Phuket - Patong Beach

We took a boat and bus combination to Phuket on Saturday.  It was a brutal bus ride, both Ben and I had terrible neck cramps.  The bus dropped us off on the side of a highway, literally near nothing.  It was very strange, luckily, there was a cab right there so we hopped in and negotiated 200 Baht ($6.66) for our cab ride.  When we got to our "hotel" the cab driver tried to charge us 400 Baht, and after telling him that's not what we agreed on he said he would call the police.  We said ok, paid the man, and got on our way, not a good first impression of Phuket.  Only a few minutes later did we realize that he had dropped us at the wrong hotel.  Thankfully, this hotel called "At Home Hotel" was a sister hotel of the one that we booked called "At Home Residence" so they called the owner who personally came and took us to our correct hotel.  The hotel itself is really nice, and at $17 a night, its a great deal. Just around the corner is the center of Patong Beach, the busiest and most touristy town in Phuket.  

Room

More Room

Letter in the Elevator about construction at the hotel

We were walking into the center of town the first night when I heard Ben say "OH, Watch Out!", I immediately looked where he was looking and about 10 feet in front of us was a baby elephant walking down the street being led by a Thai. The elephant was about 5 times the size of Ben, and while unusual for us, this is common practice here in Thailand. 

What we found in downtown Phuket was astonishing.  I equate it with the Thai version of Vegas.  Neon lights, go go dancers (and not the kind we have at home), and people trying to sell you everything and anything.  You cant get about 10 feet in some places without being offered a tuk tuk ride, massage, or ping pong show (yes they actually exist here).  It's also very built up.  There is a large American style mall near us, and many condo type buildings, almost all new or still being built, most likely from the Tsunami.  We spent that night walking around, and ate Subway both that night and for lunch the next day.

Bangla Road in Patong Beach

We started our first day at Patong beach.  Our $17 hotel includes a free shuttle around the town, and we arrived to the beach and saw what we wanted. It was packed from end to end with people, sunbathing, playing sports, parasailing, and jetskiing,.  Ben and I went bodysurfing then Ben found some Canadian and American friends, and ended up playing football with them and the Thais, while I sat under the cabana and read.  

Action shot of a Thai throwing the football to Ben

This is how they parasail.  A Thai jumps on top to steer and help land, and he rides the parachute holding on like a monkey and swinging around from about 10 stories up in the air.  

After this we went for some well needed shopping, and this is what we bought.

Total cost, $32

That night we went out on the town, focused on living the Phuket nightlife up, and we did.  In Thailand, Jenga and Connect 4 are very popular games at the bars.  You can play the bartender, and if they lose they buy you a round, and if they win, you have to buy a round for yourself and them.  They rarely lose as you can imagine.

My turn, if I lost, we didn't get a free round

I didn't lose this one!  Free drinks all around!  From left to right, our Bartender, 2 Australian guys we met and played with, me and Ben.

Some more Australian friends we met (Aussies are everywhere!).  The littler girl at the bottom is trying to sell us necklaces, she will throw them around your neck and then run away, only to come back and demand that you owe her 100 Baht.  As you can see I am defending myself against her impeccable necklace toss.  And yes, the guy in the background is holding up a Ping Pong show "menu."  You don't want to know what is on it. 

The next day we were pretty useless.  We went to a shopping mall by our hotel and it was like stepping back into the States.  It was a typical American shopping mall, clean, and comfortable, and it was a nice break from all of the dirtiness of Asia.  That night we discovered a night market for dinner, and got some of the best Pad See Ew and Fried Chicken I have ever had in my life.

Patong Beach Night Market

I got to choose my Fried Chicken at this stand!

Pad See Ew, sooo good!

That night it started raining harder than I have ever seen.  The monsoon rains here are intense, big rain drops that are blown in sideways.  If you step into the rain for 10 seconds you are completely soaked.  

Here is a video we took of the rain

Today, the rain has not let up.  We were going to go on an excursion, but it is raining too hard to do anything, so we just sat at a cafe and blogged and read.  We tried to order pizza, butt AGAIN we ordered it wrong.

