Sawadee Ka from Thailand

I begin this post as I sit in the waiting area at Bangkok Airport. Our flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia has been delayed one hour, but thanks to the wonders of technology that have served me so well on this trip thus far, I am using my time productively and getting a start on a traveling blog update!

We spent the last four days in Phuket at the Banyan Tree resort. It was nothing short of spectacular. The resort itself was beautiful, and we had a beautiful and secluded two-bedroom villa with its own private pool. The staff at the Banyan Tree was extremely professional and attentive, and we met some of the most genuinely nice people I have ever encountered. The hospitality in Thailand, and at this place in particular, is probably the best I’ve ever come across in all my travels. It doesn't hurt that everyone who greets you does so with a "wai" (the standard prayer-like gesture with the hands), a smile and of course "Sawadee Ka" ("Hello").

As we approach the two-year anniversary of the devastating Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, I definitely found it strange and even a bit eerie to stand on the very beaches that gave way to such a huge and tragic disaster so recently. However, I must admit that aside from the occasional Tsunami warning signs or those that pointed the way toward safety, one would never have known that the beach and other areas that are now bustling with vendors and tourists were ever unrecognizable in a sea of debris. Even some of the locals we spoke with seemed unfazed by it all, remarking here and there about what was damaged and casually recalling the day, but not much else. Perhaps this was the appropriate response, though; after all, their lives, jobs, daily routines had to return to normal at some point, and I guess we had no way of knowing in a brief encounter how the events of that day truly changed their lives.

So I'm wrapping up this post after finally arriving at our hotel in Siem Reap. What should have been a quick half hour flight to a neighboring country ended up being an 8 hour airport/travel experience. Our flight here ended up being delayed almost 2 hours in the end on top of a confusing arrival and Visa process upon landing in Cambodia. I trust that the four of us would have been booted from the Amazing Race, had this been an elimination round. However, the good news is we're not on a reality TV show and we have a big day ahead of us. I'm totally ready for the "adventure" leg of our trip, which begins bright and early tomorrow with our tour of Angkor Wat.

In the meantime, photos from Phuket are already up on Flickr and ready for public viewing. Enjoy and stay tuned!