tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6155256620809939412024-03-12T17:30:01.987-07:00Journey of 2010-11Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-59973713335585758042012-11-23T05:17:00.001-08:002012-11-23T05:17:36.399-08:00More of the Same SameWords, words, words... I am done with trying to put word to how much I enjoy the highlands of Bali. I took a long scooter ride up to the mountains droppings down to the shore a guestimated five thousand feet. I left at 7am and returned to my bungalow just before 4 in the afternoon. I do not know how to share the experience in words. Pictures add another dimension to it, not enough for me to keep snapping off short. Since I got a new memory card for my camera, I decided to tie it high on my neck and record some video of the cruise. I don't know how it will turn out. Maybe movement and sound, capturing kids walking home from school, ladies drying rice, revolving vistas, and the monkey swing from the tree as I glided under (got lucky on that one) will add another dimension to the experience.<br /><br />By 9am I was already high in the hills enjoying breakfast as some home stay looking out over the rice paddies toward Mount Agung, one of a handful of the inactive volcanic mountains and the tallest peak in Bali. I though about hitting the "Mother Temple" that was located at the door of the mountain, but was even more curious about this little road leading up hill to a little icon-symbol on the map. When inquiring if it was possible to get put there a local told me it was much better than the original destination because it was not swarmed with tourists.<br /><br />The drive felt like I was going straight up the mountain. I thought I was heading into some rain for a while until I popped out from the clouds just a hundred meters before reaching the Puranas Passran Agung temple. Other than the two fellows doing some maintenance work on the structure I was the only one there. Clouds swirling below me and the last couple thousand feet of volcano rising above me in an adorable open air rock temple... I would love to romanticize it by throwing in some blissful sound of birds and geckos, but the truth is that the maintenance men were using some sort of electric stone cutter making a tremendous racket. Still, the view was breathtaking as the clouds would open up for moments giving glimpses of the jungle valleys far below. There was a point where the mist was moving up the hill as it trying to carry me to the top.<br /><br />As I approached top step crowning a long zigzagging flight to where my scooter was parked, I looked down through the swirling fog and saw a procession of people, all dressed in white, carrying fancy boxes and baskets of fruit and flower offering on their way to do ceremony. Another stunning sight. Nearly all of the maybe fifty people, men, women, and children had smiles and kind hellos as I passed them by. I did not stay to watch, my instinct told me that this was their and theirs only.<br /><br />Just two hour later and I would be experiencing the opposite end of the spectrum. Down from the cool serene forest the coastal lowlands were hot muggy and I was certainly not the only one there. I stopped at cheap shack on the shorefront along the road where I saw some retired, no shirt, heavily tanned, chain smoking foreigners with a sign above saying, "Monster Aussie Burger!". The chatty old crew whipped my up a huge burger that had everything you would ever normally throw between the buns along with loads of bacon, fried eggs, and beets. How could I not have a small beer with that.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Bali%20Indonesia%4027.711852%2C85.307915&z=10'>Bali Indonesia</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-82870990541905871232011-03-18T14:33:00.001-07:002011-03-18T14:33:15.361-07:00Photo UpdatesMy slow integration after returning home included many hours of going through our 2500 something pictures. I picked out something like 650 pictures to group by country and post for anyone to poke through. Please enjoy some of our top pics picks taken by both Asiana and I.<br /><br />http://picasaweb.google.com/XillaMonster<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Denver%20Colorado&z=10'>Denver Colorado</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-50163102545268233812011-03-06T21:50:00.003-08:002011-03-06T21:50:41.528-08:00The Journey BackOur boat ride from Turtle Island was mesmerizing. Sliding through swells of water not bothered by wind, looking like smooth jello, then through the rippled patterns when the breeze turns to mold the sea surface. Flying fish zip out from under our boat floating over the ocean fleeing from the huge, loud, frightening vehicle. Three hours later we pulled into the small port where we we're supposed to wait five hours for our bus. Nothing there but a place selling cheap rice and fried noodles to the crew of tourists waiting for the connecting train or bus.<br /><br />There was not one person on our full bus that was not under the impression that the night ride to Bangkok was to take off at 9pm. We were all a little surprised when we were called aboard a couple hours early. Its not like we wanted to stay there because it was so great, we were only worried about arriving in Bangkok too early. Minor fears realized, but getting into Bangkok at 3:30 am sunday morning is not that bad. A block away from the drop off point we found ourselves in a very traveler friendly establishment that Asiana scoped out weeks earlier. It stores luggage and lets travelers sleep on their cushions, free internet, serves drink and food. Perfect place to use as home base for the twenty hours we had to kill in Thailand's capital.