Bangkok, Thailand

Fake out.

Not there.

Despite the fact I'm on a 4 day layover in LA, I will attempt to debrief the past however long since I last exported ideas.

Bangkok Thailand.

As I wrote to a friend earlier: "Apparently the party that has never quite made it to Nepal has gotten stuck in Bangkok." The only idea I had about Bangkok before I went was from the film "The Beach" with Leonardo DiCaprio. One of the first scenes just shows him walking amongst crowds in awe of excitement from all the neon lights and activity going on all around him. It was kind of like that. So I went to the beach.

Koh Chang island. 7 hour bus ride from Bangkok and a half-hour ferry. After talking with numerous travelers I decided this was the one, because it's the most laid back. I was a little over-idealistic about finding an on-the-beach bungalow for a dirt cheap price, because it turns out you get what you pay for. Off the beach you could find one for about $3.5 US. On the beach was starting at about $15 US. Yikers. However, yours truly came through in the pinch when he found a place that had opened only 4 days prior that rented tents on the beach for just under $5 US. No brainer. It was away from all the hype, I had my own beach, and most of the time I was the only one staying there.

For those that want to live on the beach, you should make like the owner of the place, Irish Phil, and just settle down in Thailand. 2 reasons:
-Beach
-Food

I don't know if you know anything about Thai food, but if you don't, please visit your local Thai food restaurant. That should help solve all mysteries surrounding where you can find the best food in Asia. If you prize surfing over food you might consider another country, such as Indonesia, but barring that you probably needn't look further.

I woke up in the morning and watched the sun rise to my left. 12 hours later I would watch the sun set to my right. Amazing. That's what happens when your beach is on the south end of the island, and it's winter where the sun has less range of motion. Or whatever you call it, but I think you get the idea.

Minus a small dabochle on a rented motorbike the second day where I found out the tires weren't quite as sticky as I was counting on, on a curve in the hills, it was completely fantastic. I only had to bear stingy saltwater on my wounds as part of the consequence and deal with the hassle of cleaning and preventing infection. Which I think we safely averted, despite not having an up-to-date immune system on the local scene. But now I think that I can safely say that I'll always carry a piece of Thailand with me. Part of the road that is. In my knee.

The time was much needed. I just walked around my beaches all day, didn't have a phone, and got to debrief the last 4.5 months of my life in Asia. Especially after everything that went down with the 6 boys right before I left. Details at restoredyouth.blogspot.com. and more comments on that to follow. by comments i mean another post.

All to say. I enjoyed the beach. It was about 90 degrees every day. I only brought 2 t-shirts, my shorts, and a book. What more do you need? I have found that ever since I finalized my return trip home from Nepal more than a month ago, there was a definitive pull for life back home. I would not become a resident of Asia. Which is fine. It's funny because within one minute the thoughts can go from longing for home, to looking around you and already missing your current temp-home, and then planning for where you'll go next, which I have some pretty tasty thoughts cooked up on.

But now I'm approaching home. After I finish my 4 day layover in California I will be back in my old stomping grounds enjoying everything that I really love about where I'm from. Especially in the winter. I just realized that I get back the first day of winter. That's appropriate. Now, more finalized thoughts to follow...