I step outside the door and don't see even one tuk tuk. There are no motorbike taxis offering me a ride, either. More importantly, there are no fresh-fruit stands or food stands anywhere. The streets are clean and there are no dogs roaming around. The streets are full of large cars and trucks. I don't see hundreds of Honda 125 Dream motorbikes on the roads. I AM BACK IN THE U.S.

After a week on the beach in Thailand, and saying goodbye to some expat friends that have retired in Thailand, I made the 35 hour plane trip back to the States . The flying time is actually 25 hours, but I had two lay-overs. One in Tokyo, Japan and the other in Chicago.

REFLECTIONS
During the trip back, I have time to reflect on some of the adventures of the past months.

I have met so many interesting and fun people from all over the world. I enjoyed hearing how citizens from different countries feel about their countries and find out what they believe about America. Most have never been to America, just as I have not been to their country, so it is good for both of us to get some 'first hand perspective'.

The adventures have been never-ending for me. The time in the Thailand jungles, kayaking and elephant riding was great, as was the hiking and mountain biking. Seeing the many amazing Wats in all of Southeast Asia was a dream come true. Biking around Angkor Wat was an awesome experience. The beaches and local hang-outs were always a lot of fun . 

The crazy motorbike taxi and tuk tuk rides were an adrenaline rush for me. Getting lost around town and trying to find my way back without finding anyone to speak English was something to remember. The bus and train trips I took were all so different. Some were nice experiences and some I had to endure. All are something I'm glad I didn't miss. The boat taxis were fun for me and I hope I can return when it is not the driest part of the year and do some longer boat trips. (Many of long trip boats can't run in the very dry part of the year, the rivers are too low).

Pointing to some strange looking fruit and tasting it for the first time is something I loved doing. Trying to find out how much they wanted for it in their local currency (in the local language) was sometimes a story in itself. It took a lot of pointing and sometimes showing some local bills or a calculator with the price on it.

Learning to try to separate the scammers from the genuinely friendly and helpful local people was a learning experience, one that I will have to continue to learn in the future .

I STILL SMILE
I laugh at some of the things Villa and Samnang would say. I spent more time with them than with any other locals, so I have more stories about them. With limited English, they use the words they know to try to get their thoughts across. The first time they said something in English that was funny, I laughed. They thought I was making fun of their English skills and got shy about trying to speak in English.

Of course, I was not making fun, I admire them for being able to speak my language. I cannot speak any of their language or any language from any other country. Most Americans can only speak English. But, other people I met from around the world speak several languages often. And, all of them seem to speak English in addition to their own language. So, since then, when they say something funny, I try not to laugh (until later when I am alone).

One day when Villa and I were out on the moto, he said, "There's a lot of smoke today ."   I looked around to see if there was a forest fire burning, or maybe someone burning trash. There was nothing. I asked where the smoke was. He pointed to the mountains. The clouds were low over the top of the mountains. He was calling the clouds 'smoke'.

Samnang can say the funniest things. His command of English is not as good as Villa's, so he really makes me laugh. One day while riding through some villages on his moto, he said, "Free the hat, pogahdah". What the heck is a po-gah-dah? After asking what he said the second time, I just let it go. 

Eventually, we got to where we were going. It turned out to be a Wat. Wat is the Cambodian word for temple. In English, it is pagoda. The way he pronounced pagoda didn't sound anything like pagoda, though. What he meant by 'free the hat' was, I needed to take the cap off when I went in the pagoda.

Another time he told me the swimming we did the day before made him sick . I thought maybe he swallowed some water or something and got sick at his stomach. He said no, it made his 'legs sick', and he rubbed the calf of his leg. What he meant was his legs were sore. We had climbed a lot of steps the day before going up a mountain to a Wat. I think that was what made him sore, and not the swimming.

One day when we were leaving a grass hut where we had eaten, he told me to 'close the fan'. He meant 'turn off the fan'. They say 'close the lights', too, when they want to turn off the lights.

When I left, Samnang said to me, "Play facebook with me." Of course, he wanted me to keep in touch with him on facebook.

I didn't meet a lot of local Thais like I did Cambodians. The reason partly is the Thais don't speak as much English, and are not as easy to meet. But, I found out from the ones I did meet that they have some favorite sayings. I think I wrote about them once before, but will re-cap here . 

One of the things a Thai will say is "Up to You". They use it when you ask their opinion on where to go or where to eat or things like that. They want the foreigner to make the decisions. Also, if you like a certain shirt, or activity, or movie, or song, or agree on something, they will say "same, same" , meaning they agree. All the Asian countries I was in used these same phrases, but I noticed it more in Thailand.

DID YOU EAT YET?
I found out very quickly after meeting the locals, especially in Cambodia, that as soon as you meet up to go somewhere, or speak on the phone, or write through facebook or e-mail, the first thing the local will ask is "Did you eat yet?" 

