So Long to Siam

Today I have to leave the Kingdom of Thailand and it is hard! I love the bustling city life in Bangkok, the country lifestyle of central Thailand and of course the famous Thai beaches. It's unfortunate that I didn't get to head north to Chang Mai, but I'm running short on time and the area has suffered from headline-making floods. Many of the roads are impassable, so I will save northern Thailand for my next SE Asia adventure.

I'll close Thailand with a list of things I didn't expect to see the orange-robed monks doing:

Talking on cell phones
Bathing in the river
Using the ATM
Carrying a chicken through the street
Handwashing their robes
Buying high tech computer equipment
Standing next to the "For Monks Only" seats on water ferries
Riding three at a time on a motorbike
And of course, taming tigers!

Tiger Tales

After a day of seeing what horrible things humans are capable of doing to each other, we had the chance to visit a Buddhist Temple that serves as a tiger sanctuary.

There is a practice in Thailand of bringing wounded animals to monks to be cared for. The Abbot-Pra Achan Phusit (Chan), who is now a famous monk, took in an orphaned tiger cub that the villagers had found. Now there are 10 tigers at the Tiger Temple, and they are allowed to roam freely. We were taken one at a time into the area where the tigers were lounging around. The saffron robed monk sat in the middle of them and we could cuddle them for photos. He even put one of the tiger's head in my lap for me to pet him better. He was heavy! There were no fences in the area and the tigers seemed extremely content, but I was ecstatic!

Here's the monk's simple teaching:
May the loving kindness extended to all beings under the same sufferings bring peace and serenity to our world eternally.

Bridge Over the River Kwai

I took an all day tour today to see a bit more of central Thailand and learn a history lesson. I remember watching the famous movie "The Bridge Over the River Kwai," but I couldn't remember all the details. So, I took a tour of the "Jeath War Museum" (the word Jeath replaces Death because it is too horrific and it stands for the people involved in building this railway and famous bridge (J-Japan, E-England, A-America and Australia, T-Thailand, H-Holland). The photos, diary accounts and publicity about the atrocities at the PoW and work camps were unbelievable. The original estimate for building the building of 415 kilometer Death Railway, including the famous bridge, between Thailand and Burma was 5 years. The Japanese soldiers impressed 200,000 laborers from India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma and Thailand and used 30,000 PoW's to finish the railway in 16 months. When the railway was completed on Christmas Day in 1943, half of the impressed laborers and more than 16,000 PoW's had died in the process! The death railway was in use for 20 months before the Allied Forces bombed it in 1945.

From the somber Jeath Museum, I took a boat with Charlie, woman from England, and Jan, a guy from Norway, along the river to the famous bridge. Photos of our bridge walk are above.

After walking on the bridge we took a train ride on the railway, including the famous Hell-Fire Pass (photo above). Then, relaxed with lunch at beautiful waterfall in the area. It was a sad history lesson to learn, but a beautiful day trip in central Thailand.

Royal Endeavors

Energized by the morning's exciting palace visit, I headed next to see the former royal home, Vimanmek Teak Mansion. This was the residence of King Rama V (the King and I Prince) in the early 1900's. It is now located on the Dusit Palace grounds right behind the beautiful Parliament Building. When you are on the serene palace grounds it is hard to believe noisy Bangkok is all around. Vimanmek is the largest world's largest golden teak building. There are 81 rooms and the tour takes over an hour. The gorgeous polished teak floors are held together with teak pegs, no nails were used, and the lattice works is superb. The mansion housed the best that foreign worlds had to offer Chinese porcelain, Murano glass, American Steinway pianos, Waterford crystal, etc. But the feeling was peacefully Thai.

After touring the mansion I visited the wonderful Royal Elephant Museum on the grounds. White elephants were automatically declared royal and given to the royal family. But, other elephants who displayed certain (listed) characteristics could also become royal with a full ceremony. Who knew?

The final excitement of the day was the traditional Thai dance performance on the Teak Stage. It was wonderful. Thai's are truly lovely and graceful people! Did I mention that I absolutely adore Bangkok? It is a magical city!

The King and I

I woke up on a mission today to enjoy the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) before I have to leave Bangkok on Thursday. The royal complex dates back to 1782 and houses over 100 buildings covered in gold glittering and colorful mosaics. It is a sight from the road and almost overpowering inside the white walls. I wore capri pants and a shirt with sleeves, but that wasn't enough. I was loaned a beautiful sari to wear because my pants did not come to the ground. I loved the sari and will have to bring one home!

