This post is just for my dad. He loves this stuff.
Here is our plane that we would fly from Phuket to Chiang Mai.
Here is an Air Asia stewardess greeting us at the airport.
Our airplane loading up.
Our safety information card.
Backside of the safety information card.
This is a budget airline. Want lunch, pay up. Peanuts, those cost money too! Notice the ads in the overhead bins, they encourage you to prepay your lunch and extra luggage online where it is cheaper than the airport! So next time you get those Southwest Airline peanuts for free make sure you appreciate them. Hope you enjoyed flying with Air Asia.
Love U Dad!
Here’s Wendy and I visiting our first Buddhist Temple of many here in the Old City of Chiang Mai.
Nothing like cruising the streets for fun in a tuk tuk.
I love this tuk tuk driver! - he put on a Santa hat and blared Michael Jackson tunes. Not to mention he squished 4 of us into his tuk tuk - 3 in back and me upfront holding on for dear life. 
Our home made Christmas tree - complete with presents from Santa.
It was a wonderful Christmas morning spent with good company, Christmas carols, and thoughtful presents.
Imagine my delight walking around the city and running into three Mr. Tourisms.
We are getting into shape the Thai way - Muay Thai Boxing with a professional fighter, Per.
We all came home with bruises littering our feet and shins.
My Crossfit muscles aren’t completely gone.
That little kid could kick any of our butts . . . and probably all at once if he wanted.
The fruit and vegetable markets here are farm fresh. We visited one while on our cooking class.
Then we visited the farm to learn about the vegis and start our cooking class. This was our incredibly funny and flamboyant instructor, A.
We each had our own woks and chopping stations as we were each making 6 different dishes! I made spicy basil tofu, papaya salad, fried bananas, Tom Sab soup, red curry paste and red curry.
The best part of class!
Wendy and I at the farm!
Now that we are officially Muay Thai students - we had to go to a professional fight. A championship fight no less.
And the champion?!?!?! Why it’s Per - our very own instructor! I don’t know if watching him fight motivated me or has terrified me. All I know is when he yells at me to hit faster or drop and give him 20 I won’t be pissing him off.
So sad - our final goodbye with Captain and Tropicbird - our home away from home.
The charming Old Phuket Town.
There are still plenty of mansions around town from tin mining tycoons.
The town is certainly colorful if nothing else.
And a goodbye dinner with the crew - half us are off diving and the other half are off rock climbing.
I think I am going to like Thailand!
I, of course, made everyone visit the Vegetarian Temple in Phuket. There are red, wooden blocks (in my hands) that one can throw on the ground to receive answers to all of your life questions. Vegetarian God says keep traveling!
And then of course we had to eat at the local vegetarian restaurant, conveniently located near the temple. That’s the owner looking thrilled to pose with us!
Giant Buddah - over 45 meters tall. Each marble square you are seeing is 12” square tile.
The Thailand pigeon. . . only they don’t poop on your head. 
Another night market with the original food truck . . . err food scooter. All these stands are attached to a scooter. Look closely and you can see the wheels.
Wendy and I outside the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project in Phuket.
A lovely volunteer explained to us how the gibbons were extinct in Phuket in the early 1980’s, but thanks to the center now has 6 family units back in the wild with more on their way!!
Please don’t kill my family and steal me as a baby and keep me as a pet and make me pose for photos.
The Similan Islands!
Life on the boat is tough.
Getting ready for another one of our 11 dives.
Dive Team 1! Love the instructor dressed in orange - super easy to find him 90 feet below!