Tonsai: Where I fell in love with Thailand...

Sawadeekha!! So...the last time I wrote was early January and I was in Koh Samui, Thailand. So much has happened since then, I'm not even sure where to begin. I spent a week in Koh Samui, which to be honest, was way too much time, and decided to venture off to the island of Koh Tao to do some diving. Beautiful island, but I happened to go during a streak of not-so-good weather and the diving visibility wasn't so clear...3 meters at best. But it felt good to be traveling solo again. On the 3rd or 4th night, I met some people from England who were leaving the next day to go to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party. So next thing you know, I was on a boat heading back to Koh Phangan with a bunch of 'pommies.' What was meant to be one night there turned into four, but we eventually made it back to Koh Tao in time to celebrate my birthday. The next day, I was on the move again, and headed west across Thailand towards the islands of Ko Lanta and Koh Phi Phi. Little did I know, I was "destined" to find Tonsai Beach, and would never make it to the Phi Phi Islands. I had actually never heard of Tonsai before, but events throughout the day would get me there by nightfall.

I left Koh Tao by boat to the mainland, and when I went to get in a van to Ko Lanta, the ride was overbooked. I didn't care though...I just figured I wasn't meant to go there. So instead, I got in a pickup truck with two French guys and a cab driver, and we traveled 7-8 hours to Krabi. The scenery was slowly changing the further we traveled from one coast to the other. Surrounded by palms, every now and then, we would pass these huge rocks jutting out from the ground. I remember looking out the window, taking in all the beauty around me, only to turn around to see the cabdriver viciously yanking nose hairs out his nostrils. It was going to be a good trip. :)

During the ride, I read in my travel book that Railey Beach was meant to be the most beautiful beach in Krabi, only accessible via longtail boat. So I figured I'd stay the night there and then head off to the Phi Phi Islands the next day. It was nightfall by the time I finally boarded the longtail. On board, a girl sitting next to me was shouting over the motor how expensive accommodation was on Railey Beach and that I should stay on Tonsai. It was then that the boat turned the corner of these huge rock cliffs and both beaches were in view. Immediately to the left was Tonsai. Smaller (maybe 300 yds) and not as "beautiful" as Railey, it was perfect. The huge limestone cliffs on both sides were lit up with dim lights, so that every overhang cast a shadow on the wall below. The beach was lined with several small bars, adorned with twinkling lights. I could faintly hear a Bob Marley track. The boat went across the bay to Railey first to drop off other passengers, and the boatman asked if I was going to get off. I remember looking back over to Tonsai Beach, feeling nothing but good vibes, and pointed that I wanted to go there instead. The closer we got to the beach, the more excited I became. I hadn't even stepped foot on ground yet, but there was something about this place I loved already.

I remember lugging my backpack up the road, and not finding accomodation until the third set of bungalows I came across. 500 baht per night...about $13...not too shabby for high season. :) After a quick shower, I was outta my room by 9:30 and ready to explore. One thing I certainly took note of was the men to women ratio. I was surrounded by men, and they were all in mighty good shape if I may say so! Was I in heaven? How the hell did I land here? I would discover in the morning that the cliffs hovering the beach would be covered with rock climbers, which explained all the athletic eyecandy.

Picture the beach as a half moon...the curve is the road that goes into the jungle, lined with bars, restaurants, and bungalows. It starts at one side of the beach and comes out on the other near one of the cliff walls, which I walked all along the road then back the other direction along the beach, and that's when I discovered the "slackline" bar (called the Sawadee Bar, but nobody really knew that.) On the first night, I saw some people walking along a bungee tightrope out front, and decided I would grab a beer, take a seat, and sit back to enjoy the show. I posted up there as my regular hangout from that point on, and practiced my balance on it everyday.

