Surf, Drink, BALI!!

After having wanting to visit Bali since ya know, I watched Eat, Pray, Love, I have knocked this destination off my travel bucket list. Although to be honest, it wasn't as great as I had imagined it. It was still beautiful and fun, but I definitely had some high preconceived notions of what it would be like.

We arrived in Kuta on Wednesday night and stayed there (beach town) for two nights. My first morning I had a surfing lesson in Canggu, about 35 km away. Surfing was the one thing I really wanted to do in Bali, because it's always been on my bucket list of things to try, and Bali has some of the best surf spots in the world. It was hard! I knew it would be difficult, but standing up on the board as you ride down the wave it difficult. In a little over two hours of being out in the water, I only managed to get about 4 really good waves where I stood up and rode the waves into the shore. The hardest part about surfing had to have been the paddling, though. It was easy at first, but having to paddle way back out in the water after every wave was hard work. And you only use your arms to paddle, your legs are completely useless on your board, so it's one hundred times harder than just swimming back out that deep after every wave. But regardless, it was so much fun, and I definitely want to try surfing many more times. I would love to come back to Bali and just stay in the be achy surf areas for a week or two to surf every single day. My instructor was also really cool. He's such a stereotypical surfer dude. I actually invited him and his roommate out that night but unfortunately we were in two different beach areas that we couldn't find each other.

Three of my Nonsi friends were also in Bali at the same time, so we managed to meet up with them a few times. We were hoping to get together on night one, but Jakub missed his flight from KL, and I was just tired so we made plans for night two. We went to this buffet for dinner where we had all you can AND drink for only $10. I brought mom, and she might have gotten a little tipsy with my friends. It was a good night, and I was surprised how much my friends liked my mom and wanted her to hang out with us. Mom did head home a little before us that night, and in all honesty, I should have gone home then. I got in a slight fight with one of the guys, because we are both so stubborn and say stupid things to each other, especially when we are drunk. But don't worry, we called a truce like we always do.

Day three mom and I headed for the cultural town of Ubud. It was a lot less busy than Kuta, but still just as touristy. The famous thing to do in Ubud is visit Monkey Forest, so of course we went. Although I don't know how much mom liked it. There are over 600 monkeys in the few acres of land that constitute the forest, and they roam wherever they please. I had two of them climb all over me, and after I tried to pull my arm away so they wouldn't rip my bracelets off, I quickly got a slap in the face to let me know that he is in charge here, and not me, and that he can do as he pleases. But no worries, no bracelets were stolen, and only a slight amount of hair was pulled.

There are also tons of markets around Ubud (like most SE Asia towns), and we did our fair share of shopping. I got a bracelet, like I do in every city, and then I bought really cute tote bags that I plan to use as my grocery shopping bags. We also found some beautiful paintings that we bought to put the finishing touches on our newly decorated spare bedrooms. I also got three small paintings for my room in my apartment.

On day four, we met up with the guys again when they arrived in Ubud. They actually showed up at our hotel room door one night to come steal me for some drinks. I was so surprised to hear a knock on the door and look out to find them. Sometimes they really do surprise me. So that night we just went across the street to a little Mexican joint for some sangria!! Mhhh, I love sangria, and so do the boys. The next day we made plans to visit the rice fields outside of Ubud. I haven't actually seen any really nice fields in any of my travels so far, so I had nothing to compare it to. But I knew the views were beautiful regardless. We took a bit of a hike down into the fields while enjoying an ice cold Bintang Radler. I haven't had a radler since this summer, and it tasted just like Moose Light Radler, so it was almost a happy reminder that I'll be able to enjoy my summer drink of choice in just 10 days with my childhood friends.

We also headed to the Hanging Gardens back in Ubud, but as soon as we made it into the entrance it started to pour. So three of us headed to a coffee shop to wait while two of the guys still ventured off in the rain.

Today was our final day in Bali, and also my final day with Sven. I didn't even realize that I had to say goodbye to him today. He was one of the harder ones I've said goodbye to so far, and thank god I'll only have to say goodbye to just the few remaining stragglers next week when I actually leave. Mom and I spent the morning and early afternoon checking out more markets before we headed back for the airport. While Bali definitely wasn't my favourite destination that I've been to during my last five months, it was still a great experience, and I could definitely return in the future, although I would prefer to stay near the beach if only just to surf more. Next destination: Singapore. Only five more days of travelling and eight more days until I board that plane headed for Canada. Seems too soon still to be going home.

