HBO movie and Saine

I stayed up late last night to watch the first part of the HBO Tsunami movie. It was moving, but perhaps a little sterile even for what I saw months later. I don't know how you could ever show the devastation as it really was. They went pretty far, but I don't think that it would have been possible to go that far. That said, it was deeply engaging.

All of this has me thinking of Saine, the little girl in Krabi that I just fell in love with. I think about her all the time and wonder how she is. If anyone from HiPhiPhi or Phi Phi island in general reads this and has an update, please let me know. I have her picture on my desk at work, the one of us together, and often wonder if it would be possible to adopt her.

If anyone reads this and knows how to get in touch with Jan at the bookstore on Phi Phi island, or with Saine's caregivers, please-please-please drop me an e-mail. Thank you!

No Touch Monkey...

I was so excited today to find that my new favorite writer had read this site. Being lonely for Thailand and no visit in sight anytime soon, I went to the travel section of my local bookstore where Ms. Ayun Halliday's book just jumped off the shelf and into my happy arms. Sometimes when you can't travel, the next best thing is reading about the places you've been, re-experiencing them through someone else's writings. Her book did the trick. Then today I was cruising through the old Thorntree posts and found that she had left a note about this very blog right here. How ya like that?

So sometimes the Internet makes neat things happen. Like two housebound moms with a tethered hunger for travel finding each others writings to quench it temporarily. Yay web.

Volunteer situation in Krabi

I've received several notes inquiring about volunteer positions in Nong Kok, outside of Krabi. As it stands now, the word back is that they are well-situated for volunteers but obviously can still use supplies. Things like construction paper are difficult to come by out there.

Operation Thailand 2005

Another fabulous Thailand travel blog.

Re-entry

Some reflections that might prove useful to anyone venturing that way---

When I first arrived in Bangkok, I met a guy from Dallas who informed me that my system will "feel a little off the entire time" I'll be in Thailand. Boy was that true. Always just a little queasy, a little sluggish, a little run down.

Of everything I brought with me, my allergy spray was the most valued. Flo-Nase. Thank God for it. If you have allergies, don't think that you are fine because you're aware of your surroundings at home. Thailand has a whole new set of stuff to bug your system out. I ran around Phi Phi for 2 days with orchids in my hair and around my neck, sick as a dog with what I thought was just a bad cold before I realized I was allergic to the flowers. Dork. It almost kept me from diving!

Be prepared to go through withdrawals when you get home. I've had a horrible time, missing the kids, missing the landscape, the culture. --The weather! Holy cripe! When I got back to Chicago it was 80 degrees, which was a welcome cool-off from the Thai heat, but then it immediately dropped back down to the 40 degrees I had experienced for months before leaving. Drag.

I've been home for 2 weeks and I'm ready to go back. No hopes for that until at least January as I've tapped out my vacation time for the year. But as of 2006 I get another week off!

If this were strictly a recreational trip, I would have spent much more time in Phi Phi and less in Bangkok. Krabi would have been worth a short visit, but Ao Nang would have been both a more beautiful home base as well as more convenient to the camp, but probably a bit more expensive.

This has had a profound effect on what I think I want out of my life. I know that my career goals have changed. I believe I'd like to go into teaching. I know I want to do more volunteer work locally and internationally.

I've been feeling these pangs of guilt and shame over our "consume it all" society. I can't believe this is me having these ideas. There goes my shoe-buying career. Damn we waste so much crap!

So many other thoughts--- Thailand has been on my mind most of the time since I've returned. It was a wonderful experience. I'd do it again in a second.

Pics

Photos from the trip are HERE.

Home

After a pretty brutal flight from Bangkok to Tokyo to Chicago, Dave picked me up at O'Hare to head back home. Everything was so surreal between the jetlag, the disrupted sleep on the plane, the shockingly different surroundings.

I'm glad to be home though. Water pressure, warm showers, a soft bed. It's very comforting. I'm sure I'll appreciate it even more after I catch up on my sleep.

Wrap up

Friday Jane and I woke up early to visit Wat Po for Songkran. I haven't had very many moments of true awe in my life, but standing below the reclining Buddha had me dumbstruck and giggly. I remember very vividly being fascinated with it in Mrs. Watson's 5th grade Social Studies class. Don't know why, maybe just overwhelmed by it's mass. And then there I was, standing below it, craning my neck straight back to look up at the image of Buddha, sated, passing into nirvana, at the very spot that had grabbed my imagination nearly 23 years ago!

