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'.
In the city....
I was heading off on my daily walk over the hill when I stopped in on Dominic, a 46 year old Brit who owns a couple of houses on the bluff above our bungalows. He's a trip, has traveled extensively, a million stories and each one, pretty damned entertaining, total raconteur. Turns out he was heading on a shopping run into Tong Sala, the main town on the island, so I made a quick change of plans and grabbed a ride into town. My only plan was to score some anti biotics due to this earache that I've developed, and Dominic knows the 'locals place' where the prices are a fourth of what they'd be around the corner. Sure enough, I got a 5 day dose of pennicillin for about $5, and man, that's pretty cool, especially compared with what you have to go through in the states to get your meds. (doctor visit, overpriced, prescription then a trip to the pharmacy, overpriced)
Dom speaks Thai quite well, and we made some stops at the market, at the supermarket, at the welding shop etc, so I got a sense of the town, where the good places are, the best Thai massage, best expat bar etc. It's great to get the local knowledge and we find ourselves having a good time together. He's gonna get some dental work done and I'll wait with my book until we're ready to return to the serenity of Than Sadet on the beach. It's different now, what with the departure of Neale and Asta who are off to Bangkok and then Myanmar. That was a phenomenal connection that we made, and now they are suddenly musicians with songs to practice and a whole new slant on traveling.
I taught them a lot of music, he on the uke, and she on the vocals. Asta is an incredible singer, she just has that 'thing' that you can't teach, an irresistible charisma, sense of humor, joie de vivre, that everyone loves. She could win Lithuanian Idol, if there is such a thing. I taught them about 5 or 6 songs, and they are loving this new wrinkle in their travel. I hope we meet again. We made a recording of 'Glory of Love', me on guitar and she on vocals and it is tremendous. She just has the knack for delivering a song. And it's so cool to see how much she loves it. :-) And her eastern European accent on top of an American song is pretty special. Hopefully I'll get a copy of it and post it to Facebook. We shall see.
I'm a tad forlorn at having to say goodbye, as the connection was one of the best I've ever experienced on the road, but c'est la vie, (la vie), that's the way it goes. I've got a guitar, good health and a gorgeous, economical place to call home, and I'm content with that.
Short post today, not a lot to say....
Dom speaks Thai quite well, and we made some stops at the market, at the supermarket, at the welding shop etc, so I got a sense of the town, where the good places are, the best Thai massage, best expat bar etc. It's great to get the local knowledge and we find ourselves having a good time together. He's gonna get some dental work done and I'll wait with my book until we're ready to return to the serenity of Than Sadet on the beach. It's different now, what with the departure of Neale and Asta who are off to Bangkok and then Myanmar. That was a phenomenal connection that we made, and now they are suddenly musicians with songs to practice and a whole new slant on traveling.
I taught them a lot of music, he on the uke, and she on the vocals. Asta is an incredible singer, she just has that 'thing' that you can't teach, an irresistible charisma, sense of humor, joie de vivre, that everyone loves. She could win Lithuanian Idol, if there is such a thing. I taught them about 5 or 6 songs, and they are loving this new wrinkle in their travel. I hope we meet again. We made a recording of 'Glory of Love', me on guitar and she on vocals and it is tremendous. She just has the knack for delivering a song. And it's so cool to see how much she loves it. :-) And her eastern European accent on top of an American song is pretty special. Hopefully I'll get a copy of it and post it to Facebook. We shall see.
I'm a tad forlorn at having to say goodbye, as the connection was one of the best I've ever experienced on the road, but c'est la vie, (la vie), that's the way it goes. I've got a guitar, good health and a gorgeous, economical place to call home, and I'm content with that.
Short post today, not a lot to say....
Sweating in the tropics. (sweet)
Guys, you know those pickup basketball games at the Y, where there's one guy who no one wants to guard because he's pouring sweat, and every time you brush up against him, it's disgusting. Well that's how I get within 5 minutes of the start of my hikes over the hill to town. When it's 85 degrees out and the humidity is 99 percent, it is the sweatiest I've ever been. Feels awesome, especially because I'm trekking over a lush hill, bursting with jungle energy, waving trees, lizards, butterflies and things in a raging state of growth.
It's the tail end of monsoon season in this part of Thailand, the mainland stopped raining a month or so ago, but here, we've had some great downpours. One of the results is that it's super quiet in this part of the world right now, very few tourists, off-season prices and a very calm atmosphere. I didn't know that was going to be the case, but I love it. It gives me a chance to get my travel legs under me, with lots of exercise, great food, plenty of water (from the bottle, naturally), daily swims in the ocean, daily dunkings in the waterfall which is close by. I couldn't really ask for a more 'chill' spot to hang out.
