I'm sorry this update is so long in the making, but I've been in places where the internet is moody and the shopkeepers keep their hours short. Here it is, I'll try to remember everything as best I can:
Koh Tao - I did 5 dives all told. The first four were pretty but we didn't see anything super cool, but the last dive was a night dive and we saw all sorts of cool stuff. We tried to get a Barracuda to eat by shining a light on the fish it was near (apparently it hunts by our light) and that didn't work but still! Barracuda! We also saw some cool rays (one was pregnant) and some puffer fish (one was pregnant) and a cuttlefish and that was supercool. Anyway, the rest of our time in Koh Tao was spent either in the mercifully air conditioned room watching bad movies or at a bar on the beach, where we spent way too much money and ended up buying out own vodka/Sprite/Red Bull ingrediants and buying ice with a tip and making our own buckets. We got about 3 times the value. We're clever. Oh, and at one point I made a couple of poor choices and ended up walking back home over 2/3 of the island. On the plus side, while quite drunk, I made a grand total of 0 wrong turns, and actually beat Rob and Greg home. To their credit, this was likely because they were looking for me and also because they found another bar. Onwards.
Koh Phagnan - Now, you have to understand, we went to Koh Phagnan for one reason alone: It was the full moon, and, as such, the Full Moon Party, which is infamous around Thailand. The rest of our stay there pretty much consisted of buying enough dice to play that crazy game from Pirates of the Caribbean 2. Now the FMP was flat out nuts. We tried not to lose each other, but you have to understand that there were like 10,000 people on this beach, pretty much all our age range, and most of them covered in flourescent war paint (which, by the way, does not come out in the wash). We lost each other, but it was a pretty amazing experience nonetheless. There were endless amounts of clubs pumping out music, and your choices were to a) dance or, b) if you don't like the music, walk 100 feet in either direction down the beach and repeat the choice. People were passed out on the beach everywhere, and people were moving them out of the way so they wouldn't get trampled. I got shoved in the ocean at one point and my ฿80 (CA$<3) flip-flops tore, so I had to go it barefoot for a while. The whole thing was really indescribable. Once you realize that pushing through crowds for kilometers at a time to try and find two guys, only one of which has a solid distinguishing feature (dreads), is a waste of time, you can just kind of get into it. It's surreal.
Krabi - Now, just as the only reason we went to Koh Phagnan was the FMP, the only reason we went to Krabi was to climb on Railay beach. Beautiful area, nice red soil where we did most of our climbing. We got rained on HARD one day, it was our first real rainstorm. It was kind of cool, we just chilled in the ocean until it passed. It's amazing how much Greg and I have picked up in a few days of climbing, and it really came together here. We both successfully led a 6A (French system) and attempted to lead 6A+ and 6B climbs, but we got our asses pretty kicked by those. Rob managed the 6A+ but that 6B took up most of our last day and it chewed us up and spit us out. I think we all feel pretty good about our climbing right now, and I have the scrapes and bruises to prove it. At night, we pretty much just found a restaurant and ate, sat until we were hungry again, and ate more. We then went to sleep watching the French Open. Oh and, Josh, I finally read The Rule of Four (Dustin Thomason & Ian Caldwell, highly recommended). Rob will (and might be already) be posting more pictures, so I will be on a tagging spree soon on facebook. Check them out.
Just got back into Bangkok, nothing really left to do but send Rob off to India and shop. Anyone want anything in particular (fake brand name gear, bootleg DVDs or TV series) let me know post-haste. See everyone soon!
-P
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Patrick cooks, shops, and travels south
Ok, so this computer is a bitch. Wow that feels good to get off my chest.
Where were we? I actually don't completely remember, but I think it was the day of the cooking class. Yes, that sounds right. I can't check previous entries because, as I mentioned, this computer is a bitch.
We took a big nap that day and ate way too much at the cooking class. It was cool though we learned to make some neat stuff and got a recipe book and a diploma. The instructor's name was 'Meow'. The next day we went to a cool temple and I got another cool painting that was similar to one I had already bought, but for like 60% of the price. Which is an interesting feeling, because a part of me is like 'Wow I must be getting better at this bartering thing', and another part of me is going 'Wow did I get fleeced the first time'. Regardless.
It was our last night in Chiang Mei and we also were going climbing early the next morning, so we got a headstart by playing Sociables with giant bottles of 6.4% Thai beer. Went on to Mojitos, and a few Tequila drinks before retiring to the 24hr restaurant (the one we swore never to go to again) and got (surprise!) terrible service. There was, however, and Al Pacino movie on.
The next morning we went climbing with Amber and Abby (see pictures) one last time and I did some lead climbing and it was really cool. There's a lot more good pictures of me climbing, but we aren't uploading yet. I think I'm getting better at climbing. So we biked back into town and got bus tickets back to Bangkok and then had a minor problem returning the bikes. They were closed and had my passport as collateral, so we had to pull a few strings, but Greg came through. We had our last meal in Chiang Mei (I had a hot dog, the boys had burgers) (you get sick of Thai food faster than you'd think) and hit the bus to Bangkok.
