Bangkok

sunset at the infinity pool

Colie studying for her duties as tour guide

view from our balcony in Bankgkok

Our hotel is the highrise closest to the water. We enjoyed getting around by water taxi.

We arrived after a full day of boat, taxi and plane to Bangkok from Kho Phi Phi. We were delighted with our hotel, which is right on the River Praya and has great views over the city. The pool is definitely an oasis away from the hectic city. Colie has done a magnificent job as tour guide, so Tom better watch out! In fact, she and I have come up with a new 'Plan A'...we think we will just stay here and Tom should join us!
We visited the ancient temples today. Here is what cracks me up though. We tried to find the main entrance to the Grand Palace. At least 4 times we had official looking men tell us that the Palace was closed, just for today....but if we wanted to see something else that was open today they would be more than happy to take us. When we asked where the main entrance was, they would point to an open gate and say, "there". It didn't look like a main gate though. So we kept looking, thinking we would have to come back tomorrow, and finally we did find the main gate. And guess what? It WAS open, and we could rent a skirt to wear (they were trying to tell us that we couldn't get in anyway b/c we were in shorts and those are not allowed in the temples). So not one person had been telling us the truth. In fact everyone of them just wanted us to get in their tuk tuk and take us for a ride, literally!
Another coincidence that should be told: We met a nice couple on their honeymoon from Colorado. When I told them I learned to ski at Purgatory, the girl (Carrie) said she was actually from CORTEZ Colorado! We had fun talking about the fact that we met in Thailand and we grew up just 30 miles from each other. We said good-bye to them figuring we would never see them again. However, as we were getting off of the boat at our hotel, there they were on the dock! We had seen a lot of temples today, but seeing them again, out of the blue, was just as fun!
Tomorrow we have a shopping day planned. Any requests?

Koh Phi Phi

It's kind of hard to capture the beauty of a beach scene. But the water was as clear as bathwater.
We could snorkel right from the beach. See the last picture with the rope? This was at low tide and shows where the rocks and coral are...then at high tide you could really get out and see the fish. It was super, except for the super sunburn we got on our backs. Ugh.
Our beach 'villa' was up on a hill that overlooked the sea. We ate our breakfast on the beach. We had mango shakes and Thai food every day. The sunsets at night were fun to watch until it got utterly dark. There is one picture of our villas from the boat when we approached the beach.
And oh yes, it didn't last forever, we did have to leave....

more and more

teamwork at the floating village

The tomb raider temple. The jungle has taken over and it's awe inspiring how tenacious the jungle is!

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Isn't she beautiful? The lighting couldn't have been better. She was happy to let us take her picture.

Apparently, Nicole and I are short for this earth life. We are nearly being translated....seriously, we are very much illuminated!

Cambodia is a photographer's heaven. It seems there is another incredible shot each time you look around. You really can't go wrong.
My favorite temple was the one where Tomb Raider was filmed. It is spooky and eerie and unbelievably fascinating. The first time we got there, my camera battery died...so of course I about died. We took the tuk tuk back to the hotel, had a swim and charged the battery and went back. It was nearly sunset and all the tourists had gone home. We had the place to ourselves and it felt like we were hunting for the lost treasure ourselves. You are allowed to walk anywhere you like....and that privilege won't last long as they have plans to quarter off the areas that need to be preserved....and they should! But for now it's all free game!

people of Cambodia

I have to say that the people are the most interesting. Sites are beautiful of course. Love the food of course. But I could watch people all day. And I am very, very happy with the picture of the mom and baby in the boat. Spectacular, I must say so myself.
Forever emblazoned on my mind will be the words, "only one dahllar! Please lady, only one dahllar!" Always the kids trying to sell trinkets. Always the kids singing hoping your heart will melt and you will give them just one dollar.
The lady in the last picture was collecting plastic water bottles. Colie hung onto her empty water bottle for hours just to give it to her.

Cambodia

Cambodia = cheap food & massages ($5/hr!!), perfect weather, happy people, amazing history.
Pictures are from the Angkor temples & the floating village of Kompong Phhluk. More pictures coming!
Love, Mom & Colie

The Alamo

Tommy was quite proud and was showing us the hole where his head was stuck.

"See Dad it was like this....."

Love that his trauma had no lasting effect!

Lollipops and ranger pins for everyone! After the ice pack you can barely see any damage to his head...just a red spot on his forehead.

From my journal entry of Dec 30, 2010:

Tom, Natalie and I and all the kids stayed on the Alamo grounds while the adults went through the exhibit. Tom was near Tommy when all of a sudden we heard Tommy crying and Tom looked over at me and said, "He's stuck!"

I went over to them and saw that Tommy's head was wedged in a drain hole of a stone wall. I tried to force his head out but it was literally a round head in a square hole. He was good and stuck! Natalie came over and tried as well. Stuck!. Tommy was justifiably screaming bloody murder. Soon there was a crowd of at least 30 people. Some were trying to help. Natalie was calling 911 for help. The Alamo rangers all came running to the rescue. And then just as suddenly his head was out. Some tourist was able to see where there was space to turn his head and get him out...a miracle!

Natalie canceled 911. The rangers brought an ice pack, lollipops and an Alamo Ranger pin for each child. Now Tommy was the hero! As we sat waiting for the adults to come out, another ranger came by and said, "I've been working here at the Alamo for 20 years and I've seen a lot of things but this was this first time this has ever happened!"

Everyone was very concerned and attentive. I figured it was because they were afraid we would sue them. In Europe they would have ignored us and let us figure it out on our own.

That night we were laughing about the episode around the kitchen table (all is well that ends well) and Jake reminded us that when he was 18 and working at the Embassy he had a large tube he put over his head and then pushed it down around his neck. His nose stopped him from being able to pull it off. He had to call a maintenance man to cut it off. "Like father like son!"