Beginning of the End

Oh my gosh...it is finally the last day of January 2008! Hallelujah and praise the sweet Lord because quite frankly, it seemed like it would never come! Between facial surgeries, bug infestations, teaching the crazy little ones and all the other hurdles of the month, I definitely had my doubts! However, Saimai will not break me...unless the bug infestations continue because that really does totally gross me out!

I came to the stark realization that my time in Thailand really is starting to dwindle down. With only one month of teaching remaining, a couple weeks of wrap-up work at school followed by a couple weeks of traveling my little heart out around Southeast Asia (proposed itinerary: Cambodia & Vietnam), I will be home in just over two months! I even booked my flight home today! I leave April 1st from Bangkok to San Francisco, where I am going to spend a couple days exploring sunny San Fran with one of my best friends Ashley (who just moved there)! Then on April 5th, yours truly is landing back in the Midwest and heading to the nearest restaurant selling nothing but greasy, mouth-watering American food!

Until then, expect some more good shenanigans! I am taking a Thai cooking class this weekend (good thing I know how to say "a little spicy" in Thai - pet nit noy!), might join the Lumphini Park aerobics class, am looking at some good weekend trips (i.e. Kanchanburi - Bridge on the River Kwai anyone?) and then Cambodia and Vietnam here I come! Stay warm everyone and can't wait to see you all sooner rather than later!

P.S. I might even have a real, real world job when I get back stateside - can you believe it?!?!

Saturday Shenanigans

After one loooong week in Saimai, Saturday was definitely the time to cut loose and head on into the sprawling metropolis that is Bangkok! Now, there is another thing I need to admit...Bangkok is probably the ugliest city I have ever traveled to. I mean, Europe's historical charms are pretty hard to beat (my heart continues to patter daily for the chic sophistication of London), but even in my travels around Thailand, Bangkok still takes the cake when it comes to the award for "Least Attractive," (that could be an understatement). However, with its killer shopping and plethora of King murals, Bangkok retains a uniqueness all its own!

Thomas and I jaunted our way into Bangkok Saturday morning and started the day at Chitlada Palace in the northern part of Central Bangkok. The current residence of Big K (which Lauren and I have deemed the King when we need to talk about him out in a public setting), you cannot actually enter onto the palace grounds, but it was a lovely stroll around the perimeter gate, where you could sneak peeks of inside the lavish residence. Watch out for the guards though - they wield huge guns, and I am pretty sure they are not afraid to use them!

Next, Thomas thought up the grand idea of having a lovely lunch in Lumphini Park - Bangkok's equivalent of NYC's Central Park or Hyde Park in London. Although not nearly as pretty or pristine, we totally had fun bumming the afternoon away in the park, which is a total hip hang-out for all the Thais. The park almost made us feel like we weren't in Bangkok, which is nice after living in a foreign city for a number of months.

First, we stopped at the Gourmet Market in Siam Paragon mall to pick up our picnic essentials: snack-sized veggies, good nutty olive oil, a perfectly crusty French baguette, dried fruit, fresh fruit, yummy cheese, mixed nuts and most importantly, some serious 71% dark chocolate! No lie, this was definitely one of the better meals my stomach has had the pleasure of enjoying while in Bangkok!

One of the best parts of Lumphini Park has to be the daily aerobics classes! We had the utmost hilarity of watching hoards of Thai people get their heart rates up in the middle of the park. Men, women and children of all ages were joining the classes and bebopping to some funny music. We decided that there is no other option but to join in the fun...so next week, watch out for us at Lumphini Park aerobics!

Now it is Sunday, and I am totally jonesing to get out of Saimai again for the day. Even if its a trip to the grocery store, I will gladly take every opportunity to get out and about! Maybe a massage, maybe a grocery run, maybe a trip back into Bangkok...we will see where the day takes me! Until then, I hope this finds everybody happy and healthy, but most importantly, warm!

