Preparation and my 1st day of school! :)

Yesterday I had to buzz around and get things in order for my first day of school. My friends Raphael(France) and Oliver(Montreal, Quebec) escorted me around town. We had a blast trying to find a bike rental shop, passport photo store, and a money exchange. Luckily we found a cheap bike rental shop(30 Baht/$1 a day rental) first. We had fun exploring the city for hours by bicycle. The three of us nourished our tired bodies with a delicious lunch. Then we found a passport photo store, so I could get 9 photos taken. The majority of those photos were for my school, because they needed to attach them to my applications and turn them into immigration, but the rest of the photos are for the next stops on my agenda: Laos, Cambodia, and the Malaysian Borneo. I found a money exchange, so I could pay for my Thai Massage School in full: $7,000 Baht/$222 dollars.

After all my errands were completed, Raphael wanted to take us somewhere special: Wat Umong!
We biked the new unexplored section of Chiang Mai and up a gentle mountain in through the trees, and when we were almost at our destination Raphael's bike chain snapped! Luckily we were there, and we could figure out what to do later. We entered this dense enchanted forest, and on several hundred trees along a path were lovely Buddhist quotes that we enjoyed reading to one another as we giggled up to the wat(temple). The sight of this temple is unlike anything I have ever seen: The wat was in a mountain, and the entrances were a series of tunnels. AWESOME! We walked through these dark long tunnels illuminated by cracks of light through the top of the mountain. This wat was 600 years old! Down some of the corridors were Buddha statues with offerings from the monks and visitors. This place felt so sacred, and we couldn't stop smiling and conversing in excited whispers. None of us wanted to be disrespectful and speak above a whisper, even though there was no one else there...so we thought. One of the tunnels led us into an opening with a giant gold Buddha. A man was re-touching the gold paint, and his son was standing there patiently. As we tip-toed closer the boy welcomed us in perfect English, and told us about the wat. The wat used to be painted bright orange and gold with hand painted Thai and Burmese flowers along the inside of the tunnels, and use to be illuminated with candles in the indentations in the walls. Wow! I can imagine how beautiful that must have looked.
When we left a tuk tuk was parked under a tree, and offered to take Raphael and his broken bike to be returned at the shop. Oliver and I biked back to the Green Tulip, and waited for him. It started to rain on us, but we had the best time! :)
We all arrived at the guest house at once, and then we made our way to the famous Sunday market for some shopping and exploration. I ran into Claudios(the Swiss guy from Koh Tao). He pouted and then disappeared because I wasn't giving him enough attention. Good riddance. Oliver[:)], Raphael, and I got soaked walking through the rain, looking at books, shopping for fisherman pants, and buying beer to celebrate my first day of school and Raphael's last night in Chiang Mai.
Our night that preceded was lovely: Full of deep conversation and revelations.

School started today!!!
I woke up, did a little yoga, went down for a healthy breakfast, and ran into a nice older Swiss woman named Anne, who was also doing the course, so we biked to the Old Medicine hospital together.
Today's schedule began with 2 hrs. of lecture on massage and sen lines, followed by the rest of the day massaging. 9a.m.-4p.m. everyday until April 16th or so. Today we focused on feet, ankles, and legs only.
This is a very precise, knowledgeable, and ancient school. I feel as though I am receiving a wonderful education. :) What's also a compliment to my studies here is the prior experience I gained from The Lotus Palm School in Montreal. There I took a Prenatal Thai yoga massage workshop.
-I'm so pleased to be receiving massages everyday, and working on my skills with the supervision of such fantastic teachers.

Thai New Year

April 12-14th is the Thai New Years, and April is the hottest month of the year. The locals celebrate the New Year: 2551, by squirting each other with water to cool off and have fun!

pizza delivery

Siraj and I just tried to order a pizza, and it was hilarious. Sue was rolling around laughing!
OMG! We'll see if they find us in 30 mins.

They found us.

Thai cooking school and more

After a severe bout of food poisoning, and being cared for by Sue, Siraj, and Nine and Stella at The Green Tulip House, I persevered and bounced back to life. I went through a spell of emotional frustration within this culture by being viewed as a walking ATM machine because I'm a pharang(white person), and that infuriated me! I was tired of Thai people trying to rip me off and then I was yelled at for being an American by an unusually spiteful old Thai man. However, I have finally reconnected with my peace and empathy within. Everyday I am confronted by circumstances that I know are meant to teach me something, and I meet people who are guides or teachers. It is important to be open to the experience. Perhaps this is a Buddhist way of thinking. This is not an easy culture to navigate, but it is a good starting point because it is forcing me to tear down the layers of my old self, and create a foundation for the empowered grateful woman I asked god for guidance to become.

