BootsnAll Travel Network
Add this blog to: MyYahoo, Google, Bloglines, RSS


Archive for November, 2005

« Home

Greetings Earthlings

Monday, November 28th, 2005

greetings earthlings

I just got back from a 3 day trek through the jungles of Northern Thailand. We hiked up through the jungle and mountains to a hilltribe village of the ‘Karen’ people. Rode some elephants and jumped in a few waterfalls along the way. We had a group of about 5 people all from different countries. Gert from Amsterdam and his girl Ailish from Ireland. Frederique and his girl from France, and two Swedes. Our guide was a guy called Boom. He was halarious. He’d walk along and break out into “HEY MEESTAH TABOURINE MAN..” as we were walking. He’d stop and show us what plants could or couldnt be eaten, show us traps set up to catch animals, tricks with leaves and bamboo shoots. He made an air gun out of a piece of bamboo.


elephants

The first day was an elephant ride and a long hike to a waterfall, then another hike up to the Karen village. When we got there they had food for us and it was incredible. Some kind of rice, chicken, and pumpkin curry thing..


elephants

At night we sat around the fire and our guide played guitar. He played John Denver, which was halarious. Then he gave me the guitar and I rocked out a couple songs. Fucking Right! I think I played Sweet Home Alabama, some Nirvana, and Say it Aint So. International crowd, gotta play crap that they all can sing along too.

boom rockin out

The last day was another 2 hour hike through pretty thick jungle. We ran into water buffalo along the path and our guide had to throw rocks and shit at them to get them to get along. We stayed another night on the top of a mountain where only like 12 peole live, overlooking the entire valley and surrounding mountains. Never EVER seen so many stars. and all the constellations were outta whack, it was weird. The next day we finished up the trek going downriver on bamboo rafts.

Right now I am in town called Chiang Mai. It is about 1000x better than Bangkok. Smaller, more easy going. There are alot of chill bars around the place I’m staying, a couple named after Bob Marley songs, another called The Wall. ( written in Pink Floyd script). The place I’m staying at costs like $4.50 a nite and meals are about $2-3.

I might possibly head into Laos then down through Cambodia after this.

waterfall

Missing all my friends from back home. Hope everythings going good. Keep America in one piece for me while I’m gone.

PACE.

Posted in Travel | 3 Comments »

Rack em Bitch

Thursday, November 24th, 2005

So, I’m sitting there in an outside bar drinking a Singha (thai beer) and i hear the old clack clack. Naturally I head towards the pool table. Turns out there are alot of pool tables in Thailand and some pretty decent players. And, the girls are all awsome at pool over here. Its crazy. Its 20 baht a game, or 50 cents.

Thai Pool Rules (8 ball)

– 8 ball is not neutral
– if you commit a foul, the other player gets 2 shots
– if you scratch, the other player has to shoot behind the scratch line, unless he is on the 8 ball

so andybenoway (anyway), I go up to play and the dude wants to play me for 100 baht. I’m like ok, 100 baht a ball. Of course, at this point I’m totally bluffing (as usual) just trying to fuck with the dude a bit. So andybenoway, after we clear up the fact that he is a little bitch and doesnt want to play for 100 a ball, we start. He is actually really good and I think hustles the tourists for cash.

So, it comes down to me with 1 ball left and him with the 8 ball. I’m down table and my ball is in between the upper left and mid-left pocket, almost touching the rail. Now, I could have just shot top left corner, but the 8 ball was blocking, so i call top RIGHT corner. Basically banking it, well the ball was so close to the rail this dude just looks at me like I have no idea how to play pool. I make the shot , then the 8 ball.

RACK EM BITCH.

Oh, one more thing. Later at a different bar, I was playing some middle eastern guy and I had a shot on the 8 ball but it was a nearly impossible cut in the side. Just ask Rio about the Impossible Cut. Well, it was POSSIBLE. haha. So anyway… I make the shot and won that one..

Special thanks to Rio, Jeff, and all the rest of the pool hustlers from L-Dale.

Pace.

Posted in Travel | 1 Comment »

Bangkok

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2005

First couple days in Bangkok have been pretty cool. Saw the Grand Palace, the Emerald Buddha, and a bunch of other stuff. The sweetest thing so far is Khao San Road, which is like a backpacker mecca. Tons of chill places to stay, bars, foods, etc. Tons of young people all travelling.

Seems like every day is packed with so many things.


Grand Palace

Posted in Travel | 1 Comment »

Killin Pheasants

Friday, November 18th, 2005

I ruined a pheasants morning in Canada. Then we ate it. That was out in the country in Canada. (with my Uncle). The dogs name is Trump and he is the shit. I never really shot & killed anything before. Well, with a 12 guage at least. I feel like this added to my survival skills ( for post apocalypse slash the collapse of modern world) Cause when it all comes crashin you best be shootin up some food cause K-marts gonna be all out beyotch.


pheasant hunt canada

I’m in Indiana (Notre Dame) now with Steve for this week. (Wreaking Havoc on South Bend) Its different not working everyday. Seems like the days go by so much slower, but in a good way. Pictures forthcoming.

Special thanks to Mr. Steve Pasquini for all the clay shooting sessions back in the day.

Posted in Travel | No Comments »

No Lasik!

Wednesday, November 9th, 2005

Well, due to some mis-information from the place I was supposed to get Lasik from, I am moving on to Indiana without getting the surgery. There are mandatory post-operative exams you have to attend at 1 week, then 1 month. Also, you can’t do long flights.

I called about 10 times before booking the surgery to make sure I’d be ok, given the fact that I wouldnt be there for all the aftercare stuff and the 20 some hour flight. They assured me I would be ok, that it wasnt a big deal, etc. Now when we get there the surgery counselor says ‘ohh no! you MUST be there for the 1 week and 1 month, preferebly in our location (Mississauga, Ontario). They had told me earlier that I could go to any optomitrist for the checkups, but apparently NO, they have to be Lasik trained, which makes sense, but not what they said in the beginning. Fuckers.

oh well. I am still on vacation, still on track to leave, and my contacts are in the mail.

Posted in Travel | No Comments »

Travel Vaccinations

Thursday, November 3rd, 2005

I am the Ubermensch.

I am immune to the flu, Hepatitis A, Typhoid, and rusty nails. I take vitamins. I am invincible.

Even if I eat a diseased asian bird flu chicken crusted over with typhoid and hepatitis, I will not get sick. In fact, I will relish its diseased saturated flavor, my body burning away all impurities and quickly assimilating the protien directly into my muscles. I will move on unfazed with preternatural speed across the land.

Posted in Travel | 3 Comments »

The Plan

Wednesday, November 2nd, 2005

Monday: Drive to Canada
Wednesday: Lasik surgery
Sunday/Monday: Steve picks me up in Windsor, Ontario
Mon-Sat: South Bend, Indiana
Sat: Fly out of Chicago to Bangkok (nov. 19th)

Trying to make sure I have everything. 2 more days of work after today. Its gonna be extremely weird having 3 major holidays in a row alone in some foreign country. (thanksgiving, christmas,new years). Its cool, tho. Hopefully everyone will keep in touch over email. I’ll be back eventually.

So far I have 4 nights booked at a hotel in Bangkok. After that I’m pretty much winging it. I’d like to make it out to some of the beaches/islands – posssibly check out this place called Koh Tao or Turtle Island. Its about 12$ a nite to rent a beach bungalow.


Koh Tao Beach Bungalow

Looks pretty sweet. I’m hoping to get my dive certification while I’m out there.

Posted in Travel | No Comments »