When Life Propels you Forward...

Island of Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

For anyone who has up and left everything they've ever known in lieu of the unknown and untrodden, there's a very distinct pull, what can only be described as a sort of tug in the universe that moves you, propelling you onward in search of the next great adventure.  When you allow yourself to be guided by that intuition, you discover that traveling has a sort of mystical quality in unraveling the beauty of that unknown: it's the perfect concoction of fear and pure exhilaration, a rapture in stumbling upon a new idea or place, an unfamiliar spice, a people so wildly different from the range of senses you've already explored. How better can I describe it? So onward we go, governed by our impulses to take flight, indulge in our better imagination, that secret place inside of us where fantasies are borne and with luck, come alive. Onward we go....

Approaching the great rocks of limestone

Rope knot

Fellow island adventurees

hollllyyy shiiii!

Rasta delight

Dismount

Stealing a perfect moment

View from Arboreal Hotel

Thai Floating Market

The amazing one and only floating market in Ratchaburi, Thailand

 

Hittin' the speedway in style

 

tick tock, tick tock

Foot massage a la carte.

fruitylicious.

Pad thai canoe style.

What chu lookin' at?

This was too hysterical/raunchtastic.

Puppet fiesta.

Awkward tourist pose.

River traffic at its best.

Precious little old lady cracking nuts.

I love this sweet woman's face.

Coconut icecream to finish an equally sweet day.

 

Blitzing Through Bangkok

My first day in Bangkok was a medley of sights, smells and sounds. With Ouja parking her @$$ firmly at the Renaissance to knock out some long abated work, I was left to my own devices, with the pulsing city of Bangkok as my playground. Feeling more ballsy than tepid, I took to the streets and played the part of tourist with my camera strap dangling from neck, ready to be ambushed by the sensory onslaught that is Thailand. First stop was to the Temple of the Golden Buddha (Traimit) where I was besieged by an 80 foot statue of the Buddha, made of pure gold. After paying my respects, I took to the streets, making sure to hit up some street-side vendors whereupon I was whisked into pad thai heaven. What better way to kick off a trip?
 

Wat Traimit

The rear of the impressive gold Buddha

idling monk

incsense offering

I love this ancient relic statue

Buddha and his twin!

See, even Buddhas come in all shapes and sizes!

castles in the sky

Tuk tuk me!

Chinatown

King's feast

My personal tuk tuk chaffeur- Piek

Street food is an art here.

Blurr

Baby ostrich eggs?

This is the bizness.

Raw materials

Where even the locals go loco.

Pad thai masterpiece.

Get. In. My. Belly!

Pimped out Tuk Tuk ablaze.

 

The Rice Paddy Chronicles

For our last day in Bali, Ouja and I decided upon a bike tour through the region of Ubud, one of Bali's oldest and most enduring regions in Indonesia, thriving in art and culture. This type of tour allowed us to see some of Bali's prominent flagships- the rice paddies, temples, homes, schools and wood-carving workshops the Balinese are known for- in their most intimate setting. We literally could see firsthand for ourselves the beauty of this people, whose unwavering warmth and genuine joy for life was clearly palpable in all of their mundane, day-to-day activities. Whether they were thrashing rice stalks or kicking back on the side of the road, one could see that even despite the extreme modesty of their lives, nothing lacked in love or reverence for the gift of life. I saw an entirely different glimpse of this rare people, whose simple abundance served as a lesson to all, East or West.



Getting ready to hit the road

got rice??

You've got mail

Striking a pose

Hindu temple

 Bali style

Rainfall tree

Banyan 'stache

 cheeky

ahoy mate!



Riding eazy

Balancing Act

Preparing an offering

Buddha boy

 Wu Tang Clan

All you need is LOVE.