Khaow Soi

It's ~32 bhat to a US dollar-- it used to be about 40 but you can ask Bush about that.
But a latte at Tha Pae Gate Starbucks is STILL $4.
Mmmm tastes like globalism. Blech.
Well, now that I have my favorite breakfast spot where they know me by name, a friendship with everyone who works at my guest house, and can find my way around this lovely city, its time to move on for a little bit.
At 10 am tomorrow I'll hop the 3 hour bus to the beautiful mountain valley of Pai.
The writing is coming along well but its really hard not to get to sentimental. Sentimentality is the poets downfall. But I have a hard time not getting up on my high opinionated horse when I get hit on(yup.) by prostitutes that look to be about 12. Oh well, I'll get it out of my system by writing it down and editing later.
Today I'm going to attempt to call Bangkok and change my return date to maybe around August 20th. Local calls are just as difficult to make as international ones! Public phones are everywhere but rarely work. I can live here for under $15 a day as long as I forgo some luxuries and there's not much at home for me in August. No car, my friends are in Seattle, both sisters have jobs. So I might as well hang out here and enjoy myself.
You know those wooden frog insturments with the ridged backs? The ones that they sell in nature's own and places like that? Those are made by the northern hill-tribes of thailand. And there are northern people walking around everywhere selling them. You can tell they are villager's of the north because they are a decent FOOT shorter than the other thai people. Probably how that neck stretching trend came about....

Question:
How do you spot a japanese tourist?
--the camera
How do you spot an american tourist?
--the waterbottle.