We lived in Thailand at the time, Myanmar’s (formerly Burma) historical rival, and a good amount of the culture was familiar. The food was similar, but different. The Buddhism and the architecture as well. But while researching the trip, I came across something I had never seen while traveling around Thailand.

North of the central city, near the Yangon Zoo and Kandawgyi Lake, there is (or was?) an abandoned amusement park fenced off from any and all visitors.

The Calculated Origin of a Forgotten Fairground

Based on my research, here’s what little I found before we went. Originally opened in 1997 by the then-ruling military junta, it seems to have been built to distract citizens from the brutal dictatorship in power.

As the government violently suppressed uprisings outside the city, something was needed to divert the attention of those living within the capital. As far as I can tell, the park continued operation until around 2012 or 2013. There are pictures on Getty Images from as recent as 2009, when it was still opened and local Burmese were celebrating the New Year.

The closure of the park is shrouded in mystery, with rumors ranging from financial problems to hauntings, from murders to political bickering. Either way, the park was abandoned with a fence put up and everything inside left to decay.

And it decayed quickly, with the tropical climate immediately leading to vegetation taking over everything. We had to see it for ourselves.

Finding Our Entry into the Park

My wife and I took a taxi to the area, then started our search. We walked up and down the sidewalks, waiting for foot traffic to disappear and looking for any type of entry point. The fence was too tall, with sharp edges on top. Parts of the fence did have holes, but nearby were buildings that seemed to be inhabited.

Finally, we came across a building sharing the fence’s perimeter. Many of the windows were broken, with glass waiting to slice up our legs. For the windows still intact, I tested each one to see if an unlocked option existed.

One finally slid open. I stuck my head into the window and looked around the room. Nothing to see, no people or pests. I climbed over the threshold, then helped my wife through the window as well. After a quick walk through the empty building, we found windows facing into the amusement park. One was open, so we used it as our point of entry.

Entering the Perimeter and Eerie Silence

Once we began exploring the park, there was an onslaught of creepiness. First, silence, an expected result of an abandoned anything. But then we heard children laughing, screaming, and playing.

Ghosts? Our first thought as well, but it turns out the zoo backs up to the abandoned park. Between the canopied fencing and vegetation, the zoo was invisible to our eyes but not our ears. The children’s noise battled exotic animals for who could be the loudest, who could scare us the most.

Having this soundtrack to the visual of abandonment gave us the feeling of hearing the past, hearing the ghosts of children and families trying to forget their lives that were controlled by oppressive governance, civil war, and unrest.

We continued our exploration.

Coasters, Rockets, and Shared Discoveries

As we walked around the decaying rides, shuttered buildings, and grimy play areas, we saw many sights familiar to an amusement park. The major attraction was the rollercoaster and if one isn’t afraid of heights, walking up the structure gives an incredible view of the park and surrounding trees. It’s also a great way to scope out what the park has to offer, and what areas might be best avoided.

There was a carousel, two bumper car sections, ticket booths, and multiple other rides, both named and unnamed. We saw a ride with hot air balloons, one on a monorail with pedals to move the ride forward, and even a double-sided rocket ride with one rocket sticking high out of the treetops while the other is at ground level, leaning uncomfortably to one side.

In the mechanisms of some rides, we stumbled upon families of stray dogs. They seemed to ignore people well enough, but did get defensive of their territory at times. We decided it was best to let them be.

A Vanishing Capsule of Myanmar’s Complex History

After a few hours, we decided it was time to return to legality and a cold beer. A nearby hotel provided the drinks and the wifi while I continued reading about the park.

Supposedly, there are plans to demolish the current structures and rebuild a new amusement park, connecting it with the zoo and the rest of the park. Planned by the Amenity Design Group, there haven’t been any official updates since a Facebook post from May 2019 that I was able to find. Today, even that has been taken down.

As we wait for future changes, it looks like the days of this unique experience are numbered. For now, it stands as a physical footnote to Myanmar’s turbulent modern history; a rare place where political spectacle, human memory, and aggressive nature intertwine.

I don’t pretend to be a photographer at all, but if you want to see all the photos I took while there, check out this Google Photos album.

