Games, Crafts, and Thoughts from Mortaine
<img width="150" height="150" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.41.01-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.41.01-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.41.01-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />The rest of Steph's trip, focusing on the Philippines! The post The Rest of the Trip? appeared first on Games, Crafts, and Thoughts from Mortaine.
<img width="150" height="150" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.41.01-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.41.01-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.41.01-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> We have been home from Asia now for over a month, and I’ve been extremely remiss in updating the blog about our travels. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.41.01-768x1024.jpg" alt="From left to right: Suzanne, John, and Stephanie, three middle-aged white people, standing on a red bridge surrounded by greenery." class="wp-image-100841" style="width:368px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.41.01-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.41.01-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.41.01-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.41.01-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.41.01-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> Here’s a short rundown of how the trip went: From Hua Hin, we returned to Bangkok for a few days and then headed to Cebu, in the Philippines. Cebu was also hot and humid. But we did have one of the most beautiful days island-hopping and snorkeling. We booked with a SCUBA outfit for a snorkel trip, and because they don’t do a lot of snorkel trips, we ended up with the entire boat to ourselves. Definitely a great day. On almost the last day in Cebu, I slipped on wet asphalt (and mud– I hope it was mud) and banged up my right knee and generally felt crummy. Our next stop was Bagiao, which is up in the mountains. It’s definitely cooler there than the rest of the Philippines. It’s also on a very narrow windy mountain road, not unlike Highway 9 in Santa Cruz, but narrower and more fraught with danger. More on Bagiao in a minute. After Bagiao, we headed to Manila, where we stayed in the super-modern Bonifacio Global City (BGC). BGC is essentially a very controlled planned community that sits on the former location of the Bonifacio US military base. It’s small– about a mile across– and has greenways and trees and is about 10-15 degrees cooler than the rest of Manila. After BGC, we went home. Which has also been an adjustment, because we spent how much on healthcare and dinner?!? On Bagiao Bagiao is an interesting place. Every day, a couple of times a day, the community-wide alarm (think air raid sirens) goes off. I’m a little bit used to this growing up in Evanston, where we had the air raid siren test every Tuesday at 10:30 AM. But every day? We looked it up. Turns out, at least one of the sirens is the “stop and be mindful” siren. I kid you not. You’re supposed to pause and think about your community and your life and be grateful that you live in a wonderful place like Bagiao. This wonderful event is only less than perfect because: There is another siren that goes off an hour earlier (I never figured out why). The siren is loud and annoying. The siren, like everything else in Bagiao, sets off all the dogs barking (so you are contemplating the wonderful harmony of your life, to a cacophony of feral and non-feral dogs). It’s every day, so if you live there, you tune it out. When I was growing up, I stopped being able to hear the wind-up clock ticking in my living room. The day after we arrived, John and I walked down to the local park and post office. The park in Bagiao is beautiful, with a small lake and paddle boats, lots of little green spaces and things to do. It also has the “smoking police,” enforcing Bagiao’s public non-smoking laws in the park, which was pretty awesome for us non-smokers! Also while in Bagiao, I sent my last postcards. Unfortunately, I sent these on August 15, and the Philippines stopped shipping all mail to the US on August 18, so I doubt my little post cards (even the hand-painted ones) will arrive! However, as if the fall in Cebu wasn’t enough, I came down with the flu shortly after arriving in Bagiao. I basically had a day to explore the town before I was holed up in a room, semi-isolating and coughing and miserable. I did hand-sew a shirt while I was isolating on my birthday, but it was a pretty crappy way to celebrate my birthday, since I couldn’t go out, felt awful, and didn’t want to get anyone else sick. Manila and BGC Manila was a great visit, and I was super happy to hang out with my friend Tobie and his partner, Rocky a couple of times. We did tour the historic sites in Manila in a night tour, which was fascinating, not least because our guide was a trained architect who pointed out many of the architectural features of the sights. BGC was a seriously great place to be for a short period of time, but it is mostly shopping and dining out. I think I’d get bored after a while, because I’m not a “go out to the live band every night” kind of person, and the board game cafe was a “bring your own friend” kind of place (no organized meetup.) That said, it was a model of a walkable urban area. Everything was within walking distance, on well paved and maintained sidewalks. While you could take a car to get from one side to the other, it was faster to walk than drive. Large spans of grass and trees keeps the temperature much better moderated, and it’s a real testament to the impact of asphalt and concrete on local climate that outside of the BGC “bubble,” temperatures were much higher. However, I don’t think most of the people who work there can afford to live there, so it fails the economic test of whether it’s a community– if the person making your coffee can’t afford to live in the area, then you aren’t in a community, you’re in an amusement park. Towards