More pics...

In order: monks, monks and monks walking the Mekong; Mekong on the slow-trip boat; elephant statue at temple Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang; NZ Nick's birthday dinner in Pak Beng (L to R - Andy, Cam, Izzie, NZ Nick, Skye, Dougie, Ash); streets of Luang Prabang

Luang Prabang (after the boat)....

In order: sunset on the Mekong; another slow-boat that lacks the passengers ours held; I'm on a boat ya'll;
our little area of luxury (before the sunroof opened and the locals sitting on my feet and lap left); villagers from a stop selling Lao-beer and the lady in the center was selling some sort of dead cat (or endangered baby tiger) that no one bought (thankfully)

Made it safe and sound down the Mekong to Luang Prabang yesterday afternoon. The slow-boat was an adventure. We left the safety of Thailand early Saturday morning via longboat to cross the Mekong into Laos and go through customs - let's just say they don't run a very tight ship. What a hassle. The customs agent held up one passport at a time and all 100 people in line had to view the passport to determine if said passport was theirs. We (ingenious Americans) began calling peoples first name and country to expedite the process.

The slow-boat was about what you'd expect coming from one of the poorest nations on Earth. Open air engine room where one can easily fall into the engine? Check. Live chickens in corral on the bow? Check. Overfilled capacity where people are sitting on the floor? Check.

However the slow-boat made up from lack of comfort for an amazing view and ride. We found that hanging out the side with our feet in the water with a cold Lao-beer was the best spot on the boat - and locals from each village stop were happy to accommodate our patronage shouting "caaaooooldddd Lao-beeeee" and running around the boat.

The first night our boat stopped just after dark at a little town I hope none of you ever have to visit called Pak Beng. The only purpose of this town is for an overnight stop on the slow-boats and as soon as the boat stopped the locals were upon us to sell accommodation for the evening (and try to steal unsuspecting peoples bags). The reason I note the darkness is the boat stops at the base of a steep hill were the town sits midway up the hill - I was unfortunate enough to witness an older man fall backwards down the hill and into the water due to the weight of his backpack (thankfully I had my rollers engaged and rolled the hill) - he was alright.

We were ushered into a motel that was recommended in Chiang Kong that was only about $4 per night and hosted NZ Nicks birthday party in their restaurant and provided a stereo to play my iPod for the event. We had a good time.

The next morning awoke to a very misty and cold Mekong and a shockingly even smaller slow-boat to Luang Prabang. We arrived 30 minutes before scheduled departure and the boat was overflowing with people already. Our section ended up being choice as the roof retracted and we had a great open air mini-deck to play Uno, read and relax for the seven hour ride.

Luang Prabang is a great town - very relaxed with a UNESCO designation and heavily French influenced architecture provides a welcome relief from the travel of the past few days. Laos temples and monks dot the town and provide a stark contrast to what the French have left.

Tomorrow we travel via motoscooter to local waterfalls and caves....

Another blog of the trip....

This is the address for Gabe's blog:

gabelucy.blogspot.com

Gabe and I have been traveling together since the first days in Bali - enjoy....

I'm gonna be on a boattttt ya'll!!!

Woke early this morning to what first sounded like propaganda being blasted from the Laos side of the Mekong River but figure must be the Saturday call to alms for the local monks as the loud and awakening voice and music (use this term lightly) is coming from a temple across the way... Mist is surrounding the water and the river appears a bit spooky but not as large as one would envision (maybe twice the size of the Santa Ana River after a rain).

We are boarding the slow boat down the Mekong shortly but the currency situation in Laos is a bit confusing. Our host at the Easy Riverside Guesthouse (Sy-young) is trying to explain that there are SIX ATM's in all of Laos and 7 here in Chiang Khong - but Laos kip are useless everywhere in the world outside of Laos and the US dollar is the preferred means of exchange. Soooo get ripped off on the baht (Thai money) to dollar rate here, use baht in Laos or wait two days to get Laos kip?

Will post again sometime soon on the other side of the Mekong...

And more pics....