Can one massive Jamaican complex satisfy toddlers, adults, and seniors, all at once? We flew down to Montego Bay for 5 days at the Grand Palladium Jamaica Resort & Spa to find out.

The Wins: Where the Resort Shines

Service with a Smile

The staff was, almost across the board, some of the nicest, warmest, and most helpful staff we’ve dealt with. They were great with our toddlers, always accommodating at restaurants, and always happy to greet the kids. Hostesses would chase them, waiters would hold them, lifeguards would joke with them, bartenders would serve them as if they were heavy drinkers.

A Playground for Every Age Bracket

The resort truly had something for everyone. Even just the pools. There were large adult pools with a swim-up bar, infinity views over the ocean, and lots of lounge chairs in and out of the water. There were children's pools with slides made for every age. Is your kid just starting to walk? No worries, because they have shallow pools with tiny slides. Bigger kids can slide on the larger, twisting slides or wait for the huge bucket of water to dump on them.

The resort has three staffed clubs for kids to play in: the baby club (1–3-year-olds), the mini club (4–12-year-olds) and Black & White Teen Club (13–18-year-olds). For beaches, they have four beaches around the resort. Their size and seclusion made the family feel like they found a hidden gem each time.

For adults, the resort has a large sports bar with your standard bar food and bar games. We were there during the World Cup, so that was on almost every screen and on the large screen at the outdoor theater. Those looking to avoid the games could sit in the coffee shop or lounge, depending on their drink of choice.

Crowd-Pleasing Dining

There are 8 à la carte and 3 international restaurants across the resort. One slight issue was that many required pre-booking and with our large group, it was difficult to get in at certain times. But once sitting down, the food was very delicious. The Jamaican dishes were flavorful and tasty, the international cuisine felt fairly authentic, and even the buffet seemed to have fresh and warm food ready to grab.

With two toddlers, you never know what dinner is going to look like. Most of the restaurants had a kid’s menu and were willing to accommodate our requests.

The Reality Check: Logistics & Layout

A Lot of Ground to Cover

This Grand Palladium is a huge complex of hundreds of rooms, dozens of buildings, and technically two different resorts (the other is the Lady Hamilton). If your room isn’t near the main complex, it can be an impressively long walk to dinner or the pool. And when you’re dragging a toddler, or a slow-walking senior, the time spent walking in the heat and humidity can feel like forever.

The Accessibility Hurdle

If you’re a family pushing strollers, or have any type of mobility issue, the resort could quickly become a chore for you. Most of the accommodation buildings are 3-story buildings with no elevators. You could hope for the first floor, or skip the stroller, but this still makes a huge difference in your daily movement.

We didn’t bring a stroller so that meant a lot of time spent either holding a tired or wet or cranky toddler. Or it meant waiting as our son checked out every stick and every rock on the hot cement, unprotected from the sun.

Isolation from the Core

We knew this when we booked, but the resort is very far from the airport. Expect an hour (or more with traffic) drive across the island. This also means there’s no opportunity to casually walk to a local spot or explore any off-property areas without a major trek.

The “Balcony Door” Test

This is a complaint very specific to our situation but when we travel, and are sharing a room with our son, we will put him down in his bed then go out to the balcony to wait for him to fall asleep, enjoy a quiet evening with drinks, and have some time for my wife and me to talk. The first time we attempted this at the Grand Palladium, we quickly realized there is no door handle on the outside of the door!

It was not fun to try to force the door open or close by smearing our hands on the glass, trying to be as quiet as possible to not wake up the son. My wife was completely unable to maneuver the window; I barely able to do so. And if you don’t shut the door all the way, the A/C will turn off in the room (which makes sense, if the door was easily shut).

Again, specific to our situation, but almost a deal breaker.

The Final Verdict

For the most part, the resort checked every box we could want. Activities for everyone, delicious food, great service. I would recommend it to most families, with the heavy caveats:

-Do you rely on elevators or can you handle long walks?

-Would you want to be close to the city, whether it’s for transportation from the airport or excursions off the resort?

-Do you want to close the balcony door from the outside!?

If your answer to all the above is “no”, then this is a great choice for your vacation. If you answer “yes” to any or all, spend some time thinking it out or looking at other options.

