Vagabonding : 2006 January |

Stuck in Kanchanaburi

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There are worst places to be stuck I suppose but I really have worn this town out. It is time to move on.

I packed all my things and walked to the train station but all the trains are full. The famous Orient Express happened to be there which was unusual but Im glad I got to see it. I booked passage to Surat Thani tomorrow on the overnight train. I hate to go into the south already because of the costs, but I am tired for some reason and lounging on the beaches sounds wonderful. I guess I’ll go North to Chiang Mai later hopefully and do the trekking.

Orient Express

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Posted in Thailand | Tags: budget travel, kanchanaburi, Thailand

Chinese New Year

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I walked the 5km back into town tonight with an English backpacker for New Year, saw some traditional Thai dances and music and drank some Asahi and Singhas. I ate the street food which was awesome. We were the only farang for miles so it was very cool, I kept catching people looking in our direction and smiling as we enjoyed ourselves at the celebration. An old woman gave us some orange soda to drink while we ate, she didnt speak English….but was with a family so I assumed that it wasnt drugged. The older people here are very kind and giving, very much like the older Polynesians.

I actually paid to have my laundry done, only 20 baht a kilo but it needed it. I have been doing it myself so far but a sink and shampoo can only get things so clean anyways. As I sat there eating my bundle of mini-bananas for breakfast, an old Thai woman sat down and I shared my breakfast with her. She was obviously very poor and never stopped smiling at me. I have almost quit negotiating with many of the older vendors…they are just trying to earn a living and the .30 cents I save means more to them than to me.

I have been preparing myself for the more expensive tourist islands though, by practising Thai haggling with Lisa and studying the numbers in the back of my Lonely Planet.

Posted in Thailand | Tags: backpacking, kanchanaburi, Thailand

Monks, and tigers, and english - oh my!

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Good thing they fed the tigers today…the one I was scratching lazily rolled on his back and looked at me with one eye. It was obvious that he was too hot, too full, and too lazy to rip my throat out.

Greg petting a happy kitty

Today, my Italian friend Romina and I walked 2 km to the bus station and took a bus in the direction of the tiger temple…a temple where monks raise orphaned tigers and you can interact with them in the open.

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Posted in Thailand | Tags: backpacking, kanchanaburi, Thailand