so, i've fallen off writing my travel blogs, but i thought this would be the best way to share my thoughts of the current situation in the world:
2017 has developed into something i'd never expected. i've been blessed in unimaginable ways, but i've also never believed i'd have my unwavering faith in human beings tested so thoroughly. i've found myself propagating the very notion that compassion cannot be taught.
traveling and discovering what global ties humans share, as well as what nuances and different flavors of beliefs/cultures/identities exist, has been a core passion of mine over the past decade plus. however, in the later half of 2016, it became clear that global policies and outspoken groups trying to exploit the smaller subset of our diverging ideals had succeeded in pushing all people across the board to their boiling points. facts are falling to the sidelines as special interests and rhetoric dominate headlines. other arguable points (backed by facts) are lost in the vast echo chambers of the internet, new channels, and 140 characters.
all these means are set to divide us and distract from what we share, especially within the united states of america: a country whose industrialized history developed through immigrants who moved from all around the world for dozens of reasons, but mostly commonly to have a better life and escape religious persecution. to have freedom to achieve their dreams and to not tread on others, ("do unto others as you would have them do unto you"). through promises to special interests groups, our current leadership is working to further divide/distract us, an effort which stifles and stops compassion.
we as human beings inherently desire to help others, especially those in need. i hope everyone is able to witness this. we need to rise up and embrace not only what we share, but what makes us different and as long as it doesn't negatively impact others. america is a melting pot, i've heard the highest compliments from many fellow travelers about the unique nature of blending so many different customs/cultures.
we need to recognize that our success, as a nation (and world), is interdependent. those who wish to maintain dominance, aren't interested in the standard of lives progressing; they are merely interested in furthering the gap between the haves and the have nots. we must recognize the common threads which connect our lives and our shared advancements.
i mentioned that i've been saying compassion cannot be taught. this morning, i decided compassion is infectious; you can't push it on others, but perhaps being compassionate to people (with both similar and different value sets), others will become more compassionate. this does not mean you must accept their values for your own, but hearing their perspective and starting a conversation rather than preaching. find common ground. conversation is with two parties conversing and sharing ideas, not simply two people talking at each other.
finally, we must find a way to articulate universally beneficial or hurtful policies/plans/ideas, so we can move together to fight for or against them. as i told a friend while commiserating about the current state of politics, we have to make 2017 be a wonderful year for us all, we can't sit back and expect life will get better. converse, find mutual values/purposes, be compassionate, and take action.
let's make 2017 and our future live up to all of our dreams.
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
phi phi - finding leo - day 19
disclaimer: this post was written almost 3 years after the fact due to the author's laziness/enchantment with his last few days in thailand.
i woke early to hike over to the dive shop. i head to the main port and climb on deck with a frenchman named jeremy. we exchange stories over coffee and i meet my dive partner achim, who is from germany.
there isn't a cloud in the sky as the boat cruises through kohs and the sapphire water almost seems artificial. we dive near the famous beach and gaze upon lionfish, pufferfish, and even an octopus. the visibility is perfect; 30 meters and water temperature must be almost 80 degrees, but at times i'm fighting a strong tide.
i notice some strange tattoos on achim and debate asking him about them, despite his easy going and pleasant personality, the tattoos are a little menacing. we surface and after asking achim about nightlife, i inquire about his ink. he tells me they catalog an unfortunate trip he took to the us where he wasn't allowed entry and we talk about the strict customs process.
the boat drops near maya bay, where jeremy and i swim to shore. as i'm cranking with my fins underwater, i see a piece of garbage and snatch it, stuffing it in my pocket. after climbing up a terrifying rope net where the tide tosses you onto a craggy cliff, i pull out the garbage to find out it's thai currency. it's about $50 us!
jeremy and i clamber through a brief stretch of jungle and we find ourself here:
maya bay is absolutely as pristine as in the movie, albeit 100x more people are cluttering the beach. the glowing white sand and turquoise waves peek out from the masses. long tail boats choke the entrance of the bay and people are posing everywhere. there isn't a ton to see, almost no wild life, so despite the breathtaking scene, jeremy and myself snap a few photos of each other and we head back to the boat. i vow to return later.
the second dive is about the same, although there are quite a bit more fish. i was understanding we may run into nurse sharks, but sadly they were somewhere else (maybe scaring folks in maya bay?). i am able to scuba for over an hour, effectively doubling my early dives. the trick of controlling breathing is about deep regular breaths. the dive flys by and before i know it we are surfacing and heading back to the marina. i bid goodbye to achim and give him the money i found floating and he thanks me profusely.
it is almost noon, (diving early really makes the most of the day), and while walking back to the hotel, i decide i must give maya bay a second chance. there is a tour which offers snorkeling, kayaking, and dinner for about $15 and i buy a ticket. i end up getting back to my place for about an hour and saunter back to the marina.
the guide meets me with a couple which looks to be an older english man and a young looking thai lady. i decide if no one else shows up, i will ditch the trip out of the awkward situation. fortunately for me, there are a ton of canadians on the boat when we arrive and they prove to be lots of fun. we snorkle near the marina, where the captain throws food into the water and the fish swarm us. i wasn't entirely assured they could tell us from the edible bits we were swimming in. then we went kayaking through some kohs, i strayed from the pack so at times all i heard was the noise from the animals and my paddle dipping into the glowing water. we then headed back to maya bay and my instincts had proved correct. there were a fraction of the people lingering and only a couple of boats. i waded, taking in the marvel as the sun sunk lower. i bid adieu to the the beach and headed back to the ship for food.
there was a plethora of amazing curries to sample and i tried them all. chatting with the canadians was entertaining and we even took some group photos heading back with one of the most beautiful sunsets i've seen in my lifetime. evidence:
i went back out for the mini fullmoon experience at dalum. i met these two danish ladies and we decided to tip buckets together. fire dancers and house music encompassed us as the waves lapped gently behind us.
i bid the ladies farewell at the beach, as a sly aussie swept my target and i headed home. i passed by a tattoo shop where i heard a pleasant six string sound and i bought some beers to sit down and exchange music and stories with the locals. after i'd had my fill of both, i said goodnight and walked through the field back to my hotel alone. the moon bathed everything in a tempered light which countered the balmy, heavy air.
i succumbed to my weariness looking out my patio feeling as i'd seized the day.
Monday, November 24, 2014
got to go phi phi, day 18
phuket, like street food, was hard for me to digest. thankfully, i'm rinsing my palette and taking in koh phi phi as an aperitif.
uncannily, i beat the wake up call by 53 seconds and shoved my belongings into jay's pack. the bus was a whole 15 minutes late and i was given the coveted front seat again. it was relatively easy, even if it did take 45 minutes to get across the island, but traffic is truly a different beast over in s.e.a. groggily, i walk to the 'cruising boat' and realized i was following my friend gabi, who i met at the full moon party. small world indeed. she had a different perception of patong, but then again, she didn't venture down the strip at night.
i always find time flies when i'm chatting with someone, especially when they provide interesting content/stories. for those of you who know me, i can be a bit of a chatterbox at times (understatement, i'm sure). we cruise across the ocean and hover around some kohs, but the weather isn't smiling on us. it doesn't mute the beauty of the islands though, fortunately. by the time we arrive, it's amidst a torrential downpour and people are getting antsy to disembark, like cattle they are pushing and shoving to get nowhere. i find my resort's sign, say tchau to gabi and wait for 10 minutes for the greeter to ensure no one else needs transportation. i get a private water taxi, (long tail boat), all to myself.
the resort is pretty nice, maybe not exactly the honeymoon suite i got in samui, but cozy none the less:
i can't stay 2 nights with my flight standing, so i called bangkok airways and it was surprisingly easy (and free!) to change my flight. as i walk from my beach, (long beach, they call it), towards the second beach (loh dalum), i see a couple of dive companies between tattoo parlors restaurants. i choose viking divers because they seem really knowledgeable and friendly and their mascot is a viking! i then walk around on dalum taking in the majestic view of a shallow bay with mountains hugging the coastline. you can literally walk out 2 miles and still not be up to your waist in water. the beach scene is pretty chill at 2pm, so i took a hike up to the lookout points, which lived up to the description in lonely planet. after the climb to the lookout point hike in ang thong national park, i really won't ever complain about a 'hike' again. the viewpoint is beautiful and showcases both beaches, giving me a scene similar to the 'trombolo effect' i saw in kauai, where you can lie in a spot and have waves crash on both sides of you.
i'm accosted by monkeys on the way down the hill. at first they seem friendly, but then one starts shrieking and running at me like that movie outbreak. for a diversionary tactic, i throw some peanut candy in the opposite direction and rush down the stairs and head back to the hotel to drop off gear. my beach is flush with speedboats and longtail boats, not quite as pristine for beach lounging like loh dalum.
i meet my friend todd from florida for the second time on the beach and plot my night. there's a bar run by 'a' who i met while he was playing a horribly tuned guitar, it's called carpe diem, (appropriately) and then some clubs on dalum.
i make it out to carpe diem, which is absolutely dead; carpe diem, indeed. i enjoy a strong tropical drink and sit looking out into the darkness and the sound of the surf, as my drink diminishes. i get up and head to dalum, and find myself in the middle of monsoon rain. i take cover at a bucket stand and meet some aussies who are looking into street drink specials. we meander down the strip to the bars on the beach, which seem to aspire to the full moon party.
