Thailand: Bangkok

I am getting behind...so here is the overview of Bangkok!

We were sad to leave the beach. We boarded our ferry in the morning and headed accross the channel to Chumpon, a small port city where we would catch the train to Bangkok. Neither of us has ridden a real train before, so this was an experience. The railway in Thialand is owned by the government, and is therefore somewhat protetcted. It is considered the safest means of transport-- free of the scams and robberies that plauge bus companies. However, like most "offical" things, the train was very disorganized and was prone to breakdowns and delays.

We boarded our train at 11:30 pm, two hours past the original start time. The trian station was a new world. Local hawkers sat at steaming food stalls. "Ladysir, water? Cola?". They sat at their stations patiently, some dozing between the small rushes of arriving trains. The loud clang of the bell alerted them of possible sales, and the competition began. The hawkers grabbed their portable stands and baskets and lined the tracks. As the train pulled in hawkers would gather at the open windows, passing the goods to eager faces. Shouts and money and food flew around until the bell clanged again. The train carried on, and the staion was quiet.

When our trian finally arrived, we were packed in to our second class sleeping compartment. I climbed onto the top bunk and pulled the curtian, hearing the snores of people all around. The train was very cold. The air conditioning was working extremely well, and my full sweatsuit and two blankets could hardly keep me warm enough. Just as my eyes would close, I would hear a noise and bolt upright. The train chugged along but stopped for long periods in the night. Occasionally one of the hawkers, most likeliy a stoway, would open my curtain and put their goods on my pillow, hoping I would buy. Sleep was futile.

When we arrived in Bangkok, we were a total of five hours late. The train overheated multiple times and we would stop to give it rest. It would groan and burp and finally the conductor limped it into the Bangkok station, black electrical smoke billowing from the vents.

We made our way by taxi to our accomodations, which were in the apartment of a German expat, Alex, who took his fortunes to Bangkok to live a simple, quieter life. He ran a guesthouse and some rental properties , and was a very helpful host. We were pleased to find his second apartment was vacant; he upgraded us for free and we got a cute bachelor suit to ourselves. It was a nice break and we enjoyed using his pool in the evenings after walking around in the heat all day.

On the second day of Bangkok we met a solo traveller named Jasmine, who was stayng in the main apartment with Alex. All the way from Oregon, USA, she was fresh off the plane and ready to explore. We invited her to come along with us and she was happy to have some friends to help her get used to navigating. Our first stop? The mall! 5 floors of cheap goods and knock-offs. We shopped until our feet were swollen and aching; then shopped some more at a huge open air night market. We got a great taste for bargaining for our souvenirs.

The next day we explored some famous Buddhist temples in Bangkok and the Royal Palace. Our favorite was Wat Poh, which housed a statue of the largest reclining buddha. The shrine itself was an intricately decorated building with beautiful pictures of Buddhist myths. The Palace turned out to be a bit of a sham, it was very expensive to get inside the grounds, and once you were in you could only walk around the outside. So we viewed it from the free parts and walked around wearing our borrowed pink shirts, because you had to dress "properly" to visit the palace. The shoulder covering I brought along was not suitable.

That night we went to the famous Koh San Road, Bangkok's version of the Vegas strip (well,sort of). We spent all of 10 minutes there as we found it over crowded and we were tired after being on our feet for 10 hours.

The next morning we woke up and caught a train to Cambodia. Our alarm didn't wake us, so we were frantic as we stuffed our backpacks full of our belongings and ran out the door. We made it though, and so far Cambodia is incredible.

More to come!



Pics: (sorry about the inconsistent order.)


The train

Night market in Bangkok

Night market

The craziest tuk tuk driver in Asia

The Bangkok skyline from our place

The Royal Palace

Me and Jasmine sport our "proper clothes"

A taste of real Asian culture... The VIP movie experience.

Me and Steve at the Palace

Night Market

Palace

Us again

Wat Poh. The sleeping Buddha

Big feet

Finally, someone taller than Steve

Wat Poh

Wat Poh

Monk business

Thailand: Koh Tao

Koh Tao was our favourite island. It was the perfect blend of the other islands: Beautiful, clear waters, great food and restaurants, a moderate night scene with small markets and people to meet.

We rented a scooter and on the first day we went to freedom beach. Like many of the island beaches, it was in a small bay; a sparkling blue half moon with bright sand. On one side large boulders seemed to spill down the cliff while tidy looking bungalows clung to the rocks with stilts and beams. It was a beautiful sight.

