Seattle Sightings

Getting There~
Who would have thought only a mere two and a half hour plane ride away was one of the most amazing cities I've ever experienced thus far.
Like an itch you can't reach in the middle of your back, I was ready for another Mid-20's Travel trip. I rounded up two of my closest girlfriends
and off we went to meander through the sky scrapers of downtown Seattle.

April Showers?~
So whoever said April showers brings May flowers must have been a tad bit off on this April weekend, because I don't think we ever saw rain! When meeting up with old co-workers who currently resided in Seattle, they too exclaimed the wonder of our luck to see Seattle on such a beautiful weekend. After checking into the Renaissance Marriott in the heart of downtown, we ventured out to my most favorite American past time--- a baseball game!!! Now this was the life! A cup of cold draft beer, a hot dog with all the trimmings and some of my most prized friends accompanying me to bask in the entertainment of a Seattle Mariners game.

Top of the Space Needle~
As most might feel the necessity to partake in such a touristy endeavor, we joined the bandwagon and booked a lunch at the top of the Space Needle. Little did I know the fear of heights my friend experienced would be a little more intense than anticipated. Sweaty palms, queasy stomach, all the signs of the easily diagnosed phobia of high places. Once inside the restaurant, she was more at ease as long as she didn't get the window seat. Crab cakes, fish, and anything fried was listed top on the menu. Everything was delicious, the view was to die for and the photos, priceless.

The Red Door~
What's a vacation without a night out on the town? Local friends took us out to a local hot spot, the Red Door, at 34th St. in the Freemont area. This place was spilling over with plenty of 20-somethings and ale. I'd have to say it was definitely a hit.

Seattle's Best or Starbuck's~

Seattle not only housing my favorite pastime, but also my favorite beverage indulgence-- coffee! Not only do they claim the name of Seattle's Best Coffee, but they also claim the birthplace of the world's largest coffee shop ever, Starbuck's. We couldn't miss this opportunity to head to Pike's Marketplace and straight into the FIRST Starbuck's for a quick caffeine fix!

Australia: A Bed in Bondi

Dream of Sydney~
Few of my friends can say that they have traveled across the globe to one of the happiest countries in the world, Australia, second only behind Iceland. I would have to say that I agree, and I say that with a smile. When you first fly into Sydney, Australia, you can't help but notice the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge and think how such a romantic city can be so far away from your everyday reality of Southern California life. I have to admit that as a single twenty-something I fantasized about meeting a hunky Aussie man with his thick accent swooning me as I linger over every word he says and dream about how our kids will all have blue eyes and thick Aussie accents themselves. Snap out of it. No, I did not meet my prince charming, only a handful of Mr. Wrongs, Mr. Just Todays, and Mr. You Looked Cuter Before You Started Talkings! I did find myself on one of the most romantic dates of my life in Darling Harbour with a French man from Paris, whom I met while waitressing in Bondi Beach. Who can say they've done that?

Bondi Beach Bonding~
So where do you go when you need a place to live that's affordable? I highly suggest finding a house where you have "flat-mates". It helps to meet friends quickly, save money and allow for loads of interesting experiences. In the three months I lived in this house on Curlewis St., I shared quarters with a perverted, 40 year-old English man who was recently divorced and going through a true-to-form mid-life crisis, a total of 7 Irish, 2 of which I still keep in regular contact with, and 2 others who were twins and almost burnt the house down! My work was a few block down the street on the beach off of Campbell Parade. Belgian food and Belgian Beer. Finding a job was much easier than I had expected. My suggestion to you girls who tend to turn the heads of most men, get a job waitressing. You will not only make great tips, but you will meet TONS of people doing so.

Public Transportation Rocks~
So the difference between Southern California and Sydney, Australia is that public transportation system actually works! As a matter of fact, we rented a car for the first two weeks of our trip and ended up turning it in early due to the inconvenience of having a car, paying for parking, gas, lack of spaces and the sheer convenience of having the bus stop on our street that picked up every five minutes and took you virtually anywhere you needed to go! Not to mention almost everything we needed was walking distance anyway.

Going Back Someday~

Yes, I am going back to my home away from home someday. If anyone wants to send me a free one-way ticket, by all means I won't turn it down! I lived there from August to November, and it was a life changing experience that I will never forget and long to re-create. Some other must-see places that I didn't get the opportunity to visit before would be the Gold Coast, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

The Kingdom of Thailand: Or as I may like to refer to it, The Cure for the Materialistic-Minded.

