from water guns to machine guns.

well...the last few days have been pretty interesting.

Saturday night marked the beginning of the celebration of the Thai New Year. Marissa and I met up with a friend of a friend who moved to Thailand from Amsterdam, NY maybe a year ago and we all went out to a Thai bar. We were the only white people in the bar and no one spoke English...it was a really cool experience! we danced all night and finally got back to our hostel around 2 or 3am. I had some water dumped down my back, but had no clue what I was in for the next day. On our cab ride to and from the club we got caught up in a few protests...buses were blocking the roads, fires were burning, people were rioting and everyone was wearing red. We managed to get out without any problems...it was just a bit exciting.

so we woke up late Sunday morning and got a slow start. eventually Marissa headed out to get some fruit for breakfast and came running back a minute later drenched and fruitless. upon reflection we realized that the words "water festival" were thrown around a bit and that it must have been that day. we threw on some clothes that could get wet and headed out into the great wet unknown. as soon as we stepped outside we got hit by squirt guns, hoses, buckets of water and smeared with some type of clay. quickly accepting our fate we headed to get some food, an ample amount of water and some serious fun. we played for what seemed like hours...dumping water down peoples backs, getting smeared with all different colored clays, dancing, getting sprayed, squirted and kissed on the forehead occasionally. it was amazing! streets were literally just packed with people having the biggest water fight I've ever seen. thousands of people were laughing, playing and getting very very very wet.
After maybe two hours Marissa was at her water limit so I walked her back to the hostel and then headed back into the mess on my own. I bought a few more bottles of ICE COLD water (the best ammo on a hot humid day) and continued the fun. I have some great pictures to back up this amazing story. what a great time to be in Bangkok!!!

We ended up washing up a bit...I was covered head to toe in colored clay...and taking a cab to our hotel to start our Thailand GAP tour. On the way over we got caught up in another protest, but the cab driver diverted us down a few back streets and got us out of the way. when we were almost at the hotel we got turned away again...this time by HUGE tanks and machine gun laden Thai military. once again everything was fine and we made it to the hotel safely. at 6 we met our group, went over the itinerary, got briefed on the state of the country and city, and eventually had dinner. that night Bangkok was declared as being in a state of emergency.

based on the things people have told me and what I've learned by doing some research I think Thailand has been in need of some emergency action for a while, and I sincerely hope that some change can happen for these amazing people. I really can't believe the issues that this corrupt government has been masking and forcing these people to deal with for so many years. I'm glad that they're standing up for what they believe in.

so...to continue on with the story...

that night Marissa and I had dinner at the hotel and then caught a cab back to the heart of the water fight for some nighttime fun. we bought some water guns, a few bottles of water and joined the festivities. it really felt like being in first grade again...guys were shooting girls and girls were shooting guys. Marissa and I made a pact to only shoot cute guys...which worked out well. haha. I ended up getting in a few one on one water fights with some guys and I really felt like I was in elementary school. pick on the boy or girl you have a crush on and hope for the best. haha. it was a ton of fun though. I drank a few beers, met a bunch of cool people and ended up having the time of my life. things started winding down and I ended up sitting with a few Irish guys and having a beer. Marissa had met a special friend..teehee...so I let her be. eventually the guys wanted to go to a club down the street and I agreed to go...even though I was sopping wet. as it turns out almost everyone inside was pretty wet so I was in style. I left Marissa with her new friend but she said they would come later on. I danced a bit but got a bit peeved when a waitress pushed me out of her way, causing me to knock over a beer bottle, that in turn fell, broke and went into my legs and feet. I spend almost an hour in the back room of the club with an improv Thai nurse picking out glass splinters from my legs and the tops and bottoms of my feet. we couldn't get it all and I still feel sharp pieces every now and then when I'm walking. yay. we literally soaked my feet in iodine because it was all they had and I hobbled back out onto the dance floor to find Marissa and mystery European guy having a good time. I told Marissa what had happened and that I'd be waiting outside. after a while she broke away and met me outside. I hailed a Tuk Tuk, set a price and relaxed for our ride back to the hotel. we got back around 4am and just crashed. what a night.

