Skytrain to Paragon

We have had alot of fun in Bangkok while waiting for Ryan's kidney stone to pass (and I am happy to report that the stone has passed as confirmed by the follow up doctor's appointment today). We love hoping on the skytrain and heading to Siam Paragon because there is so much to do there and we've had some interesting experiences.

Siam Paragon is only two stops away on the skytrain so it doesn't take to long to get there but the train is usually very crowded to the point where we are barely getting all our appendages into the car before the doors close and we're whisked away.

The mall is attached to a few other malls which makes it seem like you could walk through area after area for days, eating and shopping to your hearts content without ever going outside. We've gotten lost more than once during our wandering. Most of the stores located there are definitly out of a meer mortal's price range and include Chanel, Gucci, Hermes, Jimmy Choo... The jewellery store section is amazing and we also really enjoyed window shopping at the Lotus and Maserati dealerships.

In the basement is the largest aquarium center in southeast Asia, and I've heard that it's also the largest in the southern hemisphere. It was a little expensive to get in but included in the admission price was a glass bottom boat ride, a ticket to the 4D show and the cutest mini photo of us with a sea scape green screened in behind us. There were animals there that we've never seen before anywhere including water rats (really cute) and a whole section on unclassified fish from the deep ocean that were incased in creepy red colored globes.

Last night we headed back to go see what a Thai movie experience would be like. We were hoping to go see Transformers in IMAX but due to a scheduling error we ended up seeing Inglourious Basterds instead. Neither the theatre nor the movie dissapointed. The seats were huge, comfy and reclined nicely. There was assigned seating and you have to pay more depending on where in the theatre you want to sit.

A couple very interesting events happened on the same night as our movie outing. We were outside of the mall just after eating dinner, but before the movie, when we were escorted down the sidewalk away from the road by an official security military type. Then we noticed that the traffic was all blocked and no one was being allowed to go anywhere near the road. Soon after we saw the largest military motorcade we've ever seen. A line of very nice BMW's with flashing lights came down the road and stopped at one of the entrances to the mall. From the way the Thai's in the area were behaving (removing their hats and not minding the delay) we figured out that this must be the royal Thai family. We got a small peak in the back of one of the cars but it was fairly tinted. Our suspicions were confirmed when we went back into the mall to find an area closed off from onlookers with a sign saying there was a royal function in progress. We tried to get a better view but loitering was not being looked kindly upon so we headed up to our movie.

After the movie we had another run in with celebrities. The movie let out so late that the mall was closed. We tried to head to the escalators to leave but were bombarded with a large group of teenage Thai fangirls coming straight at us. They had surrounded the South Korean boy band, Xing and were following them around in quite the pack. During the rush to the elevators that ensued I was almost stampeded and crushed into a sign trying to get out of their way! Ryan bumped into one of the boy band members and I don't think he will ever wash that shoulder again (kidding!).

For more photos of Thailand click here...

Thailand Rocks!

The problem started a little over a month ago while we were on the train to Hanoi in Vietnam. Ryan woke up with severe cramping in his back but since the bunks on the train aren't all that comfortable he thought that he had slept funny and that the pain would go away. Unfortunately by the time we got to our hotel the pain had only grown more intense. The worst part was that since we had arrived so early in the morning (4am) our hotel room wasn't even ready yet so Ryan had to hang out in the lobby and wander the streets of Hanoi while enduring really bad kidney cramps.

Ryan has had kidney stones before and it wasn't long before he determined that he was having the same pain as last time. When we went to the doctor in Canada they just gave him pain killers and sent him home to pass the stones by himself. We figured since we knew what it was that we would try to just let them pass and not worry about going to the doctor. The idea of going to the hospital in Vietnam was not very appealing anyway.

