kyla_k

after 25 hours of travel time, four movies, one oddly sore knee, several mysterious meals including one of the most interesting and congealed omlettes i have ever "experieced" and loosing the entire day of monday somewere along the way, we arrived in bangkok. the new airport is very cool, but apparently was riddled with problems that stemmed from corruption on every level. how surprising for thailand.....
numerous freeways and lots of gasping later, we landed right at ryan's stoop. i am convinced our driver had super powers derived from somehwere above and his seriously cool sunnies, because i'm certain it was nothing short of a miracle that we found that one little house in this giant city....on the first try.

super great to see the little rascal-he hasn't changed a bit-and meet his lovely lady, mala-she's gorgeous, sweet, funny and keeps ryan in line. we enjoyed some seriously tasty and delightfully spicy thai (obviously) food in a spot that i loved the last time i was here. during the day it's a ferry stop (like a bus stop but for the boats that cruise the river) but at night it's a restaurant and bar. the breeze off the river was wonderful becuase it's freakin' hot here, and as we ate, drank, and laughed it just felt great to be east.

after dinner we took bjorn to see the craziness that is kao sahn road. while the infamous backpacker street is still a freak scene flooded with faces and accents from all over the world, bars packed with road-worn travelers drinking 'buckets' of sangsong and cheap beer watching foot ball or some american movie, drum circles on the corner, and people peddling all sorts of wares, including several "ping pong" shows, it seemed as though it wasn't as crazy as i remembered. maybe it's cause it was a weekday on the off season, or maybe it's cuase my imagination got the better of me over the years, or maybe it's just cause i'm getting old, but it seemed like this unique street had mellowed and gotten a bit more chic and a lot less funky. but all the same, it is definately one of the most unique places that i have ever been on this planet and i'll revel in whatever freakiness it has to offer.

this morning, as we ate noodle soup from a cart on the side of the street, shaded by giant triopical trees, the air was thick with humidity and the unique smell of thailand (burning leaves, poo, and something tropical). i couldn't help but feel extatic to be back, and excited for all the adventures to come.

sorry that i didn't get to give enough proper goody-byes to so many, but i know that i am thinking of all of you and wishing you were here.

i'll keep you posted.....