i bid my new friends farewell, and made my way back across the narrow strip back to my bungalow for the night. tomorrow, i will dive near the famous beach from the film 'the beach'!
uncannily, i beat the wake up call by 53 seconds and shoved my belongings into jay's pack. the bus was a whole 15 minutes late and i was given the coveted front seat again. it was relatively easy, even if it did take 45 minutes to get across the island, but traffic is truly a different beast over in s.e.a. groggily, i walk to the 'cruising boat' and realized i was following my friend gabi, who i met at the full moon party. small world indeed. she had a different perception of patong, but then again, she didn't venture down the strip at night.
i always find time flies when i'm chatting with someone, especially when they provide interesting content/stories. for those of you who know me, i can be a bit of a chatterbox at times (understatement, i'm sure). we cruise across the ocean and hover around some kohs, but the weather isn't smiling on us. it doesn't mute the beauty of the islands though, fortunately. by the time we arrive, it's amidst a torrential downpour and people are getting antsy to disembark, like cattle they are pushing and shoving to get nowhere. i find my resort's sign, say tchau to gabi and wait for 10 minutes for the greeter to ensure no one else needs transportation. i get a private water taxi, (long tail boat), all to myself.
the resort is pretty nice, maybe not exactly the honeymoon suite i got in samui, but cozy none the less:
i can't stay 2 nights with my flight standing, so i called bangkok airways and it was surprisingly easy (and free!) to change my flight. as i walk from my beach, (long beach, they call it), towards the second beach (loh dalum), i see a couple of dive companies between tattoo parlors restaurants. i choose viking divers because they seem really knowledgeable and friendly and their mascot is a viking! i then walk around on dalum taking in the majestic view of a shallow bay with mountains hugging the coastline. you can literally walk out 2 miles and still not be up to your waist in water. the beach scene is pretty chill at 2pm, so i took a hike up to the lookout points, which lived up to the description in lonely planet. after the climb to the lookout point hike in ang thong national park, i really won't ever complain about a 'hike' again. the viewpoint is beautiful and showcases both beaches, giving me a scene similar to the 'trombolo effect' i saw in kauai, where you can lie in a spot and have waves crash on both sides of you.
i'm accosted by monkeys on the way down the hill. at first they seem friendly, but then one starts shrieking and running at me like that movie outbreak. for a diversionary tactic, i throw some peanut candy in the opposite direction and rush down the stairs and head back to the hotel to drop off gear. my beach is flush with speedboats and longtail boats, not quite as pristine for beach lounging like loh dalum.
i meet my friend todd from florida for the second time on the beach and plot my night. there's a bar run by 'a' who i met while he was playing a horribly tuned guitar, it's called carpe diem, (appropriately) and then some clubs on dalum.
i make it out to carpe diem, which is absolutely dead; carpe diem, indeed. i enjoy a strong tropical drink and sit looking out into the darkness and the sound of the surf, as my drink diminishes. i get up and head to dalum, and find myself in the middle of monsoon rain. i take cover at a bucket stand and meet some aussies who are looking into street drink specials. we meander down the strip to the bars on the beach, which seem to aspire to the full moon party.
i bid my new friends farewell, and made my way back across the narrow strip back to my bungalow for the night. tomorrow, i will dive near the famous beach from the film 'the beach'!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
patong - dance with the devil, day 17
in a haze that seemed dreamy to me, i left my sanctuary on samui for the lights of patong beach in phuket. the airport in samui cradled a curled, dozing body of mine for the last hour, then i was picked up and slung towards phuket island in the west. i'd heard so many mixed reviews, i was interested to set the record straight. photo of the open-air airport in samui:
i land and have a brief conversation with a older american from st. louis, who still attempts to mix with the youthful crowd. strolling on to the bus, the heat swells and i brace myself for the inevitably long ride. by the time i'm at the hotel in patong, it's 4 o'clock and i'm strolling on the beach. it's a pretty comparable scene from most beach towns i've taken in this trip. parachute boats ripping though the foreground and bikini clad westerners dipping in ankle deep water. it's pretty enough, but not going to make my top gun beach list.
in search for some local cuisine, i inquire at my hotel. the receptionist tells me there is a market outside of the main drag and that it is very authentic. strolling towards the market, i'm noticing fewer and fewer westerners; i must be on the right path. the market, like all others in thailand would fail any fda test. meats sit out in the scorching heat for many hours, flies buzzing around and the smell of overripe fruit, (mostly durian), almost floors me. i quickly run up the steps to the food court, which apparently is what my receptionist was talking about. why not? i order the chicken rice, which is what most people are enjoying. the price is right at 40 bhat ($1.33). i desperately need a pineapple shake, but the vendor woman is no where to be found. i sit eating and spicing my food up, (to the delight of the locals) and finally get my pineapple shake to my tastebud's relief. time to stroll back to the neon pavement, back to where i blend in.
patong at night is such a different animal. this town has two faces, easily uncovered. during the day its wading pool / beachy persona is posted akin to the faux smile given to your mom when trying to look cool in your pack of middle school friends. once the poles have dancing partners on the strip and the town is painted in blacklight, patong's lips pull back to uncover extended canine teeth. the grit isn't just the sand from the beach. again, being a solo male, i get offers for sex, drugs and pingpong shows. part of me reverts to my 13 year old persona, wide eyed and shocked at the spectacle framed by women grinding on poles. i make my way into some clubs, but it's way too early and the only "patrons" are prostitutes and older ferang (white) men. wondering the streets, i meet up with the aussies at the factory club and i attempt to dance away my shock. after j-lo and a couple of gaga tunes, we retreat to the backstreets where expats and some travelers take comfort at tiny bars. it's apparently the birthday of the aussie's local friend / bartender who plies us with drinks, dancing around in celebration as we play games and close the tiki bar out, (i scribble my name under the cabana). the aussies say goodbye and i walk home reflecting on patong. the late night clubs were fun, as was mixing with the locals, but the in-your-face adult playground wore on me and it's clear, i have to make a run for koh phi phi.
small note: sorry for the lack of photos at night, i was concerned about my camera being lifted from my possession. i understand written descriptions aren't as visually telling, but hopefully you get the picture (pun!).
 |
| From vietnam / thailand trip |
i land and have a brief conversation with a older american from st. louis, who still attempts to mix with the youthful crowd. strolling on to the bus, the heat swells and i brace myself for the inevitably long ride. by the time i'm at the hotel in patong, it's 4 o'clock and i'm strolling on the beach. it's a pretty comparable scene from most beach towns i've taken in this trip. parachute boats ripping though the foreground and bikini clad westerners dipping in ankle deep water. it's pretty enough, but not going to make my top gun beach list.
 |
| From vietnam / thailand trip |
in search for some local cuisine, i inquire at my hotel. the receptionist tells me there is a market outside of the main drag and that it is very authentic. strolling towards the market, i'm noticing fewer and fewer westerners; i must be on the right path. the market, like all others in thailand would fail any fda test. meats sit out in the scorching heat for many hours, flies buzzing around and the smell of overripe fruit, (mostly durian), almost floors me. i quickly run up the steps to the food court, which apparently is what my receptionist was talking about. why not? i order the chicken rice, which is what most people are enjoying. the price is right at 40 bhat ($1.33). i desperately need a pineapple shake, but the vendor woman is no where to be found. i sit eating and spicing my food up, (to the delight of the locals) and finally get my pineapple shake to my tastebud's relief. time to stroll back to the neon pavement, back to where i blend in.
patong at night is such a different animal. this town has two faces, easily uncovered. during the day its wading pool / beachy persona is posted akin to the faux smile given to your mom when trying to look cool in your pack of middle school friends. once the poles have dancing partners on the strip and the town is painted in blacklight, patong's lips pull back to uncover extended canine teeth. the grit isn't just the sand from the beach. again, being a solo male, i get offers for sex, drugs and pingpong shows. part of me reverts to my 13 year old persona, wide eyed and shocked at the spectacle framed by women grinding on poles. i make my way into some clubs, but it's way too early and the only "patrons" are prostitutes and older ferang (white) men. wondering the streets, i meet up with the aussies at the factory club and i attempt to dance away my shock. after j-lo and a couple of gaga tunes, we retreat to the backstreets where expats and some travelers take comfort at tiny bars. it's apparently the birthday of the aussie's local friend / bartender who plies us with drinks, dancing around in celebration as we play games and close the tiki bar out, (i scribble my name under the cabana). the aussies say goodbye and i walk home reflecting on patong. the late night clubs were fun, as was mixing with the locals, but the in-your-face adult playground wore on me and it's clear, i have to make a run for koh phi phi.
small note: sorry for the lack of photos at night, i was concerned about my camera being lifted from my possession. i understand written descriptions aren't as visually telling, but hopefully you get the picture (pun!).
samui - my hangover/paradise left, day 16
upon studying the effects of energy drinks and bacardi, i have to conclude the hangover was twice as potent. still this can't slow me down and i still wake up early enough to grab the breakfast buffet; in perspective that was 4 hours after i crashed. breakfast mostly consisted of heaps of bacon, chicken fried rice and fruit. don't knock it until you try it, there is something very healing about salty cuts of pork savored on a pallet dealt alcohol in spades all the previous night.
