Aussie Adventures

Catch up time.

Our flight tickets are only good for a year, and as I sat in Thailand and considered this unfortunate fact, I realized I should probably use a few more of the flights before they all expired, leaving me trapped in...paradise. Can't have that now, can we? So I hopped on a flight to Sydney to meet up with two very good friends of mine, Sophie and Dieter, who happened to be in Australia for a convention from his workplace in Scotland. But he's Swiss. And I met him in England. But I visited him in Germany this summer, and we were in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany simultaneously. Not that any of this matters. On with the post!

Sydney is a nice city, but coming from Thailand everything was too cold and too expensive. So I flew to Melbourne to check things out over there, met up with Tristan who was kind enough to play host and show me around, introducing me to his crazy friends and teaching the strange method of eating Aussie style fish and chips, and even found me a wombat to pet. But it wasn't in a wheelbarrow like he promised. Although we did see a koala in an akubra hat (think Crocodile Dundee), which made me surprisingly happy.

No plates, no forks, just FISHNCHIPS!

I call him Wombie.

The unfortunate side of Melbourne was that it turned out to be even colder than Sydney, and raining for some reason. I don't know about you, but I heard Australia was hot and dry, and here I was cold and wet. And alone. And hungry. It's funny when I travel alone, I forget to do certain things...like eat. So I bought a few rolls of sushi, called up Dennis and begged him to fly to Melbourne and meet me so we could rent a camper and drive the south coast, see the sights, and get the hell out of there to somewhere warmer.

So we did! We rented a campervan and drove around all day in our boxers (I can't remember why exactly, but it was fun checking out some of the lookouts with no pants on).

Dennis without pants on...no surprise there.

We saw some local wildlife, as usual blitzed out of their mind off eucalyptus leaves, and even witnessed one grumpy koala roaring at another one (they are actually quite loud and aggressive sounding). He then proceeded to climb down his tree, attempt a leap to another one, and fall flat on his face. Laughter ensued.

Sweepy sweepy.

The very first wild kangaroo we saw was while driving in Victoria, and it actually hopped out between me and a cop car coming the opposite direction. So of course I slammed on my brakes, and the cop turned on his lights to warn me not to hit the kangaroo. Or so I thought. Because as soon as he passed me, he chucked a U-ey and pulled me over! I wasn't sure what this had to do with kangaroo safety, but I thought I had better oblige. He walks up to the window and asks me "Do you know how fast you were going?"

"Maybe 110?"

"You were going 115."

"Oh.........is that bad?"

"The limit here is 100. How long have you been in Australia?"

At this point he took my invalid drivers license (oh yeah, my license expired a few months earlier, which car rental companies don't seem to mind) and went back to the car to check his criminal database. After a few minutes of me sweating like a hooker in church, he determined that I should get off with no ticket somehow. Works for me! Zoom zoom zoom!

We headed over to Adelaide to visit Kirby, another Aussie friend from Waterloo. A few days of sightseeing, catching up, and 'How I Met Your Mother' later, we headed on the inland route back to Melbourne through the Grampian mountains. Don't worry, we took some pictures along the way.

We hit some van-eating potholes.

And found some ferns. I love ferns...more on that later.

The Great Ocean Road - Southern Australia

By some miracle we managed to synch our schedules with Miri and Nico, our German friends from California. We shared a few meals and a few too many boxes of goon, to the enjoyment of all. By the way, goon is the term for dirt cheap, really nasty wine that is the backpacker booze of choice. Count me in! Until the hangover at least...

Cooking with Miri in our camper!



Some lighthouse and some Germans.


Butts please!

Dennis falling off a cliff that looks like an iguana.

Up to some mischief.

Taking in the view.

Skillz.

World's scariest koala. That saved us from a gasless fate.

