Kinda looks like Greece!

When we arrived in Panajachel we dropped our bags off at the hostel and headed straight for the shore. We made the walk down the main street Calle Santander which is lined with restaurants, markets and tour agencies. Down at the waters edge, Panajachel offers a great view of the

lake as you look out at three volcanos. This is the most impressive thing about Panajachel. In fact we didn’t really find Pana had much to offer. It has absolutely no character and you hardly know you’re at the lake, which is why we went.

Amazing view!

Across the lake is San Pedro. The tiny boat ride across offers stunning views and only cost 3 bucks! As soon as we stepped off the boat, we immediately loved it! The whole town is actually along the lake, so no matter where you eat, sleep or walk…you can see the lake (unlike Pana). It is also much cheaper, and you don’t get the feeling you’re being ripped off just for being a gringo! For example: In Pana, a trip to Copan Ruinas in Honduras costs 280 Q ($35) but from San Pedro, almost FURTHER away it was only 150 Q ($18.75)! Â Anyway we found a nice quiet little family-run place to stay, Casa Elena, and it was only 8 bucks a night for a private room WITH a bathroom and hot water

Boat ride across Lake Atitlan

We immediately starting searching out the best deal for hiking Volcan de San Pedro at sunrise. We ended up going with Bigfoot Agency because the lady was straight up with us. If it’s just the 2 of us, its 20 bucks, it we find a 3rd person, its 15 bucks! SWEET…we set out to find a 3rd! We ended up finding like 6…2 different couples…all from our boat ride over, so got it even cheaper!
So 2:15 am the alarm goes off, and we eat our 2 loaves of banana bread we bought the night before. Brad drinks his cold coffee he also got the night before, and off we went! Our guide met us at our hostel and we started the journey, passing drunks along the way that were still out from the night before.

To the top just in time!

Just getting to the base of the volcano was tough, but the actual climb up was RIGOROUS! Everyone had head torches, except me haha…I followed the other hikers light and the moonlight…making sure to lift my knees high. About 3 1/2 hours later, we were ALMOST to the top and saw the light of day starting to emerge. Brad raced up to the top for the last 10 minutes, and I moaned and groaned my way up shortly behind him! I was actually MOL-ing (Moaning out Loud) it was TOUGH!!! We lost half of our group to the hill…. But oooooh man the view was INCREDIBLE !!!!! It was 100% worth the pain and the colors of the sky behind the other volcanoes were so bright and illuminating! We were cheering and high-fiving each other in complete elation! The entire lake was beneath us and in our view!

Breathtaking!

In the middle of our admiring, the cold hit! THANK GOD our guide was already building a fire, because it was frigid! Even worse for Brad was that he was completely soaked from sweat…his back and butt drenched! We warmed up for a few minutes while we waited for the sun to peek over the volcano tops, singing songs to help motivate its rise… “Here Comes the Sun”!

Warming up by the fire!

Yay Here Comes the Sun!

The others finally arrived after the sun rise, and we all chowed down on some grub! Peanut Butter Sandwiches and Snickers! Some people brought whole blocks of cheese up! After about an hour and a half on the summit, we decided to head down. The hike down was AWESOME! Now that it was light, we could see the beautiful lush green trees. It was like a tropical rainforest up there! Also we could enjoy the view of the other side of the lake, and all the towns sprawled along it. We were able to walk through a coffee farm and try a bean or two, careful as to not risk being shot for stealing their beans!! lol just kidding. We finished just after 11pm and were exhausted, so after grabbing a smoothie, went straight for a nap!

Tropical!

Woo we did it!

After deciding to stay one more day in this cute town, we spent it relaxing at a super cool hostel called “Zoola People”. It’s Israeli run, right along the lake with a colorful tent full of pillows and tables to chill at. Skyping, blogging, and researching…enjoying their delicious Health Sandwich packed full of avocado! Brad and I find we need one of those days every once in a while, because traveling can be EXHAUSTING! (not complaining!)

Zoola!

Next stop…Honduras!!

The ride to the border was excellent, hardly anyone on the comfortable air conditioned bus with seats that went practically horizontal. We slept most of the way before we arrived at the Thai border town to find it quite flooded (literally with water….not people! :)). Locals in the street walking in water knee-high, sandbags everywhere and only the trucks and our bus able to drive. Apparently not unusual for that time of year.

Riding her bike like it’s no thang!

We got some cheap eats at the mandatory restaurant stop. We knew we had to get a Cambodian visa and it was 20 US dollars at the border. Our tour guide was offering somewhere in the range of 40 US dollars to take care of all the paper work ahead of time. We saw this one coming after the many blogs we read, and respectfully declined letting him know we were aware of the actual price. After he talked to everyone else and hearing they all accepted his offer, we were unsure of where that left us, so as he was leaving we stopped him and offered 50 US for the two of us and he unwillingly accepted.

