Motorbike Sir?

What day is it? How long have I been here? I (along with other travellers) often have to ask each other’s help to determine how long we have been here. Losing track of time is a nice feeling. In Bangkok, I was reading a very interesting article on Koh Tau. It said that there are three lies that everyone says while they are here: “I’m definatly leaving tomorrow”, “I’m not drinking tonight”, and “I love you.” You’ll have to guess which ones I’ve said.

I have been spending a fair amount of time with 2 Danish guys, Casper and Rassmus. Casper has been my dive partner for the advanced certificate class.

I finished up with my Advanced Open Water certification course, meaning I can now decend to 30 meters. Over the past 2 days, we did a total of 5 dives: a deep dive to 30 meters (no sharks, unfourtuatly), a navagation dive, where you and your buddy demonstraight to the instructor that you can use a compass underwater, a night dive, a multilevel dive (where we ended up getting lost for most of the dive), and a final fun dive.

The last dive was pretty shallow, only 12 meters and near shore, but it was by far the best. Casper and I did the entire dive by ourselves. Our objective was to identify various sea creatures. The water was clear which allowed us to see some great things, such as a Triggerfish, a Batfish, Grouper, a pufferfish, and a sea turtle. At one point three schools of different fish converged right in front of us. It was amazing. If anyone out there ever wanted to try scuba diving, I would highly reccomend it. Especially in Koh Tau, which is supposed to be one of the cheapest places to learn in the world. Also if any of you ever want a dive partner, just let me know, I’m game.

I want to do a few more dives over the next couple of days, but after that it is defineatly time to go. The two scuba courses put a decent dent in my budget so I feel I need to relocate to a cheaper place. The two Danes just came from Laos and highly reccomended the country. It should be very easy to spend less than $20 a day.

Neil (a bit sunburnt)

There’s something you gotta know about me Joe Rogan…

I apologize for the lack of communique on my part. It could be due to the fact that I am currently lounging in paradise.

Koh Tau is a small island off of the eastern coast of Thailand. It has a reputation of being a very popular dive spot, which is why most people are here. I am currently enrolled in a PADI SCUBA open water certification course. The class involves a fair amount of classroom time along with 4 dives out in the ocean. Yesterday we had our first two dives in Mango Bay, and I must say it was amazing. Today we finished up the course with our final 2 dives. We saw some great sea life: Clown fish (think Nemo), Blue-spotted rays, Trigger fish, and Angelfish. I now need to decide whether to take the Advanced certification course. You get another 5 dives (including a night dive) as well as decend down to 30 meters. It would be more money outside my budget but I think it might be worth it.

This is definately a place where people spend more time than they anticipated. One of the diving instructures came here for 2 weeks and has so far stayed for 2 1/2 years. I want to check out some more of the island (they rent motorbikes), and I would also maybe like to stay at a bungalow on the other side of the island (accessed only by boat).

The sunsets here keep getting more and more amazing. Last night we sat on some rocks on the beach while drinking Thai rum with coke. A much cheaper way to spend the evening as opposed to the bars. Tonight the PADI class is meeting for dinner and drinks. I anticipate the night to be long and the memories to be vauge. I’ve been getting some good pictures, but unfourtunatly the internet is expensive here and computers slow. You will all have to wait a few days for some tasty photos.

Neil (smiling)

Last night began inncoently enough. I was interested in wating the Euro 2004 finals at a bar, however it didn’t start until 1:45 in the morning. To prepare for the revalry that was bound to happen I took a late evening nap. I woke up around 11 pm in my sweatbox of a room disoriented and hot. A cold shower did the trick.

I headed downstairs to find Tom, an English fellow I had met the previous evening, who I joined for a few beers. He was leaving the next day for Laos so it was my last chance to get to talk to him. Game time approached, so I said goodbye and headed out onto the deserted streets. All ofTthailand must have gone someplace to watch the game because I didn’t know the streets of Bangkok could be so empty. I managed to find a Tuk Tuk and was in the process of negotiating a reasoable fare when my friend Andrew appeared from out of the darkness, sweaty beer in hand. I had been hanging out with Andrew for the past few nights and invited him to join me. He had just walked all the way back from Kao San road, but was game for some more entertainment so we hopped in the Tuk Tuk and headed out. At such a late hour not many bars were still serving booze but luckily an enterprising Thai was selling cold beers from a cooler in the street. We couldn’t take the beers inside the bar so we had to watch the game from the street.

