New Years in Krabi!

I seriously suck at writing my blog this semester, I am really sorry! Sixth grade is getting ready for this National test so that has taken up a lot of my free time and now we are all starting to plan and think about our travel plans after teaching. It has been sort of stressful and super busy but when those are your biggest stresses, you know you're doing something right!

Anywho, Mel, Soddy, Leah, Mimi and I took the night bus to Bangkok after school on Wednesday and arrived around 4:30am.  We headed to the Don Muang Airport where we caught our Air Asia flight down to Krabi! We took Thursday, Friday and the next Wednesday off from work so we would be able to have a really nice vacation. We arrived around 10am on Thursday and headed to where we were staying, Pan Beach Bungalows. It was so nice. The bungalows were pretty basic and there was only electricity from 6pm until 6am, but that doesn't really matter if you are at the beach all day! The bungalows were right on the beach and a private beach at that, with only about 4 or 5 other people from Pan staying there.  So luxurious and only for $6 a night! We immediately got in our suits, jumped in the water and ordered Western food. So fun!

 The beach was in a bay and there were a lot of islands in the bay, so Soddy and I decided to swim out to a nearby one. It was so cool!
As it gets later the tide goes out and we were left with little lagoons and you could eventually walk out to the island I had swam to earlier! There was also a wedding going on that was so beautiful and we watched it from our lounge chairs as we watched the sun set. So perfect.

The next day we signed up for a snorkeling tour. The boat master, Eat, and his son, picked us up in a longboat from our beach and took us to nine different islands! We swam around off of one island, saw SO many different colored fish on one island, sea snakes off of another, ate lunch on the most beautiful island, watched the sun set and the moon rise on another, and played with phosphorescent fish at another! It was incredible! We all just kept saying how much fun we were having and how incredible the day was. Amazing.

Soddy, Me, Mel, Leah and Mimi!

We stayed at Pan for two days and then moved into the city of Krabi for three at a more central location. We, of course, did beach time, got massages, tons of Western food, (hello pizza!?) and met up with friends from around Thailand. Mimi, Leah and I were having dinner one night, spilling our hearts when I told them about the tattoo I wanted to get above my scar to commemorate this move to Thailand and show how far I have come after my diagnosis. They were so enthused and encouraged me to get it! What better place than the most beautiful place in the world?! We found a place that does bamboo tattoos, the traditional method in Thailand and usually done by a monk. I was really excited and knew this was the right time and place.  It didn't hurt as much as the machines ones and turned out exactly as I wanted. Elephants are lucky in Thailand, so it goes with my other two and they are all on my right side, which is where the cancer was found. Need all the luck on that side! The bamboo tattoos heal faster than machine so I was out the next day on the beach and totally fine! I am so happy and will never forget that experience and those girls who held my hand, took pictures, and supported me through this past semester :-)

Love this pic of Leah and me

Getting my new tattoo!

All done! With my tattoo artist, Beer.

On New Years Eve, we got Indian food for dinner and then headed to the beach! People were lighting lanterns and gathering on the sand.  We met up with Amanda and her boyfriend, Clai, and Brandon and some of his friends.  We all immediately took off our shoes and waded into the water, getting ready to ring in the new year! People started counting down and as we said "Happy New Year," tons of lanterns flew into the air and fireworks were exploding everywhere! It was such a great New Years! I was able to call my Mom and tell her that the world hadn't ended, oh and about my new tattoo...and she took it great! What a trooper!

On New Years Day some people weren't really feeling up for much of anything, if you know what I mean...So Soddy and I decided to go off by ourselves. We took a longboat taxi to Tonsai Beach and rented some kayaks for a couple hours. Then, we kayaked over to nearby Railay Beach and nearby islands.  Then we found some caves and mangroves! It was amazing! Paddling through them and maneuvering the rocks were awesome, it was like a Disney ride! SO fun.

Unfortunately we had to go home at some point. We took a night bus back to BKK, which took 11 hours, then hopped on another bus to Phrae, another 8 hours! We were pretty much slugs the rest of the day and then had to teach Thursday and Friday.  But it was all worth it!