Lantau Island, Hong Kong 12/7/06

Lantau Island, Hong Kong 12/7/06

It’s my last day. Well for this trip at least. I fly out for New York tomorrow morning. Then again the fun adventure doesn’t stop there. I wander around the U.S. for most of January, February, and now into March. After that it’s looking like Europe, around the 19th of March, will be next trip abroad. I guess that’s not too long to wait. Today is just my last day seeing “new” stuff for awhile and that makes me a little sad.

Lantau Island is home to “the big Buddha”, as everyone calls it here. Of course it’s just one of many “big Buddha’s” I have seen in the last 2 months. This one is credited as being “the largest, sitting, bronze Buddha in China.” Ooooooo! While it is impressive to see, I can’t shake the feeling that I am one step above seeing the largest ball of twine in Minnesota.

I am currently sitting in some woods, on a big rock, off the Wisdom Path, (or so it was marked, who knew the path to wisdom was so easy to find?) past the big Buddha. It is indeed a big Buddha but I think it could be more aptly named the Biggest Grossing Buddha in all of China. I don’t think that it’s any coincidence that you have to take the same train from Hong Kong Island to Disney World as you do Lantau Island. Welcome to Buddha World!

As I sit on this boulder I bet if I put a little sign on the Wisdom Path that said “American Buddha” I could easily make a few hundred HK Dollars. At least enough for my bus and ferry ride back.

There are no Lotus petals surrounding me but my postures pretty good and with my bright yellow Jack Johnson t-shirt on it could pass for a saffron cloak. Instead of enlightenment I’ll just explain the complexities of the word “dude”.

Hong Kong has been fun and probably a nice transition back to the Western world for me. The city is like a maze. I have no idea how you could drive here. There doesn’t seem to be intersections just roads and ramps curving up, down, and around. It’s the same thing with walking. Sidewalks don’t follow roads. There are pedestrian bridges in every direction that go for blocks and blocks. In some areas there are even outdoor moving sidewalks that go for blocks. If you were to plot my walking routes through Hong Kong it would probably look like one of Billy’s adventures from Family Circus.

It’s a very dense city. Everything on Hong Kong Island seems packed between a bay and a low mountain ridge. Yesterday after wandering through the maze of the City I finally made it to the start of the trolley line that runs to a popular tourist spot, at the top of the mountain ridge, called The Peak. I skipped the trolley and instead hiked up. A nice climb once you get out of the city and the view of Hong Kong below got better with every switch back.
It took me about an hour to get to the top. I was expecting to find an observation deck, some coin operated telescopes, maybe a little gift shop. Instead I found a shopping mall. In Hong Kong even the nature escapes have been developed. At least all the shops had nice windows to see the view. Realizing I couldn’t beat’em, I joined’em and found a comfy chair at the Pacific Coast Coffee Shop. It had a great view and free internet access so I ended up hanging out up there for a few hours before making my way down the other side of the ridge and hopping a bus back around to the Causeway Bay area of Hong Kong and my guesthouse.

On my first night in town I met up with my other hiking pal from the Great Wall, Kristen. She took me out in the Ex-Pat area called Lan Kwai Fong. Dozens of bars and restaurants packed into both sides of streets still heading up and down hills in every direction. Each one packed with obvious business people who came right from the office. Once you get close you can hear accents that help you figure out which nationality has claimed each bar.

To keep with my international theme Kristen and I stopped in the French and Irish bars, and then had dinner at a Japanese place. We wrapped up the night at a unique karaoke bar. It was a wide open bar, like we are used to in the U.S., different from the other places in East Asia where you get a private room, but instead of some computer screen with the words and bad sequencer music there was two guys with guitars. They played the music as you read the words from a big binder sitting on a music stand.

This bar welcomed all nationalities as long as you were drunk enough to sing in public. We were treated to a Chinese guy that wanted to be Sinatra, a German guy that wanted to be the 5th Beatle, and a few other random nationalities and artists that just blended in with the background conversations while Kristen and I discussed future travel plans.

Before she became a self proclaimed workaholic balancing offices in New York, Paris, and Hong Kong, Kristen was an accomplished Backpacker. She was providing me tips on India and Nepal when a performer took the stage that caught the entire bars attention.

I am of the philosophy that the best karaoke is the worst karaoke. I don’t like the people that get up there and obviously sing a song they know they are good at or a song by Faith Hill or Whitney Houston, unless it’s done Randy Watson style of course. By that definition I think I saw the best karaoke performance ever at this bar in Hong Kong.

As soon as this guy started you could hear the entire bar collectively mumble “Oh my God!” Kristen, already a not so proud POM said “Oh my God I think he’s British!”
I said “I think he’s autistic!”

At this unique karaoke bar in addition to the live guitarists backing you up you also basically get unlimited songs. You want to do 3 songs in a row they’ll let you as long as nobody else is dying to get up on stage. In the case of this particular howling seizure on stage the entire bar was screaming for the train wreck to continue, so he did.

I did start to feel a little bad when I realized this poor guy was serious. He didn’t realize we were laughing at him not rocking out with him. Oh well, he was having a good time and that’s all that matters. He was greeted by a handful of cheering co-workers when he finally got done. It was like a symbolic hug and medal, acknowledgment that he was a winner just for trying. I will probably never see another karaoke bar without thinking of his performance.

I don’t know how the Buddha’s did it. I’ve only been sitting on this rock for about 45 minutes and my butt hurts and my left leg is asleep. Maybe that’s why they are sometimes laying down or reclining?

Now it’s time to wrap this up and start my wandering journey back to the organized chaos of Hong Kong Island. I meet back up with Kristen tonight for my last night abroad in 2006. It has been an amazing trip that I will never forget but as usual I’m not content. I want more.

Buddhists believe you get multiple lives. Each one gives an opportunity to grow and evolve closer and closer to enlightenment. I find myself hoping they are correct because it’s obvious one life is not going to be enough time for me to accomplish everything I want.

I guess I better buy some stuff on the way back through Buddha World now. Maybe a sitting Buddha snow globe or a Path to Enlightenment bumper sticker. Pretty cheesy I know but I think they still count as earned merits towards my next life. Karma is all about the profit margin.
MJF

Shanghai, China 12/4/06

Shanghai, China 2006/12/04
On a cold winter evening, on a train bound for Shanghai, I met up with three Chinese women, we were all to tired to sleep, so we took turns a staring out the window at the darkness ‘til boredom overtook us and they began to speak. I just smiled because they didn’t know any English and I didn’t understand a word they were saying.

My Chinese vocabulary consists of Ni Hao (hello), Xiexi (thank you) and three words or phrases the Wongs taught me that mean “cheers”, “good food”, and “good drink” all of which I can slur to the point that people know what I’m trying to say but I dare not try to write them down. My English spelling is bad enough. I don’t need to start butchering Chinese too.

Sitting in the little sleeper car on my Chinese slumber party, I used up two of my words right away and since there was no food or drink in sight my remaining three phrases didn’t seem very useful. So I sat and smiled while they talked and giggled, probably at me I’m sure. Eventually I climbed up to my bunk and fell asleep to KT Tunstall on the trusty iPod at the late night hour of 8:30 p.m.

I didn’t move again until 6:30 a.m. when the steward came by to wake us. With my head phones still in my ears from the night before it’s safe to say I was sleeping pretty deep. It took me a second to remember I was on a train in China.

Apparently we were approaching a station but I was never able to figure out before we left if Shanghai was our only destination. Getting through security and finding the right train was challenge enough in Beijing. I looked down at my three bunkmates who were all gathering their things together and I said “Shanghai?” They just stared at me. I pointed out the window and again said “Shanghai?”

This time they all started talking at me but providing way more information than the simple yes or no that I needed. Seriously?! How hard is it to nod or shake your head?! I know they know the word “Shanghai”.

As I climbed down off my bunk to figure out where we were I got the distinct impression they were getting some sort of revenge. I must have snored.

I recalled a guy a few compartments down said “excuse me” the night before as he slipped past me in the corridor. Surely he would know “yes” and “no” if he knew “excuse me”. I was correct. Actually he spoke perfect English and lived in New York. He told me I had one more stop until Shanghai and roughly another hour. So back up in my bunk I climbed.

Those 10+ hours of sleep obviously hit the spot and now I feel great. I checked into my room before 9 a.m. and have been out wandering Shanghai ever since. It must be getting close to 5 p.m. now. The sun is just barely over the trees in Renmin Park where I am sitting.

It’s much warmer here than Beijing but as the Sun gets lower I can feel my fingers starting to get cold. Much like the temperature is drastically different than Beijing so is just about everything else. Gone are the dark mazes of hutongs and obviously hard laborers riding bikes to and from work. Now I am in what looks like the movie set for some large budget Sci Fi flic. The buildings are amazing; some freakishly modern and others elegantly classical; all of them huge.