Over the course of the night we drank with two French guys and had a blast. The occasional downpour was a welcome relief from the heat. As the sky grew light I found myself on top of a 7 story building looking over the city with a hodgpodge of European and Austrialian travelers. Andrew got talking to a gorgeous Welsch girl and I fell asleep. The buzz-killing sun soon reared its ugly head, so we took that as our cue to leave. Back on Kao San we were immediatly hasseled by a pair of hookers. They had at one time quite obviously been men, but were now of the opposite sex and had the hardwear to prove it (they were eager to show us). I quickly grew tired of the interchange yelled “get away from me bitch, you know i’m impotent,” and headed back towards the guesthouse.

On our walk back we passed a market. Andrew insited that I eat a Stink Bean. For about 5 minutes he kept telling me that it was the worst thing that I would ever eat, but that I had to try it. I was not opposed to eating it as long as Andrew joined me. I did not find it too bad (I would probably decline one in the future). Andrew’s stomach was not too happy with the stink bean causing him to promptly boot on the sidewalk.

After some shrip fried rice for breakfast (helping to cleanse my mouth of the stink bean) we were back at the guesthouse talking to some early risers. It was close to 7:30, which was also happend to be the time Andrew was supposed to be on his bus back to Phnom Pehn. He thought there might be a later bus and was determined to catch it. I headed off to bed. I think tomorrow i’m going to head to Ko Tau, an island off the easter coast of Thailand. Supposed to be some great scuba diving and a great place to relax.

Here are some photos from Bangkok:

Temple of the Emerald Buddha

Temple grounds at Grand Palace

The Royal Palace

Inside of a river ferry

Shanti guest lodge

View from a ferry

Towelie said it best…

Hello from Bangkok. I made it.

My plane got in around 11:30 pm, which made finding accommodation an interesting prospect. I was thinking about hanging out in the airport until morning, but i desperately needed a shower. A gentleman found me near the exit who said he would take me to a cheap hotel. This defiantly sketched me out, but other foreigners were doing the same, so I agreed. We hopped in his early 80s Volvo sedan and headed towards the city. He took me to a hotel called “Nice Place” which kind of sketched me out, but it was too late to be choosy. I paid for the hotel, showered and passed out.

Whenever I walked past a taxi, tuk tuk, or motorcycle taxi it is the same routine:
“tuk tuk/taxi?”
“No”
“Where are you going”
“(I usually lie and say just up the street)”
“Where are you from”
“America”
“oh… taxi?”
For some reason the taxi/tuk tuk drivers cannot believe that I would want to walk somewhere. When I have taken a tuk tuk, they drive as fast as they can, weaving in and out of oncoming traffic. I don’t really mind the hazardous driving, I figure that the drivers are fairly experienced and seem to know what they are doing. Plus I have yet to have seen any sort of accident. Tuk Tuk drivers always seem to want to take you to “boom boom” (a go go girl) or else a hotel that they think is good. As Hunter S. would say, “don’t take any guff from those swine.” So far I haven’t.

I relocated to a guesthouse in a more central location that is 10 times better than the hotel I stayed at, plus about 60% cheaper. I have a single room at the Shanti Lodge with a fan for 300 Baht/night (approx $7). The lack of A/C means that I lie in bed with no blankets and a fan to keep me cool. It is hot here. I’m not sure the exact temperature but I do know that there hasn’t been a time when I haven’t been sweating outside of a place with A/C.

Today I explored the Grand Palace, where the king lives. The highlight of the place is the Emerald Buddha, a 2 foot tall statue supposedly carved from a single piece of stone. The entire complex is gorgeous, especially the temple which houses the Emerald Buddha. I also saw the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. This Buddha is about 75 feet long and covered in gold leaf.

