It was barely 7a.m. and my thoughts were cloudy from a self induced storm of the previous night. I was questioning on what side of reality and further more what side of the planet I had landed. I could hear some commotion coming from the bungalows that surrounded us but the language was not one that I could easily make out, possibly German. The only thing I could remember of the previous night was sitting in some pub at a table of travelers that seemed to span the planet and drinking countless buckets of a Thai whiskey called "Sangsom". Accompanying these buckets of belligerence was the ever so potent local beer called "Chang". "Chang" was a brew that you could never quite tell what you were in for, apparently the brew masters would fill the bottles from whatever barrel was closest. Some bottles tasted like water and others tasted like they were filled from a barrel that had started the fermentation process during the time when Jesus was feeding fish and turning his own batch of wine. Some of the labels on these brews were different as well; they showed elephants facing each other and others the elephants would be facing opposite directions. It was like playing an intense game of hopscotch. Some you win and some you lose but if you can make it across the board by the end of the night, you definitely lost!
I remember having to scream to be heard during conversations of the previous night because the pub in which we had stumbled just so happened to double as a Thai-boxing club. This made for an bountiful evening, cheap booze and free entertainment. It was now seven the next morning and my body felt as though I had been performing the waltz with an elephant and he just waltzed all over my ass. I was intrigued to see what the sun had brought the new day and decided to crawl out from my slumber bag. I stumbled out to the porch. It was true, I was still in Thailand. From our porch I could see an iridescent lagoon surround by lush mountain peaks and below was the hustling of the beginning of a business day in a small fishing village on an island off the coast named Koh Phi Phi. Apparently the night before I had been in rare form and had volunteered to compete in one of the Thai-boxing matches and had taken my fair share of licks from my Canadian opponent. My recollection of the match was I had been given a sweet pair of boxing shorts with a dragon across the butt, some gloves and head gear. Upon the first round bell, I quickly realized that this was not a Canadian boxer but someone who had studied in the art of Thai. While I went in protecting my face, my opponent went straight for the body, kicking my ribs and thighs to earn points. About half way through the first round I had enough and took a few kicks to get inside and laid a blow that would have surly shaken head of the all mighty Muhammad Ali. Ok, that was a small fabrication but in all honesty I had been floating in a river of Thai whiskey and beer and just to land a blow was enough to awaken my Viking spirit. Down the Canadian went, knocked out but in Thai boxing it's not a K.O. it's just the end of the round. Round two came and here he was with all that kicking my ribs crap. Enough was enough; I took a few to work inside again and laid another blow from the bowels of hell. Down he went. Third round was basically the same, him landing kicks for points and me trying to get inside. The final bell rang, points where tallied and my opponents hand was raised in victory. Upon the announcement, the crowd booed, my opponent offered me a hug and another bucket of belligerence as a peace offering.
Aching from my conquest of courage, surly not wit I decided to treat my self to an hour long Thai message costing 300 bhat, less than ten U.S. dollars and worth every penny. Later that day while walking the island we ran into some guys we had seen the previous night who just so happen to own the only tattoo parlor on the island. Though this was not a typical tattoo parlor, all the art work was done in the traditional way using ink filled bamboo stalks and the quality of work was amazing, in we went. After two sessions each lasting about 6 hours we both left with a permanent reminder of that secluded little island of the coast of Thailand.
As you all know from previous post by now in the trip we had developed an obsession for scuba and we where both anxious to get in the water for our first dive in the Indian Ocean. In speaking with a dive shop on the island we found that there had been a spotting of a group of Whale Sharks off the coast, we knew there was slim chance in seeing this rare migration but we crossed our fins and out we went! We did a few dives while on Phi Phi Dom but I have to say the best was a current dive we did around the island of Phi Phi Lay. This was the smaller island in the Phi Phi chain and just so happened to be another island where the movie "The Beach" was filmed. Our entry point of the dive was the opening of the famous lagoon in the movie and our ending point was about half a mile down the coast. The point of a current dive which is pretty self-explanatory is to remain motionless and ride the current as it wraps itself around the island. Unfortunately we did not see any whale sharks but what we did see equaled as rare or so our guide informed us. About 15 minutes into the dive we saw a stir in the sand below and from it emerged a huge Moray Ell with a Bamboo Shark about a foot and a half long in its mouth. We watched the struggle while floating with the current and finally witnessed the Shark ripping itself free from its captor and swam away. After the dive our guide informed us he had been on over 5,000 dives and that was only the 2nd Bamboo shark he had ever seen. It may have not been it's larger cousin, the Whale Shark that can swallow a car if it chose but equally as rare and I will save that memory until I pass to the next!
Our time in Phi Phi was amazing but our Visa was running out so we had to make our way south to the Malay border. We ended up arriving a day late and had to pay a fine. Another funny story about the gov't and how they view a white American traveling is when crossing the border you have empty all items off the bus and slide them through an x-ray machine. My bag got caught on something inside the machine and with 8 guards armed with machine guns watching me I climbed up in the machine and ripped my bag free. I climbed out, put my pack back on and starting heading for the border when I was stopped by one of the witnessing guards and was asked for a tip. When I ask why, his reply was "your American". Wow, that's how they perceive us? I found it strange but he had a machine gun so I still gave him and few Rigit and caught my bus to Pe Nang which was another island off the coast of Malaysia but still in the Indian Ocean.
