tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-210733832024-03-07T13:18:01.835-08:00ODYSSEUS AND ME TURN EASTthis weblog is a collection of stories, lessons, thoughts, revelations, recipes and photos that detail our great journey. welcome and enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-84223319976606567532007-04-02T06:22:00.000-07:002007-04-12T11:03:17.277-07:00Viva Brasil!as this is the last entry of the great roadtrip that lies behind us, i am lost for words. i can only close my eyes and touch the sand at my feet. i can only take in what the sun has offered me. i look back to all the faces of those i have loved since the first day of flight, and those that i have met down this long and dusty road. i am not allowed to forget the sea, that great body of water and her calm and rocking waves. i am not allowed to forget each word, each syllable pronounced, each satisfying gulp of food and drink and especially the toasts we made for and in each others company.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQctLCJUeODK4AE1wEFBbdIe6GR9PctWCcvPYh8OL8gSgcInf3b6p9ja1Q1nXF32u2zjFxj-ofQbKrbOc-CSgklysLxRbD8sYCIaKPPr_5diheNRFypW-JTkTpzgh5eYTWi5XsvA/s1600-h/sand.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQctLCJUeODK4AE1wEFBbdIe6GR9PctWCcvPYh8OL8gSgcInf3b6p9ja1Q1nXF32u2zjFxj-ofQbKrbOc-CSgklysLxRbD8sYCIaKPPr_5diheNRFypW-JTkTpzgh5eYTWi5XsvA/s400/sand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052300850639828402" border="0" /></a><img src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/ZHENIA/LOCALS%7E1/TEMP/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2MoTZmb1TU0cgmJGR9_edz98lLqVcSDTqKpAdJ-MtpdQV9LrHrlCd70LA8mNL2MaMYFDSakyUn75IyYHfvF-j6CWLiFSDWqtlXfGB-FX8r5_hBKnmhtGuHpXlRCcIcTmjI2EVw/s1600-h/sunrise2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2MoTZmb1TU0cgmJGR9_edz98lLqVcSDTqKpAdJ-MtpdQV9LrHrlCd70LA8mNL2MaMYFDSakyUn75IyYHfvF-j6CWLiFSDWqtlXfGB-FX8r5_hBKnmhtGuHpXlRCcIcTmjI2EVw/s400/sunrise2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052601923552310786" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tI0GhxZ0V_QsWQFQBUnboRGuG-vbnsum5Nn078OuSoNKwlFFoFnD-4gmYKbYpCtRwWidva2oTKVHJ9nZeVksLcIKAhFgxVrpv6jw97KBUZsYgsT_5GeBkxqnG2gQzg5x-fF7vw/s1600-h/boat+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4tI0GhxZ0V_QsWQFQBUnboRGuG-vbnsum5Nn078OuSoNKwlFFoFnD-4gmYKbYpCtRwWidva2oTKVHJ9nZeVksLcIKAhFgxVrpv6jw97KBUZsYgsT_5GeBkxqnG2gQzg5x-fF7vw/s400/boat+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052601919257343474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-psEwSSk6YwjtJvIUeBITyZyeYBJJhVpDr_gYSdh-kMrFpR9xqAEGpNUrsCzY_SV9ApJ600mUta8-OIV1SSanfMbsE1jsLJo8C358pb5inOwOZ8kXqLKFE1VMLjAv3kHd7mhfA/s1600-h/church1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-psEwSSk6YwjtJvIUeBITyZyeYBJJhVpDr_gYSdh-kMrFpR9xqAEGpNUrsCzY_SV9ApJ600mUta8-OIV1SSanfMbsE1jsLJo8C358pb5inOwOZ8kXqLKFE1VMLjAv3kHd7mhfA/s400/church1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052300854934795730" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkE-CZsGYu1mede98enRgZy6zJoPxKtkcZUCDaSX1kvrwDNeP9MDSE8oiXd2eO5H3ZocbzNI_8IFuZB9vFeoaT2PMHZjk_9QVl003TANpoW-EqE35gzwQCHswKiJ76BH632p6eQ/s1600-h/sasha+on+beach.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkE-CZsGYu1mede98enRgZy6zJoPxKtkcZUCDaSX1kvrwDNeP9MDSE8oiXd2eO5H3ZocbzNI_8IFuZB9vFeoaT2PMHZjk_9QVl003TANpoW-EqE35gzwQCHswKiJ76BH632p6eQ/s400/sasha+on+beach.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5052300854934795746" border="0" /></a> the dance is in all of us and we must abide to it with our eyes closed, bodies free of restraint and just swing.<br /><br />thanks to everyone in Brasil for allowing me in on another secret.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-30657663855569029092007-03-25T12:03:00.000-07:002007-03-26T09:58:28.802-07:00Porto Seguro<strong>21st March - 26th March<br /><br />Porto Seguro is a colorful yet mild comparison to Salvador</strong>, a major city in the north that prides itself on true Bahian culture, food and history. Therefore, I will offer you Porto Seguro by means of a visual tour. Enjoy!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045940978284628130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1UxnVR8vflZhkR0evRF7jsUlAisxAeBnbeLAPJVe3NDBZHCEyFkRS-sE45_COm12oI7MeGclxjT8mjj4vkWDEuvPis6qgGAy1l8pRYiynDb95fAHzQhRofEenwSqjc2K2xV_kig/s400/DSCN4871.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046275688863071650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSaYY_3aAQDiruVGm4gQpilLVa17-LYFyPMdhsoDoOEsVad0z5dneB0gQsy_zLQ7yYZ5paYEKcv2PSkfmwAXewckJ1NG2RyzJqInWPyM6E_zJZCs9mcXwHKsnuQv0Ba5BxaV_spA/s400/porto+seguro.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045940969694693522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18TQWHp9Ikpo0DXJz3g884LlvRPbHBtQ1jn0ytl8jfww9yKI213EF2T5t9Zf8xd3Qy6LZoCFOyd21Hb8efK8zWVbq-o2zvjd9MVwHFtFeF_Q-25wVLfcRW12XBPki66QdHzokIg/s400/DSCN4866.JPG" border="0" /></p><p></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045940965399726210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6wcoCETjzQ5J9yVlQ8XZ06629wOwLuZ-J0CK5trsD4Rb_w_sTA3vxhmVVja2khWSQBb-A8DkPLK6b07FG7kfzqzBXAX3F7IRuDgEYhxGLDowOzcjTfYXDxdFYw3lYRo9jgeOKVQ/s400/DSCN4862.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046063870183868738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQGVBTs_sYCXhJbt3T2_j1W73kkSiM43dVRSm-F7t6qGU4e2R2I1weqnGcByHiTADxMw0ZLDRHMEmDaWSlhpDXwWJr8Kt_h3FyGitno9JpNf5GJVXfB2WERb_kAZfb_etaDz7xA/s400/porto+seguro.bmp" border="0" /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-20632215264707507582007-03-25T11:56:00.000-07:002007-04-06T07:42:44.945-07:00Paraty & Trindade16th March - 21st March<br /><br />Paraty is an old romantic colonial town of 10,000. The streets are well preserved and offer night performers a home for their shows and stunts. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046265900632604034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm1VDOHU66SfwkMze5xC-kL1Mi6E8aBLx-4wo2RxrzIWfP-2wR9nSRJnfEqW_lvJ9NC6uv9Efk2QgmoTRwsrEYjJ0rVaTkNteAi9L8jRPkNaYUqLPnmIattCtdXnfLzdNQtVGFw/s400/paraty.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>The town is surrounded by steep jungle mountains and secluded beaches, a well kept secret among Brazilian tourists. During an evening stroll, soothing sounds of bossa nova and forro are heard in many dark-lit cafes. </p><p align="left">********************************************************************<br />A well deserved introduction is due to a trio that entertained a greater part of southeast Brasil for many days and nights. This trio has been compared by many to ´The Three Amigos´, ´The Three Stooges` and ´The Three Muskateers`; they had courage, they had style and, most importantly, they did not take themselves seriously FOR A SINGLE MOMENT (even under physical force and bribery). For your pleasure and enjoyment, they are Benjamin, Zhenia and Neil. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046063444982106418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiStAN4-GdjB49PfFJ8FCQxMDAuvnOnlWCQsXfqpaLaoKePxsThc2KxH1Nu7T5NghN66qk2y0RPqHon48kjpYWCVGuMc9hMf35kG-QdCZV-T-gCdT-TNVLcy7mROnJcCFOxd7JP7w/s400/paraty+trio.bmp" border="0" /><br /></p><p><br />Ladies and Gentlemen: a moment that must never be forgotten. Here, Benjamin is accosted and taken advantage of by the local loco, a woman of boundless beauty, brilliance and seduction. Later in the evening, she gave him a sweet love bite on his shoulder with her jagged teeth when he least expected it. With her leading the crowd, we all pissed in our pants from laughter.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30xWQ0j508iw78_1G4u17-TXy8a4d7XVQfoSI_eW2SpiE3ZqeyQg6q-DGOBbJWtJnJLuxPMJKZN-18TxO9yFk19c1APRYOAj5UgR2lIi6QBD6KqRcw6vG7NmYHzucrslDOIdGKQ/s1600-h/paraty+loco.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046063444982106402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg30xWQ0j508iw78_1G4u17-TXy8a4d7XVQfoSI_eW2SpiE3ZqeyQg6q-DGOBbJWtJnJLuxPMJKZN-18TxO9yFk19c1APRYOAj5UgR2lIi6QBD6KqRcw6vG7NmYHzucrslDOIdGKQ/s400/paraty+loco.bmp" border="0" /></a><br />A short bus ride south of Paraty sits Trindade, a quiet beach town of a few hundred residents and easily one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. Benjamin and Neil, having visited Trindade resently, decided to take us on a sightseeing day tour. Here, we climb through thick jungle and mud paths to get to the mystical ´Rock that Swallows`.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RC5Z747fibFoGrYIxOHBCUtw6ZjluwtiRciG1MHYkSeklZEv-1FdEGqfFHr7-Xob1jj5BYfC_vl3-tit0FI3GXR8_8sqzMYhlmEqXvvR7sl6Tm1TztxDVlFiPfmQg0UfngGx0g/s1600-h/DSCN4832.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045939221643003970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RC5Z747fibFoGrYIxOHBCUtw6ZjluwtiRciG1MHYkSeklZEv-1FdEGqfFHr7-Xob1jj5BYfC_vl3-tit0FI3GXR8_8sqzMYhlmEqXvvR7sl6Tm1TztxDVlFiPfmQg0UfngGx0g/s400/DSCN4832.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046269572829642130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUJ0GrIphyphenhyphen-5yn5Pyh2vC9kq5NPavJLGBl33Bapwzr2CPFJyWcE8gVqZiciIIh8NS-shN8oDTDMWoVPa4CSFRqgUQI85xfL-WQEMAUD9ZwUp9SBxwV1fGruQlaTnO2ACp4ERrEeg/s400/trindade.jpg" border="0" /></p><p></p><p>Miscellaneous pics:<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045938590282811410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0T1SewfUa2vU_4VxW10Hm7jXoSeSyo5Lqe4n06YKdU2nZtm21VUsARZVuQCUzq2qbVgtKDR2tlt9z_J6g9zlsFNPLKpG4L0fQR_xngT8xCrHOOIs0VgXk3jJI1hFm2hLDZvEIBw/s400/DSCN4820.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045938594577778722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNFpGSiLASqAt4U_8CxSpIK1SNoTHJI5GFne357dQP4lGggu1RMNL-F9ToXtFVqG5tIrnXF2GaSJjLi4TSd2eeKPOI5X4YBNtGyX0B2bGaw7183Cdp_YnBuUIBFKNCrbwBN-L7w/s400/DSCN4823.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045939234527905890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-p41AlDVWAkgx6astfieno_HrhyJtjlJi5Qsng3FVwzv3wwyqUxEg1Y3kNSWGY9hLMpN3jpUhfZ7xr0qVg9P2gM34Yra8VfckpTg85UwV0rH-DEzbnadad0byp7iTlvrMT3fjBQ/s400/DSCN4851.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045938598872746034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgubTao1NZPJvYgw8mAOEHKvaZnBnhzQkUWvlJotzVGLmcHjWbQvuyqy3rA-kCOt4s9kEWM0YTnq0a2MLuzyIh-Y3WAmFhwBxn3vorDwJo66cxWYCxRFpJqnjzcMsP4JBfmOAIwIg/s400/DSCN4829.JPG" border="0" /><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-84365477224425066592007-03-25T11:25:00.000-07:002007-03-26T08:33:05.686-07:00Ilha Grande<strong>8th March - 15th March<br /><br />Rio felt too big to swallow in a few days so we decided to head to the south coast</strong> where the beaches are pristine and the island philosophy of "do less, enjoy more" rules. Upon our arrival, there was an agreed moment of silence for we had nothing more to say. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045931327493113586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3303j4BlVumtrsySip15yD7mb8iUzG82fr8In8TmMcf33q-8_Pzc6hfvI5Um9hhLsAv2K2nbGx3Kfz705FfcvV_YkTSvw9ytA-uGbm7JqmmSrJ-lr5PlW28fTrvIWWgglZVbnEQ/s400/DSCN4796.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045932031867750242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8-bkhcqdEKAa_M-QxsoMfybnkVuVIfT70lrr30EGunVN5KX0vJS5tXkL5Bvc0_z06eOgFakN-x6SlnZ9D7M10sWq_eckfyFsyrINbWgar45wEyzlbxEVqqJYnlPXN-UwhueYwA/s400/ilha.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3303j4BlVumtrsySip15yD7mb8iUzG82fr8In8TmMcf33q-8_Pzc6hfvI5Um9hhLsAv2K2nbGx3Kfz705FfcvV_YkTSvw9ytA-uGbm7JqmmSrJ-lr5PlW28fTrvIWWgglZVbnEQ/s1600-h/DSCN4796.JPG"></a></p>Mishka and Sergey were the ultimate comic duo during our stay. These two clowns couldn´t stop posing as they both love the spotlight.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046042713174968514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWggVgKcMQwVytkYRBRL2cDfQQgEkYiTULLc2CE0aryAYaRBVc4KLlAtFbf6muqBriBn0p9ERT3hytt4_lbt6ifoqGAK98BD2K8mJZPudlSSgbdoAd-dRLdjaKuocODwLy4eESPA/s400/ilhe+grange.bmp" border="0" /> <p></p><p></p><p>Even mouia found a moment to pose in the new "all hangs out" bikini.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045932031867750258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7R5twII9f5pZyGgIWFE8YbqSH1-a4Z2ISQLWLr2qtqGHa_lUvWKXw2B4PDwHeGVIkaRiy-JUKQayJmYmy17ueufzanINE1pbJljhPMLtH7zrj5DOCPISHV67zt_djbbRqTOQCtg/s400/zh.jpg" border="0" /></p><br />The dirt and rock tracks that twist and wind around the island provide a great way to see the different coast formations, jungles and beaches. We wasted no time (actually 6 days post arrival) to hike to Dos Rios, a 2 hour trail to the southeast of the island. At 11 a.m. there was much energy and enthusiasm. Beautiful plant life covered the whole trail. One could spend days just picking up flowers left behind by mother earth. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045931336083048194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirYDz7hSrm-Y_82RrEl6y63Nrt1kDlIgUpBlhPb2sndHPwX3dpQ-8BO22ZIDkbeR39KFEsfXkEkYMxj2cZJwhHVm4UPteQxG2ZlSQ14xfU2PgufkkKOMPDxjNFC2hU2wpRKs-teA/s400/DSCN4807.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045931318903178978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaY-tL9rqYLx1-zsQCFLuZt86cHmfdzC9Mz1dT80v27w6_qJg8qlMVLDx_u8eq4_o33860Ghv9MFLt7aIeIJZf54qpXBDWIfOBFHLg41nLGfyEqyDqf-MGRpy2wzTvbTrCU3uUw/s400/C%C3%B3pia+de+DSCN4803.