Travels in Southeast Asia

Day 42: Singapore

2006-07-04T04:54:00.000+07:00

So here I am, waiting to board my flight back the US, finally! I was luckily able to get a room in the airport hotel (which is the most amazing airport ever with free internet and a free movie theater) so I got about six hours of sleep. And now for the death flight of 24 hours.

I am also pretty angry I won't be able to see Singapore, but I figure it might be more fun to come back here with friends (and money) so I can really enjoy myself. I really have no concern about whether I'll be in Asia again soon (obviously I will be).

So that's the end! I may or may not be updating the blog with a final post when I get home along with updating each post with pictures, but that really depends on how bored/lazy I am. See you all soon!

Day 41: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2006-07-03T10:04:00.000+07:00

So we've had a sort of wrench in the plans and it appears I'll be returning home a few days early. Why you ask? Well it seems my stomach problems may just be something more than the usual upset stomach I get from travelling. This only shortens my trip by 3 days but it's truly tragic for two reasons. The first is that I'm going to completely miss Singapore which sucks. But far more serious is that I'll be leaving my new English boyfriend, Gareth. And by boyfriend I mean I wish death upon his annoying girlfriend. He's hot in that boy band sort of way, but there will be no judging of me as sometimes we just have to go for the obvious. And he has glasses not glasses potential (well not really, I more just put that in for those of us who enjoy such things).

In other news Kuala Lumpur is absurd. So I was aware at the Muslim influence here but not exactly its extent. About a third of the women wear head scarves, a third speak Chinese, and the other third are Indian. And men hold hands in the street? The city is filled with Mosques next door to Chinese food restaurants and the level of English is very high. And it's also extremely ghetto and polluted. And it has the largest in door amusement park which is inside of a mall whose bathrooms I got to know in depth yesterday. So yes, odd.

Speaking of odd I just have to share this amazing commercial which makes no sense. This woman looking very upset comes down the stairs wearing a black head scarf and complains to her husband about something. Seconds later she's shown happily washing her hair, but they don't exactly show her hair, just her face. Then suddenly she's overjoyed and wearing a new green head scarf. So I can only guess it was a shampoo commercial for women WHO NEVER SHOW THEIR HAIR IN PUBLIC. What?!?

I'll be home Tuesday evening, you all better call me the following day (even if I'm dying in the hospital, actually especially if I'm dying in the hospital).

Day 39: Sabah, Malaysia

2006-07-01T12:10:00.000+07:00

I am in fact alive for all who had been led to believe otherwise. My last few days I'd like to entitle, "Alex, Trapped in Borneo."

So I arrived at my "resort" on the island of Guyana in Eastern Malaysia. I put resort in parentheses because calling it rustic would be rather charitable. No matter I said to myself, I'd find plenty to do. Between reading my book, hiking in the woods, and scuba diving I would have a grand time, infestation of ants in my room aside! So I sat on my deck overlooking the ocean and was highly content drinking tea and watching the sun set. This was going to be a great couple of days I thought to myself. And what is this? Monkeys just jumped on my deck a mere two feet away from me? Oh those monkey, they're incorrigible! And what now you say? The monkeys are attempting to open my sliding glass door? How charming!

The next day I woke up and my optimism had quickly vanished. Rain had descended on the tiny island of Guyana and it would not let up until the exact moment I checked out. This seemed to rule out the possibility of a hike to the nearby beach. Furthermore, my stomach staged an elaborate coup to ruin my vacation which quickly eliminated the opportunity to scuba dive due to the lack of an easily accessible bathroom. No matter I thought, attempting to maintain my sunny outlook, I'll just read....oh whoops, I seem to have finished my book and all other available reading material. And the television gets two channels, government news 1 and government news 2. So basically I spent my days praying meal time would come soon so I could find an excuse to leave my room and head to the restaurant which played the same ten ABBA songs on a loop. Oh and then I found a rat in my room which kept on eating the fruit the resort had provided which assisted in attracting more ants. So in conclusion I was trapped in my room for two days with some sort of unidentified stomach illness with absolutely nothing to do besides battle the rats, ants, and monkeys that continually assailed me. Not exactly a high point of my trip.

But now I'm out of here! And off to luxurious (?) Kuala Lumpur. Thank god.

Day 33: Hanoi, Vietnam

2006-06-25T16:13:00.000+07:00

Hanoi continues its awesome track record. Friday I went to the Museum of Fine Arts which had some truly great pieces of art from the 20th century. Oddly enough, a large proportion of it was militarily themed, yet I'm led to believe this is due to the choices of the museum rather than the actual output of the art community in Vietnam. I also visited a University dedicated to Confucius that has existed since the 11th century. After a great dinner I was blown away by how many Vietnamese people were out and about in the city. It was great.

Then yesterday I went out to Halong Bay to take an overnight cruise. Halong Bay is jaw droppingly beautiful with huge rock formations rising out of the South China Sea. The cruise was with three Australian couples who I actually had a pretty good time with while swimming and kayaking in the ocean. The only problem was that apparently Australians' favorite topic of conversation is nothing less than Australia. I had absolutely no idea what was going on half the time.

On the way back to Hanoi I met a Vietnamese tour guide who was actually ethnically Chinese and was leading a tour group of Malaysian Chinese. I spoke with him in Chinese for a while and although I was able to get along fine, the words felt incredibly awkward in my mouth. I hope this isn't a sign of further deterioration in the coming year.

Day 31: Hanoi, Vietnam

2006-06-23T10:02:00.000+07:00

Just when I think I'm about ready to go home I arrive in Hanoi and completely change my mind. Hanoi is an amazingly beautiful city of 3.5 million and it might just be my second favorite place so far (after Luang Prabang). Hanoi is made up of tiny streets and is dotted with beautiful lakes. It is also dotted with beautiful backpackers who somehow made a pact to only send their hottest representatives to Hanoi. Success!

Things started out right as I shared my sleeper car with a woman who worked for Sofitel in Hanoi and told me some of the best things to do in Hanoi (well actually she just told me to eat Pho which I really could have told her at this point, but still, it was the thought that counted). I got in around 5 am and after some initial confusion about where my hotel actually was I finally made it and promptly collapsed. I awoke around lunch time and sped off to the oh so trendy Restaurant Bobby Chinn which could certainly hold its own in LA or NYC. While there I overheard a number of business lunches that were going on around me. It forced me to consider whether this would be a life (meaning corporate law) that I'd be content with. On the one hand it seemed somewhat exciting and would certainly provide me with a great lifestyle. On the other hand would I be satisfied with what I accomplished in 40 years? Does my heart actually lie with other causes? This time, however, I was much more optimistic about the decision process I would soon have to make, knowing that I am incredibly blessed to be in such a position that provides me with a great amount of flexibility. I've also become a master of the solo meal, I don't even need a prop anymore!

