epic vacation, part three: Bangkok

So, where did we leave off? Oh, right, paradise! A lovely one-hour flight later, we were in Thailand's capitol city. Hustle and bustle is my baseline, but, man, Bangkok takes it to another level: streets full of vendors, insane traffic, and bright neon lights.

Our lovely hotel (the Ramada Encore) was located smack-dab in the center of city, so we spent the first evening wandering around and eating the most delicious shrimp tom yum soup ever. Erik and I were definitely those tourists with our heads permanently tilted back and a dazed, amazed expression on our face. I may have also had a camera around my neck. Ha! The next morning, we headed to the old city to check out Wat Po and the Grand Palace. We gaped at the 150-foot-long golden Buddha with enormous mother-of-pearl feet just a few days after Obama did the same.

I actually saw these sights on my last trip to Thailand, but that didn't keep me from being any less awestruck. These temples are probably the most magnificent historical sites I've ever seen, with their bright colors, gold gilt, and endless detail. Erik took about a zillion pictures. Of course I could only force him to be in two.

After our eyeballs reached their maximum gorgeousness capacity, we made our way to the famous backpacker street of Khao Sarn Road. The thing I love about traveling with Erik is that we're both adventurous and not stuck on itineraries. We poked around and explored the side streets and, finally, when our feet ached, we plopped down and got $5 leg massages on the street. Ah-mazing. I wish that was an option in New York City! When we reached Khao Sarn, we shopped and I ate some amazing street pad thai. Sadly, Erik has a sensitive stomach so he watched jealously as I played Russian Roulette with my intestines. (I was fine.)

On the final day of the trip, we didn't have any set plans, so we took the train to a ginormous flea market in the northern part of the city. We bought a mask for our apartment, and I cooled off with a fresh coconut popsicle. By the time we were going to melt, it was time to have lunch with owner of a store in Thailand that carried Erik's clothes. (Side note: We spotted a bootleg knockoff of one of Erik's shirts in a night market, next to all the Nike stuff. Does this mean he's big time?!) The owner and his girlfriend were so sweet, and it was cool to see Erik's clothes sold in a place half a globe away.

The rest of the evening, we checked out a few more neighborhoods, rode in tuk-tuks, and (what else?) got one final Thai massage. I joked that I felt like a piece of Kobe beef. Sigh. It was truly THE trip of a lifetime. How are we going to top this one next year? Guess I should start planning now... ;)

epic vacation, part two: Phuket

To say that our vacation was ambitious is a bit of an understatement: Not only did we fly halfway across the world, but we also incorporated a seven-hour flight from Japan to Phuket. We booked on China Southern, connecting through Guang Zhou, to save a couple hundred bucks each. Oh, man! The flight was straight-up Chinese style, with packed seats, yelling people, and loud Mandarin pop music. It made me nostalgic about studying abroad. It made Erik nauseous and miserable. We were both relieved when we made it to our lovely hotel (Kantary Bay) in Phuket.

We spent the next day erasing our grumpiness by dipping into the crystal-blue ocean, basking in the golden sun, and lounging beneath palm trees. After a delicious lunch of satay, green papaya salad, and shrimp curry, we got Thai massages. It's like doing yoga without actually using your muscles. Ahhh. I felt relaxed and happy; so this was paradise! In the evening, we headed to the main city of Patpong. As soon as the bus dropped us off, I was so thankful that we didn't stay there. Erik said it reminded him of Tijuana. There were hordes of people, plenty of go-go bars, and loud music blasting everywhere. Eek.

The next morning, we woke to a torrential downpour. Uh-oh. Our only plans were a tour of Phi Phi and the surrounding islands. Fortunately, the skies opened up as our boat skipped across the ocean to our first snorkeling spot. The water felt silky smooth, and neon fish darted around the coral. For the rest of the day, we were ferried from one ridiculously gorgeous beach to the next. I mean...come on!

Hands down, the islands were the most gorgeous place I've ever been. Our boat drifted through craggy limestone mountains and past mysterious caves. We passed an azure-blue swimming hole from a James Bond movie and lounged on the actual white-sand beach from the movie The Beach. I couldn't stop saying, "I can't believe I'm here!" One stop was at a monkey-filled beach, although our guide kept repeating "rabies!" so I stayed a safe distance away.

After lunch and a few more beaches, everyone on our boat was considerably tanner or redder and sleepily blissed out. What an incredible, amazing, will-never-forget-it day. To top it all off, the sun began to sink as we headed towards shore, lighting up the sky in streaks of orange and pink.

It was one of the moments that made me feel grateful down to the very tips of my toes, and awed at the beauty in the world. Final thoughts? If you ever get the chance, dear reader, jump at the opportunity to go to Phuket. You won't ever regret it!