The Real Stories

A lot of the postings are from emails that got sent out to random people over the past few weeks. They don't get to read this blog so here are some things that did not make it into the emails.

ALSO, I am trying to upload photos to the photobucket.com website that is on the southisland post down below but it may be awhile until I can get them up. Anyways, be sure to check them out when I do get them up because they are great.

The Email:

If you are my cousin or family member or something of the sort, there is a reason why you get these emails and your parents don't!!

Bangkok never sleeps, and neither did I! I was getting delusional on day three and thought I had malaria or something before I realized that you need the same amount of sleep in Thailand as you do in the rest of the world.

Thai women are beautiful but hard to approach. However, 42 year old Dutch women are much easier to talk to ;).

Diving really was amazing, but the bars and parties in Koh Tao are some of the best places on earth to "chill." Drugs are a huge no no in Thailand, and you can spend time in jail for a joint. However, they are sold at the bar for 100 baht.

The Red Bull here has speed in it, the whiskey has something in it, and a "bucket" has both Red Bull AND whiskey in it!

Diving is a wonderful cure for a hangover, as long as you eat a good breakfast and you can handle the boat ride.

It was in my plans to go to Burma, but what really happened was that I drank too many buckets with some friends and decided to get on a boat with them. I woke up and realized that I was about to go to Burma, so it worked out perfectly.

There is always risk involved in climbing (or any sport) and in Thailand they don't anchor into anything when they belay, and there are no helmets. Helmet or no helmet, there were a few times today that I was one sweaty hand slip away from going splat. This is normal for climbing and I climbed within my limits...so no splat. I saw one guy (without a helmet) get nailed in the head by a falling cellphone from some dumb ass tourist. He had to get stitched up, and could have been killed.

Christmas on Kho Phangan

So, I have not really had any bad things happen to me yet on my trip. Well, not until Christmas. This is an email that I sent out, but I had no space bar. I am not going to type it again, so here is what I did for Christmas.

I.went.back.to.koh.tao....where.i.was.diving......then.to.koh.phangan.
for.the"full.moon.party."
this.is.a.HUGE.world.famous.beach.partyrave.that.draws.about.
60,000.people....
i.met.cam.and.nate.there.and.had.about.5.friends.that.i.was.supposed.
to.meet.at.the.party
nice.to.have.friends.on.christmas.. .

the.full.moon.party.was.crazy...way.to.many.drugs.and.idiots.there....
i.saw.a.guy.who.had.been.stabbed.....i.think.he.died......so.many.girls.
were.wasted.out.of.
their.minds.that.cam..ended.up.going.around.handing.out.water.and.
keeping.girls.from.passing.
out.and.getting.raped.....we.were.separated.at.this.point.but.i.did.the.
same.thing.for.a.few.girls.who.
were.unconcious.and.left.for.dead.on.the.beach.

i.decided.pretty.quickly.that.i.was.not.going.to.drink.to.much.because.
it.would.not.have.been.safe
i.took.off.my.sandals.the.good.ones.that.i.got.just.for.this.trip)..to.go.
do.a.giant.jump.rope.on.the.
beach.and.it.took.about.30.seconds.for.them.to.get.stolen......
i.searched.peoples.feet.and.found.the.guy.who.took.them.and.got.in.
a.bit.of.a.fight.with.him.
but.his.friends.jumped.in.and.by.the.time.i.was.done.defending.
myself.the.guy.had.run.off.with.my.
sandals.and.along.with.some.advice.from.chris.i.decided.it.wasn't.
worth.my.safety......

so.the.sandals.combined.with.the.feeling.that.we.were.all.going.
straight.to.hell.for.being.at.a.
place.like.that.kind.of.ruined.my.christmas.eve .but.the.sunrise.
on.the.beach.was.amazing.

we.took.an.early.boat.back.to.koh.tao.where.we.had.christmas.
dinner.together.
the.party.was.a.bad.idea.and.i.regret.leaving.the.place.where.i.was.
climbing.but it.was.cool.to.spend.christmas.with.cam.and.nate.and.
they.were.happy.to.see.me.

