Travel Guide For Life;

A TRAVEL GUIDE FOR LIFE Chapter 1:

GOING TO SOUTHEAST ASIA.

THIS MOMENT IS PART OF THE SECOND DAY OF 1992. WALKING AND REALIZING THAT IT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT. IT IS THE PRESENT MOMENT THAT WE CAN BE CERTAIN OF.  NOTHING ELSE IS AS CERTAIN AS THIS.  STILL I MAKE MY PLANS. FOCUSING ON MY EXPERIENCES CLARIFY WHAT THE PRESENT MOMENT IS. FOR ME, TRAVELING IS A GREAT WAY TO DO THIS. OF COURSE, ONE DOES NOT NEED THE HOBBY OF TRAVELING TO EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTAND EACH MOMENT OF REALITY. WE CAN DO THIS WHILE EATING, WASHING DISHES, OR READING. 

IT IS JUST EASIER FOR ME WHEN I AM TRAVELING BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY MUNDANE ASPECTS OF DAILY LIFE HERE, IN ALBUQUERQUE, THAT I TAKE FOR GRANTED. I SPEND TOO MUCH TIME FRETTING ABOUT GOING TO WORK AGAIN, PAYING THE BILLS AGAIN, SHOPPING FOR HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AGAIN AND AGAIN. ALL THE WHILE I AM THINKING OF GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE. WHEN I AM TRAVELING, EVERY ASPECT OF LIFE IS CENTERED AROUND WHERE I AM AND WHO I AM. LIFE IS CIRCLING AROUND US ALL THE TIME AND WE NEVER KNOW WHAT WILL COME AT US AT ANY GIVEN TIME. WHEN I AM PLANNING A TRIP,  100% FOCUSED, I AM LIVING IN THE MOMENT BECAUSE TIME GOES BY AT AN UNRECOGNIZABLE PACE AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE RESULT WILL BE. THE YEAR WAS 1992 AND I WAS PLANNING A TRIP TO SOUTHEAST ASIA.

THIS TRIP INCLUDED A STOP IN TRAVERSE CITY MICHIGAN TO VISIT ABIGAIL AND HER PARENTS, HIBBING MINNESOTA SO I COULD VISIT MY GRANDMA CICCHI (VIA DETROIT). THEN I WOULD BE BROUGHT TO LAX AND AN EXCURSION UP TO SAN LOUIS OBISPO TO VISIT MY SISTER. 

IN PREPARATION FOR THE TRIP, I WENT TO LOVELESS HOSPITAL TO GET AN IMMUNO GLOBULON INJECTION. IT COST $30 AND WILL LAST FOR THE ENTIRE JOURNEY IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. I ALSO PICKED UP A FEW MALARIA PILLS. 17 OF THOSE TABLETS COST $93!! THEY HAVE QUININE IN THEM. THAI, INDONESIAN, AND ARABIC LANGUAGE BOOKS, BANGKOK TO BALI GUIDEBOOK, FLASHLIGHT, CLOTHS TO WEAR AND DISCARD, CANVAS TO SLEEP ON, MOSQUITO REPELLANT, THE MALARIA PILLS, AND PASSPORT; I AM READY FOR SOUTHEAST ASIA. 

A TRAVEL GUIDE FOR LIFE; CHAPTER 3:

FURTHER TOWARDS SOUTHEAST ASIA.

LAX VIA TARMAC OF DULUTH AIRPORT, LANDSCAPES OF TREES AND LAKES. CHICAGO SKYLINE, ROLLING AGRICULTURAL HILLS, MAJESTIC ROCKY MOUNTAINS, CONTINENTAL DIVIDE, A HUGE EXPANSE OF WHITE SNOW COVERING THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND THEN THE DESERT LANDS OF NEVADA AND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, THE HILLS JUST EAST OF LOS ANGELES, AND ULTIMATELY, LAX. 

