Travels with a Burnt Out Do Gooder

---

Well prep for this trip is some kind of work. First, I foolishly tried to take my own Visa photos (for Vietnam) as I used to do in the pre digital days. Came up with wallet size prints only when I needed 2" X 2". I can crop them but we have to wait and see if the distance from lens is OK. That comes in September.

Still don't have an itinerary or reservations for the Thailand portion of trip....the part where I have to make my own arrangements and don't speak a word of Thai. Yikes! I did get some phrasebooks from the library and got some info on line but who's got time for studying Thai? I'm also trying to learn Vietnamese as I'll be there 3 weeks before Thailand.

Then yesterday, I discovered conflicts between the list of innoculations I need as presented by my doctor, the CDC, and my pharmacist. Mystery must be unraveled SOON, in favor of over caution. Reason? In my one year in Peace Corps Senegal, I got pleurisy, severe anemia, and worst of all malaria. Better safe than sorry, thank you very much.

But yesterday also brought lovely clarity. I plowed through thunder storms and subways to go to the actual Thai Tourism Authority down at Wall St. in lower Manhattan. I got wonderful wonderful one-on-one guidance from lovely agent at the place-Tida. What a beautiful young girl. So much individual help and personal advice. and wonderful materials.....books and photos ad infinitem on Thailand. Soooooooo beautifl. I was at 6s and 9s about which beaches to go to in southern Thailand. With Tida's help and study the tons of gorgeous materials she gave me, I think I'm leaning toward Krabi , just north of Phuket. Getting psyched!!

---