~Ally xx

The Land Down Under (AKA My Future Home)

Ahh Australia! I never imagined I would get to travel here, especially during my exchange in Asia. But nonetheless, I have just spent four days in Perth. Looking back now, we really should have booked at least a full week here, as it is an incredibly beautiful city, even if it is relatively isolated and small.

I could say that I fall in love places extremely easily. Maybe it’s my want to find the beauty in everything, or just the fact that I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities to visit so many different cities and countries (especially during the last five months), but I fell in love with Perth in the first few minutes of arriving. Even looking out the window as our plane descended from the sky, I could tell this city was special. Even the places that I’ve lived (Chipman, Ottawa, and Bangkok), I’ve loved them all, but in different ways of course. Chipman is and always will be my true home, Ottawa is where I can see myself spending the rest of my life, and Bangkok is my big city love, where I truly branched out on my own for the first time in my life. But I could so easily see myself living in Perth, even if just for a short period of time. I could picture myself in every area of the city we visited. And this city is laid out so nicely and it’s unbelievably clean. At first, it reminded me of Calgary, I think from its cleanliness and also its lack of big crowds. Regardless, I hope to return to Perth one day for an extended period of time (and hopefully the East Coast of Australia also).

While we didn’t have much time in Perth, we still did a fair amount. Day one was spent wandering the CBD shopping area, including Hay and Murray Street and the outlets. They have free public transportation in most of the downtown area so it was so easy to find our way around the city. Day two we headed for Fremantle, which is just 30 minutes outside the city on the coast. Again, it was so easy to get there as the train runs straight from downtown Perth City to the Coast. We spent that day wandering the Sunday Markets (and getting some nice authentic Australian Christmas gifts), enjoying lunch on the patio, watching street performers, and touring the old Fremantle Prison. The Prison might’ve been my favourite thing from the entire trip. Having just recently watched Shawshank Redemption for the first time, I felt like I was in the same prison. It was surprising to know that that prison was in use up until 1991, considering it was built in the 1860’s, and therefore very dated for a facility in the 90s. Our tour guide was very entertaining and knowledgeable. It was also a little chilling to see the actual gallows that were used to end the lives of 143 inmates. While I’ve never had an interest in prisons or the treatment of prisoners before, this tour makes me want to look into the prison systems we have at home, even just to compare what it’s like today at a maximum security prison to what it was decades ago, and also on the other side of the world.

Day three we headed for the Perth Jetty to hop across the bay to South Perth to visit the zoo. Mom was extremely excited for this, and I can’t lie, I was too. After getting to be up close and personal with elephants (my dream come true) in Chiang Mai, I was hoping for a similar experience with kangaroos. While I didn’t get to hug them the way I did with the elephants, I did find one little guy close enough that I could pet him. But he wasn’t all that lovable back, as he pretended I wasn’t there and continued to eat his plant. Mom was also a little disappointed that we could only find one koala and he was sleeping at the top of a tree so he was barely visible to us. We did see lots of other animals, many of which call Australia home, and also others native to Asia and Africa. The zoo was a bot smaller than I originally imagined, but fun nonetheless. We were extremely surprised to see the zoo mostly deserted, which we actually discovered was quite characteristic of most places we went in Perth. The population of the city is definitely less than what we thought. But coming from the nonstop bustling of Bangkok over the last five months, it was a great change of pace.

On our fourth and final day, and we really only had a few hours in the morning to explore. We went back to the outlets so I could buy a dress I had been eyeing for a few days, and then hopped on our free transport to go to Kings Park. We were unaware of what exactly Kings Park had to offer, but it was mesmerising. The park itself is huge, and so beautifully laid out (like the rest of the city). As we walked along the path, we passed dozens of families laying out on blankets having picnics in the grass, and tons of father-son duos playing Frisbee and kicking around a football (soccer ball, to my North American friends). The park also offers and incredible view of both Perth City and South Perth separated by the small bay dotted with the ferry travelling between the two sides and several sailboats.

