Phuket part II

So I am back in Phuket since I've decided to fly out of here vs Bangkok amidst the anti-government protestors. Phuket second time around...still not good. I went to Patong and wow, that place is a like a bonafide Cancun meets Vegas x rated style!! One scary scary place!

Even in Phuket, I can't escape the scenes of bikes and helmets as the Laguna Phuket Triathlon was happening in a few days! With the airport drama, only 400 out of 900 registrants are racing. Whit told me that they're definitely losing money this year due to that. Bummer!! Looks like a cool race though. The coolest thing ever?? Getting kissed by a baby elephant named Lucky!!

Phuket- still avoid if you can!!

Flew out of Phuket early this morning ...in Seoul right now awaiting my flight back to SFO!

Krabi- Railey Beach my favorite!

Krabi province and specifically Railay Beach and Phran Nga Bay was by far my favorite! The beaches here are the picture perfect scene of what you think the Thai beaches should be like! Big looming cliffs surround the clear blue water beaches, bright sunshine, long tail boats serve as transportation and snack stalls, awesome!

I had a great 4 days here. I prolonged my stay due to the Bangkok airport closures as I ended up getting a flight out of Phuket instead of Bangkok (which was no easy task... 7 phone calls... not taking no for an answer) as I wanted to avoid Bangkok altogether!

I LOVE Railay Bay and Phran Nga!

Krabi is a place not to be missed!! Pictures would not do this place justice as it's just that beautiful! The restaurants here are a bit lacking as there aren't that many choices but it's okay..the beaches and atmosphere more than make up for it! I did most of my shopping while sitting on the beach as locals are carrying around sarongs and dresses to sell! If that wasn't enough, I took a boat to nearby Ao Nang one morning and did more shopping there!! By now, I've gotten quite good on my negotiating of prices!!

Ko Lanta-if you want a sleepy beach!

Ko Lanta- I was told that the beaches here are peaceful and nice! Peaceful is the right word for it! Ko Lanta is covered with long long stretches of beaches for what seems to be miles and miles long! I can't imagine this place ever being crowded!! Having said that, if you really need some R&R then come visit but if not, then move on to Krabi or something..I actually got a little bored and lonely in Lanta as it was that peaceful here!

Th downtown street of Lanta is made up of two dusty streets- like a T almost! Food stalls selling mango sticky rice for 30 baht ($1 us dollar) and tourist shops make up one of the streets while restaurants and shops seem to make up the other. When you get off the ferry, you are greeted my throngs of people trying to get you to stay at their place. Be prepared as it's a bit overwhelming!!

Lanta- if you want to be lonely...

Ko Phi Phi- Watching the tide come in Ton Sai Bay!

Ko Phi Phi- my favorite thing here was watching the tide come in early in the morning in Ton Sai Bay! Phi Phi Island is a popular hang out with the younger folks esp from Australia from what I gathered. Sleeping on the beach is a norm as it seems although I didn't do it. I preferred my bungalow even though, I found a trail of ants in it one night. As long as it stayed on it's side and I stayed on mine, I was too tired to care!

I took a long tail boat snorkel trip because I wanted to see the islands around Phi Phi. Weather wasn't all that great but it was still beautiful! The best was still watching the tide come in. The second morning that I watched it, this dog Mr. Tangles got closer and closer and eventually just sat down next to me. Aw..

Ko Phi Phi- watching the tide come in was better than the viewpoint!

Funniest thing that happened- one morning, I was walking the beach and this guy was running along and introduced himself to me. He repeated himself three times as I had a hard time getting through his Irish accent! His name was Jaime and he felt the need to tell me that he just woke up "over there" and his back feels broken. You had to be there!

Phuket..Prelude to the Beach Bumming

Oh Phuket..before coming here..my friend Adam had warned me against any high expectations I may have had about Phuket and boy was he right!! Complete touristy town, not nearly as much culture compared to Chiang Mai if any and well I definitely won't have to visit again.

The reason why I came to Phuket other than acting as a launch pad for the other islands that I want to visit was to see Phang Nga Bay which i did today. I booked tour with a Canoe company to see the famous James Bond Island and even that was disappointing!! Thank goodness to the guides and our personal guide, Jack as in Jack Sparrow (that was how he introduced himself) haha. Eti (from Paris) and I had a great time ooing and ahing through caves and limestone cliffs as we were on the boat and canoe. The company was great and once our last tour destination was over, the staff went crazy and the cruise boat turned into a riot! haha. "Caberet dancer" and everything!! I wonder how he lost that bet! haha.

Phuket- it can be skipped if you can help it!

On the ride back, the Czech couple was quite interested in me and tapped me on the shoulder to ask if I was traveling alone, where I was from, where else have I gone. They were delighted when I told them that I've visited their country before! Oh the people I meet ... :-). Tomorrow, I am off to Koh Phi Phi for what i hope to be serious beach bumming!

Chiang Mai..a place to do not see!

