From Calgary to Chiang Rai

---

Hello! I am so sorry to all of you who I have neglected to update / even tell I am away on this trip!!! After graduating from Western and working in Calgary at Spruce Meadows for two months, I have set off to SouthEast Asia and Australia indefinitely (most likely until Christmas)

I left for Hong Kong on July 5th, after a tearful goodbye with my mom (Hi Mom!). I was supposed to be there for a day before leaving for Bangkok, but they ended up having an earlier flight so I only stayed a few hours.

The flight to Hong Kong went great and felt much shorter than I thought it would! I think adrenaline probably helped there. I slept for about 10 hours - which wasn't hard because the flight left Vancouver at 3am, and when I woke up I watched I Love You Man - and then we were there! 😊

When I got on the plane to Bangkok, I met a girl named Jen who was going on the same Contiki Tour that I am doing (it is called the Big Indochina Adventure... or something along those lines). She is from LA. Our plane ride was about 2 hours long, and once we landed in Bangkok we met Matt (from NYC) and two Kiwis, Jeana and Patrick, who were also doing our tour.

We got all our stuff onto the airport shuttle and left for the Bangkok City Centre! We arrived at the Manohra Hotel about an hour later in time to get lunch and go swimming in the hotel's beautiful (and refreshing) pool. Its a steady 35 degrees here, with the most intense humidty I have ever experienced. We are here in the rainy season as well, which luckily hasn't meant much rain, but has definitely added way too much moisture to the air.

On Day 1 we met everyone on our tour, including our Aussie tour guide Dave. Our first day here was one of the holiest days in Thailand, so all the LadyBoy shows were closed (bummer, I know)... I ended up going to sleep pretty early. My roomate is from NYC and her named is Colleen.

On Day 2 we went to the Grand Palace in Bangkok and saw the Emerald Buddha. The sweating continued in a serious way. Seriously the only time we aren't sweating in insane amounts is in busses and at night in the hotels. It is so gross.

Once done at the Grand Palace, we boarded a boat and cruised down the main river that runs through Bangkok. We fed catfish, and saw the ghettos that the city workers live in. It was a definite eye opener to see how lucky we are at home...

Later we got on the Bangkok Sky Train and went into Siam Square in the centre of Bangkok. We went into a mall with all sorts of luxury car dealerships and stores and ate at the food court there. It was the craziest place ever, and I'd explain it but it's very hot in this internet cafe and I would like to keep this short.

That night we got on a night train to Chiang Mai. It was really cool. The seats started off like normal train seats, but at "curfew" time, the people who worked on the train transformed them into comfy beds. We were able to play cards, and have our iPod speakers on, so it ended up beign a pretty fun night.

After the train was like...3 hours late, we arrived in Chiang Mai. Which by the way is SO MUCH better than Bangkok. Much more chill... and clean. Chiang Mai was awesome - we rode on the back of pick up trucks to the top of a mountain where we visited a crazy gold temple and received a blessing from a monk. Afterwards, we visited the Hmong peoples who live in the mountains. We also toured a Jade Factory and learned about the production of Jade and how important it is to Thailand.

So that brings us to last night. We drove out to a rural area near Chiang Mai and took a Thai Cooking Class in an outdoor kitchen. We learned how to make all kinds of things and it was so much fun. 😊 And the stars were amazing. We drove back to the city amd explored the night market before calling it a night. We stayed at the Empress Hotel which was SO nice 😊

This morning we woke up at the crack and were on our way to Chiang Rai - our last destination in Thailand. We stopped at a rest area called "Cabbages and Condoms" - it was interesting. Pictures to follow.

THis afternoon we visited 4 different hill tribes - including the Longneck Karens. I was awe struck the entire time at the way these people live their lives - we were greeted by so many songs and dances and it was one of the best days of life. So interesting.

Tonight we are hitting up a Thai disco and in the morning we get on a boat and float over to Laos to a town with 200 residents and no electricity. haha So it could be a while before I update.

Okay I need to go. I am going to pass out from heat. I will try to upload pictures, but we'll see how she goes because it's been a total nightmare thus far.

I MISS YOU ALL TONS! I seriously have the greatest appreciation for Canada and the comforts of home right now! I hope you're all having really great summers. All my love to each and every one of you. And thank you for reading this! 😊

---