Chinasia

After Bangkok, we fly south and I have a few day stop over on an island called Kho Phangan. This island is known for its crazy parties on the full moon, which happened to fit into our schedule. We arrived a few days prior because the rooms often fill up quick and I get partied-out a few days too early. I decide to leave before the full moon shabang. A boat carried me to my current location of Koh Tao - an island known for its cheap scuba diving courses and beautiful dive sites. How many opportunities do you get to dive for really cheap? A few days after arriving, I am now a PADI certified diver and have come to understand myself a bit better: I am part fish.

Reasons I am part fish:
- was one of the quicker scuba learners in my instructor's 6 years of teaching

- my nitrogen narcosis mind-clarity test proved I think more quickly while at depth

- I find that temporarily being without a mask and regulator while 18 meters underwater is actually enjoyable.

- I am either a step forward or backward in evolutionary process. In any case, as seen in the picture below, this seals the deal.

Part of my elective courses was underwater photography, which is why I was able to get these pics. I also posted some more on my yahoo photo album:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/spainsharp/album?.dir=/f1c8scd

Bangkok held a lot of new things. Most people treat it as a mere stop over, but there was much more to be explored. For the sake of time, I will limit my explanation to one story. There is a place notorious for sleeze and sexual confusion called Nana Plaza. Three floors of neon lit bars with a bar-filled courtyard in the middle. Approaching one of these colorful bars we were greeted by a hefty ladyboy ('ladyboy' defined: once a man, decided to switch, may or may not have had an operation to 'complete the transformation'), hugs and all. We laugh as she tries to coax us into his/her bar "only to look, no charge". I figure that I've got nothing to lose and cave after a few minutes. With the hefty ladyboy's arm over my shoulder (not by choice really), I pass through the curtain being held open at the entrance. No fewer than 5 beautiful bikini clad women stand right inside the door, with tons more dancing around on elevated stages. This is what is known as a go-go bar. I stood just a few feet from the entrance after deciding that going any further might jeopardize an exit. The beautiful bodies gather around and proceed to bombard me with typical 'working women' one liners like "war yew fram?" and "wach yew nam?". With a smile, I politely answer a few of their questions. It didn't take too long before these friendly young ladies got a bit more bold. Multiple sets of unusually large women's hands were reaching for the middle section of my shorts. Batting their hands away didn't seem to discourage them, and a few break my shield momentarily. It was time to leave. With a wave and an "adios" I turned around and walked back through the curtain which I had entered only a minute before. Just outside was an Omanian (from Oman) sitting at a bar. He sees me lightly laughing and it is obvious he knows what has just happened. His english is good and we chat for a while. I learn that the particular bar I was just in, the one full of beautiful women, didn't technically have any women in it. Yep, 100% ladyboys. I don't know what messed with my head more, the fact that sex changes are so commonplace and accepted, or the fact that I found some of the final products quite attractive. The picture below is one of the many sexually deceptive 'working people'.