Oh, Canada?

So we missed our connection, and got to spend an extra night out of the country, this time in Toronto. We hopped on the subway, which, if you've been keeping up, was like child's play when the stations and announcements are in English!

We stayed in the college part of town, but on Sunday night was pretty low key. Although upon a strangers suggestion, we ate at this small restaurant, where randomly some comedians got together every Sunday night to practice new material on each other (since fellow comedians are the toughest to please, especially Canadian comedians). It was profoundly hilarious, by far the funniest night of our entire trip! I think my loud laughter in the background probably boosted their confidence a little too. But these guys actually are full-time comedians, that is their job. Yea I know. Who would have thought, Canadian comedians. We chatted with some of them afterwards, and determined them to be very amicable and approachable people. We have since considered defecting for that reason among others.

Finally though, we have made it home safe and sound to our nation's capital!

I think I'm turning Japanese!

Well it was sad leaving you Chang-Ro, but we will meet again soon, I am sure of this. Thanks for all your time and help, we never would have been able to do it without you! We truly discovered the best kept secret in Asia.
Alas, the trip must go on, we are still going, going, going. But wearing out too. We arrived in Tokyo in the late afternoon and treated ourselves to a nice hotel for our final night in Asia, after all our huts and guestrooms. The Hotel New Otani was definitely fancy, its built right in the middle of a garden and carp pond in Akasaka. We planned on cramming all Tokyo into one night and one morning, and were successful!


The first night brought us to Shinjuku, the part of town that lights up at night. Tokyo is the most crowded city I have ever experienced. It was Saturday night, so of course the subways were crowded, but we read that the Shinjuku station alone sees upwards of 2 million passengers passing through daily! And boy is the Tokyo subway confusing, there are at least 12 different lines, and each station has mazes of exits and passages, but we made it relatively unscathed with our trusty map.


After stopping into a side restaurant and getting some delicious Japanses dumplings we wandered around a bit, then back to the subway for Roppongi, which was toted as the hip nightlife scene. We also learned of Roppongi Hills, an architectural project 15 years in the making that fuses housing, work, and play into one community. We also checked out the Park Hyatt, very fancy, someday a return visit will be in order...

The next morning we headed to the fish market, which had already wrapped up but nonetheless we saw some monster crabs. Then, we headed up to see the cherry blossoms at Ueno, Tokyo's biggest park. It was very beautiful, and surprise, surprise, crowded! We got a lot of exercise strolling through the park and it was very relaxing.



Next we headed to Ginza, the high class shopping district compared to NYC's Park Avenue. There were a lot of shoppers out, but we stuck to window shopping. We got Fendi, Prada, Gucci, and every other classy brand you could name drop, but apparently Dior's display is too ritzy to be video-taped from outside. HAH.

That was Tokyo in a day. More time would have been nice, but we are itching to be able to communicate with strangers when necessary and eat American food!

Cultural Cornucopia in Korea

Day 3 in Seoul, we met a fellow traveller staying at Kim's guest house, Steph from Brunswick, Germany, who we convinced to accompany us in our Changro-guided tour. We took the subway, on which we have become experts, to Sinchon to meet Pete and his medical school classmate, Song-soo, who, at 6 feet is one of the bigger Koreans around. He claims to always get picked first in basketball! He actually completed his military service on an American base and spent some months in Colorado so his English was very good, so we were all able to communicate without Pete having to translate. We had lunch at a Korean Chinese restaurant and got the real version of General Tso's. Delicious!

After that we went to the shopping district in the middle of Seoul. They have clothes stores as far as the eye can see in both directions, not to mention, stories upon stories of clothing boothes all right next to each other. Needless to say the girls were in heaven while I tried to spend most of my time sitting outside and checking out the river (or more like a stream) that goes through the whole city.


There we met up with Pete's posse of ladies, Chi-Hoon, Chi-He, and Yoon-Jung. They're all in training to be stewardesses (not an outdated term in Korea) for Korean Air. They were very shy at first, covering there mouths and giggling a lot, but after speaking the international language of Soju (a rice wine that's taken in shot glasses), they began to open up, and had a strong English vocabulary. We had some dinner and drinks at Song-Soo's favorite spot in Jongno. We played traditional Korean drinking games, which mostly involve counting and memory, and helped break the ice a lot more. We will spread these games across the US upon our return.


After dinner we headed back to Sinchon to the bar strip near the university to finish the night off, as you can see!

Lauren, Steph and I made it home safe, and we had a great time meeting all our new friends and promised everyone that they had a place to stay in Chicago anytime!

Korea.....E Dynasty Baby!

