What’s going on? It’s funny how people often have illusions of what traveling around the world is like. Everyday is a party and everyday is great. The reality is, most days are considerably better than the ones spent working or waiting in traffic but boredom still creeps in, especially when you rent an apartment in a foreign city. Unless you’re incredibly introverted and would normally just be sitting alone at your computer back home, do make a large portion of your budget “entertainment”. If not, what’s the point in being so far from your friends and family?

Yesterday I was bored as I had spent ~4-5 days basically just going to the gym and toying around on the internet.I knew I was meeting people for dinner but didn’t expect it to turn into a most wonderful evening of dinner, drinks and dancing in Bangkok. It’s crazy but almost all of my “in the flesh” friends from Bangkok started out online, the internet is “incroyable”. Most have to do with travel but have also met gents from an investment group I’m proud to be a member of. It’s cool meeting people from the net who share similar interests, always plenty to talk about.

Enough about all that. Basically the Got Passport family is going back to the USA for a while and they were in town for the night. Myself and about a dozen other of their friends got together for the delicious dinner shown below in the photos. I love eating “Thai Style” or is it “Asian Style” or just “Sharing Style?” Order something you’d like, everyone else does. Order lots of rice and share, share, share. You basically get to try ~10 dishes. At the end the bill is split, it’s a no brainer.

Afterward met for drinks in Siam Square with my South African friends. Some friends from the US were leaving today and on Khao San Road so we cabbed over and met them. Very pleased to NOT be living in that area anymore but really pleased it exists. No matter what day of the week you can take a cab there and guaranteed excitement awaits.

Ended up hitting a few side street bars and touring around mingling with the plethora of uniquely strange personalities you most certainly meet. I’ve said it before but it’s true, Khao San Road is the backpacking mecca of the world. That one street has people from all over the world at any given time. Many people don’t like it and I can see why, they would say it’s tourism gone bad or something like that, I’ll leave those people to their opinions based on the lives they lead.

Like all evenings on Khao San Road, it ends up at “Le Club” which is arguably one of my fav clubs out there. It’s upscale for Khao San and just plays hard house music. There is always a lively crowd and things always get out of hand in a most magnificent manner. Somehow lost my friends near the end of the night but made new ones, the ladies below from Norway.

Shortly after I got egregiously ripped off on a pad thai deal gone bad. Gave her 100 baht and she gave me 20 change?! Huh? As I protested she began violently swinging her spatula in the direction of my skull, I knew she meant business so I fled on foot until I got in the confines of a cab. How awesome is it that you can get ripped off on a huge after bar meal and still only pay $2.75US!?

The entire evening which included two sky train fares, a wonderful meal with great people in a nice restaurant, as many drinks as you pleased in two separate districts of town, an over priced meal after the bar and two cab fares was ~$33US. I was out for ~10 hours, that’s $3.33US an hour for uninhibited fun, wow.

There is a reason why Bangkok is popular, what would $33US get me on a “wild night out” in Ottawa? Let’s just say a cab home is ~$20 and we’ll leave it at that. Even just looking around as I type this, I’d be paying ~$200+ a night for this hotel room downtown in any Canadian city. Go east my friends, the Pet Shop Boys got it wrong, go FAR east!

Cordially,

P.S: This lady has a mini grocery store selling fresh produce and fish from the back of her pickup truck, that’s what I call hitting the streets with your idea.

Greetings,

Wow, Songkran on Khao San Road, 2011 was insane. To say the whole place belonged in a straight jacket with padded walls is an understatement. Heard of the Full Moon Party and Tubing in Vang Vien… Add Songkran on Khao San Road to the list. It was a SOLID TIME and even ended up on the Chanel 9 6PM NEWS!

If you’ve ever wanted to know what it’s like to morph back to your 8 year old self with thousands of others doing the same, just go. Buy the 5000 super soaker model and get egregious. Khao San is so busy you can’t move. People dancing on risers with hoses spraying the masses as everyone is shooting everyone, dumping ice water on each other, pure bedlam at its finest.

