Goodbye Hong Kong

It's my last full day in Hong Kong (sad but true) and if you got me right you'd know I love it here.  Here's a quick rundown of what I did.  Oops sorry, quick sidebar.  At this internet cafe I've witnessed a strange phenomenon.  I kept hearing an aggravating, high pitched, tragic sound and I couldn't figure out what it was.  Finally I realized it's the girl sitting next to me staring at her computer and singing into the headset.  I figure, whatever, but almost every time I come here it's happening but always a different girl.  I've tried to spy over the partition but just can't figure it out.  Are they recording the next big You Tube hit or singing love songs to their internet "boyfriends" for $1/miniute?  Who knows?  Anyway, after my last post I got on the subway (excellent and clean) heading to Soho.  When I got to Queen's Road I hitched a ride on the mid-level escalators.  It's the longest outdoor escalator system in the world.  Hong Kong has steep San Francisco style hills and this is an excellent way to navigate them.  There are periodic breaks and you just hop off near where you're going, love it.  The escalator carries commuters downhill from 6:00-10:00 am and then switches direction and goes uphill till Midnight.  I hopped off in Soho to have a look around and go to an organic vegetarian restaurant I read about.  I found the restaurant and was reading the sidewalk menu when out of the corner of my eye I see, could it be...a Mexican restaurant!  Wouldn't hurt to just take a peak at the menu, right?  Just a quick glance?  Screw the organic restaurant, the next thing you know I was tucked in with a couple Baja pescado tacos and a reposado margarita, excellent!  I was in heaven.  I haven't had Mexican food since December, that's almost inhumane.  While I was sitting there wallowing in the glory of what I must say were decent fish tacos a guy sat next to me and said he just had to see what Mexican food was like in Hong Kong.  He was Diego from LA and was in Hong Kong for a quick vacation to use up his remaining time off before it expired.  We started talking and he ended up inviting me to Lang Kwai Fong (his treat, gotta love that) to celebrate his last night in Hong Kong.  LKF is a small street with hundreds of bars and restaurants where everyone goes to party; we had a great time.  The next day I  went to the Hong Kong Museum of Art to see the Chinese Gold and Wu Guanzhong exhibits and to listen to the free Sunday concert (it was classical, not my thing, I don't really like music without words).  New flash...I'm a 3D addict.  I went to see Avatar at the IMAX.  The ticket was $21 US dollars!  Can you believe that?!  And I paid it.  Like I said, an addict.  Monday I was back on the subway and headed to Lantau Island to spend the day at the Po Lin Monastery and to see the Tian Tan Buddha; the world's largest outdoor, seated, bronze Buddha (WLOSBB).  Now if you take one of those words away (outdoor, seated or bronze) I have no idea where it stands in the ranking but it was spectacular.  After a hike up the 260 stairs to see to the Buddha (What is it with Buddhists and stairs?) and a walk around the monastery I had lunch at the monastery's vegetarian restaurant and then headed back to Kowloon.  Tuesday brought more Buddhist reflection at the Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery in the Diamond Hill neighborhood of Kowloon.  This has to be the most peaceful place in Kowloon.  The gardens are meticulously maintained and stunning.  The nunnery is so serene with beautiful architecture and an amazing collection of Buddhist statues (sorry, no photography).  I had lunch at the vegetarian restaurant in the gardens hidden behind a waterfall that I read about in Time Out Hong Kong.  After that I headed to the Hung Hom train station to buy my Friday onward ticket.  That night I decided to go back and see the Symphony of Lights since it's right at the end of my street.  When I was leaving I managed to get all caught up in a red carpet situation at the Hong Kong International Film Festival where I'm sure I saw some exciting stars, unfortunately I just don't know who they are.  Since I run around all day, most nights I just grab a quick bite and go home and relax.  I'm not ashamed to say a couple of those meals included an American classic, the Filet-O-Fish, always a cheap and delicious option, thanks Ronald.  Wednesday brought rain on what was supposed to be my beach day, oh well, buy an umbrella, leave the bathing suit at the hotel and go anyway.  I hopped on the bus to Stanley and Repulse Bay on the south coast of Hong Kong Island.  The bus climbed up and down the steep hills in the pouring rain with little room to spare, it was mildly frightening.  The Stanley Market was no more than a bunch of tourist junk but the beaches and nature on that part of the island were beautiful, even on a rainy day.  It's raining again today so here I am at the computer trying to make the best of it.  I've been to the bank to exchange some Hong Kong Dollars for Renminbi; the mainland currency that hopefully the US won't talk them in to revaluing before I leave.  I have a train ticket tomorrow going to Guangzhou where I'll stay for a couple days while I plan my next destination.  Apparently it's much cheaper to get onward tickets throughout mainland China once you're actually in mainland China; so I'll arrive tomorrow and figure it out from there.  Here's hoping I don't encounter any internet censorship problems on the other side.  Until next time.  Peace out...Jan

