Houseboat

When I think of a houseboat I think of bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom, at the very least.  Well, these standards do not apply in Thailand.  Here, a "houseboat" is a pontoon boat.  Luckily, when we went houseboating there was a bathroom onboard.  But that was about it.

Our ride for the day!

The dam was fully opened.  Hello, rainy season!

My friend, Josh, owns a “houseboat.”  His girlfriend has family in Lampang, a beautiful area in northwestern Thailand, and his boat in on a nearby lake.  A few of us went out on his boat, and it was wonderful!  It wasn’t at all what I expected, but it was great.  The boat was pretty darn big and fully stocked with extremely large speakers and karaoke, in perfect Thai style.  Josh also had a full crew on board to serve us drinks and food, and to drive the boat.  It was a beautiful and relaxing day.

My spot for the day.  

We explored an underground temple along the lake.  I was a bit scared.  I don't like bats, dark spaces, etc..

But I got a few good photos!

Luckily the end of our adventure was near...

I was quite happy to be in broad daylight again.

The awesome homemade pinwheel on the front of the boat.

Counting Down

By saying I am counting down the days left in Thailand, makes it seem as though I want it to end.  I don’t.  I am counting down the days because my days are numbered, and it’s scaring me.  

I only have a little over two months left before my flight back to New York, and I already have plans for seven of those weeks!

A friend of mine recently asked me what I will miss about Thailand, and I just started listing.  Between my friends, the foods, my motorbike, my hose, the lake, the beaches, the mountains, the way everything is so cheap, I could go on and on, but I’m going to miss it all.  

Next, he asked me what I won’t miss about Thailand.  Once again, I just started listing.  I could go on and on.  But here is number one on my list: Immigration.

I have spent countless hours, every 90 days or so, waiting to have paperwork completed at this office.  When I first moved here it was one tiny office with awkward, small windows, and no air circulation whatsoever.  If you were lucky you could sit on the chairs in the corridor, but if not, you were stuck in the sun.

In the past two years, the immigration office has come a long way.  The office is large, the chairs are padded, and everyone can sit in the air conditioning.  Now, you take a number, and people actually follow the order!  While the improvements are pretty impressive, I still won’t miss this place.  I look forward to living in a place where I don’t have to “check in” every 90 days.  I look forward to living in a place where I don’t have to pay for a special permit to “check out” before I leave the country.  I look forward to living in my own country.

Makeover

Today my bike gets a makeover!  My bike suffered more than I did in my accident.  And my poor bike has had to drive around with the shameful scrapes, bumps and bruises for months.  That all changes now.

See the scratches?  Sad...

A nice close up so you can really feel the pain.

When I discovered that I can give my bike an entirely new body for about sixty dollars, I was in!  I went to the shop to order the parts, and three days later, I am taking her to get a full facelift.  It’s probably more like a face replacement, but that sounds creepy.

Now I get to drive around this beauty!  

I’m not going to want to give her up!

Sadly, I have to sell it soon, but this can only help.

Google

Have you ever googled yourself?  Sometimes it’s fun, and sometimes it’s shocking.  Cait googled me the other night while I was sitting across the room from her.  When she started reading something I had written, I dropped everything I had to look over her shoulder.  Yes, a story I had entered in a writing contest was the first result!  I knew I hadn’t won the contest.  I didn’t know that it was the first result on google!

Here is the story: Songkran

Under the story I found an old player bio from The University of Tulsa (which is now ranked 75 by U.S. News & World Report's 2012) without a picture.  There is also a link to my Twitter account, and a few results of the other Meaghan Dooleys of the world.  The images show two photos from my blog and a photo of Tupper from my college website assignment.  Nothing too bad.  

But seeing that story only reminds me that I never won the $500 prize.  Darn.  That would have paid for my trip to Borneo!

Feet are Gross

I have always hated my feet.  Always.  I thank my dad for these terribly ugly feet.  They are fat, manly and just plain gross.  The idea of people looking at them, or heaven forbid, touching them, gives me the urge to pop a Xanax.  That would require me to find a Xanax, but it seems worth it when it comes to my feet.  

Occasionally, I find a pair of shoes that I really like wearing.  A pair of shoes that fits me and looks nice is almost too good to be true.  But, look at these!  These were an impulse buy during a trip to Big C, and I just love them.  And they only cost 100 baht (3 bucks)!  

