UNDERWATER PHOTOS

HERE ARE SOME UNDERWATER PICS FROM MY LIVEABOARD, A GUY SHARED HIS PICS WITH ME.

THE SANCTUARY

I HAVE BEEN IN KOH PAN NGAN FOR A FEW DAYS NOW... CAME HERE TO DO A 7 DAY FAST. SOUNDS CRAZY BECAUSE I LOVE FOOD AND RIGHT NOW IM TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT I WAS THINKING WHEN I SIGNED UP FOR THIS!
I AM STAYING AT THE WELLNESS CENTER AT A PLACE CALLED THE SANTUARY. IT IS RIGHT ON THE BEACH AND IS BEAUTIFUL.
BASCIALLY 2 DAYS BEFORE I STARTED THE FAST I HAD TO ONLY DRINK WATER OR TEA AND ONLY RAW FRUITS AND VEGGIES. STARTED THE FAST 3 DAYS AGO, I HAVE 4 OF THESE CLAY SHAKES A DAY (THEY ARE SUPPOSE TO GRAB ONTO ALL THE LEFT OVER STUFF IN YOUR STOMACH), HERBAL SUPPLEMENTS 4 TIMES, A FEW OTHER DRINKS MEANT TO FLUSH THE SYSTEM AND VEG. BROTH FOR DINNER. ITS ACTUALLY BEEN REALLY NICE, ALL THE FASTERS HANG OUT AT THE WELLNESS CENTER AND READ OR SLEEP. NO FOOD IS ALOUD THERE WHICH IS NICE. EVEN THOUGH I AM FEELING TIRED AND A LITTLE SPACEY I FEEL GOOD, MY STOMACH IS SO EMPTY BUT IN A GOOD WAY. I COPIED THIS BLURB FROM THE INTERNET... MY BRAIN ISN'T WORKING SO WELL TO EXPLAIN.

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THEY ALSO OFFER YOGA TWICE A DAY, THERE IS A SPA HERE, AND MEDITATION ALONG WITH ALL KINDS OF WORKSHOPS YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR.
I GOT A THAI MASSAGE YESTERDAY, IT WAS FANTASTIC AND HAVE BEEN GOING TO MEDITATION EVERY OTHER NIGHT.
I HAVE MY OWN LITTLE BUNGALOW WHERE I CAN CAN HEAR THE WAVES CRASHING ON THE BEACH. I HAVENT HAD MY OWN ROOM SINCE I LEFT BANGKOK AND I AM ENJOYING IT.
WELL, I WILL BE DONE THE FAST ON THURS. BUT WILL STAY HERE FOR A FEW DAYS AFTER. YOU HAVE TO STICK TO RAW FOODS FOR 2-3 DAYS AFTER AS WELL. AND DONT WORRY MOM-IT IS COMPLETELY SAFE AND WILL BE GOOD AS NEW WHEN IM FINISHED. ALSO MOM, PLEASE NO MORE EMAILS TALKING ABOUT ALL THE FOOD YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE ME WHEN I GET HOME... :) IT'S TORTURE.
I WILL BE HEADING TO PHUKET NEXT AND THEN WILL FLY HOME FROM THERE. SO SEE EVERYONE SOON!!!

