Around For A While: June 2012

So Australians like to not study at all during the semester and then do all their work in the last few weeks. Because of this, there is a whole week off before finals even start and then there are two weeks of finals. Seriously, they study so much at the end of the semester. I am used to a single study day and a week for 5 finals.

So naturally, when faced with this situation the only option is to go to Thailand for a week, right? Right.

Brad, Bob, and Reid obviously agreed. We spent half the trip in Koh Chang, an island on the southeast coast of Thailand. There we stayed literally ON the beach in these two beautiful huts, spent lots of time playing in the ocean and rode elephants. Then we went to Bangkok and spent the rest of the time there. Bob's aunt got us a room in the Marriot with her points, and little to our knowledge, got us the executive suite. It had multiple rooms to it and those robes were the single most comfortable thing I have ever worn. In Bangkok we saw lots of temples and shrines, walked around the city for a while, which was crazy. As well, Bob and Reid got suits made for them. One day we went on an all day tour outside of Bangkok. It included floating markets, a POW WWII cemetery, a visit to Hellfire Pass, where the POW worked on the Thailand-Burma railroad, as well as a trip to the Bridge over the River Kwai and a visit to the Tiger Temples. I got to pet BIG TIGERS! IT WAS SO EXCITING! They were really beautiful. The food was really good as well. I ate some REALLY spicy things and also got some really good thai food a couple nights. Delicious.

I wish we had more time in Thailand. There was so much to see, especially in Bangkok that we didn't get too. However, I think this is just a good excuse to take a trip back there someday. I also really want to spend some time in the southern part, which looks really beautiful.

Now the best way to show you Thailand is really the photos again, so here are a ton!

The view from our room in Koh Chang. I wasn't kidding when I said we were right on the beach.

Another view of our huts.

Obligatory drawing of ND in the sand

On the beach.

No this isn't a postcard, it's the infinity edge of the pool at our hotel.

playing in the ocean

Me, Bob, and Brad

That's me on an elephant!

In the water!

Oh hey, Koh Chang. You're really pretty.

Bob and I on our elephant!

Group Photo!

Boats out on the ocean. Everything is so brightly colored.

Another group photo with the elephant!

Bangkok. Relaxing in the Executive Suite aka 1st World Problems in a more-or-less 3rd world country

Our view of Bangkok

Floating Market

Bridge over the River Kwai

Bridge Again

River Rafting

Hellfire pass, and you can sort of see the old railroad tresses

TIGERS

US WITH TIGERS

me with a little tiger. This guy was cute.

Walking a tiger. NBD

SO PRECIOUS

This guy was HUGE and kind of terrifying, but awesome.

Let the temple pictures begin.

Reclining Buddha

Update # A lot: Rottnest Island and Formal Dinner

So for the final two weekends in May, we went as a huge group to Rottnest Island and then the next weekend had our second Formal Dinner at Tommy.

Rottnest is an island off the coast of Perth which has quokkas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quokka, which are quite possibly the cutest things on the face of this earth. They are also really really friendly and love Doritos and Nora. One got into our cabin at one point too and we had to lure it out with an apple.

We spent most of the first day at the beach by a lighthouse, beautiful to say the least. We had great weather as well, which was amazing. I literally fell asleep on the beach that day. Saturday night we had a barbecue, which naturally led to a bunch of people trying to crash the wedding that happened that night on the island.

Sunday we rented bikes and went around the whole island. Literally the whole island. I haven't biked that much in a really long time, but it was beautiful. My butt was super sore for the next 4 days though. I am not sure how bikers do it. The snorkeling was amazing as well. At one point we were completely surrounded by a giant school of fish. So cool!

Our formal dinner which was "international" and "Spanish" themed was a ton of fun as well. It is basically just a great excuse to get dressed up, eat better food than usual, and enjoy a dinner with good friends. There were also a bunch of "international" acts, including Reid doing a hula, which was awesome and some really stereotypical Spanish bullfighting acts. Very funny and a ton of fun.