About the Author:
Tyson Peveto is a professional freelance travel copywriter, content strategist, and narrative storyteller. He specializes in helping hospitality brands, tourism boards, and travel agencies craft engaging B2B and consumer content. Explore his portfolio, read his industry strategy blog, or get in touch for hire at www.tysonpeveto.com.

This past summer, Halie and I and our friend Morgan visited Siem Reap, Cambodia, to see the wonders of Angkor Wat. I never wrote a blog about it because I struggled to put into words what I saw. Recently, while reading Anthony Bourdain’s second book, A Cook’s Tour, I came across the following passage about his visit there. He said it better than I ever could so I’ll just let his words speak for me. After the quote, I’ll have a link to an album of some of my pictures.

I stopped taking photographs at Angkor Wat. No camera is adequate to the task. it’s too big, too magnificent to be captured in any frame. There’s no way to convey through simple images the sense of wonder when you encounter the cities of Angkor looming up out of the thick jungle. Mile after mile of mammoth, intricately detailed, multileveled temples, bas-reliefs, jumbo Dean Tavoularis-style heads, crumbling stone structures choked in the root systems of hundred-year-old trees. This was the center of the mighty Cham empire, which once extended as far as Nha Trang and the sea to the east, all of what is now South Vietnam to the south, to occasional sections of Thailand and the Indian subcontinent. The work, the time, the number of artists, craftsmen, and laborers it must have taken to construct even one of the hundreds of structures is unimaginable. Looking at the densely populated reliefs, you are utterly intimidated by the impossibility of ever taking it all in. The KR did its best to ruin Angkor for all time, laying mines all over the grounds, destroying statues and shrines. Looters and unscrupulous antiquities dealers knocked off as many heads as they could, stripped the temples of what they could carry, and sold them on the black market in Thailand and elsewhere. But the UNESCO people are there now, painstakingly restoring what they can. The mines have, for the most part, been removed, and you can wander the interior of the dark stone piles, a waiflike Khmer kid by your side, telling you what it all means, pointing out the two-tongued figures in dark corners, urging you to give the saffron-robed bonzes tending to small Buddhist shrines a few riel. The dark, clammy interiors smell of burning incense and go on and on forever. Standing at the foot of a great stone head, I could only imagine what the first Frenchmen who’d stumbled onto the place must have felt like.

-Anthony Bourdain, A Cook’s Tour

Pictures.

Last week Halie had Thursday and Friday off for Makhabucha Day. We decided to use the long weekend to travel to Luang Prabang, Laos. Not knowing much of anything about the city but only hearing great things from friends who’ve been, we were excited to see what the mountains and hills of northern Laos had to offer.

As we descended through the surrounding mountains, we could already tell this ancient city bordered by rivers would be different. During the taxi ride to the homestay, a hodgepodge of architecture passed by us. French colonial buildings, wooden homes, temple ruins, and thriving monasteries. We quickly checked into our hotel and decided to go explore the city. Right around the corner was the night market so no better place to start.

So if you notice the title of this post, I called Luang Prabang a “dichotomy”. Before I continue with our trip, let me introduce the first part of the dichotomy since it was the first night there that I was confronted with it. Tourist. So many of them. Half the city is 22-year-old backpackers. The other half is wealthy, retired Europeans. Initially, it was somewhat of a turn-off to me. Most cities awash with tourists are structured cultural experiences. There’s a facade put in place to appease the masses and hide the authentic nature of the location. This is common across the world and at first glance, I thought Luang Prabang was another casualty.

Until the second day. Using Backstreet Academy, we were picked up by a translator and brought to a Hmong village to learn the art of embroidery with a lady and her daughter. Backstreet Academy is a company that connects travelers with local craftsmen and women to learn traditional techniques of all kinds of things: embroidery, bow making, brewing beer and wine, cooking, and woodworking. The list goes on.

Halie and I spent the afternoon embroidering with two Hmong women. They begin learning this craft at the age of 7 or 8 and spend their lives making beautiful clothes and accessories to sell at the night market or use in local ceremonies. After finishing, we walked around meeting some of the other men and women of the tribe and learning about their lives and language and culture.

