Koh Chang

Well...I am now in Koh Chang, Thailand. I arrived into Bangkok, Thailand on the 15th and stayed until the 17th. I then spent the next 9 days or so in Pattaya, Thailand. And now I'm in Koh Chang-it means Elephant Island. I'll be here until the 31st when I head back to China.

I'm loving the sunshine and the warm air-it's so refreshing for the soul. And my goodness are those fruit shakes absolutely delightful. Just fruit blended with ice! I think I talk about food on here a lot. You can tell where one of my passions is:) Yes, the food is great with fresh veggies and plenty of meat, which I don't get in China that often. And fresh fruit is served with every meal. And I'm getting good coffee here each morning.

I apologize that there aren't pictures, but there will be plenty to come. The beaches in Thailand are beautiful just like the magazines say they are! I'm thankful for the relaxing time and the sleep that I'll be getting this week because I definitely need it!

I'm hoping to go elephant trekking this week and kayaking. I've never done either. I'll be thinking about all of you and wishing you were here with me!

Whew!

Well...I made it out of Laos. I recovered from food poisening the next day. That was a relief. So off we went! We headed down to Luang Prabang where we ate some delicious Lao food and saw an incredibel waterfall. I jumped off of the top of this huge rock into the bottom of the waterfall. It was so much fun, freezing, but fun! The next day we headed to Vang Vieng, the outdoor activity capital of Laos. Apparently everyone tubes down the river. We decided not to do that but to go on a 43 km mountain biking adventure to see the countryside of Laos and explore caves. We left at 9:00am and returned at 5:00pm. It was not the 6 hour bike ride they promised:) We wandered off the trail a bit and ended up in a dead end (but the most beautiful!). And then next 8 hours were spent riding over major rocks and through mud and rivers while waving at all the Lao children screaming "Sabaidee" at us! Too cute!

We ended up getting lost yet again and decided to turn back. I had a huge rock hit my bike which caused the back brake to stay on the tire the rest of the ride back. I also had cow poo flung up onto my lef while peddling which I couldn't shake off and I didn't want to take it off with my hand. So...it kind of stayed there. We found an intersection with some nice Lao women sitting around. We played sherades with them and got cold drinks and a ride back to town. We payed them 60,000 Kip (about $2) to take us and our bikes into town. The ride we were on was their tractor! We were definitely a site. We got stares from the other foreigners and smiles from the Lao. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

We went down to Vientianne (the capital) and saw the national monument, the "vertical runway" and the Buddha Park. We then took at 12 hour overnight bus to Bangkok, Thailand.

I am now here staying at a guesthouse in Bangkok. I went for check-ups at the doctor and the dentist at the international hospital here. So cheap! It cost me $75 for both doctors and that's without insurance! Tomorrow I leave for Pattaya!

I am loving the warm weather and the tropical fruit! I had coconut milk right out of coconut this afternoon for a snack. Delicious!

Laos

I'm in Laos! Erin and I arrived yesterday afternoon. I developed a mild case of food poisening because of something I ate at breakfast. So after throwing up twice at the China/Laos border we slowly crossed over and found the first place that had empty beds. While Erin ran some errands and ate dinner I took my first shower in three days and then went to bed around 6:30 and woke up at 7:45 this morning. We got on another bus for 8-9 hours as we travled through Laos to Luang Prabong. What a beautiful country! It's so lush and green! And the rolling hills are incredible! You'll have to wait to see pics when I get back to China! Sorry!

Leaving on a train

I'm leaving this afternoon on a train headed for Xi'An! I'm going on Winter Holiday! I'll try and post as I go! So keep checking!

Wolf Berries

I don't know if they're called Wolf Berries in the States or not. But that's what we call them here (in English). Anyway, they are a huge export out of China and the new fad health food around the world. I don't know why they're healthy but they are. Companies are doing something like making juices out of them for athletes or something. They're expensive everywhere but here. Here...they're everywhere and come in huge quantities as you can see! I personally don't like the taste of them, but others do. Go to the store and buy some if you dare!

Home for the Holidays

A last-minute surprise to all of us was that I was able to go back to the States for Christmas! Here's a glimpse of my very busy 10 days!

Last day

Today was the last day of class. It was also my final exam. I found out yesterday that it had been moved from tomorrow to today! Boy was I cramming for that one! But it's over now and I think I did okay. I surprised myself. I have officially finished my first semester of Chinese! It's vacation time now! :)