It is quite the cultural shock entering the hustle and bustle of urban life after spending a week in the serene mountains and relaxing beach environment. We settle into our room, send Vic off, then decide to check out a night market...there's a bagillion to choose from in the city. First we head to The Peninsula to grab a drink and a water taxi ( I am growing fonder of this city the darker it gets). Bangkok is like the Asian Venice (just a bit dirtier) it is built along the river and has canals jutting out across the city. We find our stop and head for the market...we find a couple of cool things but mostly it is the same junk and we decide to grab a tuk tuk and head home (we find out the next day we ended up in the Red Light District...ok, Asia in general is kinda dirty...but if it looks SUPER sketch chances are it IS super sketch).
Well one day in the city was enough for us. We ordered a cab to pick us up at 7:30 am and we head out to the Damnoen Saduak Floating Markets (the original floating market), as of recent the market has received more Weston publicity and has become more commercialized and touristy but we had to do it. It really was quite the spectacle, motor and paddle boats cruise the canals like bumper cars bouncing off vessels and walls. Its like a puzzle trying to navigate through. If you see something of interest you just motion to the driver to take you to the stall, however some ambitious vendors will hook you and pull you in. Other vendors have set up shops in little paddle boats and ride along side you coaxing a sale. The sights, colors, sounds and smells are intoxicating as you drift along the canal, instantly infatuated with the imagery, and just like that you are in a neighborhood and your tour is over.
We meet up with our driver and decide to head to the Kanchaburi Bridge over the River Kwai to see the Burma Railway or the Death Railways. Faintly remembering the name from my 10th grade US history class, I'm so glad we made the trek out there. It was a lovely memorial created and sustained by the Thai people. This railway was a Japanese project during WWII it was built by American POWs and Asian prisoners and was created as a means of transportation for the Japanese between Bangkok and Burma. About 100,000 men died during the construction of this bridge.
After walking the bridge we decided to head to the Seven Tiered Waterfalls in the Erawan National Park to cool down. We had a 500 m walk then landed at the first fall. It was quite pretty, the water was a pale turquoise and the stream was dotted with little bamboo day beds for backpackers to lay out. Looks like we picked a good spot...then a monkey falls from a tree. It's my first monkey I'm pretty excited...Shelby turns pale." No, monkeys are evil!" She then launches into her monkey stories...and then I see a sign that reads, "Don't feed the monkeys! The monkeys are fierce, temperamental and dangerous." My elation soon transforms into terror...I would get attacked by crazed monkeys in a jungle 4 hours from Bangkok...too late to turn around? We've come this far might as well go for a swim, I take the first watch as my mom and Shelby take a dip. They swim toward the water and head towards the first fall, I reach for the camera and hear a familiar scream echoing through the gully. My mother is wailing at the base of the fall, well a monkey isn't attacking her, what's with the racket??
It's the fish!! They are biting her...a Thai trend is a fish pedicure. Here little fish nibble on your feet eating away at the dead skin. Gross...I know but Shelb and Vic swear by it. Except in this pool, the fish are full grown and it's no longer a nibble it's a full bite!! A group of Spaniards swim to the rescue shooing away the fish. I assume she is overreacting (per usual) and decide to go for a swim, if you keep moving they won't bite you (you must also stay clear of the sides...). We make it to the base of the fall unscathed then there it is my first bite. I yelp and scamper out of the waters...not so bad? Upon further inspection I realize I've really been bit...I have a bite mark on my foot! We throw our clothes on and head for the exit, not wanting to chance a monkey bite. We make it safely back into the car and drift into a deep sleep...we've been traveling for 12 hours...I'd say it's pretty well deserved. And besides we've got a big day tomorrow...3 days in Laos tubing down Vang Vieng...should be wild.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
She's A Mess of Gorgeous Chaos
Last time I left you I was just coming to after attending a Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan. I now find myself on another island just a short ferry away, this beautiful utopia is called Koh Samui. Koh Samui is a small island located off the coast of Thailand in a grand archipelago consisting of 100 islands. Each isle consists of a tropical jungle which melts into rocky cliffs and sandy beaches. The views are unreal.
Out hotel is nestled into the steep cliffs on the south west side of the island. The hotel has ingeniously tiered the villas so that everyone is granted the glorious unhindered view of the other islands. Gazing off into the sea little peaks collect along the horizon as if mountain range were in the distance. It's quite a sight when the fog begins to roll in along the water (a good indication the afternoon storm is upon us) slowly engulfing the islands in a cloud of darkness. The clouds are so dense you lose sight of the islands...it's like a white out on the slopes...but better because there is thunder and lightening.
Because the islands are in such close proximity (and the baht is so darn cheap) it's fun to take day trips to the other islands. Our first trip was a snorkeling day excursion, we hopped on the boats and headed for Koh Tao, we were informed the journey was about an hour and a half...not bad with a good book and some tunes? Syke. What appeared to be a relaxing ride turned into the perfect storm. On the open sea, a little ocean spray is a refreshing surprise and much welcomed. As we got further out to sea the waves gradually became larger and the spray turned into buckets. Welcome to South East Asia. A crew member thrust life jackets in our direction, are we going down? From the opposite deck we see him pantomiming...use the jackets as a roof? Oh...a water shield...what was an entirely miserable experience transformed as we regained body heat under our water shields.
Just as we got comfortable the engine purr ceased and we found ourselves anchored. We quickly shed our waterlogged clothing, gathered our snorkel gear and dove off the boat. Only rookies listen to the safety talks...but really (we know how to swim and if there's a shark don't pet it). Even though it is monsoon season we still had killer visibility; the reefs seemed endless, illuminated by the rich blues of the ocean and multitudes of colorful fish (reminder: I need to come back for a dive trip during the appropriate season...any volunteers?). After about an hour we headed back to the boat where we are shuttled off to a little village for some lunch. (FYI homemade Thai food is phenomenal). After lunch we head for another island just a rock skip away, Koh Nanhyuan. We anchor in a little cove and set out towards the beach. This area is known as the three islands because they are all connected by little foot bridges. The islands are surrounded by a ring of coral reefs and fine white sandy beaches it was an ideal stop. We hiked to the highest point of the island and were rewarded with an impressive 360 view. After our Asian picture spree we retreated to the beach for a refreshing dip before we had to return to the boat.