<br />We were joined by a French girl who travels the world working at various SCUBA shops as in instructor. She worked at the outfit we dove with in Ko Tao. Not only was she a fun person to spend the day with, we also got some great downloads on diving around the world. The three of us ran around Bangkok doing all the last minute shopping. All the stuff we wanted, but didn't want to carry it around. Now we can bring it all home.<br /><br />We were walking through the airport like the living dead. Exhausted from such a long day with no sleep and trying to stay awake to catch a 1am flight. As soon as we climbed on the plane we were out. Only awoken by the sunrising over Beijing as we came in to land.<br /><br />The Beijing airport from which we spent ten hours starting this journey feels just the same. We feel different. That adventure is behind us. We are quiet, still tired, not ordering bloody mary's now, just some coffee. It always seems like the return trip takes longer. <br /><br />I have run out of books to read. I am running out of things to write about. This journey is running out of time. The next journey is going to begin. It may be more familiar, but it will be with family and friends and I am looking forward to it. It's all a journey - just a different chapter - new blog.<br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Thailand&z=10'>Thailand</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-86413504061172643002011-03-06T21:50:00.001-08:002011-03-06T21:50:25.621-08:00Traveling with AsianaAs this trip comes to a close, I thought I'd give a quick mention about my partner and travel partner, Asiana. Like in the rest of life, we travel quite beautifully together. It's not always easy in the chaos of movement to be graceful all the time. I think we did exceptionally well. We were both understanding and patient. We were always open minded about each others ideas, directions, and basic needs. Yet, since we are two different people we had to collaborate and sometimes even separate. I can't think of anybody I could make this journey with that could compare to Asiana. I am blessed to have such a good companion.<br /><br />Thank you so much!<br /><br /><br />Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-30132660026478939362011-03-06T21:49:00.001-08:002011-03-06T21:49:29.104-08:00ReadingOne of the best side affects of this journey for me is all the reading I enjoyed. It seems like I move through books slowly at home. A full day of reading a computer screen and then getting to work my way through less inspiring material, like Data Warehousing Concepts keeps me from getting around to the literature I want to read. The book I want to read sits by the bed. At the end of the day I open it, read a page, fall asleep.<br /><br />It was such a luxury to work my way through novel after novel. Books I wanted to read. Of course I read plenty pieces from Lonely Planet about each area we visited. I read most of that before leaving or on the planes. Not so ironically I read a lot a quasi-travel books varying greatly in humor and approach. I few of them I downloaded, others I ran across at guest houses, or found at book exchanges. Once the Kindle died, I ended up going back to paperback. <br /><br />I probably made my way through books in three months that would take me three years to finish.<br /><br />Shantaram<br />Lost on Planet China<br />A Cook's Tour<br />Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?<br />Sex Lives of Cannibals<br />Heart of Darkness<br />Shopping for Buddhas<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-55775970226938709492011-03-05T16:56:00.001-08:002011-03-05T16:56:13.214-08:00Beer TourEverest - Nepal<br />Kingfisher - India<br />Angkor - Cambodia<br />Tiger - Vietnam<br />BeerLao - Laos<br />Batang - Indonesia<br />Chang - Thailand<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-10344766326119653722011-03-04T21:51:00.001-08:002011-03-04T21:51:17.047-08:00Sleeping Under the StarsThe stars were bright with the moon hidden by the earth. It was our last night in a real bed and we spent much of it on the beach, watching the sky, drifting in and out of sleep. Listening to the insects shake their moraccas excitedly and water rushing over the sand. A couple shooting stars. Big Ocean, Big Sky, Big Universe!<br /><br />One of the best ways to celebrate the new moon is to appreciate the stars that she revealed - how much more of the universe she has allowed us to view just by sleeping in the shadow.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Ko%20Tao%20Thailand&z=10'>Ko Tao Thailand</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-44543087787569591932011-03-04T21:50:00.003-08:002011-03-04T21:50:37.873-08:00New Moon DepartureWe are scheduled to take the long trip back home beginning tomorrow. Tonight is the new moon. The beginning of the cycle, poised to grow and wax into it's full potential. Time to start again. We started this journey exactly four new moons ago. Three perfect lunar cycles later we are starting our journey home. We are the tide.