Historical note: Long service leave is unique to Australia and New Zealand and was originally to give colonized Australians time to travel back by boat to the Mother Country of the UK.
I was ecstatic! While I’ve had 2-3 week vacations over the years, 5 weeks seemed an unimaginable luxury! In fact, I haven’t had this much time off since high school as I worked all summers and after college graduation, I started working right away.
The next questions were – how much of my long service leave should I take off (Cisco requires that you take a minimum of 3 weeks and only in two batches) and where should I go?
Ultimately I decided on taking 5 weeks and heading to:
1. Thailand (Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Bangkok) from Dec. 23, 2011 -Jan. 1, 2012
2. Chile (Santiago) on Jan. 3, 2012
3. Peru (Lima, Cusco, Tumbes, Zorritos, Piura) from Jan. 3-Jan. 14, 2012
4. Japan (Okinawa) from Jan. 16-21, 2012
5. Taiwan (Taipei, Sun Moon Lake, Hsinchu, Yilan County) from Jan. 21-Jan. 28, 2012
Thailand
Last year I’d finished visiting all 6 states and 2 territories of Australia so my sights were now set on exploring Asia. Thailand was on the “list” as I was keen to check out the scuba diving and my wonderful friends Venecia and Sam let me know they were vacationing there over Christmas and inviting me to come along.
Highlights:
• Thai iced tea galore and ate more than my year’s quota of pad thai -The Green Bird was a favorite and cheap place to eat. Sam spotted this place because it was crowded and had rave reviews pinned up on the wall from past tourists.
• Rode an elephant! Cheesy I know, but how could I goto Thailand and not ride an elephant? It was like visiting Australia that first time and hugging a koala.
• Thailand’s favored cocktail: Mai thai – Just a few months earlier I’d gone to the original bar famous for the Singapore Sling. Detecting a trend here…
• Random outbursts of laughter while enjoying my Thai foot massage – It was a darkened room, Venecia and Sam were relaxed and napping in the chairs next to me. So when the masseuse used what looked like the square end of a Chinese chopstick and jabbed it hard into the pressure points in my feet and toes, I had this uncontrollable urge to burst out laughing. I laughed so hard I was crying. And I startled Venecia awake, yet amazingly Sam slept on. In fact, Sam slept through the whole Thai foot massage which is absolutely incredible to me – reminds me of the only other person I know with a similar talent - my friend Mei Chuah who in college slept through an incredibly loud and piercing fire alarm at Brigham Dormitory.
• Packed in 10 scuba dives in Koh Tao
• Rain, more rain and then overcast clouds – While Venecia extended her trip (originally slated to head home to Taiwan on Dec. 27) she stayed until Dec. 31 and joined me in Koh Tao. Sam had had enough of the rain and the weather reports were predicting more rain ahead. It didn’t matter so much to me as I was already going to be wet scuba diving and Venecia was telecommuting and a change of scenery were conducive to writing…plus there were glimmers of “partly sunny”.
• Four hotels, five if you count visiting Venecia and Sam’s villa on the mountain-side.
o Mimosa Resort and Spa was in a remote area of Koh Samui and while I enjoyed my room, after two nights we were eager to move onto another resort closer to the buzz of restaurants and cafes.
o Kandaburi Resort and Spa – I couldn’t get into the same resort as Venecia and Sam so I booked into this one which was closer to Chaweng Beach but still a 15 minute walk. My room had the oddest layout – you entered via this huge bathroom. Check out this video and see if you find this as disconcerting as I did when I first entered my room.
o Nora Buri Resort & Spa – While I didn’t stay here Venecia and Sam did and it was a great choice! In fact, as they checked in on Dec. 25 (Sam’s birthday) they were upgraded to a private villa at the top of the hill with a majestic view and their own private infinity pool! We begged off from doing an island boat tour and instead spend the day taking advantage of the pool and views.
o Charm Churee Resort & Spa – After taking the ferry to Koh Tao, this was the hotel Venecia and I checked into. It had no TV and was the most traditional in the sense it was made of teak wood, but we had some initial issues with the “not so hot” shower. Plus it was very far from Sairee Beach which is where the café’s and nightlife were. The “taxi” into Sairee Beach was also unforgettable. Basically, we’re in the back of a pickup truck, with wooden benches level with the top edge of the sides of the pickup and the roads are narrow, go up and down hills and around corners at a fast clip and there’s nothing to hold onto!
o Back in Koh Samui, I finally check into Muang Samui Spa & Resort that’s right on Chaweng Beach which works out perfectly as this is also where I celebrate New Year’s Eve.
