Recently, I got quite ill from being out in the hot weather for too long. Despite being used to the heat I gave myself minor heat stroke by staying out too long surfing. My enthusiasm for my new hobby got the better of me.

My doctor recommended that I drink fresh coconut water. He explained that the juice from young coconuts is high in important electrolytes as well as rich in vitamins and minerals. He said it was the best natural rehydration drink I could take.

I used to drink coconut water when I was a kid. Then like so many Americans I switched to coke. I went to the market and bought several green coconuts and took them home. I had to rummage around in the garage to find a hammer and nail to open the coconuts. I enjoyed the rich coconut flavor of the juice.

It is a bit inconvenient to carry coconuts around with you to stop dehydrating so now I take 6 packs of Zico coconut water with me to the beach. I prefer Zico to other brands of coconut water for sale. Since I started taking coconut water to the beach I haven’t had a repeat of sun stroke. Fingers crossed that the coconut water is working.

Bang Niang is considered the second most popular beach in the Khao Lak area. It is just a few kilometers north of the busier Nang Tong beach, but benefits from having plenty of cheap bars and restaurants on the road behind the beach. There are ATMs, shops and travel agents within walking distance of Bang Niang beach making it a convenient place for people to stay.

There are several resorts and bungalow outfits to stay in both on the beach front and behind the beach. It is easy to find a room that suits your budget and your needs. Basic bungalows start at $15. Air-con rooms with hot water and TV can be found for $40 and luxury can be bought for $135 a night.

For those interested in a bit of nightlife there are a few lively bars and nightspots to be found in Bang La On just down the road near Nang Tong beach. It is not, however, a place that gets rowdy at night and the nightlife avoids the worst excesses found in Phuket.

I loved Bang Niang when I stayed there. Indeed, I’ve loved every place I’ve visited in Thailand. There is definitely something magical about the country.

I recently went to Thailand for this very reason. I wanted to escape the city and experience something new. I by-passed Bangkok and took an airplane south to the islands in the Gulf of Thailand. After reading about the various islands I choose Koh Phangan. It sounded less developed than Koh Samui. Koh Tao looked interesting but I didn’t want to be surrounded by people talking about diving.

On a friend’s recommendation I booked a bungalow in Chaloklum. It is a small fishing village in the north of Koh Phangan. It is next to a long, white sand beach. My bungalow  was on a spit of sand bank called Malibu Beach. It was a stunning location and very relaxing. Every night I fell asleep to the sound of the waves lapping on the shore.

The village was a great mix of traditional architecture and fishermen carrying out their chores, boutique bars and backpacker hang-outs. It was a small and unpretentious place that stood in sharp contrast to the trendy spots of San Diego.

During the day I swam in the sea, sunned myself on the beach and read my book. At night I went to one of a few bars in Chaloklum village and had a few cold beers. After 4 days of this routine I felt totally free of stress, and ready for a small challenge. I decided to go for a trek. I walked to the hippy beach of Haad Khom and then, after a few false starts I found the trail to Bottle Beach. It was a gruelling trek but I saw lots of beautiful jungle views and heard bird song. I didn’t encounter anyone on the trek.

Bottle Beach was an amazing beach – small and perfect. Like something out of a movie. I stayed 1 night and got a boat taxi back to Chaloklum. It was a great experience.

Now I’m back in San Diego. Things are going well, but I sometimes miss the peace and quiet of Koh Phangan.

Bamboo is the fastest growing plant. It has been recorded as capable of growing 24 inches in a single day. Bamboo has a remarkable ability to ward off disease and insect attack and so can be grown without fertilizers or pesticides. Bamboo needs less water than trees and produces more oxygen than trees. All this makes bamboo an ideal renewable resource.

For many communities the growing of bamboo is a vital economic activity. Bamboo can also be used for constructing homes. In many parts of the world bamboo is still used as scaffolding in building construction. Bamboo also is an important source of nourishment as its young roots can be eaten.

