Jessica Wandering

Photos and thoughts on my travels

  • Goodbye Koh Tao

    So with rain and our colds we decided to just take a walk on Sunday.
    The trail went by a couple gorgeous resorts with boulders and trees clearly just left in place and built around.
    I wonder if the stones help keep them a little cooler
    Some were certainly in need of repair. but look at the water right there!
    Then you get to the semi private beach
    Pretty butterflies
    Sleepy cats
    View up the mountain. By this time we had gotten eaten alive by mosquitoes so we went home.
    It is a cute and busy courtyard that makes you smile
    So many silly statues
    Like really, so many…
    Then a boat to Surat Thani with an island national park out the window.

  • Ranting about our e-bike experience and more fish pictures

    So we tried to rent e-bikes. But we took them back 2 hours later because it was TERRIFYING. My description to a friend on the day “The scooters and trucks all just pass you with little clearance. There is no clear right of way so you can never start. It’s the wrong side of the road. There is no sidewalk so there are pedestrians, and dogs, and cats. Zarah’s is a monster fat bike thing that the assistance isn’t enough for the hills then she has to push and every time she stops more than 1 min she has to restart it with a pen because the button is broken. Mine turned off for no reason and won’t turn back on. It’s 86F and humid. We are done.”

    I had really wanted to explore the island more and it was fun to get a little farther than the three main streets and the beach we have gotten to on foot. I didn’t take any pictures, I was too focused on staying alive. Most people get scooters and I can see going faster being a bit safer in some ways because everyone isn’t constantly passing you. But I just don’t feel comfortable enough to try with so many others on the roads. There is also something about travel insurance not covering injuries you if you don’t have a motorcycle endorsement. And I also keep seeing 3-5 people a day with bandages from scrapes or burns from them. And a coworker who went to Vietnam for a PT school trip said scooter accidents were the main thing they were treating. I believe it. Maybe someplace super chill with few others around, but not here.

    When the bikes didn’t work the next day we tried a kayak.
    It is such a rocky island, the formations are pretty cool. We wanted to get to a new snorkel spot but failed to check the map as to how far that would be. It was 3-4 miles as far as I can tell. Each way. The water is very calm so it is easy going but it was still a long enough way that the rental guy was surprised.
    Tide was really low when we got back so we could just see things without even going swimming!
    And a nice sunset on the water.
    That got even better on the walk home. We followed this trip up with massages for our aching backs. We have tried not to start getting them so we wouldn’t get one every day. But that day it was really really good.
    So then we were back to just puttering around in the water. Not a bad thing.
    Out of focus, but such a pretty fish.
    More healthy corals
    Scary but cute.
    They really look like they are looking at you. But they are not, no eyes. But they do have photo sensors on their spines that let them point the spines at danger.
    More clams.
    And my favorite! He’s little, maybe 4-5 in but so colorful! Crescent wrasse
    It is also very fun to be surrounded by 50 fish at a time….

    Oh and it was Lunar New Year here starting yesterday. The internet said it would be today so I was entirely unprepared for firecrackers at 7:57am.

    Neither was this poor cat. It was on our porch when we opened the curtains and quickly jumped down to the little roof below our floor and is looking up deciding where to go next.

    Happy New year to all! May it be prosperous and joyous for you.

    I may not have much to post for a few days. Zarah and I both have a cold and are feeling like maybe snorkeling is not letting our sinuses heal.

  • More Koh Tao, Thailand

    I finally got the pictures from our instructor in the SCUBA course. Instructor, Nici (short for Nicole- she’s Swiss) is on the right. Claire, an Englishwoman was our other class mate. We had a good time.
    I finally went snorkeling so I could take pictures! The urchins here look extra-sinister with their long spines. On the right is a giant clam. I really don’t understand how they get buried into the coral like that.
    Underwater photos are always really blue and out of focus. But I really love taking pictures of fishes, so bear with me? Sargent majors..,
    Butterfly Fish…
    Bunches of fish…
    Parrot fish…
    Needle fish…
    Rabbit fish?
    And we saw two turtles, which is good since Koh Tao means Turtle Island.
    But so far the most special has been this blue spotted ribbontail ray. It just did its thing riding through the sand and let us watch it for ten minutes or so.

    Apparently they use electroreception to know there are buried animals they can eat. Then they ruffle the sand to get down to them.
    Some a of the coral is certainly dead, but there are some really healthy colonies too. But I’ve never seen so much live coral so that is really neat.
    It’s cool when it’s colorful
    And when it’s big and brainy
    And I really love the soft corals with cleaner fish. I really want to touch them! But I don’t.
    Then there are the little fish that are in the shallow water.
    My favorite are the bright blue ones!
    And did I mention giant clams? They are just cool. They move if you get close, because they have hundreds of eye spots! These are probably 6-8 in across but they can live 100 years and get to >4 feet!
    Also, there are Christmas tree worms. If you wave at them they retract.

