I know that it’s almost July, but I really do like the these wrap ups (they appeal to the list maker in me), so I’ll go ahead and post the (shorter than usual) May version today, the June version on Monday, and then continue on with writing that is a bit more substantial.
May turned out to be one of my favorite months of travel. It was during this time that I hit my travel groove. I got used to moving around every few days and using DEET as a perfume. I also really enjoyed a lot of the places we visited in May, which helped too. May was also the month I stopped blogging, so maybe that had something to do with it.
Highlights
- A dream of mine came true in May. I finally got to visit Elephant Nature Park. Located about 60 kilometers from Chiang Mai, Elephant Nature Park is more than just a tourist attraction, it aims to help the plight of Asian elephants around Thailand. I will post more thoroughly about this day, but for now just know that wandering around between these friendly giants and getting a peek at 1 month old baby Dok Mai was not just a highlight of May, but a highlight of my life.
- I also rode my first night train, from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. I’ve always had a bit of an obsession with train travel, so this was an experience I was looking forward to. It didn’t disappoint. Our beds were turned down with fresh linen and Tara and I had fun talking and playing cards while drinking large Chang beers. I also got a decent night of sleep. The perfect way to travel.
- I spent one day on a farm outside of Chiang Mai learning to cook my favorite Thai dishes. The course was fantastic, by far the best cooking class I’ve ever attended, and the other students were interesting to talk to. For 8 hours we cooked fantastic dishes and relaxed around the table eating gabbing.
- The whole city of Pai was a highlight for me. After 2 weeks of sightseeing in Burma and some busy days in Chiang Mai, it felt nice to bask in the relaxed nature of this city. We ended up spending 5 days here during which we mostly did some of the best eating we’ve done on this trip.
- Cruising down the Mekong between Chiang Khong, Thailand and Luang Prabang, Laos was unexpectedly fantastic. We had a good group of travelers on the boat and occupied both days with some beer (and whisky) drinking over stories of past travels.
- I actually really, really enjoyed Vang Vieng.I wasn’t sure what to expect. One one hand, I don’t think I would’ve really enjoyed the extreme party atmosphere of yesteryear, but I didn’t want to turn up to a ghost town either. I was pleasantly surprised to found a cute traveler town surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve seen. And the tubing? Still a lot of fun!
- I got to spend 2 weeks drinking Beer Lao Dark Lager! Yes. This is a highlight. Tara and I discovered this dark beer at a self serve beer bar near our apartment a few months before we left Korea. We then proceeded to show up every weekend and drink their entire stock. So, it felt great to be reunited with my favorite Southeast Asian beer, especially when it cost half the price of what you’d find in Korea.
Lowlights
- The ride from Pai to Chiang Khong, the border with Laos, was easily the most terrifying experience of my life. Our van left at 7 pm, right as it began to get dark. The driver seemed to have very little concern for the rules of the road or anyone’s safety. There were times when I was confused as to what side of the road they drive on in Thailand as we never stayed in one place for very long. He would blindly pass any vehicle in his way, speed around curves so quickly that the tires would screech, and hit the brakes about twice the entire seven hour journey. Both times we stopped everyone got out of the van, looked at each other, and said “What the fuck?”.
- The entire city of Vientiane was a bit of a lowlight for me. I’d heard it been described as the world’s most boring capital city, and I wouldn’t disagree. There wasn’t much to see or do, and it lacked any character.
- While at Elephant Nature Park, I tripped over a rock, rolled my ankle, and then slammed my big toe into the ground while trying to save myself. Not only was this incredibly embarrassing, but I also thought I broke my toe and couldn’t walk normally for about a week.
Distance Traveled: 2,691 miles
Planes: 1
Buses: 4
Vans: 2
Boats: 4
Trains: 1
Beds Slept In: 10 (12 if you count the beds on overnight sleeper buses and trains)
Cockroaches seen: 1
Rats seen: 0!
Countries Visited: Burma, Thailand, Laos
Places Visited: Bagan, Mandalay, Chiang Mai, Pai, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng, Vientiane, Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands)
Future Travel Plans
Talking about the future in the past…I spent June in two of my favorite countries: Cambodia and Vietnam.
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No highlights in Burma? Hope you post some specifics about the food up in Pai – if it sounds tempting enough I might make the trek up there.
Burma kind of got lost in the mix! I wrote the April Wrap Up before leaving Thailand, but most of the cool stuff in Burma actually happened in April. Don’t worry, I’ll write plenty about it eventually
And yes, I have some recommendations for Pai!
First of all, OUCH! at the toe thing. Eek. And the bus ride sounds terrifying. I’ve yet to experience south-east Asian driving (Malaysia wasn’t so bad). The worst so far has been Colombia, and that was actually alright.
Also, interesting thoughts on Vang Vieng. To be honest, I’m completely put off by it, but you describe the extreme party atmosphere as being from ‘YesterYear’ – has it toned down a lot, or still full of Aussies, Brits and Swedes vomming their brains out and being disrespectful twats?
Tom @ Waegook Tom recently posted..An Organised Flyer’s Nightmare, Or Dear Air Canada