Monday, February 25, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Altered State
I used up some creativity this weekend, and added some 'art' to my portfolio.
All made with an incense stick.
Enjoy!
All made with an incense stick.
Enjoy!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Thailand Part 3
Where did i leave off...oh yes the boat came back. As scary as it was it all worked out, and i had one of the best times of my life.
After this we went to another location and did it again. This time i decided to follow the scuba divers. I followed them from above. Quite an interesting view watching people way below you, but I had good visibility and could see almost everything they did. Once again very good.
Here is a picture of the first place we went.
( Here now that I'm back in the boat you can see more boats...go figure)
The next day I made a deal with a local to take me out sightseeing around the islands.
We went out and he showed me a number of hidden beaches. Hidden not really secretive, but you'd never know if you just drove by...but small openings in the rocks leads to an inner cove.
Like this:
Here is a quick snap of my local guide hard at work.
That night we went into Phi Phi Town and had some supper and went to a Muay Thai Boxing Stadium to watch some action. There were 8 exciting bouts and it is something hard to explain but loads of fun and you can really see the respect the fighters have for each other. The Stadium was filler about 80 % locals and 20% foreigners. It was very authentic and not merely a simple show for tourists.
A Sunset view:
We went to Phucket a couple days later for one full day so I could get my flight home the next day. We went to Patong Beach. Wow what an experience. It was .... very safe, clean, and secure, and out of this world wild just around the corner.
The sex trade is obvious, but not overbearing. Id say its still a very comfortable area for couples and even children.
The wild places that show oodles of skin are fairly obvious, and you will not accidentally stumble into them. The rest is quite modern, will loads of nice coffee shops, restaurants, pubs, and bars.
It was quite a night.
The next day on the way home I tried out KLM again, this time the plane was there. As I was about to board, I gave the ground staff my boarding card and the computer beeped. He stopped and said something quick to another one, and they nodded. He said...oh its ok...marked out my seat number which was row 33 and wrote row 72. I was minorly concerned as to why i just got booted to the far back corner of the plane, but i didn't say anything cuz i was just happy to get on.
Then i showed the flight attendant my number and she said oh thats upstairs. Well heck I know whats upstairs, so my heart jumped. Yee Haw ...FREE business class upgrade!! Peerrffeecct.
I had a very nice flight with KLM. With my champagne, free ceramic Amsterdam model house, and I spent the 15 Euro's they gave me for free on-board duty-free merchandise, not to mention the travel kit all business class passengers get to 'freshen up'.
My flight concluded on time and as i left the plane with a smile, I was greeted by the same freezing cold, can see your breath Taiwan airport I had so happily left 10 days earlier.
The only silver lining at the end is that I was one step closer to my seeing my dogs, and eventually in a couple of weeks my beloved wife.
After this we went to another location and did it again. This time i decided to follow the scuba divers. I followed them from above. Quite an interesting view watching people way below you, but I had good visibility and could see almost everything they did. Once again very good.
Here is a picture of the first place we went.
( Here now that I'm back in the boat you can see more boats...go figure)The next day I made a deal with a local to take me out sightseeing around the islands.
We went out and he showed me a number of hidden beaches. Hidden not really secretive, but you'd never know if you just drove by...but small openings in the rocks leads to an inner cove.
Like this:
Here is a quick snap of my local guide hard at work.
That night we went into Phi Phi Town and had some supper and went to a Muay Thai Boxing Stadium to watch some action. There were 8 exciting bouts and it is something hard to explain but loads of fun and you can really see the respect the fighters have for each other. The Stadium was filler about 80 % locals and 20% foreigners. It was very authentic and not merely a simple show for tourists.A Sunset view:
We went to Phucket a couple days later for one full day so I could get my flight home the next day. We went to Patong Beach. Wow what an experience. It was .... very safe, clean, and secure, and out of this world wild just around the corner.
The sex trade is obvious, but not overbearing. Id say its still a very comfortable area for couples and even children.
