Switched blogs!

I switched over to my Wordpress blog! It's a lot cleaner and much easier to read. The link is:

Alexarome.wordpress.com

Hope you're enjoying my travels through Thailand!

xx, aj

Day 1: Exploring Bangkok

Dry glass noodles with beef

We arrived at our hostel, Lub d Siam Square, late on May 15. It's located in the heart of the Siam district, or the entertainment and shopping area. We checked into the hostel around 1am and stayed up until 3am planning our day.

We woke up Thursday ready to explore Bangkok. We hadn't eaten a full meal since we left LAX the day before, so the first thing we set out to do was to get food. This turned out to be a little more difficult than we expected. It took us a little bit, but we finally learned how to navigate the BTS SKYTRAIN, which the entrance is conveniently right next to our hostel. We had researched the night before and had an idea of the area of where we wanted to grab lunch. After wandering around for about 30 minutes, Bridget and I were absolutely starving so we bought some fruit from a fruit stand to help sustain us. We continued to wander for another 10 minutes and I had just about given up. Luckily Bridget is a lot more optimistic and much better at directions than me, because sure enough we managed to find BOAT NOODLE ALLEY. Lining the banks of a small canal, was a cluster of noodle shops. At the time Bridget and I weren't even sure if this was the place we were looking for, but it didn't really matter. As we approached the noodle shop the waiter shuffled us in to sit down and eat. Overwhelmed and extremely hot (quite the understatement) we went for it. We looked at the all Thai menu and tried to guess what we would want to eat. As we waited for out food we began to look around and realized we were the only two non-asians in the restaurant. We figured this was better than eating in a restaurant full of Americans. All in all, lunch was a success. Together we each had two noodle bowls, two beef ball skewers, and Thai coconut pudding costing us a total of 90 baht ($3.00). We left extremely satisfied. After we left, we walked up the banks of the canal and realized the rest of the noodle shops all served the same thing, the only difference is the place we ate had air conditioning (a must in this heat!).

Erawan Shrine - Brahma is in the middle

We left that area and headed to the ERAWAN SHRINE, a popular pilgrimage destination since 1956.  This temple, important to foreigners and Thais alike, is considered to be one of the most sacred places in Bangkok. Some people believe that it gives them inner strength to overcome problems in their lives, others believe that the four faced Hindu god, BRAHMA, wards off evil spirits. Bridget and I payed our respects to the temple by lighting candles and placing flowers in the shrine as offerings. Again, we were the only non-Asians present, but this didn't deter us away from the experience.

After the shrine we were extremely hot and thirsty. We decided to wander into the SIAM PARAGON (imagine South Coast plaza...but bigger!) to cool down in the air conditioning. We regrouped at a coffee bean for about 30 minutes and then "mall-hopped" for the next hour. The siam area that our hostel is in is surrounded by major shopping malls. So instead of walking outside in the scorching heat back to our hostel, we walked through the Siam Paragon, then the Siam Center, then the Siam Discovery (all of which are air conditioned) and then eventually made our way back to our hostel to rest for an hour.


We headed back out around 5:30 for dinner, but before dinner we had one more shrine left to visit. The shrine we were planning to visit, the CHAO MAE TUPTIM SHRINE, is a little unconventional than most. We had both read a list of 10 out-of-the-ordinary things to see while in Bangkok and this had struck us both. This shrine, also known as a PENIS SHRINE, is dedicated to Chao Mae Tuptim, a female spirit who locals believe has been residing in the trees next to the shrine asking for help from Chao Mae Tuptim because she couldn't get pregnant. Nine months after visiting the temple, she gave birth to a healthy child. She was so grateful that she came back and left a giant wooden carving of a penis as a way to thank the universe. Over the years, others have followed in her footsteps. Today there are hundreds of phallus-shaped objects, made mostly from wood and stone. It was hilarious, but also made me extremely uncomfortable. It was a funny experience though and I'm glad Bridget and I can saw we at least say we saw this while we were in Bangkok.


