Lost in Bangkok I

I flew into Thailand without too much trouble, but passing through immigration caused a panic attack. 

I was unsure what to give the immigration officer, and as I stood in the long line I held onto my passport and the Arrival immigration card. After a thirty minute wait I reached the front of the line and confidently handed over my documents. I was expecting to be quickly waved through, but my heart rate shot up when the officer asked for my Departure card. I had not filled it in, and being buried somewhere in my pack, told the officer I was unaware of this because I had arrived at Bangkok. He told me he needed it, so I reluctantly walked back to the end of the line.

I tried to compose myself, and took a seat on a nearby bench. I was hot and tired. I took off my jacket and searched for the departure card. I took my time filling it in, then returned to the line. After a thirty minute wait I reached the front and not so confidently handed over my documents. 

The officer asked where I had flown in from. 

"Hong Kong, via the 10:00pm flight on Cathay Pacific."

“No, the flight you listed does not exist.”

My face flushed and I became paranoid. I remembered the day in Paris when things went south. 

The officer asked for my boarding pass. 

"Not correct."

Unsure why, I explained to him I had printed it from the internet. Was that the problem?

"Not correct."

My breathing became quick, on its way to hyperventilating. 

"Boarding pass, Chicago to Hong Kong?"

"yes, that's right, I flew from Chicago to Hong Kong. Then, Hong Kong to Bangkok."

"I need the boarding pass from Hong Kong to Bangkok."

I began to sweat when I realized I had written the wrong flight number on the Departure card. I could see the people in line behind me growing impatient. I quickly threw off my backpack, placed it on the ground, and searched for the Hong Kong to Bangkok boarding pass, hoping I had not thrown it away. Finding it stuck between papers in my travel folder, I handed it to the officer. He signed a form, stamped my passport, and waved me through.

Now on the correct side of immigration, the bright neon lights tickled my confusion and paranoia as I wandered aimlessly about, feeling out of place. 

I needed to find an ATM. I passed a row of currency exchange booths and asked a clerk where the nearest ATM was. She pointed to one five feet from where I stood. My face blushed and I tried to smile as I thanked her. I struggled to get my bank card out of the money belt and knew I was a perfect target for a thief. By this point I could see myself giving in to anything. I was hoping to withdraw 10,000 baht, but the most the ATM offered was 5000 baht ($170).  I was given five one thousand baht notes and knew they must be broken down. 

I returned to the currency exchange clerk, still embarrassed, and received smaller denominations. I took a seat and counted the money, unsure how to read the notes. I recognized numerals stamped on the sides of the notes, calculating I was given the correct amount of bhat.

I needed to find a taxi and knew there was a taxi desk on the first floor. I went down an escalator and saw a sign for limousine services, deciding it was not affiliated with the taxi desk. 

I walked outside and was stung with exhaust fumes and humid heat. Groups of people stood around, everyone seeming to know what they were doing and where they were going. I was lost and confused, and did not know where the taxi desk was. Unsure what to do, I stood curbside trying to look as if I was waiting for someone. 

When my confidence returned I began to wander aimlessly around, and by good fortune happened upon the taxi desk. The clerk studied the address and map I had in hand, and hailed a taxi for me. 

I watched the nocturnal city pass quickly by, the urban landscape looking similar to the west side of Chicago. I sensed a dread and terror pass through me, then, as I stared out the window, belongings held tightly at my side, the fragility and transience of my life staring hard back at me.

Chinese New Year in Hong Kong

1/22/12

I am currently relaxing in an airport lounge, awaiting the departure of my flight to Hong Kong/Bangkok.

I woke at 5:00am and Rachel was kind enough to drive me to the Champaign Terminal. While waiting for the bus to arrive I met a man whom I hiked with at the Sierra Club Lake Mingo outing. I tested my backpack that day, loading it with soup cans. This morning he was with his wife, they are riding a bus to Milwaukee for a ski outing.

When I departed the bus in Chicago, in front of Union Station, a homeless man thrust a newspaper into my hand and asked for money. When I lived in Chicago in 1992 I was constantly approached by homeless people, but as time went by the occurrences happened less frequently. My fresh, eager eyes giving me away, I made a rookie mistake of taking out my wallet to give the man a dollar. I knew it was a stupid move, but instead of the man grabbing for the wallet, he simply asked for more, saying he needed a place to stay for the night. He told me his name is Paul, flashing a grin which showed missing teeth. 

I obliged and gave him another dollar. He thanked me and I walked away, in search of the Blue Line Clinton stop.  After walking one block I decided I was going the wrong way and turned back to where I had started, seeing Paul once again. 

He asked if I was going to the Blue Line, and I nodded a smile.  

