Khao Lak

My favorite Thai beverages: Thai iced tea and coconut shake

My friend AJ took a detour from his five-month tour of Asia to come and visit for the weekend. We spent a day relaxing in Kamphuan so he could recover from nearly 24 hours of cross country bus travel. Following a hectic and confusing bus station rendevous (there was neither bus nor station.. Long story...) AJ went to sleep while I did some work at the office. A few hours later I somehow convinced him to wake up and join me for lunch. Energized from plates of sticky rice and various delicious toppings, we pedaled my new bike (it has a seat over the rear tire) all the way up the mountain for a refreshing swim in the waterfall. On the way back down we stopped to watch the elephant team as they cleared brush from the side of the road. After a post-bike siesta we met up with a few friends from the Tsunami project on the beach to enjoy the sunset.



AJ testing out my two-person bicycle




Fish in the waterfall (top) and the elephant team at work (bottom)



Pharapat Beach at sunset


The following morning we awoke before the 5:30 call to prayer to catch a bus south to the beautiful beach town of Khao Lak. Highlights include quaint beachside bungalows, the best fresh fish dinner of my life, beach soccer, and some good laughs. It was a bit surreal but so wonderful to have a friend from home visit me here. After two months of trekking in China, AJ had no shortage of stories to share!

Khao Lak