I want to make up for lost time and write about all the things that have happened in my life since the Asia trip. I want to elaborate on those few notes I took about the contemplations of mortality and adventure but I fear the notes are not present and I do not have the energy to think back and remember the details from long ago. Instead I am going to be in the moment and reflect upon the current state of affairs.
I am some 12,000 feet above the Rockies flying back to Denver after a 5 day visit to Seattle. Since college people have told me of the amazing emerald city of the north and when two of my best friends in the entire world moved there after college and the flight tickets dropped down to 150 round trip I had no more excuses. Seattle is a great mix of the relaxed Nor Cal lifestyle without the pretentiousness along with the lush green beauty of Oregon (atleast in the summer). My timing was unfortunate and although there is a reputation for general grey weather apparently the summers are much more pleasant than January. Other than the dull winter blanket that surrounds the city it remained vibrant and full of life. It helped to have an adventurous crowd to show me the ropes. My friends from college showed me the lively Seattle hotspots and bar scenes and when my best friends were busy with work the state of the economy freed others to show me the inside sights like the gum wall, fish market, views from Queen Anne, and the first starbucks ever. The actual focus of the trip though was for the birthday of another dear friend which happened to coincide with the groups annual “Around the world party”. This is something I absolutely love in the American culture, theme parties; which reminded me of my favorite joke…but that will have to remain for another time. The party consisted of 4 houses and one car. Each location had a theme with decorations, activities, and drinks. The first house was Germany which included pictures of Hasselhof and the Oktoberfest, pretzels, sausages, and a selection of German beers, Austria had Austrian beer and pin the eye on the Terminator, Norway had Viking sized gin tonic and Vikings horns and shields, Spain had Sangria and bull fighting out of the back of their car, and Cuba had Castro, Cuba Libras, Mojitos, the Buena Vista Social Club as well as a slide show of the groups NYE trip to Bend, OR which I was lucky enough to attend. But I think beyond any of the fun events and tourist activities my favorite part of the trip was reconnecting with old friends and seeing how wonderfully their lives were progressing. It is always interesting to see how a group of friends will diverge and explore the different opportunities that life creates. In this case they were room mates of mine from college who were once in love, decided to part ways, and after growth apart have merged back onto the same road towards happiness. It was great seeing them and even better to be able to say good bye knowing I would see them again back in Boulder for a college reunion 2 weeks from now.
But as I said I am on a flight home to Colorado. I am currently living in Avon, CO working as a snowboarding instructor. Sometime in the last few years I have made the commitment to myself to learn something new every year and to have atleast one adventure. This year I decided to go get a snowboarding teachers license and live the life of a snowbum. It is something I have thought about since college in Colorado. It seems a lot of people from Colorado decide to take that route while they debate what course their lives should take. I would definetly recommend it as a great distraction from the real world and responsibility and I mean that only in the best way possible. I actually went to work as a tour guide in Germany after college. Towards the end of my most recent season at Fat Tire in Berlin (3rd season) I decided to book a trip to South America and planned to eventually migrate north to Seattle and live and work up there to be with Drew and Emily. As I prepared for the trip I decided to submit an application to work as a snowboarding instructor as a fun winter activity. I didn’t necessarily expect to get hired because I lacked official certification and had no experience teaching snowboarding whatsoever. Other teaching experiences must have inspired them to take a chance, and I was hired by the Beavercreek Resort as a children’s instructor. I decided to put my SA adventures on hold and started searching for housing. The God’s of fate must have smiled down upon me when I found an add on Craigslist published by two stokesters from Pennsylvania who needed another room mate. Apparently my emails made an impression and my name promised countless hours of amusement so they chose my application and invited me into their fully furnished and centrally located condo. It was immediately clear that this would be an experience of growth when my response from Rob contained a variety of words I had never heard in their true uses before like: Stoked, mint, masterful, and crasterful. The ensuing months would contain a whole new vocabulary for me and a true emersion into the mountain culture. They actually remind of a book I had read during my Asian adventures called “On the Road Again” by Jack Kerouac. They had a passion for life much like Dean Moriarty. They quit their professional jobs to seek a life of adventure. Mac had been an actuary and Rob had worked as an environmental consultant.
Our place is right at the base of the Beavercreek resort and across the street from the Bear lot shuttle bus making our commute to “work” easy and practical. The heart of the Avon night life scene is within a fifteen minute walk along a charming path winding side by side with the River. Just across the parking lot from our condo is one of the more fun local clubs called Agave. Our location could not be better.
I remember the first evening arriving in Avon. My sister was kind enough to drive me up as I did not have a car, and my two massive bags and newly purchased snowboard would make the shuttle service from Denver not only a hassle but quite expensive as well.
By the way a huge factor in my decision to come to Colorado in the first place was that my younger sister Ashley lives in Denver. She is perhaps the closest person to me in the entire world having endured a childhood of constant relocation and having me as her and her as my only consistent companion. As it generally happens in life we took different paths after high school and hadn’t lived in the same region since forcing us to be content with 1-2 visits a year. This was a great opportunity to spend more time with her.
As we progressed along the winding I-70 highway I realized that I wasn’t really sure what to expect of Avon. I had been there once or twice before as a college student and had no recollection of the town itself. I did not know how big it was, how charming it might be, and its relation to the other resorts. Heading up I-70 we passed A-Basin, Winterpark, Breckenridge, and Keystone. Next came Copper Mtn and a slew of smaller resorts I had never even heard of. We passed the Las Vegas of the mountains;Vail and then plunged into darkness. It seemed so isolated up there in the mountains far from the sprawling metropolises I was used to. (I had lived in L.A., Melbourne, and Berlin previously) There were few intermissions in the lonely darkness as we drove towards my future home. Finally we saw lights again and started passing towns like Eagle and Minturn. I looked out the window and found myself imagining what it would be like to live in such a small sleepy place. There could not be more than a few thousand people living in the houses built so quaintly upon the hill side. I could not see any huge movie complexes or bowling alleys as shining beacons of life in the darkness. Hell I couldn’t even see a grocery store. I didn’t have a car and started imagining the isolation I was about to endure. I had not lived in a town smaller the 200,000 people since the age of four and was used to the amenities towns of that size could offer. But as we turned the bend we finally we saw the signs; Next 2 Exits Avon. We passed the first exit and turned off the second. The town was of a decent size and I could see grocery stores, and hotels, and banks, and life. You can only imagine the relief I felt when we pulled up to the condo to find that I would not have to live the life of a hermit after all.