I am staying in an area called The Bund and my place is close to the shore of the Huangpu River. I have an amazing skyline view of the Pudong side of Shanghai, across the river, and some of the City’s best buildings including the landmark Oriental Pearl TV Tower. I am sure it is going to be an impressive sight at night and I’m looking forward to snapping a few good pics.

I am definitely no longer in Backpacker country and the easily found internet cafes are gone. I had to go to a Fed Ex Kinko’s earlier today to check in with the rest of the world, so much for the amazing "farside of the world" moments in Beijing. 24 hours later I’m back to drinking Starbucks and checking e-mail at Kinko’s! Am I in China or Seattle?!

Tonight I am meeting up with Guilia one of my hiking pals from The Great Wall. She is bringing along some other Italian friends too so this should really get me culturally confused; out with of bunch of Italians in Shanghai. I better go back to Kinko’s and Google some Italian words quick!
MJF

Beijing, China 12/3/06

My legs are tired. Actually they are past tired. They are sore. Like inertia though I keep going. A Mat set in motion will remain in motion until a force of equal or greater strength acts upon it, or him in this case. I could just get in a cab but I know where I am and I know where I am going. Once I get in a taxi, with a cabby that doesn’t speak any English, that all goes out the window. I could end up going entirely the wrong way. I would rather have tired legs and know where I am than exhaust my brain trying to tell a driver where to go, or worse yet trying to find out where I am when it eventually stops. I know all to well what it feels like when the guy turns around with the “here we are face” and I don’t see anything that looks like what I was shooting for. So with sore legs I march on…after a little pause for an espresso and a journal entry of course.

My legs are sore, not from running this time but rather just from walking. My trusty hiking boots and I have logged many memorable miles in the last 3 days. Day one we marched into Tian’anmen Square and then onto The Forbidden City. Technically only 2 places on my non-documented “places to see” list but togther they cover an area of several square kilometers so it took me most of the day and laid the groundwork for the current condition of my legs.

Most of the damage was done on day 2 though; a 10 kilometer hike on the Great Wall, from Janshanling to Simatai to be exact. That distance alone would take its toll on the legs but the Wall added some inclines and declines to make it more fun. The Great Wall would be more aptly named The Great Staircase. Of the 10km that I walked I bet you couldn’t find a flat section longer than 5 meters.

I should have rested some on day 3, today, but it’s my last day in Beijing. I thought, “Just a couple kilometers to the Temple of Heaven and then maybe up to Jingshan Park.” I realized problem one with this plan when I got to the Temple Of Heaven and found out what I had seen pictured was not “the” Temple but rather the Hall of Prayer For Good Harvest. The Temple of Heaven actually refers to a park and several temples including the afore mentioned Hall of Prayer For Good Harvest. When I put on the self guided audio head set and it told me the park was 4 times larger than the Forbidden City I felt the first hint of protest from my legs.

The real stupid part came after the Temple of Heaven when I set out for Jinshan Park, roughly 6 km north. At 3 km my brain and body started fighting. There’s nothing like calling yourself stupid for 3 kilometers. I wondered why I wouldn’t stop the entire way. The only answer I could come up with was “Cause there is stuff you haven’t seen yet!”

Well now I have seen “it”, the top of Jingshan Park and the view of Beijing from the top of the hill. My reward? A feeling of satisfaction I guess. I hope it lasts the 4 km I still have to walk to get back to my room.

There is so much I could write about China. Like the huge size of the country, everything in Beijing seems to reflect the same large size as is evident in the many kilometers I have hiked just to see a handful of areas.

However with all the feelings of seeing large areas and places, I will say that as I stood in Tian’anmen Square, staring at the National Flag, with the huge picture of Mao on the wall leading to the Forbidden City, I think I felt the world get smaller. These were no longer places from an encyclopedia. These were places I could touch and feel, and to be really specific, these were places were I froze my ass off!

Did I mention that it’s crazy cold here?! Probably low 30’s without the wind-chill. I had to buy a coat! No worries of course. This Florida boy needed a winter coat. Plus I have a feeling my nice Columbia coat will be with me for a long time and I will always remember the dark Hutong (alley) in Beijing where I haggled for it. On a side note, it’s tough to haggle for a coat, after you have tried it on and refused to take it off because it’s to cold. They pretty much know you are going to buy it.

The hike on the Wall will probably be the first thing I remember when eventually someone asks me about China. It is such a vivid memory; sunny day; cold air; blue sky; rolling hills in all directions; the bumpy hard wall rolling like a snake in what seems like random directions. Probably the oddest feeling I had there; isolation, silence, peace….there was hardly anyone else there. I couldn’t believe that I was at one of the "modern" Wonders of the World and when I got there I didn’t have to wait in line or jockey for a camera position.

A van drove about 10 of us 4 hours outside of Beijing to Janshanling. There, 3 of us got out. The van, with the others, drove onto Simatai. We had 4 hours to get there and meet back up with them for the ride back to Beijing.

My hiking buddies were Kristen, an English girl about my age who works in Hong Kong, and Guilia, an Italian girl doing an internship in Shanghai. We walked and talked most of the way and had a great time. Occasionally we would catch up to or pass other hikers. Not counting the handful of locals selling postcards, books, and drinks that Guilia would always run off, we probably saw about 20 other hikers on the 10 km hike.

A few times I would pick up my pace and leave the girls behind and well out of sight. Here is when I had my isolation moments, more “small world” moments. Not a person in sight in any direction, just a boy from Philo standing alone on a crumbling section of the Great Wall of China. I would sit down and have a snack; take some pictures; a few times I just stood there and stared. It was another amazing experience in a trip that seems to produce at least one a day.

My last story from Beijing comes from day 1. Of the thousands of tourists in Tian’anmen Square and The Forbidden City there are very few Westerners. They are mostly Chinese from other parts of the country. After wandering around the last 3 countries, I am quite used to people approaching me to sell me something; to invite me to come look in their store; etc. I often times don’t even realize I am saying “no thank you” as I walk and look around. When I got into The Forbidden City though I noticed things changed a bit.

People would walk up to me and ask where I was from. How long I had been in China? How I was doing? Etc. but they would then just walk away; never a sales pitch. The first couple times it happened I felt like George Costanza when the Sunshine Carpet Cleaners/cult wouldn’t brain wash him. I found myself thinking “Hey! What’s wrong with me? Am I not good enough to buy your lousy t-shirt or watch? Just cause I haven’t shaved in a week doesn’t mean I don’t have money!”

By the third or fourth time though I started to figure it out. Getting the chance to talk to a Westerner was even rarer for some of them than visiting The Forbidden City.

I had started to understand this when two guys in their 20’s started walking with me as I left the City. They stayed with me as I strolled South through Tian’anmen Square. My guard was still up the entire way as they asked me questions. I told them where I was from; what I do for a living; what I thought of the weather and so on. We chatted and walked far enough that I knew they were not trying to sell me something. My thought was they were either waiting until we were isolated enough to rob me or they were hitting on me.

Finally the one that spoke the best English asked me, “So where are you going to now?” OK, here it comes I thought. I bet he’ll have an idea of where I could go.

“I am going to go over to one of those restaurants and eat.” I said as I continued walking.

There was then some debate between the two of them in Chinese. I just kept on walking but they quickly caught back up to me. Finally the fist one said “Uhhh, we would like to practice our English can we come eat with you?”

I thought to myself, “Wow, these guys are persistent. Well let me see. If I pick a place out here in the open; avoid small places; keep the front windows in view…...plus, worst case scenario, I am bigger than both of them, I haven’t been in a fight since 5th grade but surely if I have to I can get away from these two kids.

“Sure” I said. “My name is Mat.” “My name is Wong and this is my cousin Wong.”
“You’re both named Wong?” I confirmed.
“Yes, but you can call me Jimmy if you want. That’s my western name.” Wong #1 said proudly.

Sorry Wong. Your Momma named you Wong; I’m going to call you Wong.

I let my guard down a little as we looked for a place to eat and started asking more questions of my own. They shot down my first two suggestions on places to eat. One was a Japanese restaurant and I thought Wong #2 was going to punch me for suggesting it. His English wasn’t the best but he clearly got out the phrase “I hate Japanese!” and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t just talking about the food. I guess a few invasions throughout history have left him a little bitter.

My second suggestion was shot down for not being real clean. I was starting to get suspicious but they quickly picked a place just a couple doors down. Lots of windows and still on the main road. Perfect!

It was here that I came to appreciate my new friends and realize this was better than any old temple or shrine I could be photographing by myself. There were no pictures of food near the door or on the walls at this place. No pictures or English on the menu. If there would have been a record player on, it would have scratched to a halt as the Wongs led the only “big nose” in the place to a table.

“So what do you like Mat?” Wong #1 asked.
“I’ll eat anything as long as it didn’t previously bark or meow.”
He laughed “This is China not Korea!” And then he ordered a bunch of food for us.

