East meets west when family visits Asia (Part 2 of2)

I'm back with the second part of this Thailand adventure!!! Now lets complete this second portion of this blog with the adventures of the Berger family in Thailand!!

So, like I said before, Maria, Natalie and myself were all on a quick, jump hop and a skip 1 hour plane ride to the island of Phuket.

Our beautiful room

As we arrived in Phuket we immediately hopped in a cab and took a "quick" hour cab ride to our resort. As we finally arrived at the Avista Resort & Spa in Kata Beach, we were all greeted with not only a flower necklace, but a cool glass of fruit punch and a cold tower to wash our faces and hands with. WOW! What a greeting, I wish I could get that at my own apartment. Maybe I can conn my roommates into it!? Thank you Natalie for booking this!!! :) So we were then showed to our room by one of the sweetest Philipino men I have ever met and he gave us a guided tour of our room and the hotel. We all stepped into our room and I couldn't believe my eyes. The room was gorgeous, it was decorated incredibly and we had a fabulous view of the pool down below. As you walked further in there was a glass wall that connected the beautiful bedroom area with the bathroom, just in case you wanted to take a shower and have others be able to see you!! hah!! Don't worry we all thought that was only for couples/a little strange, so we put down the shade!! hah.

After getting settled in, we headed down to the hotel restaurant to eat some, once again, great food. Thai food never gets old! At dinner, we enjoyed the wonderful weather, sounds of the waterfalls in our resort and decompressed from all that traveling by shoving our faces with food!!! YUM!

At "The Beach" Island

The next day, we had to get up bright and early as we were going on a boat cruise around all of the Thai Islands. Thanks again to Natalie, she had not only booked a Thai boat cruise, but the #1 rated boat cruise on Travel Advisor!! Only high class for us! :) The next morning we arrived at the marina and boarded the beautiful speed boat we would be spending the day on. Our tour guides were a wonderful Aussie woman and English couple who have been doing these tours for the past 7 years! We were on our way to one of the most famous & beaches in the world, while the sun was rising and the wind was blowing through our hair and the smell of salt was in the area all around us. Pretty magical. The first island we stopped at was the island in which the movie "The Beach" was filmed with Leonardo Dicaprio. It was pretty spectacular. Since these islands near Thailand are a little different from other normal sandy islands, because they are large jutting rock islands that stick out from the ocean, the minerals in the rock, erode and drip into the ocean, which in turn, turns the color of the water a greenish-blue, instead a turquoise blue. It is pretty cool to say that I have now been to two islands in which 2 famous movies have been filmed. "Cast Away Island" in Fiji and now "The Beach Island" in Thailand. We finally pulled into the bay and walked around the beach squishing the sand in between our toes and taking more pictures that you could believe! It was then time to leave and head to another island. This area was somewhat like a "swimming-hole" like area that was surround by mountain-like rocks hundreds of meters high. This is where we were told we would get out and be able to jump off the boat and swim....so OF COURSE, I am going to get out and swim. Once we all dove off the boat, it was like we were barely swimming. The water was so salty, we barely even needed to kick our legs to stay afloat! It really was an incredible experience, swimming in the greenish-blue water with the tree covered mountains surrounding us.

Diving into the salty water

Maria,  myself & Nat taking a swim

Finally, we headed to another area/island, where we would have yet another chance to swim and this time also snorkel. We arrived at the area and all jumped in the water to check out all cool underwater life that was beneath us! But, before we could do that, we were told by Jenny, our Aussie guide, that we MUST bring in a piece of banana with us, because the fish would eat it. WELL.....little did I know, that once you brought the piece of banana in with you, hundreds of fish would swarm you and eat off the banana. While the banana was in my hand, I could feel the little nibbles of them bitting off of it (just like when Maria and Natalie got a fish pedicure.....YES, they got a fish pedicure.....YIKES!) AHH it was so crazy and creepy at the same time!!
Finally we arrived at our last island and it was time to eat lunch and relax on the beach. The tour served us wonderful food and all of us on the boat chilled either in the or the shade eating our food. Everyone also split up and walked around the island. The day was finally over, but I never wanted to leave these islands, they were too beautiful to leave. BUT, my skin was screaming "get me out of this sun." Yes, I got extremely burnt and for the next couple days were were in Phuket, I couldn't even tan my upper half of my body!! Ugh, and I used sunscreen. I guess the sun is just so intense! The day was finally over and we all headed back to the hotel and that evening we headed into town and ate dinner.