After Wat Po, we took a cruise around the Klongs, which is essentially Bangkok's version of Venice. Took lots of pictures which better describe the surroundings than words can.

Saturday we headed out a couple of hours outside of Bangkok to visit the floating markets and ride elephants. The floating markets were basically a gigantic tourist trap and not at all like the photos I had seen. Lots of touristy knickknacks and such. The elephants were a lot of fun, especially feeding the baby. --A "baby" that was a good foot taller than me.

So many photos to put up. I'll get to all of this later.

So long Krabi, very long haul.

I went out to the camp to say my farewells to the children yesterday. Oh it didn't take much, let me tell you, to get me choked up. Saine ran over and plopped herself in my lap as usual, and it was enough to make me cry right off the bat. She looked up at me and I tried to explain in broken Thai that I would miss her very much and was going back home to America. Her face just dropped and asked me when I would be coming back. I tried to tell her that I want to come back, but probably in a year. We took lots of pictures, gave lots of hugs, I teared up several more times, then got in the cab and headed to Krabi airport. Sandy, Alisa, Fan, Punji, Pun, Saine, Jan... I miss them all so much already. What an honor it was to spend time with them.

After arriving in Bangkok yesterday evening, I discovered that they are still at full speed with their Songkran festivities. Oh lucky me.

My cab driver got to the edge of where the biggest cluster of celebrations are, then refused to take me any further. She hopped out, pulled my suitcase out of the back seat, pointed and told me my hotel was 1 kilometer "that way", then pointed at what looked like the French Quarter in the height of Mardi Gras.

I made it about a block and nearly started crying. Then I realized that this is both the suckiest thing and the funniest thing that's happened to me since being in Thailand. Hey! I can't read the street signs, I have no idea where I am, there are thousands of people all around me spraying me with water and smearing paint on my face and luggage and there's no really clear cut way to get out of it.

And then...Thank God for motorcyclists.

This thing resembling a pushcart with a motorcycle on the back (not a tuk-tuk) came up beside me, loaded down with boys in their early 20's/late teens. I pulled out the address of my hotel, they pointed to where it was, then proceeded to load my luggage up onto the cart and drove me there. I asked them how much they wanted for the ride and they insisted that I not pay them. So I gave the oldest 100B and told them to go have fun. Hey- I would have had a very long walk without those guys and I was thankful.

Looked up, saw Jane, we settled in a bit then went out into the craziness for a while to have a drink and catch up. I think we were both exhausted.

Best night's sleep since I arrived, now we're about to head out to Wat Po and the Klongs.

Bah! I just saw a chicken cross the road.

Downtown Krabi.

Thailand is good for stuff like that.

I can't believe it. I've lost another post to Blogger.

I'm leaving Krabi this evening. Flying up to Bangkok to meet up with Jane, so this afternoon I'll be saying my goodbyes to the children. They're all so sweet and special. I wonder what's in store for them.

Pre-Songkran Festivities

This afternoon the kids and I made party hats. A French film crew was there, again, following this man named Angelo around who lived on Phi Phi for many years and survived the tsunami. He came back and set up phiphi-releve-toi.com to help the residents and has been out there visiting many of the times I've gone out there.

At any rate, tomorrow being Songkran and all, I had already planned to make party hats with the kids so we decorated them with sequins, glitter and such. Then Angelo set up a huge party for them. Lots of food, entertainment, toys and fun. The kids had a great time chasing me around with water pistols. Yeah. Get the farang girl. They seemed to enjoy ganging up on me. Why is that?

A little homesick.

OK. I have pretty much come to the conclusion that I'm not terribly fond of Krabi. The people are nice enough but after Phi PHi it's a bit anticlimactic. It's like going to Hawaii for the weekend, and going back to work in Tijuana. Actually--- It's pretty much exactly like that. -Except that Hawaii is much more developed than Phi Phi, which is breathtakingly beautiful with it's peppering of bungalows and huts. No high rise hotels...Yet. And you can do a lap around Phi Phi within a couple of hours. Less if the heat weren't slowing you down. But be careful at night, there are giant snakes around every corner of every path, lusting for American blood. Ooooh.

Everyone was giving me grief for being intimidated to walk home in the dark. But they don't know the dangers like I do. I have a sense about these things and those snakes are out there. Cobras. Just waiting to jump out and get me.

