I have seen this movie before. It had Leonardo Decaprio as the lead role. It is about a traveler who shows up in Thailand, and on Khao San road is so inspired by the ledged of paradise that he embarks on a journey to find it. Oh Khao San road I was told about Ton Sai from an Irishman named Joe. And here I am. We went to the lagoon again today, and this time we swam all the way to the other side. Sarah and I found a cave, and an underwater tunnel to it. We swan in and found ourselves in a cavern that was really deep, and glowed with the light that made its way through the tunnel. It is paradise, but much like in “The Beach” it has its problems. They just take a while to make themselves apparent. Nothing quite so drastic as furious dope smugglers, but there are issues.

The difference between the lives of the Thai people here is staggering. Those who have been able to find jobs in the bars and restaurants on these islands live a life of luxury compared to those who do the laundry for 40 baht a kilo and the long boat drivers who sit around playing cards on the beach waiting and haggling for passengers. A careless 100 baht ($3) tip is close to the total days wages of some people.

This area was hit hard by the Tsunami, and the effects are still evident everywhere. A good fourth of the beach is still in shambles, and a Swedish company has purchased it (in conjunction with the Thai mafia) and plans on building a large resort right next to the backpacker bungalows. This will change the feel of the beach completely and drive prices up for those who are simply looking for a simple place.

Already, the season is getting better and we had our first full day of sun, and with it an influx of hundreds. The beach at Ton Sai is all tired climbers, taking a day off to lounge around and re-charge. The beach at Rai-Lay is full of people from all nationalities, but most speak English. Families, couples, the rich, the middle class, those getting away for a few days. On Pranang beach, the most beautiful and remote of the beaches, you will find those who are beautiful, fat, opulent, sullen, sunburned, in Speedos, and topless. (Silly French.) There are vendors on the beach, and rarely do you get an uninterrupted five minuets before a young child cheerfully swings into view, pulling a bucket full of ice cold drinks behind him that must weigh half as much as he does. “60 baht, you want Chang? Or you want Singha? 60 baht – 60 baht!” Undeterred by our assurances that we are fine, and enjoying our water, he sits down next to us and rests in the shade. He starts to put the cold cans on our necks to entice us further, but finally gives up and shakes his head as he walks off. The backpacker group isn’t really his target audience.

On this beach is a resort that is patrolled by police guard, and the rates are published between $1200 – $6000 USD. That is 198,000 baht. My hut costs 200 baht a night. Crazy.

Anyway, I have started to plan out my escape from paradise, and escape it is. The magnetic force of this place is strange. I will travel to Bangkok then up the western coast, stopping to see some sights along the way and make my way to Chang-mai, then to Laos for a few weeks before I head to South Korea.

The pictures are from last night when Ivana fire danced on the beach on her last night on Ton Sai for the season.

Ivana Fire Dancing

Same Same

Best day of climbing yet! I am finally not sore anymore, and am getting better at the technical stuff. I went with Dustin and Thad to Thaiwand Wall, which is accessed through a cave, and you need head lamps to get through the cave. The way there is through back fields and a bunch of little Thai huts, and we saw some Thai’s burning the hair off of some goats so they could cook them. Dustin and I stopped to see if we could take some pictures and they were happy to show off their feast. If we had stayed longer, they probably would have invited us to enjoy some fresh cooked goat. So we strapped on our headlamps, donned our packs, and made our way up a series of bamboo and rope ladders that led into and through the cave. At the far end and a good 30 meters higher, we were presented with a breathtaking view of the area. Through a hole in the wall (which we rappelled down out of) we could see all three beaches at the same time.

We rappelled down, and I led a climb up a fairly easy wall, and Thad and Dustin followed it up. We were looking around for a while, trying to decide what to do next, when we came across two partners who were not able to finish a route, and ended up having to leave a quick draw on the wall. The girl’s name was Kirby, and she let me tie into her rope, and I ended up being able to recover their piece, and finish the route to the top and tie it off so everyone could top rope it. This climb was really fun because it was pretty easy until that one move, and after that it was easy again.

On a different note, it seems that my debit card has ceased working. I tried it twice in the ATM on the other beach, and it wouldn’t work, then it set off the alarm on the machine. I need to call Wachovia tomorrow and see what’s up with it. It should be working. I ended up buying $20 worth of baht from Thad to get me to the mainland tomorrow so I can buy a phone card and call Wachovia.

More later,
-Ben

The Goat Head (and Dustin)

And the rest of the Goat

Coming down off of Thaiwand Wall 

Getting that last hold!

