Guacamole!

My two days at home fly by and now it's time for Mexico!  I cannot wait to get back to a warmer climate and my long lost friend the sun.

I met Jess and Susan at check in and we are ready to go!  We have to fly through Miami, but luckily we are all seated together and the time flew by.  We have a cocktail on the plane to get the party started, but the best surprise is that there are free tequila shots in the Cancun airport.  Woot!

We arrive at the resort ready to party and after an extensive golf cart tour, we throw our bags in our room and head to the bar.  We have missed the happy hour on the itinerary that Steve and Rita sent out, so we headed to the closest bar still open in hopes of finding our people.  Not too long after we arrive, so do our people.  I see Rita from a distance and leap over a few patrons to give her a big hug.  I am so excited for her and Steve and it's great to see so many people that I haven't seen in ages.

The whole weekend was a blast.  After the rehearsal and lunch (which Michael graciously handled given he sat with Jess, Susan, and I) - I spent the afternoon with Rita and her mom while Rita had her trial hair and makeup.

Friday evening was the rehearsal dinner where we discovered there were exactly 8 single people (evenly split 4 girls/4 guys).  True to single table at the wedding form - we were the most fun - including mandatory sipping of your drink every time someone (usually me) shouted Guacamole.  It was not long before the waiters figured out who the fun ones were and random shots kept showing up at our table.

After dinner we all headed to the more swanky martini bar before hitting up the dance floor at the other late night bar.

Saturday was the big day and it started with brunch with the ladies!  Then we all hung out at the saloon for hair and nail appointments.  The bride looked radiant and when it came time for the ceremony everything went smoothly.  Rita and Steve got married right on the beach.  The weather was perfect, the waves crashing smoothly in the background and everyone said "I do"!

The reception was a blast - there was an appearance by a mariachi band as well as a donkey carrying beer!  I danced my heart out and was not ready to leave when the party was over.  So, of course, the party was moved to one of the late night bars.

Sunday was filled with relaxing by the pool (except for the huge iguana that was gunning straight for me).  After an extended nap in the sun, I found my friends at the island in the middle of the pool enjoying table service from Brian - where I then spent the rest of the day.

All in all the weekend was one big "green light" and certainly ranks as one of the most fun weddings I've ever been to.

It was another tough reality boarding the plane back to DC and the cold.

The Tokyo Lounge Rocks

When my flight from  Bangkok to Tokyo boards, I saunter up to my swanky 1st class seat (thank you United miles).  Once we're air born, I recline my flat bed seat into a bed and pass out.  It is only 5 hours to Tokyo and they quickly go by.

I had heard great things about the Tokyo first class lounge - so once we landed I headed straight for it.  Once there I request a shower stall and it was amazing.  You're taken to your own private bathroom, complete with plush toilette and snazzy toiletry set.  The shower itself is fabulous - great pressure with unlimited warm water.  It's been quite a while since I've experienced anything like it.

Refreshed, I head to check out the spread - and what a spread it is! Tiny sandwiches, fresh sushi, an amazing fruit plate, a cheese plate including some delectable brie, fresh veggies including red and yellow pepper (not of the spicy variety).

I take some sushi, cheese, fruit and veggies, plus my own little bottle of sake.  I explore around for a good spot to sit and I discover a nook in the back with massage chairs and private TVs.  I hunker down and watch some sumo wrestling while I wrestle with the message chair.  I cannot get it to stay on for more than 5 seconds.  After a few minutes I accept defeat, relax, sip sake, and watch the sumo wrestlers until my next flight.  It feels like the ultimate in luxury and I seriously consider "missing" my next flight to spend more time in the lounge.

Alas, reality sets in and I make my next flight to LAX and then the one from LAX to D.C. and I am home.  My father does a double take when he sees me - I'm quite a bit tanner than the last time I was home!

He grabs my bag from the carousel and I chat about my trip as we drive home.  Once home, he takes my bag up to my room for me and then I realize it's official.  This is my home now.  I am 29, unemployed, single, and living in my childhood bedroom (complete with twin bed).

