isobelll - with 3 l

As I stayed in Ayutthaya I found out that there were lots of Monkeys in the next city - Lop Buri - about 10 baht and an hour away by train. Wow, I had to check it out!

I had a quick one week stopover in Thailand between New Zealand and Sweden while getting back up to the Northern hemisphere. But I managed to see quite a lot, this was my wonderful stay in Ayutthaya, Thailand's old capital and filled with old temples.

From Bangkok its about 2 or 3 hours by local train to go to Ayutthaya. The prices can vary between 20 to 200 baht, so be careful where and when you buy your ticket. Never take the tourist bus, they are way to expensive. The trains are quite comfortable but don't take to much luggage, then you'll be ok. And buy some food + water before the trip, they'll be heaps of salesmen- /woman on the train but again - more expensive.



Its so easy spotting other tourists/backpackers like yourself and often a lot easier and sometimes nicer to see the sights with them. I found two on the train, wanting to see all the temples there as well. Thailander's will always try to "fool" you into believing that you can't get across to the other side of the river without paying for the tuk-tuk. Or that it would take you way to long to see the sights by foot or renting a bike. But what the heck, they have to make a living and I know that I'll always find out after a while where the cheapest transportation is to get to my goal. So I paid 80 bath to get across the river with a tuk-tuk and to a sweet guest house called "Tony's Place". Where I barted, and flirted, my way into a room with a fan for 150 baht per night. Sweet as! My own room!!!


Afterwards we, the two guys I meet on the train, and the tuk-tuk driver went to check out the old temples. The coolest one was the first and were we actually paid the 50 baht entrance as well. We saw some other too but didn't wanna pay any more cash to see them up close. The tuk-tuk costed about 200 bath in total and the boys paid for their trip back to the train station while letting me out at my guest house on the way back. Not to expensive but a lot more then taking the local boat which I found out the day after, taking you to the train station with a few minutes walk on each side for about 4 baht! I knew it!!

I meet a Swedish girl throw the same education agency while studying in Nelson, or we mailed each other but hadn't met until I came to Christchurch. She was real sweet and I stayed on her couch for a few days. We sat talking all night and checked out the city the next day followed by a sweet party at night (with real boring people but we had a good time anyways, making them jealous while we were dancing). I think I stayed with her 3 or 4 days and I also managed to meet up with some sweet couch surfing people who I happily consider my good friends today.

But maybe the nicest thing apart form speaking Swedish after so many months of only English, even though I miss the English now, was when she brought me along to a horseback riding tour. Wow! I Absolutely love horses and have been riding for more then 10 years but its been a while since I'd been on a horseback. But after about 15 minutes I was at ease and back in the game. I think we were gone for about 3 hours and saw the most stunning landscapes, a huge river and were able to gallop all over the fields. Ah! This is it! My horses name was Arrow and we got along real good. One day I'm gonna have the time and money to go riding on a more reaglar basis, until then that sweet memorie will have to do. Yet another box filled with smiles.

I left Christchurch the next day with a sore body, its been a long time since I've used those muscles.

My dear beloved pet rat passed away last Wednesday the 9 th of April. I miss him drearily, Kaminari is all alone now. And I'm once again reminded of Keneda, my first rat. After he died I got my second tattoo, he sleeps on my lower back and will always be apart of my life. All the other pets that have gone to sleep scene then have mutated in and become a part of that tattoo. Like Draco from Dragon heart, cheesy but easier for me to handle. Rest in peace my dear little friend.

Reading the morning paper is not a thing I do often. But today I stayed in bed and picked up my all fresh from the press number of Animal rights (Swedes Djurens Rätt). This always make me feel all bittersweet. Knowing that people don't care about whats essential to me at least and not knowing what the consequences are. I have talked before about the meat industrial and it's effect on the environment. And if your all for saving the world you should think about your meat habits. They will be the once that can save or kill our lives in the end.

This is a subject, thats almost always, is forgotten when talking about how to regulate the pollution. Transports, switching off your light bulb and other stuff like that makes people uncomfortable to think about. They actually have to change their habits and start to recycle but when it comes down to it, nobody really wants someone to interfere with their food. Sure, there are people that just don't care that the animal actually suffers a great deal, wether their brought up in an "ecological" environment or in one of the huge slaughter houses. But what I don't get is why these people insist on turning of there light bulb, going to climate demonstrations and so on. Yes, everything we do will in the end effect how future generations live on the planet and everything counts but if you chose to not include dead animals in your diet you will done a lot more for the climate then never even turning your light on at home.

