Thailand Wedding where no one is Thai

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Cliff Notes

Let's see highlights of the Thailand, really in no particular order.

• They have awesome food, tastes just like the Thai food here. You can get it spicy or
  not spicy depending on what you order. - We have really good Thai here, but since I
  have gotten back, I have decided it was much better there.
  
• Bad beer though, I switched to Mekong (rice rum) and coke or sprite about halfway
  through the trip.
  
• Eating food from the street vendors and market vendors was a fun and safe experience.
  
• Good weather sort of. Very hot, 90-95 and very humid every day. When we were in
  the North it cooled down enough for a fleece at night.
  
• Went rock climbing, diving, sea kayaking, biking, and touring.
  
• Going over to Cambodia and seeing Angkor Wat was the highlight of the trip. The
  ruins over there were just amazing. Some people get templed out looking at them but I
  could just sit and stare at the main one for days. We went and saw it 3 times.
  
• The people are very nice and friendly... most of the time.
  
• Must be a thing about taxi drivers all over the world that they want to scam you.
  
• Took a Thai cooking course, and a Thai massage course
  
• The south was a beach resort. The north is hilly and nice. And Bangkok is a big city...
  with some cool things. The most fun was trying to get around on the water ferries and
  taxis. Something most tourists don't do so that made it that much more fun.
  
• The cool thing about the mountain biking was we road through all these little hill tribe
  towns. The kids would always wave and say "Hello" "Goodbye" -- probably only
  English they new. Then some would come out and try and race us on their bikes.
  
• Sea kayaking we stayed in the floating bamboo bungalows. Really cool till you got up
  in the middle of the night to go the bathroom, then you would wake up the entire
  complex because you can't walk quietly on floating bamboo. Didn't see as many cool
  animals as we hoped sea kayaking. Monkeys, lots of birds, and my sister saw Gibbons.
  I just heard them, how eerie they sound. Start out like a fire engine and then finish as a
  lady screaming in a horror movie. Very eerie to hear all over the jungle. We didn't see
  any tigers didn't really think so but it would have been fun.
  
• Thai Massages. I got lots of these. Full body, back and shoulder, foot. I think I liked
  the foot massage best.
  
• Everyone in Thailand drives a motorbike of some kind, they are everywhere
  

Read on for more detailed stories and stories about fate, a pickpocket, a rave the Kiwis and Bob
Marley karaoke.

Bangkok

The first stop on this expedition was Bangkok. We spent one day there on the way in and a
couple days on the way out. The first night was spent on Khao San, backpacker central.
After spending 25 hours traveling Charlie, Tracy's soon to be stepson, and I decided to check out the street scene. It was 2AM but we were both hungry and not very tired. Things were closing down but there were still plenty of people out. Charlie was even propositioned by a Thai lady of the night. The next day the gang, (Dad, Barb, Katie, Ted, Charlie, and myself) make the required tourist stops. We managed to see the Royal Palace, Emerald Buddha, take a Klong Tour on Chao Praya and see What Pro
(reclining Buddha). They were worth the time and very beautiful. But there were better sites and
experiences to be found on this trip.
On our return to Bangkok we experienced more of the city itself. Katie and I arrived in
from Cambodia and met my friends Todd and Charlotte Shollenberger. They had solved the
mystery of the Skytrain and subway. So we took the subway over to Chinatown for dinner. The
next day our goal was to experience as many different types of transportation as possible. We
started by taking the Skytrain to the Jim Thompson house. After the tour we headed out to find
our way to the Royal Barge museum. Getting to the museum was really more the adventure than
the museum itself, though the Royal Barges are quite impressive to see.
The first leg of the journey was on a canal ferry - easier said than done. The canal was
right behind the Jim Thompson house, so that was easy to find. The real trick was finding where
the boats stopped. We think we found one but there were just kids swimming off of it like it was a
dock, and it wasn't marked. None of them were marked! We managed to find the next stop down
the line through the use of my stellar Thai and more importantly a very nice older lady that
showed us the stop, told us the fare and helped flag the boat down. The boats don't stop unless
you flag them down. The ferryboats and canals do not see many tourists so this was a novelty to
us. We took the ferry to the end of the line where we hoped to get a tuk-tuk to take us to the river.
But we couldn't find a tuk-tuk driver willing to take us. They all promised to take us dirt cheap,
even free. Of course this involved them also wanting to take us somewhere else first. We weren't
interested in any of this and just decided to walk. Besides what better a way to try out all the street
food? We tried to get another tuk-tuk on Khao San. The driver of this tuk-tuk decided to try and
renegotiate the price as soon as he started moving, and Katie just jumped out on the street. It took
about 30 more seconds of screaming stop before he finally stopped and we all got out. We finally
made it to Chao Praya and found the river taxi stop. These stops were much better marked. The
lady here helped us get on the special river shuttle over to the Barge Museum. After the museum
we wandered through more back alleys to find the main river taxi stop on this side of the river for
our final ride to where the river taxi and the Skytrain meet. We took the Skytrain back to our
hotel.
The next day, after 3 hours of sleep, my sisters and I went to the Chatuchak, the huge
weekend market. The place was packed with Thais and tourists. You could buy everything here;
though, we never did find the Cock Fights that Charlie and Ted told us about. Just as well, I didn't
really want to see that.
Saturday night, the gang, Katie, Tracy, Rich, Todd, Charlotte, and myself, all headed out
for Thai Boxing. The Kiwis were supposed to join us but the Angkor Beer had them confusing
Friday for Saturday and they were already headed to the beaches in the south. As near as I can
tell, Thai boxing is equivalent to kickboxing. It was definitely worth the time and money. They
only fight for 5 rounds and we didn't see any knockouts, and only a few knockdowns. Betting
goes on during the fight, and they have musicians that play different music based on what is
happening in the fight. Todd and I took turns betting and I think we broke even, though Charlotte
got mad because I kept buying him beers.
Since this was our last night in Thailand, Katie and I chose to go to the pool bar that Ken
and I had found the night before. Our plan was to stay up/out as late as possible since we had to
be at the airport at 4AM for 25 plus hours of traveling. It was really cool to leave Bangkok at
6AM and get to Atlanta at 3PM on the same day, thank you International Date Line.

