Cliff's Notes - On Travel

     Here in Phuket, I decided to stay in Rassada because it was near the bus terminal where I ended my journey from Koh Pha Ngan the other day. I'm very happy I did, because I've had quite enough of tourists and busy beach towns since I started this trip.     Overall, I like Phuket a lot! In hindsight, I spent a day or two too long in Bangkok and could have used more time here. Bangkok is just how you think it would be - crazy and busy. There are parts of Phuket that are as well, but it is a big, spread out city with many subdivisions and different neighborhoods. I would compare it to Los Angeles. Although I'm not a huge fan of LA per se, I do like Redondo & Huntington beaches as well as inland areas such as San Bernardino and Big Bear.    My neighborhood here is not touristy at all. There are so many good little food stands and I feel like I'm just blending in with the locals. When traveling for a longer period of time, this is definitely my...

     Yesterday I took the ferry and bus to Phuket. It was another long day of travel, and tough to say goodbye to Koh Pha Ngan, but there's more to see and do! This morning I immediately began researching elephant sanctuaries to find a place that is truly ethical and exists to provide a safe, natural habitat for rescued elephants. Phuket Elephant Rescue is the first of it's kind in the area and modeled after the famous sanctuary in Chiang Mai.     I immediately booked a half day experience for the morning and took a taxi to the check-in building. From there, we rode in the back of a pickup for about 15 minutes to get to the actual sanctuary. We were greeted with coffee, fruit, and other snacks. The setting was beautiful, hard to believe it exists so close to town. We then watched a short video on how the sanctuary came to be, how the tourism and logging industries still abuse elephants, and how they go about rescuing them.     PES has rescued...

     It's been a great few days living the beach life and just taking it slow. The other day, I rented a scooter for a few days so I could get around and see the island. My first trip was down south, as far as you can go on the main road, to Haad Rin. This beach is where the monthly Full Moon party takes place. It's crazy to think that up to 30,000 pack this beach!    There have been showers and thunderstorms off and on for the last 24 hours. Like most tropical places, it can come down pretty hard for a bit but can also clear up in an instant. The roads can get pretty muddy and flooded, so I didn't go far on the scooter yesterday. Apparently accidents are pretty common, and they even have a name for accident scars: Phangan Tattoos. I'll pass on that if at all possible!    Today I'm hoping to drive further north and check out some more beaches. Some have Thai names, but then there's also Salad Beach and Spoon Beach. Go figure! It's my last full day here...

     Well it's been a couple of days of nothing but the absolute best R&R! The island of Koh Phangan is absolutely gorgeous in every way! Soft sand, clear water, laid back people, good food, and chill island vibes all around. After just one night here, I extended my stay 3 more nights! It took so much work to get here, that I decided to maximize my time here and then go to Phuket. I am not gonna try to squeeze in South Korea before returning home, I'll get there another time.   For these first two days, I've been beach bumming it, reading by the pool, napping and eating. That's pretty much been my cycle on repeat, and it's been great! Today I am going to rent a motorbike/scooter and explore more of the island. The beaches are supposed to be amazing, one after the other, all the way around. My quiet, private beach at the resort is pretty awesome but I can't wait to see more. There's also a waterfall!    I am staying here until Friday, and the rest of my ...

     Last night I boarded a train at 8 pm headed south. It was an ELEVEN hour overnight ride to Surat Thani. Because I did not book in advance, all sleeper cars were taken, as were 2nd class seats. All that was left were 3rd class seats with no recline, very little padding, and no AC. Part of the experience, right?!?! Fortunately, I did have an entire grouping of 4 seats all to myself. Not having air conditioning wasn't too big of a deal either - the breeze from the window felt great.   I had movies and music downloaded, slept some, but not a lot. In Surat Thani I had to wait about an hour and a half, then I boarded a bus headed for the coast. That ride took about an hour and a half. Once at the ferry terminal, I had to wait another hour and a half to depart for Koh Phangan.     The ferry ride, of course, was the best part! Just over two hours across clear turquoise waters and I made it. In total, the journey took me about 18 hours!!!! I am absolutely ...