NoPeanutButter.com

We started our trip through Southeast Asia in Thailand. We arrived in Bangkok on June 7th. We spent three days there while waiting for our Vietnam visa to be processed. The weather was hot, the food was great, and we were excited to start our adventure.

Our first day there we met a woman named Toom, who owned a Travel Agency. She invited us to go with her and her friends to a tiger sanctuary and bamboo river rafting. She gave us a smokin’ deal and we made some new friends. We picnicked with many Thai people near a waterfall. We witnessed Thai people give each other the wink to buy food at local prices. And we got to see some really cool sites.

Check out our photo page and sound off in the comments!

We had a great time blasting around Southeast Asia when we left South Korea. We toured through four countries in about three weeks. In the video, we start out in South Korea at The Welton School, then quickly leave. Next, we tear through Thailand, hang out in the mountains of Laos, tour Halong Bay and take a motorcycle tour in Vietnam, and finally end up in Cambodia. Angkor Wat was really amazing and where we took most of the pictures.

If you haven’t pressed play yet, or even if you have, I recommend going to the high-quality version on YouTube.com, hitting the full-screen button and cranking up the speakers! Also, because of the nature of the video, I recommend watching it twice to really enjoy all the shots.

This video was made from piling every single one of our 1,250 photos into iMovie. The inspiration for the video came during a long bus ride while I was looking through pictures on our digital camera. I held down the next button and watched all the pictures fly by, and thought it would make a pretty good video. Don’t worry, we will still post more galleries and blog entries to keep you entertained for a while longer. Thanks for stopping by!

We’ve returned from our backpacking adventure and whirlwind tour of Southeast Asia. We went to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia, then back to Bangkok. Right now we are staying with Megan’s parents in Arizona. I’d like to get a few posts explaining our absence up in about a weeks time so keep checking back. Give us a little bit of time to go through about 1,250 photos and whittle them down to a much more manageable 625 for your viewing pleasure.

And if you do actually make it to this page, and you do actually read this far without just skimming, then leave us a note in the comments saying how badly you want to see new content on the blog and in the photo galleries!

We hope you have enjoyed our tales of traveling in Thailand, and maybe they have inspired you to travel or just try something new. Now we must get back to our regular scheduled programming of living and blogging in South Korea.

We will leave you with this collage of black-and-white prints. All of these pictures were shot with a Canon PowerShot SD750. All post-processing was rendered easily with iPhoto ’08. If you want my advice on a great camera, go with a Canon.

I provide these images to you in their full resolution for download with no obligation other than to please leave a comment if you enjoy them, or better yet, pass the link on to a friend who has not seen our site. (If you’d like to save the file to your desktop, you can Option-click the picture.) We really appreciate the many people who come to give us warm wishes on our blog. It really can help to have an encouraging word when you are thousands of miles from Western civilization.

NOTE

This page is not yet transitioned to our new WordPress site yet. Please enjoy the collage in its original form on our old iWeb/DotMac site.

One thing that caught me by surprise was the amount of clean, cute pets that people have in Thailand. Living in Asia, we have gotten used to the jokes about these animals being delicacies. So when we were in Thailand and saw all of these animals running around between tourists, I thought they would be mangy and sick strays. But they are most likely a local’s pet. Their fur looked clean and they didn’t have any visible ailments. This puppy belonged to a longboatman who lived near our resort on Phi Phi. He scampered along the rocks near the pier. The kitty was one of two who would join us for our dinner at a beachside restaurant in town and play under the table while we ate. I just think they’re cute.

In order to make up for this totally lame post about cute animals, feel free to make LOLcats jokes, or just visit these fine links:

http://icanhascheezburger.com

http://lolcats.com

http://lolcat.com

We began our search for a bungalow on Phi Phi by taking a longboat to Long Beach, which we had been told had the best deals for beach front bungalows. As we were making our way from “town” to Long Beach I spotted this resort tucked in the trees on a private cove. I immediately wanted to stay there. Thinking it would be too expensive we continued on to Long Beach.

