Hey Everyone,
It was so sad to leave Mykonos because the island was just so perfect but we really couldn't complain since we were boarding a cruise ship for the next three nights going to other islands off the coast of Greece.
Farrell was a little nervous getting on the boat since she tends to get sea sick pretty easily but really she had no choice and did a good job of holding down all her food. We got onto the ship around 6pm and were going to be leaving Mykonos around 10pm. We got to our room and dropped off all the stuff we had been carrying around. Once we found the room we both looked at each other because we thought there was no way that all of our stuff and our own selves were going to fit into this room. It was pretty small. We met up with the group on the top deck for some drinks and karaoke. It was a good time and then Farrell and Dan decided to get some fresh air and enjoy the stars as the boat cruised along. It was a gorgeous night!
The next morning we got up really early since we were going on an excursion to Turkey. We left early with our group and got on a coach to travel to Kusadasi a city in Turkey. In Kusadasi is the ancient site of Ephesus. We had a guided tour through the site and ended amongst some cool Turkish shops. The Turkish people are pretty aggressive in getting you to come into their shops and buy some stuff. We had good time with it though. We picked out some great stuff and really enjoyed Turkey. It is a pretty sweat country and a place we would both like to spend more time at later on.
We got back on our cruise ship around 11am and then the boat took off for a new destination. For the afternoon the boat docked at Patmos a famous greek island in the Aegean sea. This island Patmos is where St. John was exiled to and spent most of his time in a cave and is the site where he wrote the book of Revelations. Farrell and Dan got in a cab and went to the famous grotto where St. John lived. It was really cool site and we got some good pictures. Then we went to the monestary at the top of the island. This place of worship for the early Christians was built on this island as a castle for protection since a lot of them were being persecuted at the time. We really enjoyed the sites and had a nice time on the island. After the monestary we got some crepes and relaxed by the port. We boarded the ship again and had a nice dinner with some friends. We set sail for Crete that night.
Upon arriving at Crete Dan and Farrell got in a cab with these three other americans to see the ancient palace of Knossos. We walked around this site for a few hours and then through the town for a bit. It was a Sunday and so it was really quite and nothing was open except for this site. Again we hopped back on the boat and relaxed for a few hours as we sailed onto Santorini.
We have so much to say about Santorini because it was a really awesome island. We first got in a sweet pirate boat once we docked to heat out to a volcanic island just past Santorini. We hiked for about an hour with our excursion group to the top of the Volcano. It was unbelievable to look out off the top and see Santorini and the rest of the sea. Santonrini is also volcanic and all the buildings are built on the cliffs. After the hike we got back in our pirate boat and headed for a hot water springs and a dip in the sea. We had a great swim and enjoyed the hot water springs. Then we headed back to the main land of Santorini. We took a coach up an got dropped off in the main part. Farrell and Dan got some awesome Gyros. The best ones that they have had ever!!! Then we bought some local wine since Santorini is big on its vineyards. The wine was bottled right in front of us which was cool. After getting the wine Farrell and Dan got on two donkeys to make their way down. Dan had the baby donkey and Farrell the huge one. As soon as Dan got on his baby donkey it started to take off and almost pulled Farrell along too. Then it stopped thankfully. Farrell's donkey lead the way down the island and enjoyed smelling other donkey's butts too. As we safely got down we could not stop laughing at how funny it was. The pictures also came out great.
Down at the port we got onto the ship for our last time. That night we headed back to Athens where we have been spending the last two days.
It truly has been a crazy adventure for the two of us. We are so happy to have been able to get to these places but are also so excited to come home and see everyone. We love you all so much!!
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Athens and Mykonos
Hey Everyone,
Once we arrived to Greece we took to the streets right away to see the city. Our hotel for some reason was not having power from 8am to 6pm which was really lame. Our first day was on a Sunday so it was really quite since nothing was open till later in the day. We enjoyed a nice cup of coffee and read through our Lonely Planet travel book to see what we should do. Our hotel, the Hermes Hotel is right in the Plaka area of Athens which is actually a great area for shops. We took the first half of the day to just relax and read in some coffee shops since it was so hot. Then we headed out through the streets of the Plaka area and found some lunch. Farrell got the awesome Greek salad with huge pieces of feta. Over our entire time at Greece we ended up eating a ton of feta. We spent the rest of the day just walking around and trying to get a feel for Greece. We booked a walking tour for the next day so we could see some of the sights.
On our next day we went on a walking tour of Athens. We got to see the Parliament building where the Greek soldiers guarded the tomb of the unknown soldier. We got a lot of good pictures. The soldiers were wearing some interesting uniforms. They had on tights and shoes with pompoms. Not to mention they walked really funny. The picture tell the story. After Parliament we went to Acropolis. The famous city built on the hill that literally overlooks Athens. It is such a sweet sight. Our tour guide was pretty good and explained a lot about the history. Acropolis was amazing. We hiked up the hill and say all the great temples and theaters. We felt like we were back in Rome. After Acropolis we went back down to the Plaka area and got lunch. Lunch was great and then we headed back up to the Ancient Agora. We got to see the Church that St. Paul came to Athens to preach in. It was really tiny but so cool. Then after Agora we headed back to the hotel to meet up with our group for our Contiki tour.