But alas, like all my journeys and adventures, they have to come to an end, almost always too soon, however. But my travels aren’t completely over yet; I’m now in my way to Bali where I will stay for five days. 

~Ally xxx

The (Almost) End

So my semester is officially over. The last two weeks have been (somewhat, but not really) stressful with finishing up final projects, presentations and exams. The last two weeks have also been very emotional as I've had to say goodbye to some close friends, and my apartment as well. I've done my fair share of partying in the last few days as it has been my last nights with many people. It currently feels like a ghost town in Nonsi since most people have already moved out to travel for a few weeks before they head home. A few of my friends are still here so I'm not completely alone, but I can feel the depression starting to sink in. I can only imagine how hard it's going to be when I actually leave and won't have the chance to see these people every day again. 

In good news though, my mom is officially on her way here. So while I'm still sad for the fact that her arrival truly marks the end of my journey and time here, I'm very excited for our travels together. I haven't even thought about the places we're going because I'm always busy planning some other trip with friends, but today I sat down and started making an itinerary for things to do in each city. We start off in Perth, Australia next Friday! I'm so excited for Perth, it might actually be the destination with mom that I'm most excited about. We're also headed to Bali, Singapore, and Malaysia. Several of my really close friends in Bangkok will be in Bali at the same time as me, so I am super excited because it means I will get a few extra days with them and I don't have to say goodbye just yet. 

Chiang Mai and ELEPHANTS!

After much debate, I decided to do a weekend trip to Chiang Mai for a second time. I really should have stayed home to work on two final projects, but whatever. I’m on exchange and I only have so many trips left to take before I return to dreaded Canada and cold temperatures.

We arrived Saturday morning and had a chill first day. We took a cooking class Saturday afternoon and I learned to make chicken satay with curry dipping sauce, traditional Chiang Mai noodles with red curry paste, and Pad Thai. It was actually really fun and our teachers were so nice. We got Thai cookbooks to bring home so hopefully I can actually make some of this when I get home. After that we went for massages and beer, and then headed to the Saturday Night Market. It was extremely crowded but I got super cute elephant shorts and tank top. And I love markets regardless of how crowded they are. We thought a Muay Thai fight would be a fun activity for that night. And it was pretty fun, until we realized most of the fights were fake. We were betting on them before we realized that, however, and I won a solid 20 Baht (about 85 cents lol).

Sunday morning was a slow start, and we basically wasted the whole morning. That afternoon, two of the guys went off for a river boat tour that I did on my last trip here. So me and one other guy found an insect museum we wanted to check out. It was very interested, as they had bugs from all over the world along with several other types of artifacts. We had the entire place to ourselves to explore which was an added bonus. We then met up with the others at the Royal Park Gardens where we rented bicycles and drove around the gardens to a few hours. We got there in the late afternoon so it wasn’t crowded at all and we were free to ride wherever we wanted. They had different garden areas for certain countries, and I found the Canadian Gardens, which consisted of Totem Poles and a giant Inuksuk, but unfortunately no maple trees. The whole garden is absolutely beautiful and huge. I would highly recommend going for an afternoon. It was relaxing and great to see. I also enjoy riding bikes whenever I can, so it was so much fun for me.

Sunday night we headed for Chiang Mai’s famous Sunday Night Market, where I got a shirt that I had originally wanted from my last trip here but never actually bought. Everybody came home with a few souvenirs that night. We then went back to the same bar we hung out from our last trip here for a beer and to watch some of UFC 193. We watched Canada fight Poland in the women’s division, and ironically, one of the guys I was with is from Poland. We also noticed that the fighters’ last names ended in the same suffixes as both of our surnames! So of course we had to out money on the fight and cheer on our home countries. Canada unfortunately lost, and I lost 100 Baht (~$4). But it was a fun night regardless.

