More rain…

Posted on April 4th, 2008 by tallgirl.
Categories: travel, Thailand.

Apparently in the afternoon around monsoon season, it POURS here… like the heavens open up and PELT down… there is a giant lake in front of the shops where I’m doing internet… it’s insane. At least this time I wasn’t on a motorbike.

I’m now in Khao Lak, about to go onto the liveaboard. I got some banana boat sunscreen, as the Nivea one I bought at Tesco Lotus in BKK apparently did not work (I’m now sporting a lovely burn around my neck… JOY!). Go with what you know, yeah?

The trip here to Khao Lak was uneventful… ferry from Koh Lanta to Krabi town, and then picked up to go to a travel agency to wait for the minibus to Khao Lak. On the minibus were two German couples and a couple from someplace else, with two kids… I can’t figure it out. But the German couples weren’t friendly or talkative… it was strange. Most of the people I randomly start talking to are nice and friendly… (you know me, striking up a conversation…) Regardless, just a normal, boring ride. Not a big deal. Got to Khao Lak and man, it was hot! It was a bit more built up than I thought it would be, after all I’ve read about it being still demolished from the tsunami, but I can see some of the effects.

Regardless, Sea Dragon Dive Center is a lovely place, I have to go back there for 8pm, aka in 1 hour and 20 minutes, and I won’t be back to tinterweb land till the 8th…

Lanta was lovely, but it’s nice to be in a place that is a little different… not sure where I’ll go after here, but could be anywhere!! I just know I have to be back in Krabi for my flight back to Bangkok on the 12th. Where ever I end up, I want to go on a motorbike again - I now want a scooter!!

2 comments.

Driving in the Rain

Posted on April 3rd, 2008 by tallgirl.
Categories: travel, Thailand.

Today I hired a motorbike, the automatic kind, for the day - it was lovely. I drove up to Saladan (the main village on the island) and then over the “pass” to the other side. The view was spectacular at the top. I saw the clouds come in, as they’ve done in the evening lately, a little earlier and then it started raining softly at first… and then harder - soon I was DRENCHED. I didn’t want to ride in the rain, as I’m a newbie on a scooter, so I asked this man if I could join him under his awning on the patio… I was wearing a tank top and a sarong, and realized that he was a muslim - it wasn’t good… I didn’t want to offend, so I took off as soon as I thought it was letting up… it started harder!! I’d seen a restaurant at the “pass” so I wanted to make it there. I was so wet that I could wring my sarong and my tank top out! It was good to have stopped…

I saw a sea gypsy village, the town of old lanta and the tidal flats of the East side of the island. It was great. World Vision rebuilt a lot of the houses in the sea gypsy village, as they were all new, and I assume they were wrecked when the tsunami hit. As I got further and further South, the people got darker and darker - and more Indian looking. I find that fascinating. It just goes to show how much the sea gypsys used to travel around. Then again, the people down here in the South look a LOT different than the ones in the far North.

I then came back to the West, and more beachy, side - with the goal of driving all the way to the tip… the road really peters out, but I thought I’d give it a good ol’ college try… um, yeah, didn’t make it, as the road got pretty bad. I didn’t have much gas left, so I didn’t really want to chance it… I got pretty good at the scooter though!!

I stopped for some yummy noodles on my way “home” and my favorite dessert of a banana and fresh coconut pancake. I love it. The coconut is so good!!

I got eaten a bit by skeeters… on my forehead no less! Apparently there was one IN my mosquito netting last night. I’ll be checking that as soon as I go in tonight. GRR, hate them. I had to bite the bullet and get some ICKY deet-laden repellent. That’s the only way apparently… I hate them things… Here’s to hoping that on the ocean starting tomorrow, there will be no skeeters… let’s take a poll… What do you think?

I’ll be incommunicado, starting around 4pm MY time on Friday, aka 2am your time, as I’ll be on a boat… diving as many times each day as I can. But, you can email or post me messages on the blog… (am I talking to myself, btw? I know of two Mrs’ that are reading…)

I have a billion pictures of the colors of the water from around here - it may make me pathetic, but only if you want to see them can you… I’ll post sometime when it’s a bit cheaper (and when I’m not down to the final 2 minutes of my “card”). I need to pack also… and find the skeeters in my mosquito netting… and probably do something very un-Buddhist of me - KILL THEM. But what else is a girl with sweet blood and bites everywhere to do??

**edit: I forgot to tell you about the monkey I saw on the road. It was toward the very end of the island, on the bad part of the road. I thought it was a dog, but it turned out to stand up… so not a dog. It was funny, though. I thought you might enjoy that little story.

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Day Two of Diving

Posted on April 2nd, 2008 by tallgirl.
Categories: travel, Thailand, diving.

Today is Wednesday. The end of Wednesday for me. I’ve been diving, so far, 4 times. The coldest of the times was 29 degrees C. Insane!! The fish are GORGEOUS and I love it each and every time… I’ve had my own divemaster both times - for the refresh and the other.