It is possible to compress strands of bamboo to make strand woven bamboo. This is as hard as many hardwoods. Strand woven bamboo flooring is an ideal substitute for hardwood flooring that can help to reduce deforestation.

Strand woven bamboo can be worked like normal wood and carved into any shape. Thus it is possible to make a great many household items from bamboo. Such popular bamboo house items include chopping boards, place mats, bowls, serving utensils and even furniture.

Bamboo can also be cut into very fine strips and strung together to make bamboo blinds. These improve the insulation in a room and are also hypo-allergenic. Outdoor bamboo blinds filter out the sun’s UV rays and also provide privacy as you can see out but people cannot see in.

Another use of bamboo is for organic farming. Bamboo charcoal can be mixed with soil to work as an organic pesticide and fertilizer. The Japanese use bamboo charcoal in this way to grow green tea. Bamboo is also ideal for land reclamation. After the nuclear attacks on Nagasaki and Hiroshima bamboo was planted to clean the soil of radioactivity. It is hoped they do the same in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster.

When bamboo charcoal is made a gas comes off that it is possible to cool down and filter. This is called bamboo vinegar. It is slightly acidic and antimicrobial. Bamboo vinegar has been used for centuries by the Chinese for medicine. Nowadays people use bamboo vinegar to detox by putting bamboo vinegar foot patches on the feet. Another use of bamboo vinegar is to clean flooring, kitchen surfaces, toilets and windows. It can also be used to kill mold and as a natural bug spray.

The more ways that we learn to use bamboo the better it will be for the health of the environment. Bamboo is food, it is money, it is a building material, it is a floor material, it is a cleaning agent and it is a medicine. Can you think of anything else with so many useful properties? Bamboo clearly matters in San Diego as much as anywhere else in the world.

On the west, San Diego is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, of course. It’s easy to see as you come south along the 5. The water is a nice clear blue. Now, on the east side, the development goes on for many miles, but eventually you will get to the desert. I don’t really know the name of this desert. But I can assure you it’s there. If you drive East along the 8 freeway, you’ll go through it. In fact, you’ll soon get to the Cleveland National Forest. There’s lots of things in this forest such as trees. It seems like a good place to relax and use a vaporizer. You could also pitch a tent if you so desired.

Now on the South, the city is bordered by another country! That would be Mexico. If you keep going down the 5, you will eventually get to Mexico. It’s easy to go over the border, you just drive on through and nobody really cares that much. However, coming back is considerably more difficult. Expect to wait at least two hours. You should definitely bring your passport.

Downtown San Diego  itself is a great place to spend a day. Take a walk around and go people watching – it will be bustling with girls wearing their skinny jeans. It is warm for the whole year so people don’t really need to bundle up. You might want to bring a hoodie for the cool nights though.

Investing in a commercial vehicle requires a good sum of money and the proper credit background, but it is a great way to grow your business or start being your own boss. The fact is that our society and economy is dependent on the ability to move products and supplies between businesses and around the country, which means that the trucking industry is in high demand. Here is a little insight into the steps you need to take if you are ready to finance a new or used vehicle, and get started in establishing your own trucking company.

Unless you have a large inheritance at your disposal, commercial truck financing will be a necessity for anyone ready to break into the industry. Fortunately, we have a wide number of banks and lending institutions that will happily supply you with the money that you need to purchase your truck and/or trailer at very affordable interest rates. Before you can go ahead and sit down with a lender, it pays to do some research and look for the best truck deals in your area. By comparing prices from varying online dealers, you can get more out of your investment and lower your long term costs without having to waste a lot of time.

Other than looking for best sources of vehicles, you will also have to look long and hard at the kind of financial institution you choose to partner with. According to many experts in the industry, it is a good idea to choose a lender who specializes in handling truck financing.

In just five steps, you can start up your engines and earning money as a trucker.

Step 1: Choose your truck carefully. If you are just breaking into the industry, it would be best to opt for a used commercial truck to stretch your capital. With the costs of new 18-wheelers running from $50k to over $100k each, you can save a significant amount of money in buying a slightly used and fully functioning truck instead. By keeping your purchases at a minimum, you can save on interest payments and avoid carrying too much debt as you get your business off the ground.

Step 2: Make sure to always have a qualified mechanic look over the truck before purchasing it. As your trucks will be subjected to some of the most hostile road conditions, it pays to be extra sure that your commercial vehicle still has a lot of life in it.

Step 3: Once you are decided on which truck to buy, you can now search for the best commercial truck lender in your area. If you have a good credit standing banks and financial institutions will be fighting over your business, so make sure to shop around and ask for discounts.

Step 4: Prepare all the necessary documents as well as calculate how much money you can shell out for the down payment. Most lenders require a 20% down payment, a proof of CDL license, supporting documents on how you intend to profit from your business and your FICO or credit score standing.

Step 5: Once approved, you can just sign on the contract to seal the agreement and start working on making your trucking business profitable.

It takes perseverance and hard work to make a business successful. Make sure to put that effort into researching your first truck purchase and commercial vehicle financing, and you will have made the rest of your business profitability much easier.

Truckertotrucker.com is a great resource for those looking for truck dealers who can help them start their own business. Whether you are looking for California, New York, or Florida trucks; you will find a large group of commercial vehicles near you, as well as helpful information on insurance and financing of the truck and trailer.

Since I moved to San Diego, I’ve developed an aversion to dogs. Before I moved to this wonderful city, I used to quite like dogs but my experiences here have turned me against the creatures.

Let me explain a couple of the reasons why I’ve gone off dogs.

Dogs Will Break Your Heart

When I was a kid, our family pet was a beautiful Dalmatian called …wait for it …Spot! Completely unoriginal I know, but that’s what happens when you let a couple of 10 year olds choose the name of your dog. Say what you see, that was clearly our motto back then.

Spot was much loved by me and my brother and we would go on long family walks by the local river. Sometimes we’d stop for a picnic in the fields and let Spot dry off after his usual dip in the cool waters.

Shortly after moving with the family to San Diego, Spot wandered off on his own and, being used to life in the country, he didn’t have much in the way of “street smarts”.

I’ll never forget the day we received the phone call from the old lady who had run him over. She was upset because she loved dogs, too, but my brother and I were distraught and vowed never to get another dog again. Losing a beloved pet is just too painful.

The Dog Flea Problem

When I finally moved out of home and got a place of my own, all I could afford was a cheap room in a shared apartment in one of the less popular areas of town.

It was good enough for my purposes – to be honest I would have moved anywhere just to get out from under my parents’ feet – but the hidden cost of sharing my accommodation with other tenants was that I also had to share with their pets. Specifically a hug mongrel called Jake.

Jake used to have the run of the house and me and my flatmates would often be woken up by him jumping on the bed in the morning, or sometimes in the middle of the night. Not good, having your night’s sleep interrupted so rudely.

But worse was to come.

Jake not only had a problem with apartment-sharing etiquette, but he also had a much more serious problem – fleas.

At first we didn’t really notice. The occasional itch here and there was all that would indicate the presence of the little mites. But as time went on, we began to notice fleas on his belly, jumping onto the carpet and even jumping onto us.

Because Jake roamed around the house, he took the fleas all around the house too, including into our beds. This was now serious.

I insisted that my flatmate took Jake to the vets immediately for treatment. The vet recommended some special stuff called, “frontline plus“, which we had to put drops of onto the back of Jake’s neck.

Much to the relief of all concerned, Jake’s fleas disappeared within a few days of the treatment and, according to the leaflet that came with the packet, the fleas’ life cycle was interrupted as well, which meant that re-infestation was not an issue.

I have to confess that I didn’t hang around long enough to find out. I moved back in with my folks across town and saved up so I could afford a better place in a more upmarket area where the dogs didn’t have fleas.

