Sunrise Owls

Two lovebirds exploring the world.

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chris post (2) joint post (9) Lexi post (2) new place (6) welcome (1)

  • On the Road

    Our “Honeymoon Expansion Pack,” as Chris has dubbed it, is coming to a close! We kicked things off with a music festival outside of Charlottesville, Virginia, and have been weaving our way home through Asheville, the Smoky Mountains, Memphis, and now Oklahoma City.

    Traveling over the road — though our experience has been nothing like Kerouac’s — is a big shift from Southeast Asia: more luggage, (much) higher prices, and cooler weather alongside the most beautiful fall colors we’ve ever seen, with the same flexibility of last-minute bookings. Chris hasn’t let me drive once 😆 while I was pretty sick for the first few days of our trip, it’s been his choice ever since 🤷🏻‍♀️

    Valley of the Seven Stars

    This funky weekend, our first true EDM festival together, brought together 15,000 folks to enjoy sets across five stages with first-class fireworks and laser flair. We loved the opportunity to finally test our car tent and put our propane stove to work. The stages were pretty spread out so we walked at least 30k steps per day over this weekend.

    It was also a great opportunity to spend time with my niece, Kylie, as well as some of our Texas pals at their ‘renegade’ set up. These guys also host their own annual music event down in Central Texas, Hidden Oak camping festival, which sadly we won’t be able to make this year. 😓

    We 💚 WNC

    Western North Carolina was everything we dreamed of and more. Asheville is crunchy and weird and we loved just about every side of town. The food is sooo phenomenal and the people are friendly. We spent a morning meandering the River Arts District, which has rebuilt impressively over the last year, and the evening downtown in a historic inn. The city is still recovering from the hurricane a year ago but there’s great spirits all around.

    Blue Ridge Mtns
    River Arts District
    golden hour dining
    chai pani indian street food
    house of black cat magic, which helps black kitties get adopted

    Great Smoky Mtns National Park

    Trees so tall they cover the sunroof 🌳

    Our two nights in the Smokies rang true to their name — using only a flint and downed wood from the park, Chris started fires both nights, which was the ultimate treat as campers coming from longstanding fire ban territory. Driving through Gatlinburg to get into the park, we realized exactly why more folks visit Great Smoky Mountains National Park each year than Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon combined…Gatlinburg hosts a never-ending strip of pancake houses, fudge shops, moonshine tastings, and flashy family-friendly attractions along the main road (and that’s only near the north entrance.) It took us 3.5 hours just to make it into the park, hit the Visitors Center, and find parking near our trailhead 😵‍💫 still worth it though!

    Special gratitude to WNC cities & counties for using their tax dollars to staff the park during the government shutdown and provide us with excellent services.

    Grotto falls
    the Legend
    winding roads
    campfire 😌

    Don’t Sleep on Memphis!

    We were racing the rain on our short walk to B. B. King Blues Club on Beale Street and after hitting an extra hour of traffic, felt lucky just to snag the last spot at the bar. But when the man sitting across from us got up to mingle with the band in the break between sets, we could feel something special…he must be a prominent musician or something. 🤨 Low and behold we were in the presence of B.B. King’s drummer for over 35 years, who even hopped on stage to play a few songs with the evening’s singer, his protege Marcus Scott, who has a phenomenal voice and radiates joy on stage. Marcus even has a tiny desk concert on YouTube you should definitely check out. Truly one of the best nights of our whole trip!

    the one filming at the end is bb’s og drummer 😮
    Tony Coleman (og drummer)

    The food did not disappoint (well, okay, maybe one lunch, not pictured.)

    Shrimp & grits and pulled pork @ BB’s 🤤
    Sweet potato pancakes @ Arcade, the oldest cafe in Memphis
    Gus’ hot chicken
    TN brewed (cross traffic)

    We spent the majority of our full day in town at the National Civil Rights Museum, located at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. It is hard not to draw parallels to current police cruelty and targeting of a population based on the color of their skin. We left inspired about the power of nonviolent action and speaking up for what you know is right.

    Lorraine Motel

    “If not us, then who? If not now, then when?”

    -John Lewis, Freedom Rider and lifelong activist

    Note that our experience in Memphis was shaped by the federal govt’s excessive presence in the city. We saw National Guard members walking back and forth along Beale Street all evening. The tourist district was much quieter than usual.

