Varee Chiang Mai School

Basketball and yelling at kids in a language that they don't understand. Good times had by all.



My homeroom, the P2Bers. Great kids, lots of fun and far more responsive once I stumbled on the fact that they love it when I fling them in the air as high as I can. They laugh and I relieve stress all at once. 'Teacher! Teeeechaaa! Jump! Jump!"


A few of the biggest talkers in class. I can't understand 99% of what they say, and they could care less, they just keep right on preaching it to me.



The man, the myth, the 'Palm'. One of my favorites. Any teacher who claims they don't have favorites is a complete liar. Unfortunately, since I caught him off guard you can't see that his two front teeth are missing, further adding to his charm, sophistication and grace.


This is the look of focused young thai athletes preparing for the so-called '3on3' tourney they were participating in.


Me 'y ing' to the crowd and announcers before the Varee Chiang Mai teachers romped on Asia Technology's teachers. There was a play by play announcer and color man commentating over the cheesy pop playing on the high tech sound system the whole game. Evidently they were talking trash in Thai, it was an away game, and made some crack about me thinking I was Shaq. Amazing.

Pai

Pai in a nutshell. The place is just overflowing with it. Art and live music all over the place and an abundance of different styles of food to choose from; I sampled Mexican, middle eastern, indian and thai during my weekend stay.


The phu pai art cafe became our night spot to listen to the two guitar players, one american one thai, cover english and thai music. highlight; when the thai violinist joined in. great vibe.



Oh, did I mention that every guesthouse in town was sold out when we got there, holiday weekend and all, so we took up the offer of the friendly proprietor of family guest house and slept two on the floor, two in the hammocks, of her covered communal area.


The next night there were availabilities, so we were able to move into our own 'A' frame huts...


with all the amenities

Khanchanaburi

short and sweet. erawan falls , motorbike accident, tiger temple , bathing elephants and definitive proof that I just don't fit in this country..

at all...

The Gibbon Experience

or, lao....WOW!

Bus to the border, haggle over visa, cross in a small boat, haggle over visa again, realize we won't be getting our visas tonight or our passports back for that matter, we step in to town and all power blacks out, find out our hotel is booked. thank you very much and welcome to lao. and it was all worth it. 500 meter zip lines, 150 meter high tree houses, screeching monkeys, and a cuddly little bear oh my.

check out Mike on the line, with chris flying by on a passing line.



a blurry view of our hotel room in lao before we headed out to the forrest. sometimes you get what you pay for at $1.50 a night.
me, terrified, on one of my first zips
very tired and sweaty after a long trek and some zipping... but more then a little excited by the view from our treehouse
our guides wearing their gifts from us; the latest and greatest in thai sunglass fashion


Mike hurt his ankle, zipping into a tree, so on the way down the mountain and out of lao.. we tried to assist him. Our guide insisted that this was the most efficient way. guide and patient both loved it.

Phu Chi Fa

a sunrise above the clouds



so far my favorite spot in thailand, hands down. taxi, tuk tuk, skytrain, bus, pick up truck and a little hike later, and i was perched on the thai-lao border watching a star filled sky slowly beckon forward a mountain range engulfed by clouds. majestic. wanna hear more? write me and ill send you the full details.
fellow early morning travelers...one with very silly pants...enjoying the view
mike and i, in pink hats, holding each other ever so gently

the sunrise
miwa (one of the housemates) and i in front of a greenscreen... or so it would seem