Essence of Pattaya

I lie to you not people...this IS the essence of Pattaya! This seaside tourist destination is all about old men sporting the infamous banana hammock who come here to woo the young Thai women (and men in some cases)! Welcome to Pattaya! Not only is playful Pattaya the sex capitol of the world, but it does have some nice little beaches to lounge on. Less than 2 hours from Bangkok, it makes a perfect weekend getaway, which was just what Lauren, Thomas and I needed!

We arrived in Pattaya around lunchtime after easily hopping on the bus in Bangkok. The bus system in Thailand is pretty good - you can get anywhere you want at a moment's notice. There is no need to pre-book tickets here. All you have to do it show up, hop on and head to wherever your heart desires (it is Thailand after all). After arriving in Pattaya, our hearts took us to the a world-famous transvestite attraction!

The Tiffany Show is Southeast Asia's first transvestite cabaret show! Open for over 28 years, the show has literally put Pattaya on Thailand's tourist map. The show originally featured just a few ladyboys belting out all the famous hits of Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer. However, now the Tiffany Show is a full-blown theatre experience, complete with colorful, gaudy costumes and an array of musical numbers. My favorite? It definitely had to be the manly-looking moop belting out our sister Tina Turner's "Proud Mary." Exquisite!

After taking in the glitz and glamour of Miss Tiffany's, we spent the rest of the weekend relaxing and soaking in the blue skies of Pattaya! Laying on the beach provided endless opportunities to count creepy old men who venture to Pattaya for reasons none of us really want to know about! I also got to quell my craving for more Indian food at Pattaya's numerous Indian curry houses and do a bit of shopping at the lovely street markets. All in all, definitely a good weekend (super cultural, may I add)!

Unfortunately, the week back to school has been dragging on FOR-EV-ER! It's finally Friday tomorrow and just one week until payday, hallelujah! Also unfortunately, I don't think I am going to run the marathon/half-marathon, which would have been this weekend. With all the shenanigans of the month, I was totally unable to fully prepare for the race. However, Thomas and I have decided to try and enter the NYC Marathon in November, so watch out for me then!

Breaking awesome news! There is a new 7-11 convenience store opening up right around the corner outside Lauren and I's mooban! Let's just say, we couldn't be more excited! It saves us at least a 5 minute walk (10 minutes there and back), which means we can totally make late-night 7-11 runs for yogurt, weird Thai snacks, water, Cornetto ice cream cones and of course, stock up on phone cards. I think this 7-11 has to be like number 8,000 or something in Thailand, seriously. Well, take care all and the weekend is upon us, so get excited!

Thai Dance Fever

This week, it was a certain Mr. Thomas's birthday as well as a free day off of school just for teachers! That's right! Teacher's Day (a holiday for all teachers in Thailand) was Wednesday, which meant a much enjoyed break in the work week and a fun night out to celebrate Thomas's big 2-3! Now, I am a bit embarrassed to admit that our Tuesday night out was actually my first time out dancing in Bangkok! We headed out to Oesco Bar along Sukhumvit Road (one of Bangkok's notorious night spots) and enjoyed soaking up the Thai dancing culture (which is an important part of Get Cultural Month, of course!).

I totally had sooo much fun dancing the night away with a bunch of work friends - including Ronald, who is not only fabulously gay but also a fabulous ballroom dancer! He's been giving me lessons, and needless to say, we definitely busted a move on the dance floor. The Thai "going out" scene was definitely interesting. First, the Thais are very into appearance so to get into the clubs, there is a strict dress code, including no flip-flop sandals! We thought since it was a Tuesday, not many people would be out, but we were wrong! There were loads of people out and about - including the Sarasas Witaed Saimai School crew!

Going out on Tuesday was a welcome break from the school week, which seems to get crazier and crazier! My 1st graders love to hear themselves talk more and more each day, I swear! Miss Chartnapa (my Thai teacher) and I exchange helpless glances and laughter all the time because we don't know what to do anymore, haha! A funny anecdote from today - the kiddies and I were practicing the months of the year. I asked them if anybody knew the very important American holiday in July (aka 4th of July). Thanawat yelled out (very seriously, may I add), "Is it Miss Holly Day?" When they say cute things like that, I just can't get mad at them!

