tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-101815712024-03-13T13:39:09.442-07:00wild blue yonderTravel - Solar and Wind Power - Cob and Strawbale Construction - Electric Cars - New Physics - Metaphysics - Oddities and Silly Videos - Photographs of my Life. That's about it.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1052125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-8733955247306531452015-10-09T20:20:00.001-07:002015-10-09T20:20:25.345-07:003 Days in Edinburgh`Our next stop after York was Edinburgh. I chose an airbnb place within walking distance of the train station and I had drawn a map, but it was full dark when we got there and right away we were struck by the difference in scale with York. <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4RlsziSPupM/VhiD9x2XxJI/AAAAAAAACgE/heK-0ew30Hc/s640/blogger-image-707951343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4RlsziSPupM/VhiD9x2XxJI/AAAAAAAACgE/heK-0ew30Hc/s640/blogger-image-707951343.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>York had those narrow twisting streets - not everywhere but largely. And it was flat. Ediburgh is not flat. At all. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OmMc7Gp34Kc/VhiD1M8z8_I/AAAAAAAACfU/UHfoOU3lbu8/s640/blogger-image--1224117396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OmMc7Gp34Kc/VhiD1M8z8_I/AAAAAAAACfU/UHfoOU3lbu8/s640/blogger-image--1224117396.jpg"></a></div></div><div>And the streets are very wide. Turns out they were designed so that a horse drawn wagon could make a U-turn. I guess that takes a lot of space because it felt like the street itself was half a block wide. And the buildings in our neighborhood were 4 stories and rather monolithic. We were in the New City, so called. New in the sense of being only 150 years old or so. I don't actually have any photos here of New City. It just didn't impress me after York.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div></div></div><div>It was tough pulling our suitcases along these huge streets in the dark, having that fearful suspicion with each turn that we might be going the wrong way. I was kicking myself for not hiring a taxi, as we were really beat by the time we found our building, which at least was down a very long hill. And then there were four stories to climb with out suitcases. Oh. My. God.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><div>Our hostess was waiting with the door open and showed us around. The apartment was gorgeous, with old wooden and slate floors, 12 foot ceilings and huge windows. The bathroom was really posh (a British word I've adopted) with an enormous tub and seperate glass walled shower. </div><div><br></div><div>The next day we clambered down the stairs to set off for the Royal Mile and Edinburgh Castle. For some absurd reason we ignored the bus stop which was right in front of our place and trudged up the very long hill. Bad move. 4 pounds each would buy us an all day bus pass (which we bought the next day), but by the time we made it to the freaking castle our legs were so tired! Funny how they put castles way up on top of hills, right?<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pZtj-U822U0/VhiD4DzI3WI/AAAAAAAACfk/iZWf31cuyJM/s640/blogger-image-506388522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pZtj-U822U0/VhiD4DzI3WI/AAAAAAAACfk/iZWf31cuyJM/s640/blogger-image-506388522.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Edinburgh Castle was very grand indeed, but neither of us had any desire to explore it. Which is good as it was really expensive! Instead we started off down the Royal Mile taking 2 or 3 hundred photos a minute. About half way down we found a guided walking tour and learned a bit about Edinburgh.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RtEn8UQXbwY/VhiDw4CICoI/AAAAAAAACe8/LOpPkET2fjc/s640/blogger-image-925975650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RtEn8UQXbwY/VhiDw4CICoI/AAAAAAAACe8/LOpPkET2fjc/s640/blogger-image-925975650.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is Edinburgh University, in case you were wondering.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AxczqXXdsnU/VhiD5QuiFuI/AAAAAAAACfs/6viIUWYvsa0/s640/blogger-image--92434908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AxczqXXdsnU/VhiD5QuiFuI/AAAAAAAACfs/6viIUWYvsa0/s640/blogger-image--92434908.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is St. Giles church. It wasn't originally. It was meant to be dedicated to the king's wife, who got sainted at some point. But there was this story of Giles the hermit, who loved animals so much, when he saw the king shooting at a doe, he stuck his hand out to block the arrow. The arrow shot Giles through the hand (there's a carving depicting all this above the main door). The king was mighty impressed, got the dude sainted and hey presto! He ends up with the big cathedral in Edinburgh.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H4MS8hTAomU/VhiDtuF44SI/AAAAAAAACes/imCtFmrB4_4/s640/blogger-image-84906882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H4MS8hTAomU/VhiDtuF44SI/AAAAAAAACes/imCtFmrB4_4/s640/blogger-image-84906882.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is the view from the entrance to the castle. The photo doesn't really capture the magical feeling we had there. This was taken on our last night. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kR4muKXA7Hc/VhiD2j6dPBI/AAAAAAAACfc/u2jfI62j_o4/s640/blogger-image-1456699003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kR4muKXA7Hc/VhiD2j6dPBI/AAAAAAAACfc/u2jfI62j_o4/s640/blogger-image-1456699003.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There some really gorgeous pubs in Edinburgh. Almost made me wish I drank beer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IG76Bpo6oRU/VhiD8qjSpLI/AAAAAAAACf8/f3robP66Ntg/s640/blogger-image-621453073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IG76Bpo6oRU/VhiD8qjSpLI/AAAAAAAACf8/f3robP66Ntg/s640/blogger-image-621453073.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here's another one. This was Deacon Brodies Tavern. The sign shows him with two personas: prosperous business man and robber. He led a double life and was, perhaps the inspiration for Doctor Jeckle and Mr. Hyde. Robert Louis Stevenson was a local hero, apparently. Another inspiration might have been Edinburgh itself (according to our guide). Once the New City was set up the old city quickly degenerated into a filthy, disease-riden slum.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mpADGpBqYeY/VhiDvVorTLI/AAAAAAAACe0/PTEGDKPurU4/s640/blogger-image-1052068430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mpADGpBqYeY/VhiDvVorTLI/AAAAAAAACe0/PTEGDKPurU4/s640/blogger-image-1052068430.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Behind India is Arthur's Seat. It's the highest point around and overlooking Edinburgh. It was a massive challenge for India. Both our legs were sore, but hers had been massively cramping up. I didn't think we were going to make it but then somehow she mastered herself and the whole rest of the trip there were no more problems walking. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i7Y8pJ2tn6U/VhiD60s8GGI/AAAAAAAACf0/tlsgIXky9bA/s640/blogger-image-2097086749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-i7Y8pJ2tn6U/VhiD60s8GGI/AAAAAAAACf0/tlsgIXky9bA/s640/blogger-image-2097086749.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Almost to the top.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C3rN4R1WJtg/VhiDzo0CbYI/AAAAAAAACfM/Xjkx-v-Z2mM/s640/blogger-image--848067787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C3rN4R1WJtg/VhiDzo0CbYI/AAAAAAAACfM/Xjkx-v-Z2mM/s640/blogger-image--848067787.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Okay, this is the top. You can castle below.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-se-wve4Ze1U/VhiDyKr5xTI/AAAAAAAACfE/F0F7eB2hqSg/s640/blogger-image--965349118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-se-wve4Ze1U/VhiDyKr5xTI/AAAAAAAACfE/F0F7eB2hqSg/s640/blogger-image--965349118.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This was the high point of our trip. Literally. Not subjectively. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One thing that was really shocking in Edinburgh was the littering. Even up here, at Arthur's Seat, which has to be a relatively holy site. I don't know if it's the Scots or the tourists or what. We saw virtually no littering in Chester or the Cotwolds, but we did see some grown men and 20 something young women leaving their rubbish on the trains. It was really weird....like they thought their mommy would come along and pick up after them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I guess they never had that crying indian public service ad.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We had a good time in Edinburgh and loved our apartment (despite the stairs). But our next stop was Chester and that turned out to be our fave.</div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-9308026576900762572015-10-07T14:37:00.001-07:002015-10-07T14:37:47.926-07:00Twice Near TearsI almost cried twice today. The first time was this afternoon at Stonehenge. <div>Or more acurately, NOT at Stonehenge. We did see it. For about 12 seconds as we zipped by on the freeway. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">And we saw the visitor center, somewhat. That's where I almost lost it.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Wait. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Let me back up.</span></div><div><br></div><div>We had today all planned out. We packed last night and were up at 7am sharp, had breakfast and were out in the car ready to roll right at 8am for our journey to mystical Stonehenge. Google told us it would be about 2 hours, so I gave us 3. I bought advanced tickets for 11am.</div><div><br></div><div>As soon as I started the car our day changed a bit. There was a warning light about tire pressure. I got out and looked and sure enough, the front right tire was flat. Not only flat, there was a chunk out of the sideway (probably from when I hit the curb on one of those lovely Cotswold country roads - in fact India and I both knew exactly when it happened, I swerved a bit when an oncoming van seemed about to collide with us. I guess it was a good decision to swerve, but here we were).</div><div><br></div><div>Now this is where I made my big mistake. Seeing that chunk out of the sidewall I felt defeated and went in to call the rental car service. Wrong. What I should have done was try and pump the damn thing up, which is what I did two hours later. We could have been on our merry way and merely had to stop once in a while to pump it back up - the car came with a nice pump (though no spare).</div><div><br></div><div>Instead we waited for two and a half hours for the repair guy (who was quite nice) and then another half hour for the repair. So when we were once again ready to hit the road it was exactly 11am.</div><div><br></div><div>I think I left out the part about needing to return the car in Bath at 3pm and our train at 3:43. What to do? </div><div><br></div><div>Here I made the second big mistake. I said hey, lets see if we can get halfway in one hour. If not, we'll turn west for Bath. But if we can we can still have a few minutes at Stonehenge anyway (I was probably thinking about the 29 pounds I'd spent on the damn tickets - and buying them was another mistake. We could have bought them there for only a slight extra charge).</div><div><br></div><div>Well, we made it halfway to Swinton in under an hour and I was much encouraged. We were actually on something of a freeway at that stage going 80 miles an hour! Wow! So we carried on and it took a full hour and an 15 minutes to reach Stonehenge (which included getting lost twice and my having to go into a pub and ask directions). And pounding the steering wheel. Google sent us off on a crazy goose chase.</div><div><br></div><div>So there it was on the right as we tore down the highway at 70 miles an hour. It was late but at least we could stop and take a quick look. Frustrating, but oh well. At least we could take a photo or two (or 25). </div><div><br></div><div>But it was not to be. Turns out the visitor center is a LONG way away and you have to take a bus from the center out to the site. By the time we parked it was 1:30pm and we really needed to be on the way to Bath. This is where the tears came. Tears of pure frustration. We couldn't even SEE Stonehenge from the goddam visitor center. And our onward route wouldn't take us past it again ont e road. India hadn't even taken any photos as we went past.</div><div><br></div><div>But at least we saw it with our own eyes. Not for long, but the image is engraved on my memory.</div><div><br></div><div>The trip to Bath went really well. We tore along the highways and there were actually highway signs directing us (for once) so we got there with time to spare. But that's where we hit another wall. Turns out Bath is famous for bad traffic and traffic jams. And the streets are crazy and suddenly our map was worthless and we were lost. By the time I stopped and went into a little store to ask directions, we were far far away from the rental car place.</div><div><br></div><div>We got there right at the edge of our 'grace period' but that was half an hour later than I planned and we ended up missing our train (which was prepaid with tickets good for only that time). Our taxi driver, when I told him the 3:43pm time said "Well, that's a challenge, isn't it? - but you never know". </div><div><br></div><div>A little later he did know. He turned to me and said "you're screwed". His advice was to just get on the next train and hope they didn't check our tickets. Or if they did, pretend we'd made a mistake and hope they didn't nail us for the 85 quid (each) penalty. Or hide in the bathroom the whole way.</div><div><br></div><div>He was a nice taxi driver, but we didn't take his advice. There were three ticket agents at the turnstiles where you insert your ticket. The first of them saw me scanning the digital board of train times and asked if everything was okay. I told him we'd had a puncture and just missed our train - was there anything for it. I expected we'd just have to buy new tickets, at the 'day of' price which could be very expensive. </div><div><br></div><div>He consulted the second ticket agent, a younger guy with a big mop of dark hair who looked like a cross between a young Paul McCartney and Harry Potter. He made a lot of very cute faces, trying to see if there was any way to cheat us through and finally called on the third, older, ticket agent - explaining our situation and was there any way he could give us a pass. After a few moments he nodded and pulled out an official looking book and began writing. Paul McCartney gave us a big smile and this is where I almost started to cry again - just from their kindness. Something about officials using their discretion to be decent human beings. </div><div><br></div><div>So the next train was only half an hour later - and only 15 minutes from when we were handed our passes, and now we're roaring along toward London. Glad to be alive and glad that someone else is doing the driving. </div><div><br></div><div>love and hugs,</div><div>rob</div><div><br></div><div>PS. Stonehenge looked beautiful. There was a big wide mown grass path in a great circle around it and people were walking it. The grassy path was set into the greater grassy plain. It was lovely and clearly much better that folks can't go in among the stones. I imagine it would be much easier to take nice photos. They've done a good job there.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-60770845355181705792015-10-06T01:32:00.001-07:002015-10-06T01:33:42.062-07:00Our Visit to YorkWell, we're deep into our trip and I've been a terrible correspondent. I guess that's a good sign....no dental recovery period, no dysentary. Just a lot of movement and decision making taking up the extra moments. <div><br></div><div>Our first stop after the Matrix conference was York and we loved it. The town is dominated by York Minster, which really gives Winchester Abbey a run for the money. <br><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5GYk-vxQoUI/VhOHBIQ3bvI/AAAAAAAACd0/XGoufZjLIis/s640/blogger-image-201601533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5GYk-vxQoUI/VhOHBIQ3bvI/AAAAAAAACd0/XGoufZjLIis/s640/blogger-image-201601533.