Happy New Year!

It hardly seems real that we are wrapping up 2010, but it's true!! And for me...it's coming sooner. (Sorry to leave ya'll in the dust.) Right now I'm getting ready to head out on the mini town of Kampot in Cambodia to celebrate New Years Eve and ring in 2011!

So many things this year seem like a dream. Not only for the fact that it has flown by so incredibly fast, but it's my past time to refer to life at home as "real life". Lol. This life...real life, and in 2011... I want to live every day so full. I want to take everything from this last year...good and bad, and learn from every step so we can make this next year fabulous.

Cheers to 2011!

Chey and I in Southern Cambodia...wrapping up 2010!

A Cambodian Christmas

The count down for Christmas is coming and I couldn't be more excited. It's actually already here for those of us on the other side of the globe. Merry Christmas friends!
 Chey and I made our way into Cambodia to spend the Holidays on the islands in the South East Asian heat, lounging on the beach, sippping pina coladas and chillen in a remote bungalow surrounded by bannana trees. This will be a definate change from the normal Christmas spirit. Ya know, cozying up near the fire in a big chunky sweater, sipping spiked eggnog and decorating the Christmas tree. The change is so drastic it hardly seems like Christmas. Especially because Asia only starts decorating the streets , shopping centers and restarants in December. Imagine that! Geeze, I see my first peice of miscle toe at home the day after Halloweeen. Regardless, this tropical climate will not deter us to get in the Christmas spirit. In fact, we are not bonbarded with an overload of gift buying and dare I day the "black Friday" shopping extravaganza..it's a relief. However, even the smallest things make me love this holiday even more and miss home. I mean, you have no idea how excited I got to hear Mariah Carey's Christmas alblum playing in a shop in Vietnam. In a world so far away, the little things that are familiar (especially during the holidays) bring a smile to my face.


Friends and family, Cheyenne and I will miss you this Christmas!

Dasher 'n Dancer

Christmas eve sunset

Christmas sunrise

Chaing Mai, Thailand: Tiger Kingdom

At this point I feel like Chaing Mai is so far away. Well, it is actually. Two counties and four weeks away to be exact. But no matter how fast this trip is flying by I can't stop thinking about my encounter with Lola...the two month old tiger that melted my heart.
Chey and I set out to Tiger Kingdom in Chaing Mai which is super touristy, but whatever. I was so excited to play with the Tigers! When I got there I totally chickened out. Um I'm sorry, but there was no way you are putting me in a cage with a 400 pound carnivore! I dont care how "tame" you claim they are. Show me to the babies...I'll play with them.

One month old baby kitten

Before they allowed us in the cage with Lola we got to explore and see the much bigger tigers in all their gloriousness. Massive and pure muscle they were magnificent to watch and a little intimidating to get up close to. Here...see for your self:

Mufasa!

Some crazy dude in the cage with the big kitty

When they finally let us into the cage with Lola, we had 10 minutes. She was the cutest and sleepiest little kitten ever and the next 10 minutes Chaing Mai life...

Ohhhh big yawn!

Spooning with Lola

The Gibbon Experience

To all you adrenaline junkies…listen up. I found just the adventure that not only had me high on life, but had me high in the sky dangling 100 meters above a canopy of forest. The view was magical and the rush never got old as I ventured into the Bokeo Forest to participate in the eco-friendly, backpackers escapade of trekking and zip lining ridiculousness. We shot out of Houi Xai, Lao at the ripe hour of 8am and piled into the back of a pick-up truck for the two hour journey ahead. We got there covered in dust and a little frazzled from the bumpy ride, but still ever so enthused about the next three days of what is called “Gibbon Experience”. We chose the Waterfall Experience which, we were told, included quite a bit more trekking that the Classic. We pulled into a tiny village with baby pigs, chickens, puppies and kids running amuck and soon followed out guides into the unknown.

In the village...parting ways with our pick-up truck.

Ahead of us was a three hour hike that made us even more joyful when we finally reached the waterfall. After a quick swim we strapped on our harnesses, hiked a bit more and were ready to zip. We made our way from one mountain to the next through a network of ziplines as our only means of transportation. We glided through the forest until we reached our tree house deep in the jungle. We slept, ate, and showered high in the trees with our new friends… a group of 8 of us. Four girls from New Zealand, a brother and sister pair of Aussies and Chey and I The views were absolutely magical and the rush just never got old. Here experience it for yourself:

Woo Hoo! Just watching that was fun. I have to say...the zip line gives a whole new meaning to heights and the harness gives a whole new meaning to camel toe. Proudly enough, Chey even conquered her lifelong fear of heights, but I wasn’t so lucky with the harness situation. Lol.

Each morning we got up before the sunrise to hike and zip in hopes of seeing some Gibbon. The experience is named after these shy little monkeys only because we are visitors in their territory. Sometimes hikers are lucky enough to hear them singing in the morning, but for us, they didn’t feel like making their debut appearance. Our morning treks consisted of us tiptoeing off the beaten track gathering up the leaches along the way or sometimes sitting quietly on the trail…just listening to the soundtrack of the forest. I found that so peaceful.

View...mid zip.

Our tree house crew

To wrap it up, the Gibbon Experience was sweet! It has been a great welcome into Laos and for any traveler passing through wanting to check out this adventure, make sure you book it early. The word is out and backpackers from all around the world are finding out what it feels like to swing like the Gibbons.