One Night in Bangkok Makes a Grown Man Humble....

And that grown man man is Jim...
First when they made him put on ankle-length draw-string pants to meet the 'smart-casual' dress code at the Vertigo roof top bar, 60 floors above Bangkok, where we soaked in the incredible 360 view of the city while sipping cocktails
...and again when then they made him put on flowered draw-string pants to meet the same dress code at The Blue Elephant, where Bonnye and I took our cooking class a few weeks back, and where we had a very elegant Farewell to SE Asia Dinner last night.

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Somber Entry

Upon reading this newspaper headline, I am beginning to feel like we have pushed our luck in escaping water tragedy.

We just missed the massive flooding in Queensland and Victoria, Australia in January and apparently got out of Phuket just in time to miss theirs. If we had not cancelled Kho Phi Phi, we would still be stranded there! Not to mention the 2004 Tsunami which (mildly) impacted Tanzania while we were there and the Japan Tsunami (to which we feel close-although are still very far away).

While on a somber topic, the news reports that more than 150 villagers died in the Burmese earthquake we felt last week.

As Addi says, please "make prays" for all of those impacted.

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No Snorkeling, No Beach, No Sun. Ever.

(Monday) We woke up to another wet, grey day in Phuket. "Who cares?" we said, with a cup-half-full frame of mind "We are snorkeling at Rayas Island today! No one cares about rain when you are under water!" We hopped in the pick-up van with several other hopeful snorkelers and drove an hour to the pier...only to be told "There are 15 meter waves. The trip is cancelled." So, we turned around and came home, defeated.

Defeated? NO! After a carb-loaded lunch at our favorite rainy-day spot, Jim got a haircut and, as usual, came out looking like George Clooney! Addi got free braids with beads. We made a stop at the store to buy snack foods, another stop at the bootleg DVD stall to buy a copy of Peter Pan, and we were ready to snuggle in for a rainy day afternoon. I updated my resume and responded to a recruiter back home; Jim caught up on some work and played the Angry Birds Droid game; and Addi continued her endless questions about pirates and fairies. When the movie ended, Addi and I got pedicures.

Not exactly a day at the beach...but not a bad day at all!
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(Tuesday) we got the call canceling our trip to the Samilian Islands before we went to bed last night. "High winds, heavy rains, big waves" This was supposed to be the snorkeling highlight of our trip, so it was a tougher nut to swallow than yesterdays cancellation. Jim worked and Addi and I went to an indoor play-space for the day. Addi had a blast on the huge jungle-gym, at Arts-and-Crafts Corner and on the various rides they had.

We went to our first Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, hoping some good-old rock-n-roll and american grub would turn our frowns upside down. No such luck. It was over priced and mediocre. Ugh!

Maybe, just maybe, we will see the Phuket Sun before we leave tomorrow morning?
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(Wednesday) Tropical storm continues. High winds, big rains, turquoise ocean has turned brown, and my cup is half empty. Only one week left on this great adventure and we spent the last 5 days in the rain...not snorkeling. Now we are just hopeful our flight to Bangkok leaves on time...or at all! (Rumors of canceled flights swarming around the cabin-fevered crowds). Also hopeful my Blog Publisher will work there to upload the last 3 entries!

Pass the chocolate Tim Tam cookies, please.

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Photographic Reality

(Sunday) Today we hopped on a boat to Phang Nga Bay and admired some of southern Thailand's natural beauty. It was cloudy with occasional drizzle, but a nice enough day for cave kayaking and island hopping!

The turquoise bay is a maze of limestone karsts and mountains- bursting out of the sea at perpendicular angles. We kayaked 500+ meters into one of the islands; through a pitch-black bat-filled cave,and emerged in a perfect movie lagoon. The blue-green water was surrounded on all sides by steep green walls spotted with caves leading to other lagoons.

The last photo in this entry; the gorgeous limestone karst jutting out of the water like an upside down bottle, was the first to make my 'Absolutely Must See' list back in December when I was in planning stages. I couldn't wait to admire this natural beauty; to ponder it with the unspoiled solitude that all of the photos I had seen portrayed. But when we got there, the 'viewing island' was swarming with tourists. There were even rows of souvenir stalls! I was heartbroken. How could this place be such a lie?

But the reality is that is happens over and over again. Heck, I've done it over and over again. Just look at my picture-you would believe we were the only people there, right? Angkor Wat was the other place where I was not able to reconcile tourist-swarm reality with my expectations (silent, peaceful, Zen) ...and I know I let my photos lie there too. I took pictures to reflect the reality I wanted. I am a tourist, so I realize that complaining about tourists is hypocritical but....had to do it. With that rant out of the way....

We wrapped up the day at a truly secluded island beach. It was only accessible by boat and was perfectly desolate before we arrived. So...I was still able to find some of the image I had been carrying for 3 months. And when I look at my photos years from now, perhaps my memories will forget the swarms of farangs (Thai for foreigner).

