After spending 4 days in Bangkok and picking up another guy from the midwest (Justin Nolan), we have made our way to Koh Tao, Thailand. Getting here was another adventure all on its own. We booked a charter bus and a ferry ticket to follow.
We all got on the bus at 1800 expecting a short ride and then a longer ferry ride. Tha wasn't quite the case. The bus ride went from 1800 to 0300 at which point we were dropped on in the middle of a parking lot to wait for the ferry to arrive at 0700.
It wouldn't be that bad if we had slept on the bus, but that wasn't the case. The bus we took was a double decker bus full of people. Being on the top of a double decker bus is an experience by itself, let alone when you're being driven by a man who has no fear of passing a semi while going up a hill and making a nice curve around a turn. I suppose these are the things I shall not forget.
The island is beautiful and blah blah blah. We can all just look at the pictures for those comments. I can't really do it any justice.
Tomorrow morning will be the 10th and I am counting down the days until I come home. Leave Singapore on the 20th, and then leave Saigon on the 21st. I'm enjoying my time here, but I miss America and everything I know much more. Being gone 2 months has taken a toll on me in more than one way, and I can't imagine how military families go 16 months sometimes without seeing their loved ones, all the while worrying about that person being killed.
I always *knew* I had it good in the states. I always knew that I could be anything that I wanted to be, but it was easy for me to fall into a slump and just tell myself that there will always be time and that I'll get arund to it eventually. The opportunity will always be there. That certainly is not the case. Carpe diem as the Marines say.
It was easy to take a lot of things for granted when I think about it. Get injured on the playground? No worries, the state of the art hospital is just 15 minutes away, you can even have transportation via ambulance. Get seiously injured in Koh Rang, Cambodia, and you have a 16 hour ride to Bangkok.
Thinking about browsing the net in Nha Trang, Vietnam on a Thursday afternoon? Better double check that you have electricity that day as it is shut off every other day throughout the whole city.
It's one thing to hear about these things, but it was certainly another to experience them. It has certainly given me a new appreciation for what we all have
in the USA. I thought I'd seen poor people befoe but then I spent some time talking to a Vietnamese woman who had a good job managing a hotel and only mad $60 a month.
As I always suspected, we got it good.
More pictures:
Ko Chang -> Koh Tao
7/4/10
Cambodia..
Well, to call Cambodia strange and shocking is a complete understatement.
We're on our way out now so I feel a bit more ok with telling you these things.
This country is shady and scary. Everything from the border crossing when people try and grab your passport to earn a quick buck,
to getting off the bus and being surrounded by 50 locals who want to overcharge you to go 1 mile.
The hotel we stayed in has razor wire around its fences. There is a guard who comes on at 8pm and stays until 8am.
People openly sell and smoke drugs in public. Almost a half pound of pot can be had for $5.
People's belongings are stolen everyday. There is a safe in every room in every hotel. It would be quite unwise to take your passport with you while you are out and about...unfortunately a guy we met in Vietnam who we ran into here didn't quite understand that idea. He had his bag containing his passport and debit card stolen while trying to score with a girl on the beach at 2am.
Needless to say, we always rolled deep. We always went with at least one other person but were usually walking around 4 people deep. I'm glad to be leaving here.
The beach was just as rancid. You couldn't go 3 minutes without some 5 year old trying to sell you a bracelet and upon being rejected, punching you in your stomach as hard as he could. The amputee coming up with hat in hand. The double amputee scooting around through the sand with a hat in his mouth. In poor taste, we've dubbed them the "crips"...sorely named after the famous west coast gang. We haven't really discovered how to deal with it otherwise.
Anyhow, we spent a day on a beautiful island 2 days after arriving here. We did some snorkeling but the water was not quite clear.
The locals there, well, the few of them, were not beggars in the least but hard workers trying to make money by showing tourists a good time. We stayed in local bungalows and ate a restaurant just up the way.