I was in awe walking around the royal compound. The images are so vibrant and the architecture so uniquely Thai. Grand images of Siam kept coming to mind, and I could see King Rama V, the Prince who became King at the end of the movie "The King and I" (the original version), bringing this special Kingdom into the modern world.

While the royal complex was fantastic to wonder around, the home of the Emerald Buddha was under restoration. I was glad to be able to see the famous Buddha (probably made of jade) in one of his special robes, which are changed each season by King himself, even if the temple was a bit covered up!

We know how I love a royal palace, but a palace in Siam is as good as it gets!

Wat's in Ayuthaya

I changed directions mid-air from Phuket to Bangkok yesterday. I noticed in the Lonely Planet that the airport is halfway to a town I had planned to visit, and that the train stops at the airport.

I hopped on the next train bound for Ayuthaya. In stark contrast to the Thai beaches, I was the only white person on the 27 cent 45 minute ride. The sweet Thai's that I sat with were very curious about me as we communicated in "Thailish" laughing hysterically. The hot and humid circa 1940 train car was quite a scene with people and bags everywhere, fans hanging down from the ceiling, and all sorts of scary food being sold down the aisle. The Ayuthaya station also gave me flashbacks of rural China.

The town of Ayuthaya is surrounded by three rivers. My guidebook told me to walk west from the train station to a ferry, so I followed the sun to the 3 Baht/7cent ferry (3Baht/7cents). Once on the other side, I managed to walk a few blocks through some pretty serious sights and smells to a little treehouse hotel, Tony's Place. I was greeted very warmly and within 15 minutes I was whipping along with four news friends (2 Scottish women and an English couple) in a tuk-tuk (precarious 3 wheeled mini passenger truck) on an evening wat (Buddhist temple) tour. We climbed a wat ruin at sunset and then visited several more that were lit up against the dark sky.

When we finished the surreal night temple tour, we joined some other people from the hotel at the Moon Cafe right next door. One of the guys from the hotel, Frankie from France, was playing guitar that evening. Between Frankie's flamingo music and the house band's rock and blues, we had a wonderful, very late evening.

This morning I got up early to take a private river boat wat tour. Most of the tourists in Ayuthaya come up from Bangkok for the day, so I beat the rush and had an extremely peaceful two hour cruise taking in the river lifestyle of central Thailand. Ayuthaya was the royal Siamese capital from 1350 to 1767. Thirty-three Siamese kings reigned from here for over 400 years. Today the historic wats and ruins of Ayuthaya are a Unesco World Heritage site. I will spare you the blow by blow of the eight wats and ruins I visited, but there were giant, golden, bejeweled and reclining buddhas, sacred towers to climb, and creative sculptures of elephants and demons.

I don't know what I enjoyed more about Ayuthaya, experiencing the historical splendor of the wats and ruins, or swapping travel stories with my new friends!

Diving Marathon around Ko Phi Phi

As I was less than cheerfully checking out of my hotel and eating Dramamine with my breakfast, a gorgeous guy walked into the lobby yesterday to take me diving for two days. Instantly the 7am departure seemed reasonable. 14 guests, 6 staff and tons of gear and provisions boarded Greta for our diving trip through the Phi Phi (pronounced Pee Pee) islands. The group was very international (Australians and Irish, who are everywhere, but also people from Denmark, Germany, England and South Africa). My guide and instructor, Neil, was from England and had the patience of a saint. We did four dives on Friday including a night dive, which was less frightening than I had imagined. Two of the dives finished up my the Advanced Open Water Certification--a ship wreck and fish ID. Between dives we ate wonderful Thai food and told fish tales on the sun deck. My list of dream places to go diving has grown tremendously.

We docked on Ko Phi Phi for the evening. I love this town and wish I could stay longer in the little village. Many of the buildings on Phi Phi were devastated by the Tsunami and, unlike Phuket, it has not been rebuilt. However, our beach bungalows were adorable (photo of me on my porch above). We all went for drinks at a beach bar that was celebrating the half moon. They had a thrilling fire show. The Thai's are known for their fire throwing talents. It's so exciting to watch them twirl and throw the fire sticks and chains! The party was still going on when we walked down to the pier to board Greta at 7:30am.

