Koh Phangan-Full Moon Party

Pretty much the sole reason for coming to Koh Phangan island was the full moon and all the fun things that come with it. Between the great food at the outdoor markets, Morgan's first scuba dive, and buckets of libations (literally) we had an amazing week!

First off, we met a British couple on the ferry ride over. Jamie and Emily are a great people who have been traveling almost two years and just recently came from Australia. They were our dinner date couple and dancing duo beach bound full moon cohorts!

Morgan and I took another cooking class. Having the opportunity to learn the Thai style cooking was excellent. Coconut chicken soup, Phad Thai, and green curry. My favorite Thai dish, though we didn't get a chance to learn to cook it, is the Panang Curry!

I have my "open water" PADI ceritifcation but Morgan had never scuba dove before. So we rented a motorbike and cruised aimlessly up the West coast in search of some random scuba scool. Morgan pointed one out, which just happened to be a mile after the wild elephants spotting. Good eyes Morgs! We booked the class straight away becuase we didn't want to risk having an early morning after a fun night out (hangovers and scuba don't mix).  We ventured to Sail Rock.  Our Canadian scuba instructor was lively, funny, and enthusiastic. It was perfect for Morgan's first dive. She's a natural! We saw amazing creatures, my favorite being the school of a thousand Baracooda!

As far as the full moon party goes...just know that ten to thirty thousand tourists show up every month for this famous fiesta. You wear bright neon colored outfits that you purchase for a few bucks at the local markets. Drinks are served in sand buckets or pales. One half liter of booze and two cans of soda of your choice...all less than 10 dollars. There are firey rings to leap through, concussion slides of doom, and flaming jump rope.  Lots of dancing and house music as well. It was pouring rain, which only made for an even more unique experience. The rest you'll just have to come find out for yourself!

Thai-ness and what not...

It was hard leaving Indonesia, at least for me. I was on the plane thinking about all of the waves, pristine beaches, and good eats we had there. But I was equally as excited for Thailand! A new country. New cultures, new languages, new people, food, and adventures. For some reason I even like the idea of going through the immigration process just to get my stamp of the new country. I never dred the customs lines, though I hate the airport taxi rip-offs. It's innevitable but I still feel taken advantage of. And if it's innevitable, it is what it is right? Still sucks if you ask me. It cost the same amount of money to drive in a cab from the Phuket airport in Thailand, 30 minutes into Patong beach, as it did going from the Phuket bus terminal to Koh Phangnan island, a 6 hour bus ride and 2 hour ferry trip. Alarms are ringing in my head!

We arrived and it was pouring rain. Literally the "monsoon season" of Thailand. Nice planning on my part...oopse! At least it didn't last long.  As the rain was just about done, Morgan and I were standing outside on a busy street corner in Patong Beach Phuket, Thailand. A Canadian couple passing by asked if were ok. Super nice of them we thought. Obviously we looked lost and hadn't arranged for accomodation yet. This kind couple graciously showed us up an alley where they were staying and reccommended we stay above the first floor. "Why" Morgan asked? "Oh just becuase it rains a lot here and the ground level rooms tend have a lot of really big cockroaches..."

Having booked a room with all the amenities, of course on the 4th floor, we headed to the street to get dinner.  The famous strip "Th Bang-La" is like Vegas, just not as big. We passed people selling monkey's on the street. Clowns, Thai kick boxers, and Australian comedians were full fledge, vying for our attention and of course our money. "Ping pong show?" Morgan just started laughing and said "How much?!"  I was like "great, now here comes the unrelenting pedal pushing scams of Thailand!" (If you, my readers, don't know what we are reffering to, don't ask!)

Finally, after slapping away agressive and unwelcomed offers (except the monkey, that sounded cool), Morgan and I found a restaurant with lots of people. I was so excited for the  Tom Ka Gai soup and Phad Thai noodles. I was so happy to be eating excellent Thai food. It's incredible. And if you like this style of food, it's worth a visit. The Thai restaurants back home don't do it justice! Plus, it cost like 3 bucks a dish here, crazy!

The next day, after a very forgettable breakfast (stick to noodle and rice dishes), Morgan and I headed for the local outdoor market. I love markets. They are crawling with (bugs) new foods, cheap snacks, and unforgettable smells. Morgan had her first experience in Indonesia, but nothing can prepare you for a new third world market. They are all different and all have their ahh factors. Today's ahh factor was hanging pig heads, tongues, and hooves. Morgan went in for a picture and had to walk away for a couple of minutes before acclimating and then returning back to the gauntlet.  I couldn't stop laughing with the locals as we all watched Morgan explore the rawness. She was in there taking pictures, making faces, and laughing at the truely foreign experiences.

