[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
|
 |
Last of Bangkok March 24th - April 1
After the diving adventure the 3 of us, Mike, Jeff, and
Rob returned to Phuket. Jeff left right away for Bangkok, and Mike and Rob decided to stay
for a few more nights of Thai massages, beach, fun, and sun. The plush, beauteous,
environment was shattered, only slightly, when one evening after a two-hour massage, Mike
in his most graceful manner, stuck his hand in the ceiling fan while taking off his shirt!
Despite screaming, swearing and a bit of whimpering, no fingers were lopped off and his
days as a bass player shall continue.
We all met up again in Bangkok, Mike, Jeff, Rob, Andrea
(enter the lovely Andrea stage left) and our good ole' buddy Rochelle. Rochelle had
survived Vietnamese bronchitis, Thai jail, and escaped a quarantine to return to our fold.
The five of us went to Bangkok's "weekend-market", said to be the worlds
largest! It is very believable. We wove through hundred's of aisles with shops selling
clothes, food, porcelain, more clothes, live animals, kitchen supplies, even more clothes,
video games, jewelry, and of course clothes. We spent several hours bobbing and weaving
our way through the crowds and didn't even scratch the surface of all there was to see.
That evening, after showering off the layers of sweat,
and dirt acquired in the sweltering heat of the weekend market, the crew set off for
another of Thailand’s notorious activities, - Thai Kick-Boxing. We sat for 4 hours
watching match after match of young men bludgeoning each other with calculated and severe
blows to their opponents heads, legs, and bodies using their fists, feet and knees. All
throughout this crowd pleasing event, there was live, psychedelic, drum music filling our
heads. It was great to watch, but it brought our savage instincts and we nearly walloped a
prejudice anti-Asian, dill-hole sitting in front of us, but Jeff being level headed
reminded us we weren't Thai kickboxers.
Jeff and Andrea left for Bali, while Rob and Mike headed
north to Sukothai. Rochelle stayed in Bangkok to take care of business before heading down
to Australia, where Mike and Jeff will meet her on April 10th.
In Sukothai Rob and Mike spent two days visiting ancient
ruins, from the 12th century. Spectacular in size and design, these ruins were among the
most impressive sights of the timezone7 adventure. Unfortunately the digital camera was
off in Bali and no photo's can appear on the site at this time. Mike and Rob returned to
Bangkok, Mike tour-guided Rob to a few of our favorite spots. The Grand Palace, Emerald
Buddha Temple, and massages at Wat Po where they paid a visit to the huge reclining
Buddha. The following morning Mike headed to the Airport for his final (for the moment)
trip to Bangkok International. Destined to meet up again with the other half of the
timezone7 crew and travelling mate - Jeff (who at that point was travelling with Andrea,
Michelle, and Kara - needless to say, he didn’t even notice Mike was missing!), and
recently missing from the scene, surfer-dog - Josh Friberg, in Bali.
Four weeks of Thailand, and two weeks of Vietnam, was a
blur of scenery, history, religion, friends, faces, underwater thrills, sweat
inconceivable to Minnesotans, and even a little education squeezed in to top things off.
It seemed like days were passing faster and faster and seven months is now quickly
becoming one. Bali is next on the list of places to go. However, because our travels have
extended over the original time frames, this leg of our tour will only be about 2 weeks.
After that, we are off to Australia. What awaits there? we shall see.........
|