In order..... Thanksgiving dinner; elephant trekking (that is not Tokia); another elephant from the trek (not Tokia); lunch viewpoint on second day of trek (I had to dodge bees to get this pic); farmer and his elephant cruising through the rice fields

Pics and pics...

In order.... Rice fields next to camp on first day of trek; riding bike through Chiang Mai looking for the night market for trekking gear (fleece and pajama bottoms - you'd be surprised at the looks I get trying to shop in the land of five feet tall people); Wat (temple) in Chiang Mail; Royal Palace in Bangkok with (L to R) Gabe, Cam, Skye, me, Brooke, New Zealand Nick; on a rock in Koa Tao with NZ Nick

I'm on a niiiiighttrain, trekking in Chiang Mai (with elephants) and getting on a sloooow boat for Laos...

It has been a busy couple days over here on the other side of the planet. After leaving Bangkok aboard a nighttrain headed to Chiang Mai our group was greeted by our lovely host (or hostess) named Natalee (pronounced NATAAALLLEEEE with a lady-boy glee) who promptly told me he/she would be taking care of me this trip - just ask for anything I need and she will deliver. Awesome. The nighttrain was pretty nice - we had half a 2nd class car which consisted of pairs of facing seats that after 9PM (or when a conductor felt the time was right) transformed into an upper and lower bunk. I was assigned the upper and was priviliged enough to have an air consditioning duct above me, the door to the next car next to me (which did not close) and a bright neon light immediately near my eyes. Thank you to Advil PM for a sound four hours of sleep. Prior to sleeping we had a marathon game of Uno that took up most of the members of Car 11.

We arrived to Chiang Mai to be scooped up by hotel salespersons and escorted to SK House where our rooms were only $8!! With warm water!!! Chiang Mai is in the north of Thailand near the Himalyan (?) foothills and is a mecca for the outdoorsey backpackers with trekking, off-roading, mountain biking, anything possible in the national parks in the surrounding hills. We signed up for a three day two night trek through the southern national park.

The next morning we were driven about two hours south to begin our trek with our guides Foo and Pot. They were funny characters and provided many laughs, learnings and guitar for sing alongs the entire way. After a two hour hike through the hilly jungle arrived upon a small waterfall (with the COLDEST WATER IN THAILAND and camp for night one. Dinner was pretty tastey until toad stew appeared in front of me (I immediately converted to a vegetarian after a small bite) and then we sat around the camp fire and played cards while our guides proceeded to get piss drunk off "Thai water" (rice whiskey). That night was perhaps the coldest sleep of my entire life. 10 degrees celcius (about 49 farenheit - celcius to appease my NZ friends with the unfortunate luck of living with both the metric and celcius system of measurement) I was literally shivering in a ball with the covers over my head. My feet spilled out of the sheets for a couple hours and were numb when I brought them back to sheets.

The next morning we headed out for a six hour hike and while walking through a rice field a farmer passed us atop his elephant strolling through the forest. Very random. Foo went on to explain that some farmers use elephants, others use water buffalo and others use something called a machine - and machines are better because they don't eat or sleep. Useful life lesson.

After what seemed like ages we arrived at a village to sleep the night and had a rowdy night of singing and drinking Thai water around the campfire with Pot's stirring renditions of Thai popular songs.

Our final day of Trekking had a 2 hour hike out of the valley where the village was located and a short ride to the elephant trek. I shared an elephant with NZ Nick named Tokia with our driver and we headed off to the hills. Elephants do not provide the most comfort but the view sure is good from atop and Tokia, although stopping every minute to reach aruond with her trunk to request a banana from NZ Nick, was keen to pick up any object thrown from atop her to the ground and return with her trunk. Shoes, water bottles, anything.

Next adventure was riding a bamboo canoe down a river captianed by a 10 year old Thai boy nicknamed by his patrons "Short Round" - as he was a spitting image of the Indiana Jones character without humor and more Napoleon-like character. I have not been yelled at so much in so short of time in my entire life, let alone my a three foot midget kid. "Hey you, hey you, NO NO NO NO" or "hey you, hey you, SIT SIT SIT" where echoing off the river valley our whole trip. One would think after Short Round fell off the raft twice and had to be scooped out of the water by me and thrown back to safety there would be some appreciation. None, only harsh glares when I was out of line (this I cannot figure as I was standing still not moving an inch, but was still lashed with a "hey you hey you NO NO NO")....