Since then I have immersed myself into fully into the lifestyle of a snowboarding instructor. The experience started with a two week training session at Beavercreek where they taught us the basics of teaching, the Beavercreek lifestyle, and improved our riding. I needed a lot of improvement. I had ridden a snowboard once in three years when I went on a trip with an ex girlfriend. Needless to say I fell on the first run but I don’t think too many people saw it happen. I got back on track quickly and Mac, Rob and I completed our professional snowboarding AASI certifications. We have also tried to immerse ourselves into the existing bar scene. Monday nights are club night at Agave, Tuesdays are trivia night and Wednesdays are Karaoke night at Loaded Joe’s, Thursdays are our day of rest, etc.. Everyday is 1$ beer happy hour at the dusty boot so that is where we spend the majority of our time hanging out with other locals and ski/board instructors. But what excites me most about my experience in Avon/Beavercreek is not the intimacy of the bar scene but the people here. It is a little bubble of happiness in a world that has so many problems. Everybody here is happy, tourists and locals alike. I could not imagine what it would be like to be a dentist. Every day people come to see you that hate seeing you; in tourism we have the benefit that people are happy and excited to see us. The people I work with are full of passion and full of life. It creates a general feeling of comradery and compassion and it makes me excited to go to work everyday.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The Conviction
There is a question that seems to permeate most self-reflection about life and happiness; “If I died today, would I be happy with the life I have lived thus far or die with regret”? Despite being morbid, I find the question fascinating because it allows us to intermittently reflect on the path we are following and if our answer to the question would be one of dissatisfaction, make alterations to align ourselves of a life without regret or at least one with a hopeful conclusion.
It is probably safe to say that most, if not all, people would choose to change something about their past, but until some aspiring young scientist figures out how to invent a time machine that opportunity will sadly remain out of our grasp. We can instead look back at our mistakes with an eye on the future. We can seek to avoid making the same mistakes twice and come to a comfortable understanding that all past mistakes and actions somehow unfolded and brought us to the place we are here and now.
In my current reflection I feel that although ridden with plenty of mistakes, I have lived my life fairly well and in line with my sense of adventure. What lacks is a productive concrete outcome. Already the memories of yesterday are fading and the adventures of years ago become only a diluted ingredient in the person typing here today. So many ideas have been lost, so many of my dreams have been forgotten. My regret so to speak is not having a more detailed account of my life in written form and a severe lack of organization. I need to write more. Thank you by the way to a dear Greek friend of mine that has made me aware of this neglect. ;)
During the course of my life I have had the great fortune to meet a countless number of interesting people through school and tourism. Each of these people have their own stories, ambitions, dreams, and desires. It is overwhelming to think about how many of these conversations and ideas have been lost because they were not documented. Sadly the wind and walls do not take comprehendible notes for us and our future generations. As a wise woman once said “Every life needs a witness, everyone needs a Dr. Watson.” What better witness to have then yourself. You can insure that those ideas and interactions are not lost but recorded and saved. Journalists fascinate me. It is not that they are the only people with ideas but along with writers and bloggers they are the only ones that take the initiative to write them down. They understand the significance of the mundane and give importance to their existence. History is written by those who record it. They become the voice and spirit of the victors and our link to reality in the past, present, and future.
It is probably safe to say that most, if not all, people would choose to change something about their past, but until some aspiring young scientist figures out how to invent a time machine that opportunity will sadly remain out of our grasp. We can instead look back at our mistakes with an eye on the future. We can seek to avoid making the same mistakes twice and come to a comfortable understanding that all past mistakes and actions somehow unfolded and brought us to the place we are here and now.
In my current reflection I feel that although ridden with plenty of mistakes, I have lived my life fairly well and in line with my sense of adventure. What lacks is a productive concrete outcome. Already the memories of yesterday are fading and the adventures of years ago become only a diluted ingredient in the person typing here today. So many ideas have been lost, so many of my dreams have been forgotten. My regret so to speak is not having a more detailed account of my life in written form and a severe lack of organization. I need to write more. Thank you by the way to a dear Greek friend of mine that has made me aware of this neglect. ;)
During the course of my life I have had the great fortune to meet a countless number of interesting people through school and tourism. Each of these people have their own stories, ambitions, dreams, and desires. It is overwhelming to think about how many of these conversations and ideas have been lost because they were not documented. Sadly the wind and walls do not take comprehendible notes for us and our future generations. As a wise woman once said “Every life needs a witness, everyone needs a Dr. Watson.” What better witness to have then yourself. You can insure that those ideas and interactions are not lost but recorded and saved. Journalists fascinate me. It is not that they are the only people with ideas but along with writers and bloggers they are the only ones that take the initiative to write them down. They understand the significance of the mundane and give importance to their existence. History is written by those who record it. They become the voice and spirit of the victors and our link to reality in the past, present, and future.
Back again
A lot has happened since I last wrote in this blog. I had the intention of writing weekly during my travels to Asia and never really got around to it. Even after the trip was over I wanted to go back and review all the amazing experiences and document them so that one day I could look back and smile at all those things that will surely be lost to memory.
I currently find myself a year older and on new adventures. I still refuse to accept a life of tradition and virtue as it has been laid out by our previous generations. Actually perhaps the reason I am writing this today is because I had the fortunate experience of stumbling upon the blog of a friend. She was writing about her struggle with pursuing the life of marriage and traditional success versus that of the modern nomad. It is a struggle that I too find myself in.
I think many people my age (26) find themselves at this great cross roads in life. What do we want to make of ourselves? Where do we want to live? Do we want to have children? What will we want to have accomplished when our lives are over and done? These questions are enormous. There is the emerging study of a phenomenon known as the quarter-life crisis that can attest to that. These questions are nothing new to our generation but I do think the questions have become a bit more overwhelming than they have been in the past. Our modern generation (at least in the USA) enjoys an unprecedented time of relative peace and luxury and endless opportunity. The internet has insured that even if we are from a small town somewhere we will find out about the big world beyond and all the different kind of lives therein. What life of all these lives is worth living?
In previous generations the road of life was often laid our for you. You would follow your father or mothers footsteps, you would till the fields or go into law, you would have a family, grow old, and die. There was not the time or opportunity that we have today to question that path and really ask ourselves “What is the purpose of life? And how do I want to live on a daily basis?” I ofcourse do not mean this in the moral sense but more in the grander sense. The conclusion each one of us draws for those questions is different and we can find comfort and solace that there is no wrong or right answer that applies to everyone. It is a question that we alone can answer.
I for example am content with living the life of a nomad. I do not make much money but I do things I love everyday. I have chosen to sacrifice wealth and stability for the sake of freedom. The other questions of retirement, family, etc. will have to wait.
I currently find myself a year older and on new adventures. I still refuse to accept a life of tradition and virtue as it has been laid out by our previous generations. Actually perhaps the reason I am writing this today is because I had the fortunate experience of stumbling upon the blog of a friend. She was writing about her struggle with pursuing the life of marriage and traditional success versus that of the modern nomad. It is a struggle that I too find myself in.