Yesterday Sue, Siraj, and I enrolled in Thai cooking school. :) Since I had been too sick to eat for the last 2 days I was understandably famished! We were picked up at 9 a.m. by a taxi and escorted to a typical Thai market. Our teacher: Pot, showed us how they make coconut milk, educated us on herbs and veggies, and then allowed us to explore the market for a while.
We finally arrived to a lovely home that had an amazing cooking station outside in the shade, but we all first sat inside a gorgeous and spacious room where we ate fruit, drank tea, and each chose 6 dishes that we wanted to learn how to make. Then we all went outside to our station and learned how to cook. Our day was filled with laughs, pictures, delicious food, and making new friends: Kinjit(Ethiopia, but lives in France) and Sylvie(Spanish-Belgium, but lives in Egypt). I learned to make: pad thai, tom Yum soup, Cashew and chicken, papaya salad, green curry, and pumpkin in coconut milk. YUM! The course ended around 4:30 p.m.

After we digested all our scrumptious food we thought it would be a great idea to check out the local yoga studio. When we finally arrived there by tuk tuk the class was completely full! As I turned to leave with Kinjit and Sue I saw a giant sign posted on the coffee table in the middle of the room. It read: Franscesca in ICU is in desperate need of type A- blood.
Ok, I must go.
That is my blood type,
and I know for a fact that only around 6 % of the world have that blood type. It is ultra rare, because it is an extreme ango-saxon blood type. I approached the counter and asked if she was still in ICU because that is my blood type, and I'm very wiling to help. Everyone swarmed around me and asked me to please go, so I did. Sue was able to squeeze into the class, so Kinjit and I took a tuk tuk to Ram Hospital. It took a bit of effort within to find out how to donate blood to Franscesa, but I did. The nurses asked me if I wanted to meet her, and I was surprised because of all the times I've donated my blood in the states I never had the opportunity to see who the receiver was/is. I went into ICU room 12, introduced myself, told her the story, and asked what happened. She was doped up, and told me it was a motorcycle accident. When I looked down I saw one of her legs had been amputated. :( I assured her I would give her the blood she needed, and that she would be okay. She thanked me. In my heart and soul I feel that no thanks is necessary, because this is a human duty. She needed something I had, and I was happy to give. Kinjit and I went downstairs to the lab where I was poked with an over sized sterile needle by an adorable Thai woman in a lavender uniform, who wore a matching headband, and eyeshadow. All is good. :)

Today at Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Rajvoraviharam: Sylvie, Sue, and I were blessed by Buddhist monks for luck and happiness. I was given a blessed jade amulet. We also had the opportunity to witness 2 monks being ordained.

The 2 day trek

The vehicle arrived to pick us up at 9:30 a.m., and we had a small backpack for our needs for the next 2 days: a swim suit, a change of clothes, flip flops, extra socks for our shoes, a small towel, and our toiletries.
We were good to go!
Our guide was named Born, and he was a little hip Thai guy. He was full of energy and blasted good music from his phone for the drive out. Sue and I sat in the back on the bed of a truck with benches and a roof. It was interesting. There was no door, and the way the driver was taking turns, we had to hold on for dear life. hahahaha! We laughed gleefully the whole way. The trip was already proving to be fun. We howled and laughed with the driver and our guide, which encouraged them to drive even faster and more crazy.
We arrived to a small bamboo hut where we had lunch. I had the best Pad Thai of my life! Awww, it was soooooo delicious! Yum!
We were fueled up and taken to the elephant camp.
After a few minutes a young man lead us down a windy dirt trail to a platform with 3 elephants all saddled up with a bench-seat. We carefully climbed off the platform and took our seats. Then the guide connected a bar in front of us, so we wouldn't go tumbling off into the dirt. Elephants are quite high off the ground, and we were grateful to be strapped in, but it was hilarious because I felt like I was taking the precautions appropriate for a roller coaster ride at Disneyland.
Then the young boy jumped onto the head of the elephant and hit it in the head with a bamboo stick and grunted to reverse the elephant and guide him on the trail. I felt enraged and uncomfortable. I asked Sue what was going on...? Why was he hitting the elephant in the head with that stick?!?!?! She said that she didn't know. I wanted to cry! I am so against animal cruelty! Every time he grunted and whacked the elephant in the head I said: Stop that! Don't do that! please stop! I was trapped, and felt helpless. He ignored me, and couldn't understand me because of the language barrier. Just when I felt my face become flush, and I knew that was the onset of my emotions about to come flooding out, he jumped of the elephant, pointed at me, and asked if I wanted to move forward.
Sigh.
I said yes. :)
I unlatched the bar and carefully climbed onto the neck of the elephant. I pet her, rubber her ears, sent her loving energy, and rode her for 45 mins. back up to the camp through the gorgeous jungle scenery. The elephants near Chiang Mai are apparently not treated very well. I wish I could help....

