Tuk Tuk!? DVD!? Sunglasses!? Handbag!? Where you from!? Massage?! It gets really tiresome hearing this as we try to make our way to the beach but a smile and "No thank you" makes them happy that you've at least acknowledged them. Phuket is tourist city, but since that is what we in fact are, we quite enjoy it here...minus the crowds and over paying for everything I'd say it was well worth the stop, even with it's McDonald's and Starbucks on almost every corner. Bangla road is lined with bars offering ping pong or ladyboy shows. Patong beach is packed with people and two rows of bathing chairs from one end of the beach to the other. The chairs cost over 10$ a day to rent but in front of them there is a large area of soft sand that we were able to relax on. But as we lie there it's hard not to imagine what it was like that day in 2004 while hundreds of tourists lined the beach just like us, as a wave of destruction crashed upon them..... But here we are almost 8 years later, loads of tourists enjoying every corner of this beachy  paradise!

About a month ago while sitting along the river in Luang Prabang (Laos) enjoying dinner, Karli shocked me by saying something along the lines of " I think I'll get a tattoo with you while we are here". I could not believe my ears because like many, I never really thought body art was something she was interested in. Right away we started throwing around ideas, thinking about our trip so far and what we have learnt/ felt. Right away we decided it would have to have a tie to Cambodia since both of us left a piece of our hearts there. We eventually decided that the people of this great land (especially Cambodians and the Laotians) have taught us is that life is for living not working and gaining material things but for doing things that make you happy, spending time with loved ones, learning and laughing. At first we decided to get the tattoo behind our ear.....good thing we had a month to think about it, we eventually decided to get it on our heart side on our upper ribs. Our good friend Kevin is Cambodian so thankfully we didn't have to worry about it not meaning what we wanted it to. We also decided to get the tattoos in the traditional Thai bamboo way, not the typical tattoo gun. This was quite an experience, and due to the fact that the needle only goes half as deep, there is no scabbing and you are able to sun bathe and swim the next day, perfect for us!

If we were told five years ago that we would be traveling south east Asia together getting matching tattoos neither one of us would ever believe it! But here we are making memories of a lifetime. So, with some new ink, new bikinis and more amazing memories, we leave Phuket and head south to lazy Koh Lanta. 

Much love,

C&K