The next morning we had a nice 6am wake up call and then headed to the port to get a ferry over to the island of Mykonos. It was a 5.5 ferry but once we got to Mykonos it was so worth it. We checked into our hotel and it was nice to have a really clean room with no bugs, a good break from Thailand. Our room was so nice and had an amazing view off the balcony of the Aegean Sea. The island is just so beautiful with its white buildings and sparking water. That night our group had a nice dinner out. After dinner we took to the streets of Mykonos for a pub crawl. Knowing us we only made it to two of three pubs. It was still a great night and our group was pretty cool. The next morning we decided to rent a 4wheeler to get ourselves around the island. We got on and went to drop off our laundry. Got that done went back to the hotel and met the group to go to the famous Paradise beach on the island.
Paradise beach was pretty crazy especially for us. It turned out to be a huge dance party on the beach. Farrell was evening dancing on tables of you could believe it. The beach was all pebbles not sand which is common for Mykonos but still very different. We spent our time relaxing, dancing and hanging out in the water with some drinks. After a couple of hours the group got back on a coach and headed back into town for dinner since the party had died down and would not pick back up till 2am. After getting dropped off in the center of town Farrell GUIDED Dan over to cab and they got in to go back to the hotel to sleep. The party was a lot of fun and definitely once and a life time.
The next day we set off on our sweet 4wheeler to a gorgeous beach we had saw the day before. We had lunch at a restaurant on the water and then stayed there on some chairs for the day. The beaches are just incredible as you get to look out onto this picture perfect water. After a great day relaxing in the sun we headed back to the hotel and showered up. We were planning on going to a special dinner that night since it was our 3year anniversary. We jumped onto the 4wheeler and drove to a really nice part of the island for a spectacular dinner. Not knowing our way around lead us into a little bit of an adventure since we could not find the restaurant that we had planned to go to but ended up asking a bunch of locals and going to a different one. It was called Bellimisimo and we had an awesome time.
Then the next day we had an early morning since we had to check out and return our pimpin 4wheeler. We packed our bags, left them in reception and went to a new beach for the day. Later that evening we were going to be boarding our cruise ship but we still had the entire day to go out. This beach was another incredible site. We had lunch right on the water and then found ourselves sleeping and reading on some padded lounge chairs. It was hard to get any better. The water was so nice and refreshing in the hot sun. Once we left the beach we headed back to the hotel to get on the cruise ship.
We then were headed to some more islands in the Aegean sea. The next morning we were going to Turkey then Patmos, Crete, and Santorini. We were definitely sad to leave Mykonos since we had just the best time.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Once we arrived to Greece we took to the streets right away to see the city. Our hotel for some reason was not having power from 8am to 6pm which was really lame. Our first day was on a Sunday so it was really quite since nothing was open till later in the day. We enjoyed a nice cup of coffee and read through our Lonely Planet travel book to see what we should do. Our hotel, the Hermes Hotel is right in the Plaka area of Athens which is actually a great area for shops. We took the first half of the day to just relax and read in some coffee shops since it was so hot. Then we headed out through the streets of the Plaka area and found some lunch. Farrell got the awesome Greek salad with huge pieces of feta. Over our entire time at Greece we ended up eating a ton of feta. We spent the rest of the day just walking around and trying to get a feel for Greece. We booked a walking tour for the next day so we could see some of the sights.
On our next day we went on a walking tour of Athens. We got to see the Parliament building where the Greek soldiers guarded the tomb of the unknown soldier. We got a lot of good pictures. The soldiers were wearing some interesting uniforms. They had on tights and shoes with pompoms. Not to mention they walked really funny. The picture tell the story. After Parliament we went to Acropolis. The famous city built on the hill that literally overlooks Athens. It is such a sweet sight. Our tour guide was pretty good and explained a lot about the history. Acropolis was amazing. We hiked up the hill and say all the great temples and theaters. We felt like we were back in Rome. After Acropolis we went back down to the Plaka area and got lunch. Lunch was great and then we headed back up to the Ancient Agora. We got to see the Church that St. Paul came to Athens to preach in. It was really tiny but so cool. Then after Agora we headed back to the hotel to meet up with our group for our Contiki tour.
The next morning we had a nice 6am wake up call and then headed to the port to get a ferry over to the island of Mykonos. It was a 5.5 ferry but once we got to Mykonos it was so worth it. We checked into our hotel and it was nice to have a really clean room with no bugs, a good break from Thailand. Our room was so nice and had an amazing view off the balcony of the Aegean Sea. The island is just so beautiful with its white buildings and sparking water. That night our group had a nice dinner out. After dinner we took to the streets of Mykonos for a pub crawl. Knowing us we only made it to two of three pubs. It was still a great night and our group was pretty cool. The next morning we decided to rent a 4wheeler to get ourselves around the island. We got on and went to drop off our laundry. Got that done went back to the hotel and met the group to go to the famous Paradise beach on the island.
Paradise beach was pretty crazy especially for us. It turned out to be a huge dance party on the beach. Farrell was evening dancing on tables of you could believe it. The beach was all pebbles not sand which is common for Mykonos but still very different. We spent our time relaxing, dancing and hanging out in the water with some drinks. After a couple of hours the group got back on a coach and headed back into town for dinner since the party had died down and would not pick back up till 2am. After getting dropped off in the center of town Farrell GUIDED Dan over to cab and they got in to go back to the hotel to sleep. The party was a lot of fun and definitely once and a life time.
The next day we set off on our sweet 4wheeler to a gorgeous beach we had saw the day before. We had lunch at a restaurant on the water and then stayed there on some chairs for the day. The beaches are just incredible as you get to look out onto this picture perfect water. After a great day relaxing in the sun we headed back to the hotel and showered up. We were planning on going to a special dinner that night since it was our 3year anniversary. We jumped onto the 4wheeler and drove to a really nice part of the island for a spectacular dinner. Not knowing our way around lead us into a little bit of an adventure since we could not find the restaurant that we had planned to go to but ended up asking a bunch of locals and going to a different one. It was called Bellimisimo and we had an awesome time.
