Photos...

I think this is about the point where I admit that most of you would be better off if my brother were the one taking the pictures. He as a better eye than I do. So you'll see a few shots that look similar, largely because I can't tell which is better...

But there are some new Thailand photos up... This isn't all of them. Some day when I'm feeling antisocial and I find a good internet cafe, I promise that I'll catch up to where I am...

MH

Shockingly pleased...

So there is a certain Indian cookbook with profound emotional and educational attributes. It's not in print in the US. When I was here a year ago, a book store in New Delhi had dozens of copies. I didn't know that anyone really needed the book, so I didn't stock up.

This morning, I rectified that. I purchased the four copies the Cosmos seemed to indicate were needed. (This is a great cookbook.) But it is heavy. So I really didn't want to carry it any further than necessary. I was directed to the nearest post office, some 150 feet away.

I had one other experience with the Indian Post. It was quite the ordeal, and no one ever received their post card to boot. So I was a bit worried about this. But it turned out surprisingly well.

There is a media rate to the US. But you must show that only media is shipped; books, papers, magazines, etc. I stood at the most popular counter, and was directed to someone else, then someone else.

Now mind you, I have walked in with a sack of books. NO box, nothing else. I am directed to the most physically active man in the office. He proceeds to tightly fold the bag around the books, tape the bag securly, and then stitch a bag for the books. No kidding. My four books were bound in cotton for a $1. I just write the "To:" address, and off it goes. (The cotton sack is open on one side to show only books are sent, but it deters anyone from trying to remove one of the books.)

It should be there in a week.

Camel ride...

So the camel ride was much better than the elephant ride. There were many more smells involved, none good, and still I say that. Let's say that I have a good idea of what the camel ate for lunch...

There is sort of a rocking motion that you can do with your body to ease the gate of the camel. There are no stirrups, so your feet sort of swing in front of you. About half way through the ride, the guide told me to lean back as the camel moves down hill. This is actually a natural reaction. Leaning back while the camel is on level ground would result in straightening your body at roughly a 60 degree angle. There were certain downhills that I felt like I was standing straight up. It's a once in a lifetime experience. What people usually leave unstated about such things is that once in a lifetime is usually enough...

We went out to a remote village, as well as watched the sunset from the dunes. I have pictures that don't really do justice to the event. Later that night, they put on a dancing/music program. I got to sleep in a hut. The stars were beautiful and plentiful...

Merry Christmas

Hey all! I hope you're all having a Merry Christmas! There does seem to be some kind of festival here in Jaiselmer. I have not yet investigated it. It seems to involve a parade with music...

I will try to arrange a camel trek for tomorrow night. With my opinion of the elephant trek so low, you might wonder why I'm bothering... The main attraction is that they take you out into the middle of nowhere and you camp out. The views of the stars at night are supposed to be amazing...

Hope all is well with you...

Hey all!

I am indeed alive and well in India. The 80/20 rule: Things are going to go right 80% of the time. It's the 20% of the time you have to worry about. And the 20% has a way of unexpectedly appearing when you're certain you're in the 80%.

I have a new mobile. The existing service was quite expensive for India. I had to give Airtel my passport. They copied the passport page, the visa page, and the entry card. They also took a copy of the information of the hotel I was staying in. And one passport sized photo is required per government regulations.


Contrast this to Indonesia. I show up at a corner office where there is a bank of phones. I give the guy some money, and I'm off. No paperwork at all. The Indonesian government has mandated that prepaid users register, or have their number shut off. It appears that there have been instances of using these cell phones to trigger explosive devices...

Anyway. I hope all is well...

India...

So I arrived yesterday, safe and sound. The Air India flight was about an hour late. The Indian food was good, ironically, catered by Thai Airways food services.

I took a pre-paid taxi from the airport to my hotel. I had to get into three taxis before one could actually take me from the airport. The first had a flat, the second driver didn't know where to go. It turns out that the third driver didn't either, but he eventually found it.

When depositing my articles in the safe, I met the proprietor. A most auspicious thing. We spent a good 15 minutes itemizing my valuables, and another 10 over a cup of tea. It turns out that he was originally from what is now Pakistan, but came to New Delhi after the partitioning. He is retired from the police force, so he assured me that my articles would be safe. And knowing him made it significantly easier to get my breakfast this morning.

