An American in Thailand

My dear friend Jimmy, who is studying abroad in New Zealand this year, has just returned home from a solo-trek across Thailand. The photos of his journey have been haunting me, so I decided to ask him a few quesions about his jaunt into the wild unknown of Southeast Asia.

What was the most heart-stoppingly beautiful moment you experienced in Thailand?

"I was standing on this white sand beach on the island of Koh Samui with miles of green water stretching out in front of me, the outline of mountains in the distance. Like a perfect scene in a movie, a single guy on an old wooden fishing barge floated past, across the panorama of it all. I didn't have my camera, but I'll always remember that moment."

The most ridiculously frustrating or hilarious moment?

"I've never once been able to avoid getting ripped off in foreign countries. Maybe it's the baby blue eyes and blond hair. This time I was determined, and I rarely put up with it from the cab drivers. But a few days before I left, I met my match. A taxi driver taking me across Bangkok from Sukhumvit in the New City to a tailor in the old city turned off his meter half way through the journey and charged me 700 Baht (about 17 US Dollars) to take me back to my hotel. I was so furious for some reason... I knew I'd been gotten again."


The tuk tuk driver who screwed me over. ^^

What was the tastiest thing you ate?

"I wish I could write a long descriptive poem of food exploits - a few of which I did have - but my favorite thing the whole trip was this non-fat yogurt with lychees in it that I bought at a supermarket called Tesco Lotus. I wish I remembered the brand."

Did you have an encounter with a person while you were on the road that really stuck with you?

"I bought a pair of copper statues from this woman at a goldsmith in Chiang Mai. We got to talking about my travels and after a few moments she got really quiet and said, "I would like to travel someday." It must have been programming, but I imagined she must have wanted to go to Europe or America, so I asked where she dreams of visiting. "Tibet," she said. It really stuck with me for some reason. I hope she gets there."

The Grand Palace Temple:






Bangkok:







You can visit Jimmy's fabulous design blog at the interior mind