    Homeward Bound

    Headed for OKC after a tasty lunch in Little Rock, we’ll be back in Colorado soon and looking for a new address to call home. After two and a half months seeing the world together, we are definitely ready to sleep in the same bed for more than two nights and cozy up with our cat again. 😴

    Thanks for following along on our adventures! They’ll look different as we start our next chapter of life but we plan to use this platform from time to time to stay in touch.

    With love,

    Chris & Lexi

    [Not the whole trip. Just the highlights]

  • Our last days in Thailand

    Cheers

    From Chiang Dao on, our trip felt like a wind down. We returned our rental bike one last time, then hopped on the local bus back to Chiang Mai before an overnight train to Bangkok to catch our flights home. We have been living in a dream out here. Thailand was more than I could ever imagine. From the busy cities, to the vibrant islands, to the crisp mountains. This place is truly a wonder in this world.

    This place challenged our relationship in new ways. Our tension stems from our differences. But our differences are what make us love each other so much. It makes us a good team. My weaknesses are her strengths. It makes us challenge and support each other so we can bring our best selves to the world.

    We stayed at some funky places on the tail end of this trip. We chose a small neighborhood north of Chiang Mai, and we fully believe the place was haunted. 👻 An overnight train is certainly a unique sleeping experience 🛤️🚞— there’s something satisfying about watching someone whip your two seats into bunkbeds in just one minute — and lastly, our final resting place in Bangkok was named Victory View…well the view left a lot to be desired.

    The lights on the train never turned off 🙈
    A not so victorious view

    We both committed to eating traditional food for the remainder of the trip (except breakfast). I ordered the famous Kao Soi curry noodles, Lexi found all the dragonfruit, and we shared a few more of our favorite Thai dishes. We stumbled upon another pop up market and within its labyrinthine depths was a hole-in-the-wall noodle shop. A hidden treat that was worth the exploration. We also had to stop at this unique cafe called Early Owls, a spot with soft grass and tall trees circling a lotus pond — absolutely perfect for a picnic.

    Coconut pancakes with various fillings
    Amazing Race-level difficulty to find
    View from the Waterfall Quartier
    Stunning water gardens at the Bangkok mall

    Our last night in Bangkok was spent at Saxophone, a jazz bar recommended by our host in Chiang Dao. The vibe in the bar was electric with a packed crowd surrounding the band on both the lower level and mezzanine. The energy in this bar gave off the feeling of celebration. Celebrating all the amazing moments we cherished from this trip.

    Before jumping on our first flight back home, we indulged in one last Thai massage at the airport. Another experience with firm stretching and strong elbows that left me sore 😅. The Thai massage is known for its healing properties. On the first temple we visited in this trip, we learned that the Thai people believed in the healing powers of a thoughtful and mindful approach to massaging the body. The profession is highly regarded in this country. The soreness was worth the pain knowing how thoughtful and professional the Thai people are.

    Our seven hour manual transfer between the two Tokyo airports, Haneda and Narita, was a bit of a blur but we will dedicate another post to this time once we’ve caught up from the jet lag! The short version is we took a nap in a beautiful park and ate some very adventurous sushi!

    Over the past months we’ve traveled together through dense cities, tropical beaches, lush jungles, and crisp mountains. We’ve gotten to know other world travelers and the kind, funny people of Thailand (and Myanmar), in addition to getting to know each other better and talking lots about the kind of lives we want to build together. Our honeymoon was the most wonderful adventure! We’d do it all over again, but we have some parts of the US to explore up next. October will be filled with a domestic cross country adventure.

    🦉🦉

  • The Hidden Gem of Chiang Dao

    After a week in another big city, we were seeking some peace to end our travels and found just that in the delightful mountain town of Chiang Dao, an hour and a half north of Chiang Mai.

    This lush village is situated at the base of the striking Doi Dao mountain, creating stunning views from just about anywhere. Given its rural character, it’s hard to believe 80,000 people call the region home.

    Morning
    Evening

    Motorbike

    We rented another bike out here as the roads are much quieter than the big city. It’s very freeing to get to ride the bike around the mountains.

    Our route passed through tall trees, winding curves, babbling brooks, and of course temples scattered across the city. This was the first time we got caught in the rain while riding. A couple times actually. The last ended in me getting entirely soaked before we arrived at our destination. Most of the time we had ponchos or were already arriving at our destination by the time the rain started really coming down. The mountain storms would roll in as quickly as they rolled out. Just a daily feature of the region.

    A few clips of the bike rides

    Cave Exploration

    Of course we had to explore the area’s most famous attraction: Chiang Dao Cave. In addition to a self-guided well-lit area housing a reclining Buddha and other religious sculptures, this cave has many dark expanses that can only be explored by gas lantern with a guide.

