Stumbling through Thailand 5 weeks - Chiang Mai to the Andaman Coast |
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* From Bangkok to Austin
* We've Shopped Till We Dropped in Bangkok Part 2 * Lost In Chinatown & Muay Thai Boxing * The National Museum and Khao San Road * We've Shopped Till We Dropped in Bangkok Part 1 * The Grand Palace and Wat Pho * Bangkok is a beast! * Stranded on Ko Rok with a wounded calf * Cultural Differences: US vs them * Time for Lime cooking school & another night on the town * Around Koh Lanta by motorbike * Scenes from Ao Nang & Koh Lanta * From Ao Nang to Koh Lanta * 5 Island Tour in Phang-Nga Bay/Krabi Province * More Details... * Journey to Koh Phi Phi - post-tsunami Part 2 * Journey to Koh Phi Phi - post-tsunami Part 1 * Water, sand, and a terrific sunburn * Planes, trains and three-wheeled taxis from Hell * From Phitsanulok to the Sukhothai Historical Park
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January 26, 2005On Our Way
We leave early tomorrow morning. Our plane departs Austin at 8am. We will change planes in Dallas and fly just over 13 hours to Tokyo. In Tokyo we change planes again and spend another 7 hours flying to Bangkok. We arrive around midnight, Bangkok time, which apparently is the norm for most visitors. We realized last week that we will be in Chiang Mai for the legendary Flower Festival, February 4th - 6th. The festival features parades, flower shows, performing arts and special events. We plan on dedicating a full day to walking through the old city (inner moat) area and exploring the festival. As it stands now, we don't have a place to stay in Chiang Mai. We arrive there on the 2nd, two days before the parades begin. If our online bookings don't work out before tomorrow morning, we might find ourselves wandering the city looking for any available guesthouse. That's not such a bad thing if we can find a good deal. With regard to packing, I am reminded of how tied down to my belongings I've become. It is probably like this for most people in America, but I have spent the last six weeks tending to my home, my bills, my vehicle and more. I feel enslaved by my possessions. When I look at my backpack, I get nervous. Am I bringing enough? Am I bringing too much? Am I going to hate carrying this thing through the busy streets, on buses, on a boat? Nomadic tribes must pity us. They believe you should bring only what you can carry on your back. There is something to be said about this. Although I love my computer, my turntables, our TV and DVD player, I am looking forward to the freedom of living "light". I am certain that there will be a time when I curse myself for leaving behind some important doo-hicky. But that just gives me a reason to go into the markets and practice my haggling abilities. Once again, my intentions are to keep this blog updated as often as possible. I hear that internet cafes can be pretty cheap (as low as 1 baht per minute), but our first destination (Chiang Dao Nest) is in a rural area outside of Chiang Mai. Internet services are available to guests only at night, and I suspect there is only one computer. My updates will probably increase once we hit the city and beach areas.
Posted by coywest on January 26, 2005 02:10 AM
Category: Comments
Hey Coy, good luck on the trip. If you lose a kidney or sell your wife into slavery on the way, don't forget to write about it in the blog. Posted by: Havok on January 26, 2005 05:30 AMbest of luck - I and Heather will be thinking of you during this time - may it be wonderful! Posted by: waxmatik on January 26, 2005 07:19 AMtaking off today...i envy you guys---this will be some trip!!! have a wonderful time on this adventure & keep us all in the loop--i'm so excited to read the stories as you update the blog! be safe and i can't wait to see you guys when you return home with some great stories, treasures, pictures, etc.! We should take bets on when the first update will be. Coy away from email for longer than 72 hours? I bet not. Hope you guys flight over went well. Posted by: Jscro on January 27, 2005 12:17 PMLove your blog. I'm nervously planning a trip to Japan. It's comforting to read the adventures of someone who's gone before. Thanks, and happy traveling. Posted by: notzathros on February 10, 2005 12:33 PM |
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