Hi again

Nope, haven't fallen off the planet or into a vat of green curry and eaten myself to death. Been on the road since Thursday afternoon and just now coming back to life.

Had an issue with getting paperwork in time to process my Visa before I left, so it didn't get done. No big deal really, just meant I only had 30 days before leaving the country, so I did what is called "The Visa Run". Tia picked me up at 1pm Thurs afternoon and drove me up the coast to Rangon, about 3 hours away. Stayed at a place called the Kiwi Orchid that was really scary looking at first glance (and second and third too...) First time I've ever been in a place with communal toilet, and I wasn't about to chance the shower -- it was right behind the washing machine, and no door!!

On the other hand it was affordable, the food there was absolutely excellent, and the three sisters who run the place were some of the kindest people I have ever met.

Got up at 6 the next morning so I could get a ride to the pier, check out at Immigration and catch a long-tail bus to Myanmar (Burma) to get my passport stamped, which would allow me another two weeks in Thailand. That was not the most fun I've ever had. Myanmar is desperate for American currency, so they demand $10 US dollars from each person (definitely reasonable). However, they want brand new money, which can realistically only be gotten from Phuket if you don't know in advance to bring it with you. By the grace of God I had a new $10 bill in my wallet, which I had just gotten from the Phoenix bank on my way to LA.

I waited to hand over my passport and my money, and it was refused. Sometime in its short lifetime, my bill had gotten an infinitessimally small puncture wound - looked like perhaps it had been poked with a pin or caught by one end of a staple. And the official refused it. Now, Phuket is more than 4 hours south of Rangon, so this was a big deal.

After way more drama than necessary, a "kindly observer" stepped in and offered to interpret. He said they would accept 500 baht instead (about 200 more than the exchange rate on a ten). Aside from the unbroken thousand-baht bills stashed in my money belt all I the loose cash I had was 400 and a couple of 1-baht pieces, which they accepted and let me go (probably to get me out of his crew-cropped hair.) When I stepped through the doorway I looked back to see the two officials and the "passerby" engaged in a round of cards.

The ride to and from Myanmar was interesting. Twice the boat boys gathered up all the passports from all six of us passengers; then edged up to a lonely hut balanced precariously on stilts. The boys would scramble up the rickety scaffolding like monkeys then return a few minutes later. Have no idea what that was all about; just glad to get it back in my pocket again.

I got back to the Kiwi at a few minutes past ten, and my ride pointed out the bus station at the end of the block. I had plenty of time to go up and load my stuff then get to the terminal to catch the 10.30 bus to Bangkok; and from there the overnight bus to Chiang Mai.

As it happened, in what may be the first time in Thai history, the bus left about ten minutes early. So, I went back to the Kiwi and ordered breakfast, then settled in to wait until the next one, at 1.30. One of the other visitors there was a Canadian who has spent quite a bit of time in both Laos and Thailand, and we talked for quite a while. He had quite a bit of good information to share, and had stayed at the Kiwi several times. At one o'clock one of the bus officials came over to announce that there were only three passengers, so we weren't leaving until 3 pm. By this time I was getting a bit anxious, as I was not looking forward to arriving in Bangkok in the middle of the night and trying to find a safe and inexpensive place to stay. Jai went over to talk to them, and came back to let me know that she had already taken care of rebooking my trip (so they couldn't charge me again) and that the bus would come by and get me at her place so that I wouldn't have to haul my huge pack down there again.

She is so funny - we took pictures of ourselves and each other, and Dave offered to take one of me with the sisters. Just as he took the photo she tickled me, so she and I are both laughing. I have met some of the most amazing people ever on this trip.

The bus was an older model, but at least had air conditioning. When they arrived to pick me up I was relieved to find it wasn't crowded (there were only about four other passengers), and the seats were relatively comfortable. For the first few hours, anyway. By the time we got to Bangkok I didn't think I'd ever have feeling in my behind again. I waited at the South terminal until their ticket office opened at 5am. One Thai man saw me writing in my book and paused to watch; he hasn't seen a lot of English writing and apparently it looks as odd to him as the Thai writing does to me. He kept coming back to check on me, and as it got later he got more and more comfortable talking with me - and, through a younger man interpreting, asked for my phone number. I told him I was meeting my husband in Bangkok. Have to give him credit for trying - when the time came to go catch a short bus to the Morchit terminal across town, he helped me with my bag and offered to show me where to go. When I stood up, he barely came to my shoulder. In the States I would have assumed he was a jockey.

The Morchit terminal was either really confusing, or I was so sleep-deprived I couldn't make sense of it. Completely by accident I walked directly up to the Chiang Mai window and bought what I thought was a "VIP" ticket. It wasn't, it was first class (yes there's a fairly substantial difference) but in any case it was much less than the VEEP and the bus I got was new, airconditioned, non-smoking (YAYYYY!!!) and I got a seat on the top deck, in the front row with plenty of room to stretch. It was a beautiful drive, too.

I got a sangtheow to drive me to the guest house I had found online. I was very surprised to see a TON of people milling about when I got there, and they only had dorm-style rooms left. The girl at the desk said there were many other guesthouses in this area, but that this one just happened to be one of the best-known among young farang backpackers etc. She suggested I go either way down the lane, and that I would find many to choose from. Just two doors down I discovered "JJ Place" which is a new, modern facility. Have my own bathroom (YAY!!!!!) with hot water, even; and the proprietor goes out of his way to be helpful. He even speaks English well, and is taking me to Doi Suthep himself tomorrow for a tour of the countryside, the temple, and the Hmong village there.

It would be nice sometimes to have company to share some of this with, but some of the things and people I have come across may not have happened if I were not on my own. Still, I am looking forward to a hot BATH when I get home. And no ants.