The Rave
Its Friday night in Bangkok, and our trip is pretty much over. Tonight ’s plan is to meet
Ken for dinner and then who knows. Ken owns a house next to Katie’s in Seattle but now lives
in Bangkok. We go to dinner at Cabbage and Condoms. It ’s a sort of upscale restaurant in
Bangkok, good food. Their gimmick is they give out condoms at the end of the meal instead of
mints to promote AIDS awareness.
Throughout dinner the debate is on what to do after dinner. Who is going out, where, blah
blah blah. It turns out that our hostel is conveniently located between Soi Cowboy and Nana...
two prominent red-light districts. We decide to head to Nana Plaza to see what it is all about.
Let me tell you that red light in Bangkok is interesting. Nana is a 3 story plaza complex, as
we arrive Ken informs us that regardless of the bar, every girl is for sale here - even the
bartenders. The bottom level is all "beer" bars where you can go in and have a drink. There are
girls there but they leave you alone if you want. Upstairs are the go-go bars with girls out front
trying to get you to go in. You go in and its a strip club sort of. The stripper stage is full of about
10-15 girls dancing in bikinis. You sit around the outside watching. Every couple songs the girls
on stage rotate out. They never take off their clothes or dance together. But they all have
numbers. It seems very much like picking out your fish at the tank of a restaurant. Smile at a girl
and catch her eye. She'll come talk to you when she gets of stage. "I want to give you a massage
and take care of you"
The bar we went into had a mechanical bull. Rich, Ken and I all rode it. If you could stay
on for 60 seconds you got your tab paid for. No guys every made it, but most of the Thai dancers
did. So: I rode a mechanical bull in a go-go bar in Thailand. I sort of figured that would be the
story for this night.
We also checked out a "sex show". It did not live up to the hype. There was no nudity or
sex just some erotic dancing. Ken says they are trying to clean up the Bangkok image... most bars
close at 1AM now. The sex show did Tracy in and she and Rich headed home as we ordered
drinks. Katie decided she was done shortly afterwards so Ken and I walked her home.
We went back out and decided to just go to a pool bar since we only had an hour and I
wasn't particularly interested in buying a girl for the night. Ken negotiates us two moto-dope
rides. This is nothing but a short high-speed chase for about 6 blocks through Bangkok traffic,
maybe the most dangerous thing I did in Thailand. About 1:15 they were still serving us beer so
we thought maybe you can buy beer until 2AM... that was the published time in the guidebooks.
So we decide to head over to Soi Cowboy, I should mention that we are both very drunk at
this point. Well it ’s closed down. Imagine a strip of bars with all the neon off and people just
streaming out of the street. All the Taxi drivers are saying, "I know after party, I know after
party". We keep walking. Not sure why, mostly just for the fun and people watching. Anyway
my next memory is Ken saying "Like this girl” and we stop to talk to her. She is in street clothes
and drinking a Heineken. She says she bought it in the 7-11 and Ken goes to get another beer.
We walked over to this street from our bar beer in hand, probably illegal. I told Ken if the cops
stopped us I would talk since I don't speak Thai, and could pull off stupid. This girl says she
knows an after party and that we can go with her and her friend, who just showed up, if we want
to. I just remember telling Ken, as we head towards the cab with these girls, I have no idea what is
going on and his response is he doesn't either.
The place, really it ’s a whole area, is just packed! The street is packed with cabs and the
restaurants are packed. It seems to be mostly restaurants that are blaring techno dance music. I'm
not sure why but the girls go to their favorite, which really wasn’t very crowded, or maybe it was.
I probably don't know. So we eat, drink, dance and repeat. The one girl is upset because Ken is
married. The girl I was dancing with tells me that she was telling her friend that I was perfect.
She seems fascinated that I don't have a girlfriend and asks if I want a Thai girlfriend.
Several times during the night I go to take a piss, and every time it was an adventure. I am
used to having attendants in the bathrooms but this was a little overkill. There are several
attendants in the restroom. The first comes up and places a cool towel around my neck, and then
another one comes up and starts massaging my shoulders. I had to keep asking him to stop. This
was normal service in the bathroom. Good thing I was drunk because it sure wouldn't help stage
fright.
Eventually it's time to go home. The place isn’t anywhere close to shutting down. The
streets are still packed with cabs and the establishments are still packed with people, but we are
done. So we grab a cab back to my hotel. At my hotel there is discussion among the other three,
all in Thai. I just stand there and look stupid something I ’ve managed to do a lot of this night,
and the next thing I know, I ’m left there standing with Yayi.
Now Yayi and I decide to head off to find an ATM machine, for her cab fare home. This
only gets mentioned because at the ATM 4 or 5 lady-boys accost me. Lady-boys is the Thai term
for transvestites or transsexuals or both, not really sure. Nothing really became of it but it was the
most uncomfortable I had felt all night. After that, we hailed a cab and I put Yayi in it with
100baht for the cab fair. That is probably 3x cab fair but smallest bill I had and its only $2.50.
When I get back to my hotel I decide I need another beer and pick one up at the 7-11. Sitting on
the porch of my hotel with my last beer, I realize its now 5:30AM. Wow where did the night go, I
could have swore it was only 2 or 3.
In the meantime, Katie quietly slept through the night. At 5:00AM she noticed I wasn't
there and went to check if I was passed out on the couch in the lobby. When I wasn't she went
back to bed figuring she wouldn't really start worrying until morning.