Day two was fantastic! Each of our three dives were wonderful. The coral was endless and looked like colorful flower gardens underwater. We got to swim with a leopard shark, and even more exciting were the two yellow sea horses we saw. They were about five inches long and swimming along the reef. Unbelievable! The tropical fish were plentiful and oh so exciting. I hated to say good-bye to my new friends, and the banana pancakes after diving, when docked back on Phuket. Diving around the Phi Phi islands was certainly a trip highlight!

Tomorrow it's back to Bangkok to plan what's next...

Parasailing over Patong

I got a bird's eye view of Patong today from parasailing off the beach. I met a nice English guy, Paul, as I gathered the nerve to go up. He gets photo credit for these shots!

I met Paul for dinner this evening and two other guys joined us, one from Norway and one from Seattle. We went to an open air restaurant area (little white lights, plastic chairs, fish on display) on the main street. This is also where I had a great meal last night on the recommendation of the dive center. We chose lobsters and sole (flounder) with grilled prawns to start, and the guys bargained over the price of seafood at the tank. We all agreed it was a spectacular meal, both the food and the company!

I walked the nightlife street with them after dinner. I got to see the infamous "lady boys" of Thailand. You'd NEVER know they were men. Unfortunately, I had to turn in early for my 7am pick-up for my over-night dive trip to Ko Phi Phi.

Post Tsunami Phuket

I made to Phuket Province on the West Coast of Thailand without a hitch and managed to get settled in a cute little inexpensive hotel (Patong Premier Resort). For $22 a night I have a lovely room, decorated with Thai artifacts, and a great a/c. I immediately found a dive center and got my diving scheduled. I have a day to play in Phuket before I head out for a two day dive to another island.

We all saw footage of the Tsunami devastation in Phuket, Thailand's most popular holiday spot. Actually, Phuket did not suffer as badly as some of the other islands, but the economy has tanked a result of lost tourism. Everyone I talk to asks me to spread the word that Phuket is up and running, and it is. You can see some vegetation that has been destroyed and there is a good bit of new construction. But they are ready for visitors. The photo above is from an international art/sculpture exhibit on the beach to draw attention to the community and the need for travelers to come back to Phuket!

Phuket is called the "Pearl of the South," and has an interesting history. My favorite story is about two sisters (Chan and Mook) who saved Phuket from a Burmese invasion in 1785. Realizing they were out numbered they convinced all the women on the island to dress up as men and fooled the Burmese into believing the island was too well defended. In reality the Governor has just died and the Thai's were leaderless. There is a statue honoring the two sisters, who are considered national heros.

I did not go into Phuket town. I came straight to the beach like most travelers. There are three main beach towns to choose from Patong, the largest and most developed, and Kata and Karon, which are a little more rustic. I chose Patong and it's hopping even off season. The beach is lovely and has incredible sunset views. The bar scene is pretty sleazy and reminds me of some of the sorted areas in Bangkok. There is something for everyone here!

Ko More

Yesterday morning after the Full Moon Party I was off to the third little Ko (island)in the Gulf of Thailand, Ko Tao. I was surprised at how many backpackers were up, or back, for the 11am ferry departure. I was pleased to be feeling no worse for the wear myself and impressed that my friend Larry was up and ready to go after his very late night.

We had a small storm, but I was glad that the ferry was running -- at least until we left the dock. The ferry was like a raft in a hurricane, as we were thrown from side to side and the whole boat responded by throwing right back. It was a very painful hour and a half!

Ko Tao is an adorable little island for divers and those who love them. There are dive resorts all over the little sidewalk that runs down the beach. Several of us on the ferry chose to go with Ban's Diving Resort, because they had the nicest brochures. Good PR always gets me, but I wish it hadn't this time.

I had my first unpleasant diving experience. The resort was a "dive factory." It was all about the money and not the diving. We had about 60 people on our dive boat. I felt like I was in a New York traffic jam at the dive site. I am heading over to the west coast of Thailand where the diving is better (albeit off season) and they need the tourist money (post Tsunami). Tomorrow morning I'm taking a ferry back to the Fantasy Island airport on Ko Samui and standing-by for a full flight to Phuket. Wish me luck!

