November 27, 2006 Pattaya, Thailand

November 27, 2006
Pattaya, Thailand

I woke up this morning (9:00ish) as Spizz was heading out on a run. I did some computer work and got ready for the day. At 9:45 we headed for the lobby and had the hotel breakfast.

After eating we headed to the main road and jumped on a taxi. We planned on getting off at a mini-golf course and playing there for a while. Unfortunately, we never saw the place. Instead, we rode the taxi back into the center of town (where we were last night). We wandered around and did some shopping. Clothing was spectacularly cheap and we each made some fun purchases (soccer jersey’s and nice shirts).

As we continued down the promenade we stopped and examined a few post cards. Spizz spotted one of Pattaya with an incredibly large Buddha. He purchased he card and we made it our mission to find the huge statue. We asked several people where it was and they pointed us toward the hill at the edge of town.

Thinking it was too far to walk we looked for a metered taxi (not the trucks you jump on and off). When we finally found one he told us that it was too close for him to give us a ride and said we could walk.

For the next 40 minutes we had a very strenuous and very sweaty hike up a large hill. When we finally got to the top we were treated to a spectacular view of the city. As we explored the top of the hill (looking for the Buddha) we stumbled upon a large war memorial and a really cool Buddhist temple. Still, we couldn’t find what we had set out for. Eventually, we gave up but were still glad we had made the tip up the mountain.

Then, on the way down, Spizz spotted it! The massive Buddha was on the hill opposite ours. Rejuvenated, we hurried down our hill and toward our goal. The climb up this hill was long, but not nearly as steep. After a quick 15-minutes we were at the base of the Buddha.

We climbed the steps and wandered around the statue. It was very impressive. In addition to the enormous Buddha there were many other cool statues at the summit. We spent time examining each one and then headed down.

We leaped into the back of a taxi and headed back to our hotel to rest. When we got back we decided to relax and watch BeerFest (which Spizzle purchased today). Unfortanetly, the DVD did not work! We were both very disappointed. Instead, we watched a few episodes of Entourage.

At 18:00 we headed back to downtown to do a little more shopping and get some dinner. After completing our shopping (which included another copy of BeerFest) we went to a restaurant called Planet Food to eat. The food was tasty but mosquitoes attacked me the whole time we ate.

Once we were done we made our way toward Walking Street. I took some photos and we wandered along. Eventually we stopped to drink a couple of beers and play some connect-4. I was on fire! My record for the night was 15 wins and 2 losses, with 1 tie (spizz went 4 – 15)…

From there we jumped in a cab and headed home. When we got back we put in 007:Casino Royale (also purchased today). We were both tired and got bored fairly quickly. At 23:00 we turned off the movie and went to sleep.

November 26, 2006 Ko Chang – Pattaya, Thailand

November 26, 2006
Ko Chang – Pattaya, Thailand

I woke up this morning to the door of our bungalow opening. Spizz was returning from a morning run (8:30). He took a shower and then started to pack up his stuff. I decided to stay in bed until he was finished because there was not room enough in the bungalow for both of us to move around.

A few minutes later (about 8:45) we heard a voice calling us outside and telling us that our cab had arrived. We were shocked because it was not supposed to come until 10:30! I hurriedly gathered all of my things and tossed them in my bag. It was the worst (and fastest) packing job I have ever done. Just as I finished packing Spizz came back in and said that the driver had left and would return at 10:00…

We ordered some breakfast and hung out. When we were done I decided to return to our hut and take a quick shower. Just as I finished the driver returned. We loaded up our stuff and jumped in.

The driver was crazy. He drove super fast, tailgated, and passed people as often as possible. He only slowed down when he was stopping at hotels to pick up other passengers. Eventually, our minibus was totally full and we were packed in tight.

Unfortunately, we arrived at the docks just as a ferry was pulling away. We got out of the bus and spent the next 45 minutes cruising some of the shops near the water. I was shocked to find that it costs only 150 baht (less that $5) to rent a motorbike for the day (way cheaper than cabs!).

Just after 11:00 we got on the ferry. I spent most of the 40-minute ferry ride reading Sports Illustrated (thanks Kev!). When we arrived back on the mainland we packed back into our bus and set out for Pattaya.

The drive took an incredibly long time (about 5 hours)! In fact, it took longer for our speeding minibus to reach Pattaya than it took a large bus to go from Bangkok to Ko Chang. To make matters worse, the air-conditioning was less than stellar and the legroom was adequate only for people of Spizzle’s height.

We were quite relieved when we reached our hotel. The accommodations were surprisingly nice (for $7 per night). The Jomtien Cozy Inn is relatively new and clean. It seemed as though we were the only people staying there and the staff were eager to help. Once we settled into our room my first order of business was to get some laundry done (I had no clean cloths). NOTE: as we unpacked Spizz realized that he didn’t have his camera. We looked through everything and could not find it. He must have left it at the bungalows…

Next, we headed down to the internet. Incredibly, the hotel is equipped with wireless internet (free of charge!). After catching up on world news we both decided to take a shower and prepare for the evening.