A few of the side streets near by were more fun in my opinion. On Khao San they charge you for water and it’s too crowded. Side streets are still nuts, still crowded but lot’s of restaurants just have a hose you can use to refill and reload. I enjoyed the super soaker and a 6L jug of water as the “grenade” as I liked to call it. Not into soaking people as much as one sudden burst to the chest to shock them, sorta.  If not you run out of water too fast. That said, if someone hasn’t gotten it yet, I”ll unload, naturally.

Held down the fort near Gecko Bar most of the day with random people who I never bothered to chat with. We were part of a small renegade rebel force not that dissimilar to what’s happening in Tripoli and anyone who wasn’t with us was against us. Old men, pregnant ladies, random cats with fancy moustaches and top hats, pet clowns in pin striped burlap blazers and hippy women who have never heard of razors. Everyone and everything was fair game.

Will note, of all the countries I’ve ever been, ONLY THAILAND could have this festival. Anywhere else you’d have people punching each other in the face and other such altercations. A few foreigners at times got all upset they got wet and it was like wow, you’re walking through a water fight warzone and you’re getting upset about being wet? Aren’t you on vacation? Naturally their protest only led to getting it worse. We’re like pirates, not to be trusted and do as we please.

The water fight is going on all over the country, people on the backs of scooters shooting each other, from tuk tuk’s, even pick up trucks with ~5 people in the back shooting and dumping buckets of water on people as they drive, it’s just something you need to see to believe. I’d heard of Songkran but never expected this…

Took some horrible photos with my horrible camera. Afterward ended up at some random bars before going to “Le Club” on Khao San. I’d go on about the rest of the evening but you wouldn’t believe me anyways and I don’t really care to tell you anymore. I will note, this lifestyle is great, if you have the guts, go for it and don’t ever second guess it.

SONGKRAN!!!

Tips hat,

P.S: This camera is so bad and can’t focus, not sure why I even bother with it.

Search Du Jour!?: “boring daily life routine“

Greetings,

This photo is of my favorite street dancer in Bangkok. He hangs out near Khao San Road and you can see me tipping him in the video walk through we made. Also that night I went in September 2010 and told you about helping my favorite street dancer bank some coin, this is the kid.

He is like a quasi busker who just dances randomly on the street wherever the the beats take his happy feet. He always has a little cup with him near where he is doing his art work. At times you’ll see him grooving by himself, with attractive women or even myself. He’s a fun guy.

Sometimes I think he has a house other times I think he sleeps near Khao San. Then again I have a place near Khao San most of the time and you see me out at all hours so I reckon the same for him. He’s a nice guy despite the fact we’ve never had a conversation, just laughs.

Cordially,

Note: To see the image larger, right click “view image”.

Good evening,

On Khao San Road in Bangkok, Thailand you have many creative Thai’s. They make little tuk tuk’s out of old beer cans and sell them to tourists. At the “hub” of this artwork they have the “Chang Bike” that is reserved for true changsters.

Not sure if it’s for sale or not but they did a pretty good job on this bike.

Nothing says “I LOVE CHANG” like cruising through the streets on this thing.

Cordially,

Note: To enlarge image, right click and select “view image”.

First off, today is 14 months on the road. Crazy times.

How are we? I could go on about a boring @$$ bus trip that was 11 hours but I won’t, ok just a little? First let me make this perfectly clear, you will run into VERY INTERESTING people on Thai Islands, got it? Good.

A nice German lady woke me up at 7:40 on her way to bikram yoga (I think) and I was at the bus stop by 8, the ferry didn’t come until 9:30, took it. The bus finally left at 12, we got in at ~6:30pm, very boring, very vanilla. Bus goes direct to Khao San, recommended over Mochit as you’d need to cab from there anyways.

Got a new pad, usually go to the same places all the time. Suffice to say this small lady made eye contact with me. I began to smile, she began to smile, we had a moment, ok? Anyways I’m staying there and it’s cheap, can’t go wrong. That said, hope my stuff is still there. On that topic, my 500gb backup is corrupted.

The story on Koh Chang was the same old song and dance. It’s a great song and even better dance so no complaints. It’s just mind bogglingly weird how if you are open to new friendships, they come your way. For starters was with my Finnish friends which is always a great time.