Mid-level Escalator

Po Lin Monastery with WLOSBB in the Distance

Close-up and Personal with WLOSBB

Nan Lian Garden

Koi at Nan Lian Garden

Beautiful Architecture at Chi Lin Nunnery

The Honeymoon's Over

With a spinach/mushroom quiche and giant cappuccino in my belly I guess it's about time I filled you in on my excellent honeymoon with Babe I and II.  I was lounging in my room with the door wide open and my screen door securely in place listening to the intermittent, deafening screech of the Cicadas at the Hollanda Montri Guesthouse (HM) when the rail weary honeymooners arrived.  Actually once I got used to the crazy sound it didn't bother me, although when Vania arrived she thought it was noise from a water treatment plant since we were staying on the river and was sure I had checked out and left word of my new home.  Needless to say I was thrilled to see them!  They had taken the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai along with some unexpected cockroach companions who shared their first class cabin.  They got situated, showered and sustained and we were ready to hit the town.  We took off on foot and roamed the streets of the walled and moated old city of Chiang Mai.  Now walled and moated in my book conjures up images of an ancient city of ruins steeped in history...well erase that image if you have it too and imagine a fairly normal looking small city that just happens to have a brick wall and water around the outside (buffalo girl style) with some beautiful temples sprinkled throughout.  Not to say it was bad, just not what I expected.  We went from temple to temple, had a couple beers and then hit the Sunday Street Market.  They close off the street and it's filled with vendors selling just about everything Thai.  At 6:00 pm (and 8:00 am) every day the Thai National Anthem is blared through a sound system and everyone stops dead in their tracks, listens to the anthem with great respect (unless you're Vania and giggle) and when it stops goes about their business as if nothing happened.  We roamed through the Sunday Street Market in search of the Chiang Mai Night Market but by the time we found it our feet were swollen and tired and we just wanted to get back to HM for beer, Scrabble Slam, dinner and bed.  The next morning we sprung up and raced off to the women's prison.  I know it sounds like a place most women would try to avoid but we voluntarily took ourselves there for a Thai massage.  The prison has a rehabilitation program that teaches the women Thai massage so they have a profession when they are released.  Nate and Vania went for the full body hour long massage ($5.50) and I went for the hour long foot/leg massage ($4.50), it was excellent.  At one point I hear an odd sound that vaguely resembles Nate's voice, I open my eyes to see him bent upside down like a human rainbow, delicately balanced on a small Thai woman's legs.  After our massages we hightailed to the pool.  For $3.00 per person you can use the pool for the day at a nearby hotel.  To me the place looked like somewhere you would see foreign correspondents lounging in a war torn Hollywood blockbuster; Vania saw my vision, Nate not so much.  We had our tuk tuk driver Mr. Yut pick us up at 4:00 to race home and get ready for our Thai cooking class at Baan Thai Cookery School.  It was really great!  You select four things you personally wanted to cook from a list of choices, head to the outdoor market to see where and how the ingredients are purchased and then it's back to the school where you start cooking.  I must say, we are excellent chefs; the food was delicious!  You moved from group to group depending upon what dishes you chose to make.  I had Vania in all of my sessions except one and luckily Nate was in that one.  I made green papaya salad, panang curry (I think), soup, etc.  After cooking school I was ready to chill at HM and needed to make some calls to deal with paying bills and taxes while Nate and Vania went to the Chiang Mai Night Market.  In the morning Mr. Yut took us on a twisting mini-van journey to our next destination Chiang Dao where we would be staying for three nights.  Everyone's stomachs were a little upset after the journey, I blame the van ride, Vania blames my white trash sugary sweet iced coffee from 7-Eleven that everyone had.  Here is where I must include Vania's new cure-all obsession with Alka-Seltzer, she loves it!  If anything ails you Alka-Seltzer is the cure.  Actually one night I wasn't feeling so great, she whipped me up an Alka-Seltzer and I felt much better, I think she may be onto something.  Anyway, we arrived at Chiang Dao Nest One (CDN1) and settled into our "family bungalow".  Nate and Vania were in the first room with a beautiful queen size bed and I was in the second room with twin size bunk beds that looked more like a giant crib, it even had a side rail that moved up and down to lock "the baby" into bed.  That's my new nickname...The Baby.  Actually it makes things a little easier; having three Babes was getting a little tricky.  After we were settled we headed to the pool, Vania had a two hour massage allowing Nate and I some alone time to bond and join forces against her...I know, on HER honeymoon, we're just not nice people.  