Thailand Part 2: Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Koh Phi Phi

I decided to spend the last month of my trip in Thailand because I wanted to enjoy the beautiful beaches before I went back to the cold weather in the U.S. My friend Keith from Chicago met me in Bangkok to spend 2 of my 4 remaining wks. This is what we have been up to these past 13 days....

Bangkok - Keith and I enjoyed the city life in Bangkok. Bangkok is like any other major city in the world: great nightlife, delicious food, high energy, tons of shopping, and lots of people. We went to a few bars and a club. When we were at the club we noticed so many older Western men with these young 20 yr old "girlfriends". It was so gross because these men could be my grandfather! Then it hit me that people thought I was Keith's "thai girlfriend". This has been assumed everywhere we go. We spent one night in Bangkok before we flew to Chiang Mai the next morning.


Chiang Mai - Chiang Mai is located north of Bangkok and it is known for its many temples and
and its beautiful natural surroundings. Keith and I are both beach people but our friend Jill told us that Chiang Mai was a MUST SEE in Thailand so we took her advice. Keith and I loved Chiang Mai because it had the great offerings of a city with a quaint small town feel. We spent 2 days in Chiang Mai before we went further north to a small village that was about an hour away.

We decided to do a 2 day hike to this village and stay overnight to really experience this village life. The hike was a lot of fun but definitely challenging because the path was steep and rocky, PLUS it was close to 100 degrees. When we reached the top we landed at our destination: a small village with a bunch of huts and dirt roads. These huts were the size of a typical condo in Chicago or DC. They all had roofs made of straw and the huts didn't have any windows or doors so you can see right through them. Keith and I stayed in one of the huts that was organized through our tour group. Our group consisted of 10 people and we all slept in one room on top of a thin mat. Our shower was just a hose w/cold water. There was no electricty in these huts so they had to cook our food over a fire and use flashlights to walk around. There was obviously no plumbing either so no toilets. Instead, just a hole in the ground. We were definitely roughing it in this village. After dinner, we walked outside and looked up in the sky to see so many bright stars shining since we were so far away from the city lights. It was definitely breathtaking!

We only spent one night here but it was definitely an experience I will never forget. Before we had dinner in our hut, Keith and I walked around to check out the area. As I mentioned earlier, there are no sidewalks or grass. The ground is just plain brown dirt everywhere. There are families that live in these huts with their little children. Keith and I saw several kids and adults kicking a ball around in the dirt. There was no goal to kick the ball into. They were just kicking the ball to each other. I'll never forget the smiles on the faces of these kids and adults. They seem to be having the time of their lives laughing and enjoying this game of kicking the ball. At that moment I wondererd if there was anything in this world that could make them happier than that moment of kicking the ball? I couldn't ask them because they didn't speak English. This scene really opened my eyes because these people only have the clothes on their backs and that's pretty much it. I didn't see any funiture or any appliances/electronics in their see-through huts yet they seem to be extremely happy and fulfilled. This image has been on my mind since we left the village.

After our time in the village, we started our hike down and went to an elephant camp. Once we arrived at the camp, we took an elephant ride through the forest. It was fun for the first 15 mins and then Keith and I got bored since it went on for about an hour! After our hike and time in the village, we spent one more night in Chiang Mai before we went to southern Thailand for BEACH TIME!!!!

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas in Phuket which is Thailand's largest island. We both heard great things about Phuket so we were excited to spend time here. Phuket is definitely NOT a hidden secret because it felt like everyone in the world was there. Phuket is a beautiful island but it's extremely touristy and very commercialized. You don't feel like you're in a foreign country...instead you feel like you're in L.A. (not that L.A. is a bad thing).

After two days in Phuket, we took the ferry over to Koh Phi Phi island to spend the next 4 days. Once we arrived in Koh Phi Phi, we absolutely loved it! Even though it is a much smaller island, there is plenty to do and everyone on this island seeemed like a bunch of young professionals so you don't run into many riff raff characters. This island is filled with many tourists from Sweden. We quickly learned that this is the #1 Vacation spot for Sweden. Keith and I weren't complaining because the Swedish men and women are gorgeous....all tall, blonde, bright blue eyes, great bodies, etc....now I can see how Tiger Woods' wife fits in to Sweden. The beaches in Koh Phi Phi are very beautiful and more relaxing because it's not as crowded as Phuket. The nightlife in Koh Phi Phi reminds me and Keith of Chicago in the SUMMER! Anyone who has been to Chicago in the summer knows that there is no better place in the world than Chi-town during the months of May through Sept. Koh Phi Phi is this way but all year round....now you can see why we love it so much! Aside from laying out everyday, I went diving again and enjoyed the underwater life. I wish fish could talk because I wonder what they think of us when we hover over them.

Originally, Keith and I were planning on going back to Phuket for New Year's because Steve and Christy were flying into Phuket on Dec 30th. We have now changed our plans and we are all spending New Year's in Koh Phi Phi. I can't think of a better place to ring in 2009! Christy and Steve arrived early this morning and we are having a great time! Today was his birthday....Happy Birthday Steve!!!! Happy New Year everyone!!!!