Vagabonding begins!

I should have known better.

After 16 incredible days on Ko Lanta (possibly the island of my future residence ) – I took the 2 hour high speed boat over to Ko Phi Phi. I have incredible memories here from last year, the diving is spectacular, and the photography opportunities are better. I think I mainly came for the memories though.

For some strange reason, Ko Phi Phi in March 2006 will always sumarize my Thai island experience of my first year of vagabonding. Despite being touristy and crowded now, the feelings I get here are unreplaceable. I came back looking for that again, but things are always different the second time around – and I am looking with new eyes. I have lost my vagabonding innocence.

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Me working hard in my hammock

While in the course of living life away from a couch, television, or computer, you find yourself with various injuries.

You receive far more than you would have had just running around the civilized world. I have had my share, including almost loosing a finger to a marine bacterial infection in Egypt, scars from brushes with coral, and I think every species of insect in the world has had its fangs in me at some point.

Today, my stupid injury of choice was stepping on a piece of wood and getting a splinter in my foot. Nothing new, considering that I spend about 80% of my time in the islands without wearing even my well-worn flipflops. Splinter is actually an understatement. Everyone likes to exaggerate their wounds, but this damn thing was about the diameter of a toothpick and nearly 1 CM long. Needless to say, it left a hole that would soon become an oasis for all the bacteria I could possibly find on the bottom of my foot.

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I'm not sure what depth I was on the rope when I first began chest spams, but I could no longer see the boat and the surface was just a faint light, teasing me ... [Continue reading this entry]

Sitting on my bottom and doing very little over the last 11 days has been wonderful...but at the same time with each passing day, I feel myself growing softer. I know its good for my yin, but I keep hearing ... [Continue reading this entry]

I got up around 10:00 which is about par for me here and Sheila was already in the shower. I surprised her by opening the door, she was only mad for a second and then melted me with those dark ... [Continue reading this entry]

My heart was beating a little fast as I hastily checked my regulator for good air. I was going to need it in about 3 seconds after I took a giant stride off the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Yes, I am taking pics. Yes, I am too lazy to upload them. Actually, it isnt about being lazy, its about having to take a 30 minute tuk-tuk to the main village to find a proper connection...there are some places ... [Continue reading this entry]

It took me nearly 2 days of constant traveling, but the minute my bare feet hit the sand, I knew that it was worth it. :) My journey consisted of leaving the northern part of China and coming thousands of kilometers ... [Continue reading this entry]

I could barely even say the words. The woman behind the ticket counter was giving me a funny look. In front of me, buses rattled with their diesel engines, ready to take me to any part of Bangkok that I ... [Continue reading this entry]

"How many roads must a man walk down....before you call him a man?" Bob Dylan asked that question years ago. I don't know either, but I intend to walk all of them and will become a better ... [Continue reading this entry]