We managed to make it back into Melbourne in one piece, and we already had our next travel plans worked out. Imagine! We were going to head to New Zealand for a month before it got too cold, and then head back up to the East Coast and roadtrip with Ryan, Andrea, and Sophie! YAAAY!! Just as our wonderful Aussie Adventures were coming to a close, however, fate had something else in store. We rock up to the airport a good 2 hours early, expecting an easy check in and a relaxing rest in the airport lounge. "Oh wait", the desk attendants tell us. "Dennis doesn't have a ticket." "Ohhh yes he does," I reply, having been through this in Bangkok and forced to miss my flight due to an airline error in the past. "You have to cross-check the Quantas database with the American Airlines database." Duh. Well, it seemed to work. But by that time we had other problems. "Um, do you guys know that neither of you have visas in Australia?" Heck yeah we do, darn tootin, we gots us some fancy E-LECtronic visas, activated as soon as we stepped in the country! But they don't buy it. They call up immigration. "Ok ok...you have visas. But they're only good for re-entry into Australia for one year from PURCHASE, not from first ENTRY." Which gives us...two days. We were flying to NZ on March 19, and if we wanted to be allowed back into Australia, we had to be back on the 21st. Or face deportation. But the attendants decided to step it up a notch. "Well sir, if New Zealand immigration thinks you will not be allowed back into Australia, he may not even allow you into New Zealand. You may find yourself back in Canada by the end of the day." WHAAAAAAAAAT just happened to our lives!?!? Our little kiwi adventure turned into a deportation nightmare!

"What can we do?!" We beg and plead. "Well sirs, you will have to go to New Zealand and apply for a new Australian visa. But you will have to do it within the next two days, because we have to change your flights to March 21 so they will let you into New Zealand. That's IF they let you in." Wait a moment. The desk attendants are trying to tell us that we can't get into New Zealand without a valid Australian visa, and we can't get a new Australian visa without getting into New Zealand. I've always wanted to read Catch-22, I've heard it's a very interesting book.

So we follow their advice, pull off a massive last minute flight change, go through several small heart attacks and all-out sprint across the airport for our departing flight. We made it into New Zealand alright, and double check the fine print on our visas. Turns out they were wrong. We were fine all along. Grr.

No harm done, we managed to change our flights back to their original dates and all is well in the world. But that poor Kiwi immigration officer will never understand why that strange Canadian dude was only visiting his beautiful country for two short days. He warned me it wouldn't be enough. It wouldn't have been.

Temple roaming at Angkor Wat

Exploring the ancient ruins of Ta Phrom, I linger behind Dennis, Kim and Missi and wonder at the massive trees growing up from the ruined walls and pagodas where monks would meditate and pray so many hundreds of years ago. My mind reels with the image my imagination provides, trying to picture the grandeur of the place before it was left neglected by all except nature, who was only too happy to reclaim her own.

Ta Phrom temple, near Angkor Wat.

I happen across two monks in amber orange robes, peacefully walking the property. (Off-topic, and only relevant to those who wonder what Wikipedia is doing with its life: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Shades_of_orange) We talk about Cambodia, Canada, Buddhism, and other topics before parting. He asks me if I would like to visit him in the monastery in Siem Reap, something I have always hoped to do! Perhaps I will...but first I have to find my friends.

I begin to trek through the ruins, down dark passageways and out doors that may have been windows, through winding corridors covered with centuries old dust and moss covered stonework that composed the outer wall sometime in the distant past. I start to worry that I am lost, and pick up my pace. I am trapped several times in dark dead ends, filled with crumbled Buddha statues and other relics of the temple's past piled haphazardly in corners. I finally emerge into the sunlight, feeling like I am in the middle of the set of an Indiana Jones movie, and see more signs of the jungle jealously reclaiming the temple. I am all alone until I finally spot some other tourists. I am not lost after all!

Bayon temple, with giant faces in all four cardinal directions on over 200 towers.

See?

Siem Reap was one of my favorite spots on this whole trek through southeast Asia, with $5 double rooms at the friendliest guesthouse I've seen, appropriately named Happy Guesthouse. Mr. T greets us, and before long we are good friends, going out for beers while he introduces me to all his clients and friends along the way. Even our tuk tuk drivers Hok and Tommy who show us around Angkor Wat are super friendly guys! This is one place I have to come back to visit!! (Yeah ok I say that a lot, but so far I'm following up pretty well!)

The group at Angkor Wat. Wonder of the World indeed!

Thoughts on Cambodia

Cambodia has struck a chord somewhere inside me. The poverty these people face and the determined way they pursue what may be the only options open to them is inspiring. Their suffering under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime in the 70's still weighs heavily on the Cambodian psyche, with almost half of the country's population of 7 million murdered by the decree of Pol Pot, for no reason other than paranoia and racism.

My heart suffers along with those who must scrounge in the dirt, who must beg rich foreigners for enough money to be able to afford dinner because they have no other choice. Those disabled by landmines, those who can't afford an education, or simply those who have no better ideas sweat and toil in the unforgiving sun all day. A boy pleads with me to buy his postcards, when I just bought 10 from the boy next to him and couldn't possibly need any more. Another boy offers two carved flutes with bamboo sheathes for $1. I give him 1000 rial (almost enough for one flute that I don't want!) because I feel his desperation. A beggar graciously accepts my half finished bag of sugar cane. A man selling souvenirs in the dusty parking lot asks me for some of my water, because his throat is parched and he can't afford his own. As we drive away I see him share his precious few gulps with a friend. A band of landmine disabled men provide ambience music and thank me heartfully when I drop a dollar into their collection plate, which holds three other dollar bills. The band has at least 7 members with which to split their earnings.

I never thought a roadside bus stop could be so eye opening. The desperation of the Cambodian children, all trying to be the first to sell you their fruit, or the deliberately but not inaccurately pathetic beggars, sitting at the step of your bus or being guided around blind by their young children. No wonder they see westerners as cold, as bus after bus of rich foreigners come, drop a few measly dollar bills into th hands of those who desperately need it, and then board their bus again with a juicy snack. Is it that we can't handle the assault on our sanity, that some are forced to live and be brought up in such conditions, while we fare so much better at home? Or is it our ability to keep ourselves so distracted that we can afford to not thing about it...our books, our iPods, our movies, our food. How pathetic. How human.

The rest of Lao that I glazed over

Our first introduction to Laos was on the Mekong River. Due to the lack of decently drivable roads in Laos, the most common way to get into the country from northern Thailand is via a two day boat trip. Sound fun? Well it was, despite the horror stories we heard! Chanting our mantra "It's part of the experience", we board the boat with 100+ people on wooden benches that are too narrow for anyones ass, and settle in to our two day routine of meeting cool people, drinking the wonderfully cheap BeerLao, chilling, reading, pondering, stretching your legs, rubbing your sore ass, pacing, and meeting even MORE cool people. The greatest thing about the Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam loop is that since there is one main tourist path, the people you meet at the beginning of the trek you will see in almost every city throughout your trek. How fun is that?! We ended up travelling with a Canadian couple and a few kiwis along the way, welcome additions to our ragged and smelly group.

Our first night was in a hole of a town along the river, called Pakbeng. We were offered everything from cheap alcohol to marijuana to opium...and all on the way from the boat to the guesthouse! Quite sketch, but we only paid $1 for the room, including a bathroom where the sinks were not attached to any piping. It was quite hilarious to watch people spit on their own feet while brushing their teeth. Dinner and beers included a free bottle of Laolao rice whiskey moonshine! Can't go wrong...until you try it!

The second day of the boat trip was similar, but MORE packed as they pulled a fast one on us and gave us a significantly smaller boat for the same number of people...not only were there not enough seats, there wasn't enough FLOOR space for everyone! The crew had to tiptoe around the gunnel of the boat to get from bow to stern! The captain also liked to put the boat into slow 360 degree turns every time we came to a local port. Strange, because there seemed no purpose for them whatsoever, so we just assumed he was showing off his awesome boating skills. Hell, I'd do it too if I were him. He even put us through a slow 540 once. Awesome.