Lunch was great; don’t know what it was but it was good. The conversation was even better. We talked about our families. They both have brothers and sisters which surprised me. China’s famous “Family Policy”, as they called it, wasn’t in place until around 1980. The Wong’s didn’t have much opinion on the subject. They understood why the policy was there and hoped they would one day have boys. Not just to carry on the family name but more because they think they are easier to raise. No argument there.

They are both college students in Shanghai. Wong #1 is a business/English major and wants to be a translator one day. Wong #2 is a law student and wants to follow in his Dads legal footsteps.

My guard was completely dropped when at the end of lunch they said are you ready to go? “Sure when do we get the bill?” I said.
“Wong #2 already took care of it.”
I was surprised. He must have paid for the bill when he went to the bathroom.
“Lunch is me!” Wong #2 said.
“Lunch is on me. On me.” Wong #1 corrected and then looked at me to double check.
“Yes, that is correct but you shouldn’t have.” I said.

I tried to give them money and they wouldn’t take anything. They just kept saying it was there honor and I was their guest. I gave my best “xiexie” (thank you) and felt bad for being so defensive earlier; off we went to wander Beijing some more.

I spent about 7 hours with the Wongs. The conversations varied from movies, music, & pop culture to politics, media, & how confusing girlfriends are. The more we talked the more they started asking me serious questions that I could tell they weren’t necessarily supposed to be asking me.

For example early in our talks we discussed travels, specifically where I have been and where I’m going. Wong #1 asked me if I was going to Tibet. “It’s very beautiful. No pollution.” He said even though he had never been there. I said I really wanted to but I didn’t have enough time this trip. “I hope to come back maybe in late 2007 and visit Tibet and Nepal, especially now that I hear the fighting has finally stopped in Nepal.” I said.

Wong #1 looked at me confused “They were fighting in Nepal?”
“Ya for a pretty long time.” I confirmed.
The topic changed but hours later it came up again when he asked me, “So in America the news talks about everything?”
“Ya, pretty much. They can say what they want if that’s what you mean.” I said.
“We don’t get all news here. Like Nepal, I never heard there was fighting.” He said with a frustrated tone. “We have to look on web outside of China for news.”

I could feel his frustration and I didn’t know what to say. I tried to add that even though we have a free press it doesn’t mean all of them are good. I knew it sounded stupid though and I stopped. I realized trying to explain sensationalistic journalism, or a Left vs. Right bias in the media sounds petty in China. Like a rich person complaining to a poor person about all the problems that come with having a lot of money. You forget that some problems are actually good to have.

I was also blown away with Wong #1’s knowledge of the U.S. He knew much of the history including the year of the revolution. “Is the Liberty Bell in Washington?” he asked.

“Nope, Philly.” I said and before I could correct my slang he chimed in with “Ah, Philadelphia, where they sign Declaration of Independence.”

“Yep, that’s right.”

“Where is big lady with torch?” Wong #2 asked.
“That would be the Statue of Liberty. It’s in New York.” I said
“Yes, France gave that to you correct?” Wong #1 added.
“Well not to me directly, I’m only 33, but yes France gave it to the U.S. I think it was made in China though like everything else in America.”

This joke didn’t translate very well and I spent the next few minutes trying to explain that China had not made the Statue and no, it was not just one more thing they had never been told.

Wong #1 was even up on his current affairs. Of course my thoughts on Bush came up but then he asked me about Clinton too.

“I like President Clinton very much.” He said. “Did you like John Kerry?”

Here I felt like an idiot. I was racking my brain for any other Chinese leader other than Mao to ask him about but couldn’t think of a single one. This kid knew candidates for the U.S. Presidency and I couldn’t even name his current president. Bad, bad, American I scolded myself.

After shopping for some souvenirs for Wong #2’s family (there Dad’s were financing the trip so he had to get something for his Mom & Sister or he’d be in trouble) we wrapped up the day at the Capital City Tea House. I’ve never liked tea, iced or hot. It’s one of those things I wish I liked, right next to watermelon and Hemingway novels. I had read though that taking part in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony was a great cultural experience. The Wongs said they had never done it either so I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. For the experience alone I can do shots of tea for an hour. I mean it’s not like its tequila.
We were taken into a little room with about a dozen small jars of tea on the table along with what looked like an old, small chemistry set. A few minutes later a young Chinese girl came in and started explaining all the steps. How to hold the little cup, how to drink with 3 sips, what each tea was like and its medicinal benefit. It was quite involved and again without the Wongs I couldn’t have done it. It was explained to me that the tea house was owned by the government so pictures were not allowed and I got the impression that even if the girl could speak English she was not allowed.

By the end I even found some teas I liked. It was a great experience for all of us. Wong #1 turned to me about half way through the tea time, to translate a discussion the other three had just had in Chinese that had them all laughing. “We were saying it was a lot of fun to share this with an American. You are very funny.” I loved it. It was one of those rare times when people are laughing at you and it feels just fine.

I think that about wraps up my time in Beijing. A big entry for some big places and big experiences. Plus a long time writing has given the ol’legs the rest I needed. Time to bundle back up and head back through Tian’anmen Square. Maybe this time I will be able to make it through the Square without picturing a tank and a lone student standing in its way. Doubt it; some images will forever be burned into my mind. I just know now I have other images and, better yet, memories, to store in the same mental file.
MJF

Bangkok, Thailand 11/30/06

Bangkok, Thailand 30/11/06
This will be a quick entry because I have to get to the airport and even though I have over four hours before I fly out I have learned to respect Bangkok traffic. I have two things though that I want to get down into this little memory reminder book. The first is a hilarious bit of irony.

Earlier in the month, when I passed through Bangkok the first time, I changed a flight and shaved off two days of island hopping in Southern Thailand so I could get back to Bangkok and get a visa for China. I knew I had to visit the Chinese Embassy to get it. I knew it would take roughly three days for them to process the paperwork at the normal rate and that I needed to fill out one form in duplicate.

I also knew the address of the Embassy and where it was located in relation to where I was staying. I even knew what subway stop I needed to get off at to avoid that dreaded traffic. So with two passport photos, that I also knew were required, I arrived in Bangkok and I confidently went directly to the Embassy. Unfortunately though I had forgotten about an essential bit of recon; when is the office open?!

I arrived at the office at 4 p.m. in time to find it closed by minutes. “Oh,” I said to the security doorman, “What time does it open in the morning?” He looked at me like I was joking. “It no open tomorrow. No open on weekends.”

My brain spun around in my head. The words I had written from my recent proud entry on days of the week were audible in my head.

“It’s Friday.” I said more like a sad statement rather than a question.

It didn’t matter. The guard still answered me. “Yes, it is Friday.”

I can’t read minds but I’m sure the thought he had after the statement was something like “…you stupid backpacking island bum. Welcome back to the real world!” OK, maybe those were my thoughts.

My next thought was, “Way to go Mat! You planned three days, two nights, in Bangkok in order to get your visa and arrived on a Friday afternoon! That would mean that your flight out for Cambodia leaves on Sunday night! That’s before the embassy will be open again. That’s great planning!”

I had to go back to the ticket counter at Bangkok Air and change more flights. That meant one less day in Cambodia, a late night arrival, which always makes things more interesting, back into Bangkok before heading to China, and an extra 1,600 Baht for a rushed visa.

As usual I tried to find the positive in this circumstance which leads me to the second thing I wanted to get documented. In these extra days here I have finally found my soft spot for Bangkok. Well actually one spot in particular won me over but it was good enough to cover up for all the things I disliked about Bangkok.

On my second visit, or I guess I should say on my weekend in Bangkok, I stayed in a guesthouse near Siam Square. The Backpackers of the Banglamphu area, and all the businesses that cater to them, were gone and were replaced with good old fashioned U.S. commercialism. Siam Square isn’t really a Square. It’s just one big shopping mall, or malls, reaching blocks and blocks in multiple directions. Each building at least 6 stories high and connected to each other by bridges. So basically I traded crowds of Backpackers for crowds of Thai teenagers.

I had to search to find a decent restaurant that wasn’t a name I knew. Hard Rock, Outback, Sizzler, Pizza Hut, Au Bon Pain, etc. were everywhere. I finally had to settle for some over priced sushi at what was probably a Japanese chain restaurant. I will admit to hitting a really big and nice Starbucks though. Hey, it was the only thing open before 10 a.m. and I got a big comfy chair right by the window! I had to stop!

To make matters worse all the stores and malls were gearing up for Christmas. Ahh, come on! You’re a Buddhist country! I will give them credit though, whether they knew it or not, for waiting until after Thanksgiving to put up their decorations. Even Starbucks wasn’t the haven I thought it would be. Once I heard the dance remix of Silent Night I knew it was time for a run, which finally brings me to the part of Bangkok I love, Lumphini Park.

