We have had some incredible days on this trip thus far, but our few weeks in Thailand were what travel shows are made of.  After talking with friends and family who raved of this country’s beauty, wildly described Thailand’s opportunities, and salivated as they rehashed their favorite meals, you could say expectations were unreasonably high.  But from night one, these promises of greatness were met and were continuously exceeded with each street food meal and sunset.  This is a friendly and tropical land that got our taste buds dancing every evening, gave us previously unfelt freedom as we explored islands by motorbike, and overloaded our senses with busy markets, gentle giants, and underwater worlds.

Thai cuisine is in a class of its own… and for good reason.  It is nearly unmatched in its ability to negotiate four fundamental flavors of spicy, sweet, salty, and sour while allowing for incredible variety and customization.  Pungent lemongrass, searing chillies, and puckering lime highlight their broths and curries making steaming bowls of noodles sound surprisingly satisfying despite the oppressive heat.  Night markets are filled with a smokey haze as neon lights shine down on noodle shacks, unidentifiable fruits, and everything you can imagine (plus some) on a stick.  A few times a day, the routine of plopping down at a tiny plastic table with our knees at our chins manipulating chop sticks and slurping away took place as we started to learn just how much lime, chili, sugar, and vinegar we preferred to add to each dish.

Slurrrrrrp

New sights, smells, sounds, tastes

I think she even put eggs on a stick at one point

Smiling chef making, by far, our favorite meal

Squid for days

Tiny quail egg omlets

Can you smell the goodness?

After our awesome experiences learning from chefs in Turkey and Sri Lanka, a cooking class was a must.  We spent a morning walking through farms and markets learning about the herbs and spices essential to Thai cooking, and then we started class.  I stood in awe as our class revealed the simplicity behind the seemingly complicated dishes of Thailand.  I might need some practice with the noodle wok and Jonathan may need to build up some grinding stamina with the mortar and pestle, but we are armed with the basics and ready to practice!

To the farm!

The makings for curry paste

“Ready to switch?”

Push forward and flip!

Tom Kaa and Tom Yum

Southern Thailand is surrounded with islands that hold perfect white-sand beaches where lazy days of reading, napping, and cold beer can sweep you away.

But the real treat off the coast is the world of life underwater.  Thailand is one of the premiere places to snorkel and scuba dive with its warm waters hosting scores of fish, elaborate coral reefs, and wild marine animals of all shapes and sizes.  For Jonathan, an experienced diver and past lifeguard, this was a dream-come-true.  For Tracy, a new-comer to the sport and a pretty shit swimmer, this was a perceived death trap turned magical wonderland after just minutes in the water.  Our dives at Koh Haa flew by, and we cannot wait to get back to the serenity and surprises scuba provides.

“Give me some fin!”

Fishnato!

A-ok!

Life-size aquarium

Y’all know this guy’s name

If you smile, your regulator falls out and you can’t breath…

Top-lit life

Massive blue sea star

Post three dives and ready for a drink!

Traveling in South East Asia gives you ultimate freedom.  With the power of the dollar and basically no rules, you can generally “sort out” just about anything.  With this freedom, came unbridled excitement from Tracy and insurance-loop-hole concerns from Jonathan.  With a killer recommendation from my family, we headed down to the docks to “sort out” a boat ride to a sparsely populated Muslim fishing island, Koh Yao Yai.

After a few more negotiations (with the locals regarding price and with Jonathan regarding the miniscule odds of major collision), we possessed a motorbike, snorkel gear, and a drawn map of beaches to find.  Jonathan quickly forgot the risk of driving an unlicensened motorbike and relaxed into a day of pure freedom and 360 degree views.

Heading North, after our time in the islands, we were ready for the jungle and the animals (well, specifically one animal) that resided there.  Elephants have been revered in Thailand for many centuries and symbolize everything from fortune and luck to the Thai people themselves.  A visit to Thailand without interacting with these animals was not an option.

But, elephant tourism in Thailand is a sticky subject.  It was only with help from my cousins and other friends, who had experience, that we were able to ethically navigate the options.  Thailand has a long tradition of working with elephants for war, logging, and transportation.  In the modern era, a new “tradition” of tourism entered with elephant rides and tricks.  Unfortunately, mistreatment accompanied this transition.  We quickly learned the sad truth behind “taming” a wild elephant so it is safe to ride, as well as the difficulty the animals have with weight on their not-so-strong spines.  Why put one paying tourist on an elephant’s back when you can fit three in a basket?  Despite claims that elephants in this nature of tourism are treated “better now”, the process of “breaking” them and the physics of the force on their body remain.

It was because of this, that Jonathan and I chose to visit the Elephant Nature Park, a rehabilitation sanctuary for animals once in the logging or tourism industry.  We have visited rehabilitation centers in the past and found that our experiences were rich and full of gentle interaction.  We spent a remarkable day feeding, bathing, and just watching these beautiful creatures interact with each other.  They chatted with their friends and family members by chirping and trumpeting back and forth.  They rolled through the mud, curiously explored our heads and hands with their trunks, and joyfully splashed with us in the river.  It was a beautiful day of learning about the Asian Elephant as a species, but also about the individuals in this small family group.  We uncovered who didn’t like vegetables and only wanted bananas, touched the scars from past mistreatment, and observed as the youngest of the group discovered how delightful scratching up on a tree felt.  We left exhausted, elated, muddy, and covered in a new smell that took a few days to scrub off.

