My dad, me and Youssef
Welcome to the family Youssef! It was nice meeting you in Mactown during your reception, I am sure we will see each other soon. Best of luck to you and my cousin, Carson!
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
The Big Trip of 2007 Has Finally Come To an End
Well, everything that starts sooner or later ends. Two months ago I set out on my journey, with nothing but a backpack full of clothes and a one way plane ticket to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I didn't have much of an idea of where I would go or how I would get there, I only knew that my final destination was Boulder, Colorado, and that I had to be there by March.
For the past three weeks of my journey, I was in Thailand. I started off in the north, where my friends Jeremy Klepper and Dustin Joseph are living. The last time I wrote, I wrote about my travels up until Pai, where they live. The latest news is that after Pai, we headed down to Bangkok on an overnight bus. It was an experience in itself. At this point it was Jeremy, Adam (a guy from England we had been traveling with), and myself. We left from Chiang Mai and made our way south. The bus was a double decker, and we stayed in the bottom, lounge like area. At one point I stuck my head through the window that separated the passengers from the cab, and asked if I could drive jokingly. However, they actually let me steer for about five minutes! I couldn't believe it! Later, some lady yelled at me for putting my foot on her back. It was kind of funny, because she really let me have it, and then sat down and was silent for the rest of the ride. Later she yelled at someone else. Her catch phrase was "you no make problem on bus!"
When we arrived in Bangkok, we sat around in the hotel and watched a couple of movies. We were exhausted, it was hot outside, and the hotel was beautifully air-conditioned, so it seemed like the perfect idea. We spent the rest of the day walking around the close-by streets. Dustin flew in later that day to meet us. That night we had another night out on the town, bar and club hopping. Jeremy and I finally gave up at about 4:30 in the morning and went back to the hotel.
The next day woke up early and got on a mini bus headed for Trat, a province in the south, at about eight in the morning. This was the ride from hell! The seats were tiny and uncomfortable, the driver stopped every chance he could (which prolonged an already long trip), and he also had a flatulence problem, making for a very foul smelling journey! On top of that the agency that sold us the tickets told us the 8-hour journey was only four hours. But we finally arrived to Trat, from where we had to catch a ferry over to Koh Chang, one of Thailand's largest islands where we were to spend my final week there.
We finally arrived to the island, and after another half hours drive along a crazy, windy, mountain road, we arrived to Lonely Beach, the place on the island with the least expensive accommodations. Unfortunately, the sun had already set (the goal was a swim in the Gulf of Thailand at sunset), so we just got settled into our bungalows (which were also called Sunset) and had a night swim.
Koh Chang is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. It is a large island that rests in the Gulf of Thailand, with tranquil waters at the perfect temperature. Mountains jut up into the sky at a steep pace, making it very different from the beach seen of Florida to which I am accustomed. Our bungalows were surrounded by coconut trees and the water was just a stone's throw away.
On the island we lived a simple life. We woke up early and waited for Jeremy to return from his coconut hunt. Then we feasted on a few of them and headed to breakfast. The first day we were there we all got burnt, so had to stay out of the sun the second day. Instead, we rented bikes and drove up to a remote part of the island where after a short hike we enjoyed or own private trickle of a cascade. However the remainder of the trip we spent on the beach by day and in the bars and clubs by night. We had ambitions to go kayaking out to a different island, but instead bought little floats and simply floated in the water all day. It was just to relaxing and pleasurable!
I am back in Macon, Georgia now after over 30 hours of travel on the way back. It was an emotional trip for me. I laughed, I cried, I was happy and sad! I am glad to be back home, but miss my friends like hell. The past two months have been magical for me. I have been in five countries (if you include the layover in Japan), three continents, and two hemispheres. My heart remains loyal to Argentina, and I look forward to the day I can start setting up my empire there, but I also had great experiences everywhere I went. Thailand is a very bizarre place by my standards, but there were many things I really liked about it. For one, there is virtually no crime there. You don't have to lock your doors, and people don't steal. Most people are very laid back and friendly, and the smiles are so warm and friendly they could melt the heart of the Grinch who stole Christmas himself!
