Thailand

I have been behind on posting blogs lately. We were in Thailand, then headed back to Michigan during the Japan disaster, then shortly after arriving back in Japan we had family visiting. It's been 3 non-stop busy weeks!

Overall, our trip to Thailand was great! It was a little stressful at times, since every time we turned on the T.V., news, or checked our email we were constantly seeing negative reports on Japan's nuclear disaster. But despite all of the stress, we really enjoyed the country of Thailand. The land, jungle, islands and beaches were gorgeous! The people were extremely friendly, the service was great, and the food was excellent.

The first few days we stayed at a resort called Our Jungle House in the Khao Sok rainforest. It was about a 2 hour drive from Phuket airport. The drive to the jungle was the scariest part of our trip. We walked out of the airport to see a random person holding a paper with "Schreurs" written on it. So we hopped into this person's car (who couldn't speak any English), drove through some rough towns and areas along the way, watched the sun go down and it get pitch black, wind through narrow streets through the mountains, and eventually ended up at our resort. If I didn't know that other foreigners have done this trip before, I would have been more nervous and thought that we might not make it to our destination.

It was very hot and humid, and the treehouse was pretty rustic: a hard mat/bed to sleep on, no air-conditioning, one light inside that was similar to the light of a candle, lots of bugs, and only cold rainwater to shower. We even had to sleep inside a mosquito net to keep the bugs out. But even though it wasn't the best accommodation, it was an unforgettable experience. It was neat to be in the jungle and actually sleep inside a treehouse.

our tree house

inside our tree house

There was only one bar/restaurant, but the food at the jungle house was the best that we had in Thailand. They had a variety of authentic Thai meals to choose from, including green curry, pad thai, stir-fries, and noodle dishes.

bar/restaurant

upstairs at the restaurant

We also had the opportunity to go on a 2-hour elephant trek through the jungle. The trip took us through streams, orchards, and the tropical jungle. At the end of the ride, I was even able to scoot down off of the seat and ride on the elephant's head. It was scary and not safe whatsoever, but very fun! I didn't realize how rough and hairy an elephants skin is.

elephant trekking

riding on his head!

After our rustic treehouse adventure, we headed back down to Phuket to stay in the luxury of a 5-star Marriott beach resort. It was quite the opposite experience of the jungle house! Our room was ginormous and beautiful, overlooking one of the many pools. There were also several restaurants to choose from throughout the resort, including a variety of international restaurants and buffets. We spent most of our days laying in the sun by the pool, walking the beach, getting beach side massages, and eating amazing food dishes.

sunset at the Marriott

One day we booked an all day tour to see James Bond Island and Phang-Nga Bay. Our first stop was at James Bond Island, where the filmed "James Bond: A Man With a Golden Gun." Next we headed to "Hong Island" and "Panak Island" where we were able to relax and explore the areas by canoe as the staff paddled us through the caves and mangroves. Lastly, we headed to "Pan Yee" the floating Sea Gypsy Village, to have lunch and shop.

James Bond Island

Phang-Nga Bay

going inside a cave a "Panak Island"

"Pan Yee" the floating Sea Gypsy Village

On our last day in Phuket, we took a Thai cooking class at the Marriott. We woke up early to explore the local market with our teacher, then headed back to the school to learn how to cook a variety of dishes. We learned how to make Phad Thai (stir fried Thai rice noodle with peanut), Gaeng Kheaw Wan (chicken green curry), and Som Tum (green papaya salad).

teacher explaining ingredients at the local market

cooking!

final product - delicious!

If I had one word to describe Thailand, I would use the word: GREEN! The jungle was green, the mountains were green, the trees & plants were green, some of the houses were green, the food/fruit/vegetables were green, the bugs & lizards were green, and even the ocean was a beautiful green color. It was amazing!

green tropical environment & river

green islands & ocean

green caves & water

green giant lizards, snakes, etc!

I have 2 Thailand albums on our shutterfly website, one for the Treehouse and one for Phuket. http://emilyandjoepictures.shutterfly.com/