After the massage we played Scrabble (I lost horribly, my skills have tragically faded, my brain must be slowly rotting, all play and no work makes Jan a very bad Scrabble player), had a couple beers and got ready for dinner.  We walked down to Chiang Dao Nest Two (CDN2) for dinner at their Thai restaurant and then back home to bed early.  The next morning The Baby slept in while Nate and Vania, being young and healthy, took a walk up 500 steps to Wat Tham Pha Plong.  By the time they returned I was up and we all had breakfast together.  We decided on a whim to sign up for a day long tour to see the local hill tribes, a Burmese style temple, a waterfall and hot springs.  Of course I had a great time because we were all together but each attraction was less interesting than the last.  The hill tribes were all situated along this dirt road in what appeared to be land set aside to "contain" them and their lifestyles seemed less than truly authentic especially since there were churches built in their neighborhoods by charity organizations.  I'm comparing this to the hill tribes I visited in 2005 in Vietnam, but what do I know.  I did however really appreciate seeing these kids with long sticks that had been dipped in the sap of a fruit tree and used to stick up in the trees and grab the wings of insects that were then impaled on another stick and taken home to fry for a snack.  Next we were off to the Burmese style temple which I liked a lot (Vania you were right) because it was a replica of the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon/Rangoon which I love so much.  The waterfall had mildly interesting rock formations but no beautiful pools in which to swim.  The hot springs ended up being one small pool with a slimy bottom where a Chinese woman was bathing grandpa, washing their shoes (in the adjacent stream, not the pool) and her naked children were frolicking around.  I always criticize and pity people trudging off on organized tours, now I remember why.  Upon arrival back at the CDN1 we decided to treat ourselves to a fancy cocktail and Nate ordered something to surprise us.  What he thought we were getting was a pineapple daiquiri, what we somehow ended up with was a bright blue margarita, oh well we sucked it down anyway.  After that we got ready and were headed to a small Thai restaurant that we saw on the road to dinner the night before but it was closed so it was back to CDN2 for Thai food and then home to bed.  Let me just say that CDN1 is out in the country with few choices of night time activities, a little bit of a hostage situation but with Babe I and II as your fellow hostages it's no problem.  Once again the next morning the Babes got up and went on a grueling "nature hike" up the mountain to the Chiang Dao caves and then hired a guide to take them "off the beaten path" within the cave...not me.  Again I was chillin at the crib (no pun intended) and then I took off on foot (the bikes sucked) to the caves via the normal road.  I ended up accidentally meeting them at the entrance, looked and their photos, and decided to walk to town with them instead.  What I thought was a quick little jaunt into town ended up being 6kms, the last two of which we jumped in a Songthaew to complete the journey.  During lunch we had grand delusions of hopping on a plane that night and heading to the beach for their last day, but due to logistical problems our dreams were dashed.  So after lunch we looked for the day market that was closed and then went back to CDN1 to the pool where I became best friends with the owner's children Joseph and Alice (really Joseph's BFF).  We decided to eat at CDN1 that night because it is supposed to be an excellent restaurant, a place for foodies.  It was pretty good, not great, but keep in mind I lived in NYC where excellent food is everywhere, so I might be a tough critic. In the morning our good friend Mr. Yut picked us up and took us back to HM.  Nate and Vania headed back to the women's prison for one last massage before they had to begin their journey home.  I skipped it because I had some odd rash behind my knees and calves (probably from the hot springs) and just didn't think some nice prisoner rubbing it would feel so great.  I'm not sure at what point of the trip this happened but Vania likes to say "don't get me wrong".  Me, feeling all Zen Buddhist said why focus on the negative?...don't get me wrong?...wouldn't it be more positive to say get me right?  So now a campaign of sorts is under way to spread the new version of "don't get me wrong"...GET ME RIGHT!  Maybe you can help spread the word.  Anyway, it was one more meal and then they were off with Mr. Yut to the airport to catch their flight to Bangkok, with a quick stop and city tour of Seoul and then back home to Tacoma and their dog Fletcher (who Vania missed horribly) and the kitties (who she missed a little less).  I of course miss both Vania and Nate terribly; thanks for honeymooning with me Babes!  That was on Friday, March 26th, I only mention the date because it's a special one.  Not only is it my good friend Jeff's birthday, but it's also my new friend Emma Josephine's birthday who was born to Kate and Marino that day...CONGRATULATIONS!  