the next morning was this morning...
I slept through my alarm and woke up to Marissa rolling out of bed. apparently she missed her alarm as well. crap. we were set to leave at 8am and it was half seven. ahh! Marissa took a shower and then I hopped in...I ended up picking more glass out of my feet which took till 7:54. I scrambled out of the shower, threw everything back in my bag, grabbed the room key and high-tailed it downstairs. I was 3 minutes late but it was all good. we all piled into a hired van and headed off to the bus station. we took a bus from Bangkok to somewhere outside where we are staying...Kanchanaburi...and then we all hopped into the back of a few trucks and got a ride to our hotel. we checked into our cool new hotel and then walked to a few local historical sites, including the River Kwai Bridge. it was really cool, because the train still runes over the bridge and actually came while we were on it. there a a few platforms to the side of the single track to stand while the train passes by. it was a really cool experience! afterwards we all checked out the market, grabbed a soda (which they dump into little plastic shopping bags with ice and a straw because soda comes in a glass bottle and glass isn't allowed on the streets.) and hopped into the back of another truck for a ride back to the hotel. I ran some small errands and that's pretty much it for now.

we're about to go check out the night market, grab some food and maybe watch a movie on my laptop a bit later.

check this out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7996653.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7996312.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7996288.stm

what a crazy past few days.
<3

สุขสันต์วันอีสเตอร์

Happy Easter!!!!

I'm actually celebrating a diffreent holiday here in Thailand...it's the Thai new year tomorrow and the water festival today, so everyone is cover in white paint and pouring water all over eachother.

I love Thailand!!!

<3

and in a flurry of excitement...

so...wow.
helloooooooo Bangkok.

and you think NY never sleeps? get over it. haha.

so this needs to be quick because the timer is ticking, I only brought down enough Baht for 30 minutes, it's 2 am and I have plans at 9 this morning...and I need to sleep in this city eventually.

we arrived and quickly met up with Marissa's friend Katherine who is staying at the same hostel as us (it was planned...but it would be a cool coincidence). we all cleaned up and headed out for some Thai food. We literally just walked the streets trying everything we could find from street vendors until we thought we would pop...then we waited a bit and had snacks the same way. the food is AMAZING. there are the occasional "oh god...what the hell IS this?!" foods, but usually everything is pretty darn yummy.
We called it a bit of an early night (around 2 am?) and I decided to internet it up instead of sleeping. I then took a bit of a walk and got maybe 3 hours of sleep before we woke up at 9 and headed out for the day.
We repeated the food tour again...just this time breakfast style. again, amazing food. Very full and very satisfied customers. oh, and the food is so CHEAP! god, this place is amazing.
We wandered over to the Emerald Buddha Wat (temple) and explored in the humid heat for a few hours. eventually I couldn't take wearing a long skirt and shirt any longer (need to cover up to go inside the palace) so I ventured out into the streets to explore the markets a bit. I staked out some good food spots and went and met the girls at the temple a bit later. needless to say we needed to get food. it was...amazing. obviously.
we wandered around the city a bit and eventually ended up at a Wat that offered free meditation lessons. we agreed to return at 6 and headed back to the hostel to rest up for an hour or so and get out of the boiling heat and humidity and under a fan.
we eventually headed back and learned all about meditation, cleansing the mind and even got to practice meditating a bit. it was really great! the Monk gave us each some homemade Tiger Balm type stuff for aches and pains later on and invited us to a big monk party tomorrow...er, technically today now. hence the 9am thing.
we wandered back to the area around our hostel, got food...I'm sure you understand the trend by now, did some shopping, I got my Thailand star tattoo (figured I'd just let them both heal at the same time, right?) we grabbed a few beers and then headed back to the hostel to chat a bit. and...here I am.

I've had so much good food here...I just figured that since I got the update done so fast I can list some.
-all kinds of cut fresh fruit
-fresh grilled meat on sticks
-pad Thai
-Thai curries
-banana pancakes
-fresh pastries
-funny mini pancake thingys...SO good!
-some strange fried corn rolls that were really good
and a million other odd things that I can't explain.

I DO have a Thai cell phone number. I think the country code is 660??? but you might have to look it up or I can update later. my number is 084-529-6526. texting and calling is a bit spendy, but receiving a text or a call every now and then should be fine.

I'm totally digging it here and absolutely psyched to be heading north on Monday...which also happened to be the Thai new year! it should be a ton of fun and celebration on the way up.
okay...times up and I need to hit the bed. we don't have sheets here, or hot water or anything fun like that. but to be honest I'd pay to have a cold shower here any day. I have the 'Thailand Glow' which is just really being gross and sticky all the time. I've never ever been anywhere near as humid as it is here, and the heat is just as bad. it's a bit rough, but it's the price you pay, right?

okay...time's up.
ciao!