Met some Germans at Rasta bar, simple “hello”. Hours later ran into them at another place, joined them. They turned out to be in our guest houses. Through them met some other people and before long you’re walking around nodding your head. People are moving out now and that little “community” of huts will be same same but different, ever more.

The other night we hit up a beach party. Besides horrific music it was as though most men on this planet had died from the plague or had their feet firmly planted to the bamboo in front of the bar. The dance floor was like the united colors of Benetton.

Today, on the bus, none of that. This was one of the first bus trips / places you meet no one cool. Just these French girls who had horrible body odor and sat behind me, apart from that the highlight of the trip was when this English girl fell asleep on my shoulder, oh la la.

I’d love to be back on Koh Chang, leaving was really emotional (haha just kidding). The general public have no clue how fun that place is, well some of you do but… It’s just one of those places that makes you say “screw the rest of the world, this place is golden”.

Bangkok, how I love Bangkok, the intensity of this city makes people crumble and eat humble pie. Most hate it and just want some hippified island experience. I prefer both. Right now there are people head bobbin, weaving in and out of traffic, hawking goods. It’s awesome.

I fly to Colombo, Sri Lanka tomorrow.

Off to wander the streets of Khao San Road.

Tips hat,

Update: Just walked around Khao San, wow, done with that place. You see so many bright eyed tourists hypnotized by the lights and sounds. Been here too long, love Bangkok but this part of town just isn’t what it used to be. Heck, my boy Joe doesn’t even push Ping Pong shows on the corner anymore, what is this world coming to!?

Greetings,

You hear me talking about all sorts of people on Khao San Road, Bangkok, yes? This guy is basically a perfect example of the lost soul hippy in my opinion. I also have a full frontal shot but figured we’d leave him to his anonymity as he isn’t hurting anyone. Just blinding us with his most interesting attire.

You see lots of people like this.

Tips hat,

Note: To see the image larger, right click “view image”.

Greetings,

Spent some time on Khao San Road, Bangkok as many of you know. While there filmed a video blog which is basically a full walk-thru of all of Khao San Road. Youtube will not let me post the full 15 minutes so I have broken it into two parts. This is the first and longest part.

We talk to many of the local personalities, check out many shops and such. This video will give you a great idea of what it is like being on Khoa San Road. If you’ve been there, it should bring back memories, if you have never been there, you’ll have a great idea of what actually happens on this street, sorta.

Note: In video above click the “360″ and turn to “480″

I have had many great times on Khoa San and as mentioned in the video, if starting a trip in Asia, come here first. You’ll meet people from all over the world and get an idea of where to go. You may even meet some people here and go with them, somewhere, anywhere. I met some gents and ended up on Koh Tao, which turned out to be one of my most favorite places on this planet.

Tips hat,

P.S: Remember the Free 1st Class Eurail Global Pass Giveaway.

Search Du Jour!? “lifes boring looking for adventure” – Search.

Good day,

First off, giving away a 2 month, 15 day Eurail pass worth 700 or 900E, look for details this week. I had a sick summer, why not make yours next summer?

What does one do when they fly from Europe straight to Bangkok!??! You know the answer so I will not fill you in. Know this though, I would have gone to Chiang Mai tonight but I woke up at 4pm and still need to sort out my lack of electronics. I blame it on the “jet lag” not that I believe in that myth. Just an excuse for complainers to complain. I scoff at jet lag with a long scowl. I will say that immediately after finding a room, I got an amazing massage for ~$6US… May get another today.

I do like it here and even entertained thoughts of living in Bangkok while out on yesterday’s most egregious “black tie event” evening with my friends from the USA, the lady from the Netherlands I met at the airport and split a cab with as well as the German lady I met having a smoke in front of a hostel and invited to join us.

Later, the group split up and I ran into my friends from Paris that I met earlier in the evening and hit up “LE CLUB” aka the Blade “Blood Rave” like club, I love that club. Most hate it, obviously. Also ran into my favorite homeless guy but I doubt he is homeless, he just dances on the street for cash. I joined him doing hundreds of jumping jacks and jumping around like I was on a pogo stick, without the pogo or about to start a bboy battle by myself so naturally, it never started. Definitely helped his sales, if you can call it that.

