Sa wat dii, khrup! (The generic Thai greeting for ye, the uneducated to our ways)
Everything is going pretty well here in Thailand. I've been doing a little traveling since my last post, so this one will get everyone up to date. Here we go:
(These aren't in chronological order, but blogger.com doesn't load them in the order that you put them in, and I'm too lazy to take the time to do so... so this will have to work.)
We'll start with Cambodia. It's a country that borders the southeast side of Thailand. My visa requires that I leave the country every 90 days, so this was my first "visa run." It also marks my trip being a third of the way over. (Bittersweet, I guess.) We took a bus down to Bangkok, hung around there for the afternoon till our flight, and flew to the capitol. We chilled there for a few days, then took a bus to Siem Riep. (Where all the famous ancient temples are.) Stayed there for a couple days, then back to the capitol to fly back "home."
Well here's the pictures and stories:
This is my new monkey-friend, "Herbert." Herb showed me how to open a coconut with my teeth, and we enjoyed our lunch under a tree by Angkor Wat. I miss him.
Gas is expensive here, too.
My marketer side found this interesting... almost all of the nicer SUVs have the brand name printed on the side; "Lexus, Land Cruiser, Toyota." I'm not sure why.
Strange tree.
This is the place we stayed at in Phenom Phen. (the capitol) "The Okay Guest House." I was a little apprehensive at first. (I thought maybe we should have sprung for the "pretty decent" or "better-than-average" guest house.) But it was actually really cool. I got spoiled to a soft bed and a hot shower for a whole week! They also have the little book for each room number. You just write down whatever you eat or drink from the cooler and pay for everything when you leave... on the honor system! Wow.
They had a really cool fountain set up in the garden area downtown. One night, there was a big lights/fountain show. There were tons of locals there and the music was a pretty good mix of classical and techno. This gave me a chance to play with some settings on the camera and get some "artsy fartsy" shots.
At my insistance, we went to the shooting range. (aka... the military base where you pay the soldiers to let you shoot the guns.) They'd let you shoot anything on the wall. (including the bazooka) if they have ammo. The only thing they had ammo for was the AK-47, the Tommy gun, and the M-60 heavy machine gun. I went with the fully-auto AK-47 because it was the cheapest. I really wanted to empty the 100-round clip of an M-60 in one long burst, but didn't have $120 to drop on that. :(
One day we took a boat out to a floating village outside of Siem Riep. It was on a flood-plain of the largest fresh water lake in the world. During rainy season, the whole area floods and they use boats to get around everywhere. (kinda like a really dirty Venice)
There was tons of this stuff floating around. It's a spice called "morning glory leaf." They use this a lot in Thai cooking.
Chillaxin' in big bowl.
Ben and I wanted to go swimming with the little kids.
Reason #1 we didn't go swimming.
Reason #2 we didn't go swimming.
Open propeller on a long-tail boat. I hope they don't hit a bump or anything... poor kid.
Too cute.
This was the "floating forest." You could rent a kayak and go explore around here by yourself, but we didn't have time. :(
Our state-of-the-art boat.
OK... now we get to what I like to call "Wat-ville." A wat is an Asian (for the most part Buddhist) temple. Some of these were so old they were actually a cross between a Hindu and a Buddhist temple. The main one was Angkor Wat. If you're really interested in the history, Google it! ha.... I'll save the time for those who really don't care. :) Suffice it to say that Angkor Wat is considered one of the travel wonders of the world and a man-made wonder of the world.
Here's the front view of Angkor Wat and the huge stone bridge going to the main entrance. The temple was built facing West (probably because it was a mausoleum for some random king), so the sunrise coming up over the back is supposed to be amazing. I was on vacation, so we never made it up that early. :)
This was the massive moat surrounding the whole area.
Here's one of the reasons why. Its all stone and pretty much every square inch (or cm... excuse me) is covered with hand carved designs like this and sculptures.
"Buddha, Buddha, Buddha, Buddha rockin' everywhere! Rockin' everywhere..."
Here's a couple shots of Herbert. I asked him if he wanted to come back to America with me, but he was happy to just eat his fruit and have rabies in Cambodia. :(
Inside Angkor Wat... the bottom part used to be a big pool. Imagine this painted, gilded, etc. with a pool of clean water... I bet this would've been a pretty impressive place.
Check the detail... even the pillars in the windows were all hand-carved with designs everywhere. There were thousands and thousands of these.
They had to put up metal screen over the walkways inside... you can see why. Its falling apart a little more every day.
There were several temples in the area, but Angkor was the only one that's really been kept up throughout the centuries. But even it's been there long enough that some of the stone has crumbled enough that trees can start to grow on TOP of it.This one was my favorite temple we saw. (Ta Prohm) If you've ever seen the movie Tomb Raider, this was the temple they used to film parts of that movie.
This truly was amazing to see. Here's this huge temple with this even huger tree growing on top of it! With the roots going through the roof, windows, doorways, etc. Who knows how old this was. (The tourists kept flocking here like the salmon of Cappestrano... so I had to wait quite a while to get a shot without people in it.