I had read a little paragraph on Lumphini Park in my Rough Guide book and could see a corner of it on the area map I had for Siam Square. The book said it’s where the Thai go to get away from the crowded craziness of Bangkok; a simple enough description that sums up most parks.

To me, any park is usually worth checking out and a good destination for a run. On my first run there I was staying about 3 miles away and ready for a water when I finally crossed the busy street to enter the park.. I was happy to find a little lady selling drinks from a Styrofoam cooler next to the gate. I don’t know which was more refreshing, the cold water or what I saw inside the park.

It’s a big park, not Central Park size but probably a circumference of 3 to 4 kilometers. There are ponds, bridges, old trees, gazebos and pagodas. You can rent swan boats from a dock or you can run around the distance marked roadway. In all, it is a beautifully designed park but that’s not why I love Bangkok now.

You can tell a lot about a town by their parks but more specifically by how they use their parks. I have seen towns with huge, beautiful, open public spaces that no one uses. That’s not what I found in Bangkok.

On my first late afternoon run there I found giant aerobics classes; several classes in fact, apparently some for different ages or levels. There were yoga and tai chi classes off under the trees. There were hundreds of walkers and joggers, young and old. There were pull up bars and stretching areas all with people using them. I took special note of the two outdoor weight training areas. I was the only Western face I saw. No one tried to sell me anything but many people smiled and waved. I had made it to the local’s place!

I ended up visiting the park about 4 times over my remaining visits to Bangkok. I even got a few workouts in at the weight training areas. They charge twenty Baht for the day to use them and I would have probably paid 1,000 Baht just for the experience.

The funniest memory I have of my time in the park was on my last run there. I was zoning out in a steady jog with my iPod on when I noticed everyone else was standing still. Everyone; the joggers, the yoga classes the guys in the weight training area. All were standing and facing the same direction. I thought I was in a Twilight Zone episode and someone had frozen time.

Then I pushed pause on my tunes and realized the National Anthem was being played on the park PA system. “Doh!” I stopped immediately. “How long had it been playing before I noticed? How many people had I passed?” A few people were looking at me and I tried to make a face that said “I’m sorry!!” I think it worked because a few started to smile and I thought for probably the hundredth time “God, I really love this park!”
MJF

Siem Reap, Cambodia 11/28/06

Siem Reap, Cambodia 28/11/06
Angkor Temples

It’s a partly cloudy day, which almost makes the heat and humidity bearable. For a second I almost forgot how much I am sweating. I’m even taking it slow. Normally I would be running up the steps of all these temples and climbing on any section that didn’t have a “Do Not Climb” sign posted but it’s just to hot for that.

I have been here for 3 days and this is my third day exploring temples in the Ankor Park. My German friend, Manuel, arrived here a day before I did so he had already made housing arrangements and lined us up a tuk-tuk driver to take us around the many temples. So when I got off the plane I met my driver, Nat, waiting with my name on a sheet of paper. It was a short ride to the guesthouse, threw my pack in the room, and less than an hour later I was on top of the ruins at Phnom Bakheng watching the sunset with probably a thousand other tourists.

Yesterday was the full day. Seven hours of climbing ancient stones and marveling over each carving. You explore one for as long as you like then back to Nat and the tuk tuk and it’s off to another. Well it’s not really a tuk-tuk but that’s what they call it. It’s just a motorcycle/scooter with a two wheeled chariot seat attached to the back by a post factory installed trailer hitch. It’s actually quite a bit nicer than the tuk-tuks I have been riding around Bangkok.

Yesterday afternoon we finally hit the big one, Angkor Wat. It was beautiful and larger than life. Walking up to it, along the long stone bridge, through the main gate, which is impressive by itself, you can’t stop staring at the picturesque domes of Angkor Wat framed in the middle of the horizon. The whole complex was designed in balance from every angle with architectural highlights in just the right spots. They designed a perfect photographic monument thousands of years before a camera could take advantage of it.

Of course since then the cameras have been making up for lost time. Now there are thousands of them attached to a tourist each. Some even doubled up. Today doesn’t seem as bad. Manuel left this morning so maybe most of the other tourists have moved on too. I love meeting new people but given the option I will almost always choose to be off of the standard schedule and route.

It’s a cool feeling to be alone walking through thick woods, sweat dripping from your face, the high pitch siren of cicadas overwhelming your senses, as you approach the dark, crumbling, ruins of an ancient temple. I felt like Indiana Jones in a baseball cap.

Each one is different. There are large buildings and tunnels while others are like a Pyramid. Some are just wide-open plazas. Others are fighting a long war with the encroaching jungle and it looks like they have been losing for hundreds of years. These were actually my favorites, specifically Ta Phrom.

I love a good tree. I have always thought they were natural works of art. More impressive than anything that a human hand could create. The trees at Ta Phrom only reinforced this thought as I discovered a huge tree wrapping and devouring walls and stones in every direction.

After three days of exploring ruin after ruin I am reminded of a saying I heard often in Thailand, “Same, same, but different”. (Actually I saw it more than I heard it as it’s plastered on a thousand different t-shirts, and hats, ironic I know.) In Angkor, after awhile you don’t even know what to take pictures of. Every angle is a great shot but probably a shot you have already taken a hundred times.

My time has not all been spent doing ancient cultural exploration. You can’t live in the past, right? I have had a great time hanging out in Siem Reap too. Cambodia uses U.S. currency. They have their own but like in other very poor countries it’s more desirable to get the more stable Dollar. In Thailand things are cheap but I was constantly converting things back to Dollars when I first arrived. After about a week you just get used to the Baht and roughly know what’s cheap and what’s really cheap.

Here in Cambodia, with no mental conversion to do, it is almost painfully obvious how cheap things are. When a pint of cold beer costs 50 Cents I feel bad just ordering a single one, lucky for the people around me. Our room is a whopping $12 per night. It has a kicking AC unit, two big comfy beds, hot water shower, a fridge, and a TV with HBO and Cinemax! It’s a good thing I was able to split that $12 with Manuel for two of the nights so I could afford such luxuries.

In all seriousness these things make me feel more sad than lucky. I don’t feel like I’m getting a deal I feel like I’m ripping them off. As a result I’ve been throwing around Dollar bill tips like I was a gangster in Atlantic City.

My Republican friends shouldn’t worry. I know it’s still business and no matter how little they charge me there is still a profit margin. This morning I haggled for a late check out, so I cold shower after a day at the temples. I negotiated down to $3 from $6….and then tipped him a $1.

There is a great line in the Backpacker cult classic novel, “The Beach” that sums up the same conflict that I have. “I get confused between feeling that I shouldn’t haggle with poverty and hating getting ripped off.” For me, there’s a friendly war going on inside my head and I don’t know who is winning.

On my first night in town Manuel and I wandered the very dark and confusing blocks into the heart of town for dinner and drinks. As we turned the last corner, finally arriving at the small center of bars and restaurants, we immediately ran into an English girl that Manuel knew from Bangkok a month earlier. East Asia is getting to be a real small place.

Her name was Kay and she and her friend Carrie, joined us for dinner. Dinner evolved into beers, which digressed into buckets, and then imploded at kareoke at 2 a.m. It’s weird traveling with people that don’t know you, people that don’t know what you are capable of. I know a lot of music but even by U.S. standards I would say I am just above average on music recollection. I have many friends that are much better than me. But to 3 foreigners, at least 7 years younger than me, after a few drinks in a Cambodian Kareoke room; I looked like a lyrical savant.

At this point I will say thank God for alcohol! Without it I don’t think I would have laughed and handled the next events as well as I did. Upon leaving the kareoke room we had paid for our drinks but the rest of the group said we didn’t need to pay the room charge that was also listed on the bill. Kay and Carrie said “The girl on the way in said it was free. That’s why we came in here.” Sure, I’m just a follower tonight.

Well the waiter didn’t seem to think we were right and as we were making our way through the maze of dark hallways to the final exit it wasn’t a girl that stopped us. It was three guys that were soon backed up by four more guys dressed like they shopped at the same store as Fidel Castro.

Part of the brain said, “Whoa, this is bad!” but thanks to that good ol’alcohol my prevailing thought was “Oooo, this is going to be interesting!” The girls were unfazed. They just kept arguing with the waiter and then the manager. Girls always are that way in situations like this. Manuel and I on the other hand were dead silent looking at the guys in fatigues and trying to figure out how our fun night had quickly turned into a stand off in a Cambodian kareoke bar.

I stayed quite for what seemed like forever. I wasn’t moving or saying anything and neither were the Cambodians so that seemed like a good way to stay. Finally my mouth spoke before my brain could stop it. “How much money are we talking about?!” I shouted over the arguing girls. The manager looked at me and said “$8!”

