Thank You!

I want to thank the Rotary clubs in both district 3330 and 6380 for giving us this amazing experience. We have seen Thailand in a way no tourist can begin to imagine.
As we return to Canada and the USA, things here will never be quite the same for us. When we think of Thailand now, we have the memories of the smiling faces, panoramic scenery, spicy food and the gentle people that we have come to know. We will remember this experience forever.

Something special to come home to.

Kim again. When I arrived home, I was welcomed with this bouquet of flowers and this sauce called, "Memories of Thailand fiery chili pepper sauce". Brian (my husband) thought it would serve as a reminder of my trip. Yep! There were many hot things I tried in Thailand. Thankfully though, my new friends became my "watch dogs" warding off the dangers of spice. You see, to the Thai people their "mild" spice was nothing but to me the "mild" made my mouth numb. So, thanks to the team for helping me.

I have fond memories of Thailand so this was the perfect gift to receive upon my return.

Chow once more.
P.S. Does anyone want any of this sauce because we know I won't be eating it. :-)

Home, Sweet Home.

Kim here.... Alive and well after our 34 hour venture home. Our return started at the Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok. Because of our flight time, we agreed to go to the airport immediately following our last Rotary meeting in NakornPrathom on Monday, March 19th. So, we got there at 11:45pm to catch our 6:40am flight home. Sitting in an airport for 7 hours was surprisingly humorous......... especially waiting in line at 3:00am to check in. There were people we were ready to "take out" if they tried to cut ahead of us in line. You see, I didn't get a window seat for this flight so I was determined to be the first one at check-in (especially since we were there 3 hours before opening time). Good news ! I got a window seat. Bad news! There were no earlier flights to get us home quicker. The bummer was that we had a 5 hour stop over (which turned into 6) in Washington only to fly an hour and a half to get to Detroit.

Any way, after much laughter, eating, and sleeping we finally landed in Detroit at 11:30pm on Tuesday, March 20th. The end of an extraordinary venture. As you can see, we are still talking. We have made new friends. For some (Lee and Eileen), it was a tearful departure. Nicole and I are just too "tough" to cry (or was that fatigue) and Brandon was just too excited to see her new husband ( I think she was ready for this day 28 days ago). So, we said our good-byes and now look forward to seeing each other again when we are a little more refreshed and a whole lot cleaner. I think most of our clothes could stand on their own right now.

We are so appreciative of the simple things in life like a washer and dryer, HOT shower and toilet paper. Never again will I take these things for granted..... I hope.

Thanks again for following our blog. It has been fun to post our entries and read your comments. Our trip was a totally unforgettable experience. Each of us has taken a piece of Thailand with us. Our hearts have been forever touched by the warmth of the people of Thailand. Words cannot explain our appreciation and the sincere gratitude we have for Rotary in allowing us to enjoy this remarkable time.

I hope to see you soon.
With love and many thanks,
Kim.

Arrival at District Conference

Friday morning, we were on our way to Kanchanaburi for the District Conference about 3 hours from Hua Hin. Since we are nearing the end of our trip it is funny to see that our luggage amounts have doubled. It is quite entertaining watching our hosts and drivers pack the vehicles. But somehow, all the luggage fits and we are on our way.

This picture shows our luggage at the hotel in Kanchanaburi.

Elephant Massage

Kim, following the ride, enjoyed the entertainment by the 5 year old elephant. She, along with me, was lifted up into the air with the elephant’s trunk between our legs. No pictures will be shown. After the lift, Kim enjoyed an elephant massage (seen above).

Elephant Ride in Hua Hin

Eileen and Brandon enjoyed the ride also.

Elephant Ride in Hua Hin

Following the tailor shop, we went for the elephant ride and show. Lee and Nicole are pictured during their ride together.