That purple thing on the bottom right is squid!  Seriously people, why do you put seafood on pizza!?

Tomorrow we are off to Bali to continue our adventure!

Dare #10 Complete

Karl, my sister's boyfriend, dared us to get a picture of a good street vendor. Easy enough, I thought. But I couldn't find one that I thought was suitable. Until I came across this 4 foot tall cigarette vendor on Bangla Road in Patong Beach. She is selling cigarettes out of a laundry basket hung around her neck, and she looked about 15. It's amazing how anyone can sell ANYTHING here, with or without permits. Thanks Karl!

Dare #13 Complete

Well, my long time friend Nat, AKA Nasty, got me good with his dare. I must say that I expect nothing less from a friend who shares with me a deep connection to food, and particularly spicy food. His dare was to go to an authentic Thai spot, get Red Curry, and order it as spicy as "the locals like it and then some". He said it could be a team effort, however, Sarah was sick, and Matt BT wasn't too fond of the idea, so I got the mightiest dude around to help, Brett Reeves. We ordered the curry and the cooks looked at us a little cockeyed when we asked for it this spicy, they almost looked a little sympathetic like we didn't know what we were getting ourselves into, but they understood and made it real spicy. Needless to say it was painful going down, but much more painful later that night in my stomach. Touche, Nasty, from death shots to curry, I can't escape the wrath!

This spot looked perfect for the dare

Nice hunk of Spicy powder that they threw in

Look how excited Matt is to take his first bite!

Yup, that hurts

Finishing off the bowl

Koh Phanang

We spent the last 6 days on an island called Koh Phanang, just north of Koh Samui lying around the beach, hanging out, and swimming. The girls pampered themselves with massages, yoga and reading. Our resort was top of the line, and the food at the restaurant was excellent and cheap which made it easy to stick around the resort. This made it easy to just kick back, relax, and enjoy our surroundings. Therefore this post will be rather short.

Our resort wild dog. We named him "Beach". He was the laziest dog I have ever seen, really lived the beach life, hence the name.

The guys and I enjoying the beach and a Thai beer

The island is infamous for its Full Moon parties which attract backpackers from all over the world. However, we were not there for a full moon, so no Full Moon party. But we were able to make it to a Half Moon party, which took place in the jungle. Here is what it looked like.

Us before we went to the party, which didn't start until 11 PM, with the last DJ coming on stage at 5 AM

Black lights are everywhere, so everyone wear's neon paint that glows in the dark

Getting painted by some English guys

Superman, Batman, and....?

Here is a video that Matt took. This is in the middle of the Jungle. The fire dancers were amazing.

We went to the town of Had Rin one of the nights, and walked around, checked out the shops, and then went to the beach where the Full Moon parties take place. I can only imagine what this beach would look like with 10,000 people on it. Despite the parties that take place here,, the beach was absolutely gorgeous.

Sunset Beach, where the Full Moon party takes place

We spent the next few days lying around the beach, hanging out, and relaxing. One day Brett, Matty, and I decided to rent a car and go explore the island while the girls stuck around the resort and pampered themselves some more. It was a great day.

Our rental car - Uku V 2.0

Lookout point that we hiked up the side of a waterfall to

I got sick around the last few days so what was supposed to be spent out and about we again spent at the hotel. Finally, it was time for Matt to go home, and time to part with Brett and Brooke, for now.

Goodbye Europe, Hello Thailand

We ended our Europe trip with a nice dinner in Budapest near our Apartment. It was a bittersweet moment, saying goodbye to our European Adventure and hello to our new adventure, Southeast Asia.

We went out for one last dinner in Budapest to end our European Adventure.

I got Goose Liver soup, it was great!

Pork Knuckle for my entree...cold pork knuckles are NO good.

We landed in Bangkok at 3:30 AM, set for our hotel in China town (yes, there is a China Town in Bangkok oddly enough).

Our flight from Budapest to Kiev, Ukraine was on this! Sarah was not happy, I was even a little sketched out.

We had a brilliant view from our room on the 6th floor...Ahhh, Bangkok.

