Georgetown
Food in Penang
Jewish Cemetery in Penang
Driving to Penang Hill
Penang Botanical Garden
Penang by Night

Pam Bok Waterfall Near Pai

We’ve uploaded new photo albums from our first two days here in Pai in the North of Thailand. Check out photos of our motorbike travels:

Pai, Thailand – Day 1
Pai, Thailand – Day 2

Tin Tin Up Close

Going to the north of Thailand without riding an elephant is a little like going to Vegas without gambling. Yesterday, on our first full day in Pai, we decided to go elephant riding in the afternoon. For our journey, we got “Tin Tin”, a huge female elephant who doesn’t look a day older than 412. Tin Tin, as we learned moments later, is a moody girl with a serious gas problem (the two are related, I suspect).

We rode on Tin Tin’s back, along with our guide, Chai, and were focusing very hard to not fall off. It is very tricky to hold on to the ropes and balance on top of a huge elephant. In addition to being challenging, it is also PAINFUL. Tin Tin had rough skin and very sharp prickly hair that rubbed against our legs as we were holding on tightly. Our guide was yelling orders at her the whole journey to the river but she was disobeying every single one, my kind of girl!

After what seemed like an hour (but really covered only a few hundred meters), we finally reached the river. This was where the real fun began. The water transformed Tin Tin from a grumpy old lady into a playful little girl. She had a great time splashing water on us, dropping us into the river and turning from side to side dipping one of us at a time in the brown waters. We got a real taste of the rodeo and were both super sore. We could barely walk away when the ride was over and we swore to wait another decade (at least) before the next ride.

Bamboo Rafting down the River

Next followed a special treat – we were met by another guy who took us down the river on a bamboo raft. As this is the dry season, the river was very calm and the ride peaceful. We got to see all kinds of animals on the way and wave to people going about their business by the river. The trip ended with the sunset behind the Pai mountains. It was gorgeous.

One of the many dirt roads around Koh Mak

We decided to end our week long stay on the islands by spending two nights in Koh Mak – a smaller island off of Koh Chang. We took a slow boat from Koh Chang’s fisherman’s village and an hour later we were on a gorgeous new island. Even before getting off the boat, I could already see that the water was crystal clean turquoise and the scenery resembled one of those posters you see in a tour agency. Koh Mak is definitely less touristy than Koh Chang with far less resorts, restaurants and activities. There are stretches of land where you see nothing but trees (and dogs). It is very quiet and somewhat secluded, a perfect romantic getaway.

We stayed at “Monkey Island” in a simple bungalow with a bed, mosquito net and an outdoor shower attached to the room (there is no ceiling, showering is done under the stars). In the evening, we listened to a live acoustic Thai music performance at the resort sitting a few steps from the beach. Can’t say I liked the music but I definitely enjoyed the atmosphere. In the middle of our first night we woke up to the sound of a major downpour. We were surprised by how dry everything stayed inside of the cabin but we both got soaked going out to the bathroom.

Learning to ride the bike on Koh Mak

The best way to explore the island is by riding a motorbike. We wanted to be sure to try every single beach and sample every dish around (not very hard to do as I counted 3 restaurants in total, not including resorts). Last year, while on Phu Quoc island in Vietnam, Kevin started teaching me how to ride the motorcycle. I am guessing there are still a few locals in Phu Quoc laughing their heart out at that unforgettable driving lesson. While in Koh Mak, we decided to try again, we were on a deserted island after all. This time, we rented an automatic bike and it made a huge difference! After a 10min lesson in the resort’s parking lot, I drove out to the main street and started riding around. We rode around on dirt paths exploring hidden paths and pristine beaches. It was super fun! Here are some photos from Koh Mak.

On Thursday morning, we left the island and embarked on a full day’s journey to Chiang Mai, all the way in the north of Thailand. A speedboat, minivan, bus, plane and taxi later, we were settling into our charming room at the guesthouse.

