We rented motorbikes to explore the island of Ko Pha Ngang. We sped through winding roads past palm trees, bungalows, internet huts, taxi cabs stuffed with backpackers cruising to Hat Rin, a western beach.
A curious bike passed as Brian and I stopped to take in the emerald green of the beach.
A Monk held tight to his driver. His orange robes blew with the wind, and his shaved head bobbed with the shocks of the bike as they passed.
We followed along the dirt road twisting inland through the valley in the heart of the small island. I thought of Buddha with his calm smile and rested eyes clinging to the back of the small vehicle. The engine cut through the jungle, and still we followed. Shacks sat in the sun. We slowed with hand breaks to navigate around holes filled with water.
The bike ahead stopped and the old man dismounted, resting on a cane, adjusting the folds of bright cloth shrouding his shoulder. We stopped and smiled. The monk turned and bowed, touching palm to palm.
He had led us to a Wat in the Jungle. The buddhist monostary was secretly tucked away in the the vally off the main road. We surveyed ornate buildings, and mindfull men sitting in lotus, medatating.
The island itslef had led us there, turning the key to shut the engine, giving deep quite breaths like waves on the nearby beach, like the breeze through the bush.
“Tuck Tuck” he says with a squinted smile. He points to his motorcycle taxi. “sexy time” His stubby copper colored fingers dig through his pocket to present a folded brochure. I sip my beer and nervously adjust my pack. “no thank you” The English gets stuck in my teeth, but I smile in return. “Tuck Tuck . . .Best Message. . sexy time” he points to the exposed images of female flesh over the hot pink background of the brochure.
His bike is parked KHAOSAN ROAD, a hot soup of foreign travelers squeezing through curbside bars, and the neon of massage parlors and closet sized 711 stores.
“no thank you” I repeat, and search for my bed.
“Tuck Tuck” he says with a squinted smile. He points to his motorcycle taxi. “sexy time” His stubby copper colored fingers dig through his pocket to present a folded brochure. I sip my beer and nervously adjust my pack. “no thank you” The English gets stuck in my teeth, but I smile in return. “Tuck Tuck . . .Best Message. . sexy time” he points to the exposed images of female flesh over the hot pink background of the brochure.
His bike is parked KHAOSAN ROAD, a hot soup of foreign travelers squeezing through curbside bars, and the neon of massage parlors and closet sized 711 stores.
“no thank you” I repeat, and search for my bed.
It is official – I am in Bangkok. I arrived about midnight last night (which was Monday night here) and it is about 10:00 on Tuesday now. I already have no idea what time it is at home. 20 hours on three different flights will do that to you.
As for Thailand, this place is definitely very different from home. I have only just begun exploring this morning, but just from the array of sights, smells, street vendors selling everything from fresh orange juice to what looks like fried fish paste, tuk-tuk drivers (basically motorcycles with two back wheels and a couple benches of seats) constantly asking “where you go”, crazy traffic, and temples everywhere –this place is pretty amazing.
Adam should be arriving this evening at about midnight. Till then I am on my own –I’ll probably check out some of the famous Wat (buddhist temples) around town because they are free to enter on Tuesdays. One of the most famous has a 45 meter high golden Buddha.
Thanks to everybody for tuning in to our first posts. And thanks to Jason for the new, slightly creepy blog template with a very large photo of my face. See if you can work a shot of Adam in when we get a few.
Sa Wat Dee (hello / goodbye), everybody!
Brian
As the man once known as Demopolis in his Greek days makes his way across the vast Pacific, I sit in Chicago for two more weeks, with nothing more exciting than designing a new blogger template. Enjoy it.
Prize to whomever gets the Chinese, Thai, and Japanese in the header image.
