Last Day In Phi Phi

Hey All

So it is our last day in Phi Phi, and we leave in about 2 hrs so i thought i would send out a quick update. Friday, we hiked to Long beach and got to do a little swimming. It was the first day we really had a chance to relax, we have just been going like crazy for the last 16 days. It was nice to get away from Patong Beach (Phuket) and the crazy Tuk Tuk drivers, unequaled night life and the LadyBoys (trannies). We went to an all you can eat Asian buffet and ate some really good food. We had sushi with curry, Ginger, fresh muscles, squid, fresh tuna and other fish and some amazing chicken along with some Thai food and a nice cool Chang Beer! After dinner we hit up the 7-11 (they are huge over here) and then went to a club. This was unlike any club you have ever been to in the states. It featured life Thai Boxing. First up was some 10 year old boys and man were they scrappy. I am not sure how i feel about that, but the ACLU would love it i am sure! Then, you (as a tourist) could fight another tourist for a free bucket (a literal bucket full of alcohol). We saw a couple of Brits go at it for 3 rounds, they gave a good show. Then we saw a real match with adult men and it was crazy! They can kick so fast, and they each got rocked by a few roundhouse kicks. Not a bad show for 80 Baht ($2.25).


Yesterday we went on a cruise all over to different islands and it was amazing. We started in the morning and it was very stormy, like huge swells and the guide was like "close the windows, we don't want a lot of water in the boat" It was a little sporty to say that least. We couldn't go to Maya bay, which is on the other island but we did go to this other little cove and snorkeled and swam. It started to rain really hard but it was like taking a show, warm and nice. We then went to Monkey Cove and kayaked out to the beach and fed some monkeys. I actually touched one of them, that was awesome! After that we headed out to Bamboo Island, the surf was a lot calmer and Dave was a lot more comfortable. Bamboo island is a national park and it was pristine. White sandy beaches, turquoise water and just wonderful. We headed over to Mosquito island (that name is fitting) and did an hour of snorkeling which was amazing. I saw sea urchins with big black spikes and and eye in the center, super colorful fish with amazing neon greens, blues, yellows and even some camouflage fish that totally blended in with the sea floor. We hoped back on the ship and headed back for a little R&R and it was nice to just chill for the evening.

Today we hiked up to a viewpoint of the whole island and took some amazing shots of the isthmus and the turquoise water...breathtaking just like the super hard hike to the top. Sweat dripping off like i was showering...so hot! In a few hours we will catch the ferry to Krabi and hopefully check out James bond island and some other cool spots before we hit the bus and train ride up to Bangkok. I hope to see a cobra fight and get a massage before i head out, but i will have to see how my sunburn feels about that! Hope all is well!
God Bless,
Brett

Phi Phi Islands

Hey Everybody,
this is going to be a short e-mail so here it is. Phi Phi islands are like paradisio, it is amazing. We have had such an amazing time here withe the white sandy beaches and hiking on the island to secluded beaches. Tomorrw we will head out to a boat cruise for a few more islands and hopefully see some monkeys. Keep you posted as i can!
God Bless,
Brett

Hey Everybody,

Ok, so so much has happened since my last post. I have gone on a trek up into the mountains of Chang Mai and it was amazing. It was super hot, crazy bugs and our amazing guide told us about the King Cobra he saw the week before (I wish i had seen it!). We stayed in a tribal hut with some other travelers and it was super amazing except for one part...like when the hut caught on fire. There was a candle over on the ledge and we were all like, "shouldn't we put that candle out before we go to sleep, but we thought it would be ok and went to sleep. Well somebody woke up in the middle of the night and noticed the wall on fire and put it out. I was sound asleep, but Dave said he saw it b/c he wasn't sleeping much that night. We were woken up by a damn rooster at like 4:30 a.m. and pigs and dogs, it was like i was on a farm. The hilltribe people here are so poor, they made all of these scarfs and bracelets and other various things (beer and coke were big sellers to thirsty trekkers) just to get by. The next day we went elephant riding which was so amazing and fed the elephants bananas and it was super! Then Bamboo rafting down a river for a while and back to Chang Mai. We hit up the night market which was just crazy with all the stuff one could buy, pretty much anything one could want. I was able to go to Mass in Thai, which was crazy but missed it on Sunday b/c i was on the trek, so i got a dispensation for Sunday on Friday daily Mass from the priest (I hope this works? Colin, Val?). I went to Sacred Heart Cathedral...thanks Colin! Then the next day we went to the Golden Triangle and on a speed boat trip over to the Laos border where it dumped rain and i bought Cobra Whiskey (whiskey with a big cobra stuffed in the bottle, and yes you can drink it, b/c i tried some with an ex Buddhist Monk there!). Then we looked at Burma (not good for U.S. citizens to go to right now) and that is the golden triangle (Laos, Burma, Thailand). It used to be very big for Opium. We then went to the Long Neck hill tribe people and it was so amazing. Huge rings on their necks make them very long, it is surreal! Then we woke up early today (Tuesday, almost Wednesday when i write this) and caught a flight to Bangkok. We had a later connecting flight but we opted for an earlier one and of coarse, our bags were lost (F!). Phuket has actually be the biggest pain in my rear on this whole trip thus far, but not too bad. We went down to the beach and were the only tools with long pants and shoes on (and me looking as pasty as ever). We watched a sunset and where heading back when i decided to look at a custom tailored suit. So now, i am getting 3 cashmere (w/ silk lining) suits, 3 silk ties, 3 custom tailored pants, and 3 custom tailored shirts for $350, so cheap and hopefully good suits. I need to pick up some more knock-off stuff like sunglasses, watch and maybe some shoes. The night life in Puket is crazy, so many bars, live music, good food, cheap merchandise, Tuk Tuk or cab and a lot of prostitutes with older white guys (sick!). All in all, i can't wait for tomorrow, sand, sun and surf. On Thursday we head off to Pi Pi Islands and then to Krabi and Bangkok for a day and then home. I will keep you all posted as much as i can! More stories, but don't have a lot of time to write (1 baht a minute...34baht = 1 U.S. Dollar). Hope all is well!
God Bless,
Brett

