So much happens in a day, it's hard to keep up. I feel bad about not doing justice to the things I'd like to share with my words, but try to remind myself that something is better than nothing. Please just keep in mind as you read this that you're only getting a taste of this experience, and a bland one at that. So much happens from moment to moment that I get to share and enjoy with Jeanie, and that satisfaction takes away some of motivation to repeat them in these pages. But I love you all and want you to enjoy these adventures too. Maybe what I'm feeling is that I wish you were here!

Right now we're poolside at the River Kwai (yes, the River Kwai) Village Hotel, an opulent (for Thailand at 30USD per night) gift from my Aunt Kris and Uncle Andys' families. We have the place to ourselves as it seems all of the others are here as a package deal and are now on their tours.

It's been a bit of a culture shock. Not just because of the resort feel (everything is clean and well kept, the staff feel like servents, everything is so Western (food, music, a bible in the room)), but the locals who work here seem different, and the examples of Thai culture we see seem fake. Now that we've been low to the road, so to speak, for a few days, we feel like we can tell the difference. The other guests seem oblivious (are we getting travel snooty?), but were it not for our very educational experiences thus far, would we have known any different? Our thai language attempts don't get the response they did before. I ask our friendly waiter if he is Thai, and he explains he is not. He and most of the staff here are Mon, a people from the otherside of the Thailand and Myanmar border. He speaks mon, thai, bermese, and english, but most of the others are not so multilingual. Ah, this is making sense.

Day before yesterday I navigated some minor technical difficulties (the modem didn't recognize the different sounding dialtone, so I disabled its detection with the initialiazation string "ATX1") made our first update to our webpage with the PDA from SE Asia. The best part was our buddy Roger invited us back with for free food and lodging if I'd update the hotel's website! Now really, I know they're getting a great deal, but there's a bonus to being a part of the hotel's charm. So on our way back home, that may be what we do!