Bainbridge Island - Family Time

Gabbie, Elvis, and I headed north to see my family this weekend. We had a good time practicing our constitutional right to bear arms and hanging out. My brother Hans is currently renting a beachfront one bedroom home and let us shack up  there for a few days. It was peaceful falling asleep to the sound of the Puget Sound lapping ten yards away. On Saturday, my sisters came over and we had an awesome  BBQ. It was so nice to hang out with the girls. My sister Kait has a new love named Mitch and he is chill. I like him because he is practical and safe. Plus, they look cute cuddling on the couch. On Sunday, Kait and Gabs went shopping while my mom and I went to a garage sale and drank a pint from the local brewery. I miss my family and it was rad to have some one on one time with mom. Heading home now to Portland to get ready for Gabbie's move to medical school. 

Santhiya Resort and Spa - Koh Phagnon

I have stayed at many exquisite hotels during my thirty seven years of living: a converted remodeled monastery in Italy, a five star Sheraton in Gambia (West Africa), a lakeside cabin in Minnesota... Nothing however, can beat the place we just stayed in. Nestled in the north eastern jungle hillside of the island, this resort can boast it's own beach and superb privacy. Don't get me wrong, Long Bay was great. It was, however, right on the beach, and people passed by. At the Santhiya, we had our own bungalow with an outdoor shower, a reading room, a sunbathing deck, and a soaking tub. Birds that were caged at the other resort were flying freely here and the sounds of cicadas could lull you asleep. Hardwood was the dominate building material throughout the lodge and detailed, hand carved embellishments were not used sparingly. It was amazingly beautiful and quiet. Traveling here was a bit rough. Usually guests fly directly to an island named Ko Samui and from there the hotel picks you up by speed boat and whisks you away to the hotel. Since we were already on the island, we had to take the less traveled dirt backroad by taxi. The taxi was a truck and we sat on bench seats bolted to the bed. By the time we arrived we were dusty and rattled. Everything changed once the hotel wooden gates were opened. We were greeted by men wearing traditional garb and our baggage was handled by the staff from there on. Before checking in, we were given clean wet white towels for our face and hands and a refreshing glass of watermelon juice. My eyes lit up as the women helping us check in gave us a tour of our bungalow. You name it, we got it: a view of the ocean, cable, aromatherapy, an infinity pool with two waterfalls, a turn down service that included at least six orchids scattered in a row on our bed, and an outstanding morning buffet. To top it off, the service was what one expects on vacation, but rarely gets - genuine ass kissing and smiles to go with it. God, I love that place. Our daily activities included SCUBA diving, snorkeling, eating yummy food, swimming, reading, and napping. We loved it and plan on going back. Hopefully next time we can drag some family with us. Tonight we are in Bangkok again and fly home to Portland tomorrow. We have had a blast, met some cool people, and made the best out of every day. We didn't even fight or bicker once, which is pretty good for a couple that has been together for ten years, traveling in a developing country. We have eaten well, shopped, been massaged almost daily, are skin is a bit darker, and we are relaxed. I even burned through three books and am starting my fourth tonight. What else can I say?

Long Bay Resort - Koh Phangan

It was easy to leave Bangkok behind me as we boarded a flight to the south eastern region of Thailand, but the journey was going to take a day. An hour plane flight, a two hour bus ride, a two hour ferry ride, and then a forty- five minute taxi. We had been in Bangkok for just two days and were still adjusting to the time zone and the travel time seemed gruesome. I remained positive because I knew the result would be a bungalow on the soft white beach of Haad Yao. We had stayed here before, seven years ago for our month long honeymoon. The resort is a step up from the others on the beach. It has a pool, beautiful landscaping, and the bungalows have air conditioning and hot water showers. Now under new ownership, it also has much friendlier staff. In general, the Thais are some of the most gentle people one will meet. However, working in a demanding tourist environment can take its toll on a person, especially when travelers are demanding and rude. I noticed very little "please" or "thank you" from foreigners. It hard for me to understand because the Thais are stereotypically very kind, modest, and humble. So, I can sympathize with the locals that get tired of grumpy travelers. In any case, I was excited to be back at our old beach and my spirits remained high. Our bungalow faced the ocean and Gabbie and I embraced the view. We also began to wind down into vacation mode. We both swam, read, got massages almost daily, and ate some of the best Thai food I have ever had. When Gabbie booked the bungalow online she clicked the button that included dinner. Under new management, this came to the staff as a surprise, and it needed to be worked out. Boy did we end up getting the better half of the deal. The chef was instructed to give us a nightly traditional Thai course meals and with this he was allowed creativity. Every evening, dish after dish came out, and we could never finish them all. Fish, chicken, seafood, dessert, the hogpoge of traditional Thai meals allowed us to try dishes we would never order. Man! They were each delicious. During the day, we would take our rented motor scooters, drive into town and stop at roadside attractions. Gabbie even got to feed an elephant who's trunk traced her neck and torso, anxiously awaiting a small green banana. Elephant snouts are quite large and wet with mucous, but their enormous floppy grey ears and amiable eyes make your forget the gross and embrace the love of a towering mammal that longs for a piece of fruit. They are playful and I wish I had one or two as a pet. Another motor scooter journey led us to one of Gabbie's old acquiantances in the village of Chaloklam. She had two sons now and another baby on the way. We ate banana pancakes with chocolate and drank a beer. She updated us on all the gossip as her son played with Gabbie's iPhone video camera. We later departed and promised to see her in less than seven years. Our stay at Long Bay lasted five nights and we were more than acclimated to the painless island life. Our next desination, The Santhiya Resort and Spa located on the north eastern tropical jungle hillside of the island.