Thailand itinerary 8

ummm...sorry, back to the trip (its been a very busy month more about that later).

Just a last few things about our Thailand trip which we haven't gotten too yet.

Day 8: Chang Mai Mega Tour
Awake in a rush because our alarm didn't go off and the "back up wake up call" wasn't clearly communicated. So we wake up at 8 am to a knock on the door to say our tuk tuk has arrived for the tour. We are out the door in 5 minutes, no coffee, combs and toothbrushing optional.

After picking up the other tourists...including 4 spanish tourists who meet on the tour bus and are fast friends within minutes, we head to the first stop of the day--the orchid & butterfly farm. As big of a biology geek as Nathan is, after a few photos the first priority becomes finding a coffee shop at the butterfly farm.

From there we headed about an hour into the country through some gorgeous lush hills on a barely maintained road. The first adventure stop--white water rafting. Nathan and I had more dangerous tours on our first kayak trip down the Iowa river, but it was fun and the kids with us had a great time. As long as we were wet, our guides dropped us at a waterfall for a quick dip. Several pools of fast moving water were the best jacuzzi we could ask for.

We had a lovely lunch before heading out for an elephant ride through the forest. Seeing these beautiful animals up close was wonderful. Following our elephant ride, our tour took us back to the river for a bamboo raft ride.

We finished our day with a walk to a hill village which featured members of the Long Neck Tribe. The girls wear brass rings around their necks to "protect from tiger bites". The Long Neck Tribes are Burmese refugees which are displaced around Chang Mai.

After a long day, we headed back to Chang Mai for a quick dinner before heading out to a Muay Thai boxing match. Nathan took hundreds of action photos of the night but caught a few fantastic ones.

Thailand itinerary 6 & 7

Day 6: Planes, trains & automobiles (longboat, ferry, taxi, and tuk-tuk).

We said good-bye to Phi Phi Island in the morning. We walked 1/2 mile from our bungalow to the longboats which took us to catch the morning ferry to Phuket town. It was a beautiful day, so we sat on the sundeck soaking in our last views of this tropical paradise. As the ferry moved through the water it disturbed the native flying fish. About the size of sparrows, these fish would skim across the water like a skipped rock. At times the ferry would disturb a school of them and it was like an explosion out of the water. After an entire roll of film, Nathan finally gave up getting a picture of their erratic acrobatics.
After negotiating hard for a taxi at the ferry terminal, we hired a cab to take us to the Big Buddha on our way to the Phuket airport. the Big Buddha is exactly what it sounds like:
45 m high and 25 m across the base, covered alabaster. Its funded by govt, entry fees, and other 'cause related marketing"--such as you can buy a bell to hang at the buddha's feet, or write your name on a piece of alabaster that will be cemented into the buddha. The project has been going on for 20 years, and this December will be a landmark. The eyes of the buddha will be placed on the statue. Then they will cover the base with alabaster and statues of famous buddhist monks.


From the Big Buddha,we arrived at the airport to catch a plane to Bangkok. Our travel agent had recommended that the night train from Bangkok to Chang Mai is a good use of time and money. For the same rate as your hotel room, you can get a comfortable night's sleep and see some of the country side.


Exhausted people were sleeping on the floor in the Bangkok station...I should have taken that as a hint. But I was too tired, after 4 days of sleeping on our resort extra-firm mattress. When we got on the train, our sleeping compartment was actually 2 bench seats facing each other, with a padded shelf above it. After dinner (which we passed on), the table was stowed beneath the seat. The seat folded down and our steward put on sheets, pillow and a blanket, before doing the same for the padded shelf. Curtains offered privacy for changes into your pajamas. The train was FAR more comfortable than the resort bed....ah,, [squeal of the brakes] adjust the pillow, I can't quite seem to block out the light....twitch the curtain, someone walking to toilet compartment. [repeat every 6 min]. Sigh, might as well start reading.

Day 7: Arrive in Chang Mai, Wat, Wat, Wat?

We arrived in Chang Mai on the morning train...searching the guide book for a place to stay. Lonely Planet thinks that we are "flash packers"--too mature to want to stay in a dorm room style backpackers joint with thumping music but too cheap to pay for concerige service, bellhops, and a private bathroom. We stepped off the train with a short-list of cheap hotels and were quickly targetted by "spruikers" for a hotel. The rate was right and we didn't have to share a bathroom. "SOLD!"
After a quick shower, we headed out into the Old town to eat some food from street vendors and check out the temples that are part of Chang Mai's fame. Our lunch was multiple, mystery, deep fried items (fish balls, chicken, wontons) provided enough energy to walk the Temple Trail. After seeing several Wats, we ended with a visit to Wat Chedi Luang, a crumbling ancient temple in the centre with a newer ornate temple nearby.
We caught a Tuk-tuk (a covered taxi/minibus that picks up multiple fares at a time) to the hotel. After another shower, we headed to the Chang Mai night markets for dinner and deals. As we approach the market, stall after stall of watches, DVDs, thai silk bedspreads, scarves, fisherman pants, t-shirts line street after street. We found the seafood market and caught a table for dinner of local fish curries.