Bamboo Island-Where we ate lunch & relaxed

Our Boat!

The next day rolled around and it was a day to be lazy and lay by the beach. As we arrived on the beach we rented out 3 chairs to relax in the shade and drink tropical drinks. But it was very strange, when we arrived, there were all of the men and women in the skimpiest bathing suits that were so tan some of them literally looked African-American. I was wondering why there were so many foreigners especially those who don't care to be naked on the beach as well as wearing too tight of speedos, haha. Well, I was then told later that day that as of lately Russians have completely dominated and "taken over" the island of Phuket and now come down here for their vacations all of the time!!! I guess Phuket/Thailand is like America's Mexico for Russians. It was really hilarious though, because literally every single person we saw was Russian, no joke. After spending the day on the beach, we needed to head up to the hotel to get prepared for the Thai Cooking Class we had all signed up for!!

Getting ready to "cook" 

We were so excited to see how to actually make and prepare Thai food, so we could then try to do it at home! As we arrived, we realized this wasn't actually a "cooking" class, it was a "everything is already in a bowl for you and all you need to do is put it in the pan class." So we really didn't know what was actually in any of the sauces or soup dishes, we just pretty much were told to dump things in and that is what we did!! haha! Oh well at least we got some funny pictures and made & ate our own Thai food. It was a cool experience and the chef was really great.



So the day finally ended and of course, we had to go out and eat some more great Thai food and walk around the Phuket area and buy "real" purses that were being sold on the street, haha. But I was very excited for the next day, because I was going to meet up with one of my friends, Brock, who I went to high school with at Mahtomedi, who is now currently teaching in Phuket. WHAT ARE THE ODDS? The two of us grow up together on one side of the world and meet up again on the other....in Asia of all places. The day before my big adventure with Brock, I had to get a traditional Thai massage. This was one of the best massages I have ever got in my entire life and it was not only amazing, but it was 2 HOURS....it was soo long that I almost got bored, haha. I definitely am going to get another when I return to Thailand. Then I got ready and met Brock at my hotel and hopped on his scooter and he showed me around the other parts of Phuket Island. We first headed to the "Big Buddha" which resides at the top of this large mountain. As we were scootering up, we saw a bunch of elephants on the side of the road and HAD to stop to feed them bananas and take pictures with them!! (Man, I fed a bunch of different animals bananas on this trip)! I felt bad though, because some of these elephants were chained up and of course you know they are just being help captive, because all of the tourists (like me, unfortunately) want to see them, pet them and feed them! Hopefully they aren't beaten. But as we left there, we soon arrived at the Big Buddha. This Buddha is the largest in Phuket and is totally made out of what looks like granite or some sort stone. It was very beautiful and you could see all of Phuket while standing at the top. The view was breathtaking and you could see all the way to some of the islands. Brock and I then spent the rest of the afternoon into the evening with each other, catching up and getting dinner. I still could not believe how cool it was to meet up with someone all the way over in Asia who I had grown up with all my life!!!

Me & an elephant!! 

Well the day and our time in Phuket had come to a close that next day and it was our time to say goodbye to Thailand. It really was an incredible trip and all 3 of us really enjoyed ourselves. I highly recommend that if anyone is going to travel to Asia, they should go to Thailand. What a beautiful place with so much color and culture. I can't wait to go back when I am done here in Taiwan and explore more of what that country has to offer.

In the mean time, please look out for more blog posts....although I don't have any trips planned anytime soon or any visitors coming, there is always something to write about....maybe about my birthday that is happening in 3 days!!!

Keep reading and thank you for doing so. I really appreciate the support!!!