Hello! We made it to Korea! We flew the red-eye to Korea on Monday and arrived VERY tired. We found Kim's Guest House...it's a great place to stay for $37/night and we're meeting lots of other travellers. Swedish, Australian, Japanese. We paid for a room and it includes breakfast, free internet, free laundry, and and a shared bathroom.

We net up with Pete at the hospital where he has medical school....yes, he actually is in school! I saw him first and asked Jason if he thought it was him. Jason said "no, he looks too tall", but I knew it was him! Pete walked through the doors in a blazer and nice jeans. Koreans dress nice! Everyone looks very neat and proper. It's very clean here compared to Thailand. We keep comparing to to America..except it's populated with Koreans!

We went to Pete's place and then walked to a buddist temple near by. Then we went to eat at a traditional Korean place....rice and beef in a stone bowl. It was delicious. Then we started drinking!!! We drank traditional rice wine with sausage and this food that reminded us of fruit loops. Then we went to a place called Zen 2 and drank 3 shots of tequilla, each! Then we met up with a friend of Pete's named Jong-Yu and went to sing Karaoke. We were horrible but it was so much fun.



We had to sleep off the alcohol the next morning. We did our laundry and Kim's Guest House and found a market for breakfast. It's really difficult to find your way around here....we don't recognize any of the language or signage.

Jason and I visited the Palace in the city. The flowers are starting to blossom.



Then we met up with Pete and his friend, Rhyo-Jo. We went to a couple traditional Korean neighborhoods and went window shopping. Then we went to a mall with the most expensive brands....gucci, marc jacobs, manolo blanik, yves st. laurent, etc. It was awesome! Rhyo-Jo asked us what a good name would be for her if she studied in the U.S.A. I told her that Emma and Chloe were popular right now...she can choose from anything! She was really cute, but Pete is trying to choose which girl to date....I guess we will meet another girl tomorrow. You know Pete!!!!



Then we went to eat at a Korean fast food place and had lots of yummy food. I wonder if there are more Korean places in America that we just don't notice.

Then we went to a discount mall and bought me a pair of "skinny" jeans and a shirt for the clubs. We went back to Pete's studio apartment and split a bottle of rice wine and then went to a great fried chicken place for some beer and chicken. What a great night! We're really enjoying Korea so far. These are some pictures of Pete's apartment. He pays $850 per month....real estate is expensive is Seoul.

Last Days in Koh Chang

The past couple days have been great. We rented another motorbike and explored the south end of Koh Chang. We stopped at a little bar hut on the beach and enjoyed a long conversation about world politics with an Aussie/Indian named Amar. We were glad to have stopped at the bar because we found out the owner had started the place to get money to send back to her baby in rural thailand.



We did a little more shopping and I think now we're done with that!

Last night, the owner of Koh Chang Hut organized a big seafood night for all of the guests. We ate shrimp and fish, it was delicious. Jason said that he was very proud of himself because he wasn't too crazy about seafood (you wouldn't have guessed if you saw him peeling and popping this shrimp!). Jason is also sad to leave his favorite beer of Thailand, Beer Chang. My personal preference is Singha.




Now we're headed back to Bangkok by bus to catch a midnight plane to Seoul. I'm kind of worried because we haven't heard back from our friend Pete Lee yet. Not too surprising coming from Pete, but I have faith he'll redeem himself! We'll have to buy a guidbook when we get there and hit the city alone until we can get in contact with him.

La Gorn for Now! We'll see you all soon...

Koh Chang Paradise

Helloooo from Koh Chang. We're still here and considering a permanent stay! Just Kidding, but this place really is fantastic.

After a pretty slow day yesterday on the beach we decided to see the island a bit and rented a motorbike. We went down to Lonely beach to check out some different bungalows that we may or may not move to for the second half of our stay here.

Then we went elephant riding! My elephants name was Sonchai and Jason's was Churpy (he doesn't really remember for sure). They were massive but very gentle and friendly. Elephants live to 90 years old! Ours were only 20 and 42. We rode for 40 minutes and then fed them some bananas. Each elephant has a specific rider that always rides them from early on....the whole outfit had 10 elephants.





After that we rode to a waterfall nearby. Luckily, there were some Germans and Austrians that were also headed in that direction so we followed there lead through the jungle on foot and came to swimming hole. The waterfall was not very big as it is not the rainy season here, but we were still able to swim. Some of the people got naked....we Americans are pretty modest I guess and left our clothes on!


We spent some time on the beach and watched the sunset. We're still contemplating where to go tomorrow as our hotel arrangements end at noon....I suppose we'll discuss over dinner at a German/Thai place called Hattie's that overlooks the gulf. Time is slowing down for us here and we're not too concerned!

Lots of Travel and the Beach!