I left SFO and landed in Seoul, Korea after a 15 hour flight, after a 3 hour lay over, I boarded a 5.5 hour flight to Bangkok where I stayed at an airport hotel, the Convenient Resort. Left Bangkok at 9:55am for Chiang Mai where I officially started my trip!

Chiang Mai is a wonderul city that shouldn't be missed when in Thailand! There isn't much to see here but lots to experience. You don't see spectacular architecture or jaw dropping temples but you will have great food, walk many streets of lively night markets and go on memorable trekking journeys in the jungles! My favorite thing to do here was the Flight of the Gibbons, zip lining through the jungles of village an hour away from Chiang Mai. Shopping here is in abundance if you're into that but with me being on a bacpack, it makes it very easy to pass things up! I don't want to have to carry it!!

Chiang Mai- lots to do..lots to experience..jungle anyone?!

Aside from the jungle flying, I also took an all day adventure tour of elephant riding, white water rafting, bamboo rafting, and trekking to a waterfall where I slipped and bruised my achilles bone...opps! Our guide was walking way too fast for my taste and we were all trying to keep up with him slipping and sliding everywhere! For as hard as I worked, I thought the waterfall could have been a little more dramatic! haha but it was peaceful, serene and nice. i can't complain! The trekking to the waterfall must have done a number on my quads because for the next two days, I could barely walk right which made the Sunday Night Walking Street very hard!

The Sunday Night Walking street is not to be missed when in Chiang Mai!! More vendors and more goods to buy than you can ever want or need for that matter! Authentic Pad Thai for 20 baht..it can't get any better!

What I've learned from being in Thailand so far? That apparently, I look Thai! People are speaking Thai to me, asking if I am Thai, telling me that I look Thai yet they're not giving me Thai prices when I am asking them how much certain things are! Go figure!!

I was very close to missing Chiang Mai or skipping it rather but I am glad that I didn't because a trip to Thailand without Chiang Mai would be tragic !

Athens..it does smell in Athens!

I left Hydra for Athens on the 7am ferry..arrived in Piraeus and took the metro to the Hotel Grande Bretagne! I had studied the metro system and routes a few days prior enroute to Hydra via Athens so I had a good idea of where I was going and what transfers I needed to make. the Hotel had it's own metro exit so that helped greatly in finding the location!

Days before I was supposed to be in Athens, I was told by other travelers that Athens isn't a place to be and that there isn't too much going on there. Being forewarned and knowing that I should be there two days prior before coming back to the States, I used some of my Starwood points and checked into the Hotel Grande Bretagne- Athens' oldest most luxurious landmark hotel! I don't know what is more amusing- the scene of a backpacker checking into a five star hotel OR the look of other guests who paid the 350 euros to stay there watching a backpacker check into the hotel! Rack rate for the hotel is 710 euros a night..about $1000! I chose to go the five star hotel route because I figured, if Athens wasn't a place to be but I had to be there..I mind as well stay at a place where I wouldn't mind being in..plus..not having to pay a cent due to the use of points helped a great deal!

Athens is not Greece..

People were right- Athens not too much going on! I got set up real nicely at the Hotel. They put me on the 7th of 8 floors..center balcony..to my right is the view of the Acropolis which looks amazing at night and to the left was the Parliament building where they change the guards once an hour and is always a sight to see! Directly over the hotel is a park plaza which three to five dogs will entertain you all day if you want to watch! They chase cars that drive on these two lanes that are "their territory." It's kind of funny! I didn't just stay in the hotel..although I would have much to entertain me with their indoor and outdoor pools and the city watching over the balcony..I did venture out to see the Acropolis and the first Olympic Stadiums! It's a magnificent sight in person..the Pantheon of the Acropolis that is. It's so big! It started pouring rain and thunderstorms in the middle of the Acropolis visit so I had to cut it short and made my way down to the street ..carefully..marble stoned streets are slippery!

Later that day..I made it out to the shops because I had to get something for the parentals..one of the guys asked me once again where I was from and I said California. He then said..you have nice skin color and brushed my arm with his finger. I left the shop. There is no touching..none..yuck!

Sundays at 11am..they have a big changing of the guards ceremony with street closures, color guard and a full band..now that is a sight to see!! As I was checking out of the hotel..I asked the receptionist guy if there are guards out there all night long (I left at 330am and there were guards out). He said yes and I guess I had a look of sympathy on my face because he then said, "Dont feel bad for them..when I was in the army..I was in Northern Greece by the river." I asked him how guards get chosen to have the Parliament Building as their "mission"? And he said, "Handsome build..nice face.." And I thought..got that right! They were handsome faces and builds indeed!

Overall, Athens is not a great place to hang out in..not even good. It's a bit boring unless if you're staying at a fabulous hotel..it smells especially when it rains and the streets flood..you actually have to look after your stuff in the city vs. being on the islands and Dimitrius from Naxos was right..Athens is not Greece.