Fastest six weeks ever!

So this little diddy I wrote when we got back in August. I was waiting to add some photos then life took over, things happened and I've only just felt like getting back to this now. So here it is! No photos as our lap top is having a Thailand moment. It doesn't like the heat anymore then us lol!!

As I sit here once again in our 'home' in Thailand I think wow - how did we pack in so much stuff in six weeks? Could we have done more, seen more people? I think not on both counts - it was just about right.

Highlights of our trip home - well to start - walking part of the Great Wall of China. Never in a million years did I ever think I would get the opportunity to do that! It wasn't even on the bucket list and yet it's checked off.


Spending quality time with the grand-children. It was so wonderful. They didn't have time to get tired of us or us of them! We camped four nights with Aidan while visiting my brother and parents. Had a tea party with Natalie with a porcelain tea set bought in Beijing. Got to know Miss Charlotte all over again. She has turned into quite the character in eight months! We had a couple of reunions. First in Ucluelet with Shanna, Jeff and Heather's family. Then in Port Alberni with the Ralston/Hansen/Rutherfords - so many cousins, nieces, nephews, sisters and brothers. All in one spot for one incredible afternoon, evening and morning. It doesn't get much better.

We took my parents on a little excursion into Washington State to do some gambling at the casinos. We toured Widby Island - on by ferry at the southern end and off via the bridge at the northern end. Lots of laughs while we travelled along together. Lots of poking around in thrift/second hand stores. Something we all enjoy.

We went to Ukee Days! with the grand-kids. Salmon BBQ on Friday night, gourmet breakfast and parade Saturday morning and topped it off with an afternoon on the grounds on Sunday. Saw so many friends and acquaintences. What great fun - even a trip to the photo booth!

We were able to get our boat in the water and went beach combing. The kids swam - I couldn't get in the water - far too cold now. It's amazing how much entertainment kids can get out of a boat that is anchored just right, off the beach!  Ed got out fishing with a buddy, our son-in-law and our daughter. Fish in the freezer for Heather's gang and a cooler of fish packed off to Halifax. So blessed.

On the way back to Thailand we visited with good friends in Coquitlam before hitting the blue skies for Bangkok. Two nights there and the world's more than your oyster!! Whew - we survived it. And so begins another seven months on this little island. We'll be back for Spring break. If we didn't see you this time we will see you the next round.

Until then, we are back living life on another edge!

Northern Thailand

 

Chiang Mai! Chiang Rai! the Golden Triangle! Oh my!



Part of the old wall and the southern entrance to the city

One advantage of living so close to Krabi and its International Airport is we can pretty much fly anywhere for a very little. We have been trying to take advantage of this when time allows.

To fly to Northern Thailand - Chiang Mai - was only an hour and half. We unfortunately chose to go when the sugar cane fields were being burned before replanting so air quality was not great. I was pretty excited to see the eastern side of the Himalayas' but alas, we only saw outlines of the mountains at best. Tantalizing!

But Chiang Mai - what an incredible place! It is absolutely dripping in culture. If it's temples you want to see you can fill your boots and then some. The city was once considered the capital of Thailand when it was still called Siam. You know "The King and I". The old city is enclosed by an 800 year old moat and much of the walls and gates are still intact. The inside area is exactly one square mile. (how they'd do that!) We stayed just outside the southern gate and one street crossing - (you take your life in your hands here) - away from a very large night food market and a daytime merchant market. Another shopping market was only a short tuk-tuk ride away.

  

Chiang Mai is where I (with friends) took my first cooking lesson from Yui Kwan. Her claim to fame? She has had Gordon Ramsey and Canada's own Michael Smith in her classes cooking and filming. She makes it look so easy and really it is - as long as everything is prepared ahead of time and the food is divided into cooking times. Thai cooking has four elements. Sweet, Sour, Spicy and Salty. How and what you use to achieve that becomes your signature. We spent eight hours in her class, made six delicious dishes and went to a fresh food market for a lesson as well. There are over nine eggplants here! From the purple ones that we recognise to ones the size of small grapes.