We've arrived in Ko Chang and not without a bit of effort. We left Chiang Mai on Monday morning for a full day of travel. We took a taxi, airplane, taxi, bus, taxi, and boat to get here. When we finally got in around 8PM, a huge rainstorm soaked us in the open-air taxi we were riding in. I quickly agreed to take a little bungalow of the main road at a place called Tonsai while Jason watched our bags at the reception desk. This was possibly the biggest mistake of the trip. The bungalow was covered with mosquitos that were smart enough to navigate the giant mosquito net and attack us in our sleep. It was not a very restful night!

We were able to catch a nice dinner on the beach with a horrible band playing in the background, it was funny. We noticed right away that Ko Chang is a bit more expensive than everywhere else we've been in Thailand....lots of tourism has aparently sent the prices skyrocketing.

After finding a place for $25/night (with private bath & air=con) at Alina Resort we spent the day on the beach, it's beautiful! We bought a couple Beer Changs just in time for the sunset over the Gulf of Thailand.


We had pizza at a restaurant in town. There are a lot of Italian restaurants here, it's strange. The cheese is not very good and a little expensive so we'll probably stick to Thai food from now on.

We're hoping to explore the island more today and take lots of pictures. We're hoping everything is going well back home....we're beginning to feel out of touch.

Chiang Mai Shopoholics

Our four hour bus ride back to Chiang Mai was uneventful. We found a new hotel right next to the Sunday Market where we would do most of our shopping.

First, we headed to the government shop for our second fitting of Jason's suit and my coat. The suit fit perfectly and Jason looked great! My coat needed a few minor adjustments, so we left the shop and promised to pick it up later in the night.

We caught a late lunch at Aroon Cafe where I had the best Pad Thai I've ever eaten! Jason had a yummy chicken curry...we bought a couple of packets to try our hand at curry at home.

Then the shopping began. We bought pants, shirts, hats, plates, vases, jewelry, and wooden knick-knacks. It was lots of fun to walk through the markets and hard work to get those Thais to come down in price. Jason was definitely better at bargaining than I was....I felt kind of bad trying to get a $4 t-shirt for less. At one point, I was bargaining with a girl that couldn't have been older than 8 (seriously!) for a pair of earrings. Eventualy, I got them for $2.

In total, we spent less than $100 for 25 pounds of stuff. We know it's 25 pounds because we tried to ship it from the airport in Bangkok and it would have cost $175 to ship. We decided against this...and instead are opting to carry with us.

We ate on the street that night for so cheap! It was delicious. My only complaint about eating from ther street vendors is that there are a lot of mangy dogs in the streets that sit by you while you're eating.

The next morning we got up early to leave for our 8AM flight to Bangkok. It took us awhile to hail a tuk-tuk (a motorcycle carriage), but finally we caught one. We were so excited for the beach!

Pai Days 2 & 3

Another gorgeous day in Pai has passed, let's catch up. Yesterday we drove
out to a waterfall and went swimming, it was nice and cold, a great break from
the heat. Lots of neighborhood kids play there becasuse you can slide down the
mossy rocks into pools of water. Unfortunately, I wiped out and scraped my elbow and Lauren jumped on a rock and hurt her foot! But nothing serious, we trekked on!

After sunbathing for a bit we headed up to a Buddhist temple on a
hill overlooking the entire town of Pai. It was very peaceful and quiet, with
great views. We mailed some postcards and did some window shopping, I bought a really comfy hammock. Its very colorful too, and it takes the tribal woman 4 days to make by hand!


We met our English friend Anna for dinner (she took the bus with us here), and ate some very unique garlic bread and bruschetta before dinner. After that we stopped by Ting Tong for a drink and politics. Then we heard about a party under a bridge outside of town, very near our hut. We only had one motorbike but somehow managed to make it there without getting lost! It was dark for a while, but then we came upon a big camp fire and tons of hippies dancing in the woods! There was a Britsih cover band playing, and artwork all around. It was the strangest thing you could imagine, but lots of fun!

Today, we awoke to another homecooked breakfast at the hut, Meusli
and a Thai omelet. Then I attempted to find a waterfall, but couldnt find the
turn, so we gave up and went to the pool! The only swimming pool in Pai, it was very refreshing, and they played nothing but classic rock, my favorite!


Then we got Thai massage for 6$ each, the best six have spent so far!
And that was for an hour and a half. Full body!



We are now very relaxed and just ate some ice cream with our French friend Dominick. Tomorrow, back on the bus to Chaing Mai, a second fitting,and the Sunday market. Maybe some presents are in store for you....

Pai (pronounced "bye") Day 1

We took a minivan with seven other passengers to Pai on Thursday morning - two Americans, an Aussie, a Brit, a Japanese couple and an American/Thai couple with a little boy. It was a long and winding road.