Luckily, I also found great running shoes back in college.  My wide feet never liked running until I tried a pair of Mizunos, and now I am hooked.  Mizunos are the only athletic shoes I will ever own.  They fit me perfectly, and they have tons of support for my back.  I adore them.

But with all of the miles that I have been putting in lately, I was bound to have some problems.  Enter blister on my toe.  I didn’t even notice I was getting a blister during my run yesterday or tonight.  So imagine my surprise when my feet came out looking like this!  

Yikes!

Sorry for the gross photo.  No more feet photos, promise.

Holidae In

If you have any inkling whatsoever to come to Thailand, now is the time.  Yes.  Right this second.  

(Whachu doin?) Nothing chillin at the Holidae In

(Who you wit?) Me and my peeps won't you bring four of your friends

That’s right.  There is a brand new Holiday Inn!  And I really want someone to go with me!

All of you in America must think I am crazy for wanting to go to a Holiday Inn, but I have good reason.  This hotel is the newest on Hat Mai Khao, a beach in northern Phuket.  The beach is stunning, quiet, and peaceful.  It is far from the less- than- impressive city center, and is known for its high class accommodations.

But, no, I’m not asking you to come to Thailand to pay for an expensive hotel room for me, because the rooms are only $65!  Yes, you read that correctly.  The hotel only opened last month, and as a promotion the rooms are going for 2,000 baht a piece.  That’s awesome!  

Seriously, come to Thailand.  

Peeps call me up... said it's a ho-tel party...  

Are There No Boundaries?

It seems as though there is something in the water in the US.  Everyone is married, getting married, or getting pregnant.  And by “everyone,” I really mean lots and lots of my friends.  Within the last two months I have heard of five engagements and three pregnancies.  And I am not counting the engagement or pregnancy announcements that happened more than two months ago!  That is a lot at the age of 24.

I am in no way ready to be engaged, married, or have a child.  (Two of my friends are on their second child... yikes!)  But someday, I do want to be married and have kids.  And every single time I say that, I hear Grandma in my head saying, “well, Meaghan, you have to have a boyfriend before you can even think about a family!”  Yes, Grandma, I hear you loud and clear.  

For now, I see all of my friends’ experiences as the perfect opportunity for me to judge, sorry, I mean learn.  This is the perfect opportunity for me to learn.  As far as weddings go, I can already list a thousand things I will and will not do, have, and expect.  But lately, it is the pregnancies that have been driving me crazy.

What is with all of the tummy pics on facebook?  Are there no boundaries?  Just because we are facebook friends, does not mean I want to see a brand new photo of your bare burgeoning belly every day and half.  If you take the photos, good for you, make a scrapbook.  Show them to your best friends, your parents, even random people on the street, but don’t make them pop up on my news feed!  Weird.

And then there are the “gender cakes.”  As a person that dreams of opening a bakery, I solemnly swear to NEVER offer gender cakes.  For those of you that don’t know, they are the newest fad with baby showers.  They are cakes covered with question marks, pink, blue, and phrases such as “it’s a ....?”  When you cut the cake, you find the answer to the question!  The cake and/or the frosting is dyed pink or blue, depending on the sex of your child.  A fun little game for your shower guests?  Eh, not so much.  I just think it’s tacky.  

Some couples take it a step further.  I have seen a few couples go as far as to have the doctor place a letter, stating the gender of the baby, in a sealed envelope.  The couple then goes to the bakery and orders a gender cake, based on the results in the envelope.  The couple doesn’t know what was in the envelope, and receives the results with a gaudy piece of colored cake with their guests.

There are plenty of silly customs and games that go along with pregnancy, but these are two that I will steer clear of.  And yes, Grandma, I know I have to find a boyfriend first.

On the road again...

Two weeks away again.

And all of this stuff has to fit.

Voila!

I have become a master packer, if I do say so myself.  I'll bet Garvey never thought I would be able to pack this efficiently after our first trip, but I have a bit more experience now.

While running requires very little equipment, the shoes prove to be quite cumbersome when it comes to packing.  Bummer.

See you soon!

PS- I have LOTS of blogs scheduled to post while I am gone... so keep reading!

Air Asia, I Loathe You.

