01 Mar 2004 - Koh Phangan, Thailand

We're hanging aruond Koh Phangan for the full moon party this coming Saturday. It's already pretty busy and a lot of the good bungalows were already fully booked up for the week. We had an interesting bungalow last night. From the ringing in my ears, I think they were having a warm up party out on our patio last night. Tonight should be better, as we have moved away from the main beach to something a bit more out of the way.

29 Feb 2004 - Koh Samui, Thailand

I've gone from loving this place to hating this place in about three years. The taxi drivers, moto drivers and mini-bus drivers see everyone on the island as a walking ATM machine. The prices are out of control. From bungalows to food, Koh Samui is no longer a place for budget travelers. It is, however, a great place to buy land, build a house and retire. We only spent one night on Koh Samui, waking up this morning to go to Koh Pangan ... waiting for the full moon party. Chris is still very homesick and I think he just wants to go home.

28 Feb 2004 - Chiang Mai, Thailand

It's another lazy day in Chiang Mai. This was supposed to be a quick stop on our way to Koh Samui (as a landing point for further islands). Instead, the travel agent booked us on an evening flight -- even after we asked for the first flight of the day. Oh well. Chiang Mai is a nice city. A little loud and congested for my preference for a holidy. But the shopping is pretty good and the selection of wares is quite nice. The latest T-shirt is, "Same Same" on the front, "But Different" on the back. Put in your orders now. I think I can get them for between 130-150 Baht ($3-4.00). Tonight we fly to Bangkok and then to Koh Samui. We shal awake to the lapping sounds of the ocean waves.

27 Feb 2004 - Chiang Mai, Thailand

We're in Chaing Mai right now for a couple of days to check out the markets and wander around the city. It's like a mini-Bangkok of sorts. Lots of farangs here too. I'm not sure if I like it or not. As some of you already know, we're heading to the beaches of Thailand instead of Myanmar. Long story. Someday over a pint (or 3) you can all hear it. I'm pretty disappointed in the whole deal. That was the major reason why I took this trip, bought a new camera and was going to write a story for the Star Tribune. Oh well...next time, right?

26 Feb 2004 - Chiang Mai, Thailand

We're leaving Luang Prabang this afternoon to go to Chiang Mai, Thailand. We found a place that will do an express Burma visa for us. The price is pretty high, but the experience should well pay for it in the end. Granted, I'll have to eat ramen noodles when I get home to pay for it, but at least I'll have some good stories, right? We picked up a bunch of goods at the market last night. I think we're Ms. Noy's new favorite customers. We bought some amazing hand crafted silks and a few hand quilted duvet covers. Now the hard part will be to pack them up and ship them home ... without defeating the great deals we got.

25 Feb 2004 - Luang Prabang, Lao

We're spending another day in the town of Luang Prabang. It feels like a little village at times. I know the streets now. I've gotten to know quite a few people at the markets. I walk by every night with a slight nod and a big smile. My cheeks are hurting because I smile too much. It's not that I force it either. It's a natural smile. Luang Prabang is a happy place and I'm glad to be here. I'm planning on chartering a boat today to take me up the Mekong to see some waterfalls about 30km outside of the city. I've been told they are spectacular by an English couple we met in Vang Viang. Last night we spent drinking at a local watering hole. Chris had a bit much and is still sleeping off the effects of Lao rice whiskey.

24 Feb 2004 - Luang Prabang, Lao

I got up early this morning, 5 minutes before my 6:00 a.m. alarm clock. I wanted to get the day started early. There is a ritual in Luang Prabang, Laos, where the monks walk down the main street around 7:00 a.m. every morning with their alms baskets. The tradition is that the locals would make offerings of rice and money. This has turned slightly into a tourist attraction. Fortunately, not many people get up that early here in Luang Prabang. I made my offerings of sticky rice wrapped in bananna leaf. I threw in a few kip (Lao currency) for a few of the elder monks, as well. Today I will rent a bike and explore some of the surrounding areas. Photos to be uploaded this evening ... hopefully.

23 Feb 2004 - Luang Prabang, Lao

We took a wonderful 5 hour (translation: 6.5 hour) bus ride from Vang Viang this morning to get to Luang Prabang. It was an amazing ride that took us through some spectacular mountains and through hundreds of Lao villages along the way. It might have been the best bus ride I have ever taken in my life -- except maybe one other. I remember one after-school bus ride when I was a junior in high school. It was wet and slippery. We drove off the road... But anyway, things are good here. We're going to relax and enjoy ourselves for a few days here before we take the slow boat (2 days) back to the West Thai/Lao border.

22 Feb 2004 - Vang Viang, Laos

We're spending an extra day in Vang Viang. We have a nice guesthouse not far from some good places to eat and drink, but far enough away that it's quiet at night. Plus, it has hot water (er, warm water) and a western toilet (for one of us). At $8 a night, it's a pretty good deal. We enjoyed a few big bottles of Beer Lao last night and a "Happy" chocolate cake. I'm not sure how happy it was. I was rather dry and had all kinds of "extra" stuff inside.

21 Feb 2004 - Vang Viang, Laos

We made a mad dash to the Thai/Lao border last night aboard the #69 Express Train. We had the night sleeper car which took us from Bangkok to Nong Khai (eventually over to Vientiane, Laos). It was a nice night of sleep, followed by a 4 hour bus ride to Vang Viang. One of us really enjoyed the ride, while another one thought it was a little rough. We checked into a nice guesthouse with a western toilet and hot shower. Polish is doing well, but most definitely has some room to get better.

19 Feb 2004 - Bangkok, Thailand

We got into Bangkok around midnight last night. It was hot and humid, as usual. I love it. We booked a room on Koh San Road for 600 Baht a night ($15USD) for a double with hot shower, air-con and TV. I figured it would be easier to ease Polish into the experience by gradually taking away the comforts of home. Send us an SMS message if you have time. We'll pick up our Visas for Burma sometime today and try to book our flight to Rangoon. Wish us luck on that.

18 Feb 2004 - Minneapolis Airport

In less than an hour I'll leave my office and head directly to the airport. The hardest part about going on a long holiday is making sure your affairs are in order. It seems like I become very popular for "last minute" items everytime I plan a trip. Never-the-less, the plane will not wait for me, so the work will have to. I will send out an update when we get to Bangkok - 22 hours and 45 minutes after we take off.

17 Feb 2004 - Minneapolis, MN

In 24 hours, our jet will rumble down the runway, taking off on a 21 hour, 45 minute journey to Bangkok. We will be chasing the sun the entire time. The world will continue on while we fly, but the excitement we have for this trip cannot be matched by anything else. We're both packed and ready to go. The only thing we need now is a good night's sleep and a farewell to our friends and loved ones.

Packing ... Packing ... Packing

We're taking our first stab at backing our bags tonight. As I told a friend today...the rules for packing light are simple:

1. Lay out the items you want to pack.
2. Take half the stuff away.
3. Pack the rest.

With just a few days left, I have a few things left to clean up. Going to the travel clinic tomorrow is the most important one. Leave it to me to slack off on that duty.

10 days and counting

In 10 days we will board a plane for Bangkok. I have a bunch of projects to complete first, and I still haven't started getting my things together. I'd like to be all packed up a few days before we leave. I want to be able to spend my last night just relaxing and enjoying the time with my friends. We've been tanning lately, to make sure we don't get an unwelcome greeting to the tropical heat of Asia. A sunburn is the last thing we need to happen.

The clock is ticking away

The last time I took an extended holiday I had a rush of last minute favors to do for people. Everyone went into panic mode that I wouldn't be able to help them for 3 months. Basically, I got slammed by last minute requests for the entire week leading up to my last trip. I'm starting to feel that crunch time now. I guess that means we're getting close.

Picking up the equipment

It never fails that I always want to upgrade my equipment before every trip I take. I love digital photography, but the problem is that the technology keeps getting better and better. I'm going to Best Buy tonight to pick up my new 8 MegaPixel Sony Camera. It's the best of it's kind in the market right now. Beyond just being cool and trendy, it takes some pretty amazing pictures. Polish and I did a lot of shopping last weekend for clothes. He's totally decked out in some of the finest Exofficio clothing.