So this is my attempt to catch up on my blog in one post. January, as you all know, has been a very hectic month for me. First, Phuket for New Years. Ciana, Olivia, Allie and I headed down Thursday night on an overnight bus. When we arrived Friday morning we were a little bummed because it was raining. We decided this wasn't so bad because it would save us from the sun and dehydration before the crazy night ahead of us. We checked into our hostel, got some food, did some shopping and took a much needed nap. Our evening began with a party our hostel was throwing for all of its guests, which included dinner (free AND delicious!) and different 'getting to know you' games. After it was finished we headed to the beach with some new friends and partied the night away. It was a perfect way to ring in 2011.
Ciana, Me, Olivia and Allie on the beach
The rest of the weekend was spent tanning, shopping and eating delicious Mexican food. We left Sunday night, arriving back in Suphan Monday morning. We 'taught' class on Tuesday, but really took a trip to Ayuttaya to finalize our work permits and check in with immigration. (As a foreigner living in Thailand you have to check in with immigration every 90 days, no matter how long you've been here.) Then Tuesday night we were off again, heading north to Chiang Mai to visit my friend Riley who I met studying abroad in New Zealand. We arrived Wednesday morning and spent the next two days exploring and relaxing. Chiang Mai is a very artsy/hipster/university town that is unlike any other place I've been to in Thailand. It was amazing getting a glimpse into Riley's life there (she's a teacher at Chiang Mai University) and comparing it to my own experience. It was also really refreshing to see a city for the first time from an insider perspective and not as a tourist. We had a great time eating so much food (especially ripe mango and avocado), riding around with 3 people on a motor bike, meeting Riley's friends and exploring a new town.
An average street in the Old City of Chiang Mai
The sunset from Riley's apartment
Ciana, Me and Riley at her impromptu birthday party
After four great days we headed back to Suphan, arriving Sunday morning. We had to teach Monday and Tuesday and then it was off on our final adventure, Koh Phi Phi. Koh Phi Phi is where Leo filmed The Beach and arguably the best beach in the world. After having been there I can attest, it was the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. Plus, the entire island has been developed for backpackers (it immediately became a must see for backpackers traveling around SE Asia after the movie premiered.) So basically this is my heaven on Earth. A stunning beach filled with people from all over the world who just want to explore and meet each other. The cherry on top? It has some of the best dive sites in Thailand. As soon as we arrived I knew it was going to be very hard to leave. We spent the next 4 days tanning, exploring Koh Phi Phi Don (where we stayed), Koh Phi Phi Le (a neighboring, uninhabited national park) and smaller surrounding islands, meeting lots of people and eating and drinking a little too much. It was the perfect way to end our little vacation stint and I cannot wait to go back!
The beach on Koh Phi Phi
The sunset at the end of our boat tour around the islands
Side note: This is merely the spark notes versions of our trips. It seemed too daunting to write full blog posts for each trip, and a sure fire way to guarantee that I never caught up. If you want any more details just let me know, I would be more than happy to talk about them!
The rest of January has been spent relaxing, re-cooperating and teaching two full weeks (the first time that has happened this semester). It was a little harder then I imagined to get back into the swing of things, but I think I'm finally there. Now it's off to Kanchanaburi for the weekend!
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