Burnout

Ok, it's confession time. I'm tired of traveling. If given the choice, I would probably go home tomorrow.

A shock? I usually only blog about the good stuff, but in reality, I've been suffering from burnout for the last few weeks. It comes and goes, but as of now it seems like it's not just a phase and I really do want to come home.

What does travel burnout feel like? I'd describe it as a feeling of just not caring much anymore. You find yourself in all these cool foreign places that should be so full of fascination, but it's not exciting anymore; it becomes dull and commonplace. Suddenly, siteseeing becomes a huge burden and you just can't be bothered to do it anymore. Another Temple? Ugh, no thanks. Another museum? Do I really have to? After so much, it really starts to lose it's meaning. Even chatting with locals, one of the best parts of travel, is annoying to me right now. I don't really care to meet other travelers. The constant decisions, like what to do each day, where to go next, and where to eat lunch, become really difficult to make because I generally don't care. I would love to have a decision maker right now to just tell me what to do. I crave the comforts of familiarity of home and people I know well, and I spend a lot of time thinking about my plans for when I get home.

So that's burnout in a nutshell.

Has anyone noticed the drastic increase in my blogging recently? Yup, that's burnout. I'd rather be on the Internet than out and about.

How does burnout happen to one who loves to travel so much? Consider this:

--Since the beginning of my trip I've slept in 46 different beds, 4 overnight trains, and 7 overnight buses.

--I've been to 36 different cities in 7 different countries in only 3.5 months.

--I've spent countless hours "in-transit," usually on uncomfortable buses.

--I haven't been with any of the same people for more than a week. Most people I meet I am only with for a day or so before we go our separate ways. I can't tell you how many times I've had the same conversation since I started. I've started considering the idea of making up different lives to keep myself entertained.

--All of the eating I do is in restaurants, never at home. No cooking for myself either, the guesthouses in SE Asia don't have open kitchens.

--Most of the places I stay in are budget places - meaning bare bones basic. I don't mean Motel 6 basic, I mean a bed in a room, usually with an icky toilet and shower down the hall. No luxury for this shoestringer. By the standards I am on now, a good guesthouse has sheets that smell like they were washed before I got there, a relatively clean bathroom and ample hooks to hang drying clothes on. It's fun for awhile to "rough it," but it really has started to wear on me.

--Everything is new every few days. Have you ever traveled on your own to a new city? There is that process of familiarization, when you have to figure everything out. Where to stay, where to eat, what to do, how to get around, all that stuff. Ok, now imagine doing that over and over again, every few days, always in a foreign country. It is really taxing, which is why so many people opt to take package tours with a guide who tells them everything.

--I'm carrying my entire life on my back.

Can you see how that would get old after a few months?!?!?

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy travel. But I think this trip has taught me a lot about the way I need to do it. When I was younger, I loved doing the backpacker thing, but it seems that now I can't really keep up this sort of lifestyle for longer than a couple months. I also think I need to limit my trips to 2-3 months, or even better, settle into places for longer instead of constantly moving around. I think that's actually the key.

Last night I was talking with two Germans who have been living in Thailand for 15 years. They were telling me how they just don't understand the backpacker way of travel -- we move around so much in the quest to add places to our bragging-belt, but we never stay long enough to actually "know" a place. And I think they have a good point. It is great to see so much of the world, but I think there is much more value in really knowing a place in depth. Ideally, I think there should be a balance between the two.

My very first travel experience was one of those whirlwind two week Europe tours, and I remember the teacher telling us that slow-savor travel was much better. You have to do a bit of "tasting" first to know what you like, but it's the places you linger in that really stay with you.

So my next trip will be much more limited in scope than this one was. Fewer countries, more time in each place. Perhaps some volunteering along the way.

That being said, I'm going to do nothing but lay on the beach tomorrow.

Allow me some randomness

It's so damn hot in Malaysia. You know the kind of heat that leaves you with a constant layer of sweat, like you are living in a sauna but without the steam. Deodorant is pointless, the clothes need washing after every wearing, and sleeping without a fan is virtually impossible. The kind of heat that makes you want to do nothing but sit in the shade and drink something cold.