Pe Nang was not really what we expected, we had gotten used to this secluded island type of lifestyle and Pe Nang was everything but, similar to Phuket in the hustle but without the Luxury. We quickly tried to catch the first bus to our next destination of the Perhentian Islands but it was Ramadan and we where in a Muslim country. We weren't going anywhere for 3 days. We made the most of it, settled in to a beautiful old guest house, enjoyed good food and one day while out exploring, we stumbled in a "fish spa". A really cool concept that had huge aquariums of feeder fish in which you placed your feet in and the feeder fish made a meal of all your dead skin. It really tickled at first but after a while it felt like a massage that leaves you feeling like you just got a pedicure, I guess 8^) Anyway we were ready to get back to seclusion and diving so we booked our 12 hr over night bus ride and the next morning awoke to sun rising over the South China Sea and boat to take us to the Perhentians. Until Koh Tao I had never heard of the Perhentian Isles but the dive masters of Sunshine raved about it being one of the best scuba spots on the planet and if you had your advanced cert. you could do a wreck dive that was supposedly stellar. In traveling you kind of get caught up where you are and where ever you stand seems to be the most amazing scene that has ever blessed your eyes. Another part of traveling is you start off with only the knowledge you posses about places in the world you should visit but somewhere along the way you become a part of not only your immediate travel companion but all those who have dreamed before you and want nothing but to pass on where the best spot is to be. I have always been a here and now is the best spot to be kind of guy but pulling up to the Perhentians I had to be sure of it! It seemed every island we arrived at got smaller and smaller with less and less people and here we were arriving on Perhentian Kicil where the island was open to travelers 6 months of the year and no one on the island even owned a peddle bike, they didn't really need it. The island was so small, the village even smaller and everyone knew everyone. It was Pj's turn to find a guest house so I stayed on the beach with our belongings and off he went. Turns out he had found a group of 5 or so bungalows about one hundred yards off the beach up a small mountain with a view and a mosquito net for about 7 dollars a day, we booked it for two weeks, done and done!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Thursday, September 25, 2008
^SA WAT DII KHRAP TO SOUTH EAST ASIA^
“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” - Cesare Pavese
A hello seems proper but not quite fitting for all that has happened since my last post. Spending 16 days in Nepal I had definitely acquired a new perspective and appreciation for the true principles of life and caught a glimpse of how one can not only survive on merely nothing but find contentment in a life without possessions. In leaving a place such as Kathmandu, I was curious to see the contrast between it and the thriving metropolis of commercial development, fashion and limitless wants that was Bangkok. Upon our arrival at Suvarnabhumi International I instantly felt as though I had leaped ahead in time, 493 years to be exact. That’s right; the Thai calendar is 493 years ahead of our western world and here in the year 2551 the city of Bangkok depicts progress of what could come. Its “here and now” lifestyle, Mercedes taxi’s, and shopping malls built on top of shopping malls serves as an economical terrace atop an ancient foundation that gives life to the mentality of “there are no limits in Bangkok”! An example, one night while walking home from dinner we shared a few jar’s with a couple of guys that informed us that for $300.00 U.S. Dollars you could blow up a cow with a bazooka, Yeah, BLOW UP A COW WITH A FREAKING BAZOOKA, where the hell was I? In just leaving Nepal and her respect for “Holy Cows”, I found the “future” to be a bit harsh on the livestock industry; but this was Bangkok, no limits, only wants; not quite my cup of tea but the suit fits great and I knew I needed to leave soon! The city life was great for a few days; hot showers, A.C. and the Thai food is amazing but we were anxious of our next destination and the “craziness” that was Cambodia.
We caught a 6 hour bus ride from Bangkok to a town on the border named Poipet. This was my 7th country border crossing in 3 months and the contrast between the two still wised my eyes. The Thai border echoed with western travelers, paved roads, souvenir shops, and restaurants but once over the line, the Cambodian border broke to dirt roads, beggars and some of the best smells know to hell. After 30 min’s of negotiation we shared a cab with a Chinese couple and finally reach our destination of the “Green Town guest house” in the city of Siem Reap/ Ancient Angkor. To quote the “Lonely Planet”, which has been pretty much our bible on this trip, it states: “The temples of Angkor are the perfect fusion of creative ambition and spiritual devotion; prepare for Divine inspiration”. To give you a brief background, the city of Angkor was the capital of Cambodia’s ancient Khmer empire which prospered from the 9th to the 13th centuries and stretched from what is now Burma all the way to Vietnam. At Angkor’s pinnacle it held a population of one million when London was merely a harbor town of 50,000. To experience an archeological site of this magnitude built solely for the purpose of worship was “mind bottle ling” to say the least. I could not help but think of the “Great Wall” and the generations of blood and craftsmanship that created each of these mystifying historical sites; each with its own purpose in molding our modern world. The pictures are but a drip in the ocean that is “Angkor” and with every ocean there are pirates. In approaching each temple, you are approached by children between the ages of 5 – 10 asking you to purchase anything from bracelets to books to musical instruments. At first your western mindset gives in and you purchase a few items thinking your “helping the cause”; 20 bracelets, 10 bottles of water, 4 T shirts, 3 handbags and 1 book later I came to realize that their sweet little faces were but masks for the selling sharks within! I would happily hire anyone of these miniature “Zig Zigler/Tom Hopkins” for any sales position I will ever employ! Not to lose sight of the magic that was Angkor and the thoughts that race in your mind while staring at the giant carved faces of Angkor Thom all over 1000 years of age but a week in Cambodia and we were ready to set our next mission of achieving our “open water diving certification”, destination: Koh Tao, Thailand!
