Details, details

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Although I'm not exactly sure when I'm leaving my job, it is becoming clearer by the day (December 8 really does sound good)...


But, let's fill you in on what is known. My roundtrip ticket between Los Angeles and Bangkok has been booked. I used my frequent flyer miles with United to obtain a free economy class ticket. I leave LAX on January 5, 2006 and return from Bangkok on March 13, 2006. This gives me 9 weeks in SE Asia.

I also have some other reservations...

On January 9, 2006, I have a flight from Bangkok to Phuket. It was too hard to pass up on a $20 airline ticket (Air Asia) to the island of Phuket. After a few days in Phuket, I will travel up to Khao Lak, a town that was hit hard by the tsunami. It is also a great departure spot for diving off the Similan Islands (one of the best, if not the best diving in Thailand).

Now, I have never gone diving but I want to check it out. I've always been fascinated by the ocean. I figure this is a good opportunity to see marine life in an environment with very clear visibility. I have signed up for a PADI open water certification course with SeaDragon Diving (http://www.seadragondivecenter.com). It involves classroom instruction for a couple of days, and then open water dives off a liveaboard boat for 3 days. How cool is that? While I am in Khao Lak for the classroom instruction, I will be staying at Baan Krating Resort. It's a bit of a splurge for me on this trip - $65 per night. However, based on pictures and reviews I've read, it's well worth it. The diving course isn't necessarily cheap either, at about $425 for 5 days, but it includes food & lodging on the boat for the last 3 days/nights.

On February 3, 2006, I leave Bangkok (I'll get back up to Bangkok at some point beforehand by bus, train, air?) for Singapore (south of Thailand). I got an airline ticket for $36 (thanks Air Asia!) from Bangkok to Singapore. After a few days in Singapore, I plan on heading by train through Malaysia, checking out some sights there, and then re-entering Thailand in mid-February.

Everything else is pretty much unknown. I do plan on going to Chiang Mai (city north of Bangkok, Thailand), and I would love to see Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

The intent is to meet other fellow travelers (and locals!), and be flexible. I may end up joining some new found friends and traveling to Laos or Vietnam, or another city in Thailand I never planned on going to. We'll see!

But you'll be right there with me as you follow my blog.

Thanks for reading...

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Photos

Thailand in February 2005
Here I am on Nang Yuan island, Thailand in February 2005 during my vacation with friends Jonathan and Heather.