Greetings again everyone,

I know you just heard from me about my passport, but you haven't yet heard about my time spent in Bangkok and Ko Tao.  Since I've got some free time I figured I'd kill 2 birds with one stone and do both.  Enjoy.

I got into Bangkok a while ago on the night train.  After being here (twice now) I have to say this place is nuts.  I've seen a lot of the city, but still almost nothing; its huge.

I've spent most of my time on Khao San Road, which is the main backpacker district.  During the day its filled with touts trying to sell me everything from tailor made silk suits to little wooden frogs that sound like a real frog when you hit the ridges on their back correctly. 

I've been doing my best to avoid most of these tourist traps but I've seen plenty of newbies who walk into every store to find something new.  Its hilarious.

At night though, Khao San's darker side comes out.

My two favorite Poles, Ania and Aleksandra

The Polish Connection; Ania, Aleksandra, Joanna, and Patrycia

Walking down Khao San in the daytime is an exercise in patience.  Walking the street at night is an exercise in avoidance.  Over the course of my time here I've been offered a "Beautiful Thai girl" about 15 times.  Eww.

You run into these problems being a solo traveler, especially a guy.  Luckily though, I was able to meet up with a few on the road who I could hang out with.

My favorite group to hang with was definitely my Polish connection.  (as I call them).

When I was up in Chiang Mai I met two Polish girls in my hostel.  We talked for a little while and hit it off.  After they left for Phuket we got together on facebook and they told me they were coming to Bangkok.  I offered to stay and show them around.  When we finally met up it was like walking around with a bunch of my best friends.  They're great fun and their English is excellent, so I didn't even have to speak slowly around them.  They even taught me a great trick.

Whenever I walk around Khao San I get asked where I'm from.  Normally, I answer "America" very quickly and try to keep walking.  When I do this they follow me and say the prices are very good for Americans.  Even when I say nothing they just follow me, which makes me feel worse. 

When I was walking with the Poles they told me to just say Poland.  Ola, one of the girls said; "They think we're poor so they leave us alone."  I didn't really believe them but I tried it.  When the next tout asked, I said "Poland" in the best bad accent voice I could come up with. 

Damned if it didn't work like a charm.

The guy walked away from me like I smelled.  It was fantastic.  Since then I've been saying it all the time, and it keeps working.  It was wonderful.

After my Polish connection left I went down to the island of Ko Tao.  Its a small island down in the Pacific Ocean and I'd been looking forward to going there for a while now.  Honestly, I just wanted some sun, surf, and some relaxation. 

The problem is that Ko Tao is so set up for scuba divers that non-divers (like me) get shafted.  My room was the most expensive in all of Thailand so far (Bangkok was half the price for a better room) and even the food was pricey.  I spent all my time just trying to not destroy my budget.  On the bright side I met some great people, they made the place bearable.

Anais, cool French backpacker from my hostel

Emma and Becky, met them on the boat to Ko Tao.

I got to go all around the island and even do a little snorkeling.

Honestly though , I was really disappointed with Ko Tao, the entire island felt like a tourist trap.  I really doubt I'll ever go back.

But, now its on to newer and better things.  As we speak I'm on the island of Koh Pha Ngan and loving every minute of it.  I've run into some great people who showed me an awesome (and CHEAP) place right on the beach.  But, I'll save that story for next time.

The last thing I want to say is to a special girl I met recently.  You know who you are, and I wanted to say that it was truly special meeting you and I really hope we can meet again sometime. 

Muah, that's just for you.

Passport BS

I know this is a little out of order, but I wanted to update you all really quickly on my passport situation.

First off, in case you didn't know, my passport was stolen while I was down on the island of Ko Tao. 

I'd rather not get into what happened, but suffice it to say, I was stupid and actually expected someone to be trustworthy on that damn island.  Honestly, the whole place was overpriced and really not that pleasant.  I am very happy to be away from there and never going back.

Anyway, I had to come back to Bangkok to get a new passport.  That was on Sunday evening I arrived.  Its now Tuesday afternoon.  I'm leaving for Ko Pha-Ngan in about 1 hour and I wanted to inform you all that everything is ok now. 

I went to the US embassy yesterday, put in all my paperwork, and paid WAYYYYYY too much money.  Ordinarily the wait time is 2 weeks.  I am planning on being in Thailand for that time, but there's no way I'm staying in Bangkok for that long.  So I lied, I told them that I was leaving in just a week and couldn't stay that long.  So the really nice people at the embassy said they could give me an emergency passport in a day.  Upon hearing this I was ready to give them my first born.