the end of our stay, I had a minor surgery at St. Luke’s hospital, which is one of the best hospitals in Southeast Asia, and is adjacent to (walking distance) the rest of BGC. Top notch medical care, and while I was fine flying home, I am still dealing with some of the after-effects (mostly a nerve that is now very angry at me; not something that would have been avoided if I’d had the surgery elsewhere). It was a relief to go from “Doctor, I have this lump” to “it’s out and you can go home” in less than 2 weeks and for under $3K (USD), including overnight hospital stay in a nice, private room with a kitchen. (The lump was completely benign, in case you’re wondering– I am fine.) Also while I was traveling, I wrote a couple of games, which are now up on Itch, including my first video game, Gideon’s Island. It plays in the browser and is a really dumb little game that made me laugh while I was writing it. Photo dump incoming! <img decoding="async" width="1920" height="2560" data-id="100846" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-10-14.01.12-scaled.jpg" alt="Suzzane (left) and Stephanie (right), two middle aged white women wearing sunglasses, stand in front of Lost Books, a teeny tiny bookshop in Cebu, Philippines." class="wp-image-100846" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-10-14.01.12-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-10-14.01.12-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> Suzanne and Steph make it to Lost Books in Cebu, the narrowest bookstore ever! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="2560" data-id="100843" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-15-11.54.22-scaled.jpg" alt="John, a middle aged white man with a beard wearing sunglasses, a billed hat, and a green collared shirt, sits at a table in a Bagiao restaurant outdoors. Storm clouds behind him predict what is about to happen in the next 5-10 minutes." class="wp-image-100843" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-15-11.54.22-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-15-11.54.22-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> John in Cebu <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="2560" data-id="100844" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-14.35.24-scaled.jpg" alt="Stephanie, a middle aged white woman wearing glasses, stands in front of an arched window. Behind her is a beautiful garden in the Philippines." class="wp-image-100844" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-14.35.24-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-14.35.24-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> It rained so much on this day! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="2560" data-id="100845" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.53.28-scaled.jpg" alt="John (left) and Stephanie (right), a middle aged couple, stand on a bridge in the middle of a garden, looking at each other. This pose is reminiscent of their wedding photos." class="wp-image-100845" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.53.28-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-12-12.53.28-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> What a lovely day <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="1920" data-id="100847" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-22-20.06.03-scaled.jpg" alt="Stephanie (left) and John (right), a middle aged white couple wearing glasses, pose in front of a large orange sign that says "BGC."" class="wp-image-100847" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-22-20.06.03-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-22-20.06.03-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> We finally made it to BGC <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100850" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-23-14.29.20-1024x768.jpg" alt="A group of tabletop gamers (mostly male Filipinos, plus Stephanie, a middle-aged white woman) playing Mythic Bastionland at a game store near Manila" class="wp-image-100850" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-23-14.29.20-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-23-14.29.20-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-23-14.29.20-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-23-14.29.20-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-08-23-14.29.20-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> Playing Mythic Bastionland with Tobie, Rocky, and friends! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100842" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-09-05-01.50.30-1024x768.jpg" alt="Stephanie and John, a white middle-aged couple in glasses. She is wearing a hat and white collared shirt. He is wearing a green collared shirt. Behind them, a stage has numerous male dancer wearing few clothing, as they are at a queer/drag show." class="wp-image-100842" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-09-05-01.50.30-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-09-05-01.50.30-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> John and Steph At the O Bar drag show! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100849" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-09-01-11.27.41-1024x768.jpg" alt="Suzanne (right) and John (left), two middle aged white people, sit underneath a sign that reads "Coffee &" beneath the sign, as a trick of shadow and light, the word "Conversations" is projected onto the wall." class="wp-image-100849" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-09-01-11.27.41-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-09-01-11.27.41-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-09-01-11.27.41-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-09-01-11.27.41-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025-09-01-11.27.41-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> Suzanne and John having Coffee & Conversations The post The Rest of the Trip? appeared first on Games, Crafts, and Thoughts from Mortaine.