If I were to stay in Koh Samui again, I’d consider The Library Resort which had this great restaurant Venecia and I enjoyed dinner at (The Page).
The first day in Koh Samui, we walked 35 minutes in the rain to get to “The Farmer” restaurant and I have my first Mai Tai.
Venecia and I then head to this very exclusive Anantara Resort for their signature Thai massage. After reading the description in the spa menu about the benefits of special hot oil dripping onto the pressure points of your head for a head massage reputed to help with stress and sleep, Venecia decided to give it a go.
Fishing village in Koh Samui
Bo Phut Pier in Koh Samui
When we arrive in Koh Tao we check out our hotel with a drink at “Elvis’ Bar” (only in Thailand) and later that night another “Green Bird” like restaurant that has wonderfully tasty Thai food that’s incredibly cheap. Called Su Chilli at Sairee Beach Village.
Lots of mopeds in Koh Tao, here's how you gas up
With a recommendation from Pro Dive Coogee Dive Master Amber, I’ve signed up to do my dives with Scuba Junction (Koh Tao, Thailand).
Dive # 136: Dec. 28, 2011 “Chumphon Pinnacle” 32 minutes bottom time, 29.7 meters/97 feet, 27 Celcius, with dive buddy Imran and Dive Master Dennis. It’s a deep dive, dark and as a result didn’t see a whole lot of fish life.
Dive # 137: Dec. 28, 20122 “HTMS Sattakut” 35 minutes bottom time, 29.6 meters/97feet, 31 Celcius/87.8F, with dive buddy Imran and Dive Master Dennis again. This is a wreck dive with big guns, a captains tower that you see in the video we all enter and take a group photo. This wreck was deliberately sunk by the US a few months ago.
Dive #138: Dec. 28, 2011 “Japanese Gardens” 54 minutes, 17.1 meters/56 feet, 27Celcius/80F, with visibility of 8-10 meters. Dive Buddy Francis and Diver Master Vera. Saw harlequin sweet lips, yellow butterfly fish, chevron barracuda, scribble filefish, crown of thorn starfish, sponges, spiral coral, stag horn coral, Indian cushion sea star, soft carrot coral, grouper, pink anemone and wrasse fish.
Dive #139: Dec. 28, 2011 “Twins” 48 minutes bottom time, 18.6 meters/61ft, 5-8 meter visibility, 27Celcius. Dive Buddy Francis and Diver Master Vera. Saw blue ringed angle fish, long fin banner fish, yellow/blue/white Christmas tree worms, giant clams, nudi branches, flat elephant ear coral along the rock at the end and long face emperor fish.
Dive #140:Dec. 29, 2011 “White Rock” 49 minutes bottom time, 20 meters. Dive Buddy Shaun from Canada (wears white socks to protect his feet from the fins), Dive Master Vera.
Dive #141: Dec. 29, 2011 “Twins” 41 minutes bottom time, 17.8 meters, Dive Buddy Shaun from Canada, Dive master Vera. Saw this amazing highway of sardines/silverfish that reminds me of that scene in “Finding Nemo” where Dori runs into a highway of fish heading South. Also see a blue spotted ribbon stingray, great photos of it from under a rock.
Dive #142: Dec. 29, 2011 “Tao Tong” 48 minutes bottom time, 12 meters, Dive Master Dennis, Dive buddy Henna. Saw long fin batfish, durbin dancing shrimp, Indian pin cushion sea star, crown starfish and trigger fish.
Dive #143: Dec. 29, 2011 “Twins” 50 minutes bottom time, 18 meters, Dive buddy Vera, Dive Master Dennis. We see banner fish, grouper, marble grouper, flasher scorpion fish (like a small rock fish), blue spotted ribbon tale ray (although my camera had just run out of battery so I missed this shot!!!), pipe fish.