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Thailand&z=10'>Thailand</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-67988557233569346102011-03-04T21:50:00.001-08:002011-03-04T21:50:31.236-08:00Paddle Ball WizardI found that my innovative hustle and cat like reflexes acquired from years of office ping-pong has translated well into beach paddle ball. I would be totally kicking ass in the whole bay here if that were the object of the game. Instead, my shots are to land somewhere in the sweet spot (if there is one) so my opponent, I mean teammate, has a good opportunity to successfully attempt a return... from which I chase down and dive after only to place it perfectly again.<br /><br />Disclaimer: Asiana is a great paddle ball opponent, I mean teammate. Even without the benefit of daily ping-pong at the office, she rocks the beach.<br /><br />What a meditation, in the zone, single point of awareness.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Ko%20Tao%20Thiland&z=10'>Ko Tao Thiland</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-63523757386867652882011-03-04T00:06:00.001-08:002011-03-04T00:06:14.024-08:00What's Not HappenedSo many things happened on this trip. Most of it will never be able to be captured in a blog-journal. I have written and never looked back. Hell, I may have been repeating myself the whole time and not known it - ALL PLAY AND NO WORK MAKES ME A FUN BOY - ALL PLAY AND NO WORK MAKES ME A FUN BOY...<br /><br />Anyway, I thought I'd write about what didn't happen.<br /><br />We were not robbed or victims of theft. I guess that would also imply that were we also not kidnapped, taken hostage, tortured, held for ransom, or sold into slavery. At the most were were ripped off with bloated prices, usually by local travel agents. It's almost unavoidable.<br /><br />We were never in a threatening situation. We didn't have to run through back ally's to get away from creeps. At the most we scurried along to clear away from pushy vendors.<br /><br />Unbelievably, we didn't get sick. Okay, maybe a touch, but nothing that that really affected our trip. Asiana had a head cold for the first few weeks getting use to the dust and there was a nauseous moment for her in Bombay. India gave me a parting gift with a slight fever on the plane back to Bangkok followed by a day of me being very aware of how close the toilets were. All in all we were as healthy as you can be for this type of movement.<br /><br />Most amazingly, I have not found myself limping around on crutches or sporting a sling cuz I wrecked myself doing any of the numerous things that cause me pain from high impact. At the most I bumped my head over and over in countries planned for little people, mostly Vietnam. That's okay since I don't use my head much anyway. Of course, Asiana hit the water ferociously giving her ribs enough trauma to remind her she is in a body. A little role reversal for us. And... I'm not home yet. There is a big rock complete with a rope to climb sticking 25 feet out of the sea just begging to be leapt from...<br /><br />What else didn't happen? Well, I don't know. I have not kept up to date on what is going on in the world. At least relatively. I am aware of some major political changes. eg. Egypt... I have seen and read of events taking place at any current location, but usually only browsing at a newspaper on a plane. Outside of the occasional emails from my father sending news of the dangerous goings on at my location, I have no idea what is happening outside of what is immediately in front of me. I have no idea who won the super bowl. Geez, I don't even know who played. I know it happened only because a whole town of tourists, mostly Australians, were disappointed they could not watch since the entire village was without power. I only know what is happening with my family and some friends. Everything else is happening without me knowing it. And me not knowing made no difference.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-8308049905463070662011-03-04T00:05:00.007-08:002011-03-04T00:05:56.788-08:00More?I am so grateful to have had is opportunity to travel. I have been amazingly supported by my family and work. I am totally looking forward to getting home and squeezing Indigo, hanging out with my parents, playing with my friends, and visiting Blythe. At the same time I wonder when will I get more. <br /><br />Isn't that just like me. So fortunate to taste part of the world and wanting to eat more. It feels weird to be perfectly content with such a wonderful life and still looking forward to what is next. Satisfied but always wanting. I suppose the day I don't want more is the day I cease to exist.<br /><br />I have run across many youngsters from around the world spending huge amounts of time roaming foreign lands. Emailing grandma to get another couple hundred bucks to stretch their journey another month or two - another country or two. I laugh at myself when I think, "I wish I could do that", followed by, "I did that - I traveled and resided around the world from ages 13 to 21 - thanks mom and dad".<br /><br />I have seen many retired folks. Spending six months here and six months there. Happy to be warm - happy to be on the water. Maybe I'll get to do that too.