Along the river were many tiny villages, growing corn and smaller crops right along the riverbanks. Children would crowd the shore when our boat neared, trying to catch a glimpse of the rich farang aboard. Quaint and beautiful, with locals living in bamboo huts with thatched rooves and often without electricity, I often wondered what it would be like to step off the boat into their world, with no outside contact, and where everything is done by the sweat of your own brow. A truly different experience.

Vang Vieng

One of our stops in Laos was Vang Vieng, home of the legendary tubing adventure. This city is made for backpackers. From cafes playing nonstop Friends, the Simpsons, or Family Guy to dozens of bars all offering free shots and drink deals and of COURSE the unforgettable tubing experience, there is enough to keep any 20-something year old busy! Our first night we sat down (on floor cushions, of course) at a bamboo restaurant overlooking a beautiful sunset behind massive limestone cliffs on the Mekong river, just next to two chickens duking it out and a lost cow that was getting upset at a fence blocking its way.

What used to be, 3 years ago, a chillout day in a tube on a river, hanging at a few bars and having a beer or two has blown up into a full-on all day river party. Starting as soon as you get off the tuk-tuk, you walk past a bar offering free shots and cheap beers. Why not take one for the road (err...river)?! So we do, and hop in our tubes to start the day...30 metres down the river we are assaulted with bamboo poles and water bottles on strings, cast by staff at the next bar. ALREADY?? ...Alright. We hang out here for a while, partaking in diving boards, ziplining over the water, and a GIANT-trapeze-like thing that is built up in a huge tree! You can climb the tree, grab onto the bar, and swing out over the river, letting go about 10-15 metres in the air before plunging into the artificially deepened river. Sounds FUN! The rest of the day progressed similarly, with TONS of party animal tourists, some beach volleyball, HUGE waterslides, and of course more free shots of Laolao whiskey. At the end of it all, we have a lazy 1 hour drift back home. Should have left while the sun was still up, that's for sure!

What fun!



Our next trek: down the nearly 1000 km stretch of Laos to the deep south, where the beautiful 4000 islands (Si Phan Don) rests peacefully on the border between Laos and Cambodia! A rather long journey, involving a sleeper BUS...never seen that before! Normally on sleeper trains, one seat is upper bunk and one seat is lower bunk...but on this bus, it was two per bed! Good thing we were travelling with friends!

A cozy night's sleep on the bus to Si Phan Don!

Si Phan Don itself was a laidback riverside paradise. The main tourist islands offer little more than tiny bamboo bungalow huts along the river, with local families often living on the same property. Electricity is unheard of in our guesthouse, but then again we are only paying $3 per night...for both of us! Some more "expensive" ($5) huts have generator power until around 10 o'clock. Bike rental is $1 a day, supremely affordable even if just heading to the beach for a few hours. And beach there is, out into the refreshing Mekong with beautiful waterfalls upstream to boot! Our huts looked right out over the river and an archipelago of smaller islands directly into the sunset, which we watched each night from our favorite restaurant. We managed to befriend the waiters at the restaurant, and went to cheer them on at their local boat races, a big competition between the islands. Despite all the stares from the locals at our uncommon white skin, everyone was SUPER friendly and open here, even inviting us to sit down for shots of Laolao and a conversation at times! Backpacker paradise indeed!

Lao and Kampuchea

So our trip into Cambodia started off with a bang. Not literally, of course, that would have been frightening. I mean the sort of bang like...well...ok it was just confusing and uncomfortable. BANG! You know? You knoww.....

So we hop on a boat in Si Phan Don, in the south of Laos. Simple enough. Except there aren't enough seats. No probs, I'll chill on the bags. Mid lake, they tell me I have to switch boats. Yep, just me. Ok, no problem, almost dumped a boatful of people into the lake, but at least now I got a seat. Little did I know this was ominous foreshadowing for later in the day.

