I spent this last Thursday through Sunday in Koh Samui, Thailand which is probably one of the most awesome places I've ever been to. The weather is perfect (warm but not humid), the people are way friendlier than people in HK, everything is cheap as hell, and the island itself is just beautiful with all the beaches and jungle scenery.
We got there on Thursday and checked into our hotel. Unfortunately I didn't realize I left my debit card in an ATM at the airport but luckily I pulled out enough money to tide me over at least for a little bit. Anyways, we made it the hotel where we met Mhee; bellboy, room service attendee, and our all-around go to guy. We ordered some drinks to our room and got ready to go out for the night. The hotel got us some cabs and this is where things got interesting cause a lot of people in Thailand use personal cars as cabs. That being said one of the cars was a basic Toyota while the other was a Lancer with an underglo kit and rims. Likely one of the most badass taxis I've ever seen. Using our street race convoy we got to Chaweng Beach which is the big party/shopping area of the island. We hit a couple bars before getting to The Green Mango Club which is the most popular club on the island. Andres was in Heaven as they had a dance floor dedicated solely to house music. I was in Heaven cause beers were only 100 baht (roughly $3), I did end up feeling the back end of such a bargain later that night though...we'll leave it at that.
Friday we hung out at the beach at Chaweng again where I got to lay out, swim, and snorkel. The water itself was the perfect temperature and there were so many hot women there. Yes, I'll admit that sounds juvenile but unless you've been to Chaweng in the summer your opinion does not count in this matter. Anyways, after grabbing a bite to eat at a beachside restaurant we made it back to the hotel where we relaxed a little bit before heading to the Muay Thai fights. Note, these fights are advertised EVERYWHERE from flyers and posters to a truck that drives around blaring a recorded message about the fight. The fights themselves were awesome. It's been a longtime dream of mine to watch a live Muay Thai fight in Thailand so I understandably had a great time. Out of 7 fights there were like 3 or 4 knockouts so needless to say there was a good amount of action. After the fights we walked around the bar area outside which, incidentally, also happened to be like ho-central. Being that I looked like a local I didn't get hassled much but Rob and Andres got basically assaulted. I'm not getting into specific maneuvers but I will say that Thai hos are not shy at all when it comes to their hustle. We ended up back in Green Mango again that night and eventually called it a night relatively early since we had a tour scheduled the next day. Highlights of the night: Andres yelling at Thai cashier for screaming at him to shut up and Rob throwing his trash on the Buddha offering table...fucking Gwai Lo.
Saturday was our last full day there. We booked a "7 in 1 Tour" for ourselves that consisted of: an elephant show, a monkey show, a Thai boxing exhibition (which was lame considering we went to actual fights the night before), elephant trekking, a "Jeep Safari" (which actually only meant we drove in a jeep), a waterfall trip which was pretty fun, and a short kayaking trip. Afterward we had them drop us at (take a guess) Chaweng cause there was supposed to be a big beach party going down. We got a bite to eat first and unfortunately it started raining right after that so the beach party was a dud. We did some shopping around, practicing our haggling skills the whole time, and got a nice dinner at a restaurant. We hit up this beach bar later that night but the shitty thing was that no one was serving alcohol because of some elections the next day. How drinking and elections are mutually exclusive is beyond me and everyone else I have asked about it. We did manage to get some mixed drinks going from the bartender, however, and ended the night with some hookah and beachside drinking. Andres almost got himself a less-than-attractive local girlfriend who was not averse to expressing her interest in the little Latino stud.
The flight on Sunday was a rough one to wake up for but luckily we made it the airport with time to spare. Nothing really eventful to note on that day.
I know I've said this a lot but Thailand really did impress me. Not only for its scenery but also for the people there. Most of the houses we saw were run down sheds that most people would never imagine living in and the locals got around mostly on cheaply made mopeds. Despite all that they were some of the most upbeat, polite, and happy people I've met in my life. Call it homo but the trip really gave me an appreciation for the fact that the simple things in life are really what counts. This is not to say that I have given up on my life goal of being driven around in a Rolls Royce Phantom to my private Boeing. I just mean that once in awhile, if not as much as possible, one should slow down, breathe, and take in life. I for one was a broke-ass college student without a debit card but I think I could honestly say I would have had as much fun there if I was Bill Gates or Warren Buffett. All I needed was a beach, a beer, and good company and I was absolutely loving life. Of course a little Bob Marley couldn't hurt either but as I am iPod-less for the time being I would just have to settle for that.