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We took about a thousand photos as it kept changing in the different light.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OWwiWfHFWlY/VhOHHun7a8I/AAAAAAAACeU/aTPefQIjIOo/s640/blogger-image--1931708413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OWwiWfHFWlY/VhOHHun7a8I/AAAAAAAACeU/aTPefQIjIOo/s640/blogger-image--1931708413.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">York was a really important Roman (and Viking) city, so it's history goes back 2000 years. One of the ceasars died here and another one elected (not sure if that's the proper word). I had no idea! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Long after the Romans fell, the Vikings took it over and this was their capital for the British Isles. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fra2_K0fdI0/VhOG_9i6meI/AAAAAAAACds/qpj5zUBb7vY/s640/blogger-image--1753657143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fra2_K0fdI0/VhOG_9i6meI/AAAAAAAACds/qpj5zUBb7vY/s640/blogger-image--1753657143.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In the oldest part of town a lot of the streets are very close and wander about. This one is called The Shambles. Forget Diagon Alley from Harry Potter, this is the real deal. Of course all of the shops are for the tourists, but it has so much character! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-61QD-PQD0pA/VhOGz01eTQI/AAAAAAAACcs/6Deju22A6Og/s640/blogger-image-1871249390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-61QD-PQD0pA/VhOGz01eTQI/AAAAAAAACcs/6Deju22A6Og/s640/blogger-image-1871249390.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rjTqgtFrpKM/VhOG2_KWukI/AAAAAAAACc8/QJDD8njVPYs/s640/blogger-image--372985610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rjTqgtFrpKM/VhOG2_KWukI/AAAAAAAACc8/QJDD8njVPYs/s640/blogger-image--372985610.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I especially love the Tudors, with their black exposed wood. The really old ones are kind of slumpy with age. We rode on one of those red double decker tour buses. They have guides who do a running narrative of the town and we learned a LOT about York. Turns out they have these in all the towns we visited. We rode one in Edinburgh, but not in Chester or Cardiff.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YJy6e2k_C7Y/VhOHC_ppLmI/AAAAAAAACd8/JWIJ3ox_xM4/s640/blogger-image--1336210618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YJy6e2k_C7Y/VhOHC_ppLmI/AAAAAAAACd8/JWIJ3ox_xM4/s640/blogger-image--1336210618.jpg"></a></div>We were going to visit a ruined abbey way out in the countryside near the little town of Helmsley. We made it to Helmsley, but were too tired out for the 7 mile walk! Lucky for us there are ruined abbeys all over the place. This one is actually in York itself. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">As much as I love ruins, I was sad to learn that it was King Henry VIII who had them all destroyed in his battle with the Catholic Church. Our guides said the motive was financial. These were all very wealthy enterprises and he basically plundered them - even melting down the lead from the stained glass windows.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xJJdC0ItIhI/VhOHEZodMrI/AAAAAAAACeE/Pl3fpwfaGaI/s640/blogger-image-175212503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xJJdC0ItIhI/VhOHEZodMrI/AAAAAAAACeE/Pl3fpwfaGaI/s640/blogger-image-175212503.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is about as far as we got on our walk in Helmsley. We decided to hell with the abbey and the pretty English countryside (we've got pretty countryside back home) - let's go tour that ruined castle! So that's what we did.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1D-oemEHyaE/VhOG4h2EVvI/AAAAAAAACdE/90Cn9_HtFcU/s640/blogger-image-1014890940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1D-oemEHyaE/VhOG4h2EVvI/AAAAAAAACdE/90Cn9_HtFcU/s640/blogger-image-1014890940.jpg"></a></div>But on the way back we had to pass though an entire herd of horses! It was a little spooky. Once though the style, we fed a couple with nice long grass they couldn't reach.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LeMrV4ShEDU/VhOHI12lutI/AAAAAAAACec/n7HsqElESoA/s640/blogger-image--789234774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LeMrV4ShEDU/VhOHI12lutI/AAAAAAAACec/n7HsqElESoA/s640/blogger-image--789234774.jpg"></a></div>We learned a lot about the English civil war, where Oliver Cromwell led the Parlimentarians and kicked the shit out of the Royalist strongholds. A lot of sad dammage from all that mess, including Helmsley Castle which was blown up after it was taken.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XfmzQ5Km2LY/VhOG9IAlAvI/AAAAAAAACdc/gWqnxXrXqQI/s640/blogger-image--1710441895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XfmzQ5Km2LY/VhOG9IAlAvI/AAAAAAAACdc/gWqnxXrXqQI/s640/blogger-image--1710441895.jpg"></a></div>Still kind of cool to be in an actual castle. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iRJW0AabPx0/VhOG51FVEII/AAAAAAAACdM/Cs98hOYaJIQ/s640/blogger-image-1257034286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iRJW0AabPx0/VhOG51FVEII/AAAAAAAACdM/Cs98hOYaJIQ/s640/blogger-image-1257034286.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The town of Helmsley itself was quite charming and here we encountered our first church graveyard - but not the last! I actually soaked my boots yesterday crossing a sheep field to get to a really old one in Chipping Campden, but that's getting ahead of the story....</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gpamrR_ov74/VhOHGPl9ifI/AAAAAAAACeM/-ceny4utfcU/s640/blogger-image--1452674132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gpamrR_ov74/VhOHGPl9ifI/AAAAAAAACeM/-ceny4utfcU/s640/blogger-image--1452674132.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is another view of Helmsley. Everything is so freaking OLD here, and made of lovely stone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And they are still at it. At the York Minster our guide pointed out the new replacement carvings for the book of Genesis around the main entrance. Here's Adam and Eve....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TNea5TZxi5U/VhOGyAVd1dI/AAAAAAAACck/ts93cEan-g0/s640/blogger-image--283745209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TNea5TZxi5U/VhOGyAVd1dI/AAAAAAAACck/ts93cEan-g0/s640/blogger-image--283745209.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The old carvings were damaged not by King Henry or Cromwell, but by soot from the Victorian powerhouses upwind from York. A lot of the buildings were pretty sooty. I guess powerwashing them causes too much damage to the stone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Speaking of Victorians....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z933MVHGOVQ/VhOG1bfa-PI/AAAAAAAACc0/pVMaGtU6ZzA/s640/blogger-image--545658473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z933MVHGOVQ/VhOG1bfa-PI/AAAAAAAACc0/pVMaGtU6ZzA/s640/blogger-image--545658473.jpg"></a></div>Our guides called buildings like this "Victorian vandalism" in that they stand out from the much older buildings with their red bricks and ornamentation. I LOVE them! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RaXBjYhA6uA/VhOG7f8bsnI/AAAAAAAACdU/f0XUnvU27jY/s640/blogger-image--575597185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RaXBjYhA6uA/VhOG7f8bsnI/AAAAAAAACdU/f0XUnvU27jY/s640/blogger-image--575597185.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here's a side by side - one of the old river custom houses next to a beautiful building now housing a pizza restaurant.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Well, it's stopped raining here in the Cotswolds and time for us to get out and see pretty little villages. Next post will be Edinburgh, Scotland.</div></div></div></div></div></div><div><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wBC_jnRe18I/VhOG-ZSor6I/AAAAAAAACdk/9-5gqu8mZPk/s640/blogger-image--214686339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wBC_jnRe18I/VhOG-ZSor6I/AAAAAAAACdk/9-5gqu8mZPk/s640/blogger-image--214686339.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Edinburgh Castle</div><div><br></div><div>Love and hugs,</div><div>rob</div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-68678726398368340712015-09-25T15:48:00.001-07:002015-09-25T15:48:12.233-07:00Leaving LondonThe past two days have been a whirlwind. I'm sitting on a crowded train with India across the aisle heading up to Birmingham for my big conference. It's about a two hour trip (I think) and so I'm just setteling in to write all this down.<div>We got to London about 48 hours ago after a relatively fast flight with a lovely and quite talkative London gal Rachel - about 30 and a self-described massive geek. She and India hit it off and had deep talks regarding Doctor Who and Tolkein. That made the trip fly by, so to speak.</div><div>We figured out the London Underground without much trouble - the Picadilly line came close to our airbnb and we alighted (as they say here) at Earl's Court Station. It wasn't much fun hauling our bags up the flights of stairs and wheeling them through crazy streets to our place, but we managed and once we'd landed got right back out there by 4pm.</div><div>I hate to admit this, but our first meal in London was at a Whole Foods! That wasn't really the plan, but we chose Kensington HIgh Street to walk down and couldnt really find suitable places to eat. At least the WF was in a grand old building. I had really yummy asian food and India stuffed herself with pizza.</div><div>Then on to the High Street Kensington Station where t<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">he Circle line to us to Winchester Station. Climbing the steps there was Big Ben! And whoa, it's really big! The Parlilment building is truly impressive and we joined droves of tourists from around the world on a bridge over the Thames taking way too many photos and selfies.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H1FNz48ujq8/VgXPKsAMwnI/AAAAAAAACcQ/po_6AJbyuQQ/s640/blogger-image--52018851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H1FNz48ujq8/VgXPKsAMwnI/AAAAAAAACcQ/po_6AJbyuQQ/s640/blogger-image--52018851.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">We were there for sunset and walked over to check out the London Eye and had a walk along the Thames. It was beautiful but after a bit we got really cold and we're SO tired, we retraced our route and collapsed into bed.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3K_yBuGI1xY/VgXPEW_29zI/AAAAAAAACbo/ICZqP5mo3u4/s640/blogger-image--1710327114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3K_yBuGI1xY/VgXPEW_29zI/AAAAAAAACbo/ICZqP5mo3u4/s640/blogger-image--1710327114.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The next day was our tour of the Harry Potter studio and we had to get there at a specific time for our booked tour. Guess what? Even though we'd given ourselves at least 75 extra minutes, I managed to get us onto several wrong trains and we got there with 2 minutes to spare. I hate to admit how stressed out I was (and yes, I was tapping) - the 2nd wrong train was the one to Watford Station, way out in the country side. We were supposed to get on an express, but got onto a commuter. Instead of 20 minutes it took 45! We had 18 stops! Aarrrggghhh.</span></div><div>It wasn't until the smiling girl took my reservation printout and gave us our tickets that we finally began to relax. I was afraid they would send us away!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7PjdfjrGkSk/VgXPBNgyEKI/AAAAAAAACbQ/SpzXusQ4T8A/s640/blogger-image--1385078498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7PjdfjrGkSk/VgXPBNgyEKI/AAAAAAAACbQ/SpzXusQ4T8A/s640/blogger-image--1385078498.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>But they didn't and the tour was really awesome. I'm a little out of date with all things Harry Potter, but it's just as fascinating learning about the actual making of the films themselves, and we were not only seeing the real movie sets and props and all that, there was tons on just about every aspect of the process. I loved it!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EpgtUbx1Wa8/VgXPIaciIHI/AAAAAAAACcA/7BLe3y309hY/s640/blogger-image-1192330582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EpgtUbx1Wa8/VgXPIaciIHI/AAAAAAAACcA/7BLe3y309hY/s640/blogger-image-1192330582.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div><div>At one point there was an opportunity to mount a broom in front of a green screen, with different backgrounds projected behind you - so it looked like you were flying through london and over the Thames and around Hogwarts Castle. It was pretty cheesy and India wasn't iterested, which is lucky as it was an extra 25 pounds for the video on a jump drive. I was ready to fork out the bucks, but it did'nt actually look very real so I was glad she passed. Instead I bought her a butterbeer at the Backlot Cafe which was just below the lethal dose of sugar. It had an artificial beer-esque foam on it which was essentially marshmallow fluff. India loved it.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G-PeIOMSgnI/VgXPJjzZFQI/AAAAAAAACcI/ENc2evNGbWU/s640/blogger-image-1011041685.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G-PeIOMSgnI/VgXPJjzZFQI/AAAAAAAACcI/ENc2evNGbWU/s640/blogger-image-1011041685.jpg"></a></div></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The tour (including butter beer and our bagels from home) took us 4.5 hours! We got back to London about 5:30 and dragged ourselves to go see Harrod's - the ultra-swanky department store. It had a central ancient Egyptian style escalator that was so beautiful and groovy I didn't want to leave at all.</span></div><div>But by then our blood sugar levels were tanking and we found a little sandwhich shop across the bigzstreet that wasn't too dear. I tried a grape elderberry soda that was really quite nasty.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JxMWWB9PaG8/VgXPCFWi_YI/AAAAAAAACbY/_WoPTFT1jIY/s640/blogger-image--620436498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JxMWWB9PaG8/VgXPCFWi_YI/AAAAAAAACbY/_WoPTFT1jIY/s640/blogger-image--620436498.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>We took a long bus trip home. It wasn't supposed to be long. I thought it was just a few stops, but long it was and a bit wild. In bed by midnight and India woke me up at 9:30am! I guess I needed my beauty sleep.</div><div>Today we had just a few hours in the morning and I chose Westminster Abbey for our final London tour. I was a bit shocked that it cost 20 pounds though! 20 pounds each! It was worth every pence though. It must be the world's most beautiful indoor cemetary! The only thing was NO PHOTOS. I'm very ashamed to admit that I snuck a few. I guess I'm an outlaw by nature. I was being ultra discreet but got busted anyway - in a very polite and discreet British way by a smiling man in a vestment. He suggested that putting a lens cap on my camera might remove any temptation.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LB3x_reww6o/VgXPHazu5QI/AAAAAAAACb4/D9jwD5jUu3E/s640/blogger-image-1190060459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LB3x_reww6o/VgXPHazu5QI/AAAAAAAACb4/D9jwD5jUu3E/s640/blogger-image-1190060459.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Okay, I admit that my English history is a bit rusty these days but getting to see the tombs of Queen Elizabeth 1 and Mary Queen of Scotts and Sir Issac Newton, Charles Darwin, Michael Farraday, Lewis Carroll, Chaucer, etc. etc. etc. was pretty freaking cool. And of course there's a beautiful memorial to Shakespeare, though they let his remains stay at Stratford on Avon. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RvTTNcxeC1k/VgXPF158XFI/AAAAAAAACbw/CXtUTqWcTe4/s640/blogger-image--1927455017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RvTTNcxeC1k/VgXPF158XFI/AAAAAAAACbw/CXtUTqWcTe4/s640/blogger-image--1927455017.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>India had to drag me out of there, especially the outer courtyards where it was pefectly legal to take as many photos as one might desire.</div><div>So it was actually a bit of a stressful rush to get back to our airbnb and then all the way to Euston Station to find our train. No time for lunch, but we had had a proper (vegetarian) English breakfast at a tiny place on our street, and as we wheeled our bags past the sweet Polish girl who had served us called out "Good bye! Have a good trip!"</div><div>So far so good!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XDemnUocmVw/VgXPDciL-aI/AAAAAAAACbg/1BgCTmATVdQ/s640/blogger-image-656586884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XDemnUocmVw/VgXPDciL-aI/AAAAAAAACbg/1BgCTmATVdQ/s640/blogger-image-656586884.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-36016609700478699762015-06-09T09:56:00.001-07:002015-06-09T09:56:00.502-07:00Heading to BangkokI have to say the Koh Samui airport, though small, is one of the best I've been to. Just the men's room was pretty spectacular - with frosted sliding glass doors opening onto a huge bubbling aqarium. The stalls were big, with a shelf for my satchel and very private with full size locking doors. And air conditioned! And best of all, no mosquitoes biting my back and bum. What a revelation.<div><br></div><div>And Bangkok Airways has it's own gates, with excellent wifi and a snack area! They have platters of mini-pastries and buns and weird Thai desserts. Two of the pastries had chicken, so they were actually pretty substantial (I didn't try them). They had a popcorn thing like you'd see at a carnival with little bags to put the popcorn in. They had ice coffee on tap, and hot coffee and tea and lots of icky orange type drinks. And water dispensers so I could fill my bottle up - with cold water!</div><div><br></div><div>And comfortable couches and rattan chairs. All in big open air lounges. Really something amazing. When it's time to board, you walk out to little trams that wisk you away to the runway. I was sitting on a very comfy couch when a polite Bangkok Airways attendent leaned down and said "Sir? - your flight is boarding now". Oops.</div><div><br></div><div>I had two early morning swims at sunrise. It was hard to say goodbye to that lovely bay. Some of the wait staff at the restaurant were very warm in saying goodbye. They must see hundreds and hundreds of us come and go, but I think they are really sincere in their warmth and friendliness. They work really hard - someone told me 12 hour days! </div><div><br></div><div>I left a very good tip in the tip box and I know most of my students did as well. The woman who had given me so many great massages happened to be out on the beach as my ferry was pulling away, so I got to wave goodbye to her. That was sweet. I left Eli, my 18 year old student on the island - the last one left. He gets to stay for one more day. Marco and Nika took the ferry with me. Nika was my first EFT practitioner way way back (I was client) and Marco took my workshop. That was a sweet and unexpected blessing, having them with me.</div><div><br></div><div>Okay, now I'm in Bangkok, at the Buddy Hotel on Khao San Road. My whole family was here ten years ago (not at this hotel) and we LOVED it. The atmosphere at night struck Krista and I as a magical carnival and we were swept away by it. Unfortunately, a lot seems to have changed in ten years.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Igdg3cOh4eQ/VXcanYWbfGI/AAAAAAAACZA/NmpA_uVj05w/s640/blogger-image--1644208257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Igdg3cOh4eQ/VXcanYWbfGI/AAAAAAAACZA/NmpA_uVj05w/s640/blogger-image--1644208257.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>The street isn't super long - it might be the equivalent of ten blocks or more. It's blocked off from cars and has tons of vendors selling t-shirts, cheap clothing, fake IDs (seriously), scorpions on a stick, pad thai for 30 baht, drinks, hammocks, you name it. There are countless streetside cafes and shops. It could be quite charming except for the godawful noise. I can't even call it music. Pretty much every street bar is blaring electronic music and top volume - places right next to eachother, or across the street from one another. It's so fucking loud that it hurts. Communication involves shouting or screaming if it can happen at all. </div><div><br></div><div>I mean, seriously, what a nightmare. I saw a few people "dancing" here and there - getting into the spirit of the thing I guess, but most folks just look distressed to me. I walked the length of the street and back, eating some pad thai, but after a short while I couldn't eat anymore - too disruptive to my body. The vast majority of the tourists here are young white kids from Europe or the states. So maybe they like it? I felt asaulted and had to ask myself - what the fuck am I doing here?! </div><div><br></div><div>The guy at the front desk says the 'music' is over at 2pm. I hope I can get to sleep earlier than that! My taxi leaves for the airport at 7:30am.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-55538763602806580182015-06-07T04:52:00.001-07:002015-06-07T04:52:27.201-07:00The Aftermath - Day 8Yesterday was the last day of the workshop. It was supposed to be a practice day, but I still had some sections to cover and we ended up doing some very interesting tag team tapping - one client then we'd rotate in and take over where the last one left off. Pretty cool.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1vsVccmQ22Y/VXQwZxF9BSI/AAAAAAAACYU/D69ZgSZht4A/s640/blogger-image-1031966446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1vsVccmQ22Y/VXQwZxF9BSI/AAAAAAAACYU/D69ZgSZht4A/s640/blogger-image-1031966446.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div><div>It's been really intense being together for 8 days - not just for the workshop but also breakfasts and lunches all together and most of us sitting together for dinner too! Today we all tried to sleep in a bit, but I think only one of us managed it. I was down on the beach by 6:30am trying to beat the sun (without much success). </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o6dr1GWeDY4/VXQweAoMmLI/AAAAAAAACYk/-lITnsM-zHY/s640/blogger-image--2011372028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-o6dr1GWeDY4/VXQweAoMmLI/AAAAAAAACYk/-lITnsM-zHY/s640/blogger-image--2011372028.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>I did 3 sessions today for students! I wasn't expecting that at all, but there was some unfinished business for some of them and they wanted my help. One of the students had a big place with a living room and aircon and she graciously let us use her place. By the third one though I was flagging and we kind of gave up.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m0rnBrFOONw/VXQwX1f8HoI/AAAAAAAACYM/RnakfZnGXAw/s640/blogger-image-252383753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-m0rnBrFOONw/VXQwX1f8HoI/AAAAAAAACYM/RnakfZnGXAw/s640/blogger-image-252383753.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>It's dusk right now, the sun is just going down over the mountain and all the color leaching out of the scenery - it's a bad time for mosquitoes! And it's still hot as hell. Must be about 90 degrees with super high humidity. Ugh. My clothes are kind of stuck to me and my legs have several intense bites. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x0YUxs9dWvc/VXQwbxkKf3I/AAAAAAAACYc/wEqW8ZM5pd8/s640/blogger-image-379463942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-x0YUxs9dWvc/VXQwbxkKf3I/AAAAAAAACYc/wEqW8ZM5pd8/s640/blogger-image-379463942.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>I could be out swimming but I'm super hungry! I spurged and ordered a whole pizza with roasted aubergines for myself. Takes a bit longer but really really good! I'm going to stuff myself, sink into a coma and go swimming in the dark.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-9483277080022356022015-06-03T18:02:00.001-07:002015-06-03T18:02:41.759-07:00Day 5 of the Koh Phangan WorkshopI've been getting up at sunrise every morning and heading down to the beach. It's my favorite time to swim, as the water is mostly warm and the air mostly cool. Once the sun is up it can be very hot! Though yesterday it was overcast most of the morning.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3KvyqwRRfN8/VW-joEmr9-I/AAAAAAAACXg/qR-BrWAPgEQ/s640/blogger-image-729240936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3KvyqwRRfN8/VW-joEmr9-I/AAAAAAAACXg/qR-BrWAPgEQ/s640/blogger-image-729240936.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div><div>Today was glorious as there's waves coming in. Mostly the sea has been pretty calm - just some little rollers. These were just big enough to do some mild body surfing....so fun! </div><div>There's a platform out in the bay, with a platform and hammock. It's just far enough to feel a bit scary or challenging for me (not being the strongest swimmer). The amazing thing is laying in the hammock and being rocked by the swells. Divine.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JBhThwaFK30/VW-jk5R33oI/AAAAAAAACXQ/meuW69XBrEk/s640/blogger-image-1046676761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JBhThwaFK30/VW-jk5R33oI/AAAAAAAACXQ/meuW69XBrEk/s640/blogger-image-1046676761.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Last night I had dinner at a table on the beach with my old friend Nika and her husband Marco (he's taken the first 4 days of EFT training). I hadn't seen Nika for 5 or 6 years and we both arrived here on Koh Phangan on the same day! </div><div>She had lived here for a whole year - she rented a beatiful bungalow up on the cliffs overlooking the bay. We had a lovely visit with the waves breaking and candles flickering. She wouldn't let me take her picture though!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-crsG8EKdaMs/VW-jryn0oiI/AAAAAAAACXw/vTFu7w4gS4Y/s640/blogger-image--2052508506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-crsG8EKdaMs/VW-jryn0oiI/AAAAAAAACXw/vTFu7w4gS4Y/s640/blogger-image--2052508506.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>The workshop has been really intense for some of the students. Not sure why - maybe the heat? I've had to do three emergency sessions - EFT triage - to help them be okay. For two of them the issue was eachother! They had a big conflict in the first few hours of the first day and it's been rather strained ever since.</div><div><br></div><div>I did a remimprinting with one of them before breakfast yesterday and it seemed to help a lot. This stuff always leads back to childhood trauma. The other gal just wrote to say she's leaving and won't be continuing. She's been so prickly and difficult with everyone, and taken up so much of my time and energy that I think perhaps it's for the best. I hope she finds what she needs.</div><div><br></div><div>So I've had my hands full! But I've met some really interesting folks from England and Europe, I've had many lovely swims - the full moon night was magical. I was out in the warm sea with the moon rising before me - it's light shining across the calm waters right to my heart. And Venus and Jupiter rising right behind me over the mountainside. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wLJLgOhX8eM/VW-jmsaheoI/AAAAAAAACXY/kyVqN6TRQG0/s640/blogger-image-674211863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wLJLgOhX8eM/VW-jmsaheoI/AAAAAAAACXY/kyVqN6TRQG0/s640/blogger-image-674211863.jpg"></a></div></div><br></div><div>The food here has been consistently great. I arranged for the class to take our breakfasts and lunches together and it's been very yummy and very healthy both. Twice they've served us yogurt that is SO alive it's actually bubbling. I've never had the like before. You can just tell it's so good for you. Really intense. And served with incredibly fresh tropical fruit - the mango is my favorite. </div><div><br></div><div>There's not much to complain about - just the incredibly oppressive heat and humidity, the mosquitoes, the 'sea lice' that sometimes sting while we're swimming, stupid Europeans who smoke cigarettes near the restaurant, and straining my voice to be heard over the chorus of cicaidas outside our Zen Hall. Not bad at all!</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-poxgf_4VJkw/VW-jp3dJFSI/AAAAAAAACXo/otUo6qqOe7o/s640/blogger-image-737716870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-poxgf_4VJkw/VW-jp3dJFSI/AAAAAAAACXo/otUo6qqOe7o/s640/blogger-image-737716870.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-35285546839782664082015-05-29T23:46:00.001-07:002015-05-29T23:46:11.487-07:00At the SanctuaryI've travelled enough now to realize that this "OMG What the FUCK have I got myself into" feeling is most likely just a phase that will pass. And it mostly has. <div><div><br></div><div>It's really hot and very muggy. With lots of bugs. The mosquitoes are mostly just morning and dusk, but bad enough to require caution. Ants in the bed don't bother me too much since they aren't fire ants. I love the jungle sounds of the bugs screaming from the trees. They almost helped drown out the all night Friday rave that went from 11pm to 11am this morning. Here's a photo I took around 9am. There were about 40 people dancing or hanging around. It was VERY loud!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ABzZWadog3Y/VWlcp7TV8II/AAAAAAAACW0/SHi3AqgEr9o/s640/blogger-image--420755978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ABzZWadog3Y/VWlcp7TV8II/AAAAAAAACW0/SHi3AqgEr9o/s640/blogger-image--420755978.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>My workshop space is very nice - though a bit of a trek up the hillside to get to it. Bad news if it was raining! I've met all but 2 of my workshop folks and all but two are very excited and happy to be here. The woman from Inida is especially positive. I don't think she thinks it's hot here!</div><div>Here's a photo of Zen Hall. It's screened on 3 sides. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oBt3AIZ_Gwc/VWlcnx-T_ZI/AAAAAAAACWs/lgSScrYuv_o/s640/blogger-image-173710577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oBt3AIZ_Gwc/VWlcnx-T_ZI/AAAAAAAACWs/lgSScrYuv_o/s640/blogger-image-173710577.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>The other two are struggling a bit - the kid from Canada is just having trouble with the heat mainly. The other gal has a basket of 'sensitivites' that have made her quite miserable, and then last night she encountered two cockroaches in her bathroom - she has a full on cockroach phobia! Or had, until I spent an hour or so tapping with her. </div><div><br></div><div>I know that she'll be a lot happier after going through the 7 day workshop. But she was all set to leave last night until I made it clear there would be no refund.</div><div><br></div><div>The food is very good here. And it's very pretty. And exoctic. I'm hearing wild bird calls I don't recognize at all and last night I finally swam in the bay. It was gorgeous and serene. If I can get a massage in today I might just be through the OMG phase entirely. Oh, and there are just swarms of butterflies - I even saw a few on ferry ride over - way out over the water!</div><div><br></div><div>Here's a picture from our breakfast table. At 10am the sun was already too fierce for me to swim. I look forward to actually teaching - I know everything will just get better and better once we're underway!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GKGVlg2iPAY/VWlcsOHhNLI/AAAAAAAACW8/M_ywBMvzWXw/s640/blogger-image--969281604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GKGVlg2iPAY/VWlcsOHhNLI/AAAAAAAACW8/M_ywBMvzWXw/s640/blogger-image--969281604.