Joe is Here!

As you all might imagine I am ridiculously happy. He got off the bus in Mae Sot last week claiming he wasn't tired. He talked with me for about an hour before saying he was not sleepy but might lay down for a minute. 14 hours later he was awake and ready to explore Mae Sot! (the jet lag really can be crazy!)

We headed after a few days of me having to work to Bangkok where we stayed with a friend of mine and ate some amazing Vietnamese food she learned to cook on a work trip to Vietnam. We had to of course stop by the clinic- since some of you may already know this, but I developed some weird skin abscesses after being in Thailand. Basically, while my stomach loves Thailand (well, love/hates to be fair), my skin really hates it, and decided to get several small infections and one rather large abscess on the back of my neck. After a painful draining of the spot and 2 weeks of antibiotics, I appear to be on the mends. I really think its just the sand and salt- as we caught a flight from Bangkok to the beaches of Krabi in Southern Thailand.

We have been AMAZINGLY lucky with the weather here, it is mid rainy season and has only rained ONCE. I am of course furiously knocking on wood. In addition to a lot of lounging and a trip to the immigration office to square away my visa extension, we have done a lot of shopping, eating of Thai food which Joe is of course infatuated with and not yet tired of (I only tire of it about one meal per week, in which I must have bread of some sort). We also have done some rock climbing, and tomorrow we will go snorkeling to the island where that terrible movie The Beach with L. Dicaprio was filmed. I am slightly terrified of sharks, and I hear there may be some small black tipped reef sharks (eek!). My fear of sharks is only rivaled by Joe's love for monkeys, which he literally spent almost an hour watching yesterday (that is an exaggeration, but he clearly could have spent at least an hour).

Joe rock climbs like a monkey. It's ridiculous.

Exploring a temple? I think? in Krabi Town

Said temple thing (I am sure whatever it is, it is quite auspicious and I should figure out how to appropriately refer to it.)

Joe on the Boat to Railay. Note the beautiful limestone cliffs these beaches are known for.

Sunset at Railay Beach

Railay East Beach, Near a cave where an Indian Princess was said to have drowned, and fisherman bring offerings

Me, really excited to be eating a Western Omelet with CHEESE at breakfast at the resort.

More pictures of the beach.

It will be sad to leave on Sunday, but I do love the volunteer work/ school placement I have and am eager to get back to it in some ways. Of course, I am dreading Joe leaving, and wish you all would just move here :) Maybe you'll think about it after some of the pictures (see below)!

Lots of love! Sarah