You want to go WHERE??????:

August 22, 2005
Khao Lak

Yesterday, we flew from Chaing Mai to Phuket so that we could get to Khao Lak where we would be volunteering for the next two weeks. Getting to Khao Lak actually proved to be much more frustrating that we thought it would be. The reaction of people when we told them where we wanted ranged greatly, basically it was "why?????". No one wanted to take us there and kept offering us to go to other places and telling us we really didn't want to go there.

In the end, we took an airport taxi. However, the frustrations did not end there. I had no contact with the volunteer centre myself and had just assumed that either Faith or Leia would know where we were going. I was wrong. None of us knew where we were going, our poor driver probly spent a good half hour driving us back around the national park and the town trying to figure out where we needed to go. After driving aimlessly for a while our driver pulled into a parking lot infront of a bar. Pointed at someone and said why don't you ask them. [so in truth he pulled into the parking lot of a bar with white people sitting front of it, pointed to them and said they'll speak english ask them].

After all that we found the centre and got registered in.

We are staying in a bungalow that is behind Pia Massage and Bar, the bar that we had pulled into originally. It's weird that we're living behind a bar but it is also the nicest place we have stayed thus far. I have no idea how this is going to work though with all 3 of us sharing a tiny room like this. oh well we'll see.

Tourist day

August 20, 2005
Chaing Mai

Yesterday, immediately after arriving in Chaing Mai we had gotten waylaid on our way to our guesthouse by this woman who was part of the tourst assoication. So basically we got talked into doing one of the touristy things that we have since arriving in Thailand. Anyways, today we left for a day trip so that we can ride elephants, visit some of the hilltribes and ride bamboo rafts. We had lots of fun but I did learn several things from this visit.

1) Elephants are really agile. They were scrambling up hills that I would not try to hike up.
2) In general, the local men will make any excuse to touch the white girls. (HAHAHHAHAHA)
3) The villages tend to expect you to buy something.
4) A "walk" is really a hour long hike thorugh the jungle on a path that is about a foot wide.
5) "It will be a little slippery" means "oh you WILL fall. "
6) it is really difficult to swim towards a waterfall.
7) I am accident prone.
8) expect to get wet when anyone is taking you anywhere on a raft.
9) you get over the fact that there are bugs everywhere really quickly
10) did i mention that the local men will make any excuse to touch the white girls.

But overall it was a great experience. Had lots of fun. Took lots and lots of pictures.

mmmmm food

August 19, 2005
Chiang Mai - Cooking Class

Since we were only going to be in Chiang Mai for the next couple of days, this was going to be the only chance we would have of taking a Thai cooking course. There were seven of us altogether me, Lei, Faith and four Brits. So as someone who cooks regularly and enjoys cooking it was really funny to watch the people around me. Cause baby can you tell exactly who doesn't cook.
I totally thought someone was going to cut/burn themselves before the night was over.

Anyways, we started the class off a the market place where we bought all the ingredients that would be needed for the stuff we have decided to make. I don't know if I should be amused or not at the antics of the Brits that where in our group. Both couples ran around taking pictures of the market place and I don't mean pictures of the whole market place. I kid you not, this is a conversation that I overheard.

Brit Girl #1: "oh my god!!! Look! Look!"
Brit Boy #1: "Wot?"
BG #1: "look at that. Its a trotter. Take a picture." hahaha " I can't believe it's a trotter"
flash flash
BG#2: "hey wot are you looking at"
BG#1: "its a trotter!!!!"
BG#2: "Oh my god! Honey you have to take a picture of this!!"

I was really was amazed at their enthusiasm. And you really could see that they were having a great time. Maybe I'm just being cynical or I'm just more used to seeing stuff like this.

Ahh Deet how I adore you

August 19, 2005
Chiang Mai

I have made a discovery: twelve hour train rides basically leave you feeling like you've just spent a month without shower. I felt gross. Ok I must point out that we did spend an entire day in Bangkok and then hop on an overnight train that would take us to Chiang Mai, all without showering. So basically I was gross, well disgusting really. hahaha if only my mom could see me now.

The train itself is not that bad a of a ride. They set you up with a bed with linens and a pillow and the idea is that you will sleep the entire trip. Well that' s the idea anyways. So there I was all snug in my little bed cubby and really asleep for the first time since arriving on this trip and I kinda realize hmmm wait a minute why am I so cold??????

I open my eyes and guess what I see. The window has fallen down completely and it's now raining. Now as a former Vancouverite I don't mind the rain, we actually like it. And being a little damp isn't anything new considering the its about 98% humidity and really we're never going to be dry anyways. It is the fact that as I look around I am covered, COVERED in bugs.
[Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

I really have no idea how long that window had been open but the train has already entered the more rural areas of Thailand as we had gone along. All the bugs that had been on the trees next to the train tracts are now crawling all over me. So I did what any rational adult would do. I jumped up and started flung the sheets from me like the girly girl that I am. Hopping up and down to get them all off me.

Hey...What would you do. At least after shaking everything off I climbed back into that bed and got more sleep. [After I had emptied an entire container of bug spray onto my sleeping bag and body. ]