Although I've lately come to appreciate the value of hot and spicy food on hot days. That's the wisdom of the ancient Chinese, and it really works. The reason - it makes you sweat more, and sweating is the process by which your body cools itself. So eating that big bowl of killer spicy noodles actually makes you feel cooler. It really works, try it sometime!

And the other joy of the tropics - mosquito bites! Don't even get me started about those. The little bastards love me, and I've run out of my super-toxic-cancer-giving 100% Deet spray from the Army Surplus at home. So I'm stuck with the local stuff, which just does not work. Well, it does, but you have to reapply every 30 minutes. But to mosquitos, I am like a big juicy steak so a little spray of citronella does not deter them for long. Neither does a layer of clothing. It's a constant war I tell you, and right now I am losing.

I have moved hotels and it turned out to be a really good move. Nothing was really wrong with the last place, but I wanted somewhere more social. The one I'm at now has a restaurant/bar in the front, with a house band that plays every night. My room is far enough back so that I can't hear the music at all. The band is pretty good too, and they have a lead singer named Leg that sounds exactly like Tom Waits. He is incredible, and also one of the kindest people I have ever met. When Leg is not singing, he is running around making sure everyone has everything they need. He's like one of those hippie earth mothers who takes care of everyone on instinct. Today he ate breakfast with me and looked at my maps, pointing out all the places that were worth going to on the island and the best way to see them. Then he set me up with a motorbike rental, and paid for my breakfast when I wasn't looking. I will probably end up staying here in Penang longer than I planned, in part because I enjoy staying here so much. It's funny how the guesthouse can make or break your stay in any particular city.

I'm absolutely loving the food here. Chinese and Indian at your fingertips! I had Roti Caan for breakfast today and dim sum for breakfast yesterday. There's a sure sign that you've been in Asia for too long - when Western breakfast no long appeals to you. Forget eggs and toast, give me the noodles any day!

Guys: Things not to do when meeting girls

Last night my neighbor in the hotel came over to introduce himself. He was Malaysian, 28ish, not too bad looking, and seemed like a pretty nice guy. He asked my name, where I was from, and then invited me to come join him for a beer. But there was a slight problem - he was only wearing his underwear, which were dingy tighty-whities. Now call me a prude if you want, but I think a man ought to at least put on pants when he goes calling on a lady.

I had to decline, but he didn't give up there. About 12:30, right after I switched off my light to go to bed, he knocks again. Still in his underwear! He told me he was in the mood to chat with someone and invited me over to his room again. I told him I was tired and ready to sleep. He said "Are you boring?" Which translated, means, "Aren't you bored, being all alone? Wouldn't you rather come over to my room for a little fun?" (Bored and boring are two of the most commonly confused words for English learners.) He kept trying to convince me, making cute little "over to my room" gestures. I said goodnight and closed the door. I have to admit it was pretty gutsy on his part though.

The funny thing is, I would have probably at least chatted with him for a bit and gotten to know him, if only he had bothered to put on some pants first. But it just sends a bad message to a girl when so much is revealed right off the bat, you know?

This morning, he apologized to me, so I think that he must have knocked back a few beers before coming to talk to me. Maybe he was too drunk to remember his clothes.

Show Yourselves Voyeurs!

I had a little surprise lately - some of my former students from Leland are reading my blog. Ironically, it took the post about the dirty things I saw in Bangkok to bring them out of hiding. I knew some students were reading it, because I sent the link out to my old email list of students I promised to keep updated about my travels, but these were random students that I was pretty surprised to hear from. (Hello John and Berton, thanks for the comments!)

So now I'm wondering, how many more of you are there? Was a year (or three) in my class just not enough for you? Leave me some comments, please! I want to know who else is reading this.

Hearing from former students has triggered something in my brain too -- the fact that I really miss teaching right now. During my year in Korea, I missed my Leland classroom tremendously, because while the job in Korea was easy as pie, it was not nearly as fun or inspiring as being a social studies teacher. Never mind the fact that I was stressed beyond belief and constantly plagued by self-doubt about how I was doing; I realized looking back that those were some of the most satisfying years of work I have ever had. I really did love that job, and I miss it a lot now.