Nice and tidy - crazy VW van picked us up.

Green curry with basil - yummy!

 

My Phad Thai dish

There were eight of us together cooking away. A traditional Thai kitchen is outside. Makes sense given how hot the weather is and how hot things get in the kitchen. Dishes are cooked quite quickly - which also makes sense. No point having the cook top on any longer then necessary!





We toured an Elephant Rescue Centre while in Chiang Mai. The elephants there are from all over Thailand. Mostly rescued from some not so caring people. These elephants live down in a beautiful valley and are often free to roam with their mahout. They are not chained but have a rope around their leg in the evening just so they don't wander off into one of the villages and cause mayhem. Our elephant was called May Noi and she was the largest elephant in the compound! We were allowed to ride on her back but bareback only and we had to wear the type of clothes that the mahout's wear.

We needed to use a ramp to get on to her back and that was one prickly back! The mahout stayed with us and the elephants were controlled by voice commands that we were to use. We quickly forgot the terms as soon as the animal started walking as all our concentration was needed to staying on her back. It was a long way down! No ropes for the walk and no sticks for prodding. May Noi liked to choose her own path. We ended up in the same places as everyone else, just a different way of getting there. The guides took our cameras and shot all the photos for us. In addition they had their own photographers and we bought a disk full of photos. Proceeds to the elephant's care as was our fee. We bathed her and fed her. What a grand experience. Must of filled her trunk six times myself with water and Ed also gave her water. We were on her back standing in a pond and she gave us a shower! What a memory.

Room to roam.

Fill 'er up please!

So much bigger than the others!

 I was concerned if I kept filling up her trunk she would spray it back at me! She didn't though.











Bob and Pat Walton are to the right of us. Brent and Michelle are further down the line. There were six elephants in our group. Getting them together for a group shot was tough.





 Another tour we took from Chiang Mai was to Chiang Rai and then into the Golden Triangle. Chiang Rai has the white Temple. It is a relatively new temple but as it is all white and silver it is quite something to behold. The drive up to Chiang Rai also gave us a chance to really look at the county side. So much farming is done in the northern part of Thailand. Rice fields, fruit trees, palm oil, rubber - it's all there. The Golden Triangle Burma, Laos and Thailand was known for the opium smuggled over the borders along the Mekong.

The White Temple of Chiang Rai

Incredible workmanship.

Yes these are all hands stretching up. Kind of creepy.

And we got to ride on the Mekong River! The boat took us over to Laos and of course a market. The men had their shot of cobra whiskey, the women admired the weaving, silk and clothing. We went as close as we could to the Burma border but NO crossing.

Cobra whiskey.

Very smoky here!

Things were a little smoky up this far north. Burning the cane fields for replanting. Don't go in March!





We also visited the Long Neck Tribe. These are the ladies that have brass wrapped around their necks and ankles. It's a myth that it stretches their necks, but it certainly gives that appearance. What it does do though is loosen the muscles and their heads start to rely on the brass to hold it up. Like feet binding in Japan it is to give beauty. To a Westerner it looked tortuous, to the Long Necks it is beauty. Who am I to judge other traditions. Their weaving was simplistic and beautiful!

It was a long day - over twelve hours round trip, but certainly worth it. We plan to go back to Chiang Mai when they are not burning.

Just got to go back and see those mountains!

Six months!!

 

Hard to believe that we have hit the six month mark and yet when we think back we have, yet again,  packed in so much in a relatively short amount of time.

We have had visitors from home! Steve and Julie, Kaitlyn and Lee, Rick and Linda and of course the Walton/Joel group. From the end of January till the end of March we were happily hosting our friends and visiting places that we hadn't gotten to yet. Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai (coming in new posts!). We played tourist here on Lanta with them and went to restaurants that we hadn't been to yet as well. Lots of walks on the beaches, some snorkeling - lots to do here. And there are more visitors to come in the fall. (Canadian fall - no such thing here) It meant/means so much to us to have that contact from home!