DIVING IN THE SIMILAN AND SURIN ISLANDS

BACK FROM MY DIVE TRIP. IT WAS REALLY NICE. BEAUTIFUL ISLANDS, GOOD DIVING AND AMAZING FOOD. WE TOOK THE FERRY TO PHUKET ON THURSDAY AND THEN HAD AN HOUR 1/2 RIDE TO KHAOLAK. FINALLY GOT ON THE BOAT AND DEPARTED AROUND 9pm. THERE WERE 16 OTHER DIVERS, 4 INSTRUCTORS AND 6 BOAT STAFF. WE DID 14 DIVES IN 4 DAYS, I ONLY DID 13 (SAT OUT ONE SHORT NIGHT DIVE CAUSE MY EAR WAS BOTHERING ME, BUT ITS ALL BETTER NOW). THE FIRST 3 DAYS WERE 4 DIVES A DAY INCLUDING A NIGHT DIVE AND THE LAST DAY WAS 2 DIVES. REALLY BEAUTIFUL DIVING. THE ISLANDS AND DIVE SITES WERE BASICALLY BIG ROCKS WITH HUGE BOULDERS PILED EVERYWHERE. SOME PARTS DIDN'T EVEN REALLY LOOK LIKE THEY WERE UNDERWATER, ONE LOOKED LIKE THE HILLS OF MISSOURI WITH LITTLE CORALS SPROUTING UP RANDOMLY LOOKING LIKE TREES. THERE WERE TONS AND TONS OF FISH EVERYWHERE! SAW 2 SEAHORSES, LOADS OF OCTOPUS, A WHITE TIP REEF SHARK, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING.
FELT LIKE I HAD MY OWN PERSONAL THAI COOK. THIS SWEET LITTLE LADY WAS THE CHEF AND FED US LIKE YOUR GRANDMOTHER DOES... WE WOULD GET SUBS AND BURGERS FOR AFTERNOON SNACKS, IT WAS INSANE. I ACTUALLY THINK I MANAGED TO GAIN WEIGHT EVEN WITH ALL THE DIVING.
ONE AFTERNOON AS WE WERE TRAVELING TO OUR NEXT DESTINATION SOME DOLPHINS CAME UP TO THE FRONT OF THE BOAT AND STARTED SWIMMING WITH US... THEY LEFT AND THE CAPTAIN TURNED THE BOAT AROUND SO THAT THEY WOULD COME BACK AND MORE KEPT COMING AND I THINK THAT THERE WERE AT LEAST 10. THEY WERE JUMPING AND SWIMMING ON THEIR BACKS, PLAYING WITH US IT WAS SO CUTE! I LOVED IT.
GOT BACK TO THE MAINLAND AND STAYED IN KHAOLAK WITH 2 ENGLISH GIRLS I MET ON THE BOAT. WOKE UP YESTERDAY AND HEADED TO KOH PAN-NGAN. AN ISLAND ON THE EAST COAST. WILL BE HANGING OUT HERE FOR A BIT AND THEN I THINK TO PHUKET AND WILL FLY HOME FROM THERE. SEE EVERYONE REAL SOON!

PHI PHI PICS

HERE ARE SOME RANDOM PICS FROM PHI PHI. FIRST IS OF THE VIEW FROM MY PORCH, LAST IS OF MY FRIEND THOMAS AND I IN FRONT OF MY BUNGALOW. A FROG IN MY ROOM, PIC OF THE DIVE BOAT ON OUR WAY TO SEE THE MANTAS, PICS FROM OUR DAY ON THE LONGTAIL,OH YEAH AND OF "THE BEACH" BEACH... AND MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ME TAKING THE PLUNGE OFF THE CLIFF. CRAZY!

TON SAI PICS

HERE ARE A COUPLE PICTURES FROM TONSAI... SUNSET ON THE WAY BACK FROM A DIVE, FIRST ONE IS OF CHICKEN HEAD ISLAND BECAUSE THE ROCK TO THE LEFT LOOKS LIKE A CHICKEN HEAD. PICTURE OF MY LITTLE BUNGALOW, OF TONSAI BEACH WHEN THE TIDE HAD GONE OUT. LAST ONE IS OF RAI LEI BEACH AND ONE OF THE LONG TAIL BOATS... THE ONLY MODE OF TRANSPORT AROUND HERE.