So of course it brings up the inevitable travel question of 'should I stay or should I go?'. That's the fundamental thing to decide on the road, especially if one travels without an itinerary like I do. I tend to rely on my instincts, and at this point, my instinct is to hang out some more days here, even though my friends are all heading out, I'm not quite ready. It's too good here, and it feels like I'm in some kind of training for whatever comes next. I had to shed my layer of western flab, and every day, I'm getting leaner, tanner and more fit. Not quite there yet, but things are trending very positively. I feel great.
In Thailand, one of the other considerations is the visa situation, as they give you 30 days upon arrival, and then you have to vacate the country before re-entry. I've been talking to some long-timers down here, and am beginning to formulate a plan based on what I've been learning. The best option sounds like a trip south to Malaysia, where you end up in the town of Georgetown on Panang Island, and that sounds like an incredible place to be. The population is basically 1/3 Chinese, 1/3 Malay (muslim) and 1/3 Indian, and I hear the food is about the best anywhere in the region. Georgetown gets great reviews as far as being a friendly, safe and interesting city, so after my month of beaches and islands, my most likely move is to head south, enjoy a bit of Malaysia, then return to Thailand, this time with a 60 day visa. Of course this could all change, but it seems like a good bet.
Yesterday on the beach I saw a 3 and 1/2 foot long monitor lizard, amazing!. But it was nothing compared to what our Basque buddy Cristobal saw while returning to the bungalow. He was coming up the steps from the beach, when a 2 meter long snake cruised by, crossing the path just above him. He was surprised, reacted with a start, and the snake rose up from the step and hissed at him, freaking him out. It was a king cobra, quite the moment for our buddy, especially since they were about eye to eye from a distance of two meters. Now all of use are really paying attention when we climb the stairs, one more thing to keep an eye out for.
Me, I'm finding myself being quite cautious as there is no one looking out for me, other than me. So when I'm scrambling on the rocks in the river, I'm extra careful, as this is no place to fall and bash my head or break an arm. Ditto when I'm swimming in the ocean, I'm just that much more careful knowing that I'm on my own here and if I get pulled out to sea.... no one is gonna save me. I like the feeling, keeps me focused.
It's the tail end of monsoon season in this part of Thailand, the mainland stopped raining a month or so ago, but here, we've had some great downpours. One of the results is that it's super quiet in this part of the world right now, very few tourists, off-season prices and a very calm atmosphere. I didn't know that was going to be the case, but I love it. It gives me a chance to get my travel legs under me, with lots of exercise, great food, plenty of water (from the bottle, naturally), daily swims in the ocean, daily dunkings in the waterfall which is close by. I couldn't really ask for a more 'chill' spot to hang out.
So of course it brings up the inevitable travel question of 'should I stay or should I go?'. That's the fundamental thing to decide on the road, especially if one travels without an itinerary like I do. I tend to rely on my instincts, and at this point, my instinct is to hang out some more days here, even though my friends are all heading out, I'm not quite ready. It's too good here, and it feels like I'm in some kind of training for whatever comes next. I had to shed my layer of western flab, and every day, I'm getting leaner, tanner and more fit. Not quite there yet, but things are trending very positively. I feel great.
In Thailand, one of the other considerations is the visa situation, as they give you 30 days upon arrival, and then you have to vacate the country before re-entry. I've been talking to some long-timers down here, and am beginning to formulate a plan based on what I've been learning. The best option sounds like a trip south to Malaysia, where you end up in the town of Georgetown on Panang Island, and that sounds like an incredible place to be. The population is basically 1/3 Chinese, 1/3 Malay (muslim) and 1/3 Indian, and I hear the food is about the best anywhere in the region. Georgetown gets great reviews as far as being a friendly, safe and interesting city, so after my month of beaches and islands, my most likely move is to head south, enjoy a bit of Malaysia, then return to Thailand, this time with a 60 day visa. Of course this could all change, but it seems like a good bet.
Yesterday on the beach I saw a 3 and 1/2 foot long monitor lizard, amazing!. But it was nothing compared to what our Basque buddy Cristobal saw while returning to the bungalow. He was coming up the steps from the beach, when a 2 meter long snake cruised by, crossing the path just above him. He was surprised, reacted with a start, and the snake rose up from the step and hissed at him, freaking him out. It was a king cobra, quite the moment for our buddy, especially since they were about eye to eye from a distance of two meters. Now all of use are really paying attention when we climb the stairs, one more thing to keep an eye out for.
Me, I'm finding myself being quite cautious as there is no one looking out for me, other than me. So when I'm scrambling on the rocks in the river, I'm extra careful, as this is no place to fall and bash my head or break an arm. Ditto when I'm swimming in the ocean, I'm just that much more careful knowing that I'm on my own here and if I get pulled out to sea.... no one is gonna save me. I like the feeling, keeps me focused.
Bhang Lassie
An original reggae tune, sung in Jamaican patois....
Two hundred baht for a spot on the beach
A little bungalow.......in the jungle, yo
Rain a fall, I hope the rain a stop soon
Yah mon, soon
See what I did with the fake Jamaica
For the sake of the flow, I make a
Play on the words and see where the story go
Ya never know
Bhang Lassie bhang bhang lassie, yeah, oh yeah
Bhang Lassie, bhang bhang lassie yeah
Can ya feel it?
