Siam City Hotel Hat Yai

... or renting motorbikes, I saw a lot on the island. On the motorbike, I went to a waterfall, and "the" Big Buddha. It was indeed that; big. Renting a motorbike on these islands is the best way to see what you want to see on the cheap and it's also just a good time trying to avoid road obstacles and other drivers. That second day I spent all day on the motorbike just stopping at random viewpoints and cruising ...

... involved here??? A serious young Thai male reading an Arabic Koran a few seat ahead of me, skullcap in place, long pale pastel blue colored Djalleba covering his slender frame, long single black hairs prodruding from a thin chin betraying a serious effort of growing the necessary muslim beard in a race where bodily hair is sparse, his dark brown eyes looking up from his Holy Muslim book whenever the fancy strikes him, trying to lock them with mine...menacing...threatening....

... around our biceps. Plus all the beachfront cabins were already taken so we were relegated all the way back to the third row, left in the embarrassing position of being too far from the action to actually get a rug burn yet close enough to see all the debauchery we were missing, like we were Little Bill in Boogie Nights pushing our way through the crowd in the parking lot only to discover that it was our wife getting the business right there on the pavement. So we ...

... the city area, and the outskirts of the city actually looks alot more developed then the inside the actual city! Crazy man, its like cleaner and everyone looks ...normal! In the city are its more chaotic and ppl looked more shabby I guess..We stumbled upon this few dudes who actually dyes ppl's clothes black. I mean like really black.. And we took some photos, and we also came across the train station, had a good time taking ...

... rice! The waitress kept loitering to fill our glasses and make sure we were enjoying our novel (and obviously western) dish! Most bizaare! We ate our dinner and beat a hasty retreat before we both fell on the floor in laughter. However, the interesting night didn't stop there. We'd taken some sleeping pills in oreder to get a good nights kip and i drooped off straight away, but i was woken at 2am by the peculiar sound of running water. I thought for a strange moment that Jo ...

I had an awful night's sleep in Georgetown and hd woken up so thirsty but unable to leave and buy a bottle o water as the front door was locked (it was 3am so I doubt I'd have found anywhere open anyway). I resorted to using my drinking straw with integrated water filter so fingers crossed I don't get sick! The next morning we got the ferry back over to the mainland (and didn't have to pay for some reason unless everyone buys a standard return ticket on their way ...

So let's call this entry "Chicken Soup for the Adoptees/Immigrants Soul" or something cheesy like that... A question that or any traveler will get often is the perfectly unoffensive, "Where are you from?" After I reply, "America," there is a puzzled look, a pause, and then Mr. Taxi driver will say, "But you have an Asian face," as if the notion of being Asian *and* American was completely strange and bizarre and impossible. I then explain ...

... at least we saved on one nights accomodation! For such a small place, Hat Yai is really bustling. It's a small city with not a whole lot to do. Being in a city where we can walk everywhere instead of needing to take public transport everywhere, is a welcoming change from Malaysia. I think we'll be here for a few days - relax for a bit until we head to our next (unknown) destination. MJ

Tonight saw us catch the 20.30 overnight train from K.L. to Hat Yai in Southern Thailand. We were in a carriage of 40 bunks (each with a privacy curtain) but it was amusing the see the staff trying to weave the coffee trolley between all the back-packs strewn everywhere. (Come back aeroplanes, all is forgiven). Actually only joking it was great really and interesting to hear of everyone's travel tales.

... compter que nous avons ete trempes a quelques reprises... En fait nous avons eu 2 jours de pluie. Apres 3 jours elle est repartie vers Bangkok (elle avais 2 jours de conge regulier et a reussi a avoir un jour supplementaire) et je suis parti pour Surat Thani le lendemain au matin... J'ai reussi a laver la lentille de mon appareil moi-meme cette fois, et ai laisse une grafigne a la place... ARG ...