Thailand...

Hi, so, we will be leaving Thailand tomorrow afternoon. We're in Hat Yai now, 53 km from the Malaysian border. Dan, Vonn and I are together and Jason and Kristy have branched off to have a few days on their own. They will meet us in Malaysia in a few days.

Thailand was a unique experience full of excitment, fear , joy and laughter. I have made some observations as I have travelled around here that I will share.

Scenic - it's a panoramic beauty! A very lush, green, lively, beautiful country. The seaside is gorgeous as is the mainland. I look around all the time and think about how pretty it all is.

Dogs- lots! no leashes. hungry. diseased. looking for food and love. sad. They scare me.

Food- delicious! currys. coconut. rice. noodles. pineapple. etc. cheap!

Bugs- plenty. I'm all bitten up. Mostly mosquitos and some spiders bites too (I think).

Housing- lots of shacks and huts. broken down houses. old wood. rusting metal roofs. in need of repair.

Cows- walking freely along the roads/highways. Munching on grass. lots of cows.

Motorcycles - everywhere! no helmets. familys of 3 fitting on one bike. toddlers and/ or dogs standing in the front.

Vendors- tonnes! selling anything from sausages, fresh fruit, freshly squeezed orange juice, banana pancakes, pad thai....

Power outtages- frequent on the islands.

Toilets- lots of squatters. bring your own toilet paper or wash off with the bucket of water next to the toilet. pour water down the toilet to flush it, from the bucket. don't put tp down there!

King- highly worshipped here. You can spend time in jail if you make a joke about the king. pictures him everywhere. people wearing yellow shirts and bracelets to show support. They truly love him here.

Poverty- lots. You are a walking money machine and they know it.

There is a lot more and perhaps my observations seem like sterotypes... but it is what I have noticed as I have travelled down South from Bangkok.

Next stop, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.