Earlier this week, yours truly experienced a lovely infestation of bugs or ants (I still have no idea which one) in her bed at home of all places, waking up Wednesday morning with over 30 bites on my back. Now, this whole living in Thailand for 7 months may seem really cool and all, but let me tell you this...after having Thai bugs invade your bed, then going out for a short 30-minute run and returning with about 30 mosquito bites, the novelty of the whole situation wears off real quick. Yikes!

(I warn you ahead of time...it's pretty gross!)

January definitely hasn't been my month, but the good news is that it's almost over! Unfortunately, with my face surgery (in which I am still suffering from a bit of minor facial paralysis) and all the conundrums of the month, I wasn't able to finish training for the marathon in Khon Kaen, which I actually trained pretty hard for and ran up to 16 miles. It's been a crazy couple weeks, but I am hoping to maybe run the half-marathon instead...so hopefully all works out according to plan!

This weekend Lauren, Thomas and I are lookin' to escape Saimai, and it appears as though good ol' Pattaya might be in our future! If you are going to the sex capitol of the world for the weekend, you are bound to come back with good stories so stay tuned for all the fun!

Definitely Going Craaazy

After living in this faraway place called Thailand for five months...it was bound to happen. It started with uncontrollable fits of giggles, progressed into full out belly laughter and now it's official, we are going crazy in Saimai! It's been another couple of weeks of realizing that we in fact live in Thailand, and that we are no longer the backpack travelers of yore.

Yesterday, after realizing we needed to do something (anything to get out of Saimai and fend off the giggles!), we headed into central Bangkok to go to Siam's Ocean World. Yes, it was listed in Lonely Planet's "Things to Do with Children" section, but we were feeling about five years old yesterday. So really, it all worked out in the end. Here we are at Siam's 4D X-Venture Movie about underwater predators from the prehistoric era and sporting ultra-cool 4D glasses of course!

Where does all this craziness come from? after realizing I have been to the hospital everyday in 2008 (today is the first day of the year I haven't had to see a doctor!), I think that could be the cause of it all. Otherwise, it could be the lack of real food options here. I am almost positive I have eaten peanut butter toast just about everyday since I arrived in Thailand (no joke!). The crazies could also do with fact that my little 1st graders are crazies! Except Chakriya (nickname: Conan). Not only does he say "Goood morneeng Mizz Holly" every morning without fail, but the way he waddles around the classroom with his Ringo Starr haircut - well, it makes me smile! And you know I have a thing for chubby kids!

Another thing contributing to the craziness? Thailand itself of course! I don't think I have ever loathed anything or become more frustrated by anything in my life than Bangkok traffic. No doubt...Bangkok traffic is no-no-notorious! Don't get me wrong - taxi rides can be fun! This is the second taxi I have cruised in which sports this hilarious sticker. I think there needs no cross-cultural explanation for this one - whatever country you are in, you know not to pass a little gas in this taxi!

The laughter and craziness is bound to continue in the lives of us Saimaites (which I have termed us) which means good stories for all of you! Between more hospital visits, schooltime fun with the grade 1's, finding new things to do in Bangkok (on the cheap of course!) and surviving these last couple months in the boondocks of Saimai - there are loads of good blog posts coming your way! Hope you enjoy!

Get Cultural Month Begins...

...with major surgery! Unfortunately, the "fetus" (as some have termed it) growing by my right ear turned out to be pretty serious, so I had to go under the Thai knife on Tuesday! After a week of antibiotics and dressing changes, the infection still wasn't going away so I headed to Bangkok Hospital - one of the city's finest - to get their opinion. The next day I was under general anesthesia for surgery! The infection at the surface was actually masking a sebaceous cyst, which Dr. Prasert (my adorable little Thai doctor) drained and removed.

So, really there is no better start to Get Cultural Month than to spend the first nine days of 2008 observing, engaging in and seeing how Thailand's medical system works firsthand! Dr. Prasert said the surgery went well, and hopefully, I should be on the road to recovery. The best part? Under general anesthesia, I didn't even say anything incriminating (as opposed to last time when I commented the surgeon who took my wisdom teeth out was hot. Oops!)

