In the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," the book (for which the novel is named) carried around by the protaganist has printed on it's cover "DON'T PANIC!" This is typically good advice for most situations we find ourselves in, and VERY good advice when diving 100 feet underwater with sharks swimming around you when something goes terribly wrong. Now I disagree with Mr. Adams somewhat on this topic. I think there are a number of legitimate reasons and proper times to actually panic. When a giant meteor slams into the planet probably tops the list. When space aliens actually land and [View Full Entry]

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The same day we arrived in Koh Toa, we started our open water diving course. First we made it to the island after the 2 hour ferry ride and checked in at Ban's Diving Resort. AFter a bit of research, we discovered that this place has the best reputation in the area for diver training and facilities. I can attest that the reputation is well deserved. The rooms are a bit small, but that's not too important. We're never there. The service in the resort restaurant is about the same as it is in all of Thailand, but the food is [View Full Entry]

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It took us two full days to get here, but it was worth the journey. We left Pai and took the winding road back to Chang Mai, which seemed a lot easier going downhill than going up it. But that may have just been the adrenaline working as the driver we had of our overstuffed minivan is Thailand's answer to Evil Knievel. He didn't seem to mind sliding into the oncoming lane to pass slower vehicles, even on blind curves; even on blind curves with 400 foot dropoffs; even on blind curves with 400 foot dropoffs when there was oncoming traffic! [View Full Entry]

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One of the strangest but most common phrases you will hear in Thailand is "same-same, but different." It sort of means that you are doing something similar, but not quite. I think. It's sort of hard to say what anyone in Thailand actually means when they speak to you. Their english is fair, but their comprehension is low. There is a lot of smiling and nodding and somehow everything works out, but not always the way you expect. But still, this is a place for vacation, so you just sort of take it all in stride and enjoy. Pai is truly [View Full Entry]

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When I was a kid, I read a short story about a man lost in the mountains in Asia who stumbles upon the mystical Shangri La, or Paradise. In the story, he was never allowed to leave once he found the place, and had to eventually sneak out at night to get back home. I think this may have been the place he found, but I can't figure out why he would have wanted to leave. Okay, maybe for some decent Mexican food, but other than that.... We're about halfway through our ten day stay in Pai, and this is a [View Full Entry]

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It's been a few days since you heard from me, but that's mostly because days in this part of Thailand have no meaning. We flew into Chang Mai and spent the night there since buses don't leave for Pai in the dark. Chang Mai is Thailand's second largest city behind Bangkok, but it really doesn't compare in any way. Think Austin compared to Houston. Chang Mai is still full of tourists who fly or bus in there for the hiking and travelling around the region, and thus is full of street vendors, night markets, bars and brothels. It's actually a little [View Full Entry]

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Our final evening in Bangkok, and not a moment too soon. Bangkok is a fantastic city in many ways, but it's still a big dirty city and the constant press of people and local hustlers gets old after a couple of days. My favorite was the guy trying to convince me to purchase tailored shirts from him and when I said no, bumped me into a passing food cart that ripped the shirt I was wearing. This gave him more incentive to harangue me for purchase. I almost punched him. But that is truly an exception to the general rule here. [View Full Entry]

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Three airplanes, three airlines, three cities and twenty seven hours of flying landed us in Bangkok around midnight last night. But not to worry, this is a city that barely sleeps. Bangkok is one of the most modern cities in the world and also one of the most impoverished. It's also beautiful and amazing and full of fantastic, exotic and generous people. Like any great city, there are plenty of people out to hustle tourists for money, but I've been in enough of them to handle that. Farangs (that's the local pejorative for us white f [View Full Entry]

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It's late the night prior to our pending 27 hour journey to the bottom of the Earth. We've spent the day running last minute errands, hunting for new earbuds, books, batteries, clothes, vitamins and assorted other travel crap indispensable for a six week trip that includes a full month in the land of Elephants, Monkeys and Tigers (Oh MY!). You've all been invited to join us vicariously as we suffer the monsoon season, giant mosquitoes, 115 degree heat with 100 percent humidity, and some of the most extraordinary scenery on the planet. So enjoy the posts and the photos and we [View Full Entry]

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