Thailand!!!

PAI

jessik — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:10:00 GMT

The highlight of my trip....we were able to do many cultural activities and hang out on an organic self sestaining farm. Sabrina hooked us up with a friend of hers that has commited to helping grow this farm. Areil is now our friend and an over grteat guy. We stayed in bamboo bungalows...hung out at a hot springs. Natural springs that have the mud you pay lots of money at the spa for...so fun we all covered ourself in it and transformed into tribal peoples. The springs are boiling hot and smell of sulfur...we hard boiled eggs directly in the spring!!!

Greg and I helped the first day we stayed there and planted pumpkins using elephant dung as fertilizer...that day we also shopped in a traditional Thai market not one catering to tourist..Sandot the farm owner showed us around and we purchased veggies to supplement our dinnerthat we cooked on small traditional wood burning stoves....It was so great cooking...It's funny the everyday things we often hate doing you miss so much while traveling.....everyone at the farm chips in it's acctually really great!

so now I know how to use a machetti and can make all eating utinsles needed for a meal. we all traveled to the forest and hiked to the spot near the river where we set up shop! Sandot showed use that river water could be drank by digging a hole inwhich the sand could filter the water...not the best tasting but served it's purpose....the bamboo forest was mainly plant, trees, bamboo of course and red bettles that crawled everywhere and daddy long leg spiders....the spiders where everywhere and climbed on you and the log where we where cutting I'm sure some are missing some legs due to their kamakazze climb on everything ways....

Pai continued soon.....

Siam Reap

jessik — Tue, 6 Apr 2010 17:29:00 GMT

What a great city....so refreashing from Phenom Penh. Much more relax vibe and the temples are truly amazing. These structures have with held the hands of time and hold so much history and there are so many of them! Most are hindu temples andf thus have a lot of mystical gods and animals decorating and gaurding the temple walls!!!

we saw all the large and famous temples...even the Tomb Radier temple...the trees have taken back their forest showing those wall who's boss...Greg has posted pics on Facebook! Cambodia is a very poor country and has such an extensive history..they have learned to capitalize on the people and the money that comes into their country...almost annoyingly...you can not walk down the street without someone trying to get you to eat at their shop or take their tuk tuk or buy something....and they all call me lady....so funny....very different!

Phnom Penh

jessik — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:29:00 GMT

So where in the capital...huge place so many motor bikes...the trafic is crazy. People truning every which way..there are lanes painted on the street but they for sure don't use them. we rode in the back of a tuk tuk all day. What is a tuk tuk you ask? A passenger trailer pulled by a moped....they drive as crazy as the motor bkies...squeeing in between two big trucks riding on sidewalks....a few near misses. I was white knuckling it the whole trip!!!

We visited some places yesterday a piece of Cabodia's dark recent past. Starting 1975ish through 1978 Cambodia was "liberated" by the Kameher Rouge. The rode in and changed life for the worst. They cleared the capital city forcing everyone to leave everything a take on a rural life. Thier goal was to create a self sustaning society made of loyal workers. That being said all those of power and of any intellecence where tortured and killed.

We started our day at S-21 once a place of childhood glee and learning turned into a tortue and death camp. A chilling place, for the very devices and rooms in which this horrors occured where visited. I'm not going into detail about the torture but it's hard to belive thing like that still wentand goes on so late in our history.

Our next stop was the killing fields outside the city. People where brought in by the truck load with the understanding the were there to work. soon to discover death was just around the corner. No one was spared even children and babies. Thier deaths and beatings where to prevent a uprising in the future. There was a tree specifically set aside for the beating and death of children. Mass graves every where and even in the walk ways( paths) bone and cloths could be seen sticking out of the ground. A chilling place...a huge stupa (shrine) was built to honor and show respect for the many that parised....the stupa was filled top to bottom with bone of only a small portion of those who lost thier lives...

A sad day of reflection......

More of Cambodia!!!

jessik — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 19:46:00 GMT

so we stayed on Bamboo Island for 4 days...just us and a few others...very quite and relaxing! We meet a couple and we are traveling with them. we went to kampot it's a city on the river....pretty small and dirty...our guest house is nice it's called Bohdi Villa we have a bungalow with only three walls....so crazy! It's on a river that we can chill by and swim! We just got back from a motor bike ride to Kep which is about 30km from where we are staying. I didn't drive Greg did...the other couple got two bikes I was nervous because I never rode one before.....I would have been fine! We are going to Phnom Pen the capital tomorrow then Siam Reap(Indiana Jones Temples)..... kisses!