"Hey uh... guy in the red shirt, I think they have the ropes around the ancient monument for a reason." How uncool... I sure hope he wasn't American.
More tree/rock stuff.
No ropes around these areas = feel free to pose for pictures.
Lots of the temples around the area are under renovation... so there were stones laying around everywhere. Oh yea... keep in mind when these temples were built, each stone was transported by bamboo raft from a quarry over 200 km away.
This was pretty incredible for 2 reasons:#1 - they actually let you climb these ancient temples. (at your own risk... very steep)
#2 - they actually let you climb these ancient temples. (doubtlessly harming the integrity of them)... but on the other hand, they've made it this far.
Some of Herb's friends... they weren't as nice though. One grabbed my leg... which was cool until he looked like he wanted to gnaw on it. I had to give him a swift kick to avoid any diseases.
The was Bayon... yet another stone temple.
I think this fella might be taking the whole Asian tourism thing a little far... 
"I... LIKE... BIG... BUTTS and I cannot lie! You other brothers can't deny..."Sorry to shift gears to something a little sad, but here goes:
Quick history lesson: In the 1970's in the wake of Vietnam, a radical Communist group known as the Khmer Rogue revolted and came to power in Cambodia. Their essential goal was to make everyone in the country a peasant. The only thing that was important was growing rice. So... they marched through Phenom Phen and forced EVERYONE to leave. Those who were highly educated, teachers, scientists, doctors, anyone like that... were seen as traitors... and tortured and executed. It was very sobering to see how a genocide like this could happen in the modern world and nobody take notice or help.
[I didn't take a whole lot of pictures, but here's what I did... the world should remember.]
This was S-21. Before the "revolution", it was a high school. It was converted into a torture/interrogation facility for "traitors."
Blood still stained the tile floors.
These were the shackles left there. Men, women, and children alike were all shackled to the floor and treated in the most inhumane ways immaginable. I'll spare the details... the exhibit did not. 
Classrooms converted into crude, small prison cells.
This was at the "killing fields" a few kilos outside of Phenom Phen where Cambodia's educated men, wives, and children were killed. Mostly by blunt objects, knives, hoes, shovels, etc. Bullets were too expensive. This monument housed thousands of skulls excavated from the area.
All of the mass graves have not been excavated yet. This piece of human bone was sticking out in the path where tourists walk. 
To add to the depression of the day, these cute little kids stopped us by one of the signs wanting to talk, take a picture, etc. Then after we took the picture, they all started with "I wan' some moooney. We're huuungry, etc." :(
Well, now that everyone's good and depressed, let's continue with some fun shots from Cambodia!
The high-tech rural gas station.
Roadside Scotch bar? Nope... the not-so-high-tech rural gas station.
We were walking down the sidewalk just beeboppin' along minding our own business... and this military guy makes us go to the other side of the road. Confused, we keep going along our merry way. Then we see this escorted caravan go by... the King was leaving the palace! So we got to see the King of Cambodia... well... at least his black car.
Pretty neat big yard clock downtown.
Probably the coldest beer I've ever seen. Beerlao (the beer from the neighboring country of Laos) is definitely my favorite import by the way.
The Cambodia currency (riel) is very weak. 4,000 riel equals $1. So pretty much everything here operates on American currency and they use riel as change. (You can't use American change, though... just bills.) However, make sure you bring crisp, new bills if you come. This ten wasn't good enough for our tuk-tuk driver. Exchange places won't take old, torn bills from Cambodians. (Maybe a counterfeit problem or something)
If I've learned one thing in Asia, it's this: "Never underestimate the versatility of a motorbike." 
The chain kept coming off our tuk-tuk. Speaking of tuk-tuks... if you are white, and in Cambodia, you will get asked at least 200 times a day if you need one. I still hear it in my sleep, "Tuk-tuk? Sir! tuk-tuk? Hello, my friend! tuk-tuk?" 
"At ease soldier! We all make mistakes."
Quality Cambodian roads.Well that about covers Cambodia. Other highlights without pictures: the fantastic French food on the Sabbath, Khmer food - esp. Amok Chicken, the crazy bus ride from Siem Riep (which was actually pretty terrible), the 2-hour massage (I've never been so relaxed in my life... from now on, its 2 hrs or nothing), and the Indian food.
Worst thing: Not only do they charge you $20 to enter the country. They charge you an EXIT tax of $25!!! Ridiculous.
Here's a few interesting shots from around Bangkok. We just rode around the sky train thing and walked around the malls and market until our flight.
Escalators in a mall. THAT's modern Thailand for you. 
I didn't know Pepsi had their own clothing and jeans line.
I thought that was a pretty good bathroom sign.
This was at the mall I had no business in. Gucci, Armani, Prada... it's all there.
Here was something I COULD afford... milk tea. 
Pink taxi. Colors don't really have the same implications here. Thai guys walk around with pink flip-flops and shorts without a second thought.
Unfortunately, though... this is what I think of when I think of Bangkok. Dirty, crowded, polluted.
Back in Chiang Mai...
A view of the night market from the top of the Starbucks at Tae Pae gate by the city moat. 