*I posted pictures on myspace, because this blog keeps deleting my photos every time I try to post new ones.

Sue and I jumped into the back of a truck with our guide Born. Three young guys jumped into the front and drove through the windy dirt roads like bats out of hell. Born and I stood up, clung to the roll cage, and giggled with delight as the truck bounced over every divot in the road. It was madness! It was a blast! At one point Born tapped on the hood of the truck and told the driver: Concha, that it was time to stop and walk, but the driver was having too much fun with us, hearing us giggle, that he told Born in Thai that he wasn't going to stop, and that he would drive us all the way to the trail of the waterfall, and then stepped on the gas much harder. hahaha!
Once we hiked down the trail a beautiful waterfall emerged through the jungle, butterflies filled the sky, and a smile kissed my face. We stripped to our bathing suits and jumped in. The water temperature was perfect! The Thai boys lead me up a trail to the top of the waterfall where they showed me a natural slide. SO MUCH FUN! We slid down the rock slide into the water, played under the waterfall, splashed water, giggled like children, took pictures, and cooled off.
What a lovely way to start our trek.
Once we began the ascent up the mountain, and struggled because our muscled weren't warmed up yet, we arrived to a small village where we met up with our trekking crew: 4 French men and 1 woman(Mani, Max, Oliver, Roule, and Florence), and a darling Irish girl(Lorraine).
Then we began our 4 hour trek through the jungle on a sometimes narrow slippery path with a terrifying drop. We hiked through fire for 10 mins. straight up a mountain, through cold creek beds(where we drenched our hats for natural air-con), used bamboo to swing, and then we took a break when we were about to drop dead, and continued on to the Padang village of the Red Lahu tribe-people.
There we stayed and slept in the accommodations they provided, which was on the bamboo floor with a blanket and pillow. All of us together like a slumber party. After the best dinner of my life, and well deserved! We partied hard into the night. 2 Australian girls(Glady and Rachel) arrived from a separate trek and joined us, and we bought amongst the 9 of us(not including our guides and new Lahu friends) 5 bottles of rice whiskey. We rubbed one others aching feet, played cards, did yoga, and laughed under the full moon until about 2 a.m. in the Padang village(in the middle of nowhere). IT WAS UNFORGETTABLE!

At 4 a.m. the roosters awoke us and crowed until 7, then the dogs barked, and then it was time for breakfast. We were trying to eat while all the Lahu women tried to pressure us into buying stuff we didn't want, and it was very uncomfortable. I understand that we were staying in their hut, but we paid for that experience, and the people received a large cut from the tour operators. We were a little tired, some were hungover, we were trying to eat, the merchandise was ridiculously overpriced and nonnegotiable for price reduction, and it was just all so miserable. We felt the Red Lahu masses pressuring us in their environment, so we all went into our hut and hid until it was time to leave. Our fun friendly guide: Born, was moody, obnoxious, and rude the whole 3 hrs. down through the mountains. He would pinch my neck and mumble weird things in Thai under his breath as he walked past us on the trail. At one point I sternly said: Mai-ow ka, Go! Which means: I don't want! Go! He then thankfully left me alone, but unfortunately annoyed my new friend Lorraine.

We arrived to the river where we went white water rafting for an hour with a new guide. Just the girls: Lorraine(Ireland), Glady and Rachel(Australia), Sue, and I. We had so much fun with our pink helmets, and I had the whistle. Whoo-Hoo!
Then we saw our bamboo raft awaiting us with our new guide. We climbed up, and had fun trying to stand, and balance on it all the way down the river. I have a great picture of us that I purchased. :) Once a hut came into view the ride was over.

