KELLIBRATION

I was coming from the island of Koh Lipe to Hat Yai, and that journey entailed a hairy speedboat ride and then a transfer to a van and a pretty long ride. There were other people in the van as well, and I sat in the very front next to the driver. When we were finally getting close to the city, I was excited, and ready to check in to a hotel and find some food. But to my dismay, the traffic once we reached the city proper was incredible. I realized that I had probably an hour or two more before I arrived at my hotel, but once I did finally arrive, I was amazed. This place called Bhava Residence looked so much better than the photos had on Agoda. It was fancy and modern; also the huge room had a basic kitchen -- microwave, large refrigerator, and sink (to wash dishes?), and a balcony. I was stoked. Arrived! Very excited to be staying in a room bigger than a closet  (i.e. the last hotel I had stayed in). The evening I arrived, I was a bit tired from the long travel day, and since the ...

 Langkawi island is known as "the jewel of Kedah" - a fairly large island in Malaysia steeped in mythology and legends, an island where I had my first real "solo" trip, and for that reason, it remains special to me. This time, though, I went to Langkawi as a jumping off point to go to Koh Lipe, an island in Thailand. This used to be the easiest way to go to Koh Lipe as it was just an hour boat ride from Langkawi. I say WAS, because I discovered on this trip that they had shut down that route, either for the rainy season or permanently-- I couldn't decipher which--- but I actually had to go on a very roundabout way from Langkawi to Koh Lipe this time, so just a word to the wise, in case you had thought about taking the same route! I had been in Malaysia for a little more than a month, and I was excited to go vacation in Thailand. That being said, every single time I leave Malaysia, I start to miss the food before I've even left. I think it's because it...

 I decided to go to Hat Yai for the fried chicken. I know. I get a laugh every time that I've told someone that, but it's the truth. Hat Yai is famous throughout Thailand for having THE best fried chicken. You'll find restaurants in other parts of Thailand selling "Hat Yai fried chicken." Hat Yai, being the closest major city in Thailand to Malaysia gets a huge influx of Malaysian tourists--- and Malaysians know their fried chicken. I daresay, if you were to have to name just one city in Southeast Asia that is known as the chicken capital, Hat Yai would be it. This style of fried chicken is known for it's perfect fried exterior, flavorful interior, and the copious amount of crispy shallots that they serve with the chicken. It's a double crunch situation. So, on this trip, I made Hat Yai, the city proper, one of my destinations. On the way there, though, I first stopped in Koh Lipe island in Southern Thailand, very close to the border of Malaysia, and I rea...