Just a little bit
A little island in the south of Thailand
Calm for a reason, off season
Flyin' high lookin' down on the China Sea
My friends and me
Some of us on holiday
Some of us had to chuck it away
Fly over the rainbow
To see what we might see
Ooooweee
Bhang Lassie bhang bhang lassie, yeah, oh yeah
Bhang Lassie, bhang bhang lassie yeah
Can ya feel it?
Just a little bit
To make me happy doesn't take a lot
Food in my belly, a song in my heart
Leave America? Sure, why not
In Thailand you get more bang for the Baht
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I realize that if you can't hear the music, it's just words on a page, but this time, if all goes right, you'll get to hear it and see it too. Last night was a bit of a farewell as the two German couples were spending their final night with our group. One of the guys, Harry, has a good video camera and he set it up for us to record the song, (our theme song) sitting around a couple of tables. It came off perfectly on the first take, almost as though it were meant to be that way, like there was a light on this group and this experience.
Then Neil grabs his little speaker from his Iphone, Chris grabs his mini-computer and cables, and within a minute, we're watching and hearing ourselves on the screen (in the middle of the jungle, basically). What a world, and for me, it's a revelation, some kind of a dream come true. I really don't want to do the technology piece. I provide something else, the creative spark, so in my ideal community, I get to do my thing and the tech people get to do their thing and everyone benefits. Last night was almost the epitome of that idea. And Harry promises to post it on Facebook and tag us all. I'll send the link when it appears.
Speaking of 'ideal community', this was exactly that. We bonded like we were kids at summer camp; it had that kind of magical feeling to it. Rather than sit at separate tables, we immediately became one group and everyone had the experience that this was one of the best places ever on the road. It doesn't hurt that we're staying in a beautiful, off-season spot on a remote part of Ko Phangan island. There are about 4 different sets of bungalows in the immediate area, but the other three are closed for the month, so it's super chill and super quiet. The food is fantastic, and the vibe has been unbelievable. Couldn't be better.
Days are spent hiking, swimming, relaxing and then partying in the evening. Yesterday Neil and Asta and I walked up the river which feeds into our little cove. We picked our was along rocks and boulders, heading to some of the small waterfalls and swimming holes which make this place even more special. Beaches are everywhere, but a fresh water stream is something special. So much so that there is a history of different Thai kings coming here to visit and enjoy the waterfalls. By the way, they're not waterfalls like in Oregon, but rather small cascading sections of the river with little pools to get in and out of. The water is pretty warm, as you'd expect, being that we're not all that far from the equator.
Every other day, I hike over to the town and check the email and make a little contact. It's part of the rhythm, and a big part of it is taking a sweaty jaunt on a dirt track that one time allowed for auto traffic between the two towns, but due to monsoons and the erosion they cause, it's now just for foot traffic. A gorgeous sweaty hike there and back. Feels awesome.
My favorite folks that I've met so far are this couple Neil and Asta. He is a Brit, 38 years old, fit, funny from Leicester (pronounced Lester) in the midlands of England, He had a very big career in finance, team leader of Europe working for JP Morgan and was on the fast track to huge 'success'. No one in banking walks away from that, but to the astonishment of his contemporaries, that's exactly what he did, partly due to his love for Asta, a beautiful 26 year old blond from Lithuania. She is a charismatic, talented funny woman, and everyone loves her when they meet her. The two of them are on a two year, round the world odyssey; they're six months into it now, having trekked in Nepal, motor-cycled through India etc.
Nick owns a flat in London which he has rented out for 1200 Euros/month and that money fuels their adventure.
We all arrived here within minutes of one another, and I saw that he had a ukulele with him. Great, I thought, we could jam. Turns out that he didn't know how to play it, but had carried it for 6 Months! apparently waiting to find a teacher. His dad was a jazz musician in England and figured that Neil needed an instrument on the road, so he bought him this uke. Well, it turns out that I'm that teacher, so part of our connection has been me showing him how to play and how music works. I know that it's a life changer for them, because she is a great singer so now we're getting them going on their first songs. So far it's been 'Dream' 'In the Jungle', 'Ring of Fire' and 'Blowin in the Wind'. Asta sings with a Lithuanian accent and she couldn't be more charming. I'm so happy to be able to get them rolling with music, and the fact that he carried a uke for 6 months without playing it is mind-blowing. Either that or just one of the many stories you run into on the road. It's a good one.
Two hundred baht for a spot on the beach
A little bungalow.......in the jungle, yo
Rain a fall, I hope the rain a stop soon
Yah mon, soon
See what I did with the fake Jamaica
For the sake of the flow, I make a
Play on the words and see where the story go
Ya never know
Bhang Lassie bhang bhang lassie, yeah, oh yeah
Bhang Lassie, bhang bhang lassie yeah
Can ya feel it?