After our boating trip we were still pretty exhausted the next day (no judgements...we're on vaca). We decided to spend a relaxing day at the hotel, the morning began with yoga on the pier. After yoga my mom and I met Shelb and Vic for breakfast (Steve had flown home at 7 am) and after breakfast we headed down to the pool. After a lazy day of lounging around we decided to take a Muay Thai (Thai boxing) class, my brother had instructed us it is a must...can't argue with baby.
Let me paint you a picture of our class: class was held on a waterfront pier, it's about 90 degrees and humid, Shelb,Vic a random Asian man and I make up the student body, and the Thai version of Jackie Chan (also my yoga instructor) is our teacher...I wont say we were the most talented and I definitely wouldn't say we were the hardest working...but we looked damn good doing it? Or silly enough that the entire pool staff kept coming by to gawk at us...ya, pretty impressive. Although, our class was cut short because of the storm I'd say we got a lot out of the class. We learned the basics and even got to spar. If we can't make it to a fight...might as well have our own!
The next day we decided to go for another boating trip. We hired a long tail boat for three hours and set sail for the five islands. Our first stop we jumped in for a snorkel in a remote cove, due to the storm the night before our visibility wasn't the greatest but the scenery is far too beautiful to ever complain. As we jumped back in the boat we are instantly dried by the sun. We then set sail for another close island and decide to try our hand at a little fishing (in my 23 years of existence I have never caught a fish...I hate fishing). We anchored near an old pier and dropped a couple lines in about 5 minutes later Vic and my mom already have bites. Just when I begin to pout I realize where I am...I am on a long tailed boat in the middle of the Thai islands with an exquisite backdrop and phenomenal company...I couldn't ask for more. And just as I'm getting my zen back on, I feel a tug. Obviously I scream then begin to reel in my line. I had just caught my first fish (it was the size of my hand but who cares)!! After a day of snorkeling and fishing we decide to take the boat around the islands for some sight seeing before we head back to Koh Samui.
On our last full day on the island we decide to head into the city for some shopping and sightseeing. We got into town and went straight for the beach (typical) now what kind of mischief can we get into here...sketch food vendors, beach bars and water sports...we beeline for the sea do rentals but our eye is caught by the speed boat dragging a banana. Sold. I don't care how old you are...that is always a good time. We throw our stuff down, grab life jackets and "gracefully" mount the banana. We have 20 minutes on this bad boy...the driver starts off easy clearly underestimating our abilities. We decide to play with him and ride without hands...bad idea. From there it was game on...the rest of the time was spent doing donuts and jumping wakes, talk about whip lash. On the last donut we manage to stay on which provokes him to cattail...we are THROWN face first in a dog pile off the banana. He then waves and drives away. Cheers.
After a little shopping we head back to the hotel for a cooking class. When I travel I like to take a cooking class and learn some traditional meals to attempt to make for my family and friends when I am home (also Steven had requested we take the class). We were the only people that had signed up for the day so it was a private class. We spent the next two hours cooking, it was great getting back in the kitchen. We learned how to make Laab Chicken, Chicken Phad Thai and a Seafood Curry. After each dish we would sit at the table to taste test our creations...we were soon joined by scavengers as Shelb and Vic got hungry. A great way to end our relaxing stay in the islands. Next stop Bangkok...
Out hotel is nestled into the steep cliffs on the south west side of the island. The hotel has ingeniously tiered the villas so that everyone is granted the glorious unhindered view of the other islands. Gazing off into the sea little peaks collect along the horizon as if mountain range were in the distance. It's quite a sight when the fog begins to roll in along the water (a good indication the afternoon storm is upon us) slowly engulfing the islands in a cloud of darkness. The clouds are so dense you lose sight of the islands...it's like a white out on the slopes...but better because there is thunder and lightening.
Because the islands are in such close proximity (and the baht is so darn cheap) it's fun to take day trips to the other islands. Our first trip was a snorkeling day excursion, we hopped on the boats and headed for Koh Tao, we were informed the journey was about an hour and a half...not bad with a good book and some tunes? Syke. What appeared to be a relaxing ride turned into the perfect storm. On the open sea, a little ocean spray is a refreshing surprise and much welcomed. As we got further out to sea the waves gradually became larger and the spray turned into buckets. Welcome to South East Asia. A crew member thrust life jackets in our direction, are we going down? From the opposite deck we see him pantomiming...use the jackets as a roof? Oh...a water shield...what was an entirely miserable experience transformed as we regained body heat under our water shields.
Just as we got comfortable the engine purr ceased and we found ourselves anchored. We quickly shed our waterlogged clothing, gathered our snorkel gear and dove off the boat. Only rookies listen to the safety talks...but really (we know how to swim and if there's a shark don't pet it). Even though it is monsoon season we still had killer visibility; the reefs seemed endless, illuminated by the rich blues of the ocean and multitudes of colorful fish (reminder: I need to come back for a dive trip during the appropriate season...any volunteers?). After about an hour we headed back to the boat where we are shuttled off to a little village for some lunch. (FYI homemade Thai food is phenomenal). After lunch we head for another island just a rock skip away, Koh Nanhyuan. We anchor in a little cove and set out towards the beach. This area is known as the three islands because they are all connected by little foot bridges. The islands are surrounded by a ring of coral reefs and fine white sandy beaches it was an ideal stop. We hiked to the highest point of the island and were rewarded with an impressive 360 view. After our Asian picture spree we retreated to the beach for a refreshing dip before we had to return to the boat.
After our boating trip we were still pretty exhausted the next day (no judgements...we're on vaca). We decided to spend a relaxing day at the hotel, the morning began with yoga on the pier. After yoga my mom and I met Shelb and Vic for breakfast (Steve had flown home at 7 am) and after breakfast we headed down to the pool. After a lazy day of lounging around we decided to take a Muay Thai (Thai boxing) class, my brother had instructed us it is a must...can't argue with baby.
Let me paint you a picture of our class: class was held on a waterfront pier, it's about 90 degrees and humid, Shelb,Vic a random Asian man and I make up the student body, and the Thai version of Jackie Chan (also my yoga instructor) is our teacher...I wont say we were the most talented and I definitely wouldn't say we were the hardest working...but we looked damn good doing it? Or silly enough that the entire pool staff kept coming by to gawk at us...ya, pretty impressive. Although, our class was cut short because of the storm I'd say we got a lot out of the class. We learned the basics and even got to spar. If we can't make it to a fight...might as well have our own!