<3

chun ruk meu-ung tai!!!

obviously meaning "I love Thailand!" well...at least that's the way it sounds. it looks a lot more like squiggles and wiggles than actual words to me.

so...we arrived safely and after a bit of an added adventure. our bags weren't lost and we are in Thailand...so there's nothing to complain about.

I just thought I'd throw in a clip from my journal tonight. I'll elaborate a bit more later on my first few hours in Bangkok.

9/4/09 Flying into Bangkok, Thailand

the ocean goes on forever, but then it ends...as all endless oceans do. the stunning blue crashes into a sudden wall of green as far as the eye can see. this world is a collection of patchwork farms craftily cut and sewn into the quilted earth below. serpentine rivers wind from the edges of the ocean hunting for the gem of a city buried within the land ahead. the rivers weave themselves through fields divided, fields aflame, and fields of the greenest green while dodging the sprinkle of houses. but this sight is just an appetiser. the green is overwhelming...
and then, without warning, it was there.
"welcome" it said.
highways and railways follow tributaries to the hustle and bustle of a city full of life and activity. it sits proudly on the edge of the country clutching golden capped temples that call quick attention to the eye from even a mile above.
Bangkok.
following the excitement we are led into a quick, wet landing that suddenly puts ground under my feet that I can hardly wait to explore.
the sun comes out only for an instant as if to say "go...do it".
and I will.
oh, I will.

*************************************************************
all I have to say for now is that it's incredibly humid, hot, busy, easy to get lost, mesmerizing and the food is AMAZING!
but now it's after midnight and time for bed.
I could really use some sleep after the past few days.
<3

"the traveler sees what he sees...
the tourist sees what he came to see."

"you only live once,
but if you do it right then once is enough."

"everything is always okay in the end.
and if it's not okay then it's not the end."

these are a few of my favorite things

so...traveling is always an adventure.
even when you don't need it to be.

I'm currently stuck in Doha for the night. yay. not only will I not be in Thailand in the morning...I won't be there at all tomorrow! ugh.

everything in Africa is on Africa time, so naturally we were not only leaving late...but the plane was broken as well. so...we waited for them to fix it.

eventually we took off.

in the meantime our flight to Thailand leaves Doha.

we land in Doha.

uhh...yeah.

so...we're stuck here overnight in the airport.

and then we fly to Kuala Lampur in the morning.

and then we fly to Thailand in the evening.

so...we'll be in Thailand in two days time.

I have 5% battery power left. so...this is it. I hope everyone is clean, comfortable and entertained for the next two days. I would kill for a shower already. oh man. haha.

I can't believe I'm not in Africa anymore. I looked up at the 'plane map' on our flight and realized we had left the continent and felt very disconnected. I hadn't realized how much I felt at home there. I'll definitely be back to see more. I'm hooked.

have a great night everyone...and even though I sound a bit grumpy I'm fine. just venting a bit.
=D
I'll be much better with some Thai food and a shower in a couple dozen hours.

miss everyone...keep writing.
<3

Oh, have you ever seen the lights?

"I've got this energy beneath my feet
like something underground's gonna come up and carry me,
I've got this sentimental heart that beats
but I don't really mind and it's starting to get to me"


How time flies.
I feel like I just left the states and yet I feel as if I've been here for a year.
I absolutely love this place. it's going to be hard to fly out tomorrow...but it's going to be amazing to get to see Thailand. everything will be shiny and new again, and this time there will be much more to adjust to. I'm so incredibly ready. I'm so absolutely excited. I'm so lucky.

my last few days in Africa not only lived up to my hopes but surpassed them. I've really had such an incredible time here...it's been eye opening.

My last night in Cape Town was a hit...I ended up staying out until 9:30 in the morning with newly made Afrikaans friends and made it back to the hostel just in time to take a quick shower and check out by 10am.
I got to explore the city a bit more with Marissa that day before flying to Durban and meeting up with Doug and Kath for the night.

The next day I wandered down to the beach and eventually met up with Tristan for a nice dinner and a fun night at the bar and club with the group, topped off by a wonderful walk on the beach. of nights that could only be real in movies and novels, I would say this was an absolute exception. it couldn't have been more perfect if it had been scripted and set. thank you to everyone who made it incredible from dusk to dawn... <3

"do you know what you started..."

