Took an hour bus ride out of Georgetown to go to the National Park which is on the north coast of Penang Island. While waiting for the bus, I ran into my Basque friend Cristobal, and he was heading the same way, along with another amigo from Spain. So we had a chance to catch up a bit while trying to get out of town. There was a lot of traffic and it seemed to take forever to get into the countryside but eventually we did, leaving the high rises and fancy beachfront condos behind.
The national park has free admission, and I went in alone, because the two Spaniards needed to find a room to leave their gear in. Took a great hourlong walk on a jungle trail, over wooden bridges, past monkeys, huge lizards (one was up to 6 feet long), and I made it to 'Monkey Beach' which was about two sweaty miles away. Just loved being out in it again, pouring sweat, getting in the water when I got to the beach, marveling at the huge trees, vines, animals on the path.
At the beach there was a little scene with some boats, locals, westerners enjoying the sand and sea. I hung for about an hour or leas, then headed back, wanting to make sure I made it well before dark. It turned out to be a good move as a tremendous thunder storm blew in shortly after I made it back to the covered bus stop. I was wet anyway from having swum and sweated, more clammy than wet, actually, and it turned out to be a bit of a drag because the bus ride back was in a freezingly air-conditioned coach, and the traffic was hideous. We crawled and I froze; it was all I could do to keep myself in the bus, I was so impatient and shivering. But there was really nothing to do but suck it up as I was too far away to walk it in, and a taxi would be stuck in the same mess. Turns out that the traffic jam was due to a national holiday tomorrow, just one of those things. But I was really ungrounded by the ordeal.
Now that I'm fed and showered I can look back and not have the great day be spoiled by a miserable ninety minutes in a freezing bus. It would have been much worse if I had been drenched, so I can be grateful for that. Most memorable moment was coming upon a six foot monitor lizard in the path. Fortunately he was running away from me, because if he wasn't, I'd have been running away from him. HUGE!
City Living, Malaysian style
Moving slow, as would befit the pace in a very warm climate. For some reason I'm still surprised every morning when I leave the guest house and am struck by the daily heat wave which is Malaysia. I tried a pithy quote on Facebook to try and capture the idea....
"Weather forecast for Malaysia: Yesterday-Hot, Today-Freakin' Hot, Tomorrow-Hot as a mofo, Next day, Extraordinarily warm, Day after-Holy Crap, Next day, Hades-like, Day after-Sweltering.... followed by 'Lord a Mighty Steamin'... I think I get the pattern" It's reminiscent of Eugene where you can sometimes look at the 5 day forecast in the paper to see, rain, showers, precipitation, wet periods and storms, as if there's a difference.
Here people just accept it, I suppose, and I do too, (somewhat reluctantly), it's just the way it is. For people who have lived here always, it's normal, and most wear long pants, although some of the locals are starting to sport shorts. And of course the Muslim women have to wear the black head scarf. Maybe that's why they're so hot. bad joke.
I have slight regret that I'm not still living in that paradise of Than Sadet where I swam every day and felt phenomenal. I still feel great, but there's nothing like being in the ocean and the jungle. Here it's a busy seaport so I'd have to find a different place on the island to enjoy that sort of thing. The city is interesting but you can't replace what I was experiencing a week ago.
Part of the good vibe here is that I've totally shed the western layer of bread and pasta and I'm now brown and trim, like a whole new guy. I think it has to do with not having a car and TV to lull me into that lazy stupor. Gracias a Dios, it's way better this way, and hey, if I have to go around the world for the SE Asia diet, so be it. Feels worth it to eat light and keep active. (semi active anyhow, it's still hot as a mofo)
I laid low today, took a walk to the shore and hung out in the shade watching the ferries, grabbed a little Indian food and coffee for breakfast, then back to the room for the fan and the rest of my book. I'm also working on the next tune, this one for my friend whose party I'll play at next Saturday night in Chiang Mai. I don't know enough about him to write the lyrics yet (got a few), but I do have the progression and the melody, and it's another of those ragtime things that I've been digging the past few years. (very American).