Today on the ferry I was daydreaming about being back in the classroom and thinking of all the things I would incorporate into my class if I could teach world cultures again. All the things I did wrong before, and all the ways I would make it better. And I was actually smiling because it made me so happy to imagine it. Of course in my daydreams I have all the time and energy in the world to make the class absolutely perfect.

It's funny that being on such a long vacation has actually made me miss work.

Penang Penang!

I just arrived today in Georgetown, on the island of Penang, Malaysia. Every bit of travel weary disallusionment I have been suffering from is gone - after only a few hours this place has completely revived the sense of awe that compels me to travel in the first place. It is absolutely fascinating. The culture is a mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian, so it's like being in three countries at once. The crumbling colonial architecture makes it a photographers dream as well. It's a brilliant place, so full of energy and like nothing I have even seen before.

Right now my camera and I are hiding from the rain, but I have to return to my hotel soon (The Oasis Guesthouse on Love Lane, how cute is that?) Georgetown is also a little on the seedy side, and not the kind of place a single lady should be out late on her own. Figures, one of the rare times I am actually alone! I will see what I can do about that tomorrow. I guess I've been spoiled by traveling so long in places that are almost 100% safe, so it's a serious readjustment being here. People are really friendly though, and everyone wants to talk to me, which is great, but I've got to walk that fine line between being friendly and safe. I wish I had a guarenteed "safely radar" that told me what a persons intentions are when they stop me in the street to chit chat. I guess I'll have to rely on the old gut instinct.

Here is a little "game" my brother Daniel emailed to me today, thought the quotes were worth sharing.

I was reading through a Rolling Stones collection from the last 20 years (written in 87) yesterday. These exerpts are from a section called "Voices". They resemble quotes, but yet are too timeless.

Here are the authors of the above words, in no particular order:Jim Morrison, Frank Zappa, John Lennon, Daniel Morello, David Crosby, George Harrison, Little Richard. Can you match the "quote" with the person? (answers below!)

1) What I think society is mad about is they're getting old and very soon they'll be gone, and they wondering what these young people are gonna do with this world, and they're mad because they can't do what they used to do, and they can't dance because they've got arthritis and rhemuatism, they can't jump up in the air. It's jealousy against the young race, and it's not fair, because even the bible said that the young would be weaker but wiser.

2)The audiences were hostile to what we did. They gave us a bad time. Now, historically, musicans have felt hurt if the audience expressed displeasure with their performance. They apologized and tried to make the people love them. We didn't do theat. We told the audience to get fucked.

3) I think music is the main interest of the younger people. It doesn't really matter about the older people now because they're finished anyway. There's still going to be years and years of having all these old fools who are governing us and who are bombing us and doin' all that because, you know, it's always them. I don't expect to see the world in a perfect state of bliss-you know, like 100 percent. But it doesn't matter. It's on the way now.

4)I think there should be a national carnival, much the same as Mardi Gras in Rio. There should be a week of national hilarity....a cessation of all work, all business, all discrimmination, all authority. A week of total freedom. That'd be a start. Of course, the power structure wouldn't really alter. It would just last for a week and then go back to the way it was. I think we need it.

5)We think that this decade was the beginning of the end and that it was a positive decade, not a depressing one which people have tried to put around. It's the decade of all the music, the generation, and the freedom and the sort of awareness and all the jazz and the moratoriums and the Woodstocks and the Isle of Wights and everything. This is just the beginning. What we've got to do is keep hope alive. Because without it we'll sink.

6)On one side you got war, degradation, death, submission, guilt, fear, competition; and on the other hand you got a bunch of people lyin' on the beach, walking around in the sun, laughin', playing music, makin' love and gettin' high, singin', dancin', wearing bright colors, tellin' stories, livin' pretty easy. You offer that alternative to a kid, man, and the kid ain't crazy yet. I think that they've probably lost the majority of their kids by now.

