Last Asia Post

Somehow, nearly four months later, I find myself again at the Bangkok airport, this time heading East, back to Los Angeles. I had a couple great, very hot days in Bangkok, shopping Chatuchak Weekend Market (15,000 stalls = mother of all markets), sweating buckets in the 100F+ heat, and eating Thai street food. I also spent a lot of time in the air conditioned mega-malls, cooling it, amazed at the incredibly polite crowds (this was noticeable after spending so much time in Vietnam, where people in crowds push and shove you out of the way, even if you have no place to go).

I will admit that I didn’t much enjoy Railay, the “paradise” of which I wrote earlier. The backdrop was stunning, the water warm, and hotel very nice. But it was entirely devoted to foreigners, and bore little resemblance to the Thailand that I have grown to appreciate. The people working in the area showed all the signs of foreigner fatigue that comes from too many rude and demanding people, day after day. Add to that the unbearable heat and hordes of mosquitoes, and I was glad to leave for Bangkok.

After I get home I plan to chill out in Encinitas for awhile, surf, and enjoy the perfect non-humid weather. I will take a few small trips in the U.S. and then my sister may come to visit in June. I am still thinking about the next phase of my travels, but it will probably be Europe for 4-6 weeks, then South America in the fall. I will continue to post to this blog, so if you are not someone I talk to regularly, you can check in here to see what’s up.
Thanks for joining me on this fabulous trip!