KOH PHI PHI

I AM NOW ON KOH PHI PHI ISLAND. I WOKE UP ON FRIDAY, I THINK, AND DECIDED TO LEAVE TON SAI. IT WAS A REALLY BAD WEATHER DAY ANDWAS REALLY ONLY STICKING AROUND TO TRY CLIMBING WHICH WOUDLN'T OF BEEN HAPPENIGN THAT DAY ANYWAY DUE TO RAIN. I JUST PACKED MY BAGS AND LEFT MY ROOMIE A NOTE AND LEFT. MISSED THE BOAT STRAIGHT FROM TON SAI SO I HAD TO TAKE A LONG TAIL TO KRABI AND THEN FIND A TICKET TO PHI PHI. MET 2 REALLY COOL GUYS ON THE FERRY THAT HAD JUST MET IN BANGKOK, BOTH TRAVELING ALONE, AND WENT WE ARRIVED, DECIDE WE WOULD TRY TO FIND A PLACE TOGETHER. FOUND A STEAL, A BUNGALOW ABOUT 20 FT FROM THE BEACH AND ONE OF THE GUYS BRAD AND I ARE SHARING. THIS BAMBOO HUT MUST HAVE BEEN MADE IN A DAY BUT WAS EXCITED TO FIND OUT WE WERE THE FIRST TO STAY IN THIS ONE, SEEMS THEY ARE STILL REBUILDING DUE TO THE TSUNAMI. YOU COULD PROBABLY KNOCK IT OVER IF YOU LEANED AGAINST IT AND AM STILL WAITING FOR MY FOOT TO GO THROUGH THE FLOOR BUT IT'S STILL GREAT. SPENT MY FIRST DAY HERE CHILLING ON THE BEACH WHICH IS BEAUTIFUL. THERE ARE MANY BEACHES HERE AND OURS IS KIND OF IN A COVE SURROUNDED BY THE CLIFFS I REFERRED TO IN TON SAI. BEAUTIFUL. FOUND A PLACE TO DIVE AND HAVE HAD TO MAGNIFICENT DAYS OF DIVING.
FIRST DIVE SITES I WENT TO WERE AN HOUR AND A HALF SPEED BOAT RIDE OUT TO THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. THERE HAD BEEN SOME MANTA RAY SIGHTINGS THE DAY BEFORE THEY HAD SEEN 3 AND THAT WAS THE MOST THE DIVEMASTER SAID HE HAD SEEN TOGETHER. I WAS KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED. AS SOON AS WE DROPPED IN SOMEONE LOOKED DOWN AND ONE WAS SWIMMING BELOW US. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, AND I COULD GO ON FOREVER, WE SAW 3 AT THAT SITE AND LOST COUNT BUT ESTIMATED 12 AT THE NEXT SIGHT. LITERALLY UNBELIEVABLE. I POSTED A LINK TO A SITE IF YOU WANTED TO SEE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
http://www.imagequest3d.com/cgi-bin/ImageFolio4/imageFolio.cgi?img=0&search=Manta+Rays&cat=aquatic&bool=and
THE MOST AMAZING THING I'VE EVER SEEN. THEY RANGED FROM 6 FEET WING SPAN TO 15-20 FT WAS THE BIGGEST ONE WE SAW. THEY WERE SWIMMING ABOVE US, BELOW US NEXT TO US AND WOULD EVEN LIFT THEIR WING WHEN CLOSE TO DIVERS AS NOT TO HIT THEM. I COULD HAVE TOUCHED ONE. SO INCREDIBLE. WENT ON 3 DIVES THE NEXT DAY AND SAW 2 LEOPARD SHARKS. REALLY PRETTY AND MY FIRST UP CLOSE LOOK AT A SHARK.
TODAY MY ROOMMATE AND A BUNCH OF OTHER RANDOM PEOPLE GOT A LONGTAIL TO CHECK OUT THE ISLAND AND WENT SNORKELING A BUNCH OF PLACES. WENT TO THE BEACH WHERE "THE BEACH" MOVIE WAS FILMED. AND WENT CLIFF JUMPING!! AGHHH, IT WAS SO SCARY. IT WAS ABOUT A 35 ft DROP. HAVE A GREAT PIC OF ME MID-AIR WILL TRY TO POST SOON.
MET A GUY THAT WAS PLANNING A LIVE-A-BOARD TRIP TO THE SIMILIAN AND SURIN ISLANDS AND DECIDED TO GO ALONG. WILL BE LEAVING FROM PHUKET ON THURS NIGHT. IT'S A BIG DIVE BOAT THAT YOU LIVE ON, HENCE THE NAME, AND WILL BE DOING 14 DIVES OVER 4 DAYS, IT WILL BE INTENSE BUT AM REALLY EXCITED. NOT SURE WHERE TO NEXT.