We departed Siem Reap at 7:00 am and after a taxi, 2 bus rides and a ferry we arrived in nothing less than paradise at 9:00 am the following day. I had never heard of Koh Tao until traveling in this part of the world. It is a very small island located in the gulf of Thailand; to put things in perspective, the city limits of Canton Georgia cover an area of just over 14 square miles while the entire island of Koh Tao is only 13 square miles and known to be one of the best Scuba spots in the Gulf of Thailand. We stopped ship at a dive shop named “Sunshine” located on the southern tip of the island in Chalok Baan Kao Bay. A mid level bungalow for 2 on the beach was priced at 500 Thai baht a night, 15 U.S. dollars. At first our plan was to stay 5 days on the island and move on, an “Open Water Diving Certification”, an “Advanced Diving Certification” and two weeks later we left with tears in eyes! I have to share one of my favorite diving experiences while in Koh Tao which was the “Night Dive” part of the advanced course. As if being off the coast of an undeveloped island in Thailand and about to start a 50 minute dive at sunset was not enough what was to come I will remember for the rest of my life. The aquatic life at night was stellar but being down 30 – 40 ft on the ocean floor, gathering your team together and turning off all lights to see the fluorescent particles glowing with every movement you make was nothing short of surreal. I could write about all the different experiences of Koh Tao for hours but to keep your attention I will continue on. The night we left with tears in our eyes we caught an 8 hr. night boat down the gulf to the town of Surat Thani which in itself was an adventure. We awoke to a 6 hr. bus ride and finally arrived at our next destination of Phuket.
Phuket being the largest island in Thailand we felt as though we were back in civilization; that being both good and bad but the fact that I have such a great travel partner that just happen to have a friend who’s parents own a “holiday home” on a golf course with a Jacuzzi, swimming pool and massage cabaña on the island made life way too good. We have been here 12 days soaking in leisure I have never known and trying to charge up for our last month in Malaysia. While here, we rented mopeds and have been all over the island exploring, I’m not quite sure how it is that I got here in my life but I can only pray that I am blessed enough to revisit a portion of all that I’ve seen with the loved ones in my life. From here we leave to a small island south east of Phuket named Koh Phi Phi for some more Scuba and then to Malaysia. I’m not sure in a timeline when I will be able to “blog” again but please know that I carry each of you reading this with me and until I see you again I’ll leave you with this,,,, “Everybody Wang Chung Tonight”
Mikey B***
A hello seems proper but not quite fitting for all that has happened since my last post. Spending 16 days in Nepal I had definitely acquired a new perspective and appreciation for the true principles of life and caught a glimpse of how one can not only survive on merely nothing but find contentment in a life without possessions. In leaving a place such as Kathmandu, I was curious to see the contrast between it and the thriving metropolis of commercial development, fashion and limitless wants that was Bangkok. Upon our arrival at Suvarnabhumi International I instantly felt as though I had leaped ahead in time, 493 years to be exact. That’s right; the Thai calendar is 493 years ahead of our western world and here in the year 2551 the city of Bangkok depicts progress of what could come. Its “here and now” lifestyle, Mercedes taxi’s, and shopping malls built on top of shopping malls serves as an economical terrace atop an ancient foundation that gives life to the mentality of “there are no limits in Bangkok”! An example, one night while walking home from dinner we shared a few jar’s with a couple of guys that informed us that for $300.00 U.S. Dollars you could blow up a cow with a bazooka, Yeah, BLOW UP A COW WITH A FREAKING BAZOOKA, where the hell was I? In just leaving Nepal and her respect for “Holy Cows”, I found the “future” to be a bit harsh on the livestock industry; but this was Bangkok, no limits, only wants; not quite my cup of tea but the suit fits great and I knew I needed to leave soon! The city life was great for a few days; hot showers, A.C. and the Thai food is amazing but we were anxious of our next destination and the “craziness” that was Cambodia.
