Southeast Asia

Dear all,

So I know this is crazy overdue, but it’s finally done. This is the abridged version of my thoughts and daily events while I was in Southeast Asia. I had my little Pocket PC with me and I caution you to read only if you have lots of time, patience and a love for brown people like me. Otherwise you can just look at the pictures when I eventually post them. Thanks.

8 December, 2004

This is day one of our trip to Southeast Asia. It's about three or four in the morning. Already it has been an interesting adventure. I called the travel agent at Pan travels to inquire about getting a Qualis (a suv) for our coming trip to Agra. All of a sudden Uncle tells me that our flight has been preponed (never heard that word before, but I now use it all the time, except I pronounce it “prep-oned”) and that instead of leaving at 9:15, it's leaving at 6:15! So we had to speed home and left the apartment after four thirty but were supposed to be at the airport by five! We barely boarded our (prep-oned) flight on Myanmar airlines and it was actually quite nice. We are all seated in the emergency row and there is plenty of room. We stopped in Myanmar on the way to Bangkok and were taken to this really nice hotel for refreshments and food. We had to spend a few hours sleeping on benches and then we were on our way and now we are on our final leg of our flight. I packed too much. Oh yeah, at the airport this Punjabi uncle started talking to me and telling me that he was there for "kam." In addition to meaning work, Kam also means sex in street Hindi and there were a bunch of uncles there for “kam.” Pleh.

9 December, 2004

So I guess this is day two of our journey. We arrived in Bangkok very early in the morning, it was probably around five or six. As we cleared customs and exited the airport, it quickly became evident that we were now in a much more modern society. The streets were perfectly paved and the cars were US-like. We were also welcomed by a familiar face when the colonel warmly smiled at us on a KFC sign. We took a local train to get from the airport to central Bangkok. From there we searched for a fax machine and ran into the biggest language barrier I've ever encountered. My limited English, French, Swahili and Hindi skills all proved useless as the locals couldn't understand us and we could not understand them. It was actually quite funny because the people in Thailand are very funny and friendly, so instead of communicating, we all ended up laughing at each other. Eventually we grabbed a bite to eat at a hole in the wall after walking by carts of fried octopus, rats, crickets and more. Then we took what is called a Tuk Tuk to an area in which we desired to stay. We found a cheap but safe hotel and checked in. Because we really didn't sleep the previous night, we crashed for a couple of hours in our comfortable room. After awaking we freshened up and treated ourselves to some fresh Thai ice tea at a small stand. It was incredible and after the beverage I felt okay with leaving Thailand at any time, because I got what I came for. We then began our first day in Thailand by venturing to a restaurant and ate incredible Pad Thai. After the amazing meal we were about to go exploring when we decided to enjoy a mid-afternoon round of Karaoke. We rented out a room in an incredibly nice place and sang hits from such artists as the Venga Boys, Shaggy, and Bob Dylan. It was amazingly fun and entertaining and locals walked by our room and laughed as we had the volume up a bit high. After Karaoke we ventured to a place called Night Bazaar where we were entertained by live music and a huge beer garden. We were about to take the sky train to another area when we walked past a lively event. It turns out they were filming an episode of Thailand Action Games. We were given seats in the audience and were served complimentary Thai food while we watched the hilarious and colorful Nickelodeon type show. After the show we took the subway to a kickboxing arena where we watched incredible but brutal live kickboxing. It was a nitty gritty setup and at one point we swore the kick boxers could not have been older than 12. We all agreed they could beat us up because in this kickboxing all contact is allowed except for head butting. This includes elbows and knees to the groin and neck areas in case you were wondering. The crowd was amazing and chanted as contact was applied between boxers. There was a heavy amount of betting and there was a high amount of respect between fighters. Afterwards we took (a) tuk tuk home and ate some street food and came back to the hotel. There were also countless offers for "free" women and tuk tuk drivers pulled out menus of women and thrust them in our face. So my first day Thailand was amazing. The combination of the incredible street food, the hilarious entertainment, the violent kickboxing and the incredibly friendly Thai people made it feel like we packed a week into a day. Tomorrow we plan on going to a bazaar that has 15,000 stalls and over 200,000 visitors a day. Then we get back on a plane to head towards our next destination, Laos.