All those hospital visits didn't deter me from my vow to get cultural (and suspend my nasty shopping habit) for the month of January. Lauren and I headed into Bangkok on Sunday to do just that! We headed over to Khao San Road - a notorious tourist trap but one of those things you just have to see at least once. Filled with sidewalk vendors, restaurants, shops and mini-markets, it was a cute little place. We decided to grab some sushi for lunch at a Japanese place just off the main road. Traveling abroad, I have really acquired a taste for world cuisine! A few months ago I detested fish, and now I am eating it raw! (***Note the attractive gauze pad on my right ear, referred to by most as my "earmuff").

After lunch, we ventured into the back streets of Bangkok to find a very exclusive neighborhood which is famous for making monk bowls! Let me back up and explain...Buddhist monks are very revered in Thailand. Every male in Thailand is actually expected to serve as a monk for at least three months in his life, or their family faces societal shame. Without an income, these brightly colored figures subsist on the food donations of Thai people, who give them offerings after prayer.

There are only a handful of families left in the whole of Thailand who still make baats, or monk bowls (the bowls with which they receive those food donations), the traditional way - pounding out the steel and painting these beautifully ornate bowls by hand. Most monk bowls are now mass-produced in China (no surprise there). Lauren and I wanted an authentic monk bowl so we hunted through Soi Bon Baat to find one such family. Although extremely poor, these families have passed on the ancient art of making baats and are extremely proud of what they do. Exquisite!

After getting pretty cultural exploring the art of making monk bowls, Lauren and I headed over to the Grand Palace to see one of the most important sites in all of Bangkok. Yes, we admit we are embarrassed it took us four months to do so. On the way, we had the most hilarious tuk-tuk driver! As we were cruising to the Grand Palace, he was trying to make the point that he, "I Buddhist," and Lauren and I, "You Christian." To clarify his point, he proceeded to put his hands out in the shape of the cross and act out Jesus' crucifixion! Please don't get religiously defensive about this little anecdote, because it was sooo funny!

We arrived at the Grand Palace only to find that in order to get in, you had to be wearing black and white. Let me back up again...the King's sister passed away last week, which means the country is in 15 days of official mourning where citizens are expected to wear black and white. Since Loporn and I forgot about this, we were not allowed into the Grand Palace. However, we were still allowed into Wat Phra Kaew - the temple on the Grand Palace's grounds. Housing the famous "Emerald Buddha," it is the only temple in which the King himself personally changes the Buddha's clothes four times a year!

Our Grand Palace trip hit another snag! To enter Buddhist temples in Thailand, it is mandatory to wear full-length pants or skirts. Since I was wearing capri pants, I had to rent this trendy turquoise gecko-printed skirt to enter the temple for 50 baht (about $1.50). I felt totally fashion-forward sporting this ankle-length beauty around the temple grounds all the while sporting one large white earmuff. Don't I look fab?

All joking aside, this temple was by far my favorite! Meaning "Temple of the Emerald Buddha," Wat Phra Kaew sprawls with monuments, temples and other shrines, which all gleam and glitter in the sun! The golds, reds, greens and other bright colors used in the temple are absolutely gorgeous! The main building is the central ubosoth, which houses the actual Emerald Buddha. Around the temple is a large white wall which is painted with scenes of the Thai Ramayana myth and inside even features a mini replica of Cambodia's famous Angkor Wat temple! Here is the wondrous skyline of Wat Phra Kaew!

All in all, I would have the say for the first week of January, we definitely got cultural! Now, I have to admit I am pretty exhausted from surgery (I slept most of the day yesterday and a bit today too!). Tomorrow I have another check-up appointment and then back to teaching the kiddies at school! The good news? Bangkok Hospital has a Starbucks which means for every hospital visit to the doctor, a latte for me! Hope you are all faring a bit better in 2008 than I, and take care everyone!

