The Final Days

On Saturday we had to send the boys home so we helped them pack and spent the day at the pool and exploring some of the local village. On Sunday the rest of us had to go home. We had to check out at noon but our flight didn't leave until ten at night so we just stayed at the hotel and relaxed soaking up all the sun we could until our long series of flights.

We flew from Phuket to Bangkok, nothing too exciting, just that Collin left his phone on the plane and we never got it back. Then there was a problem with the Nicholes tickets and we were at the ticket gate forever, so long that our layover time was spent making sure we could get on the plane. Everett had a rough time on the five hour flight to Korea, it left at one in the morning!

We spent Monday in Korea. We decided that we were tired of airports and we took a transit tour of Korea. We went to a Palace that was there in the 1300s, it was brightly colored and huge, every room was a separate building. Then we went to a Buddhist temple where a funeral was going on for a very famous monk. We all ate lunch at a Korean restaurant, the tour guides would not even tell us what some of the food was (they just kept saying just try it).

We flew for twelve plus hours to LA where we had another nine hour layover so we spent Monday in Santa Monica but it was freezing in California in the 60's so we spent some time at the airport before we made the journey home. We are all suffering from jet lag and missing our paradise but Ford did say "I am glad to be in a country where apple juice tastes like I like it." And Collin said "I am glad to be in a country where milk taste like I like it."

Siam SeaCanoe

Today we took another boat tour. It was in Phang Nga Bay and there were no crazy waves. The boat was a cruise boat and it was so calm that we could eat lunch on board. There were tons of jellyfish in the ocean and we could not go to two of the islands because of all the jellyfish. This tour was a sea canoe tour, where the big boat would take us to an island and then put in anchor and then we would pile into canoes and explore caves in and around the island.

The first island we went to had bats inside the cave. The guides on the canoe had lights and when they would shine them on the bats they started to fly around over our heads. When the tide is really low someone could take a canoe all the way through the cave to a lagoon at the center of the island, but when we went through you could only see a small opening.

The second island was James Bond Island where The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) was filmed. There were no canoes here but we got to climb in some caves that were there. The next island that we went to we had the option of canoeing ourselves or taking a guide with us. We went all around the island and the scenery was incredible.

At the final island we got to canoe and swim there. Waiting for us on the beach was a monkey (the guides said it is rare to see monkeys on this tour). The monkey was so hungry that when the guides brought some bananas it practically attacked the guy holding them and they had to throw the bananas in the boat, push the boat to the monkey and swim away. Then the monkey happily took the bananas from everyone. Even Everett fed him.

On the long ride back all the canoe guides did a dancing show for the passengers. Collin even got his own special show from a lady boy. Let's just say that I am glad that the little boys were sleeping during the show!

Recovering from Last Night

We headed over to the Mai Khao Marriott resort and tried out their swimming pool. It was really shallow and not as big as the pool at our resort. The little boys played in the kids center and had kids mocktails. The grown up kids went out in the ocean again and said the waves were too mild, compared to the first day when they were dragged back into the ocean.

We took some family pictures of the tailored suits and then sent Grandma and Grandpa to dinner by themselves at the other resort. We all then had some family bonding time as we cooked spaghetti in our tiny kitchen.

Also the pictures above are from some Thai dancing in this reflection pool at our hotel.

FantaSea

In Phuket they have this place called Fantasea and they have these stores set up and some carnival games to play and a buffet (if you pay for it!). You come like three hours before this show starts because they want you to buy stuff and play the games. We went on two separate buses because transportation comes with every tour and we had some free tickets and some that we payed for.

We got there and there are tons of bright lights and the parking area is very Disneyland like. The kids saw tons of games that they wanted to play but we made them eat first. All the Thai people kept holding Addy and carrying her around and she was getting tired but still kept smiling. They boys had fun throwing balls and flipping frogs.

Before the show we saw a few exotic white animals, a white peacock, some white parrots, and a white tiger. The show was crazy! They took our cameras from us before so we could not take pictures but it had a ton of Thai dancing and lots of elephants! The fireworks scared the little ones as well as the loud cannon shots.

Turtle Village and Bikes

Last night was really a late night so this post is a bit late. In the morning hours we all slept in a bit. The older crowd went to work out and then we all took a trip to Turtle Village. There were a few shops there that we looked at and then we all took a trip to Swensons for ice cream! Then we decided to do some exploring!

Mindi, Jake, Jeremy, and Collin rented some mountain bikes for two hours. They rode about 17 km round trip and even managed to get lost. Here at the Marriott it is really beautiful but it is very secluded and away from Thailand, so renting the bike allows you to get to some villages and some local restaurants and shops. They wanted to ride to the local Wat and took a few wrong turns (the Marriott gives you a cell phone to take on your bike ride in case you get lost and the locals can not tell you where to go.)