    So many bats!

    Not sure what we were getting ourselves into, we carefully stepped down into pitch black darkness with frequent reminders to “mind our head” and keep an eye out for “slippery” rocks. Alternating between tight passageways and wide open caverns, we were surprised by the amount of life living without light: countless bat colonies, a seemingly infinite supply of crickets to feed them, and freaky large spiders. This cave was filled with an abundance of rock formations that the guide described to look like animals such as elephants, camels and chickens.

    The experience is very different from American parks and Chris definitely enjoyed the opportunity to touch the cave walls and even make some music.

    Hollowed rock formation sounding like bongos

    Ashi Guesthouse

    We stayed in a beautiful accommodation with screened, open air windows and a single mounted fan. Okay, this may not sound like luxury but it’s all you need in an area like this since the rain keeps temps cool and comfortable.

    Our hosts were the highlight of this stay. The proprietor, Oy, who runs the place with her boyfriend and mom, treated guests to a saxophone concert over dinner — which of course, turned into Chris taking the guitar off the wall for a group jam session. Over the few days we stayed, Oy shared how she had restored the guesthouse from its original owner: polishing hardwood, rebuilding railings, and landscaping the entire property. They added additional units after COVID and a restaurant / cafe two years ago, having just celebrated the business’ 8th anniversary.

    Yoga on the patio
    Hosted every Sunday
    Country Roads has been the top request out here 😂

    Medical Moments

    Do not panic, parents, when you read this because we are both just fine 🙂

    Chris got a head start on his Harry Potter Halloween costume when he accidentally bumped his head at a riverside coffee stop along the river. It’s healing really well!

    Lexi also had a skin reaction to the local sulfur hot springs. When it didn’t clear up on its own, we stopped into the local clinic. Health care is extremely efficient out here with numbered stations for health records, vitals, doctor examination, nurse administration, pharmacy, and cashier — and two shots + a five day medication course came in at under $10 USD! All while completing the visit in less than 2 hours. 🙏🏻

    The offending tubs, which empty directly into the river
    Clinic visit
    He’s a trooper

    A Moment for the Food

    And A Moment for the People

    We also visited a great art space hosting a photography exhibit that featured prominent members of the local community. The artist wanted to highlight every day life in a region often single-handedly known for mountain tourism.

    A local coffee roaster who grows beans on tribal land
    Modern medicine woman
    Wine and fabric artisans
    Open air gallery
    Surrounded by a beautiful water feature
    Not only rainy days ☔️ ☀️

    We’re on the tail end of our trip, spending a bit of time in Chiang Mai before catching the night train back to Bangkok and heading home.

    With love

    C & L

  • Our Review of the Old City (Chiang Mai)

    On first impression, Old City Chiang Mai is something straight out of a fairytale — an area of dense development squared off with a literal moat and ancient brick walls.

    After a week or so of exploring and staying both in the city and near different entry gates, we see it faces similar pressures as many major cities today: gentrification/influx of foreigners pushing out locals, aging infrastructure, and challenges with cleanliness. We’ve had a lovely time but for some of the same reasons we’re looking for a break from Texas (ie cockroaches and crippling humidity) we’re ready to head north into the mountains from here, too.

    Some temples were built into the city streets

    Temple Haven

    There are soooo many temples (over 30) packed just within this 1.5 sq. km. square. The architecture, detailed hand painting, and golden Buddhas small and grand make for a stunning experience each time.

    Naga, or half human-half serpent, are the customary protectors of temples in this region
    The King & Queen are honored in many temples
    As is the presiding monk (or abbot) of each Wat
    The stairs to this stupa were removed after an earthquake to keep intruders out
    Elephants are another common regional protector

    We were surprised by the emphasis on donation for practitioners (not talking about understandable admittance fees for tourists here) — digital or paper baht are solicited several times within each temple and across the grounds, whether a direct donation or in exchange for various offerings of incense, candles, flowers, blessings, or hanging decorations.

    Lexi was also very surprised to be barred entry at the city pillar shrine. After discussing in an online community, we learned that northern Thai customs are influenced by animist and Hindu beliefs; similar restrictions do not apply in Buddhist temples elsewhere in the country.

    🤨
    Chris took pictures of the illustrations inside this shrine

    Note: Only men can practice and become ordained monks who wear the iconic saffron-colored robes. Maechi, or Buddhist nuns, cook and clean for the monks. Denied the status, as well as educational and financial benefits of monks, they are permitted to maintain a more self-led spiritual practice with what free time they have left.