Just after 19:00 we left our hotel (on the outskirts of town) and head to the city center. We hailed a pickup truck taxi and asked how much the ride was. We were surprised that it would cost 50 baht each. Nonetheless, we got in the back. Once inside a Danish man (50ish) by the name of Staffa told us that you never ask the cab drivers the price. It is much cheaper to just get in and then give them 20 baht when you get off. It was great information to know and I offered to buy Staffa his first beer. He said he knew just the place.

We got off the truck in the center of Pattaya. Our first stop was a place called The Wonderful Bar. We found a spot with three stools and ordered some beers. Staffa informed us that he had an apartment in town and that he had been coming here for the last 20 years. We listened to many of his stories and learned a lot about the city. Apparently, Pattaya has more prostitutes than any other city in the world. Almost all of the girls working in the bars are hookers.

After our second round of beers Staffa said that he was tired of the bar and that we should go somewhere else for a while. Thankful to have a guide, we followed him through the crowded streets. Eventually we ducked into a dimly lit bar. Staffa had taken us to a go-go bar. Spizz and I (or maybe just I) were not really in the mood for such things. After chugging down a beer we left.

Feeling a little bit tipsy we decided that we needed to get some food. As if from heaven, a Pizza Hut appeared! We sat down and enjoyed some greasy American food.

Once we had our fill we returned to the streets and started wandering around. We stumbled into a large outdoor bar area with a kickboxing ring at the center. I was excited to find that they had Connect-4 sets!! We sat down at the bar, ordered some beers and started playing. I made quick work of Spizzle. Eventually, one of the bartenders came and challenged me. Not surprisingly, she was much better than Spizz. Still, I won 7 games and she won 2 (once because Spank was distracting me...:). At the same time, Spizz was playing a bartender and getting his butt kicked.

From the bar we continued walking around. We eventually made it to what has to be the main street in town, Walking Street. The entire street was light with neon signs and lights. Bars, strip clubs, and other places of debauchery filled every inch of the street. Everywhere I looked I saw old white guys embracing young, beautiful Thai women. It was one of the craziest streets I have ever walked down.

By the time we got to the end of the street (about a mile) we were mentally and physically exhausted. We found a cab and headed for our hotel. We got back to our room just before midnight and quickly fell asleep.

The Spizzle Commentary:

So I’ve been in some crazy cities and have seen some crazy things, But last night was a first for me. I sat down at a bar and within 30 seconds I got offered, well lets just say it was something sexual. There were so many beautiful girls going home with old, scary men. I played connect for with a hooker for about half an hour, I although she didn’t take me home, she sure kicked my butt at that silly game. They say there’s about 80,000 people that live in this city, I would guess a third of them are prostitutes. Basically This is Kevin’s dream land because of the cheap beer of course! Well that’s all I have for now…till next time…Ching Chong Chuey

November 25, 2006 Ko Chang, Thailand

November 25, 2006
Ko Chang, Thailand

We woke up this morning at 8:00, got ready and headed to breakfast. We ate at the restaurant that is part of our congregation of huts. I had the best banana pancakes that I have ever had. Spizz said the same thing about his French toast.

At 8:45 a truck came to pick us up. We jumped in the back and made our way to an elephant trekking place. After paying 500 baht each we were taken to the elephant boarding area. We trekked through the jungle on the back of a large Asian elephant for the next hour. For most of the trip we were on a small bench strapped to the elephants back and our guide road on the elephant’s head. The elephant was super cool. He went wherever he wanted and was constantly eating. On the way back our guide dismounted and I moved from the bench to the elephant’s head.

I found it strange that on the way back our guide offered us jewelry made from the elephant’s tusks (ivory). While I don’t think the trekking company harms the elephants, something seems wrong about selling ivory…

Instead of returning to our bungalow we had the cab driver take us to Khlong Phlu waterfall. Since the waterfall is located within the Mu Ko Chang National Park, we had to pay an entry fee of 400 baht. The 500-meter hike to the falls was awesome. On the way we saw a very large and colorful spider and I caught a tiny lizard. Once we reached the waterfall I took some photos and then jumped in the water. Spizz continued to do some photography while I swam in several of the pools.


We returned to the ranger station at around 11:30 and decided that we should get more out of our national park fee. We hired a driver (800 baht for several hours) and had him take us to the west side of the island where we visited Than Mayom waterfall. The 40-minute ride was fun because we got to see new parts of the island.

Though the hike was shorter and not as exciting, the waterfall was just as cool. It is said that King Rama 5 visited these falls and carved his signature on the rocks but I did not see it. Instead, I did some swimming and had a fun time jumping off some of the rocks.

From the waterfall we had our driver take us back to the east side of the island. We decided to check out Khlong Phraw Beach. Once we got there we paid our driver and set out on our own. The beach was incredibly beautiful. We walked along the white sand beach for a few minutes before I decided I had to get in the water. For the first time this trip Spizz decided to join me!

Spizz was excited by the warm water and gorgeous scenery. After swimming around for a few minutes a German tourist ventured into the water with a Frisbee. The three of us threw the disc around for a while. I was surprised by how bad the German was at tossing a Frisbee!

We exited the water at about 16:00 and continued down the beach. We reached a lagoon and headed back. From there we decided it was time to return the bungalow. We walked along the road for almost 30 minutes before hailing a taxi.