I then hired a motorbike driver for 3 hours ($8.50, expensive) to take me around the city. I went to the Hanoi Hilton, home of John McCain and a number of other POWs from the Vietnam War. It was bizarre for a number of reasons. It is located right next to a huge office building that houses a number of foreign companies, an odd contrast to the prison. The propaganda at the prison was also particularly intense. It harshly criticized the French use of the prison (which was no doubt quite bad), but made it seem like it was a country club for Americans which was clearly not the case.

I then went to the Ho Chi Minh Museum which was like Disney World for Communists. It was totally out of control. Huge modern exhibits about the Industrial Revolution and Fascism. I also think the museum wasn't quite sure how it felt about many things. In one exhibit it would exclaim about the horrors of industrialization, but the next exhibit would proclaim the wonders of the new power plant Vietnam had constructed. But there was a large exhibit about Ho Chi Minh in China, and let me tell you, that Ho seemed like a pretty nice guy judging by all the photos of him (Viet Cong aside). He was always laughing it up and hanging out with peasants.

I went to the Army Museum where, after I was enlisted to do some English translations for some the exhibits, I saw a huge sculpture made up of captured French and American planes. It was pretty intense. Then my driver decided we should take a break and sit on stools on the sidewalk and drink something that he told me was beer but was definitely iced tea no doubt made with tap water. Digestive disaster promptly ensued.

Also let me just tell you that if you ever go to Vietnam I highly recommend visiting Highlands Coffee, the Starbucks of Vietnam. First of all they valet park your motorbike. It's also full service so you sit in huge comfortable couches rather than having to wait in line. Best of all, the Vietnamese iced coffee with condensed milk is delicious. So thank you Highlands Coffee, and thank you attractive Korean tourists who decided to sit next to me.

I decided to buy a ticket to this water puppet show to which Frommers gave three stars. When Frommers gives something three stars they aren't messing around. It was actually pretty fun to watch, despite people's compulsion to take pictures of every fucking thing that happened. Video even! What is wrong with these people? Are you going to go back home and watch the video of the water puppets that you weren't even paying attention to WHILE IT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING because you were too busy filming it? But I soon wondered what was more stupid, ignoring the show because you were too busy filming it, or ignoring the show because you were too busy being enraged at the people filming it.

So after a highly successful day I ran into the people I took the train with from Ho Chi Minh City to Nha Trang with. It was nice heading to dinner with them and of course, watching the United States getting eliminated by Ghana in the World Cup. Tragic. My allegiance is now obviously with Brazil. The night would have been perfect if not for the two Vietnamese guys who stared at me throughout the ENTIRE GAME. Guys, if you're going to do that, at least buy me a drink and make it worth my while.

In other news I've decided to stop taking my Malaria medication because Malaria could be no worse than the side effects I'm currently suffering. Wish me luck!

Day 29: Hue, Vietnam

2006-06-21T13:45:00.000+07:00

In a tragic turn of events I have lost the battery charger for my camera so it looks as though there will be no more pictures for the rest of the trip. I definitely had a little freak out about that last night since I've still got some cool places to see (Hanoi, Halong Bay, Borneo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore), but in the end I figure I'll probably take the time to look at things more as a result of not being able to take pictures of them. So if you want to see these places you're just going to have to go yourself.

Yesterday was jaw droppingly amazing. I was beginning to question whether it was worth coming to Hue since the Citadel was nice, but not fantastic. On top of that I paid $25 to take a private boat down the Perfume River to see some of the tombs of past rulers of Vietnam and I wondered whether it would be worth it. Well it definitely was. The tombs were insanely beautiful and were done in many different styles. One looked like a European palace with all the mosaic work while others were landscaped incredibly. On top of that I had to take a motorbike to a lot of the sites. It was rather surreal to be on a motorbike going through the back roads of Vietnam. Truly amazing was speeding through rice paddies and around small temples that had cattle sleeping on their steps without another person in sight. It was the vision I had in my head of what I would be doing in Asia when I decided to come. Also the family that took me on their boat had three adorable children that attempted to teach me Vietnamese.

In other good news I seem to have defeated the fever that has plagued me for the past few days. I definitely didn't tell anyone about my illness in fear that it would get back to my mother who would promptly fly to Vietnam to come get me. Hurray for me and hurray for Tylenol (but not for Malaria medication which continues to ravage my digestive system).

In a few hours I get on a train and head north (over the former DMZ) to Hanoi. It's a horrible 12 hours and I get in at 5:30 am. Let's hope I don't get stuck in a car with cigarette importers like I did last time.

Day 28: Hue, Vietnam

2006-06-20T07:44:00.000+07:00

First let me say that the Harvard website is so confusing it makes Columbia look like a pinnacle of organization. Figuring it out should be the test to get in.

I arrived in Hue yesterday which is not a terribly attractive city. What it does have however, is a huge palace complex called the Citadel since it used to be the capital of Vietnam. It's basically a modern version of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Oh, it's also a more ghetto version as much of it has been destroyed due to wars over the years. Things like that keep happening such as seeing bullet holes in Angkor Wat or a huge bomb crater at My Son.

I ate dinner last night at this awesome place right outside of the Citadel that was quite literally a hole in the wall. The owner/cook/waiter was deaf which actually made me feel like I was on equal grounds with everyone else when it came to communicating with him. We had a nice chat(?) about the World Cup. He was quite adamant about his hatred for Togo. I always find it funny that during the World Cup people suddenly have passionate emotions towards countries that previously would not have had the slightest impact on their life.

Riding on the back of motorbikes has also become my new favorite obsession despite being incredibly dangerous.

I also had a wonderful dream last night where Brad Pitt was going to be my roommate in an apartment on Mass Ave. I kept on warning people not to let him know I loved him. Odd.

Day 26: Hoi An, Vietnam

2006-06-18T15:37:00.000+07:00

I remain in Hoi An until tomorrow morning when I (somehow) make my way to Hue. Hoi An is really something. It was originally quite a busy trading port in the 18th century and much of the architecture, which is mainly Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese, has been preserved since then. Sometimes when you look up and ignore the sounds of the motorbikes you can imagine what it looked like hundreds of years ago. It's like a scene out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or Yojimbo. My hotel is also made to look like a Chinese mansion and is very cool. I have to say though, I am getting a little tired of the constant shouts of, "Hello! Motorbike! You!" Nothing could be worse than Siem Reap though. Never again.

Hoi An is also nice because it is clearly a small town where everyone knows each other. Last night there was an odd event entitled, "The 3rd Annual Skillful Waiter and Waitress Competition" and I ran into the woman that had given me a tour of her family's 18th century house earlier in the day.

This morning I went to My Son which was sort of dumb since it was a somewhat inferior version of some of the temples in the Angkor complex back in Cambodia.

And now for two things I hate, one on the foreigner side and one on the Vietnamese side. For foreigners I absolutely hate when people give unnecessarily complicated directions to someone who is somewhat struggling with English. Directions like, "Just throw it on there" and incredibly detailed Martini instructions aren't helping for anyone. You're in Vietnam, settle for two olives in your drink instead of one. On the Vietnamese side of things, I hate when at fancy restaurants the waiters and waitresses have been instructed to be so timid that I feel as though my slightest breath will knock them over. Last night I ate at this great place where there is no menu and the owner just asks if you like seafood when you come in and proceeds to instruct you how to eat some of the more complicated dishes. I'd rather have that then have half a dozen waiters stare at me, too frightened to inform me that I am currently eating leaves that are in fact, not edible.