Monday was undoubtedly my favourite day of this trip and probably my favourite day of my entire 4 months in Asia. I finally got to see the elephants! We went to Dumbo Elephant Spa about an hour outside of Chiang Mai where we, along with 4 other people, got to spend the day interacting and playing with 4 elephants, one of which was 3 months old. In the morning we learnt a little about their history and lifestyle, and then we fed them and led them through the jungle. After lunch, however, is when the real fun began. We had a mud fight with elephants! We brought them to this huge mud pit to cool them down, and we were covered head to toe in mud. The only area of our bodies that wasn’t covered was our eyes. I’ve never been dirty like that before but it was so much fun. Our guides loved every minute of it too, as they kept pushing us in so that we were fully covered. Even after the elephants were cooled down, we stayed in and had our own little mud fight. After the dirtiness, we headed to the river to bathe the elephants. We were all given a bucket and were simply instructed to throw as much water as possible on the elephants. They loved it. They were lying right down in that river with us as we scrubbed them clean. Of course, the mature adults that we all are, we couldn’t resist our own water fight as we tried to clean the mud off ourselves. I fully felt like a child again in those moments, and it was some of the most fun I’ve truly ever had.

We then fed them some more after bath time, and of course played with the baby (his name is Dumbo). He is adorable, and so playful. He likes to charge at you, and loves to get on his belly so you can rub him tummy and legs. Even though he’s 3 months old, he still weighs 250 Kg and can easily take you down. The guys particularly enjoyed trying to hold him back as he charged at them. He’s a tough guy for sure. But he would never hurt a fly. None of them would. They were happy as clams all day. I was actually so sad to say goodbye to them. It was truly one of the happiest days of my life. I highly recommend Dumbo Elephant Spa to anyone looking to do an elephant trip in Chiang Mai. They don’t allow riding there, and they use no hooks whatsoever. They understand that elephants aren’t meant to do tricks and shows and provide entertainment for humans. They are so humane with the elephants here; it was magical to see how they interact with them and how the elephants interact with complete strangers. They are truly loving creatures.

Our guides for the day were also so amazing and helpful. We were supposed to go back to Chiang Mai in the tuk tuk with the other 4 people, but one guide was driving his truck back into the city and asked if we wanted to join him. So we sat in the bed of his truck for half the ride, and enjoyed the wind blowing through our hair as we raced down the mountain. Halfway through he stopped and invited us to eat with him at this small local restaurant. I’ve never experienced such hospitality in Thailand before, it was incredible and he was so kind to us.

Tuesday we awoke early at 5:30 to try and catch a 7am bus to Chiang Rai. The bus was already full when we arrived so we waited around and took the bus at 8:30am instead. As soon as we arrived in Chiang Rai, we caught a mininvan to head to the Golden Triangle, where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar all meet in the river. It wasn’t as cool as I originally thought it would be, but still cool to see all three countries, especially since I’ve visited all three of them already. The coolest part was definitely where you can clearly see the rivers mix in front of you. You see the brown water from the Mekong River run into the blue water of the Kok River. We didn’t have much time to stay as we had to catch the minivan back to Chiang Rai and head straight for the airport to get back to Bangkok.

All in all, it was another great weekend and another great trip I’ve had whilst here in SE Asia. It’s finally starting to hit me that my time is almost up as I get back to Bangkok to finish final projects and start studying for final exams. It’s a sad thought, as I might never be ready to leave my life here in Thailand behind. 

~Ally 

Myanmar

Yesterday I got back from six days in Myanmar. It was an incredible trip and beautiful country. I originally didn't plan on going to Myanmar, mostly because I did no research on the country so I didn't know what to do or see or what to expect from it. When a few friends invited me to go with them and their dates fit perfectly into my travel schedule, I decided to book tickets and join them. I am so glad I made that decisions. Myanmar might even be my favourite country that I have visited here so far also.

We flew into Yangon last Wednesday night after class. My very first impression of the city was that it was a bit dirty. There were also bugs everywhere, and I mean everywhere. In our dorm rooms, in the showers, on the food, etc. We wandered the streets that night looking for food and met these three older Burmese men who invited us to sit and have a beer with them. They then proceeded to order dishes upon dishes of food just for us! And they refused to let us pay for any of it. They were so kind, and it was really great to talk with them about their country and especially their upcoming election for over an hour. This was the first time we would notice just how kind Burmese people are, especially towards farangs.

