Meg & Joe in SE Asia

Saying our goodbyes

desrosm — Mon, 1 Jun 2009 17:57:00 GMT

Is it our last day already? Unfortunately it is. The last few days on Bo Phut have been quite lovely. Actually, they've been really really hot and sunny. We've enjoyed hanging out on the beach and swimming in our guesthouse pool (it's a bit too shallow to swim out in the ocean). The water here is a bright turquiose and the sand a pale yellow; it really embodies the image of Thailand one would expect. We really enjoyed this town, with its hip, laid-back vibe and expat establishments. It's not very "thai" but it does provide more creature comforts - best bathrooms in the country. But these comforts come at a price: everything here is about twice the price as it was in other cities. We have been fortunate, however, by travelling in the low season (hot and rainy). Many guesthouses and resorts offer discounted rooms - up to 50% off. Joey and I have gotten the hang of being dropped off in a town, finding a decent guesthouse to drop off our bags, and then spending a few hours wandering around town finding the best deals in the best areas. The hotel we stayed in here has hot water, air conditioning, cable tv, a fridge, private balcony and a pool. It's right across the street from the beach and on the main strip. Our room is actually decorated (something you only find with Western owners) and even has a separate shower enclosure. (We've gotten used to being able to shower, brush our teeth and use the potty all at the same time). All of this came at the price of $25, the most we've spent on a room all month. We've stayed in all sorts of rooms of varying quality, so it was nice to treat ourselves for the last few days.

We leave Koh Samui in three hours for Bangkok. We will spend the night in the airport and catch a flight out at 6am. It's been a great trip, but we are excited to see our homes, families and friends. We love you guys and hope to see/talk to each of you soon!

Meg

Zombie

desrosm — Sat, 30 May 2009 19:23:00 GMT

Hey y'all. I feel like a bunch has happened the past few days. So, today is Saturday evening our time, Saturday morning your time, well, maybe still Friday night for some of you. Anyway, Meg and I only have a few days left before our plane is due to take off from Bangkok towards Seattle on Tueday morning. So, on Friday we left Lamai Beach on Ko Samui and headed to Bo Phut Beach on the north end of the island. But Meg and I were craving some live music the night before we left and so on Thursday we went to a bar that had happy hour drinks before visiting an Irish Pub that had a live band.

As we got closer to the pub we began to hear live Nineties music. Loud music that we could hear three shops down the road. The band was a cover band, and we were stoked about that. The band consisted of a drummer, a bassist, guitarist, a keys player, and two female singers, one who was lead and the other back-up. The lead singer could wail. Really wail. How good you ask, well, she covered "I'll always love you" by Whitney Houstin and drilled it. Yeah, I was pretty impressed too. Anyway, they played all sorts of stuff, anything from Radiohead to Eric Clapton and we dabbled with the idea of dancing, but were a bit timid since no one else in the bar seemed to be feeling the music like we were. But then they played Zombie by the Cranberries. Now, I love the song Zombie by the Cranberries and I told Meg as soon as we got to the pub that that's the song I wanted to hear, I don't know why exactly, I guess it's because that song rocks, and the woman on stage could sing. So when they began the song, we got up and began to dance. Like hippie-dance. And we loved every minute of it. We danced our socks off that night, well, we weren't wearing any socks, but we danced our sandles off and went barefoot in the bar. We danced for the next eight or ten songs after Zombie. At one point we took a break and went back to our table, but an English guy walked by and gave me a pat on the back and Meg a kiss on the cheek and so we went back on the self-made dancefloor that we had created. By the end of the night my shirt looked like I went swimming in the Gulf, (I tend to sweat when I'm dancing my socks off, in case anyone out there didn't know). Thursday night was the most fun night of the trip thus far and a good note to leave Lamai Beach on. The weather has gotten slightly better since we've gotten to Bo Phut (good enough to burn us a bit), but it's still a bit cloudy throughout the day. Bo Phut has a lot of cool shops and restaurants/bars and seems like a much more charming place than Lamai. We plan to stay at this beach for the rest of the trip.

We hope all is well with all y'all.

