as this semester of teaching slows down, so has my weekend traveling around thailand. i have still traveled, but my adventures are more scaled down. i have chosen more relaxing trips to secluded beaches and quiet towns, over the hustle and bustle of the tropical destinations and megaurban jungles. 

two weekends ago, sarah and i made a short journey to hua hin, which is on the opposite side of the gulf. hua hin was advertised as a weekend getaway for bangkok residents and retired ex-pats.

after a couple of minibus trips and a traveling time of about five hours we reached hua hin on friday night. we entered the little “walking” streets on a motorbike, as we searched for a place to stay. our motorbike taxi zig-zagged us passed vending carts and pedestrians that spilled out of the little bars that lined the narrow walkway. once in our 3rd-floor hotel room, we dropped off our bags went out to find some food.

we settled on an italian restaurant along a road that was parallel to the beach. there have been times when we have simply craved for western food. we wanted to add some variety and change to the nightly pad thai/sushi diet of chon buri…. so, we got pasta.

the next day was our beach day. we woke up well passed our normal sleeping schedule and walked over to the white sand and clear waters. when we first arrived, the beach was empty, so we found a shady spot near a palm tree and each read a book. as i continued to read my book, the beach quickly filled up. after each chapter i would look up to see more and more older European couples strolling the shore. a few more chapters and the i could then see the familiar sight of young, attractive thai women hand-in-hand with overly obese western tourists. by the time i was finished with the book, there were even horses galloping along the beach. seriously.

our next stop was the massage spot neighboring to our hotel to the left. although i have been here since october, this turned out to be my first thai massage. in fact, it was probably my first massage ever. a young thai girl gave me a rather unforgiving massage and then asked if i was single. go figure.

the nightlife was just like any other place where foreigners congregate. the bars were, again, spilling out onto the small streets. blatant prostitution bordered each pub, and lady boys performed in the middle of the foot traffic.

it is pretty sad to see how the sex trade and the influence of sex has become so prominent almost everywhere foreigners travel in thailand. i guess it comes down to the fact that some people travel to experience the natural beauty and culture of thailand, while other people simply come here to get laid. 

Keeping in line with how everything seems to work out in Thailand, my best friends from home happened to come and visit me at the perfect time. I needed to figure out what to do for next semester here in Thailand. I know I wanted to stay here, but I wasn’t sure whether or not to stay at the same school or move closer to Bangkok with some other friends.

They both arrived on the weekend and after picking them from the airport, we headed back to Chon Buri. Monday proved to be the best day to bring my friends to school, since it Children’s Day, the best example of Thailand silliness. The students did not have class on Monday because the entire school campus was filled with activity booths manned by the teachers from both the English and Regular programs. The students ran around trying to complete as many activities as they could, and then they cashed in their achievements for prizes and junk food.

On Tuesday I gave them a walking tour of Chon Buri. We walked down Sukhumvit until we reached Forum Plaza, then we went to Victory Center, and then back home, before heading back out to watch sunset from my favorite spot on the coast. We grabbed some beers and caught up on our makeshift stoop as the sun disappeared behind the clouds. Totally bro-mantic.

I finally took my first (and second) day off of school as we went to Koh Samed. Since it was my second time going down to the island off the coast of Rayong, I knew exactly how to find the bus, ferry, and bungalow that we ended up choosing. Our timing happened to be perfect, without any planning. Typical Thailand.

We reached on Wednesday afternoon and spent the day in the sun. The weather could not have been better, as the shades of blues from both the gulf waters and the cloudless sky met in the distance. It was the perfect setting to unwind from the past week of motorcycle robbery and Thailand silliness. We watched the usual fire shows on the beach after dinner, and then had some hookah before starting dance parties at two different establishments.

Rain hit the island on Thursday, so we knew our time was expired on the island. We headed back to Chon Buri to enjoy some night market food and some much needed rest before our weekend in Bangkok.

Friday came and went at school, and before we knew it, we were on a bus heading to Bangkok. We convinced Sarah to join us for the weekend shenanigans. The best part of traveling with my closest friends is that we never really plan things. We all have a go-with-the-flow attitude, so whenever we decide to do something it is never really a final decision. If we do actually make a “plan,” it is very vague and open to interpretation. This allows us to adapt if need be.

Our first plan to go out the club scene in Bangkok quickly got erased as we chose a relaxing night of hookah instead. Not knowing were to go, we jumped in a taxi and asked the driver to bring us to a hookah bar. Luckily for us, our driver brought us to the Middle Eastern district of Bangkok…. also known as the best place to find hookah.

We walked into a little Egyptian restaurant, a few doors down from the Pakistani Embassy, and ordered some grape-mint hookah and some Egyptian tea. We sat, talked, and sipped our tea as the hookah rotation continued for a few hours, before we called it a night and headed back to our hostel.

Saturday was all about exploring Bangkok. Sarah and I brought my two friends to Chatuchak Market, so they could experience all the craziness found in the world’s largest open-air market. We ate our kebabs and hid from the heat down the narrow tunnels full of clothes, clothes, and clothes.

Since we took the above-Bangkok route (Skytrain) to the market, we chose the lazy option and got a tuk-tuk to drive us through traffic-jammed streets all the way to our hostel on the other side of the city. Our general plan this night was to “hit Bangkok hard.” That being said, we went to the night-club district of Thailand, which turned out to be one giant club that took over an entire street. Literally.

After a few hours at the club, we had to head back to the hostel and then drop one of my friends off at the airport. We all passed out on the trip to the airport. After dropping off my one friend, the three of us passed out on the ride back to the hostel. The sign of a great night.

Since it was Teacher’s Day on the upcoming Monday, we had a three-day weekend (sadly, our last of this semester). Sarah really wanted to go to Ayutthaya, so the three of us grabbed a minivan from Victory Monument and started our two hour journey north to the ancient capital of Thailand.

I fall asleep on 99% of my bus and minivan trips in Thailand, so I was not surprised to wake up at our destination. After departing the minivan, we were greeted by a friendly tuk-tuk driver named Manop. He offered to take us around the city for the day to see all the temple and ruins of the ancient city. We agreed, dropped our backpacks at our new hostel, and jumped in the back of his tuk-tuk to begin our journey.

I had no idea what Ayutthaya was all about, aside from knowing there were ruins, so I was very impressed by the whole trip. Everywhere we went we were welcomed by peace. It was so calm and quiet, especially compared to Bangkok and Chon Buri. Buddha statues and temples surrounded the city. In a sense, it reminded me of when I went to Hiroshima a little over two years ago.

The city was still recovering from the flooding from a few months ago. Many of the structures were lined with caution tape with the label “damage area.” Water lines from the flood could be seen on just about everything in the city. Bus stops, street lights, buildings, and ruins all had the familiar line that reached my neck. Thankfully the ruins are still standing, but they were definitely a sight to see. Whether it was the stone carvings or brick work, it was all simply breath-taking. Enormous statues hid behind crumbling brick walls. Golden Buddhas, the size of three story buildings, welcomed worshipping Thai Buddhists.

Ayutthaya turned out to be the best way to end such a great week for me. The entire week led up to the decision I have made to stay at my current school. Here, in Chon Buri, I will be able to follow my students to the next grade. I will also be moving to a new apartment across town, and I finally got a motorcycle again. As cliché as this will sound, I am so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing friends. I am still shocked that they made the journey to meet me on the other side of the globe. I will never forget the time I spent with them here, and I cannot wait to see them again…. wherever and whenever that is.