Happy

We got back from Thailand yesterday, and I absolutely loved it there. I feel well rested, calm, happy, and at peace with the world. I suppose this is why we go on vacation, to restore those much-needed feelings of serenity.

The hubby and I traveled with a group of 10 other people plus a trip leader, with the Australian tour company Intrepid. The trip leaders (we had two different ones for each of the weeks we were there) were invaluable; not only did they translate language issues, but they also provided cultural and logistical explanations for anything we ran across.


We started in Bangkok and traveled west for the first week through the province of Kanchanaburi. We stayed in small villages (in some amazing hotels/bungalows/huts) and learned about Thai culture by visiting temples and marketplaces. The food we ate was unbelievable; inexpensive and healthy, and often made right in front of you. Thai food is so good! It's really healthy, with lots of seafood and vegetables and noodles or rice. The American dollar goes a long way there, so for about 60 baht (roughly $2 US) you could have a filling and healthy meal.


After returning to Bangkok at the end of the first week, we took an overnight train down to the southern part of the country for the second week. We spent the majority of the second week on the various islands of Thailand, riding boats and taking island tours. It was more touristy; since it's such a paradise many people go there. But we had a grand time anyway... I love being on the water and seeing the amazing rocks jutting out of the sea. The landscape is so different there... vegetation grows on all the mountains and rocks, and their scale is so large. It's unlike anything we have here in the northeast.

I'm a bit sad to be back. But I am happy to have my bed again, and to use western toilets (Asian squat toilets aren't the greatest). I feel incredibly lucky to have experienced something totally different for a couple of weeks. I'm ready to plan our next trip already...