I think many people my age (26) find themselves at this great cross roads in life. What do we want to make of ourselves? Where do we want to live? Do we want to have children? What will we want to have accomplished when our lives are over and done? These questions are enormous. There is the emerging study of a phenomenon known as the quarter-life crisis that can attest to that. These questions are nothing new to our generation but I do think the questions have become a bit more overwhelming than they have been in the past. Our modern generation (at least in the USA) enjoys an unprecedented time of relative peace and luxury and endless opportunity. The internet has insured that even if we are from a small town somewhere we will find out about the big world beyond and all the different kind of lives therein. What life of all these lives is worth living?
In previous generations the road of life was often laid our for you. You would follow your father or mothers footsteps, you would till the fields or go into law, you would have a family, grow old, and die. There was not the time or opportunity that we have today to question that path and really ask ourselves “What is the purpose of life? And how do I want to live on a daily basis?” I ofcourse do not mean this in the moral sense but more in the grander sense. The conclusion each one of us draws for those questions is different and we can find comfort and solace that there is no wrong or right answer that applies to everyone. It is a question that we alone can answer.
I for example am content with living the life of a nomad. I do not make much money but I do things I love everyday. I have chosen to sacrifice wealth and stability for the sake of freedom. The other questions of retirement, family, etc. will have to wait.
Friday, February 20, 2009
The Decision
It has been many months since my last confession and I am sorry for that. ;) I put off writing about my Asia experiences because I was worried that reflecting on another time would take away from the experiences I am having now in Australia. I wanted to write when I got back to Germany so that I could relive the experiences I had while I was traveling, when those thoughts may be needed. The fact is it will probably be put off like so much in life and maybe I would never get around to it, if I wait any longer. Once I get back, work will start and then I will find reason after reason to be distracted and perhaps with time, no longer remember all that I had been through these past few months. This is a time where I have the rare opportunity to pursue new ambitions and take the time to do thing like write again. It is also 4 am and I can’t sleep, and cant really think of anything else to do with this time.
As you can see above I have decided to return to Germany. In fact this has been something that has occupied my mind these past few months and is perhaps the reason I have had difficulty in taking my free time to consider much else. I have been debating whether or not to return to my job as a bike tour guide in Berlin. This trip was in some way made to find an answer to the question of my return. My boss and friend Wolf, in all his patience, needed an answer eventually and set a deadline for this month so that he could prepare for the season ahead and fill any vacancies. After repeatedly requesting a little bit more time to think about it, I realized that the decision would not get any easier and made my decision just two weeks ago. I love my job and my reasons for leaving or staying are too complex to dissect in their entirety, but still it would be nice to get some of my thoughts down on paper.
Some of the reasons for choosing to return to Berlin are purely rational reasons like job security and a relatively stable income in a time of financial crisis. But to purely make a decision on hard cold rationality would be the disregard of my heart, soul and, whimsical way of life. Life is about more than what is rational and right. Once we shut off what we truly want in sacrifice for what we think is logically right, we lose part of ourselves. I also had to appeal to my emotions and in the process reflected upon why I found this job in the first place. Too many people I know went for office jobs after college because they thought it was the right thing to do. Many of those people forgot their passions and their calling, because the promotions and the raises distract(ed) them. They fall into a life style and they are always working towards a nicer house, a nicer car, and nicer schools for their children. Nothing is good enough. They get caught up in a life style that perpetuates those distractions and at some point they arrive at a midlife crisis where they slow down and realize what they’ve missed out on. Life is short. We live only once. I did not want to be filled with that regret.
After college I decided to take a year off and to do something fun that I could never do again. Once you are on a career path it is hard to break free. First you have a job and before you know it a family and responsibilities. I had a rare opportunity in life. I had no romantic relationship, my family had no one place they were located, I had two very generous parents who allowed me lodging in their spare Berlin apartment while I found work and income, and most importantly I had youth, health, and the absence of dependents on my side. When you are young, healthy and alone you can live however necessity demands eg. If I needed to live off of pasta and water I could. After moving to Berlin, I allowed myself to be pressured into a translation job, translating help documents and program tutorials from German to English for an IT company. I needed money and in retrospect understand how that terrible the need of a paycheck limits ones ability to pursue passion alone. Unfortunately we still need food on the table and a roof overhead and we are not always at luxury to be picky about work. This is where my life could have taken a very serious turn. I could have been content with food on the table and a roof over head, I could have justified my unhappiness with every promotion and every raise I got because the roof overhead and the food on the table got better and better, but before I knew it, I would be 50 and reflecting on my life with that disdain that I see in too many people. I remember distinctly one day looking up from my computer and seeing two kids riding around on bikes on the street below. I looked around the office at my sad reality. Those kids were so happy and so care-free and here I was suffering in a job I hated. I was not fulfilling my original goal of doing something fun and something I could never do again and this job in all its suffering would not lead me to any far sighted goal that one may be willing to make sacrifices for. It had nothing to do with my life and passions. I wanted to do something fun so I looked up an industry synonymous with fun: Tourism. The first website that came up was Fat Tire Bike Tours. I had done a bike tour once years before in Munich and loved it. I sent off my application immediately. A few weeks later I was offered a job as a tour guide. So here I am two years later. These past two years have been nothing short of magical. I love my job. I spend my days outside on a bike, teaching people about the history of a city I love, I make enough to survive comfortably as a bachelor, I start work at 10 and finish by 5, and I get 5 months off every year to travel or pursue new passions. Last year I took the time to travel a bit in the US and Canada and learn about new industries like the entertainment industry as an extra in movies and this year I spent traveling in Asia and experiencing the adventures I have been writing about in this blog. In short it is a dream come true. The reasons for leaving would not be dissatisfaction with the lifestyle this job affords. I know people that work in tourism their entire life and it is easy to understand why. After living such a free life, it is hard to return to the constrictions of the desk and the office. I wonder sometimes myself if I will ever be able to make that transition and I wonder if I even want to. Maybe that fear and that doubt are some of the more important reasons why I find it hard to leave this life behind just yet. Still though I felt anxiety at staying on the job.
The life of a tour guide can also be difficult. Although meeting wonderful new people every day has its advantages, it also has its drawbacks. In fact I think it is a lot like the movie ground hog day, what you have one day is taken away the next. You meet incredible individuals in tourism. The people you meet may even stay a few days but then they are off to their next adventures. I had the great fortune of meeting some of these people again on the road and it made me aware of how difficult it can be to lose friends and I miss the consistency that a normal life might afford.
