Phuket Paradise

Hard to believe a week has flown by here in Phuket Paradise. Thanks to Lori & Don's timeshare, we are staying at the swanky Marriott Mai Khao Vacation Beach Club at Hat Mai Khao in Phuket. A truly gorgeous place. Most of this week has been spent in one of the several pools around here, as well as the beautiful stretch of undeveloped beach just a few steps away. Indoors, we have had the TV tuned to ESPN to catch bits and pieces of the Olympics, especially hockey and figure-skating.

While we spent some time apartment-hunting, Lori & Don did a one-day sidetrip snorkelling at Koh Phi-Phi (the island where the movie The Beach was filmed).

Funniest line in the pool comes from Jackson. One day Lori didn't want the kids to splash her and get her hair wet since she had just dried, straightened and styled it. She told Jackson if her hair got wet she'd turn into a witch. He stared at her for a couple moments and then said, "I think I'd kinda like to see that." Splash away!

These signs are posted all along the various beaches. Phuket was hit hard by the Dec. 26, 2004 tsunami and most of the resorts you now see are newly constructed since then:

We spent two days in Krabi on the southern Thai mainland while Lori and Don were in Chiang Mai. This is a stretch of the Andaman Sea known as Ao Nang beach just a few km. from Krabi:

Commercial strip along Ao Nang Beach:

Mitch & Jackson horsing around in the warm waters of the Andaman Sea:

Krabi area, with its famous limestone karsts surrounding the sea:

We never tire of these sunsets. At low tide you can actually walk to some of these little islands:

At the Swing Bar on the Mai Khao Beach, waiting for our meal to come off the grill:

The main pool at the Marriott:

Don spent lots of time tossing and dunking the boys:

Mitch explaining something to Uncle Don:

Mitch tried to identify with hamster friends he has known, walking around the pool in this bubble:

Flat Stanley had to stay in the shade - too hot for him. We were worried his lamination might melt down:

Don & Lori introduced us to a missionary family they know from BC who have lived here in Phuket for the past three years. They have four kids, two the same ages as ours. They took us to a great beach BBQ restaurant serving authentic Thai food:The kids got to know each other through arm wrestling (for some reason!):

We visited the Mai Khao Turtle Awareness Centre. Leatherback turtles (an endangered species) nest along the Mai Khao beach every year (usually around this time of year) and this foundation raises funds to protect them:

Lori & I signed up for an "Intro to Thai Dancing" class. I also did a class on Thai culture and language and Don & Lori did one on Thai massage:

It's been a great week. A holiday in the true sense of the word. In one hour, we all head downstairs for the Wii Sports Resort tournament. All the activities make me feel like I'm on a cruise, not that I've ever been on a cruise. Sadly, Lori & Don start their trip back to Canada tomorrow. We are sticking around Phuket for another 6-7 weeks (until mid-April) in a two-bedroom apartment we've rented (more on that later). And now I must teach Lori how to make a comment on someone's blog!

Back in Bangkok

Lori & Don:

We're back in the big city, Bangkok. Best of all, we have been able to rendezvous with my sister Lori and brother-in-law Don who are here from B.C. I have not seen them since my niece Brianna's wedding in May 2008. A visit is long overdue!

We are staying at the fabulously posh Pullman Hotel which, if you are a faithful follower of this blog (and we'll never know if you're not so no worries), you will recall me mentioning in an earlier post. Our friends Wayne & Trish stayed here and now it is our turn for a splash-out too. W & T, if you're reading this, it's as cool as ever.

These are some photos of the hotel which I pulled off their website:

Breakfast buffet - we must have spent two hours here each morning, just talking and knoshing:

We made a visit to Jim Thompson's House, which has been turned into a museum of sorts. Thompson lived in the early-mid 1900's and is known as the founder of the now-thriving Thai silk industry:

He was an American architect who fell in love with Thailand after serving in WWII. He returned to live here permanently and developed the silk industry, exporting Thai silk to the developed world. He disappeared myseriously in Malaysia in 1967 and his body has never been found. There is all sorts of speculation on what may have happened to him. One theory even has to do with him being a CIA agent. Intriguing stuff. Beautiful silk. This home is made of teak, set in a lush garden right in downtown Bangkok, and is filled with valuable Asian art and furniture:

Now we have matching purses, embroidered with elephants and some beadwork. Mine is actually from Cambodia but Lori got hers last night at the huge Suan Lum Night Bazaar near Lumphini Park:

Lori & Don are making their way today to Chiang Mai to visit missionary friends of theirs. We are taking an overnight bus (groan) to Krabi which is a beach place in southern Thailand. The six of us will meet up again on Feb. 21st in Phuket for another week of fun in the sun and sand.

Laos and one more New Year

Today is Tet, the Lunar New Year, celebrated by the Chinese and Vietnamese mostly. Here in beautiful Laos, Tet is not really a big deal. Their New Year's - called Pi Mai - occurs in mid-April. But back in Vietnam, where we just came from, they will be doing it up big , adorning their kumquat trees with red and gold decorations.