Railey Bay and the Wedding
Tracy chose Railey as the location for her wedding and it was here that we spent the first week. Railey is an eclectic mix, its half Club Med resort, and half backpacker / rock climber Mecca. It is located on the Andaman coast not far from Krabi and even closer to Ao Nang. While Railey is not an island, it is separated from the mainland by an impressive limestone headland. It is these limestone cliffs that make it such the climbing paradise. The climbing was one of the main reasons Railey was chosen. According to Tracy and Rich the rock was really good. I don’t know exactly what that means. It seemed like any other rock I had climbed, hard when you fell and hard to hold onto when you didn’t want to fall. However
the climbing was fun and there is something really exotic about being able to say I went rock
climbing in Thailand.
The hotels and beaches on Railey are only accessible by boat, more specifically long-tailed boat.
A long-tailed boat is similar in appearance to a dory that you might have seen in the Northeast. It
is a wooden boat, sometimes with shade cover, sometimes not. A car engine, usually a straight
six, powers it. The propeller is attached to the engine by a 10-15 foot shaft, hence the name longtail.
In order to steer the boat the driver must turn the whole shebang, engine, propeller and shaft
all move as one.
These boats are run like taxis around Railey. It costs 50 baht for the trip from Railey to Ao Nang.
Though this only applies if the driver will make 200 baht for the trip. If not you must either pay
more or wait for more people to go. It was also interesting to note that if a boat brought people to
Railey from Ao Nang, the driver simply turned around and went back to Ao Nang. He wouldn’t
take anyone back with him. I think its some kind of union like agreement among long-tailed boat
drivers. There are no docks on Railey or Ao Nang so you had to wade out into ankle to thigh deep
water to get to the waiting boat. Well this wasn’t true if you were staying in Rayavadee, 30,000
baht a night (almost $800/night). For that price they have a tractor take you out on a trailer to
your cruiser, not a long-tailed boat. I guess for that price you can expect to stay dry.
While Railey was in the area hit but the Tsunami there wasn’t really much damage to see.
One resort was closed and our resort had lost their swimming pool. There was lots of other
construction but nothing major. The biggest lost to this area was the loss of tourist dollars. I
would say Railey was at about 20%!c(MISSING)apacity, which made it nice for getting rooms and getting
into restaurants. At the dive site we were the only boat, where normally there would be ten.
My job on Railey was “Julie Tour Director” for my mom. I was tabbed with making the
arrangements for a trip to Phang Nga and James Bond Island. I also found the diving and
snorkeling. In doing all of this research I made an impromptu trip to Ao Nang looking for tour
companies. Here I got ‘ suckered ’ into getting a shirt tailored for me. I was still thinking in US
dollars because I thought what the hell <$20 for a dress shirt custom made for me, never did that
before, probably never will again.
Phang Nga bay, where James Bond Island is, was an impressive site. It's mostly lowlands
with cliffs and occasional rock monoliths towering out of the ground. We ate lunch at a little
Muslim fishing village built on the water. They used to make their living from fishing but now
they make more from tourism, well not this year because of the Tsunami. In this village we saw
naked kids and baby monkeys with diapers on them. If you weren't careful you would end up
paying 100baht because someone took a picture of this monkey in your arms.
The tour also included two side trips. We went for an Elephant 'trek', but don’t be fooled,
this was really only a 15-20 minute ride. Two people per elephant and we had to wait until one
got back for the next pair to go. Still, it was a good family outing and if nothing else, I can say
I ’ve ridden an elephant. Our other stop was to the Monkey Cave; I think that is the name. It ’s a
Wat in two caves. In one cave is a large reclining Buddha. The Thai Buddha is often found
reclining and is rarely seen as the chubby Buddha. The second and smaller cave is the home of
thousands of bats. And outside the main entrances monkeys are all over the place waiting for you
to feed them.

