Since my last report from Chang Mai my new travel companion and I have moved north through Thailand up to Chang Rai and then over into Chang Khong. Both places had a less than touristy feel and people seemed to have our best interests at hand. It was a great way to end the last part of my journey in Thailand. Even with the inversion and all the smoke from the slash and burn style of crop production here in Laos we enjoyed the extent of our views and bus rides through the country side.
Bright and early and with weary confusion we made our way across the Mekong river from Chang Khong, Thailand into Laos. After boarding the 40 odd foot long boat complete with wooden benches with a sit up straight attitude and leg room for a tiny elf we began to notice that the boat was not only approaching capacity, but also exceeding it at a rapid pace. All of a sudden a boat of similar characteristics next to us began shuffling miscellaneous objects around and people literally started jumping ship to get some space on the new boat. Believe it or not i was one of them! With plastic chairs and leg room we rejoiced in our decision. Now six hours on a boat is a long time in general, but on the Mekong it is a really long time. This would be our fate for the next two days. Our stop over, half way to Luang Pragbong, was a bit hectic with the baggage situation, but we got a good night sleep for another repeat day. The water is quite low at the moment and people living in remote villages could be seen gathering green mossy stuff off the rocks in the river, clams, and fishes. Mountains rose and fell along the way and granite faces dotted sandy shores. Navigating rocks and even a few rapids our 7 hour day landed us in Luang Prabong with a sore ass and a few new friends.
Just a short stroll through the town after dropping our packs and we could tell that the vibe was not quite like we expected. I am talking upscale accommodation, food, and designer clothing stores. Monks a plenty walked purposefully everywhere and actually dominated an Internet shop across from a temple near our Guesthouse. Streets remain uncrowded almost all day with the mad rush coming from kids on bikes once school was out. In true form our crew from the boat met at a pub to celebrate Saint Patric's day. Our boat actually filled the entire bar and once it closed around 12 the 5 or so Irish in the group were not done partying. So we all joined forces and made our way by tuk tuk to the nearest bowling alley... You read this entry right...Bowling Alley! Settled out of town a ways and in the middle of a dirt field we arrived at a fully modernized alley complete with a giant rubber chicken that flashed on the overhead TV, informing you that indeed you did miss all of the pins. I mean this never really happened to me :), but um i know people it did happen to. Needless to say we were all shocked and could not stop laughing about the strange anomaly. Everyone had a blast and St. Patty would be proud. Up early to the sound of monks beating drums, symbols, and chanting in the Wat behind our guesthouse our solid crew of 7 got underway to a local waterfall. Unannounced to us the ride took 40 mins or so and in the back of a tuk tuk on alternating road conditions proved quite long. We reaped the benefits when we discovered not only bear rehabilitation center, but a Bahgera! Who was at about arms length behind a chain link fence. Close encounter indeed! Only in South East Asia. The jungle was lush and we arrived at a pristine pool of aqua blue water being fed by a nice 10 foot by 15 foot waterfall. Serenity, i think so. With only a handful of people around i could hardly get my big toe into the water fast enough. Fresh cold pure water welcomed my body with a friendly zing and some long awaited goose bumps. As i lay floating on my back staring up into the canopy of the trees i felt at peace. Finally i was back in my element...water! We hiked up the trail all the way to the source, stooping at each level of course. Without inversion the view would have been amazing instead it was great. Now refreshed and revitalized we moved back to town luckily for us we got a flat in our 2 outta four of our tires on the way back to town and had to sit around for about an hour for a spare. Between the 2 tuk tuk's only one had a spare while the other carried a spare flat. Not so use full when it comes to needing a new tire :) Back on the road felt like we were gonna loose a gearbox on a decently graded hill, but somehow we made it home.
With a special street market going on we decided to meet and eat on the street and head again to our favorite place in town. The bowling alley. Its so nice to enjoy some of the comforts of home along the way and there really has been no better way since arriving here in SEA. Another night of erect pins and excess fun we prepared ourselves for an overnight trip in a mini bus. Destination: Vang Vien
Up through mountains down through valleys we passed many hill tribes and Lao people shuffling and bustling doing various daily tasks. Scenery filled all the windows of the bus and you could feel the contentment in the air. Arriving at night we check our riverside elevated bamboo bungalows for spiders and snakes and moved in. All 8 of us had bungalows within throwing of each other. The town was hustling and bustling with locals and our day of stay extended into about 5. At 3 dollars each a night it was quite an attractive location. One night awoken by screams the girls next door wanted me to come wrangle a mouse for them. Unfortunately for them i left my Wrangler shirt was dirty and i politely shouted them the sad news. We spent two days floating the river, which during low season can be cause for quite a sore butt. Bars dot the banks and real people in with zip lines and giant rope swings the likes of which i had never been witness. Oh yes I got on those baby's and it was quite a thrill let me tell you! Nights were quiet due to our semi removed location to the town center, but fun none the less. Oh by the way the pace here is slow way slow. Like really really slow.