Just a little bit
A little island in the south of Thailand
Calm for a reason, off season
Flyin' high lookin' down on the China Sea
My friends and me
Some of us on holiday
Some of us had to chuck it away
Fly over the rainbow
To see what we might see
Ooooweee
Bhang Lassie bhang bhang lassie, yeah, oh yeah
Bhang Lassie, bhang bhang lassie yeah
Can ya feel it?
Just a little bit
To make me happy doesn't take a lot
Food in my belly, a song in my heart
Leave America? Sure, why not
In Thailand you get more bang for the Baht
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I realize that if you can't hear the music, it's just words on a page, but this time, if all goes right, you'll get to hear it and see it too. Last night was a bit of a farewell as the two German couples were spending their final night with our group. One of the guys, Harry, has a good video camera and he set it up for us to record the song, (our theme song) sitting around a couple of tables. It came off perfectly on the first take, almost as though it were meant to be that way, like there was a light on this group and this experience.
Then Neil grabs his little speaker from his Iphone, Chris grabs his mini-computer and cables, and within a minute, we're watching and hearing ourselves on the screen (in the middle of the jungle, basically). What a world, and for me, it's a revelation, some kind of a dream come true. I really don't want to do the technology piece. I provide something else, the creative spark, so in my ideal community, I get to do my thing and the tech people get to do their thing and everyone benefits. Last night was almost the epitome of that idea. And Harry promises to post it on Facebook and tag us all. I'll send the link when it appears.
Speaking of 'ideal community', this was exactly that. We bonded like we were kids at summer camp; it had that kind of magical feeling to it. Rather than sit at separate tables, we immediately became one group and everyone had the experience that this was one of the best places ever on the road. It doesn't hurt that we're staying in a beautiful, off-season spot on a remote part of Ko Phangan island. There are about 4 different sets of bungalows in the immediate area, but the other three are closed for the month, so it's super chill and super quiet. The food is fantastic, and the vibe has been unbelievable. Couldn't be better.
Days are spent hiking, swimming, relaxing and then partying in the evening. Yesterday Neil and Asta and I walked up the river which feeds into our little cove. We picked our was along rocks and boulders, heading to some of the small waterfalls and swimming holes which make this place even more special. Beaches are everywhere, but a fresh water stream is something special. So much so that there is a history of different Thai kings coming here to visit and enjoy the waterfalls. By the way, they're not waterfalls like in Oregon, but rather small cascading sections of the river with little pools to get in and out of. The water is pretty warm, as you'd expect, being that we're not all that far from the equator.
Every other day, I hike over to the town and check the email and make a little contact. It's part of the rhythm, and a big part of it is taking a sweaty jaunt on a dirt track that one time allowed for auto traffic between the two towns, but due to monsoons and the erosion they cause, it's now just for foot traffic. A gorgeous sweaty hike there and back. Feels awesome.
My favorite folks that I've met so far are this couple Neil and Asta. He is a Brit, 38 years old, fit, funny from Leicester (pronounced Lester) in the midlands of England, He had a very big career in finance, team leader of Europe working for JP Morgan and was on the fast track to huge 'success'. No one in banking walks away from that, but to the astonishment of his contemporaries, that's exactly what he did, partly due to his love for Asta, a beautiful 26 year old blond from Lithuania. She is a charismatic, talented funny woman, and everyone loves her when they meet her. The two of them are on a two year, round the world odyssey; they're six months into it now, having trekked in Nepal, motor-cycled through India etc.
Nick owns a flat in London which he has rented out for 1200 Euros/month and that money fuels their adventure.
We all arrived here within minutes of one another, and I saw that he had a ukulele with him. Great, I thought, we could jam. Turns out that he didn't know how to play it, but had carried it for 6 Months! apparently waiting to find a teacher. His dad was a jazz musician in England and figured that Neil needed an instrument on the road, so he bought him this uke. Well, it turns out that I'm that teacher, so part of our connection has been me showing him how to play and how music works. I know that it's a life changer for them, because she is a great singer so now we're getting them going on their first songs. So far it's been 'Dream' 'In the Jungle', 'Ring of Fire' and 'Blowin in the Wind'. Asta sings with a Lithuanian accent and she couldn't be more charming. I'm so happy to be able to get them rolling with music, and the fact that he carried a uke for 6 months without playing it is mind-blowing. Either that or just one of the many stories you run into on the road. It's a good one.
Livin' it up at the Hotel California....
Internet is slow and expensive here, so this brief will be just that, brief. I found a great spot through a FB friend of an FB friend, and I've been told not to mention the specific place so as not to increase the traffic there. Like someone says, once it's recommended by Lonely Planet, that's the end of the good times.
But I'm holed up in a fabulous funky place on a bluff that looks over a little beach and across the beach to a great jungle habitat. It's a commanding view from here, looking down over the coconut trees, watching the birds, watching the sea. A family runs the place and it's almost like a club med for backpackers. Prices are cheap (my room is $200 baht/night $7.00) and the food is fantastic and cheap. Rice soup with pork and vegetables and a little ginger mixed in is a couple of bucks and I have it most mornings.