Thursday was spent exploring the streets of Yangon, which was very cool. There are shops everywhere, and you can purchase almost anything imaginable on the streets. That night we took an overnight bus to Inle Lake, where we spent the following two days. Our first day there, Friday, we took a boat tour around the lake and through many villages on the lake. We got to see jewellery being made from silver; cotton, silk, and lotus tree weaving; traditional umbrellas being made; how longboats are made; homemade cigars being made; and many others. It was a very cool experience to see how these people live. The scenery on the water was also unbelievable. There are mountains all around and the waters are so calm. Watching the sun go down over the mountains was beautiful.

Our second day in Inle Lake we went to a local market called Heyo about an hour drive away in another small town. This is a traditional local market where people buy vegetables, meat, clothing, toiletries, etc. They don't sell the stuff we are used to seeing at markets because they rarely see farangs in these types of markets. We very easily stuck out like sore thumbs, but again, people welcomed us so kindly and offered us to try lots of foods for free even. It was a real look into their lives, and I'm so happy we had the opportunity to see that. That night, we went to a vineyard in the mountains for a wine tasting and to again watch the sunset. It was beautiful too. It was so calm and relaxing. We then took another night bus to Bagan on Friday night.

Sunday we did a tour of Bagan and visited several of the 2200+ Pagodas that the city has to offer. We visited mostly just the big touristy ones, and they were all very different and all very cool. Most of them were built in the 11th century, and a lot have done well to remain standing today. Although we did learn that quite a few of the smaller ones have been mostly rebuilt after they were damaged in storms in 1975. But the original architecture is still there, and they are so magnificent. They are so detailed, I can't imagine how long it took to build them all. We also watched our third sunset sitting atop one of the pagodas with the mountains and the sunset on one side of us, and hundreds more pagodas in our view on all other sides. It was perhaps one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen myself.

While the sunset was amazing in Bagan, we couldn't skip the sunrise, as it was even better. So we got up at 5am on Monday morning to drive to a different pagoda and again climbed atop it to watch the sun come up from behind the mountains. It was breathtaking, and 150% worth it to get up at that ungodly hour. Even more stunning than the sunrise itself, were when the hot air balloons went up over the pagodas. I wish that I could have been in one of those balloons, it would have been the most amazing experience with the best views of Bagan. Maybe on my next trip to Myanmar...

Monday was our last official day so after the sunrise (and after a late morning nap), we rented bicycles and drove around to visit the smaller, less-known pagodas of Old Bagan. This was my favourite part of the entire trip, because everywhere we went we were the only tourists, so we got to really explore whatever we wanted. We also got to see lots of areas that most people don't take the time to visit. I also just love riding bikes, mostly because it reminds me of my childhood.

Overall, this was an incredible trip and an even more incredible country. I highly recommend it to anyone. I'm almost ashamed that I had no interest in visiting it beforehand, but so grateful that my friends changed my mind.

P.S. If you are in Inle Lake, you have to eat at the Sun Flower. It had the best food, and the best service ever. You also should get the fried chicken and fried mashed potatoes. Seriously, that was easily one of the best meals I've eaten in SE Asia.

~Ally

Koh Phi Phi

This past weekend was no doubt the craziest and most spontaneous weekend of my life. I had just got back to Bangkok after 13 days of travelling Laos and Cambodia and decided to leave for the island just three days later. I originally planned to stay home for the weekend to catch up on school work and start some final projects, but I'm only here for two more months and there's only so many chances I'll get to travel to all these awesome places, so I went for it.

We took an overnight bus on Thursday to Krabi and then took the 2 hour ferry to the island Friday afternoon. Friday was a relatively chill day. We tried to go to the beach but couldn't find a really nice one. Instead we opted to find food and make plans for the following day. So we went ahead and booked tickets for snorkeling! Friday night was fun though. We started the night at Dojo Bar and Stockholm Syndrome which are the best party bars off the beach. We soon headed to Slinky on the beach where we enjoyed some limbo and fire shows. However, after a day of travelling and a few drinks on the beach, I was ready for bed. So it was an early night for me.

