Things to Remember if Visiting Thailand

Now that I am on my second tour of Thailand I've come up with a list of tips or advice I'd like to share for those who plan to visit this beautiful country.

1. It is HOT.  Get use to it, get over it.  Be prepared to sweat.
2. Wear bug spray.  Trust me.  
3. Wear sunscreen.  Trust me.
4. If a hotel or the accommodation where you are stating states they have cold showers don't be turned off. Trust me that is the exact temperature of shower you are going to want!
5. Remember that a little spicy means VERY spicy.  If you are not a fan of "the spicy" tell them NOT spicy at all. If you are a fan of "the spicy" you may have just walked into heaven.
6. Thai people take Buddha and respect seriously.  Yes Thai people are fun and kind but respect is an undertone they expect. When visiting temples (for women) make sure your knees and shoulders are covered.  Yes capris and long shorts are OK.
7. If ever sitting down at a table do not prop your feet up on a chair across from you.  To them, your feet are the lowest part of your body and it is rude and disrespectful to ever point your feet at someone.
8. Do not ever touch anyones head, especially Buddha's.  Your head is the highest part of your body and most sacred and should not be touched by strangers.
9. If ever taking pictures with Buddha make sure to kneel down so you are lower than him.  You should never stand taller or over Buddha.
10. Come with an open mind, and open nose.  Some of the smells can be alarming at first.
11. Don't over-pack.  Thailand has some cheap, cute and amazing clothes.  You will want to buy the big flowy pants after you realize all the clothes you brought are too tight and stick to you.
12. Only drink purified or bottled water.  I have not put this to the test as I'd rather be careful, let me know if you find out otherwise. But most resorts or hotels are aware that most foreigners cannot stomach (literally) their drinking water and provide water bottles on the daily, or for purchase depending on your accommodation.  It is OK to shower with their water but I would not brush my teeth with their tap water - use bottled or purified water to be safe.  Same with ice.... I normally tell them no ice with any drink. The other night I did order a small bucket of Sex On The Beach and that came with ice and I was fine. Ingest at your own risk. 
13. Their safety standards are quite different from what I'm use to in the US.  You will see three to five people on a motorbike, without helmets, and there are plenty of trucks and buses with people chilling in the back with no seat belts.  This has been quite fun though. Such a cool and interesting way to explore Thailand.  They do drive on the opposite side of the road than the United States so I would recommend hiring transportation unless you are already comfortable and experienced with driving on the left side of the road.
14. Upon entering certain homes or restaurants you may notice shoes piled outside the door.  If you see that please take off your shoes as well before you enter.  
15. Of course with visiting any foreign country is will pay dividends if you are able to speak a few greetings or questions in their local language.  
16. In most "non 5 star" type establishments the "napkins" they use are almost the equivalent to kleenex.  Very thin, almost invisible small squares.  It takes some time getting use to using this type texture as a napkin.  Be prepared to go through a lot.
17. Speaking of tissue, in these same "type" establishments - when it comes to the toilet paper there are no differences.  Very thin toilet paper.  Sometimes you may even need to provide your own!
18. Speaking of the toilet - be prepared to wipe and place your toilet paper in a bin beside the toilet.  You will most likely see a sign requesting that you do so. There may also be a chance that you will need to "flush" the toilet yourself.  In that instance you will see a bucket of water next to the toilet with a smaller bucket in there.  Simple fill up the small bucket and pour it into the toilet. Yes, gross I know.  Same thing for squatting toilets....

Ok I know the top three things may make seem unappealing at first glance. BUT - everyone will be sticky, sweaty, greasy, etc.  If you don't accept this you will end up with extreme sunburn and a plethora of bug bites.  I saw a girl yesterday that looked like she had chicken pox, but they weren't small dots, I'm talking welts.  Women - it is actually nice to be all natural and not wear makeup, etc.  Embrace letting your skin GLOW!

Thailand is SUCH a magical place it's very hard to put experiences into words.  The southern part of Thailand including the islands has the best snorkeling I've ever experienced.  If you have not yet checked out this beautiful country I HIGHLY recommend putting this on your list!

My 1st Buddhist Temple Experience

Ever since first stepping foot in Thailand in 2011 I knew it was a special place.  It touched me to the core and ever since it's been a place I've never wanted to or have been able to forget.  Buddhism has a special place in my heart, soul and mind, and today I had my first real Buddhist Temple experience - in Thailand.  I was blown away.  

Before we entered the temple we walked on the outskirts of the grounds being able to view this giant Buddha from afar. As we got to the main entrance of the temple we took off our shoes and listened carefully to the directions on what we needed to do. In the front there was an alter where we needed to stop and make our blessings. There were candles, incense and flowers. The first thing we needed to do was light our candle and place it on the rack with the other burning candles. We then lit our incense and placed that with the other incense and the same with the flowers. We then kneeled down in front of the alter and privately said a blessing. We also blessed the Buddha, the teachings and the Monks by placing our hands near our third eye and bowing our head to the floor three times. Also included in our "entry packet" was a small stack of thin gold sheet stickers. Once our blessings were finished we put a gold "sticker" on each of the five Buddha statues in the background.

After this we were off walking around the temple. Little did I know I was about to get to see this big gold beauty up close and personal!

If you look closely you will see it is made up of many small golden tiles.

In no way did I expect to see a Buddha of this size, beauty or stature. I was captivated. I had a couple moments of my emotions almost starting to pour out, but I held it together. At this point anyway. We continued walking around the temple and slowly made our way out after in depth discussions on the history of Buddha. In all of my readings I did not realize that the Thai people and the Chinese viewed Buddha differently. I thought they all thought of Buddha as the same man. In short I think they do - it's more so the history that's different. Wow - doesn't that sound like all types of religion...

When I left that temple my soul felt SO full. A piece of my puzzle was finally found which now put me one step further in my journey of life.  

I hope each and every one of you are able to experience something as beautiful as I did today.  Namaste.  :)