The next day we blazed down small unfinished roads. We clipped along until pavement ended suddenly; we studied the the map thinking we took a wrong turn. We ended up following the rabbit trail which led us down steep, almost impossible pitted roads until we were rewarded with the treasure of a magnificent beach, almost undiscovered. This beach was our favourite beach of the trip. It was called Tanot Bay. It looked like the others, except that right in the centre of the bay, submerged in the water were giant boulders. Brave people would climb to the top and jump into the water, risking a collision with the giant coral rocks below.

We rented snorkels on Tanot Beach, and it was amazing. We saw thousands of fish. Big, bright schools of Parrot fish, smaller angel fish, and swarms of small electric blue fish. May favourite part about the small fish were the way they danced in the water. They would swim closely together, forming moving blue balls until they were spooked and would thin out and move to one side. Singing through my snorkel mask I belted out Bethoveen and conducted them with my arms, watching them move with the movements of my hands. It lasted until Steve caught what I was doing and we started laughing uncontrollably, resulting in me taking a big swig of the sea. I think I doubled my salt intake that day,

The day after we went to Shark Bay, where we swam with some big reef sharks. The sharks didn't scare me, but swimming back in over the corals in shallow water because of the low tide, did. Afraid of being cut by them, I swam back with my tummy sucked in so hard it hurt to move after. Steve could see that I was panicked but in a situation like that you have to keep swimming. Putting your head up causes your body to sink, and you can't stand up on corals.I was happy to be back on the shore and was happy to sit in the shade of a mangrove tree afterward while Steve went back out.

On our last day we went to the small national park island adjacent to Koh Tao called Japanese Gardens. It is 4 small bays connected by a sand bar, and is really beautiful. We snorkelled abound that day too and saw a giant trigger fish-- a mean looking thing with human-like teeth. We relaxed and then climbed on top of one of the cliffs to catch the view before heading back.

The island was simply beautiful, relaxing, and rejuvenating. At night we took our beach blanket and guitar and found a quiet patch of beach to play some music. An old hippy couple became our audience on night and we had a great time playing for them and the occasional passer by.

Nothing too eventful to report because we spent our time relaxing and enjoying the last of the beaches before heading up to Bangkok and then Cambodia.

More adventures and stories to come!


Ps....pictures of this island were taken with Steve's waterproof phone, which is now getting fixed. Pics to be added once we get them back!




Update: a few pics we had on our camera.

Captions:
1. Night owls
2. Boats
3. Fire dancer
4. Crazy electrical fire close to our house
5. Steve
6. The street sewer hero who saved our broken backpack. It's like new!

Thailand: Koh Phangan

Island life continued as we journeyed east to Koh Phangan. Known as the famous "party island", responsible for the monthly full moon party that hosts 20,000 party animals each month, we were unsure if we would enjoy this island. We did!

We left from Koh Samui, in sheets of rain that pelted our heads and saturated the contents of our bags. We took a songthew (a truck converted into a bus) and realized after a few minutes that we were going the wrong way. We kindly tapped on the back window and informed our driver, who promptly kicked us out in the middle of the street, with water up to our ankles. I gave him my best "drowning puppy dog eyes", but he simply hit the gas and sprayed us as he took off, adding insult to injury. You can probably imagine we were quite "angry hot" at that point.*

We arrived to Koh Pangan in the middle of the day by ferry, a hot ride in the bottom of the ship with thick, diesel air. We were both green with sea sickness and glad to leave the boat. The rain had turned into thick humidity and although it was hot, we decided to try and walk to our hotel to save money-- we weren't feeling particularly friendly toward taxi drivers at that point. Our legs were happy to be on land again and the walk started out nice, but twenty minutes soon became an hour. Our shoulders sagged with sweat and the weight of our packs by the time we found the muddy road that lead to our villa. Halfway up we met a cute little doggie, wagging his tail and sniffing around. Thinking he was harmless we continued walking. The dog turned out to be quite bi-polar. Suddenly he lunged at me, snapping his teeth at my leg. I let out a yelp and Steve rushed to my defense, wielding our traveling guitar like a club, ready to send the dog on a home run. The dog knew he was outmatched and scampered off. We were safe. Until.... It was Steve's turn to yelp. Thinking I was going to see the dog again I narrowly missed Steve as he practically leapt into my arms, shouting like Scooby Doo. The dog was no where to be seen. I was confused by his fear until I saw what he was eyeballing: a giant millepede. One of Steve's biggest fears. I'd like to say that I tried to save him as gallantly as he tried to save me, but with all my extra adrenaline I just hopped around doing the icky dance**. We both icky danced the rest of the way to the villa.