Let me get back to the dichotomy I was speaking of. I’ve never been to a city that had so many tourists but was so integrated into its own history and culture and local tribes. The night market wasn’t a tourist trap to get our money but a lifeline for the Hmong and Khmer tribes surrounding the city to continue the crafts and traditions that they’ve been doing for hundreds of years. The well-kept French colonial structures weren’t a facade but an example of a city that appreciates its architecture and history, whether it represents colonization by a foreign power, a powerful tribal king and kingdom, or the current communist government.

Okay, back to our trip. Getting back to the city, we began exploring around a bit more.

The city is on a peninsula surrounded by two rivers coming together (Mekong and Nam Khan Rivers). The Nam Khan has a bamboo bridge that is only up 6 months of the year (they take it down for the rainy season). So of course we had to cross it. Who knew on the other side was going to be the greatest meal in my life!?

We were recommended a restaurant named Dyen Sabai by a friend. With benches, chairs and ground-level seating all facing the Nam Khan, this place had atmosphere. Reading through the menu, we decided on what the menu called “Lao Fondue,” learning afterwards that this is a popular dish in Luang Prabang called “sindad.” The best way of describing this incredible food experience is a mix between Chinese hot pot and Korean barbecue. You have a pile of hot coals with a grill above. The grill is rounded with a moat for the broth. The meat, vegetables, noodles, and eggs all come raw and it’s your job to cook them. Don’t forget to start with the spicy chilis and garlic before adding everything to the broth. Then use the grill to cook the meat (after adding a chunk of fat on top to grease the grill). The broth was the best broth I’ve ever tasted and everything coming out of it was just as good.

Okay, this is getting too long. Next day, beautiful waterfalls. Afterwards, we walked around to see a few temples and the mountain in the middle of the city. The views were stunning:

Last day, UXO Museum. This intense museum chronicles the 2 million tons of bombs dropped on Laos between 1964 and 1973 and the heroic efforts to locate, dismantle, and remove the 80 million unexploded bombs left over from the war. A sobering end to an incredibly enjoyable weekend.

Then flight home. Luang Prabang, when can I return?

To see a few more pictures, check out this Google photos album. Thanks!

After the two-day tour with Hoi An Express, they dropped us off at another homestay in Hoi An. This one wasn’t along the beach but on a small island named An Hoi opposite the old city area. As soon as we dropped our backpacks off, we headed back into Hoi An to walk around and find something to eat. Since it was a weekday, the city was a little less calm but no less beautiful.

The next morning, we walked around the daytime version of Hoi An for the first time. The old city isn’t blocked off from traffic during the day so there were a few more cars and motorcycles to dodge as we headed down to pick up some tailored clothes we had made. Halie was picking up 3 dresses and I a blazer. We ate lunch at what Anthony Bourdain has dubbed the best banh mi in Vietnam (it was really, really good but the only banh mi I had in Vietnam so not sure if I can make the claim). Then we grabbed a taxi to head back into Da Nang.

So Da Nang is an interesting city to visit. It’s fairly large. The third largest in Vietnam at 1.5 million people or so. But in the world of tourism, it’s not a hot destination. If you look up things to do in Da Nang, everything listed is outside the city (Hoi An, Hue, Ba Na Hills, etc.). After dropping our backpacks off at our Airbnb (down a quiet alley where an old man screamed “xin chao” at Halie so she screamed it back [the old man responded with a giant smile]), we started to walk through the city. If you read anything about Da Nang, rule number one is to not walk around. It’s hot, nothing is close together, sidewalks are sparse, motorcycles are crazy, and cars are even crazier. Sounds like a perfect time to walk. We ended up at the beautiful Dragon Bridge, Cau Rong. My picture doesn’t do it justice for multiple reasons but mainly because I’m behind the dragon and the dragon is almost too big for the pic:

We were walking across the bridge as it became dark. Suddenly, the dragon was illuminated! Then it changed colors! Then again! We looked like little children as we walked across the bridge awe struck at a few lights on a dragon.