<img width="150" height="150" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.23.52-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="John and Stephanie, a white middle-aged couple, absolutely melting on the grounds of the Grand Palace, in front of a statue" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.23.52-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.23.52-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />Travel notes from Hua Hin and the wrapup from Bangkok, Thailand. The post Hua Hin, Thailand appeared first on Games, Crafts, and Thoughts from Mortaine.
<img width="150" height="150" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.23.52-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="John and Stephanie, a white middle-aged couple, absolutely melting on the grounds of the Grand Palace, in front of a statue" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.23.52-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.23.52-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> We went to Hua Hin, a coastal city in Thailand and stayed near the beach. Hua Hin’s beaches are better for surfers, so we didn’t really spend much time in the ocean water (surf beaches aren’t great for swimmers and snorkelers– water is too choppy). But we did spend part of almost every day in the pool. And that’s because it was hot. Hua Hin, like Bangkok, was hot hot hot and humid! We still went out and did things, but we are more or less always a bit stymied by our timing. If we wait for things to open up (9 or 10 am), it’s too late in the day and things are getting very hot. If we wait until night to do everything, I still wake up at 4 or 5 AM and rattle around for 4 hours, and then end up not getting enough rest because insomnia sucks. OK, that all aside, we did have a nice time in Hua Hin. We visited the local temple to the Buddha’s footprint, the beach, an artists’ collective, and the nearby Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand animal sanctuary where abused and exploited wildlife go to life out their days in peace. This was by far my favorite part of the trip so far, and I did a bunch of little “study” sketches of some of the animals we saw. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-12.37.51-1024x768.jpg" alt="A small sketchbook with about a dozen small ink sketches of various animals" class="wp-image-100737" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-12.37.51-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-12.37.51-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-12.37.51-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-12.37.51-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-12.37.51-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> We returned to Bangkok for a few days before catching our flight to Cebu, in the Philippines. We’re there now, having been here for a couple of days and just starting to get our feet under us. While in Bangkok those last days, I did find a nice quiet spot on the rooftop “garden” at our hotel, where I would go and write for a bit each day, which was quite nice. This visit in Bangkok was also our last opportunity to hit the big tourist “must see” item, the Grand Palace and Wat. Which were amazing and beautiful, but there’s a point where it’s so much that you have a hard time telling the difference between the palace and the dressing room building where the king would change clothes before going out. Not shown in the photos, because we weren’t allowed to take pictures, is the underlooked Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles. This is a “do not miss” for fiber artists, and it is air conditioned, unlike the rest of the Grand Palace, which is outdoors. So, for a very important break that is included in your ticket price to the Palace, do not miss this stop. Four galleries take you through the manufacture of Thai silk, the sumptuary laws and practices that determine which weaving patterns are appropriate for what courtly rank a person has, and the color theory applied to ladies in waiting. The fourth gallery showcases the more modern wardrobe of Queen Sirikit, including some extremely fashionable pieces that blend French fashion with Thai style. Really a great visit, and something I highly recommend. Please enjoy the rest of the photo dump. John and Suzanne take better pics than I do, but I have these available on my hard drive, lol. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" data-id="100739" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-22-14.25.29-768x1024.jpg" alt="The Thai flag waving above a temple on a mountain" class="wp-image-100739" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-22-14.25.29-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-22-14.25.29-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-22-14.25.29-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-22-14.25.29-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100738" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-22-13.47.15-1024x768.jpg" alt="A group of 3 monkeys sitting and lounging on a tin roof" class="wp-image-100738" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-22-13.47.15-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-22-13.47.15-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-22-13.47.15-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-22-13.47.15-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-22-13.47.15-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100751" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-01-19.51.05-1024x768.jpg" alt="John, a middle-aged white man with glasses, shaved head, and beard, looking thoughtfully, at a restaurant" class="wp-image-100751" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-01-19.51.05-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-01-19.51.05-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-01-19.51.05-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-01-19.51.05-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-01-19.51.05-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100750" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-11.52.14-1024x768.jpg" alt="A female elephant standing near a fence. She's doing her own thing because she doesn't enjoy the company of other elephants, and at the wildlife sanctuary, she gets to live her life the way she wants