At this point, I've written so many songs, but I don't want to repeat myself, so I keep searching for that little variation, trick, riff which will make it unique. It's something I do frequently on the road, pick up my guitar and dig in to try and find something upon which to build a composition. Sometimes I'll take a trick from a song I like and see if I can use it in a new way. I did that for my first composition on this trip, used a chord and weird interval that I've heard in Jobim's 'Desafinado' as well as Duke Ellington's 'Take the A Train'. And now it's in one of mine as well. We all get to use this clay.
So I'm into my third week and my third new song and that's a good average. More than that, it's a reflection of what it really means to be on the road. Everyone does it differently; some like to go place to place, others crave ziplines and 'adventure'. Me, I like to just live, have something good to read, an instrument to create with, new things to see and taste, and a chance to really think and reflect about stuff. When I'm outside of the US and away from television, I find that my mind slows down and goes deeper, my breathing gets slower, thoughts more clear. There is a certain quasi-religious thing that happens when I strip myself away from pop culture and bullshit 'news'. I feel like a better person, in fact.
I hear there is a National park that is an hour and a quarter away by bus, and I plan on visiting tomorrow to get a break from the city. Everyone talks about the monkeys and how they'll grab your stuff if you're not careful. I kinda want to see some monkeys, so off I'll go tomorrow (in a quasi religious way, naturally)
"Weather forecast for Malaysia: Yesterday-Hot, Today-Freakin' Hot, Tomorrow-Hot as a mofo, Next day, Extraordinarily warm, Day after-Holy Crap, Next day, Hades-like, Day after-Sweltering.... followed by 'Lord a Mighty Steamin'... I think I get the pattern" It's reminiscent of Eugene where you can sometimes look at the 5 day forecast in the paper to see, rain, showers, precipitation, wet periods and storms, as if there's a difference.
Here people just accept it, I suppose, and I do too, (somewhat reluctantly), it's just the way it is. For people who have lived here always, it's normal, and most wear long pants, although some of the locals are starting to sport shorts. And of course the Muslim women have to wear the black head scarf. Maybe that's why they're so hot. bad joke.
I have slight regret that I'm not still living in that paradise of Than Sadet where I swam every day and felt phenomenal. I still feel great, but there's nothing like being in the ocean and the jungle. Here it's a busy seaport so I'd have to find a different place on the island to enjoy that sort of thing. The city is interesting but you can't replace what I was experiencing a week ago.
Part of the good vibe here is that I've totally shed the western layer of bread and pasta and I'm now brown and trim, like a whole new guy. I think it has to do with not having a car and TV to lull me into that lazy stupor. Gracias a Dios, it's way better this way, and hey, if I have to go around the world for the SE Asia diet, so be it. Feels worth it to eat light and keep active. (semi active anyhow, it's still hot as a mofo)
I laid low today, took a walk to the shore and hung out in the shade watching the ferries, grabbed a little Indian food and coffee for breakfast, then back to the room for the fan and the rest of my book. I'm also working on the next tune, this one for my friend whose party I'll play at next Saturday night in Chiang Mai. I don't know enough about him to write the lyrics yet (got a few), but I do have the progression and the melody, and it's another of those ragtime things that I've been digging the past few years. (very American).
At this point, I've written so many songs, but I don't want to repeat myself, so I keep searching for that little variation, trick, riff which will make it unique. It's something I do frequently on the road, pick up my guitar and dig in to try and find something upon which to build a composition. Sometimes I'll take a trick from a song I like and see if I can use it in a new way. I did that for my first composition on this trip, used a chord and weird interval that I've heard in Jobim's 'Desafinado' as well as Duke Ellington's 'Take the A Train'. And now it's in one of mine as well. We all get to use this clay.