Fast forward to a week ago when we were in Chiang Rai. The pain still had not gone away. There were good days and bad days but the bad days were becoming the more frequent of the two. One day the pain became unbearable and we decided that a trip to the hospital was in order. We knew that there was one close by as we had passed it many times on our way to the night market on our bicycles. Unfortunately none of the English speaking staff was on hand at the hotel at the time of our emergency but they knew the word 'hospital'. The hotel that we were staying at was a ways out of town and no tuk tuks ever came down that far so the staff grabbed their scooters and we hopped on the back for the trip.

We raced down the road and made it to the hospital but when we entered the emergency room the nurse told us that there were no doctors there at the moment, they were all in a meeting and that we should go to the main hospital further into town. No problem, we all got back on the scooters and raced away again.

At the main Chiang Rai hospital, Ryan was immediately put on a stretcher and taken into the emergency. We became instant celebrities due to being the only foreigners in the place at the time. Ryan was poked and prodded in some very unpleasant places (I won't go into detail), sent for an x-ray and saw a specialist. The staff from our hotel waited patiently with us the entire time and helped guide us to the different departments that Ryan required. One of them even took his urine sample to the lab for us! We left the hospital with Ryan feeling slightly better and some medication to take but his pain soon returned as bad as it was before.

Our flight to Bangkok was the next day so we made the decision to get to the hospital here as soon as possible once we arrived so that these kidney stones could be taken care of once and for all. Luckily for us our hotel is right across the street from Bumrungrad International, the largest private hospital in south-east Asia. After speaking to the doctor in emergency and having an ultrasound done it was decided that Ryan should stay overnight so that they could keep him hydrated with IV fluids. I ran back to the hotel to pack him an overnight bag and call our travel insurance company while Ryan picked his room (you get a choice from 4 bed shared room all the way through to a royal suite, we went with a 2 bed room) and settled in.

The hospital was absolutely amazing. It felt more like a 5 star hotel than a medical facility and Ryan received amazing treatment the entire time he was there. The specialist came and saw him the day after he was admitted and set up a follow up appointment with us. He was discharged with a gift bag of medications and told that if he has any pain or complications to come back as soon as possible. Since then he has been keeping himself as hydrated as possible, staying away from cola beverages and waiting for the stone (which Ryan has named Scrapie) to pass. He has felt better in the last few days than he has in a long time and now all we can do is wait.

Night out with Family

After a couple amazing dinners at our hotel our hosts decided to take us out in the family station wagon for a night on the town. The whole family piled into the car with us in the back seat and we headed to a roadside vendor/restaurant to have an amazing meal. The owner and father of the family ordered for us and while we sat down to eat we tried to overcome our language barrier as much as possible and chat. When we tried to pay for dinner he insisted that it was his treat. Our night did not stop there.

We left the restaurant and strolled down the street a little ways until we came to a dessert place where we ate yummy little snacks made from taro and egg. Then we walked to the amazingly beautiful clock tower and while we waited for the show to start, the owner and his wife bought us warm soy milk which was very tasty.

We had no idea that there was a clock tower like this in the middle of town. At 8 and 9pm every night there is a light and music show that is spectacular. We sipped our warm milk and enjoyed the show. Afterwards we were dropped off at the night market and told just to give them a call whenever we were ready and they would come pick us up. It was an amazing night and we really felt like part of the family.

The next day I got a little over ambitious and decided that we should bike all the way to the hot springs which are about 25km away. I figured that it would be a long way and that we would be tired by the time that we got there but I hadn't counted on all the hills. After we made it about 15km I was totally pooped out. I knew that even if I made it all the way there that there would be no guarantee that I would ever be able to pedal back. As soon as we made the decision to turn back it started raining. At first it was a lovely little drizzle but soon it was a downpour and we needed to find some shelter before becoming completely soaked. There was a little bike/small engine repair shack on the side of the road so we pulled in and the owner did not mind us hanging out under his roof for a while until the rain died down. Unfortunately after the rain the roads were really wet and by the time we got back to the hotel we had strips of water and gunk up our backsides and of course I had a white shirt on.