Julie and I in Old Town,

Steve and Ed comparing bugs!

Kaitlyn and Lee



Linda & Rick celebrated, with
us, on our 23rd Anniversary

Leaving boat at Phi Phi for Phuket

 

The Three Kings
Lumpy, Bumpy & Stumpy!

The girls
Calm, Cool & Collected....

 

 



Speaking of home, we are looking forward to our trip in the summer for a visit. Tickets are booked! There are things that you just can't get here and need to stock up on for round two. Tahini, black licorice, almonds, pecans (our friends so graciously brought them for us and we have been hoarding them like we live in the 1930's!). Funny how much more delicious things are when you can't have them all the time.

Things that I miss aside from family and friends?? Campfires in the backyard, boating in the Broken Group Islands, walking the Wild Pacific Trail and coolness. The only fire I see is when Ed lights up the coal in the BBQ. Boating has been by long tail boat,  we have to pay for it and Ed is not driving. There is nothing comparable to the Wild Pacific Trail here, but we do have long sandy beaches, although, we don't walk on Long Beach at home. And coolness - it never, ever cools down. We try to stay away from air con as much as possible and then only set it to 26 degrees in the bedroom for sleeping. So looking forward to a boat ride, having cold air on my face and crammed down my throat!!

We have met and made some great friends here! I am learning two languages Thai and Italian! Probably won't have much use for either one once we are done here but hey - why not? It's stretching my brain.

Ed, Maureen, myself and Alex!
The usual suspects.

I am learning a new way to cook. Ed's just excited that I'm cooking! Still hope to get a couple more classes under my belt before we head home permanently.

I miss my garden. I know I would be planting vegies if I were at home and weeding the flower beds. I've seen the great weather at home in Western Canada and know that I would be outside so much. I have some flowers here but no vegies and the flowers are potted.

I miss pouring a cold glass of water out of the tap. We buy all our water. It's cheap but we have to buy water that has minerals in it to drink as the drinking/cooking water is from reverse osmosis and there is nothing left in it by the time we get it. So water for the garden, shower and toilets. Water for cooking and water for drinking. I like it when it all comes from one place!

I love the Sunday morning market in Old Town. We try to get there as early as possible for fresh seafood, vegetables and homemade curry paste - yummy! People have started recognizing us so the price goes down. That's always fun. We're watching children here growing up - a new born now sitting on her own. Also fun. Three brothers learning to speak English.

We have gotten to know the owner and he is wonderful.
 Patu - everyone calls him.

And my favourite place of all here is a restaurant that is open whenever, sometime in the afternoon. The menu is whatever, depends on who is cooking that day. It is the last building on a dead end street on the water side of  Old Town - east side of Koh Lanta Yai.

View is the Straight of Malaca

Random inside shot.

My sister would love the naturally
distressed furniture!

 

Sitting on his deck, the sun going down on the west side pinking up the clouds and sky on the east side and the moon rising just in front of us. Watching lightening over the islands and mainland Thailand - so it is - 'life on another edge'. But we are Canadians, in a foreign land that's mystical, aromatic and the culture we've only read about. Visited sites that are amazing! But we do miss home........on that other edge.

Kuala Lampur - Malaysia!

 

 

 

Whoa Nelly - now here's a Cosmopolitan city! The mixture of old and new architecture is something to behold. While the skyline doesn't compare to say Vancouver's,

 Kuala Lampur's has its own uniqueness.

We arrive in Kuala Lumpur!

We were pretty excited to see the Patronas Towers and they didn't disappoint. This structure is 452 meters high, has 88 storeys and a walkway between the towers on the 41st floor. The Skywalk - it is aptly named. Although we didn't go up - we both do not like heights - we were part of the group straining our necks below to look up. Both towers are clad in stainless steel and stand there glistening and at night - oh my - they are gorgeous! We were able to see them from our hotel room. When we go back - and we will go back - we will go up! Just saying that makes my tummy flip:)

 

From our hotel room.