I have so far been eating extremely well and cheap. Street vendors sell pretty much anything you want for much less than a restaurant. Here is the rundown of the meals I ate yesterday:

Breakfast: 2 sticks of delicious unknown meat 8 baht
Lunch: Pat See Ew 20 baht
Watermelon after lunch 10 baht
Dinner: Best Pat Thai I have ever had 60 baht
Sing Ha beer: 60 baht
3 waters throughout day 15 baht

total: 173 baht (approx $5) Not bad huh?

Overall this city is fairly polluted and crowded, but not as bad as I expected. I can see why people call this the land of smiles – it seems that everyone is always in a good mood and willing to help. I have been harassed countless times from people trying to get me to buy something, but I can’t really blame them. They know that if they can get me to buy something, it will usually be at a higher rate than a local.

On the plane ride over I was getting a bit nervous and having a few second thoughts. “Do I know what I am getting into?” ran through my mind more than a few times. But since I have been here, getting around is no more difficult than any other foreign city.

I plan on hanging out here in Bangkok for a few more days. I then need to decide whether to head north to Chiang Mai (then into Laos) or head south to some islands (scuba diving). Suggestions always welcome.

Loving life,

Neil

Well Ladies and Gents, i’m off.

In a short while Don will drive me to the airport, where I will sit for a couple of hours. I will then board a plane to Tokyo where I will sit for eleven hours. Then it’s a plane to Bangkok for six hours. So lots of sitting.

I’ll be in touch as soon as I can.

Neil

I have been to Portland a few times before, once in middle school and once in high school. Both times I visited I was very impressed by the city, and this time was no different. Portland is a very progressive place; the city has established an urban growth boundary which has limited the amount of urban sprawl that plagues so many metropolitan areas. Portland also is supposed to have an excellent mass transportation system.

In Portland we stayed with my mom’s cousin Donna and her family. She has an amazing house in the hills just outside the city where we got to experience some quality food and wine. We cruised around downtown in Donna’s black Range Rover – I must say I felt like quite the pimp. It was too bad that we couldn’t spend a bit more time in Portland, but we had a timetable to keep. The next morning we headed off to San Fran.

The drive down I-5 through Oregon and Northern California was gorgeous. We stopped for lunch in Ashland, OR at this place called Wiley’s World, a delicious organic eatery where I enjoyed an amazing mushroom and scallop pasta dish.

We considered turning off I-5 at this point and heading toward the coast in order to check out Redwoods National Park, but it looked like too much a detour, so we continued on towards our destination. In Northern California we were treated to great views of Mt. Shasta before decending into the central valley.

And so, after a good 2000+ mile journey, we reached the Bay Area. We could not have asked for better weather when we arrived at the Golden Gate Bridge. We stopped at an overlook before crossing the bridge and could not believe my eyes. We were treated to panoramic views of the entire bay. After admiring the view for a bit, we headed into San Fransico to meet up with an old friend from college.

After spending an hour trying to find parking, we finally met up with Adam, a friend from Bates who I studied abroad in Vienna with. I had not seen him in a few years, and he showed us a great time. We headed off to the Stinking Rose, a resturant that serves garlic seasoned with food. The food was great, but after the meal our breath was not. We quickly headed to the bar and tried to cover up the garlic stench with Jagermeister and beer. Adam took us to some famous spots, such as Vesuvio, a bar that used to be frequented by the likes of Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady.

The next morning, Adam and his girlfriend gave us a grand walking tour of the city. Again the weather was perfect – sunny and cool. We saw most of the city; Fisherman’s Warf, Downtown, the Castro, Mission, and Haight-Ashbury. We ended the day by watching the sunset on top of an apartment.

I loved San Francisco. The people were some of the friendliest that I have ever met. Every meal that I ate was delicious and the nightlife was superb. I was walking near the waterfront and I came accross a quotation on the outside of a construction site:
It is an odd thing, but everyone who disappears is said to be seen in San Francisco. It must be a delightful city, and possess all the attractions of the next world. ~ Oscar Wilde
A few times while walking around the city, I certianly felt like this place was some sort of urban utopia. Adam said that “San Francisco is 49 square miles surrounded by reality.” After spending a few days here, I can already see why this area is so popular with residents. This city would be a great place in which to live – especially in your twenties or thirties.

Special thanks to Adam, Liz, Katie, and Jamie for showing us a great time here.