Lunch Break…

We shuffled back into the bus which took us to the border and a man escorted us and some of our bus mates across. It was certainly nerve wrecking crossing into Cambodia, a country that just a few years ago had mass genocide and an evil dictator at the helm. Walking through to Cambodia really reminded us that we were walking into third world. It reminded us a lot of India’s infrastructure… as did their security guards and processing times. We waited in a hot sticky shoebox of a room as we went through the border control for what seemed like forever. Small price to pay for the wonders that lay ahead.

Little kids that sold us friendship bracelets!

In a heap of confusing transfers and pushy guides we eventually made it on to the proper bus which was to take us to Siem Reap, the neighboring town to Angkor and where all the guesthouses and hotels are. Fortunately for us we had worked out where we wanted to stay the days before, because the bus dropped us off at an out of the way hotel hoping to make commission off the riders checking in. They will say anything to get you to stay at the place, including telling you that your guesthouse has closed down or fully booked, when it’s not. We quickly scooted away and along with us was some other backpackers, angrily but justifiably muttering something about the potential tourist trap.

We found a friendly pharmacist along the main strip and his wife called our guesthouse for us and even generously hooked me up with a bandage for my burn from India.

Riding on the Tuk Tuk!

A man came quickly after and brought us to the Golden Takeo guesthouse. We found this guesthouse after hours and hours of research! Everyone seems to be in competition in Siem Reap, but apparently not all the owners are in competition for hospitality towards their guests! We ended up choosing Golden Takeo which is just off the main road, and for only $7 a night we got a King bed with a fan AND toilet paper and towels!! We received free laundry, free breakfast (and this is a mega-huge breakfast….omelet made to order and fresh bread from the bakery), free bicycle rentals, free fish bath massage, and free internet!! I just used free 5 times and i don’t even think i mentioned everything! We couldn’t believe it…the owner, Prom, who happened to be the nicest man and gave us so many other free things, was practically paying US to stay there! The workers were so lovely too! It was by far one of the best places we’ve stayed.

Fish Massage on the Rooftop!

We made sure to hit up the night markets in Siem Reap, and check out the infamous “pub street” along the way. It was hilarious seeing that the buskers on the street were monks playing flute instruments! Every corner we passed, we were seduced with free beer to get fish massages!! ” Only $2 for fish tickle your feet….. and 2 free Tiger beer, free Anchor!!  Haha it WAS tempting, but we continued on our way to enjoy some different haggling!

Monks in the background  

The markets were amazing, and the prices were even better! I managed to find my whole family Christmas gifts! My favorite item was the Cambodian spices wrapped in banana leaf packaging! Then there were the hammocks, jewelry, clothing! I’m still regretting not buying the “Same Same, but Different” shirts…. we asked one lady what it meant, and were told “You’re the same, I’m the same (we’re both human beings), but we’re different!!) I LOVED IT!!

Spices!

Our time in Siem Reap was short, with most of our time spent at the temples of Angkor. However, in that time, we did gain an understanding of the people! They are all so lovely, they are really really hard workers, and always seem to have a smile on their face! Oh and the CUTEST kids around!! I would love to go back and spend some time volunteering at a school or helping out in some way!

*Just a side note, you can use US dollars there, so no need to bring the local currency. And most of the ATMs have an option for US dollars.

Kho San Road!

We booked a room at New Joes guesthouse, which is located in the back alleyway behind the Kho San. Moderately priced at about 350 baht for a double, with a friendly staff and all the amenities you’d need for a decent stay in the city including: on site travel agency, Thai message, restaurant and bar. Our friend Michael took massage classes here for a few hundred baht and in a week was a certified Thai masseuse.

Amazing Banana Roti!

After chow’n down on 30 baht pad Thai and comforting banana roti we sat down for a few beers in front of some kids break dancing in the street; our new friends Michael and Ron joining us. Our waitress was, how to put this, a pretty young man (ladyboy to be P.C). Despite what one might think about the confusing gender of this person, she was a good waitress and very polite (even when we stared a little).

Beer Tower with New Friends

Two beers quickly turned into four beers as we got to know Michael a little bit more. Our conversation flowed as he told us about his beat-boxing performances on Broadway in New York City. Frequent interruptions of women selling bits and bobs would otherwise been annoying, but we just chalked it up to the “Bangkok experience and laughed it off. The night ended shortly after our second tower of beer and we tucked in to bed dodging thoughts of bed bugs and concentrating on where we were leaving for the next morning… Angkor Wat!

