My Test of Strength in Thailand...

...And I passed!

Here is the blog about my trip to Thailand:

Day 1

Arrived in Krabi with no problem except that I arrived when it was raining. That worried me a bit. My private drivers picked me up from Krabi airport and took me to the hotel. I hired private drivers because I was traveling alone and wanted to be safe and secure. I got to the hotel...Pavilion Queen's Bay....Wow!!! Here is a link:

http://www.pavilionhotels.com/queensbay/spa.php?lang=en

I loved it!!!! I was in heaven! So then after I got my room and stuff, I took a tuk tuk down to Ao Nang Beach where there is some food and shopping. I'm getting better at haggling...I asked the tuk tuk guys how much and they said 40 baht...I looked at them and said but the hotel people said 20 baht(which they did) and they laughed!! So I talked them down to 30 baht...

Another haggling tactic I had and which is one I do when I always go shopping because I'm so damn indecisive is this: I pick soemthing that I want and the shopkeeper gives me a price...then I sit there (yes, I do do this in real life when no haggling is involved) and groan and gimace and say how expensive it is and I can't afford and I stand there FOREVER thinking and/or pretending to think and trying to decide to get it...the shopkeepers get so annoyed that they keep bringing the price down!! Although...I really think they were really OVERCHARGING me...Everybody says you can stuff in Thailand for CHEAP...even the Taiwanese! But everything I bought seemed to be about the same as in a nightmarket in Taiwan so I think they were really overcharging me...Oh well...it was still cheap enough for me :)

I was also so happy to eat Thai food...I can't eat spicy food though because I have a weak stomach and acid reflux but was so happy to have Spring Rolls and Thai Sweet and Sour Chicken and Fried Bananas all weekend!!! :) And the coconut shakes, orange shakes and banana shakes!!! Yum!!!!

The I went back to the hotel and sat on my swing on the balcony and relaxing and enjoying the moment and then had a great sleep!


Day 2
Got up early and decided I wanted to go on a tour but didn't know which one. Well, I didn't get up that early and missed the "James Bond Island Tour" There was a tour place in the hotel and so I asked the lady what they had to offer and she mentioned the "Tiger Cave Temple" which I researched before going and found out they have a Guanyin temple there...so I decided I would go, but the tour for the temple and the rainforest walk had already started so I got a private taxi to take me and wait for me there...1,000 baht..a little pricey, but I wanted to see the temple really badly!!!

When I got there it was so cool! Lots of shrines and temples and people selling temple wares and offerings for you to offer to the gods. It was s o hot, but so awesome! I got pics of the temples and shrines and met one Thai nun whose husband is Taiwanese and lives in Kaohsiung and they go back and forth seeing each other!! She spoke Chinese to me so it was good practice!

She then showed me the Guanyin temple and I went there and prayed. People must think it is odd for an American girl to NOT be Christian and to pray to such gods and goddesses as Buddha and Guanyin, but it just works for me. I'm all about what Guanyin stands for...helping people and other beings on this planet alike. She is the goddess of mercy and it just happens to be something that I believe in.

I also made an offering with a thin gold piece of metal and put it in a box, where an elderly nun gave me a rust colored braided bracelet(which I lost snorkeling :( ) and then I bought a tiny stone statue of some god encased in a tiny plastic box with Thai writing on it...I think it will help me!

I also bought a string of Jade prayer beads from the Guanyin part of the area. It was so cool to see the monkeys there and this whole area is by a cave!! There were dogs there too, but they were homeless dogs and even though the people fed the monkeys bananas the dogs go hungry which made me sad...I wish I had dog food to give them :( I use the prayer beads and count them and chant to help me sleep because lately I have too many thoughts in my head and can't fall asleep....