We jumped into the water and swam to shore where lunch and rice whiskey was awaiting us.
The 5 of us sat with our moody-weird guide Born and his lovely friend Ton for a couple hrs. until the French crew rejoined us, and then we all took the covered truck back to Chiang Mai.
The hot shower that followed was heavenly. :)

I arrived in Chiang Mai

I only arrived a few hrs. ago, but this small bustling city is ripe with holistic health and adventure. This is my mecca as I knew it would be. :) I had a good feeling about the journey north, and already I feel so content just by being here, and like I said: We only just arrived! :) The next 10 days are packed with activities! Sue only has 10 days left here with me before she meets her husband in BKK to fly to Nepal and climb to the Everest Base Camp.
My stomach has been acting up a lot lately, so has Sue's. We are going in for a colon cleanse tomorrow morning after our meditation class, and after the cleanse we are going to find an inexpensive Thai massage to wring the toxins out of our bodies, and then of course drink loads of water and my favorite Asian acidopholis drink.
The next day we leave for our 2 day trek: hike through the jungle, ride elephants, white water and bamboo rafting, and visit the long neck women of Karen village before our trek to the waterfall for a refreshing dip. We get to stay with one of the tribes for a night. It should be an interesting experience.
This Sunday's weekend market is for the cheap shopping. Monday we have enrolled in an all day Thai cooking school. YAY! I get to cook for all my friends and family when I return home. We wanna learn how to make authentic Pad Thai, curry dishes, papaya spicy salad, spring rolls, etc.., and then we leave for 2-3 days to stay with Monk Chet at the Saun Dog Temple to study intensive Buddhist meditation.
We then need to relax, because she leaves next Sat.
After Sue leaves I get a lovely discount on a single room for $150 baht/$5 a day while I study and take all my massage courses. I'm going to rent a bike for transportation, and use this time to get in shape, express my creativity, learn a new trade, make new friends, and do whatever. :)
I love the flexibility.
We just returned from walking downtown to explore the famous Chiang Mai night bizarre. It was awesome!!!!!!! Anything you want can be found. Plus, you gotta love the $20 baht/6 cent cab ride back to the guesthouse.

I will upload pictures soon for those of you who have been writing me: no worries! :D

Just a thought: Getting to Thailand is the pricey part, but once you're hear everything is cheap. If you can swing it, come on out for a visit. This country is absolutely amazing! Everyday is an adventure. I love it here, and I'd love to share it with you...

reflection on BKK

I am falling more and more in love with Asia as the days go on. Besides the horrible pollution in Bangkok. This is a city of the senses. This city stimulates your nerves and desires, which is a good place to start for me, because it's getting me in touch with my body, but I want to go deeper within myself beyond the layers of my physical nature.
Yesterday Sue and I walked up and down 7 stories over a 6 block radius: MBK, Siam Discovery, and Paragon(very chic!). By the time we reached the sky train to return home our feet were throbbing! I laid with my legs up against the wall and did yoga to relieve my aching body.
I feel as though I was meant to meet Sue. She is a perfect compliment to me, and I have enjoyed her company and our conversations immensely. She is a special person, and I look forward to visiting her in Perth, Australia.
Today I awoke tired and groggy, but I rejuvenated with fruit for breakfast, and we got our things all packed up and ready for our 13 hr. train trip up north to Chiang Mai. We left our luggage at Asha Guesthouse while returning to MBK to return my cell phone charger. We jumped in an interesting cab: The guy was fixated on Elvis, and sang "Love me Tender." The 3 of us had an Eagles: "Hotel California" sing along until we arrived. As the phone place charged my phone for me with my new charger, Sue and I went downstairs to an authentic Hong Kong dimsum restaurant for lunch. It was awesome! I love Asian food, and thought of Lee(my brother), because he would LOVE Thailand! My phone was all good to go, so we took the skytrain to Saphan Taksin where we caught a $15 Baht/5 cent ferry up the Chao Praya River(through the center of Bangkok[Bangkok is known as the Venice of the Orient]) to Asha Guesthouse to retrieve our bags. We leave in 1 hr. for the train station.
You'd have to stay in Bangkok 10-15 years to see half of it. This is a fabulous city that grows on you. I will miss it, but I'm ready to move on. Green Tulip House was recommended to us as a superb place to stay in Chiang Mai($6 a day). After 11 days there Sue will leave, and I will be alone. That is when I will enroll in massage school.
Everyday I hear stories from travelers about how they've been taken advantage of, and I've heard horrendous stories of all sorts, but I find the Thai to be lovely people. I think you get what you give in life. This is a country where you do have to negotiate and be street savy. Do your research, learn the language or try to :), and negotiate and greet people with a smile.
Being in this country is a brilliant experience. I'm right where I'm meant to be every moment of every day. Once you realize that in life, then it makes ever person and event really special. That realization keeps me centered, grateful, and joyful in my heart.