10 December, 2004

So today was another amazing day, but I don't have much time, but I have to go to sleep, so here is an outline:
-woke up 9am
-push-ups
-cold shower
-checked out
-noodles for lunch
-funny passport pictures
-shopping in huge mall
-KFC – blizzard type dessert treat
-amazing mall
-backpack too heavy
-bought street t-shirts from deaf people
-took train
-taxi to airport
-Thai airways
-street food
-landed in Udon Thani
-caught a "limo" (van) to border
-crossed into Laos to Vientene
-checked in o hotel and ate dinner

11 December, 2004

-slept in
-missed bus we were supposed to take
-booked night bus ticket
-ate breakfast
-Lao iced tea with “milk” amazing
-see friends in two weeks
-tried to go bowling, no go
-looked at buddhist area, very cool
-went to buddhist temple, met nice monk
-he wrote our names in lao
-took tuk tuk to bus station
-really crappy bus and crappy food
-man behind us has a gun
-not going to vietnam
-trying to sleep on bus
-will be in laong prabang by morning
-going on route 13, attack route where buses like ours have been hijacked and tourists killed

12 December, 2004

So today was a pretty mellow day compared to the rest of the trip. We actually arrived safely in Luang Prabang about 5:30am. We took a tuk tuk to a hotel and they didn't have a clean room, so we ended up staying next door for five dollars. We took naps after eating a tasty breakfast. After about three hours we woke up and started our days. This morning struck Vietnam off the list because it won't make much sense to go there...I'm going to finish this in the car tomorrow...

13 December, 2004

So as I was saying yesterday, we took Vietnam off because we wouldn't be able to see it right. We went to a travel agent and booked a flight for the next day to go to Vientenne from Phonsoven. We also booked a private car to take us to Phonsoven at four thirty in the morning. After that we took a ride to a market and picked up some food and then went down to the Mekong. At the Mekong we hired a boat to take us up the river to these ancient caves where buddha sculptures were hidden. The ride up was amazing and took over two hours. It was amazing to be riding up the Mekong on a freakin' boat. We finally got to the caves and they were amazing. Images of the buddha everywhere. After that we rode back down the river and got back to hotel. Then we had a really nice meal where I had duck and then walked to the Night Market. On the way home this lady propositioned me and I kindly refused. Then we came back and went to sleep. This morning we woke up at four in the morning and made it out by four thirty. Our van eventually came and then we took the seven-hour ride to Phonsoven. I felt a little sick because of the motion, but other than that it was fine. We actually got to drive through villages and it was amazing to see how Lao people live. Eventually we got to our destination and we saw one of the most interesting places I've ever been to. It was called the Plane of Jars and what it is, is this area in Laos that has hundreds of huge concrete jars. Historians don't know exactly what they are for, but they were amazing and huge. Perhaps the more amazing part about it was that the whole place had been bombed during the war and we actually walked through the area where there were mines, bomb craters and trenches from the war. It was truly amazing and it was only the second time I've felt like I was really experiencing history. Michael and Chris told me stories about their grandfathers who fought in wars and they were amazing. Afterwards we went and had a bite to eat and then went to the airport. The airport was the smallest one I’ve ever been to and there was only one airstrip. On the flight I met this Lao fellow who spoke pretty good English and we talked a little in French too. When we landed after our half hour flight, we collected our luggage and the nice fellow drove us to the bus station. I gave him some postcards and my number if he ever came to the states. The bus station we were dropped at was actually the same bus station that was bombed a few years back. Crazy. We booked our tickets to Pakse and then had some lunch and boarded the bus and now we are on our way. The bus is supposed to be VIP, but it is clearly not. I just hope to get a little sleep tonight because we have a lot of traveling ahead of us. But once we get to Si Phon Don, it should be pretty relaxing. The trip has been amazing so far and I love listening to music and thinking about what we are experiencing. I'm so excited about everything right now because even as this trip comes to an end, that just means I'm closer to seeing everyone. I really just want to get some rest....

