More Visitors

Not too long after Cyrus' parents left, we were fortunate enough to have a few more visitors. After weeks and weeks of planning and anticipation, Linda and Debbie finally made it to Thailand.  The whole trip went pretty smooth, though we had a few bumps and sunburns along the way, but nothing too dramatic (well except maybe when Deb was almost stuck in Thailand for a few extra days!).

Cyrus and I met them at the airport in Bangkok, looking only the tiniest bit disheveled. Thankfully my Mom went over every single scenario of us not being able to find them beforehand, so we spotted them right away. We saw the major sights in BKK, and I must say, those two were troopers if I've ever seen them.  They battled through the heat, jetlag, and culture shock like they were traveling pros.  Most of you have already heard the tales from Linda, so I won't go into too much detail. We tried to give them a real "Thai experience", eating at roadside stalls and walking down the not so picturesque streets. We were pretty impressed with how they kept up, and if they were disgusted at all, they didn't admit it...though by the end of the trip we knew Linda was not a fan of all the trash.

I think I have to say that my highlight of BKK was taking those two to Khao San Road (the backpacker/party spot) and at the end of the night, when Cyrus and I were ready for bed, Linda was still trying to get us all to do shots...we were outdone by my mom :)

After spending enough time in the "big city" we headed south to visit the islands. Cyrus and I hadn't been down south yet, so we were pretty excited.  Our first stop was Krabi, just a beach town and jump off point for some of the other islands.  And to be expected of any vacation with Linda and Debbie requiring nice weather, after being in Thailand for 4 months without a drop of rain, our first night in Krabi it poured...for hours. But we still had a good time, and ate at the market and played some Euchre at our hotel.   

Then we took the ferry to Koh Phi Phi, which as everyone refers to as "the island from the movie 'The Beach'" (here's the trailer for those who don't remember it: The Beach). Even though it was super touristy, the island was really, really beautiful and we got to walk in Leo's footsteps.

We stayed in a nice hotel with an awesome view, and basically 'lived the life' for a few nights.  The hotel had a good restaurant (and strong cocktails) so we filled ourselves with seafood, curry, and rum.  I want to give a little shout out to Deb for introducing me to the Singapore Sling...my new drink of choice. We went on an awesome sailboat "booze cruise" around the islands, which was definitely one of our favorite things we've done in Thailand.

After the touristy feel of Phi Phi, we headed to the smaller island of Koh Jam. At first, it was looking like the island was a little too small...aka nothing to do.  But we got into the groove of doing absolutely nothing, and it felt good to just relax and read for a few days.

Don't be fooled though, we were traveling with "the general" so she made sure to schedule in some activities for us to do (participation was mandatory).  We took a trip to the little town on the island, walked along the beach, and did some kayaking.  Continuing with the bad weather theme, it rained almost every day, but it actually wasn't too bad.  We played more euchre than I've ever played, I finished Game of Thrones (which is not the shortest book in the world), and ate lots of good food.

When our island adventure came to an end, we headed back to Bangkok to drop Debbie off at the airport.  I'm sure the story has already circulated through the family, but let's just remind everyone to make sure you are 100% positive on the day your flight leaves.  Thankfully everything worked out, and Debbie got back safe and sound.

Then it was off to Suphan with Linda to tour her around our 'stomping grounds'. Cyrus and I showed her all the sights: the night market, pad thai lady, the coffee shop, and the grocery store.  Everything was an adventure for her, and it was nice for us to see things in a new light after being there for a while.

Then Cyrus went to meet some friends on another island, and the "mother-daughter adventure" officially began.  We had an action packed week, with trips to Ayutthaya to see ancient ruins, and Kanchanaburi for some waterfalls and WWII history (and one bus ride from hell).

My mom and I spent the last few days back in Suphan. She got to see my school and we had a good time seeing some more sights and fitting in her last meals in Thailand.  Then, sadly, it was time to take her back to BKK to catch her flight.  We met Cyrus there, and at my and Cyrus' request, we had a farewell dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant (you have no idea how bad we crave tortilla chips and burritos). 

The three weeks flew by, but we packed a lot of things into the time we had.  I'm glad I got to show my mom and Debbie around, and I think they had a good time...for the most part.  It was also nice to see things through their eyes, because we kind of forget after being here for so long.  Sorry for the lengthy post, but trust me, this is just a fraction of all the things we "saw and learned about".  Thanks again to Linda and Debbie for giving us a really good trip!