We are getting very comfortable riding around town on the bikes. We can make it to the night market and back no problem, we just avoid making right hand turns as much as possible. Traffic is usually light and they are so used to having bikes and scooters on the road here. We've also biked to the Hilltribe Museum in town which is a small but very informative place which has displays on farming techniques, costumes, traditions and the history of the opium trade. After going to the museum we've decided against going on a hilltribe tour because it seems to do more harm then good to their culture and way of life.

More photos of Chiang Rai...

Step Over Chicken Noodle

After talking to a couple people about bus tickets to Chiang Rai (including a really nice man who drew us a map of northern Thailand) we found out that the easiest and cheapest way to book seats was to head to the station the day we were leaving. Buses leave Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai every half hour and for a VIP a/c bus it only cost about 6 bucks each.

The bus ride was very smooth and went through gorgeous forested areas on a windy, hilly road. We arrived in Chiang Rai and since we booked our tickets that morning we were not able to arrange pick up with our hotel. No worries though, we had the phone number written down and our tuk tuk driver called and got directions.

The hotel is a little ways out of town but very close to the Chiang Rai beach on the banks of the Kok river. Our hosts at the Baan Nattawadee resort are charming and wonderful. As soon as we got out of the tuk tuk they offered us a welcome coffee and some dried bananas (which were very yummy). They showed us to our room which is spectacular and the grounds of the entire hotel are lush and full of flowers.

After getting settled in and relaxing for a little while we hopped on the bikes that are provided to us by the hotel and headed out to find a store which the hotel owner told us was about 2km away. We found it no problem and grabbed some snacks before heading back to have dinner.

Our first dinner at the hotel was an amazing experience. We weren't sure what to expect because there are no menus however we were in for a treat. Ryan went to ask how we go about ordering food and he was then invited into the kitchen. He came out to grab me to go in too and then we watched and learned how to make our own dinner. Ryan was given the job to chop up the chicken. He started chopping but apparently it was not quite right because the owner (who was cooking) grabbed the knife from Ryan and said "Farang chop (shakes his head), I chop". The entire time we were in the kitchen helping the staff would pop their heads in and giggle at us. The food was amazing and it wouldn't be the first time at this hotel that we will be amazed at the food.

The next morning we got up late and went out to see if there was any breakfast still available. There was coffee and toast so we figured that would do. As we snacked on our toast the staff came to our table with some tasty little cakes. We thought that was quite a bonus and a wonderful addition to our toast and coffee. Little did we know that they were preparing an entire Thai breakfast for us that arrived shortly after the cakes. We ate until we were totally stuffed and then there came - mango! Well, as we've said there is always room for mango so we finished that off as well.

The owner of the hotel supplied us with a map of the area and pointed out some sights to see. We hopped on the bikes and headed into town to get some errands done before going to the Rai Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park. We rode up to the gates and paid our admission. The lady at the counter told us that we could take our bikes around the whole park. We rode around for a couple hours looking at all the amazing flowers and picturesque scenery. The museum that is on site was a definite highlight. It was a large teak building filled with items that had been collected from temples around northern Thailand. It was wonderful and we pretty much had the entire place to ourselves.

We pedaled back to the hotel and were treated to another amazing dinner experience. The soup that they served was way too spicy for me. It was very tasty but it was making my eyes water, nose run and eventually I had to give up on it. Lucky for Ryan though, he can handle spicy way better that I can but it still packed a punch for him too. The owner told us that Thai people have this soup when they are stuffed up or have a cold because it really clears out the sinuses. Step over chicken noodle soup!

More photos of Chiang Rai...

No, not big bird!

There is a saying that you don't know what you've got till it's gone. Well I would like to add that sometimes you don't know what you were missing until you get it back. That is how we feel about coming back to Thailand. There is a friendly relaxed vibe here that we felt as soon as we landed back in this paradise.

Our day of travel to Thailand started with a taxi to the Hanoi airport which is about 45 minutes out of town. Once we arrived we had some time to kill so we ordered some breakfast from the airport cafe. Well I ordered breakfast, Ryan tried to calm his apprehension of flying by ordering a coffee with baileys which turned out to be more like a baileys with coffee or possibly just some warmed up baileys. It was strong!

The flight to Bangkok went well, as did our entry through customs. Our next flight to Chiang Mai was delayed by an hour but our hotel pickup was still waiting for us when we got to the airport. As soon as we walked into the Aitsawarisa Hotel we knew that it would be difficult to leave. We were greeted with a welcome drink while we checked in and then brought up to our amazing room with the most stunning hotel bathroom we've had so far on our trip (I know, an odd thing to get excited about). The pool at the hotel is quite spectacular and is also environmentally friendly. It is a salt water pool that is heated by the waste energy from the air conditioning. We headed down for a dip as soon as we'd gotten settled in our room because it had been a little while since we've had the luxury of a pool.

Our first adventure out had to be the Chiang Mai Zoo and Aquarium. Neither of us knew what to expect but it turned out to be the nicest zoo facility that we have been to on our trip so far. The area that the zoo is located on is gigantic so there is a monorail and a tram to take you around the park. We figured that we hadn't done enough walking lately and decided to hoof it. There was so much to see in this lush and hilly zoo including elephants, lions, penguins, and many different species of gibbons and monkeys. Ryan had the pleasure of feeding one of the elephants some bananas and sugercane and then we both had our picture taken with it. The walk-in aviary was also very well done. After walking for a few hours and many kilometers it was time to head back to the hotel for some dinner.

On the way to the zoo we took a tuk-tuk but on the way back we used a songthaew (Thai for two benches) which is a pick up truck with benches in the back that drive around town. You hail them from the side of the road and then ask them if they are heading where you need to go. If so, you hop in the back and then when you are nearing your destination you hit the button that is on the roof and he will pull over and let you out. It's the Chiang Mai version of the bus.

Our second adventure was a gastronomical one which we could have easily done without. There is a restaurant a couple blocks away called The Big Bird Kitchen. They serve nothing but turkey and ostrich dishes. Since neither of us have ever tried ostrich we figured why not, can't be that bad right? Probably tastes like chicken right? Nope! Ryan had the big bird taco and I had ostrich curry and they were both really bad. Ah well, never try, never learn.

For more photos of Chiang Mai click here...

Bamboo for Two

It never ceases to amaze me that when you start looking for something you need, it always seems more difficult to find than the day before, when it was everywhere. This is exactly what happened to us when we tried to find a tattoo tout that we had met on the beach when we first arrived. Every other day that we went to the beach we stumbled upon him again (or rather he wandered up to us on our beach chairs). Since we couldn't find "James Bond" (the tattoo tout) we decided to try to find Patong tattoo, which according to the reviews on the internet was the most reputable place for bamboo tattoos in the area. Again, we were out of luck as the streets and addresses here are remarkably confusing. We found the sign for it once, but it was no where near the actual tattoo parlor.

We ended up asking another tattoo tout that was working the beach if she knew who James was and where we could find him. It turns out that he was sick, but she and her partner would be able to take us to the same tattoo parlor that James worked for. We figured that we had tried looking around enough, lets go for it. The tout and his partner went to go get their scooters so that they could take us to the parlor which was on the other end of the beach. It was our first scooter ride in Thailand and although we were a little nervous about hoping on the back, our fears turned out to be unfounded and it was an awesome ride.

As we zoomed down the road, passing parlor after parlor (getting a tattoo seems to be a very popular thing to do while on vacation here) we pulled up to none other than Patong tattoo, the place that we had been hunting for! We met Mit and Wat, the owners and tattooists and Ryan took a look at some of their work and designs. They had the exact tattoo that Ryan had been looking for, khmer script that is used for protection. Since they had the time and Ryan had the nerve, he decided to get it done right away. Ryan was definitely nervous, it had been more than 10 years since his last tattoo and that was done with a gun. He had no idea what this experience had in store for him. The spot that he picked for his new work was the inside of his bicep which is a very tender area. Prior to getting the tattoo, Ryan watched them prepare the brand new needle and the bamboo method was a more elaborate set up than he anticipated. The tattoo turned out very well and unlike gun tattoos there was no bleeding and he would be able to go into the water after only a few hours.