<br /><br />There are families that just saved up, packed up and decided to spend a few years camped on the beach or at a cottage on a river. Do I have to wait another ten years, twenty years to do this again? How about the people I know that never do this - never have the opportunity? How about all the people I don't know who's country I just traveled through. Most never leave their country. Plenty never venture beyond their village or island. Do they want more?<br /><br />Can I be the most spoiled person in the world, blessed with everything I ever wanted and also be the most grateful and still want more? Does that work?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-28536924270615400762011-03-04T00:05:00.005-08:002011-03-04T00:05:38.617-08:00Same Same but DifferentSame ocean, same beach, same sounds, same smells, same view, but different. Different since it's our last day of being here... out last full day of being anywhere for a while.<br /><br />We will be spending the next four days and three nights making our way back to family and friends. It's time for the final journey home. After what will be 17 flights, 15 long bus rides, 5 boats, 4 epic train trips, and countless taxis, rickshaws, tut-tuks, minivans, motorbikes , and scooters we will have made it full circle. Wow!<br /><br />I have done my best to write a bit about each place, to give a basic outline of the day, and even sometimes spill a few thought and feelings while recalling interesting moments. Yet, the juice of the journey is in the details. The thousands of conversations had with hundreds of people, both travelers and locals. Each meal, good and bad. Witnessing every event from the slow sunrises to the crazy monkey-dog fight. From the kids playing on the sidewalk to the forests of butterflies. From the colorful lizards making it's way across the hotel wall to the brutal motorbike accidents. It seems like I was present for every bit of it. More present than I am at home.<br /><br />Can I return and embrace moment to moment existence? Is it just an excuse that I think life is too fast? I have not heard my cell phone in three months. No text messages or instant chats. Emails have been extremely brief and few and none concerning work. Oh yea, work. I have not thought about one snip it of code. No "server down - batch file errors - reports aren't running". I have not been pacing around on my back porch trying to come up with a solution to another of the never ending challenges of how to make things run for my company.<br /><br />My mind has been very still. I am not even distracted by other conversations since I don't understand what's being said. There are no other stories besides the one that is happening right now. Now! Now! Now!<br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Ko%20Tao%20Thailand&z=10'>Ko Tao Thailand</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-20866903115208563292011-03-04T00:05:00.003-08:002011-03-04T00:05:25.004-08:00Waking Up to WaterThere are some mornings that you bypass your usual routine just because there is an ocean a few meters away. Rather than a cup of coffee and the newspaper, or even meditation and morning yoga, there is nothing like rolling out of bed and running out to float in the sea. Thank you wonderful world.<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Thailand&z=10'>Thailand</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-6397412070036786352011-03-04T00:05:00.001-08:002011-03-04T00:05:06.745-08:00Double Dive on Turtle IslandWe dove with the one other dive shop that is here in our bay, Black Tip Diving. Not only were their boats still floating, but it was the target shop we were aiming for when choosing this part of the island and the crew was super sweet.<br /><br />I understand that at this time of year this side of Thailand has poorer visibility, while our other dives in Kho Phi Phi had the clear water. This switches each season. While it is true, the visibility is poorer than I have experienced, the marine life is abundant. The great heads of coral are loaded with creatures that must have been an inspiration for many of Jim Henson's Muppets. Florescent pom-pom mops would retreat into their holes and large purple mouth monsters would purse their psychedelic lips when we got too close for their comfort. There is even the excitement of swimming with trigger fish, who will aggressively attack when you enter their territory. Again, the wonderful variety here makes up for the more limiting visibility and we were thrilled to spend the day under the water in the "other world".<br /><br />We have a couple more days here at a perfect bay to soak up our trip and digest the journey. The next real bed we sleep in will not be for four days while we navigate our way back to Colorado. Grateful as ever!<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Ko%20Tao%20Thailand&z=10'>Ko Tao Thailand</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-45271757495410050592011-03-02T00:45:00.003-08:002011-03-02T00:45:17.016-08:00No Dive TodayI took a short walk down the beach to see if this dive shop had room on the boat. Answer: "Problem with boat today".<br /><br />I spent the next half an hour helping a group of guys trying to pull the submerged ship up to the beach. Yes, a small problem with the boat - it sunk to the bottom of the bay. Okay, it was not the big dive boat. It was the small wooden vessel that shuttles equipment and passengers to the dive boat. None the less, the gods have spoken, they said, "No Dive for You Today!"