Some of you have also been rather lax in your emails to me so step it up people!

Day 25: Hoi An, Vietnam

2006-06-17T10:06:00.000+07:00

I'm here in Hoi An, but before we get to that, a brief story from back in Nha Trang.

So as my skin was turning several shades of brown (and red) as I lay on the beach, a boy came up to me to sell some postcards. This isn't so uncommon as there are a good amount of people on the beach selling snacks and things like that. I didn't particularly want any postcards but he decided to sit down and chat with me anyway. His three friends quickly joined. They were all about the age of 14 and as I soon learned, none of them were in school due to their inability to pay school fees. They informed me that they all attended this school call Crazy Kim's where they learned English from the teachers there and the occasional tourist who dropped by. I asked them if they were going to get a chance to swim that day and the original boy said only if they were lucky. As I asked what that meant he told me only if they sell enough postcards. So of course I quickly bought 40 postcards which are probably still in my hotel room in Nha Trang. I know that oftentimes these kids come up with elaborate stories in order to get your sympathy, but in this case they weren't providing the information, it was only given in response to my questions.

A little later they asked me to play soccer with them and it was something right out of those HSBC ads that make me think HSBC is saving the world with their cultural sensitivity. I followed that up with some swimming but then had to head back to my hotel in order to check out. The original boy asked me if I would come back to the beach later and I told him I would, not really sure if I was telling the truth or not. So I headed to an internet cafe where I found out Crazy Kim's was actually a bar run by a woman named Kim (who actually looks exactly like Eunice) who takes in street children in order to prevent pedophilia which is apparently somewhat of a problem in Nha Trang. I headed to Crazy Kim's which was actually a pretty typical looking bar except in the back there was a classroom and the bar had the pictures of the kids all over it. So I hoped on the back of a motorbike and headed back to the beach where I found my postcard seller waiting for me. I asked him if he wanted to get some dinner and after I met his mother who sold squid on the street, we headed to a restaurant right on the beach. He informed me the school fees were about $65 a year and he hadn't been in school for 5 years; instead he had been selling postcards the whole time. I asked him if he would accept someone paying the school fees for him and he said it would be too embarrassing for him to go back to school and be in a class with 8 year olds. So as I was internally dying inside we exchanged email addresses, I gave him some cash, and we parted ways.

So that was my experience in Nha Trang. It was very startling to know that $65 a few years earlier would have substantially changed this boys life.

Oh also, a funny story so this post isn't totally somber. As I sat with the four kids a very pale and very overweight couple walked by. In my mind I thought, "Oh man, they must be Russian," and about one second later the kids started screaming "Russia! Russia! Buy my postcards!" The couple looked completely confused as I heard them discussing the situation in nothing less than Russian. That sort of made my day.

Now I'm in Hoi An which is absolutely beautiful. It's somewhat similar to Luang Prabang except a bit busier. Luang Prabang will still be my favorite but this is definitely nice. The best thing about travelling alone is that I can just decide to do nothing all day and not feel guilty about it. There are certainly many temples and such to see, but it's also great just sitting around drinking juice. There are also tailors everywhere, and I'm struggling with whether I will buy something. Probably not since I never end up wearing that kind of stuff, but it is pretty cool to see them custom making suits and coats.

As I was walking home down the narrow streets of Hoi An last night I heard the noises of the World Cup spilling outside of every home. I passed something like 30 televisions and 29 of them were tuned into the Argentina Serbia game, and the one that wasn't was quickly being changed by a woman who must have realized to her horror that she was missing the big game.

Day 23: Nha Trang, Vietnam

2006-06-15T09:11:00.000+07:00

This post is brought to you by speedo, the swimwear of choice of all Vietnamese, regardless of weight or age.

I'm here in sunny Nha Trang and there's almost nothing to write about since yesterday I just sat on the beach all day and attempted to get rid of my wicked t-shirt tan. Then I spent a good amount of time playing in the ocean. I honestly can't remember the last time I was in saltwater; it was much fun even if the waves were sort of making me drown a little.

Also Frommers and I are in a fight since the last 4 restaurants it has advised me on either sucked or didn't exist.

On the overnight train here I was somewhat looking forward to possibly talking to some Vietnamese people (although I should really know better, as China has taught me that stops being fun after about 5 minutes of me doing my best to guess what the hell they are talking about). Instead I was given two guys from England and one Canadian. That was fine. Except once the Canadian guy asked me where I was going to law school it was like a bomb had exploded and every single thing after that was Harvard this or Harvard that. I just wanted to sleep on my incredibly uncomfortable pillow.

My stomach has also completely stopped working. Like it might as well not exist. It doesn't so much hurt as much as it's clearly just not doing its share of the work.

I've passed the halfway mark! I have to admit I'm pretty excited about going home. That's not to say I'm not having a good time here, it will just be nice to not constantly have to figure things out. See you all soon!

Day 21: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

2006-06-13T11:01:00.000+07:00

So today is my last day in Ho Chi Minh City; this evening I take an overnight train to Nha Trang, Vietnam's beach side resort town. Kristin actually tells me it's a little on the ghetto side but it will be nice to get away from the big city for a bit.

And oh man is it bigger than I initially thought. I took a cyclo (basically a bike with a seat attached to the front) around the city yesterday and realized it was quite massive. I went to a museum that documented many of the war crimes that occurred during the Vietnam War. Of course the museum was highly slanted in favor of Vietnam, but it was important to see regardless.

Then I tried to find Chinatown and completely failed. I must have walked for more than an hour and the city just kept going and going. I finally just gave up and had a hamburger. I'm sorry but I have to balance the Vietnamese food with some western food now and again. Such as a few nights ago when I had the best steak in the world. Sitting next to me was a 50 year old American with what must have been a 20 year old Vietnamese girl. The waitresses had a ball giving me huge grins about that one. Walking home a number of girls on motorbikes stopped to offer me god knows what.

Then last night I went and watched the World Cup match between Japan and Australia. The bar I was in was basically half Japanese and half Australian, completely divided right down the middle. It was pretty intense and a lot of fun.

Day 19: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

2006-06-11T12:48:00.000+07:00

I'm pleased to announce that Ho Chi Minh City is the first real city that I've been in. Motorbikes clog the streets, the skyline displays names such as Citibank and HSBC, and girls in Miss Sixty jeans get their bikes valet parked at the Starbucks clone across the street.