I LOVE DIVING

JUST A QUICK UPDATE TO LET YOU ALL KNOW I'M STILL ALIVE. I AM IN TONSAI A LITTLE BEACH IN THE TOWN OF KRABI. THIS PLACE IS BEAUTIFUL. NICE BEACH WITH HUGE CLIFFS STICKING STRAIGHT OUT OF THE WATER... NOTHING I'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE. ARRIVED HERE ON TUES. AFTER 17 HOURS OF TRAVELING. MET A REALLY NICE GUY FROM SWEDEN AND WE ARE SHARING A BUNGALOW 5 MINUTES FROM THE BEACH AND ARE PAYING $2.50 EACH A NIGHT. IT'S GREAT... ALTHOUGH THE ACCOMADATIONS ARE NOT 5 STAR AND I AM BACK TO SHOWERING OVER THE TOILET AND THE DRAIN FROM THE SINK JUST GOES STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR BUT YOU CAN'T BEAT THE PRICE! I HAVE SEEN MONKEYS SWINGING IN THE TREES AND CRAZY ROCK CLIMBERS EVERYWHERE AND CONVINCED THEY HAVE A DEATH WISH... YOU SHOULD SEE THESE CLIFFS THEY CLIMB, THEY MIGHT AS WELL BE UPSIDE DOWN! SPENT YESTERDAY FRYING MY BODY ON THE BEACH AND LOOKING FOR A DECENT DIVE SHOP. TODAY I WENT ON A DAY TRIP CONSISTING OF 3 DIVES 2 WERE NEAR KHO PHI PHI, WHERE I AM GOING NEXT, AND ONE A LITTLE CLOSER TO HERE. WE LEFT THIS MORN AT 8am AND GOT HOME AT ALMOST 7pm. DON'T WANT TO BORE YOU WITH ALL THE DIVE TALK BUT I HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE. THE FIRST DIVE THIS MORNING WAS ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING I'VE HAD, I WAS SO OVERWHELMED... WE PULL UP TO THESE HUGE CLIFFS THAT JUST COME STRAIGHT OUT OF THE WATER AND SEEM TO CREATE THE WALL OF THE REEF UNDERWATER THAT WE ARE SWIMMING AROUND. I SAW A FEW SMALL THINGS THAT GOT ME SUPER EXCITED ALONG WITH A TURTLE, MORAY EEL, GOOD SIZED OCTOPUS, SEA SNAKE AND TONS AND TONS OF FISH. IT WAS AMAZING. I WILL BE GOING TO KHO PHI PHI WITHIN A DAY OR SO, CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!! GOING TO TRY TO GET THE COURAGE TO TAKE A 1/2 DAY ROCK CLIMBING COURSE TOMORROW, THEN WE'LL REALLY SEE WHAT I'M MADE OF. OFF TO SLEEP IN MY BUNGALOW UNDER MY MOSQUITO NET... WILL WRITE MORE SOON.

