Sunrise, sunsets. BEAUTIFUL!!!

With due respect to all of those "other" beautiful sunsets locations in the world, I have personally never seen one more beautiful than here in Railay, Thailand. Both times I have traveled here, my jaw has dropped over the incredible colors of the setting sky. I have equally gorgeous shots from my last visit, but here a few from this year.

But this year, Mano convinced me to get up early enough to see the sunRISE as well. (it is unfortunate that those tend to come in the morning usually.) Equally stunning, no?

Vomit Cruise (Why would you read this?)

Stuff a hundred tourists into a cramped and stuffy tin boat, and then set sail into wild, rolling seas. Toss in stifling heat and 14 foot swells. What do you get? Yep, hand out the barf bags!

I've been on some wild ocean rides in my life (the 3-day crossing of the Drake Passage to Antarctica was beyond terrifying) but this is right up there with the worst. Luckily this Andaman Sea jaunt, from Railay to Phi Phi island is only a "mere" two hours.

The waves rise, the ship slams down ten feet or more. Rises up, rolls to the side. Rises, rolls. Rolls, rises. Up, down. Sideways. Feeling queasy yet?

First they handed out the small lunch bag size barf bags, then we upgraded to grocery bags. As I type this, we are graduating to garbage bags. And they are being used by everyone around me. Consider yourself lucky you can't SMELL what I smell.

Rock climbing with macaques

Tell me if you've heard this one before:
Two out of shape middle-aged guys have a couple of beers, and decide they can go rock-climbing.

Then they meet some monkeys... Langurs, we believe.

And then something with no tail... A gibbon, we thought.

But later we learned that it was likely a macaque

Emboldened, the foolhardy fellas continue their trek

And are somehow rewarded with the most-gorgeous view ever!

The Lizards of Lumpini

Had to stop by Lumpini Park and say hi again to some of my more-slithery friends.

Back in BKK!

It's been almost two years since I've stepped foot outside the U.S.A. I don't know what addictions you have, but two years is a long time for a travel junkie, like me. So I need to start it out with my favorite drug... A bump of Bangkok.

Mano and I checked in to "my" apartment. At least it is "mine" whenever I pay the $1,000 a month. But it has a great view (check out the non-OSHA window washers) and the sky train stops right at the front door.

This will be home for the next month.