Chinese New Year Break in Thailand!

Last week was the Chinese New Year Break.  Chinese New Year here is a lot like Thanksgiving in the states.  Since there wasn't a whole lot going on here in Singapore (most of the locals are spending time with their families--they have big "reunion" dinners over the weekend and Monday/Tuesday) we decided to take a trip to Phuket, Thailand.  We arrived there Wednesday night and checked into a hostel there called the Dive Den.  It was pretty decent, and even had a heated shower! (hard to come by when you're paying about USD$5 per night.)  I stayed with my friend Sabrina--she is from New York City but goes to school at Penn State. 

The next day we walked around just exploring the city and shops.  Sabrina and I were bored with walking so decided that we wanted to see the city and sites on motor bike.  We were the only two girls in a group of about 6, and none of the 4 boys were brave enough to get on a bike.  So...Sabrina and I rented them ourselves.

For only 100 baht (USD$3) we rented motor bikes for the entire day.  We then spent the day going all over the city.  We saw a giant Buddha statue on a hill (really amazing), baby elephants, lady boys (men pretending to be women..) beautiful beaches, great shopping, and even got to see the sunset over the beach and mountains while we were driving.   It was a really incredible feeling to just drive around and see so much in just a day.  

It was also nice to just be in a smaller group.  We were able to do so much more, and really got along well.  We got Thai massages on our way back home.  They stretched and prodded like we've never been stretched or prodded before.  My body has never popped in so many places.  It was a little painful during the massage, but afterwards, we felt great.  The two of us only had a couple of mishaps with driving on the left side of the road, and I didn't crash.  Sabrina made it the entire day without so much as a scratch, until we were parking the bikes in front of our hostel for the night.  She accidentally hit the gas instead of the break and rolled off her bike.  Luckily, she got up laughing and with only a few bruises.  We got a good laugh out of it.  That night we all went out on the beach to hang out.

    

The next day a group of about ten of us got up at 6AM (very little sleep--pretty standard for this entire trip) to go to Similan islands off the coast of Thailand.  We took a ferry there with a tour group, and upon arrival we went snorkeling.  These beaches were honestly the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.  

They were so serene, and almost untouched it seemed.  It was like looking at a photograph.  A truly unreal experience. 

Underwater was just as incredible as the beaches.  I had never snorkeled before, so had my doubts regarding my water-sport ability (or disability).  When I got in the water though, I found snorkeling to be very easy, and SO amazing!  The Similan islands are one of the top ten places in the world for snorkeling and scuba diving!  I saw some outrageous marine life including brightly colored coral, fish, and stingrays.  I got stung by jellyfish several times, and really freaked out the first time.  haha.  I thought I had brushed up against some poisonous coral or something.  The sting/burn went away though after a couple of minutes, and I was back in the water.   

After snorkeling we just relaxed on the beach, had dinner, and headed back to Phuket.  The hostel we stayed in that night was ridiculous.  We walked in so ready to take a shower after a long day on the beach and there was no water in the entire place.  We complained, and the owner of course swore they were working on it.  An hour and a half later, there was water...dark brown water.  It was disgusting.  We had to let it run for close to thirty minutes before it ran clear.  Other than that, the place was nice, but needless to say we were brushing our teeth with bottled water from then on.  I guess that's what you get for $5 a night.  Each hostel we stayed in we usually crammed at least five people in one room--some on the bed, some on the cots, and some usually on the floor.  We're a cheap crowd.

The next day, we took a ferry to Ko Phi Phi Island where we had heard from other exchange students was really amazing...and it was!  There were beautiful beaches, unbelievably hot weather, good nightlife and great shopping.  The first afternoon there we all got on a long-tail boat and rode out to Maya Bay.  This is the island that the movie The Beach was filmed on.  The boat dropped us off at the opposite side of the island as the beach, so we had to climb over a bunch of rocks and coral to get to the shore.  

This was the most painful part of the trip and we all got pretty banged up.  Then we trekked through small caves and a short jungle while it was pouring down rain to get to the other side of the island.  It was incredible!  We were walking barefoot through the thick trees during a torrential downpour--it was so peaceful.  By the time we got to the beach, the sun had come out and we were swimming again.  

We relaxed there for a while, watched the sunset, then jumped back into the long-tail boat for a little cliff-diving.  By the time we headed back it was dark, the waves were rocky, and our small boat was being thrown around the ocean.  We made it back fine, but it was a little scary for a while.  

The only weird thing about Thailand was how incredibly touristic it was.  There were awkward, trashy tourists everywhere it seemed.  Phuket was the worst.  Old nasty men everywhere looking for young local girls.  It was really disappointing.  Luckily Ko Phi Phi was better.  It was a lot younger crowd with a lot more backpackers making for a great time.  

 

I had a really amazing trip to Thailand.  As the semester rolls on, I am getting to know the other exchange students better and better as real people and not just their name and where they're from.  The food is tasting better to me, I am getting used to cold showers, the heat doesn't seem so hot, and taking my shoes off before entering a room is second nature now.  The newness is definitely wearing off, and I am feeling pretty settled in.  One month down, three and a half more ahead.