Wedding
The wedding took place on Hat Noppharat Thara, a beautiful, small beach just north of Ao
Nang. Before the wedding we all loaded into the long-tail boats, picture the bride to be, holding
her dress thigh high wading out into the water to climb into this boat. Our first stop was a
Buddhist temple where Tracy and Rich received a blessing from the monks. Afterward they gave
each monk a gift of thanks. Since you aren't supposed to be higher than the monks who are
sitting, Tracy had to craw from monk to monk and give each a gift and bow, another feat in a
wedding dress I'm sure. From the Wat Tracy and Rich went for an Elephant ride and we headed to
the beach. Since they were going to be 45 minutes or so and it was 90 degrees, we hung out in the
bar across the street and had a few beers. I have to add my sister is the coolest; I ’ve never been
to a wedding before where I was allowed to wear my sandals and didn’t have to wear a tie or
anything like that.
The wedding itself occurred right on the beach at sunset. It was attended by 12 or so
friends and family and probably another 20 passersby who stopped to watch. Oh yeah and the
cake said “Congratulations Track”

Fate
Believe in fate?
Reiki Jeff is presiding over the wedding ceremony and he is talking about fate. He
mentions that Tracy has a ticket to go to Atlanta to support her brother. But she doesn't go. And
she doesn't know what to do with the ticket. Finally, she decides to go for a climbing week in
Mexico and that is where she ends up meeting Rich.
Well I'm sitting there listening to this. And I'm thinking, “What the hell is he talking
about? I don't remember any time Tracy was coming to Atlanta to visit me.” Then it hits me; he
is talking about my cancelled wedding, I just about fell over laughing when the realization hit me.
This was the first time I heard this story.
I tried to convince Tracy and Rich that they owed me and should pay for my trip. In the
end I just got a beer.

Bob Marley Karaoke
Our last night at Railey, Charlie and I decided we were up for a good night of partying.
The bar hosting this nights party had live music, a guy playing acoustic guitar. What made this
guy special was that he looked like Bob Marley. I remarked to Charlie that I wanted to see this
guy do Buffalo Soldier. As the night goes on, I ’m drinking more and more Mekong and Sodas,
and probably still rambling about Buffalo Soldier. Charlie and I notice that just about every other
song is a Bob Marley song. Finally he plays No Woman No Cry and I tell Charlie that I ’ll bet
him the next song is Buffalo Soldier. He must have gotten tired of me saying this because he goes
up to request it. The singer says he’ll only play it if Charlie will sing it with him. Well I really
doubt that there is any 15 year old alive that can resist a whole bar chanting his name. I will say
he did a pretty good job of singing and even ended up dancing with some girls after that. Don’t
think Charlie will ever be the same after this trip.