Coming back to the newspaper, I mostly get tired of always feeling like I'm all alone having these opinions (of course I'm not a saint and I do lots of horrible stuff for the environment, don't get me wrong). And that the politicians don't know anything about the real world anymore but there is one that got my respect this morning. Young and upcoming, which is when they still have an opinion, but still. Thanks to Alexander Chamberland one of the former leaders for the green youth parties in Sweden. Hopefully there are more of you out there and that you get more influence on the "real" action at the top office.

Do I need to say again that 18% of the global warming problems comes from the meat industrial, thats actually more than the hole transport sector. And yes, you could say that you belive in the cycle of life but that is not a valid answer when we go in and play god, and obviously not stay in the cycle but belive ourselves to be above it.

Link worth looking at in Swedish.

As I waited for the train I noticed something on the other side of the fence, or rather stuck under it. At first I thought it was a piece of cloth and got on the train but couldn't stop thinking about it so I went back. Maybe it was a cat? Stuck under there, not able to move or call for help? I wouldn't be able to sleep if I hadn't checked on it. And as I ran back I saw a cute black cat, like the one caught under the fence, sitting on the pavement as if it was waiting for me. Running towards me as I sat down to greet it. With a loving purr it jumped on my shoulder and after a minute or two she continued on to new adventures. But it was if she was saying, "thanks for noticing and looking after me".

The strength that little black cat with its on conditional love for a cuddly hand was exactly what I needed, walking back to the place where Kazai was waiting for me. But when he, to my big surprise held his promise and bought me "deluxe-expensive" dark chocolate, with an apology and a smile. I with a somewhat bittersweet and salty taste in my mouth (full of humor), accepted it. Sushi only made it better. A walk through town and sealing the deal, to start trying to become the best of friends again, we went and bought some ice cream. Whish is really stupid in the middle of winter but exactly what I always do. But we ate it inside. And the chocolate was worth the money, OMG! Thanks Kazai.

And the bubbles are returning for jet another attack. I'm running again but getting stuck in some sort of glue and of course I'm terribly afraid.

Song of the Day: James Blunt- Shine on
Its real embarrassing but lately I'm all about finding new music and stumbled upon his voice and the text makes me smile.

So Killing all the bubbles might actually be working. Not as well as I hoped it will, but it's a start. The meeting yesterday went ok, or no. I felt really uncomfortable but at least now it's over and I didn't run away without closure.

But before that I went to the doctors or more specificity the dietician office. They were suppose to help me with getting a good diet that my body and brain could accept. Vego and everything. But no. Instead I only got to hear that as a vego you can't get enough protein and she said that is most likely comes from my muscles. So I will get even weaker and be really tired all of the time. Ok, thats me but there has to be some other way!

The conversation went something like this:
Dietician: "So you wont eat meat?"
Me: "No, I belive it's one of the roots to all evil and its rather nasty for the environment"
Dietician: "... but you can eat eggs?"
Me: "Uhm, the chicken industry is horrible if you haven't noticed...?"
Dietician: " But what about fish or do you feel sorry for them as well??"
Me: "The have a spine, they feel pain!"
Dietician: "But could you drink 2 liters of milk every day?"
Me: "I try not to use dairy products in those quantities and soya milk is quite expansive."
Dietician: "If you get injured you wont heal with your diet, you do know that?"

To prove her point I guess, I again overslept this morning. I just didn't realize that the irritating noise was my alarm going off trying desperately to wake me up.

Nanowo, my pet rat, is still alive but barely. Sometimes he is up and about, not being quite the same as before but still. Walking slowly around at the bottom of his big cage and at other times he doesn't even react when I start petting him. I think he has gone blind or had a stroke or something. He is not himself anymore and I don't know what to do. I just miss him and hate seeing him this way. Kaminari on the other hand is growing bigger and stronger by the minute. Running around and being all cuddly.

Current trak: Silence with a taint of pretty irritating noise coming from the computer