My lovely Eva and I at a beachside restaurant on Ko Samed. Back from Thailand … And Oh, How I Missed You All!
After almost three weeks of wandering around Thailand, eating amazing food and getting some alone time with my lovely Eva, I’m back on Guam and back here at Zen Habits!
While I had an amazing time in Thailand, and truly enjoyed the break from blogging, it’s really great to be back, and I did suffer from blogging withdrawal. Having my daily discussion with all of you turns out to be addicting.
I Fell In Love With Thailand
So I could write a book on Thailand, but I won’t bore you with every last detail. Let’s just say that I really loved Thailand — so much so that actually considered living there for awhile. I spend most of my time in Bangkok, which is just an amazing city, so full of life and activity and incredible restaurants.
Of course, I’m just a small-town bumpkin, hailing as I do from a small tropical island where the capital city has only a few hundred actual residents. So a city like Bangkok, with its 8 million residents, is quite overwhelming for someone like me. My wife and I stared in awe at all the huge buildings, the crowded streets, the intensity of life, when we first entered the city. We spent most of our trip exploring Bangkok, and the more we did so, the more we realized we were only scratching the surface.
We also spent a little less than a week on a small island called Koh Samed, an island whose chief activity is tourism, and where there is nothing else to do but lay on the beach, eat, drink, swim, read, and be merry. We did all of the above, and lots of it. I really loved Koh Samed, and by the time I left the people who served the restaurants at our bungalows knew us for our frequent margarita orders. :) The sand is powdery white, the sea is jade, and the weather was perfect.
Bangkok isn’t so simple to describe, but I’ll offer a few highlights:
- Many of the streets are just filled with tiny stalls and carts, selling everything from clothes to souvenirs to electronics to DVDs to all kinds of Thai foods. The food is excellent. The DVDs are not.
- Bangkok has not only a big river going down the middle of it, but also numerous canals that until recent decades were one of the main thoroughfares of the city. We took a slow motorboat tour (just the two of us driven by an elderly gentleman) and saw some very interesting views of the city, missed by many tourists, though the canals.
- Bangkok is such an international city, and this is reflected in the people (every kind of language and accent fill the air) and in the wonderful food. We sample various kinds of Thai restaurants (from the fancy to the working-class diners) along with all kinds of European, Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern food and more.
- Great shopping, from luxury malls to gigantic outdoor markets to MBK, which can only be described as a cross between a mall and an outdoor market.
- The people are so interesting, from the overly friendly touts trying to get us to go places for lots of money, to the many nice people we met who are very generous when you show an interest in their country and culture.
Again, I could go on and on, but let’s just say I had an incredible time.
Most of all, I missed my six kids. We were heartbroken to be away from them for so long. We’re really babies when it comes to being separated from our babies. We actually cried for them on a few occasions.
Back to Zen Habits
I rarely got a chance to check in with Zen Habits while I was gone, as I didn’t take a laptop and only used the Internet every 3-5 days. But from what I’ve seen, everyone was very understanding of my absence, so thank you for your patience!
I’ve just started going through all your comments of the last several weeks, and it looks like it’ll take me quite awhile. But I’m looking forward to it! The “Ask the Readers” features, in particular, look like they’re filled with amazing input from all of you. So thank you for that!
I’m doing a lot of catch-up right now, with email and comments and administrative tasks, as well as with my house (we did a massive grocery trip today) and other errands. I’m also doing a bunch of revisions to my book manuscript.
However, I’ll be checking in as often as I can, so feel free to ask questions about my trip or the blog — I’ll do my best to answer, though if I don’t, please forgive me! :)
I’m glad to be back!
- Posted on 10 July 2008 in Aboutzenhabits |
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Comments (73)
Hugo Says:
July 10th, 2008, 8:21 am
It’s good to have you back!
I’m counting down to my vacation: 63 days to go!
Balfour Says:
July 10th, 2008, 8:25 am
Am I really the first commenter? Wow, welcome back. We missed you and have been wondering how your trip’s been going. Congratulations on your big trip–looks wonderful and great pix.
Jean Says:
July 10th, 2008, 8:46 am
Welcome back Leo and Eva!
You two are absolutely GLOWING :-)
Leo, it’s a real treat to witness your progress, not only with the ZH blog (at over 60,000 feeds!), but also the beautiful evolution of your personal wellbeing - health, relationships, etc.