The shops in Connaught Place (think "open air mall") are closed on Sunday. I am in search of a SIM card for my phone, as the current one has very high rates...

Here is the rough schedule for the next two weeks:

19 Dec: Overnight train to Jodhpur
20 Dec-24 Dec, PM: Aunt's house in Jodhpur
25 Dec-27: Jaiselmer
27th or 28th, depending on if train tix comes through: Return to Jodhpur
29 Dec: Overnight train to New Delhi, day in New Delhi
30 Dec: Overnight train to Varanasi
31 Dec-4 Jan: With family, at my cousin's house

My cousin will go over the next four weeks while I'm in Varanasi. I'll post a rough schedule then...

Hope all is well...

MH

Photos

I have posted new photos. Click on link at right. The update covers the last of Bali - a few beach photos, through Chaing Mai.

Bear with the cooking class ones. I wanted to remember all of the steps to the lotus and the leaf, so there are probably more photos that you care to see...

I'm tired of sitting in front of a computer, so I'm going to enjoy the rest of my day...

MH

Houston, we have an image problem...

I'm used to taking a bit of guff for being an American abroad. For instance, when I was in Bali, I was mistaken for Canadian. I corrected the man and said that I was from The States. He replied, "Well, we all have our problems."

I can laugh that off.

I was in a conversation with a few Europeans. The discussion centered on Thailand. I wanted to explain that Thailand was a Peace Corps country, but first, I had to explain what the Peace Corps was.

I explained that it was a program run by the US government to do work in developing nations. I listed a few countries, and a few general projects that they work on. The Spaniard was "AMAZED that the US government" would do something like that. The only message he ever received was about bombs and guns. The thought of the US doing some good never entered his mind.

I can understand not liking US policy, and expressing this opinion. But it's the narrowness of the view that really bothered me. Even China sent aid to the US after Hurricane Katrina. There's good and bad.

Let us flash forward to the next day. Bear with this story, as it contains details only the medical community is interested in. If I left them out, I would surely be questioned by one of the many readers from that profession.

I was on a boat with five Europeans and two Thai. We pull up on a beach for lunch. We can swim or sit, and I choose solid ground. The Spaniard from the previous night goes swimming, and cuts his foot and hand.

This, being a good tour company, has a first aid kit in the boat, complete with bandages, cotton balls, and iodine. The guide proceeds to clean the wounds, and the Spaniard lays down, and closes his eyes. He jerks his leg as the iodine is applied to the toe, and I tell him, "Hold still, he's about to put the band aid on your toe."

Getting no response, I become suspicious. I look at his eyes, and pupils are fixed and constricted. OK. I check the ABC's - airway, breathing, circulation, for the uninitiated. He's ok. He starts to "seize", but that stops after maybe five seconds. It's more like individual muscles contracting, not the whole body.

I start to tell him, "Ishmael. Ishmael. Come back. Wake up." etc. I don't actually get to take c-spine before he snaps to it. He starts looking around. Not postictal at all. Hmmm...

His buddy is so freaked out that I can not get him to talk to Ishmael in Spanish. After a few tries, he gives me his name, and knows that he's in Thailand. I don't bother with time, as no backpacker can really tell you that without looking at a watch and having a five minute conversation with his friend.

Pulse is 60 and strong, resps are a solid 16. He's wet because he's been swimming, but doesn't feel hot nor cold. Body temp is as expected to the touch. Hmmm.

I rule out any neurotoxins from sea creatures by questioning the guide about the area.

At this point, I'm pretty sure this is psychosomatic. Not that he doesn't feel bad, but it was more his mind having a problem and taking it out on the body instead of the body going into shock.

So I'm not surprised when he feels well enough to explain that this has happened before. He just gets queasy at the sight of his own blood.

Now, back to the point. The guy who can't imagine the US government doing any good in the world also never thanked anyone for helping him.

So I have to ask, is the shock that the US can do some good a result of his outlook on life? If he can't be appreciative of the help he received, maybe he's not receptive to the good things that happen elsewhere.