Luckily my brain regained control by this point because the mouth wanted to say “Are you F$(@&ing kidding me?! Here is $10, we gone!” But like I said the brain was working and before my hand could reach into my pocket I had this thought. When there are almost 10 people in a stand off at 2 a.m. over $8 you do not want to be the cocky American that pulls out a money clip, searches through the $20’s for a $10, and in a condescending way drops it on the counter. It was back to standing and staring for me.

For all the differences in the world there are many more similarities. Apparently to a Cambodian, two drunk, girls arguing the same point over and over again is as annoying as it is to a Western guy and not even worth $8 in Cambodia. He waved his hand and said something in frustration. The infantry walked away and we walked out the door quickly and quietly. A block away we laughed our heads off. Thank God for alcohol!

We were just a block away from Kay & Carries guesthouse so we walked them to the door and said good night. Then I turned to Manuel and said, “Do you have any idea where we are?”

The businesses were all closed now. The paved streets were not in sight. Random lights on shacks provided nothing recognizable in any direction. Manuel looked around at these things and answered the way I knew he would “No idea!” ….and there were still no worries from either of us.

We wandered around for several blocks; nothing. We finally found a tuk-tuk and jumped in. We told him the name of our place and all we got was a blank stare. Worse yet, it wasn’t a language barrier. He spoke English and understood us. He just had never heard of the place we were staying and neither had any of the other drivers that he asked. I kicked myself for forgetting my standard little note with my current hotels name and address on it, usually a standard procedure for me before heading out in a new town. No problem, we’ll just give him directions.

The next hour was filled with random sparks of confidence. “Oh, that tree looks familiar. I know where we are. It’s just up here on the left!…..OK, maybe not.”

There is a great scene in the movie Say Anything where John Kusak has to drive a drunk guy around the suburbs of Chicago all night until he recognizes his house. I don’t think our tuk-tuk driver had seen the movie, and I didn’t try to explain the similarity to him, but that is pretty much how our night ended. We eventually found our place and it might have been the funniest $3 I have ever spent.

It’s time to go now. I have one more temple to see and Nat is waiting. Probably wondering where I am since this temple isn’t that big. I don’t think I’ll tell him that I’ve just been sitting here documenting drinking stories.
MJF

Phuket, Thailand 11/23/06

Phuket, Thailand 23/11/06
Happy Thanksgiving to me! I wonder if I can get turkey with my Phat Thai tonight.

In true fashion with how my life has become the opposite of many others I have designated this day my "work" day. No beach, diving, or climbing; time to catch up on some work stuff, book some things for upcoming destinations, and of course get caught up with my journal. While the rest of my American friends and family are taking a day off to eat and watch football I have decided to clock in. It's probably a good thing too. I need a break from the Sun. Despite my religious use of sun block, I have not been this tan since my life guarding days.

3 weeks. Actually 20 days to be exact. That's how long it took me before I walked into a new bar in a new town on a new island and had my name shouted out by friends that I didn't know would be there. And by “there” I mean that island. Again to be exact, I guess I technically felt Roxanne jump on my back before I heard Donna and the other table of Irish dive buddies calling me but that just made the surprise even better; international Backpacker friends from Thai islands past. This happened on Koh Phi Phi, an island that’s even on the other coast from when I last saw them a few weeks ago. I had no idea they were also now on Phi Phi. That basically sums up this island: The culmination of my Thai Island hopping and all the people that I have met along the way.

As I was getting on the already crowded ferry in Railay, headed to Phi Phi, I spotted a familiar face among all the dangling backpackers that had already gotten a place to sit for the 2 hour ride. I was boarding from a longtail boat and waved up to Floor, a girl from Holland that I had met diving in Koh Tao. She saved me a little square next to her on the railing and after depositing my backpack on the growing mountain of other packs stacked high on the deck I made my way over.

We compared travel stories since we had left Koh Tao and shared reports of what we had heard of Phi Phi. Both of us are traveling alone and had trouble making friends at our last stops. Traveling alone isn't bad of course. I would rather travel with friends or family. Obviously with that said if they can't go I am not going to wait around. You quickly get used to traveling alone. You only worry about yourself. You eat when you are hungry and you never have to ask someone what they are in the mood for. You go to sleep when you are tired and get up when you want to do what ever it is you have decided to do that day.

It's a liberating feeling but eating every meal alone after a few days gets a little old. Some nights you feel like having a few beers so you head to the bar but unless the atmosphere is right you are just going to sit there. I remember staring at an open pool table one night thinking it would be nice to shoot a couple games and just pass the time but there was no one to play with. I went to bed early that night and read my book. My 5 days in Railay were great but after climbing I really didn't have anyone to hang out with; no one to share my fantastic experiences from that day with. I had coffee with my climbing guide and his friends a couple nights but then it was off to dinner alone. Again it all comes down to balance. In Phi Phi it was time to socialize.

After talking to Floor it was obvious she had just completed the same kind of week. We had also both heard reports that finding accommodations on Phi Phi could be tricky because places fill up quick. Not a good thing when you are on a boat with hundreds of other Backpackers all heading to the same small island you are. For these reasons Floor and I joined forces and for the last 5 days I have had a roommate.

I also received a note from my German friend Manuel just before I left for Phi Phi. It seems
He had changed his route some and if I was still headed to Phi Phi we might run into each other. I responded to him and he met up with Floor and I for the first couple days.

I ran into probably 5 other people on Phi Phi that I knew from other places in Thailand, many times with them spotting me first. It is a great feeling to hear your name shouted in various accents and to see a smiling face waving to you from across the street.

I did some more diving in Phi Phi finishing up my PADI Advanced Open Water Certification. I think that is about it for me and dive certifications. There is no desire to get more. I think it will be nothing but fun dives in my future now but probably none on the rest of this trip. Good thing I live in Florida!

The two dives that stand out for me in Phi Phi were the wreck dive and night dive. Swimming around and in a huge sunken ship was awesome. Right out of the movies. The night dive was amazing for a few reasons. A thunderstorm moved in just as we dove so the lighting show of lightning flashing above the water was cool from 12 meters below.

Everyone talks about the isolation you feel on a night dive; swimming in pitch blackness with just your light beam to look at things. For me this was intensified by the fact that I was the only diver. It was just me and my instructor, Cliff. It’s probably not real cost effective to fire up a big dive boat and trek out into the water with just 1 diver but as Cliff pointed out “It’s not your fault nobody else signed up. You wanna dive, we dive.”

I leave this island in the morning. It’s back to Bangkok to track down a visa for China then off to Cambodia. My trip is quickly coming to an end….and I’m just getting used to it all! Then again the time I have left is still longer than a “normal” American vacation so I guess I should try to keep things in perspective.

A great example of how accustomed I have gotten to this wandering happened a few days ago on Phi Phi. Manuel was getting some money out of an ATM. Floor and I were waiting about 4 meters away. It was a busy section of the island and people were going in and out of shops and bars all around us. On a pay phone near Floor and me a girl (in a bikini at 8 p.m., but I digress) turned to us and asked “Do you know what day it is?”

Floor and I looked at each other and shrugged. I didn’t have a clue; not even within a day. Manuel a short distance away turned around to proudly insert “I think it’s the 21st!”
I said “I think she means what day of the week.”
To which she nodded yes.
“Oh, I don’t have a clue.” He said and turned around to finish his transaction.
The girl still with the phone pressed to one ear just looked at Floor and me. We started laughing (I laughed again the next day too when I found out Manuel wasn’t even right about the date. It was the 20th but again I digress)

So now bikini phone girl puts the phone down by her waist and turns around to the street. “DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS?! ANYONE?!” She shouted. Everyone looked at her with the same look Floor and I had. The look of “Uhhh, no. Come to think of it not only do I not know what day it is I can’t remember the last time it mattered.”
Finally she gave up her request and went back to the phone. Everyone else chuckled and went on with their carefree way.

And that sums up my time in Thailand; almost one full month in a tropical paradise where no one has any need for trivial things like days of the week.

MJF

Krabi, Thailand 11/18/06

Railay Beach Area, Krabi, Thailand 18/11/06

This will be a short entry. I can barely hold the pen. I have been rock climbing for the last day and a half and my fingers feel like they are raw. My arms are OK. It's my hands. As my guide Nuu said, “You have climbing muscles but consultant hands.” For 25 years old he is a wise man in more ways than just climbing.

I have LOVED the climbing though and I leave in the morning so I knew I had to get an entry done. This is passion. This is the feeling I crave; a sense of accomplishment. The feeling that the last two days are experiences I don't get very often but, or as a result, will remember vividly the rest of my life. I also feel like I need to change the rarity of it. I love climbing and I need to find a way to do it more often.

I wish I could write well enough to document every climb but I can't; the natural beauty of a huge rock face next to bright blue water, the warm sun and a shaded climb, the feel of the cliff face, the challenge, both physical and mental. There is no way I could convey how all these things combine to create an amazing experience.