A few kilometers of walking (and being looked at like purple aliens) and a few drinks later, we met up with some friends who work at Halie’s school. After dinner, we found a bar next to the beach and spent the rest of the night drinking to the alternating sounds of waves, a singer-songwriter performing, hip-hop and dance music, an incredibly drunk party, and a small girl who sang “Let it Go” for some reason.

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Next morning we hit up a few markets around Da Nang, ate lunch, and had a few more drinks along the beach with our friends. Then it was time for our flight to Ho Chi Minh City. As I talk about this city, I didn’t want to go through a chronology of events like I’ve been doing but wanted to focus on a few cultural takeaways.

First off, Ho Chi Minh City has one of the coolest vibes of any major city I’ve ever been to. It’s young and active and communal. There are coffee shops, tea shops, and bars everywhere you look and at all hours of the day you’ll find crowds sitting inside and out. If they’re sitting outside, the patrons will grab one of the short stools stacked by the door and use that as a perching place to enjoy their beverage. And side note, the coffee I had in Vietnam was some of the strongest and tastiest coffee I’ve ever had. If the sidewalks weren’t covered by people sitting on small stools, they were used as parking for the millions (and millions) of motorcycles. Our Airbnb was actually above a coffee shop (behind the torn sign):

Quick story about our AirBnb. The place was watched over and taken care of by the owner’s uncle. He was an old Vietnamese man who lived next door. Had absolutely no English skills but was incredibly welcoming and happy. So welcoming that each morning, as Halie and I were leaving the apartment, he insisted we take a shot of his moonshine from a clear plastic bottle. We couldn’t say no! The second morning, as we had drinks at the coffee shop and after our now customary shot of moonshine, he also offered us some fruit to eat. It complemented the shots well!

While we walked around Ho Chi Minh City, we saw the footprint of French colonialism, American intervention into war and politics, and Vietnamese communism. We visited the War Remnants Museum, which consisted of gut-wrenching photography and military tools of destruction leftover from the Vietnam War. Although I was well aware of the propaganda-driven nature of the story the museum was trying to tell, it was still emotionally moving and heartbreaking to see the destruction the war caused in Vietnam. Whether it was photos and stories of citizens still dealing with the effects of Agent Orange dropped by American planes or the heroic stories of journalists who lost their lives to make sure people back in the states knew the horrors of war, it was all difficult to take in.

Alright, I guess that’s about everything I wanted to talk about. We had a great trip; we’re ready to go back. Next time we plan on hitting Hanoi and Ha Long Bay in northern Vietnam. As last time, check out a few more pictures:

Google Photos album for Part 2

So we planned a 6-day trip to Vietnam, starting in Central Vietnam and ending in the south. We had accommodations for the first two nights but left the second two open depending on what we liked about the few cities we’d visit and then we had two nights in Ho Chi Minh City.

Day One

Flying into Da Nang International Airport on midday Sunday, we wanted to go straight to the beach (more to get it out of the way than anything [I don’t really like beaches]). Our Airbnb scheduled us a private car to drive us the 30 minutes or so to the beaches outside Hoi An. Getting there, we were welcomed to the cutest little bungalow by the sweetest host I’ve ever met. The name was Lido Homestay, and it was a one-minute walk from the beach and incredibly affordable. After settling in, we headed to the beach. After lunch and a bit of time on the beach, we headed back to the homestay, had a shower, then called a taxi to go to Hoi An Ancient Town.

As soon as we were dropped off, we fell in love with Hoi An. The old town is a beautiful blend of Southeast Asian and foreign architecture that was a major port from the 15th to 19th centuries. A large portion of the old town does not allow cars at certain times so it’s an incredibly enjoyable stroll through the city. Especially at night. Because of lanterns. Paper lanterns. Everywhere. Every. Where. I also found a Dr Pepper, so there’s that.

Two-Day Tour

So we’re usually not the type to book fancy tours, especially not ones that cover multiple days. We travel at our own pace and spontaneity and don’t want anybody messing with that. That said, sometimes it’s just too difficult to figure out the logistics and a tour is the best option. This was us when I was trying to figure out how to fit in all the history in Central Vietnam (especially Vietnam War stuff). The traveling between locations was difficult enough. So we found and booked a two-day historical tour of Hue and the surrounding areas. It was a group tour that could have been as large as ten people but somehow it ended up being just Halie and me. Private tour for the win.

