Jet Lagged and Dehydrated

I think I have only slept 2 hours since leaving Bangkok. My body never recovers well from the jet lag coming back over the Pacific Ocean. The dry cough was driving me nuts the entire flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco (maybe I have SARS). Due to the 5 hour lay over, I scheduled a quickie (lunch that is) in San Francisco with my friend Jennifer who works close to the airport. I always have some kind of truely American meal as soon as I return overseas. Jennifer didn't dissapoint me. I had a great $12 cheeseburger with fries and a coke. Again, it is strange being back in a place where people speak English with an American accent. As I said before, I met very few Americans during my travels which is nice. I'm sure it will take a couple days to be back to normal. Jaime did a great job taking care of the house so that is one less thing to worry about.



On my flight from SF to Dallas, I met a girl who travelled in South America during the same time Jane and I did. It turns out that she is best friends with a couple American girls I met in BA six months ago. Crazy isn't it? Sometimes the world is small.

Double Album

I have added a second set of ten songs which will remind me of this leg of my journey. This latest trip definitely had a different feel compared to the first two parts. I think some of the songs reflect that.

Blond Redhead-Spring and by Summer Fall. For some reason, I was reminded of the last date I was on before leaving Dallas. The girl mentioned seeing Blond Redhead when they came through and I immediately thought of this song which is from their album 23.

Estelle-American Boy. This is one catchy ass song. It is huge overseas. I explained to Thad that this was one of the pop songs I actually liked before leaving Dallas. A night in the club was never complete until you heard this song.

Scissor Sisters-Take Your Mama. When you are on the slow boat on the Mekong with no reading material, your mind starts to wander. Maybe I just wanted to dance after sitting on my ass for so long.

Ivy-Only a Fool Would Say That. Originally a Steely Dan song. It was constantly playing in my head as I was shopping in the night market with Yu and a Dutch gal named Karin.

Clash-Guns of Brixton. I should have used Lost in the Supermarket, but for some reason I was thinking of this song while browsing through a Japanese supermarket with Greg in Hong Kong. Note that salmon heads (or fish heads in general) are a delacasy for Japanese folks.

David Bowie-Young Americans. I sat in front of three very chatty American girls on their way to Thailand for the first time. I was also listening to a lot of David Bowie before going on this trip.

Velvet Underground-Beginning to See The Light. Great conclusion to my trip.

Luna-Some track off of Bewitched. Not sure of the exact song, but it was one of the songs which reminded me of particular people back home. As I said before, you tend to think a lot when you are in one place for a real long time.

Death Cab for Cutie-Your Heart is an Empty Room. Same as above.

Aimee Mann-Wise Up. Hmmmm. This reminds me of my cousin Peter who, for lack of a better term, is weird. There were some facts that were made apparent to me later which explains much about his behavior. In any case he reminds me of a character from a Paul Thomas Anderson movie. Except the story doesn't have any closure after two hours and there is no end in sight.

Honorable mention:
James Bond Theme by the guy who wrote the James Bond Theme.

Travelling Alone and Random Things

Travelling alone definitely presents a different dynamic than travelling with a buddy. I overheard an American girl talking about arriving at Kao San Road at 11PM and not knowing where to go or what to do. I can see how this can create some anxiety if you are travelling alone for the first time. However, Kao San is packed with foreigners at 11 PM and you are better off going some place where there are a lot of people rather than showing up at 2 AM with not a soul in sight. I definitely prefered travelling with a buddy rather than alone when going to new places. I like the security of having someone with you when you are in a jam. It was great having Yu along with me for part of my travels. Not only was she able to speak to the locals and help negotiate prices, but she was in essence a local tour guide as well.

Some random thoughts.

The perfect number for travelling in a group is four. Any more and you introduce many extra variables to deal with. For one thing, getting a taxi for four is easy and so is finding accommodations in the same place. Once you make that number six or more, it becomes way harder. It also helps to get group discounts on tours and other activities.

I have made a list of the four types of people which would be ideal to travel with.

1. The all around outdoorsman-Knowledgabe in many outdoor activities such as camping, diving, rock climbing, kayaking, skiing, etc. should be able to identify quality equipment and therefore reliable tour companies. Able to perform emergency first aid if required. Good with naviagation (map and compass).

2. The doctor/pharmacist-You need drugs for that insect bite? Did you eat something bad? Did you get bit by a monkey? Well having a doctor around is reassuring that's for sure.