to. " class="wp-image-100750" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-11.52.14-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-11.52.14-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-11.52.14-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-11.52.14-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-11.52.14-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100749" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-10.57.57-1024x768.jpg" alt="A rescued AFrican tortoise at the wildlife sanctuary" class="wp-image-100749" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-10.57.57-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-10.57.57-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-10.57.57-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-10.57.57-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-28-10.57.57-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100748" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-27-19.54.15-1024x768.jpg" alt="A Thai painter, working on a painting, at a night market" class="wp-image-100748" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-27-19.54.15-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-27-19.54.15-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-27-19.54.15-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-27-19.54.15-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-27-19.54.15-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100747" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-27-19.53.21-1024x768.jpg" alt="A Thai painter working on a painting during a night market" class="wp-image-100747" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-27-19.53.21-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-27-19.53.21-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-27-19.53.21-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-27-19.53.21-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-27-19.53.21-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100743" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-10.44.30-1024x768.jpg" alt="A large watercolor painting of water lillies and their ecosystem" class="wp-image-100743" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-10.44.30-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-10.44.30-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-10.44.30-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-10.44.30-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100746" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-13.03.47-1024x768.jpg" alt="A sculpture of a xenomorph alien, made of scrap metal" class="wp-image-100746" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-13.03.47-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-13.03.47-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-13.03.47-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-13.03.47-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-13.03.47-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" data-id="100741" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-10.48.11-768x1024.jpg" alt="A life-size scuplture of a human female climbing a rope" class="wp-image-100741" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-10.48.11-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-10.48.11-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-10.48.11-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100742" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-12.06.51-1024x768.jpg" alt="A hand-painted fan held up in front of the scene depicted on the fan. The scene is one of a small pond with green plants surrounding it." class="wp-image-100742" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-12.06.51-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-12.06.51-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-12.06.51-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-26-12.06.51-1536x1152.jpg 1536w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" data-id="100752" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.14.48-768x1024.jpg" alt="A very ornate building at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand" class="wp-image-100752" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.14.48-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.14.48-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.14.48-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.14.48-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.14.48-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" data-id="100754" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-10.14.50-768x1024.jpg" alt="A purple orchid growing on a tree at the Grand Palace" class="wp-image-100754" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-10.14.50-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-10.14.50-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-10.14.50-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-10.14.50-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-10.14.50-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100753" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.23.52-1024x768.jpg" alt="John and Stephanie, a white middle-aged couple, absolutely melting on the grounds of the Grand Palace, in front of a statue" class="wp-image-100753" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.23.52-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.23.52-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.23.52-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.23.52-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-08-02-09.23.52-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" data-id="100740" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-24-11.50.56-768x1024.jpg" alt="A buff seal point cat, lying down and grooming herself." class="wp-image-100740" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-24-11.50.56-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-24-11.50.56-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-07-24-11.50.56-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> The post Hua Hin, Thailand appeared first on Games, Crafts, and Thoughts from Mortaine.
This fictional work is an “actual play” from the solo journaling game called “The Wretched” by Chris Bissette. Content warnings: strong language, horror, hopelessness, alien attack, stranded in space, fecal matter, dead bodies, pet death. Played on July 23, 2025. The premise of the game is that the player is the sole survivor of an […] The post The Wretched: Actual Play appeared first on Games, Crafts, and Thoughts from Mortaine.
