Ko Lanta, Thailand

If you feel like being productive, stay clear of Ko Lanta, Thailand. We moved from the hustle and bustle of Ko Phi Phi to the most chilled out island in Thailand. The change was very welcome and we took the islands laid back atmosphere further when myself, Ricky and 2 english buddies/travel "mates" (as they would say) rented a nice little 2 bedroom villa on the beach. ON the beach. As in 5 meters away from blue water, breaking waves, yellow-white sands and a spotty horizon of islands, including our recent departure point - Ko Phi Phi. We did nothing for 3 days straight. Wake up, walk to fruit market, swim, frisbee, relax in chairs by villa, use the wireless internet to feel bad for those stuck in Bangkok, talk about life, eat lunch, participate in other mindnumbing activities, drink a beer, swim, frisbee, rinse, repeat. We all needed a little melting in the sand and this was the perfect place to do it. Apparently most of the beach house and restuarant owners had the same idea - a few years ago. The beach we called home was also the permenant chillout spot for mostly english expats that found the laziest place in Thailand a paradise compared to the fog and chill of England. So after a coma for a few days, I happened to look at a calendar. Probably the worst and best mistake of the travelling around the southern islands of Thailand, as I realized I had only a few days before getting on a plane from Singapore to Australia - in route to final stop in Fiji then home- thus, I had to hop on a bus the next day to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - my next destination. Ricky made the awesome decision to keep life slow and exciting and extend his trip an additional month, allowing him to relax and explore Malaysia and Indonesia as they were supposed to be seen and I admire him for it. I would have done it too, but I just don't have the funds! So I bid my farewells to the laziness and sat on a variety of busses and minivans for the next 20 something hours, only to wake up in Malaysia...

Ko Phi Phi and Maya Beach

Most people say Ko Phi Phi is too touristy. I think they should realize that Thailand is touristy. Its a beautiful place, with beautiful people and a tourism industry to support it. With that said, Ko Phi Phi is a bit ridiculous in some touristy aspects. Upon arrival you walk into a maze of guesthouses, restaurants, internet cafes - all with exorbiant prices - and begin to forget the beautiful view from the boat; pristine green tropical tree filled islands with large patches of limestonesqe rock spotting the hills, followed by blue/green water and white beaches. I made it to the arranged guesthouse where Ricky was staying and found him on the beach a few minutes later. The area was packed with people, but one cannot deny the beauty of long tail boats bobbing up in down in blue water in a bay with irradic tropical rock hills on both sides. Ahhhh, I made it.

We decided to go to Maya beach at 6 am the next day, the most popular tourist destiation located on Ko Phi Lak, the neighbooring island (and national park) made famous by the movie "The Beach". We found a willing longtail wooden boat driver and set sail for the spot. Turning into the cove we saw it and were very pleased. A few people had paid atrotious rates to camp there the night before, but the beach was relatively deserted and very beautiful. Just like in the movie, its a demostration of nature's wisdom with a quiet cove of huge stonehinge like rocks coming out of the sea sitting in blue water and followed by white sand and tropical jungle. We prepared to snorkel to the next little beach over and saw 3 baby reef tipped sharks feeding on a school of small fish. Then, while swimming to the next beach, Ricky and our new english buddy Mike, swam really fast away from me in a heavy panic. I reached the shore in a leasure pace and asked them why they were panting and freaking out. They informed me that a 6 foot reef tipped shark had swam right past me. Oh, damn I missed it! I guess its for the better...

We explored Ko Phi Phi as much as we could, but the island has literally been paved over. It was a ground zero for the tsunami of 2004, made evident by the evacuation route signs everywhere on the island and fresh construction of neverending guest houses. It was particularly pretty and fascinating to view the island from a viewpoint/evacuation route on top of one of the hills and see what destruction the enormous waves caused. Ricky picked up a book of an account of a Italian restaurant owner describing the ordeal and the disaster that destroyed this island was a topic of thought sitting on rocks overlooking the beautiful view of the island.

We headed south to get away from the tourist trap of Ko Phi Phi, towards Ko Lanta, as 2 nights was more than enough to experience what Ko Phi Phi is, and dream about how idyllic it was. Taylor

Bangkok, Dangerous?

