Thailand!

After being here more than nine months, we were finally able take mid-tour leave. We've heard nothing but awesome things about Thailand so decided to head there. We visited Bangkok, Koh Sumai and Koh Tao. Everything we've read about Thailand turned out to be true. The people are incredibly nice, the scenery is breathtaking, food and shopping is very cheap and you'll take home priceless memories. We took full advantage of our time there thanks to the wonderful travel guide, Lonely Planet!

In Bangkok we visited the Grand Palace which is open to the public every day unless of course the King needs to use it :). Everything is made from gold and in the sunlight can be blinding because of the brilliance of color. I had to wear a traditional full-length wrap skirt because the dress I was wearing didn't cover my knees. Though a Thai girl went in ahead of me in a mini skirt??. We had dinner at a restaurant called "Faces" which is a three restaurants in one (Thai, Japanese, Seafood), with the coolest ambiance we have ever seen. You felt like you were in a big tree house (there were many levels) in the middle of a jungle. There were fish swimming in small pools every where and the buildings were set in the middle of a canopy of tropical trees and the only light was candle light. We encountered a taxi driver who's passion in life is American music. He sang a few rock songs for us and encouraged us to sing with him while he drove and play air guitar, drums and microphone!

Koh Sumai was our favorite island. We stayed at Chaeweng Beach, the most popular and built up area on the island. Here we rented a scooter to tool around the island, rode a zip line through the jungle and got to ride an elephant, see a monkey and crocodile show. I played soccer with an elephant, and lost. I also lost my dignity during this game and have yet to have it sent back to me. I should probably check the tracking number on that. Almost every restaurant there was on the beach, literally. We had our toes in the sand while we sat on a pillow and had dinner served to us. Many people walked by with animals (monkeys, birds...etc) that you could hold and take pictures with...at a price of course. We heard that getting a massage on the beach was a must. It only cost $10 and we had a 60 minute massage! You can find those massage huts almost every 25 meters with the Thai women saying "You want a massaaaaaageeee??". It almost sounded seductive, but it worked. We enjoyed our massage during an afternoon thunderstorm that later produce two full rainbows.

Koh Tao was gorgeous. It is a much smaller island and mostly caters to divers. We both took two great dives and saw tons of amazing fish and other marine life. We stayed at hotel called Charm Churee Villa where we had our own bungalow and private beach...including bamboo rafts that you could lay out on. The water was very clear so the snorkeling was amazing. We also rented a scooter here, but you could really only ride up and down one side of the island because it wasn't built all the way around. We found an incredibly Thai restaurant that over looked the water and cliffs. This place truly fit the description of "paradise" with the weather, sunsets, water and laid back life style.

There are so many stories, but for those who are curious, Thailand is a destination that you must visit should you have the opportunity. We had the time of our life there and hope to be fortunate enough to go back there someday. Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy!