Koh Jum Day 3: Kitima

Today we met the nicest lady on the face of this earth. We left this morning to look for a new place to stay, and we thought maybe the north would have something worth looking for, so that's the direction we went. We couldn't have been more right. After some time on the road on our moped, we stumbled across Le Banyan Bungalows. From the road we could see that some of the bungalows were quite sizable and expensive. Out of curiosity we entered and found reception. A very pleasant looking Thai woman was at the desk, she happened to be the owner, and said her name was Kitima. I proceed to ask her if she had any rooms available tonight. She was happy to say that she had 3 available for a short period of time. It seems that her clients stay here for quite some time, along the lines of a month or so. She asked if we would like to see each one, and Anthony and I happily replied yes. Each was amazing, and quite large. By far the resort is the best I've seen in the island. During the tour Anthony and I kept looking at each other because we knew we had been outclassed. Two college kids, wearing swimming trunks and without a shower for two days (I happened to have goggles around my neck like a dork), were touring bungalows that were nothing short of luxurious. We were way over our heads. The price, while fair for an older customer, was way over our budget: started at 2500 baht per night. There are 30 baht to 1 US dollar so, in USD, it would cost us about 83 bucks. Way too much for us. We had stayed in a bungalow last night for 500 and the night before for 800 baht. They were very nice, don't get me wrong, but these Banyan bungalows were on an entirely different level. After the tour had finished we discussed how we would proceed, and then headed to reception to enact our plan. We wanted to make sure we didn't offend her, and, before the tour began, she stated that she was very very very flexible with the price. She had made it clear that we could name any price, but still we felt uneasy. These bungalows were very nice and we weren't quite sure how she would react to our plan. When we met her again, we started by saying the bungalows were incredibly nice, but that they might be out of our price range. She urged us to give her any price at all to work with and specify which one we liked best. We were both were hesitant, but then Anthony proceeded by saying that we had been staying in bungalows for around 800 baht in the past, and that's about where we'd like to stay. "Deal!" she said, "it's yours for 800. Which one would you like?" We were completely taken aback, and I didn't know what to say. We had nabbed a beautiful bungalow with an incredible ocean view for less than a third of the price. Amazing. Her generosity continued when she noticed our squid fishing rigs. She urged us to go fishing with one of the kayaks while her amazing staff readied our bungalow. "If you catch anything, we'll cook it up for you!" We headed straight to the beach, hopped in the kayak, and began fishing. We ended up getting skunked, and after we let her know, she translated a couple of our staff her Thai staff members, who apparently are great at squid fishing, that gave us instructions of how to catch squid. So tonight, we plan on heading back out and catching some. Hopefully fresh squid will be on tonight's menu!

Koh Jum

I'm sitting in our bungalow's restaurant (which we paid 14 dollars each for), the table is on a platform immediately next to the beach. To my left is about 15 meters of perfect sand, then the warmest water I've ever been in meets it. Breaking the sharp horizon created by the sea and sky are several majestic islands in the distance. Their sheer cliff walls and location mean they have yet to be tamed, but they are beautiful. The weather isn't so bad either. It's a perfect 78 degrees, with a gentle sea breeze that creates a perfect soundtrack: rustling of palm trees, and gentle waves crashing on the shore. Listen more tentatively, and you can hear exotic birds chirping, the rustle of a distant fishing boat, and if you listen closely, from time to time, you just might hear a group of monkeys mucking about. Soon I'll be served a delicious breakfast; it might set me back about 3 dollars. Then my day will start, but I'm not sure what I shall do. Maybe I'll sit on a swing and enjoy the beautiful view, enjoy the ocean's warm water, throw a hard bait out and catch a monster, or do nothing at all. Throughout these past years or so of adulthood, I spent each day worrying about something: homework, or work, for example. But as of yesterday, I stopped for a moment and relished the fact that at that moment, and currently still, I literally have absolutely nothing to do or worry about. I thought those days were long gone; I am mistaken. This is one case where I'm happy to admit I am wrong (those of you who know me well know that's not usually the case). As I sit here, reflecting on life in this beautiful land, I'd like to thank everyone who has had any impact on allowing me to be where I am now. A special thanks to my parents, who never cease to support me as best they can. Colin Hanson, for providing ample advice about Thailand which proved to be invaluable. I extend my thank you to anyone at all who has been excited for me, gave me help and advice, and in general has helped make this happen. You'll find yourself amongst a crowd of great people. Thank you.