- J

My Sunglasses Are Collecting Dust

desrosm — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:04:00 GMT

So, yesterday Meg and I made the decision to use the rest of our days on the trip on the island of Ko Samui, doing the beachtown thing, rather than visiting Bangkok a few days before our flight leaves on the Second. We took a few things into consideration before making these plans: we heard from other travelers and Thai locals alike that Bangkok is too busy and hectic and isn't worth visiting for too long, also, we had the chance to briefly see Bangkok on the day that we waited for a bus to the islands, and finally, plane tickets from Samui to Bangkok are much cheaper than we anticipated. Thus, yesterday we purchased airplane tickets from Ko Samui to Bangkok on the evening of June First, and we plan to stay in the Bangkok airport for roughly ten hours before our flight is due to leave towards Seattle on June Second.

However, ever since we have booked these tickets the weather has gotten progressively worse and today the rain began to pour. Therefore, it is undetermined if we will spend the next few days sunbathing on a beach or drinking coffee indoors. So please don't mock us if we cease to have a tan when we return home.

We love you all and hope all is well.

- J

Koh Samui

desrosm — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:23:00 GMT

We almost stayed on Koh Phangan, but at the last minute, we decided to catch a ferry over to Koh Samui and see more Thailand islands. We arrived a couple of hours ago and took a taxi out to Lamai Beach, Koh Samui's second largest island. We really wanted to go to Bo Phut, which is supposed to be quieter and more romantic, but consequently too expensive for us! We originally planned on staying on the islands for a few more days, then heading off to Bangkok for a few more. Now we're thinking we might just spend the remainder of our trip here on the islands. We're a little burnt out and are enjoying the lazy days on the beach and long lunches watching pirated movies and drinking the local brew. Koh Samui is much busier than Koh Phangan, but we're hoping that'll just make our nights a little more exciting. So far we've spent the evenings watching movies or playing cards, so more people may mean a better nightlife... we'll see

Meg

Beachtown

desrosm — Sun, 24 May 2009 14:58:00 GMT

Hello all. I hope all is well. Meg and I arrived to the island of Ko Pha-Ngan, Thailand, a couple of days ago. It took much longer to get here than we expected, mostly because our first bus from Chiang Mai to Bangkok was late, causing us to miss our next bus and forcing us to spend fourteen hours in Bangkok (on little sleep) waiting for the next bus. But it's cool. It's technically the hot season on the island and so the streets are much more vacant than they would be during other parts of the year. We made the mistake of booking a room ahead of time and without fully understanding its location on the island. The room has a fantastic view from its balcony, but it's a slight hike from the center of town.

Things are much more expensive here than elsewhere we have been. Sometimes it feels a bit like San Diego. For instance, using the Internet here is five times more money than other cities we have been to. Thus, I am going to make this a short entry. The weather is hot, and the water is incredibly warm. And clear. And salty. Next we plan to visit a neighboring island named Ko Samui. We expect this island to be more developed (hotels, etc.) and even more expensive. One last note, it's funny, there are bars all over town that play movies throughout the day and night. They have a setlist of six movies or so that they play one after another. It's a nice way to take a break from the heat and grab a bite to eat. This place truly is a chilled out beachtown.

- J

Finally! Thailand Beaches! (well, almost)

desrosm — Thu, 21 May 2009 11:39:00 GMT

We are now in Bangkok after riding a night bus from Chiang Mai last night. We were supposed to arrive in Bangkok at 5:30 this morning and then catch another bus heading down the southern gulf coast, and then catch a ferry out to Ko Pha Ngan island. However, the first bus was an hour late, so we missed the second and are now in Bangkok until 9pm when another bus leaves. Luckily we're in the backpacker area of Kao San Road where there is lots to do and see, if only we can stay awake! We just had breakfast, and are planning to kill time using the internet, writing postcards, and maybe looking into a guesthouse for a few hours to take a much needed nap. Neither of us got much sleep on the bus; the seats were uncomfortable, the air conditioning was too high, the guy behind us had stinky feet and the guy in front of us had stinky pits. We're still in high spirits because we are about to spend 8 days in paradise. Jealous?