Hand-to-trunk gentleness

I think this is after she squirted Jonathan with water

Only bananas… no cucumbers

Bath time!

The mud acts as a sunscreen and cools them off

Showing mom her new scratching post

Their trunk feels like a mini-vacuum cleaner

It’s a party!

Our guide “guiding”

Goodbye… until next time!

Thailand is a well-traveled and well-loved country for very good reason.  We found the tourism industry alive and well here, making our lives generally easier.  But we also found a freedom to explore, whether it was underwater or on motorbikes, that made Thailand a true highlight.  The kindness of its people, the mind-blowing food, and the diversity and beauty of its landscape make it a must for anyone’s bucket list.  Also, aside from the Elephant Nature Park, our one suggestion for travel in Thailand is “foot massages everyday”!

Thanks to our travels in Sri Lanka, where Buddhism was introduced to us, we were a bit more prepared for the acute role this religion played in our next stop, Thailand.  However, where the sites and ceremonies in Sri Lanka seemed like frenzied pilgrimages, the temples and practice in Thailand appeared established and habitual. It was impossible to travel through this incredible country without immersing ourselves in their Buddhist culture.

From the moment we stepped off the plane, we were greeted with a sign stating “Welcome to Buddha Land” followed by a set of strict rules to follow in order to maintain respect for this religion of nearly 95% of the Thai population.  “It is wrong to buy or use a Buddha symbol as decoration or tattoo” and “Absolutely no use of the Buddha’s head is permitted” were written everywhere, usually in all capitals and bold print.  Buddhist culture and tradition were such clear priorities in Thailand that Jonathan and I quickly bought an “Into to Buddhism” book and started planning our attempt to get to know the temples, the stories, and the principles of this philosophy turned religion.

I promise this is not a regurgitation of our well-worn Buddhism book… because after months of reading and trying to cipher through the facts and lore, we are still pretty lost on how a guy sitting cross-legged under a tree has become this:

However, despite the heat, the crowds, and our ever-present confusion, Thailand allowed us to experience the incredible architecture of the temples, the impressive devotion of the monks, and the influence the Buddha’s teachings can have even on those who are not followers.

As with most ventures on this trip, our first day was… a learning experience.  We were in Bangkok and ready to take on the Grand Palace and The Temple of the Emerald Buddha.  It was 9am, about 180 degrees with 95% humidity in the air, and we were sweating out the hot noodle soup we had eaten for breakfast.  Despite my desire to wear as close to nothing as possible, I respectfully changed into my ankle-length skirt and covered my shoulders before entering the gates.  While looking around at the accumulating masses, it became quickly apparent that though Jonathan’s shorts were knee-length, they would not suffice in the temple and he needed something more.  Off he went, while I sipped on a cold-drink, to find something more appropriate to wear.  This is what he came back with…

We finally made it in and I will let the pictures I posted above and below do most of the talking about the grandeur of this place.

As the sheer amount of gold blinded us in the sunshine, we wandered the impressive grounds of The Grand Palace, home to the longest active reigning monarch in the world.  (Yep, even longer than Queen Elizabeth II)  Whew, time for a coconut break.

The other temple we explored in Bangkok was Wat Pho.  A wat (derived from the Sanskrit word avasa, meaning school) is a monastery temple in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.  Strictly speaking, a wat is a Buddhist sacred place with a temple, housing and classrooms for the resident monks, and a class structure.  We had the opportunity to see Wat Pho in its shiny glory during the day (along with thousands of others), but we also were treated to a special moment at night where we were nearly alone amongst these towering pagodas.

After leaving Bangkok, no matter how we travelled (by foot, train, or bus) we passed hundreds of wats throughout the country.  We explored at least ten others along the way, all the while, researching answers to our questions, observing ceremonies and traditions, and appreciating the artwork and story-telling the murals on the walls provided.

We watched the daily ritual of Bin Tha Bat, or giving of alms, as monks walked barefoot along the road accepting food from those in the village in the bowls they hold close to their bodies.  The monks do not thank the villagers for the food, as it is seen as a good deed to earn merit, however they must eat whatever is provided to them.

Traditionally, Buddhism is a philosophy with a way to approach life and death completely unlike anything we are familiar with.  It is a practical teaching that allows one to chose what and how to follow based on one’s own life experience.  Buddhism values wisdom and compassion above all else and has determined desire, attachment, and ignorance as the origins of suffering.  Working our way through the big picture of Buddhism, one of the lessons Jonathan and I found ourselves constantly returning to in conversation, was one regarding motivation.  Buddhism teaches the importance of defining the motivation for ones decisions, actions, and words.  Is it self-promotion and attachment?  Is it unnecessary desire?  Is it compassion for others?  We have found ourselves looking for the motivation within our own actions to evaluate if they are compassionate and ethical.  But we have also tried to determine the motivation behind other’s actions in order for us to better understand those around us.  We have to admit, not only has it made for good conversation, but we are finding ourselves quite a bit more mindful in our daily lives.

Though the pagodas were magnificent, the statues imposing, and the traditions exotic, it is the few lessons we took away from the Buddha’s teachings that will resonate the longest.