Many Asian cities fall into one of two categories. Complete tourist destinations (Siem Reap, and my beloved Luang Prabang) where the entire city is geared towards entertaining tourists and few restaurants are filled with local people, or expat havens (Phnom Penh, Beijing (somewhat)) where the gulf between the expats and the local people is so large that it's as if they are living in two completely different cities. There are a few cities (Hong Kong, Shanghai, Bangkok (apparently)) where that divide is bridged however. Ho Chi Minh City, although still displaying a gap, appears to be one of those cities. At the restaurant I ate in last night I saw foreigners and Vietnamese people eating together, and Vietnamese youths dressed better than their American counterparts (I saw a guy wearing Replay jeans, people in New York don't even wear those!). It was nice to feel that I was a part of the city rather than apart from the city. Ho Chi Minh City was the first place where I felt like I was missing out on the excitement of a Saturday night when I saw groups of people heading out dressed in their finest. It was a part of Bangkok that I clearly missed and deeply regret.

Furthermore, all I heard before coming to Ho Chi Minh City was that the traffic was horrible, foreigners were constantly yelled at, the city was dirty and polluted, and it was too big to take in by foot. I don't know what people were talking about. I covered a good amount of the city so far just by walking and although there is traffic, I found it not difficult to navigate (obviously showing I have lived in China for way too long). Beijing is far less hospitable in my opinion. So hurray for Ho Chi Minh City, what I see as an extremely liveable place.

Perhaps the strangest thing I saw this morning was the Ho Chi Minh City museum, an odd collection of ecological exhibits and pro-Communist propaganda. It was interesting to see all the exhibits that glorified the righteous struggle against American imperialism. Yet when I talk to Vietnamese people all they can talk about is how they want to visit their relatives in Buffalo.

Day 18: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

2006-06-10T17:27:00.000+07:00

I've arrived in Vietnam. It's raining however, so I've basically just been hiding in my hotel for much of the afternoon. Ho Chi Minh City is large and chaotic and I think I need my full energy to really go out an explore. I suppose I'll find someplace to eat nearby and really venture out tomorrow. Vietnamese is frustrating cause it sounds a little like Chinese at times so I feel as if I should understand things but of course I can't.

And let me tell you about my hotel. It is the ghettoist place I've ever seen. My room is indescribable with its yellow bedspread and bizarre crystal ball lamp. Also, they decided that right next to my room was a good place to put the elevator room. Except it's not a room, it's just out in the hallway. So all day I hear the noise of the elevator going up and down. Oh well, at least I have BBC World.

I'm almost done with my book, The Art of Travel. One of the last chapters is about capturing beauty. The writer talks about how desperate we become to capture beautiful things we see, as we're afraid we'll forget what we're seeing, and because of this, we often resort to the camera. Oftentimes, we take pictures at the expense of actually seeing and appreciating the the places where we are. I can definitely attest to that as at Angkor Wat I sometimes felt as though it was just my duty to take a picture and move on. In order to truly possess something beautiful, the author recommends understanding where that beauty comes from, much like an artist would. I'm sad to say I have not been doing this. Places might strike me as breathtaking but my failure to understand why exactly this is so causes the image to quickly fade. I'm going to try to fix this in the future.

Day 17: Siem Reap, Cambodia

2006-06-09T18:24:00.000+07:00

Tonight is my last night in Cambodia and I'm left with much more sadness than I anticipated.

Yesterday we spent much of the afternoon in the pool at Wayne's hotel drinking beers from various nations. It was fantastic and very relaxing after enduring the sweltering heat at the temples (which continue to be amazing but sometimes numb the brain). After dinner we headed to the main area of town where there are a number of bars that cater to foreigners. I'm not really a big fan of these areas but I just wanted to sit. Usually they keep the beggars out of that area but at around 11 pm there were suddenly children everywhere. I forgot to mention previously the number of land mine victims there are here. It's quite common to see men with one or more limbs missing. They even have bands comprised entirely of the victims.

Now I usually don't give money as I'm afraid I'll become a target, but a boy who probably wasn't older than 10 came up to us with a leg missing. He wasn't begging like many of the other children, he was more just observing. I decided to hand him a few riel (as did Wayne) and the smile on his face after he got the money was heart breaking. He hung around near us for most of the night and tried copying everything I did which he found incredibly entertaining.

All day today I couldn't stop thinking about that boy. I'm not sure why he impacted me more than the others. Maybe because he suddenly gained an actual identity after I interacted with him. I sat in this trendy lounge called Blue Pumpkin this afternoon after Wayne and Kristin had left (to Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City respectively) and seriously almost broke down. I'm sure it was a combination of things such as leaving Cambodia and beginning my travels alone once again, but the boy still dominated my thoughts.

Sorry to end on such a depressing note! Tomorrow I begin my 18 days in Vietnam, should be most interesting.

Day 16: Siem Reap, Cambodia

2006-06-08T11:39:00.000+07:00

Apologies for the lack of posts, I've been somewhat busy (a welcome change actually). So for the past two days I have been touring the massive Angkor Wat. It is in fact quite amazing. The temples are beautiful and all have their own unique character. I was not aware how much more of a Hindu influence there is in Cambodia as compared with Laos and Thailand. It's much more prevalent here.

The tour groups though are starting to get on my nerves. Huge groups of Japanese, Koreans, and Singaporeans everywhere I go. Sometimes they are very loud and enjoy walking in front of my camera.

Something else about Siem Reap is the amount of begging. It's quite heavy here, much more than anywhere else I've been (except China of course, the home of everything horrible). It's particularly disturbing to see a group of children smile at you and make a motion to take a picture who then proceed to tell you to pay then $1 after you are done. I don't really know how to react to that. Would they be worse off if the tourists weren't here? Probably. But I can't help but think that having a large tourist population in a location makes people that much more desperate for money.

Siem Reap is also quite stylish as a result of the influx of tourists. I gave in and ate at the Foreign Correspondents Club and I felt like I could have easily been in downtown LA. It's quite odd when contrasted with dirt roads and land mine victims.

I also have (finally) met up with Wayne and Kristin which was great since I did more talking last night than I probably have in the last two and a half weeks combined. I also realized how much of a non-issue it has been travelling on my own and eating by myself. It was an incredibly easy adjustment and I've noticed so much more as a result. That being said, the company was definitely nice.

That's all for now, less than a month remains! That's actually an extremely long time...

Day 14: Siem Reap, Cambodia

2006-06-06T14:33:00.000+07:00

There's actually very little to report since I just arrived in Siem Reap, home of the (allegedly) amazing Angkor Wat. There are, however, a few things I'd like to note.

I basically completely failed at Phnom Penh. I felt like there was this big city to explore and I stayed in my room and watched BBC World. I mean, I went out to dinner and everything, but as I took a tuk tuk home I went through a huge outdoor market. There is also apparently a large expat population in Phnom Penh (despite a rather small tourist population) which would have been interesting to see. Oh well.

So I took a six hour bus to Siem Reap today which would have been fine except they were playing Cambodian music videos on full blast the entire time. I wanted to die.

