Ah, the internet! Glorious, unhindered access allows me to once again report on traveling, drug dealers, incidents, and iPhones. Read on. Getting to Syria was fairly straightforward. I was able to return the rental to its home without so much as a scrape, sorry but I'm kind of proud about this fact. The staffer from the car rental "shack" on the side of the motorway (who shall go nameless to protect the guilty, helpful and otherwise) offered to take me straight to Abdali bus station in Amman. Now, I had grown pretty suspicious of anyone offering anything in Jordan because I [View Full Entry]

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I've got so much to say about Syria...but precious few moments here at the ol' internet cafe (so far, I think, the only one I've found in Aleppo...). I'll be uploading pics, but it may take a few days before I'm not paying by the minute and trying to make travel plans at the same time. It appears *leaving* Syria is a bit more complicated than entering. Syria is inexplicably chaotic and friendly. You seemingly take your life into your hands every time you step on (or, more usually, off) a sidewalk or, God forbid, try to cross a street. And [View Full Entry]

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So this will be my last night in Jordan! Tomorrow I head north to Damascus. Yesterday Joe, Steph and I made the 3-hour trek up from Wadi Musa into the heart of the beast - Amman. I have to say, we did pretty freakin' spectacular navigating all the way through town into the very centre. We even found a parking spot straight away. I'm pretty proud. I was sad to say goodbye to Joe and Steph and the awesome conversations we had. Getting out of Amman was hardly straightforward, which begs a brief description of what Jordanian "driving" really consists of: [View Full Entry]

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And now...Petra. I started out early for a morning run yesterday. Folks don't seem to open up shop very early around here, so I figured a 6 am run would be a little less uncomfortable. I ran up the steep hill from Wadi Musa into a neighbourhood, very quiet and no traffic. Key. On my way back down the hill I met a friendly guy working on his car and an older guy waiting on a corner, presumably for a bus. As I passed he yelled out "Yes! Quickly!" Fun guy. Then the early start @ Petra. The descent from the [View Full Entry]

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Wow, so much to write. Internet has been a little spotty - deal. Bethany, Nathan, McKenzie, and Rachel took me to the bus station in Fang, for the 3-hour van ride to Chiang Rai. I already miss them - crap. I sat next to a monk on the ride down, and he knew English fairly well. He even negotiated me a kickin' fare for a tuk-tuk back to the airport! Steve's travel hint for today: when your new monk friend negotiates your fare, you win. The flight to BKK was uneventful - I ended up spending a little more than I [View Full Entry]

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The past few days we've spent with Billy and Kelly of Ambassadors In Sport, going from school to school teaching soccer skills, teaching about God, and generally having a riotous good time with our young Thai friends. Soccer joins the nations together in a common bond, more than anything else I've seen. Today was spent up in the Chinese tea village of Mae Salong. I rode in the back of the pickup up some intense mountain scenery and bordering hilltribes. Tomorrow will be a relaxing morning before the insanity - a 4 hour van ride back to Chiang Mai, an hour [View Full Entry]

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Yesterday (Tuesday) Nathan, Rachel and I set out for Burma. I'm starting to gain a real appreciation for the miracle that is 7-11. They're like the Thai Starbucks - absolutely viral. I got myself a tasty ice cream bar on the way. Over lunch we met up with Billy and Kelly, who work with a sports ministry here in Thailand. Bethany and Nathan's ministry is working a lot with Billy to get some futbol into the schools, and of course to include teaching about morality and God in the process. Crossed into Burma, where you could buy...cigarettes!!! Wow! I had no [View Full Entry]

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This will be a quick one, but I guarantee a whole load of pics in the next day or two... I was picked up at the Chiang Mai train station by my very benevolent friends Bethany and Nathan, and Rachel and baby McKenzie came with, so we had a little ready-made family. We stayed in Chiang Mai that night, then the next day (Sunday) came northeast to Chiang Rai for evening church and the Night Bazaar. Man, I wished I had my camera there....ever see Thai transvestites dancing? You're missing out...kind of. I tried my hand at bartering for a t-shirt, [View Full Entry]

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2 days ago I finally landed in BKK. Immediately upon exiting the airport I was forced to stare down and yell at an aggressive taxi driver. Seriously, dude. Took the bus to Hua Lamphong train station in the "middle" of the city (I say that because only YHWH knows if BKK actually has a middle, though it would be made of delicious noodles and egg yolk if it did). The only train left to Chiang Mai didn't leave until 10 at night, which left me 8 hours to explore Chulalongkorn Uni about a mile east of here, and to lick my [View Full Entry]

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Deodorant and a quick brushing do not a shower make. Sitting in the Taipei airport waiting for my next flight to Bangkok. From there, it will be a slow slog into the city, a 10-hour train ride north to Chiang Mai, and a 3-4 hour bus ride to get me near Mai Ai. I think that means I get there on Saturday. Though last I checked, it was Wednesday. On the long flight over, I sat next to a health worker from Indonesia, who had gotten 3 weeks off to take his 3 kids (all born in LA) and wife back [View Full Entry]

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