The mental aspect goes pretty much like this:
1) I can't wait to climb.
2) Gear is on, rope is checked, uhhhh I don't even know where to start. Don’t tell me…I’ll figure this out.
3) Wow, that's a long way to go. I probably won't make it.
4) Hey, I'm half way up! How did I get here?
5) I'm starting to fall, better find another hold quick
6) Ahhh, found a good hold where's the next one?
7) I'm starting to fall, better find another hold quick
8) Ahhh, found a good hold where's the next one?
9) Holy $#%*! I'm at the top! F#@*^ Ya! Wow, what a view.
10) I can’t wait to climb.

Of course each climb is different so this isn’t always the case. Some are more challenging than others. Each climbing route is rated for difficulty and I basically max out at the 6A area. One 6A I made it the first time. Another 6A took me 4 times to beat. I’m better than I used to be from my Wisconsin days so that’s nice to know.

The routes were each uniquely beautiful but I will probably always picture the cliff known as Taiwan Wall first. Roughly a 30 meter, 6A climb, set about 50 meters up the face of the cliff and with about another 50 meters to go from the top of the climb to the top of the cliff. We made it to the start of the climb by entering through a series of caves on the other side of the mountain and repelling down to the start point.

If a picture is worth a thousand words I would fill this book and a few others trying to document its beauty. Thanks to my climbing partner, a girl, oddly enough from Taiwan, I think I have about a dozen pictures of it on the camera, and a crystal clear memory of it, so I will rely on them instead of my feeble words. The feeling I had when I reached the top was amazing!

I have a new Lottery goal. That dream you have that says "If I was to win the Lottery I would...." Ever since Ben got me the AC/DC Box Set I have not had a good Lottery dream. (I love AC/DC but could never bring myself to spend $50 on a bunch of songs that basically sound the same) There was no item that I could think I wanted but would only get if money wasn't a factor. Now I have one. I want to put a mountain in West Palm Beach! I want to dive in the morning and climb in the afternoon. I want to read in my hammock as the sun sets and be surrounded by all my friends. I want to be able to hike and kayak each day. I want to be able to run a hill when I feel like it and lay on the beach when I don't. I think a mountain in West Palm Beach would make this dream possible.

I think I would put it just west of 95 on Okeechobee Blvd., right on top of all those corporate Box stores. I'll check on the zoning restrictions with Josh when I talk to him next. If I'm lucky it will be zoned for Multi-Mountain C3-23.000 or something and I'll be able to put a couple mountains there. Maybe I’ll put one big one and a couple smaller ones. You know, for days when I am not feeling ambitious. Maybe a nice stream too.

I better start playing the Power Ball. This could get expensive.
MJF

Koh Tao, Thailand 11/14/06

Koh Tao, Thailand 14/11/06

I have been here about a week and it is exactly what I needed after koh Phangan. Koh Tao of course is another beautiful island with a mountain, or hill, in the middle; a common trait I'm finding of these islands. It is only a few square kilometers and if it wasn’t for that hill, or hills, in the middle you could easily run all over the island. I say that from experience. After running a few days along the beach I thought I would just run over, literally, to the other side. I almost needed a heart and lung transplant when I finally reached the top, which of course is only half way. I took satisfaction from knowing I had at least made it to the top but going down the other side just to have to run up it again was enough to deter me. Contrary to what my sister thinks I am not insane.

Oh, while I’m thinking about fun running memories I need to document another. I think it was my first run here and even though I knew this island didn't see a lot of joggers I went anyway. I only got a few strange looks from some young male backpackers who were probably thinking “Bloody Hell?! Why would you be exercising on holiday?! There’s beer to be drank and it’s already 4 p.m.!”

The fun part came when I got to the little port area of Ban Mae about 2 km from where I stayed. The beach trail that I was running ended so I took the road for a little while. As I was heading up the steep but now paved road that headed out of town I passed 2 little kids on a motorcycle and side car hauling cardboard. That’s a common scene here and these two looked like an older brother/ little brother team of about 10 and 8 years old.

The little brother was ridding in the sidecar holding the cardboard when I ran by them. It was a look of bewilderment at first. He was definitely not used to seeing someone run just for the fun of it. Then the look turned to “Hey, he just passed us!”

Even over the sound of the motorcycle , and in Thai, I could hear him start making fun of his older brother who was having some trouble finding the right gear to tackle the hill. Sure it was a different language but a little brother getting a chance to knock his big brother down a peg is international and a sound I know well.

I was probably 20 feet ahead of them when his brother found a decent gear and pulled up along side of me. I looked over to smile and picked up the pace to match them. The little brother loved this. The game was on! They both were grinning eat to ear. The little one started hitting his brother in the arm. They were now a team again. His brother lowered his head and shoulders into a racing streamline and cranked on the gas.

The little motorcycle made a gurgling noise trying to handle the sudden flood of fuel. This gave me at least a second or two to pull ahead again. Of course the engine soon caught up to the gas level. By now I am in a full sprint and even though the road has leveled out they soon make up the few strides I had on them and my lead was gone. They steadily pulled past and away cheering the whole way. I laughed and waved as they did the same. I slowed back down to a normal jog and hoped the burning in my legs would not last the rest of the run.

About 50 yards down the road I saw them sitting on the side looking back. When I got close enough to see their faces the little one started waving me on. Basically telling me to come on, we are waiting! Let’s do it again! I cracked up. I laughed while I put my hands up and shook my head no. Sorry guys I am not in Repeats shape. One sprint is all I got!

They understood the look of exhaustion on my face, smiled and waved again as they sped away. My only hope is that eventually they had to answer to a mother that said “What took you so long?” Just like my Mother said to me almost everyday when I did my paper route. It makes me feel good to think I was a fun distraction from some kids doing their chores.

I got off the main road soon after my race and made my way up a steep dirt path. The path continued past some shacks and huts where some locals obviously lived. Eventually it was just trees and boulders. I reached a clearing with a view of the bay below near a grove of trees and stopped there for my turn around rest. Out of the trees came an old guy who stopped at one of the trees and chopped off a huge bunch of bananas with a 3 foot long machete. As I stood there catching my breath he picked up the large bundle of bananas and walked over to me. He laid down the bunch near me and with surgical precision lopped off a single banana and handed it to me. He spoke no English but understood my “no money” gesture. Again, I don’t speak Thai but understood his “Don’t worry about it.” gesture. He hacked off one for himself and sat down. There in silence we both just looked out at the water view below and ate our bananas.

I looked around to see if there was by chance a Gatorade tree nearby with another old guy harvesting them but alas I had to settle for just a banana and a good traveler feeling. I gave the old man a heartfelt “Kawp Khun Kawp” (thank you) and a bow. He nodded in return and I started my run back down and home. Ahhhh, I do so love a good run! You never know what you are going to see.

This island is quiet compared to Phangan and most people come here to dive which is basically what has taken up most of my time. I now have my PADI Open Water certification and am 3 dives away from completing my Advance certification. I love diving, like there was any doubt that I wouldn’t. I can’t believe I live in Florida and it took me this long to do it. A great example of just how easily life gets complicated and you put off doing even the simplest thing because you will get to it later….but of course you don’t.

The place I dove with was great too, a place called Asia Dive. Great staff. Professional yet laidback attitude. As my dive instructor Al pointed out one night over beers at the dive shack bar. “Mat I hate to disappoint you but I’m just a stoner that knows how to dive.”

I think it’s time to go see some new stuff though. I will probably finish up my Advance dives when I reach the West coast of Thailand next week or so.

Dive class of course makes it easy to make new friends and I have added several more e-mail addresses to the rolodex. For some reason the place is crazy with Irish this week. My main hang out buddies have been Mark, Jason, Donna, & Roxanne, all from Ireland but mostly traveling alone, and two Swedish girls, Anna & Lin. All good times of course and I hope to cross paths with a few of them again later on in Thailand.

My little bungalow is nice here but I didn’t fall in love with it. I’ve gone econo and am no longer right on the beach. Now I am about 50 yards off the beach and my AC and hot water are gone too. It’s still pretty though and for about $10 a night you can’t complain. It is surrounded by beautiful flowers and palm trees and I think the local grounds keeper lives nearby. As I walked up to my shack on the first day I even saw chickens pecking around the grass and trees. How cool, I thought! This ain’t no chain motel that’s for sure!

Well it was cool until 5:30 a.m. when I was reminded that where there are chickens there are roosters. The “cock-a-doodle-do’s” didn’t stop until 8 a.m. No worries. I laid there and chuckled to myself every time they woke me up…..and have eaten chicken at every meal since!

I think that about sums up my time here in Koh Tao. I am off tonight on the overnight ferry to Surat Thani and then a bus to Krabi where I will set up camp again for a few days. I hope there are more great island bars like the Lotus Bar here in Koh Tao. It is the best beach shack bar I have ever seen!

