Sunday, December 31, 2006
Thailand Day 5 Phi-Phi Island..SHARKS! New Years eve
Local time is 16:58...im at a internet cafe on phi-phi island in the phi-phi don village.
phi-phi don and phi-phi ley are the two main islands here. Phi-phi ley was where "the beach" with Leo D was filmed.
I recently got back from a dive trip.....it was amazing...diving around these small islands...
Highlight was seeing two Leopard sharks! so close...i could have touched them. Leopard sharks arent people eaters...but if you bug em...they'll get mad...so i tried not to make them mad. And I did find nemo...in his home in the coral. I guess im up to 12 dives in my lifetime now...not bad.
Im actually still feeling the motion effects of scuba as im staring at this screen. We met some cool folks on this dive and throughout this trip....meeting international and local "small world" folks is half the fun of these travel adventurs. We met mike and serana on the dive boat...nurses from seattle on a long walkabout...they've been travelling for months now. We plan to hang out with them tommorow...and rent a local "long tail boat"( traditional island boats modified with an engine and propeller on a long tail) and tour / snorkel the islands around here on our own.
We learned a lot about the effects / after-effects of the tsunami 2 years ago talking with the dive shop owner, nick. its amazing to hear what was here before and is now gone....and how so much has already been rebuilt...and the plans for development. There is some construction / reconstruction going on here.
Its an international community here on phi phi island...lotta folks fell in love with the place and set up shops and restaurants here. were meeting a lot of ausies, sweedes, dutch...a whole bunch of other europeans...japanese....but theres very few americans...it sucks that americans arent too popular these days....I tell people Im Californian...and that seems to make me a little cooler.
There are so many of these little internet cafes in this little pedestrian town...right now there are a bunch of kids around me (probably the local kids /family of the owner). Theres this little girl using my chair as one of her parallel bars...i guess shes bored cuz her brothers/playmates are busy playing some games...looks like bubble bobble.
Getting here on the ferry yesterday was pretty fun...the ferry took a little tour before going to the pier. The pier here is so tiny...that the boats dock side by side...and you have to climb over / through other boats to finally get to the pier. I made friends with the porter who took our bags to the bungalow from the pier...he was a funny guy....we explored the village and island a bit and lounged out at a little beach side bar....in a fun little cabana/hut. everything here is a little more "raw" no polish like hawaii...all feels very real.
this little girl here is really interested in what im typing...i wonder if she can read this ...her brother is playing a game next to me and is dismissing her when she seems to want attention...2 cute.
anyways..its new years eve tonight...so im gonna rest up...for some partying... more details...tommorow ...maybe ;)
phi-phi don and phi-phi ley are the two main islands here. Phi-phi ley was where "the beach" with Leo D was filmed.
I recently got back from a dive trip.....it was amazing...diving around these small islands...
Highlight was seeing two Leopard sharks! so close...i could have touched them. Leopard sharks arent people eaters...but if you bug em...they'll get mad...so i tried not to make them mad. And I did find nemo...in his home in the coral. I guess im up to 12 dives in my lifetime now...not bad.
Im actually still feeling the motion effects of scuba as im staring at this screen. We met some cool folks on this dive and throughout this trip....meeting international and local "small world" folks is half the fun of these travel adventurs. We met mike and serana on the dive boat...nurses from seattle on a long walkabout...they've been travelling for months now. We plan to hang out with them tommorow...and rent a local "long tail boat"( traditional island boats modified with an engine and propeller on a long tail) and tour / snorkel the islands around here on our own.
We learned a lot about the effects / after-effects of the tsunami 2 years ago talking with the dive shop owner, nick. its amazing to hear what was here before and is now gone....and how so much has already been rebuilt...and the plans for development. There is some construction / reconstruction going on here.
Its an international community here on phi phi island...lotta folks fell in love with the place and set up shops and restaurants here. were meeting a lot of ausies, sweedes, dutch...a whole bunch of other europeans...japanese....but theres very few americans...it sucks that americans arent too popular these days....I tell people Im Californian...and that seems to make me a little cooler.
There are so many of these little internet cafes in this little pedestrian town...right now there are a bunch of kids around me (probably the local kids /family of the owner). Theres this little girl using my chair as one of her parallel bars...i guess shes bored cuz her brothers/playmates are busy playing some games...looks like bubble bobble.