When we got back to the encampment we ordered some dinner and watched the sunset. I thought about going for a swim but decided against it. Instead, we walked back to Lonely Beach in the dark to use the internet, ATM, and get some snacks. I also made a quick phone call to Jackie since she will be arriving in a few days!

We got back to camp at 19:00 and spent the rest of the evening relaxing. We sorted through some photos and watched a few episodes of entourage. Spizz fell asleep at 20:45 and I followed about 45 minutes later.

November 24, 2006 Bangkok – Ko Chang, Thailand

November 24, 2006
Bangkok – Ko Chang, Thailand

This morning Spizz and I got up at 6:00 and finished packing the rest of our things. At 6:30 we headed out of the house (before Ben or Ju woke up). We jumped in a cab and headed to the bus station.

We go the bus station about 45 minutes before our bus and just chilled out in the waiting area. I was impressed that they had PlayStaion 2’s in one of the corners (for a fee). Eventually someone from the bus came and got us and told us it was time to board.

When we got on the bus and gave our tickets to the guy collecting them he gave us a funny look. As it turns out, we purchased tickets for the wrong day. Luckily, he took care of everything and were allowed to ride the bus.

I slept for most of the 5-hour bus ride. At 1:30 we arrived at the waters edge and transferred to a ferry. It was nice to be off the bus an on the water. We rode the ferry to Ko Chang island (Southeast Thailand). The ferry was very touristy and filled mostly with white people.

When we got off the ferry we jumped in a white pickup truck taxi (filled with at least 10 people) and asked him to take us to our accommodation. We were the last stop and he was not sure where to go. Since our directions told us to go just past (1 km) Lonely Beach, we got off there.

It was the longest 1 km I have ever walked. It was hot and muggy. The massive hills made it ever more difficult. By the time we arrived at Bailan Family Bungalows I was drenched in sweat. Still, we were both excited to see what $6.50 a night would get us. The place is actually quite nice. We have a fan, electricity, our own bathroom, a hammock (on the front porch), and a single large bed (with mosquito net).

Once we checked in we ordered some cold waters and then headed down to the beach by our bungalows. I immediately jumped in the water (spizz just hung out on the beach). Even though the water was very warm (at least 85) it was very refreshing.

We explored the beach for a while and then decided try to find a waterfall. We walked for a few minutes before deciding to jump back in a taxi (all on the island are white pickups). Unfortunately, by the time we got to the national park (where all the waterfalls are) it was closing (16:30). Instead, we had the taxi driver drop us off at White Sand Beach.

White Sand Beach is one of the most touristy spots on the island. There were lots of shops and lots of people along the waters edge. Once again I felt the need to jump in the water. When I got out we sat down at one of the restaurants to have dinner and watch the sunset.

Dinner was good and the sunset was even better. We were both impressed by the beauty of the island. After relaxing at our table for a long time we decided to head back to our bungalow. Interestingly, the cab ride back was much more expensive than the one there. And, once again, we were dropped off at Lonely Beach and had to make the tough climb up the hill (in the dark). It was quite scary as the roads were crowded with vehicles and our only light was my small headlamp. Nonetheless, we made it back.


When we got back to our small room I took a quick shower and then got ready for bed. We then both crawled under our mosquito net (at 7:30) and watched a (poor quality) pirated version of the Borat Movie (thanks B!).

We were both fast asleep (with no need for covers or sleeping bags) by 9:30.

November 23, 2006 Bangkok, Thailand

November 23, 2006
Bangkok, Thailand

Happy Thanksgiving!!

This is the first Thanksgiving in a long time that I have not spent in Medford, OR with my family. I hope you guys have a good time without me and everyone eats a lot of turkey…

I got up this morning at 9:00 and quickly got ready for the day (Spizz was already up and ready to go). Our first order of business was to get to the post office and ship some of my stuff home. It turned out to be a very long walk and a super hot day. By the time we reached to post office I was drenched in sweat.

The post office was quite complicated. I had to go to a tire shop and have them package my goods (this took a long time for me to figure out). I then returned to the crowded office and waited in line. I filled out all the forms and then was SHOCKED by the price of my package. It cost me more than $130 to send my stuff home. I later was told that Thai Post is notoriously expensive!

By the time we were done with the post office it was almost 10:30. On our way back to the apartment we made a stop at the internet café. We sent Thanksgiving notes to some people and then did some more hostel booking.

After using the internet we decided it was time to get some food. We went back to the restaurant that Ben had taken us for our first diner in Bangkok (café P or something like that). We each had a delicious plate of fried rice.

We were both relieved to step back into the air-conditioned apartment (12:00). We rested for a few minutes and then headed for the snake farm!

In order to get there we had to take the underground. It was one of the newest, cleanest subway systems I have been on. It even had AC! After 4 or 5 stops we jumped off. As we returned to ground level we were pleasantly surprised to see a large Buddhist temple. It was super cool looking and we took a few photos.

From there we headed for the snake farm. Spizzle had the map and was in charge of navigation. We walked for about 10 minutes in one direction before he had us turn around and head back the other way. We walked about 15 minutes in the other directions before asking for help. As it turns out the snake farm was very close to where he had us the first time (only about 150 meters further).