Of course I got into the weird eats again. I try to put the biggest smile on my face and ask the most odd and intrusive questions about the local fare. "What's that? Is it good? Yeah but it's green and smells weird? Are you sure I should try this? Do you eat it?" Morgan stands back with the camera and just laughs at my expressions as I chew into the unknown. Good enough to try with a smile but not good enough to take home the recipe. At least that has been my experience with most odd market eats. 

We left with a couple bags of fruit, bananas and rambuten. Off to Koh Phangnan for the full moon party!      

Ulu Watu, Bali

Morgan and I went to the local water park in Kuta, Bali. Soooo fun! I felt like a 12 year old again. We were screaming and squeeling with the kids. Going through tunnels on the vortex and up and over slippery slides we rode the rides over and over again. It was sunny, hot, and not too crowded as to force a wait in lines. My favorite was the climax, or something like that. You climbed 10 flights of stairs and then are thrown into a single person chamber. In this glass tube, barely enough room to fit me, was a retractable floor. The Indo lifeguard made silly faces and weird gestures before giving me the countdown...then I fell through the floor and about lost my lunch from the steepness and rush of this ride! So gnarly Morgan wouldn't try it ;)

We drove there on the motor bike, maybe 45 minutes through heavy traffic and face-blackening smog. Morgan and I grabbed a quick esspresso and hit the slides for a couple hours. Then went to the food court where they served our favorite spicey fried rice specials.  This was immediately followed by the two person raft slide that dumps you off into the lazy river.  It was such a random and spontaneous activity but well worth breaking up the standard day at the beach.

The waves weren't great do to the heavy winds. So a lot of our time was spent cruising around on the motorbike and enjoying our luxury hotel. Thanks Kim! We went back and forth to Balangan beach where we had originally met up with Jake upon our arrival in Bali (a few weeks back). It was nice having my bearings at this point. I was able to cruise around on the bike all over the island with great ease. Dangerous at times but it's a lot of fun just getting to different places. We even went into town and drove through a local outdoor market.  The sights and smells were strong enough to experience the whole thing from the safety of our bike though.

Our hotel, luxury in comparison to our usual accomodations, had an infinity pool and a generously attentive staff. Though the communication barrier seemed trying at times, Morgan and I really enjoyed our stay at Mamo hotel. There was even a wedding held there. The son of the family owners was married in a traditional form at the hotel. The locals, I'm assuming friends and family, all chipped in for the days of preperation. We, the guests of the hotel, were even presented a formal invitation to the ceremony and all accompanied festivities...aka the food (was my thinking at least haha)! There were elaborate handmade decorations made from tapestries and paper. The entire hotel was teaming with bright colors and Hindu decor. Hand carved wooden platforms that rose a few feet above ground on stilts were decorated accordingly and served as ceremonial places of importance. With tile floors and only 10'x10', very similar to the meditation or message platforms, the pyrimidal roofs which came to an upward facing point on the corners pleased my eyes and cultural appetite. Down the stairs, just past the dark blue tiled infinty pool, was the restaurant that had a dozen self-serve local delicacies for all the guests. I managed to try a thing or two ;)

Then an early Christmas! Morgan's mom sent a goodie bag! Filled with snacks, lotion, sunscreen, and a bunch of other essentials that are impossible to find in Asia. We layed it all out on the bed. With grins and giggely expressions, Morgan and I went through each pocket of her new backpack! Just in time before heading to Thailand. Literally, just in time. The package arrived the night before and we nearly had to take the FedEx guy hostage to get them to release the bag to us without some astronomical customs fee/bribe! The following day we left for Phuket, Thailand!  

Working out?

It's one thing to go on a two week trip to hawaii and a completely different thing to leave the country for 7 months. Obvious statement surely. But in regards to physical fitness, or lack there of, it seems to trouble both vacation types.

So you have a nice regiment going back home or at least some sort of routine or perceived one when it comes to fitness.  Whats one or two weeks of abatement going to do? I'm actually inclined to agree with this mentality and could even be convinced that it is necessary. But with this vacation type comes the variable of consumption, both food and drinks. 

On a short holiday feel free to drink and eat what you please. Even two weeks of complete disregard to both intake and exertion can be recovered shortly upon your return home. But for the long haul world traveler...not so much.

I've realized that this sort of vacation is an entirely different beast. You can't mentally check out on the fitness or consumption battle. One without the other is tolerable for some period. But to neglect both for even a short period of time has tremendous ripple effects. Ok, enough vaguery and hypotheticals. Here's what i mean...

I left on my trip this past January in peek physical condition. Aside from a tan, I was in tip top form. Very aware of my hard work and hoping to maintain it during my travels, I packed some fitness gear and brought some digital fitness workouts along too. 