Hi. Sorry you missed me, I just had to get away from the internet for a bit, but I am back now... I got to Bangkok after the train ride from Soi Yok and had really bad allergies, so I just went to bed. The next morning, I woke up ready to see a little bit of this enormous city and happen to stumble upon a Bangkok Green Bike, a kiosk with racks of bicycles ready to be ridden. (Is that a word? Ridden? please correct me). Naturally I took the map and decided to take the plunge of Bangkok traffic on a Saturday and ride around town. The program has a designated route described in the little booklet they gave me, touting "bicycle lanes" and "a safe and clean way to see the city". Surely you noticed the sacastic emphasizing quotations. Bicycle lanes means green paths that have more cars parked on them than any bicycle. Safe way to see the city? Ive ridden in Austin traffic (terrible, rude), San Francisco (easy, friendly) streets and Los Angeles nightmares, and the baren bike lanes of Phoenix. Los Angeles could be described as a tame waltz in the park compared to Bangkok's living hell for a cyclist. In fact I only saw 2 other cyclists that day, and I am pretty sure they were not riding bikes to 'save the environment' or for ease of getting around, or by choice. So natually, I found riding around all day to see the jewels of Bangkok on a bike.... awesome! The next day consisted of sneezes, irritated by Bangkoks lovely pollution clouds that I previously rode a bicycle through, a harmful Thai massage, and a smile while leaving for the airport. I had an eirely ironic conversation with the taxi driver about corruption, the resent protests (a rocket propelled grenade had exploded last night near a protest site), the police mafia, and what he thinks of all this. All this on the long drive to Bangkoks main airport. Yeah, that one. The one on the news. The one that got shut down 2 days after I left. Nice timing. I flew to Phuket that night, got in and checked into the seedy hotel they used in the film "The Beach" with 2 nice canadians I had met in the van from the airport. The next day I was on a boat to Ko Phi Phi island to meet up with Ricky and see a bit of the beauty of the South Thailand islands... tepe (oh sorry no photos, I lost my usb cord and broke my usb card reader)

Bamboo School

(Momocat feeding Momocho)

(This is Doc Mai (in Thai), or "flower" in english, Who could abandon something so cute at the hospital?)

Founded 8 years ago by a New Zealand Nurse/Teacher/Everything expat, this place is located 30 kilometers outside of Sai yok in the dense jungle of the Thailand/Burma border. The village is Bong Ti and every building is made from bamboo and maybe even concrete. Tucked in the jungle, a little 3 classroom school and multiple building structures sit where 70 something children, this aforementioned nurse and a rotating cast of volunteers live in a communal compound called Bamboo School. We arrived during dinner time where little fingers were diving into rice and vegetables while a talkative Kiwi showed us around and explained how the school is run by the children who are mostly orphaned or deeply disadvantaged (to Western standards) in some way. The stories of these beautiful Karen (native indigenous group to region) children, and one grandma, are filled with atrocities by the Burmese army, unchecked diseases gone wrong, runaway young mothers and drunken good-for-nothing fathers. You melt with compassion when you hear of the story of John a blind and deaf 2 year old with cerebral palsy whose mother had gonharnnrea when she birthed him and abandoned him do to his deformities. You swallow hard when you meet the two brothers who lost their mother only 3 months ago. You shiver when you hear of stories of rape by desperate, lowlife Burmese soldiers that I cannot even bring myself to type. But you smile when you see a happy, creative and productive environment that allows them to go to school, eat well, live well and live in peace amongst each other.

(Peaceaby, resident grandma - cold in 70 degree temperature)

Our first trip was short, but once I returned to Bangkok to send Karolina away to the airport, I decided I needed to give back on this extraordinary trip of mine and headed to Bong Ti (village of Bamboo School). So now here I am, driving the kids to and from school every day while doing odd tasks ranging from fixing bamboo floors to nailing in tin roofs. One minute I am barreling down a beautiful lakeside road to the hospital with a hepatitis B patient in the back, eating ice cream with 3 pre-schoolers and staring at the road smiling at the jagged karst cliffs of Burma. The next I am watching the sunset and the moon rise over Bong Ti while soothing the twitching baby John while he comes down from tripping out in his deaf and blind little world of confused emotion. I have changed diapers filled of stinky pee, bathed from a bucket, learned a few words of a tribal language that I may never use, I have taught English, I have seen West meet tribal East in ways I have yet to understand, and I have laughed at an abandoned 83 year old grandma’s spurts of “I like you, teacher, I like you”. Bamboo school has its troubles. There has been a bit of a mutiny among the 16+ year old boys while thievery has reared its ugly head. There are even lessons and concepts I don’t agree with. But in reflection of my beautiful short time here, I have loved all of it.

(Momocho, aka "curious george" mopping)

Why? Why care? Why set aside a few days for other people? Because people have done it for me and many readers will do it for me in the future. But leaving that behind, I really love it because it is the realest of the real, life at its bare bones with all the skin, flesh, nerves, muscle and blood pushed aside. It is sad, but it is happy – there is hope, there is love. And love, well that’s all you really need…

(lil' John, just waiting for someone to hang out with)

My stay is done here tomorrow morning where I hope on the 5 hour train to Bangkok and then head south to see more of the sun and sand… but I won’t soon forget my stay at Bamboo School.

(some of the kids hanging off the roof of the truck on the way back from the daily trip to school)

(my ice cream companions)

(Bong Ti Bon school)

Taylor PS- There are many stories I have left out of Bamboo School, for reasons of their graphic nature and just because they are better told than wrote (and I don’t have the time to type them out), feel free to ask me about it when I get back!

(locals, straight chillin in the village, note Karen house in back -all bamboo. Army man even gave me a papaya for free!)

For more information, pictures, Momocat's blog, etc, visit www.bambooschool.org