We have escaped all the farangs on Ko Tao and are now relaxing on the remote island of Ko Phangan. Our resort is situated on a very remote part of the island as the only way out is up a dirt road that only leads to more dirt roads. The beach seemed a good place to escape but as you climb over the huge boulders you realize that all you hit is more beach. Despite its isolation it really is a charming place. The owners cook us dinner and breakfast everyday as we sit in the open air resturant adn watch DVD after DVD. They are all fresh bootlegs from Bangkok so we really are way ahead in some respects. Their is an internet conenction which I am trying really hard not to abuse. The place is lined with hammocks, encouraging one to lie around and read they day away. Needless to say I have finished two books and its only day three. Our bungalow is at the edge of the beach and the rolling waves lull us to sleep... but first we ahve to cover our beds wtih mosquito nets. I told you we were roughing it! I watched a storm develp over the ocean today from my bedroom window. The roof is a thatched one which the geckos like to take shelter in at nightfall. The first night I was scared out of my wits as I had no idea they made noise. The best part is the shower and toilet are outside and the shower overlooks the ocean. We aren't sure if people can look in but being that we are the only ones here, it doesn't really matter. There was a guy from San Diego there but he left this morning. The people who run it are amazing and treat us like we are their children. There is such a sense of honesty that you can just go up and take what you need and tell them later. the Tai people are truy amazing and I am realizgin it more and more wiht my interactions wth tme. The owner is going to teach us how to cook Thai food and in exchange I told her I would show her how to use the internet. We also have our own beach though it is full of coral so its not the best for swimming. It is so undevelped and gorgeous here, I fear what it will look like in the years to come as more and more tourists take over.

Last night we hiked over the rocks and literally through the woods to get to town with the guy from San Diego, Jason. The town is really a long strip of beach lined with some bars and resturants on the beach. We ate fresh seafood and watched the sunset.. amazlingly gorgeous. We spend the evening talking and met an actor who just finished filming a Lifetime Original called Human Trafficking. Look for it in October.. its about a little girl who gets kidnapped and put in the sex trade. The guy we hung out with is the father. We drank too many Mai Tais on the beach and eventually had to navigate our way back in the pitch dark over unpaved roads.. don't worry.. I didn't fall this time.

We have about 9 more days at the beach and then we head off to Cambodia. We plan to go kayaking around this amazing Marine Park and then hopefully do a few more dives. Our time on Ko Tao was amazing as we were there for enough time to get to know the people and a feel for the island. It was beautiful and had lots to do but there were far too many rich white kids on their gap year or just hanging out. There didn't seem to be any desire to get to know the Thai culture as everyone was busy drinking, partying and diving. The Thai's of the island were amazingly nice people but we didn't get to know them like we had in places like Chang Mai. We did get our scuba certificates which was a great feeling. I didn't see any sharks but Courtney and Clare did on a deep dive. I wasn't able to go because once again I fell and hurt myself.. no water for three days. Oh well.. that is life.

I am sad that our time at the beach is ending but looking forward to future adventures. I will keep you posted.

We are at the beach now and it is amazing. We spent the last week becoming open water divers! I will write all about it but i have to run to get ready for the night. Be back in a few but just wanted to let you know I am alive.

We left the crazy streets of Bangkok to arrive in the sleepy town of Chang Mai where we would have almost a full week to explore all its splendor. We spent the first part of the week renting motorbikes with Steve and Tavo. We explored some of the most breaktaking landscapes including waterfalls, jungles and monkey shows where monkeys shoot three pointers better than the finest NBA player. The waterfalls where gorgreous and we spent one afternoon lazily drinking beers and swimming underneath the thundering waters.

The nights in Chang Mai were quite fun as we sampled different bars and experience a night of Thai boxing. The boxers ranged in age with the youngest being about 15 years old. The boxing was hard to watch at times but it is so rich in tradition and honor that you can have nothing but respect for those in the ring.

The people in Chang Mai were very welcoming and we made many friends along they way. Some include the band members who played counting crows for us at the beach bar, to our very own travel agent who didn't mind that we just came in to chat with her without ever making reservations to Ban who helped lead our trekking trip. Three of my favorites were these children whose job it was to sell flowers to all the visiting farangs. We spent hours with them playing pool, joking around and just enjoying their company. I know I continously refer to the child poverty issues in Asia but these kids gave me a slight bit of hope. Though they went back in forth between just being kids playing pool to being scolded by their parents from taking a break from selling, they seemed to be much happier than the children in China. The people asking for money where not of the same state of mind as people in Thailand seem to be a lot happier.