We were picked up early on our second day in Hoi An. We had a multiple-hour drive ahead of us through the mountains towards Hue. Our tour guide, Key, informed us we’d be taking the long route there up and over the mountains along the sea and then lagoon. Sounds good to us. And the sights were incredible:

After the breathtaking drive through the mountains, our first stop was the tomb of the 12th Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, Khai Dinh. He was a hated king who forced 10,000 people to build his tomb. During the construction, around half of the workers died! Unfortunately, his tomb is still an impressive sight to behold. I’ll add an album at the end of the blog that’ll have many more photos.

Leaving the Emperor where he lies, we visited a serene pagoda on the edge of the Perfume River then took a short cruise down to the entrance of the Imperial City, which was the nation’s capital and the seat of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1045. Most of the city was destroyed during American bombing in the Vietnam War but the buildings that still stand and the bit of reconstruction that has been completed show the splendor (and excess) of the Nguyen emperors.

Back to the hotel, Halie and I indulged in a spa package (treat yo’ self). Then the tour guide picked us back up for dinner.

Day two was another early pick up by the tour guide because we had to head even farther north towards the old border between North and South Vietnam and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). We were first brought to an out-of-the-way museum about the residual horrors leftover from the war, mainly in the form of land mines. Since the end of the war, unexploded bombs and landmines have caused more than 100,000 injuries and fatalities. But numerous organizations are working their butts off locating and dismantling the bombs. We then headed towards the actual border, the Ben Hai River, that divided north and south and experienced the brunt of the violence.

After walking around the area and across the river, we then headed even farther north to see the Vinh Moc Tunnels. I first learned about these tunnels watching Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. For 6 years, the villagers in this area lived in tunnels while the incessant bombing from American planes made it impossible to be at the ground level. As America built better bombs that would penetrate deeper, the villages kept digging deeper. By the third level, they were 30 meters deep (almost 100 feet). Not a single villager died and even 17 children were born during these 6 years!!

Okay, realized this blog is getting kinda long so I’m going to cut it off here.

Here are more photos from the days I’ve spoken of so far.

Getting There

We initially had difficulty figuring out the best way to get to Hua Hin. We knew the cheapest option was a minivan for 180 baht (a little over $5) but we just couldn’t figure out exactly where it left from. A few years ago, most minivans leaving Bangkok to other locations left from a central point, Victory Monument. This would have been fairly easy for us since the BTS goes straight from our place to Victory Monument. But this point of departure is no more. Now the minivans leave from multiple bus terminals around the city, each terminal servicing a portion of Thailand: one for southern destinations, one for eastern, etc. The Eastern Bus Terminal is in walking distance of our house but reading forums on the internet, I was getting conflicting information whether a minivan left from there to Hua Hin. Finally, I decided to walk to the station and try to figure it out on my own.

I made circles around the station, carefully reading each sign. Pattaya, Trat, Chanthaburi… No Hua Hin. So I went home and waited for Halie to get back from work. We went over our other options: hour taxi ride to other bus terminal, hour taxi ride to train station for a 5 hour train ride, 45 minute taxi ride the opposite direction to the airport for a longer minivan drive to Hua Hin. None sounded fun. Halie decided we should stop by the terminal near our house one more time and try to find somebody that speaks English to ask. As soon as we walk up, a security guard comes up to us and asks if we need help. I’m assuming because Halie’s much cuter than I, she was actually asked for help. Who knows. Either way, he pointed us to a small desk for the Hua Hin minivan. Bought our ticket so we’re good to go.

Next morning, minivan ride to Hua Hin. Uneventful, so let me get to the actual vacation!

Haven Resort, Hua Hin

Let the relaxation begin.

