Thailand

Today I woke up at 5:30 at our lodge next to the active volcano Mt. Bromo in Indonesia, and realized that we have a mere 4 days remaining in this country and only 17 until we arrive in Sydney (note...I started this blog a couple of days ago and finished today, so I actually woke up in Bali today and will fly to Australia tonight...the rest still fits).  I have to apologize for my inconsistent blogging.  Initially my intention was to keep this updated at least 3 times a week, but my inability to write on the bus and limited Internet access have tempered my ambitions.  In Australia, I expect to have more consistent access and intend to post more frequent updates.  To catch up to where I am now, I’ll give a haphazard explanation of what all has transpired over the past 3 weeks.

Bangkok, Thailand:

Thailand joke:
Q: Why do all the soccer matches in Bangkok end in a draw?
A: Because this is Tie-land!

After winding down our time in Nepal, we once again boarded an Indian bus for three days of  travel to Calcutta from where we’d fly to Bangkok. Perhaps it was that I was merely happy to be back in a well developed place or perhaps it was the presence of a 7-Eleven at every corner (complete with Slurpees I might add), but either way: I loved Bangkok from the start.

As with nearly every other city we’ve visited on this tour, Awal and I searched for all available free sightseeing and entertainment options.  The first day, several of us walked around and saw the Buddhist temples and monuments scattered throughout downtown Bangkok before venturing into Chinatown.   I never would have guessed that Bangkok has a Chinatown (not really sure why…it‘s much closer to China than NYC), but it does and it’s vibrant, bustling, and possesses every item you’d ever want to buy (and plenty you’d never want).  We spent a couple of hours rummaging through the shops until we finally emerged on the other side after making only one purchase between the four of us (that being my purchase of "Sony" headphones...that thankfully are still working).

The next day, we hit the jackpot. Turns out, the city of Bangkok offers free bikes for rent to anyone who shows their passport.  For the next two days, we took full advantage of this offer, riding everywhere around town.  Being one who grew up in East Tennessee suburbia, I have plenty of experience bike riding on nice hilly roads, but not so much on crowded city streets.  I was amazed by the courtesy shown by Thai drivers.  Perhaps it's that there is much more of a biking culture in Bangkok, but riding a bike through Bangkok was neither harrowing or nerve-racking.  Free use of the bikes allowed us to explore all nearly all of downtown and even out to Bangkok's 8 story mall.

For much of the trip, a handful of us have talked about finding a night to go out for karaoke.  As my Fort Myers friends know (perhaps all too well), I'm a big fan of karaoke, and not in the least afraid to make a fool of myself singing a ridiculous song (Tiny Dancer with a 6'3 interpretive dancer in the background, I Want it that Way, etc.), so I was anxious for us to find a place to display our "talents."  After a good bit of work searching for a place, I found one within walking distance.  Our group of seven arrived, sat down and realized that this happened to be an "alternative" karaoke bar.  Since we were already there, we sang a song or two and then made our gracious exit (I'd like to say this is the first time I've made this mistake, but my friends Ryan, Misty, Bri and I did the same thing last year in Peoria, IL...perhaps I should ease off on my love of karaoke).

I found that one of Bangkok's perks is its street food.  On every corner, you can find pad thai, chicken on a skewer, grilled pork ribs, roast duck, or fried rice...all for cheap too.  Some people are wary of street food, and they probably should be as you never know if the food you're eating is clean.  I'm blessed to have an iron stomach, so I can practice adventure eating without having to experience anything adventurous  in the bathroom (I actually have a bet riding on whether or not I get sick to my stomach at all during the trip...tomorrow I'll go to Australia and I'm still good).

From Bangkok, we traveled to the island of Koh Samui for a several days in the sun and sand.  When we arrived there, the sand was most certainly present.  The sun, however, failed to show up.  Unfortunately, our visit to the island coincided with monsoon season in Thailand, and we were met with unyielding rain for all three days.   After a few days of not being able to swim or do anything at the beach, Awal and I went out anyway during the monsoon.  Debris of all sort had washed up onto the shore...so much so you could barely walk.  So in the monsoon, in the middle of debris, trash, wood, rocks, etc. we played bocce ball with coconuts for an hour. In the midst of our game, we spotted what looked like an abandoned beachside bar.  We waded through the newly formed river flowing from the town to the ocean and climbed over rocks to the bar where we found pretty much nothing but empty chairs and a dartboard. After a few rounds of darts, we realized that this place had been abandoned for no more than a week and decided it best for us to leave. So we went and played more bocce

From Koh Samui we had nearly a week of nothing but 12 hour bus days through Malaysia and into Indonesia.  Like Mom always said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, just keep your mouth shut." So I will.

Our next destination of note was Mt. Bromo, home of an active volcano.  Unlike the rest of Indonesia which possesses humidity and oppressive heat reminiscent of Ft Myers, Mt. Bromo was chilly, and had us busting out long sleeved shirts.  We only had one full day here, so we made the most of it.  At 9AM, Awal and I took off with 8 others to climb up to the mouth of Mt Bromo where we could stare down its mouth.  Amazing.  Sitting on a ledge and staring down at a massive hole in the ground spewing with ash and sulfur was truly surreal.  As cool as it was to climb to the top of a volcano, there's really wasn't much to do from the top but just sit there, throw rocks (a totally underrated past time), and mill around.  So after thirty minutes or so, we left to embark on an ambitious climb of a nearby mountain.  Armed with only a vague map, we walked to the base of the mountain, found a road which led to a trail which led us up to the 2500m summit (though on part of it we had to do more of a climb than hike...the trail ended up getting a bit hairy).  Being on top of a mountain is frequently used metaphorically, but I have to say, few things give you the sense of accomplishment and gratitude that you get when literally standing on top of a mountain you just climbed.  Awal and I sat at the top patting ourselves on the back for a while, ate some snacks, and took a nap in the grass for an hour or so before heading back down.

Sorry this post is a sloppy stream of consciousness, but I had to catch up.  Tomorrow, I'll be in Australia where I'll be posting pictures to document the experiences detailed in this post.  I'm still shocked that this whirlwind adventure is nearing its end.  Though I'll certainly be glad to be home, I'll no doubt miss the entire experience...friends, adventure, the feeling of having no idea what today will bring, the newness of everything.  Pretty much everything except my cramped, hot seat on the bus.