Celebrity Post! Phil's Thai Take

"Thailand... You absolutely blew my mind!! I have to say I didn't really know what to expect from this journey.... and by the end of this post I'm sure it will be obvious that writing email after email after email, day after day after day through the doldrums of the 50 hour work weeks that blend into one blob of "same same" don't exactly promote quality and creative writing as all the followers of this blog have been so eloquently treated to in previous posts.  But I will give it a shot and promise to keep it quick...

2 weeks... Through most of my life, 2 weeks would hold a small handful of stories that would be told once and forgotten.  2 weeks in Thailand however have been filled everyday, every second it seems, with an overload of new places, sights, people and adventures, all extraordinary.  Scooter rides across island mountain roads with picturesque jungle and ocean views (not much to see from the roadside ditches) to fearing for your life with trucks, taxis, other scooters passing on both sides not caring about the upcoming blind corner, dog (or human) sleeping in the road or the group of people trying to cross the street.  It was a beautiful chaos at times.

The sunsets at the island paradises of Koh Samui and Koh Tao could not be described in any words so I won't even try.

 Beach parties till 4 am with beautiful women from every corner of the world with accents I hope to never forget. Lady boys lying in wait for the drunk unassuming tourist at nearly every turn.  Buckets, literally buckets, of rum, soda and the amphetamine they call red bull flowing with 50baht beers (less than $2 US dollars) for those who preferred a paced out drunken high.  Days were filled with scuba diving, 30ft rock jumps 200 yards out in the middle of crystal blue coves, and beach bumming that instantly cured any hangover.  They were a glorious respite from the soon to be very cold winter months of Northern Cali.

Bangkok nearly took my soul... And we will leave it at that...

 Chiang Mai and Bangkok's fellow backpackers and travelers we had the pleasure to meet were all fantastic with stories and experiences of lives lived many months on the road that several times gave me the inclination to turn two weeks into "until the savings dries up".  While in some cases I felt old around our young 20s friends, their energy and enthusiasm was always sought and welcomed for our big group adventures.

Thai food of all kinds were tasted, tried, learned, and perfected. Western food was avoided, street-side food carts were sought out, with very few items that I would not at least give a taste; though, I learned quickly which few would not get a second taste and that Drew was always there to clean-up any leftovers.

 And I must say that while the Thai know their spicy, I don't think they know that  "beef roast" should be a cow and not something that more closely resembles Lassie or Old Yeller BBQ'd up for all to see.  But of course Andy and I had a plate-full and admittedly enjoyed it, in a somewhat inebriated state. Haha, YOLO right?!?!

Lions, tigers, and... Elephants?! Oh My!  We saw and interacted with them all. I never thought I'd be rubbing the belly of a 350lb Bengal Tiger, never!

Absolutely everything about this trip was out of the normal comfort zone of daily life. Every moment of this trip was incredible and I return to California with stories I will remember for a lifetime and an absolute hunger to travel and see every corner, nook and cranny this amazing world has to offer.

Andy and Kelly, you are the two coolest people in the world! (aside from the Swayze of course).  I cannot thank you both enough for letting me be a part of your fantastic adventures.  I love you both more than you will ever know.  Be safe!

~PC"