It can also become mundane to say the same historical facts over and over again day after day. Sometimes I find myself fall into auto pilot because I have said the same exact thing over 100 times but the occasional novel questions people ask call me back to the moment and I am invited to reflect upon the city around me and appreciate its rich history. When people tell me their own life experiences, perhaps a story that happened to them when they crossed from West to East Berlin in the 1970’s my life is enriched and I feel like I become part of a secret world. It is those stories I live for. I also never lived in a city for more than 4 years at a time and this job has allowed me to get to know Berlin in a very intimate way but I am getting antsy to move on. I think it is the fear of laying down roots and getting too attached to the place. I am fairly certain that I will return to the United States for Graduate School next year and I don’t want to make the separation from Berlin any more difficult than it already is.
I think one of my greatest hesitations in returning to my job in Berlin again would be the wasted opportunity to live in a new country and experience a new job or a different lifestyle. I thought about that for a while but realized that my job in Berlin gave me the luxury to do just that without much compromise. I get 5 months in the year to go and do whatever it is I please. I am now living in Australia with the freedom to be here and work but it is a half-life. I can live only with the knowledge that I will have to leave again in April and that prevents me from attaching to my environment completely, but when it came down to that point I realized that my heart was set on returning to the US for grad school and whether here in Australia or back in Berlin that day of separation would come regardless. The separations in life are unavoidable but the limitations they pose are self-incurred and I have decided to change that.
As you can see above I have decided to return to Germany. In fact this has been something that has occupied my mind these past few months and is perhaps the reason I have had difficulty in taking my free time to consider much else. I have been debating whether or not to return to my job as a bike tour guide in Berlin. This trip was in some way made to find an answer to the question of my return. My boss and friend Wolf, in all his patience, needed an answer eventually and set a deadline for this month so that he could prepare for the season ahead and fill any vacancies. After repeatedly requesting a little bit more time to think about it, I realized that the decision would not get any easier and made my decision just two weeks ago. I love my job and my reasons for leaving or staying are too complex to dissect in their entirety, but still it would be nice to get some of my thoughts down on paper.
Some of the reasons for choosing to return to Berlin are purely rational reasons like job security and a relatively stable income in a time of financial crisis. But to purely make a decision on hard cold rationality would be the disregard of my heart, soul and, whimsical way of life. Life is about more than what is rational and right. Once we shut off what we truly want in sacrifice for what we think is logically right, we lose part of ourselves. I also had to appeal to my emotions and in the process reflected upon why I found this job in the first place. Too many people I know went for office jobs after college because they thought it was the right thing to do. Many of those people forgot their passions and their calling, because the promotions and the raises distract(ed) them. They fall into a life style and they are always working towards a nicer house, a nicer car, and nicer schools for their children. Nothing is good enough. They get caught up in a life style that perpetuates those distractions and at some point they arrive at a midlife crisis where they slow down and realize what they’ve missed out on. Life is short. We live only once. I did not want to be filled with that regret.
After college I decided to take a year off and to do something fun that I could never do again. Once you are on a career path it is hard to break free. First you have a job and before you know it a family and responsibilities. I had a rare opportunity in life. I had no romantic relationship, my family had no one place they were located, I had two very generous parents who allowed me lodging in their spare Berlin apartment while I found work and income, and most importantly I had youth, health, and the absence of dependents on my side. When you are young, healthy and alone you can live however necessity demands eg. If I needed to live off of pasta and water I could. After moving to Berlin, I allowed myself to be pressured into a translation job, translating help documents and program tutorials from German to English for an IT company. I needed money and in retrospect understand how that terrible the need of a paycheck limits ones ability to pursue passion alone. Unfortunately we still need food on the table and a roof overhead and we are not always at luxury to be picky about work. This is where my life could have taken a very serious turn. I could have been content with food on the table and a roof over head, I could have justified my unhappiness with every promotion and every raise I got because the roof overhead and the food on the table got better and better, but before I knew it, I would be 50 and reflecting on my life with that disdain that I see in too many people. I remember distinctly one day looking up from my computer and seeing two kids riding around on bikes on the street below. I looked around the office at my sad reality. Those kids were so happy and so care-free and here I was suffering in a job I hated. I was not fulfilling my original goal of doing something fun and something I could never do again and this job in all its suffering would not lead me to any far sighted goal that one may be willing to make sacrifices for. It had nothing to do with my life and passions. I wanted to do something fun so I looked up an industry synonymous with fun: Tourism. The first website that came up was Fat Tire Bike Tours. I had done a bike tour once years before in Munich and loved it. I sent off my application immediately. A few weeks later I was offered a job as a tour guide. So here I am two years later. These past two years have been nothing short of magical. I love my job. I spend my days outside on a bike, teaching people about the history of a city I love, I make enough to survive comfortably as a bachelor, I start work at 10 and finish by 5, and I get 5 months off every year to travel or pursue new passions. Last year I took the time to travel a bit in the US and Canada and learn about new industries like the entertainment industry as an extra in movies and this year I spent traveling in Asia and experiencing the adventures I have been writing about in this blog. In short it is a dream come true. The reasons for leaving would not be dissatisfaction with the lifestyle this job affords. I know people that work in tourism their entire life and it is easy to understand why. After living such a free life, it is hard to return to the constrictions of the desk and the office. I wonder sometimes myself if I will ever be able to make that transition and I wonder if I even want to. Maybe that fear and that doubt are some of the more important reasons why I find it hard to leave this life behind just yet. Still though I felt anxiety at staying on the job.
The life of a tour guide can also be difficult. Although meeting wonderful new people every day has its advantages, it also has its drawbacks. In fact I think it is a lot like the movie ground hog day, what you have one day is taken away the next. You meet incredible individuals in tourism. The people you meet may even stay a few days but then they are off to their next adventures. I had the great fortune of meeting some of these people again on the road and it made me aware of how difficult it can be to lose friends and I miss the consistency that a normal life might afford.
It can also become mundane to say the same historical facts over and over again day after day. Sometimes I find myself fall into auto pilot because I have said the same exact thing over 100 times but the occasional novel questions people ask call me back to the moment and I am invited to reflect upon the city around me and appreciate its rich history. When people tell me their own life experiences, perhaps a story that happened to them when they crossed from West to East Berlin in the 1970’s my life is enriched and I feel like I become part of a secret world. It is those stories I live for. I also never lived in a city for more than 4 years at a time and this job has allowed me to get to know Berlin in a very intimate way but I am getting antsy to move on. I think it is the fear of laying down roots and getting too attached to the place. I am fairly certain that I will return to the United States for Graduate School next year and I don’t want to make the separation from Berlin any more difficult than it already is.
