In many ways, I felt at home in Thailand...or at least closer to home. As we begin to enter East Asia, I begin to feel closer to the culture, the people, and certainly the food =). For the first time in the voyage, I can get off the ship and not stand out...I could blend in relatively well and was often mistaken to be Thai, which I kind of liked. Perhaps it was related to my ongoing struggle with being a constant tourist, stereotypical "american", and being self conscious of trying not to travel in an exploitative manner. That being said, it was nice to feel closer to home.

Ko Samet Island
I traveled in a group of five coworkers (Kate, Andrea, Hayley, and Nathan) to the island of Ko Samet for two nights. Ko Samet was a relatively close getaway for people in Bangkok as it offers beautiful beaches, clear waters, and a nice break from the crowded city. We rolled up to White Sands beach via speed boat and just started popping into bungalows/guest houses until we found a good fit for the five of us.

I have never been to a beach where everything is practically right ON the water. The waves literally washed under some restaurant tables and most of the guest houses were 15 steps away from the water. So, needless to say, it was a very relaxing two days of sitting on the beach, massages, swimming, and snorkeling. We happened to run into Shalina a SAS alum and Berkeley res lifer (friends with d.willie and garrett!) in the streets and she took us to the local club spots and joined us for breakfast the next morning. That night a few of us decided to go for a swim at 2:30 in the morning...just because we could. Most people went to bangkok first, so we actually barely saw any SAS'ers, which was nice especially on an island getaway.

We did a boat tour of the island and stopped at a couple snorkeling spots along different parts of the reef for almost an hour or so before catching a peaceful sunset on the West side of the island (the more quiet side). I love snorkeling and sunsets so I left Ko Samet with a huge perma-grin on my face.

Bangkok
I was on duty the third night so I had to part ways with the group and reconnect with them in Bangkok for one night in the city (which was actually about 2 hrs from our port). Adriana, one of my students joined our group for the visit. We stayed in the famous Khao San road area where we did some shopping, enjoyed good eats, and just walked around taking in the sights of one of the busiest streets in Thailand. Our hotel (Vieng Tai) was a great location to be right in the middle of the action. Khao San can be quite overwhelming with bustling streets of tourists, locals, vendors, fortune tellers, etc. There were certainly a LOT of white tourists there, mostly from europe. We ended the first day at the night bazaar across town and afterwards the 'girls' headed to Soi 4 for the clubs. I was exhausted and headed back to Khao San w/ Adriana. The rigshaw/tuk-tuk ride was pretty intense.

Our last morning in Bangkok we squeezed in visits to the Wat Po (the famous sleeping buddha) and the Grand Palace. Both of these were overwhelming sights. Wat Po is the home of the absolutely enormous sleeping buddha. We walked into the temple and basically saw an eyeball the size of a wall in front of our faces. The Grand Palace was filled with temples boasting the unique southeast asian architecture, colors, and paintings along the walls. It was pretty hot and we needed to head back so we probably only saw about 40% of the palace before heading back to the port city to board the ship.

Overall, my visit to Thailand was a great balance of an island beach getaway and taking in the sights of a bustling city with a lot of culture. I can't tell you how comforting it was to have a plethora of food choices that made my mouth water. You all know I love rice and noodles, so it's gooood to be in Asia this leg of the voyage =). Like every other port, I know that the five days there merely gave me a glimpse of Thailand, and there was much unseen.

btw1...i have never seen so many corollas in my life (pink, orange, and green)
btw2...we are pulling up to Saigon tomorrow and i'll be traveling through Vietnam!