    Thanks for humoring me. I really can’t stop taking pictures of fishes. We had a great day trip to five different spots and that was really fun and it was nice to meet other people. But it is also fun just to putter around in the bay near where we are staying.

  • This is the life

    The sunsets have been super amazing every night. It’s actually probably because the farmers on the mainland are in their crop burning time of year. It’s much clearer today than this night was.
    This cat lives in a restaurant and just doesn’t feel phased by people at all.
    Flowers around here are amazing too.
    We’ve been learning to SCUBA dive which has been so great. It is good to learn things. We did some videos before we got here so we got in the pool and did skills almost immediately. Like go to the bottom of the deep pool and take your mask off and on. Or share your air with someone. Or take your whole apparatus off and on at the surface.
    It was certainly scary at first to trust that you can breathe, but you get used to it fast. I’m glad I’ve snorkeled as much as I have, it makes it way easier. Our instructor Nici is amazing and clear and encouraging. I’m so glad my friend recommended Koh Tao Turtle Divers. They have been super professional and easy to trust.
    Zarah is basically a fish she started swimming literally as an infant. It all seems pretty easy for her.
    We passed the course!
    I haven’t been comfortable taking underwater pictures yet. Just focusing on doing things right and passing the skills. But I hope to take fish pictures such as I can with my phone soon. These are just swimming in 6in of water on the beach.
    These are in 12 in. It’s amazing how unfazed they are and they swim right up to within a foot of you.

  • We May Have Reached Paradise

    Koh Tao or Turtle Island.

    I get a bit seasick, but as long as I had a good breeze and a view off the boat it was ok for the 2 hours it took to get there. The herbal patch behind my ear also helped.

    I little village I hope we get to go see. We finally are staying in one place for two weeks and can rest and sink in over time. I’m so happy for that. And so happy it is here.
    Bedroom with a Mountain View, air conditioning is a must, $40/night.
    Restaurant kitties.
    I’m very pleased with this place.
    Beachside pool tables with a breeze to keep the mosquitoes away. Pooch is only semi friendly, really he just want food.
    The drinks were STRONG
    The walk home magical.

    Today we started our basic SCUBA training. It was great, we watched some videos before we got here and then got right into gear and into the pool to practice. Our instructor Nici is a great teacher and we only have one classmate so we get lots of attention.

    It is a bit scary at first, anything goes wrong and your brain just wants you to rise to the surface…NOW. But they have you practice all things that could possibly go wrong so you get used to relying on the air in the tank.

    It is nice to have something meaty to learn. It’s nice to meet and have a lengthy interaction with people in addition to my wife. Tomorrow we start right off on the boat!

    They were handing out 50% off one item coupons to this place. A little down the beach. Green curry lentils with peas and yogurt, Vietnamese chicken noodle salad, two soda waters, a fresh squeeze juice and a berry smoothie- $11.
    Another end to a beautiful day.

  • Two nights in Bangkok … and the world’s your oyster.

    Realizing how important nature, walking and a sensory reset were, we looked for a park near where we stayed and took a walk the first day. It was so warm and more what our original vision of the trip would be.
    They had public exercise equipment- three different areas like this.
    Impressive orchids that don’t need a greenhouse for o stay alive since it’s 90F and humid pretty much all the time. I could definitely commit to getting rid of all the cold weather clothes! It is usually hard for me to get rid of useful items, but clearly the cost wasn’t going to be needed…at…all.
    And a free butterfly garden
    This was enclosed so they don’t fly away or get eaten by crows and mynah birds.
    This lady was very friendly and was wearing a truly perfect dress!
    Pretty magical. I hadn’t remembered this so Zarah was unprepared. Which was even better.
    Then we ran into this guy, at least twice the size of the first! The patterns on their backs are lovely.
    There were workers out leaf blowing and raking and there were lights and guards to make us feel safe walking home at night.
    Then we got to the Chatuchak weekend market. I have never seen anything like it. Stalls maybe 6×12 feet and packed together into 15-20 aisle of 60-80 stalls. Then a diagonal section adding another half. Trinkets, clothing, food, massage, art…in the evening there was a really good DJ we listen to for a while. We barely scratched the surface, but we were there at least 7 hours. Somehow the crowds don’t bother either of us nearly as much when they are people going about their varied activities. The tourists on a mission are what seem to be draining. We could watch people here all day, and we did. We didn’t take many pictures though. The energy but also the relaxation of moseying and shopping don’t really come out.