“Follow me,” he implored, and I followed, aware I was making another mistake. 

We passed the entrance to Union Station, and needing to pee, I told Paul I was going into the Great Hall.

“Oh man, you got to piss, there is a port-o-potty right over there,” his hand pointing across the street to a construction site. I sighted the port-o-potty, its bright blue door streaked with mud and salt. I imagined fitting into it with my backpack, the stench of shit and piss knocking me off balance.

“I'm going into the Great Hall,” but as I tried the nearest door, found it to be locked. I passed other doors, each posted with a closed sign.

“Man, look, they are closed now, do you think you can give me more money? I need twelve dollars for a room.”

I came to a door which was open and entered the station, a wave of hot air splashing over me. I could not give Paul twelve dollars because I had seven dollars in my wallet, two being needed for the Blue Line ride to the airport. 

I pulled out a five dollar bill and handed it to him, smiling. As I turned to leave, I detected a look of disappointment upon Paul's face.

Alone, I walked into the great hall and located a restroom. Standing at the urinal, I grinned, recalling I had paid $3.50 for the bus ticket to Chicago.

Two Days

For the past three weeks I have been house sitting for Rachel while she treks across southern Africa. 

I have continued to prepare for my own imminent adventures - reading books, studying maps, researching the internet. My belongings are stored in Rachel's basement and soon I will be without a home. 

Yesterday I looked at my travel checklist and was surprised to find everything complete. The only thing left to do is organize my backpack, which I began doing yesterday. I am confident that all of the things I plan to bring will fit, but am unsure if the weight of the pack will be allowed as a carry on. The class of ticket I purchased states the max weight is fifteen pounds. However, I am allowed to bring a second, smaller bag onto the plane. The total weight of my pack is thirty five pounds, divide by two and it will be close. Rachel, who returned two days ago, said the check-in staff won't bother to weigh bags and packs.

My flight leaves Chicago on Sunday, Jan 22, at 2:20pm, and will make a short layover in Hong Kong. I will then board another plane and arrive in Bangkok at 11:50pm on Jan 23. I reserved a hotel for two nights in an out of the way place outside the city center. 

After recovering from the long flight I will decide what to do next. I am hoping to rent a place for a month in Bangkok, as I am interested in exploring the city with my notebook and camera.

My emotions are steady, but at times throughout the day I feel a mix of adrenaline and terror.

Waiting

I resigned from my job at the park district on October 3rd, and today walked home from the Cottage for the final time. 

At my previous jobs two weeks was sufficient to find a replacement, but it did not work out this time, as it took twelve weeks to hire and train someone. If I had been allowed to leave in October I would have likely decided upon a four week trip abroad, returned to my apartment, and settled in for a long winter. Instead, the extended wait allowed for a different outcome. 

Much of life is waiting, and it is what one does during the waiting which determines what happens when the waiting is over. 

The Razor's Edge

I left work early with the late autumn day feeling heavy of winter, with blustery gray wetness making me wish for snow. 

I borrowed Rachel's car and drove to the public health office to get vaccinations for Typhoid and Hep. A.  The cost was $190. I took a tetanus vaccination six weeks ago.

I finished reading The Razor's Edge, the ending left me disappointed but I still enjoyed reading the book. In my Thailand guidebook Maugham is mentioned because he visited SE Asia numerous times, once catching malaria while in Bangkok.

The two girls who want to rent my apartment still have not signed the lease. Signing day is to be this Thursday, if they don't sign I will need to look for someone else. 

Photography and Writing

With my time in the USA approaching its end, I have been spending my days studying maps and reading books related to travel. 

I sometimes find myself attempting to clarify my vision of travel, and how I should spend my time while on the road. The few trips I have taken (New York City, Montreal, Paris) revolved around wandering the streets with camera and notebook in hand. 

I have decided that making digital photos and writing about my experiences will impart a pleasant meaning to my travels. I will bring a digital camera and laptop computer, wandering by day and writing and editing pictures by night.

A few days ago I had a request from someone who owns a few of my photographs. He recently returned from a long stay in Japan and he asked if I would print some old b/w negatives that he picked up while there. It is too large a project (forty negatives) with too little time, unfortunately.

New Life

Since making the decision to quit my job and leave the country for an extended period of time, my life has regained some of its old magic. 

Irish Whiskey Jam

Returning home from an afternoon walk on Friday, Joseph saw me crossing Vine Street as he passed in his UPD truck. He circled back and found me on a side street and asked if I wanted to jam on Saturday night. 

I am waiting to hear back from the property manager about the two girls who agreed to rent my apartment. Hopefully in a day or two they will sign the lease, and I can begin preparing for the exciting days which will soon be upon me.