Good to have you back!
:-)
Jean
Pete Says:
July 10th, 2008, 8:49 am
Amazing how your writing is taking you all over the world.
Congrats. It must be a wonderful feeling.
achu Says:
July 10th, 2008, 9:12 am
Your wife looks sexy!
Ben Says:
July 10th, 2008, 9:17 am
*You* look sexy…LOL ;-)
Marc and Angel Hack Life Says:
July 10th, 2008, 9:29 am
Sounds like a blast. We’re glad to have you back Leo! ;-)
Scott McIntyre Says:
July 10th, 2008, 9:43 am
Welcome back, Leo, and congratulations again to both you and your wife!
It sounds as if you, quite literally, experienced a little piece of heaven on Earth.
Now all you have to do is touch back down to reality again but, hopefully, you’ll keep some of the Far Eastern peace and tranquillity about you both for a very long time to come! :-)
Debs Says:
July 10th, 2008, 9:51 am
I spent a semester living in Thailand in college (Chiang Mai) and I still miss it.
Debs
Food Is Love
Kacper Says:
July 10th, 2008, 9:57 am
Great to see you back, Leo.
A trip to Thailand is one of the points I have on my wish/plans list. After reading your post, it immediately gained higher priority.
noodle Says:
July 10th, 2008, 10:04 am
Sounds like I great holiday! I’m going to Thailand for the first time at the end of the year - so if can recommend anything (especially in Bangkok) I would really appreciate it!
Regards,
Happy Steve Says:
July 10th, 2008, 10:33 am
Nice post and pictures! My wife and I will be going to Bangkok in six months for the first time ourselves. We are a tiny bit nervous since we’re inexperienced at being world-travelers, but this posts helps a lot. Glad ya had a wonderful time.
Glynn Says:
July 10th, 2008, 10:46 am
Welcome back Leo! Thailand looks great, I think I might have to check it out sometime. :-)
kaos Says:
July 10th, 2008, 10:48 am
Hi, welcome back, would you recommend that island for a work/relax retreat? do they have a good internet connection?
pavs Says:
July 10th, 2008, 10:50 am
Leo, nice to have to back!!
and good to see that you had a great time.
Slippery Jim Says:
July 10th, 2008, 10:54 am
Nice to have you back. And damn, your wife is hot! *lecherous grin*
You should come visit here in Scandinavia sometime, would be awesome…
Chutchapol Says:
July 10th, 2008, 11:37 am
Good to hear that you had a great time my country ^_^
Adam Fuhrer Says:
July 10th, 2008, 12:17 pm
Glad you back Leo!
I’m looking forward to future posts from you on Zen Habits :)
Evelyn Lim | Attraction Mind Map Says:
July 10th, 2008, 12:21 pm
Welcome back!
Thailand happens to be my favorite Asian country, apart from Singapore where I come from. The people are always smiling, saying hello in gentle tones. The shopping is great and best of all, the food cheap and yummy!!! The spas are excellent too!
However, I very much prefer to go to one of the many islands. Bangkok is far too crowded!
Glad you had a great time!
Evelyn
tsharp Says:
July 10th, 2008, 12:25 pm
Welcome back man, and if she is the mother of your kids I can’t tell you how lucky you are.
Samanta R. Says:
July 10th, 2008, 12:52 pm
Hello Leo!!
Welcome back! =)
Although I miss you, everything was going fine here - the guests posts were very good.
Hugs to you and you pretty wife from Brazil!
conceição Says:
July 10th, 2008, 13:31 pm
wellcame back to you and your wife.
TDC Says:
July 10th, 2008, 14:09 pm
Good to have you and your wife back safe and sound.
Sounds and looks like you had a wonderful time in Thailand. Makes me want to go myself just looking at your photos and reading your descriptions.
Eugene (Editor, Varsity Blah) Says:
July 10th, 2008, 14:24 pm
Welcome back! Sounds like you had a great time. There’s nothing like a little time away to really make you realize what’s important!
Andreas Rilinger Says:
July 10th, 2008, 15:02 pm
Hello Leo, welcome back from Thailand. Thanks for the pics.
The good thing about holidays is.. it’s fun and to be back is great as well. So welcome back.