One Loooong Week

Nothing like a good ol' Thai medical mystery to start off 2008! For the past couple weeks, I had some swollen lymphnodes, which I went to the doctor for. They suped me up on medication (they give you medicine for EVERY symptom you have!), and I thought all was good to go. Unfortunately, the swollen lymphnodes became infected, and I underwent a bit of minor surgery twice this week! Ahhhh!

The bright side of it all? Consultation, medicine, two minor surgeries, more medicine and a bandage change - only about 150$! So, currently I am drugged up on about three different medicines, but the infection seems to be getting better so cross your fingers for no more Thai hospital visits! Lauren and I have also appointed January as "Get Cultural Month," so I guess there is no other way to get cultured than with some authentic Thai hospital experience!

After a fabulous vacation, Lauren (Thai name: Loporn) and I have been busy getting back into the groove with teaching and planning our cultural ventures for the month. Unfortunately, that means no shopping...except for Chatuchak Market, because that is a definite cultural experience with all the Thai vendors around and such. Back to the hospital later today to change my dressing then I believe a massage is in order - we haven't had our ritual weekend massage in awhile! Hope you are all having a healthier start to 2008 than I! Take care everyone!

A Bangkok New Year's

Let me just say, for the record, there is no better way to ring in a new year than from the 27th floor of a swanky hotel in downtown Bangkok like the Millennium Hilton Hotel Bangkok! For a special New Year's surprise, Eric arranged for us to stay at the hotel and enjoy all the luxuries of the high life. A girl can seriously get used to treatment like this! As soon as we arrived, we were whisked away to the 31st floor for a private check-in at the Executive Lounge, where an array of free drinks, biscuits, cakes, nuts, crackers and chocolate were right at our disposal!

Then we received a total VIP invitation back to the Executive Lounge for a New Year's Eve cocktail hour, featuring free drinks and more free hor'deurves! Well, two glasses of red wine and a million little hor'deurves later (salmon crackers, spiced cranberry juice, chocolate mousse, fruit tarts, rice crackers & peanut sauce, lamb with cucumber mint sauce...well, you get the picture), Eric and I were stuffed! The best part? We still had dinner reservations several hours later!

After cocktail hour, which I totally j'adored, we took in the view of central Bangkok from the 31st floor. With lights sparkling, twinkling and blinking everywhere, it was absolutely magical! There was a definite buzz in the Bangkok air, even from tippity top of the Millennium Hilton! Check out my first ever video on my blog, and let me know how it goes!



We still had a couple of hours to burn so we thought we would walk around the hotel and enjoy all the ambience of the New Year's Eve. Sounds like a plan, right? The only thing is... we found the comfort of our super-cushioned, pillow-filled hotel bed first and fell asleep at 8:30pm! Yes, I think us 20-somethings are officially more like 70-somethings! By the littlest stroke of luck, we awoke at 9:25pm, exactly 5 minutes before our dinner reservations at the hotel's Chinese restaurant Yuan. Stuck in the midst of a foggy haze, we raced out of bed and down 22 flights (by elevator of course!), arriving literally just on time!

Unfortunately, dinner wasn't that tasty (all the good restaurants were booked!), but I think Eric and I should have known better when we ordered Prawns & Bananas in Chili Sauce, something was clearly up! But we did get free party hats and toys...all is well that ends well with party favors! At midnight, from the stellar panoramic view of our room, we watched fireworks going off all around the city! Near and far, fireworks lit up the sky across the horizon. It was one of the most spectacular sights I have ever seen! I hope you all had a wonderful New Year's wherever you were and enjoyed yourself (these years are passing so fast!). Happy 2008 and here's to health, happiness and a whole lot of fun in 2008!

Splashy Samui

Well, there is something I need to admit to you all. Here I am in Thailand, with the opportunity to explore all the best of Asia right at my feet, and our trip to Koh Samui can be summed up in just three things. Laying at the beach, eating at ridiculously delicious (and oh, maybe a bit pricey!) restaurants and cruising around on motorbikes. Yes, people - that sums up the four glorious days Eric and I spent on the splashy island of Koh Samui, located right in the Gulf of Thailand. The beach view from right outside our bungalow if you will...