Our one day in Bangkok was quite eventful, with everyone (esp. Rob) dropping a little more coin than anticipated, but it was worthwhile, I think. We got measured for suits (I'm getting 2, one business, one casual) and then did some shopping. I got another pair of shorts, which means I should not run out of clothes for the rest of the trip, and I also got a cool little lighter slash metal billfold that I will use for work. Rob got... wow. Lots. Carved wooden elepants, oversized cigarette lighters, oversized duffel bags, large amounts of Thai silk, a pretty knife etc. He also decided that we were going for a tuktuk (mini 3-wheeled less-than-reputable taxi) ride around for like 2 hours (they take you to places that will give them gas coupons if they bring you, so if you have no destination, they will take you for cheap) that eventually would give shape to the entire rest of our trip. We ended up at a tourist info centre, and the guy there organized and booked the rest of our stay until we arrive back in Bangkok on June 7. This is how it shakes down: 5 nights on Koh Tao, 2 or 3 (i forget) on Koh Pagnan (sp?) and then a few days in Krabi, with all accommodation, transportation, and breakfast booked and paid for.
We are now in Koh Tao, the diving haven of Thailand, and the resort so far (been here 2/3 hrs) looks incredible. The deal we got was pretty amazing, I now realize, after seeing the prices of staying around here. A/C, colour TV, ensuite. It's amazing. The dives are a pretty good deal too. If you do 10 or more than they're ฿700 each, which is ~CA$23 each, so I might be doing a few dives here. Greg, I think, is doing his open water, and Rob and I might start with a night dive tonight. Love night dives. That's all from here. The feedback on the hair has been 100% positive so far, which I didn't really expect. Rob's is batting about .500, and I thought those numbers would be closer to reversed. Elephant pictures as well as all videos will have to wait until either we can find a cord that fits Greg's camera, or until we return to Canada. Apologies.
-P
Where were we? I actually don't completely remember, but I think it was the day of the cooking class. Yes, that sounds right. I can't check previous entries because, as I mentioned, this computer is a bitch.
We took a big nap that day and ate way too much at the cooking class. It was cool though we learned to make some neat stuff and got a recipe book and a diploma. The instructor's name was 'Meow'. The next day we went to a cool temple and I got another cool painting that was similar to one I had already bought, but for like 60% of the price. Which is an interesting feeling, because a part of me is like 'Wow I must be getting better at this bartering thing', and another part of me is going 'Wow did I get fleeced the first time'. Regardless.
It was our last night in Chiang Mei and we also were going climbing early the next morning, so we got a headstart by playing Sociables with giant bottles of 6.4% Thai beer. Went on to Mojitos, and a few Tequila drinks before retiring to the 24hr restaurant (the one we swore never to go to again) and got (surprise!) terrible service. There was, however, and Al Pacino movie on.
The next morning we went climbing with Amber and Abby (see pictures) one last time and I did some lead climbing and it was really cool. There's a lot more good pictures of me climbing, but we aren't uploading yet. I think I'm getting better at climbing. So we biked back into town and got bus tickets back to Bangkok and then had a minor problem returning the bikes. They were closed and had my passport as collateral, so we had to pull a few strings, but Greg came through. We had our last meal in Chiang Mei (I had a hot dog, the boys had burgers) (you get sick of Thai food faster than you'd think) and hit the bus to Bangkok.
Our one day in Bangkok was quite eventful, with everyone (esp. Rob) dropping a little more coin than anticipated, but it was worthwhile, I think. We got measured for suits (I'm getting 2, one business, one casual) and then did some shopping. I got another pair of shorts, which means I should not run out of clothes for the rest of the trip, and I also got a cool little lighter slash metal billfold that I will use for work. Rob got... wow. Lots. Carved wooden elepants, oversized cigarette lighters, oversized duffel bags, large amounts of Thai silk, a pretty knife etc. He also decided that we were going for a tuktuk (mini 3-wheeled less-than-reputable taxi) ride around for like 2 hours (they take you to places that will give them gas coupons if they bring you, so if you have no destination, they will take you for cheap) that eventually would give shape to the entire rest of our trip. We ended up at a tourist info centre, and the guy there organized and booked the rest of our stay until we arrive back in Bangkok on June 7. This is how it shakes down: 5 nights on Koh Tao, 2 or 3 (i forget) on Koh Pagnan (sp?) and then a few days in Krabi, with all accommodation, transportation, and breakfast booked and paid for.
We are now in Koh Tao, the diving haven of Thailand, and the resort so far (been here 2/3 hrs) looks incredible. The deal we got was pretty amazing, I now realize, after seeing the prices of staying around here. A/C, colour TV, ensuite. It's amazing. The dives are a pretty good deal too. If you do 10 or more than they're ฿700 each, which is ~CA$23 each, so I might be doing a few dives here. Greg, I think, is doing his open water, and Rob and I might start with a night dive tonight. Love night dives. That's all from here. The feedback on the hair has been 100% positive so far, which I didn't really expect. Rob's is batting about .500, and I thought those numbers would be closer to reversed. Elephant pictures as well as all videos will have to wait until either we can find a cord that fits Greg's camera, or until we return to Canada. Apologies.