We caught a 6 hour bus ride from Bangkok to a town on the border named Poipet. This was my 7th country border crossing in 3 months and the contrast between the two still wised my eyes. The Thai border echoed with western travelers, paved roads, souvenir shops, and restaurants but once over the line, the Cambodian border broke to dirt roads, beggars and some of the best smells know to hell. After 30 min’s of negotiation we shared a cab with a Chinese couple and finally reach our destination of the “Green Town guest house” in the city of Siem Reap/ Ancient Angkor. To quote the “Lonely Planet”, which has been pretty much our bible on this trip, it states: “The temples of Angkor are the perfect fusion of creative ambition and spiritual devotion; prepare for Divine inspiration”. To give you a brief background, the city of Angkor was the capital of Cambodia’s ancient Khmer empire which prospered from the 9th to the 13th centuries and stretched from what is now Burma all the way to Vietnam. At Angkor’s pinnacle it held a population of one million when London was merely a harbor town of 50,000. To experience an archeological site of this magnitude built solely for the purpose of worship was “mind bottle ling” to say the least. I could not help but think of the “Great Wall” and the generations of blood and craftsmanship that created each of these mystifying historical sites; each with its own purpose in molding our modern world. The pictures are but a drip in the ocean that is “Angkor” and with every ocean there are pirates. In approaching each temple, you are approached by children between the ages of 5 – 10 asking you to purchase anything from bracelets to books to musical instruments. At first your western mindset gives in and you purchase a few items thinking your “helping the cause”; 20 bracelets, 10 bottles of water, 4 T shirts, 3 handbags and 1 book later I came to realize that their sweet little faces were but masks for the selling sharks within! I would happily hire anyone of these miniature “Zig Zigler/Tom Hopkins” for any sales position I will ever employ! Not to lose sight of the magic that was Angkor and the thoughts that race in your mind while staring at the giant carved faces of Angkor Thom all over 1000 years of age but a week in Cambodia and we were ready to set our next mission of achieving our “open water diving certification”, destination: Koh Tao, Thailand!
We departed Siem Reap at 7:00 am and after a taxi, 2 bus rides and a ferry we arrived in nothing less than paradise at 9:00 am the following day. I had never heard of Koh Tao until traveling in this part of the world. It is a very small island located in the gulf of Thailand; to put things in perspective, the city limits of Canton Georgia cover an area of just over 14 square miles while the entire island of Koh Tao is only 13 square miles and known to be one of the best Scuba spots in the Gulf of Thailand. We stopped ship at a dive shop named “Sunshine” located on the southern tip of the island in Chalok Baan Kao Bay. A mid level bungalow for 2 on the beach was priced at 500 Thai baht a night, 15 U.S. dollars. At first our plan was to stay 5 days on the island and move on, an “Open Water Diving Certification”, an “Advanced Diving Certification” and two weeks later we left with tears in eyes! I have to share one of my favorite diving experiences while in Koh Tao which was the “Night Dive” part of the advanced course. As if being off the coast of an undeveloped island in Thailand and about to start a 50 minute dive at sunset was not enough what was to come I will remember for the rest of my life. The aquatic life at night was stellar but being down 30 – 40 ft on the ocean floor, gathering your team together and turning off all lights to see the fluorescent particles glowing with every movement you make was nothing short of surreal. I could write about all the different experiences of Koh Tao for hours but to keep your attention I will continue on. The night we left with tears in our eyes we caught an 8 hr. night boat down the gulf to the town of Surat Thani which in itself was an adventure. We awoke to a 6 hr. bus ride and finally arrived at our next destination of Phuket.
Phuket being the largest island in Thailand we felt as though we were back in civilization; that being both good and bad but the fact that I have such a great travel partner that just happen to have a friend who’s parents own a “holiday home” on a golf course with a Jacuzzi, swimming pool and massage cabaña on the island made life way too good. We have been here 12 days soaking in leisure I have never known and trying to charge up for our last month in Malaysia. While here, we rented mopeds and have been all over the island exploring, I’m not quite sure how it is that I got here in my life but I can only pray that I am blessed enough to revisit a portion of all that I’ve seen with the loved ones in my life. From here we leave to a small island south east of Phuket named Koh Phi Phi for some more Scuba and then to Malaysia. I’m not sure in a timeline when I will be able to “blog” again but please know that I carry each of you reading this with me and until I see you again I’ll leave you with this,,,, “Everybody Wang Chung Tonight”
Mikey B***
Monday, August 25, 2008
Namaste*
- Namaste, greetings in Nepali. Let me first say this of the Himalaya's; never before have I experienced a culture or a surrounding where the physical and spiritual worlds embrace each other in a way where the spirit finds it's peace and the physical is left to wonder!
When we first touched down in Kathmandu, I was completely caught out of scene; just coming from China and seeing what I thought were slums seemed middle class here. The traffic in the street was absolute chaos, no directionals, just every car, truck, bike, man, or "holy cow" for itself. We managed to find our way to a nice hotel for about $20.00 a night and started looking for a trekking company, mission complete. The next morning we left early on what we thought would be a 5 hour drive to the city of Pokara where we could catch a flight, weather permitting, to a small town in the mountains called Jomsom. A good bit into our journey, about an hour outside of Pokara we ran into a bit of a problem. A young man had been hit and killed by a bus and traffic was literally stopped dead! In the country of Nepal the policy goes as this: once the family is notified they go to the hospital to identify the body and then back to the site of the accident to work out the legalities/compensation for the tragedy between the family and a representative of the bus company. All of this of course while we are waiting on the side of the road. Once the family,"grantee", meets with the representative of the bus company,"gran tor", without a legal court system they must come to an agreement in monetary terms that must be paid to the family for the death of the son. This process can take days, lucky for us they were paid 500,000 rupees, about $8,000 dollars and after about 6 hours we were back on our way. Crazy!