The beaches in Krabi are a bit of a drive, but gorgeous, which would be fine if I still had a swim suit. Apparently mine is hanging on my doorknob back in Phi Phi. Replacing it isn't an option as I'm about a good foot plus taller than anyone around. I had the idea last night that I should try to replace my gym shoes while I'm here, only to find that size 8 was pretty much as big as they come and I'm an 8 1/2.

No one in Krabi speaks English and nearly everyone in Phi Phi did. I miss the divers. They were all so sweet, gregarious, free-spirited and funny. That's the most English I've had since arriving. But even then I found myself breaking my sentences down to the most basic words, elaborating with sign language. Silly.

But the good stuff, the reason I'm here at all, is coming up this afternoon. I'll head out to the camp and make preparations for Songkran with the kids. Today we'll be making crowns out of construction paper, glitter, sequins, etc. and filling up every balloon I can find with water. And speaking of, I need to head back over to the mall to see if I can score some water pistols.

Every day I spend the morning and early afternoon killing time in town before 2:00 comes, when I get happy and excited to go out to the camp with the children. Now it's only 11:22am. Krabi is about the size of Brookfield and I've walked up and down every street at least twice. Maybe I'll see if I can find another temple to check out. Ahh yes! Ok. Off to draw a picture of a temple and see if I can wrangle a translation to the desk clerk.

More pics

Water balloon fight
Camp kids
Krabi mass transit
Phi Phi- view from my room at sunset
SCUBA diving- Phi Phi


ps- Apparently I'm horribly allergic to orchid blooms. Crap.

Grocery shopping

This evening I woke up from a cat nap with a terrible craving for chocolate chip cookies. Not just a craving, but more of a "I'm so lonely for Chicago and my friends. I'm back where I get no English" desire for something resembling home cooking.

I wandered down to the Vogue shopping mall (yes, it's that stylish) to play a fantastic round of "Can I Eat That or is it Laundry Detergent?" in the grocery section.

I swear to God I saw Mr. Sparkle.

Found a roll of Oreos, the very last pack of chocolate chip cookies, or possibly the only one they ever had, some of my new favorite morning drink-- a canned iced coffee called "Birdie", some peanut butter/jelly and bread. Just a few items to keep me off of Thai food for a little bit. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but I'm getting weary of guessing what things are.

Couple of questions:

Why is it that everywhere I go only plays really bad, really old American music? What must they think of us? I'm talking Rhinestone Cowboy. Oy.

Why can't I get it through my skull to look *right* before crossing the street? Right! Right! Right! I'm going to get mowed over by a gypsy bus soon. It's a numbers game and I'm pushing my luck.

Back in Krabi

I'm back in Krabi, just checked into my hotel. No water just yet. Maybe they actually will wait until the 13th, though I was told it starts at dark on the 12th.

Which brings me to another point. I get conflicting information about EVERYthing. One guy says my hotel is 800B a night, the desk clerk says 700. Some people say the water festival starts on the 13th, some say today, some say tomorrow. One day my cab to the camp costs 50B, the next 40, the next I'll be told 70. It's not driving me crazy yet, but I do find it amusing.

Jane just got into Bangkok last night! Yay Jane! I can't wait to see you! Just 5 more days. Maybe I should fly up Thursday night instead of Friday. Yeah! Let's do that. Drop a note if you see this and I'll e-mail you as well.

Going to go take another shower, then head out to the camp at 3.

So long Phi Phi

I walked all over Koh Phi Phi yesterday with my camera, taking some photos for myself as well as the folks out at the camp. They're very interested to see what progress is being made.

If I were the sort to jump to conclusions, I would probably assume that the reason the Thai government is allowing all those volunteers to work without proper visas is because they have free labor to clear out the island. An island which they currently show no intention of returning to the people who lost their homes. Nearly all the rubble is cleared away, many businesses are back up and running, the tourists slowing filtering back. Reports from the locals say that the surrounding areas are nearly completely rebuilt. But no new home construction on Phi Phi. The government is not allowing it. Apparently 5 star hotels are much more profitable. It's so frustrating. And here all of these volunteers are coming in from all over the world, thinking they're doing something good for the people of the island, when all they're doing is saving the Thai government the cleanup costs that would be incurred to clear the way for their resorts. Maddening.

But---As I said, that would be an easy assumption to make, were I the type of person who jumps to conclusions. It's such a big judgment to make and I'm hesitant to call it.

Everywhere I go, I hear that the financial donations are not making it into the communities. They go into the pockets of Thai officials and stay there. The people of the island are not getting any aid at all, and people all over the world are donating billions.

