Thailand: Railay and Phi Phi

We were able to fit in one last holiday a couple weeks before we moved.  We really wanted to see Bangkok and the family had never been to my favorite place so we opted for twofer--Bangkok and Krabi.

We stayed two nights on Railay Island.

That little cave, in right of the photo, is a fertility cave with some pretty interesting carvings.  I'm pretty sure visiting the cave, when I went climbing, helped Lizzie get here.  :)

Unfortunately, it rained most of the time we were there.  Fortunately, Samara loved playing at the beach in the rain and even in the rain Krabi is lovely.

On our first trip to Thailand, with my Sister-in-law, we learned about Phi-phi islands but didn't make it out to see them.   This time, we took a snorkeling-island tour on our one full-day there.  The boat ride was crazy bumpy and made me nervous with the kids.  Because of the weather we couldn't stop at Maya Bay, which was the place I wanted to see most.  

One of our stops was a beautiful lagoon.  The local boys who were working on the boats started climbing up a ~12-foot rope and hopping off a branch.  This is the kind of thing that Ben takes as a challenge.  So, he hopped out of the boat and joined the young local boys, showing them that (really) white guys can do it, too.  And he had to do it twice, because I didn't have my camera ready the first time.  See white guys really can do it, two. Ha ha!

Long boats really are so fabulous.  Someday I hope to make one my main mode of transportation. :)

 This is as funny as it looks.  We spotted this fellow wearing white-pink slinky speedo.  Yes--he is trying very hard to strike a sexy pose.  And you can see the camera in the other guy's right hand.  I got some great ideas for photographing Ben in his these.  Just scored a pair at Target for his upcoming birthday.  Smokin'!

Oh Lizzie Bean--We love you!!  But when will you understand the sand is not for eating?!

We took advantage of the sunny moments.

We finished our trip to Railay with a floating or spirit lantern.  Samara had been dreaming of sending up a glowing lantern after she saw "Tangled."  Thailand is so beautiful.  When days are tough, I start singing (to the tune of James Taylor), "In my mind I'm going to Krabi, Thailand..."  Can it be my second home, please?

Thailand: Bangkok

I had a girls' trip scheduled for Thailand last year but we had to cancel it because of the protesting and political unrest.  I did not want to leave SE Asia without seeing Bangkok.

The Grand Palace is definitely worth a visit.

Wat Phra Kaew inside the palace.

The Grand Palace is huge and intricate but not too goody.  I normally don't like a lot of gold but the palace is so nicely done.  I thought the palace is fascinating and beautiful.  

 
The traffic is worse than everyone says!

Tuk-tuks make me happy.  I wonder if they are allowed here.

The taxis and buses were all so colorful.

Sweet little girl all tuckered out.  Hope no one took her toys while she slept. :)

Street vendors/food everywhere.  Some things look appetizing and

other stuff wasn't so appealing.

There are so many temples in Bangkok.  You'd need several days, with no kids in tow,  to see them all.
We went to Wat Pho and past a couple others.

Our favorite was Wat Saket

There are 318 steps to the top of the golden mount.  Samara had fun climbing the steps, which is probably why it was our favorite.

And with bells and gongs to play with along the way who wouldn't like it?!  This bell caught her by surprise.

 
Wat Arun

ABC Bicycle Tour:
I went on a bicycle tour one morning.  We rode through back streets and past businesses opening shop for the day.

We went through a make-shift neighborhood.

Offerings and a place to meditate

Million + people come to Bangkok temporarily to work and go back and forth from their towns and this is where they live.  It may not look like much (because it wasn't) but they had some pretty sweet TVs and motorbikes.   

 
We rode through plantations and stopped at the village temple.  This are the graveyard/ the boxes that hold the ashes of the deceased.  Paying homage to their ancestors is very important.

Serendipity smiled on me and I got to see a new monk's initiation ceremony.

I was so thrilled to witness this special  and sacred ceremony.

That evening I let Ben take my two-hour Thai massage.  It only cost $10 and I thought I'd be nice since he'd stayed home with the girls so I could do the bike tour.  He came home and said, "NEVER make me go get a massage again. EVER.  That was the most excruciating two hours of my life.  I had no idea someone who weighs 90 pounds could inflict so much pain."  

Sorry, honey!

Hotel:

We stayed at Sil-Q and loved it.  Great hotel in nice location with fantastic service.

Our driver was named Tiger and he was honest and helpful.  His number is 081-951-9953.  Samara loved riding in a pink taxi.  Excuse the humidity in the lens.