14 December, 2004

So I'm sitting here in Si Phon Don on a dock right now typing. This place is absolutely amazing. We are on the Mekong river right now and it is dark. There is only power here after six in the evening. So last night I rode the whole night on a bus. Sleep wasn't that great, but it was better than the other ride. Right before I fell asleep a bunch of people stormed the bus. It was like nothing I've ever seen before. They were all people selling French bread. They were all competing to sell the bread and one lady got edged out. It was quite an experience. So we finally made it to Pakse at around six or so in the morning. Then we had to take a tuk tuk to the other bus stand. At the bus stand we got some breakfast and basically took a larger tuk tuk for about four hours to Si Phon Don. The ride was incredibly packed and it was pretty dusty and really smokey. We finally arrived and then took a boat ride down the Mekong to get to Don Khon island. Once there we had a bite to eat and then couldn't find a place to stay, so we took another boat ride up to another island called Don Dit. Here we found incredible accommodations on the river for literally only a dollar or two a night. There is no bathroom and no power, but the place has an incredible view and is very charming. The toilet is a public one and has a squatter. While I was in there taking care of business, there were pigs outside making a lot of noise. It was very interesting. After that we sat on the balcony talking and swinging in the hammock. Then we had a bite to eat and sat on the dock playing cards and talking. This is an incredible part of Laos and I really can't believe I'm here. We survived route 13 again and I'm just going to try to finish strong. I just can't believe my life right now...I am so thankful...

15 December, 2004

So we are sitting here on a dock in Si Phon Don at tiny little restaurant waiting for our food. We've been eating a lot of fresh spring rolls and drinking a lot of iced tea and coffee. We slept in this morning and I had really comfortable sleep even though we were three to a bed. So I woke up around nine or so in the morning and went outside and read a little on the hammock. Eventually the boys woke up and we had some breakfast at the place next door. I had the best French toast I've ever had and then we looked for places to rent a canoe. We eventually found a guy who doesn't rent canoes normally, but had the perfect one for us. We paid him a couple bucks and then went and retrieved Michael. We had a drink and then proceeded to canoe on the Mekong. When we first started out we saw some sea snakes. We were trying to navigate our boat and this guy came towards us in his powered boat and completely cut us off and ended up running right into us. Our boat got rocked and Michael was in the back and fell in the water. It was hilarious. Eventually we made our way down the river and found a nice little spot to park our boat. We parked it and proceeded to hang out on our island and read. It was amazing to be hanging out on the Mekong. It was truly amazing. After a while we docked across the way at Don Khone and had a bite to eat. Then the sun was going down so we got a lady to tie our boat to hers and then she took us home. The ride was amazing as the sun was going down and we were holding on to our boat with our hands. There was a little boy sitting behind me that kept tapping me and smiling at me. He was so cute. We made it back and gathered our things and now here we are. Today was awesome and I think we're going to spend at least one more night here. A day of swimming in the Mekong with snakes was a good time. There are a lot of travelers here that are from all over. One guy just told me he likes nipples. It's only like nine days until I see the other troops. That is all for now...

