Back to Civilization
Thu Aug 9, 11:41 PM
Arriving in Thailand was a real relief after time in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Bangkok seems like a tame place where I can kick back and relax. I spent much of my time regrouping and organizing my travels back to Thailand. I picked up my bike, bought some souvies and did some sight seeing.
It also happened to be my birthday while in BKK. I slept in, had some waffles on the street along with a big coffee. I then did a tour of Jim Thomson’s house. JT is a famous American that was involved in the silk trade in Thailand. He disappeared without a trace in the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia in 1967. (I think) His house was turned into a museum because he had very nice gardens and a large collection of Asian art. It was a fine way to spend the morning. While back at the hotel room, I got stuck watching some “Extreme Engineering” program on the Discovery Channel. It is a real novelty to have a tv in my room! I then went to a movie and on the way back stumbled upon the Hard Rock Cafe. They had some live music so I went in. I couldn’t find much on the menu that I wanted, so I listened to some music and found a street vendor with some fresh pork and rice for my birthday dinner.
I went to Hua Hin as a friend of my dad has a place there. Robin and his wife Vilai have been great hosts. We bummed around town, went to a former palace of Rama VI, fed monkeys at one of the hilltop temples, and have been stuffed at every meal. Robin has travelled to many of the places that I have and provided additional insights through his own travel experiences.
I had a bit of a problem getting a train ticket when I wanted, so I won’t get a day in Kuala Lumpur. It sounds silly, but KL and Melakka are the only two places that I feel I have missed on my trip. (There are others, but not many)
I am looking forward to getting home and seeing everybody. Mentally, I am done with my trip and just want to be back in Montana, but have another week of traveling without many highlights. Travelling with my bike is a great hassle when I am not riding it. The main task when I get to Singapore is to get the thing boxed up for the airplane. (This is more of an ordeal than one might think) I will keep you updated and put some pics up when I get a fast connection.
