The islands of southern thailand are spectacular! the water sparkles and the lush green mountains rise out of the sea like gleaming emalds. Rock climbing on railay beach, clive diving on ko toa and snorkling of the monkey island near ko phi phi was incredible. Bus trips, boat trips, train rides abound when moving so quickly through a country and it gets confusing at times as to where you are. Border crossing into Cambodia was sketchy. There were alot of questionable circumstance requiring a guide who tried to extort us during the process. Life in Cambodia is sadly depresing. Kids begging in the streets of Siem Reap was hard to take and the overall poverty is staggering, even in citys that are geared to tourism. A terrible over night bus to Sihounikvelle on the coast for a few days. The town is a conglomeration of modernized buildings and dirt roads. the beach was decent and we made an overnight trip to bamboo island. Stayed in a shack on the beach but was kept up by creatures of the night and zero breeze. No electrity during the night left us boiling and sticky. The beach was quite and the island interesting but it wasnt all that it was expected to be like. Kampot is a river town, old in architecture from the french occupation and in need of some infrastructural improverments. Rats and dogs rival human for population density and it seems like the rats were winning. A late night walk around a city tells all when the most frequent questioned asks by motobike drivers is "you wan' marjuana?" isnt that illegal? Ten days in Cambodia left me seriosly in despair. There are high hopes for this country and I hope for them as well.

Born in the USA!!!

I've always been a fan of soccer, sorry, football and
the World Cup is the premier global tournament played on a four year cycle at varying locations. This years 2010 World Cup
is being played in South Africa featuring 32 of the worlds top national teams, including The United States. American soccer
has come a long way in the last four years following 2006s terrible showing in the World Cup. The team plays well together
and have a great balance of talent and experience.Hopes run high for a solid showing and with England, Slovakia, Algeria
and America in the same four team grouping expectations are that England and America would advance but first the games have
to be played and the first game US plays is versus England. High drama indeed considering Englands history. Chris and I are
in Patong Beach for the 1:30 am start and he decided to take his small American flag he carries everywhere and nail it to a
bamboo pole so we could parade the flag down Bangla Rd before the game. Patong is a very touristy city with tons of
westerners and England was very well represented with most bars catering to the English fan. We passed in front of the
Yorkshire Restaurant and Hotel and were summarily booed. What better place to watch the game than in the enemies camp?
So in we walked proudly at 1 am flag awaving to a very raucous crowd as the lone American contingent. We were gonna be
there for the longhaul, win lose or draw and I certainly was not going to let boos and harmless taunts chase us out. Soon
some of the patrons came over to shake hands and commend our kutzpah for showing up, even though England was going to crush
the US team. Laughs were had and soon the owner came over and bought us a couple of beers in thanks for coming in. We joked
for a few minutes and he excused himself. Chris and I were just laughing about our predicament and planning our escape
should things turn sour when the music stopped and a very familiar tune began playing, "Born in the USA" was filling the
room and soon all eyes were on us. Chris grabbed his flag and began strolling around the restaurant waving the flag and
singing stopping in front of the projector screen to make sure everyone in the room knew why that song was on. When the
song ended we were greeted with a nice round of applause and a more laughs. If there was any doubt about the American
presence that night it was gone now. The game started soon after that and we watched as England scored rather quickly and
the crowd cheered robustly as they made sure we knew what just happened. All in all they were very sportsmanlike in thier
ribbing but from the looks of things we may be in for a long night. The game went on with great play from both clubs. Each
side had many offensive oppurtunities and the Americans settled down. Late in the first half Clint Dempsey pushed a ball
pass the English keeper to tie the score and chris and I leapt with joy and celebration chanting USA USA USA amidst boos
and jeers. I didnt care, this was shaping up to be a great match and we were soaking it in. Soon after the goal was scored
some guy walked past and slapped the flag dangling from our tables edge. I called him out on it and heated words were
exchanged but his buddy stepped in and quieted him down and apologized to us saying there wasnt going to be trouble. The
owner came over talked to him and them informed us that we didnt have anything to worry about there. A number of other guys
came by and mirrored his remarks and added that if anything did start itd be dealt with. It made me feel good about the
Brits there because the reputation is of rowdy unstable fans causing trouble. Here everyone was mutually cordial and laughs
were had in good fun. After the first half I walked outside for some air and the flag slapper walked out. I expected more
of the same but to my surprise he shook hand, wished me luck and left the bar. The second half was more of the same from
the two sides, a very even match played well with multiple chances and when the final whistle blew marking fulltime the
score remained 1-1. America had tied England and as a result set themselves up for a successful group round. A draw was
more to the Americans advantage and everyone knew it as they filed past us to shake our hands and comment on the match.
The game was great the atmosphere lively and unforgettable and I walked away with a little more respect for the English
football fan. Sure they like to get rowdy, cheer obsessively and on occasion make some trouble but football is the worlds
biggest sport and England home to a very supportive fanbase. I was more than happy to have watched a great world cup match
with a great group of fans.Oh, and one more thing....."I WAS BOOOOOOOOORN IN THE USA!"