If some of you are wondering who the hell Kate is maybe you need this handy nickname guide to assist you.  You may know her as Choppers, Chip Chop, Chippy, Chipper, Skipper, Skip Chop or a variety of other variations.  So I was back on my own in Chiang Mai at HM for what ended up being three more nights.  To spare you the misery of the boring details, my stay included the Warorot Market, a trip to Pantip Plaza for a new memory card for my camera, the Night market, the bookstore and of course more pool time with a few meals thrown in for good measure.  On the 29th I took the five hour bus to Sukhothai to see the 13th century Thai kingdom.  I stayed at the lovely At Home Guest House where the woman in charge seemed to initially hate me, but warmed to me when it was clear that Grandma and the husband were on my side.  I took the old city (now this was a REAL old city) bus out to the ruins and rented a bike on which to see the kingdom.  It was excellent!  A great way to break up the journey back to Bangkok.  The next morning I was on the 7 hour bus to Bangkok where I was caught in heavy traffic and detours around all the red shirt protests.  I checked into the good old Dang Derm on the Khao San Road for the night and then caught my morning flight to Hong Kong where I am now.  GET ME RIGHT...I LOVE HONG KONG!  I arrived on April 1st and checked into a guest house in the beautiful Mirador Mansion, no, it's not really a mansion, it's a huge old building filled with every imaginable type of business; money exchangers, cell phone dealers, cyber cafes, junk shops, tailors, guest houses and what appear to be other shady activities.  Let's just say my first choice of accommodations that I had reserved prior to arrival was a little less than desirable.  When standing next to the twin bed you could touch both walls in the width of the room, there was some where between 2' to 3' beyond the foot of the bed in the total length of the room, no window, tiled walls and the bathroom was old and wretched.  Don't worry the next morning I found another place still in the beautiful Mirador Mansion where I can't touch the walls, the bed is bigger and very comfortable, the walls are still tiled but they are sparkling new with a cool dotted detail, the bathroom is spotless and new and I have a window, yeah!  I really like this place, in fact I just paid for three more nights so I'm here at least until Tuesday, maybe longer who knows.  I had to book for at least three nights because of a mysterious Hong Kong holiday that the owner couldn't quite explain to me.  I questioned him incessantly trying to learn of this exotic holiday, he just couldn't explain it, all I could gather was that most things were open but the government offices where closed and he anticipated being fully booked because of it, that's why I had to commit to at least three days.  Well I just figured I would never solve the mystery of this holiday when that night I'm watching TV and between commercials a greeting is flashed across the screen...Happy Easter!  Hong Kong is definitely more expensive than to what I've grown accustomed; the shit hole cost me $20/night, my new digs are $32, guess that's the cost of livin in the big city.  The day I arrived I checked in and took the Star Ferry across to Central on Hong Kong Island where I walked around a bit, had a beer and waited for sunset so I could see beautiful Victoria Harbour at night.  I've dreamed of seeing it for awhile and it didn't disappoint.  Once the sun set I took the ferry back to Kowloon (where I'm staying) settled in near Avenue of the Stars and the Hong Kong Cultural Center to watch the Symphony of Lights show that is held nightly at 8:00 pm.  Apparently it's the world's largest permanent light show.  A bunch of buildings along the harbour light up with different colors, patterns and lasers set to music which in theory celebrates the energy, spirit and diversity of Hong Kong.  The next morning I just needed a normal day so I jumped on the ferry (it's only between 30 and 40 cents per trip) to Starbucks (because at that time it was the only one I could find) to get a giant Cappuccino and then to Subway to get a 6" veggie sandwich.  After that I sought counsel at the Big Bus tour agency where two really nice girls got on the internet and found the closet and cheapest screening of Alice in Wonderland in 3D and English, excellent!  In Hong Kong you actually get assigned seats for the movies, I like it.  After the movie I headed to the comfort of my new home where I did a little China research before going to the Temple Street Night Market and then to I-Squared Mall (I love the malls here, it's really weird) for rice pizza.  That's right...rice pizza.  It was delicious.  Instead of crust there is rice.  I chose a pizza with wasabi sauce, salmon, pineapple, seaweed and other unidentifiable fish.  One of the fish toppings was sliced paper thin and was moving; I was afraid it was still alive.  I consulted my waitress and found out that it was just the air vent blowing the feather light fish around, needless to say we all had a good laugh about it.  This morning I've been, as mentioned, for coffee and quiche and here to update all of you.  Now it's time to decide what to do with the rest of my day.  I'll keep you posted.  Peace out...Jan

