Aingdoi Resort Tak

It was inevitable, we were going to take one of those behemoths through the night at one stage or another, don't get me wrong, I don't mind them but given half a chance I'd rather take a sleeper train or break the journey up a little bit but this one just had to be done. More on that later.....<br><br>Getting up today had a little bit of sadness attached as it was to be our last day in Chiang ...

<br><br><br>As my plane circles Bangkok late at night, I felt like I wanted to back it up, stick the plane in reverse, as I was hanging onto the life I left which I loved in NZ, sitting in a unusual state of flux inbetween cultures. As anticipated I walked out of the airport to be hit in the face by the humid heat wall of Asia. In the taxi into the city going 160 on the motorway, no seat belts worked, and hanging my head out the window I couldn't help go wahooooooo ...

... but we didn't. We were tired from the long day of traveling and Collin &amp; Beau had gone drinking at some club called Spicy Disco. I will tell you this though, Bangkok is laden with transvestites, cheap alcohol and amazing street food. Even though the padthai vendors are completely unhygienic and violate every FDA regulation known to man, they make some delicious ****! I craved it the next day and I crave it now, but alas, they are only found in Bangkok for some reason. Also, if ...

... Well I'm not just here basking in the sun and enjoying the food, I'm here trying to set up a sustainable tourism venture. OK so what exactly does that mean? Well it means that I'm trying to set up a travel company that practices sustainable tourism principles such as: - Preserving the natural environment, culture of indigenous people, their heritage and way of life. - Ensuring the economic benefits of tourism go ...

... don't want (or it isn't safe) for the car behind you to overtake. Once we got out of Chiang Mai, we found the roads excellent to drive. They are usually two lane, dual carriageway roads, and the driving is generally OK and predictable. The biggest dangers are the bloody dogs all over the roads as you go through the smaller villages, and the crazies in the oncoming traffic that overtake on blind corners. Argh! We ...

... Western breakfast staples. Got on public bus, decided to go through Bangkok vs. catching 3 buses. Still, total journey 10 hours from Kanchanaburi. Left Bangkok Northern bus terminal, on upper outskirts of city, then 7 hour ride here to Sukothai. Stopped about 5 times at different towns and cities. Midway stop about half hour for 'toilet' and food at rest stop area, I think in Nakhon Sawan ...

... dare try this on bicylces, as there are many kilometers to cover, and we hired a tuk tuk to drive us around. A splendid day was wrapped up with a visit to a Buddah in a hill top overlooking the city, and some re-energizing Yoga lessons from Ela. This was our first envounter with truely old parts of Thai culture and we very much ...

Time moves especially slow when the weather gets hot. Days pass with me sitting in my living room with fans trained on the laptop. It's approaching hot season, over 100 degrees fahrenheit by late morning sometimes. It drops below auto-sweat level by 3 AM. Usually. The geckos are in heat again, they sound like exploding cartoons, chirping for a few times then letting loose with a squeak far louder than their tiny bodies should be able to produce. Jo and I have ...

... A professional photographer has volunteered his services to the same group that's asked me to produce the radio program on the Karen Women's Organization. He's spent time in some refugee camps in Africa and needs some guidance getting to and through the camps. Although I can barely navigate the camp myself, I take him along and we spend a few days walking through the camp. While the light is good one morning, we hike high above the camp, just below the ...

... accepting Burmese refugees for resettlement, the kids are curious and they know almost nothing about the country. One of the Australians said they were told they would be talking to about ten kids, but hundreds showed up, eager for any information about what may become their new home. We walk further though the camp, which goes on for a few miles beneath the cliffbands. Although mobile phones are illegal in the camps, and there's definitely no internet, Khangsai's brother is ...