dubiously, i entertain the thought maybe the headache would reside a bit if i got a haircut. my regular cut is pretty standard, minus the fact i've got 2 cowlicks. that's nothing a little language can overcome, right? i sit down waiting while the barber finishes details on the local lady before me. she has a peanut gallery and they are all racing 1000 km an hour in thai. then before i could ponder the effects of a set of clippers to my achy scalp, i'm in the operating chair. i motion lengths, pantomime clipping and twirl my fingers above my cowlicks; my charades skills in play. she nods and picks up the clippers and by the time she is done finishing with a straight edge blade, i can't help but wonder how much it would cost to come to thailand for haircuts every 3 weeks. to my laughter, she asks if i was at the full moon party and i affirm, wondering how she knew until i get home and look in the mirror. there is glow body paint all over the side of my face.
i have a feeling this will be a day of rest., but i've heard whispers of a buddha so grand it can be seen from the other side of the island. i grab a transport over to what i believe is the northerly side of the island. the truck leisurely winds through the island and finally drops me off at a dusty peninsula. at first, i wonder if the driver was at the full moon party the night before too, but i look and sure enough there is a buddha head sticking out in the distance. i walk the dusty trail down the beach and arrive at the statue. it's huge, and even though i haven't seen wat pho yet, i'm pretty sure this will be one of the bigger buddhas on the trip.
after relishing the statue's momentous scale and taking in the view from the platform, i head back home. i get lost finding the bus, but hire a local lady for the same price who is happy to drive me back home. i'm still not feeling up to par, so i grab a bottle of singha and lounge by the poolside soaking up rays like the doctor prescribed them. i meet a flock of aussies who are friendly and we end up heading out for dinner. since we are all pretty satisfied after partying the night before, we decide to wrap up the night with a massage and head to bed. like myself, they are off to phuket tomorrow. they speak very highly of the nightlife over there and i'm considering if all the pointed views i've heard are wrong. we will soon see, dear reader.
dubiously, i entertain the thought maybe the headache would reside a bit if i got a haircut. my regular cut is pretty standard, minus the fact i've got 2 cowlicks. that's nothing a little language can overcome, right? i sit down waiting while the barber finishes details on the local lady before me. she has a peanut gallery and they are all racing 1000 km an hour in thai. then before i could ponder the effects of a set of clippers to my achy scalp, i'm in the operating chair. i motion lengths, pantomime clipping and twirl my fingers above my cowlicks; my charades skills in play. she nods and picks up the clippers and by the time she is done finishing with a straight edge blade, i can't help but wonder how much it would cost to come to thailand for haircuts every 3 weeks. to my laughter, she asks if i was at the full moon party and i affirm, wondering how she knew until i get home and look in the mirror. there is glow body paint all over the side of my face.
i have a feeling this will be a day of rest., but i've heard whispers of a buddha so grand it can be seen from the other side of the island. i grab a transport over to what i believe is the northerly side of the island. the truck leisurely winds through the island and finally drops me off at a dusty peninsula. at first, i wonder if the driver was at the full moon party the night before too, but i look and sure enough there is a buddha head sticking out in the distance. i walk the dusty trail down the beach and arrive at the statue. it's huge, and even though i haven't seen wat pho yet, i'm pretty sure this will be one of the bigger buddhas on the trip.
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
after relishing the statue's momentous scale and taking in the view from the platform, i head back home. i get lost finding the bus, but hire a local lady for the same price who is happy to drive me back home. i'm still not feeling up to par, so i grab a bottle of singha and lounge by the poolside soaking up rays like the doctor prescribed them. i meet a flock of aussies who are friendly and we end up heading out for dinner. since we are all pretty satisfied after partying the night before, we decide to wrap up the night with a massage and head to bed. like myself, they are off to phuket tomorrow. they speak very highly of the nightlife over there and i'm considering if all the pointed views i've heard are wrong. we will soon see, dear reader.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
samui/koh panang or don't fight the feeling or fullmoontitus, day 15
i woke up early and was finally able to enjoy the buffet put on by p'somporn's resort. it was largely bacon and pad thai with a helping of bacon. i need all the energy i can muster for tonight as many people party all night and wake to greet the sunrise in the morning. this ain't my first rodeo though, cowboy. i've done carnival in rio and if i can do that, this should be a walk in the park on a segway.
i spend most of the day wondering around cheweng, which is a real touristy spot. dozens and dozens of shops run alog both sides of the road. they all sell the same things for about the same price, although that's always flexible and no doubt comes with the 'white tax'. massage parlors are almost every other space and the running joke of their pronunciation of 'massaaaage' brought me many laughs. i walk into the wrong shop and asked for a price and am handed a subtle menu which includes such packages as 'massage and sex' for 2500 bhat, i quickly make a break for the door. the strange thing is prostitution is illegal, yet these shops flat out slate it on a menu. i walk to a legitimate massage parlor and get a thai massage for 6 bucks. some people think it's rough, but I enjoy deep tissue massage, so it's right up my alley.
i make my way back to cheweng beach resort and take my first stroll up and down the beach. the sand is quite lovely, very powdery and light. i go for a swim but there are jellyfish everywhere and i freak out quite a bit after getting stung in brazil. i soak up some sun on the patio and chat with the aussie couple, who are headed to see the insanity that is full moon on koh panang, too. brad kicks my ass in ping pong. running into multitudes of aussies, i've had numerous conversations and find so many elements about their society interesting. they have a minimum wage for age brackets, so as you get older you make more aaaand their minimum wage starts at about 10 an hour, i hear. it's very expensive to live down there though and i've heard that a lot of people in my age bracket have drug problems. due to their main source of income coming from tourism, they are highly dependent as many countries about safety and perception of their image. apparently oprah has helped them with the image and advertising, perhaps she did it for some kangaroos and to have the opera house unofficially dubbed the oprah house? time to get ready for the ball cinderella! i walk across to the 7-11, (yes, they are everywhere) and grab some native redbull to artificially pump me up for the party.
i've chartered a speedboat with some others to koh panang. i meet some moon rapture buddies outside of the resort and our bus pulls up a little late. we head north to said speed boat and join with more party goers. there are a couple of dudes from germany, one brazilian, one dutch, and two aussies. i always relish any chance i get to speak portugese and i start chatting with gabi from sao paulo and her friend vanessa from holland. we get off the boat and pay the entrance fee, which is probably to keep the beaches clean, and we receive bright colored bracelets with a palm tree and what resembles a booze bucket. we walk through the town which seems to be bursting at the seams and get some food. my kee mao almost burns the roof off, they made the assumption I could handle the heat since i ordered something off the regular menu. we walk down to the beach where all the action will go down. it's sparsely inhabited, but people are spilling out in droves. it's hard to imagine ten thousand people getting crunked and bumping uglies on the beach during my full moon. yes, i do mean my full moon, i bought it off a dude selling pills on the beach for 500 bhat. we search where to buy buckets of booze, which are the ceremonial flaggon for this celebration and there are a plethora of stands with entertaining signs mostly selling the potency of their products with swear words and movie lines. we decide the same same, but different stand is the best and grab redbull and bacardi buckets. night is falling like a curtain at the end of a show, in a moth-ish fashion we head towards the brightest light which happens to be the flaming jump rope (later I'm told the clinics on the island sponsor these). in the spirit or spirits of adventure i decide to try it. i've seen enough people fail and get scalded but nothing serious yet. i ready myself and some local runs before me and jumps in. since the rope arches up towards the hurlers, i decide to wait until he leaves before jumping in. he leaves and i rush in, the burning braid brushing against my foot on my first jump, but i figured it out after that and got about 7 jumps before it got my foot again. partially due to my excellent training in school, i immediately drop to the sand and do my stop, drop and roll. i survived! proof below:
which was better than some other stories i heard: one guys hair caught on fire and another's groin ignited, that's gotta hurt. we went down a slide, which was considerably less dangerous. then on to the beachy dance floors, with their strange black light obelisks floating eerily in the air. there were platforms to dance on and the rest of the night was more of a blur to me. i lost track of my new friends and made it back to the speedboat around 3am. i return to my room around 4am and crash, exhausted, in a heap on the bed. i howled at the moon, spilling booze from my bucket whilst dancing up a storm and braved a flaming jump rope. i'm positive the reflection of the moon lay in my eyes as my lids closed.
i spend most of the day wondering around cheweng, which is a real touristy spot. dozens and dozens of shops run alog both sides of the road. they all sell the same things for about the same price, although that's always flexible and no doubt comes with the 'white tax'. massage parlors are almost every other space and the running joke of their pronunciation of 'massaaaage' brought me many laughs. i walk into the wrong shop and asked for a price and am handed a subtle menu which includes such packages as 'massage and sex' for 2500 bhat, i quickly make a break for the door. the strange thing is prostitution is illegal, yet these shops flat out slate it on a menu. i walk to a legitimate massage parlor and get a thai massage for 6 bucks. some people think it's rough, but I enjoy deep tissue massage, so it's right up my alley.
