Bathing with Elephants!

That afternoon we had an excursion we will not forget.  Elephant trekking.  We were leery of elephant trekking at first.  We read that tame elephants aren't always treated well.   Training can involve starvation and beatings.  We were assured the Thai Government is regulating this, and that the place we chose was of the highest standards.  Even so, we learned domestic elephants do not have the life span of wild.

After doing research to make sure we found a humane place, we picked our tour.  The trekking itself was nothing to write about.  Annie and I sat on top of a bench perched on the elephant while a little Thai guy "drove" by using voice commands and rubbing his feat on the elephant's ear.  The trek was pretty uneventful.  We went in a large circle in the rainforest.  Maybe the length of a high school track (1/4 mile).  The trek ended withe the elephant, named Mo-Mo, getting a snack and climbing into a river.  It was memorable, but not the best part of the trip.

The next stop was a baby elephant show.  Frankly the show sucked.  It was long, and we felt bad for the baby elephant.  Elephants aren't supposed to do hand stands, dunk basketballs, or put hats on people.  The best part was getting to feed the baby after the show.

The baby elephant putting a hat on Annie.

Annie feeding the baby elephant

The last part of the excursion was the most memorable part.  It is why we picked this one.  Bathing with the elephants.  This is only done once a day, after the last trek of the day.  We weren't sure what we were in for.  As mentioned above, the trek ended in the river.  We kinda thought that was the "bathing" part.  After the baby show, we found out otherwise.  After the show they loaded up our group (about 10 of us) into two vans, and took us to a nearby river.  We walked down to the river to see the elephants bathing.  At first we all stood there not sure what to do.  After they said "get it,"  Annie and I were the first two to dive in with them.  The next 20 minutes were totally awesome!  We swam around with the elephants, washed them, climbed up over them, and even played.  We splashed them, they sucked up water in their trunks and sprayed us.  It was so cool.  The elephants seemed to enjoy it almost as much as we did.

In the water with the elephants.

I'm glad we did the elephant trekking.  The trekking and show was so-so at best, but the interaction with the elephants was unforgettable.  

Krabi, Thailand

Written By: Dan

After Bangkok we flew to Krabi.  Krabi is an island town near Phuket.  It is a little less busy then Phuket, and a lot nicer.  We spend the first day at the pool overlooking Phulay Bay.  That night we headed to Ao Nang for dinner.   The next morning we work up early to take a long boat to Hong Island.  Hong Island has beautiful beaches.  They have been in movies such as "The Beach" and "James Bond."   We spend the morning snorkeling and swimming in a small cove surrounded by large cliffs.

 














Our Long Boat to Hong Island

Cove on Hong Island for Swimming

That evening we took a long boat over to Riley Beach, and had dinner in a cave.  We were lucky, though it rained hard on our way to Riley, and when we got back to Ao Nang, our dinner was dry (though very humid).  Also, none of this mattered because I fell out of the long boat and ended up soaked.  We spent the rest of our night shopping in Ao Nang, and watching the sunset over the Amandan sea.

The next day contained some of the same.  Laying in the Cabana, swimming, watching long boats on Phulay Bay.  The pool had internet so we were able to use the iPad to do some work, call home, and catch up on life in Michigan.  We also had the pool staff cut open a fresh coconut.  A great drink for laying by the pool.

That night we asked Tonya (our butler) for a recommendation in town for local, fresh, fish.  She defiantly accommodated.  It wasn't until we were served our meal did we realize what we asked for:  A whole fish, caught just earlier in the day.  Annie's face when she saw the head, eyes, scales, and fins was priceless!  We are open for new things, so we ate both fish.  This is a lot for Annie, who when I met her in college did not eat fish.

 












Annie's dinner.  Steamed fish.

My dinner.  Looking right at me.


The next day we headed to another area, Krabi Town.  Krabi town is the real local town.  Not for tourists.  Shopping is more for locals.  Malls have clothes, TVs, car repair, etc...  Nothing too exciting for a tourist.  We did however have a great stop on the way.  We went to the Tiger Cave.  Tiger Cave is a Buddhist temple in a cave on the side of a mountain.  There used to be a Tiger living there, but when the Monks moved in (circa 1975) the Tiger headed for the woods.  After exploring the cave we headed past the temple to see some wild monkeys, a Buddhist shrine to Guanshiyn the Goddess of Compassion, and some more local shops.  A great find not well known outside of Krabi.

One of the Shrines in Tiger Cave.  Lower level of the cave.