The next step is to head out to Colorado to start my new job. I feel very fortunate and have been given a great opportunity. On the way, I will stop off in St. Louis for a couple of days to celebrate my graduation with my family there. I can't wait to see everyone, and am very anxious about starting the new job.
For the past three weeks of my journey, I was in Thailand. I started off in the north, where my friends Jeremy Klepper and Dustin Joseph are living. The last time I wrote, I wrote about my travels up until Pai, where they live. The latest news is that after Pai, we headed down to Bangkok on an overnight bus. It was an experience in itself. At this point it was Jeremy, Adam (a guy from England we had been traveling with), and myself. We left from Chiang Mai and made our way south. The bus was a double decker, and we stayed in the bottom, lounge like area. At one point I stuck my head through the window that separated the passengers from the cab, and asked if I could drive jokingly. However, they actually let me steer for about five minutes! I couldn't believe it! Later, some lady yelled at me for putting my foot on her back. It was kind of funny, because she really let me have it, and then sat down and was silent for the rest of the ride. Later she yelled at someone else. Her catch phrase was "you no make problem on bus!"
When we arrived in Bangkok, we sat around in the hotel and watched a couple of movies. We were exhausted, it was hot outside, and the hotel was beautifully air-conditioned, so it seemed like the perfect idea. We spent the rest of the day walking around the close-by streets. Dustin flew in later that day to meet us. That night we had another night out on the town, bar and club hopping. Jeremy and I finally gave up at about 4:30 in the morning and went back to the hotel.
The next day woke up early and got on a mini bus headed for Trat, a province in the south, at about eight in the morning. This was the ride from hell! The seats were tiny and uncomfortable, the driver stopped every chance he could (which prolonged an already long trip), and he also had a flatulence problem, making for a very foul smelling journey! On top of that the agency that sold us the tickets told us the 8-hour journey was only four hours. But we finally arrived to Trat, from where we had to catch a ferry over to Koh Chang, one of Thailand's largest islands where we were to spend my final week there.
We finally arrived to the island, and after another half hours drive along a crazy, windy, mountain road, we arrived to Lonely Beach, the place on the island with the least expensive accommodations. Unfortunately, the sun had already set (the goal was a swim in the Gulf of Thailand at sunset), so we just got settled into our bungalows (which were also called Sunset) and had a night swim.
Koh Chang is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever seen. It is a large island that rests in the Gulf of Thailand, with tranquil waters at the perfect temperature. Mountains jut up into the sky at a steep pace, making it very different from the beach seen of Florida to which I am accustomed. Our bungalows were surrounded by coconut trees and the water was just a stone's throw away.
On the island we lived a simple life. We woke up early and waited for Jeremy to return from his coconut hunt. Then we feasted on a few of them and headed to breakfast. The first day we were there we all got burnt, so had to stay out of the sun the second day. Instead, we rented bikes and drove up to a remote part of the island where after a short hike we enjoyed or own private trickle of a cascade. However the remainder of the trip we spent on the beach by day and in the bars and clubs by night. We had ambitions to go kayaking out to a different island, but instead bought little floats and simply floated in the water all day. It was just to relaxing and pleasurable!
I am back in Macon, Georgia now after over 30 hours of travel on the way back. It was an emotional trip for me. I laughed, I cried, I was happy and sad! I am glad to be back home, but miss my friends like hell. The past two months have been magical for me. I have been in five countries (if you include the layover in Japan), three continents, and two hemispheres. My heart remains loyal to Argentina, and I look forward to the day I can start setting up my empire there, but I also had great experiences everywhere I went. Thailand is a very bizarre place by my standards, but there were many things I really liked about it. For one, there is virtually no crime there. You don't have to lock your doors, and people don't steal. Most people are very laid back and friendly, and the smiles are so warm and friendly they could melt the heart of the Grinch who stole Christmas himself!
