Day Trippin'

Yesterday, we took a day trip up to the Golden Triangle. Our day started with our usual....coffee and a cream cheese oreo!


Court and her mad navigational skillz got us where we needed to be! We stopped in for lunch at Charin garden.


Then, we made an appearance at the White Temple in Chiang Rai. They were doing a lot of construction so we couldn't see some of the cool parts. But, it was still fun to see! It's so weird!

The rain held off for us to hang out at the Golden Triangle for a bit. You can stand and see Burma, Laos, and Thailand. It's super cool! There's so many things to stand at and bust a pose! Just like this one...

After that, we headed over to the Opium Museum on our way back. Interesting. After we left the Opium Museum, we all had a sudden case of the munchies...hmmmm....

Along the way back, we stopped to look at a hot spring. It was crazy and it was stinky!!!!



I hope Sulu has come to learn as I have--every day in Thailand is an adventure!

Cuz, coffee, cream cheese oreos

Today was another great day with my 'lil baby cuz! It's awesome to have Sulu here! It's rainy season here, so we've been very flexible with our activity schedule...and yes, I DO have an activity schedule! Yesterday, we did a tour of Warrorot Market and then stopped in to Starbucks for an afternoon rain break--coffee and a cream cheese oreo. So far, this has been a daily thing!

Today, again, it rained and again, we went to Starbucks for coffee and a cream cheese oreo. We ran last night, so we feel ok about indulging. After that, we went up the mountain to Doi Suthep. This was Sulu's first time to visit a Buddhist Temple. It was not crazy crowded, so it was a very nice time to be up there. The view was awesome! It was cool to show Sulu around!

Tomorrow, we head to the Golden Triangle. This is my millionth time going, but I really do like going! I think Sulu's gonna enjoy it, too! We're having a blast and I'm definitely loving spending all this time with my 'lil baby cuz! I'm super glad she's here!

Welcome, Cuz!!

This afternoon, I picked up my 'lil baby cuz from the airport! She's not actually a baby...she's just younger than me and that's what I've always called her! Anyways...we're gonna be kickin' it here in Chiang Mai for the next couple of weeks! I'm so happy to have her here!

Welcome, Cuz!!

On the Road Again...to Cambodia!

The first time I went to Cambodia, I saw so many tee shirts that said "I survived in Cambodia!" I truly understand this feeling! While we were gone, the staff at work decided that the trip we all need to take together would be to Cambodia! What?!?!! Before we left, we had decided on Laos. But while we were gone they got excited about Cambodia and that's what the final decision was. So... about 6 days after Court and I returned from our first trip there, we packed up our bags AGAIN and this time instead of flying, we hit the road!

Over 24 hours of driving ahead of us, a fully charged iPod, and snackages (like dried fruit, nuts, Pocky, etc.) we started out on a journey that none of us will EVER forget! For most of my friends and coworkers going on this trip, this was their first time to leave Thailand. I was so grateful to share this experience with them!

Click here for the rest of the photos from this totally insane trip!

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrshelton/StaffCambodiaRoadTrip

Rachel, we miss you!!!

Recently, one of our team members and friend, went back to the States. Rachel is definitely missed around here. She is a seasoned Chiang Mai veteran after living here for over 3 years! She's now rockin' it in the same city that my sister lives in and so, that's cool that they can hang out.

Rachel, we miss you bucketloads and are praying that the Lord continues to bless you as you follow Him!

Here are some photos from Rachel's "Peace Out" lunch at Ginger Cafe.

http://picasaweb.google.com/wrshelton/PeaceOutRachel

Catchin' Up

OK....I acknowledge that a good bit of time has passed since I made my last post, but tons has happened. I'll get straight to it!

The time rolled around for me to renew my Thai visa, so I got to pick a place to go to take care of that. So...where do I wanna go? I chose Cambodia! I can't imagine what other time I'd get to go, so I was up for the adventure! It's no fun to do trips like that alone, so Court came with me. We flew into Phnom Penh and it was one crazy city! As you can see, it was busting at the seams with excitement!

Court and I both agreed that we experienced some culture shock. I'd say maybe it was more of culture jolt. Like, the out-of-controlness, so many people, loudness, honking bumper-to-bumper traffic, and the smell, was all enough to give us a good jolt! A few minutes later, we took a deep breath (of their serious pollution!) and then navigated the streets in tuk-tuks like pros! We were really hungry when we first got to our hotel, and lo and behold, if there wasn't a familiar face on the side of the hotel lobby wall! It was THE COLONEL! Kentucky Fried Chicken was connected to the lobby of our hotel! So, in a moment of desperation, we went and ate a KFC "snack plate"--2 chicken legs, mashed taters, and slaw. We were surprised to find that they wanted US Dollars! Everything on the menu was in USD. We came to find out, nobody wanted Cambodian Riel, they wanted US Dollars!

Anyways...once we got rollin', the first order of business was to take care of my visa. Check! That was done. Then, we rode a local bus for about 7 hours to Siem Reap to see the famous Angkor Wat! This was the weirdest ride ever! On the way there, we HIT A COW in the middle of the road. I wouldn't have believed it, but I saw the cow go flying to the side of the bus with my own eyes. The young, embarassed, and uncertain driver wasn't sure what to do but argue with the passengers on the front row about it. He finally pulled over. About 10 men get off the bus and they all walk to the front of the vehicle. They all cross their arms, stand in silence, and look at the "leftovers" on the front of the bus, shake their heads, and got back on the bus. Then, the driver went on like nothing ever happened. He was more cautious for the rest of the trip! For that I was grateful!

We finally reached Siem Reap and go see Angkor Wat(Google it!)! It was amazing! Very old and historical and dusty and well....important! I'm glad I had the opportunity to go see it! Siem Reap was a chill town with coffee shops, a market, and great places to eat and hang out! Shout outs to The Ivy for dinner (best Khmer curry!), Dragon Soup for another dinner (We were ready for pizza!), and the Blue Pumpkin ice cream shop! We had a great time!

Check out the photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/wrshelton/CambodiaCraziness

The Cruisin' Convoy

On the way to take Moo to the vet, we come to a major intersection near our house and all the traffic is stopped. There were about 4 cops making every vehicle stop and they were telling peeps on motor bikes to get off and stand. I couldn't believe everyone stopping and standing. Our best guess was that somebody from the Royal Family was gonna be breezing through any minute. Well, we were hoping it would be any minute. It was more like almost 15 minutes and all those motor bike riders waited patiently.

After we got to the vet and back to work, we asked our friends if something special was going on today? We explained how we sat an intersection forever waiting on a bunch of cars to blow right through our intersection at killer speeds. They were excited to inform us that one of the Princesses was in town. It didn't really seem to be anything way outta the ordinary for the peeps around here to get off motor bikes and stand in the middle of the road in honor of the princess. But, for me...well, this was a first!