Tsunami prove to be quite profitable for Thailand, no?

What a great real estate opportunity it created. Wiped clean the slate of an island paradise, fresh for new development. In addition, they don't even need to seek funding for these developments as the entire world is chipping in.

Meanwhile the native folks are stuck out in a dirt field, trying to figure out what to do next. They've lost their families, their homes, and now their island.

Porn

Something funny I just found out. The surname Porn is apparently common around here, leading to some pretty amusing business names.

Like the Beauty Porn Salon or Porn Massage.

Gosh I'm easily amused.

Catch up

Blogger had been very uncooperative. I've had three posts wiped out after hitting publish.

Thursday 4/7/05:
I spent a good deal of time writing last night about the previous day's activities, only to have the browser crash when I hit "publish". And I learned something about the English language and the Thai people. They may not know much of what I say, but they sure understood the expletive I cried out last night in the cafe. But with the liberal use of "Ph" in their vernacular, I more than likely said, "duck" than anything terribly offensive, so I'm pretty sure it's OK.

So--- Quickly because the car is about to come and take me to the ferry to Phi Phi---

Day before yesterday I went to Wat Thamsua and saw swarms of monkeys.

Later in the afternoon the kids taught me how to make batik and we had
more softball practice.

Yesterday morning I went to Chicken Island by longtail boat. Very easily the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life. The water was deep turquoise, the sand nearly white as sugar. While I was standing in about shoulder-deep water, a school of bright yellow and black striped fish swam around me. I was grinning ear to ear at how gorgeous everything was.

Then in the afternoon, I went out to the camp where the kids and I made a weak attempt at an art project. It was just too hot. The we tried playing some dodgeball, but it fell apart quickly because again, it was just too hot. Everyone was grumpy and lethargic.

Then I remembered that we had a huge bag of balloons.

So I snuck around to the back of the building and filled up 3 big buckets of water balloons, and handed them to a few of the kids. We tiptoed back out to where everyone else was and laid it on them. It was fabulous. Everyone took part, even the elders. One of the best things I've ever seen--- An 85 year old Thai woman, wrapped in her batik and Muslim headdress, lobbing water balloons.

Awesome.

(Internet cafe guy just popped out with a camera and snapped my pic.)

Ok...Off to Phi Phi. Jan wants lots of photos so the people at the camp may see what progress is being made back home.

Sunday 4/10/05
In an effort to catch up before I melt into a puddle in this cafe, here's the overview:

Right now I'm on Koh Phi Phi.

My first night I walked down to the beach in front of my hotel and sat on the edge of the water. A newlywed couple who was also staying there came over and sat down. We started visiting and I reached down and picked up what I thought was a large shell. It was a pelvic bone. A pretty firm shake. Apparently there are still at least 500 bodies missing and bones are constantly washing up on this particular beach.

My first morning here I met up with this really sweet gal named Vicky who is a dive instructor on the island. We started chatting, then she explained that I don't have to be certified to scuba dive with an instructor, so I decided to give it a shot. Yesterday we rode out to one of the smaller outlying islands and went on two dives. The first was all about getting used to the equipment, learning to pop my ears underwater, clearing my mask, & such. We didn't see a whole lot aside from a ton of sergeant & major fish (those yellow and black guys I saw on Chicken Island). Saw some clown fish (Sophie! Mommy saw Nemo!) and lots of the little bright blue guys. -I forget what they're called. The coral was pretty, but I assume it's not terribly healthy because of the color. -Kind of muddied. After our first dip, we rested for a bit, had lunch, then I jumped in and fed the sergeant & major fish bananas out of my hands while snorkeling around the boat. The second dive was much better. I was a lot more relaxed and able to enjoy it more. I swam with a sea turtle! He was just nudging along, nibbling on this and that, and the whole time I was floating about three feet over him. It was amazing.

Later that evening, Vicky and her parents- just arrived from Glasgow, Scotland, joined me at the hotel's outdoor bar to watch the sun set. I don't think I've ever been that relaxed in my life.

I leave Phi Phi tomorrow with a very clear understanding why the people at the camp are so heartbroken about not being back home.

April 13th is the official begin of Songkran, the water festival, which is a national holiday and the beginning of their New Year. I had planned around it, knowing that no one will be dry by mid morning and the Thai people show no mercy when dousing, especially tourists.