One thing I find very cool is that all my regular hang outs remember me, they look at me for a few moments then say “hey, welcome back” or something to that extent but remark my hair is way longer and I need a shave.  After having a beautiful Swedish ballet dancer shave you, doing it yourself is even less attractive. Considering the volume of people coming through, it is cool to have some friends that live here / remember you. Kinda feels like going to a “home”. Notice people say “Home” why not have “homes”, I most often prefer the plural of anything… Add an S and stuff gets more fun.

Friends told me they have not seen my tuk tuk driver friend in ages, I was mortified. On the way here I ran into another one of the crew members, I believe he is my friends side kick, every action hero needs a side kick FYI. Turns out my buddy  is working tonight, awesome, would be a shame to come through without having several smokes and countless laughs with a gent we will forever call “Joe”, if that is his real name.

I got a room for 370 baht a night with A/C, not that I used it. It has a lock box though which is pretty important to this character. I have found some rooms as low as 150 baht and oddly enough, some dorms that are 500 baht, huh!? Why stay in a dorm for 10E+ when you can get your own room!? Basically not sure why I looked around, just went back to my old stomping grounds.

The reality is this, there is no way on gawd’s good earth a distinguished gentlemen can get work done in Bangkok, it is simply not possible. On that note, I can smell my own arm pit, probably should take that shower most do when they arrive from a 16 hour flight to one of the sweatiest cities in the world, yeah that is a good idea.

Ohhhhhhhhhh how I love those orange juices and plethora of affordable street food, we aren’t done yet, fyi. Last night eat some sick (In a good way not like makes you sick, well maybe it will, time will tell) food on the streets near where I cleaned the sewer in January with a staph infection. It was 5$ for 3 of us!!! Met a dude from Montreal who builds apartments and ships the cupboards etc from China. He said he picks up $20,000 of gear for $800. Porcelain or whatever it was, $0.45 a $@#$ square foot.

On the plane, I crafted an 11 question survey to test a theory of mine that backpackers and most travelers DO NOT read travel blogs, on that note this is NOT a travel blog, notice there is a category called travel blog? Well, one is traveling so it is apropos. Either way, it also asks about a social network and digs into guide books to see why people carry them.

Being in Bangkok would be good as a sample of anything less than 1000 randoms is simply crass. It would also be interesting to meet 1000 more travelers. Remember you can see someone 1000000 times without noticing them and they can be in every city you are. If you do meet them, even in line at coffee, you will see them everywhere and probably become a friend because what is a friend? A friend is someone you have SOMETHING in common with, nothing less nothing more and then there are countless shades of gray or grey or goose!?

Tip of the hat and a click of the heels from Bangkok,

P.S: Nothing.

P.P.S: The flight was interesting but that story is for another day.

P.P.P.S: Use meter taxi from the airport and if you go 2 people, same price basically as single on a bus… Came to 250 baht + 50 airport fee + 50 road fee aka 175 each and tipped him 20 baht. The bus which takes who knows how long costs 150 baht.

Search Du Jour!?: “boring saturday night – don’t want to go out” – Result.

Yo,

I haven’t become a lazy slob but considering there is an obesity epidemic going on, I figure it will be a good title for search engine traffic, I also presume that many people who are lazy slobs probably live incredibly boring lives, so it’s a good match.

I sit here in a bed in a hotel that has mirrors on the walls, I really like mirrors on the walls. When I grow up aka settle down and become boring, I’m going to have a place with mirrors on the walls, seriously.

I’m getting sick of recounting my daily hi jinx but not so sick of it that I’ll stop. I’d still rather do that then start writing these bullsh!t inspirational bloggeries or photos of myself in all these locations neither of us care about. For the record, I never get my photo taken in front of landmarks, I find it cheesy and not like the delicious cheese you eat in a burger. Just throwing it out there, I’d rather drink a soggy steak sandwich with salmonella seasoned sewer soup for gravy than start doing that. If I ever do that, please COD me one of those such said sandwiches, asap.