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
i make my way back to cheweng beach resort and take my first stroll up and down the beach. the sand is quite lovely, very powdery and light. i go for a swim but there are jellyfish everywhere and i freak out quite a bit after getting stung in brazil. i soak up some sun on the patio and chat with the aussie couple, who are headed to see the insanity that is full moon on koh panang, too. brad kicks my ass in ping pong. running into multitudes of aussies, i've had numerous conversations and find so many elements about their society interesting. they have a minimum wage for age brackets, so as you get older you make more aaaand their minimum wage starts at about 10 an hour, i hear. it's very expensive to live down there though and i've heard that a lot of people in my age bracket have drug problems. due to their main source of income coming from tourism, they are highly dependent as many countries about safety and perception of their image. apparently oprah has helped them with the image and advertising, perhaps she did it for some kangaroos and to have the opera house unofficially dubbed the oprah house? time to get ready for the ball cinderella! i walk across to the 7-11, (yes, they are everywhere) and grab some native redbull to artificially pump me up for the party.
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
i've chartered a speedboat with some others to koh panang. i meet some moon rapture buddies outside of the resort and our bus pulls up a little late. we head north to said speed boat and join with more party goers. there are a couple of dudes from germany, one brazilian, one dutch, and two aussies. i always relish any chance i get to speak portugese and i start chatting with gabi from sao paulo and her friend vanessa from holland. we get off the boat and pay the entrance fee, which is probably to keep the beaches clean, and we receive bright colored bracelets with a palm tree and what resembles a booze bucket. we walk through the town which seems to be bursting at the seams and get some food. my kee mao almost burns the roof off, they made the assumption I could handle the heat since i ordered something off the regular menu. we walk down to the beach where all the action will go down. it's sparsely inhabited, but people are spilling out in droves. it's hard to imagine ten thousand people getting crunked and bumping uglies on the beach during my full moon. yes, i do mean my full moon, i bought it off a dude selling pills on the beach for 500 bhat. we search where to buy buckets of booze, which are the ceremonial flaggon for this celebration and there are a plethora of stands with entertaining signs mostly selling the potency of their products with swear words and movie lines. we decide the same same, but different stand is the best and grab redbull and bacardi buckets. night is falling like a curtain at the end of a show, in a moth-ish fashion we head towards the brightest light which happens to be the flaming jump rope (later I'm told the clinics on the island sponsor these). in the spirit or spirits of adventure i decide to try it. i've seen enough people fail and get scalded but nothing serious yet. i ready myself and some local runs before me and jumps in. since the rope arches up towards the hurlers, i decide to wait until he leaves before jumping in. he leaves and i rush in, the burning braid brushing against my foot on my first jump, but i figured it out after that and got about 7 jumps before it got my foot again. partially due to my excellent training in school, i immediately drop to the sand and do my stop, drop and roll. i survived! proof below:
which was better than some other stories i heard: one guys hair caught on fire and another's groin ignited, that's gotta hurt. we went down a slide, which was considerably less dangerous. then on to the beachy dance floors, with their strange black light obelisks floating eerily in the air. there were platforms to dance on and the rest of the night was more of a blur to me. i lost track of my new friends and made it back to the speedboat around 3am. i return to my room around 4am and crash, exhausted, in a heap on the bed. i howled at the moon, spilling booze from my bucket whilst dancing up a storm and braved a flaming jump rope. i'm positive the reflection of the moon lay in my eyes as my lids closed.
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
samui - boat tours and treacherous hikes, day 14
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
waking early again, but it's always for a good cause. i'm lucky no one is traveling with me, sometimes i think i have the sleeping patterns of grandparents, minus the fact i stay out all night. on to the boat tour up north in the national park. i set up with burmese peter. the aussies from dinner are in the van and i get the cherished front seat again (another motif on this trip). i promptly pass out and wake up on the dock where we are shepherded on the barge. a german girl named nele sits next to us and we get partnered to kayak together. she speaks 5 languages and is 19; wtf is up with our school system?? first off, sea kayaking for only an hour or so and our german guide tries her darnedest to sound as interested informing us about the history as someone answering the thirteenth 'why' asked by a persistent 4 year old. she deftly cruises at breakneck speeds that nele and i actually have to work to keep up and i feel bad for everyone else. we dart in and out of a cave and along the edge of the cliffs. we pull up to the shore and hike up the first steep stairway up to the green lagoon. pictures to follow.
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
we slowly descend after i fail to find a way down to the lagoon and are informed we can't swim in the lagoon because fish breed there. we have a quick dip to cool off, then it's back to the boat for the lunch. it is very meh, unfortunamente. then it's off to another island which apparently has a difficult hike to an amazing viewpoint of all the islands. the disapproving german guide strongly advises against hiking it in sandals but nele and i disregard her. she wasn't kidding either. the hike is supposed to take 45 min up and 45 down. thoroughly dripping in sweat and partially rock climbing as well as clinging to the guiding rope for dear life, we make it to the final shear craggy cliff below the lookout. somehow the rock has worn down to resemble blades of prehistoric axes. we make it to the top and relish the view, not wanting to imagine how the decent will be. there are tons and tons of Germans and nele gets back to her native tongue for a moment. i fantasize about having a kite and flying down. there is the minute possibly that could add to the danger seeing as i've never hanglided before.
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
the decent is a nightmare and despite my sandals slipping off so many times i lost count, i only fell once gashing my elbow with the pseudo axe face of the cliff. climbing backwards is painfully slow and there are many people in shoes almost running down the hill. the insect noise inspires me a bit, but it's probably an hour in total for the decent and our cooloff period is cut short as the boar is headed back. we head back and to cheweng beach to lounge for a bit before the mosquitoes bleed us dry. The attempt to meet up with the Aussie ladies almost doesn't happen due to a misunderstanding about betelnut's ( a restaurant ) name. but we find them eventually and have a nice dinner as do the skitos. it's goodbye to nele and off to bed for yours truly, tomorrow i will witness the madness brought on by the full moon and hopefully see no werewolves.
- written on my ipod so apologies for weird formatting. will edit on return.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
updates
sorry for the lack of updates recently. time flew by as i had commutes. i'm off to bangkok today and then back to seattle. i will hopefully find some time to write in bangkok tonight and i will fatefully finish the trip's journal even if it's back in the states when i do. koh samui, phuket, koh phi phi and bangkok all to be elaborated on shortly.
-the author
-the author
Friday, May 20, 2011
samui - meeting a resort mogul, day 13
another early flight, but upon landing in samui, i realize it's worth it. the airport is luxurous and open air. when i arrive at cheweng resort, i'm greeted by a very nice staff and shown a room which in comparison to my chiang mai experience, i start laughing. mostly due to how incredibly decadent it is.
i could post more photos, but you can also look at my picasa page. i think they messed up and gave me the honeymoon suite. fortunately it was close to my 29th anniversary living with myself and a good reason to celebrate. the man behind all of this is p'somporn, who is a relative to a friend who jay introduced me to. on top of the awesome pad, which included a pool and a great restaurant, i also got the full tour of all his resorts including his new one. he has researched different styles of architecture from all over the world and it definitely shows. the new resort is going to be so swank, he will set the tone for the rest of the luxury resorts on the island.
after seeing p'somporn's new resort, i head back to the cheweng resort and go for a dip in the water. i meet some aussies and we decide to meet up at the rasta bar that night. i wonder more up and down the beach, grabbing dinner on the main drag at a restaurant called the aussie bbq or something. the service was abysmal, it took them almost an hour to make my meal, a seafood pad thai. the waiter keeps telling me 5 more minutes and my mango shake is decimated by the time my food comes. some aussie ladies sat down next to me, i commented that i hope they weren't hungry. they laughed, but in fairness it took 45 minutes for the salads they ordered. they are going on a trip to the wilderness reserve and i found out they purchased it from a man named peter just up the road. i ask for the check several times and send scathing looks in a vain attempt to speed up the billing process. island time. i buy the tour from peter, who is a burmese who fled and has lost a lot of his family; mostly due to illness, but still it's a grim situation. i thank him and skidattle to the rasta bar.
this whole trip has not been the most pleasant for a man traveling alone. the aussies had told me this bar is past a bunch of shady clubs and i would have to deal with women hassling me. it's not as bad as chiang mai though where one actually jumped on me like a monkey, i just kept walking and assuring her i wasn't going to buy her a drink. she finally got the point and let go. anyway, they assume the darkest of a man alone at night and it was a true pain to get to the rasta bar. there is a live band and the club is absolutely, utterly empty. so empty the band is playing songs directly to me and my clapping echoes solitary appreciation. i'm close to finishing this beer and the aussies are nowhere to be seen. all i can think is i'm truly sad for this band, who, minus the drummer is giving it a pretty good effort for a gigantic empty house and pondering exit strategies. could i look like i'm going to the bathroom and just leave? should i applaud and walk out? should i get up in the middle of the song and leave or would they announce my flight? fortunately, the aussies show up and i have a couple of drinks with them. they ordered some popcorn, which took the place of some salgados and i realized i was getting torn up by mosquitoes. those bastards are horrible over here. i bid the couple goodnight and walk past the redlight district home. tomorrow, the island tour awaits me.