If you have not ever made it to Thailand (and specifically Koh Samui) or do not plan on ever going there I highly recommend you put it on your to do list. And if you do ever make it there ask for Mhee.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Last full weekend in Hong Kong
So I realized I have been slacking on this whole blogging thing but I've been trying to spend as little time as possible in my room as of recently since I have roughly three more weeks in Hong Kong and want to be out and about as much as possible. I hope you all understand.
This weekend was my last full weekend in HK since next weekend I'll be in Thailand and the weekend after that I'll be in Macau. Rough life, I know. On Friday we went to this place called Red in IFC2 where you can bring your own bottles and still enjoy a nice view of the city. After that we went around to a couple bars but didn't really do anything special to note. I will say that I had a great time though.
Saturday was a much more eventful day. I went on this walking trail that led to this place called Big Wave Bay that was absolutely amazing. The trail itself was a little long but there some beautiful views and even crazy looking spiders along the way. The beach itself was really nice. It's a surf spot but there were a lot of people just swimming around in the waves and enjoying themselves. There was also a typhoon nearby this weekend so we got a couple heavy blasts of wind that caused some chaos with flying umbrellas and shit like that but made for good waves. It was funny that our first thought when the winds came was "Typhoon! Let's get in the water!". All in all a good time though. After that we went home cause we were supposed to have a really nice dinner that ended up being cancelled due to the weather. A bunch of us ended up going out though for dinner on our own at this really good local place that specializes in crab.
Even though we were all in the mood to go out partying that night we ended up going back to the dorms cause it was supposed to get real shitty out and we didn't want to have to sleep in a club waiting for the weather to pass. Not to fear though; we all bought a bunch of beer and ended up playing beer pong in the dorms. We used a piece of plywood I got for my bed and some tables from our common room. A tad bit ghetto I know but it worked out perfectly for our purposes. A lot of people ended up staying in too so we got a pretty solid group of people together. Highlights of the night were Andres and an apple (two unrelated incidents, mind you).
Speaking of ghetto thanks to the heavy rains my laptop got completely screwed up cause water leaked in through my AC. The keyboard is shot to shit but the screen works fine. I think I have to wait til I get back to the U.S. to get a new one though so this is going to be a HUGE inconvenience.
Yesterday (Sunday) we woke up and made our way (with some difficulty) to a place called Monkey Mountain. Contrary to what Will thinks this is not a bar but rather exactly what it sounds like: a mountain with a shitload of wild monkeys all over the place. I thought we were going to have to do some hiking to see them but they were literally right alongside the road. It was so crazy seeing all of them as there were literally hundreds walking around. We tried to walk some of the trails cause we thought we'd see more but all we saw was a nice lake/reservoir and some random utilities outposts. After monkey mountain we ate at some local food stand in Tai Wai. I ordered some octopus and the lady looked at me and laughed thinking that I didn't know what I was getting into. The octopus was a little tough but damn cheap and pretty good for its price. We got some other random things there also that all ended up being good despite the fact we had no idea what we were eating. We made our way home after that and decided to play a little pong. We got a good group of people going again and were even treated to some chips/dip and quesadillas by one of the girls who works for the program.
All in all, I'd say I had a great weekend.
This weekend was my last full weekend in HK since next weekend I'll be in Thailand and the weekend after that I'll be in Macau. Rough life, I know. On Friday we went to this place called Red in IFC2 where you can bring your own bottles and still enjoy a nice view of the city. After that we went around to a couple bars but didn't really do anything special to note. I will say that I had a great time though.
