The Inner Nation

It's Loi Krathong time in Thailand. Let the great food, flashy boats, midnight traffic jams, and children throwing fireworks into busy streets commence!

This trip marked the second time I've ever used a public bus system (first time was in Austin, the same night a certain dorkfish got my car towed....). It's also quite fun to jump on the bus as it's driving away. The open air, the sounds of the wind, smell of car exhaust and sights of a thriving city all whiz pass while you anxiously hope you don't miss your stop, nor get run over by a renegade moto getting off the bus. Oh, and we can't forget the midnight traffic jams either.

Conversations with a West African tourist who was denied a Vietnamese visa due to stricter regulations for those nationals, a Sri Lankan businessman simply enjoying the serene atmosphere of Lumpini Park, a friendly local who basically told me his life story last night at the Loi Krathong celebration by the river, a local teacher who pointed out to me an army of motorcycles was indiscriminately heading towards me and helped me get out of the street in time (that's about the twentieth time that's happened already) and of course the previous experiences I've mentioned, have all been highlights of the trip. They may seem trite, and I may not have many humorous stories thus far (except for the 60-year-old man on Khao San Rd who hit on me and said I was special or smelling like all-sorts of punk rock while visiting a few of the wats and the guide being okay with that), but the personal meaning behind them far outweighs what others may perceive them as.

The sights, the sights! Wats and monuments galore, and I nearly fell backwards off of Wat Arun trying to hand a fellow traveler from India his camera.

Luckily, I haven't been ripped off since Mr. 200-baht tuk tuk though!

I've taken a lot of pictures but haven't had the time to post them. Hopefully I can get the first batch up before I embark to Cambodia. And I will have my Vietnamese visa, 3 p.m. pronto. Stoked!

Until next time!