The next day we decided to go for another boating trip. We hired a long tail boat for three hours and set sail for the five islands. Our first stop we jumped in for a snorkel in a remote cove, due to the storm the night before our visibility wasn't the greatest but the scenery is far too beautiful to ever complain. As we jumped back in the boat we are instantly dried by the sun. We then set sail for another close island and decide to try our hand at a little fishing (in my 23 years of existence I have never caught a fish...I hate fishing). We anchored near an old pier and dropped a couple lines in about 5 minutes later Vic and my mom already have bites. Just when I begin to pout I realize where I am...I am on a long tailed boat in the middle of the Thai islands with an exquisite backdrop and phenomenal company...I couldn't ask for more. And just as I'm getting my zen back on, I feel a tug. Obviously I scream then begin to reel in my line. I had just caught my first fish (it was the size of my hand but who cares)!! After a day of snorkeling and fishing we decide to take the boat around the islands for some sight seeing before we head back to Koh Samui.
On our last full day on the island we decide to head into the city for some shopping and sightseeing. We got into town and went straight for the beach (typical) now what kind of mischief can we get into here...sketch food vendors, beach bars and water sports...we beeline for the sea do rentals but our eye is caught by the speed boat dragging a banana. Sold. I don't care how old you are...that is always a good time. We throw our stuff down, grab life jackets and "gracefully" mount the banana. We have 20 minutes on this bad boy...the driver starts off easy clearly underestimating our abilities. We decide to play with him and ride without hands...bad idea. From there it was game on...the rest of the time was spent doing donuts and jumping wakes, talk about whip lash. On the last donut we manage to stay on which provokes him to cattail...we are THROWN face first in a dog pile off the banana. He then waves and drives away. Cheers.
After a little shopping we head back to the hotel for a cooking class. When I travel I like to take a cooking class and learn some traditional meals to attempt to make for my family and friends when I am home (also Steven had requested we take the class). We were the only people that had signed up for the day so it was a private class. We spent the next two hours cooking, it was great getting back in the kitchen. We learned how to make Laab Chicken, Chicken Phad Thai and a Seafood Curry. After each dish we would sit at the table to taste test our creations...we were soon joined by scavengers as Shelb and Vic got hungry. A great way to end our relaxing stay in the islands. Next stop Bangkok...
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The Full Moon Party
I can feel the light before I can see it. I open my eyes to see that I am swimming in a pool of dried paint and sand. I smile as images of the last 24 hours drift through my head. Surreal. I slowly sit up and reach for my camera, I need hard evidence last night was real. Paint party, Thai buckets, fire and lady boys. Yep, we had survived the legendary Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan and it was the best night of my life. Sorry, I digress my real story begins a mere 24 hours earlier ...on July 3.
We collect our luggage from the baggage carousal and head to the ticketing counter. Praying there are still ferry tickets available...10,000 people attending and we don't have tickets to the island...talk about anxiety. But we are in luck, heaps available. We purchase our tickets and are immediately corralled into buses where we are shuttled off to the harbor. We hop on the bus and meet two guys from Florida, ew one has a faux hawk and they both have eyebrow slits...tools. We get to talking and their silly appearances are from their last trip, they were in Vietnam and were playing a game called Claim. If you didn't complete the dare you had to shave a design into your body. Hence the eyebrow slits another souvenir, tiger stripes down the leg. We exchange our travel stories as the excitement courses through our veins (looks like we'll have to extend the trip, Laos and Vietnam?). We exit the bus and head towards our speedboat.
We get to the island and head for the hotel. We've got a long night ahead of us... On our way to the hotel we run into a friend of my sisters (Brendan) who demands we attend a paint party at his hotel tonight then all head down to the beach. Sounds appropriate...we're in! We throw our things in the room and head for the pool. We grab a Thai bucket and a pizza and post up by the pool. A DJ is set up by the pool and we've got some lively Aussies to entertain ourselves before the night begins.
We rendezvous with Brendan and head for the party...time to get our Picasso on. A couple hours later Brendan drags us out of the bar...it's midnight already? Jeez. Off we go...months of planning and our big night has finally arrived!
We get onto the main road and jump into the throng of people (picture a MASS exodus). We link up and swim through crowd each screaming to one another, " don't leave me I don't have a phone!?" Then we hit sand, we've made it! And it is quite a sight pure mayhem, but it is beautiful. The beach is lined with bars, stages, painting booths, flaming objects and 10,000 people.
We jump from stage to stage all night (literally). Just when you think you need a break you hear a familiar song and run to the next stage completely energized. Why stop? This is one of the top 10 parties in the world...you need to savor every minute (But if you need a break, you nap in the sand). It couldn't have been more ideal.
As the night continued the mischief progressed. More and more fire toys began to appear, first signs, then hula hoops and finally the infamous jump rope. Now all travel blogs warn you not to jump in the rope "even if you are an expert jumper the drunk that joins you is not." Not into fire? Try the giant waterside it is probably almost as unsafe but completely worth it.
And don't bother asking people for the time, from midnight-when the sun comes up everyone told me it was 1:30...
Just when we were about to call it a night we spot more friends. And just like that all exhaustion banished. We head down to our favorite stage just as a Red Hot Chili Peppers mash-up begins and just like that the party starts again. We make our way to the stage to escape from the crowds (only so many people can fit up there). I start my two step and notice the girl next to me is wearing tights...well that's odd. My peripheral peek turns into a stare as I realize a congregation of lady boys (transvestites...sort of) has assembled next to me. Soooo...sick? This is my first encounter with a lady boy and hopefully my last...thank goodness I'm a girl...would have been a different story if Baby Steve was here! Again I digress...back to the party.
It was some odd hour of the morning but the party was still going. No one knew what time it was and no one really cared (the more time I spend in South East Asia the more I don't worry about things like time what's important is the present and living in the moment. Time stands still so you can enjoy the moment and that's exactly what I plan to do). The music suddenly changes pace and a small Asian man begins to MC what appears to be another morning rally cry is actually the end of the party. Times...how can it be over! We just got here...and then it hit us. The sun has come out...not just risen...it is out. What now? We fall into line and head towards the town. Just as we are crossing the pool we see the hotel staff setting up breakfast (it's 7:30)...after 8 hours of dancing nothing has ever looked this good. We scarf down our food and groggily head off to bed.