7)I think our future depends on our actions in the present by the people who actually get things done. If those people of artifical power cannot rise to keep its people safe and positive, what do you think happens next? Their tactics have created real things to fear. Perhaps the fear most people feel is what keeps us down and without action. Stop fear, it keeps us weak as a people.










#1 Little Richard 1970
#2 Frank Zappa 1968
#3 George Harrison 1968
#4 Jim Morrison 1969
#5 John Lennon 1970
#6 David Crosby 1970
#7 Daniel Morello 2007

I Heart Langkawi

I've realized that a lot of you reading my blog from home are using it as a sort of virtual-vacation, living vicariously through me, if you will. I write this post especially for all of you, something to fuel your daydreams while at work.

I'm currently on Palau Langkawi, an island off the coast of Malaysia near the Thai border. It is an absolute paradise! White sand beaches, jungle interior, laid back atmosphere, friendly people, great food. It all just goes to show that you can't always trust the guide books! I almost skipped it completely because the LP pans it as being too expensive and full of artifical tourist attrations (which is true). However, it made for a logical border crossing point from Thailand - the easiest and most pleasant crossing I've ever had actually - so I decided to swing through. 3 days later, I'm still here, planning on another full day tomorrow.

If the islands of SE Asia were Hawaii, Langkawi would be Kauai. Most of Thailand would be Waikiki. Although I didn't get time to go to them, from what I have been told, the majority of the islands of Thailand are pretty much overrun with people, and you have your choice of hanging out with rich old people in Speedos, or wild, barely legal backpackers listening to bad music on shitty speakers. I have almost no interest in the backpacker party scene anymore, does that mean I am an old fart? Give me a place like this any day - most of the people who come here are families, couples, or groups of Malaysians and Thais on vacation. It's a much more mellow vibe and I'd go so far as to describe the place as wholesome. Gasp! I love it!

Granted, it is a bit expensive, but there are ways around that...

Here is what you do when you are a budget traveler and find yourself in a place that is not geared for budget travel: 1) Get the cheapest accomodation possible. My room has no sink and cockroaches, but it's steps from the beach and very cheap. 2) Skip the artificial tourist attractions, such as Underwater World and Crocodile Farm. 3) Rent a motorbike!

The motorbike is absolutely essential, it is the main reason why I have had so much fun here. I can go where I want, when I want. I've spent the last 2 days cruising around the entire island, exploring, swimming in waterfalls and laying on the beach. It's a tough life, I know, please don't pity me.

The riding...ah...the riding is the best! Roads here are perfect and smooth, many of them running alongside beautiful beaches or curving through lush jungles. There is not a lot of traffic either, and Malaysian drivers are used to passing so it's totally alright to go slow if I need to. It's been a perfect chance for me to practice riding on something other than the straight roads I was on before. Ever since renting my first motorbike a month ago, I've been tossing around the idea of getting one when I get home. After today, I think I'm pretty addicted. The feeling of mobility and freedom you get on a motorbike is incredible. I've only ridden little ones so far, I can only imagine the rush from riding something that actually has power. And I can't get "Unknown Legend" out of my head :-)

Here is a sample of what I've been riding through.

The essential self-portrait!

I was also thrilled to find that there are stables on Langkawi - very professional ones with excellent horses - that offered jungle /beach rides. Horseback riding is what I call an "unpersued passion," and I go riding every chance I get. This morning I took an hour ride through jungles and on the beach.

Getting ready for the ride, with Fatima the stable assistant, and Tufah, my horse. Me, Tufah, Rudy, and Sarah, the guide, after cantering on the beach.

There are tons of monkeys running all over the island, and they are cheeky little bastards! I caught this one trying (unsuccessfully) to break into a car. I guess I got a little too close for his comfort, but the photo was worth it.

One of the better tourist attractions is a cable car going up to the second highest peak on the island, with some spectacular views. Cable cars that are really high up scare the shit out of me, but I did it anyways.

The view of Langkawi Island from 710 meters.