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
i could post more photos, but you can also look at my picasa page. i think they messed up and gave me the honeymoon suite. fortunately it was close to my 29th anniversary living with myself and a good reason to celebrate. the man behind all of this is p'somporn, who is a relative to a friend who jay introduced me to. on top of the awesome pad, which included a pool and a great restaurant, i also got the full tour of all his resorts including his new one. he has researched different styles of architecture from all over the world and it definitely shows. the new resort is going to be so swank, he will set the tone for the rest of the luxury resorts on the island.
 |
| From vietnam / thailand trip |
after seeing p'somporn's new resort, i head back to the cheweng resort and go for a dip in the water. i meet some aussies and we decide to meet up at the rasta bar that night. i wonder more up and down the beach, grabbing dinner on the main drag at a restaurant called the aussie bbq or something. the service was abysmal, it took them almost an hour to make my meal, a seafood pad thai. the waiter keeps telling me 5 more minutes and my mango shake is decimated by the time my food comes. some aussie ladies sat down next to me, i commented that i hope they weren't hungry. they laughed, but in fairness it took 45 minutes for the salads they ordered. they are going on a trip to the wilderness reserve and i found out they purchased it from a man named peter just up the road. i ask for the check several times and send scathing looks in a vain attempt to speed up the billing process. island time. i buy the tour from peter, who is a burmese who fled and has lost a lot of his family; mostly due to illness, but still it's a grim situation. i thank him and skidattle to the rasta bar.
this whole trip has not been the most pleasant for a man traveling alone. the aussies had told me this bar is past a bunch of shady clubs and i would have to deal with women hassling me. it's not as bad as chiang mai though where one actually jumped on me like a monkey, i just kept walking and assuring her i wasn't going to buy her a drink. she finally got the point and let go. anyway, they assume the darkest of a man alone at night and it was a true pain to get to the rasta bar. there is a live band and the club is absolutely, utterly empty. so empty the band is playing songs directly to me and my clapping echoes solitary appreciation. i'm close to finishing this beer and the aussies are nowhere to be seen. all i can think is i'm truly sad for this band, who, minus the drummer is giving it a pretty good effort for a gigantic empty house and pondering exit strategies. could i look like i'm going to the bathroom and just leave? should i applaud and walk out? should i get up in the middle of the song and leave or would they announce my flight? fortunately, the aussies show up and i have a couple of drinks with them. they ordered some popcorn, which took the place of some salgados and i realized i was getting torn up by mosquitoes. those bastards are horrible over here. i bid the couple goodnight and walk past the redlight district home. tomorrow, the island tour awaits me.
chiang mai - water and elephants, day 12
the hangover is the worst so far on the trip. i ponder how much i could pay the guide to not take me to the mountains when a firm rap is upon my prison cell door. i made this bed, i'm going to lie in it. as i climb in the back of the pickup truck, i wonder how kind the roads will be.
i try not to pay attention to the swaying car and the bad road and meet my compadres. there are 2 from good ol' america, 2 brits, 1 girl from hong kong and 4 koreans. as everyone knows my nature, i still managed to talk my head off with a hangover. the hour and a half drive was pretty rough, but the payoff was coming. i was paired with the girl from hong kong for the elephant ride which was amazingly rough, we sat on a rice bag and had a rail that wasn't attached to hold onto as the elephant trod up and down a mountain mind you. i would say our elephant definitely had a personality though, he stopped whenever he pleased and i would pass him bananas that he would take and toss aside. ingrate. it was definitely a memorable experience though.
then it was on to the hike up to the waterfall. a windy road along the stream where most fear to tread. sometimes you would skip over stepping stones across the stream. other times there were a couple of bamboo logs tied to eachother, which i prayed wouldn't break under the strain of my weight. they didn't. another great payoff and excellent cool down, i went in and sat under the waterfall for a while, getting my own version of a swedish massage. on to whiter water: white water rafting.
i got placed in the whiter person raft although i was feeling bad i wasn't with the girl from hong kong, because she didn't know how to swim. but that wasn't going to happen, right? after an extremely brief and detailed speech in broken english about how to handle oars, rapids and commands they gave me a helmet too small for my big dome, stuck a paddle in my arms and plunked me onto the raft. it was intense and we took on quite a bit of water, but we weren't prepared for what happened to the other raft. as we came around a bend, we saw their raft flipped over and the poor hong kong girl clutching a rock for dear life. our guide pulled aside and deftly swam across the rapids to help the other guide recover the oars and help her out of the water. but where were the koreans? apparently when it flipped they didn't stick around to help the poor girl out and left her there. assholes.
we finished the rest of the trip on the raft and went on to bamboo floating which they also call bamboo submarines. quite an odd feeling sinking in the water on a swaying bamboo raft lazily going down the river. all i could think was, 'where is my beer?'. it was almost time to wrap up the trip and we had a visit to a tribes village in the mountain. it literally was 5 minutes so i didn't get much information at all. they did have a few pigs though.
i returned back to the hostel to meet ken, a old coworker of my father's and we had a great chat walking though the night market. he has quite a bit of insight into the banking woes, like dad, but also has firm experience within international banking, so i was quite interested in what he had to say. ken preached about thailand and how it's great to retire there, i can see his life is quite comfortable and he seems very happy. his wife gia was very nice too, although we didn't have much time to chat. obligatory photo:
after that, i went to bed as i flew out of chiang mai at 6 in the morning.
(the airport)
onward and southward to koh samui, where the full moon lurks and i learn to live like a king.
i try not to pay attention to the swaying car and the bad road and meet my compadres. there are 2 from good ol' america, 2 brits, 1 girl from hong kong and 4 koreans. as everyone knows my nature, i still managed to talk my head off with a hangover. the hour and a half drive was pretty rough, but the payoff was coming. i was paired with the girl from hong kong for the elephant ride which was amazingly rough, we sat on a rice bag and had a rail that wasn't attached to hold onto as the elephant trod up and down a mountain mind you. i would say our elephant definitely had a personality though, he stopped whenever he pleased and i would pass him bananas that he would take and toss aside. ingrate. it was definitely a memorable experience though.
 |
| From vietnam / thailand trip |
then it was on to the hike up to the waterfall. a windy road along the stream where most fear to tread. sometimes you would skip over stepping stones across the stream. other times there were a couple of bamboo logs tied to eachother, which i prayed wouldn't break under the strain of my weight. they didn't. another great payoff and excellent cool down, i went in and sat under the waterfall for a while, getting my own version of a swedish massage. on to whiter water: white water rafting.
 |
| From vietnam / thailand trip |
i got placed in the whiter person raft although i was feeling bad i wasn't with the girl from hong kong, because she didn't know how to swim. but that wasn't going to happen, right? after an extremely brief and detailed speech in broken english about how to handle oars, rapids and commands they gave me a helmet too small for my big dome, stuck a paddle in my arms and plunked me onto the raft. it was intense and we took on quite a bit of water, but we weren't prepared for what happened to the other raft. as we came around a bend, we saw their raft flipped over and the poor hong kong girl clutching a rock for dear life. our guide pulled aside and deftly swam across the rapids to help the other guide recover the oars and help her out of the water. but where were the koreans? apparently when it flipped they didn't stick around to help the poor girl out and left her there. assholes.
we finished the rest of the trip on the raft and went on to bamboo floating which they also call bamboo submarines. quite an odd feeling sinking in the water on a swaying bamboo raft lazily going down the river. all i could think was, 'where is my beer?'. it was almost time to wrap up the trip and we had a visit to a tribes village in the mountain. it literally was 5 minutes so i didn't get much information at all. they did have a few pigs though.
i returned back to the hostel to meet ken, a old coworker of my father's and we had a great chat walking though the night market. he has quite a bit of insight into the banking woes, like dad, but also has firm experience within international banking, so i was quite interested in what he had to say. ken preached about thailand and how it's great to retire there, i can see his life is quite comfortable and he seems very happy. his wife gia was very nice too, although we didn't have much time to chat. obligatory photo:
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
after that, i went to bed as i flew out of chiang mai at 6 in the morning.
(the airport)
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
onward and southward to koh samui, where the full moon lurks and i learn to live like a king.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
chiang mai - what wat is what, day 11
i woke early and took a tuk tuk to the first wat i planned on checking out. turns out it was under construction so i tried to walk to the famous wat chiang man. since i'm directionally challenged, i had no clue where i was going and got fantastically lost. i did however spy breakfast in a back alley, which was turned out the best pad thai i've had in my life.
i got a thai iced tea with it and i was energized even in the thai heat. then i moseyed my way over to wat chiang man, which was pretty damn impressive for my first wat. it's thought to be the oldest wat in the city and is massive. there is definitely a holy feeling walking in a wat, and i think it's enhanced by me taking off my shoes. here are a couple of photos:
the amount of detail in all of these thai wats is staggering. everything is handmade, obviously, and no small detail is spared. like most experiences/sights/sounds i've taken in, it's difficult to capture and demonstrate the ornate and spiritual feel of these temples. i'm pretty agnostic, but walking into a wat, i feel like i'm having a small out of body moment. religion has always been the struggle between the concept of self versus a greater force, the wat amplifies the chasm.
i follow the lonely planet's lead, and head to the women's prison for my first thai massage. all the masseuses are prisoners, but they are working to save for when they are released. it was an amazing massage and blew the massages i got in vietnam away. thai massages are more like deep tissue, but with more elements of aided stretches. i exited the 'spa' feeling as good as new and happy that i didn't witness a shanking or prison break.
on to the next wat, which is one of the most visited wats in chiang mai, wat phra singh. it is similar to wat chiang man, but has a 'lion buddha'. as i'm here, a man approaches and asks me about my trip offering advice for when i get to the south. he is the second man to recommend a certain thai travel agency and warns me i should book ahead. i don't linger because he mentions they close soon and as i'm stepping out of the wat, a lady stops me and says 'you know that's a scam, right?' turns out estela is on holiday from the states and is originally from brazil. she and her husband, yves, have witnessed many of these scams executed and have even thwarted a couple, although they were threatened. it starts raining and we look for a bar to grab a beer. we rendezvous with lars at the local watering hole, i play some uke and we meet some more americans, lauren and eddie. knocking back the rice whiskey, which somehow resembles cachasa to me, we start the evening out strong, munching on some falafal from a nearby stand. lauren, eddie and myself head off to the night market and the rest of the night is fuzzy.