Running, diving, bars. Running, diving, bars. These are rough days!
MJF

Koh Phangan, Thailand 11/7/06

Koh Phangan, Thailand 11/7/06

It’s my last night here in party paradise and I have mixed feelings about leaving. I have only been here 5 days but I have settled into a little routine and it’s been nice. Any minute now Manuel will walk around the corner and find me sitting on my porch. He will say, “Fancy a beer, Mat?” and I will say “yes” just like I have said every late afternoon since I met him save one. He will walk down the beach a short way and come back with a few cold bottles. We will sit and slowly sip the cold beers that we popped open on the railing of my porch.

The conversation will range from beer drinking stories from around the world to what new places we have heard are worth checking out. The conversation is slow with long gaps because we really aren’t here to talk. We are here to people watch and my porch is a great place for that. It has gotten slower though since the Full Moon 2 days ago. Just like you could feel things building up you can feel things winding down. Longtail boats were roaring away all day yesterday and this morning there was a steady stream of full packs being marched down the beach. Of course most of these Backpackers aren’t going home. Just off to some other part of Thailand like I am doing tomorrow morning when I will head to another island.

I like to think I lead a life of balance. It is often balanced at the extreme opposite ends of a spectrum but it’s balanced none the less. By that rational I need at least a week of clean living to balance out these 5 days and nights. Hell I haven’t even been taking my vitamin!

I guess technically I took it pretty easy yesterday. Only one beer and one pizza but of course that was after the Full Moon. A night out that lasted until day light…again. I’m not sure how it happens so easily. One minute you are dancing and singing on the beach with 10,000 friends, you just have not quite got around to meeting all of them yet, and the next thing you know its daylight. It’s got to be the bottle of Thai proof Red Bull they pour into each bucket.

I’m a rum man myself so I go with the old faithful rum, coke, & Red Bull all poured into a little bucket with some ice and a handful of straws, you know, for sharing with those 10,000 friends. You can get anything in a bucket here though and I do mean anything.
Not that a square like me really knows much of what that means though. I just know when a guy passes by you and discreetly says “You need anything?” He ain’t a waiter. I just smile and say no thanks just like I always have. I have done enough dumb things just on the rum to know I don’t need any other stimuli.

The actual Full Moon Party was amazing! I have attended more than my fair share of HUGE party events and this was by far the best. Sure the setting is hard to beat. A full moon over a crescent shaped bay with a soft sandy beach extending about 1 km from rocky cliff to rocky cliff. There was more to it though for me. There was a community feel that you don’t find at the other HUGE party events like Fantasy Fest, Mardi Gras, etc.

I also loved the laid back feel of it. No corporate banners. No main stage. No cover charges or tickets. No parade. No headliner with people just there to see them. In fact there was nothing scheduled at all but with all that non-planning there was still a planned aspect that made you know it was not a normal night.

Extra booths were set up along the beach where you could get food or buckets. There were stands to get your body painted with amazing designs in day glow paint. There were dance platforms set up at various points along the beach and of course extra sound systems to go along with them. There were some random decorations and black light areas too. The most unique feature was the “Sleep Areas”. Just a little 3 sided, marked off area with straw mats laid out and a lifeguard stationed in front. Wanna go to sleep and not get stepped on? Just go to the sleep area. No charge. No sign in.

My favorite organized element was the 30 foot scaffolding wall. I watched them set it up while I sat on my porch. It took them hours. As they were building it I wondered what it was going to be used for. Even as Manuel and I were sitting on the porch after dinner we were contemplating why they had built it. Just scaffolding on the beach? No lights mounted on it; No screens, banners or cloth; nothing.

About an hour later, a few hours after sunset, we finally saw more activity on the wall of scaffolding. The same guys that had spent hours building it started climbing it. As a few of them reached the top others started bringing out some large wire frames. After them, guys with really long torches. It took them just a few minutes to get it all in place and light it up. The scaffolding was just the means to hang a HUGE flaming sign. It read, “Amazing Thailand” with the silhouette of an elephant next to the words. “Amazing”, yes it is and so was the sign.

I met lots of people that night and they were all just faces in my memory by morning. Israeli, English, Irish, German, even a guy whose country I still can’t pronounce let alone know where it is. Manuel saw my confusion and just said “Eastern Europe”. I just said “Ahhhh”, like now I knew but of course I didn’t. No need to perpetuate an American stereotype, even if it is true.

So there it is. My first Full Moon Party. I am officially a “Backpacker”! As I wrap up my time here in Koh Phangan I need to state again how much I love the place I am staying. It is called the Palita Lodge and its fantastic! The people that run it are authentic and happy. They don’t treat you like a Dollar sign, or I guess I should say a Baht. I will be thinking about my great shack and daily free breakfasts (served anytime of day mind you and includes a cheese burger with fries as an option) reading my book in the hammock every afternoon, waking up to the sound of rolling waves, and a German guy stopping by around sunset with cold beer.

I need to wrap this up now and get ready for those said beers. Manuel is bringing a guest tonight. An Ausie girl that moved in next door to him. Australia! I definitely know where that is!
MJF

Zamimi, Japan 10/30/06

Zamimi, Japan 10/30/06
- Okinawa Islands -

It’s a quiet, overcast day here on the island. Well they are all quiet days here or at least the 4 days that I spent here were. Our new "local" friend, Joost (Yost), says it’s off the peak season right now but judging by the facilities on the island I can not imagine that the busy time is anything like the high end tourist time that I am accustomed to.

They have been lazy days here for me but that’s not to say we have not done anything. There has been lots of sitting or lying around reading books but that only fills in the gaps between self regulated activities. We spent most of one day at a beach perched on some lounge chairs as a base for the day. At our leisure we went snorkeling on the reef that sits just a few meters from shore. I also strapped on the Teva`s and went exploring some, up and over the rock ridge that surrounded the beach. In between, the exploring and snorkeling I would just lie around and read. Ahhhh, very nice! I wrapped up that day with another great run. This time my route looped around most of the island on the West side. It was another amazing run with gorgeous views. A run that you try to commit to memory so you can recall it when I am one day stuck on a treadmill in some gym.

The guest house we are staying at, Sendoron, serves breakfast at 8 a.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. everyday. Other than that our days have had no structure. We play all day like kids and then get home in time for dinner. I squeeze in a workout and "shower" up by 6 p.m. each day just in time to join the other guests in the dinning room. I do so love a routine. Odd I know for all my self proclaimed spontaneity. I will also admit to looking forward to eating the great food but would really like to find a chair waiting for me. I am reminded at every meal, as I sit on the floor shifting around constantly to keep blood flowing to my legs; I really need to do more yoga. My flexibility sucks!

After plenty of beach time on the previous day Dave finally talked me into renting scooters. I was very reluctant to do so. I have always preferred renting bikes. Partly because of the physical activity but also because of Key West. Since my first visit there I have been annoyed at the drunk meatheads zipping all over the island and constantly honking their tiny high pitched horns. It drives me nuts! It`s a small, quiet island. Why do you need to zip around it?

I kept telling Dave I hated scooters on Islands plus I really didn`t think there was more to see that I had not already seen on one of my runs. I finally gave in. There are two places that have a handful of scooters to rent on the island. We tried the first one but no one was there. I don`t mean it was closed I mean literally no one was there. The door was wide open; keys were sitting in the scooters, we stood around, we looked around. I yelled a few "sumimason" (excuse me) but no one appeared in any direction for blocks. Did I mention how great this island is?!

We found a nice lady at stop 2 that had us write our names and address on a piece of paper. We paid her 3,000 Yen each (about $30) and off we went. No deposit. No credit card. No insurance waiver. No map. No instructions. Just handed us a helmet as we got on the scooters.

I stated it verbally to Dave afterwards but will put it in writing here. I was wrong. The scooters were a blast! No, I will not be renting them in Key West anytime soon but on this little, hilly, island with no other tourists zipping around honking their horns it was perfect. I think Dave and I covered every section of the paved road on the island and even some of the dirt parts too. It took less than 3 hours.

Our last couple nights have been at "Churashi Qpa-ku" which as I am told is a play on the words Jurassic Park; a Japanese play on words obviously, to match the 6 foot x 8 foot metal T-Rex skeleton that sits on the deck of this open air bar. We had set off in search of a place called Urazum described in the short 2 paragraphs that the Rough Guide dedicated to this island as the place to "repair to" but as we approached the guide book recommended place we heard the unmistakable sound of people drinking around the corner. The Urazum place was quiet so we followed the noise. It was coming from a place surrounded by a fence with flashing Christmas light. Perfect!

