Sippin' Chang on the train in route to meet the parents--It's only proper to have a drink immediately after entering Thailand, just to get in the right mindset for the good times to come.
Happy Mama back with her boys
Catching up with Dad over sunset brews
The first house our parents rented--a serious upgrade from the backpacker life.
Fancy folds and an orchid garnish on the linens--It's weird, the other places I stayed never did this for me...?
Railay Beach--set on a narrow spit of sand surrounded by towering limestone cliffs the development is only accessible by boat.
Railay is land of the iconic longtail boat
Pictures don't do these awesome rock formations justice.
A classic south Thailand scene
Throwing bones
Satay stop
We ended up doing a day-long tour package deal--first stop: super secluded hot spiring.
Second stop: elephant "trekking"...
...or more like hour long walking photo-op.
It was a good laugh.
More fun in the imagination than in practice--riding the neck is actually super uncomfortable, especially if you're a guy.
We had the mischievous trainer, he waited until everyone was in the water and then got our elephant to unleash his firehose trunk on them.
The eyes don't lie--these elephants were kept in seriously sub-par conditions.
Third stop: Tiger Temple...which is at the top of a damn steep mountain.
Monkeys with attitude on the way up
The view from the top is pretty epic...
...as is the giant golden Buddha, especially when you consider the effort to get the cement up there.
Over looking Krabi Town
Enough of the tour group stuff--For our last couple days together the family was looking for something really memorable. Pulling in after an hour and half longtail ride up Khao Sok lake we knew we had found it...
This is one of many encampments of floating bungalows on the HUGE lake in Khao Sok National Park.
The accommodations are plush considering the remoteness of the location.
Basically one material construction including the flotation--got to give it up for bamboo.
Sketchy to begin with, these walkways get real fun after dark and a couple drinks.
Dinner
The limestone makes for very clear water.
Morning from our bungalow.
To give scale to the fjord-like cliffs: the little white thing on the water is a boat.
Aside from the employees the family had the whole place to ourselves one night.
Adam and I pioneering stand-up kayaking on Khao Sok.
Easier on the back and it gives the Jesus-like sensation of walking on water.
Adam couldn't get enough.
The cocktail hour storm rolling in like clockwork.
This man who we knew as Ajon (Thai for teacher) has been living on the lake for 17 years. He took us under his wing during our stay.
America!?!
Some of the sweet gear was available for purchase at the Khao Sok boat jetty.
See you in Vietnam!
After about two weeks together as a family Adam headed off to New Zealand for his next study abroad program, my parents went east to the island of Ko Samui and I headed for Ko Lanta, an island on the west coast.
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