Three hours later we wake up to a pounding on the door...it's Brendan...he has managed to lose his shirt, shoes, hat and friends...but what a night.
We collect our luggage from the baggage carousal and head to the ticketing counter. Praying there are still ferry tickets available...10,000 people attending and we don't have tickets to the island...talk about anxiety. But we are in luck, heaps available. We purchase our tickets and are immediately corralled into buses where we are shuttled off to the harbor. We hop on the bus and meet two guys from Florida, ew one has a faux hawk and they both have eyebrow slits...tools. We get to talking and their silly appearances are from their last trip, they were in Vietnam and were playing a game called Claim. If you didn't complete the dare you had to shave a design into your body. Hence the eyebrow slits another souvenir, tiger stripes down the leg. We exchange our travel stories as the excitement courses through our veins (looks like we'll have to extend the trip, Laos and Vietnam?). We exit the bus and head towards our speedboat.
We get to the island and head for the hotel. We've got a long night ahead of us... On our way to the hotel we run into a friend of my sisters (Brendan) who demands we attend a paint party at his hotel tonight then all head down to the beach. Sounds appropriate...we're in! We throw our things in the room and head for the pool. We grab a Thai bucket and a pizza and post up by the pool. A DJ is set up by the pool and we've got some lively Aussies to entertain ourselves before the night begins.
We rendezvous with Brendan and head for the party...time to get our Picasso on. A couple hours later Brendan drags us out of the bar...it's midnight already? Jeez. Off we go...months of planning and our big night has finally arrived!
We get onto the main road and jump into the throng of people (picture a MASS exodus). We link up and swim through crowd each screaming to one another, " don't leave me I don't have a phone!?" Then we hit sand, we've made it! And it is quite a sight pure mayhem, but it is beautiful. The beach is lined with bars, stages, painting booths, flaming objects and 10,000 people.
We jump from stage to stage all night (literally). Just when you think you need a break you hear a familiar song and run to the next stage completely energized. Why stop? This is one of the top 10 parties in the world...you need to savor every minute (But if you need a break, you nap in the sand). It couldn't have been more ideal.
As the night continued the mischief progressed. More and more fire toys began to appear, first signs, then hula hoops and finally the infamous jump rope. Now all travel blogs warn you not to jump in the rope "even if you are an expert jumper the drunk that joins you is not." Not into fire? Try the giant waterside it is probably almost as unsafe but completely worth it.
And don't bother asking people for the time, from midnight-when the sun comes up everyone told me it was 1:30...
Just when we were about to call it a night we spot more friends. And just like that all exhaustion banished. We head down to our favorite stage just as a Red Hot Chili Peppers mash-up begins and just like that the party starts again. We make our way to the stage to escape from the crowds (only so many people can fit up there). I start my two step and notice the girl next to me is wearing tights...well that's odd. My peripheral peek turns into a stare as I realize a congregation of lady boys (transvestites...sort of) has assembled next to me. Soooo...sick? This is my first encounter with a lady boy and hopefully my last...thank goodness I'm a girl...would have been a different story if Baby Steve was here! Again I digress...back to the party.
It was some odd hour of the morning but the party was still going. No one knew what time it was and no one really cared (the more time I spend in South East Asia the more I don't worry about things like time what's important is the present and living in the moment. Time stands still so you can enjoy the moment and that's exactly what I plan to do). The music suddenly changes pace and a small Asian man begins to MC what appears to be another morning rally cry is actually the end of the party. Times...how can it be over! We just got here...and then it hit us. The sun has come out...not just risen...it is out. What now? We fall into line and head towards the town. Just as we are crossing the pool we see the hotel staff setting up breakfast (it's 7:30)...after 8 hours of dancing nothing has ever looked this good. We scarf down our food and groggily head off to bed.
Three hours later we wake up to a pounding on the door...it's Brendan...he has managed to lose his shirt, shoes, hat and friends...but what a night.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Oh my God, oh my Buddah
As we settle into our seats we hear the stewardess over the intercom. What we thought to be a typical "welcome" spiel turned into a warning.
"Please excuse the delay, there is a typhoon warning in Hong Kong."
Immediately a sinking feeling in my stomach begins to take hold of me. And then the voice comes across the intercom, "flight attendants prepare for take off". Wait...time out. I quickly grab an attendant...I'm sorry maybe I misunderstood I thought you just said we had a typhoon warning? Oh we fine, there always typhoon in Hong Kong. Oh well as long as its a normal occurrence?
After 20+hours of flying I find myself in beautiful Thighland (for those of you who are not literate in obnoxious cinematic quotes I am in Thailand). LAX> Hong Kong> Bangkok (pick up Shelby and Victoria) > Chiang Mai. Upon arriving we quickly retrieve our bags and scuttled out of the airport.
Thankfully our hotel had an airport transportation shuttle, God bless FSR. Trying to function after that travel day would have been impossible. Entering our hotel is like entering Buddha's secret garden. The FSR never fails, authentic Thai buildings surrounding a rice field. As we enter the open air lobby we are all awe struck by the beautiful architecture and landscape. We quickly settle into our bungalows and head into town. We have three nights in Chiang Mai and we cannot waste a second. We hop in a shuttle and head straight to the Tiger Kingdom. Due to all the animal rights groups and general US safety laws this tiger experience would not have been made possible back home...cheers to third world countries? Our tiger trek began with cuddling baby tigers (basically the cutest beings you will ever encounter) it ended with jumping in a grown up tiger cage. This encounter was exhilarating and terrifying, we were the LAST group to enter before dinner time.Things I have learned from the Tiger Kingdom obviously tigers hate cinnamon (more Hangover quotes) but they also dislike camera flashes (...upon switching my camera settings my flash turned on my life flashed before my eyes...) a tiger encounter whether wild or captive is never a comfortable experience especially surrounded by little Asian men telling you to cuddle with the tiger. We each lined up to take our pictures then attempted to hustle out of the pen, but no the little Asian men claimed we had not had our "full tiger experience" and we are then wrangled to the pool area where we proceeded to watch the hungry tigers "play." I don't think we could have run out of that cage faster. Although a phenomenal experience (to look back on) I would advice to not visit right before dinner time...