christmas.day.and.night.on.koh.tao.were.really.cool....
they.make.these.mini.hot.air.balloons.with.white.cloth.and.fire.and.
release.them.into.the.sky.
so.it.looks.like.there.are.bunches.of.orange.stars.that.are.floating.
around.in.the.sky.over.the.
ocean....really.pretty....

now.that.i.think.about.it.having.my.sandals.stolen.is.probably.the.
worst.thing.that.has.
happened.to.me.so.i.guess.that.means.my.trip.has.been.pretty.
successful.and.safe.so.far!!
people.are.trying.to.get.me.to.go.back.to.koh.phangan.for.the.new.
years.party.
but.i.will.never.go.to.that.place.again.for.the.first.time.in.my.life.
i.was.in.a.place.that.
was.too.crazy.for.me

DEEP WATER SOLO

Definitely look this one up on you tube. There are some pretty crazy videos. Basically, you climb a crag that is over the ocean...deep water. Solo climbing is to climb with out a rope. Get it...Deep Water Solo!

So I have jumped off of some pretty high stuff before, but notice how I said jumped. When you climb, you usually fall. Falling from 20 meters is not good, even if you fall into water the wrong way you can break bones and stuff. So basically, you climb until you think you can't go any more then jump.

Chris and I decided that this would be a great way to end our climbing experience down in Tonsai, so we hoped on a boat and headed for the beach to find a place to stay. The next day we went to Wees Climbing Shop, and along with about 8 other guys we jumped in the longtail boat and went to find some rock to climb. Most of the climbers were REALLY good, but afraid to go to high.

I ended up doing about 5 climbs that day, and I think the highest I got was somewhere between 14 and 18 meters above the water. It was a LONG WAY DOWN, but It was awsome! Defiitely some of the coolest climbing I have ever done.

On the whole, climbing in this part of the world has been amazing. Everywhere there is just dripping limestone cliffs with stalagtites all over the place. You can really just pick one and climb it. I loved it down there and was sad to leave.

KRABI - Climbing

I'm in Krabi doing some rock climbing. This was one of the main reasons I left NZ early, to climb. I miss it so much. Krabi is the name of a town that is a jump off point for many of the islands on the west coast of Thailand. I was actually climbing at two beaches: Railay Beach and Tonsai Beach. Krabi, however, is where I stayed for a few days and it is a really cool town. They have a great night market where you can get cheap beer and wonderful food. Basically it is just a huge slab of concrete where a bunch of food stalls set up for the night. Think the NC State fair without the rides and rednecks, and much better food. Oh yea, and beer! I had a small group of friends that I met in Krabi, some I travelled other places with and some I will meet again in other countries.

Chris: an English rock star type guy who has enough athletic ability to be a good climber. Picture a shaggy haired British guy walking down the street, backpack on, cigarette in mouth, and playing the guitar all at the same time.

Haley: cool, hilarious guy from Colorado that I climbed with one day...would have loved to chill with him more but he took off.

Trevor and his g/f from Canada eh. I climbed with Trevor a few times, really chill guy who I also hung out with a lot after climbing.

The hurricane: don't remember their names but there were these two girls, well one was too old to be called a girl. The younger one from Slovenia and the elder one from Northern Cal. Really loud and crazy, but good for a laugh now and then.

Lots of other random aquaintences but I can't list them all.

Climbing started with some easy stuff but got challenging pretty quickly. I was climbing with a Thai guy named Yon who was really pushing me, and on the first day down there I did one of the toughest climbs I've ever done, and it was my first day climbing in a LONG TIME! It was about 85 feet high, and it was right on an awesome beach so when I got to the top the view was amazing. We were at a really popular place to climb, and I was doing the tallest climb on that particular crag and there were a lot of people around. The "crux" of a climb is the hardest part of that particular route, and usually involves 3 or 4 quick moves that take lots of speed and power because the holds are so small, hard to hold onto, and so far apart. I fell a few times at the crux, and didn't realize how many people were watching me from below until I finally got past it, and heard everyone yell and cheer. It was really cool and I had about 50 feet of climbing left to do at this point, and I was really tired, so it was nice to get some support from the ground. Later I asked Chris and Haley and they said that they were the only ones cheering, but it sounded loud from the top!