Bangkok, Thailand

Written By: Dan

I had the most memorable Thanksgiving.  I didn't have Turkey, or Watch football.  In fact, my Thanksgiving was 12 hours early, so football started after I went to bed.  Thanksgiving dinner wasn't traditional, Turkey was hard to find, and "Thanksgiving" was difficult to explain.  I settled for chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans.  Close enough.

What made my Thanksgiving so memorable is Annie arrived Thursday night!  It has been about a month since I had seen her, so this was quite a treat.  Annie had traveled from Detroit to Tokyo to Bangkok.  Her travels took over 24 hours.  He took off on November 23rd (Detroit time) and arrived to the hotel around 3am November 25th (Thailand time).

After I handled some work meetings in the morning we set out for some sight seeing.  Our first stop was Wat Pho.  Wat Pho is the home of the famous reclining Buddah.  (picture to come soon).   We then toured the rest of the temples, and did some local shopping.

The next morning we headed out for a Thai cooking class at Baipai cooking school.  Here we toured the Gardens, made coco butter, then used it to cook a variety of dishes.  One of which being Phad Thai.  I can't wait to show you all our own Phad Thai dish.

Annie making coco butter

Our Phad Thai (with Prawns) dish

After our cooking class Annie and I headed back to the Palace area of Bangkok for more sight seeing.  We rented a Tuk Tuk and toured palaces, temples, and Buddhas.  We also had our driver take us to a few place to go shopping.

 












Annie at a Buddhist shrine.

Buddhist Monk teaching.  This picture was taken during a national day of meditation.

Annie and I in the Tuk Tuk.  The drive let Annie sit in the driver seat to take the picture.  


Our last stop was Wat Pho.  Wat Pho is a Buddhist temple much like Angkor Wat.  This temple is on a island.  Because of the proximity to the water we got our first feel of the impact of the flooding in Thailand.  A gift shop we visited was flooded.  Instead of packing up shop, the owner laid down board for walking, and high shelves to put product on.  We also noticed how high the water was.  On our flight out of town we saw how massive the flooding was.  Miles of flood plains under water.

 












Wat Pho.

Flooding on the river.  Notice the railings.  This is where the river usually ends.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Written By:  Dan

To date, Cambodia has been my favorite place.  And not because of the temples, weather, shopping, or food, though all are fantastic.  The reason is the people.  The Cambodians are the kindest people I have come across in my travels.  That is amazing considering all that these people have gone through.  I went in knowing nothing about the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot, or the mass genocide these people with through.  And by "these people" I don't mean this culture, ancestors, etc... I mean THESE people.  The terrible things that happened in Cambodia happened in the 1970's-1990's.    The Khmer Rouge genocide accounted for around 2 million deaths (about 20% of the population of Cambodia).  Each person you meet in Cambodia has been directly affected by this terrible episode in history.  However, through all of this, the Cambodian people are the sweetest, kindest, and most friendly people you will ever encounter.  Cambodians will run up to you just to wave, smile, and bow.  And if you respond likewise, they light up with the most genuine smile you will ever see.  These are some of the most amazing people I have been privileged to meet.

The first trip we took in Siem Reap was by long boat to Kbal Taol.  Kbal Taol is a village built in on stilts above the water of Tonle Sap Lake.  No streets, sidewalks, cars, land, etc... just boats and stilt houses.  In Cambodia most houses are built on stilts.  Flooding isn't a disaster here, it is a way of life.  Kbal Taol takes it to another level  they live their lives above the water.

During the trip Children and families would come out of their houses to wave as we drove by.  They seem as interested in seeing us as us seeing them.  We stopped for a drink at a house with a small wood deck, then boarded a smaller boat, a flat canoe.  We sat Indian-style as two young girls paddled us outside of town to see the sunset.

our boat ride into the sunset

Our second excursion was an ATV tour around the city.    A great way to see how people of Cambodia live.  Unfortunately, the way most people live is poor.  The majority of people in Cambodia live on less than 50 cents per day.  College educated "upper class" hope to make $100-$125 per month.  An ATV tour of the city did show this unfortunate side of Cambodia.  Though, like I mentioned before, this does not keep the people down.  As I rode through the town people came running to the street to wave as we drove by.  After one stop we purchased small candies to hand out to the children.  The children would literally squeal with excitement.

