Holidaze
The holidays flew by in a whirlwind of activity. It all feels like a dream, as my Dad said last night.
12/22 Left Laos, back to my second home in Udon Thani
12/23 Flew to Bangkok to meet my family!
12/24 Brought 3 more up to Udon for an introduction to village life
12/25 A Christmas to remember
12/26 Flew from Udon to Chiang Mai
12/27 Toured the city, obsession with hill tribe crossbow began
12/28 Elephant riding, ox cart driving, raft drifting, and bungy jumping
12/29 Day trip to long neck village near the Myanmar border
12/30 Handicrafts in Chiang Mai, flew to Bangkok
12/31 Intense tour of Bangkok, Happy New Year!
1/1/06 Flew to Siem Reap, Cambodia – home of ancient wonders
1/2 and 1/3 Explored Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, and Bayon, among others
1/4 Flew to Phnom Penh, saw Killing Fields and S-21
1/5 Highlights of the capital, then back to Bangkok
1/6 Last Supper with Dum and David, and ladyboy show
1/7 Flew with Nick to Singapore, saw my parents off, and then flew to Brisbane
Spending time with my family was as cool as the touring…if not better. They recharged my batteries. We had our best dinner last night with Dum and David at Vertigo, a restaurant 59 floors up with 360-degree views of Bangkok. We skipped dessert to make it to the ladyboy cabaret show – a classic way to wrap up our Thai experience. Like every night, the show was sold out. On a visit to the country, you can’t miss seeing the “women” sing and dance in outrageous costumes and dramatic performances. They love to entertain, but love even more to amaze, thinking proudly, “Yeah, that’s right, I was a dude. But look at me NOW!”
Nick and I landed at the Singapore airport this morning, where we realized it was one hour later than Thailand, and where I got the most exercise I’ve gotten in the past 5 months. He had a connecting flight back to Boston, which I luckily noticed was flashing “FINAL CALL” on the departure screen. We were planning to check internet and grab some lunch, but we got a marathon instead. The airport is huge, and the gate was of course at the extreme opposite end. It was almost comical. Almost. With 2 carry-on bags in hand, I sprinted ahead, pausing only to remove my flip-flops (thank you carpet floors). If it weren’t for other people watching, I doubt I would’ve made it as far as I did, which still wasn’t at the gate. We flagged down one of those usually annoying airport cars that beeps its way through crowds, and hopped in before the driver knew what was going on, ordering “Gate 54!” as if it were a taxi. Nick was the final passenger let through.
If I had to pick an airport to have a 9-hour layover in, Singapore’s would be the one. Free internet and massage chairs, more restaurants and cafes than LA, and hall after hall of dazzling shops that earned it the world’s best duty free airport award. After seeing my brother off to Boston, I saw my parents off to LA. A more emotional farewell. Nick will join me during his Spring Break in 3 months, but I won’t see my parents again until I go home in May.
While my friends return to college, I start the second semester of my journey. The first consisted of 7 countries in Asia and 6 in Africa. Now I’m headed for the South Pacific, with 24 new passport pages and a ticket for Fiji. Check out holiday pics in the Photo Gallery!
Charlie, reading your summary of the past two weeks, here’s a toast to the entire peripatetic Melvoin family. Your vitality and Nick’s stamina are understandable, it’s the grit and grin of Martha and your Dad–he of the torn Achilles–that deserve special recognition! Good luck and Godspeed on the next leg of your journey, and loads of love from Nonnie and me.
January 7th, 2006 at 8:51 amPapa
ridic: your recent escapades and my slacking with the posts. an email is following shortly.
January 8th, 2006 at 7:17 pmChazbo!
Love the Holiday Pics - especially “Brotherly Love!” Am sitting in my dorm room in freezing Cambridge jet lag as ever (didn’t sleep at all last night), and I haven’t eaten in 48 hours or so, just haven’t been hungry…weird.
How’s fiji? How was your brief stay in Australia? As I sit here I’m looking at the nice case of wine taking up much needed space in my room…want me to ship some to Tanya? NO!!!
