Ah! I'm so in vacation mode now - it seems hard to update this because my days are all starting to blend into one. =D
Mainly my last few days have consisted of waking up around 8, roaming about drinking tea and reading in the sun, and then finding a beautiful beach to eat breakfast on with Dave. There are so many beautiful little restaurants on beaches. Laurent's Dad and friends are here now, staying at a nice beach resort. So we usually spend the day on the resort, which is literally right on the beach. We roam the beach, swim in the ocean, go for oil and foot massages, and swim in the resorts pool and eat lunch there too! At happy hour they have 100 Baht cocktails ($3) so I've gotten a yummy strawberry colata, and malibu pinnapples. Dave has found his favorite cocktail: Frozen Banana Colata - sooo yummy.
After a long hard day at the beach we usually go back to Laura and Laurents for a bit - shower and freshen up, drink some water, and then we go to a different Thai restaurant everynight and have a great dinner with the whole family. Dave and I are still getting used to the time change - a bit, so we don't stay up later, usually bed time is 9:30. - But tonight we are going to our first beach party - can't wait to see how that goes!
So, let me tell you about my amazing day yesterday! Had another nice slow morning. - Dave and I now have rented a small motorbike (so much fun!, don't worry mum, we are really careful) but yesterday we didn't have a vehicle, so we decided to wander and see if we cold find breakfast anywhere close. We decided to follow a dirt road that had a sign leading to a 'cafe'. - WOW, when we got down the end of the road it was a bbeeeautiful, more secluded white sand beach, and the restaurant was tales in the sand, I ended up ordering fried rice with pinapple and prawn ( so many delicious prawn dishes here).
After breakfeast we discovered that Laurent had booked us an 'Elephant Trek' for 1:00 !!!!!!!!!! We got picked up on our street and rode in the back of a truck to the elephant sanctuary. After we got there I was please to see how we got on top of the elephant - You had to walk upstairs onto a wooden platform, and then you were on the same level as the elephants back, no climbing! They walked our elephant up - there is a seat attatched to it's back, a seat for two people, and the elephant leader rides on his head. I was soooo thrilled to see him!!!! We clibled onto the seat, a bit nervously, I was nervous for about 10 minutes, it seems really unstable, but you get used to it pretty quick, and , it is sturdy. A minute after we left, we walked into teh santuary, there must have been 10-15 other elephants! all just relaxing, eating, and getting hossed down. For anyone who doesn't know, I've loved elephants since I was about 3 years old, so this was huge huge experience for me, I held back tears alot. They are so rough! It didn't even feel like skin, and they have sooo much hair, mostly black, that sticks straight up like wire, I can't wait to post a photo. The elephant and his leader took us thru a series of trails thru the 'jungle'. It was SO hot, but a good hot, I felt amazing. The sun beeming on me, the lush jungle, butterflies and fowers everywhere, and on top of an elephant! We soon caught up with another elephant and a couple on top and the leader, it was nice to walk with them, because then I could see another elephants face, and also watch the expressions on the faces of the other couple. The Thai men that ride the elephants are so nice, and so funny. they are like little monkeys hopping on and off of the elephants. Our guy grabbed me a beautiful purple flower from a tree, and he grabbed some berries for Dave and I too, he was very proud. The walk lasted about an hour and then we were back at the sanctuary, - we got to pose with our elephant!!! Eeeeeee eee eee, they are so, so sweet, but, I was nervous, they are HUGE at it was my first time, I was close to it, and then it tapped me with his trunk. I could feel the strenth it held it it's trunk, and backed away a bit, what amazing, amazing animals. They were everything I imagined them to be. After that we were taken to some seat, and tthey showed us the baby elephant, he was about as tall as me, and sooooo much smller than the adults. So so beautiful. The adults skin is so droopy you can hardly see their eyes - but the fresh little baby had tight skin, so his eyes were huuuge, big brwon eyes, and he was so proud. The leader got him to do tricks for us. He posed very nicle, kicked a ball around, swirled a hoop around his trunk and played harmonican and danced. I Think I cried for this. After each trip he's lokk at us ad make noises, and you could just sence that he was so, so proud of himself while the 4 of us clapped and cooed for him. What a baby!!!! I love him. ( for anyone that's wondering, the santuary looked very nice, and the people all seemd really nice, I think the elephants have a pretty decent life there)
After the elephant ride Dave and I were feeling pretty darn happy. We went back to the house, got our beach stuff and went to the beach! Wehn we got there wo ordered food, ( I gotthe best Pad Thai I've had thus far, and then we went for foot massages! A one hour relaxing foot massage on the beach! After that we hit up the pool for a while, then had our happy hour. Then back home, changed had some drinks,and went for another amazing dinner, and then litterally came home and passed out. Dave was playing a video game o the bed and i was reading, and we both fell asleep that way!
Today we mey up with our friend Alex. Had a nice lunch with him and then found him a bungalow hut on the beach near us. It's a prtty little beach shack, with a nice bed and seperate toilet and shower room, and a balcony with a paio! I can't wait to stay at a place like this! After he was settled into the hut, we played on the beach and swam for a while, then went home chaged and now here I am at an internet cafe. Dave and I are gonna renew the bike for anoutehr 5 days, and then we're off for dinner and a party on the beach. I got some amazing photos of the elepahnts that I will post within the next day or tow, so check back, I'll make a link. Mum If I don't get time to e-mail you soon, I am not *trying* to stay pale, but I'm definatley wearing my 50 sunscreen everytime I'm out, so that i don't get a burn, I'lll definately be more tan by the time I'm back =)And DAD, happy Birthday! Your party sounded wild! I can't wait to see photos, and I wih I could have seen you taking shots!
Love you all And I'm glad to hear back that so many more people (than I thought) are reading this. I honestly wish I could share a little bit of this experience with everyone =)