16 December, 2004

So today was another relaxing and interesting day in Si Phon Don. I woke up in the morning a little early because some French dudes were talking loudly. Then I sat outside on the hammock and read a bit and then we went next door and got a bite to eat. I had the incredible French toast and a fresh spring roll. After that we wanted to rent motorcycles, but we played with the monkey for a bit first. Then we took a boat ride over to the adjacent island and it turns out they didn't have any motorcycles. So we got in kind of a messy situation because we didn't want to pay the guy and he wouldn't take us where we wanted to go. Eventually we just went back and ended up paying him most of the money and then renting bicycles. Then we rode through the village with kids chasing us and people saying hello to us. We rode our pansy bikes to this cool waterfall and then explored and had lunch there. When we had lunch they seemed to like us and brought out a tiny puppy for us to see and then showed us their newborn baby. After the waterfall, we rode to a remote beach area. Eventually we left and rode back through the village as the sun was setting. It was a nice ride and nice to get some exercise. We returned the bikes and then got some crappy dinner where they completely forgot to make my dinner. The food sucked anyways, so we just came home. Tomorrow we have to wake up at five to catch a boat at five thirty in the morning to try and see Irrawady dolphins. Then it's off to Thailand again so we can cross into Cambodia. Hopefully we'll be in Cambodia tomorrow or the next day. The time is quickly winding down and it's amazing that the troops are coming in about a week now. I really can't believe it. I'm going to try and go to sleep early now so I can wake up in time. That is all for now...

17 December, 2004

So today was an interesting day. Last night when we went to bed, the people in the next hut over were copulating. The girl was really loud and it woke us all up. I had a hard time getting to sleep after that. So we woke up this morning at five and checked out of our place early. So we got on the boat and headed over to a different island. Then we took a tuk tuk and got on another boat and sped to this tiny sandbar. I'm not sure if we were in Cambodia or not, but it was cool that we could actually see Cambodia. We spent a little time on the sandbar and saw a few Irrawady freshwater dolphins. They were nothing special, but it was a cool experience. After that we took an amazing ride back to Pakse. I listened to music the whole time and it was incredible. I thought about how everyone is coming this week and how amazing it's going to be. We got to Pakse and had some lunch and then went to the internet cafe. After email we took a couple tuk tuks to another city in Thailand. We had to go back to Thailand because we can't get a visa crossing the south border from Laos to Cambodia. We rode on the roof of a tuk tuk and it was a lot of fun. Then we finally made it to the bus station and now we're on our way back to Bangkok in an awesome bus and we will get back on a bus tomorrow to Cambodia. So much more, but that is all for now...

18 December, 2004

Happy to be alive...

