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12/28/03 MK 7:39am. We arrived in Bangkok late on the 23rd and checked in at the Oriental Hotel. Let me first say the Oriental is absolutely incredible and is probably the nicest hotel I've ever stayed at. It’s beauty and opulence set amongst third world poverty and chaos creates a striking contrast. After a bit of confusion we discovered a note from Kim & Steve to meet them in the Bamboo Bar which is straight from the set of Casablanca. Lisa and I were both very excited to meet up with family but Lisa was clearly ready to burst. In 36 years, this was to be her first Christmas away from home and she was extremely excited to have some family with her.
1.1.04 LK HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I knew I had missed Thailand but I really was not prepared for how much. It has been a thrill to share this special place with people who I love, especially after so long. (As most of you know, I lived in Thailand from 1995-1996). I have truly enjoyed dragging Michael, Kim and Steve around the country at a frenetic pace (the jury is still out as to whether they have enjoyed it as much as I!). The Bangkok I love is still much as I remembered – hyperstimulating, immensely colorful, awash with stunning sights, smiling faces, scrumptious food, lung-clogging pollution and traffic. One positive development has been the addition of the Sky Train. This new above-ground train runs almost the entire length of Sukhumvit and Silom Road (two of the city’s main thoroughfares) making it much easier to move around the city. Shockingly, we almost didn’t notice the traffic. So far, the most frustrating thing about Thailand hasn’t been about Thailand at all. With seven years of disuse, my language skills have suffered miserably. I have been plagued with having to accept the fact that some words will just remain stuck on my tongue and not finally roll off of it. We are on a plane to Phuket right now, the final portion of our trip with Kim and Steve. I feel a bit sad about them leaving. Our trip with them has already been one of those “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences so I know our time in Phuket will enhance that, but I’m a bit melancholy that it is coming to an end just the same. If you are reading this Kim and Steve, thank you for making this an incredibly special Christmas and New Years.
We love you.
Now, I need to tell you a little bit about what we’ve done together.
1/8/04 MK It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks. Lisa has been playing tour guide and has kept us on the go. I know she’s going to give you the details so I’ll just write some of my impressions.
More people than New York, more traffic than LA, and more garbage than Philadelphia; Bangkok is one crazy city. From the Chao Praya River, which runs through the city and alongside our hotel; to the Chatuchak market, which is sprawling with everything you could ever want, and a great deal you don't recognize. (Between Kim and Lisa, we did a lot of damage there.) From the many beautiful wats (temples) that are randomly scattered throughout the city, to the many slums that are truly the soul of the city. The stray dogs and cats that wander freely, and the insane motorcyclists whose 2 wheeled vehicles act as the family station wagon often seen transporting dad, mom, baby, and sometimes the family pet as well. (All without helmets of course.) The food is both delicious and scary, (we saw more than one cart selling delicacies including sautéed beetles and fried scorpion). And the people are incredibly friendly, even when they are trying to overcharge you for a short ride in a tuk tuk, which in Thailand means an extra 50 cents. It is truly a land of extremes which converge to make Bangkok a very beautiful, interesting and exciting city.
That’s all I am going to write about Thailand, at least for now, as I will shortly be receiving our first guest journal entry from Kim and Steve. They didn’t have time to write before leaving, but promised to email it to me ASAP.
1/12/04 MK Still waiting on Kim & Steve’s journal entry but apparently they have a good excuse. It seems they both fell victim to a third world bug and have been laid up in bed since arriving home. I’m sure you are all as anxious to read their entry as I am so I promise to put it up as soon as they are up to writing it.
So…to bring you up to date…I’ve been withholding some information from the journal, but now that’s it’s public I thought I would write about it. About 3 days into our journey, while scuba diving in Fiji, I noticed a pain in my right leg. It felt like what I imagine rheumatism would feel like, which also happens to be how divers describe the effects of nitrogen narcosis. Hence, I thought the pain was dive related and would dissipate over time. One month later I decided it was time to visit a physician. The doctor I met with in Queenstown, New Zealand thought it was bursitis and prescribed anti-inflammatories. A few weeks later, immediately following four days of diving at the Great Barrier Reef, the pain suddenly became much worse. I went to see another doctor, this time in Perth, and he sent me for an MRI. The results showed a bulging disk at the L4/5, which he said was pressing on the sciatic nerve and causing the pain. He prescribed more anti-inflammatories, physical therapy and rest, which he thought would take care of the problem in about 6 weeks. He was wrong. I’ve now met with orthopedists and neurosurgeons in Bangkok all of whom seem to have a different opinion. The only thing that is now clear to me is that I need to deal with my back, and I have no desire to do it in Thailand. That said, I am very sorry to write that we are presently in the airport in Bangkok waiting for our flight to Japan, and then onto New York. While we very much look forward to seeing family and friends, I’m upset about returning to the states after less than 4 months of travel. My best guess is that surgery is likely, but we’ll see. Regardless, it is our intent to resume our travels ASAP.
1/13/04 MK We just landed at Nirita airport in Japan. All Nippon Airways, so far, gets the crappiest airline award. Not that it was so horrible, but definitely lacking. Lisa had a great time when we encountered some very strong turbulence while I was holding a cup of hot tea. The liquid jumped out of the cup like it had legs, nearly reaching the ceiling before splashing down in the aisle. Thankfully it didn’t land on me or on the Japanese man who was sitting across from me. As I said, Lisa thought this was absolutely hysterical. The other interesting incident was when Lisa and I both saw a brilliant flash outside our window followed by a bit of a shake to the plane. After some nervous conversation, the flight attendant confirmed our suspicions announcing that the wing had been struck by lightening. Thankfully it wasn’t really a big deal, just a little excitement.
We are now relaxing in the airline lounge where we have a 4 hour layover before our 12 hour flight to New York.
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