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so let's see....
our second day in bangkok: we started to walk down koh san road (a famous backpacker haunt), and got sidetracked by a tuk tuk driver. he made small talk and when dorota mentioned she needed an international sim card, offered to take us to the center city mall extavaganza for 10 baht each. we thought (i knew!) this was a bit to generous, but we bit and went with the flow. the driver took us to a travel info office. we entered and asked some questions. then he took us to a tailor and said to just "look around". he then explained that he gets free gasoline cards for these stops. we went in and got into a pretty interesting conversation with the two tailors about world politics and america, so it was actually a fun experience. eventually made it to the mall, which is the most populated, chaotic galleria we've ever seen. affluent thai kids are far more hip and trendy then anyone in the U.S. very japanese-esque. so much technology, so much clothing, SO MUCH HAIR PRODUCT! caught a tuk tuk home, and fell into the same trap, and a heavy downpour! it is monsoon season.
booked a trip to a floating river market with our new Polish doctors for the next day. head out on a two hour shuttle ride, then a long tail boat through what seemed to be a toxic soup of sewage. LUCKY WE BROUGHT DOCTORS! dorota and bartek (the male doctor) were trying to outdo each other taking photos of all the colorful fruits, vegetables, and boat gridlock. yes, there's is traffic here in the river.
rented a canoe to puruse the market, bought lots of exotic (to us) fruit, and sweated like westerners. we actually bumped into a guy that lived next to us in larchmont village.
when you get into the longtail boat, someone takes a photo. nobody notices of course. at the end of the trip, you walk back to meet your group, tired and dripping with sweat, and the workers hold up little plates with your photo affixed to them. not something that you want to see at the end of a meal (your sweaty face). it's hysterical, and nobody seemed to buy them. so we wondered where our photo plates might end up. roadside food stand, perhaps?
afterwards, we came back to town and downgraded our room (traveling begins!). oh how the mighty have fallen. we now have some sense of how well-to-do americans must feel as the recession reduces the amount of channels they can have on every satalite, in every room in their houses. we rented a little window-less room, tip-toed around the dirty floor, hosed off over the toilet (still had a toilet though), and went out to do what we do best. EAT! we've eaten plenty, and eaten well.
had a final night of beers with the poles, as they were departing for indonesia the following morning. we met helga, a sixty-something woman, who has been traveling for the past 27 years. throughout pakistan, afganastan (forgive my spelling), india, and the rest of the world. by herself! she now lives in east thailand and told many interesting stories.
next morning: got up and jumped a plane to chiang mai. yes a plane. so far, we've been taking some comforts along the way. took a little taxi and met a passenger from chicago, named jakob. he's an anthropologist like dorota. studying thai people - like dorota. small world, eh? he took us to a town outside of chiang mai, by the university. we couldn't find a place to stay (that was cheaper), so we walked back to center city (inside the moat), which is where we'd intended anyway. nice to walk though! got a pretty nice room and have spent the last few days on a rented motorcycle (ok, it's probably more of a motorbike, which i'm only admitting cause we'll probably post photos!). we've been riding through the countryside, sometimes on the beaten path, sometimes off of it (dorota's the navigator!)
when we finally figured out how to get out of the city, we went to a hot springs. yes, a hot springs in 30-40 c. (90+ degrees to you yanks!) weather. the local thais sell and buy eggs, which they then cook in the springs. very relaxing. very refreshing! great odor too!
we've pet tigers (we'll prove it with photos!), been to an orchid and butterfly garden, hiked to a waterfall, gotten joyfully lost by a river, ridden through crazy city traffic, and as mentioned above, eaten and eaten.
also got thai massages last night and then glided like noodles to the night bazarre, for complete, chaotic shopping (cyndi where are you?!?!).
adam brought a little recorder, and has been collecting samples (and odd stares) of animals (including the tigers), birds, and local merryment.
now we are fatigued from six hours of riding (sean, you and adam should get bikes and traverse some unsuspecting country!!), and FULL!
maybe another day or so in chiang mai, and then off to chian rai in the north, and then further north toward the golden triangle.
we'll keep y'all posted.
love,
a/d
PS. photos....hmmmmm...will need some time to figure out this system over here....
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dita
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sitting in the sweatshop
so today i show up to work ... 10 minutes late (i think i pressed snoozed 10 times or turned off the alarm) ... leaving for work in a frantic panic with toothpaste on my arm and no eyebrows! but to my lovely suprise finding this travel blog from my best friends to lighten my spirits! sounds like you americans are definitely on holiday! look forward 2 the photos! nothing to report here in LA. only thing you've missed is michael's funneral tuesday but thank buddha for youtube ... you can always look there. little paris did say some touching things about daddy. OH~ i saw ur 717 call but i was eating zombie dinner. we've got video. aloha from hollywood~ c.