After a few days, I realized I did not want to leave anytime soon. My 30 day Thai visa would be running out, so I went on a 12-hr round trip to Malaysia to extend my visa 15 more days. Not the best way to spend a day...but definitely worth it. During those two weeks, I met so many amazing people from all over the world...Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Vietnam, and even a fair share of fellow Americans. EVERYONE who comes to Tonsai comes to rock climb, and although I went on a couple excursions with friends, I just wasn't as hardcore as they were. I spent most my other days either hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, walking the slackline, playing volleyball, reading in hammocks, and swimming at high tide. And eating delicious Thai food of course! It was a rough life.

About a week into my stay, I organized a fishing/camping trip to Chicken Island. There were 10 of us, and for $30 each, we had a longtail boat driver take us to a secluded beach to set up camp. Fishing poles, snorkel gear, tents all included. We never did end up fishing...but we did catch alot of Changs and Singhas though. Luckily, the boatman brought fish from home and cooked for us while we partied around the bonfire. After dinner and plenty more beers, we all went swimming in the ocean, which was filled with glowing phosphorescents whenever you splashed the water. And yes, we were skinny dipping...there was glowing plankton in the water, people! How can you not throw your clothes off for that!?

Not only was the landscape gorgeous, but it was just as stunning underwater. I regret that I didn't go on any dives, but near the end of my stay, I went on an all-day snorkeling excursion with a friend from Germany, and it was the best snorkeling I've ever seen...huge schools of fish, giant jellyfish, sea snakes, and massive coral.

Tonsai is a backpacker and rock climber haven. It's not overcrowded. It's just right. There are no cars, no motorbikes. Electricity only comes on in my bungalow from 5pm to 9am. Hot showers are nonexistent. Healthy kittens roamed around this place, so for cat lovers, all the more reason Tonsai is heaven. There were minor annoyances that added to the charm, and mosquitos were not one of them. Every now and then, the friggin' monkeys would ransack my bungalow in search for food and steal my soap instead. Seriously...what monkey steals soap?

In all honesty, I hesitated writing about this place. It really is special, and I'd hate to see it get overcrowded or commercialized. Most of the people I became friends with have been to Tonsai multiple times. I, myself, will certainly be going back someday and hope to see the same familiar faces. Now remember, I was originally meant to stay for one night and then go to Phi Phi Islands where "The Beach" was filmed. Instead, I found my own little beach and stayed for weeks. Yeah, I said it...my beach, not yours!

A Week with Squeak

Alright, so it's been a couple weeks since I've last been on here. And it's gonna be a long one, so be prepared. I've spent the past week in Bondi Beach, where I originally thought I would post up and work for a bit. Well, only 2 days after booking the hostel for a full week, I decided otherwise. So I've just kinda been bumming around this beach town, which is great, but it is easy to get sucked in, so I gotta get outta here. I have an idea where, but I've realized there's no use saying since there is a high chance those plans could change tomorrow.
So when I last made a post, I mentioned I was going camping with Aaron, Nathan, Danielle, and "Squeak", the trusty van from Sydney. Well, one night turned into eight nights, and I think it's safe to say it was one of the best weeks of my life.

We spent the first few nights at a campground in Bundeena, Royal National Park. This place was gorgeous...beautiful coastal hikes, beaches, and waterfalls with different views around every corner. Before we went to the campsite, we stopped by Wollamalla. The pic above is what we saw. Aaron actually jumped off this into the water, and we walked around to meet him on the beach. Unfortunately, he had his shoes with insoles stolen off the beach, while we all went exploring. Not the best start to the camping trip, but I reminded him that at least we had scotch and beers waiting for us (which, by the way, became a common staple for us every night. It IS camping after all!) It was a great first night. We had a spot right on the bay, and during twilight, there was a crystal clear reflection of a tree that sat smack in the middle of the water. And I love seeing the stars out here. I've seen constellations I've never seen before...I guess you don't realize how accustomed you are to your night sky until you go to the opposite hemisphere. It's beautiful.