IT WAS 5:30 AM LOS ANGELES TIME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LA CAMPUS. IT IS PEACFUL BEHIND THE PLANT PHYSIOLOGY BUILDING. I PRACTICED A PEACEFUL AND CHARMING  TAI CHI CHUAN AND TOOK A LONG REST. I WANTED TO STAY RIGHT THERE ON THE CAMPUS TAKING NAPS, SENDING OUT POST CARDS, CALLING VANESSA, DOING THE TAI CHI, FINDING PLACES TO EAT. I HAD NOT ARRANGED FOR A HOTEL ROOM SO I DECIDED THAT I MAY AS WELL SLEEP HERE WITH THE COMFORTABLE WEATHER, TREE COVER, AND THE CANVAS SPREAD THAT I HAD IN MY GREEN DUFFLE BAG. SO I LIVED ON THE UCLA CAMPUS FOR THREE DAYS UNTIL I HAD TO RETURN TO LAX FOR THE KOREAN AIRLINES FLIGHT TO ICN AIRPORT. 

SITTING AND WRITING THIS AT THE SUNSET THAI RESTAURANT AFTER WALKING DOWN SUNSET BOULEVARD FOR TWO HOURS. THE ROXY THEATRE, WHISKY A GO GO, TIFFANY THEATRE, GOOD THAI FOOD. NIEL YOUNG RECORDED A ROXY LIVE RECORDING. ALSO PERFORMING AT THE ROXY; BOB MARLEY, FRANK ZAPPA, VAN MORRISON, WARREN ZEVON, THE RAMONES, THE CRUSADERS, ETC. (I BETTER STOP BECAUSE THE LIST GOES ON AND ON). THE TIFFANY THEATRE WAS BOTH A PERFORMANCE THEATRE AND A MOVIE HOUSE OPENED IN 1966.HOWARD HESSMAN AND ROB REINER PERFORMED HERE IN THE COMMITTEE. IT BECAME A HUB FOR THE ROCKY HORRER PICTURE SHOW AT MIDNIGHTS ON THE WEEKEND AROUND 1977. I HESITATE TO MENTION MORE ABOUT THE WHISKY A GO GO BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE PERFORMED THERE; INCLUDING THE BYRDS, TAJ MAHAL, LED ZEPPELIN, PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC, THE DOORS, FLEETWOOD MAC... WAIT STOP, I BETTER NOT CONTINUE BECAUSE THE LIST IS EXTRAPHENOMENAL. IT WAS OPENED IN 1964.

WALKING DOWN WEST SUNSET BOULEVARD, SANTA MONICA, WEST HOLLYWOOD, ONE IS PROVIDED WITH VIEWS OF MULTIMILLION DOLLAR HOUSES; HOUSES OWNED BY ARAB PRINCES, MOVIE STARS, DOCTORS, LAWYERS, ARCHITECTS, AND THE OCCASSIONAL ANONYMOUS MOBSTER. 

THE UCLA CAMPUS PROVED TO BE A GREAT BASE OF OPERATIONS. I TOOK NAPS IN SEVERAL AREAS OF THE CAMPUS. I ALSO EXPLORED THE CAMPUS AND TOOK PHOTOS OF SOME OF THE MORE INTERESTING BUILDINGS. I WAS USING ONE TIME PROCESSING, THROW AWAY CAMERAS. I WAS STORING MY GREEN BAG IN A STORAGE LOCKER AT THE ENGINEERING BUILDING WHERE I SPENT A LOT OF TIME. I WAS ABLE TO STORE MY BAG THERE WHILE I WANDERED THE STREETS OF VARIOUS LOS ANGELES NEIGHBORHOODS. THERE WAS GOING TO BE A SHOW AT THE ROXY THEATER THE NEXT NIGHT BUT I DID NOT GO. 

IT WAS DURING THIS STAY WHEN I FIRST VISITED THE ISKCON TEMPLE NEAR VENICE BEACH. IT IS ALSO KNOWN AS NEW DVARAKA. THE ORIGINAL DVARAKA WAS THE KINGDOM WHERE THE PANDAVAS RULED; THE FAMILY OF LORD KRISHNA. I WALKED A COUPLE OF MILES EVERY DAY AND TOOK THE BUS BETWEEN UCLA AND THE TEMPLE. 3764 WATSEKA AVENUE IS THE ADDRESS OF NEW DVARAKA ISKCON TEMPLE. AFTER MORNING DARSHAN AND GOOD MEAL OF PRASADAM AT THE TEMPLE RESTAURANT (GOVINDAS), I TOOK AN EXTENSIVE WALK UP ROBINSON AVENUE INTO BEVERLY HILLS, AND INTO WEST HOLLYWOOD,  SANTA MONICA, AND TO THE SUNSET STRIP, THEN INTO AREAS THAT LOOKED LIKE LITTLE THAILAND AND LITTLE ISREAL. WHEN I GOT TIRED, I RETURNED TO THE UCLA CAMPUS BUT I NOTICED A FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING THAT HAD AN EMPTY FLOOR. IT WAS IDEAL FOR TAI CHI CHUAN SO I PRACTICED THERE WHERE THE FLOOR DID NOT HAVE ANY CARPET YET. I HAD NO FEAR OF THE STREETS OR BUILDINGS OF LOS ANGELES. 