So I'm into my third week and my third new song and that's a good average. More than that, it's a reflection of what it really means to be on the road. Everyone does it differently; some like to go place to place, others crave ziplines and 'adventure'. Me, I like to just live, have something good to read, an instrument to create with, new things to see and taste, and a chance to really think and reflect about stuff. When I'm outside of the US and away from television, I find that my mind slows down and goes deeper, my breathing gets slower, thoughts more clear. There is a certain quasi-religious thing that happens when I strip myself away from pop culture and bullshit 'news'. I feel like a better person, in fact.
I hear there is a National park that is an hour and a quarter away by bus, and I plan on visiting tomorrow to get a break from the city. Everyone talks about the monkeys and how they'll grab your stuff if you're not careful. I kinda want to see some monkeys, so off I'll go tomorrow (in a quasi religious way, naturally)
Hot hot hot
I figured I'd wake up early and get a brisk walk in before the heat of the day, uh nice try, there's no such thing as 'before the heat of the day'. It doesn't seem to matter what time it is, 5am, 9am, 1pm, midnight, it's just sticky hot and any jaunt is a sweaty jaunt. OK then, lesson learned.
I spent a few hours getting lost in Georgetown, first heading to the water to find that it was a busy thoroughfare with speeding cars, kind of like walking along the FDR drive in Manhatten, not exactly great for one's morning trek. Followed it for a bit, then chose a street and headed back into town, dodging motorcycles (that's a given in Asia) looking for a place to have coffee. There it is, mostly Indian guys sitting along a wall, being served coffee or tea as well as eating some kind of meat in sauce over chapati (flat bread). I wasn't hungry yet so I ordered a coffee and watched the guy make it Asian style. He had a big coffee sock going, would dip the ladle into the water to dilute the blend, moving fast, then doing the 'high pour' thing back and forth between the two receptacles, and topping it off with some condensed sweetened milk from a can. Good enough (not to mention entertaining)
I just sat their enjoying for awhile, then figured what the hell, everyone else is eating a morning meal, give me one too. I'll have what they're having. It was spicy lamb in sauce over chapati, (not baaa'd), but the best part is being the only white dude in the place. I don't care if I don't know what's going on, I'm still happier just putting myself there and trying to figure it out. There were two guys cooking over the grills, one handled the food the other the drinks. They were being yelled at by the guy I assumed to be the boss, and he was a 'dick' in any language. Some things you can just tell. He was an overweight, half toothless, cigarette smoking shouter who somehow had the right to be yelling a lot. Everyone else was pretty cool, doing their jobs, serving food and trying to keep their equanimity in spite of the loud mouth. Dude, chill out.
Then I got totally lost wandering through Chinatown (tidy and bustling) and I was about to ask directions when voila, I had circled back to a place I recognized, like a miracle or at least a stroke of good fortune. It's now noon, time to hit the internet place which is next door to my guest house and check in for a bit.
I'm reading a great book these days, The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, and even though three of my friends said they had started it but couldn't get through it, I find it terrific. It's the story of a Missionary family in the Belgian Congo during the time of Independence (1960), and it's written from the point of view of the wife and 4 daughters of a bible thumping stubborn Baptist preacher, who chooses to stay in the Congo and save souls, rather than get out while the getting was good. You can tell that tragedy is just around the corner. I'm halfway through and it's a great read. Thanks for the recommendation, Laurie T
This stop in Penang Island, Malaysia is definitely the 'eat' of the 'Eat Pray Whatever' trip that I'm on. I had a second meal last night at a famous Indian restaurant that was unbelievable. I got some different veggie dishes along with garlic nan, and it was the best thing I've ever tasted. My friend Adam and I were one of two western tables in an overwhelmingly Indian filled hall. Bustling waiters, cooks doing their thing on the sidewalk, manning the grills, lots of style and panache, OMG the tastes were out of this world. Hmmm, maybe Chinese tonight?