A WEEK LATER

Wow...climbing! I think I said that Diving was the highlight of my time away and I could say that about many things but the climbing here is amazing. I climbed in total about 6 days and it was great...I have decided to plan the rest of my trip with not only diving, but climbing in mind. I spent the second half of the week leading tough climbs, which I have never done before. You probably don't know what that means so go on google and type in "top rope climbing" and then "lead climbing." Basically, lead climbing is more challenging because if you fall, you fall a long ways...possibly ALL the way. However, I have been climbing with a great Thai guy named Yon that knows the area really well, and has taken me to PERFECT routes for my skill level. He has really been pushing me, but within reason. Also, we have been to some local secrets. We climbed through a cave to get to an amazing crag with the best views and epic climbs.

I also did my first "multi-pitch climb," witch involves leading a climb until you get close to the end of the rope, building an anchor on the rock, and going up some more from that anchor. A "pitch" is a rope leangth, hence the name multi-pitch.

This translates into finishing the climb in a little cave about a hundred feet above the ground. I was expecting to go higher, but for my first time it was cool and I will definitely do a bigger one soon.

VISA RUN TO BURMA, then to KRABI - CLIMBING

From Koh Tao I got the night boat to Chumporn. 11pm to 5am on a boat. there was a few blankets and a pillow for me on the floor, it wasn't bad at all. Even a few fans. Then I got a minibus to Rangon for a few hours, and a boat into Burma (another country). I was there for about 10 minutes to look around, but mainly to get out of Thailand and go back in because you can only stay in Thailand for 30 days at a time, and my time was running out. Doing this is called a "visa run." Kind of weird being in another country for only a few minutes. This "visa run" is also a drug run, as soon as we got back on the boat to go back to Thailand, everyone pulled out the drugs that they had bought in Burma. When i got back to Rangon (Thailand) my minibus guy insisted that I get back on the bus to go back north toward the boat back to Koh Tao. I told him that I was going to Krabi, and that I needed him to take me to the bus station which was only 10 km away. He wouldn't, and so I had to hitchhike to the station. When I got there I asked "when is the next but to Krabi" and was told..."one minute." I jumped on, and later found out that this was a 6 hour bus ride! Oh well, I was on my way to the climbing mecca of southeast Asia!! I had a bit of a moral dilemma here, because the "Union of Myanmar" is the ruling power in Burma, and the "government" is probably the worst violator of human rights in the world right now. Not that there are wars going on, but there are "conflicts" and the government has been using what are basically slaves to build up infrastructure to boost the tourism industry. The government sees all the profit while the peasants who built the roads and guesthouses starve. For this reason many people boycott the country all together. By doing a visa run, I gave this government 10 bucks. I could have gone to Malaysia or Cambodia but it just didn't work out because of where I am in Thailand. also, it would have cost much more. Anyways, I am having a blast and am trying not to get stuck in Thailand because I have a lot more places to see, but it is SO easy to travel here and everyone is so laid back and nice.

KOH TAO - SCUBA

I took a night bus, then mini bus, then boat to an island called Koh Tao, where I did my scuba diving. The bus took about 7 hours and dropped us off at a bus station at 3am, where i rolled out my sleeping pad, strapped my backpack to myself, and passed out until 6am. This is when I got the minibus to the pier, and got on a 3 hour boat. This all cost about US$ 13. I arrived on the island at 10am, it was a 16 hour trip in all. I was a little dazed when I got to the island, and didn't feel like bargaining for a cheaper price on the taxi to the place where i had been told to go diving, so i just paid 100 baht (3 bucks). Apparently when you don't bargain, the driver gives you a beer as thanks, even at 10am. actually he gave me half of the beer that he was drinking (750ml, which is standard for a large beer in Thailand. 12 oz is about 330 ml).

