Thailand is a warm country where people are friendly and dogs do not bark at strangers because they seem to have adopted the relaxed character of their owners. Naked children play in the sun, and easy-going shop owners bargain with customers about prices. Although many Thai people are not rich, most of them do not seem to worry about money. I have heard that Thailand is a lot like Mexico. If that is true, I want to go to Mexico because I like warm weather, friendly people and hot food.
        Air pollution and traffic congestion are as bad in Bangkok as they are in Seoul or any other big city, which is why many visitors escape as quickly as possible when they get to Bangkok to the North or South by train, bus or mini-van. The real life of a country is often found outside the cities, and I did not go to Thailand to spend a holiday at a five star hotel in Bangkok.
        In the northern and southern parts of the country, I met many interesting people and saw many amazing things. I trekked up a mountain on the back of an elephant, watched the sun setting on the horizon from the shores of beautiful islands, and saw monkeys gathering coconuts from palm trees. I watched Thai boys swing deadly cobras over their heads and met and spoke to people from almost every country in the world. I drank what Thais drink and ate what Thais eat. Thai food looks a lot like Korean food, but the rice is drier, the overall smell is stronger, and the spice does not linger on your tongue. Part of the adventure of travel, however, is eating local food. Seafood is a specialty in Thailand, served fresh at bargain prices. I ate wonderful lobster and shark on Koh Samui.
        Many Korean women never have the opportunity to travel abroad. Those who do often take group package tours that restrict one's freedom to explore independently. These package tours frequently feature eating at Korean restaurants and generally associating only with other Koreans. I know this from personal experience in Guam. I believe, however, that travel is more worthwhile if Koreans avoid package tours, Korean food, and associating exclusively with other Koreans. We can do that without leaving Korea. How can I explain to westerners who grew up in an environment of individual freedom what it is like for a Korean woman to go abroad and feel completely free for the first time in her life? In Korea women must fight for liberties that are taken for granted in other parts of the world.
        Of course, travel can be dangerous. According to one guide, an elephant sometimes stumbles on narrow mountain trails. When I asked him what happened to the tourist on the elephant's back, the guide said, "They usually die." I was also told that on the island of Koh Pha-ngan an average of ten tourists a year are killed by falling coconuts. The death count may be exaggerated, but I know from personal experience that on a windy day the exploding coconuts sound like bombs falling from the sky. At the snake show in Chiang Mai, a cobra jumped out of the ring causing the audience to scatter in panic. An ambulance is always on call, but since the nearest hospital is hours away, the victim usually dies. For some reason, the snake handlers made a point of telling us this. Despite the risk, one handler kissed a cobra on the mouth. For the less adventurous, cowards and dullards can see thousands of butterflies at a local butterfly farm, and they don't bite.
        Any activity that involves water entails some risk. If you go bamboo rafting in Chiang Mai, you can depend on two things. You will fall into the water, and your raft will come apart. If you are not lucky you might also crack your head on a rock when you fall into the water. This is definitely not a sport for the weak of heart. Ferry travel can also be hazardous when the sea is choppy. The ferry from Koh Samui to Suratthani banged violently against the Suratthani pier for forty minutes before the pilot decided that the ocean was too rough and tried to land somewhere else. Amazingly the ferry did not sink, although one passenger fell overboard and many became seasick.
        At the time, every problem, whether it was a missed train connection or a guide who tried to cheat me, was magnified in my mind. As time passes, however, the irritations of travel fade from memory, and I recall only the positive experiences. When I think of Thailand today, I remember a land of beautiful mountains, spectacular sunsets, and exotic adventures. For me, Thailand is and will always be an amazing place.