Monkeys monkeys everywhere. I went climbing with three guys from Arizona today. They had hardware, I had the rope, so me met up. We climbed for a while, and it was pretty fun. I led the climb, using their quick draws, and top roped it out. We climbed for a while, got tired, and decided to eat lunch and go bouldering. The cave we went do was right on the side of a dirt track, hidden up a little hill. We were in for a while, then heard a mass amount of squealing out side the entrance. A group of monkeys were fighting, and one got injured pretty bad. His leg was sliced open and he couldn’t use it anymore.

These two ran off, and a monkey train came by us. At least 30 monkeys, including many babies, came by in the trees, on the ground, and in the power wires that we were currently even with. Many stopped to look at us, as if to question how we managed to walk on two legs and why we were so pink and fleshy. For having never seen a monkey in the wild before, I am adjusting pretty quickly. Simple rules: Showing your teeth pisses them off. Acting aggressive pisses them off. Getting too close to their babies pisses them off. A pissed off monkey will attack. Do not piss off the monkeys. I left a container of orange juice outside the entrance to the cave, and a monkey swept down and pulled into the trees where he proceeded to shred it into little bits and leave it hanging by a branch.

P.S. The guys I climbed with took some pictures of me climbing, so I will post them when I get them off their camera.

Ahh… Beach Life. So relaxing. I apologize if the recent posts are full of uninteresting filler text. I really have not been doing much here execpt for climbing, eating and relaxing. I woke up this morning, ate breakfast from the supplies I bought in Ao Nang (the mainland) and read. I read all day. I finished Call of the Wild and White fang, then went down and got lunch, swapped my book out, and brought it all back to my porch and ate and read more. I think I cleared about 350 pages in a few hours. I started reading “The Beach” which was made into a movie with Leonardo Decaprio, but the book is much better, and very different. Interestingly enough, it takes place not far from here, just a few islands down, and is a popular Thailand backpacker read.

I banged my knee up pretty good the other day, and it still feels weak, but good enough to climb again, and I am meeting some people at 11:30 tomorrow morning to climb again.

Really not much to report. Sorry guys, but my life and travels just got put on cruise control. I am definitely going to stay here for quite some time.

Um… a Monkey.

Night Fall

Ok everyone, Sorry that it has taken me so long to get this post with pictures up. I don’t have that many, but they are beautiful. I just switched bungalows because the one I am staying at now is 100 baht cheaper a night than the one I was in before. The power also stays on in this one much longer than the other one, which means my fan runs longer. The place is called “Addaaman Resort” and it suits me well. It is about as rustic as you can get, but the main area has a good restaurant, and internet where I can plug my laptop in.

I have met a good group of people from all over, and have been climbing with a guy from Oregon, and a woman named Ivana who is originally from Russia, but now leads horse rides in the western United States, and climbs here in Ton Sai in the winter. This place is magnetic. Everyone is extremely laid back, likes to swim, climb, and get to know each other.

I have been trying to work out plans to meet up with Laura in Kathmandu to climb to Everest base camp, but so far it looks expensive to do the flight before I start working in Korea. I may have to wait until after Korea and use the money from working there to fund my base camp excursion.

By now I have already banged my knee up, taken skin off of my hands and feet, and had a grand old time climbing on the rocks with all these pros who know I have no clue what I am doing (compared to them) but don’t care and just want to show me more tricks and moves. I found a woman who owns a snorkel / dive shop, and have agreed to build her a web site in return for her taking me out to dive and certifying me rescue diver or above, depending on the time I have here. Fair trade I think.

I have already paid in advance for the next week here, and may stay until I have to do a visa run to Malaysia. I will renew my visa, and head back to Bangkok where I will get my visa for South Korea set up. Once that is taken care of, I will probably spend two weeks in the northern part of the country before I head off to South Korea.

It is so humid here that I only bring my camera out during the middle of the day for the most part. When I wash my clothes, I take them down to the beach to dry out and sting them up while we are climbing. This way they have a chance of getting dry in a day or so.

Below are some of the pictures I have taken so far. I reduced the file size so I could upload them quickly from the peninsula (which every one calls an island because you can only get here by boat…), and not have to go to the mainland to get the faster internet.

Long-tail Boats

My Bamboo Hut

The view from the top of one of the cliffs. We also climb on the ones you see in the background.

