Still in Chiang Mai

We did end up going rafting, trekking and feeding elephants. We were all pretty against riding the elephants since we don't like seeing these highly intelligent and social creatures reduced to carriages. We did feed some, though. As they were coming back from carrying tourists around on their backs, we fed them bananas and sugar cane which they ate whole. I was breaking off bananas one by one from a bundle to feed an elephant, but as it was being pulled away from me to give more rides to tourists, the elephant thought, "enough of this, I'm taking these to go" and wrapped it's trunk around my hand and grabbed the rest of the bundle as it left. It was pretty funny; they were so cute.

Another animal story... We were trekking through a bamboo forest and just as Marah was about to ask the guide if there were cobras there, there was the coiled up answer to her question; it fanned out it's hood, lunged at our guide and hissed. No one was hurt and the cobra quickly slithered away revealing who was really the most frightened. Marah was psyched. Our guide definitely had his adrenaline pumping but later explained that it was a sign of good luck (I doubt he would say that if it bit him). I was right behind Marah, so I heard the hiss and saw the black body slither away through the brush, but only heard from her what actually happened. Crazy, huh? It was pretty cool.

Marah and Steve fly back to the US in a few days; Kris and I are trying to figure out cheap ways to get back to Beijing, so our trip is essentially winding down.

My thoughts on Thailand... this is a great place to vacation: delicious food, great shopping, excellent massages, smiling locals, and comfortable accommodations all at really cheap prices. It makes for a perfect getaway. However, if you're looking for a sense of the culture and people (like we were), then you're in for a disappointment or a difficult search. It seems that if any guide book has written about a place in Thailand, it's exploded with tourism. We haven't really gotten a sense of the Thai people or culture, so if I were to come back again, I would try to stay with locals somehow. Coming from China, especially, where Kris and I went days without seeing other white people, it was a stark contrast. It's not that we don't like it here, it's just very different than what we were hoping for. China was a challenge and an adventure, and I wouldn't recommend it for people who are looking to relax and be pampered. Thailand, however, is perfect for that and makes for a great escape that's exotic enough to feel different but geared enough toward tourists that everything is easily accessible.

Chiang Mai

We're in the north of Thailand. Less hot and humid, which is a nice change. We hope to do some rafting here, trekking in the mountains, and maybe even pet some elephants. Hee hee... big elephant-doggies.

Supposedly the food up here is even better than other regions. I might gain weight from being here. Although, I think another reason I'm never full is that the portions aren't very big, so maybe I'll just stay a little hungry all the time.

Kris and I weren't ready to leave the beaches of the south, so we may go back when Marah and Steve leave. It's better this way since Kris has an ear infection and can't swim for the next week for so.

I'll write soon as more exciting things happen.

Railay (Happy Thanksgiving)

We've been in the same place Railay since the last time I wrote. The beach here kind of disappears at low tide, but there's a pool at our hotel if we really need to be submerged.

Rock climbing was great; I loved it! Getting to the top feels like I've conquered something. It's a great feeling. There were five routes, and I did four of them. Doing four climbs in a few hours is really tiring. My fingers and toes were pretty sore and my arms were exhausted for the rest of the day.

Yesterday we went on a late-day snorkeling trip and saw some of the most colorful coral and fish I've ever seen. Kris and I saw clown fish (the kind Nemo is). They were small and so cute... and doing just what you'd expect a clown fish to be doing, rubbing their bodies on the anemone by swimming in and out of it. Hee hee. They were great.

After sunset we saw giant bats flying in the sky. They had large wings that flapped slowly. They flew out of formation, and it seemed like there was an endless stream of them; some high up, some lower, but all going at the same speed... creepy. They reminded Steve of the flying monkeys in Wizard of Oz.

After dinner which was a delicious seafood curry, we went for a swim without fins and masks. They turned off all the lights on the boat, and we saw bio-luminescence. They are micro-organisms that when they are disturbed, glow like fireflies. They were like underwater sparks that followed the trail of our hands and feet as we tread water. It was magical. It seemed much more like our seafood was spiked with some trippy "Thai surprise" than some occurrence of nature. It was a great end to a fantastic trip. While it wasn't the traditional way to spend Thanksgiving, we all found we had a lot to be thankful for.

Steve and Marah aren't feeling too great, so we just vegged out on the beach all day. Not bad either.

Kris and I miss being able to talk to locals and get a sense of their lifestyle and culture; things are too touristy here, but we are definitely enjoying ourselves. It's a different kind of trip now.

As usual, I wish I could show you some pictures. Kris bought a camera, so we'll have things to show you when we see you.

Thailand

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. It's hard to find the time to get online since four people now need to agree to it, and two of them are trying to get away from it all for two weeks in Thailand. I don't know what to say without feeling like I'm bragging. If you want to know that I'm alive and well and not much more, then stop reading. If you want to know what it's like here...

Thailand's amazing. The shopping in Bangkok is cheap and fun with perfect outfits for Hawaii; the scenery in the south (we're near Phuket now) is like some of the best places in China but lined by beaches that may even be better than Hawaii's (depending what you're looking for); topped by the best food in the world. I find myself constantly hungry, and I don't know whether it's because every menu has 10 dishes I'm dying to try or because the food is easily digested... either way, I love it.

It's so much fun to hang out with Marah and the location is surreal.

We were swimming in the pool bordered with trees and bungalows when four monkeys appeared and climbed the trees nearby. It felt like I was in Disneyland and that was part of some show to make people feel like they were in a place like... well, Thailand. It's weird that I'm actually here. I love it.

We're all having a lot of fun. Tomorrow is rock climbing and maybe kayaking, the next day is snorkling and some other fun activity. Money is going much faster than in China, but we're only in Thailand once, right?

I desperately miss my camera.