Welcome to Thailand...."The Land of Smiles". So named for the people's laid back and happy attitude toward just about everything. It's also the land of lady boys, adams apple reduction and sex reassignment surgery! Gee, the fun we could have here....Not! See that cute Thai girl looking at you over there... that's no girl! Yuk!
I am not a "gringo" anymore but a "farang" and I left the chilly days of Europe behind only to find that I arrived in Thailand's cold season. Daytime temps hover around 86 degrees F and and night time temps plummet to a brisk 75. I think I can handle that though.

My first days here have me struggling to communicate properly. The Thai language is unlike anything I've ever come across and my brain's natural reaction to switch to Spanish when confronted with foreign speak is not helping any. The quizzical looks I get from the Thais when this happens is testament to that. Thai is a tonal language, which means depending on the pitch of your voice with respect to other words in a sentence and how the word is "sung", the meaning can change entirely. Take the word mai for example. It can mean new, burn, wood, and a question of affirmation or negation. Mai mai mai mai, mai? New wood doesn't burn, does it? And now you can see what I'm up against. I have managed to master thank you so far...kahp kum khrap.

Exploring Bangkok has been fun. I am based near the legendary Khao San Road. Buddha temples and palaces have replaced the Catholic cathedrals that were so ubiquitous in South America and Europe. It's a budget friendly place as well so I even visited the dentist for a standard cleaning and more cultural places like the Grand Palace, The National Museum, and the floating market of Damnoen Saduak... which turned out to be more of a tourist trap. There's much more to do in the Land of Smiles so I'm leaving Bangkok behind and heading south. I heard there's this secret beach on an island somewhere.