It's sounds like a blast! Well, except for the fact that apparently it's actually going to start tomorrow and I have to get my bag full of *camera equipment* to my hotel in Krabi from Phi Phi island. Eh, I'll just put a garbage bag over my stuff or something.

Taking lots of pictures. I'm looking forward to celebrating Songkran with the kids back at the camp. They're having a lot of fun with the stuff you guys sent along. Thank you again!!!

'Phia and Autumn--- I think about you constantly and miss you both so much. Big kisses and hugs!!! I love you!!!

Pics from the camp

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Krabi (2 blocks from my hotel)
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Wat Thamsua
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And MONKEYS!!!
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Day 2 in Krabi, morning of the 3rd.

I think I have an admirer. The guy who runs the Internet cafe, who I'm guessing is no older than 17 or 18, was hovering next to my desk this morning. I looked up and he bashfully held out this keychain made of a leaf with a very tribal looking figure on it and said, "I have a present for you." He was awfully sweet and offered to give me a quick etiquette course before I head to the Wat at Tiger Cave. Yesterday he downloaded all the images from my digital camera and burned them to disc for me. Well after he was done, he kept flipping through the pictures and asking me about them. This is cracking me up. The best part is that if there were a Thai version of Napoleon Dynamite, he would be it. I keep expecting him to say, "My lips hurt real bad!" in a Thai accent. If he did, I think I would fall off my chair.

Yesterday was fantastic. I took a motorcycle taxi on a tour around town, then out to the camp. When I got there, 3 French folks were filming around the grounds. I don't know exactly what it's for yet.

As soon as I hopped off the back of the bike, the boys came up and were ready for softball practice. I find this funny and sad at the same time. Funny because they are really into it and I have so much fun playing with them. Sad because, heaven help me, I am the *last* person on earth who should be teaching anyone anything about sports. Poor kids. Did I mention that they speak *no* English and I speak two phrases in Thai? Well, three as of this morning. This is all being taught by demonstration. Which means that I have to bat, pitch, and run, all which gives these kids a lot to laugh at.

We learned the basics of bases. One of the older boys helped me pull 5 big rocks out of a dirtpile and we laid out a small diamond and marked the pitcher's mound. This is my favorite part--- Since I don't have any really clear way to communicate how the idea of batting and running the bases works, they just sort of do whatever they want. They go up, hit the ball, run (with the bat) to first base, stand there for a while, maybe run to second, then they get bored and decide it would be fun to go back and bat again. Meanwhile I'm standing on third trying to explain that they need to stay put until the ball is hit again with my crazy attempts at sign language. Eh, it's fun and we're all laughing. I'm laughing at them for being so free-spirited about it all, and they're laughing at me because I must look absolutely ridiculous.

After softball "practice", we went into the shaded area and made paper sack puppets. I think nearly all the kids at the camp participated. Each one seemed very proud of their character and spent a pretty good amount of time decorating it. I took lots of pictures, mostly because once they realized it was a digital camera and they could see themselves, they kept asking me to take more and more photos.

I'm having such a good time with them. All the people at the camp are so warm and caring and the kids are so sweet and happy. Even the shy ones only took a few minutes to warm up and participate.

Jan is working very hard to arrange things for the people there to do in order to earn money. She has taught them all how to make batik, and when I got to the camp yesterday a few of the kids were in one of the rooms painting. The final works are stunning. I'm really impressed at how much creativity there is in these people. One of the men carves the most intricate flowers out of bars of soap. I know the medium sounds crude, but the end result is something that looks like it was made out of porcelain. He has taught his son how to do it and together they make these flowers and other tiny sculptures to sell in order to raise money for the camp.

Well, I've finished my morning coffee and am about to head out to the nearby Wat which is atop a very tall mountain. I can't remember how to spell the name of the Wat, but it translates to Tiger Cave.

Heaven help me for I have no spell check. Just please overlook it for now.

Volunteer information for Koh Phi Phi

I've received a few notes from people wanting to know how to volunteer in Koh Phi Phi. If you are looking to perform any sort of physical labor, all you need to do is make your way to the island, I suggest Krabi to the ferry to Phi Phi, and head to Carlito's Bar. There is a volunteer meeting there every evening at 7pm. Be sure to check HiPhiPhi.com for more details of what to bring with you. Last I heard, the ATMs are still out, so you'll need to bring cash as well as your own first aid kit. Best of luck to you!

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Flickr Flickr

Uploaded some pics--

Photos of Bangkok, Krabi, Koh Phi Phi camp.