I think one of my greatest hesitations in returning to my job in Berlin again would be the wasted opportunity to live in a new country and experience a new job or a different lifestyle. I thought about that for a while but realized that my job in Berlin gave me the luxury to do just that without much compromise. I get 5 months in the year to go and do whatever it is I please. I am now living in Australia with the freedom to be here and work but it is a half-life. I can live only with the knowledge that I will have to leave again in April and that prevents me from attaching to my environment completely, but when it came down to that point I realized that my heart was set on returning to the US for grad school and whether here in Australia or back in Berlin that day of separation would come regardless. The separations in life are unavoidable but the limitations they pose are self-incurred and I have decided to change that.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Koh Phi Phi
After a few days in Tonsai, my friend Alexandra, who is living in Malaysia came to visit for a few days. The day of her arrival, I left with Stephan to catch a long-tailed boat at the Tonsai harbor. Once we arrived at the harbor we were informed that we would need 8 people before we could depart or spend the extra 6 Euro and depart immediately. We decided to wait seeing as we had an hour before Alex was supposed to arrive and the ride itself was only meant to be about 15 minutes. But the minutes went by and nobody was showing up. I began to get nervous at the thought that Alex might arrive at the given meeting point and not find me. Krabi has two long-tailed boat harbors and my absence might lead her to head for the other harbor. After about an hour finally we has scratched together the necessary 8 people by convincing a group of Germans to leave early. The waters were choppy and we were all soaked through as we approached the harbor. Our captain informed us that the waters would be too rough to land at the closer harbor and we would have to head for the further but safer harbor. Upon arrival I checked my watch. Alex should have arrived about half an hour ago. We jumped off the boat and looked for Alex. She wasn’t at the first harbor so we hailed down a tuk tuk and shot off to the other harbor. There was no Alex to be found. I was worried maybe that we had missed each other and proceeded to dig in my pockets and look for her cell number. I dialed the number and after a short moment I heard an automated message of Thai gibberish followed by an English message politely informing that I had no idea how to dial properly. We pleaded for a woman at the information counter to help us but her attempts led to the same frustrating conclusion. We couldn’t reach Alex and there were two possible harbors she may end up at. Perplexed we decided to wait for the next bus to arrive and if she wasn’t on it we would head to the other harbor. After about 30 minutes the bus arrived and one by one, bleary eyed passengers exited but still no Alex. I felt the anxiety rising as I watched the sad bus start up to head down the road. As it passed I scanned the windows for a sign and all of a sudden I saw a familiar face staring back at me. I could see her standing and yelling to the bus driver to stop and after about 5 more seconds the bus came to a screetching halt and out stepped Alex. We said our hellos, I introduced Stephan, and after a few errands we made our way back to Tonsai for a nice dinner on the beach. The next morning Alex and I would depart bright and early for the famed Koh Phi Phi Island. Koh Phi Phi is where “the Beach” was filmed and I looked forward to it with great anticipation knowing that it was one of the most beautiful places in the world. Alex had been there with a friend a month earlier and told me about the beauty and party scene of the island. We hopped on a long-tailed boat over to Rai Ley and then boarded another boat which would take us out to the larger ferry. The weather was overcast and as the boat motors started, dark heavy rain clouds loomed on the horizon ahead. I crossed my fingers if only in vain for better weather to come. We only had one night in Phi Phi and this was my only foreseeable chance to see it. We arrived at the harbor and were greeted with throngs of people trying to convince us that their accommodations would be the best use of our money and time but we pushed on. I had prepared myself and booked an accommodation with good reviews knowing that storms in the past years had devastated much of the island and many of the hotels were still being reconstructed. We found a representative from our hotel who told us to wait and pointed down to a bench. We wanted to explore but were assured that it would not take long. After a few moments she informed us that a connecting boat would be there shortly. Alex and I were a bit confused by this and assured the woman that we could just walk, seeing it as an opportunity for Alex to show me around town a bit on the way. The lady just smiled and said that it wouldn’t be possible. Our hotel was on the other side of the island and by long-tailed boat it would take 30 minutes to get there. We waited. Finally after about 20 minutes or so we boarded the boat and headed North. We passed beautiful resorts and even some local huts. This was paradise. Unlike Tonsai and Rai Ley the beaches here were stunning white sand and the water, despite the light rain, was crystal clear blue. Our hotel ended up being gorgeous and we spent the few dry hours we had checking into our room and hanging out at the pool over looking the beautiful harbor beyond. The storm that night raged and the thought of the distant bars in Phi Phi were warm and inviting. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be possible to catch a boat there and back during the night and we made due with a dinner and a movie. The next morning at check out the weather wasn’t much better than the day before and we decided to head to Phi Phi town and look around. It was a chaotic little beach town. There was still a lot of construction and it was full of young hungover backpackers. I could imagine that on a warm day this place would be the mecca of fun it had been described as and I decided that in the not too distant future I would have to make it back.
We went back to Tonsai for a night before heading off to Bangkok for a few days and then we would split ways. Alex heading back to KL and me heading North to meet with my mom in Chiang Mai.
We went back to Tonsai for a night before heading off to Bangkok for a few days and then we would split ways. Alex heading back to KL and me heading North to meet with my mom in Chiang Mai.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Tonsai
We arrived in Krabi after dark. Lutz, whom we had nominated our tour guide and leader, went off to find our transportation to Tonsai beach. Lutz was one of the three birthday individuals and had been to Thailand many times with his wife and children. He knew the ins and outs and quickly secured us a private minibus at a reasonable price to the local long-tail boat harbor. From there we took a thirty-minute long-tail boat around the mountain to Tonsai beach, neighboring the more renowned Rai Ley Beaches. Again I imagine that the Thai mode of transportation and mysterious long-tail boat may require further explanation. The long-tail boat is a long skinny wooden boat with a very long out board motor attached to it, giving its name “long tailed boat”. The motor looks like it was pieced together by an experimental amateur mechanic that lacked the parts to build what he or she actually wanted to build and from that ill looking motor a long metal pipe about 2.5 meters long extends into water with the propeller attached to it. It sounds like it looks but provide a relatively quick and smooth ride if quiet waters permit it. The boats all seemed to be the same size with room for between 9 and 12 passengers. If it is raining about 6 of these passengers are kept dry by a little tarp, which often contains adverts for local beers and the like. The long tail boats would be our main vehicle of transport over the next week.
