As we wait to board the flight for the 18 hour journey from Hong Kong to New York (via Vancouver, BC) - we found ourselves in a familiar place. The international terminal at Hong Kong Airport, where 27 days ago we waited to board a flight to Singapore. We currently stand at the same cafe using the same computers we used May 26. The last month has been a whirlwind of adventures, experiences, memories, frustrations, and comraderie. We considered posting top ten lists, "best of" lists, and favorite memories, but I think scrolling through the blog covered all of the bests.
It has been an amazing time, full of stories we will never forget, stories we will tell for years to come, and stories we won't/shouldn't tell for years to come. We had great times planning blog posts and using the blog to let our loyal readers know we were still alive and kicking.
I hope you have enjoyed coming along for the ride - we certainly had a great time.
Gideon
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Brace yourselves folks, we're comin back
Our last of many stops finds us yet again in the magical land of Singapore, where we will depart on the last journey of our trip, the long one back home. This posting is to warn all you readers about our respective states of appearance upon arrival.
Neither Gid or I have shaved in over 30 days. Luckily neither of us are real men yet, so there is nothing to really worry about there. I'd say we all smell pretty ripe; I know for sure that Coles hasn't showered in nearly a fortnight and none of us have changed clothes in about a week. I ran out of toothpaste on an island in Thailand, that was 9 days ago. I am fairly certain that there is a colony of foreign insects living in or around the scar on Gideon's head.
Joey is now fluent in Malay, Khmer, and Thai, while the rest of us have lost all language skills and exclusively communicate with hand gestures and various grunts. At first, we used chopsticks in lieu of forks and knives to eat, but have since regressed to using our bare hands and shoveling the food in.
When we get back to the states it is likely that it will take a week or so to get back into driving in an orderly fashion and not holding on for our lives as we try to scribble out our wills. We will definitely scoff at any meal over $1.32, and I may sit on the corner in Bedford and beg passersby for Thai Baht; not because I am broke, but because no one else has started doing it yet, it is a totally untouched market.
So in closing, I wish I had been able to post on this blog more often, maybe next time I get over to SE Asia. Only 70 hours of travel and 25 or so thousand miles until home; at least we get free snacks on the flight (and drinks)
Neither Gid or I have shaved in over 30 days. Luckily neither of us are real men yet, so there is nothing to really worry about there. I'd say we all smell pretty ripe; I know for sure that Coles hasn't showered in nearly a fortnight and none of us have changed clothes in about a week. I ran out of toothpaste on an island in Thailand, that was 9 days ago. I am fairly certain that there is a colony of foreign insects living in or around the scar on Gideon's head.
Joey is now fluent in Malay, Khmer, and Thai, while the rest of us have lost all language skills and exclusively communicate with hand gestures and various grunts. At first, we used chopsticks in lieu of forks and knives to eat, but have since regressed to using our bare hands and shoveling the food in.
When we get back to the states it is likely that it will take a week or so to get back into driving in an orderly fashion and not holding on for our lives as we try to scribble out our wills. We will definitely scoff at any meal over $1.32, and I may sit on the corner in Bedford and beg passersby for Thai Baht; not because I am broke, but because no one else has started doing it yet, it is a totally untouched market.
So in closing, I wish I had been able to post on this blog more often, maybe next time I get over to SE Asia. Only 70 hours of travel and 25 or so thousand miles until home; at least we get free snacks on the flight (and drinks)
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Saak Mu Bai
Gideon got "saak mu bai"-ed again today. What does it mean to get "saak mu bai"-ed, you ask?
Well, I'll tell you.
When we were in Cambodia, our second stop was the town of Siem Reap, from where we went for two days to Angkor Wat. Angkor, as you know, consists of the remnants of the ancient Khmer empire.
On our first morning there, we saw the sunrise over Angkor Wat, then headed to another temple. When we got to that temple, we heard some loud screaming from our left. Evan and I looked over, and saw a small Buddhist woman beckoning us over. Not exactly sure what was going on, we went.
First, she handed us three sticks of incense for good luck. We bowed three times: once for ourselves, once for mother and father, and once for friends (we learned this later from a local boy, as this woman did not speak English). She was a rather forceful woman, and would not stop until we had done so.
