Nicole Goes to Korea

Three weeks into my time back in America, I decided to do the Warrior Dash!  Livingsocials.com had a special deal for half off race registration so I took it as a sign that I needed to jump right back into the racing culture!  Indeed, it has been way too cold in Asia this last season to muster the energy to run.  Thank goodness for the fantastic weather in California (I’ll never take it for granted again), the sun inspires me to get moving everyday!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkcBOu2makU&w=420&h=315]

I wasn’t able to get anyone to do the Warrior Dash with me, so yes, I actually drove out to Lake Elsinor by myself for this race.  Many of my friends were humored by my enthusiasm to go all the way out there solo, but ya know what…

Traveling solo in Thailand has taught me that everywhere you go, even if you go by yourself… you are never alone!

At the Warrior Dash, I randomly bumped into my good friend Jamie from UC Santa Cruz and ended up at the starting line with her and her friends.   Here we are in the picture below all muddy after the finish line.  I also met along the course, a stunt man actor in LA and a woman in the US Navy.  I wish I got a picture with them too, but they were out of sight before I could get to my iphone.

Being that this was my first race back in America, what a contrast from the races that I attended in Korea!  The Warrior Dash was full of loud and energetic YOUNG runners, which contrasted from Korea’s ajusshis (older Korean men) that dominated the race.  Also, Americans LOVE to get dressed up for a fun atmosphere on the course, hence the Santa Clause team here.

Cheers to an active lifestyle back in the States!  So what races or events worth your while are coming up, my fellow Americans?

Yes, it’s true!  I’m back on American soil!  But before we get into that, allow me to backtrack to my last adventure before I headed on back.  I went to CHINA!!!

So I convinced my mom to fly into Beijing to travel across China with me: from Beijing, to Xian, and then to Shanghai.

Here we are, reunited at the airport.  I always knew my mom would make an excellent travel buddy, and I expected, it was true.  I really am my mother’s daughter, as she is an older version of me in so many ways.  We enjoy the same foods, have the same sleeping pattern and energy levels, and we both enjoy meeting new people and talking to everyone all the same!  So much fun!!  Together, we were invincible!

First stop, Beijing!!  We spent 5 days there.  We stayed at really nice Hostel called the Red Lantern.  While in Beiing, we saw Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City, The Great Wall at Mutianyu, the Temple of Heaven, the Olympics Bird’s Nest, ate Peking Duck, and watched the Beijing Opera.

Tucked away in Haad Tien Bay at the island of Koh Phangan is a lovely place called the Sanctuary.  This is where I spent the majority of my Thailand vacation.  This place was absolutely AWESOME.

The place can be described as a unique hippie land retreat, offering many different experiences of your choice!  You can simply relax on the beach and enjoy an eclectic menu of vegetarian, vegan, or raw options.   Of course there’s also the detox program, liver cleanse, etc.  I also filled my time with yoga, spa treatments, and workshops of all sorts.  The best workshop I attended was Transformational Breathing.

As for me, I went to The Sanctuary for a fasting detox, a 5-Day Master Cleanse.

The Fast

So here is how the fast went.  Upon my arrival to the Sanctuary, I checked in and was oriented into the program where I also enjoyed my last meal of solids for the next 5 days.  I enjoyed a refreshing salad…

And checked into my dorm room! (Which was a pretty sweet deal, super cheap.  Like, less than 10 bucks a night.)

So for the next 5 days, I was on a strict regimen of detox shakes and herbal supplements.  I wasn’t completely deprived, the cleanse also allowed for all the fresh juices and teas I wanted to replenish and nourish the body as I liked.

The shakes were made of bentonite clay and psyllium husks.  In the picture you can see a clear jar with my name on it.  That’s for my first shake of the day that I had to take myself at 7am before the detox center opened at 8am.  All my shakes after that were made in the detox center, where they would add a bit of watermelon juice to ease the taste.   Thank goodness for the watermelon, without it, the shake tasted exactly how it looks… like clay.  I honestly wanted to hurl every morning.

Anyway, here are the clay shakes and the herbal supplements…

And every night, all the detoxers sat down together for a vegetable broth dinner. Everyone looked forward to this every day.  The broth was soothing, but mostly, it was a fun time to enjoy the socializing aspect of eating that we were missing each day.

People from all over the world conversed over the broth, sharing their stories of what brought them to the sanctuary.  Instant connections were made and I really felt a comforting sense of community through the whole experience.

You would think that you would be tired and miserable during a fast, but to be honest I never felt better!  My body first hit a cranky phase on Day 2, but after that my energy levels kept going up and up!

I woke up every morning to see the sunrise, I even went kayaking.  During my yoga classes I literally experienced tingling sensations as it had rejuvenated itself throughout the process.  Also, without the routine of eating, I had given myself so much time to clear my mind and redefine myself.

I am forever grateful for my time in at The Sanctuary.  I can sincerely say that the experience changed me forever.

(photo courtesy Jane Fischer)

I stayed at an awesome hostel!  Right next to the sky train, but also away tucked away in a calm area of Bangkok is Saphaipae.  I loved it there!

This hostel was a bit nicer than the cheap deals you could get on Khaosan Rd.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the dorm rooms.  I stayed in the all-girls floor and all the ladies were really nice.  I even met some Korean girls.  There were actually a lot of Koreans traveling in Bangkok!

The place was super cute!  There are a bunch of computers available for internet use 24/7 and a really friendly staff!  They even offer a free cooking class every Wednesday!  I love free, I definitely jumped on that.  I learned how to make sweet and sour chicken.

Yay for Saphaipae!  It was a great place to meet good friends!!

Farewall Korea, today I leave for China!  I’ll be traveling for about 10 days before I return to America.  My mom is flying out to meet me in Beijing and from there we will see Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai!  While I’m away, I set my blog to showcase my Thailand trip so all you readers can enjoy some posts on the daily!  So let’s get started!

The Grand Palace

This is one of the top recommended sites to see in Thailand.  The Grand Palace shows cultural influences from all over the world throughout it’s architecture.  You can see Chinese porcelain on some buildings and European columns on others.

Thailand has never been colonized, but instead has maintained itsef as a middle ground for relations between the east and west.