Journal - Sawasdee ka from the Land of Smiles

We left for Phuket last friday for a last minute family vacation. It must say that this trip though short registered lots of firsts for my kids. They both enjoyed and had great fun on this trip. On the first side - this trip was the first time they

1) visited a part of Thailand and experienced the Thai Culture
2) Drank a lemongrass and soda welcome drink
3) Had a real beach holiday
4) Swam with an elephant in the sea
5) Bathed an elephant
6) Sean tasted his very first crab
7) Clarissa tried a very spicy Thai dip
8) Sat on a speedboat all the way to Phi Phi Island
9) Snorkelled in the open ocean and lagoon
10) Sean was bitten by a fish - honest, nothing major but it left a red mark on his arm.
11) Marvelled at the fishes and corals in the sea.
12) Saw a sea cucumber up close
13) Tried the Trapeze as in circus trapeze training
14) Sat in the Air Asia plane.
15) In a tsumani-stricken place
16) Diving off a speedboat

All in all I must say that we had a great time in Phuket. Mental note to self - my eyes should be better and I would love to see the beautiful fishes and corals for myself....

Here are the pictures in random order:

Sean's first ankle catch.... woohoo - do we have a trapeze artist in the house? Maybe ...
Sean's first knee hang on the trapeze. Great job Bud...

Wave boarding on the beach.

Clarissa hamming it up for the camera before takin the plunge on the trapeze.

Clarissa's first successful knee hang. She even did a back flip and landed on her feet.. Cool huh???

Clarissa had her hair braided.

Daddy and Sean kayaking in the open sea.

Look at that black sea cucumber. Something that grandpa loves and I loathe with a vengeance.

See - evidence that the fish bit him.

Tsunami evacuation zone.... On Maya Beach made famous by Leornardo Di Caprio in the movie "the Beach"

Clarissa jumping off the speedboat.

Sean diving off the speedboat.

Fishes feeding frenzily on the bread.

Kids first snorkel in a lagoon on west coast of Phi Phi Island.

Clarissa tasting the double dip of Thai Chilli.

Sean - trying crab for the first time. Check out the look on his face - priceless!!!

Bathing with the elephant in the sea.

Enjoying their first lemongrass and soda drink. Sean loved his first lei.

Our resort - The JW Marriot Phuket

Kids already drooling over the slide in the pool!!!