Time flies when you're having fun. The trip to Sangkhlaburi is in the can, most of the videos are completed, and I'm preparing for the next adventure. This time, I'll be traveling to Phnom Penh, Battambang, and Siem Reap. This won't be a trip where we join thousands of other travelers at the Angkor Wat, nor will we concentrate on hitting the tourist trail. Phnom Penh is a stopping point to prepare for venturing out to the country and Battambang and Siem Reap will be our refueling stations for the journey. From Battambang we'll head out to parts unknown, where foreigners rarely travel, and the same goes with Siem Reap. Billy Ray and Cory are both in town now, chomping at the bit, and this will be their first trip to Cambodia. This trip will be a little more difficult than the last, Myanmar will be even more difficult, and The Mekong Mission will probably be our most trying. I am already planning trips for next year, and like I keep saying, each one should be bigger, better and more difficult and I certainly hope this translates through video. Stay tuned...Below are a few new videos.

Get Your Chowderhead or Captain Save A Hoe T-Shirt Now! Only $20!

It felt great to be back on the road taking photos. I always feel fantastic when I'm traveling, perhaps because I look forward to the adventures. Photographing wherever it is I might be almost always changes my mood for the better; photography is a zen-like pursuit and to a lesser extent (at least for me), so is making films. 

Areas rife with tourists are not my sort of gig; I prefer the rarely visited, cool destinations that take effort to reach. Getting to Sangkhlaburi was relatively easy, although it took nearly eight hours by train and van and once there, we needed a 4 X 4 to reach the village of Sanapong.

Next March, I'll travel to Sangkhlaburi once again, this time for the Mon Festival.

In a little over two weeks, I'll be back on the road, this time traveling to Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap before heading back to Bangkok. Once again I'll be joined by Cory, and this time, Billy Ray will be joining us. From Phnom Penh we'll take a boat to Battambang, then we're off to Siem Reap and finally Preah Vihear.

Only 2552 steps can prevent us from reaching the Preach Vihear temple. Well, 2552 steps, land mines and a sunken boat. Wish us well and FYI, there is a good chance I'll be doing some live streaming in Cambodia and the more immediate future. You can keep up to date on the times on my Twitter account. Bon Voyage!  

In today's video, I speak with Mr. Cory, an expat who recently retired from the US Navy and moved to Thailand. He's lived in Japan and several other countries in Southeast Asia and has taken several trips to Thailand. Nearly two years ago he moved to Bangkok and with the help of the GI Bill, decided to work on his Master's degree. In a few weeks he'll have his degree and more time on his hands. Seeing we get along and share a similar sense of humor, it seems logical he join me on my journeys. There are several others interested in joining me on the various expeditions I have planned this year and in 2018 and 2019, so with any luck, we'll all have some fun, I'll find the photos I'm after and also bring some different videos to those who watch them. Wish me luck.

Although you might not know it, the change has already begun. Aside from a few videos, the vast majority of my time has been spent researching future destinations. Instead of focusing on making videos that answer questions, I've been working more on photo projects and producing videos geared more towards travel and photography. This is not to say I won't help people and I won't answer questions, but I'm getting older and want to click a few things more off the bucket list and achieve some goals before the inevitable comes. This is something I try to never forget.

Just this year, I found out an old girlfriend died, then my buddy here in Bangkok passed away from cancer, and yesterday, I found out my first girlfriend, Chrain, also passed away. RIP Chrain. Several years ago she contacted me and asked how I was doing. Our relationship began in 7th grade and continued off and on until 9th grade. I was so shy around her, and I though she was so beautiful, I was tongue-tied. We had several nice conversations and then her husband passed away. Then she had a bad accident and had several surgeries on her leg. Every so often she would write me and ask how I was doing and what I was up to, and then out of the blue I found out she is gone. So...as I said, I never forget death can come at any moment.