<br /><br />No big deal, we'll try tomorrow. Today I will enjoy getting thai massage on the beach while Asiana practices her newly acquired skill set. Life is still good!<br /><br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Thailand&z=10'>Thailand</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-64125826839049089282011-03-02T00:45:00.001-08:002011-03-02T00:45:08.478-08:00What's All the Buzz About?The slow chat-chat-chat gains speed. As the tempo quickens, the staccato chirps morph into a hum. The forests here have an insect that creates a hum that can be almost deafening. It sounds like some sort of locust or jungle cricket. I have not seen one in action, but I feel it is a type of beetle. At moments there are hundreds of going off. When one starts, it's slow engine takes some revving up to catch up to the group hum. When it has joined the others the stereo drone is so heavy the thick with frequency it feels like it could lift you off the ground.<br /><br />These little guys react to changes in light. They strike up the band over and over as clouds pass. The dusk and dawn have symphonies extraordinare surrounding the bungalow. At the first hint of light you are lifted into the trees as these insects call you awake to watch the sunrise. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Ko%20Tao%20Thailand&z=10'>Ko Tao Thailand</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-68385641499908968572011-03-01T05:33:00.003-08:002011-03-01T05:33:50.651-08:00Last CallThis is our last call... or at least our last port of call on our three month trip through much of Asia. We could not have landed at a more perfect bay to spend the last few days of our journey decompressing. Tanote Bay, is a little cove on the east side of Ko Tao. It has maybe five different outfits letting simple bungalows. Each has it's own cafe-resturants-bar and dive shop. Lush hills surround the private white sand beach bookended by sets of large granite rock and a and handful of boulders peaking out of the ocean.<br /><br />We were dropped off before sunrise. In fact, before anything had risen. The sun came up then slowly some of boys setting up the the days SCUBA dive started dragging tanks out to the boats. I don't know if we have had a quieter morning the whole trip.<br /><br />Each place had available rooms, mostly decent huts up the hills and back in the forest, but we got extra lucky when a bungalow just under the trees on the beach became vacant. We got the best spot in the best spot. Later, as people came down to the beach, we were complimented on our luck getting the perfect blugalow - barring a Tsunami of course.<br /><br />Ko Tao is known for it's world class diving which we planned on signing up for, but after renting some snorkel gear to flipper around the bay, we were blown away. Expecting a few fish zipping around the rock, we were thrilled to find a complete coral reef loaded with amazing aquatic life. There was a huge array of fish. So many different colors and types we could have stayed out there the whole day. I took three different trips out. This beats a lot of the dive sites I've ever been to. I think we ordered the perfect drink for last call.<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Ko%20Tao%20Thailand&z=10'>Ko Tao Thailand</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-64478636125698949212011-03-01T05:33:00.001-08:002011-03-01T05:33:41.553-08:00Getting to the Gulf O' ThailandVIP bus to an overnight sleeping boat to Ko Tao (turtle island) on the other side of the Thai peninsula sounded like a fairly simple journey. Maybe it's because we are nearly done with this trip and made it through the trials and tribulations that suddenly show up when moving this way. I forgot that things don't go as smoothly as expected. I forgot to expect anything. I got lazy and thought we were in the final inning with a huge lead.<br /><br />The VIP bus was a mini-bus that we have ridden in many times before. They look fine, but have virtually no padding. The half hour trips are fine in one, but many hours can be an ass killer.<br /><br />Theory: Since most of the local folks weigh a hundred pounds less than me, they are unaccustomed to having such pressure bouncing on hard seats for long periods of time. They don't understand the pain in the ass.<br /><br />We were taken to the town were we were supposed to catch the boat, but not to the pier. We waited at the little bus depot for the different ride to our boat for about an hour. There was no hurry since we had five hours to get there. A real VIP bus shows up to gather folks heading to Bangkok. Once the others were loaded, they decide to usher the eight of us going to Ko Tao into the double decker vehicle. We figure they are giving us a lift o the pier. Placed in the belly of the monster with no view we all doze in and out of sleep kind of thinking the pier must be pretty far. <br /><br />Two and a half hours later Asiana was waking me up - "did they forget about us?". Something went wrong. Not long after that the bus pulled over, (I believe after a few cell phone calls by the operators) and dumped us on the side of the road where two tuk-tuks showed up to take us partway back. Rather than taking us all the way to where we were supposed to be, since that would have taken so long and we'd miss our boat, we were taken to a closer port where a wooden cargo ship was getting ready for us. By getting ready, the young boat workers were laying out grass mats on the upper deck. This boat was not for tourists. The boat was fully loaded with beer, soda, and water to stock the island. None of it was available to us. Begrudgingly, they sold us one large water from one of the cases so we could survive the overnight voyage. We rummaged through the ship and found some life vests we could use as pillow and made ourselves as comfortable as possible with those and whatever our backpacks offered.