The wild places that show oodles of skin are fairly obvious, and you will not accidentally stumble into them. The rest is quite modern, will loads of nice coffee shops, restaurants, pubs, and bars.
It was quite a night.
The next day on the way home I tried out KLM again, this time the plane was there. As I was about to board, I gave the ground staff my boarding card and the computer beeped. He stopped and said something quick to another one, and they nodded. He said...oh its ok...marked out my seat number which was row 33 and wrote row 72. I was minorly concerned as to why i just got booted to the far back corner of the plane, but i didn't say anything cuz i was just happy to get on.
Then i showed the flight attendant my number and she said oh thats upstairs. Well heck I know whats upstairs, so my heart jumped. Yee Haw ...FREE business class upgrade!! Peerrffeecct.
I had a very nice flight with KLM. With my champagne, free ceramic Amsterdam model house, and I spent the 15 Euro's they gave me for free on-board duty-free merchandise, not to mention the travel kit all business class passengers get to 'freshen up'.
My flight concluded on time and as i left the plane with a smile, I was greeted by the same freezing cold, can see your breath Taiwan airport I had so happily left 10 days earlier.
The only silver lining at the end is that I was one step closer to my seeing my dogs, and eventually in a couple of weeks my beloved wife.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Thailand trip part 2
After leaving the bar, I met up with my travel partner Paddy. We work together and so we had decided to take the trip together, but due to the busy season we couldn't get the same flights.
I showed him where the hotel was and we grabbed a small bite to eat and called it a night.
Next morning we got up and had bout 4 hours to get to the airport. so we decided to take the adventurous route. We hailed a tuk tuk, which is a motorcycle-ish taxi. Its open in the back with one bench seat. We took that to the train station, and thought we could take the train, but after the 45 minute ride through the winding streets of old bangkok, we got to the train station. Then we were greeted by some nuns (or Islamic women hard to remember) who help answer some questions. The train was an hour wait and minimum 45 minute ride.
But that would be getting close to the time to get to the plane .
So we went outside to get a taxi. This also proved more difficult than expected. There was a big line of people, and you had to fight to get a taxi. We tried many tactics and almost had one when we put our things in the trunk when someone else jumped in the car.
We quickly had to grab our stuff out before the bugger took off.
So our successful plan included one person to jump in and block the doors and the other to load the trunk. Then jump in and look tough. haha...It worked.
We got o the airport and had an uneventful flight to Phucket. then we grabbed the city bus to town and went to a tourist info shop for advice to get the ferry. It was 2:29pm...They said the last ferry leaves at 2:30pm. And its across town. In my defense the book I had said the last ferry left at 3pm. So i was unsure if this was a ploy for something else (like stay in our hotel etc) so we left and someone asked if we needed a taxi, we said yes and he said follow me. we did but he took us to his car. he said 100 baht each we said ok, and loaded our stuff. It was no a taxi..so this added to the confusion. Bu we got there....got ticket and rushed onto the overloaded boat...they pulled the ramp and we left. Just in time...it actually left 20 minutes late.
Got to the beautiful Phi Phi Island. Got off the boat and was told we'd hve someone waiting for us. we did eventually find him and he walked us along the beach and then to another boat?!?
I was confused but we got in. He pushed off and started the traditional long tail boat. We left the beach and cruised a long way out and to the far end of the island. We beached again and got out. We walked up a couple flights of stairs, to a trolley. We put our bags in and looked up. Way up at the top os a hill was out resort. So after an excruciating 10-15 flights almost straight up barefoot, and going on no food or water, dizzy, exhausted we made it to the top. Checked in and walked further to get to our cabin.
The cabin was spacious, airy, but sparse. no air con, but had hot water.
The place over all had the most amazing view but was very inconvenient, both for being at the top of the hill, and far from the action.
View:
Next day we hooked ourselves up with another place. Same price but with coupons for food daily and about 3 steps from the beach, 10 to the water. Cold water only and a little smaller but still 2 twin beds, and private bathroom......well kinda private. I had to share it with the wild...there were only 3/4 walls, so you had scenery when you showered and did your business. kind interesting, but a little scary at night.