RANDOM PICTURES FROM BANGKOK

LOVING THAILAND

SO MUCH TO TELL... YESTERDAY I DECIDE I WAS GOING TO FIND THE GRAND PALACE WHICH HOUSES THIS EMERALD BUDDHA THAT WAS FOUND IN LIKE 1445 OR SOMETHING, ANYWAYS I DECIDED I WOULD FIND IT ON MY OWN... DIDN'T HAPPEN. CAME BACK TO THE NEW PLACE I'M STAYING WHICH IS ABOUT A BLOCK FROM KOH SAN AND GOT BETTER DIRECTIONS. WALKED ALL THE WAY THERE AND FIND OUT THAT I AM NOT DRESSED CORRECTLY. YOU HAVE TO WEAR PANTS, CLOSED TOED SHOES AND A SHIRT THAT COMES TO YOUR ELBOWS. SO THAT WAS OUT. DECIDED TO JUST WANDER AND I FOUND A SMALL FOOD MARKET AND WAS WALKING AROUND THERE LOOKING AT WHAT LOOKED LIKE BIG ROASTED COCKROACHES AND OTHER THINGS I WAS EVEN SCARED TO LOOK AT UP CLOSE. I WAS WALKING DOWN ONE ROW AND TRIED TO TURN AND THIS LADY WAS LIKE ONE WAY! AND I WAS LIKE OK SO I KEPT GOING IN THE DIRECTION SHE WAS POINTING WHEN I SEE PEOPLE WALKING THE OTHER WAY AND WONDERING WHY I AM EVEN LISTENING TO THIS LADY AND NEXT THING YOU KNOW SHE SAYS AGAIN, ONE WAY FOR THE BOAT RIDE! I DIDN'T WANT A BOAT RIDE SO I JUST TURNED AROUND AND WAS LIKE I DON'T WANT A BOAT RIDE BUT THEY TRY TO TRICK YOU AND I THINK IT'S FUNNY. BUT THEY ARE COMPLETELY HARMLESS AS SOON AS YOU SAY NO AND KEEP WALKING THEY MOVE ON.
I WALKED FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE HOURS UNTIL I REALIZED I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO GET BACK TO THE HOTEL. DECIDED TO TAKE A TUK-TUK RIDE. A TUK-TUK IS A FORM OF A CAB BUT LOOKS LIKE THE FRONT OF A MOTOR BIKE PULLING A COVERED BENCH SEAT. FUNNY. SO I FIND ONE AND ASK HIM TO TAKE ME TO CHINATOWN AND HE GOES WHY DO YOU WANT TO GO TO CHINATOWN AND IM LIKE I DON'T KNOW JUST CAUSE AND HE PULLS OUT HIS MAP AND TELLS ME WHERE HE WANTS TO TAKE ME... ALL THESE TOURIST THINGS BUT WHAT THEY DO IS GIVE YOU A REALLY GOOD PRICE AND THEN STOP OFF AT ALL THESE SHOPS TO TRY TO GET YOU TO BUY STUFF AND THEN THE SHOPS GIVE THEM LIKE FREE GAS CARDS OR MONEY OR SOMETHING.
AT ANY RATE, I SAID NO I JUST WANT TO GO TO CHINATOWN AND HE SAYS 200 BHAT. WHICH IS ABOUT $5. WHICH IS A RIP OFF CAUSE IT'S 200 FROM THE AIRPORT WHICH IS ABOUT AN HOUR AWAY. SO I KEPT WALKING AND FOUND ANOTHER ONE. IT WAS PRETTY FUN OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THE TRAFFIC HERE IS AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL. AND THIS THING WAS VIBRATING LIKE HELL THE WHOLE TIME.
SO I GET TO CHINATOWN AND THEY HAVE THE MOST BEAUTIFUL LOOKING FRUIT... ALMOST PUT THE PUBLIC MARKET IN SEATTLE TO SHAME. THE SOI (SIDE STREETS) WERE JAM PACKED WITH VENDORS AND PEOPLE SELLING ANYTHING YOU COULD EVER WANT. TOOK ANOTHER TUK TUK HOME AND TOOK AND SHOWER STRAIGHT AWAY. THIS CITY IS PRETTY DIRTY BUT WORTH SPENDING A FEW DAYS TO SEE THE SIGHTS AND GET THE EXPERIENCE.
TODAY WAS A GREAT DAY. SPENT THE MORNING ON KHO SAN RD... LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO BUY BUT REMINDING MYSELF I HAVE TO CARRY THIS STUFF FOR 40 MORE DAYS. NOTHING STRUCK ME BUT A PAIR OF THAI PANTS... THEY ARE LIKE SCRUBS KIND OF BUT WRAP AROUND AND THE BUT KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A DIAPER... EVRYONE HERE WEARS THEM. THEY SOUND CUTE HUH? WELL THEY WERE $2.50.
SO I GOT THEM HOME AND COULDN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO TIE THEM, GUESS I WILL HAVE TO ASK SOMEONE.