Back in Chiang Mai town last night our team of ten went to a hearty Thanksgiving feast at a Mexican food resturaunt where margaritas replaced wine and Chang beer replaced the turkey. As Gabe and I were the only Americans, we taught the Aussie and Kiwi's about our holiday and we all stood and gave a toast to what we were thankful for this trip (mine being that I met such great travel friends after arriving alone in Bangkok and now am amongst ten people!). After dinner we walked to the reggae district and celebrated Thanksgiving properly.

This morning we awoke to an all day mini-van trip to the city of Chang Kong which lies on the Mekong River. I am looking across the river at Laos while the sunsets and tomorrow we board a two day slow boat trip into Laos. We stopped along the drive at a temple Wat Karun (?) outside Chang Rai that can only be described as unique - a white palace created in 1997 by a famous Thai artist that has monuments to suffering one most reach before nirvana. This was almost uncomfortable as one mural had the World Trade Center on fire with a dragon wrapped around and Neo (Keanu Reeves from Matrix) standing watch - very eerie.

Will try to post pics in a bit before Laos....

Back to Bangkokin'....

Arrived in Bangkok via short but VERY rough ferry and an overnight bus ride (read - miserable) from Koh Tao this morning at a nice and sparkly 5AM and showed the crew around town while playing tour guide - hit all the sites of last time (Grand Palace, Siam, MBK, Reclining Buddha, Wat Arun, etc) but took more pictures as the last are currently being viewed by some Balinese punk.... It was hard to believe walking the streets this afternoon that I was basically retracing my first days in Asia TWO MONTHS ago! Not much has changed in Bangkok but I have been so many places and met so many people - I ran into the same miserable ticket lady at Wat Arun and was again yelled at for no apparent reason, got lost again in China Town, again had to hire a Tuk Tuk for a return trip from Siam Square as our bus simply would not come - two big differences as this time around I have friends and the weather is absolutely perfect.

Some pictures below for your viewing pleasure... (Okay just sat for twenty minutes and the pics are not loading but will post tomorrow)....

Tomorrow heading to Chang Mai on a night train but tonight going to enjoy Bangkok with friends so should be an adventure...

Certification Scuba-nation!!!!

Today was our final two open water dives and I am now a certified scuds diver!!!! We dove Twins and White Rock off the boat this morning to a depth of 18 meters (about 54 feet in USA speak - the Imperial verse Metric measurement schemes have been battling fiercelythis week and as the only American in the class, we are sorely losing). Yesterday we dove two beach dives to Sairee reef and both featured stong rays, puffer fish, nemos, etc and a merman named Cam.... The toughest part was our first day in the pull although I flat out refused to practice taking off my mask and clearing at 18M today - I ain't doing that...

Post graduation our class (Nick, Cam, Brooke and myself) were greeted with the famous snorkel dive, where a full beer is poured into ones snorkel and the inability to breath with a mask on requires rapid engulfing of the Chang beer. Pictures to follow eventually...

We have had a great time here at Phoenix Diving School with Fraser, Cullam and Clause but are heading to Bangkok tomorrow afternoon via ferry and boat and them to Chang Mai that evening via train.

Currently I am sitting on the beach under a palm tree watching the sunset over the Gulf of Thailand having finally figured out how to update to blog via my iPod Touch - congrats me!!!!!

The whole gang (our team and the scuba school are going fir a night on the town to celebrate our graduation and give Koh Tao a proper bon voyage.....

Learnin' to dive....

Made the journey to Koh Tao the night before last via overnight ferry and I thought the last overnight ferry was bad.... This time around I prepped the group for the nuances of overnight ferry life to find we were going to travel on more or less a cargo barge that had overbooked the beds so we had to sleep on the roof or between overly-inviting elderly Thai woman - I promptly choose the roof. Miraculously we made the seven hour journey under no clouds, no rain, light seas and no wind. And the boat running lights provided ample light to play Uno (although the green running light made the blue and green cards identical) have a few Chang beers to help the sleep.

We awoke to Koh Tao and after finding our accommodation booked into the Phoenix Dive School - where my buddy Fraser from my last trip to Thailand instructs diving - for our Open Water Dive certificate course. Yesterday, our first day, after two hours of films we entered the pool with our gear and learned how to replace a lost make, regulator, etc all while underwater. For someone that has more or less lived their entire life surrounded by watersports, scuba is surprisingly frightening. But taking the class with three friends (Nick, Cam and Brooke) and with a Fraser as the instructors assistant the class is too fun.

For those concerned that my collapsed lung of several years past will pose a problem, rest assured I was checked out by the finest physician on Koh Tao who simply asked, would you like me to sign "yes" or "no" - awesome advice. I did speak with several dive masters and physicians and found that going to the surface slowly should do the trick and no deep breaths underwater.

The weather is far better today than yesterday and in less than two hours I will be on a ship out to see for my first open water dive - Gabe saw a 3 meter bull shark while diving yesterday and there is supposed to be a whale shark meandering around the island.

Off to Koh Tao...

Off to Koh Tao via overnight ferry to get a scuba license but here are some quick pics from the days in Phi Phi and the new crew I am traveling with...

Ko Phi Phi and now Railey Beach

What a difference seven people make... Last time I was in Ko Phi Phi I was solo and the weather was miserable - now I am with a group of seven people and the weather is amazing, and Ko Phi Phi this time around is unbelievable - some of the funnest moments of the trip thus far have been made over the last four days. I am in Railey right now and the internet is really expensive so I will be brief....

Our first day on Phi Phi was spent relaxing in the sun and pool and reacquintances with Metilda and Terresse, our Swedish friends from Bali. The following day we rented a longtail boat and headed for a deserted cove for some excellent snorkeling and a few mean games of UNO and more sun. The next day we rented the same longtail boat from Dolla (as in Dolla' dolla' bills ya'll) and cruised to isolated and empty Bamboo island about an hour off shore and then to Ko Phi Phi Lei where the movie the Beach was filmed and in between went cliff diving and revisited monkey beach. More monkeys but these ones came swim and are adapt at boarding ships like pirates looking for mangos and bananas...

Will try and upload pictures tomorrow after we explore a new isolated island we have called Barney as it looks like a too full dinosaur sleeping on his back just offshore from Railey beach...

Back in Thailand - Patong Beach

Flew back into Thailand via Kuala Lumpor yesterday and arrived at Phuket airport to SUNSHINE!!! Last time I was in Phuket, over one month ago, the sky was black with torrential rain. Amazing how sunshine can lighten a place up - now I see why people travel to this island....

Made my way to the Le Meridien resort near Patong beach by taxi - the ride was supposed to be one hour and was more like 2.5 due to a strategic pit stop where everyone was pitched on "excursions" and other tourist traps - and was promptly greeted by the hotels very own resident baby elephant that plays the harmonica and loves bananas. The little guy also likes to burp on command.

The hotel - more like resort complex - sits in a private cove about three kilometers south of Patong beach and has spectacular sunsets. Gabe found the hotel a couple hours later and the front desk girls went scattering around the hotel looking for "Mister Nick Mitchell" - apparently the girls at the front desk had been keeping track of my movements throughout the hotel since I checked in.

Patong is like Kuta but is filled with older men with their lady-boy rentals in tow - very odd and a bit appalling to have dinner and the next table a grotesque old man with a lady boy staring at you. After dinner Gabe and I went out on the town for a bit and went to a huge hall with more bars per square foot than any place I have witnessed. All pit stops have their own house game - jinga buildings, connect-four or just drink-till-the-Australian-pukes. One is even able to pour your own drink provided you pay every once and awhile and after the final flaming shots (insert joke here) that set one entire bar ablaze we were off to dancing with a new crew of Australians. All in all a good night.

