Our First Package

So it IS possible to send packages to Bangkok. I have read horror stories about people shipping things here (high import taxes and complications with customs), but am so so happy to say there were no problems this time around.

My sweet sister sent some essentials  (there were 3 packs of Twizzlers... now in conservation mode after being overeager) along with a great book that has tons of ideas for my classes.

Such a special treat - thank you, sisterbear!

Khao Lak + Phuket

We had a full week off work for the Thai new year - Songkran - and went on a road trip with our friends Adam and Wara. We left from Bangkok on Friday night at midnight and drove about 12 hours down to Khao Lak - a popular nature preserve and beach town north of Phuket. We spent a few days here before driving a couple more hours to Phuket and spending a few days there exploring the huge island. It's been an absolutely amazing holiday and we're heading back to Bangkok tonight to get settled in before starting work again on Monday. Here is a photo diary of our trip.

Seen at a rest stop as we got into southern Thailand.

Our chariot felt out of place in the jungle. Now in Khao Lak!

Standard party in the back of the pick-up.

Drenched after celebrating Songkran with a city-wide, all-day water fight.

Sam was a bit more colorful after the Songkran festivities.

Got to meet some Thai cowboys.

Sam surfed all day at Pakarang beach, Khao Lak.

Sand crabs make their holes by tossing out these
little sand balls in often impressive patterns.
They're so tiny, too!

It's a stuffed omelette...

...Stuffed with pad thai! Heavenly.

Your average tourists on a motorbike.

The sign welcomes you without admitting the cape is
still a distant, steep and winding journey away.

The elusive Dragon Cape beach.

Laem Sing beach, Phuket.

Happy after a busy day of wave jumping and body surfing.

One of the more picturesque areas of Phuket town. 

Sunset at Nai Harn beach.

My First Border Run

We arrived here in January on a business visa intending to have our work permits within the three allotted months given to us on the visa. In order to apply for the work permit, our school needs to have a license. We had the inspection and submitted everything for the license about two months ago and since then it's been a waiting game. As we continue to wait for the license, Sam and I needed to reapply for a visa to be working in the country. 

The 'border run' is a commonplace occurrence here as many folks arrive on short term tourist visas and need to cross the border and come back whenever their time runs out. By now, you already know how I feel about land borders - they stress me out. Add to my general agitation from land borders the communication in broken English about how this particular visa run will work: bring your passport, passport photos and 20,000baht in cash. A wonderful Thai woman who helps us get things done at school arranged this procedure involving a connection her brother has with someone at immigration.

Sam and I met Ju (the wonderful Thai woman who works for the school's Thai owner and helps us with so much) at 8am on Wednesday. With her - her brother with the connection, Gheo, and their adorable mom, mai in Thai. Things are going the Thai way - everything is a family affair here and everything involves someone who has a connection. Check, check.

We got in the van with a driver and began the 5ish hour drive to Aranyaprathet, a Thai border city next to Cambodia. We slept most of the way, enjoying the large and comfortable van as a stark contrast to the way we're historically accustomed to arriving at land borders. 

Our ride to the border.

Ju knew some fabulous places to eat in Aranyaprathet - each meal we had was delicious and I was eager to try new food at her suggestion - all aroi mak ma (very delicious). She told us about the Vietnamese influence here and took us to two great Vietnamese places. This dish is from our meal at a Thai place where the cook is a regal looking 84-year-old woman. She knows how it's done.

Suki - vegetables/noodle soup with egg.

We stayed at a far nicer hotel on the work tab than Sam and I normally do in border towns and it was fun to lounge in the big bed and watch English TV shows.

Chez Tournesol.

After settling into our room, we went right to the border to see about the visa. Having been through here twice before and now with three Thai people, I felt quite a lot more comfortable, but still hugged by backpack to my stomach as if I had precious jewels in there. The place is just full of people doing everything from sitting around to pulling wagons to peddling an overpriced visa to Cambodia. We maneuvered through a large crowd of people sitting just outside the border office and I kept my head down to avoid awkward eye contact with the people staring at the only white people in sight. Ju pulled us right to the front of the line of about 20 people waiting for stamps and we had our passports checked right then and went to the back room while Ju, her brother and the immigration police talked and smiled and nodded to me and Sam. 

Cambodian side of the border.

We walked away and left the Thai side and got in a tuk tuk to the Star Vegas Casino (one of many in this no man's land between the border of Thailand and Cambodia). I guess we were killing time while our passports were being processed. It was surreal - passportless in this no man's land that is historically notorious for human trafficking and here we are going into a casino. Don't worry, family, we stayed alert and Ju was by our side the whole time. After some people watching, duty free shopping and a stroll through the pawn shop (sad vibe in a casino pawn shop), we went back to the border to see if our visas were ready. All was well, we said many kapkunka's (thank yous) and wais (polite bows) and walked back into Thailand.

There is an enormous market on the Thai side, so of course we rented a golf cart and went shopping.

Rongkluea market.

Songkran (Thai New Year) shirts.

Mai bpen rai (no worries) as they say in Thailand. Everything worked out for our first visa run thanks to Ju and her brother and mother. It ended up being a great getaway and so much fun to hang out with what now feels like our Thai family.

Photos from Pattaya + Koh Laan

Forgot I took pictures on my regular camera during this trip. Here they are!

The main beach in Pattaya.

Downtown Pattaya.

Bell at the Confucius/Lao Tzu memorial near Buddha Hill.

Seen near Buddha Hill.

The main beach on Koh Laan island.

Pattaya skyline.

Pattaya + Koh Laan

Our first weekend trip out of town! Friday was full of anticipation and excitement at having consecutive days off for the first time since beginning work - and it's a 3-day weekend, too!

Our blue dot in the Gulf of Thailand. Pattaya nearby on the coast.

After work on Friday, we said farewell to our first friend moving out of Bangkok. Nick played hockey with Sam and I'm sad to see him go, but happy to have met him! Who knows when/if our paths might cross again.

We went to the bus station having just missed tickets for the next bus. We were bummed because that meant arriving late to Pattaya. Just as we were resigned to waiting around, a man came up to us saying he has tickets for the bus leaving now but his friend isn't here yet, can we switch? Talk about great karma. Felt like a great omen to the weekend.

View from our apartment - Pattaya is a pretty big beach town.

After an easy 2-hour bus ride, we arrived to meet Michel, our Air BnB host and got settled in. Then we went out to explore the area. Our apartment was set back a bit from the main drag and as we got closer to the beach, the more lively things became - markets, pubs, gogo bars, clubs - all swarming with a diverse crowd of people but 60-something white guys and young Asian women were a large majority.

Songtoew on Beach Rd (Pattaya's main drag).

On Saturday, Sam went to his hockey team's charity golf tournament while I slept in late. He was enjoying the day on the green while I went to the main beach (not ideal for swimming) and took the songtoews (open truck taxis) around town. I practised my Thai skills, walked up Buddha Hill and along Jomtien beach. After Sam's event, we met up to walk around town and ended our long days in the sun with 2-hour massages for 700baht (12USD each).

Big Buddha.

Happy to be on the water!

Island sighting.

On Sunday, we slept in and took the ferry to a nearby island, Koh Laan. We chose one of the smaller beaches to spend the day and ended up running into Sam's friend, Vlad, from hockey. Sam and I got manicures and pedicures on the beach while sipping Chang and talking with friends. We took the ferry back as the sun set and breathed in the lovely Gulf air. 

Hat (beach) Tien on Koh (island) Laan.

All in all, a great weekend and I'm excited to go back again :)

Sunset over Koh Laan.