Tailors galore in Hoi An

We got on our bus for the 4 1/2 hour ride to Hoi An, the tailor capital of Vietnam. We took two motorbike taxis from where our bus dropped us of, who amazingly carried us and each had one of our suitcases on their laps which they barely could see over while they steered around traffic. Driving through Hoi An I could tell it would be a place we would like.

Bicycling around Hue

We got back from Halong Bay and had about 2 hours to kill until getting on the bus for Hue (pronounced “Hway”). This was perfect for us and gave us some time to freshen up and get on the internet before yet another long over-night journey. When it was time to go, instead of being taken to a bus station we were dropped off at a curb full of foreigners and some Vietnamese people who apparently had been waiting for the bus for a long time.

Cruise Through Majestic Halong Bay

In the morning we woke up early and got ready to leave for Halong Bay with a tour we organized with our guesthouse. Halong Bay was about 3 hours from Hanoi and the tour we booked was for 3 days and 2 nights, 1 night on a junk boat cruising through the bay and the other night on Cat Ba Island.

Good Morning Vietnam! The Captial City, Hanoi

During the last school break I regretted not blogging about our travels through India. I wish I could have shared with you all some of the weirdest and most amazing things I’ve seen yet during our time in Asia but the circumstances just didn’t permit. Everything about the country was just so overwhelming to begin with but with only the use of old slow computers in cafes, and limited time in each place it just wasn’t going to happen.

Farang Teacher Finale in Laos

Since we had become so close with so many of the other "farang" English teachers over the year we decided it was essential we have one final horrah before all parting ways. And what a better place to do this than Laos? Our new years tubing there proved to be amazing and we couldn't think of a better spot to have as much fun as possible before saying our goodbyes.

Goodbye Teacher, Goodbye Thailand

Our time at Anuban had come to an end, and in the quickest 4 months I’ve ever experienced in my life. Our career as teachers in Thailand was almost up. It was our LAST WEEK! I knew I couldn’t possibly have a real lesson with my students so I made a worksheet with clipart of a teacher surrounded by students for them to color and a message they could also color that said “Thank you for being great students, Love, Teacher Bee”.

Return to Chiang Mai!

The Queen’s birthday came around and landed us a Thursday off school. Which to us didn’t mean much as that didn’t afford us enough time to go anywhere. But GOD BLESS (Buddha bless?) the queen because the government made a LAST minute to give us the Friday off as well which meant.. that’s right, another 4 day weekend!! We couldddddn’t have been happier about this too because it would be our last and only opportunity to go back and visit my favorite Thai city, Chiang Mai!

Holiday in Ko Samet

Our first holiday in a loooong time finally arrived, and with a 4 day weekend we headed to Ko Samet! Felix and our friend Guy and I got on an overnighter to Rayong and then after song-thaew, tuk-tuk, and ferry rides we finally got to Koh Samet around lunch time.

How Time is Flying By...

It's been a few weeks and things are as always flying by here in Thailand. We just began our TENTH week of teaching at Anuban school, which marks exactly half way through the semester. It blows my mind how much time has gone by as it seems like we just started teaching there and before we know it we will be gone.

4th of July, Farang Style

The great American holiday came around and we wanted to make sure we didn't forget out home country. Some girls we met here this semester set up a party for about 30 of our (mostly new!) farang friends. It was set at a guesthouse about an hour 1/2 from Chaiyaphum so Felix, myself, and our friends from last semester, Julia and Guy decided to make a motorbike roadtrip out of it.

The coming of my 23rd year... and Alex Weaver Visits Thailand!

Thursday, June 24^th came around.. and something magical happened. One of my best friends from college ALEX Weaver came to Chaiyaphum! He had been traveling through Thailand for the previous 4 ½ week and the time had come for him to make his final stop in my city. AND right in time for my birthday. Things really can’t get much better.

Phi Ka Thon Festival… Not Quite How we do Halloween in the U.S

Our next big weekend trip in order was to head to the remote town of DAN SAI to celebrate the town’s annual festival called Pi Ka Thon, a thai version of Halloween but better coined as “Mardi Gras from Hell”. The world cup was just beginning and the boys dared not stray far from a T.V so the girls of Chaiyaphum (and Prae!) decided to explore this festival on our own.

