On Deathbeds in Kolkata

We took off from Bangkok at 5 in the morning heading due west. The final destination was the mystique land of India!! Stepping out of the airport it felt like we had been thrown back about 60 years. The Indians must have fallen in love with the 1948 Studebaker Coupe, because all of their cars follow that model. Also, in line with a few generations ago, Indian motorists have an obsession with their horns. It seems that they can not live more than five seconds without honking. The noise really can get annoying, because it seems as if they will honk at anything on the road that moves. I suppose I will eventually get used to all the racket.

Kolkata (Calcutta--former name) it turns out is one of the most impoverished cities in all of India. The streets are lined with homeless people. Our hostel is only a few steps away from the neighborhood bathing pump. Every morning groups of people fill their buckets with dirty pump water and splash it all over themselves, the sidewalk, and the roads.

We spent our second day in Kolkata walking around the city seeing the sights and enjoying the hot, unbearable weather. I had my first go at the game of cricket. I was interupting a match, so they only gave me one bowl. I put together a beautiful baseball swing, but I quickly found that baseball skills are not quickly transferable to cricket. We did sit and watch a little bit. Our minds were boggled as we struggled to comprehend what was happening and in the end we found that we didn't quite have the intellectual capacity to understand, but maybe someday. Line upon line when it comes to Indian culture.

We did see the Victoria Memorial. It is a bit of a mix between the Taj Mahal and St. Paul's Cathedral in Rome (at least according to the Lonely Planet travel guide). I couldn't really figure out what the purpose in building it was, because it looks like it woul be better used as a house for the rich, but it turns out that it is a museum to remember all of the great things the British did when they were here. Either way they definately need to invest in some air conditioning units.

We went to some other museums and places of interest. For much of the day we were followed by beggars asking for money. The beggars here are pretty demanding. They don't seem to settle for anything less than 100 rupees, if you give them anything less, they consider it an invitation to tag along even longer and a guarantee that they will be getting more.

After a couple days here, Chad and I felt that we were doing pretty well physically speaking. We had heard of many travellers getting sick and having trouble with the Indian food, but thanks to our vast experience travelling and our incredible ability to adjust to new surroundings, we were getting along just fine. Then one night, settling down for some rest, it hit. Our bowels became as loose as Jared Fogle's (Subway spokesman) pants. Vomit shot up our throats. We spent the entire night in the insect-infested bathroom with spurts of sleep sandwiched between long fights with our stomachs. In the end, we lost the battle and the entire next day we layed in bed moaning, tossing, and turning. We watched TV and debated over who felt worse. The illness has not quite been overcome, but things are definately looking better.

Kolkata, India, thanks only to the novelty and cool cars, gets a 6 of 10.

Phi Phi or Phoo Phoo

The 7:30 alarm found me struggling to roll out of bed. Torrents of rain smashed against the roof of our bungaloo and I was deeply dreading the trek back over the jungle mountain. Chad and I decided to postpone our departure as long as possible. The rain died down to a drizzle and eventually stopped. We packed our bags and headed for the beach. The sea was calm and we were fortunate enough to find a native who was willing to carry us on a boat around the island rather than having to climb over the mountain.

Climbing off the boat on the otherside of the island the shoulder strap of my backpack snapped. I nearly lost everything to the ocean, but thanks to my unparalleled strength I was able to miraculously save my luggage.

We spent the morning on boats travelling toward Kho Phi Phi, or Phi Phi Island (In Thai an "h" following a "p" is silent). I would have to admit that this island was even more stunning than the first one. The mountains were even greener, the beaches were whiter, the skies were bluer, and the water was clearer. Coming of the boat one could see the schools of fish playing in the deep. The island folk were quite friendly and Chad knew of a place to stay with a spectacular view.

That evening we enjoyed some Thai-style kick boxing. Most of the matches were between westerners. The fighters were given extra padding, to prevent serious injury, but there were still some pretty good punches thrown. A drunk Finnish fellow wanted to fight against me, but I politely declined. He ended up getting beaten pretty badly.