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p></p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8-bkhcqdEKAa_M-QxsoMfybnkVuVIfT70lrr30EGunVN5KX0vJS5tXkL5Bvc0_z06eOgFakN-x6SlnZ9D7M10sWq_eckfyFsyrINbWgar45wEyzlbxEVqqJYnlPXN-UwhueYwA/s1600-h/ilha.jpg"></a><p><br />Hot, sweaty and bothered, we arrived to Dos Rios and sank our feet into the cool sand. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045931340378015506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHZHPq_B-rdFTqNmr_ubgmHTpuiwjd4Z-N_wvmKP3OZ0VjlXSUWWXPWpa7UVyy1JXpYnIrRfDQ2xS59OyQs8KX_EQ1riCaYn8iclV8HgNuBNcInIE6h57bIpXaJnBC6wG7nCoZQ/s400/DSCN4810.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />On the way back we huffed, puffed (the color of Talia´s face says it all) and struggled to catch the last beams of light before darkness set in on the jungle. Things got a little bit crazy. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045932023277815618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMvTHcd9EcdeWCky7f5Bs10f_BiURefszMAYW6HG_5g-tKmED0qTMS6LrkE6Xeuw9ik6ZhQJl0gbfoETK1v1vx7UOStsXkp3xrMVuqSuBUrN0OiHxOYJ7LESnr9cM0058V5z5jPg/s400/DSCN4815.JPG" border="0" /></p><p></p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBM_llgtNfOZJ0rvTfEtrQGgtDFi3GKW8An_0ElyX98WTiDONv4ijWH69weuDh3MEJBloRc_V6xhAe2Z7YmoAn8gpT_kZDdG3o0iwhcuBan6rS54ci0eDUq_d7qFGO6CGNVsj8A/s1600-h/DSCN4816.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045932027572782930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBM_llgtNfOZJ0rvTfEtrQGgtDFi3GKW8An_0ElyX98WTiDONv4ijWH69weuDh3MEJBloRc_V6xhAe2Z7YmoAn8gpT_kZDdG3o0iwhcuBan6rS54ci0eDUq_d7qFGO6CGNVsj8A/s400/DSCN4816.JPG" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYQn92qaT8OczIHxID6EX_9e7GncniGrOSgQnlzrR1A7jyxrMMI072OIbG3xgiQbSyWYB2TjIHAbZe21dGuS5M_hk9IkwjUXGwbofPk4PpWhParP6rxQ3zwhxUeAuERn1JDI5dw/s1600-h/DSCN4814.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045931348967950114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYQn92qaT8OczIHxID6EX_9e7GncniGrOSgQnlzrR1A7jyxrMMI072OIbG3xgiQbSyWYB2TjIHAbZe21dGuS5M_hk9IkwjUXGwbofPk4PpWhParP6rxQ3zwhxUeAuERn1JDI5dw/s400/DSCN4814.JPG" border="0" /></a></p><br />This picture was taken when Sergey was leaving and we all stayed on the dock until his ferry disappeared from the horizon. Much credit is due to you, Seryoshka, for slipping a joke at awkward moments and being a true gentleman. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rskZPkkZ5xiHXX9vkXazfHYcsSNKT4UWywzs6n8XWwfOaK-xRqtUKcxdyI8Gl_9wlbJlVDoaFNs5ZuRxJ-CJ_RkJQYzB5NDj4TEVicesylDP7Xo3R9IxAlc4oQ0MW-SSv_sGbA/s1600-h/byee.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045935609575507922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rskZPkkZ5xiHXX9vkXazfHYcsSNKT4UWywzs6n8XWwfOaK-xRqtUKcxdyI8Gl_9wlbJlVDoaFNs5ZuRxJ-CJ_RkJQYzB5NDj4TEVicesylDP7Xo3R9IxAlc4oQ0MW-SSv_sGbA/s400/byee.jpg" border="0" /></a> <p>Ilhe Grande is a harmony of percussion, guitar and sweat left over by the heat of the day. A tiny church sits midst a white-washed plaza square, a meeting point for many and the musical center of the busy island town. The breeze is cool at night and on the weekends sun-kissed locals and tourists come out in their tropical costumes and walk over bridges and awkward cobblestone streets that trail away like sea snakes underwater. When the late night drums and hip swaying ends and my feet are tired, the sand and water lovingly invite and we wait for the kiss of the morning sun on our faces and tired flesh. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-89059564047030036242007-03-25T11:15:00.000-07:002007-03-26T08:34:02.957-07:00Rio de Janeiro<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPw20Rq56s0dhPW3VPZRvBguxWoZanVanC3UdVYz0cexnYxzbuXzo6RO1vSZWgdzLy4sQOetRBA2CWcFN0bdKBTa4R8RWAMY8e1r0QWoLJRK8J0Cgo1ZB9dMTHWcE6kjQLZvmKg/s1600-h/rio+at+night2.bmp"></a><strong>1st March - 7th March</strong><br /><br /><strong>Arriving into Rio from the cold fronts of the Bay Area felt like a sweaty, sticky affair</strong> filled with titilating views of Brazilian men and women in all their uninhibited glory. The general attitude here is...the less you wear the more comfortable you are. This wild city breathes rhythm and sex. Here, you are truly welcome.<br /><br />Seeing Sasha after 11 months made the 30 hour flight that much worth it. The first few hours felt unreal. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046062826506815762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglti_8p4vWo_T3KEkFkHgc7qDcH0w5UXFJ8-w09Jxw8wL8-mpfbheisWOWNrFUy4NFE7iDdR4fmBs78oIDIUGF-dAGhuhjAbhs1yVLy0iV6MGL66e8kfF-rYqzPg38Vtf-hD9DSw/s400/rio+sasha+and+me.bmp" border="0" /><br /><br />Another moment to highlight: the smiles and laughter that Mishka effortlessly brought out in all of us. What a charmer! <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046036631501277362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKteshN2hd2X5Tn1TC7IcH7mQYBtAeJocunWhS0uEj8uLOPQlOmuotv0JibWRLtmTyQ-Kekcr-TqryRHUvP524AfvQEDgB8EptrgdGOe6pqX6_D4HwGb6KaXEFw4Wm9lJ4-mANw/s400/rio.bmp" border="0" /><br /><br />While waiting for Sergey, our younger cousin to arrive for a brief visit, we stayed in Ipanema, known for its beautiful beaches and the famous bossa nova song "The Girl from Ipanema". <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046256761460099410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidI6PJ3CnFDlzI6BCJbnw2Aj6AkH-q6wMJ2Nw0Zy4fKsxt0xSJt0wC6KH8v0kFKUUUtQpZSwOWsnvlyFCfrQQ4CQ8zulNLfq6UFfCb98VD7DUYuyDTHe0ATCb261ftDbVUQTJ3A/s400/ipanema.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>Brazil~s most famous icon, Mr. JC himself. Bless him.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKN6rpi04Ww-MbgpZvXnOniwh48gc1oWv31YIKmDz5Lb7jJXMlAqZK4GXgwa3HxHR_aDGIAdppFb2zweoRMyo4jInlepJ_dw8dBsEwDq6Z-4sLQvWLozlZW6JwliZgI0yCPDaSwQ/s1600-h/jc.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045928737627834034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKN6rpi04Ww-MbgpZvXnOniwh48gc1oWv31YIKmDz5Lb7jJXMlAqZK4GXgwa3HxHR_aDGIAdppFb2zweoRMyo4jInlepJ_dw8dBsEwDq6Z-4sLQvWLozlZW6JwliZgI0yCPDaSwQ/s400/jc.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><br /><p>A bird´s eye view of Rio from JC´s perspective.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045929888679069394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRC0vX4KVArO5XRkASU_99KneFjpyRsIj1zp1CIRkUdhs8fprxV12cmsWgtZyzbwZyDTHb53aAa731x-msvhFY_WlWg5qYejaUON_TVGsoh2wG1BksNrwhD35ch003rBxIhys10A/s400/rrrr.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><br />Mountenous Rio at night. The beaches to the left of the photo are Copacabana and Ipanema.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5046062822211848450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibiUipO9wUPRxj-DL4OhP_-CCuHud3-K2feXZAn28X41IQKkI1_JfJ5woTxP1jv9Qt0Xkmpy4UTzp6ORBNpk-mK2MXcqBLNz_4t5BK7hUt0Aflc63GWgvEum78q3o_T0WKCheJOw/s400/rio+at+night.bmp" border="0" /><br /><br /><br />As soon as Sergey arrived and the Nagorny´s finally reunited, all was set into motion. Let the party begin...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBlO6F4Y0aZ5iw-N_bVqFHHDvhRB2LOen4e4Jc59HoTCU6iEe7FmQSaRm9eAIHHCvJpFqdqoEnzrAHajupfwDDADTVpEZL7vKYGqXdu2UTdnxCHIwa3OAkNDZtyZB9cxIhudrBA/s1600-h/nag3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045929553671620290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBlO6F4Y0aZ5iw-N_bVqFHHDvhRB2LOen4e4Jc59HoTCU6iEe7FmQSaRm9eAIHHCvJpFqdqoEnzrAHajupfwDDADTVpEZL7vKYGqXdu2UTdnxCHIwa3OAkNDZtyZB9cxIhudrBA/s400/nag3.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-41965661713571733192007-02-26T00:06:00.000-08:002007-02-27T03:36:24.538-08:00The Odysseus Team hit the U.K and San Francisco<strong>15th February - 1st March<br /><br />Bangkok was the very last stop for the Odysseus Travel Team</strong> before they split up. Tom went to the U.K. to see his family and is looking as adorable as ever...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035752172199052306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSx18BKa0jOuoiGprEjUsbeE2Qg_dbps7fJYQjMr88jkXHohj9QznXMgQ4tpHbYJrcMiaFHbzE_i96HK8WaZv0QoeA24OfAbAwxZJL0XgLZTxTUoWL6xAhnHKXtSMLXLakDIOR9A/s320/P1010001%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSx18BKa0jOuoiGprEjUsbeE2Qg_dbps7fJYQjMr88jkXHohj9QznXMgQ4tpHbYJrcMiaFHbzE_i96HK8WaZv0QoeA24OfAbAwxZJL0XgLZTxTUoWL6xAhnHKXtSMLXLakDIOR9A/s1600-h/P1010001%5B1%5D.JPG"> <p></a></p>...and has even managed to pursuade his mom to buy him a pair of posh Victorian shoes. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035752021875196930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aDUvUrAwZlMLKJsh-3xUZDUq4R4u-SXJ5gGC4ulPf7FEe5d9EI52F4jF-mr6x-tgEUsgAkO3mGXZRvwGn3vnzEhW_bwPkTFLkQBNaUZZsUHoFLzL9NKNM3hTjt7UJp6qsdPJyQ/s320/newboots%5B1%5D.JPG" border="0" /> <p>On the other side of the Atlantic, Zhenia arrived for a 2 week stop-over in San Francisco to visit a few close friends and family before heading to Brazil to see Sasha for a month. The city truly provides the best transition from a long trip abroad back to America but the February chill took a bit longer to get adjusted to. The red hat is signature and compliments of Dan's mom.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035751596673434434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmomhb4ODsLtJ_OEPc_DIubThI4pHEz9K0qDkekEI5rLS9dUfqF_Cj-OGDyqHk6keTcvqWRaAcoeddd7dJxcb-udNfLq4afxh1HdSwaZVChF-M18PJ5En8r6hIxf_3LSaovrZhHA/s320/DSCN4733.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>Dan and I attended a fundraiser which provided pure karaoke entertainment plus cheap booze. Here, Dan and Mark sing Natalie Imbrulia's Torn with much charisma and spunk. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035751854371472242" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz7oxYAdF-JNrzJh-sCLiHgmIpLFMTlxoQdljLWVRPIP4nmSLhW9fR-XZIH83UCJQUIz4gUJdCebIwvo51WzTEjvfYr6kFnfF7aH-zL5zGeAIT_grYT6mWVDU9dvqB0pQuUoXNWw/s320/DSCN4751.JPG" border="0" /><br />The true posers of the night: Dan and Sam, a dear friend and one of the organizers of the event. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035751600968401762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvog8zjiTgjOc8LrvcSeJjm1qwg05uyIBpMGNPSmEiOXyEEC0gxx6m6K2A958w8Wd-FMX1I32MOCfhdqBE7HZ18MZJAAUYz7KyB5bmTra5bCn3e5LCvqeNvTvKIr9SZCDz6UjRQ/s320/DSCN4739.JPG" border="0" /><br />On a pleasantly clear afternoon, we decided to walk through much of the city. One of the first stops: the de Young museum had a fantastic (and free) scultpure garden. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035751858666439554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaPdv1ohpjTaxK-jp5wybN1kFK8mCjZw92f_HrXmex6VGp3vlBQNndUCVCWE_6TjAUmDfYypC4q8zENN_n2RJJviEh9aH2JcT90R1CqZGndszxLdsusw8DrZZNVVUCFS34hzFog/s320/DSCN4760.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035752013285262274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4usk6G4SRDxS2s3_RcRaDQBMNdKTZidbVAvvcSo1xW8s5oq9A5aCbD-Tj4qHQODkped_U3_J3HbCFSXDIAwN5RtVrEQ_WJHdJwby1ET_GvOU5fwe-XB0R3yJZcVEV7gDv5MRRw/s320/DSCN4762.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036175655974437954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMcMXToXtYYWKWiy1bqEQpT_sHVm0iCYvd3Tfm_SusMInNTalAJzIbG88cQxoSfQKyqeKxHg-BQZ_T8tIpt3P-VuqDxEwfZ3Ol779ySpaPrhuWlypSpvJ_W_cZ5xV6ldoa4OqmA/s320/DSCN4761.JPG" border="0" /><br /></p><p>I also got a chance to see my uncle and aunt who had recently moved from Toledo (Ohio) to San Jose, another great reason to visit the West Coast more often. We started the day with a cosy lunch in Dan's apartment which overlooks Baker Beach. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035752021875196914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3Xo2EriaVoJ1szDIN3XDOVs4pqe7tNxIuy8V0vkJxhkvxwNMCQcBuUB7n3k03WCbiko5MJv_U74QtkXhaIVCOpdevdl-Punhq_5smosPw3w3kzaqAOVJmAjQOy7duU5nhD2HDQ/s320/DSCN4780.JPG" border="0" />...and then headed out to enjoy a bit of sightseeing. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035751450644546338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVmsvlXYzxrSWXkNrel5jHyiT4ZsWUg71ONMsibWflpmDhyOsAqvgJJhz-089n0vFa4ujgf-Rn6NVMXtQW4Gvq_LYLgLO-U-7iP7d_6M70IWA698jqXLqUB_7Zt-E8FNPJhuDjw/s320/DSCN4728.JPG" border="0" /><br />With a short break from San Francisco on a Greyhound to Los Angeles, I paid a sweet visit to my old high school buddies, Rona and Dennis. With Rona's sass and Dennis' culinary genius, little entertainment was needed and we passed the time laughing and drinking delicious wine (hey i'm in wine country). <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036170798366426146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeErzQLEx6hFGTqUC_JxsSPQ3uOU_AqnBoBtMcmtIGsNPxclltR3sLxDdb2srlyaBhFNBa73-wpU-RYZvaUDhTdtcyW5ZgY3uvuqAHV3Ymol09xlAJJ2qrPbNOJrPyiccORD1Xdw/s320/DSCN4782.JPG" border="0" /> A toast to the best chicken parm this side of the Mason-Dixie; a toast to old and new reunions.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036170802661393458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLlcyL9i4UA3oWWDiLuKIE11DBvfPZJCwjXUaH-AIfs0kR4U4jIKE21H_Op-8o6PURXMI4N_4QJwnMqpjWtidlHT9aVwebpsOha6A4lHyc3wOzNPsSw_fJyrj9LfeuxUosQPEHw/s320/DSCN4787.JPG" border="0" />These two weeks included many wonderful meetings and conversations. Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy the silliness. Here are other pictures of interest...