thailand is....

an awesome place. we arrived in the crazy and polluted city of bankok straight from india. its a fun place to get lost in, but a bit overwhelming when all is said and done. after a few days in the capital we mounted a train bound north for the chang mai valley. getting out of the cities in thailand makes everything change dramatically. there are smiles everywhere and people, both thais and tourists, move really really slow. no one is in a hurry to get anywhere and are content to meander around and take in the jungle air and mountain vistas. post chang mai we moved up to a wonderful little village called pai (although its pronounced bye) and stayed in a bungalow for 3 bucks night. our views were of rice paddies and hills and we rented scooters to peruse the country side. end talk, start pics:








the north was amazing, but we were aching for some beach time so we put in a lot of "work" to make a 36 hour trip complete with buses, taxis, overnight trains, ferries and a little walking to make it to the blissful island of koh phanghan. the island moved even slower, if possible, that life in the north. our days were full of sunshine, great food and tons of great people to talk with. we were taken care of by the owner of our huts with tones of love by mamma bela (fisrt pic below). the time was paradise and as we left we were already scheming on how to get back here soon. after doing work and moving through the hectic life that is india, coming to thailand was the perfect way to cool down. from intensity and making calculations on travel, how to work with kids, dealing with lessons plans and expending energy, this wonderful country took me in and filled me with energy once again.