Updates...

Let’s see, what has happened this past week? Tré has made another friend with a 10-year-old Thai boy. It looks as though his mom may become my first friend as well – very exciting! She, along with her Canadian husband (from Kamloops, BC!), owns a restaurant/bar down along the fishing stretch of Rawai Beach. They enjoy snorkeling and scuba diving, so we’re pretty excited about the possibilities of exploring with them. There is a pool table at their bar, and in Thailand the kids can hang out in the bars at all hours of the day/night. Needless to say, Tré is on his way to becoming quite the pool shark. :)

We’ve taken a couple of surfing lessons. We should be progressing off of the big training boards seen in the picture at our next lesson. Tré, being the snowboarder, is mastering it much more quickly than myself. Tré is interested in the small boards for doing tricks whereas I think I’ll prefer a longboard. We’ll see! For now, I’m encouraging him to start training for the local surfing competition this fall!

Tré has begun his PADI Open Water scuba diving class, and is thrilled! He’s been awaiting this day for years! After his first confined dive in the pool today and breathing underwater for the first time, he said, “That was the best experience of my life!” We will be diving in the ocean on Friday and Saturday at a small island (Racha Yai) off the coast of Phuket. I’ve always been a proponent of not discontinuing activities due to having children, however, scuba diving is the ONE and only thing that I have not done since I had Tré. I was able to bring him along on all of my other adventures, but diving was a difficult one, so I always figured I’d wait until we could do it together. Therefore, I’m just as anxious as he is to be diving!

Also noteworthy, at the age of 36, I finally got my first pedicure for a mere 100 baht (= $3 USD).

Outdoor Markets

There are these outdoor markets along the main streets. The location changes each day. When there is no market happening, the area looks like a rundown, undesirable spot. However, when it is market day, the place is full of vendors, smells, colors, sounds, etc. It’s incredible. These pictures are from a market spot just down the street from our house that they use on Sundays and Wednesdays. They definitely put the Bellingham Farmer’s Market to shame! You can find all types of fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, clothing (including underwear and bras!), terrific food ready to eat, toys, movies, just about anything!

Rainforest Hike

We visited the Khao Phra Thaew Royal Wildlife & Forest Reserve today. It is a rainforest on the northeastern part of the island. We hiked in the jungle to a couple of waterfalls. We were hoping to see some of the larger mammals that live in the park such as civets, loris, monkeys, etc. – but no luck. However, we did see some other cool critters. We saw a couple of horned tree lizards (they run standing up on their hind feet), a skink, a small viper (snake), termites (Tré got bit by two of them), crabs, crayfish, and birds. In the eastern side of the park, there is the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (GRP). About 30 years ago, humans hunted gibbons to extinction in the park. Gibbons were taken to be sold as pets or used as tourist attractions. The GRP works to rehabilitate and release gibbons back into the wild. You can check out their website at: http://www.gibbonproject.org/

Pics: 2, 5, 16, 22, 40, 42

Wat Chalong – Buddhist Temple

We visited our first “wat” or Buddhist temple today. Wat Chalong is near our house, and it is Phuket’s most important Buddhist temple. It is the biggest and most ornate of Phuket’s 29 Buddhist temples. The architecture is typical of wats found throughout Thailand. Wat Chalong was most likely established in the early or mid-1800’s, but has been relocated, renovated, and expanded since that time.

We still have much to learn about Buddhism, but we learned a few basics today such as you must remove your shoes before entering many of the buildings, and that it is inappropriate to wear clothing that reveals shoulders, chest, belly, or legs.

At one point, we were startled by loud firecrackers. There was a large beehive-shaped “oven” near the sermon hall. Visitors could buy strings of Chinese firecrackers, and ignite them in the “oven.” Apparently, the purpose is to show gratitude for prayers that have been answered, or to have their fortune told.

We are looking forward to visiting Wat Chalong again and continuing to learn more!

Making New Friends

Before leaving Bellingham, a few of our friends asked Tré what he was most excited about and his response was, “scuba diving.” They also asked him what he was most anxious about, and he replied, “making new friends.” At that, most of us laughed knowing Tré’s personality, and joked that it would take him five minutes to make a new friend.

Well, it took him a little more than 5 minutes, but still not very long. Within 24 hours of our arrival to Thailand, Tré had met a 12-year-old boy in the neighborhood. They have spent many hours together already, and have even done a sleepover.

Of course, he is still missing his Bellingham friends though! We have both been spending a good amount of time emailing friends and chatting online, so email us when you have time. The Internet certainly makes it feel like we aren’t on the other side of the globe.