In the middle of this scene, Gideon comes walking up and is asked to perform the same task. He does, bowing three times in front of the temple with the incense.
As soon as he is finished, the woman starts yelling at us in Khmer to give her money, pointing at a plastic wrapped U.S. dollar that is on her stand in front of us. Evan and I started to give Cambodian money, and she threw it back at us. She was increasingly persistent to receive our U.S. dollars.
Evan gives in first, and I found a dollar soon afterwards. We were quickly dismissed once we had paid. Gideon, on the other hand, refuses to pay, because all he had was a $20 bill. He offers 2000 Cambodia riel (50 cents US) and is the woman screamed over and over "No, no, no, no" andn continued to point at the laminated US dollar.
Finally, Gideon gives up and decides to walk away, not realizing that doing so would equate to a massive twist of fate. At first she wouldn't let him leave, but once he did, she was screaming after him, over and over again "Saak mu bai, saak mu bai, saak mu bai." We jokingly decided at the time that she was cursing his next seven generations.
Since then, there has been another hypothesis: Gideon must undergo seven trials, seven separate "Saak mu bais" before the curse can be lifted.
The first trial? The head trauma. The first is always the worst (stitches are out, by the way).
The second? Going to the shower in Kuala Lumpur and somehow finding the only one without hot water, our first hot water shower in weeks.
The third? Being latched to by more leeches today than the rest of us combined (3).
The final four await. We are currently searching for an antidote. We'll see what happens.
Well, I'll tell you.
When we were in Cambodia, our second stop was the town of Siem Reap, from where we went for two days to Angkor Wat. Angkor, as you know, consists of the remnants of the ancient Khmer empire.
On our first morning there, we saw the sunrise over Angkor Wat, then headed to another temple. When we got to that temple, we heard some loud screaming from our left. Evan and I looked over, and saw a small Buddhist woman beckoning us over. Not exactly sure what was going on, we went.
First, she handed us three sticks of incense for good luck. We bowed three times: once for ourselves, once for mother and father, and once for friends (we learned this later from a local boy, as this woman did not speak English). She was a rather forceful woman, and would not stop until we had done so.
In the middle of this scene, Gideon comes walking up and is asked to perform the same task. He does, bowing three times in front of the temple with the incense.
As soon as he is finished, the woman starts yelling at us in Khmer to give her money, pointing at a plastic wrapped U.S. dollar that is on her stand in front of us. Evan and I started to give Cambodian money, and she threw it back at us. She was increasingly persistent to receive our U.S. dollars.
Evan gives in first, and I found a dollar soon afterwards. We were quickly dismissed once we had paid. Gideon, on the other hand, refuses to pay, because all he had was a $20 bill. He offers 2000 Cambodia riel (50 cents US) and is the woman screamed over and over "No, no, no, no" andn continued to point at the laminated US dollar.
Finally, Gideon gives up and decides to walk away, not realizing that doing so would equate to a massive twist of fate. At first she wouldn't let him leave, but once he did, she was screaming after him, over and over again "Saak mu bai, saak mu bai, saak mu bai." We jokingly decided at the time that she was cursing his next seven generations.
Since then, there has been another hypothesis: Gideon must undergo seven trials, seven separate "Saak mu bais" before the curse can be lifted.
The first trial? The head trauma. The first is always the worst (stitches are out, by the way).
The second? Going to the shower in Kuala Lumpur and somehow finding the only one without hot water, our first hot water shower in weeks.
The third? Being latched to by more leeches today than the rest of us combined (3).
The final four await. We are currently searching for an antidote. We'll see what happens.
Attack of the Killer Leeches
Taman Negara National Park is home to many exotic animals which Americans such as ourselves do not have the opportunity to see in their natural habitat. Among these are tapirs, gibbons, sun bears, siamangs, leopards, and even elephants. There are also a variety of fish, birds, and insects native to the jungle, displaying a broad range of majestic colors and unique behaviors that fascinate the wandering trekker for hours on end.
And then there's the leech, the bloodsucking demon-spawn of the jungle underworld. We were warned of their prevalence here while spending time in the Perhentians, where we encountered a friendly group of Brits with numerous battle wounds from these hellish creatures. Locals also told tales of how leeches emerge after heavy rains, wandering the jungles in search of vertebrate blood as zombies in search of fresh brains. We trudged boldly on, though, ignoring the warnings of both foreigners and locals, and arrived at the gates of Taman Negara in high hopes, as the locals told us there had been no rains for several days.