Sky Rockets in Flight in Nong Khai

After two solid weeks getting back in the teaching grind, we had a long weekend ahead of us finally as it was the Buddha’s Birthday. Which also meant that in many Esan cities it was the ROCKET FESTIVAL! We chose to go to Nong Khai, a city right on the border with Laos (connected to Laos by the Friendship Bridge), about 6 hours Northeast of where we live.

These Kids are Smaller than What I'm Used to....

So here we are over a month into teaching at our new school, Anuban, and here is my highly delayed post of WHAT’S going on! We are teaching now at a PRIMARY school (Elementary) instead of high school and it is to say the least crazy. Not only are the kids small because they are young, but since they are thai they are sooo tiny. And mine are pretty much missing all of their teeth and kind of drool as they stare up at me!

Back and Better than Ever

NEW THAI TOWN!
So I’m back again after quite a long hiatus. Our first semester of teaching ended for us in March and we spent 5 weeks traveling around India and then came back to Thailand for a 2 week tour with Felix’s parents. With them we visited Bangkok, our hometown Inburi, Kanchanaburi to see Erawan falls, and then to the islands visiting Phuket and Ko Phi Phi again as well as two new islands for us Ko Lanta, and Railay beach.

Goodbye Inburi..

So this month has flown by since I last wrote. We have had several weekends in Bangkok, school field trips, and a lot of one on one time with teachers getting to know them even better. But alas, it's already our LAST WEEK of school at Inburi School and then we will have 2 1/2 months of break before moving to a new town! It seems like everything in life happens this way, but now that it's the end of the semester, we really can't believe how fast it has all flown by. Upon our last day we are now flooded with so many memories of the past semester…

Yippe Khao Yai !

After Laos, our english teachers and us didn't give it long before we planned to bring the masses together again. Felix and I planned a trip to Khao Yai National Park, an area that was a good middle point for all of us to meet. The park is Thailand's first national park, bigger than the country of Singapore and supposed to be full of wild animals.

Back to the Grind in Inburi

We managed to make it to Inburi around 7am after the looong overnight bus. I know this was the most exhausted I have been after traveling in Thailand. I usually have a hard time falling asleep, even if I am tired. But I hit the bed hard right away, and was barely functioning in the time in transit from the bus to my bed. The whole first day home was kind of a blur. I think I came down with something bad from all the dirty mud of Laos, on top of the debauchery and traveling.

We got Laos-ed on New Years

After much debate and a three month trial period, Brienne finally let me contribute to her blog. So here it goes… Guest Blogger: Felix Gabathuler.

Laos. Vang Vienne. Where to begin…? As we left Chiang Mai, we left behind an incredible experience of deliciously bazaar foods, blind folded muy tai fights, ringside betting, fording rivers on elephants, and a great hostel. But we hadn’t seen nothin yet. We boarded our third night bus in five days and left the elegant city of Chiang Mai behind. A quick word on Thai buses: if you have a heart condition, please use the train. I woke up a couple times during the night to the sound of squealing tires and our bus swaying from side to side. These drivers obviously know what they’re doing, but you have to question their sanity at times. The main thing is, they get you to where you need to be very quickly. You can't argue with success.

I Fell in Love with an Elephant in Chiang Mai

We were dropped off in Chiang Mai and left to fend for ourselves after 2 days of complete dependence on our thai minibus group. We also don't travel alone much since we are always meeting our teacher friends so this was exciting, and also a little intimidating to be in such a big city alone. Our song-thaew dropped us off by the night bazaar which is a giant night market through the middle "Old Town" Chiang Mai.

1,864 Curves to Mae Hong Son

Sawatdee Kha!

So much has happened in the past month that I got behind in updating on my Thailand travels. I will start from where I last left off which was about a month ago.. on Christmas! Christmas day was a Friday for us and we had no school. We pretty much relaxed all day and prepared for our big trip to the North, which was an entirely un-explored area for us.