It all started back in January, when Garvey was going to Koh Lanta.  I was supposed to take a day off of work and meet him at the beach for a few days.  Air Asia, unfortunately, has a monopoly on flights in Asia.  When I had everything figured out on their website, which was a challenge to begin with, I submitted my credit card information.  When I tried to enter my state in the billing address section, the drop- down menu didn’t drop down.  There were no options.  I reloaded the page, tried not putting a state, etc, etc.  But nothing worked.  When I finally called the airline, they couldn’t figure out the problem, but told me I could book the flight over the phone.  The flight was going to cost me nearly twice as much.  Whoa!  I was not pleased, let them know it, and agreed to the price.  Then, one by one, my credit cards were declined.  Now, I can assure you my credit cards have all been cleared to work in Thailand, and have been used multiple times.  But, leave it to Air Asia to not be able to accept them.  Luckily, I have two Thai bank accounts, both with Visa debit cards.  Surprise, surprise, Air Asia wouldn’t accept them.  Bank transfer?  No good.  Pay at 7-11?  No, cannot.  I was livid.  I think I honestly had steam coming out of my ears.  My only option was to take the 6 hour bus to Bangkok, and hope to be able to buy a ticket at the airport.  I yelled, cried, called Garvey, and didn’t get to see him.  I was beside myself.

Since that terrible day in January I cannot tell you how many times I have heard about problems with Air Asia.  The flights are always fine, but booking one is a pain in the behind.  If you are in Thailand, for some reason, Americans cannot book flights.  The state drop- down menu cannot be used.  I have had to come to terms with booking my flights over the telephone.  I have also figured out the special codes and questions I have to ask and give to be able to pay for my ticket at 7- 11.  I don’t get the special internet price or any type of promotion, but I have to bite the bullet and be grateful I have a ticket.  

Today I called Air Asia.  I decided to go back to Vietnam to see the south, the beaches, and to take another scuba diving course.  I will be flying into Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and out of Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  When the details of those flights were finally worked out, which took at least 25 minutes, the paying game began.  My 7-11 request was denied?  What?!  I wanted to leave on October 8, three days from today.  No, cannot.  To pay at 7-11 the flight must be at least four days later.  Okay, then I will pay with my credit card.  I read all of the information.  Then the man asked me what the issuing bank was.  “Bank of America.”  “Uh oh.  Bank of America no work.”  He told me that Bank of America has a security system that is too high, and will not accept Air Asia transactions.  I told him that was embarrassing for Air Asia.  He offered to try the card.  

Fail.  Back to the drawing board.  

I had the man with the thick accent change my ticket for October 9, and told him I would pay at 7-11.  After another fifteen minutes of reentering information into his computer, and me listening to the same thirty second commercial in Thai about checking- in online, we had it figured out. 

My passport is at the Vietnam consulate, waiting for a visa.  My 7-11 receipt is in my wallet.  And my gmail inbox is anxiously awaiting a confirmation email from Air Asia.

Malaysia? Nope. Vietnam? Okay.

Paul has two favorite places in the world, Borneo, Malaysia and New Zealand.  Since the day I met him, he has been pressuring me to go to both places.  With my flight to New Zealand booked, Borneo was the only one left.  As of last night, he had me completely convinced.  He went on and on about the diving, the wildlife, and the hiking.  I did some online research of my own, and I was hooked.  As always, the Air Asia website was acting up, so I went to a nearby travel agent.  Before the agent added their fee, the ticket was going to cost me 17,000 baht round trip.  Holy mackerel!  The agent gave me his card, and I came home to think of another trip.  

Drumroll.... Vietnam!  (I guess the title of this entry gave it away)

Yes, on Sunday I will be going back to Vietnam.  Last time I traveled in the north of Vietnam, but this time I will strictly be in the south.  I will fly into Ho Chi Minh city and travel to Nha Trang, a town with 17 kilometers of beach.  In Nha Trang I will get my advanced scuba certification and eat lots of Vietnamese food.  From there, I may go further up the coast to Hoi An.  Hoi An is known for its amazing tailors, and it may be time to treat myself to a cute little number.  

When I return to Ho Chi Minh City I will take a bus over the border to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  I will spend about five days traveling to Siem Reap, Angkor Wat and back to Phnom Penh.  There are bus, boat and van options, so I will see where the mood takes me.  On the 21st of October I will fly to Bangkok and take the bus back to Khon Kaen. 