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035751454939513650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis67Iom_7W7vndx_-6V1u2ev4oPSDtmhsy0gm9p6HHo2QXzq4CNKTrlSU4GUSnLyjpf372wT4IU8SsyWoFyttR7OgggA2RJV7jGARUVyLTi19Jqpyg-TZ8MAbr9DrOJEyik2pOcg/s320/DSCN4731.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035751600968401746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1yxsecDgn8ouzUKg1cMCO6DtVYWGDnKOXEGaFu_LWq2-_1i6GQ03Uv5RoNmGAMkXB0Mt7osMvDjODOEYHXD9PC5eloOzs-M3OiwTW3lnkBpsIXoivnrUHkz5wiJfc6Opnsa88w/s320/DSCN4734.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035752017580229602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkxWoau5uii-Y0tBPKg-tC2zrehPEcpUsa3wxLA2OPb-F11WPIFsKalyerLRAWOSsjcK0RfFnU0KpvEz-jhzxZZihpa8RcI5YvwdcsFyrR9M9mhdOZ_x7HV29Z-Ngyzm8Em55VA/s320/DSCN4774.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035751862961406898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmszTa_g3Rcz9TciYmVPfSaNTHAaKsuwXU-2AKMm2u7EL7XqhVVyMSMchV0xYXdN8RnEsgv7X72VHQQjXdZ_BttlNA5wdlG42SqZe_FKthegv7YDfxbgIdbKGMal_WSdDybthO1w/s320/DSCN4770.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5035751450644546322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt8K3xU8h90fp-kbRx0NHkMLioVib3HXnaJdl72HiqA08-5Yw8Xr_Cu86vMwG-uNChlYlCveGSKJod0niyLJObhy6NXK03mtoTLhYYx8MB7hm_RrtXdej5bRvVrshJ_cCfPIfKrQ/s320/DSCN4714.JPG" border="0" /> </p><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-36393204028454515302007-02-08T22:08:00.000-08:002007-02-11T23:06:08.727-08:00Malacca returns<strong>30th January - February 10th<br /><br />Malacca is like an awaiting breeze on a hot, spicy day</strong>-another reason why we found ourselves back in her presence and charm.<br /><br />There is an old Chinese man that sits in his house at nights and watches his TV screen while on the other side there are football goals and the crowd is roaring. He sees me peeking into his window and smiles and yells out for me, "Newcastle 2, WestHam 0". An elderly Malay woman sits every morning across Sama-Sama guesthouse where we stay and waves us a hello. Her eyes glow with youth.<br /><br />Our morning ritual begins at a local Chinese coffee shop where the customers don't say much but their orders haven't changed for at least 20 years. We were sure that the (frighteningly) serious woman, who serves us "Kopi-O and Kopi Ice" in these last few weeks, isn't a human but a zombie. She never smiles but in the last 3 days something strange has been happening. We caught her laughing out loud to another customer and couldn't help but laugh along.<br /><br />The weekly night market fills Jonker Walk with lights and cooking smells and chatting noise while the antique boutiques fill with eager shoppers on spending holidays. Doggo, Sama-Sama's adopted street dog, follows us, wagging her happy moods. We know where we're going: toward a Nyonyan couple who know our order well: "fresh popiahs with chilli and no meat, yes?" We like watching the wife while she generously adds cucumber, corriander and the sauteed cabbage that glistens in its boiling pot to the thin crepe and then rolls it all into a bomb-shell of a meal.<br /><br />We walk back to Sama-Sama, to the familiar faces of the slow travellers that stay in Malacca for weeks. Like us. We share stories and teach each other card games and dice games that will be taught in other parts of the world. Gabby and Soon, the guesthouse owners, sit and chat and smoke and laugh along while the night moves and the market passes to another weekend.<br /><br />Nothing much changes when nothing much happens and the days blend into each other. Malacca is a lovely place to stumble upon and wait for a dentist appointment.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-48137091127711813842007-01-25T01:59:00.000-08:002007-02-10T02:24:15.909-08:00Ubud<strong>22nd January - 28th January </strong><br /><br /><strong>After our gruelling rescue diving training we headed back to Bali</strong> and decided to head for the hills, chill out amongst the rice paddies with the aim of doing nothing but eating well and reading a good book.<br /><br />Ubud itself seems to be very spiritually inclined, even by Balinese standards. A Hindu temple on almost every corner and most of the old houses were indistinguishable from the temples. Here's a more ostentatious example... <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029426543637032098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8vWlH1uDE44ZiE4wVqyU5nGoSiQq8QWMGOEWSqjS8tSpTyGD3FLXdDO3DMZ7sqKd78PGfIE8wtH04WqA36AOoX2kPsxZr2oAeGwjqVnVgCqjtslGqqXLIV8YWro0QCGuamUhyphenhyphenw/s320/DSCN4663.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029426539342064786" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSg61z3TFXBLyQpYcnI6dBJ2JqIxZeWtKIEsJB2UrlRRBx9CE3eSFflAZlEDLXuZg59jEo0x7eervsM9kS5tn56uSZ9xvwMudrO9f5r4nroNpVQ69KZzyzBKHQkzde5AlFLWvo9Q/s320/DSCN4662.JPG" border="0" /><br />...and one of the more basic doorways...(for those of you who don't know, the swastika is an ancient Hindu symbol) <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029427200767028466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PdkXGu98IdRclxGWT3_VlJVsWdev-0ZQLypjqhlMetEPSJdCGuxVwAuYxwXNEa4hXvwo7RXbwBVkiD6cd6IVoZcPAugjvCQJb9FyZqY6G31O7TXPCaR-E_HDJw5Izhs087JkyA/s320/DSCN4681.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />The pavements are strewn with offerings that the Balinese put out every morning. Sometimes just rice but often flowers in banana leaf baskets with incense. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029427527184542994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlZ9X1HeQv2OH2tAXTVpu8evN3QO2ajDgue-LLfzSAGgmXMJZrTqW__MAviPE9bbizqMIbhusie091mj-_GWKpCOwCTnesB_J8feL_ZLh_6srZkWs-daPiW9g3qV9zZ8wyhlrog/s320/DSCN4688.JPG" border="0" /><br />This lady goes through the offerings ritual for the entire street... <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029427196472061154" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3AwR4x0wd4Jd69-JHvBH_1x8WgEZusHIVx3RWfF_-LtuF58BgegoFEFusUFK0B3sOxh7b9a-oe0EEVS1Yh8e3dKhJgIWJeTL-KDIU8L6BWQ0GEHHeAhs67FyinWwaU8YLw6hkQ/s320/DSCN4679.JPG" border="0" /><br />We did take a few trips around however, the first to the local monkey forest. More like a jungle with some frightening sculpture... <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029427196472061138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFs-_vs48CZYTK58dSnWaLoAceetDPwtd5ysc7wmQHU48vFVYDcHgNxVknrsbeNSlOW3pYUvmB9E-eHxiAQMoS8rlCyMPsogytw-mNC6eEPQUFpiS9brkx2D_V5tPApBeuuBvUTQ/s320/DSCN4677.JPG" border="0" /><br />No photos of monkeys this time, they steal everything and if you fight them for it, they'll bite you. Here's a more tame variety...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029427196472061122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHm4TnmxslIdIBX6KITmC1bC3gb_9nKd1oGtor6mi_44Na5ugR2F1MrOwoL7hJ4ILhad1jgnmjNLD4p34vX4gS3gsEQtW23KpcjmORo86njCGeVvXuVhCIkvgmx6zRA2U5-YVuw/s320/DSCN4675.JPG" border="0" /><br /><p>Another of our jaunts was a walk around the local countryside (read rice paddies)....<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029426535047097458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIeKdPyTBBEmanoEqPV1RbHvhC9akvbRdHvK3rUgnuECMI_E1Ys8P6P_4pGXIT2oDX8kOsn9_gifgSnyfxInZLzleAGDy9Csck4F7IzOpmJ1a6VSfZ1kVkNVYcfpRQGCQyXxdEyA/s320/DSCN4650.JPG" border="0" /></p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029426543637032114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1e65a1ZZ73E7hF0GakOKr3yFKTMJXvBgp7vO6dYFEYhhQ4AcbXvOPOZ4tycCsScO3C6_ldTR0b4_5jHpcB3pMkOqq3sDOMm3fInRJprUSh4dAfYLzTqa4OdIbqSo37_kEAC9H8Q/s320/DSCN4666.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>We witnessed some back breaking work done by the farmers. This crafty lady however was making a killing selling coconut milk to passersby...<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029426539342064770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgytKRWcf1EJnD1EfUq4OBP8R1lMsBzwRsf7aR4M6qA2kKZCQxik1SW9x7cktUuvKqsapuFDe-hjR1q-lfRgEJePrOpc0DLTiit2G_yrSSIuzcUf-V4sRp7a3YsGGYRlDgFtgT2g/s320/DSCN4656.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>......and proceeded to rip us off with the old "no change" routine, what was to become a typical Indonesian encounter.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcX-880mki-umNsGwtsr5H6nzNC_FvZ7qlDGGRROMRvNEQtp0nW_bdu7uBn98rHuXTnf3hytRDuFPyVX8lE4upttpCBfYgeYHscr5mbv4-HehwYsDcEN8ChdQXI7NZVZ4yruJyBQ/s1600-h/DSCN4658.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029428476372315426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcX-880mki-umNsGwtsr5H6nzNC_FvZ7qlDGGRROMRvNEQtp0nW_bdu7uBn98rHuXTnf3hytRDuFPyVX8lE4upttpCBfYgeYHscr5mbv4-HehwYsDcEN8ChdQXI7NZVZ4yruJyBQ/s320/DSCN4658.JPG" border="0" /></a>Bali is beautiful but towards the end of our travels we are tiring of the bullshit, hassling and scam artists plaguing tourists. Where else can we go but back to Malaysia for some lazy and familiar comforts as Bali waves us a goodbye...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSdgF5Rv7eitjJfTfQc3To0Niwu_vbg5rWsZt_C8q4zMVTepULP7vvebOwoPcZvfV9c7Tk4nU1HSy3ZAK5PyBlCVRQR0qAB3MZtgF6Cp3IXQ0TQl0LqxGmXR7z9yIXmAKz24xYA/s1600-h/DSCN4686.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029427200767028482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSdgF5Rv7eitjJfTfQc3To0Niwu_vbg5rWsZt_C8q4zMVTepULP7vvebOwoPcZvfV9c7Tk4nU1HSy3ZAK5PyBlCVRQR0qAB3MZtgF6Cp3IXQ0TQl0LqxGmXR7z9yIXmAKz24xYA/s320/DSCN4686.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-50566383787273684982007-01-25T01:52:00.000-08:002007-01-25T01:58:52.964-08:00Gili Trawangan<span style="font-weight: bold;">13th January - 22nd January</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">For us, </span><st1:country-region style="font-weight: bold;"><st1:place>Indonesia</st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-weight: bold;"> began on a remote island off the coast of </span><st1:place style="font-weight: bold;">Lombok</st1:place><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span><span style=""> </span>In the early dawn fisherman walk out into the sea and spread their nets while their wives wait patiently underneath the shade of a palm tree. While they sit, they supportively nudge their sisters with advice and remedy while their children play in the nearby sand. Behind the main street, sits a quiet village where not much happens but everything happens. There are two mosques that seem to be competing for the loudest and longest sermon while we sit quietly and listen to the call to prayer. Horse carts and bicycles are the main mode of transportation for both tourists and locals down the 2 km main drag. There are no roads, just dust and gravel. <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">An elderly lady sits crouched on the asphalt with baskets and bowls at her feet, feeding our hungry bellies with fresh gado-gado and <st1:city><st1:place>tempe</st1:place></st1:city> curry. She takes out a triangle-rolled palm leaf and opens it up to reveal rice that’s been cooked the old-fashion way, for hours and on low heat. The flavors of her dishes are a different mixture of peanuts, spices and coconut milk that we have not had before. We visit her everyday. “Good morning” and “Thank you very much” in Indonesia Bahasa always gets a smile from her and others not expecting.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">The sunsets are sealed with color and the mist on the mountainside facing us makes us awake and silent.</p><br /><span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-37799002651643093212007-01-08T18:22:00.000-08:002007-01-08T19:15:23.258-08:00Kuala Lumpur<strong>6th January - 9th January</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Kuala Lumpur is a tall city, filled with skyscrapers</strong> that seem to have taken root midst historic districts and local markets. At first sight, or at least from our guesthouse window, KL feels like a familiar city, smelling of sewer and infested with all kinds of underground creature and crawlers. After we've had enough of the morning traffic noise, we boarded the monorail and headed to the Lake Garden district.<br /><br />But first, we passed the old train station, an old gothic building with Islamic features and curves.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017851673961953058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR9GZudhvIvGmsnMev5xTr4hQ5KYWO-ib_fI7y6krnrr6FIoCWXGf3174QhYlpmIeUU6g-F5sTHOAwPCBYKsqxK8kLTm1ZLmBS4RDKdRzDRtKE3LXvS44pzHGzwvJ0cLJzrKlPJg/s320/DSCN4622.JPG" border="0" /><br />The National Mosque can house 15,000 worshippers and stands magnificent and serene.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017851669666985746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe8dh6E7z6RDISirL2nsn2o7-YlBWGCPqW4onLAxT20-khgeafdsoFnM79WuOnK1bLk4wR4t72zoKtDHi9CCW32ZVRifiRj3_oe2iBc7_0-lk7MPrbD7gHf0Se_dLEJK306lr0DQ/s320/DSCN4621.JPG" border="0" /><br />A fountain near the mosque.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017851854350579506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7X37kVvqM5mgXcJHwhjd591SoPAjE8tBXszSg0qM3OKbHe2agn2HmlB8Cbtn8zHabAKF0L76ePBiNA2TlITwDbAhX8mgVMpjmMBntam4gbWpctOZVfNMATHyeAnhKRtyawuwDPA/s320/DSCN4625.JPG" border="0" /><br />No monkeying around for Tommy-on the way to the gardens!