DanielaBea

Wow. I have not written in a long time. Yesterday Ayal, one of the Israeli guards of my building, the Mercaz Clita, or Absorption Center, in Arad, commented that I always look tired. After telling him that he should stop being such a typical unkind Israeli male, my friend Emily and I had to agree with him. I am exhausted. Constantly. Primarily because I am never ever free. I take 4 or so hours of Hebrew Ulpan (intensive Hebrew language study) 4 days a week. Difficult enough but to add to the difficulty, I am also in a level a bit above me and should therefore be learning at least 20 new words a day to keep up. One of my teachers (I have 2 that switch off without coordinating their curriculums, and am thus being ... read more

Talk about a strange 2 months. I had some hesitation about leaving Thailand earlier than I expected, felt like maybe I should have explored the area more, but one of the most striking things about my recent travels has been the contrasts between all the places I have been. First, Thailand, land of amazing food (oh man, do I miss it), coconut milk shakes, sandy beaches, cheap markets, and wandering around alone wondering what the hell to do with myself. Then Paris, a city that just oozes charm. I swear, just being there gave me a high. (Luckily my roommate here lives just outside Paris so now I have 2 people I can crash with when I go back.) Then driving from there to Spain, seeing the gorgeous countryside lit up with autumn leaves, going to ... read more

This is going to be quick b/c I have 3 hours left in Bangkok. Anyway, I spent 3 great days in Kanchanaburi. Met some really fun English people to hang out with - yesterday I was actually thinking with an English accent. It was awesome. Anyway, I went over the Bridge over the River Kwai, went to a great museum about the work camps in the area during WWII - a lot of Allied prisoners of war died in the construction of the Thailand - Burma railway along the River Kwai. Talked to one of the Brits about movies/music/ art in general for hours, went to a waterfall with 7 levels, the Erawan waterfall. Mainly just had a great time. Oh, also one night while we were watching a movie at the hostal, it started raining ... read more

I bet that title got your attention. Ha ha ha. Anyway, I've been in Chiang Mai for the past week and am about to leave for my next adventure... This week I wandered around markets ogling countless cheap and gorgeous things (okay, I also did a bit of buying, but everything I purchased miraculously fit into my backpack, so I don't feel too bad about it...and neither will my family when they see what I bought them). Shopping here is an experience like none other. There are so many great things and they all cost a fraction of what they would at home. The first few times I went to the market, I was so overwhelmed I just wandered around not even trying to bargain or buy because there was too much. I got over that ... read more

The past 4 days have been packed with so much that I just have to write it all down. First of all, I did explore Chiang Mai a bit - went to the Sunday market, walked around looking at all of the beautiful yet cheap skirts, bedspreads, lights, wooden bowls and spoons, purses, etc. The islands were like being in a cheaper Hawaii or Cancun, and walking in the market made me feel like I was finally in Thailand. Afterward I went out for a strange mix of chocolate milk and Thai curry - not something I would recommend, but it was somehow very emotionally satisfying. It was very refreshing to sit there, by the window, trying to eat most of my curry so as not to insult the people at the restaurant (my waiter came ... read more

It's been a long week. I've gone on 5 dives, met a lot of people, obtained roughly 4 new injuries, spent 24 hours on trains, seen 5 sharks, read another book (East of Eden), drank countless coconut milkshakes (they are amazing), and sat on the beach for many hours. (Don't worry, Bo, I put on sunscreen.) In a less condensed version: I went to Ko Tao, a very small island in the Gulf of Thailand, on Sunday. When I got there, the people in my taxi told me to go to the Buddha View Dive Resort, so I went. (I sold my guidebook to a used bookshop in Bangkok, so I basically just go where other people suggest now. It's an interesting way to travel, if a bit nerve-wracking at times.) It was a decent place ... read more

Last night as I was returning home on the back of a motorbike, the sweet smell of shampoo blowing in my face from the long hair of the driver, lights punching holes in the darkness, I really wanted to write my blog. I was poetically inspired. Maybe it came from the first coffee drink I've had in months that didn't make me sick, or the excess of sugar from a scone I had just eaten, but I felt light and ready to share. Now, it's the morning and I leave in less than an hour and I'm not packed and I haven't picked up my laundry yet but I still want to share a little of my journey. Traveling alone is in turn hard and wonderful. The beach I'm staying on is gorgeous (I've tried to ... read more

So I got to Ko Samui yesterday morning after a 14 hr. train ride and a 4 hr. ferry ride. It is a nice island...I'm staying in a bungalow on a very empty beach. It's a welcome change after the insanity of Bangkok. Yesterday I walked along the water, only seeing a few people and some lonely boats. The water was warmer than the air. Crazy. There are also a lot of pups here, and not the gross mangy kind you see in the cities. They're not too friendly though. The closest I got was when one ran by and licked my hand. The birds are a little friendlier. Yesterday I was eating lunch and one jumped up and ate a peice of rice off of my plate. The people are also very nice and welcoming, ... read more

I got to Thailand 2 nights ago, found a small room on Kao San road (backpacker central) for B140 a night (the equivalent of $3.50), and have been wandering around the city for the past 2 days. Why I love travelling in "less developed" countries: 1. They are cheap as hell. I spent 50 cents on Pad Thai earlier today and it was way better than any Pad Thai I've had in the US. 2. The smells. My cab from the airport had a string of magnolias hanging from the rearview mirror. It was nice. 3. The sheets. In Nicaragua I had Little Mermaid sheets in my homestay. Here, I have sheets that say "California Dreamy" all over them and have little pictures of teddy bears. I don't want to know the last time these sheets ... read more