3. The linguist-Communications expert. Able to negotiate with locals to help get out of difficult situations.

The last one can be picked from the remaining selections depending on where you are going and the purpose of your trip.

4. The Foodie- Expert on regional cuisine.

5. The Mechanic/Engineer- Able to fix any motorized vehicle or able to build a car out of spare parts.

6. The Entertainer/Musician- Someone who can keep the group entertained. Knowledge of card game and magic tricks a plus.

7. The Bouncer- Strictly for security.

Dudes who look like Moby

Back in Lamphu House in Bangkok. My farmer's tan is all gone now and I feel quite rested. The great thing about being back in Bangkok is that I pretty much have everything dialed in. I found a great place which serves $1 fruit, yogurt, and muesli for breakfast. The next couple days will be spent shopping for Christmas gifts. I hope I can bring everything back without breaking anything.

One thing I noticed when in southern Thailand is how many European guys look like Moby. It is a common look (shaved head, geometrical shaped glasses). I should have made note of it earlier to take pictures of everyone and maybe even start my own website, unless someone beat me to it.

I won't have too much to write about over the next couple days, so I'll just write about random things which pop into my head.

Monkey Pox Outbreak

I wish we had more time to do everything on the agenda. Bouncing from place to place cuts into our activity time so we must make the most of the free time we have before bus ride back to Bangkok.

It wears me out to hear the same pitch such as "This is where they filmed The Man With the Golden Gun" or " This is Where They Filmed Tomb Raider." Well Koh Phi Phi, specifically Phi Phi Lei, was where The Beach was filmed. We took the ferry from Krabi and arrived at Phi Phi Don in the morning. From there, it was easy to find a guesthouse and set up an afternoon activity. Phi Phi island had more of a backpacker feel compared to the other places I had been so far. There were many young people and fewer families than on Phuket or Krabi. Some signs of the 2004 tsunami still remained, but for the most part, business was normal for this time of year.

We took a cruiser for a sunset tour around Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Lei. The first stop was Monkey Beach. We were told that at least one person gets bitten by a monkey on every trip. And wouldn't you know it, Yu was attacked as she sat on the beach. It wasn't her fault though. One of the monkeys became aggravated by another tourist who was feeding it bananas. When monkeys attack, they do not do it one at a time, it is like a frenzy. She didn't appreciate me joking about being quarantined for some monkey disease. From there we went to Malay bay where The Beach was filmed. We found out that you can camp there, so I'm going to keep that in mind the next time I go. The beach was beautiful, and it would be so nice to have it all to yourself.

The next morning we hiked up to the lookout to see the two beaches of Phi Phi Don. It was a perfect morning to see the island. Phi Phi Don has two hills connected by a stretch of beach where most of the people stay. It is hard to imagine that nearly all of the buildings on the stretch were wiped out four years ago. After that, we went to the beach to rent a kayak for an hour. It was a lot of work, but nice to be on the water. I almost took Yu back to Monkey beach to get some payback, but we were short on time. I wish I would have had another day on Phi Phi. Maybe another day of diving would have been good. After a full day, we took the ferry back to Krabi to catch the overnighter back to Bangkok.

Krabi and the Superday

I'm going through a my tube of SPF 50 faster than Michael Jackson though whitening cream!

Krabi was described to me as one of those places you go if you want to escape the crowds of Phuket. It is true is some way, but you get the feeling that Krabi is growing faster than the current infrastructure allows. Proof by the fact there is a McDonalds, Burger King, and Starbucks. As with most places here, you don't stay in Krabi town. You stay at one of the beaches around the towns. I picked Ao Nang beach to stay for a couple days and wait for Yu to meet me before heading to Koh Phi Phi. Ao Nang beach is not as nice as Karon beach in Phuket, but the atmosphere is much more relaxed. From Krabi, you can join a number of tours which take you to surrounding islands for sightseeing, kayaking, elephant trekking, etc.

I decided to sign us up for the James Bond island tour in Phang Nga Bay. I had the feeling that this would be a bit overrated, but it was okay (still overpriced though). It is funny how a franchise like James Bond can draw huge crowds. I'm glad I did this tour just to check it off the list. If I opted for something different, I would have always wondered how good it would have been. The next day, we signed up for the SUPERDAY dive. The SUPERDAY consists of three dives which include King Cruiser (wreck), Shark Point, and Anemone Reef. Although the wreck dive was at 30 meters, I felt really comfortable at that depth. This time I was able to see the leopard sharks and ghost pipe fish. One of the sharks actually swam circles around us in a playful manner. It was quite exciting. Yu was able to take some great pictures and a short video of the shark. I am wondering if what I am seeing on these dives is normal, or if this is really good stuff. The only way to find out is to dive some place else and see for myself.

