http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/LibStein/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from LibStein en-us Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:22:33 +0000 Sun, 03 Jan 2010 01:22:33 +0000 I've spent the last few days outside of Khao Sok National Park on the baseof a mountain surrounded by lush greens and incredible wildlife. Needless to say it was not a priority to update my blog nor an easy task to find internet acccess to do so. Apologies. Tonight I am writing from Paradise Ko Phi Phi Krab province. For the majority of you you will know this as the island next to http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/South-West-Thailand/Ko-Phi-Phi/blog-393235.html Evacuate. Flames. Burning bus. Burned buses. Overnight military patrol. It's been an exciting week in Bangkok but rest assured that what you saw on television well... I did see it too. In person. But despite that peak in protesting violence Sangkron the celebration for the Thai New Year did NOT end. After evacuating Khason Road aka backpacker village earlier this week I only returned onc http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Bangkok/blog-391222.html Happy New Year After exploring nearby Golden Mount I realized that I was too hot and my camera battery was too dead I returned to my hostel changed drank water and headed to KhaoSon Road for day TWO of the new year waterfight festivities. About an hour in I was enjoying my first beer in Thailand talking to a group from England. After finishing the beer I spotted a 3 bottles of water http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Bangkok/blog-390209.html Well after more than 15 years of waiting and seven or so months of planning I am sitting in an internet cafe in Bangkok THAILAND. The weather is beyond perfect the street food is both delicious and rediculously inexpensive the people are happy the backpackers are plentiful The journey from China to Bangkok went a little like this...I woke up Saturday morning enjoyed a manicure and 1hour http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/Central-Thailand/Bangkok/blog-389907.html This is my last night in China. It's been a funfilled long 12days in the mainland and I have absolutely been inspired by the Chinese culture. In fact I have all the decorations I need for a dining room now I just need the room and table to put them in Dad and I each got our Chinese names along with our zodiac sign written on a beautiful silk paper yesterday for 15 total. Speaking of http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shanghai/blog-389323.html Quick blog. Today I arrived in Shanghai which is my final stop in China I will stay here until Saturday when I depart for Bangkok.China Spree has had me onthego for the last three days checking in one day and out the next. After Xian we stayed a night in Hangzhou and then Suzhou spelling and I loved both of the cities. We took boat rides through parts of both cities which allowed me http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Shanghai/blog-388735.html I arrived in Beijing after a long 23 hour trek. In line to get through immigatrion I noticed several people from my tour group they were wearing their name tags so I made friends. And then as I stood in front of baggage claim 41 I looked to theirs baggae claim 40 and announced that my bags didn't come. Let's be honest I wasn't surprised. I spent the first day of our tour walking thr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/blog-387614.html I leave in just under 36 hours from Louisville. First stop Beijing China. From the time I leave the airport in Louisville fly to Tampa catch my international flight from JFK in New York City and eagerly depart my Air China flight in Beijing I will be about 23 hours into my journey a long day to say the leastTruth or dare Truth. I haven't even thought of what to pack for China. I always http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/blog-385984.html When I was very young I discovered my desire to travel my appreciation for natural beauty for people who both looked and sounded unlike me. These were the years when my family packed up some of our best clothing including our favorite sandals and swim suits and jetted down to Florida for 5 and 7day cruises. We traveled the Caribbean the Gulf of Mexico and eventually Hawaii. We stayed http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Kentucky/Louisville/blog-382228.html