Live Painting - I took a moment to watch.

     There are always a vast number of things to do in the city of Taipei. Having lived here for a little over a year I have grown to appreciate the sounds, excitement and the hurried movement of people.  When living in Taipei be ready for anything, because around each corner and at every turn down an unfamiliar street you are likely to stumble upon something that wasn't there before or something you missed.    Today as I walked down Dunhua S. road I decided to visit the Eslite bookstore.  I was very surprised to see live artwork in progress. I watched and recorded as a beautiful painting came to life.  I enjoy the tiny little surprises like this that Taipei has to offer. 

Day Two - Island hopping and enjoying the beautiful beaches of Phang Nga

Wow! what a beautiful site.  Our second day in Thailand began early and with overwhelming and anticipation and excitement.  We were going to the Islands Yaaaaaaaay!  Back packs readied with suntan lotion, Coa-coa butter, towels and plenty of water we piled into the waiting van marked Island tours.  From there we were ushered onto a boat and headed out into the beautiful green waters.  As a first timer it was exciting to to feel the sway of the boat and hear the splash of the waves as they crashed against bottom and sprayed up onto the deck.  I had the perfect spot at the front of the neck and near the edge, thank god I took my motion sickness pills.  All ready to tan I sat back and let the warmth of the sun relax me while I listened to the sweet sounds of Nora Jones from I IPhone.  I was in heaven.  Once we got closer to our destination  a single protruding formation covered in green beauty came into view. It was a welcome taste of what was to come. Boats that looked like larger canoes with colorful cloths tied to them were waiting to ferry us onto the beach.   Just around the bend it was breath taking, Lined with colorful boats and dense island greenery in the background. I couldn't wait to step off the ferry and into the water.  This, was AMAZING!

Photo

Day 1Bodega inn,  Patong Beach. ( lying in wait for our rooms)

Phuket: Day 1, Patong Beach

DAY 1: exhausted from our travel we all plop our packs down as we are greeted by the awesome bar-keep at the Bodega hostel in Phuket. Bodega Hostel is a quaint store front hostle with a warm and welcoming staff and front porch lounge. The vibe is eclectic with a display vibrant art by local artist. Island music plays in the background of the ice shaker and the chatter of newly met friends and backpackers make you feel safe and at rest. However, as our rooms were not ready for us when we arrived, we decided to have our drinks in the upstairs lounge and past out.

From Taiwan to Thailand and going forward

 Eat / love / Pray

I had the most wonderful time traveling with my friends. From Taiwan to Thailand and going forward was the experience of my lifetime thus far. It's funny when you travel with your friends, you are able to turn to the person beside you and say "Did you see that?" It's awesome. My girl Kelsey and I planned to first go to Africa for the Chinese NY, but then decided to do something neither of us had ever done before, we decided to backpack through a few countries in Asia. Kelsey invited her girlfriend Jessey and her roommate Alex and we took off.  For me it was a way to give myself a birthday gift I would be able to cherish for the rest of my life. Traveling is my greatest passion along with photography and great food. My theory about travel is to "choose where you want to go based on the food"  The three passions combined was a chance I just could not pass up. I always imagined photographing far and distant places but being able to photography the ruins of Angkor Wat, the Beaches of Phuket and everything and everyone in between was WOW!.  The people of Phuket were beautiful and exotic just like the beaches and Islands, and the food was spicey and delicious in a way that made you fall in love it.  We even did some elephant riding along the villages and streams. Elephants splashed us with water as they cooled themselves and slowly continued to carry their amazed cargo (us ) to a breath taking height on the rocks where we could see the beaches below and watch the waves crash on the ankles of those playing at it's edge.   Please enjoy the photos and comments over the next few days as I continue to post and as I take you through my journey. From Taiwan to Thailand and going forward is the kind of travel I wanted this blog to be about. 
Enjoy...

From Taiwan to Thailand and moving forward.

From Taiwan to Thailand and going forward.