First Impressions: Thailand

Leaving Sri Lanka and heading for Thailand, I had no idea what to expect. Thailand is a very diverse country, and I didn't do much research before we came...oops. So I have to say that almost NOTHING about our first week here is what I imagined it would be!

Our Airbnb is absolutely stunning. I really can't say enough about it - it might be my favorite Airbnb I've ever stayed in! It's right on the water, and from the balcony, you can see Koh Chang, an island that we'll be going to soon! The sunsets are absolutely insane, and the sound of the water can be heard all throughout the house. It really is a slice of paradise. Unfortunately, it's not really water you can swim in, so I'll definitely be missing my daily ocean dips. Luckily, next month should make up for it...

I was a little disapointed to find out how much private transportation is needed here. I can't speak for all of Thailand, but here in Laem Ngop, a little fishing village in the province of Trat, everything is super spread out. We rented bikes, but even that isn't nearly enough to comfortably get us from town to town. Even just getting to the dock to take us to the island is 30 minutes in a car! I'm definitely getting a lot of exercise on my bike, though, so I'll count that as a win!

The food here is spicy - and I mean, SPICY! If I thought Sri Lankan food was spicy, Thailand takes it to a new level. Everytime I order, the waiter tells me the food isn't very spicy. Everytime I finish eating, my mouth is quite literally on fire. I've had some pretty bad stomach aches, but it's been so worth it, because not only is the food spicy, it's also delicious! My first meal here was pad thai, which seems fitting, and everything we've eaten here has been so delicious. Even though we're in a sleepy little town with very little going on, there are so many restaurants that we're excited to check out! They're all super local feeling (no gringo food here) and affordable! It's the perfect combination, and I don't think that I'll get tired of Thai food in our one month here!

Originally, I was pretty surprised at how expensive groceries were, but that's before we figured out where to look. Our lucky streak of always being near a cheap farmer's market has not ended yet, and we found out that literally EVERY morning there is a fresh fish and fresh produce market right down the street! There's a lot of good variety, and it's super cheap!

For some reason, and I can't tell you why, I expected everyone in Thailand to speak English really well. Maybe it's because I know Thailand is such a tourist hub, but whatever the reason, I turned out to be really wrong! Maybe it's different in Bangkok, but here in Laem Ngop, almost NOBODY speaks any English! It's been a really fun challenge to try to be understood, especially because the people here are so friendly, and are very patient with us. I've never been in a country where I couldn't communicate with either Spanish or English, so this is really putting me out of my comfort zone. Andrés and Mama are much better at it than I am!

The weather here is out of this world hot! It's always clear skies and sunny days, and we've only had a little bit of rain, but honestly the rain has been a big relief! Humidity here makes afternoon hours crazy. The temperature is always in the high 80s with a humidity level of about 80%. You step outside, and you start sweating. Our shower has hot water available, but you'd have to be crazy to use it! There is nothing more freshing than a freezing cold shower in the middle of the day here!

Something that I totally didn't expect and still doesn't make much sense, is the amount of high-end cafes in this tiny town! I can't complain, because the menu is filled with so many drinks I've never heard of, and I want to try them all! My current favorite was called "brown sugar milk," and I swear it's just what it sounds like, over ice. I'm absolutely obsessed. They also have a lot of great matcha choices, but the matcha here is so much better than what I was able to buy in Colombia!

The next couple of weeks here are going to be super quiet, and there's definitely been a bit of an adjustment period after our crazy busy lives in Weligama. I'm looking forward to slowing down a bit, and really getting to know Thai culture. I'm also looking forward to our days off, which we'll use to head over and explore the island!

It's good to be prepared when you travel, but it's also fun to roll with the punches, because you can never be 100% ready for what you're about to find! Sri Lanka was a big surprise, and now Thailand is, too! For now, I'm going to spend my days eating pad thai until I barf and watching some really beautiful sunsets.