    Local Customs

    With the sheer number of massage parlors across the country (especially concentrated in tourist areas), it’s surprising we’ve held out this long. For a very affordable price we had a lovely couples massage with much more stretching and force than a typical American experience. Chris marked “firm” pressure on his check-in sheet. This left him sore for the next two days.😮‍💨

    We also checked out a local yoga class the next night where we were joined by only one expat. Our teacher urged us to push for pose perfection and performed many adjustments that literally stretched our limits.

    We stumbled upon our second local billiards league where expats and bar owners mingle for a raucous night out, although this time there was room for us to play a round and realize we are still just amateurs 😅

    And of course, lots more delicious market food and new local delicacies to try! Although the monster-size rat we saw scurrying at the end of the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar left us scarred and scared for a while 😵‍💫 we forgot to photograph this time around but enjoyed steamed pork, gyoza, banana rolls, satay, curries, and some good ole Chang (beer).

    Young coconut curry
    Exceptional international food
    Matcha lemonade

    Elephant Sanctuary

    There are an overwhelming amount of elephant tourism companies based in Chiang Mai. On the recommendation of our friend, Maddi, who researched them all a few years ago during her own travels, we chose the Elephant Nature Park. We found their sanctuary very ethical and restorative for the elephants.

    Upon arrival, we could see from our window several elephants and many water buffalo roaming freely in a vast section of land adjoining a river. This particular location works hard to rescue, heal, and then facilitate a calm, long and natural life for the elephants. They’ve endured cruel pasts from illegal logging to circus performance to forced work in extremely dangerous environments — a few elephants had even stepped on land mines. They keep doctors on site to nurse the rescued animals (including over 2,000 cats, 670 dogs, cows, rabbits, and more) back to health and keep them well — the elephants spend 18 hours a day eating 10% of their body weight, which is a lot of food to purchase and prepare!

    As part of an ethical operation, we didn’t get to feed, bathe or pet the animals but we did get to walk freely through their roaming grounds. We enjoyed touring with a small group, wonderful guide and a vegan lunch grown right in the same property.

    Sticky Waterfall

    This natural attraction was formed over thousands of years when rather than smoothing the rock, the “sticky” waterfall left its underlying limestone rough like volcanic rock. The air pockets gave our feet exceptional grip and allowed us to actually climb up the entire cascade of four connected waterfall features! A few ropes have been added to help the less agile, but this phenomena certainly allows one to feel like they are defying gravity.

    Walk with us up the waterfall

    Taxis around Chiang Mai

    A note on the inner city taxi system. There’s an abundance of songthaews (which means “two rows” in Thai) all around. These are small, modified pick up trucks that have two benches facing each other with a covering over the top. They aren’t the most comfortable rides but get you where you need to go. Of course there are still tuk tuks and motorbikes flooding the streets, too. We’ve found the pricing much more affordable than the islands (you may remember our past allusions to the “taxi mafia” out there.)

    Laundry and accommodation hopping

    Since we have carried everything on our backs for this trip, doing laundry is inevitably part of the experience. The quickest method is to hand wash our clothes in the sink with a bit of detergent. However, even though I brought our own clothes line, not every accommodation has enough space to accommodate laundry day — especially when factoring in the constant humidity. We frequently bring our clothes back in to the aircon space to finish drying before packing back up to move to the next spot. We have used one laundromat so far. The business names here are so fun and different.

    Speaking of moving to the next spot…since the beginning of this trip, we have stayed no more than 4 nights at any accommodation. Once we arrive in a new city, we spend one to two nights at one spot and explore the area before booking the next place. This helps us get off the beaten tourist path and discover special places we never would have found online. Many of our accommodations have offered a mix of dorms and private rooms. While we didn’t stay in the dorms, it was great to have a community space that allowed us to meet other travelers.

    Next stop:

    Chiang Dao, or the “city of stars,” a small mountain town north of Chiang Mai.

