“The King is dead.”
Thailand is known for its beautiful beaches. That’s why Joseph took the first flight out to the island known as Ko Phi Phi.
Unfortunately, when he arrived in Thailand, he learned that the leader of Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, had passed away after a long battle with an illness.
This meant that the entire nation was in mourning. In fact, civil servants were required to wear black.
“The whole island was shut down,” Joseph said. “It effected the whole scene. People were leaving in droves. There was no beer or alcohol to be sold, there was no dancing, no music.”
Despite the gorgeous beaches, this lack of activity made Joseph reconsider spending more time in Thailand, and he eventually decided to head to Cambodia.
When he arrived in Cambodia, he had one thing in mind, Siem Reap, which is a group of ruins that extends for miles in the jungle. It’s a very busy tourist attraction in Cambodia.
“You’ve probably seen some of them–maybe in movies,” Joseph said. “Like Harrison Ford (in the) India Jones movie. Maybe that Lara Croft (in the) Tomb Raiders movie.”
However, according to Joseph, other than the ruins, Cambodia didn’t have too much to offer him. Unlike typical tourists, he expected to be thrilled with some sort of adventure.
Once his pinky finger began to recover, he realized it was time to head back to the mountains in Nepal.