Skipping through Vientiane our now 7 person crew has arrived in Pakse after a 16 hour adventure. Headed south in a couple and will keep y'all posted!
Happy, Healthy, and Hot i send my love to you all and hope all is well on the home front.
I would like to thank everyone for all they have done for my good friend JM and ask you to please continue to keep my good friend JM in your thoughts and prayers so her recovery can be quick and full!
Christopher
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Some pictures of the adventure
Me and D at the Grand Palace... Amazing
Ko Lanta Haven
Unkown
trying to look as tuff as the statue. did it work?
taking a break. check out the details on these dudes!
If you want to check out all the pics just set up an account at flickr.com and add me as your friend. My username is surffari2323
much love and peace
Ko Lanta Haven
Unkown
trying to look as tuff as the statue. did it work?
taking a break. check out the details on these dudes!
If you want to check out all the pics just set up an account at flickr.com and add me as your friend. My username is surffari2323
much love and peace
cont...a true story (read other entry first)
The morning after is just as great as the night before. After searching for a new locale to rest our heads for the coming night we decided to have it out with the woman behind the all too intimidating counter. At 600 baht a night it was not cheap for a bamboo shack! We decided to go for 300 at the most. After our explanation that mice inhabited the room the wall and our bed she was willing to knock off 100 baht for us. What a sweet lady! Our conversation dragged on for about 5 mins and i finally had to take the reigns. I looked at the woman square in the eyes and said, "I am not exactly sure if you understand what i am saying, THERE ARE MICE LIVING IN OUR MATTRESS, we will give you either nothing or 300 baht." She shot me and Danny a devious look and croaked, "300 baht good for you, okay." After giving her a good amount of money for a shack that should be condemned she mutters, "good luck...." Needless to say the remainder of our time on the island was spent watching out for her and her thugs and making light of the crazy happenings.
We trekked around most of the island and found some incredible stalactite type rock formations dripping from the overhanging of these giant mountains. Some had caves that went about 50 feet back into them and displayed nearly no support of the millions of pounds of brown matter above. Nature seems to laugh at the laws that have been created by man and makes about in her own fabulous way, seemingly defying all acts to classify her grand beauty. Standing under these huge overhanging structures of rock dwarf you as a human.
A secret trail up and through a mountainous area can be located by the crafty traveller. This secret spot holds the reward of lagoon which few who have visited ever see. You make a little scramble up the face of a semi steep mountain and end up at the top in the midst of trees and bushes. Following a small pathway cut through the brush we eventually ended up in a little canyon surrounded on all sides by cliffs. Jurassic park comes to mind and the sense of anothers staring gaze is unavoidable. Huge trees shoot up from the fertile floor and ancient vines spill out over all the rock faces. Dead silence looms in the air and a misty earthen fragrance is palatable. Fallen trees bring nutrients and shelter to small ferns and who knows what species of prehistoric animal. Everything is lush ancient and unspoiled. The light is slipping and we stand at the top of about4 20ft shear drops before we can reach the lagoon. You can just see it through a crack between 2 of the mountains. Too dangerous and not enough light. We would never see this place, but i will never forget it!
Our cove consisted of 2 beaches. The poor backpacker beach and the wealthy family beach. It was a bit cleaner and boasted a pool for their guests. A large rocky point separated the two and the other side could only be reached on low tide across slippery rocks. I must say the it was quite nice to lounge in the pool and pretend. Plus the lounge chairs were a bonus! Somehow we pulled our stunt off and never got caught. Sunsets are a major event on islands in the south. Ton Sai was no exception. As the enormous sun sunk into its watery grave D and I joined in a soccer game with the locals. I found out that it had been way too long since strenuous exercise. I have found that soccer (football) is the universal sport and i made a cool connection with all the locals playing their game in their environment!