** Side note: To clarify, Bridget and I did NOT go here asking for any fertility help! We simple wanted to see the statues of the 10 foot penises because we thought it would be funny.**


After this strange experience. we headed to dinner down the road at a restaurant we found called TUMMY YUMMY. We ordered a mixed vegetable appetizer (which came at the end of dinner) and then split the sweet and sour chicken stir fry and a non-coconut curry with chicken for dinner. It was all so good and we left happy and full. siWe made it back to the hostel with plans to plan out our day tomorrow, but instead we both showered and passed out. The jet lag mixed with the extreme heat definitely did us in, but we're both ready for another day. Tomorrow is going to be a big day for us. We're planning to visit a few temples today. 

xx, aj

Rome-ing Around the World...Again!

After a year of being back from my semester abroad, I'm headed out of the country again! But this time I'm headed to a different part of the world...Thailand to be exact. My best friend, Bridget, and I traveled to Thailand the summer before our senior year in high school and we both fell in love with the country. We promised each other that after we graduated from college we would eventually make our way back to the Land of Smiles.

Bridget and I at LAX 

Fast forward four years and here we are...both graduated from college and  currently waiting to board our connecting flight to Bangkok. I can't believe we're actually headed back to Thailand! We've talked about this trip for the past few years, but I don't think anyone thought we were serious about making our way back here. We will be in Thailand for two weeks. We're flying into BANGKOK and spending four days here. Then making our way up north to live in a tree house in CHIANG MAI for four days. For our last leg of the trip we're making our way to the island of KOH PHANGAN to attend the the infamous FULL MOON PARTY.

I'll do my best to blog and keep friends and family posted on Bridget's and my adventures through Thailand!

sawatdeeka (it means hello & goodbye in thai)

AJ 

Frühlingsfest: Disneyland for Adults

After my 10-day spring break, I actually needed a break! I spent the following weekend in Barcelona. I used my time to explore the wonderful city I’ve been so lucky to live in these past four months. As hard as it is for me to admit this, my semester in Barcelona is basically over. Because my program is coming to an immediate hault, I wanted my last weekend abroad (with all my friends) to be the best yet. Unlike most of my trips this semester, where I toured cities to see historic sites and soak up different cultures, this past weekend was solely devoted to drinking and enjoying time with all my friends before we leave Europe and disperse amongst various states all over the country. With that in mind, this past weekend I celebrated FRÜHLINGSFEST -- referred to as Springfest by most Americans -- in Munich, Germany.

1 Litre of Beer, Please.

For those who have never heard of Frühlingsfest (it’s okay – most haven’t): imagine OKTOBERFEST, then shrink it. Like its fall counterpart, Frühlingsfest is a weekend devoted to endless beer drinking and having a good time. And that we did! I traveled to Munich with my usual traveling buddy, Shannon, and then we met up with friends from other cities in Europe. We arrived Thursday night...starving. We planned to grab dinner at AUGISTINER KELLER, but because it was later than we expected, we instead ate a pretzel (or two) and drank a few beers.



Friday, Shannon and I met up with friends who were also in Munich for the festival. We started our day at AUGUSTINER-BRÄUSTUBEN, a well-known beer hall. Once here the beer drinking began. I usually stuck to wheat beer the whole weekend, but because Munich is known for the RADLER, a beer-based drink mixed with lemonade, I had to try it. Not my favorite, a little too sweet, but something I’m glad I can say I tried. After this beer hall, we made our way on over to THERESIENWEISE , the official, open grounds where both, Oktoberfest and Frühlingfest, take place. As we arrived, I began looking around; it reminded me so much of a county fair. Hotdog vendors were scattered around, thee was cotton candy, a ferris wheel, and tons of more rides! The major difference between most county fairs and this festival though was the two massive beer tents situated on the grounds. We finally made it over to the first tent, HIPPODROM; it’s not one of the bigger beer halls, but it’s a popular one among the international crowd who invade the festival. The day flew by! When it was over, we we’re ready to do it all over again on Saturday. 

