Hunkabutta Archives
04.08.04

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The big news lately is that I got a new computer, a big desktop and flatscreen monitor. It's pretty damn fly,let me tell ya. It feels wickedly liberating to zip around all of my regular computer tasks: opening programs, web surfing, photo processing. I feel ten years younger, even though in reality I'm more pudgy and sloth-like than ever.

Maybe they should market fast computers as alternatives to 'self empowerment' seminars and exercise.

For those of you who care, here are the specs:

Processor - AMD Athlon XP 3200+ (about 3 Ghz)
RAM - 512 MB
HDD - 160 GB
DVD R/W
Built in memory card reader (9 types)
Windows XP

Not too bad, eh...?

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04.05.04

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I love that feeling you get when you first walk into your house or apartment after being away traveling for a long time. You know what I mean? You walk in the front door, put your bags down in the entrance way, inhale deeply through your nose to take in that 'my-home-smell' and feel an immense sense of relief.

This 'home sweet home' feeling has a subtle undertone for Karen and I here in Japan because although we've been in the same apartment for about three years and feel quite at home here, we're still returning home to a foreign country. It always makes me think of that old saying, 'Home is where I lay my hat.'

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Hope you're not getting too sick of these Hilltribe pictures from Thailand, I still have a few more that I want to post before I move on to other parts of Thailand.

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04.03.04

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Here are some more pictures from the Akha village of Mae Salep in Northern Thailand.

I hope you enjoy them.

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04.01.04

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We're back in Japan.

Sorry for the long break in between posts, I had a series of small technical problems with my laptop, boring stuff, you don't want to hear about it.

Thailand was mind-blowing, as expected. After my week-long solo trip in the North, Karen, Jack and I all went to Koh Samui. Samui's a nice island, it's big, convenient, if not a bit over Jeep and toured the island, saw a snake and scorpion show, and spent some time fooling around on Bo Phut beach.

However, after four or five days on Samui we took a boat over to the small neighbouring island of Koh Pha Ngan, which was really where we had our hearts set on going. Koh Pha Ngan did not let us down, it was absolutely beautiful.

We spent our first week on Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi beach, which is just about as close to paradise as you are going to find anywhere. Breezy palm trees, fine sand, calm water, and tropical butterflies all conspire to make you believe that no matter how fat you become from eating coconut curry after coconut curry you will still be young and beautiful and things will go on like this forever. Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi was such a magical place that I hesitate to describe it because I know that I wouldn't be able to do it justice.

After a week or so in Ao Thong Nai Pan Noi we took a long and dusty ride through the jungle in the back of a pickup truck and ended up at quiet and sleepy Haad Salad beach. The actual beach at Haad Salad at this time of year is not that great because the tide never comes in far enough to have a good swim, however it did have some great snorkeling. We stayed at the sadly named bungalows 'Salad Hut' where they feature two hammocks on the porch of every bungalow. In the restaurant/communal area, which sat just above the beach, none of the tables had chairs; you had to either lay down on long Thai-style cushions beside your table (like a Roman) or else swing in one of the many hammocks that they had strung up. It was probably the most relaxed, and relaxing, place that I've ever been.

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Today's photos are all from Mae Salep village in Northern Thailand. I have so many pictures from this trip that I'll probably be showing them for the next week or two. Eventually I'll put them all into permanent galleries.

My plan is to post new pictures from my trip every one or two days for the next little while, however I probably won't have enough time to write much commentary.

I think that you'll enjoy the pictures that are coming.

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