Thailand itinerary 1-5

Day 1: Patong Beach--This is the Cancun of Thailand...beautiful beaches, filled with bars, cabarets, "cheap, cheap" market stalls. The beach may have been beautiful but not more beautiful than WA, and hard to appreciate as "tuk-tuk" drivers, market vendors sold Rolex watches for $10, and sequined women/men in drag advertised beer specials all vied for your attention. After walking throught the night markets, we found a bar where the most attention getting thing was a bottle of "CHANG" (thai budweiser) and a fierce game of connect 4.

Day 2: Ferry to Phi Phi Island: We came to Thailand on the edge of the Wet season. We found we hadn't quite missed the monsoons, when getting caught in the rain during a trip to the 7-11 left us soaked to the skin. After changing into dry clothes, we caught a taxi to the Ferry. The weather was still ominous for the ferry ride, and we got soaked again as we stood outside to watch the approach to Phi Phi Island. We took a Thai long boat to the resort, where we finished the day in style. Nathan in the beachside bar watching Eurosport, and me at the beachside massage stand getting my first Thai massage.

Day 3: OW, what sort of bed is this? I don't know if its a cultural thing (or if our resort was just really cheap, but I swear we didn't have a mattress, just a wooden plank wrapped in sheets. After a delicious breakfast (nothing like chillis in the morning) we decided to walk to town to book our trip from Bangkok to Chang Mai. 1 mile into town, being called upon by vendors. If a price isn't posted, you are expected to haggle. so as we walk down the street, we hear "pretty lady try beautiful thai silk, $500 Baht, wait---for you special price $300 Baht, ...$150 Baht--best I can do" We had a curry for lunch at a beachside restaurant before deciding to hike around the Island, top to bottom. With a humidity of 100% the climb to the top was exhausting and sweaty. After a change of clothes, we decided to finish the day with beer and massage on the beach.

Day 4: Ow, maybe we should sleep on the floor? Our next goal was to take a trip to Hollywood superstar Ko Phi Phi Leh . Featured in the movie The Beach, this limestone island juts out of the Andaman like a crown. White sand, turqoise water, green plants. thousands of tourists. snorkelling, a trip to monkey



Day 5: We decided to finish our time in phi phi with a kayak trip around the island. After a few false starts we paddled out to a more secluded resort where we had a plate of fruit, a beer, and some time in the hammock. This resort included my first trip to a squat toilet--but years of camping have prepared me for this moment.

Tomorrow off to Bangkok----

Nathan Vs. The Papaya Salad

...so in keeping with the last few posts, this was going to be titled, "Nathan Vs. His Groin" but thought that would get some disappointed web surfers.
You see, we're in Thailand, and while there are many reasons to be writing about your groin in Thailand, it is not usually because of muscle tears. We had booked this great trip, with a stay on the unfortunately transliterated Phi Phi island (pee pee island). Pause for snickering, because I don't care how old you are, it's kind of funny. Phi Phi island has many things going for it, including great water for diving and some warm water corals, and some things which are not in the favourable column, such as having been the set for the Leonardo DiCaprio movie The Beach and a tendency to attract tsunamis. But most of these things require one to be of sound body.
So, back to my groin. Adding another reason to Kris' list of reasons that I should not be playing goalie in hockey (expensive equipment, my inflexibility, the bad influence of the other players) is injuries. Not just bruising now, but tearing two muscles in one maladroit maneuver. And this just days before leaving town to go for what was, at least ostensibly, a dive holiday.
Unable to put on my own socks (God bless the Aussie love of flip flops), we were able to rule out a wetsuit, and so we sought out other pursuits. Chief amongst these is gastrotourism.
I'm sure that there is another word for it. Epicurism? Tourphages? I think i'll stick with gastrotourism for now, and it's a nice way to travel.
Green curry? Tried it. Panang curry with coconut sauce? Tried it. What's that fish - oh never mind, can you grill it up and bring it over? Great! Do you mind bringing a large beer, also? Thanks.
Now I know what you're thinking - you're concerned about the chilli factor. It hasn't been a problem so far, and is easily avoided if you want to. But every now and then, just occasionally, one will sneak up on you. Papaya salad? How spicy can that be?
Let me tell you - 660 ml of Chiang beer later, coconut curry prawn, an ear of corn from the sreet vendor, and my lips are still tingling. But it's a good kind of burn.
And it's taken my mind off of my groin.

Nathan Vs. The Clown

So there's this new guy at hockey. I think that he's the one who pinged me on the shoulder with a puck at the end of practice yesterday - not the same shoulder as last time, but through a similar series of events left me with a shoulder so sore that I could not raise my beer to my mouth, which believe me, is pretty sore. He doesn't have a great shot, but he's got good dexterity, is very solid on his skates but deceptively graceful.

He should be. After all, he's a clown.