And to think, I'm not even in Fiji yet. The real adventure is about to begin!

Status Update

Hello from Chiang Mai!

This morning I woke up and checked the date on my watch: 1/23. We were not where we needed to be at this point, I'll elaborate, but only a bit because I am without my laptop and forced to type this post on my iPad. On this 16th we stored our luggage at Bangkok Self Storage, and the plan was to pick it up in exactly one week. Perfect, because the train tickets we had bought would bring us back to Bangkok on the 23rd. For some reason, we were under the understanding that it would leave today: the 23rd. I don't know how this idea came about, but it did. Quickly, after realizing that we may have missed our train, we scrambled through To's backpack, grabbed the tickets, and read the date of departure: 22nd. Wow... We had missed our train back. To laughed hysterically. I wasn't quite as amused by the situation, but it could be worse. We made our way to the train station and bought tickets back to Bangkok. The only issue was that there currently weren't any ac sleeper car spots left, we would have to tough it out in a seat for 14 hours. Sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do. In exactly 1 hour and 28 minutes we will be boarding our train, but who knows, we might be understanding incorrectly once again...

Our efforts during these next 15 hours will be rewarded in the south with powdery sand between our toes, and cold beers in our hands.

I shall choose to close by sharing the inspiring words from the little engine that could, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can..."

THAILAND! Bangkok: Day 1-2

We are in Thailand!  We are actually in Thailand... I may need to say it a couple of more times so it sinks in better for me.  We are actu- no I'm just kidding I'll stop that.  Anyway, it has been nearly 48 hours now since we landed in Bangkok, and boy has it been an adventure.

Before I highlight Thailand thus far, let me touch on how the trip over went: long.  Holy cow was it ever a long time.  We woke up to start the trip at 4:30 on Monday, and we hammered on solid until Monday morning (granted there is the part where we hop over the dateline, but still the total trip took quite a lot time).  The flight from Seattle to Beijing was 11 hours alone. It's safe to say that I've had my fill of airplanes for awhile, however, it was totally worth it!

Before the last leg of our journey, from Beijing to Bangkok, we met about six fellow backpackers.  We started to shoot the shit, and began becoming acquainted.  Among them was a Canadian named Kurtis.  We got to talking, and the topic of where we were staying in Bangkok came up.  To and I told Kurtis we had a hotel lined up. Was it ever a relief knowing there'd be a placed for our exhausted selves to rest. Kurtis was exhausted too, but he didn't have anything lined up, so Anthony and I offered him a spot in our room for the night.  He was a bit shocked, but gladly obliged, so that was that. We made a backpacking buddy before we even landed in Bangkok.  Some time later we landed in Bangkok.  I could not believe where I was.  For the past month or so, it always felt unreal to me that I'd be heading to Thailand, and even then, when I first arrived, it still didn't feel real.  The three of us (To, Kurtis, and I) made our way through customs, then baggage pickup, then currency exchange.  The real journey finally began.

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Crazy journey to hotel will be inserted here after June 22 2013 or after I
get the chance to tell it in person

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We arrived at our hotel, and crashed hard.