19 December, 2004

So I didn't get a chance to write last night because I had to go to bed super early in order to wake up at 2am. This is what happened. By the way it's about 7:30am right now on Sunday. So the night before last we spent all night on that luxury bus. Sleep wasn't great, but it was better than the other nights on busses. We arrived back in Bangkok around 5am at the big bus station. We ended up hanging out there for a couple of hours waiting for the information booth to open so we could get info on going to Cambodia that evening. The night before in Ubon Ratchathani was awesome. We had KFC, which was incredibly tasty and where the service was amazing and everyone in that city loved us. Girls were honking at us and when we'd walk by bars, people would ask us to sit down and join them. It was really amazing and I guess they don't get many tourists over there. Anywho, when the information booth finally opened, we found out that we could take a bus leaving at 3:30am to get us to the border. We would have to come back to buy the tickets, so we decided to get a hotel. First we started walking towards the huge weekend market. Then we realized it may not be easy to find a place there, so we took a tuk tuk back to the bus station and ditched our luggage there and then went back to the market. This was the most amazing market in the world. It was huge and supposedly there are 15,000 stalls and I believe it. I've never seen anything quite like it. You could buy anything there, literally. They had everything from every kind of pet imaginable including snakes, manta ray, tiny little puppies and squirrels, to antiques, old t shirts, groceries, incubators, everything. It was an amazing experience and I ended up walking around on my own most of the time. I really over packed for this trip and I'm only wearing a few things because everything I wear gets thrashed. Eventually we left the market and I was really glad we came. We got some lunch after that and then decided to pick up our stuff and check into a hotel in Siam Square. So we got a ride back to the bus station, grabbed our things, had amazing Thai iced tea from 7-11 and then got a tuk tuk to Siam Square. SS is where these two huge malls are and is a really cool part of town. We eventually found a hotel and ditched our stuff. Then we decided to go bowling. We went into the mall and found the alley and it was the most amazing bowling alley I've ever seen in my life. The sleek frameless sliding glass doors opened automatically to welcome us to a world like no other. The lighting was amazing, the staff friendly, and the crowd lively. It was super plush and there was this machine to give you shoes that you put a token into and it spits out the shoes in the size you select. It was amazing. The lanes were perfect, the lighting dim, and the western hip-hop was bumpin with a live DJ. The booths were comfortable and each lane had a flat screen LCD displaying the score and options. It was really fun and we bowled three games. I was horrible but had a great time. After bowling we wanted to get blizzards from Dairy Queen, yeah Dairy Queen. All of a sudden Christoph wasn't feeling so well and he ended up puking in his hands and in the bathroom. I got some street pineapple on the way home and then went up to the room. Christoph was in bed resting and I took a shower and repacked all of my things. My backpack is amazingly spacious. We decided to play it by ear as far as leaving in the morning was concerned. We didn't want to push it with Christoph's fragile health. I set a couple of alarms and fell asleep around ten or eleven. I woke up around 1:30am and talked to Christoph and his status didn't seem that great, so we decided to hold off on leaving for Cambodia. I went back to sleep, woke up, and now here I am. So the trip is flying by and that's okay because on Saturday I see everyone. It's so crazy to be able to say that. I really want to appreciate our time though. I see so many German tourists here with young Thai women and wonder what the hell is going on. I really think there are a lot of lonely people in the world. We will probably spend the day in Bangkok today and hopefully if Christoph is feeling better, leave for Cambodia tonight. I'm so lucky to be here with these two amazing people in this amazing place. We will see what today holds...

20 December, 2004

So I didn't get a chance to write yesterday because I was so tired, but here's what happened. So we were supposed to leave for Cambodia, but Christoph fell sick, so we ended up spending another day in Bangkok. The morning started out well, I went and had some MacDonalds for breakfast, which wasn't great, but the Milo chocolate milk was awesome. I wrote a bunch of emails and even sent out a packing list. After that I walked around the mall for a bit and then I picked up some pineapple and went back. We transferred our stuff to a different hotel and then sat around and talked for a while. Then we got picked up by this van that took us to this tailor that was way overpriced. We think there might have been some mafia ties there. They dropped us off to this really touristy area and "suggested" that we tip the driver, so we did. After hanging out there for a while, we went to the mall and decided to see a movie. Because of the heavy language barrier, it took us a while to figure everything out. Eventually we sat down and had some mediocre food but then we watched Oceans 12. It turned out to be an awesome movie and I really enjoyed it. There were a couple noteworthy things during the movie. Before the film began, they played a bunch of music and showed pictures of the king. Everyone stood up to pay their respects and it was really interesting. Also during the movie there was a Thailand reference and the crowd went crazy. It was really strange, when we got up it was only then that I realized we were in Thailand again because everyone around us was Thai. We got a quick bite to eat after that and then came back to our place and crashed...So today was an interesting day. We had to wake up at two in the morning to take a taxi to the bus station. I hate waking up that early and I could tell that if I kept having to do it, I was going to get sick soon. So we stood in the long line and eventually got the last three seats on the bus. We thought this was a blessing, but as soon as we got the tickets, they flipped the sign for a bus leaving ten minutes later. I had a feeling we would get donged and we did. We had the back three seats on the bus and this thing was not nice. It was right by the bathroom and our seats did not recline. I had to rest my head on a sink and halfway through the night a man came and sat on the sink. I had no space at all so I rested my head on his leg. It was the worst night on a bus ever. So we got to the border of Thailand at around 7:30am and then crossed over. We finally made it into Cambodia! Once there we took a ride on a bus to get into Siam Reap. It was the bumpiest ride I've ever taken in my life and Cambodia was crazy. I've never seen anything like this in my life. It is so dirty and dusty and it actually looks like a war was fought here. I guess there are active mines all over the place and it's actually a pretty dangerous place. We checked into a hotel and then took a trip to Angkor Wat to see the biggest religious monument in the world. We watched the sunset and it was amazing. This place is amazing and one of a kind. I thought about a lot when I was up there walking around. I thought about the kids begging, I thought about how the people selling things are selling them every single day of their lives...

