Koh Samet and the taxi mafia

the ride to the ferry port should have been about 3 hours but it ended up being closer to 4.  i remembered the tourist buses being pretty nice last time i was in Thailand so i didn't think twice about taking the bus.  this bus was however just a notch or two above a chicken bus.  sure there was ac but they only turn it on for the first 30 minutes.  i don't know why it doesn't make sense.  also since i arrived for a 6AM bus and the first bus left at 7AM i had an extra hour to sit around the bus station.  i hate bus and train stations because i always feel like i need to be hyper alert for thieves and touts.  fortunately for me they are still asleep at this early hour and after i find the bus for Ban Phe [port city for Samet] i take a seat and wait.  as it gets closer to the time i see a man wearing a towel... yep, just a towel, walk up to the bus and emerge a few minutes later dressed as a bus driver.  so i guess there's a live aboard situation going on here.

 with time to kill and not knowing if there's a break in this trip i get a bag of chips.  it says sweet basil right there in english and being that i am adventurous i give it a go.  see the red chiles in the picture?  yeah, i burnt my mouth up.  and speaking of heat, the red chili flakes here are served on the side with everything [like having salt and pepper on the table in the US] and they are about 100X hotter so i've learned to use those quite sparingly.   otherwise, the food has been just amazing.  a plate of pad thai is about $3US.

having not been taken by any thieves or touts at the bus station i arrive intact at the ferry pier.  which is a stinky, hot, trash ridden area with a few wood planks nailed together.  in a flash as i walked out to the boat someone tried to sell me a ticket.  since i already had one they insisted i needed to purchase from them the national park fee [that's a real thing but most people avoid paying this] from them.  when i hesitated they included a 'free' taxi ride to the beach i was staying.  the park fee is 200B $6US and the taxi fee 30B - 200B so i pay the 200B thinking it will be fine.

then, instead of a receipt i get this sticker and i know i've probably just paid for something i  shouldn't have and by wearing this sticker i will be advertising to all the other touts that i'm an easy mark.  i'm going to put together a list of ways you know you have been ripped off and getting a sticker like this is one of them.  needless to say, upon arrival on the island, there was no 'free' taxi and i stood with several other people who had stickers while a taxi driver tried to get an additional 200B out of each of us.

i spoke to him quietly on the side protecting his ability to rip off the other tourists but when he insisted the other passengers wanted to know what the problem was.  at that point i told them the fare should be 25 Baht per person and not the 200 he was asking.  when i asked his name and said i would report him he said his name was 'i don't know'.  previous to that his english had been excellent so i asked again and when he said 'i don't know' the second time the gig was up, the others refused to pay as well and in the end we did get a free taxi.  i'm sure this won't be the last time i have a taxi issue and it's not like it was a lot of money but it reflected badly on the island and put me in a bad mood for about 15 minutes which is how long it took me to get from the ferry to a beach with a cold drink in my hand.

visa for Myanmar

yesterday i spent most of the day arranging for my visa for Myanmar where I plan to go at the end of September.  It was the usual cluster when getting a visa for a developing country.  i stood in 4 different lines but the crowd was a cheerful bunch and helped anyone who had questions about the application.  there were some runners who had stacks of passports and seemed to know each other so i'm guessing it's a daily thing for them.  lots of people interested in going to Myanmar.  the reason it took most of the day was because you could only submit your application between 9 - 12 and had to pick up between 3:30 - 4:30.  i wanted same day service so i could leave for the island in the morning and the Embassy wasn't convenient to anything else i wanted to do so i burned my time up in a coffee shop and getting a foot massage.  Ahhh, the Thai foot massage is so refreshing ... 

especially because on my way to the embassy i got a bit lost and ended up walking much further then i planned.  i put on my headphones and rocked the extra two miles because i needed the exercise anyway.

what, lost?  here's a sample of the road signage.  Bangkok is spread out, doesn't have an efficient public transport system and the roads are so congested the taxis move along at a snails pace.  reminds me of NYC at rush hour but it's like that all the time.

finally i found a sign that signaled the end of the trail.... and it was in english

around 3 i headed back to the embassy to queue up for the pick up.  the line started outside and i was standing next to the sign that said visas applications accepted between 9-12.  a girl in her 20s walked up read the sign and then said to everyone and no one in particular she had just walk for an hour to get there and needed to talk with someone from the embassy.  the guy in front of me politely explained she'd need to come back in the morning and I asked if she needed an application because i had been handed two in the first line i stood in (this was confusing to me because it wasn't clear if I needed to fill out the exact same document 2 times - I've been asked to do stranger things so I've learned to expect anything). she said again quite urgently that she had QUESTIONS and needed to speak to someone from the embassy.  she had the backpacker who hadn't showered for a week look about her and I thought she might have some extreme situation - like perhaps she was going to seek asylum  in Myanmar - but no, as she rambled on it turns out she had basic questions about what docs were needed.  i thought to myself, WTF? you spent an hour walking to the embassy but didn't take 2 minutes to Google 'visa requirements for Myanmar' first?  i hope i was never that annoying but I'm sure I've had my moments.

