Pacific 2004 - Day 89 - Thailand

• Watched Green Bay Packers trounce the Rams
• Sky train to Patpong Rd - no titties - Dave sad :(
• To big mall - bookstore :)
• Through Lumphini Park - cool ball games being played - like cross between volleyball + hackey sack
• Night bazaar (Suan Lum) - new place - nice outdoor concert dining - more gifts + souvenirs
• Heading home tomorrow - ready to get back to work - crazy talk!

Pacific 2004 - Day 88 - Thailand

• To Khao San Rd - have to see what the fuss is about - nothing to fuss about - meter taxi driver refused to use meter + told us off - nice!
• Indian dinner + more foot massages

Pacific 2004 - Day 87 - Thailand

• Chinatown
• Back to Chatuchak - we're animals!
• Foot massages on Pradiphat Rd

Pacific 2004 - Day 86 - Thailand

• Chatuchak! Again!
• Awesome VIP cinema experience - crap movie (Alexander) - great theatre

Pacific 2004 - Day 85 - Thailand

• Watched part of T-giving football game - hung out @ bungalow till noon
• Ferry to Krabi
• Cool night market in Krabi for Loi Krathong - crunchy snacks

• Flew to Bangkok - checked into Sena Place Hotel

Pacific 2004 - Day 84 - Thailand

• American Thanksgiving
• Checked into Moonlight Bay - great bungalow on stilts w/ perfect sea view

• Great multi-level deck bar on beach

• Quiet time reading on bungalow deck

• Gorgeous sunset

Pacific 2004 - Day 83 - Thailand

• Moved to bungalow without sea view - suspect it's reserved for first-nighters only
• Snorkeling trip to Ko Rok - cool fish, slugs, stars

• 2-hour Thai massage on beach - NICE!
• Dinner w/ beach view @ Sea House - best som-tam yet

Pacific 2004 - Day 82 - Thailand

• Ferry to Ko Lanta
• Checked into Lanta Sea House beachfront bungalow - nice view from porch
• Lunch @ Sri Lanta after grueling rides on 2 taxi-bikes (first broke down) + shitty roads
• Sunset swim back @ Sea House - gorgeous!

• Torchlit dinner on beach - nice

Pacific 2004 - Day 81 - Thailand

• Flew to Krabi
• Checked into KR Mansion - heh - nice candlelit rooftop terrace + world's slowest pad thai

Pacific 2004 - Day 80 - Thailand

• Chatuchak Market! - Have been wanting to return since '99 - covered about 1/4 of market in 5+ hours - lots of new cool flatware + serving pieces

Pacific 2004 - Day 79 - Thailand

• Tried to set up Ko Lanta hotel/bungalow - no luck!
• Went to mall to see Wimbledon
• Flew Thai Air to Bangkok
• Checked into Asia Airport Hotel

Pacific 2004 - Day 78 - Thailand

• Day trip to Doi Suthep temple - cool bells - funny growly puppy
• Baby elephants! - Mae Sa camp - cool paintings too - Dave got mugged for his bamboo + bananas by teenage elephant
• Master cooking class - too much food! - awesome experience - just us + a 20-something chef from Pacific NW

Pacific 2004 - Day 77 - Thailand

• Back to Bo Sang for gift shopping
• Set up flight to Krabi

Pacific 2004 - Day 76 - Thailand

• Day trip to Bo Sang - neat teak + teak root furniture - possibility of future import business - talked it over w/ owner Mustafa Akkan
• Lots of other good crafts around
• Met Bev + Laura @ night to hear about their trip to Pai - decided not to go

Pacific 2004 - Day 75 - Thailand

• Day off for movies - Dodgeball and Sky Captain - intrigued by Saw + Final Cut

Pacific 2004 - Day 74 - Thailand

• Day 5 cooking class - sad to be finished - bought large cookbook - considering evening master class

Pacific 2004 - Day 73 - Thailand

• Day 4 cooking class - good class, but annoying kids talking thru demonstrations - SHUT UP!
• Sunday night market great - low key - some unique stuff - bought a cloth lamp - entire market halted + silent @ playing of nat'l anthem

Pacific 2004 - Day 72 - Thailand

• Day 3 cooking class - market tour

Pacific 2004 - Day 71 - Thailand

• Day 2 cooking class - made our own curry paste - getting a handle on ingredients + techniques
• Crazy blondes still in class - seriously, shut up
• Met Bev + Laura for dinner @ Whole Earth - food ok, conversation better

Pacific 2004 - Day 70 - Thailand

• Found Pagoda Inn this morning - great fan room on upstairs corner - beautiful!
• Day 1 cooking class - intro to ingredients, etc - awesome - met Bev + Laura Goodman (NY)
• Also in class: 2 other crazy blonde women from NY - shut up already...
• Met Bev + Laura @ night bazaar

Pacific 2004 - Day 69 - Thailand

• Checked into Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School - pd for 5-day course starting tomorrow
• Wandered CM - municipal market not so great
• Foot massage near Irish pub (US$2) - will probably get massage every day
• Night Bazaar great - nice stuff + cheap
• Have to check out of hostel tomorrow - we haven't signed up for any excursions, so get out!