Upon arrival, we hiked with our bags to Sun Hut, a bamboo hut village just over the bridge outside of town. It was about 1 mile, but it felt like forever. I'm glad we made it, as our little hut Pluto was the last one available, for 550 baht ($14). It's awesome!

We rented motorbikes and have been exploring Pai ever since. We went to some hot springs and mingled with the townfolk. There's a lot of hippies in Pai, so we've feel like we've stumbled upon a traveller's secret!


I ordered a fish for dinner and got the whole thing...Jason put a napkin on it's head so we didn't have to look at it. Then we got ice cream at the only ice cream place in town, owned by a Frenchman. He gave us a lesson in business - silence (listening) is the key to successful sales.


It got very cold at night (probably around 50 degrees). Day 2 in Pai coming soon!

Chiang Mai, Boogie Down

Chiang Mai, once known as Vieng Ping, is a must see in Thailand! Much more laid back than Bangkok (not so many people in your face asking you to buy things). With the exception of the tuk tuk drivers who never give up asking you for rides.


Supposedly there was a boy to Monk ceremony going on while we were in town, but we missed it! Nonetheless, we had a great time there. We scurried through the night bazaar, but didn't buy anything yet. We heard from a couple very friendly locals that the clothes and materials sold there will fall apart before we get back to the US, and that the Sunday market is much better quality, so we will be back through there then on our way down to the beach, boyyeee.


We did get the insider on the government factories that have cheap labor and tailoring so the costs of nice suits here are the best in all of Asia. So I picked one up, got fitted and everything. A nice cashmere/wool blend. We even got a demonstration on quality checking, if you burn cheap fabric it smells like paper, while the quality stuff smells like hair. This prompted Lauren to get a nice camel colored wool jacket herself, its gonna be a big weather change from here to Chicago. I hear they are even cancelling softball games there it is so cold haha!

After the fitting we were hungry, and stopped at a third floor bar that overlooked the city of Chaing Mai. It was called THC and was covered with mats and bamboo, no chairs!


The next adventure: Pai in the morning, a four hour bus ride through the mountains...

Bangkok in less than 24 hours

Hello Family and Friends! Thanks for checking our blog postings, as this is a much easier way to keep you all updated on our travels.

We arrived in Bangkok around 4:30PM on Tuesday 3/21. By staying up all Sunday night and sleeping the first 8 hours of the 17 hour (NYC to BGK) flight, we were able to avoid jet lag completely, it was amazing!


Amid general confusion when we first stepped outside, we managed to catch a taxi to an area of the city called Banglamphu. This area is known for its cheap accomodations and eateries. There was so much to see and do, especially one street called Khao San. The first hotel we saw (our guide recommended we ask to see the rooms first) was a dump! I was really grossed out, so we walked across the street to Khaosan Palace and got a room with a prvate bath and air conditioning for 700 baht ($9). Much better!

We ate our first Thai meal at Silk Bar and, surprise surprise, it was better than our favorite little "Thai Tanic" in DC (and less than $10 for dinner and 4 drinks). I got a bag of fresh pineapple for dessert from a street vendor.



Although there were lots of street kiosks selling clothes, jewelery, and knick-knacks (Gee-gaws as my family would say!), we didn't buy anything because we knew we could get it cheaper in Chaing Mai, our next stop.

The next morning we walked along one of the big boulevards with our backbacks in 95 degree heat! Unfortunately, two women in a park pretty much forced us to take seeds to feed the birds and then promptly demanded money. We gave them 20 baht and shrugged our shoulders and walked away quickly.

We saw Wat Pho (temples) and the Reclining Buddha - a massive gold buddha structure inside a temple. It was cool!



We caught a cab to the airport with only a bit of trouble....we said the International Airport and our driver brought us to the International terminal. After a few laughs and a lot of "Kor Toht" (sorry!) we were on our way. Next up, Chang Mai in the Northern Province.

So Many Things To Do!

I had a nice birthday, thanks to all the calls from my wonderful family and friends! It's over not a moment too soon, because Jason and I have so much to do before we leave on Monday morning:
Oil change
Post Office
Sports Authority
CVS
Nordstrom
Bank
Laundry
Border's

Plus I've caught Jason's cold now! Must....Get.....Sleep.....

Blogger Time!

Palabra a tu madre, Im an official blogger now, internet beware!

And more importantly, an extra special super duper happy 24th birthday to Lauren Elizabeth!!!

Getting Ready for the Big Trip

I've set up this blog to help Jason and I document our big trip to Thailand, Korea and Japan. I want to be able to write about our vacation so friends and family can follow along. Hopefully, we can figure out how to post pictures too!