I promise I will post photos tomorrow! I just found a place that has internet for 1 baht a minute from 3-6, so I can now afford to blog. I have spent a few days on this peninsula, but everyone calls it an island because you can only get here by boat and there are no cars, just trails, mountains, water, and food. It is incredibly peaceful, and I can see my next few weeks slipping away quickly as I alternate between climbing, SCUBA diving, laying on the beach, eating spicy Thai curry, and meeting the new people that arrive. Some people have been here for months, others weeks, but I made it in just before the busy season, so I met some of the people who come here every year and got to hang out with them.

I locked in my 200 baht a night rate, which is great, but I have to pay for two weeks up front to keep it. Guess I am here for at least two weeks. I went ahead and bought some climbing shoes, and am buying a rope off a woman who is leaving soon.

If you have ever seen the picture that hung behind my desk through out college, the one of the woman jumping off the wooden longtail boat into crystal clear water, that is literally where I am. I have some great shots of longtail boats and mountains and whatnot. This morning I was woken up by a monkey on the roof of my hut, and the goat that is out back. They played a tag team off each other and were obnoxiously loud, but it was OK, because i was woken up by monkeys and a goat.

I will write a proper blog post soon, with pictures of this place as soon as I can charge my laptop and get them off my camera.

I leave on a night bus to Krabi tonight. Well, Ton Sai. It is a southern beach near places with great views, climbing, cheap places to stay and a laid back atmosphere. Unfortunately it does not have reliable internet. This means that this may be my last post for a little while.

Not much really to add… I have just been hanging out in Bangkok. Joe, the Irishman, and I went out last night and met some girls from Holland, and a guy and a girl from Canada. The guy was a couchsurfer as well, and told me the best news I have heard in a while.  He couchsurfed with a guy in nepal who owns his own adventure trekkiing company. The guy has special deals for couchsurfers, and it looks like I may be able to go to Everest Base Camp for $500. I also got news that if I get my visa in Bangkok, the company I am working for will pay for $500 of my plane flight, as well as $150 for hotel stay in Bangkok. Hotels cost $10 a night max. Sweet deal!

My visa runs out on Nov. 29th, which means I have to leave Thailand by then, even if it is only for an hour. My plans will revolve around that, as I need to come back in to get my visa for South Korea.

I went around to a used bookstore and bought 3 books for $13 and traded in one I had finished. The store had all the books in little cellophane wrappers, so you could not thumb through them, which kind of ruined the experience.  You know when you go to a store, and can flip through the books, and that smell of old paper and ink fills the place. Some books just feel good, the pages are worn and marked, and you know it has been well read? Couldn’t find that here. Granted, some were not wrapped, but they were all science fiction books that I didn’t care about. I ended up getting “On the Road” by Jack Kerouac, “Call of the Wild and Whitefang” by Jack London, and “A Farewell to Arms” by Ernest Hemingway. Should be some good reads for my 12-hour ride tonight.

I got to run to see if i can get things (like documentation) shipped to the local DHL store. And i have to pull some money out and buy food and snacks for my trip. I hope to post again as soon as i can, but if i am in a hut on the beach with no internet… can you really blame me for not turning on my computer?

Update: Travel map page has been added with the path I took in South Korea. 

Spent the day looking around the very close area to my hostel. There is so much going on that I didn’t make it far before street vendors offering to make me suits, take me to far away lands for cheap, of offer me a cheap beer stopped me. I would look, say no and wander on my way. I got a new cell phone number (via SIM card) here, and all my incoming calls are free. It costs me 5 baht a minute to call the states. Not so bad, and no contract. Granted, I am still paying AT&T for a service I am no longer using. The number to dial from the US is: 0066870038920, from Thailand: 0870038920. Give me a ring, although I don’t often keep the phone on.

Bangkok is a little much, so I booked a trip on a night bus, which is 12 hours long, to the beach town of Krabi for tomorrow night. The town itself has supposedly become too much of a tourist destination, and I will be heading a little further away to rock climb on Rai Lai beach, and Ton Sai. The prices jump high at the start of December, so I will be making my way back up the country and into Vietnam or Laos to exit my visa, and see another country before I head back to South Korea to teach English for 10 days. I still have to find a cheap ticket, but I am working on that.

Current plans (I know, plans right? sounds odd.) are t teach in Korea, go see the DMZ, and then fly back to some other country. So much for my overland adventure! That will have to start when I get back… Heh.

More later,
-Ben

P.S. Sorry about the lack of pictures, I don’t really feel safe bringing my camera out with me.