Gosh I miss Thailand.

Homeward Bound

Through sheer powers of persistence (aka calling United daily for 1.5 weeks), my mom was able to change my ticket from leaving on the 14th of January to leaving on the 12th of January.  This critical change will allow me two full days at home to adjust to EST before heading to Rita's wedding in Mexico.

I'm taking the "direct" flight from Bangkok to LA, which actually has a stop over in Tokyo.  My flight leaves Bangkok at 6:40 am and so I do as thousands before me have and take the latest possible flight out of Phuket and spend the night in the Bangkok airport.

I get pretty lucky and find a flight that arrives at 12:25 am to Bangkok, so I won't have too much time to kill before I can check in for my flight and relax in the Star Alliance lounge.

I add one final adventure to my trip by forgetting my wallet on the Air Asia flight I took from Phuket to Bangkok.  I remembered just as the doors to our shuttle were closing, so I had to spend the next half hour trying to get it back.  I found the first Air Asia employee available and try to explain that I have left my wallet on the plane.  He doesn't understand the word "wallet" even when I've written it down on a piece of paper.  I try the word "billfold" which he also doesn't understand while flapping my hands open and closed and explaining that it holds money and credit cards.

He radios to the plane crew speaking rapidly in Thai and I hear the occasional "vauuullette" throw in.  It is clear that this man has no idea what I've lost, but I feel confident that once someone sees it, they will understand.

We spend an awkward 15 minutes while his radio is silent and I have a final moment with 32 praying for the return of my wallet.  Finally some Thai comes over the radio and he tells me they found it!  Woot!

When the crew arrives, it is unclear who is more excited to open up the black bag they put it in - me or the Air Asia representative.  The Air Asia guy quickly undoes the knot and pulls out - my wallet!  A look of understanding crosses his face and I see him think so this is what this girl was looking for.

My time with my Air Asia buddy has made it very easy to find my bag - it's the lone bag circling the baggage carousel.

On my way towards International check in I walk by the minimart.  With 15 baht left to burn (about 50 cents), I see what kind of damage I can do.  I walk over to the beverage section and my eyes are immediately drawn to my BFF Milo.  Milo is basically Ovaltine for kids (although Ovlatine is quite popular as well).  It tastes like chocolate milk but is also packed with all kinds of good for you vitamins.  Or at least that's what marketing has you believe and I am a sucker for marketing.

Doug is not a sweet person, and dessert in Asia is usually disappointing, so when I really had a sweet craving I would go for a Milo.  I liked to pretend it was mildly healthy.  This Milo was also exactly 15 baht.  I payed the cashier and headed upstairs to enjoy my Milo and a final realization at how cheap food in Asia is.  You would certainly be hard pressed to buy a beverage in an American airport for 50 cents.

Upstairs I found a well padded bench to settle in for the next couple of hours while I wait for the counter to open.  These are my final moments in Thailand and I am sad.  I think back through the past 3.5 months and I'm amazed at all that I've accomplished.  This trip has been many things I hoped it would be and far more than I ever expected.  There were times when I had to dig very deep inside myself and times where I had to go entirely outside of myself.  I have learned and experienced so much and I am so grateful to everyone who helped and supported me.

As a tear or two ran down my cheek, I thought of Doug's infinite wisdom he once imparted on me - "Think how much it would have sucked if you weren't so sad to be leaving."

There Is A Lemon In My Mojito

I am back from the Similans, which means that my time in Asia is coming to an end and I'm depressed.

I went out to dinner and decided I needed a drink, so I made the foolish mistake of ordering a Mojito.  I should have known that it was going to be bad.  Mojitos, similar to any Mexican food, is always so tempting to order and always so so bad in Asia.  The Mojito appears on the menu everywhere, but it seems no one knows how to really make one, and I have gotten several intriguing and rather unfortunate tasting drinks.  I believe this is because there are no Cubans in Asia.

