Heres a very short clip of a Tuk-Tuk ride in Bangkok and some afternoon footage of Kho San Rd, which is much more interesting at night, but my camera doesnt work so well in the dark. Im going to try to upload video more often, but with shorter clips. Ive still got over twenty gigs sitting on my computer from every country Ive been in. No commentary on this one.
For about the same price as a movie in the states, theyll roll out the red carpet for you here in Bangkok. Last night me and my new friend Phil, the economist from DC who quit his job, sold his house and is now traveling the world for two years while researching, photographing and writing a book on spiritual contemporary art, went to the Gold Class Movie Theatre down the street from my guesthouse. We paid $12 each to see Munich in luxury (which by the way was an amazing movie and renewed my faith in Spielberg). After buying our tickets, we were ushered into a lounge much like one youd find at a high end casino, and seated in cushy seats at a private table. They brought us complimentary drinks from the bar and took our order for snacks during the film.
Before I came to Thailand last summer, I went to a travel clinic and met with a foreign disease specialist. She gave me the vaccines I needed (Tetanus, Hepatitis A/B, Typhoid Fever) and some meds, like Mefloquin for protection against malaria and Ciproflaxin for infections or the super-runs. We talked about what not to eat or drink, washing hands and all of that.
I followed most of her suggestions in June. I didnt drink the tap water, which was easy since most of the locals dont either and so bottled water is available everywhere. I tried to not eat unpeeled and raw fruits or vegetables, since they could have bacteria on them. And I pretty much stuck to the general rule of only eating food thats stove-hot or refrigerator-cold; nothing thats been sitting around for awhile. Whether or not any of this mattered, I made it through all fifteen days unscathed.
Our private bungalow here on Hat Ban Tai is a coconuts toss from the Pacific. Its a place where the water sits calmly and shallow a mile off shore; white sand giving the glowing turquoise water a milky white flavor. We havent been here long, but we already prefer it to Koh Samui. Koh Phagnan is much less developed and more beautiful. Koh Samui is a beautiful place, but its got all the noise, smells and hawking Bangkoks got. Not to mention new development everywhere. On our first day here in Koh Phagnan, the place was double booked or something, so they sent us somewhere else for one night, but threw in a free motorcycle. The freedom to explore this island for $1 in gas was a good trade.
Worn by walking in the 100 plus heat, the air-con pleasantly wrapped around my face as I opened the guesthouse door. I wasnt even finished enjoying the cool blessing when I saw our driver standing in the lobby. He was 45 minutes early, and the taxi running outside was evidently ours. Stacey and I raced to gather out things from the smallest room Ive ever stayed in, where the bed touches three walls, and the shower sprayed the toilet.
During our long ride through midday traffic to the travel agency, I sat with my head-cold, noticing how it had moved from my throat to the back of my nose and was now running out the front into the hard-to-find tissues Id gathered and stuffed in my pocket.
I’ve been in Bangkok for four days now and I haven’t done much. It’s nice travelling without a return flight, I don’t feel rushed to do and see as much as I can. Stacey showed up yesterday after a slow morning we spent a few hours with a monk at Wat Mahatrat temple eating, learing and practicing meditation. It is no doubt the hardest thing I’ve ever tried to do in my entire life, which is why I’m excited about it. People who know me know that my mind moves a millions miles an hour and I’m always tapping something. Concentration and sitting still have always been a challenge for me. I had to get daily behavoir notes from my first grade teacher who told my mother I was out of control and would never amount to anything.
So sitting motionless and focusing only on breathing, not allowing my mind to wander is quite a challenge. If I can accomplish this, then I’ll have gained quite a bit of conrol over my mind…which from what I’ve learned is the purpose of meditation. With mindfullness comes wisdom. And of course wisdom would be cool.
We’re sitting in an internet cafe at BKK International airport. There is a gaping hole about 6 inches in diamter in the center of the floor where people walk with no markings or warnings.
We started our journey home at 3pm local time…it’s just after 8pm now. That’s 5 horus of travel so far; leaving 27 hours to go before we drive our one way rental car into RI. 32 total hours of travel with sleep wherever we can get it. So far we’ve had cold Pad Thai, Dairy Queen and M&M’s. I spent more on two magazines then I did for a night in a hotel just because they were imported from the US. Eric is getting his pent up energy out by yelling SAWADEE KHRAP at all the Thai people working here. He’s even been muttering it to himself while I’m trying to get him to respond to conversation.
Eric would have posted on his site too, but while we were trying to make a whirllpool in the two foot deep kiddie pool at the hotel this morning, he somehow sliced the tip of his left middle finger off on a broken tile….so he can’t type. The blood was horrific and it was a tragic end to our trip.
The next 27 hours should be interesting….