I've never been a dedicated or faithful eater.  So naturally, I assumed I could carry on this way during my 7 month excursion. There will be great foods, plenty of new things to try, and no one should neglect the experience of trying them right? Well...yeah, right!  I believe that to be true, to an extent of course. My rationalized theory or goal of trying to find the best apple pie in various cities wasn't really an attraction to cultural cuisines but rather a flawed justification for nurturing my poor eating habbits. This wouldn't have been an issue had I been working out like I intended.

I went into this trip without a clarified regiment. I had no true understanding with myself of what I  really wanted to accomplish in regards to fitness on the vacation.  I just assumed it would take care of its self as it did back home. You know, how priorities seem to be fullfilled?  I didn't forsee my fitness taking a back seat on my priority list. But looking back, of course it would. Without a conscious effort to keep fitness as a priority, it will succomb to the natural course of adventure. 

I was busy meeting people, going to bbq's, and dancing to Samba music.  I was hitting the markets with my new friends tasting weird things. Fried stuff, slimmy green deals, and suger coated delicious morsals of cultural idiosyncrasies. It's so much fun!

I'm now 4 months into my trip. Im now in the worse shape I've been in over the past two years. I'm currently doing something about it!

I've started my fitness routine, finally.  I feel great. I'm soar and full of energy. Today I was doing some exercises on the tile deck just 20 feet from the ocean here in Thailand. I was slipping and slidding, sweating puddles, and huffing and puffing! People, kids on vacation ready to party hard for the full moon, just walk by and stare. In Kuta, Indonesia I was doing a routine on the beach when two little kids came up. They started mimicing me. It was hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing. And if you have ever done the "Insanity" workout you would understand why it's funny. I'm jupping side to side, hitting the deck, and splashing sand all over the place. Next thing I know, the two kids turns into 12...I'm sweating and breathing heavily. So heavily that I was grunting at moments and sure enough these 12 kids would grunt too! It was like red-light-green-light and follow the leader all in one. I was running a fitness class on the beach. The kids were laughing, smiling, and breathing hard. They asked my name, wanted to know where I was from, and if I was married. All ages, from 3 to 14. I had a captive audience and I wish it got filmed.

The thing is, it's really embarrasing to workout on vacation, especially when traveling on a budget. You can't work out in the hostel dorm or in the comunal tv room. So go outside and find a park. Well, I'm 6'2" and white. I get enough attention and stares just walking down the street in normal clothes. Now put me in some dorky workout shorts and sneakers and have me jumping around like a 4 year old. It's tough! REally tough! You have to be extremely comfortable in your skin, with your surroundings, and with the attention. People make jokes, point, and stare.

Ok, ok, hear's the scoop. You aren't going to eat perfect. There's too many cool experiences that involve food when traveling. But you can still control portion sizes and differentitation of the diet. So there's 2 goals you need for consumption. Now with fitness...You know people are going to stare. You know cities are concrete and there is a lot of smog. You can't make excuses now because you know what to expect. Have a plan, a very "specific" fitness plan. Leave the excitement, ambiguity, and spontineity to the food consumption. But know your fitness routine inside and out. Get it done early, really early. Less traffic and people to deal with. Running the streets can bee done at 4 am safer than at any other time. Stay consistant. And don't over do it. Go into your vacation at a tolerable physical condition so you can focus on maitaining rather than achieving new fiets.  That means have your bikini bod before you leave so all you have to do is work on the tan! 

Ubud starting to grow on me...

After breakfast was served on our patio overlooking the rice fields, Morgan and I set out to explore Ubud. There was a huge local market, cooking classes, painting classes, yoga, massage courses, a monkey park, and plenty of museums.

First stop,the ARMA museum. They actually offered most attractions listed above. But Morgs was keen on the painting class and she booked a session for the next day. I really wanted to do the cooking class but it seemed expensive at the museum. So I asked the guy behind the counter "where's another good cooking class?" The guy says "well I work here, this is the best!" I probed and asked him to help. "come on dude, there has to be a cheaper place that makes great food, help a Bro out!. We are doing the painting class, you got our business, now level with me and lets find a reasonable cooking Class!" He laughed and wrote down on the map of a place that had a reputation for quality.

A five course Meal! Indonesian chicken salad, Nasi goreng special, chicken curry, tiger prawns dish, and a black rice pudding. Bomby Bomb! Morgan and I had been eating these dishes for weeks now and loved the idea of learning the secret touch in their preparations!

Us, a honeymooning couple from New Zealand, and a couple from Holland were honed together at the cooking class. It was a beautiful facility. After our welcome fruit smoothies we were showed the grounds. Little koi ponds separated the shallots, peanuts, ginger, basil, hot peppers, and lemon trees. We put on aprons and went over the menu. We jumped right in. It was fun. Mainly just chopping and cutting but some occasional stirring of the meals was our primary task. But the recipes are simple, fresh, and aromatic. The chefs answered all questions, took their time, and obliged our humor.

