Where has the time gone?

We are oer halfway through our trip. But before I delve into the travels, I have two comments:

BRYAN!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Internet was way too expensive on the island Koh Mook where we were on your birthday, but believe you me, I was thinking about you constantly. I am so grateful to have a brother who loves me unconditionally and even tucked me in, gave me a kiss on the cheek and told me a story on the night before my wedding. I love you Bryan!

Today my heart is sad to hear about Austin LaBato's passing. Young, unexpected deaths are so difficult to understand. My heart goes out to his family and all of us friends who were part of his life.

And now... onto Thailand. It is FANTASTIC here! I would go so far to say that this is so far my favorite spot in Southeast Asia. The beaches are literally gorgeous. I told Scott today, it seems like we just go from one town that we oooh and ahhh over to another.

We began on Koh Hai for 2 days and then went on to Koh Mook. They are similar in that they have white sand, beautiful vistas, and more expensive prices, but different because Koh Mook was just a lot smaller, slower paced, and more relaxing for us! We stayed at a bungalow which had access to an infinity pool, which made such a difference!

My favorite meal so far in Thailand has been green curry pizza! The normal currys and pad thai and things are good, but turns out I don't handle spicy so well. And I'm just pretty sick of noodles and rice right now. ( I am reading a novel called Eat, Pray, Love about a woman who searches for pleasure in Italy, peace in India, and I expect love in Bali, INdonesia. Anyway, many of the first 300 pages about her experience in Italy describe the food, which made me really crave that green curry pizza!) We took a longtail boat, then a minibus, then a public bus to get off the island today.

Today we arrived in Ao Nang and have really enjoyed the afternoon. You know why? ELEPHANT TREKKING is why! It was a dream come true. I could go home happy :) Much more thrilling than camel rides in Jordan, Scott and I sat atop that I-dont-nkow-how-many-pound animal and just wandered through the jungle. Our guide even got off the elephant's head and let us take turns. And don't worry, we got some awesome photos!

The nighlife here in Ao Nang is rich. Vendors and shopping everywhere. Over the next few days we are going to check out a few other beaches in the area (one is in the top 10 beaches in the world!) and perhaps do a Thai cooking class before we bus up to Bangkok for the floating market, massages, and to do most of the shopping we'll do here in Southeast asia. Even Scott got shopping fever walking around tonight. I spent $1.10 on 2 needed headbands, but other than that haven't bought a thing! Scott really wanted a custom suit tonight, and the bamboo vases and pillow coverings call to us. We'll see what happens in Bangkok. So until then, enjoy your hot showers :)