In search of someplace quiet

When it came time to leave Hua Hin we decided it was time to find a quite beach and Chompon seemed like the place to be. Our train ride down was long slow and hot. Eight hours on a train is far too long especially under the minimal comforts of third class. Im not saying its a bad way to travel, after all it cost $1.67 to get there so certain comforts cant be expected. Though in the end we decided we would pay the extra fees for second class which gives a little bit more creature comforts like cushioned seats and fans may make long cross country rides more barable. We exited the train in Chompon expecting to be within walking distance to the beach. We were approached by two young Thai girls in pink FAME travel shirts who asked where we were staying. "Not sure yet, we were just gonna head to the beach and find a place there" I said. "Oh so you need taxi?" she replied. "No we'll just walk." I responded, to which she laughed and informed me that the beach was 15k away! She said she had a room in her guesthouse 4 minutes away and should us pictures from her binder. "Is there a pool at least" I inquired "No, No pool, biut there is a restaurant and you can wait and I'll call around" Chris and I looked at each other quizically. Until now this was the first time I felt maybe we were being set up for something. How many guesthouse employees wait at train stations for westeners to show up, tired and weary at 6pm , in order to convince them to stay at a place of which we'd never heard. This is the scene straight out of a B horror movie where unsuspecting tourists get mugged beaten and sold into third world slavery. But hey they were young, and looked harmless and we decided to follow them as long as we were on main streets and in town and if they decided to lure us into some little alley or shady looking building we'd run like Usain Bolt in the Olympics back to the train depot.So a few minutes pass, main streets we walk and into a cafe with normal looking people eating talking and surfing the internet. Ok, they were legit and helpful after all and I felt a little guilty of suspecting two young girls who couldve hosted the Thai version of the Mickey ouse Club of nefarious intentions, but not too guilty.

She showed us a room and it was very clean and we were very tired so we checked in with the intent of getting some rest and figuring out how to get to the beach. We discovered that beach taxi trucks roll by every hour during the daytime to take visitors to the beach so we could catch one there in the morning. We had not heard of the Thung Waea Lang beach but it was going to have to do. In the morning we got up and waited for the truck taxi. Its a small pickup with two benches running the length of the side with a windowless cab cover designed to the scale of Thais and not westeners so we crammed our way in for the 15 minute ride out. We arrived in this beach community and deposited in front of Sand and Sun Bungalows across the street from the beach. Looking up and down this quiet road we could see other places to stay but this was the only one with a clear view of the beach so we checked into our one room bungalow and crossed over to the beach. The solitude here was amazing. The beach stretched for quite a distance around a cove and ended at the base of a large hills peak. The sand was white and the water blue green and we were the only people within sight. We had somehow stumbled into a deserted little beach village with as many people as we could count on our hands. There were only a handful of eateries shops and guesthouses/hotels and we were the only westeners there. The place was all to ourselves and the much needed respite from the hub bub of Hua Hin would be well absorbed! We would stay here for a few days walking aimlessly to a restaurant to eat, a shop for drinks and the beach for relaxing. I honestly could have stayed there for weeks but we had an agenda. Im sure during season this place rocks with visitors and the beach is jammed but on this three day venture we found complete solitude.

No I do NOT want a massage!

Getting to Phuket from Chompon requires a 9 hour bus ride. The upside is that the seats are cushioned, the air is conditioned and they show movies so even if you can't sleep at least you are comfortable.The bus ride winds through the hills and mountain of the region giving you great views of the valley beloon ws and the Andaman Sea. We arrived in Phuket town at 10 pm and we needed to get to Patong beach on the other side of the island so once again we found ourselves on the back of a motor taxi heading through the hills in rollercoaster fashion. It can be unsettling when you are seperated from your travel mate and loose sight of them, or in this instance when your driver stops at a redlight and you see your companions driver fly right through the intersection. We were able to catch up but once we got to the city of patong Chris' driver stayed on the main road while mine decided to take a short cut through side alleys. At this point we had only told the to take us to the city because we had no reservations. I was mildly concerned about being split like that and voiced my concern and the driver said " Shortcut, we see soon." We stopped at an intersection and within a minute we saw them coming down the road and pulled out in front of us. We soon pulled into a hotel parking lot of the main road but too far from the beach but we got off anyway happy to be at the same place. We meanderedd away around until we came to the main tourist area of Bangla road with Chris looking for the guesthouse he had stayed at before. We found the area but not the particular place so we just strolled over to the Touch Villa and acquired a room. We had been traveling for 10 hours by this time and we were both tired and hungry so we settled for a cheap room just to stay for the night. The next day we moved onto a side road into a cheaper room with AC and soon learned we were the only guests there. We were wiating on Chris' friend Harmony to arrive in a few days and this was going to be a comfortable spot to hole up for a few days. Patong is a central tourist city on Phuket Island with a very attractive beach and an plenty of activities, nightlife and all the desired neccesaties of a tourist town. We learned quickly that being off season people were very vocal in there desire to earn your business and the bombardment of "Tuk Tuk" , "You want Massage?", "Sir how about a suit?" and the trucks riding around advertising for Bangla Boxing Stadiums incessant announcements in long spaced phrasing of "Tonight,..... Tonight,....... Tonight....... 9pm...... 9pm....... 9pm ........the best of the best, the champ of the champs Live at Bangla Boxing Stadium" soon lost its appeal. Every little shop, bar, massuese and taxi had someone out front beckoning you inside and the longer we stayed the more aggressive they became to the point that the massage girls would grab your arms, hug you, tell you they love you and all out beg for your business to the point that it became difficult to walk through the streets without being groped. I certainly love and appreciate affection from the ladies but at some point I began to sympathize with celebrities. I now have felt a taste of what Johnny Depp must feel like when walking down the street and people grabbing him, hugging him and telling them they love him. "Yes, I love you too, you are sweet, thank you but no" doesnt quite do the trick. After four days of this it was time to move on. Patong beach was very pretty but the level of hawking was over the top.

The Food is Amazing...and dangerous!

Thai food is known around the world for its complex seasonings and spicy flavor. I've loved food all my life and my first desire for a career , after stuntman, was culinary. Its no surprise to me that I'm in food service as a profession now. Food, family, and music go hand in hand in cultures all over the world. It is a central social bond shared with friends and strangers alike and I was determined to enjoy as much of these cultural foods as i could on this trip, and dont worry I have plenty of Immodium AD. Being from the Gulf Coast and raised in South Louisiana seafood has always been a part of my diet as well as rice so eating here is very reminiscient of home. In Thai cuisine rice is integral along with spice. Some things are spicier than others and some things are mild but overall there entrees are seasoned just right. I have been seeking out Thai food carts to try various things, some good some bad and some, well, give me shivers. They serve most of there foods bought from carts in small bags with a stick. Its cheap convient and delicious. Ive also had the pleasure of trying some dishes that were cooked in small store fronts out on the sidewalk. There are plenty of small restaurants that open out into the sidewalks maintained by a lone person who lives in back or above. These tiny cafes have no kitchen as everything in cooked over open fire or gas grills on the sidewalk. These littles cafes have well seasoned woks and the food prepared by people who have been cooking like this for longer than Ive been alive. Ordering a stir fry dish or fried rice and watching it prepared is akin to sitting in someones kitchen while they cook you dinner. You know all the ingredients are fresh because they have minimal refridgeration and the final product was made especially for you. We sat in one such cafe as an elderly woman cooked us fried rice and chicken. She was sweet and kind and spoke little english but she treated us as though we where her guests because essentially we were sitting in her dining room. She added a small bowl of tofu and lettuce soup because she wanted to and after we ate this tasty meal brought us a mix of fruit to cleanse our palates. We rested and let our meal settle while she was busy doing chores. We were the only people to stop and dine there which made it feel more like home. This may be the closest we get to eating at a locals house and if thats true i'll but perfectly happy.

I am not one to shy away from trying various foods but I will draw the line at somethings. I havent found that line yet but i certainly wish I had when I decided to taste what so far is the worst thing Ive ever eaten. One night sitting by the fish spa a cart rolled by with something dried hanging from hooks. It was very thin, a light tan color and the picture on the cart looked like a lizard. I watched as someone sitting next to us getting their feet treated bought one of these jerkied something or others. I asked her what it was and she said it was dried squid. I enjoy calamari as much as the next guy but the smell coming from this cart was well what you would think dried dead squid would smell like. She offered me a piece and I accepted a small piece and placed it in my mouth. Immediately my taste buds wanted to reject this as inedible but I didnt want to be rude so I chewed this dried tough nasty piece of squid and downed some water to was that putrid taste out of my mouth. I dont know why someone would eat something like this on purpose when there are so many other tasty options around. On the train trip down to Chompon someone keep coming by selling a tray of this mess and we knew she was close when our nostrils erupted as though we were in a fish plant. Laughingly i told Chris the next time she passes by Im going to buy that whole rack, smile and toss it out the train window to spare us the smell!

We tried some grilled fish wrapped in banana leaves and it was okay. I think it was cooked by being buried in hot coals. We ate some really good baked mussels at a few different places. We ate Thai BBQ in a market in Khanchanaburi which was a very cool experience. We have tried fried pig skins and numerous fruits. We ve had fried rices, pad thais and different rice noodle dinners. We ve had some food from food stalls that we werent really sure what kind of meat it was but it was flavored so well that Id certainly eat it again. There has been one thing that we've eaten in a few places that Ive yet to understand what its called but Chris and I have taken to calling it Boudin Beads. They are so tasty that every time we see some we buy it. It is made with pork, rice or glass noodles in a sausage casing and strung up on string. They are twisted to the size of marbles are grilled. They taste like a sweet version of Cajun Boudin but served by the ball for 1 baht a piece with grilled chilis and cucumber slices. The best version of these are made with glass noodles and grilled until hot. When you bite into one they pop and release the tasty treat inside. You can taste the sweetened pork and the texture of the noodle and if they served these everywhere Id never stop eating them. One night I decided to spice them up and eat bits of grilled chilis with each bite and it created such a simple sweet and hot taste I devoured 30 of these easily. After a few minutes had passed sitting outside of the guesthouse I wiped the sweat from my eyes and immediately felt the burning sensation we all know of when some pepper gets in your eyes. I asked chris if my eyes were red or if something was in them and he said they looked fine. Well not realizing that I still had the chilis oils on my hands I wiped them again and instantly the burning was magnified. I had accidently done the equivilant of pepper spraying my self! My eyes were on fire and I could not open them even for an instant as the air seemed to agitate the pepper residue even more. As this was happening I was telling Chris about it and thankfully he was there because by this time I was temporarily blinded and could not even for a second keep my eyes open! he took my hand to his shoulder and walked me through the lobby, up three flights of stairs to our bathroom so I could try to wash out the pepper oils Im very grateful he was there because if Id been alone I dont know what I wouldve done. In all the places weve stayed the bathroom floor is tiled, there is a drain in the corner and a shower head attached to a hose. The bathroom is just a small closet with a sink, a toilet, a hose for showering and usually a container of water to flush the toilet, They also have a small kitchen sink type hose near the toilet to "refresh " yourself after youve used the bathroom. I cant believe we dont have these in America, its so sanitary and delightful but thats another story because right now my eyes are blinded by chili oils and i need to flush my eyes immediately so Chris hands me these and I start blasting myself in the face with this hose. Thankfully the pressure is pretty high on these things and it flushed my eyes out very effectively and within a few minutes I could at least open my eyes. I couldnt help but think, Ive come half way around the world to go blind eating minuture boudin balls! Thankfully the pain subsided and the hose flushed out the oils and I was able to open my eyes again. I toweled off and went back stairs to meet Chris and thought, Im so glad I dont have to call home and tell my mom that Id lost my vision in thailand eating something I couldve gotten at Best Stop back home. Needless to say I learned a valuable lesson in eating anything with chilis, DONT TOUCH YOUR FACE IDIOT!!!