From a few blocks away.

Us straining our necks!

The city itself was extremely easy to travel in. There are free buses, hop on hop off buses and a monorail. Ed was horribly confused about the buses. Kept trying to hop on the free bus! These three work only in the core of the city and are for schlepping tourists like us to and fro. We were fortunate as our hotel, the Concordia, had a monorail station just outside the front doors. And a Hard Rock Café so we were able to add to our ever growing shooter collection! Priorities, priorities!

 

I should note that there was some strange Japanese hero convention going on while we were there.

At first we thought it had something to do with New Years Eve, but no it was a convention!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Very Odd.

The girls were cute!

 

 We took in China Town - craziness, just plain craziness, some of the high end shopping malls - just dreaming, the sights, sounds and aromas of just walking around and the Bird Sanctuary -

 noisy and hot - but some beautiful birds.



Who's that knocking!

Welcome!

 

Chinese temple.



We loved it! We will go back! There is still so much more to see and do and

Melaka is only a one hour drive away........!

Bali and Beyond - Indonesia!

 

I mentioned in my title page that we were hoping to see other parts of South East Asia and Thailand. So the next few posts will be about some of those adventures!! First up Bali.

Some of you will know that we own timeshare and we made use of that at Christmas and went to Bali to stay at the Medewi Bay Resort. Medewi Bay is known for it's surfing so we thought that was pretty appropriate. Not that we surf, just that we would be on the ocean. This time - the Indian Ocean! For you surfers out there - apparently you can ride the waves right up the river!

We stayed away from the more touristy area of Bali and went NW from the airport. The ride there at night was quite literally a nightmare. We had no idea where we were going, the driver wanted it over fast and took the most bizarre short cuts. For the first time in my life I experienced car sickness and was so happy when we stopped I almost kissed the ground.



Little Shrines everywhere

The hotel was about 500 yards/meters from the ocean. And it was beautiful. We walked it almost everyday and watched the fishermen throwing in their nets. Tide pull was strong so not much swimming. Left that for our pool. We also had Christmas day massages pool side! Fabulous.




The Indian Ocean!

Fishermen throwing net.

We hired a driver to take us around the island. We went further north to do some snorkeling in the Bali Sea and snorkel the corals. We found Nemo!! A first for both of us. The cup and saucer corals were incredible at Palau Menjangan. The Marine Park portion of Taman Nasinal Bali Barat was a disappointment. Plastic was everywhere! You had to move it out of your way while swimming. Sad really. It sure hit home that plastic is a problem in all oceans and seas :(

National Park entrance - no fee!

Corals and beach.

Another day, our driver took us to the farming fields and a temple on the lake - Para Ulun Danu Bratan. This is a Hindu-Buddist temple and was founded in the 17th century. So beautiful. Thatched roofs, lake, mountains quite the backdrop! The tiered rice fields were so many shades of green that you just can't describe it - just stare in awe.

Terraced fields.

 

 

 

Flooded fields.

 

Our last trip with Harry, our driver, was to see the fishing fleet and do a little shopping. Seeing the boats was like stepping back a couple of centuries! Most amazing water crafts I have ever seen. They are Arabic and the busyness that was taking place on shore was also a site to behold. I hope my photos do them justice. Shopping was overwhelming! I've learned not to touch or show an interest in anything!! If you do - well let the haggling begin.
                        

Some of the fishing fleet.

Fishing baskets.

Amazing boats.

We were in Bali for seven nights, saw incredible things, had many adventures,

We went to Butterfly World also. This
one had just hatched and was drying
it's wings!

 

and then headed to Kaula Lampur -that's for the next post




 Until then we are Living Life on Another Edge!!
Trying to hide our legs and shoulders.

 P.S. I got to cross off going below the equator on my bucket list!!