Once we arrived at Tonsai, we settled down for an ice-cold Chang beer while we dispatched Lutz, Sina, Raya (Lutz’s daughter), and Frank to find us clean, charming, and cheap accommodations. After finishing our beers and dinner we hiked up the dark dirt path towards our lodgings. The sound of generators blared around us and I wondered if I would get any sleep over the next week. The sound struck me as bazaar and I realized how lucky we were in our developed western world to live without the inconveniences of less developed nations. How much do I take for granted? I vowed not to let the sound bother me anymore. The next morning I awoke to the startling conclusion that the fan had been turned off. I flipped the switch. Nothing. I looked around and saw a little sign, which politely informed me that electricity would only be available from 5pm to 6am. What was that vow I made last night? “I can do this,” I thought, and rolled over for a restless 2 hours of tossing and turning before finally motivating myself to get up. I heard birds squawking and opened the window to see what was going on. I looked out the door to see paradise. Unlike the hectic of Bangkok and the dry dusty streets of Ayuthaya, I was looking out at a world of palm trees and tropical vegetation with beautiful flowers, birds chirping overhead, and dark green mountains surrounding us. After a short breakfast consisting of bad coffee and decent eggs, we headed down to the beach and caught a long-tail boat to Rai Ley beach West. Today was going to be Kindergeburtstag or rather the birthday celebration that would bring out the youth in all of us. We first walked along the path from Rai Ley West to a cave known as the diamond cave. The kids ran ahead as we turned on our flash lights and headed down the wooden boardwalk. It was a beautiful cave surrounded by stones that glittered brightly in response to our inquisitive light beams. I pointed my flash light straight up to find a group of bats flapping their wings in protest. I had just re-watched Batman begins and waited for the flurry of bats to swoop past me but it didn’t come. Somewhat disappointed I exited the cave and followed the group past the less attractive Rai Ley East to a nice sandy beach. On the way to the beach we heard monkeys and looked above to see them swinging wildly from branch to branch. I had the inkling that this would not be the last time I would see monkeys before my travels were over so I ignored them and pressed on. The kids looked up in wonder at the strange animals overhead. Its sad that we sometimes lose the wonder and inquisitiveness with which we see the world as children. I found myself hoping that this trip would somehow reawaken that part of me.
Unfortunately the name of the sandy beach eludes me at the moment and so for the lack of a better term I will call it the beach of the Penis temple for at the end of this beach there was a fertility shrine with some erect and some fallen erect penis’ where fishermen would go and pray for a good catch. (I’m still not sure what fishing has to do with fertility but oh well. The sand was perfect and the water was warm. After a relaxing swim and some fresh pineapple Lutz called us together and announced that the journey was going to continue. We packed up and followed him to the end of the beach. It was a dead end. Lutz turned and smiled. “This is something that most tourists don’t get to see”. We were fortunate to have a guide who had been coming here for the last 15 years and knew the little secrets. He led us through the forest and up a hill a long and unmarked trail. We traveled along the mountain, jumping from rock to rock, until we arrived at the opening of a large cave. The mouth of the cave enormous and allowed plenty of day light to illuminate the spacious cavern. I turned around to look in the direction from which we had come to behold the glittering ocean before me. The endless potential of the ocean amazes me and the view alone would have been a noble destination for a hike but Lutz pressed on. We went deeper into the cave and slowly the light faded to a dim shadow. We reached a tiny opening with a rope hanging down. I strained to see the end of the rope. All I saw was darkness. Lutz ordered us to turn on our lights and we slowly followed him up the rope into the void. My flashlight was a bike light that I had taken with to use during my travels but I would need both hands to climb the rope and continue after my companions. I turned off my light and put it back in the backpack before scrambling after the others. I went through the opening and saw the headlights in the distance before me. I liked the feeling of being isolated in my own dark surroundings but perhaps only with the comfort of the lights in front of me and behind me. At the end of the rope the path leveled off for a few feet before another rope led up another incline at the top of which I could see day-light. I climbed up to the top and found Lutz unpacking a climbing rope and some harnesses from his bag. To the right I looked out of the opening to see the luscious green forest below me followed by a beach and the ocean. It had started to rain. I looked down to see a drop of about 30 meters. Lutz looked up and grinned mischievously. He looped the rope through a metal ring affixed to the wall and threw the rope down the cliff. One by one we took turns edging backwards over the drop off and abseiling our way down. I remembered the fear I had felt the first time I had jumped backwards off of a ledge. The summer of my Senior year in high school I had been a rock climbing instructor for children and as part of the training was taught how to abseil (letting yourself down from a high location via rope). I remembered jumping and yelling obscenities much to the amusement of my colleague. But the children through themselves off the cliff with eagerness and their bravery rubbed off. I decided to let myself down and had the fleeting idea that I would like to become more acquainted with rock climbing again. From there we went through a severely strenuous hike through dense forest and sharp jagged rocks until we finally collapsed muddy and exhausted on Rai Ley West forty minutes later. Raya quickly bartered a ride for us back to Tonsai where we enjoyed a nice cheap meal, a nice cold shower, and a good nights sleep.
Once we arrived at Tonsai, we settled down for an ice-cold Chang beer while we dispatched Lutz, Sina, Raya (Lutz’s daughter), and Frank to find us clean, charming, and cheap accommodations. After finishing our beers and dinner we hiked up the dark dirt path towards our lodgings. The sound of generators blared around us and I wondered if I would get any sleep over the next week. The sound struck me as bazaar and I realized how lucky we were in our developed western world to live without the inconveniences of less developed nations. How much do I take for granted? I vowed not to let the sound bother me anymore. The next morning I awoke to the startling conclusion that the fan had been turned off. I flipped the switch. Nothing. I looked around and saw a little sign, which politely informed me that electricity would only be available from 5pm to 6am. What was that vow I made last night? “I can do this,” I thought, and rolled over for a restless 2 hours of tossing and turning before finally motivating myself to get up. I heard birds squawking and opened the window to see what was going on. I looked out the door to see paradise. Unlike the hectic of Bangkok and the dry dusty streets of Ayuthaya, I was looking out at a world of palm trees and tropical vegetation with beautiful flowers, birds chirping overhead, and dark green mountains surrounding us. After a short breakfast consisting of bad coffee and decent eggs, we headed down to the beach and caught a long-tail boat to Rai Ley beach West. Today was going to be Kindergeburtstag or rather the birthday celebration that would bring out the youth in all of us. We first walked along the path from Rai Ley West to a cave known as the diamond cave. The kids ran ahead as we turned on our flash lights and headed down the wooden boardwalk. It was a beautiful cave surrounded by stones that glittered brightly in response to our inquisitive light beams. I pointed my flash light straight up to find a group of bats flapping their wings in protest. I had just re-watched Batman begins and waited for the flurry of bats to swoop past me but it didn’t come. Somewhat disappointed I exited the cave and followed the group past the less attractive Rai Ley East to a nice sandy beach. On the way to the beach we heard monkeys and looked above to see them swinging wildly from branch to branch. I had the inkling that this would not be the last time I would see monkeys before my travels were over so I ignored them and pressed on. The kids looked up in wonder at the strange animals overhead. Its sad that we sometimes lose the wonder and inquisitiveness with which we see the world as children. I found myself hoping that this trip would somehow reawaken that part of me.