    We hopped on the fan-only regional bus to take us north ⛰️

  • Top 10 Reasons to Travel with My Husband

    🐠
    1. He is a human map — Whether we’re riding a scooter around an entire island or exploring historic neighborhoods on foot, if the man has been there once he can get back by memory. I am free of Google Maps and enjoying the scenery.
    2. He helps me cross the street — This is not just an old-timey act of chivalry here, because streets in Asia are nuts. The only way to cross during peak traffic periods is to assert yourself and step into the flow at a predictable, steady pace & look eight times for rogue motorbikes and stray dogs. After way too close of an encounter with a rat in Chiang Mai, he also leads the way at night with a protective, deterring stomp.
    3. He holds the purse — Mileage with your partner may vary. Men’s clothes have infinitely more pockets and by only carrying one wallet, I can roam hands free without a strappy purse on a sunburnt back. (Wallet is filled with joint funds and spent with joint responsibility.)
    4. It’s incredibly rewarding to watch him grow — Chris is not the most adventurous eater and can be easily overwhelmed in certain situations. It has made my heart bloom to watch his comfort picking out a meal from the market grow or see him choose a northern Thai speciality dish off a menu that also has burgers and pizza. Thank you, Thailand, for helping my husband like tomatoes 🙏🏻
    5. All the same, he makes me feel safe to push myself through fear — I am scared of most adventure activities and even small things like riding a bike or swimming in deep water. Knowing Chris is watching out for me, I’ve swam with sharks and climbed waterfalls out here! He helps me enjoy a whole side of life I used to sit out on. 😌
    6. He keeps the mood light — Traveling is just plain stressful sometimes: hanger, heat and humidity, weird sleep schedules, unfamiliar environments with language barriers. While a dad joke may not always be my preferred comedic relief, I am grateful to have someone who can make me laugh.
    7. He is not as frugal as me — Our relationship has great balance. I’m keen to barter or save where we can, but Chris makes sure we don’t skip out on the activities that are worth it and that we aren’t spending our whole trip in hostels. We have both done a great job keeping our packs light and investing on experiences rather than things. 
    8. He is not judgmental — See above for why it’s important to be honest about how you’re feeling out here. When I’ve reached my physical or mental limits, I am met with support and care.
    9. I’ve fallen more in love — From the little things like buying a trinket ring for my left hand to going all in on the country of my choosing, Chris shows up for me every day out here — in new and the same ways as at home. He is thoughtful to pick restaurants because he thinks I will like them or to decorate our room as a romantic gesture. Shout out to Mike, as Chris has said he learned this from watching his dad do the most for his mom over the years. 
    10. It’s quite fun to be “the newlyweds” everywhere we go! We’ve received lots of congratulations & comments on what a cute couple 🙈 now I just need to work on my rhythm and pitch as his backup singer during guitar jam sessions…

    To be able to explore so much together is the biggest privilege. We will have so many stories to tell our kids about the times we watched monkeys from our bedroom window, explored entire islands, or when their mom chipped her tooth at the full moon party on the beach 😄

    We couldn’t be having a better time out here on our honeymoon and are making the most of the days we have left! 💜 

  • We Survived Death Island

    We Survived Death Island

    Well that’s what some people call it. The island is actually called Koh Tao, or Turtle Island 🐢, though it earned this unfortunate nickname of “death island” from a few past incidents and active conspiracy theorists. (And perhaps its historical use as a shark-infested prison in the 1940’s.)

    Today, the island is a stunning marine paradise with world renowned diving and snorkeling in nearly every bay. We took an all-day tour to four spots: Lighthouse (Ao Kluai Thuean), Ao Leuk, Shark Bay, and the adjacent Nang Yuan island. Lucky us, only 13 people booked a tour with capacity for 150, so we had a peaceful and private experience.

    🐠🐠🐠

    One of the bays (ironically, not Shark Bay) serves as a safe haven for baby sharks. I never imagined I would be swimming towards someone yelling, “Shark here! Shark here!”

    We swam out in a group, eyes on swivel across shallow waters, until suddenly we see a baby shark darting through the water past us, completely unbothered. These creatures make quick turns that are quite hard to track without an expert’s eyes. Our guides took us out to into deeper waters to see giant sea turtles, too!

    Nang Yuan island is actually three small islands all connected by a beautiful white sand beach. They take conservation seriously: no single use plastics are allowed on the island or water shoes (to prevent tourists from standing on and killing the coral.)

    The coral extending from NangYuan island is called “the Japanese Garden” and is coming back to life after destructive swells ~15 years ago

    Farewell to Island Life

    We spent our last day on the island exploring around on a scooter rented out from a sweet local woman — Koh Tao’s steep hills really tested its limits though and on our way to one of the viewpoints, the scooter didn’t have enough power. So, we parked as close as we could and hiked the last 350 meters up. The views were worth it!