Khao Sok

After the fun and relaxation
that was Railey it was time for Katie
and I to start the rest of our adventure.
Mom, Madeline, Dad, Barb, Charlie,
and Ted were all headed home. Tracy
and Rich were preparing to start their
honeymoon, though for some strange
reason they kept following Katie and
me around.
Our first plan was sea kayaking
in Khao Sok National Park. It was
originally thought that this would be
sea kayaking along the Andaman
coast. In reality our sea kayaking was day trips from a base camp on a lake, but that is ok. The
area is pretty magnificent, and supposedly full of exotic wildlife, that we didn't get to see.
Tracy and Rich had decided to join us on this trip. According to Rich, it was because he
read that there were tigers in Khao Sok and he was going to see one even though nobody else had
seen one in years. That became the running joke, “A Tiger? In Thailand?” You have to say this
as it was said in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.
The trip started with another long-tail boat ride. We took it about fifteen kilometers across
the lake to our base camp - floating, bamboo bungalows. The only part of the place on solid
ground was the bathroom. These bungalows were surprisingly stable to sleep in, but you knew
whenever anybody was walking around on the walkways.
This was a 3-day trip. We would paddle out every morning at sunrise and return
midmorning. We then would siesta until mid-afternoon when we would go back out for our
evening paddle. On a couple of the trips we actually got the boat to take us to another section of
the lake. Our goal was to try and find as much wildlife as possible. We saw quite a lot of birds:
eagles, hornbills, kingfishers and more I can't even attempt to name. We also saw lots of monkeys
and bugs. They have some of the most colorful bugs I've ever seen. But alas, nary a tiger was
seen on our adventures.
Tracy and Rich managed to see the gibbons; Katie and I only managed to hear them.
Gibbons are small, tree dwelling apes that feel the need to announce their presence to the world
every morning. Their call starts out sounding like a fire engine as it ’s driving towards you. Then
when you would think the fire engine is right there they change their tone to the sound of a lady
screaming in a horror movie. That is probably the best description to give. Suffice to say it was
very eerie/creepy to hear these sounds echoing all over the jungle.
Boats are really the only way to explore Khao Sok. The lake is a man made. The dam was
built between two mountains. The lake itself is several flooded out mountain valleys. The shores
are steep and covered in thick jungle. We got out and hiked up one feeder creek and even that was
rough going.
The waters on one side of the main building at our camp were teaming with fish. These
are the big giant goldfish, and they are there mostly because they get fed. Well we had decided
that it was hot and time for a swim. Both of my sisters are squeamish about swimming in
anything other than a pool. Katie got over some of this when she went snorkeling at Ko Phi Phi
(said Pee Pee). Tracy was still squeamish so she decided to test what fish were over on the
swimming side by throwing food into the water, nothing like chumming before you get in. But
this was a good swimming lesson for Tracy because the next day we had to teach her how to get in
and out of the sea kayak in the middle of the lake to take care of business.
Tracy was not over all of her animal fears though. One day she got Rich to walk her up to
the bathroom, she was afraid to go alone. Well the next thing we hear is Tracy screaming at the
top of her lungs and running back to the main area. She said there was something in there.
Nobody really reacted, we just figured it was a spider or lizard or even a bird. A few minutes later
I'm headed up that way to check it out. Tracy tells me to be careful. She says there was
something big coming at her through the roof. I didn't really believe her but when I got there I
looked around. What I found was a small gecko sitting on the floor looking at me, and I'm sure
wondering what all the commotion was about. Tracy swore that the gecko must have shrunk since
she was up there.
Of course geckos in the toilet weren't the only experience we had with wild animals and
commodes. The last day we were just doing some paddling/exploring before lunch. The plan was
to explore this cave. Normally the lake is high enough that you can paddle into the cave. Well
this day you couldn't do that. The water in the cave and the main lake water were separated by
some dry rocks. So Dave (the guide), Rich, Katie and myself all got out of our kayaks and
climbed up on the rocks. Tracy elected to not get out. She decided the water was too dirty. There
was lots of pollen floating on top of the water. Dave was the first into the cave, then Rich and
then myself. Katie took awhile to decide she really wanted to do it, she was still a little leery
about being in non-pool water. The back part of the cave was very dark and filled with bats on the
ceiling. Pretty cool to swim back that way and listen to the bats speak up. After getting out of the
cave we paddled the kayaks back to the long-tailed boat for lunch. Before getting into the longtail
I jumped in the main part of the lake. Katie and Tracy both wanted to know why I had done
that. My explanation was that we had just been swimming in a bat toilet and I figured I would like
to clean off some before lunch. That realization didn't sit to well with Katie but she survived.