Tomorrow afternoon we head to Ko Phi Phi to meet with Gabe's friends from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and the Swedes we met in Bali. Ko Phi Phi does not know what lies in store tomorrow afternoon... Weather is supposed to be perfect for the foreseeable future and Thailand is in high season - I am looking forward to the islands.

Nice to be back in Thailand but I do miss Bali much and can't wait for the next time to return...

Kuta Kuta Kuta and leaving Bali

Spent the last two nights at Puri Eikna - the same hotel in Legion we stayed a couple weeks ago - hanging out in Legion/Seminyak/Kuta and enjoying the last few days of Bali. My flight home was to originally depart yesterday but had a change of plans and will be heading to Thailand with Gabe tomorrow to stay in Phuket at the Le Meridian (thank you Starwood points) and then to Ko Phi Phi to meet with Gabe's friends - should be another fun crew in another land...

Yesterday shipped home all my extra belongings and I was mighty sad to see my pirate outfit from Halloween amongst all other souvineers and extra clothes gone. The post office is a little different over here. First you have to find it, then you weigh your package and a nice little man brings out a box that is about 500% too large for your items and then cuts it and tapes the box to the perfect size for shipment. He then wraps the box in rice paper and sews the package closed. The box is being shipped to Mom and Dad's place and with a sly grin the postal employee said one month, MAYBE, but should get there by three months time. So everyone at home, your souveenirs are officially in the mail (or rather in a cargo ship container waiting to fill for the voyage through Indian Ocean and then across the Pacific). I forgot to mention he was smoking a cigarette behind the counter - so very un-American....

Since the last post, surfed fun head high plus Ulu Watu and had plenty of good waves. I was finnaly understanding the break and now have to leave. No waves here in Kuta town but sure is nice to sit on the beach and have a Bintang with sunset. The past couple nights we had dinner with Natasha and Yohan and the rest of the French ex-pats and they are a really great group of interesting people. Yohan seems to be the Paris Hilton of Paris and has run many clubs that Kayne West, etc frequent - fun guy to go out with.

Friday went to my favorite bar in town - Black Dog - and was pregamed with a dinner on the row in Seminyak (at Ultimo) and pool at Rumors. I have not written about Rumors but we have been going to this spot everynight in town as a midgame between dinner and going out to Kuta (can't go to Kuta before midnight) - great spot with a good DJ that plays my tunes and free pool. Thursday night we visited after a few days in Ulu Watu to a hearty welcome and handshakes and bows from all the employees...

Last night went to a party at the SOS bar - a new rooftop venue for my friend Jade's model agency and had a really fun time although these people need to learn about air-con in fancy bars..

This afternoon I went to the tourist market in Denpasar where all the vendors in Kuta town get their merchandise - all the Bali bottle openers and likes you could possible desire for sooooo cheap. I had a little difficulty explaining the difference between a child large and adult large shirt to no avail - was pretty funny as they were POSITIVE the child large should fit me - not a chance.

Just a few minutes ago parted ways with my surfboard and with that I am ready to return to Thailand but a very sad farewell to Bali and I know I will be back (maybe in two weeks?)...

A sad farewell and the Ulu Watu sunset dance

Just returned from the airport to drop Josh for his flight home - sad to see part of the Bali crew leaving.  Todays going away dinner marked the culmination of three straight nights of "Josh's Last Night In Kuta" but was more like a siesta as we were all too tired from the previous nights to even talk....  Josh and I made plans to reconvene in Costa Rica at Josh's restaurant and bar for New Years and I have a feeling this is not the last time we will wander foreign lands.

Last night in town Josh and I ran into our Swedish friends Mia and Sandra that were with us for the Nusa Lembongan surprise ceremony and they joined us for a day in the pool and the beach in Puri Ulu Watu today.  

