Farewell Bangkok

We’re in Seoul already, still reeling from an eventful exit from Thailand that included chicken foot soup, a canceled plane, some club music loving cab drivers, lots of waiting around, and, sadly, a lost water bottle (it was, seriously, the best). However, we arrived in one piece and are excited the next leg of our adventure.

As Zak mentioned earlier, it’s hard to believe that a month has flown by and Thailand is still fresh in our minds. So, I thought I’d share a few salient points of interest from our trip and the experience of a farang, or foreigner. Here we go:

Thai Massages: Prior to this trip, I had received one Thai massage ever, in Filipino town in LA, a random but eye-opening introduction to what really is a workout that someone performs for you. Most Thai massage is done on a mat on the ground, rather than a massage table. Masseuses are generally female but not exclusively, and they start with a prayer then very systematically work from your feet up. You start on your back for a reflexology-style foot massage, then it’s up your legs, to your quads where they’ll hold at your psoas for just enough time so that when they let go you can feel the rush of fresh blood all the way down your legs. You then turn on your stomach for back and arm work, all the while the masseuse using hands, fingers, elbows, and yes feet to get the job done. Finishing touches include aided back-stretches (think cobra, for the yogis), back cracking, head and face acupressure work, and finally a pound-pound with the fists and sweep you clean with their hands. It can actually be quite intense, and you may even be sore the next day but it’s a whole-body experience that leaves you feeling light and limber, ready to hit the sweaty, grimy streets once again. Thais make this a regular part of their routine; in fact, it’s a facet of their spiritual-mental-physical approach to balanced health (herbs and religion being the other two). As a foreign traveler, I made it a frequent activity. For US $4.50 an hour, it was hard not to.

Spirit Houses: Thais are deeply religious, primarily influenced by Hinduism and Theravada Buddhism. Images of the Buddha as well as other dieties can be found at every wat, or temple, and every home has a spirit house, a mini shrine built in an auspicious location to appease the spirits that lived there prior. It’s really beautiful to walk around in the mornings to the smell of incense and fresh flowers left as offerings at the spirit house along with rice and other foods. Thais are also incredibly respectful of the elderly, of ancestors long gone, and of spiritual sites.

On Exercise: Running, mountain biking, yoga, pilates, P90x – all of our Austin fitness routines seem a distant memory right now. Our primary mode of exercise has been walking, and lots of it not uncommonly 3-4 hours in a day. We have managed a few park workouts, but even getting there takes some effort involving dodging traffic, inhaling diesel fumes, and side-stepping dog poop. Renting bikes in Chiang Mai was super fun, but I still wouldn’t categorize it as a “work-out.” More commonly here, for the local anyway, you see Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and lots of meditation. South Korea, from what we hear, is a hiker’s paradise, so we look forward to that!

We have a few last Thailand photos from our trip to ruins in Ayutthaya. Check them out, and next post to come from Seoul!

~Ashley

 Spirit house & Ayutthaya

Zak on Chiang Mai

It’s hard to believe we are on our last week here in Thailand. We just got back to Bangkok after spending the past two weeks in the northern cities of Pai and Chiang Mai. Both were great but Ashley and I agree that Chiang Mai was our favorite, mainly because it’s a larger city with more to do and a wider selection of food. Pai was certainly relaxing but there is only so much relaxing we wanted to do and 4 days was sufficient. I do, however, miss the scooter.

On both trips to Chiang Mai we stayed inside the 14^th century walls of the old city. This time around we visited the mountain temple of Doi Suthep, Wat Prah Sing, the bustling Wararot Market, and the Chiang Mai cultural museum. We also went out to the Walking Streets (street bazaars/festivals) and discovered all kinds of interesting street food.

Compared to Bangkok and Pai, Chiang Mai is a foodie's dream town. Most food here is locally grown without pesticides, prepared fresh right in front of you and surprisingly sanitary.

I’ll claim the title of being most adventurous when it comes to meat from a street vendor but that's probably because I will eat any kind of meat or anything that resembles meat, smells like meat, might be meat, etc. For Ashley, if it can't be identified then it's a no-go. And to be honest, sometimes I couldn't identify it even after eating a few bites. Chicken? Pork? Fish? Maybe it's a potato...who knows but it's pretty darn good. 

I have to admit, however, Ashley did discover some tasty items I would never have tried but was glad I did. In particular, ginger, shallot, lime, peanuts, and roasted coconut encased in betel leaves served on a skewer were excellent.  I’m sure they had a name, but we just called them the “betel wraps.” She also found what looked like a dessert taco filled with meringue. The shell tasted like a crunchy caramelized coconut crepe; needless to say we went back for a 2^nd round.  

Other Observations:

From a Western perspective, traffic appears to be crazy but I have seen exactly zero accidents and people don't honk other than to say "hi, just making sure you see me, friend." There seems to be no such thing as "my lane," here it's "our lane," which actually works in favor of all traffic. After pedestrians (and monks), scooters have right-of-way in all situations, also good for traffic flow. Scooters can fit a family of 5, are used to transport propane tanks bungeed to the back seat, can have a side car with a food cart attached, and my personal favorite - children as young as 3 stand on the front and hold onto the mirrors. Dogs also ride on the back with no restraints.

Check out the most recent batch of photos and let us know what you think. Lots of love from Thailand!

- Zak