Then I went back to the hotel...ordered room service-Thai Sweet and Sour Chicken (My ABSOLUTE fave) and iced tea. I ate it on the balcony and then put some pillows on the awesome swing and napped for two hours! Then I got up and had a driver take me to the Krabi nightmarket since none of the other guests were going or taking the bus...The Krabi nightmarket smelled better than Taiwan's-The scents of Jasmine, Lemongrass and curry filled the air!! But besides the smells and the fruit and curry, it was pretty lousy and small.

So then the driver took me back to Ao Nang where..of course I did more shopping :) and then went back to the hotel ate some pre-cut pomelo..I LOVE pomelo and then went to bed!


Day 3 "Four Islands Snorkeling Tour"

On Day 3, I woke up early and had hotel buffet breakfast and then waited for my snorkeling guide. Since I was alone, Hino told me to tell everyone that my "boyfriend" was a BIG STRONG Thai Policeman!! Hahaha! Like anyone would believe that, so I told everyone my "boyfriend"was back at the hotel doing business. Little did they know my poor REAL boyfriend was back in Taiwan!

And since I was alone for the tour, they put me in with another group, but still had my private snorkeling guide. So when I got on the tuk tuk to go to the tour I got on and said hi and smiled to everyone and they all just glared at me (Mostly western tourists). I thought it was such a shame that Western tourists and expats in Asia are so effin grumpy!! No one here EVER looks happy...EVEN in paradise like this!!!

So then we got on a Thai longtail boat and headed out for the islands. On our first stop my snorkeling guide took me around and showed me the coral. By then I mentioned I had a boyfriend and he seemed disappointed (which grossed me out because he could have been my dad!!!!! Blech!) so then he started asking where my boyfriend was and I said he was her on business and then my guide said "On a Saturday?" And I said yes, that the Taiwanese work every day...which is actually true!! Then later two Thai guys were like "Hey! You got a boyfriend??" And I said "Yeah, but he's doing business!" They didn't believe me but everyone else on the tour thought it was so TERRIBLE that my boyfriend was working instead of being with me-hahahahahaha!!!

So anyways...at the first island..there were a school or two of fish in the shallow end of the beach and it was so cool because they'd just swim around everyone!

On the second island we didn't get off...we just snorkeled right off the boat close to the island...it was Chicken island...

The third island we had shrimp fried rice and that was when I relaxed and hung out with some girls from Malaysia on the tour...they were pretty cool!

The fourth island was Railay and my snorkeling guide insisted I get my money's worth and show me the cave and the rock climbers and stuff...by then I was tired and the whole point was just for me to snorkel and lay on the beach, plus I am surnburnt from head to toe...It is Tuesday now and I'm STILL in pain!!! Hahaha! (Need to invest in a wetsuit!) but it was cool to see the stalgmites and stalactites and East Railay...then we got back on the longtail boat and headed back. After that where did I go?? Of course! Ao Nang for more shopping and eating!!! ;)

I also ended up getting a head, leg and foot "After Sun" massage and a manicure and pedicure for only 550 baht!!!

Day 4 Back Home

On the last day I ended up having to stay in Bangkok airport for 6 hours!!! Thank god it's new and there is lots of shopping!! Everytime I have a connecting flight it is in Bangkok!!!

Oh! And I loved Thai Air! Their female flight attendants had the prettiest Thai sarong and uniforms and the seats reminded me of my parents'Christmas tree a couple years ago...pink, gold and purple!! And they smelled so good!! I wanted to buy Thai perfume at the airport, but wasn't sure if I would be allowed to take it on the plane since they don't allow anything over 100 ml...:(


I will NEVER forget this experience and have decided that when I have enough money, I will buy a vacation house there and...would LOVE to get married there!!!!!! It was so romantic!!! There were times where I really wished Hino was there to share it with me...like on the snorkeling trip, but we have plenty of opportunities!

As for right now, I'm back in Taiwan and my sunburn hurts like hell, but it was so worth it!!!

Now I'm going to go take a nap for bit and catch up on sleep again!

Khap hoon khap or however you say thank you in Thai! :)

P.S. I will try to have another Thailand slideshow soon!!