Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta

eric_stahler — Sat, 15 Mar 2014 18:54:00 GMT

We just arrived in the backpacker hotspot, Koh Phi Phi, a small island in the Andaman Sea. We got here by ferry from Koh Lanta which was our first stop in Thailand. Koh Lanta was beautiful but quiet and more family oriented. Koh Phi Phi is the opposite. We went to dinner with this Swedish couple, Victor and josephone, who were a lot of fun. We went to the beach bars where we jumped through a ring ofnfire, watched ten year old kids do a fire show, and got smashed on the beach. It was another good night and definitely lives up to the stories of Thai islands. We also got massages in Koh Lanta which was awesome, ill definitely be getting more of those. The bus from Penang was an adventure in itself. We booked through a travel agent that cost about 20 dollars for an 8 ride. It was a little mini bus fully packed, we were with two couples from malaysia, an old Norwegian man, and a Russian couple. The bus stopped almost every hour to get gas or or for some other reason before getting to the border of Thailand. Once we got in the driver dropped us off at another travel agent where we switched buses, we then switched buses 2 more times, once on the side of the highway where the driver gave us cash to give to the other driver across the street. It took us a total of 4 buses and 13 hours but we eventually made it. Gotta love the transportation systems in southeast Asia.

End of Korea and Malaysia

eric_stahler — Sat, 1 Mar 2014 21:09:00 GMT

We arrived in kuala Lumpur yesterday after spending four nights in busan, the second largest city in Korea. For one thing, the weather was much better in the south of the country. We really enjoyed busan, maybe even more than Seoul, mostly because of the people and great experiences we had there. On the first day, after hiking to a temple and a fortress, we decided to go to a traditional Korean bathhouse known as a jimjibang. At first its a bit daunting, hundreds of completely naked men walking around wearing nothing but a hand towel slung over their shoulder, but the facilities were amazing. They had about 8 different types of pools at varying temperatures and for different purposes. Rob and I actually both ended up striking up conversations with 2 Korean men enjoying a typical spa day. I met this professor at the university of Cambridge, he showed me the various pools and we chatted for about two hours about all sorts of things, all while being completely nude. Under any other circumstances it would have been weird.

The last day in busan was just one of those days that makes traveling worth while. We began the day by walking to Igida park, a coastal park with a great view of the skyline, when we were approached by an elderly man named Ahn who just wanted to practice some English. After waking a few blocks together, Ahn asked if he could tag along with us and practice his English, he was actually on his way to English class but thought we could be better teachers for the day. He called up his friend Li, who was a fifty year old woman also in his class, to pick us up and drive us to the park. We spent the entire afternoon together, waking along the coast and exploring the park. Ahn had a great sense of humor and was in incredible shape for a man just shy of 70. He also tried to set me up with Li multiple times even though she had kids my age. He even took us out to lunch at a really nice restaurant that served this native seafood dish aruukjim, we ate so much it hurt.

After parting ways with Ahn and Li, we met up with a group of Korean college kids that were more our age. We met them at the hostel as they had to find and meet foreigners for their English class. It was a great time, they took us to the student area where we got this boiled chicken dish in soy sauce and chili. We honestly felt like celebrities with these kids, they were so generous, welcoming, and just intrigued about our lives. We went and had some makele and honey, as Koreans always find a way to drink. It was nice to get to see how typical Koreans our age lived and spend their lives. It's incredible how hard they work and how they still continue these ageless traditions, such as the oldest man always serving the alcohol or placing your hand over your chest when accepting something. Busan was great and we hope to circle back if we can.

Travel Journal

Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta

End of Korea and Malaysia