Hello to all of our devoted beloved blog followers. We are sorry to say that this will probably be the final blog in our exciting saga. Thank you all so much for following! We hope to do one more blog if possible, but if not, savour the words!
After our time spent in the south of Thailand, we hoofed it up to the north. We had a lot of fun with the transport, going an entire day and a night on different buses. We eventually made our way up to Chiang Mai, a beautiful metropolis that has many things to do. We did everything from a cooking course, (above) to a day of ziplining through the forest. (Below)
We did this very cool ziplining through a jungle in Northern Thailand, just outside of Chiang Mai. It was called FLIGHT OF THE GIBBON. You are supposed to see gibbons but we didn't see any.....but we have seen gibbons, just earlier on the trip in Khao Yai National Park. Anyway, we zipped through through the jungle, very high up...it was a little scary at first considering both Thomas and Michelle are slightly afraid of falling from high heights. But by the end we were flying though the jungle like gibbons!
above: Thomas "flying" through the trees....actually there were a few times that he alsmost ran into trees, but he's okay.
In Chiang Mai we enjoyed doing some shopping at the Sunday Walking Street Market and the Night Market. Thomas was a very good shopper to keep up with very energetic and enthusiastic shopper Michelle. Above Michelle is pictured walking the streets in Chiang Mai with her new patchwork backpack...that was one of her "special treasures" she found, isn't it great?!?!
While walking through the walking streets we were able to see many Wats on the way...and, delightfully, right across from one of the Wats was the newly opened chocolate shop.....Our first real chocolate in Thailand, and oh was it delicious!
mmmmmmmmmmmm.........
mmmmmmmmm.......
We had an Iced Chocolate Lattle....very refreshing on a hot day! An amazing Chocoalte Heart Cake....so rich and wonderful, and beautifully decorated! And a lovely chocolate Fondue....Fon-don't you think that sounds fantastic?!?!? and also complementary water...which was very nice as well.
After a few really fun days in Chiang Mai we headed off to Pai to do some trekking and explore that area. When we got there we were pleasantly supprised by how much we loved Pai. It was so relaxed, there weren't many other travellers because it was low season, and the people were so friendly. We spent a few days exploring the town and the beautiful surrounding area. If we had have had more time we would have loved to stay for longer, although it is a very small town there was so much adventuring to do in and around. In Pai we decided to do a two day one night trek. We had a great guide and it was a lot of fun.... and suprisingly Michelle actually enjoyed the constant hiking. We met a great girl named Lyn from the Phillipeans who is half french as well....she was a lot of fun, somebody we would definitely want to see again! Also on the trek were two Israelie girls....Lyn, Thomas, and Michelle had a good laugh over this...you would think that because all Isreali people have to spend two years in the army these girls would be like hard core GI Janes or something, but they were the most physically incompentant people....ever! It was ridiculous....they sign up for a TREK, and then they get mad at our exteremely nice and patient guide who carried their bags (Thomas also carried on of the bags, very sweet) beacsue they were angry and shocked that they had to walk so much! We tried so hard to be friendly to them and then they showed no warmth. And we visited some very friendly and interesting hill tribe villages and they weren't interested at all! We wondered why they were even on the trek....it must have been just to pose for pictures so they could say that they had gone on a trek or something. On the last day they just got motorcycle rides back into town...c
razy people! We're done ranting about them now...sorry.
Here (from left to right) Lyn, Michelle, Thomas....just in case you couldn't figure that out.
This picture was taking in a hut at one of the villages we vistited. It was a really great trek....and the Isreali girl were sort of like entertainment.
There was a lot of up-hill trekking, but at the top the view was well worth it (even the Isreali girls' complaining was worth it!).
These are "jungle berries" in Michelle's hand...we were happy to taste an almost familiar taste.....hmmmm.....sweet....with a few seeds inside...purple skin.... SASKATOON BERRIES!!!
but not quite as delicious. It made us excited to go home and hopefully have some Saskatoon's to pick!
