"NOTHING LIKE PEEING IN A TROUGH IN SANDALS"

Sitting here on the ferry from Phuket to Ko Phi Phi with Eric, Dlug and Yasmin.

We spent just one night in Phuket and now have two more in Phi Phi. After that, my pals head home and I to Laos.

Prior to Phuket we stayed two nights in the Mandarin Oriental in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. This was, without question, the finest hotel I've ever stayed in. Between the four of us we had two, 2,000 square foot, multi-level villas with back decks and inset jacuzzis.

The resort was simply ridiculous. Way, way, way more staff than guests. Could have stayed a full week.

A quick bullet point rundown of our activities over the past week:

-visited the world's largest reclining buddha

-viewed a local (cough cough) table tennis event in Bangkok

-had both a three-hour massage AND a "four handed" massage

-saw "Dark Knight" at the Bangkok IMAX

-rode an elephant

-listened to an Alaskan "hockey Mom" tell me how she's the second most qualified American to be President

-attended Thai boxing matches (where Dlug made the comment in the heading of the posting)

-avoided trouble in a city under an official "State of Emergency"

-spent 10 hours over two days in an internet cafe booking upcoming hotels and flights

-avoided shaving (going on two weeks)

After Dlug/Eric/Yas depart I don't have any friends firmly scheduled to meet me for a long time. Someone come over here and keep me from getting lonely!!