Travel

During training, one of the trainers asked each of us what we were interested in doing while we were in Japan. When it came my turn, I said I wanted to travel around Asia – that I was dying to go to Thailand some day. “It’s beautiful,” agreed the trainer. ” … but it’s not […]

In Thailand, the sea life is infinitely ungrateful. It is well-fed by tour guides, fiercely harbored by environmental groups, lauded as the subjects of countless worshipful travelogues, documentaries, photographs and paintings … and yet it only seeks to harm. Witness: several bleeding fellow tourists, their flesh shredded by the soft coral lurking beneath the aquamarine […]

We arrived in Krabi on Sunday afternoon and shared a taxi to Ao Lang Beach with a couple of German travelers who were staying on the nearby Rai Lay Bay. That night: On Monday there was the aforementioned slow-to-start tour of the Ko Phi Phi islands – famous for providing the setting for The Beach. […]

There were only 2 nights in Bangkok so – apart from a brief jaunt to Chatuchak Market – I spent most of my time on Khao San Road, what wikipedia calls “a backpacker’s ghetto.” In a nutshell: More budget hotels, street booths, restaurants, hair weavers, filthy backpackers, internet cafes, lithe stray kitties, 24-hour tailors, transvestites […]

Thai time is not Japan time. At Suvarnabhumi Airport, an unsmiling woman at the desk told me that the bus to Khao San Road would arrive in “half an hour.” After half an hour had passed and there was no bus, I asked another lady outside if the bus was late. “6:30,” she said. It […]

Last night we stayed in a hotel that cost us about 375 baht each. There were no blankets on the beds – only thin towels. This made us laugh. After two rides on tuk tuks that we are certain caused the strange coughs and tickles we’ve felt in our throats this evening, we scoured the […]

Here now in Bangkok, where it is warm and balmy without being wet. There are angry Buddhist statues dotted between handicraft or hair extension booths and restaurants; lavish makeshift shrines graced by earthly leavings such as a three quarters-full Fanta bottle and skittish, darting geckos haunt street corners. There are so many foreigners I am stunned and […]

I’m back from Korea. In case you were wondering, I’m also front from Korea. Wakka wakka! 6 months of listening to broken English hasn’t robbed me of my love for a ridiculous pun … 6 months here in Japan – I quietly celebrated my 6 month anniversary of moving to Japan about 2 weeks ago. […]