Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
March 10th-21st
Whitten Journal
Krabi,
Thailand
by Elisha
So I turned 31 in Thailand on the 11th! That was cool to spend it in
Thailand!Ryan treated me (and the girls) to a really nice resturant.I
got to choose whatever I wanted onthe menu.It was great!
I chose fried duck in plum sauce! Yum!And than
Ryan suprised me with a peice of chocolate cake and for him coffee
cake.He than took the girls to the hotel to stay with them there and
sent me out with an amount of cash to spend on myself.I walked off
with a smile and a spring in my step thinking...it would be alot more
fun to buy gifts for Jade and Ryan!You know how every Christmas it
can get more and more tough trying to guess what to buy eachother
thinking we each have way more than we ever really need.Well, it was
way fun buying gifts for my little family because we don't have much and
what we do have is way valuable to us.I knew exactly what I wanted to
buy my so loved ones!Ryan only brought 2 shirts and 2 shorts and 1 pair of
underwear...for the whole year! We,(Eli,Jade, and Eva) brought about
3 of each item of clothing.Every time I would wash our clothes by hand
which is about every 3rd day, he would'nt get his washed for he had to
wear it...or I would wash them but than he would have to wear his
shorts wet.I sent out to find him a nice shirt and a nice pair of
shorts.He was very thankful!Jade I knew was growing out of her shoes
and they were giving her soars on her feet.I spent a half hour picking
out just the right pair of shoes for her.They both glowed with delight
when they found their much needed gifts! I had so much fun loving on
them.
Days have been pretty hot here in Thailand.We found out that we
are entering Thailand at it's hottest season!Cycling has been
more of a challange these hot days.Our longest cycling day yet was the
13th of March and the heat seemed to make it even longer!That day we rode
120 kilometers...Ryan said that was like riding your bike from
PalmerLake to the outskirts of Denver and back again!Wow, I was
exausted!!! I didn't feel so well after we finished that fine day.
I felt sick.After talkig to a few people who are actually from northern
Thailand,we think we might want to skip most of Thailand by train and head
right into Laos!They say it is really hot now up north where we were planning
on cycling next.105 degrees during the day and very cool at night.So the
people are getting quite sick.We have been enjoying Thailand so far though!
It is extreamly beautiful especially where we are right now which is on the
west coast (about midway point on the southern strip of Thailand.)If you are
looking at a map, we are near the city of Krabi...close to Pukhet and the
Island of Pei pei(where the movie "The Beach" was filmed)The hills are tall
and narrow and very full of green vegitation!Not lacking in the coolest
cliffs to repell and rock climb off of.There is this really amazing beach we
experienced where the rock cliffs are so interesting!Caves you can swim
through to other private beach sides and the rock cliffs have this amazing
dripping effect...towering way far above and over your head!!!This is caused
by the salty sea water that had receeded from a great,enormous flood that
occured in past history!I have read about this flood from the Bible...
something like that is pretty HUGE and amazing!Really leaves a beautiful
feature to just stand in awe...or rather swim in awe,observing with curious
eyes!
We have had a wonderful time as a family here off the coast of Krabi.We
took a boat around the cliffs to a place called Raily.When you are there it
feels like you are on an island.The only way to get there is by boat because
the cliffs and hills are so towering!There aren't many cars there. Just
little walking paths between beaches and villages where you can buy a good
meal or enjoy the very active night life we much enjoyed!!!Regae music,
dancing...moonlight walks down the beach...feeling the wet sand between your
toes and gazing out across the water to the sun set behind those beautiful
Thai hills!
There were many things to do there.I have 2 exceptionally good
memories I will keep forever in my little heart, of really good family time!
One was a day we rented out a sea kayak and put all four of us on it.We
spent 1/2 a day paddling around large rock formations that shot straight out
of the water!When you got up close you could see several water caves you can
padddle into and bring the kayak up on sand inside the cave to get out and
explore!Wow how much fun that was!We felt like "Swiss Family Whittens!"
Living like true explorers!
The other experience I am quite fond of is we signed up for a guided
snorkle trip with a large group.I know it sounds quite "touristy" but it
really wasn't that feel.It was so unique!The group was a large family from
Norway and a couple others from France.They were all alot of fun to get to
know while traveling by a large wooden boat.Than we would make about 4
different stops to all get out and snorkle together!Looking at the fish
and sea creatures together.They would send Jade down in the water with the
other small kids that were on the boat with each a banana to hold.The fish
would go "NUTS" all over them!Hundreds of colorfull fish come to bite at the
bananas!Those kids loved the experience!Than when the sun was setting,
casting dark pink streeks into the sky,they took us to a sucluded island
strip out in the sea.We adults conversed and swaped stories about the
different lands we come from, while Jade played chase with all the other kids
and Eva sported in neatly packing her little pampers with sand.As the sun
went down slowly, our guides prepared a feast there on the sand and lite
torches which gave a "romantic" glow to the beach.We filled our bellies with
warm rice and hot curry coconut chicken drizzled over with lightly cooked
vegitables!WOW!YUM!We finished and all pilled into the boat for one more
snorkle stop to swim at sea in pitch dark to observe the glowing,bubble-like
creatures that swirl around your legs and fingers when you move.As we sailed
on our slightly long journey home from fun...a down pour of rain pelted the
water and the top of the boat!Beautiful,purple lightning filled the sky and
reflected on the sea.It was so beautiful to me!So refreshing and exciting!
We huddled like close family inside the boat as we waited to pull in closer
to land.We had to make a transfer from our large sail boat to a small
fisherman boat out in the middle of the water.At "low tide" the boat is too
large to pull up to land.This is where we got wet!And quiet...just staying
huddled under the small tarp over us, in the small,swaying boat.Hard,
hammering rain came in at us on all sides and thunder rummbled softly in the
distance.I held Eva close to my breast under a towel (a Thai man with
long "rasta" dreads loaned to me).A sweet girl with a sweet smile from
England held Jade tight and close to her in her towel.We made it back safe
though very soaked from a short walk down the beach to our hotel.We found
out on arrival all lights were out at the resort we were at and they were
handing out lanterns to all the guests.Searching for Eva's last daiper in
the dark was interesting.It was kind of a deformed daiper I had saved for
last, it was missing the sticky tape on one side,and if filled...will
spill:) Ryan offered to go out in the storm to buy some more pampers but I
didn't want him to have to do that in that lightning...I love him too much!
So I found some of our medical tape, taped her daiper to her and we all fell
to sleep:)
Ryan got some good rockclimbing in,though he'll have to tell you details on
his experience when he gets chance to write.He says it was really
advanced climbs...a good workout and good challenge!
- comments