<br /><br />I think it was probably a funner experience than the normal tourist shuttle would have been. Our groups was made up of mostly Germans and a couple from Los Angles. It was adventurous and even a bit romantic, not the African Queen, but uncomfortable and exciting non the less.<br /><br />We were awoken from our restless sleep by the familiar call from the landing pier, "Taxi! Taxi!" at 5:30 am. I don't think there can be a worse alarm clock sound. Four of us wanting to head to the remote east side of the island loaded into the back of a pickup truck and bounced our way over the hills to our destination.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Ko%20Tao%20Thailand&z=10'>Ko Tao Thailand</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-19525699670339996552011-02-27T20:47:00.001-08:002011-02-27T20:47:55.569-08:00Pine BungalowsWe have spent two nights at Pine Bungalows on the coast of Krabi. The place is totally quiet. There maybe five people at any one time on the three hundred yard beach. Nothing to do but lay in the hammocks, read, swim, and do some blog catchup. Our only heavy activity involves the ultimate beach sport, paddle ball, played in waist deep sea to you can look like a hero diving to make the return.<br /><br />That's about all that is happening here. We are taking it easy and enjoying a very slow pace just before heading to the other side of the Thai peninsula. We are taking a bus across the land and then an eight hour night boat to a small island that will be our final destination on this trip before finding our way back home.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Krabi%20Thailand&z=10'>Krabi Thailand</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-78613324430670703052011-02-27T20:26:00.001-08:002011-02-27T20:26:02.891-08:00Krabi MorningPalm tree case shadows into the sea. Their dark outlines are laid onto the soft sand under the water. Ten different types of birds sing ten different morning songs. Low tide at sunrise leaves the Andean Sea flat and calm. Squirrels chase each other across the tops of bungalows. The first slight gust of wind for the day rains down leaves from each tree as if they were waiting to stretch and shed older skin. Asiana is doing yoga on the beach greeting the new day with breath and movement.<br /><br />Pura Vidal! Life is Good!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-43871934358895410682011-02-27T20:25:00.003-08:002011-02-27T20:25:50.062-08:00Final Tour of PP IslandAt dawn we headed up a path that lead to a series of viewpoints that overlook the island. While there are hundreds of people that make the hike to watch sunset each evening there were only a handful of souls hearty enough to wake up and catch sunrise. This works well for us. At viewpoint 2 we had some coffee. At viewpoint 3 there was only us and a hammock. It's amazing how easy time goes by when just gazing... gazing... gazing...<br /><br />We followed some signs that directed us through a maze of trail in the forest that advertised a remote bay. It eventually took us down a very steep hill on the other side of the island. When we arrived we found a perfect quiet secluded beach with a smattering of bungalows, a cafe, and a bar. The only way to get here was take the crazy hike or by boat. Had we known this was here we would have resided on this side of the island away from the crowds.<br /><br />We enjoyed breakfast and wrestled with the idea of moving to this beach for a few days rather than head to the other side of Thailand. This is what we were looking for and it seemed funny that we were going to travel for days elsewhere to find it.<br /><br />In the end we scrambled all the way back, packed up our stuff in time for checkout and hopped on a boat to take us back to the mainland. We already had our ticket for departure and just over a week left on our journey. Might as well check out a few other places before calling it quits.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-70517388606975561032011-02-27T20:25:00.001-08:002011-02-27T20:25:42.156-08:00SCUBAWe finally did some diving with just over a week left in our trip. We went with a small outfit run by a very speedy Frenchman. We were joined by three other French boys, one who dove with us, the others content to snorkel.<br /><br />Out little rickety long boat brought us to the first site, Coral Garden, where we learned to put all our gear on in the water. A new method for us. We usually get everything on then flop off the boat. We have never dove outside of the Caribbean and it was nice to see different types of underwater life not found on the other side of the world.