After a couple days, Ryan decided that one of the other tattoo designs that he looked at while deciding on the first one caught his attention heavily because it was a design that he had seem previously to coming to Thailand but never thought he would be able to get. We decided to go back to Patong tattoo to see what we could work out with Mit and Wat. The deal was pass up and they even offered a trip to a temple to get both new tattoos blessed by a monk to receive the protection that the tattoos truly stand for. The second tattoo went as well as the first although it took about twice as long to do. This one was also in a rather awkward and ticklish spot, on the side of his torso. Once it was complete, Ryan made arrangements to come back in a couple hours to travel to the temple.

The monk that he encountered once he arrived greeted him happily and Ryan was prompted to remove his shirt to show him the tattoos that he had received. The monk, who was himself covered in similar tattoos all over his body including the ones Ryan had, invited Ryan into the temple which was covered in amazing statues and imagery. Ryan was instructed to sit, legs crossed, looking out of the temple. The monk then started lighting candles and incense and gathering items he would need. He then smothered the tattoo in rosewater, started patting the tattoo, chanting and blowing against the it after he finished different sections of the chant. Once this was done, he read through the tattoos all the while holding a lit candle. After reading through it he put out the candle by flicking the candle towards the tattoo, dowsing the flame and sending the wax towards the tattoo. This was repeated for both tattoos. It was an intense moment and the hair on the back of Ryan's neck was standing up at the end of the blessing.

Island Bouncing

The morning we went on our first tour started off suspiciously stormy and rainy which is not the type of weather that you are hoping for before hoping on a boat out into the ocean. The minibus that brought us to our departure point could only be described as a land Cessna and the other occupants of the van, mostly German, seemed to share the same apprehension. Once we got to Chalong bay to board our boat, we discovered it was a large tour group - about 57 people. The tour boat itself was a four engine, open bow speedboat which was quite reassuring considering the choppy seas.

Our guide Yousee gave us the option of taking a motion sickness pill before we got on the boat as he explained to us that normally the ride to our first destination, Phi Phi Ley, takes about 45 minutes but due to the rough conditions it was going to take us 1 hour. We arrived at Maya bay on Phi Phi Ley, the location that part of the movie "The Beach" was filmed on, after a bumpy ride that saw a few people using the barf bags that were given to us. Maya bay was gorgeous, but overcrowded. It probably would have felt far less crowded if it had not been high tide.

Next stop was Pileh cove for a little snorkeling. It was incredible and the crystal clear water was teeming with life. The experience was short as we only had 30 minutes before we got back on the boat and headed to our next sightseeing destination, Viking cave. This cave is where they harvest the swallow nests, made from their saliva, that is used in bird's nest soup. This delicacy is popular in Asia for health and vigor. Up next, Monkey beach, but at the time there was a distinct lack of beach due to the high tide. The monkeys were still happy to receive the bananas that were thrown at them while they were in the trees and hanging on the side of the cliff face.

It was a good thing that our next destination was lunch on the island of Phi Phi Don. Honestly I wasn't expecting that much because how good free lunch on a tour possibly be. Surprisingly it was a very tasty Thai lunch that had a hint of western thrown in with a spagetti and meat sauce option. We had a little time to wander the island after lunch and met a cute kitty that was very friendly and used Ryan's shadow for shade.

We then headed off for our last stop of the tour, tiny Khai island. This island was so small that you could have walked around the entire thing in 10 minutes. We sat down in a couple chairs facing the beach and relaxed for a minute before putting on our snorkels and heading into the water. It was shallow and sandy making it difficult to see more than a couple feet in front of us but there were schools of brightly colored fish that swam inches in front of our faces. After our excursion into the water we headed back to our chairs and enjoyed a yummy mai tai served in a pineapple. The weather had cleared up long ago so the boat ride back was much less bumpy. We ended the day tired but thoroughly happy with our first tour experience.