Once on Long Beach we began our search for the perfect place to stay for the next five days. After finding every place too expensive or completely booked, our search quickly turned from the perfect place to stay to any place to stay. It had been a few hours of walking along the beach inquiring at every resort before I suggested we go check out the resort I spotted from the longboat.

We hopped on another longboat and asked to go to Ma Prao beach, which we guessed was about the location on our map that the resort had been. As the longboat passed the cove, we wondered where we had asked to be taken. We rounded the corner and were dropped off on a beach. We knew the resort was on the opposite side of the mountain so we decided to hike over it. We found a small trail that took us through a tiny local village. The way the local people live on Phi Phi was something I will never forget. A family lived in a small bamboo bungalow the size of a most Americans bathroom. It was around dinner time and many locals were cooking on their front steps. Don’t worry though, many of these bungalows I noticed had working televisions.

As we made our way over the mountain we saw a few bungalows nestled among the trees. We had made it! We walked down to the beach front to try and find a reception. We lucked out, one bungalow left. As we stood there paying for our room, several other groups descended over the hill only to be turned away. We had come at the perfect time.

Our bungalow had bamboo floors, a bed with mosquito net, a fan, and a hammock out front. We didn’t really use the hammock on our porch because the resort had hammocks set up in trees all over the property. Our favorites were a pair of hammocks we found nestled in the trees atop a hill overlooking the ocean. The picture to the right was taken from these hammocks. We spent many hours relaxing in the hammocks, reading and staring out at the water.

The resort staff was very friendly and many of guests had been staying at the Viking for months. The beach was never crowded and the water was calm. It took us about twenty minutes to walk over the mountain and into town. We could walk over the other side of the mountain and reach a much busier beach (Long Beach) if we got bored of ours. All in all we had found the perfect place to stay during our trip to Phi Phi.

Check out the new Viking Resort photo gallery.

After our short stay in Phuket, we headed South to the island of Phi Phi [Pee-Pee]. The island is famous for its limestone cliffs and breathtaking beaches. Jay and I agreed we had never seen a place quite as amazing as Phi Phi. We found the people of Phi Phi to be much friendlier than those on Phuket and the atmosphere very relaxed. We spent five days on Phi Phi and realized why some visitors come for months at a time. However, most visitors to Phi Phi are day-trippers, who come on a tour and then leave the same day. There were very few places to stay on Phi Phi and we lucked out getting an incredible Bungalow on a private cove (I will go into further detail about this in tomorrow’s blog).

The only way to get to the island of Phi Phi is by boat. We took the earliest ferry out of Phuket and once aboard realized most day trippers wanted the earliest ferry as well. The boat was packed! We threw our backpacks inside the boat and managed to snag a spot on the boat’s deck. For two hours we enjoyed the sun and sea. Despite the herds of people, it was actually very peaceful. As we approached Phi Phi from a distance the island was the only thing on the horizon. The closer we got the more amazing the limestone cliffs became.

When we reached Phi Phi there was only a very small dock for all boats to take turns using. Concrete pillars sticking out of the water were all that remained from Phi Phi’s larger pier that was destroyed in the Tsunami. Once on shore we wanted to find a place to stay before doing any exploring. We knew how few resorts there were on Phi Phi and saw other backpackers scurrying around as well. There are no roads on Phi Phi. The only means of transportation are by foot or by boat. So, we headed over to a row of “longboats” next to the dock.

“Longboats” are a small wooden boat used as a taxi around the island. We used longboats several times during our stay on Phi Phi. They had a very authentic and romantic feel to them, much like a Gondola. I guess this was our little piece of Italy in Asia. That and the excellent pizza we found on Phi Phi.

Each longboat trip is about $2 a person. We were asked to pay upfront before the driver would take off. We soon found out this was because the boats would pull up onto the beach and we had to jump off the end, before the tide pushed the boat offshore. The boats have a huge motor to power a tiny propeller attached to a long piece of wood used to direct the boat. The driver stands on the back of the boat maneuvering the long piece of wood. It seemed like it would be very difficult to steer the boat this way, but the men did it effortlessly. The motors were extremely loud and can be a little disturbing when reading in a hammock, nestled in the trees, atop a cliff, on a secluded white sand beach, overlooking endless ocean and plunging limestone cliffs (but that’s a story I will have to save for tomorrow).

To explore the Bungalows of the Viking Resort, turn to page 57. To get an hour-long Coconut Oil Massage in a bamboo hut on the beach, turn to page 32.

Just kidding, for more of our stories just check our blog tomorrow. For now, check out our picture page of our trip to Phi Phi and more pictures of the Longboats.

After our stay on Koh Samui, (koh means island in Thai), we were headed to Koh Phi Phi by way of Phuket. We had a day of traveling ahead of us, and decided to wing it in Phuket for a night. So we flew in from Koh Samui’s airport with no lodgings or knowledge of the area whatsoever.

As soon as we got our luggage we figured we had better consult the Rough Guide to tell us what was our best bet. The largest tourist concentration, and the closest destination from the airport, is Patong beach, and from what we saw it didn’t look very relaxing. If you’re looking for a place to party though, that is it. Patong has some pretty cool bars up on the hill.

We decided on the second beach from the airport, known as Karon beach. We found a cheap place called the Brestol Hostel, which runs 200 Baht rooms in the off-season (about 7 dollars). But when we asked for that price, the lady scoffed and told us 400 Baht. Still not that bad considering we only needed a place for one night.

In Karon, we also found the best deals for souvenirs and gifts of anywhere on our trip. The market in Karon is large and the people seem very desperate to sell. Just keep a smile on your face and you can get prices that are a third of the price quoted elsewhere. The people are very happy to bargain with you but don’t seem to understand how much it weakens the effect when everyone gets a “special” price.

We went to dinner as we were craving some Mexican food. We met a deeply-tanned Norwegian couple who I swore owned the restaurant. They acted like they owned the place and were tattooed with Thai characters and Norwegian flags. Turns out they didn’t own the restaurant but they have been to Thailand almost 30 times.

What drew us to Karon beach, however, was its long sweeping beach; uninterrupted sand that stretches for two and a half miles and squeaks audibly beneath your feet. Phuket is a very large island, and is connected to Thailand by a highway, which makes it a great jump-off point for travelers who want to experience both beaches and jungles. Karon is a very beautiful beach and the limited amount of time we spent in Karon we enjoyed.

If you like the pictures on the side of this, or any other blog entry, go to the Photos page and click the Blog Photos album. Sometimes there are not enough pictures to necessitate an entire album, so I add them together in one big album. The album has recently been updated, so you might see others that you missed full-size the first time. Scroll to the bottom for these pics.

Not long after we got off the night ferry from the mainland of Thailand to the island of Koh Samui, we were lost. We landed at around 9pm in Nathon, and we had planned on a rendezvous with our Canadian friends from the Welton School. We never found them.

It was a perfectly clear night with the full moon looming overhead as we made our way to the north shore of Koh Samui. Suddenly, from across the island, we were transfixed by huge fireballs heading into the air.

They glowed like giant orange flares. I thought they might signal the beginning of the full moon party. We kept watching them ascend into the sky, and waited for them to arc. They moved much too slow to be fireworks or flares and instead kept climbing higher and higher unimpeded.

Later, where these pictures were taken on the island of Phuket, we solved the mystery of these slow moving rockets. They are actually large paper lanterns with a wire frame and a large candle inside. Street vendors call them ‘lucky balloons’ and sell them for about 100 Baht, which is about $3 USD. You light them and make a wish and they float into the air. Often, large parties of tourists will be enticed to buy many at once and you can watch twenty float into the air over the islands. The effect is breathtakingly beautiful. The memory of seeing them for the first time floating over Koh Samui will stay vividly in my mind. I hope you enjoy watching the image sequence.

Our first morning after the full moon party, Megan and I decided to do something we’d been excited for ever since we first thought of Thailand -- go on an elephant ride! It is a surreal experience that you really have to see to believe. The elephants are ginormous, and riding on top gives you an incredible view.