<br /><br />We were honestly not overly impressed with the first dive. With no current to flow with we ended up going a small distance and backtracking over the same area. It was still nice and part of what makes it so special here is when you emerge from the sea you are blessed with an amazing view of the great karst cliffs rising out of the water.<br /><br />The boat took us to a small bay with steep walls surrounding the aqua green pool where we had lunch and played in the water before heading out to the second dive site. If the first dive was not impressive the second one made up for it. Great schools of fish from tiny flashing minnows to huge groups of Jackfish were swarming the area. You could just spin around in the same spot and be completely entertained by all the movement. Asiana and I agreed that this dive was one of the best we have had in years.<br /><br />Out next stop we Maya Bay on Phi Phi Lei Island - the spot made famous from the movie "The Beach". I suppose it is possible that there is a more scenic beach on the earth, but I have no idea what element would improve such a perfect place. No need for more words here to try and describe such a stunning site.<br /><br />As our boat pulled away we were gifted with being able to witness the sunset over the water. The day was much more than a couple of dives. It was a full tour of paradise ending with a bit of rum on the beach watching some very talented fire dancers followed by an early retirement into the bungalow and deep sleep.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-74271633220916209082011-02-27T20:18:00.001-08:002011-02-27T20:18:43.859-08:00Travel MisguidesWe abandoned following anything written about where to stay in Lonely Planet halfway through India. We stopped searching out restaurants soon after since it took us so much time finding the suggested vegetarian eateries than it did if we just came upon something that would suffice. To some Lonely Planet is a bible, to others it is a rough guideline, and for some the travel guidebooks represent true evil driven by minions to destroy some of the worlds secluded paradises and greatest escapes turning what was once a pristine beach into a tourist ghetto. I guess we are somewhere near the middle one using the literature to get the basic gist of an area, but relying on our own adventures to find out everything else.<br /><br />I have been tearing through books on this trip. As is travel in itself isn't enough of a blessing I have had the opportunity to dig into literature that I would never have time to read Stateside. After journaling about this journey I have wondered what it would be like to have the "dream job" of writing a travel guide. I am not fooling myself into thinking I have the capacity or ambition to score such a role, just intrigued. While looking for my new paperback victim to capture my attention for the next couple of days at a book exchange I came across the title, "Do Travel Writers Go to Hell?" - subtitle, A Swashbuckling Tale of High Adventure, Questionable Ethics and Professional Hedonism.<br /><br />After reading this tale of the authors first adventure of trying to write as an Lonely Planet informant for a section on Brazil, I will never be able to take a words the series of books has to say seriously. Not just a grain of salt, the whole shaker and all.<br /><br />Without going into detail, these guidebooks started out to give "Backpackers" clues on how explore the world away from the main tourist spots on a tight budget. Now it is a mainstream phrase used by everyone to re-live the quest-for-the-best-beach or the quaint guesthouse that nobody knows about. Once directed toward an audience willing to sleep in sweatboxes with peeling paint trying to stretch every cent so they could see as much of the world as possible before returning to grad school, the books is written for an different demographic. It is spit out to show people that have a couple weeks of vacation time and a lot bigger budget where they need to go to see all the shit they can without too much hassle and wasted time in order to re-live (or experience for the first time) the adventures of world travel.<br /><br />It is obvious that the best information comes from other travelers you meet on trains, buses,or in guesthouses. Their updates reach farther than any book as the beaten path is now paved for tour busses, little bungalows has doubled in price, staff much less friendly, crowded with other like yourself thinking you found a secluded gem that is now loaded with gringos taking a million picture to prove they'd seen paradise.<br /><br />Anyway, I will not be reading Lonely Planet with the same set of eyes.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-57913282307384697332011-02-27T20:17:00.001-08:002011-02-27T20:17:01.208-08:00Doing Absolutely Nothing on the BeachIf there is a place to be lazy, it's on the beach. Most beaches will do, but PP Island helps you do nothing while making you completely enjoy it to the upmost. <br /><br />The bay is extremely shallow making the tide extraordinarily obvious. At 7am it was empty of water where you could walk out a couple hundred meters before getting wet. By noon it was full of blue-green shallows. No surf at all. It's really not the kind of ocean you play in. This leads one to do even more nothing than you would at most beaches. The only time you hit the water was to cool off in the afternoon heat. The morning water was so shallow it was like sitting in a salty hot tub. Not cooling at all.