Nate & Vania at the women's prison post massage

My favorite Buddha in Chiang Mai

Vania working the mortar and pestle at

Baan Thai Cookery School

Vania & Nate in Chiang Dao

Who knows?...I just love this picture

Buddha in Sukhothai

Victoria Harbour Hong Kong

Chiang Mai

I don't want to leave you hanging...so now picture me sound asleep for a good portion of what ended up being a 14 hour bus trip to Huay Xai, apparently missing all kinds of drama like a guy being hit with a large air conditioner panel, a girl being doused with water from the same air conditioner, a special stop to deal with the situation, me still sound asleep (no surprise to Roni I'm sure), a successful arrival and overnight stay in Huay Xai, a very short trip across the Mekong to Chiang Khong and a 6 hour bus journey to Chiang Mai where I rest peacefully awaiting the arrival of Vania and Nate tomorrow.  You won't hear from me until sometime after they leave on the 27th.  So till then.  Peace out...Jan

Loving Laos!

I was in Vientiane when you last heard from me.  I spent one more day seeing temples, roaming around town and sitting by the Mekong eating dinner listening to Rhinestone Cowboy and Islands in the Stream before catching the bus to Vang Vieng.  Vang Vieng...Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde.  Let me explain.  Dr. Jekyll...the nature/scenery around Vang Vieng is stunning.  Beautiful limestone mountains veiled in mist and the Nam Song River running right beside them.  Mr. Hyde...a 24 hour frat party where reruns of Friends is played on every restaurant/bar TV in town and hung-over lobotomized zombies stare at it just waiting for Rachael or Monica to give them a command.  It's truly bizarre.  I heard there was tubing down the river and was really interested until I saw everyone come back with all kinds of crazy shit written all over them in black marker and learned that all the way down the river were bars (I know it sounds good, but there's a catch) pumping really load techno music.  Needless to say I headed 7km out of town for a little authenticity.  I met Lily (hi buddy) and Rami, a couple from NYC who are traveling before moving to South Africa, and Gunter and Brigita, a retired German couple (they are very young at heart and much more active than me), on the bus to Vang Vieng.  Well, long story short, we all ended up at the Vang Vieng Eco Lodge.  We ate breakfast and dinner together and did our own thing during the day.  My own thing was to walk around the grounds and chill on my porch with a Beerlao taking in the stunning view.  Let's just say their "own thing" was much more active.  Our location on the river was the hub of village river activity.  It was a crossing point where a small wooden boat shuttled locals and their wares from one side to the other, people bathed, caught their dinner, weaved rattan, etc.  Much more interesting than the alternative in town.  Nature seems to be haunting me.  I went to my porch to chill after having breakfast with everyone, I stretched out in my chair, got all settled in and I see something hanging from the ceiling of my porch...a five foot long snake skin that some nice snake decided on shed at my house!  Why am I being haunted by animals?  Gunter thinks maybe they feel safe because I don't eat meat.  When he and Brigita came back from their day out I had him come over to take a look, he was thrilled.  He removed the skin from the ceiling, folded it up nicely, placed it in an empty sunglass case and intends to take it back to Germany.  I did end up staying in town one night because I had to go in to decide where I was going next, buy my onward ticket and use the internet.  I ran into a couple different people I knew (Khalid and Faith) and met a few new people so it wasn't so bad.  From Vang Vieng it was on to Luang Prabang; a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage City.  I took the seven hour bus trip during the day and ended up sitting next to Gunter where we sweated profusely in the back seat of the bus with the sun beating down on us (no air-con) as it wound up and down the twisting mountain road.  