The next step is to head out to Colorado to start my new job. I feel very fortunate and have been given a great opportunity. On the way, I will stop off in St. Louis for a couple of days to celebrate my graduation with my family there. I can't wait to see everyone, and am very anxious about starting the new job.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Chiang Mae, Thailand
I have spent the past few days in and around Chiang Mae, Thailand. It is an impressive little city in the northern region of this south Asian country. I met up with Klepper and Dustin here, and they introduced me to Adam, one of their friends from London. We had a really great time, hanging out and exploring the city. There are magnificent temples all over the city, and walking around soaking up the culture is rich.
Coconut shake!
The first night there, I slept! I really needed it after traveling for several straight days. The next day I really started having fun. Friday, we went out to see a Muay Thai Kick-boxing match. There were twelve fights in total, and about half of them featured international fighters, from the U.S., France, and Germany to name a few. Man, this was a great night, as only several of the fight went to a decision. We saw a lot of knockouts. This is a crazy sport, where all it takes is one clean kick to the head or knee to the sternum to drop the opponent. The atmosphere was great, but one really has to be present to appreciate it: the crowd was lively, with betting going on all over, and traditional music being played by a live, three piece group. There was a guy beating on a drum, some weird horn. and some other instruments I had never seen before.
The next day I finally convinced Klepper into renting a bike so we could go to the Doi Inthanon National Park, where the highest peak in Thailand is. This was a beautiful place, and very sacred. On the top of the mountain there is a little shrine for one of the kings, surrounded by little Elephant statues. The elephant is apparently a very special animal here, because you see the little elephant statues erected everywhere (actually, you also see elephants everywhere!). On the top of the mountain, I had to buy a new hoody because it was cold, and Jeremy and I toasted to a hot shot of tequila to get the body temperature up. From there we made our way back down the mountain, and stopped off at a few sights on the way back. There was two Buddhist temples close to the top, that were very impressive. The view was gorgeous, and the place had pretty flowers and plants everywhere, a true work of art.
Now we are in Pai (pronounced bye) where Klep and Dustin live. It is a funky little town in the north of Thailand, where there are more foreigners than locals. It is beautiful here, as we are surrounded by mountains. Yesterday we went hiking in the canyon along tall ridges overlooking sheer drop offs. Afterwards, we went out for a round of beers.
We are thinking about making our way down south to the islands this weekend. Probably going to stop off along the way where the biggest waterfall in Thailand is located, in the south of this province.
Chiang Mai
Temple
Coconut shake!
The first night there, I slept! I really needed it after traveling for several straight days. The next day I really started having fun. Friday, we went out to see a Muay Thai Kick-boxing match. There were twelve fights in total, and about half of them featured international fighters, from the U.S., France, and Germany to name a few. Man, this was a great night, as only several of the fight went to a decision. We saw a lot of knockouts. This is a crazy sport, where all it takes is one clean kick to the head or knee to the sternum to drop the opponent. The atmosphere was great, but one really has to be present to appreciate it: the crowd was lively, with betting going on all over, and traditional music being played by a live, three piece group. There was a guy beating on a drum, some weird horn. and some other instruments I had never seen before.
Knockout Muay Thai Style!
Afterwards, we went out to some bars and a club. The night scene is crazy in Thailand. At all the bars it seems like there are either prostitutes or gold-diggin' Thai girls that are looking for your money. They come up and just throw themselves on you, so it is very bizarre by American standards. We spent the whole night just making jokes and clowning around, laughing the whole time about the situation.
