17. An unfortunate case of Buddha Belly. Too much curry, pineapple, or plain exhaustion. Mayhaps all three?
18. Got my 4th tattoo. A piece of art that I have been thinking up for a long time now. Hurt a little like a biatch for it's directly on my ribs, but worth every bit. It's beautiful and I'm very happy with it

Yes. The 5 of us squeezed into one tuk-tuk. Anything to get the cost down!

This guy.

New Korean friends!

Beer break. Absolutely.

Grand Palace

Grand Palace 

Yeah we did!

Pineapple, pineapple, and more pineapple, oh and mango, and watermelon, and papaya, and.... you get it. 

Just so you don't forget who your Queen is. She was everywhere.

Loved the Bangkok Subway. Super easy

Yeah, that was interesting.. 

In love with this shot =)

There ya have it! Thailand in a nutshell. BAHAHAHAHAHA. Not. I know it was long, but i can't change. That's how I write, so you can deal with it.

How could I forget: Thai Massages for 180-250 baht ($5 - $7) Are you kidding!? Yeah it was amazing. Just beware though, if you don't like your limbs being pulled, your body being bent in half, and a Thai lady sitting on top of you rubbing out muscles and joints you didn't even know you had.. then this may not be for you. But please, it's an experience and you WILL feel like a million bucks when you're finished. These women are excellent at what they do and for $6, come on now. Not to mention, the sweetest human beings.

While I'm at it. Thai people- super super kind. Genuine. And ALWAYS smiling.

I'm sorry Orlando, but Thailand has half my heart. Always will. <3 WILL be returning one day.