Exotic Thailand

Before we get to all the unusual and exciting details of Thailand, we first had to overnight in both Manila and Singapore. There are no direct (or simple) routes from Palau to Thailand, so our first leg left us in Manila for the one night. What we saw briefly was a dirty overcrowded city. And you cannot imagine what I mean by overcrowded unless you've witnessed it yourself. There is nothing like it I have ever seen in the states (or our other world travels so far). Basically every inch along the street is occupied somehow – by people, bikes, carts, or possessions. In fact, much of it seems to spill into the street and the cars squeeze thru. And strangely, the lines on the street are completely ignored - often just driving down the road straddling the line. Here's a quiz for you: how many people can ride on a motorcycle? Now add a sidecar to it? I was amazed to see SEVEN people on one small 100cc motor bike. The driver, and two people on the seat behind him (sitting side-saddle), and then four people in the sidecar - two facing forward and two facing back! Then at night, these "motor-bike taxi" drivers appear to sleep for the night laying down horizontally on the normal sized bike seat.

The next morning our journey continued through Singapore, and we decided to see the city for a couple of days while we were there before continuing to Thailand. Quite coincidentally, my Mom was actually in Singapore herself - for a cruise with friends that left the day after we arrive. So we got to meet up with her for a few hours to see all the things she enjoyed most in the few days prior. It was great to connect with friends and family halfway around the world from home. Singapore seems like a really great city - extremely clean, free flowing traffic, and reportedly very very safe – kind of a utopia, at least from the outside looking in briefly. And lot's of good multi-cultural cuisine: We enjoyed the "hawker's markets," where dozens of food stands offer everything from dim sum to stir fry to pig organ soup (which we did not sample). Our walking tour of the city also included many extraordinary buildings - very interesting architecture seems to be the norm. Trekking around the streets of Singapore for suitcase wheels (melted towing the case behind the bike in Palau) we found that some things are amazingly cheap ( $1.40 for silk pillowcases), and some things are outrageously expensive ($400 for a replacement Samsonite suitcase that cost me just $100 on the Internet back at home).

Eventually, we reach Thailand, and it is a bit more difficult so far. I am sure it will get easier, but I thought I'd write my initial thoughts before we accommodate to the new environment. First of all, almost nothing is written in English (or even with recognizable letters for that matter). And very few people speak English, so getting help isn't easy either. That's not to say it isn't worth it. We had a wonderful Thai dinner this evening (Pad Thai and a yellow curry) for less than $8 including drinks. Our hotel room was $18. And after struggling with a pay phone for 20 minutes trying to figure out why our local calls wouldn't go through, we just purchased a SIM card for our existing cell phone for $1.50 and loaded it with 100 minutes for another $3! Later we would enjoy hour-long Thai massages for $8 - I think I'll do that every day it is available at that price!

Our first day here was an excursion out into the beautiful Phang Na Bay on a local “long-tail" boat. The entire bay is filled with islands: If the Rock islands of Palau were shaped like giant mushrooms, these islands are like tall gumdrops. They are scattered randomly around the bay, and rise straight up to one thousand feet high above the water, with vertical limestone walls. Everywhere there were natural arches and sea caves, with impossibly contorted stalactites hanging down.

We were surprised to learn that the kayaking portion of our day trip would be powered by a local... in the kayak with us. So instead of getting some exercise, we had a “ride” around some of the sea caves – while listening to our paddler proudly repeating the phrase “Barak Obama, Barack Obama” - perhaps the only English he knew. Speaking of Obama, most all the locals we meet (Palau, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand) mention him with great enthusiasm. The world seems very optimistic about a new posture of diplomacy and cooperation from the United States. We got to watch the inauguration speech on a stuttering video stream by the pool here in Khao Lak, Thailand. Inspirational, as always.

In case you have this romantic image of folks in Asia all riding around on bicycles, let me tell you that progress has arrived - and they all ride motor-scooters. Everyone. Young school girls, old ladies, even parents taking their children somewhere. They far outnumber automobiles (>10:1), and the only bicycles we've seen were tourists (almost). Some of the scooters have sidecars – some have sidecars with charcoal grills and ice chests built in to serve as a food service cart.