Many people come to Chiang Mai for the trekking. There are many opportunities to go into the jungles to see elephants, hill tribes and other various wildlife. There are also many tourism companies offering extreme sports attractions like bungee jumping, rock climbing and riding dirt bikes through the jungle. So what did we do in Chiang Mai, you ask? Well, we walked around. We walked out to the university one day and got caught in a torrential down-pour. We sat on the terraces of cafes and people-watched. I could watch people all day, (it's interesting to note the subtle difference in saying "people-watching" vs. "watching people"). I especially get a kick out of seeing children play in the streets. You never see unattended children in the US, but here, it is just the way it is. But you can immediately see the closeness of siblings as the older ones keep close watch over their younger brothers and sisters. I was sitting on the sidewalk yesterday morning when a brother and sister, about 5 and 3 respectively, came walking along hand in hand. As they passed me, the little girl reached out, almost touching my face, and gave me a little wave and smile. I wanted to stuff her in my bag and take here home with me. But I resisted. As they crossed an alleyway, the older brother motioned for the sister to stop and wait as he "checked out the surroundings." He crept toward the alley like a spy to make sure it was okay to cross, then quickly waved his sister to cross quickly. The little girl knew this game well and quickly tip-toed across the alleyway. It reminded me of the games I used to play with my neighborhood friends. Children are so pure and untainted by social norms that they have a way of making the world just a little bit smaller.

Our plan for the next few days is to catch the night bus to Champhoun, hop on a ferry to Koh Phangan and arrive at our bungalow (Seaview Bungalows) overlooking the beach (Haat Rin) by Thursday afternoon. We will stay for atleast three nights and then take another ferry to Koh Samui.

Sunday Market, Rain Is Falling

desrosm — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:01:00 GMT

It is about 3 pm on Monday in Chiang Mai, and about midnight going into Monday back home. Last night we walked through Chiang Mai's notorious Sunday Market. This is a night market that happens every Sunday and it is a big deal for both tourists and locals alike. The market is located on a major street in Chiang Mai with restaurants, bars, and historic temples standing tall behind the food and craft stalls. Also, the city blocks off traffic, so it becomes a walking-only market. We had a great time meandering through the stalls until the rain crept in. Hard rain. We have been told that the rainy season technically began six days ago, and we have seen about an hour or two of rain everyday since. It was raining hard enough that many of the stalls closed up shop early even though the market is supposed to end at midnight. We were a bit bummed by this, but I'm sure those who closed their stalls were just as disappointed because the rain stole much of their weekly profits. We liked this experience very much.

We hope all is well with you all.

- J

Over the mountains to Chiang Mai

desrosm — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:34:00 GMT

We are now in Chiang Mai, Thailand and have been for a few days. Let me fill you in on our time in Luang Prabang, Laos...

Luang Prabang is a very charming French colonial town nestled between mountains and two rivers. It sits on a peninsula where the Mekong and Khan rivers meet; this makes for very accessible river dining - so that's what we did. A lot. We spent many an afternoon at one of the riverside restaurants drinking french press coffee and playing rummy. I have really enjoyed the scenery and atmosphere of this small town. The streets are lined with cozy buildings and cottages that barely rise off the street as there is a height limit to buildings. The dark wood shutters peek out over the sinking brick sidewalks and intricate red and gold wats break up the almost-European feel of the streets.

To break up the slow pace of our visit to Luang Prabang, we signed up for a day of elephant riding and a trip out to the famous waterfalls (I can't remember the name of the waterfalls). The elephant ride was very exciting and we shared the experience with a friendly German couple - the boyfriend had quite an affinity for Elvis. Joey and I shared an elephant and took turns riding on its neck. The waterfalls were beautiful, but we had the misfortune of going on a very rainy afternoon. We got there in time to take a quick dip in one of the chilly swimming holes right before the downpour began. We hiked up the very muddy, very steep, and very slippery hillside to the top of the main waterfall. It was so wet that we weren't able to get any pictures of the big waterfall, but I can tell you it was very lovely.