Well, after Pai we headed back to Chiang Mai to do a bit more shopping in the evening and then take a night bus back to Bangkok where we head home from. As we were walking around in Chiang Mai we found one of those Japanese restauraunts where all the Sushi and stuff to make Shabu Shabu rotate around infromt of you while you sit at the bar thing....We were so excited we decided we had to try it, and it was very good!
This picture is supposed to capture Michelle trying to decide from the many things moving past her.
Anyway...we went to the bus station in Chiang Mai expecting to take an ordinary bus....but....we stumbled upon the most fantastic bus ever! The seats reclined all the way back, Thomas was happy because he could stretch his legs all the way out, there were lots of snack and drinks, and....the seats were MASSAGE SEATS!!! It was the best 10 hour bus ride ever! And there were no other foriegners on the bus, which was a bonus.
Back in Bangkok we did our last bit of urban exploring which mostly consisted of eating good food, window shopping at expensive stores, and going to movies in a huge and very luxurious theatre. That was fun. We stayed at the same guesthouse we stayed at for our first week in Thailand, Asha Guesthouse, and it was a great way to bring the trip full circle. We are very sad to be leaving Thailand, but are so happy for all the experiences we had and are excited to come home and have cheese, potatoes, and of course see our beloved family and friends.
We are now writing this from Vancover. We are back in Canada....it is certainly different than Thailand and it is almost strange to be back. But we love strange, so it is GREAT to be back. We have a 23 hour layover here in limbo between home and Thailand and are excited to arrive in home Saskatchewan!
See you all very soon.....
oh, and we might continue with the blog very not frequently after this trip....just because.
Much love and thanks for sharing this experience with us via the wonders of the internet,
T and M
This is HUA HIN. We said goodbye to our Thai mom late one night (the 21 of march) and she took us to a night bus that arrived in Bangkok...at four in the morning. We had no idea what to do at this time of day, so we decided to hop onto another bus and forego Bangkok completely. The nearest beach that looked appealing was Hua Hin, and so we went there. Thomas was here when he was very young, and it has changed a lot! We are enjoying it though, with beautiful green-blue waters and fine clean, white sand...oh and we must mention that ten minutes prior to writing this we spent the best ten dollars yet! We enjoyed a HAAGEN DAZS dining extraveganza! It was much better even than at home! The ice cream parlour was plush, and the sundae was accompanied by cloth napkins and ice water. We will not even mention the ice cream, you would salivate yourself to death. 
Here we are, driving from Nong Khai into Laos. We were both a bit apprehensive at leaving Thailand behind, but we started to like Laos upon arrival. We both felt that it was very similar to Isaan, but there were many subtle differences.
The exchange rate for one Laotian Kip is approximately 7000 for one Canadian dollar. That means that a hotel could cost as much as 100 000 Kip for a night. We withdrew Kip for the first time at an ATM and realized that we were millionares. We felt on top of the world! Then we had supper and realized that a million in Laos was not such a big deal. After just getting comfortable with using Thai Baht, we had a bit of trouble getting used to the Kip in Laos....we couldn't tell which bill was which and we had to do larger numbers in mental math to figure out how much we were spending. The shot above is of around 700 000 Kip, or one hundred dollars, and it was cool to think that we have one bill for that at home. 
Traditional homes in Laos were very similar to in Isaan. We snapped a random photo in the countryside for you to see this. Many of the houses that we saw were made of woven bamboo and some wood, this differed from Isaan where most houses are wood, concrete, or tin. You can also notice how dusty and dry everything is. We are in the middle of the appallingly hot season...it seemed to get even hotter in Laos. Also the reason for some of the blurriness in our Laos photos is not just the camera's fault. Many farmer's in Laos still use slash and burn farming methods, and the smoke that goes everywhere even begins to affct the locals.....we had itchy squinty eyes for much of the time we were there, Thomas even had to wear his glasses!
We all know that upon occaison, shopping can be fun. Thomas usually disagrees profusely with that statement, but in Laos he started looking for a specific item. It is known as a monk bag, and he had it in his mind that he needed a purple monk bag. Well, we found one eventually...and after much perusing of shops and searching in markets we found a purple purse. (We both fondly refer to it as Thomas' P.P.) Maybe in another blog a photo of it will come up!
