Full Vacation Recap - Finally!!

Oh my... it has been far too long since I've last written. I'm sure most of you aren't even checking this anymore because you've lost total faith in us as diligent bloggers, but then, that would be somewhat ironic because if you're reading this then of course you check it, at least occasionally.

My trip to Malaysia and Thailand was: incredible, eye-opening, an adventure, laid back. But, most of all it really opened my eyes to all the corners of the world that I've still yet to see but have since made high priority to visit in the near future.

I started my trip in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where most notably the food was amazing. I loved Chinatown where vendors were packed in so tightly and you could buy fresh mango for almost nothing. Near to KL are the Batu Caves, a collection of limestone caves and Hindu temples. There are 272 steps leading into the main cave; even in 35° weather, every step was totally worth seeing what was at the top.

Chinatown - Jalan Petaling Street -Malaysia

The Batu Caves - this is a statue of the Hindu Lord Murugan, 

and stands 140 feet tall, in front of the main cave. 

My next destination, just 2 hours south of KL, was Melaka. Melaka is most famous for its beautiful town square as well as its various monuments around the city dedicated to its colonial past. I spent only a sort time here, but loved sitting by the Melaka River and (again) enjoying some of the most delicious food ever. Also lots of wandering around and following a map checking out all of the various historical buildings scattered around the city.

"A Famosa" built by the Portuguese during their 

occupation of Melaka. A bit of a hike, again, but totally worth it. 

The famous town square and the rickshaw pick-up spot (see next picture)

The most common mode of transportation in Melaka is by rickshaw: a bicycle that pulls a 2-wheeled cart which seats up to 2 people. It was very popular in the 19th and 20th centuries, but the municipal government of Melaka now subsidizes Rickshaw drivers in order to preserve this important part of Melaka's history. I think it says a lot about the city that this is the most common mode of transportation - Melaka is laid-back, dedicated to it's historical roots, and also (unlike the rest of SE Asia) acutely aware of the importance of preserving the environment.

Next on my itinerary was Pulau Langkawi, a small island in the north of Malaysia, right near the Thai border. Both KL and Melaka have no beaches, and it felt weird to me to be in such a hot place but nowhere near the ocean - needless to say, I was very excited to get to "some of the most beautiful beaches in Malaysia" (Lonely Planet). After spending the night on a 12 hour bus to get to the ferry terminal, waiting 2 hours for the ferry in Kuala Perlis, and spending another hour on the ferry, Langkawi did not disappoint. Compared to the rest of the beaches I visited in Thailand, Langkawi was, in a way, understated - it was beautiful up to the point where it wasn't a huge tourist destination. Everywhere else I went was so ridiculously beautiful that the rest of the world had caught on, and was there too. Langkawi, my favourite part of my whole trip, was laid-back, small, friendly, and CHEAP! In 4 days I think I probably spent only $100; my hostel (simple but definitely passable) was $5/night, and we could eat like kings for another few dollars. I met some great people on Langkawi, some of whom are also teachers in Korea! We managed to explore the whole island in a few days. In the north we went to a place called "7 Wells", with 7 beautiful, big pot holes for swimming; a great waterfall/swimming hole; and took a ride on a cable car to the top of a mountain with a great view of the whole island. On my last day we hired a boat to take us "island hopping". We went to a fresh water lagoon which was beautiful but totally ruled over by vicious monkeys that stole our snacks for the day, and a number of other islands that were thankfully monkey-free.

The 7 Wells 

Cable car ride which was actually more like a roller coaster

Island hopping!

 Our preferred mode of transportation on Langkawi

Waterfall

Ok so I realize that I'm only 9 days into my trip and this post is excessively long already, so from now my re-caps will be shorter, promise! 

After a solid 26 hours of traveling I met up with some fellow Jeollanamdo english teachers in Koh Phangan for the infamous Full Moon Party! One word: Crazy. Absolutely Crazy. 15,000 people drinking various liquor concoctions out of buckets, partying on a beach until well past the sunrise.

One of the best parts of Koh Phangan was the clifftop bar 

we went to the night after the Full Moon Party. It seems like everywhere we went 

involved a steep hike/many stairs, but always so worth it in the end. 

Just a short, 20 minute ferry ride away was my next destination - the neighboring island of Koh Samui. Koh Samui is famous for its posh resorts and deluxe spas, unfortunately none of which I frequented. However, the atmosphere was noticeably calmer than that of Koh Phangan, and for that I was thankful. Unfortunately I was sick with what must have been the flu for most of the time I was on Samui, but I did manage to sneak in some time at the beach and a few massages before I was bed-ridden.

Just one of the many beautiful resorts on Koh Samui. 

Unfortunately my hostel was just a few stars short of this luxury. 