We slept in the next day tired, but excited to meet up with my childhood friend Matt Budd-Thanos. We hopped in a tuk tuk and managed to find Matty's Hotel, even though the driver didn't speak a word of English.

Back of a Tuk Tuk trying to navigate how to get to BT's hotel.

We were happy to see a friendly face from home after nearly 2 months on the road. We then went to the infamous Khao San Road, the main backpacker street in Southeast Asia. All backpackers find themselves on this road at sometime in their trip. We went to a rooftop bar where we had nice views of Khao San.

Khao San Road

That night we spent listening to music, dancing, and meeting some new Thai friends.

The following morning was by far one of the most painful of the trip. Jetlagged, tired, and a little "sick", we were up at 6 am to catch a train to Surat Thani, where we would change to a bus and ferry that would take us to Koh Samui. The trains were actually pretty nice, we were in an air conditioned 2nd class cabin, and the seats reclined sufficiently so that we could rest. The bathrooms, on the other hand, were not up to par. Lets just say a hole in the ground, where you can see the train tracks going by under you is not normal for us. Needless to say, we tried to drink as little water as possible on that train ride.

We spent the night in Surat Thani, before heading out on a bus the next morning and a ferry to Koh Samui. We landed in Koh Samui, hopped in the back of a truck, and were on our way to our hotel to meet up with Matt and our other two friends, Brett and Brooke. That night was amazing. We went to Arkbar for dinner, a sit down beach restaurant, total cost, $8. We even sent off our own Lantern!

It's good luck to light one of these and send it off

From there we proceeded to the main strip of bars and clubs on Samui, ending at Green Mango, the biggest club on the island. It was a night filled with dancing and meeting people from all walks of life. The only proper way to end the night was a late night swim session in the ocean at 3 AM. The water as warm as a hot tub, and you can walk literally a hundred yards out and still only be knee deep, its amazing.

Koh Samui main strip, typical Thailand

The next day was a slow one, spent by the hotel pool, and the beach...until we decided to go to Soccer Golf that night. Yes, soccer golf. What is it? Essentially an 18 hole golf course, where instead of using clubs, you use a soccer ball. Great time, and Matt BT shattered the American Record and got his name on the board!

With Brett, Brooke, Matt BT, and our new friends from SF

Of course BT destroys the current American record of 75 and puts up a 58.

After that we stumbled onto a night market where they were serving all kinds of street food. Matt BT and Brett Reeves braved the Pig Heart Stir Fry, while Sarah and I had the Chicken Stir Fry. I know what you think, but this Chicken Stir fry was the spiciest thing I have eaten here, and it burned. The best thing I ate where these little pancake things that came with marsh mellow and a coconut shaving topping. They were ridiculously good.

Best dessert I have had in Asia...I ate the whole thing

The next day we packed up and headed to Koh Phanang, an island just north of Samui. The resort we booked is absolutely gorgeous. Situated right on the beach, with a pool overlooking the ocean, 2 bars and a restaurant, we could not be happier. We are staying in little bungalows in the jungle, and spend the days playing beach volleyball, ping pong, swimming, and reading. For 29 bucks a night, it includes breakfast, and the food is fantastic. This is exactly what I imagined when I thought of Thailand.

Our Bungalows in the Jungle.

Pool

My new "office"...where I blogged this post.

Tonight we are headed to one of Phanang's infamous parties, the Half Moon Party. Then in a few days we will head to the island of Kho Tao, and then soon off to Bali, Indonesia. Take care, we miss you all!

Doner Love

This is by far my favorite food across Europe. It is of Turkish origin and is essentially lamb with veggies and yogurt/spicy sauce in pita bread. You can get these at home but they just dont compare to here. At 3 bucks, this can't be beat. They make them differently in every country, but here is a standard picture of what one should look like.

Yum

BUDA-PESHT

Szia (pronounced See ya, means hello) from Budapest, Hungary!

We arrived in Budapest on Tuesday by train from Prague that took about 7 hours. I forgot how nice it was to train ride through Europe. The big cabins make it easy to play cards, listen to music, and chat. The 7 hour train ride was easier than some 2 hour flights that we have taken. Our "host" met us at the train station and took us to our apartment rental. This is what 35 bucks a night gets you in Hungary.