IT WAS ABOUT 0700 LOS ANGELES TIME AND I JUST FINISHED MY TAI CHI CHUAN, 

A TRAVEL GUIDE FOR LIFE CHAPTER 2:

FIRST EXCURSION TO

SOUTHEAST ASIA PART 1. CRUNCHED CRACKERS YET 

SITTING IN A PLASTIC BAG. CRUNCHING DRIED LEAVES 

WALKING ON GRASS AND PAVEMENT. THE 19TH OF NOVEMBER

WAS THE NEXT DAY. THAT DAY WAS THE DAY OF MY DEPARTURE.

SAMPAI JUMPA LAGI.

I must live in the moment. Do not let the planning and the waiting 

drag on, must remain calm of mind.  Must remain calm of mind in 

all works of nature and man. Yet, it has occurred to me that the

distance of one period of time and another seems to be, quite often,

an unnerving obstrosity, in waiting for the arrival of a certain point

of time so that I may witness the result of my expectations. I

needlessly expend energy. I admit, against my better judgement, 

time is often thought of as a dread obstacle. We are just specks of 

dust and time is an eternity. As such, I must understand that any 

impatience or exitement felt by me is verily quite superfluous. 

IT WAS 2:30 PM DULUTH MINNESOTA TIME 20TH NOVEMBER.I WAS

SITTING IN THE GREYHOUND BUS STATION. A DULUTH TRANSIT 

AUTHORITY BUS WOULD PICK ME UP AT 5:00 TO BRING ME TO 

VIRGINIA MN. I WENT TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SINCE I HAD A LONG 

WAIT FOR THE BUS. I ALSO PRACTICED MY TAI CHI CHUAN. I HAVE

NOW PRACTICED MY TAI CHI IN DULUTH, DAMP CEMENT, SPRINKLING

RAIN WITH SNOW FALLING JUST WEST OF DULUTH AND ARRIVING

HERE SOON. I HAD MY GREEN DUFFLE BAG WITH ME. THERE WOULD 

BE A BUS TO TAKE ME FROM VIRGINIA MN TO HIBBING MN IN THE

MORNING. 

THE NEXT MORNING I WAS AT THE BUS STOP IN VIRGINIA. THERE 

WAS A MAN THERE WHO HAD BEEN THERE LONG BEFORE I HAD

ARRIVED. HE HAD A CHILDISH MENTALITY. HE SPOKE AS A CHILD 

AND WAS PLAYING CHILD GAMES. HE WAS DRINKING SODAS AND 

IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS ON HIS THIRD SODA. HE ALSO HAD A FEW

BAGS OF CHIPS AND A CANDY BAR. BUS HAS ARRIVED.

IT WAS 10:00 AM HIBBING MN TIME  21ST NOVEMBER AND I WAS

SITTING AND WRITING THIS AT GRANDMA CICCHIS' HOUSE. AUTHOR 

POLUZARRI, AN OLD FRIEND OF MY GRANDMA WAS ALSO THERE.

AS A CHILD, I KNEW HIS SISTER WHO LIVED DIRECTLY ACROSS THE

STREET FROM GRANDMA IN THIS AREA OF HIBBING WHICH IS CALLED

BROOKLYN.  IT IS NAMED AFTER BROOKLYN, NEW YORK CITY BECAUSE

SO MANY ITALIANS SETTLED HERE FROM BROOKLYN TO WORK IN THE

OPEN PIT IRON ORE MINES NEAR VIRGINIA AND CHISOLM, JUST NORTH

OF HIBBING. WE ALSO LIVED ACROSS THE STREET FROM GRANDMA, FOUR HOUSES DOWN THE STREET. MANY OF THE HOUSES IN THIS AREA WERE

BUILT BY MY DAD AND GRANDPA. THEY COULD DO EVERYTHING . THEY

DID HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE DOING THE OUTER WALL FACADES THOUGH.