So that’s why I don’t much care for dogs these days. And who can blame me?

Please, if you own a dog, keep him up to date with a good flea prevention treatment. You’re in for an itchy time if you don’t.

Cultures around the world hold the full moon as an important symbol. It represents the feminine, inconstancy, imagination and a time of change – changing tides, changing months and psychological change. The later is graphically exemplified in the story of the werewolf.

In 1987 a bar in Haad Rin decided to hold a birthday party for a friend on the beach. The party was attended by about 200 people. The party happened to fall on the night of the full moon. It was considered a success and those involved decided to do the same again the following full moon. Within ten years the Full Moon Party had become the main economic activity of Haad Rin. All the cheap resorts on the main party beach of Haad Rin Nok (AKA the Sunrise Beach) were replaced with bars and the number of rooms in the town increased dramatically to meet demand. What was once a sleepy town patronized by hippies and backpackers changed into a busy town frequented by party goers.

Haad Rin is a town hemmed in by the sea and mountains. This has prevented it from spreading out like other urban beach areas in Thailand. The advantage of this is that it is easy to walk everywhere in Haad Rin. The disadvantage is that the accommodation is packed close together.

Most of the resorts, hotels and guest houses in Haad Rin are found in and around Haad Rin town and on the smaller and west facing Haad Rin Nai (AKA the Sunset Beach). The only beachfront resorts on the party beach are Palita Lodge and Moon Paradise Resort. The later has some of the cheapest bungalows in Haad Rin.

The beachfront resorts on Haad Rin Nai enjoy great sunsets but the beach itself is not great for swimming. It only takes 5 minutes to walk between the two Haad Rin beaches.

South of Haad Rin Nai is the beach of Haad Sarikantang. It is a white sand beach suitable for swimming. It is a quiet beach even during the night of the full moon.

The full moon party could be described as the full moon parties as each bar on the beach has a sound system that a crowd gathers around to drink and dance. Music at the Full Moon Party varies from psy trance to house to drum and bass to chart music. The party is a well organized and peaceful event.

For anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to go to a beach party attended by 30,000 people the Full Moon Party in Haad Rin is the party to check out.

Even those of us who are lucky enough to have a store within walking distance will be tempted to ask ourselves if it might still be better to buy e cigarettes online. The reason for this is we come to the conclusion that online stores are going to offer us a better selection of products, and they are going to be able to give us a better price on our kit.

The reality is that, yes, you will have a smaller range of products to choose from if you decide to buy locally. If you visit a web site such as ecigaretteshop.com you will see there are many different brands available online that you will be hard pushed to find in the real world, and you’ll never find them all in one place.

You might also have to spend a little bit more cash, although the fact that you are going to save on postage costs could even the expenses out somewhat.

There are some great advantages to buying your e cigarettes in San Diego though. The most important things you might want to take into consideration before you go online are:

1. When you buy locally you can see what you are buying before you hand over your money.
2. Some retailers will actually let you try before you buy. This is obviously impossible if you use an online store, although most Internet companies will allow you to return your starter kit if you decide you don’t like it.
3. The real human you deal with at a store will be more interested in keeping you happy so that you give them return custom. This means a more personalized service, and you can take advantage of the salespersons product knowledge to ensure you make a wise purchasing decision.
4. If something goes wrong with your electronic cigarette you know where to take it and your more likely to get your problem solved satisfactorily.

Although there are some real benefits to buying online it is my opinion that the experience you get from buying locally more than makes up lack of choice or slightly increased cost.

If you live in San Diego then check out Smoker’s Choice and Andy’s Smoke Shop (both on University Avenue) where you will get a great introduction to the e cigarette and will have the opportunity to get started vaping without giving your money to a faceless company on the Internet. Both these stores stock a big enough range of starter kits and cartridges to keep even the fussiest of vapors happy for a while.