wat phra singh:
premayhem:
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
i got a thai iced tea with it and i was energized even in the thai heat. then i moseyed my way over to wat chiang man, which was pretty damn impressive for my first wat. it's thought to be the oldest wat in the city and is massive. there is definitely a holy feeling walking in a wat, and i think it's enhanced by me taking off my shoes. here are a couple of photos:
 |
| From vietnam / thailand trip |
 |
| From vietnam / thailand trip |
the amount of detail in all of these thai wats is staggering. everything is handmade, obviously, and no small detail is spared. like most experiences/sights/sounds i've taken in, it's difficult to capture and demonstrate the ornate and spiritual feel of these temples. i'm pretty agnostic, but walking into a wat, i feel like i'm having a small out of body moment. religion has always been the struggle between the concept of self versus a greater force, the wat amplifies the chasm.
i follow the lonely planet's lead, and head to the women's prison for my first thai massage. all the masseuses are prisoners, but they are working to save for when they are released. it was an amazing massage and blew the massages i got in vietnam away. thai massages are more like deep tissue, but with more elements of aided stretches. i exited the 'spa' feeling as good as new and happy that i didn't witness a shanking or prison break.
on to the next wat, which is one of the most visited wats in chiang mai, wat phra singh. it is similar to wat chiang man, but has a 'lion buddha'. as i'm here, a man approaches and asks me about my trip offering advice for when i get to the south. he is the second man to recommend a certain thai travel agency and warns me i should book ahead. i don't linger because he mentions they close soon and as i'm stepping out of the wat, a lady stops me and says 'you know that's a scam, right?' turns out estela is on holiday from the states and is originally from brazil. she and her husband, yves, have witnessed many of these scams executed and have even thwarted a couple, although they were threatened. it starts raining and we look for a bar to grab a beer. we rendezvous with lars at the local watering hole, i play some uke and we meet some more americans, lauren and eddie. knocking back the rice whiskey, which somehow resembles cachasa to me, we start the evening out strong, munching on some falafal from a nearby stand. lauren, eddie and myself head off to the night market and the rest of the night is fuzzy.
wat phra singh:
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
premayhem:
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| From vietnam / thailand trip |
bangkok - travel day to chiang mai, day 10
after the late night in hcmc, it was difficult to wake up early and leave.
i had a rough day of traveling ahead of me, mostly because of the insane 7 hour wait in bangkok airport. getting into thailand went well enough, but the customs line is so much longer than vietnam and took forever.
i then spent part of the day rearranging my plane tickets so i would be in koh samui for the full moon party and spend less time in phuket, which people have been badmouthing this whole trip.
all in all, it wasn't as miserable as it could have been and i got into chiang mai around 7 and situated in my hostel where i had a prison cell type room, (although it was $4 a night). tell me you disagree:
but it wasn't lights out for me right after checking in. i went to a internet cafe, met a really nice guy named lars and then headed out to the night market. i tuktuk'ed over to the night market and took a look around. i'm not really buying much at all on this trip, so i didn't buy anything but pillows i had promised to jay and fernanda. i had some regrettably bad thai food for my first night and met a lovely french couple. i then headed back after a failed attempt to find the blues club lars had spoke highly of. since i was running on no sleep, i didn't have a difficult time passing out on the mattress that apparently the incredible hulk smashed.
tomorrow, what wat?
i had a rough day of traveling ahead of me, mostly because of the insane 7 hour wait in bangkok airport. getting into thailand went well enough, but the customs line is so much longer than vietnam and took forever.
i then spent part of the day rearranging my plane tickets so i would be in koh samui for the full moon party and spend less time in phuket, which people have been badmouthing this whole trip.
all in all, it wasn't as miserable as it could have been and i got into chiang mai around 7 and situated in my hostel where i had a prison cell type room, (although it was $4 a night). tell me you disagree:
 |
| From vietnam / thailand trip |
but it wasn't lights out for me right after checking in. i went to a internet cafe, met a really nice guy named lars and then headed out to the night market. i tuktuk'ed over to the night market and took a look around. i'm not really buying much at all on this trip, so i didn't buy anything but pillows i had promised to jay and fernanda. i had some regrettably bad thai food for my first night and met a lovely french couple. i then headed back after a failed attempt to find the blues club lars had spoke highly of. since i was running on no sleep, i didn't have a difficult time passing out on the mattress that apparently the incredible hulk smashed.
tomorrow, what wat?
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
ho chi min city - set to 'suffragette city', day 9
my body has kept up with my early morning routine over here. i wake and beat the call again.
it's off to the bus station where the cyclo tries to hustle me. those cheeky bastards. i meet marc, a frenchman, who gives me advice and we travel together to the airport. he is enroute to hcmc too. he speaks pretty decent english and we chat in broken strange sentences.
ho chi minh city, i really only have 1 day to see, so i figure i'm going to hit the road hard. marc is tagging along and it's good to have some insight, even if i understand every other word. we grab lunch, where i have a very lovely roast duck in a claypot. we then walk to the market, which is another thing sharing a very similar feel to brazil for me. once we get inside the market, the sound of a million hammers banging some mad rhythm sound above us. monsoon season; so much for taking in the city. we snag a taxi back to the hotel and it dawns on me, i may not even get to see reunification palace which was the one thing i wanted to take in. i dejectedly walk up to the room and take a nap.
here is a pot of live crabs from the market
after a powernap, i decide to peek outside. it's not raining at the moment, so i pounce on a taxi and we speed off to the palace.
reunification palace is monstrously huge. open corridors and entertainment rooms for receiving guests. everything is so meticulous and detailed. you walk up 3 floors, gorging yourself with pristine relics which don't look like they would be out of place today. although really, really expensive stuff doesn't seem to age to me. look at my bentley, for example. reunification palace was the last vestige we and the south vietnamese had, and ho chi minh handed the keys over decades ago. it is a colossus of military forte, outdated broadcasting gear, and war rooms on top of grandiose halls. i tried to capture it's feel in photos, but i'm not sure they will do justice.
i walk home purchasing my tropical fav, coconut water and see a familiar logo. i flash the 'hook 'em' sign and it's relayed. loyd, this guy really loves the horns, i got a photo for you.
back at the hotel, i run into to more english girls. i can never discern aussie/english accents, so i always start off on the wrong foot. they laugh it off and we grab dinner. i wasn't planning on going out, but they persuade me and we head off with an aussie to the ostentatious apocalypse now club. revered for it's diverse crowd and frequent fights, it was highly recommended in my lonely planet.
we grab drinks and head to the dance floor, which is planned worse then the big dig. diners sit at fixed tables in front of the dj and with how crowded it is, you are bumping against the diners. we back out and run into another group of travelers. not wanting to sound like the typical dumb american, i introduce myself in portugese to the group wherein i meet suzannah, a lovely english girl, who is on an extended holiday. we start chatting and grab a drink, then head to the dance floor where i floor her with my timberlake executed moves. in honesty, i am bringing sexy back. i swear, i'm even starting to like the new j lo song. this may necessitate a full hand slap to the face when i get stateside, but it's infectious on the dance floor.
we retreat from the dance floor back to the open air courtyard and continue talking. then i almost become part of the allure of apocalypse now. a loose lipped aussie approaches, apparently adopting (alliteration) the might over mind theory to woo the beautiful suzannah. he takes me for the obstacle. he lays his knuckles on my cheek and growls, 'you know, you're a real weasel.' i look him in the eye and reply ' i'm glad you are voicing your opinion,' removing his fist. he replaces it and reiterates his venomous words. i inform him it's the last time his fist touch me and suzannah tells him to get lost. he leaves shaking his head in frustration. who wouldn't want to talk to a d-bag like that? it's a near miss to a skirmish and what would have been an uncomfortable exit.
all in all, it's a fantastic night and wraps up my vietnam trip.
tomorrow i learn to talk thai.
it's off to the bus station where the cyclo tries to hustle me. those cheeky bastards. i meet marc, a frenchman, who gives me advice and we travel together to the airport. he is enroute to hcmc too. he speaks pretty decent english and we chat in broken strange sentences.
ho chi minh city, i really only have 1 day to see, so i figure i'm going to hit the road hard. marc is tagging along and it's good to have some insight, even if i understand every other word. we grab lunch, where i have a very lovely roast duck in a claypot. we then walk to the market, which is another thing sharing a very similar feel to brazil for me. once we get inside the market, the sound of a million hammers banging some mad rhythm sound above us. monsoon season; so much for taking in the city. we snag a taxi back to the hotel and it dawns on me, i may not even get to see reunification palace which was the one thing i wanted to take in. i dejectedly walk up to the room and take a nap.
here is a pot of live crabs from the market
 |
| From vietnam / thailand trip |
after a powernap, i decide to peek outside. it's not raining at the moment, so i pounce on a taxi and we speed off to the palace.