Getting here on the ferry yesterday was pretty fun...the ferry took a little tour before going to the pier. The pier here is so tiny...that the boats dock side by side...and you have to climb over / through other boats to finally get to the pier. I made friends with the porter who took our bags to the bungalow from the pier...he was a funny guy....we explored the village and island a bit and lounged out at a little beach side bar....in a fun little cabana/hut. everything here is a little more "raw" no polish like hawaii...all feels very real.
this little girl here is really interested in what im typing...i wonder if she can read this ...her brother is playing a game next to me and is dismissing her when she seems to want attention...2 cute.
anyways..its new years eve tonight...so im gonna rest up...for some partying... more details...tommorow ...maybe ;)
Friday, December 29, 2006
Thailand Day 3 - Island Safari
Got up early today to go on our Island Safari!
We had to say bye to Taam and Delphine leave this afternoon for their Live aboard scuba trip...we'll see them again at phuket airport to return to Bangkok.
The bus ride to the Khao Sak national park was long (2.5 hrs)...was getting bus-sick..luckily they stopped at some cool spot for a good break. The scenery started getting very rural and rustic..as we neared the park and climbed up some mountains. (the roads are well maintained by the way...).
When we arrived at the park..our guides cooked us a great thai meal....i couldnt get enough of some noodles i dont know the name off.
We started off with an elephant trek...this was bananas fun! The elephants are rescued from hard logging labor...and now spend their lives shlepping humans around the jungle...which is a much better life than they had before. We gotta little education about the jungle and elephant conservation activities....what was cool was the little village that the trainers/handlers/guides lived in...we saw a goat tied to a tree... I joked with gail that his name was "dinner".
Gail and I were little kid giddy...and the jungle trek was amazing...the elephants are suprisingly quiet as they make their way through the jungle...only making noise when they "talk" or snap off a snack along the way. Gail was being very immature and tried to take pictures of one of the elphant's dick....it was by all expectations...huge-normous. The views along the trail were amazing....
The next part of the safari was a canoe excursion. I was little disappointed that only the guides were rowing...but then i guess its probably not smart to let a city slicker paddle their way through the jungle. We saw a few mangrove? i think they are called...snakes on trees overhanging the river. My immature moment came when i prenteded to try and shake one of the snakes down by pulling on the vines...to get a scare out of gail....everyone was laughing....but i would have been such the asshole if the poisonous snake actually fell down into someones canoe. I felt like i was in some discovery channel documentary...we stopped midway on the side of the river for a coffee and snack break.
The bus trip home was a whole nother adventure. We decided to sit up front ..to get less bus-sick....then I decide to look down and realize that the bus driver's dashboard gauges all dont work! Homie didnt even know how fast...or how much gas the bus had. and im sure youve all heard about driving tactics in thailand...I had so many shit my pants moments...as we careened down the mountain....not paying attention to the divider...i felt like we were blowing down the folks all balanced on scooters on the side of the road. maybe ignorance is bliss...shoulda just closed my eyes....
were gonna crash out...pooped from our safari...
We had to say bye to Taam and Delphine leave this afternoon for their Live aboard scuba trip...we'll see them again at phuket airport to return to Bangkok.
The bus ride to the Khao Sak national park was long (2.5 hrs)...was getting bus-sick..luckily they stopped at some cool spot for a good break. The scenery started getting very rural and rustic..as we neared the park and climbed up some mountains. (the roads are well maintained by the way...).
When we arrived at the park..our guides cooked us a great thai meal....i couldnt get enough of some noodles i dont know the name off.
We started off with an elephant trek...this was bananas fun! The elephants are rescued from hard logging labor...and now spend their lives shlepping humans around the jungle...which is a much better life than they had before. We gotta little education about the jungle and elephant conservation activities....what was cool was the little village that the trainers/handlers/guides lived in...we saw a goat tied to a tree... I joked with gail that his name was "dinner".
Gail and I were little kid giddy...and the jungle trek was amazing...the elephants are suprisingly quiet as they make their way through the jungle...only making noise when they "talk" or snap off a snack along the way. Gail was being very immature and tried to take pictures of one of the elphant's dick....it was by all expectations...huge-normous. The views along the trail were amazing....