Enjoying ourselves at Frühlingsfest

On Saturday, we tried to explore Munich a little bit. We decided to grab lunch at the infamous HOFBRÄUHAUS, one of Munich’s oldest beer halls. We ate more pretzels and I even ate a Brautworst! This is huge – because I don’t eat meat! I thought, “When in Munich,” and knew I had to try one. It wasn’t bad, but I still prefer not to eat meat. After lunch and a few beers, we headed over to the festival, this time hitting up the Augustiner Brau München tent. This tent was filled to the brim with people and beer! When we were done with the tent, we decided to check out some of the rides in the festival. Saturday went by so fast, but was such a fun day! Needless to say, it was an amazing last weekend abroad!

Shannon, Me, and Alex in Munich

If I didn't have a few (read: 3) finals, tomorrow, I'd post much more! I'll be posting in the next day or two because my program is ending this Thursday and will finally be returning to the good ole' US of A!




Prost (means cheers!)

Spring Break Part 2: Croatia

For the second part of my spring break, my friends and I headed down to the beautiful country of Croatia. We left Prague Thursday night and traveled all night and even into late Friday morning. After an uncomfortable 13 hour bus ride, we finally made it to our destination: the beautiful coast of SPLIT, Croatia. Even though we were all exhausted from the long bus ride, we knew we couldn’t sleep because we were only in this city for 4 days. We began our adventure by walking around the quaint town. We stumbled upon a few open markets, where we all were able to find some souvenirs and gifts for friends and family. After we wandered for a few hours, we had to take a quick nap if we were going to make it out that night. That night there the program we were with offered us a pub-crawl. We thought it would be fun, so we decided to do it. To start the crawl off, the first bar offered an open-bar for the first hour and a half! My friends and I used this to our advantage…maybe a little too much? We then checked out 3 more bars after that one. After a lot of dancing and drinking, we called it a night.

Island hopping through Croatia

On Saturday, Jamie, Shannon, and I went island hopping. When we signed up for this we thought it was a great idea. We imagined a booze-cruise with nice, warm weather. What we got was cold and dark weather, on the verge of a storm. The boat ride was still fun though. We stopped at two incredibly small islands, one being the island of Brac; both looked as if they were ghost towns. There wasn’t much to do, so instead we used our free time to take pictures of each other. After we returned from island hopping, we were absolutely starving so we headed over to FIFE, a local favorite. This restaurant focuses on fresh ingredients prepared simply and traditionally and for a good price! We shared many different plates, including a calamari, gnocchi, & risotto (which tasted more like paella). In the middle of our meal the weather took a turn for the worst – it began storming! Most of the time weather is never an issue for me; but as we ate dinner outside only protected by a thin tarp, the rain began to cause a lot of frustration. Not only were we getting wet, our food was too. It was not the best meal, but it was for sure one of the funniest. After dinner, at what we referred to as the RAINFOREST CAFÉ, we ran home and cuddled in our beds.

Beautiful coast of Makarska

Shannon and I in Makarska

In a religious country, such as Croatia, there is nothing to do on Easter Sunday because everything is closed. Knowing this, Shannon and I booked a day trip to MOSTAR, Bosnia and Herzevgovina. Though not one of the more visited cities in Eastern Europe, we liked the idea of adding another country to our expanding lists. Because Mostar is about 3-4 hours away from Split, we made a quick stop in MAKARSKA, Croatia. As we arrived to this little beach city, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the sun shined bright. Like Split, the town was pretty dead because of Easter, but it was still a beautiful place to make a pit stop.