Farewell, Thailand!  We'll be back someday.

Bangkok: Floating & JJ Market

I was excited to visit the Damnoen Saduak Floating market outisde of Bangkok.  Make sure you leave early.  We left at 6:30 AM and I wouldn't leave any later.  It's a good hour and half drive from Bangkok.  I really really wanted photos like this.

Loved snapping some of the beautiful women selling fruit and other food from their boats.  They all caked on the sunscreen to protect from the brutal sun.

Yummy Thai spices

It's amazing what they can make on a boat.

Our boat driver did not speak English and kept stopping at souvenir stalls much to our dismay.  I tried to explain I wanted him to stop so I could get off and get photos from above.  Then when Samara needed to go to the bathroom (she drinks a gallon of water at a time so when she has to go she HAS to go) he wouldn't stop.  So she was screaming and Lizzie was screaming.

I drowned all the sound out with some manna from heaven, aka Mango sticky rice.  For a brief moment, I was at peace with the world.  And in my peaceful world, I also had a nice pedi!

The colors and the produce were gorgeous.

He drove out of the market and into the canals with homes.  At this point we just held Samara over the side of the boat so she could relieve herself.  She's had enough adventures to last a lifetime.

We stopped at a little temple.

This is where I needed to be to get the shots I wanted.  Oh well!

Bless this woman!  Look what she is selling

Be sure to check out the JJ or Chatuchak Market in Bangkok if you are there on the weekend.  It's incredible.  I've never seen anything like it.  The market has got to be the biggest in the world.  You can buy anything your heart desires.

Malaysia: Cameron Highlands

Since we had a nursling babe and couldn't get away alone for our 10th anniversary, we brought our little munchkins along for a terribly romantic getaway.  We found $24 (each-way) tickets to the capital of Malaysia--Kuala Lumpur.  So we planned a trip to visit KL and Cameron Highlands back in May.  They were both on our must-see list, so we took the chance to go, knowing there was a good chance we'd be moving. We are grateful for all our travels while living in Singapore.  We were able to see so many amazing places.  One lesson we've learned is that you have to be flexible.  We started the trip off on the wrong side of the bed.  We'd had a visitor the couple days before we left, which meant Lizzie was in our room and we'd hadn't slept the two nights before we left.

The excitement kept coming--our departure from Singapore was delayed, so we missed our mini-bus to Cameron Highlands.   We said "c'est la vie", grabbed some donuts for lunch, and hopped on a taxi saying "adieu" to our cheap trip.  The ride was LONG and really uncomfortable--the winding roads were threatening to bring our donuts back up.

 

 Cameron Highlands is stunning.  One of the prettiest places we've been.  It's apparently great golf courses first put it on the map for foreign visitors.  Locals flock here on the weekend to enjoy the cooler temperatures and to buy fresh produce.  The rolling hills are covered with manicured tea plantations.  Boh Tea plantation is the largest and is a "must-see."  You can take a tour, sample the products, and wander around in the plantation.

We went on a hike in the "mossy forest".

 This is a pitcher plant that holds a lot of water and is really important to the ecosystem.

 

We loved learning about the unique ecology in the mossy forest. This is a glue from a leaf.
Our guide's name was Satya.  Email is yelIowfoot87@yahoo.com. His number is 013-4399635.  He worked for TJ travel and tours but said he could do private.  We really thought he was great.  Knowledgeable about both history and ecology but entertaining and funny too.  Even Samara listened in and learned some thing while we were on the hike, which was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.  TJ travel company also has lodging.

 

Loved the school buses

 

One of the Highlands original agricultural exports is strawberries, and the locals have made every attempt to keep it a central theme.  They have huge strawberry parties where everyone dresses up in strawberry clothes.  The strawberries must have been a different species because the taste and texture was odd.  They weren't nearly as good as the strawberries in North Carolina.

There are several other attractions.  We also visited the insect kingdom.  Ben would say it wasn't worth the visit, but Samara loved it.

There are a three small towns.  We stayed in Tanah Rata.  The tourist were a different crowd than most places we've been.  It was full of backpackers and mainly Europeans.  You can get taxis in town to get around to the places that aren't on your tour and they were quite cheap.  The food was cheap and delicious!  We got a huge Indian spread including Mango Lassis for $12 SGD.  

 Taking the leaves away for tea production.

I think Cameron Valley Plantation (photos above) is the second biggest plantation and definitely worth a visit.  We would highly recommend a trip to Cameron Highlands to anyone.  Just be warned--the ride is long.  And you won't want to return to the muggy hot lowlands after visiting.