Pattaya

This last weekend, we didn't know what to do. There were friends of ours who were going to Chang Mai, Ko Phi Phi, and Ko Samui, but they all are far away places that I think should be visited for more than a weekend. So we decided to go to Pattaya because it's only a couple hours away. I didn't know much about Pattaya other than it is a very touristy vacation spot. In fact, I didn't feel like I was in Thailand at all. Everything catered to Americans and Europeans– there wasn't even any Thai script written anywhere. Upon arriving there, I found out that Pattaya is also the sex capital of the world. It's home to numerous go go bars, strip clubs, and beer bars. There are a large number of gay bars and lady-boy bars as well.

When we first got there, we got on a boat and took off for an island. The crowd I was with was made up of people who were getting their scuba diving certifications and those who were there to just snorkel around the rocks and reefs. I was apart of the snorkeling crew, but I can tell you that there is no chance that I won't get my diving license very soon. There are so many good diving spots and it's so inexpensive. It's just a matter of time before I do it.

The snorkeling was fun– more sea urchins (the black spiky creatures) and fish. This time, the snorkeling was done in more shallow water so avoiding the spiky ones was a bit of a challenge. When we got back to Pattaya, we drove to a nice restaurant that's twenty minutes away. (It took two hours to get there though because we got lost numerous times– one time in a steel factory.) After dinner, everyone wanted to go out, so we rinsed off and went to Walking Street. (Walking Street is the main part of the nightlife in Pattaya.)

My friends Jake and Alex and I broke away from the large group and started walking the street. We came across a bar that had a boxing ring, so we decided we'd watch a Muay Thai fight with some beer. I wanted to make it interesting so I offered Jake and Alex a bet that the red guy would win. They were quick to accept my bet because the blue guy looked younger and in better shape. My rationale for making the offer was that the bar would have the red guy win because he's older and has been around longer than the blue guy. I was right in that the fight was decided before it started, but wrong in thinking the red guy would win. The blue guy won and I lost 120 baht. Oh well. After this, we walked around, going in and out of various bars and clubs, before coming across the first hotel we saw that offered a room for 450 baht, (split among three people).

The next day, Jake and Alex and I ate breakfast. (So far, since I've been in Thailand, I've avoided going to the many KFC's and McDonald's that are here. But since I felt like I was in America in Pattaya, I went ahead and ate some American food, including an American breakfast, McDonald's, and Burger King all in the same day.) After breakfast, we went bungee jumping! When we got to the place, the crane didn't look that tall. But then when you're in the cage being taken up, halfway up, you realize that you've made a huge mistake. The bungee guy said that I needed to walk to the edge and that he would then count to three and that is when I should jump. (My heart is racing with just typing about it.) He counted to three, I looked down, and then I dove off. It was so exhilarating that I want to do it again, from an even higher height. I was given a "certificate of courage" that acknowledges my courageous jump. After this, we walked around more before heading home. Once again, the drive home felt like I was on a rollercoaster. The driver was weaving in and out of traffic. When sedans would break for bumps in the road, our minibus would speed up to pass and proceed to launch in the air. I really wasn't that surprised about it though. This is Thailand. (TIT)

Khao Yai

I went to Khao Yai a while ago, but I'm going to write about it now. Khao Yai is the second largest national park in Thailand. It's home to thousands of species of plants and animals and has several waterfalls and trails to hike on. On the first day, our group (I feel like on each trip I'm with a different group. My roommate Jake and I have been hanging out and making friends with a lot of the other exchange students.) hiked on some trails. We saw a lot of waterfalls, but they're not flooded with water like they are in the rainy season. When we were done seeing one waterfall and wanted to see another, we hitch-hiked. There are many pickup trucks that will take you to your destination for free.

At night, we paid 40 baht for a "safari." Before going on it, I was a bit skeptical because of the price. I was telling people that I wish it cost 400 baht, instead of 40. Anyway, we piled into the bed of a truck with a person spotlighting the forests for us. We didn't see anything, except maybe for a deer lying down 100 meters away. What can you expect for a little over a dollar? I would say the most interesting animal sightings were those of the monkeys that were raiding the campsite, stealing people's food. Someone was feeding a monkey (which you probably shouldn't do), and when the monkey got too close, she threw the bag of chips onto the ground. The monkey quickly snatched it and ran up a tree to finish the bag. The monkeys were so smart, and it was amazing how close they resembled humans. The monkeys went through the trash in the same manner as a homeless person would, identifying what's good or not to eat.

After the safari, we went back to the campsite. The campsite was so packed, especially with Thais. (Khao Yai is a good place for people to get away, and it's pretty close to Bangkok.) It's funny that every group of Thai people camps the same way. They bring all of their own supplies, they cook their dinners, and they drink whiskey at night. In fact, we made friends with one group of Thais. They offered us food and whiskey and we hung out for the night.

The next day, after getting breakfast at the nearby food place (we were the only ones there because everyone else is cooking themselves), we met up with our new Thai friends. We decided we'd go see one of the big waterfalls in Khao Yai. They had a truck so the ten of us jumped into the bed, some of us sitting on the tailgate. I'm pretty sure the tailgate is not made to support almost 500 pounds of weight. It was pretty scary when we reached a speed of 40-50 mph, especially when there is a car behind you tailgating. Lol. We got to the waterfall and could imagine how awesome it would be if it were the rainy season. It was tall and flowed into a body of water surrounded by cliffs and trees, beautiful. I want to go back to Khao Yai or a park like it during the rainy season. When we were done exploring, we got a ride from our Thai friends to the nearest town that has buses going to Bangkok.