21 December, 2004

So as I was saying yesterday, the people selling things are selling them every single day for their entire lives. Now I'm not trying to say I feel bad for them or anything like that, because they have a lot that I don't as well, but it's amazing to me that they can do it with a smile on their faces. Yesterday after the sun went down, the King drove by and the crowd erupted, that was cool. So eventually we had some food and then arranged our taxi and went to bed. We were supposed to wake up early at about five to go take advantage of the day today, but of course we all slept in and didn't leave until nearly seven. It was fine and we got to see a decent amount today. Sometimes I don't really know what the hell is wrong with me because it's hard for me to appreciate everything that I'm seeing and doing. So we spent the day at Angkor and then came back and had a bite to eat and then took off. Eventually we got in the taxi and took the bumpiest ride ever back to the border. Along the way we stopped and got some refreshments and played with this puppy and this baby. Then we hit the border and got back into Thailand. Once there we took a pick-up to the bus stop and got on a full bus. Again we got stuck in the very back and it was stinky and really uncomfortable. Eventually people got off the bus and we were able to shift a little, but it was still sucky. We took a tuk tuk to Siem Square and found a restaurant to eat at. After dinner we were walking back to the hotel and we saw this dad kick his little kid and saw the kid fall off the cart and hit his head on the ground. We couldn't believe it but didn't know what to do. We also saw a dog with one paw facing the wrong way and earlier today saw a boy in a wheelchair with a disorder I've never seen before. The poverty in Cambodia was kind of difficult to handle and we’ve seen a lot of difficult things. I really don't understand the world or how it is supposedly just. I cannot explain it. I took a shower and now I'm laying on the bed typing. I think tonight I will get bitten by a lot of mosquitoes. I hate them. So today is the 21st of December. I really can't believe it's all over and all beginning again. My Southeast Asia trip is over and that means the new voyage is just beginning. Tomorrow is the 22nd and I fly back to Delhi and then to Hyderabad the next day. Everything is coming to a close now. I slept a lot today and will sleep more tonight and then it's lots of flying for a while. I have a beard right now and I don't know if I want to keep my long hair.