It was time to head to a new destination in search of new adventures. What we found was neither! Phi Phi island was hit very hard by the tsunami just several years ago. If no pictures of the island displayed the state of the island after the water hit you would never know anything had happened. Overly developed falls short of this tourist hot spot. So many stores and places to stay i could hardly wrap my head around the situation. Hustle bustle and no time for peace and relaxation. Apparently this is the hip place for younger kids from Scandinavia to visit and visit they did. With way too much happening on the island we got off it on a cruise around to the different islands. Our vein attempt to escape was thwarted by huge speed boats and fast snapping tourists. I mean crap the lagoon from the film "The Beach," is not a lagoon at all. In fact it is a cove with the most tourist covered beach i have seen since arriving in Thailand. Got some okay snorkeling on the trip and met a few people, but our destinations were far too worn by people. Sad, but true Thailand needs to adopt some kind of development plan and start protecting not just the national parks, but also the islands set up for tourism. Eco is not on the mind of most proprietors $$$ is all that matters. We had a definite lull here and we discussed on several occasions downtrodden feelings about the tourism and destruction of these spots.
D went off to Phuket to sort out his visa and i headed south to a little place called Ko Lanta. Hooked up with some friends and landed a great spot on the beach for cheap. Now this was my kind of place. After spending such a long time with adults and kids my age we ran into a rather large pocket of children staying at our place. The pool sat right at the edge of the beach and like tadpoles the various kids swam all day with ever enduring life-force. Maybe a situation that would have annoyed at another time was quite a comforting situation for me. I bathed in the rays of the sun most days and enjoyed the clear water of the ocean. The pool was cool to and i turned a little German dude on to surfing and surfing lingo. I could see a lot of myself in him that i believe i was like as a tyke. There he was all of 7 or 8 trying to surf his little raft and speaking to me with incredible english!!! We are far behind in the scheme of teaching our children a new language and i have come to believe it is imperative in a child's development. It is a life treasure that can enhance a child's life from the very start. I spent some great alone time at the secluded end of the beach and got reconnected with the chill pace of life. A local bar keep befriended us and even entertained our tongues with Cobra and Monkey Brain alcohol. What an experience! Raw to the core and totally unexpected, all six of us could hardly believe it. I met a cool father of about 60 chillin at the bar and he offered this little life tidbit: "Life is like a pendulum. At one end you are a child and you seek fun and freedom with great passion and joy. As the pendulum of life continues you move toward uncertainty and try to balance your life and decide what you want to do. Eventually you reach the end of the swing and life is focused on money and family. You go to work and make every sacrifice you can to make the family happy. The pendulum begins to return to its starting point and once again confusion sets in on what to do now that the kids are gone and work is almost done. Finally you return to a state of happiness and do whatever you want for fun." He explained that he was at that point in his life and he seemed very sure and happy with his situation. Quite a neat experience.
Once again sunsets held center stage and people gathered on the beach to witness the completion of each day. Then came the long relaxed conversations and nights watching the moon fill the sky sparkle on the water and also eventually disappear behind a curtain of water. Ko Lanta has been my favorite part of Thailand so far and its relax vibe and kind friendly people will forever hold a place in my heart. I truly felt as though i made a connection with the locals here and can come back and have friends down the line.
After an overland trip across several ferries and a long drawn out bus ride i was back in Bangkok. I met Danny for his last night and he took off back for England. Since then i have continued to discover the multi faceted place that is Bangkok. Picked up my visa for India and hooked up visa for Laos. I am really pumped up and ready to see some more sights. Met up with Chris and a few of his buddies and hung out for a week or so. Not too much to report there.
Chris's dad suggested the night train to Chang Mai and so i hopped on the puppy and here i sit. Chang Mai is about 7 degrees cooler and much more chill paced and less congested with people. After one night here i feel great and cant tell for sure when i am headed up north and then into Laos. I met a dude named Seth from Denver and he's just at the end of 9 months of travelling so i am picking his brain and we are splitting the cost of a cheap, but okay guesthouse. He have hit several temples here so far and i have seen the largest golden Buddha to date. We even stumbled upon an ancient maybe 1500 year old temple housing large Buddha's facing all four directions at the very top. The front half of Elephants line the mid part of the temple and symbolically hold up this amazing sight. It was rocked by an earthquake a long time ago and is still under restoration. There is a large pulley system maybe 60ft plus all the way to the tip of this shrine and you can bless the temple with a pail full of water, which i did. We chatted with monks and helped them with their English for a while and once again i feel immersed in the Thai culture and way of life. My travels north should prove joyous and primitive....
Much love and thoughts to everyone taking time out to read this puppy. I am extremely sorry it has taken me so long to update. None the less here it is hope you enjoyed!!!
If everyone could please say a prayer for my very special friend JM that would help her recovery. She was just in a serious car accident and could use all the extra energy and thoughts you have to offer!!!
Thank you all so much for continued support and love, miss you all!
christopher
We trekked around most of the island and found some incredible stalactite type rock formations dripping from the overhanging of these giant mountains. Some had caves that went about 50 feet back into them and displayed nearly no support of the millions of pounds of brown matter above. Nature seems to laugh at the laws that have been created by man and makes about in her own fabulous way, seemingly defying all acts to classify her grand beauty. Standing under these huge overhanging structures of rock dwarf you as a human.