At the peak, there was a really wicked curved suspension bridge, perched along a jungle covered ridge. I have never seen anything like that before, it was incredible. I'm clueless when it comes to engineering, but it seems to me that something like this is quite a feat to design and build, and to make it safe. I know some of you reading this are engineers -- fill me in here, is it really as difficult as it seems to build something like this?
So that's my life right now. I have finally reached a point where I am close enough to the end of my trip (Feb. 8) to stop worrying about reaching all my destinations and just slow down and really enjoy. Spend another day riding the motorbike and laying on the beach? Alright, if I have to....


(When rereading, I noticed there are TWO occurences of British slang in this post. Can you find them? There are way too many Brits in SE Asia, they are rubbing off on me, help!!)

Thaipusam

I just checked the dates, and I will be able to time my trip so that I can be in KL for Thaipusam.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thaipusam

It's a Tamil Hindu festival where devotees perform all sorts of masochistic feats, including walking on coals and "mortification of the flesh." I'm a pretty squeamish person, but I'm definitely going!

Satun

I'm spending the night in Satun, a medium town in the South of Thailand. Turns out I won't be going to the National Park as I intended, because it took much longer to get here than I expected and it's not really worth it to go all the way out there for only a day. So tomorrow I will head straight to Malaysia. Satun turned out to be a pleasant stop, actually. It barely feels like Thailand anymore, as the majority of the population is Muslim. Plus, it's off of the usual tourist track, meaning that with a just short walk from the hotel you encounter people who aren't accustomed to foreigners and are actually excitedto see you. And this always makes for the best travel experiences, of course. I spent the evening strolling around, meeting locals and taking photos. Some pretty funny stuff happened in a really short time - it was a great night.

And since there is nothing to do here except Internet, here are some of the photos.

Night market warms up. As soon as I'm done with this, I'm headed back there to eat dinner. Thai Muslims make the best street food I've ever had!

Mosque at Sundown

One lady I saw on the back streets had a monkey on a chain, and it kept jumping on this poor dog's back and humping it. Once the lady saw I had a camera, she encouaged it by putting the dog's food near the monkey, so I could take photos. How nice of her!

Friendly Kid

Friendly Cat

Friendly kids abusing friendly cat for my benefit

Dinner time, night market here I come!

I went back to see the tigers. It was totally worth it!

(Notice the short hair...I whacked it off in Bangkok.)

Oops

I am finally in South Thailand, enjoying the beaches and the sun, and just yesterday I bothered to take out my passport and check my Visa expiration date. The 17th! Oh crap. I have a one day grace period before I get fined, so I have to be out day after tomorrow. I haven't even made it to any of the islands yet :-(

But its alright, Thailand's beaches are pretty much what I expected - pricey and full of tourists. Not a lot of cultural experience to be had here, so I don't feel so bad about moving on. Beaches are nice, but I can see them elsewhere. Besides, it will be winter in California when I get home, so any tan I do manage to get will probably fade within a few days.

Right now I am in Railey beach, near the town of Krabi. I'm waiting to catch a boat, then moving down to a place near the Malaysia border called Ko Taratao National Marine Park. It is supposed to be beautiful, undeveloped and quiet; a lovely place to spend one more day before I have to negotiate another border crossing and an entirely new country. And for you TV heads, it was the place where one of the Survivor shows was filmed. How's that for isolated?!?!

The end of my trip is coming up really fast, and I have mixed emotions about it. But Internet here is 3 baht a minute, so I will wait til it's cheaper to open that can of worms.

Small Bikes and Big Kitties

(I apologize in advance for the sideways photos. There is no photo editor on this computer, so I can't rotate them.)

Today was another motorbike day!! I always have the most fun on motorbike days :-)

My ride was a Honda Dream, whatever that is. Little thing, cute and fun, perfect for cruising around and exploring. I opted for a manual transmission, even though it's a bit harder to ride, it really is more fun. And I rode further than I ever have -- about 40 km on the highway, which was absolutely exhausting!

That's one of the reasons Thailand is so great - regardless of how much experience you have, even if it's absolutely zilch, they let you rent a motorbike for $5 a day and take it wherever you want. And its a perfect place to ride, because the roads are good, traffic laws are merely suggestions, its really safe, and the easy going nature of the Thai people makes them very forgiving of "road faux-pas," like getting in the way, cutting people off, or driving on the wrong side of the road. And Thailand is a left-side driving country, like England. I'm proud to say that after 3 separate days spent on a motorbike, I've always stayed on the right side. I mean the left. Correct side, how about that? I've stayed on the correct side.