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0The Sanctuary Thailand Haad Tien, Koh Phangan9.695962 100.07576tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-600055424431897012015-05-27T19:02:00.001-07:002015-05-27T19:02:28.071-07:00A Bit of HistoryYesterday I hired a guide and it was a really good move! He took me to this little alleyway street food place for lunch and it was the best thing I've had to eat for a very long time! 30,000 vnd, which included ice tea. So I guess that's about $1.50.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-scwDdszSk48/VWZ3EA4USDI/AAAAAAAACVw/hYxBJhnRBmw/s640/blogger-image-1221566106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-scwDdszSk48/VWZ3EA4USDI/AAAAAAAACVw/hYxBJhnRBmw/s640/blogger-image-1221566106.jpg"></a></div><br><div>The eating was after a fairly greuling tour of the so-called "Hanoi Hilton" which was actually a horrible French prison built back in the late 1800s. There's only a little bit left, but it was enough. The French were undoubtely some of the worst colonists ever, and that's a tough competition to win. My guide told me they killed something like 2 million Vietnamese by starvation - exporting nearly all of the rice, back before the war.</div><div>The photo below shows how the prisoners were kept - shacked by one ankle all day long. Except for the really uppity ones. They were kept in isolation and shacked by both ankles. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YK-KDSRZChk/VWZ2_BkXZ-I/AAAAAAAACVY/EMwvx_DSKN0/s640/blogger-image-653796441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YK-KDSRZChk/VWZ2_BkXZ-I/AAAAAAAACVY/EMwvx_DSKN0/s640/blogger-image-653796441.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>I don't know about you, but I'd never encountered an actual guillotine before! Holy shit. It's one thing to read Tale of Two Cities - quite another to see one in person. There's a photo there of three faces with baskets around them....at first I didn't know what I was seeing. Then I read the caption and realized these were just heads - severed from political activists and put out on display to discourage the locals from rebelling. Didn't work.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2-Yuh0BMIS8/VWZ3HVA4zGI/AAAAAAAACWA/bV_1V-U4TV0/s640/blogger-image-2053019834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2-Yuh0BMIS8/VWZ3HVA4zGI/AAAAAAAACWA/bV_1V-U4TV0/s640/blogger-image-2053019834.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>The museum focused much more on the French than the Americans, but there were photos of the captured pilots. Supposedly they were treated relatively humanely. At least compared to the Vietnamese prisoners of the French. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lLTYor4vv5s/VWZ3AkQ4sdI/AAAAAAAACVg/Vkc5n4fwL0w/s640/blogger-image--339030113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lLTYor4vv5s/VWZ3AkQ4sdI/AAAAAAAACVg/Vkc5n4fwL0w/s640/blogger-image--339030113.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">After the Hanoi Hilton we walked over to the Women's Museum and I got another dose of Vietnamese reality. Basically the women are the backbone of the country. The do most of the hard physical labor it seems, so that the menfolk have time for alcoholism and gambling. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So this is what a communist mother goddess looks like, apparently. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dttw_T3trXM/VWZ3FzUV1fI/AAAAAAAACV4/96BB-YrMTGw/s640/blogger-image--1872668888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dttw_T3trXM/VWZ3FzUV1fI/AAAAAAAACV4/96BB-YrMTGw/s640/blogger-image--1872668888.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There was one video that had interviews of all these different street vendors - all women - who have to come into Hanoi and work from 3:30am to 7pm trying to sell shit on the streets to make enough to bring home. They only get to see their families once every few weeks. It's really hard and cruel and made me think twice about ever haggling with them - store keepers yes! But not these women who carry two baskets hanging from a pole across their shoulders.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-axuxnZrQLwo/VWZ3KeJN2HI/AAAAAAAACWQ/OkIIXfUYk-U/s640/blogger-image-1313677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-axuxnZrQLwo/VWZ3KeJN2HI/AAAAAAAACWQ/OkIIXfUYk-U/s640/blogger-image-1313677.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I think my favorite was all the propaganda posters depticting women. They couldn't have kicked our asses (nd the French) without the women totally making it happen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oQl5-nNuTks/VWZ3IyxGvOI/AAAAAAAACWI/6BsVIf6Pqcg/s640/blogger-image-1946055368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oQl5-nNuTks/VWZ3IyxGvOI/AAAAAAAACWI/6BsVIf6Pqcg/s640/blogger-image-1946055368.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And there was something about this photo I found very compelling. You rarely see these women smiling - at least not in the war photos. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for a pretty girl holdig a machine gun?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iAnfJNP6EOg/VWZ3MFC4jAI/AAAAAAAACWY/d2qdAUyISyI/s640/blogger-image--1083564611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iAnfJNP6EOg/VWZ3MFC4jAI/AAAAAAAACWY/d2qdAUyISyI/s640/blogger-image--1083564611.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The woman's museum also featured many many displays of tribal costumes and lots of jewelry. Very impressive but there were 6 or 7 floors - and the stairways were NOT airconditioned, so by the end I was sadly losing interest in that really cool stuff that goes on when people aren't trying to kill the Vietnamese.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4gIiwNQInGM/VWZ29pugtOI/AAAAAAAACVQ/30ZHqPWVgLs/s640/blogger-image-1778622709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4gIiwNQInGM/VWZ29pugtOI/AAAAAAAACVQ/30ZHqPWVgLs/s640/blogger-image-1778622709.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And finally, sitting on the tiny plastic stools, lunch....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xmCb179Ms0g/VWZ3CRdORII/AAAAAAAACVo/CJe6hhJFTvg/s640/blogger-image-1943199512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xmCb179Ms0g/VWZ3CRdORII/AAAAAAAACVo/CJe6hhJFTvg/s640/blogger-image-1943199512.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div> </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-83067951949070198062015-05-27T18:11:00.001-07:002015-05-27T18:11:27.517-07:00Nola CafeLast night I came across the trippiest place - the entrance was virtually a hole in the wall! Not really, but it was a very funky looking doorway to a very long cave like tunnel. I'd read about it on TripAdvisor otherwise there's np way in hell I'd have seen it, let alone thought to enter.<div>I'd actually come during the day and took a few photos, but at night it was a whole different animal!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DGIuEZkpi9Y/VWZrK7Gn9aI/AAAAAAAACUo/ChUB-Ff9BF8/s640/blogger-image--8842229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DGIuEZkpi9Y/VWZrK7Gn9aI/AAAAAAAACUo/ChUB-Ff9BF8/s640/blogger-image--8842229.jpg"></a></div><br><div>The long rough passage leads back to a warren of rooms going up 5 or 6 stories, some of them open air patios. It looked very old French and somehow hipster Vietnamese (this was the only hipster-esque thing I've seen in Hanoi). </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eDZonLhzFK0/VWZrMehjy7I/AAAAAAAACUw/awPF4d1kXtA/s640/blogger-image-453467042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eDZonLhzFK0/VWZrMehjy7I/AAAAAAAACUw/awPF4d1kXtA/s640/blogger-image-453467042.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Aside from a few young staff who seemed to speak no English, I was the only one there...it felt so spooky! What was this place?! It had so many rooms...I think it could host about 100 patrons. Where were they?</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xgh_iKgdHXQ/VWZrJaGxujI/AAAAAAAACUg/t13nAksedjk/s640/blogger-image-1302836929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-xgh_iKgdHXQ/VWZrJaGxujI/AAAAAAAACUg/t13nAksedjk/s640/blogger-image-1302836929.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Anyway, I had an avocado mango lassi and soaked up the vibes. I just wished Krista was there to experience it.</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Nqy1hryM_HM/VWZrNxwynYI/AAAAAAAACU4/_lhve1p16Bo/s640/blogger-image--310783923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Nqy1hryM_HM/VWZrNxwynYI/AAAAAAAACU4/_lhve1p16Bo/s640/blogger-image--310783923.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I was glad I'd found this place, even though I got hopelessly lost on the way back to my room. I ended up taking a cyclo - a bicycle taxi, which was a real treat anyway.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FN9vVXlZOu4/VWZrPT678ZI/AAAAAAAACVA/-KPQH4DT9qo/s640/blogger-image-2138661409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FN9vVXlZOu4/VWZrPT678ZI/AAAAAAAACVA/-KPQH4DT9qo/s640/blogger-image-2138661409.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-73429211433036784432015-05-27T04:19:00.001-07:002015-05-27T04:19:07.427-07:00Photos!I have so many photos now, I finally started putting them up on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/robbibaba/sets/72157653543337455<div><br> Here's a link to my Hanoi set.<div>And here is a teaser....</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zwKCY4ZGCk4/VWWoKSe5-iI/AAAAAAAACUM/TM1BcpTI12Q/s640/blogger-image--2138264100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-zwKCY4ZGCk4/VWWoKSe5-iI/AAAAAAAACUM/TM1BcpTI12Q/s640/blogger-image--2138264100.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-28138783454730298472015-05-26T05:38:00.001-07:002015-05-26T06:05:56.416-07:00First day in HanoiI'm not sick. I can say that much.<div>But I'm not feeling too great. I think it's pretty much standard, jetting to the other side of the planet with very little sleep and stepping into a rather hot, muggy and very chaotic environment. My belly feels weird.</div><div>So I'm hiding in my room for a bit. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4BTa1msJr6M/VWRvFJkX3lI/AAAAAAAACSw/urRoq1AxNJI/s640/blogger-image-934465590.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4BTa1msJr6M/VWRvFJkX3lI/AAAAAAAACSw/urRoq1AxNJI/s640/blogger-image-934465590.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>I got scammed today. I went out to see the famed water puppet show, which was pretty cool. On the way back I stopped to take a photo, or maybe a video of this crazy intersection with a jillion scooters, bicycle taxis, buses and pedestrians all sorting it out. All of a sudden this kid runs up to me kind of shouting and pointing at my flip flop. It might have been on fire or something, the way he was acting. Before I know what's happening he's got it off me and is putting super glue or something on the bottom and slapping a piece of rubber on to "improve" it. Then cutting away the excess with a sharp and scary looking knifeOnce he'd done one side I had to let him do the other. He demanded 300,000 vnd for the job. I gave him 200,000 (about $10) which was still a rip off. I just walked away while he yelled at me!</div><div><br></div><div>Worst of all, the flip flops aren't as comfortable now. I guess they'll last a lot longer, but it kind of shook me up.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4DReV_PkAH4/VWRvIDeEvcI/AAAAAAAACTA/XxvbzkoW3Og/s640/blogger-image-333925993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4DReV_PkAH4/VWRvIDeEvcI/AAAAAAAACTA/XxvbzkoW3Og/s640/blogger-image-333925993.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>It's hot and muggy here but not nearly as bad as I expected. Nor is crossing the street as bad as rumor has it. The architecture here in the old quarter is amazing- all tall and skinny buildings, some modern and very fancy and some ancient and ruinous. And the streets go every which way! </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dRTMbCus5vI/VWRvJ-cGTwI/AAAAAAAACTI/-N6368t6chQ/s640/blogger-image--683978382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dRTMbCus5vI/VWRvJ-cGTwI/AAAAAAAACTI/-N6368t6chQ/s640/blogger-image--683978382.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I think I'll go out again soon. The sun is down and the daytime stools will be all rolled up by now. I was out last night but way too tired to enjoy it. I needed to eat and couldn't find restaurants! Not in this neighborhood. Just tiny stools on the street with some kind of noodle soup on offer. Not so good for a vegetarian....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Not that many westerners about either. Not like in Chiang Mai at all! Which in some ways is very cool. This isn't such a tourist ghetto. But a little daunting on first arrival.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_rPyXRgKK5U/VWRvGspMrtI/AAAAAAAACS4/LIz1pt2Pxa4/s640/blogger-image-1128176451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_rPyXRgKK5U/VWRvGspMrtI/AAAAAAAACS4/LIz1pt2Pxa4/s640/blogger-image-1128176451.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And here's the iconic family on a scooter shot. Wouldn't be SE Asia without that!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UaiOm7y9w8Y/VWRvsuQr5bI/AAAAAAAACTQ/qTa-qLU23f0/s640/blogger-image--1164521847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UaiOm7y9w8Y/VWRvsuQr5bI/AAAAAAAACTQ/qTa-qLU23f0/s640/blogger-image--1164521847.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Hàng Đào Hàng Đào21.032954 105.850009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-81336477009076852632015-05-09T10:10:00.004-07:002015-05-09T10:11:50.482-07:00Gearing up for SE Asia 2015Well, I'm off again in just a few weeks! I've set up a <a href="http://www.tappingthematrix.com/ThailandEFT.html">7-day EFT training</a> at a place called the Sanctuary on Koh Phangan in Thailand. My yoga teacher has been doing month long workshops there for the past few years and it sounds nice!<br />
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Of course, it's totally off-season and may be hotter than hell in SE Asia. And just to make sure I get enough hellish heat, I've decided to head up to Hanoi for a few days before the workshop. I've never been to Vietnam, and this 1000 year old city looks amazing - heat or no. <br />
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I'm looking forward to bumming around the Old Quarter, checking out Vietnam's famous coffee and just soaking up the exhaust fumes from 12,000 scooters a minute going by. Oh yeah, and risking my life crossing every street. <br />
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Here's a picture just to get started of the magical Ha Long Bay (which I probably won't have time to visit....but might cram into my insanely short visit). <br />
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I may be crazy, but I'm almost excited at the prospect of cramming into my little coach seat on China Airlines for the 14 hour flight to Taipai and then the 5 hour flight to Bankok and then the 1 hour flight to Hanoi. Counting all the layovers I'm looking at maybe 26 hours from when I leave home to my nice hotel in the Old Quarter! Okay, I am crazy. And it's going to be so worth it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-56069448858586197802014-01-07T11:59:00.000-08:002014-01-07T11:59:54.445-08:00Here's nearly ONE MONTH of travel condensed into 13 minutes. Please watch it full screen if you can!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-47982902875735491032013-12-11T22:17:00.001-08:002013-12-11T22:17:33.312-08:00One Week HomeIt's been a week now since the airport bus dropped me off outside the darkened fairgrounds in the sub-freezing night. I'd been warned that we were having a tremendous cold snap, but how does one prepare after a month away in the tropics?<br />