A secret trail up and through a mountainous area can be located by the crafty traveller. This secret spot holds the reward of lagoon which few who have visited ever see. You make a little scramble up the face of a semi steep mountain and end up at the top in the midst of trees and bushes. Following a small pathway cut through the brush we eventually ended up in a little canyon surrounded on all sides by cliffs. Jurassic park comes to mind and the sense of anothers staring gaze is unavoidable. Huge trees shoot up from the fertile floor and ancient vines spill out over all the rock faces. Dead silence looms in the air and a misty earthen fragrance is palatable. Fallen trees bring nutrients and shelter to small ferns and who knows what species of prehistoric animal. Everything is lush ancient and unspoiled. The light is slipping and we stand at the top of about4 20ft shear drops before we can reach the lagoon. You can just see it through a crack between 2 of the mountains. Too dangerous and not enough light. We would never see this place, but i will never forget it!
Our cove consisted of 2 beaches. The poor backpacker beach and the wealthy family beach. It was a bit cleaner and boasted a pool for their guests. A large rocky point separated the two and the other side could only be reached on low tide across slippery rocks. I must say the it was quite nice to lounge in the pool and pretend. Plus the lounge chairs were a bonus! Somehow we pulled our stunt off and never got caught. Sunsets are a major event on islands in the south. Ton Sai was no exception. As the enormous sun sunk into its watery grave D and I joined in a soccer game with the locals. I found out that it had been way too long since strenuous exercise. I have found that soccer (football) is the universal sport and i made a cool connection with all the locals playing their game in their environment!
It was time to head to a new destination in search of new adventures. What we found was neither! Phi Phi island was hit very hard by the tsunami just several years ago. If no pictures of the island displayed the state of the island after the water hit you would never know anything had happened. Overly developed falls short of this tourist hot spot. So many stores and places to stay i could hardly wrap my head around the situation. Hustle bustle and no time for peace and relaxation. Apparently this is the hip place for younger kids from Scandinavia to visit and visit they did. With way too much happening on the island we got off it on a cruise around to the different islands. Our vein attempt to escape was thwarted by huge speed boats and fast snapping tourists. I mean crap the lagoon from the film "The Beach," is not a lagoon at all. In fact it is a cove with the most tourist covered beach i have seen since arriving in Thailand. Got some okay snorkeling on the trip and met a few people, but our destinations were far too worn by people. Sad, but true Thailand needs to adopt some kind of development plan and start protecting not just the national parks, but also the islands set up for tourism. Eco is not on the mind of most proprietors $$$ is all that matters. We had a definite lull here and we discussed on several occasions downtrodden feelings about the tourism and destruction of these spots.
D went off to Phuket to sort out his visa and i headed south to a little place called Ko Lanta. Hooked up with some friends and landed a great spot on the beach for cheap. Now this was my kind of place. After spending such a long time with adults and kids my age we ran into a rather large pocket of children staying at our place. The pool sat right at the edge of the beach and like tadpoles the various kids swam all day with ever enduring life-force. Maybe a situation that would have annoyed at another time was quite a comforting situation for me. I bathed in the rays of the sun most days and enjoyed the clear water of the ocean. The pool was cool to and i turned a little German dude on to surfing and surfing lingo. I could see a lot of myself in him that i believe i was like as a tyke. There he was all of 7 or 8 trying to surf his little raft and speaking to me with incredible english!!! We are far behind in the scheme of teaching our children a new language and i have come to believe it is imperative in a child's development. It is a life treasure that can enhance a child's life from the very start. I spent some great alone time at the secluded end of the beach and got reconnected with the chill pace of life. A local bar keep befriended us and even entertained our tongues with Cobra and Monkey Brain alcohol. What an experience! Raw to the core and totally unexpected, all six of us could hardly believe it. I met a cool father of about 60 chillin at the bar and he offered this little life tidbit: "Life is like a pendulum. At one end you are a child and you seek fun and freedom with great passion and joy. As the pendulum of life continues you move toward uncertainty and try to balance your life and decide what you want to do. Eventually you reach the end of the swing and life is focused on money and family. You go to work and make every sacrifice you can to make the family happy. The pendulum begins to return to its starting point and once again confusion sets in on what to do now that the kids are gone and work is almost done. Finally you return to a state of happiness and do whatever you want for fun." He explained that he was at that point in his life and he seemed very sure and happy with his situation. Quite a neat experience.
