Bang Saen
After the adventure to Phi Phi Islands, I circled my way back across the ferry to Rassada Pier in Phuket. I took a van back to Bang Tao to finish any necessary tasks, such as searching for a shirt that I had bought at the Uniqlo in Taipei that the local laundromat had seemingly lost, as well as saying goodbye to my new friends that I made before I left to Phi Phi at a nice restaurant in Bang Tao called “Farangs by Key’s.” After my goodbyes and small errands I made my way up to the airport to fly into Bangkok, then a cab to Chonburi, to meet up with Honey for a place to stay and enjoy the quieter life in eastern Thailand.
Bang Saen, a university town is full of interesting markets and infrastructure. The city is definitely the location of students and working professionals alike. It was during this time that 7/11 became a staple of life, and after having one too many “toasties” from 7/11 while on Phi Phi Island, I couldn’t get enough of the ham and cheese toasty that they warm up for you, plus a bottle of Thai tea.
Chonburi was a pleasant stay in the meantime between further travel, as the party life elsewhere had drained me of needed energy (plus the rabies vaccines that I am following up on every so many days actually does exhaust you).
I rented a scooter in Chonburi again, as is the pattern I’ve made in every city I visited, and the convenience of travel was much easier to explore my spontaneous stops along the road- especially Thai tea and coffee shops.
The Thai buffets are incredible, and affordable. The quality of food for an amazing price makes you want to return again and again. From seafood to quality meats, you cook what you want on a personal at-table charcoal fire and boiling pot for all desired foods.
Another impressive surprise was the fact that a small restaurant called Lungyik Steak had larger than Texas portions of food, including the crispy chicken burger which took me two whole days to finish. The menu portions were monstrous!
It was only a matter of days before the next move was an incredible decision to make the journey to Chiangmai- a nice change of scenery to include mountains of green, waterfalls, and an amazing city filled with culture and vibrancy. I was only now just waiting for Honey to complete some of the requirements with her English teaching and classes.
For the meantime while I was in Chonburi, the perfect combinations of traditional and native Thai foods and tea, plus a bit of foreign flavors brought together a homey feeling that allowed me to enjoy my stay as I prepared for my next move across the country.