reunification palace is monstrously huge. open corridors and entertainment rooms for receiving guests. everything is so meticulous and detailed. you walk up 3 floors, gorging yourself with pristine relics which don't look like they would be out of place today. although really, really expensive stuff doesn't seem to age to me. look at my bentley, for example. reunification palace was the last vestige we and the south vietnamese had, and ho chi minh handed the keys over decades ago. it is a colossus of military forte, outdated broadcasting gear, and war rooms on top of grandiose halls. i tried to capture it's feel in photos, but i'm not sure they will do justice.
 |
| From vietnam / thailand trip |
 |
| From vietnam / thailand trip |
i walk home purchasing my tropical fav, coconut water and see a familiar logo. i flash the 'hook 'em' sign and it's relayed. loyd, this guy really loves the horns, i got a photo for you.
 |
| From vietnam / thailand trip |
back at the hotel, i run into to more english girls. i can never discern aussie/english accents, so i always start off on the wrong foot. they laugh it off and we grab dinner. i wasn't planning on going out, but they persuade me and we head off with an aussie to the ostentatious apocalypse now club. revered for it's diverse crowd and frequent fights, it was highly recommended in my lonely planet.
we grab drinks and head to the dance floor, which is planned worse then the big dig. diners sit at fixed tables in front of the dj and with how crowded it is, you are bumping against the diners. we back out and run into another group of travelers. not wanting to sound like the typical dumb american, i introduce myself in portugese to the group wherein i meet suzannah, a lovely english girl, who is on an extended holiday. we start chatting and grab a drink, then head to the dance floor where i floor her with my timberlake executed moves. in honesty, i am bringing sexy back. i swear, i'm even starting to like the new j lo song. this may necessitate a full hand slap to the face when i get stateside, but it's infectious on the dance floor.
we retreat from the dance floor back to the open air courtyard and continue talking. then i almost become part of the allure of apocalypse now. a loose lipped aussie approaches, apparently adopting (alliteration) the might over mind theory to woo the beautiful suzannah. he takes me for the obstacle. he lays his knuckles on my cheek and growls, 'you know, you're a real weasel.' i look him in the eye and reply ' i'm glad you are voicing your opinion,' removing his fist. he replaces it and reiterates his venomous words. i inform him it's the last time his fist touch me and suzannah tells him to get lost. he leaves shaking his head in frustration. who wouldn't want to talk to a d-bag like that? it's a near miss to a skirmish and what would have been an uncomfortable exit.
all in all, it's a fantastic night and wraps up my vietnam trip.
tomorrow i learn to talk thai.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
nha trang - scuba steve and flight from the valkaries on mopeds, day 8
another early morning dive. sharon left for delat after an arguing session about animal rights. it's me, the swedes, ludo and my new diving instructor from slovenia, dimitar.
going over some of these drills for my license is absolutely terrifying at times. when in a drill, throwing my 2nd regulator from my mouth scares the crap out of me. i manage though, very well to be noted. another beautiful day for diving.
we see something resembling a lobster and dimitar screws with it until it glides away with an unforeseen grace. then, there's still the test. i'm nervous like i always am with tests. i crammed some the night before in between drinks. finally, i buck up and take it. the swedes passed w/ flying colors, so i should be fine. i think i missed 3 in total with one being wrongly graded in the manual. 9m in 60 seconds, fools. and i don't find it necessary to know what magnification you see things underwater. 88%. a passing grade. ludo dubs me scuba steve. smiles all around and then it's back into town.
grabbing lunch with the swedes brought up an america they have strange perceptions about. despite being barely older than how long i've been playing guitar, they have interesting perceptions about the health care system and give me more insight into the swedish system. everyone seems to have different thoughts, but all concur change is needed. we break to the beach, where i go for a dip.
it's a whopping $1 for a beach chair the entire day and i take a stroll to the water. walking along nhatrang beach during the day, you'd never guess it wasn't california. hordes of ghosts are laying out, getting sunsoaked and befuddling natives who prize white skin. surprisingly, there are many topless girls, which is interesting because lonely planet warned about locals who snap shots of women getting out of the water in bikinis.
i am stopped in the water as i swim down the water and semi harassed by an old dutchman with eerie blue eyes. he bounces from subject to subject bobbing in the water with mucus dripping down his face. he pointedly tells me i'm attractive and wholesome, making sure to point out he isn't gay, ("not that there is anything wrong with that," right.) after briefly touching the subject of muslim, ( who he deems evil), i finally verbally disengage and swim back.
i stroll down the beach snapping shots of the sunset and something strikes me. a large family is sitting and playing music. one guitar, one harmonica, and a chorus of booze laden voices carry the godfather's theme song. i'm grinning from ear to ear and upon noting my interest, i'm invited to sit on a heineken box and passed a beer. 'yo! yo! yo!' we exclaim, bump a cheers and drink. apparently, the direct translation is now or go! then they pass the guitar to me. there are requests for clapton and the eagles. i oblige my acoustic rendition of 'hotel california' and then play some of my own music with the beach harmonica and drunken free styling choir work by the family. we raise new beers to the sound of yo! apparently then we are kicked off the beach by the police, still smiling all around as we embrace and take a couple photos. this is the experience i've been seeking in vietnam, to break free of my touristy inhibitions and simply hang out with the vietnamese.
back to ghost world, i head back to the sailing club. while paying for my bucket of rum and coke, i realize my debit card is gone. i'm positive it wasn't the beach family and i try to retrace my steps. it may have been paying for something, but i can't recall. i contact verity and put the card on hold. it's all i can do, no use in spoiling a night in nha trang. back at the sailing club; i rendezvous with the swedes and do a bit of damage on the dance floor. there is another fight, one taken out of the club in a head lock and the other wiping blood from his nose; locals it seems. i fail to understand how this remains a common occurrence here, but they definitely have security in place for a reason.
as we close out the club of sails, the girls have befriended 2 new englishmen. we walk over to the aptly named why not? bar and the group persuades me to stay a little longer even though i am flying out the next morning at 6. i'm in the restroom when a fairly amiable looking gent asks where i'm
mr. dominic hall, i owe you a beer next time we meet. hall is from the uk and upon deciding i'm a cool cat, he imparts some wisdom on me. a friend of his had been robbed and the same trick had been attempted on st. hall himself, although he was too daft (endirekt). a woman approaches offering unsolicited acts, she distracts whilst a gang of women pull up on mopeds and grab you. it wasn't until they vanished rapidly that dom's friend realized he had parted with his possessions. i thank dom and tell him i will say goodbye on the way out.
back at the table of swedes and englishmen, i engage in another serious conversation with the knowing english. upon seeing the looks of severity on our faces, the swedes command me to change the topic. i take this as my exit music and bid them safe travels. i shake dom the great'si'm off.
well... off for a block before a woman grabs my arm. i keep saying no to the offers, but she won't have it. my hand is on my wallet and i hear the putter of mopeds, glancing over my shoulder to see 5 or 6 valkyriettes reinforcements hurdling down on me. thankfully, i know what to do. i tell the woman to shove her offers, physically remove her and extending my middle finger, dash away from the ominous scene. daft steve is too quick on his toes to get caught by hoes!
i walk with my head on high to the hotel, pack my things and fall asleep. it was an epic day.
tomorrow is hcmc in one day.
i stroll down the beach snapping shots of the sunset and something strikes me. a large family is sitting and playing music. one guitar, one harmonica, and a chorus of booze laden voices carry the godfather's theme song. i'm grinning from ear to ear and upon noting my interest, i'm invited to sit on a heineken box and passed a beer. 'yo! yo! yo!' we exclaim, bump a cheers and drink. apparently, the direct translation is now or go! then they pass the guitar to me. there are requests for clapton and the eagles. i oblige my acoustic rendition of 'hotel california' and then play some of my own music with the beach harmonica and drunken free styling choir work by the family. we raise new beers to the sound of yo! apparently then we are kicked off the beach by the police, still smiling all around as we embrace and take a couple photos. this is the experience i've been seeking in vietnam, to break free of my touristy inhibitions and simply hang out with the vietnamese.
back to ghost world, i head back to the sailing club. while paying for my bucket of rum and coke, i realize my debit card is gone. i'm positive it wasn't the beach family and i try to retrace my steps. it may have been paying for something, but i can't recall. i contact verity and put the card on hold. it's all i can do, no use in spoiling a night in nha trang. back at the sailing club; i rendezvous with the swedes and do a bit of damage on the dance floor. there is another fight, one taken out of the club in a head lock and the other wiping blood from his nose; locals it seems. i fail to understand how this remains a common occurrence here, but they definitely have security in place for a reason.
as we close out the club of sails, the girls have befriended 2 new englishmen. we walk over to the aptly named why not? bar and the group persuades me to stay a little longer even though i am flying out the next morning at 6. i'm in the restroom when a fairly amiable looking gent asks where i'm
mr. dominic hall, i owe you a beer next time we meet. hall is from the uk and upon deciding i'm a cool cat, he imparts some wisdom on me. a friend of his had been robbed and the same trick had been attempted on st. hall himself, although he was too daft (endirekt). a woman approaches offering unsolicited acts, she distracts whilst a gang of women pull up on mopeds and grab you. it wasn't until they vanished rapidly that dom's friend realized he had parted with his possessions. i thank dom and tell him i will say goodbye on the way out.
back at the table of swedes and englishmen, i engage in another serious conversation with the knowing english. upon seeing the looks of severity on our faces, the swedes command me to change the topic. i take this as my exit music and bid them safe travels. i shake dom the great'si'm off.
well... off for a block before a woman grabs my arm. i keep saying no to the offers, but she won't have it. my hand is on my wallet and i hear the putter of mopeds, glancing over my shoulder to see 5 or 6 valkyriettes reinforcements hurdling down on me. thankfully, i know what to do. i tell the woman to shove her offers, physically remove her and extending my middle finger, dash away from the ominous scene. daft steve is too quick on his toes to get caught by hoes!
i walk with my head on high to the hotel, pack my things and fall asleep. it was an epic day.
tomorrow is hcmc in one day.