Another good sign of a stellar vacation is when you arrive to Promtsuk Buri (our resort on Koh Samui, which we totally recommend!) to check into your bungalow, and even though you paid for a seaview bungalow, the resort upgrades you to beachfront. Oh yeah, that happened to us! The portly man at the front desk oh so nicely asked us, "Can we move you to beachfront? Is that okay?" We took one look at each other, smiled to ourselves and replied, "Yes sir, that is just fine. I think beachfront will be okay." However, okay was definitely the understatement of the year! Take a look at the view from literally right outside our bungalow door!

So, like I said, I could tell you I got cultural and explored the islands' many wats (temples), but let's be real, all we did is park ourselves on the white sand and enjoy the turquiose waters of Thongtakian Bay. The first day, after enjoying a lovely afternoon of doing just that, we thought we might treat ourselves to a luxurious dinner. Now, for someone who really hasn't been to a plethora of nice resorts and resorts, I could really get used to this lifestyle! After consulting the handy dandy Samui Dining Guide, we headed to Cliff Bar & Grill and ate a seriously scrumptious Mediterranean meal of bruschetta, sun dried tomato & salami salad, vegetable risotto, fine Italian red wine and of course, a chocolate brownie ice cream dessert! Like I said, a girl can get used to this!

The second day was full of more laying, frolicking in the salty waters of the Gulf of Thailand and oh yeah, a 1-hour long coconut oil massage! Did I mention that massage took place under a big leafy palm tree right on the beach? That hour was probably one of the most glorious of the trip - head, neck, shoulders, legs, arms and yes, even butt. The massage took care of it all and for only 250 baht (8$)! Later that night, after having enjoyed the high life for two days, we headed to Tamarind Restaurant for the most delicious meal of the entire trip. I could go on and on about the mouthwatering meal (avocado salad with fettucini & peanut sauce, anybody?) but the real treat here was - brace yourselves - the sushi of sticky rice and mango, rolled in cinnamon, sugar and sesame seeds, dipped in a caramel sauce. I do not have the words to explain it. The best dessert I have EVER had, hands down!

We decided it might be best on day three to give our delicate skin a break from the incessant UV radiation we had been exposing to it the past few days and rented a motorbike! The next two days, we cruised around the island like pros (Eric drove of course! We all know me & motorbikes - do you remember what happened in Laos anyone?) and got to see all of the island outside our bay, which was great! We also happened upon a cute Fisherman's Village in Bo Phut - known for being more of a bohemian hipster beach area - and discovered Tandoor Taj Indian Restaurant, our dinner destination for the last two nights!

Indian happens to be my favorite cuisine, but this time, I introduced Eric to the wonderful world of curries, naan and Tandoor oven cooked foods! Dee-lish! Eric's favorite was the Shrimp Curry (which was one of the best curries I have had!) and Butter Naan (a flatbread), while my fave was the Aloo Baigain (potatoes & eggplant in Indian spices) and Roti (whole-wheat flatbread). Here is Eric and I cruisin' around Samui!

Unfortunately, the beach laying, food eating and moped cruising must come to an end. Last night, we left sunny Koh Samui to head back to Bangkok because it's New Year's Eve today in Bangkok baby! Eric and I are spending New Year's instyle in downtown Bangkok at a swanky hotel along the Chao Priya River - woohoo! It's been an awesome vacation to have him here, and I can't wait for the craziness of New Year's to begin! We hope all your holidays were merry and here's wishing you all an early Happy New Year's! To 2008!

Charming Chiang Mai

You just know a vacation's gonna be good when you can order room service-style two Thai masseuses straight to your hotel room for a glorious 1-hour long Thai massage and then two days later, while in the midst of the Thai jungle, be snotted on by one ginormous elephant! That is just one little sliver of our 3-day trek through the rolling hillsides and lush villages of Chiang Dao - 2 hours outside of Chiang Mai, northern Thailand's largest city. Eric and I arrived to Chiang Mai (population: 200,000) Sunday afternoon after a short 50-minute plane ride from bustling Bangkok.