The next morning the sky's opened and we caught a small plane to Jomsom where we would start the first of a 8 day, 120 K's or 75 mile trek through the Himalaya's. Just as the events that took place in Sydney, I felt as though I had been preparing for these moments my entire life. The first night we stayed in a small village about 7 k's from Jomsom named Kagbeni, which rested at about 9,000 ft in elevation. The next morning we did 11K trek up to another village called Muktinath which was the pinnacle of our trek at 12,540 ft and still only at the base of the great peaks. I could here list each of the edifying villages we encountered along this surreal stroll of the humbling Himalaya's but I will leave those moments to my journal and I will move to the infectious spirit of the Nepali people.
Though these great mountains hold the birth place of "The Great Buddah", Hinduism is still the predominate religion of Nepal. We were very fortunate that our guide, "Raj" was very well educated, spoke good English and could enlighten us on the many great gods of Hinduism and the significance of each. Myself I consider to be very balanced in a monotheistic view of God and the world but I could not help but to be intrigued by this fascinating religion that has molded so many to be so kind, giving and thankful for no more than being blessed enough to eat that day. I can not begin to express how seeing this culture nestled high in the mountains which seem like steps to heaven have effected my spirit and the smiles on their faces will forever be etched in my soul.
Anyway,,,,after the 8 day trek we jumped a bus to Chitwan National park in the southern part of Nepal for a few days of rest, relaxation and hopefully a chance to see a Rhino in it's natural habit. We took 2 elephant rides and on our last night there we decided to spend the night in a "Canopy Tower" located within the N.park itself. Upon approaching the tower we spotted a rhino and it's baby; we climbed the tower and watched them graze until sunset, surprisingly we slept pretty well that night despite all the crazy noises from the jungle and the next day we were back to Kathmandu.
So that's what's up,,,,that's where I'm at. Halfway through this "long strange trip" and anxious to see what adventure will come next! ! !
Love and miss you all,
Mikey***
When we first touched down in Kathmandu, I was completely caught out of scene; just coming from China and seeing what I thought were slums seemed middle class here. The traffic in the street was absolute chaos, no directionals, just every car, truck, bike, man, or "holy cow" for itself. We managed to find our way to a nice hotel for about $20.00 a night and started looking for a trekking company, mission complete. The next morning we left early on what we thought would be a 5 hour drive to the city of Pokara where we could catch a flight, weather permitting, to a small town in the mountains called Jomsom. A good bit into our journey, about an hour outside of Pokara we ran into a bit of a problem. A young man had been hit and killed by a bus and traffic was literally stopped dead! In the country of Nepal the policy goes as this: once the family is notified they go to the hospital to identify the body and then back to the site of the accident to work out the legalities/compensation for the tragedy between the family and a representative of the bus company. All of this of course while we are waiting on the side of the road. Once the family,"grantee", meets with the representative of the bus company,"gran tor", without a legal court system they must come to an agreement in monetary terms that must be paid to the family for the death of the son. This process can take days, lucky for us they were paid 500,000 rupees, about $8,000 dollars and after about 6 hours we were back on our way. Crazy!
The next morning the sky's opened and we caught a small plane to Jomsom where we would start the first of a 8 day, 120 K's or 75 mile trek through the Himalaya's. Just as the events that took place in Sydney, I felt as though I had been preparing for these moments my entire life. The first night we stayed in a small village about 7 k's from Jomsom named Kagbeni, which rested at about 9,000 ft in elevation. The next morning we did 11K trek up to another village called Muktinath which was the pinnacle of our trek at 12,540 ft and still only at the base of the great peaks. I could here list each of the edifying villages we encountered along this surreal stroll of the humbling Himalaya's but I will leave those moments to my journal and I will move to the infectious spirit of the Nepali people.
Though these great mountains hold the birth place of "The Great Buddah", Hinduism is still the predominate religion of Nepal. We were very fortunate that our guide, "Raj" was very well educated, spoke good English and could enlighten us on the many great gods of Hinduism and the significance of each. Myself I consider to be very balanced in a monotheistic view of God and the world but I could not help but to be intrigued by this fascinating religion that has molded so many to be so kind, giving and thankful for no more than being blessed enough to eat that day. I can not begin to express how seeing this culture nestled high in the mountains which seem like steps to heaven have effected my spirit and the smiles on their faces will forever be etched in my soul.
Anyway,,,,after the 8 day trek we jumped a bus to Chitwan National park in the southern part of Nepal for a few days of rest, relaxation and hopefully a chance to see a Rhino in it's natural habit. We took 2 elephant rides and on our last night there we decided to spend the night in a "Canopy Tower" located within the N.park itself. Upon approaching the tower we spotted a rhino and it's baby; we climbed the tower and watched them graze until sunset, surprisingly we slept pretty well that night despite all the crazy noises from the jungle and the next day we were back to Kathmandu.