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017851858645546818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5-qshle-1rNDoVbHkRcjCMTHDRNJZOu9Q141AwLCV6JFvAGy2jGCCw0nisn0lbb_YWeFxCAj3ED_GQfj36jM8vRNbYbiB_HSWW8bGQ-7cueMU_oWDe7Q2-lu6n5ApVQSMOHTw3Q/s320/DSCN4629.JPG" border="0" />After many hills and stopovers, we reached the Lake Garden. The Hibiscus and Orchid Garden was a haven for the specially delicate flowers.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017851858645546834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3edRG1AqxVmE7FuwXUq6uCq3BATQHGlHTD0SNMw93D-MeDUYAW5i2-XXmEP2EUwlMGZVkd0w30-MS23A7WIwnVrTjRAZUB7uwar4D-YLW-8sy_Oxb0De9sQX7Ipx0z0iLDAhNPQ/s320/DSCN4635.JPG" border="0" /><br />Finally, the Butterfly Garden was the real highlight. Thousands of butterflies scattered a jungle-covered area filled with fish and turtle ponds, tropical flowers and trees while children ran around in a flurry. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017852030444238690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_ifT2CQ1R7jBhtMw4iSelaq21HoHgXIO0ornk4781lf0Qm9GZcKyQullKFuckOrJsJcNRVoyCgq9dMM3l6RleZoZYA5WRsUDOIuj5dKsriNhZ-DA-LSjluD_LHlxVMyU0qWiJQ/s320/DSCN4637.JPG" border="0" /><br />This indian-leaf butterfly resembled a dead leaf so well that it took us a minute to spot it. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5017852030444238706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgoWLacYUqhz0Ox63YwmHDH1HzwE6d0pjSqFcDwx6U3d0QTdHwB9USpgh4XRn4AoVKaSSpHaJSb7W2XhuZ_CNhf5yaUJzcB-T9XrYt5rx62KVAwsLwIgZJToDCk3k3G32Yju0E0g/s320/DSCN4643.JPG" border="0" /><br />Onward to Indonesia! First stop: Bali and then Lombok. See you soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-65573838678746419302006-12-25T04:02:00.001-08:002007-01-05T22:26:17.744-08:00Malacca<strong>23rd December - 4th January<br /></strong><br /><strong>Recommended by a fellow traveller</strong> as a quiet and historic town in Malaysia, we boarded a long-day bus to Malacca and arrived on a Friday evening. Also much recommended (and we thank Dan from the bottom of our hearts) was the Sama-Sama guesthouse where owners Soon and Gabby were the most gracious of hosts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3jSFgeM0D4ug3bi9o6pntbkcMJCzWM3CMxQTpHM0OujWKhWEJCiVc0ZZ2LwE4p0fAV0T8EU77HJD3Y94sChTazIxb0vCXDIqlZdFfUdUUr2ZGxaL6_-2VfXRya43NVEDIxgQfg/s1600-h/DSCN4592.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3jSFgeM0D4ug3bi9o6pntbkcMJCzWM3CMxQTpHM0OujWKhWEJCiVc0ZZ2LwE4p0fAV0T8EU77HJD3Y94sChTazIxb0vCXDIqlZdFfUdUUr2ZGxaL6_-2VfXRya43NVEDIxgQfg/s320/DSCN4592.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016791985270945506" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tD8JiXmNikd7k0UHNSGQXjyioPHMU0SSaCh48v3soSsbHKQvm_1Z_Vbf_6VY6wjC8zfO95RLA6EhQIgN3bbNQU8ug7R2muosomEtbttsu_6wGd8DiEcyxLVC90AwDkSM5NcHAw/s1600-h/DSCN4587.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016036199458588466" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8tD8JiXmNikd7k0UHNSGQXjyioPHMU0SSaCh48v3soSsbHKQvm_1Z_Vbf_6VY6wjC8zfO95RLA6EhQIgN3bbNQU8ug7R2muosomEtbttsu_6wGd8DiEcyxLVC90AwDkSM5NcHAw/s320/DSCN4587.JPG" border="0" /></a>The 6-day floods had finally moved on and the weekend markets opened their doors and stalls to the Christmas shopping masses that shuffled at a painfully long pace down Jonker Walk, known as <em>the</em> antique street in Malacca's Chinatown.<br /><br />Here is a view of Jonker Walk from the historic Cheng Ho Museum, which outlines Chinese explorations of Africa, Latin America, California and South East Asia years before Columbus was even born.<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9aT7fGb1zKetkKbjY45rGkEjqILoqW_m3cEZy61nu3TnGH5igVobk7a1r_5FJ7ii5-KCRqfwAHLNcGHtPjeUPm0env1Tmo8imQc3kwcUYLIfdfsUmustp-8nwe4Q67O-2rIMNQ/s1600-h/DSCN4513.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013467876058752050" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO9aT7fGb1zKetkKbjY45rGkEjqILoqW_m3cEZy61nu3TnGH5igVobk7a1r_5FJ7ii5-KCRqfwAHLNcGHtPjeUPm0env1Tmo8imQc3kwcUYLIfdfsUmustp-8nwe4Q67O-2rIMNQ/s320/DSCN4513.JPG" border="0" /></a></p>The next day Tom spotted a Morris Minor parked on Jonker Walk. What a sighting!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013467498101629906" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha0JYwRT4bCirwlI-MDtpT-ByA8md4a-6y9W6RAR8NZs9cxTDsZD2x_r_atd1i1iBRhpbPV_TIfJCfPbvuEkf2p5BOVvdKzm_aqbav0IDdcLxBZuPFUYF7v3y1-TzKvc5NZH1oOg/s320/DSCN4414.JPG" border="0" />Malacca's personality begins with the holiday inspired rickshaws and their kooky drivers. Many are decorated with fancy plastic flowers, religious icons and are mostly connected to a boom-box with speakers and CD players so the customers can enjoy quality booming 80's techno music. It's all too kitsch.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013467502396597234" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoPymFbHOiSzftEKIA-xbQqHmfoEMrjZPQPUd9s4enwwk_jemb1YbzraeXXazdux44rPzwDJHtJ0leKeEe267uQEtFZrUrRdqxm0sLH4Sd5hvsCaAsLzPS3Cp133Y7LKge89tDA/s320/DSCN4422.JPG" border="0" />A famous Portugees Settlement, dating back to the 1500's, hosts a massive Christmas celebration with a mass, carols and loads of Portugese food stalls. In the evening, we took a town bus and got off where the crowds began to appear. Tom was a bit bored during the mass but the carols were wonderful, sung by a school chorus. As soon as the ceremony ended, out came the canned snow (soap suds in a spray can) and silly string and before we knew it (as the foreign novelty) we were attacked by the giggling youth wherever we went.<p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013467708555027458" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrbohipW3LhgFugDO45o_a3G5O-ByHlGwbuC7C5kAq61Mai2VQV3_dQDvCIsP2lEuSK7kCyQZQ-kc1Ga0A-Cw_namoX-y01IVoj7PJaxM0h-CbXwGT321KidKLZvf_espf-oTHw/s320/DSCN4475.JPG" border="0" /> </p>Tom got especially teased by groups of young girls and didn't really stand a chance to defend himself. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrGMN__iAI56NUGk-TzGhudUlkCQdyL_4NzxYKyhOk2r8np6NS5ko8MgSbxbqFZY_3Ar3ZzwydEeroCCxBFx1CUqwGiDsqblFHCKBvcel37nj2exT0NHw0nZZ3DdN4uY4SV3mMw/s1600-h/DSCN4476.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013467708555027474" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrGMN__iAI56NUGk-TzGhudUlkCQdyL_4NzxYKyhOk2r8np6NS5ko8MgSbxbqFZY_3Ar3ZzwydEeroCCxBFx1CUqwGiDsqblFHCKBvcel37nj2exT0NHw0nZZ3DdN4uY4SV3mMw/s320/DSCN4476.JPG" border="0" /></a>Since we usually spend Christmas in Leeds with the Lyons', this year we decided to not try and imitate a home Christmas and instead opted for a Nyonyan (Chinese and Malay mixed cuisine) meal at a nearby restaurant.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8oC9V_B6YEhqeW-9693_9n98eSGa8VS5Vg7VZrcQ48lZ8zRafAeyF4rAVg4zGfIF7rhSaE8scltxgI2tfBHrvTc9FHJ8MTtme-StMrHabX5bEUQxHklgBh_Is7Gf2fE23rfQ0g/s1600-h/DSCN4497.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013467712849994786" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8oC9V_B6YEhqeW-9693_9n98eSGa8VS5Vg7VZrcQ48lZ8zRafAeyF4rAVg4zGfIF7rhSaE8scltxgI2tfBHrvTc9FHJ8MTtme-StMrHabX5bEUQxHklgBh_Is7Gf2fE23rfQ0g/s320/DSCN4497.JPG" border="0" /></a>Malacca has many beautiful temples, varying from Chinese Buddhist and Taoist...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrGMN__iAI56NUGk-TzGhudUlkCQdyL_4NzxYKyhOk2r8np6NS5ko8MgSbxbqFZY_3Ar3ZzwydEeroCCxBFx1CUqwGiDsqblFHCKBvcel37nj2exT0NHw0nZZ3DdN4uY4SV3mMw/s1600-h/DSCN4476.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014210033522599010" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86IMzRlU1jLDwxw21rgp7gqSy8hyphenhyphen6ETTLh7brQr39GJQ5DueaCdMPQzt6kZogXZ9TUQEFba2o4QxlIhYLkzQlUOWlhEjvMBlMKXQ4xsw0jgvoTlwlHcx8Uubo6AIDOYr1tXkM9A/s320/DSCN4542.JPG" border="0" /></a>to Indian temples, like the famous Sri Mahamariaman Hindu Temple with its fancy big-bellied deities...<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014210248270963826" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8msS2sugWffffLfvYxUJK5pqlatryBge51ZgdxRnBW5AuguX3DrckaWXNzlp6_ocNSs0hbg-f5FPWSFS4X1tkKnLWfe53tPCUXCSbDLLTrg6PSoE00l77jO18W-s6j6A0Tte-Hw/s320/DSCN4544.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014210265450833042" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivU82l_XRMfxnU85zz5Ok3t4isGVG9zBCAiGg85CWqBjRKhHLsZwYW6vramyH0XHYGd2MOa_kQo7Ky22iWGY6pr1zvD-pzzl73xpNviqW9TIzmW76BWCzcd33JK0UgbEgWY8_ssA/s320/DSCN4548.JPG" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014210265450833026" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieGkodDzDlXTQZlYWPMD3unDbJsUgeAIIrKhk29f4bnuZ7d8iuq4HuItHhePfICvmgAcJGzf5KA1R8Go8lHg4FjOE5iHiqQt1I0SLfhRclr359BIjBsKURCB-EojQ6ZiibEDeckA/s320/DSCN4546.JPG" border="0" />...and the Kampung Kling Mosque, which is one of the oldest mosques in Malaysia. Instead of a conventional dome, it has a three-tiered roof rising like a pyramid and is just one of many examples of the mixture of East-West architectural influence. <p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013467502396597218" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioy_1sa1Wcb7ep1Br16at_RKvQCFgK9d0TlKvQuC8d-_HDozkAfuIChJ5Z72FW4Uk5-Ah7cSws5UOIlp0INrpwd2aan3VZAqxvM2pAGmD70GG5mfIc2ehqTcZ_betv7bwFddo-kA/s320/DSCN4419.JPG" border="0" /></p> <p>Here Doggo, the resident guesthouse pooch joins the call to prayer with some tuneful howling..</p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7eka3KxBVqMuOW1WYptb3RSEwxVLj004oFE5RboBIeK6BTyvEhE5Nnjf8JXjZCffGs1yWkV-hBXUFkJ5fcux7rpEt_TuwpV6wdqIoLvhbJ6BdJh5GvWUp6k-_PE-ZrcMq467VxA/s1600-h/DSCN4596.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7eka3KxBVqMuOW1WYptb3RSEwxVLj004oFE5RboBIeK6BTyvEhE5Nnjf8JXjZCffGs1yWkV-hBXUFkJ5fcux7rpEt_TuwpV6wdqIoLvhbJ6BdJh5GvWUp6k-_PE-ZrcMq467VxA/s320/DSCN4596.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016791989565912818" border="0" /></a>Malacca also sits on a quiet river and occasional long-tail boats whizz through.<br /></p> <p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5014210029227631698" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjNJSNZgnWGtfMoXIuGXJh0OX893NOiAJPioBTThMsDZru-Cw9fQJp-iuT9B2eEUPwotELwR-NloJggyePcS4AVs4d3J0cNNNohAsEfNQPltF52eUs2Qmxyycr_4WKCzEjsHHCA/s320/DSCN4537.JPG" border="0" />New Years was also spent in Malacca since this wonderful little town easily kept our cultural interests, our appetites and our thirsts satisfied. Here Zhenia and Christine from Zurich get started on the Thai whisky, though Christine will fiercely deny the rumor.<br /></p> <p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016036195163621122" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9pG1Ds2iwf440M6jLj89UF36MxU4b_2OReHxEq48X8hzxmBHo8vzg5MjmBrQEzyLfF-1QoWtzwMXAWetAD1MMu-WtHeMPEGyXsDTh0yYiErsDmGW6KQpf-kZdXSUGuTzUbwd9A/s320/DSCN4568.JPG" border="0" /></p> <p> </p> <p>From left to right, Marco of Germany(via Indonesia), Sean of Portsmouth and Dan of Toronto. The party came out onto the streets as a few fireworks shot into the sky on the stroke of midnight.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeLpi39RA0ka0Nf21FhH2tqBRoc_0uPjbALL8RylkpjuKAc7Ic10WQVNiP9w1eYbgpL_I3I_4kZ3U4lN6jBQkDrP8XzIkWVtMtcQ4aT6kVEkco9w0RZIjhXsY9fVLD6Z5IBkAcw/s1600-h/DSCN4567.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016036195163621106" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfeLpi39RA0ka0Nf21FhH2tqBRoc_0uPjbALL8RylkpjuKAc7Ic10WQVNiP9w1eYbgpL_I3I_4kZ3U4lN6jBQkDrP8XzIkWVtMtcQ4aT6kVEkco9w0RZIjhXsY9fVLD6Z5IBkAcw/s320/DSCN4567.JPG" border="0" /></a> The two of us, our first pic of 2007.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6ss2ylBA2MiWs8ERdYGATudKFf_FgNmHhbBuvumxWppUDx3U00DsOXkx5xwzHSA8l-wKY3ieoweJKASEKgFQbhukYUbxqLDIkdTxtd0ZcEOUc9kapch3Kd67qZv3Wh_Pr1bOgA/s1600-h/DSCN4571.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016036195163621138" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6ss2ylBA2MiWs8ERdYGATudKFf_FgNmHhbBuvumxWppUDx3U00DsOXkx5xwzHSA8l-wKY3ieoweJKASEKgFQbhukYUbxqLDIkdTxtd0ZcEOUc9kapch3Kd67qZv3Wh_Pr1bOgA/s320/DSCN4571.JPG" border="0" /></a> Marco and Zhenia enjoy a giggle.<br /></p> <p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74R-JD_aJmIujOp64Gy1rD6a21y9CYLDE0-CxB-DIwOLH8r-YD-tWZFyGY4Ct8rnEGVkDhxGC2D-FsuvV0-EKwS8WhvQLTy53gR6X-FkPG5qFVn2rAW8kNgy_VVX9YMJCHMG3wg/s1600-h/DSCN4575.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016036199458588450" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg74R-JD_aJmIujOp64Gy1rD6a21y9CYLDE0-CxB-DIwOLH8r-YD-tWZFyGY4Ct8rnEGVkDhxGC2D-FsuvV0-EKwS8WhvQLTy53gR6X-FkPG5qFVn2rAW8kNgy_VVX9YMJCHMG3wg/s320/DSCN4575.JPG" border="0" /></a></p> <p>A picture of the New Year's gang. If you're concerned, Tom isn't smoking but merely posing for his new year's resolution: to look tough and mean.<br /></p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhad0jDR1XFpd22C_vL5WDzHC50l2PX2m_FoKoBDrcmKdaoHp_ml_2tstb5Jcf0ieBbwYIXPUGlyZ-nsizheDF5Jcn8UyZFnTh4bjL7ZPZbiYLy8D0Au-QycG8rdWefhxZp_yEw/s1600-h/DSCN4574.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhad0jDR1XFpd22C_vL5WDzHC50l2PX2m_FoKoBDrcmKdaoHp_ml_2tstb5Jcf0ieBbwYIXPUGlyZ-nsizheDF5Jcn8UyZFnTh4bjL7ZPZbiYLy8D0Au-QycG8rdWefhxZp_yEw/s320/DSCN4574.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5016791985270945490" border="0" /></a><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-70210988302743334622006-12-23T00:58:00.001-08:002007-01-08T18:46:44.215-08:00The Jungles of Cameron Highlands<strong>21st December - 22nd December<br /><br />2,000 meters above sea level in central peninsular Malaysia sit the Cameron Highlands</strong>. We decided to take a break in the high mountains for a couple of days before continuing south for Christmas.