View from our bedroom, Parliament district

Kitchen

Living Room looking into the Bedroom

On Wednesday we did a general free walking tour of the city, and then went wine tasting at a 12th century wine cellar at the Kings Palace that was used by the king back in the day. It was an amazing trip back in time, tasting in the room where the king used to store his wine.

WW2 memorial. Jews were taken here, bound together with 2 other people, shot (to save ammunition costs) and then dumped into the river. Shoes represent where they stood. Many of the last people in the line-up lived and untied themselves to tell the story. They found about 20 skeletons in the Danube in 2009 when they were renovating a bridge, all Jews that were killed like this.

The Kings Cellar

Wine tasting in the 12th century cellar

After, we went to an American pub in our neighborhood called "Cheers" where, oddly, we befriended a group of Hungarians and ended up spending the night out with them. They introduced us to the national Hungarian spirit called Palinka, which can only be made with Hungarian fruit and has to LEGALLY be 37.5% alcohol or more (many range into the 70% range). This stuff burns, but was a great Hungarian tradition and what better way to do it than with the locals!

Palinka Shots!

The next day we went to the largest open air market in Budapest and tried some authentic Hungarian food. I got a traditional Hungarian street food called langos, which is a deep fried dough topped with sour cream, garlic, and cheese (I added ham to mine as well). I was not impressed with it by any means, a little dissapointed in fact. It was very basic on the palate.

Sarah in the market, she looks gorgeous

Pigs feet and heads for sale

First bite of the Langos

Langos

Sarah got beef goulash served on top of pasta, also super basic and still unimpressed.

Finally, we decided to give it one more shot and we hit the jackpot. We split a stuffed paprika pepper, stuffed with meat, rice, and some sort of cous cous type product. It was smothered in a tomato based sauce and was fantastic.

The next day we ventured to the Hungarian baths, which was a very restful day spent by the pools, in the saunas, and in the mineral baths. The baths are fed by natural water springs from underground. We tried everything from mineral springs, to acid baths, and I even braved the ice bath for a total of 3 minutes. Amazing how your body goes numb after a little bit.

Szechenyi Bath

I'm floating!

That night we went to the "ruin" bars, which are bars placed in old abandoned houses, schools, and buildings in the Jewish Quarter. The ruin bars are all decorated with interesting abstract artwork, for instance there was a bathtub that was cut out and turned into a couch.

Later, the Hungarians that we met at the Cheers bar had invited us to a karaoke party that night, so we went there and sang some karaoke with them and met some more Hungarian friends, all who spoke English very well.

Underground Hungarian Karaoke Bar

Our Hungarian friends

On the way out of the bar we left them with a nice performance of "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen and they loved it (we contemplated "Born in the USA" but decided that was way too aggressive). Awesome night!

The next day we went on the Communist walking tour. For those of you who dont know, Hungary is a very young democracy, about 20 years old. Still, there are a lot of communist traditions and customs which they are eager to let go of, but it takes generations to weed out. Very interesting description of communist Budapest compared to today, told by a tour guide who lived through it! These are pictures of buildings built post WW2, compared to the rest of Budapest they are very basic and built with small kitches to discourage home cooked dinner parties. Why? Because when people get together to eat at home and drink wine, they begin talking about the way things are, and how to make them better, and the communists needed everyone to think there system was the best. This is why they were allowed to travel East to other Communist countries, but not West to capitalist countries. This made me very grateful to have been born in the states.

Communist building in the middle of St Stephen Basilica square. It's very basic compared to the beautiful architectural surroundings.

Today we are taking it easy, blogging from a cafe square in the middle of Budapest, getting prepped for our next journey, South East Asia. We leave on Weds for Bangkok, then to the islands to meet some dear friends of ours, Brett Reeves, Brooke Latham, and my longtime friend Matt Budd Thanos. Very excited to see some familiar faces after being on the road for 7 weeks. Next update will be from Thailand in a week or so!