i really can't believe that i have been here for so long... i thought for sure i would be out by now, but that's what happens when you meet fantastic people... and when you decide to get certified in diving. had those two things not happened, then i probably wouldn't still be here.
i can't even remember the last blog i posted... i think from krabi? unlike the past two blogs... it is nice and sunny out. i will be going out shortly. i'm in chiang mai and have been here a couple days. the first place i stayed was not amazing. the beds were SO hard. i've been in hard beds before... but this seriously was like sleeping on a board. i didn't meet anyone the first day there... but i did meet a girl the second day who said she was switching places because of the lack of socializing. so... i'm in a new place... 120baht for a three person dorm and ensuite bathroom. the atmosphere here is good. it feels like a hostel... the kind from south america which i've missed. so far haven't met anyone... and the girl i met is doing a day with elephants so she will be back later.
i spent a lot of time down in southern thailand... the islands were beautiful. i met a couple from australia in krabi... after i went to koh phi phi (which is pronounced... pee pee... and i liked to say... ya down with koh phi phi... yeah you know me... unfortunately a lot of people had no idea what i was saying... i guess i'm hanging with the youngins) i met up with the couple again in koh lanta. it was good to see them again. katie (the girl of the couple) and i decided to go visit some other islands. we went to koh ngai and koh mook. we were suppose to go to koh kradan, but we loved koh mook too much so we just stayed there. it really was a special place. one of those places that if you go back in five or ten years it will be a bit different... more stuff... but right now it was really special. the people in the village were great. we found a great coffee shop - sugar's coffee... wan... the owner was so great. we went there twice. she and her other brother taught us a bunch of thai phrases. we spent a good amount of time there. also while walking in the villages, i got stung by a bee on my wrist... it was outside of this local family store... and the family ran right out and helped me with the sting... they gave me some cream for it which helped. just really sweet. then the next day when we went to sugar's we walked by the family again and they asked us how my sting was. just really sweet people. i miss that island so much. also met some fun travelers... most from poland (random and yay!) and a girl from italy... my background. it was a great time to go there... and i'm glad we didn't bother going to the final island. it was just resort after resort after resort... not so much my scene. great for honeymooners... bad for solo travelers.
on thanksgiving katie and i practiced poi on the beach. it's the fire spinning balls on a string... except we didn't do it with fire... just tennis balls on a wire chain. as easy as it looks, it was ridiculously hard. and katie was super sweet... she bought me a pair of these as a gift... so now i can practice wherever i go. perhaps i join the circus. haha. that could be my new career... and i'm guessing that none of you would put that past me.
btw... i've been into reggae lately... seriously want to find a reggae bar wherever i go... AND... next i'm going to pai. and december 13-15 is a reggae festival. so i hope to go at least one day. pai is suppose to be a really chill, hippy kinda place... sounds pretty cool... and they even have a circus school... i see my new career taking off. :)
okay... there was more i think i wanted to update, but i forget. next update will probably be in laos... which is where i will probably spend christmas. people keep asking where i'm going to be spending it (people from home and other travelers)... and wherever i am is where christmas will be... i'm not planning on making sure i'm in a specific spot or anything.
hope all is good back home... today is santacon back home and i hope that those who are going have an amazing time... :)