Enter Hua Hin

We decided to venture south by train to the Gulf of Thailands coastal town of Hua Hin. It is described in our travel book as being the weekend retreat for the Royal family. We walked over to the train depot from our guesthouse to catch a 7:19 am ordinary train to Nam Pla Duk where we change to the Southern Line to take us to Hua Hin. Trains here are older and simple , much like what I would imagine trains in America to be like 50 years ago. Very basic in that they are simple bench seating with forward and rear facing seats. The windows are pulled down for cooling and tree limbs occasionally reach in at 50 mph so you don’t want to hang an arm out for fear of being lashed. We found this out quickly when we passed through a particularly narrow pass and the train car erupted in a shower of leaf confetti. Unsure of what to expect we brought water and muffins to snack on however the train was loaded with food and drinks brought by in baskets by staff. It seems that the array of goods offer would rival any market. The train ride to Nam Pladuk was running a bit behind as we stopped at various small stations, like bus stops, on the way. We needed to make our connection by 9:06 am and we arrived with only minutes to spare to the small station. Upon exiting the train we were greeted by an elder monk who asked in broken english where we were heading. He informed us that we needed the next train and then beckon us to follow him to get some food. Set up behind the small open air station was a table spread out with rice and yellow chicken curry made and served by an kind older lady and who I assume was her daughter. They welcomed us as though we had arrived for an afternoon picnic . She served up the curry in small bowls made of banana leaves and gave us small plastic spoons to enjoy it. We thanked her and made our way to a bench to savor this tasty spicy concoction as the monk smiled. It was spiced just right and could not have been fresher so we scarfed it down in easy bites. The monk then called us over to where we needed to be to board the next train as it made its way into this small junction. The train stopped and the monk climbed aboard with us in his wake. Once inside we noticed that this train south was pretty full so he pointed to two open seats and said “you sitdown” and we abliged like kids in school summoned to the principals office. Now I wouldn’t have chosen these seats myself but who were we to ignore an elder monks instructions. We stowed our belongings in the over head rack and took our seats behind two other monks and noticed the sign that read “reserved for monks, disabled and the elderly”. The train pulled away from the station and journeyed south. After a few stops to take on passengers the train pulled into a tiny village and the elder monk got up and walked over to us. We had arrived at his stop. He extended his hand , we shook amicably and parted ways with salutations. Im not sure how many Westerners pass through this area as we were the only ones on the train but had he not been there we certainly would have been at a loss for what we needed to do next. He was a kind soul at a small crossroads who went out of his way to welcome and guide two travelers. I didn’t catch his name but I will remember his gestures with fondness.

