Took a 1.20 hour flight from Bangkok to Yangon. Met three people from my plane going to the same hotel, so the four of us checked in and went out to a late dinner. Afterwards we walked around a bit. It was more than a little creepy in the darkness and I certainly wasn't used to the level of poverty I was seeing. We passed a cat playing with a bat and squatters bathing near fires lit in trash cans in an abandoned building. This place was going to be much different...

Took a 10-seat shuttle bus for the 12-hour journey from Penang to Phuket. Plenty of leg room for my delicate knee. The border crossing was fast and easy. One gets the impression that the Thai's don't care much about what you bring in. The only immediate difference in scenery was that the homes weren't as elaborate as Malaysian homes. The Thai's tend to go for wood homes of earthy colors such as brown, tan, blue, and green. Malaysian homes are mostly yellow, or...

Took a bus to Melaka, Malaysia. My first overland border crossing was uneventful. Big and efficient customs/immigration stations on both sides. No exit or entry fees which is always welcome. Nothing but palm and bamboo trees on rolling hills as far as the eye can see. Melaka is a city rich in colonial history (Portuguese, Dutch, British in that order) and populated by mostly Chinese and Malays. Met a girl from Munich right after I checked in and she invited me ...

Took a quick, cheap flight on Air Asia to Singapore. Have flown Air Asia twice and they are efficient, have great employees and new planes. There are advertisements plastered on all of the overhead luggage compartments (like in city buses) and in the seat pockets there are magazines you can shop from. Great idea. Trapped, bored people make perfect customers. Place your order with the flight attendant, pay, and your purchase arrives at your seat. You also have to...

Arrived in Jarkarta on March 10th. The smog was bad, worse than L.A. The traffic was definitely worse. There are lots of people (9 Million) crammed into a relatively small city (255 sq. mi.) and almost every one of them rides a scooter. Landfills are few and far between, with most people burning their trash. The rest is all over the place. Not much of a skyline and the infrastructure is crumbling. Now the good part. The people are very nice, friendly, and help...