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<br />For several nights I woke up very confused, not knowing where I was. Even last night, waking up to go pee, it took me awhile to realize I was back home in California. It really is an amazing thing to be standing on the other side of the planet one day and back the next.<br />
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People ask me how my trip was, hoping perhaps to get a short, satisfying answer. Ha! I'm more likely to come after them with my iPad full of photographs and long stories, now oft repeated. I should just tell them to read this blog if they are really interested. Or just say "fantastic!". <br />
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Before I ever traveled overseas, I asked my friend Susan what the big deal was. She'd take off for three or four weeks at least once a year. She was the first person I knew who'd been to Thailand. She told me that the memories from travel are different--far more rich and dense with experience. So true.<br />
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It was a little harder this time to be traveling solo. There's such a natural desire to turn to one's friend and say "Whoa! Look at that!".....at least for me. I got to do a bit of that with strangers, fellow travelers also having their minds blown. But I'm very grateful to have been able to share my trip with you, dear reader. <br />
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Traveling across the planet to places of incredible beauty, but where local people are so humble, or even poor--it made me so aware of my good fortune, and so grateful for the experience. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-78462981175536064962013-12-01T21:35:00.001-08:002013-12-01T21:35:14.639-08:00Random Images and ThoughtsI'm still at Miracle Springs and will stay one more night at Steve's dome. It was pretty damn cold last night! I had on everything I brought plus some of Steve's clothes, but it was unusually chilly I guess.<div>On the ride back to his place the stars were about as bright as I've ever seen them. We just stood out and stared up at them for quite a while.</div><div>Tomorrow I'm breaking camp and heading by bus further north to Nong Khai, which is right on the border with Laos. It sounds like a charming little town and I'm happy to get to explore it a bit. I'll spend the night there and zip down on Wednesday to catch my plane back to Bangkok. Alas, I'm looking at an 8 hour layover. Steve thinks I should grab a taxi and go have fun in Bangkok! </div><div>At the least I can get one last massage at the airport before my long flight home.</div><div>So here are some random photos for you, dear reader....<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cpM8uajyvZI/Upwb0jxoFtI/AAAAAAAAB84/Ehj1zXupfCU/s640/blogger-image--142849947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cpM8uajyvZI/Upwb0jxoFtI/AAAAAAAAB84/Ehj1zXupfCU/s640/blogger-image--142849947.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Thai filling station. Actually same in Cambodia, though the sign is a bit unusual. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uyZhm11oiTk/Upwb9Qv0mkI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/8vf56B_Fc_E/s640/blogger-image-147649155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uyZhm11oiTk/Upwb9Qv0mkI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/8vf56B_Fc_E/s640/blogger-image-147649155.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Another building project underway here. I like the shapes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VUlc4-Gh_AY/UpwcBT_YZrI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/KUf3DPJkaDY/s640/blogger-image-1207075028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VUlc4-Gh_AY/UpwcBT_YZrI/AAAAAAAAB9Y/KUf3DPJkaDY/s640/blogger-image-1207075028.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">A fairly prosperous farmstead outside Seam Reap in Cambodia. I saw a lot of big hay stacks and many water buffalo wallowing in the little ponds or streams. It was incredibly hard to get a good shot from the bouncing, careening tuk tuk though. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tS0eo6LnjTw/Upwb7Fkf-6I/AAAAAAAAB9I/WUR3g5PJFA0/s640/blogger-image-1791119931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tS0eo6LnjTw/Upwb7Fkf-6I/AAAAAAAAB9I/WUR3g5PJFA0/s640/blogger-image-1791119931.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This was flying in to Udon Thani. So much farm land, not just here but the whole flight, and most or all of it obviously cultivated by small farmers. So much more productive--and beautiful--then massive corporate holdings. This picture needs major Photoshopping, but believe me when I say it was really lovely.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CyaEFk_yGU8/UpwcD0S_OKI/AAAAAAAAB9g/nSn_Hc2lYs8/s640/blogger-image-1617412242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CyaEFk_yGU8/UpwcD0S_OKI/AAAAAAAAB9g/nSn_Hc2lYs8/s640/blogger-image-1617412242.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Can't remember if I posted this already. The Khmer (and Hindus) really celebrate the whole male female thing. I saw these things in pretty much every temple, but this was the only one with any detail left! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-otbhUHZUygo/Upwby_87U-I/AAAAAAAAB8w/wFd64IzBHBQ/s640/blogger-image-1062088181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-otbhUHZUygo/Upwby_87U-I/AAAAAAAAB8w/wFd64IzBHBQ/s640/blogger-image-1062088181.jpg"></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So one of the great things to come out this epic battle between the gods and demons was the birth of the Apsaras--sort of celestial dancers. I don't pretend to know jack about this, but it was a really big deal for the Khmer. Pretty much all of the temples had a big Apsara dancing hall where specially trained women would do the sacred dances. This is the only real link back to that culture, 1000 years earlier. There are still Apsara dancers and nightly shows in Seam Reap. I ducked into one, but it was too crowded for me at that moment, so I missed out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7TlVfumcNWw/UpwbwNWRMeI/AAAAAAAAB8o/YMA9H1SAZTQ/s640/blogger-image--549709712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7TlVfumcNWw/UpwbwNWRMeI/AAAAAAAAB8o/YMA9H1SAZTQ/s640/blogger-image--549709712.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">More Apsara dancers</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gtgmTwmHCnY/Upwb31GUwZI/AAAAAAAAB9A/RRqNrz6CHUg/s640/blogger-image-608988231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gtgmTwmHCnY/Upwb31GUwZI/AAAAAAAAB9A/RRqNrz6CHUg/s640/blogger-image-608988231.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Just another few days and I'll be home. Back to my wonderful family, satisfying work and the craziness of the US at holiday time. I feel extraordinarily grateful to be on this trip and to be able to share it with you!</div><br></div><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; clear: both; "><br></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><font color="#0000ee"><u><br></u></font></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><font color="#0000ee"><u><br></u></font></div><br></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><br></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-66029503030420984102013-12-01T04:08:00.001-08:002013-12-01T04:08:36.991-08:00At Steve's DomicileIt's pretty amazing being here. Steve is a really excellent photographer and he caught the dome in the best possible light. But even the best photos don't convey the presence of a place.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gcAiU9-fris/Upsmoxntt3I/AAAAAAAAB74/Fdyhct1JiAA/s640/blogger-image-1339802982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gcAiU9-fris/Upsmoxntt3I/AAAAAAAAB74/Fdyhct1JiAA/s640/blogger-image-1339802982.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So here are some of my non-photoshopped photos of the place...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kgMFPWN3h00/UpsmiXUBxlI/AAAAAAAAB7g/qqe8tuIAQcs/s640/blogger-image-2059746154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kgMFPWN3h00/UpsmiXUBxlI/AAAAAAAAB7g/qqe8tuIAQcs/s640/blogger-image-2059746154.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Here's the fish pond right off of the living room, and the welcoming alcove for the front door.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GcID0PuuHew/Upsmwigf3uI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/Z6mGYHTtJiM/s640/blogger-image--1386207269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GcID0PuuHew/Upsmwigf3uI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/Z6mGYHTtJiM/s640/blogger-image--1386207269.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There are no glass windows here, just screens (ah, to live where it's never cold!). Alas, rats from the mango orchard have breeched all the screens. They seem to use Steve's place as a kind of club ho use.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UNZPQfIdbLY/UpsmmSjJYoI/AAAAAAAAB7w/Ayz7cBiohr4/s640/blogger-image-325193596.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UNZPQfIdbLY/UpsmmSjJYoI/AAAAAAAAB7w/Ayz7cBiohr4/s640/blogger-image-325193596.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The front door from inside the house. Note the machete and the Namaste banner (from Mandala Arts).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3aKAaQaevvE/UpsmutSZmRI/AAAAAAAAB8Q/l4JixeHYuAI/s640/blogger-image--544579710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3aKAaQaevvE/UpsmutSZmRI/AAAAAAAAB8Q/l4JixeHYuAI/s640/blogger-image--544579710.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The portal to Steve's bedroom off the kitchen. He has a little propane stove that swings out from under the counter there on the right.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2db5NprGjRw/Upsmkb729nI/AAAAAAAAB7o/fRVZj6XVFSk/s640/blogger-image--618343759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2db5NprGjRw/Upsmkb729nI/AAAAAAAAB7o/fRVZj6XVFSk/s640/blogger-image--618343759.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The doorway to the bathroom. There's the shower in the background. And one of Deva Luna's stickers there on the fridge!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aOGFfPOyXbk/Upsmq2oaF1I/AAAAAAAAB8A/H3WfRLBrkw0/s640/blogger-image-493985747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aOGFfPOyXbk/Upsmq2oaF1I/AAAAAAAAB8A/H3WfRLBrkw0/s640/blogger-image-493985747.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The stairs up to the covered balcony...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-G9hBUtHyRnM/UpsmgMBFcMI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/c3UuE6uSxk8/s640/blogger-image--1882035934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-G9hBUtHyRnM/UpsmgMBFcMI/AAAAAAAAB7Y/c3UuE6uSxk8/s640/blogger-image--1882035934.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The view from the top! That's a sweet little lake in the background, complete with lotus flowers. And those are mango trees. This is all in the middle of a mango/rubber tree farm.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-i4-6ZA6Z794/Upsms0uryAI/AAAAAAAAB8I/e3d9pEJF7VY/s640/blogger-image--1052760594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-i4-6ZA6Z794/Upsms0uryAI/AAAAAAAAB8I/e3d9pEJF7VY/s640/blogger-image--1052760594.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The operating principle here seems to be fun. And relaxing. I've had a very mellow day after so much travelling. At times the only sounds are wind in the trees, way off dogs barking, roosters crowing and occasional sounds of scooters or tractors in the distance.</div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-90689154757721363692013-11-30T04:32:00.001-08:002013-12-01T02:45:02.959-08:00North Again to Udon Thani and Miracle SpringsSo I'm on a bumpy old Thai bus out of Udon Thani, way up north near the Lao border. Hopefully on my way to someplace called Ban Dung (pronounced Baan Doong) where my pal Steve Areen will come and collect me (once I figure out a way to call him). <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jKc_tEU5-oo/UpsTLDAzUEI/AAAAAAAAB7I/COWj-Asmsr0/s640/blogger-image-784327129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jKc_tEU5-oo/UpsTLDAzUEI/AAAAAAAAB7I/COWj-Asmsr0/s640/blogger-image-784327129.jpg"></a></div></div><div>I left horrible Klong Kloi beach and awful Koh Chang yesterday (funny it doesn't look horrible, does it?) travelling by mini-bus across on the ferry and then on up to the airport in Bangkok.<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bn7-XPC6dwo/UpsTGbi9QiI/AAAAAAAAB64/SkX12_hAhak/s640/blogger-image-560862420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bn7-XPC6dwo/UpsTGbi9QiI/AAAAAAAAB64/SkX12_hAhak/s640/blogger-image-560862420.jpg"></a></div><div> I got a nice clean room near the airport with aircon and actual furniture and a warm shower! Heaven. No stream of fire ants crossing my mattress to attack my bags. But up at 5am to make my early flight. Happily I was able to trade in my flight from Trat for this one and it only cost me another $50 or so to make this sojourn north.</div><div>It was really a toss up beteen visiting Steve way out in the Issan boonies, or going to the quaint Lao town of Luang Prabong. I've wanted to visit LP for many years, but after travelling solo for weeks, it will be great to be with a friend, especially one as interesting and funny as Steve. </div><div>I am a bit nervous about this leg of the trip however. I'm the only farang on the bus and WAY off the tourist trail here. I have no idea where we are, but we keep stopping to take on and let off passengers. I'm just trusting the driver will let me know when to get off and that I will indeed get off at the right place. Trust.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MpM_JCXIZYg/UpsTEPsL18I/AAAAAAAAB6w/r9Nd3e3sKk0/s640/blogger-image--831178541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MpM_JCXIZYg/UpsTEPsL18I/AAAAAAAAB6w/r9Nd3e3sKk0/s640/blogger-image--831178541.jpg"></a></div></div><div>Writing later: that bus trip took about an hour and it was pretty clear where to get off, but I was wrong about Steve meeting me there. I was supposed to call him and I know this sounds lame but I couldn't figure out how to use the pay phone! I tried a bunch of times but kept getting a message in Thai. No luck. Finally some people at the copy shop next to the pay phone sort of adopted me. At one point there were six or seven of them trying to figure out what the hell was my problem. When they finally got that I just needed to call someone locally a man went in and dialed the store phone...and got Steve on the line! </div><div>Most of the time I've travelled in Thailand I'm on a tourist route. You can get wifi in almost any cafe or restaurant, people speak at least some English. Safe to say that VERY FEW farang come through Ban Dung, and those who do probably know what they're about. For me it was a powerful opportunity to feel how kind and compassionate Thai people can be. </div><div>Turned out I needed to get on another bus to go another half an hour. I went back to the bus station and three more Thai people helped me (in a very respectful but determined way). They gave very clear instructions to the bus driver where to let me off!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wUOOVcq4qdU/UpsTJTk_6LI/AAAAAAAAB7A/71IfsQ2YmTk/s640/blogger-image--1524844649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wUOOVcq4qdU/UpsTJTk_6LI/AAAAAAAAB7A/71IfsQ2YmTk/s640/blogger-image--1524844649.jpg"></a></div></div><div>And there was Steve waiting for me and now I'm here at his Thai dome home. One of the coolest places I've ever been in. His house is near a small lake in a mango orchard. I'll put up some photos in my next post. </div><div>Down the road a ways is Miracle Springs, owned by Hajjar and Lumiyai. Hajjar is Steve's sister's husband's brother. I think. There are also some really cool wwoofers from Finland, Australia, and the US. Hajjar Gibran is a distant cousin of the great Lebanese poet Kahlil Gibran, author of The Prophet. Hajjar wrote Return of the Prophet a few years ago, based on channelled conversations with Kahlil! He also invented the dome building method that Steve used for his famous house.