Everythings better in Lampang

I’m back in Bangkok with Margo- this time staying at her aunt’s house in the outskirts of Bangkok. Her house is really cute. The compound is set up so her office building (and part of the living quarters) is on one side and the rest of the living space is on the other side, separated by a nice green space and a pool. Some day I'd like a commute so short! The plants and trees in the courtyard are so jungly.
Koh Samet was beautiful and relaxing. It took us most of the day to get back on Saturday. On our way in, I had my first experience with squat toilets. Squat toilets are basically half toilets that you stand on and squat and hope your pants stay dry. My camping experience has prepared me for this. Squat toilets also don’t flush the way western toilets do- you have to pour a bucket of water to flush out the dirty water. At one point on our way to a meal, we passed a sewage hauler, the pungent smell reminded me of my days at the Grass Island Waste Water Treatment Plant.
It was so humid in Samet, the I started to sweat immediately after showering. I felt like I was on the island from LOST, but I’m sure I did not look as good as Kate or Jack…I probably looked more like Hurley. Me as Hurley...

Most of the menus so far are in English as well as Thai, but some of the translations are not quite perfect. This one restaurant in Samet had “Wodka tonics” and offered “fried aborigine” in the vegetarian section…a few letters (it should have been aubergine) makes a huuuge difference.
Sunday we went to Chatuchak market- a huge weekend flee market that was started in the 40’s by Prime Minister Plaek Philbulsongkram. We were there pretty much all day. I ended up with a t-shirt, shell necklace, sunglasses, and a keychain for 270 baht, or around $8. I still think of everything in USD, but Margo, who thinks in baht, says that it was expensive (or at least in Lampang standards since everything in Bangkok is more expensive.) I still maintain that it was a successful day of shopping. Margo's motto has been "Everything is better in Lampang"...she's reffering mostly to the price of things because everything is cheaper there for sure. Margo keeps hyping up Lampang, but I'm still not quite sure what to expect.
I felt like I was on a set of a movie while at the market. They play the Thai national anthem at 8 am and 6 pm everyday in public places. During the playing of the national anthem everything stops. People freeze in their tracks. Its like one of those movies where someone has the power to stop time, everyone freezes, and the person with the power can walk through the crowd. It was particularly amazing today at the market; all the walking, talking, shopping, bartering, and eating paused for a few seconds.
I also saw my first elephant while at the market- although it shouldn’t have been there. While we were wandering around Chatuchak, we got stuck in the pet section, which was heartbreaking. There were so many tiny puppies that should not have been away from their mothers yet. After seeing a few we jetted out of there for fear we would end up buying one.
There are a few things I noticed about driving: road rules are just a suggestion, signaling is a rare occurrence, and cars can squeeze 3 lanes wide on a 2-lane highway.
Today we went to the Royal Palace and Temple of the Emerald Buddha, which is not actually emerald, but when it was first discovered covered in plaster, the green was thought to be emerald, when it was actually jade. The architecture is soo beautiful. Everything is so intricately decorated and lots of gold.

This is Margo & I at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Koh Samet

I am currently sitting in an internet cafe in Koh Samet, which is a small island about a 3 hour bus ride & ferry ride south of Bangkok. We left the hotel in Bangkok yesterday morning and got here yesterday afternoon. It was pouring by the time we got to Ban Phe, the city we took the ferry from, and the streets were flooded. It didn't really slow us down too much, but the water had no where to go so the streets flooded pretty quickly. We got to Koh Samet and walked down to the beach looking for a bungalow. The first place had no fan rooms left and the second had none with private bathrooms, so we settled on the third, which was, how should I put it?, below standards.

It was also a steep walk with no path to get to it. We were so exhausted though from traveling that we accepted it. I was still jet-lagged from the flight that I laid down for what was supposed to be a nap at around 7 pm and didn't wake up until 7:30 am. We decided to find another bungalow, which we did, and although its a bit more expensive (about $12 each per night as opposed to $4.50 a night) its definitely worth it.
The water is beautiful and warm! For me, it is heaven! We spent hours in the water today. I also got an hour long Thai massage for less than $7. Mom, maybe you should fund some more massages so I can learn from experience ;)
Ok, were off for some dinner! More to come when I get back to Bangkok for shopping and training...