A few of my favorite things....

It's nice to be back in the US. I'm rapidly falling into my old spring break routine of lounging around my sister's house. Not a bad life, all in all. Just me and the dogs hanging around the house during the day, watching TV, listening to music, just chillin'....

So the main question about my trip from most people seems to be, "What were your favorite and least favorite parts of the trip?" It was a tough question at first. I have crammed a lot in over the last 6 weeks. But I've narrowed it down to a simple answer:

• Favorite thing: The camel safari (see the archive for more details on that)
• Least favorite thing: The motocycle wreck that James and I witnessed, and possibly caused, in India. We were walking back from the internet cafe and this kid went past us on a scooter, no helmet, of course. James and I both have a sneaking suspicion that the rider was actually looking at us, but we aren't sure. Whatever he was doing doesn't matter, but the end result was that he swerved, lost control, and tipped over. By the time we got to him, he was bleeding from the head and having a seizure. I've had some first aid training, but not for this situation, especially in a different country. We didn't speak the language, didn't know who to call, and had no idea if getting involved would help or just complicate things. So we left - not to worry, we made sure other people were in the process of helping before we left. I am now a huge advocate for helmets on any type of bike - 'Cause this kid wasn't even going very fast....

My favorite country - India. Hands down. Thailand didn't even come close.

India is real. You can't escape the reality of the country no matter how hard you try or how much money you are willing to spend. And I liked that. I compare it to doing extreme sports. India is "extreme travel" -You can get a rush from accomplishing a visit there. I liked Thailand, but the areas where I went were too touristy. Beautiful, but very western and touristy. I loved India. And that's saying something, considering that I was homesick for a while, had a headcold the majority of the trip, or was just downright miserable with travel-related intestinal problems for a good week and a half.

I'll be back in Denver soon - probably next week. Although I still don't actually have a ticket back, so I can stay here until I get kicked out! We went to see Jay Leno yesterday, which was a lot of fun. Next week, my aunt and I are off to see the General Hospital set. Hollywood in action, I can't wait!

Pictures from Thailand

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Top to bottom:

• The beach on Ko Phi-Phi
• Nicole in the middle of the tourist insanity of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok
• Me - in the Grand Palace/Temple in Bangkok
• Statue - I just like it for some reason
• Our elephant from a short elephant ride on Ko Lanta

Just a few images from the camel safari

Pictures from India

These are pics from when I was volunteering in India (from top to bottom):

• Me and Steve (one of the other volunteers) on a carnival ferrris wheel in Jaipur. It looked a little sketchy, but we made it and I have to admit it was a lot of fun!
• the Taj Mahal
• The boat we took to the island we were working on in Jaipur, with the Jal Mahal (water palace) in the background
• James, Steve, and me - hard at work on my last day on the island (and yes, all three of us are really tall)
• me posing with James while I was trying out my sari

Blistering Heat

OK, so I know this is technically "cool" weather for Thailand, but to me, it's roasting. Mostly, it's the sun. I tend to think that the sun is pretty warm in Denver just because of the altitude. But the sun here puts Denver to shame... I can feel my arms begin to sizzle within seconds of stepping out of the shade. As a result, I've been hanging out in the shade as much as possible. But even with my best efforts, I still managed to get sunburned on my knees and shoulders and nose. I'm still not quite sure how since I've been wearing a hat since I got here and the sunscreen has been continuously reapplied. It's a mystery...

We went for a hike today up to a nearby cave on Ko Lanta. First we took an elephanty ride, then hiked, then explored the cave a bit. Saw some monkeys in the trees. It was a really short trip, but a nice break from the beach. Although, my ankle seems to have been re-agitated by the hiking, so it's nicely swollen once again. Luckily, I have ACE bandages at the ready!

Other than that, there's not too much to tell. Bootleg copies of CDs are available everywhere for 100 Baht... or a little over $2. So I've stocked up. We'll see how they work, but right now I have added The Rolling Stones, Eminem, Frank Sinatra, Keane, and a few others. I don't think I could have gotten a more random selection if I had tried!

We're off to Bangkok tomorrow for some last minute sightseeing and shopping (well, I plan on shopping anyway). :) And then we fly out on Saturday morning. I have to admit I am looking forward to being back in the States. I'll be in LA for at least another week after that. We're off to see Jay Leno, maybe visit DisneyLand, and, if possible, I might take a motorcycle class while I'm there just because. So the trip isn't quite over yet!

I'll get my pictures loaded next week so I can share them with everyone! See you all soon!

-Katie

The Beach

Nicole and I are staying in Paradise at the moment. We're in a bungalow on Ko Phi Phi. It's amazing. The water is beautiful, crystal clear. The surrounding islands are amazing to see. The movie The Beach w/Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed on the neighboring island.

This island has a narrow strip of land where many bungalows and businesses were located before last year's tsunami. They are still rebuilding and have made a phenominal amount of progress. It's good to see that things seem to be back in business after just a year.

Today we slept in, laid around on the beach for a while, got a Thai massage on the beach, then rented a kayak and paddled around the bay. It was beautiful. A great day. Tomorrow we're off to Ko Lanta and then we fly to Bangkok from Krabi on Thursday. One day in Bangkok.... and then it's back to the States.

That's it for now!
-Kt

Greetings again from Chiang Mai!

After a lovely two days in Pai, in northern Thailand, I've arrived back in Chiang Mai. I fly out again tomorrow afternoon and I'll be meeting up with Nicole and Brian. Brian flies out on Saturday morning, back to Denver. Nicole and I are off to the beaches for a week of hanging out in the sun. I have a feeling that next week is going to fly by as quickly as this week did.

Chiang Mai and norther Thailand have been awesome. Mostly I am amazed by the number of really cool, friendly people I've met along the way.

So I'm looking forward to meeting new people in the the south and I really can't wait to see some familiar faces tomorrow!

More later,
Kt