Flickr only allowed 20 photos to upload. I'll figure out a better way to do this later. :) Sorry! I'm lost without FTP!!!

This added bonus shot is for Dave. Sorry sweetie, I just ruined Thailand's softball future.

Day one in Krabi

So much happened yesterday that it took a moment to realize that it was only one day in Krabi.

It turns out that the woman I was supposed to meet at 2pm yesterday out at the camp, who told me she was in town until then, was sitting right next to me at the internet cafe I was writing from. The entire time she was about a foot and a half away from me. How funny.

So where to start?

Well, first things first, the children have been divided between two camps. One being run by a westerner named, oddly enough, Alana. The other is being run by the people of Phi Phi. There is a pretty big swing between the two locations. The western camp is in town, is very bright and cheery and seems to have more than enough in the way of supplies. The one where the displaced residents are staying is further outside of town, not as colorful, and is in dire need of milk and other nutritional supplies. They are not getting very much help from the government at all, if any. Everything they request requires a lot of paperwork and time and they still have a very difficult time getting what they need.

The people there are frustrated. They so badly want to go home, but they say that the government has told them they can not return until the island is rebuilt. But the government is deciding how the island will be built back up, not the people who have lived there for generations and generations. It's their home and the government is looking at it as a fantastic real estate opportunity. They want to push all the people back up into the hills and put 5 star hotels on the beach to turn it into a high end resort. It's wrong. I hope that word gets out and the Thai government knows that the world has it's eyes on them, expecting them to do the right thing by these people.

AND speaking of...

Yesterday after walking around a bit I returned to my hotel to be greeted by the desk clerk who said I had received a phone call. My guard was up because no one knows what hotel I'm staying in. Then they had me stand at the desk and they made the call back to this guy and handed me the phone. The man identified himself as a member of the Krabi Government and asked me to come to his office with my suitcases of donations. I said, "I mean no offense, but why do you need me to come there? I've already communicated with the camp and they are expecting me in a few minutes." He wanted me to give him all of the things I had brought instead of taking them straight out to the camp.

I told him that I was fine, appreciated his offer but didn't need his assitance but that I would be in touch if there was anything I needed, then thanked him for his time and hung up the phone.

By this time I was pretty worried and upset. I went over to the desk clerk, looked him squarely in the eye and asked him firmly, "Why did you call that man at Provincial Hall and tell him I was here with donations? How did that man know I was here? How did he know I was taking donations out to the camp?" The guy still won't look at me this morning. He hasn't looked at me since yesterday. I sincerely hope he's ashamed of himself. After speaking with the people at the camp, they said they haven't ever heard of the man who called me at the hotel. I feel firm in the idea that this guy was only trying to skim or outright steal the donations because Jan, the woman organizing things out there, is downtown in the government office all the time. She would know his name.

Oh but that's not all. The same hotel clerk, along with his shift partner, overcharged me by 200 Baht for my first night, then have been quoting me 50 to 100 Baht higher for cab fares. So yesterday, after they told me my fare to the camp would be 200 Baht, I walked outside and spoke to a cab driver, who quoted me a fare of 100. Then I walked back into the hotel and told them, "This needs to stop now. You can either earn my money fairly or you will get none at all."

So then they re-booked me into another room, same as the first, and told me "This room is 200 Baht less than yours." ---Same room, same amenities, but this one came with a face-saving feature, so I moved.

That's enough of my learning curve venting. Here's some fun stuff:

Sharon--- You'll be happy to know that all your mom's babies are safely in the hands of some very beautiful and happy Phi Phi children. They loved them. I have pictures and will try to post them when I have a bit more time. I made sure to tell them how special they were to your mom and how happy you two were to send them along. You know the two little girls who are in the picture on my desktop? I met them both yesterday! Just lovely, such sweet faces. I can't believe I'm here with them from so far away.

Dave, Dennis --- You'll be mortified to know that I'm teaching the kids softball. We had our first round of batting practice yesterday. I suck at pitching, but one of the older kids was actually really good. They're very excited about batting, but seem to have more fun laughing at my attempts to pitch.

Rob --- So far the ice is behaving itself. Where are the comments?

I am going out to the camp at 3pm today for my first scheduled activity session. Not sure what we'll do yet. If it's not too hot, maybe more softball, or maybe painting or something else in the shade if the temps are too high.

Last night I gathered up dinner by strolling through the big market across the street from my hotel. I had some coconut soup, some Dorian fruit, and a bag of Coke.