Chiang Mai

After Khao Sok, Katie and I were done with south Thailand and headed up to the hills in
the north. We were headed to Chiang Mai for some more Wats, markets, and mountain biking. In
Chiang Mai we rendezvoused with Suzy and Reiki Jeff, fresh, and I do mean fresh, from their
work in the Elephant Sanctuary.
We spent the first day in Chiang Mai wandering around town and seeing all of the required
Wats and just orienting ourselves. The Wats were impressive but I found I could only look at so
many before they started to blend together. I was most excited at Wat Suan Dok for the chance to
talk to monks at Monk Chat. But it was the Buddhist All Saints day and Monk Chat was closed.
On our 2nd day in Chiang Mai we went up to Doi Suthep. This was the most impressive Wat I saw
in Thailand. It sits on top of a mountain not far outside of Chiang Mai. It was here that I found
the statues of the tigers, “In Thailand?” I also received a blessing and protection bracelet from a
Buddhist monk.
Chiang Mai also has more than its share of markets. It is most famous for its Night Bazaar,
which takes place every night. It has become very touristy and it seems like every 6th booth is the
same. Just up the street from the night bazaar is another night market filled more with locals
where you can buy cheap western jeans and t-shirts and that kind of stuff. All the locals had told
us to go there, be we didn't want western stuff. There is also a good Sunday market in the old
town. This market is less touristy, gets a large number of locals, and still has nice stuff for
souvenirs.
While in Chiang Mai, Katie and I also took a 1-day cooking class. This was loads of fun.
There are lots of cooking schools in Chiang Mai all are probably pretty good. We picked ours
based on the menu they were teaching that day and if it was stuff we thought we would make back
in the states. We came home with new recipes and a good Thai cookbook.
When we returned from mountain biking, we met Tracy and Rich again. I wish they
would quit following us. They joined us in a one-day Thai massage course. This was fun and we
learned a lot. That night we all went to a dinner at the Cultural Centre. This was a performance
that included traditional hill tribe and northern Thai dances and food, served in the traditional
northern Thai method. I think that means sitting on the floor and eating family style. The
performances were very good and well choreographed. After the dinner Katie and I went out to
learn about pickpockets and party one last night in Chiang Mai before heading to Siem Reap in
Cambodia.

Pickpocket
Katie and I decide to go out and do some partying for our last night in Chiang Mai. I had
heard of this place where the Thai's go, we had been there once to eat so it seemed alright. Katie
and I were about the only westerners there which made it all the more special. They had live
music... all in English and mostly American songs. Of course they all liked YMCA but didn’t
know any of the motions and they didn't make sense to them anyway. I guess since they use a
different alphabet it doesn’t translate. They did get a kick out of me trying to teach it to them.
I'm standing there watching the band, it's getting crowded, and the next thing you know I'm
next to these two girls and we are sort of dancing. Turns out the one girls name is Linda, the other
is her friend and the 3rd girl in front of Katie at the table is her sister with Dave the Aussie. I start
talking to this girl and finally convince her that Katie isn't my wife, or girlfriend, but my sister.
We had actually been trying to convince all the guides we had had all trip of that. Linda asks me
if I have a wife, so I ask her if she has a husband. The answer is yes, but he isn't here tonight.
Well shit, I guess we'll just dance tonight and have fun. The night goes on. I keep going back and
forth to the bar. At one point I'm thinking this is so much fun. Everyone is so nice. You bump
them they just raise their glass to you. They'll come up and clink glasses and everyone drinks.
There is even some group type dancing.... blah blah blah.
Well this one guy keeps clinking my glass and putting his arm around me to dance, kind of
like you picture Germans dancing in a group. But then I start noticing that when it ’s around my
back its actually moving. Not in a rubbing, but more of a pat down. I figure he's probably
looking for a money belt; my spider sense must have been going off. As the night goes on he
manages to pat my left pocket. He is on my left and slightly behind me and my money is my right
front pocket. So later, he's dancing and actually holding on around my back for too long. I guess
Linda had told Katie "watch your brother." Because all 3 of us reach for his hand, as he tries to
sloppily move towards my right pocket. Well that put a damper on the fun. I wadded my cash up
and handed it to Katie. They had no idea that she had money. I guess Katie said that the dude had
been motioning to his friend who was directly behind me. The funny part is the guy was oblivious
or drunk or dumb. Because after that he just kept trying to get me to put my glass down and dance
with both hands in the air. I was pretty sure my hand wasn't leaving my pocket.
When the band ends Linda offers to give us a ride home, which we take. The idea of
walking dark streets with my sister doesn't appeal to me right now. On the way home she asks for
my email, which I give her. When I ask for hers... she doesn't have one. I did ask, well how did
you plan on emailing me? “I'll get one was the answer.” She also asked for my phone number,
which I gave her. As of this typing, I have not heard from her… go figure.