23 December, 2004

People in Myanmar are weird. I was just on the phone with Faizal and the guy at the desk simply put his finger on the hang up button and just like that it was over. So here is what happened yesterday. We basically woke up in the morning and got to the airport. We checked in without issue and boarded our flight. We were all very antsy yesterday because of the timing with everything. Our flight was a little rough but was not a problem. Then we got to Myanmar and waited in the airport and then it happened. The flight was severely delayed but they wouldn't make an announcement at all. People were going nuts. Eventually they cancelled the flight altogether. Apparently the fog was very heavy in Delhi. So they transferred us to a hotel and we checked in and basically spent the night eating and watching tv. It was pretty crappy because I'm supposed to confirm my flight to Hyderabad and I had no way of getting hold of the airline. So the final night I was supposed to spend in my apartment Delhi never happened and now I'm sitting here in the hotel stuck in Burma. It's really quite amusing. I can't believe I'll hopefully be seeing those guys within the next day and a half. It's crazy. I'm supposed to be in Hyderabad tonight which will hopefully happen and then I get on a train tomorrow night and end up in Chennai the next day. So crazy. I can't believe my life right now...last night it was really funny, there are these glass doors that open to the front of the hotel and I saw a man walk right into the wall, which is also made of glass. One of the staff tried to stop him and put his arms in the way, but he couldn't. I really wanted to bust out laughing, but I felt bad for the guy. In another incident yesterday, I became upset. These Indian men were yelling at everyone for chai and saying that it wasn't human what they were doing and how we were being treated. I couldn't believe it. The worst part was when the airline official was writing up a sign to post about information regarding our flight. About ten or fifteen Indian men surrounded him and were making fun of his English and his ability to write and spell words. That made me really upset. Sometimes I hate our own people. But I guess it's not just our people, it's people in general. That is all for now. I still haven't gotten on a plane yet and it's not looking good at this point. All I can do is hope for the best...Okay so I am actually on an airplane headed for Hyderabad! I can't believe I actually made it. So here's what happened since this morning. We were stuck at the airport for a couple of hours and somehow, miraculously, we boarded our flight and actually took off. The flight was pretty good and brief. I worked on the bags for the welcome kits and got them mostly done. I realized that the welcome kits are going to be kind of lame, but I kind of got donged with time at the end of it all. So we landed in Delhi and it was amazing that I had made it that far. It took us a while to get out of the airport, but we finally did and got a taxi home. It was interesting to be back in Delhi and India. Part of me was happy, but part of me wanted to go home. I think I was really anxious because I wasn't sure if I'd even be leaving tonight. So eventually I got home and I had to start working right away. I quickly began unpacking and repacking. I also ordered pizza and when it came, it was over 30 minutes late, but I gave the guy money because I felt bad. So I kept at it and finally finished it all. I called the YWCA and some other places and took care of some business. When I was finally done, it was crazy. It all happened so quick. I had no time for closure or to think about anything. It was simply time to go. My flight was originally supposed to leave at six thirty, which I did not know, but then it was delayed until eight. That was fine with me. So around six I was getting a taxi to the airport. My backpack is still pretty heavy and I don't really know why, I took out a bunch of stuff. Anywho, at the taxi stand the guy asked me for rupees 275 to get to the airport and I told him no way. I told him 200 and he kept going further down but stopped at 225. I told him that 200 was a fair price and the taxi drivers ganged up on me. I told them I would just take an auto. I was bluffing, but I just didn't want to get ripped off. As I was walking away, the guy finally caved and we were on our way. The ride was pretty long and I was a little weary that we might not make it in time. Eventually we made it a little past seven and I went to check in. The flight had been further delayed until nine and I checked in my bag and sat and read in the airport. Eventually they let us pass security and the flight didn't end up leaving until almost ten. I haven't allowed myself to fully take in what is happening because there were so many obstacles. When we finally took off, that was when I knew that things were finally coming together. I've been reading on the flight and I should get into Hyderabad about midnight or so. I will call hotels from the airport before taking an auto or taxi out there. I left a lot of errands undone, but that is okay. So things are insane right now. I think that the troops are probably boarding their flight soon and I can't believe I see them the day after tomorrow. I'm going to eat some food and try and write more later. One more train ride tomorrow night and then it's on like crazy. Tomorrow I have to check my email and mail postcards and call about our taxi to Agra. I think after tomorrow I can finally breath easy after all this insanity. I really didn't think I'd make it out of Myanmar today and never thought I'd make it to Hyderabad. So far so good with some minor bumps...