Luang Prabang, a small city of only 26,000 people here in Laos, has been a breath of fresh air for us these last 5 days. There is no traffic to speak of, no horns honking, no street vendors hassling you to buy something, and best of all, great cups of coffee. The Lao coffee is so potent you can add up to 4 ounces of fresh, cold milk and it won't even change colour. So strong, so good :)

Peaceful street in Luang Prabang:

Luang Prabang was once the capital, home to the royal monarchy before the capital moved to Vientiane. Because of this, there is a stunning palace/museum to visit as well as many well-preserved temples. The town itself is set at the junction of two rivers, the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers, and mountains circle all around it. There are waterfalls nearby, scenic caves, and plenty of opportunities to go for a trek, elephant ride or boat ride on the Mekong. You can also observe the expert weavers at work with the beautiful Lao silk and cotton fabrics. We've done it all this week. Here are some photos . . .

Tat Kuang Si waterfalls:

Lots of daring young people (including Mitchell but no other Elborns) took a leap into the falls from the rope swing:

Surprisingly - maybe thanks to the Lao coffee - we even managed to get up at 5:30am to witness the procession of Buddhist monks who stroll down the main streets at 6:00am collecting alms. For Lao Buddhists, they believe that performing acts such as feeding their monks and donating money to the temples will earn them merit that will pay off in a future life.

I look like death warmed over as I'm not really a morning person. Good thing I had Darlene's Jacket to keep the early morning chill off me:

We purchased a basket of sticky rice and some bananas to give the monks:

We didn't realize there would be close to 400 monks and ran out of food before they all came by:

On our way to do an elephant trek:

We had a good time but then were saddened to see the elephants are kept in chains after their work with us tourists:

Climbing up the 358 steps of Phu Si hill for a great view of Luang Prabang at sunset:

View including Mekong River:

Diverse night market with great selection of silk scarves, H'mong blankets, silver jewellry, bamboo lamps, and the usual T-shirts:

Guesthouses abound - attractive architecture and vegetation:

Fruit shakes are popular and probably a healthier alternative to the high-octane coffee I've been enjoying:

Colourful tuk-tuks have been our transportation:

Sad News in Hanoi

Today when I checked my e-mail, sad news was waiting in the inbox from my older brother in Saskatoon. George, my Mom's beloved husband, passed away last night. He was the only Grandpa on my side that our boys ever knew, as my own father passed away in 1989. George was such a great guy; we will miss him terribly. We were so looking forward to connecting with him and my Mom again this summer on our drive home from Vancouver to Ottawa.

George lived a long, full life - he was in his mid-nineties. We were always impressed with how with-it and tech-savvy he was. He was the first person I know to buy, install and use a webcam way back when they first came on the market. He used it to keep in touch with his three daughters and all the grandchildren. He had a gentle but dry sense of humour and treated my Mom like a queen. We leave Hanoi tonight for Laos with heavy hearts.

Some photos of Hanoi . . . this woman is wearing the trademark conical hat seen everywhere. She has lit a fire in the street and we're not sure if it's because there's no garbage pick-up or if it might be a Buddhist ceremony. We ask some locals but in our broken communication, we aren't sure of the answer:
We all enjoyed the famous water puppet theatre. The stage is a shallow tank full of murky water so you can't see the operation of the puppets. Puppeteers work from behind a bamboo screen. The musicians and narrator sit off to the side of the stage. We had front row seats and a couple of times, during the more lively numbers, we got splashed. If you ever come to Hanoi, don't miss this:

At the end of the performance, the puppeteers come out to take a bow:

The Temple of Literature - an example of classic Vietnamese architecture. This Temple is Vietnam's most famous former university. It was known for its extremely high standards and concentrated on teaching literature, Buddhism and Confucianism:

Huge statue of Confucius himself:

Benni (our Brazilian buddy) and the Jets. We shared a couple of meals with him - we are so impressed with all these multi-lingual travellers we meet along the way who speak perfect English. Ciao, ciao Benni!

Vietnam is gearing up for Tet (the Lunar New Year which falls on Feb. 14th this year). This flower display, when completed, spells out Happy New Year! in Vietnamese:

Motorcycle mania all the time in Hnaoi - notice the Tet decorations in the background - red and gold party supplies are being hawked everywhere:

Sidewalks are not for pedestrian use in Hanoi, they function as parking lots for all the bikes, hence the need to walk on the road all the time:

And it's not just motorcycles that hog the sidewalks. There's all the wares for sale and the locals sitting on plastic preschool chairs eating their lunch and sipping their tea:

We're constantly amazed by the amount of stuff the Vietnamese people can cram onto the back of a bike:

Vietnam's flag:

Rising Sun Bridge spanning Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. If you see a turtle (very special animal to the Vietnamese) in this lake, that's supposed to bring you good fortune:

A wedding couple makes their way to a nice spot near the lake for photos:

Maybe Ted has missed his calling as a wedding photographer. We have seen many brides here, some wearing white and some in red:

I'll sign off now with a quote from Confucius that sums up George in every way:

"To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness. "

Confucius
Chinese philosopher & reformer (551 BC - 479 BC)