Just wanted to say a quick sawardee kup from around the world - can’t wait to track your travels until I meet up with you again for more brotherly bonding!
Love ya!
-LB
January 8th, 2006 at 7:32 pmThailand sounds like a blast! The pictures are great and I especially like the guy in the U of M hat (go blue!) Only 5 months to go?!?! Wanna switch lives for a couple of months?
Have fun, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!
January 9th, 2006 at 4:48 pmLibs
well, im not going to lie…
this might be just about the most random comment you will ever recieve, but as i was flipping through the pages of the new Rustic cataloge, (i went to fiji with them this past summer) and i stumbled upon Charlie’s Journey through 56784568 countries. and i realized that that name sounded pretty familiar. and then i showed my mom, and i dont know if you remember us… but we were your neighbors on medio.
anyway, that was like 10 years ago or more…
hope things are good with you and your family! your trip sounds sooooo amazing!
it says on your locator that you are home, so if you are up for meeting up with a blast from the past friend id love to hear all about it sometime.
so hit me up sometime… i dont know how long you are home for but…
ill attach my screen name…
p.s… thought you would enjoy this…
January 10th, 2006 at 9:50 pmwoops… the link didnt show up…
pretend this is at the end of the last comment… go to it… its pretty funny
sorry
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/Hey_Its_nikki/meandmelvoines.jpg
January 10th, 2006 at 9:52 pmCharlie,
my man. I am glad that someone else is taking this job i call travelling so seriously. I’m pumped that you are doing this and seem to be doing it so well buddy.
Hey, Becca mentioned that you were going to be in Argentina this spring. I am moving down there next weekend and will be there for at least three months. I have a pretty sweet apartment in Buenos Aires, so if you are in B.A. and need a place to crash, somebody to grab a brew with, o rwhatever, just give me an email.
Otherwise, let me know anyways if you’ll be in argentina and where you’re going. I’m going to be travelling around a bit while i am there and it’d be cool to hear which parts are the best. keep it up, man. this is the real life. America will never be the same, trust me.
B
January 12th, 2006 at 10:03 ambrpthomas@hotmail.com
Hey sweetheart! Just catching up, glad you had such a wonderful bonding with the fam. We were quite moved by Cambodia as well, and having a guide who lived thru it made it all the more scary. Look forward to the tales from a new continent. My sis is expecting the birth of her adoptive child any day now (the mighty Quinn) so we are very excited and busy with the baby shower stuff. Al is finishing a week in Cabo (tanning and attending bartending classes) and Z is back in the snow and grind. All good.
January 12th, 2006 at 6:45 pmMiss you and love you, tom
Charlie!!! I’m in the Netherlands…I feel a little closer to you
This is my second day here and it’s amazing…I can only imagine how you feel every time you arrive in a new place. The castle is amazing! As soon as I take some picture, I’ll email them to you. I just wanted to say a quick hello and tell you that I miss you!! I start classes tomorrow and I on;y have a three day week - mon-wed - so I have plenty of time to travel. As soon as I start exploring I’ll let you know about my adventures (although they won’t be as daring as yours). Take care Charlie! Love and miss you terrible!!
January 15th, 2006 at 4:03 amxoxoxox
“Bangkok’. There’s another great one to join “Titicaca”. Love ‘em. Had to keep Ron from indulging in a bowl of small, raw snails in the night market. Thanks for reminding us of lovely Chang Mai - from there out into the poppy fields to stay with the hill tribes - slept on stilt house porches. Pigs and roosters below snacking on things too horrible to mention. A farm elephant with a mind of its own, into the trees, almost sweeping us into the underbrush - walking behind it was an experience, climbing over enormous dung piles. A stroll behind a flatulent elephant is one of those not-to-be-missed traveltimes! Charlie, your descriptions keep us totally entertained - you are The Traveller, up there with ol’ Marco Polo - hey, that sounds like a good name for a game.
August 31st, 2006 at 9:05 am