Last night I met up with this gent for 1 drink, 1 harmless drink. After about 5 I was thinking to myself, ok once we leave here I’ll go home, only reason I’m not in Cambodia is I needed a “day of rest”, sadly, obviously that never occurred. I was so tired at about 1pm that while shopping for a new battery for my POS HP laptop, I was tempted to ask one of the kiosk clerks if I could sleep under the desk, even considered taking a nap near the sky train.

Next thing you know we’re jumping in and out of taxis from district to district, it was a booze fueled 2 man pub crawl. Ever been on a pub crawl? Ever been on a pub crawl with one person you met hours before? Show up, do all there is to do and down a drink and into the next equally sordid pub for much of the same? At about midnight another friend showed up and said “let’s do Khao San”, I said “sure” and before I blinked other friend had bounced, ha. I can’t say I blamed him.

While walking around Khao San (FOR THE LAST TIME) I ran into a friend from Kuala Lumpur and hung out. What’s weird is having traveled for ~5 months now, I meet people I know everywhere I go. Also when you travel, your friendships grow on hyper speed compared to say boring banter in the coffee line before work filled with people secretly engaged in self depreciating self commentary like “I hate my life, maybe I should just quit my job, I hate my wife, wonder if anyone would care if I died, I hate my car payment, I hate my boss”. If you travel with someone and you see the again it’s like “WHAT’S UP”, if you run into that guy who buys an XL triple triple everyday in front of you with an un buttered multi-grain bagel it’s like “hello Paul, meet my wife Bernadette”.

On a side note, I am a lazy slob, I haven’t even added a gawd damn photo to this blog in a few days, maybe a week? Not since I went meditating with those monks. Ladies and gents, I think I should have stayed longer, oh the regret, oh the humanity! I’d be leaving that little room right now with a clear vision of who I am, who I was in past lives (not sure if I buy into that, yet), where I’m going and WHAT I need to do! That’s door 1, door 2 would be them taking me out in a straight jacket on a stretcher while crying some incoherently inane crap. Like much of life, the fantasy is dope compared to the reality. It got so boring in that room so fast, props to monks who go for years doing it.

This is enough for today, I’m off to go stroll the streets and have brief but brilliant moments like the ones shared on the holy pages of this here blog. All I know is this, it involves h20, electrolytes, an omelet, a coke and a pancake. The rest is a mystery, the way I like it.

Now drop and give me 10!!!!!!

P.S Don’t fear the reaper, we’re all going to die, embrace it, coward.

Life is great, life is grand, why wait to make things happen? Today was dope, simply put. Hung out with good people, eat good food, checked out MBK and other places. I have SOOO much time on my hands that I walked like 6KM @ noon in Bangkok to Siam from Soi 22 area. Wow, I was sweating like a pig, whatever.

This evening I eat some great food with @everywheretrip and my nurse friend I met in Luang Prabang, after that we rolled out to Khao San. Ok, here is the deal. Khao San is cheap as chips but I’d rather eat a dead rat rotting in a river than ever live there again. Sure it is ~1/3 or 1/4 the price of what I’m paying but who cares. You only live once and your quality of life is important. In retrospect, I CANNOT believe that I spent 3 weeks there. I am shocked at myself.

I saw dread locked hippy freaks, even this girl who was a serious 10/10 getting dreads. I yelled at her “don’t do it, you’re better than that”. I believe it landed on deaf ears, single tear. (not really).

Met up with a load of twitter / nomads / chillers tonight and did Khao San in most significant style, indeed. I said goodbye to my nursing friend and ran into these cab drivers who were having a “mini party” in their trunk. They had a case and all this food. We sat, we chat and whatnot. Next thing i know it’s later and we are out of beer. Being the gent that I am, I buy them another beer and am on my way.

On a side note, I think I’m going to Cambodia soon. Why? Never been and heard it’s a good time. That said, I could live my whole life in Bangkok. Tomorrow, I will hopefully sleep in until I get bed sores before finally leaving this double and go venture to do whatever it is I will do..

Tomorrow, I will try and “be cool” like John Travolta in one of my fav movies “Be Cool”, never seen it? Go watch it.

I’m rambling, but whatever, if you subscribe here, which if you don’t, you should, you know what this joints all about.

Peace out,

P.S: Going through life with a euro style moustache(sic) is good times, trust me.