-P
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Patrick climbs some more, is lazy
Quick update, as I have some excess computer time. We've been mostly lazy for the last few days. On the day after climbing we uploaded all those pictures and then wandered around, (found a place that makes great mojitos) and then hit the night market for a little while and picked up a few Chelsea jerseys. Now I'm not a huge Chelsea fan, but they're a hell of a lot better than Man U, so we went with them. We watched the FA cup final in a restaurant (with a sign outside that says 'The 2nd Best Pizza in Chiang Mei' but Rob didn't feel so good (ate too much was his excuse) so it was just me and Greg, but we were the only 2 Chelsea fans in the place, so when they scored the winner in overtime, we made a small scene. The rest of the place was silent. It was pretty cool.
The next day we had another lazy day. We went to the Sunday markets, which are huge, and had lunch at a place where we were the only white folks. Me and Greg used the Thai menu to order and just prayed. He got shrimp and cashews in sauce and I got fried fish. It wasn't that hot. We then watched 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch', which was recommended by one of the girls we met. It was an interesting film.
The next day we went climbing again, and did a lot more routes, and some tougher ones too. It was a lot of fun. We took the bikes out again. They're just so useful, but mine ran out of gas this morning ( I HAD to push it) and Rob had to run and get me some with a jerry can. Tonight we are taking a cooking class, but, until then, we are just being lazy again. We will leave Chiang Mei soon and head south to the Krabi/Phuket area.
I was considering starting a tattoo idea contest, but I figured some might use it to take advantage of my Father's state of mind, so I'll hold off.
Cheers!
-P
The next day we had another lazy day. We went to the Sunday markets, which are huge, and had lunch at a place where we were the only white folks. Me and Greg used the Thai menu to order and just prayed. He got shrimp and cashews in sauce and I got fried fish. It wasn't that hot. We then watched 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch', which was recommended by one of the girls we met. It was an interesting film.
The next day we went climbing again, and did a lot more routes, and some tougher ones too. It was a lot of fun. We took the bikes out again. They're just so useful, but mine ran out of gas this morning ( I HAD to push it) and Rob had to run and get me some with a jerry can. Tonight we are taking a cooking class, but, until then, we are just being lazy again. We will leave Chiang Mei soon and head south to the Krabi/Phuket area.
I was considering starting a tattoo idea contest, but I figured some might use it to take advantage of my Father's state of mind, so I'll hold off.
Cheers!
-P
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Patrick treks, drinks, and rock climbs
NOTE: Pictures are now officially online. You can see all of them on Robert Barchard's facebook.
http://ualberta.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2173&l=8ee03&id=513382117
and
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2176&l=b9969&id=513382117
Sorry, no elephant photos yet.
OK, where did I leave off? I think the last blog was the day we got into Chiang Mei. So... what else did we do that day? We played in the pool and started drinking early, got some details for a climbing adventure that we're planning to go on. Then we ate and headed to the night market to do some shopping before going to a Thai Boxing match.
Shopping was a wild success, with me buying a Rolex that keeps good time for an excellent price, and I also bought a carved frog with a stick that you rub on it's spikes and it sounds like a cricket. Greg officially made the worst deal of the trip when he bought his poncho. He made an opening offer of ฿100, which the man quickly accepted. We found the same poncho at another market later MARKED at ฿15.
Anyway, the Thai Boxing match was really ridiculous. We got there early and got ringside seats (I could reach the ropes) and sat and had some buckets and played the connect 4 game provided for us while we waited. Now, these buckets were pretty strong, and they hit me pretty quick. I certainly didn't realize I was as drunk as I was, but all I said (screamed) for the next oh... 2 hours or so was one of the following:
1) You're my boy, blue! (we were in the blue corner)
2) Who is this guy?
3)He's got nothing!
Generally in that order. I was out on the table by the fifth fight, and Greg and Rob, who were apparently aware that they were not far behind me, smartly got us a ride home. Somehow, the only thing I lost was the stick that makes the frog sound like a cricket. So we weren't as chipper as we would have liked for the trek the next morning, but it was still a hell of a lot of fun.
We got to sit on the roof of the truck for some of the ride up, and then went on foot to the village we stayed the night at. I bought some ridiculous hats at one of the stops in a 45-minute bartering showdown with the woman. I won. The first walk was a tough one, as most of them were through the trek, lasting hours with a lot of up and down steep slopes. Rob and Greg are uploading the pictures and videos as we speak, and there's one pretty good one of me trying to slide down a steep slope and stay on my feet. I don't want to ruin the ending, but I fall. The village was cool, we ate traditional food and watched a pig get slaughtered. Grusome. Video of that too. And then there was some Thai dancing by the village's children and then we slept on mats on the floor with no pillows.
