Travel Stories | Expat Life
You know how when you’re exhausted something that’s a little bit funny can seem incredibly hilarious? That seems to happen a lot while traveling.
Mike and I had a really good laugh over these statues at Wat Pho.
Everyone’s struggling to hold up the pillar.
And then there’s this guy:
Funny, but not that funny.
Do you have a similar story?
xo, jill
When we were trying to decide what to do in Bangkok, Mike kept asking me if I’d been to the temple with the reclining Buddha. I kept replying, “Maybe. I can’t remember.” Thailand has A LOT of temples. It’s hard to keep them all separate in your mind.
Mike felt pretty certain that if I’d been to Wat Pho, I would remember. We headed over there to check it out. He was right. This temple is not easily forgotten. First, it’s huge (80,000 sq meters). Second, there’s a giant indoor reclining Buddha (43 meters long).
The rest of the temple was lovely as well. We did our best to explore shady parts of the temple. It was a hot day. So hot that the temple was kindly giving out free water to visitors.
I have to say, I was not excited to return to Bangkok. Mike and I had both already explored the major sites in the city on previous trips. What were we going to do with two and a half days? I was beginning to feel tired and not really in the mood to navigate a loud and bustling city, which made it difficult to want to leave the hostel. But since you can’t squander travel opportunities, we ventured out on a walk.
That’s how we came to visit Wat Traimit, home of the Golden Buddha.
The Golden Buddha is believed to have been made in the 13th or 14th centuries. At some point in time, the statue was covered in plaster to disguise it from raiding enemies. Unfortunately, the disguise was a little too good. For approximately 200 years the true value of the statue was forgotten. It was only in 1954 when the statue was accidentally dropped that the inner golden Buddha was discovered. What a nice surprise.
I suppose it’s a little like when you hide your Christmas presents just a little too well… and discover them the following year…except a lot more exciting.
xo, jill
Today’s photo from the hip comes from Elin at Taste of Slow, a travel + vegetarian food blog. What a great combination!
Elin submitted this photo that she took at a fishing village in St. Louis, Senegal. I really like the powerful contrast between the blue and yellow colors. And that car. Between the passengers inside and the load on top, I’m impressed.
Thanks, Elin!
xo, jill
From the Hip Friday features photos taken without the use of a viewfinder. If you have a photograph that was taken from the hip you’d like to share here, please contact me!
Although I kind of wish I was finished writing about Thailand and Laos, I have quite a few stories, photos, and novelty snacks left to share. The plan is to power through and get it all up in the next week or two. Plenty of exciting things were happening during my last few weeks in UAE that I am eager to share.
But back to Laos…
On our last afternoon in Luang Prabang we took a tuk tuk out to Kuang Si Waterfall. The weather was warm and we were looking forward to a nice and refreshing swim.
We disembarked the tuk tuk and walked the rest of the way to the falls with a quick stop at Tat Kuang Si Rescue Center. The rescue center is a sanctuary for bears that have been confiscated by local authorities. Most of the bears are Asiatic Black Bears. Unfortunately for these guys, they are a key ingredient in traditional medicines. In 2003 the center was founded to protect the bears and educate the public about their plight.
After visiting the bears, we headed towards the falls, ready for a swim. Conveniently, a rope swing hangs from a tree that looks like it was grown for such a purpose. Mike took a few swings from the tree and a few jumps from the waterfall. I jumped once and spent the rest of my time trying to keep the fish from nibbling at my scabs. (Remember how I fell in Thailand?) Needless to say, that was pretty gross and generally unpleasant.
At one point I asked Mike and another traveler we were with if we should continue up the trail to see what might be around the corner. The other traveler, an incredibly interesting woman, assured us that we’d seen everything there was to see. Well… later that evening when I purchased a few postcards it was obvious that we missed the big falls. Oops!
After returning from Kuang Si, Mike was feeling a bit ill so we took it easy. I went into town for one last trip to the market and then called it a night. The next morning we took an early flight back to Bangkok.
xo, jill
So far, being home has meant time with family and friends, a surprise picnic, and a gorgeous hike in the gorge. Plus, there’s been lots of sleeping, reading, and eating of good food. I’d say it’s been a pretty fantastic first week back.
And now announcing the winner of the lovely Laotian alphabet tote… Em! I’ll be sending you an email so we can figure out the best way to get it to you. I’ve never mailed anything to Saudi before…
Thanks to everyone who entered! It was comforting to read your goodbye stories.
xo, jill