The next day was spent in search of temples and waterfall hikes. The temple was nestled in the jungle at the highest point in Thailand. The images were exquisite, the Buddhists know how to decorate a temple. You enter the jungle temple by way of a golden dragon stairwell, the grounds are filled with shrine upon shrine of golden statues and colorful friezes; the entire temple is littered with beautiful flowers and glowing candles it's quite a sight. Our driver then took us to a Thai restaurant a top a waterfall...ya it was awesome. We spent the rest of the day lounging lakeside and the night jumping around Chiang Mai.
The best part of traveling is meeting new people, everyone is 1) interesting 2) you get to exchange your travel stories and 3) we talk about the anticipation of the mayhem that is the full moon party...because everyone is going. The next morning Vic and I wake and groggily head to our morning yoga class. The only reason this class was even remotely on our morning radar was because the class was held on a dock waterside. After an exhilarating class we ran back to our room...we were already running late for our excursion. Today's adventure consisted of elephant rides and bamboo drifts...yes it was as spectacular as you are currently imagining. We entered the elephant grounds by way of a rickety old bridge with a sign that read, "warning do not exceed over 10 minutes on the bridge."
Yet another captivating casual Asian warning...the day began by feeding the elephants. Having the elephants snatch bananas from your hand with their trunks never gets old (I could have done this all day). Next on the agenda was a show, we watched the elephants do little tricks for a bit but the most exciting part was watching a baby elephant paint a picture. They are such magnificent creatures it was quite the spectacle. After the show we hopped on the elephants for a jungle ride to a village then onto a homemade Thai lunch. After lunch we were shuttled down the river on bamboo rafts. Sooo tribal. We spent the rest of the evening poolside then retired early...tomorrow was a big day, off to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party.
Thankfully our hotel had an airport transportation shuttle, God bless FSR. Trying to function after that travel day would have been impossible. Entering our hotel is like entering Buddha's secret garden. The FSR never fails, authentic Thai buildings surrounding a rice field. As we enter the open air lobby we are all awe struck by the beautiful architecture and landscape. We quickly settle into our bungalows and head into town. We have three nights in Chiang Mai and we cannot waste a second. We hop in a shuttle and head straight to the Tiger Kingdom. Due to all the animal rights groups and general US safety laws this tiger experience would not have been made possible back home...cheers to third world countries? Our tiger trek began with cuddling baby tigers (basically the cutest beings you will ever encounter) it ended with jumping in a grown up tiger cage. This encounter was exhilarating and terrifying, we were the LAST group to enter before dinner time.Things I have learned from the Tiger Kingdom obviously tigers hate cinnamon (more Hangover quotes) but they also dislike camera flashes (...upon switching my camera settings my flash turned on my life flashed before my eyes...) a tiger encounter whether wild or captive is never a comfortable experience especially surrounded by little Asian men telling you to cuddle with the tiger. We each lined up to take our pictures then attempted to hustle out of the pen, but no the little Asian men claimed we had not had our "full tiger experience" and we are then wrangled to the pool area where we proceeded to watch the hungry tigers "play." I don't think we could have run out of that cage faster. Although a phenomenal experience (to look back on) I would advice to not visit right before dinner time...
The next day was spent in search of temples and waterfall hikes. The temple was nestled in the jungle at the highest point in Thailand. The images were exquisite, the Buddhists know how to decorate a temple. You enter the jungle temple by way of a golden dragon stairwell, the grounds are filled with shrine upon shrine of golden statues and colorful friezes; the entire temple is littered with beautiful flowers and glowing candles it's quite a sight. Our driver then took us to a Thai restaurant a top a waterfall...ya it was awesome. We spent the rest of the day lounging lakeside and the night jumping around Chiang Mai.
The best part of traveling is meeting new people, everyone is 1) interesting 2) you get to exchange your travel stories and 3) we talk about the anticipation of the mayhem that is the full moon party...because everyone is going. The next morning Vic and I wake and groggily head to our morning yoga class. The only reason this class was even remotely on our morning radar was because the class was held on a dock waterside. After an exhilarating class we ran back to our room...we were already running late for our excursion. Today's adventure consisted of elephant rides and bamboo drifts...yes it was as spectacular as you are currently imagining. We entered the elephant grounds by way of a rickety old bridge with a sign that read, "warning do not exceed over 10 minutes on the bridge."
Yet another captivating casual Asian warning...the day began by feeding the elephants. Having the elephants snatch bananas from your hand with their trunks never gets old (I could have done this all day). Next on the agenda was a show, we watched the elephants do little tricks for a bit but the most exciting part was watching a baby elephant paint a picture. They are such magnificent creatures it was quite the spectacle. After the show we hopped on the elephants for a jungle ride to a village then onto a homemade Thai lunch. After lunch we were shuttled down the river on bamboo rafts. Sooo tribal. We spent the rest of the evening poolside then retired early...tomorrow was a big day, off to Koh Phangan for the Full Moon Party.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Start Swooning...
Disclaimer: Words cannot properly describe the beauty that is Turks and Caicos. The colors, the sights, the sounds, the (sea)food, and the rum.
Who: The Ito's (+ Ada)
What: Traversing the globe
When: Annual Easter Vaca (Mexico kinda unavailable)
Where: The Gansevoort Hotel, Turks and Caicos
Why: It's tradition
It seems as if, every time I travel, it is becoming more difficult to coax myself to return to the United States (if only being on a perpetual vacation was a reality...I have not given up hope yet...I am still young). Every time I have visited the Caribbean I am hypnotized by its beauty and frankly wouldn't mind finding my own Captain Jack Sparrow and relocating to this Utopian archipelago. One day...
Ahh where to begin, when packing for a tropical island getaway it is completely unnecessary to bring a large suitcase (I had a carry on)...because clothing is optional. Necessities: swimsuits (yes, you need multiple), sandals (but barefoot works just as well), workout clothes (you're in a swimsuit...I feel as if this is self explanatory), cover up, floppy hat, over-sized sunglasses, book(s), dinner gear, wedges, sunscreen, and minimal make-up (don't look like a Jersey Shore cast member).
We arrived to the hotel late Tuesday night, as we groggily approached the lobby Steve and I were stopped in our tracks...dimly lit by the pale moonlight the outline of the the beach came into view. Even at this late hour you could see the rich, iridescent turquoise illuminating the coast. We immediately took off towards the beach abandoning our possessions in the lobby...safe with Ada right? We collapsed on the beach beds silently taking in the scenery and admiring what a wonderful vaca planner Susan is, this place was unreal.