The next day we trekked until we got to the elephant place and then we rode the elephants! Me and Rob got the big one; he was named Mai. We sat on his neck and he had prickly hair and tried to pull our shoes off with his trunk. He was cool. And then we switched who was riding and we got to play with the little elephants. There is also a video of me trying to stand my ground against a two-year-old elephant. I don't want to ruin the ending, but I fail quite quickly. The baby was so cute. At one point, he tried to get a running start up a hill and didn't quite make it so I tried to help, but he was quite heavy. That night, we played cards and a local guy did some tricks for us. On the last day of the trek, we rafted on a bamboo raft and steered it with poles down a river. I was a rudder. It was really cool, at times it got going pretty fast. At one point, there was a tree across the river about three inches out of the water, and we had to, one by one, jump over it. We succeeded. It was so cool.
After we got back and showered, everyone from the trek went out for dinner and drinking and dancing. At one of the clubs, they have washroom attendants that don't like... help you wash your hands, instead they crack your back and neck and massage your arms and legs. There's like 5 of them, it's pretty amazing. I gave them a tip and they were very surprised. Anyway, Rob lost his sandals at one bar and then later decided to go back to try and find them. There was a miscommunication somewhere, and I didn't know why they had left, and, when I couldn't find them, left to walk some of our friends home, and then went back to the hostel. They weren't there, and so, after waiting for a while, I just crashed on one of our friend from the trek's bed. We were unimpressed with each other until it was cleared up.
Today, we rented motorbikes and went out to a rock climbing area a little ways outside the city. It was pretty fun; we only did one climb, but it was a good level. We got nasty sunburns from riding the bikes, though. They're pretty nice, though. They got to 100kph in 3rd gear.
Oh, and yesterday we sent our laundry in to a laundrey service and they told us it would be done at 8 that night. It wasn't; we were told to come back the next morning. It still wasn't ready, so we had to wait a full 24 hours for them to do our laundry. We were unimpressed.
We are possibly going climbing again tomorrow, but, more likely, we will just have a day to chill. We haven't really done that yet. We might do some whitewater rafting as well while we're in Chiang Mei.
Regarding the tattoos, yes, there are some sketchy places to get them, but there's one on Khoasan rd in Bangkok that follows European sanitation standards, opens needles in front of you, and uses liquid ink, so I feel safe getting one there.
Will keep you updated. Write to me too!
-P
http://ualberta.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2173&l=8ee03&id=513382117
and
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2176&l=b9969&id=513382117
Sorry, no elephant photos yet.
OK, where did I leave off? I think the last blog was the day we got into Chiang Mei. So... what else did we do that day? We played in the pool and started drinking early, got some details for a climbing adventure that we're planning to go on. Then we ate and headed to the night market to do some shopping before going to a Thai Boxing match.
Shopping was a wild success, with me buying a Rolex that keeps good time for an excellent price, and I also bought a carved frog with a stick that you rub on it's spikes and it sounds like a cricket. Greg officially made the worst deal of the trip when he bought his poncho. He made an opening offer of ฿100, which the man quickly accepted. We found the same poncho at another market later MARKED at ฿15.
Anyway, the Thai Boxing match was really ridiculous. We got there early and got ringside seats (I could reach the ropes) and sat and had some buckets and played the connect 4 game provided for us while we waited. Now, these buckets were pretty strong, and they hit me pretty quick. I certainly didn't realize I was as drunk as I was, but all I said (screamed) for the next oh... 2 hours or so was one of the following:
1) You're my boy, blue! (we were in the blue corner)
2) Who is this guy?
3)He's got nothing!
Generally in that order. I was out on the table by the fifth fight, and Greg and Rob, who were apparently aware that they were not far behind me, smartly got us a ride home. Somehow, the only thing I lost was the stick that makes the frog sound like a cricket. So we weren't as chipper as we would have liked for the trek the next morning, but it was still a hell of a lot of fun.
We got to sit on the roof of the truck for some of the ride up, and then went on foot to the village we stayed the night at. I bought some ridiculous hats at one of the stops in a 45-minute bartering showdown with the woman. I won. The first walk was a tough one, as most of them were through the trek, lasting hours with a lot of up and down steep slopes. Rob and Greg are uploading the pictures and videos as we speak, and there's one pretty good one of me trying to slide down a steep slope and stay on my feet. I don't want to ruin the ending, but I fall. The village was cool, we ate traditional food and watched a pig get slaughtered. Grusome. Video of that too. And then there was some Thai dancing by the village's children and then we slept on mats on the floor with no pillows.