 











Stacy handing candies out to the children

One stop on our ATV ride was to Chres School and Orphanage.  Our tour guide was a very sweet 10 year old girl.  We soon found out she wasn't a student, she was a teacher!  It then dawned on us there were no adults here.  We later found two 20-somethings teaching classes.  But in all reality, this schools was run by the "older" children.  Our guide took us to her classroom.  Her children, ages 5-9 all stood and said "Welcome to our school.  Where are you from?"  Though I do not think they understood our response I was impressed with what they had learned.  I was even more impressed with the teacher.   We spend around half an hour touring the school, dorms, kitchen, and library.  We donated as much money as we had at the time (not enough), and went on our way.    

The class room teacher (in front), and her class.

classroom where English is taught.  

Building where they teach the youngest children.  Notice no power or lights in any classrooms.

 We left feeling bad about how the children were living at the School.  The school had no lights, beds, or even power (except one room).  However, on second thought we realized that the school was doing a lot of good for these kids.  All the kids had food, clothes, and shelter.  Many of the people we saw during our ATV ride did not.  I want to help these kids out more than I did. I wish I had more money on me during my visit.

I wish I would have known what I was in for during during my trip to the floating village, orphanage, and Siem Reap villages.  I realized Cambodia was a developing nation.  For some reason I couldn't understand a "developing nation" means many people don't have the necessities we take for granted.  I passed by countless children without clothes, houses with out running water, and families without enough to eat.   And still these people are happy, warm, and inviting.  Then entire time I was in Cambodia they never asked me for money.  They never even asked for the candy I was giving out.  They just wanted  to wave, smile, and have a brief interaction with someone different.  Part of me still does not understand how these people can do it.


After our trip to the village, and ATV rides we needed a more traditional tourist experience.  We did what  99% of the tourists to Siem Reap do, we went to Angkor Wat.  Angkor Wat is one of many temples in the area built in the 12th century.  They are large, expansive complexes, that were once used as Buddhist temples, places of worship, and the political capital.

Me at Angkor Wat.

While Angkor Wat is the largest and most known, there are many temples in the area.  We also toured Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm Temple (also known as the "Angelina" Temple).  The Angelina Temple is not the official name, but it is known as such because Tomb Raider was filmed there.  Also, Angelina Jolie adopted a Cambodian (Madux).  She is quite popular around town. 

Angkor Thom

Ta Prohm Temple (Angelina Temple)


We ended our trip by touring a local market, and taking a cooking class at the Hotel.  Cambodian food is fantastic.  Looking back, Cambodia is without a doubt one my favorite places.  If there is a place with better people, food, and sites I have not experienced it.  If you have the change to get to this side of the world you must go to Cambodia.

Hong Kong, China

Written By: Dan

After Shanghai we traveled to Hong Kong, China.  To he honest, I wasn't sure if this was actually China.  I knew a little bit about the Opium Wars and the Brittish Colonial area, but not how things stood today.  Was this considered China?  Did it follow the same rules?  Same money?  Do they speak Chinese? 

Over the next few days I figured out the answers, as best I could.  Yes, Hong Kong is a part of China.  It is considered one of two special administrative regions (SAR's).   This gives Hong Kong a little bit of sovereignty.  They have their own money, own culture, business climate, etc...

You can definitely see the British influences.  They drive on the other side of the road, other side of the car.  The city has had more time under free market capitalism, so it has had more time to grow.  Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated cities in the world.   Like Shanghai, it has an expansive skyline along the Pearl river.  In a previous post I compared Beijing to Washington DC, Shanghai to New York.  I would equate Hong Kong to Maimi.  It is a large city, tropical climate, built along waterline.  The city seems built around Victoria Harbor.  Cruise Ships, Freighters, and tour boats traverse the water morning, noon, and night.

The view of Victoria Harbor

During our stay we toured a shopping Mall for Flowers, for Birds, and for souvenirs.  We also took a cable car/trolly to the top of a mountain to see an Arial view of the city.    Before we left we saw a light show over Victoria Harbor.  About 40+ buildings participate in a choreographed show set to music.   Of all the things we did, my favorite may have been sitting in the hot tub (an affinity tub) overlooking the harbor.  I could have spent hours watching the activity on the water.

Shanghai, China

Written By: Dan

We left Xi'An for Shanghai.  Shanghai is a very developed city.  One of our business partners put it best: "Beijing is like Washington D.C. - Shanghai is like New York."  That really is the best way to describe it.  Shanghai doesn't have the history, government offices, or tourist attractions.  It does have a lot of businesses, restaurants, and shopping.   It is very western.  Most people spoke English very well.  Communication was not a problem.