Back on the mainland, we hop on another bus. Uh oh...not enough seats. "You come here, my friends!" exclaims a happy Laotian man who ushers us to a minibus. "To Phnom Penh??" we ensure before getting aboard. Laotians have a mysterious way of not really answering your question while still ushering you in the direction they want. (Much like in the city when you are following them to a hostel and repeatedly asking "GOOD GOD MAN, IS THERE HOT WATER?!" with minimal intelligible response...yet you still somehow end up at the hostel, which not surprisingly, doesn't have hot water) Anyway, we get on the minibus and book it to the border. By booking it I mean stopping every 20 metres or so for the driver to yell out the window at who we could only suppose were his friends. Bizarre behaviour, but not as much as our driver in northern Laos who would stop at random intervals in our trip and hand out bags of unknown contents to seeming specific individuals chillin by the road. We could only assume he was Santa Claus.

At the border, which was pretty much a single deserted road except for a few huts to shelter border officials from the unforgiving sun, as we were getting in line for our departure stamps, our van (complete with our bags) peels out and leaves us in the dust. Apparently we have to walk the half kilometre to the ENTRY point of Cambodia. Feeling appropriately like sweaty, forlorn immigrants, we bumble down the road to wait in another line for more stamps. Yay.

Do we look like sweaty, forlorn immigrants? Survey says...yes.

OK, last bus! Even though our bags are spilling into the aisles a bit, there are enough seats for all of us! I sit down, and wonder which side of the road they drive on in Cambodia. Thailand is on the left, but Laos is on the right. As we start on down the road, I try to figure it out and have a good laugh at myself...we're in Asia, they drive in the MIDDLE of the road!

Off to Phnom Penh! Or so we think. Tire go boom! Whaaaat! 2.5 hours of tire fixing later, we're finally ready to hit up the capital of Cambodia! But in REALITY, we only get the bus to some craphole town in between, where half of the people are spending the night before heading off to Siem Reap, and we get the bus all to ourselves to rest of the way! NOT. We exit the bus too, and are told to bring our bags with us. "But why?", we ask. "Don't we take the bus from here??" "No no my friend," comes the reply, "You take minibus from here." Alright, whatev, just get me to Phnom Penh tonight!

The minibus pulls up, and we start to pile in. I laugh as I see the trunk, which couldn't fit 6 bags and still close properly. We had 14 bags. Half loaded up, we start to realize...we're not going to fit. There are only 11 seats. The Cambodian men have started to pile the bags hanging out of the back of this van, and roping them down, apparently planning to drive the remaining 2-3 hours with the back of the van hanging open. "In get in, I am sorry my friends, we are late today, I am sorry all of you!" repeats one man over and over. "We don't mind that it's late, we mind that it's small!" someone calls out. Despite our protests and attempts to get another van, we squish 3 extra people along the footspace at the front of the van. Comfy! As I settle in, I detect a distinct FISH odour lingering in the van, followed by a wave of poop and something suspiciously resembling dog urine. Dog specfically. Yum.

As the engine finally roars to life, the small crowd of people around the van (and probably laughing at the stupid farang inside) gets closer, and one woman points at the space near my feet, which consisted of just enough room for my feet (odd, isn't it?). Someone opens the door, and this woman starts to climb in. Seriously?? Another? On my feet?! I'm already on a makeshift seat with no back, and there are 3 Chileans crammed in the front of the van that smells like fish and poop! Now a Cambodian woman is sitting on my feet?!

Well it turns out she wanted to share half of my makeshift seat instead, which meant I got to sit on one buttcheek for 2 hours, tilted sideways to try to share some of kims backrest. Who called a trip to the chiro! Anyway, I don't want to complain, I did manage to put my head down on kim's back (she was sitting beside me, I dont know how that worked) for a few minutes, so all wasn't lost. Besides...if it isn't a good time, it's a good story!

It's amazing how you can become accustomed to the prices in a country. When once I spent $30 on a dorm room for one night freely, I now shudder at paying more than $5...for a private double room with bath. Meals over $3 frighten me. Beer over $2 (for 600 ml) is ridiculous, when in Germany we were ecstatic to find 500 ml beers for 2 euros. I have slept in a hostel for $1 a night (although that wasnt the cleanest place in the world...and their sink had nothing beneath it, so it was hilarious to watch unsuspecting people spit toothpaste all over their feet). In other news...