After Samui, I crossed the peninsula and arrived in Phuket, on the west of the Andaman coast. Phuket was loud, touristy, busy, and everything that is great in small doses. I spent a few days here soaking up the sun on the crowded beach and enjoying both the diverse people and the sights. Phuket is home to many "ladyboys" (cross-dressers or transgendered people) which made for a great cultural experience.

The busy streets of Phuket

The preferred mode of transportation in Phuket: 

scooter and Tuk Tuk (taxi-trucks for hire)

Amazing, amazing street food in Phuket - this guy 

is making me a banana/coconut crepe

Next up was the gorgeous island of Koh Phi Phi. As I mentioned before, this is one of those places that is absolutely stunning, and the whole world has caught on to its beauty. Even so, the crowded streets were all part of the island's charm and the tiny, brickwork trails that tie the island together (no cars on this island!!) are so small that it would be hard for it not to be crowded. I spent a lot of time on the beaches here, since it was too hot to do anything else. I also went on a boat tour that took us to the famous "Maya Bay" where the movie "The Beach" was filmed. Some of the bluest water and white sand I have ever, ever seen.

On the boat to Phi Phi 

The southern beach (the island is so small that the northern beach is 

only about a 5 minute walk away)

My daily lunch: roasted corn on the cob and a fruit smoothie.

Another treacherous yet entirely worth-it hike to the highest point on the island.

Like in Phuket, Ladyboys were also very common on Phi Phi, as you can tell..

These panoramas are obviously much better on a bigger screen, 

but it gives you a good idea of what I got to see for almost a month!! 

Sunset at the viewpoint

On the boat tour 

Maya Bay crowded with longtail boats

My last stop was Bangkok. I spent not even a full day there, but managed to spent every last Baht I had on Khao San Road - the main tourist/market street in Bangkok. You could literally buy anything there, as my last few pictures will show!

Street food! mmm...

DVDs... 

Hair braiding and/or dreadlocks

Choconanas?? 

Of course, beer..

Fake IDs and Diplomas!

Fresh fruit smoothies and juices

All in all, a whirlwind adventure and fabulous 29 days. It went by too quickly, as it always does, but of course it's nice to be "home" in Korea. The school year officially starts in March so my first few weeks coming back from vacation have been lax to say the least. Sorry it's taken me so long to post this, but hopefully it is thoroughly detailed and makes you just a little jealous ;)

Hometown Vacation(s)

Hello Everyone! Sorry for the hideously long span of time that has elapsed since last I posted. I assure you it has (mostly) been due to business, and busyness, excluding perhaps the last ten days. Allow me to explain.

As many will now know, I jetted home to Calgary on Christmas Eve to surprise family and friends. I must credit this idea to my dear friend Sarah, who planted the seed over drinks in Seoul, the weekend we celebrated Jenna's birthday. As I complained to her that I had the worst vacation dates over Christmas (virtually no one else had the two weeks of December 24-January 10 off) and that I would therefore be forced to venture around South East Asia solo, she casually said "you know, I keep having this dream that I surprise my family at home on Christmas Eve... you could do that instead." The idea stuck. The next day I looked into flights, and a week later I was booked: Seoul-Tokyo-Vancouver-Calgary.

"I'll be Home for Christmas" became my personal theme song over the next five weeks, as I concealed from virtually everyone I knew that I planned to go home (you never know who might be connected to who... one obscure connection almost led to my mom finding out about the whole thing). I shopped around for the best and most whimsical trinkets of Korea to bring home and show off; these ended up including: mini coffee packets/sticks, ajuma sock slippers, soju, and many boxes of Pepero.

By the time I landed in Vancouver on Christmas Eve at 10 am (after having left Seoul 14 hours earlier at 2 pm on Christmas Eve - that is what happens when you fly over the international date line) I found myself an exhausted but ecstatic ball of emotion. I hadn't realized, amidst the whirlwind of fun and adventure I'd been having in Korea, just how dearly I missed my Canadian homeland. I even shed a few tears flying over the Rockies and getting greeted by Christmas/Coyboy hat-wearing old folk volunteers at the Calgary airport. I got my bags and headed straight to Tim Horton's in the airport. Home again!



The surprise itself was amazing and unforgettable, and lived up to all the various fantasies I had imagined throughout the preceding weeks. The look of disbelief on my mom and sister's faces was completely priceless, and I knew the whole trip was worth it in those ten seconds. The rest of my time at home was spent relaxing, catching up with friends, shopping for pants that are long enough for my legs (an element unfortunately lacking in Korea), going to the movies, attempting to skate on the Bow River, and a very Canadian dog-sledding adventure in Canmore. I left early in the morning of January 7th feeling like I couldn't have started 2011 off any better. And, best of all, I was excited to be heading back to Korea!



(to see all the photos from my trip home, just click here!)

