Journaling from Khao San

December 16
I signed up for a tour to go to Angkor Wat. Today I spent a whole day going to Siem Reap, a city near Angkor Wat.

This is a boarder between Thailand and Cambodia, but this is like a mutual area and I had to get off the bus and walk for like 400 meter to go to the Cambodian immigration gate with my huge backpack...there are some casinos in this area.
Almost 12 hours drive to Siam Reap. I wouldn't recommend anyone coming to see Angkor Wat if you can afford flying!

Morning market in Cambodia.


What I learned:
- There was a clear different between Thai bus travel service and Cambodians. Thai beated Cambodia big times = I'm not gonna take any Cambodian bus tour....it sucked.

What made me happy:
- price in Cambodia. Super cheap.

December 17th
FINALLY I got to Angkor Wat!
I had a great tour guide Tak who speak Japanese fluently and really enjoyed there.
No need to explain. Just pictures tell everything!

It was just amazing.


December 18th
I did exactly what I did on 16th. Riding a bus for 12 felt nothing anymore haha

December 19th
My relative has lived in Bangkok for 3 years for his business and I met up with him at Siam, a big shopping area in Bangkok.
It was actually my first time meeting him but he was really nice and took care of me very well.
I had fish spa for the first time (thought fish was supposed to be smaller than this...it hurt a little actuallly!)!

And then for dinner we had Thai sukiyaki, at Coca. He ordered in Thai and we had a really good dinner!
Thank you so much Nobuyuki san!!


December20th
I was sick of staying a place with bed bugs so last night I stayed some nice hostel (900 baht I consider it gorgeous).  I stayed there right before they kicked me out and walked around Khao San a bit. Finally it's time to sightsee around the area.

I went to Wat Pho and saw the reclining Buddha.

Journaling from Bhutan 2

December 14th
Last day in Chiang Mai...

Pui had been a great host to me. I met her on a day before the last day of CBD COP10 through my friend Nancy. I still can't believe she offered me to stay at her place at first time I saw her. She did say her friends were surprised at that but she also said she and her husband always welcome anybody who wish to visit Chiang Mai. I'm so glad that I met her. She is definitely my Thail mama and I got her permission!

After I left her place I went to a market she told me. I had pretty good fried rice there which was only 25 baht. I stopped by this christmasy store (which was pretty rare there) and met this little boy "Yamato". He is half Thai half Japanese, his grandpa explained to me with his broken English. I don't know if Yamato understood Japanese but I played with him for a while talking to him in Japanese. He's cute. Staying there for a while made me feel bad leaving there without buying anything at the store but of course I didn't wanna buy any ornaments for Christmas tree...I ended up buying this red Santa hat with some lights on it....haha what an unnecessary expenditure and good job Yamato!

I took a night train to Bankok leaving at 4:30pm(830 Baht). It was much more comfortable than on the way to Chiang Mai because I had this little room with clean sheets, completely private with a window view. Plus because of this blue curtain it wasn't that cold! I could sleep much longer...if I ever take train in Thailand I'd definitely take second class night train!

What I learned:
- I think I didn't have to buy anything at the Christmas goods store...when am I gonna use this hat anyway?

What made me happy:
- Pui's kindness, hospitality, and warmth.


December 15th
I got to Bangkok 7 in the morning. Hot and humid especially with this heavy backpack...
I bargained with this tuk tuk guy to go to Khaosan and made it 80 baht. I didn't really care cuz I just wanted to put my backpack down and sitttt.
It was pretty thrilling having not knowing where I'm gonna stay on that day but it was exciting as well. On the way a weird Thai guy talked to me saying he's from TAT (official Thai tourist office something I think...) and I can stay this place for free! No way, too obvious.

THE Khao San Road, where backpackers come from all over the world and you see more Caucasians than Thai people (seriously).Walking around Khaosan was pretty fun. Good thing I had guidebook of Thailand. I wouldn't be able to walk around properly without it. Then finally I found this guest house runned by Japnese(maybe) and met many backpackers from Japan. They are like experts for me so I asked them so many questions, so many stories, so many things they have done so far. They were saying that Japanese you meet here are the one you will never meet in Japan...I totally agree.
At a travel agancy on Khaosan I signed up for a tour to go to Angkor Wat! wat wat wat! woo!

What I learned:
- There are actually many Japanese backpackers and listening to their stories is so much fun. Wish I could meet them again somewhere beside Japan!

What made me happy:
- Finally coming to Khao San made me realized that I'm backpacking.

Journaling from Bhutan

December 12 
Pui took me to Nimman Haemin, like Harajuku in Chian Mai.

This is a Burmese food cart. It's cheaper to eat out here.

Guess how much is this...
25 baht (70 yen) and it was pretty good!
After I left there I went up to the mountain to visit Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, means holy temple on mountain. So many tourists and Thai who came to pray (I managed to cut off all of them in this picture).

 To be honest, I was kind of tired of temples so I didn't really stay there that long plus I really wanted to go get massages <3 Too bad it was getting massaged so there's no picture of my first Thai massage experience :( but to be honest again it was painful especially shoulders.
I met up with Pui again to go to a famous night market in the old town in Chiang Mai. It's now mostly for tourists and super crowded there but it's worth going. It's a good place to practice bargaining as well!