For sunset our the girls, Gabe and I (and other guests from Puri) went to see the Kecak Ramayana and Fire Dance at the Ulu Watu temple.  Unbeknownst to us, shockingly, there is another once a year ceremony at the temple and the place is filled with the Balineese locals in sarongs and festival garb.  Something about the Sweedes and surprise ceremonies.... Ulu Watu temple is one of the four holy sites on Bali and is on the very tip of the Bukit peninsula high atop a cliff.  Very impressive views of the swells coming in from Antarctica.  Unfortunately I didn't run into any monkeys but we were on the look-out for sure.

The Fire Dance takes place during sunset and the views are astounding from the dance theater (more like bleachers on a cliff with a five hundred foot drop straight to the water).  The dance was impressive and put the viewer in an almost trance like state with the uniformed chanting of the performers throughout the event.   We were all impressed with the show (which is very rare as I am bored with most of these tourist shows)...

I am scheduled to depart in only four days but am likely going to return to Thailand with Gabe and finish touring the western gulf and return to Koh Tao to dive with a buddies shop...

I uploaded additional pics in the posts below but here is another monkey for ya (nice little guy from the Monkey Forest in Ubud)!!

Pics - Gilli Trawangan

Again in no particular order (I will get the hang of putting these in order eventually)...

On way back to Bali after the Gilli experience we had the whole cabin to ourselves and I brought out my iPod speakers much to the delight of the crew who then turned into a little dance party...  That is Josh on left and Gabe on right...

Josh reading the LP (lonely planet) on the way to Gilli from Nusa...

Gilli main beach

Dinner first night on Gilli...

Bromantic sunset stroll with Josh and I to the far end of the island.  There is a surf break to the left in front of Ombak hotel but was too small to paddle out for...

Sunset..

Beach in front of our hotel with Gilli Meno in background.  The channel in between is great snorkeling with a wall that drops about 70 feet right where the light water turns blue (only about 30 feet from shore)....  I saw a couple turtles right out here...

Sweet pose on boat to Gilli...

In Nusa ready to leave - but was one hour late and about half the size of the boat we signed up with - and took one hour longer to get the Gillis - boat did have the captain that participated in the ceremony to erase any other short comings..

Nusa about ready to leave.

More Pics - Nusa Lembongans

Some pics from Nusa Lembongan in no particular order....

Beach cafe Bintangs before we ran into the "ceremony"...

Walked a mile on the beach for dinner and I sweat about six gallons and had to rehydrate with water and the "Mexican" - egg, milk, banana, cream, coconut and other ingredients to be drank before sport (which sport is only referring to Bintang'in I assumed).  This is dinner before our run-in with the "ceremony"..

These people harvest seaweed on the island and this is there fleet...

Our hotel lobby..

DISCO DISCO GOOD GOOD BARGE!!

Sunset from our hotel...

Magnum ice cream bars and Bintangs...  MMmmmm - that is Sandra and Mia between Maria and myself from Sweden.  We ran into them again last night in Kuta and they joined us in Ulu Watu today...

Our hotel with Mr. Nails - he ran the show and was constantly trying to get us to buy excursions, transport - anything he could sell - for two days.  He had the longest finger nails I have ever seen on a man.

Sunset from hotel...

On the way to Nusa - trying to stay standing.  To travel to Nusa you have to pass through channel from Bali that has very dangerous currents and we saw whirlpools and waves from the colliding currents - and a little dolphin and flying fish too...

More pics - temple tanah lot

These are some pics from Temple Tanah Lot from a couple weeks ago....  This temple sits on a rock about one hour outside of Kuta / Seminyak area.  The drive was beautiful through rice fields and coastline and back through the sunset.  We only got lost about four times and had a great vegan meal (Josh is a vegan) at Bali Budda Cafe on the way home.  Josh and I made the trip on our scooters while Maria stayed at the villa in Seminyak...

One funny note was the "holy snake" in the "holy cave" - which was a tiny foot long snack stuck in a small sand castle that looked have dead in a tiny cave which, of course, cost us 1,000 rupia (10 cents) to see.  I thought the worm was dead but the "holy snake tamer" assured us it was alive by poking at it to no movement.  This was so bad it was unphoto worthy.