Thailand!

***I thought I could add pictures from the hostel computer, but the computer has worms, so we can't/don't want to plug in our usb to add pictures.  I promise to add pictures once we get a chance.  Sorry everyone.***

Thailand is amazing!!  Definitely a favorite for us both.

We got into Phuket, Thailand on Sunday March 13.  We had about a 2 hour bus ride from the airport to Phuket Town.  There wasn't a whole lot to see around Phuket Town and we weren't close to the beach so we spent the day making arrangements to get to Koh Phi Phi Island.  However, we did get our first taste of how cheap Thailand can really be.  Our lunch was 1.50/person and our hostel, which was nicer than the hotel we stayed at in Singapore was $6/person.  You have to love how far the US$ can go in some Asian counties.  Monday, we took a ferry from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi Island.

Koh Phi Phi -
We had heard mixed things about Phi Phi; too commercialized, too overcrowded, etc.  Maybe it was before the tsunami, but we LOVED it!!!  From the moment we got into town we knew that Phi Phi was the place to be.  It just had such a great atmosphere, there were lots of things to do, and lots of shopping. :)  It was paradise.  We stayed in a bungalow "outside" of town, only a 10 minute walk from everything including the beach, but far enough away we weren't kept awake by the bars until the wee hours of morning.  Our first 2 days on Phi Phi were beach days.  On our third day there we went diving again.  Our best dives yet!  The water was so clear we could see for 20+ meters. We saw tons of fish and quite a few leopard sharks, lion fish, and a stone fish.  (Diving is becoming an expensive hobby, but it is just so amazing)!!  Our last day on Phi Phi was another beach day, but we also rented a kayak and kayaked to Monkey Beach.  All in all, Phi Phi was amazing and definitely the place to go for anyone interested in great beaches, great shopping, and great nightlife.

After Phi Phi we took another ferry to Koh Lanta.  We spent 4 days in Koh Lanta, all of them beach days.  While the beaches of Koh Lanta were beautiful and the sand incredibly soft, there wasn't the same atomosphere there as on Phi Phi.  Koh Lanta was much bigger than Phi Phi, which we didn't realize.  You needed a motorbike or a tut-tut to get anywhere and I didn't feel comfortable renting a motorbike, so we just stayed on our beach.  Koh Lanta was definitely more family oriented, but it was still very relaxing.

On Tuesday, March 22, we left Koh Lanta and took another ferry to Krabi Island.  We walked around Krabi Town for a few hours and then took an overnight bus from Krabi to Bangkok.  We arrived in Bangkok at 5:30am.  Neither of us really slept on the bus, so when we got to our hostel it was bedtime.  In Bangkok we've done a lot of shopping and we saw the Grand Palace and lots of temples (or as they call them Wats).  Bangkok is the first place we've been able to find sticky rice, so we have enjoyed that every night for dessert.  :)  We also eat pad thai everyday because it is so delicious and super cheap ($2).  On Friday, March 25, we took a tour to Ayutthaya, the second oldest capital of Thailand.  We got to see more Wats, ruins, and lots of Buddhas.
Our only complaint about Thailand are the taxi/tut-tut drivers. They are constantly coming up to us and asking us if we want a taxi. It's getting to the point where we are starting to wonder if the sight of seeing white people walking around is strange and if most white people just taxis everywhere.  Probably, but not us, we're walkers.  The worst 2 times of being harrassed by Thais was when we first arrived at the Phuket airport.  You walk out of baggage claim and are bombarded by people asking you, "Where are you going?  Taxi?  700 baht!  Where are you going?  You want to go to Phi Phi Island?"  It's a little overwhelming at first, but we just ignored them and went outside where our 700 Baht ride turned into an 80 Baht ride.  (700 Baht = $25, 80 Baht = $3, kind of a big difference).  The second time that was bad was when we were getting off of the bus in Bangkok.  You couldn't even step off of the bus before you were attacked by, "Where are you going?  Is this your bag?  You need taxi?"  Fortunatley Kyle was more awake then me and bargained our taxi down from 700 Baht to 350 Baht.  I was too exhausted to deal with the Thai's persistent questioning at that hour.

We leave Thailand on Sunday, March 27 and head to Vientiane, Laos.  Laos is the country we are most excited to visit since we have no idea what to expect there and everyone we've talked to who has been there has absolutely loved it!  We are excited to see this mysterious country for ourselves and see what we think of it.

I can't believe we're more than halfway through our trip.  We only have 20 more days until we're back in the US.  We have had a great time, but this backpack travelling is exhausting.  I don't know how people do it for 6 months, a year, or more.  We've determined that they stay in one place for a long time.  It will be nice to be back though, not gonna lie.  We miss you all and love you so much!  Love, K & M