Pacific 2004 - Day 68 - Malaysia to Thailand

• Lots of airport time today on way to Chiang Mai
• Chiang Mai has good vibe - clean + friendly + cheap!
• Checked into Yourhouse Guesthouse (220 Baht/night)
• Buffet dinner @ Utopia - nice salad fixins, grillable meat, spaghetti bol.
• Cheap internet - 30B/hr (75 cents)

Pacific 2004 - Day 67 - Malaysia

• Caught bus to Batu Caves
• Caves cool, but monkeys cooler! - Shannon nearly mugged by teenage hooligan monkey thugs - saw a few (one over + over?) newborns clinging to mom-monkeys
• Also: roving wild dogs + shy black-faced monkeys
• Finally (!) caught bus back to KL
• Internet + more software in Chinatown
• Back to Chili's for chips, salads + more monsoon viewing
• Bookstore :)
• Picked up sushi (7 nigire for RM8!) + fruit for dinner
• To room for dinner + TV

Pacific 2004 - Day 66 - Malaysia

• Walked to Golden Triangle - Monorail!
• Went to find Sunday Market - closed - nighttime only
• Shopped Central Market
• Back to hotel for a swim
• Early dinner @ Chili's in KLCC - nice view of daily late afternoon monsoon!
• Walked around mall - bookstore! - back to hotel for TV

Pacific 2004 - Day 65 - Malaysia

• Shopped Little India + Chinatown - software, clothes, tea
• Learned about tea @ Teh Is Tea near Penggong
• Saw The Grudge - creepy - at Suria KLCC
• Back to Little India for night market

Pacific 2004 - Day 64 - Malaysia

• Left Taman Negara by longboat - saw monitor, monkeys + boar - awesome trip downriver

• In Jerantut, booked hotel in KL (cheap for 4 stars!) + flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand
• Merry Miss Sunshine served fast lunch in Jerantut, barely in time to make shuttle to KL
• Checked into Corus Hotel in KL - nice :) - had buffet dinner (RM112)

Pacific 2004 - Day 63 - Malaysia

• Looks like our candidate didn't quite win - fellow traveler gave us news of close electoral college vote while we...
• Hiked the jungle up to a lookout - walked the canopy walk - saw a poisonous snake + huge ants

• Rested, showered, rested more
• Went to aboriginal village upriver - blew darts, made fire, had a young civet walk on us - cool! - good boat ride back

• Will leave Taman Negara a day early to head to KL

Pacific 2004 - Day 62 - Malaysia

• Shuttle to Tembeling Jetty
• Great boat ride to Taman Negara - very cool + comfy - saw 1 monkey + 1 monitor

• Checked into Ekoton Village - cranked the A/C!
• Relaxed today + tried to get election results - unresolved @ bedtime
• Met + talked (listened) to Dave - former military / San Antonio resident

Pacific 2004 - Day 61 - Malaysia

• B-fast @ Cherating Cottage (RM8)
• Bus to Kuantan (RM6) - lunch @ A&W! (RM12)
• Bus to Jerantut (RM21)
• Stayed @ Hotel Sri Emas (RM48)
• Booked trip to Taman Negara (RM575)
• Yummy roti dinner @ Muslim restaurant on Jl Besar (RM8) - is it insensitive to eat at a Muslim restaurant before sundown during Ramadan? Stupid tourist...

Pacific 2004 - Day 60 - Malaysia

• Breakfast on Jl Mahkota (RM6)
• Bus to Cherating
• Checked into Cherating Cottage (RM50) - friendly owners
• Rainy, blah beach
• Lunch + dinner @ Duyong Restaurant on beach - awesome watermelon/lime juice drink (RM26 lunch, RM 20 dinner)
• Decided against going north along eastern coast - will head to Taman Negara Nat'l Park

Pacific 2004 - Day 59 - Singapore to Malaysia

• Breakfast on Timah Bukit (S$11)
• Bus to Johor Bahru, Malaysia (S$4)
• Taxi to JB Airport (40 Malaysian Ringgit [RM])
• Flight to Kuantan via Kuala Lumpur (RM314 total)
• Stayed @ Tong Nam Ah Hotel (RM25) - great ceiling fan - pretty comfortable

Pacific 2004 - Day 58 - Singapore

• Up early - city quiet - breakfast of prata + curry @ Food Stop on Hill St
• Checked out Chinatown - empty
• Train to Chinese Garden - cool lizards + cloth lighting sculptures

• Train + long walk to Haw Par Villa on Pasir Panjang Rd
• Cool morbid "Gates of Hell" dioramas @ Haw Par Villa (S$2)

• Lunch on Pasir Panjang @ dim sum house (S$6) + drinks (S$3)
• Taxi (S$10) back to Funan IT Mall - loads of technology for sale - prices only slightly better than U.S. + no tax - snacks of tea (S$6) + fruit (S$2)
• Dinner in Tekka Centre (S$6) then Indian Market - we're here during the Deepavali Festival + Ramadan - the markets are hopping @ night when Muslims are able to break their fast