Once again sunsets held center stage and people gathered on the beach to witness the completion of each day. Then came the long relaxed conversations and nights watching the moon fill the sky sparkle on the water and also eventually disappear behind a curtain of water. Ko Lanta has been my favorite part of Thailand so far and its relax vibe and kind friendly people will forever hold a place in my heart. I truly felt as though i made a connection with the locals here and can come back and have friends down the line.
After an overland trip across several ferries and a long drawn out bus ride i was back in Bangkok. I met Danny for his last night and he took off back for England. Since then i have continued to discover the multi faceted place that is Bangkok. Picked up my visa for India and hooked up visa for Laos. I am really pumped up and ready to see some more sights. Met up with Chris and a few of his buddies and hung out for a week or so. Not too much to report there.
Chris's dad suggested the night train to Chang Mai and so i hopped on the puppy and here i sit. Chang Mai is about 7 degrees cooler and much more chill paced and less congested with people. After one night here i feel great and cant tell for sure when i am headed up north and then into Laos. I met a dude named Seth from Denver and he's just at the end of 9 months of travelling so i am picking his brain and we are splitting the cost of a cheap, but okay guesthouse. He have hit several temples here so far and i have seen the largest golden Buddha to date. We even stumbled upon an ancient maybe 1500 year old temple housing large Buddha's facing all four directions at the very top. The front half of Elephants line the mid part of the temple and symbolically hold up this amazing sight. It was rocked by an earthquake a long time ago and is still under restoration. There is a large pulley system maybe 60ft plus all the way to the tip of this shrine and you can bless the temple with a pail full of water, which i did. We chatted with monks and helped them with their English for a while and once again i feel immersed in the Thai culture and way of life. My travels north should prove joyous and primitive....
Much love and thoughts to everyone taking time out to read this puppy. I am extremely sorry it has taken me so long to update. None the less here it is hope you enjoyed!!!
If everyone could please say a prayer for my very special friend JM that would help her recovery. She was just in a serious car accident and could use all the extra energy and thoughts you have to offer!!!
Thank you all so much for continued support and love, miss you all!
christopher
Friday, March 09, 2007
a true story
A rather cool airline trip across many miles of Australian airspace i landed in a new place. Thailand to be correct. From the moment i hit the tarmac i was itching with pleasure. The lack of diversity in OZ had come too much and i was ready for a cultural experience. I stepped off the plane into this unknown 3rd world country and was not greeted be cows or a ramshackle terminal. Quite the contrary! Back to the future describes this ultramodern mega structure that took many years and millions upon millions to build. Sterile A/C and all glass wall were the last i expected to greet me.
I picked up a dude on the plane who had been travelling for way too long! With a school backpack dreads and fire juggling sticks he needed a shower. None the less he would share a cab to Kao San on the other side of town. Many miles over brandy new highway no traffic and the city lights off in the distance i thought to myself, "this is not what i figured i was in store for," oh was i wrong. Arriving smack dab in the middle of tourist central in the middle of the night with a giant bag no place to stay and noticing NO VACANCY signs everywhere my new travel friend and i were less than enthusiastic. After a small panic attack i finally met up with Chris Souza my bro nicks friend and we hung out for a bit. It was late so he threw me in a cab to his buddies place which consisted of a wild confusing (for me at least) ride to a beautiful home in the middle of the city, but at the same time far removed with a large gate, A/C and Internet. Oh internet the most beloved connection back to the states it was quite a sight. Like being stuck in the middle of a dessert then coming upon a fridge filled with Evian and chocolate ice cream. I stayed with him and chris for about a week and they slowly introduced me to Bangkok as they had come to know it.
Bangkok is kina like a mish mash wish wash dish dash if that makes sense. Tuk tuk's and taxis drive around town with recless abandon with white knuckle passengers. Scooters wizz in an out of the previous with even less fear of injury. All while enjoying the sweet smell of pollution literally ozzing from the tailpipes of everything with wheels. At any one moment a million smeels linger in the air to be absorbed into the olfactory. BBQ chicken floats to the right nostril and an American cookout comes to mind while simultaneously the most putrid stagnant poopy grudge smell enters into the left. It is truly the city of extremes. You can buy anything under the sun here. Geez the other day i almost bought a SWAT team jacket, but that seemed a bit over the top. Little stalls exist wherever you turn and someone always seems to have something to sell you! Constant traffic noises fill the eardrums and coughing is not uncommon so to step into a completely sterile freezing cold place is amazing. This is no more relevant than at the various malls in downtown area. HOLY COW. I have honestly been through the nicest most upscale shopping areas ever and a Ferrari dealership on the 4th floor about sums it up. Public transport is amazing and most of the time very cheap!