Leo Says:
July 10th, 2008, 15:17 pm
Thanks so much, everyone, for the kind words and the warm welcome back! :)
It’s good to be back.
@noodle: Recommendations for Thailand? Well, it really depends on your budget and what you’re looking for. I would avoid Khaosan Road, except just to see what it’s like briefly, as it is full of nothing but foreigners (non-Thais), all of them backpackers. If that’s your scene, you’ll find plenty of that there.
Otherwise, the Grand Palace/Emerald Buddha are unavoidable (ignore the scammers who say it’s closed), Chatuchak Weekend Market is overwhelmingly cool, MBK shopping mall is an interesting mall experience, take a canal tour if you have time, definitely eat at street stalls for cheap but authentic eats, and otherwise try to get off the beaten path (and ignore the tuk-tuk drivers — the motorcycle taxi drivers who want to rip you off).
@kaos: I would definitely recommend Ko Samed for a relaxing retreat. Many of the more popular islands in Thailand, from what I understand, are becoming very crowded, but while Ko Samed has nothing but tourists, you can still find some relatively isolated and very pretty beaches to relax on. I’m not sure about work retreat — there’s not much in terms of Internet. Naga Bungalows has a room where you can use Internet for fairly cheap, but it’s a common room and you probably wouldn’t want to do too much work there. I went there twice to make long-distance calls and check Internet. Sue Wild at Naga Bungalows is a cool character, fun to talk to. :)
BoxingKid Says:
July 10th, 2008, 15:25 pm
Welcome back safe! look fwd to Your updates!
Lorenzo Flores Says:
July 10th, 2008, 15:31 pm
Yay! I’m surprised by how much I missed the frequent posts from you Leo. Welcome back to the whole blog world do-hickey. And thanks for sharing in your experiences from your trip to Thailand!
DugMugg Says:
July 10th, 2008, 15:59 pm
Welcome back, Leo. Glad you Eva had such a good time.
Travelling always gives me a fresh perspective. Getting away from my home turf and seeing how other people live always helps me see things in a different way when I return home. Did you have any experiences like that? Any new directions that you’re thinking about?
I have Zen Fever! Says:
July 10th, 2008, 16:18 pm
Welcome back Leo. I’m your new Fan. Great Blog you have.
Kaled Asmri Says:
July 10th, 2008, 17:23 pm
Hey Leo… welcome back.
That’s the East and its magic. Nice photos by the way.
- Kaled.
Leo Says:
July 10th, 2008, 17:55 pm
@DugMug: You’re very right. Being in a foreign country definitely gave me a fresh perspective on things. I began to see that the way we do things in the U.S. isn’t necessarily the only (or the best) way to do things — stuff we normally take for granted, like how or what we eat, how we relate to others, etc. It’s also given me some new ideas as a blogger and a writer.
Kelly@SHE-POWER Says:
July 10th, 2008, 18:54 pm
I love Bangkok - it is a city that has a pulsating life of its own. I’ve been a couple of times and getting right down into the city and the markets and seeing how everyone lives is a fascinating and humbling experience.
The pollution can be a problem, but most of the time I was just too busy sucking it all in. I actually found it has many similarities to Mexico City actually. So many people can’t get past the poverty, over population and smog of these great cities, but that means they miss out on the wonderful people and the unique energy of two places I always say have the best and the worst of everything. Bangkok is life. Ugly. Beautiful. Exciting. Sad.
Glad you had a great time. You’re making me want to go book a trip to thailand now. My husband has never been and it’s our 10 year wedding anniversary at the end of the year. Hmm…….
Kelly
Richard Says:
July 10th, 2008, 20:43 pm
Welcome back, Leo!
Thailand is great. Luckily enough, I have lived here in Thailand for the last 6 years and have a Thai wife and little boy… Maybe next time you are over this side of the pond you can let me know… and that goes for any other Zen Habits readers :-)
Take care and keep up the great work.
Vern at AimforAwesome Says:
July 10th, 2008, 20:56 pm
Ko Samet is an amazing place… I’m glad you saw it! Thailand is really filled with so many cool places to see - and to live that I haven’t even scratched the surface yet and it’s been 45 months for me!
