Thailand – Bangkok, Ko Si-Chang, Pattaya, Ko Samet

Hello All,

I have been on the ground here in Thailand for about two weeks now and find myself really starting to settle into my trip – it’s kind of funny to think that if this where one of my typical vacations – I would be getting ready to leave to go home now – but I am just getting warmed up.

I spent three days in Bangkok when I first arrived – the city is really busy, the air is really polluted, and there is just a constant drone of human activity no matter which way you turn. Generally I feel safe in Bangkok – with the biggest risks coming from trying to cross the street with all the traffic I hiked around and checked out various temples and sites. Ate some great food – interesting, but after a few days I was ready to move on.

I went to the coast south-east of Bangkok to a small island called Ko Si Chang where there is one nice beach, and not much else other then clean air – a welcome change from Bangkok. Spent a couple days there hiking the island and meeting the people that lived there. Mostly only Thai people come to this island and the owner of the guest house said that he only sees about 10 Americans a year.

Moved on from there to Pattaya by the sea – a strange place to say the least – the town itself feels like a mix between the seedy side of Las Vegas and the fun party atmosphere of New Orleans set in a location like Miami Beach. There are over 400 bars in this small beach town – all of which should make it a very cool place, but there is one problem – it’s overrun with package tourists on short vacations – mostly fat single men in there 50′s wearing speedos and hanging out with one of the 7,000 prostitutes who work in the city. So you spend your days and nights watching these old guys with their young Thai “girlfriends” who could be there grand-daughters and it makes the place feel wrong. Too bad – I think it could be a fun place if there were different people here.

No worries – there is always a better place down the road, you just need to keep moving till you find it. The next stop was Ko Samet, a small island off the south-east coast, just basically one long strip of sand with cool beach bungalows on the water and fun parties on the beach at night. Better yet – it’s mostly young people just looking to hang out for a few days and chill out. Met lots of great people mostly Dutch and Swedish and a few Kiwis. Days are spent sitting on the beach until the sun goes down, then they go into beach party mode, setting up sitting mats and little tables right on the beach with party lights above. People sit on the beach, meeting people and drinking cheep mixed drinks out of plastic buckets with straws. What a kick – it’s very social scene and before you know it, it’s 4AM – time to go to bed so you can get up the next day and do it again. The days kind of go on like that and before I knew it, I had been there a week.

I left friends behind yesterday, albeit with plans to meet up with some of them in a few weeks. Am back in Bangkok for a day, before heading south for a few days of diving and some more island action.

Peace to all… Write me when you can.

Matt

Hello,

I have been back in California for about two weeks now getting ready to head off to South East Asia. I had a great drive back across the southern part of the United States. I left North Carolina on December 31st and headed west on Interstate 40. I celebrated the new year in Memphis, Tennessee the birth place of rock and roll. Beale Street in Memphis is definitely a great place for a party – they close down the streets to cars and you can just go from bar to bar and check out all the live bands and the food is fantastic – a great way to start off the new year.

I continued my journey west through Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and into New Mexico & Arizona stopping off at Petrified Forest National Park, Meteor Crater, and Sunset Crater National Park before heading to the Grand Canyon for a couple of days. I had a great time at the Canyon – hiking and camping around the south rim – such an amazing place –I had never been there before – but it is definitely a place I will return to…

Heading on from there, I decided to camp out in the Mojave Desert for a night under the stars, but when I tired to find the campground, I ended up getting lost for a couple of hours on dirt roads in the middle of the Mojave. I drove and drove, with no real idea of where I was. I figured that if I was ever going to be abducted by aliens – this was going to be the night – out there all alone in the desert – that’s when they get you. At one point I hit a cross roads and not knowing which way to go, I shut off the truck and headlights and stood on my roof looking for some clue as to which way to head. With the headlights off, I could see a faint glow on the horizon – figuring it was a town – I headed that way. After a few hours of driving, I finally ended up on the northern part if the desert near I15, having completely crossed the desert in an unknown direction. Go figure…

A few days later, I was home and feeling a little strange being back at my place after so long on the road. The trip was a great warm up for the one that lies ahead. Mostly I am packed and ready to head out, just trying to see my friends before I leave.

One final thought before I sign off – I am really concerned about the direction our government is heading in relation to war with Iraq. Despite building opposition at home and abroad – it feels like we are on a path to war despite how the people feel. If you are also concerned about this want to make sure your voice is heard, then join me in signing an online petition asking President Bush to let the weapons inspections work, rather than rushing to war. If we don’t act now, we could be at war by the end of the month. Go to the following site to sign the petition. http://www.moveon.org/winwithoutwar/

Well that’s it for now… Monday I am off for Thailand.

Peace,

Matt

Hello to all you fine people. It’s been about a month since my last update and I figured I would get an update out before I hit the road again. For the past month, I have been visiting with family and friends all over Pennsylvania, New York and North Carolina. It has been great getting a chance to reconnect with all the people I love before I head out of the country.

I am finding that this adventure is as much an internal experience, as it is an external one. After more then a month on the road, I have begun to truly settle into myself in a way I have not known before. I am enjoying each passing moment for the pleasures that it has to offer and have left behind at least for the moment the mundane complexities of life that so often steal so much of our energy. I am very happy…

I have been researching my family history in an effort to eventually publish a book for all my relatives. As I peal away the layers of history, I am finding a certain kinship with some of my ancestors and the adventures that they undertook in their lives � one particular individual is my great-great grandfather Adam Exline, born in 1848. As a young man he quit his job in Pennsylvania, joined up with a wagon train and headed out west into the Indian territories in search of adventure. He found it. He narrowly avoided being killed by Indians after a face-to-face confrontation with a group of warriors, was nearly trampled by a stampeding herd of thousands of buffalo, and woke up one morning camping out on the prairie with a rattlesnake curled up next to him trying to stay warm. After a three year adventure, he eventually made it home safe and sound and settled in to start a family. Hopefully my adventure will be as exciting if not so life threatening.

In a letter that Adam Exline wrote to my grandmother (his granddaughter) late in his life, or as he put it, “the sunset of human existence”, he said, “You know that ones pen or thoughts largely follow his environments. My surroundings are peculiar to many of my fellow beings.” I think there is a lot of truth to the fact that we are greatly influenced by our environment, and I hope that the surroundings I am about to immerse myself in will have a direct positive impact on my thoughts – hopefully all of you will not find me too peculiar, but if you do I am ok with that.

I am going to sign off for now. I am planning to hit the road tomorrow morning, leaving my parent’s house in North Carolina and heading out west for California. I am taking the southern route home and plan to catch some of the sights along the way. Will be home in California for two weeks before I head out to Thailand on January 20th. Send me email – I love hearing from everyone!

Peace and love to all – Happy Holidays!

Matt

Hey!

After almost two weeks on the road, I made it back to PA in time to get together with my family for Thanksgiving on Saturday. Next two weeks will be spent visiting family and friends before I head down to North Carolina to visit my parents for Christmas.

After leaving Boulder, I headed north through Rocky Mountain National forest and into WY. The weather was great and driving was easy until I hit WY but about two minutes after crossing the CO/WY border the road was covered with ice and the wind was blowing across the road about 40-60mph. I was fine, but I figure this is how WY keeps its population down. Did a great hike around Devils Tower, but didn’t have any close encounters with aliens – I was very disappointed. Moved on from there into South Dakota and the Black Hills (leaving ice covered roads behind) – watched big white fluffy mountain goats at Mount Rushmore and went to the Crazy Horse memorial which is still being carved from the mountain. Spent Thanksgiving day in the Bad Lands where I made a delicious thanksgiving dinner of Turkey Chili on my small cook stove I brought along. The Bad Lands are cool – I was once again the only person in the park – saw lots of mule dear and big horn sheep. After that there wasn’t much else I wanted to see on the plains states, so I high tailed it back east in a couple of days.

It is great to be on the road – my spirits are high and I am enjoying each day as it comes – peace and happy holidays to all.

Matt

Wow! It sure feels great to be out on the open road. All cares and worries left behind nothing but fun and adventure in front of me. One realization – it’s a long way to drive across the country when after two and half days of driving and I had only made it to Utah – I figured it was going to take awhile – No worries, I am not on any schedule other then what I set for myself.November is a great time to be out and about – no one else on the road anywhere – hotels and parks are all empty. Visited with my cousin Shawn in Sacramento, went for a run by lake Tahoe, danced across Nevada – went caving in Great Basin National Park, and hiked around Arches National Park – soaked in a hot tub in Moab, Utah, explored the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verda, met up with friends in Telluride, watched the new Harry Potter movie in Pueblo, CO and am getting ready to head out for beers and the Bronco game in Bolder.

YES!!!

It’s snowing and life is great!!