Walking back from dinner one night in the beach town of Khao Lak, there appeared a line of lights burning bright orange high in the sky above us. They obviously weren't planes or helicopters, but what else could they be? Was this the beginning of a massive UFO invasion? Or a battery of military rockets being launched? After a few puzzled minutes (with just a hint of apocalyptic uneasiness), a local told us they were rice paper lanterns lifted by the hot air of onboard wax candles – to carry people's wishes aloft - very beautiful once you understand it.

90 butt-numbing minutes on a rental moped ($8 for the day) took us to Khao Sok National Park. There we met “Too-Too,” the elephant who would carry us on a jungle walk. It was remarkable how large and powerful he was, carrying us through the jungle, up and down meter-high ledges in a very rough "trail" that no 4wd or horse could ever navigate. Riding the elephant is odd: First, there's the sensation of your bare feat are on his leathery skin with coarse hair, and you find yourself rocked back and forth quite a bit with each step he takes, and finally, when you sit on his neck (a truly special privilege), you find his head is oddly spongy. All very cool! There is a tight bond between the elephant and his handler, who carries only a long sharp stick (which we never saw him use). After years of "relationship-building," the handler can encourage the elephant to do what he wants, and rewards him with food and by washing him.

Next up, scuba diving from a live-aboard off the Similan islands...

Palau - Week 2

During the second week in Palau, we did another four dives, and saw more turtles, sharks, giant clams, corals, and this amazing pair of Mantas (click here to see them fly right over my head). In case you are wondering about these pictures, we received a waterproof housing for Eileen's camera from Amazon the day before leaving on the trip, so we're still learning how to use it under water (movies and stills).

After a couple of dives one day, we got to stop at the famous Jellyfish Lake. Apparently, changes to sea level trapped jellyfish in this marine lake and without predators for generations and generations, they lost the ability to sting. So we splash in with our snorkel and mask and kick out in to the lake, passing an occasional jellyfish pulsing along. Then, in perhaps the most surreal experience of my life, we are floating among jellyfish so dense I can't see Eileen if she is more than a few feet away. The official count is over 20 million jellyfish, and it felt like we brushed up against thousands of them – very smooth, soft, and gelatinous (obviously).

We also spent a few days kayaking around the “Rock Islands” (the name for the 300 tiny islands of Palau). Their entire perimeter at the water is an overhang – like a giant mushroom rising out of the ocean. The kayaking here is great – weaving around the inlets and islands. And excellent snorkeling is everywhere – just slip overboard into the water at almost any time. Some of the most amazing corals were present in the sheltered shallows rather than the deep scuba diving sites.

Aside from the glorious sites, there are the unique experiences of international travel. Palau has been quite easy in that regard, as the US dollar is the official currency here, and just about everyone speaks English (as a second language). But some things are just a little unusual. For example, we had a breakfast of french toast and eggs, only there was no syrup and inside the french toast was peanut butter – strange. Oh, yeah, and it included a green salad – for breakfast.

And I still don't understand the bed in one of our hotels: There is no top sheet – just a comforter inside a duvet. This means the minimum you can cover yourself with is a down comforter! In the tropics!? What are they thinking? We extracted the down comforter and used the empty duvet as a top sheet. If anyone knows how this system is supposed to work, please tell us. Seems like the hotel caters to Japanese and Taiwanese customers so, perhaps it is done for them.

And finally, there's the red juice everyone is constantly spitting on the streets. The locals chew something called a Betel nut for a buzz. But the nut alone is unpalatable, so they add lime (the mineral, not the fruit!), and for an extra buzz, they break off the end of a normal cigarette and chew that with it. It is very addicting, and it seems like all the locals do it – some have completely destroyed their teeth as a result – yuck! (mercifully, no pictures).

Back at home, we struggled with the decision to bring folding bikes: Would the burden of travel with an extra bag be worth the freedom of bicycle exploration? So far, we've been enjoying them greatly. Not only because of the places they take us, but also from the wonderful feeling one gets by pedaling a bike. And wherever we go, local kids (and sometimes adults) always shout: “nice bikes!”