When we finally arrived at the snake farm we were hot and sweaty. After a quick refreshment we headed inside. Almost immediately we were told to leave and go to the auditorium. We followed the crowd and took a seat in the small classroom. A few minutes later a slideshow on snakes and the snake farm started.

When the show ended (1/2 an hour later) we went back into the farm and entered an amphitheatre. At this point our host for the afternoon started bringing out some of the snakes. My favorites were the cobras. I especially enjoyed the King Cobra (the worlds longest poisonous snake). The end of the show was also fun because I volunteered to be the first to handle a very large Burmese python. Once everyone saw that it did not attack, they lined up to hold it as well.

We left the snake farm just after 15:00. Our next destination was the Hard Rock Café and the large shopping area around the restaurant. As expected, the Hard Rock was overpriced and not that exciting. The mall, however, was bustling with activity. There were thousands of stores, even more people, and some fun music. Spizz purchased a soccer scarf for very cheap.

Next, we headed back to the underground. Before jumping on the train we decided to do a little more exploring in the Buddhist temple. It was our first temple and we were very impressed.

We arrived back at the apartment at around 17:00. I decided to run and get my hair trimmed. I want to look good for Jackie when she gets here and its too hot and humid to have long hair. Even so, I didn’t get it cut too short…

For Thanksgiving dinner Spizz, Ben, Ju and I went to the restaurant “Cabbages and Condoms”. A super cool restaurant that donates a portion of each meal sold to birth control in Thailand. We met up with Bens boss and had an incredibly large Thai meal. Everything was absolutely amazing, especially the peanut sauce (sorry no pics – spizz forgot his camera). For desert, we even had some pumpkin pie (made by Bens Boss). The funniest moment of the entire day came when Ju turned the can of whip cream upside-down and started squeezing the aluminum sides. When we explained to her that you push on the nozzle at the top she was extremely embarrassed.

After dinner (and checking out the funny stuff at the giftshop) we slowly walked home. Everyone was super full and very tired. I made (very) rushed Thanksgiving phone calls to my family and my precious Jackie’s.

I the packed up my stuff and headed to bed (just before midnight).

November 22, 2006 Bangkok, Thailand

November 22, 2006
Bangkok, Thailand

Today I slept in longer than I have in months! When I finally woke up at 11:45 I was looking right into Spizzle’s eyes (he was hovering over me). I was shocked that I had slept so late. As I completed my morning routine Matt informed me that B had left to go visit with his ex-girlfriend and that he would come back at 13:00.

We decided to run down to the internet café and take care of some business. We researched some hostels in and around Bangkok. After about 40-minutes we had completed our tasks and headed back to the apartment to meet up with B.

We hung out in the apartment until about 13:50 before deciding to leave a not and run some more errands. We decided to walk to the Eastern Bus Station. It was a long 1-hour walk in the heat and humidity. On the way we stopped in for a strawberry smoothie. Once we finally reached the bus station we purchased tickets to the island of Ko Chang for Friday morning. Incredibly, it will cost only 250 baht (7 dollars) for a 5-7 hour bus ride.

On the walk home Spizz and I decided to stop in at the Emporium Mall (more for the AC than for shopping). It was an extravagant mall equipped with all the designer stores (Prada, Gucci, etc.). Deciding that it was out of our price range we returned to the apartment.

We relaxed in the apartment for about an hour (until 17:00) before heading across town to the R___ Stadium to watch some famous Thai Kick Boxing matches. We arrived slightly early and elected to do a little sightseeing before entering the arena.

After consulting our map we headed down the street toward a horse statue that looked cool. It was a longer walk than we though and we had to cross several dangerous streets (almost getting run over several times). Luckily, we survived and made it to the military monument. Even cooler, there was a really cool palace right behind the statue. We took some photos and then headed back to watch some boxing.

The walk back was much easier (we knew how to avoid the cars) and we arrived in time for me to grab a quick snack. I got two skewers of tasty meat and a big thing of pineapple for 20 baht (about 55 cents).

Since we got the cheapest seats possible for foreigners (not that cheap – 1000 baht), we were relegated to the third level. Even so, the seats were quite good and we had an awesome view of the ring. We found a nice place to sit just before the first bout (at 18:30).

As we examined the schedule of fights we thought it was funny that the heaviest weight division was 146 lbs. Almost all of the other fighters were much smaller than that (down to only 100 lbs). In all, we watched 8 of the 10 fights. I was surprised how much kicking went on. Kicks were much more prevalent than punches. In an interesting twist, the red and blue corners alternated winning each match. As a result, Spizz (who bet on the blue corner every time) and I (who bet on the red corner every time) came out even in our bets. The highlight of the evening was a fight in which the guy that was losing landed a hard kick to his opponents head, knocking him out. It was electrifying. Just as exciting as the fights was the betting action in the stands. Fans constantly bet with one another. They attract the attention of other betters by yelling and using complicated hand gestures (which we couldn’t figure out).