So that's what's up,,,,that's where I'm at. Halfway through this "long strange trip" and anxious to see what adventure will come next! ! !
Love and miss you all,
Mikey***
Friday, August 8, 2008
Beijing and the glory that surrounds***
What's up everyone, checking in from Beijing. I have to say, that so far this has been my favorite of China. The city is all decorated for the Olympics and the sights are Amazing! ! ! We are staying at a great hostel in the Hu Tong district of downtown which is this really cool, older part of town surrounded by the 3 lakes of the 3 kings, long story. Anyway, all along the shoreline are resturants and bars with live music*** At first the hostel, sharing a room and bathroom with 6 other people took a little getting used to but now I would not trade it for the Ritz,,,,alright, that's a lie but we have met some really great people who have really helped us take in Beijing. One of our roommates named Paulo from Brazil has become one of our best friends here and has spent everyday with us so far,,,,he's freaking halarious, Se llama Paulo! ! !We have spent the last few days walking all over town and visiting sites such as, Forbidden City, Tian'men Square, Temple of Heaven, The Birds Nest and on and on but the hightlight of it all was, "The Great Wall". We did a 5 mile from Jinshanling to Simatai on a part of the wall that has not been restored and far away from the tourist traps. It took us around 4 hr's but we stopped, had lunch and let our minds attempt to take in all that surrounded us. There are no words and the pictures are only a blink. What an example of what man can do when we are determined and confronted with losing our homes, family and beliefs. As if that was not enough, at the end of the hike we were able to take a zipline across the canyon for 40 yuan or 5 dollars....Amazing*** Check the pic's! !
We have managed to find some really great resturants and have been eating like kings. Duck, Steak, Chicken, Bullfrog, which is actually very good and then polish it all off with a nice cold Tsing Tao beer, all for a price for less than 10 dollars per person. It's going to be hard to leave with the Olympics coming but I am looking forward to our trek in Nepal so much, it's makes it a bit easier. We are doing the Jonsom Trek which is part of the Anapurna Circut and is a 9 day trek through the Hymalaya's. This trip has already been such a humbling experience, but I think that walking in the "foothills of heaven" will be something that will spark my soul and humble my spirit like nothing else in this world,,,,2nd only to my wife! ! ! I'm not sure when the next time I will be able to check in so until then, take care of each other and know you are all with me! !
We have managed to find some really great resturants and have been eating like kings. Duck, Steak, Chicken, Bullfrog, which is actually very good and then polish it all off with a nice cold Tsing Tao beer, all for a price for less than 10 dollars per person. It's going to be hard to leave with the Olympics coming but I am looking forward to our trek in Nepal so much, it's makes it a bit easier. We are doing the Jonsom Trek which is part of the Anapurna Circut and is a 9 day trek through the Hymalaya's. This trip has already been such a humbling experience, but I think that walking in the "foothills of heaven" will be something that will spark my soul and humble my spirit like nothing else in this world,,,,2nd only to my wife! ! ! I'm not sure when the next time I will be able to check in so until then, take care of each other and know you are all with me! !
Thursday, July 31, 2008
*Ni hou" - Hello in Mandarin*
Wow, what's up from so far away. Sorry for the delay between post but I took a bit of a "holiday" while Jaime was visiting New Z and Australia, which if heaven is a compilation of the finest memories in our life's then I will truly live "Sydney" again*** There is so much that has happened in the past few weeks. Beyond the fact of traveling the world, I've recently been blessed with a partner for life. That's right ladies, I've retired the Jersey because the woman of my dreams and my best friend said "YES"*** I told most of you I was going to ask her on the Sydney Harbor Bridge but it seemed to crowded and rushed. So after the climb of our lives, we walked down to a little spot over the water at the base of the "Oprah house" looking @ the Harbor Bridge and the infectious lights of Sydney, said some "choice" words for her ears only and walked away with a smile that only she could give me! ! Love you Bay-B***
- Alright enough of the "Love Shambles" and on to "CHINA",,Upon my arrival, I had roughly 2 days to explore before my new travel partner met me, "Phil",,,aka "P.J". He will be with me for the remainder of the trip so be prepared to see some crazy pic's and even crazier stories! ! For the first couple days I wandered through the city in Awe! I was blown away by the massive amount of people and how I stood out like never before. I visited Gardens and walked the city wide eyed like a man just given sight. The day after P.J. arrived I would have to say was the highlight of Hong Kong for me. We took the ferry to the island of Lang tau where the Po Lin monastery is located and home of the largest bronze Buddha in the world. We climbed the steps and watched and the many travelers had come to pay respect to such a humble prophet that changed the face of Hinduism with just one life time,,,,,,Incredible****
- I am currently checking in from Shanghai, which is my first real experience of "Culture Shock,,if New Zealand was "Choice", Sydney was "Surreal", Hong Kong was "Crazy" then Shanghai is none other than a "different world"! We arrived, checked into our hotel, which our days of luxury are numbered, and went to the market across the street. I lie to you not, P.J. and I being 2 "White Dudes" were greeted by an officer at every exit and were followed around the store by 3 or 4 people at all times, makes you think a little huh*** The next day we decided to get out and experience the city and were graced to meet a professor of calligraphy by the name of Dr. Luo Fei. We spoke outside in the park for a while and then he invited us back to his shop to view some of his work. He then asked us if we would like him to write our names and his wishes for us in calligraphy, just wait until you see the photos! ! ! We thanked in his native tongue with "Xie Xien" and decided the following day we would take a trip with him and 2 of his students outside of town to an ancient village which thrived from the 14th to the 17th century under the Ming Dynasty. The village's name translated into "the water town". Boats through canals is the main form of transportation and all I can say is.......check the photos!
