there goes Dave

Although I've been back in Bangkok for a few weeks, I wanted to give a brief recap of my time in Sihanoukville, Cambodia (July 21-24, 2010). Sihanoukville is a port town on the south coast of Cambodia, approximately 5 hours by bus from Phnom Penh. Although the town of Sihanoukville itself isn't on the beach, there are several beaches nearby. The most popular beach for travelers is Ochheuteal Beach ($2 for moto taxi from Sihanoukville to Ochheuteal Beach), especially a section of it known as Serendipity Beach. It's a bit rocky at the Serendipity end of the beach, but there are some great backpacker type places there. I stayed at a flashpacker/mid-range hotel a couple of streets off the beach named Beach Club Resort, but ended up spending most of my time hanging out at The ... read more

Saai and I spent two nights in Trang with her family. Her family were great hosts, and her mom is an excellent cook. There was a continuous flow of seafood coming from the kitchen…crab, mussels, fish, and prawns. We ate up. But it was soon time to leave… On Thursday (October 15, 2009), Saai’s mom and step-father dropped us off at the pier in Krabi to take a 1 ½ hour ferry to Phi Phi (departures at 10, 1:30, and 3 daily). If you’re heading this way, you need to make sure you get to the correct pier. I believe it’s called the Passenger Port, and it’s approximately 5 km from town - you’ll need transportation there. The boat over to Phi Phi is 400 baht per person (one way) at this time, and 700 baht ... read more

I've done some traveling since my last update. Where? Mostly to destinations within Thailand such as Phetchabun (northern Thailand), Khao Yai and Hua Hin; but, I've also taken a trip to the U.S. to see family & friends. However, there's really too much to cover. So, let's keep it simple... and share about my most recent trip to Ko Samet, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. Due to its proximity to Bangkok, it's a popular destination for those in Bangkok seeking nice beaches with limited time. Although it's fairly close, it's not THAT close. Through public transportation, the trip took approximately 5 1/2 hours from door to door. That's 5 1/2 hours from walking out my apartment door in Bangkok to walking into my resort room's door on Ao Phai beach on the island of ... read more

A couple of months have passed since my last blog. You'd think by now I'd have put together something covering my trip in May to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai (northern Thailand). But, ahh, nope! I haven't done it. The trip overall was good, but it didn't go as planned, or rather, things weren't planned well enough? What do I mean? Well, the original intent of the trip was to make a visa run across the Thai/Burmese border. However, that didn't happen. I never crossed the border. Although there is more to this story, the bottom line is that a visa run wasn't necessary because I was able to get a new non-immigrant B visa (1 year) through my current employer, St. John's College, prior to the expiration of my old visa. I won't get into ... read more

Halong Bay is a very popular side trip for those visiting Hanoi, Vietnam. It's a 3 1/2 hour drive between the capital city and this bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Halong Bay contains almost 2,000 limestone karst islands. There are a few islands with lodging for tourists, but primarily the islands are uninhabited, largely due to their topography. There aren't many flat areas to develop, and very few natural sand beaches. The view is striking, however. For those who have been to Thailand's Phang Nga or Krabi provinces, it is very similar. Many tourists opt to see the bay aboard Chinese style "junks". These boats are used by daytrippers and overnighters alike, and they're all over the place. It seems like every travel agency in Hanoi offers trips to Halong Bay, and as I mentioned ... read more