We are home

We arrived home after 35 hours of travel from Phuket, and were welcomed by 1' of fresh snow

72 hours ago.....

Last night on Phuket

 

Fox wistfully looking down the beach. You see it's our last night on Phuket. Only a few more hours of beach time before it's back to Canada via 4 flights.

Kathryn hangin' 8 on Hat Nai Yang

Kathryn paddling toward shore

still paddling......

and still paddling.....

Kathryn finally reaches shore. Reward: a pina colada

We rent the chairs/umbrellas for $5/day

Orchids grow like weeds

Sunset on Hat Nai Yang



Beaches of Thailand, oh how we will miss you!



Beach time before home time

Here's where we'll be for the next 72 hours. Right here on this very beach. Hat Nai Yang.

Or perhaps here at the seafood restaurant. Also on the beach.

Three months travel has been good for Kiwi, look at him! Looking fabulous isn't he? God he will kill me when he sees this post. : )

Fox

Time for Lime cooking class

Our last day on Koh Lanta saw us chopping, simmering, boiling, stirring various ingredients while we participated in a Time for Lime cooking class. We made crispy spring rolls, penang curry, spicy prawn soup and caramelized filet of fish/chicken. We used only the freshest of ingredients and you better believe the curry paste was made from scratch by hand (by the way, Kiwi just said "mestle and porter" meaning morter and pestle and then he let a huge toot escape because he was laughing so hard at himself, then he began laughing even harder because the toot surprised the hell out of him). Anyway...we used a mortar and pestle to make the curry paste and my oh my you guys, it is 1,000,000 x better than anything you can buy in a shop.

The hard work is worth it!

The true chef!

Some of the fresh ingredients for the spicy prawn soup.

Fox wielding a cleaver, how frightening.

The students busy in the kitchen.

Kiwi enjoying the meal he made!

Kiwi's plate presentation. Fancy shmancy!

Fox's plate presentation. Fox wins, hers is prettier!

Fox enjoy an ice cold Chang after a tough afternoon slaving away in the kitchen.

Back to the kitchen for the 2nd course.

Kiwi dutifully chopping up the lemongrass.

We were so impressed by these knives we each bought one to take back to Canada with us. Hopefully this will encourage a little more cooking and a little less take out.

Some of the fresh curry ingredients that went into the mortar and pestle for crushing to make penang curry paste. By the way the Penang curry paste isn't traditionally Thai, it's a take on a Malaysian curry paste. It was so very delicious.

How we feel about returning to "the real world"

Animals on Lanta

What a face! This guy was one of my favourites at Time for Lime.

This is Joey the monkey and he's occupied himself by rolling a stick in his hands. He picks and chooses who he likes...we didn't make the cut and so we never could touch him but Time for Lime's owner Junie can take him for walks, rock him like a baby and even take him swimming in the ocean. We were surprised to see Joey swimming underwater for long periods. He was a total character and we enjoyed having him as our neighbour at Time for Lime. By the way, all of Time for Lime's profits go to Lanta Animal Welfare, also founded by Junie Kovacs, a woman with a seriously big heart. Junie does a lot of good for animals on Koh Lanta, Thailand. We've been thinking about what we can do to support Lanta Animal Welfare once we return to Canada. All of know how near and dear cats and dogs are to both of us. We would like to help support the work that Junie is doing on Koh Lanta.

Kiwi with kitty cat. Kitty slept in our room and we had our cat fix! We both cannot wait to get home to our two kittens, Moshi & Wylie.

Here's to 2011

New Year's Eve began with a naked chef cooking class for men only (the ladies enjoyed beverages while the men prepared the meal). Here's Kiwi chopping away!

Gordon chatting with one of the nice people we met that night. We'll call him "S".

A word from Time for Lime owner and founder of Lanta Animal Welfare Junie Kovacs. This woman has a REALLY big heart! http://www.timeforlime.net/ and http://www.lantaanimalwelfare.com/ to find out more.

Kiwi having a laugh with "K" and "M".

Group shot of some of the lovely, funny people we met on NYE.

On the longtail boats heading out to see the fireworks! The fireworks here are probably totally cheap, unsafe and illegal but I have to say, they give the fancy Festival of Lights a run for its money! Or perhaps that was the booze speaking....I thought it was a world class fireworks event but then again I was drinking from a bucket for 1/2 the night.

Looking towards Koh Lanta beach and the fireworks.

"H" and "S" with Gordon on the beach. All of them are accountants!

Drinking from a bucket....that's just how I roll. Ever classy Fox! This will explain the last photo at the bottom.

"E" smiling big and "K" playing his beer bottle like it's a flute or something.

Too cute, "K" and "C" near the end of the night. Lovely couple, so great to meet such fun folks on our trip.

And this is what Fox did on the 1st of January.
Gordon's post script: this is not a nap; and this is in the pm (clock)