<br /><br />The first day pissed it down but the second proved to be a bit more welcoming so we heading out for a jungle walk...but first we found an enormous scorpion on the sidewalk; this bad boy was a good 7 inches long.<br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013466707827647314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheE3DdLlBt7xR9sODL_hHuwy22MZ1HGRaCVxnLXAo7ULanRWHnrycPSfxDm01Q_UuavMw5xCTQfWXsoBjjcP8trJ0JCZLQ3CfBKUj9OM40bYm0ie-4eDLAvDs5MjPXZSeh-61erw/s320/DSCN4384.JPG" border="0" /><br />Tally, Ho! Come on George! Come on Timmy, lets go rescue Anne from the wicked Skunk Ape of jungle mountain!<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013466712122614626" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UfDXi0biAls9RKFMSgslUfc4xBADibwpTxwkp81jim3P2fMSwMHbWAgPUMwhTmPg2m6_pr4ZlPNAP29vsU_UbMXhBcHlmTCvQXNnqVT-FB8S6Tux1e-YN5E-cEWXgPIIZu1h2A/s320/DSCN4386.JPG" border="0" /><br />Deeper in the jungle, the sunlight began to shine though the canopy creating a beautiful effect with the mist. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013466712122614642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4aehJ4WkGV2NpUFF7P2djjFabYa2xnOSw_5W8BjLiRi3HzbPunRf_BbW1NkbKkEVrMCtqugZw-epmFd8UmFnvDAxEKaStWk4wz3mBf_MXQL7_1gAxLYD7vS-rBsMIpB75r0T3hg/s320/DSCN4390.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>A birds nest fern hangs enormously at the top of the trees and is a common sight in the tropics. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013466944050848642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQrehk_MDjs09Kguzh5JTQyOY056SG3K9fQTX7pr6xWO2sTVwBTZeGpyFNgSq27dWxWza43NSE7RK1zVwo29RbwDD7W63Tb2YR84hjirZ9P75stlfzltkKfr7KGz0yBBNcL3SVvA/s320/DSCN4391.JPG" border="0" /><br />The mountain paths were difficult, to say the least, especially after a week of rain. We slipped in the mud several times and had to almost get on all fours to get under some of the fallen trees. At times we wondered whether it was wise wondering off without a guide and only a rudimentary map.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013466948345815954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUbhIWQ0b0UJdLsFHvL3f2kemgL1iPxmJ8lyLP1uQvwSd3gZYFqbWLcEloKtNA874rMtZRbz8GX3wt_NWg1MAuof3byhvlEX-FUxqj5Utu4Avi2cbqdKsKpqzy0xrR-d9X_iqRg/s320/DSCN4393.JPG" border="0" /><br />That was until we reached the top and found ourselves surrounded by school kids from Kuala Lumpur on camp for the Christmas holiday.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013466948345815970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitZBMCp9u5XA4NM-Zw5s1FGdMTc2oQxg5LkKmkFdRufS5M797o7V-9tvRDrLMuffOTHtnPrHHF1SrCqd4m9AbuMkaVpd-dVSF9N0mUnll3e3mKItukCXsul5l11zfUihIiQI0Img/s320/DSCN4398.JPG" border="0" /><br />After an hour we finally made it back down, here Zhenia poses next to a stream.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGZhnkVb20bZyExOK_fhpbkMGgovl_uODs6wAT6xMjeLqevWORudRLw-rtTIpU_5Ek2WPnoswtx3yzQ4HNZQdY06Ju4ZrKMSG2h4egCykahHBz80_gL3ztQOssiqK9BarCyTl9g/s1600-h/DSCN4405.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013467128734442418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGZhnkVb20bZyExOK_fhpbkMGgovl_uODs6wAT6xMjeLqevWORudRLw-rtTIpU_5Ek2WPnoswtx3yzQ4HNZQdY06Ju4ZrKMSG2h4egCykahHBz80_gL3ztQOssiqK9BarCyTl9g/s320/DSCN4405.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />While asking for directions back to town Tom got stuck discussing the merits of Arsenal and Thierry Henry with a local hiker.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWh32HnJ3FMAp5BC_y-sTePykZNNLeMI69aRb-y_-1iH_j-OQ5o4zC3WTygwIzASFlhZLS4C-OMAJdg_isWmE3kBBN79KGWi5pV77nhevVoxcw5LizNuL3cD1RYIckKYBiQWjT_A/s1600-h/DSCN4411.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013467137324377026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWh32HnJ3FMAp5BC_y-sTePykZNNLeMI69aRb-y_-1iH_j-OQ5o4zC3WTygwIzASFlhZLS4C-OMAJdg_isWmE3kBBN79KGWi5pV77nhevVoxcw5LizNuL3cD1RYIckKYBiQWjT_A/s320/DSCN4411.JPG" border="0" /></a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-60297858306574699472006-12-23T00:57:00.000-08:002006-12-28T00:33:53.461-08:00Georgetown or Pulau Penang<strong>17th December - 20th December<br /><br />Our first stop in Malaysia was the island of Penang</strong>, which literally translates from Malay as "Betel Nut Island". Given to the British by Sultan Kedah in 1771 in a deal for protection from foreign invaders, Georgetown was founded by Sir Francis Light and became a thriving trade port for the East India Company. The Chinese and Indians came as merchants and labor workers and never left. Now the island's colonial days are over and the world praises it for it's ethnic and religious diversity and it's absolutely superb cuisine. Infact, it is quite common to run into a Hindu temple, a Chinese Temple, a Mosque and a Church on the same block. Similarly, the ethnic groups have also build gastronomical bridges with cuisines of South India, China, and Malay.<br /><br />Here's Tom with a delicious mug of massala tea, enjoyed by everybody on the streets...<br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013466110827193090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDLgFpZYxEIZpWFeN-AseJcwi4S_4ShAWZsCZ7ddvHyGRqQrqGS-YaQLMdnlwabjQS4Nsw7jc2SjPUbzKHRpTDvCWv31994QMfxTNWAYUI6iIHmYrw2I1V_-HAp6MplnPJU6hrow/s320/DSCN4338.JPG" border="0" /><br />...while Zhenia digs into her vegetarian set consisting of popadom, roti canai, lentil dall, chutney, alou gobi (something similar anyway) and a big heap of rice - all for one US dollar.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013466115122160402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV60ur7ZvKjNJHSp7bZfgn5C5l_XyspBO58xRG5A-JAU31G0G7gZmyAiqKTl0tiYwd9NVAIbW0VQ2-pint01K85QXmYxcSkL-qthzTd9NYtA7pKyFYTfIF2ZeFCPh_ESYz9pSHdA/s320/DSCN4342.JPG" border="0" /><br />A close up of ABC (Air Batu Campur), a Malay desert consisting of crushed ice flavoured with various syrups, sweet corn and red beans. Zhenia, of course, demolished this in no time and refused to let me publish the evidence.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013466381410132802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJXc7cn9aO7M_CXgkzRZQjjsnve8RwYP3G7KgHHdWQn5fUkn_MBvXRBVdQ6rvYLkRINX73aGSPJ8MLeUo4hPzd1AajdqU0cug_e3heHk91Qkh9CkY8gvpexrZ_HlkAOBGa_tvI4w/s320/DSCN4366.JPG" border="0" /><br />At a fruit market Tom holds up a Jack fruit, which smells mildly better than its sewer-smelling cousin, the Durian fruit. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013466377115165474" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrueCWYcJHL257A3GfJcdKNY_NH2FnkcdW-KneI8c3WDjt1YOAygm8tau9YpVczoCtA-6UGXcSPNhCFadIuKt38pMJ4ApumJv0k-8J8_qT2sBfvA_greLjvYtAC7XdszgZ231m7A/s320/DSCN4347.JPG" border="0" /></p><p>A view of our street in Chinatown. The streets are usually quiet and look lost or asleep in some old time.<br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013465745754972866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyc9zeLhH4Z2FxCL-tN5m9u1Hck9GawnvVJb4mSQTVK9fKGIgzU9_T8Nel2g4tP0T2CDMSxgEbktjPAOmPvZMp012KTXncp_0sg1Aa0yS3lZtay_AwL1i4ssTraKFYWysFt3xXQ/s320/DSCN4315.JPG" border="0" /><br />Once an old colonial building this music shop in Little India counts Jesus and Ganesh as it's sponsors. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013465874603991762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIL6h_TxhTAgNh3_6fXn0HoMYjZb5-An1EifD8cgkrX66UgYrpSmwOaO6v0JFxcrd02UA-syspOPVJ8c2H8O5IvipS7bm-ed_VAlSXBGYXQZQwlXhOfnf8UsXO-eL2MjTw7NXSg/s320/DSCN4328.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />We spent the rainy days sitting on the porch of our guesthouse - here I am looking very pleased with my new shirt I found in a Thai thrift shop for pennies.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013465874603991778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikRbro1VWztLHGcCdp8jCqb5Hn1Q95xaBtquCEtxPv23TsLBPsXA6I_u-SqX2Cog4iTu3vru1rjlT99SHgv1d7rys2W8uaT9i08ZlEamVXZV8OVSCDd9AL2BkdlpbL1R_iqVwtMA/s320/DSCN4333.JPG" border="0" /><br />On one of the warmer days we decided to get out of the heat and spend the hottest part of the afternoon in the Indian cinema watching the latest Bollywood box office hit. No subtitles but who needed them? Lots of singing, dancing and the wafer thin melodramatic plot was easy enough to follow. A sensational riot of funabration.....ness...<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013466110827193074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL8QLSVSJBLdRznOFGdsIJVVvzgS_iJG11D4iaxsqnFTWnm6dGX7Tr82xQki0K290KrxejT28Z03YNGjY_txfuBYgDTbRIasojNxEFd68yDqHSqAEau8FG7HsE09ukzLcIKcaIFg/s320/DSCN4336.JPG" border="0" /> <p>Lastly, at Batu Ferrenghi, a beach coast on the island, we spotted two 4-ft Monitor lizards sunbathing on the rocks.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93H7qZI75eUeWpEos2UpuvLL3S8fIs7j8JMKHFCt0mF3VfMUWvWLT6TwGhmzan621B9qp80ZMuOkLdrSpSyloL0t_DdqkvmBTdVe795lYQLPEjkkbIgab9w6LuDK8JV4uGFEyjw/s1600-h/DSCN4360.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5013466377115165490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg93H7qZI75eUeWpEos2UpuvLL3S8fIs7j8JMKHFCt0mF3VfMUWvWLT6TwGhmzan621B9qp80ZMuOkLdrSpSyloL0t_DdqkvmBTdVe795lYQLPEjkkbIgab9w6LuDK8JV4uGFEyjw/s320/DSCN4360.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-9439265195661252006-12-01T21:56:00.000-08:002006-12-13T09:07:09.031-08:00Bangkok<span style="font-weight: bold;">Anyone who has been to Thailand for more than a month</span> has been to and fro Bangkok too many times to count on one hand. This entry consists solely of pictures of this great city, one of many faces, ironies, humor and let's not forget, smiles.<br /><br />Pat waves at entering Humphaluong Train Station, our favorite station in the world.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003829829775655794" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5n7DUmzrs0ilomwp1qlqcHI8X1Y1IgD2U0jQscx_y65b0Hf_prP3AqwD8NCZW9jEFV8nWQjDasQ8FJP-zN1DiarlXraoSAutw-L0Yd_8S-elTxgsxQLLyrtXvpxlu6UqgB8-DJw/s320/DSCN4100.JPG" border="0" /><br />The city is filled with fast-flying mopeds, bulletins, smells of great variety and little nooks that make it a great place to stay.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003829855545459634" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH83bAqO8uVktToCauLIz52eBDj7lhs4kR6FMaGjh6wg950RORuLfv0jOPwXuPSOOjKCP_o-VDteiIWWjjxCtQ-bnfVKVmeqtoHAscHWq5-vR8CCoTcic0hHabw5NgHXLWGhr2Tg/s320/DSCN4119.JPG" border="0" /><br />A view from a quiet part of town, right near banks of the Thewet Ferry.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003829855545459618" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZn0se6EnJO2bdY1CsSdAK4voO92cSttTXDx_mr_H15GIvpzzL8Z19MsBpHYTGMEt0PluUAyi7dUd9RfyBm2EXO0yuwv7TLEF1XSzSpMKjAwoFiECJmwynkxKH_qo4ZGcOtRaByQ/s320/DSCN4117.JPG" border="0" /><br />Chillies drying in the day market.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003829855545459602" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjNxmBFI_-CjdHDzJkhI-aERf66dCil3vzF_b8aAfeL8cVBblXx04eSG9Jc7NkASXZftqck_0Oa1WvSqdp1NS_4KzaTuJZLuQHomx-9_fdZgMWHHtP6HIWVvMsWrXWdjYctAJow/s320/DSCN4115.JPG" border="0" /><br />Wat Benchamabophit (the Marble Temple) on Sri Ayuttaya Road. <span style=""><b><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></b><b><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></b></span><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003829851250492290" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoZkTMdbLvMVKQNwbhzXere-O2fMNZrC1XW8VK0HZGSBPBTYGiszobZJ-jLNunIlgCataiZWTFJEebboYWc7XMJhNCKgYBBJQe8x_0JxkC7h4aQwhOWEulX7RB88f71wF1mHureQ/s320/DSCN4107.JPG" border="0" /><br />You can buy fish food on the Thewet Pier and feed the hungry mongers, while the pigeons look on hungrily.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003830091768660946" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipKcTM0zuawEIGaeGnR-z2pnBExIvV0Jz7n9mLTyoHP4_9n7ANPgq3uuniHaft5yDgie5evNs1K-wwka2ATKs1z4vUoYY2C7x22KP268Jr4TgCtYbzgpoYJwCjez0sKq8H5iT8g/s320/DSCN4125.JPG" border="0" /><br />The Leaning Buddha (reaching nirvana) at Wat Pho, Thailand's largest and oldest temple.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003830091768660962" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHqgjSpQ6FZuGhIbjS6Z09xuHJtZ_v5KMoai68EQKIkDoU699PtNCPRpjThWMjTYYWvq2Xuznhelfik5Sj2MPJyESlAJGGUbu4FZEfwAQ-VakVGhcWfOwo3aO5RNer4wzgsJrFg/s320/DSCN4152.JPG" border="0" /><br />At a night market kids try to catch fish through a rice paper sieve and get a prize.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003830091768660930" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhS-rE9m9g62eEWJo4NiICTF66OT4HVnO04K28o82EuF3Ghp9Sz18LSYM7dgLLLhVj1bx38MiaxdkxGapADEa2IJAba4pEpUj1oGSD9vt2POc1Jpb6uUzpRfPipDWuuKg-cTuTLA/s320/DSCN4123.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />Since this is our last entry in Thailand as we are off to Malaysia in a few days for some new adventures, we would like to thank everyone who has been a part (directly and indirectly) of these last two wonderful months. Names not be mentioned, you know who you are. Chok-dee-kaa!