Friday, May 13, 2011
nha trang - in an octopus' garden, in the shade, day 7
i beat the wake up call and have a breakfast and walk to coco diving company. run by ludo, a funny man from luxembourg and very knowledgeable instructor. along with us are 2 swedish ladies, karin and linn, who are traveling an extensive trip after graduating high school. we are immediately off to the island of koh mun and i go through the basics with a frenchman named ben with sharon. they take care of most of the movement on this first dive and i like to think it came very naturally to me.
in short, diving is a completely different world. the colors are so visceral and iridescent, sometimes, i think my eyes are tricking me. diving beats the living daylights out of snorkling! sure, it's more expensive, but to witness the gift of depth and not hurrying yourself while you are down there, you really experience the ocean for what it is. to me snorkling has become similar to reading about the moon and diving is landing on the moon and picking up some moon dust and showering yourself in it. the clarity is absolutely amazing and despite the fact ben is literally pushing me everywhere, the first dive blew my eardrums and mind. we have a little baguette lunch and then talk about the upcoming dive on a different site. this dive, my handler was the vietnamese gentlemen, whose name i forget. on top of pushing me around underwater, he is in charge of the underwater photos, so he is really relaxed about letting me go on my own. it's astounding to me how peaceful and calm i am when i'm underwater. the amount of energy necessary to maneuver is extremely low. the other awesome thing about diving is the hand signals. obviously, my accent is difficult to understand underwater, so they have sign language to communicate universally. the 'ok' sign, which is completely derogatory in brazil, means ok with a question mark and can be used as the response to the question. thumbs up is go up, down is go down, wishy-washy is something isn't good and you point to your ears or goggles; my favorite is the madonna-esque 'like a virgin' pose which signifies you are cold. the water is like bathwater, but at times cold currents come through and they can actually be freezing! the body can go into hypothermia at 95 degrees and you dissipates heat 25 times faster than in the air.
after the dive, the salesman at the shop recommends we go get a massage with the blind. apparently they think vietnamese massages are better than ones in thailand. i politely disagree. i've got a high pain tolerance when it comes to deep tissue massage, but this was a different story. the masseuse put thumbs into the small of my back and if i could have swiveled my head 180, i'd bet i'd see a handstand. my 14th vertebrae thanks you heaps.
i've been pretty accommodating to sharon's vegetarianism. she isn't my girlfriend; she's just someone i ran into on the plane who was headed the same direction. i don't think you can get a good feel for the food in vietnam if you stick to vegetarian food either. she starts in about how we won't stop being cruel to other humans until we stop eating animals and i decide to play devil's advocate akin to my philosophy days in college. i tell her that something must die for us to live, (she could have given the example of fruit in hindsight, but that's not enough to live on), and she can't come back with an actual argument other than you can't see/hear plants suffer. i can tell i've struck a nerve though.
sharon is pretty eager to travel to dalat, and although it's close, i want to have another dive so i am certified. she makes a couple of weak arguments and i don't relent. i guess that was that and she headed up to dalat and i stayed in nha trang. safe travels, that's all you can wish a fellow traveler when you part ways.
i then go back to the hotel, shower up and go out for dinner. this night, a guy at a electronics booth convinces me to eat at the indian restaurant adjacent to his shop. i ask if it's really that good or if he gets a cut. he concedes it's a bit of both, as when he gets a diner to go there, he gets a free meal. i try it out and wasn't disappointed. i had the tikki masalla (sp? jay?) and it had lovely smokey flavor. sadly the nan was bland and buttery. onward to the sailing club, a dance party on the beach. it's pretty wild out there. i did hear of a fight this night and saw a fight the next.
the club is situated directly on the beach with a huge bonfire and fire twirlers. they specialize with drinks in buckets and they are cheap and strong. the dance floor gets loaded even though the decibel level is similar to what i imagine the who's concert where most of the audience and pete townsend went deaf. i'm getting used to these beach dancing anthems and it's good fun. i met an aussie dad taking his son on a trip around vietnam. we laughed and watched his blitzed son try aggressive dancing to lure a partner. i went out to take in the bonfire more and got asked to sit at a table with some girls, within the first three questions a not-so-meek hint escapes, 'you have money?'. yeah sweety... but not for you. walking home as a single guy in nha trang is physically and mentally challenging. their blocks give vegas a run for the money and on the way home, a solo gentleman of my stature is propositioned for 'ladies', coke, x and marijuana at least a half dozen times. the best thing to do is ignore them and keep walking. they don't seem to understand the word 'no,' even if it's in vietnamese.
i still have to study for my test, so i stay up really late and watch the dvd ludo gave me. then i pass out reading the book.
in short, diving is a completely different world. the colors are so visceral and iridescent, sometimes, i think my eyes are tricking me. diving beats the living daylights out of snorkling! sure, it's more expensive, but to witness the gift of depth and not hurrying yourself while you are down there, you really experience the ocean for what it is. to me snorkling has become similar to reading about the moon and diving is landing on the moon and picking up some moon dust and showering yourself in it. the clarity is absolutely amazing and despite the fact ben is literally pushing me everywhere, the first dive blew my eardrums and mind. we have a little baguette lunch and then talk about the upcoming dive on a different site. this dive, my handler was the vietnamese gentlemen, whose name i forget. on top of pushing me around underwater, he is in charge of the underwater photos, so he is really relaxed about letting me go on my own. it's astounding to me how peaceful and calm i am when i'm underwater. the amount of energy necessary to maneuver is extremely low. the other awesome thing about diving is the hand signals. obviously, my accent is difficult to understand underwater, so they have sign language to communicate universally. the 'ok' sign, which is completely derogatory in brazil, means ok with a question mark and can be used as the response to the question. thumbs up is go up, down is go down, wishy-washy is something isn't good and you point to your ears or goggles; my favorite is the madonna-esque 'like a virgin' pose which signifies you are cold. the water is like bathwater, but at times cold currents come through and they can actually be freezing! the body can go into hypothermia at 95 degrees and you dissipates heat 25 times faster than in the air.
after the dive, the salesman at the shop recommends we go get a massage with the blind. apparently they think vietnamese massages are better than ones in thailand. i politely disagree. i've got a high pain tolerance when it comes to deep tissue massage, but this was a different story. the masseuse put thumbs into the small of my back and if i could have swiveled my head 180, i'd bet i'd see a handstand. my 14th vertebrae thanks you heaps.
i've been pretty accommodating to sharon's vegetarianism. she isn't my girlfriend; she's just someone i ran into on the plane who was headed the same direction. i don't think you can get a good feel for the food in vietnam if you stick to vegetarian food either. she starts in about how we won't stop being cruel to other humans until we stop eating animals and i decide to play devil's advocate akin to my philosophy days in college. i tell her that something must die for us to live, (she could have given the example of fruit in hindsight, but that's not enough to live on), and she can't come back with an actual argument other than you can't see/hear plants suffer. i can tell i've struck a nerve though.
 |
| nha trang beach with the locals |
sharon is pretty eager to travel to dalat, and although it's close, i want to have another dive so i am certified. she makes a couple of weak arguments and i don't relent. i guess that was that and she headed up to dalat and i stayed in nha trang. safe travels, that's all you can wish a fellow traveler when you part ways.
i then go back to the hotel, shower up and go out for dinner. this night, a guy at a electronics booth convinces me to eat at the indian restaurant adjacent to his shop. i ask if it's really that good or if he gets a cut. he concedes it's a bit of both, as when he gets a diner to go there, he gets a free meal. i try it out and wasn't disappointed. i had the tikki masalla (sp? jay?) and it had lovely smokey flavor. sadly the nan was bland and buttery. onward to the sailing club, a dance party on the beach. it's pretty wild out there. i did hear of a fight this night and saw a fight the next.
the club is situated directly on the beach with a huge bonfire and fire twirlers. they specialize with drinks in buckets and they are cheap and strong. the dance floor gets loaded even though the decibel level is similar to what i imagine the who's concert where most of the audience and pete townsend went deaf. i'm getting used to these beach dancing anthems and it's good fun. i met an aussie dad taking his son on a trip around vietnam. we laughed and watched his blitzed son try aggressive dancing to lure a partner. i went out to take in the bonfire more and got asked to sit at a table with some girls, within the first three questions a not-so-meek hint escapes, 'you have money?'. yeah sweety... but not for you. walking home as a single guy in nha trang is physically and mentally challenging. their blocks give vegas a run for the money and on the way home, a solo gentleman of my stature is propositioned for 'ladies', coke, x and marijuana at least a half dozen times. the best thing to do is ignore them and keep walking. they don't seem to understand the word 'no,' even if it's in vietnamese.
i still have to study for my test, so i stay up really late and watch the dvd ludo gave me. then i pass out reading the book.
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