On My Own...

After three months traveling with one of my closest friends, it was time to part ways; Tara, needing to return to Boston to get on with work, and I, needing to fulfill my sense of adventure by traveling on my own (ie...jobless and homeless) stayed behind. After no careful planning and consideration, I decided to head to the north of Thailand to Chiang Mai, after failing to see it on my previous visit to SE Asia. Chiang Mai after all is said to be one of the true gems of Thailand and a major adventure seekers travel destination, hopefully worth the journey. Setting out from Phnom Penh to Bangkok by bus (15 hr ride of countryside) with a short stop at the boarder, I arrived in Bangkok with just enough time to book an overnight train to the north. Though the train was jerky, it provided a comfortable nights sleep which has become a very relative thing abroad.

Conveniently, I was bunked just above a lovely German girl who would become my travel companion for the next week. Jessica, thankful for the opportunity to practice her English forced me to practice my English, or better articulation in any case. Those of you that know me in any capacity know my irritating tendency to mumble. Let me insert my sincere apology to Tara for enduring 3 months worth. Sorry Tara! Ok, so we made it to Chiang Mai. No sooner had we arrived that we decided to venture on further north in search of rest and relaxation in a smaller town...maybe one without a McDonalds? Settling on the mountain village of Pai, we set out the following day for yet another windy bus drive.


The journey to Pai, said to include over 1000 turns was not one for the weak stomached. Pai proved to be a beautiful respite from the busyness and heat of the city. We moved into a cheap (3$ USD) riverside bungalow with a gorgeous view and spent the days reading, biking, and doing yoga. I met several travelers, including a motivational speaker from just outside my hometown who even gave me a pep talk on how to get my power back. After having my fill of local thai dishes, kambucha tea, pampering and hippie watching I decided to head to Laos.




I said goodbye to my new friends and opted for yet another windy, overnight bus ride to the boarder, scheduled to arrive at 3 am. Luckily the bus company prearranged a bed for the night which I quickly curled up in for a few hours rest. The next morning I followed the clearly marked and oh-so-official signs to Laos. A quick boat ride across the Mekong and I would be there. After so much traveling, I was looking forward to to remote beauty of this undeveloped land.