Then the next day we had an early morning since we had to check out and return our pimpin 4wheeler. We packed our bags, left them in reception and went to a new beach for the day. Later that evening we were going to be boarding our cruise ship but we still had the entire day to go out. This beach was another incredible site. We had lunch right on the water and then found ourselves sleeping and reading on some padded lounge chairs. It was hard to get any better. The water was so nice and refreshing in the hot sun. Once we left the beach we headed back to the hotel to get on the cruise ship.
We then were headed to some more islands in the Aegean sea. The next morning we were going to Turkey then Patmos, Crete, and Santorini. We were definitely sad to leave Mykonos since we had just the best time.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Athens Greece Day 1
Hey Everyone,
We have arrived safely to GREECE!!!! It was a long flight from Thailand to Greece but we made it. We have two full days in Athens and then we head to Mykonos and then onto a cruise ship around the Mediterranean.
We have a walking tour planned for Athens and we cant wait to see the sites and ancient ruins.
We will keep you all posted.
Lots of love,
Farrell and Dan
We have arrived safely to GREECE!!!! It was a long flight from Thailand to Greece but we made it. We have two full days in Athens and then we head to Mykonos and then onto a cruise ship around the Mediterranean.
We have a walking tour planned for Athens and we cant wait to see the sites and ancient ruins.
We will keep you all posted.
Lots of love,
Farrell and Dan
Friday, July 18, 2008
Southern Thailand - Koh Sok, Koh Samui, Koh Tao
Hey Everyone,
Sorry for such a long delay with posts, we have been taking in the sun down in Southern Thailand.
So after the Northern trip on our second day back in Bangkok we met up with our group for the southern tour. Our group leader was named Tong and he is really cool and also speaks really great english. There are two British girls that were with us in the north that are also going on the trip to the south so it is nice to have some familiar faces but good to meet new people as well. The group has a scottish women, three british indian boys, a young british couple, two german girls, and two other americans.
The group headed out from Bangkok on another overnight train headed south for Koh Sok. After the overnight train the group go off and headed for some breakfast. Farrell and Dan had to wrestle a little with the waitress because she tried to over charge them multiple times. We went through the order with the women 3 times before she realized that she was over charging us by 50 baht. After breakfast the group headed to there accommodations. Farrell and Dan were staying in bungalow number 9. As we dropped our stuff off there were 6 different monkeys literally climbing and jumping through the trees as well as our roof. It was a wicked site and we didn't know who was staying in the bungalow us or the monkeys. We were staying here in Koh Sok for two nights. The accommodations were pretty nice and the food good as well. There was even a rope swing down at the base of the restaurant with a river running through it. Everyone spent the afternoon swinging into the water. That afternoon the group even went tubing, which in thailand just means going down a lazy river in a tub, but it was still a lot of fun.
The next day the group headed to the Koh Sok National park. This day was filled with breath taking sites as the group boarded two small boats and headed to some bamboo huts built right in the middle of the dam. That national park consisted of massive mountains covered with rain forest and incredible water below. Dan went off with 5 other people from the group on a hike through one of the mountains. The group even got to go to a cave which was really amazing. Farrell and the rest of the group stayed at the bamboo huts and relaxed in the water. The day was truly incredible because this national park was just so beautiful. We all spent the day swimming, kayaking and just relaxing. We also had a big buffet lunch where entire fish were just deep fried and served, interesting to say the least. Our pictures came out great.
After two nights in Koh Sok the group headed north to an island off the mainland called Koh Samui. We arrived around mid day after getting up at 530 and heading out of Koh Sok. We were staying at the Sandy resort which was right on the water. As Farrell and Dan checked into their room they found dirty sheets, a weak rotating fan and a gecko crawling up there walls. Not bad for Thailand standards but Farrell said NO WAY!! We upgraded our room to the deluxe suite, which had air conditioning, a big room and a nice shower. Farrell was happy. After lunch Farrell and Dan met up with two girls named Casey and Iona from California who had been on the northern trip with them and became friends. They were not with our southern group but were going to be staying at all the same places so we could hang out again. We spent the rest of the day on the beach relaxing and taking in the sun. That night the group headed out to the town and stopped at a Mexican restaurant for dinner. The food was great, as it was owned and run by a Canadian. Dan, Farrell, Casey and Iona all split two liters of Margarita!!! After dinner our group headed to a Lady Boy show. This was an very interesting experience to say the least. Dan earlier had voiced his opinion about not really wanting to go or feeling all that comfortable the but the group was all in. So during the show when the lady boys were looking for volunteers the entire group, except for Farrell decided to throw Dan under the bus. Farrell knowing how much Dan did not really want to be there tried to save him but before she knew it he was up on stage in front of everyone. After about 10 minutes Dan came back on the stage from being away and no longer had shirt on. He was also covered with 7 lipstick kisses on his chest. Everyone was getting a kick out of it much to Dan's dismay. All and all the night was fun and he did get a free rum and coke out of it which he chugged as fast as he could. The next day the group spent the entire day in the Sun. The weather in the south is just amazing and the water is incredible. Dan and Farrell got a great chance to relax and read which was nice.