Then disaster struck. I was supposed to be met at the bus station by a driver to take me to my hotel, but he was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, dozens upon dozens of men converged on me offering to drive me into town. Now this wasn't so overwhelming since nothing can be worse than China, but something was not quite right. They were all offering me rides for about 25 cents. Now Cambodia is cheap, but it is not THAT cheap. Something was clearly afoot. I promised a group of drivers I would let them take me after I waited for my driver for a few minutes. Then I saw a guy just chilling off to the side so I asked him how much to my hotel and he said $1.50. It was at that moment that I noticed that on the other side of the drivers' signs advertising their rates were pictures and descriptions of hotels. I quickly realized that these drivers were getting commissions to take tourists to these hotels against their wishes, hence why there were so cheap. Needless to say my tuk tuk took me exactly to where I wanted to. As I was leaving the more aggressive of the drivers gave me a look as if to ask how I could leave with someone else when I promised him my business. I just gave him the biggest shit eating grin I could muster and sped off.

So here I am in my beautiful hotel. I'm soon to meet up with Wayne Ting and Kristin Soong, the first Columbians I will see since graduation!

Day 13: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

2006-06-05T14:06:00.000+07:00

With great sorrow, I left the wonderful country of Laos yesterday. Seriously people, go now. On my last night I saw my driver bring a tour group into the restaurant I was in and he's totally awesome so I invited him over to my table to drink some Beerlao (the beer of choice in Laos). He informed me that if I drank too much I would have a baby Beerlao (essentially a beer belly); I told him not to worry. Then we sat as he complained about his crappy tour group, awesome.

I have some regrets about my time in Laos. I didn't really see too much of the countryside. On the way to the waterfall I saw livestock just casually crossing the road and tiny villages of thatched huts. My driver asked me if I wanted to stop but I wasn't really in the mood. As a result I have a somewhat distorted view of Laos in my mind as a country of restored French colonials and boutique hotels rather than a country of extreme poverty. I have some of the same regrets about Bangkok. I wish I had seen the more upscale parts of the city where the people of Bangkok actually live and work rather than the backpacker hub I ended up in.

So yesterday was a day of travel as I went from Luang Prabang to Bangkok and then Bangkok to Phnom Penh. It was bizarre, the second I got into the airport in Bangkok I instantly got that big city feeling again. I'm not saying it was a bad feeling, just much different. Also, Bangkok Airway lets you sit in their lounge at the airport even if you're traveling economy class! And there are muffins!

Also last night in my (somewhat ghetto) hotel in Phnom Penh I woke up completely covered in mosquito bites. I threw all my covers off in an insane rage and found the mosquito just hanging out at the foot of my bed. I have never killed something more quickly and violently in my life. Seriously, I was enraged. It was also gross to see my blood all over the covers after I did the deed.

So I had a rather short tour this morning of the major sites in Phnom Penh. I was getting pretty restless as my tour guide kept telling me just how many pounds of gold made up a Buddha or how many diamonds were in a royal crown. That information really doesn't do anything for me. I then went to the National Museum where they supplied a guide for me. Now, this woman was definitely less than 5 feet tall and may or may not have had a neck. She also spoke in just a stream of English that I had to struggle to understand. The raw information seems to take out all of the personal meaning an object can have. I'd rather form my own questions about something than have answers given to ones I would have never thought to ask.

One highlight however was seeing Toul Sleng, a high school that had been converted into a torture and execution facility during the rule of Pol Pot. It was incredibly sobering but ultimately a very worthwhile experience.

Then I decided to walk around Phnom Penh despite my guides insistence that I go to lunch at the Foreign Correspondence Club, a restaurant Frommers described as having ''uninspired Western fare.'' Yet Frommers also described Phnom Penh as an ''easily walkable city,'' something I soon discovered was quite false, so maybe I should have had my doubts. Phnom Penh is a real city with busy streets and beggars all over the place. The tuk tuk drivers are particularly aggressive and it really started to ware on my nerves as one driver literally followed me for about half an hour. Moreover, it was hot and I could not find the restaurant I was looking for.

My mood started to descend into Bangkok levels as I longed to return to quiet Laos. Ultimately I found the restaurant which was actually an NGO run by street children with a school attached. I was pretty happy there until a couple (one French, one Canadian) sat down next to me with a three year old who would not shut the fuck up--in French. Seriously, the kid was half crying the entire time. I've got news for all you new parents out there: don't take your kid to Cambodia. The mother seemed nice enough as I chatted with her but seriously, that kid was a total asshole.

Well that's all, tomorrow I take a 6 hour bus ride (ugh) to Siem Reap to see the much hyped up Angkor Wat. Exciting stuff.

Day 11: Luang Prabang, Laos

2006-06-03T18:00:00.000+07:00

Today I climbed Mt. Phousi, the mountain at the center of Luang Prabang. It's not so much a mountain as a big hill, but the top had nice views of the city. Except I accidentally paid $5 rather than 50 cents to buy some Buddhist prayer flowers and felt like an idiot for an hour after. Seriously, it was all I could think of.

After lunch I hired a guy with a truck to take me out to Kuangsi Waterfall which is about an hour outside of Luang Prabang. It was quite beautiful and I decided to swim in the small pools along the way. There was no one there and it was nice to swim in the incredibly blue-green water. The main waterfall itself is quite something, despite having collapsed a few years before. Then I idiotically decided to try to climb to the top of the waterfall and let's just say it was somewhat off the beaten path. I got to the top and kept hiking until I got to a big open clearing. Now in that clearing I saw a couple of things. Huge droppings of some kind and large tracks in the dirt. Then I heard what I initially thought was thunder, but it sounded...not quite right. Perhaps here is where I should mention that the area is known to have quite a few bears in it. Yeah, so I decided it might be a good idea to get out of there, but of course it started to rain. So I'm (literally) falling down the mountain trying to escape what I've convinced myself is a bear and I ended up covered in mud. Oh, and I was wearing flip flops.

So last night I ate dinner across the street from a temple (sorry Jen for the repeat story). As I watched the young monks chasing each other and asking tourists where they were from I stumbled upon this letter Flaubert wrote to his friend in my book:

My life, which in my dreams is so beautiful, so poetic, so vast, so filled
with love, will turn out to like everyone else's: monotonous, sensible,
stupid. I'll attend law school, be admitted to the bar and end up as a
respectable assistant district attorney in a small provincial town such as
Yvetot or Dieppe...Poor madman, who dreamt of glory, love, laurels,
journeys, the Orient.

It was a bit too appropriate I think.

My book (entitled The Art of Travel) also discusses how when we travel we are more ourselves than we are at home since we're not constrained by our usual surroundings (but not so much that we won't take a cab to Times Square at midnight, which I did if anyone was concerned). I wonder if that's true. Am I really someone who doesn't mind getting covered in mud while fleeing from bears? Or am I a combination of who I am here and who I am at home? Something to think about.

Day 10: Luang Prabang, Laos

2006-06-02T15:51:00.000+07:00

So when people told me this was one of the most beautiful places in the world I didn't believe them, but upon closer investigation, it definitely is.

