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Today was a fairly busy day. We went to another area of the city. We saw Wat Sraket (the Golden Mount), Wat Ratchanadda (Metal Castle), Wat Bowonniwet, Sao Ching Chaa (Giant Swing), and Wat Suthat. Finally for dinner, we ate at MK, which is a hot pot restaurant.

Today was the first full day in the capital city. We decided to visit one area of the city. After attempting to figure out the public bus system, we made it to Wat Benchamabophit (Marble Temple). Then we went to Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall and there happened to be a exhibition of royal treasures on display. No photos were allowed, but there many wooden carved and gold treasures like thrones and model ships which were presented to the king and queen at important anniversaries. For events like this, they bring in toilet buses for temporary bathrooms.

As it was getting late, I wanted to go to see a Muay Thai boxing fight in person at Lumphini Boxing Stadium. Thailand is one of the few countries in the world that has a dual pricing structure for tickets everywhere. For example here, Thai people can get in for $7. But the lowest price foreigners can get in is $50. I decided to pass and maybe I can see it on TV sometime.

Nearby was a Traditional Thai Puppet Theater which we decided to go see instead. Here we saw about a hour long show where each puppet is controlled by three people each. The story was based on an Indian myth about how the lunar eclipse occurs.

Finally, we checked out and left the island on the 11:30AM boat. Then we got on a 1:30PM bus to the capital of Thailand, Bangkok. Luckily this was a better bus experience over my last one. We arrived 3.5 hours later and boarded the SkyTrain. This is very similar to Detroit’s PeopleMover. Then there was a transfer to the subway, which just opened in 2004. I’ve been on countless metro systems around the world, but I was surprised that I had to get my bag searched by security at the SkyTrain and the subway! That’s never happened anywhere else since it just isn’t practical for the amount of people using the system. We got to our destination finally after a trip on a motorcycle taxi again.

For dinner, we tried some nearby street vendors. By this time we were hungry and actually after eating a plate a one vendor, went to another to have a second. The food is only $1 for each plate out on the street. It is Friday and tomorrow begins a New Year holiday for a lot of people in Thailand (there is no Christmas holiday). We figure a lot of people will leave the city for the beaches and islands, so it is a good time to be here in Bangkok for the next few days.

We were planning on leaving the island today, but it was so nice that we decided to stay one more day. The place costs $36/night, which is the high season price. Everything you need is right on the beach and there is nothing on the interior roads of the island. So actually the beach is the only “road” you can use to get to restaurants, convenience stores and hotels. We found a nice place that has $1 bowls of noodles, overlooking the beach and sea. Later in the day we had BBQ pork and vegetables for $3 each. At night there are some fire dancing shows and paper candle balloons, which look like UFOs once they float away in the sky. There seem to be mostly Europeans at the beaches here, followed by Thais, and finally some Japanese and Americans.

The previous day was spent mostly relaxing near our place at Vongduern Villa. I got to read a book and Yu had to spend a few hours on my computer doing some translation work.

Today, we have bigger plans including going out on a boat to some nearby islands for snorkeling. For $18 per person, we spent about 6 hours on a speedboat and a couple small islands. I got to try snorkeling, which was a little strange at first. I almost wanted to just hold my breath and look underwater, but later in the day I relaxed and got more used to it. There is some coral around the islands here, but nothing too colorful or exciting. For lunch, the package included some fruit and BBQ on an island. The boat also stopped at a fish farm where we could see some turtles and various big fish.

The islands and beaches are probably the #1 reason why so many people go to Thailand. In fact, haven’t seen so many people with blonde hair since I was in Northern Europe! Last night the boat dropped us off directly on the beach (after moving to a smaller boat). Most of the accommodation on the island is small bungalows or villas. I was staying in one with a nice view of the ocean pushing up against a rocky shore. It was a quite nice place, since were was air conditioning, hot shower, and a flush toilet. Everything you could ask for in Thailand!