The whole vibe of the place was a bit to chill for me. Lots of people (everyone) in the restaurant were constantly rolling joints and smoking while listening to trance music. I had a rum and coke. I don't know really, it was just a bit to calm and out there for my style. People talking about things using phrases such as, "... you know what I mean?". I don't know. It was just a bit too hippyish and out there. I never really got into that whole thing of getting stoned and talking about the world.
The bungalows we stayed in were bare bones. We had no electricity, but were fortunate to have running water. It didn't quite do much good once the sun went down though. We had a roof over our head with two queen size beds. The beds had mosquito nets that covered them but only in a way that they were not touching the person if you were centered on the bed. If you were on the end like Matt and I were, the net was basically laying on top of you.
That turned out to be ok though. As night came on and a massive storm rolled in, we were treated to having delightful company. Geckos that made the strangest noises creeped into our rooms while bats flew in and circled around our nets. It was completely unreal. In between lightening flashes and bats flying around, I don't think I'll be pining for my next bungalow stay anytime soon.
Anyhow, we're off to bangkok tomorow which I am completely excited about. I've only 18 days until I come back to the states.
Talk to you soon.
Alex
We're on our way out now so I feel a bit more ok with telling you these things.
This country is shady and scary. Everything from the border crossing when people try and grab your passport to earn a quick buck,
to getting off the bus and being surrounded by 50 locals who want to overcharge you to go 1 mile.
The hotel we stayed in has razor wire around its fences. There is a guard who comes on at 8pm and stays until 8am.
People openly sell and smoke drugs in public. Almost a half pound of pot can be had for $5.
People's belongings are stolen everyday. There is a safe in every room in every hotel. It would be quite unwise to take your passport with you while you are out and about...unfortunately a guy we met in Vietnam who we ran into here didn't quite understand that idea. He had his bag containing his passport and debit card stolen while trying to score with a girl on the beach at 2am.
Needless to say, we always rolled deep. We always went with at least one other person but were usually walking around 4 people deep. I'm glad to be leaving here.
The beach was just as rancid. You couldn't go 3 minutes without some 5 year old trying to sell you a bracelet and upon being rejected, punching you in your stomach as hard as he could. The amputee coming up with hat in hand. The double amputee scooting around through the sand with a hat in his mouth. In poor taste, we've dubbed them the "crips"...sorely named after the famous west coast gang. We haven't really discovered how to deal with it otherwise.
Anyhow, we spent a day on a beautiful island 2 days after arriving here. We did some snorkeling but the water was not quite clear.
The locals there, well, the few of them, were not beggars in the least but hard workers trying to make money by showing tourists a good time. We stayed in local bungalows and ate a restaurant just up the way.
The whole vibe of the place was a bit to chill for me. Lots of people (everyone) in the restaurant were constantly rolling joints and smoking while listening to trance music. I had a rum and coke. I don't know really, it was just a bit to calm and out there for my style. People talking about things using phrases such as, "... you know what I mean?". I don't know. It was just a bit too hippyish and out there. I never really got into that whole thing of getting stoned and talking about the world.
The bungalows we stayed in were bare bones. We had no electricity, but were fortunate to have running water. It didn't quite do much good once the sun went down though. We had a roof over our head with two queen size beds. The beds had mosquito nets that covered them but only in a way that they were not touching the person if you were centered on the bed. If you were on the end like Matt and I were, the net was basically laying on top of you.
That turned out to be ok though. As night came on and a massive storm rolled in, we were treated to having delightful company. Geckos that made the strangest noises creeped into our rooms while bats flew in and circled around our nets. It was completely unreal. In between lightening flashes and bats flying around, I don't think I'll be pining for my next bungalow stay anytime soon.
Anyhow, we're off to bangkok tomorow which I am completely excited about. I've only 18 days until I come back to the states.
Talk to you soon.
Alex
6/25/10
Where to start
Well, it's been tough to find the time to update this blog and add pictures. The last town we were in didn't allow us to download any programs (such as Picasa) so I wasn't able to upload any pictures.
Here's a link to the most recent pictures...
Pictures hurrrr
I've left comments on the pictures instead of writing them here. It's counter productive I think.
