Gobi Desert, Shanghai & Bangkok
Mid June to end of July, 2011
Like you might have observed while watching the short ten-minute skateumentary, "Where do we Land?" with the
Converse China team, we didn't quite receive a warm welcome we have expected when arriving in Ulaanbaatar.
Shortly after having someone break into our hostel and seeing Xiao Xing running after him with a butcher knife, we
decided it might be time to get out of the city for a couple days. Since we traversed through the Gobi Desert (Gobi
meaning 'Waterless place') on our way to Ulaanbaatar from Beijing, we had an urge to track back our route a bit
into the nomads land and ride some Bactrian 'two-hump' camels. The native camels in Mongolia, unlike the
Dromedary, which only has one hump and is mainly found in northern Africa and the Middle East.
Keng Qu.
The Gobi Desert is the fifth largest desert in the world. The first ever discovered Dinosaur eggs were found here.
Living in yurts for two nights was fun as usual! We had a Mongolian Troat singer perform... goosebumps all the way.
Mongolia was once again a great adventure. Besides the threating moments that we experienced in Ulaanbaatar,
the countryside proved to be rather harmonious, relaxing and breathtaking. Thanks for everyone who made this trip
happen, and our inside joke throughout the trip said that we'll be back in two years with the US Plan-B team...
Tao is going to have to go back to Beijing next year to get this Kickflip!
40 days of nonstop filming followed by 2 days on a beach in Koh Samed to regain energy for more filming.
Afterwards back to Bangkok to continue filming for the next Preduce film. Up high catching some B-Roll from the
tallest tower in Thailand.
On July 3rd (2011), Thailand faced their long awaited elections since the political protest from last year. Yingluck
Shinawatra won by two third with her Pheu Thai Party. The forty-eight year old business women just got into politics
last year and is expected to have her brother, red shirt leader Thaksin Shinawatra come back to Thailand after
spending five years in exile now. Might have not been the best decision to have her elected because of her lack of
political knowledge, but at least Thailand voted and the results were accepted by the nation without further protests.
Tanya excited about her late University graduation.
Flew over to China for a couple days to finalize the Mongolia edit with Converse. Had some free time, a day before
returning to Thailand, where Luke, Tommy and I went cruising/filming around the mega-metropolis of the far East,
Shanghai. Without counting in the surrounding suburbs, the most populated city in the world.
Anthony came over to Thailand with Kelly Hart & some fellow Chocolate riders to get away from marble madness in
China and spend some time on the beach as well as try to film some tricks in Bangkok for the upcoming Chocolate
& Expedition video.
Lying Buddha.
Guy Mariano
After a couple days of trying to film in Bangkok, getting sucked into bad traffic, them obtaining food poisoning and
dealing with the rain. I wanted to make sure Justin (Eldridge) and Guy don't leave town before seeing some of the
inspiring  temples in downtown Bangkok, where shoes had to be removed & a posed praying photo can't be avoided.
This young monk might have no idea how good the next Chocolate video is going to be.
Ali Drummond Ollie Street gap in Bangkok's Chinatown.