Traveling duo: on the move again!

The biggest news since last entry...Chris has recovered from his bout of Dengue Fever!

After 8 gruelling days in the hospital of fevers, body aches, painful blood tests from his feet (not quite the same level of care for pain tolerance as in Canada), Chris came out almost as good as new! The turn around after being so sick was astonishing.

Check out the picture of Chris lounging on his hospital room balcony. No matter how luxurious the accommodations may have been he was desperate to be out of there. Lets face it, no hospital is fun!

While Chris was in the hospital I bombed around back and forth for my daily meals on my magenta bike. There wasn't anything in walking distance to eat and the bike rental was cheaper then a one way trip in a taxi. Don't worry Mom, the helmet in the front basket was used. I've got a separate picture for you to prove it!

Upon hospital release we made a quick departure from Ko Samui the next day by ferry and bus to Bangkok. Nothing inspires road safety more then a couple cute little elephants on the side of the bus!

As much as we tried to avoid it, there was no escaping Khao San Road. Bangkok traveler ghetto extraordinaire!

Chris and I spent most of our Bangkok time in the Chinese Embassy. Visa successful! After our third visit to the embassy we thought we better find the Canadian embassy to get the chance to vote in the federal election. Unfortunately we were too late to register, but the coffee downstairs was nose-pickingly-good.

In our few days in Bangkok we mastered the art of getting cheap taxis, taking the MRT (underground) and hailing regular street buses. Ahhh, cheap transport. Something truly lacking in the south. Here we are on bus 53 talking to Valerie (Hi Mom!). Some things have really changed since we travelled last... one being the convenience of the unlocked cellphone.

From the bus, here is a shot of the ever classic tuk-tuk which, although tempting, we avoided like the plague due to their reputation for ridiculous scams.
If you don't count beaches, Wat Pho was our first major tourist attraction for the trip! Can you believe it? Almost a month in. Pictured below is a Chinese Rock Giant guarding the Wat. I'm doing my part as well.
Of course, the main site at Wat Pho is the Reclining Buddha. Turns out that even Buddha liked a little R&R in his later years.

Chris, at Wat Pho, looking dashing against a long wall.

This shrine at Wat Pho seemed especially magical. The most auspicious Buddha there supposedly. The room was carpeted, tranquil and everyone spoke in whispers. Ahh.. serenity now.

Another example of the Rock Giants. This one looks a tad more serious about guarding the place.

Wat Pho again (can you tell we loved it?)

Chris thinks that this monk is checking out my assets. I don't blame him (the Monk that is).

After that, Chris and the monk were chums.

We liked this shot Chris got of a tuk-tuk speeding through the streets of Bangkok. Although we did see one biker get pulled over the rules of the road really do seem to be 'anything goes.'

From the Chinese embassy, to the Canadian embassy to Wat Pho, we couldn't help but cram a little more into our day by hopping onto a night train to Chiang Mai. Over crazy boat or the frequent stopping "VIP" bus, it turns out that the train is the way to go when you travel through the night. We both had top bunks. They provide you with clean sheets and blankets (bleach certified) and you even get curtains and a night light. This far surpasses the overnight trains I took on my Europe adventure.

Now, we have arrived in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. The food is cheaper, the rooms are cheaper and the internet is cheaper. There is even a Fair Trade store in town and signs for yoga. This could be the place for us!

All and all, we are healthy and happy, with one exception... Chris lost half his molar at a Mexican Restaurant in Bangkok. If only he had gone with the soft taco. Anyone know how important cracked molars are? We aren't too keen to head back to the hospital just yet.

Stay in touch! Our next post might even be from Laos.

Emily & Chris