We flew in to Chiang Mai two days ago and were a little overwhelmed with city-life after staying in two small towns. It has been our experience so far that we don't like a place the first day. We have to get used to the people, culture and pace of life in each city before we come to appreciate it. We now love Chiang Mai. It is a city, but it is small and the locals are very proud of their city. None of them have anything good to say about Bangkok, but all the people that stop us on the street wanting to chat have advice to give on what we cannot miss in Chiang Mai. On our walk to one of the main wats in town, we were stopped by two different men asking about our travels and what we have seen so far. We asked them about good places to have a suit made and both recommended the same place. The second man encouraged us to go right away before it got busy in the evening as school started the next day and this shop makes all the uniforms for the students. He even hailed us a taxi and negotiated the price from 50 baht to 30 baht. As we arrived at the shop we were greeted outside and taken in to look at patterns and fabrics. We spent quite awhile deciding on all the small details of our future suits and what kinds of fabrics and patterns we wanted. Part of their service is to provide us free transportation to and from our guesthouse for all of our fittings and even provided us with a free taxi this morning to take us anywhere we wanted to go in Chiang Mai. We decided to go out to the outskirts of town to the silk, lacquerware and jewelry factories. At each place we were greeted outside and then taken on a personal tour of how each handycraft is made (we even saw live silk worms producing silk thread) and then were taken into the showrooms to spend all of our money. Prices were higher here than at the markets, but we've been warned about fake silver and silk being passed off as authentic. It wasn't Joey's highlight of the trip, but he was very patient with me. I enjoy seeing how the local craftswomen (I saw very few men) produce the goods that their country is famous for.

Tonight, we return to the suit shop for our first fitting and then we head off to the famous Sunday market for cheap t-shirts and knock-off jewelry. I'm spending a bit more than I had planned, but hey, when in Chiang Mai, right?

Thanks for all the comments, we miss you all and enjoy hearing from you!

~ Meg

The Mighty Mekong

desrosm — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:31:00 GMT

We flew from Cambodia to Laos yesterday afternoon. Luang Probang, Laos. A river town nestled between the Khan and the Mekong. The Mighty Mekong. The river touches six countries and is beautiful in width. Last night we stayed at a decent guesthouse but today we found a better one in our price-range and switched and we're very happy about it. It's probably the nicest place that we'll stay in during our trip. It has wooden ceilings, a legitimate shower, and a huge bed. All of the beds that we've stayed on are a good size, larger than our beds back home.

Anyway, Laos. Luang Probang is in north-central Laos and it used to be the capital. Our taxi driver from the airport said it used to be the capital in 1560, I don't know if that's true but that's what he said and he's a nice guy. 1560. That's over two-hundred years before the U.S. gained independence. Crazy to think huh? Luang Probang is truly a beautiful place, tucked between two rivers and surrounded by green hills, some might say small mountains. It's strange to see hills because Siem Reap was so flat. We like the hills and the green because this is what we've grown up with in the WA, but there is also a mystical quality to viewing hills in the distance is there not? It tempts us to imagine what is out there beyond our reach.

Luang Probang is known for its temples and its monks, who walk the streets dressed in orange robs and gather alms early in the morning. It sounds like a sacred ritual and we hope to view it at least once during the next few days. We also hope to ride an elephant and perhaps kayak and view the waterfalls that are on the outskirts of town. We got a massage today for just under five dollars for an hour. Neither of us have gotten a professional massage before, but we liked it very much and it may become a luxury of the trip. Our next stop is northern Thailand to a city named Change Mai. We plan to fly there and we hope to leave in a few days on the 15th.

We miss you all.

- J

Photos on flickr

desrosm — Mon, 11 May 2009 09:33:00 GMT

Just a note to everyone: we now have some of our pictures on flickr. We only have through the first two temples, but we will put the rest up soon. If you click on the flickr icon at the right of the screen, it will take you directly to our page. The icon is the pink and blue dot under "Follow Me." You can also go to: www.flickr.com/photos/meganjoe/

We luckily found a place where we could buy tickets to Laos; when we tried to book online, they wouldn't let us unless it was three days in advance. Our tuk-tuk driver, Mr. Vebol, is picking us up in 4 hours, and that will be all for our visit to Cambodia.