I spent a few hours getting lost in Georgetown, first heading to the water to find that it was a busy thoroughfare with speeding cars, kind of like walking along the FDR drive in Manhatten, not exactly great for one's morning trek. Followed it for a bit, then chose a street and headed back into town, dodging motorcycles (that's a given in Asia) looking for a place to have coffee. There it is, mostly Indian guys sitting along a wall, being served coffee or tea as well as eating some kind of meat in sauce over chapati (flat bread). I wasn't hungry yet so I ordered a coffee and watched the guy make it Asian style. He had a big coffee sock going, would dip the ladle into the water to dilute the blend, moving fast, then doing the 'high pour' thing back and forth between the two receptacles, and topping it off with some condensed sweetened milk from a can. Good enough (not to mention entertaining)
I just sat their enjoying for awhile, then figured what the hell, everyone else is eating a morning meal, give me one too. I'll have what they're having. It was spicy lamb in sauce over chapati, (not baaa'd), but the best part is being the only white dude in the place. I don't care if I don't know what's going on, I'm still happier just putting myself there and trying to figure it out. There were two guys cooking over the grills, one handled the food the other the drinks. They were being yelled at by the guy I assumed to be the boss, and he was a 'dick' in any language. Some things you can just tell. He was an overweight, half toothless, cigarette smoking shouter who somehow had the right to be yelling a lot. Everyone else was pretty cool, doing their jobs, serving food and trying to keep their equanimity in spite of the loud mouth. Dude, chill out.
Then I got totally lost wandering through Chinatown (tidy and bustling) and I was about to ask directions when voila, I had circled back to a place I recognized, like a miracle or at least a stroke of good fortune. It's now noon, time to hit the internet place which is next door to my guest house and check in for a bit.
I'm reading a great book these days, The Poisonwood Bible, by Barbara Kingsolver, and even though three of my friends said they had started it but couldn't get through it, I find it terrific. It's the story of a Missionary family in the Belgian Congo during the time of Independence (1960), and it's written from the point of view of the wife and 4 daughters of a bible thumping stubborn Baptist preacher, who chooses to stay in the Congo and save souls, rather than get out while the getting was good. You can tell that tragedy is just around the corner. I'm halfway through and it's a great read. Thanks for the recommendation, Laurie T
This stop in Penang Island, Malaysia is definitely the 'eat' of the 'Eat Pray Whatever' trip that I'm on. I had a second meal last night at a famous Indian restaurant that was unbelievable. I got some different veggie dishes along with garlic nan, and it was the best thing I've ever tasted. My friend Adam and I were one of two western tables in an overwhelmingly Indian filled hall. Bustling waiters, cooks doing their thing on the sidewalk, manning the grills, lots of style and panache, OMG the tastes were out of this world. Hmmm, maybe Chinese tonight?
Funky (the good kind)
This place Georgetown feels awesome within an hour of arriving here. It's got color and charm, old buildings, a good mix of backpackers in with the locals, so if feels like a PERFECT place to hang and explore for a week or so, which is the plan.
I got the last room in a Chinese owned guest house that was supposedly very clean, and yeah, that's right, it's nice. They only had a large room available with two beds and a window with a view, and I decided to spend the big bucks ($10) and grab it, rather than head to the next place. I like it, and I like the fact that old Chinese guys are downstairs drinking tea as I pass through.
I'm doing some business with an Indian guy, Mohammed, (muslim) who is a pretty cool travel agent and is helping me get passage to Chiang Mai about a week from today. The best deal seems to be a van ride back into Thailand, then a direct flight from Hatyai, where I spent last night, up to Chiang Mai in the north. Muhammed is cool, young, a little hefty, calls me Brotha and is on the ball. He gets my business because he's straight up. Part of the deal is to add a little cash to the van driver who will make a little detour to the airport before going into the town. $7 tip makes that happen and it's all arranged, thanks to my agent. The driver was looking for $20, but my guy got him down to $7.
Muhammed will also help me get my visa application done. It costs about $50 to get a two month visa for Thailand, used to be free, but Thailand got wise to the fact that they could make serious money by gouging the tourists, so that's the price for now. It will likely go up.