After the beach in Nha Trang and a bit of thinking, we decided to head North so that we could eventually land in Vang Vien, Laos. We hadn't initially planned on heading north, but we learned that we could go hit up some rope swings and zip lines into a major river in the middle of Laos.
So we headed off to Hoi An and made the best of it. Ryan spent his life savings on suits and clothing while Carder, Matt, and I spent money on food and beer. It was a small little town but was enjoyable due to us finding a plaza to watch the world cup soccer. The plaza was an interesting place to be as we were the only foreigners who showed up.
We made the most of it and had our fair of fun by betting on karaoke in between the matches. The locals would get up and sing and be scored by a computer based on their tone, rhythm, and something else we couldn't quite decipher.
They were awarded a percentage at the end and Carder and I would bet against Matt and Ryan who would provide the over one round, and then we would switch. The locals got a kick out of us screaming at the score for getting higher and higher.
After Hoi An we moved onto Vientianne, Laos. This was a killer bus ride. Around 30 hours later we arrived and were on our way....
More to come tomorrow. We have some time to kill here tomorrow before we catch the train in the evening to Bangkok.
Take care.
Here's a link to the most recent pictures...
Pictures hurrrr
I've left comments on the pictures instead of writing them here. It's counter productive I think.
After the beach in Nha Trang and a bit of thinking, we decided to head North so that we could eventually land in Vang Vien, Laos. We hadn't initially planned on heading north, but we learned that we could go hit up some rope swings and zip lines into a major river in the middle of Laos.
So we headed off to Hoi An and made the best of it. Ryan spent his life savings on suits and clothing while Carder, Matt, and I spent money on food and beer. It was a small little town but was enjoyable due to us finding a plaza to watch the world cup soccer. The plaza was an interesting place to be as we were the only foreigners who showed up.
We made the most of it and had our fair of fun by betting on karaoke in between the matches. The locals would get up and sing and be scored by a computer based on their tone, rhythm, and something else we couldn't quite decipher.
They were awarded a percentage at the end and Carder and I would bet against Matt and Ryan who would provide the over one round, and then we would switch. The locals got a kick out of us screaming at the score for getting higher and higher.
After Hoi An we moved onto Vientianne, Laos. This was a killer bus ride. Around 30 hours later we arrived and were on our way....
More to come tomorrow. We have some time to kill here tomorrow before we catch the train in the evening to Bangkok.
Take care.
6/20/10
30 hours later
After 30 hours of bus riding we're in Laos. Will have to write more tomorrow after we get up to Vang Vien.
I have a ton of pictures to upload, just no time tonight. 4 hour bus ride up into the middle of Laos tomorrow to an area to go tubing all day long.
When we get finish I'll hopefully be able to write a real update and spend time updating pictures. I just didn't really feel like it tonight after only sleeping 2 of those 30 hours.
See you all tomorrow.
I have a ton of pictures to upload, just no time tonight. 4 hour bus ride up into the middle of Laos tomorrow to an area to go tubing all day long.
When we get finish I'll hopefully be able to write a real update and spend time updating pictures. I just didn't really feel like it tonight after only sleeping 2 of those 30 hours.
See you all tomorrow.
6/15/10
Lots of pictures
All the pictures so far...
All the pics...
Matt and Ryan headed off to Hoi An tonight.
Carder and I were going to go with them but Carder has had a stomach bug for the past
18 hours or so. I stuck around to go with him once he feels better. He's looking a lot better already actually. I gotta run and go wake him up to see if he wants to get out of the room for a bit.
Talk to you all soon.
All the pics...
Matt and Ryan headed off to Hoi An tonight.
Carder and I were going to go with them but Carder has had a stomach bug for the past
18 hours or so. I stuck around to go with him once he feels better. He's looking a lot better already actually. I gotta run and go wake him up to see if he wants to get out of the room for a bit.
Talk to you all soon.
6/12/10
Lots and Lots
Been a few days since I updated. Matt and Carder got in and taught us how to leave the hotel room.
We have headed from Saigon to Nha Trang. The bus ride was 11 hours long and was on a bus that they have designated as a "sleeper" bus. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and for $7 or $8 it certainly wasn't bad at all. Ended up being an 11 hour bus ride in all.