When we finally arrived to our accommodation, all of our hard work paid off. At the end of the muddy road were beautiful little bungalows, overlooking the turquoise bay and a wonderful pool. The rooms were really clean and dry- no damp covers or smelly sewer exhaust in the bathroom.

Our days in Koh Phangan were very relaxed because it rained for a few days, making it too difficult to scooter. We read books and hung out, and when the sun returned we adventured to all of the main beaches on the island. We discovered one of our favorite beaches, Haad Salad. The beach was actually a small bay on the northwest side of the island. It was like a giant bathtub-- warm and clear. The water was very calm so we rented a sea kayak. I had to chuckle at myself because the last time I attempted to sea kyak was in the Dominican with my aunt Leslie while my cousin Craig and Steve convinced us it would be fun. We didn't make it out of the rough surf before turning back, and we were not impressed with how scary it was. This time there were no waves, and we saw bright orange brain corals and a bunch of fish in the clear waters. It was so peaceful and a beautiful still way to breathe in creation and enjoy a romantic moment with my love. I think it was one of my favorite beach days so far.

At night there wasn't much going on because the full moon party wasn't happening for another few weeks. We ventured to a small family-run restaurant outfitted with plastic garden chairs and rickety old tables-- the best way to experience real Thai food. We decided to go for the buffet. The waiter motioned to the back where a large table sat, lined with food. It looked good, until we got up close and saw that everything was raw. Raw seafood, rice, noodles, and various crockpots full of sauces and mysterious looking things stared up at us as we stared down on the spread. We went back to our table and waited to see what other people were doing. A Thai family saw us wandering around and took pity on us. The matriarch took Steve under her wing and helped him load up his plate, while the waiter brought us a crazy looking pot with flames coming out of it, which turned out to be the BBQ. He filled the pan with broth and at the top of the pot there was a grill open to the coals below to BBQ on. The woman showed us how to cook the food and which sauces to use. She laughed at Steve everytime he got confused, which was often. It was an interesting adventure and Steve ate so much he could hardly sit for the scooter ride back. He says that night has been his fav food experience so far.

After we ate we decided to go for a walk so gravity could help our gluttony. Although seemly peaceful and beautiful, the island has a dark side. There is a heavy gang presence in Koh Phangan. They run "dating" bars for "farangs", which is what Thais call westerners. On our walk we saw some violence between a drunk/drugged man and another guy, and it was a scary experience. We were the only ones walking by witnessing it, and we felt helpless. We wanted to help the man being beaten, but there were warnings all over about breaking up fights between Thais, especially gang-related activity. In those situations we realized how much we take our justice system for granted; there were no police to phone for help.

Aside from the gloomy feeling we had after witnessing the fight, we really enjoyed Koh Phangan. Along with the beautiful beaches we saw a mainland Chinese Buddhist temple, a double headed coconut tree, a Buddhist monastery, and some beautiful waterfalls. We enjoyed the end of a long day eating homemade icecream and drinking cold Changs.


Next stop: Koh Tao!


Please note, Steve's iPhone broke so we are a little short on pics. We will add them once it's fixed.



* Angry-hot. Adv. - to be in a state of annoyed uncomfortableness, usually brought on by long travels in hot, confined spaces. Can also be used to describe ones mental state or mood.

" Sally was angry-hot after a man sweating profusely sat down beside her on the ferry."
" Sam asked her not to speak because he was feeling angry-hot."


** icky-dance. N. - a sporadic, uncoordinated dance-like movement brought on by things that are unpleasant.

" After tasting the tequila, Sally did the icky-dance."
" Sam likes to icky dance after feeling crushed velvet."


Captions:
1-4- waterfall
5. Buddhist monastery
6. Random elephant
7. Beach comber
8. Mushroom tree
9. Lobster cages
10. View beside Haad Salad

Everything broke today...

My favorite blush
My home button
The day backpack
Steve's iPhone
The train to Bangkok (5 hr delay)

Boo.