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-1164975411821509012006-12-01T04:16:00.000-08:002006-12-04T08:57:53.711-08:00Happy Birthday, Mama Raia!!!<strong>4th December</strong><br /><br />Happy Birthday, mama!!! What a special day for you and so many people around you. For those that cannot be near you to kiss you and hug you, here's a little collage I put together for your birthday enjoyment.<br /><br />Remember when Sasha and I looked like this?<br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/320/508916/1-6%20%282%29.jpg" border="0" /><br />And Sasha always seemed to be hungry, either munching on something crunchy or waiting sadly for a potato to boil. <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/1600/929938/Kiev11.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/320/332208/Kiev11.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>You and papa had just gotten married and everything seemed so new and exciting. <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/320/683581/August%2025%2C%202003%20%283%29.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>And we always loved the way papa looked at you and wanted that same loving glance with our own men.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/1600/157185/Kiev16%20(2).jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/320/682468/Kiev16%20%282%29.jpg" border="0" /></a>And all the pictures looked like this, full of memories and stories; always so many stories.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/1600/793107/Valera.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/320/826188/Valera.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Meeting old friends included tables of food and never feeling too tired at the end of the night.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/1600/944040/August%2025,%202003%20(6).jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/320/686167/August%2025%2C%202003%20%286%29.jpg" border="0" /></a>Remember the first few months in America? Sasha and I were always playing some game, making a funny face at papa's camera lens. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/1600/757065/August%2025,%202003%20(14).jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/320/835552/August%2025%2C%202003%20%2814%29.jpg" border="0" /></a>Everything was a celebration; everything seemed to be happening for the first time.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/1600/371713/August%2025,%202003%20(18).jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/320/882631/August%2025%2C%202003%20%2818%29.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>Here's a toast to you, in Russian and in English, across the globe in Thailand, Ukraine, Russia, and America. For your health and happiness, 12 hours ahead (for me) and with smiling faces around you right now, eating home food and drinking a <em>roomka</em> of vodka with a <em>zakuska. </em>But before we drink...</p><p>Copy the following link into your browser, press PLAY and enjoy your surprise....<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFMolOtRFiY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFMolOtRFiY</a>. </p><p>I love you, mama and happy birthday from the both of us. </p><p>Zhenia and Tom</p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-1164974647565439142006-12-01T04:03:00.001-08:002006-12-03T19:42:32.398-08:00Phi Phi Islands for Incredible Diving<strong>24th November - 30th November<br /><br />After the utter disappointment that Koh Tao, our diving destination,</strong> has been greeted by a typhoon, we didn't waste anytime planning to dive somewhere else. The Phi Phi Islands boasts to have the most beautiful diving in Thailand and we rushed there to get started. Shortly after, we struck up a good deal with a Moskito Diving, a 5 Star Padi dive shop and began our Open Water course with David, our Swedish instructor.<br /><br />Our Open Water course was mostly a breeze, though we studied hard and didn't entertain the idea of partying even for a minute. The first few dives were a bit awkward but we tempered on and finished the course. Here, we sit with David and smile before we plunged into the waters around Bidah Nok.<br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/239997/DSCN4253.jpg" border="0" /> Here, we celebrate finishing the course and being able to dive on our own.</p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/2287/DSCN4259.jpg" border="0" /> Our last dive was so much fun that we all agreed to do the Advanced Open Water and begged for David to be our instructor once again. We did the course on the Excalibur, a luxury boat with a captain, a full time cook and staff to help us with everything from filling up our air tanks to helping us out of the water.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/1600/918837/DSCN4283.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/320/781779/DSCN4283.jpg" border="0" /></a> Tom was so proud of his new mustache (aided by the stinking compliments of both Pat and Sarah) that he looked forward to each picture with a smirk.<br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/814916/DSCN4261.jpg" border="0" />The water was pleasant and calm on our liveboard and as far as the eye could see there was no one to interrupt our paradise. <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/306963/DSCN4267.jpg" border="0" /> Pats burnt face says it all. <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/197831/DSCN4270.jpg" border="0" /> </p><p>This picture was taken right before our night dive, where we saw many coral dwellers too scared to come out during the day. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/1600/492474/DSCN4277.jpg"><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger2/3559/2572/320/410973/DSCN4277.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>We finished the Advanced Water course with flying colors and enjoyed every minute of it. To top it all off we saw soft blue coral, a haven for all the tropical fish in the best of the fish books, along with zebra sharks, a turtle, a black and white spotted lobster, moray eels and so much more. Congratulations to the Moskito Team NYC!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-1164974613204615802006-12-01T04:03:00.000-08:002006-12-02T20:59:04.670-08:00Koh Phayam<strong>18<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">th</span> November - 23rd November<br /><br />With Sarah as the new addition to the travelling crew</strong>, we headed over to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Koh</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Phayam</span>, a small island still in its beginning stages of tourism where bungalows are scattered on the beachfront and electricity is powered solely by generators and solar panels.<br /><br />Tom got sick (again) and was in bed for two days while we got stuck in paradise for longer than we had planned (how <em>very</em> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">disappointing</span>).<br /><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/289162/DSCN4249.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>We spent every day walking on the shore and collecting beautiful shells. Here is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Zhenia's</span> collection for the day though she returned it all back to the sea after the picture was taken.</p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/173679/DSCN4246.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">sand crabs</span> were everywhere, nesting little balls of sand in explosions of star-shapes and then rushing back to their holes for safety. </p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/919219/DSCN4219.jpg" border="0" />Baby sand dwellers leave their mark.<br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/606861/DSCN4227.jpg" border="0" />The sunset was SHOCKINGLY beautiful. <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/421898/DSCN4232.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/872336/DSCN4228.jpg" border="0" />And by night, the little fellers come out in all shapes and sizes. <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/831305/DSCN4214.jpg" border="0" />We all found little friends everywhere on the beach. Pat was no exception.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/1600/49763/DSCN4205.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/540738/DSCN4205.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>We took very few pictures here we're afraid, we were too busy drinking Whisky sodas on the beach while Tom sweated his fever out in bed.</p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-1164974579200367052006-12-01T04:01:00.000-08:002006-12-02T20:58:47.334-08:00Prachaup Khiri Khan<strong>14th November - 16th November<br /><br />On a whim</strong> we decided to stop in this nondiscript town and on arrival we were pleased to find that the three of us made up half the backpacking population.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnavpzpnMyNmGN55FSsLry7C4QqWhPGRRZkpmH_v5lDU6RIdOM6-hlsnv2sqc5vZv8svEKoyVCvP8TtyGD-yRgwWqdCv062c-ASE5Mtak_8wcTSozAvbOpRFmgQPPok6A_ARzzbg/s1600-h/DSCN4165.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5004144208496821250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnavpzpnMyNmGN55FSsLry7C4QqWhPGRRZkpmH_v5lDU6RIdOM6-hlsnv2sqc5vZv8svEKoyVCvP8TtyGD-yRgwWqdCv062c-ASE5Mtak_8wcTSozAvbOpRFmgQPPok6A_ARzzbg/s320/DSCN4165.JPG" border="0" /></a> Our first day was spent on the beach that, strangely, is located within the local air force base. We won't bore you with beach pictures, suffice to say that the sea was warm and the beer cold.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5004144212791788594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAwn7F_Ehgn8Qn9mCBySTB5r1g1WzKDZINCAMF3vE0bYqxfHyUf-BuLw17o_HQoI0Dqx0ZJ1a8QeU8jYtVlzOjhI6NOviKIq9Q7KEki_gjMce9eCzR_3qjFt4vEsdl6pJKl7TIg/s320/DSCN4170.JPG" border="0" /><br />The next morning Pat and I decided to go to the north of town to climb Khao Chong Krajok or Mirror Tunnel Mountain for the view but mainly to feed the monkeys.<br /><br />This old man just sat at the bottom watching the world go by.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5004144371705578562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2E8zFQ58G0-HcSpLG-ELx8zo9dJCU0_CswWXHODhQ3MQa0jQbVJvedljYKloR0fMDSD_6Lv0rKvQFFqTUL2gWw_bu6l1KCpywgH6sGkVoAF7Irr2SN_qi8JMwLELtX2VDqSaE7w/s320/DSCN4178.JPG" border="0" />We picked up a bunch of bananas and several bags of peanuts from this lady who kindly accompanied us all the way to the top with a catapult, lest the monkeys rip us to shreads - the greedy little bastards. I'm firmly of the opinion that she saved us from being eaten alive or at the very least a serious case of rabies.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMofwQBSCRaTufzcct1B5sf1y8Kwa78HZJfgjXaOeoFjs1FoaqhIULfBm5UJUBY6zOYMfKY3kKe0iS9w9gU9VVLpLW6c7bV4wbYPJ4IPag3KYzSQw4aZI8SyIgaz4DrIWlcUrsbw/s1600-h/DSCN4166.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5004144208496821266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMofwQBSCRaTufzcct1B5sf1y8Kwa78HZJfgjXaOeoFjs1FoaqhIULfBm5UJUBY6zOYMfKY3kKe0iS9w9gU9VVLpLW6c7bV4wbYPJ4IPag3KYzSQw4aZI8SyIgaz4DrIWlcUrsbw/s320/DSCN4166.JPG" border="0" /></a> Here Pat nears the top, joined by a little guy grabbing peanuts from his hand.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5004144208496821282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxredQ_j5zPl0gUCRvtmPi8vrSOjRbp_VVAeN90XUGowjn_5C0KoTnUOvqPr1PC5F1Gl_7VSx0AGxj4cm1s5WMnq0xN72muZ6OfrKdz0aN3kLphFWbRpLPGmOupKw3PN03w4Y0w/s320/DSCN4167.JPG" border="0" /><br />Pat begins to be surrounded. The smaller one has his eyes on the bananas just out of shot, fortunately so was our protector with her catapult so he didn't dare climb up Pat's leg.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5004144199906886642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5411lAs-7KmpEs3bIiSRg2skjWiq_leKUjzB4NuYRS-ocCI0xf-Pd6jGWQr1IdpepQ1SfrUZuhNPNNWvtC2cKn2TZCf3OleBN3AJdYEUSJtZHJbXFePj821YRrhW0_FXr-obng/s320/DSCN4158.JPG" border="0" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-1163330325075948952006-11-12T03:17:00.000-08:002006-12-02T20:57:36.212-08:00Ayuthaya<strong>10<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">th</span> November - 12<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">th</span> November</strong><br /><p>Surrounded by three rivers converging, the island of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ayuthaya</span> was once the capital and cultural centre of Thailand from 1350 to 1767. Now a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">UNESCO</span> heritage site, it is home to several sets of ruined <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Wats</span> (a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Buddhist</span> temple/<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">monastery</span>).</p><p>Consequently, travellers from all over the world come here to sweat their balls off cycling from <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Wat</span> to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Wat</span> in the searing heat with the only shade taken up by the resident packs of rabid dogs.