The downside is that the emergency passport expires in 8 months, instead of 10 years.  I'll have to get a new one while I'm home before I can go to Korea again though.

After that I had to race over to the Thai Immigration consulate to get a new visa.  I was expecting that to take several hours, but luckily it only took about 30 minutes.  I had to spend nearly 3 hours in various taxis (Bangkok is huge) but the bureaucratic mess was surprisingly easy to get through. 

In the end though, all is well.  I am officially a legal visitor in the Kingdom of Thailand again, and my visa doesn't expire until December, plenty of time. 

Ok, that's the deal with my passport.  No, Thai jails for me.

Talk to you all soon.

Hey again,

I know its only been a short hiatus since my last e-mail, but I'm a little backlogged so I need to catch up while I still can.

Anyway, right into it.

Last time we talked I was in Luang Prabang, Laos and swimming with an elephant.  Well, now that your jealousy has abated a bit we can move on, and I can make you all even more jealous then before....hahaha, suckers.

Ok, first off, after Luang Prabang I visited a city called Luang Namtha.  Its a quiet little town tucked into the very north of Laos.  Honestly, there isn't much to do there except explore the mountains and their version of a national park, called a National Protected Area.  I had been told that treks through the area were amazing and I was eager to take one in.  However, there was a pretty big problem.  Since I was all alone I was going to have to pay the entire ticket myself.  In more built up and touristy places this isn't a problem since most tours have several people all going at once, in fact its actually a great way to meet people on the road.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case there.  Every tour I saw was going to be just me or maybe 2 others.  The prices for the tours were outrageous.  Some went up into triple digits, even for more then one person.  I spent one day just looking around before realizing that it wasn't going to happen and I decided to leave.  

That was my last view of Laos.  It was a wonderful country, but it was time to move on; and Thailand awaited me.

I got my last view of the Mekong River as I crossed the border.  My first stop in Thailand was a city called Chiang Rai.  Its in the extreme North of Thailand and its almost a carbon copy of Luang Namtha, except that its a little bigger.  Unfortunately I ran into the same problem here.  Not enough people for tours, and the solo tours were way too expensive.  I skipped out of here after one day as well.

And that brought me to Chiang Mai.  Chiang Mai is considered a cultural hot spot for Thailand, and its very similar to Luang Prabang.  Its also a great place to arrange jungle tours out of.  I knew this was my last shot at doing the tours I wanted to do, so I went for it.  I was not disappointed.

The first tour I signed up for was an all inclusive tour through the surrounding area.  In the package was white water rafting (which was lots of fun), bamboo rafting (which was boring, but peaceful), trekking (which we didn't do), and waterfall swimming (which was also boring but at least it let us cool off).  However, the highlight was definitely elephant riding.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I love elephants.  They're one of my favorite creatures on the entire planet.  If I could swing it, I'd have an elephant instead of a car.  Can you imagine rolling up to the drive thru on the back of a pachyderm?  It would be legendary!  lol

As it is, I've been dying to see some elephants and also to ride them.  This trip promised me that, so I jumped at it.

Her name is Munpaht, and she is a total darling.  

We had an odd number of people, so I got to ride all alone.  At first the mahout (elephant trainer) rode with me steering, but I got the feeling that Munpaht just went wherever she wanted.  On one of our stops the mahout gave me a bunch of bananas to feed her.  After they were gone she kept reaching her trunk back to me expecting more, I felt bad when I couldn't give her any.

Unfortunately it was a short ride, only about 1 hour long.  But I did get to drive her solo at the end.  Basically the mahout got off and led her around by voice commands.  While he was on the ground he took some awesome shots of me up there all alone.  I felt a bit like Hannibal crossing the Alps...Even if the Roman in me doesn't like that, hahahaha.

Anyway, that was the highlight of the day and after we got back I just crashed.  However, the next day in Chiang Mai was even better then the elephant riding.

Some very good friends of mine had recommended that I go zip-lining at some point on my trip.  I had never really thought of it before, but the more I looked, the more I wanted to do it.  Luckily I found a fairly cheap tour and I went.

I really can't describe how amazing it was, so I'm just going to let the pictures speak for themselves.

