Neon lights and white sand

Following a full day of travel and a nearly missed connecting flight in Sri Lanka, we arrived in the Thai capital of Bangkok. It was the first time Emelie and I have been to Asia in our lives, and we were excited to escape the tepid European weather and experience a non-Western culture. We did not go into Bangkok immediately upon arriving, as we had plans to head there in a few weeks. Rather, we hopped in a cab and fended off sleep as best we could as we drove along the eastern coast of the Gulf of Thailand to arrive at our place to call home for the next week (or however long we decided to stay--sometimes its a luxury unto itself to have no set plans and just decide to up and leave when the time sees fit.)

We were lucky enough to have access to Emelie's uncle, Johan's, condo for our time here. He was back in cold Sweden, so we let him know we'd gladly make sure to occupy it for a while. This was the view from the living room. After a few months of budget travel out of our backpacks and staying in cheap lodgings, it was nice to have a kitchen, couch, and all the other amenities that make something feel like a home.

The very day after arriving I received an offer from one of Johan's friends to join him and a group of other Swedish expats to go play golf. Jet-lag or no, anyone who knows me this is not an offer I'm likely to ever pass up. Caddies are compulsory in Thailand to provide extra jobs to the Thai people to benefit from Westerners who spend their time and money on leisurely pursuits like chasing a little white ball around for a few hours of frustrating time outdoors. Regardless, this was my caddy for the day. Though there was quite a language barrier between us, she knew enough English to jokingly say to me at one time, "Try not to three-putt again." I was pleased with my round, despite the horrific putting she alluded to. For my first round in six weeks, I shot a six-over 78. I chalk it up to losing one stroke per week I hadn't played. Regardless, it was great just to have a club in my hands once again, and I was grateful to all the Swedes who let me tag along for a fun day on the sun-drenched course.

Pattaya is a wild city known for its boisterous nightlife and scandalous activities that go on with men and their, let's say, Thai lady friends. Because of this, and the lack of urban planning when the city really began to take off commercially, the beaches are not as pristine as they once were. So one day to escape and relax, we took a ferry to Ko Larn, an island about an hour away by boat. There was light blue water, abundant sunshine, and the serenity we had been looking for after the first few days in the city.

Above, Emelie enjoying a blissful moment atop the highest point on the island, which gave a great view of Pattaya in the distance and the entire island we were on. Right, enjoying one of many coconut waters she had in Thailand.

Artsy Emelie and her elevator mirror shot.

In lieu of taxis, the common way to get around Pattaya was in a sontago, or what was often referred to as a Baht bus (baht being the Thai currency). They are nothing more than a pick-up truck that has padded benches in the truckbed for passengers to sit on. There are more baht busses that can be imagined, so it's never a problem to find one cruising down the street to take you on your way. Unlike taxis, they run on set routes so you don't tell the driver where to go, rather, you just go along his given route until you want to get off. They would cruise along the two main drags in town, then turn and go back the other way down the parallel road. As long as you take the bus on a straight route, it cost a whopping ten baht per person, or 33 cents. Very fun, very economical, and a great way to ride like a local.

Just outside the city was a marvel we visited called the Sanctuary of Truth. A very wealthy man from Pattaya started this project in the 1980's and had the vision to build a massive temple that combined architectural and spiritual ideals from Thai, Khmer, Lao and Chinese beliefs. To make it even more impressive, the entire temple you see behind Emelie is made of carved wood. Construction will be ongoing until around 2025 and hoards of workers were carving away the whole time we visited. The attention to detail and sheer size of the Sanctuary was incredible, and the place was a great quiet respite from the madness of Pattaya, which for a brief while felt a world away.

As we were walking along and simply admiring the craftsmen making the many individual components that would add to the entire temple, I was offered the chance to try my hand at wood carving. Working at 1/10th the speed and with 1/100th of the skill, this Thai man showed me how to use the tools. I don't know where in the temple's interior this carving will be placed, but part of me will always be able to say I helped carve one line between the toes of one of the pieces!

Sunset along the beach.

The infamous Walking Street in Pattaya, home of more go-go bars, strip clubs, and general debauchery than can almost be imagined. However, something one has to see when in this corner of the world. The amount of neon lights was staggering, as were the hoards of people. The only thing I've seen close to this is Bourbon Street.

After a week of relaxing in a home-like environment, a few rounds of golf and a few rounds during the night, we departed from Pattaya and took a quick flight across the Gulf of Thailand to the island of Ko Samui. We showed up, found a hotel along the water for a great price, and settle down to relax for a few days before taking off for the bustle of Bangkok. We got a cozy room only about 70 yards from the white sand beach we would occupy for the better part of the next few days. Below, the walkway to the beach and small restaurant where we'd get an awesome, and free, breakfast each morning.

Above, Emelie playing. Left, Emelie relaxing.

Ko Samui is a medium-sized island, and we wanted to get a lay of the land and see all the different bays and beaches around the island's exterior. So we rented a motorbike and took a four hour cruise around and saw all the beauty the island had. When the tank was low you wouldn't seek out an Irving or Cumby's to fill up, just a roadside stall that kept gas in used whiskey bottles that they'd pour in for you using a funnel.

Funny story behind this one: When we were at the airport in Pattaya Emelie got caught up in a lengthy game of peek-a-boo with a young Thai girl. That turned into another fun game, then another, and before we knew it, they had spent about a half hour playing games and passing time before the plane was to depart. I guess old nannying habits die hard. So, much to our surprise, three days later when we were checking out Big Buddha Beach, Emelie and Am locked eyes and both smiled at the coincidental meeting and their reunion. They walked around the temple together hand in hand, and we were finally able to get a picture of Emelie and her new friend.

