Zengum in Thailand

[ZenGum]

Zengum in Thailand ... sounds like a Tin Tin book.

This is the first installment, and I haven't even packed yet. I'm just letting you all know I'll be off-line for about two weeks, visiting hill tribes, exploring caves and waterfalls, riding bamboo rafts and elephants, and chilling out on tropical beaches.

So in the meantime, I wish you all a bery merii kurisumassu:

[xoxoxoBruce]

Aw bullshit, you're really taking one of those Jap, businessman's special, sex tours, aren't ya. Take pictures.

[regular.joe]

Here we go with the clown again....

[slang]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

........exploring caves ....

That's what most tourist like about Thailand. There are a lot em there to explore.

[ZenGum]

Sick! You're all SICK I say!

And unimaginative, since no one has remarked on how I will be "riding elephants".

[slang]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

And unimaginative, since no one has remarked on how I will be "riding elephants".

That would be very cool.

Hope you have a great time. Take some photos if you can. It sounds like a very cool trip.

[zippyt]

Most Ti chicks that I have seen are Far from elephants !!!!

Thou if you look Hard enough i bet you could ind a few biggens' !!!

[Clodfobble]

Originally Posted by zippyt

Most Ti chicks that I have seen are Far from elephants !!!!

Well, they may be thin, but some of them do have... ahem... the trunk.

[zippyt]

Well I don't know about Zen , but the Girly men never intrested me

[ZenGum]

Dammit, are you perverts trying to ruin my holiday before I even leave? :P to you all!

Seriously, I am not going for the sleaze. Neither she-male, he-girl, awfully-young-looking, broadminded guy, nor even anatomically correct female (which latter would be my preference if I was going for that sort of thing).
If I wanted to do that I could do it here and save the airfare. I get adds for "men's health" services as junkmail normally four or five times a month.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Sick! You're all SICK I say!

And unimaginative, since no one has remarked on how I will be "riding elephants".

I've rode a few in my days, don't worry, just don't take any pics.

Anyway, I wish you a safe travel and a grand adventure. As Tim Cahill once wrote, every adventure begins with a good dose of ignorance. Have a blast!

[Cloud]

. . . visiting hill tribes, exploring caves and waterfalls, riding bamboo rafts and elephants, and chilling out on tropical beaches.

Have I mentioned recently that You Suck?

Have a great time!

[Sundae]

Zen it sounds amazing.
Fingers crossed no tsunami this year...

Seriously, have a brilliant time, try not to kill any whinging POMs (gap year students are a pain in the arse) and bring us back lots and spots of photos. Get some taken of you too.

[ZenGum]

I'm baaaaa-aaaack!
And what a great time I had.
The hill-trekking was very interesting, I love seeing a thatched house with a solar panel and satellite dish. And you know dinner will be fresh when you walk into the village and hear a gunshot, then see a guy carrying a still bleeding piglet across the track in front of you.
The elephants were of course very cool, they let us ride and "steer" them, although I think my elephant just went were it wanted and if that was where I also wanted this was mostly coincidence. Mind you, riding on an elephant's head isn't very comfortable - very bristly hairs, and a pretty unsteady bobbing motion. It is definitely worth it.
The rafting was pretty good, except that the river had large numbers of brown floaties that I didn't want to touch, but which constantly got trapped in the gaps between the bamboo, so that by the end there wa a goodly sized sludge pile aboard.
Shopping? Silk! Bamboo musical instruments, jewelery, all sorts of touristy souvenirs, more T-shirts than you could poke a stick at ...
The beach resort was not actually on the beach but there was one close by, the water was clean and lovely and warm, the sun was intense, the food was delicious and generally cheap.
I had no upset stomach, but a little sunburn. There were only two things that went amiss, firstly, my camera broke on the third day, meaning that for much of the trip (including the best cave, the elephant riding and the rafting) I had no camera at all, and later in the trip I was getting by on a disposable camera. :p
And secondly, on my last day I had a single day for sightseeing in bangkok and planned to visit the Grand Palace with the Temple of the Jade Buddha. Alas, the evening before, the King's elder sister died and the whole complex was closed for the funeral. So instead I saw the Reclining Buddha and a few other sights which were still cool.
Pictures will follow when I get around to transferring them from my camera, and getting the disposable camera developed.

[classicman]

I am sooooo jealous!