The next morning we checked out and headed north again to another island called Koh Tao. Here we stayed for 3 nights and our tour guide started to catch on to the needs of Dan and Farrell and already had our room upgraded by the time we got there. This resort was called Seashells resort and it was again right on the water with a great beach. Our first night we went to the best restaurant possible. It was up high on a mountain and gave us a chance to look over the entire island as the sun set. Transportation on this island is pretty much through pick up trucks so to get to the top of this mountain all 16 were piled into the bed of a truck and practically falling out as we climbed up the mountain. The view was great, the food was good, and the Margarita bowl that Dan and Farrell shared was also very nice. The next day was another great beach day with sun all around. The third day the group went on a snorkling trip around the island. We even got to see some baby sharks which was really cool. We went to 6 different stops and got a chance to jump off the boat each time. That night would be the groups last night so we all went out to the bars and decided to celebrate our trip together. The group was really great and we all got along really well.
The next morning 6 people from the group including Farrell and Dan headed back to the train station for bangkok. The rest of the group stayed on Koh Tao since a famous party called the Full Moon part was going to be happening on the island of Koh phagon in just a few days.
Now Dan and Farrell and arrived safely to Bangkok again!!!! We fly out tonight for Greece and are wicked excited to get on our cruise ship.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Sorry for such a long delay with posts, we have been taking in the sun down in Southern Thailand.
So after the Northern trip on our second day back in Bangkok we met up with our group for the southern tour. Our group leader was named Tong and he is really cool and also speaks really great english. There are two British girls that were with us in the north that are also going on the trip to the south so it is nice to have some familiar faces but good to meet new people as well. The group has a scottish women, three british indian boys, a young british couple, two german girls, and two other americans.
The group headed out from Bangkok on another overnight train headed south for Koh Sok. After the overnight train the group go off and headed for some breakfast. Farrell and Dan had to wrestle a little with the waitress because she tried to over charge them multiple times. We went through the order with the women 3 times before she realized that she was over charging us by 50 baht. After breakfast the group headed to there accommodations. Farrell and Dan were staying in bungalow number 9. As we dropped our stuff off there were 6 different monkeys literally climbing and jumping through the trees as well as our roof. It was a wicked site and we didn't know who was staying in the bungalow us or the monkeys. We were staying here in Koh Sok for two nights. The accommodations were pretty nice and the food good as well. There was even a rope swing down at the base of the restaurant with a river running through it. Everyone spent the afternoon swinging into the water. That afternoon the group even went tubing, which in thailand just means going down a lazy river in a tub, but it was still a lot of fun.
The next day the group headed to the Koh Sok National park. This day was filled with breath taking sites as the group boarded two small boats and headed to some bamboo huts built right in the middle of the dam. That national park consisted of massive mountains covered with rain forest and incredible water below. Dan went off with 5 other people from the group on a hike through one of the mountains. The group even got to go to a cave which was really amazing. Farrell and the rest of the group stayed at the bamboo huts and relaxed in the water. The day was truly incredible because this national park was just so beautiful. We all spent the day swimming, kayaking and just relaxing. We also had a big buffet lunch where entire fish were just deep fried and served, interesting to say the least. Our pictures came out great.
After two nights in Koh Sok the group headed north to an island off the mainland called Koh Samui. We arrived around mid day after getting up at 530 and heading out of Koh Sok. We were staying at the Sandy resort which was right on the water. As Farrell and Dan checked into their room they found dirty sheets, a weak rotating fan and a gecko crawling up there walls. Not bad for Thailand standards but Farrell said NO WAY!! We upgraded our room to the deluxe suite, which had air conditioning, a big room and a nice shower. Farrell was happy. After lunch Farrell and Dan met up with two girls named Casey and Iona from California who had been on the northern trip with them and became friends. They were not with our southern group but were going to be staying at all the same places so we could hang out again. We spent the rest of the day on the beach relaxing and taking in the sun. That night the group headed out to the town and stopped at a Mexican restaurant for dinner. The food was great, as it was owned and run by a Canadian. Dan, Farrell, Casey and Iona all split two liters of Margarita!!! After dinner our group headed to a Lady Boy show. This was an very interesting experience to say the least. Dan earlier had voiced his opinion about not really wanting to go or feeling all that comfortable the but the group was all in. So during the show when the lady boys were looking for volunteers the entire group, except for Farrell decided to throw Dan under the bus. Farrell knowing how much Dan did not really want to be there tried to save him but before she knew it he was up on stage in front of everyone. After about 10 minutes Dan came back on the stage from being away and no longer had shirt on. He was also covered with 7 lipstick kisses on his chest. Everyone was getting a kick out of it much to Dan's dismay. All and all the night was fun and he did get a free rum and coke out of it which he chugged as fast as he could. The next day the group spent the entire day in the Sun. The weather in the south is just amazing and the water is incredible. Dan and Farrell got a great chance to relax and read which was nice.
The next morning we checked out and headed north again to another island called Koh Tao. Here we stayed for 3 nights and our tour guide started to catch on to the needs of Dan and Farrell and already had our room upgraded by the time we got there. This resort was called Seashells resort and it was again right on the water with a great beach. Our first night we went to the best restaurant possible. It was up high on a mountain and gave us a chance to look over the entire island as the sun set. Transportation on this island is pretty much through pick up trucks so to get to the top of this mountain all 16 were piled into the bed of a truck and practically falling out as we climbed up the mountain. The view was great, the food was good, and the Margarita bowl that Dan and Farrell shared was also very nice. The next day was another great beach day with sun all around. The third day the group went on a snorkling trip around the island. We even got to see some baby sharks which was really cool. We went to 6 different stops and got a chance to jump off the boat each time. That night would be the groups last night so we all went out to the bars and decided to celebrate our trip together. The group was really great and we all got along really well.
