Update 2

Soooooooo.. yeah my hotel doesn't have internet which is sort of a pain in the ass for updating this. I'd post some more journal stuff but I left my notebook @ my hotel. Using an internet cafe which is only 1 baht a minute, as opposted to 120 baht for 30 minutes. Ok it's only 1/4 the price, but this country is ruining me as far as being a cheap-ass.

Took a bus over to Ayutthaya this morning and was there for around 4 or 5 hours. That place is AMAZING. I kinda of want to hold off posting pictures until I get back to the states and can edit them right. SORRY!

I'll give you a sneak preview, here is from the elephant camp where I rode and got my picture taken with some elephants:

It might look like those poor elephants are under the constant threat of being blown away, but that dude is just there in case Dumbo decides to rage on my ass. (It's a tranquilizer gun) But seriously, I rode an elephant. I was sorta afraid I was going to fall off and break all my camera shit but luckily I didn't. The elephant I rode was 45 years old. The one in the picture is not the one I rode, but it looked pretty similar. Of course I am not an elephant master or anything.

Ssonyo the Korean Queen suggested I try some Shrimp Pad Thai, so last night I did:

She was right, it was good. I'll post some more random journal entries before I go to bed tonight. Probably in 5-6 hours or something. Adios!

Journal Entry 2

Jan 27 9:05 PM Thailand Time (Gonna call it TT from now on)

It's 8 AM in Danville right now. That slays me. I haven't slept since I woke up on the plane this morning. Not really sure what time it was... probably 7 or 8 am CST. I'm dragging major ass.. getting to the point where I am not sure I will be able to stay awake the whole time. (update: I did not, I slept on the final flight for 2 hours)

Dinner was beef + rice and a roll and some chocolate cake. Apparently alcohol is free on international flights with this carrier. Never knew that! Drinking a whiskey + coke but I think I am done with it.. My stomach is hurting. :-(

Jan 28, 6:45 AM TT

Good morning from Bangkok: was too busy/too tired last night to write in this. Got in around 10:45 pm. Me and some Canadian girl named Jenn got in a cab on the top level of the airport, dropped her off on Khao San Road, then I got dropped off. Went to sleep around 1:45 AM.

The room is very nice as you will see in some pictures.. I haven't noticed a bad smell in the city, but I smelled quite bad last night so maybe that is why. (Update: I have showered twice since last night and I still don't think it smells that bad)

On the cab ride, I was terrified we would get in an accident maybe 5 times. Also the trunk wouldn't stay latched so the driver kept having to stop and get out and close it.

I'm sitting next to the pool as I write this. It is very nice looking though the building next door is being worked on and has a tan canvas wrap all around it. The building outside my window appears to be empty.

I'm going to go inside, get some free breakfast then go up to my room to get my stuff then get directions and head out. My internet doesn't work so I just placed an international call to my parents to let them know I am alive. Going to talk to them again once I get a cell phone. Will work on getting my internet working tonight. (update: Guess my room doesn't include it, so paying $3 for 30 minutes of usage. -_-)

Wat Arun (update: was every bit as awesome as I hoped it would be. Got some great pics) > The Grand Palace (update: was expensive and way too crowded. Did not really like the pics I got here except 2 or 3. Cool place to experience though) > Wat Saket (update: very cool, well not temperature wise, there was no shade and I had to walk up 300 steps to get to the top of it, but great views) > MBK (update: it is an awesome giant mall, has something like 5,000 vendors inside. Maybe not that many, but at least 2,000. I looked like shit and was embarssed because it was my last stop and I was a sweaty mess, but I needed a cellphone) > ??? (update: that is now, and I still don't have anything to do for another 3-4 hours until I meet up with some people. Hmmmm)

Journal Post 1

1/26/10 5:51 PM CST

I need to figure out what the time zone that Thailand is in is called. Once I get there I am going to stop recording the time and date in CST..

From what I've seen so far, I'd say the number of white people in this airport is 1-3%. Ok that is a percentage and not a number, sorry.

Talked to a German guy from Frankfurt. Says he has a wife and a 9-month-old living in the Phillipines. That's got to be a wonderful marriage. He just got done visiting them for 5 weeks.

Got some Starbucks coffee earlier... gonna need another one in five hour probably. Going to beat jet lag by staying awake until it's time to go to bed tonight. It's going to be a very long day (about 28 hours).

Sitting at what I think my gate is.. 41. Not 100% sure on that (update: it was the wrong gate). I have a while to figure it out.