See, isn't it perty?

Today was a little bit of history and a little bit of animals.

First I went to the WWII cemeteries, the war museum, and the Bridge on the River Kwai. During WWII, when the Japanese occupied much of Asia, they constructed a supply railway between present day Bangkok and Rangoon (in Myanmar). The Bridge on the River Kwai was part of it, although as I learned today, it's actually not called the River Kwai. The majority of the work was done by POWs, of which approximately 100,000 perished due to the horrific conditions they were forced to endure. I still find it strange that so much attention gets paid to the cruelties of Hitler during WWII, yet almost nothing gets said about what the Japanese did. Let's just say they weren't exactly humane either.

But the memorials in this area that have been created for those that lost their lives building this railway are a fitting tribute. I was really touched and very impressed by what I saw this morning.

Bridge on the River Kwai

In the afternoon, it was time for more lighthearted things. The Tiger Temple!!! There is a temple here where the monks have created a wildlife sanctuary, and they have about 10 tigers that have been rescued but are not fit to live in the wild anymore. I was really excited about going - ever since reading Life of Pi, I've been fascinated by tigers. (Anyone with even a slight interest in big cats must read that book!)

And like a dope, I totally screwed it up! I never got to pet the tigers, or have my picture taken with them. I found the tiger cages, spent a bunch of time there wondering why half of the cages were empty, and failed to realize that most of the tigers were down in "Tiger Canyon." That's where you get to pet them, and I didn't realize it until too late, when they walked the tigers back to the cages.

That part was cool though. There were about 50 or so tourists there at the time, and they herded us all over to the side. No one was allowed to sit down, because if the tigers saw anything that looked small, they might think it was prey and try to go after it. The staff also had to chase away all the stray pigs, chickens and cows that roamed the area, lest the tigers should decide to make a meal of them. Then they walked the tigers back to their cages - about 10 of them, full grown, on leashes. What a sight that was! It's amazing to think how easily those animals could tear us apart if they decided to. But as the brochure for the temple says, "With compassion, there are only friends." It is that philosophy that has allowed the monks to tame the tigers.

Did you know that tigers have white spots on the backs of their ears? False eyes to fool their prey and other predators.

Walking the tigers back to their cages.

There were also two baby tigers, but my chance to hold them got botched too. I had been there about a half hour, along with a handful of others, photographing the babies sleeping in their cages. And right when the monks decide it was time to open the cage, a huge tour group showed up and totally swarmed the cage. Basically, it became a situation where whoever was the most pushy got to hold the baby tiger. You would not believe how inconsiderate people can be when it comes to holding a baby tiger, holy shit! They were pushing, shoving, some actually climbed into the cage with it, man-handling the poor thing, passing it from person to person, like it was a doll, not bothering to support its back legs or anything. Obviously not cat people. Most of the group was of a nationality, which shall remain unnamed, that has what I am realizing is a well-deserved reputation on the travel circuit for being assholes. (No, no Americans, keep guessing. Friends of ours. Not the Brits either.) There were even two guys with their shirts off, at a temple of all places.

So I tried to get in there to hold the baby tiger, but people kept passing it to their friends, and eventually the poor thing started to get angry. It was growling, crying, squirming, barring it's teeth, obviously not happy, and I don't blame it. The weird thing was, although it was a baby, it wasn't a small baby, it was still a tiger, and it was really angry and people just kept passing it around, clearly nervous, but more concerned with getting that perfect photo. A few people got lightly scratched, and it seemed a little traumatizing for the tiger, but the monks were not concerned at all. And before I could hold it, it was time to put it away. I was so peeved. I hate pushy tour groups!



Baby tiger sleeping peacefully.

And then the tourists arrived!
I love this photo. The baby tiger was pretty upset at this point. Check out the woman's face.

