Thailand trip, February 2011

In February we had the opportunity to attend the CMDE/CMDA conference in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  This was our second visit to Thailand but our first time attending this meeting.  It offered us both a chance to gain valuable continuing ed. credits for our licenses while also being a part of an amazing gathering of missionaries from around the world.  Zoe did quite well!  She attended her own sessions at the day care provided :)  and enjoyed playing with the other children her age.  

Here is a little summary in pictures of some of the highlights to our trip:

Zoe's first ride in a Tuk-Tuk. Downtown Chiang Mai.  

I had dreamed of this ever since our first visit....vegetarian Kao Soi at our favorite little spot in town, YUM! 

Sunday night market: have your pick of truly fresh shaved ice or this snazzy coffee mobile 

Foot massage - ah true relaxation, even Zoe got in on the experience!  

Zoe making friends :)

Our room was in the lower level of this little bungalow

Sorry Zoe, this elephant ride is the only one this time around!

Insisting on feeding herself - and having a grand time!!

Playground time!

Family picture - outside our room

Having fun on the swings with daddy!

The farewell night - lanterns about to be released

A delicious dinner - but the best was the desert....

Mango & Sticky rice!

The farewell dinner setting at the hotel

Enjoying her mango/banana smoothie!

Waiting at Manila airport during our layover 

Thailand - Part II

We are finally getting around to updating our blog! Here are some more pictures of our last 3 weeks. After Railay we went up to Chiang Mai for our conference (Institute of World Mission). Here we joined with 30 other families from all over the world to study about missions and culture. Although we were feeling a little weary of so much class time by the end, it was a memorable experience and in our free time we had the opportunity to explore...Thailand is a fascinating place.

Our classroom - that is our table in the middle back row.
Our tablemates who helped make the time go by (and made it much more interesting!) were Dean & Ruth (from Australia, working in Cambodia) and Cristina & Joshua (from Singapore, working in PI)

Getting out during our long lunch hour - here we are in the back of our favorite mode of transportation - the Tuk Tuk!

Our hotel had some great food but got to be a little redundant so here's one of the best places we found - AUM, a delicious vegetarian restaurant - and here I am about to dig in to the best Kao Soi we found (yummm!)We were fortunate to visit during mango season - here is a vendor in town with her baskets full of delicious mango
(1 kg for 30 baht...which is <1$!!!)
a ready supply of fruit drinks

nearly every evening we walked down to the street markets... hey, how could you pass up a foot massage for under $1?

One Friday they sent us out to various points in the city -
here is one group....looking hopeful they are headed in the right direction! :)
(there are some fellow Guam-based folks on the right!)

The local version of the SUV (sits an entire family of 6)

We ended up on the northend of the city - yet another market, and this stand boasted the infamously smelly Durian

here is our friend Dean displaying proper durian eating etiquette
here we are at one of the many Wats dotting the city scape with one of the monks...he asked us why were visiting during May?? (the hottest time of the year!) :)

Mr.A and his pink Tuk-Tuk

We went to visit some animals - they were adorable and fun to watch, but the camps, well although claiming conversation and all, we felt sorry for the poor guys! It was a rather glorified zoo of sorts that was situated along this one region outside Chiang Mai - elephants, tigers, monkeys, snakes....we made it to 2 and called it quits. amazing creatures ~

who knew they could play soccer and paint?

and finally...we visited a hill tribe village, this was one of the Karen women

Thailand!!!

We arrived here in Thailand last Thursday - it was my first trip away from our little island home and it was a strange feeling to pull close the storm shutters, get on our flight and watch "home" disappear into the wide wide ocean! Well, what we found on the other side of the big pool, was Thailand - absolutely beautiful. We went to Railay in the south for a mini vacation...our fingers began to tingle when we woke up to these cliffs outside our window!

impressive limestone along the bay

what a colorful breakfast-- the fruit is amazing and we are so lucky, it is mango season!!

a group of long boats sitting high after the tide has gone out

Groove tube (5.10a)
I somehow coaxed myself up this polished classic

a view from inside one of the many caves

hanging out atop our last climb of the weekend at 123 wall

and the "bolts"
(ah hmm, thankfully we are safe)
_____________________________________
We had a wonderful little break - and it was good to stretch out the little fingers.
From here we made our way up to Chiang Mai where we will be for the next 3 weeks for our
Institute of World Missions course... we have been enjoying our visit so far and definitely recommend a visit here -
very very nice...till later.