    We didn’t find out until later this is the largest open air market in the world.
    Bad air quality makes for a beautiful moonrise.
    Day two was getting to the big temples and palace.
    I loved the many fountains with statues doing yoga.
    At one point there was some call and response chanting coming from one of the bigger buildings. This is Wat Phra Chetuphon.
    This is the reclining Buddha. He is 46 meters long… meters!
    The detail on the walls is almost as much a sight as the 46 meter long main attraction.

    The soles of the feet have “108 auspicious symbols by which the Buddha can be identified” inlaid in mother of pearl.
    This was so genuine and kind it made it more special.
    Pretty extreme heat for a second day when we have been in winter for several months was getting to us. So we found a nice little restaurant with a Michelin star. This water spinach side, Crab dip with veggies, and pad Thai with shrimp, and mineral water and virgin mojito all under $35.
    And did I mention the view out the window of Wat Arun?
    Even after eating in air conditioning we weren’t feeling great so we skipped the boat ride and the palace and the temple of the Emerald Buddha. I needed to refill some meds and had to get to a doctor’s appointment for that before we head to the small island of Koh Tao the next day.
    Next day had a pretty sunrise. And the 8:40 am flight took off at 8:25!

  • A little more Nara and the last few days of Kyoto

    In Nara, after we fed deer and healed my knee we took a long walk in The Primeval Forest.
    Quite lovely, bit like home. The emporer decreed no one could cut trees here in the year 841.
    A pretty waterfall
    Crazy vines in there
    And some ancient Buddhas. We missed the really ancient cave Buddhas somehow but we were tired and didn’t want to backtrack.
    The next day we went to Kinkakuji which was impressively gold coated.
    It had really lovely gardensg, including a heron friend
    Fishes
    And so mossy we had to look it up and see that Kyoto gets more rainfall than Seattle!
    Then on to Arashiyama bamboo forest.
    There’s really very little more soothing than the sound of wind in the leaves and watching the easy sway.
    And watching the gentle sway
    It snowed a little the next day so we went to the history museum
    Impressive building but the more modern one is where you see the daily use pottery tens of thousands of years old!
    Snow inspires dancing, as it should. I also love that there is The Thinker…
    And we went to the national botanical garden
    And spent some time in the conservatory staying warm with the plants.
    CHOCOLATE TREE!
    Angles
    Highly impressive unfurling.
    Orchids!
    An impressive array of orchids
    And bonsai
    So many kites wheeling over the river together
    One last layered mountain effect in Japan.
    Then we had a long train ride to the airport with a conductor in his twenties wearing his white gloves and uniform, doing his checks complete with hand signals, jogging onto and off the platform, checking his booklet. All with a crisp alacrity so missing in work at home. I appreciate individuality and rebellion, but it’s so lovely to watch a guy that age really getting into his job.

    Goodbye Japan. Our unplanned add-on adventure. On to Bangkok and throwing away our cheap winter coats we will no longer need!

  • More Kyoto and Nara

    It’s interesting how many buildings and sub shrines there are at each temple. I haven’t figured that out.
    Another really big, crowded but cool one was Kiumizudera. It has a nice view of the city. And…
    A three part waterfall where drinking from each stream gives a different benefit. One for health and longevity, one for love, and one for knowledge. If the shared dippers worries you, please note the dippers go into ultraviolet chambers between uses.

    It was worth the wait. I like ritual acts a lot. I always mean to make some for myself like meditation or certain things at certain times of day but it is so much easier for it to feel powerful if it’s been there a long time and had meaning to so many.
    The details in adornment are lost in my photos, but they are certainly there.
    In Nara there are so so many deer. Part of tourism is to buy “deer crackers” to feed them which keep them around the grounds for everyone to see.
    They have been trained to bow.
    I couldn’t help myself. I did the thing.
    And found out why they have cut their horns off!
    It wasn’t until much later I saw this helpful sign many blocks away from where most of the people and deer are interacting.
    Speaking of amusing signs. I’ve been collecting a few
    This whole situation was strange. Google maps had us go this way. 4’7” is not tall enough for nearly any adult.
    And this ice cream shop got several, because WTF?
    No really…
    But sometimes there was amazing coffee.
    And sometimes there was also really yummy food, and occasionally ramen that was gluten free for Zarah.
    And sometimes surprises. We got these just for walking in a restaurant on that day.