in the third queue when i paid the money and turned in the application/passport this is the receipt i was given. there isn't anything on here that contains my passport number or name!  i got the right passport back and i had a stamp in it so i left happy. the detailed information on http://twotravelaholics.com/2013/04/07/how-to-get-a-Myanmar visa-in-bangkok/ about getting a visa from the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok was spot on!

there is a new option that was added September 1 2014 and had i known about it i would have used it.  for a tourist visa [not business which is available upon arrival] they now accept applications online and process in about 10 days.  the cost is $50 US which is only a few dollars more than same day service in Bangkok which is now 1260 Baht [$39] two day service is 800 Baht and next day is still 1000 Baht.

after two days in Bangkok I'm ready to head down to one of the islands and sit on the beach for a few days.  i picked Koh Samet which is just a few hours southeast of Bangkok.  i've never been so that will be a new adventure.  

getting to Thailand

on my way to Thailand i arrived at Denver International early enough to catch breakfast at Root Down.  honestly, i'm going to miss that place.  the eggs, potatoes and croissant were done perfectly and the garnish of arugula is the perfect green to plate.  it's amazing to me that so few restaurants can deliver fantastic food so consistently.  i took a salad to go so i'd have something on my 12 hour flight if i got hungry.  i'm loving the Denver to Tokyo non stop service on United.  they use the dreamliner which is pretty comfortable for a long flight - at least it was in EPlus where I was sitting - also it wasn't a full flight so when there's an empty seat next to you it feels really roomy.  the entertainment on demand is ridiculous with something like 50 movies available.  i rarely make it to the theatre so I caught up on a bunch of films... i watched Million Dollar Arm then got distracted when a woman five rows behind me started vomiting.  the crew responded accordingly which in this day and age means they put on a hazmat like suit to clean up - depositing everything into a red hazmat container.  the woman was black which of course everyone was associating with the very deadly virus circulating in west Africa.  later i asked the crew if she'd been in Africa and they said she had not.  then i watched the Grand Budapest Hotel and Wolf of Wall Street - yeah i think i'm all caught up on movies for a while.

in Tokyo even though i was just in transit i had to go through an additional security clearance and they did not like that one of my bottles was 4 oz instead of 3 oz.  i tried to keep the contents of the larger bottle by dumping out hairspray in a different bottle but i was weary from the 12 hour flight and i accidentally ended up dumping out both containers.  it made a mess but the Japanese security team didn't seem fazed and were quite polite the whole time.  we'll see how my hair does without any products.

the flight from Tokyo to Bangkok was in an Airbus 380 which is humongous and has over 500 seats.... talk about a people mover!  it was late my time so i grabbed a whole row that was empty, stretched out and fell asleep.  the moment i stepped onto that plane and was greeted by the Thai Airlines flight crew all the wonderful experience i've had with Thailand came rushing through my mind.  they stop and connect with every passenger on the plane - it's just not like the US carriers where the crew will barely look you in the eye and serving a coke is just an extra chore for them.

immigration was super easy - no line and just one question - where would i be visiting. they did have a 'medical scan' set up to detect anyone with an elevated temperature and a request for anyone who had been in West Africa to make themselves known.  i was glad to see they were at least making an effort even though the whole setup was a camera like device pointing at people as they walked by.  i grabbed a taxi to where i was staying and crawled into bed around midnight.

good view

Buena Vista translates to good view and that's an accurate description of the Buena Vista valley.   14,000 foot peaks surround the valley and provide the perfect backdrop from any angle.  the town, because of the ecotourism, has thrived and grown.  there's a brewery and some great restaurants in addition to the old favorites like Panchos which has been there forever.  the Arkansas River provides some of Colorado's best whitewater rafting as it winds through the valley and canyons.  after a day of thrills on the river hitting up a hotspring is a way to relax.  throughout the rocky mountains there are geothermally heated hot springs and there are two that have been developed in the area.  i like the Cottonwood Hot Springs which has soaking pools in a natural environment.

there are rooms available here but i've never stayed in them.  the staff is outstanding.  very attentive and accommodating.   the Mt Princeton Hot Springs Resort is much larger and more kid friendly.