The next day the three of us woke up and decided to check out JJ Market. We were all so pumped to see what it had to offer, not only that, but also what Bangkok in general would be like. We stepped out of the hotel in the thick heat (although it is winter here right now. I couldn't imagine what it's like during the summer) and attempted to make our way to the nearest subway station. We ended up trolling through a small neighborhood, one that probably isn't too accustomed to foreigners. Never in my life had I felt so out of place. Between the three of us our vocabulary was rich: sawadee krap. That's literally the only thing we knew how to say; it means Good Day (with the polite "Krap" added to it). Kurtis was hungry, so he ended up ordering food at street vendor/mini restaurant with the smile and point technique. He wasn't sure what he had ordered, but it looked and tasted good. A full plates worth of food, 3 glasses of water, and a side dish for a whopping 35 baht (or so I think. I can't remember exactly). To put things into perspective, 1 US Dollar equals about 29 baht; yes, his entire meal was just over a buck. After Kurtis finished his meal, we attempted to head to the subway station. Eventually we made it, but only after we had made a huge circle. As we walked up the stairs, I noticed a security guard standing next to a metal detector. Our packs were full of metal, so we'd have to take all of our stuff out and then put it all back in again. That couldn't have been more wrong. We walked through the metal detector, it beeped, the guard motioned us to head over his way, he grabbed a flashlight, and quickly peered into each one of our bags, and then sent us on our way in mere seconds. We chuckled at how "thorough" the search was. Kurtis had a sizable pack, full of pockets which were full of many things, but I guess it didn't matter. The guard literally only looked at the main compartment, and sent us on our way. Worked for us! We made our way to JJ Market by subway (which only cost a dollar) and realized that it was quite quiet; maybe a bit too quiet. Sure enough JJ Market, more locally known as the Chatuchak Weekend Market, was only open on weekends... wow we were stupid. We decided to keep walking and check out the area around the market. An Indian gentleman approached us, must have known what we were up to, and let us know that it was indeed closed and that we should checkout JJ Mall instead, so we did just that. Before reaching the mall, we stumbled across a huge pet market. Thousands of fish, hundreds of birds, and even baby squirrels were for sale. You could buy almost any animal you desired; it was amazing. There were too many things to mention in this post. After escaping the "pet market," we found ourselves at the doors of the four story high JJ Mall. There, once again, was an abundance of everything. After leaving JJ Mall, Kurtis decided he could go for a nap, so he parted ways to find himself a hostel and some zzz's. It was now just To and I in Bangkok. Later that evening we found another sidewalk restaurant near the Night Market (which we had got to by using the incredibly fun and charismatic Tuk Tuk). There we had a mixed seafood dish consisting of squid, oysters, shrimp, and some other stuff all over drunken-like noodles, and a savory pork stir fry. To complete the meal we both bought a large bottle of Chang beer (my first legitimate alcohol purchase!). Boy was it the perfect day to wrap of a long, hot day on foot. Oh yeah, and we did visit the Night Market itself. Some of its "inhabitants" provide content too raunchy for this blog. You'll have to inquire about this in person. After all of that, we made it back to the hotel and crashed hard. Just like I'm about to do now. Goodnight from Bangkok!

Quick Thoughts on San Diego, Its Wonderful People, and Ensuing Insanity

San Diego was absolutely wonderful.  It all started with the landing.  The San Diego airport is located within the city, and around it are many tall hills/mountains littered with tall office and apartment buildings.  For a moment, as we proceeded to land, the plane hurdled (what seem to be) only a few feet above the roads and buildings, then suddenly we actually were lower than the buildings themselves!  It was crazy!  Soon after landing Anthony and his buddy Ethan rolled up and picked me up, and then drove me around San Diego for a bit.  We drove near downtown, which was gorgeous, the San Diego Bay, which was huge and harbored a gigantic Aircraft Carrier, and too many other locations to name.  I was still trying to realize where I was, and I couldn't tell you exactly where we went that day.  Eventually, we made it to Anthony's house, and I was introduced to his wonderful parents, grandmother, and brother Kenny.  About an hour after that, his aunt Georgia and uncle Rudy showed up.  All of his family is incredibly nice (and that's an understatement).  Their hospitality and generosity is unlike any I have other experienced; my amazing stay in San Diego is accredited to Anthony and his family.  I cannot thank them enough.  Later that day, Anthony's Father prepared an authentic Chinese dinner.  It was, without any doubt whatsoever, the best Chinese dinner I have ever had.  Wow... delicious.  The sun traded its real estate with the stars, and I had the pleasure to meet more of his friends: Jason, Drama, Tre, Matt, Andrew, and (later in the week) Darin.  There were some monetary issues with their previous cabin trip.  They were short a couple of hundred dollars but, then eventually they were only short 30.  Between the 4 left (who hadn't paid money yet), they couldn't come up with 30 bucks. It was hilarious.  Eventually, the idea of going to Barona (a casino) was entertained.  Maybe they could come up with the extra money by gambling?  It would've been funny to see.  We ended up going to a birthday party of another one of Anthony's friends: Grant.  There I met Ashley, Lauren, Heather, Greg, and Dustin.  Everyone there was incredibly nice; and it lead to a fun and pleasant night.