It is difficult to convey the beauty we have seen so far. You get a glimpse through our photos (sorry we're not artistic photographers) and we try to couple these images with worthy descriptions. But what makes this country beautiful is the amalgamation of all the sensory experiences. The sweet, spicy smells pouring from the sidewalk restaraunts; the sounds of chirping birds, playful teenagers, friendly honking (they go: "beep-beep" instead of "hooooooooonk"); and of course, all the beautiful colors, architecture, and smiling faces. There is also much sadness and poverty: land-mine victims do their best by selling books and performing in street bands; hungry children follow you around asking for "photo, sir, lady?". We could also do with less heat and mosquitoes, but all in all, we will miss Cambodia. I have a feeling, though, that there is something special in store for us in Laos.

~Meg

The Cam

desrosm — Sun, 10 May 2009 19:33:00 GMT

Friends, Family -

We are in our last night in Cambodia. Well, we hope it's our last night but it all depends on whether we can buy plane tickets in person tomorrow for a flight to Laos. But Cambodia, oh Cambodia. I have been very pleased with this country. Despite the heat, and our exhaustion from traveling from Seattle to here, this country has been a fantastic experience.

The Temples of Angkor are a true testament to the beauty in human craftsmanship. The time and energy (and sweat in 95 degree heat) that must have gone into building such massive structures are baffling to think about. But that's not what impressed me the most. I mean sure, the fact that thousands of hands were required for the creation of these temples and the fact that they floated tons of stone downriver is impressive. But it's the detail and the art that captures me. Everywhere is carved with beautiful artwork. Images of Gods, Kings, representations of religious stories and just symetric designs are everywhere. Every room, every hallway, and they're all consistant, all symetric, and this leaves you with a feeling of balance and peace. To the credit of the Angkor Empire, I left the Temples feeling more confident, more proud, of the human race.

But we all know that it is not the buildings or the terrain that makes a nation, but the people. And the Cambodian people are as kind and friendly as any that I have seen. At least in Siem Reap. Meg and I rode a tuk tuk to and around the temples (cart pulled by motorcycle) and the driver was incredibly friendly. The people on the streets and in restaurants have been the same. Even though only thirty years ago the people of Cambodia were ruled by a brutal, oppressive regime, today, they seem content and calm and as friendly as any that I have met.

Meg and I are relaxing at the moment. Tomorrow we hope to buy plane tickets in the morning and then fly to Luang Probang in Laos. Luang Probang is a river town noted for its laid-back atmosphere and temples. We don't have any plans while we are there which is great because Cambodia has been an expensive leg of our journey (Temple admission fees, transportation, etc.) and it will be nice to save a few bucks.

We love and miss you all and hope all is well.

- J

P.S. - What's the deal with the M's? Second place? Not cool. Tell Betancourt to put the team on his back and carry them like the MVP he is (that's for you Mike and Geno).

Don't worry Mom, we're alive.

desrosm — Wed, 6 May 2009 09:05:00 GMT

11 hour flight to Tokyo, 4 hour layover, 6 hour flight to Bangkok, 8 hour layover (night spent in airport), 1 hour flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia. That's 30 hour of traveling and doesn't include more than 3 hours of sleep at a time.

So... we're a little tired at this point. It is Wednesday morning at 6am right now; we fell asleep at 4pm yesterday, expecting to take a nap, but miraculously slept throught the alarm! Go figure. We woke up at 4am, and now Joey is sleeping again. Our guesthouse provides free internet, so I'm sitting on the open-air balcony enjoying the pleasant humidity (it's only pleasant at this hour) and the sounds of the tuk-tuks zoom by honking at eachother. The balcony faces the river, which is a lovely brown color (but doesn't seem to prevent locals from taking a dip), but the shady trees that line the river are quite lush and green.

We've decided to take another day to explore the little rural town of Siem Reap before we visit the Temples of Angkor. There's not much to do here, but another lazy day will do us some good.

Packing. Worrying. Errands. Stress. Oh wait, we get to go to Thailand!

desrosm — Sun, 3 May 2009 15:17:00 GMT

We leave tomorrow morning and both of us are still frantically packing all of the necessities (and I'm sure some extras that will soon feel like deadweight). So much planning has gone into this trip, and I'm very excited that it's all coming to fruition. There have been many discussions on the risks and dangers of this trip, but now that we're leaving I think we can begin to really feel the excitement this trip will provide and all the memories we're about to make!