At 22:30 (after the 8th fight) we decided we had had enough boxing for one day. We hailed a cab and returned to the apartment. When we arrived Ben informed us that B had left Bangkok for Chiang Mai (with Shadow). We were slightly surprised (I suppose we shouldn’t have been) because we hadn’t heard any of this plan and we had discussed going to Chiang Mai later in our time in Thailand. Still, I hope he has fun! We spent the rest of the evening discussing some fun activities to do tomorrow.

November 21, 2006 In Transit – Bangkok, Thailand

November 21, 2006
In Transit – Bangkok, Thailand

I was in and out of sleep for the entire flight to Kuala Lumpur. We finally arrived in Malaysia at 12:00. We were quite nervous as our next flight was scheduled to leave at 12:30. As soon as we got off the plane a representative from Thai Airways met us at the gate and escorted us to the next plane.

Once again we were relegated to the back of the plane (though it wasn’t that bad because the seats next to us were left unoccupied). Luckily, it was only a 2.5-hour flight. We arrived in Bangkok at 14:30. The airport was exceptionally nice and clean (I was later informed that it is brand new and opened only a few months ago).

After clearing customs we made our way to the baggage carousel. We sat and waited as everyone else gathered his or her luggage. Our bags never came. Eventually I made a trip to baggage services to see what had happened. Unbelievably, the agent knew I was coming and asked if I was coming from Cairo. We were then told that our bags did not make the flight and would be coming on the next flight. After giving the agent my cousin Ben’s address (where we will be staying for a few days) we left the airport in search of a taxi. NOTE: As we were waiting for our baggage I called Ben and he informed me that Spizz arrived last night (24 hours before I thought he was coming in).

As we walked out of the airport a man approached and asked us if we needed a taxi. We showed him the address and he told us it would be 900 Baht to get to the apartment. We thought this sounded expensive and walked away until he went down to 600 (which sounded like a deal). We followed him out of the airport toward his car.

As the guy was handing us off to a cab, a tourism police officer ran out and told us not to pay any money. The guy was running a scam and was written up by the police. The officer explained the situation to the cabdriver and us. We ended up paying the metered rate (only 300 baht) and were treated very well by everyone involved (except the conman).

We finally arrived at Ben’s apartment complex at 4:30. We went up to the apartment and knocked, hoping that Spank would answer. He did not. Not knowing what to do, we dropped off the luggage we had (not much) and decided to wander the streets for a while.

The street by the apartment was lined with massage parlors. We decided it was time to get a famous Thai Massage. We paid 500 Baht ($15) each for a 2-hour massage. The first hour was very deep and sometimes painful. In the second hour the masseuse got out the oils and was much more gentle.

When the massage was over we were both very relaxed. We wandered back to the apartment and tried once again to get in (19:00). Just as last time, no one answered. We headed back to the streets to find some dinner.

We passed several street vendors but couldn’t find what we wanted. Instead, we went back to the apartments to wait for Ben to return from work. In a lucky turn of events we met Bens girlfriend Ju as we entered the complex. She led us up and into the apartment.

Once we got inside we were shocked to find Spizzle sitting on the bed, watching 24. He was in the apartment the entire time! Needless to say, we gave him a hard time. Even so, it was GREAT to see him and finally have him here. We spent the next several minutes catching up and talking about our journey…

When Ben finally got home from work we all headed to a local restaurant for some good food. Ben and Ju did all of the ordering and got us a massive meal (we have enough for a large lunch tomorrow too). All of it was very tasty and some of it was really spicy.

After dinner we returned to Bens apartment and relaxed for the rest of the evening. We started trying to plan out some activities for the next several days.

I’d like to announce a new feature of this blog: The Spizzle Commentary. On occasion, I will provide Spizzle Stix with the opportunity to share his views of the trip. With that said, here is the debut of Spanks column:

The Spizzle Commentary:

Hokay So, I went to Tokyo and for the first time in my life I felt tall! It rained the entire time I was there so I really wasn’t able to do much…so I decided to fly to Bangkok….Yeah, that’s how I role and no, there were no snakes on my plane… I was really excited to be in sean’s arms once again, but that excitement had to wait because I arrived a day earlier than he did…Way to go travel agent...I took a taxi to His cousins house…I spent 45 minutes on this little alley because the driver had no idea where the place was….finally after walking into a hotel and asking someone who spoke decent English he was able to tell the driver where The place was…Awesome! I survived! Sean and B came the next day but I was way too busy to let them into the apartment…Finally I decided it was time…so I let them in…ok his cousins girlfriend actually was coming home from work and let them in…but you know…What? THE END!

NOTE: Sorry no pics for the last few days but nothing exciting has happened...we'll make up for it!

November 20, 2006 Cairo – In Transit

November 20, 2006
Cairo – In Transit

This morning we slept in until 9:00. It was the latest I have slept in weeks. After waking up I started to pack up my stuff. At 9:30 I took a break and headed down for a quick breakfast. I finished packing at 10:15 and had 45-minutes to hang out and use the internet before leaving for the airport.

We headed to the airport with the Robertson family to save a little cash. Unfortunately, this didn’t work because the cabdriver overcharged us. Still, it was fun to leave with the rest of our group.