The countryside was amazing, the guides were a riot, and the lines were way, way up in the air.  Our highest line was nearly 60 meters (200 feet) off the ground.  I'm not scared of heights at all, but even I was a little nervous at first.  But as it went on, it got easier, and more and more fun.  I'm including a video in this update, I took it while I was zip-lining.  Enjoy.

Alright guys, that's the trip so far.  I'm in Bangkok right now, I'll update about it whenever I get the chance.  So far its been pretty laid back though, not much to report.  When I get moving I'll fill you all in.  

Until then, adios muchachos.

Luang Prabang

Hello again everyone.  Sorry its been so long, but its been a hectic couple of days. 

I'm in Bangkok right now, and just chilling a bit.  This place is huge and bustling, reminds me a lot of Beijing, just cleaner and warmer.  Anyway, I'm only here for a few more days, then I'm heading to Ko Tao (an island off the Eastern coast of the Thai peninsula) to do absolutely nothing for as long as I damn well please.  For all I know I'll curl up in a hammock one day and wake up in 10 years.  So if you don't see me for the next decade, I'm probably still on Ko Tao, don't you dare come looking for me though, because you'll fall under the island's spell and be lost like me.  Sounds pretty amazing doesn't it? 

Alright, here today I'm going to talk about one of my favorite cities so far, Luang Prabang, Laos.

After I left Vang Vieng, still bruised and sore mind you, I headed out on the bus to Luang Prabang.  Its the 2nd biggest city in Laos, but its still pretty small.  For a country of only 4 million, I suppose it makes sense.  Its considered a hotspot of Buddhist teachings though, and I saw monks everywhere.  The city is really beautiful, its up in the mountains and the countryside is very unspoilt.

The bus ride to the city was breathtaking.  The mountains in Northern Laos are famous throughout the area and for good reason.  I took as many shots as I could from the window of my bus, but they still don't do the place justice.  Apparently the road from Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang is only 200 kilometers long, but it has over 700 curves to it.  Still though, the ride went fast because I was too busy looking out the window.

Once I arrived in Luang Prabang I walked around the city, checked out a really nice night market, saw some old friends from the road, and basically just took the place in.  The 2nd day though, was a lot more exciting.

The 2nd day I was in Luang Prabang I slept late and didn't get up until lunch time.  As I went out for lunch though, a man on the street just walked up to me and asked if I wanted to go check out a waterfall today.  Ordinarily my alarms would be going off, but I asked a little and it turns out he was taking a tour group there in his tuk-tuk and just wanted more people.  I asked the other travelers and it sounded ok.  So I ran back to my room, grabbed the things I would need, and ran back.  Turns out I didn't need to run as we were still waiting for others though. 

In the end, it was a fantastic decision.

After a tuk-tuk ride and a quick boat trip down the Mekong River, we arrived at Tad Sae Waterfall.  The place was straight out of a dream.

Turns out, its not one waterfall, its a big stream that goes back into the jungle.  As it flows out it passes right over a bunch of limestone boulders.  Over time, the water has created an amazing place with dozens of small waterfalls, lagoons, larger pools, and plenty of places to frolic or even just to sit and feel the water flow over you.  Some pools were the perfect size for your own personal jacuzzi, others were so big you could dive in headfirst and still be ok. 

I explored the place as much as I could, going upriver well past everyone else.  I never reached the end though, the system was enormous.

After my exploring though, I came back and did some swimming, lounging, and even some jumping.  It really was a great day.

But, as I was swimming in the largest lagoon, something big, hairy, and gray stalked right towards me; it was my first ever close encounter with a full grown elephant. 

Right alongside the waterfall system there is a small elephant park.  I only saw 4 elephants there but you could pay extra to feed them or even to ride them around in the jungle for a bit.  It was too much money for me (I'm so overbudget its obscene) so I passed.  Turns out, fate was kind to me.  If I couldn't go to the elephant, the elephant would come to me.

As a bunch of us were swimming in the lagoon, one elephant was brought down to bathe.  Now, I was told later that she (definitely not a he) was a small elephant.  That's kind of like saying Earth is a small planet, its still frickin huge!  Once I saw her coming down the path I freaked a little, until I realized that I she had no intention of eating me (phew!) and all I had to do was move aside.