The best part, Dinner! We got to eat what we prepared. And it was a wonderful Feast! The meals and recipes are so good yet simple that Morgan and I will use them in Michigan to feed the family :-) Get ready Grandpa, this ain't your normal turkey dinner!

I won't forget Ubud!

Off to a rough start but Ubud finally came around. With a great cooking class, Morgan off to the painting course, and lots of time to explore the local outdoor markets, I was content.

I spent the entire time in the markets looking for one thing. A blowgun! Well, another one. My Bro saw mine from Lombok on a Facebook blast and he showed interest. Being in the woodcarving capital of Bali, I was confident I could sniff one out, despite what our hotel concierge told me.

Markets can be tricky, especially for the novice, and especially if you don't have something specific you're looking for. First of all, they are expert salesmen and haggelers. Second, your concept of value is skewed by the conversion rates. And third, you're out numbered. I learned the hard way in South America, but I'm now a pro. My search was very specific. This is perfect because the ten thousand offers to buy the same bracelet or hat can be thwarted by a simple..."blowgun?"

Advice: learn the name of your specific item in the local language. It saves time and heart ache.

After a little time and few disappointed salesmen, I was able to find a seller. They started at 300,000 rupiah. I laughed, said 50,000 and started to walk away. I turned around when I heard 75,000, smiled, and handed over the cash. Bro, mission accomplished. I see us attacking the local wildlife and one  another for a few hours on Drummond...or until we loose all the darts!

Yes Ubud is unforgettable. I won't forget the grey monkeys that cross the street in suicidal attempts to harass onlookers as they dodge my scooter. I won't forget the wonderful cooking class and amazing recipes of the local fare. I won't forget the cool temple like hotel room and their weird shower designs. I won't forget the worst meal of my life or the crazy hectic markets. And I surely won't forget the cop I bribed for $10 after he whistled me and Morgan over for turning down a one-way street into on coming traffic on the scooter. Till next time Ubud!

Rough start in Ubud...

We opted for the slow ferry as opposed to the speed boat. It would save a few bucks and possibly feel a little more culturally immersed. We were sad to leave Kuta  Lombok but anxious to get to Ubud, another infamous city in Bali. Morgan and I took to the sun deck on the ferry thinking a little sun and some fresh air would soothe the soul. Funny cause the top deck was exactly where the two massive diesel exhaust towers reside. Not to mention that the ferry went so slow that the breeze was nothing but a whisper. So I sat there with my shirt off, baking in the sun and basting in my sweat. I had a nice thick brown coat of zinc oxide sunscreen on my face too. I Looked like a psycho but my nose isn't red, Ha! Over six hours later we got to Pandangby. Now just an hour car ride to Ubud.

In hind sight, I think I would opt for the fast boat. Its just not a good feeling arriving to a new town in the dark. You don't get oriented till the next morning, you're tired and just want food, any food. The food thing is an issue because you don't have time to scope a bunch of menus or ask around. You're so hungry you just go to the closest place that's open. Same goes for hotel accommodations. Whatever the guide book says that's the default. Its dark, no sense in messing around with a bunch of gear.

We settled in at a nice hotel. Felt like a temple or sanctuary. With elaborate walls, ceilings, and decor, this hotel was nothing short of Hindu! Morgan and I were craving curry. We have had curry at least once everyday since the Gili islands, over two weeks now, and we weren't looking to change. A taxi driver offering his services pointed to a restaurant across the street after we refused his trade. A nice boutique looking place with vintage lamps and floor seating on cushions. Looked like a perfect spot for Indonesian cuisine. FAIL! My curry tasted like water, I didn't finish half of it. And if you know me, I don't leave food on my plate. I was so dissatisfied with my meal, I went down the street and ordered some fried rice to-go. I hate ending a day with a bad taste in my mouth.

The irony is that we had found the perfect restaurant in Kuta. Our sweet Indonesian mother who owned the grocery store attached to the restaurant. She made great food, which never cost more than $1.80 American. I spotted her shop when looking for bananas for  my surf trip over the hill and noticed a full restaurant of locals just next door. I knew she was doing something right. No recommendation, just common sense. Follow the crowds of locals to the watering holes.

Now I'm stuck wondering around at night looking for a comparable "warung" in Ubud and end up with watery curry. But the diamond in the rough was the neighboring fried rice facility. Amazing! Forget the recommendations and go with your gut and even more so where the crowds are. This place rocked it. I went to bed happy and with a full tummy! Plus Morgan didn't have to hear me complain all night :-)