The train carried on picking up and depositing travelers over the next hour and soon we noticed a large group of young Thai boys talking and laughing. Im not sure if they were on the train when we got on or we picked them up along the way but it was around 10 am and they were already two thirds deep into a bottle of Thai whisky. The boys passed the bottle around all the while joking and picking at each other. Soon they began to erupt in singing and clapping as the second bottle was opened. They were obviously thoroughly enjoying there ride and no one seemed to mind their antics. As the train made its progression south so did their faculties and soon Chris pointed out to me that one of the boys had reached his limit and he was being guided to the toilet by two of his buddies. He wobbled left and right bouncing off seats as he went. They disappeared into the toilet for quite some time, probably for him to make an offering to the porcelin gods. His buddies continued on without him and the singing and clapping continued. He emerged from the restroom obviously drunk as he meandered down the aisle, face slack and wet, his hair in disary. Finding his seat he was deposited by his friend and sunk forward in his seat. He was trashed by 11 in the morning and the poor kid had all day to go. We soon pulled into a large station and the group exited the train. A few of the boys milled about and we could see he wasn’t alone in his drunkeness and just as the train began to move on everyone on the left side of the train at once went “EEEWWWWW” and Chris cracked up laughing, “oh man he just threw up!” I leaned over the aisle to check out the scene and there he was hands on knees woozy. Did I mention how hot it was? He’s in for a looonnngggg day!
Two stops later we arrived in Hua Hin, collected our belongings and exited the train. We were approached by motor taxi drivers and we asked them to take us to Pattana Guesthouse. Each driver placed our back packs in front of them, scooted up in the seat and gestured for us to get on back. We had to wedge our luggage bag between his back and our bellys and hold on to their shoulders as we darted out into traffic. I have no idea where this guesthouse is, nor anything about this city but its not the small sleepy seaside town I thought as we made our way in traffic. Being on the back of a motorcycle with your luggage is disconcerting enough much less riding through traffic and I was silently praying that we didn’t have to go too far! My prayers were answered and we soon found ourselves in the heart of this citys tourist area dubbed HUA HIN AFTERDARK. Now I didn’t know this when we arrived but this quarter of the area was stacked with guesthouses, restaurants, bars, 711s , suit shops, etc etc etc. They dropped us off in front of a place but it wasn’t the Pattana. I took out my guidebook and pointed out the address but he didn’t speak english and Chris’ driver couldn’t see, which made me curious as to how Chris mustve felt riding on the back of this guys motorcycle with no helmet and he “no see good”. Well neither of them could help us out so we got off there, paid and began the search for some place to stay. Being in the narrow alley street with your luggage isnt neccasarily how I pictured it but hey this was where we were and now we walked to a place to check prices. The Relax Guesthouse we found was some run down looking house where the lady had to shue her dogs away to open the gate. We peaked in a room and it was hoootttt! I don’t need AC but it was a small windowless room in what seemed like the attic with pretty much no ventilation. Nope, Im sorry but this was not going to work, and Chris agreed. After spending three days in a hot box we didn’t want to do that again so we left and went back to where the drivers dropped us off. There mustve been a reason they went there. We walked through the glass doors into the small lobby which held 4 tables. The deskman spoke english very well and showed us a third floor room with two beds, private bath and AC. Now this was more like it, all for 5 dollars a night. SOLD! We checked in and put our stuff in the room. We didn’t know where we were,how to get anywhere or where anything was but we were smack dab in the middle of this large seaside city and sooner or later we would know all we needed to know.
Our guesthouse is on Soi Birtabaht next door to a fish spa. The same type of fish spa I mentioned before where the garra rufa fish suckle your legs and eat the dead skin. There is a small stoop in front of the guesthouse with low chairs and a small table and Chris and I have taken up residence there at night to watch the tourists walk the streets. These narrow alleys are lined with bars, shops and stores that are tiny, and compacted in this area. Every fifteen feet one open front bar lies next to another where all the girls that work them beckon you in with “Welcoooome” . After you’ve walked one hundred yards you’ve passed ten bars all with the same greeting. The streets also teem with food stall vendors, goods salesman, and kids hawking flowers. Sitting out in front is like being in the middle of a bizzare amalgamation of Thai culture and Western influence as all the bars play American music and cater to the western traveler. We sit out at night to watch this unfold before us while chatting up the fish spa girls next to us and laugh at the people who stop to test out this technique as they grimace and squirm. Of course they finally convinced us to put our hands in so I being curious tested it out first. I placed my arm in up to the elbow and was swarmed with hundreds of minnow sized sucker fish who latch on and feed. At first the sensation is of mild shock as these fish nip at your skin and its hard not to giggle. It tickles and makes you imagine what it would be like to be poked with hundreds of tooth picks. I could only stand it for about 30 seconds before I had to get my hand out of there and as I pull my arm out the fish drop off. Tukta, the attendant whom we have befriended, talks Chris into trying it. Now Chris is a little ticklish so hes apprehensive about it but he decides to go elbow deep. As soon as he puts his arm in he’s cracking up laughing and Tukta grabs him by the arm and holds him in and hes just laughing and hopping up and squirming but she wont let go and the small crowd that has gathered giggles. Finally she lets him take his hand out and little fish come flying out and I scoop them up to set them back into the pool. We all get a good laugh at this experience and thank the girls for letting us try.
Chris has brought with him small stuffed parrot that he takes pictures of in front of landmarks or something interesting. He has his picture taken in London in front of Big Ben , Buckingham Palace, and so forth. So far he has pictures at the Kwai river for sunset, in a tree at the Erawan falls and other shots in Khanchanaburi. Chris hadnt named him yet so we were waiting for the right name to come around. Chris has taken to introducing the parrot to people as his friend, “Have you met my friend yet? He’s very cool” and then he takes the parrot out and people get a kick out of this little guy. The other day we found out what the Thai word for friend is and weve adopted this name for the parrot. Now im not exactly sure what the word really is but weve americanized it and have decided on Poo-Ling. Im sure the real word isnt pooling but it sounds funny to us! The other night as we sat out on the stoop chatting Chris introduced Poo-Ling to the spa girls. They immediately latched on to him and have taken him as a mascot taking pictures and kidnapping him from time to time. One night at around 1 am we see walking down the street something that I never expected. Being guided down this alley of bars shops and food stalls walks over a 2 year old elephant! That’s right, an elephant with his guides selling sugar cane to feed to the hungry guy. Now I havent seen many elephants in my life up close but this one was about 6 feet tall at the head. We bought some sugar cane sticks and asked permission to photo Poo-Ling with the elephant. I am holding the sugar cane, Chris has Poo-Ling and Noi is camera ready. The elephant smelled out the sugar and immediately shot out his trunk and snagged most of the sugar cane from my hands while Chris placed Poo-Ling on the elephant for his picture. The guys were really nice about letting us take pictures feeding the elephant sugar cane and petting him. The have long brisly hairs on their head with tiny little red ribbons tied in. There eyes are clear and black and their skin is dense and rough. The are massive animals and gentle in nature and I can definitely see why the are so revered in Thailand. That was such an unexpected surprise and Chris informs me that the further south we go the more of them we will see and Im really looking forward to more meetings with these amazing animals.
I started wearing small bracelets on my left arm to represent the places Ive been recently. I started when I moved to Naples and bought two there, one in the bahamas and my very close friend Krystal bought me a shell bracelet. I want to get one from all the countries I visit this trip and I want them to be something that I wouldn’t be able to find anywhere. The other night sitting on the stoop the spa girls were knitting beanie hats and scarves. Yes this is thailand where its hot and humid year round so I had to ask why. They were making them for friends they said and it helped pass the time. Me'em, the girl knitting the scarf said she was working on the scarf for five days and it really was a very dense crafty scarf made of small light grey baby blue and white and quite nice. I asked her if she would make me a bracelet and she said maybe tomorrow when she finished the scarf. I told her we were probably leaving the next day. After a few minutes she got up and went inside and I didn’t see her for hours. Later that night when they started to close up the shop she came back out and walked over to me with a bracelet she had sat making for me. Its small and fit me perfectly! I asked her how much and she said its for you. I was blown away by how sweet a gesture that was and thanked her profusely. That is what the Thai people are like. They have tremendous generosity and it shows in everyday life. She didn’t have to make it for me. She didn’t need to stop what she was doing to give me something but she did and there arent words to express my gratitude.
We stayed one more night there, and visited with the girls and talked with Bua a Thai massuse who dropped by with her daughter to visit her friends. She used to work there but had opened up a few shops in Bangkok. The unrest over the last few months had caused her businesses to close but she was still light hearted and joyous. She was married to an American Naval Officer stationed in Iraq. We spoke not of the war but of family. She said he calls everyday to make sure she is safe and that if she doesnt hear from him she worries. Her husband has served for 32 years and is set to retire in three and they will move to Portland. I asked her why she wasn't living in America now and she informed me that she couldn't get a visa for her kids. She has tried multiple times but has not been approved. Bua is 38 with three kids ages 19,17 and 10. The two older kids as well as she work all day everyday to take care of themselves while her American husband is in Iraq serving the American people in an effort to make the world safe for freedom to flourish. I dont know how the American Immigration system works, especially in light of the new Arizona laws, but I as an American, would certainly welcome her family to our borders with open arms.