Loving it!

River Kwai Bridge

Train ride!

The 2 hour shuttle ride passed by quickly, and we were immediately dropped off in the heart of town. Brad and I made our way to the famous bridge over River Kwai that the Japanese built through forced slave labor during World War II. On our way we passed a baby tiger and leopard which stole my attention for what could have been hours if Brad didn’t pull me away…not before i got to feed the tiger some milk though! It’s uncanny how similar their mannerisms are to tiny house cats!

Aaanndd the bottle’s empty!

When we did make it to the bridge, it was quite pretty with the extraordinary green surrounding the river (which itself was quite the opposite…brown). Before we knew it, we were being hustled along with the group to hop on the train for a long ride through mountains. It was a super classic-style train, and although it did take ages, it was a nice trip! We eventually arrived at our home for the next 2 days, a floating guesthouse on the river!

Our new home – floating hotel!

We were given a massive amount of food, met our new friends and travel companions, and then headed to Sai Yok Noi waterfall. Some people could only stay 15 minutes, but since Brad and I chose the 2-day trip, we were able to relax and explore the waterfall for about 3 hours. Instead of following everyone up the footpath, we took off our shoes and waded through the water, climbing up the falls ourselves….way more fun! At this point, i was even happier i bought my waterproof camera, because we had tons of fun in the water! I kept my red pants on over my bikini, unsure of who i could offend, but it turns out Thailand is quite liberal! Surrounding the waterfall were caves, markets, temples, and plenty more to explore!

Fun in the waterfall!

Exploring…!

Eventually it was time to return to our floating hotel, where we were fed another scrumptious meal and had a couple beers with friends. We met 2 English girls who we planned to meet up with in Kho Phangan, Michael from Israel who we still keep in touch with, and an Aussie who owned a farm and belong to WOOF! Along with some great conversation came our dessert, Rambutan’s… the weirdest hairiest looking delicious fruit out there!

Rambutan’s!

Our next morning was early, as Brad and I took a long boat ride down the river to bath with the elephants! This was the coolest thing EVER!! We were allowed to hop on the elephants completely barebacked, and go into the water with them. They were just the friendliest animals, especially the little baby! It was swimming around in circles the whole time, coming up to everyone with its trunk to say hello….SO cute The owners kept telling the elephants to dunk down, trying to knock us off, and it completely worked!

Brad being knocked off!

Together!!

I was also able to ride on one just up to the bank of the river, where i was promptly sprayed over and over with water! A really really crazy experience. After it sprayed me a couple times, it would put its trunk up to me to kind of see how i was doing! I didn’t want to leave, but we had so many other things planned for the day, not to mention our 2 hour bus ride home. So we left, watching as the elephants very impressively trotted up this steep hill into the jungle.

Splash!!

Next in line was our bamboo ride down the river. It wasn’t quite as exciting as i thought it was going to be (the agency tricked us with different pictures), but it was relaxing and we were joined by good company! First a speed boat towed us up the river before we detached and floated back down….to our floating hotel! Water was spewing through the bamboo sticks as we went, and we all took turns with the paddle!

Bamboo rafting!

Then we were off to go for an elephant ride, which was really cool, but just didn’t quite compare after bathing with them. We sat in a seat, and slowly trekked through the jungle. It was fun to see the elephants eating everything green in sight…tearing down bushes with their trunks I love their trunks! We also got to chat a bit with our guides, and found out our 8-year-old elephant was his fathers pet before it was handed down to him. Such a different thought, having an elephant as a pet rather than a cat or dog!

Hello again!

After a quick break for ANOTHER delicious meal, our last stop was at a museum that exhibited just how brutal the Japanese were during WWII, and in particular to the Aussies. We saw “Hellfire Pass” where the train tracks were layed in the middle of a carved out mountain! It was really interesting to learn about the other side of WWII, as we do not hear about much in the U.S. with Japan other than Pearl Harbor.

Hellfire Pass

Before we knew it, we were on our way back to Bangkok, and sad to be leaving such a magical place! I highly recommend anybody who goes to Thailand to make it to Kanchanaburi! Only $60 each for accommodation, all meals, museums, waterfall, bamboo ride, elephant ride, and of course the best…. bathing with the elephants! Experience it!

Bye bye!

Varanasi from the Ganga!