So now I have maybe six days to explore this city and Penang Island where it is located. I'll eat awesome food and bask in the cultures. Nice to be here after 3 days of travel. It feels just right. Happy Thanksgiving. I think I'll go for some chicken tandoori to celebrate....
I got the last room in a Chinese owned guest house that was supposedly very clean, and yeah, that's right, it's nice. They only had a large room available with two beds and a window with a view, and I decided to spend the big bucks ($10) and grab it, rather than head to the next place. I like it, and I like the fact that old Chinese guys are downstairs drinking tea as I pass through.
I'm doing some business with an Indian guy, Mohammed, (muslim) who is a pretty cool travel agent and is helping me get passage to Chiang Mai about a week from today. The best deal seems to be a van ride back into Thailand, then a direct flight from Hatyai, where I spent last night, up to Chiang Mai in the north. Muhammed is cool, young, a little hefty, calls me Brotha and is on the ball. He gets my business because he's straight up. Part of the deal is to add a little cash to the van driver who will make a little detour to the airport before going into the town. $7 tip makes that happen and it's all arranged, thanks to my agent. The driver was looking for $20, but my guy got him down to $7.
Muhammed will also help me get my visa application done. It costs about $50 to get a two month visa for Thailand, used to be free, but Thailand got wise to the fact that they could make serious money by gouging the tourists, so that's the price for now. It will likely go up.
So now I have maybe six days to explore this city and Penang Island where it is located. I'll eat awesome food and bask in the cultures. Nice to be here after 3 days of travel. It feels just right. Happy Thanksgiving. I think I'll go for some chicken tandoori to celebrate....
Big City Malays
The Malays I've observed seem to have a vague sense of depression and unease. I wonder if there's a word for that.... Am I playing with words? Yes Siam
Ready for a nap on this rainy day in the big city (seriously) of Hatyai in southern Thailand. I'm in a downtown hotel so I went big, and got a $14 dollar room, woohoo! Smooth sailing on the night boat, we arrived at 4:30 am into Surathani and walked a few blocks to where you can catch the van south to Malaysia. My friend Adam wanted to break up the trip by stopping here in Hatyai, which was a 5 hour ride in a 15 seater van. Not bad for most of it, but at one point I was scrunched in next to a Rashid-like Thai kid talking loud on his cell phone while the music in the van continued to play the very annoying Thai power-ballad shtick that can fucking get to you after 5 hours and not enough sleep. I started singing along at one point 'Please turn the fucking music off' to whatever tune was playing... just needed to vent a little frustration, and miracle of miracles, the music went off about ten minutes later. Oy....
Big rain down here, lots of flooding in sight from the window of the van, still monsoon season here. Hey there's a yankee cap walking by in this mall where they have an internet cafe. My favorite sight so far was a 6 foot statue of Ronald McDonals outside of the restaurant, his hands clasped in prayer pose, which is how the Thais show respect. Uh, yeah, OK. Hard to get 'respect' and 'McDonalds' in the same sentence, but I guess they tried. Can you say 'cognitive dissonance'.
Gonna go to a travel agent in a couple of hours to book the rest of the trip into Malaysia tomorrow. It's 5 or so hours away, so it shouldn't be a big deal. Looking forward to Georgetown on Panang Island. But at the moment I'm more looking forward to a nap. and off I go...
Ready for a nap on this rainy day in the big city (seriously) of Hatyai in southern Thailand. I'm in a downtown hotel so I went big, and got a $14 dollar room, woohoo! Smooth sailing on the night boat, we arrived at 4:30 am into Surathani and walked a few blocks to where you can catch the van south to Malaysia. My friend Adam wanted to break up the trip by stopping here in Hatyai, which was a 5 hour ride in a 15 seater van. Not bad for most of it, but at one point I was scrunched in next to a Rashid-like Thai kid talking loud on his cell phone while the music in the van continued to play the very annoying Thai power-ballad shtick that can fucking get to you after 5 hours and not enough sleep. I started singing along at one point 'Please turn the fucking music off' to whatever tune was playing... just needed to vent a little frustration, and miracle of miracles, the music went off about ten minutes later. Oy....