Saturday was a much more eventful day. I went on this walking trail that led to this place called Big Wave Bay that was absolutely amazing. The trail itself was a little long but there some beautiful views and even crazy looking spiders along the way. The beach itself was really nice. It's a surf spot but there were a lot of people just swimming around in the waves and enjoying themselves. There was also a typhoon nearby this weekend so we got a couple heavy blasts of wind that caused some chaos with flying umbrellas and shit like that but made for good waves. It was funny that our first thought when the winds came was "Typhoon! Let's get in the water!". All in all a good time though. After that we went home cause we were supposed to have a really nice dinner that ended up being cancelled due to the weather. A bunch of us ended up going out though for dinner on our own at this really good local place that specializes in crab.
Even though we were all in the mood to go out partying that night we ended up going back to the dorms cause it was supposed to get real shitty out and we didn't want to have to sleep in a club waiting for the weather to pass. Not to fear though; we all bought a bunch of beer and ended up playing beer pong in the dorms. We used a piece of plywood I got for my bed and some tables from our common room. A tad bit ghetto I know but it worked out perfectly for our purposes. A lot of people ended up staying in too so we got a pretty solid group of people together. Highlights of the night were Andres and an apple (two unrelated incidents, mind you).
Speaking of ghetto thanks to the heavy rains my laptop got completely screwed up cause water leaked in through my AC. The keyboard is shot to shit but the screen works fine. I think I have to wait til I get back to the U.S. to get a new one though so this is going to be a HUGE inconvenience.
Yesterday (Sunday) we woke up and made our way (with some difficulty) to a place called Monkey Mountain. Contrary to what Will thinks this is not a bar but rather exactly what it sounds like: a mountain with a shitload of wild monkeys all over the place. I thought we were going to have to do some hiking to see them but they were literally right alongside the road. It was so crazy seeing all of them as there were literally hundreds walking around. We tried to walk some of the trails cause we thought we'd see more but all we saw was a nice lake/reservoir and some random utilities outposts. After monkey mountain we ate at some local food stand in Tai Wai. I ordered some octopus and the lady looked at me and laughed thinking that I didn't know what I was getting into. The octopus was a little tough but damn cheap and pretty good for its price. We got some other random things there also that all ended up being good despite the fact we had no idea what we were eating. We made our way home after that and decided to play a little pong. We got a good group of people going again and were even treated to some chips/dip and quesadillas by one of the girls who works for the program.
All in all, I'd say I had a great weekend.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The little things....
For the first time in nearly 3 weeks I watched Sportscenter last night; it was amazing. It made me realize that as much as I love Hong Kong there are the little things about home that I miss. I feel like a list is definitely in order.
- My family, especially my sisters
- My friends, you all know who you are. And if you're not sure but you miss me, chances are I miss you as well.
- Eugene food: Burrito Boy, Dough Co., Uly's, Chao Pra Ya, Maple Garden, and the recently opened Chipotle
- Drinking Natty or Busch Light and going swimming
- Busch Light and Barb...yes, I miss Barb.
- Call of Duty 4
- My car
- My bed
Like I said don't get me wrong...I absolutely love Hong Kong and am not looking forward to leaving, but there are things that I do want to get back to when I get home. To everyone who is reading this, I prpbably miss you too and I hope you are doing fantastic.
J
P.S. Having Top 10 back in my life is fantastic.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Fantastic Day
Yesterday, July 1, marked the 12th Handover Day, the anniversary of Hong Kong's independence from Britain. Some other people from the program and I decided to celebrate it by renting out a boat for the day. There were like 30 of us and for HK$600 a piece (roughly $80 American) we got to go out from 11am to 6pm with an all-you-can-eat and drink setup. Yes, I just said that, all-you-can-drink.
Many of us were worried that they would not be properly supplied for the onslaught that is 30 American college students who love drinking bargains; how terribly, terribly wrong we were. We got to the boat roughly on time, I stepped on and was immediately greeted with a friendly hello and a cold beer: I knew it was going to be a good time. The boat itself was a pretty good size, not a megayacht by any standards, but perfectly suitable for it's purpose. Should anyone ever come to Hong Kong I HIGHLY recommend you try it. It's called the Jaspas Party Junk, ask for a crew that at LEAST includes Joey and Toby.