MY DADS' COUSIN, PETER TARAMELLI (HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO DRIVE

A CAR), WAS A STONE MASON WHO BUILT MANY BRICK WALLS AND FIREPLACES FOR HOMES AND BUSINESSES ON THE IRON RANGE. WHEN

I FIRST ARRIVED HERE, I SLEPT LONG AND DEEP. I MUST HAVE BEEN

EXHAUSTED. I WAS NOW RESTED AND READY TO LISTEN TO THE

CONVERSATIONS. VISITING GRANDMA CICCHI ALWAYS PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES TO HEAR INTERESTING STORIES. ARTHUR POLUZARRI

AND GRANDMA WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY WERE ALWAYS

CUTTING WOOD AND DID NOT HAVE TELEVISION. "WE DID NOT EVEN

HAVE A RADIO FOR HEAVENS SAKE." MR. POLUZZARI TAUGHT SOCIAL

STUDIES IN HIGH SCHOOL FROM 1935 UNTIL 1955. HE WAS ALSO TALKING ABOUT HOW THEIR YARDS HAD NO GRASS. THEIR YARDS HAD LOTS OF 

GARDENS WITH VEGETABLES GROWING. GRANDMAS' GARDEN WAS HALF GRASS AND HALF GARDEN. SHE GREW GARLIC, LETTUCE, TOMATOES, GREEN BEANS, CUCUMBERS, AND ONIONS.

I WAS AT THE DAYS INN OF HIBBING. MY DAD ARRIVED FROM LAS VEGAS

NV AT 8:15 AM. HE WAS IN A NICER HOTEL BUT I WAS IN A DOUBLE ROOM.

THE NEWS PAPER WAS SLIPPED HALF WAY UNDERNEATH THE DOOR.

THE FREE BREAKFAST THAT COMES WITH THE PRICE OF THE ROOM WAS

THE BASIC CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST WITH EGGS AND CEREAL, BREAD,

AND A TOASTER. WITH THESE SIMPLE HOTEL BREAKFASTS, I DRINK A LOT 

OF THE FRUIT JUICES BEFORE EATING EGGS OR CEREAL. MY DAD WAS 

TALKING ABOUT HOW HE SENDS GRANDMA $500 EVERY MONTH. SHE

SAID THAT SHE DOES NOT NEED HIM TO SEND HER THAT MONEY. WHEN

SHE PASSED AWAY, I RECEIVED ABOUT 20 CLASS EE SAVINGS BONDS. SOME

OF THE BONDS WERE FOR ME, SOME WERE FOR RAYHEND, AND SOME WERE FOR RENO. I HAVE THE IDEA THAT SHE BOUGHT ALL THE BONDS WITH

MONEY DAD SENT HER. WHEN SHE TELLS DAD THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE

TO SEND HER THE MONEY, HE SAID; " I DO NOT HAVE TO DO ANYTHING". HE

LAUGHED AT THAT.

IT IS 6:30 PM DULUTH MN TIME, 27TH OF NOVEMBER. I AM SITTING HERE 

AND WRITING THIS WHILE WATCHING HBO IN A $36 A NIGHT MOTEL ROOM

ONE MILE FROM THE DULUTH AIRPORT.  THE NEXT MORNING AT 0730, I

WILL WALK TO THE AIRPORT TO MEET THE FLIGHT TO LAX. MY DAD GAVE ME

$200, GRANDMA GAVE ME $50, GREAT AUNT EDDIE GAVE ME $10.  I PAID

FOR THE MOTEL ROOM WITH SOME OF THIS MONEY.  AT 8:30 TONIGHT,

THE MOTEL ROOM TELEVISION WILL BE SHOWING THE GOLDEN CHILD ON

THE HBO STATION. I DECIDED TO WATCH THAT MOVIE AND THEN I WOULD CALL VANESSA. RIGHT NOW THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL IS SHOWING THE

MIGRATION OF BLUE WHALES AND GREY WHALES. THE WHALES WERE MIGRATING FROM THE BERING SEA DOWN TO THE TROPICAL WATERS 

OF MEXICO. 

