pre-trip musings

---

Yesterday I committed to going to India; i.e., I purchased an airline ticket from Bangkok to Bombaby on 12/14/11. The decision was big, as there have been, and continue to be, uncertainty around how long I will be in Asia. Part of said ambiguity is financial, another more salient aspect is the uncertainty of unemployment come the new year. Having said that, my ticket into India is a one-way.
A rough outline of my upcoming itinerary is as follows:
Arrive in Bangkok at 11:35 am on 11/03/11. I have already reserved a room for two nights, erasing that initial anxiety about lodging upon arriving in a foreign country. Planning on spending three days in Bangkok, then a short bus ride north to the ruins at Ayuthaya, a train ride north to Philsanulok, spend the night, take a bus east to the splendor of Sukothai. Two days in Sukothai and a train north to Chang Mai. Three days in Chang Mai and a train south to Philsanulok where I will stop and take a bus east to Kohn Kaen. Hop on the train there and head north to Nong Khai on the Laos border. A few days in Nong Khai, including a visit to a surreal sculpture garden, and a couple days spent with HIV+ children in a local orphanage. Train south to Nakhon Ratchasima where I head south on a bus to the ruins at Phanom Rung (ancient Khmer ruins at the summit of a volcano). Finally, continue south to the southeastern coast where I will end my Thailand trip on the island of Ko Chang. Back to Bangkok and head east to Cambodia. More later~

---