We arrived at the airport just before 12:00, almost 4 hours before our flight. We were so early that we had to wait an hour in the front of the airport before we were allowed to check in. At 13:00 the desk opened up and we got our tickets. Shortly thereafter we met back up with the Robertson’s and had some lunch.

Incredibly, we also spotted a couple that was filming in the catacombs the day before. We chatted with them for a while and compared blogs. We were especially excited to learn that the guy (forgot his name) grew up with Steve Nash. They went to the same school and played soccer and baseball together. They are still friends today!

We spent the rest of our waiting time playing on the internet. About an hour before our flight was scheduled to leave the Robertson’s had to get on their plane. It was kind of sad to say goodbye to our Kiwi friends. They are a super cool family and have invited us to spend some time with them in New Zealand.

Unfortunately, our flight was delayed about an hour. Even so the airplane (Qatar Airways) and the staff were very nice. It was almost the exact same as Emirates Air but not as punctual. I spent most of the 3-hour flight watching “John Tucker Must Die”. NOTE: The airplane food on Qatar airlines was the best I have had yet. We were served Cajun chicken and an amazing raspberry desert.

The delay ended up being much more costly than anticipated. We got to Qatar late and missed our connecting flight to Bangkok by several minutes. Instead of getting on the plane we had to go to the transit desk. They rerouted to Bangkok with an additional stopover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We were not too happy and complained until the agent gave us some meal vouchers. We spent the next 2.5 hours eating, watching Zoolander, and making a quick trip onto the internet.

At 11:30 we finally got on an airplane and set out for Malaysia (about an hour after schedule departure). Since we were the last people booked for the flight we got stuck in the very back of the plane. Even so, I immediately fell asleep.

November 19, 2006 Cairo (and Alexandria), Egypt

November 19, 2006
Cairo (and Alexandria), Egypt

We woke up this morning at 7:30. At 7:45 I met the Robertson family at the hotel restaurant for our free breakfast. Though it is not a great breakfast, it was filling. After eating I went to George’s room (the guy from Derry, Ireland) to say goodbye. He is absolutely hilarious and has traveled everywhere and has a lot of good advice.

Once the farewells were complete B and I met back up with Slanty, Cameron, and Travis to start the days adventure. We hired a driver and set out on the two-hour drive to Alexandria (which used to be the second largest city in the world – second only to Rome). On the way we looked through our guidebook and were saddened to see that Alexandria is described as the most historic city with nothing to see and that it is “usually a disappointment” to travelers. Still, we kept an open mind.

We arrived in Alexandrai at about 10:45. Our first stop was going to be the famous lighthouse (one of the 7 ancient wonders of the world) but it no longer exists (the pyramids are the only ancient wonder still standing). Instead, we settled on visiting the citadel that was built at the same location of the lighthouse and was made from some of the same pieces of stone.

The citadel was very beautiful from the outside and it was nice to see the ocean again. I was excited to see many people fishing from the shore. After thoroughly examining the structure from the outside we decided to see how much it would be to get in. We went to the first door we could find and asked how much to enter. We were told that it would be 1 EGP (or about 20 cents).

We paid the money and went inside. We were surprised to find out that we accidentally paid to enter a strange aquarium with no living things. Instead, they had plastic models of the local fish and some bones. It was a very strange place.

We exited the strange museum (which was built into the side of the citadel) and looked for the real entrance. Upon finding it we learned that it was much more expensive to go into the real thing and decided to grab some lunch instead.

For lunch we went to a nice seafood restaurant (Alexandria is known to have very good fish). The restaurant was very cool because the fish was on ice and we got to pick which ones we wanted. After making our selections we grabbed a table and waited for our meal to be cooked. Everything was very tasty and I was especially impressed with the calamari.

We finished lunch at about 12:30 and made our way to Amud El-Sawari. The area is home to the lone column that is the only remnant of ancient Alexandria still standing. The entire experience was very unique because the sight is still being excavated and renovated. We wandered through work crews and by many archeologists.

At one point we found a small door and climbed inside. Everything was totally dark and we had only one headlamp between the five of us. Still, we decided to explore. Though we didn’t find much, it was awesome to crawl through tiny passageways in complete darkness.

Later, we visited another part of the site (which had lights and more people) and talked with some of the archeologists. We learned that we were crawling through the remains of the ancient Alexandria library (which once housed more than 500,000 volumes). The entire experience was totally awesome. There were very few tourists and lots of workers/experts…

Our last stop in Alexandria was at the to ancient catacombs. We descended down the stairs and wandered through the crypt. It was totally spectacular. The catacombs are a mix of three different cultures: Greek, Roman, and Pharonic. As a result, the carvings and decorations are representative of each civilization. Also, the bottom levels of the crypt have been flooded. At one point we were walking through the catacombs on a small wooden plan with scary looking water beneath us. It felt like something from Indiana Jones or a scary videogame.

Once we were finished it was about 16:00 and time to head back to Cairo. We jumped back in our car and settled in for the long drive. Everything went very smoothly until we got close to Cairo. Then, we got in a massive traffic jam. All five lanes of traffic (on a 3 lane road) were at a standstill. Some cars even decided to four-wheel drive along the median between the directions of traffic.