</div><div>Apparently Steve's dome house really has become famous. It's been written up in print magazines all over the world and of course in lots of internet blogs and websites. He's been getting love letters from women all over the place!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CYjyD99xQrI/UpsTBttLKrI/AAAAAAAAB6o/qxVk8WF4nQA/s640/blogger-image-609264122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CYjyD99xQrI/UpsTBttLKrI/AAAAAAAAB6o/qxVk8WF4nQA/s640/blogger-image-609264122.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Did I mention there are rubber tree plantations here?</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-27107526724391475162013-11-27T08:02:00.001-08:002013-11-27T08:02:03.514-08:00On The Road to Koh ChangSWell the mini-van ride down to the Poi Pet border crossing was a breeze. The damn thing was almost an hour late, but whatever. I had a cozy spot in the back seat and was very comfy.<div>That sure changed once we got to Poi Pet. The transport service dumped us off and pointed at immigration, a little ways off. The line wasn't too bad. But everyone else was bound for Bangkok and had their baggage put into a big funky cart hauled by a little old lady. Not me! My special Koh Chang destination allowed me to drag my heavy bag for about a fucking mile, and up a very steep flight of stairs and down. At the end of the line I was there with all the Bangkok folks who were picking up their carted luggage! Oi.</div><div>The Cambodia departure side wouldn't have been that bad. A uniformed officer invited me to pay him 200 Baht for VIP clearance, but I declined. Instead I got into the line from hell. I had four lines to choose from and picked the one with the broken scanner/mentally challenged or deranged official. For every one person clearing our line there were five or six moving through the other three. This was a bit alarming and frustrating. A very good opportunity to practice mindfulness.</div><div>Once I finally cleared it was simply a matter of dragging my suitcase about a mile down a filthy dirty road through sweltering heat with no visible signage to reassure me. I had read about this ahead of tiime (not the luggage dragging) so I wasn't quite as freaked out as I would have been.</div><div>Eventually I made it to the Thai immigration building, clearly marked and was confronted with the stairs. Holy fucking shit. </div><div>At the top of the stairs was a big hallway with three incredibly long lines. You couldn't even see the officials up at the front. I was more careful choosing the line this time, but it didn't really matter. There were about 45 people ahead of me, same in each line more or less. It only took forever. </div><div>The room was air conditioned, down to a temperature of about 85 degrees. People were civil. I got into a decent conversation with the Swiss backpacker in front of me. That made time pass. All in all it was only an hour or so in that line.</div><div>Then down the stairs and down another filthy road, with no signage. But they'd put a little red square sticker on my chest with KC sharpied on it. All the Thai people knew where I was supposed to go and waved me on. </div><div>I made it just in time to climb onto the back of an oversized songtheaw with about 15 other people and all their baggage. I had to stand on the bumper and hold on! That took us here to this cafe where we're supposed to eat before the 4 hour ride to the ferry. So I'm having a club soda and fried noodles with egg and vegetables. 70 baht.</div><div>Holy shit again, I'm packed into a mini van with 13 other travelers and all our bags. A LOT of bags. I think most of the folks are Italian, just a guess. Off we go...a four hour ride...<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t7s554Kg5Jo/UpYXZeebCuI/AAAAAAAAB6Q/WqVumZi2YaE/s640/blogger-image-850327255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-t7s554Kg5Jo/UpYXZeebCuI/AAAAAAAAB6Q/WqVumZi2YaE/s640/blogger-image-850327255.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Edit...okay, so I'm here. It only took 13 hours, including waiting an hour for the ferry and the hour long ferry ride and the terrifying trip around the island. And the exhausting dragging my suitcase in the dark down a sandy narrow little alley, past a bunch of other funky little places, then lugging it across the beach and finally arriving.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">What a slog, but totally worth it, right? I'm totally not sure. My room is pretty hideous. The matress feels more like a box spring. There's no proper windows or screening, so I'm supposed to sleep under a pink mosquito net I guess. Easy to feel a bit disouraged. But this place got absolute rave reviews and I'm steps away from the beach, so we'll see what tomorrow brings. It may be paradise or I may have to look for better digs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">At least there's good wifi...</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-18166231898901722982013-11-25T22:38:00.001-08:002013-11-25T22:38:19.013-08:00Field TripYesterday was probably my favorite day so far, touring-wise. After changing to a new hotel my driver took me way out of town to Banteay Srei, the "citadel of women' about 45 kilometers from here. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-WKkGoCQ82bo/UpRBwCad2PI/AAAAAAAAB5o/euGrlXKtOTY/s640/blogger-image--357446711.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-WKkGoCQ82bo/UpRBwCad2PI/AAAAAAAAB5o/euGrlXKtOTY/s640/blogger-image--357446711.jpg"></a></div></div><div>45 K isn't all that far in a comfy car or air con mini van. Sitting in an open air tuk tuk with terrible suspension is a different story...especially since they don't seem to go much over 25-30 mph. And that's not counting having to slow down for the incredible pot holes, traffic clogs, dogs and chickens in the road and so forth.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Td6XzDJEqN4/UpRBr-lr51I/AAAAAAAAB5Y/kWaIEwKwfQM/s640/blogger-image-25715114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Td6XzDJEqN4/UpRBr-lr51I/AAAAAAAAB5Y/kWaIEwKwfQM/s640/blogger-image-25715114.jpg"></a></div></div><div>For a while, as my spine was getting pounded, I was regretting my choice of a tuk tuk, but once we really got out in the country side I realized it was absolutely perfect. No window between me and the people and landscape. 360 degree views. And my driver Choom was happy to stop whenever I asked. He even offered many times at choice places. Really nice.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CHCaA7JQfA0/UpRB2OVtrmI/AAAAAAAAB6A/lQxIBvh1Jfg/s640/blogger-image--922079136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CHCaA7JQfA0/UpRB2OVtrmI/AAAAAAAAB6A/lQxIBvh1Jfg/s640/blogger-image--922079136.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Me and Choom, my driver.</div></div><div>Being in the countryside allowed me to see how rural Cambodians live. Which probably hasn't changed a lot in the past 2000 years. Sure, there's scooters and bicycles and weird farm vehicles, and lots of plastic garbage in places. But the houses up on stilts, the woven hammocks, the baskets, the hand loomed cloth, the rice and chickens and water buffalo, it seems pretty timeless.</div><div>After a while I noticed that some compounds were really nice, with no trash or litter at all. Others were an ugly mess. Not that different really than the US I suppose.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-T0c1fMmnm8E/UpRBm0_8hHI/AAAAAAAAB5I/Cv6THoZLfJI/s640/blogger-image--1617840081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-T0c1fMmnm8E/UpRBm0_8hHI/AAAAAAAAB5I/Cv6THoZLfJI/s640/blogger-image--1617840081.jpg"></a></div></div><div>Banteay Srei is touted as one of the jewels of the ancient Khmer empire. It's carved out of red sandstone and has held up better than the other temples I've seen. I have to admit I was a little let down by the visit. It's quite small really. There's not much to it. But the thing that kind of wrecked it for me was having been to Ubud in Bali, where almost every building has gorgeous carvings around the doors and windows, pretty much along the same Hindu themes. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4e7MFRjn8d8/UpRBYI0q5FI/AAAAAAAAB4o/LCZvXb4Cyv4/s640/blogger-image--984671600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4e7MFRjn8d8/UpRBYI0q5FI/AAAAAAAAB4o/LCZvXb4Cyv4/s640/blogger-image--984671600.jpg"></a></div></div><div>Of course the carvings at Banteay Srei are a thousand years old! That does make a difference, but it's sort of an intellectual difference. </div><div>Plus it was really really hot!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fvGR4nXJ-t0/UpRBdo7EcCI/AAAAAAAAB44/Ki4cAqOFAUY/s640/blogger-image-222098579.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fvGR4nXJ-t0/UpRBdo7EcCI/AAAAAAAAB44/Ki4cAqOFAUY/s640/blogger-image-222098579.jpg"></a></div></div><div>But the next place we went (another good half hour drive) was one of my favorite places I've seen. It's known as Kbal Spean and it's not a temple, but a river way up on a mountain side where a thousand years ago carvings were made in the river bed and on big rocks on the river banks, including 1000 lingams (phalluses). This was all done to make the water flowing down to Angkor fertile and holy. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2KiqsViU7dk/UpRB0BNvjqI/AAAAAAAAB54/Nf1yXkBc3Us/s640/blogger-image--551500495.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2KiqsViU7dk/UpRB0BNvjqI/AAAAAAAAB54/Nf1yXkBc3Us/s640/blogger-image--551500495.jpg"></a></div></div><div>I'd actually seen this in a DVD at my hotel, and it was recommended to me, otherwise I might have given up on the incredibly long and steep climb to get there.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-J_wmhf4auAo/UpRBggVlBUI/AAAAAAAAB5A/a-arGzQKGe4/s640/blogger-image-2038966380.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-J_wmhf4auAo/UpRBggVlBUI/AAAAAAAAB5A/a-arGzQKGe4/s640/blogger-image-2038966380.jpg"></a></div></div><div>No one had actually mentioned a climb. It was 1800 meters actually. They'd posted signs every 100 meters, which might have been encouraging? I'm not sure they really had that effect on me. I almost never sweat, but it was brutally hot and humid and my shirt was drenched by the time I got there.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EAFhPoKsEYc/UpRBt-lDx2I/AAAAAAAAB5g/WcF6Yclcbgc/s640/blogger-image-1867891614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EAFhPoKsEYc/UpRBt-lDx2I/AAAAAAAAB5g/WcF6Yclcbgc/s640/blogger-image-1867891614.jpg"></a></div></div><div>And there was most definitely a "there" to get to. Thankfully there was a wonderful english speaking guide just waiting for me. I would have missed a lot, or most of it really, without his help.</div><div>The lingams in the water were amazing. 1000 is a lot of them! They went on and on down the stream bed. Our tour ended at the base of a wonderful waterfall where I stripped down to my shorts and bathed. It was wonderful!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hhiuKiwZdw4/UpRBbVyX65I/AAAAAAAAB4w/V8wxFUdDgfA/s640/blogger-image--2034773512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hhiuKiwZdw4/UpRBbVyX65I/AAAAAAAAB4w/V8wxFUdDgfA/s640/blogger-image--2034773512.jpg"></a></div></div><div>Of course it's always pretty grand bathing next to a waterfall. Especially a tropical waterfall when it's super hot. But for the real deal, make sure the water is flowing over 1000 lingams. Unless you're trying not to get pregnant!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BfVjM84zP6k/UpRByICfRJI/AAAAAAAAB5w/QPn6Twe0REg/s640/blogger-image--726792183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BfVjM84zP6k/UpRByICfRJI/AAAAAAAAB5w/QPn6Twe0REg/s640/blogger-image--726792183.jpg"></a></div></div><div>The spine rattling trip back was grand. School kids in uniforms on bikes, people in their stilted house compounds, rows of women stirring huge woks making palm sugar on the side of the road, big white cows, endless rice fields, jungle and weird farm vehicles called 'buffalos' pulling wagons loaded with firewood, bags of rice, whole families. </div><div>I feel like I finally 'get' Cambodia now.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Aci3gliJt9w/UpRBpUeIWxI/AAAAAAAAB5Q/21hOTrYxXZ0/s640/blogger-image-699539076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Aci3gliJt9w/UpRBpUeIWxI/AAAAAAAAB5Q/21hOTrYxXZ0/s640/blogger-image-699539076.jpg"></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-64456021212098202512013-11-23T04:32:00.001-08:002013-11-23T04:32:02.905-08:00Inconvenienced Caused Is RegrettedOkay, if you don't want to read my tales of woe, just scroll down to the photos below.......<div>I've made some really bad decisions here in Cambodia, starting with getting the time of my arrival wrong by two hours! I walked out of the airport, after a real circus act of getting the visa and all, and there were about 25 drivers holding signs, but not one with my name on it.<div>The first mistake was I should have just paid $7 for a taxi ride. Instead I let the hotel know (via email) and ended up waiting anxiously for over an hour and a half! So stupid! Part of the reason I had to wait so long was the idiot driver they sent went to a different airport building. One where no one was arriving at all. He apparently just sat there for almost an hour until I finally got through to hotel again (very spotty internet) and said "WTF?".</div><div>I also made a mistake choosing this hotel. I found that out right away. It's way the hell down a dirt street that leads to a rubble street. The tuk tuks here are like wagons that hitch onto underpowered 125cc motorcycles. They look really quaint, but their suspension is terrible. That was another mistake, not taking time to go pee when the driver finally showed up. My poor bladder was really put to it!</div><div>So the hotel is fancy, but the staff are very unprofessional! Some want to engage you in conversations, or show you every detail of the DVD player in the room. They're sweet, and really proud of the place, but I had to use the toilet and it took forever to get the dude out of my room!</div><div>I picked a place that I knew to be out of the way (not expecting the rugged Baja 500 to get there) because I'd heard that downtown Siem Reap was a bit of a zoo. But last night I took a very bumpy tuk tuk ride over to the "Pub Street" and discovered it's my kind of zoo. I was enchanted by the big, luxurious open are restaurants, the mostly closed off streets, the whole feel of the place. I've never seen anything like it. Although I did get hassled by one or two pesky tuk tuk drivers who were sure I wanted to go whoring. Actually at least ten of them offered to take me to sexy girls for sexy massage, The last guy was just awful. They all would come up and say it all sneaky-like, psssssst, you like sexy girl massage?</div><div>What I really wish I'd done (thought of this later) is pretended to be very hard of hearing and shouted out "Sorry, hard of hearing, ARE YOU OFFERING TO TAKE ME TO SEE PROSTITUTES? ARE THESE GIRLS DOING IT OUT OF THEIR OWN FREE WILL? ISN'T THE HIV RATE 40% HERE?". I think that would have done the trick very nicely.</div><div>Aside from that bit, i loved walking around, even into the Night Market where the vendors have a bad reputation of being very aggressive. I didn't see or experience that at all. I also had a real (non-sexy) massage for a mere $3! And it was really really good! I gave the girl a $2 tip which I think is pretty big here (?), After temple touring all day, which included climbing and descending countless very steep steps, that massage saved me from big trouble today.</div><div>I had a really awesome pizza for dinner. Maybe because I was starving by then it seemed like one of the best pizzas ever. And that leads me to my really big mistake....food.