My comrades are a great group, and if I had more time, I'd go into some particulars. Right now we are 11 or 12, two young German couples, a Frenchman, a Brit whose partner is from Lithuania, a Basque from Andorra, couple of Russians, I'm the only Yank which is fine by me. The default language is English, so it's easy communicating. (for me, at least)
Turns out that the monsoon is still happening down here, even though it's finished in the mainland and we've had rain every day, sometimes quite heavy. Everything is damp, and I smell pretty ripe, even though I showered this morning before the 50 minute walk into the town. It's a pretty good up and down, and I was pouring sweat within ten minutes.
So why the title 'Livin' it up in the Hotel California'? Because that's exactly what's happening here, only you have to replace the 'dark desert highway' with the muddy tropical track. But we've got that spirit here and the group is well bonded and laughing a lot. The party really kicked into gear day before yesterday and it started with an item on the menu. They have these yogurt shakes called 'Lassie' and you can get a mango lassie, pineapple lassie fruit lassie etc, but there is one item that costs three times as much as the others and it's called 'Bang-lassie' (insert joke here). One of our experienced travelers who had done a lot of travel in India knew that that's the lassie that is blended with some 'herbal' products that make for a fun evening. (Do I need to spell it out?)
He asked if he could just get the bang, hold the lassie, and sure, no problem, got a bag o bang for $12, some rolling papers, mix with tobacco and voila, 'everything has changed' was what they told me when I showed up in the dining room. We had quite the rocking party that night, many beers and bangs for the buddies, and me on guitar, making it up as we go. That's about my favorite thing to do, lay down a groove and sing what's happening, so there ya go. People were loving it, joining in the improv, tremendously funny vibes, we were cracking ourselves up. Our version of Hotel California was probably the best ever, because not only were we singing it (with our own lyrics), we were living it.
Started working on a new song this morning, don't have my notebook with me but let's see if I can remember the first verse. It's a reggae thing as befits this climate and this Bangalassie
200 baht for a spot on the beach
A little bungalow....
In the jungle yo
Rain a fall and I hope the rain stop soon, mon, soon
See what I did with the fake Jamaica
For the sake of the flow
Make a word play and see where the story go
--------------------------------------------
something like that, and I know it makes no sense without the music, but I'll get it written soon. When I heard the word 'Banga lassie', that little bell rang that says, theres a song there. So now it's just fill in the puzzle until it's right.
Gonna leave this post now and get back walking with my friends, exploring the island, seeing new places, getting great exercise in the up and down. Swim later, great food, great company, gratitude and happiness. Really want to write a lot, but I'll wait until I'm in a spot that is more conducive to pouring out the prose.
Til next time,
Licha (That's the way they say Richard here)
But I'm holed up in a fabulous funky place on a bluff that looks over a little beach and across the beach to a great jungle habitat. It's a commanding view from here, looking down over the coconut trees, watching the birds, watching the sea. A family runs the place and it's almost like a club med for backpackers. Prices are cheap (my room is $200 baht/night $7.00) and the food is fantastic and cheap. Rice soup with pork and vegetables and a little ginger mixed in is a couple of bucks and I have it most mornings.
My comrades are a great group, and if I had more time, I'd go into some particulars. Right now we are 11 or 12, two young German couples, a Frenchman, a Brit whose partner is from Lithuania, a Basque from Andorra, couple of Russians, I'm the only Yank which is fine by me. The default language is English, so it's easy communicating. (for me, at least)
Turns out that the monsoon is still happening down here, even though it's finished in the mainland and we've had rain every day, sometimes quite heavy. Everything is damp, and I smell pretty ripe, even though I showered this morning before the 50 minute walk into the town. It's a pretty good up and down, and I was pouring sweat within ten minutes.
So why the title 'Livin' it up in the Hotel California'? Because that's exactly what's happening here, only you have to replace the 'dark desert highway' with the muddy tropical track. But we've got that spirit here and the group is well bonded and laughing a lot. The party really kicked into gear day before yesterday and it started with an item on the menu. They have these yogurt shakes called 'Lassie' and you can get a mango lassie, pineapple lassie fruit lassie etc, but there is one item that costs three times as much as the others and it's called 'Bang-lassie' (insert joke here). One of our experienced travelers who had done a lot of travel in India knew that that's the lassie that is blended with some 'herbal' products that make for a fun evening. (Do I need to spell it out?)
He asked if he could just get the bang, hold the lassie, and sure, no problem, got a bag o bang for $12, some rolling papers, mix with tobacco and voila, 'everything has changed' was what they told me when I showed up in the dining room. We had quite the rocking party that night, many beers and bangs for the buddies, and me on guitar, making it up as we go. That's about my favorite thing to do, lay down a groove and sing what's happening, so there ya go. People were loving it, joining in the improv, tremendously funny vibes, we were cracking ourselves up. Our version of Hotel California was probably the best ever, because not only were we singing it (with our own lyrics), we were living it.