The next day we trekked until we got to the elephant place and then we rode the elephants! Me and Rob got the big one; he was named Mai. We sat on his neck and he had prickly hair and tried to pull our shoes off with his trunk. He was cool. And then we switched who was riding and we got to play with the little elephants. There is also a video of me trying to stand my ground against a two-year-old elephant. I don't want to ruin the ending, but I fail quite quickly. The baby was so cute. At one point, he tried to get a running start up a hill and didn't quite make it so I tried to help, but he was quite heavy. That night, we played cards and a local guy did some tricks for us. On the last day of the trek, we rafted on a bamboo raft and steered it with poles down a river. I was a rudder. It was really cool, at times it got going pretty fast. At one point, there was a tree across the river about three inches out of the water, and we had to, one by one, jump over it. We succeeded. It was so cool.
After we got back and showered, everyone from the trek went out for dinner and drinking and dancing. At one of the clubs, they have washroom attendants that don't like... help you wash your hands, instead they crack your back and neck and massage your arms and legs. There's like 5 of them, it's pretty amazing. I gave them a tip and they were very surprised. Anyway, Rob lost his sandals at one bar and then later decided to go back to try and find them. There was a miscommunication somewhere, and I didn't know why they had left, and, when I couldn't find them, left to walk some of our friends home, and then went back to the hostel. They weren't there, and so, after waiting for a while, I just crashed on one of our friend from the trek's bed. We were unimpressed with each other until it was cleared up.
Today, we rented motorbikes and went out to a rock climbing area a little ways outside the city. It was pretty fun; we only did one climb, but it was a good level. We got nasty sunburns from riding the bikes, though. They're pretty nice, though. They got to 100kph in 3rd gear.
Oh, and yesterday we sent our laundry in to a laundrey service and they told us it would be done at 8 that night. It wasn't; we were told to come back the next morning. It still wasn't ready, so we had to wait a full 24 hours for them to do our laundry. We were unimpressed.
We are possibly going climbing again tomorrow, but, more likely, we will just have a day to chill. We haven't really done that yet. We might do some whitewater rafting as well while we're in Chiang Mei.
Regarding the tattoos, yes, there are some sketchy places to get them, but there's one on Khoasan rd in Bangkok that follows European sanitation standards, opens needles in front of you, and uses liquid ink, so I feel safe getting one there.
Will keep you updated. Write to me too!
-P
Monday, May 14, 2007
Patrick goes to Thailand, shaves head.
As per request, I have fired up the ol' travel blog again. No need to thank me, just knowing I have a strong reader base is thanks enough.
Anyway, we've apparently only been in Thailand for three days, but it feels like a hell of a lot longer. For those of you who aren't up to date, I am with my friends Rob and Greg and we will be here for a month.
The trip over was mostly uneventful. Greg almost created havoc when it was discovered that his passport expires 5 DAYS after we were scheduled to return. Most countries? This would be a big deal. Thailand? No problem. Anyway, the flight to Japan was killer long. We played gin (card game) to 1000. (That's a lot) And we drank until Greg fell asleep. Some Japanese girls wanted a picture of us. We think it was because we are sexy. Really, there is no other logical conclusion. In Japan we got McDonalds. The Coke tasted funny. And then we went to Thailand.
We got in at like 9 15 and got through customs with a disinterested wave of the hand from the guy at the declarations desk. You learn quickly in Thailand that they don't care about much. I managed to decipher our location in the city using a crappy map and street signs that were spelled differently from the street names on said map. I was pretty impressed. So we went for a walk to try to find Rob (he was there 2 days before us. He also spent more on a cab ride in Tokyo on his layover than on his first WEEK here. Mindboggling. Check his blog; linked) and instead found countless prostitutes encircling a park. The sign at the place we were staying implored us to not bring one (or more) back to the rooms (they insisted it was for our own safety), and we begrudgingly obliged. We were tired anyway. We woke up Rob at his room the next morning after what was apparently (and surprisingly) a long night of drinking. He was happy to see us anyway.
We wandered for a while, and then we met up with a couple British guys he had met the night before and went to the 'Weekend Market', where we dropped a surprisingly small amout of money on such quality brand names as Gucci, Diesel, Billabong, and Oakley. We all mean to find a Rolex by the trip's end too, but all the ones we found are surprisingly poor at keeping time. We have penned a strongly worded letter to the people at Rolex and have yet to receive a response. For those of you who don't know, I packed 3 pair of underwear, 1 pair of shorts and 1 t-shirt. I wore 1 pear of jeans and 1 t-shirt and also, after long debate, a pair of underwear as well. I had to shop fast.