Thailand: Getting in the Groove

At first, we didn't know what traveling would be like; I pictured frazzled running to and fro or staggering aimlessly in the blazing heat, heavy packs strapped to our backs. But humans adapt. We quickly take the experiences of daily life and apply them to our new surroundings. Old habits creep back in and we force the chaos of new environments into some sort of rhythm that we can make sense of. This has been our experience. Quickly, we have developed patterns and rituals that have helped us cope with new, sometimes overstimulating surroundings. Here are some examples:


The New Accommodation Routine:

Traveling is nomadic; here today, gone tomorrow. The maximum stay in one location has been three nights. Every accommodation is different. Some are nice; some are not. One thing remains constant: the blistering heat. Every arrival to the reception desk feels the same. I am hot. I smell. My backpack is digging into my hips (praise be that we packed relatively light!). It is torture to stand in one place. The check-in process seems to take forever and I feel like gravity is pulling on me so hard I fight the urge to sit on the floor. When we finally get the key, we march straight to the room, drop our bags and turn on the air conditioner. We grab the two supplied towels, roll them out on top of the bed (to avoid skin contact with the contaminated covers) and strip. We lie, separated by our towels, our body stench and urge to hit anything that invades our space, and beg our core temperatures to drop. We start to feel human again. We regain our ability to speak to one another, and psyche ourselves up to go back outside and face the elements again.

For the rest of our stay, we will repeat this ritual every time we enter the threshold. In fact, when we get angry-hot (our word to describe the type of mood we are in), we calm each other down by saying "imagine you are in the room, on the towel". Always think happy thoughts.


The Sleep Routine:

Before we left, Steve's dad and brother Danny gave us a thoughtful parting gift: small flashlights. These have become an important staple in the sleep routine. Before we go to sleep, we do a "bug check". Correction. Steve does a "bug check". This is usually completed with me sitting on my towel on the bed, while Steve brings both flashlights to shoulder level. Arms bent and teeth bared. He tiptoes around the parameter of the room, making sure each corner is clear. He then moves stealthily to the centre of the room, and with the authority of a SWATT team leader, he performs the most critical part of the check: The under-and-around-the-bed-check. I wait for the verdict. "All Clear" he yells. I then get up to assist. We perform a risk assessment. Are the cracks in the door big or small? Are the windows screened or shuttered? Is the drain in the bathroom big or small? Is there a hot stench rising from it? Are there any food crumbs/ particles hanging around? If any of these checks seem sketchy, we bring in the reinforcements. I hand him the Muskol Deep Woods mosquito cream (that he made fun of when I packed it). He dots it along any breachable parameter, and I smear it to create a smooth line of protection. In the morning we assess the success of the mission. Normally this looks like a thick strip of fallen bugs, lying dead in the wake of our forethought. Mission accomplished.


The Traveling Routine:

Thanks to the lessons I learned from my mother, I always plan ahead. For example, in the mornings, I know that if I haven't gone to the washroom, I am going to need a toilet as soon as we are not in the vicinity of one. I "try" even if I don't have to. I don't drink water when going long distances on scooters or busses. I pride myself on this skill. Over time, I have successfully calibrated my colon and bladder so that I am not inconvenienced by nature's call. My mother would be proud. Steve, on the otherhand, hasn't mastered this technique. On any given trip, five minutes out the door and away from the nearest toilet, he will have to "go". Maybe it's because he has very little shame in actually using nature: The woods, the ocean, the ditches and sometimes the sides of roads are all fair game in his eyes...but of course I get to stand around as the awkward bystandard. This lack of forethought routine also applies to putting on sunscreen (why put it on before we are about to get on the scooter?) checking the map to see where we are going (it's no big deal to pull over in busy traffic with no shoulders) and etc. Maybe it's my lack of spontaneity, but sometimes I just don't get this particular ritual. However, it doesnt appear to be dissapearing anytime soon, so I guess I will just "go" with it.

The Snack Routine:

In each new place we visit, we orient ourselves according to the nearest familiar land mark: The 7-11 (or "Sevvie", in Stavanah lingo). In Thialand there is one on every block, and so the one closest to us becomes our main supply hub. To stay healthy and on our game, we try to keep our energy levels up by bringing snacks along with us. I like to buy almonds, granola bars and the occasional sports drink if it's really hot to help fight off dehydration and fatigue. Steve buys Oreos. Lots, and lots of Oreos. I think he has a problem. They are a perfect storm of temptation: Sweet, delicious, and only .30 cents a pack. He chows down on them all day, keeping himself full and happy. I think he is up to two packs a day-- I don't think his mother would approve of his snacking habbits. He may require intervention when we get home, but I'm sure the inflated costs will help detur him.