We’re ready for guests!

Come enjoy the turquoise blue waters and lush green tropical vegetation of Thailand! Your accommodations include a king-size bed, full kitchen, and bath. One block away, you will have access to a lovely swimming pool and workout room. In the area, there is world-class snorkeling and diving, rock climbing, windsurfing, temples, and more. You can increase your vitamin D production, eat tons of excellent Thai food and tropical fruit, play at beautiful tropical beaches, experience Thai culture, and spend time with us!!!

Tourism ad aside, we have a great place! It is a 2-bedroom house in a really quiet neighborhood that is a mix of Thais and expats. The tropical vegetation is beautiful, and there is a natural chorus outside every evening. There are very few mosquitos, however, we do have a few resident geckos (they eat the bugs). We are about 1km from the main part of Rawai. There is an excellent market near our house every Wednesday and Sunday. We have easy access to numerous beaches all over the island, and it is easy to get boat transportation out to small islands off the coast. Endless things to explore. We promise to be great hosts and tour guides!

PHOTOS: 1. Our block - our house is the 2nd on the right 2. Living room 3. Kitchen 4. My bedroom 5. Wardrobe in bedrooms 6. Tre's bedroom 7. one of two bathrooms 8. Swimming pool and recreation facility

Basics on Life in Thailand So Far...

Many of you have asked some good questions, so here are some basics.

WEATHER: Knowingly, we have arrived during the summer monsoon season. There was a lot of rain the first two days, and then it has been pretty nice the past couple of days. The temperature has been around 78-85 ºF with a little humidity since it’s been rainy. It’s been pretty pleasant – a good transition from Bellingham weather. Warm enough to spend all day in shorts and tank top, but not so hot that we’re melting.

BEACHES/WATER: We have explored a couple of our closest beaches. The closest one (Rawai) is about 1km from our house, and is a working beach where the fishermen moor their long-tail boats. There are dozens of food stands/restaurants all along this stretch. The next nearest beach (Nai Harn) is about 3-5km away, and is a beautiful sandy beach for swimming. Right now, during the summer monsoons, it is good for surfing and boogie boarding. In the winter, it will be better for snorkeling, windsurfing, and swimming. We played in the waves and did a little boogie boarding. The water temperature was comfortably warm, yet refreshing. We’re looking forward to doing some surfing and snorkeling within the week.

FOOD: I've heard, "the cheaper, the better" when it comes to Thai food. This has held true for us so far - the best meal we had cost us $3 for the two of us. The roads are lined with food stands and restaurants. You can pull over anywhere and grab a quick meal that is prepared from fresh ingredients right in front of you. This Thai version of “fast food” is healthy and delicious! (There haven’t been anymore “surprises” recently either!) We went to a wonderful market right by our house this afternoon that had tons of fresh produce, incredible food stands, etc. It was amazing!

TRANSPORTATION: The locals on their motorscooters are entertaining! They fit 3-5 people on a scooter often with toddlers and dogs as well. Unfortunately, most of them rarely have on helmets. Many scooters have these great utility-style sidecars for hauling equipment, people, etc. As for driving, there seem to be some general guidelines, but it is pretty much anything goes (especially for the motorbikes) with no speed limits. I find the driving to be a fun challenge! We are tempted to get a motorbike with sidecar…

HOUSING: I’ll get some pictures tomorrow, and give more details in my next entry.

The photos above are: 1. Rawai beach with long-tail boats 2. Food stand along Rawai Beach 3. Motorbikes on road in Rawai 4. Nai Harn Beach 4-5km away 5. Family on motorbike with sidecar

Thai Food

When it comes to food, many of you know that I am not particularly fond of meat. Basically, it grosses me out and I am pretty squeamish, particularly if there are bones or anything else resembling an animal such as eyes, antennae, etc. On the other hand, Tré is a total carnivore. He has hopes of hunting a wild boar and making his own bacon while here in Thailand. We’re on complete opposite ends of the spectrum!

So, with this in mind, our first two eating experiences in Thailand were pretty comical. At breakfast, a small octopus with all legs and tentacles intact emerged in my tofu rice dish. At lunch, the toe of a chicken with the toenail still attached surfaced in my soup. Tré thought it was pretty hilarious that these things kept appearing in my dishes and not his! Why me??? I had recently mentioned to a few friends that I was trying to mentally prepare myself for having to eat more meat in Thailand… chicken toes were not what I had in mind though… I’m sure this is just the beginning! Other than these little "surprises," we are loving the food!

Many of you asked how much luggage we were bringing. Here it is. It was an amazing process going from a house full of stuff to just this!