The mornings were reserved for for beach yoga, followed by brunch. The nights were spent hopping to fabulous restaurants around the area, each offering a splendid assortment of seafood and festive cocktails. Not quite used to 40+ hour work weeks, and missing my lax socal lifestyle and the comfort of my family this getaway could not have come at a better time.
This week instead of my writing be the focus, I'll let the photos illustrate our trip, a picture is worth 1,000 words, right?
Wednesday: There is nothing like island hopping on Jet skis in 70 degree, crystal clear waters.
Thursday: Relaxing on the beach beds, sailing along the coast sipping drunken lobsters and reading Hunger Games.
Friday: We spent the morning on an excursion. Snorkling along the reef, conk diving, hunting iguanas and enjoying the legendary Caribbean Rum punch. After a great day of playing pirates we retreated to the hotel for a "well deserved" spa day.
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Saturday: Another early morning on the sea, Sue and I spent the day scuba diving off the coast (my first dive since I was certified last April). Spectacles: reef sharks, sea turtles, a dolphin, and lion fish.
Sunday: Easter Sunday, sadly my dad, brother and grandmother had to leave early in the morning. We spent the day relaxing and celebrating God's greatest gift and enjoying each other's company.
Monday: return to dreary DC...California bound in 2 weeks!
Who: The Ito's (+ Ada)
What: Traversing the globe
When: Annual Easter Vaca (Mexico kinda unavailable)
Where: The Gansevoort Hotel, Turks and Caicos
Why: It's tradition
It seems as if, every time I travel, it is becoming more difficult to coax myself to return to the United States (if only being on a perpetual vacation was a reality...I have not given up hope yet...I am still young). Every time I have visited the Caribbean I am hypnotized by its beauty and frankly wouldn't mind finding my own Captain Jack Sparrow and relocating to this Utopian archipelago. One day...
Ahh where to begin, when packing for a tropical island getaway it is completely unnecessary to bring a large suitcase (I had a carry on)...because clothing is optional. Necessities: swimsuits (yes, you need multiple), sandals (but barefoot works just as well), workout clothes (you're in a swimsuit...I feel as if this is self explanatory), cover up, floppy hat, over-sized sunglasses, book(s), dinner gear, wedges, sunscreen, and minimal make-up (don't look like a Jersey Shore cast member).
We arrived to the hotel late Tuesday night, as we groggily approached the lobby Steve and I were stopped in our tracks...dimly lit by the pale moonlight the outline of the the beach came into view. Even at this late hour you could see the rich, iridescent turquoise illuminating the coast. We immediately took off towards the beach abandoning our possessions in the lobby...safe with Ada right? We collapsed on the beach beds silently taking in the scenery and admiring what a wonderful vaca planner Susan is, this place was unreal.
The mornings were reserved for for beach yoga, followed by brunch. The nights were spent hopping to fabulous restaurants around the area, each offering a splendid assortment of seafood and festive cocktails. Not quite used to 40+ hour work weeks, and missing my lax socal lifestyle and the comfort of my family this getaway could not have come at a better time.
This week instead of my writing be the focus, I'll let the photos illustrate our trip, a picture is worth 1,000 words, right?
Wednesday: There is nothing like island hopping on Jet skis in 70 degree, crystal clear waters.
Thursday: Relaxing on the beach beds, sailing along the coast sipping drunken lobsters and reading Hunger Games.
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Friday, March 30, 2012
Hey Y'all, I'm Going Out With My Boots On
Thursday, March 22, I made the brilliant decision to attend the Hunger Games midnight premiere. I might not have finished the book, however, the allure of patiently waiting in a sardine can with anxious teenagers for a midnight showing even though I will be arriving at work hours later is always a gambit for me. As obnoxious and cliche as it sounds, no matter how crowded the venue (I hate people) or exhausted I may be the next day, it is always worth it in the end. And this was no different, although I started the book months ago, I have yet to finish it...looks like I might have more motivation now. I adored the movie, such an adrenaline rush. And my sleep deprivation was no match for a swig of 5 hour power, yes I am essentially drinking poison, but, "you only live once" seems to be my mantra/accessory for this season. Some girls like to sport a new bag everyday, I prefer the zombie look. Classic.
Friday after work I headed home to grab my suitcase, I was off to Nashville, Tennessee, the home of Country Music. New York last weekend, Tennessee this weekend, I wonder why I am so sleep deprived. This weekend I was making the trip to meet up with some family. I was met at the airport by Justin, and we headed for their home. I had yet to visit them in Kentucky and this appeared to be my last chance to make a trip down south before their move! As we crept up to the house we tip-toed into the dark house, and just as I set my bags down I am tackled by a large black mass, Brucey, a 6 month old pit bull. I immediately drop to the floor to play with my new friend, one of the difficult parts about living over here is being away from my puppies. I have missed my K9 companions...
Saturday after a hearty breakfast we pack up the "RV" and head back into Nashville. The first stop, the Gaylord Opry Hotel (The South's version of Disneyland I have been informed). We settled into the hotel and made our way to the "Dreamworks Experience," (my cousin has a 2 year old) this interactive "experience" was a "friendly" competition for kids and parents to do together. Being an obnoxiously competitive family, we began strategizingn (immediately), "well Gabe is 2 so he wont be able to compete," as we began delegating games to each individual we realized how truly pathetic we were acting. Don't get me wrong, winning was still our goal, but I was not going to push a toddle down in order to attain that goal. Around 9, the babysitter arrived, we snuck out of the experience just as the dance party began, darn. We had our own dance party to attend. We "quickly" got ready and headed to Downtown Nashville for a night of live music and dancing. The sights and sounds of the historic Downtown were intoxicating, cowboys and cowgirls paraded around the strip, jumping from bar to bar, soulful country ballads wafted out the open doors. Our first bar, the Dueling Pianos (Justin's suggestion), upon entering I was extremely skeptical, all I saw was a smokey patio, I tried to mask my disappointment, but I essentially speak in facial expressions...Justin quickly corralled us to the back of the bar. As we meshed into the crowd we saw what was drawing in the audience, on stage were two pianists playing popular music and hurling one liners back and forth (now that's my style). Hilarious, to say the least. Just as we began to settle down we were scuttled out to our next bar, again I questioned Justin's taste, gross, dive bar. But wait, that band, is, awesome. Jack and I rushed to the dance floor to kick up our boots to some good 'ole country music. If you love live (COUNTRY) music, Nashville is the place to go. We spent the remainder of the night jumping from bar to bar, and every band we saw was brilliant. I could live there, (who am I kidding...visit) phenomenal music, great food, and adorable cowboys (or cute Vandi students... your preference) I'm not sure you could want anything else in a city! It.Was.Spectacular. Nashville is a definite must see, I can safely add it to my list of favorite places.