A TRAVEL GUIDE FOR LIFE Chapter 4:

FIRST EXCURSION INTO SOUTHEAST ASIA PART 2

A  TRAVEL GUIDE FOR LIFE CHAPTER 7 : KANACHABURI AND BEYOND.

PHOTO AT THE INDIAN OCEAN FISHING TOWN OF BARUS.

WHILE I WAS ON THE BUS TO KANCHANABURI, A YOUNG MAN WHO SAT NEXT TO ME NOTICE MY SCRAGGLY PANTS AND SAID THAT I COULD BUY NEW JEANS AT MANY DIFFERENT SHOPS. I TOLD HIM THAT I WILL SOON BE LOOKING FOR NEW SHIRTS AND PANTS AFTER I FINISH WEARING THE OLD ONES I HAVE NOW. BEFORE I GOT MARRIED, I WOULD BRING WITH ME WHEN TRAVELING, ONLY THE OLD CLOTHS I WANTED TO WEAR TWO OR THREE DAYS AND THEN TOSS AWAY. THAT WAY, I HAVE LITTLE OR NO DIRTY CLOTHS TO DEAL WITH. 

IN KANCHANABURI MANY STREET SIGNS ARE SHAPED LIKE FISH. THEY MAY BE GREEN OR BLUE BUT THEY ARE SHAPED LIKE FAT FISH. AFTER THE 70 BHAT (ABOUT FOUR DOLLARS) A/C BUS RIDE, I IMMEDIATLY GOT AWAY FROM THE TOUTY RICKSHAW DRIVERS. I TRIED TO FIND A RESTAURANT MENTIONED IN MY GUIDEBOOK BUT THE SURYA RUX WAS CLOSED DOWN. I WALKED DOWN TOWARDS THE RIVER IN SEARCH OF THE POST OFFICE. I FOUND A SMALL, QUAINT CAFE TO DRINK SOME WATER AND EAT A SNACK. THIS WAS A NICE PLACE TO RELAX AND STUDY THE MAP. A BOAT CALLED THE RIVER QUEEN, FULL OF PEOPLE AND PLAYING LOUD MUSIC WAS PULLING UP TO THE NEARBY PIER SO I DECIDED TO MOVE ON BEFORE THE PEOPLE DISEMBARKED AND SWARMED THE AREA WITH THEIR HUNGER AND THIRST. I RENTED A BICYCLE FOR A RIDE THROUGH THE LOVELY COUNTRYSIDE TO AN UNDERGROUND CAVE TEMPLE. I ALSO FOUND THE POST OFFICE SO I COULD SEND OUT A COUPLE OF POST CARDS. THE BIKE RENTAL COST 20 BHAT(ABOUT 95 CENTS). IT IS VERY EASY TO RENT A BIKE WITH SEVERAL PLACES TO DO SO. THE FAMOUS BRIDGE THAT USED TO BE A RAILROAD BRIDGE (IT IS DEPICTED IN THE MOVIE "BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER QWAI") WAS EASY TO FIND AND I HAD TO RIDE OVER THAT BRIDGE BECAUSE MY DESTINATION, KAO POON CAVE, WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RIVER QWAI.  I ACTUALLY HAD TO WALK THE BIKE OVER THE BRIDGE BECAUSE THERE WERE QUITE A LOT OF PEOPLE MEANDERING ALL ALONG THE FAMOUS BRIDGE THAT WAS BUILT UNDER DURESS BY WESTERN PRISIONERS OF WAR DURING WWII. MANY OF THOSE PRISONERS DIED. THERE IS A WOOD PLANK THAT RUNS DOWN THE MIDDLE OF THE BRIDGE AS WELL AS PLATFORMS THAT RUN ALONG THE SIDES OF THE BRIDGE AND IT WAS FULL OF PEOPLE SO I SLOWLY CROSSED THE BRIDGE AND DISCOVERED ELEPHANTS ON THE OTHER SIDE THAT WERE OFFERED TO THE TOURISTS TO RIDE. THE ROAD TO KAO POON CAVE WAS MOSTLY PAVED BUT THERE WAS A SMALL PART THAT WAS NOT PAVED AND RATHER ROUGH FOR WHICH REASON I HAD NO PHOTOS FROM THE AREA SINCE THE FILM IN MY CAMERA WAS RUINED WHEN THE FILM DEPARTMENT DOOR WAS JARRED OPEN.