We stepped onto the deck to see about 10 guys to our left eating and drinking around a bbq. A private party it appeared. The only other group was a round plastic table of about 5 guys drinking, smoking and laughing. Everyone was Japanese and you could tell right away that the table of 5 were all divers, fisherman, etc. Locals. It was in the biz night! As we stood at the front of the deck a white guy in the back looked up with a surprised look on his face and said, "Hey, how ya doin?" I think we were just as surprised as him to see a white guy standing there. That's when we met Joost.

The night proceeded like so many others I don`t know why they continue to amuse me so much. Within a few beers the table of locals invites us to join them. With the assistance of Joost, our Dutch bartender/manager/only employee and a few English speaking girls that arrived soon after us, we laughed and drank the night away with all of them.

After our first round of beers, after joining the locals table, Dave apparently felt comfortable and decided despite the HUGE language difficulties to ask a question that he posed to me a few days earlier. I didn`t know the answer and apparently it occupied his thoughts ever since. I almost spit my beer out when Dave said "Have you guys seen the Karate Kid Part II? Wasn`t Mr. Myagi from one of these islands? You know when he fought Sato." There was some confusion at first. A lot of words in Japanese were exchanged around the table until I finally heard the word Karate Kid which was then repeated by all of them. "Ahhh, yes, Karate Kid!" Followed by the easily recognizable Crane form. I laughed out loud and so did everyone else.

You would think that would be enough of a comic break through but no Dave persisted. In the middle of the laughing he jumped in "No, no. No crane. Part 2. Number 2. The drum!" Already on the Karate Kid subject a few of them quickly jumped to number 2 and demonstrated The Drum maneuver almost knocking some beers on the table. Eventually Joost did some translating for us and Dave`s question was answered. Yes, Mr. Myagi was from Okinawa but Pat Morita the actor was born in the US so they don`t really take much pride in it.

So there you have it. You put a bunch of guys around a table drinking beer and even if they don`t speak the same language the conversation will still be about something stupid. I`ll leave out the full details of when they broke out a digital camera and started taking close up pictures of all of our arm pits to see which one looked more like a vagina. Ahhh, you gotta love life in the islands, no matter which islands they are. They also taught me some island slang and toasts but I was only left with a headache in the morning and not the linguistics leason from the night before.

Joost closed up shop around 10 p.m. and the crowd was thinned down to just us 3 white guys, 4 dive captains, and the 2 girls visiting from Tokyo. We moved to under the awning that covers half the deck in an attempt to keep the noise down for the neighbors. After another round of drinks that became impossible so we all moved into the little shipping container that Joost lives in. Beer ran out so Dave and I switched to the local drink Awamori. I cut mine and Dave's with some water but it still went down hard. Kind of like vodka mixed with sake. Boy that sounds delicious! I can`t imagine why we didn`t like it! Not able to stomach another drink we headed home around 1 a.m. I smiled the short 2 blocks home and it wasn`t all because of the alcohol. I love making new friends!

Our new friend Joost even set up a solo dive trip for us that we went on this morning. Yep, I am finally a scuba diver. It was just a little 35 minute dive with Joost, Dave, and a dive captain that is friends with Joost but I loved it. I still need to get certified and plan to do so in Thailand but Joost's friend walked me through everything and then eased me through each step until he was comfortable with me not freaking out and off we went. I loved it!

We have spent the rest of today hanging out with Joost at Jurasic Park. Him in his hamick, Dave reading at the table next to me, me writting away pausing now and then to talk and laugh. Joost had his mini disk playing an impressive assortment of music from around the world. Some Dutch, some Okinawa, some Belgium, The Stones and Marley thrown in too. Joost had never heard of Jimmy Buffett so I hooked up the iPod and gave him a quick crash course. Lets hope I come back one day to find a bunch of drunk Japanese dive boat captains singing along to Why Don`t We Get Drunk.

Our only pause this afternoon has been to help Joost haul the trash to the incinerator over the hill. Who could pass up a trip to the dump?! Joost even came back with a beat up accordian. "What a find!" he said. If it wasn`t for the Dutch accent I would have thought it was MJ standing there! We leave today on the 4 p.m. ferry. A night in Naha, a flight back to Nagoya, and then another flight the day after that. Dave to Chicago and me to Bangkok. I am glad we had this one last lazy day to hang out in Zamimi before quickly ending the Japan section of my trip.

MJF

Okinawa Islands, Japan 10/27/06

Zamimi Village, Okinawa Islands, Japan, 10/27/06

Island time! Just in time too cause I was getting tired! Dave and I arrived here on the 4 p.m. ferry today. Just enough time to check into our guest house and squeeze in a run before dinner which was served at 6 p.m. promptly. It’s a quiet evening now and I can already feel my batteries start to recharge which is odd because physically I also feel drained, probably because of the 8K mountain run. The mind and spirit get so excited at the gorgeous scenery, and they race with thoughts of exploring it all in the next few days. The body just keeps churning along up hill after hill. I probably looked like a dog at the park.

Zamimi is a small island. Population 1000 and I think they must have padded that stat for more funding or something because it feels more like 500. Like the other many islands that make up what is known as Okinawa it is surrounded by beautiful coral beaches and reefs, crystal blue water, lush green mountains, and laid back islanders. Much like Hiroshima of course this place conjures up images of WWII and John Wayne movies but we have not made it to any of those memorials on the South end of the main island, and Zamimi only served as a US staging area so it’s kind of hard to imagine this place in a state of war. As Dave put it, "Can you imagine what these laid back simple islanders thought when they woke up one morning and saw ships about as big as this island off the shore?!"

So why am I so tired? After Hiroshima we basically went on a sight seeing sprint. Well as fast as a sprint is when you are hauling a full pack with you where ever you go and step one at every new place starts with finding a place to stay that night.

We took a ferry to the island of Miyajima, about 30 minutes off the coast of Hiroshima. It was pretty touristy but in a totally Japanese way so I actually didn’t have too much trouble with it. Miyajima is on the World Heritage list because it is a sacred Buddhist place and has several ancient temples and shrines. I know, I know...more temples and shrines but I will say that these were the most impressive thus far.

We stayed the night on the island after a long search for accommodations. I felt like I was in a scene from 7 Years In Tibet as Dave and I hiked around the old town for an hour with our gear. There was not a single other Westerner in sight. Plus I finally had the occasion to slip on the ol`hiking boots. Giddy up! Give me something to climb!!

Miyajima is home to the sacred Mt. Misen; a 529 meter peak with a few different trails leading to the top. A far cry from Fuji but it will have to do for now. Near the top of are more temples and shrines, including a fire that legend says has been burning for 1200 years...a wood fire mind you. Tended to by the island monks who keep adding logs. It wasn’t a big fire either. You doze off on your shift and it’s all over!

I was more impressed with just the view. Looking out onto Japans Inland Sea with shadows of islands and mountains fading into the distance there is no wonder why 1200 years ago one monk decided to stay up there and build a fire. I would like to have stayed myself but we couldn’t. Like I said we were on a sprint.

We caught a late afternoon ferry back to Hiroshima, a cab back to the greatest hotel in Japan, The Dormy Inn (OK that’s just my opinion but I really do like that place and it’s not just because of the free washing machines and comfy pj`s. It just felt homey.) and then off to the airport at 5 a.m.

I think that was the day that drained us. After the very active day on Miyajima a 5 a.m. wake up call followed by more miles wandering around Naha, Okinawa...most of the time with those packs on again...mentally and physically we were tired.

Naha is an OK town. Kind of like Key West but with more school kids and less drunks. The later of which of course is what makes Key West so fun though which is why Naha just gets an OK rating. Central Okinawa, which is the area that Naha is in, is also home to a large US military base. I expected to feel this presences and culture mix but it actually feels like I am getting deeper and deeper into Japan. Few people now speak English and if they do it`s only a few words. No worries of course. I'm still get along just fine with the exception of bus and ferry schedules. With no English letters any where on the signs we have to find an info stand and play the bumbling tourist role to figure things out.

My limited vocabulary still gets me around though and my new rule is to always memorize the following words before entering a foreign speaking country:

Hello, Good Bye, Thank You, Please, Excuse Me, Yes, No, Beer, and Water.

That’s my minimum of course. I’d love to speak any other language fluently but for now I’ll just have to get by being polite, drunk, and hydrated.

The island is so quiet right now. It’s 10 p.m. and the only sound is a dog barking and some crickets. It’s about time to go lay out my bed...oh ya forgot to mention. We are staying in more and more Japanese style places. No beds, sometimes no chairs, and the baths that I thought were such a novelty in previous entries are now the only option. I always wanted a shower with a seat in it but I am not sure if a little stool, at a shower 3 feet off the floor, in a wide open room with more little showers is what I had in mind. I have to admit though it really doesn’t bother me that much.

The food has been fantastic! I don`t have a clue what most of it is but I have not found a thing I don`t like. Plus Dave doesn`t dig on seafood so I get double of most things! Good thing I am running a lot!
MJF