Cambodia...

jessik — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:39:00 GMT

What a different world....a lot poorer and always in your face to buy something or take you here or there....a little overwhelming! We stayed one night in Koh Krong sunday night and got up early to take a bus to Sihanoukville...another beach spot! Very busy beach with kids selling bracelets, begging for money, trying to giver you a pedicure....the entire stretch of the beach is full of shops and places to eat...they use the reil and the us dollar here....so strange using the dollar again. Still really cheap...our next journey is either going to a small island called rabbit island 3 hours from Keap(another beach city) or going to bamboo island near here...love you guys!!!

Snorkling......

jessik — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:29:00 GMT

so we bought a snorkling package that included trips to 4 island all our gear and food and drink fo the whole day.....we say so many fish and reefs it was great fun!!! We say a parrot fish...very colorful and instead of moving their fins from frunt to back the move them up and down like a bird! We say baby turtles.....just great.

the next day we went to the other side of the island...called long beach very quiet and secluded the only turn on the electricity from 6pm -1am...so relaxing falling asleep to the waves is very soothing. Getting there wasn't so relaxing...they cram all us in a "taxi" ten people with their backpacks on top crammed in the back of a pick up truck the size of dad's we a least had a bench to sit on....the craziest part was the road that lead to where we where headed...bumpy to say the least and steep....so funny!!!

Trip to the waterfall......

jessik — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:10:00 GMT

What a great day yesterday!!! We took a scooter ride to one of the waterfalls here actually the only one that really has water flowing...we're in their dry season! Along the way to the trail head we stopped to check out the elephants and their camp...there was a baby born in January that was sooooo cute but my favorite part was the baby monkey!!!! Yes, baby monkey!!! he was chilling in a basket on one of the tables!!1 We got to hold him and play with him! So cute...I want one!!!!

We proceeded to the waterfall and reached it after paying 200 bht and hiking 700m. There was a small lagoon that we swam in and chilled on the rocks taking pictures and enjoying the rain forest! I had to stop on the way back to see my baby again....we drank tea ate a Popsicle and and played with that baby monkey!!! Funny thing I was holding him and he peed on my hand!!! Yuck!!!! but sooo funny...after that I just played no more holding!!!!

Ending our day was chilling out on the beach with a swim and a read.....tomorrow we do an Island hop and snorkling!!!!

Koh Chang

jessik — Mon, 8 Mar 2010 22:31:00 GMT

Here in Koh chang the second biggest Island of Thailand. We got here fri and have been having so much fun here in paradise! Fri night we had dinner on the beach and finished the evening dancing the night away on the beach. We are staying in bungalows ( small huts with your own bathroom). We been enjoying the sun and rented to moped for only 200 bauht a day...basically $6. Tomorrow we are going to check out the elephants and hike to a waterfall.

We hung out at this local bar and met some of the locals. The bartender spoke very good english and we had fun hanging out with them. I great place! It's so cheap here! I haven't even spent $300 food, logging and shopping included!!!

I love you guys and miss you! Lauren amazing news!!!! Congrats!!! Names yet? Everyone check out my pics on facebook!!!

Photos: Thailand

jessik — Sun, 7 Mar 2010 18:02:00 GMT

Bangkok...

jessik — Thu, 4 Mar 2010 10:47:00 GMT

Having so much time exploring....so much to do and see....sooo many people!!!! Yesterday we went to a huge market and did some cheap, cheap shoping! Got a few thing for mear dollars! We ended our dat with a FISH foot massage!! Yeah I said fish....you pay for 15, 20, or 30 minutes! They "kiss" and suck on your feet!!! I couldn't stop laughing!! So strange! Greg hated it!!! We didn't last the whole 15 mins. I'm not even normally ticklish... had to try it!!!

We are meeting so many cool people from around the world! I'm having a lot of trouble sleeping! any suggestions? So Now I'm up at 7am which is 7pm yesterday in NY! Soon I'll be at the beach!!! Hopefully I'll relax there! We are heading to ko chang tommorrow morning!

Beautiful beaches, tree houses and elephants!!! Love you all...picture soon!

One night in Bangkok...wait 1st night!

jessik — Tue, 2 Mar 2010 22:34:00 GMT

So I'm here! Started at 11pm Sunday night and got here 8am Tues morning...talk about a trip! The airline was greata nd we all had our own Tvs I could sleep very well and watched about 6 movies!!!

Customs was a breeze and Greg swooped me up at the airport! The streets are crazzy here!! Pink taxis zipping about scooters everywhere...people, stores, food!!! Greg and I ate some food got a massage and chilled today...I'm so sleepy! Trying to stay up so I can sleep tonight to aclamate! Just want everyone to know I here andf good!!!!