Materialism~
If you know of anyone who has a shoe-fetish, can't resist the mall, or thrives on the newest, hottest fashion of the week, take them on a much needed "De-Materializing" trip to Thailand. Here they worship tiny spirit houses rather than designer sunglasses, and they opt for "shoes-off" instead of "shoe-collections." In the sweltering humidity, the last thing you can even think of doing is adding another layer of powder to your face, or touching up your hair with a curling iron. It's all about simplicity. A bathing suit, sunscreen, flip-flops, and a water bottle are among the top necessities (I almost forgot the most important thing, Mosquito repellant!). For those who cringe at spending top dollars, it might take a little getting used to the currency exchange when $1USD = 32 Baht! A dollar does go a long way here...

Full Moon Party~
Most know of Thailand by the movies that portray it, like The Beach, where full moon parties turn the modern traveler into a moonstruck zombie. On the South-East side of the island of Koh Panghan, some 10 to 20 thousand tourists voyage across the Gulf of Thailand on a small ferry from Koh Samui with the view of Big Buddha fading in the background and high hopes of letting loose in the moonlight to the sounds of techno, house and trance well into the night and morning hours. What most don't realize is that all the multi-straw bucket drinks and the blue-white pills that everyone around you is consuming can all too often create an environment that most might deem as unsafe. My full moon party experience was cut short when two brothers traveling from Iran decided that the possibility of having two American girls to take home sounded enticing... We bee-lined through the next crowded club and lost them without looking back. (*Tip for girls: if you don't want to offend some guy who buys you a drink, pretend to sip through the straw, comment on how delicious the drink is and then offer a taste to the guy who bought it!)

Elephant Trekking & Kayaking~
Ever see a materialistic diva get dirty? Take them elephant trekking through the jungle forrest north of Ao Nang near Krabi. Then sit in the back of an old pick-up bed to the next river for a kayaking excursion where wild monkeys snip at the local Thai tour guide's back and force the group to kayak faster than Team Germany did in the olympics!
(*Tip: Make sure your double Kayak has the diva in the front so you can keep an eye on her rowing!) Take a much needed lunch break in between trekking and kayaking and fill up on the endless supplies of rice and pineapples. If you get sick of eating all the pineapples yourself, there's always plenty of hungry monkeys, elephants and locals to feed them to. How do you get to Krabi from Koh Samui? Well, we took a van with four other travelers, lasting about 3 hours without any air-conditioning, and wondering where the driver was really taking us! Oh, and I almost forgot, the pick-up bed turned out to be the home to many wandering critters, spiders and scorpions were the two most noticeable to me!

Shopping~
Yes, there is shopping, and lot's of it! Back to the urban metropolis of Bangkok, you will find many things to buy with your Baht. Be prepared to bust out your bargaining skills to get the deals you want for the things you think you need. Everything from electronics to jewelry can be found at the street markets, but the question I always wondered was, "Is that really a Von Dutch?" Getting your hair braided was also a wise investment on these streets, as the humidity doesn't always fair well with your hair, and it's relatively inexpensive! Don't forget to save a little extra Baht for the trip home, as there is an airport fee to get back on the plain that we weren't expecting. Not to mention, make sure your back-pack is fully zippered closed, as you may lose some important personal belongings to those walking behind you... (such as your new digital camera you just bought at a great deal!)

Food not for the Picky People~
For those of you who have experienced your fare share of materialistic girls, you probably might guess that when it comes to food, one word stands out -picky-. So, when you pass by the McDonald's, (which by the way, I swear there are more McDonald's on this planet than there are trees!) she will demand to stop and eat for fear of having to try some rice concoction on the side of the road in a cart. What you might not expect is that in Thailand, they have some of the most amazing foods. I personally have a love of spicy foods, thus finding the streets of Thailand a haven of mouth-watering, nose-running delights!

Best Time of Year~
So most wonder when is the best time to visit this simple-minded paradise. We went in November, which is considered the end of the rainy season. I'd have to say our choice in dates was rather rewarding. The sites we experienced were one of a kind, from Temples, to bridges, all were exquisite and memorable. Not to mention if we had decided to make our Thailand Trek one month later, we would have been amidst one of the largest natural disasters to date, the Tsunami, which hit the coast of Krabi where we resided for 4 days just three weeks after we left.

+Hertravels+