Travel Talk

Emergency Break Travel Whiplash

Greetings,

Yours truly sits here in the midst of a rainstorm in the middle of Chiang, Mai, Thailand. I do believe my neck hurts from an egregious auto accident despite never getting into a car. After a year (September 16th) that this trip began, it feels like someone pulled the emergency break to it’s maximum capacity while blazing down a dirt road at 200mph in a German rear wheel drive car, naturally.

Not sure if it’s culture shock, reverse culture shock or a quasi whacko mid-culture shock. It’s like I’m back and living in an apartment but I really don’t know anyone or all my friends moved away and I’m illiterate. It’s “different” walking around not knowing anyone and only really running into old retired people instead of friendly travelers in the same position as yourself.

Most of the local people I run into are friendly but don’t speak English, why would they? Who am I to assume they should? The reality is, I don’t speak Thai… The feelings of random isolation that I knew would approach have definitely arrived. If you meet someone from a foreign country who doesn’t speak English, be sure to send them a smile, I have an idea what it’s like.

Was thinking, typically people travel for a short period of time then go home, this was a long period of time then when it comes to “resting zone” it’s basically in a part of the world that is totally foreign. Then again, all part of the sub consciously put together plan from the people at SHABL, apparently!? Enjoying it here, just wow, what a 180 from the previous lifestyle of “on the road”.

Now that the “EMO” crap is out of the way, where were we?

Yesterday was fun but punishing, my Australian friend is leaving tomorrow so we went out for mid-day cocktails. It’s crazy how in Chiang Mai, one can drink through the afternoon at restaurants and drop ~$20us… In Europe? In North America? HA. That said, didn’t have many drinks, but each one of them was enough to retire a surly sailor.

Got a massage today for $4us or 120 baht, it was the worst massage of my life, not sure if the lady was just depressed, whatever. If you go for a massage you want to go somewhere that they recruit you in not you knock the door and wake someone up, ha. Like she didn’t even have the timing right so basically just did my legs for 40 minutes then put hurt my spine for about 10 minutes and said peace out.

Yesterday during drinks, a lady came in with little birds in a cage, a bag full of them. For 100b you can set them free, good luck. I know if no one bought them they wouldn’t be in the bag but these ones would have. Was a memorable experience none the less.

I’m off to get some street meat and hopefully put in an hour or so work before watching whatever is on the English channel. Recently the only thing they have been playing is “Model Spotlight” and I’m cool with that as Natasha Poly is well super hot and it beats the $@!#$ out of some “Law and Order” or even worse, CSI. That show makes me sick like the eating rats video made many readers sick, I’m sure.

I’d continue making meaningless small talk and publishing it on the web but I have more important things to be doing. By that I mean stuffing my face with greasy street food and shopping for sandwiches in 7/11 donning a pair of soggy and most certainly soiled slippers.

Yes, I must go and where the $@#$ are my slippers!?

Flick of the cap,

P.S: Don’t forget to enter the “Eurail 1st Class Global Pass Contest“.

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