We returned to the area near our room, and decided to try the infamous Thai 'Buckets', which consist of Red Bull (which you can buy, uncarbonated, for CA$0.33 a bottle), Coke and a liquor of your choice. The original is with Sangrsom (sp?) whiskey, but we only had one of those. It's tough to fight down, especially at the end after no one warned you that the whiskey would float. So we moved on to Bacardi rum instead, and had a little too much, especially for the sunburned Rob, so we went back to the room for a nap before going out that night. The nap ran a little longer than scheduled, ending at 1 30 AM, so we hit a 24hr restaurant and then went online for a couple hours before playing cards until daybreak. (I am up 600 baht, which sounds impressive, so I son't convert that for you)
We then checked out and booked a bus to Chiang Mai, and then proceeded to have my head shaved. Rob has pictures, but he can't upload them yet. Until we find a USB port. We then got massages (legitamate!) and relaxed by the pool for a while, before doing some more shopping. (I am up to 4 t-shirts, 1 peasant shirt and 4 pairs of shorts, along with sandals and sunglasses) We headed to the Grand Palace, but, because we couldn't get in (short pants) we just took shots from afar. And on the way we were harassed (anyone who has dealt with vendors in Mexico etc. understands harassment, but this was really off the charts) to feed the pigeons corn for good luck. Now, I'm all for good luck, but this corn must have been genetically modified in some way to make it awesome, because the price was higher than I had expected. Anyway, we took the 12 hour bus ride to Chiang Mai, and now we have booked a 3-day 'trek' that involves riding elepants. I don't really know what else, but I was sold on elephants. There appears to be tons to do in this city, so we may be here for a while. Also, the place we are staying at runs us CA%3.33 a night per person, so we are in no rush to leave. Oh, and we get to watch Thai boxing tonight. Ringside!
Things to do before we leave: Get tailored suits, get acupuncture, get a tattoo. Don't worry Dad, it'll be tasteful. And big! They're cheap here.
Will keep you updated.
-P
Anyway, we've apparently only been in Thailand for three days, but it feels like a hell of a lot longer. For those of you who aren't up to date, I am with my friends Rob and Greg and we will be here for a month.
The trip over was mostly uneventful. Greg almost created havoc when it was discovered that his passport expires 5 DAYS after we were scheduled to return. Most countries? This would be a big deal. Thailand? No problem. Anyway, the flight to Japan was killer long. We played gin (card game) to 1000. (That's a lot) And we drank until Greg fell asleep. Some Japanese girls wanted a picture of us. We think it was because we are sexy. Really, there is no other logical conclusion. In Japan we got McDonalds. The Coke tasted funny. And then we went to Thailand.
We got in at like 9 15 and got through customs with a disinterested wave of the hand from the guy at the declarations desk. You learn quickly in Thailand that they don't care about much. I managed to decipher our location in the city using a crappy map and street signs that were spelled differently from the street names on said map. I was pretty impressed. So we went for a walk to try to find Rob (he was there 2 days before us. He also spent more on a cab ride in Tokyo on his layover than on his first WEEK here. Mindboggling. Check his blog; linked) and instead found countless prostitutes encircling a park. The sign at the place we were staying implored us to not bring one (or more) back to the rooms (they insisted it was for our own safety), and we begrudgingly obliged. We were tired anyway. We woke up Rob at his room the next morning after what was apparently (and surprisingly) a long night of drinking. He was happy to see us anyway.
We wandered for a while, and then we met up with a couple British guys he had met the night before and went to the 'Weekend Market', where we dropped a surprisingly small amout of money on such quality brand names as Gucci, Diesel, Billabong, and Oakley. We all mean to find a Rolex by the trip's end too, but all the ones we found are surprisingly poor at keeping time. We have penned a strongly worded letter to the people at Rolex and have yet to receive a response. For those of you who don't know, I packed 3 pair of underwear, 1 pair of shorts and 1 t-shirt. I wore 1 pear of jeans and 1 t-shirt and also, after long debate, a pair of underwear as well. I had to shop fast.
We returned to the area near our room, and decided to try the infamous Thai 'Buckets', which consist of Red Bull (which you can buy, uncarbonated, for CA$0.33 a bottle), Coke and a liquor of your choice. The original is with Sangrsom (sp?) whiskey, but we only had one of those. It's tough to fight down, especially at the end after no one warned you that the whiskey would float. So we moved on to Bacardi rum instead, and had a little too much, especially for the sunburned Rob, so we went back to the room for a nap before going out that night. The nap ran a little longer than scheduled, ending at 1 30 AM, so we hit a 24hr restaurant and then went online for a couple hours before playing cards until daybreak. (I am up 600 baht, which sounds impressive, so I son't convert that for you)
We then checked out and booked a bus to Chiang Mai, and then proceeded to have my head shaved. Rob has pictures, but he can't upload them yet. Until we find a USB port. We then got massages (legitamate!) and relaxed by the pool for a while, before doing some more shopping. (I am up to 4 t-shirts, 1 peasant shirt and 4 pairs of shorts, along with sandals and sunglasses) We headed to the Grand Palace, but, because we couldn't get in (short pants) we just took shots from afar. And on the way we were harassed (anyone who has dealt with vendors in Mexico etc. understands harassment, but this was really off the charts) to feed the pigeons corn for good luck. Now, I'm all for good luck, but this corn must have been genetically modified in some way to make it awesome, because the price was higher than I had expected. Anyway, we took the 12 hour bus ride to Chiang Mai, and now we have booked a 3-day 'trek' that involves riding elepants. I don't really know what else, but I was sold on elephants. There appears to be tons to do in this city, so we may be here for a while. Also, the place we are staying at runs us CA%3.33 a night per person, so we are in no rush to leave. Oh, and we get to watch Thai boxing tonight. Ringside!