Dive #144: Dec. 30, 2011 “Southwest” 37 minutes bottom time, 25.6 meters. Our first day of partly sunny and calm waters! There was a TON of anemone – to the point this dive site should be called the Garden of Anemone. The best visibility I’ve had in Koh Tao with a slight current at the end where there also happened to be a barracuda. Dive master Ella.
Dive #145: Dec. 30, 2011 “Hiin Pee Wee” 35 minutes bottom time, 25.2 meters, Saw batfish and pufferfish. Dive master Ella.
Dinner on Dec. 28 was at a disappointing Italian restaurant called “MacLead” which was near the sea port (versus Sairee Beach). The following night (Dec. 29) we took Dive Master (from the UK/Ireland) Dennis’ recommendation and enjoyed wonderful seafood restaurant called “Barracuda”. While walking around Sairee Beach Village we ran into Shaun my dive buddy so he joined us for dinner and showed us all the great bars and entertainment along the beach. Shaun took us to “Lotus Beach Bar” (which is where he originally met his Thai girlfriend) and where we saw these amazing fire dancers!
While I associated Thailand with pad thai, Thai massages and elephants … I had never heard of “lady boys”. But Sam insisted that most tours from Asia coming to Thailand always included a “lady boy” show. In fact he pointed these “lady boys” out to us – they’re young Asian men dressed in drag and they’re holding signs inviting tourist to watch them perform musical shows with flash costumes – rather like you see in the Australian movie Priscilla Queen of the Desert.
We didn’t manage to see one of these “lady boy” shows before Sam departed Thailand (although it was our intention) so we went to a show in Koh Tao. As you’ll see in these videos the lady boys are dressed in drag and sing popular songs and dance. While some you can absolutely tell are men from their jawline and adam’s apple in their throats, some look and sound remarkably like really attractive women!
On Dec. 30, Venecia and I head back to Koh Samui and have a lovely dinner at The Page where we launch a lucky ballon.
On. Dec 31, Venecia heads back home to Taiwan so I decide to take a city highlights tour of Koh Samui. We start at the “Big Buddha”. As I’m older than the “Big Buddha” which is built in 1972, it doesn’t have much historic importance to me but it’s interesting for the customs and beliefs of some of the aspects – for example, around the back of the Buddha are a series of bells of all different sizes, sounds and state (some are broken) and if you ring each of these your wish will come true. Then there are all the stone gods for each day of the week and what the day of the week you were born means (a new twist to the horoscope). I know I was born on a Friday and my brother on a Monday as my Mother’s fond of saying “I don’t work on weekends”.
Then we head to “Grandpapa and Grandmama Rocks”. Now remember I’d asked for a tour of the highlights, I’ll admit I didn’t do much research on what I wanted to see in my 3 hour 1,500 Thai Baht Tour (AUD$46) so trusted the judgement of the private tour guide I hired. So take a look at the photo of “Grandpapa Rock” and tell me what shape it resembles. And if you think, “no, it can’t be” - yes it is.
And it had just rained so it was dangerous to climb down the rock to see “Grandmama Rock” but if you can imagine this inlet at the junction of two rocks, with the waves crashing in and erupting with a spout of water, I’m sure you can visualize this in your head.
I have to admit that while I didn’t say this to the guide, I was thinking, this must be a great joke on tourists. There’s a historic “story” that goes along with these rocks – something along the lines of these grandparents were matchmaking their son to another family’s daughter but they died before the match was made. And these rocks were intended to commemorate to the future in-laws that they were trustworthy, honest and kept their word and only death prevented them from completing the match.
There was a market here so I purchased a coconut drink for 40TBT (AUD$1.23) and sandals as mine had broken at the “Big Buddha” for 250TBT (AUD$7).
So after seeing the not very historic “Big Buddha” statue and the kinky rock formations, next on the itinerary was the “Mummified Monk.” Now my friends and family know that typically I research the activities of my trip and plan the itinerary in fairly exhaustive detail, this Koh Samui City Highlights Tour was me “going with the flow and being spontaneous”. So the guide says “we’re going to see a mummified monk” I’m thinking we’re going to see a religious figure wrapped in white bandages like a mummy or a coffin with a religious figure inside.
