Thailand

We wanted to visit another country on this side of the world while in Japan. We had a few options but after talking to different people decided to visit Phuket, Thailand (pronounced poo-ket). We were glad we did. It was a really fun trip. 

I'll warn you, it's a total picture overload. But as always, it's for our journal. =)

Our first meal in Thailand: Chicken red curry and fried yellow noodles and the international best seller, french fries.

Fruit and banana-pancake stands

In front of our hotel, note that Annabelle is always having a great time.

Pretty area inside the entrance

Our room is somewhere on the right side of the building, with a spectacular view of the municipal building.

Sunset on the beach

Our hotel from the beach. You can't see it, but that is a double rainbow.

Great palm trees

Vivian's fist time at the beach

She seemed to like it

The back of the hotel

Breakfast at the hotel

Pad Thai, rice and fruit for breakfast, who knew.

More beach views from the hotel 

The girls were super popular with the locals.

We visited the Big Buddha which under construction, but they still allowed visitors. It was at the top of a hill and overlooked our beach.

These bells were hanging in the trees. It looked like they had some kind of wish or prayer on them.

The view from Big Buddha.

Buddha for every day of the week. Mike wants to collect all eight (Wed has two).

This was the old Buddha.

On the back side of Big Buddha

Our beach from Big Buddah

The girls were so intrigued by this carpenter.

This is what one finished carving looked like.

People crawled on there knees to speak with and receive a blessing from the Monk.

Inside the shrine before climbing the last little bit up to the Buddha

I tried to get a picture in time of this guy cutting open the coconut, but I didn't have the camera set right.

The coconuts were sitting in ice water so they were nice and cold when you drank them.

Trying coconut milk for the first time. Eedie liked and Annabelle did not (very typical reaction).

We got some food from this food stand... always a little sketchy.

In front Wat Chalong 

There were smaller temples surrounding the main temple and an area to purchase fire crackers which were lit as a prayer. One lady told Mike, after she met the three girls, that he should light some so he could have a boy.

Inside the temple, many relining Buddhas to be seen.

People would slip money through the glass. You can see one bill still in the window. One family walked around the glass enclosure three or so times before putting money through the door.

View from the top of the temple

Happy baby. Vivian by far the least maintenance of all the girls

Eedie thought she needed a hat.

Out at the beach again. We searched for a reasonably priced set of sand toys, but unfortunately no 100 yen stores are to be found in the touristy Kata beach and we dropped a cool 200 Baht ($6). 

The entire beach was about a mile long.

V getting in on the sand action, she only ate two or three handfuls of sand before a local pointed it out to Mike. 

 Another sunset

Thai night at the hotel. Mike had the eggplant sandwich which consisted of boiled eggs and olives and no eggplant.

Thai desserts. They weren't as bad as I thought they were going to be.

The next day we went to ride elephants. 

Eedie with her sticker pass.

We took a tractor ride to find the elephants.

Before the ride there was a little introduction to elephants.

They placed the hats on the trainers' heads.

Played some soccer.

Their trunks are very strong.

Family pic with the elephants. Note the creepy guy smelling Brooke's hair.

Feeding the elephants.

Annabelle was a little scared.

Our tour guide on the left and my elephant driver on the elephant. It was the tour guide's first day. She was a little nervous but funny. 

Mike's driver (his best side).

The elephant drivers are from northern Thailand. They preached a lot about the smuggling and abuse of elephants that goes on with the elephant tour industry, hopefully they practiced what they preach. 

Annabelle cried the entire time she was on the elephant, complaining that they were too wobbly... 

Eedie fell asleep.

The bus we rode from our hotel to the elephants.

I took some pictures of some of the houses on our way back. Many people would use their houses as their businesses. So many seemed to collect a lot of junk.

A round about that we passed a few times

Back at the hotel with Annabelle in action. It is funny trying to figure out which things she will decide are scary. Elephant rides: yes Big jumps into pools: no; and Eedie wont even stick her head in the water.

Pool area of the hotel

Beach view from the pool

Happy baby

They were always putting these flowers on our food and in our drinks.

Our last sunset

Some gross chocolate drink we tried: Soy Choco Shake

Happy Baby

Banana pancakes. We tried the banana and nutella.

We tried a lemon and sugar a few days later. It was sprinkled with sugar and fresh lime juice. Mike loved it Brooke was indifferent.

We let the girls set off a glowing lantern à la "Tangled".

The lady would not let the thing go

She kept saying picture with mommy, look at mommy, etc  These are only a few of the many picture Brooke was able to take. Note Annabelle with smoke in her eyes.

Kids loosing interest

Finally

The beach at night. Still working on figuring out these types of pictures.

The next day we took a speed boat to Phi Phi Island (pronounced Pee Pee) and some of the surrounding area.

Annabelle was very scared of the boat ride at first.

Annabelle begged for Mike to put on her life jacket

Stopping at one of the beaches to play

Eating bananas

Looking for see shells

Rinsing off the sand

This is where they filmed the movie "The Beach". It was crowded but super pretty.

Hot mama! Mike wrote this part.

One of my all-time favorite trips. I don't know that we'll ever be back to Thailand, but I'm so glad we went. One of the most beautiful places I've ever seen!