Then, last night, it rained... all night. Even though we remained optimistic, our hopes were dashed by the inclement weather. The day started out simple enough. After a nice walk on the canopy bridge, a leech landed on my finger (flying from some unknown destination above). I asked Evan if it was a leech, but he said no, it looked more like an inchworm. I concurred and flicked the creature harmlessly to the ground. Little did I know that the creature only appeared inchworm-ish because it had not yet filled itself with the sweet nectar of life that is human blood.
Gideon was the first to be struck. Atop a hill, we paused to check ourselves and found one gorging itself on his leg. Then another a mere hour later on his heel, fatter than the feast as it appeared to have been enjoying its meal for some time. Then again at lunch, somehow a leech had burrowed into his shoe and bitten through the sock, where it could dine unnoticed for quite some time. Lunch time count: Gideon 3, everyone else 0. The afternoon evened the count up a bit. There were many close encounters, leeches would jump from trees but spoil their surprise attack by making a faint sound when they landed on a shoe or an arm. I was struck in the heel and again on the calf, where a leech must have been for a number of hours. By the time of his discovery he was too fat to even roll over on the ground. All told, there were only five bites, but many more may have come if we had not taken the necessary precautions.
The worst part about being leeched is not any pain or blood loss, although there is a significant amount of bleeding after a leech is removed. More than these, it is the feeling of robbery and violation afterwards. One's blood is one's life, and to have it drained by a non-sentient leaves one feeling very cold and vulnerable. Our few, minor wounds will heal rather quickly, but the terror instilled in us may last a life time.
And then there's the leech, the bloodsucking demon-spawn of the jungle underworld. We were warned of their prevalence here while spending time in the Perhentians, where we encountered a friendly group of Brits with numerous battle wounds from these hellish creatures. Locals also told tales of how leeches emerge after heavy rains, wandering the jungles in search of vertebrate blood as zombies in search of fresh brains. We trudged boldly on, though, ignoring the warnings of both foreigners and locals, and arrived at the gates of Taman Negara in high hopes, as the locals told us there had been no rains for several days.
Then, last night, it rained... all night. Even though we remained optimistic, our hopes were dashed by the inclement weather. The day started out simple enough. After a nice walk on the canopy bridge, a leech landed on my finger (flying from some unknown destination above). I asked Evan if it was a leech, but he said no, it looked more like an inchworm. I concurred and flicked the creature harmlessly to the ground. Little did I know that the creature only appeared inchworm-ish because it had not yet filled itself with the sweet nectar of life that is human blood.
Gideon was the first to be struck. Atop a hill, we paused to check ourselves and found one gorging itself on his leg. Then another a mere hour later on his heel, fatter than the feast as it appeared to have been enjoying its meal for some time. Then again at lunch, somehow a leech had burrowed into his shoe and bitten through the sock, where it could dine unnoticed for quite some time. Lunch time count: Gideon 3, everyone else 0. The afternoon evened the count up a bit. There were many close encounters, leeches would jump from trees but spoil their surprise attack by making a faint sound when they landed on a shoe or an arm. I was struck in the heel and again on the calf, where a leech must have been for a number of hours. By the time of his discovery he was too fat to even roll over on the ground. All told, there were only five bites, but many more may have come if we had not taken the necessary precautions.
The worst part about being leeched is not any pain or blood loss, although there is a significant amount of bleeding after a leech is removed. More than these, it is the feeling of robbery and violation afterwards. One's blood is one's life, and to have it drained by a non-sentient leaves one feeling very cold and vulnerable. Our few, minor wounds will heal rather quickly, but the terror instilled in us may last a life time.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Back in Action
Welp, we're back in the land of Internets, and were sorry to find that the toopoortogotoeurope.blogspot.com Crew appears to be dominating us in the so-called Blogatition.
But, when you have Internet that is faster than 56k, it's a little easier/less frustrating to post.
