July 8, 2011
Remember, faithful reader, my obsession with Khao Tom Mad, the local dessert I lived off of for two months in Thailand? Save for Sookk on Manhattan’s West Side, I have basked in memories of the street delicacy since then. Surface perusal of Asian bakeries in and about New York’s Chinatown were Read more…
April 16, 2008
This is Thai money. Color and size differentiating the denominations. “Well known”? That must mean something more derogatory in Thai? The drunkard at Western Bar in Ubon Ratchathani who was asked by the owner to stop talking to me. Black sticky rice, mango and banana in sweet coconut milk from Read more…
April 15, 2008
Today was my last day in Thailand. After 2 months exactly, my journey here is over. There is a lot I will miss about the daily life I have embraced here but I am happy to return home to Brooklyn. Below are some of my final pictures while traveling around Read more…
April 14, 2008
On deciding I wanted to ride a roller coaster I headed an hour or so outside Bangkok to Siam Park City, escaping the streets of Bangkok and their non-stop ambushes of clay and water. I would be that weirdo you see at the amusement park riding alone with an undirected Read more…
April 12, 2008
Today marks the official start of the Songkran Festival (which I found out has an official website). Buckets, hoses, bottles of water sold by the gross line the curbs along with bright orange and green arms dealers. Walking the few blocks to catch my bus I was within the battleground Read more…
April 11, 2008
After some deliberation, I decided I’d hit Bangkok’s Patong area and take in some of its vibrant nightlife options. Being settled on Khaosan and quite bored with its offerings, it makes no sense that be stricken to its boundaries in the evening. But a venture into Patong, the city’s red Read more…
I’m Back in Bangkok… but this time for an unprecedented 5-night stay. My flight leaves early morning Wednesday and here, in this bustling maze of tuk-tuk exhaust and street vendors, I will stay til then. I have some goals for this last hurrah, mainly to combat my fear of straying Read more…
April 10, 2008
Elephant Krall Pavillion in Ayutthaya Evening Wat tour
April 9, 2008
After a day of bus travel, I arrived in Chanthaburi, the City of the Moon. Contrary to the name’s translation, the city’s main draw is gem stones. As the hub of the global gem stone trade, visitors can ooh and aah at piles of gems being inspected and purchased at Read more…
April 7, 2008
The morning brought indifference and a lack of motivation. Embarking upon a day of travel requires more than knowledge of bus stops and schedules but an accessible brain ready for the challenge. Energy both physical and mental. A good breakfast helped and I marched out of my room determined and Read more…
April 6, 2008
Wanting to make the most of a day here in Kanchanaburi (or getting lazy?), I booked a leisure day tour to hit a variety of sights in the area. My air-conditioned mini-van brought me to Sai Yok National Park, a 500 square-km park that includes the Sai Yok Noi waterfall Read more…
April 5, 2008
Last night I awoke to the pounding of the tin roofs around my guesthouse. Startled and helpless,I thought the worst. Transient looters? Back-alley bandits preying on the seclusion of my rented room? Drunken tourists? Emerging in the morning, the noisy culprit was clear. Mangoes. They were all over the place Read more…
April 4, 2008
Parade for the novice monks. My view of the Hilton. Sofitel’s very worthy topiary garden: Little Thai guy who played peek-a-boo with me the whole bus ride North.
April 2, 2008
After last evening’s a 1-hour boat ride from Ko Samui, where I was determined not to spend the night, I found myself amidst more of the same tourist hustle and bustle on the home to the infamous Full Moon Party, Ko Phangan. After trekking the entire island for cheap accommodations, Read more…
April 1, 2008
With mixed emotions, I headed towards the Donsak pier in Surat Thani to catch a boat to Ko Samui. Surat Thani is the gateway to this heavily developed and very expensive island and my home last night, the slick dealings and price of my room clearly foreshadowing the hell that Read more…
March 31, 2008
I toured the beautiful Phang Nga Bay by longtail boat with the aforementioned American couple and a previously unmentioned German couple. (I’m the fifth wheel!) The Americans had recently moved from Seattle to India where wife just got a 2-year teaching contract at a primary school and is now on Read more…
March 30, 2008
After a good deal of time in Phuket Town, it was time to change home base. Being as far South as I’d get in Thailand, I headed North to Phang Nga Town. Phang Nga hosts a nice variety of attractions, the most famous being Khao Ping Kan, often referred to Read more…
March 29, 2008
My trip to the Similan Islands, a cluster of 9 remote islands within the Andaman Sea, is a marked departure from my budget-savvy habits. Their inaccessibility and price steering most backpackers to other more developed islands (and those with reputations for the “party hardy”), I couldn’t resist the opportunity to Read more…
March 28, 2008
di·chot·o·my division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups Bangkok Guest house cell, Sweety Guesthouse Vegan chocolate cake, Ethos Restaurant Beached “Bitch face”, Thai restaurant by Sea Gypsy village, Phuket “Lil Miss Sunshine”, Nature Beach Resort, Ko Chang Beached, Part II Non-seclusion, Ko Phi Phi Don, Phuket Seclusion, Cape Read more…
March 27, 2008
Today I spent the day within the organized itinerary of a tour excursion to the islands Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Ley. Phi Phi Don serves as means to get to the very remote Phi Phi Ley, the title beach from The Beach. My experiences are far-better described through Read more…
March 26, 2008
Waking up determined to sustain positivity, I took a shower, partly blaming yesterday’s perils on my absence of a morning shower. I paid for another night at On On and booked a full day tour to Ko Phi Phi Don & Ko Phi Phi Ley for the next day. So Read more…
March 25, 2008
Today marked a milestone in my trip, the flight to the Southern island of Phuket. Gateway to Thailand’s most visited outer islands and beaches, Phuket is the largest island in the country at 570 sq. km. But Phuket is a destination all its own, home to many beautiful beaches, many Read more…
March 24, 2008
I splurged on a “VIP” bus for the 2 hour ride to Nong Kaen. So what does VIP mean? Larger upholstered seats that recline with a massage option, more legroom, no local stops, no herding in as many people as possible, crisp AC and a cozy blanket. All for a Read more…
March 22, 2008
After an unforseen overnight stop in the large city of Khorat due to bus snafus, I woke and quickly boarded a bus to the sleepy town of Phimai. Originally planning this visit to be another day trip, I regretfully checked into a dorm just to be able to explore without Read more…
March 21, 2008
Here is a photo recap of the tasty morsels I munched on in Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phimai and Nong Kaen. I must make special mention of Ban Thai Guesthouse‘s food. The best I’ve had in Thailand so far. The menu is huge and they sub tofu for meat in any dish. Read more…
Saying goodbye to Sukhothai, I traveled East just about an hour to Phitsanulok. I planned just a quick day trip and boarded a bus further East after my sightseeing was through. Michael, the German cycler, and the woman who ran the guest house in Sukhothai both gave high praises to Read more…