Even its name sounds alive , Varanasi, a place of religious pilgrimage, spiritual enlightenment and deep soul cleansing. Located alongside one of the worlds most famous rivers the Ganga, or the Ganges is both the holiest and dirtiest river in the world. Varanasi is an absolute must for anyone living or visiting India. The purifying waters of the Ganga draw devout Hindis’ from all over the world. Whether they are attending a ceremony for the recently departed or renouncing the physical world, this place possesses an aura that can only be experienced. Along with the religious element, the city is quite unique, with its back ally markets that suck you in then spit you out, leaving you wondering which way is up and just how you ended up in this area.

Lost in the markets!

Vendors line every centimeter of these narrow paths, slinging everything from exotic spices to beautiful tapestries; it gets really interesting when a motorbike tries to squeeze through. There is so much going on in Varanasi that you hardly recognize where you are most of the time.

Drifting Duo!

Our guesthouse was right in the middle of town, so as soon as we stepped out the door, we were in the midst of the chaos….it was so cool! We didn’t walk very far before seeing a man sitting cross-legged on the ground, and making personalized bracelets. We sat and watched for a while and realized they were only about 15 cents each, so got ourselves “Drifting” bracelets.

Red and Black of course! It was Amazing how quickly he made them…and for dirt cheap. Feeling a bit sorry for him, we thanked him and left him a tip We spent the rest of the night getting lost in the markets and stumbled upon some street food that we worked up the courage to try. It was DELICIOUS!! …dirt cheap! 20 cents each…. spicy! And we didn’t get sick….we were hooked!

Street food!

The next day, we hit the streets again, dodging the cow poo and monkeys peeing from the building tops. One Indian man just started hilariously laughing at me because I was a drop away from the monkey….I’m sure aiming for my head from above!

By nightfall we made it to the amazing ceremony Brad talked about earlier. We arrived before most people and got one of the best spots in the front. The way they honor and celebrate life then death in India, and particularly Varanasi, is a much happier experience. Full of traditional song and dance, with incense, candles and flowers galore makes it an environment that overloads the senses.

Ceremony!

When it was over, somebody came out with massive bowls of food, and it turned into a madhouse with poor people trying to get a drop of it. We got out of there quickly and found our own heap of mushy food served in a leaf on the street! No idea what we were eating, but again….delicious and spicy!

Now we’re getting it!

Another incredible experience I recommend to everyone was the boat ride down the Ganges at sunrise! Completely worth getting up at 5am, this boat ride is both hilariously chaotic and inspiring. Thousands of Indians were around us as we boarded the boat waiting to wash away their sins in the river.

Women bathing!

The whole time watching this, the guides are desperately trying to pull their  boats upstream, bumping into each other and jumping up on the walls to pull us along. It was sooo hectic, but once we were going, it was amazing. At one point, another longboat came along, filled with souvenirs and empty jars to collect the water in..tied onto us, and successfully sold jars to half the boat! Haha! So perfect for India.

Enjoying the sunrise

Varanasi is one of the most incredible places that we have visited in our entire trip. I can say without a doubt, one of my overall favorites. It is a myriad of bright colors, spiritually awakening ceremonies and fascinating people. There is never a dull moment, and just what we were looking for!

Meditation!

Enjoying the view!

The city itself is not so impressive, but not nearly as bad as some made it out to be; although, we did arrive at night. Of course, we had to negotiate the rate for our tuk tuk ride, but the man must have been tired or our bartering skills had improved because he agreed to a price right away.

Booties…!

We woke up very early the next morning, before the sunrise and linked up with our driver from the night before. We asked him to take us to a place where we could watch the sunrise over the Taj Mahal. Wizzing through the backstreets, dodging cows and people alike, we arrived at a small hotel just before the sun broke. Up the stairs onto the roof and majestically and boldly standing in midst of the morning fog was the Taj Mahal. We stood there and marveled at its presence. We snapped some photos and stood silent, admiring the wondrous monument but weren’t quite satisfied yet and moved in for a closer view.

We made an exception, broke the bank and bought tickets, 750 rupees each to be exact, 3800% more than what Indian citizens pay, yes 3800 Percent! After putting things in perspective we got over the outrage of inflated prices and just laughed about it. Plus our ticket was fancy, real scrap book material, and along with that we got a goody bag with slippers and a water.

Gorgeous detail!

As soon as we got in, we realized it was well spent money. The Taj Mahal was jaw-dropping! A stunner! Beating the crowd and the heat was well worth getting up at 6 a.m. Everyone was scrambling to get the perfect picture in front, and the paid tour guides were hilarious and annoying at the same time – making everyone else get out of the way so they can take pictures of their clients in 20 different poses. They had no concerns for being rude or pushy. Nevertheless, Brad and I still managed to get some beautiful photos and admire the view. The closer we got, the more we noticed the immaculate details on the building, and as the sun got higher and higher into the sky, the Taj Mahal slowly started changing colors with it.

