Earthquake in Laos

Others felt the shaking but we slept right through the earthquake. I don't think I've ever experience an earthquake before but after seeing the tragedy in Christchurch, I think I'll take the kind you can sleep through.

Ko Phi Phi Leh

Just off the coast of Ko Phi Phi (Don), is the small island of Ko Phi Phi Leh. This area was famously used as the setting for the Leonardo DiCaprio movie, The Beach. With the notoriety of the film, the island has become tremendously popular with tourists (see the pictures of the beach below which were taken on a slow day). Even with the crowds, you can find quiet corners and the island is spectacularly beautiful.

The Views of Phi Phi Island

The Joys of Phuket

Patong in Phuket has a reputation as a tourist-packed, over-sexed town but our second visit there confirmed for us that we can enjoy it immensely in small doses and avoid all of the worst parts of the town. Our primary reason for visiting Patong is that there is a convenient flight from nearby Udorn Thani, Thailand and that it has a Mexican restaurant. Sorry, we don't have any pictures of the Mexican food as it disappears as soon as it hits our table.

Ringing in the Chinese New Year

New Microbrewery

German Beer

Movie theater with reclining couch seats (plus we love standing for the King's anthem before the movie)

Fun Urinals

SCUBA Diving

Neal and I recently traveled to Phi Phi Island in southern Thailand via Phuket. Some of you may remember our posts about our last vacation in Phuket or as Neal refers to it the first of two times I've tried to kill him during our marriage (see the Gibbon Experience post for information on the second). Clearly I wasn't trying to kill him. Who would have guessed a kid from Iowa, who often says swimming 500 meters for his lifeguard certification was one of the hardest things he has ever done, wouldn't be good at scuba diving? I on the other hand loved diving and have been looking forward to a return trip to the beach.

We decided to stay on Phi Phi Island instead of Phuket to be closer to the diving sites and to see some new scenery. Although I love diving I get sea sick (can't take the Iowa out of the girl) so the proximity to the dive sites was very important. During this vacation I was able to dive 4 times over 2 days. The first day I broke my depth record by diving to 78 feet and 72 feet deep. While under water I saw an abundance of marine life including:

Loin Fish (very dangerous)

Trevelly

Titian Triggerfish (my personal favorite)

Porcupine fish

Moray Eels

Cuttlefish

Clown fish (Nemo)

Blue spotted Ribbontail ray

Batfish

Barracudas

Banner fish

Yellow boxfish

Angel fish

Hawksbill Sea Turtles (I saw 5 the first day and 4 the second)

The pictures are all borrowed from other websites.