We have been in Thailand now for about a week and have already experienced some pretty cool things. After crossing the border, we drove through to Krabi (pronounced grabi) province and Ao Nang. From Ao Nang, it is a short longtail boat ride to Ton Sai and Railay beach. Ton Sai and Railay are home to some world-famous rock climbing routes and some pretty picturesque scenery.
Ton Sai is an amazing place and it is not hard to understand why so many people who travel to this part of Thailand spend much of their time here. We actually met quite a few interesting people in Ton Sai including a group of climbers from Utah. We also met another guy, Chad, who just happened to be from Ft. Collins, Colorado. It was nice meeting so many cool people from so close to home. I think the number of Americans we met in Railey actually outnumber the total we have met on the trip to date. Ton Sai was a great location to chill out a bit, climb a few rocks and enjoy the unique nightlife this quiet little beach has to offer.
Ton Sai is also home to "Mr. Bamboo," a Thai tattoo artist who keeps the ancient tradition of tattooing using a bamboo shoot alive and well. Bamboo tattooing is done completely by hand and has been made somewhat famous in the west thanks to Angelina Jolie, and the guys from Jackass. Actually, there are not too many tattoo shops and artists left in Thailand who still use the traditional method of applying tattoo ink, so I decided to go ahead and not miss the opportunity to get one in Ton Sai. Before I left the States, I wanted to try and get a tattoo in each continent that we travel through, using whatever traditional application method they have… something to always remind me of my travels and experiences I guess. I sort of missed out on getting a "tapping" tattoo, a method used by Maori artists in New Zealand, so what better place to pick back up than with a sharp bamboo needle.
I had "Mr. Bamboo" design a tattoo that when translated from Thai into English loosely means: "passion for good luck." I am passionate about making The World by Road a success and we need our fare share of luck as well, so it seemed to fit nicely. The tattooing process was less painful than I thought, but because of the nature of how it is applied, takes a fair amount of time. In my case, the job was finished about 4 hours after the first prick. Bamboo tattooing is truly an art and the process was just as interesting to watch as it was to experience. Although I was tired at the end of the session, I can only imagine what Mr. Bamboo’s arm felt like.