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Phuket in the Rain

(Saturday) Day one in Phuket is wet. Not to worry- we spent the day the way most visitors do....shopping, eating and drinking. We found a fun little covered bar by the water where the waitresses fawned over Addi while we sipped cocktails and watched the people walk by. As for the quality of the day and night life? Let's put it this way: Fathers, don't let your daughters go to Phuket.

We walked the length of Patong beach-once on the sand and once along the very, very, very built up boardwalk. Determined to swim, we hopped in the pool at our hotel (that wraps around the entire place) before putting Addi to bed and watching a bootleg version of Black Swan.

Although we are not in love with Phuket, we decided to cancel Kho Phi Phi. We intend to spend the rest of our time out on the water and quickly found we can get there from here....so no reason to tack on several hours of travel time. We just hope the sun comes out!

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Chiang Mai Shopping Spree!

Chiang Mai is famous for its funky shopping, so today (and yesterday afternoon) we all went in search of it.

We started at the Day Market in downtown yesterday and found alley after alley filled with crazy colored and patterned bags, clothes, bedding...you name it. It was funky and cool...and so inexpensive!

Today we headed 25 minutes outside of town to Bo Sang- which was tagged as a handicraft lovers paradise. We quickly found it to be a high-priced show-room tour-bus central and were disappointed...with the exception of a very cool parasol factory.

At the parasol factory, they handmade everything from the paper to the frame. Even better, they let you pick the design and then painted it before your eyes. Addi picked a blue dragon with wings. The artists were also happy to paint anything on anything for a very low price so Jim got a scorpion on his hat, Greg got a gecko on his backpack and Addi got three elephants painted on her tank top.

We headed back to town, hit some funky boutique shops, and then stopped for Mochi- crazy rice dough covered ice-cream balls. Within minutes everyone was bouncing off the walls and the double piggyback was attempted and mastered.

Off to Kho Phi Phi tonight for 5 days of water sport. Can not wait.

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Adrenaline Junkie - see the videos!

Greg, Jim, Addi and I went zip-cording through the northern Thailand jungle today. 4 hours, 34 platforms, 4 repels, 2 canopy walks. Elevations up to 1000 meters above the canopy floor and zip lines up to 300 meters long.

It was tremendous fun and very safe. The guides loved their jobs which made it even more exceptional.

As soon as Addi heard about zip-cording she was begging to do it. She rode tandem with a guide on the long or fast zips, with one of us on the slower ones...and solo on some of the slower and shorter ones!! She was amazing. My fearless adrenaline junkie started doing tricks....flying like a bird, soaring like Supergirl, hamming it up my pretending to fall asleep (I'm not kidding!) It was a hoot. I asked her if she felt afraid before taking the plunge and she said "no, mommy- but I felt good!!" ....so...She never felt fear (which makes me feel a little bit of fear!)

Then first video is a tandem zip Jim and I did together. The second is one of Addi's 15-or-so solo runs. In this instance, she is flying like a bird.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIlP0XwgT6s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFuyR3YNQ4s

(PS: I uploaded the ropeswing video into that entry as well)

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Earthquake in Myanmar (Burma)

There will be an entry about today's amazing adventure to follow under separate cover, but I did want to drop a note about the 7.0 earthquake in Myanmar about 30 minutes ago. The epicenter was about 160 miles from Chiang Mai. While we felt it- the table and lanterns were shaking- it was not strong enough to spill the wine. We are fine.

Xoxo

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the Womens Prison Rub Down

We had a leisurely morning in leisurely Chiang Mai sipping coffee by the river while we waited for Greg and Bonnye's overnight train from Bangkok. Addi ran over to tell me about the new game she was playing with Luna, a 1 year old girl living here. "Mommy! Mommy! Look! If you take some of the legs off of crickets they crawl all over you!" .....what?!? Well, I will have to unteach that when we get home!

After they arrived, we headed out for the famous Chiang Mai lunch of khao soy...a noodle curry dish that is a-maz-ing. We walked it off wandering through the quiet (relative to Bangkok) streets with one end place in mind: the Women's Prison. Yup.

The Womens Prison here has vocational training that includes massages and we thought: how could we not!? So off we went and I have to say it was an amazing foot massage (we decided to stay away from full body)! Addi became a doll for three of the women and got a foot massage, arm massage, hair braided, facial....etc. She loved all of the fawning (of course) it was too funny.

We ended the day by meeting up with one of our old favorite waitress from Som Siam- the local Thai restaurant at home- for dinner. Addi fell asleep to the sound of the live band while we all drank wine and ate great food.

PS: the parasol says" Chiang Mai Womens Prison" on the top. Worlds best souvenir? I think so!

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Short Hike in Doi Suthep National Park

High above Chaing Mai City. Wat Phra That is gold and red an glittery with rows of bells. What Phra Lat is green and brown and humble in nature. Short hike down the mountain from there- a clear path busy with butterflies, wild orchids, termite mounds, bamboo, dry brown leaves crunching underfoot, loose rock, baked mud. Hot sun blazing, Cicadas screeching. Fairies watching? Done already?