I didn’t expect to see a monk seated in an orange robe with dark sunglasses that had been mysteriously mummified while meditating for several days and was now preserved behind a glass case.
The tour guide informed me that this Monk has two very special capabilities. 1). He could predict his death and 2). He could stay very still without moving or eating for 15 days of meditating. Upon predicting his death, he wrote a letter to his disciple stating that he’d be very still/mummified and to please keep him seated and in a glass case so followers could pray with him. Then with no surgical procedure or chemicals (evidently this has been proven by 2 National Geographic scientists but in a quick Google search I couldn’t find anything) he was mysteriously mummified. The theory is that the monk drank lots of salt water and it dried his body out from the inside.
Without intending any disrespect, I felt like this could have been on “Ripley’s Believe it or Not” it was so bizarre. I’m sharing this with you, but while there I was totally respectful as I watched many local Thai bring flowers, bowls of fruit, rubbing gold plated paper on the frame of the monk’s black and white photo and burning incents while praying in front of the mummified monk, keeping these thoughts to myself until I wrote this blog. I have to admit that this is one of those instances when I wished to be travelling with friend/family as after we drove onto the next sight I would have whispered, “that was both eerie and creepy”.
The last stop of the tour was the ride on the elephant (400TBT for 15 minutes) which was very bristle-y. Elephants to have very rough, dry skin with hair that’s as abrasive as unshaven stubble. Yet of all I’d seen that day, it was the most in line with what I expected from my Thailand experience.
On New Year’s Eve, I joined the celebrations of the Muang Samui Spa and Resort on Chaweng Beach with cultural dancing, fire dancing, Thai boxing (this was a farce, more comedic than WWF with the boxers running off the stage and into the crowd, since when does the boxer run away then jump back in and throw a punch) and music. As midnight neared, we light lucky paper lanterns (I lit two!) and there were massive fireworks right above our heads on the beach and all along the coast.
New Year’s Eve Lucky Balloon #1
New Year’s Eve, lucky lucky Balloon
Midnight New Year’s Eve 2012 Celebrations in Koh Samui, Thailand
More fireworks celebrations.
On Jan. 1, 2012, I departed Koh Samui and flew into Bangkok where I had several hours before my flight back to Sydney. So I took the time to check out Bangkok but catching the train into the city (I took the local instead of the rapid train), switching to the local train (which was clean and well organized, much like the Japanese trains system) and then hopping on a boat that travelled up the river to see some of the sights.
You can’t miss the remnants of the Thailand Floods that hit Bangkok in Oct. 2011. There was dirty water with so much debris and many dilapidated houses along the river that were beyond repair. It was very humid and sunny and I finally disembarked at the stop for the Royal Palace. On my way there I saw the amulets and antiques being sold by local vendors. They looked like random trinkets and charms one might wear on a necklace.
Upon reaching the Royal Palace, I was told my leggings were too tight fitting to go into the palace so I rented a used brown elephant print wrap around skirt. Because it was New Year’s Day the palace was closed but I could see the Emerald Buddha for free (typically foreigners had to pay). The Emerald Buddha palace was very bejeweled with glittering tiles covering all the walls, towers and roof that sparkled in the sunlight. I walked the area and finally found a small group of women that seemed prepared to jump the line to see the Emerald Buddha.
It was clear that much like how the Japanese travel to temples on New Year’s Day, so do the Thai. The Emerald Buddha Temple was very, very crowded with many Thai coming to pay their respects with flowers and fruit offerings. The line was suffocating, we were pressed like sardines, sweaty people and bare semblance of order (some pushing as we neared the entrance) and there were a few moments went I felt like abandoning the line. Finally I wound my way through and got a quick glimpse of the Emerald Buddha (no photos allowed) through the many rows of people kneeling and praying.
Later on Jan. 1, I departed Bangkok and arrived in Sydney early in the morning of Jan. 2 to have a birthday breakfast with my friend Kate at one of my favorite places for brekkie – The Book Kitchen. Later that afternoon was spent last minute shopping for a hiking trek to Machu Picchu.
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