TWO GIRLS GONE WILD IN KOH SAMET

I'm writing to you from the balcony of a bungalow overlooking the Gulf of Thailand. Koh Samet is an island located about half a day's journey from Bangkok. My mother and I feel like two girls gone wild: spending the last few days of her trip on the beaches. We've been swimming in the warm bathwater surf, doing lots of yoga, sipping banana shakes, hitting up the live music spots, and working very hard on our tans. It appears that, like me, my mother has found a second home in Thailand.

In fact, my mother is handling being a backpacker quite well considering this is her first time. She's already learned how to sit on the motorcycle taxis so as to not fall off of the back. She's a natural at riding the Songteaw, Thailand's public transport akin to a flat bed truck with benches welded onto the back. But I'm most impressed by how she's handled the night train. Cockroaches and all (pics are coming!).

As my mother is a practicing western Sikh, another big part of her trip here has been her exposure to the eastern Sikh community. She was immediately welcomed and well respected in the Sikh temples of Bangkok. Once we passed by a female Buddhist monk in the streets who saw my mom in her traditional all white Sikh garb and bowed deeply to her. Mom smiled at the monk and bowed back. Travis and I are in awe at the way she seems to makes friends with everyone even whilst traveling in a foreign country. It will be hard to say goodbye when she goes back home to Seattle tomorrow.

We've all had a great time together.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

DSC_18671097
Originally uploaded by migratorynature.

Travis's 'Very Merry Un-Birthday' dinner at a schmancy restaurant in the city.

DSC_198311911233
Originally uploaded by migratorynature.

OVERNIGHT TRAIN TO CHIANG MAI

Waiting for our train at Hua Lampung Train Station in downtown Bangkok, dripping sweat on a humid evening. My mother has quickly caught on to the routine for using public toilets: Pay the lady at the counter 3 baht, go through the turn style, squat down over a hole in the ground, take care of business, spray off with a hose and nozzle, shake-shake-shake your booty, and finally drip dry... all finished.

Cramming into a train car with bunk bed style sleeping births, we use our backpacks as body pillows and our bug spray as a weapon of mass destruction (there are cockroaches everywhere). We munch on sour mangos and stir paper cups of instant coffee. Thankfully the view from the window far surpasses the train's dining menu.

Arriving in Chiang Mai, the ancient Lanna Kingdom of one of the former kings of Siam: we immediately take off on rented bicycles to better explore the markets, night bazaars, history museums, and the one-thousand year old Buddhist temples that line almost every street. After all that cycling, we just HAVE to get Thai massages at a posh spa resort. Then on to sample some local fare from the street vendors.

Fast forward a few days (and way too much shopping) later, it's time to board the infamous night train again for the journey back home. Watching the mountainous jungle pass by to the lullaby of a chugga-chugga-choo-choo soundtrack is a highly recommendable way to fall asleep.

Huddling together in a souvenir stall, we enjoy fresh coconut juice.

DSC_19111111
Originally uploaded by migratorynature.

KATIE'S MOTHER VISITS THAILAND

Today Katie's mother stepped foot on Asian soil for the first time in her life. For the next two weeks Travis and Katie will be taking Katie's mom to some of the best places in Thailand.

First adventure on the agenda is a roadtrip to Chiang Mai! How will Katie's mom fare with the tropical heat? Will she be able to handle the spicy food? Can she stomach the typical northern fare (roasted bugs)???

To find out, stay tuned ...

Family are the roots, the branches, the leaves, and the stuff that holds the whole tree together.

DSC_18881102b
Originally uploaded by migratorynature.