We are back in Thailand and we love it here, even the big city, or rather the tiny glimpses we see of it - Bangkok. Those who have been following us know that last time we "slept" on Khao San Road - this time ... again. This is because we both booked our Bangkok stays at a time when we didn't know what it was like to sleep on Khao San Road. But this time we're lucky, because our hotel is so big that there are also rooms in the back where we can sleep really well and (almost) without booming party music. But despite that, after landing in Bangkok by plane, we arrive quite late (around 2 o'clock), which means: we fight our way through terrifyingly loud music from countless bars, vendors trying to sell us laughing gas or scorpions on a stick, or simply drunk young people having the time of their lives. And at the entrance of our hotel, there's the guy who will ask Claudio twenty times in the next few days if he wants to have a suit tailored (no).
The next day Elena's mom Gerlinde arrives, and that's very exciting because it's her first time traveling outside of Europe! So the next day we're at the airport again, picking her up. The next few days are exciting for all of us, but especially for Gerlinde, because she notices all the things that have become normal for us again (for example, all the food stalls where fresh food is prepared on the street). Now our real stay in Bangkok follows, and in four days in Bangkok you can do a lot; here's what we do: We visit the Grand Palace, but not until after a relaxed breakfast in the late morning - mistake! Right behind the entrance, a true tourist hell awaits us, Chinese tour groups whose guides wave flags or rubber pigs while the rest of the group talks excitedly and frantically, no, it feels like thousands of tourists who are all somehow disoriented and running around the entrance like startled chickens. We get an audio guide, but the area is so crowded with people that we can hardly hear what's being said through the headphones. And then there's the blazing midday sun - thanks to our timing! But when we finally get to quieter corners of the complex, we're almost overwhelmed by the splendor and beauty of all the buildings, everything is so beautiful. Wherever you look, it gleams gold or sparkles, and behind every corner there's a new beautiful sight waiting for us, so we can't stop marveling and taking pictures! We also take two boat trips in the canals (khlongs) of Bangkok, one in which we fall into a tourist trap and pay too much - and another in which we essentially drive through the backyards of houses (both were worth it, but the second one was better). The second boat ride was particularly exciting because the boat was driving so fast that we felt like we were on a white-water rafting ride at an amusement park. One of our highlights in Bangkok was Chinatown - imagine the true street food heaven, especially when it comes to seafood, and in between, there are so many vendors and market-goers - all in all, a true sensory overload of smells, sounds, and impressions. And of course, we filled our bellies with all sorts of delicious food! After visiting more temples and markets (including being blessed by a Buddhist monk), we leave Bangkok satisfied but also glad to get out of the cities, because the next destination is the jungle! We take the night train south - another new experience for Gerlinde, but already familiar to us. After our relatively comfortable journey to Chiang Mai, our expectations are high, but unfortunately, this train is much older, if not outdated, and does not offer anywhere near the cleanliness and comfort of the first train we took in Thailand. But we quickly adapt. Since we are now three, it remains exciting to see who will get the fourth spot in the compartment with Claudio, and we also somewhat hope that no one else will come and we can have it to ourselves. When the door finally opens and a Buddhist monk dressed in an orange robe enters, we are amazed. Previously, we had only seen or photographed monks from a distance, now being so close is initially strange because we are not sure how we should behave. However, what we do know is that women are not allowed to touch the monks. We quickly realize that the monk is not only open but also very communicative and would like to talk to us - which is difficult because he speaks very little English. With the little English we communicate that we are a family and that we are going to Khao Sok National Park, and that he is a teacher (master) of Buddhist teachings. When we can't get any further, we get creative, the monk asks for a translation app and speaks Thai into Claudio's phone, we speak German into the phone, and the phone speaks it out in Thai. Hello beautiful world of technology! We are also surprised at how technologically savvy the monk seems to be, as he not only has an iPad and a phone but also shows us his Facebook profile, where he has 800 friends. Okay - we definitely didn't expect that. When we ask him for a selfie, he is happy to take a photo with us, but first he has to adjust his robe in a complicated way. He then forms a kind of bag or curtain around himself and moves skillfully within it - like a magician. After everything is arranged, the photo session begins - then he writes a long text and posts everything on Facebook. When we ask him questions about Buddhism, it becomes a true marathon of telephone calls, as he calls several of his students, all of whom speak English quite well, and they translate for us over the phone. Once again, we are amazed. Our contact with the monk is a true joy and a really great experience! We don't sleep too badly in the scrap train either, so we arrive in Surat Thani quite refreshed, where we are picked up and taken to Khao Sok National Park. In our travel guide, we read that the age of the rainforest in this region is estimated to be an incredible 16 million years - can that be true? We sleep in a stilt house (not a treehouse, but it feels like one), in the middle of the jungle, next to us a river and green upon green upon green (I see something that you don't see, and it's green), and at night the sounds of the jungle, chirping and twittering and squeaking. We breathe out the polluted smoky air of the city and breathe in humid, green jungle air - a treat! On the day of our arrival, we meet two female elephants, which we can rub with mud in the "elephant spa" and then "shower" in the watering hole. It is touristy, but still a "gentle way" to get up close and touch the animals. However, we will not ride the elephants. We have also booked a trip on Cheow Lan Lake and are very excited when we are picked up by van and taken to the pier. We then take a longtail boat across the lake, which is an artificial reservoir, as we learn. Here and there, dead treetops protrude from the water. The lake is dotted with many huge limestone karsts and actually reminds us a bit of Halong Bay in Vietnam. The water is emerald green and very clean, because the national park has a strict anti-plastic policy, which means that we hardly see any trash in the water. Furthermore, it is quite peaceful on the lake, you rarely see other boats, so we almost have the dream scenery to ourselves. On board with us are six (supposed) Russians and two Dutch people. It is not until the second day that we realize that actually no one on the boat is Russian, but we are a mixture of Germans, Swiss, Ukrainians, Romanians, Poles, and Dutch! We even spend the night on the lake, in floating bamboo huts, which the tour guide describes as "basic" - and that's true. The entire "village" of floating houses is made of bamboo and wood, and we sleep on very hard mattresses on the floor. And yet we sleep well! Our excursion also includes two small boat safaris, where we see some hornbills and a few monkeys, including a beautiful long-armed gibbon swinging through the tall trees. During a hike through (!) a waterfall, which is quite dry, we swing on lianas, see a lot of bamboo (or "bambuschki" as we jokingly call it), and cicadas, the insects that perform a chirping concert every evening. Back in our jungle hut, we spend one last night in Khao Sok NP and then reluctantly leave. Here, in the midst of all the plants and animals, we would have liked to stay longer! The last days of Gerlinde's visit we spend on Coconut Island near Phuket in a beautiful resort. And we have a small villa with its own little pool in front of it. Time for relaxation and finally feeling the sand between our toes! We have been traveling for 24 days now, in love with traveling, deeply relaxed, in a good mood, slightly suntanned, addicted to the remaining Asian food and fresh, ripe fruits! So let's keep going!