After such a tough journey, we decided that we totally deserved those 1-hour Thai massages, which we squeezed in (quite frankly, there was no other option) right before we headed off to a traditional Khantoke dinner, highlighting the food and culture of northern Thailand. The dinner was absolutely amazing! Held at the cultural center, there were hundreds of people sitting on brightly colored carpeting on the floor, feasting on the best Khantoke food. Braised pork, deep-fried bananas (umm...yummy!), sauteed veggies, sticky rice (a must-have food!) and an assortment of local cuisine. Topped off with performances by traditional Thai dancers and swordsmen (yes, I said swordsmen!), it just couldn't get any better!

With our tummies full (and grumbling for more!), Eric and I headed off the next morning for day 1 of the trek through Chiang Dao. Our guide Abe (pronounced Ah-bay) met us at 9am, and we set out for the jungles of Thailand! First things first however - Abe being the supreme guide he is, made a couple stops along the way to the trek. We made a pit stop for lunch at a local cafe (menu: veggies, spicy pork and fresh pineapple) before venturing into the limestone caves of Chiang Dao. The caves were awesome - filled with Buddha statues and cultural artifacts, they were quite a sight!

However, Abe wasn't done yet. As we continued to the jumping off point of our trek, we stopped at two ramshackle huts on the side of the road. Much to my surprise, the first hut was filled with 5 or 6 ladies, all running around machinery and boiling pots making rice noodles! Yes, we got to see exactly how rice noodles are made, which is much more of a job than I would have ever thought. These ladies produce over 600 pounds of rice noodles a day! Props to ya ladies!

After the rice noodles, we continued on our way with Abe, who is definitely the strong silent type. He doesn't say much, but when he does talk, you better listen because it is always well worth it. About 15 minutes before our trek, the van pulled over the side of the road once more...this time to see the old traditional way of making sticky rice. Made with black beans, this sticky rice is boiled inside of bamboo over a fire until it is cooked. Then, you peel the bamboo off except for the tiniest thin layer then feast on the goodness!

After Abe gave us our cultural dose of the day, Eric and I finally headed off to what we have been looking forward to for months...trekking through the jungles and hillsides of northern Thailand baby! Armed like true American travelers in our North Face and cargo pants, we started in a small village of a small hilltribe where we stocked up on water, prepared our gear then headed off into the great unknown. Now, if I had known the great unknown looked like this, I would have gone much sooner!

Abe, Eric, our porter (a.k.a the guy who carries all the stuff and the guy who I am still unsure what his name was) and I started the day hiking through all the green vegetation and grasslands. People, this landscape is straight out of a movie. A really, really, really good movie at that. It is so picturesque but more importantly, so peaceful. The only sounds to be heard are birds chirping, grass swaying, and if you listen really closely, you can even hear the local music of the hill tribes!

Abe was so intelligent, always pointing out plants, fruits, vegetables - you name it! I think I tried just about all of it - papaya, tamarind, olives, flowers & plants (one of which Abe made me eat supposedly has a cocaine-like effect on a person!). Every so often, we would stop and rest to take in the breathtaking scenery and also do the ol' "pop & squat" to pee of course! After hiking for several hours on day 1, we stopped at the village of the Palong people. The Palong are actually refugees from Burma who fled to Thailand to escape violence in the country.

That night, the villagers lit a bonfire and so instead of chestnuts roasting on an open fire, our Christmas consisted of peanuts roasting on an open fire! We spent the night in another bamboo hut, curled up in sleeping bags and wondering just how lucky we are to have gotten to spend Christmas with the Karen village, eating delicious food all in the company of good people! The children performed some beautiful songs and dances for us, and at the end, we even got to join in!

After our overnight stay with the Palong (in which yes, we stayed in a bamboo hut on wooden floors with bug netting above our faces!), Abe made us breakfast and yummy tea. He is quite a talented cook with such limited resources (but don't tell his wife that!). Walking sticks in hand, we continued to traverse the hillsides, hiking up and down and getting an amazing glimpse into real rural life. Families harvesting beans, collecting fruit, playing with children - you really get to see it all. We also got to hike real elephant trails, where you can see the destruction first-hand of these massive beasts making their way through the wild.