    We sunscreened more than once during our snorkel trip, but it was not enough and we are both sporting very red backs. Carrying our packs around is a real pain now 🤬 but makes leaving this tropical paradise a little easier 😪

    A New Friend

    While waiting for our room to be ready we started chatting with one of the staff, Thura, a Burmese refugee. He told us his story of giving up an engineering career and leaving his family behind to escape persecution. Tura spends most of his time learning English to increase his earning potential and make a new life for himself in Europe in the future, so he loves to chat up foreigners.

    We shared a couple guitar jam sessions (Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran have some popular international songs) and he even took us up the nearby hill on his motorbike to a not-so-secret Secret Bar to watch the sunset together.

    Next stop: Chiang Mai ⛰️

    Sleeper ferry 😵‍💫
    👍🏼

    We’ve spent the afternoon exploring the port city of Surat Thani and are catching a domestic flight this evening. Onward to cooler weather!

    Beautified light pole
    Thai beignets 🤌🏼

  • Ang Thong National Park

    Ang Thong National Park

    A day after the full moon party, we set off on a new adventure to the Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park. The park consists of 42 islands with a wide variety of marine life in the coral reefs. We started by hopping on a speedboat that took us out to the northern islands where we hopped into beautiful blue waters for snorkeling.

    We found friendly angel fish that would come up right next to our masks, parrotfish, and other colorful creatures. A bit of coral bleaching, but plenty of life! We also made sure to watch out for sea urchins down there 👀

    Floating docks
    Everyone else was coming for a day trip – but we’re in it for the overnight!
    Bryde’s whale fossil found in the park
    Parrotfish 🦜 🐠

    From there we set out on Ko Mae Ko to hike up to Emerald Lake, a body of sea water completely surrounded by the island. This lake was formed thousands of years ago and remains preserved today.

    Our final stop was the National Park’s main island. Half the group hopped on kayaks for a paddle around the nearest island — with all the time we’ve spent paddleboarding, we were in sync and leading the pack 💪🏻

    Before long we were watching the last daygoers be wrangled off the beach and their speedboats disappear into the distance. A park staff member mentioned in passing that only three guests were staying that night — we’d have the place almost entirely to ourselves 😍

    3pm Tuesday

    8am Wednesday

    The bungalow was our simplest accommodation so far with cold water and very intermittent electricity to run two fans in the humid sea air (much of the island appears to run on solar). We were already doused in mosquito spray from walking in the jungle which proved fruitful inside, too, since the doors and window seals had long since peeled from their frames.

    Far more exciting was the family of monkeys having dinner right outside our window!!

    Dusky langur monkey

    The main island has a small restaurant and accommodations for ~30 staff members, most of whom we wouldn’t have known were there save for a few evening smoke plumes.

    We spent some time hiking to the park’s main attractions and the trails were steep! We had the main viewpoint to ourselves and were grateful to pour sweat in peace as the next day’s visitors didn’t start appearing until about 11am. 🥵😅

    After a bit of a kerfuffle with the tour operator holding our return speedboat hostage, we’ve made it to our next island — Koh Tao! We are soaking up our last island time for a few days before heading north to the mountains of Chiang Mai 🌺⛰️

  • Kite Surfing and the Island’s True Nature

    Kite Surfing and the Island’s True Nature

    For the first 4 days on this island, the wind has not been suitable for Kite Surfing. But on the 5th day, the wind picked up just enough to be able to begin kite surfing lessons. For those of you that don’t know what kite surfing is, in the sky is a kite that resembles a parachute, tied down to the waist of the rider with a control bar at the hands, with the rider having a wakeboard at the feet.

    This area in Koh Phangan is the perfect learning ground for kite surfing because of the long shallow water beach protected by a reef and consistent eastern winds passing between the islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Samoi. Conditions couldn’t be more perfect for beginners.

    Patiently waiting for our Thai breakfast
    Chris is the blue kite 🪁

    At the first lesson, I spent 3 hours learning how to set up the kite, bring it into the air, and manipulate the kite left, right, up, down. Then power moves and more kite control. Yes, it took all 3 hours to learn. It is not intuitive, but it is effortless once done properly. The right way. What a thrill to get in touch with the ocean winds. Feeling the strength of the air and harness it with a kite. Gliding up and down the shoreline.

    Next lesson is getting the board under my feet and riding the oceans waters. Unfortunately, the second lesson did not unfold as we hoped. The winds were quite slow. Despite setting up all the equipment and the instructor catching a gust of wind, nature had other plans and we had to call the lesson off.

    Party Island

    When researching for the trip, Lexi did not realize quite how large the Full Moon Party is here (claimed to be the largest beach party in the world) and just how much it influences the island.

    We made it out to just one of the larger pre-parties, the “Waterfall Festival” hosted two days before and after every Full Moon. We are now ruined for American festivals! $60 USD each covered the cost of attendance, taxis to and from our accommodation up the steep dirt roads, and our first drink. The venue had four stages, endless fire twirling performers, and even a natural swimming pool! The sheer amount of petrol that must be imported to facilitate hours of day-in-day-out fire performance is mind boggling. Chris’ mind was bending backwards over safety concerns everywhere 😅

    After party from 7am-noon we were shocked
    The island hasn’t had any rain so the waterfall was pumped in 😂

    The Full Moon Party itself was a much larger, louder affair that attracted a different crowd — the crowd that guzzled cocktails exclusively made in plastic sand buckets and turned the shoreline into a free men’s bathroom…here each beach bar sought to out-compete another for the loudest music, the coolest sign, the most outrageous entertainers all bundled up right next to each other on the beach front.

    We had the most fun painting each other with fluorescent art and even stayed up until sunrise (cloudy as it was…for a full moon party, the moonlight sure hid from us all night!)

    Earplugs 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
    Black lights galore
    Boat taxis bringing people from other islands
    Flaming signs are a staple of Koh Phangan parties
    Gotta get my tarot read…“you with good man like Superman, happy lady and gonna have a baby boy”
    Street artist
    Free sleep area so you can keep going all night 😂
    Tattoo glow
    Just terrifying

    Traveling is not an escape from reality — Lexi had been fighting a cold since our first few days on the island and at the end of the full moon morning, chipped her back tooth on a piece of pizza of all things! We are now keeping an eye out for a good dentist once we make it off the islands. Hopefully Chris can escape her germs!

    We also learned about understandably mixed feelings on the island about the heavy party tourism — it’s been a boon for economic development, but late night beats are disrupting locals’ sleep and even carrying into morning classrooms. Many ex-pats appear to be running accommodations and government officials are known as the “taxi mafia” which does raise many questions about who is actually benefitting from these arrangements.

    Everything Else

    We also had a fun visit to the weekly Saturday Night Market in Thongsala, which was absolutely packed!

    Also not feeling great about young kids being set up for muaythai fights 😰 but will admit we didn’t go to this one so hopefully there are much gentler rules!

    What’s Next

    We are leaving this island and headed by speedboat to Angthong National Marine Park where we’ll be one of a few (or perhaps the only) people to spend an overnight on the main island.

  • Island Hospitality

    Island Hospitality

    We arrived in Koh Pha Ngan, an island off the Gulf of Thailand, on Monday via overnight bus, morning bus, and ferry. The landscape along the water was absolutely stunning!

    10.5 hours went by quicker than we thought 🙏🏻
    And in case you haven’t seen yet…Chris cut his hair short! Looks good huh 😎

    After lunch, our first order of business was renting a scooter, which is the primary means of transport out here. Good thing for us Chris is so sporty 😅 It’s pretty wild to see how many locals can pack on one bike, or how many groceries (or even construction equipment) both passenger and driver carry back in one ride. We’ve seen some pretty young kids with their own bikes, too.

    Helmets always ✅
    By the bottle
    Cheez’n

    Fortunately, we haven’t experienced much rain during rainy season — meaning beautiful blue skies for beach days and exploring the island. Unfortunately, we’ve biked out to dry waterfalls and the calm skies have dashed Chris’ kite surfing dreams so far. Especially since checking into our *much nicer* second accommodation, we’ve relaxed into the island pace and met some new friends. Sandy feet, island breeze & lots of love 🌺

    Zen Beach

    While there are luxury and wellness sides of Koh Pha Ngan, much of the tourism here leans into a party scene centered around the moon. Ahead of the legendary Full Moon Party this coming Sunday, there are monthly festivals in the days leading up to the lunation set in picturesque jungle locations and along the beach.

    Ads stay up year round and just the date changes each month 😂

    Truly, the service and hospitality on the island is unparalleled. Perhaps especially during this “shoulder season,” or perhaps due to the sheer volume of accommodations, bars, and restaurants, the service is so kind and swift everywhere. We’ve enjoyed getting to know locals as we can — Thais have a great sense of humor and there are actually many Burmese people here who have found economic opportunity and reprieve from the conflict in their home country.