Tailored Clothes

Then we enjoyed a lunch with the Rotarians. We then were taken to meet another Rotarian at her tailor shop. After a few minutes of visiting and introductions, Kim embarked on having a dress made, Nicole had a business suit designed, Lee had a blazer designed and I had a pair of pants and shirt designed. We will take a picture of some of our new clothes at the District Conference this weekend.

Silk Factory in Hua Hin

Following the Batik clothing shop, we headed to the Silk Factory in Hua Hin. We were shown how silk was formed and the steps that it takes to make the silk threads and clothing. Nicole, Eileen and Lee all had pieces designed and sown together. We are seen in the picture with the Rotarians who brought us, the store manager and some of his employees, one of the GSE members coming to our district and our team.

Hua Hin Wednesday, March 14th

Eileen, Kim and Nicole all enjoyed shopping for different pieces. As a close knit team, we have been catch sharing some close spaces together (i.e. seen above in the dressing room shot).

Hua Hin - Wednesday, March 14th

Our day began around 10:30am when Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Hua Hin picked us up to go check out Hua Hin. Our first stop was at a Batik clothing shop. The artists draw on cloth with wax and then paint it in with water paint. Then the wax is washed away leaving a border between the colours seen in the picture.

Our 11 Hour Train Ride from Trang to Hua Hin

We arrived late into Hua Hin around 3:45am. What an aweful hour to have to pick up the GSE team at the train station. There were three Rotarians that greeted us at the train station with smiles upon their faces. How kind. It was nice to chat with them for a few minutes before retiring around 4:15am.

Our 11 Hour Train Ride from Trang to Hua Hin

Kim and I hung out writing in our journals and reading. We did not make our seats into sleeping quarters. I enjoyed the time to talk with Kim and catch up on my journal.

Our 11 Hour Train Ride from Trang to Hua Hin

Lee spent most of the trip talking with a fellow German traveler. Lee finally retired around 10:30pm into his sleeping bunk.

Our 11 Hour Train Ride from Trang to Hua Hin

Our 11 hour train ride went by extremely fast. Though our train ride started around 5:40pm and was to arrive in 3am at Hua Hin, we were dreading how long the trip was going to feel. Nicole and Eileen (pictured here) were the first two to embark on sleep time around 9pm.

Le Khaokob Cave

At Le Khaokob cave in Trang, we experienced something totally incredible. We went on a small boat, through a narrow canal before heading into caves filled with crevices flowing in every direction. There were times in our excursion that we actually had to lay down in order to get through the passages. One area was very dark, which added suspense to our excitement. I was most thankful for the 2 knowledgeable guides we had. I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be the one leading the way. If I was, we would still be there.

The rock formations seemed to be growing from above and below. The air was cool, yet warm. It wis very difficult to explain but it was a most unusual experience.

By the time we left the cave, we were happy to see we survived it and somehow we felt "closer" ... not to mention the fact that we were literally laying on each other. Yet antoehr unforgettable day in Thailand.

Farewell to Trang

Farewell to Trang.
This is my hostess, Pannee and her 2 daughters.

My Trip to the Salon

After returning from the cave and touring through the grounds of the ex-Prime Minister's property, my hostess, Pannee, wanted to treat me to a Thai salon shampoo, massage and style. Here I am relaxing, soaking (or should I say "soaping") it all in. Pannee was right. The shampoo felt wonderful after a long busy day. With the realization that the 11 hour train ride was just an hour or so away, she knew I would appreciate feeling clean and refreshed before boarding the train.

Smiling Fish Factory

Today we went to the Smiling Fish canning factory in Trang, where we observed cans being made that will contain fish products to be used in Thailand or shipped to other areas. A Rotarian from Trang (seen in the picture), gave us the grand tour. In this picture, the ladies are checking the lids for any imperfections. It was quite an amazing process watching how quickly the machines cut, bent and assembled each can.

Water Projects

While in Trang, the Rotarians took us to several water projects that they helped to sponsor since the tsunami. This is a picture of a water retention container that they provided for Muk Island.