India...

For most international flights, you call at least 72 hours in advance to reconfirm... I didn't know that Indian Air requires you to call seven days in advance.

So the bottom line is that I'm leaving Thailand a day early. I fly out around 2 PM on Saturday, instead of Sunday.

This is not an auspicious beginning to the Indian leg of my journey.

Hope all is well...

MH

When last we spoke...

It's been a bit... So that means I have a bit to say, of course.

Elephant ride: I should have known that it wasn't for me when they told me to step on the elephant to get on the rider's seat. I felt a bit queasy about that.

And it was raining. A lot. I had on a poncho with hood, covering me and my day pack. Through a regretable confluence of fluid dynamics and gravity, my upper butt was soaked, while my legs and upper body were dry.

The elephant driver, and I use that term literally, sat on the elephant's head, with one leg wrapped behind the animal's ear. He was constantly urging the animal onwards. We were walking on well worn, muddy paths. Up and down hills. I really wanted the driver to let the elephant seriously STOP and THINK about where he was going to put his feet. He has four of them to consider, after all.

The ride itself was a bit bumpy. It also subjected me to several precarious tilts on the hills. So overall, I can't say I really liked the ride, but I do suppose it is a life enriching experience on some level.

Quick note

Just a quick note to say I'm alive. I left Khao Sok, after an elephant ride in the park. I'm in Phannga now. I'm taking an overnight tour - Tues night - to James Bond Island. Then I'll take an overnight bus to Bangkok (Wed), where I'll stay until Sunday.

Hope all is well.

The lake...

So I returned to my original guesthouse to take the tour I had booked. I couldn't get my money back. I spoke with some of the people staying there, and no one else had the negative experiences that I had. So I guess that it's my luck here in Thailand...

The tour consists of an hour's ride to a local dam, an hour's boat ride, then an hour's walk to the cave. You're in the cave for, you guessed it, an hour. There's a lot of running water, and a section you have to swim. Not something they would let you do in the US. Too many would sue for injuries.

True to form, I fell down three times, though none of them were in the cave. I have a cut I'm watching. The guides didn't carry the first aid kit. We weren't allowed to carry our bags to the cave, as they'd end up soaked, so it was several hours before I could get the cut cleaned.

I was talking with one of the people staying at the guesthouse. He was saying that it was really friendly, and they were very welcoming. In fairness, they did buy us dinner on the way home, when it was not included in the tour. This guy really appreciated that. And I can respect that.

But I find that I'm at the point where I care less about the warm fuzzy feeling from the people running the place, than I do about the exact standards of the place. For instance, they took us to the dam in a pick up truck, not the minivans used by other guesthouses. It's not safe to ride in the bed of a truck at highway speeds. (I was in the cab.) Everyone else liked the views of Thailand.

Maybe I'm more conservative. Maybe some of this is age. Having made it to 30, I'd like to see 40...

The night of four rooms...

This is a long story, so bear with me...

So I arrived in Khao Sok without reservations. There is a road, about 2 km long, leading to the park from the highway, and it is lined with places to stay. I had spoken with a couple of travelers, and they assured me that I would be met by a tout or two at the highway, and no reservations were necessary. To the uninitiated, a tout is one who comes up to you when disembarking a mode of transport, be it rail, bus, or even airport, and offers a service. Sometimes it's transport, sometimes it's a room, sometimes a tour. You need to be wary, as these people receive a kickback from the place they take you. So it's something in their interest, not yours. With that said, they are not all bad, as they can find you a room, and sometimes it's what you're looking for.

I was met by a tout who offered to take me to Jungle Huts. I figure that it's an easy way to get at least part of the 2 km down the road, so I say that I'll look. I'm shown a couple of places, and choose one that seems ok.

The room is a place on stilts, with stairs leading up to the room. The place has a mosquito net, and a Western style flush toilet. It's at or above what you expect for this area. The area is a bit rustic, and air conditioning can not be had at any price. I sign in, and book a tour to the nearby lake for the next day.