I will post some pictures once I get the underwater ones from Yu.

The Life Aquatic With Sam Wu

The last two days have been spent in the open water to complete my SCUBA diving certification. The weather turned a bit nasty the last two days, but it should clear this evening. The weather didn't play that much of a factor in the water since the visibility was still good and I was able to see some incredible sea life. I suppose it takes time to gain the experience to spot things. The dive master was able to point out some animals which I couldn't have picked out myself such as the scorpion fish. Others on the dive were able to see leopard sharks, ghost pipe fish, and other more rare creatures. It was very Jacques Cousteauesque.

I'll likely continue to dive next week to solidify my skill and technique.
Now all I need is a red beanie and a speedo.

Due to the large number of Europeans here in Phuket, I have a myriad of euro restaurants to choose from. My stomach still seems to not take Thai food well after the bus ride, so I opted for some western style food this time. Wouldn't you know it! There is a Swiss Roesti house just 100 meters from my guest house! I ordered the Karon Roesti which is like the Zurich style with veal medallions and Asian mushroom cream sauce. It is sitting a lot better with me than the Thai food. I have also added some probiotics as well as an additional countermeasure for any bugs I may have picked up.

Relief

It took me four days to complete the trip, but at least I'm here. The bus ride down to Phuket was one of those trips where we had to make a number of transfers at different points to get to your specific destination. The overnighter wasn't bad, but there was no food so I had to snack on some dried fruit and biscuits on the way down. I sat next to an English guy who let me borrow his horseshoe shaped neck pillow during the ride. I will never make fun of those ridiculous looking pillows ever again. Those things are awesome! Armed with the pillow, eye shields, and ear plugs, I was able to sleep fairly well on the way down. In all the trip was 18 hours long. When I arrived at the guesthouse, it was closed for renovation. I took the next best option (which is not bad by the way) at the Pineapple Guesthouse at Karon Beach. I have a single room with private bath and aircon for 700 Baht. More than what I originally wanted to pay, but based on my bus ride, I justified the cost.

The first day of my scuba course is finished. I checked a couple companies and went with Dive Asia. As soon as I found out that the owners of the shop were Swiss, I signed up (almost said the only Swiss German word I know too. You know, to get some cred). You can always count of a Swiss run company to be a quality outfit when traveling abroad. They also gave me the best deal. Unfortunately, I have developed a slight cough with some congestion this week. It is not enough to prevent me from diving, but I need to give my body time to rest. Tomorrow will be the open water dive portion off of two islands. I'm sure it will be just beautiful.

Here are a couple pictures. The beach is like Zoloft for the soul.

I would also like to add that if you are going to have someone do a 200 meter swim and 7 minute float test. DON'T ask them to do it 15 minutes after eating a large bowl of Pad Thai. I had the unsavoury experience of tasting my lunch twice this afternoon. And I think I swam 300 instead of 200 meters.

Evacuation?

Why does CNN have to sensationalize everything? This morning I was lounging at the guest house after breakfast and was watching the news just to get an update on the airport situation. The reporter from CNN said that people were making the drive to the military airport 140K away from Bangkok to be "evacuated" from Thailand. Evacuated? Really? Because I am going to the mall to see a movie this afternoon and I don't feel as though I need to be evacuated from this place. This sort of crap is terrible because it makes people worry. Since my parents believe everything they see on TV, I can't help to think they are worried sick that I'm still in Thailand. Sure the protests are making things inconvenient for travelers, but that is all.

I was late getting a ticket to Phuket. Everything was booked going south yesterday so I have lost a day here in Bangkok. That is okay. Yu and I went to a Japanese restaurant for my birthday which was better than the initial plan (box lunch on an overnight bus). The last two weeks are all planned out now. I won't be traveling too far once I get to Phuket. Yu will meet me in Krabi the last week for some rock climbing and kayaking. We should be able to get a few dives in at Ko Phi Phi. I suspect that budget accommodations will be hard to find in Ko Phi Phi, but perhaps we'll get lucky with the lack of people coming into Thailand and get a good deal at a nice place. I also told Yu that we need to go to Tony Romas (It's the place for ribs ya know) for my last meal. It is somewhat of a tradition to go to that restaurant in every capital city I visit.