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Sunday, January 29, 2006





Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok, sideswipped by the heat and no rooms to rent at 2 am. we rough it in the bar district Ko Shan Road with the lovely Moncheri in tow. Fast forward 10 hours later- noon, 3 to the wind, we run into Brian O'Donnell and his girl friend Milla.

A few days were spent acclimizing and sorting out plans. Rabid tut-tut drivers controlled the day, but Mr. Chang ruled the night. The airwaves held hostage by loud Thai pop, the Guns and Roses of yesterday, and Sir Ian Brown bob in and out of little stalls and the smells of chilies, sewer, diesel, and a touch of lemon grass bring you to the point a little shy of sensory overload.

I traveled over with Chris Bailey- Mr. Baileyson to the ladies. This is his first time out and he's stoked to be away from the 9 to 5. I've known him since we were 13-BoyScouts, Troop 100. His trip was Japan- everything else is icing. 2 weeks of sun and fun and then back to the grind.

We ran into Brian O'Donnell and Mila at the hotel the first day. I had heard Brian was coming but never figured we would find each other the first hours in country. A few years back Brian hiked the A.T., and at the end he just kept going, hitching all the way to California, then hopping a train back to Boston. He met Milla, a Russian exchange student while both were serving time at the NOC photos dept. Milla speaks 5 languages- Russian, Tartar, Turkish, English, and Arabic. They are in Thailand to pick up jobs teaching English for a few months before heading up to Russia, overland.



Japan

In a last minute decison Chris Bailey talked me into an extended lay over in Tokyo for 2 days. Visions of Lost in Translation- the land of clean lines and power pop -we did a whirlwind tour, accompanied by the lovely Sugio, Cheers. I am with Bailey-son. We blew through 2 days/ 2 bills. All I have is images. It was too fast to hold a hard memory. Bundled in two coats- plume wine induced ramblings, the Shinjuku soul stealers we are.