Once again, we apologize for the delay in our blog updates. However we plan to update more often because we actually have a computer now!
Since the last time we wrote we have been through Malaysia and have now been in Thailand for over a month. We started out journey in Malaysia taking a bus from Singapore to a city called Melaka. We were originally planning on only staying a few days but loved it so much we ended up staying a week. It is a historical town with influences from all over the world including Dutch, Portuguese, English, and Japanese. It is also known as the 'Venice of the East'. There were several forts throughout the city, each with with it's own character. Melaka was where we discovered how amazing and diverse Malaysian food is. There were a large weekend market which is where we got to try several different foods for cheap.
Our next stop was Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur was a big city with plenty to do. We visited the Petronas Tower, which were beautiful towers, especially to photograph. There is a huge mall at the bottom and an aquarium that we visited. It wasn't quite as big and extensive as the Shedd Aquarium but it is always nice to see different species and also a moving walkway going through a tunnel aquarium with sharks and sting rays. In KL we also visited the Bird Park, which is the largest free flying aviary. It was amazing because right when you walk in there are birds everywhere and hundreds of peacocks roaming around. We got to feed Lorry Birds where they were all over us even on our heads! We met Juliana's coworker's sister for lunch one day and learned a lot about the Malaysian culture, way more than we would have if we hadn't met her. As some of you may not know, the country of Malaysia is a mix of mainly Malays, Indians, and Chinese so you can see in most of the areas of Malaysia the influence from all 3 cultures. This is also why the food is so delicious! KL was also where we discovered the monsoon rain and how powerful it was. It down poured everyday we were there at roughly the same time everyday.
Next we went to the city of Georgetown in the island of Penang, which is also a historical town heavily influenced by Britain. It was a small city with colonial style buildings everywhere. We visited a fort with large cannons everywhere. Penang is the food capitol of Malaysia with food stall lining every street. Unfortunately we did not stay there long enough to experience all the food. From Georgetown we took a ferry to the Malaysia island of Langkawi. It was definitely a lot busier and different than we expected so we ended up only staying there for a night since we knew our next stop would be Thailand!
We took another ferry from Langkawi to the Thai island of Koh Lipe where the water and sand was gorgeous and soft. We were beach deprived! Crossing a water border was interesting because right when we got to the island we had to wait at this hut which we assumed was immigration, took our passports into a room and they came back stamped. They never even checked our bags! Koh Lipe is a small walkable island and was the perfect first Thai island to go to. Next island was Koh Lanta. It took us 4 ferries, 2 minibuses, and 8 hours to get to but was well worth it. We found a great hotel right on the beach and met a lot of fun people at the hotel restaurant. There was so much to explore on the island that it was too much to see everything. We found a couple great beaches and it is definitely a place on our list to go back to. As far as best uncrowded beaches go, Koh Lanta is up there.
The next island we went to was Koh Phi Phi. The landscape was gorgeous with drastic cliffs along the waterfront. There was plenty to do on the island such as hiking to far away beaches and walking up hundreds of steps to the viewpoint to overlook the whole island. We also saw the best fire show thus far in Thailand (videos of it will be posted in the next post). Our last night there was also where we met some cool backpackers that we ended up running into and hanging out with for the next few days. After Koh Phi Phi, we decided we should stay on the mainland for a few days even though where we ended up seemed like the most secluded island we've been to. It is called Tonsai and is only reachable by boat or by rock scrambling for an hour. Can you guess which way we took? Mitch was about to kill Juliana carrying 50+ lbs of baggage over rocks and caves until we finally got there and he realized it was all worth it. We thought Koh Phi Phi was beautiful but this place was stunning. The cliffs were even more beautiful and the area was so secluded that there were only the most basic bamboo huts with the electricity in the rooms only turned on from sun down to sunrise. The next day we went kayaking around the area through small caves and strong currents. It was kayaking like we had never done before. Unfortunately we had to leave to make it to the next island for Christmas.