Happy St. Patties Day! Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad=I love you very much! Emily, Happy 30th Birthday tomorrow. I miss you.

Muay Thai fight!

Witnessing a Muay Thai fight Live was a top priority on my list of things to do while in Thailand. Today I have put a check mark next to that goal. :) After going to MBK with Sue and Mike(a friend I made last night from Saskatoon, Canada) to buy a cell phone[for emergencies only], the 3 of us took a 40 min. cab ride(120 Baht/$4 dollars) to the Muay Thai arena. It was televised live on Thai t.v., channel 7, and it was a free air-conditioned event! I was on t.v. in Thailand!!! :) If you check it out, let me know.
The arena filled with tribal music and excited cheering fans as the fighters entered the ring. The fighters began by doing a dance, praying, and circling around one another respectfully, but once that bell rang the insanity began. The crowd went nuts! The energy was infectious. I could feel my heart beating through my chest! Sue wasn't so much into it, and left after the 3rd round, which was unfortunate for her because the best fight was the forth, which included the only knock-out punch!
We had great seats, since we weren't betting we didn't have to sit high-up in the bleachers, so we sat in the forth row dead center. After the forth fight, Mike and I were moved to the first row. :)
I had a fantastic time!

In a few hrs. my friend Siraj arrives from Melbourne, Australia. I met Siraj the same way I found Sue: Through TravBuddy, which is an online site for travellers. He, Sue and I are going to get dressed up and take a tuk tuk down to Khao San rd. to explore, and maybe roam through Soi Cowboy.

Sue and I have to purchase our overnight sleeper-car Train tickets a.s.a.p., because we depart for Chiang Mai on Tuesday!

The journey to Tiger Temple!

After leaving Nichole and Ben in Hua Hin I took the van to BKK to meet Sue. The travel van is a local secret, and so far I've traveled on it a few times always being the only white person, but since I know a little Thai I get by, thank god! Let me start by saying that my new friend Sue from Australia is a truly lovely individual. After our first night at Asha(Eh-sha) Guest House in our freezing cold room, she and I awoke and shared a lovely breakfast together, and chatted about what we wanted to do while in BKK. We threw out some ideas, and decided to venture to Tiger Temple!
I love tigers, and always have. So the prospect of being able to touch a tiger delights me to no end. :) She and I inquired how to get there at the desk. We found out it was going much more complicated than we originally thought! We had to take a taxi across town to the bus stop across the river, then take that bus to Kanchanaburi, and then negotiate a taxi to the temple! We learned this would take 2-3 hrs. one way! I looked at her, and she looked at me, and our faces broke out in these gigantic smiles. I said, "Are you down, Sue?" she asked, "Are you?" I was, and so was she, so we went! :)
The taxi ride out there was with a beautiful Thai guy who wanted us to be comfortable, which we were. The bus ride was long, but we sat behind a couple from Texas who we chatted with excitedly the whole way to Kanchanaburi. Our conversation topics included: Travel, career, crazy travel stories, politics: Ron Paul, North American Union, etc... Good conversation! They are very Pro-Ron Paul, and Sue appreciated to hear that Americans aren't in love with Bush or Clinton, which we learned is the impression in Australia. We got a little ripped off with the taxi to the temple, but he was willing to wait for us and take us back, so it felt ok.
We learned that the tigers are not drugged, and that the reason they are so calm with humans is because they are raised from infancy to trust humans. They were raised with and by monks at their meditation camp. All the women must cover there knees and shoulders for the monks, and not wear bright colors of red or orange, so they don't leave the black and white spectrum and stand out to the tigers. That would obviously be dangerous!
Sue and I began walking through the camp when we stumbled upon a monk walking alongside a tiger. Oh my god, YES! We were ushered through the trail of people behind to walk with him and pet the tiger as we walked. :) I stepped in tiger poo, but it was funny because I flung it through the air kicking it off. Then we approached the tiger training camp. Where everyone lined up to be ushered through the valley where the tigers were lounging in the shade. A Thai woman grabbed my hand and my camera, and walked me through the area, introducing me and letting me pet and sit with all 6 tigers, as she took my picture. It was fabulous! Their hair is thick and coarse. One tiger felt me pet him, and he laid his head down and started rubbing his head against my leg as I scratched behind his ears, and pet his gigantic head.
After that wonderful experience that I'll never forget, Sue and I left to find our taxi. It was hot and sticky. Again I daydreamed of chopping off all my hair, hahaha! But I know I'll need it in Chiang Mai where it's cooler. Anyway, we made it to the bus, had some yummy Thai food for lunch. I got to practice my Thai and learn new words, and then we boarded the bus.
Sigh...The most annoying bus trip of my life! Sue and I sat in front of these disrespectfully dressed, stinky, loud, dramatic English people. Half way through the trip one of the girls fainted, and had to be dragged off the bus. It was concerning, but her electrolytes were low, so she just needed some salt/sugar with water. The Thai's were worried and buzzing around her, but as her classy friend said: Sheay wus fwine afta sheay took her poo-tablits. Yuck! The daughter was the most annoying, spoiled, attention-seaking child I have ever had the displeasure to be trapped on a bus with. Sue got a headache from her seat being banged by the child, and her ear constantly being screamed or cried into by this obnoxious 10 yr. old. Luckily we were able to laugh about it, and exclaimed that since we don't have a gun to shoot our bloody head's off with, that at least we can chalk this experience up to being completely unforgettable! hahahaha!
We arrived to our guesthouse after our cab ride, and relaxed to some food,
good conversation, laughs, and drinks.
Today we're heading to the most famous weekend market in all of Thailand. Time to shop!