Inside was just the tomb. Nothing special to look at, but quite an honor for the 3^rd wife he built it for. 100% recommend everyone to see the Taj Mahal if they get the chance! It’s inspiring and breath-taking…and the monkeys hanging around remind me of Aladdin, which brings back happy nostalgic moments

Back on the train…

Udaipur Lake

Enjoying some Chai tea!

Located in textile rich region of Rajasthan, Udaipur should sound familiar to all the 007 fans out there. Still haven’t figured out which Bond movie was filmed here? … Octopussy, and you can’t go five minutes of conversation without a local telling you about it. Yes the great Roger Moore once walked the streets of Udaipur but besides Hollywood fame, it has much to offer. It is a charming city with several lakes that fill up once the rainy season has come. Lucky for us, our hotel was right on one of them. We had a nice area for delicious Chai tea with pillows and a large window looking out at the lake.

Love the detail!

We waited until the afternoon to explore though. It is just TOO hot to attempt it, especially with all the extra clothing i have to cover up in! As we were walking, we noticed the cows everywhere! Walking in the middle of the street,hanging outside shops and lounging around in the shade! But also goats, chickens, dogs and donkeys! Kids would come chasing us down the street to chat with us and try to get a rupee or a pen out of us. After much confusion about the pens, someone finally told us tourists starting giving children pens to use at school….we liked that idea!

Cow trying to get some booze….

It was also kind of surreal seeing all the women cleaning their clothes in the lake. They would dump them in, then slap them really hard again the ground… like they were hitting the dirt out of their clothing! Every evening they did this while the kids played in the water.

Upscale Indian Shop

Brad found himself a super Indian outfit and looked handsome as ever in it! Eventually i followed suit with some outrageous pants and an appropriate-for-temples top. Happy with our new outfits, we spent the next few days wandering around the town and taking everything in again. We noticed all the street food but were a little skeptical to try it still. One man stopped to talk to us and we ended up on the back of his motorbike to see his fancy shop. Luckily he was being honest and actually had a boutique. After serving us Chai and showing off his designs, we eventually left unable to buy anything

We were lucky one night to catch a glimpse of and Indian wedding. The kids were all adorable and the brother of the bride came and chatted us up for a bit. It was nice talking to someone who wasn’t trying to sell us anything! Although the kids were trying to get something out of us! 

All the girls!

There wasn’t too much sightseeing to do in Udaipur; a couple temples, the city palace, and lots of shopping. When we did leave, we had bought too many tapestries, but left with a great feeling of the culture. We still had not been completely engrossed in it yet, but liked what we were seeing. Our next stop was Jaipur. 

Breakfast at our hotel!

Walking into the hotel in Jaipur was the first upset that led to it NOT being our favorite city. The people were more than unfriendly and our room wasn’t the best, not did it smell it. It seemed quite dull, no pretty buildings or temples in close sight, no greens, lots of construction. Ok… i know it’s India, but Udaipur was still nice to the eye, and maybe it was thanks to the lake!

Not the cleanest…

We set up to get a tuk tuk driver for the day to take us to the Monkey Temple, Water Palace, and a couple other destinations. It turns out, there isn’t much to see in Jaipur. I went into the planetarium by myself. It was supposed to be free on Mondays, but apparently no longer. It was kind of cool, but not something i would do again …. Brad didn’t miss out on much haha! We expected the water palace to be way cooler than it was……which is a palace flooded with water that you look at from afar! Lol!

Monkey Temple

Loved Brad!

Throughout the day, our driver kept trying to take us to these shops and we kept telling him we didn’t want to! Then he was straight up with us and said he gets 30 rupees for just taking us somewhere, plus commission if we buy something, so can we please just go and pretend to be interested! hahaha, we went with it in exchange for a cheaper fare! We ended up buying a beautiful tapestry too, so he really got hooked up!

Tapestry shops!

On our way to the train station, we did have quite an experience. Brad and I were walking down the road trying to negotiate with tuk-tuk drivers for a fare, when this really cool-looking Indian man riding a bike turned around to help us. He suggested that we take the local bus, because it drives right by where we were, AND it is only 7 rupees each (15 cents) as opposed to 2 bucks! It was quite an experience! At first it was quite spacious, but as the ride went on, it became PACKED! There Brad and I were with our massive backpacks and tons of Indian eyes on us! hahah, it took almost 2 hours by the time we got off…. running to catch the train that ended up being 3 hours late!

Camels!

When it was time to leave Jaipur, we were quite pleased, not only to get out, but because the next stop was Agra to see the TAJ MAHAL!!