A memorable vacation trip experience

Vacation

The beauty of Had Rin beach brought tears to my eyes, but nothing nearly like those that streamed down my face after biting into that curry in Bangkok. From its stainless steel bins the curry tried to warn me. "You can't handle me," it said with its oily surface and pieces of chili floating on the surface. Alarm bells sounded off in my brain before I burnt my tongue but young and arrogant I said, "Oh yeah?" Feeling proud of myself, I boldly ordered a plate of it by pointing. I had no idea what kind of curry it was or even if it had meat inside. I took the plate of curry, which came with a small pile of rice, and sat down on the plastic chairs provided by the vendor on the sidewalk. The food looked fabulous, almost as pretty as Had Rin. It was a shame I was so hungry because it burned so badly, I could barely make it past the first bite. It was delicious, though, and when I came back the next day the lady laughed at me and said, "Want more?" I ate the whole thing; like drugs, chili builds up a tolerance.

Thailand yields itself to travelers this way: in hot bursts. I loved traveling there for every reason: the beaches, the food, and the fun. Nightlife in Thailand is notoriously naughty and I went into the bars with an open-minded attitude but one that demanded a few beers. Shopping in Bangkok was almost as fun, with ultra-modern shopping malls and quirky street shops. Bangkok was not nearly as nasty a city as my friends had told me. Sure, the auto pollution was bad during rush hour but I avoided tuk-tuks and instead chose to take the water buses, which are like the vaporettos in Venice. Like Venice, Bangkok is a city rich with canals. The canals offer a peaceful way to see the glimmering tops of Thai wats. Watching the world go by, I would often sit on the boats for the fun of it and not just to get from place to place. I also rode the buses, which was far more fun than doing it at home. Bangkok opened its heart to me, and I reciprocated by relishing every moment, no matter how spicy.

From Bangkok I headed to one of Thailand's most popular tourist islands: Ko Phan Gan. To get there I had to take a bus and a ferry but the whole journey took less than a full day. When I arrived, my friend and I headed straight for the beach even before we found our hotel room. Thankfully, our room was a bungalow on the beach. We stayed a week, leaving two shades darker than we arrived. Not sick of the beach scene yet, we took the boat to Ko Samui, which is next door to Ko Phan Gan. Ko Samui was equally as scenic. I did not want to leave.

However, the next leg of our journey sounded compelling and we put on our backpacks and headed for the hills: literally. Northern Thailand is laden with mountainous regions that are peopled by hill tribes. The indigenous peoples of Southeast Asia have been marginalized geographically and culturally but tourism has introduced their folkways and customs to the rest of the world. While visiting hill tribes, I questioned the effect that tourism would have on the traditional people of the world. On the one hand, travelers like me and my friend brought much-needed money to their village. On the other hand, the villagers risked assimilating into the dominant culture and losing some of their traditions, languages, and values in the process.