Travels

Men chat and smoke at coffee shops that dot the dusty streets – there's something so male and great about that. Hello, the kids shout. Then inevitably: You're welcome!

It's been awesome to have Joe come out – and for three weeks! – cause I think Thailand is one of those countries where there are so many touristy things to do that having a buddy along for the ride makes it all the better. That and he's bailed me out a couple of times.

We had dinner on our porch. Our porch was attached to our guesthouse. Our guesthouse floated on the river, just on the edge of the bend. We watched the sun hid, blushing, among the reeds across the green waters.

Traffic jams in Asia mean: meandering cows, impatient goats, scared chickens, apathetic ducks (and geese), snooty yaks, curious water buffaloes, noisy sheep, and the occasional grunting snorting sneezing wholly pleasantly pleased with themselves - pigs.

This side of Thailand was different. Gone were the fashionable tourists, the go-go girls and ladyboys, and the whitened faces that catered to our holiday fever... Replace that fantasy with the other side.

Then again, I played frisbee with a Brazilian raver and basketball with an Israeli music teacher and the surrealness of it pulls me back in. Back into the circuit.