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Hey All,

Ok, so Dave and i made it into Bangkok and spent a couple of days there just chillin. It is so crazy over here, the traffic, pollution, food, heat and people not to mention the prevalence of 7-11's. We saw the Huge palace, the Temple of the Dawn, took a river boat, saw the reclining Buddha, the 10 story tall Buddha and all sorts of other stuff. We ran into a history professor on the street and he took us to a Buddhist Monk class (actual monks learning more about meditation) and into some of the hidden places that only a local knows. He was a devout Buddhist and we learned a lot about his faith, the king, the state of things in their country and so on. He took us to this amazing place to eat and at first Dave and i were a little weirded out by the food (it was all raw) but they cooked in a charcoal soup and it was really good. We also had a lot of beer with him. Rice Beer is very different and he just kept ordering them and we had a splendid night. The next day we took a Tuk Tuk (a little 3 wheeled truck that you sit in back of) and toured part of the city. We think we were involved in a scam, but can't be sure, it was really smooth, but they didn't get anything out of us. Over here you really can't trust anybody, maybe it is because i am white and like 6'4" and stick out like a sore thumb. They always come up and ask you where you are going, start making small talk and ask where you are from and then tell you that the Grand palace is closes at 1:30-3 but they would be happy to drive you in there Tuk Tuk or cab all over the city until it opens again. Real story, they want 60 Baht and the Grand Palace is open all day long. A lot of scammers here and contestant pestering for Cabs, Tuk Tuks, food, and anything else you can imagine. Lying is the modest operondi for a lot of people on the street. Poverty is rampant, so i am not surprised that they pester you so much b/c they have to live to. Buddhism is a very interesting religion/Philosophy and i have learned a great deal about it over here. When before Buddha, you bow 3 times while praying something and your sins are gone (or at least that is what i got from our friend and history prof. Don). You cannot show the bottom of your feet to the Buddha or a monk, step on an image of them, put them image down on the ground or step on the bottom of a door sill, that is where the spirit of the building is. Motorcycles are very common over here and they weave in and out of traffic even in the oncoming lane of traffic as do Tuk Tuks. It is just unbelievable! It is super hot over here, like 95 and Humid...so hot! Last night we caught a train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai which is where i am writing this now and it was crazy. 14 hours on a train that barely seemed to move. We slept most of it but it was really slow and long. They have an open sewage system on the train which means that we do our duty on the tracks, you can see the tracks fly below where you are going the bathroom...spicy! So now we are in Chiang Mai, and it is a lot cooler, people are more chill and we have a huge 4 days planned up here. Tonight the night Market, then tomorrow we begin our 2 day trek and ride elephants and go through the jungle and stay at the Hill peoples huts. After that we have a few options, the Golden Triangle into Laos and Burma with a mineral bath and boat ride. Or see this huge mountain top Wat (temple) that has 330 or so stairs to the top. Then we fly down to Phuket for some time on the beach, over to the Pi Pi Islands for some more time on the beach, snorkeling and tanning (i need it) and then ferry over to Krabi to finish up our southern experience. After that we head back up to Bangkok for a night and get a good massage at the Wat Pho and head out at 3 a.m. I will try to keep you all posted as much as i can and let5 you know that i am still alive. Hope all is well and God Bless!
Brett Herrmann