February 9, 2010 – Day 411 – Bangkok, Thailand

“Get ready to feel like an asshole.” We looked at each other and got out of the tuk tuk and onto the idling bus pulled alongside the road. Waiting. For us. Against our usual protocol, we had booked a bus ticket all the way from Phnom Penh back to Bangkok thinking it was a bit cheaper than all the separate tickets.

Traffic in Phnom Pehn

January 31, 2010 – Day 402 – Siem Reap, Cambodia

Sunrise is a busy time in Siem Reap. You would be surprised at just how many crazy foreigners are up and (mostly) dressed to see sunrise at Angkor Wat. You would be even more surprised that lazy folks like us did it too.

Angkor wat by moon light

January 17, 2010 – Day 388 – Koh Samui, Thailand

At the ripe hour of 7AM we descended upon the city of Ranong intent upon finding the immigration office. We need that exit stamp from Thailand so we can officially leave and come back with a fresh 15 day visa. Gives us plenty of uninterrupted time to “explore” the beaches of southern Thailand. Of course, that mainly hinges on the idea that “explore” means drink beer, go diving and snorkeling, and maybe—if duty calls—some lying on the beach, just to make sure it’s safe for future travellers, of course.

Boats at the Thai side of the border

January 4, 2010 – Day 375 – Ayatthaya, Thailand

The ruins of the old capital Ayatthaya are scattered across the now restored, modern city. Renting bicycles is a great way to get yourself around the city, using the extensive road system, a handy map from the rental folks, and a bit of caution when crossing the multi-lane highway that operates on the opposite side you might be used to. This is how we saw Ayatthaya’s ruins and it turned out to be a whole lot of fun.

In the ruins

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December 11-13, 2009 – Day 351-353 – Varkala Beach, Kerala, India

After a travel day and not getting to Varakala late afternoon, we spent our afternoon settling into the pretty cliffside beach town and enjoying the sea air.

Varkala beach

December 9-10, 2009 – Day 349-350 – Alleppy, India

Spent the 9th hanging around town and home, not doing much. The 10th we took an awesome boat trip through Kerala’s famous backwaters.

On the river

December 7, 2009 – Day 347 – Fort Kochi, Kerala, India

A full day of “sightseeing” in Fort Kochi is really all it takes. It is a pleasant little town and would be a wonderful, quiet place to spend 2 or 3 days. We are running a bit short on time and decided to do a day-tour.

Chinese fishing nets

December 6, 2009 – Day 346 – Fort Kochi, Kerala, India

Around 2pm, we arrived at the Ernakulum Railway Station. A rickshaw, a ferry, and a 1 km walk later, we arrived in the center of town of Fort Kochi. It is a small place and easily walkable.

On the train

November 24, 2009 – Day 334 – Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

We started our morning with a long, brisk walk…to the ATM. From town, the ATM is 2.5km, just next to the Domino’s (yes, there really is a Domino’s there). After walking back to town, we walked another couple of kilometers to check out Vagator Beach. We were hoping it would be as beautiful as we had heard it was and, feeling a little disappointed with Anjuna, we were ready for a nice beach. There are two ways to get to Vagator Beach from Anjuna Beach: the road and the path by the water which is supposedly about half a kilometer shorter than the road way.

Vagator

November 23, 2009 – Day 333 – Anjuna Beach, Goa, India

It was a crummy day that was spent getting from Arambol to Anjuna on the uncomfortable, smelly, crowded but cheap local buses and then another hour and a half walking around Anjuna trying to find cheap lodging that did not have spiders or ants in the bed sheets.

Crabs.... just crabs