Some photos before camera fell in water

A bus ride began simply enough with a pedicab ride out the bus station where we found the bus to take us out there for the day. The ride was an hour and a half, twice as long as we thought but were able to take in the views of the mountains on the way. Erawan Falls is a national park situated north of Khanchanaburi just into the mountains. The falls are a seven series layer of water falls set within this mountainous park. The lay out takes you up into theforest along the river and every few hundred yards meets one level of the falls. The first level has a great swimming hole so after the long ride and hot walk we dove into the clear blue limestone laced water amounst huge fish. We swam to the falls and climbed onto the rocks to let the watercascading down beat on our backs before taking a dive into the pool below. The pools are deep in areas so we swam around a bit and tried to catch fish barehanded but they were too fast. It was time to make the mile long climb up the mountain to explore more of the falls. The trail is dirt and rock, mostlt limestone and soapstone that were so smoothed over by thousands of feet marching over them that some shone brightly with swirls of red grey and black. we hiked along the trail to one set of spectacular falls after another. the trail got progressively steeper as we climbed giving way to fantastic views of watring yunning over small cliffs, collecting in baby blue pools before falling over into yet another tier. To say that these falls were gorgeous would be an understatement. We made our way to the end of the ftrail and were rewarded with the highest cascade of water and levels yet. The cool water ran over these cliffs softly allowing eas dips into the water. Chris and I decide to make our way down the river going over fall after fall before we found a quite spot in a shallow pool to have lunch. We sat on a rock outcropping as the water flowed around us and enjoyed a simple lunch of tuna and crackers. Some things we take for granted but this was not one of them. We both felt at peace sitting there in a quite spot in the river amoungst one of natures natural treasures.
After lunch we repacked our bag and made our way a small rock cropping. I was smimming in the shallow pool seeking an egress into the next pool when I see Chris sitting on a rock looking into the river. I could tell something wasnt right. He looked at me said "Your gonna kill me" Immediatel I knew what probably happened. Sitting in three feet of water was my digital camera! "I dont know how it fell in" he said " but i leaned over to pick up the water bottle and heard a splash". Well the look on his face said it all, I could tell he felt really bad, especially since all the pictures we had taken were on my camera! Standing there in these beautiful waters surrounded by stunning natural beauty I truly didnt care. Trips are filled with occurances that will test ones patience and in this instance I could not care less. A camera is a camera which help capture moments but the moments are seared forever in my mind. I looked at my best friend sitting on the rocks sullen with disappointment and said " Man, I dont care, its just a camera and Im sure once it dries out we ll salvage it", smiled at him and handed him the soaking camera. There was no way anything couldve happened that day to take away frm this moment and I was just happy to taking it all in.
The river was slow enough to swim wade though it so I decided to make my way down fall over fall until I couldnt make it any further while Chris walked down. Experiencing the falls this way was specatacular. I was able to swim, jump, slide my way over a qurter mile down the river, until i reached a point where the rocks made these sloping gentle sweeps down into a ten foot drop into a pool. As i \owedccame out of the river and onto this out cropping i saw a group of visitors there watching as i navagated my way out of the river and onto these rocks. I could tell they were curious as to how i made my way to this point and watched with cameras at the ready while i hopped over a boulder sat down and slide with the current into the cool blue pool below. I splashed into the water happily and backstroked for a bit and saw Chris smiling on the rivers bank. Ive had many happy moments in my life but that was more than I could ask for. Chris waved atme and I continued on to the next fall all the while smiling and laughing with gratitude for this day. Ultimately i found myself on the edge of a fall that was the highest of the tiers. I stood on the rocks edge as the river swelled over and calculated my chances of jumping the 40 feet down into the pool below. Im sure that it was deep enough and the adventurer in me said JUMP! but soon logic set in and with out knowing how ddep the water was I didnt want to jump onto a rock and have to be medivaced out of the forest because I was greedy. I backtracked to the rivers edge and met chris and we both agreed that it was time to call it a day. The falls were beautiful, the day warm and I was able to share it with Chris. There will be days ahead when I will push the bounds of fun and danger but that was as far as I wanted to go today. It was getting close to time to leave anyway so we made our way down the trail to the first pool for one last swim before heading to the bus stop. Once there we were both hot and ice cream beckoned. A sweet lady at the first stand we came to greeted us so warmly that Chris had to go and chat her up. He walked over to her and said because she was so nice we would buy from her shop. She smiled so big it wa genuine and kind. We bought ice cream bars, chris chocolate and i got s strawberry fruit bar and water. Chris managed to cut his finger on something and she immediately took him aside and bandaged his finger. There isnt words to describe the genuineness of the Thai people. She doctored him up with a smile and then carried chairs over to the shade for us to enjoy our cool treats while we waited for the bus. There may not be pictures of this day but the memories will be more valuable. I hope my camera dries out and I can share the pictures but if it doesnt then life will move on and I will be happier for the day we shared hiking the Erawan Falls of central Thailand.