Saturday morning we were up and ready for a day of snorkeling and cruising all around the island on a long tail boat. Initially I was a bit timid of swimming literally in schools of fish, but it was such an awesome experience that I soon forgot that I was ever scared. In between the snorkeling, our driver took us to several beaches and good swimming spots. At one point he took us to go cliff jumping, and I'm so upset that i didn't try it. I'm completely terrified to do it, but I might never have the opportunity to cliff jump in Thailand again. My favourite beach we went to would easily be Maya Beach, where they filmed the movie The Beach about 15 years ago. Unfortunately the day we went it was very foggy out from all the forest fires in Indonesia, so we didn't have very good visibility of the cliffs in the distance. Either way it was a beautiful beach and the whole day was so much fun. I definitely want to do snorkeling again before I leave Asia.

Saturday night was a crazy one. We spent most of the night on the beach going between Slinky and 4Play. There were amazing fire shows at every bar for several hours. We got some drinks and enjoyed the shows before going back into town to find some parties there. The beach was the more popular option that night so we headed back to Slinky. They have a mechanical bull there and if you can stay on long enough you get free drinks, so I volunteered to try. Surprisingly, I lasted the whole time and walked away with free drinks for everyone I was with. The tide was super low that night so there was a sand bar where we could walk out into the ocean for quite a ways. We followed the crowd and enjoyed the sand and water in our toes. I also met these two Australian professional rugby players which was super cool. Especially because we had been watching the Rugby Semi-Finals earlier in the night.

Sunday was a chill beach day. We wanted to find a different other than the party beach near our hostel. We walked off in the other direction of the island and eventually found our way to Long Beach. We found a nice shaded area in the sand, laid our towels out, and spent the day going between the crystal teal waters and the white, soft sand. It was such a relaxing day. By the time we packed up to leave, it was almost dark. Sunday was mostly the same as the other nights. We got supper, got some drinks, and had fun. We stayed in our hostel for a while playing cards until we knew the beach would be full. On our way home from the beach we walked by a tattoo shop so I went to see what this guy was getting tattooed on his back. I started to talking to him and turns out he's from Gatineau, and his friend is starting law school at uOttawa in January! Such a small world. I ended up staying with them for an hour as they both got tattoos and we talked about Ottawa. The guy from Gatineau is currently on exchange in Hong Kong. I love meeting other backpackers on my travels, but it's even more exciting when they are from the same area as me!

Finally on Monday we had to leave paradise. And of course it was the hottest and clearest day yet. Our boat didn't leave until 3:30 so we spent the morning and early afternoon exploring more of the island and doing a little shopping. The clothes on Phi Phi were a little more western than what you normally find in markets in Thailand. So it was a nice change. After our 2 hour ferry, and a delayed 13 hour bus ride, we arrived back in Bangkok at 6am this morning. I have yet to sleep, as I'm now in crunch mode to get assignments and final projects started and finished. I won't be able to travel this weekend, but I wish I could go back to Phi Phi for another few days. It was honestly paradise there, and one of the most fun weekends I've had in my three months in Thailand so far.

Exams= No Fun

So I haven't been writing at all over the last three weeks, and I blame it all on school. I've actually been pretty boring the last three weekends, as I haven't left Bangkok, and I haven't even done much in Bangkok. We just finished midterm week, which wasn't even all that stressful. I only had two written midterms, and several projects. But it was enough to make travelling a no-go for a few weekends. But not to worry, that ends tonight!

Tonight I'm leaving for 10-12 days in Laos. I'm so excited. This is my first time leaving Thailand and this will be my first actual backpack trip. So far, I've only done weekend trips. I'm travelling with three other friends. If you ask me right now what we're going to do I would not have a single answer for you. All we know at this point is that we have a 13 hour overnight bus trip to get to the country. We'll be arriving in Vientiane and will probably spend at least a day or two. We do hope to make it to Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang which are both more northern than Vientiane. I'm excited to be spontaneous and to not have a strict plan that we have to follow. If we love one city we can spend as much time as we want there. And if we hate it, we only have to spend one night.

For anyone who knows me, they know that I always over pack for any trip (I don't like to be unprepared). So packing enough clothes and toiletries for 12 days in one 60L backpack wasn't the easiest task for me. But this shall be good practice if I ever do do a 2-3 month backpacking trip somewheres.