Cambodia is pretty much owned by Toyota. I thought it bizarre that on our busride into the city, I saw two green approximately '94 Camry LE's (Dad's baby back home) right behind each other. Imagine my amazement when we turn the corner and I see no less than SIX green approximately '94 Camry LE's all parked within 20 metres of each other! When I started counting on the streets, I would say about one in every three cars is a toyota, the vast majority of those camrys, followed distantly by corollas. Thankfully, they are not all green approximately '94 Camry LE's. But there are a LOT of them!

Alright see ya later! Pictures to come soon!

All hail our new elephant overlords!

Christmas: Nakhon Sawan. 25 degrees celsius. 3 hours north of Bangkok. Doesn't feel much like Christmas, except for the phone calls home. We buy an orange tree, and decorate it with ribbons and candy-cane striped wafer cookies. My gift was chocolate and beer (what more could I want?). Missi got a toothbrush and a jar of peanut butter. I have never seen anyone happier for a Christmas gift.

New Years: Chiang Mai. 20+ degrees celsius. 8 hours north of Bangkok. Still not that much of the holiday spirit in the air...maybe I'm waiting on the snow. Well it ain't comin here! Chiang Mai is supposed to be the New Years capital of Thailand. Dozens of young people pour into the city in the few days before the celebrations. Phew, we were getting worried.

Thousands of paper lanterns glitter like stars in the sky, as our friend (Sage aka Steak) adds stars of his own...that nearly blow up people nearby!

Us in a crowd of paper-lantern-lighters. Sorry the picture is sideways, and no, I'm not gonna fix it. =P

The rest of our time in Chiang Mai, the "Rose of the North" we spent on a few day trips. We headed up to Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle (the border junction of Laos, Thailand and Myanmar/Burma). We even managed to pull off a border run to Burma to extend our Thai visas so we could stick around for New Years...and Grandma was worried about us going to Cambodia!

Myanmar was interesting, what we saw of it, although we weren't allowed to enter very far. But from the moment you cross the border (and to be fair, even on the Thai side of the border), you can sense a great difference in cleanliness of the city, and poverty of the people. It is a terrible thing to watch children begging on the streets, some of them carrying their own siblings who are not much smaller than them on their backs.

On our return to Chiang Mai, we hit up a few night markets and FINALLY found some fried bugs...I had a few bees, some giant grasshoppers, a few different types of maggots, and a mother-huge water bug...they tasted like cold, fried crunchy things...not too bad! The maggots were my favorite. The thin crunchy ones at least.

A handful of tasty bugs to appease my appetite. I was hungry!

Waterbug as big as my tongue. I gotta say, his carapace was tough!

We did a trek up to see the hill tribes north of Chiang Mai as well, including a stop in to a village of the long neck people from Burma. It was kind of a sad situation because these people are such a tourist attraction for Thailand that they are issued work visas to live here outside of Burma, but they are constantly on display to gawking tourists with cameras and questions. Their culture is preserved, but is it worth the cost of being cooped up in a human zoo?

Their beautiful (but obviously carefully orchestrated) village rice paddies.

Our helpful and friendly driver Cha, showing us what the rings were like to wear. They're HEAVY!

One of the locals at work on her...loom?

The scarf I bought for momma! I hope she likes it!

My absorute FAVORITE daytrip of all was just outside Chiang Mai...to an ELEPHANT SHOW!! We actually woke up at 10 am on new years day, completely hung over and some of us were half dead. I rolled out of bed to find out if it was too late to catch the show. We had about 10 minutes to leave in time! Missi wasn't going to make it! Luckily our driver Cha came in and started shaking her and telling her to get ready, so she came after all! If you EVER get the chance to see an Elephant show: do it! They had these elephants doing things you would never expect. Prancing about, playing hula hoop, performing on harmonicas, playing soccer (there was even a GOALIE elephant!), painting pictures, beating human contenders at games of darts, and building walls with giant logs were only SOME of the feats performed! I was so astonished I couldn't even get pictures! (plus I was hung over, and pretty much thought we were in some kind of twilight zone where elephants could do the insane things they were doing)

Playful elephants bathing in the river. After this they sprayed the crowd with water at their Mahout's request. (The mahout is their human friend/rider/caregiver. The bond they share is incredible. Imagine having an ELEPHANT as your best friend!!).