  • Kyoto

    Our lodging is right near the Kamo river and there is a lovely recessed walking path all along. White-faced herons and also great egrets are quite the common site. And the herons especially do not seem to mind being pretty close to humans. I rarely get this close to the great blue herons at home and these keep letting me.
    The mountains from the bridge by our hotel the first afternoon. I love that layered effect with the clouds.
    This must be in Kyoto Goyen National Garden. The sun was lovely at the golden hour.
    We also found our first whiff of the wintersweet tree that has been starting to bloom in the week. It smells so good! The wintersweet is special because it comes first of all the fragrant flowers, in January to remind you spring is coming.
    And the we found this amazing place was about 1/2 a block from our hotel. So yummy fruit ice cream, and with crunchies in the middle and vanilla on top with toppings! We had one every evening, until it snowed Wednesday and Thursday and they didn’t seem to open.
    The next day this temizuya was particularly striking with its dragon. It is a purification ritual before going to the main hall of a shrine to pray. You use the ladle to rinse the left hand and then the right and then your mouth if you choose- I saw many folks not do or almost mime the mouth part.
    Kyoto is known for its many very ancient Buddhist temples (1600 of them!) and Shinto shrines (400). They are cool but the crowds have bothered me more here than Tokyo. To me a visit to a shrine is to feel awe at the number of years and number of people this place served for ritual and prayer. Having many people who clearly are there just to take a photo and seems sad for the few who are earnest in their prayers.
    Also, because I am ignorant of the differences between pure land Buddhism and other specific sects, I find the descriptions of the Buddhist temples mostly less interesting- year founded, who the person followed in faith. The Shinto often will explain this is the place to pray for good harvests or easy childbirth etc and these don’t give me enough anchor especially in the crowds.
    They are certainly still very impressive in construction, especially considering these are likely from the 1100’s. This is in Nara where the capital was in the 900’s.
    This one stood out though. This is Todai-Jo in Nara. It was built in the 700’s and was both a place for training monks and learning Buddhism it was also a place people prayed for the peace and happiness of all people.
    It has a MASSIVE Buddha statue. Notice the tiny buddhas in gold surrounding him.
    And two golden Buddhas on either side of the big bronze one. I looked deeply into the eyes of the one on the left for a long time and I felt a power coming up from the ground making my body tingle and feeling lifted up. Not literally, but energetically. I was grateful for that.
    And various protectors arrayed: at the gate
    Behind,
    And on the front corner. I paid the admission fee for this guy. It is a statue of Binzuru who was said to have mastery of the occult and psychic powers. It is said if you rub the part of him that corresponds to a pain or ailment you have it will be healed. And I have to say, my knee that has been bugging me for 3+ weeks suddenly was a whole lot better the next day. I’m not questioning how or why, I’ll just take it.

    We went to Heian Jinju a temple and a quite lovely Garden in Kyoto.
    This temple is also cool. But again very crowded so I felt less grounded or intrigued because I was busy dodging people and trying not to block peoples pictures.
    There was a cool bamboo grove there.
    We were happier on the walk up the path away from most of the people.
    And looking at the mountain
    And when we see the animals.

  • Hiroshima Peace Memorial

    The area of the epicenter is all one big memorial and it is a moving and devastating place to visit. This is the memorial centograph housing the names of all the victims of the A-bomb. The arch over it is to provide shelter for their souls. The epitaph on the centograph reads “Please rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the error”

    The inscription on the front panel offers a prayer for the peaceful repose of the victims and a pledge on behalf of all humanity never to repeat the evil of war. It expresses the spirit of Hiroshima — enduring grief, transcending hatred, pursuing harmony and prosperity for all, and yearning for genuine, lasting world peace.

    This post has a lot of words. Many inscriptions are so eloquent. And I am not finding words or that the pictures can express the experience. In a world with so much war and violence, I hope we can all be better messengers for peace in whatever ways we can.

    The inscriptions all talk about hope for world peace. And, going through what they did, they have a perspective only Nagasaki can share.
    Anyone else remember reading “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes”? this is the Children’s Peace Monument with her at the top and many artworks of paper cranes on display around it. Mostly made by children.
    Monument to the students who were mobilized in the war effort. Almost 7000 died in the attack. It is decorated with Goddess of Peace as well as eight doves which are placed around the tower. To the sides of the tower are plaques which depict the work that the students did, such as factory work, female students sewing, or showing students working to increase food production.
    The bomb exploded 600 meters above and 160 meters southwest of this building. Because is was almost directly above, it left some vertical walls standing and the iron frame of the dome.
    The A-Bomb Dome
    Not a map, but pre war photos
    I think there was another two-sides of the room
    photo of after. But that’s when I needed to stop taking pictures and slowly take it all in.

    Here’s a couple from the internet:

    This is near the entrance of the actual museum. It is dark in there – no windows. So quiet even though there were a lot of people. It was so frank in its descriptions and pictures and art and quotes from family left behind.
    I took a a quiet walk later around the grounds to cry and process. And I came upon the burial mound with the lights just come on
    And the Bell of Peace.
    I rang it three times. One didn’t seem enough.
    And then I was on the other side and found the fountain dedicated to all who died asking for or wishing for water.

    You should go here if you can. It is an experience I will carry forward for my lifetime.