I am writing this on the three hour ferry ride from Ko Tao to Chumpon so I don’t throw up.
“Did you say something to upset my girlfriend, man?” asked the red-cheeked Brit, leaning dangerously into Daniel’s face. “You looking to fight?”
“IS-RAY-ELLL!!” hollered Daniel, throwing his dreadlocked head back. All of a sudden, thirty bare-chested Israeli former soldiers surrounded him, arms crossed in bodyguard stance.
The shaking Brit extended his hand [...Read More!]
“Why do you reckon everyone backpacking in Thailand is so damn attractive?” asked the Scottish boy, slurping his mango juice and gesturing out along Sairee beach at the bodies dancing in the firelight.
Over vegetable spring rolls, we compiled the following list:
- From the other Scottish boy: “If you weigh fifty stone, you’re more likely just to sit at home and eat yer fish and chips, cause you’d [...Read More!]
In the end, breakups are fantastic. What a great growth experience! Out with the stasis, in with the gapingly open, red heart and in with the new-found world! And yet… breakups– especially travel breakups– are a blow to the soul.
I have been dumped by my twenty year old British boy roommate. Pity me.
We’d been sitting together on the beach for about [...Read More!]
For the first time in my entire life (excluding wee, wee infancy), I am NOT starting school today, this Tuesday after Labor Day. Wow. Today, for the first time, I am NOT a student, and NOT a teacher. Rather, I am just me, sitting on the porch of my $7 bungalow on a Thai beach, blasting Toto’s 80′s ballad, “Winds Down in Africa” to ease the aches of [...Read More!]
Each full moon on steamy Haad Rin beach, Thailand, 10,000 to 40,000 people go absolutely mental. I was terrified to attend, hearing so many cautions, but as the moon swelled over the week of September first, the gravitational pull of every other traveler made it seem just plain foolish not to join. So I went!
. I loved it! And as a result, my shoes were thrown up upon [...Read More!]
I’m no moocher, but– oh wait, I totally am. But the reality is that I have eight months of travel ahead and limited savings. Now, thanks to the amazing kindness of old and new friends along my first month’s path, I have been able to save loads of loot. Every day in Thailand so far I’ve spent about $30: $12 for housing, $14 for food and [...Read More!]
“For your safety and security, this party is for Westerners and Foreigners only.” What do you think about this? What are the reasons behind it? Safety in what sense?
In many “developing countries” with gorgeous natural resources, there are mini tourist-only playgrounds (some say “backpacker ghettos”) nestled in delicious strips of beach or hills. The idea is that tourists with money come to play… and want to be [...Read More!]
You are minding your business on the dirty town center beach, climbing jagged rock faces to try to get to the first of the pristine hidden beaches of Ko Phan gan which are tucked miles apart, wedged behind the rockin’ town, accessible only by boat or jungle trek. You are getting extremely sweaty, dirty, and persecuted by weird dog packs.Suddenly: “You want water taxi?” says the Thai man, holding up a [...Read More!]
1. It’s September. Who ARE these tourists?
I’ll tell you one thing: they ain’t Americans. I’m the freak again! Woo hoo!They are, however, a ton of Europeans (English, Irish, German, Italian, in that order, I’d estimate), Aussies, Israelis (tons!), and Canadians.
On the boat to Ko Samui, I had a lovely chat with a Colombian couple who have been travelling for ten months (!!!) to every country ever created (including [...Read More!]
Let’s call it like it is: I’m bopping around the crazy southern Thai Islands. I taught summer school all July, man– this is my vacation time! And I like it.
So. Five hour bus from Phuket to Surat Thani Saturday, then two hour ferry to legendary Ko Samui: the heart of the Thai tourist islands. McDonalds! Starbucks! Pizza Hut! Cars, modpeds, people everywhere! T’is a big (some say tourist-destroyed) island, and all [...Read More!]