As you can see, SO many Caucasians in Thailand...some are for vacation, some for work, some are here to have fun with Thai girls...

They even have a booth at the night market!!!!
I know I don't have to say, but caucasians I saw here are mostly fat, old, and pretty ugly. I guess they are here cuz they realize that.

OMG the funniest purse ever! I wonder where they got these sentences...
Japanese stuff is pretty popular here so I guess if you put some Japanese people consider is "cool".

What I learned:
- Even young people here are pretty religious. They come to Wats to pray.
- Fat, old, ugly white guys are everywhere. No offense but looking at them with young Thai girls holding hands are pretty gross for me.

What made me happy:
- Although it was painful, I could get Thai massage for the first time!


December 13
 No need to say anything. JUST LOVED IT.

After this happiest moment (yes I was allowed to ped them only 10 min...) I went to a big shopping mall. then I found these!

They were pretty busy. Price was a little cheaper than Japan I think.

Pui's friend invited me for dinner and I had this authentic Northern Thai food. She knew I couldn't eat spicy food so she told me what I should eat, what I shouldn't.

What I learned:
- Wealth gap ( I don't know how to call it) is pretty big in Thailand. means price changes a lot depends on where you buy stuff.

What made me happy:
- The baby tigers!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who would guess what you can do in Bhutan?

Ok, so this is my very first time sitting on computer during my trip. Guess where I am...Bhutan! There are tons of "High-speed" Internet places in Bangkok but none of them I can put my sd card in and couldn't really trust them anyway. I could update my blog from my iPod but I really wanted to put pictures.

As I said on the title who could ever imagine that you can easily get Internet in Bhutan??

I know it's been forever since I wrote blog last time (wow that's before I started traveling...) but I will write everything, everyday now no matter how old they are...who cares?





December 8th
This is the very first picture I took. Hua Lamphong station in Bangkok.

What I learned:
- 500 Bahts from the airport to the station is pretty expensive. should've taken the train.
- Crossing a street is very thrilling in Bangkok. Even more when you carry a huge backpack.

What made me happy:
- The receptionists at my hostel were nice and I could meet a Thai lady boy for the first time!


 December 9th
I spent a whole day on the train to Chiang Mai.

 What I learned:
- If you go take trains in Thailand, you better bring thick jackets.
- There's no toilets on trains. no such thing. There is just a hole which looks like a toilet. I could see the track from the hole you know that that means.

What made me happy:
- I realized most of Thai smile at me back when I smile to them.


December 10th
 Pui picked me up at Chiang Mai station last night then took me to her gorgeous apartment.
I walked around the Old Town all day visiting so many Wats (temples) and markets.

When I was getting lost a Monk helped me. I thought I wasn't even allowed to talk or come close so was pretty surprised but since there are so many monks in Thailand I stopped getting surprised looking at them.

See, people here are pretty friendly.
I don't even remember how many times I said "sawade kaa".

After I got back I had dinner with Pui's friends. The Thai food I ate burned my tongue...guess I can't live in Thailand.

 What I learned:
- Monks are not something you should be scared of.
- Seems Pad Thai is the only food I like and edible for me so far...

What made me happy:
- Thai people. So friendly and nice. Haven't gotten ripped off yet (I hope)!



December 11th

Sunset from Pui's appartment. She lives on 14th floor. beautiful huh?


I joined a tour. Elephants ride, water rafting, bamboo boat, long necks tribe, and trekking (1200 bahts = 3500 yen). Pictures tell everything.

After the tour I walked for like an hour without destinations. I just wanted to go walk then somehow I got to this night market. I liked the atmosphere. Noisiness, liveliness, energy....

What I learned:
- Apparently long necks aren't from the place I went. They are almost like exhibitions which is pretty sad.
- Bargaining

What made me happy:
- I could feed an elephant bananas!
- I could bargain!!


Time to go eat dinner......

I never think I'm ready

I know this is something I chose to do but can't deny I'm a little scared. What if I get lost and get to middle of nowhere?? Half nervous half excited. I don't hate this feeling though. Because this is the fun part of going somewhere new! Well I've done everything I could so what I'm gonna have to do is hope, be careful, and enjoy everything I can have. Telling myself that it should be a great journey. Will be fine. ne.

a heartwarming moment

So a Korean guy brought his laptop at the information center, saying that he dropped it and it doesn't work. He was showing the broken parts and I was googling some computer repairing store near the congress center for him. The store guy was being a jerk saying that they can only fix software (what's the point of "repairing store"??). I even checked the samsung website but we couldn't find any solutions. When the Korean guy was about to give up, an inspiration hit this long-term volunteer Adachi-san. He took the Korean guy somewhere and after 5-10 min came back with a big smile.

 "I think I fixed it".

He is the person who never show off what he does so he said like he did nothing special, but as you can see from the picture, he got lots of drinks from the Korean guy in return.

I like how the Korean guy showed his thankfulness.

Busiest week ever!

CBD(Convention on Biological Diversity) Cop10 is now held in my city, Nagoya. I work at the information center, dealing with the participants with various questions.... so far its really fun and I like the coworkers!


geez...don't look at my huge upper arm...haha