Danny was coming to meet and travel with me so it was back to Kao San to prep for the departure. Little did i know i would run into a couple friends who have kept coming into my life since OZ. There they were walking 10 feet in front of me!!!weird. After finally meeting Dan we all hung out for a few days and saw the Grand Palace. This is a must see in Bangkok to be sure. The immense buildings are so caulk full of detail i dont know where to begin. Gold adorned almost every square inch of one's exterior while tiny little murals decorated about 20 yards of wall! Rooftops poked into the sky with mythical symbols and dragonlike forms. Gold leaf shown brightly in the mid days sun and we were all awe struck by the whole thing. It was the essence of what many can do when one goal is pursued. The highlight of course was the Emerald Buddha. Once covered in plaster it was not until the golden Emerald under the plaster was discovered that it was stolen...i think by burmese....not sure...but it did and up back in Thailand and is displayed on a 20 foot pedestal in all its glory. Sporting an outfit that is changed with each new season by the king it holds an important place in many thai's identity. I could not believe the size of the interior of his house and all the golden offerings and huge statues that surrounded this small maybe 3 by 3ft relic. Being a huge tourist attraction it was so cool to enter into this room with so much diversity and have everyone showing their utmost respect! A pin drop could be heard and an eerie peace and serenity permeated every sole in the place! Heavy.
Leaving Bangkok brought with it a huge sigh of relief. It was island time baby. After a plane, bus, ferry ride Danny and i landed in Ko Phangan (the home of the full moon party). Once on the main drag of the island i turned to Danny with an eyebrow raised. It seemed that teleportation had landed us smack dab in the middle of Scandanavia! Wild Wild kids everywhere drunk and crazy. Bars lined the beaches and blasted out techno music until the wee hours of the morning and i could tell that we had hit tourist paradise...or so i thought... After 2 days i was ready too leave. Chill and mellow are not good descriptives of the atmosphere. The water was not the cleanest and the full moon party is the only real thing that kept us there. Ran into some more old friends one of whom was John the man more affectionately known as Peaches! We got little scooters and did some adventures into the mountains and around the country. Checking out the rural life and trying to reach a magical beach on the other side of the island. Our luck ran out when the road ended...Everyday life was spent sleeping in and enjoying the very elusive A/C. Oh ya toilets dont generally fluch unless u make it happen. Most bathrooms come complete with a large bucket of water and a tiny bowl to fight your evil leavings behind. After a big job.............. Well enough about that. One solitary hostel sits on the remote point of the island and proved to be a cool place to chill and get away from everything. Finally Full moon time. Hype does not begin to describe the build up to the this party. Everyone is talking about it and almost no one knows quite what to expect. Me and the boys decide to get a late start on it seeing as though it goes on until about 11 the next morn...this would prove a good decision. Set in a cove there it was a throng of people covering the entire beach like a huge undulating blanket. We soaked up the wild scene from a bar on a cliff at one end of the cove. About 20 different bars were set up and vendors on the beach were selling buckets. Buckets = a small bottle of rum or whiskey, soda, and red bull. We steered clear due to all the crazy reports of hangovers reported by sweeds. Each bar blasted different genre's of music and we danced our way up and down the beach several times. Barely missed sunrise with my pass out time of 5. A valiant effort though if i may say so myself.
We escaped the touristy tourists by heading to Ko Samui. Or so we thought. At Lamai beach we set up camp and did absolutely nothing for a week solid. Bananna/ Coconut shakes got us through the days and books + ipod movies got us through the nights. To be honest we did get out one day and saw the sights from our scooters. A few waterfalls were okay, but nothing like NZ. We met a french woman who makes Rum. Although i did not have any....i was driving hello! It was the best smelling alco i have ever smelled. Every island/ large town has temples and we saw some cool ones on this particular island. Zooming around wind in the face we came across a temple and proceeded through the gates. Customs required covered shoulders, toes and knees when entering these holy places and we had all three so we were in. We sat quietly with a giant Buddha, got a sneak peak into the secret hall of Buddhas (a very errie bone chilling silent powerfilled room of concrete statues). Including a laying buddha stretching over 20f t and about 5 feet tall on its side. Although the highlight was the embalmed Buddha. A very famous monk died about 10 or so years ago and it was his wish to be embalmed while in the customary lotus position. A powerful site with hair still intact, teeth shining from behind shrunken lips, and arms like a dried prune. Very real and very emotionally charged!!! To end the day on a happy note we visited a couple rock formations in the exact likeness of the male and female sexy parts. Grandmother and Grandfather rock's as they were affecitonately known. This island had quite a beautiful beach and huge Granite boulders everywhere. My fav part had to be the beach break and body surfing. I mean these waves were absolutely pounding me into the sand. I scored some much needed time with the ocean and her raw power. I was great fun doing it with the britts cause they had no idea and would almost always end up getting worked really bad. At the end of the week it was go time and a new adventure and another island awaited.