I return to my room, and wash my hands, and notice that the seat is not on the toilet. I go to pick up the towel placed on the bed, and as I do so, dead bugs come out of the blanket. I go to reception, and request new linens, and a toilet fix. She will take care of the linens at once, but the seat will be fixed at 6 PM, as she has a "man coming then."

I return to reception at 6 PM, and enquire about the status of my toilet fixer. Then she tells me that the toilet works, it's just the seat. I explain that the seat is a key part of the experience.

They move me to room number two of the evening. It's a bit nicer, with a brighter light and toilet with seat intact. I shake the towels, and that seems to be in order. I move my stuff in, and notice that the bathroom floor isn't clean. I take the shower head to spray down the floor. (In this type of room, there is no separate shower stall, it's just a shower hose attached to the wall. It's quite common.) It's then that I notice that the water from the shower is brown. I repeat the process with the sink, with the same results. I'm guessing that it's pulled directly from the adjacent river.

Anyone who knows me knows that my biggest fear is of very small things. I am clearly not going to shower here. I just don't think that I would end up any cleaner.

I walk out to the main road to look for a new place. I stop two people on the road, and ask about their accommodations. They indicate clear water is to be had at Nula House, so I'm all about that. I take the walk there, and explain my situation to the proprietor. This is a familiar story. I select room number three of the evening.

He drives me back to the original place to get my main pack. He also secures my safety box belongings, and also arranges for me to not have to pay for the room at the original establishment.

The new proprietor drives me back to my room, and helps me unload my belongings. I go to lock the door, and have difficulty actually swinging the bolt and having it match up with the lock mechanism. I move to room number four of the evening, where I finally sleep.

And yes, the next night, I switched rooms yet again, to upgrade to one with hot water.

Where I am/ Where I'm going

So, as predicted, the sinuses did not get any better. So I'm not on a boat. I'm in Khao Lak, soon to head to Khao Sok. Khao Sok is a national park, home to a rain forest that is supposed to be older than those found in the Amazon. There is supposed to be an amazing lake with some caves and a waterfall. And I think that I'll go on an elephant ride.

I'll go to Phang Nga after that. If you've seen The Man with the Golden Gun then you've seen this island. I got a few tips from some divers who did all of this before heading out on the boat this morning...

Anyway. Hope all is well. I'll keep my sinuses in check.

So, I'm 30...

Ummm... I still want to pummel my brother. (See previous post.) So that's not changed in the last 30 years.

I think I'll be ok with this. Maybe I just need to say goodbye to an eventful decade. I graduated, twice. I quit my job, twice. I traveled, more than twice.

I had pad thai and a Heineken for dinner.

Unrelated note: I'm having some sinus pain. The dives we did today were only to 12 meters or so (40 ft), and I had some pain. The ears equalized, but I had to work a bit more on the sinus. So I'm having a huge internal debate about getting on the boat tomorrow. It's two nights and three days. I could snorkel if I don't dive, but I'm not sure I want to end up in the middle of nowhere with a sinus infection. Really, I just started having sinus problems again in Sept. I had 3 years free of sinus pain. Anyway. I'll see how I feel in the morning. So don't freak out if you don't hear from me for the next four days or so - I'm on a boat. If I don't go, I'll check in sooner with new "where I am" details...

Hope all is well. Many thanks for all of the birthday wishes!!

Interactions...

English is the language to know. If anyone here knows another language, it will be English. But conversational English is about as good as it gets. I can get directions, I can order food, I can make a phone call. But there's no going beyond that. So it's very hard to find out what a Thai is actually thinking, or how someone here actually lives, or what they think of Americans.

The other reason for this is that I'm automatically suspicious of anyone who starts a conversation with me. Or rather, anyone who starts a conversation without an immediate purpose, ie directions. I was visiting a wat yesterday. I was taking a few pictures, and someone came up to me and asked if I was from India. I replied that my mother was, but I was from The States. This gentleman was Thai, living in Australia while boxing. He had two kids who were here. He was visiting his grandparents/parents. He got me to sit down by showing me a picture of one of his kids with his wife. (This is all in the span of two minutes.) He said that he was going to the exposition to get something for his wife at home. He showed me where it was on the map, and indicated that it would be ok if I were to go with him. He asks me where I've been, where I'm going. It's all very smooth. But I feel a scam, and am not about to go anywhere with anyone I just met. So maybe he was legit, but I'm not the one who will find out. I'm the one who continues on my walk.