Things to do before we leave: Get tailored suits, get acupuncture, get a tattoo. Don't worry Dad, it'll be tasteful. And big! They're cheap here.
Will keep you updated.
-P
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Patrick travels home
I would first like to make it perfectly clear that I am only updating because Shannon has asked me to. I'm part of her 'daily reading', and I guess the little journalist inside me has been goaded into at least one more post.
Ah, the trip home. The train was good, I charged through a Grisham, and then had a kebab (Australian version of Donair, and much inferior) and crashed on the airport floor. Slept sparingly, and was sat on the airplane beside a clearly terrified six-year-old child. I was about to request ear plugs and sedatives, but the flight attendant asked me if I was willing to move to allow the child's mother to sit with it. They thanked me profusely for moving, and I thanked them silently for the same thing. I was sat next to two girls a few years older than me from Calgary and Vancouver respectively, and we swapped stories from our (similar) trips. All of us liked Perth the best out of all the cities. All of us stayed at the same hostel in Melbourne. We told each other our life stories and expressed our amazement at how much more open our lives had become so much more of an open book, and agreed that this was because of our desire to connect with people. We both had plenty of people whose names we knew, that we went drinking with once, or had played cards with at a hostel, or worked with. People that we will never see again; people that only were a part of our lives out of our communal need for social interaction, yet none of us could name more than four or five people that we would make a conscienscious effort to keep in touch with. Not really a revelation, but kind of a bittersweet finish to the trip. It was very unlike Cuba or Mexico, where you were corralled for the majority of the time on a boat or in a resort, and you made friends with the people who looked closest to your age and your attitude.
Anyway, we watched The Illusionist and tried to watch a couple others, (My Super Ex-Girlfriend, one that I forget) but we were all tired and reading good books, and so, after an extended stay in Honolulu (3h instead of 1) we popped some sleeping pills. Apparently they didn't work on the girls, but I was out like a light. Perhaps it was the red wine...
Anyway, woke up and sprinted through customs and waited anxiously for my bag and sprinted to make a connection that I had 5 minutes to make, and then got there, only to realize that the flight was delayed another hor and a half, and relaxed. And let me tell you, after Sydney -> Honolulu -> Vancouver, a Vancouver -> Edmonton flight is a breath of fresh air.
I will post another about my first week home soon, but right now I am being summoned to help with dinner.
Until then!
-P
Ah, the trip home. The train was good, I charged through a Grisham, and then had a kebab (Australian version of Donair, and much inferior) and crashed on the airport floor. Slept sparingly, and was sat on the airplane beside a clearly terrified six-year-old child. I was about to request ear plugs and sedatives, but the flight attendant asked me if I was willing to move to allow the child's mother to sit with it. They thanked me profusely for moving, and I thanked them silently for the same thing. I was sat next to two girls a few years older than me from Calgary and Vancouver respectively, and we swapped stories from our (similar) trips. All of us liked Perth the best out of all the cities. All of us stayed at the same hostel in Melbourne. We told each other our life stories and expressed our amazement at how much more open our lives had become so much more of an open book, and agreed that this was because of our desire to connect with people. We both had plenty of people whose names we knew, that we went drinking with once, or had played cards with at a hostel, or worked with. People that we will never see again; people that only were a part of our lives out of our communal need for social interaction, yet none of us could name more than four or five people that we would make a conscienscious effort to keep in touch with. Not really a revelation, but kind of a bittersweet finish to the trip. It was very unlike Cuba or Mexico, where you were corralled for the majority of the time on a boat or in a resort, and you made friends with the people who looked closest to your age and your attitude.
Anyway, we watched The Illusionist and tried to watch a couple others, (My Super Ex-Girlfriend, one that I forget) but we were all tired and reading good books, and so, after an extended stay in Honolulu (3h instead of 1) we popped some sleeping pills. Apparently they didn't work on the girls, but I was out like a light. Perhaps it was the red wine...
Anyway, woke up and sprinted through customs and waited anxiously for my bag and sprinted to make a connection that I had 5 minutes to make, and then got there, only to realize that the flight was delayed another hor and a half, and relaxed. And let me tell you, after Sydney -> Honolulu -> Vancouver, a Vancouver -> Edmonton flight is a breath of fresh air.
I will post another about my first week home soon, but right now I am being summoned to help with dinner.
Until then!
-P
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Patrick is coming home soon
Well, it's pretty much the end of the trip.
It's my last night in Melbourne and I get to spend all day on the train tomorrow (which means that I won't be able to follow the football games, but someone cheer the Pats and Saints for me) and then I have an early flight on Tuesday back home. I will, strangely, land in Edmonton only a couple of hours after leaving Australia. I get the sense that it will feel like longer.