Dinner at the Poo

We have gotten into the tasty, yet cheap, habit of going to the supermarket for breakfast (and sometimes lunch or dinner too). But a couple of days ago we wandered past the Poo restaurant and we knew that we would have to eat there. It turned out to be an excellent choice as the food was great and the staff, a wonderful Thai family, were fun and welcoming hosts. We had the chicken in sweet and sour sauce, deep fried prawns and fried rice. It was so good that we ended up going back the next night for some Thai curry, barbecued prawns and more fried rice.

I have also now experienced the wonder and relaxation that is the oil massage. My lower back was hurting me a little bit from all the walking we have been doing so I figured I would treat myself and I was not disappointed. It was an hour long full body massage, it was very effective and my masseuse had very strong hands. Ryan waited outside while I was relaxing and had a very interesting conversation with an Australian and two Thai masseuses.

On Earth Day one of the local scuba shops organized a beach clean up. It is the time of year when the winds shift here so there was piles of plastic and other junk washed up all over the beach. Unfortunately, other than the scuba staff there was only three other people that showed up to help. We filled many garbage bags with every kind of garbage you could imagine, from toothbrushes and candy wrappers to pieces of rope and condoms (eww!).

On the way back to our hotel we were stopped by a Thai guy named Jarlie (nickname Jar) who had scratch tickets for us which were a promotion from a time share company. Ryan scratched his and got three stars which meant he won the "big prize". Jar was very excited because this meant that he would receive 5000 baht if we went to the presentation. We had nothing better to do for the afternoon so we decided to follow him to his office. It was well worth the trip as some amusing events occurred. We got to teach our new friend Jar the word "cool". We also got our first Tuk Tuk ride (for free) and since the presentation was at a nearby beach called Kata, we got a free tour of the island as we were taken to and from the office. On the way we saw some elephants, including a cute little baby one. The time share presentation was what you would expect, and our sales man claimed to be not only a butler for the Queen but also was previously employed by Aaron Spelling (hahaha). Needless to say we did not buy in, but I now have a new really large shirt to sleep in that has Premier Holiday Club Phuket on it. All and all it was an amusing experience and a great day.

Why did the monkey cross the road?

Ahh, the beach. After our brief stay in Bangkok we've come out to Patong, our island paradise. We were picked up at the airport by the hotel and I felt like a celebrity, it's the first time I've ever seen my name on a little sign when we walked out of the terminal. The drive to the hotel took about an hour and we were initially struck by the lushness of the countryside.

Once we arrived we settled in and then decided to head down to the beach. It is about a 10 minute walk down to Patong beach, so our gorgeous little hotel is nicely away from the hustle and bustle. After eating dinner we strolled down the beach in our bare feet and watched the sunset.

The next day we were up very early and had breakfast down by the beach. We grabbed some beach chairs and chilled out for the rest of the morning under our umbrella. Ryan made fast friends with the cutest little puppy that sat on his lap for a little bit while his owner watched and giggled. Unfortunately, we were not that careful with our sun exposure and ended up very burnt after day one on the beach. Due to our burnt state we decided to splurge on a yummy dinner and headed out for Indian food which was excellent. On the way back to the hotel a cute little monkey darted across the road which caused onlookers to gasp and scream. Luckily, the monkey picked a great time to cross and launched into his owners arms on the other side of the road.

Project burn recuperation day started off with a walk into town where we found the mall (air conditioned and wonderful for staying out of the sun). We got lunch at the supermarket and did a little light shopping. Day 2 of burn recovery was similar to day 1 due to our injuries. We tried some interesting new food (squid with tentacles) and headed back to the room before the rain started. There was a small posse of kids playing in the pool at the hotel when we arrived back. They greeted us with huge hellos and didn't mind staying in the pool as the rain poured down.

Epic Water Fight!