    The food is also AMAZING (with many Western & international options, too, to keep Chris happy 😆) I could live on fruit smoothies forever…

    Food Appreciation Gallery

    Vegan curry
    Tropical French toast
    Acai bowls
    Pad Thai & Tom Kha
    Issan Salmon Tam / Papaya Salad & Brisket Tacos
    Fresh fruit juice & classic breakfast
    Something to cut the heat 🌶️
    Fresh smoothies!!!
    Thai Iced Tea
    Thai Red Bull

    We might just stay here… the more people we meet, the more we realize no one else wants to leave either 😂

    Xx

    CnL

  • Wrapping up week one

    Wrapping up week one

    Hey y’all! We’re coming up on one week since we set out on our adventure — writing from the Bangkok bus station as we head towards Surat Thani, a port city serving as a stopover to Thailand’s western islands like Koh Pha Ngan, Koh Samui and the Ang Thong National Park islands. After our 10-hour night bus, we should arrive before dawn around 5:30am.

    Buddhist Beauty

    During our time in Bangkok, we visited two major attractions in the area: the Grand Palace and Wat Pho, the former residence of the royal family and home to the Reclining Buddha. Temple architecture is unparalleled in Western culture, with incredibly ornate details that glimmer and glisten in the sun. While each neighborhood has its own temple or shrine, the history at these key locations is rich. Wat Pho is regarded as Thailand’s first university and a center for traditional Thai massage practice and education.

    Detailing on the feet of Reclining Buddha
    Temple gardens are stunning! They use many potted plants to keep perpetual blooms

    Muy Thai in Bangkok

    Our hostel was connected with a promoter for Lumpinee Boxing Stadium who offers free tickets and transportation to fill seats with an international audience. After heading 90 minutes north in traffic, we had our pick from a handful of local food trucks, mostly offering Thai takes on stadium classics: hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries and really anything fried.

    The audience, adorned with bracelets glowing in sync, cheered and gasped through 12 kickboxing, MMA and Muay Thai fights in total. The knockouts were devastating! Some fights were quick, others were a close match. Overall, we had a great night and got to meet some wonderful people staying at our hostel.

    Ladmayom

    We spent a morning at the Ladmayom market, situated along a channel of the Chao Phraya river. Market sights and smells can be a bit jarring at first, but after a lap we found tasty treats like spring rolls, oysters, satay, and mango sticky rice. We’ll take interacting with local vendors proud of their food over corporate chains any day 😎 we also used the opportunity to refine our pronunciation of “kaa” and “khrup,” the gender-specific markers of politeness added after nearly every common Thai phrase.

    Lexi’s favorite is anything taro flavored 💜 like this piece filled with custard that only cost 5 baht, or less than 20 cents

    While much of this “floating” market is actually landside, we hopped into a long tail boat for a cruise around the canal to check out the local temples, infrastructure, and monitor lizards. I’m sure I momentarily stopped blood flow to Chris’ hand the first time our guide floored the engine and we left the other boats in the dust 😮‍💨

    Monitor lizards of Bangkok
    Floating out of the market to start our ride

    Common Challenges

    We learned that devastating floods hit localized regions in northern Thailand a few days ago, with three times the month’s rainfall falling in just one day. Calls for more warning systems and improved drainage systems sound familiar in the wake of the Texas Hill Country floods last month. The region has been blessed with swift help from not only the Thai government but surrounding countries (at least that’s what we hear.) Chris will keep a close eye on the radar wherever we head.

    Being Houston-raised and working outside the past few summers has prepared Chris well for the heat, humidity and mosquitos. I am hanging in here.

    Ouch

    City Life

    After checking out and with the first rain of our trip on the forecast, we decided to peek into modern Thai life and hit the mall at the recommendation of Lexi’s friend Laura, who’s traveled through SEA many times over. This was our first chance to use the local bus system, although as we learned on our return, they can often run quite behind.

    Central Siam mall consists of several multi-story buildings connected by catwalks. We stumbled upon an indoor go-kart track and arcade, which made a great opportunity to not only drop our packs but get a little competitive.

    Chris finding construction equipment even during his break from work 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

    Bangkok has been an amazing first stop on our journey across Thailand. This city provided a safe place for us to settle in, learn some basic phrases, and practice negotiation tactics, while also challenging our comfort with all the different types of street food. The ride to Surat Thani is sure to be bumpy, but we are looking forward to making it out to Koh Pha Nang with a chance of an overnight stay in the Ang Thong National Park. Cheers!