Grandpa and I took the little boys on a bike ride to the lake which was 1 km away. They both did a great job peddling there and back. It was a hot day! Then we went to a secret tunnel to a small Buddhist shrine. Everyone was so impressed that a little two year old was riding a bike so far!

A few pictures and a story

This morning when we woke up our shoes were all missing. We had them all outside the hotel room and then this morning when my dad went to exercise they were gone. He just figured that someone else grabbed the shoes and put them inside. Well he started asking around and no one moved the shoes. Then people started getting a little mad, cause who would steal a bunch of shoes. So Dad was getting ready to call and the shoes showed up all in a row, looking very nice.

We all figured that they just took the shoes and cleaned up. Then Dad told the Marriott guy that he was so impressed that they even clean the shoes here and the guy said "It is the Thai people they are just incredible."

Later that night Nate said "I just got so sick of all the shoes being every where that I took them and put them in the closet and then when I woke up I put them back."

Another Relaxing Day in Paradise

This morning the older crowd went to the pool and did Water Tai Chi. They said it ended up being a huge water fight cause you just push and hit the water so everyone just gets really wet. The instructor even fell off the platform.

The little boys played in the kids center and colored on a name tag. Then some of the crowd went to swim and the rest watched the kids while we went to a Marriott presentation to earn some free tickets to a show. When we got there they didn't even try to sell my dad anything cause he is "Marriott Royalty", and we got the free show tickets!

Then we went and tried scuba diving in the deep end of the pool. Most of us enjoyed it but there were a few who had a hard time with the whole breathing thing!!

Collin and I had the chance to have a picnic on the beach and watch the sunset. It is so beautiful here. The waves on this beach are huge and it was a beautiful background for a quick bite to eat and then we all took some family pictures in our I love Phuket shirts!

Sunburns

We spent our first day at the Marriott enjoying the swimming pools and the health club. The property has an incredible beach but you can hardly ever swim in it because the currents and tides are so strong that it is unsafe to swim. Although some of the older crew enjoyed riding the large waves and then being pulled back into the ocean.

Grandpa and a few of the Aunts spent so much time outside that their are very red! The older crew spent about half the day at the health club exercising and enjoying this amazing shake that they were given. Collin and Everett spent about half the day sleeping...

Then we went to an owners party and had some finger food and some drinks. We were the only ones that were going with the non-alcohol version but we did not mind. Grandpa then made some brownies (in the microwave) and we had some dessert.

At the Marriott

Well yesterdays moving took all day. Here are some pictures of the Marriot that some of us are yet to explore!

Moving Day!

Today is July 4th! Happy Birthday America! Happy Birthday Aunt Pyper.
Well today we have to leave our private beach and our villas to move to the very top part of the island to the JW Marriot resort. Yesterday we spent the day relaxing and swimming in the ocean. We also took a ton of pictures of our families and a few of the restaurant and the staff that we will post.

The Secret Cove is a new place and they are just getting started and we have been telling everyone about them. The owners are Rick and Ta and when my dad was first telling people about them we all thought he was saying Rick and his Hot wife!

Elephant Rides

We went to Safari Island and had an ox cart ride, sat on a water buffalo, saw a short demo on the rice farming. Then we got to ride elephants- the kids have been waiting for a chance to do this. It was really a tipsy and jerky ride so Adelynn fell asleep, Everett was tired and Ford had fun. We all enjoyed it and the guys sitting on the elephants guiding them, were singing songs and laughing, even during the down pour. We also sat on a water buffalo, a real live one!


We also watched a monkey show and an elephant show. The kids loved the shows, the boys got stuffed elephants and were pretending to have the elephants do the show. They played basketball and soccer and the monkey rode a tricycle. While we were at the monkey show Adelynn started crawling on the ground and there was a girl guide in there and she got so scared of Adelynn that she started crying (It was really funny to see because everyone loves the baby and here she is scared to death.) Turns out the guide was terrified of monkeys and since we were in the monkey show room she thought that the baby was a monkey.


Later in the night we tried to go to an outdoor market but when we got there it wasn't there. We ended up going to Old Phuket town and found some Thai cookies.

Everett has a new girlfriend!

Just a few minutes ago, Everett and I were down at the restaurant having the gals there pop some popcorn for us. Just as we were leaving, the owner's daughter, Nicole, came to give him a good night hug.

He obliged and returned the favor. But shortly thereafter, they both turned and kissed each other... right on the smackers. Immediately following, she chased him around and he tried to hide from her behind my legs. He got really shy after that, until we were walking away. She began to cry and her turned around (now about 15 yards down the road) and shouted: "Good night! I'll see you all later!"

I asked him if we were going to tell his mom or if he wanted to keep it a secret. He said that he would tell her. So as soon as we walked into the house, he approached her and said: "Hey Mom... I just kissed a girl!"

She is half Thai, half Dutch, and about a year and a half younger than Everett. I told him that he now needs to learn to read and write so they can be pen pals for the next 25 years before they can get married.

At long last...