The second part of our week in Chang Mai we decided to go trekking which is just another word for hiking in teh blistering heat through the jungle with some crazy people! We did a two day trek where we stayed in the home of a hilltribe know as teh Kirin people. It was an unforgettable experience as they welcomed us into their home and gave us a glimpse into their world. There are about 40 people per group and all the unmarried women wear white. The familes with little girls have a baby pig adn they feed the pig and fatten it up so that when the daughter gets married they can have it at the feast. So when you went to a house and they had a pig, you knew they ahd an eligible daugther. We slept in a big room in their home which is raised on stiltls and consits of many indoor and outdoor areas for cooking and just hanging out. They made us the most amazing curry for dinner before leaving us on our own to play cards and take in the scenery. The next morning we left and went hiking ot the river where we rode elephants! The elephants were amazing and I have plenty of pictures. They had seats on top but we also took turns riding on their necks as they walked along the river. We rounded out the trip with ride back into town on bamboo rafts that they made for us whil we waited. There were a few rapids that we managed to go through as we played waterfall and splashed each other with the bamboo oars. Overall it was a great feeling to be able to experience another culture so unlike my own It really gave me a chance to appreciate the enormity of this world and how much their is to experience and appreciate.

Ohhh we finally made it to Bangkok and it is amazing! We arrived at night and had two nice gentleman waiting for us at the airport... and they even made a sign. Courtney's childhood friend Steve and his friend Tavo are travelling with us for the next two weeks and they are amazing. They are so sweet and great travel companions. We had our first day today and we had to start it off with a traditional Thai massage.. wow did it hurt! It got all the toxins out so I know it was a good idea in the end. We got one hour for 8 bucks but that was the best place right on the temple grounds.. you can usually get them for 4! We visited the reclining buddha who is huge. I don't think that is an adequate word to describe the enormity of the gold structure with mother of pearl feet the size of three people!! We took a nice ride down the river in a small boat with an engine so big it took the drivers entire body to use it.
The sites and sounds of Bangkok are everything we expected and more. Their are food stalls on every available piece of pavement selling everything from fresh fruit, pad thai, banana pancakes and various bugs which Courtney sampled last night.. a cricket!!
We are going to Thai boxing tonight so I need to cut this short to take a shower and get ready. The heat here is opressive but we are getting used to it.
More to come!

Whew! If I didn't feel like a tourist before.. I certainly do now. The past few days have been a whirlwind of temples, walls and nasty chicken. Well not too much nasty chicken but enough to make me want to turn vegetarian. They just don't like to take the grizzle off.. gross!

Anyway.. back to what really matters. We had a taste of how the emperors lived during the Ming Dynasty as we toured the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. Sights to be seen included the golden roofs, endless pagodas and temples filled with gold relics and buddha statutues. The Summer Palace was about two hours outside Beijing and was surrounded by a beautiful lake and acres of weeping willows. We met two guys there who had rented a car and were able to take us back to Beijing in about thirty minutes versus the hour and half it usually takes by bus. One of the guys teaches creative thinking to preschoolers in Shanghai. It is interesting when Western teachers come as they introude the ideas of make believe and "kitchen"　and all the fun stuff we got to do in preschool that Chinese children never do. Overall the two sites were nice but by the end you really get tired of looking inside temple after temple. I took lots of pictures though and am carefully weeding though so you can truly apprecite the beauty of what once was... as they truly are amazing and worth the visit.

The beauty of what once was is an interesting concept for Beijing. Everywhere you look they are tearing down buildings and putting up high rise apartments and new complexes in preparation for the Olympics. The construction is truly in every facet of the city including at the temples as they scrub down the roofs to make it shiny and new. One place they have closed down that I find very interesting is the History Museum. We met someone who works at the Revolutionary Musuem and even she does not know why. Courtney and I think they are rewriting the history so that when all the people arrive for the Olympics they do not take offense. A bad theory maybe but its plausible.

China hasn't really seemed like a communist country for the most part but every now and then they like to remind you. We were sitting on a park bench the other day, eating this wonderful pancake like thing made off egg, onions and spices when I decided to slip off my flip flops and tuck my legs under me. Now there are guards EVERYWHERE, including the parks. So the guard came right up to me and motioned to me to put my shoes on and take my feef off the bench. It was almost as unnatural as the the parks with the most beautiful flowers and grass that you are not allowed to sit on. Its like taunting you as you go by.. haha.. I am so nice and pretty.. but you can't enjoy me. Suppose that is how they do it around here.

