crosswalking

Finally managed yesterday to get the visa for Myanmar (burma). They only let 100 americans in a month so I felt fortunate they chose me, especially since it's high season. Had to fill out lots and lots of extra paperwork...felt like I was applying for college, health insurance, and a job all at once while italians, germans, and frenchies just walked right through. And had to sit for an observation period while they watched me to make sure I was of normal mental state. They did give me internet. Felt like going to pro war, i love bush, etc, etc sites just for fun, but decided best not and after looking up important hockey scores on espn, I went to greenpeace.com and amnesty international (apparently it worked!) After getting the visa I couldn't find a taxi that would give me a non-ripoff deal, so I ended up walking the 5k back to the central part of bangkok. gave me a good chance to see a non-touristy part of bangkok where people aren't constantly trying to get your money and attention. Walking through the narrow markets was quite fun, though a challenge with my large backpack. The best part is trying to cross roads through bangkok. The traffic is incredibly nasty. yes they have crosswalks but no little walking men. there are constantly cars so you just have to run in front of them and trust they will break. pretty crazy! But I adapted quickly thanks to all those similar situations in Philly with Ms Sara. The people I met up here in chang mai are impressed, it takes them much longer to cross.
I ended up booking a sleeper train that night to chang mai. I had originally hoped to go to kanchaburi or lopburi first but that late in the day there was no guarentee I could get a room, but with the sleeper train it was obviously overnight. I also ended up booking a 3 day two night trek and another 3 nights up in chiang mai through the tourist agency. the price seemed pretty awesome so I did it. Might have been cheaper to do once I got up here, but it sounded great and it's at what I consider a luxury guesthouse for this trip: private bathroom, strong fan, and swimming pool.
The sleeper train was quite cool. Previous sleepers I had been on in tanzania and europe had fully glass enclosed rooms with beds. I got on this and there were just seats. I had figured I must have bought the wrong tickts, but after dinner they came buy and oulet they pulled beds from the floor and sealing to give you your nice personal space. my bunk mate below me and person I shared the table with was a really cool and very nice (read very gay) Brit named Mark. He was quite fun and entertaining.
I had been journaling on the train and when we got to the station I left my journal onboard. Nothing too bad to lose, just mainly sentimental value and copies of my passport and color passport photos for visas. Nonetheless I decided to take a tuk tuk to the train station to look for it thinking that no one would really want to steal it. It was a major to do with all these people at the station trying to help me, but none understanding what a lost in found was. I eventually just got on the train to look for it with no luck. They told me to call the thai police. They tried several (at least 5) numbers to reach the police but all were wrong numbers, very interesting to think security guards, train headmaster, and tourist info people did not know the number for the police. The Tuk tuk took (haha) me back to the hotel where I asked if they could phone the police. No we'll take you there by motor bike. That was quite the adventure! I've had plenty of experience dealing with the insanity of undeveloped country driving. east africa was pretty bad as was central america, but by far the worst has been the philippines. passing huge semis all the time on blind mountain passes and just passing on congested roads assuming any oncoming traffic, semis, bicycles, tricycles, people, chickens, cows, dogs, etc will yield. At first it can be quite scary ( i can still remember my mom screaming everytime the driver would pass in the philippines, which was about 5 times a minute until we put her in the back and told her to sleep), but after a while you become numb to it. So now thirdworld driving doesn't even phase me. But riding on the back of this fast motorbike, with no helmet, spending the majority of the time in the oncoming traffic lane weaving through cars and trucks that were coming straight at us, all the while the driver was looking back at me trying to carry on small talk (so it snows in colorado?), was quite frightening. after the 30 minute drive to the police station, I had dug my hands quite deep into the poor guides shoulders. But going back I had relaxed and even stayed on without using my hands. The people at the police station just wrote down lost and found in thai and told me to go back to the station which I did. The people at the station informed me that the teacher and students I had been with on the train had picked it up. So I may or may not get it back depending on how that goes. But the whole ordeal with all of them helping helped to restore my faith in thai people after bangkok. I had felt in bangkok like you really couldn't talk to anyone b/c there were always trying to scam, fleece, or con you. That added with insane traffic, pollution that hurt the longs, and beuaracratic bs made me quite sick of bangkok and ready to get out. At first I thought I was the only one feeling like that, but everyone I have talked to absolutely despied bangkok. They had all been conned in the same ways and taken for the ride. that made me feel a lot better b/c I actually got off better than most b/c I never actually lost any money to them b/c I would refuse to pay the high prices or get terribly duped.
At the guesthouse here in chang mai I met some interesting guys, Germans, at the pool. They were basically in thailand for the sex and prostitution. They typically go to eastern europe for that, but decided to come here b/c of the price, and thankfully not for the child prostitution that is fairly rampant.
I met up with some other people that were a bit more to my style. A funny italian named Stephano, a romanian (turned pro soccer player in germany but is out for IR) name Adrian, and a brit named Guy. We had a good time tonight exploring the hopping night markets of chang mai and daring each other to eat the incredibly spicy thai peppers. At the briefing for the trek, they told us to not have more than 2 beers tonight to be ready for the hiking. Well at about 50 cents a beer, you can better believe we each had about 7 (but half of mine were for Conrad ;), so it wasn't quite so bad!)
A slight annoyance here and its the first time in an undeveloped country I've experienced, but all the europeans have cell phones here now. One of my favorite things about traveling is leaving all that technology crap behind, no cell phone, limited email, no tv, no news, no nothing. Leaving all those unnecessary stresses behind. It's always very freeing. In fact, I usually wait at least a week before I turn my cell phone on once I even get home.
here's a story of my naivety...Went to my room to get some things for going to dinner. Two nice thai gals were coming out of the room next to me. They invited me and adrian to a bbq. I said that would be awesome especially since they had a car. Adrian quickly said no and pulled me a way to go. Later found out they were prostitutes! I'm too easily taken in by nice people!

So for the itinerary as I know it now. Going to be trekking for 3 days in the jungle west of chang mai towards to border with myanmar (apparently we may run into some fleeing burmese from myanmar and other karen refugees)...some hiking, some elephant riding, some rafting, so no internet or any of that. I also booked a flight for yangon, myanmar jan 10 coming back 20 days later.
ciao