Listening: LDN by Lilly Allen
So, I've been here in Thailand now for a month and the culture shock has been intense to say the least. Our intentions on leaving London were clear. To party hard for two months straight, visiting as many beaches as possible, using my Lonely Planet beach destination itinerary as a guide and then to find work as TEFL teachers in a neighbouring country and to knuckle down, perhaps saving some money where possible.
So far, we have travelled down from Bangkok to Kanchanburi, Hua Hin, Chumphon, Phuket, Ko Phi Phi and are currently in Krabi. Okay so let me share a few stories with you to give you a little glimpse into my experience of Thailand thus far, emphasising the word MY.
Smell
There is not an efficient sanitation and sewage system in this country so unfortunately from time to time, and depending on which way the winds blows, you get a waft of the most foul stench known to man. A mixture of rotten cabbages, shit and mouldy feet. Then, in complete contrast Thailand also has some of the most amazing smelling food I have ever smelt in my life. The aromas of lemon grass, basil, oyster and fish sauce and grilled chicken can't be beaten. They also have vast night markets that are mazes of freshly made food sold for absolutely nothing, 10-50 baht, less than a pound! As you can see in the pictures, they sell absolutely everything ranging from fresh seafood, chicken, pork, noodles, every rice dish in the world with sweet chilli or soy sauce and of course Pad Thai! The sushi choices are endless and sold at 5 baht a piece. Just to put it into perspective 47 baht is £1. So far I have fallen in love with the night markets in Krabi and Kanchanburi. I feel that these visits have been the highlight of my trip so far. The people who cook and serve the different delights seem genuinely content and happy in what others may perceive as a simple and humble life. They rest and prepare their food in the day and at night flock to the market for a 5 hour stint as they display and sell hundreds of pieces of fabulous delights.
- Pad Thai is delicious and so cheap. From 30 baht!
- I really appreciate Thailand's obsession with chilli but more importantly with EGG! Eggs everywhere, with everything. They even sell boiled eggs in the local 7/11.
- In Krabi, we move closer to Malaysia, a Muslim country, so there is a lot more halal meat made available (yum!)as well as women in full hi jab. (No comment.)
Bites
Okay, so let's just make it clear that I don't believe in insurance on a whole due to my own experience and others, and believe medicine has turned into more of a money making scheme than a tool to save peoples lives. (See SICKO by Michael Moore). I avoid buying it when possible. So, I didn't purchase any travel insurance : ) I did however get all my free vaccinations from the doctor so I won't die from Hepatitis A or B, Tetanus or Diptheria! Score! Tina and Cherry both purchased travel insurance, malaria tablets and mosquito repellent. 4 weeks in to the trip we have all been molested by mosquitoes, mainly starting in Kanchanburi and picking up again majorly in Phuket. Damn you remote islands! Just don't itch, they will fade, although at one point I was close to ripping the skin from off my left arm. YELLOW SIANG PURE BALM is the way forward in life guys! If you don't know, get to knowww.
Bartering
So coming to Thailand, I knew I had to have my wits about me, but I didn't know how much my patience was going to be tested. From arriving in Bangkok to the tuk-tuks, the ever changing price of food, to the overpriced ferries and day trips, we have been bartering for our lives! Not only to save money but to defend our pride! Foreigners here are known as 'farangs' and that usually comes with a smile or laugh. Due to some of the embarrassing behaviour Westerners have displayed on some of the party islands and elsewhere, it seems the Thai people do not expect much from us farangs. This doesn't however, take into account, the handful of helpful, honest Thais that we have encountered on our journey.
- "no refund" I paid 1,750 baht to get a curly perm and it ended up only lasting a few days initially. This was either due to the product that simply wasn't strong enough, or my stubborn hair. It was only through contacting the local police and visiting the salon THREE times, that I was able to get what I had paid for: a curly perm. We boycotted the salon for 6 hours desperate for the hairdresser to understand why we wanted our money back but instead we settled for a THIRD application of the product on my head. I dread to think what my scalp has been through.
- At our stay in Phuket, we found ourselves getting way too many bites. So instead of staying there for the full stay we explained our dilemma. We also explained that we could smell drainage from the shower, and that we weren't content with the general standard of the room. The receptionist, however, refused to refund us for the rest of our stay. We had to negotiate for HOURS and argue with the manager (who refused to come down to the venue). I began to feel sorry for the receptionist although my friend Tina quickly reminded me that we had paid hard earned cash for these rooms and we expected a certain standard. We ended up getting SOME of our money back. Sigh.
More stories to come guys.....
x
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