Changing Strings

I have decided to travel long term. I will give up my apartment and fit my possessions into a backpack. 

I don't think of myself as a seeker of adventure, but perhaps that is due to a limited imagination. 

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot. - Eleanor Roosevelt

Today I showed my apartment to two young ladies, and later in evening they let me know they would like to rent it beginning in January.

In two months I will be moving my belongings into Rachel's basement. I will stay at her house until January 19th, which is when she will return from her African adventure. I will ride a bus to Chicago, and then fly to Bangkok, Thailand via Hong Kong.

I need to apply for a travel visa which will allow me to remain in Thailand for up to three months. The visa duration is two months, with an option to extend an additional thirty days. I am uncertain where I will go after Thailand.

Planning

With my time at work coming to a close I have been more attentive to the planning of my journey. 

I will remain at my position at the park district until a new person is hired and trained. I will be working Mon-Wed for the next month. 

My goal of leaving on 11/11/11 came surprisingly close.

I am unsure how long I want to travel for and if I should extend my journey to multiple places. The plan which looks most secure is to wander Thailand for a month and then return to my apartment in Urbana. 

Buying Time

Today I resigned from my job.

Bass

Practice

The musician seeks to let the music play the music, but he must practice a long time before that can happen.

- quote tacked to the cork board in my music room

Thailand II

I find I have no acceptable reason for extending my visa by more than thirty days. Student? Business? Visiting family? No. After the initial thirty days I am required to leave the country, and upon returning can receive a fifteen day extension. Border runs can supposedly be repeated indefinitely, but the cost and long journey would become a burden once the novelty waned.

Flying into Thailand is not as simple as I thought it would be. I did not know that most countries will not allow someone to arrive with a one way ticket. Because I do not know when I am to leave Thailand, or by what method (train, bus, plane), I do not want to tie myself to a date and place of departure. The cost of the ticket, ~$1200, is also more than I would like to pay, especially since flying to Costa Rica costs ~$450.

Because Thailand does not want tourists staying longer than thirty days, it may not fit my needs. The cost of border runs would deplete my savings faster than if I stayed at home.

I studied details of travel in Costa Rica and found things more encouraging - a ninety day visa and cheap airfare has Thailand beat. However, the cost of living in Costa Rica is equal to that of living in the USA.  Leaving my comfort zone and learning Spanish and immersing myself in a new culture can lead to positive growth. 

One of the reasons I want to visit Thailand is to learn about their Buddhist culture. I don't know anything about the religious culture in Costa Rica, but my initial guess is that the Buddhist tradition is not as strong as in the East.

Having a nice place to live in a beautiful town has me considering my best plan of action is no action. If my leisure time can be maximized by remaining in Urbana, then not leaving may be the best choice. 

To go or not to go?

Thailand

After making the decision to resign from my job on 11/11/11, the next step is to decide upon a destination. 

I have no desire to be anywhere in particular, so I wrote down the things which are important to me. Inexpensive, warm, somewhat safe and clean. That eliminated half the map and I am left with Central/South America and SE Asia. 

I have chosen Thailand as my initial point of arrival.

The next step is to acquire knowledge of the country, its laws, culture, popular towns and areas. 

I also need to plan logistics. Airline tickets, visas, what type of backpack to bring, what to put into the backpack, how to manage the initial thirty day period, border runs, departures to other countries. 

I will make an outline and checklist of things which need to be done.

I imagine it is similar to planning a battle. Something misunderstood, or missed, could bring defeat.

11:11

Last week I chose November 11 as the date of my departure. 

The next task is deciding upon a place. A world map is on the drawing table and every day I study it. With four months remaining I am on schedule for making an important change in my surroundings and circumstances.

Long

I sit before you,

the beauty I lusted for

no longer reflected against my eyes.

We hold each others gaze

for a long while,

reconciling time,

but no matter how I add the moments

they don't equal the empty death

which now bows before me.

You take it so well,

being still,

your faded yellows and

dried lines

out of tune with the

rotation of the sun.

I'd like to believe that my time

and yours,

are not of the same color and type -

that what you sense and remember is

just as rich and eventful....

and long -

with some ancient thing,

sitting still

beneath a flurry of stars,

believing the same of me.

I See the Buddha, The Buddha Sees Me....

Stone

Desire

Connection

Walking to Work

Walking to Work, Spring

Parking Lot

Parking Lot

Sunday

Morning Walk, Spring

Sunday

A small room eaten slowly by night -

piece by piece dissolving

until the only thing left

is sleep.

Spring Dream

On my walks to work I have been carrying the camera, the days have been a mixture of seasons, so many peculiar things to see....