Thailand is My Land 2

Have a look at our video via Derek's helmet-cam. I am the one in the pink "STAFF" shirt/red helmet and our buddy Chris is the one with the blue shirt/blue helmet..

Keep a look out for how hectic the traffic is, all the temples and all of the KFC delivery guys..

Ladies and Gentlemen, I have officially fallen in love with Thailand.. well, SE Asia in general..

Bangkok was fun but Chiang Mai was where its at. We spent our days exploring the area via motorbike. Being my first time riding, it was one hell of a place to learn.

Here are some quick highlights:

-Taking our motorbikes out of the bustling city and into the mountains to find a quaint and quiet little coffee farm to have one sensational cup of the brew

-Spending an entire day learning how to prepare traditional Thai cuisine.. you should have seen/tasted some of our masterpieces.. might I recommend my yellow curry?

-Massages from hardened criminals at the Women's Prison.. lots of pent up anger and aggression = one hell of a massage.. see below

-Attending a Muai Thai Boxing match and watching the blood fly.. we even saw two tenacious girls duke it out. The highlight was watching four fully drunken, fully blindfolded guys trying to put the hurt on one another in the ring

-Late nights filled with lots of laughter and lots of locals

Currently writing this from Siem Reap, Cambodia.. Angkor Wat was absolutely breathtaking and I wish my pictures could begin to do it the justic it deserves.. We seem to ALWAYS be on the move and we will find ourselves in Bangkok tomorrow morning..

More to come!

A Proper Pampering at the Women's Prison

If you ever find yourself in Chang Mai, Thailand..

..might I suggest paying a visit to the Women's Prison


$10.00 Will buy you a 1.5 hour one hell of a traditional full body Thai massage complete with some crazy hot herbal treatment.

We're going to need to return to the prison in a few days after we trek up into the surrounding hills- as we have decided to spend a couple of nights with some of the tribal peoples in the area in order to learn more about their cultures, customs and practices.


Just in case you were wondering......

Over 100 years ago, theses Hilltribe peoples migrated south from China into what are now Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. Apparently, they know very little of the modern world. The six major tribes are the Karen, the Hmong, the Yao, the Akha, the Lisu, and the Lahu. With the majority being nomadic farmers- they tend to migrate whenever they feel as though the soil at their present location is becoming depleted.

We are also arranging a whitewater rafting trip- on a bamboo raft..crazy. Also, an afternoon elephant ride through the dense jungles which comprise most of northern Thailand.

We've heard stories from other travellers of being pressured into smoking opium during their stay in these villages..


This could get quite interesting..

Thailand is My Land..

สวัสดีปีใหม่-Sawatdi pi mai

April 14, 2008


1:30PM- Depart Singapore International Airport

3:25PM- Arrive Bangkok (Suvarnabhumi)

3:31PM- Customs/ Acquire checked luggage

3:43PM- Jump through several hoops trying to find reasonably priced transportation

4:04PM- Acquire reasonably priced transportation

4:35PM- Arrive at our $10/night hostel which just so happens to be the most beautiful place I've ever set foot in!!

4:41PM- Leave the Hostel to explore the area

4:42PM- Get completely doused with ice cold water and some sort of pasty flour-type substance


4:43PM- Realize that it's Songkran, The Thai New Year!

We really seem to have a knack for absolutely perfect timing with our destinations.. more to come!

A Short Stint in Singapore

Simply put, the rest of our Australian adventure was absolutely fantastic! After our diving voyage, we drove to Airlie Beach for one amazing week. We managed to pass the time by hopping around the Whitsunday Islands via sailboat and kayak- sunbathing at every deserted beach we could find.

Our next destination was Melbourne which just so happens to be one of the most sensational cities I've ever visited! However, having only a few short days in a city with so much to offer- we only managed to skim the surface.. On the brightside, its a wonderful excuse to visit once again! The highlight was going to an Australian Rules Football match or "Footy" at the MCG stadium- what a night!!

If you don't know what this sport is then watch this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_hqosNvv5E

After Melbourne, we took a few days to say our bittersweet farewells to Sydney..

And so here we are in the lovely island nation of Singapore (aka safest city ever) staying at a hostel in "Little India". Stray cats roam the streets and have such an affinity for venturing our rooms. The city is gorgeous and clean but there are lots of rules and laws with fines for seemingly everything. For example, if you are caught chewing gum, the fine is $1000..

During a morning jog yesterday, Derek and I got caught in a wild monsoon.. quite interesting. Afterwards we visited the Lian Shan Shuang Lin Buddhist Monastery and learned about much of the history and politics of such a culturally eclectic city- complete with Chinese Prime Minister and Indian President.. how cool is that?

Off to Thailand tomorrow!!!

The Ocean Breathes Salty..

Yar!


We found ourselves returning from our Great Barrier Reef Excursion just a few short days ago,

Filled with new fantastic memories, I'll share some stories..


..and this is how they go..


T'was quite the warm eve on March twenty-five,

When we began to assemble a seasoned and salty crew,
We had planned on a SCUBA dive

or two (ten, actually)..




Our vessel, at first sight, was quite a bit of a fright- as I know it would've scared even you..









Having been a long while since me last dive, I prayed and prayed to stay alive..


While under the crashing waves of the big, deep blue..












Once aboard, our Captain assures us that his nautical skills are anything but new, and- in any dire situation, he'd know exactly what to do..





Yar, and so our journey began through the rough and salty seas,

makin' me quite weak in me knees- had me missin' that sweet and solid ground..

But after only one dive, I felt so alive to see what a bounty I had found..

The most remarkable creatures I've ever seen: some nice, some mean- were among us,

swimming all around..




We saw Sharks, both ancient..










and new..













Not to mention, plenty of Turtles too..







We witnessed giant Sting Rays and a pair of Skates,

all, while encountering several venomous Sea Snakes..








Most memorable would be the World Famous wreck of the Yongala which, in 1911, tragically found the sea floor,


Bound for Townsville that faithful day, not knowing what was in store-
that the weather
was oh so poor..








During our trip, our only complaint was the cook who, despite being very nice, would undercook the rice and make it quite the chore to chew (Amy, if you're reading this, I am very sorry but we both know it to be true)..





Such a teriffic experience for our fantastic group of four

who knows just what else this unbelievable trip will have in store....