We spent one afternoon pedaling around the island of Peleliu. It was the sight of a bloody battle between the Americans and Japanese during WWII. The bikes allowed us to circumnavigate the island (14 miles) and see all the rusting tanks, crumbling military buildings and war memorials scattered around.

It is hard to imagine this is still just the very beginning of our trip. Already it feels like quite a fulfilling vacation. The biggest challenges undoubtedly lay ahead – with language, currency, food, water, transportation, etc. It is not the same as living in the van (12 weeks to Alaska), where we always had our home with us. Now we need to find a clean inexpensive place to stay each night. And we can't drink the water (or ice, so no pina coladas – damn). Next stop, Singapore for a few days, then on to Thailand.

Here is a slideshow of some of our best shots in Palau.

Palau - Week 1

Hello again. With great expectations, Eileen and I are off on what we hope will be an epic journey. This time, we plan to spend 11 weeks traveling around Southeast Asia. We'll start in Palau, then on to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and finally the island of Borneo. While we won't have the camper van with us this time, we will have our bicycles – hopefully they will give us great freedom to explore new places.

Given the 7 hour time difference, we started “time-shifting” before our departure. We went to bed 30 minutes later each night for the 10 days prior, making for some strange hours the last few days: up at noon and to bed at 4am, for example. The day of our flight (New Year's Day), we left the house to drive to LAX at 3:30am. Forty hours later, we arrived in the island nation of Palau (via Honolulu and a 20 hr layover in Guam).

A bounty of frequent flier miles left over from my business travel days allowed us to enjoy 1^st class service. International first class is amazing! Succulent cut fruit, freshly baked cookies, attentive service, and above all room to straighten your legs and actually recline the seat! The leg to Hawaii wasn't like that though, and the flight attendant admitted it is because it is not a money maker since most of the travelers there are using frequent flier miles.

The first thing we noticed in Palau was the overwhelming humidity. The temperatures were mid 80s, but our skin was constantly slick with sweat. I have never been so hot in all my life. I think I lose about 20 IQ points in this condition – I can't entirely think straight. Maybe we'll acclimate eventually.

But when there is a breeze or you are in the shade, it is truly paradise here. I didn't know there were so many shades of color between blue and green. From deep dark blue to shockingly brilliant turquoise (we haven't been able to catch it in photos yet, but we'll keep try trying). And the water is so clear and inviting – it is always calling you to get in. And get in again and again until your fingers are wrinkled like prunes.

So far, we've done six amazing scuba dives. I'd forgotten how great it can be under the right conditions. Starting with the wonderful feeling rolling backwards off the boat into the weightlessness of the water after suiting up in all the heavy scuba equipment. The water feels just like body temperature (it is 85 degrees). So far, we've seen a tremendous amount of sea life: sharks, turtles, fan corals, clown fish in their home anemone, and other colorful fish too numerous to mention.

At the famous “German Channel” site, we got to watch a giant manta ray fly thru the water to the “cleaning station” where cleaner fish were waiting to remove parasites (a tasty meal for them). Mantas are not just big sting rays, they are massive! Seems like they'd make a great submarine – 2 or 3 people could fit inside the body no problem.

Diving in Palau is described as challenging – not a beginner site because of the strong currents. We carry a “reef hook” with us so we can “attach” ourselves to the bottom against the strong current whenever desired. It allows you to effortlessly watch the sea life swimming by in the current. We had heard of divers' being carried away and lost in the current, so we were extra careful.

That said, after diving one day, we discovered that our guide divemaster was in the news a few years ago when he was swept away and drifted for some time (rumored to be 8 hrs to several days) before he was luckily discovered miles away in the Pacific Ocean by a passing fishing boat. Upon reflection, he did seem very very cautious about the currents on our dives – makes sense. Wish we could have asked him about it.

Internet has been harder to find than I anticipated. And when we find it, it is painfully slow. Loading a single page can take more than a minute – or never return! Turns out most of the island is running at 28 kbps – wow, who can remember dial-up speed? It simply doesn't work now that the web is optimized for high-speed access. It could get better or worse on the mainland – we'll see. Hopefully, we'll be able to keep the blog up to date in a timely fashion.