Luang Prabang is tiny, like 3 main roads tiny. I arrived yesterday by Lao Airlines (which has incidentally never passed a single safety test) and in one day I think I saw every single person on my plane. Thank goodness I decided to come in the summer which is the low tourist season, I can't imagine being here with more foreigners. There are no big tour groups with bus loads of people. Instead, its groups of 2 or 3 people travelling together, staying in family run guesthouses with maybe a dozen rooms. The view out my window is of the Mekong River and a temple where I can see monks doing their laundry.

Luang Prabang is a UNESCO World Heritage site and therefore every new building has to be cleared by UNESCO. As a result, the city retains its charm (I'm sorry, but there is no other way to describe this place) as people continually renovate their houses since that is oftentimes the only option. The people here will strike up conversations with you and kids will give you huge grins as they pass by on their bikes.

There's not too much to see here, some pretty fantastic temples that can be covered in a few hours and a small market (where I ran into my tour guide who was running a textile shop with his wife, I told you it was small). So mainly the best thing to do is soak things up. Oh and eat. I can't seem to stop eating since that is the only thing I can do to break up my day. I spent most of the afternoon sitting in a cafe on the main road eating a chocolate croissant while drinking milk with mint in it. Seriously.

I had a huge dinner (despite being full) at one of the nicest restaurants in town. For some reason I felt incredibly guilty doing it however. I was relieved somewhat when I saw a couple in flip flops and t-shirts enter the restaurant, but something about it just screamed "colonialism." The food however, was amazing and the spring rolls were probably the best I've ever had. And it cost $8. I also ran into three guys that had graduated from Harvard, small world.

Today I took a two hour boat ride down the Mekong with just my guide and the family that ran the boat as company and visited the Pak Ou caves, a site where there are literally thousands of Buddhas (and bats). We also made a stop to see where they make Lao whiskey which wasn't bad. The villages that line the river are exactly that, villages. There are maybe a dozen thatched huts with chickens and oxen roaming the roads (or paths rather). There are people selling things that are aimed at tourists but it just doesn't seem to have that touristy feel to it that places in Thailand did.

I'm worried no place will top this but I guess we'll have to see. Also, little Lao kids are so cute I'm going to steal them all. That's all for now. Come to Laos, it's the most amazing place I've ever been to!

Day 8: Vientiane, Laos

2006-05-31T20:00:00.000+07:00

So I'm pretending I posted this yesterday even though I didn't since my blog wasn't working. You're just going to have to deal.

I've pretty much found what I was looking for. But first, a quick recap of yesterday.

So yesterday, today, and tomorrow I'll be taking a flight everyday. Even though they're rather short it does drain me a little bit. Yesterday I arrived in Bangkok around 5:00 pm and headed to my hotel which was right next to the airport. My flight this morning left at 8:20 am so I figured there'd be no point in heading into Bangkok since it's about an hour away from the airport. Now I booked the hotel knowing it was a bit on the ghetto side (as it cost $30 a night), but oh man was it ghetto. Words will not suffice, but lets just say it bordered on prison level. But all was not lost! I spotted a McDonald's nearby and as you all know I have a bit of a weakness for fast food. So I walked out of my hotel (which required walking through a bizarre electronics mall) and found that at McDonald's they offer a Samurai Pork Teriyaki Burger. It was amazing. And on top of that, my hotel had MTV China. Even China doesn't have MTV China most of the time! Moreover, there was a special on Jay Chou (who is sporting some unfortunate facial hair), so I was in heaven as I happily ate my burger.

Then I got up early to catch my Thai Airways International flight, otherwise known as the best 55 minutes of my life. First of all they serve a full meal on Thai Airways no matter how short your flight is. Not only was the food edible but it was actually pleasurable to eat it. Then the flight attendants (who are incapable of not smiling) offer you juice, coffee, tea, or water literally once every 5 minutes. I felt like Thai Airways was my Jewish grandmother with all the food they were pushing on me. Then, and I kid you not, they give you a small bouquet of flowers at the end of the flight. It was absolutely absurd. Come on America, get in the game!

Something I failed to note in my past entries is the method that Lao and Thai people greet each other (and say goodbye). They clasp their hands in front of themselves and give a short bow with their head. It actually makes so much sense as I see people do it from pretty far away when they notice each other. It beats the awkward method I've got down of ignoring someone until right when I'm about to pass them. I still feel odd returning the bow (not many foreigners do) but it is definitely a nice custom.

So I arrived in Vientiane, Laos and I'm afraid I'm not going to accurately describe this place and pictures will not do it justice It is the capital of Laos, yet it is extremely tiny. I can probably walk from one end to the other in about 30 minutes. The best way to describe it here is sleepy. Tuk tuk drivers nap in hammocks they've set up in their carts, paint peels off colonial style buildings, women all wear the same traditional skirt, and people smile at you for absolutely no reason. I keep thinking people are laughing at me (and admittedly, sometimes they must be) but it doesn't seem like that's what they're up to. Moreover, there are very few backpackers here, most of the foreigners are foreign aid workers. As a result I do get a fair share of stares but very few people trying to sell me things (actually pretty much none). In short, it's awesome and is exactly what I hoped I would find during this trip.

I had a delicious lunch of cut up chicken in mint leaves with sticky rice and then proceeded to explore the city. They have a giant monument commemorating Lao independence from the French which is ironically modeled on the Arch de Triumph. I explored the main market in town and then met up with my guide who was taking me on a very short private tour of some of the sites. Originally I was not looking forward to having a tour guide but it only lasted two hours, it was just me with the guide, and he actually taught me a good amount of things I would not have figured out on my own. I wouldn't want to do it everyday but it was nice and educational. My guide however could not get over the fact I didn't have a girlfriend. Every five minutes, "You are very handsome, you should have many girlfriends," or "Those old women over there told me they would like you as a son-in-law."

Then I decided to watch the sun set over the Mekong which I read was supposed to be particularly beautiful, but as I was drinking my coconut on the bank of the river a group of Lao college students struck up conversation with me. After yet another inquiry as to my girlfriend status we had a nice chat. But I was mostly looking forward to just sitting alone and relaxing so I did some email checking and then walked back to the river.

No building in Vientiane is over 3 stories tall and many of the sidewalks and roads are unpaved. Laos is among the 10 poorest countries in the world. I walked over to the river where there are a bunch of people with small grills in the open air, each with about a dozen tables on the riverbank that make up their "restaurant." So I sat down and was planning on just ordering a beer since I was going to go to a restaurant for dinner, but they gave me a menu and I ended up ordering a spicy and sour soup with chicken and sun dried tomatoes with a side of sticky rice. I sat there and watched the sun set as huge clouds billowed over Thailand which is on the other side of the river. As it got darker I could see lightening making the clouds glow all different colors every so often and soon you could see hundreds of stars because the city is so small. I sat there and ate my delicious food and drank my beer and it was truly one of the most amazing things I've ever experienced.