So, with some irony, I admit most of my actual conversations have been with Europeans. I don't meet Americans. (I have met, at most, five on the entire trip.) Australians were common in Bali, but most were not of the personality that would discuss the state of the world. It's the Europeans I talk with...

Any questions?

I feel it's again time to give you the chance to ask me random questions. Is there something that I'm not answering, something you want to know? Remember that my parents read this...

Fast Food Nation...

So I finished Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. (He also wrote Reefer Madness, which I also read and enjoyed.) I won't get into a lot of the details. I can say that it seems well researched (references in the back), explores a lot of the effects of fast food. I'll leave the details to the book, which I highly recommend. I am quite reluctant to eat at McDonald's now.

Part of the book discussed the expansion of fast food outside of the US. I can very directly see that. Out of all the places I've been, I have stayed in exactly one town that did not have a McDonald's (Ubud, in Bali). Everywhere else, Mickey D's, KFC, and sometimes Pizza Hut were all beacons in the night.

We tend to eat fast food because it's so convenient. It seems as if the rest of the world sits down to eat. You go to a restaurant, order, stay there, and eat. The idea of "take out" is foreign. The meal seems to be more than a way to not be hungry anymore.

Reading Material...

As I've indicated before, I do a lot of reading on this trip. I finished Fast Food Nation, Around the World in 80 Days (I found it oddly fitting), and a couple Dan Brown novels.

My purchases in Chaing Mai include The Communist Manifesto, Common Sense by Thomas Paine, Video Night in Kathmandu by Pico Iyer, A History of Asia, and The Tailor from Panama by John La Carre. I also picked up a copy of this week's Economist magazine. And I finally found Walden as well.

I talked about Pico Iyer in the last book post. This book talks about how Western trends move through Asia. It should be an appropriate read.

I've always thought about reading the Communist Manifesto. I just wanted to know what it was that sparked a whole way of life for, at its time, about half the world. I thought Common Sense was necessary for some balance.

So I'm set for the rest of Thailand and couple of weeks or so of India. But, I would like some suggestions for future picks.

Criteria:
- In press long enough to be in paperback; It's lighter, and I'll be more likely to find it used.
- Should not be excessively long; Please, no War and Peace. It gets difficult to pack the big books.
- Mainstream that I would probably find it used. This is not so difficult as it sounds, but would preclude Beowulf in original Old English.
- No Russian authors. I read a few in high school, and found them depressing. I don't need that on this trip.
- No poetry. Just not in the mood.

Thanks for the help...

Cooking class

I took a Thai cooking class today. I chose the class offered on this particular day because they were teaching knife skills. I learned how to make a rose from a tomato peel, and a lotus blossom from a tomato. And I made a nice leaf from a carrot. They have much bigger carrots here.

I have a feeling that I will be investing in a nice knife for this purpose once I get back home. It was actually an odd knife. It was curved, but the sharp edge was on the inside of the curve, instead of the expected outside. There are pictures of all the creations. I had to learn about the "macro" function on my camera.

The afternoon was spent making five different dishes. Yes, Roxy, I did get a cookbook. I am quite pleased with the course.

Pictures will follow.

Transport...

It occurs to me that I haven't really been sharing the details of my transportation. I think you'd be slightly intrigued.

I was finished with my time in Kanchanaburi, and by that, I mean that since I had gotten there, things had seemed a bit off at every turn. This happens from time to time. Nothing bad, but always something slightly unexpected, and so slightly disappointing. For breakfast, I didn't get what I ordered. I assume I didn't point at the menu correctly. The day had been full of things like that.

So I started off to the bus station. I accepted an offer to be taken there in a rickshaw. (That's its name in India, I'm not sure of the correct term in Thailand.) Think of a bicycle, but with two wheels in the back sharing an axle. There's a platform to sit on. Someone pedals, and you go. Something about a person moving me along bothers me, so I tip well to assuage some guilt.

