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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