Wayfaring Yeti
I occupy my time in the Singapore airport sampling my choice of single-malts free of charge. Can I just stay here for the night?
Mortal Combat at Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Please note the Chinese tourist, who upon taking this photo with his camera, graciously emailed us the photo a few weeks later. Props China!
Apparently, our style of facial hair that is located between the upper lip and nose is trademarked by this Thai man alone, for all of Thailand. He arrested me on one account of mustache trademark infringement.
The Cameron Highlands, Malaysia are great if you love strawberry farms, exotic teas, butterflies, and highland jungle trekking. The tens of thousands of acres of tea plantations are hard not to notice because they are inexplicably beautiful and everywhere.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Cyclists and elephants share the road in harmony.
Back in Bangkok, stealing wifi on the curb near a coffee shop, this unfortunate “completely smashed” Brit found his wandering, obnoxious, drunk-ass a confrontation with Thai police. I heard people are forever changed for life once they go to Bangkok jail. It could be the equivalent to “back in ‘nam…”
Koh Yao Yai, Thailand. The approximate view to the south from our camping site. I used a delightful iPod Touch app called Hipster. Which allows one to make a postcard out of their photos.
We have since located ourselves. We are at the base of the Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. Where we will be tea tasting then relaxing in natural hot springs. We hitched over 536 miles in two days. We feel we deserve such a luxury. Currently, we have asked a local restaurant/shed, if we could set up our tent on under their roof after they close for the night— they said yes.
This just in…

We are having trouble locating ourselves, but we are sure we are on the right track— heading south

REALIZING THAILAND      We took the 9am train from Bangkok to Hua Hin, which lies at the northern most part of the long peninsula that thailand splits with Burma, connects with Malaysia, and stops abruptly with Singapore. Which is where I’ll be ending my spring travels. Travis flies out a week later with a brief and friendly stop in Japan before he returns to a summer pool management job at a Seattle club— and it wasn’t even his major in college. Which goes to show how versatile a liberal arts degree can be. Bangkok was a beautiful city, and a good place to recuperate from Cambodian illnesses which tought us lessons such as; never trust a fart and don’t push too hard, also, next time I watch the exorcism, I know there is nothing supernatural about projectile vomit      In departing Bangkok, we were in search for a more “real” thailand, because if you have not already noticed through my writings, we are realist— nostalgic for a pre-globalized world, but we will settle for simply anything that feels “Authentic”. Once off the train in Hua Hin, we found the main road that shoots down the skinny western leg of Thailand. With our thumbs up against the wind, we looked to sail towards the horizon. We soon caught wind, and we were reconnected with our travel mojo. We could feel the life of the open road, as if it were an IV dripping dirrectly into our blood stream. Once in the back of a truck, our method of hitchhiking proved much quicker than the lethargic train, and with 120 kph air conditioning— the hot sun couldn’t keep up! whizzing past giant tour busses and a full 360 view of the beautiful landscape, we couldn’thave been much happier as we snacked on snickers bars and weird Thai candy. We camped our first night at an emergency roadside highway center where we needed to change roads (41 to the 44) to head due west for Krabi, and our much anticipated Thai island chill-out. We arrived early the next day, where we took a ferry to Koh Yoa Yoi island, a place we heard was quiet and “beachy”, and a great place to pitch a tent and lose track of the days. We arrived when the sun was high in the sky and with our spirits on par. We hitched down to the lower section of the island to Loh Pared Bay. We then walked south along the beach till we found our spot. We called this spot home for four days.     In that time, we cooked our own meals, hunted crab and minnows (ate crab and minnows), watch thai fishing boats off in the distance make their rounds, enjoyed many hours of reading. We lounged in our homemade hammocks watching the sun set over the Andaman sea, in complete nostalgia for the present, reminiscing over the now, simply being in-the-here. Every night a small fire talked to us, forcing us to listen to the warmth against our ears without saying a word back, our eyes fixed on distant storm clouds that stood inverted, nearly vertical in the sky, mirroring the many islands that surround us with their cliffs that rise vertical out of the sea. Soon a light drizzle would warn us, giving us a precise leeway before a monsoon took over for the majority of the night. We were living in a primal state, and at this time in our lives, it couldn’t be more apropos. We found the “real” Thailand we were searching for, and we will forever cherish the memories and culture .

» Back in Bangkok

     Bangkok round two was a bit more enjoyable. We were able to meet up with our friends Tom and Lalita from Varanasi for a day in Chinatown and Siam square which was a delight. On Saturday, aside from having to endure a flash monsoon at the Taling Chan floating market, we spent most of our first day back wandering the massive Chatuchak market to the north and relaxing in the park observing the fully lit crematorium that has been built for the late Princess Galyani, the only daughter of King Rama VI, who passed away last year and who’s ceremony is tomorrow.

 

    Today after climbing the Golden Mount, a Buddhist temple and centerpiece in the heart of Bangkok with a 360 degree panoramic view, we visited the Wat Ratchanatdaram Worawihan Temple next door. Actually a replica of one in India, the temple was built during the reign of Rama III and it’s architecture is so that it represents the 37 virtues leading to enlightenment. We think that it must have rubbed off on us a little.

     After a quick stroll through the knick-nacky Khlong Thom market, a rest in the park, and a pass through the Giant Swing we called it a day. Tomorrow our adventure will take us down the peninsula to even balmier weather and beautiful beaches. Bye bye Bangkok!

(Source: losviajerosdelsol)

Train to border, then hitchhiked to Siem Reap, Cambodia. A few semi-trucks, sitting onto a bed full of fish, and an SUV later… We have since arrived to the City of Ruins.
Bangkok— As much as this city has to offer, it didn’t seem to offer Travis and I much. At face value, from the tourist perspective, It’s clean, it’s bro, and like any tourist area, its full of sketch travel companies that will try and sell you anything from tours to Chiangmai, to illegal drugs, and escorts. But being haggle kings and ruthlessly cheap bastard travelers, we know not to take things at face value. We took a walk outside of the city hub, and kept going until we could not see any dreaded and tatted hippies, overweight Americans, and sun burnt Russians, and we enjoyed a cultural treat. We found a tuktuk taxi to give us a free tour of the city, and in return we had to intermittently stop at fine cashmere tailor made suit shops to be entertained by high pressure salesmen with broken english. Because the taxi driver is compensated by the tailor shops, he would take us around to various free tourist spots around Bangkok in return for our time trying on various materials and enjoying free beers. We grabbed dinner in Chinatown (I was tempted to try the politically incorrect shark fin soup, but ethical standards prohibit fun, as they should), and then bargained a taxi ride back by allowing the driver to—again— stop at a tailor shop. Tomorrow we leave for a week in Cambodia to visit Ankorwat, then we will return to Thailand to hitchhike and beach-hop down the southern peninsula for vital tranquility and relaxation.