Adventure

My first experience in Asia was November 1996. I was living in Atlanta at the time and was looking for somewhere to travel to. One of my co-workers suggested Thailand. He said it was very affordable. That the plane ticket would be the most expensive part.

So, I started making plans !!

I also planed to stop over in Japan to see a friend.

The Trip

The Trip would just be for 2 weeks.

Japan

I planned to stay just 3 days in Japan.

I was fortunate enough to have randomly met a Japanese man while living in Atlanta. My friends from Jacksonville were visiting me and we decided to go to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. While there I noticed this Japanese customer. I really didn’t think much of it.

After dinner we decided to go to a club. While there I noticed the Japanese customer from before.

I decided to introduce myself. Oddly enough he was a Pharmacist. I mentioned to him that I was a planning a trip to Asia and would be stopping for a few days in Tokyo to visit a friend and do a little site seeing.

He was very kind and said that if i needed a place to stay that I was welcome to stay at his place in Tokyo.

So, the first part of my trip was arranged.

When I arrived in Tokyo he had already planned a few things for me.

He planned a Sumo Wrestling match as well as a concert to see “The Police”!! He was very nice.

I really didn’t know what to expect at the Sumo Match. However, I really enjoyed it.

Although, I went to the concert with one of his friends that didn’t speak English (and I didn’t speak Japanese), I still had a great time.

Thailand

I arrived at Don Mueang airport in Bangkok very early in the morning.

Waiting for me was a Taxi to take me to my hotel in Pattaya.

After about a 2 hour drive to Pattaya, I arrived at my hotel.

After a 6 hour flight from Tokyo and a 2 hour drive to Pattaya it was about 0800 and I was ready for some sleep.

The “Thai Experience“

People always ask me to explain why people fall in love with Thailand.

For me personally, This is a difficult concept to explain.

Culture:
There is something about the culture of Thailand that makes me feel like this is exactly where I should be. There is a level of comfort that is difficult for me to put into words.

I compare it to feeling like maybe I was a Thai person in a previous life and I have returned home. So, it is more like home than a visit.