This fictional work is an “actual play” from the solo journaling game called “The Wretched” by Chris Bissette. Content warnings: strong language, horror, hopelessness, alien attack, stranded in space, fecal matter, dead bodies, pet death. Played on July 23, 2025. The premise of the game is that the player is the sole survivor of an alien attack that killed their entire crew, and the alien is now on the outside of the hull, surviving in the vacuum of space, and hunting the survivor…. Note: This solo journaling game is intended to be recorded as an audio recording. While the transcript is provided below, you’re encouraged instead to listen to the recording for the full immersive effect. Music by DELOSound on pixabay. Day 1 Salvage ship The Wretched Flight Engineer Sadie Dancer reporting. The other members of the crew are dead and the engines remain non-operational, though ship integrity is good and life support systems are still active. I successfully jettisoned the intruder from the airlock, but it remains alive and continues to try to access the ship. With a little luck, I can repair the distress beacon and somebody will pick me up. This is Flight Engineer Dancer, the last survivor of The Wretched, signing off. Day 2 Flight Engineer Dancer of The Wretched. I checked medbay today, to double-check the supply inventory. There’s plenty of medical supplies for any non-emergency I might encounter out here. And anything critical… well, my odds aren’t great to begin with. There are deep gouges in the corridor to medbay. At first, my worst nightmare occurred to me– that the creature had gotten in, that these were new scratches from its enormous mandibles. Then, I saw the trail of blood and remembered Nurse Hodgkins. He’d barricaded himself into medbay when the alarms went off, but I guess his lockdown didn’t hold. Poor bastard. Day 3 What a hell of a day. This is Engineer Dancer of The Wretched. A sewage leak started my day, thanks to a shitty maintenance schedule, no pun intended. And I can say that because I’m the one who made the maintenance roster. After rigging a fix with poly-tape, and no small amount of prayer and cursing, I was about to return to the bridge. But then, I heard the creature back in the airlock. It’s making an even more determined effort today, but I had a clever idea to give it something else to think about. The sewage reclamation system has two modes– full recycling and partial disposal. There’s no way I’ll need all the solid material, not with food reserves for the 20-man crew sustaining only me. So I vented the solid waste in a beautiful brown line– right at the creature’s face. Take that, space monster! I don’t attribute motive to the creature’s actions– it’s no more than an animal, as far as I can tell. But it certainly felt personal when it cracked the main forward lamps. There’s nothing to see out there, but it was cold comfort, knowing that if something was out there, I’d see it before the collision sensors did. Day 4 Engineer Dancer’s log. The lights were bothering me too much, and there’s a technical port that gives access to replace them from inside the ship. So, I did! I did that, and it was exhausting. And also… disturbing. I’ve grown too comfortable in the bridge module, where I spend most of my time. I was hit with a sudden sense of claustrophobia and agoraphobia at the same time. Like, the crawlspace is so very small and tight, and the wall membrane is so thin. Such a small, fragile thing between me and the void…. Day 5 Engineer Dancer’s log. The bridge door lock failed today and I caught myself muttering “be careful what you wish for” over and over again while fixing it. Yesterday I wanted nothing more than to be back in the bridge, safe and secure. Today, it became imperative that I get out of the bridge. Fortunately, I’m an engineer and while it wouldn’t pass any kind of inspection, I got the damned thing open. I keep thinking about Science Specialist Strayhorn. Barb. My Barbie girl. Shit. I know it’s stupid and we can’t change the past, but it would be nice if the last words I’d said to her hadn’t been “I bet it tastes worse than your chowder.” Like, super. My last words to the woman I– I could have loved? — were an insult to her cooking. Way to go, Dancer. You fuckup. Day 6 I’ve had Vikram’s rifle since he died. He loved this thing, called it “Buddha’s Little Secret.” I’ve charged it every sleep cycle, just to make sure it’s ready, but with no way to test fire it, I have no idea if it will fire correctly, and even less if it will be effective against the creature. That thing is nearly indestructible, so it’s even more of a crap shoot than what I did 3 days ago. Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen the creature in 3 days. Dare I hope? Day 7 I’m so goddamned tired. I thought it was just exhaustion, but the tingling in my hands and feet told a different story– oxygen deprivation. I’ll be honest, my solution isn’t great. I hauled an O2 tank from medbay. While I was trying to decide on a more durable fix, I heard…. something in the air vents. I don’t know. Maybe it got in. Maybe not. It’s pretty hopeless, either way. I fell asleep trying to figure it out. I just woke up, and I know I need to fix that system, but I’m just. so. tired. This is, um, Engineer Sadie, uh Dancer. Log. of The Wretched. Day 8 Fuck! I woke up to the sound of metal shearing and about a million alarms going off. The main habitat module is gone. The creature got through, probably through the emergency airlock, and was coming for me. I detached the module, but the creature clung to the door lock. The hab’s camera caught it on the feed before the connection severed. It’s big, but I can see it’s also hurt. Good. Day 9 Welp. I gave myself an upgrade and field promotion, since my bunk is floating in space about 200,000 miles away. Captain Dancer reporting. I have accessed the late Captain Jones’ cabin and liberated his access card. Did I need it? No. I’m a good engineer. There isn’t a system on The Wretched that I can’t get into. But it’s simply easier if I have full captain control. And now, I have it! Also, his scotch, which he kept in his cabin. It’ll come in handy once I’m not in constant peril…. Day 10 I needed to fix a few things outside the ship– the generators’ solar panels, and the antenna. The solar panels were needed because the primary power system went down. I can’t survive without it– life support will go out and the door locks won’t have active locks, making them absurdly easy to breach. But how, you might ask, did I do this highly risky EVA without attracting the creature’s attention? Well, I learned from my earlier shit incident, or “shitcident” if you will. I used the sewage system again, this time spraying a directed stream towards my EVA path. Did it make the EVA absolutely disgusting? Yes. Yes, it did. Did I survive? Again, the answer is yes and really, isn’t that all I need to do until I can either get rid of this unwelcome guest, or a rescue comes? Day 11 I can’t tell if it’s a glitch in the sensors or my own brain playing tricks on me, but I’ve seen the same huge structure, like a docking station, on the comms for several days now. It’s usually after the creature screeches into the hull– a sound that is the most unnerving thing I’ve ever heard. There is no sound in space, so this is the equivalent of the bass vibrations at a rock concert, but high-pitched and vertebra-rattling in its effect. I decided today is a good day to bury the crew– the ones I can collect, anyway. Vikram, Barb, Jones, the three Chrises, and of course Patch, the best damn dog in the galaxy. Patch had some of the creature’s… saliva on his fur. And it had hardened in the almost 2 weeks since this nightmare started. It was hard, but tacky to the touch, and Patch deserved better. I wanted to clean him up first, but I can’t spare the wate,r and I can’t risk contaminating the reclamation system. I said goodbye, in my way, to each of them. With the Chrises, I don’t know them that well, so it was a bit like writing in the yearbook of someone you only had one class with. I sent Barb out last, even though protocol would have sent the Captain. Whatever, I don’t care. I needed time to think of what to say, how to say it. But in the end, I couldn’t find any words, so I just let her go, into the void, silently. And then I went back to the cockpit and start at the stars. Day 12 I picked up comms chatter today– a stray signal, maybe? Or an echo. I can’t believe I’m close enough to any inhabited systems for it to have been real. It sounded at first like a panicked distress call, like our own before the beacon went down. But then, I realized it was just an entertainment broadcast, and the panicked screams were cheers from a sporting event. Vikram was a big football fan. I remember that now. When he– when he died, he said something about guarding the kicker. I really wish he were here now. I could use a friend. Day 13 Fuck, what a day. I tried to fix the engines. Took them apart, put them back together. I’m absolutely sure they should work. But they don’t. Probably software. I was in the mess when I heard the creature moving outside on the hull. It didn’t scream at me this time. It knows it only has to outwait me. But while I was in the mess hall, I saw something move in the food storage locker! At first, I panicked– this is it. But no, it’s just Lt. Jepsom’s virtual pet thing. Then I realized those things have a pairing protocol that isn’t in the same regulated systems as the rest of the comms! I enabled that protocol on the distress beacon and it worked! I fucking worked! So, if someone’s kid’s tamaguchi suddenly starts relaying this horror story, I am so sorry. Believe me. But hopefully, it’s not too late and you– or your kid– can raise a rescue for me and I can finally go home. And if not. Well. Thanks for listening. It gives me some comfort knowing my words have a chance of living on, even if I don’t make it. Peace– Acting Captain Engineer Sadie Dancer of The Wretched— out. Day 14 NO LOG FOUND Day 15 NO LOG FOUND Day 16 NO LOG FOUND Day 17 NO LOG FOUND Day 18 NO LOG FOUND The post The Wretched: Actual Play appeared first on Games, Crafts, and Thoughts from Mortaine.
<img width="150" height="150" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-21.20.29-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="John and Stephanie, a middle-aged male-female white couple, leaning their heads together in a selfie on a ship as it passes the famous Wat Arun, a beautiful temple that is completely lit up with yellow-gold lights at night." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-21.20.29-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-21.20.29-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />We’ve now been in Bangkok for about 2 1/2 weeks. We have not done everything we wanted to do. I’ve had a few commitments during the day that kept us from exploring as much. We also had a couple of minor medical moments, which gave us the opportunity to appreciate a not-completely-broken healthcare system. Hey, […] The post Bangkok, Part 2 appeared first on Games, Crafts, and Thoughts from Mortaine.
<img width="150" height="150" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-21.20.29-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="John and Stephanie, a middle-aged male-female white couple, leaning their heads together in a selfie on a ship as it passes the famous Wat Arun, a beautiful temple that is completely lit up with yellow-gold lights at night." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-21.20.29-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-21.20.29-50x50.jpg 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> We’ve now been in Bangkok for about 2 1/2 weeks. We have not done everything we wanted to do. I’ve had a few commitments during the day that kept us from exploring as much. We also had a couple of minor medical moments, which gave us the opportunity to appreciate a not-completely-broken healthcare system. Hey, it was nice being treated with dignity for a medical concern! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-18-14.37.16-1024x768.jpg" alt="Stephanie and John, a white middle-aged couple wearing glasses. Stephanie has blue hair and is wearing a white linen shirt. John is bald with a beard and is wearing a blue shirt. They are in a lounging bed in a movie theater." class="wp-image-100696" style="width:368px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-18-14.37.16-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-18-14.37.16-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> In the comfy bed “seats” at the movies! Fortunately, we will be returning at the end of the month for a few days, so we have a second chance to visit the landmarks we’ve missed, and it’s really nice to have something to look forward to visiting on a second trip. Highlights: We went to the Flower Market– or a flower market– which also had produce and cats! Lots of cats! I assume they keep the market safe from pests! I took a solo day and went out exploring on my own (and yarn-shopping!) Saw some interesting sights, bought yarn, and came home absolutely wiped out from walking in the heat all day. Super important to HYDRATE! More malls, and a movie! John and I saw Superman tonight at a movie theater that has full-on beds to watch movies from. It was really something, though it is definitely expensive! It was nice to be in a soft bed, if only for a couple of hours, though. We took a boat tour past some of the big landmarks, including the Grand Palace and the Rama VIII Bridge, which was awe-inspiring. Oh! And I found a post box and learned how to buy stamps! Post cards aren’t a big thing here– they’re not easy to find, but I did find a few that were really special, and sent them to a few special people in my life. I have more stamps and post cards waiting for when the muse hits me, as well! A little melancholia: John is a fan of YouTube videos about full-time retirement travel, and one of the videos today was about the isolation, and how people who blog or vlog about their travels in order to stay in touch with people “back home” find that after a fairly short amount of time, the people “back home” just don’t really care. I find that kind of interesting. I have had this blog for several decades now, and it’s gone through many iterations. It contains some 6,000+ entries of things I’ve archived to it (most of which are now hidden/unpublished), so in a way, I suppose it serves as the record of my writings and postings on social media as a whole. It’s not just a way for me to shout into the wilderness about what we’re doing and why anyone should care. It’s nice if my friends and family care, of course, because I love you and I want to stay connected to you. But I hope we’ll continue to stay connected in other ways as well. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="2560" data-id="100701" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-14-10.24.51-scaled.jpg" alt="Orange and gold shrine in the center of the flower market. Golden marigold flower garlands cover it. A black cat lounges on the ground in front of it." class="wp-image-100701" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-14-10.24.51-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-14-10.24.51-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> Shrine in the center of the Flower Market <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="1920" data-id="100700" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-14-08.42.45-scaled.jpg" alt="An orange cat sits with its mouth slightly open, on a table with many bags of green limes." class="wp-image-100700" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-14-08.42.45-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-14-08.42.45-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> Found an orange mixed in with all the limes. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="1920" data-id="100698" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-14-16.00.02-scaled.jpg" alt="Close-up of orange roses" class="wp-image-100698" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-14-16.00.02-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-14-16.00.02-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> Picked up some roses at the Flower Market <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2560" height="1920" data-id="100699" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-13-12.44.08-scaled.jpg" alt="The exterior of a recycling center, with the words "Siam Piwat Recycle Collection Center" in yellow, orange, and blue letters. Blue, yellow, pink, orange, and red bins and shelves are available to collect and sort various recyclables. The bins are labeled in both English and Thai for their types, such as aluminum, stretchy plastic, multilayer plastic, and PET." class="wp-image-100699" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-13-12.44.08-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-13-12.44.08-300x225.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /> A rare sighting: A recycling center! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="2560" data-id="100697" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-14-12.38.32-scaled.jpg" alt="Stephanie, a white woman with glasses and wearing a black bucket hat, standing and smiling in front of some colorful furniture inside a mall." class="wp-image-100697" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-14-12.38.32-scaled.jpg 1920w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-14-12.38.32-225x300.jpg 225w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /> Went on a solo excursion to a mall! <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100702" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-19.37.19-1024x768.jpg" alt="The top of a river ship, lit up at night" class="wp-image-100702" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-19.37.19-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-19.37.19-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-19.37.19-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-19.37.19-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-19.37.19-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> River boat tour <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" data-id="100703" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-21.20.29-768x1024.jpg" alt="John and Stephanie, a middle-aged male-female white couple, leaning their heads together in a selfie on a ship as it passes the famous Wat Arun, a beautiful temple that is completely lit up with yellow-gold lights at night." class="wp-image-100703" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-21.20.29-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-21.20.29-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-21.20.29-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-21.20.29-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-21.20.29-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /> River tour past Wat Arun <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="768" data-id="100704" src="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-20.54.02-1024x768.jpg" alt="An asymmetrical bridge, the Rama VIII Bridge, lit up at night with a cloudy sky above." class="wp-image-100704" srcset="https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-20.54.02-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-20.54.02-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-20.54.02-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-20.54.02-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.mortaine.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-07-10-20.54.02-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> Passing under the Rama VIII Bridge. The post Bangkok, Part 2 appeared first on Games, Crafts, and Thoughts from Mortaine.
Notification that emails should be working now! The post Did You Miss a Post? appeared first on Games, Crafts, and Thoughts from Mortaine.
(Note: If you subscribed using Jetpack’s newsletter functionality, this does not apply to you.) TLDR: If you missed my first post from Bangkok to other day, please check it out here! Future posts should come through just fine– though if you get duplicates, ping me on one of my various other platforms (or comment here) and let me know so I can go back to the WordPress mines and figure it out! Before we went on our trip, I told folks “hey, if you want to keep up with me by email, subscribe to my blog!” And then I completely failed to make sure that was actually working! Thankfully, my friend Brandi let me know that she hadn’t received any blog posts after over a week of being here, so I dug in and figured out the problem. Completely user error on my part, but after much troubleshooting today, I think I have it working! I don’t currently have a way to filter the emails to only send you a particular category or tag. For those, you might want to use an RSS reader or an RSS subscription service like RSS.app. If you follow me on Mastodon, you already see all the blog posts because they get cross-posted there. The post Did You Miss a Post? appeared first on Games, Crafts, and Thoughts from Mortaine.