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I Will Never be a Mahout. But Addi Might. (rope swing video added)

Addi is so calm on top of this giant creature that it truly amazes me. She spent half of the ride on the elephant's head with the Mahout (a life long trainer/ handler to a single elephant)- looking around, reaching for a giant flapping ear, and talking. She spent the other half telling me not to be afraid on the steep parts because "if I just watch, I will see that he won't fall down...and if he seems like he is falling down...well...maybe he is just resting". I'm not sure I follow the logic, but I am not the future Mahout, so who am I to question it?!

We each had the opportunity to sit in the Mahout's spot on the elephant's neck for a minute, which was fun...but I was secretly just wishing he would get back in the drivers seat- FAST!

It did not remotely compare with the experience Addi and I had in Sumatra, but it was fun and I am glad we finally got Jim on top of an elephant! (He was not nearly as nervous as I was, but I did hear several gulps and gasps from his direction!)

After the elephant trek, we headed to the Kuang Si waterfall. It is multi-tiered and wide (vs high and narrow like most we have seen). Much to our surprise, the water is turquoise blue- like the Caribbean or Indian Oceans. Addi found 'her own little waterfall' to float leaf boats down and we all swam in the cold blue water. There was a rope swing which Jim braved several times. Attached is (or soon will be) video of his first jump! :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3jv7BM5QHc

We leave Laos tomorrow and are not ready to go. It ranks with Sumatra as one of our favorites. This country is beautiful- with smiling people and beautiful countryside. Brilliantly, Laos is taking the Eco-Adventure approach to tourism so it is really easy to get into nature and find the 'undiscovered' places. From Luang Prabang, one can arrange single or multi-day foot, elephant or kayak treks, village homestays, rock-climbing, ect.

I am hopeful that this tourism approach will preserve some of this country's charm. There is so much of the north we have not seen...and we haven't touched the south (rumored to be even more beautiful). Perhaps when Adventure Addi is older we will come back and trek into the wilder corners of Laos!

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Slow Boat on the Mekong

We woke up to the sound of monastery gong drums, as we have every morning here. The thought of strong Lao coffee got us out of bed and we enjoyed breakfast in the sunshine overlooking the river.

We hired a slow longboat for a 2 hour ride up the Mekong to the Tham Ting caves. The river was running fast, but was calm. The riverbanks were primarily quiet and natural with the occasional group of people bathing, doing laundry, gardening and picnicking. We spotted remote villages in the limestone mountains and soaked in the sunshine. It was as relaxing as a trip in Mom and Dad's boat on the Piscatiqua in Maine...only it was the Mekong...in Laos!

We stopped en route at "Whiskey Village"; a village of people dedicated to whiskey making! Jim sampled (and bought) a few rice whiskeys, but we stayed far away from the creepier glass jugs filled with whiskey and pickled creatures- scorpion, lizard, cobra, black bear feet (yep, you read that right), etc.

Back in the boat, we putted for 30 more minutes to the Tham Ting cave which hovers about 25 feet above the water. We climbed the white stone stairs and entered the cavern. There were literally thousands of Buddha statues- large and small, new and old- inside. Something about this place was magical and mystical. We whispered and pointed out our favorite statues. Addi made a love proclamation naming Riley, Aiden, Kaia and Tessa...and added in that all of the Buddhas here were so, so beautiful that she couldn't even believe it.

The peace was disrupted by the booming karaoke of an approaching Thai party boat, so we hopped in our boat for a sunset ride home.

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Across the Bamboo Bridge

Luang Prabang is a quaint (but very touristy) town on a narrow peninsula where the Mekong and Nam Khan rivers meet. It is UNESCO preserved, so the old charm of the french colonial era remains strong. There are dozens of active Buddhist monasteries, so there are monks in saffron robes quietly walking everywhere. There are thousands of guest houses, so there are buckets of tourists everywhere too.

We are staying in a guest house overlooking the Nam Khan river. Our side of the river is lined with small outdoor cafes and across the bank are small villages with farm gardens touching the water. We walked across the peninsula in the afternoon and found that the Mekong banks look exactly the same.

During the dry months (which includes March) the villagers build a bamboo bridge across the Nam Khan for easier access to town. We hiked down the hillside with a spring in our step (no rain today!) and crossed the rickety bridge. I watched some men on a longboat working to stabilize the supports and walked just a little faster. Once on the other side, we hiked about a mile to the Ban Xang Khong craft village where we admired handmade paper products (books, cards, lanterns, etc), silks, baskets and wood carvings. Addi found a little girl and played tag for a while- there is a universal game! We climbed an endless staircase to Wat Xienglek; an active monastery and watched a few monks kick around a soccer ball.

We crossed back over the bridge in the early afternoon and took of 4 of the 5 layers we had been wearing all week. The sun was breaking through and it was warm! We wandered around town- in and out of shops- until we were done window shopping and called it a day.

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