The trip back to Bangkok was a nightmare. Of course, the day you leave an area is always the most beautiful day. We were like children kicking and screaming while being dragged away from a toy store by their parents. Just as I walked out of the door of our lodgings another strap on my backpack broke. You might say it was the strap that broke the camel's backpack. (ok, that wasn't so good, I am still working on my puns). My clothes had become soaked by the humidity and nearly doubled the weight I had to carry. I heaved the mass onto my shoulder and worked my way down to the docks. I fell ill on the sea voyage back to the mainland. The sickness was mostly just a fever, swollen tonsils, dizziness, and weak muscles. The agony of the illness was only exacerbated once we climbed onto the bus to Bangkok.

Imagine, if you can, a group of smelly, sweaty, tired travellers packed onto a bus with little leg room and seats specially designed to create kinks in your back. Then to make matters worse the air conditioning fails. The ride was horrendous. Just as I was nearly asleep the bus would make another stop and everyone had to get out and wait for something to be fixed. The most ridiculous stop of all was at 2AM, when they told us to get out at a little restaurant where we were supposed to get something to eat. People aren't supposed to eat at 2 in the morning, but maybe they figured it was lunchtime in America, so they were trying to be considerate.

A little later in the morning my knees began to itch, then my arms and feet. I counted 10 mosquito bites. Upon arriving in Bangkok, I was tired, but decided to take a shower at the hotel we are staying at. The itching had grown worse and this time I counted no less than one hundred mosquito bites. After eating lunch, I did another count. By now my arms and legs were covered in little red itchy dots. The count exceeded two hundred! I couldn't believe it. I had been eaten alive!! We went to a local pharmacy where they prescribed some pills and cream, I will see how it goes. Each key I push on this keyboard is accompanied by an itchy sensation somewhere, which upon being appeased only make matters worse.
I suppose things will undoubtedly get better. Due to the incommodious nature of this leg of the trip, I feel it warrants a 4 of 10.

Scorpions and Spiders

So, I finally saw a familiar face walking down the streets of Bangkok. It was on a Friday afternoon and I was supposed to meet up with my friend, Chad, at the nearby McDonalds. He wasn't there when I arrived, so I was headed back to my hostel lonely and depressed. Then, I recognized a guy who was in my International Business class this past semester. It turns out that he was travelling with Chad and a number of other friends and within a couple hours we had all met and were running around Bangkok having fun, but mostly shopping. I wasn't so thrilled with all the shopping, but I was glad to have some other Americans that I could talk with. The company was fantastic.

Unfortunately the company was short-lived. Everyone in the group besides Chad, headed back to America on Sunday morning. Chad and I found a church in Bangkok and enjoyed a branch conference before making preparations for the rest of our travels.

We left that evening on a 14 hour sleeper bus to southern Thailand. We got dumped off at 5AM in some town on the eastern shore before catching another 2 and a half our bus to the town of Krabi Paddie. Actually, it is just Krabi. From there we trekked across a beach and through the surf to climb onto a longboat headed to a remote island about a half hour from the coast of Thailand. The view approaching the island was breath-taking, huge foliage-covered mountains and cliffs rose straight from the turqiouse blue ocean. The boat stopped about 100 yards from the shore and we had to carry our luggage through the water to the island. We then hiked across another beach and began the ascent of the jungle mountain.

On the other side of the mountain was our bungaloo, but reaching was easier said than done. After lots of sweat, a few slips, and plenty of sore muscles we finally reached our destination.

The bunagloo is great! The walls are covered with geckos, who are quite friendly and eat many of the mosquitoes and beetles. However you must go to bed at night praying that the scoprions don't sting your toes and when you are in the shower you must watch out for the hairy 3-inch- long black spiders. We don't know if they are poisonous and we don't plan on finding out.




The beaches here are great, and the scenery is spectacular. The only downside is that it rains a lot and the sand, when it dries in your sandles, cuts your feet and they bleed. Overall, however, I would give the island a 7 of 10.

Three nights in Bangkok

I arrived in Bangkok at about 1:30AM. After wandering around the airport for a few minutes trying to decide what to do, I headed for one of the information desks. It was there I met a tall, well-built American inquiring about a place to stay. It was his first time in Bangkok and my second, so I was just slightly more experienced in getting around, but not enough to make a difference. On a lengthy taxi ride from the airport to downtown Bangkok I found he was a marine headed to some training in northern Thailand. He was quite a cordial fellow and I would say my first acquaintance in Bangkok was a success.