Anyway, that's where I'm at and I miss and Love you all, the Internet is more expensive that I thought so I'm not sure where I will be checking in from next, until then, I send my thoughts to my friends and my love to my family and Jaim's***
"Zhai Jian" - Goodbye! ! !
- Alright enough of the "Love Shambles" and on to "CHINA",,Upon my arrival, I had roughly 2 days to explore before my new travel partner met me, "Phil",,,aka "P.J". He will be with me for the remainder of the trip so be prepared to see some crazy pic's and even crazier stories! ! For the first couple days I wandered through the city in Awe! I was blown away by the massive amount of people and how I stood out like never before. I visited Gardens and walked the city wide eyed like a man just given sight. The day after P.J. arrived I would have to say was the highlight of Hong Kong for me. We took the ferry to the island of Lang tau where the Po Lin monastery is located and home of the largest bronze Buddha in the world. We climbed the steps and watched and the many travelers had come to pay respect to such a humble prophet that changed the face of Hinduism with just one life time,,,,,,Incredible****
- I am currently checking in from Shanghai, which is my first real experience of "Culture Shock,,if New Zealand was "Choice", Sydney was "Surreal", Hong Kong was "Crazy" then Shanghai is none other than a "different world"! We arrived, checked into our hotel, which our days of luxury are numbered, and went to the market across the street. I lie to you not, P.J. and I being 2 "White Dudes" were greeted by an officer at every exit and were followed around the store by 3 or 4 people at all times, makes you think a little huh*** The next day we decided to get out and experience the city and were graced to meet a professor of calligraphy by the name of Dr. Luo Fei. We spoke outside in the park for a while and then he invited us back to his shop to view some of his work. He then asked us if we would like him to write our names and his wishes for us in calligraphy, just wait until you see the photos! ! ! We thanked in his native tongue with "Xie Xien" and decided the following day we would take a trip with him and 2 of his students outside of town to an ancient village which thrived from the 14th to the 17th century under the Ming Dynasty. The village's name translated into "the water town". Boats through canals is the main form of transportation and all I can say is.......check the photos!
Anyway, that's where I'm at and I miss and Love you all, the Internet is more expensive that I thought so I'm not sure where I will be checking in from next, until then, I send my thoughts to my friends and my love to my family and Jaim's***
"Zhai Jian" - Goodbye! ! !
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Auckland's Jungle
Whats up everyone, hope this message finds you all doing well! !
- Wanted to let you all in on what was going on down here. Over the past few days, I've had the opportunity to borrow a car and do some exploring. It's a little different driving on the left side of the road but I think I'm getting used to it. The first day I went into Auckland, parked and just walked around town for a few hours. What a great city, so diverse with culture and architecture, a great fusion of Old world and new. I was told the other day that Auckland was voted the 4Th best city to visit in the world,,,,apparently who ever voted hasn't been to the A-town *-) There are some really great parks downtown such as Albert park and Victoria park, it's nice to go get lunch and just sit in the park and people watch. There are so many different cultures that call New Z home such as Australian, Asian, European, and a large population of S. Africans.
The next day, a friend of Joe's is a competitive pole vaulter and invited me to come and try. I really just wanted to wear the spandex so off we went! I cleared 10 ft and Joe's friend said I was a natural as he cupped my butt 8-)Just Kidding guys,,,,wait till you see the pic's,,,,priceless! ! The next day some friends and I drove right outside of town to Mt. Eden from which you have a spectacular view on the the city and all that surrounds. I was unaware of this but from Mt. Eden you can see that Auckland is surrounded by 14 different Volcano's, Wow lets keep Mother Nature happy right! ! After that we drove up through the mountains to the only spot you can see both coast lines, the Pacific to your east and the Tasman to the west, unfortunately we were stuck in a cloud and could barely see the car in front of us. I will try to top it again when Jaime gets here in a few days and hopefully get some pic's.
The next stop on our journey was the Waitakere National park which is one of the Jungle preserves about and hour south of Auckland,,,,WOW,,,would I sound under educated to just say,,,"That was really cool"! ! !