Started working on a new song this morning, don't have my notebook with me but let's see if I can remember the first verse. It's a reggae thing as befits this climate and this Bangalassie
200 baht for a spot on the beach
A little bungalow....
In the jungle yo
Rain a fall and I hope the rain stop soon, mon, soon
See what I did with the fake Jamaica
For the sake of the flow
Make a word play and see where the story go
--------------------------------------------
something like that, and I know it makes no sense without the music, but I'll get it written soon. When I heard the word 'Banga lassie', that little bell rang that says, theres a song there. So now it's just fill in the puzzle until it's right.
Gonna leave this post now and get back walking with my friends, exploring the island, seeing new places, getting great exercise in the up and down. Swim later, great food, great company, gratitude and happiness. Really want to write a lot, but I'll wait until I'm in a spot that is more conducive to pouring out the prose.
Til next time,
Licha (That's the way they say Richard here)
Into the Great Wide Open....
After 4 nights in the party town of Haadrin, I packed my bag, grabbed my guitar and found my way onto the road. Next stop seems to be Than Sadet, which looks to be a very quiet spot on the eastern shore of this island Ko Phangan. I'm following the recommendation of a Facebook friend of a Facebook friend who lives in that town, so I'll give it a shot. I have the name of the Bungalows where he stays and he assures me that there will be a spot for me. We shall see.
Not sure about the availability of internet up there so this could be my last post for a little while, though I'm guessing that there will be some access. It will be great to get away from the throngs of young tourists who drive up the prices and drive down the possibility of good connection with the locals. Than Sadet looks to be the opposite of where I've just been, so I'm hoping for a nice quiet place to swim, hike, connect and stretch out my soul.
This is not to say that I had a lousy time in Haadrin; quite the contrary, as I made some really sweet connections with local folks, Prem, his sister Pooh, who has just opened a little vegetarian restaurant, and some of the women who wait tables at the restaurant where I first touched down. Pooh, in particular was some kind of angel, 40 years old, two kids, very much into Buddhism, and since business was a bit slow for her, we had time to talk about stuff. She shared with me the 5 rules of Buddhism in a way that made profound sense. Don't kill, don't steal, don't lie or speak badly of others, only have one wife, don't do drugs (alcohol, tobacco etc).
According to Pooh, when you break one of the rules, it trigges consequences in other areas, as they are all connected really. For instance if you gossip about someone, you are 'stealing' their reputation. If you do drugs, you are 'killing' a part of yourself etc. She is definitely a 'true believer' and seems to be doing her best to live a pure existence (divorce notwithstanding). And she also made a very interesting comment about men. She said 'men are like dogs, only thinking of themselves'. I didn't bother to explain that the 'man' as 'dog' metaphor is quite common in America. She just came up with it herself.
At the moment I'm en route to Than Sadet, having grabbed some transportation to Than Sala, the main city on the island. From here it's easier to find a ride to Sadet, and I'm told that there should be a taxi truck leaving at around 1pm. By doing the trip this way, I'll save about $15, compared to if I had tried to get there from Haadrin. I got this tip from my buddy Prem and naturally, I go with the local knowledge.
I'm shedding some of my western layer of flab now that I'm 5 days into Asia. For some reason, I couldn't stop eating the last couple of days in the states, and then you're sitting on a trans-Pacific flight with two dinners, followed by the flight into Bangkok and another meal. Too much food, not enough movement makes for a lousy feeling for the first couple of days. It's dropping away now and I'm getting that good feeling back. Better and better... Time to check on the transportation and find a new sanctuary. Out!
Not sure about the availability of internet up there so this could be my last post for a little while, though I'm guessing that there will be some access. It will be great to get away from the throngs of young tourists who drive up the prices and drive down the possibility of good connection with the locals. Than Sadet looks to be the opposite of where I've just been, so I'm hoping for a nice quiet place to swim, hike, connect and stretch out my soul.
This is not to say that I had a lousy time in Haadrin; quite the contrary, as I made some really sweet connections with local folks, Prem, his sister Pooh, who has just opened a little vegetarian restaurant, and some of the women who wait tables at the restaurant where I first touched down. Pooh, in particular was some kind of angel, 40 years old, two kids, very much into Buddhism, and since business was a bit slow for her, we had time to talk about stuff. She shared with me the 5 rules of Buddhism in a way that made profound sense. Don't kill, don't steal, don't lie or speak badly of others, only have one wife, don't do drugs (alcohol, tobacco etc).
According to Pooh, when you break one of the rules, it trigges consequences in other areas, as they are all connected really. For instance if you gossip about someone, you are 'stealing' their reputation. If you do drugs, you are 'killing' a part of yourself etc. She is definitely a 'true believer' and seems to be doing her best to live a pure existence (divorce notwithstanding). And she also made a very interesting comment about men. She said 'men are like dogs, only thinking of themselves'. I didn't bother to explain that the 'man' as 'dog' metaphor is quite common in America. She just came up with it herself.
