Can't See the Forest for the Trees

I love riding scooters - maybe not the manliest thing to admit, but there you are. I said it.

Annie's Blog Update

No new post today, but Annie has updated her blog (she's a bit behind so there should be another one coming soon) - see the link on the side.

Cheers from sunny Koh Phangan!

Who Needs a Pool?

We do. 

Before we booked our guesthouse in Koh Phangan, we debated the merits of staying at a place with a pool. We weren't sure if we wanted to spring for this more expensive option, and thought "we'll have the beach at our doorstep, why would we want a pool?" But in the end we opted for this little treat, and over the past week we have not regretted it one bit. 

We love our pool for a variety of reasons:

Hockey Night in Thailand - Making Frenemies

Scandinavians and Canadians normally get along quite well. In fact we have made some nice new Swedish friends at Salad Hut - Mats and Nina and their two cute little guys Ted and Sam.

Wash, Rinse, Repeat

I think that it's going to be a challenge to post much in the way of new and different daily experiences here on Koh Phangan. Not that we're not enjoying ourselves - how can we not? It's just that the days will flow from one to the other in a fairly predictable daily routine of swimming, snorkelling, eating, reading, relaxing....you get the picture.

Cooking With Poo

What the heck - I couldn't think of a catchy title for our epic travel day (and night) from Bangkok to the southern islands, so I threw in my pic of the bestseller wall at the big Asia Books store. Now I finally know what gives Thai food that unique ....nah, let's not go there.

Trying Hard to Enjoy Bangkok

It's actually quite easy, logistically, to come to Thailand and not visit Bangkok. And truth be told, we did consider it. The place is a hot and polluted megalopolis, and considering the recent political unrest, we couldn't be blamed for giving it a miss. But somehow it felt like cheating - it's the social and cultural hub of the country. And since our train to the south leaves from Bangkok's Hua Lamphong station on Wednesday night, now we don't have much of a choice. So it was a quick one-hour flight down to the capital.

The 2:30 Barf Express to Chiang Mai

We returned the scooters, packed the bags, and readied ourselves for our ride back to Chiang Mai, and then just happened to cross paths with friends from the Cave Lodge...

Friday is Pai Day

So today it was time to bid farewell to the Cave Lodge. We had a marvelous time during our 5-day stay and made some awesome family memories. John and his crew run a laid back operation, and we would highly recommend it to anyone interested in a family adventure in the far corner of northern Thailand.

Ten Things I Learned on a Thailand Trek

After Tuesday’s failed attempt at reaching the Karen village on the other side of the mountain from the Cave Lodge, today we thought we would do it the proper (safe and sensible) way.

A Frontier Border Town

Today we readied ourselves for a long road trip - this meant bundling up. The nights are cool, well....downright cold, in Northern Thailand, so we needed to be prepared. Armed with gloves purchased at the Tuesday Soppong market, we headed out on an all day adventure -a 200km round trip adventure close to the Burmese border.

Tuesday Soppong Mega Mall

As I mentioned in a previous post, Soppong is a bit of a one horse town (and we're staying eight kilometers down the road in an even smaller settlement - does that make it a one goat town?), but once a week the tiny village comes alive with the Tuesday market.

To the Bat Cave!!

Our first morning at the Cave Lodge - the place is fairly rustic, but our hut is huge and kids think it's great - they have a whole loft section for themselves.

The Long and Winding Road

Today was a travel day - with our final destination being the Cave Lodge near the tiny town of Soppong towards the Thai-Burma border. Not a lot of narrative - mainly photos.

Our Thai Prison Experience

We had no set plans today - it was a day to simply wander around Chiang Mai and explore the sights and sounds. If any of you have ever been to this city, you will understand that this inevitably means temple hopping.

At the Elephant Nature Park

The majestic elephant is revered by Thais, and nowhere is this more evident than here in Chiang Mai – their images are prominent in temples and serve as the focal point of many decorative wood carvings throughout the city.

Get Into the Groove

We never seemed to get into our rhythm on day one in Chiang Mai - not sure why. Nothing seemed to go smoothly, most of my photos seemed a bit off, and we had a big scare with our scooters.

One Country Down, 12 to Go.

We’re off to the Land of Smiles (except for those protesters in a few public squares in downtown Bangkok – c’mon Thais, turn those frowns upside down – the Boltwoods are coming !!)

Yes, that’s a.m. Good lord, that’s early !! Off to the airport for our flight to Bangkok.

A Shout Out to Friends

As we say farewell to the Ilha Formosa, a big thank you to all of our Taiwan friends – our five days were short but sweet, and our visit made special by friends who house us....

Superbowl Monday....wha??

I have been on this earth for 42 years, and was beginning to wonder if any of my favourite sports teams - Canucks, Expos, Seahawks - would ever win a big championship game. With the Expos gone, and the Canucks mastering the playoff disappearing act, it all rested on the shoulders of Seattle. Go 'Hawks !!

Goodbye for now...and on to Taipei

The ‘Longtan Scooter Shuttle Service’ was in full swing this morning as we headed to the bus station for the trip into Taipei – with people and luggage it took a few trips, but we all made it in one piece.

Chinese New Year is Family Time

Our first two days were spent visiting Shirley’s sister, brother-in-law and nephew. Despite some language barriers and age difference between the cousins, they always have a blast together.

No rush upon leaving the airport this morning at 6 am – we decided to take local transport (slow and cheap) instead of a taxi (fast and expensive), as the relatives wouldn’t even be up yet. Two buses and a scooter ride later, and we were in Longtan, a small town in northern Taiwan.