The next morning 6 people from the group including Farrell and Dan headed back to the train station for bangkok. The rest of the group stayed on Koh Tao since a famous party called the Full Moon part was going to be happening on the island of Koh phagon in just a few days.
Now Dan and Farrell and arrived safely to Bangkok again!!!! We fly out tonight for Greece and are wicked excited to get on our cruise ship.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Northern Villages Days 1-3
Hey Everyone,
After we went to the trek shop and picked up all our hiking gear the group headed to the night market for a group dinner and a chance to look around the market. The dinner was great, some good Thai food and the entertainment of song and dance was interesting to say the least. The group was really getting along though which was great.
After dinner Farrell and Dan got a chance to look through the night market. The market was filled with all kinds of shops and sellers and there was a lot of really great stuff. The two found a lot of great things that they wanted but decided to wait till they got back to Chaing Mai to buy the stuff from the market.
The next morning we stored out stuff and checked out of our room at Serenity hotel. We got in a truck to take us to the jungle. We stopped a few times to pick up water and supplies. We even had to stop at the tourist police and give them copies of our passports so they knew who was in the jungle.
One of our stops was for the restroom but we also got a chance to go swimming under a huge waterfall. the sight was spectacular and the pictures came out great. The water was so hard it even stretched out Dan's shirt when he was under it. We got back on the road and headed to our lunch spot. Farrell did not like the food very much that they had prepared and if she does not eat rice for the rest of her life she will be happy.
Finally we arrived at the starting spot for the trek. We got our backpacks on and headed into the jungle. In addition to our tour guide Dong we also had two local guides for the trek Mr. Boom and Mr. Sang. Mr. Sang lead the pack and was an absolute great guide. he was so experienced with the jungle and taught us some great tricks and told awesome stories. Not to mention the fact that his laugh was amazing and he was such a character. Everyone in the group loved him so much. We trekked through the jungle for about 3.5 hours and then arrived at our first village. Everyone slept in bamboo huts with mosquito nets. they were really cool but hard to sleep in. When we arrived to the village we showered, tried the local rice wine, had dinner and then got a tour of the village and how they live. Farrell even got a chance to work on her rice meal preparation. She would push down some wood that smashed into the pot of rice meal. She had a future with the village. On our tour we even saw tons of pigs, chickens and even a monkey. The monkey had a rope tied around its neck to keep it tamed but would jump off the ledge and practically hang itself. It was a rough site and Farrell was not happy about it. She almost snuck out in the middle of the night to let it loose but knew she would get lost in the village. After the tour we chilled around a camp fire, heard stories about the jungle and then called it a night.
Next morning we had a 4 hr hike. We had to go up both baby and mama hill. And you know mama hill wasn't easy. Mama hill was 25mins straight up with our packs on our back. It really worked the ass muscles and we are still a little sore from it. we were proud to make it to the top and the view was so worth it.
We were able to stop a couple of times to rest along this trek. During the rests the boys were able to compete in shooting contests with their sling shots. Dan even purchased one from a local villager but did not have as good a shot as Mr. Dong or Mr. Sang. On our last stop before Elephant camp Mr. Sang and Mr. Boom made the group chop sticks out of bamboo with their machetes for lunch and dinner. It was really cool.
After the 4 hours of trekking we made it to elephant camp which was so awesome. Just being able to watch the elephants hang around was great, never mind our 1hr ride that we got on them. So we had lunch, bought water and got on our elephants. Farrell and Dan by far had the best elephant. He was the pappa of the village. He lead the way and knew all the great posses for the camera. He did tend to stray off course a few times but only because he was hungry and needed to rip some branches off to eat along the way.
The elephant ride was spectacular and the pictures we bought were incredible. Even though we thought we were going to fall out of our chair the ride was great. Our driver even caught a huge tarantula the way, which is a delicacy to eat for the villagers. The elephants took the group to their next village. We dropped our stuff off and headed to the local river to bathe ourselves. the current was strong but we managed to wash a little. Then a few of the group members including Dan headed to the school at the village to play futbol (aka soccer). Dan had a memorable time playing and a really surreal experience when it started to pore like crazy (since it is the rainy season) and he was soaked running around playing soccer with thai villagers who didn't know a word of english but could speak sports.
The group had dinner that night with their new chop sticks and drank a lot, especially the german couple. After dinner and more drinking the group played a game called ping, pong, pang. if you mess up a player wipes a finger on the cast iron pot and wipes black ash on your face. With a few drinks everyone was covered in black and having a great time. The pictures are hilarious. Then Dan, the german Stephen, and Mr. Sand had to perform the elephant song for the group in Thai with hand signals, really emphasizing the giftedness of a male elephant, if you get what we are saying. The group then hit the nets, mosquito that is, as we all slept in one room together. At this bought it was the mosquitoes who got their chance at dinner on our flesh. Farrell's let is oozing a bit form her bites and it is pretty gross. Tiger balm in Thailand fixes everything though.
The next morning we headed to the river to get on our bamboo raft for our 4hr ride. It was so cool because the day before we got to see the locals build the raft right in front of us from their bamboo. The rafting trip was awesome and we saw 6 water snakes on the trees as we went by which is a sign of good luck in Thai culture. there were even some good rapids along the way. We stopped to have lunch and then sadly had to head back to Serenity hotel in Chaing Mai. The villages were so cool that it was hard to leave, well maybe not the squat toilets.