After a whole day of a boat, 2 mini buses, a big bus, and a horrible long rocky ferry ride we made it to Koh Samui. It was the perfect place to spend Christmas. We were on a Thai island just western enough for us to have a good Christmas celebration. On Christmas we rented a motorbike and climbed 2 waterfalls, then ended with a feast at a Brazilian steakhouse. It was the most beef we had consumed the whole trip and although it was not as good as in the States, it was a perfect dinner for a Christmas abroad. The next island we went to was Koh Phangan which is the island known for it's Full Moon and New Year's Eve parties. Of course we went to both. Full Moon Party on Dec 28 and on New Year's Eve. It was unlike any party we had been to before. It was on the beach and 60,000 people were dressed in neon colors with body paint all over. It was bar after bar blasting music and buckets of mixed drinks sold all along the beach. After 6 days on the island, we were ready to conquer our next island, Koh Tao.
Koh Tao is known for it's scuba diving so of course we had to go. We only did one dive because we didn't want to press our luck after seeing a WHALE SHARK on our first dive! The visibility was terrible and couldn't see more than 5 feet in the water when all of a sudden swimming beside us was a young whale shark about 15 feet long. It was the most amazing scuba diving experience thus far on the trip and hopefully we will have more. Koh Tao was a very relaxed island and we wished we had more time to explore. Another island with excellent beaches with powder soft white sand.
After Koh Tao we took an overnight boat and bus ride to Bangkok. Surprisingly the bus got in early to Khao San Road (backpacker area) in Bangkok at 3:30 am. We thought that there wouldn't be any hotels open at that time but boy we were wrong. Once we got onto the main road there were tons of bars blasting music, market stalls selling clothes and food, and man selling Angry Bird balloons, and people getting massages right on the street! Bangkok is definitely the city that never sleeps. Mitch also got his first custom-made suit at a tailor shop in our hotel, which is one of the things Bangkok is known for. We stayed in Bangkok a few days until Juliana's mom came to meet us. It was such a treat because we got to stay at the Marriott, where we got robes and slippers in our room and it was the first time in a while we didn't have to use a water heater for a hot shower and the first time we had hot water in the sink. The first time we had central air-conditioning. It was so worth the 3 month wait to stay at a place like that. Juliana's mom got in late at night and the next day it was time to show her around Bangkok and the Southeast Asian life. We visited 2 main temples: Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Pho. Wat Pho has the largest reclining Buddha in the world and Wat Phra Kaew is where the Royal Palace is. After hours of walking through the temples, we watched the sun set over Wat Arun at a rooftop bar on the river. The perfect end to a busy day. The next day we took a half-day trip to visit the floating market. It was different than anything we had done on the trip and was interesting to see all the houses along the river. There were even mini propane grills on the boats! We also could ask the boat driver to stop to buy souvenirs at the stands along the river. That night was our last night in Bangkok and we went a rooftop bar at a hotel close by. It was an amazing view that gave you a true perspective on how huge Bangkok really is. Especially at night, when every building is lit up like a Christmas tree. Plus the food and drinks were excellent. A good end to our Bangkok experience.
The next day we took a 12 hour train ride to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. Juliana and her mom just roamed around the city and went to the Chiang Mai Arts and Cultural Center and the Lanna Folk Museum. We learned a lot about the northern Thai culture and the history of Chiang Mai and it's surrounding areas. The next day we went on a package tour which was exhausting but so much fun. We went to an orchid farm, bamboo rafting, white water rafting, visited a long neck tribe, elephant riding, and then trekked to a waterfall. We were wiped out after all of that activity and couldn't believe we did all of it in one day. The next day was Juliana's birthday and she wanted to go to the Tiger Kingdom to play with the tigers. We got to pet tigers of all different sizes and it was definitely something you can't do in many other countries. It was one of the highlights our of trip. After the Tiger Kingdom we went to a snake farm where they of course had many different kinds of snakes. The best part about it was the snake show where two guys were playing with cobras, a python, and a couple other types of snakes. They even milked the venom from the cobra into a cup to show us they still had working fangs. We also got to kiss the python and one of the guys even picked up one of the snakes with his teeth! That night we went to an Italian restaurant that probably had the best Italian food we've had even compared to the States and definitely comparable to Italy. The chef was Italian so we knew the food would be amazing and the meal was perfect for Juliana's birthday since one of her favorite food in Italian. Once we got back to the hotel, the hotel staff surprised Juliana with a beautiful cake, which was a perfect end to the day. The next day Juliana's mom had to leave to head to Laos. It was an eventful past week and we were very happy to see her and have a piece of home with us for a little while. (She also brought us Ghiradelli brownies which we amazing!)