Mahout and elephant showing off.

Wittle baby hula hoopin!

Elephant beating poor girl at dart throwing.

Big boy painting a masterpiece.

Recognize it, Richard??

Oh yes, these elephants are also polite.

Afterwards our driver showed us around to a less touristy spot where there was a momma and baby elephant! The cute little guy even wrapped his trunk around my hand! Awwwwww...

Thailand...through everyone's eyes but mine.

Unfortunately, waterproof cameras aren't completely waterproof after all...especially when you use them as paddles on day long river tubing expeditions...*ahem*Dennis*ahem*. Oh well, no big loss, that just means I don't need to carry a camera. =)

So here are some random pictures I found of our trip so far, hopefully with accompanying stories.

Bangkok:

Experiencing our first torrential downpour in China Town in Bangkok.

Good thing the poncho lady was around to sell us some 25 cent colour coordinated rainsuits!

Koh Samui:

A cool drink in a Canadian-imported-ice bar? Yes please!

Dennis zip-lining high up in the jungle treetops!

Koh Pha-Ngan:

Abominable-three-headed-mostly-leader-poncho-monster!

Full moon party...just believe me, everyone else was done up worse than that.

Return of the abominable-three-headed-mostly-leader-poncho-monster? Almost. Miles looks ready to play the part though.

Dancing our asses off til the sun came up...on the gay table? I didn't realize that at the time, for reals!

Khao Sok:

My favorite place we visited in Thailand. The family here was so kind and friendly, and the trips they took us on were so fun and adventurous, I could definitely see spending more time here! As Bao says "I have lots of land, you come and build bungalow and stay here with us." ...I just might!

Sabai and Bandau, two of the cutest kids I have ever seen. The family that owns Smiley's hostel and the hospitality they showed us was inspiring!

The kids playing in Halloween masks! Thanks Mom, they were put to good use!

A bit of a river tubing adventure...very chill! Except when Dennis biffed it on a tree branch and rolled down 20 metres of rocky rapids...all very hilarious from my position safely on top of my tube.

The family dog, Joe, came along with Missi as well. Why not, Thai dogs can do anything.

A cave expedition that has been closed for a year since 8 people died in it from flash flooding =(. We were the first group to go through it once it re-opened...that's encouraging! Bats, rats, and spiders the size of my hand! Wading through water that varied from knee deep to neck deep, climbing up and down waterfalls and through tiny crevices, so much fun!! But I still don't know how someone got this picture...creep.

Our fearless leader Miles doing what fearless leaders do. Off a waterfall.

The rafflesia, the biggest flower in the world, that only blooms for a week before dying, and only grows in certain parts of the forest...it was quite a trek to find them! Actually it's some kind of funghi, but who's counting.

A chameleon that Yaya, our jungle guide, caught off a tree. Actually, he leaped from tree to tree to catch it. Barefoot. In a jungle. On a hill. He then climbed about 10 metres up some vines and sat in a tree as we walked past. Jungle man.

Yaya, Gone and I just before leaving Smiley's =( Great guys! I'll be back to build a bungalow someday soon!

While in Khao Sok we also did some elephant trekking, got some awesome pictures of which I do not have at this moment. But as they become available I will post them =). (Done and done! New pics!)

Awesome ride, until our elephant started getting upset at the elephant behind him, rumbling like a small volcano and trumpeting LOUDLY. He then proceeded to 'gallop' a few hundred metres to the next elephant in line, while I held on for dear life.

Bath time! They were doing this as we were riding past on Mr. Elephant's friends.

Yum banana! 'Thanks, Ashley' says Mr. Elephant.