Unfortunately the name of the sandy beach eludes me at the moment and so for the lack of a better term I will call it the beach of the Penis temple for at the end of this beach there was a fertility shrine with some erect and some fallen erect penis’ where fishermen would go and pray for a good catch. (I’m still not sure what fishing has to do with fertility but oh well. The sand was perfect and the water was warm. After a relaxing swim and some fresh pineapple Lutz called us together and announced that the journey was going to continue. We packed up and followed him to the end of the beach. It was a dead end. Lutz turned and smiled. “This is something that most tourists don’t get to see”. We were fortunate to have a guide who had been coming here for the last 15 years and knew the little secrets. He led us through the forest and up a hill a long and unmarked trail. We traveled along the mountain, jumping from rock to rock, until we arrived at the opening of a large cave. The mouth of the cave enormous and allowed plenty of day light to illuminate the spacious cavern. I turned around to look in the direction from which we had come to behold the glittering ocean before me. The endless potential of the ocean amazes me and the view alone would have been a noble destination for a hike but Lutz pressed on. We went deeper into the cave and slowly the light faded to a dim shadow. We reached a tiny opening with a rope hanging down. I strained to see the end of the rope. All I saw was darkness. Lutz ordered us to turn on our lights and we slowly followed him up the rope into the void. My flashlight was a bike light that I had taken with to use during my travels but I would need both hands to climb the rope and continue after my companions. I turned off my light and put it back in the backpack before scrambling after the others. I went through the opening and saw the headlights in the distance before me. I liked the feeling of being isolated in my own dark surroundings but perhaps only with the comfort of the lights in front of me and behind me. At the end of the rope the path leveled off for a few feet before another rope led up another incline at the top of which I could see day-light. I climbed up to the top and found Lutz unpacking a climbing rope and some harnesses from his bag. To the right I looked out of the opening to see the luscious green forest below me followed by a beach and the ocean. It had started to rain. I looked down to see a drop of about 30 meters. Lutz looked up and grinned mischievously. He looped the rope through a metal ring affixed to the wall and threw the rope down the cliff. One by one we took turns edging backwards over the drop off and abseiling our way down. I remembered the fear I had felt the first time I had jumped backwards off of a ledge. The summer of my Senior year in high school I had been a rock climbing instructor for children and as part of the training was taught how to abseil (letting yourself down from a high location via rope). I remembered jumping and yelling obscenities much to the amusement of my colleague. But the children through themselves off the cliff with eagerness and their bravery rubbed off. I decided to let myself down and had the fleeting idea that I would like to become more acquainted with rock climbing again. From there we went through a severely strenuous hike through dense forest and sharp jagged rocks until we finally collapsed muddy and exhausted on Rai Ley West forty minutes later. Raya quickly bartered a ride for us back to Tonsai where we enjoyed a nice cheap meal, a nice cold shower, and a good nights sleep.
Bangkok and Ayuthaya
As I feared I am not able to get to blogging about my trip as much as I would like. I am already over one month into my travels and a day away from my one month excursion to Vietnam and I have only managed to write four entries and only one about my Asia trip. So much has happened and I am inclined to let my memory distinguish my adventures from one another and place them in a blog worthy hierarchy, but alas I will also write about the more mundane and less noteworthy adventures perhaps much to the dismay of the discriminating reader.
Last I wrote about my first day in Bangkok. It seems like months ago. I have countless mosquito bites, a much darker complexion, and a significantly drained bank account as proof.
After my first fun filled day we spent one additional day in Bangkok. We saw Bangkok’s main attractions the Grand Palace and various smaller wats (a Buddhist temple) like the giant standing Buddha, the slightly obese Buddha, and one of the countless “lucky Buddhas” much to the satisfaction of our tuk tuk driver. This tuk tuk driver agreed to take us to all these sights for a mere 70 Bath (less than 2 US dollars) if we agreed to see the local Thai production center. It may sound like quite an attraction, but the attraction is actually a jewelry store and in exchange of ten minutes of our time browsing through the overpriced sparkling objects our tuk tuk driver received a fuel coupon. We were happy to oblige seeing as we had a tour guide at a whopping 2 dollars for one and a half hours of driving around.
By the way for those people unfamiliar with the tuk tuk, the tuk tuk is a small open air taxi found all across Asia. Its not only fun to say and to write but it is also very fun to ride. The tuk tuk is found in various shapes and sizes depending on where you are. In Bangkok, for example, they consist of a moped like steering bar and an open air single seat for the driver and behind the driver a bench for 2 comfortably sitting or three uncomfortably sitting individuals. In Ayuthaya, north of Bangkok, the tuk tuk was bigger and the seat for the driver was covered. It actually reminded me a bit of an oversized power wheel that my friends used to drive around as kids. The seat for the passengers consisted of two benches across from one another and room for about three on each bench. In southern Thailand, Krabi had mopeds with little cages attached to them with room enough for about 3-4 individuals. Whatever the case though, should you ever venture to this part of the world, make sure to take the time for a tuk tuk ride.
The evening after our tuk tuk adventures we met some friends from Germany, Sina and Mellie, who had been traveling through Vietnam and Thailand for many weeks and headed for Khao Asan road for some food, drinks, and advice. Our Thailand experienced friends introduced us to the glory of the banana pancake, which they claimed accounted for their weight gain of 4 Kg each over the previous 6 weeks. After eating one piece I decided to avoid them as much as possible. The banana pancake is basically egg, flour-water, high fructose corn syrup, and bananas fried in boiling margerine and tastes like God, whatever that may taste like. In simpler terms it was dangerously good. We were given a crash course in bartering, which is central to Asian shopping, and agreed to meet them the following afternoon in Ayuthaya with the rest of our German friends presumably arriving the following morning in Bangkok from Berlin.
The next morning we headed north via minibus for Ayuthaya, the old imperial capital of Thailand. Ayuthaya is a city that has already seen its hay day but remains a popular destination for tourists eager to explore the countless Buddhist Wats that lay in ruins across the surrounding area. We checked into our hotel and decided to wait for our friends before we went off to explore. After a few hours Sina and Mellie arrived with only three of the expected 9 friends. The other six it turns out had been stranded in Moscow. Ironically the day before, my mother had made a joke to one of our fellow mini bus passengers who asked when our friends would be arriving. My mom responded that they were supposed to arrive today but probably would not arrive until tomorrow because they were flying with Aeroflot. In this case the joke became reality. Delays and miscommunications caused our friends to miss their connecting flight in Moscow and we would have to wait until the next day for their arrival. We decided to make the best of what day we had left and went off to explore some of the temple complexes around us. We saw a giant laying Buddha draped in beautiful orange cloth. Sina explained that the fashion in which they draped the cloth around the Buddha depended entirely on the time of the year. In this case it was the end of the rainy season and so the cloth draped over one shoulder. In the winter it would drape over both shoulders and in the summer it would only drape around the lower portion of the Buddha. The peaceful look on the laying Buddha’s face and his comfortable pose made us feel the weight of gravity and so we went back to hotel for a swim and a rest. In the evening we headed down the street to walk through the wet market, an experience for the senses and a test of strength for the stomach. The wet market was a series of tiny stalls with freshly butchered beef, chicken, pork, and fish. The smell was intrusive as we walked from one stall to the next. I was struck by the lack of refrigeration and the flies, which flew uninhibited from item to item. Stray dogs roamed along the narrow pathways, stopping every few minutes to scratch a flea that was trying for an evening snack. Other dogs stood on the food stands. It was clear the their idea of cleanliness was not the same as ours and I fell into a brief day dream about an experiment I had learned about in high school where a scientist took two jars with meat in them. One was covered with a cheese cloth and the other was not. The next day that without was found to have a large flourishing population of larva. I shuttered at the thought. Sunset was rapidly approaching and we embarked upon a quest to find a temple for which the sunset could act as a backdrop. There is nothing like a sunset over an ancient ruin.
