March 27 (Entry #16)

Posted by Howard Simpson at 3/28/2008 3:20 AM
Categories: uncategorized
I rearranged part of my trip in Australia in order to meet up with my friend Carly in Thailand.  In fact, I had it worked out so we both would land in Bangkok within 5 mins of each other.  When I got to the airport in Sydney though, I was informed that my flight had been canceled.  They graciously offered to put me up in a hotel, including dinner and a free whole three minute phone call, but this would not do.  I had no way to reach Carly who was already in the air (traveling from Hong Kong where she was visiting another friend of ours).  It was quite a frustrating few moments where no one would listen to the fact that I needed to meet a friend that I had no way of getting in touch with and that a day delay would totally derail all my other plans.  Finally I got someone who was sympathetic and actually got me on another airline’s flight getting me into Bangkok four hours earlier than originally planned.  After being mistreated by airlines many a time before (including once by a supposed old friend of my mother who did nothing more than give me a form and fax number to submit it to…and no, Mom, I won’t let it go), this effort was greatly appreciated.  The new flight worked out both for the schedule, and because the airport had free internet, so I spent those four hours watching some tournament basketball!

By the time Carly and I actually connected, got to the city and our hotel, the day was half gone.  We quickly went out to see some of the main wats (temples).  Unfortunately, due to the death of the king's sister, whose body was on display at the Great Palace, many of the wats and the Great Palace were open to only native Thai.  Couple that with the fact that every person we spoke to gave us a different time for when the palace would open again (2:30, then 4:30, then finally not at all),  
we had to miss out on one of the main Bangkok attractions.  We did get in a nice canal tour and a viewing of the famous Reclining Buddha.  That night we met up with some friends of
  mine from business school who are in Thailand doing the same school trip that I did last year.  We briefly considered Bangkok’s ‘must-see’ ping pong show (if you don’t know it, I’m not going to explain it to you), but opted for the more tranquil setting of an Irish bar.  Despite some of the places being closed, I liked Bangkok, at least better than the first time I visited it last year.  It was still oppressively humid, but the city didn’t seem as dirty as I remember it and I enjoyed the crazy liveliness that was going on all around.

The next morning it was off to Phuket, Thailand’s biggest island and gateway to the paradisiacal island of Ko Phi Phi.  Phuket was as I remembered it, nice beach, pleasant restaurants, and way too built up and busy for an island getaway.  I enjoyed our time there sitting on the beach and checking out the scene at Patong, but was happy when we caught a ferry the following day to Phi Phi.  

  Although there was significantly more development than when I had been there a year before (as post-Tsunami building continues to take place), the island remained the calm getaway it is known for; no cars, beaches everywhere, and naturally formed breathtaking coves.  The first afternoon there was split between the hotel pool and the beach just a 40 second walk away.  On Tuesday we went on a diving trip.  I was doing
I was doing my 9th and 10th dive and Carly was doing an introductory dive.  The visibility was great!  I knew the visibility at the Barrier Reef in Australia wasn't great when I dove there, but I didn't realize how bad it was until I was able to compare it with the visibility at Ko Phi Phi (that being said, the reef was better in Australia).  Both dives were good and relaxing, just the way I like them.  I also was able to entertain myself between dives with some fun jumping off the top of the boat.

We woke up early the next morning to catch the ferry back to Phuket and then fly to Bangkok.  We were really hoping to make it back in time to check out the sites we missed a few days before, but it didn't happen.  I felt bad that it didn't work out for Carly to see the sites.  While I would have liked to have seen those places, the truth is everything I've done in Thailand so far basically mirrored my trip from last year, so I didn't necessarily need to see those places again.  We cut our losses and just enjoyed the area we were staying in, which was a cool little strip with a great vibe...oh, and a Chabad house across the street from the hotel, for those of you who care (Mom & Dad).

Now Carly is headed back home.  The comfort of speaking the same language as the locals in New Zealand and Australia and other people I have been traveling with (although I couldn't understand most of what the Irish were saying) is now behind me and there's definitely a language barrier that I have to deal with now in Asia.  But with all the exciting things I have ahead of me and after being a bit rejuvenated by hanging out with a group of friends from home, I am ready to head out again on my own.  Off to northern Thailand now!

Click here to see photos from my first week in Thailand
 

What did you think of this article?




Trackbacks
Trackback specific URL for this post
  • No trackbacks exist for this post.
Comments
Display comments as (Linear | Threaded)

Leave a comment

 Enter the above security code (required)

 Name

 Email (will not be published)

 Website

Your comment is 0 characters limited to 3000 characters.