We also swung by a monkey temple on the way home from the elephant trek...I don't know why...nasty little things. It was pretty cool feeding them, but when they eat your french fries, bite you in the leg and chase your whole group off a beach, you start to change your mind...

Floating bunglaows on Cheow Lan Lake, surrounded by limestone cliffs! Breathtaking AND refreshing!

View from...the bathrooms? I don't know, I never went up there, I just went in the lake.

The longtail boats we took to and from pretty much everywhere over water. They were powered by converted car engines connected to a long shaft with a rotor on the end, and looked REAL fun to drive...

So Bao (from Smiley's bungalows) convinced the driver to give me a shot! Suh-weeeet! And I didn't even kill us all!

Railay:

Looking forward to doing some legendary climbing! Checkin out the routes.

Yup.

We spent a day at a school in Railay, playing with the kids, practicing their English, and donating towards a good cause! In the past few years, Free & Easy has donated enough to build a wall around the school to keep the neighbouring farm animals from wandering through the playground. Regardless, we did see several goats while playing musical chairs. =|

Koh Phi-Phi:

Pink party! One of the group themed-party nights. Note the sunburn to match the colour!

We were quite the spectacle walking the streets to get from bar to bar.

There was one bar that would give each contender (i.e. our friends) a free bucket of booze if they agreed to fight each other for a few minutes. Given that they were often usually really drunk to agree to do such a thing in the first place made it very entertaining.

Sheri and Katie duking it out. Err...maybe it's just Sheri duking it out.

Dennis and Lonnie had a go too.

Some of the best firedancing we saw all over Thailand was on Phi Phi! There are people inside those tornadoes of fire, trust me.

Koh Lanta:

I was running a fever almost the entire time we were on Koh Lanta, and I had a hole in my toe the size of a dime, yet Lanta remains one of my favorite places we've visited all over Thailand! For a few reasons...

#1, VOLLEYBALL! YES, beach volleyball right outside our bungalows! Unfortunately the court was on a 10 degree slope towards the ocean =|

#2, TING TONG BAR! (actually this is the #1 reason, but I'm too lazy to move the pictures around.) The coolest, most chilled out and friendly bar on the planet. The staff become your instant friends, and make you feel right at home. I promised I would come back to visit.

They also put on nightly fire shows, run by the staff themselves. Cool dudes.

Jappy, my good friend who works at the Ting Tong bar. I'll be back to get my revenge for throwing me in the pool on our pool party night!!

Koh Lipeh:

Beautiful beaches, crystal water, amazing snorkeling, scenic islands, and cultural longtail boats to take us anywhere we want to go!

Ruining nice photos...what I do best! Right mom? And what better place to do it than paradise! =D

Bangkok again:

Doing some touring in the countryside around Bangkok...this was a museum at the River Kwai. I might have been trying to make it look more exciting? I don't know, I was put on the spot.

My favourite exhibit: A wall of various countries' currencies used since the second world war. Check out the centre bill. No joke.

Koh Chang:

After the group left, and I got tired of the cold weather and prices in Hong Kong, I came back to join Elissa, Missi and Kim in Koh Chang. Yay ocean!

Renting bikes to get around the island and explore the hidden beaches and other gems around Koh Chang, "Elephant Island".

A jobber (aka super sketch?...I don't get it either...) bridge connecting the road to a really nice beach. AS I was commenting on it's sketchiness, and how best to manoeuver it's rickety planks, my foot bends and nearly breaks the plank at the spot I am standing, nearly plunging me 10 feet to an embarassing and wet landing below. Thai people were riding their motorbikes across this thing!

Beautiful sunset across the fisherman's village on Koh Chang. Our motorbike trek took us down a random side road, where we discovered a secluded fishing village complete with cozy market street that went all the way down the pier into the ocean! The view was incredible, imagine staying at those bungalows every night!

An awesome find floating in the ocean...dead squid! They feel funny. Smooches, anyone?

Ok, that's all I could find from various people's photos for now, but I am SURE there will be better ones popping up in the future which I will upload later. So until then, enjoy!