Asia 2008

Hello Everyone!

Parker and I are enjoying Thailand. Soon after arriving, we left Bangkok and headed north to Chiang Mai, a smaller and more relaxed city where we started acclimating and recovering from jet lag. Chiang Mai is a jumping off point for many travelers who wish to venture off on treks to visit the northern hill tribes. It has become a little over run by tourists over the years, so we are saving our trek for northern Laos, which should be a more positive experience. Chiang Mai is full of markets selling lots of great Thai goods. We've been doing a bit of shopping and just mailed ourselves a decent sized package of fun things to enjoy back home. It will probably arrive after we return!

Other than shopping and visitng several beautiful wats (buddhist temples), we have been enjoying the low cost of health care in Thailand. Parker and I got our teeth cleaned (with a water pick and water polisher) for $25 each. There were cheaper options, of course, but we chose the brand new big clinic with all new state-of-the-art equipment. Parker got two cavities filled for $18. Anyone who doesn't have insurance and needs major dental work done should head to Thailand. For the same price (and maybe less!), you can get excellent work done (if not better than the US) and fit in a fun vacation to Thailand. For those of you with insurance (like myself), you can head to Thailand and get better care than you can get in the US (water pick and composite fillings instead of awful scraping and amalgam) for less than the cost of your deductible (minus the cost of the trip). Sound like an advertisement yet? Well listen to this - Parker went to the eye doctor and got prescription sunglasses made for $50. The optomotrist discovered that the glasses Parker had made in the US a year ago weren't correct in the one eye (which explains his headaches!) and made a new lens for $12.  Maybe we should set up a medical tourism business! Not to mention my stylin' new haircut for $12! Its not all cheap in Thailand. We splurged for a place to stay that has a pool with a waterfall which we thought justified the $8 a night.

We have been enjoying this chance to adjust to the different climate and time zone before we head off to a national park to do a bit of hiking and then venture over to the Laos border. We will hopefully get a chance soon to put pictures up on the computer. We'll keep you all informed!

We miss you all:) Much love,
Andrea and Parker