One Week of Pain and One Week of Pleasure

Hello, Sawadee-ka!

2 weeks and we are here in Thailand.

These 2 weeks were full and joy and some very unexpected events.

Bangkok was pretty cool and bear in mind that I kinda hate big cities. A lot of interesting smells, exotic food and my favourite transport in the world- tuc tucs! What a great feeling when driver don't really care about traffic, he just makes his own way everywhere and you get your hair flying in the wind form pretty speedy tuc tuc. We also went to some fancy place, called Sky Bar. A bar on top of the skyscraper, full of rich western people, expensive beer but a view to see all Bangkok from the top of the world, haha!

Next destination was Kao Yai National Park. After a bit of trekking in the jungle, seeing some gibbons and macaques we realized that guided tour is not really for us. I guess we saw more wildlife ourselves then ''trekking'' in the jungle with some guide. Though nature and waterfalls were stunning!

Lopburi town was next and there we saw a real Thai mentality, those smiles and generosity that we were missing so much everywhere we went! This town is inhabited not only by people but monkeys as well. They walk everywhere, like real citizens of the town. It's pretty cool. Something like Gibraltar hill but imagine all town full of these crazy creatures.

And then it was Ko Chang Noi. The small Ko Chang that not many tourists go, I guess we kind of found a lost paradise, still not really discovered by tourists. Empty beaches, no concrete buildings, chilled people, no electric and green green untouched jungles. However, we had to leave it pretty quickly because Dom got a dengue fever, which you can get it from mosquito!

And here our week of pain began. One local clinic and after fancy Bangkok Hospital in Phuket. Our holidays were transferred in the hospital. No complains, insurance paid for everything and we lived like kings, but who want to suffer and stay in pain while on your holidays in some exotic country. 

My conclusion is the same, mosquitos are bastards and they all are useless insects.

We are finally leaving today and continuing our hopefully adventurous but healthy holiday path!

Take care you all,

Ligita

View from Skybar

Khao Yai National Park

Khao Yai

Waterfall from the movie ''Beach''

Our fancy guesthouse place for £6 a night!

My first temple in Lopburi

Lopburi countryside

Dom found a friend!

Our cheap bungalow in Ko Chang Noi

Poor Dominic!

He is my friend as well!

Night train from Bangkok to Chumpon

The Land of Smiles and Plastic

Sawadee-ka! Hello!

I know I have been in this country called Thailand not more than 2 weeks and my opinion may be wrong but there are things which really got stuck in my head as country features or little stereotypes if some wants to call it like that.

This place is somehow another world. I mean another world outside Europe. It starts with such a delicious amazing food that I have never tasted before anywhere in Europe. I used to work in places, where chefs spend hours to make food look artistic, full of flavours and colours. Here in Thailand, everyone cooks, little granny, children or adult. They do it in a basic little room having one pan, one knife and spoon, nothing really fancy but the food they make can simply beat chef’s masterpeaces. I am really fascinated about it.

Thailand, in my list, was never the first country to be visited. I always had a feeling that it is a bit seedy tourist haven where money talks louder than anything else. Yes, it is true somehow. I often feel here as a white rich girl or just a walking money bag. People offers you anything anywhere and if you are a bit naïve most of the time you may be tricked because for you everything here is cheap so why not to pay extra pennies. But! Yes, I said but. Once I step out from a tourist attraction, street, area or city most of the time I meet these generous smiley people who look so curious at you and maybe even laugh at you (nothing bad about it!). And then it just tops up my experience. I don’t feel that rich anymore and even just for a minute or two I can feel a part of happiness with locals.

I could talk about the nature hours because it is indeed one of the most stunning countries I’ve seen before with beautiful wild jungles, giant trees, tropical beaches, stunning waterfalls and magnificent mountains. Thai people should be lucky however anywhere you look around is a world of plastic which is not fantastic. Everything they sell they put in a plastic bag, then that bag in another plastic bag, then adds some extra plastic and then you come back with one banana and 3 different plastic bags. I don’t blame them, I blame education. Rivers and jungles of plastic will kill this beautiful nature.

All in all, I must admit I felt an attraction to this country for it’s simplicity and tropical mentality. Please visit while it is still more the land of smiles rather than a land of plastic.

Till next time,

Ligita