Next time you come zap me an email or chat and I can recommend so many things to do - depending on what you’re up for during the trip.
That offer is open to any readers that are considering Thailand as a destination.
It’s a an amazing place not only the scenery, and the food… the people really are quite easy to get along with and there’s a good reason it’s called the “Land of Smiles”!
Good to have you back, looking forward to seeing your photos of TH in a second here… :)
Mary Says:
July 10th, 2008, 21:53 pm
My daughter and I are going to Japan (to celebrate her high school graduation) next summer. We’ve been planning and saving for three years, so I’m really looking forward to it.
Sounds like you had a wonderful time. You and your wife are a lovely couple and it’s great that you could have a nice getaway. :)
a.g. Says:
July 10th, 2008, 22:58 pm
Welcome back Leo! Thailand is a great place and from the sounds of it you had fun..
just curious, what kind of food did you eat at Cyan?
mark Says:
July 10th, 2008, 23:20 pm
Hey - Welcome back Leo! Man, you look thin in that picture…
All the best as you guys move on from your honeymoon.
Elvis Yang Says:
July 11th, 2008, 0:11 am
Hi, Leo.
It is my very first time to leave a message here in your blog, though many times of visiting before. Your blog looks wonderful and it always brings something new to me. i like it, really.
In addition, as we all known, Olympic is around the corner. i wanna give my warm welcome to you if there is any chance to visit my country, China. Do take care.
Rahul Says:
July 11th, 2008, 0:15 am
So jealous of you Leo, great pics and great to hear you are well. Looking forward to your new writings!
Leo Sebastian Says:
July 11th, 2008, 0:28 am
Hey Leo,
Grt photo. Glad to see that you enjoyed your little break at thailand. I hail from Kerala, India and if you ever wish to visit India, do let me know. Would be glad to show you around.
Egirl Says:
July 11th, 2008, 1:08 am
Thanks for sharing the pics of Thailand . . . I really enjoyed seeing them. Welcome back!
Alexa Says:
July 11th, 2008, 2:04 am
Wow, who knew Leo’s wife looked like a supermodel? Welcome back!
Miss Gisele B | myBeautyMatch.com Says:
July 11th, 2008, 6:09 am
Welcome back Leo. We, who are the regular readers of your Blog, missed you a lot. Thanks for sharing your honeymoon pictures. You and your wife are just made for each other.
Andrew Scotchmer Says:
July 11th, 2008, 6:26 am
Thailand is a place I’ve always wanted to visit. My wife has been and loved it, especially the food, but the only oriental country I’ve visited is Japan to meet the in-laws (so I doubt that can be classed as a holiday somehow).
Anyway great to see you back and with seeing those great photo’s its almost as good as going myself. Glad you had a great honeymoon.
vered Says:
July 11th, 2008, 8:30 am
Welcome back!
You just made me add Thailand to my (ever-growing) list of places to visit before I die. :)
Stephen Smith Says:
July 11th, 2008, 9:28 am
That settles it, Leo. I am going to put Thailand back on my list! Perhaps I’ll drop in on you on my way over!
katrin Says:
July 11th, 2008, 9:33 am
I would soooooo love to hit the road and take some exciting “time-outs” like you have done! Cool.
Jenny Says:
July 11th, 2008, 12:03 pm
Wow. I’m a noob here and love what I’m reading. The world has so many places to experience. I hope to get to Thailand soon as my friend has several weeks saved up from her time share in Chiang Mai! My other podcasting buddy just got back from studying with Mantak Chia of Universal Healing Tao too and she said it was amazing.
Joseph S. Says:
July 11th, 2008, 12:37 pm
Farewell, looking forward to your next trip to Bangkok. Seem like you two did enjoy the Thailand trip,but I’m still stucked here for at least two year on a project. If you forget anything or like to get something that you like from here, Bangkok, may be I can help.
Welcome back, looking forward to your update at Zenhabit.
Piankeshaw Says:
July 11th, 2008, 14:20 pm
Hey, Leo!!! Glad you are back and that you had a great time. I know that I certainly missed you. Thanks for making us a part of your life. That is one of the many things that I enjoy about your blog. You are not some anonymous person, but very real. You don’t just give us the highlights of your life, but also the set-backs.