Big rain down here, lots of flooding in sight from the window of the van, still monsoon season here. Hey there's a yankee cap walking by in this mall where they have an internet cafe. My favorite sight so far was a 6 foot statue of Ronald McDonals outside of the restaurant, his hands clasped in prayer pose, which is how the Thais show respect. Uh, yeah, OK. Hard to get 'respect' and 'McDonalds' in the same sentence, but I guess they tried. Can you say 'cognitive dissonance'.
Gonna go to a travel agent in a couple of hours to book the rest of the trip into Malaysia tomorrow. It's 5 or so hours away, so it shouldn't be a big deal. Looking forward to Georgetown on Panang Island. But at the moment I'm more looking forward to a nap. and off I go...
Llega el momento (the moment arrives)
Yeah, when people ask me how long I'll be staying at a particular place, my answer generally is along the lines of 'one day at a time', and today happens to be that day. I guess it came to me in the middle of the night that I was ready to roll, and it came in a feeling of some sadness, some wondering, some resignation that this is the path I've chosen, so here we go. I suppose I could delve into it a little bit, and the first thing that comes to mind is that song by Manu Chao called 'el desaparecido' (the disappeared one). The words really resonate, especially at a moment like this.
Llevo en el cuerpo un dolor I carry in my body a pain
Que no me deja respirar That doesn't let me breathe
Llevo en el alma una condena I carry a condemnation in my soul
Que siempre me echa a caminar That always throws me back on the road
Cuando llegare' cuando llegare' When will I arrive? When will I arrive?
It sounds a bit grim, and there's a part of it which is maybe that, but it's not the only part. I think that maybe it's the price for choosing to live an unconventional existence, at least by US standards. It's funny how when folks in Eugene asked me how long I was going to be gone for, they were kind of dumbfounded when I replied '4 months'. It doesn't really fit the mind-set to cut loose like that. Conversely on the road, it's more or less the norm. People are out for 6 months, 4 months, a year, and it's not a big deal, simply a consciousness shift.
At the moment I'm ducking in out of a rain squall in the 'city' of Thong Sala, which is the commercial and transportation center of Ko Phangan Island. Most of the ferries land here, and it's the place to begin trips back to the mainland, which is my plan. But first I wanted to rent a scooter and tour the island, see some of the places that were inaccessible from my idyllic spot in Than Sadet. 'Inaccessible' because the road to there is a steep, rutted mess that the taxis don't want to tackle if they don't have to. And when the rains hit hard, you can't really get there other than by boat.
But from here, the rest of the island is easily accessible, so I took a nice ride along the coastline to get the sense of what I'd been missing. This place is definitely 'alternative', with yoga centers, health food restaurants, herbal saunas etc. It's very 'Eugene' for lack of a better term, and for any of you hippies out there, this is one of the places in Thailand you want to visit. Good vibe, especially in the off season.
I rented a total dive room because I wanted to stash my pack and guitar before renting the scooter, and I found a place for $7. It will work for one night, and more than likely, I'll be on a boat out of here tomorrow. The plan is still to head south to Malaysia; if I do it in one shot, it's about 18 hours between the boat and the van. Or I could break it up into two segments. Like I say, one day at a time.