I'm sure that these would all be very interesting behaviors for any phycologist, biologist or perhaps zoologist to observe, but they sure do make life around these parts interesting and fun!

More to come on Koh Phangan and Koh Tao soon!

Till next time...

Thailand: Koh Samui

The New Year is celebrated very differently across Southeast Asia. In Bali, we were there to witness the island become decorated with beautiful bamboo decals, heard the squeals of suckling pigs being slaughtered for the feast, and watched people in beautiful dress bring offerings to the family temples for their lost love ones.

In Thailand, New Years is celebrated with more of a splash.

Our host Lenora, an expat from Ireland, warned us about this festival.

"We want to go to town to check out the festival tomorrow. Should we rent a scooter?" Steve asked.

"Not if ya wanta be shot straight off yer bike. I saw it happen with me own eyes last year. Nasty spill. I wouldn't", she drawled in her thick Irish accent.

Shot off a bike! No thanks.... We decided we would walk.

We got about one block before we were hit.

Splash. A big bucket of ice water right over our heads. Songkran was in full force!

Songkran is the New Year festival where the locals celebrate the end of the hot season by having a nation-wide, massive water fight. It was first thought to be started long ago as a way to purify for the new year. The sacred statues would be paraded down the street where they would be splashed with water. A peaceful beginning... but I imagine that somewhere along the way some monks got a little too emphatic and began to splash each other. Today, was anything but peaceful. You had to stay on your toes.

We walked for a while. Taxis wanted a premium to take us to the town, so we decided to see if we could find a tuk tuk. As we walked truckfulls of kids, families, boys and teenagers barreled past us with water guns, buckets and other devices meant to get us soaked. It worked well. To be extra nasty, people will load their water buckets with ice water, and there were ice trucks driving up and down the streets to make sure there was an ample supply. Once we were freezing and covered in talcum goop (another ceremonial device) we decided to ask someone in a truck if we could catch a ride.

We happened upon a group of friendly Russians who had rented a truck, and were loaded to the gills. They had ponchos, ice buckets, and water guns, ready to attack. By the time we hit the first main village the streets we so lined with dancing, water fighting people that it took us hours to get through. It was amazing though to look out on the streets and take in the people. Not one person was frowning. It was a good natured, joyful event. Every bike, car, pedestrian and scooter got soaked by waiting onlookers, and everyone was happy. It's something we won't forget.

We were glad we didn't take the bike-- we could see how accidents could easily happen, if water were to hit you in the face while driving. Plus, we met some really great people and had an adventure.

We finally made it back and wrung out our clothes just in time for a downpour of rain. We ended the day playing guitar in a hutch on the beach and wrote some music. A pretty great way to ring in the new year a third time!


Off to Koh Phangan tomorrow!

Captions:
1. Wowee
2. More like handsome
3. Ferry to Koh Samui
4. Oh baby
5-8. Waterfight!

Thailand: AoNang and Railay Beach

It is said that over time, dogs start to look like their owners. It should also be said, that couples who spend each and every moment together will start to look and act like one another. Please see below pics to confirm physical similarities.

As for the behavior, sometimes we will begin to hum the exact same song at the exact same moment....or make the same observation about something at the same instance. We scare ourselves. When Steve starts to use more of my toiletries than just my hand cream I will start to get worried.

To be with someone 24/7 is not easy. At home we are often so busy that we can go a few weeks without even traveling in the same car. To then find yourself attached in every way is an adjustment-- I'm an introvert who needs alone time and quiet to recharge. Steve is an extrovert who needs attention and stimulation to recharge. He doesn't quite get my subtle suggestions for him to go for breakfast alone or get coffee....but that's what I love about him. We are learning to communicate really well and feel this trip has so far been wonderful for working on those skills. Happy to report, we have avoided nit-picky, bad-mood, irritated digs and snaps, and are so far are really enjoying each others company. Thank God for modeling and supplying such mercies that we might learn to love one another fully.

Speaking of this fun "togetherness", we had a great time in AoNang and Railay beach. AoNang is a town on the mainland of Krabi province. It is quite busy and westernized there. There was a Thai McDonalds with some fun Thai food on the menu (though we didn't eat there), and Ronald stands at the entrance to greet you with a traditional Thai greeting : Arms folded in a prayer position, head slightly bowed. There was even a Starbucks, but it was more expensive than home. Ridiculous!