I signed up to go snorkeling with Paddy's diving group. He signed up to get his Scuba diving certification. So I went with them and was dropped off in the ocean near some rocks and everyone else went diving below. I was a little concerned because I've never been snorkeling before...well not really. Never in the ocean, and never swimming over my head in the ocean. So here i was off he boat in the ocean by myself no life jacket. Well i looked down and instantly saw the bottom....way down.
Well i started looking at the fish...colors..oh my there were colorful fish...WOW. Then i saw the barracudas...then schools of them ...then schools of them circling me... Then the big fish were swimming by.
All this with the clear knowledge that I'm supposed to be looking for the sharks.
I don't think that I was in the best situation... 45 minutes later i was getting tired of swimming, so i started out into deeper water, as my boat had disappeared. Getting worried, looking around for divers, or a boat.... finally the boat rounded the corner and picked me up.
end of part 2
I showed him where the hotel was and we grabbed a small bite to eat and called it a night.
Next morning we got up and had bout 4 hours to get to the airport. so we decided to take the adventurous route. We hailed a tuk tuk, which is a motorcycle-ish taxi. Its open in the back with one bench seat. We took that to the train station, and thought we could take the train, but after the 45 minute ride through the winding streets of old bangkok, we got to the train station. Then we were greeted by some nuns (or Islamic women hard to remember) who help answer some questions. The train was an hour wait and minimum 45 minute ride.
But that would be getting close to the time to get to the plane .
So we went outside to get a taxi. This also proved more difficult than expected. There was a big line of people, and you had to fight to get a taxi. We tried many tactics and almost had one when we put our things in the trunk when someone else jumped in the car.
We quickly had to grab our stuff out before the bugger took off.
So our successful plan included one person to jump in and block the doors and the other to load the trunk. Then jump in and look tough. haha...It worked.
We got o the airport and had an uneventful flight to Phucket. then we grabbed the city bus to town and went to a tourist info shop for advice to get the ferry. It was 2:29pm...They said the last ferry leaves at 2:30pm. And its across town. In my defense the book I had said the last ferry left at 3pm. So i was unsure if this was a ploy for something else (like stay in our hotel etc) so we left and someone asked if we needed a taxi, we said yes and he said follow me. we did but he took us to his car. he said 100 baht each we said ok, and loaded our stuff. It was no a taxi..so this added to the confusion. Bu we got there....got ticket and rushed onto the overloaded boat...they pulled the ramp and we left. Just in time...it actually left 20 minutes late.
Got to the beautiful Phi Phi Island. Got off the boat and was told we'd hve someone waiting for us. we did eventually find him and he walked us along the beach and then to another boat?!?
I was confused but we got in. He pushed off and started the traditional long tail boat. We left the beach and cruised a long way out and to the far end of the island. We beached again and got out. We walked up a couple flights of stairs, to a trolley. We put our bags in and looked up. Way up at the top os a hill was out resort. So after an excruciating 10-15 flights almost straight up barefoot, and going on no food or water, dizzy, exhausted we made it to the top. Checked in and walked further to get to our cabin.
The cabin was spacious, airy, but sparse. no air con, but had hot water.
The place over all had the most amazing view but was very inconvenient, both for being at the top of the hill, and far from the action.
View:
Next day we hooked ourselves up with another place. Same price but with coupons for food daily and about 3 steps from the beach, 10 to the water. Cold water only and a little smaller but still 2 twin beds, and private bathroom......well kinda private. I had to share it with the wild...there were only 3/4 walls, so you had scenery when you showered and did your business. kind interesting, but a little scary at night.
I signed up to go snorkeling with Paddy's diving group. He signed up to get his Scuba diving certification. So I went with them and was dropped off in the ocean near some rocks and everyone else went diving below. I was a little concerned because I've never been snorkeling before...well not really. Never in the ocean, and never swimming over my head in the ocean. So here i was off he boat in the ocean by myself no life jacket. Well i looked down and instantly saw the bottom....way down.
