Thailand was glorious! We really really needed this trip and it did me loads of wonderfulness. I learned a lot about the world and myself on this little trip we had. It was well worth the 28 hour journey to get there.
We spent the first day in Bangkok. My mind was blown at how ridiculously cheap everything was there. We rented a tuk tuk to drive us everywhere for the whole day for 3 dollars!! We of course tipped well, but still. INSANE! We did a river tour around the back side of the city and it was a real eye opener. We saw how the people of the city really live. To be honest, meeting these people, you wouldn't expect them to live so poorly. They are all so happy, yet they have so little. It made me so grateful for all that I have. I enjoyed waving to the small children washing clothes and sitting along side the river. Sadly, I am unable to upload those photos because blogger won't read the file type :(
We also checked out a few of their Wat's, or temples for Buddha. I had never noticed before that the Chinese and Thai people worship two very different looking Buddha. It was interesting and also beautiful. Garrett and I received a bracelet from a monk...pretty neat.
We ended up not doing an Elephant ride because all the places we found were all day tours and you really only got to ride the elephant for about an hour of that, with limited time...we decided to forgo it. We still had a fabulous time touring the city and shopping. GB got a tailor made Gucci suit and a few shirts...looks pretty, pretty, pretty slick. I personally, enjoyed MBK...Cheapest.Mall.Ever!
We also decided to go ahead and make way for Phi Phi islands a day early. Best. Decision. Ever! Umm wow. As the ferry drew closer to the islands, our jaws dropped. This was hands down the most beautiful place I have ever seen.
Garrett and I had a wonderful time snorkeling with a beautiful array of fishes and laying out on the sandy white beaches. My personal favorite, were all the long boat rides we took to get from island to island. Our trip on the Islands were extremely spiritual for me. A lot of healing and forgiveness took place. As I pondered on my life, staring up at the majestic cliffs that seemed to reach up to the heavens, I couldn't help but feel closer to God. It amazes me how the lord could create such an intricate, detailed, beautiful world. I can not help but feel his deep love when I take the time to absorb this glorious world.
If you are my facebook friend then you are aware that I was violently attacked by a monkey. ...okay, perhaps a SLIGHT exaggeration lol. None the less it scared the pants off me. Knowing I was not supposed to, I fed the blasted monkey my beloved Nature Valley Granola bar..I knew I was in trouble as it was running out. He kept coming closer after he was done with each bite. I had a bad feeling about this one. but I could't resist, I mean come on! Once in a lifetime opportunity! It was incredibly surreal to hand feed an animal who had fingers just like me. It just reached up and gently took the granola from me. So weird and awesome...worth the bite/claw marks. Although the video doesn't look bad, I was bleeding quite bad. In those 2 seconds he clawed the heck out of me and left some teeth imprints as well. lol. Makes for a good story, GB was jealous it didn't happen to him. Silly boy.
This is before the little terd latched onto my leg
And this is the after affect...
Meet Cham.
Cham was our long boat driver all week. I have a deep respect for this wonderful man. Although his English was rough and communication was difficult, we learned so much about him. Cham makes his living taking people around from island to island on his long boat. His long boat cost him 10 grand, he worked as a fisherman for 10 years to save up for it. He lives on his boat, he cooks on it, sleeps in it, and calls his family from it. He works 10 months out of the year and spends only 2 months with his wife and son. It is the most simple life I could ever imagine, and he is so happy. He was so giving and serving. I love the Thai people. They are such an amazing example to me of the kind of person I should strive to be. Though their lives are simple, they seem to live so well. Living with so little, most of their jobs require serving tourists who have so much, yet they are not jealous or bitter. They are loving, eager to serve, grateful for whatever they receive. They are truly happy, filled with such joy and exude a love of life and nature. They have respect for the world and people around them and they are so peaceful. I hope that I can apply the things I learned from them into my own life.
Thailand was awesome and we spoiled ourselves. Thailand was cheap and we took FULL advantage. Super nice dinners, messages, souvenirs, excursions. It was fabulous. By the time it was time to come home were relaxed and ready. Bonus: the ride home was a breeze! We got business class the WHOLE way home! glorious! Glad to be home and getting back into a good routine. We are already planning our next adventure :)