Sue and I were serenaded at the Chatuchak weekend market.

The south central gulf Islands:

Koh Tao:

After the long bus ride and ferry trip I finally arrived in Koh Tao. The base of the stairs off the pier was jam-packed with taxi drivers dying to escort the travelers to their accommodations. I really had no idea were I was going, and that was the beauty of my island adventure. I had a place in mind, and said Ha-sip(50 baht), and the taxi driver said "ok, let me find 1 person more for 100 baht." He returned with a cute young German guy named Fabian. He said he was staying at SunLord Bungalows. I inquired about it, and it was just the place I wanted to stay!

I arrived to paradise... The bungalows were situated on the side of a cliff in the jungle overlooking the pristine sea. At the base of the stair-pathway was a long slab of stone for sunbathing and the water was absolutely clear for snorkeling, which I immediately indulged in. Since I had no reservation the only place left was a little pricey for bungalow standards, but I had a king size bed with a mosquito net, and my own bathroom with a sink and a shower. YAY! :D You have to shower over the toilet, but no one's complaining.
After relaxing on my porch staring into the infinite abyss and journaling my thoughts, experiences, and dreams, I made my way up the steep stairs to the restaurant where I wanted some food and a beer to celebrate my arrival. :) After eating and being bitten by mosquitoes and ants, I made my decent towards my bungalow where I ran into Fabian. He invited me to his porch to talk and have a beer. There I met his two Swiss friends Claudios and Roman(Ro-mahn). We sat and talked for 5-6 hrs., laughing, and speaking broken German and English. We all shared our experiences thus far. Then I noticed Roman's legs...
They were all torn up and bloody with flies landing in his sores. I stood up completely grossed out, and asked what happened!? Claudios said that Roman flew over the handles of his motorcycle when he had to break fast for a truck. I asked if he had a first aid kit, and he said yes and retrieved it for me. He asked: "You nurse?" I said, "nine, meine vatti(father in German) ist physician. I can bandage you (exaggerated sign language)." He smiled and thanked me. I pulled on the latex gloves and went to work on his battered limbs, and I must say, I did a pretty fantastic job. :) My dad taught me well. Thanks Dad! :)
In the middle of the night I awoke to a loud "uh 0rewe-ar" sound coming from my bungalow. What is that noise?!?!?!? Early morning I stood on my bed and zoomed my camera up towards the dark spot in the beams above my bed, and I saw a 1 1/2 foot long gecko! They're harmless.
Later that morning Roman and I had breakfast, we each packed our snorkel/swim stuff for the day, and we jumped on his motorcycle and rode down to freedom beach. I had to hold his crutches while trying to hang on, but it was fine.
It was beautiful! Trees grew out of the ocean, the sand was clean and white, and the bar on top the hill was a tribute to the Marley family playing glorious reggae music and serving tropical drinks. It rained a little, but I had the best time!
When we arrived at SunLord Bungalows, Claudios was sitting on his motorbike next to a battered Thai man and looked extremely distraught. He said that he hit two Thai guys a few hours ago, and had been at the hospital. He had to pay them 9,000 Baht in expenses. Claudios said he waited for us for a couple hours, because he didn't know what to do, but things were ok now.
Hours later after my nap, swim, food, and journaling, I went to visit my new friends. I decided to retire early to shower, read, and relax. There was a knock, and it was Claudios. We talked for a couple hrs on my porch. He was a bit of a Jesus freak, but a nice guy. At one point in the conversation he told me that he could see light emanating from my head. hahaha! ? Then I was surprised when he asked to sleep next to me that night, but I said he could instead use my porch to hang his hammock, because I wanted to sleep alone. :)
The next day after breakfast Roman and Claudios dropped me off at the pier where I departed for Ko Phagnan.