Anywhoo.. today we went to the Great Wall of China!! It was amazing to be there and see the enormity of it as you gaze down from the top of endless twists and turns. Everywhere you look there is another piece of the all veering off in all directions. We took the cable car to the top.. whimps.. but hey, its the same one Clinton took. We got to the top and there was some sort of company party going on.. Western Food! but they shooed us on and we went on a hike.. wow.. stunning views.. and even more stunning knowing that people made it by hand. Truly a work of genius. After a few hours we couldn't really figure out how to get off the wall until we saw some ski lifts and a tobbagin course! My first instinct was that it was too unsafe and scary but Courtney was going so I couldn't chicken out. Turns out it was amazing. Picture going down the whole mountainside in a little sled with a break on an alpine slide.. whoo I was freaked but it was only about five mintues long.. such a baby! I want to go back now since know the course.. oh well.. next time.

We are leaving tomorrow for Xiamen, staying there a day or so and then catching a flight to Thailand. It is hard to believe that the first part of our trip is over but there is so much more to come. Knowing that we are leaving China in a few days leaves me with a mixture of feelings. It is an amazing country with a vast amount of beauty and culture, but it is also a place I don't think I would ever feel at home. Most days I feel like an animal in a zoo where people go out of their way to walk by and stare at us. We have been asked to be in pictures with probably as many people as one of the Baldwin brothers would get us a trip out here.. if not more. The people are not as warm as many other cultures I have exprienced but I am an outsider and thus cannot tell if it is due to that. The sense of everyone being out for themselves is evident in the way they drive, never pausing to let even a child pass as they are always in a hurry. I won't generalize that the whole culture is cold as there have been many people how have showed extreme kindness in guiding us along our way. The mothers and babies are adorable and even the children on the streets can't help but steal your heart. Giving away food here is amazing as you see the pure joy it brings to the children. The food here is not something I would ever crave at 1 in the morning though i have to say i have not really gone out on a limb to try some of the crazier conncotions. Overall I am glad I have been able to witness what is left of the older China. As we all know things here are changing rapidly and the effects of Westernazation are reaching deeper and deeper .THe people have only recently emerged from a long slumber under the leadership of Mao and it is important to watch their emergence into this global world. I would like to come back when I am older to see how small this world really has become.

Yes, I　know its not 2008 but it might as well be the way the people in Beijing are acting. There is a massive clock with a countdown on it as well as Olympic paraphanalia across the city! Yesterday we went to the Temple of Heaven where they were selling hats, t-shirts and even kites with Olympic logos.

To back up a bit we arrived in Beijing three days ago on an overnight train from Yanshou. Everyone talks about the trains in China but I really think they are an experience unlike any other. To give the short version we had our tickets changed by the manager at our hotel because we ended up staying in Yangshou longer than expected. Which by the way was amazing. We went on a three hour bike ride though the country and up to Moon Hill which is a moutain with a cut ou tthat the moon shines through. Then we took a leisurly ride down the River on a bamboo raft. We sat wtih an umbrella over us and in reclining chairs as the man on the back pushed us along over waterfalls and through the back waters of Yanshou. It was beautiful.. i will pu the pictures up soon!

Anyway, back to the train. So we booked soft sleeper which is four to a room with a door. Well Mr Manager booked up hard sleeper!　We get to our bunk and there are four chinese men sitting there palying cards. Eww it was so crowded and I started to act like an ugly American. I　was like, "Courtney I don't want them on my bed.. get them off." Of course you can only sit on the lower bunk and their beds were all nice and clean. So I asked a man if I could use his phone to call Robert. Strangely this man ended up knowing Mr Manger, aka Robert and chatted wiht him for a few mintues. When Robert got on the phone with me I was half polite and half you lied to us.. jerk! So of course he explains it in some roundabout way and tells us we can upgrade. At this point that is all I really care about. I　am not about to spend a 22 hour train ride wtih this many people. Now some woudl call me snobby but really I　have roughed it.. seriously I have not even written abotu some of the gross stuff. This　I was paying twenty bucks to upgrade.. w hich with a lot of effort and looking in our phrase book we were able to accomplish. We shared a cabin with a couple who met while travelling.. one was English and the other from Holland. They were so sweet and comfortable to be sleeping across from for 22 hours. We went to eh dining cart and met a Chinese couple from San Francisco who translated the dinner menu for us so we could enjoy some yummy fresh fish, weird veggies and of course a big plate of rice. He is starting a golfing school in China and trainig pros from all over. I was impressed! They even bought us dinner and we agreed to buy the beer.. which was about 20 cents for a big bottle! After dinner we climbed into our cozy bunk with down comforters and let the train lull us to sleep. When we woke up we read and before we knew it it was time to get off. Seriously a great experience!!

As for Bejing we have't seen too much yet. We are in our hostel waiting for our laundry to dry. Yesteray we saw the Temple of Heaven which was beautiful although the main part is being worked on so we saw the outer temples were the emperor would come and pray. When he did come to pray the whole city had to stay indoors including forigeners. Even the boats had to stop and sit while he was there.. as not to disturb him! Crazy!　what was even crazier is that when Courtney and I arrived at the entrace there was a couple who handed me their baby and wanted to take a picture with us and the whole family. I really felt very strange but it was fun to hold the baby.. he was soo cute!! Only the babies here don't wear diapers.. they jsut have a flap in the back of their pants so they can wee when they need to. Luckily it wasn't a time when he needed to!