We have been in Chiang Mai since. The weather is perfect here, a little hot during the day and cool enough at night that we don't need air conditioning and sometimes have to wear a long sleeve. Mitch has been learning and practicing Muay Thai while Juliana has been trying different restaurants, visiting temples and of course shopping at the markets. One of the days while Mitch at Muay Thai, Juliana went to an elephant farm to be an 'elephant owner for a day'. At first each person in the group got paired up with their own elephant and learned all the commands to take care of them throughout the day. We earned their trust by feeding them a whole basket of food. Juliana's elephant's name was Mae Moon. Then we learned all the signs of a healthy elephant which are: dried mud spots on both sides of the body meaning that the elephant slept well overnight, the ears and tail flapping which means the elephant is happy, checking for sweat between the toe nails which means the elephant is healthy and hydrated, and checking the poop for the smell, consistency, and squeezing it to make sure water drips from it to make sure the elephant is hydrated. There also should be 5 or more droppings every time it poops. We then wiped the elephant down to get all the dirt off before hosing her down with water to cool her off in the hot sun. After that, we rode the elephants bareback through the jungle for 1.5 hours to get to the waterfall for bath time. Juliana was scrubbing every part of the elephant with a brush and throwing water on it. Mae Moon was such a good elephant and always followed the commands and she seemed to really enjoy the bath, especially when she turned quickly and threw Juliana into the water! After the bath we had an amazing meal of all fresh food that the family of the staff had made. It was some of the best food Juliana has had in Thailand. After the bath we had to say goodbye to our elephants and went to visit the newest babies on the farm. One was 3 months old and the other was 10 weeks old. They were so adorable and very friendly with people. They always tried to take the food from people even though they can't even chew it correctly. They also run very fast when they get startled and want to run back to their moms. It was an amazing day and Juliana got to do things that most people don't get to and it would be hard to top that elephant experience anywhere else.
We have found out from being here for so long that Chiang Mai has the BEST cheap Western food so far in our trip and is it highly unlikely that any place will compare. Of course we've had our fair share of amazing Thai food but sometimes we need a break. There is the most real Mexican food we will find in SEA. We even found a place with calzones, ranch dressing, real chucks of mozzarella cheese, cheese fries with actual orange colored cheese (all the cheeses here are white, even the cheddar), Frank's red hot sauce, cheesecake, nachos with actual black beans, and the closest thing we will find to a Philly cheesesteak sandwich! Good thing we are going to dinner after writing this. We will be in Chiang Mai a few more days and hopefully will explore the rest of northern Thailand.