All in all, we all spent about 30 minutes just playing in the water with her.  We got to pet her and one girl got to ride on top as she stood up out of the water.  The girl freaked a little, and fell into the water, but was just fine.  I couldn't take any pictures of me with the elephant so I had to take all my pictures after I got out.

However, this was not the end of my elephant adventures, as you'll see in the next update. 

Until then though, keep watching your inbox.  Adios for now.

Vang Vieng

Hey all,

Miss me yet?  Of course you did, and if you didn't, shame on you.

I'm in a city called Luang Prabang right now, and I've finally found a place where I can get internet for cheap.  So its time for another update. 

After leaving Vientiane behind, I headed North to a small town called Vang Vieng.  Once upon a time this was just a sleepy little town that some people would go through and take in the scenery.  The countryside around the town is stunning, filled with karsts and small streams and rivers.  And on its own, that would still make the place great.  However, that was then, this is now.

Today, Vang Vieng is a backpackers mecca.  Its considered almost a rite of passage for backpackers doing Southeast Asia, or just Laos, to go to Vang Vieng and partake in the madness.  And yes, the place is mad as a hatter.  Drugs, booze, and lots of insanity was how one person put it, and he wasn't far off.

Luckily though, that's rare.  Most people are just there to enjoy their time and don't want to participate in the dangerous side of things.  Though admittedly, in one bar a beautiful Danish girl offered me mushrooms and weed.  She seemed really disappointed that I said no.

Anyway, despite the stigma there are a lot things to do in Vang Vieng that don't require drugs or alcohol to enjoy.  And on my first day I did just that.

I've been dying to do some kayaking ever since my friend Emma turned me on to it.  And aside from a memorable couple of hours in Halong Bay with Scott, Nikki, and Laura; I'd never had a chance.  Luckily, I found a cheap kayaking tour that was leaving the very next day.  I signed up and headed out.

We were driven about 20 km up the Nam Song River and dropped off.  Along the way we visited a few villages and went inside an underwater cave.  It wasn't completely under water, but since its the wet season it was pretty close.  We had to sit on inner tubes and hold on to a rope so we wouldn't get swept down stream.  The cave itself was a really tight fit, but we all made it.  At one point we had to crawl along a shaft covered in sand to get to the next opening.  I had fun with it but some of the others in my group hated it. 

After that, we spent the afternoon just lazily rowing down river.  The scenery was fantastic, but unfortunately I have no pictures of it.  I'll explain why later on.  Near the end of the day though, we ran smack into the seedy side of Vang Vieng; namely, the river-tubing.

I have no idea how it started, but tubing down the Nam Song River has turned into the highlight of any trip to Vang Vieng for a lot of backpackers.  Regardless of how it started, its become a ritual of Vang Vieng and nearly everyone does it.  Basically, people just get tanked out of their minds and sit in an inner tube as it floats downriver.  In one stretch of river there are about 10 bars over the span of maybe 1 mile.  Employees just throw a rope out to you and pull you in.  Each place has some kind of drink special, including free shots of Lao Whiskey.  Some of the bottles even come with their own insects inside.  My 2nd and 3rd days in Vang Vieng were spent tubing the river with some friends I'd met on the bus trip. 

Overall, the experience was fun, but my favorite part was the free slides and zip-lines.  Nearly each bar has at least one of these, and some have both.  They really just throw you into the water and when (if) you come up they throw you a line so you can come in and drink more. 

Sounds like a really terrible idea huh.  First you get tanked and then you jump into a fast-flowing river from about 20 meters in the air.  I saw at least one guy get really hurt, but I was surprised it didn't happen more often.

And on that note, I'll explain why I don't have pictures to go along with this update.

Remember my camera dilemma from a few weeks back, well its solved.  My mistress has run out on me and taken a chunk of my cash as well. 

In actuality, I was dumb enough to take my new camera out onto the river while I was tubing.  I had it nice and secure in my waterproof bag, and even in an extra ziploc bag to make sure it was dry.  Unfortunately, the bag tore while I was tubing.  My brand new camera, and about 30 dollars of local currency is currently at the bottom of the Nam Song River. 

Its completely dry in its ziploc bag though, hell, it might even still work.  But the only way to find it is with a metal detector and some scuba gear.  Just my luck huh?

On the bright side though, I still have my old camera, but I lost all my pictures from kayaking and tubing.  So for today, you'll have to form your own pictures in your minds.

Thats all folks, catch you next time.