The Mini Bus to Khachanaburi picked us up for 2hour ride out to the Kwai River guesthouse we chose called the Jolly Frog. The were out of double rooms with AC so we settled for a fan. The guest house entrance is into the restaurant which is all open air. This opens up onto the garden/cortyard which has lounge chairs and hammocks overlooking the Kwai River. Down the steps to river is a floating landing with chairs and tables. This would become home for the next three days. Chris and I immediately rolled into the hammocks and within minutes was chatting up a traveler from London. She had just finished a 7 month volunteer stint in Pattaya, on Gulf of Thailand and had found her way here. As we spoke i noticed a young Thai girl cradling a small animal so i meandered over to investigate. On closer inspection i see that she is holding a baby rabbit of two weeks. The small grey rabbit is adorable and she pulls my hand over for me to take it. I m holding this baby rabbit and its as tiny as a hamster. She gets up and soon returns with another and immediately 3 others come by for a look. We are all so entranced by how docile and cute thses rabbits are and I can't help but smile. I am on the coast of the Kwai River, holding a baby rabbit less than 24 hours into my trip and cant help but be amazed at hoe serendipidous life can be.
Our day was spent on the floating deck, taking in the breeze and sun, visiting with fellow travelers waiting for the sun to set. Its been a long time since I've swum in a river and watching the fast moving current i was glad that we had a small protected cove to jump into. Chris and I had the same idea so we changed into to swim wear and cannonballed in! The water is both dark and clear and completely refreshing. there seems to be no bottom to this area as we float around. Soon the sun will be setting so we climb back on board just as a our volunteer shows up. Along with her and a new arrival, also from Florida, we take in a pretty glowing sunset over the Kwai river . It was interseting to share stories and take in this wonderful night with like minded people. Hunger has set in so its time to catch some dinner in the restaurant before we make our way to the streets to investigate the area. This is a meca for travels with tens of guesthouses, bars, stores and restaurants. We decided to walk the streets for a bit .Everyone is so nice and inviting. Each place we pass we are greeted with hellos . Eventually we make our way to where live music can be heard spilling into the streets. Its called Johns Bar and a Thai cowboy is singing Keith Whitley, very well. We decided to stay so we find a table The bar is tiny with a dirt and gravel floor, 6 tables, a tiny bar and a small stage where our entertainer has moved into a little On the Road again by Wille Nelson. Having just begun a long journey its seems very fitting. He was quite good, hitting all the right notes and playing to a fun and lively crowd of seven. We made request which he played and also toasted us . He may not be a cowboy by birth but he was a cowboy in his heart and I was happy to sing along. Sitting there with my closest friend, enjoying live music and good stories could happen anywhere, but tonight we are in Thailand, and theres a two year in the bar and life seems to be very peaceful.
Eventually we make our way back the guesthouse and decide to sleep out on the hammocks. Its just to hot in the room and the breeze is too inviting so we bring our pilllows and blankets out and set up to sleep. The night security guard came by and he and i began to converse. His english is decent and we begin to get along. This evolves into an impromptu lesson in Thai language and for the nest 2 hours he gives me Thai words and an English translation as I slowly copy them down. Im not sure , no I know, my spelling isnt right but phonics is good enough. The Thai language is simple and complex at the same time. The structure is easy but the tones are varied. You have male a nd female variations for words and greetings as well as inflections. Im goin to try to do my best as I learn more but I am eternally grateful to Ta for trying, he laughed at me quite a bit as I struggled to say the simplest things but his patience was immeasurable. The Thai people are kind and good natured. I find myself feeling grateful for this lesson, as he says his good bye to make his rounds as dawn begins to break. I realize that Ive been up for 24 hours, and this is just day two.
I slept in until noon, well because I was exhausted. I found Chris out in the restaurant finishing luch so I joined him and ordered. Ive been very impressed by the quality of food and inexpensive cost. Ive been getting full very easily for less than 3 dollars and thats not even the value menu! After we were both full we meandered down to the river again, to , well, do nothing! Its hot out and the breeze is nice so we spend some time swimming and sunning before we make our walk over the River Kwai Bridge. Its quite a ways there and we were both surprised at how long it took to walk. The Bridge is a still used Metal Rail Bridge built during World War II by prisoners of the pacific war. The Japanese forced them to build a railway through the jungles of Burma and Thailand and this became a very strategic bridge. The bridge was bombarded by the Allies and eventually was damaged. The war ended and was given to the British who then repaired it and it remains used today. That we didnt find out until after we had walked over it and back. Imagine how shocked and surprised these to guys would have been had we suddenly heard a trains whistle and seen the headlamp of an Iron Horse speeding our way! I dont know about you but Im glad I m a runner! Chris wouldve been on his own, but i surely wouldve been yelling encouragements to him over my shoulder!
After such a long walk there we hired motor bike taxis to take us back. This was my first ride on one of the street missiles and it definately gave me a different perspective. The streets here are filled with motor bikes who dodge in and out of each others way. I saw many small children driving these things and Im glad for the experienced driver. I will not be renting one of these things. (I seemed to have locked the italics and cant get out)
That night we made our way to the night market for browsing and of course some food. There were many stalls affering all the wares you would expect in an American mall. Tons of clothes and electronics but by this time food was most important. We stumbled across a Thai barbeque stall. Its set up in buffett style so that you can choose what you want, except everything is raw. We were shown to a table where we were able to place our food on. I thought they were going to cook for us but soon a young man came over. He showed us that the menacing cooking apparatus in the center of the table was for use to cook on. imagine a wok with a round barbeque pit in the middle. He placed a small piece of pork fat on the grill to season it and the we were intructed to fill the lower bowl with hot water. The grill would be used to cook our veggies, eggs and shrimp while the center domed grill would cook our meats. This seemed like such a great idea. Chris and I immediated loaded the grill with everything we could find. Pork, chicken, beef, etc and filled the wok with veggies and. noodles and cracked eggs. Soon we were devouring our own Thai concoctions. We ate grilled meats with rice noodles and veggies over rice. And even tried our hand at steaming clams and boiling shrimp. The first dish was great , the second didnt turn out so well. We overdid the shrimp and the clams never opened. Oh well, what can you expect from your first Thai barbeque! Both fat and happy we made our way back to the guesthouse to relax and read. Tomorrow is going to be an adventurous day. We are going to figure out how to catch the bus out to Erawans 7 tiered waterfalls and we will need all the rest we can get!

