January 2012

I was in between rig trips – just off of a rig in the Gulf of Thailand, and on my back to Perth, Australia. I had three days in Songklha, Thailand, before flying back across the Indian Ocean to Perth. Looking for adventure, I hiked to the top of a hill to the Khao Tang Kuan Pagoda. The statue of Buddha overlooks the city. When I arrived a the pagoda, I took some time to reflect, rang a bell, and spoke with several locals who made the trip to observe their religion.

On the way down, I took a less direct route, hiking through forests down to the city center. On the way down, I encountered more monkeys (dozens) than I did people (three).