I had an idea for a blog for you while you were gone: The Zen of NO. As a social worker, that seems to be extraordinarily difficult for some people; saying NO. NO can be very empowering!! NO can also help you focus on what is important and not scatter all your energy. NO can stop you from enabling others in their bad habits. NO can help you set boundaries with your children and loved ones.
Just a thought……
Rahul Says:
July 11th, 2008, 14:52 pm
Leo, I am curious to know if Thailand is somewhere someone can enjoy going to relax on a lighter budget. Thanks for the advice!
kekilia Says:
July 11th, 2008, 17:10 pm
Welcome back, Leo!
unstuffed Says:
July 12th, 2008, 7:07 am
Good to hear from you again, Leo, and glad you enjoyed your honeymoon: you and Eva look like a perfect couple. I hope the fortune-teller told her lots of good things!
Haven’t been to Thailand myself, but it looks like a fascinating place. If you want to relive some of the magic, or learn more about the place, you might want to watch some Thai films: Thailand has a small but flourishing cinema industry, and has produced some beautiful films. Check out Beautiful Boxer for a really touching true-life story, Last Life In The Universe for another tranquil and lovely film (with moments of weird), and Iron Ladies for a fun true-life sports flick. (Disclosure: I wrote one of the above reviews myself. But it’s still a great film!)
chris Says:
July 12th, 2008, 19:33 pm
Great to have you back! I can relate with the blogging withdrawal thing. I’ve been traveling quite a bit this summer and now I’m currently out of US. Being away however gives you a new perspective in life.
I’m looking forward to your new materials.
Jennifer Lyall Says:
July 12th, 2008, 21:22 pm
I’m glad you had a wonderful time. I love how you painted a picture of Thailand for us.
Adrian Says:
July 13th, 2008, 8:22 am
I’m in Thailand myself right now. Today in Phuket , tomorrow who knows.
I’ve been to Bangkok aswell and I’d skip the Grand Palace , it’s a rip off (in my opinion) compared to the cheaper Wat Pho (with the reclining Buda) and Wat Arun (with impressive views of Bangkok if you’re not afraid of heights).
If you consider MBK astonishing next time try Pratunam market next to Platinum Shopping Centre. The guys @ MBK buy their stuff from Pratunam so just imagine the $$ savings.
BTW legit DVDs in Thailand are really cheap, I’m not sure those are full versions but I’d think so. Latest titles were really cheap like 200B for Rambo 4 or Vanishing Point for 130B. These are official releases, they have to lower the prices to compete with the pirated dvds.
Also if into computers or just for the fun of it I’d have suggested Pantip Plaza just to see all those gadgets on the flood.
satish Says:
July 13th, 2008, 10:48 am
Welcome back Leo. Saw our pics, you people had a great time :)
Looking forward to some articles now :)
Rickard Says:
July 13th, 2008, 22:12 pm
Hi Leo. Have been reading your blog for a while now and I really like it. Lots of great stuff.
Since you seem to think a lot about life, I am a bit curious how your thoughts went when you wrote that you considered living in Thailand. Only for a short time, or for many years? What about your family? Would they go to? Or was your plan to go there like for retirement?
I am curious because I am facing maybe moving to another country, and one of the problems for me is that I feel that my family will be too far away if I move.
Looking forward to reading more great posts from you.
pistolette Says:
July 14th, 2008, 8:52 am
I really wish your wife would do a guest post on how she stays so gorgeous after having all those kids! A mom like me could use info like that :-)
otomo Says:
July 14th, 2008, 11:34 am
I was in Thailand last year and fell in love with the country too. Interesting lesson I learned: The more tourists are in an area and the more money is circulating the more you become just that for the people: a bag of money. The good virtues in people tend to vanish where tourists concentrate.
Lauren Says:
July 14th, 2008, 14:28 pm
I am SOOOO jealous of your trip! My hubby and I have befriended the owners of a local Thai restuarant. We play cards with them once a week and they are showing us how to cook. We hope to someday go to Thailand with them! Thanks for sharing!
PS - some Thais find the budda pictures with people offensive…
Debby Phillips Says:
July 14th, 2008, 15:56 pm
Thailand sounds like an amazing place to vacation to! I hope you post more pictures and stories from your trip.
b Says:
August 5th, 2008, 11:07 am
damn, your girl is foine as hell
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