At the moment I'm en route to Than Sadet, having grabbed some transportation to Than Sala, the main city on the island. From here it's easier to find a ride to Sadet, and I'm told that there should be a taxi truck leaving at around 1pm. By doing the trip this way, I'll save about $15, compared to if I had tried to get there from Haadrin. I got this tip from my buddy Prem and naturally, I go with the local knowledge.
I'm shedding some of my western layer of flab now that I'm 5 days into Asia. For some reason, I couldn't stop eating the last couple of days in the states, and then you're sitting on a trans-Pacific flight with two dinners, followed by the flight into Bangkok and another meal. Too much food, not enough movement makes for a lousy feeling for the first couple of days. It's dropping away now and I'm getting that good feeling back. Better and better... Time to check on the transportation and find a new sanctuary. Out!
Culture clash
We used to have this game in our family, back when my brother Bill was early in his journalism career, I'd say something like 'Mexico', and he'd come out with the lead line of an article... "Mexico, land of contrasts where modern skyscrapers dwarf the ancient relics of a once proud civilization" or something like that. Any country I would name, like Burma for instance, Bill would say, 'Burma, land of contrasts, where...' That was the point, that every place is a 'land of contrasts' and therefore the lead could always be the same. It still gives me a chuckle.
That was in my mind last evening as I was in and among the throngs heading to the beach for the famous Full Moon Party. The town was totally buzzing, as the international brood of twenty somethings was making their way toward the shore. They were painted up, dressed up, many sporting their new 'Full Moon Party' shirts they had just bought. Lots of tattoos, accents, languages buzz buzz buzz, excitement in the air.
Meanwhile, the November full moon is the traditional holiday of Loy Krathong in Thailand; it comes once a year and it's a celebration of the gift and spirit of water. People create (or buy) a little floating altar, usually made from banana leaves, and it contains fresh flowers, a few sticks of incense and a candle. They go with their family to the shore and send the offering into the water with a prayer for the continued gifts that the water provides, as well as an apology for any damage that they had done to the sea.
So there I was on the main drag of town, watching hordes of revelers head toward the party beach, when I noticed a trickle of locals heading the other way with their soon to be floating altars. The contrast couldn't have been more pronounced; partiers outnumbered prayers by at least a hundred to one, and they were heading in opposite directions. Naturally I followed the latter group to where they gathered to launch their offerings. Many came with small children and they walked to the edge of the floating pier, sat and lit the incense and candles, put their hands in prayer pose and sent the light onto the water. It was a lovely scene.
At this point, you'd expect me to change gears and talk about how tacky and drunken the revelers were, but you'd be wrong, just like I was. Leading up to the party, I was convinced that it was to be yet another 'sign of the apocalypse' (I seem to be fond of those), but in fact, I found it to be pretty special. The vibe was largely positive, people getting together to party, dressing up, drinking a lot yeah, but lots of smiles, much camaraderie and good vibes. I chose a perch about a block from the beach to watch the participants arrive. I can't believe how many Israelis are here. I thought to myself, there haven't been this many Israelis in a foreign country since Lebanon 1982, but that would be a cheap laugh. (and yeah, I laughed when I thought it).
I saw Croations, Brits, Aussies (pronounced Ozzies btw, they don't like it when Americans call them aw sees, now ya know). Americans, French, Italians and surprisingly many more Thais than I had expected. It's their party too and they were well represented. Tons of different countries represented, quite the melange of voices, now starting to get louder as the alcohol was kicking in. On the beach you could travel thirty yards and be in a different groove, here's Shakira, there's Jay Z, here's some techno, there's some house, and each sound system had a bunch of people moving, dancing, and yeah, updating their facebook (damn, that's weird, but it's the way of the world at the moment)
I thought I heard a saxophone playing and I followed the sound, wondering if someone had his horn out on the beach and was blowing along. As I got closer to it I saw that it was a guy onstage and he was crazy good, laying down some ripping solos over top of a percussive mix that the DJ was offering. This stage also had a few percussionists going at it on congas and timbales, and what's this? Glauber starts dancing. My body was into this groove. There were about ten or so folks dancing up on the stage to the side of the musicians, and before too long I got up there myself (easier to dance on a platform rather than in the sand). Took my shirt off and was gettin' jiggy wid it, first dancing since I've been here, and the music was great. This really great dancer comes over and wants to partner with me, but I told him no thanks:-) true dat. What can I say, I was getting down with the music...
