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Around the World Forever
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Location Date Asia 
1483315200 Europe 1482105600 Africa 1481328000 South America 1393632000 North America 1309820400 -
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Location Date Bangkok 1449187200 Phuket 1334962800 Chiang Rai Province 1334617200 Chiang Mai 1334271600 Railay Beach 1329177600 Chiang Mai And Pai 1211238000 Koh Samui 1199577600 Koh Pha Ngan
1199145600 Patong Beach 1198540800
Happy New Year from Koh Phangan Island over in the Gulf of Thailand...the part that didn't get crushed by the tsunami 3 years ago.
Let's just say it right away... this was not a Thai cultural experience. Although the various "moon parties" (full-moon, half-moon, 9/16-moon, etc) that they have here have taken on a sub-culture of their own, we didn't exactly experience Thai cuisine, buddhist rituals, or anything like that. To come here for New Years means "big party" and that's what we did. Besides, the Thais won't celebrate their own new year until April when it will be 2551. I had no idea...so I had my friend show me her ID card and she was born in 2515.
New years also coincided with a half-moon party as well and the beach at Haad Rin is famous for these events. The best way to describe what I saw on new years is simple: 12,000 to 15,000 stupid white people cram themselves onto the beach and then consume way too much of every drug on the planet and drink themselves into a techno-dance frenzy until way into the next day...if you can stay awake that long. I saw many casualties that didn't make it. The aftermath is pure environmental destruction that still has me wondering who cleans it all up (which they did quite well by the way). My weapon of choice was the plastic buckets of booze they sell with a variety of alcoholic choices. I had fun and I can now say "been there, done that" ... but once will probably be enough. I'll let the photos I took say the rest....
And finally, I have some bad news. As you are probably aware, the US dollar is at an historical low against foreign currencies. This adversely affects my travels and screwing off around the globe. In an effort to improve the US economy and strengthen the dollar, I need to ask each of you to work just a little harder each day when you are at your job thingy. We need to come together on this as a team! I know you all can do it...so after the new year, why not go into work a little early, maybe cut lunch a little shorter, and stay an extra hour or so in the office each evening. If we all just put our heads down and grind through it, things will eventually improve. I thank each and every one of you in advance for your efforts. As I finish writing this installment, it is very sunny and about 80 degrees outside so I will be at the beach. But just please keep in mind our common goal for the new year and remember hard work yields great rewards!!! I hope you all had a great holiday.
See you on the road to wherever I go next........
Let's just say it right away... this was not a Thai cultural experience. Although the various "moon parties" (full-moon, half-moon, 9/16-moon, etc) that they have here have taken on a sub-culture of their own, we didn't exactly experience Thai cuisine, buddhist rituals, or anything like that. To come here for New Years means "big party" and that's what we did. Besides, the Thais won't celebrate their own new year until April when it will be 2551. I had no idea...so I had my friend show me her ID card and she was born in 2515.
New years also coincided with a half-moon party as well and the beach at Haad Rin is famous for these events. The best way to describe what I saw on new years is simple: 12,000 to 15,000 stupid white people cram themselves onto the beach and then consume way too much of every drug on the planet and drink themselves into a techno-dance frenzy until way into the next day...if you can stay awake that long. I saw many casualties that didn't make it. The aftermath is pure environmental destruction that still has me wondering who cleans it all up (which they did quite well by the way). My weapon of choice was the plastic buckets of booze they sell with a variety of alcoholic choices. I had fun and I can now say "been there, done that" ... but once will probably be enough. I'll let the photos I took say the rest....
And finally, I have some bad news. As you are probably aware, the US dollar is at an historical low against foreign currencies. This adversely affects my travels and screwing off around the globe. In an effort to improve the US economy and strengthen the dollar, I need to ask each of you to work just a little harder each day when you are at your job thingy. We need to come together on this as a team! I know you all can do it...so after the new year, why not go into work a little early, maybe cut lunch a little shorter, and stay an extra hour or so in the office each evening. If we all just put our heads down and grind through it, things will eventually improve. I thank each and every one of you in advance for your efforts. As I finish writing this installment, it is very sunny and about 80 degrees outside so I will be at the beach. But just please keep in mind our common goal for the new year and remember hard work yields great rewards!!! I hope you all had a great holiday.
See you on the road to wherever I go next........
- comments
Becky Cardwell this blog has it all... OK, so first I started reading this blog because I noticed you have been to the places in SA that I want to go to this year. Then, I kept reading it because you have been to the places in CA that I have been and I wanted to see how you compared the two parts of Latin America...NOW I am reading it because it is the most entertaining blog I have read (besides my own, of course). Although the US dollar is still not as strong as it once was, you must not blame yourself. You got everyone to work harder at their job-thingys, while you were on the beach....thats going above and beyond the call of duty. ;)