Earlier today, Nate and ShaNae went for a little walk along the beach with the stated goal of finding the most attractive sea shell out there. They were going to have a contest to see who could find the best. Little did ShaNae know, but Nate had sent his brothers out earlier with a decorative sea shell, inside which was an engagement ring. Thinking she had just found a really nice looking shell, she joked that there may be a pearl inside. She opened it up and she was right. Inside was a large pearl set in a white gold ring with a variety of diamonds around the base of it.

She turned to find Nate on a knee, he asked her if she'd be cool with marrying him and she agreed to do it. Congratulations to the soon-to-be newest family unit within the Littlewood clan.

If Thailand were in the USA...

An addendum to yesterday's post:

Several of us in the front part of the boat (where our spines and tailbones were most at risk), remarked that if we tried going out on the water in similar conditions to the ones we were in, but it were in America or Australia... it wouldn't happen.

There is no chance that a tour company from the U.S. or from any of the "civilized" nations of the world would take people out there. I have chatted about how things are in Britain and Australia with folks who have come from those countries, and it is the same everywhere. Sophisticated societies tend to gather their wealth of experiences and knowledge to minimize the number of risks one can take. Whether it is from law suits or top-down regulation, freedom suffers a bit each time litigation or legislation attempt to protect the citizens of the country in which the measure is being enacted.

Sure, yesterday's boat tour lead to some discomfort in our backs and posteriors, but it was well worth it. We saw beautiful places we would otherwise never see, did exciting things we could only do in a very few other places on Earth and we got to know people from other countries who were loving and experiencing the same things along with us. There was even a gal from Australia who must have vomited 7 or 8 times, but she was still smiling whenever we'd stop and see a new island (eventually her husband joined in on the vomiting).

It is just amazing to see what freedoms people have here that for safety reasons or fear of a lawsuit, we do not. This is a monarchy and they have freedoms that we never would have guessed one could have--and the best part? It hasn't lead to anarchy. There is order here and it works.

I strongly recommend Thailand as a vacation destination or a place to live to anyone. If you are coming just for a visit, I recommend The Secret Cove in Phuket for your food and lodging. It is a private beach and the staff are all very helpful and friendly. If you need contact info, I can provide it.

Our Unbelievable Adventure

To celebrate Jake's birthday we went on a Phi Phi Island tour. The bus comes and picks you up at your hotel and takes you to the dock and then you make five or six stops and it takes the whole day.
*Disclaimer: To any mothers who may be worried about the content below, it is monsoon season, which is off season (that's how we have gotten great deals on tours and souvenirs ) and we have completed the activity and are completely safe. Only two of us got hurt and that was Alisha and me, Alisha tripped over a rope that came out of nowhere when the tide went out, and I cut my foot because I kicked a rock while snorkeling. With that being said here is our adventure.

We arrived just on time to board boat 19 and about 40 people piled onto our speed boat. The boys were excited to be on a boat. We start coasting out and the tour guide immediately starts handing out barf bags. We start getting out to sea and the waves are so big that we can see them out the side of our windows. The kids sitting up front, including my four year old Ford are getting bounced around and around. Every time we hit a wave they flew a few feet into the air.

It was so choppy that the first place we were supposed to stop at was too dangerous to dock and we just floated past. Then we went around the corner and the view was breath taking. we pulled into this cove and we got to jump out and swim in this warm water. It was so fun that even Adelynn jumped in.

Then we went to monkey beach and we got out and fed the monkeys bananas. Everett especially loved feeding the monkeys. We were told we had to keep an extra close eye on the kids because the monkeys do not like things their same size. Next we went snorkeling in the same bay and we watched as hundreds of fish swam around us. The Tsunami damaged a lot of the islands and wildlife out there but what we were able to see was amazing, although some of the guys did not like the fish swimming up their trunks!

Then we headed another part of the island for lunch, where we had some delicious international food and had a chance to do some shopping. ShaNae, Nate, Jeremy and Ford found a monkey that they were able to have sit on their shoulders and get a few pictures.

Now the rain was starting to come down harder and we almost did not get to go to the next island. The rain came down and pounded our faces until we were getting cold. The water was choppy and we kept bouncing and bouncing. Some of the kids from the front even came to the back because they were so scared to be up there. I have never seen so many terrified faces, every time we bounced on this 45 minute boat ride every passenger was grimacing.

We did make it and we enjoyed some more snorkeling and fresh fruit on the island. The kids were a little cold and it was warmer in the water than it was in the air. Adelynn was adored by the people on this sandy beach island and they gave her a banana. One of the passengers on our boat got stung by some jellyfish that were enjoying the swim. Then we all trudged back to the boat where we all climbed on ready to face the return home!

The weather was really clouded and the rain continued to drench us all as we sat shivering. The kids slept on almost all the boat rides but on this last leg where Everett was cheering each wave we hit! Collin and Jeremy feel like they will never walk again from the beating that their tailbones took an our crazy journey.