Sunday, obviously a day of rest, and we honorable respected it. Tragically we did not make it to church, however we did enjoy some much needed R&R. As we reflected on the night we realized we had lost David. Geez. Well technically we were all aware of it but when it turned noon and we still had not heard from him so we decided to give him a jingle. David had decided to stick Downtown with our friends for a little longer and got suckered into staying at someone's mom's house...excellent. Poor child's phone died and had been waiting around all morning for a ride back to the hotel. After he had made it back safe and sound we decided to make our way out to a little brunch. Generally I am pretty morally opposed to all you can eat brunches, generally due to my horrendous sweet tooth...oops. But it was grrrreat. We sat around the table reflecting upon the night, mostly laughing at Justin's facial expressions. Girls, if you want to go out and do not want to get harassed by creepers, I suggest going with a 6'3'' army man. If I had only taken a photo...words can't describe the death stare that emitted from his face, greatness. Centennial Park was our next destination, day naps (food comas) in the sun, one of my favorite past times and a great way to end a fabulous trip!
Friday after work I headed home to grab my suitcase, I was off to Nashville, Tennessee, the home of Country Music. New York last weekend, Tennessee this weekend, I wonder why I am so sleep deprived. This weekend I was making the trip to meet up with some family. I was met at the airport by Justin, and we headed for their home. I had yet to visit them in Kentucky and this appeared to be my last chance to make a trip down south before their move! As we crept up to the house we tip-toed into the dark house, and just as I set my bags down I am tackled by a large black mass, Brucey, a 6 month old pit bull. I immediately drop to the floor to play with my new friend, one of the difficult parts about living over here is being away from my puppies. I have missed my K9 companions...
Saturday after a hearty breakfast we pack up the "RV" and head back into Nashville. The first stop, the Gaylord Opry Hotel (The South's version of Disneyland I have been informed). We settled into the hotel and made our way to the "Dreamworks Experience," (my cousin has a 2 year old) this interactive "experience" was a "friendly" competition for kids and parents to do together. Being an obnoxiously competitive family, we began strategizingn (immediately), "well Gabe is 2 so he wont be able to compete," as we began delegating games to each individual we realized how truly pathetic we were acting. Don't get me wrong, winning was still our goal, but I was not going to push a toddle down in order to attain that goal. Around 9, the babysitter arrived, we snuck out of the experience just as the dance party began, darn. We had our own dance party to attend. We "quickly" got ready and headed to Downtown Nashville for a night of live music and dancing. The sights and sounds of the historic Downtown were intoxicating, cowboys and cowgirls paraded around the strip, jumping from bar to bar, soulful country ballads wafted out the open doors. Our first bar, the Dueling Pianos (Justin's suggestion), upon entering I was extremely skeptical, all I saw was a smokey patio, I tried to mask my disappointment, but I essentially speak in facial expressions...Justin quickly corralled us to the back of the bar. As we meshed into the crowd we saw what was drawing in the audience, on stage were two pianists playing popular music and hurling one liners back and forth (now that's my style). Hilarious, to say the least. Just as we began to settle down we were scuttled out to our next bar, again I questioned Justin's taste, gross, dive bar. But wait, that band, is, awesome. Jack and I rushed to the dance floor to kick up our boots to some good 'ole country music. If you love live (COUNTRY) music, Nashville is the place to go. We spent the remainder of the night jumping from bar to bar, and every band we saw was brilliant. I could live there, (who am I kidding...visit) phenomenal music, great food, and adorable cowboys (or cute Vandi students... your preference) I'm not sure you could want anything else in a city! It.Was.Spectacular. Nashville is a definite must see, I can safely add it to my list of favorite places.
Sunday, obviously a day of rest, and we honorable respected it. Tragically we did not make it to church, however we did enjoy some much needed R&R. As we reflected on the night we realized we had lost David. Geez. Well technically we were all aware of it but when it turned noon and we still had not heard from him so we decided to give him a jingle. David had decided to stick Downtown with our friends for a little longer and got suckered into staying at someone's mom's house...excellent. Poor child's phone died and had been waiting around all morning for a ride back to the hotel. After he had made it back safe and sound we decided to make our way out to a little brunch. Generally I am pretty morally opposed to all you can eat brunches, generally due to my horrendous sweet tooth...oops. But it was grrrreat. We sat around the table reflecting upon the night, mostly laughing at Justin's facial expressions. Girls, if you want to go out and do not want to get harassed by creepers, I suggest going with a 6'3'' army man. If I had only taken a photo...words can't describe the death stare that emitted from his face, greatness. Centennial Park was our next destination, day naps (food comas) in the sun, one of my favorite past times and a great way to end a fabulous trip!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
I Just Want to Dance and Eat
The only way to truly experience exceptional night life in a fabulous city is 1) girls only 2) you need a promoter(s)
Living on the East Coast, traveling between states is so accessible it would be a shame not to, hence we decided a New York City trip was in order. Mala, Isa and I had been to New York before but Jasmine had not, we instantly began compiling a list of our favorite places and spaces in the Concrete Jungle, but to our dismay Jasmine would have none of it.
"I just want to dance and eat."
Easy enough...
We boarded our bus on a Thursday night and began our trek up to New York. We got into the city around 10 pm, dropped our bags at The Plaza and not wanting to waste any time decided to start our vacation. We "quickly" got ready and headed to the Meatpacking District, Le Bain at the Standard seemed appropriate enough. We casually bypassed the line to flirt our way into the club, but instead of finding a bored meat-head doorman we run into an anorexic witchy woman. Tragic. "If you aren't on the list you aren't getting in." Rude. Unfortunately "But we're from LA" does not have the same influence in NYC...go figure. Jasmine being the more vocal in the group was not going to give up that easily, after a couple minutes of scheming and spinning we realized our efforts were futile and we should try out another. Dejectedly we headed down another street, Mala and I intersected a hipster on our walk and he pointed us in the direction of a club on the street. "Tell them you are with Raul and Fiasco Magazine." We waltzed past the line and headed into the club, Kiss and Fly. Now this was more like it. After a night of mingling and dancing we headed back to the apartment giddy with our dumb luck.
