Men and folks uncomfortable with womanly body issues: Skip this post. Everyone else, keep reading because at some point you’ll need these tips, especially if you’re traveling in the Developing World. (Former students, don’t even start to freak out about this article because I have heard enough graphic period emergency details from you to last a lifetime– normally on the day you’re scheduled to take a big test!)
If you [...Read More!]
Well. I hope you all have been reading parts one through seven of this Central Highlands motorcycle saga, because that context is important to understand the full dimensions of what happened next.
It was the evening of day three of Lulu and my four days on a motorcycle across Vietnam. I had just cried from exhaustion after traipsing through four jungle waterfalls by the border with Cambodia, and Lulu was [...Read More!]
Kiss! Kisskisskiss! Kiiiiissss!!
I spent a good two hours of the bus ride from Bangkok to Poipet gazing three seats ahead at the Cambodian mother kissing her sweet baby. Ahh, the flutter of my heart and the patter of that good old biological clock!
The mother would kiss all up and down the baby’s soft, pudgy arm, then go, “Mumumum!” as she nibbled up the tiny caramel-colored fingers. [...Read More!]
In Phuket, Thailand, I spent some creepy time chatting with womanizing older German men. They all had twenty-something year old Thai girlfriends already, but they had big other plans.
“Every day vee play Poker together,” said Hans with a leer, “And vee put money in a pot. Vhen we have a full pot, you know vhat we do?” I didn’t know. “Vacation! Cambodia!” he gave a wink. [...Read More!]
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!]
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!]
“People try to insult me by saying my success is from a falang (foreigner),” said Nate, smiling as she steered us through the mo-ped-filled traffic, “but it’s just me.”The story that emerged as Nate (in her taxi-service capacity) drove me from her restaurant to the Phuket bus stop was inspirational. But was also a desperately welcome antidote to the uncomfortable Older-Western-Man-funding-Younger-Thai-Woman situation thick on the island.
Nate grew up in a rural [...Read More!]
“How old do you think zat man is?” Hans hissed at me, pointing to his equally white-haired, equally German chum. “Um, fifty?” I guessed politely. Hans threw his head back and cackled. “NO!” he hollered, “Fritz is seventy-five! And he is living viss a twenty-eight year old Thai girl!”
What else could I do, being the only young, female, American guest here at this party, but smile and [...Read More!]