I'm feeling very good, ear seems to be getting better thanks to some 'penicillin' I got from the pharmacy. The reason for the quotes is the fact that my doc in Oregon tells me there is lots of counterfeit stuff from China that finds its way to market in the far east, so I'm hoping for the best. Vamos a ver. Or as I said on Facebook, 'I hope this 'penicillin' I'm taking for an ear ache is what it purports to be, rather than say, some powdered monkey balls from China. My ear hasn't responded yet, but on the bright side, I feel like climbing a tree and eating a banana'. (It's feeling a bit better today, so I'm hopeful)
And then I have a paying gig in Chiang Mai on December 3. One of the buddies I made there last year is a great guy, intellectual, quick wit, former fire fighter from San Francisco who is celebrating 30 years since he set foot in Thailand, and he asked me if I'd make some music at his event. It's at the place where I used to play, and where M works, so I'll get to have another installment in that tele novela. John will 'make it worth my while' (whatever the hell THAT means), but I like the idea of having a gig to play in this part of the world. And the weather is a lot cooler in the north which will be nice after sweating it out for the past few weeks. So that's about a week and a half away, during which time I'll go to Georgetown on Panang Island in Malaysia and arrange for a two month Thai visa. Then I'll likely grab a flight to Chiang Mai, because that's one luxury that I like to take advantage of. I don't drink or smoke, so I save a lot of money that most people spend, and I'll use that cash to fly around when I want to.... Life is good!
Llevo en el cuerpo un dolor I carry in my body a pain
Que no me deja respirar That doesn't let me breathe
Llevo en el alma una condena I carry a condemnation in my soul
Que siempre me echa a caminar That always throws me back on the road
Cuando llegare' cuando llegare' When will I arrive? When will I arrive?
It sounds a bit grim, and there's a part of it which is maybe that, but it's not the only part. I think that maybe it's the price for choosing to live an unconventional existence, at least by US standards. It's funny how when folks in Eugene asked me how long I was going to be gone for, they were kind of dumbfounded when I replied '4 months'. It doesn't really fit the mind-set to cut loose like that. Conversely on the road, it's more or less the norm. People are out for 6 months, 4 months, a year, and it's not a big deal, simply a consciousness shift.
At the moment I'm ducking in out of a rain squall in the 'city' of Thong Sala, which is the commercial and transportation center of Ko Phangan Island. Most of the ferries land here, and it's the place to begin trips back to the mainland, which is my plan. But first I wanted to rent a scooter and tour the island, see some of the places that were inaccessible from my idyllic spot in Than Sadet. 'Inaccessible' because the road to there is a steep, rutted mess that the taxis don't want to tackle if they don't have to. And when the rains hit hard, you can't really get there other than by boat.
But from here, the rest of the island is easily accessible, so I took a nice ride along the coastline to get the sense of what I'd been missing. This place is definitely 'alternative', with yoga centers, health food restaurants, herbal saunas etc. It's very 'Eugene' for lack of a better term, and for any of you hippies out there, this is one of the places in Thailand you want to visit. Good vibe, especially in the off season.
I rented a total dive room because I wanted to stash my pack and guitar before renting the scooter, and I found a place for $7. It will work for one night, and more than likely, I'll be on a boat out of here tomorrow. The plan is still to head south to Malaysia; if I do it in one shot, it's about 18 hours between the boat and the van. Or I could break it up into two segments. Like I say, one day at a time.
I'm feeling very good, ear seems to be getting better thanks to some 'penicillin' I got from the pharmacy. The reason for the quotes is the fact that my doc in Oregon tells me there is lots of counterfeit stuff from China that finds its way to market in the far east, so I'm hoping for the best. Vamos a ver. Or as I said on Facebook, 'I hope this 'penicillin' I'm taking for an ear ache is what it purports to be, rather than say, some powdered monkey balls from China. My ear hasn't responded yet, but on the bright side, I feel like climbing a tree and eating a banana'. (It's feeling a bit better today, so I'm hopeful)
And then I have a paying gig in Chiang Mai on December 3. One of the buddies I made there last year is a great guy, intellectual, quick wit, former fire fighter from San Francisco who is celebrating 30 years since he set foot in Thailand, and he asked me if I'd make some music at his event. It's at the place where I used to play, and where M works, so I'll get to have another installment in that tele novela. John will 'make it worth my while' (whatever the hell THAT means), but I like the idea of having a gig to play in this part of the world. And the weather is a lot cooler in the north which will be nice after sweating it out for the past few weeks. So that's about a week and a half away, during which time I'll go to Georgetown on Panang Island in Malaysia and arrange for a two month Thai visa. Then I'll likely grab a flight to Chiang Mai, because that's one luxury that I like to take advantage of. I don't drink or smoke, so I save a lot of money that most people spend, and I'll use that cash to fly around when I want to.... Life is good!
