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Although we fell in love with
the non-stop energy of Kuala Lumpur, somewhere between the
Bruce Lee Battle Zone Internet Cafe and the fish head soup
we decide we'd had enough of the big city and began our trek
northward toward Northern Thailand. First by bus to the tea
plantations in the mountains of Malaysia where we met some
very cool Canadians then onwards to Thailand by rail. We made
a one week stopover in Kho Phi Phi, an island off the coast
of Western Thailand, to hone our bargaining skills, fill our
bellies with curries and coconuts, meet lanky armed monkeys
and become certified Open Water Scuba divers.
Making our way North via overnight train
we arrived in Bangkok. One word: Whoa! This city is out of
control and made Kuala Lumpur seem like a Sunday visit to
Grandma's house. We bought cheap new clothes on Khao San Road
in and arranged our visa's for permission to enter Myanmar
and later in February, Viet Nam. Thanks to a well timed care
package from Mom, we've restocked the medicine chest with
plenty of Cipro, Malarone and DEET mossy repellent. We payed
our respects to the reclining buddha and awed at the elaborate
gold leaf illustrations of the monkey warrior, Hanuman, then
bid farewell to the gritty city.
If your calendar says it's the end of January
and the US is on the verge of bombing the snot out of Iraq
then we're in the golden land of Buddha, otherwise known as
Burma. Since we missed our luge lessons in the Bavarian Alps
we've decided to spend our summer in Rangoon and in the Spring
we'll be making meat helmets. (If you have no idea what we're
talking about rent Austin Powers. Hint: Dr. Evils' monologue
at group therapy with his son Scott.)
The mystical land of Burma, now known as
Myanmar, has called upon us. We'll be visiting the city of
Bagan. It's one of the world's most peaceful, spectacular
locations, and one of the three best Buddhist archeological
sites along with Angkor in Cambodia and Borobudur in Indonesia.
2,500 pagodas in 16 square miles. Then, after an overnight
visit to the strange, spectacular monk magnet known as the
balancing golden boulder of Kyaiktiyo Zedi, we'll be returning
to Thailand.
If it's early February in the year 2003
then we've made our way to Northern Thailand and a town in
the mountains called Chiang Mai to attend Thai cooking school
(Chris) and Yoga school (Lisa) and enjoy some cooler, less
polluted air.
If it's mid-February, then we're in Laos,
visiting the World Heritage Site of Luang Prabang and doing
some caving before moving on to Cambodia at the end of the
month where we'll be spending a week, primarily exploring
the spectacular ancient site of Angkor Wat. It is the world's
largest religious monument, originally a Hindu funeral temple
in the early 12th century, then converted to Buddhism.
We hope you are enjoying our updates and
encourage you to send us email of how you are doing. We miss
our families and friends.
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