don't leave the valley without exploring one of the many ghost towns.  St. Elmo's still has some structures standing and a main street. there's a general store but the rest of the buildings are not accessible.  the drive is beautiful and follows the old train tracks.  there are multiple state maintained camping areas along the road and a river that drains into the Arkansas.

next up, Bangkok......

last of a Colorado summer

with a new passport and miles burning a hole in my pocket i've decided to leave for Asia in a few weeks.  it's the right time  for me to take an extended trip.  for the last 18 months i've been raising a puppy for Guide Dogs for the Blind.  Toga, a female yellow lab, was released from the program for a minor medical issue and i've placed her with an organization where she will continue her training as a therapy dog and work with children and adults with special needs.  before i head back to Asia i plan to enjoy the last bit of summer in the mountains of Colorado hitting up some of my favorite spots.  first up, Half Moon Creek. it's a creek that's fed from Mount Elbert and Mount Massive outside of Leadville, Colorado.  it's quiet and restive and there's a good chance to see beavers playing on the river or deer coming down for a drink at dusk.  i set up camp and relax sans technology.  there is some wireless access but only at certain times of the day when the satelites are directly above.

not to worry though, the town of Leadville is just ten minutes away and small enough that there isn't even a McDonalds.  instead there is an assortment of cafes and restaurants that serve excellent food.  One of my favorites is the Tennessee Pass restaurant where I'm never disappointed and your dog is welcome on the side porch.  there are hot showers at the local laundry but they looked and smelled really bad so someone told me they offer showers at the local high school.  there's tons to explore and plenty of mountains to climb.  i get in a few hikes and after a few days i'll head down the road towards Buena Vista.

crying like a baby

i went in to the doctor's office to get a few inoculations this week and today i am crying like a baby.  they really hurt but i suppose it's better than getting something nasty and completely avoidable.  my friend says, 'it's hard to really feel sorry for you' so that shut me up but IT STILL HURTS.

time to go

it's crisp, it's never been used and it's begging for an adventure

arrived today, my new passport.  where shall we go?

south beach

after a day to recover from the embarrassing Bronco performance i'm ready for the next adventure which is a trip to Miami's South Beach.  Marti, my closest childhood friend picks me up around 8AM.  it's early for me but i'm so excited i'm dressed and sitting on the front step ready to go ten minutes early.

Marti is the perfect friend to go to South Beach with -  she's a phenomenal artist and adds to the already colorful culture plus she knows all the great spots.  if you've been, you know that South Beach is really like no other place in the US and if you haven't been, well you should go.

we drive around and soak up the color and relax into a South Beach attitude.  it's daytime and traffic moves at a crawl everywhere.  the beaches, the streets, the cafes and shops are filled with people.  it gets even more crowded after dark when the nightclubs open and party spills out onto the streets.

we end up at the Delano, a fabulous Philipe Starck, hotel for lunch.  there are nooks that surprise and delight and are inviting to sit and relax.  i could sit in that lobby for hours but Lincoln Road and shopping and the gallleries are next on the list.  Just a walk down the road which has been turned into a pedestrian mall is filled with color and music and plenty of entertainment options.  it would be easy to spend a week here but i have only one day.

we end the day on Lincoln Road with a stop at Dylan's Candy Bar where there is sugar available in more shapes and sizes than i ever imagined.

we head back to the west coast of Florida and i can't wait for the next adventure with Marti.

off to florida

huge day for Denver with the Broncos playing at the Super Bowl.  i'm at the airport and it is blanketed in orange.  even the gate agents are cheerful.  i am not headed to the Super Bowl, i am going to Florida for a week of work/play/escape the cold.  i did go to both the superbowls when the Broncos played and won so i remember all so well the excitement of being at the game.  if the Broncos win i will be sorry to miss the energy of a city celebrating a victory that belongs as much to the fans as the players.  clearly, this woman has invested a large part of her paycheck in orange.

when i left the house this morning it was crisp and cold.  a picture perfect winter morning with a blanket of snow on the ground and a collection of snow on every exposed spot.  magical.  it was also really, really cold.


we are spoilt to have such a great international airport.  sure it's big but it has by far the best food choices of any US airport i've been in.  root down is my favorite but there are others that offer a taste of Colorado including sit downs at Elways, Boulder Beer, Belgium Beer House and the Chophouse.  the airport is clean and there's never a line to use the ladies rest room.  also, i've noticed Denver International Airport has put in filtered water stations inside the security line.  wish more places would do this.  thanks DIA!

3.5 hours is the time it takes to go from 12 degrees in Colorado to 85 degrees in Florida.