thai government

tonight my heart breaks for Thailand.  the goverment has continued to shut down any media sympathetic to the protests and escalated the violence against a peaceful demonstration.  i find it hard to believe the UN and human rights watch groups are ignoring what is going on here but they didn't 'see' Rwanda or Darfur either so i guess it's to be expected when it's not an oil producing country.

there is a unusually high number of casualties among the western journalists within the protest site.  they seem to be the only ones giving a voice to the protesters and as a result i think the jackets they wear marked press provide a clear target for the military.

tourism is down drastically here and even the night market on Saturday evening was empty.  tonight should be my last night in Chiang Mai as i'm waiting for a visa from the chinese consulate here which i can pick up tomorrow.  as i wrapped up the day and was returning to my hotel i snapped this shot of burning tires just outside the gates of the old city.  the old city is a tourist area and so the red shirts say they will not demonstrate here.  there is a curfew here so everything was closed up tight by 8PM.  the news coming from Bangkok is even worse.  i'll head to Chiang Rai and jump the Laos border tomorrow evening if possible.

fat white western beach

ferry to a new island.  so i am now on Ko Samui and stay on Chewang beach would could be renamed fat drunk westerner beach.  i'm amazed i've been able to avoid this scene and have enjoyed the essence of the islands without the noise and drug fueled antics of the white man.  this is just a stopover as i fly to Chiang Mai tomorrow.

the longboats in this picture are what the locals use to go out fishing and at sunset they come back with the catch of the day that goes on to the grill on beach for dinner.  the idea of fish that fresh is tempting but in the end i feel so sorry for the fish that i just have roasted corn and potatos.  i eat pad thai that is exquisite.  i've been advised to induldge in the Thai food as much as possible in preparation for Indochine and i've taken that advice.  then anouther beautiful sunset.

back to the islands

the silent retreat at Wat Suan Mokkh is hard.  it felt physically and mentally as challenging as climbing Kilimanjaro.  like all things that are hard i am glad that i have done it and more happy that i am done with it.  the staff and participants are incredibly kind and i am honored to have this insight into the Buddhist and Thai cultures.

i get a ride out to the main road and find one other guy who has also left this morning. we get a sawngthaew to Surat Thani and he helps me navigate the travel agent to arrange a bus and ferry out to Koh Phangnan, an island in the Gulf of Thailand.

every time i use the travel agent in Thailand i end up with somthing different that what they tell me.  in this case they tell me the ferry is 11:30AM and it turns out the ferry is 2PM.   i ask information at the ferry terminal if they have wifi and they say no.  i ask a second time and they say no.  i turn on my computer and find free wifi so i spend two hours catching up on mail and news.

when i get to Koh Phangnan i run the guantlet of taxi drivers on the pier and check at the ticket office to find out times for ferries leaving the island then head over to Coconut Beach where i find good accomodations.  here's the view from my room.

air conditioning, internet, shower and a toilet.  i feel so spoilt.  i crash hard and enjoy sleeping on something other than a bamboo mat.  while i have been out of contact i find the arrangements i made for Willie Dawg while i am gone have not worked out and he's been taken to my mother's house.  my mom has not been supportive of this trip from the begining and i fear she will use this as a way to get me back to the US before i am ready to return.  just thinking about it brings up anxiety that i have to meditate away as i know if that happens i will be filled with resentment that will hard to get past.