Mountain Biking

After the kayaking the next adventure planned was three days of mountain biking. The plan was to bike from Chiang Dao to Chiang Rai, about 160Km. Not bad for 3 days. This trip was Katie, myself, Dayne a serious road biker, and our guides, Wong and Song. The trip starts with a 3-hour ride in the back of a pickup truck up to the starting point in Chiang Dao. The bikes we were given weren't bad. Katie and I both brought our own shoes and peddles which they put on. Katie brought her own seat; I wish I had brought my padded seat also but oh, well.
The first day of biking was probably the hardest. We started after lunch and went 40Kms.
While most of the days were spent on paved country roads, most of today was spent on dirt roads.
We also had the biggest climbs of the trip. I actually ended up walking up three of the hills, not
long just too steep for me. That and my shoulder was killing me already. I was starting to wonder
if I was going to make 3 days or if I would need to ride in the gear truck. We weren't really on any
single track during any of the trip. Though there were a few times that the dirt roads were so
rutted that you were essentially single tracking.
The first day ended at a hill tribe village. We were put up in a bamboo dorm hut. Once
again they thought Katie and I were a couple because they originally had set up a double mosquito
net for us, they quickly added a third bunk in the hut. The village was a combination between
tourist and traditional. The only power was in the Chief's hut, which he used to make
announcements to the village. Most of the huts were raised off the ground. This was to keep the
water and mud out during the rainy season. It also served as a place to keep the pigs and other
animals. Though, the chickens and roosters seemed to roam around at will. Just so you know,
roosters don't wait until sunrise to start their day, these roosters seemed to think that 3AM was a
good time to get up.
Tourist wise there were women in town dressed in the traditional dress. If you wandered
around the village they were quickly there to try and sell you souvenirs. They were very pushy
with their wares.
The 2nd and 3rd day were much like the first. Four of us would bike, Katie, Dayne, myself
and one of the guides. The supply truck would then meet us every 15-20 Km with snacks or for a
break. The 2nd day was my favorite, mostly because my shoulder wasn't too ragged out yet. Of
all the activities I did in Thailand the biking was the worst on the shoulder. It took like a week
after the biking before it really started feeling better again.
The 2nd night we were put up in a very nice hotel, nicer than any we had stayed in so far.
The funny thing was they had Katie's name up on the board in front where they put the names of
conventions or wedding parties, never seen that before. The 3rd night we were in a van, not the
truck this time, back to Chiang Mai to meet up with Tracy and Rich again.
Even though we were mostly on roads, dirt or paved, it was a very private experience. We
rode past people tending rice fields, through small hill tribe villages, through bigger villages, past
markets, even past a funeral service, across a rickety wooden bridge, and even took another longtail
boat ride down the Maekok River. Everywhere we went the people would smile and say
“hello”, while we tried our best to pronounce “sawdee krap” or “sawdee ka”. The children
would sometimes be waiting for us on their bikes and try to ride with us. We saw a lot of the
countryside and rural northern Thailand. I was chased by dogs, crapped on by a bird, rooster I
think but not sure. We had our path blocked by a herd of cattle, well they moved on quickly. My
only regret was the poor air quality. There seems to be a constant haze all over Thailand. In the
south we were told it was just the humidity. In Bangkok I believe its probably smog. Here in the
north it ’s from the burning of the fields to prepare them for the next planting. On the 2nd night we
could see these fires burning on the hillside.