Flying to the Moon

I have now experienced the infamous Full Moon Party on Ko Pha-Ngan and bought the T-shirt. The little town of Hat Rin swelled by thousands for the monthly "World's Largest Beach Party" under the full moon. Apparently, ravers have been coming to Hat Rin Full Moon Parties for over 10 years.

It was amazing to see the throngs pile out of boats onto this small tropical beach for great music, pyro-technics of all kinds, neon skin painting gone wild (I chose a cute little moon), and most importantly dancing in the sand. Full moon drinks come in buckets. You buy a little bucket with a mixer like Red Bull/Coke and a pint of the poison of your choice. They fill it with ice, add 4 straws and off you go! Everyone walks along swinging their buckets until they eventually just lay down and call it a night. At least those who hit the sand had a great view -- after a rainy afternoon the clouds cleared to reveal a magnificent moon with a large ring around it. Unfortunately, the party was not camera safe, so no moon photos.

The party was really well organized with local girls selling orchid lays, food vendors dishing it out on the beach, and first aid/police stations to put people back together again. Most importantly the party was contained on Sunrise Beach, so when I retired to my bungalow, on the opposite side of town, it was peaceful. The people of Ko Phan-Ngan know how to throw a party! The October full moon is on my birthday, maybe I'll fly to the moon again...

Off to the Islands of Thailand

Yesterday, I packed a small bag, leaving my big pack in Bangkok, and flew down to Ko Samui, the largest of three little Gulf islands off the East Coast of Thailand. The airport on Ko Samui was straight out of Fantasy Island. Little trams decorated with an island theme shuttled us to the terminal, bar, post office and restaurant, all open-air under cute thatched roofs. I cannot believe that Hollywood isn't filming movies here.

I met up with Larry (LA friend from the Bali plane ride) and had a fun afternoon on the beach. The water here is crystal clear and perfect for swimming (warm like the Florida Gulf Coast). Then it was off to the next of the three Thai islands. Larry came with me on the 30 minute ferry over to Ko Pha-Ngan. The boat was packed with people heading over for the island's infamous Full Moon party. I even ran into two guys from my Beijing hostel! It is such a small traveling world.

We are staying in Hat Rin on Sunset Beach. This little Ko (island) doesn't have much in the way of paved roads or electricity (spotty at best), but it is THE place to be in SE Asia during a Full Moon! Last night we got a taste of what's to come when we sat on the grass mats on the beach for a relaxing tropical drink. Within an hour people were pouring in from everywhere and we were dancing in the sand.

Today was equally exciting. We joined a group of people from another bungalow down the street for beach hopping on a long boat. About 40 of us went from beach to perfect beach on two boats. We got sun, swam, eat and drank the day away. We even had a rain shower in the afternoon on Ao Thong Nai Pan and ran for cover under a thatched roof bar. The fun never stops. The price of $12.50 each included the boat trip, coke/water, lunch and then a BBQ dinner back at their bungalow tonight!

Wat Pho Photos

Wat Arun

Wat's in Bangkok

On Day two in Bangkok, I was forced by economics to pry myself away from the Oriental Hotel's exotic fruit and Lotus/Orchid delivery of the day and the adorable person waiting at attention to push the elevator button for me (he seemed to live for my answer--up or down?).

I nearly cried as the taxi pulled away from the Oriental enroute to my $13 a night room at the Wild Orchid Villa (on Soi Chanasongkarm/near Pra Arthit Rd). But with a stiff upper lip, I quickly adjusted to the basic room (with AC and ensuite bath) and the abundance of fun casual travelers around me. After lunch with an interesting English guy also traveling around the world, I set off on the river ferry to see two of Bangkok's Wats (temples).

Although Brian and I did the Bahts (money) and Wats (temples) tour years ago, I am excited to see them again! Bangkok has 446 Buddhist temples, and there are over 32,000 temples in Thailand with Monks in residence.

My first stop was Wat Arun, also known as the Temple of Dawn, on the opposite side of the Mae Nam Chao Phraya (river). At a distance the temple looks gray like it is made of stone or concrete, but when you get closer you see that thousands of pieces of Chinese ceramic mosaic tiles cover the surface. It was also fun to slip off my shoes and visit the main Buddha inside which is thought to be designed by King Rama II himself.

