Two weeks ago, in a somewhat uncharacteristic moment of spontaneity, Amos and I ditched our plans to go trekking in the mountains...and instead went to the beach in Thailand! And what a fabulous decision it turned out to be. (Of course, trekking is still on our list, but the beauty of living in Nepal is that we can always do it some other time.)
A week in Thailand. A week of sweating buckets, eating well, breathing ocean air, and being delighted, amazed, and spontaneous.
After spending the 1st night in a Bangkok "Budget Hotel" (think: closet-sized room, concrete floor, no sink, no toilet paper, no covers...and a bath towel that rips while you are drying yourself off, plus loud bass keeping you up all night). At least there was electricity! Thankfully, it went up hill--way uphill--from there.
We took a bus to Hua Hin, a beach about 3 hours outside of Bangkok. It is a cute, bustling town, touristy--but only just so. We were greeted by lovely garden restaurants, sea breezes, and of course, the beautiful sea itself. Gorgeous, gorgeous. We soaked up the bright sun, the white sand, the aqua-colored water, explored the town, enjoyed Thai foot massages, took advantage of the amazing seafood and authentic gelato, and even got to eat Auntie Anne's soft pretzels (they are not so rare in Thailand, apparently)! We rented a scooter for a day and zipped around to other beaches, sites, and to the National Wildlife Reserve. Nighttime in Hua Hin (as is the case in much of Thailand) is alive with markets selling fake brand name clothing, souvenirs, delicious Thai food, and almost anything else you could want (or not want). The quietest place is the beach, perfect for a candlelit picnic under the palm trees. Probably the highlight of the trip was our visit to the Hua Hin Vineyard, a magnificent place with equally magnificent wines. Although we missed the harvest season, we did get to see the elephants they use to harvest the grapes!
The remaining two days of our trip was spent back in Bangkok. We walked the streets, explored surrounding areas, walked through beautiful parks, ate more and more delicious Thai food! We took on the adventure of the Weekend Market, the largest flea market in the world (so I'm told). Large it is. Full of endless shops, sights, sounds, smells, animals bombarding the senses. It was delightfully overwhelming!
Thailand has always been at the top of my Places To Go List...and I'm not taking it off. We would both go back in another spontaneous heartbeat!
3 comments:
Hi to Heidi & Amos - from PA. I am working w/ an adopted boy from Thailand (in my counseling practice) and am always interested in hearing about the Thai culture. Thanks for u r recent update! Glenford Kauffman
That trip looked like fun! We had flurries in Lancaster today. Yuck. Cold. I was salivating over the thought of beaches and Thai food. I love Thai food. It is probably even better there.
Hurray for random beach trips:)
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