It's been beachy

We have spent the last two 1/2 days lounging on the beach, floating in the Gulf of Thailand, getting Thai massages and eating food so fiery it would put many Canadians in the hospital. They serve it with a roll of toilet paper so you can blow your nose as you're eating. It's awesome!

The beach is covered in local life. There are roosters strutting and stray dogs looking to make friends. Vendors roam up and down the beach with huge food preparation stations balanced on their shoulders. At night there are young kids twirling things on fire, which is truly impressive. It makes you look at the snot-nosed little princesses at the next table and say "that five-year old twirls fire to put food on the table, what do you do for a living?"

The less charming beach denizens are the sex tourists. Groups of middle aged European men appraising the young Thai girls and boys. Sometimes you see one or two of these guys with solicitous young girls and it makes you cringe.

It's been a nice break but now we have to return to the smoggy, grenade-filled cesspool that is Bangkok.

Later.