The coast was quite beautiful minus the trash. People here don't bother to throw things away. I'm not quite sure if that's because they don't have a centralized collection system or if it's because they just don't know any better. The beaches along the way to Nha Trang were always littered with trash.
When we finally arrived in Nha Trang Ryan and I got a room for $8 total. $4 a piece.
We had air conditioning, tv, shower, private bath.. etc. Quite a steal eh?
We met up with Matt and Carder shortly afterwards and had some dinner. The place looked nice and the beer was cheap. The other 3 ordered food while I declined. It seems that whenever I arrive in a new place, I lose my appetite. Probably a good thing. Hahaha. I could certainly stand to shed 25 of these 225 lbs. I'm big. You so big baby, you so big.
We hit the beach where I neglected to take my camera, will take one tomorrow. I was dubbed "Big Buddha" by the local teen who was trying relentlessly to sell us completely unnecessary items. Ryan was suckered into buying 2 packs of cigarettes...he uh, doesn't even smoke.
Anyhow, yesterday and today we rented scooters for $6 a day. We drove up and down along the coast until we finally came across a place called "Long Beach"..
As you can see, my helmet did not fit. That doesn't matter here though. I haven't seen a policeman yet. There are also very few traffic lights in this town. You just slow down in the intersection, look all around, and pray.
At the petrol station..
Some random beach along the way...
Random pictures through the day since I'm being rushed. Beach, hotel and the likes. We're going to eat in a bit.
We're having a lovely time and I've finally loosened up and come out of my shell shock. Will talk to you all soon. Take care.
Love live the USA.
We have headed from Saigon to Nha Trang. The bus ride was 11 hours long and was on a bus that they have designated as a "sleeper" bus. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and for $7 or $8 it certainly wasn't bad at all. Ended up being an 11 hour bus ride in all.
The coast was quite beautiful minus the trash. People here don't bother to throw things away. I'm not quite sure if that's because they don't have a centralized collection system or if it's because they just don't know any better. The beaches along the way to Nha Trang were always littered with trash.
When we finally arrived in Nha Trang Ryan and I got a room for $8 total. $4 a piece.
We had air conditioning, tv, shower, private bath.. etc. Quite a steal eh?
We met up with Matt and Carder shortly afterwards and had some dinner. The place looked nice and the beer was cheap. The other 3 ordered food while I declined. It seems that whenever I arrive in a new place, I lose my appetite. Probably a good thing. Hahaha. I could certainly stand to shed 25 of these 225 lbs. I'm big. You so big baby, you so big.
We hit the beach where I neglected to take my camera, will take one tomorrow. I was dubbed "Big Buddha" by the local teen who was trying relentlessly to sell us completely unnecessary items. Ryan was suckered into buying 2 packs of cigarettes...he uh, doesn't even smoke.
Anyhow, yesterday and today we rented scooters for $6 a day. We drove up and down along the coast until we finally came across a place called "Long Beach"..
As you can see, my helmet did not fit. That doesn't matter here though. I haven't seen a policeman yet. There are also very few traffic lights in this town. You just slow down in the intersection, look all around, and pray.
At the petrol station..
Some random beach along the way...
Random pictures through the day since I'm being rushed. Beach, hotel and the likes. We're going to eat in a bit.
We're having a lovely time and I've finally loosened up and come out of my shell shock. Will talk to you all soon. Take care.
Love live the USA.
6/8/10
Cu Chi tunnels and more of Saigon
I don't have much time to update photos and such.Matt and Jeremy will be here in a few hours. We're heading to Nha Trang tomorrow. I imagine we will be there for a couple days and I will have a couple free hours to update.
It costs 4,000 dong to use a computer/internet for an hour.
That is less than $0.25. This is a huge win.
I have lots of pictures from the Cu Chi tunnels and from other things to put up.
See you in a couple days.
It costs 4,000 dong to use a computer/internet for an hour.
That is less than $0.25. This is a huge win.
I have lots of pictures from the Cu Chi tunnels and from other things to put up.
See you in a couple days.
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