Ton Sai near Krabi is where we ended up. A rock climbing paradise cove surrounded on three sides by enormous limestone cliffs. I have never seen rock shoot so straight up directly out of the water it was rad. With a tip from Souza we got a bamboo bungalo at a place called Viking bar and bungalow. There is nothing viking about this place! After a brief inspection we took the bungalow and headed out for ocean and exploration. We stayed out till about 12 and wandered home. D hit the lights and saw a giant spider run under our bed. A plan must be made and i layed it out. "okay you pull the bed from the wall really quick and i will shine the flashlight on the enormous spider" wham he pulls the bed from the wall and holy shit, there it was the biggest meanest deadliest looking cute little mouse smiling at me from a hole in our bamboo wall. What a relief! Yeah that is until i noticed a large round hole in the side of our box spring!!! That's right there were mice making their home in our bed!mice! Totally freaked out and disgusted we finally got to bed. Well we got into bed at least. Up all night we listened to the various scratches at the walls.
to be continued tomorrow
I picked up a dude on the plane who had been travelling for way too long! With a school backpack dreads and fire juggling sticks he needed a shower. None the less he would share a cab to Kao San on the other side of town. Many miles over brandy new highway no traffic and the city lights off in the distance i thought to myself, "this is not what i figured i was in store for," oh was i wrong. Arriving smack dab in the middle of tourist central in the middle of the night with a giant bag no place to stay and noticing NO VACANCY signs everywhere my new travel friend and i were less than enthusiastic. After a small panic attack i finally met up with Chris Souza my bro nicks friend and we hung out for a bit. It was late so he threw me in a cab to his buddies place which consisted of a wild confusing (for me at least) ride to a beautiful home in the middle of the city, but at the same time far removed with a large gate, A/C and Internet. Oh internet the most beloved connection back to the states it was quite a sight. Like being stuck in the middle of a dessert then coming upon a fridge filled with Evian and chocolate ice cream. I stayed with him and chris for about a week and they slowly introduced me to Bangkok as they had come to know it.
Bangkok is kina like a mish mash wish wash dish dash if that makes sense. Tuk tuk's and taxis drive around town with recless abandon with white knuckle passengers. Scooters wizz in an out of the previous with even less fear of injury. All while enjoying the sweet smell of pollution literally ozzing from the tailpipes of everything with wheels. At any one moment a million smeels linger in the air to be absorbed into the olfactory. BBQ chicken floats to the right nostril and an American cookout comes to mind while simultaneously the most putrid stagnant poopy grudge smell enters into the left. It is truly the city of extremes. You can buy anything under the sun here. Geez the other day i almost bought a SWAT team jacket, but that seemed a bit over the top. Little stalls exist wherever you turn and someone always seems to have something to sell you! Constant traffic noises fill the eardrums and coughing is not uncommon so to step into a completely sterile freezing cold place is amazing. This is no more relevant than at the various malls in downtown area. HOLY COW. I have honestly been through the nicest most upscale shopping areas ever and a Ferrari dealership on the 4th floor about sums it up. Public transport is amazing and most of the time very cheap!
Danny was coming to meet and travel with me so it was back to Kao San to prep for the departure. Little did i know i would run into a couple friends who have kept coming into my life since OZ. There they were walking 10 feet in front of me!!!weird. After finally meeting Dan we all hung out for a few days and saw the Grand Palace. This is a must see in Bangkok to be sure. The immense buildings are so caulk full of detail i dont know where to begin. Gold adorned almost every square inch of one's exterior while tiny little murals decorated about 20 yards of wall! Rooftops poked into the sky with mythical symbols and dragonlike forms. Gold leaf shown brightly in the mid days sun and we were all awe struck by the whole thing. It was the essence of what many can do when one goal is pursued. The highlight of course was the Emerald Buddha. Once covered in plaster it was not until the golden Emerald under the plaster was discovered that it was stolen...i think by burmese....not sure...but it did and up back in Thailand and is displayed on a 20 foot pedestal in all its glory. Sporting an outfit that is changed with each new season by the king it holds an important place in many thai's identity. I could not believe the size of the interior of his house and all the golden offerings and huge statues that surrounded this small maybe 3 by 3ft relic. Being a huge tourist attraction it was so cool to enter into this room with so much diversity and have everyone showing their utmost respect! A pin drop could be heard and an eerie peace and serenity permeated every sole in the place! Heavy.
