Things he missed - Part 1, By Michele Smith

I think it is very appropriate to start my first post in typical Marty style- “So” I am sitting at Bangkok airport waiting for my next flight to Chaing Mai and sipping on a diet coke. There are a lot of people around but none of them seem to be anxious about the protesting in the area. Happy New Year Thai style by the way today too!

A few things in general…

We have basically completed the first leg of our trip in the land of sunshine and smiles. I think it is safe to say that we really had no expectations about the type of people we were going to meet; only the things we wanted to see. We have certainly seen our fair share of rain so the sun will be a nice visitor and there have been plenty of smiles everywhere. Thai people are some of the most friendly, gentle and generous people that I have met. From the first person who helped us out with our guesthouse in Phuket, Kaya, to the couple who drove us to the airport in Ko Samui and were telling us about how their savings had been stolen from their bedroom just yesterday, there have been pleasant hellos and outgoing good wishes.

The other travelers we have met along the way have been great too. It isn’t that hard for someone shy like me to meet people when everyone with a back pack on has at least one thing in common - traveling. During one of the power outages we were at a bar dancing by the beach. The music stopped but the couple hundred travelers kept the tunes going. We bust out in song together with transitions from one song to the next not noticing the power had not yet come back on. From Kings of Leon’s Sex on Fire to Ole, Ole, Ole to The Roof Is On Fire, we may not have sounded great but we were singing our hearts out.

Another thing that many of us have in common is our Thai tattoo. It ranges in size, usually oval in shape and has varying degree of shades, sometimes it requires a lot of gauze and cling wrap and other times it just needs a long swim in the ocean to keep it clean, some are permanent and others fade with time. Let me explain. It is fair to say the first time you ride any two wheel motorized device can be a little bit nerve wracking especially when you get thrown off the back of it when your driver is still “getting to know the bike” and has done an unexpected pop-a-wheelie. This was my experience and now I, like many other bandaged travelers around me, have my own Thai tattoo, the lasting effects of a fall off the bike and a limb brushing up against the tail pipe.

Lastly, probably Marty’s most intriguing and uncomfortable topic of the trip and the one a lot of you are very curious about, ladyboys! These boys make some of the most stunning women and definitely have thrown him and many of the other guys here off their game. Their approach has definitely changed when they start to hit on a cute Thai girl who may have slightly larger hands than others they have met. We have sat back and watched as the ladyboys have managed to capture the eye of an unsuspecting guy with there beauty and charm. Sadly, Marty has not yet fallen prey to a ladyboy but I will continue to monitor and keep you all informed when the snogging happens and it will!

(Marty’s edit: Neither has it come close to happening with me, nor will it! But Dave, on the other hand…jk buddy!)

(Parent Edit: Snogging is a british term for ‘frenching’)

Haha, gotta run. Our flight to Songkran is calling. Hope everyone is great! Missing ya!