</p><p>Fortunately for us, however, we decided to start our own cycling tour in the evening while the Wat were closed. After a shaky start, getting lost and then chased by a pack of dogs we found ourselves at Wihaan Phra Mongkhon Bophit and bribed the security to let us in while it was still lit.</p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN4007.jpg" border="0" /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3968.jpg" border="0" /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN4004.jpg" border="0" />There were owls and large fruit bats roaming the sky. Zhenia caught one on camera flying past one of the <em>Praang.</em><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3982.jpg" border="0" />Towards the end, Pat got spiritual. There can be only one!<br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3972.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>The next day was hot but we sucked it up and got on our bikes. Here's the Chedi at Wat Phra Ratburana.</p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/506602/DSCN4026.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>One of the <em>many </em>mange dogs relaxing after a busy night in the shade.</p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/325755/DSCN4029.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Zhenia looks serene at Wat Phra Mahathat.</p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/512554/DSCN4064.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>One of the major tourist snapshots - the Buddha head engulfed in tree roots.</p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/56483/DSCN4081.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>A grumpy and sweaty Pat sits in the shade after we cut the tour short in favour of drinking beer.</p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/667014/DSCN4087.jpg" border="0" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/1600/6026/DSCN4100.jpg"></a></p><p>We thought it was a branch floating by until we realized that there's no current in the moat. A four foot monitor lizard.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/1600/294874/DSCN4089.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/130964/DSCN4089.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-1163330211280522112006-11-12T03:13:00.000-08:002006-12-01T22:53:42.044-08:00Nong Khai<strong>6th November - 9th November<br /><br />Once in Nong Khai we were told by everyone and their <em>Thai girlfriend</em></strong> to go and see Sala Kaew, a sculptural park that includes some very bizarre, surreal and creatively impressive concrete statues filled with Hindu and Buddhist imagery.<br /><br />As the story goes, Luang Poo Boun Leau Sourirat, a Lao national, tumbled into a hole as a child, where he met an ascetic named Kaewkoo, who introduced him to the manifold mysterials of the underworld and set him on course to become a Brahmanic yogi-priest-shaman. As a sign of his gratefulness, Luang build the park and named it after his teacher.<br /><br />Before we set off for the park, however, Zhenia bought a hat - simply charming! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/1600/966717/DSCN3815.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/462694/DSCN3815.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p>To get to the park we rented bicycles. In the background, Pat's foot is hanging mid-air.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/1600/690216/DSCN3940.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/469083/DSCN3940.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>As we approached the park an enormous concrete Buddha appeared right in front of us.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003814526807180066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEqx6fCWpJ-WGh1gLc0415-gdFWo26K6SsUzh73m7NVPLYuxZYGZy3xhOkCYvRimsYa6dEt5b0EUAVoEMXYSTmBgFntAzkhSLWqze4vVHIwZSgstWOLXGMOh6GXB7ltLpcGk7tYA/s320/DSCN3870.JPG" border="0" /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/1600/618181/DSCN3906.jpg"></a><br />On entry into the park we were immediately confronted with one of the more bizarre sculptures: a pack of dogs wielding booze, guns, riding motorbikes (all with erections) angrily surrounding a huge elephant. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003814522512212738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bNKCi7iWG6bM7IA5p25tDkewN1i__mUO465TYypu6xcw_RmYxGh9pidLvm69gFP5ZP8hbNk0NtIFMrH_R9udsAY7xYLvmFqojTs0-b2-tNTtFPlNd2DcmYXrOIhOe_Be-B7gvg/s320/DSCN3835.JPG" border="0" /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/136401/DSCN3833.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><p>A 27 foot seven headed Naga. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/1600/94593/DSCN3838.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/833920/DSCN3838.jpg" border="0" /></a>Pat enters the jaws of the 'Wheel of Life', considered to be the main spectacle of the park.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/1600/440198/DSCN3873.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/800691/DSCN3873.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>One of the stranger representations in the 'Wheel of Life': adultery. Here the husband slaps his mistress while his wife looks on laughing. In the background you can see two skeletons representing the death of love. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/1600/118249/DSCN3891.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/475197/DSCN3891.jpg" border="0" /></a></p><p>In the middle of the wheel sits a large head with many little heads on top of it, representing (according to the artist's view) the many faces that a person has throughout his/her life. From bottom to top in order: your best face, your most evil face, again your best face, your strange face, an even stranger face, the snake, good face, zero. If you ask us, the whole thing is strange but curiously interesting.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003814526807180082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLQY5w851FZRKdFSvexZRVQnQpYCDIM7CP1Jqb576NQGBgSwC9bWtrmpSbRkuc-pOqjjrIlkkoe-IfIY6JzbWkwNMrQW38X-g1IA-XZ4qPxLu3zvuNDuV_VarBJ0ymtuYMCSRNA/s320/DSCN3879.JPG" border="0" /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1LtJHjSWp2UvF3cAMtmYv7Vo1KWX2R5kLQxUHEGrO5rP9xnrU2PGDY9cy0aEDxGm9orT-4np_uMREa1QMaq_jENxJpI6bdqEXTPb00IFwoRWEbVAq-tkqgHzakD-rme04KdSPw/s1600-h/DSCN3840.JPG"></a>A reclining Buddha. All the details on the head and the torso are the artist's own design. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003817932716245858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL8_y0dIF_DB2wDTFUlg6ClD12yK84WPhOe7V8ney4nW5rTrCq3OMmM6BtgUp2CKvSt4JVuGhAxwQrDb_az0Bfz29mY-tlA7mQg_3F6mtB9SexsPq4VtWhMClNe9sViHQ6a_BXqQ/s320/DSCN3933.JPG" border="0" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWaXog3stzQD3wV3U8CnmgU4wK2kFClyN2Vb5JkdJUIyNcuTz31NIwDKzXFJ1_V780059zfGwvEkontQetyN1SrxBdvaPN8c2qIjeAjpysye47qd0szl_Vss_JREOvbNiKZgopQ/s1600-h/DSCN3933.JPG"></a></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5003817932716245842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHAjTTOtZetEAQKTzFMykoSe3mF3MkDv6rSZTCT8SvNUTIOhwJQC19tyxjh2vqCpF4hmc-MfJXTiT5AVwTOFVbB0_obOGfyAfX3UKNVv3g_SykB36sOvhVAXNImU7vY7GQMDXs4w/s320/DSCN3840.JPG" border="0" /><p>More information and pictures about the park can be found at <a href="http://www.mutmee.com">www.mutmee.com</a>, just click on the 'Town to Explore' section. Also, a digital version of the above "Wheel of Life" is available on the same website. </p><p>Pat and Tom were later given a brief tour of the main building, a shrine to Luang Poo Boun Leau Sourirat himself, which included his mummified body (no pictures allowed, unfortunately). The most fun in the park, though, was feeding the fish.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/1600/706255/DSCN3854.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/923046/DSCN3854.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Later, we celebrated another religious monument, a massive rotisserie chicken machine and shared a spiritual moment around a whole chicken (feet and all).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/1600/484692/DSCN3943.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/979445/DSCN3943.jpg" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/1600/53208/DSCN3946.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/7766/2128/320/909279/DSCN3946.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-1163058841520411262006-11-08T23:26:00.000-08:002006-11-09T23:33:17.620-08:00Spreading the Avian FluBefore being entirely done with Laos, I would like to leave a humorous, yet true, episode.<br /><br />After leaving the crew for some well deserved peace and quiet, Pat caught up on our 2nd day in Vang Vieng. Shortly after, he fell seriously ill of what he thought was the Avian Flu as he shared his train carriage with a cage of chickens. Not long afterwards, the rest of us (I'm talking Phil, Ursula, Sean, Tom and myself) fell ill with the same bug and were practically glued to our bed for days. Symptoms included extreme body aches, severe headache and a fever that had buckets of sweat dripping off us. I swore up and down that it HAD to be Dengue. Good thing we were all supplied with antibiotics and managed to crawl out of an emergency state to a somewhat normal state with hacking coughs.<br /><br />Crossing the Friendship Bridge and back into beautiful Thailand made us all sigh with release because we were on our way back to health and sanity. However, our first guest house over the border in Nong Khai was run by a very fruity set of aging ex-pat hippies that charged three times the price for beer but still expected you to serve yourself. Real put-on shit!! Our goal: to disseminate the killer Avian Flu to at least 2/3 of the granola crunching population of Mut Mee Guest House and leave unnoticed. So far we have been able to detect 3 people with our familiar raspy cough.<br /><br />All that's left to say is, "Can't you feel the love in this house, man? You look like you need a hug!".Unknownnoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-1161601545924189122006-10-23T04:04:00.000-07:002006-11-09T23:36:50.876-08:00Laos, The Land of A Million Elephants<strong>24th October - 7th November<br /><br />We crossed into Laos at Huay Xai and caught the two day slow boat down the</strong> <strong>Mekong. Destination: Luang Prabang.</strong> An uneventful night was spent at the half way stop Pak Beng - a veritable shit hole; an over priced tourist trap. Luckily, we managed to find probably the worst guesthouse in town - despite the clear grafittied warnings....<br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3508.jpg" border="0" /><br />The two days on the boat were pleasant with river views of working elephants and suicidal speedboat captains. We were, however, glad to reach Luang Prabang. Here's the sunset view across the Mekong from our guesthouse.<br /><p></p><p></p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3616.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Inside, here was one of many of our fellow guests. This ol' girl was about as big as your big toe.</p><p><em><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3625.jpg" border="0" />Who wants to be a Millionaire</em>? Here, Casey basks in his first and last moment of glory of holding 1 Million Kip, equivalent to about $100.<img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3614.jpg" border="0" /> Luang Prabang is a busy and lovely little city, literally made up of three main streets. The Hmong Night Market heaved with street vendors selling textiles, handicrafts, mulberry-paper lanterns and other souveniers for what seemed to be entirely for tourists. We ate like kings from the street food vendors on grilled fish, whole roasted chicken, papaya salad and ubiquitous sticky rice.</p><p>The Phu Si temple, bang in the middle of town on a hill gave us a stunning view of Luang Prabang. However, due to <em>the editors </em>dicision to cut down on boring landscape shots, here's zhenia's stolen shot of the monks inside. This one was smoking a fag.</p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3579.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>The lying Buddha sleeps...<br /></p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3595.jpg" border="0" /> ...while Sean prays with the disciples.<br /></p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3599.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Tat Kuang Si. The most stunning waterfall i've ever seen in my life. Further down stream it broke out into pristeen turquoise swimming pools where we jumped from over hanging trees.</p><p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3551.jpg" border="0" />Here's the view from the very top. The path takes you right across the very edge of the fall.<br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3570.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3570.jpg" border="0" /></a>Before arriving in Vientiane, our last stop in Laos, we stopped off in Vang Vieng for some outdoor recreation (btw Vang Vieng is the tubing capital of the country). We floated down the Nam Song River in big black rubber doughnuts and every hundred meters was a makeshift bar that served us a Beer Lao and offered us some silly entertainment. It's funny to note that it took us the entire day to make the 3 km trip down the stream. </p><p>On a more productive day, we decided to hike to Tham Phu Kham cave, which also boasts a lagoon. The hike started early and the 6 km through a shade-less road wasn't enjoyable but the scenery was wild. Part of the US led carpet bombing campaign in the 1960's, these bombs have been recycled to mark where the road begins and ends. <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3732.jpg" border="0" />The entire countryside seemed to be surrounded by golden rice fields and rugged mountain peaks.