Saturday was spent all over the city. Tristan and I met up with his friend Matt and Kath for breakfast and then we split off again and visited a beautiful local park filled with monkeys and a surprise avery that we didn't know was hiding there. we chatted the time away and eventually met back up with Matt and went go-karting and to get my Africa star tattoo. the tattoo place was booked up, but the go-karts were a lot of fun. we said goodbye to Matt again and spent our last few hours together talking and relaxing. eventually it was time for him to go, so we headed to Matt's flat, where I would spend the night, and said our goodbyes.

I hope our paths will cross again.

Matt and I killed the night by listening to music, chatting, getting a Rotti at Johnny's (classic Durban food...a mix of Indian and death in a 2 kilo wrap waiting to twist your stomach into knots...not that bad, but really...) and watching a movie on his laptop.

Matt and I started Sunday morning with a light breakfast and a trip to another tattoo shop in hopes of acquiring my SA star. again, no such luck. we headed out to Kloof to Matt's parent's house to partake in a 'Matt's crazy family' lunch. In reality they were amazing, funny and very nice. I had a great time and lunch was fantastic! we all chatted about politics in both the USA and SA, traveling, life experience and at one point Matt and I wandered off and laid in the sunlit grass and just talked about everything. it was a really nice time, I'm so happy I went.
afterwards we met up with Doug and Kath for some climbing at Gateway Wall, I said my final goodbyes to them and we wandered back to Matt's flat to pack my bag and kill time before my flight to JoBurg. Matt and I shared a dinner and a really good chocolate milkshake at the airport and again...more goodbyes.

my flight went smoothly and Wille (pronounced Villeh) picked me up from the airport and brought me to the hostel. we watched a movie and called it a night.

the next day, technically yesterday, was pretty mellow. made it to a tattoo shop and finally got my star and picked up Marissa from the airport. we chatted on all the things that had happed while we were apart and had some dinner at the hostel. we played pool after dinner and eventually called it a night.

so...here we are. today is intentionally mellow...we're trying to rest up for our long travels tomorrow. we hung around the hostel and walked down to the cafe (here...) for some Thailand hostel research and quick updates. apparently the people at the hostel are throwing us a bit of a bonvoyage bash tonight...so maybe it's better to rest now.

I'll try and stay in touch with everyone as best as I can on the next leg of my trip. =D
I want to thank everyone who has been staying in touch with me, leaving me comments and hanging out with me while I'm abroad. as much as I love it here I am feeling a bit detached from everyone and everything back home. it's really nice to stay connected.



"I can't do the talk like the talk on the TV

I can't do everything.........."


"Now hold on
I'm not looking for sweet talk
I'm looking for time
Time for tower and sleep walk
Brother, cause it hurts sometimes
You know it's gonna bleed sometimes
Hold on"



I'm leaving so much of myself here in Africa and I'm taking just as much with me when I go.
this may be my last day in Africa but it won't be my last time here.
this is a promise. <3


"Ooop...sounds like a dance off to me!"

you take away my oxygen...

...but I don't need to breathe.

oh, what an amazing day. I must say that Cape Town is one of the most beautiful and amazing cities I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. the day consisted of a tour, the beach, an amazing breakfast with live local music, some great ice cream, a free jazz festival, some boutique shopping (and a cute new dress!), a few beers with fellow travelers, getting to meet up with a few people from our GAP tour and a fantastic dinner. we're now getting ready to spend a night on Long Street...the local hot spot for bars, clubs and evening excitement. it should be a fun night, and sadly it's a bit unexpectedly my last night here in wonderful Cape Town.
I'm spontaneously flying across the country to Durban tomorrow afternoon to spend two extra days there. I feel like I didn't get enough time to do all the things I wanted to do and to be honest I was a bit disappointed when Tristan couldn't fly down to CT...so, yeah. I'll just fly to Durban instead. oh, and I get to spend one more day with Andrew/Doug. it's a win/win.
so, I have a bit less than 48 hours in wonderful Durban and then I fly to Johannesburg for my last day and a half in Africa...for now.
who knows...I might be back sooner than expected. but really...when it comes to me, can you really expect anything?
okay. time to get this night moving. it's after 11, the clubs are filling up and we need to dance.
=D
oh, and I'm going to be super fashionable with my one ear plug. the swelling in my ear is pretty under control (thanks to lots of medicine) and I feel quite a bit better than I did two days ago. I'll play it safe tonight since I'm not really sure if I should even be flying tomorrow.

I have a feeling that these are going to be an amazing last few days in Africa. lets hope they live up to my biased expectations.
<3