chiang mai, thailand

Chiang Mai is gorgeous! It is so different than Bangkok and Phuket. The mountain drive was all green and lush, and you can tell the wildlife is just rampant here. We booked a tour the minute we got into Chiang Mai and did so many things!! We white water rafted, rode elephants, zip lined, and had lunch with a really fun group!

riding barebacked


this is how far out in the jungle we were! can you find us?!

This elephant was just too cute. She was just letting off riders, and I was petting her. We wanted a group pic with her, but her ears were flapping like crazy, and it smacked me in the back of my head. I'm mid laugh here, and i just love the candidness of this image.

We went zip lining as part of the package. This is probably the most fun activity during the day. We zipped through 19 platforms in the jungle and the last platform zip lined over the river with all the elephants bathing!

our really fun tour group for the day!

getting ready to zip!

Tien's first run...she is scared out of her mind

a walk across the bridge

a sheer drop!!!!

a waterfall is always refreshing

a mini waterfall i slid off of

a gorgeous temple we passed by on the tour

our usual drinks of choice

street food is ridiculously good. this is egg noodles with wontons

phuket, thailand

Phuket is stunning. The beaches are pristine, and since we are here in low season, we basically had any beach we wanted to ourselves. We stayed in Karon at this gorgeous hotel only minutes from the beach. The street bazaar is filled with street food, street vendors, and even some American restaurants. Luckily, our hotel was a stone's throw away from one of the most amazing food carts that served spicy braised beef soup with egg/rice noodles. The turnover rate and amount of locals picking up to go orders was insane.

Phuket is very different than Bangkok. It's more relaxed here than in Bangkok, and the tourists are just from a different crowd. The resorts are very secluded, and exceptionally luxurious, so we did not have the pleasure of enjoying it....but we were not deprived from any fun! The beaches are free, the street food is better than restaurants, and we got our own private tour guide from a very wonderful local named Ski. He drove us all over the city to see all the different beaches, to Karon Kata vista point, and then showed us where the locals go for bar-b-que and seafood.

Karon Kata Viewpoint

Buddha Temple @ Phuket





you have to rub this for good luck, but it's very hard to get sound from it!!
i barely got a sound, but watched some very skilled kids make the most incredible sound from this gong


touring the grounds still under construction


the smaller golden buddha

All the proceeds from postcards, marble tile with etchings, and other random things go back into the construction for the buddha. We made our mark on the etchings as well. Tien did one for herself and Shawn. Kat and I did one for our big bar trip. We write what we want etched into the marble, and they will put that peace at the bottom section of the buddha when it is time.

a day at the beach, doing absolutely nothing but reading, sleeping, and eating

the best larb i've ever had

ladyboysss

One of the most interesting things to see in Thailand are the ladyboys. Ladyboys are very famous in Thailand. They are transvestites, men who have taken on the persona of a woman completely, physically and mentally, and they are stunningly gorgeous. We had so much fun watching the show, but seeing them in person afterward really makes you question your femininity! The cabaret itself was really entertaining, especially since most if it is so flamboyant and corny.

We saw Calypso in Bangkok, held at Asia Hotel. This cabaret is a bit smaller than the Simon Caberet in Phuket, but we got to take a lot of pictures with them after the show, and it was a smaller stage so we could be a lot closer. I couldn't stop snapping photos of them during the show, but thank god it didn't need any flash.

Mine and Tien's favorite part was the Wonder Girls routine. They looked identical to the real one hit wonder group...actually maybe a little better! The dance moves were exactly the same as the video so we were laughing and singing along to it the whole time.

"I don't want nobody nobody but you!"


watch the video! it's awesome!!!!!