I got dropped off by the taxi driver in what seemed to be unfamiliar territory. I stood on the street corner for a minute or so, picking my brain (it was well after 3am) trying to remember something from the last time I was in Bangkok. I finally recognized a McDonalds and a few other places on the street and trekked to one of the hostels down the road. I entered my bedroom, which consisted of a bed, fan, floor, ceiling, four walls, and a window, just before 4AM. The one perk I did get is that my window comes with a sliding screen pane, which can be nice, if the humidity isn't too high at night. I wasn't so concerned about the amenities and I was just ready to catch some zzzzs.

One might be wondering what I was doing walking around Bangkok at 3am by myself. Due to a mishap in my travel plans and an effort to conserve money I arrived in Bangkok one day after the friends I was supposed to meet left for the beaches in the south part of Thailand. I had no idea exactly where to find them, so I decided I would spend a few days in Bangkok alone.

After sleeping away most of the first day, I spent the next few days travelling in a tuk-tuk and seeing some of the sights of Bangkok. When it comes to attractions in Bangkok they consist of two things, Buddhas in a variety of poses (including sitting, standing, and reclining.) and Buddhist temples. There are over 40,000 in temples in Thailand according to one elderly Thai fellow I met in one of the temples. He began explaining to me the purposes of the different poses and which one to pray to for certain days of the week and certain problems. I only understood about every fifth word, so I don't fully understand how it all works, but he was very excited to tell me about it.



The first three days and nights here in Bangkok have been pretty long. On the second day it began raining and it never seemed to stop. I would come back to my room soaking wet each night. I wouldn't really ever get fully dried, because by the time I did it was so muggy that the wetness from the rain had become sweatness. That is, perspiration.

I have met a variety of people and found that the Thai people are really friendly at first, but if you don't give them what they want, they can become quite perturbed. For example, I payed a tuk-tuk driver 20 baht for a ride, that I thought was worth 20 baht. He felt it was worth five or ten times that. I just walked away after paying and he was undoubtedly very upset. I've found that money seems to keep the people happy or just giving of some of your time, if you don't have much money. Overall I would rate my first three days in Bankok a 3 of 10. Too much rain and too many rip offs.

The Aeroplane over the Sea

If you ever find yourself looking for a flight to Asia I would suggest trying China Airlines. I am formerly a big Lufthansa guy, but I converted in the last 24 hours to China Airlines. Not because of the smelly Taiwanese man next to me or the distance between seats that is perfect if you are 5'6" or shorter, but because of the entertainment. Each seat has an individual 5" flat screen TV. You might say it is "Pimp my Ride" airplane style. Also each seat has a neat little remote that not only controls the light and stewardess button, but gives you access to about 15 on-demand, new release movies, dozens of on-demand CDs, 15 radio stations, and about a dozen different games. Also there is Berlitz language learner available. After watching "King Kong", "Glory Road", and "Chronicles of Narnia" I was brushing up on my Chinese, Russian and learning some Thai. I can now say hello, thank you, and just about count to ten in broken Thai which no one will understand.

After arriving exhausted from the 13 hour flight, I decided to rest a little in the Taipei airport. I had about an hour before boarding on the flight to Bangkok, so I arranged the benches in the waiting lobby for optimal relaxation. I was determined to rest, but not sleep, so I wouldn't miss my flight. My plans were foiled and I woke up to find the lobby entirely empty. One lonely stewardess stood at the gate just wrapping things up before take off. I immediately panicked and jumped to my feet only to find both legs were asleep. I caught myself on the chair and hobbled/dragged myself to the counter to give the stewardess my boarding pass. It seems like all of my worring was in vain, because I had a full ten minutes before take off to get on the plane and find my seat.

The leg of the trip from Taipei to Thailand is mostly a blur, because I spent it sleeping, only waking to shove a meal in my mouth and move to allow the lady next to me to use the lavatory. I arrived in Bangkok at about 1:30 AM Tuesday night. On a scale from 1-10 I would give the flight a 8.5.. Overall a good experience.