Over the last week here in Melbourne, I have been lazy, but good-lazy, not feel-like-I-wasted-a-week lazy. I have gotten the drunkest I have been on this vacation (Thursday, off 4 litres of boxed wine that cost $6. Wine which contained traces of fish, milk, egg and nuts, apparently) and spend a night with Leah and Brittney at the casino and out across the river watching the gondolas row by and seeing the pillars in front of the casino spout bursts of fire, which they do every hour. Kind of reminds me of the Silver City dragon. I went to a day of the Australian Open with Raf and we saw Roddick beat Safin in a great match. I played a lot of cards, a lot of drinking games, and caught another movie. I had the majority of the hostel playing 'trapped'. We had to use seven decks at one point. I spent a little extra at the grocery store and made myself some nicer meals. Pork chops with mashed potatoes and gravy. Beef stir-fry. Met some new friends, including a couple of Irish girls that could drink me under the table with stunning ease. I mean, I know I've lost some of my drink-holding ability, but it was a little bit humiliating. Played a couple of poker tournaments in the hostel. There's some Americans and Canadians here now, which is new, as December was a month of British accents and German dialects. So, all in all, it was a good week.
Tonight is movie night, and I lucked into becoming close with the guy who picks the movies, and I talked him into The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine and Kenny. Well, Kenny was his choice. And there will be pizza, so I think it's a good way to go out. I was thinking of going out in a blaze of alcohol-induced fire, but a hangover on the train doesn't sound too appealing, and I went pretty hard last night anyway. This will probably be my last post from Australia. I might throw one more on once I get home just to chronicle the trip back, and I might even keep some sort of life diary going, but I somehow doubt that I will maintain the upkeep.
It's very bittersweet coming home. I'm pretty much flat broke, so, in that sense, it's a welcome idea. I don't fancy heading out and looking for work in Australia again, especially if, as Leah promises me, the job market at restaurants in Edmonton is still as green as it was when I left. I will certainly miss some people and make a conscious effort to keep in contact with them, and I know I will miss the weather (although this last week has been truly terrible. Rained out a few days of the Open) and I'm certainly excited to see everyone in Edmonton.
I'll look you all up when I get back, unless you look me up first. There was even talk of a coming-home party, but you'll have to talk to my Dad. He seems to be running the show.
See you all (really, really) soon!
Cheers. And g'day.
-P
It's my last night in Melbourne and I get to spend all day on the train tomorrow (which means that I won't be able to follow the football games, but someone cheer the Pats and Saints for me) and then I have an early flight on Tuesday back home. I will, strangely, land in Edmonton only a couple of hours after leaving Australia. I get the sense that it will feel like longer.
Over the last week here in Melbourne, I have been lazy, but good-lazy, not feel-like-I-wasted-a-week lazy. I have gotten the drunkest I have been on this vacation (Thursday, off 4 litres of boxed wine that cost $6. Wine which contained traces of fish, milk, egg and nuts, apparently) and spend a night with Leah and Brittney at the casino and out across the river watching the gondolas row by and seeing the pillars in front of the casino spout bursts of fire, which they do every hour. Kind of reminds me of the Silver City dragon. I went to a day of the Australian Open with Raf and we saw Roddick beat Safin in a great match. I played a lot of cards, a lot of drinking games, and caught another movie. I had the majority of the hostel playing 'trapped'. We had to use seven decks at one point. I spent a little extra at the grocery store and made myself some nicer meals. Pork chops with mashed potatoes and gravy. Beef stir-fry. Met some new friends, including a couple of Irish girls that could drink me under the table with stunning ease. I mean, I know I've lost some of my drink-holding ability, but it was a little bit humiliating. Played a couple of poker tournaments in the hostel. There's some Americans and Canadians here now, which is new, as December was a month of British accents and German dialects. So, all in all, it was a good week.
Tonight is movie night, and I lucked into becoming close with the guy who picks the movies, and I talked him into The Departed, Little Miss Sunshine and Kenny. Well, Kenny was his choice. And there will be pizza, so I think it's a good way to go out. I was thinking of going out in a blaze of alcohol-induced fire, but a hangover on the train doesn't sound too appealing, and I went pretty hard last night anyway. This will probably be my last post from Australia. I might throw one more on once I get home just to chronicle the trip back, and I might even keep some sort of life diary going, but I somehow doubt that I will maintain the upkeep.
It's very bittersweet coming home. I'm pretty much flat broke, so, in that sense, it's a welcome idea. I don't fancy heading out and looking for work in Australia again, especially if, as Leah promises me, the job market at restaurants in Edmonton is still as green as it was when I left. I will certainly miss some people and make a conscious effort to keep in contact with them, and I know I will miss the weather (although this last week has been truly terrible. Rained out a few days of the Open) and I'm certainly excited to see everyone in Edmonton.
I'll look you all up when I get back, unless you look me up first. There was even talk of a coming-home party, but you'll have to talk to my Dad. He seems to be running the show.
See you all (really, really) soon!
Cheers. And g'day.
-P
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