Mustache Summer - Vote for ME!

So, fabulous Emily of C-Trip joined us in Thailand with a stash of orange mustaches so that we can take part in her company's contest to win 20,000 RMB worth of prizes. See my photo on the first page and click on "Vote" so that I can make it to the final round and eventually make my way to China :)

A girl can dream, right?

VOTE HERE -->  http://english.ctrip.com/mustachesummer/vote.asp

P.S. You can vote EVERY DAY until August 6th!!!

Your votes will determine the top 10 photos, which will be submitted to our panel of non-Ctrip, non-submitter Shanghai expat celebrity judges on August 6^th. The judges will hash it out to select the top three images and final winners will be announced on the Ctrip blog on August 9^th. 

It's amazing...

how driving solo, piano melodies, female ballads, music in general and journal entries soothe my soul.

I recently rediscovered my journal. My sister gave me a beautiful journal when I graduated from high school and since then I've used it to document my life. When I first started college, I wrote in here religiously. Over the years, it's been slightly ignored - though every now and then I find it in me to write. As I flip through all of it's pages, I realize that it's captured so many pivotal moments of my life thus far.

This isn't my only journal, I've actually been writing about my experiences (or lack thereof) since the 5th grade. So you can imagine the collection I've built up over the years. When I'm not around anymore, everyone is going to have a field day with these. Glad I've reconnected with it :)

P.S. If you know anything with a good piano melody, shoot over your recommendations. I love finding new favorites.

So long, Thailand. Hello, home.

We spent one last night in Bangkok before we headed back to SFO and most of our time was spent at Peter's house packing up, relaxing and prepping for our departure. Thailand was one of the most exciting & interesting places I've ever visited. There's so much to do here. So much that I'll need a second, third or fourth trip back to visit places like Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Ko Samui, etc. So long, Thailand!

Krabi --> BKK

Oh how I'll miss you, Krabi. Your white sand beaches, clear blue water, shell-filled shore, lush green jungle and friendly people.

USA vs Slovenia and our people watching adventure

So it's our last night in Krabi before we fly back to Bangkok for another day and of course, it's the World Cup and USA happens to be matched up against Slovenia this night. We head out to a bar, watch the game over a few cocktails (love me some Thai Sangria), watch our team lose and then got talked into singing a few songs with the band on stage.

Emily & Wynn decide to head back to the hostel and so me, Caroline & Allison also head in the same direction. Turns out, we're not ready to head back yet - especially since it's our last night. We take a turn into a strip of lively open-air bars and decide to buy a few beers and people watch. Well, we found the right place to people watch. Rather than getting into detail, let's just say we saw a combination of prostis, tourists, thai women and white men, likely a ton of people leaving for one night stands, trannys, questionable women, lady boys - the whole shabang. Now, we've truly experienced all that is Thailand.

Phra Nang

Just 10-15 minutes from Ao Nang via longtail is Phra Nang beach. When we arrived, the beach was completely free of crowds - loved that about this place. I don't have to explain it much, the photos speak for itself. Though I will mention, cloudy days are such silent killers! I've never burned much in my life, but today, I put sunblock on sparingly and decide not to reapply since the sun isn't out. Well, I already knew this (not sure why I disregarded it), but UV rays affect you even on cloudy days and I was a prime example of what happens when you are sitting on a cloudy beach, go in the water and don't reapply even after 5 whole hours out on the beach. Yes, I said it, 5 hours on the beach. Obviously, we were so captivated by the beauty of Phra Nang that we decided not to use our heads.

A Well-Deserved Thai Feast

We gave ourselves pats on the back by heading back to the same spa (we've now been to this spa every day since we reached Ao Nang) to get pampered. Some of us got pedicures and/ or massages and immediately after, we treated ourselves to a feast.

                                                                          [BEFORE]

                                                                          [AFTER]

Jungle Trekking

This morning, we woke up, pushed back the curtains and found we were in the middle of a monsoon. We took a risk of traveling to Thailand during it's rainy season, but were very lucky with weather. It only rained once during our entire vacation. That one time was today and lasted a mere 2 hours.

We left for the jungle with Khao Panombenja. We had a fun-filled day visiting the hot springs, Sra Morakat (Emerald Pool), a traditional Thai lunch at the fishery, Wat Tham Suea (Tiger Cave Temple) and the elephant camp where I enjoyed my first elephant ride. What a bumpy ride.

The hot springs were so relaxing - imagine, a natural jacuzzi with running waterfalls. When we arrived at the Emerald Pool, we jumped in and entertained ourselves by taking photos resembling the cover of "Wild Things" and scenes from past Herbal Essence commercials. Ever since Australia, it's a must when I'm in a setting like this. Here, you'll see Emily's perfect pic. Couldn't have been any better than that. After spending the first half of our day in  the water, we rode elephants through the jungle/ lake and although it was fun, that'll probably be my first and last time. I don't fancy slow bumpy rides very much, but the experience was one I'll never forget. I must say, elephants are pretty damn intelligent. Our day ended with one hell of a work out. Initially, 1200+ steps didn't sound like such a feat, but when we got to the Tiger Cave Temple and started our trek to the top, I realized it wasn't going to be so easy. Imagine walking up 1200+ ladder steep steps in 95F and high humidity. I was huffing and puffing, but we finally made it to the top and saw the most beautiful views. Glad I didn't give up!

Overall, the jungle was a blast. It's just as beautiful as the beaches here and an area not to be missed.

Chang Bar

Ever since my visit to Chang Bar in Ao Nang, I have been searching for a popular/ catchy Thai song. The day after, I heard it again at a restaurant and asked our server to write it down. She said it might be "Do Thuar Tom." When I get back home, I ask a Thai friend and she says it doesn't look Thai. Help! If you or anyone you know knows Thai music, please shoot me a message.

Moving on... here's our time at the Chang Bar where we played Connect Four, watched recaps of the world cup games, sported the C-Trip orange mustache and drank alcohol out of buckets. Sounds like a grand ol' time doesn't it?

Losama Bay

Pileh Bay

We had a blast with our new dutch friends at Pileh Bay. At this lagoon, we jumped off the boat into an unknown depth of water and nearby, we did some snorkeling. I could've stayed here all day.

Monkey Beach

And to think elephants, tigers, leopards and baby squirrels would be the last of the animals on this trip. Speaking of more animals, in addition to these silly monkeys, I just updated the Safari Park post with the giraffe encounter video - it's a MUST-see: CLICK HERE for the OLD POST with new VIDEO FOOTAGE

Maya Bay

Does this place look familiar? Well, if you've seen Leonardo Di Caprio in "The Beach" you might recognize this place as the setting of that movie.