After the temple we headed off to the silk market!! Wow.. if you ever want to practice your bargaining skills.. this is the place! You hae to bargain them down at least by fifty percent or you know you are getting ripped off. The worst part is is that some of them get downright angry and nasty. I was tired of it after two hours.. i can't even imagine how they feel. We bought too much stuff to list here and I not sure how I will carry it around though I suppose shipping it home is an option.

Today we are going to see the Forbidden City and Tinammen Square. We saw a bit of it yesterday and it really is huge and awe inspiring. The picture of Mao is huge and they saying goes that he was 70% good and 30%　bad.. which really.. isn't that all of us. If you talk to most Chinese they dont fault him for his bad side and really think he did a lot of good for the country. I　really want to point out that closing schools for a decade is never a good thing to do but I　feel a little out of place saying that. We have been doing a lot of reading on him so perhaps my feelings will change the more i know.. though from what I　know now I don't think so.

More updates to come, thanks for reading!

Everyday there are these three little children who walk around and try to sell you flowers. Anyone who has ever been in a third world coutnrty or even in a resturant late at night has experienced it. YOu are sitting at a table at a resturant and they try to sell you flowers. What is differnt here is that your heart breaks. I think I have cried about four times for the lives of these children. They work until three in the morning and wear the same clothes every single day. Their faces just show how tired and upset they are as they beg you to buy their flowers. We have taught the boy how to count to ten in English and some other random pharses. Perhaps in our hearts we hope that by knowing some English he will be able to remove himself from the steets. Coming from a town like Greenwich and not being the richest kid on the block has sometimes seemed hard. Coming here I relize what a life of luxury we all lead. THe fact that we even have the option of travelling out of our own hometown is amazing. We do not realize how truly blessed we really are.

I am still trying to figure out what I can do to make their lives better. I have made them smile and occasionally we make them laugh. I gave the little boy Ling Wow a toy today but I heard a rumor that he gets beat if he has one. So the next time I saw him he no longer had it. I guess the rumor was correct. I will figure out what I can do but I guess just talking and exposing it is something in itself. What is ironic is right now we are sitting and drinking with a group of chinese people who are about the same age as us. They seem to be of the same economic status as us and quite placid with the economic harship that surrounds them. I know that tomorrow in my class I will bring this issue uip and try to form a better opinion of what this type of commece means to those who live in China.

So we moved into our apartment today with a British boy named James. IT is weird that I have another James in my life.. I have only known the best James.. my brother! Either way its pretty nice. We have a living room and two bedrooms and a small bathtroom where we have to turn the propane tank on to heat the water. Our kitchen is pretty sparse but no worries! We are having movie night tonight, red wine and hangng with some more British friends.
We observed our class today and tomorrow we start teaching for 90 mintues a day. Courtney is teaching level 5 and I am level 6 though they are about the same as far as what they know. I am very excited but nervous too. We are sitting in the teacher lobby now preparing our lessons!

We are so blessed to speak English and have the ability to share it with others. It is amazing how much people want to learn and how much they know it will help them. Today people were saying how they wanted to travel like we are bt cant'do it until they speak English. The students are adults of all ages and some quit their jobs to come here and learn English. Truly amazing individuals who I am so excited to learn more about.

Off to go do photcopies now and buy some basics for our apartment!!

So we love Yanshou and I think we have decided to stay for a week. We found out about a teaching program where we get paid and we get free room and board. So.. we are going to talk to the principal today and we would teach two classes a day! Hopefully things will work out. Wish us luck!

We are going to a light show tonight on the water. There are supposed to be hundreds of boats and actors perfroming.. not sure what that means but we shall see. We had a lazy day today, meeting these hilarious brits and walkiing around town. We shopped a bit but everyone keeps telling us to wait until Beijing and Thailand where things are the cheapest. I think my best buy so far was an awesome shirt for a dollar and two pieces of artwork for 8 dollars. What else.. some shoes for 10 that are beatious and a pair for mom.. though I sent them by boat mail so they won't be home for two months.. oh well!

ok.. well off to speak to the school people!

After lots and lots and lots.. as in 4 hours of waiting.. my pictures are on the computer. I have narrowed it down to about 150 for your viewing pleasure. We have more but I don't think you want to look at all 400 of them. So enjoy.. here is the link. You don't have to join shutterfly.. just click below the picture. Cheers!

http://share-dell.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=EeAt2rhi0ZNnEg