Day 6: Chiang Mai, Thailand

2006-05-29T18:11:00.000+07:00

Well here I am, back in Chiang Mai. I'm just here for the night as tomorrow I'm off to Bangkok. It's actually sort of a waste of a couple days since I arrive in Bangkok at 4:30 pm and leave the next morning at around 8:00 am for Laos. Not really anytime to do anything productive. Guess it'll be a wonderful night of room service and BBC World (which is, by the way, awesome).

So I decided to go into Burma because it was only $5 and really, when am I going to be able to do that again? And they stamp your passport which is awesome. Oh, and they also keep your passport. Yeah, when you enter the country they hold onto your passport until you leave which is very odd. Even though it was right across the border from Thailand it seemed much different. There were more beggars and people starred quite a bit (something that is not common at all in Thailand). The monks there also wear red robes instead of yellow or orange. What was also bizarre is that there is almost no English written anywhere but lots of Chinese since apparently there is a Chinese community nearby. So I was still able to read things which was nice. When you come back they issue you a new Thai visa. A lot of westerners that retire in Chiang Mai will just go to the border and come back again in order to renew their visa. I saw a man do it right in front of us.

We then got to see the Golden Triangle and it was pretty cool to see the Mekong River dividing the three countries (Thailand, Laos, and Burma). We then toured the Opium Museum which was pretty surreal. Then for some unknown reason we stopped at a hot spring where they cook eggs? The eggs have baby chicks inside of them that people eat with whiskey. And I though China was odd...

Also, as we were driving our driver yells something and runs out of the car. Our guide said that she thought the driver said we hit an old woman. Then the driver comes running back to the car with a fish in his hand. It turns out the word for fish is very close to the word for old woman. He then proceeded to run to the river and throw the in the fish which promptly swam away. Not too sure what to think about that one.

I also forgot to mention how I get around within the cities in Thailand. Rather than taxis they have tuk tuks in the smaller cities. Tuk tuks are basically motorbikes with wagons attached to them; think of them as rickshaws on speed. Anyway, I took one from a temple in Chiang Mai to my hotel since it was a bit of a walk. The driver (who spoke pretty good English) was asking me where I had been and where I was going. Upon hearing I went to Bangkok he replied "Oh, Bangkok too busy!" I could only nod in agreement.

Well the cutest dog in the world is biting my hand so I must get going.

Day 5: Chiang Rai, Thailand

2006-05-28T18:23:00.000+07:00

Apologies to you all for two reasons. One is for my lack of a post yesterday, my computer decided to die just as I finished writing a really long post and I just wasn't in the mood to write it all over again. Also, you guys get no pictures since it's basically just a pain in the ass. Sorry!

So yesterday I saw some more temples in Chiang Mai. I know I should go into greater detail, but to be honest, some of them (all of them) are starting to look the same. That's not to say they're boring, but there's not too much to write about, they're just beautiful as usual.

I was taken to one of the temples by a guide since it was sort of out of town and difficult to get to. My group only had 4 people (hurray!) but half of the group was this totally wack couple from California who clearly wished it were still the 1960s. It is not. And it's not in Thailand either, sorry! There are quite a lot of people in their 40s and 50s (especially from California) that are in Thailand. To get an accurate picture of them, they are almost exactly like the actor from Sideways who gets together with Sandra Oh. Like, exactly. Kill me.

The other guy in my group was an American studying abroad in Australia. He'd actually be the only other person on my tour for the next few days which was awesome since I clearly hate most people. On top of that our tour guide is really good and speaks great English.

So last night we headed to the night market in Chiang Mai which sadly didn't stand up to night markets in Taipei. They have more crafts and it's much more relaxed, but personally I prefer to franticness of night markets in Taipei. I'm also pleased to report that the Asian mullet is in full effect in Thailand, however not in all its Taiwanese glory.

Two things I forgot to note in my posts before. The first is my issue with time while traveling. For me, and I think for most people, time inevitably slows down at the beginning of a trip. Everything requires your full attention and your mind can't just tune out like it can in everyday life. Compound this with the fact that I'm traveling alone and as a result, time goes agonizingly slow. While in Bangkok I almost couldn't handle it but it has of course gotten much better.

The other thing I forgot to note was the degree to which the king is revered here. He's everywhere. There are huge billboards and posters with his face all over. In fact, on the front of my (awesome) hotel in Chiang Mai was this huge poster of the king that must have been about four stories tall. He was actually born in Cambridge since his dad went to Harvard Medical School so I feel like we'd probably be BFF.

This morning we departed nice and early from Chiang Mai to head further north to Chiang Rai, which is a city very near the Golden Triangle, a place where Thailand, Burma, and Laos meet. On the way we visited an elephant camp which I initially felt conflicted about but then decided was awesome as we got to ride the elephants through the forest for an hour. Let me tell you though, that was one uncomfortable elephant.

We then headed on to the Mae Kok river and took a boat down it. We went right to the border of Burma where there is a big sign hanging over the river saying "STOP." Pretty awesome. The river itself was unreal. The scenery was absolutely beautiful and every few minutes you'd see a few small huts and some kids playing in the river or doing things like brushing their teeth. And then you'd see a giant pagoda in the hills. By far one of the most amazing things I've ever done.

We then went on to see some of the minority tribes that live in northern Thailand. Two of them come from Burma and one from China (yeah China, woo woo). One of the tribes is called the Long Necks because they wear heavy brass rings around their necks from the age of 4 or 5 which push their shoulders down and make their necks seem very long. I really felt odd seeing them though. We were encouraged to take pictures but I didn't feel right just taking pictures of the women sitting outside their huts. On top of this, the government gives each family an amount of money depending on how many women in the family have the long necks since they bring in a lot of tourism money. As a result all the women end up wearing the brass rings in order to make more money, as opposed to the previous tradition of only having the women who are born on Wednesday when there is a full moon wear them. This didn't seem right to me but it is a way for them to make money so...? Oh also, the women from the Akha tribe (from China) were like 70 years old and smoking pipes which I can only assume is filled with the crop of choice in the region (opium).

Tomorrow we head to the actual Golden Triangle and we're given the opportunity to head into Burma for a little bit. I have trepidation about doing it. Most of the money they collect from you goes to support the military regime there and since Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest was recently extended it seems particularly inappropriate. On the other hand, I probably won't ever get the chance to do this again and they say that any money that gets into Burma will eventually trickle down to the people there. Opinions?

Oh and for those who are concerned, I'm nowhere near the earthquake in Indonesia. Talk to you all soon!

Day 3: Chiang Mai, Thailand

2006-05-26T17:08:00.000+07:00

Well after a somewhat rocky start I am thoroughly enjoying Thailand.

Yesterday I spent all day touring Bangkok. After successfully navigating the subways I went down the main river in Bangkok to see the major sites. The temples in Bangkok are almost overwhelming. They're beautiful of course, but sort of in a "You simpleton! Of course we're the most amazing thing you've ever seen!" sort of way. I visited Wat Po and the Grand Palace which used the be the palace of the king until he relocated. The Grand Palace also has a temple inside called Wat Phra Kaeo (if I'm reading my own handwriting correctly). All of these sites totally surpassed my expectations. Most interesting was the Grand Palace which was an odd mix of colonial and Thai architecture.