Gosh I was looking forward to posting that I bought a bag of Coke. My mom will be so proud. But seriously, since the bottles are all redeemable they open them up, pour them into a plastic bag, stick a straw in it, and that's what you walk away with.

I woke up around 6:30am today and wandered down to the river to take pictures of the longtail boats floating around in the water at sunrise. It was so beautiful that I got goosebumps.

I love it here, hotel clerks, government, stinky fruit and all.

Bangkok to Phuket to Krabi

I've reached the center in Longkok, the area where they are caring for the children of Koh Phi Phi. I have a couple of hours to kill before my appointment to meet with Jaan, the head of the center. She sounded really happy earlier. I think we're both very excited. So until then, I'll catch up on what's happened since I've been here.

I guess I was pretty naive as far as how strong I estimated the draw of opium to be here. Virtually everyone I've met in transit says they're going to the Golden Triangle, with a knowing look. Additionally, they ran in-flight PSA messages speaking out about the child trafficking industry here. Amazing that the need for those are that powerful that they run them during the flights here.

The guy sitting next to me on the plane from Tokyo was a young student from Dallas named Justin. Neither of us really knew where we were going to stay in Bangkok, so we shared a cab to Koh San Road where we knew there would be a lot of guest houses. At least that way we could get our barrings. Both of us found air-conditioned rooms at the Sawasdee Guest House (0-2629-0079). After checking in, we both headed a few doors down for a drink before going to bed. After all, it was just after noon our time. At the bar/restaurant it turned out that the guy sitting next to us was also from Dallas. How's that for odds? Crazy.

There was a lot of traditional architecture on the little side street where I stayed. Very beautiful. Everything is so lush and green...And HUMID. If I hadn't grown up in Houston I would never have been prepared. Now I'm glad Grandma didn't let us run the AC in Galveston. It was boot camp for this place!

I gave up on my tennis shoes nearly right away in favor of cheap-o flip flops. Wandered around the area for a bit, picked up a lighter weight cotton skirt (tons and tons for 3-4 US dollars), then found a travel agency to purchase my flight to Phuket. The costs for airline tickets vary so widely. One place quoted me $48US, another $78US, then another $58US. There were no direct flights to Krabi, which is where I really needed to go, but I'll get to that in a minute. At any rate, my flight was scheduled for 5:15pm, so I had time to kill before heading back out.

After getting my ticket I stopped into a salon to get a massage. 150B! I may have to get a massage every other hour just because. This was early in the afternoon and I had been walking around for quite a while, so it provided a great recharge. Feeling refreshed, I wandered into Wat Chinat. If I understood the man greeting people at the entrance correctly, this was the prince's birthday and the king had opened all the temples up to free admission. I took my shoes off and quietly walked around the place for a moment before noticing a monk giving out blessings. When he looked at me, I bowed respectfully, so he smiled and motioned for me to come over and kneel in front of him. I looked and said, "Are you sure it's OK?" (que the stupid response reflex) and he motioned again. So I sat down in front of him, tucked my legs underneath me (you're not supposed to sit cross-legged) and bowed my head while he took a large bundle of sticks (maybe incense?), dipped them in water, and shook them over me for the blessing. I have to say that it was a very humbling moment. I think it's a beautiful thing when members of different religions open you up to positive aspects of theirs without regard for your beliefs. So it goes without saying that I was honored.

After receiving the monk's blessing, I roamed the temple grounds for a bit longer, then made a donation at the front gate. They gave me a tiny cage of these little birds to release for good luck.

Next I went back to the guest house to retrieve my suitcases before going to the airport. Traffic was horrible and I had to make a mad dash to the gate, only to get on a plane that taxied for 45 minutes and returned to drop us back off. Cancelled. We got different stories. Either there were mechanical problems or they didn't have enough passengers to warrant the flight. Apparently Phuket Air is known for this so we were transferred over to Thai Air which I must admit is much swankier than I thought it would be. If I had known how nice their planes and staff were I would have much rather flown with them than United. -Not that United was bad, just that this was p-o-s-h.

The flight landed in Phuket around 10:30pm, then I shared a cab with a very nice British/Thai couple named Jim and Jeb to Krabi. I was going to stay the night in Phuket, then take the ferry to Koh Phi Phi, then into Krabi where I learned that they moved the facility for the children. The reasons why they have moved the center are not entirely clear. I've received two very different stories.