The next morning we got breakfast with Iona and Casey two California girls who were in our group and got along with us really well. We had our Starbucks, the only one in Chaing Mai, got massages and subway for lunch/dinner. It was an american day in thailand. Then we boarded an overnight train in Chaing mai to Bangkok where we are now. On the train Farrell and Dan got a chance to teach the group the game of Mafia and we played it for hours on the train. It was a good time and fun to see British people try to lie.
We are in Bangkok for two days and then we head out again with a new group to the south of thailand where we will see the rain forest, relax on the beach and interact with the locals in the south. We will be sure to post about that as well. Then we head to Greece!!!
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
After we went to the trek shop and picked up all our hiking gear the group headed to the night market for a group dinner and a chance to look around the market. The dinner was great, some good Thai food and the entertainment of song and dance was interesting to say the least. The group was really getting along though which was great.
After dinner Farrell and Dan got a chance to look through the night market. The market was filled with all kinds of shops and sellers and there was a lot of really great stuff. The two found a lot of great things that they wanted but decided to wait till they got back to Chaing Mai to buy the stuff from the market.
The next morning we stored out stuff and checked out of our room at Serenity hotel. We got in a truck to take us to the jungle. We stopped a few times to pick up water and supplies. We even had to stop at the tourist police and give them copies of our passports so they knew who was in the jungle.
One of our stops was for the restroom but we also got a chance to go swimming under a huge waterfall. the sight was spectacular and the pictures came out great. The water was so hard it even stretched out Dan's shirt when he was under it. We got back on the road and headed to our lunch spot. Farrell did not like the food very much that they had prepared and if she does not eat rice for the rest of her life she will be happy.
Finally we arrived at the starting spot for the trek. We got our backpacks on and headed into the jungle. In addition to our tour guide Dong we also had two local guides for the trek Mr. Boom and Mr. Sang. Mr. Sang lead the pack and was an absolute great guide. he was so experienced with the jungle and taught us some great tricks and told awesome stories. Not to mention the fact that his laugh was amazing and he was such a character. Everyone in the group loved him so much. We trekked through the jungle for about 3.5 hours and then arrived at our first village. Everyone slept in bamboo huts with mosquito nets. they were really cool but hard to sleep in. When we arrived to the village we showered, tried the local rice wine, had dinner and then got a tour of the village and how they live. Farrell even got a chance to work on her rice meal preparation. She would push down some wood that smashed into the pot of rice meal. She had a future with the village. On our tour we even saw tons of pigs, chickens and even a monkey. The monkey had a rope tied around its neck to keep it tamed but would jump off the ledge and practically hang itself. It was a rough site and Farrell was not happy about it. She almost snuck out in the middle of the night to let it loose but knew she would get lost in the village. After the tour we chilled around a camp fire, heard stories about the jungle and then called it a night.
Next morning we had a 4 hr hike. We had to go up both baby and mama hill. And you know mama hill wasn't easy. Mama hill was 25mins straight up with our packs on our back. It really worked the ass muscles and we are still a little sore from it. we were proud to make it to the top and the view was so worth it.
We were able to stop a couple of times to rest along this trek. During the rests the boys were able to compete in shooting contests with their sling shots. Dan even purchased one from a local villager but did not have as good a shot as Mr. Dong or Mr. Sang. On our last stop before Elephant camp Mr. Sang and Mr. Boom made the group chop sticks out of bamboo with their machetes for lunch and dinner. It was really cool.
After the 4 hours of trekking we made it to elephant camp which was so awesome. Just being able to watch the elephants hang around was great, never mind our 1hr ride that we got on them. So we had lunch, bought water and got on our elephants. Farrell and Dan by far had the best elephant. He was the pappa of the village. He lead the way and knew all the great posses for the camera. He did tend to stray off course a few times but only because he was hungry and needed to rip some branches off to eat along the way.
The elephant ride was spectacular and the pictures we bought were incredible. Even though we thought we were going to fall out of our chair the ride was great. Our driver even caught a huge tarantula the way, which is a delicacy to eat for the villagers. The elephants took the group to their next village. We dropped our stuff off and headed to the local river to bathe ourselves. the current was strong but we managed to wash a little. Then a few of the group members including Dan headed to the school at the village to play futbol (aka soccer). Dan had a memorable time playing and a really surreal experience when it started to pore like crazy (since it is the rainy season) and he was soaked running around playing soccer with thai villagers who didn't know a word of english but could speak sports.
The group had dinner that night with their new chop sticks and drank a lot, especially the german couple. After dinner and more drinking the group played a game called ping, pong, pang. if you mess up a player wipes a finger on the cast iron pot and wipes black ash on your face. With a few drinks everyone was covered in black and having a great time. The pictures are hilarious. Then Dan, the german Stephen, and Mr. Sand had to perform the elephant song for the group in Thai with hand signals, really emphasizing the giftedness of a male elephant, if you get what we are saying. The group then hit the nets, mosquito that is, as we all slept in one room together. At this bought it was the mosquitoes who got their chance at dinner on our flesh. Farrell's let is oozing a bit form her bites and it is pretty gross. Tiger balm in Thailand fixes everything though.
The next morning we headed to the river to get on our bamboo raft for our 4hr ride. It was so cool because the day before we got to see the locals build the raft right in front of us from their bamboo. The rafting trip was awesome and we saw 6 water snakes on the trees as we went by which is a sign of good luck in Thai culture. there were even some good rapids along the way. We stopped to have lunch and then sadly had to head back to Serenity hotel in Chaing Mai. The villages were so cool that it was hard to leave, well maybe not the squat toilets.