I hopped back on the river ferry to visit the famous Wat Pho. Wat Pho is the oldest and largest wat in Bangkok. The main attraction here is a massive reclining Buddha (46 meters long/15 meters high), which is made of brick and covered with gold leaf. It is indeed overwhelming (they built the building around the Buddha). I hired a guide to show me around and point out things like the Thai massage drawings and yoga statutes. This wat is the national headquarters for the teaching of traditional Thai medicine, including Thai massage. I knew I liked this place!

However, the best was yet to come. At closing time, my guide took me to a spectacular gold alter in the temple where the Monks gather to worship. It was amazing! At 5pm about 40 saffron robed monks filed in and sat on a platform. (Monks must be 20 years old, so there were another 20 or so "novices" aged 7-19 kneeling behind the platform). I was glued to my spot on the floor. They started to chant and it sounded like a sound from within. No individual voice was discernible, they were in perfect rhythm. It was so uplifting! I felt honored to be there and witness such a beautiful moment.

Visiting the Kingdom of Thailand is like nothing else. I am so happy to be here. I will base myself in Bangkok and fly around to other parts of the country and Cambodia. Tomorrow morning I fly down to Ko Samui. This little island is in the Gulf of Thailand. I plan to pack a weekend bag and meet my LA airplane friend, Larry, for some island time in Thailand. More soon from the Thai beaches...

Taking Care of Business in Bangkok

My first order of business in Bangkok was to head to the American Embassy to have additional pages added to my passport. I'm lucky they let me into Thailand with no room left to stamp.

I ran into a problem getting into Indonesia because I didn't have a place for their annoying full page visa. I was originally asked to return to the US to get more pages (very amusing), but it quickly boiled down to $20 US to cover an existing stamped page. I've found Andrew Jackson to be my best friend on this trip!

Speaking of the power of $20, that's all I needed for the really important business of the day--a beauty transformation. I spent the monsoon afternoon getting pampered. My hair and nails were in a state of crisis that only Bangkok could remedy. I had a mani/pedi, haircut w/blowout, mini-massage, and lunch for $20.

Ladies, get on a plane immediately!

I am in Siam!

I left Indonesia kicking and screaming, but was glad to touch down in Thailand. Bangkok is the only place on world tour that I have visited before. Brian and I came here on vacation after a congressional staff junket to Taiwan a hundred years ago. I can't wait to see how the city has changed.

I had a good flight in and sat by a nice guy from LA, Larry, who I plan to meet up with in the islands in a few days. I should have known from the bumpy descent that the weather would not be on my side. Apparently a monsoon landed in Bangkok at the same time I did.

The hotel I booked was unacceptable, so I decided to treat myself and headed straight for The Oriental. It is pure heaven! Staying in the most fabulous hotel in Bangkok, and one of the most famous hotels in Asia, puts a whole new spin on Bangkok. Rain, what rain? I have a butler!! I will try to channel some of the famous authors who have stayed there (from Gore Vidal to Barbara Cartland)...

Livin' on Gili Time

You can either walk the few blocks on the dirt road between restaurants, bars and bunglaows, or hop on a horse cart. There are little rooms on stilts to watch movies with friends or you can relax on the cushions in the outdoor theater (bar) for the nightly showings. A seafood lunch or dinner is always available with a fabulous ocean view. But, just watching the water roll by is perhaps the best way to enjoy Gili Trawangan!

Sailing Away...

What would paradise be without a sunset sail? Simon, the owner of the dive center, let us use his marvelous wooden sail boat and crew for a sunset cruise around the Gilis. We sunk into huge white cushions on deck and sipped cocktails as the sun set all around us. It doesn't get much better than this!

Underwater Flashing

As predicted, my underwater shots are particularly uninspired. Maybe one day I will be able to capture the vibrant colors of coral and marine life. But, not yet. One shot did turn out, so you can see the huge turtles that we swam with everyday. They're graceful swimmers and look absolutely prehistoric when they eat...

Gili gan's Island

Life on the little island of Gili Trawangan is simply paradise. I have been here for four days and just changed my ticket to stay a week! It doesn't get much more relaxing than this...

From Bali I took a ferry over to Lombok which is known as Bali's quieter twin in the Nusa Tenggara islands. I just breezed through Lombok on my way to one of the three tiny gili's (islands) off the coast.