The heat soon proved to be unbearable however. It was definitely in the 90s and the sun was incredibly strong. Well...at least my fears of it raining too often weren't realized. I ended up becoming so overheated that I failed to correctly identify basic feelings such as "hunger." I ended up touring the National Museum, mainly because it had some degree of air conditioning.

I then became determined to find a restaurant that my Frommer's book described as the best restaurant in Thailand. As those who have traveled to China with me know, Frommer's has always treated me well and I have a strong devotion to it. The restaurant was located on Khao San Road which is Bangkok's main backpacker hub. It was not exactly my cup of tea. It was like San Li Tun in Beijing times a thousand. There were literally hundreds on backpackers everywhere. It was pretty interesting to see all different kinds of restaurants, from Israeli to Japanese, but I couldn't handle it for too long. I finally found the restaurant (called May Kaidee) which was basically three tables in an alley. Of course it was the most amazing food ever. I was not so excited for the vegetarian cuisine it promised but the noodles in a peanut curry sauce with vegetables were amazing. And all for a dollar.

I then hailed a cab to check on Chinatown. This day was really a series of ups and downs as my taxi driver quickly told me it would be 200 baht. Being the typical foreigner I am I agreed. I quickly figured out that the ride should have been something like 50 baht. Then the cabby decided to engage in some interesting banter with me that went something like this:

Cabbie: You like boy?
Me: Umm, yes.
Cabbie: You buy boy?
Me: Umm, no.
Cabbie: I am Thai boxing champion!
Me: Umm, yeah right here is good thanks.

So I made it to Chinatown and it was more intense than China itself. It was insanely crowded and the streets were very narrow. On top of that I didn't hear any Chinese! (There are however, many Chinese tourists in Bangkok and Thailand itself--apparently they love the transvestite shows.) So I quickly headed back to my hotel where I promptly fell asleep at 6 pm.

So that brings me to today where I headed to the airport (cheated again by a taxi driver...a bit of a pattern apparently). I was getting a bit lonely I have to admit and after some limited defeats the previous day I wasn't in the best of moods. Yet amazing amazing Bangkok Airways was able to cure that by including free internet in their terminal AND free snacks. The dim recollection of a plane I got onto was basically a bus with propellers. So after a short (and somewhat bumpy) ride, I arrived in Chiang Mai, the former capital of Thailand and one of its cultural centers. As I was met on the airport by my guide I was instantly in a better mood. She informed me that on my trip up to Chiang Rae with her there would only be one other tourist. She sent me to my hotel which was actually much nicer than I was expecting.

After a short rest I headed out to explore historic Chiang Mai. This city is much more my speed. Bangkok was a bit too chaotic for my tastes; Chiang Mai on the other hand has a population of only 200,000 and it easily walkable. I headed into town and went to visit Wat Chedi Luang, one of the most well known (and oldest) temples in Chiang Mai. Just when I started to think it wasn't that great, I turned a corner and saw the actual temple. It was incredible. Words will not suffice so you'll just have to wait for my photos. I then headed to Wat Phra Singh which was also quite a site. The funniest image I have there is of a foreigner trying to take a picture of the inside of a temple and a monk getting very paranoid since the picture would include him using a cell phone, something I can only assume is no good.

Speaking of monks, they're everywhere! On the streets, in temples, on the subway, in taxis. In fact, one just sat down next to me in this internet cafe (which is an awesome tiny bungalow building by the way). They wear big orange robes and stand out quite a bit. Also interesting about Chiang Mai is the number of foreigners that seem to be living here. They are riding motorbikes just like the Thai people here. Definitely a far cry from China.

Well that's all you get for now. Apparently I'm going to some sort of Thai dancing dinner tonight, something I would normally be against but I've been pretty good about getting out on my own. You all best be leaving comments, it's lonely halfway around the world by yourself!

Day 2: Bangkok, Thailand

2006-05-25T09:08:00.000+07:00

So I finally made it to Bangkok and holy crap do I want to kill myself. I woke up at 4:30 am this morning so clearly I'm not in the greatest of moods. Also, I'm pretty sure I almost died in the shower this morning cause the humidity was so high no oxygen was getting to my brain. Other than that things are great...

Also, Thai is the most made up language ever. When I tried to sign on to Gmail this morning, Google decided it knows better than I do what language I speak and directed me to the Thai website. Let's just say I was a bit lost.

Also, on the flight from Tokyo I encountered two varieties of my least favorite person in the world: the backpacker. Now the backpacker comes in two basic varieties, stoner backpacker and frat boy backpacker. First, sitting in the seat in front of me on the plane was stoner backpacker. He was telling the poor girl next to him (who I later befriended) that Bangkok has a great spirit to it or some crap like that and then went on to tell her about his job at Safe Way (I'm assuming this is some sort of supermarket?). He also liked camping. No thanks.

Then on the tram from the plane to the airport (I got off the plane directly into the outside just like the president), another gentleman began to lecture me on the politics of the region and how I didn't know what I was talking about because I keep giving my money to the communists in China by visiting there (?). Anyway, he was clearly a grown up version of frat boy backpacker. He lives in Phuket and has clearly lived in Asia for so long that he thinks he's the greatest person in the world. Whatever, I stole his pen.

People are hoping I get less judgmental on this trip...let's see what happens.

Oh also, it's apparently really hot in Bangkok (who knew!). Alright, to avoid being a complete loser I will get off line and you know, start exploring Thailand.

P.S.: As I was blogging in Narita yesterday there was an old man next to me looking at hardcore porn. How bad is a porn addiction when you have to check your favorite website in the middle of the day at a public computer lab in the Tokyo airport!

Day 1: Tokyo, Japan

2006-05-24T15:22:00.000+07:00

Well technically this is day 2 (damn you international date line!) but since the sun hasn't gone down in like 24 hours, I'm going to stick with day 1. So nothing amazing to report except that I almost missed my flight if it had not been for the help of this Chinese guy who works in Shanghai. I swear, the second you tell someone from China you speak Mandarin they are your best friend. So I literally ran onto the plane, but I made it.

And now I'm in Narita Airport where the moral as always is: Japanese people--just cooler than you in every way.

Well I must be going because according to this computer I only have 4 minutes of "Play Time" left? Also, I've maybe slept a total of 3 hours on this trip so I have to go collapse and die. Other than that feeling fine!

Day 0: Boston, USA

2006-05-23T02:45:00.000+07:00

So tomorrow I begin my journey to Southeast Asia which I think in all lasts something like 28 hours. I have faith that my amazing ipod Nano will get me through the hard times. That, and the prospect of watching Big Mama's House 2 on the plane. Anyway, to the dozen or so friends that may or may not be reading this, (plus facebook stalkers), you all better write and leave comments since I have no friends and will be traveling alone. I'm going to try to upload some pictures on here but no promises. Okay, I need to pack since I have not even remotely thought about what I'm going to bring.