Some poor local man was throwing up the entire time.  I arrived in Luang Prabang that evening and had to look for a place to stay.  I went in the tuk tuk to a hotel with Gunter and Brigita but when we got there we learned that the Lonely Planet was horribly out of date and instead of $15 the rooms were now $30, out of my budget.  They stayed, I left.  I managed to get myself all turned around and headed through the night market to a different part of town than I intended but it worked out great.  I found a nice home at the Mekong Moon Inn for a whooping $9.41 per night including private bath and TV with HBO, excellent.  I got showered and went to the night market food stalls for dinner.  I was sitting there drinking a beer and having delicious fresh spring rolls when up walked Rami and Lily.  We hung there for awhile and then headed to Hive Bar for a quick beer and listened to bluegrass/country music by what turned out to be a guy from Arkansas and one from Colorado who had just met in Luang Prabang and did a couple gigs together (I know this because I had drinks with the one from Arkansas the next night).  I made plans with Rami and Lily to meet the next night for dinner and headed home to bed before the midnight curfew.  We still aren't sure how strictly they enforce it but since everything closes at 11:30 you don't have much choice but to head home anyway.  The curfew is outlined in a memo posted in all the hotels outlining a number of government rules which include no sex with anyone who isn't your spouse and no making pornographic movies in your room.  The next day I went to a boat load of temples including Wat Tham Phu Si which is 328 steps up Mount Phusi!  The temples here are beautiful; they are covered in murals, mosaics and reliefs.  That night I met Rami and Lily as planned and they had emailed Gunter and Brigita so they joined us for dinner at the night market.  An entire meal at the market including a huge beer will probably set you back about $3.  We hooked up with a couple people they met traveling and some of their friends and went out for one more Beerlao before racing home just in time to meet curfew.  The next morning I went to one more temple and then took a mini-van out to the Kwang Si waterfall...stunning, refreshing, excellent.  After unnecessarily climbing a rough rocky trail and stairs practically to the top of the multi-tiered waterfall I realized that you couldn't get to the top pools to swim unless you were willing (and able) to climb up the rapids so I dragged my ass back to the bottom and found an easily accessible pool and dove in.  That night it was back to the night market where I ran into some of the people from the previous night along with Pablo and Frank from Vang Vieng and hung with them for dinner.  The next day I was lazy and just chilled around town, of course meeting up with the same group for dinner that evening.  This morning I was up early to see the monks getting alms at 6:00 am.  Now I'm posting this blog entry and killing time before my 12 hour (which probably means 14) overnight bus journey to Huay Xai.  Huay Xai is the border town in Laos across the Mekong from Chiang Khong Thailand.  I'm slowly making my way to Chiang Mai to meet Vania and Nate on the 21st.  Now you can picture me winding down a dark Laos road (probably not getting much sleep) on a never ending bus journey to the border.  Peace out...Jan

Near my cabin in Vang Vieng

Our cabins at Vang Vieng Eco Lodge

Up to the top pool at Kwang Si

My swimming hole at Kwang Si

Buddha mural in a Luang Prabang Temple

Temple relief in Luang Prabang

Monks receiving alms on a misty Luang Prabang morning

Xieng Khuan

I went to this crazy sculpture park yesterday about 25km outside of Vientiane called Xieng Khuan (spirit city).  This yogi-priest-shaman guy built a bunch of giant Buddhist and Hindu sculptures in an attempt to unite the two faiths.  Take a look.  Peace out...Jan

Paradise, Monetary Ejection from Paradise, Up the Coast & Laos

First things first...CONGRATULATIONS Babe I and Babe II (Vania & Nate).  I hope it was a most excellent day!  I can't wait for "our" honeymoon in Chiang Mai! 