Well i started looking at the fish...colors..oh my there were colorful fish...WOW. Then i saw the barracudas...then schools of them ...then schools of them circling me... Then the big fish were swimming by.
All this with the clear knowledge that I'm supposed to be looking for the sharks.
I don't think that I was in the best situation... 45 minutes later i was getting tired of swimming, so i started out into deeper water, as my boat had disappeared. Getting worried, looking around for divers, or a boat.... finally the boat rounded the corner and picked me up.
end of part 2
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Thailand Trip
Thailand - Part One
My most recent adventure was to 'Amazing Thailand'.
My trip started a bit rough. I went to the airport 2.5 hours early, and get myself into the line up. I wait and the sign says counter will open 2 hours before departure (as usual). So i wait for 45 minutes, and well they were 15 minutes late. I see them but something is different. I'm supposed to be flying KLM, but these are China Airlines workers. They get ready and post Flight canceled posters.
But they are taking passengers bags etc. So i wait and i guess due to bad weather in China my plane is stranded there. So China Scarelines took over the flight...well part of it. Their plane comes in 5 hours later, and gets into Bangkok (BKK) at 1:40am...ugg
But not all passengers can get on...so i counted myself lucky.
I wait forever in the freezing cold terminal, and we take off 15 minutes late. We arrive in BKK and wait another 45 minutes in the plane because there is no gate available to park the big bird. Not very comfortable.
Get off the plane, get through immigration etc, and wait for my bags......wait forever.....my bags 2nd to last.
Go to find a taxi, and the chauffer people attack me, saying first this is a taxi. Then I say no and walk away, they ask how much you wanna pay, so i told them 1/4 of their asking price...they said oh ...and walked away. Then I saw the next set of doors had regular taxis, and a table to get the location for the driver. I go there, and as I am walking up to the drivers the only other guy wanting a taxi was going to the same general location as me...so I asked him if he wanted to share a taxi....so we did.
I went to Koh San Road in Bkk the backpacker/foreigners main spot. Tried to get a room...the time now is 3:30 am. Tired. And every place we try is booked. The guy I'm with place was sold out too. So I went to the last place i had researched online, and they said we will have a room at 5 am. someone will check out early. Si I took it and waited 1.5 hours to get a room. Luckily they charged me for only one night as i was staying the next night as well. It was clean and basic. Tiny bathr4ooms, but had air conditioning.
I had a nap from 6 till 10am and went out to check out the scene.
Koh San Rd. is pretty tame, and is full of foreign backpackers. There seemed to be a feeling of one-up-man-ship when it came to backpack sizes. Some people women included all had enormous backpacks. Some little women, I'm sure their backpack was 3/4 their size and probably heavier than they were.
I went for a small meal of Pad Thai. Since I was in Rome I had to eat Roman food.
Basically you can find Travel Agents, Silver shops, souvenir shops,t-shirt and bars n restaurants. This is about all...and they just repeat over n over. The place felt safe and easy to walk about. But for me.. the Thai Weather Gods had a different plan....so it rained most of the day with a couple of dry periods.
That evening i went out again to find a local fish n chips place that had received rave reviews. It called 'Oh My Cod' and Oh my cod it was good...Super tasty.
I waited for a while and had to meet a friend at midnight as his plane was getting in one day later than mine. So we had planned to meet at one pub named Gulliver's Travels as it was on the corner of a major intersection. I went in about 1130pm, sat down ordered a drink. No longer than 1 minute one Thai bar chic sits down and starts chatting to me. Basic little chit chat and i tell her I'm waiting for a friend.
She asks guy or girl, I say guy and look towards the door. As I look at the door she attaches herself to my arm and starts flirting as hard as she can. I know what her goal is but I'm not playing that game. I stayed until midnight and told her i had to check for my friend. So i used it as an excuse to leave. a couple minutes later Paddy a co worker arrived. So a valid excuse but I was there to kill time not hook up .
End of Part 1
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