One-trick pony?
Yep, that might be me, a one-trick pony..... however my trick is pretty magical and it fills me with some kind of spiritual fulfillment, my self-criticism notwithstanding. It's the music thing, and the fact that alone among my contemporaries, I've dragged along a guitar so I can continue to express the world through music. It doesn't always lead to transcendence, but it does enough of the time to make the extra shlepping worthwhile.
Other folks have their Mac Books, laptops, cameras, flash drives etc and I'm living in the 60s with a guitar and a journal and time on my hands. But wow, some of the moments that result are just thrilling. I'm thinking specifically of our group's theme song 'Bhang Lassie', which I composed over a couple days last week. I managed to refer to each member of the posse in the lyric, so there was some kind of group ownership of the song and people will remember it forever, I'm guessing.
It kinda started when Julian, our funny Frenchman was drinking his Bhang Lassie (pot milkshake, basically) and someone asked 'Do you feel anything?' He responded 'just a leetle bit' (strong French accent). The sound of his answer made Asta (from Lithuania) crack up a little bit, and when he repeated the phrase a couple minutes later, she had the same reaction, as did I. So that phrase 'just a leetle bit' became part of the song (an important part as the audience will eventually join in thee with a smile.
The two German girls each asked me, unbeknownst to the other, if I could play the song 'Over the Rainbow', so that line made it in as well. My British buddy, Neale uses the term 'chuck it' with that cool English accent, so that got in there too. And then it's my job to craft it into a whole, make it sound good and solid and funny and ours. It's as close to shamanism as I can get, because there is something divine that happens when I try and put it all together. And then when we sang it on our final night togther, it was very special, very bonding.... and of course people made copies with their laptops, flash drives etc.
Am I missing something by not having 'the gear'? Very likely so, yet there is something in me that wants to keep it this way, simple and old school. (although of course, it's not really old school to be writing a blog at an internet cafe, but you get the point). I think in this world, most people find the level of technoloy they're comfortable with, and by 'most people' I probably mean 'me'.
Other folks have their Mac Books, laptops, cameras, flash drives etc and I'm living in the 60s with a guitar and a journal and time on my hands. But wow, some of the moments that result are just thrilling. I'm thinking specifically of our group's theme song 'Bhang Lassie', which I composed over a couple days last week. I managed to refer to each member of the posse in the lyric, so there was some kind of group ownership of the song and people will remember it forever, I'm guessing.
It kinda started when Julian, our funny Frenchman was drinking his Bhang Lassie (pot milkshake, basically) and someone asked 'Do you feel anything?' He responded 'just a leetle bit' (strong French accent). The sound of his answer made Asta (from Lithuania) crack up a little bit, and when he repeated the phrase a couple minutes later, she had the same reaction, as did I. So that phrase 'just a leetle bit' became part of the song (an important part as the audience will eventually join in thee with a smile.
The two German girls each asked me, unbeknownst to the other, if I could play the song 'Over the Rainbow', so that line made it in as well. My British buddy, Neale uses the term 'chuck it' with that cool English accent, so that got in there too. And then it's my job to craft it into a whole, make it sound good and solid and funny and ours. It's as close to shamanism as I can get, because there is something divine that happens when I try and put it all together. And then when we sang it on our final night togther, it was very special, very bonding.... and of course people made copies with their laptops, flash drives etc.
Am I missing something by not having 'the gear'? Very likely so, yet there is something in me that wants to keep it this way, simple and old school. (although of course, it's not really old school to be writing a blog at an internet cafe, but you get the point). I think in this world, most people find the level of technoloy they're comfortable with, and by 'most people' I probably mean 'me'.
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