The next morning we got breakfast with Iona and Casey two California girls who were in our group and got along with us really well. We had our Starbucks, the only one in Chaing Mai, got massages and subway for lunch/dinner. It was an american day in thailand. Then we boarded an overnight train in Chaing mai to Bangkok where we are now. On the train Farrell and Dan got a chance to teach the group the game of Mafia and we played it for hours on the train. It was a good time and fun to see British people try to lie.
We are in Bangkok for two days and then we head out again with a new group to the south of thailand where we will see the rain forest, relax on the beach and interact with the locals in the south. We will be sure to post about that as well. Then we head to Greece!!!
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
Friday, July 4, 2008
Bangkok Days 2-4 Chaing Mai Day 1
Hey Everyone!!!
Over our last few days in Bangkok we explored the city a little more. Despite the heat we managed to see some really cool site including The Grand palace and The Lying Budda Temple. We attempted to see the Grand Palace three times and as usual the third times a charm! The first time we went, it was closing, the second time we went we couldn't get in because we weren't Thai and had to wait over an hour until we could but it started to down pour so we went somewhere else. Finally we got to see Budda on our third attempt. The Grand Palace is like a little city filled with huts that all house Budda. All the Temples are really elaborately decorated with shinny mirrors and gems. The lying Budda, was this GIANT BUDDA lying on his side, in a smaller Temple. Both were really cool sites.
We went out to dinner on our last night in Bangkok to a little place not far from our hotel, it was the first time we ventured out at night, aside from the two rats we saw on our walk home it was not all that bad. The food was good, and Farrell really enjoyed her Banana Fritters with ice cream. Dan enjoyed a brownie sundae
We met our Group on the night of Day 3 in Bangkok, we have a few from England a few Americans and 2 old Germans who always seem angry. Our guide is a little crazy but good, his name is Dong and he likes Whiskey.
On Day 4 we boarded a train to head to Chaing Mai. The train station was a little insane. People just chill on the floor in a big open room waiting for trains. We saw a Dunkin Donuts and a girl wearing a BU shirt, which was a highlight for both of us. The train was 12 hours overnight and not that comfortable.
We arrived in Chaing Mai this morning around 7:30 am and took a bus to our hotel. After a nice shower and some down time to hang out in the AC we headed out for an orientation walk around Chaing Mai. We saw some of the local market and some of the older temples. We chatted with a monk at "Monk Chat" who gave our group some insight in becoming "green on the inside" the rest of the stuff he said went over our heads. We decided to cab it back to the hotel and this was a fun experience. The Taxis are not metered nor are they cars. Instead you jump into the back of a truck with benches in the bed of the truck. Needless to say it was an experience.
Tonight we get our trekking gear for our 3 day hike through a village and then we head out to the night market with our tour guide.
We will check back in after the Trek
LOTS OF LOVE
Farrell and Dan
Over our last few days in Bangkok we explored the city a little more. Despite the heat we managed to see some really cool site including The Grand palace and The Lying Budda Temple. We attempted to see the Grand Palace three times and as usual the third times a charm! The first time we went, it was closing, the second time we went we couldn't get in because we weren't Thai and had to wait over an hour until we could but it started to down pour so we went somewhere else. Finally we got to see Budda on our third attempt. The Grand Palace is like a little city filled with huts that all house Budda. All the Temples are really elaborately decorated with shinny mirrors and gems. The lying Budda, was this GIANT BUDDA lying on his side, in a smaller Temple. Both were really cool sites.
We went out to dinner on our last night in Bangkok to a little place not far from our hotel, it was the first time we ventured out at night, aside from the two rats we saw on our walk home it was not all that bad. The food was good, and Farrell really enjoyed her Banana Fritters with ice cream. Dan enjoyed a brownie sundae
We met our Group on the night of Day 3 in Bangkok, we have a few from England a few Americans and 2 old Germans who always seem angry. Our guide is a little crazy but good, his name is Dong and he likes Whiskey.
On Day 4 we boarded a train to head to Chaing Mai. The train station was a little insane. People just chill on the floor in a big open room waiting for trains. We saw a Dunkin Donuts and a girl wearing a BU shirt, which was a highlight for both of us. The train was 12 hours overnight and not that comfortable.
We arrived in Chaing Mai this morning around 7:30 am and took a bus to our hotel. After a nice shower and some down time to hang out in the AC we headed out for an orientation walk around Chaing Mai. We saw some of the local market and some of the older temples. We chatted with a monk at "Monk Chat" who gave our group some insight in becoming "green on the inside" the rest of the stuff he said went over our heads. We decided to cab it back to the hotel and this was a fun experience. The Taxis are not metered nor are they cars. Instead you jump into the back of a truck with benches in the bed of the truck. Needless to say it was an experience.
Tonight we get our trekking gear for our 3 day hike through a village and then we head out to the night market with our tour guide.
We will check back in after the Trek
LOTS OF LOVE
Farrell and Dan
Monday, June 30, 2008
Bangkok - Thailand Day 1
Hey Everyone,
So we wanted to write about our first full day in Bangkok. We are staying in the New World Lodge Hotel which is in the Old City district of Bangkok. After getting up and having breakfast we hit the streets for some shopping and exploring. We got a metered taxi to take us to World Central Plaza. We walked around this huge mall checking out all the shops. We took our time in Jim Thompson a popular store in Bangkok. Jim Thompson was an American who got the Thai silk industry back up and running during WWII. We really liked the store.
