Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Phuket (just like Amherst, the H is definitely silent)

Finally, our sibling adventure to Thailand begins.  We bought flights on the cheapest airlines, Tiger Airways, and for the first time in our lives, we went to the budget terminal.  We decided that in America, they would probably call it something masking the fact that it was the cheap place like..."The Flight Deck", but in Singapore, no way.  Budget.  
I think in places other than Asia, it's just "The Coffee Bean."

george mason anyone?

We landed in Phuket International Airport in about 2 hours and were ready for an adventure! The first thing there was off the gate were maps in all kinds of languages.  We knew we were in a tourist destination.


no buddha images!

The resort we were staying at in Phuket had a place in the airport for assistance and what not, so we went there and they told us where to get a taxi from, and where Caroline could book her flight to Bangkok after our trip to Phi Phi island.  We waited for a while for the Air Asia clerk to get my sister her ticket and the right price, then took a cab for $500 THB to the Dusit Thani resort in Laguna.  Check it out here! 

When we arrived after the cab ride (about 30 minutes), we were welcomed with drinks and air con!

fruit juice in the reception area with a "garland for smelling."

Our room had a welcome message waiting for us on the TV

Wes claimed his bed immediately 

our room was pretty small, but definitely nice enough for us.  we didn't really plan on spending too much time in it anyway

wes and his newly coined "underbite grin"

for t-bone!

the pool

lobby

first walk on the beach...awesome!

relaxation hut

Peace

guppies!

in a big flower pot

We had gotten in about 11, so it was definitely lunch time after a little while of walking around!  We went to the cafe in the lobby of the resort which was pretty good.  They were nice and told us to come back after 11:30 so we could eat lunch food instead of breakfast.

pad thai under an egg net with tiger prawns

fruit plate

green curry

reading up on things to do

practically was force to read this book (awesome!) but then couldn't stop!

MOM would be proud of JASON for doing this...

After lunch we went to the room, changed then went to the beach.  It was awesome and relaxing just like we imagined while looking online and at the magazines.  After the beach, we met up back at the room and took a walk to a little shopping/eating area outside the resort.

caroline met a baby elephant and was sooooo happy

checking out bikes...Wesley is hooked

some modeling going on...

sunset

breadsticks at dinner

sunset



caroline ran to reunite with her friend she had made...2 hours earlier

grilled tuna 

lamb kabobs

green curry #2

Overall a great first day in Thailand.  We're excited for more exploring, eating, and relaxing!

Monday, July 11, 2011

Universal Studios and other things like being too tall...

Not totally sure, but we think the last time we went to Sentosa was in the 90's.  Wesley was very little and Jason and Caroline could both not go on rides by ourselves.  Universal Studios didn't exist and the "big deal" thing there was the monorail.  Now there is SO MUCH STUFF there, but we scored sweet tickets to Universal Studios (thanks uncle john!) WITH the express pass so we didn't have to wait in line!  It was so awesome.  You'd think it wouldn't be that much better, but it really, really was.

We got up very early and did the sweet local common thing and took the bus to town, then the MRT from Somerset to Vivo City, and then to Sentosa Express to the island.  

*for those of you who don't know, Sentosa is a touristy themed park type island right off the coast of Singapore...next to the shipping yard which is the 2nd largest crate port in the world (neat fact).  There is a ton to do and you should go if you're planning on visiting Singapore.

Wesley outside the third food republic we've found...

we're SO asian

Universal Studios...AND they were playing the Jurassic Park Theme Song!! (you should play the theme song as you read on...it'll be good)

The first place we went to was Madagascar.

do not feed the foosa

beware!  This was on the back of the sweet ship ride we went on.  It was surprisingly good and entertaining for a slow-moving kids ride haha

off to the land of shrek...forgot what it was called

clearly the best place

One of the coolest fountains in the universe


So a quick story--something that Jason did not expect.  When we were in line to go on the Battlestar Galactica ride (which was awesome, they had two different paths to take, essentially two different rides, one for HUMANS and one for CYLONS(sp?)) when he got pulled aside and asked to stand and wait to be measured because they thought he was going to be to tall to ride the normal ride.  He was over the regular height limit, but could ride in certain seats that were marked on posters near the entrance.  To tall?????

Leaving Sentosa

view of the shipping port

Vivo City artwork.  Vivo City is the largest shopping complex in Singapore

took this for Colin Shea

SNIPED!

she found a friend

tired from a long day!!

this is important: a spicy sausage covered in chocolate sauce wrapped in a prata (indian pancake)

"eyy! take a picture of him in the BM!" - mom