We came across one Wat that was particularly amazing. It was very pretty and it offered Laos sauna and massage. The Wats are not as flashy as the one's in Thailand, but we thought they looked more elegant and simply beautiful. In this one, if you look very closely in the middle, you can see a group of apprentice monks sitting in a corridor talking perhaps, or maybe waiting for a lesson to begin. We learned that almost all men in Laos and Thailand become monks at some point in their lives, to learn about Buddism and to help there parents have a good next life. Some are monks for two weeks, others two years, and some for their whole lives. The ordained monks are teachers for the apprentice monks and people in the community. After a man's/boy's time in the monkhood they can then teach their peers the new things they have learned about Buddhism....there is always something new to be learned!
Another Wat in Laos. Very beautiful, we think. In some of our earlier blog posts there are pictures of some wats in Thailand. Look at the subtle differences between them. The wats in Laos looked a bit darker and richer....while the ones in Thailand were so sparkely and elaborate in decoration. 
Here is a picture of us kayaking along the Nam Khan river near Luang Prabang. In some places the water was so smooth, it was like glass. In other parts there were fun rapids where the water would splash up into the kayak getting you soaking wet. The scenery and life that we saw along the river was beautiful...many fruit trees, children playing, women washing clothes, and in one place some young people out for picnics with their friends. 
This is a picture of Michelle on a rickety bamboo bridge that we had to cross to get to our guesthouse in Vang Vieng. There is another bridge that you can cross, but it charges everybody (even the local people) about $3 to cross.....ridiculous! The bamboo bridges got really intersting when two bicycles have to get past eachother.
A picture that just does not do justice to the beautiful garden at our Maylyn Guesthouse in Vang Vieng. We were able to find a great guesthouse just outside of the town. Vang Vieng has breathtaking surroundings. With strange cliff/mountains, beautiful vegetaion, valleys and rivers. But in recent years has become quite a destination for many European party people and many other tourists/backpackers. It was strange to be around so many other tourists when we had not seen many at all before this, and also too bad that in the night there was loud music to take away from the sound of nature, so it was good that we found a guesthouse that was out of the way. The owner was very knowledgeable and he pointed us in some good directions for hikes, cycling, and cave adventures. We also met a whole bunch of really cool backpackers who we enjoyed hanging around with a lot.
You may be wondering what this picture is of.....it's difficult to get good pictures in caves! This is one of the many limestone caves that we adventured in around Vang Vieng. Some were so big and amazing, really. Walking through could get a little scary, even with a flashlight, because they always seemed to just go on forever with only blackness infront of you. In some places the caves were multi leveled or you would have to squeeze through a hole in the wall to get to the next part. 
We rented bicycles for a few days and that was really fun. We biked to a lot of caves and into surrounding villages....it is amazing how friendly the local people are and how they always like to talk to you, practicing their english a little bit. We usually ride our bikes, not just walk beside them, but this picutre was taken along a river and it was too rocky and bumpy to ride on, we tried! Also in this picture you will notice the cows. It is not unusual at all in Laos or Thailand to see cows walking across a street in town...their owners take them to different places to find good grass to eat. Actually, just after this picture was taken a cow almost ran into Michelle, this was prevented from happening because another cow got in it's way and saved Michelle's life.
Thomas walking along a beautiful path right below the tall and strange cliffs. This picture was taken right after climbing one of the cliffs and adventuring in a cave high up on a mountain. We had a beautiful view of the farmland and villages around the area, but the photo's didn't turn out...sorry. The little boy walking in front of him was our guide. We think that families can buy the caves or just assume the role of cave owners and won't let you into some of them without paying for a guide...it must be a pretty good business. The little boy in the shot was our guide, and his English was quite exceptional.
Enjoying a lovely yellow curry at the Organic Mulbery farm outside of Vang Vieng. The farm was a really great place. It's a guesthouse, restaurant, organic farm, and education centre for local people. They teach more sustainable farming methods to local farmers and help raise money for the local school. At the farm you can take a tour and see all of the things that they do, but the day we went it wasn't available, we just had to read about it. It seemed like a really great place, and a great asset to the local communtity. 