I did get to feed a bear though! A smallish one, but still a bear. One of the monks saw that I had been there awhile and showed me the bear cage that everyone misses because they are so concerned with the tigers. And he let me feed her, and pet her through the bars. Bears remind me a lot of dogs, when you see their faces up close.


There was a little confusion in getting this photo, because the monk (who didn't speak English) kept gesturing for me to put my camera down on the ledge, and I kept trying to hand it to him. Then I realized that monks are not allowed to pass to or take things from women. I knew they weren't allowed to sit next to women and that women were not allowed to touch a monk or his belongings, but I didn't realize the rule extended that far. So when he gave back the camera, he had to set it down first, then I coud pick it up.


Her name is Mam-Mam, isn't she cute?

So now I want an elephant, a tiger and a motorbike. In that order.

Konichiwa!

I'm teaching myself Japanese! I won't know until the end of January if I made it into the JET Program, but I'm going to start learning anyways. Picked up two great books in Bangkok, one to learn how to write the characters, and another for basic speaking and vocab.

Guess what? Japanese is hard!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a ridiculous 8 days in Bangkok, I am back on the road again. Most backpackers would be horrified by the fact that I spent over a week there, by choice. But I loved it, had to drag myself away actually. I especially loved the day where I spent 4 hours in a coffee shop, being a normal person and not a tourist. That was a brilliant day.

Right now its "Excursions from Bangkok" time. I spent one night in Damneon Saeduk (can't recall how to spell that one), the place that is famous for the floating markets. You know those old photos of the canals jam packed with ladies in straw hats selling brightly colored fruits and veggies out of their paddle boats? Well, it doesn't look like that any more. Now there are about one-fourth the number of boats, and half of them are selling tourist shit. But I knew it would be like that becuase the Lonely Planet warned me. I had gone the night before (on the advice of the Lonely Planet), and gotten up early to see it before the tour buses arrived. I followed the signs that said "Old Floating Market," which ended up to be the long way around. So I walked about 2 km in my crappy sandals, only to find a boatman that wanted to charge me 500 baht for an hour tour. I knew (again, from reading my LP) that it should only cost 150, so that's the price I held out for, and that's the price I got. As much as we all bitch about the LP turning us all into sheep, I've gotta admit it really helps in situations like that!

And it turns out also that the 2 km walk was well worth it, because the first half of the boat tour was paddling through the neighborhoods, where peoples' houses are right up along the edge of the canals, with boats floating underneath their porches. What a cool place to live! I was stunned by how many plants and flowers everyone had, which made the whole canal absolutely lovely. The part of the boat ride was great - very peaceful. The actual floating market was neat too, despite how touristy it has become. I had Thai style breakfast bought out of the boats - doughnut type things dipped in hot, sweet soy milk, and then a bowl of spicy noodles. Then the 2 km walk back in my crappy sandals, past a whole bunch of coconut farms. I've never seen coconut farms before, so that was cool.

A weird experience last night too -- I was staying in the only hotel in town, a sort of sleepy place where locals drink beer and watch TV in the lobby at night. I arrived about 8:30 p.m., and the entire town was pretty much shut up for the night already. I was a tiny bit on edge, being the only guest that I could see, and a solo female. It seemed a safe place, just the type that gave me the willies for some unfounded reason. Some of the guys from the lobby invited me for beer, but I decided to play it safe and politely declined. Back to my room, showered, read for awhile, when suddenly, around 10 p.m. the doorbell to my room rings. I didn't even know I had a doorbell, so it threw me a bit. I asked who was there....no answer. So I decided not to open the door. A few minutes later, it rings again, and I again asked who it was, and got no answer. I was a little creeped out, but decided to open the door, since there was a deadbolt and a chain. And this is Thailand, a pretty safe place.

When I opened the door, there was a bunch of grapes sitting on the floor outside on a paper towel. Someone had been making me an offering. Why they didn't stick around to give them in person, I don't know. I can't decide if the gesture was sweet or creepy. I didn't take the grapes because I was still on edge, but now I realize I should have, I think one of the locals that had invited me for beer was trying to be nice. I opened the door about 10 minutes later and the grapes were gone. The offering was revoked I guess.