The first morning, we had left our food out the night before like a bunch of idiots, and woke up to 4-5 of those "melodic" cockateils I mentioned earlier, on top of 4-5 crows eating our carbs...yes, the carbs! Although we never left our food out again, these first few mornings, we fell victim to these annoying birds. The crows would make these depressing nasally noises like, "Augh. Augh. AughAughhhhh." Guess you had to be there. It was like a cry for help, but we couldn't help but laugh at their depression.

The first morning, we went on a hike to go check out some aboriginal rock carvings...not exactly what we were expecting. Cool, but not cool enough for anyone to bust out their cameras. The best one was one that looked like a big fat cartoon man with a penis, with his arm and legs outstretched. I was looking at it for awhile, thinking this must be some kind of joke. We later determined it was a frog...with a really long tail. Hmmm...sure. Anyway, yes, this place was still amazing, despite the annoying rooster-wanna-be's and toadman drawings.

Later that day, we went to Garie Beach. The weather was a bit dreary, but it added to the scenery...kinda reminded me of the Oregon Coast but better. The long expanse of beach met these huge crashing waves on the east and cliffs loomed over us from the west. We found a set of stairs cut into the cliff side about 200 yards down, and after 10 minutes of following the trail, we found an empty hostel. (It reminded me of a Dharma Station, for my dorky Lost lovers.) When we called the number on the side, they said it was booked for the next few days, but we're going to try to make it back out there around New Years. We'll see...

That night, I took part in my first Rosh Hashanah service. Nathan is Jewish, and while at home, he would celebrate the Hebrew new year by spending hours in a synagogue, he spent it with the three of us in a campground. It was a really cool experience. Now I don't recall what he typically would have eaten or drank, but we lit paper rather than candles, all had champagne (represents light I think), ate some granola, and had some apples with honey for a good and sweet new year. Lshana tova!

The next day, we went on a hike to Curracurrang, where we had read that there was a waterfall lagoon. Along the way, we had actually lost the trail a few times and even passed the hidden trail to the waterfall. But none of this really mattered to us, since no matter where we went, the views were awesome. However, when we DID find the waterfall, we were all pretty stoked. I think it was a 2hr hike in and nobody else was there, so we were definitley loving it!

On our drive back to the campground, it was custom for us to stop by the local supermarket to not only pick up booze, but also buy ingredients for some amazing meals. Whether these meals were actually amazing, or we were just starving...we may never know. But after eating bread, nuts, granola, or fruit all day, a warm and hearty meal every night was always looked forward to! And since the sun went down by 7pm every night, we were always prepping and cooking with a headlamp here or a pocket flashlight there. What's a lantern? Maybe next trip.

Speaking of the sun going down early, every night we were always shocked at how early it was. It would be 8:30 and feel like midnight. I'm pretty sure we were all in bed by 11:00 most nights. By the way...I am an early riser out here. For those of you that really know me, I am never the first to wake, but for some reason, I'm usually up and moving around by 6:30am. Could have something to do with the sun beaming in my face...who knows.

So after a few days in Royal National Park, we ventured into the Blue Mountains. We stayed there for a total of five nights, each night in a different campground. The first night, although we paid for a camp spot in Glenbrook's Euroka Campground, we stayed the night in the day use area since we couldn't pull the van up to the fire pit. In fact, this was our first night with fire since it wasn't allowed in Royal National Park. (I'll bet the caveman flipped when he discovered fire...light, warmth, and cooking abilities all wrapped into one!)

Early that morning, we awoke to kangaroos grazing nearby our van! We had heard they liked this campground, but we soon realized everybody else had heard it too...next thing you know, we were surrounded by 3-4 shuttle buses dropping off 30-40 tourists into our little area. Really weird feeling. "Observe the kangaroos as they graze in the shade of the van. Also observe the four backpackers crawling out of the van. See how they need to shower." On our way out of the campground that day, we DID find a pool to bathe in called Jellybean Pool, where I was able to get in my rock jump for the trip. Now my travel book had mentioned a few free campgrounds in the Blue Mountains, one of which we later discovered was down a long 10k bumpy dirt road. This was conducive to no one. Aaron was pissed to have to drive it, "Squeak" probably didn't feel so hot, and Danielle and I were getting the crap beat out of us in the back.