We mostly beach hopped again, and I won't go into much details about the sun and sand since I know Alberta is a giant snow-fort right now, but it was great. Raliay beach was a favorite so far.

On the second day it rained so we walked around town. We then decided we were ready to visit more islands, so we booked a bus/ferry with our hotel to take us to Koh Samui. The nice lady at the desk said she could book it for us no problem, and at 8:30am, right on time, our driver showed up in a nice seven passenger, air conditioned van to take us 6 hours to the ferry port. "Just a few stops he said" as he stopped and picked up a Chinese father-son duo. We happily introduced ourselves and chatted with them about our travels. We stopped again. This time another couple joined us. We said hello. Then we stopped again. Picked up three more people. We transferred at a "bus depot" and picked up some more people. Then we collected a grannie, and lady and a small baby, stopped again and picked up the drivers friend. By the time we were on our way our poor van was so packed full of people I am surprised we could drive. Our ride continued on that way. 3 more "bus transfers" and then we finally arrived at the ferry, 2 hours later than they told us.

Oh well....only in Thailand! But we made it! Steve and I ate nothing but ice cream that day to cheer ourselves up. Our new accommodation on Koh Samui was worth it though....right on the beach and back to paradise, and so far only one cockroach, a lizard, and a colony of ants in the room. Life is a beach!


Captions:
1. Asian Ronald (for Matt)
2-4. Railay Beach
5. Steve modeling braids after he realizes how convenient they are
6. Twins
7. More Railay
8. Cutie

Thialand: Koh Lanta

After we left Koh Phi Phi, we went to Koh Lanta, which was recommended to us as a quieter, less touristy place. The roads were very quiet so we rented a scooter and booted around for a few days. We drove all along the coast and saw the main beaches, which were beautiful.

Our BnB was a lovely little guesthouse right on the ocean. It was built on stilts and when we went to bed we could hear the tide moving beneath us. It was beautiful. There was even sea life! One night I heard Steve shriek like a girl. He pointed: "Tarantula!" I was afraid until It started running away. Diagonally. It was actually a big, fat crab! I'm glad it wasn't a spider!

Some of our favorite things to do in Koh Lanta was run along the water. There was a nice paved road that ran along the beach and the water went right up to the sea wall when the tide was in. With the sun setting and wind blowing it was a peaceful time to listen to music and to think. The best part was reaching the end of the road which led down to a small beach enclosed by trees, stripping off our sweaty clothes and swimming in our skivvies. I would be a much more dedicated runner at home if every run ended like that!

Nightlife on the island was pretty quiet, so one night we scooted to a Thai bar to hear some music. We ended up playing (I wrote a separate post about that). Locals here really value music, and we felt really blessed to have them take such an interest in us. The whole place had a really cool vibe. One of the things we found really strange about the bar was that everyone brought their own bottle of alcohol. They just ordered a bucket of ice and some mix from the restaurant. It was such a cool, collective feeling because of that-- people we just there to socialize. The bar was packed and everyone was smiling and having fun.

Beer here is very cheap, less than a dollar, and they have 3 local brews: Chang, Leo, and Singha. Steve decided that night he wanted to try one of each, but they kept bringing him a large bottle instead of the regular small ones. Being the Dutchman that he is, he couldn't let any go to waste. I ended up driving us home because our Canadian conscience kicked In. It seemed like a great idea until we were on the bike. "Ugh, where's the throttle?" I asked, to which Steve pointed. I hit the button and the horn honked. "Seriously," I say, "Where is the throttle?" He points again and the blinkers turn on. At this point he is laughing his head off at me and I am angry. We were in the middle of a foreign town and me, who has never driven a bike before had to get us home in the dark, and there's my husband laughing so hard that I can't tell if he is giggling or speaking in some acquired Thai. All the locals were standing around watching, probably making fun of me. Finally after I got off and threaten to push it home, he showed me the twist throttle, built into the handle bar. I was expecting a thumb throttle like the one on quads. It was a quiet ride back.

We did manage to get home in one piece, although there were some sketchy moments. I am definitely glad that the scooter driving is not up to me...we would not be in one piece if it were.

After our night of adventure we bought a watermelon from a stand and hit the sea's again for AoNang.

Captions:
1. Professional scooterers
2. Professional
3. Fashion statement
4. Beached tree.