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| Our first city in Malaysia, also known as 'The Venice of the East'' |
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| Harpers Bar on the river |
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| Nice view of the river |
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| There were lots of Monitor Lizards by the river in Melaka |
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| Cendol (shaved ice, molasses, bean jelly, condensed milk) |
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| Mitch trying durian for the first time. Clearly he liked it...Jk it tasted like raw onions |
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| Fried duck tongue |
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| Getting a portrait drawn |
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| The finished product. Juliana looks like a little boy. Awwww |
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| This was a decent 5 foot monitor on the river |
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| Chicken Tandoori and Naan bread. Pak Putra Restaurant |
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| Fried fish balls in various vegetables which they put into soup |
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| One of the treats Melaka is known for. They were quite tasty. |
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| All different types of tea |
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| Dim Sum |
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| Melaka is famous for its custard pies and pineapple tarts |
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| Every one of these taxi carts were blaring Gangnam Style from rear speakers. All day. Every day. Everywhere around the city. HEEEEYYYY SEXY.....Maaaaannnn!! OP OP OP OP |
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| View from the rotating tower ride. |
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| Old Portuguese Ship/Museum |
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| Mitch with a Pirate |
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| Neon colored fruit smoothie from the mall |
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| Fermenting rice cakes |
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| Portuguese Fort |
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| Tombstones from the 1600's |
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| tombstone restoration in progress |
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| Thats fresh stingray for consumption on the foreground |
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| Melaka's Chinatown enterance |
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| Beautiful view of the city at night |
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| Dutch architectural influences |
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| We arrive in Kuala Lumpur and visit the Petronas towers. |
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| Horseshoe crab at the Aquarium in Petronas Towers |
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| Juliana's new friends, the otter family. |
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| The Pirarucu- worlds largest scaled freshwater fish. It was creepy because he would look right into your eyes when you came near the glass |
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| That shark was pretty cool but rather frightening. |
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| We went to KL's Aviary which is the worlds largest walk in aviary. |
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| The great Hornbill |
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| These guys were so cute |
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| This was the coolest part. We fed the lauries for 20 minutes. Very loud but very friendly. |
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| Awesome toucan |
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| Batu Caves--Filled with angry biting monkeys |
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| View from the Cave's entrance |
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| Hanuman Statue outside the caves. He is the Hindu Monkey God. Fitting for a cave filled with monkeys. |
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| Fresh eel and fresh toad. Yummy. Actually we were planning on trying the eel because we have it all the time in sushi restaurants. It would have been cooked! |
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| Friends we met from England |
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| Cool model of the KL skyline |
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| One of the mosques in KL |
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| Food Stall in Georgetown, Penang |
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| One of the English style government buildings in Georgetown |
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| Almost all of the buildings in Georgetown are English style since they once ruled this area |
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| Fort Cornwallis |
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| Lots of rain in Penang which flooded a lot of the streets |
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| One of the many Chinese Clan houses that are in Georgetown |
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| All of the decorations were very ornate and detailed |
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| More flooding |
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| View from the mall in Georgetown |
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| Typical Georgetown street |
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| The street we stayed on, which is also the backpacker lane |
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| First and only time we have seen this. Surprisingly not as tasty as I thought it would be |
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| Shoemaker on the street |
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| Penang hawker stalls. Unfortunately we found this our last night there |
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| Only a small portion of the most amazing sushi we've ever had in our entire lives! This was only $3! And the regular roles were even cheaper! |
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| Langkawi, Mayalsia - one of the Malaysian islands |
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| Langkawi is known for it's duty free which was amazing! |
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| Hanging out outside our room |
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| Random hat we found in our room |
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| Showing off some of our duty free purchases |
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| And seriously?!?!? All the way over here?!?! Btw, the front of the shirt said "If you want to win..." Unfortunately this was not the first time I have see this. They must be living a sad life. (Jk) |
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| A stop on a random island from a Malaysian island to our first Thai island |
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| Immigration hut on Koh Lipe - this was definitely a first for border crossing |
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| Sunset on Koh Lipe |
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| Fire dancer |
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| Walking street on Koh Lipe |
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| Roaming around the island |
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| View from our resort on Koh Lanta |
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| Our resort on Koh Lanta |
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| Storm coming in. For about a month we could not escape the daily rainfall. |
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| Chilling on the beach in Koh Phi Phi |
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| The beginning of our long trek to find Long Beach |
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| Long Beach on Koh Phi Phi |
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| There were several small empty beaches on the way to find Long Beach, which ended up being a very crowded beach |
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| More rain coming in. Fortunately the water was a lot warmer than the outside temperature |
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| Koh Phi Phi viewpoint |
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| Watching the eagle soar above the treetops |
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| It may not look long but it was loooong hike up tot he viewpoint |