Refreshing Mulbery tea at the Organic Mulbery Farm. The Mulbery Pancake was also very dericion. We biked almost 10 kilometers from our guesthouse to get here, and the iced tea and shade was so perfect after biking in the oh-so-hot sun.
Tubing along the river is something that is sort of a must when you are in Vang Vieng. The first part of the river ride is lined with river bars with loud music. We stopped at one or two, because it is part of the fun (they have huge swings over the water and water slides...thomas did those, not michelle) and talked with some friends we had made. Some people just stayed at the bars all day and didn't finish going down the river, which we see as quite a loss for them. It was so beautiful. To float down took about three and a half hours with steady arm paddling and was so worth it. After going past the twenty or so bars we left the loud music and European G-strings behind and were able to enjoy the river on our own. The sun was setting behind the mountains and the world felt so big around us. It was really amazing. We found the development around the first part of the river quite sad, because it was so beautiful and didn't need that, but were torn by the fact that the development can actually be quite fun.
The sun behind the cliffs that surround Vang Vieng. You can't use words to describe it. We feel so blessed to be able to see and experience the beauty around us. The landscape was so strong, it left us both lost for words.
Thomas climbing a tall tree in Khao Yai. And no, it is not many trees, it is just one. The tree starts growing as just one trunk and then it's roots grow down, making it look like many trees....then when the inside roots die the tree is supported by it many other trunks and new ones continue to grow. Oh, and you might wonder what his big funny socks are, and why he is wearing such strange things....well they are big funny socks and the reason you wear them is so you can tuck your pants into them and then it protects your legs and such from the attack of ticks and leeches. We only found one after the day in the jungle, so we guess they work. 
We started our volunteering adventure, going from Bangkok to Chaiyaphum. This involved a five hour bus ride on a luxury tour bus, and cost about five dollars each. As we drove, it became apparent that we were entering into a very different part of Thailand than we had previously been in. Sugar cane fields replaced sky scrapers, and cars were replaced by cows. A subtle, but very apparent change to us was that English language was completely replaced by Thai. We were the only westerners, so a transition of situations was about to take place. It felt like Bangkok was made for western tourists, and it seemed like Isaan was made for Isaanites.* An interesting fact is that less than twenty percent of the population in Isaan speak any English at all. Maybe that is why they need English teachers?
When we arrived in Chiayaphum, we were met by Oom and her little brother. They help to get us oriented with Isaan culture and teaching English to Thai children. We did this with an American girl Nicole, who is also volunteering in the same area as us. This photo is of a festival that we went to in Chaiaphum celebrating the beauty of Isaan. 
This picture is an example of Isaan dancing. Aren't the women gorgeous? We found out after the performance that they were actually ladyboys...
This is the back entrance of her home. We live in a hut to the right of her house...and enjoy comforts such as insects, small mammals, fish in our shower water and a toilet that does not flush. Having said that, we love it and love the family that we are staying with...She is an eccentric woman who does things her own way, and staying with her is really fun!
Our Thai mom has two sons. One we rarely ever see, and he is sixteen. The other (seen above) is seventeen and is really great. He speaks almost no English, and is very nice. Our mom is not always around, and in her absence, Book the eldest son takes care of us. The photo above explains itself, other than the fact that Thomas is losing at the game by quite a large margin.
The children really love hearing stories in English, and we have found that as we teach them English words, they teach us Thai in return. This is in library or the school where we teach, and we were reading them Beauty and the Little Mermaid. (Thai translated stories that are made English again are often garbled, and stories are combined.) 
This is a view of our school. This is the flag raising ceremony that takes place every morning at eight-thirty a.m. We supervise it every morning when we get to school, after a thirty minute motorcycle ride! We are the only "staff" at school at this point, the rest show up a little bit later... things just move at a different pace, but we love it! Oh, and Thomas gets to ride a motorcycle every day, so he is happy.