I guess it's about time I told you where I've been.  When I lasted posted I had landed in PAR-A-DISE!  It was excellent!  Beyond excellent.  The water was extraordinary, the food was Thai (enough said), the weather was perfect, my bungalow was amazing and I made some great friends.  I was in heaven, I'm not sure I can make this point strongly enough.  When I was on Langkawi I had taken Malaysian Ringet out of the ATM thinking I was going to stay there for awhile, we all know that didn't happen.  Just before I boarded the speed boat to Koh Lipe I exchanged all my Ringet for Baht (Thai money).  So, I'm on Koh Lipe, wallowing in the glory of this spectacular island when it dawns on me that I only have a certain amount of Thai Baht, I don't want to use the few emergency dollars I brought and there are no ATMs on the island...my days are numbered.  I did some high finance (don't worry Synda, not as complex as the Peso) and figured I had about five nights of money including a ticket out of paradise before I was kicked off the island, Survivor style.  My new BFFs, originally posted as "the Germans", Daniel, Eva and Riccardo were on the island three nights.  They were great fun!  We would hang at sunrise beach all day and in the evenings meet at this delicious restaurant for dinner before heading over to sunset beach to lay in the sand on mats with pillows, candlelight, cocktails and great music.  One day on the beach they pulled out a score card, dice and a cup and were ready to teach me how to play this German game called Kniffel.  Well folks Kniffel is Yahtzee!  I don't know why, but let me tell you it's just more fun screaming KNIFFEL!  It's probably a good thing that I couldn't get more money because I would have probably stayed forever!  I bought a ticket for the five and a half hour ferry to Koh Lanta in hopes that it would have even half the paradise factor of Koh Lipe, sorry no.  It was an ok place, the locals were really nice and I met another traveler Sofia who I had dinner with one night but the beach didn't even remotely compare.  I'll give credit where it's due, it had beautiful sunsets.  I checked into a little bungalow just a couple minutes walk off the beach.  The first night I totally crashed, slept through the whole night like a baby, but in the morning noticed a long piece of toilet paper on the ground in my indoor/outdoor bathroom (key part of the story, indoor/outdoor).  I thought I must have accidentally dropped it so I put it in the trash and didn't give it a second thought.  I went to reception and booked for two more nights thinking I would just chill a couple days before heading to what I feared was a very commercial Krabi.  Well, I went to bed the second night and around 3:00 am I heard scratching and digging...animal sounds!  They were coming from my bathroom!  I suddenly realized that I didn't "accidentally" drop the toilet paper, this animal must have pulled it out of my bathroom trash can.  I couldn't sleep!  I pushed my suitcase and the bedroom trash can up against the bathroom door to cover the two inch gap between me and the creature and told myself I was going to have to hold it till morning.  I banged on the wall and door to try and scare it away but it kept coming back.  I had the added pleasure while I was awake of hearing some crazy French guy moaning and screaming.  Finally at 6:00 am when the sun started to come up it seemed to finally go away (nocturnal I suppose) and I went to sleep.  When I woke up I found that it had taken my empty water bottle out of the trash and moved my small bar of soap off the four foot high sink to a hole in the ground it had dug over in the "garden portion" of my indoor/outdoor bathroom.  I talked to "A" (yes that's his name, he works at the hotel) during breakfast and told him there was an animal in my bathroom room at night and asked him if he knew what it was.  He said a name but I had no idea what he was talking about.  I asked if it was more like a rat or more like a lizard...he said more like a lizard but it isn't dangerous.  I had conjured up all kinds of crazy images in my head of what this lizard thing might look like, yikes.  I also asked him about the screaming.  He told me it's some French guy who's been there awhile who gets drunk and does that sometimes.  That night before I went to dinner with Sofia I used the plunger to fill the hole that the monster had dug, put some small rocks all around it and topped it off with the plunger.  I returned from dinner and there was a new hole!  I called Vania to wish her a happy wedding day (midnight for me) and then hit the sack, praying that Godzilla had visited me early that night and had moved onto someone else's bathroom...no such luck.  That night was even worse.  This time in addition to the usual sounds there was another something on the roof of my bungalow clawing and scratching!  I pounded on the walls hoping to send it away, which worked for awhile, but then it was back.  I went crazy, slamming the front door, banging on the walls and bathroom door and screaming.  