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| Monkey Bay. We can't seem to get away from them |
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| This was probably about when a guy from our boat got bit by one of the monkeys |
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| Maya Bay, which is where they filmed the movie "The Beach" |
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| Unfortunately there were a ton of people there unlike how it was in the movie |
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| Snorkeling and swimming in Maya Bay |
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| Kayaking around Krabi |
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| Met some awesome people from Australia and Holland to spend the day kayaking with |
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| Mitch doing all the work while Juliana is taking pictures |
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| Tonsai, apparently thee rock climbing spot in Southeast Asia. If only we had more time there we would have tried it |
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| View from Tonsai. We actually had to do a lot of rock scrambling with all of our bags just to get there because no roads lead here, only boats |
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| Night shot |
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| Goodbye Tonsai. Hopefully we meet again |
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| After about 12 hours of traveling we finally made it to Koh Samui for Christmas |
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| Waterfall chasing on Christmas |
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| Viewpoint on Koh Samui |
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| Mitch found an ancient sewing machine at the viewpoint and decided to use it |
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| We have no idea why it was red but just saw it randomly drive by us |
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| Hiking up to the tallest waterfall on Koh Samui |
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| The water was freezing!!! |
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| On the way to and from the waterfall there was a mama elephant and her baby that we could feed |
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| He was hungry |
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| So was his mama |
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| Lamai Beach on Koh Samui |
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| We went to a Brazilian Steakhouse to celebrate Christmas. It was so good and a nice change from what we had normally been eating |
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| We visited a run distillery on Koh Samui where they make their rum from sugar cane. |
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| The coconut rum was amazing! |
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| The pool at our hotel at night |
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| View from our hotel. We decided to splurge for Christmas |
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| Our room is the one of the right. |
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| Goodbye Koh Samui |
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| Hello Koh Phangan |
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| Full Moon body paint. |
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| Mitch and Jack Sparrow in the background |
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| Monster Van |
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| The gecko trapped itself. |
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| This is sand bar connecting koh Phangan to a small island nearby |
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| This is an abandoned hut on the tiny island |
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| Rainstorm in a mangrove forest on the beach |
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| Drinking a beer in a hammock in the rain on the beach. Soooooooo relaxing! :) |
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| New Years Eve |
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| Koh Tao. Scuba diving mecca |
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| View from our bungalow on Koh Tao |
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| Very soft and nice sand on the Koh Tao beach |
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| Goodbye beach paradise :( |
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| Hello Kho San Road, Bangkok!!! |
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| One of many huge malls in Bangkok |
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| Fitting Mitch's first tailor made suit |
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| View from Burger King over Koh San Road |
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| Wat Pho |
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| Largest reclining Buddha, Bangkok |
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Buddha's feet
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| Wat Phra Kaew |
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| Where the king of Thailand had his coronation |
View across the river at sunset |
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| Floating Market |
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| Last night in Bangkok means time to go to a rooftop bar! |
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| View from rooftop bar at Centara Grand Hotel |
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| Chiang Mai, Thailand |
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| Temple Juliana and her mom randomly found |
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| One of the entrances to the Old City |
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| Orchid Garden |
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| Bamboo rafting |
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| Unfortunately there were no pictures from white water rafting but we did it down this river and occasionally next to the elephants |
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| Hill tribe village |
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| This little guy was following me |
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| Elephant riding |
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| Long neck village |
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| Trekking |
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| Waterfall at the end of the trek |
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| Tiger Kingdom for Juliana's birthday |
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| These were the "smallest tigers" tourists could visit |
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| This was just before this little guy attacked Juliana's arm |
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| Attacking Juliana |
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| Battle wounds |
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| "Largest tigers" |
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| We think the trainer was having fun telling us what poses to do |
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| This tiger was huge. Seriously he was massive and he was not even the biggest one in the park. |
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| The tiger wouldn't stay still for me to take a pictures with him |
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| Little cubbies. We weren't allowed to hold them though |
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| "Small tigers" |
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| Snake farm |
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| Vulture |
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| Snake show. These trainers are crazy. Those are real cobras. |
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| Milking venom from the cobra |
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| They tried to scare us by letting the snakes loose close to us |
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| Kissing the python |
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| Yes the snake is in his mouth |
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| Fat little birdie |
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| Poor monkey locked up |
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| For some reason they had a ton of little bunny rabbits. Food for all the snakes? |
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| Our hotel surprised Juliana with a delicious birthday cake! |
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| Roaming around Chiang Mai |
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| Super nice hotel that we wished was ours |