I had been told about the Scuba Shack and went there to check out the diving courses. I was immediately told to sit down next to this crazy looking dutch guy named Merlyn. He was to be my dive instructor. We had a few beers and he told me the first thing to remember about diving. When you jump in the water, press the blue button!!! When you make your ascent after a dive, press the black button!!! Apparently he had a few students who got this mixed up...he was not happy about it.

At the Scuba Shack, I did my open water course, which allows me to dive to 18 meters, anywhere in the world. i loved it so much that i immediately followed it with my advanced course, which is a must if you want to do great diving. basically it means that you can go deeper (30m) which is where all the big fish are. In total, i did 10 dives, one night dive, and saw sea turtles, 8 foot sharks (one swam right at me, kinda scary but apparently they don't attack humans), GIANT 6 foot grouper, huge schools of big barracuda, trigger fish (which do attack humans, they are like the gangsters of the island) moray eels, many different kinds of rays, and much much more. Diving is probably my highlight of the entire time away from the states so far. Not only because it was so much fun, but my certifications will last for life, and it is a skill that i can use anywhere in the world. For once in my life I have found, and liked a sport where there is absolutely no competition. Anyone can dive! Also, the island is beautiful, and I met so many amazing people there, including my instructors who were the coolest people ever. I think I will probably go back to Koh Tao for the holidays, as there are many westerners there who will celebrate Christmas, and they are mostly young travelers and not "tourists." I also have a group of dive friends there that really make me feel at home.

Bangkok

BANGKOK wow, it only took twelve hours and i am i a completely different part of the world. i went from saying cheers and 'sweet as mate' to saying sa wat dee (hello) and khaawp khoon (thank you). Also, chai means yes, mai means no, and khaaw thoht means excuse me or i'm sorry. this place is not like fiji where everyone speaks english, but i am smiling a lot and trying to learn, and thai people really appreciate this. however, just like fiji, the computers are sub par, so i have a poorly functioning shift key, hence the lowercase. i arrived to the bangkok airport at 10 pm, which is 10 am your time. it was about a 12 hour flight but the service and food was the best i have ever had. a tv in the back of every seat, dozens of movies and tv shows to watch, and really nice (and beautiful) flight attendants. since i was alone, i found the first person i saw with a backpack and started a conversation. lina has been in new zealand working for a year and is originally from germany. we did some research and got a bus to the infamous backpacker ghetto; kohsan road. even at midnight, this place was buzzing with markets and street vendors selling everything from swords to cheap food. we found a place to crash for the night, and have since found a cheaper, more backpacker friendly place called the wild orchid, where we will stay for a few nights. we have been splitting a 'standard double' which is basically a closet with a double bed in it. since we split the cost, it is about 4 us dollars per night to stay at the wild orchid. we spent today eating amazing food (strawberry smoothie and spicy pork friend rice for about 1.50 us dollars) and checking out the markets. everything is so amazingly cheap here. the markets have everything that you could possibly imagine, and there is always room to bargain. i got a nice backpack today for about 7 bucks. when i exchanged 100 usd at the airport, i was given 3300 thai baht, so when if i wanted to i could easily become a millionaire! bangkok is dirty and noisy, but not as dirty and noisy as i expected. everyone is pretty nice, even though they haggle you to buy their goods the second you look at something. i now understand why there is so much hype in the backpacker world about bangkok. you can buy and do ANYTHING here. sounds sickening, but you don't find the bad stuff unless you go looking for it, so it is not uncomfortable or disheartening in any way. one thing i enjoy watching is the cars, motorbikes, and tuk tuk taxis. they drive down any road or ally that they can fit on. there doesn't seem to be traffic laws, and it is easy to get in the way. it is time to go searching for some more great food. i have eaten two meals so far, and the smoothie i drank had ice in it, and i have not gotten sick yet. the food is spicy enough to get your stomach hurting and that is why everyone tells you to be careful what you eat; but i like spicy stuff and i guess i have a tough stomach because water here (or the ice in a smoothie) is supposed to make you sick and i downed that smoothie pretty fast with no problems.