Soaking it All in Thailand

Thailand means "land of smiling people" clearly when the Thais were naming themselves, there was a lot of self-reflection involved because they were right on the mark. After hanging in Phuket, a southern most point on the Andaman Sea, and one of the places hit by the Tsunami, I jumped on a cheap flight to Bangkok to get my adrenaline pumping. Actually I fled Phuket, all the tsunami evacuation sings freaked me out a bit, especially after I found myself panicking after a series of strong undercurrents kept pulling me further out into the sea. I'm a decent swimmer but by no means am I so confident in my abilities, that I can scoff at a beach with strong undercurrents and a reputation of being the beach graveyard of Thailand. Meaning...the leading cause of death for all tourists in Thailand...death by drowning on Karon Beach!

Without fail, Bangkok has gotten my heart racing again. Not that Phuket didn't leave me pumped, it was just a little to plastic and looked like a cheesy made-for Western tourist mall strip. With the second largest population of Sweeds outside of Sweeden, I did not come to Thailand to be overwhelmed by blond blue eyed Europeans. No offense to any of you, but this is not the experience I was looking for.

I don't really know what to make of Bangkok. Besides it being a buzzing metropolis with an intense pulse, a rthym pulsating to its on air of craziness and calm that pulls in even the most snobby travelers to find it unique. Even though you find yourself sharing it with every Tom, Dick and Harry and Jane, you can't help but smile as you walk down the street trying to avoid being hit by a rickshaw, taxi, motorbike or bumping into pedestrians. Not that it matters anyway, because Thais are usually smiling. I have yet to see someone in this country scowl or show they are irritated. I am on a mission to see if one Thai will get annoyed enough to show it....I think I will probably fail!

So far I find myself surrounded by tourists who can't seem to leave. The food is excellent, weather is perfect, the people are super friendly and well...for anyone who likes to escape Thailand can easily suck you in for months if not years. If you are a guy who is luckless in attracting the opposite sex, there is no other place on earth like Thailand. There is a female and "ladyboy" market notoriously known for catering to your every perversed desires. No longer a bumbling fool here, you might be able to even convince yourself that you are actually liked for who you are, and not your money. A bit harsh, I know, but hey it is what it is.

In Thailand, all of my neurosis are amplified. I already found my way to a great spa, would have spent hours there if my good sense did not kick in. I have eaten more $1 pad Thai than I care to admit. I cross my fingers each time I eat street food that i do not get sick. The ongoing joke with travelers is that the food in Asia could leave you sick for days or a bus/boat accident is highly likely in South America, since the only time South Americans are in a rush is when they are behind a wheel. Since I was fortunate enough to escape a bus accident unscathed in Colombia, I'm trying to not push my luck here with the food. Tonight or tomorrow, I am going in search of a Mu Thai match "Thai Kickboxing," to watch and not participate, although I did consider taking a few classes, but I'm just too lazy....Instead I will be heading out of busy Bangkok to the country side to experience the hill tribe culture of the north. There I will visit the famous River Kwai, ride an elephant, see some beautiful waterfalls and do a day long trek in the jungle.

FYI...delectable fried scorpians for a snack anyone?


This trip has not been the easiest for me, it is actually the most difficult one I have experience to date. Maybe it is the wisdom one gets with age, but no longer am I as fearless as yesteryear. I had my doubts about crossing the globe by myself, to be in a region completely foreign to me. I believed that since I had some contacts here, everything would work themselves out and I would not be navigating un-chartered territory alone. It did not take long to realize I was wrong. Maybe the people who love me the most in this world, will always be bound to me, no matter what jungle I find myself trying to physically and metaphorically plow myself out of. They helped me to dig deep inside of me to reclaim my spirit of adventure, ability to laugh at the absurd and remind me that I am never truly alone. You all know who you are! I will enjoy the rest of this trip and bring my ass safely home so that I can continue to pester you...That is if the scorpians don't get to me first.