Ko Phagnan:
I left in a storm, and the boat rocked in every direction so violently that people were scared, crying, and vomiting in their barf-bags. I was almost worried you would see me on the news in 'that catamaran that capsized off the coast of Thailand.' After 1 1/2 hrs. of that I finally arrived.

On the pier walking towards the taxi I met a guy from Finland named Opi. We became friends immediately. The taxi dropped me off in the middle of nowhere. I was nervous. "Where do I go?" The driver pointed into the jungle. "WHERE?!?!?!?!" He pointed again. Still confused, and standing in the pouring rain my new Finnish friend jumped off the taxi and said he would escort me, and that he knew where to find Silvery Moon Bungalows(Nichole's recommendation). Opi walked me towards an incognito trail with a barely visible tattered sign that read : Silvery Moon Bungalows. It went strait down into the jungle, and the path was slippery! I must have fallen 3 times with my new friend trying to catch me as we laughed and chatted all the way down. A sweet thatched bungalow establishment revealed itself through the rain. We arrived all smiles in awe and were greeted by a beautiful sweet Thai woman named Koi. My reservation was nowhere to be found! Unfazed by this, Opi and I had a beer, and awaited the news. Finally they found a bungalow I could rent for 4 days, and it had a spectacular view of the ocean. Only $800 Baht/$26 dollars for all 4 days!
Opi and I walked along the beach for 2 kilometers to his bungalow. I met his funny friend Tattoo, and several Germans, Sweeds, and a cool yoga instructor from Canada(B.C.) who I really liked. Opi, Tattoo, and I scrunched on Opi's motorcycle(Thai style), and we headed downtown for dinner on the beach.
The next day Mandy arrived(my new friend from the Netherlands[Holland, in a small town near Amsterdam]). She and I hit it off immediately! She recommended while I'm in Asia that I take a cheap flight to Borneo after my studies. :) I might. My days in this fabulous establishment were spent reading the Bhagavad Gita on my hammock, doing yoga in the mornings and evenings on the beach, swimming at sunset, eating the best food I've ever had(Thanks Koi and Bert!), meeting fascinating people from all over the world, giggling at all the crazy bugs(i.e. 6 in. long grasshoppers!), befriending the cute playful kitty-cats and dogs, meditating, and feeling free in my soul. I loved this place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mandy is my favorite person I've met so far. She and I had a lot in common, and I hope that I can visit her in Amsterdam someday soon. :)

On the ferry ride back towards Hua Hin yesterday I met 5 Thai guys who were impressed that I speak Nic-noi ka(a little) Thai. They shared some Mango with me and flirted a little. I took the the bus to Hua Hin after I arrived on the pier, where Ben picked me up and brought me to he and Nichole's lovely home. I told them all about my adventures and showed them pictures. We laughed, ate, and I enjoyed a long hot steamy shower before bed. The hot shower is a luxury in Thailand, but since it's so hot and sticky here, the cold shower is refreshing.
My hair is too thick and curly. Part of me wants to give it the chop, because trying to work the sexy bohemian look takes patience and work. We'll see.

travel to the islands

I just returned from downtown Hua Hin with a newly bought bus and ferry ticket in hand to Ko Tao, which is Thailand's premier Dive spot(clear water, whale sharks, gorgeous coral reefs, and an array of unique marine life), and to Ko Pha-Ngan, which is a cool island with relaxing bungalows, sea kayaking, and awesome food. I leave tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. and I return 5 days from now to chill more with Nichole and Ben before returning to BKK to meet my travel buddy: Sue from Australia, and after 4 days in wild and polluted BKK we will venture up to Chiang Mai. :)

not cool/ mai de naak mak

Yesterday we were robbed! Someone broke into Nichole and Ben's house while I was out getting some food. My things were rummaged through, but nothing was taken except the phone Nichole lent me(in case I had any problems). What was weird is that my stuff was in disarray just from me sorting through it, so I thought nothing of it, especially when my passport and money was still in order, but when Ben came home from work, and his friend stopped by to pick up the playstation only to not find it, something was wrong. He was really upset, because it was in a bag with all the games, and he thought he had accidentally thrown it out with the trash. He couldn't believe that was something he would do, and stated in his thick English accent, that it was the stupidest thing he'd ever done. Over the course of the night and over dinner we all laughed about it and chalked it up to a strange mistake.