Finally at our resort, we decided to quickly make our way to the beach area and start ordering drinks. After a bit on the beach, we moved back to sit near the infinity pool (drink ordering continued). We watched as a storm blew in but decided to stay by the pool. The drinks were tasty, the view was beautiful, the book I was reading was enjoyable. Why leave? Here’s a Snapchat video it raining on the pool. Once the rain let up a bit, Halie had to get into the pool:

Pulling ourselves away from the poolside, we went back to our room to get ready for dinner and the night market in Hua Hin. Halie made sure our resort had a bathtub because she misses taking baths (we only have a shower in Bangkok). Over the two days in Hua Hin, she took three baths! Anyway, we got ready, had the resort call a taxi and headed down to the center of Hua Hin. Halie found a nice restaurant name Orchid. After dinner we walked down to the night market. They had similar offering as Bangkok, just a third of the price. Which was nice.

Second Day

After checking out of the resort, we grab a taxi to a really unique shopping area named Plearnwan. It is a collection of shops in a collection of older Thai buildings. Meant to be a living museum, it holds on to the traditional Thai shops while offering modern access and wares. Plearnwan cares about social awareness, providing a living wage for Thais, the environment and the preservation of history. The food stands offered incredibly interesting snacks up and down the area. For lunch, I had the traditional Thai kuaitiao ruea, also known as boat noodles. So tasty.

Okay, okay. Time to head back towards the minivan for our ride to Bangkok. So taxis in Hua Hin are surprisingly expensive. You pretty much have to get them from a taxi stand and they give you a flat rate before the ride (for us it was 200-300 baht). No meters and high prices. Much higher than Bangkok. It was necessary to use a taxi to get to our resort since it was kind of away from the main part of Hua Hin. But heading back to the center of town, we decided to take the cheaper and way more fascinating option: the songthaew. In Hua Hin, these pick-up trucks converted to passenger vehicles drive up and down the main road. While we walked, the songthaews would honk at us to see if we wanted to be picked up. This time, we waved “yes.” You tell the driver where you’re going, they tell you the price. Our ride was 10 baht per person, which is about 30 cents. You jump in the back, sit on the bench if there’s a spot or stand on the lower step if there isn’t. Halie and I stood. Snapchat video of Halie on the back of the songthaew. So cheap and quick and fun. Highly recommend.

Made it back to Bangkok Sunday afternoon. Back in the traffic and city lights, back to work.

As I said, we began our adventure at Wat Traimit, the home of the largest gold Buddha statue in the world. Not only is it the largest, but it might also have the coolest story. At some point, this statue was covered by plaster to hide the true value from attacking Burmese armies. This was either done leading up to the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767 or possibly in an earlier war. Well, over time, it was forgotten that there was gold under the plaster. It wasn’t until 1955 (!!) that the statue fell during transportation, knocking off some plaster and revealing a bit of gold. After removing all of the plaster, they discovered that the statue was the largest gold Buddha and one of the most valuable statues in the world.

Next we began our trek into Chinatown proper. Walking along Yaowarat, we stopped for a quick, tasty lunch at the Canton House. After a few blocks, we finally decided to turn into one of the side streets and begin attempting to navigate the open markets of Chinatown. These small streets, like most of Bangkok’s sois, are an assault on all of your senses simultaneously. It’s an invigorating and slightly frightening experience to be inundated by the smells of food vendors selling all meats and vegetables (raw and cooked), by the sounds of motorbikes honking at you to get out of the way and shopkeepers announcing their wares. To taste the sweat on your lips intermingled with the exhaust from vehicles of every size and shape and to bump into every person and every thing as you struggle through the orderly chaos with your eyes open wide the whole time to behold it all. I love every bit of it.

Blurry Snapchat video of a reprieve I had in a less dense intersection.

After surviving the markets along the sois, we began the last stretch of walking towards Wat Suthat. The main temple was covered with scaffolding for repairs so I was unable to get a good picture of the facade. Really, I didn’t take many pictures walking around the grounds because it was such a beautiful, peaceful area that I just wanted to experience the calm. Dusk was upon us; the people were praying. A few pictures cannot encompass the serenity of the grounds surrounding a major Buddhist temple.

After leaving the temple, we grabbed a taxi to bring us to a BTS station and then took the train to meet some friends for dinner. Got to the restaurant just as the rain began to fall. With dinner complete, we spent some time walking around the Patpong Night Market. We haggled over a few purchases, then headed home. I’d say it was a successful Saturday.