One version is that the residents of Koh Phi Phi who survived the tsunami are terrified to go back. They're scared of another wave and they're scared of the ghosts of the dead.

The second version, which I heard today, is that the government is keeping the people out because they want to sell the island to developers and kick the indigenous folks out for good.

I don't know which is entirely true. I imagine that it's a little of the first, and mostly the second. When I went to the nursery earlier today, the women there told me that they desperately want to go back to their island home but are not being permitted to go. If you ask me, that's the horse's mouth and I'm a lot more likely to believe it.

So here I sit in downtown Krabi, Thailand waiting to go to my position in Longkok (OK, snicker if you must, I did. Or at least my inner 12 year old did.) where I will meet with the director of that facility and start doing what I came here to do!!!

More later. I'm off to wander Krabi until it's time to go.

--

A couple more notes (I can never just shut up, can I?!)

a) MAN am I glad I brought along that sarong. No place has had sheets, the guest house barely had towels.
b) Boyd was totally right on about the rain. Nothing, nothing, nothing, DOWNPOUR, then it just shuts off as suddenly as it starts. Weird, but at least it cools everything down. Right now it's raining cats and dogs and oh boy does it feel good.
c) Hey Rob! Last night was was crazy-out-of-control! I had ice *and* street food! Next I'm going bungee jumping. So far, so good. I was told the ice is factory made, not tap water. Everything's holding up thus far.
d) I'm going to turn on comments so Rob can leave witty retorts. Anyone else is welcome to as well, but mainly it's for him. Just honoring a request, so these better be good!! :)

I'm here! In Bangkok!

Blogging from Bangkok

Mom, thank you so much for making me learn how to type properly. The keys on the board all have Thai script on them, but obviously will type in western characters. Score one for your cute, smug, "I told you so" face. :)

I got in just after midnight last night.
Short video.

Right now it's 9:30am Sunday. I think the jetlag will be kept to a minimum since I scheduled out my sleep, then took an Ambien just after 2am after I'd settled down a little.

Checked into a guest house off of Koh San Road then got out of the clothes I wore on the plane and wandered down a few doors to a cafe/bar. It wasn't crazy hot, but 88 degrees F with very high humidity. Had a few whiskeys and cokes (no ice-- danger) and went back to my room for a decent few hours of sleep.

This morning I wrangled my shower, which is just the bathroom with the door closed and a hose sticking out of the wall. Sharon was right about the toilet paper. Now that's fun. I have a hose for that too. If the world ever has a hose shortage, we know where to come looking.

I'm going to try to figure out how to upload some of the pics I've taken later on, but I forgot my cable in my room. First things first, I need to get a ticket to Phuket so I can catch the ferry to Koh Phi Phi in the morning.

What to eat for breakfast? What won't make me sick? I had a banana split last night because I was tired and didn't trust myself to pick something safe.

No ice. No ice. And no tap water for certain.

I miss you Phia.
I miss you Autumn.

ACK!

I'm totally in Tokyo!!!

Quick layover, just enough time to freshen up a little and check e-mail. I'll write more when I get settled in Bangkok tomorrow.

Rebuilding Thailand's dream island

For the first few weeks after the 26 December tsunami, the Thai island of Phi Phi was eerily quiet.

Yes I'm still going. :)

News from Koh Phi Phi

"March 28
New Earthquake 8.2 magnitutde

People on the island of Koh Phi Phi are already warned and on the mountain for safety.

Today we received news on the new earthquake off the coast of sumatra. We were alerted by a call to Hi Phi Phi from Japan. We have already established contact with the team on the ground, and were informed that the people on the island were aware of the situation and staying on the mountain for safety and shelter.

Keep up the spirit - the Hi Phi Phi team"

www.hiphiphi.com

This earthquake serves as a very sobering reminder as to why I am making this trip. If the first tsunami hadn't hit back in December, this travel blog would most likely be about a motorcycle tour of Italy.

I have been excited for the adventure of the trip more because I know that my interactions with the kids are going to be uplifting. But if this terrible thing hadn't happened to them, I wouldn't be going. I never would have given this area much thought for a trip. Not right now anyway. So yes, I'm still excited to go, but I also was just thrust back into the somber mindset which determined this decision back in January.

Another quake hits region

Quake strikes off Indonesia coast.

Cozy dinner with friends

Several of my friends and I went to dinner at Cozy Noodles & Rice last night for more Thai food practice, temporary farewells, and wishes to ward off vicious cobra attacks. Photos are here.