Our elephant’s name was Dumbo, and he had the ears to fit the bill. He was about 45 years-old and we were told that an elephant’s lifespan is as long as humans. We were glad we got Dumbo; he looked like one of the biggest elephants. We rode through beautiful, lush jungle and open grassy areas with nothing but palm trees as far as we could see. The ride is bumpy up top and you have to hold on to keep from falling off. While we rode, we would pet the elephant’s tough hide with our bare feet.

The elephant would stop to eat plants but not stop to poo. It was incredible to see the elephant’s large and agile trunk swing down to pick up some grass or even pull a whole plant, roots and all, out of the ground. The most amazing thing, however, was leaning over the side to see the elephant nimbly place its foot on a coconut to crack it open, then pour the milk into its mouth.

The elephant rider, or mahout, would give the beast pokes above his eye on the left or right side to encourage him to move. The mahout could also give verbal commands. After a while, we had reached a small stream in which the elephant needed a drink and some shade. The elephant fills his trunk with water and sprays it on his sides and belly. Then he fans himself with his gigantic ears. We got soaked!

After the ride, we were able to feed the elephant whole bananas. There are around 40,000 muscles in an elephants trunk, making it sensitive enough to pick up a blade of grass, but strong enough to pull branches off a tree. It is definitely weird to touch!

Go ahead and follow the link to look at the pictures! Enjoy!

After two days in Bangkok we took a short flight down to Koh Samui, one of Thailand’s eastern islands. Koh Samui reminded Jay and I of the North Shore of Oahu. The beaches were amazing, the water was warm, and area was not heavily developed. We both agreed that if we were to ever live in Thailand this would be the place.

The first night we arrived in Koh Samui we spent about an hour looking for a place to stay for the night. The week of Christmas and New Year’s is Thailand’s busiest week of the entire year, so we could not find a room anywhere. After finding a great little bungalow to stay in, we decided to take a boat ride to the neighboring island of Koh Phangan where one of Thailand’s infamous Full Moon parties was happening. We arrived on Koh Phangan at around 10:30pm. When we arrived we weaved our way through people filled streets to a beach on the opposite side of the island. There were more people on this one, moonlit beach than I have ever seen before. The combination of these people having been on this beach for hours and the fact that the local people were selling sand buckets full of liquor for about $2 made for some wonderful people-watching. There was live music, fire dancers, and drunk people everywhere. After a few hours we returned to Koh Samui by boat because we wanted to wake up early to enjoy our first full day on the island.

We spent the next day on Koh Samui riding elephants (another entry in itself that will be posted tomorrow), exploring the island by scooter, and relaxing on the beach. We rented a scooter for $6 a day and started off around the island. We didn’t end up making it all the way around because we kept finding so many things to stop and look at. In Thailand they drive on the opposite side of the road. Due to this fact, I decided not to drive and let Jay figure out the intersections on his own. I don’t think I was the best scooter passenger though, because I found myself screaming quite loudly when Jay went down the wrong side of the street a couple times.

We stopped for a rest at a beautiful beach called Chawang. The beach was pretty full of tourists but the sun and the sand felt amazing. Jay decided to go for a swim and I opted to stay on the beach. I was glad I had when he came running out with bites all over his feet from “Sea Lice”. The locals clam they are some sort of red worm that lives on the sea floor. As most of you know I don’t do well with any creature that lives in the ocean, so I was quite hesitant the rest of the trip to get into the water.

Minus the Sea Lice Koh Samui was perfect. If you are ever planning a trip to Thailand, this island is a must. We only spent two days on Koh Samui and we both wished we could have stayed longer.

Our first stop in Thailand was Bangkok. We arrived in Bangkok late at night and headed to the popular Koh Sahn Road. Koh Sahn Road is an interesting place full of interesting people (to be honest I have never seen such strange people in my entire life). Due to the fact that we arrived in Thailand on Election Day there was no alcohol for sale anywhere for 48 hours. I can’t imagine what the people would have been like if liquor were involved.