After finding our way around the world central plaza Farrell sniffed out the high end stores in the Grayson mall. Here we shopped around Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, and much to Farrell's dismay even after the 30 to 1 exchange rate things were still more expensive here then at home. So we didn't buy anything :(! We have a hard time understanding how people are able to afford the prices here, considering when you look around Bangkok and see how poor it is. After walking around Grayson we made our way to another mall called Siam plaza. Here we got some lunch, which was really good. The food at our hotel and around the city so far has been really good and we have been finding ourselves really enjoying our meals. We are also doing a good job of keeping Farrell away from all the peanuts which is a popular thing to cook with here. Dan got a little sick of shopping around and watching Farrell try on cute shoe after cute shoe so he busted out the map and tried to find a tourist spot to go to and take some photos. Dan decided to go to Victory Monument.
Farrell and Dan hopped into a cab and headed towards the monument. After about 5 mins in the cab Dan mentioned to Farrell that the meter was not working (or so he tried to tell us). So Dan brought it up to the driver who tried to say it as going to be 200baht to get there. This was double the cost is should have been for such a short drive so we started to go back and forth on the price. We said we would only give him 100baht and then finally when we got there and realized it should have only been about a 50baht taxi ride. After trying to give him just the 50baht he got a little upset and Farrell got scared so we gave him the 100baht and were a little pissed about it. Then we realized after cooling down it was only 3US dollars so we shrugged it off and said we would get out of any cab that did not turn on the meter (this would come up again).
The monument was a bust, we guess the Thais have nothing to be victorious about. After trying to figure out where we were, we realized we were no longer in much of a tourist area because we could not find any signs in English at all. So then we decided to head back the way we came to get to a more touristy area. Farrell was getting really freaked out but a massage place caught her eye and we decided to stop. Farrell got her feet rubbed and Dan got a Thai massage and is feeling a little sore today because of it, they really twist and push you around. Farrell was grossed out when getting her massage because two roaches crawled up the chair during the session and the women could not figure out why she could not relax. It only cost us 300baht total so we could not complain.
We continued down the street and made our way back to the malls where we started. it was rush hour at the time which gave us a lot of problems when trying to get a taxi. We wanted to go back to the hotel but every time we went to a taxi they would not turn on their meter. They just wanted us to name a price but what happens when you do that is when you arrive at your place they want more. So we refused to get into any cab unless they were going to turn on the meter. And this is not even the tutt tutt. They are even worse and give you a much harder time.
We waited it out, got some dinner and then headed home. We waited in the taxi line for about 20mins and got a cab driver that would finally turn on his meter. We made it home safe and sound and are learning more about this place every day. We head out today for some more adventures.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
So we wanted to write about our first full day in Bangkok. We are staying in the New World Lodge Hotel which is in the Old City district of Bangkok. After getting up and having breakfast we hit the streets for some shopping and exploring. We got a metered taxi to take us to World Central Plaza. We walked around this huge mall checking out all the shops. We took our time in Jim Thompson a popular store in Bangkok. Jim Thompson was an American who got the Thai silk industry back up and running during WWII. We really liked the store.
After finding our way around the world central plaza Farrell sniffed out the high end stores in the Grayson mall. Here we shopped around Louis Vuitton, Prada, Gucci, and much to Farrell's dismay even after the 30 to 1 exchange rate things were still more expensive here then at home. So we didn't buy anything :(! We have a hard time understanding how people are able to afford the prices here, considering when you look around Bangkok and see how poor it is. After walking around Grayson we made our way to another mall called Siam plaza. Here we got some lunch, which was really good. The food at our hotel and around the city so far has been really good and we have been finding ourselves really enjoying our meals. We are also doing a good job of keeping Farrell away from all the peanuts which is a popular thing to cook with here. Dan got a little sick of shopping around and watching Farrell try on cute shoe after cute shoe so he busted out the map and tried to find a tourist spot to go to and take some photos. Dan decided to go to Victory Monument.
Farrell and Dan hopped into a cab and headed towards the monument. After about 5 mins in the cab Dan mentioned to Farrell that the meter was not working (or so he tried to tell us). So Dan brought it up to the driver who tried to say it as going to be 200baht to get there. This was double the cost is should have been for such a short drive so we started to go back and forth on the price. We said we would only give him 100baht and then finally when we got there and realized it should have only been about a 50baht taxi ride. After trying to give him just the 50baht he got a little upset and Farrell got scared so we gave him the 100baht and were a little pissed about it. Then we realized after cooling down it was only 3US dollars so we shrugged it off and said we would get out of any cab that did not turn on the meter (this would come up again).
The monument was a bust, we guess the Thais have nothing to be victorious about. After trying to figure out where we were, we realized we were no longer in much of a tourist area because we could not find any signs in English at all. So then we decided to head back the way we came to get to a more touristy area. Farrell was getting really freaked out but a massage place caught her eye and we decided to stop. Farrell got her feet rubbed and Dan got a Thai massage and is feeling a little sore today because of it, they really twist and push you around. Farrell was grossed out when getting her massage because two roaches crawled up the chair during the session and the women could not figure out why she could not relax. It only cost us 300baht total so we could not complain.
We continued down the street and made our way back to the malls where we started. it was rush hour at the time which gave us a lot of problems when trying to get a taxi. We wanted to go back to the hotel but every time we went to a taxi they would not turn on their meter. They just wanted us to name a price but what happens when you do that is when you arrive at your place they want more. So we refused to get into any cab unless they were going to turn on the meter. And this is not even the tutt tutt. They are even worse and give you a much harder time.
We waited it out, got some dinner and then headed home. We waited in the taxi line for about 20mins and got a cab driver that would finally turn on his meter. We made it home safe and sound and are learning more about this place every day. We head out today for some more adventures.
Lots of Love,
Farrell and Dan
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