Olivia

Brock and I

East meets west when family visits Asia (1 of 2)

Sawatdee Kaa! (Hello in Thai) 

Well.... February was a whirlwind of a month, and over these past two weeks, many amazing things have happened!! My sister and cousin came to Taiwan; we explored Taiwan and then headed off to Southeast Asia to explore Thailand. When my cousin and sister first arrived, we saw all of the "touristy" sites one needs to see when they come to Taiwan. While site seeing, we decided to go up the Taipei 101, which was a first for everyone, including myself. (I have been here for 6 months and had yet to go up).

**Quick fact: Did you know that the Taipei 101 is the second tallest building in the world, after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai? **

On the 88th floor in the 101

When we went up the 101, there was a whole show that happened inside the elevator. The lights dimmed and a video screen appeared showing the people inside the elevator, how fast we were going and how many seconds it took to get to the top. If you would like to know, it took 34 seconds to get to the 89 floor. pretty incredible. So as we arrived at the top, you could see all of Taipei. There was a audio tour that told you what you were looking at as you stood on each side of the building, well not so much an "audio tour" but a promotional tour of Taiwan and all of the many ways people can spend their money doing touristy things around Taiwan. Great, thanks, like we really need to spend more money! 

The next day, we headed off to the most famous museum in Taiwan. The National Palace Museum. The National Palace Museum holds some of Taiwan's most prized items. It holds a lot of the artifacts that were taken from the Taiwanese who fled from Mainland China and that were never taken back. We ended up taking a long, I mean long, free-guided tour and I am pretty sure I learned enough about bronze artifacts to last a lifetime! I tried to take an interest in it! The only bronze I am interested in, is when your skin gets it from the sun, hah! But as the day progressed we headed out and explored the city a little more. 

On our way to Toroko Gorge

The following I had taken off work and we all decided it would be a perfect day to head down to Hualien where the famous Toroko Gorge is. Although, I have already visited this place, you can't come to Taiwan and not see the beautiful landscapes, mountains and rivers it has to offer. So as we arrived in the town of Hualien, we all rented our own scooters and took off. I think it was really enjoyable for the girls to ride them and to see a different part of Taiwan, other than the hustle and bustle of the city. After a good 3 hours of exploring the gorge, we decided it was time to head back into the town because it looked like rain.... oh and we were right. As we headed back into town, it started to sprinkle, and then drizzle and finally it was pouring. Me, being the smarty that I am, decided to stop in 7/11 and get a poncho, but poor Natalie and Maria, they didn't get one and ended up getting soaked. Let me just say, it wasn't a pleasant train 3 hour train ride back to the city!! 

But we couldn't get too down, because the next day we were leaving for.... Thailand!!!!! 

**BANGKOK**

I was so excited; this would be my first trip outside of Taiwan since I have been here. (Can you believe its already been 6 months? wow).  So that morning, we packed up our things and boarded our flight to Bangkok. As we arrived in Bangkok, I could immediately tell the weather was going to be hot. It was 7:00 pm at night when we arrived and we were already sweating as we waited for our cab. 

**Quick fact #2** Taipei city has 7 million people (and I thought that was a lot). Bangkok city has 12 million people and I believe it is about the size or a little larger than Taipei, so you can imagine how much more crazy and frustrating it can be at times. 

I am telling you this fact, because as we arrived in Bangkok, we not only had to stand in line sweating, while waiting for a cab, but we had to wait for about a good 40 minutes while just to get one. So I knew could get very frustrating and complicated at times. But nevertheless, we were in Thailand! As we rode into town, and as we looked out the window driving into Bangkok, we could easily tell that this city, although extremely large, was definitely not as advanced as Taipei. Thailand is definitely still a developing country, but I believe it is moving and advancing quite fast. That night we headed to our fancy hotel and just crashed, as we were all so tired from traveling. 