24 December, 2004

It just hit me that it's Christmas Eve today. That's kind of weird. So my flight landed last night around 11:30 or so. By the time I got my bag it was about midnight. I was going to take a taxi to my hotel, but they wanted to charge me over two hundred. I didn't know how far it was, but I knew that was way too much. So I started walking out to the street and caught an auto. He wanted 150 and I got him down to 100 and then got in. I realize that I am a little defensive when I travel on my own. Maybe that's good for me. Keeps my edge, but doesn't allow me to fully relax. Anywho, I couldn't get hold of the hotel I was supposed to stay at, but eventually after driving around for a while, we found the place. When we rolled up to it, I did not like what I saw. It appeared to be on the 1st (2nd) floor which was not a problem, but on the bottom floor there was a large gathering of men and a couple of them were fighting. Not only that, there were fires blazing as well. It was quite a weird scene. I didn't like the feel of it, so I took a chance and had the driver take me to a place he probably gets a kickback from. We arrived and at least this place was locked up. The guy showed me the room and it was a piece of crap, but I didn't feel like driving around. There was a bigger room available for more money, but it was just me. Anywho I agreed to take the room and it was rupees 400. I filled out the paperwork and I found myself being a little rude and on edge with people. I guess it will take time for me to relax and be a solid fellow when I travel on my own. Eventually I went up to my room and basically got situated. I needed to do number two, but when I tried to go out to buy tp, they said everything was closed. I didn't sleep that well because there was constant activity outside, and I ended up waking up very early. I think it was around six or seven in the morning.

25 December, 2004

Merry Christmas. So I can't believe where I am right now. I'm sitting in this incredible hotel in Chennai. In only a couple of hours Faizal, Sandeep and Derek are going to walk through the door I'm looking at. I just took an incredible hot shower and I really think I'm cleaner than I've been since coming to India. I'm in a white bathrobe and I'm watching TV. So I will pick up where I left off yesterday. So I woke up early in the morning and couldn't sleep. There was still no toilet paper, so I decided to go out to get some. I walked around for a while but couldn't find any anywhere. One uncle told me that in Hyderabad everyone uses their hand. Eventually I found some napkins and then I went home. I trimmed everything I could get my trimmer on. It felt good to be groomed again and even though I couldn't shave, it was nice. After that I took a bucket shower, probably my last for a long time. Then I went out for the day. First I went to an internet cafe and checked email. Then I went to the post office and after that I met Gautam for lunch at this really expensive hotel. Deepna had emailed me a few places to go and so after lunch I headed off there. I went to Charminer and walked around and then went Colgonda Fort. I was apprehensive about going there because I've seen so many forts, but it was awesome. It was a beautiful view and if it wasn't for the Hindi movie being filmed, it would have been super quiet. Anywho, so after the fort I went back to my hotel. I got my things together and walked to the train station. I was really early and really hungry, so I walked to a close restaurant and had a dosa. After that I brushed my teeth and then went back to the train station. After that I boarded the train. As soon as I boarded the train, I met a bunch of people. They were all students studying agriculture and they were in love with me. They loved that I was Indian American and they were full of questions. They were even taking pictures and it was pretty cool. I fell asleep pretty early last night because I was so tired, but I totally donged myself because I couldn't find my socks and had no blanket or anything. I woke up a bunch of times but eventually morning came. That was it. It was my last train ride in a long time. This morning I sat and listened to my music until the train arrived. When it did I took an auto to the hotel. When I got there they had no idea who I was and had no reservation held. All I wanted to do was lounge in the hotel all day long. I used their internet, I made some calls, but there was no reservation. So I was stuck. I decided to go see a movie but when I got there, it was crowded. I had my huge backpack with me, so I decided to go to the beach. There was nowhere to put my stuff, so I went to a cheap hotel and got a room for rupees 200. It was actually a lot nicer than my room in Hyderabad. I had some food and then walked around for a while. After I was back in the room and I kept falling asleep. Then Sandeep called from Singapore and told me their flight was delayed. He also told me that we were staying at the Taj. So I packed up my stuff and headed over here. I like Chennai. I checked in here and it was exactly what I wanted. This place is amazing. It's insane to me that in about an hour we will be reunited. I have waited for this for over six months. I have waited for this my whole life. I have been living in India for over six months and now I am a different person. It's going to feel so good to be so giving with them. I can't wait. I took a long shower and thought about a lot. It's really hard to believe that it's all happening. I'm trying to take it all in. I am so lucky and so thankful for this. It really is an amazing way to end the trip. I'm going to sit here and watch TV and wait...It's finally here...