April 11, 2008
I’m Back in Bangkok… but this time for an unprecedented 5-night stay. My flight leaves early morning Wednesday and here, in this bustling maze of tuk-tuk exhaust and street vendors, I will stay til then. I have some goals for this last hurrah, mainly to combat my fear of straying Read more…
April 5, 2008
Last night I awoke to the pounding of the tin roofs around my guesthouse. Startled and helpless,I thought the worst. Transient looters? Back-alley bandits preying on the seclusion of my rented room? Drunken tourists? Emerging in the morning, the noisy culprit was clear. Mangoes. They were all over the place Read more…
March 30, 2008
After a good deal of time in Phuket Town, it was time to change home base. Being as far South as I’d get in Thailand, I headed North to Phang Nga Town. Phang Nga hosts a nice variety of attractions, the most famous being Khao Ping Kan, often referred to Read more…
March 18, 2008
Getting way too comfortable in Chiang Mai, it was time to move on. I headed further North to Chiang Rai via 3rd class bus along with the locals. After a few hours uphill, I was at Chiang Rai. Along the way I had devoured the my 5 large greasy spring Read more…
March 2, 2008
Warning: The images contained in this post are not suitable for children. That means you Ashley & Kayla! As I planned this trip, there was one attraction I knew I couldn’t leave without seeing. Out of all the scenic wonderment of this foreign land, it was the Wat Saen Suk, Read more…
February 23, 2008
After a long first day at Bangsai, I wake up to the sound of raucous birds conversing, crowing roosters in the distance and an army of crickets. The village of Bangsai is alive in a way that compliments these noises, even amplifies them. The sun has not yet risen but Read more…
February 21, 2008
Bangsai is a village located 20 kilometers from my Wangnoi homestay. This, my new home for the next 3 days, is situated on the Noi river and is constructed about 8 feet from ground level, as are all the dwellings here, in case of flooding from the Noi. Urai, my Read more…
February 19, 2008
Considering the dinner of white rice the previous evening, I woke up with a hungry vengeance, thinking satiety or bust. I fed myself an enormous breakfast that included 3 slices of toasted white bread with the reduced sugar raspberry jam that’s been all the rage here at the homestay (Note: Read more…
February 18, 2008
Fighting the rush hour traffic into Bangkok reminded me of home. My tour guide, Kai, and who I will refer to as the quiet one and I arrived at the Grand Place about 9 a.m. The compound of 20+ temples and worshipping sights for both Buddha and the King was Read more…
February 7, 2008
I rarely am downtown in Manhattan. Wall Street, Battery City Park: these things exist in a different New York then the one I habitate. But a vegan lunch buffet for $3.99? I’ve been known to travel significantly more miles for significantly less. But Little Lad’s Bakery, a not-so-well-known vegan eatery Read more…
January 21, 2008
South of the Border. I have long seen these bumper stickers growing up in suburban New York. Being a fan of nonsensical roadside attractions, I had to appease my curiosity and make the swerving merge from the left lane to exit. The time of our visit was perfect: dusk in Read more…