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Hash-Packing the World

June 2018 - September 2019
Whether you know me as Nancy Webb or Pat Bonetar, I hope you enjoyed my trip through 4 continents and 17 countries! I can't wait to do it again!! Read more
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  • 472footprints
  • 22countries
  • 463days
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  • 83videos
  • 81.9kmiles
  • 62.9kmiles
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  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarHash-Packing the World
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    Day 15

    135cc to Doi Suthet

    June 18, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 79 °F

    Good day, Monday!! This is how Mondays are supposed to be! Up around 6 am to call my dad for Father's Day, then up and at 'em. A very light breakfast of sticky rice with a warm coconut cream topping (yummy) and the most delicious, fresh mango I have ever had. I don't think I'll ever be able to eat "fresh" mango in the States again.

    The traffic in Chiang Mai is significantly simpler to navigate than that in Bangkok, so I rented a 135cc scooter and made my way to the top of Doi Suthet, upon which stands one of the most important temples in Thailand and a palace. I am sitting in the palace garden now, after having a light lunch by the temple: a small piece of grilled pork on a stick, a Thai sausage on a stick, and a cup of hot corn cut off the cob and mixed with about a tablespoon of white sugar. So very yummy!

    (The bathroom pic is what I had to deal with after lunch. I'm still not quite sure how that's supposed to work without completely stripping. I did my best, but don't ask.)

    Yesterday, I hit the Hard Rock Cafe, which was disappointing, but not surprisingly so. I also got a sakyant tattoo by the traditional bamboo method. It was so much better than the machine! I almost fell asleep except for the occasional pinprick shooting up my neck. And it's already healed. No plastic wrap, no ointment. Amazing!

    After that adventure, there was a night market stretching almost all the way across the Old City on the main road (Rachadamnoen). It was cool, but there were too many people shoulder to shoulder for me, so I ducked out to an outdoor cafe to have a beer and gyoza (super great!) while listening to a pretty good band.

    My battery is running low, and I've so much more to do today, so out for now. ✌️    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarHash-Packing the World
    Day 16

    Sometimes a lack of planning is bad

    June 19, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F

    Here I sit at a shopping mall in Lamphang, about 100 km southeast of Chiang Mai. On a 125cc scooter, that was a long, hard ride, and I am not looking forward to the return trip. All highway and hot.

    I had "planned" to go to the Elephant Conservation Center, about 30 km before you get to Lamphang, but I forgot to stop at a currency exchange before I left the tourist area. Off I went with about 5 bucks in cash. Dummy. Not half enough for a ticket much less gas.

    So, I rode the rest of the way into the city and found this shopping mall, which was sure to have an ATM, and it did. A quick bite at McDonald's (you can pick either beef or pork for your burger meat) and I'm back to Chiang Mai...after I hit the Esso station I saw on the way in now that I can pay for gas. The elephants will have to wait for another day.

    Out for now. ✌️

    P.S.: Update on my dumbassery. I wore my convertible shorts so I could make them into pants if I needed, such as for going inside temples. However, I left the zip-on legs at the hotel, so now the tops of my thighs are sunburnt. 🤦    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarHash-Packing the World
    Day 18

    Thursday is a hashing day!

    June 21, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 86 °F

    Anything I choose to do today would pale in comparison to yesterday's AMAZING time with the elephants. Therefore, I'm doing nothing except laundry until this evening when I'll meet up with the Chiang Mai Hash for tonight's *un.

    Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand, about 4 million people, but it has a small town feel about it. DIt is definitely not to be missed if you're headed this way.

    Out for now. ✌️    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarHash-Packing the World
    Day 19

    Off to Pai

    June 22, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 90 °F

    Yesterday, I met up with the Chiang Mai Happy Hash House Harriers for the Thursday hash. Thank goodness I got my tentanus shot before I left. We were a couple of kilometers into the jungle when we came up out a ravine next to a concrete post. This turned out to be a fence post, as I discovered after I raked the top of my scalp on the hanging barbed wire that I didn't see. Just two long scratches, but ouch! At the end of the trail, we had a nice meal followed by circle. It was very reminiscent of Okinawa circles with two large blocks of ice...for sitting on when you are called into circle for heinous crimes, such as enjoying trail or spilling your beer. Great fun and lots of laughs. CMH4 were great hosts.

    I just finished a very light lunch with the local mangy cat (pics) and am now waiting on a shuttle van to take me about 50 miles to the northwest to Pai for about 3 days. I did a little more planning for this trip 😀.