Hiking up the Mountain in Koh Chang

The only part of my body that doesn’t actually ache at the moment is my fingers which is why I am able to type this post. This morning Kevin and I got picked up at our resort and drove to the northern tip of the island for a full day of trekking in the jungle. We sat in a back of a pickup truck while the driver took us through steep mountain roads. As we were driving north, we had a chance to meet the other members of our small group (a French couple and a Scottish couple) and I noticed that all but me were wearing professional trekking shoes. Hmm. I definitely have a pair somewhere at home in New York where I will never ever need to use them.

Twenty minutes later, we were in the jungle, ready and excited to start the day. Our guide, Mr. Tan (who came highly recommended by my friend Keren), gave us each a walking stick, two bottles of water and a lunch box to take with us. At first, we walked through an orchid where Tan showed us different fruits (Banana, Rambutan, Eggplant, Durian, Lime) and spices (Chili, Basil, Lemongrass) grown locally while explaining how they are used in Thai cuisine.

That concluded the easy portion of the day and we quickly started climbing up the mountain.

Tan walked the six of us through thick vegetation, narrow trails and sometimes scary pathways. It definitely reminded me of my favorite show “Lost”, I was just hoping “The Others” were on a different island this week. We stopped every once in a while to see interesting trees and animals and admire the view from up high. It was gorgeous!

A 500m climb is definitely not part of my daily routine in New York, it was rough! We were both covered in sweat (and mosquitos) for most of the day. After four hours of hiking up the mountain, we reached the summit and stopped for a much needed break at a waterfall. Jumping into the cool water was exactly what we needed after exerting ourselves. We all had lunch by the waterfall and relaxed for a while.

The worst part about climbing up is definitely climbing down. This proved to be more challenging than I had expected since the strap on my new shoes broke within the first 30 seconds of our climb. I guess that’s what you get for 200 Baht. With torn sandals and achy legs, I started descending. After about an hour (kinda felt like 3), we were back in civilization and ready for a cold beer.

We figured we got a really good workout and can treat ourselves to a “naughty rotee” which is what we have nicknamed the super fattening banana rotee (banana crepe with condensed milk). It was a really fun day and I’m glad we got to see some of the beautiful mountainous terrain of Ko Chang.

Floating Market, Can Tho

This is my third visit to Vietnam, I have seen many of the wonderful sights all along the country but have never visited the Mekong Delta before. I have always wanted to go and see the southwest of Vietnam where the Mekong river ends its long journey from China through Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.

This past weekend I went to visit my friend Thi Bay in Can Tho, the largest city in the Mekong Delta. After a 5hr bus ride from HCMC through rice fields, villages and towns, I was finally at the campus where Thi Bay lives. Six months ago, Thi Bay left NY for a teaching position at Can Tho University and a chance to reconnect with her Vietnamese roots (her grandfather was Vietnamese, a fact she has to repeat 5 times a day on average). In a short time, Thi Bay has become somewhat of a local star in a city that has very few foreigners. From students walking by to the Xe Om drivers outside the gate, everybody knows her and wants to have a little chat.

I spent my first evening walking around Ninh Kieu Quay by the river where dozens of cafes offer a romantic setting and great drinks. It also happens to be the place where young couples make out by night and get married by day (lots of wedding halls all along the river).

The next morning, I got up at 5:45AM (!!) and hurried to meet another friend from HCMC, Nga, who was waiting for me by the river. Nga and I hired a private boat and went on a 4 hr boat ride up and down the river. First we visited Phong Dien floating market where merchants from all around the area come to buy fruit and vegetables for their stores/stands. The whole transaction takes place from the boats: the sellers tie a sample of their produce to a pole to indicate what’s on sale and the buyers approach with their boats to buy coconut, pineapple, dragonfruit, watermelon or any other fruit of the day. Many of the sellers live with their families on their boat, some even have their pets with them.

After the floating market, Nga, who is originally from Can Tho, suggested we visit the My Khanh resort. The resort used to be farmland but in the past 4 years, it has been transformed into a hotel with its own little zoo. I saw so many animals! Snakes, crocodiles, monkeys, pigs, bats, frogs all living rent free at this beautiful resort. We stopped for a nice snack and drink in one of the small restaurants at the resort. We then got back on the boat and went to a family farm to the north. The farm also had many animals and trees all around and I saw the largest snake ever, I never want to see it outside its cage.