Anyways, we casted off and immediately set out for a beach called "Millionaires Bay". The scenery on the way was simply perfect, we passed a bunch of islands with cool rock formations and some nice plantlife. The food itself was also amazing: quesadillas, chicken satay, Doritos (they know Americans SO well), and meatballs to start out with. Not to mention the fact that the crew was always on patrol with fresh beers or vodka mixed drinks. At one point I told the guy to give me a five-minute break from drinking. He came up to me four minutes later and told me "one minute left, be ready". I almost hugged him.
We finally anchored near the beach and began swimming. The water was a little salty but temperature-wise it was just right. We jumped off the boat a couple times and swam out to shore. It was seriously beautiful there. I thought getting away from the boat would give me the chance to take a break from the booze: wrong again. The crew brought a speedboat to shore with a cooler packed with water, booze in water bottles, and more beer. At one point I was walking down the beach minding my own business when a crewmember ran at me, switched the beers in my hand, said "I'm sorry to keep you waiting", and left. My heart melted. I started working on that beer and waded out to the water about chest high. The same crew member followed me out there when I was almost done with that beer and gave me another one. I told him he was my favorite person that I've met in Hong Kong so far.
After awhile on the beach we went back to the boat for lunch. It was, suprisingly, delicious. Beef tenderloin, potato salad, salmon, chicken, bread, salad, and all-can-drink wine. After lunch we got back in the water and hung out before going back home. The ride back was just as beautiful as the ride there, especially with the sunset over the islands. We got back to the dock and made our way home by cab. The group I was with decided to stop in Tsim Sha Tsui for the famous light show. We thought it was going to be amazing given the holiday but alas, we were somewhat disappointed. No matter though, still an awesome day. Pictures to come soon.
Hope you are all doing fantastic. Love and miss you all.
J
Many of us were worried that they would not be properly supplied for the onslaught that is 30 American college students who love drinking bargains; how terribly, terribly wrong we were. We got to the boat roughly on time, I stepped on and was immediately greeted with a friendly hello and a cold beer: I knew it was going to be a good time. The boat itself was a pretty good size, not a megayacht by any standards, but perfectly suitable for it's purpose. Should anyone ever come to Hong Kong I HIGHLY recommend you try it. It's called the Jaspas Party Junk, ask for a crew that at LEAST includes Joey and Toby.
Anyways, we casted off and immediately set out for a beach called "Millionaires Bay". The scenery on the way was simply perfect, we passed a bunch of islands with cool rock formations and some nice plantlife. The food itself was also amazing: quesadillas, chicken satay, Doritos (they know Americans SO well), and meatballs to start out with. Not to mention the fact that the crew was always on patrol with fresh beers or vodka mixed drinks. At one point I told the guy to give me a five-minute break from drinking. He came up to me four minutes later and told me "one minute left, be ready". I almost hugged him.
We finally anchored near the beach and began swimming. The water was a little salty but temperature-wise it was just right. We jumped off the boat a couple times and swam out to shore. It was seriously beautiful there. I thought getting away from the boat would give me the chance to take a break from the booze: wrong again. The crew brought a speedboat to shore with a cooler packed with water, booze in water bottles, and more beer. At one point I was walking down the beach minding my own business when a crewmember ran at me, switched the beers in my hand, said "I'm sorry to keep you waiting", and left. My heart melted. I started working on that beer and waded out to the water about chest high. The same crew member followed me out there when I was almost done with that beer and gave me another one. I told him he was my favorite person that I've met in Hong Kong so far.
After awhile on the beach we went back to the boat for lunch. It was, suprisingly, delicious. Beef tenderloin, potato salad, salmon, chicken, bread, salad, and all-can-drink wine. After lunch we got back in the water and hung out before going back home. The ride back was just as beautiful as the ride there, especially with the sunset over the islands. We got back to the dock and made our way home by cab. The group I was with decided to stop in Tsim Sha Tsui for the famous light show. We thought it was going to be amazing given the holiday but alas, we were somewhat disappointed. No matter though, still an awesome day. Pictures to come soon.
Hope you are all doing fantastic. Love and miss you all.
J
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