We left Makarska and headed towards Mostar, a city filled to the brim with historic importance. In 1991, Bosnia and Herzevgovina declared independence from Yugoslavia, resulting in the CROAT-BOSNIAK WAR that lasted from 1992-1994. Today the town is divided between Croats, who dominate the western bank, and Bosnian Muslims, concentrated on the eastern side. As we drove into Mostar, the most noticeable monument in the town was clearly the OLD BRIDGE, also known as Stari Most from which Mostar got its name. This bridge is one of the most famous victims of the war and claimed 100,000 lives. The bridge was built in the 16th-century by the Ottoman Empire. The 100-ft bridge arced between the two halves of Mostar for 427 years, became a symbol of the town and represented centuries of mostly peaceful co-existence between the Croats, Muslims, Serbs and other communities that lived there. The bridge survived wars, earthquakes and floods and outlived the Ottoman and Austro- Hungarian empires and communist Yugoslavia. However it could not withstand the attacks by ethnic-Croat forces who wanted to dominate parts of Bosnia and were willing to ethnically cleanse the region of Muslims and Serbs to achieve their goals. At first when we arrived to Mostar it was pouring rain. No one in the group was prepared, so the first thing we did once in this city was run to find a restaurant. About an hour into our lunch the sun decided to come out. Though it was still windy, the fact that we were dry was a huge deal. As I walked through the streets, buying souvenirs and gifts, part of the town began to remind me more and more of Marrakesh. This is probably because of the large Muslim population that still occupies part of Mostar.

Annie and I at Krka Falls

Shannon and I were exhausted from such a long day and fell asleep the second our heads hit the pillow. On Monday we left Split early to spend a few hours at the KRKA NATIONAL PARK, a park created to protect the Krka River. One of the main attractions at this park is SKRADINSKI BUK, the most widely visited series of waterfalls in Croatia. This massive, natural waterfall flows through the park and is unbelievable. We left Krka in the mid-afternoon and headed back to Prague on another 14-hour bus ride. We arrived in Prague around 3 in the morning, giving us enough time to sleep for a few hours before our flight at 11 am.

Overall (other than the weather) I had an amazing spring break, but I was so ready to get back to Barcelona. I missed having my own space and I missed the weather. I didn’t realize how tired I would be from the endless traveling, but once I returned on Tuesday I slept the entire day, through the night. That following weekend is one of the only weekends I decided not to travel and I’m so happy I didn’t! I explored Barcelona and enjoyed a quiet weekend. This past weekend was my last weekend abroad, so I decided to end it with one last hoorah. Look out for my next post and see where I traveled!

Ciao.

Spring Break Part 1: Prague

I spent the first half of my spring break visiting the capital of the Czech Republic: PRAGUE. I spent a total of five nights and five days there. At first when I told people how long I would be spending there, most made faces and said, more or less the same thing: "What the heck are you going to do in Prague for that long?" I never knew how to answer, because in all honesty, I really didn't know much about Prague. Previous study abroad students told me that if I visit one city this semester I must make that city Prague. Other than hearing how amazing this city actually was, Shannon and I arrived not knowing what to expect. Fortunately, Shannon has a good friend (Adam) studying in Prague, who not only let us stay with him until Tuesday, but also was our very own personal tour guide. He took us all over; showed us yummy places to eat, how to use the metro and tram system, and tons of important monuments we probably would have never seen on our own.

Shannon and I in Prague

We arrived in Prague on Saturday afternoon and shortly after met up with Adam. He lives in a really central location, very close to most things. He took us over to Old Town Square, where we planned to take a few pictures, until it started pouring rain. As the rain quickly turned to hail, the three of us took refuge in James Dean, a cute little diner that certainly seemed out-of-place in Prague. Once the rain died down a little, we headed over to U MEDVIDKU, a 550-year-old beer hall and restaurant, that serves it's infamous X Beer 33. A darker, yet sweet brew that has an alcohol content of 12.6%, making it the strongest brew in the Czech Republic! It was way to sweet for me, but there were plenty of other beers for me to enjoy. After dinner and a few beers, we prepared for our first night out in Prague. Adam took us to the club, CHAPEAU ROUGE, where we danced and drank all night. Later in the night, Shannon and I took our very first ABSINTHE shot, which may or may not have been one of our better ideas.

