~where the wild things are~: don't tell me this town ain't got no heart...

departed japan, which i must say is now one of my favorite places in the world. i checked out tokyo, nikko, kamakura, kyoto, and nara- each place with its own beat. tokyo, at times, pulsating at a frentic 140 bpm (beats per minute on the dance floor), while places like nikko and kamakura were like a super chill downtempo set where you hang on the cushions and let the music wash over you.

in bangkok now where the music analogy continues. if i weren't in se asia, i might think that i'd somehow landed in some wierd vortex of a phish or grateful dead shakedown street. freakin' hippies everywhere! khao san road where i'm staying tonight before leaving for india tomorrow has everything a weary traveller might need - dirt cheap excellent food and accommodation, clothes, transportation, entertainment; you name it! its a place where unsuspecting farang fresh off the boat get duped, where drugs can be acquired, and shady deals are just waiting to be made. my rule of thumb is to not make eye contact with the touts. i already know i don't want anything, so its easy to just walk by. bangkok is a really interesting place though, and a drastic change from the neat and orderly culture that is japan. here you are ducking and diving in the streets though motorcycle taxis, tuk tuks, and a myriad of languages from all over the world.

hippies, khao san.
drum circle:

phatty eggroll and pad thai:

poi. need i continue ; ) ?

bangkok is a nice transition space for me before heading on to india. i was here visiting my dear friend elise 4 years ago and had a chance to explore some of the major sights before traveling other parts of the country. when i was here last, the tsunami had just hit and it was a sad time. i remember this road plastered with photos of missing people, many of whom probably didn't make it.

its nice that i don't feel any pressure to run out and see things here like i did in japan, where i was on my feet exploring day and night. here i'm recharging my batteries and cooling with beer chang, the national drink. my friend erik from santa cruz was in town tonight, and i was stoked to hook up with him and his girlfriend pia.

i feel like i could write a book about my experience in japan, but i know how internet attention span is, so i'll keep it short and just throw in some pictures with commentary. i did make a really cool japanese friend worth mentioning - wantabe. he was staying in the bunk above me at the guest house and we hung out a bunch. gotta say, i have met few people like him. could put down the sake like no other, and man, super suave with the ladies too. and as a side note, if anyone wants to visit japan sometime, give a shout and i might just go with you.

kinkaku-ji - kyoto. spectacular!

one of the most serene and beautiful places i've been, kamakura, japan.

my favorite new homeslice, wantabe:

todai-ji, the largest wooden building in the world. exquisite. nara, japan

my sis dropped in for 4 days in japan. we visited a monkey park, where the people are in a cage and the monkeys run free. here we are with our new bff (as long as we fed him peanuts)