Dustin and Klepper
The next day I finally convinced Klepper into renting a bike so we could go to the Doi Inthanon National Park, where the highest peak in Thailand is. This was a beautiful place, and very sacred. On the top of the mountain there is a little shrine for one of the kings, surrounded by little Elephant statues. The elephant is apparently a very special animal here, because you see the little elephant statues erected everywhere (actually, you also see elephants everywhere!). On the top of the mountain, I had to buy a new hoody because it was cold, and Jeremy and I toasted to a hot shot of tequila to get the body temperature up. From there we made our way back down the mountain, and stopped off at a few sights on the way back. There was two Buddhist temples close to the top, that were very impressive. The view was gorgeous, and the place had pretty flowers and plants everywhere, a true work of art.
Now we are in Pai (pronounced bye) where Klep and Dustin live. It is a funky little town in the north of Thailand, where there are more foreigners than locals. It is beautiful here, as we are surrounded by mountains. Yesterday we went hiking in the canyon along tall ridges overlooking sheer drop offs. Afterwards, we went out for a round of beers.
We are thinking about making our way down south to the islands this weekend. Probably going to stop off along the way where the biggest waterfall in Thailand is located, in the south of this province.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
January Travels
Well, I just had one of the most fun months of my life. January 1st I took a trip down to Buenos Aires, Argentina, one of my favorite destinations in the world. There I did a number of things. First, I stayed at the friendly Hostel Clan, a place I discovered last time with my dad and Klep. Later I went out to one of the finest "boliches"(clubs) that B.A. has to offer, Opera Bay. This is a place for the elite of the "porteños" (people from B.A.), a place modeled after the famous Opera house in Sidney, Australia, and a place where things don't end till well after the break of dawn. My friend Socrates invited me there, and that was really great because I had not seen him for years. The next night I went to a milonga, one of the finest things you can do while in the birthplace of the tango. A milonga is where people gather to dance tango. This was an exceptional event, as a live, ten piece band came on played late into the night.
A couple of days later I headed over to Villa Mercedes to see the Lopez family. It was every intention I had to only stay one day and then meet up with a friend in Bariloche, but they were so warm and friendly that I couldn't bear the thought of leaving so soon. I ended up staying for almost a week! We played soccer, went to Nico's country house, "la quinta", to hit the pool, and drank a lot of beer and Fernet!
A couple of days later I headed over to Villa Mercedes to see the Lopez family. It was every intention I had to only stay one day and then meet up with a friend in Bariloche, but they were so warm and friendly that I couldn't bear the thought of leaving so soon. I ended up staying for almost a week! We played soccer, went to Nico's country house, "la quinta", to hit the pool, and drank a lot of beer and Fernet!
Abuelo Lopez
Marcos y Miriam
Marcos, Vero, Y Nico
Afterwards, it was up to Córdoba, my absolute favorite place in the world. Córdoba is exciting because it has a small sity feel but is big (2 million people or so), it is full of young people (college town), and is close by to the mountains, so one can escape to the tranquil country side farely easily. I also have many friends there, and we kept busy, partying till the sun came up almost every day. I also got to see LF Salsa play, which is the reason why I learned how to dance salsa in the first place. Not to mention the ladies...
Fabio and Me
I popped over to Mendoza for a few days after that to meet with Ramiro, an old friend from Córdoba who had been traveling throughout Argentina and Chile. There we walked around the city, went to a couple of wine bodegas, and toured an olive oil factory.
It was back to Córdoba for just a couple of more days after that. There, more parties and dining out with friends. I had an unfortunate escapade there this time, though. While returning home one Sunday morning at about 8, a guy attacked me in the street. He had a little baton and popped me in the face, causing me to fall over and have a very swollen, black eye. He then proceeded to strike me several more times while I tried to guard my face and regain my balance. Just when I had gotten my senses back and was about to strike back he ran quickly down the street. A cop had come to my defense, but only asked if I was ok before walking off. He didn't even attempt to give chase or anything! That's Argentina for ya!
Afterwards, it was off to Cali, Colombia to visit a friend. I was a little disappointed here, though. I had really high expectations of Colombia at this point. All I had heard was how beautiful the women were and how great the salsa music was. Well, the women that are hot, are smoking hot, but the ratio is not as high as I thought. Argentina really can spoil you! Then, 90% of the good looking women are 90% fake. By that I mean plastic surgery! While it can be nice to look at, I prefer my women real.