We are outside the airport in Khota Bharu, Malaysia (east coast), having just returning to the mainland after a four-day stay on the little island of Pulau Perhentian. After an incredible time there, it is pretty easy to see why it would be named one of the top-10 beaches in the world. The water was crystal clear well beyond 40-50 feet, the sand was as white as I've ever seen it, and after one night in a bungalow without light, we found a cool four-person room that actually had air-conditioning.
So, that's where we've been. Not too much happened over these days, I guess. Coles and I went scuba diving one morning for the first time and had a blast. Gideon hasn't washed his hair in years. Evan has decided never to wash his hair again because he likes the way that it stays wherever he puts it. And we all managed to avoid getting sunburned after a number of awkward sunscreen applications to a partner's back.
Tonight we fly to Kuala Lumpur, arriving near to midnight local time. Then tomorrow morning, Gideon will finally get his stitches out. By tomorrow evening, we hope to be at the entry point to the Malaysian jungle/rain forest (called Taman Negara). We've been told to watch out for leeches.
On Sunday night or maybe Monday, we will return to Kuala Lumpur, spend a day there, and then fly to Singapore on Tuesday morning.
On Wednesday, we fly back to the States.
It's amazing how quickly time has flown. Seems like ages since we first posted from Hong Kong. And I think I speak for everybody when I say that we are excited to share our pictures and stories.
Hope everyone is well. More to come. Coles is eating KFC from a food court at a Malaysian Airport as we speak. I think I might join him.
But, when you have Internet that is faster than 56k, it's a little easier/less frustrating to post.
We are outside the airport in Khota Bharu, Malaysia (east coast), having just returning to the mainland after a four-day stay on the little island of Pulau Perhentian. After an incredible time there, it is pretty easy to see why it would be named one of the top-10 beaches in the world. The water was crystal clear well beyond 40-50 feet, the sand was as white as I've ever seen it, and after one night in a bungalow without light, we found a cool four-person room that actually had air-conditioning.
So, that's where we've been. Not too much happened over these days, I guess. Coles and I went scuba diving one morning for the first time and had a blast. Gideon hasn't washed his hair in years. Evan has decided never to wash his hair again because he likes the way that it stays wherever he puts it. And we all managed to avoid getting sunburned after a number of awkward sunscreen applications to a partner's back.
Tonight we fly to Kuala Lumpur, arriving near to midnight local time. Then tomorrow morning, Gideon will finally get his stitches out. By tomorrow evening, we hope to be at the entry point to the Malaysian jungle/rain forest (called Taman Negara). We've been told to watch out for leeches.
On Sunday night or maybe Monday, we will return to Kuala Lumpur, spend a day there, and then fly to Singapore on Tuesday morning.
On Wednesday, we fly back to the States.
It's amazing how quickly time has flown. Seems like ages since we first posted from Hong Kong. And I think I speak for everybody when I say that we are excited to share our pictures and stories.
Hope everyone is well. More to come. Coles is eating KFC from a food court at a Malaysian Airport as we speak. I think I might join him.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Heading to Paradise
We are heading to Paradise until Thursday night. Now all back to together (Evan back with the group), we are leaving for the Perhension Islands off the east coast of Malaysia, where there are no cars, and minimal internet access. Named a top ten beach in the world by Time magazine, we are going to find out for ourselves - judgement shall come shortly. Everyone is doing well, and if we find access out there we will be sure to be in touch, otherwise Friday will be our next chance to post.
Gideon
Gideon
Sunday, June 10, 2007
A quick post...
I realized that I needed to correct a previous post. When I said that we "never felt unsafe or worried," I did not mean to include those first few minutes when we were temporarily scared out of our minds. So, I apologize.
As Gid said, all is well now. We meet Evan in about an hour and then take a ferry back to the mainland at 5pm (4am by most of you guys). After a 2.5 hour bus ride, we will hope on an 11-hour night/sleeper train to take us into Malaysia, where we plan a few more days on the western coast and on an island called Pulau Perhentian.
Jackie and Co., I will reveal the Asian trinket... As soon as I buy it. For now, there is still a current contest regarding the cost of Gideon's medical procedures.
Love to all.
As Gid said, all is well now. We meet Evan in about an hour and then take a ferry back to the mainland at 5pm (4am by most of you guys). After a 2.5 hour bus ride, we will hope on an 11-hour night/sleeper train to take us into Malaysia, where we plan a few more days on the western coast and on an island called Pulau Perhentian.
Jackie and Co., I will reveal the Asian trinket... As soon as I buy it. For now, there is still a current contest regarding the cost of Gideon's medical procedures.
Love to all.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
All is well --- Contest #2
All is well and I am doing fine. Thanks to Coles' and Joey's great help, wherewithall, and supervision they treated me quickly, and got me to the hospital safely, where the Thai medical staff performed superbly. I am pretty sure it is impossible in America to get to the ER and have five sutures and prescriptions filled within 30 minutes...but it worked out here.
According to former construction employee Coles the machine was a back-hoe rather than a bulldozer...one day Joey and I will learn about construction and manual labor.
Also the total for Coles' phone call was $29.09...at last check Jackie et. al. were closest, but the official winner will be announced when internet is faster/cheaper.
Not to be repetitive but again we found ourselves astonished by the pricing of things; this time a trip to the ER complete with 5 stitches and 2 prescription drugs filled (antibitotic and pain reliever). Again a to-be-determined Asian goodie is up for grabs for the closest guess to the final price.
Finally, I just wanted to thank Joey for posting yesterday's blog about the story. While I individually contacted loved ones, I asked him to give a recount for our loyal readers.
Again, all is well!!
Gideon
According to former construction employee Coles the machine was a back-hoe rather than a bulldozer...one day Joey and I will learn about construction and manual labor.
Also the total for Coles' phone call was $29.09...at last check Jackie et. al. were closest, but the official winner will be announced when internet is faster/cheaper.
Not to be repetitive but again we found ourselves astonished by the pricing of things; this time a trip to the ER complete with 5 stitches and 2 prescription drugs filled (antibitotic and pain reliever). Again a to-be-determined Asian goodie is up for grabs for the closest guess to the final price.
Finally, I just wanted to thank Joey for posting yesterday's blog about the story. While I individually contacted loved ones, I asked him to give a recount for our loyal readers.
Again, all is well!!
Gideon
Friday, June 8, 2007
Gideon's Interesting Day
Because Internet is pretty expensive on this island we are on (Koh Phangan) and Gideon is sending a few other emails, he asked me to post a little story about today to the blog.
As a preface, these events really happened and are in no way part of a ploy to win the so-called "Blogatition" with Jackie and Co.
This morning we rented mopeds from a store down the street from our hotel ($4/day) and after a quick lesson, set out to expore the island. It is pretty desolate out here and easy going, so we were confident in our ability to drive safely around. Our goal was to hit two waterfalls, climb to the highest peak on the island, and be back on the beach by mid-afternoon.
After a stop and hike at a waterfall, we headed over to the trail that would lead us to the peak. We tried several times to figure out exactly how to go, and then were led by several locals to the actual trail across a stream. On the way, we had to cross through a construction site where nothing much seemed to be going on.
About 10 minutes into the hike, we decided not to proceed to the top, because the trail was not marked well and the jungle was very hot. So, we headed back toward the entrance, through the construction site.
On our way back down, Gideon and I followed Coles the way that we came, down a high dirt mound back toward a dirt road. Coles made it down the mound safely. I followed, with my eyes on the ground, and narrowly missed hitting my head on the scoop of a bull-dozer, saying something to the effect of "Whoa, look out" back to Gideon.
I turned around after I was at the bottom to be more specific about what my "Whoa, look out" was about, and watched him come down at a pretty good speed, hit his head on the scoop, and fall to the ground.
Blood appeared after a few seconds, and Gideon moved to the shade to let us look at the cut. Coles kept his wits about him (before and during the injury), pulling out a first-aid kit (thanks, Mrs. Jennings) and cleaning Gideon's cut and getting gauze to put on it.
Once we got a look at the cut, we decided that a trip to the island hospital was in order. A local who was helping us agreed. Luckily, we had seen the hospital earlier, so we had an idea where it was. We headed down the mountain to our bikes and Gideon hopped on the back of mine "Dumb and Dumber"-style while Coles led the way. As before, we were all wearing helmets.
We got to the hospital and were directed to the emergency room. After filling out a few forms, we followed Gideon into a room where he received five stitches.
All in all, each of us was very impressed with the entire operation. It could easily have been a small American hospital. Everyone was very helpful throughout the entire process and gave specific instructions for each of Gid's next steps. He will have it re-looked at on Sunday and the stitches removed one week from now. The plan is to be in Kuala Lumpur then, which should be a good place to get them out.
So, there you go. It was quite a day, but everything is fine now. One good thing: They didn't have to shave Gideon's head.
We were back on the beach at 6pm for sunset after a belated lunch.
I know that this makes everybody nervous, but please know that we never felt unsafe or worried during the entire experience. Love to all -- we will continue to keep you updated.
Oh, and there are light-hearted stories to come. I promise. Sorry for the long post.
As a preface, these events really happened and are in no way part of a ploy to win the so-called "Blogatition" with Jackie and Co.
This morning we rented mopeds from a store down the street from our hotel ($4/day) and after a quick lesson, set out to expore the island. It is pretty desolate out here and easy going, so we were confident in our ability to drive safely around. Our goal was to hit two waterfalls, climb to the highest peak on the island, and be back on the beach by mid-afternoon.
After a stop and hike at a waterfall, we headed over to the trail that would lead us to the peak. We tried several times to figure out exactly how to go, and then were led by several locals to the actual trail across a stream. On the way, we had to cross through a construction site where nothing much seemed to be going on.
About 10 minutes into the hike, we decided not to proceed to the top, because the trail was not marked well and the jungle was very hot. So, we headed back toward the entrance, through the construction site.
On our way back down, Gideon and I followed Coles the way that we came, down a high dirt mound back toward a dirt road. Coles made it down the mound safely. I followed, with my eyes on the ground, and narrowly missed hitting my head on the scoop of a bull-dozer, saying something to the effect of "Whoa, look out" back to Gideon.
I turned around after I was at the bottom to be more specific about what my "Whoa, look out" was about, and watched him come down at a pretty good speed, hit his head on the scoop, and fall to the ground.
Blood appeared after a few seconds, and Gideon moved to the shade to let us look at the cut. Coles kept his wits about him (before and during the injury), pulling out a first-aid kit (thanks, Mrs. Jennings) and cleaning Gideon's cut and getting gauze to put on it.
Once we got a look at the cut, we decided that a trip to the island hospital was in order. A local who was helping us agreed. Luckily, we had seen the hospital earlier, so we had an idea where it was. We headed down the mountain to our bikes and Gideon hopped on the back of mine "Dumb and Dumber"-style while Coles led the way. As before, we were all wearing helmets.
We got to the hospital and were directed to the emergency room. After filling out a few forms, we followed Gideon into a room where he received five stitches.
All in all, each of us was very impressed with the entire operation. It could easily have been a small American hospital. Everyone was very helpful throughout the entire process and gave specific instructions for each of Gid's next steps. He will have it re-looked at on Sunday and the stitches removed one week from now. The plan is to be in Kuala Lumpur then, which should be a good place to get them out.
So, there you go. It was quite a day, but everything is fine now. One good thing: They didn't have to shave Gideon's head.
We were back on the beach at 6pm for sunset after a belated lunch.
I know that this makes everybody nervous, but please know that we never felt unsafe or worried during the entire experience. Love to all -- we will continue to keep you updated.
Oh, and there are light-hearted stories to come. I promise. Sorry for the long post.
On My Own...
Yesterday morning I set off alone to a tiny island called Koh Tao. I left the three other guys in the pre dawn hours still sleeping in their mosquito nets on Koh Pha-Ngan, and spent 700 Baht to taxi and ferry about 45 km away. The goal of my 4 day solo voyage is to cram in more dives per day than would usually be healthy; I'm off to a good start as I have spent 4.5 of the past 20 hours submerged.
I am at the Coral View Resort (www.coralview.net) on my own little beach and have the entire resort to myself because it is technically low season. If I had the ability to post pictures you all would be jealous of me.
I told Gid, Joey, and Coles I would see them on Sunday, so I will make my best effort at that time to put down my mango daquiri and roll out of my hammock to journey back south.
I am at the Coral View Resort (www.coralview.net) on my own little beach and have the entire resort to myself because it is technically low season. If I had the ability to post pictures you all would be jealous of me.
I told Gid, Joey, and Coles I would see them on Sunday, so I will make my best effort at that time to put down my mango daquiri and roll out of my hammock to journey back south.
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