Angkor Wat

A side trip to Cambodia to see Angkor was a last minute addition to our itinerary. As it turned out this was the highlight of the trip for me. The temples and ruins around Angkor were the most amazing things I've ever seen. They were all built between about 900 and 1300 AD. We had originally planned to just spend about 2 days there. Fly in one morning and leave the next afternoon. Well at dinner the first night we are regretting that decision.
We need more time. The real question is money. We had left most of our stuff back in Bangkok
including some of our money. In Cambodia there are no ATMs. The other problem is the
Cambodian riel is worthless, about 4000 riel to $1. You can't exchange riel either. What you have
when you leave the country with you are stuck with. So we are sitting at dinner figuring out if we
can afford to stay for a 3rd day. We decide that we will try and cash one of Katie's travelers
checks, hopefully they will give us USD, but if not we should be able to buy enough food and
other things that they will take riel for. Just for reference as to how badly we wanted to stay at
Angkor, I was willing to not go out or drink any beer to save money, if we couldn't cash the
travelers check.
Angkor itself is not cheap, its $20 a day for a pass into the park. If you go in after 4:30
you get in for free that day. This is what we did the first day to see Angkor Wat, the largest of the
ruins in the site. It was also the most impressive. Katie and I went to Angkor Wat three times,
two sunsets and a sunrise. I told Katie I thought I could spend a whole day there just exploring
that one ruin, every time we were there I saw something different or in a different way.
Somehow we managed to spend two and a half days at Angkor and not get templed out
either. I think part of it was the way we got around. We had decided to rent the Cambodian
version of a tuk-tuk, a two wheeled cart towed by a motorbike. Other options are a motorbike or
an air conditioned taxi. The tuk-tuk falls in between these two in price and I think it ’s the best
option for enjoying your visit. You don't get to the sites as quickly as you would on the motorbike
or taxi, which is nice. It gives you a small break. You can look at the map, read the guidebook or
nap, which you can't do on the back on the motorbike. Unlike being in the taxi though you can
still look around, and nap for longer.
You can get a guide to take you through the sites but we just decided to do that on our
own. For transportation you negotiate with your driver what you want. They will drop you off at
the temple and be waiting when you come out. At Angkor Wat there is a huge football field size
parking lot filled with motorbikes, taxis and tuk-tuks waiting for their fares. The amazing thing to
me is that there were guys there trying to get me to go back with them. I remember thinking,
“how do you think I got out here? I already have a driver.” The other thing I thought was
strange was that our driver didn't let us pay him until he dropped us off at the airport on the end of
the third day.
The 2nd night in Siem Reap we had made plans to meet a fellow traveler for dinner, and
then we went out for drinks. Ankor beer, yes without the 'g', is pretty good stuff as is Lao from
Laos. Neither of these beers is available in Thailand so I was pretty happy to have good beer.
Well I don't remember the order of people leaving but in the end everyone had left: Katie, our new
friend, and the original bartender. Don't worry, I wasn't alone in the bar for long... the Kiwis
showed up shortly after that. For those that don't know Kiwis are from New Zealand. Well these
guys pretty much put a damper on my plans to leave early, but its all good. Some brief thoughts
about what I remember. I had seen them earlier in the day at one of the temples. They were on
mountain bikes. Apparently they had biked up from Hanoi. We got in a 'discussion' about who
should buy the beer. It seems that a Kiwi tradition is for Americans to buy the beer in New
Zealand, which amazingly fits with the US tradition of letting the Kiwi buy. Since we were in
Cambodia we settled on each buying another pitcher. I'm not sure that was necessary, I now recall
that the girls were behind the bar pouring their own beers. I also found two cooks for my next
sailing expedition. They claim to make the best eggs in all of New Zealand.
Katie was quite thrilled with me the next day, really she was. Her quote to me as I
stumbled around the ruins was “I like when you are hungover, you don't talk so much!” I was
sad to be leaving Angkor. Words can't describe the beauty of the place. If you are ever in the
area make an effort to get there, you won't regret it. If you are worried about crowds, just go
during the heat of the day when everyone else is at siesta. Katie said she enjoyed it more than the
Pyramids of Egypt. It was much more friendly and approachable she said. At the current time
you can walk all around any of the ruins. The only areas off limits are those being renovated. I'm
torn on this because I know that hundreds of feet on some of those stones can't be good for
preserving them, but its also fun to sit at the top of Angkor Wat and look out over the plain. My
other advice, plan more time than you think you want, and pack extra clothes. I had to buy a
souvenir t-shirt because I had only packed one and told Katie I couldn't in good conscious get on
the plane in that shirt. I'm sure the other passengers appreciated that.

Pictures

Thailand -- Bangkok (the city)
Thailand -- Railey Bay (wedding, beach and rock climbing, Phang Nga Bay)
Thailand -- Diving (Phi Phi)
Thailand -- Kao Sok (sea kayaking)
Thailand -- Chiang Mai (Wats and cooking)
Thailand -- Biking (scenes from Chiang Dao to Chiang Rai)
Cambodia -- Angkor Wat
Reference
Lodging:
(All were good places to stay)
Bangkok: Buddy Lodge on Khao San
Suk11 on Sukhumvit www.suk11.com
Chiang Mai: Lana Thai Guest House, next to the night Bazaar,
053-275563, 820389
[e-mail]
Railey Bay: Diamond Cave
Siem Reap: Dead Fish Guesthouse
http://www.talesofasia.com/cambodia-deadfish.htm
Other:
Cooking School: www.alotofthai.com
Massage School: don’t remember
Exchange: <40 baht/ $1
Sea Kayaking: Paddle Asia www.paddleasia.com
Mountain Biking: Northern Trails http://www.northerntrails.com/thailand/
Cambodian guide/ tuk-tuk driver: Mr. Synon Tuk
Phone: [phone]
License #: 0962

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