Temple along the river

The Big Budda

The next morning, we headed down to the all you can eat buffet at the Marriott hotel and shoved our faces with food. YUM! (Well, there go my plans to eat healthy!!) So we headed out down to the Chap Phraya River. This river is the main river that runs throughout the city of Bangkok. This river is the main waterway and transportation way for many boats and touring companies. It is a great way to see the sights of Thailand while enjoying time outside on the water. So that is exactly what Natalie, Maria and myself did. We headed onto a long boat and enjoyed a cruise down the river, looking at all of the other boats passing us by, temples along the river and cool architecture of the city. As we arrived at our next destination, we were disappointed that it wasn't open for another hour, so what did we do!? Well, we did what any other normal foreign tourist would do, we were convinced to take a ride in one of the FAMOUS TUK TUKS in Thailand to see the other surrounding sights. If you don't know what a Tuk Tuk is, well let me just tell you it is pretty much a tricycle on wheels and it is definitely not made for 3 people to sit it, definitely not 3 American people!!! hah. So after being on the Tuk Tuk, we found out it was some sort of "National Tuk Tuk day" and there was a special deal going on (which we didn't know about until we had agreed to take a ride) that if you paid ONLY 40 BAHT (which is like 1 US dollar) you could get driven around to all the sights you wanted to see. So as we were driving to the "Big Budda Temple" and all of the other fascinating sights, out Tuk Tuk driver made us stop at many of the government owned shops to promote Thailand and get the tourists in Thailand to try and buy things. So the first stop we made, was to a Travel agency, he had us go in and we instantly left! We were so confused, hah, why were we being brought to all of these weird places?? Well.....I will tell you. If the Tuk Tuk driver brought us these shops, we would be reimbursed for the money he spent on gas!!! OF COURSE he is going to do it then! So then after that stop he brought us to a place where they tailor and make "beautiful silk" suits, when we were in there, we saw other foreigners who had been conned into this process...we instantly left again and told him, NO MORE STOPS, otherwise we are leaving. It is quite hilarious to think about it now, but at the time we just wanted to get the heck out of that Tuk Tuk. Just think about it, 3 fairly tall American girls squished in the back on this Tuk Tuk when it was 95 degrees outside....yuck! 

Our Tuk Tuk driver!

At the Wat Phra Kaew Temple

Wat Phra Kaew Temple 

So, we FINALLY arrived at the Wat Phra Kaew. This temple is the MOST important temple in all of Bangkok, maybe even all of Thailand. This temple is very strict, so any person cannot wear anything that shows their legs, any tight pants or short sleeves. So Natalie, Maria and I all had to rent out sarongs and shirts just to enter the temple. The Wat Phra Kaew is famous for its Emerald Budda, which was carved out of just one piece of jade stone. The temples in Thailand are nothing like the ones in Taiwan. The statues and structures are dripping with gold and different shining colors. This temple is exceptionally beautiful as it has many different areas to walk around in and it so large. It really was one of the greatest sights that I have seen while being in Asia. One I recommend seeing. After spending a few hours there, we decided to head out and do some more exploring. We headed to KhaoSan Road, where it is famous for having "knock-off" things and great food to eat. So, of course we had to try some famous Pad Thai that was being cooked on the street. I was a little hesitant to eat it, but once I did, there was no turning back. It was delicious!!! So the day was coming to a close and we headed back to the hotel to get ready before dinner. We hailed a cab and let me just say, this is where the thing about too many people living in Bangkok comes in, we could have walked fast home. I think we sat in that cab in the same spot for 20 minutes and after that we couldn't take it anymore and decided to walk. I am telling you....too many people!!! 

Eating at the traditional Thai restaurant After arriving at the hotel and taking some much need R&R by the pool with a pina colada in hand, it was time to get ready and head out for a authentic Thai meal....sorry 'Ha Long Bay', it put you to shame! (inside joke). The restaurant we ate at that night was honestly incredible. Not only for its food, but for its service, and authenticity. All of the servers were wearing traditional Thai clothing and the food was served in very creative, festive ways. Then in the latter part of the meal a traditional Thai dancer came out to perform for all of the people eating. It really was magical and made me really start to love the Thai culture. But, it was time to see other parts of Thailand....The wolf pack was headed out of Bangkok and down to the beautiful island of Phuket.  YUM! Pad Thai STAY TUNED FOR PART 2 of 2!!! KUP KUN KA (Thank you in Thai)