I guess I was just crazy enough because that time it left for good and I didn't hear anymore activity in the bathroom either.  Maybe that's why the Frenchman screams, no?  So with little sleep for two nights I got up in the morning and headed to the ferry for the two hour ride up the coast to Ao Nang (Krabi).  The view from the ferry was gorgeous; beautiful limestone karsts jutting up out of the sea, stunning.  When I arrived I checked into a little basic bungalow that I had "A" book for me before I left Koh Lanta and called my new BFFs "the Germans" to let them know I was in town.  They were going elephant trekking that morning so we made a date to meet at the Starbucks (yes, that's how commercial it is) that afternoon.  It was great to see them.  We headed up to their hotel, a little outside of town in the jungle and spent the day at the pool.  The next morning I moved to another hotel closer to town with air-conditioning, wow, luxury!  After that we were off to Poda Island for the day.  It actually had really pretty water but was loaded with boats filled with people from snorkeling tours.  The good news is that by 1:00 the crowds and small jellyfish had dissipated and it was really nice.  When we got back to Ao Nang we all wanted a coffee and snack before heading back to the pool.  There's a hotel when you come up off the beach that Eva and Riccardo like to sneak into and take a quick dip to wash off the salt.  The three of us were going to sneak in while Daniel went to exchange money.  We were walking along the edge of the pool when all of a sudden Eva slips and falls and is clutching her hand.  We scoop up Eva, pile into the hotel van and head to the clinic where with a mix of German (Daniel and Eva) and English (Me, the Dr. and Daniel) we were able to assess the situation and get her diagnosis...it's broken.  I've never seen such a good sport (maybe Lime in Mexico with his toe).  The Dr. put a brace on it and said she could either go to Phuket or Bangkok to the private hospital or just keep it in the brace till she gets home in five days, that's what she did.  When we left the clinic she still wanted to get coffee, came to dinner that night and did everything else as if nothing had happened and all with a big smile on her face, amazing.  The next day we took a boat over to Railay Beach for the day but the water was warm/murky and there were too many people so we stayed for a few hours and then went back to the pool for the afternoon.  After four nights I had to GTS (get to steppin) because my Thai visa expired on March 6th (you only get two weeks when you enter overland without a pre-approved visa).  I booked an overnight bus ticket for March 4th from Krabi to Bangkok.  I arrived March 5th on the Khao San Road at 6:00 am (people were still drinking) and I checked into a hotel for the day so I could dump my luggage, shower and swim in the pool before I got on another overnight bus that evening heading to Nong Khai and across the border to Vientiane Laos.  That's where I am now... I love it here!  It's really small and quiet, it's Asian/colonial, it has tons of temples and I love my hotel (shout out to Hotel Khamvongsa)!  Yesterday I just relaxed and walked around the city getting the lay of the land.  I was a little tired after two overnight buses (shockingly not that comfortable).  Today I've been to Vat Sisaket, Vat Ho Phra Keo, That Dam and had a delicious baguette stuffed with fired egg and veggies from one of the street vendors (thanks to the French for the delicious pastries and baguettes).  I must say the coffee here is delicious and the Beerlao is cold and really cheap.  It works perfectly, one to get me up in the morning and a few to put me to sleep at night, excellent!  I'm headed to Stupa That Luang in a little while for sunset.  I'm here for a few days before heading to Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang.  So picture me in Laos zenned out at temples and zoned out on Beerlao.  Till next time.  Peace out...Jan

Riccardo on Koh Lipe

View from Poda Island

The gang out to dinner in Ao Nang

One of the many Buddha statues in Vientiane

Escape from Langkawi...Hello Koh Lipe!

When I left you I had bought my ferry ticket to Langkawi.  I arrived yesterday and just wasn't feeling it.  It was too commercial (a duty free island), I was staying in skank pit #3 (I can't even go into it), the beach wasn't that nice and the water was murky...no thanks, adios.  I booked a speed boat ticket the same day and took off this morning for Koh Lipe Thailand.  I must congratulate myself, this might just be the most brilliant thing I've ever done (ring a bell Lloyd?).  I met three Germans on the boat and I just finished having dinner with them.  They're heading over to my beach tomorrow (they are staying on the other side of the island) and Alana who I met in Langkawi is heading over on the boat tomorrow too, so it should be good fun.  Here are some quick pics I took today.  I'll also enclose the pic of my Chinese seal engraver Mr. Ng. from the last post.  I've gone bamboo.  Peace out...Jan

Mr. Ng. and My Chinese Seal

My Bamboo Hut

The View From My Front Porch

The Gorgeous Turquoise Water