Other than getting $5 massages and a mani/pedi for myself, we spent the evening people-watching at a sidewalk restaurant. While enjoying our $1 Pad Thai, we were entertained by the people trying to sell things up and down the street. One woman came by with 40 larger-than-normal balloons, trying to sell them for 50 Baht a piece (about $1.50). Ryan (a teacher we work with) and I tried to tell her we would give her 500 Baht to let them all go. She didn’t go for it but it got her to leave us alone. Next came two little barefoot boys who were probably 3 years old begging for money. It was so sad seeing these boys, alone, on this street begging for money. They left and soon enough the balloon woman was back and willing to take Ryan and I up on our offer. We told her we were joking and she got quite upset. So I gave her the money and she gave me 40 huge balloons. I ran down the road to find the little boys. Jay and I handed these two boys 40 balloons and made them hold on with all 4 hands (I really thought they might float away). They looked so happy. Two minutes later we saw all those balloons go flying into the air, but the boys were smiling.

The next morning we decided to take a Tuk Tuk (a popular form of transportation in Thailand, see our Photo page for pictures) around the city to see Palaces and Buddhas. For 40 Baht ($1.30) our Tuk Tuk drivers said they would take all four of us (Jay, myself, and two other teachers from our school) to see the most famous palaces and Buddhas in the city. What we didn’t know was that we also had to stop at various stores along the way in hopes that we would buy a custom made suit or jewelry. Our tour took many hours but the places we saw were definitely worth more than $1.30. The most impressive Buddha was the “Reclining Buddha” pictured above. Seeing the Buddhas in Thailand is something that you cannot really describe in words, it is something you really must experience in person. They were truly amazing.

After our Tuk Tuk tour we returned to Koh Sahn Road to do some shopping. Koh Sahn Road is known for its shopping, especially its knock-offs. We found everything from Lacoste to Tiffany’s jewelry. I bought plenty of knock-off clothing, souvenirs, Pad Thai, and fresh fruit while on Koh Sahn Road, and I think the most expensive thing I bought was my Starbucks Latte.

We’re back! Thanks for coming back to NoPeanutButter.com and sorry for the hiatus. Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s. We had an amazing time in Thailand and didn’t want to leave (I tried to convince Jay that we should teach in Thailand and make $2 a day rather than coming back to Korea).  We got back on January 1st, but due to a little Thailand’s Revenge (Montezuma’s cousin in the East) I was unable to post a blog or photos until now. I am feeling much better now but a word to the wise, when they say don’t drink the water, don’t even use it to brush your teeth!

Other than the water, Thailand was truly a paradise. Southeast Asia has its similarities and its differences from Korea. I like to use the slogan for Thailand’s Chang Beer to describe it, “Same Same But Different”. The people of Thailand were so kind and welcoming (slightly different than what we have experienced in Korea), the food was unbelievably good (Korea has some tasty dishes but they don’t compare), the scenery was breathtaking, and the weather was much more our style (I’ll give Korea another chance once Spring rolls around). Overall, we both loved Thailand and are eager to see more of Southeast Asia. We hear Vietnam’s beaches are even better, which is hard to believe is even possible.

We have so many photos and experiences to share with everyone that we have decided to post several Thailand entries. We are going to post one or two a day for probably the next two weeks. Check back often because we had so many great adventures in Thailand that you don’t want to miss hearing about.

Today we are leaving to Thailand! When we get back we will have tons of great pictures to share with you and lots of stories, too. However, NoPeanutButter.com will be on hiatus for about two weeks. We wish all of you a great Christmas with your loved ones and hope you enjoy ringing in the New Year!

In the mean time, please sign our Guestbook, check out some of our old blog entries, play a game to test your geography IQ or leave some comments on our pictures!

OUR THAILAND ITINERARY

1. December 22, 2007 Flying from Seoul to Bangkok

2. December 23, 2007 Bangkok

3. December 24, 2007 Bangkok, Flying from Bangkok to Surathani. Taking a ferry to Koh Samui.

4. December 25, 2007 Koh Samui, Koh Phangnan

5. December 26, 2007 Flying from Koh Samui to Phuket

6. December 26-30, 2007 Traveling the islands around Phuket, Phi Phi Island, Krabi, and Coral Island.

7. December 30, 2007 Fly from Phuket to Seoul.