Our last day in Ko Samui we went on an excursion to Ang Thong National Marine park. It is a park of scattered islands north of Ko Samui. If you've ever read "The Beach" or seen the movie based on the book starring Leonardo Dicaprio, this is where it was set. It was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever seen and we had an amazing time. We snorkeled in a coral reef and fed banana to fishes that would swarm around us to get the free food; we climbed a narrow staircase to get a view of a landlocked salt-water lake with water the color of sapphire (below); we were treated to a buffet lunch of freshly-caught seafood in a local fishing village; and lastly, we sea kayaked around the islands in a two-seater. It was a great day and an awesome way to end our time. The majority of the islands in the Marine Park are tiny and simply jut out of the water, and many have cool ancient names, like the Praying Monkey rock pictured above.

One of our favorite lunches, some barbeque chicken from a roadside stall.

Next it's off to Bangkok, which should be a complete 180 from here--from pristine beaches to another urban jungle. But with so many temples and a population that rivals New York City it promises to be yet another different adventure on what's already been a varied trip.

Italia, seconda parte...

We escaped the Arctic air of Finland and found ourselves on the Adriatic sea in the ancient city of Venice, Italy. Much like Amsterdam and Bruges that we had already visited, Venice is a city built around an intricate system of canals, though theirs are hundreds of years older and carry with them the stories of a mercantile history that made the city once the richest in the world. We luckily found our hotel by chance, as no streets run straight here, and quickly found that our map was going to be our best friend while here. However, at times it was so simple and fun to purposefully get lost--after all we were on an island an could only wander so far before running out of real estate. It was near the top of our lists for the trip on the best places we'd been so far and a great place to spend a few days of seeing an old city then end the day with some great Italian food and wine.

Architecture just off St. Mark's square, the center on the city.

The two blondest people in Italy on the Academia Bridge.

One night we came out of the square just as the sun was setting and Emelie got some wonderful shots of the night sky. Even those without a romantic bone in their body would have been rather impressed with what was before our eyes here.

Sunset on our last night in Venice, shot from the Rialto Bridge. Below, dinner afterward.

Having only a few days left on the European side of our three month adventure, we gradually started making our way south toward Rome where we'd eventually catch our long flight to Asia. The first stop was in Florence, home of Michaelangelo and the Medici family, and birthplace of the Renaissance. We only spent one day and night here as it is mainly a city people check out if they're into art and art history, which I must say, we are not too keen on. Not to say I don't appreciate it, I'd just rather see a snow-capped peak against a colorful sky or a winder river through a lush forest than some painting that showcases these same things, no matter how artistically sound it is. That's just me though, an no reflection on art itself.

Emelie standing above the Arno river that runs through Florence. Note how short her hair is! Sick of combing through a plethora of knots each morning and dealing with hair halfway down her back for the next two months, Emelie summoned the courage to randomly go into an Italian hair salon, and using nothing but her incredible charades skills and no Italian words, managed to get a beautiful short haircut. I was so proud of her courage, something she may not have done before this trip started.

We took a short train ride the following day to Siena, a sleepy old city that once rivaled Florence in the area for control of Tuscany. People had told me to check out this walled-city and admire its curving stone streets, magnificent duomo, and most impressively, the central square, the piazza del campo. Above is a picture of the city hall at the bottom of the square. I say bottom because all of Siena is built upon a large hill, and the general incline of the whole square I would guess to be at five degrees. Below is a picture of the square from the Duomo, slightly higher up the hill.

The coolest thing about this square, aside from its sheer size and obvious beauty, is the annual tradition that goes on inside. There are two annual horse races that take place around the exterior of the square. There are 17 districts in Siena, and 10 get to race in each given palio. The square is filled to the brim with locals who are pulling for their district to win the race. The horses run around the circle three times, and their jockeys who are riding bareback often do not finish the race on the horse's back due to the sharp turns and incline of the square. Though we were not there for one of these two summer races (or could have gotten a hotel), the races go back to the 14th century and the pride the locals have for their district within the city are a source of great pride and contention on race day and the weeks leading up to it. Check a youtube video for palio di Siena to see the madness.

One of my favorite places to relax after a long day, enjoying a beer and marveling at the dim lights that illuminated the piazza at night.

We went through a museum of ancient Sienan relics then climbed for a panorama of the city. Behind us is the Duomo, the massive church built in the 13th century. Its alternating dark and light marble gave it a unique look we hadn't seen, and at this point we'd seen quite a few large churches in Europe.

Below, views of the Tuscan countryside from above the city.

We left Siena for the Eternal City of Rome, thus named because it has seeming been around forever. Most know well from their 7th grade history the extensive history of the city that gave birth to modern civilization, so I won't bore you all with those details.

The impressive monument and building in honor of Vittore Emmanuel, the first president of a united Italy. This was just behind the impressive Forum, seen below.

We had lucked out with the weather for the most part in Europe, but on our last full day we got quite a bit of rain, so there aren't too many photos from all the places we saw throughout the city. It was really cool seeing all these ancient and dilapidated ruins that have been here for millenia. 

That's me being a tough gladiator in front of the Colliseum. 

I always wanted to be a cartographer deep down, so I had to admire this old map of Italy that was hung in the museum of the Vatican, just after the room with the Sistine Chapel.

The next day we took of to Rome's airport to board a plane destined for a layover in the Sri Lankan capital of Columbo before continuing on to Bangkok. Over a month and a half we had worked our way from Stockholm to Milan, backtracked to Finland, then made it to our southern terminus of Rome. Six weeks. Seven countries. Only halfway done with our trip around the globe.