Happy Holidays from Thailand

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Well, December has just flown by and I haven't written at all. I have been moving around a lot to cover ground before leaving in Thailand in just a couple of weeks.

Stacy Allen came from the 3rd to the 14th. We started south and then worked our way north -- a little of everything Thailand has to offer, beautiful beaches/mudflats, remote locations/Bangkok, sickness/health, etc.

We rented a car for 4 days out of Bangkok to cover some territory in the northwest. Stacy accidentally ran off a very narrow, washed out road in Sangklaburi by the Burma border -- we were suspended 2 feet off the ground on our axle with only two right wheels left on the road. About 15 men and boys miraculously appeared out of nowhere managed to lift the back end and front end back onto the road and somehow the car was OK and the initial, scary clunking noises stopped. It was such a scene, I'm sorry that I didn't think to take a picture. Thankfully we a laughed alot about it afterwards, especially when Budget took the car back without a peep. (I've now somehow participated in damaging 2 rental cars in this RTW journey! Shows why they discourage you from renting cars overseas.) I took over and drove the rest of the way. I'm so used to it that I watched a movie a week or 2 ago and it looked strange to be driving on the right hand side of the road (if that's not a sign that I should come home, I don't know what is!).

Anyhoo, Stacy left on a Saturday morning so I hightailed it out of Bangkok by the overnight train to Surat Thani and then to Ao Nang beach near Krabi -- beautiful karst scenery and pristine blue water, although everything is being built up at the beach. I got my avanced diving certificate in 2 days there on a boat, diving around Ko Phi Phi (The Beach was filmed here) and lay on the white sand beach and mellowed out.

Which leads me to my message today, which is....Merry Christmas from Khao Lak, Thailand (a little north of Phuket). This is my first Christmas away from home, although it hardly feels like Christmas at all here -- but at least there were decorations up at the malls in

Bangkok and carols playing (weird). It is good that I will be home in 6 weeks as I am ready to return...I think.... In some ways I have enjoyed not being carried away by the mass consumerism, crowds at malls, etc. But I do miss the traditions, trees, baking, smells, tree trimming, etc. Most of all I miss being with friends and family and drinking a glass of wine or eggnog and sitting back and relaxing in someone's comfortable sofa and having good homemade food and familiar company.

Before you feel sorry for me, away and alone at the holidays, I should tell you that I'm extremely tan and staying in a beautiful, expensive teak bungalow hotel with a pool by the beach. I just returned from a 3-day dive trip to the Similan Islands off the coast (one of the top 10 diving locations in the world). So there! I've discovered what a great activity scuba diving is when you travel alone. Everyone is happy to be there, interested in the experience, friendly, etc. It is a group activity, but 30 meters underwater, you are self-contained in your own little bubble experiencing the underwater life around you in a quiet shell for an hour or so. Then you get to come out, discuss what you saw, relax, take in some sun, read, eat and wait for the next dive in a few hours.

I return to Bangkok on the overnight train Xmas Eve (better than being alone). I'll be in Bangkok on Christmas and hopefully see a movie, maybe find a church, or just hang out on Khao San before Marie arrives at midnight and her friends arrive a few days after that.

My thoughts and wishes are with you for the holidays. I miss you, Elizabeth

P.S. I have this really cute digital picuture that I'll just have to attach later....