Derek is an actor from Toronto in town with Slava's Snow Show, which is a theatre event which defies description. The quote online is that Slava's "is to clowning what Cirque de Soleil is to circus." A bold statement, but one which we put to the test tonight.

Not having a clue as to what the show was about, just that it's a Russian clown show (which really didn't enlighten Kris and I, unfamiliar as we are with Russian clowns), we got tickets because 1) we thought it would be a good way to spend a Tuesday otherwise squandered on NCIS reruns, and 2) it would be cool to see Derek in action (off the ice).

Well. If you've never been, go. You can borrow my car. It turns out that the Snow Show is a visually arresting spectacle which makes you laugh out loud, want to cry, and made an octagenarian in front of us grin like a little boy. I still don't know what it was about, and will likely have flashbacks during which I try to assign some sort of narrative which may not exist or which may be completely inferred, but even on a Tuesday, surrounded by an audience remarkable only for its tepidness (tepidity? tepiduosity?), it was a moving, enjoyable night.

The only down side is that this week the Snow Show will be leaving town, and so will Derek, riding through the rainy Perth winter night on a Vespa, his hockey gear strapped to his back, stick like an antenna high above his helmet, and long curly clown hair waving in the breeze behind him, leaving smiles in his wake.

I'd toast him, but I can't raise this stinkin' glass...

Nathan Vs. The Marathon

So, I've been training for this marathon-thingy for a few weeks, thinking - as you do - that I never put in this much training before, and I've always been okay, but neglecting to consider the fact that the first marathon was something like 14 years ago, and while that's not very much time in geological terms, in the life of someone who, given a choice, would be a completely sedentary being, it's actually time for quite a few changes to take place.

Atrophy of the sense of humor, for one, and also a tendency to run-on sentences (looking back at that first sentence makes me cringe, but I'll leave the words as they are to lend an air of authenticity and a stream-of-consciousness sort of Faulkenerian...damn, doing it again).

Two weeks ago, when a pipe burst under the sink, causing water to spray an outlet, causing a fuse to blow which, when I went out of the front door, the resulting chimney effect caused the back door to slam shut, and breaking it - well, that sort of Chevy Chase morning would usually have me rolling on the floor. But not during marathon training.

Instead, it took series of totally bizarre, classic Fremantle (the town we live in) events to bring it all back to perspective.

1) On a run later that morning, I spotted a group of people in white pajamas and red belts chasing around one of the parks, wrestling with what appeared to be a bear. We are talking like, a couple-dozen people here, and splashing around in a 50 degree drizzle. In pajamas - or did I mention that already? Intrigued, I ran a little closer, and discovered that they were enacting the running of the bulls in Pamplona, with the part of the Bull being played by a guy in a rented costume and no audience - just out there having fun.

Interesting, but I still needed more.

2) That Same Day - we boarded a train into the city, and found ourselves on a carriage of 25 or so guys in their late twenties, all dressed as characters from Harry Potter, complete with broomsticks and wands, using the don't-fall-over straps to hold themselves up and pretend that they were flying on the broomsticks. Other than loud, they were a pretty pleasant bunch, and actually gave a broomstick to a little boy as he was leaving, cheering loudly when he "flew" along side the departing train car.

Surreal, yes, but not enough to re-align my sense of humor.

3) Later That Night - on the way back from the city, our train was boarded by a jungle. A dozen or so people dressed variously as foliage, big cats, and intrepid explorers got on board. No explanation, just having a good time.

Okay, okay! I surrender! All this in one day? Really! Somebody is telling me something.

All in all, this sort of day - starting with the burst pipe and continuing on through George of the Jungle's appearance at the end of the day, was enough to keep me smiling all through the marathon yesterday - well, most of the marathon. It took a long, long time, and nobody can smile for that long, I don't care which infomercial they work for.

Audience poll: First thing that pops into your mind when I type the new word usement I'm structuring, "Marathong"
I kept typing it by accident, then started wondering if it was really for some, non-freudian reason that I would need your help divining. Or maybe it's just the obvious...

Nathan Vs. The Puck

Kris has been trying to get me to re-enact my last trip to the US, and the misadventures of an episode of my life which we will think of as Nathan Vs. United Airlines, but it is actually fairly boring. A standard litany of airline ills, any one or two of which you may well expect on a trip, but ALL of which occurred on the trip from Perth to SFO. So, start with the phrase, "We're sorry Mr. Mannix, but you don't actually have a ticket..." being uttered at 5:30 AM, and use your imagination from there.

No, I like to focus on the other painful things in my life.

So, before you have a look at the photo below, you need to know 3 things;

1) I don't bruise. Ever. I have had one slight bruise in the last 5 years, and that was a broken finger.
2) I am very shy, so it is rare that you will ever see my bare flesh on the internet.
and,
3) It is very difficult to capture bruises on camera. You get the general sense of contrast, but it is difficult to highlight the halo of sickly, yellow discoloration around the main bruise.

So, without further delay...


It is worth noting that I don't play in a hugely competitive league or anything, and this is from the kick-around session on Monday nights.

damn - I should have flexed.