Eventually we made it back to the hotel and were totally exhausted. We grabbed some food and then relaxed in our rooms for the remainder of the evening.

November 18, 2006
Cairo, Egypt

I woke up this morning about 5:30 (after going to sleep just after midnight). I could not fall back asleep and decided to use the internet for a while. I chatted with Jackie for a while and then met up with the rest of the group for breakfast.

At 8:30 we convened in the lobby and met our guide for the day, Ollah (the lady who took us to the pyramids). We jumped in a large van and started cruising around town. Our first stop was Garbage City. An entire area of Cairo (with about 45,000 people) dedicated to collecting trash, bringing it back to their part of the city, and then recycling it. As expected, it was very dirty and poor. The streets were lined with huge bags of trash and many buildings were overflowing with garbage.

Next, we visited Cairo’s largest Christian church. It was quite interesting because the entire thing is outside and most of it is carved into a mountain. The seating is similar to that of a roman amphitheatre and seats almost 20,000! Also of interest, there were large religious figures sculpted into the mountain around the church.

When we finished with the church we headed back through Garbage City and headed to an organization called Association for the Protection of the Environment (APE). It was a very cool non-profit organization that specializing in paper and clothes recycling. We got to watch as the women went through the paper making process. I was excited because I did a similar thing when I was younger. It was a super cool organization!

At about 10:00 we headed to the Citadel of Salah al-Din. It was a very popular spot for local children’s groups. It was very crowded with kids, all of whom were excited to see white people. We felt like celebrities. The Citadel was quite impressive. Almost an entire city was housed within its walls. The most impressive building was the Mosque of Muhammad Ali (the Egyptian soldier, not the boxer…). It is Cairo’s (and maybe Egypt’s?) largest Mosque. We went inside (after removing our shoes) and Ollah explained many Muslim customs to us. After taking a few pictures we headed back to the van.

From there we made our way to Cairo’s largest souk. An absolutely massive shopping area that has to be a few square miles in size! We entered near the food area, where the locals do most of the shopping. We then entered the clothing area (where the locals buy most of their cloths) and eventually made our way to a restaurant for lunch. I had a chicken shwamme (sandwich type thing).

After filling our bellies we entered into the tourist part of the market and did some souvenir shopping. Very used to the selling tactics we were tough negotiators and got some good deals. By the time we finished all our shopping it was almost 16:00 and we (B, Travis, Camron, and myself) decided to head back to the hotel.

Though it took us a while, we eventually found a taxi driver that knew where our hotel was. Or so we thought. He drove for about ½ an hour and we ended up at Victoria Circle, nowhere near out hotel. We had a very difficult time explaining this to our driver (who didn’t speak any English). At one point we were writing things on the back of a Kleenex box, making signals in the air, and using sound effects to get our point across. Our driver had to summon several locals to help figure out the location of our hotel. It was quite an experience (and totally hilarious)!

We arrived back at our hotel over an hour after getting into the cab. Everyone was worn out and my legs hurt from being cramped in the backseat. I spent the next several hours relaxing.

At 7:00 we headed out for our final group dinner. We said our goodbyes to some friends from the trip and had a nice (somewhat expensive meal). Upon returning to the hotel we chilled with our buddies and looked through some of their pictures.

November 17, 2006 St. Katherine’s– Cairo, Egypt

November 17, 2006
St. Katherine’s– Cairo, Egypt

We were woken at 7:00 by a wakeup call. Even though I was not tired I struggled to get out of bed because it was so cold in our room. At 7:30 I met everyone else for breakfast in the lobby. It was a large, buffet style breakfast.

At 8:00 our minibus came and picked us up from the hotel. After securing our bags to the roof we started the 7-hour drive to Cairo. Amazingly, we only had 2 stops (lunch and pee).

It was a very long trip. Luckily, the bus was quite spacious and I had room enough to get into a supine position. We also passed the time by quizzing one another on movie trivia (B and I were by far the best) and doing crosswords out of a book. Sometime during the drive I was permitted to rename Mel’s stuffed animal Toe (it’s a camel…).

At 15:30 we arrived at Hotel Victoria in Cairo. The plan for the rest of the night is to use the internet, get some food, and get some rest. All in all it was an uneventful day of travel.

November 16, 2006 Sawa Beach Camp – St. Katherine’s, Egypt

November 16, 2006
Sawa Beach Camp – St. Katherine’s, Egypt

Happy Birthday MOM!! You are the greatest and I wish I could have talked to you on the phone today!

This morning I woke up naturally at 6:00. I wandered around camp and got some good pictures during the sunrise. I then started packing up all my stuff and cleaning up my little hut. By the time I was done it was almost 7:00 and time for breakfast.

After breakfast we hung around the camp and waited for our bus to arrive. It was somewhat late and much smaller than expected. I spent the two hour drive cramped in the back…

Eventually, we made it to St. Katherine’s monastery. I am told that it is the oldest Christian monastery in the world. Before heading to the historical sight B and I visited the bathroom. On the way in a woman got mad at us for not paying her to use the toilet. Even so, once we were inside we saw a large sign that read: toilet is free, do NOT pay.