The super-humid climate here produces a lot of rainbows. I guess its good for something besides ruining my mahogony guitar... grrr...
Really...?
Well I mentioned to some of you that I'd be helping a friend get a Thai cooking school started with my "expertise" in marketing. So we did! This was the first trial-run of the class. We were her "farang guinea pigs." It was so much fun! I learned a lot, too... so some of you may be lucky enough to get some red curry, som tom, etc. when I get home.
Whippin' up some mangos and sticky rice. Arawy mak! (very delicious)
Part of the class is a tour of the fresh market. So you go to the market, buy all fresh ingredients, etc.
Thanks for stickin' your neck out for me... I owe ya' one.
Chicken foot soup?
"No sleeping while driving..." Thanks for the advice.
That's a fat frog.
The beginning stages of a tiny cocoon.
The Queen's birthday is a holiday here, so we had the day off school. I went with one of my students to Chiang Mai and gave blood (which was an experience... the only foreigner there at a blood drive of thousands... I met the governor and did a brief videotaped interview with him while the needle was still in my arm draining me of my life oil.) then went to a botanical gardens. Here's a few shots of that... it was beautiful.
Me and Buut. (the student I went with) wait, wait -- I'm an English teacher now..."Buut and I. (The student with whom I went.)
My favorite flower in Thailand.
A few weeks before Cambodia... Elaina, Erika, and I went to the mountains to a town called Mae Hong Son. There was a Queen's project school up there for hill tribe students. We went up there to meet with the headmaster, swap some ideas, see what our students' lower education was like, etc. It was a great trip. They treated us like royalty! :)
This was a pretty crazy "tuk-tuk" (motorcycle taxi hybrid things used all over Asia) that I saw in Pie ("bye"). Pie is a little backpacker tourist town in the mountains half way to Mae Hong Son.
Scenery on the way. I wish I could've got a lot more, but the roads were extremely steep and windy, so we couldn't really stop to take pictures. And most don't turn out well from the back of a moving truck. I plan on taking a motorcycle trip up there sometime again so I can go at my leisure. Streams, rivers, and waterfalls were everywhere.
We weren't actually planning on doing any teaching, but they asked us pretty adamantly. A big problem with English education in Asia is that all the teachers are Asian. So when an Asian teacher with the heavy accent is taught by an Asian teacher (who is taught...etc.), pronunciation gets way off. So they take every possible opportunity to let a "farang" teach pronunciation.
"Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes!"
This was one of the classes we taught. They wanted to ask us questions, too. Mostly: "What's your favorite food? Do you have a girlfriend? Do you have a boyfriend? etc."
I couldn't help but giggle at the donkey just trottin' along the street in this village headed somewhere with a purpose all by his lonesome.
It was still rainy season, so it literally rained every day... almost all day. When it wasn't raining, there was a visible mist around somewhere. Kinda like living in the clouds!
Bamboo bench - it's about as comfortable as it looks.
Chicken house built over a fish pond. I thought this was pretty smart. The chicken house has a wire bottom, so the chicken poo falls through to feed the fish. No cleaning out the chicken house, don't bother buying fish food... brilliant!
Doesn't necessarily make for the cleanest water, though, I guess.
We took a browse through their library, and this gave me a chuckle. --Newsflash --... maybe I'm a little immature.
For my ladies out there... :) Flowers from the mountains.
Once again... back in Chiang Mai:
Out with Tamara... a visitor from Australia. She was a lot of fun... fantastic accent! :)
So we read Charlotte's Web in my English class. One day, La Nu Nan (one of my students) brings in a plastic jar and dumps this monster on the table saying, "Ajan... see Charlotte didn't die!"
Legacy cheerleaders
"Ok... we're gonna switch it up a little bit..." 
"Look dude... you've GOT to stay back on defense..." 
All gas stations here are full service. They even put this little thing up there on your hood so if you want any goodies they'll run and get it for you... don't even have to leave your car!
Skype... super-cheap or free, easy to use... I should probably use it more than I do. I'll try to do better Mom and Pops!:)I hope all is well back home! I sure miss everybody. Thanks to those of you who keep in touch as always.
From what little news I see from the States here, it looks like times are always getting tougher. Hurricanes seem to be getting stronger and more frequent. Terrible crimes happen every day. Gas prices rise. Corruption and sin seems to take over every aspect of our culture. This seems to be the trend of the world, and there's really no reason to suspect that it'll ever get better until the return of Jesus Christ. We all pray for that day to come soon. So what can we do is such rough times?
James 4:7-8 - "Therfore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
It's SO easy to get sucked into the cares of this world that are not of God. I'm as guilty (and probably way more so) as the next guy. We all are. But the harder we try, the easier it gets. The more faith we have, the easier that faith comes.
Much love from the other side of the world,
Nathan Kimmons - Chiang Mai, Thailand
p.s. - Our headmaster, Leon Sexton, is in the hospital in Bangkok with pnemonia. He's been there for almost two weeks and had a stroke while there. He's slowly showing signs of improvement, but we are all still very worried. Legacy (my school) is pretty much his brainchild. He does so much for this part of the world with education and spreading the word of God. Please keep him in your prayers.