UPDATE: I got a job teaching English in Korea! They just emailed me back, and want to hire me for the 10-day camp. This pays about $1,700 and will be a good, quick intro to teaching English. I can buy a ticket there, then fly from there to pretty much anywhere else, and still have a good deal of money left. In Thailand, this is a few months of travel!

Um… So this is different. In so many ways Bangkok is different. My room last night cost 150 baht, which is $4.50. Dinner, pad thai from a street vender, was 20 baht, so less than $1. Beers are less than $1. Look at the video below to see Halloween, Khao San road style. About ten minutes before I took the video, there was a full concert going on in the middle of the road, but the cops came and shut it down.

I got off the plane and right away met up with a Canadian couple who were headed the same way but were about to pay 900 baht for a taxi. I told them about the A2 bus, which is an official airport bus and it stops right at then end of Khao San and only costs 150 baht. They went to get it while I arranged my bag and put the security net around my laptop and camera. When I got to the bus stop, they had already left, so I had to wait. I met up with a 35-year-old from Dublin, Ireland, and we started talking. He just flew in from a two month stay in India and has been to Bangkok and Thailand six or seven times, so he was giving me tips and advice, and trying to teach me the language. I keep wanting to say thank you and hello in Korean though, so it will take some time. We went down the road looking for a place to stay, and ended up splitting a 300 baht room that has two beds, a fan, a side table and nothing else. Bathroom is down the hall, but it is clean and has a shower with warm water.

We went out to experience the sights and ended up talking to a Thai man for a while who had asked us for food, and the guy spent 20 minutes teaching me to speak like a Thai. We met an American from Nebraska who took us to a bar and paid for us to get in to meet his girlfriend and her friends. I’m not sure what it is, -but every ex-pat seems to have a Thai girlfriend. If a westerner makes eye contact with a Thai girl, she immediately latches on. Joe left a little before I did because I had met a guy from Texas who was leaving in the morning, and we were hanging out with some Thais he had met. We went to a different bar where I decided I wanted nothing more than to just go to sleep, so on the pretense of getting more drinks, I snuck out the side door and walked back to the hotel.

The walk back was interesting because late at night, the lady boys come out. I must have gotten propositioned at least six times on a 15 minute walk. It is hard to tell though, because you have to look for an Adam’s apple, which they can now get removed. The other tell is big hands and feet, which you cant change. Crazy place this Thailand is.

Anyway, I am staying here tonight again so I can try to get a SIM card for my phone, and figure out how to get to Krabi to do some climbing and relaxing on the beach. Since I have no plans, I can pretty much do whatever I want, and at $4.50 a night, I am in no hurry to go anywhere. But the beach has a very nice ring to it don’t you think?

I am about to get on a plane to Bangkok in a few hours, and it is an odd feeling. I just changed my money from won to baht, and am still working on the exchange rate. Thailand is supposed to be very cheap, which is good, but more dangerous due to thieves, pickpockets and razor artists, which is bad. Not so bad, because i have the gear I need to take care of myself, but still, I will have to be wary now in a way that I have not had to be yet.

Last night Yong took me to his college and showed me around. We walked up to the top of the hill his school is on and got an incredible site of Seoul. True panorama is below, but this is just a single semi-HDR image i took. We made our way back to his uncle’s house and called it a night. I had a great time in South Korea, and the interviews came off looking promising, so there is a very good chance I will return.

I made so many friends in the short two weeks I have been traveling, and it amazes me how easy it was to meet someone, then spend days traveling with them. From the start, Nathan and Rachel, thanks so much for making your place open to me on the first day of my arrival. Without your couch, I would have succumbed to jet lag, and your introduction to English teachers was endlessly helpful, as was the night out. In Sokcho, Claude, you were a great roommate and I enjoyed hiking with you in the mountains. Maybe I will come to Belgium one day. In Geyeong-ju, Lynda, and Mr. Quick Lizard, y’all were great fun to hang out with and go hiking with. Even if one hike was unplanned, and the other was foggy, I had a great time getting to know you both. In Seoul, Johnathan and Andras, good times for the two days at the Backpackers Hostel, and the War museum, and Yong, thanks so much for working it out so I could stay at your uncle’s place and taking me around Seoul in a way only someone who lives there can know. I left my towel there, hanging in the closet of the room we were in, but it is ok. I can find another one to use.

I am sure I missed a lot of people, and I apologize. I am on to new places, and new faces. If you read this and I met you while traveling, please comment and let me know what you are up to. I would love to hear from you.

-Ben