The following day we woke up late and waited impatiently for our misfortunately delayed friends to arrive. When they finally did we listened to a detailed account of their Russian layover in which they were brought to a highly secure and isolated portion of a hotel and watched closely to ensure they would not abuse their lack of a visa. Finally though team 40th Birthday party was united. I may have mentioned before that the original reason for this trip was the celebration of some of our friends 40th birthday. We spent the day visiting further wats in one of which I managed to trip over a decayed stair and break my camera. Very very sad. The next morning we headed to BKK airport for our flight down to the beaches of southern Thailand where more adventures awaited us.
Last I wrote about my first day in Bangkok. It seems like months ago. I have countless mosquito bites, a much darker complexion, and a significantly drained bank account as proof.
After my first fun filled day we spent one additional day in Bangkok. We saw Bangkok’s main attractions the Grand Palace and various smaller wats (a Buddhist temple) like the giant standing Buddha, the slightly obese Buddha, and one of the countless “lucky Buddhas” much to the satisfaction of our tuk tuk driver. This tuk tuk driver agreed to take us to all these sights for a mere 70 Bath (less than 2 US dollars) if we agreed to see the local Thai production center. It may sound like quite an attraction, but the attraction is actually a jewelry store and in exchange of ten minutes of our time browsing through the overpriced sparkling objects our tuk tuk driver received a fuel coupon. We were happy to oblige seeing as we had a tour guide at a whopping 2 dollars for one and a half hours of driving around.
By the way for those people unfamiliar with the tuk tuk, the tuk tuk is a small open air taxi found all across Asia. Its not only fun to say and to write but it is also very fun to ride. The tuk tuk is found in various shapes and sizes depending on where you are. In Bangkok, for example, they consist of a moped like steering bar and an open air single seat for the driver and behind the driver a bench for 2 comfortably sitting or three uncomfortably sitting individuals. In Ayuthaya, north of Bangkok, the tuk tuk was bigger and the seat for the driver was covered. It actually reminded me a bit of an oversized power wheel that my friends used to drive around as kids. The seat for the passengers consisted of two benches across from one another and room for about three on each bench. In southern Thailand, Krabi had mopeds with little cages attached to them with room enough for about 3-4 individuals. Whatever the case though, should you ever venture to this part of the world, make sure to take the time for a tuk tuk ride.
The evening after our tuk tuk adventures we met some friends from Germany, Sina and Mellie, who had been traveling through Vietnam and Thailand for many weeks and headed for Khao Asan road for some food, drinks, and advice. Our Thailand experienced friends introduced us to the glory of the banana pancake, which they claimed accounted for their weight gain of 4 Kg each over the previous 6 weeks. After eating one piece I decided to avoid them as much as possible. The banana pancake is basically egg, flour-water, high fructose corn syrup, and bananas fried in boiling margerine and tastes like God, whatever that may taste like. In simpler terms it was dangerously good. We were given a crash course in bartering, which is central to Asian shopping, and agreed to meet them the following afternoon in Ayuthaya with the rest of our German friends presumably arriving the following morning in Bangkok from Berlin.
The next morning we headed north via minibus for Ayuthaya, the old imperial capital of Thailand. Ayuthaya is a city that has already seen its hay day but remains a popular destination for tourists eager to explore the countless Buddhist Wats that lay in ruins across the surrounding area. We checked into our hotel and decided to wait for our friends before we went off to explore. After a few hours Sina and Mellie arrived with only three of the expected 9 friends. The other six it turns out had been stranded in Moscow. Ironically the day before, my mother had made a joke to one of our fellow mini bus passengers who asked when our friends would be arriving. My mom responded that they were supposed to arrive today but probably would not arrive until tomorrow because they were flying with Aeroflot. In this case the joke became reality. Delays and miscommunications caused our friends to miss their connecting flight in Moscow and we would have to wait until the next day for their arrival. We decided to make the best of what day we had left and went off to explore some of the temple complexes around us. We saw a giant laying Buddha draped in beautiful orange cloth. Sina explained that the fashion in which they draped the cloth around the Buddha depended entirely on the time of the year. In this case it was the end of the rainy season and so the cloth draped over one shoulder. In the winter it would drape over both shoulders and in the summer it would only drape around the lower portion of the Buddha. The peaceful look on the laying Buddha’s face and his comfortable pose made us feel the weight of gravity and so we went back to hotel for a swim and a rest. In the evening we headed down the street to walk through the wet market, an experience for the senses and a test of strength for the stomach. The wet market was a series of tiny stalls with freshly butchered beef, chicken, pork, and fish. The smell was intrusive as we walked from one stall to the next. I was struck by the lack of refrigeration and the flies, which flew uninhibited from item to item. Stray dogs roamed along the narrow pathways, stopping every few minutes to scratch a flea that was trying for an evening snack. Other dogs stood on the food stands. It was clear the their idea of cleanliness was not the same as ours and I fell into a brief day dream about an experiment I had learned about in high school where a scientist took two jars with meat in them. One was covered with a cheese cloth and the other was not. The next day that without was found to have a large flourishing population of larva. I shuttered at the thought. Sunset was rapidly approaching and we embarked upon a quest to find a temple for which the sunset could act as a backdrop. There is nothing like a sunset over an ancient ruin.
The following day we woke up late and waited impatiently for our misfortunately delayed friends to arrive. When they finally did we listened to a detailed account of their Russian layover in which they were brought to a highly secure and isolated portion of a hotel and watched closely to ensure they would not abuse their lack of a visa. Finally though team 40th Birthday party was united. I may have mentioned before that the original reason for this trip was the celebration of some of our friends 40th birthday. We spent the day visiting further wats in one of which I managed to trip over a decayed stair and break my camera. Very very sad. The next morning we headed to BKK airport for our flight down to the beaches of southern Thailand where more adventures awaited us.
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