 From there I only have two more sleeps and a wake up until Aunt Ann and Heather are in Thailand!  Woo hoo! 

Railay

Railay Beach was my last stop on my beach getaway.  Just like Koh Lanta, it was a ghost town.  And again, I loved it.  Railay Beach is known for climbing, and photos of the beach usually show people hanging from every piece of available rock, dangling above the white sand.  I did not get a single photo of a climber.  

The first night I stayed in a very inexpensive bungalow in the woods, and definitely off the beaten path.  After a dark, quiet night in the woods, I upgraded.  I never felt unsafe in the bungalow in the woods, but I was up for a while that night thinking, what if?  If something happened, I wasn’t completely convinced someone would hear me scream.  Therefore, the next morning I checked out of my simple jungle bungalow and into a high class (relatively speaking) hotel with an infinity pool and cable television.  With only two nights left, I thought I deserved to splurge.

The scenery at Railay Beach was incredible.  Even though the beach is technically part of Krabi, it can only be reached by longtail boat.  Once you arrive there are three beaches to choose from.  Garvey had recommended I stay at Tonsai Beach, but that wasn’t going to happen.  There was only one small resort open on that beach, and when I travel alone, I need at least a few people nearby.  

One morning I decided to hike to Tonsai Beach, and the hike kicked my butt!  Yes, the path was overgrown from the rainy and low season, but I was not impressed with myself.  By the time I reached Tonsai I was a sweaty mess.  So, I decided to be the sweaty mess that took photos of myself!

It was still pretty early in the morning when I arrived at Tonsai, and the tide was out far enough that I could follow the beach back to where I was staying.  I had to go through that tiny space that I am pointing at in this photo.

And, I had to make it through that space before the tide beat me to it!

I scrambled through the rocky spaces, and yes I was a little nervous.  Can you tell by my crazy neck?  But, look at my awesome new ring!  That was a Koh Lanta purchase that I am very proud of.

It began to rain, so I hung out and read for a while, before setting out for my next adventure.  I had been told about a hidden beach and lagoon, and I was determined to go.  Of course I took a gorillapod shot!

But, when I saw how muddy, steep and dangerous the “path” to the beach was, I realized how nice the pool sounded.

The infinity pool was perfect, and just what I needed.

On my last day in Railay, the sun was so bright that I could actually see my shadow!  One last day of sunbathing before heading back north.

And, on my last night of vacation, I saw the most perfect rainbow.  I was exploring other resorts and as I turned around to head back to dinner I saw it!  I decided to try a self photo, and it was perfect!  You can see my tonsils, but other than that, it is pretty awesome.  I think I need to start traveling with other people, because my self-photography skills are embarrassingly good. 

Progress

I have been working hard, and have already put a pretty good dent in my list!  To begin, I got my scuba certification!  I haven’t mentioned that yet, right?  Can you tell how excited I am?  Also, while I was away I read six books.  Yes, six books in eleven days.  That could be a little embarrassing when I think about how many hours I spent with my nose stuck in my kindle, but I’m pretty proud.  Speaking of which, has anyone seen the new kindles?!  Yikes!  I am not one to have to have the newest products, but these are pretty cool.  And only $79!  Check ‘em out. (And fun fact... the page that is displayed on the Kindles are the first page of The Paris Wife)  

For those of you wondering, I read:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus

The Paris Wife: A Novel by Paula McLain

When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa by Peter Godwin

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

I have also been a total dork, and I have been practicing to complete my Rubiks cube.  So far I can finish two-thirds of the puzzle.  I am trying to memorize how to complete it, so I just keep doing the first two rows.  Over and over and over again.  

Oh, and I have been practicing my juggling.

My flight to New Zealand is booked!  I will be going on November 21st!  I get to celebrate Thanksgiving in New Zealand, I can’t wait.

I have also been running a lot, and I found a half marathon to enter.  On April 23rd I plan on running the Lake George half marathon, does anyone want to join me?

I also have about 4200 views on my blog!  What is going on?!  I thought that 5000 would be pretty realistic by the time I turn 25, but maybe I need to up the number.  I had no idea people wanted to read about my boring life!

I’m off to plan a quick trip to Malaysia to get my advanced scuba certification!