THEN IN THE AFTERNOON I DECIDED TO PUT ON MY BUDDIST CLOTHING AND HEAD BACK TO THE PALACE. THEY LET ME IN THIS TIME AND IT WAS AMAZING. THIS AREA IS PROBABLY BIGGER THAN ONE CITY BLOCK AND INSIDE WAS AMAZING. I TOOK TONS OF PICS AND WILL TRY TO GET THEM UP BEFORE YOU FORGET THIS STORY. ANYWAYS WHEN YOU WENT IN THE TEMPLE WITH THE EMERALD BUDDHA YOU HAD TO TAKE YOUR SHOES OFF, COULDN'T TAKE ANY PICTURES COULDN'T HAVE YOUR FEET POINTED AT HIM. EVERYONE WAS ON THEIR KNEES AND THE BUDDIST PEOPLE WERE ALL PRAYING. IT WAS SOMETHING I HAVE NEVER FELT BUT I STAYED IN THERE FOR A WHILE TRYING TO REMEMBER EVERYTHING. THIS BUDDHA WASN'T THAT BIG BUT WAS UP MAYBE 50FT ON TOP GOLD COVERED TEARS OF MOSAIC TILES AND GLASS. SURROUNDED BY OTHER BUDDHAS AND FIGURES. WHEN YOU CAME INTO THE COMPLEX YOU COULD BUY LOTUS FLOWERS OR INCENSE AND NOT IN THE TEMPLE BUT ALL AROUND WHERE SMALL ALTERS WHERE PEOPLE WOULD OFFER THESE THINGS AND PRAY TO BUDDHA. IT WAS PRETTY AMAZING. THEN I WENT TO WAT PHO WHICH IS ANOTHER TEMPLE THAT HAS THE LARGEST RECLINING BUDDHA, 43 METERS LONG. WHILE I WAS THERE I GOT MY CHART AND MY PALM READ FOR FUN BY A VERY OLD THAI MAN WHO WAS VERY SWEET. HE SAID SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE TRUE ABOUT ME WHICH I AM SURE YOU ARE ALL SHAKING YOUR HEADS BUT I HAD A GOOD TIME. HE SAID THAT I AM VERY CLEVER, ALWAYS HAPPY AND SMILING, THAT I LIKE MY FREEDOM AND LIKE TO HAVE CONTROL, THAT I SHOULD GO INTO BUSINESS FOR MYSELF BECAUSE I DON'T DO WELL WITH PEOPLE TELLING ME WHAT TO DO. IT WAS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THINGS MY KINDERGATEN TEACHER TOLD MY MOM 23 YEARS AGO, BUT HEY. I ALSO LEARNED THAT YEARS 29-31 WILL BE GOOD LUCK YEARS FOR ME AND THAT 21-28 WERE NOT GOOD YEARS. VERY INTERESTING.
THERE ARE TONS OF MONKS AROUND AS WELL, THEY ALL LOOK SO PEACEFUL AND HAPPY. SHAVED HEADS WITH BRIGHT ORANGE ROBES. ONE SMILED AND CHUCKLED AT ME ON THE STREET TODAY AS I WAS MOUTHING THE WORDS TO THE SONG PLAYING ON MY I-POD.
ON MY WALK HOME I PASSED A PARK WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF LOCALS FLYING KITES AND LITTLE KITES WITH STREAMERS ON STICKS. IT LOOKED SO BEAUTIFUL I WENT AND SAT AND TOOK PICTURES OF THESE LITTLE THAI BOYS RUNNING AROUND WITH THEM, IT WAS A REALLY GREAT DAY.
ON MY WAY HERE TO WRITE THIS ENTRY I PASSED A VENDOR WITH A CART FULL OF COOKED BUGS. LIKE 8 DIFFERENT KINDS, LONG SKINNY WHITE WORMS, CRICKETS AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE. THERE ARE VENDORS ALL OVER THE PLACE THAT JUST PUSH THEIR CARTS AROUND WITH ANYTHING YOU WANT, DRINKS, FRUIT, STIR-FRY, CHOCOLATE BANANA PANCAKES WHICH WAS ONE THING JESS SAID I HAD TO TRY. THEY ARE DELICIOUS. I GOT LIKE 1/2 A PINEAPPLE TODAY FOR 25cents.
PLAN ON REALXING A LITTLE TOMORROW. WANT TO GET A MASSAGE AS THEY ARE ABOUT $5 FOR AN HOUR.
I BOUGHT A BUS TICKET TO KRABI WHICH IS ABOUT 12 HOURS SOUTH OF HERE. IT LEAVES AT 6pm ON MONDAY WHICH WILL BE NICE, I HOPEFULLY WILL JUST SLEEP THE WHOLE TIME. KRABI IS SUPPOSEDLY A ROCK CLIMBERS DREAM AND ALSO HAS DIVING. SUPPOSE TO BE AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL WITH ROCKS AND CLIFFS COMING OUT OF THE WATER. CAN'T WAIT AND IF I GET THE COURAGE I WILL TRY CLIMBING. THAT OCEAN WATER COULDN'T COME TO ME ANY QUICKER.