I got home late Saturday night, somehow managed to make it to Shampoo Night Club in the wee hours of morning, and lazed around unpacking the next day. On Monday it was back to work... or so I thought. Of the 60 students expected to show up to our two weeks of "winter camp" (extra English classes taken during the students' winter vacation), only three showed up.

Here is where the distinct lack of busyness arose (and so why I now have all the time in the world to write this long novel of a blog post!) Due to the lack of keen students, the other foreign teacher and I were told we would only be required to work every other day of the camps - and for only two hours a day. This means that I am at work for a total of ten hours over the span of two weeks. Pretty great I have to admit.

At first I spent the extra time in my apartment watching Beverley Hills 90210 (the original series) from the beginning. Though enthralled by this TV series, I started to get restless on the second day. I asked myself "what activity can I do?" Other than go shopping, or to the gym, not much else immediately came to mind. I had exhausted these activities in the months before Christmas, and so I decided to just head out one day and see where the South Korean wind would take me. The answer?

All around Suncheon, on foot! I have always enjoyed walking, often while listening to a well-chosen playlist on my iPod, and I came to realize this past time can be adapted to exploring the previously unknown or ignored back streets of my own Korean hometown. So far I have walked from our apartment complex to YeongHyangDong, or 'New Downtown', via every possible route. I also explored an area of the city known as KumDong, which was a mystery to me before. Yesterday I finally found some badminton courts, great news to some friends and I who have been wanting to play... but unfortunately I could not locate the doors into the complex. I plan to tackle that another day. Today, I walked home from my school, a feat I had previously written off as impossible after having gotten lost on several occasions earlier in the year. It took almost two hours, but this time I made it, proving that time and exploration of the city can lead to excellent results.

Finally, my new found free time has allowed me to cultivate another new hobby. I have dubbed it "coffee-shop-hopping." As I have explained to some, of the many surprising trends in Korea, the cafe/bakery/coffee shop one is perhaps the most interesting, and prevalent. I sort of parallel it with the sushi trend back home- a somewhat exotic element of Asian cuisine that is at once glamorous, trendy, and (bonus!) healthy! Here, amidst streets lined with traditional Korean food venues, there are without fail at least three chains of Western-style cafes (though, thankfully, very few Starbucks!)

They sell coffee drinks at obscenely high prices (when compared with the cheapness of Korean food) and often also offer sweet patisserie treats. Some, like Paris Baguette, Tous Les Jours, and A Twosome Place, are more about their sweets and baked good than about coffee. Others, like Angel-in-Us, Tom N Toms Coffee, and Holly's Coffee (to name a few) focus more on their coffee and cozy atmosphere. These are the places and myself and Liz have started to frequent quite seriously. Meeting after school, we being books and read and chat for (literally) hours. They are marvelous places to hang out, provide a nice alternative to hibernating in our apartments, and (best of all) provide the most comfortable chairs.

This may seem like a strange past time to embark upon while living abroad, but it is a great way to stay warm during these frigid months, and provides ample opportunity to eavesdrop on all the Korean couples who frequent these cafes... if only we could understand all the sweet nothings being whispered around us.

Now, I must wrap this up. I am late to meet Liz at Tom N Toms!
Next week I'm off to China with Cath, Corina, and Liz. -- More adventurous updates to come!

Lots of Lovvvve
Em xoxo

29 days in paradise. Starting now!

Hi all, sorry it's been such a dreadfully long time since our last post. Christmas and New Years and wintercamp has been a whirlwind and the last month has flown by. Of course, Emilie made a surprise visit to her family in Calgary which she will write about soon I am sure. As for me, Christmas was good but very strange, and I've just spent the last 2 weeks teaching and English "wintercamp" with a group of some of the best kids ever. I finally felt like a real teacher, because I planned all of the lessons myself and didn't have a co-teacher in the room with me. 


After the last day of camp finished today, I hopped on a bus to Seoul (Ems and I have come to love these 4 hours bus rides... comfy seats, great ipod listening time) and am now at the Bebop Guesthouse in Seoul. It's a super cute, artsy hostel with different money from around the world strung up like a clothesline around the common room. Tomorrow I'll go to Incheon airport and board my 1pm flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia!! I'll be traveling around Malaysia and Thailand for 29 days (aren't paid vacations wonderful?) by myself for parts and meeting up with friends for others. 


I stupidly forgot my camera cord so won't be able to update the blog with pictures along my way, but I'll be sure to write posts here and there about my most recent adventures. 


For those who might want to check out my route on google maps, here it is:
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (3 nights)
Melaka, Malaysia (3 nights)
Palau Langkawi, Malaysia (4 nights)
Koh Phangan, Thailand (3 nights)
Koh Samui, Thailand (4 nights)
Phuket, Thailand (4 nights)
Koh Phi Phi, Thailand (4 nights)
Bangkok, Thailand (2 nights) 


Now that everyone at home is back to reality after the Christmas holidays, my vacation has finally begun!
xox Jenna