Once we had relieved ourselves we started the short walk to the monastery. When we arrived at the outerwall we were told that we would not be allowed in because we were wearing shorts. We discussed the matter with the guard for several minutes before being allowed in.

The inside was very crowded. Many people make the trip there to see a bush that some guy named Moses supposedly saw burn without being consumed. While very popular, the bush was not that impressive. It was large and scraggly.

I left the monastery after a very short time because of the crowds and because most of the rooms with historical art were an additional charge. Instead I climbed a nearby hill to get a good picture of the entire structure.

Once the monastery closed (12:00) we headed for our hotel. Luckily, it was just around the corner and we were only crammed in our minivan for a few minutes.

The hotel was surprisingly nice. We unpacked and had a quick shower and then grabbed some lunch (a large buffet). Once everyone was done eating we headed back to St. Katherine’s to climb Mt. Sinai (14:00). It is the same mountain Moses is said to have climbed many years ago while forging the Ten Commandments.

The entire area was much less crowded in the afternoon. We reached the base of the mountain and then separated into two groups. I chose to go with the group that was going up the more difficult route, the steps (which were much more like boulders than steps). NOTE: I later learned that these were the steps (or stairs) of repentance. I am told that I have now been forgiven for all my sins…

The hike was awesome. Though there was almost no vegetation and absolutely no wildlife, the rock formations were spectacular. In all, it took about an hour of strenuous hiking to reach the top (more than 7000 feet!).

The view from the top was absolutely spectacular. While we waited for the pack (B and I got way ahead of the others) we took a bunch of photos and relaxed. As everyone else turned up it got more and more cold. By the time the entire group was assembled I was freezing. Even so, we waited for the sunset before heading down. Unfortunately, the sunset was less than spectucular…

Though the walk back down (in the dark) took about the same amount of time as the way up, it was much easier. There were only a few stumbles on the dark trail.

We arrived back at the hotel at around 18:00. Everyone was hungry and very tired. After a light dinner everyone retired to his or her rooms. I made an unsuccessful attempt to call my mom and wish her a happy birthday…

By 21:00 everyone in the group was in bed and fast asleep.

November 15, 2006 Sawa Beach Camp, Egypt

November 15, 2006
Sawa Beach Camp, Egypt

Though I had nothing (and no reason) to wake me up, I was out and about just after 6:00 (and not at all tired!). I think my body has become accustomed to getting up very early. I was up in time to watch the sunrise over Saudi Arabia.

I contemplated going for an early morning snorkel but decided that it was still a little bit cold. Even so, George (the Irishmen from Derry) headed out. Instead, I lay in the sand and returned to my book.

As I at breakfast (nutella pancakes w/ banana), George returned and reported that he had seen a sea turtle (he repeated the story all day). I excitedly lathered myself in sunscreen and waited for the day to warm up.

Just after 10:15 Travis, Cameron, and I grabbed some snorkel gear and walked out to the reef. We had to walk about 50 meters until it go deep enough. Even then, it was so shallow that I scrapped my knee on some coral. It did not hurt and I didn’t think much of it for a while.

The reef was absolutely incredible. It was some of the best snorkeling I have done. There were tons of tropical fish and awesome coral formations. The colors were breathtaking. After about ½ an hour I became concerned because my scratch had not stopped bleeding. I was forced to make the long trek back to the shore and take care of myself.

By the time I got back to the sand I realized that I had a fairly nasty cut on my knee. Though it did not hurt much, it was surprisingly deep and would probably be worth a couple of stitches if that were a possibility. Instead, B got out his first aid kit and cleaned me up. Once everyone in the group had had a look at my injury and helped me take care of it I could not move (from the wrap job on my knee). Once again, I got back to my novel.

At 11:45 I took off some of the bandages and joined the rest of the group. We ordered some lunch and then played cards as we waited for our food (this time I got schnitzel). After lunch I chilled out in the shade for a while.

Eventually, I decided that I had to get back out on the reef. Just before 14:00 (and after make sure I had completely stopped bleeding) we headed back out into the water.

We had a long snorkel session. I was particularly excited when I spotted a large dark-blue triggerfish (reminding me how similar the entire area is to Baja). Other highlights included seeing two different species of lionfish and numerous other species (I will have to look at the species charts before naming them all…). On the way back in we swam over most of the shallows (covered in seagrass). As I sped along I was shocked (and a little scared) to come face to face with a medium sized eel that looked kind of angry. I back off, called B and Cameron (its his birthday today) over and the spent some time watching it squirm through the grass.

The entire experience made me wish I had someway of taking my nice camera underwater!

We returned to the camp at about 13:00. I took a quick shower (warm saltwater) and then sat in the shade and finished my book. As it began to get dark we gathered around the fire and played some cards. We played a game of 500 that lasted until dinner.

At 19:00 we had a traditional Bedouin dinner. It was very interesting food but I found it quite fun that large pieces of chicken were buried in a large mound of rice. It made getting food sort of like a treasure hunt. Anyway, I don’t know what most of the stuff was. After dinner the cooks brought out a special birthday cake for Cameron. It was filled with fruit and chocolate and was very tasty.

Once again everyone made for bed quite early. I sat by the fire for a while and then turned in at about 21:30.