Then in the middle of the night I was awoken by Nichole who was distraught, "Tracy, do you know where my American phone is? I use it as an alarm, and Ben can't find his passport with all his money that was in my top drawer." No. I had no idea. "I think we were robbed!" After a friend stopped by in the middle of the night to help, He and Ben dealt with filing a police report with the drunken Thai police. This is really scary! They didn't take much, and the things taken were weird random things that were hard to find: An American phone with no SIM card behind Nichole's bed, a passport with money inside of it in a drawer, and a playstation in a bag which was completely concealed. They did not take my wallet and passport right by the door, nor the money scattered on table tops, nor the laptop, t.v., playstation 3, or computer...???

It doesn't make sense! We can't help but look at the construction workers with skepticism, and the little old man next door who keeps watch while he runs his store saw nothing. Today is a stressful day. I want to help, but don't know what to do. Oh! and the kicker is I accidentally broke their fan this morning!
I feel like a jink, and that hurts my heart. *sigh* So, we're just trying to deal with this stress. Ben has to drive a few hours to and from BKK to visit the Embassy and get a new passport and visa, contact the MVD in the UK for a new drivers license, and contact the bank for a new money card. Nichole's lost phone numbers are invaluable. She said the Thai's love phone's because they can switch out the SIM and sell the phone, but this one you can't remove a SIM, so they probably just tossed it. :(

getting acclimated in BKK(Bangkok)

Once Nichole arrived and we had an opportunity to get caught up, we decided it was time to explore a bit. We caught a tuk tuk, which is basically a motorized cart with wheels. Nik haggled over price in Thai(Ha-sip Ha-sip=50 Baht a person/$3), and we had a wild and crazy ride through the streets of BKK to the Mango Tree restaurant where we enjoyed some traditional Thai food and lots of laughs. After that my Nik wanted to show me the REAL Bangkok. She took me to Nana district, which is the seedy side of the city. We were approached constantly to see the 'Best' Ping Pong show(I'll leave it to your imagination...HahaHa) After turning those offers down we heard some live music and wandered into a club when a band was performing Thai pop and American cover song. There were some gorgeous girls and Lady-boys dancing in front with numbers attached to their garments. Nik explained to me that they were for purchase. My mouth dropped. I realized I am so sheltered. "Really?" -"YES!" I looked around the room and saw a few locals, a few swingers, and several fat white men draped by gorgeous young Thai girls. Nik told me that it was common to see young Thai girls while old fat bald white men, and that after their confidence was built up they'll try to flirt with me. YUCK!
We moved on and Nik showed me a 3 story club that was called Nana plaza 1/3 famous sex districts. She said the 1st floor was erotic, 2nd floor was hardcore, and the 3rd floor was absolutely disgusting. I think my eyes were popping out of my head. This wasn't my scene at all, as you all know, but I did want to see and experience the seedy side of BKK. We went to the 3rd floor, into a cramped bar, and took a seat on the top level of the stadium seating. On stage in front of us were 15-20 almost naked young Thai women with number pinned to them. Men slobbered like dogs as they danced. About 15 mins later they put on a series of sex shows. I was in awe and completely disturbed. I don't understand how a country that is so religious co-mingles with prostitution. Crazy! We took a tuk tuk home and talked until we fell asleep.
The next day after our rice and crab breakfast we took a tuk tuk to the Wat pho temple at the Grand Palace, where the King of Thailand lives. We walked about and saw an enormous reclining gold Buddha. When entering any Wat/religious temple a woman must cover her shoulders and knees(Crazy after what I had witnessed the night before). Nichole and I indulged in a traditional Thai massage. After we walked the streets munching on sour mango and went back to our hotel via tuk tuk(FUN!) to relax before dinner.
Since Nichole is Pregnant and sick of Thai food after having been here a year, we looked through my books until we found some international dining options. We dined on Israeli food on Khao San Rd., which has amazing shopping at the night bazaar, but way over crowded with annoying tourists. We walked the streets until our bodies were fatigued, and tuk tuked it to the hotel, took a hot showed, did a facial mask, laughed, chatted, and slept.
After breakfast today(salad, rice, and an egg) we tuk tuked it to the travel van and had a wild and crazy ride to Hua Hin. We're just going to chill and explore in a bit. Maybe head to the beach. I'm practicing my Thai. Hopefully soon I'll be able to hold conversations. I think in a could days I'll take the ferry to the islands and explore.