BANGKOK BABY

WELL, I HAVE MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THAILAND.
I LEFT LATE ON WEDNESDAY (REALLY THURS) AT 15 PAST MIDNIGHT. MY COUSIN ROB TOOK ME TO A SEATTLE SONICS GAME THE SAME NIGHT. WE HAD A GREAT TIME AND AS SOON AS THE FINAL BUZZER SOUNDED WE WERE OFF TO THE AIRPORT. THINK I MAY HAVE HAD A FEW TOO MANY BECAUSE BY THE TIME THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT CAME AROUND I ASKED FOR 4 GLASSES OF WATER. THE FIRST FLIGHT WAS TO TAIWAN AND WAS 13 HOURS. WASN'T BAD THOUGH, MANAGED TO SLEEP FOR 7 hrs AND WATCH 3 1/2 MOVIES. ARRIVED IN TAIWAN ON THURSDAY MORNING AND THE AIRPORT WAS REALLY NICE... HAD TONS OF SHOPPING, FINE JEWELRY, COACH, CLINIQUE, D&B AND ALL THE OTHER FANCY BRANDS I DON'T KNOW ANYMORE. THE FLIGHT TO BANGKOK WAS 3 HOURS AND I MANAGED TO GET THE MIDDLE SECTION OF 4 SEATS TO MYSELF AND JUST LAID DOWN AND SLEPT THE WHOLE WAY. TOOK A BUS FROM THE AIRPORT TO KHO SAN RD. THE STREET IS BLOCKED OFF FROM CARS AND IS FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH VENDORS. CLOTHING, JEWELRY, HAIR BRAIDING, FOOT MASSAGES (PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY GETTING MASSAGES AND PEDICURES RIGHT THERE ON THE STREET), AND TONS OF FOOD. YOU CAN GET PAD THAI (MY FAV) FOR 15 B WHICH IS LIKE $.40!!! TONS OF FRUIT, SMOOTHIES AND BASICALLY ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF IS AVAILABLE. FOUND A ROOM RIGHT OFF OF KOH SAN. CLEAN BUT NOT MUCH MORE TO SPEAK OF... IT BASICALLY CONSISTS OF A BED, FAN AND BATHROOM. THE BATHROOM HAS A SINK, TOILET (WITH A BUM GUN-LOOKS LIKE THE SPRAYERS YOU HAVE AT YOUR KITCHEN SINK BUT YOU USE IT INSTEAD OF TOILET PAPER) AND THE SHOWER HEAD IS RIGHT ON THE WALL IN BETWEEN THE TWO, MEANING YOU SHOWER OVER TOP THE TOILET AND SINK. MY ROOM IS ALSO ON THE 6TH FLOOR AND IS A SAUNA... HAD TO MOVE THE BED TO THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM JUST TO FEEL THE FAN. SPENT THE AFTERNOON YESTERDAY WALKING AROUND AND THEN CRASHED AT ABOUT 7pm. WOKE UP A FEW TIMES TO THE SOUND OF THE STREETS... BUT OTHERWISE SLEPT PRETTY WELL. WOKE UP AT ABOUT 6am THIS MORNING AND WENT FOR BREAKFAST AND HAVE BEEN WALKING AROUND FOR A WHILE. PLAN ON MOVING TO ANOTHER HOTEL ABOUT 2 BLOCKS AWAY FOR NOISE CONTROL.
NEED TO GET A MAP, I WANT TO GO TO SOME MUSEUMS AND MAYBE WALK TO CHINATOWN AS WELL, JUST NOT SURE HOW TO GET THERE. THE THAI PEOPLE HERE HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT KIND AND SMILING... NOT SURE HOW LONG I WILL BE IN BANGKOK BUT I'M GETTING THE ITCH TO GET BACK IN THE WATER SO THINKING I WILL BE HEADING SOUTH IN A FEW DAYS.