A couple things I missed out on the previous post:
- We are in the year 2552
- Thais drive on the left side of the road (usually)
- They love Disney!
- I haven't bitten my nails once since I'm here... I think it's the stress-free environment.
Cheers and thanks for following my blog.
Do keep in mind that I currently reside in the Isaan province of Thailand (eastern Thailand), and even though I refer to them as 'Thai people', they consider themselves Lao. The great majority speaks Lao at home and became part of thailand when the French (wrongfully) divided Indochina.
A few interesting facts (cultural for the most part) about Thailand:
- Never point your feet at someone, especially not at a Buddha
- Always take your shoes off when you get in someone's home/guesthouse/temple
- Thai girls don't smoke
- Thai people love to party.... and love karaoke
- Thai people love to crack a good sexual joke
- Thai people are so friendly, so don't be shocked if some come sit at your table or invite you to theirs.
- Everyone has a pick-up truck or a bike. Thai police are lobbied by the truck companies to keep the road in bad shapes (ie: many pot holes) so that pick-up trucks become the only viable way to get around.
- Respect your elders and 'wai' accordingly. Wai is the prayer sign Thai people use to say hello. If the person is younger, you wai at chest level; if their older, you wai at chin level; and if it's a monk you wai at nose level.
- Keep cool and relaxed at all times; it's a sign of weakness to get angry or to raise your voice. Road rage and bar fights are virtually inexistant here.
- Hot water is a luxury.
- There are 3 seasons in Thailand: the hot season, the rainy season (which is ending in 2 weeks) and the cold season. However many refer to it as the hot season, the hotter season and the hottest season... Believe me, sleeping in very humid 25+ degree heat is a big big change from Canada or France. But surprisingly, you get used to it after a few days.
- There is no toilet paper here. I didn't know what to do the first time until I understood what the waterhose next to the toilet was for... and believe me it does the job suprisingly well :D
This is the first post with pics of the 2 days I've now spent in Bangkok.
This is a whole other world, the weather and hot and humid, the people are kind and the food is something else.
In the Palace: Golden monument that hosts Buddhist scriptures
46 meter Buddha, the biggest one in the world
In a tuk-tuk
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Eating some delicious chinese food in Thailand. Cost: 0.8 bucks
A monk at the Grand Palace
Before leaving there are a bunch of things to do (ie: shots, buying cheap tickets, passport...), but one that will keep you awake at night is the famous packing list.
The 2 big rules I followed
- The biggest recommendation I got was to pack light -- ultra light. So I did, and I got less than 10kg of gear (roughly 20 pounds). This guide from the Travel Independent was a tremendous help.
- I decided against taking a sleeping bag. It takes room, it's heavy and most guesthouses have sheets so I only brought a sleeping sheet.
My Packing list- Basic toiletries
- Medication
- bathing suit
- 3 pairs of shorts
- 2 pairs of pants
- 4 T-shirts
- 2 shirts
- 1 fleece
- 5 pairs of underwear/socks
- 1 pair of sandals
- clothing line
- camera + usb keys
- ipod
- 2 books
- photocopies of drug prescription
- photocopies of passport + id
- water drops
- swiss army knife
- notepad + pen
I'll find out whether that was enough...
Saturday was Youth Day in Ubon, children were all displaying different talents. Those girls were dancers. 
Soi Dao waterfalls
A 100km ride to Ubon on the back of my host family's pick up truck