In the morning Yu’s mother was up early shopping and cooking food to offer the monks at the local temple. Usually the monks will bring their begging bowls around the neighborhood going door to door for food, but today was more special. Most of the family went to the temple to donate all the cooked food so the monks would eat a big breakfast. Afterward, we got to look around the grounds, which included many stray dogs, a sea otter, and a spider monkey. Many people will drop off their pets here if they can’t take care of them anymore. Around the back of the complex was a fish pond with hundreds of fish grouped in one corner waiting for someone to feed them.

After this, we drove over to Wat Buppharam, which is the oldest temple in the area (350 years old). There was an tower we could climb up for a view of the area.

After filling up on some more home cooked Thai food at the family’s home, we set off back to Chanthaburi. After a short stop we then went to the bus station to get on a crowded 3rd class bus to a port town near an island named Samet. Yu and I took on all our bags on this bus where I saw some people sitting 3-across on two seats, others standing in the aisle and others sitting on the floor on a mat in the back. I got to sit on the floor in the back and Yu got to be one of the threesomes in two seats. Here some Thai people tried talking to me. One guy said he drank too much Whiskey and proceeded to sleep on the floor much of the trip. Well, it was only $2 for this 2 hour ride.

Then we get off the bus, but we are not near the port, so we must take a taxi. However the taxi is a small motorcycle and we’re wearing backpacks and carrying bags. Somehow we each get on a separate motorcycle and carry everything to the port without falling off. After stocking up with food at 7-11, we get on a boat for the island where I will spend the next few days.

Today is election day in the country, including a big election for a new prime minister. The English school has been shut down for the rest of the year and today I got to go to Yu’s hometown, Trat. On the way there, I found out there are no posted speed limits in Thailand once I noticed how fast we were driving (Up to 75MPH on a M-59 type road).

Trat is farther east, closer to the border with Cambodia. I got to see and stay in a Thai family home for the night. Differences include the cooking is done outdoors and most of the family sleeps in one air conditioned room on the floor.

The highlight of the day was going to the beach (45-minutes away) and eating dinner there like a picnic. The ride to the beach was done in the back of a pickup truck since there were not enough seats to hold the entire family inside. I got to sit back there with all the pots of food and watch us drive along the Cambodian border to the very southeastern corner of the country. It was a very nice beach that has not been overrun by tourists. We sat on the ground and ate some home cooked food on mats and I even got into in the warm water. After watching the sunset, we headed back to the house for the night.

Today was spent preparing for a big party here at the English school. About 60 people attended. I helped painting a large wall covering of Santa Claus and helped prepare some food (put jelly on a lot of bread). I also sprayed some fake frost around the glass on the front of the building, so it looked like it was really cold inside. In fact, they turned the air conditioning on maximum to try to make it feel like winter inside. The party invitations said to dress warm so it was a good thing I still have my heavy winter coat, hat, and gloves. I got some laughs wearing all of that stuff here when it feels close to 100 degrees F outside.

The party went well. Plenty of kids around. Over 100 wrapped presents were given away and lots of food was served. The school closes for the next two weeks. So that means Yu is free and we’ll be visiting some other places in Thailand soon.

We started the day by going to the fresh market in town. It is the place where all the vegetables and seafood and things are sold early in the morning. But I got some breakfast nearby from some street vendors. There happened to be a parade going down the street by one of the local schools today. It was for their “Sports Day” where they split up into colored teams and play sports and games that day.

My ATM card arrived here in Thailand about a week ago and today I was finally able to try it and it worked! So now I have a source of money again. I didn’t get too low on my money in China, so I wasn’t quite in danger. I noticed my new bank, ING, has a office just a little bit down the street in this town. However, I don’t think they have a ATM and banking there, but instead they only do insurance here in Thailand.

It was mostly a relaxing day. I started to notice some differences between Chinese people and Thai people. Two big things I notice is no public spitting here in Thailand and rarely are horns used in cars/motorcycles. I’d say those are welcome differences for me.

For dinner Yu, her father, and I went to an area of the city for dinner. There are a series of street vendors and some tables, so it is sort of like a big outdoor restaurant. We had some rice and a few other dishes, including Roti, a kind of Indian style bread that was sweetened.