<br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3748.jpg" border="0" />A sweet farewell image from Vang Vieng as Ursula walks across a newly-made bamboo bridge on the Nam Song River.<br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3696.jpg" border="0" /><br />Don't you love the sentiment?<img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3729.jpg" border="0" /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-1161425917569575042006-10-21T03:12:00.000-07:002006-10-28T07:30:10.150-07:00Pai ปาย<span style="font-weight: bold;">17th - 23rd October<br /></span><br /><strong>One of those old hippie stops</strong>, Pai, is now packed full of aging <span style="font-style: italic;">fareng</span> coining it on the tourism trade - those dirty sell outs. It's also a a damn good time surrounded by serene mountain jungle packed full of insects the size of your fist.<br />Here's where we lay our heads at night.....a sweet bungalow shack with stalks of green bamboos growing on all sides.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3244.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3244.jpg" border="0" /></a>Our first full day happened to be Phil's 30th birthday so Pat and Tom planned a white water rafting trip down the Pai river.......but not before we got Phil completely hammered the night before.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3254.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3254.jpg" border="0" /></a>The next day, as the hangover was creeping back, we tightened our helmets and lifejackets and boarded our rafting boats. Down the Kong and Pai Rivers, we passed some killer waves and scarry whirlpools...Tom's look says it all. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/P1011113.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/P1011113.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Another stop down the river was a 7 meter cliff from which almost everyone (minus Zhenia) jumped into the rushing waters. Here<span style="font-weight: bold;">, </span>Tom cliff jumping mid-stream....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3267.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3267.jpg" border="0" /></a>After a day of recovery we rented bikes and headed out of town and over the mountains to the Mo Paeng waterfall. But before we got to the waterfalls, we passed some Elephant camps with many baby elephants.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3312.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3312.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here, Tom takes a dive down the rock slide.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3379.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3379.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />That day we decided to continue our expedition and see the Lot Caves. Here, Tom poses with mini Sean on Pai's lookout.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3336.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3336.jpg" border="0" /></a>The Lot Caves rise in height of nearly 60 meters. It's a wild scene when one realizes that all the shapes and contours within the cave were caused by water. In one of the caves a wooden coffin was found so there must have been a civilization that lived in this magical darkness.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3350.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3350.jpg" border="0" /></a>We needed to take a bamboo raft to get to the main attractions in the cave.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3351.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3351.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Later....a view of Pai from above from the Wat Mae Sen.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3447.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3447.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Fanny (from Paris), Pat and Zhenia took a ride through Pai. Rice paddies grow wild here.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3453.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3453.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />We never got to our destination but took a walk through the jungle that surrounds Pai. The fullness and vastness of life here is unimaginable. It is everywhere you look.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3468.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3468.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Many of nights were spent at Taku Art Bar, a chill loungy venue with great artwork by our friend (from Chiang Mai) Suwat Arvui. Here is the large gecko he sculpted from metal that hangs above the bar.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3409.jpg"></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3257.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3257.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here, he poses holding a marble (yes, the stone) lamp. Zhenia and Ursula swear by it. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3409.jpg"><br /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3409.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3409.jpg" border="0" /></a>Note: A GREAT BIG thanks to Suwat for all his advice on Pai, the best Thai food we EVER had and for all your 'love and happiness'. You're truly a guru!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-1160972936303615752006-10-15T21:27:00.000-07:002006-10-27T07:40:01.503-07:00Chiang Mai - เชียงใหม่<span style="font-weight: bold;">12th October - 17th October</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">We arrived to Chiang Mai with the Avenue I gang and before we could figure out a local bus route to our guesthouse of choice,</span> we saw two guys from BANANA guesthouse waiting for us at the train station! A breeze of a tuk-tuk ride later, we ordered some kao-soi (curry noodles served with red shallots, pickled cabbage and some damn-HOT chilly paste) and sat back feeling satisfied from head to toe.<br /><br />Everyone in Chiang Mai, or anywhere in mainland Thailand, rides mopeds. Even the elderly ride it wild without a helmet. By word of mouth, we were recommended to see the waterfalls in Mae Rim just 25 minutes north of Chiang Mai.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3162.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3162.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here, our partners in crime, Phil and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Ursula </span>(another great Brooklynite travelling in SE Asia), ride the country roads to the waterfalls.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3182.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3182.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here, Phil poses in front of the Mae Sa waterfall. The waterfall was beautiful and the misty air cooled us instantly but the brownish color of the water, especially after the recent flooding in the area and the 'parasitic leeches' we read about in the papers, changed our minds about taking a dip. <br /><br />On our ride back to Chiang Mai, we stopped at the Insect Museum, which happened to be closed. So we spotted a farmer tending his double-hunchback cows, a new variety to us.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3202.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3202.jpg" border="0" /></a>Chiang Mai has a famous Sunday Night Bazaar whose legacy dates back to the original Yunnanese trading caravans that stopped here along the ancient trade route between Simao (China) and Mawlamyine (on Myanmar's Indian Ocean coast). On Sundays, half the city is closed down to allow street vendors and local artisans to show off their art and craftwork of wood, jewelry, clothing, etc. In addition, Chiang Mai boasts to have as many <span style="font-style: italic;">wats (</span>or Buddhist temples) as Bangkok, even though the city is much smaller in size than the capital. Here, is an example of such a <span style="font-style: italic;">wat</span>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3116.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3116.jpg" border="0" /></a>Our stay in Chiang Mai wouldn't be the same if it weren't for all the great people we met there. This page MUST end to Chiang Mai's hospitality and her cool residents: Suwat, a teacher cum artist cum bar-owner cum social slut extraordinaire from Pai taking a break to see his bar owner friend in Chiang Mai. He could be found spending hours drawing the customers at the Freedom Bar, our main entertainment base in Chiang Mai.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3133.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3133.jpg" border="0" /></a>Zhenia helped Hoy paint the front of the Freedom Bar. Here, she giggles at the camera.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3205.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3205.jpg" border="0" /></a>Jennifer, another wonderful Brooklynite teaching in Russia for the last two years, also was a solid member of the Freedom Bar/Avenue I-in-Thailand crew.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3209.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3209.jpg" border="0" /></a>And last but not least, Selly, the owner of the Freedom Bar who fed and satisfied the thirst of many, many customers in the larger Chiang Mai area. We love you!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3217.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; cursor: pointer; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3217.jpg" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21073383.post-1160377090301202122006-10-08T23:54:00.000-07:002006-10-15T22:01:50.103-07:00Koh Pha Ngan - เกาะพะงัน<strong>5th October - 10th October</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Following a week long stay in Beijing and our 6th month anniversary on the road,</strong> we were too eager to see the familiar faces of our Brooklyn friends and booked a flight to Bangkok. An overnight train, a ferry and a taxi ride later, we arrived onto the sandy beaches and leafy goodness of Koh Pha Ngan, where the famous full moon (along with black moon and half moon-damn! the Thais sure know how to have a good time) parties are held.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3670.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3670.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Our first few moment with Pat, Phil and Sean were spent goofing around in our new base, the Lighthouse Guesthouse.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/bugpic.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/bugpic.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/brooklyn%20crew.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/brooklyn%20crew.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/tomswinging.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/tomswinging.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Most of our evenings were spent in Haatrin, drinking buckets of thai whiskey and red bull, chiang beer and "special" shakes. Here Zhenia (the undisputed party Queen) holds court....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3635.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3635.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The boys from Brooklyn: me, Pat, Phil and Sean Casey...<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/the%20boyz.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/the%20boyz.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>All the partying and tourists aside, Koh Pha Ngan is a haven of a place and offers spectacular views from every direction...a sure rest for the mind, body and soul. Oh yeah, and the daily Thai messages and Thai curries don't hurt either.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/little%20prayer%20house.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/little%20prayer%20house.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/sunset%20phil.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/sunset%20phil.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here Zhenia has her party spectacles on, ready for a night out after watching the sunset.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/DSCN3619.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/DSCN3619.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>For the next four days, we can safely say we didn't do a great deal other than eat well, play lots of yatsi, drink bad thai whiskey and cool off in the sea. We didn't get a great deal of sleep - who would when you can stay up for a sunrise like this??<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/1600/sunrise1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7766/2128/320/sunrise1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5