The next part of the safari was a canoe excursion. I was little disappointed that only the guides were rowing...but then i guess its probably not smart to let a city slicker paddle their way through the jungle. We saw a few mangrove? i think they are called...snakes on trees overhanging the river. My immature moment came when i prenteded to try and shake one of the snakes down by pulling on the vines...to get a scare out of gail....everyone was laughing....but i would have been such the asshole if the poisonous snake actually fell down into someones canoe. I felt like i was in some discovery channel documentary...we stopped midway on the side of the river for a coffee and snack break.
The bus trip home was a whole nother adventure. We decided to sit up front ..to get less bus-sick....then I decide to look down and realize that the bus driver's dashboard gauges all dont work! Homie didnt even know how fast...or how much gas the bus had. and im sure youve all heard about driving tactics in thailand...I had so many shit my pants moments...as we careened down the mountain....not paying attention to the divider...i felt like we were blowing down the folks all balanced on scooters on the side of the road. maybe ignorance is bliss...shoulda just closed my eyes....
were gonna crash out...pooped from our safari...
Labels: travel thailand
Thursday, December 28, 2006
I'm in Thailand! Day 2
Im safe and sound in thailand...right now im at an internet cafe in Patong Beach, phuket....local time 11pm.
my first day night (last night) in thailand was a blur...from being tired from 22 hrs of flights and stopovers.
This morning it was nice to not be in a moving object. I feel at home here even though i dont speak the language...prob because the sites sounds and smells remind me of the philippines.
We had a great home cooked breakfast from our friend's family (taam's family) in bangkok...before leaving for a short flight to phuket (southern thailand).
Her family home in Bangkok reminds me of the gated homes in the philippines...the construction, decor, and scents. Taam's parents were nice and sweet...making us feel really welcome...a great example of thai kindness.
so far ive been to the beach...had a thai massage..and eaten a lot of good thai street food.
Thai massage...I guess i can explain..is like a cross between yoga, accupressure, physical therapy, and sports medicine. The massuese uses their limbs to leverage your body and add extra pressure...felt like your body is being placed in some simple yoga positions. Some of the more stretch-like moves felt like a physical therapy / sports medicine session...where your joints are manipulated...etc. It was great...totally felt relaxed and sleepy after....i was totally useless...like a floppy bag of jelly barely held together with my skeleton.
Phuket Patong Beach is a crazy busy town. The resort looked sketchy at first until we entered and saw how nice the place was on the other side facing the beach.
i'll upload some pics when i get a chance,
my first day night (last night) in thailand was a blur...from being tired from 22 hrs of flights and stopovers.
This morning it was nice to not be in a moving object. I feel at home here even though i dont speak the language...prob because the sites sounds and smells remind me of the philippines.
We had a great home cooked breakfast from our friend's family (taam's family) in bangkok...before leaving for a short flight to phuket (southern thailand).
Her family home in Bangkok reminds me of the gated homes in the philippines...the construction, decor, and scents. Taam's parents were nice and sweet...making us feel really welcome...a great example of thai kindness.
so far ive been to the beach...had a thai massage..and eaten a lot of good thai street food.
Thai massage...I guess i can explain..is like a cross between yoga, accupressure, physical therapy, and sports medicine. The massuese uses their limbs to leverage your body and add extra pressure...felt like your body is being placed in some simple yoga positions. Some of the more stretch-like moves felt like a physical therapy / sports medicine session...where your joints are manipulated...etc. It was great...totally felt relaxed and sleepy after....i was totally useless...like a floppy bag of jelly barely held together with my skeleton.
Phuket Patong Beach is a crazy busy town. The resort looked sketchy at first until we entered and saw how nice the place was on the other side facing the beach.
i'll upload some pics when i get a chance,
Labels: travel thailand
Monday, December 25, 2006
Leaving on a jet plane...
Tommorow I head off on my thailand trip...
I'll try to keep this updated along the way...Im going to stay awake as much as I can tonight so I can crash out on the flight (11 hrs) + (6.5 hrs )...luckily I have friend willing to keep me busy so I can stay up! the plane ride is prob. gonna be really un-fun. Just gotta focus on the prize!
I'll try to keep this updated along the way...Im going to stay awake as much as I can tonight so I can crash out on the flight (11 hrs) + (6.5 hrs )...luckily I have friend willing to keep me busy so I can stay up! the plane ride is prob. gonna be really un-fun. Just gotta focus on the prize!
Labels: travel thailand
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