Day two started with a bit of a bang. We woke up at 9:35 at Grant's apartment.  To had an appointment at 10:00, and we were without transportation. Kenny was able to help us out though. We then went to Dim Sum (where I enjoyed Chicken Legs!), REI, and then back to Anthony's house.  We chilled for awhile, then we actually headed to Barona for their spectacular buffet.  We checked out the casino floor, and I played my first slot machine.  I was up for awhile, but then lost all of my money: 1 whole dollhair.  After returning to the buffet, Jeanie (his sister) and Lewis (her boyfriend) showed up.  It was incredibly nice to meet both of them.  Jeanie is a lot like her brother, and makes the same ridiculous eye twitching derp face; it always gave me a chuckle.

Day three started with a trip, with Jeanie and Lewis, to Jalepeños where we had the mouth watering, lip smacking, tasty goodness known as the California Burrito.  If you find yourself in Southern California, you must stop and get one of these.  Jesus, was it good.  With full stomachs, we made our way to Mount Soledad.  The view from the top of the mountain was like nothing I've ever seen before.  That may sound cliched, but it couldn't be more true.  I've never seen the ocean before (I've seen the Gulf, but I don't really count that), so the combination of it, the mountains, the city, and the weather was really something to behold.   After Mount Soledad we made our way to La Jolla cove: a glitzy end of San Diego.  It couldn't have been farther from Wisconsin.  It's hard to explain, but if you ever find yourself there, you'd understand.  We parked the Sequoia and made our way to the beach.  At that point the tide was low, so we got to check out some neat life in the rocks on the shore.  Birds, crabs, anemones, and even sea lions!  The sea lions were so chill!  Some just laid their and warmed their pudgy bodies up, others (like the babies) we flopping and swimming around everywhere.  Boy were they fun to watch.

So It Begins!

My journey has officially begun!

Today I boarded flight Frontier Flight 1631 at 7:55 am (central time); I sat in seat 19A, a window seat, and anxiously awaited take off.  I took out a pack of gum my mother had given me the night before, I heard that it was a good idea to chew gum during take off and landing, and offered a piece to the girl sitting next to me. She polity refused, paused and then asked "Why? Does my breath smell?"  I chuckled, said no, and then started to explain the whole take off, landing thing.  She understood, and laughed too.  We started talking about where each other was headed.  Turns out she was on her way to see her brother in Los Angeles with her parents.  She asked me where I was headed, so I gave her the whole shpeel: Madison to San Diego, San Diego to Bangkok, Bangkok/Phuket to Nadi.  She was taken aback, and was excited for me.  Then I told her that this was my first plane ride!  Her eyes opened wide, and her mouth dropped.  I started to laugh at how ridiculous it seemed.  She was even more excited to be part of my first airplane ride.  Suddenly, the plane started to back out of the gate, and trot down the runway.  A grand pause for effect (or seem it seemed) was had, then suddenly the engines roared and blasted the giant heap of metal down the runway.  Getting faster and faster and faster.  The seat was moving underneath in every direction, I look at Julia in disbelief.  "Quite something, isn't it." She said.  I shook my head, and looked back out the window, displayed before me was the City of Madison.  I'd never been that high before (in altitude, I wasn't partaking in any recreational drug usage, just to clarify things).  I was in complete shock at what was happening.  The view was spectacular, the ride was bumpy, and speed was outrageous.  I wondered how something like this flew.  I mean, I understand the physics, but damn... damn, it's cool.  The plane then banked to the right, Julia directed my attention to the opposite side of the plane where you could see Madison clearly.  Was that ever something.  Because the day was clear, I was able to see ground the entire time.  Never once, was I not looking out the window; I was glued to it.  Julia commented on how my neck was going to hurt by the time I finished flying today, but I told her that I had booked a seat on the opposite side of the plane for the second part of my journey.

So now here I am, at the Denver International Airport, writing this post.  My second flight was delayed by 30 minutes.  No big deal.  So now I'm set to arrive in San Diego around 2:00 (Pacific Time).  I'm so excited to see what the mountains look like from up high!  I'm simply excited for everything!  I'm quite fortunate to everything work out thus far.

Oh yes, one more thing.  Kyle and Kammi were gracious enough to give me a ride to the airport at 6:15 in the morning.  I'd like to thank them once again for helping me out.  Kyle, those tacos were delicious.  After we loaded the car, and hopped in, Kammi began playing some music.  The first song happened to be one of my recent favorites.  I felt it appropriate for a day like to today, because it starts slow, and then takes off towards the end and gives you the chills.

