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Warm & Weak or Cold & Strong?

Monday, October 31st, 2005

Would you rather take a warm shower with very weak water pressure, or a cold shower with decent pressure? These are the choices a vagabonder must make. For some, whether to take a shower at all.

For those old enough, do you remember what Exxon was before it was Exxon?

The differences between Asha Guesthouse and Suk 11 Hostel:

Suk 11: Private rooms w/ bathroom and shower. Warm shower, good water pressure. They also have shared bathrooms, and dorms. Fan or A/C bedrooms

Asha: Private rooms, w/ shared bathroom facilities. Incredibly small toilet stall! Not even big enough for a small child. And brutily hot! (Okay, maybe brutily hot because I had just come from walking for kilometers in the hot sun and was already sweating my butt off) And you had to get your TP from the dispenser on the wall as you enter the bathroom facility. So you had better take enough! The shower I used was the warm one, but most of the water was lost through the fixture, not the shower head, so it was very weak. I guess that’s why I saw someone go into the cold one when the warm one was free. She chose cold, and strong. Unless she needed a cold shower. You also have a choice between fan or A/C bedroom.

Suk11: Coin operated laundry

Asha: Free laundry machines! And I found at least one that works! Man did I need that.

Suk11: In touristy Sukhumvit sex area. Constantly accosted: “Fucky sucky?”

Asha: Off the beaten path. I wasn’t accosted by anyone on the street yet.

Suk11: Very cool character

Asha: Okay character

Suk11: Free breakfast

Asha: No free breakfast

Suk11: Private room w/bathroom and A/C: 500 baht

Asha: Private room with A/C, shared bathroom facilities: 400 baht

Suk11: Condusive to meeting other travellers

Asha: Condusive to meeting other travellers

Suk11: No pool

Asha: Pool (clean)

Suk11: Kind of noisy

Asha: Not as noisy

It’s pretty much a wash, but I’ll give the nod to Suk11 for the bathrooms. Asha is not bad though, and the staff is great at both places. I’d recommend them both. But I have nothing else to go on as far as hostels are concerned as these were my first two.

Back to the quiz. Exxon was Esso. There are still Esso stations here, no Exxon.

I got my flip flops.

Mark

She Seemed Shy

Saturday, October 29th, 2005

Bangkok, Thailand

I was sitting at the free breakfast at the Suk 11 hostel about a half an hour ago. A cute girl asked if the seat across from me was free (British accent). I motioned for her to sit. It seemed she was alone. She seemed shy. I caught her stealing glances at me, as I’m sure she did me. We did not speak another word. Opportunity lost.

I am wearing a Thai shirt that June’s sister gave me last year. June says the gay guys will like me in this shirt. I brought it with me because it is light (it’s hot here!). Maybe the girl at breakfast thought I was gay. But June also said it was not a gay shirt. Although on my way here a girl stopped me and asked me if I knew where there was a shoestore.

I’m moving to another hostel today, actually a guest house: Asha Guesthouse. I made reservations a few days ago, but they never replied, so I went there yesterday to check on it. I couldn’t find the place, and I walked forever looking. Finally I went into a travel agency to ask if they knew where it was. They didn’t, but then their motorcycle messenger came in and he knew where it was. He gave me a ride there on his bike. Very cool.

I think I will go to the huge weekend market today, it is very close to the Asha GH. I don’t even know what day it is any more. I just found out yesterday that it was the weekend. I still need to pick up a cheap pair of flip flops for the communal showers. the Asha GH has shared bathrooms and showers. I am gradually working my way to staying in dorms. My room at the Suk 11 was private.

At Suk 11 there is a door in my room that goes into the next room. I thought it was locked. Last night while I was sleeping at around 3:00am, I heard a loud sound (kind of like a door that was half locked being opened). I saw light, then dark, and the sound of a door closing. Probably someone came home drunk and though that was their bathroom, or said, “Hey I wonder where this door goes!” Kind of scary.

I still haven’t met anyone yet. June couldn’t bare being away from me so she called me at my hostel (there are no phones in the room either) the first night while I was exploring Bangkok. So I spent my second day on my own . . . with her. I stayed at her apartment that night too. So I paid for the Suk 11 that night, but never stayed there. But I think now I will be on my own more. Not to say anyhting bad about June, but I just need to do this alone. I think she understands now. The more I’m with her, the more comfortable I am. I don’t want to be comfortable, I want to feel like someone who has been dropped in the middle of the unknown.

I still haven’t taken any pictures, but my camera is being put to use. I use it as my clock.

I better go. Check out at Suk 11 is approaching.

Mark

“Mai Phet” Burn In, Burn Out

Thursday, October 27th, 2005
Oct 27, 2005, Bangkok, Thailand. I lost my sunglasses already (clip-ons actually, but they were the reason I got those glasses. Magnetic, polorized sunglasses. I liked them. I lost my eyeglass case along with them). When we returned to Bangkok on ... [Continue reading this entry]

Off To Thailand, And Diane Keaton

Sunday, October 16th, 2005
Well, I leave for LAX Airport in about 15 minutes for my year long vagabonding trip to Southeast Asia, and I'm finally starting my blog now. My whole preparation for this trip has been last minute. I'm currently at my cousin ... [Continue reading this entry]