Koh Lanta is utterly fantastic. The island is fairly small, and the dive shop has picked me up both days I’ve been here so far. I will not dive on Thursday, but will go around on a motorbike tomorrow instead. I just want to see the island! There is a mix of Muslim and non here, very interesting to see girls in headscarves driving around on motorbikes. Today I saw two girls in full burkas driving on a motorbike.

I arrived here on Monday after a full day of traveling (taxi to the old BKK airport, a flight to Krabi, a bus to Krabi-town and then a mini-van to Lanta). I booked my dives straight away and then got a ride down the island with the dive shop - Lanta Diver. I met my mom’s friend Bonnie (if you don’t know the story of why I’m here without mom, ask me later… or ask her.) Anyway, it’s a nice little place - Lanta River Sand - little bungalows a little away from the beach - it’s great. The food here is okay, not fantastic, but fine. Tonight I’m going into the little village across the little water from here, with two German girls who are also here in this “resort.”

I’m loving the weather - duh - it gets cool in the afternoon, but is great - and then thunder and lightning in the evening. Awesome.

I won’t post pictures, just yet… after the liveaboard, just for you, Mrs Gray.

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Koh Lanta

Posted on April 1st, 2008 by tallgirl.
Categories: travel, Thailand, diving.

It’s HOT here… but, I like it, duh. It’s also very salty in the air - but that’s fine… I arrived here on Monday and went on two dives today - the water was 29 degrees C. You tell me what that is. But, it’s very nice. I did a refresher course for today, and it was great. Just me and an instructor. It was great.
Okay, this keyboard is tiring. Going to go now… It’s lovely here, wish you were here. And Mrs Parsnip - eat this weather up - it’s awesome… oh, that’s not nice - sorry… come visit!!!

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It’s HOT…

Posted on March 30th, 2008 by tallgirl.
Categories: travel, Thailand.

…it’s SUPER hot here in BKK… well, maybe it’s more the humidity, but yeah… it’s hot. And humid. But, I’m here, waiting for my friend Suthee to come get me. We’re going to go to Ayutthaya for some sightseeing. And I need to go to Tesco. There were some things that I didn’t want to bother with at Security at LAX. Which was a BREEZE, i might say… There are no pictures yet, soon there will be, but not for now.

Just a brief update to let you know that I’m here, safely…

2 comments.

Only a Few Days Left!

Posted on March 26th, 2008 by tallgirl.
Categories: travel, random, music.

I leave on Friday and I am VERY, VERY excited… I will try to keep this blog updated as often as possible… when I’m on the boat, though, it won’t be happening… sorry. Keep checkin’ back!!

Oh - and the Outer Limits Music Fest is happening in Golden Gate Park in August… very exciting!!

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My weekend in Seattle

Posted on March 4th, 2008 by tallgirl.
Categories: travel, random, seattle.

I had THE BEST weekend in Seattle. It was THE FIRST time I’ve been back that I could even contemplate being back in SEA… that took a while. Like almost 8 years!

I loved showing my friends Loren and Mei-Lon around - they even came to NWS with me. We rode the ducks and ate at Salumi - Mario Batali’s dad’s charcuterie. It was delicious and an overwhelming amount of meat - if you like meat and sausage - go there. If not, don’t. We went to a benefit for a Northwest School Founder’s endowment - it’s a scholarship fun, and it meant so much to have been able to go. And my friends even enjoyed it! On Saturday we drove through the UW campus - had to do it… and then over the floating bridges (they’re pretty unusual) and ended up at my mecca - the downtown Nordstroms!! It is lovely - except that their shoe selection wasn’t so good. That night we went to Buca for my Seattle birthday celebration - it was great to see all of my friends. I have missed them. Sunday we went to Pike Place with ‘Berly, Erik and Quinn. He is almost a year, and has grown up so much - he’s so cute!

It was a quick trip, but it was seriously worth it.

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the countdown…

Posted on February 20th, 2008 by tallgirl.
Categories: travel, Thailand.

I have 36 days and 23 hours till I leave for Thailand. I am SO very excited. I’ll get to see this lovely blue water that can potentially be behind this blog… I am SO thrilled.

That is all for today, nothing monumental to say. Just wanted to share.

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Erik’s Blog…

Posted on December 3rd, 2007 by tallgirl.
Categories: musings, travel, random.

…is back. Read it and enjoy!

The Global Trip

He’s on the “Central American Eviction Tour” currently.

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Going back!!!

Posted on November 14th, 2007 by tallgirl.
Categories: travel, Thailand.

I’m going BACK to Thailand… diving with mom on a live-aboard and also Ao Nang!! Or Koh Lanta… or something. I’m so excited. I’m trying to get a friend to go with me, for the last week that I’m half with mom, half not… SO EXCITED!!!!

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