Arrival a Success!

If I planned our arrival in Bangkok any better I'd be greedy! Everything has gone off without a hitch. Chris met me at the Airport in Bangkok as planned and we passed through immagration within minutes and by 1pm we checked into the My Place hostel off of Khao San Rd on Soi Rambutri. Interestingly enough it is right across the way from a large monestary, keep immaculate clean by monks. This is definately ground zero for travellers. The streets were spotted with people from all over the world with packs meandering thier way to or from their hotels. We were able to split a room, two beds and private bath for about 6US. Definately sparse but the lobby is open on the street with low cushioned chairs . Tables off to one side for restaurant dining and big screen TV and couch like sitting on the other. Everything is so close and space is limited here so whatever you need is just around the corner, including 7 11, which there seems to be one every 100 yards. Walking Khao San Rd is like walking Bourbon St and the French Market in New Orleans rolled into one. Shops markets and bars dominate the main buildings with street vendors and food stalls scattered throughout. We found our way to a small restaurant with outdoor cafe style seating and began the people watching. Within minutes Chris noticed two girls sitting next to us that were on his flight over from berlin. These two young Germans were experiencing Thailand for the first time as well so it was pleasant conversation about traveling. We decided to part ways and continue the walk. It is hot here and humid so it didnt take long to be drenched so we made our way through the hawkers selling their wares and services and asked every ten feet if we wanted to buy a suit. Chris and I both laughed at the absurdity of someone buying a suit of a guy in the street when its 95 degrees out and humid! The only suit I want to buy I said, was one made of ice, but unfortunately they dont make those here, now that'd be a niche market! So far Bangkok seems to be a teeming metropolis with everything to offer and nothing without its price. Did you know you could get a fish massage? Apparently you place your feet in a bath of water filled with small minnowy fish and they eat the bacteria and grim that has collected on your feet! Im tempted to try this but I m not yet comfortable with the concept of creatures eating things off of me, even if they are only small fish! The night was pretty much the same except more people innundating us with offers for all types of goods and services, from massages, to tattoos, to food. Now I do have to admit I was at first timid to try a food stall but late evening I was hungry enough so I tried Pad Thai noodles with sprouts and egg, cooked on a portable cart with a veggie roll. A little spice here a little shrimp paste there and for 40 baht ( about1.50) it was deliciously spicy and filling. The roll was topped with a little honey sauce and tasted crispy and sweet. Definately something i would devour again, even if my stomach wasnt too happy about it today! We are now waiting for the bus to River Kwai. Im not sure where that is or what to expect when we get there but thats the beauty of this trip, its fluid and spontaneous! Until next time, my friends, Be good Be safe, and thats a true story!

Hello everyone! Today is Friday May 21 2010 and my last weekend in Naples FL before heading to San Francisco! Looks like everything in Bangkok is going to be settled down by the time we make it there so it looks like we will probably stay a few days before heading out. All the pre trip hulla ballu is over, except getting my final Hep A/B shot on monday. I was able to fit everything i wanted into one day pack and one 22 inch carry-on. You'd be surprised at what you don't need when you dont know if you are gonna need it or not...hhhmmm
The anticipation of leaving on a four month expedition is really building! I cant stop thinking about so many variables. I've trained 4-6 months for races and felt just like this. You put all this time and effort into getting ready for so many unexpected scenarios that all you want to do is get going. I'm feeling like a gladiator waiting to be released to face down a starving tiger in the ring of the Coliseum! Ok maybe not that bad, but you see my point right? Anticipation is the drug on which ive been hooked and the only cure is to go go go!