Friday we woke up had breakfast and headed to Fifth Ave for a little shopping. As dusk began to set in we made our way back to the apartment. We had a long night ahead of us and we wanted to rest up. Tonight we had plans to meet up with some of Isa's friends from Venezuela, back to the Standard. This time we were on "the list," it was ok...the best part about it was the look on the doorwoman's face as we pranced past her and up to the elevator. Sorry doorwoman, we do what we want. We made a couple of friends at Kiss n Fly the night before and decided to jump around until we found a club worthy of our presence. After three duds we wandered into Griffin, the entire centerpiece was a three tiered pink chandelier and we had a table. Boom. After dancing the night away with our new Venezuelan friends we headed to Leo's apartment for a little after hours merengue and pizza.
Saturday, we decided to introduce Jasmine to Serendipity, who doesn't love a frozen hot chocolate in the morning? As we made our way out of the lobby we were instantly shocked to see the streets filled with people, we had completely forgotten about the St. Patrick's Day Parade! Well that plan was scratched, unless we crowd surfed across Fifth Ave. we were not making it to brunch. We grabbed obnoxious St. Patty's paraphernalia and headed to Sarabeth's for some food and green mimosas...we just had to properly celebrate the holiday. We then followed the masses to Times Square. Waves of people stormed the streets, it was a sight to see. After popping in and out of a couple Irish pubs we found a suitable place, a pack of attractive, noncreepy men (that were good dancers...key) and a man in a giant Gumby suit, it really couldn't get more ideal. We spent the afternoon dancing and decided to call it at 6. We made our way through the crowds and all four of us instantly passed out as soon as we got home. Around 9 we woke up, shoot we had dinner at Tao in 30 minutes! Could we do it, was it worth it? Duh...we scrambled to look presentable and hopped in a cab, it was .5 miles away but that seems like a marathon in 5 inch heals. After a fabulous dinner we made our way to SOHO, tonight's venue W.I.P (Work in Progress), an Andy Warhol themed club. This was my favorite, SuperTrendy, good music, beautiful artsy men and another table.
Sunday our departure was at 5:30, but when you wake up at noon and pack you really have no time for activities...but we still had a few things up our sleeve. We sat down for an ummmazing cappuccino, grabbed some gyros and headed to Central Park for some ice skating. It was a lovely afternoon and we were all deeply depressed as we made our way back to the District. Au revoir mi amore, we shall be back.
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The only thing I can complain about was that there aren't enough hours in a day. There is always something fabulous happening and there simply isn't enough time to do it, but at least we tried.
Living on the East Coast, traveling between states is so accessible it would be a shame not to, hence we decided a New York City trip was in order. Mala, Isa and I had been to New York before but Jasmine had not, we instantly began compiling a list of our favorite places and spaces in the Concrete Jungle, but to our dismay Jasmine would have none of it.
"I just want to dance and eat."
Easy enough...
We boarded our bus on a Thursday night and began our trek up to New York. We got into the city around 10 pm, dropped our bags at The Plaza and not wanting to waste any time decided to start our vacation. We "quickly" got ready and headed to the Meatpacking District, Le Bain at the Standard seemed appropriate enough. We casually bypassed the line to flirt our way into the club, but instead of finding a bored meat-head doorman we run into an anorexic witchy woman. Tragic. "If you aren't on the list you aren't getting in." Rude. Unfortunately "But we're from LA" does not have the same influence in NYC...go figure. Jasmine being the more vocal in the group was not going to give up that easily, after a couple minutes of scheming and spinning we realized our efforts were futile and we should try out another. Dejectedly we headed down another street, Mala and I intersected a hipster on our walk and he pointed us in the direction of a club on the street. "Tell them you are with Raul and Fiasco Magazine." We waltzed past the line and headed into the club, Kiss and Fly. Now this was more like it. After a night of mingling and dancing we headed back to the apartment giddy with our dumb luck.
Friday we woke up had breakfast and headed to Fifth Ave for a little shopping. As dusk began to set in we made our way back to the apartment. We had a long night ahead of us and we wanted to rest up. Tonight we had plans to meet up with some of Isa's friends from Venezuela, back to the Standard. This time we were on "the list," it was ok...the best part about it was the look on the doorwoman's face as we pranced past her and up to the elevator. Sorry doorwoman, we do what we want. We made a couple of friends at Kiss n Fly the night before and decided to jump around until we found a club worthy of our presence. After three duds we wandered into Griffin, the entire centerpiece was a three tiered pink chandelier and we had a table. Boom. After dancing the night away with our new Venezuelan friends we headed to Leo's apartment for a little after hours merengue and pizza.
Saturday, we decided to introduce Jasmine to Serendipity, who doesn't love a frozen hot chocolate in the morning? As we made our way out of the lobby we were instantly shocked to see the streets filled with people, we had completely forgotten about the St. Patrick's Day Parade! Well that plan was scratched, unless we crowd surfed across Fifth Ave. we were not making it to brunch. We grabbed obnoxious St. Patty's paraphernalia and headed to Sarabeth's for some food and green mimosas...we just had to properly celebrate the holiday. We then followed the masses to Times Square. Waves of people stormed the streets, it was a sight to see. After popping in and out of a couple Irish pubs we found a suitable place, a pack of attractive, noncreepy men (that were good dancers...key) and a man in a giant Gumby suit, it really couldn't get more ideal. We spent the afternoon dancing and decided to call it at 6. We made our way through the crowds and all four of us instantly passed out as soon as we got home. Around 9 we woke up, shoot we had dinner at Tao in 30 minutes! Could we do it, was it worth it? Duh...we scrambled to look presentable and hopped in a cab, it was .5 miles away but that seems like a marathon in 5 inch heals. After a fabulous dinner we made our way to SOHO, tonight's venue W.I.P (Work in Progress), an Andy Warhol themed club. This was my favorite, SuperTrendy, good music, beautiful artsy men and another table.
Sunday our departure was at 5:30, but when you wake up at noon and pack you really have no time for activities...but we still had a few things up our sleeve. We sat down for an ummmazing cappuccino, grabbed some gyros and headed to Central Park for some ice skating. It was a lovely afternoon and we were all deeply depressed as we made our way back to the District. Au revoir mi amore, we shall be back.
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