Also, my host here was not that great. Her idea of showing me the city was going to a mall for about 6 hours one day. And she did not take me to dance salsa once, instead her and her friends were fixed on this one bar, that was not even that great in my opinion. I did have one spectacular experience there, though. I jumped off a cliff! Well, I did have a guy with a parachute attached to me. Para-gliding, what a rush! It was amazing, soaring high above the mountains in Colombia, see all the country side has to offer from a bird's eye view. I would strongly recommend this to anyone that likes adrenaline! That day I also visited the very historic Hacienda Paraiso. It was beautifully landscaped. I counted up to ten different varieties of roses in one garden, not to mention other types of exotic flowers that are only grown in Colombia.
It was back to Córdoba for just a couple of more days after that. There, more parties and dining out with friends. I had an unfortunate escapade there this time, though. While returning home one Sunday morning at about 8, a guy attacked me in the street. He had a little baton and popped me in the face, causing me to fall over and have a very swollen, black eye. He then proceeded to strike me several more times while I tried to guard my face and regain my balance. Just when I had gotten my senses back and was about to strike back he ran quickly down the street. A cop had come to my defense, but only asked if I was ok before walking off. He didn't even attempt to give chase or anything! That's Argentina for ya!
Afterwards, it was off to Cali, Colombia to visit a friend. I was a little disappointed here, though. I had really high expectations of Colombia at this point. All I had heard was how beautiful the women were and how great the salsa music was. Well, the women that are hot, are smoking hot, but the ratio is not as high as I thought. Argentina really can spoil you! Then, 90% of the good looking women are 90% fake. By that I mean plastic surgery! While it can be nice to look at, I prefer my women real.
Also, my host here was not that great. Her idea of showing me the city was going to a mall for about 6 hours one day. And she did not take me to dance salsa once, instead her and her friends were fixed on this one bar, that was not even that great in my opinion. I did have one spectacular experience there, though. I jumped off a cliff! Well, I did have a guy with a parachute attached to me. Para-gliding, what a rush! It was amazing, soaring high above the mountains in Colombia, see all the country side has to offer from a bird's eye view. I would strongly recommend this to anyone that likes adrenaline! That day I also visited the very historic Hacienda Paraiso. It was beautifully landscaped. I counted up to ten different varieties of roses in one garden, not to mention other types of exotic flowers that are only grown in Colombia.
Beatriz and Me
Cali
Cali's Theater
El Gato
Eating Lunch With The Ladies
A couple of days ago I flew from Cali to Miami, from where I was to embark on the second leg of my journey, Thailand. While I was in MIA I went to the Dolphin Mall and grabbed some extra supplies and saw a movie, The Night at the Museum. It was a pretty good way to spend the afternoon. Oh yea, I also had some good old American style pizza. While pizza is good in Argentina, it is not like the 'za we have back home, and I was strongly craving it.
On Tuesday I left for Thailand. I arrived here today, finally, after more than 40 hours of traveling, with layovers in Dallas, Tokyo, and Bangkok. Unfortunately, when I got to Bangkok, I learned they had lost my luggage. I am still waiting for it here in Chiang Mae.
Chiang Mae is a great little city here in Northern Thailand. I arrived yesterday and Klepper met me at the airport. We took a tuk tuk in, which is Thailand's form of a taxi. They are pretty cool, little three person, open air motorized vehicles, kind of like a golf cart. Dustin, another one of my friends from high school, also lives here. In a couple of days we are going over to their house in a different province close by.On Tuesday I left for Thailand. I arrived here today, finally, after more than 40 hours of traveling, with layovers in Dallas, Tokyo, and Bangkok. Unfortunately, when I got to Bangkok, I learned they had lost my luggage. I am still waiting for it here in Chiang Mae.
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