So let me take this opportunity to explain the anatomy of the van. First of all, we call him "Squeak" for obvious reasons- he squeaks. And not just one squeak...a wonderful variety of different squeaks. There are two seats in the front of this '93 Mitsubishi. The back seat is folded up and placed between the mattress and the front cab, and is used as a "sofa" outside only. In the back is a mattress, where Danielle and I rode for the most part. Of course, there are no seat belts. But when it comes to speed bumps or bumpy roads, we're pretty much screwed in the back. In fact, at the end of the trip, Aaron admitted that he would intentionally haul ass over bumps to wake everyone up if everyone had fallen asleep. Little shit!

Anyway, back to the elusive campground. So before we do any hikes or go to the market, I decide that we head to this campsite (Ingar Campground) early to grab a spot, which was pretty much a joke since we discovered it was in the middle of nowhere and there was one other group camping there. So by the time we got "Squeak" down in there, we decided not to head back into town...which meant no ice, limited water, limited booze (I know!), and no amazing meal. It was still nice though. We made due with what we had. Aaron made his specialty for everyone- canned creamed corn and corn on the cob. Haha! Although the spot was pretty inconvenient, there was a man-made reservoir onsite that I took a couple dips in. Aaaahh.

The next morning, we all packed up and Nathan, Danielle, and I hiked the popular Federal Pass Trail near Three Sisters. Aaron passed on the trip since his feet were killing him (remember, he had his insoles stolen). We started by descending 900 steep steps, and you guessed it, ended the trail by climbing up some more. Let's just say that it's been awhile since I've climbed steps because my calves hurt for three days! It was still a very beautiful hike, surrounded by rainforest-like scenery, waterfalls, and tree-smothered hills and valleys as far as the eye could see. That night, we stayed at a nearby caravan park (with showers!), and the next day, we decided to lay low and take a break from hiking. We found a used book sale in Blackheath, and just relaxed with some coffee and a book. But the guys also made a very important purchase that day- the newfound guardian of the van, which would later be named that night by an Aussie from Manly...

So that night, we drove down into Megalong Valley that we had been looking down into the past couple days. It was so awesome down there! Shaded by eucalyptus and gum trees, everything was a glowing green on the way in. The free campsite (Megalong Glen Reserve) was perfect! No fresh water and showers, but since we had our own drinking water and a nearby creek, we were set. We weren't there for more than 20 minutes, when a pickup truck came hauling through with a load of branches and logs. And we all thought the same thing, "Firewood? Let's go make friends..."

Making friends was a good call, as we eventually pulled up our van, made a bonfire, went for a beer run, and had one of the most entertaining nights ever. Sean and Alisha are both from Port Stephens, although Sean lives in Manly, another beach town in Sydney...and he's PROUD of it! This guy has nonstop energy, I kid you not. He's excited about everything, laughs all the time, and has always got this huge grin on his face. Alisha is just as friendly, but much more reserved. They make an interesting pair. When we told him we were all staying in Bondi, he scoffed at us. "Bondi? You know what we call Bondi? Far from Manly!" I'll admit the place is a bit too pretty, women and men alike. But it was from that comment that bore the van guardian's name...for he is a man with boobs...far from Manly...thus "Bondi."

Needless to say, the night was a blast. Our neighbors all hated us the next morning.
Of course, I was the first of the four of us to wake up that morning. As I looked out the van, there was Sean outside his tent, making eggs and bacon. He yells over to me with this huge grin on his face, "Ay seppo! Want some brecky?" Brecky I took to mean breakfast, and it took some jogging of my memory to recall that he refers to Americans as "seppos". Because we're like septic tanks of course...all full of shit. Sweet guy, really. He called Danielle "Shamrock"...a far fonder nickname. Well, after he had offered me breakfast, I admitted to him that we had burnt every last piece of wood the night before, as if he hadn't already noticed. So Nathan, Sean, and I loaded up in his van to go make another firewood run about a mile up the road.

Although there were branches lying along the road, there were also some nice-looking pieces lying just beyond a few barbed-wire fences. We had our share of them, but only before a cowhand drove up and down the road a couple times to yell at us and threaten that an invisible bull would stampede us to the ground.

When we go back to camp, I went down to the creek to bathe and missed out on one of the funniest moments of the trip. Nathan hopped on Sean's dirt bike, and in less than 10 seconds, crashed into a log. Luckily for everyone but him, Danielle got it on film, but for his own discretion, I won't post it. Good stuff though!

Later that afternoon, we decided it would be a good night to stay in a hostel in one of the nearby towns. We didn't want to go far because Sean told the guys they could have his tent after that night. Well, we never did stay in a hostel because compared to free camping, well, it's just not free. Since the guys were heading to SE Asia in only 2 days, they spent most the afternoon taking care of some things on the Internet in town. So by the time we went to find the other free campground in Megalong, it was pretty dark. Not a good idea, since the locals often caution against driving in the dark with all the wildlife. Yeah, so we almost hit a kangaroo. Well Nathan thinks it was a wallaby, but whatever it was, I saw my life flash before my eyes. If we had hit that thing, it would have been trouble for us in the back. But anyway, this was the first night we decided that all four of us would try to sleep in the back. Nobody wanted to take another turn in the front seat or in the crappy tent. But at this point, half the bed frame had broken, and we were all completely sober, so sleeping comfortably was not in the cards for the night.

When we woke up that morning, we immediately took off to go pick up the tent from Sean and Alisha. In fact, we later followed them into Katoomba to meet his friend, Goomblar. He and his didge are quite an attraction at Echo Point. Sean brought him a coffee, and it was actually pretty interesting seeing this Aboriginal guy standing there in his loincloth with paint all over his body, spraying deodorant on his underarms, and talking to us with a coffee and cigarette in hand. He actually tours with Xavier Rudd. Never heard of Xavier Rudd til I got here, but still pretty cool.
So that night, we made it back to Bondi Beach all in one piece. The next morning the guys took off for Singapore, and two days later, Danielle took off to Queensland. It's crazy how close you can get to people in one week. I miss the crew!
Before I go, I'd like to thank Bree for finding my amazing sleeping bag and Twana for the polypropylene. They were lifesavers!!!
Now it's time for my next adventure. I'll let you know where I end up!

Week 1- Sydney!!

Well, I don't know where to begin. I love this place! I could definitely get used to it here. In fact, I think I might stick around Bondi Beach for a month before venturing to Melbourne or up the East Coast to become a surfer girl. But that's what I'm thinking today. Every day it changes...I love that I have the freedom to be spontaneous, but it does take control of my mind every now and then.
As of today, I'm thinking I'd like to find a waitressing job here in Bondi Beach, and just stay at the hostel I'm currently at, Noah's Backpackers ("Backpackers", by the way, is another name for "hostel" here). I arrived at this place 2 days ago, and everyone is so friendly and socialable. The first night I was here, there was a poker tournament in the bar downstairs and yours truly walked away with the title. Yeah, that's right! I won a $25 bar tab, which disappeared pretty fast. The same night I got here, I befriended other Americans from Texas, who had just recently bought a van and are now living out of it (Insert "Living in a van down by the ocean" joke here). This afternoon, Nathan, Aaron, myself, and this cool Irish girl named Danielle are actually heading into the woods to go camping, but I'm not sure where yet. I can't wait to see what's outside the metro area!
Yesterday was a pretty "rough" day. I woke up, made breakfast, lied out on the beach for 4 hours, and then topped the night off with Matt's (Welsh guy at the hostel) birthday. We all BBQd and partied on the rooftop of the hostel (BEAUTIFUL view from there, by the way).

The first day I got here, the weather was GORGEOUS. The locals said it was the best day they'd had all season. Although my hostel was in Kings Cross (Awesome hostel called Original Backpackers...Victorian home with a great patio entrance and a courtyard perfect for socializing), I decided to hop a train and bus over to Bondi Beach. THAT is when it hit me-- I'm definitely not in Oregon anymore. A few hours later, I met up with my friend Ryan (Aussie friend whom I met in Siena in 2004, and who hosted me and my friends in London for a weekend), his girlfriend, Kate, and a bunch of their friends. We drank and ate the afternoon and evening away, and it wasn't until 2:30 that I finally got back to Kings Cross and hit the hay...48 hours with no sleep! Perfect first day though...

I spent a couple days early in the week checking out the metro area, doing alot of the tourist stuff. Lots of pics and walking, but no tours. That costs money, people! I went to the Art Museum of New South Wales, walked through Hyde Park, the Royal Botanical Gardens, and got some amazing views of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. I also hopped a ferry to Manly Beach, but Bondi is still my favorite Sydney beach!
I also decided to spend a couple nights in Coogee (pronounced Couldgee fast), a couple miles south of Bondi. The hostel was alright, but not very condusive for socializing. Right when I walked into my room (cheapest 10-bed dorm), I was surrounded by obnoxious English girls. Let me just say that that accent on a woman becomes quite annoying when there are 4-5 of them chirpping away. So although the sun was starting to set and the weather was a bit dreary and cold that day, I had to get out. So I went down to the beach and the only people down there were these 5 local "blokes" playing volleyball...and a couple of them were REALLY bad. I asked if I could sit and watch, and they invited me to play. It was SO much fun! The other team that wasn't doing so well, kept calling out for the ball and running into eachother. For any of you that remember the seagulls in Finding Nemo, that's what they sounded like..."Mine! Mine! Mine?". It was hilarious!
The next day, I layed out for a little bit (surrounded by quite a few topless women), and did a beautiful walk along the coastline called the Bondi to Coogee walk. I did the roundtrip in a few hours...4 miles of gorgeous scenery.

What else...

-Kings Cross is pretty seedy, but still loads of fun in small doses. It is not too uncommon for someone to ask me if I'd like to buy some drugs or to have a prostitute ask if I'd like to have a little fun. I told you everyone was nice here...

-I actually saw a woman suspending her cat from her shoulder as if he was her purse. No, he wasn't in a cat carrier, he was in a sling! I managed to get a photo, but its from the back. Observe the cat's rear end as he hangs from his owner. WTF?

-Bats, seagulls, and cockateil parrots own the skies here. But I kid you not, those damned cockateils are MEAN. When they're pissed, those squackers are the most annoying beautiful birds ever.

-There are so many different nationalities here. I LOVE IT! Everyone speaks English, but the different languages and accents are so great to hear. There are also a surprising number of people traveling alone, as well. 2 of my current roommates are doing the same thing I am. Desiree is from Germany and Danielle is from Ireland. By the way, these are two nationalities I have come across the most.

-I've been doing alot of walking, and not as much eating as in the States. I would eat more if I could afford it! Back home, I would snack on stuff because it tastes good. That is not something I can do here. I certainly don't starve, but my food choices are based on what is going to give me the most energy til I'm hungry again and have to spend more money. I rarely eat out, but I do alot of cooking out of the hostel. Mmmm...eggs on a pan that someone just used to fry pork. Delicious...

-I am quickly learning the correct way to pronounce cities here...only because Aussies are quick to help you pronounce it correctly. Thanks guys...

I could go on and on, but I've got to go enjoy some of this sun. Can't get enough of it!
I'll keep ya posted!