</div><div>I had the runs in Chiang Mai and fasted, took all my probiotics, ate bland foods like you're supposed to. I was good. And it worked. It was mostly cleared up by the time I left. Key word mostly.</div><div>So my first meal in Siem Reap? A bowl of Tom Yum soup. Very spicy. Way more spicy than I expected. Ow. The next day, near the end of temple hopping, my driver took me to some roadside place and I had greasy, mildly spicy noodles. There was no Western food on the menu. I should have just left. Then pizza to finish it off and I was up at 3am with the most terrible runs and was up all night and all morning. It's been awful. I got so dehydrated at one point I was starting to hallucinate a bit (nice ones though) but asked the hotel manager to get me some special rehydration salts, probiotics and a fresh coconut. I'm feeling a lot better, but missed a whole day here. </div><div>In Chiang Mai it was so easy to get yogurt and sticky rice and such. Here not so much. I may have to lay low again tomorrow. I hope not. I want to see the temples! But that's my story, sad but true....</div><div>Oh yeah, I did spend 8 hours yesterday at Angkor Wat and other temples. Here's some photos.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UI3mlHG5UN0/UpCgQKQZdtI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/C0ogKprQTH4/s640/blogger-image-8379653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UI3mlHG5UN0/UpCgQKQZdtI/AAAAAAAAB4Y/C0ogKprQTH4/s640/blogger-image-8379653.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Sunrise over Angkor Wat. This is THE photo people come here for. Here are the people:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bW14pUyby34/UpCgOfgmRBI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/EbcgkkIzj0o/s640/blogger-image--691743803.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-bW14pUyby34/UpCgOfgmRBI/AAAAAAAAB4Q/EbcgkkIzj0o/s640/blogger-image--691743803.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">What a mob scene! People from all over the world come here, but I'd guess that the majority of the tourists were Chinese, Japanese and Korean. An easy trip for them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1BBcP_8H_eU/UpCgJl74jKI/AAAAAAAAB34/RdwulbiDcs8/s640/blogger-image--104344885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1BBcP_8H_eU/UpCgJl74jKI/AAAAAAAAB34/RdwulbiDcs8/s640/blogger-image--104344885.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This place is HUGE. And gorgeous.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-P5lmkkEyf5k/UpCgFCrbuMI/AAAAAAAAB3g/6UZeiDb4AlU/s640/blogger-image--885375536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-P5lmkkEyf5k/UpCgFCrbuMI/AAAAAAAAB3g/6UZeiDb4AlU/s640/blogger-image--885375536.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And there are monkeys! Just like in Bali.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-f_Zz3gVRYZo/UpCgB6otzXI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/eH_e0fcN5xI/s640/blogger-image--1031239941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-f_Zz3gVRYZo/UpCgB6otzXI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/eH_e0fcN5xI/s640/blogger-image--1031239941.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And miles of carvings. I tagged along with a tour group and the guide was showing us what the carvings were about. Basically Hindu tales with lots of gods and demons. There are stones lying around, here and at all the temples, and what you come to notice is that all of those stones have carvings on them! It's overwhelming. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_oFqEAUv_dk/UpCgMkA0sqI/AAAAAAAAB4I/3oFgNoC5Skg/s640/blogger-image-999389879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_oFqEAUv_dk/UpCgMkA0sqI/AAAAAAAAB4I/3oFgNoC5Skg/s640/blogger-image-999389879.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is the South Gate which leads to another famous temple Bayon. The gateway was pretty narrow but accommodated tour buses and elephants with passengers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zejeYYkDZT8/UpCgDE49c2I/AAAAAAAAB3Y/dCA5psUiotY/s640/blogger-image--297068673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zejeYYkDZT8/UpCgDE49c2I/AAAAAAAAB3Y/dCA5psUiotY/s640/blogger-image--297068673.jpg"></a></div>This is one the bridge leading to the South Gate. It was lined with big statues on both sides. And lots of jammed up traffic!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-FeHnj8w--ag/UpCgG17gZgI/AAAAAAAAB3o/phX48tD9700/s640/blogger-image--1706854323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-FeHnj8w--ag/UpCgG17gZgI/AAAAAAAAB3o/phX48tD9700/s640/blogger-image--1706854323.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Bayon is famous for these Buddha faces looking out in four directions. They are all over the place. It's in much funkier shape than Angkor Wat, even though it was build 80 years later. Apparently Angkor Wat got all the primo stone and Bayon got stuck with inferior building materials. Sheesh. It's only been like 800 years and the place is falling apart!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-67shhp6Vvkk/UpCgIBgbzXI/AAAAAAAAB3w/kpUQg52-Cl8/s640/blogger-image-1483317863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-67shhp6Vvkk/UpCgIBgbzXI/AAAAAAAAB3w/kpUQg52-Cl8/s640/blogger-image-1483317863.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This just about sums it up for me today.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-cgPRVE5pAj8/UpCgLMHkaXI/AAAAAAAAB4A/y4ZatNReDaY/s640/blogger-image-2067939737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-cgPRVE5pAj8/UpCgLMHkaXI/AAAAAAAAB4A/y4ZatNReDaY/s640/blogger-image-2067939737.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Hopefully I'll be back out there soon, getting more photos. But in the meantime, I've got about 70 all together on my Flickr page: SE Asia 2013: </div><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">http://www.flickr.com/photos/robbibaba/sets/72157637785869115/</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">You gotta go to the second page, about halfway down to see Cambodia.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Cheers!</span></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><div><br></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1Siem Reap Siem Reap13.356148 103.867959tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-64570367176934623062013-11-20T07:25:00.001-08:002013-11-20T07:25:25.354-08:00I Fed a Hippo!What a day I've had. The Chiang Mai Zoo was crazy. It's spread out over 200 acres and most of it steep hills. I can't believe how much walking and climbing I did. Thank god I was able to get a good massage tonight, or I probably wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HUAWJWEITqU/UozTxFIpYwI/AAAAAAAAB1c/CdNhhx_iIto/s640/blogger-image--55767842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-HUAWJWEITqU/UozTxFIpYwI/AAAAAAAAB1c/CdNhhx_iIto/s640/blogger-image--55767842.jpg"></a></div><div>So the first real exhibit (I'm not counting the flamingos) was the hippo family. There was a big old male, two mammas and a little 3 month old baby! You could buy a little basket of cut up carrot or yams for 10 baht and feed them.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-IMM7T1gvEUU/UozUBQnvpEI/AAAAAAAAB18/mHf6lBGoq8o/s640/blogger-image--1621474771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-IMM7T1gvEUU/UozUBQnvpEI/AAAAAAAAB18/mHf6lBGoq8o/s640/blogger-image--1621474771.jpg"></a></div></div><div>And by that I mean drop the chunks of stuff in their huge open maws. I actually patted one on it's muzzle (but it was too slimy to want to do that again). Can you imagine a situation like this in the US? I'm not using a zoom lens here. I could literally have stuck my hand (or whole arm) in the hippos mouth!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-s5a1pd384Ls/UozT1EGTk_I/AAAAAAAAB1k/16SYIzoI7e8/s640/blogger-image--262397746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-s5a1pd384Ls/UozT1EGTk_I/AAAAAAAAB1k/16SYIzoI7e8/s640/blogger-image--262397746.jpg"></a></div>This was the high point of the whole zoo for me, and I came back before I left. The baby was hanging out under water and only came up once in a while for a quick breath. So damn cute.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TTWtSWmEeik/UozT3uLdatI/AAAAAAAAB1s/xJPgdRW5KFU/s640/blogger-image-406744074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-TTWtSWmEeik/UozT3uLdatI/AAAAAAAAB1s/xJPgdRW5KFU/s640/blogger-image-406744074.jpg"></a></div></div><div>Then the whole family came out to stand on the bank. I took about a million photos. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HDnqgl8uDV8/UozT--dAV0I/AAAAAAAAB10/QqDXAJvjl2M/s640/blogger-image--2096656450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HDnqgl8uDV8/UozT--dAV0I/AAAAAAAAB10/QqDXAJvjl2M/s640/blogger-image--2096656450.jpg"></a></div>The next stop was feeding giraffes! Holy shit! Once again I walked up and couldn't believe what I was seeing. So freaking awesome. I fed them something like very long green beans, though bananas were also on offer. They have super long, agile tongues that actually would wrap around the bean and grab it. There were two of them and they were both so beautiful. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ootONg4R5qA/UozUHgptsGI/AAAAAAAAB2M/lp6yL6S_r_s/s640/blogger-image-610008647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ootONg4R5qA/UozUHgptsGI/AAAAAAAAB2M/lp6yL6S_r_s/s640/blogger-image-610008647.jpg"></a></div>They have this velvety pelt. And such goofy yet intelligent faces. And of course they are truly enormous. Both of them were a bit skittish, but I managed to touch the female's nose. This was so awesome!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-p-tGZwGkqSg/UozTiZiBpmI/AAAAAAAAB08/gO54pUPcpI4/s640/blogger-image--1548195165.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-p-tGZwGkqSg/UozTiZiBpmI/AAAAAAAAB08/gO54pUPcpI4/s640/blogger-image--1548195165.jpg"></a></div></div><div>Of course there were droves of other animals--the giant panda, lots of kinds of monkeys, an entire aquarium, birds galore including ostriches, an otter, penguins, an asian bear and many many Thai school children. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-O_zohFmLDek/UozUYVbeEaI/AAAAAAAAB20/K3sPFYIQgCs/s640/blogger-image-959734525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-O_zohFmLDek/UozUYVbeEaI/AAAAAAAAB20/K3sPFYIQgCs/s640/blogger-image-959734525.jpg"></a></div></div><div>The kids were my least favorite critter, mainly because there were hundreds of them jabbering excitedly and making an awful din. Worse, they were being guided by adults with bullhorns who blasted out information, jokes and directions all at top volume. I encountered them first at the big cats exhibits. There was a lion, jaguar and tiger and the awful racket of 150 school kids with the blaring adults seemed to be driving them frantic. Well not the lion. He wasn't moving. Maybe he was stunned?</div><div>Fortunately we went in separate directions and I didn't have to endure them after that. Seriously freaky. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-izVvauZkLt0/UozUDvu9uxI/AAAAAAAAB2E/kmlU7NezZ5E/s640/blogger-image-1189120690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-izVvauZkLt0/UozUDvu9uxI/AAAAAAAAB2E/kmlU7NezZ5E/s640/blogger-image-1189120690.jpg"></a></div></div><div>The aquarium featured a tube you walk through and the fish swim around and over you. It was pretty cool I guess. It was here that I met Chen, a tourist from Beijing about my age. I offered to take his photo with the fish behind him and after that we were fast friends. It was really good to have a buddy going through the ginormous compound. Kept me going really.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5oi-ZkRxD0c/UozUPN_XQJI/AAAAAAAAB2c/wYO3nB7A9pU/s640/blogger-image-1935842472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5oi-ZkRxD0c/UozUPN_XQJI/AAAAAAAAB2c/wYO3nB7A9pU/s640/blogger-image-1935842472.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I enjoyed watching these monks watching the panda. One of them had an iPad and was taking photos or video with it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MAIzjPbyRaM/UozTf6A85XI/AAAAAAAAB00/tpEHYcyflLY/s640/blogger-image-1934989867.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-MAIzjPbyRaM/UozTf6A85XI/AAAAAAAAB00/tpEHYcyflLY/s640/blogger-image-1934989867.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'm happy to say that the elephants I saw seemed to be treated well enough. Some of them were being used to give rides to tourists, but there you go. It takes a LOT of food to keep them and they have to earn their keep. Actually I paid to feed the hippos, the giraffes and this elephant. All of them earning their keep I guess.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Speaking of feeding, I was operating on a small plate of sticky rice and mango for breakfast. Not a lot of ballast. So Chen and I stopped for lunch and I had two young coconuts, slurping down the juice and eating the soft slippery innards. Doesn't seem like much but it kept me on my feet somehow.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-eeo7UKqLBuc/UozTd3eWafI/AAAAAAAAB0s/pn879t-0kgw/s640/blogger-image--1605037105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-eeo7UKqLBuc/UozTd3eWafI/AAAAAAAAB0s/pn879t-0kgw/s640/blogger-image--1605037105.jpg"></a></div></div></div></div></div><div>Near the end of the long long slog, we came across the orangutang. It has a huge compound and was ambling down toward the front, toward us. I thought I knew what they looked like, but this one at any rate was different. It was very big and heavy and its hair was super long. It had such a weird way of 'walking' and they finally sat down to nibble on some grass. I'm certain it was aware of us (it was just Chen and I for quite a while) but it didn't really react at all. It seemed totally meditative.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2ylhgyp7Ae8/UozULhZxjsI/AAAAAAAAB2U/AgLx9khnh8o/s640/blogger-image--1219001612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2ylhgyp7Ae8/UozULhZxjsI/AAAAAAAAB2U/AgLx9khnh8o/s640/blogger-image--1219001612.jpg"></a></div></div><div>We actually stayed until 5pm and the park seemed to be shutting down! Chen offered me a ride back on his scooter. At first I declined, feeling it would be too dangerous. But then, this guy lives in Beijing. I'm certain the traffic there is much much worse! So he gave me a wild ride back and I lived to tell the tale. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mqCTZcjHKzQ/UozUSlD00QI/AAAAAAAAB2k/Ubkl7uNS8l8/s640/blogger-image--930704493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mqCTZcjHKzQ/UozUSlD00QI/AAAAAAAAB2k/Ubkl7uNS8l8/s640/blogger-image--930704493.jpg"></a></div></div><div>For dinner I went to that really gorgeous restaurant I've posted photos of. Despite my fascination with the place, I've never eaten there before and this was my last chance. I had some sort of Pad Thai, not spicy, and it was incredible. That place was hopping, I tell you. I counted at least 8 waiters too. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BuqUWpSd9Ic/UozUU0VQisI/AAAAAAAAB2s/_dnLqJhdxbA/s640/blogger-image-814157235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BuqUWpSd9Ic/UozUU0VQisI/AAAAAAAAB2s/_dnLqJhdxbA/s640/blogger-image-814157235.jpg"></a></div></div><div>After dinner I wanted a massage but was feeling too full. So I walked a few blocks to my favorite Wat, the teak one where the monks were launching the lanterns. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YtCBWEC0lM0/UozTpraH4MI/AAAAAAAAB1M/-p5ctm46ysc/s640/blogger-image--968102382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-YtCBWEC0lM0/UozTpraH4MI/AAAAAAAAB1M/-p5ctm46ysc/s640/blogger-image--968102382.jpg"></a></div>There I was treated to another beautiful sight....about 30 saffron robed young monks were in the Wat, being led through some kind of chanting. It was beautiful to see and moving to hear. To be honest it was a bit overwhelmingly wonderful. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Tj3raCn62DE/UozTtjAsEfI/AAAAAAAAB1U/mf6mCI24-wY/s640/blogger-image-1231225127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Tj3raCn62DE/UozTtjAsEfI/AAAAAAAAB1U/mf6mCI24-wY/s640/blogger-image-1231225127.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And yes, those are two temple dogs soaking in the vibes...</div></div><div>Then a really gentle (thank god) massage, and here I am at the Peppermint Coffee House blogging it all over more sticky rice and mango (not as good as Kajana's I must say). Back to my room soon to pack for Siem Reap. I'm feeling a bit sad really. The first few days here I was caught up in a 'been there done that' sort of feeling. I think it came with the jet lag. That's all gone now and I know I'll really miss this place and all the people I've seen over the years...the cafe folks, the massage people, the laundry lady, the drivers, even my guest house hosts.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JOFaKnWveIw/UozTlB8GSMI/AAAAAAAAB1E/h5VK1Geprco/s640/blogger-image--370177591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JOFaKnWveIw/UozTlB8GSMI/AAAAAAAAB1E/h5VK1Geprco/s640/blogger-image--370177591.jpg"></a></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Chiang Mai Chiang Mai18.788937 98.991536tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-1473431874234379832013-11-19T19:36:00.001-08:002013-11-19T19:36:24.161-08:00Last Day in Chiang MaiSo it's my last day here in Chiang Mai. It's overcast and cool. Last night's rain was pretty spectacular. I don't think I've ever heard it rain so hard anywhere.<div>So here are a few more random photos from yesterday's outings. I still had my rented bike and went down to the Wororot market and then across the river. I also went to parts of the old town I'd never been to before and got totally lost. So much of Chiang Mai is "same same" with all the guest houses, cafes, shops and all. But then you'll come across a new temple that's really spectacular. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5z0l7yrTPI4/UowuLhrAepI/AAAAAAAAB0U/mb-9VFIfkF4/s640/blogger-image--1428567890.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5z0l7yrTPI4/UowuLhrAepI/AAAAAAAAB0U/mb-9VFIfkF4/s640/blogger-image--1428567890.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I actually took this photo to help me locate my bike when it was time to find it. It's extremely confusing around this area. The streets are definitely NOT in a grid. As my mom used to say, it's like they got a bunch of goats drunk and everywhere the goats went they put in a road.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's also heavily traffick'd here! Crazy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7VloC3VHMBc/UowuNjrf_1I/AAAAAAAAB0c/Nl4fftAPjzE/s640/blogger-image--695462649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7VloC3VHMBc/UowuNjrf_1I/AAAAAAAAB0c/Nl4fftAPjzE/s640/blogger-image--695462649.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The ground floor of the market proper is always amazing. This is where Thai people shop for food. Years ago I asked one of the vendors about this bowl of green glop she was stirring. She laughed and said "not for you, sir! Not for you!". But that said, there are an incredible array of nuts, spices, dried fruits-including varieties I'd never seen before, noodles, teas, and of course french fried meal worms.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-E_lqm-tANFw/Uowt8WbTzyI/AAAAAAAABzc/6iZdp-6AOJE/s640/blogger-image--1443799288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-E_lqm-tANFw/Uowt8WbTzyI/AAAAAAAABzc/6iZdp-6AOJE/s640/blogger-image--1443799288.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">It's not just food though. There are a number of stalls selling religious supplies. These statues were about ten to twelve inches high and cast out of metal. Way too heavy to bring one home!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7sC7lJFb6nU/UowuI5FeZII/AAAAAAAAB0M/uyd5_tUgQIg/s640/blogger-image--1396265921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7sC7lJFb6nU/UowuI5FeZII/AAAAAAAAB0M/uyd5_tUgQIg/s640/blogger-image--1396265921.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I liked this warrior with the witch's hat, sword across his knees. Like so much here it's hard to even guess what it's all about.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8JmQnvyIJMs/UowuHGh-_lI/AAAAAAAAB0E/jKIxKQMuR70/s640/blogger-image--323607728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8JmQnvyIJMs/UowuHGh-_lI/AAAAAAAAB0E/jKIxKQMuR70/s640/blogger-image--323607728.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I came across this flower market facing the riverside. I stopped and bought one of the jasmine rose garlands. It's really meant to adorn a shrine or Buddha, I think, but I have it in my room and it smells lovely. I got the smaller one, fourth from the left. It was 30 Baht.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Gwczx9yUcuI/UowuFCFfkCI/AAAAAAAABz8/7zKfiyfvULs/s640/blogger-image--1803702805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Gwczx9yUcuI/UowuFCFfkCI/AAAAAAAABz8/7zKfiyfvULs/s640/blogger-image--1803702805.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There's a neat little street on the other side of the river. Lots of cute or swanky restaurants with river frontage. We ate at one of them with Joyce when we first came almost 8 years ago. They really are beautiful at night. I came across this winged elephant along there. First one I remember seeing here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6MfRWZnM2lk/Uowt-z9sIRI/AAAAAAAABzk/x8E3jhu5GU8/s640/blogger-image--94206112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6MfRWZnM2lk/Uowt-z9sIRI/AAAAAAAABzk/x8E3jhu5GU8/s640/blogger-image--94206112.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I hope you like this graffiti, because I actually went to some trouble to circle back around on my bike to take the photo. By 'some trouble' I guess I mean almost getting killed doing a stupid maneuver in heavy traffic.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7GduCHebo0I/UowuA5czz2I/AAAAAAAABzs/R8UIPH5A-YA/s640/blogger-image--1720668589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7GduCHebo0I/UowuA5czz2I/AAAAAAAABzs/R8UIPH5A-YA/s640/blogger-image--1720668589.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One temple I happened upon had a pretty big labyrinth all set up for Loy Krathong. At the very center were two wax museumish life size replicas of old monks, sitting cross legged on a platform. I found this a bit creepy, but the Thai lady behind me saluted them reverentially.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I was feeling a bit peaked by this time and once I was in, I wasn't sure if this was really a labyrinth or a freaking maze! Luckily for me I was tall enough to see over the bamboo walls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CzEwW3pSvH0/UowuDVkU4QI/AAAAAAAABz0/oGaLQRyqu6c/s640/blogger-image--722900641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CzEwW3pSvH0/UowuDVkU4QI/AAAAAAAABz0/oGaLQRyqu6c/s640/blogger-image--722900641.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Right after I got back from dinner, the skies opened up and it rained cats and dogs and pandas. The Kavil Guesthouse has a metal awning out front and the sound was astonishing. I sat on the couch for a long time enjoying it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">So I've got this big plan to head off to the Chiang Mai Zoo. I've seen enough Wats for now, and done enough shopping, and I can really eat much, so I'm looking for a diversion. I'm fully prepared to be saddened by the experience. The Thai aren't well renowned for their treatment of animals, and in general i find zoos depressing. But I'm going for it anyway. They have a pretty cool sounding aquarium, and 3 giant pandas (of course being Thailand you have to pay extra to see them).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'll let you know how it goes.</div><br></div> </div><br></div><br></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Chiang Mai Chiang Mai18.788993 98.991202tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-1276068110730126662013-11-19T05:49:00.001-08:002013-11-19T05:49:57.895-08:00Rolling With ItWow. I had a bad massage! Didn't even know that was possible here. It was a temple massage, at the Wat that's at the end of my Soi. I had one there last year and it was good. Quite good. My usual place was super busy with an hour wait, so I thought 'what the hey?'. <div>I did notice that all the massage people looked super grumpy. When it was my turn this big older woman barked at me to come along. Turned out there were more mats in the back. At first I was happy I wouldn't have to wait as long. But once the massage started I became alarmed!</div><div>This woman seemed to have anger issues....very rare in a Thai. Also, she didn't have good technique. And she was massively strong. In other words, it hurt. A lot. Often.</div><div>I should have just said 'fuck it' and gotten up, but everytime I thought about it she'd do something good for my very sore muscles. So it wasn't all bad. Just 80% bad. </div><div>Thai massage is rarely super quiet and private, the therapists often chat a bit or make comments. This woman was actually yelling across the room while she was finishing up--meaning I was sitting up with her doing my shoulders so her big mouth was right next to my ear. One last chance to wince.</div><div>The frosting on the cake? When I paid her she actually said "No tip?". No lady, no tip.</div><div><br></div><div>But now I'm sitting in my favorite open air restaurant, next to a big French family. It's raining and I'm eating this incredibly good sour coconut milk soup. I think it's called tom klah. I'm typing as it cools down a bit, but the tastes I've had so far are making me very very happy.</div><div><br></div><div>So I'm putting a bunch of random photos into this post, just for the hell of it.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bD1Aak2w40w/UotsaZaKAdI/AAAAAAAABy0/nvfgkWiNpig/s640/blogger-image-63850434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bD1Aak2w40w/UotsaZaKAdI/AAAAAAAABy0/nvfgkWiNpig/s640/blogger-image-63850434.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This is the team who just finished installing my dental implants. They were taking photos of my teeth, so I whipped out my little camera and turned the tables on them!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Xg3QEs9PqO0/Uotsg3gw7mI/AAAAAAAABzM/pEhbi6JIYDA/s640/blogger-image--699408370.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Xg3QEs9PqO0/Uotsg3gw7mI/AAAAAAAABzM/pEhbi6JIYDA/s640/blogger-image--699408370.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Temple wreckage. Do you suppose I could stick one of these in my suitcase (they're made of painted cement I think)? It might be tricky explaining to the customs agent "No really, I didn't bust this off a temple, it was just laying there".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mw6a-oPfHsc/UotsXP9H0HI/AAAAAAAAByk/fjjCrfPrJe8/s640/blogger-image--1424784367.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mw6a-oPfHsc/UotsXP9H0HI/AAAAAAAAByk/fjjCrfPrJe8/s640/blogger-image--1424784367.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Samlor driver who gave me a ride to the old Chinese Wororos Market. I sure would love to have one of these back home!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QQwAhfSZxkQ/UotsY8B3eII/AAAAAAAABys/c29MBB-6jd0/s640/blogger-image--554497647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QQwAhfSZxkQ/UotsY8B3eII/AAAAAAAABys/c29MBB-6jd0/s640/blogger-image--554497647.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Accidental Meaning Dept. I think this Buddha (or whatever) was just covered up to protect it during construction, but it put me in mind of some ancient mystery cult. The Goddess who can not be seen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-G_BeDsNALqU/UotscMA8zRI/AAAAAAAABy8/MMJOCdXhhI8/s640/blogger-image--2027509695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-G_BeDsNALqU/UotscMA8zRI/AAAAAAAABy8/MMJOCdXhhI8/s640/blogger-image--2027509695.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Look at this tree. Those temples to the right of it are not toys. They are regular ol' full size temples. That tree is massive. It, and several like it, are at Wat Chedi Luang, one of the older Wats here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Rwle9twBcz8/Uotsd5M3lpI/AAAAAAAABzE/iWFWpJIAxcI/s640/blogger-image-778620293.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Rwle9twBcz8/Uotsd5M3lpI/AAAAAAAABzE/iWFWpJIAxcI/s640/blogger-image-778620293.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'll take this as a message for me tonight. Bad massage? Boo hoo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The soup was awesome!</div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div><br></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Chiang Mai Chiang Mai18.788945 98.990971tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10181571.post-54881933827582339802013-11-18T06:56:00.001-08:002013-11-18T06:56:10.431-08:00The Big Parade<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-X1H5HzI-U7c/Uooqa0Z0FQI/AAAAAAAABx8/Xij0NFTggvg/s640/blogger-image-1368862553.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-X1H5HzI-U7c/Uooqa0Z0FQI/AAAAAAAABx8/Xij0NFTggvg/s640/blogger-image-1368862553.jpg"></a></div>I had no idea there would be a parade, and if I had known I wouldn't have had a clue how freaking long it was! Or how elaborate the floats. Mostly I took video, but here are a few photos.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-DxtM0szsBOs/UooqPWHUURI/AAAAAAAABxg/iAyh0nYP-6U/s640/blogger-image--1480348283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-DxtM0szsBOs/UooqPWHUURI/AAAAAAAABxg/iAyh0nYP-6U/s640/blogger-image--1480348283.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div>The sad thing is, it started raining near the end (or what I hope was near the end!) and then it started pouring. I eventually left my sheltering shop awning and ran for home, but last I saw those brave kids in their elaborate costumes were soldiering on. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PWcgv7gZstc/UooqhiaEbYI/AAAAAAAAByM/SBZHnJxtjBM/s640/blogger-image-57620809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PWcgv7gZstc/UooqhiaEbYI/AAAAAAAAByM/SBZHnJxtjBM/s640/blogger-image-57620809.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">There were some serious fireworks happening. Now there's serious thunder and lightening. An awkward finish to Loy Krathong I guess.</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6t66kxQDpLE/UooqRwN7QbI/AAAAAAAABxo/hem7GXHfkIs/s640/blogger-image-367896432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6t66kxQDpLE/UooqRwN7QbI/AAAAAAAABxo/hem7GXHfkIs/s640/blogger-image-367896432.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Ce0eSaIwkrU/Uooqdj5Y9-I/AAAAAAAAByE/RY7Y64I12FE/s640/blogger-image--1863480472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Ce0eSaIwkrU/Uooqdj5Y9-I/AAAAAAAAByE/RY7Y64I12FE/s640/blogger-image--1863480472.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">This girl looked so grown up and ethereal, but when she smiled her front teeth were missing. So cute!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T2iVFQpze-8/UooqWR52poI/AAAAAAAABxw/84hNPvtOom4/s640/blogger-image-1212112800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T2iVFQpze-8/UooqWR52poI/AAAAAAAABxw/84hNPvtOom4/s640/blogger-image-1212112800.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5KmMlt_O1lM/UooqZR8q1xI/AAAAAAAABx4/x6oVtv8f93o/s640/blogger-image--136756074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5KmMlt_O1lM/UooqZR8q1xI/AAAAAAAABx4/x6oVtv8f93o/s640/blogger-image--136756074.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div><br></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0Chiang Mai Chiang Mai18.788979 98.991212