Later in the afternoon, Thi Bay and I went to visit the Khmer Pagoda in the city and walked around the beautiful alleyways of Can Tho stopping to eat every couple of hours…The food in Can Tho is simply excellent, I tried many new dishes for the first time and liked them all. Even the fruit tastes better in Can Tho.

Life runs slower in Can Tho, everyone is very calm and smiley. The only ones working double time are the mosquitoes. Sitting at outdoor cafes at night is fun but adds about 20 new bites each time. As I am not taking Malaria pills this time around, I was hoping these mosquitoes were of the friendly kind. Animals are an integral part of life in Can Tho. At Thi Bay’s place, there are 5 geckos and 3 frogs at any given time, she even had a snake recently! She tried to reassure me by saying that she’s not sure whether it was a green Mamba or a Python, I was feeling real calm after that. AHHHH!

I got to meet Thi Bay’s friend and neighbor, Anh To who is a student at Can Tho. Since both Thi Bay and Anh To were attending weddings that weekend, the conversation naturally drifted to wedding customs. Anh To told me that in Vietnam, the bride’s family traditionally sends a pig’s head to the groom’s family on the night of the wedding. If the bride turns out to not be a virgin, god forbid, then the groom’s family cuts off the pig’s ear and sends it back to the bride’s family the following day. Depending on how mad they are, they might even send the bride back. It really made me laugh as I was thinking of all the pigs’ ears that would need to be Fedex’ed in the U.S. if such a custom existed.

On Saturday I decided to take a speedboat back to HCMC instead of the bus so I could enjoy a few more hours on the river. The journey back was so very peaceful until about 10 minutes before we reached the city. The guys running the boat, managed to miscalculate the amount of gas we need in order to get back and we got stuck with no gas in the middle of the Mekong. We were right at the entrance to the port and I could already see HCMC from afar. Within minutes, huge cruise line ships were coming our way honking very loudly so that we would get out of the way not knowing we are stuck and cannot move. Troi Oi!!! (OMG) Stranded at sea with no way to signal to them that we are stuck. Luckily, another boat towed our boat to the banks of the river so that we don’t get run over by one of the bigger ships. The guys called their office and through someone translating the drama into English, I learned that help was on the way. Another piece of good news was that the weird sounding baby cry from the back of the boat was in fact, a real live chicken inside someone’s bag. If we were to get stuck for a while, at least we had dinner.

About 45min later our boat was refueled and we continued on to HCMC. Quite an adventure!

It was a fabulous weekend and a great way to start the new year.

Two articles recently appeared on CNN.com and both feature some cool creatures that were recently discovered.

Laotian Rat, thought to be extinct

You can read about rare monkeys found in Vietnam or you can find out about all of the newly discovered species found in the region of the Mekong!

Deer and Monkey Go Head to Head over Bananas

We’ve uploaded some new photos from the Royal Palace of Cambodia, The Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary near Phnom Penh as well as our Boat trip to Chau Doc, Vietnam.

At 8:30am we were picked up by Monin, a tuk-tuk driver who was recommended to us. We drove 2 hours south of Phom Penh to the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Sanctuary where we fed deer and monkeys who roam freely and ate from our hands. These and other animals, many of them wounded, like lions, tigers, bears, elephants and birds were rescued from poachers and are being cared for at the sanctuary.

We then went to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek where 17,000 detainees of the Khmer Rouge were systematically executed. A glass tower of 8,000 skulls stands before an otherwise peaceful and scenic rural landscape as a reminder of the atrocities committed there.

Back in Phnom Penh we met with Charis and Stuart, both Americans living and working in Cambodia. They took us out to a cool, modern bar/restaurant called Metro where we dined on a variety of Asian tapas. A pleasant walk along the Tonle Sap River led us to a night market where fried spiders, beetles, crickets, larvae, and tiny birds are sold to be eaten. We ended the wonderful evening at a monthly dance party at Elsewhere, a beautiful garden venue with a pool surrounded by lush local vegetation and people sipping cocktails.