Thailand

Bangkok greeted us after midnight with warm, wet breezes. The excitement was tangible as headed out into the city, with our newly arrived member (and 24-hour comic relief), Mr. Jeffery 'Treadwell' Gabrush. The taxi took us to Koh San Road, where all backpackers go when they are 'fresh off the birds'. In the words of our French friend Jade, Koh San was "DI-SGUS-TING" (why does it sound so true and more descriptive when French people say that?). It was this filthy side street filled with garbage, beer bottles, and various intoxicated people laying in the gutters. What? This is Thailand? I felt like I was in the slums of Calcutta. Anyways, we found a little place to stay quickly, and stayed in for the night! Remarkably, the the next morning we found that the street was completely cleaned up into a nice little market. Perhaps the ghetto party slum was only a bad dream? Mothers, please erase the above imagery. We spent our afternoon in Thailand touring the Great Palace, a beautiful temple/courtyard of the old King of Thailand. The pictures speak for themselves. In the evening we caught our over night train down south to Surat Thani. The second class sleepers were great, and we all thoroughly enjoyed our train ride. We played cards, watched the countryside, and took in the smells out the open train windows. Think of old King, hanging his head out the window of the car. That was Matt. The next morning we took a bus, and a boat to reach our semi-permanent location of Railay/Tonsai Beach. We also met up with the lovely Miss Julianne Rooke. A fellow Saskatonian and climber extraordinaire, Julianne has been travelling in the area for a few weeks now. We're glad to have her join our group, although the poor thing is stuck sharing a room with Jeff. We'll see if his antics drive her completely mad. Railay is AMAZING! People travel here from around the world to climb the magnificent limestone cliffs that protrude from the clear, blue water. We are in a climbers paradise, and loving every pad Thai eating, coconut-shake drinking minute of it! But please, words do no justice. Just enjoy the pictures!