I've got a mobile # here in Thailand. While I only anticipate being here for a week or so, I'll put my number here in case anyone needs to reach me: +66 147 29 400
I'm pretty excited about Laos. The weather is really hot here, and so the idea of heading to the most northern point in Laos will hopefully mean that I'll sweat a bit less.
I read a newspaper report recently that bragged about the Lao government's amazing success in killing off opium production (as a result of US DEA aid). The area I'll be heading to is right next to the burmese and chinese borders (known as the Golden Triangle), and according to my trusty Lonely Planet, is one of the major opium growing/smuggling regions. We shall see if the newspaper reports tell the truth.
In my past experience, visiting drug-tourism areas can be great if you're not there to do drugs. They're so used to catering to tourists who only want to get high, that if you're not in the market for their drugs, the touts have nothing left to sell you - and tend to leave you alone... This is in sharp contrast to places where tourists go to buy local crafts, go trekking and see the temples - where you are constantly harassed non stop to buy buy buy and every invitation to have tea somehow involves you looking at silk or a carpet.
Monday, April 03, 2006
Sunday, April 02, 2006
End of Chiang Mai/Pai
Took care of all my business in Chiang Mai yesterday. 7 hours of internet use, lots of phone calls. I've sent my passport off to Bangkok to get a Lao visa (it'll be waiting for me at the northern thai/lao border, insha'lla).
It suddenly hit me this morning that I'm in a new country, have not made any friends yet, and so for the first time in a while, I can wander the streets of a place without any chance of meeting anyone I know.....
Until, that is, I walked down the street this morning and someone called out my name. It seems that 2 of my pals from the Andaman islands are here, and heading to Laos.. what a small world it is.
Anyhow. I'm in Pai now. I've got a nice enough guest-house, I've rented a motorbike (a tiny low powered one, more an excuse not to pedal, rather than a method of going fast). My plan is to chill out in Pai for a week or so, enjoy the luxuries that Thailand has to offer (daily massage, fruit, etc) before heading to Laos.
It's already a bit strange coming back to Pai - it was quite a bit sleepier the last time I was here... more yoga and pizza places now.
Just like on my last trip to Thailand, I've decided to reward myself for suffering through countless nights of crappy hotel rooms by cashing in some frequent flier miles, and booking myself into the Marriott 5 star river-side resort in Bangkok for my last night. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience last time, and it'll be a nice way to pamper myself before I endure the 30+ hour journey to fly back to Virginia.
It suddenly hit me this morning that I'm in a new country, have not made any friends yet, and so for the first time in a while, I can wander the streets of a place without any chance of meeting anyone I know.....
Until, that is, I walked down the street this morning and someone called out my name. It seems that 2 of my pals from the Andaman islands are here, and heading to Laos.. what a small world it is.
Anyhow. I'm in Pai now. I've got a nice enough guest-house, I've rented a motorbike (a tiny low powered one, more an excuse not to pedal, rather than a method of going fast). My plan is to chill out in Pai for a week or so, enjoy the luxuries that Thailand has to offer (daily massage, fruit, etc) before heading to Laos.
It's already a bit strange coming back to Pai - it was quite a bit sleepier the last time I was here... more yoga and pizza places now.
Just like on my last trip to Thailand, I've decided to reward myself for suffering through countless nights of crappy hotel rooms by cashing in some frequent flier miles, and booking myself into the Marriott 5 star river-side resort in Bangkok for my last night. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience last time, and it'll be a nice way to pamper myself before I endure the 30+ hour journey to fly back to Virginia.
Culture shock continued
There are some nice improvements here over India. Things are clean, tasty soy milk is available everywhere, and fruit vendors seem to be on most street corners selling pineapple at 25 cents a bag. Mmmm.
However, after eating a few bags of pineapple, and consuming a few bottles of soy milk, you're hit with a problem.... where's the toilet.
It's almost a joke in India that you can never find a public toilet. They just don't exist, for the simple reason that in India - the entire country is a public toilet. Men (and to a much lesser extent, women) simply piss on whatever wall is closest - even if that wall happens to belong to the local police station.
I've gotten so used to the Indian way of things - spitting everywhere, and peeing whenever I get the urge, that to come back to civilization is quite a shock.
Also - i've started to notice my own smell considerably more.
Ok, it's hot here. But it can't be that much hotter than India... but for some reason, I notice my own unpleasant scent much more than I did in the last 6 months. The only explaination I can come up with is that everyone else around me doesn't smell, a new experience in itself, and so I stand out.
I'm not yet at the point where i'm considering wearing deodorant again - but I think I'm going to have to adopt the thai habit of 2/3 showers a day.
However, after eating a few bags of pineapple, and consuming a few bottles of soy milk, you're hit with a problem.... where's the toilet.
It's almost a joke in India that you can never find a public toilet. They just don't exist, for the simple reason that in India - the entire country is a public toilet. Men (and to a much lesser extent, women) simply piss on whatever wall is closest - even if that wall happens to belong to the local police station.
I've gotten so used to the Indian way of things - spitting everywhere, and peeing whenever I get the urge, that to come back to civilization is quite a shock.
Also - i've started to notice my own smell considerably more.
Ok, it's hot here. But it can't be that much hotter than India... but for some reason, I notice my own unpleasant scent much more than I did in the last 6 months. The only explaination I can come up with is that everyone else around me doesn't smell, a new experience in itself, and so I stand out.
I'm not yet at the point where i'm considering wearing deodorant again - but I think I'm going to have to adopt the thai habit of 2/3 showers a day.
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