at the Lennon Wall

Sunday we woke up early (read:10 am) to prepare for a day filled with lots of walking and tourist attractions. We grabbed breakfast at Prague's well-known bagel shop, BOHEMIA BAGEL. Bagels are my ultimate hangover food, not to mention I hadn't had one since being abroad. Needless to say, this was the perfect breakfast. We left breakfast and walked over CHARLES BRIDGE, a historic bridge in Prague, that lead us to the LENNON WALL. Since the 80’s, this wall has become a tribute to John Lennon, filled with Lennon-inspired graffiti and lyrics from Beatles songs. Right around the corner is a gate that overlooks the canal; the gate is filled with 100’s of locks. Couples leave these "love locks" as a way to symbolize their everlasting love (a little cheesy if you ask me). As we walked back to take a nap, we tried some traditional hot wine. It tastes more like apple cider, than actual wine, but it was a yummy treat that kept us warm until we made it back to the apartment. We took a much-needed nap and then headed out for the night. Sunday nights aren’t big in Prague, so we kept it more casual and just went to a few bars. We started at SHADOW BAR and then made our way to U SUDU. U Sudu was one of my favorite bars – it seemed like a more local hangout and just had a really cool atmosphere.

Babies at Zizkov Tower

We started Monday off with lunch at this really yummy thai restaurant called YAM YAM . It’s located literally right off the metro stop, VYSEHRAD. After some amazing pad thai, we explored Vysehrad, a castle that is said to be the original settlement of Prauge. In this area, the Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul is situated, as well as the Vysehrad Cemetery, which contains the remains of many famous people from Czech history. Later this day, we went and saw the ZIZKOV TV TOWER, made famous by the crawling baby sculptures created by artist David Cerny. We intended to go up to the top of this tower, but it was actually closed so instead we stared at the babies crawling up the tower. Monday night my roommates were finally in Prague so we all got together, grabbed dinner, then headed out for another crazy night in Prague. We started of at the Roxy then made our way to another bar. It was yet, another, very successful night out in Prague.

Enjoying a night out in Prague!

Adam left for his spring break Tuesday, leaving Shannon and I alone to explore the rest of Prague. We used a lot of Tuesday to plan out our Wednesday and Thursday adventures. We also walked around Old Town Square, where we tasted some traditional Czech pastries. While walking around we happened to stumble upon WOW, a little Boba stand, situated in an underground tunnel. Shannon and I both love Boba, so this find literally made our day! For dinner, we went back to the thai restaurant, but this time we brought our friends to it. They loved it, just like we had!

Wednesday my roommates, Shannon, and I took a day trip with Sandeman’s New Europe tour company to the small city of Terezin, about 45 minutes outside of Prague. This city is home to a concentration camp, where Hitler and the Nazi’s occupied during World War II. We spent the entire day here. It was incredibly interesting, especially because I had never heard or known anything about Terezin until this tour. (See the next post to learn more about my day at Terezin).

View from Petrin Hill

Thursday was our last and final day in Prague. We started our day with a trip on the funicular that took us to the top of PETRIN HILL. This hill is in the center of Prague and home to the lookout tower (something that resembles the Eiffel Tower). Shannon and I climbed to the top of this tower and were able to see all off Prague. The view was beautiful! After Petrin hill, we intended to tour Prague castle with the same tour company that took us to Terezin, but once we met up with the group it was pouring rain. Now usually I’d be able to suck it up when it comes to rain, but unfortunately we were traveling on a 13-hour bus ride to Croatia in about 5 hours, with no change of clothes. Neither Shannon nor I could fathom sitting on a bus for that long and that wet. Instead we grabbed lunch and did a little souvenir shopping. That night we boarded a bus to take us to Croatia! 

Spring Break 2012

I've been back from spring break for a week! I had a blast exploring different parts of Europe, but I'm so happy and glad to be back "home." I had been traveling nonstop since I left the previous Saturday. Traveling as much as I did truly took a toll on my body. I was extremely exhausted and literally slept for 48 hours.

To begin, let me tell you where I actually was! My adventures began in the Czech Republic. I spent Saturday to Thursday exploring the city of Prague. Thursday night my friends and I boarded a 14 hour bus that lead us to the coast of Croatia. We spent Friday to Monday in Split, Croatia, with a minor detour to Mostar, Bosnia. For my blog, I'm going to split my spring break into two posts. One talking about Prague and the other talking about Croatia.


Enjoy!

This is a map of where I traveled during Spring Break. The pink stars show the cities I traveled too! The arrows represent travel by airplane, while a pair of paw prints denote 2.3 hours of travel -- by bus!