Shanghai also has the most breathtaking skylines I have seen.  Our hotel was on the Bund River.  On either side of the river were tall, unique, Skyscrapers, decorated with beautiful lighting.  The architecture is very grand, and unique.  Shanghai has a Sky Needle (they call it The Pearl).  Shanghai also has a building that looks like a giant bottle opener.  Moving forward they are in the process of building the world's tallest building.  It is really a sight to behold.   Something I will never forget.

View of the West (Pu Xi) side of The Bund River.  The other side had a more traditional feel.

Though the city is very "western," it has not lost it's authentic side.  This can be seen in the cuisine.  During this trip we were able to see the good and the bad.  Our first experience was the former.  We ventured to the downtown shopping district to find an Apple store.  Afterwards, we headed to a mall and picked a random restaurant.  This place was authentic.  We ordered a few dishes, including a braised duck, and duck stew.  We figured out quickly the how to make their duck stew.  Take an entire, duck, and put it in the stew.   Legs, feet, head and everything.  The braised didn't take much more time to prepare either.  Each piece had the skin, fatty tissue, and muscle.

Can you see the duck?

Look closer..... 

I don't want to make it sound like the food is all bad.  The following night we were taken to a great local place to eat. Szechuan (a region in China) food.  Family style dining.  For about two hours the food just kept coming.  We were able to to try many things.  We sampled Chicken, Duck, beef, frog, noodles, soup, rice, veggies, fruits, spices, and so on.  Most of it was excellent.  There was so much food on the table!  There wasn't room on the table for all the food.  Instead of taking it away, they would just condense it to smaller plates.  During all of this we saw a show (Opera, play, and Chinese Face Changing mask show).

 












While not the best tourist attraction, I learned a lot from Shanghai.  Mostly about how business is done in China.  It is quite fascinating, and frankly too long to explain on a blog.   I also learned that China is still a developing nation.  The people are poor, parts are dirty, and the culture is not as advanced as you may think.  Shanghai has the look but needs more development before it can really be compared to New York.

Long story short, I wouldn't recommend an extended stay for a vacation; but if you are looking for business, it all seems to flow through Shanghai.

The Terracotta Soldiers

Written By: Dan



The Terracotta Army was created by the first Emperor of China, Emperor Qin Shi Huang, in the 3rd century BC. Emperor Qin (pronounced "shin") did many things during his rule:

- He unified China, named China (think "Shin" to "China")

- Oppressed the masses

- Went bat shit crazy. I saw a documentary once showing that he was eating Mercury thinking it would help him become immortal. That plan backfired.


Anyway, Qin had this Mercury-induced idea that he would need an army in the afterlife, if he did indeed die. So he set out to construct a huge tomb, and an army made of clay. This is a replica army to the tee. It consists of over 8,000 unique clay soldiers..... created to scale, uniquely crafted and painted, and placed ready for battle. It is truly a site to behold. The museum calls it "the 8th wonder of the world," but that might be a self given title.

Emperor Qin died suddenly while inspecting the Warriors.  Days later there was a peasant uprising (see 2nd bullet above).  In rebellion, the peasants bunt down the pits containing the warriors.  When the ceiling crashed down during the fire, most all of the warriors were shattered.   This also marked the end of Emperor Qin's dynasty.

In 1974 a farmer found one of these pits while drilling for a well.   This was quite a remarkable discovery.  A few fee to the left, and we may never have found them.  A more remarkable thing happened next.  The Chinese excavated the ruins, and started putting the warriors back to gather (remember, most were broken when the pits collapsed because of the peasant fires).     They even put them back in their original place.  This makes for an unbelievable sight.  Thousands of lifelike clay soldiers, standing in formation.

There are three pits for viewing.  The first one is the most known, and has the most to see.  The second one does not have any soldiers, but does contain artifacts.  The third has a ton of soldiers, but is untouched.  Apparently, the clay soldiers were also vibrantly painted.  When they are exposed to our 22nd century air, the color dissipates.   The Chinese have done a very wise and noble thing.  Waited.  They are waiting until technology can catch up and present a better solution to excavation.  They are also dong the same thing with Qin's tomb.  Waiting to bring is body, tomb, and treasures up during a time when they can do the least amount of harm. 

The Terracotta Army is something, given the opportunity, you have to see.  Pictures don't do it justice.  Creating this wonder took hundreds of thousands of people, massive coordination, and superior craftsmanship.  Their work needs to be seen.  I hope to one day see the rest of the army, Qin's tomb, and the rest of this dynasty's treasures.