The driver asked me what city I was headed to, and proceeded to take me towards the bus station. He tells me a bit about the town when we are stopped at the light. He stops a bit before we get to the bus station, and tells me that the bus in front of us is the bus I want. I look at it, and it does have the expected number painted on the side. I do have to say that the rickshaw driver was the best part of Kanchanaburi. The conductor gets me on board, and even finds me a seat on the very packed bus.

I'm not sure how to describe this bus. Think school bus, complete with windows that come down, and you get close. They also have curtains to keep the sun out, and fans on the ceiling.

About 12:45, I start to get hungry, and hope that the ride is almost over. We are stopped at a semi-major town center, waiting for the proper time to leave. All of a sudden, there appear food vendors on the bus. A man shows up with BBQ chicken. I automatically have a huge grin on my face, and he knows he has a customer. I get four pieces for about $.50. I also get a bag filled with ice, water, and coconut flavor for about a quarter. My faith in Thailand is restored.

Upon arrival at the transfer point, the conductor finds and directs me to the next bus to take me to Ayuthaya. I'm feeling grateful.

I took the train here to Chaing Mai. I was waiting at the train station. A train pulls in about 15 minutes before I'm supposed to board. So I ask someone in uniform if this is the train to Chaing Mai. Someone else offers assistance to translate. The bottom line is that when my train does arrive, the station manager signals to me, and then sends someone over to get me and take me to the correct compartment. I am truly grateful.

Where I am/will be...

OK. So I've been hard at work the last two hours or so, and have nailed down some details.

I'll be in Chaing Mai until Thurs, 8 Dec. I'm taking a Thai cooking class tomorrow, and then visiting the highest peak in Thailand, Doi Inthanon, on Tuesday. Wednesday, I'll see some of the wats (temples) in Chaing Mai itself.

On Thursday, I'll fly to Phuket. I'll head north to Khao Lak, where I'll be doing more diving. You probably won't hear much from me at this point. I dive during the day on Friday, but then do a liveaboard Sat-Mon. This means I go out on a boat and don't come back for awhile. We'll see how that goes. I'm going through Sea Dragon Dive Center.

After that, I plan to head north to Khao Sok. It's a national park. A rainforest, actually. I think that I can ride an elephant there. We'll see. After that, I have another day or so before I have to head back to Bangkok. Again, I head to India on 18 December.

Please let me know if you need any more details.

The Bridge...

I rented a bicycle from my guesthouse yesterday. I rode to The Bridge Over The River Kwai. I couldn't help but start to whistle the "theme" song. There's a museum nearby. They had a video showing an interview with the former POW that started singing the song. It's an old British fight song. They had lyrics that insulted the Japanese, but the Japanese lacked the English vocabulary to realize it was an insult. The captors were amused every time the POWs would start to sing.

Over 100,000 people died building the railway from Thailand to Burma. The Japanese needed this railway to move supplies to Burma and stage an attack on India. The seas were not a safe option for the Japanese, so they had to build a railroad through the mountains. Most of the POWs that died were British, Australian, or Dutch. There are about 6,500 of them buried in a cemetery in Kanchanaburi.

The museum explained that had the Japanese provided proper food, water, and medical care, the death rate would not have been so high. So I found it odd that the Japanese were very respectful of deceased POWs. They allowed the POWs to hold funerals, and would sometimes attend. In 1944, the Japanese even built a monument to all those who died while building the railroad.

The POWs used this respect for the dead to their advantage. They would independently keep records of who died, and periodically would bury it with a POW. These records were then uncovered by the Allied Powers after the country was liberated. During liberation, most of the bodies were exhumed and placed in one of three cemeteries. The British Commonwealth still attends to these sites.

High Season...

So this is really the first time I've been traveling in High Season. It's been nice enough in the other places I've been, but there was a dearth of fellow travelers. Not so here.

So it's bit me a bit. The first couple of places that I tried, here in Ayuthaya, were booked. The third place is a bit basic. A bed, a chair, a fan. Bathroom downstairs. So I'm shortening my time here and heading to Chaing Mai early. Saturday night I'll take an overnight train.

And yes, I have, after many telecommunications difficulties, made a reservation with a place in Chaing Mai.