5/31/03, Bangkok, Thailand — I arrived here in Bangkok just after midnight last night and managed to get myself, the Holy Skinkmobile and all of my stuff from the airport to town at that late hour with no problems. This was actually easier than hauling everything through the London underground at rush hour.

I am now occupying the presidential suite at the fabulous Sawasdee Khao San inn in Bangkok’s exclusive Khao San Road. This is where the Pope stays when he comes to Thailand. The regal surroundings actually have more quaint old world charm than Pancho’s Motel.

I’ve started trying to get acclimated to the heat over here, and today I walked all the way from Khao San Road to Pat Pong Street. This took 4 hours and 8 water stops. I am now dehydrated and have blisters on my feet, but I am making a start at getting accustomed to this heat.

I still haven’t decided for sure just how far north from here I want to go before I start to peddle the Holy Skinkmobile south to Singapore. I will probably stick with my original plan and take a train from here to Cambodia in a few days, after I’ve done some more sightseeing here. I might also go a little farther and start somewhere in Laos.

Talk to ya later,

Bill

10/2/99 — I am due to turn in the bike soon, and after these roads and traffic it will be nice to take buses and trains for a change. I’m hoping that within a month or so my adrenalin level will be down to that of a kamikaze pilot.

Only a few more major stops in India, then back to Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. I should be back in five or six weeks. After resting up for a month or so I still want to point my handlebars south for a nice, leisurely, safe ride to Costa Rica, to rest up and read all I can find about the stock and mutual fund markets. I have a few hobbies I want to get into, and I need to plan my next great adventure.

I still have a love-hate relationship with India. Next time I come back I won’t just rent a bike and go in almost any direction; I’ll research a few places that I think I might like and go by train or bus.

See you in a month or two.

Love,

Bill

8/11/99 — “On the flight from Osaka I met a very interesting mushroom-munching Arab gentleman who, even though I am a heathen and an infidel, was kind enough to show me a part of Bangkok that I had not seen on previous trips. Bangkok actually has an equivalent to Telegraph Ave., although it is not nearly as influenced by the Christian right wing conservatives.

“I am going to spend a couple of days here absorbing the local culture before I move on to Calcutta to skinny dip in the Ganges and hopefully get a motorcycle. I think I have a scheme where I can get a bike there for very little cost, and dirt bike climbing Mt. Everest will be the ride of a lifetime, if I can pull it off.

“…don’t worry, I brought my lucky rabbit’s foot and a four leaf clover, and just to be safe have bought a charm blessed by Lord Bushnahara.

“I’ll write again soon.”

Bill

King of the Jungle