The next few days I will be staying in Freemont, near San Jose, with some family friends. Tomorrow we are going to head down to Santa Cruz and check out the beach…

Greetings from Portland, OR. Mike and I left Minneapolis Tuesday morning a little later than planned due to an alarm clock issue, but it didn’t cause any real problems. We cruised through North Dakota and Montana, making it to Rock Creek in 16 hrs. The drive was amazing. One would think that driving across North Dakota would be a bit boring, but I found the wide open spaces inspiring. Into Montana, the scenery became more dramatic. Towering mountains mixed with a few thunderstorms, creating quite a show. In Rock Creek we were staying at the fly-fishing ranch of a fellow Bates Fishing Club member. His father was kind enough to have the place opened up for us so we could just show up and crash.

The house is a 1800s barn from New Jersey that was reassembled on site and converted into a livable dwelling. The barn sits on a Blue-Ribbon trout stream, nestled in a picturesque valley. That night we stared at the sky and saw some brilliant shooting-stars. The next morning we awoke mid morning and tried our luck with the trout. The fish were not interested in the flies we were using but it was worthwhile just spending some time in the fresh air.

Around noon we hopped back in the car and drove to Spokane, where Mike’s aunt and uncle live. Mike’s uncle called the area in Montana that we were “God’s country”, and I would have to agree with him. We had an excellent dinner and then watched some home movies of a young Mike. The feature “Godzilla vs. the Scientist” (Mike was the Scientist) was quite entertaining.

Thursday, after a delicious breakfast of bacon and eggs, we drove down the Columbia River Gorge and into Portland. Mt. Hood was in the distance as we drove past a number of dams. The drive was quite spectacular, and you could see the landscape change from desert into evergreen rainforest.

Here in Portland we are staying with my mom’s cousin Donna. Tonight we hope to explore a bit of the city, as I am contemplating moving here once I return from overseas. Tomorrow we make our way towards the Bay Area…

My grandfather rolled into town last week. It has been great spending some time with him before I leave. Last night we had a birthday party for my good friend Hans. The kid is not much of a partier, but we succeeded in making sure he had a good time.

Well tomorrow night, if all goes to plan, I will be leaving the land of snow and purple rain. Here is the plan:
My friend Mike is moving to the San Francisco area to do a program called Teach for America. The program places recent college graduates in low-income school districts for two years where they teach while gaining a teaching certificate. He didn’t want to make the drive alone, and since I was planning on flying out around this time, I decided to help him drive out. He needs to be in San Francisco on Sunday the 27th which gives us six days to drive out there.

We are planning on heading straight west, eventually ending up in Portland, OR. We have some choices on where to stop. Between the two of us we have family in Spokane, Seattle, and Portland. From there we will head south until we hit the bay area. I have never been to California, so I am especially looking forward to driving down the Pacific coast. Once in the Bay Area, I will be staying with some old family friends who live in Freemont. I also hope to meet up with my friend Adam who I haven’t seen in a few years.

I will be in the Bay Area until the 30th, when I fly out to Bangkok. I just have a few last minute errands to run tomorrow and then we’re off!

It is slowly starting to sink-in that I am leaving in a week. I still have a lot to do.

I have been dividing my days between shopping for goodies and ripping as many CDs as I can onto my new ipod. It has so far performed flawlessly, though I am not sure if i’ll be able to fill it up completly before I leave. 40 gigs is a lot of music. A week ago my friend Mike and I drove a Uhaul down to Phoenix over two days. I set the ipod to play a random mix and it certainly made the trip go by a lot faster. It was also nice not having to find a new radio station every hour or so. I just hope the heat and humidity of SE Asia is not too intense for the gaget.

As far as the shopping goes, I have visited Midwest Mountaineering and REI numerous times trying to nail down my clothing and gear. I spent a few hours on Sunday on a quest to find a new pair of Reef sandals. The previous evening I celebrated my 5-year high school reunion and during the course of the night I somehow managed to break the right sandal. The details on how this occured are still hazy.

The next few days I need to get a few more shots as well as pick up some Malaria medication and antibiotics. Also I need to get some travel insurance and revise my resume. Still much to do…