The Italian and Indian food has always been great and this is because there are many expat Italians and Indians who come over and open restaurants here.  I am eternally grateful to them, because there are only so many chicken curries and pad see ew that I can eat in a row.  But no one here knows a good burrito.

I take heart in knowing that I am less than 7 days way from being in Mexico (which is kinda crazy given that I'm still in Thailand) and I have plans to eat a ton of guacamole.

Until then I spend my last days catching as many rays as possible while relaxing on the beach.  I spend some time each morning reminding myself that this is January and my biggest dilemma is whether to take a walk on the beach before breakfast or after.

Ahhhhhhhh.

Diving in the Similans Rocks

The diving in the Similans was unparalleled to anything I had every experienced before.  I got very lucky and was signed up for a boat that could hold 16 divers, but ours only had 11.  This means I got a room to myself with a private bathroom (quite a luxury for a liveaboard).  I had the added bonus of heated tile flooring in my bathroom, as it was located right above the engine!

Of the 11 divers, 5 left after the second night and we were down to 6.  Normally there is one dive master per 4 people, but with such low numbers there were only 3 of us with our divemaster, Abbas.  The other two were a lovely Danish couple, who usually ran out of air about 10 to 15 minutes before me - so the last part of my dive was always just with Abbas.  It was pretty incredible.

The dive sites were crowded - there are not that many of them and loads of liveaboards - but our leader, Rick, did a great job of trying to orchestrate our dives so that we were ahead of most of the other boats.

We didn't see any whale sharks or manta rays, which was a bit disappointing - but it was still well worth the experience.  There were loads of moray eels, trigger fish, parrot fish, angel fish, butterfly fish, scorpion fish, starfish, damsel fish, barracuda, tuna, etc.

Everyone on the boat was very friendly and interesting - my favorite spot was laying out on the front of the boat in between dives.

If you've never been on a liveaboard before, the basic schedule is wake up, small nosh, dive, breakfast, lay out, dive, lunch, layout, dive, small snack, night dive, dinner.  It's pretty much divine.  

The dive season is November through April, and if it weren't for Rita's wedding I probably would have stayed forever.  As it is I am seriously considering going back next year, getting my divemaster certification and spending the season there!

I Love Khao Lak

It is a matter of mere moments on the beach and I'm totally smitten with Khao Lak.

I have spent the last three weeks beach hoping throughout Thailand and Khao Lak still blows me away.  Not only is the water a thousand shades of blue and the sand perfect, but unlike most of the other beach area I went to, there are kilometers upon kilometers of straight beach.  This means I can go for long walks along the beach uninterrupted and find a quite place on the sand all to myself.  It's official - heaven is a place on earth.

I spend my first afternoon walking along the infinite beach of Khao Lak marveling at the water.  There are actual waves here (nothing you can surf on, but significantly more so than anywhere else I've been).  After a kilometer, the water calls and I run in.  It is refreshingly cool after my walk in the sun and I struggle to think of a better place to be in early January.

I've come to Khao Lak to get on a liveaboard to do some diving in the Similian Islands.  The diving is supposed to be some of the best in the world - with hopes of seeing Manta Rays and Whale Sharks - so I keep my fingers crossed.

Unfortunately, before I can go on the liveaboard, I need to get my visa renewed.  I sign myself up for the visa run - which I will not go into detail about other than it is a miserable day.  Basically you and a bunch of other people pile into several minivans, drive to the border, stand in line to get stamped out of Thailand, take a boat across to Burma (ours broke down on the way over), stand in line to get stamped in and out of Burma, take the same boat back, stand in line again to get stamped into Thailand, and pile back into the minivan.  Not only do I have a hard time standing in long lines that move unbelievably slowly - but at each point I outlined there is always someone from the minivan who didn't realize what they were supposed to be doing and now we have to wait for them.  Ugh.

But the reward is 10 more days in Thailand and my lovely Khao Lak beach.