Although there has been political unrest throughout Bangkok for the last few days, the only fights that we've been involved with are the Songkran Festival water fights. You have to stay on guard while walking around the neighborhood that our hotel is in because you are likely to get a bucket of water dumped on you very quickly. After you are sufficiently drenched, the bottles of baby powder and talcum powder come out and your face is coated in white powder. On a hot day such as it's been the last few days, the water is a welcome sight. They sure know how to cool off during the hottest month of the year. Everyone is in on the action, from the little shy Thai kids to the older folk that love to soak a foreigner.

On day 2 of the festival we decided to head out to the Grand Palace. Calling it grand is a distinct understatement. We were left completely speechless as we entered the grounds and took in the sights around us. Our first stop was the Wat that contains the Emerald Buddha. We took our shoes off and entered and we were instantly overwhelmed by the beauty and significance. Afterwards we checked out the Museum which houses the 2 changes of clothes that the Emerald Buddha has for the other seasons as well as coins, swords and jewellery that have been used by the royal family. The intricacy and splendor of the designs were unlike anything that we have every seen before.

After a quick bite to eat we took a walk and ended up at the Wat containing the Reclining Buddha. The best word to describe this Buddha is huge! It is impossible to get the entire statue in a photo as it is just too big. The feet are inlaid with a beautiful mother of pearl pattern.

Getting a taxi to get back to the hotel proved more difficult than catching a ride on the way there. Many of the cabbies refused to turn on the meter citing the festival as a reason to try to get more money out of us. We decided to walk a little ways away from the main palace grounds and eventually found a older Thai cabbie that actually agreed to turn the meter on, so off we went back to the hotel and blessed air conditioning.

Soi Cowboy!

After an uneventful and long flight from Vancouver, we arrived in Thailand early on Saturday morning. Our room here at the hotel did not disappoint us when we finally got here at about 2 am. We crashed pretty hard and when we woke up we enjoyed our free breakfast buffet before heading up to the roof to check out the roof top current pools and fitness room. We knew it was time to head back down to our room when we heard the thunder crack overhead. The rain started soon afterwards and it was intense. We waited until it had started to diminish and then headed out to check out the neighborhood that we are in. A snack of sticky rice and black bean cooked in a banana leaf refueled us a little, but we still ended up napping when we got back to our room. It seems that the 13 hour time difference is a little tricky to get used to.

After the nap we decided to go for another little walk around and discovered a mini red light district a couple blocks away from the hotel called Soi Cowboy. Neon signs and bars cover the whole strip, with bars offering services that require signs such as "We have 20 gorgeous girls, some ugly ones and some fat ones too" and "We have more ladies that you can handle".

On the way back up to our room we talked with our amazingly friendly concierge and he arranged for us to get a ride out to the floating market the next day. We tried to get some sleep to prepare for our early morning trip but we (especially Ryan) were unsuccessful and didn't get as much shut eye as we would have liked.

We were both awake before our wake up call came and got ready to leave early as it is a 1.5 hour car ride out to the floating market. Once we arrived we hopped onto a long tail boat and headed out to see what the market had to offer. Since this is generally a tourist market it was mostly souvenirs, spices, Buddha statues and other little trinkets. The salespeople were a little pushy but friendly and I love the way they would grab the boat with a long hook on a pole and drag you over to their stall. We ended up getting a couple little items and learned to barter in the process. It was scorching hot so we bought our boat driver a pop while we chugged our water.

About half way into the ride we pulled over to a beautiful little wat and got out to take a look around. It was stunning! It was surrounded by bells that you bang with little wooden sticks that they leave in buckets for that purpose. I couldn't resist and had to make some noise myself.

On the way up to the wat we noticed the water thrashing around. We realized then that the water was teeming with large silver fish. Our driver grabbed us a bag of fish food and we fed the fish from the boat and then from the dock at the wat. Quite an experience. Then it was back to the hotel to grab some rays at the roof top pool and find ourselves some dinner. Tomorrow the new year's (Songkran) festivities start, although it seems like the water fight had already started by the time we returned to Bangkok. Time to get prepared with our water guns.