Back From Sojourn

Dear Readers,

I am finally back to site from a lovely, venturesome journey with some of my most beloved people. My parent's visited from the USA for about 13 days and luckily we had incredible luck with weather, food, and safe (sometimes bumpy and tiring) transportation. It has been almost 3 weeks since I set out which, seems like an eternity ago. I'll be updating my blog in installments since I'm back to site and thus back to slow, steady Internet--plus I have a plethora of things to catch up on.



Below is a brief summary of our vacay stops and pics previewing some of the highlights. Pics will have to wait for now since there seems to be technical difficulties.

From Oct. 28-31: Bangkok. Visited Peace Corps HQ, $6 Thai massage, shopping, & sight-seeing including the Reclining Buddha & Jim Thompson House.

Oct. 31-Nov.2: Sisaket Province (my site). Thai-style welcome & dinner. Sight-seeing and tour of Issan cuisine. Main attractions included the 'Glass Bottle Temple', 'Giant Animal Statue Temple', & waterfalls.

Nov.3-Nov.8: Rayong Province (on the Gulf of Thailand). Stayed at a quite 'resort'on the beach, enjoyed ocean swims, ate spectacular seafood, had Thai massage with herbaol compress, & randomly engaged my parents in a 'mock consolidation'--a coincidental test of the Peace Corps Thailand EAP (emergency action plan) which brought us to Rayong City for the evening.

Nov.9-10: Lop Buri Province. Visited my old host family from Peace Corps Training (I lived with them from Jan. 30-April 9, 2009), experienced a Thai sports day which boasted a mini cultural show and opening ceremony. We also saw my host brother show off some mad skills at "Dta Graw" which is a Thai sport somewhat similar to Voleyball only players have to use their feet to pass the ball instead of their hands. (It's harder than it looks--we're talking gymnastic-esque stealth required).

Nov.10-11: Bangkok. Parents head back home.

Nov.11-15: Bangkok. Peace Corps meetings & Dr.'s appointments, spending way to much time & money shopping & eating farang food!

Nov. 16: Back to site, back to reality =) But happy to have a home in Thailand to come home to after the long-awaited visit from my parents (it had been almost 2 years since I had seen them).

I'm getting ready to go to a wedding this weekend so the pics might not make it up before then but I'll try!

Picture it: A Peace Corps Volunteer is getting married on an elephant!!! It shall be the wedding of our service.

Hope everyone is doing well and getting ready to give thanks*.