So right now I am in Kanchanburi, the town that is known as the location of Bridge over the River Kwai. I'm going to rent a motorbike tomorrow to go see the bridge and some other sights, including a temple where they have TIGERS!! Very excited about that.

My guesthouse is a riverside bungalow with a huge bed and a comfy hammock. It's wonderful, and pretty quiet except when the "barge bar" goes by everyonceandawhile.

Oh, and yes I did say RENT A MOTORBIKE. That's my new thing - I've done it twice already and absolutely love it. So much fun! The ones they rent are really motor scooters, small and managable, easy to ride. And don't worry Dad, of course I wear a helmet - they make some very strong ones out of bamboo here.

When is sex not sexy? When it is for sale in the form of a Bangkok Ping Pong show!

The other night, a fellow traveler and I went to check out Patpong - Bangkok's infamous red light district. (Don't worry, this does not make me a sleeze, it's a must-do for all tourists.) We did the full round - girlie bars, boy bars, and of course the classic Ping Pong show. You would not believe the things a woman can do with her genitalia if she gets paid for it. Smoke cigarettes, blow out candles, shot ping pong balls, open bottles....if any of you ladies need a new goal to strive for, there you go.

And we both agreed that it was all completely NOT SEXY. Just weird. And funny. But not sexy.

Here is more proof that 9 times out of 10, there is a logical explaination for everything.

One night about two weeks ago, I came out of the internet cafe in Chaing Mai, and noticed that there were about 7 glowing orange lights floating up in the sky. They were bigger than stars, moving very slowly, glowing steadily, and not in any particular formation. After a few minutes, I looked up again, and there were about 12 of them. Then there were 3, then 5. They weren't planes, they weren't planets....I wracked every corner of my brain and could not come up with a logical explaination for them. Except UFOs, of course. Anytime we can't explain something, aliens always come in handy, right?

I kept an eye on the lights for the next hour or so, and their numbers and positions kept changing. While walking to dinner, I pointed them out to my two friends, Michael and Christine, and they also were totally baffled. Army drills? Helicopters? Weather balloons? Nothing quite made sense. Then it got really bizarre - as is ascended, one of the lights had bright white sparks trailing from it. Missiles? This is where my over active imagination got the best of me - I started envisioning all sorts of crazy shit and preparing for possible disaster. (Don't laugh, I am a product of the American culture of fear, I can't help it.)

But the real explaination is never as exciting as what we conjure up in our heads. Right about the same time, Michael and Christine both figured it out - the lights were floating lanterns! They had seen them before in Taiwan - big paper lanterns with a burning disc attached underneath, sort of like a small hot air balloon. People write their wishes on the paper, and send the balloon up to heaven. And if you want your wish to go up in style, you attach a firecracker to the bottom.

We found the spot nearby where the balloons were being released, and the next night, on Christmas Eve, we released a few of our own. It was really fun to watch everyone's excitement as their balloon went up, and to see the wishes that other people made. I got some wonderful photos, but unfortunately I don't have any of myself yet (they are on other peoples' cameras).

Balloons on the rise

Writing wishes

Getting ready to release

Attaching the firecrackers

Almost ready to let go!

My wishes.....

I am finally in Bangkok, the most infamous city on the banana pancake trail. This place is legendary among backpackers, so I've been hearing about it since the beginning of my trip. Being one of the few that did not begin here, I am something of an oddity, and now that I am here, I realize that I am even more odd amongst backpackers because I actually LIKE Bangkok. The teva-wearing crowd tends to hate it - they come to SE Asia to find beaches and rainforests, and Bangkok is a big polluted noisy metropolis.

But it's so much more than that!

I was lucky to have Raj show me around for a day and a half before he left for India. He is in love with Bangkok and has been here for awhile, so he knew the good places that are not that obvious to the average tourist. Mainly the ultra-modern shopping malls actually. But I was surprised to learn that Bangkok is not JUST a filthy seedy place, it is also really modern, functional, and international. Like Seoul in some ways, only better.

I'll be here for a few days, then moving South to the islands.

Happy New Year!