So, we went to Thailand for Christmas break. We took an Intrepid Travel tour that took us west of Bangkok, into the mountains, then south to the beaches.

We arrived in Bangkok a day early so that we could see the sights and look around before heading off on our tour. We found Bangkok to be a culturally rich, exciting place to be after Kazakhstan. We visited temples and rode in Tuk-Tuks (tiny, three-wheeled car with an open carriage on the back for customers to sit in), and ate delicious food. Here is a list of the foods we ate in the first 24 hours of Bangkok:
Spring Roles
Pineapple slices
Fried Rice
Mango/Passion fruit smoothie
Green curry with tofu
Mango slices
Egg and chocolate roti
French toast with honey
Coffee
More pineapple slices
Tangerine juice (fresh)
Long, skinny steamed sweet potatoes
Passion fruit juice (fresh)
Sesame crepe with shredded dried fruit
Sticky rice bundles with taro, black bean and banana
Little coconut-milk custards with sesame, coconut, scallions, and dried mango.

Kazakhstan is a bit desolate in the food realm; we do not really partake in the native foods, which are basically roasted meat and strange dairy products. We don’t even drink real coffee at home—we use instant. Thailand seemed like a food wonderland after living in KZ for five months.

The tour was really great in general, but our first day was truly remarkable. We stayed in stone bungalows built on terraces rising from a large lake. Across the lake was a traditional fishing village, and we could hear the gong at the Buddhist temple being rung from across the water. We started the day with pineapple and banana pancakes over the lake and misty village. We then took a longtail boat across the reservoir to look at the village—floating houses and houses on stilts. The longtail boats eventually dropped us off near a village where we rode elephants. The village was remote and small, and Intrepid Travel supports this tourist attraction because they believe it is better for the elephants to be out in the countryside rather than in the cities. It was strange to step up on the elephant. I was afraid I would hurt her when I stepped on her leg and scrambled up her like she was some sort of boulder. She was prickly and massive, but surprisingly unsteady, and we rocked and swayed as her shoulder blades (on which we were sitting) shifted with each step. We rode the elephants through farms, forests, and streams for about an hour and a half. Crossing the streams was especially fun because the elephants would keep their faces under water and use their trunks like snorkels. Eventually the mahut (the guy commanding the elephant) let Dan ride on the elephant’s neck and Dan “drove” the elephant as the mahut became a passenger. When the trip was over we fed our elephant sugarcane. We then ate a lunch of fried rice and pineapple at the elephant village. Next we went to the Burmese border where we looked at Burma from across the border and checked out the small market. Then we went to a long wooden bridge that spans the lake. Next was an orphanage where students performed in a yoga presentation. The production was really impressive, with little kids doing extended handstands and other amazing feats of flexibility and strength, but the little kids sitting with us in the audience really stole the show. They held our hands and wanted to see our cameras. One little boy stayed with Dan for about an hour and insisted on being held by him or on sitting on his lap the entire time. After the performance, we headed back to the bungalows, exhausted.

This was just one of our 16 days in Thailand. We participated in many amazing activities, including swimming in turquoise waterfalls, staying on a tiny Muslim island, visiting local markets, staying in a teak house, taking speed boats to go snorkeling, body surfing in the Andaman Sea, island hopping, playing duck-duck-goose at an elementary school, many massages, riding scooters, and trying many more types of food. All in all Thailand was warm, exotic, and incredibly friendly. A true paradise.

See below for photos.

Here are some photos of Erawan Falls in Thailand. It was probably the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

Here are a few photos of our trip to Thailand.

A veggie stand.
Riding in a TukTuk in Bangkok.

Our teak guesthouse in Bangkok.

Kata Beach in Phuket.

Khao San Road with Josh and Tara.

Jessica in the elephant camp.

Jessica feeding the elephant sugar cane.

The longest wooden bridge in Thailand.

An island along our 5-island tour.

Another Island.

Breakfast. Yummy.

A foggy Thai fishing village.

A huge school of fish.

The snorkeling wasn't great. But, a bad day of snorkeling is still better than a lot of other things.

My little friend at the orphanage.

Oh crap! Hang on.

Driving an elephant.

Want some canal-front property?

One of our bungalows.

Jessica ringing some bells.

Here are some photos of my trip to a cross-country meet in Prague and the layover in Istanbul.

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (aka The Blue Mosque) in Istanbul.
The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

Not a bad view out the window. The call to prayer in the morning was beautiful.

I believe this is the only cubist lamppost in the world (Prague).

Prague.

Near the Central Cathedral in Prague with Noah.

That is one big church.

We won, we won. This was the podium at our local 5k fundraiser for the cross-country trip to Prague.

Kyrgyzstan

Here a few photos from out trip to Kyrgyzstan over fall break.

Jessica and I dressed as Kyrgyz royalty.

Dancing on a felt rug. It was necessary.

It was there, so I climbed it.

This was once the finest spa in all of Central Asia.

Notice the parking sign on the rock.

Hanging out in a yurt.

Beer is yummy. Especially, when consumed on the shores of Issyk Kul.

The sunset looks much better.

These were our guides for horseback riding. They assured us they were direct descendents of Genghis Khan.

The mountains weren't too shabby. If only someone were willing to put the capital into it, this place could have some world class skiing.

Jessica expertly guiding her horse.


I was just trying not to fall off.

That is one narrow staircase.

Ala-Archa National Park.

More Ala-Archa.

They love Lenin in Kyrgyzstan.

They seem to like this guy too. Don't know who he is though. Anyone riding a horse with a shield and sword with a serpent involved in the fray is pretty badass.