<br /><br />If you are not playing in the water then you just sit there, headphones dishing out your random iPod tunes, pick up your current book, read a few pages, lay down, cook in the sun, cool off in the water, read a few more pages, stare into the ocean, think about stuff, think deep thoughts, think about stupid ridicules shit...<br /><br />That was our day on the beach at PP Island. The biggest difference was that this experience was loaded with visual stimulation that is unbeatable. If the green-sea-white-beach-tall-cliff view was not enough to gaze at, then the young-athletic-super-tan-bodies spilled all over the beach are sure to make you keep at least one eye open. I think there a many beaches that the majority of the people would look "healthier" is they cover up more - not this beach. Sexy beach - sexy crowd.<br /><br />We couldn't have been in a better place to do nothing. We'll do something tomorrow.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615525662080993941.post-55879186097682740862011-02-26T21:00:00.001-08:002011-02-26T21:00:39.131-08:00Phuket and Kho Phi PhiWe blindly chose a reasonably priced hotel to rendezvous in Phuket after being apart for more than a week. Although the room was fine, we found ourselves in the that part of town made up of massage-escort shops. A place where you will wake up to find ladies and lady-boys still meandering the streets. Oh well, we were not there very long.<br /><br />Asiana finished a five day course for Thai massage in Chang Mai, took a long bus down to Bangkok, spent the day there, took another night bus to Phuket, spent the next full day on a bus getting shuttled to the Miramar border to extend her Thai visa, then returned to Phuket. Three big days of a lot of buses. I just grabbed a couple of flights, Bali-Kuala Lumpur-Phuket.<br /><br />Excited to see each other, we spent the whole evening enjoying a few beers and exchanging the many stories that had piled up over the previous week. We were like two little chipmunks chatting rapidly back and fourth attempting to rebalance our energies together. We purchased our boat tickets to zoom out to one of the worlds most famous beaches the next morning.<br /><br />The boat was packed with people all excited to spend some time in Kho Phi Phi (PP Island). Some, like us had been traveling a while saving the beach and luxuries for the end. Others were just starting their trip having left their cold origins recently and now slathering on suntan lotion and laying out on the deck ready to cook up a base layer.<br /><br />The hour and a half ride pulled into the bay at PP Island. Little white sand beaches, light green water, towering karst cliffs... yep this place looks just like the pictures in the magazines and postcards. Outside of the two main large back to back bays trimmed with long white beaches there are other small coves that one can take longboats or kayaks to. Like most of the gorgeous spots on earth, PP Island is completely set up for tourists. It is set up well, too. Bungalows, restaurants, bars, clothing shops, tour boats, snorkeling huts, and beach chair renters are packed onto the thin strip of flat land that sits in the middle of the island.<br /><br />Our "Twin Palms" bungalow is just twenty paces from the beach. It is also twenty paces from all the beach bars that rock out all night distributing sound through our paper thin walls. We spent the first afternoon on the beach. In the evening, we befriended to a couple of travelers staying across from us that we stuck with for the rest of the night eating out and dancing.<br /><br />I don't really pride myself on having decent geographic knowledge, but I've always thought I had a good grasp of the globe. I was a bit embarrassed to have to tell these two nice guys I never heard of the place they were from and even where it was. Eritrea is an african country sandwiched between Ethiopia, and Somalia, across the Red Sea from Saudi Arabia and Yemen. <br />These guys had lived in Norway for the past 22 years just finished doctor school and doing a year of travel before finally heading home to bring their medical knowledge back to their country. Their school was attended by mostly Americans, so they were well versed in English slang. We had a very fun night with these guys.<br /><br />The beach is cleared of umbrellas and lounge chairs and transformed into a strip of nightclubs across the sand. Tiki torches, rope lights, small tables with beach cushions are laid out to watch the local crew of fire dancers attracting patrons. The coast is lit up with spinning fire tossed up in the air in time to the different beats the DJ are pumping out from their respective clubs. It makes for a very fun night out, dancing, drinking buckets of rum, and finally shutting down near midnight. I actually retired early while Asiana and the others held down the dance floor. It's a blessing that the party does not go on all night and everyone can drag themselves through the sand to their huts to get some rest for a full day of doing nothing on the beach the next day.<br /><p class='blogpress_location'>Location:<a href='http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Kho%20Phi%20Phi%20Don%20Thailand&z=10'>Kho Phi Phi Don Thailand</a></p>Xillahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09657880700283765657noreply@blogger.com0