Leaving Bangkok brought with it a huge sigh of relief. It was island time baby. After a plane, bus, ferry ride Danny and i landed in Ko Phangan (the home of the full moon party). Once on the main drag of the island i turned to Danny with an eyebrow raised. It seemed that teleportation had landed us smack dab in the middle of Scandanavia! Wild Wild kids everywhere drunk and crazy. Bars lined the beaches and blasted out techno music until the wee hours of the morning and i could tell that we had hit tourist paradise...or so i thought... After 2 days i was ready too leave. Chill and mellow are not good descriptives of the atmosphere. The water was not the cleanest and the full moon party is the only real thing that kept us there. Ran into some more old friends one of whom was John the man more affectionately known as Peaches! We got little scooters and did some adventures into the mountains and around the country. Checking out the rural life and trying to reach a magical beach on the other side of the island. Our luck ran out when the road ended...Everyday life was spent sleeping in and enjoying the very elusive A/C. Oh ya toilets dont generally fluch unless u make it happen. Most bathrooms come complete with a large bucket of water and a tiny bowl to fight your evil leavings behind. After a big job.............. Well enough about that. One solitary hostel sits on the remote point of the island and proved to be a cool place to chill and get away from everything. Finally Full moon time. Hype does not begin to describe the build up to the this party. Everyone is talking about it and almost no one knows quite what to expect. Me and the boys decide to get a late start on it seeing as though it goes on until about 11 the next morn...this would prove a good decision. Set in a cove there it was a throng of people covering the entire beach like a huge undulating blanket. We soaked up the wild scene from a bar on a cliff at one end of the cove. About 20 different bars were set up and vendors on the beach were selling buckets. Buckets = a small bottle of rum or whiskey, soda, and red bull. We steered clear due to all the crazy reports of hangovers reported by sweeds. Each bar blasted different genre's of music and we danced our way up and down the beach several times. Barely missed sunrise with my pass out time of 5. A valiant effort though if i may say so myself.
We escaped the touristy tourists by heading to Ko Samui. Or so we thought. At Lamai beach we set up camp and did absolutely nothing for a week solid. Bananna/ Coconut shakes got us through the days and books + ipod movies got us through the nights. To be honest we did get out one day and saw the sights from our scooters. A few waterfalls were okay, but nothing like NZ. We met a french woman who makes Rum. Although i did not have any....i was driving hello! It was the best smelling alco i have ever smelled. Every island/ large town has temples and we saw some cool ones on this particular island. Zooming around wind in the face we came across a temple and proceeded through the gates. Customs required covered shoulders, toes and knees when entering these holy places and we had all three so we were in. We sat quietly with a giant Buddha, got a sneak peak into the secret hall of Buddhas (a very errie bone chilling silent powerfilled room of concrete statues). Including a laying buddha stretching over 20f t and about 5 feet tall on its side. Although the highlight was the embalmed Buddha. A very famous monk died about 10 or so years ago and it was his wish to be embalmed while in the customary lotus position. A powerful site with hair still intact, teeth shining from behind shrunken lips, and arms like a dried prune. Very real and very emotionally charged!!! To end the day on a happy note we visited a couple rock formations in the exact likeness of the male and female sexy parts. Grandmother and Grandfather rock's as they were affecitonately known. This island had quite a beautiful beach and huge Granite boulders everywhere. My fav part had to be the beach break and body surfing. I mean these waves were absolutely pounding me into the sand. I scored some much needed time with the ocean and her raw power. I was great fun doing it with the britts cause they had no idea and would almost always end up getting worked really bad. At the end of the week it was go time and a new adventure and another island awaited.
Ton Sai near Krabi is where we ended up. A rock climbing paradise cove surrounded on three sides by enormous limestone cliffs. I have never seen rock shoot so straight up directly out of the water it was rad. With a tip from Souza we got a bamboo bungalo at a place called Viking bar and bungalow. There is nothing viking about this place! After a brief inspection we took the bungalow and headed out for ocean and exploration. We stayed out till about 12 and wandered home. D hit the lights and saw a giant spider run under our bed. A plan must be made and i layed it out. "okay you pull the bed from the wall really quick and i will shine the flashlight on the enormous spider" wham he pulls the bed from the wall and holy shit, there it was the biggest meanest deadliest looking cute little mouse smiling at me from a hole in our bamboo wall. What a relief! Yeah that is until i noticed a large round hole in the side of our box spring!!! That's right there were mice making their home in our bed!mice! Totally freaked out and disgusted we finally got to bed. Well we got into bed at least. Up all night we listened to the various scratches at the walls.
to be continued tomorrow
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