it continues...

From Thailand, November 11, 2000
(The post below is from a group email I sent to my friends and family while traveling years ago. I include it in this blog as an archive to my travels. It remains in the the raw state that I originally sent it, foolishness of younger years intact, typos and sics untouched.)

It's been a while but i've just been up to the same,
wandering about, island hopping, vine swinging...as
you do...

I spent last night in a buddhist monastery. I was
hoping to enlist in a ten day meditation retreat, but
in fact i came at the wrong time. i'm probably better
off anyway, as i wasn't completely mentally prepared
to get up at 4:30 am everyday and meditate for 14
hours a day for the next ten days. maybe next month
though...

before that, i've most recently been in Rai Lay beach
in Krabi.... absolutely beautiful and a must see for
any of you in the area. Its only reached by boat and
has a complete island feel to it. Surrounded in lush
tropical vegetation and breath-taking limestone
cliffs, all those unfamilar must just remember 'The
Man with the Golden Gun' or 'The Beach' which were
filmed here (although i mention these movies with the
greatest reluctance due to my disgust with how they've
completely trashed these islands... but at least you
get a mental image...) one spends the days rock
climbing, snorkeling or diving, sitting on the white
sand beaches, sipping fresh fruit smoothies, or
chilling from the porch of one's bungalow...

life became too relaxed after a week so i had to take
off. a boat to a mini-bus, to the back of a moped for
an hours journey to this tiny forest monastery. the
whole way i was bouncing off the back through these
rural country with everyone giving me double takes,
surprised to see a farang in these parts. the little
kids would shout "Hello!", "Hey, Yo!", and "I Llove
You!" as i zipped past. all too funny...

but now i'm in this little seaside city called
Chumpon. Known for its swallow nests, they're
harvested each year and sold as aphrodisiacs, with
which to make soup. Here the streets are packed,
dirty, and full of mopeds (quite fun dodging when
trying to cross the street...what are zebra stripes
for anyways???). and the constant "hey mister, you
want a lady" comments still crack me up.

but today i head off to NE , the poorest region in
Thailand, to start a 2 week volunteer program
educating farmers on sustainable agriculture and
handing out buffaloes. i'm not really sure what'll
happen, but i'll fill you in later... it is within a
few miles of the Laos border though, which is all a
bit sketchy now so we'll see.

thanks for reading my dribble once again. Have a happy
thanksgiving all (i'll think of the turkey and
dressings when i'm up to my knees in rice paddies and
buffaloe shit...)

jeff