    Out for now. ✌️    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarHash-Packing the World
    Day 20

    Arms Dealer, PTSD Marine, & Oz Escapees

    June 23, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 84 °F

    Yesterday's ride to Pai was amazing. Crazy curvy roads that would make Powder Keg's Kentucky Twisties seem like a cruise up I-75. One of the British passengers yelled at the driver to slow down--he didn't, of course--and the Chinese kid (6 years old?) threw up twice. Because I waited for everyone else to get in the van, I had the coveted passenger seat. It was awesome, well, for me anyway. I'll take part of the road later today on the 125cc twist-&-go to visit a hot springs. I'm really looking forward to it, although on a 125, I may have to push it up the really steep hills (8.5% incline).

    After checking into the hotel, I walked down the street in search of a beer. The first place I found was an Australian pub with the World Cup on the tele. Sold. I chatted a while with the Aussies who escaped Australia for the lure of cheap living (and some other things as well). As the evening progressed, I spent several rounds talking with a former Marine with serious PTSD who lives here to smoke pot and train in Thai fighting. He said Pai saved his life. I also met a French Canadian arms dealer who was on his way to Hanoi. In addition to the "normal" small arms, grenades, etc., he has the matched pair of Lara Croft guns for sale, 1200 US. Crazy Frenchman.

    I've had a nice day so far, seeing one of the many waterfalls (pic with cops) and one of the many temples. I've just finished a nice Thai vegan lunch for a whopping 45 baht ($1.50). It's cloudy and occasionally dripping a little rain, but with the temperature at 75°F, the weather is great! I was worried about not having air conditioning in my room, but a cold shower and the fan going was fine.

    Out for now. ✌️    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarHash-Packing the World
    Day 21

    Slow Sunday

    June 24, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 84 °F

    Yesterday afternoon was terrific. I visited a hot springs; you could buy eggs to boil in the 80°C (176°F) water. The soaking pools were 36°-32°C, which was plenty hot enough. I didn't think a hot spring dip was going to be nice with it so hot and humid out, but the mineral water was great, and the breeze from the scooter afterward was just the trick to cool off. After that, I grabbed a beer and an hour-long massage, then watched the sunset at the Sunset Bar while the clouds made funny pictures in my head. Incredibly relaxing!

    I'm on my way to Pai Canyon now...maybe. I had a mani/pedi this morning, which about put me to sleep, and all I really want to do is take a nap. I'll decide if I'm going to the canyon after I finish lunch at this typical cafe. It may just have to wait until tomorrow.

    Out for now. ✌️    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarHash-Packing the World
    Day 22

    Pai Canyon & Mueang Paeng Hot Springs

    June 25, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 82 °F

    Morning trip to Pai Canyon, followed by a nice ride to another Hot Springs. This one is much smaller than the previous one, but free. You can take a dip, but I'm not partaking this time. The sulfur content is much higher than the other one, and I could distinctly smell the springs before I could see it.

    The canyon was cool, but without a buddy and in the wrong shoes, I didn't go where the paths got tricky. I hear the canyon is best seen at sunset, but it was still beautiful before the real heat of the day St in, which it's trying to do now. A few more minutes here, then back to Pai and to the swimming pool bar I found yesterday. I think a dip in the cold water will be nicer than the hot today.

    Out for now. ✌️

    P.S.: "Thank you" in Thai is pronounced cop-coon-caw (if you're female) or cop-coon-cop (if you're male).

    P.P.S.: The picture below of the sign on the tree? Billboard. 🤣    Read more

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarHash-Packing the World
    Day 23

    On the way to Chiang Rai

    June 26, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 72 °F

    I'm in a van heading to Chiang Rai, one step closer to Laos. It left very early (7 am), so I had breakfast on the sidewalk with the chickens across the street.

    Out for now. ✌️

  • Nancy Webb...Pat BonetarHash-Packing the World
    Day 24

    Hotel Room Day

    June 27, 2018 in Thailand ⋅ 🌧 75 °F

    I'm beat and haven't left the room today. The van from Pai to here, Chiang Rai, was uneventful, but we took a break at the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) for a few minutes. Beautiful! There I found another unusual ice cream conconction (the first being the ice cream sandwich, literally): a coconut corn popsicle. It's probably quite good, but no.

    Last evening, I popped in the Aussie pub around the corner to watch the World Cup game versus Peru, but it was so bad I left at the half. When I got back, there was a safe in my room with the combination written on top. When I checked in earlier, I was not pleased that there was no safe as the Agoda app listed; it was one of the main reasons I chose this place. They don't speak English, Google Translate rarely works for Thai, and I have neither the skills nor the fortitude to explain why there's no point to using a safe you can walk off with.

    I'm staying in bed and watching YouTube today, although I will probably pop around the corner to the 7 Eleven for food later.

    Out for now. ✌️    Read more

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