The weather was a bit cool, which is ironic because the Thai people are not accustomed to the cold at all. Our porter was quite cold a lot of the trek, since it does actually get quite chilly during the nights and early mornings. One of my favorite moments was when Abe asked him if he was cold. He nodded his head yes, and Abe asked him, "Didn't your wife give you warmth?" Smiling, he replied, "She was cold too."

We traversed the countryside for a couple hours in the morning before stopping near a stream for lunch. Little did I know what was in store! Listen to this - Abe (in all his glory) rigged up the awesomest cooking contraption ever, MacGyver style! After starting the fire, he cut down bamboo and along with our porter's stellar whittling skills, cooked our lunch inside two huge bamboo shoots! He filled two bamboo stalks with water, set them in the fire and waited for the water to boil. Then he threw in cabbage, tomatoes, eggs and noodles - creating (no lie) one of the most delicious meals of the trip! Letting it all boil, he then made a feeding trough to poor the soup into, and well, I think the picture says it all!

He also made pork on the fire, wrapping them in banana leaves to cook on the fire. Dee-lish! After lunch, we cleaned it all up and headed back out to possibly the part of the trip I have been looking forward to...the elephant ride! As we were walking, out of nowhere appears the most ginormous elephant I have ever seen! Complete with gorgeous ivory tusks and grayish leather skin, he was seriously like 15 feet tall. We looked over at Abe, and he said, "This is your elephant!"

With the help of Abe and the elephant's owner, we hopped on his huge back and swayed side to side for the next hour, all on the back of an elephant! Eric and I were all excited, riding on the back of the elephant when out of the blue, the elephant gave it a big sneeze, sending elephant snot flying through the air and directly into our faces! For the next hour and a half, we dodged boogers right and left, but ultimately, the elephant won that battle. Our elephant ever so graciously lowered himself down to let us off, I mistakenly misjudged the height and thinking I was nimble, decided to take it upon myself to hop off the beast myself. Big mistake! I jumped down about 10 feet, lost my balance, stuttered backwards and landed square on my right butt cheek! The porter pointed and laughed - which he had every reason to do because my butt still hurts today!

Our elephant ride let us off in the village of the Karen people - where our porter actually happened to live! A small, quaint place of about 150 people, this village was my favorite! We lulled the afternoon away, chatting with Abe and our porter (via Abe's translating) on the front stoop of one of the villager's bamboo huts. Their houses, which are on stilts to avoid bugs and other pests, were sporadically set up along one main drag - roosters, pigs, dogs and animals roam all around the village. Some of the village boys were even running around, trying to slingshot a rooster!

Unfortunately, in the middle of the night, this girl had to go pee. Eric and I entered the pitch blackness and groggily, I popped a squat to take care of some things when out of nowhere, a wild boar ran right past me at a zillion miles an hour! Completely freaked out, I hurried to pop a squat again when another rodent zipped past my feet as I ran with my pants down to my ankles through the middle of the Karen village! Luckily, no tribal people were out (that could have made for quite the cultural clash!), and I quickly peed in the safety of the moonlight before hurriedly going back to bed!

Today ended our 3-day trek, but no worries, we still went out with a bang! We finished our hiking with some breathtaking views to the scenery before heading down to the Ping River, where we got to take an hour long bamboo raft down the river! I let Eric do the steering and maneuvering for us (that's just one of the perks of traveling with a man!) as we glided peacefully down the river to end our great adventure. After 8 hours of hiking, 15 miles of land covered, 4 different tribal villages, numerous bottles of water and tons of good stories later, we arrived back to Chiang Mai today in desperate need to a shower! So, to save you some time (I didn't realize just how long this post got!), I wish you all a very Merry Belated Christmas, and I hope this finds you healthy, happy and safe this holiday season. I miss you all very much - lots of love from halfway across the world to you all!