BootsnAll Travel Network



Archive for August, 2006

« Home

Body Snatchers In Bangkok

Saturday, August 26th, 2006

2006-08-26
International Herald Tribune

Por Tek Tung – The Body Snatchers
Fighting for a Gory Prize – A Race to the Death in Thailand

They are not rewarded with money, but Karma – as many volunteers believe the work is good for their soul

BANGKOK: — Sidestepping stains of blood and car fluid on the road, Niroot Sampi crunched across broken windshield glass to survey the crumpled and steaming wrecks of two cars.

“It’s not really that bad,” Mr. Niroot said. “Nobody died.”

That’s how it goes in the world of Por Tek Tung, Thailand’s premier group of professional body snatchers.
[read on]

Getting Visa At Immigration

Monday, August 21st, 2006

Went to the zocalo at 7am…burned out car half a block from zocalo on Bustamante. Wanted to go to immigration to get my visa…waited half an hour for bus on Pino Suarez…none came so I took a taxi to immigration. Edna at immigration said 5 buses were burned last night but I saw none. Their land line was down for a few hours this morning. Buses and shopping carts are blocking all streets on all sides of Gigante Market but the store itself is open and the ATM is working. . Most other businesses are closed. People are grouped at various corners. On the way back the taxi didn’t want to take me to the zocalo so I returned home to Fiallo St..

Sunday Morning In Oaxaca

Sunday, August 20th, 2006
I am cranky this morning. I was up all night because of a very noisy wedding party in the courtyard below my apartment window. So I went to my favorite food stall in the Benito Juarez market where I ... [Continue reading this entry]

Lovely Oaxacan Family

Friday, August 18th, 2006
Last night I visited a gentle sincere Oaxacan family that lives about 20 minutes in the mountains northwest of the city in San Andreas Huayapam. The couple roasts fragrant locally grown coffee and delivers it to outlets all over. I ... [Continue reading this entry]

Shirin Ebadi

Wednesday, August 16th, 2006
In Bangkok, in April of 2005 at the Thailand Foreign Correspondent's Club I listened to a talk by Shirin Ebadi...a strong brave woman lawyer who won the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for defending human rights in Iran. Yesterday the ... [Continue reading this entry]

Why Blog

Sunday, August 13th, 2006
It's a quiet Sunday morning...as Sundays are in Oaxaca...people home with their families. I often think of this blog...and other blogs...and wonder what is the value of putting so many hours into writing about the myriad details of our lives...and other ... [Continue reading this entry]

Whats To Love About Oaxaca

Saturday, August 12th, 2006
Juanita, the Mexican-American woman I met at Pachote Market, will ride down here with me in my car in September...a road trip to Las Vegas to see Greg, to Phoenix to see friends and across Texas to the border at ... [Continue reading this entry]

Long Bus Tour

Wednesday, August 9th, 2006
Took a tour of Colonial Reforma today...in the northern part of the city. Went to immigration to get my year-long visa and on the way the bus driver got into a stand-off with a car whose driver was yelling ... [Continue reading this entry]

I Could Be In India

Monday, August 7th, 2006
I was reading through some of my blog entries about India the other day and then I came upon this Slate.com article about India and laughed so hard I nearly cried. It's really good to laugh. Trying Really Hard To ... [Continue reading this entry]

Early Morning In The Zocalo

Sunday, August 6th, 2006
Vendors with hot chocolate, atole and red and green tamales stood at each end of the Zocalo at 7am...one giving free pan (sweet bread) and chocolate to two indigenous women selling the latest edition of the Noticias de Oaxaco showing ... [Continue reading this entry]

One East On Third

Saturday, August 5th, 2006
On the e-hotelier.com web site a friend found this description of son Josh's restaurant in the Hilton Hotel in Beijing where he is the Chef de Cuisine: Hilton Beijing stars as Lord of The 3rd Ring Jul 31, 06 | 1:57 am Catch ... [Continue reading this entry]

Serendipity

Friday, August 4th, 2006
When I was in China a couple years ago, I met a lovely British woman in her 30's using an internet next to me in the bar at the Camellia Hotel in Kunming. We have kept in touch while ... [Continue reading this entry]

Update on Living In Oaxaca

Wednesday, August 2nd, 2006
I have almost finished my application for a Mexican FM3 year-long visa. Forms have to be filled out exactly right...with copies...and money paid to a bank. About $200 for the visa and another $40 for them to examine ... [Continue reading this entry]