I stuck around the party until about 1:30, before a lot of the human car crashes started falling by the wayside, so my impression was that it was a pretty positive gathering. Yeah, it's ironic that on the day to offer thanks to the spirit of the water, thousands of partiers were pissing in the ocean, but why quibble? Well OK, it's worth a quibble, but I guess my main vibe was that it was much better than I would have thought. I went home to sleep for a few hours, but woke up at 5:30 and decided to head back over there to watch the sunrise (and see a few car wrecks, truth be told). There were still thousands of people partying and it was still a pretty good scene. It was as though they had come through some type of twenty-something rite of passage, and they looked a lot better than say, the folks leaving the country fair after that shindig. That's likely because there is very little drug use at this gig, just alcohol, loud music and young people. My kid would have dug it. Hell, I even dug it.
And the takeaway is likely that all of my judgment about drunks and over-tourism and Facebook is more about me than about objective reality. Open mind, good time, closed mind, just more judgment. (note to self). Now I should probably post something on Facebook, (he thought with a grin)
That was in my mind last evening as I was in and among the throngs heading to the beach for the famous Full Moon Party. The town was totally buzzing, as the international brood of twenty somethings was making their way toward the shore. They were painted up, dressed up, many sporting their new 'Full Moon Party' shirts they had just bought. Lots of tattoos, accents, languages buzz buzz buzz, excitement in the air.
Meanwhile, the November full moon is the traditional holiday of Loy Krathong in Thailand; it comes once a year and it's a celebration of the gift and spirit of water. People create (or buy) a little floating altar, usually made from banana leaves, and it contains fresh flowers, a few sticks of incense and a candle. They go with their family to the shore and send the offering into the water with a prayer for the continued gifts that the water provides, as well as an apology for any damage that they had done to the sea.
So there I was on the main drag of town, watching hordes of revelers head toward the party beach, when I noticed a trickle of locals heading the other way with their soon to be floating altars. The contrast couldn't have been more pronounced; partiers outnumbered prayers by at least a hundred to one, and they were heading in opposite directions. Naturally I followed the latter group to where they gathered to launch their offerings. Many came with small children and they walked to the edge of the floating pier, sat and lit the incense and candles, put their hands in prayer pose and sent the light onto the water. It was a lovely scene.
At this point, you'd expect me to change gears and talk about how tacky and drunken the revelers were, but you'd be wrong, just like I was. Leading up to the party, I was convinced that it was to be yet another 'sign of the apocalypse' (I seem to be fond of those), but in fact, I found it to be pretty special. The vibe was largely positive, people getting together to party, dressing up, drinking a lot yeah, but lots of smiles, much camaraderie and good vibes. I chose a perch about a block from the beach to watch the participants arrive. I can't believe how many Israelis are here. I thought to myself, there haven't been this many Israelis in a foreign country since Lebanon 1982, but that would be a cheap laugh. (and yeah, I laughed when I thought it).
I saw Croations, Brits, Aussies (pronounced Ozzies btw, they don't like it when Americans call them aw sees, now ya know). Americans, French, Italians and surprisingly many more Thais than I had expected. It's their party too and they were well represented. Tons of different countries represented, quite the melange of voices, now starting to get louder as the alcohol was kicking in. On the beach you could travel thirty yards and be in a different groove, here's Shakira, there's Jay Z, here's some techno, there's some house, and each sound system had a bunch of people moving, dancing, and yeah, updating their facebook (damn, that's weird, but it's the way of the world at the moment)
I thought I heard a saxophone playing and I followed the sound, wondering if someone had his horn out on the beach and was blowing along. As I got closer to it I saw that it was a guy onstage and he was crazy good, laying down some ripping solos over top of a percussive mix that the DJ was offering. This stage also had a few percussionists going at it on congas and timbales, and what's this? Glauber starts dancing. My body was into this groove. There were about ten or so folks dancing up on the stage to the side of the musicians, and before too long I got up there myself (easier to dance on a platform rather than in the sand). Took my shirt off and was gettin' jiggy wid it, first dancing since I've been here, and the music was great. This really great dancer comes over and wants to partner with me, but I told him no thanks:-) true dat. What can I say, I was getting down with the music...
I stuck around the party until about 1:30, before a lot of the human car crashes started falling by the wayside, so my impression was that it was a pretty positive gathering. Yeah, it's ironic that on the day to offer thanks to the spirit of the water, thousands of partiers were pissing in the ocean, but why quibble? Well OK, it's worth a quibble, but I guess my main vibe was that it was much better than I would have thought. I went home to sleep for a few hours, but woke up at 5:30 and decided to head back over there to watch the sunrise (and see a few car wrecks, truth be told). There were still thousands of people partying and it was still a pretty good scene. It was as though they had come through some type of twenty-something rite of passage, and they looked a lot better than say, the folks leaving the country fair after that shindig. That's likely because there is very little drug use at this gig, just alcohol, loud music and young people. My kid would have dug it. Hell, I even dug it.
And the takeaway is likely that all of my judgment about drunks and over-tourism and Facebook is more about me than about objective reality. Open mind, good time, closed mind, just more judgment. (note to self). Now I should probably post something on Facebook, (he thought with a grin)
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