Gili Air is reportedly lovely and the perfect place for families, while Gili Meno is more deserted and would actually be more Gilligan's island like. And, Gili Trewangan is of course the most active. By active, I mean there are fun restaurants, bars, dive shops, book stores, etc. But, there are also roosters running free, donkey carts are the only transportation, and the electricity goes out at least every other day.

Sorry for my lack of blogging. Internet access here is truly the coconut telegraph. I've tried to post a few prize winning blog entries, but as they say "it doesn't want to send now, try back later..."

I am staying at the Blue Marlin Dive Center bungalows. I'm on a dive and stay package allowing me to stay permanently under water! The dive instructors and dive masters are the best. I've dramatically improved my diving ability, and seem to be getting over my new fear of Trigger Fish. The best thing about diving in this area is the abundance of sea turtles. I've seen as many as five turtles in the same area. They are so marvelous to watch!

Two days ago I developed an ear issue on a deep dive and have been trying to take it easy (meaning only one to two dives a day, at least until Thailand). Today I had great fun taking a digital camera down and learned that I am no Jane Cousteau. I'm sure that I'll get a CD of empty water where pretty fish had been. But, I will post my masterpieces on Wednesday when I am back in civilization. In the meantime, think of me swiming around the beautiful coral chasing tropical fish...

Goodbye to Padang Bai

Five days in Padang Bai was enough to restore my faith in mankind. I became a part of their little village in no time. It is really a diving community with a friendly support system. I had amazing seafood meals everyday, massages on the beach and never lacked for friends to talk to. Once again it was like the UN with new friends from Holland (Peter), Ireland (Shane), Germany (Oliver) and England (Rob).

Geko Dive was the center of my social life. I did six dives with Regig, a very patient local Dive Master, on some of Indonesia's best sites. One of the most popular was in a small city call Tulamben, which was an hour and a half drive through some of the most beautiful countryside in Bali. The volcano's, farm land and many small villages were extraordinary. It is so funny to see the scarecrows in fields in each country dressed in local costumes! The vegetation runs from large cactus to banana and palm trees in a minute. This is such a vibrant country!

In Tulamben, we dove on the wreck of the USS Liberty, a US cargo ship that has created a fish meca. They say that Indonesia has more species of fish than anywhere on earth and I believe it!

Tomorrow I am off for my next Indonesian adventure! I will take a 7:30am ferry to Lombok, then a taxi ($11 for a 2 hour ride) to Teluk Nara beach where I will board a waiting speed boat bound for Gili Trawangan. I've met several people on their way to and from this little island so I know it will be great fun...

Hindu Offerings

Just "Being" in Bali

I had to fly through another typhoon (Talim) in Taipei to get here, but I have arrived in paradise. In my country prep I learned that Indonesia is the 4th largest country in the world by popluation, and the largest Muslim nation. However, you would never know it in the tiny village of Padang Bai where I'm calling home. There are only a couple of streets, no stop signs, and chickens and goats roam freely.

I chose this remote little haven on Bali because of the easy access to great diving. I wanted to relax and avoid sightseeing, but it impossible to avoid the unique culture of Bali. Bali is one of the 17,000 plus islands that make up Indonesia. Although it is considered a Muslim nation, there are many religions and most of the natives of Bali are Hindu. The women of my little hamlet make Hindu straw and flower offerings everyday that they place all over the village. There is one outside my bunglow door every day. There are little shines everywhere and no one passes by without making a gesture to the Gods!

I adore my hotel the Puri Rai, which has two infinity pools, and the guys at Geko Dive, who are great fun! Yesterday one of the guys took me on a motorbike to a white sand beach and then picked me up later so that I wouldn't have to walk 15 min. Love the Princess treatment!

Today we did two dives to the Blue Lagoon area, which is a spectacular reef filled with amazing fish! We saw a shark on each dive, played with sting rays, and got attacked by a trigger fish. It was a banner day!

I am now on my way to a wonderful dinner that will cost about $4. It will involve sitting on cushions and dogs will be roaming about. Beer and coke are less than $1. And, an hour pool-side massage is $5. Hummm, I could sell one of my apartments and live here forever!

The only downside is the Internet. It's truly the coconut telegraph. The dial-up access is terminal and photos are out! So, you can just picture me on a beach or playing with neon fish for the next few days until I get to my next exotic Gili (island).