In America if someone asks that, they are probably thinking about going to eat together if you haven't already eaten. In the Asian countries, and especially Cambodia, I discovered that is not what they are getting at . Often, they have already eaten. 

When they ask if you have eaten yet, it is not just a casual question, they are really concerned that you eat. I read that these people have had thousands die from famine over the years and having enough food is a real concern for them. They work long hours for very little pay. Eating is simple, but important. Their families seem to be very close, also. Not just the immediate family but all the extended members, also. They spend lots of time together and share all their resources. Maybe it comes from the huge loss of life through wars and famine, or maybe from the Buddhist teachings, I'm not sure. I spent time with three of the local families and it was the same in all three.

At first, I would sometimes say "No, I haven't eaten yet." This would really upset whoever I was talking to, or writing to. They would want to know why not. I am not a breakfast eater and, at first, would just say, "Because, I don't like to eat breakfast" or "I'm not hungry yet." This was never a good reason, though, and they would not rest until I promised to eat right away. 

If you have not eaten yet, they think it is because you do not have the money to eat or are sick. I finally realized what was going on, and, when they asked, I would just say, "yes, I have eaten." That way they would not worry that I had not eaten. 

It's the same now that I am back in the states and get a message from one of them on facebook. They always want to know if I have eaten and tell me to always eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Getting enough food is of more concern to them than the people in the U.S., as we always have more than enough to eat. 

FUTURE DREAMS
I am back to take care of some stateside business and escape the rainy season in Southeast Asia. Much of that region has heavy rainfall and a lot of flooding from about July to October.

The adventure is not over, I hope. I plan to board a plane to "somewhere" around September. There are still places in SE Asia I didn't visit this time, like north Vietnam, Laos, and Malaysia and the Philippines. I want to spend more time in the islands of southern Thailand and in the mountains of northern Thailand. I would also like to visit the expats and local friends I have made there.

GOOD EATS
Maybe we should all get-together and have a cookout, now that I am back. You will get a chance to taste some of the food I have eaten on my trip. I will cook and you can bring the food. Each person can bring one item on the list of things I have eaten. You can pick one thing to bring yourself, or I can tell you which one to bring. The list includes, cobra, tarantula, big brown bugs, crickets, grasshoppers, whole frogs and rats. Be sure to bring enough for everyone to eat some of everything. They all sound good, don't they? Which do you want to bring?

A PERSONAL NOTE
Several people have asked if the trip was what I thought it would be. The days before I left, I wondered if I was really aware of what I might be getting into. I didn't know if I would try to get a return flight as soon as I landed or what.

Before I left I read articles from people that had traveled the world for long periods of time. Often they would say, "Travel will change you. You will not be the same person after you travel." I took this with a grain of salt, thinking maybe it was just an over-dramatic platitude of poetic writing. In other words, it made for good writing, but didn't have much substance. At my age, what could I really see or experience that would change my view of the world? I studied about different countries while in school, and have watched news casts and documenteries all my life.

After only 6 months on the road, I have to agree with the other travelers and their assessment of the travel experience. 

Seeing other parts of the world and meeting the people allows you to see the "real" world as it is, and not just the way your local news and politicians want to portray it.

The people I met everywhere were basically just like Americans. They want to work and raise their families in peace and have a good life. It's the governments there, just like in the U.S., that determines both their quality and style of life. Just like us, they are controlled by the power of government. I found all the people in the countries friendly and helpful. They all wanted to ask me questions about my country. I was able to visit their countries and see for myself what it was like. Many of them have never been out of their own country or city, and have no hopes of ever doing it. Their idea of America is what their news and governments have told them. It was the same with me, until I saw for myself. Even if our governments are unfriendly towards each other, the people are not.

The trip was so much more than I ever imagined it could be. I can't wait to go again! It was the adventure of a life-time for me. It drove home the truth that I was lucky to be born in America, where I could have the opportunity to work to have the life I wanted. It drove home the truth that people in other parts of the world, not so lucky, are kind and hard-working. They just need the chance to improve their own lives and future.

A SIDE NOTE
I put up a couple of pictures from Siem Reap, Cambodia in this entry that I don't think I posted before. One is of the bamboo room I stayed in while there. It was very cool, I thought.
 
A PARTING NOTE
There may not be many postings during the summer, while I am in the States. You don't really want to hear about me filing my taxes or getting my annual physical, now do you? If I think of something I haven't already written about my travels I may make a post on it, though. Or, as I get a better idea of when I will start my round-the-world journey again, I may make an entry to let you know that.

Check back now and then if you want to, or, sign up for the e-mail notifications so you will be notified when I do post again. Just click on the "Get e-mail updates" link on the right side of this page.

Thanks to everyone for reading along, it helps justify the time I spend on the blog.