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, orange, and white stucco/plaster. There were no taxi's when I arrived late so I had to take a scooter taxi (I knew this day was coming) to my hostel. It wasn't too bad as the driver put my pack up front. My roomie from Korea, Da Hye, and I hit it off immediately and we spent the entire next day shopping and eating in the quaint Old Town area. Upon returning to the hostel, we were told about the tsunami warning due to the earthquake off of Indonesia. Wasn't too concerned, I'm a strong swimmer.

Took a ferry to Phi Phi Islands along with 200 others. At our snorkeling spot at Maya Bay, most of us jumped off the back of the ferry in an orderly fashion. Swimming away as quickly as possible from the hoards of people, I turned to look at the specticle behind me and saw my ferrymates bobbing in the water. It reminded me of a very crowded wave pool at a water park. Phi Phi was crazy crowded and since it was the first day of Songkran (Thai New Year), everyone was splashing water on each other with hoses, buckets, squirt guns, etc. I was immediately drenched by a little kid who squirted me in the face with a super soaker.

My kindly hostel owner dropped me at the bus station due to the pouring rain and my bum knee. He persuaded me to take the VIP bus which I reluctantly paid a bit extra for. Wow, have I been riding the wrong busses! This monstrosity of the road was a hot pink, double-decker with only 24 seats and cute pink curtains. It had perky, colorful carpet that covered the floors, walls, seats, and ceilings. Doileys hung over the head rests, the seats fully reclined (think lay-z-boy), there was a large screen plasma t.v., and only five other people occupied my compartment. Juice, water, coffee, tea, muffins and a blanket were provided by an attendant. Arriving at 6:00 a.m. at a ratty bus station on the outskirts of Bangkok, I panicked a bit because taxi's were snatched up quickly and I was slow moving. Had to walk the station with my pack and bad knee looking for one and no one was particularly helpful. Finally found one but it took my driver an hour to find my out of the way hostel. No matter where you go in Bangkok, all taxi drivers have the same confused look when you give them the address of your destination. It doesn't matter if it's the address to an embassy, a popular mall, or their mother's house...still the bewildered look.

My hostel was nice. Thai New Year was in full swing (3 days) and I got soaked and wiped with some sort of white paste all over my face every time I ventured out. Everyone was in a festive mood. People hung out in front of their homes and waited for pedestrians, cars, scooters, and busses to squirt with water. My hostel owner cooked a fabulous dinner of noodles, shrimp, curry, rice, vegetables, and chicken for the whole hostel. Spicy!!! Good thing there was plenty of Chang beer to cool us off. My roomie, Mayella, from Oakland, and I took a two-hour train to Ayutthaya to see the three palaces. The city was founded in 1350 and contains numerous ruins. It's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We hired a tuk-tuk for the day but were only able to visit six ruins. Met a nice man on the train who was returning home from a three-month silent retreat/meditation. So smart (chemical engineer) and sweet. Really talkative too! Don't know how he did it. I tried it for a weekend once and failed miserably. Took a late train back that was delayed several times. Train schedules in Thailand are very flexible. This train tops my worst train list. Bench seats lined the windows that were all stuck open so that the sooty air could flow in, ceiling fans were all broken, and half the car was full of scooters. Emerged at 1:00 a.m. with sooty grime on our faces and the MRT closed for the day. Took a crazy tuk tuk ride with speeds near 80 mph through the empty city. Better than any Disney ride.

Getting my Myanmar visa was a lesson in patience. The embassy was closed for a week due to the Thai New Year and then one day for a Myanmar holiday. When it finally opened it was packed. Took several hours but I met lots of nice people and learned some valuable travel tips. Maybe I'll see them in Myanmar! Took two days and $22 to get my visa.

Spent one night at Patpong, one of Bangkoks red light districts, with Mayella. Lots of ladyboys, prostitutes, all types. The gay area was fun, happening, and classy with dance and female impersonator shows. The other areas with the ping pong girls, etc. was pathetic and depressing. Some of the girls were young, some not so young. Must have done lots of kegel exercises to be able to do what they do.

Hit the malls one full day. First class shopping in Bangkok. Really modern malls and every high-end store in the world. Great food courts. Also hit the street vendor malls. Didn't buy much but was fun looking.

Took a 14-hour overnight sleeper train to Chaingmai for $25, definitely worth it. Comfortable berths and I slept well. My first time on a sleeper. The gentle rocking is somehow comforting. A couple from WA and their two kids were on one side and a Thai woman from Chaingmai who owns a travel agency on the other. There were no separate compartments, just one big open car, so it was like a big slumber party. Our meal was served and then we all turned in around 9:00.

Walked around the old city area with my roomie, Valesca, from the Netherlands. Hot as hell. Living on fresh fruit juices and noodles. The hostel is rustic...chickens running around, gardens, fruit trees, flowers. Great common area. Went to an all-day Thai Cooking Class with three hostel mates plus six others from the U.S. and U.K. First we went to the outdoor market to learn about all of the ingredients and then we each picked seven dishes to cook. Cooking outside under a patio overhang in 100 degrees was brutal but the food turned out delicious, had lots of fun, and had plenty of leftovers. We each received a Thai cookbook of all the dishes that everyone cooked.

Had a two-hour Thai Hot Herbal Nerve Massage. Focuses on nerves and ligaments and their realignment. Felt wonderful, especially the hot herb packs. Hopefully it will help with my neck and headaches.

Valesca and I checked out the Chaingmai Zoo. It was pretty good. Some of the animals could have had better surroundings. Have not been to a zoo in over 20 years. I was reminded why. Probably my last time. Saw a seven-month old baby elephant up close that was the cutest little thing ever. Still so furry. It was being protected diligently by four "mom" elephants.

The train back wasn't so great. Same 2nd class sleeper but no food was served and I couldn't get a second blanket. Faint smell of urine and I was nowhere near a bathroom. Ugh! I was in a compartment with a Thai family who spoke no English so I turned in at 7:00 p.m.

My friend, Da Hye, from Phuket was still at the hostel when I returned to Bangkok. So good to see her. We headed to the airport together loaded with luggage, her to Frankfurt, me to Yangoon. Maybe we'll see each other again in Europe!

I give up...

Trying to figure out if clothes are clean or dirty by sight alone. I've been reduced to frequent smelling of my clothes for clues of cleanliness. I'm not alone.

Trying to be polite when requesting others to keep away from my food in hostel refrigerators. Gone are the days of notes such as "please don't eat" and "Cindy - Room 24"...now they look more like "hands off", "you suck if you eat this", "I licked every inch of this sweet roll", (and it's liquid variation) "I spat in this carton of milk."

Trying to keep whites and darks separate in the wash. Whites are now a pale shade of blue thanks to my blue silk sleep sack. I don't care.

Expecting a hot or even warm shower after the hostel claims they have hot water. False advertising every time. If it ever happens, it'll be a nice surprise.

Trying to lighten my backpack. I vowed after sweating bullets lugging it through the train and MRT stations that I would toss stuff. After painstakingly sifting through the contents of every compartment, pocket, and plastic bag, I came up with a substantial pile of crap to be tossed. It probably weighed less than half a pound.

Pounds Lost - 15

Hours spent worrying about my kids - 100's

Books read - 6

New beers tried - 3

New friends - 25 and counting

Minutes it takes in SEA after washing your face for it to return to a sweaty, oily mess - 7

Favorite place so far - Sydney

Favorite new snack - Seaweed Pringles