The Art of Packing

I have nearly everything packed up!  Yes, I did wait the day before I left to do it; a sharp contrast from one of my fellow "study abroaders."  She packed everything up today as well, but she leaves February 5th!  We definitely don't opperate in the same way.  Kudos to her for being on top of things.  Anyway, I am a packing fiend, as it turns out.  I have a large luggage bag that is stuffed completely and efficiently.  Not only is packed tightly, but after packing it all up and checking its weight, it weighed 45 pounds!  For those of you not yet familiar with standard airline policies, checked bags are to be under 50 pounds or an additional fee is accrued: 75 bucks in my case.  I was quite proud of myself.  I do have a bit of a situation which will prove wonderful in one case, but awkard in the other.  The plan is to check two bags: one luggage bag and my Northface 65 liter backpacking backpack.  I ended up packing the luggage bag so nicely that there wasn't much luggage to put into the Northface.  Three large towels, three wash clothes, and some boxers were all that was needed to be packed yet.  They fit nicely on the bottom of the Northface; I was able (after rolling each item up) to create a layer that filled the bottom of the bag.  I then realized that my Kelty (which I plan on carrying on with me and using in Thailand for the month) fit perfectly inside the Northface, and I thought to myself "how nice would it be to only have to carry around two luggage bags when I arrive at my destination!"  So that's the plan as of now.  When I arrive at my destination, I'll pick up the large luggage bag, and the Northface, stuff the Kelty in the Northface and be on my merry way.  The only issue that bothers me as of now is that when the Northface is without the Kelty, it's packed quite awkwardly.  With everything packed tightly on the bottom and literally nothing else, it's prone to bending and squishing in weird ways.  The possibility of it becoming damaged, I feel, is quite high.  I could spread the contents of the Northface vertically, allowing it to be stacked/stored better.  Each time I plan on putting the Kelty in the Northface, though, I'd have to stuff the contents back to where they were originally.  I think this going to be my approach, and I'll let time help me decide if it's a good one.  Some of you may be wondering why I need such a large pack anyway.  Couldn't I just stuff the extra towels and such in the luggage bag?  Yes and no.  Yes, because if I really crammed them in, I could probably get it to zip shut.  However, I'm betting the luggage in the Northface is over 5 pounds; that would set the large luggage bag over 50 pounds.  Furthermore, I plan on using the Northface in Fiji.  Apparently, there are some 4 day field trips in a remote location of the island, and I feel the Northface would be perfect for that situation.  So if you were looking for a story about packing, well, today is your lucky day.  

I must also mention that tonight marks the last night I sleep in Wisconsin for over 6 months!  Wow, with everything packed and tomorrow being my last day here, I'm finally beginning to realize that this is actually going to happen.  Goodnight Wisconsin!

Countdown to Liftoff: 2 days

The time is almost upon me.  I have only two days until I find myself at the starting line of an epic journey.  By this time next week, I will be in the bustling city Bangkok.  All new people, languages, text, mannerisms, currency, sights, time zone, landscape, food, music; all new everything.  Not only that, but everything up to it will be a new experience. I have never been inside of an airplane before or been farther than 50 miles from the border of the United States.  I only speak English (and a semester's worth of Portuguese).  I've never seen the ocean.  I've never traveled with everything that I'll ever need, for a month, strapped to my back.  I will shit bricks when I land in Thailand, and I am, without doubt, a bit anxious about what's to come, but I couldn't be more excited!  The moment I step onto Thai soil, a long, colorful journey will commence, and with it, the start of a new me.

Now, I must confess. I stole the idea of embedding music to each post from Mr. Kyle McChesney.  He's a real blogging pro; it'd be worth your time to check out his tasteful blog here: http://www.kgmtol.blogspot.com/.  Sunlight, by the Bag Raiders, was bumped the entire ride up in Mr. Eric Miller's Ford Taurus to Summerset.  Its groove marked the beginning of a great time and a great semester.  I felt it appropriate that it marks the of (hopefully) another great time.  This one is for you Eric and Anthony. (Disclaimer: I wouldn't recommend actually watching the video. Just enjoy its sound)