About to start learning some Thai. Really wanting a shower now, but I don't have any fresh socks so there goes half the incentive.

The German guy told me if I go to the immigration department I can get a free tour of the city- 4, 6, or 8 hours long. Going to take the 4 hour tour on my way back.

The airport is very nice, but I'm not really feeling inspired to take many pictures of it. That's ok though, I didn't take this trip to document the airports I visit.

I saw a box of some Animal's (I think Sheep??) placenta for sale. It was over $100. What the hell? Imported from Australia. Can't wait to get a room that I can leave all my shit in. My laptop bag is heavy as hell and my arms/shoulders get tired after a few minutes. After I practice some Thai I am going to try to order some lunch.

-----

Just ordered some food. Noodles in spicy broth w/seafood. When Koreans take your money, they accept it with one hand and place their other hand on their wrist and sorta do a bow thing, haha.

*Minutes later:

Ok, ordering noodles was probably a bad idea... I can't eat this shit with chopstix!! hahaha... about to make a fool of myself. There was a squid tentacle in this.. it was delicious. If I keep this up, there is going to be a huge pile of noodles left and no broth because I am just eating the broth & vegetables and meat with a spoon. I should ask someone near me to show me how to eat. How embarassing can it really be? (Update: I chickened out and there was in fact a huge pile of noodles left in my bowl)

Beer stand reads:

Erdinger WeiBbier

Update 1

Ok, so I am sitting around here:

Waiting on my flight from Seoul, South Korea to Bangkok, Thailand.

I should be touching down in Bangkok in a little under 10 hours. Expect some real content then! Until then, I'll just post some random Journal stuff I have been writing.

Schedule

Ok so far I have my first half of the trip planned out pretty well:

Day 1 - Bangkok:
Grand Palace - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Palace
Wat Phra Kaew - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Phra_Kaew
MBK (to buy a cell phone that will work) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MBK_Center
Wat Saket - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Saket
Wat Arun - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Arun
Khao San Road - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaosan_Road

Starting at 8:30 going in the above order. Eating breakfast at the hotel, lunch and dinner will be street vendor food. I'll be travelling to the Grand Palace via the skytrain (train that runs on stilted tracks throughout the city) then taking a cab over to MBK, Wat Saket, Wat Arun. Then back to hotel to shower and change clothes since I will probably be a smelly mess at that point. Then heading over to Khao San Road which is a really touristy place to meet up with a few Americans from California where we are going to get some dinner and have a drink. Then back to the hotel to sleep because...

Day 2 - Ayutthaya: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayutthaya_Kingdom

Will post some more info about the ruins there later. Stay tuned!

THAILAND

Since I already have a blog that I have a hard time keeping current, I figured I am just going to use this for the mentioned subject as a way to keep interested people "in the know" of what I am up to during my trip.

I am going to Thailand in about 10.25 days.

It will be an 11 day trip, with almost 60 hours of travel time, which leaves me at about 9 days in the country.

I'll be hitting up Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Sangkhlaburi, Krabi, Phuket, Ko Phi Phi, who knows what else.

I'm still working on finishing up my schedule for the trip and will post it in a day or two once I get it figured out. While I am over there I will try to update this once a day with what has gone on and maybe throw up some sneak previews of pictures I have taken.

I'd say "This is gonna be OFF THE HOOK" if that was how I talked, but it's not, so I don't really know what to say except that I am super excited and it will be really awesome. Check back soon!

MX

Did a shot for the Deftones song "MX" with Kristen tonight.

Lyrics:

You're so sweet
Your smile Your *****, and your bones
You're on fire
You move, like music, with your style

Let me think (let you think about what)
About girls (and what else)
And Money... and new clothes (and what do I get?)
Thirty nights (uh huh)
Of violence (yeah)
And sugar, to love

Closer to the lung
Shove her over railing

You're sweet
But I'm tired of proving this love
See you're a bore
But you move me, like a movie, that you love

Let me think (let you think about what)
About girls (and what else?)
And money... and new clothes (and what do I get?)
Thirty nights (uh huh)
Of Violence (yeah)
And sugar to love

Closer to the lung
Shove her over railing

Let me think (let you think about what)
About girls (and what else)
And money... and new clothes (and what do I get?)
Thirty nights (huh huh)
Of Violence (yeah) And sugar to love (******* rock star)

Closer to the lung
Closer to the lung
Shove her over railing

MX: