Amazing Race.....Thailand

This entry was written yesterday (Saturday 7.29)

The first leg of the trip has been completed. Jenn should be over the pacific now traveling back to the bay area. It was my first 'real' trip with her and we shared many good times, exciting new cities (some that I think we both can agree that we may not be back for awhile and others that we really enjoyed), and of course lots of memories. She was a soldier thru it all and actually surprised me as I have only really traveled with very few like this and it's no vacation at times and can be very tough at times. Especially for the fact that most people think we are thai people, then we give the dumb 'I don't understand look look' and politely say 'english?' I guess she can even pass as burmese and me more thai, as she was the only one of 11 car full of farangs (westerners) to get ID'd by the border police that are stationed throughout the thailand hills to be sure illegals from other countries are not entering thailand.

So now I wait for the second leg of my trip to start. It's pretty crazy times here in thailand and pretty much history in the making. The PAD (Peoples Alliance of Democracy) wants the Prime Minister to step down and have actually shutdown the two main airports in Bangkok for 5 days now and right now there does not look to be like any light at the end of the tunnel but you never now, things can change just like that here in Thailand. It's pretty crazy if you think about it, to shut downn an airport like Bangkok. The country is suffering and will continue to suffer since the country depends on tourism so badly and not who would want to come to Thailand knowing you may not be able to leave.

It was like real life amazing race this morning, trying to find ways to get out of Chiang Mai or even Thailand for that matter. The flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia was full and the flight on tues maybe cancelled if the bangkok airport is still not open since the place is coming from Bangkok. We contacted a private taxi and he wanted about 9,000 bhat (about $270) to drive me to the Cambodia border (about a 10 hour drive). All trains into Bangkok was full for the next few days that were leaving Chiang Mai as well. But finally we found a bus that had room to get me into Bangkok that leaves at 5.30pm and gets in at 3am the next morning. Extra special thanks to Roxanne and Matthew for all the help in getting me a bus ticket and to the bus station and for letting us stay there the last few nights!

So if the airport is still shutdown by Thurs, I will take a bus to the border of Cambodia and then have a driver from the guesthouse pick me up at the Cambodia border. I have read and heard horror stories about going overland into Cambodia but the guy from the guesthouse assures me that things would be find, as it used to be alot worse.

The last two days have been great, kinda chill honestly, since Matthew and Rox have been taking care of us with buffets for lunhc, no dinner really since we stuff ourselves at lunch and breakfast cooked and served by her and her mother.

Last night was Jenn's last night of the trip and we went to the Chiang Mai night bazaar to finish off the souvenir shopping. We helped the thai economy since no new tourists are coming in for awhile and we actually had to pickup a new bigger carry-on bag to bring home all of the stuff we got. On the way home, we got a little lost and thought we were being dropped off on the right street by the songtel driver but we were actually on the road that runs parallel to the street that Rox and Matthew live off of. So we had to call them and tell them we were on a street that basically had two 7-11's on each side of the road. It's kind of crazy how many 7-11's there are in thailand. So they went to each 7-11 near there house and finally found us. Ahh the joys of traveling and getting lost in a country that you don't speak the language.

The day before that (Thanksgiving Day) we hired a car to take us directly from Lampang to Roxannes and Matthews house for 800 bhat (about 25 bucks), not bad for an 1.5 hour drive but I think we could of got it for a little cheaper but I was not prepared to bargain and I figured it was not too bad. We then had a feast at the Holiday Inn. It was really good and a very memorable thanksgiving day. I guess Rox and Matt go every week for the sunday seafood brunch buffet after church soo they know practically everyone that works there.

Later that night Jenn and I went to the Night Safari. I guess there are only 3 in the world, so both Jenn adn I have been to 2 now, Singapore and Chiang Mai. It was actually pretty good and I thought better then the Singapore one but Jenn thought different.