You would think after all that we would be exhausted but oh no, that night was one of Joe's friends B days so out on the town we went. We started at a friends house to watch the "All Blacks" vs. S. African "Spring Bocks",,,the All blacks lost and man do people down here take Rugby serious. After that we went to the first bar and to my surprise, the band that was playing did nothing but Pearl Jam and Sublime covers. A little different with the accent but great! ! Next to this underground club named A-isha,,,,,That's why they call it Tech-NO*** J.K. when in ROME right! ! Anyway, that's whats going on and I miss you all! ! The blog site is a little restrictive with the picture capability so for you guys that don't do the "Crackspace",,,I've done a flickr account through yahoo,,,,, http://www.flickr.com/people/76797840@N00/
Hope all is well and I'll send more soon! !
Mikey B*
- Wanted to let you all in on what was going on down here. Over the past few days, I've had the opportunity to borrow a car and do some exploring. It's a little different driving on the left side of the road but I think I'm getting used to it. The first day I went into Auckland, parked and just walked around town for a few hours. What a great city, so diverse with culture and architecture, a great fusion of Old world and new. I was told the other day that Auckland was voted the 4Th best city to visit in the world,,,,apparently who ever voted hasn't been to the A-town *-) There are some really great parks downtown such as Albert park and Victoria park, it's nice to go get lunch and just sit in the park and people watch. There are so many different cultures that call New Z home such as Australian, Asian, European, and a large population of S. Africans.
The next day, a friend of Joe's is a competitive pole vaulter and invited me to come and try. I really just wanted to wear the spandex so off we went! I cleared 10 ft and Joe's friend said I was a natural as he cupped my butt 8-)Just Kidding guys,,,,wait till you see the pic's,,,,priceless! ! The next day some friends and I drove right outside of town to Mt. Eden from which you have a spectacular view on the the city and all that surrounds. I was unaware of this but from Mt. Eden you can see that Auckland is surrounded by 14 different Volcano's, Wow lets keep Mother Nature happy right! ! After that we drove up through the mountains to the only spot you can see both coast lines, the Pacific to your east and the Tasman to the west, unfortunately we were stuck in a cloud and could barely see the car in front of us. I will try to top it again when Jaime gets here in a few days and hopefully get some pic's.
The next stop on our journey was the Waitakere National park which is one of the Jungle preserves about and hour south of Auckland,,,,WOW,,,would I sound under educated to just say,,,"That was really cool"! ! !
You would think after all that we would be exhausted but oh no, that night was one of Joe's friends B days so out on the town we went. We started at a friends house to watch the "All Blacks" vs. S. African "Spring Bocks",,,the All blacks lost and man do people down here take Rugby serious. After that we went to the first bar and to my surprise, the band that was playing did nothing but Pearl Jam and Sublime covers. A little different with the accent but great! ! Next to this underground club named A-isha,,,,,That's why they call it Tech-NO*** J.K. when in ROME right! ! Anyway, that's whats going on and I miss you all! ! The blog site is a little restrictive with the picture capability so for you guys that don't do the "Crackspace",,,I've done a flickr account through yahoo,,,,, http://www.flickr.com/people/76797840@N00/
Hope all is well and I'll send more soon! !
Mikey B*
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Good Day Mates***
What's up guys,
I thought I would check in from down south! ! Arrived early yesterday morning still a little hurting from the nights in Sinful San Diego and being it's my first time to the southern hemisphere, I found New Zealand a bit more chilly than I expected, 4 degrees C which is just a bit above freezing. I'm staying in little city called Takapuna, which is on the North Shore of Auckland bay with a friend of a friend named "Joe",,and Joe's F'n Crazy but cool as shit!! I arrived a little before lunch yesterday and ask "Joe", what should we do? His reply well, "Let's get on the pizz" which means to pack a crate of 24 oz "Spates" beer bottles, a local brew, and walk to the "Cellar", a liquor store close by and exchange them for new ones. Needless to say, a few of Joe's mates came by, we threw some meat on the grill and "Got on the Pizz". Today however, I going to be a bit more productive. It's a little before lunch time here, I just got back from a short walk the market, had a little lunch and I'm about to go for a walk to Auckland harbor and to another small city close by called Davenport. It's a great day here so I should get some good pic's and load them later tonight. Hope all is well and your in my thoughts.
I thought I would check in from down south! ! Arrived early yesterday morning still a little hurting from the nights in Sinful San Diego and being it's my first time to the southern hemisphere, I found New Zealand a bit more chilly than I expected, 4 degrees C which is just a bit above freezing. I'm staying in little city called Takapuna, which is on the North Shore of Auckland bay with a friend of a friend named "Joe",,and Joe's F'n Crazy but cool as shit!! I arrived a little before lunch yesterday and ask "Joe", what should we do? His reply well, "Let's get on the pizz" which means to pack a crate of 24 oz "Spates" beer bottles, a local brew, and walk to the "Cellar", a liquor store close by and exchange them for new ones. Needless to say, a few of Joe's mates came by, we threw some meat on the grill and "Got on the Pizz". Today however, I going to be a bit more productive. It's a little before lunch time here, I just got back from a short walk the market, had a little lunch and I'm about to go for a walk to Auckland harbor and to another small city close by called Davenport. It's a great day here so I should get some good pic's and load them later tonight. Hope all is well and your in my thoughts.
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