I just got back from my 2-week summer vacation to Thailand and Cambodia.  I went with a big group of friends from Korea.  It was my first time ever traveling in a big group and it definitely had its perks and drawbacks.  Drawbacks included waiting for a bazillion different bathroom breaks, having to take 3 taxis to get anywhere, and generally having to be ready to go at certain times. Perks included… well… basically having a party wherever you went.

(NOTE:  I’m still waiting on pictures of Cambodia.  These will be added as I get them.)

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(ruins of Ayutthaya Kingdom) 

(Buddhas at Ayutthaya)

Our first stop was Bangkok, where we stayed in an amazing hostel Saphai-Pae Hostel in an 8-person dorm.  Our 4 days in Bangkok were busy, including everything from ringside seats to Muy Thai boxing (the most expensive thing we did on our trip), a trip to the Grand Palace (bahhh, palaces shmalaces), floating down a crowded river market (my favorite part), and even a venture through the dark allies of Pat Pong to see a “Ping Pong Show” in which the most cringe-worthy act involved razor blades.  (I won’t go into details… if you want to know what a Ping Pong Show is, you can do your own research.)

(Cindy, Anne, Kanda, me, Diane, Jeff, and Emerson:  riding the Sky Train in Bangkok)

(Jeff and I petting and feeding elephants outside Bangkok)

(rush hour traffic at the Floating Market outside Bangkok)

A short flight to Phuket, a bus ride and a ferry ride later, we arrived in the southern island of Koh Phi Phi.  This is the area where the Leonardo DiCaprio movie, “The Beach,” was filmed.  Picturesque cliffs, white sandy beaches, and nightly fire shows made Koh Phi Phi a welcome break from the city life of Bangkok.  Koh Phi Phi was much more touristy than I expected — I expected a lazy beach town more akin to Lagos, Portugal, (my favorite beach town in the world.)   The backpacker vibe I expected was replaced with smooching honeymooners and drunken 18-24-year olds on probably their first trip overseas.  

(JohnJohn, Emerson, Shelley, Jeff, Steve, Russ and me: swimming at Koh Phi Phi Ley, filming site of “The Beach”)

(Me & Shelley:  a day spent boating around the islands, snorkeling with fish and sharks)

Nonetheless, Koh Phi Phi was great.  We had nice hotel rooms at a resort overlooking the beach.  While pretty much everything in this tourist destination was overpriced, I did happen to find the best Pad Thai I’ve ever had from a street stand by the beach, selling for 40 baht ($1.30).  

(Pad Thai — which we ate everyday for about the first 7-10 days)

(fresh, warm banana pancakes — something else we ate almost every day in Thailand)

(Shelley and I preparing to eat fried grasshoppers on the streets of Pat Pong in Bangkok)

After 4 days, we embarked on 24 hours of travel to Cambodia.  I was excited to dust off all the sand from the islands and dig into some exotic third-world stuff.   I obviously dug too deep, and my first foray into the streets of Siem Reap were ended with projectile vomiting in the street.   I spent the next 24 hours in my hotel room’s bathroom, with a vicious, Cambodian demon coming out both ends.    As I laid in my hotel room delirious, convulsing and shaking, I was not enjoying Cambodia.  Not to mention the hotel I was stuck in was… uh… not the nicest hotel in the world.  Quite shady to be honest, but it had a bed, air-con, and a toilet (even if the toilet didn’t have a toilet seat).  It was during this 24 hours that my friends went to see Angkor Wat, one of the most visited sites in Southeast Asia, and the shining beacon of Cambodia.  I was disappointed to miss such an important day, but grateful for the chance to rest.  I was just thankful that I didn’t get food poisoning on a day of travel where I would’ve been on a bus/plane/train.  

After 2 days in Siem Reap, we took an overnight bus to Phnom Penh, where we splurged and stayed in an amazing hotel ($40 for 2 people).  During this time period, I also got 2 full-body massages and a foot massage/pedicure.  Total?  About $30 for everything. Cambodia is especially interesting in that the US Dollar is accepted more widely and preferred over the Cambodian currency, the Riel.  It was especially confusing as Cambodians don’t have American coins, so if you pay in dollars and need change, they would give it back to you in Riel.  Hard to keep all the money straight.  

Phnom Penh was a humbling experience as we visited Tuol Sleng, or S-21, the largest prison facility (read: torture/killing facility) during the Cambodia genocide by the Khmer Rouge from 1975-1979.  Outside S-21, we were able to meet 2 of the survivors who gained favor with their unique talents (sewing and painting), which spared their lives. 

This was followed by a visit to the Choeung Ek, a monument in one of the various killing fields across Cambodia.  In this field, mass graves containing almost 9,000 men, women and children were excavated.  The monument houses over 5,000 skulls.  Victims’ clothing, bone fragments and teeth can still be found in the soil as you walk.  It was humbling to think that this genocide only occurred less than 40 years ago.  

Cambodia was definitely the most third-world country I’ve been to.  Legless men were begging outside museums.  After paying for Vietnamese Pho at an outdoor restaurant, our table was swarmed with small children who, with lightning speed, crammed their mouths with our leftover scraps before the restaurant owner could shoo them away.  Small children would cling to your arm as you walked down the street pleading, “I don’t want money, I just want food.”  It was truly heartbreaking to see poverty of that sort. 

(a Cambodian boy has found his own way around the Floating Village)

(locals of the Floating Village bathe and swim in murky brown water)

Overall, it was such an amazing trip with such a great group of friends.  I spent a little bit more money than I had hoped (Thailand is no longer a cheap option in SE Asia!!!) but still had such a blast!  

Next trip?  In two weeks, Diane, Shelley and I will be going to Jeju-do, Korea’s very own “little Hawaii.”  We get almost a week vacation because of Chuseok, the Korean Thanksgiving.